Bird data from Ethiopia fills in baseline data gaps

One of the projected effects of a warming climate for species living on mountain slopes is moving their distributions upslope as their habits shift upwards. Eventually, since mountains have a limit to their elevation, a species may have no more habitat to move up to and therefore go extinct. Tracking how and where this is happening is tough, though, if you don't have a good idea of where the species are now. That's the situation in places such as Africa, which have tremendous biodiversity but spotty ecological baseline data.

So University of Utah researchers set out to assess the status of bird species in Ethiopia's Bale Mountains through six years' worth of bird banding efforts at five sites. The sites spanned more than a mile of vertical elevation on the tropical mountain slopes. The highest species richness, they found, was near the lowest and intermediate elevation stations, and six species were found at elevations higher than they'd been seen before.

The study, the authors write, establishes baseline observations for tropical birds in East Africa, filling in an important data gap for monitoring biodiversity and tropical ecosystem health in a warming world.

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The study is published in Ornithological Applications.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
NASA launches rocket in search of aurora answers

NASA launched one of its largest sounding rockets Sunday from an East Coast facility in an experiment led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute space physics professor.

The four-stage Black Brant XII rocket carrying the KiNET-X experiment of principal investigator Peter Delamere lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 8:44 p.m. Eastern time. The ascent of the rocket, which flew on an arc into the ionosphere before beginning its planned descent over the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, could be seen along the East Coast.

The experiment seeks to understand how a large mass of plasma such as the solar wind interacts at the particle level with, for example, the plasma of Earth's space environment.

The interaction between the solar wind and a planet's magnetosphere appears as the aurora, whether here on Earth or on another planet that has a magnetic field and a substantial atmosphere. Physicists have long been trying to understand how the interaction works.

"KiNET-X was a fantastic success, as the Wallops and science teams worked through unprecedented pandemic-related challenges," Delamere said. "Hats off to all involved. We couldn't have asked for a better outcome tonight."

The rocket released two canisters of barium thermite, which were then detonated -- one at about 249 miles high and one 90 seconds later on the downward trajectory at about 186 miles, near Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean. The detonations produced purple and green clouds.

The barium, once dispersed from the canisters, turned into a plasma when it became ionized by the sunlight. The barium plasma clouds, which generated their own electromagnetic fields and waves, then interacted with the existing plasma of the ionosphere.

The experiment's science team has already begun analyzing the data from that interaction.

The launch came on the final day of the 10-day launch window. Previous days had been plagued by bad weather at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and in Bermuda, unacceptably high winds at upper elevations, and an incident in which the rocket "came in contact with a launcher support during launch preparations," according to NASA.

The experiment included three other Geophysical Institute space and plasma scientists: Project co-investigator Don Hampton, a Geophysical Institute research associate professor, was in Bermuda for ground observations; Geophysical Institute researchers Mark Conde, a space physics professor, and Antonius Otto, an emeritus professor of plasma physics, monitored the experiment from Fairbanks.

Two UAF students pursuing Ph.Ds at the Geophysical Institute also participated. Matthew Blandin supported optical operations at Wallops Flight Facility, and Kylee Branning was at Langley Air Research Center operating cameras on a NASA Gulfstream III monitoring the experiment.

The experiment also included researchers and equipment from Dartmouth University, University of New Hampshire, Clemson University, University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Preparation began in 2018, when NASA approved the project.

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ADDITIONAL CONTACTS:

NOTE TO EDITORS: Additional photographs are available at https:/ / www. gi. alaska. edu/ news/ nasa-launches-rocket-search-aurora-answers

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The number of new cases of the coronavirus Covid-19 infection and fatalities worldwide has been decreasing for the second week in a row, said the World Health Organization (WHO).



However, it is too early to talk about the end of the pandemic, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO was quoted as saying at a briefing in Geneva on Monday by Russian news agency Tass.



"For the second week in a row there has been a global decline in cases and deaths from Covid-19.



At the same time, the situation in a number of countries continues to be very concerning. The Covid-19 pandemic is a long way from over," he added.


Vietnamese delegates at the session (Photo: PANO)

Under the theme Parliamentary strategies to strengthen peace and security against threats and conflicts resulting from climate-related disasters and their consequences, the session attracted 35 delegations from IPU member countries.

During the session, the Vietnamese delegations representatives shared about the serious impacts caused by climate change on peoples lives, which are potential threats to peace, security and stability in each country. Vietnam lauds efforts of the international community, including IPU, in raising awareness and actions of parliaments, governments and people about peace and security issues caused by climate change.

The Vietnamese side suggested parliaments continue maintaining strong political commitments and specific actions in the spirit of respecting international law, thus making practical contributions to global agendas on climate change prevention for world peace and security.

Vietnam also suggested the IPU set up global initiatives and programmes on developing a low-emission economy to create a foundation for policy dialogue, experience sharing and capacity building for countries, as well as the conditions to encourage private investment in sectors with low greenhouse gas emissions.

The Voice of Vietnam reported that the Vietnamese NA called for participating parliaments to urge their governments to fulfil their post-2020 responsibility in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making financial contributions, if they have yet to complete the mission; and to conduct post-2020 obligations.

The NA also recommended the parliaments actively restore economic development and relief activities to help those severely affected by climate change, ensuring that no one is left behind. Also needed is the transformation of development models towards low carbon emissions to ensure sustainable recovery and create new jobs for workers via the promotion of digital transformation, renewable energy, smart agriculture, smart transportation and the establishment of a circular economy.

Speaking at the virtual Forum of Young Parliamentarians, Permanent member of the National Assemblys Committee for External Relations Dinh Cong Sy, who is also Vice Chairman of the NAs Young Parliamentarians Group, has said Vietnam attaches importance to promoting youth development./.
Photo taken on Aug. 18, 2020 shows the Doxong Pass and tunnel exit on the highway linking Pad Township in the city of Nyingchi and Medog County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Construction of a highway passing through the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, known as the world's deepest canyon with a maximum depth of 6,009 meters, was completed on Saturday in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The project took almost seven years to complete. A 2,114-meter tunnel was dug through on Saturday morning, marking the completion of the major construction of the 67.22-km road connecting Pad Township in the city of Nyingchi and Medog County. (Photo by Dong Zhixiong/Xinhua)

LHASA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a highway passing through the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, known as the world's deepest canyon with a maximum depth of 6,009 meters, was completed on Saturday in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The project took almost seven years to complete.

A 2,114-meter tunnel was dug through on Saturday morning, marking the completion of the major construction of the 67.22-km road connecting Pad Township in the city of Nyingchi and Medog County.

The project was built by the China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. and started in 2014, with an estimated investment of over 2 billion yuan (about 310 million U.S. dollars).

The company stressed green development during the construction and poured 110 million yuan into ecological and water environment protection. It was much more than the planned 75.39 million yuan, said Du Canxun, a manager with the company.

The road was built on the former hiking route between Nyingchi's Pad Township and Baibung Township, Medog County, with an altitude difference of up to 2,892 meters between the highest and lowest spots of the road.

It is the second significant passageway to Medog, following the first one connecting the county and Zhamog Township, Bomi County. After the new highway opens to traffic, the road length connecting the city proper of Nyingchi and Medog County will be shortened to 180 km from 346 km, cutting travel time by eight hours. Enditem

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[ Editor: SRQ ]
Volodymyr Brusilovskyy, Project Manager, Support to Public Sector Digitalization

and Manal Fouani, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Ukraine

Last year, in just a few months, the COVID-19 crisis brought about years of change in the way governments, organizations and companies in all sectors and regions do business. Numerous lockdown restrictions triggered the shift of demand towards online public services, making them the new normal. According to a McKinsey Global Survey, many companies catapulted the digital transformation of their external and internal operations by three to four years in 2020. During the same period, the share of digital or digitally-enabled products in their portfolios accelerated by an amazing seven years. In Ukraine, UNDP also managed to shift most of its operations to online programming and management in just six days when the pandemic hit.

Much of the success in this rapid process of digital evolution during the crisis depended on how well governments or organizations had developed their digital launching pads before the pandemic. The Government of Ukraine was, fortunately, one of the better-prepared ones. In 2019, the country established its Ministry of Digital Transformation and set up an ambitious agenda for a comprehensive digital transformation in the public sector to make more government services available online. In 2020, a year of global pandemic, the Ministry acted boldly and ambitiously, launching numerous online services and enhancing existing tools to accelerate access to public services for Ukrainians during the lockdown.

However, while paving the way for new digital highways, the coronavirus also exposed the digital gaps between and within societies. It has highlighted inequalities and revealed how many men and women, boys and girls are being left behind due to low incomes, lack of digital literacy, age, disability, and many other social, economic and systemic hurdles.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner has stressed numerous times that digital technologies can address the multidimensional impacts of the pandemic, but we must ensure everyone has access. The pandemic has highlighted the cost of digital inequality, Steiner wrote in a recent blog. As we deploy digital solutions, we need to remember the unequal state of digital access and digital literacy between and within countries.

The critical barriers to entry include the cost of the technologies, user disabilities, and the lack of digital skills. Thus, every online service or digital solution should be reviewed not only for its efficiency or utility. We should also assess how effectively the service can be accessed, including by the most disadvantaged. Such digital barriers were highlighted during the development of the National Strategy on a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine, which was adopted in April 2021. The strategy focuses on six spheres  absence of physical, information, digital, social, educational, and economic barriers  recognizing digital accessibility as one of the cornerstones for building greater inclusiveness in Ukraine.

While these are good steps in the right direction, the concept of barrier-free digital transformation should not be limited to web accessibility and compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other standards. Building a digitally inclusive society means creating opportunities for everyone to access and use online resources, services, and tools.

Promoting inclusive digital transformation

UNDP is taking a human-centered comprehensive approach in Ukraine and is consolidating the efforts of different stakeholders to minimize digital inequalities in the country. We are doing this by promoting a whole-of-society vision within a whole-of-government digital transformation. For example, UNDP has committed to supporting the Ministry of Digital Transformation to advance the Sustainable Development Goals based on principles of digital transformation equitable to all. This partnership, sealed in a Memorandum of Understanding, intends to propel Ukraines economic and social development through expanded access to non-discriminatory and transparent state services.

As part of our support to Ukraines digitalization, we also conceptualized and launched the Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalization of State Services in Ukraine (DIA Support) Project . The DIA Support Project is designed to strengthen Ukraines abilities to craft digitalized services to be used by the countrys vulnerable populations, taking due account of the inclusive Human Rights-Based Approach to policymaking. The Project, supported by the Government of Sweden, aims to bridge the digital divide between generations and within different social groups in Ukraine, specifically seniors and retirees, persons with disabilities, people living below the poverty line, people living in rural areas, young people living in conflict-affected areas, ethnic minorities (especially the Roma population), the internally displaced (IDPs), and veterans returning to civilian life.

With regards to expanding access to public government services in Ukraine, accessibility remains a significant issue. The recent UNDP survey Electronic services: experiences, trust, accessibility shows that almost half of Ukrainians obtained at least one e-service over the past year. Among those who did not, one in four complained about the lack of digital skills and competencies. One in five of the non-users noted they had no internet-enabled device to access the services.

To address these constraints, the Government of Ukraine in 2019 resolved that all state-sponsored digital tools shall meet at least the WCAG 2.0 (level AA) requirements. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were developed globally to provide a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments. To meet the minimum criteria of WCAG 2.0 Level AA, a website must be usable and understandable by most people without hindrances.

According to UNDP in-house research (soon to be published), most online resources and services in Ukraine remain partially or fully inaccessible. None of the 82 online public portals or resources we tested were fully compliant with WCAG criteria. Only 5 percent of electronic service portals surveyed enabled the users to quickly locate page contents when using screen-reader assistive software.

Further developments down the digital highway

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 14 April 2021 adopted the National Strategy for a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine, which was initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska and under the Presidential Decree "On Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine". The National Strategy takes a comprehensive approach to building a barrier-free environment for everyone, taking into consideration the interests of all social groups, including young people, the parents of children under the age of six, children and adults with disabilities, and the elderly. It specifically focuses on building educational, economic, digital, civil, and physical inclusiveness. UNDP supports these efforts and assists the government of Ukraine to foster digital transformation based on principles of equality and universality and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Specifically, UNDP plans to promote adoption of the latest version of the European standard EN 301 549 which is based on WCAG 2.1. Along with this, the best world practices regarding digital accessibility requirements for state-funded mobile applications will be analyzed. These two steps will help develop and adopt updated accessibility requirements for relevant state resources, both web and mobile.

UNDP will also support various training activities for the representatives of line Ministries and state-owned enterprises on a diverse spectrum of issues, specifically on how to evaluate compliance of state web resources with the requirements and embed accessibility requirements into the software.

In parallel, UNDP is testing the Diia ecosystem, including the core web portal, the mobile application, and related portals such as Diia.Business, Diia.Education, and other resources to help the Ministry of Digital Transformation enhance the accessibility of their resources and be a showcase for other state institutions.

Effectively harnessing the new digital technologies means expanding opportunities for low and middle-income countries to diversify their economies, create new jobs, transform agriculture, and improve health and education. We at UNDP in Ukraine are well aware that digital technologies can also entrench exclusion and disrupt peoples' livelihoods. Ae are thus committed to working closely with the Ministry of Digital Transformation to ensure that no one is left behind, as new digital pathways are explored.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko asks Valeriy Tarasiuk, head of the the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER), to prohibit the import of electricity from Russia and Belarus on the basis of the Ukrenergo Certification Law No. 1396-IX, which gave him such a right.

"The Ministry of Energy appeals to NCER with a request to use the right provided by Law No. 1396-IX and to prohibit the import of electricity from countries that are not parties to the Energy Community (the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus), having made an appropriate decision," Halushchenko's letter dated May 17, which the Energoreform has at its disposal, says.

According to the minister, stated in the letter, the orientation towards the import of electricity from non-member countries of the Energy Community contradicts the strategic goals of Ukraine in the field of energy and potentially threatens energy security.

One of these strategic goals, the minister called the integration of the energy system of Ukraine ENTSO-E, pointing out the preparations for the separation of the integrated power system of Ukraine from parallel work with the energy systems of the Russian Federation and Belarus with further connection to the European network.

At the same time, he noted that a key requirement during the accession of the integrated power system of Ukraine to ENTSO-E is to ensure the sufficiency of its own generating capacities to cover the projected demand for electricity. At the same time, according to him, imports worsen the financial and economic condition of electricity producers, the quality of the schedule for repairs of generating equipment at power plants and thermal power plants, and also negatively affects the coal mining industry.

In addition, this negatively affects the ability of manufacturers to ensure the purchase of fuel in sufficient volumes for a stable passage of the autumn-winter period, the letter says.

"As a result, the risks of violation of the security of electricity supplies and the operational security of the integrated power system of Ukraine are increasing, which threatens its future synchronization with ENTSO-E," Haluschenko summed up.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the decision of the dismissal of Ihor Petrashko from the post of the Minister for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine.

The relevant decision was supported by 280 MPs at a plenary session on Tuesday.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Ihor Petrashko as the Economy Minister on March 17, 2020. Prior to that, since April 2013, he worked at the Ukrlandfarming agricultural holding as the deputy of General Director Oleh Bakhmatiuk.

In 2007-2003, he worked at the Troika Dialog Ukraine investment company, where he headed the investment banking department and was the managing director, and then became the head of the Corporate Business Department at Sberbank of Russia.
The Servant of the People parliamentary faction has approved the candidacy of Oleksandr Kubrakov for the post of Infrastructure Minister; Oleksiy Liubchenko for Economy Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister; Viktor Liashko for Health Minister, head of the faction David Arakhamia told journalists.

"The faction was primarily dealed with personnel issues [...]. The issues were about the change of three ministers: for the post of Infrastructure Minister, instead of Mr. Krykliy, the candidacy of Mr. Kubrakov was supported, instead of Economy Minister Mr. Petrashko, the candidacy of Mr. Liubchenko. Clarification: Mr. Liubchenko is proposed for the post of Economy Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister. [...] Instead of Mr. Stepanov the candicacy of Mr. Liashko is proposed," Arakhamia said at a briefing after the faction's meeting on Monday, May 17.

At the same time, he said their appointment will most likely take place on Thursday.
On the Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatars, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian side does everything possible to protect the rights of residents of occupied Crimea and return the peninsula.

"Some 77 years ago, the entire Crimean Tatar population was deported from Crimea. They lost almost 50% of the population because of this. Seven years ago Crimea was occupied. Ukraine does everything to defend the rights of offended there and return the peninsula. That is why we began the Crimean platform," Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
SBU conducts searches in house where Klitschko lives, investigative actions have nothing to do with the mayor

On Tuesday morning, officers of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are conducting searches in the house where Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko lives, as part of the investigation of criminal proceedings on falsified petroleum products, these investigative actions have nothing to do with Klitschko, the SBU said.

"The SBU does not conduct searches at Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko. The officers from the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime with the involvement of special forces of the Central Security Service 'A' are conducting searches within the criminal proceedings on falsified petroleum products," the SBU press service told Interfax-Ukraine.

The SBU said the searches are taking place at several locations at once, including the house where Klitschko lives.

"The investigative actions have nothing to do with Mr. Klitschko himself," the department said.
The Prosecutor General's Office has appealed the decision of Pechersky District Court of Kyiv on house arrest of MP (from the Opposition Platform - For Life party) Viktor Medvedchuk, the PGO press service told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Prosecutor General's Office has appealed the decision of Pechersky District Court of Kyiv on the application of a measure of restraint against the suspected MP in the form of round-the-clock house arrest. Prosecutors insist on the use of a measure of restraint in the form of detention with the alternative of paying a bail of UAH 300.930 million," the PGO press service said.
Ukraine calls on the international community to condemn the deportation of Crimean Tatars from the Crimean peninsula in 1944 and recognize it as genocide of the Crimean Tatar people, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide, released on Tuesday.

The ministry said in the statement, the deportation of 1944 was "a deliberate action by the inhuman communist regime of the USSR with the aim of exterminating one of the indigenous peoples of Crimea." "According to various estimates, in the first years of exile alone, more than 46% of the evicted Crimean Tatars died as a result of hunger, mass diseases, bullying and hard labor in places of special settlements," the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry also called on the entire civilized world to participate in the Crimean platform and cooperate to resolve urgent political, security, legal, economic and humanitarian problems that resulted from the occupation of Crimea by Russia.

"Some 70 years after the deportation, Russia resumed repressions against the Crimean Tatar people by occupying Crimea in 2014 [...]. Hundreds of Ukrainian citizens, in particular Crimean Tatars, have become victims of political repression in the criminal cases fabricated by the Russian-occupation forces. Dozens of prisoners on politically motivated charges are being illegally detained in Crimea and on the territory of the Russian Federation," the ministry said in the statement.

The Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine's position on the protection of European democratic values, human rights and freedoms remains unchanged and unshakable: Ukraine protects the rights of the Crimean Tatar people on an equal basis with the rights of all indigenous peoples living on Ukrainian territory.
Better working conditions can improve productivity, health, and safety for the over 44 million artisanal miners across 80 countries, according to a new report released by World Bank and Pact.



The report, "2020 State of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector" outlines solutions to improve occupational health and safety, social protection, and fair labour standards for the artisanal and small-scale (ASM) sector and at least 134 million people who are estimated to work in industries that support the sector.



The report examines artisanal and small-scale minings contribution to achieving the SDG8: promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The report finds that informality of the sector, an ongoing problem that affects around 90 percent of ASM activity, leaves artisanal workforces around the globe exposed to dangerous working conditions.



From landslides to mercury exposure to intense manual rock crushing, miners enter the work site most days under-protected. These vulnerabilities have only been heightened by the socio-economic effects of the Covid-19 crisis. Artisanal miners saw reduced incomes resulting from temporary mine closures, a drop in mineral prices, and reduced access to work caused by severe disruptions of global mineral supply chains which rely on ASM-sourced materials.



The poor working conditions faced by artisanal workers have been disproportionately compounded further by their vulnerability to the Covid-19 pandemic due to limited access to health and social infrastructure. The commitment of governments and companies to ensuring their health, safety and well-being is now more important than ever, said Demetrios Papathanasiou, World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractives.



This new report demonstrates how holistic approaches to improve the working conditions of artisanal miners can boost sustainable and inclusive growth, with greater job creation and poverty reduction.



The report shows that 40 years ago, the worlds large-scale mining industry was just as unsafe as artisanal and small-scale mining. However, today, large-scale mining is one of the worlds most safety conscious industries.



The report underscores the important role that increased mechanization and concerted efforts to improve health and safety played in the dramatic improvements in the large-scale industry. It finds that if the same concerted efforts to improve large scale minings working conditions were deployed by governments, sourcing companies, and end-user manufacturers, the occupational health and safety record of ASM could also improve substantially.



Artisanal miners supply a wide variety of minerals that are critical to modern communication technologies, low-carbon and clean energy technologies, and luxury jewellery goods. Despite the sectors significant contribution to livelihoods and economic growth, artisanal workers are often overlooked in discussions on how best to advance promotion of decent work and economic growth.



The report provides six key reflections on how governments, especially resource-rich developing countries, the private sector, and civil society organizations can best advance the decent work agenda within ASM. The report is published by Delve, an initiative by the World Bank's Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) Trust Fund in partnership with Pact. - TradeArabia News Service
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is working out safe ways to repatriate Ukrainian citizens from the Gaza Strip, about 120 Ukrainians have stated their willingness to return to Ukraine, Spokesperson of the MFA of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said.

"Due to the ongoing hostilities, the Ukrainian side turned to international organizations to assist in the organized departure of our citizens from the enclave. As in 2012 and 2014, when similar events were held, the possibility of repatriation through the territory of Egypt is currently being worked out. Ukrainian diplomats are interacting with the Egyptian authorities to obtain the necessary permits," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

He said the Foreign Ministry continues to monitor the development of the security situation. According to the spokesperson, it is critically important that a "ceasefire" enters the conflict area in order for this humanitarian mission to be possible in the safest possible conditions.
The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people appealed to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as to the international community, with a request to protect the rights of the Crimean Tatars. The corresponding statement was published by head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov on Facebook.

"Implementation by the state bodies of the Russian Federation, which occupied Crimea, systemic pressure on the Crimean Tatar people, including the prohibition of its representative institutions  the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people, the organization of ethnically and politically motivated persecution, the accelerated settlement of the peninsula by citizens of the Russian Federation in order to artificially change the demographic and the ethnic composition of the population is a deliberate policy of ethnocide of the Crimean Tatar people," according to the statement of the Mejlis on the 77th anniversary of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people.

In the conditions of the 21th century, the statement said, the threat of destruction looms over the Crimean Tatar people, which can only be avoided by combining the efforts of Ukraine and the international community to de-occupy Crimea.

"Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, honoring the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people, carried out by the communist regime of the USSR on May 18, 1944, expressing sympathy to every family of Crimean Tatars, the entire Crimean Tatar people in connection with the loss of relatives and friends as a result of deportation on May 18, 1944, declaring the invincibility of the Crimean Tatars people in the conditions of the Russian occupation of Crimea and expressing support to all the residents of Crimea who do not accept the Russian occupiers, calls on the international community to unite around the Crimean Platform and take urgent and tough measures to force the Russian Federation to comply with international law as soon as possible," the statement said.

It is noted that the elimination of the threat of destruction of the Crimean Tatar people requires urgent restoration of the collective rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, including their right to self-determination in the form of the national-territorial autonomy of Crimea as part of independent Ukraine.

"The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people calls on the President of Ukraine as a guarantor of state sovereignty, territorial integrity of Ukraine, compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine, human and civil rights and freedoms, to legislatively ensure the restoration of the collective rights of the Crimean Tatar people," the Mejlis said.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the decision of dismissing Maksym Stepanov from the post of the Minister of Health.

The relevant decision was supported by 292 MPs at a plenary session on Tuesday.

As reported, on May 14, the Verkhovaya Rada received a motion from Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal on the resignation of Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov.

Stepanov has served as the Minister of Health since March 30, 2020.

In 2017-2019, Stepanov was the head of Odesa Regional State Administration.

After graduating from Donetsk Medical University, in 1999-2001, he held the position of Deputy General Director of Trading House Gas of Ukraine of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy. Later he worked as Deputy General Director of Industrial and Financial Company Viche, and in the State Tax Administration of Ukraine. From 2008 to 2010, he served as deputy head of Odesa Regional State Administration, since 2011, he headed the state-owned enterprise Ukraina Printing Plant.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko ha shown a video from CCTV cameras, which shows that law enforcement officers came to the very apartment where he lives.

According to the Kyiv mayor, this entry refutes the version of the Security Service of Ukraine, according to which the searches should have taken place in another apartment.

"This morning, a group of armed law enforcement officers entered the building. When I came home after training, I asked what was happening. They replied that they had allegedly come to an apartment two floors below mine. But a camera installed on my floor recorded that these people were going to my floor and knocked on the door of my apartment. A neighbor said that they called her and asked where Klitschko was. Therefore, the version that allegedly some large-scale operation against smugglers living two floors below in my door looks unconvincing," Klitschko said.

Commenting on the visit of law enforcement officers, he said that the Office of the President of Ukraine puts pressure on the Kyiv authorities, because "they are annoyed by city initiatives."

"What happened today, I can't call anything other than psychological pressure. It's no secret that there are constant meetings on Klitschko in the President's Office, because someone doesn't like that Klitschko makes statements about the introduction of a lockdown when we have hospitals overcrowded. Someone does not like that Klitschko is calling on all mayors to unite. Some people are very annoyed by city initiatives. I exclusively associate the absurd events that are taking place today with this. This did not happen even during the Yanukovych era. And for such illegal actions, both directors and executors will have to answer according to the law," Klitschko said.

He said that information about criminal cases, in which searches in communal enterprises and departments of Kyiv are underway, is manipulative.

"When communal enterprises are accused that contractors did not pay taxes, this is nothing more than manipulation from official sources. If contractors did not pay, this is a question for them. Our task, as a city government, is to get a quality service or product and pay the lowest price. And communal enterprises pay taxes. We always cooperate with law enforcement agencies. We always provide all materials based on the results of financial audits carried out on a regular basis," Klitschko said.

As reported, on Tuesday morning, Klitschko told reporters that law enforcement officers came to the door of his apartment in an apartment building on Khmelnytsky Street in the center of Kyiv. The mayor himself was training at that time.

Later, the SBU told Interfax-Ukraine that on Tuesday morning, intelligence officers conducted searches in the house where Klitschko lives as part of the investigation of the criminal proceedings on counterfeit petroleum products; these investigative actions have nothing to do with Klitschko himself.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel begins organization of evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Gaza Strip

Ukrainians will be evacuated from the Gaza Strip - Embassy of Ukraine in Israel

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel has started organizing the evacuation of Ukrainians who are in the war zone in the Gaza Strip. The Embassy reported this at Facebook.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed the government, the prime minister, the foreign ministry and special services to organize the return of Ukrainian citizens to their homeland from the Gaza Strip, where the armed confrontation is escalating. Currently, the Embassy, together with all parties involved, as well as our international partners, is taking measures aimed at organizing the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the Gaza Strip, - the Embassy noted.

Citizens of Ukraine who are in a conflict zone and also need help to return home should contact the Office of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel at the Palestinian National Authority by phone: + 972-59-969-95-61 or by e-mail pm_ps@mfa.gov.ua.
On Friday, May 21, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Hard leap year  What we enter twenties of 21th century with." Participants include Head of the Ukrainian Politics Foundation, historian, political analyst Kost Bondarenko; Director of the Institute of Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko; expert of Hardarika Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Former Minnesota police officer to go on trial on Dec. 6 for shooting Daunte Wright

A man holds a flag as mourners pay their respects for Daunte Wright, who was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center Police officer Kim Potter, at his funeral (Photo : REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo)

The white Minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop near Minneapolis last month will go on trial beginning on Dec. 6, a state judge ruled on Monday.



Kimberly Potter, 48, was captured on her colleagues' body-worn camera attempting to arrest Wright on an outstanding warrant in the suburban city of Brooklyn Center on April 11 after pulling him over because he had an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror.



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The video shows Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, shouting "Taser!" while pointing her handgun at Wright, who was attempting to get back behind the steering wheel. She then shoots Wright in the chest, in what many view as yet another graphic example of police brutality against Black Americans, which over the last year has fueled the largest protest movement in the United States in decades.



Before he resigned soon after, the city's police chief, Tim Gannon, said Potter mistakenly used her gun instead of her Taser.



Potter, who also resigned, did not enter a plea during her initial court appearance last month, and her lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.



The Dec. 6 trial date was set during a brief videoconference hearing on Monday, known as an omnibus hearing under Minnesota law, before Hennepin County District Judge Regina Chu.



Potter, dressed in black, appeared alongside her lawyer Earl Gray in his office. She spoke only to say she understood and did not object to the proceeding being held virtually.



The killing of Wright happened only a few miles away from the then-ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in a deadly arrest in May 2020.


Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence (Photo : REUTERS/Suhaib Salem)

Israel pummeled Gaza with air strikes on Monday and Palestinian militants launched rockets at Israeli cities despite a flurry of U.S. and regional diplomacy that has so far failed to halt more than a week of deadly fighting.



Israel's missile attacks on the densely populated Palestinian enclave killed a top Islamic Jihad commander and left a crater in a seven-storey office building that Israel's military said was used by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas.



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"The directive is to continue to strike at terror targets," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after a meeting with military chiefs. "We will continue to act as necessary to restore peace and security to all residents of Israel."



The armed wing of Hamas promised more rockets in return: "The criminal Zionist enemy intensified its bombing of homes and residential apartments in the recent hours, and therefore, we warn the enemy that if it did not stop that immediately, we would resume rocketing Tel Aviv," said spokesman Abu Ubaida.



Rocket barrages, some of them launched in response to the killing of Islamic Jihad's Hussam Abu Harbeed, sent Israelis dashing for bomb shelters. A synagogue was hit in Ashkelon and an apartment building in Ashdod.



Gaza health officials put the Palestinian death toll since hostilities flared up last week at least 212, including 61 children and 36 women. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.



The Israeli military said militants had fired about 3,350 rockets from Gaza, and that Israeli air and artillery strikes had killed least 130 Palestinian combatants.



With the fiercest regional hostilities in years showing no sign of abating, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all sides to protect civilians.



Israel had the right to defend itself, Blinken said. He also said he had not seen any evidence provided by Israel on suggestions that Hamas was operating out of a building housing media outlets - including the U.S.-based Associated Press - which was destroyed in an Israeli missile strike at the weekend.



Late on Monday Hamas denied that it had offices in the building, known as al-Jala: "These are false allegations and an attempt to justify the crime of targeting a civilian tower," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum in a statement.



Blinken and other U.S. officials put in calls to Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Monday, and a U.S. envoy to the region met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.



Egypt and U.N. mediators also stepped up diplomatic efforts, while the U.N. General Assembly will meet to discuss the violence on Thursday.



Despite the flurry of U.S. mediation, the U.S. administration approved the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, and Congressional sources said on Monday that U.S. lawmakers were not expected to object to the deal.



ISLAMIC JIHAD



As Islamic Jihad mourned Harbeed's death, Israel's military said he had been "behind several anti-tank missile terror attacks against Israeli civilians". An Israeli general said the country could carry on the fight "forever".



At least seven Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Monday by evening. Two died in the missile attack on the office building, which Israel's military said was used by Hamas internal security.



"My children couldn't sleep all night even after the wave of intensive bombing stopped," said Umm Naeem, 50, a mother of five, as she shopped for bread in Gaza City.



Earlier on Monday, Israel bombed what its military called 15 km (nine miles) of underground tunnels used by Hamas. Nine residences belonging to high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza were also hit, it said.



"We have to continue the war until there is long-term ceasefire - (one) that is not temporary," Osher Bugam, a resident of the Israel coastal city of Ashkelon, said after a rocket fired from Gaza hit the synagogue there.



Medics said seven people were injured in the rocket strike that hit the apartment building in Ashdod.



COMMUNAL VIOLENCE



Hamas began its rocket assault last Monday after weeks of tensions over a court case to evict several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, and in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near the city's al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.



Palestinians have also become frustrated by setbacks to their aspirations for an independent state and an end to Israeli occupation in recent years.



World concern deepened after an Israeli air strike in Gaza that destroyed several homes on Sunday and which Palestinian health officials said killed 42 people, including 10 children, and persistent rocket attacks on Israeli towns.



The hostilities between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza have been accompanied by an uptick of violence in the West Bank, where the Palestinians have limited self-rule. Alarmingly for Israelis, there have also been riots involving both Arab and Jewish mobs within Israel itself, and clashes in towns populated both by Jews and members of Israel's 21% Arab minority.



Police said an Israeli man died in hospital on Monday after being attacked by Arab rioters last week.



Israel's president has warned that tension between Jewish and Arab Israelis could devolve into "civil war".



General strikes are planned for Tuesday in Arab towns within Israel and Palestinian towns in the West Bank, with posts on social media urging solidarity "from the sea to the river."



While the devastation in Gaza was likely to make it harder for Israel to expand its ties with Arab countries, Gulf states that opened ties with Israel last year are showing no public sign of second thoughts.


Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks about the 2020 U.S. presidential election results (Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Lawyers for Rudy Giuliani attacked federal prosecutors for their recent raids of his home and office, as they probe the former New York City mayor's business dealings in Ukraine at a time he was serving as then-U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer.



In a letter made public on Monday, Giuliani's lawyers objected to the "sweeping nature" of the April 28 searches and the legitimacy of a November 2019 search of his iCloud account, and want to see prosecutors' basis for obtaining warrants underlying those searches.



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They also said prosecutors claimed to secretly obtain the iCloud warrant on concern Giuliani might destroy evidence or intimidate witnesses, an accusation that "strains credulity" and was "extremely damaging" to Giuliani's reputation.



Prosecutors "simply chose to treat a distinguished lawyer as if he was the head of a drug cartel or a terrorist, in order to create maximum prejudicial coverage of both Giuliani, and his most well-known client--the former President of the United States," the lawyers said.



A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan declined to comment.



Giuliani asked U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan to let him review materials underlying the warrants, and block prosecutors from reviewing his seized phones and computers.



He wants the judge to rule before considering prosecutors' request to appoint a "special master" to review those devices.



Such a review would weed out potentially privileged materials related to Giuliani's clients including Trump, a fellow Republican.



The raids marked an aggressive new phase of a probe being conducted by the same U.S. Attorney's office that Giuliani led in the 1980s, where he took on defendants like Mafia leaders and junk bond executive Michael Milken.



Giuliani has not been charged, and said after the raids that his conduct had been "absolutely legal and ethical."



Robert Costello, one of Giuliani's lawyers, has said he was "stunned" to first learn about the iCloud warrant on the day after Giuliani's home and office were searched.



"All of his communications with the President of the United States Donald Trump were in there," Costello said in a recent interview. "Every communication, text message, email message."



'DO-OVER'



In Monday's filing, Giuliani's lawyers also accused the Manhattan prosecutors of taking advantage of Democrat Joe Biden becoming president to go after their client.



They said the prosecutors had twice been denied permission by their Department of Justice superiors under Trump to seek the April warrants, and waited for Biden to install his own appointees before attempting a successful "do-over."



In a separate letter, a lawyer for Giuliani associate Victoria Toensing asked the government to return materials seized from her so she can review them for privilege issues.



Toensing and her husband Joseph diGenova, who are both lawyers, have represented Dmytro Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch who has been indicted in the United States on bribery and racketeering charges. He has fought extradition from Vienna.



Giuliani began representing Trump in April 2018 in connection with then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.



He also sought prior to the 2020 U.S. election to dig up concerning Ukraine and Biden, and after Trump lost to Biden promoted baseless claims of election fraud.



Investigators want to review communications involving former Ukrainian officials and two Florida businessmen who helped Giuliani seek details about Biden.



They also are searching for communications concerning Marie Yovanovitch, who the Trump administration ousted as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in 2019.



Investigators are looking for evidence that Giuliani acted as an unregistered foreign agent, violating lobbying laws.



Giuliani served eight years as New York City's mayor, and Time magazine named him its 2001 "Person of the Year" for helping the city recover from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.


People ride a tour bus with no masks in Times Square during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, (Photo : REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

New York state this week will drop face mask requirements in most public spaces for people vaccinated against COVID-19, conforming with the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.



In California, Governor Gavin Newsom said his state would keep its mask order in place for another month, despite the CDC's new recommendations.



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Cuomo and Newsom, both Democrats, have drawn criticism for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Newsom faces a Republican-led recall election.



New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, said he would lift mask restrictions outdoors but keep in place a mandate to wear them indoors. Murphy said schools would be required to provide full-time, in-person classroom instruction again in the fall.



On Saturday, the CDC said students in schools across the United States wear masks for the 2020-2021 academic year because not all will be inoculated.



New York will still order public transportation riders to wear face coverings and mandate them in schools and some other communal settings, Cuomo said, adding: "Unvaccinated people should continue to wear a mask."



Cuomo said New York health officials decided to lift the mask order after reviewing the CDC's new guidance. Some 52 percent of New York adults have been fully inoculated and 61.8 percent had received at least one shot as of Monday.



Cuomo, speaking to reporters at Radio City Music Hall, said it would be up to each business or venue how they should determine vaccination status



"I'm sure when people are coming into Radio City Music Hall, they are going to ask, 'I'm sitting next to someone. I don't know who they are. Are you sure they were vaccinated?'" he said. "That's why it's on the operator's best interest to say 'Yes! They had a card and they were checked when they walked in the door.'"



The three-term governor said he expected that some New Yorkers might keep wearing masks as a precaution after this week's rule change.



Cuomo, 63, has resisted calls to resign in the face of probes by the state attorney general and legislature over accusations of sexual harassment, his office's reporting of nursing home deaths and his use of staff members and resources in the writing of a book on his handling of the pandemic.


The National Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed), the leading international district cooling developer headquartered in the UAE, has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Khalid Al Marzouqi as the companys new Chief Executive Officer.

Khaled Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Tabreed, said of the appointment: Khalid Al Marzouqi joins Tabreed at the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the company and brings with him a wealth of experience in the energy sector, where he has worked at the most senior levels. With the recent launch of Tabreeds all-new corporate identity still fresh in our minds, the scene is set for this remarkable and progressive business to deliver on its ambitious plans, and I know Khalids considerable expertise will help drive us towards achieving ever more impressive results.

Al Marzouqi joins Tabreed from Dolphin Energy Limited, where he was Chief Operating Officer  Downstream, responsible for overseeing the entire Operations Downstream Division in the UAE. Prior to this he was Senior Vice President of Dolphins Technical Services Division and Al Marzouqi has occupied senior roles at the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) and Adco. He has more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry and holds two majors in Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering.

Al Qubaisi commented: The Board sincerely thanks Bader Al Lamki for his steadfast belief in this company and his unwavering commitment meant that his time here was impactful for all the right reasons. Tabreed is bigger and more profitable than ever delivering a 24% increase in consolidated connected capacity, ensuring a 20% increase in revenues and playing a pivotal role in the acquisition of the Downtown District Cooling concession from Emaar; it being the largest DC M&A transaction in history. He also launched initiatives under his direction to overturn the status quo with regards to workplace diversity and corporate social responsibility. We are now a more modern, more dynamic and more inclusive organisation and, on behalf of the Board and personally, I thank him for his innumerable contributions and wish him well for the future. -- TradeArabia News Service
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a virtual meeting with UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir via videoconference from the State Department in Washington, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool)

The United States on Monday again prevented the United Nations Security Council from issuing a public statement on worsening violence between Israel and Palestinian militants as the White House said it was pursuing "quiet, intensive diplomacy."



For the past week Washington, a strong ally of Israel, has been isolated on the 15-member council over its objection to a statement, which it does not believe would be helpful at the moment. Such statements are agreed by consensus.



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"The question is, will any given action or any given statement actually, as a practical matter, advance the prospects for ending the violence or not," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. "If we think that there's something ... that would effectively advance that, we would be for it."



The United States also said no to a public council meeting on Friday, but compromised and allowed a Sunday meeting, where China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi publicly, and unusually, called out the United States for obstructing a statement.



China, council president for May, then said it would try again for a council statement. Diplomats said on Monday that the United States again said it was not the right time.



"Our approach is through quiet, intensive diplomacy and that's where we feel we can be most effective," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday.



The 193-member U.N. General Assembly plans to meet on Thursday over the violence, General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said as the fiercest hostilities in the region in years entered a second week.



Niger and Algeria, chairs of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation group and Arab group in New York, asked the 193-member General Assembly meet publicly "in light of the gravity of the situation and its rapid deterioration."



Israel killed a senior Palestinian militant commander in heavy air strikes on Gaza on Monday and Islamist groups renewed rocket attacks on Israeli cities despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire.



Gaza health officials put the Palestinian death toll since the fighting erupted last Monday at least 204, including 58 children and 34 women. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.



U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that more than 38,000 people were seeking protection in 48 U.N. schools in Gaza. "We continue to actively engage all sides towards an immediate cessation of fire," Dujarric said.



U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Sunday called on all parties to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law, adding: "We are particularly concerned about protecting U.N. facilities as civilians seek shelter in about two dozen of them."


South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma, who is facing fraud and corruption charges, speaks with a member of his legal team at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, (Photo : REUTERS/Rogan Ward)

A corruption case against former South African President Jacob Zuma and French company Thales <TCFP.PA> related to a $2 billion arms deal was adjourned on Monday to May 26, and his defence lawyer said Zuma would plead not guilty when the hearing finally starts.



The trial of Zuma, 79, had been expected to begin on Monday but was delayed again after his newly appointed defence team raised concerns over the lead prosecutor and said it might seek his recusal from the case.



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Zuma defence lawyer Thabani Masuku told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that a plea application of not guilty would be entered when the court next hears the case on May 26.



The case takes place as an anti-graft crackdown led by his successor as president, Cyril Ramaphosa, gathers pace and the governing African National Congress is beset with infighting as top officials accused of corruption fight back.



The bespectacled Zuma, dressed in a blue suit and tie, looked relaxed in court and gave the thumbs up and waved to supporters. Among those in court was suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule, a Zuma loyalist, while a crowd of supporters waving the green, gold and black ANC flag sang Zuma's praises outside the court.



Sacked as deputy state president in 2005 after his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was jailed for corruption in the same arms deal, Zuma swiftly regained political power and spent almost a decade as president before a judge reinstated the case in 2018.



Zuma is accused of accepting 500,000 rand ($35,000) annually from Thales from 1999 as a bribe, in exchange for protecting the company from an investigation into the deal following whistle-blower revelations by a lawmaker in parliament that same year.



The alleged bribe forms part of a broader corrupt relationship the state argues existed between Zuma, Shaik and his firm Nkobi Group, as well as Thales. Nkobi Group was the local joint venture partner to Thales, then known as Thompson-CSF, which was part of a consortium that won a 2.6 billion rand bid to provide combat suites for new navy frigates.



Zuma, who was acquitted on a 2005 rape charge where he admitted having unprotected sex with his HIV-positive accuser, currently faces 18 charges, including racketeering, corruption and fraud. Zuma, who has said the arms deal case is politically motivated, and Thales have consistently denied any wrongdoing.



""You can't have a case for so many years. That the charges keep changing and changing. But I don't want to say too much, we will say what we have to say in court." Zuma told supporters outside the court, before leading them in singing his trademark Umshini wam' (bring my machine gun) anti-apartheid struggle song.



The trial is expected to last from May until June, the court has said previously, with more than 200 witnesses lined up for the state.



($1 = 14.1356 rand)


The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a dealership in London, Britain (Photo : REUTERS/Matthew Childs)

The family office run by "Big Short" investor Michael Burry has disclosed a large bearish bet via options on Tesla Inc.



Scion Asset Management said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it had put options on 800,100 shares in Tesla as of the end of the first quarter. Based on Tesla's closing price of $667.93 at the end of the first quarter the value of that many shares would be about $534 million.



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Details on the strike price of the puts, their value and whether they are part of a broader trade were not available. Scion Asset Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.



While the actual value of the options position was not known, the Securities and Exchange Commission rules state positions under 10,000 shares and less than $200,000 in total market value are not required to be disclosed.



Put options give investors the right to sell shares at a certain price in the future.



It is possible the puts disclosed in the filing may be part of a larger trade that would curb losses if the put position goes against the fund, options analysts said.



"That could be the long leg of a put spread," said Henry Schwartz, head of product intelligence at Cboe, referring to a strategy involving a combination of purchase and sale of put options.



"That said, since they reported no long shares, and Burry is a pure 'value' investor it probably is a short bet," he said.



One of the investors profiled in the book "The Big Short' and the film of the same name for betting more than $1 billion against the U.S. housing bubble, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla's sky-high valuations.



Powered by strong sales and its first annual profit, Tesla shares jumped more than 700% last year and hit a record high of $883 per share in January. But they have since fallen as hedge fund managers raise concerns that the stock is overvalued.



The shares closed at $576 per share on Monday, valuing the electric car maker at around $555 billion.



Burry also said last year that sales of green regulatory credits to Fiat Chrysler which Tesla has relied on to generate profits will dwindle.



Stellantis, owner of Fiat Chrysler, said this month it expects to achieve its European carbon dioxide emissions targets this year without environmental credits bought from Tesla.


Reverend Al Sharpton delivers the eulogy at the funeral for Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, U.S (Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Drake)

A North Carolina prosecutor said on Tuesday he would not bring criminal charges against sheriff's deputies for the fatal shooting of Andrew Brown, a Black man, outside his home last month, saying the killing was justified because he endangered their lives by driving toward them.



Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble said he had concluded his investigation and found no wrongdoing by the deputies, despite calls for prosecution by lawyers for Brown's family, who described his death as an execution.



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Brown, 42, was shot as he resisted arrest and tried to speed off in his car during the morning raid at his home on April 21 in Elizabeth City, a riverfront community where just over half of the roughly 18,000 residents are Black.



"Mr. Brown's death was justified," Womble told reporters at a news briefing in which he also showed video taken from the body-worn cameras of the Pasquotank County sheriff's deputies as they tried to arrest him on suspicion of selling illegal drugs.



The killing captured national attention, coming a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in a highly publicized trial. It fueled the raging debate over when police are justified in using deadly force in an arrest and when authorities should release body-worn camera video to the public.



Citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent on when deadly force is justified, Womble said the video showed the deputies behaving as any "reasonable police officer" would "when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to place their lives in danger," describing how Brown drove his car toward them in a dangerous way. The officers would not face criminal charges, he said.



"The Constitution simply does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat," Womble said. "They could not simply have let him go as has been suggested."



VIDEOS OF SHOOTING



Womble said deputies arrived that morning to find Brown sitting in his car, talking on the phone. They surrounded the car, ordering him to show his hands and attempting to open the car door.



He played excerpts of video from the deputies' body-worn cameras, which he said showed that Brown rapidly backed up, pulling a deputy over the car hood.



Brown continued to retreat until his path was blocked by his home, and then drove forward toward the officers. The officers repeatedly shouted at him to stop, but he ignored their commands and drove toward the same deputy who had been pulled over the hood.



Police began firing at the car: one shot went through the windshield, and another five entered the car's trunk and rear window, Womble said.



Brown suffered two gunshot wounds: a non-lethal shot to the shoulder and a fatal shot to the back of his head.



"Mr. Brown's actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff's office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others," Womble told reporters.



Womble said Brown was known to officers as having a long history of arrests and convictions dating back to 1995, including assault with a deadly weapon. Before heading to Brown's home, officers were told that Brown had a history of resisting arrest or barricading himself against police, Womble said.



A chunk of crystal meth - an illegal stimulant - about as big as "a 50-cent piece," was found in Brown's car, Womble said. No weapons were found on Brown or in the car.



Lawyers for Brown's family had previously said a 20-second portion of the video they were allowed to see showed he was "executed" by the officers, describing how they continued shooting at him as he drove away from them. The family lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.



Kristie Puckett-Williams of the North Carolina American Civil Liberties Union said the decision not to charge any of the officers was "business as usual" in a criminal justice system skewed against non-white people.



"Until we have radically changed the many ways the criminal legal system harms and kills Black and Brown people, justice will continue to elude its victims," Puckett-Williams said in a statement.



The sheriff's office did not respond to a request for comment. The deputies who opened fire were put on administrative leave, and it was not immediately clear if or when they would return to regular duties.



The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in April it had begun investigating whether the deputies violated Brown's civil rights.


A Palestinian demonstrator takes part in an anti-Israel protest over a cross-border violence between Palestinian militants in Gaza (Photo : REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)

Israel bombarded Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants resumed cross-border rocket fire on Tuesday after a brief overnight lull during which the U.N. sent a small fuel convoy into the enclave, where it says 52,000 people are now displaced.



Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive to destroy the capabilities of the armed factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, amid calls by the United States and other world powers for an end to the conflict.



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Two Thai workers were killed and seven people were wounded in a rocket strike on an Israeli farm just over the Gaza border, police said. Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamist group and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.



Rockets were also launched at the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba, further north.



Gaza residents said Israel was keeping up intense air strikes. Witnesses said an Israeli tank shell hit a paint factory in the southern Gaza Strip, setting it on fire.



"We will continue as long as it takes in order to restore calm for all of Israel's citizens," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming remarks he has made over the past several days, said in a video clip on Twitter.



"One other thing: I'm sure that all of our enemies around us see the price we are exacting for the aggression against us and I am certain that they will have absorbed that lesson," he said, speaking in an air base hangar with a warplane behind him.



Hamas began firing rockets eight days ago in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.



The current hostilities are the most serious between the militant group and Israel in years, and in a departure from previous Gaza conflicts have helped to fuel violence in Israeli cities between Jews and Arabs.



Gaza medical officials say 215 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, and more than 1,400 wounded. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.



Nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza strip have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary care health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency said. Some 47,000 of the 52,000 displaced had fled to U.N. schools.



Israel said more than 3,450 rockets have been launched at it from Gaza, some falling short and others shot down by its Iron Dome air defences.



On Tuesday, the army said a soldier was slightly injured when a shell was fired after it allowed the fuel convoy into Gaza. It says its forces have killed around 130 Hamas fighters and another 30 from Islamic Jihad.



CEASEFIRE CALLS



On Twitter, Netanyahu said Israel's attacks against Gaza militants had "set Hamas back many years" - which some Israeli news commentators took as a possible prelude to a ceasefire within days when he could claim victory.



But Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli military intelligence chief, said the picture was more complicated, citing civil unrest in Israel, mounting protests by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and a trickle of rocket fire from Lebanon.



"As far as (Hamas) is concerned, what's happening in the West Bank and maybe with (the Lebanese group) Hezbollah and Israel's Arab citizens - this is where it has won," Yadlin said on Channel 12 TV. "In the military game, they've lost."



On a visit to Iceland, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had received further information requested from Israel about its destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organisations.



Blinken gave no details about the information he said came through intelligence channels about Saturday's attack.



Israel has said publicly a Hamas intelligence office had been situated in the building, whose occupants were warned by the Israeli military in advance to evacuate.



Calling Netanyahu on Monday night, U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel had the right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks but encouraged it to make every effort to protect civilians, the White House said.



Egypt and U.N. mediators also stepped up diplomatic efforts, and the U.N. General Assembly will discuss the violence on Thursday.



Germany called for a ceasefire and offered more aid to help Palestinians before emergency European Union talks.



Israel's bombardment of Gaza, Ramadan clashes between police and worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and a court case by Israeli settlers to evict Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem have caused anger among Palestinians.



In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian who tried to attack them with a gun and improvised explosives, and an unmanned aerial vehicle was downed near the border with Jordan on Tuesday, Israel's military said.



Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces at a West Bank protest, health officials said. The military said soldiers had come under fire, which wounded two of them, and shot back.



General strikes were held on Tuesday in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, Arab towns within Israel and in cities in the West Bank.


The Boeing logo is pictured at the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition fair (LABACE) at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo (Photo : REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker)

Two key U.S. lawmakers said on Tuesday they are seeking records from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on production issues involving the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner.



House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio and Rick Larsen, who chairs a subcommittee, said they were seeking records after multiple issues recently emerged "regarding the 737 MAX as well as the 787, including electrical problems, the presence of foreign object debris in newly manufactured aircraft, and other issues."



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The panel conducted an extensive investigation into the 737 MAX after two fatal crashes led to a 20-month grounding that was lifted in November. The committee's report was part of the reason Congress approved an overhaul of the FAA's aircraft certification program in December.



The pair want the FAA and Boeing to "provide records regarding production-related issues and the FAA's oversight of Boeing's manufacturing operations."



The FAA did not immediately comment.



Boeing, which said it had seen a letter from DeFazio and Larsen and would respond, last week won approval from the FAA for a fix of an electrical grounding issue that had affected 109 737 MAX airplanes worldwide.



The top three U.S. 737 MAX operators - Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines - removed more than 60 jets from service after the notice from Boeing.



American said Tuesday 10 of its 18 affected 737 MAX planes had resumed flying and the remainder expected over the next few days.



The FAA said in September it was investigating manufacturing flaws involving some Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Boeing said in August airlines operating its 787 Dreamliners removed eight jets from service as a result of two distinct manufacturing issues.



In March, the FAA said it was taking "a number of corrective actions" to address multiple 787 production issues, including retaining authority to issue approval certificates for four specific aircraft.


Youngsters in Colombia march against the economic policies of Preside Ivan Duque. Mauricio Duenas Castaneda / EFE

Paro is Spanish for both strike and joblessness. The root of paro lies in the verb to stop  the body stops doing something. But in the streets of Bogota, Cali, Manizales and Medellin, in Colombia, the bodies of young people are moving now, demanding the right not to be ignored by President Ivan Duques economic policies, in a country already marked by deep inequality. These young people are called pelados, a slang term for kids that literally means bare-skinned and allegorically means without protection  signaling the blatant fragility of bodies marked by class and racial inequality in times of pandemic, fragile bodies awaiting a protective State. The pelados are on the move.

They have been called the NEET generation, neither employed nor in education or training. And now some news reports questioning the sincerity of their rebelliousness often describe them as vandals. The pelados took to the streets to protest a fiscal reform plan that would hike taxes, and then they stayed in the streets in response to police violence. Duques proposed fiscal reform would boost tax collection in 2022 to the equivalent of 2% of the countrys GDP, a goal considered both daring and unprecedented in the recent economic history of Latin Americas third-largest economy. Duques reform package would put the greatest burden on the poorest working classes, even though it also impacts those with higher income. Despite a daily television program meant to fortify his waning charisma, Duques popularity index is pitifully low among youth: three out of four Colombians between the ages of 18 and 25 disapprove of the government, a paradox for the youngest president in the history of Colombia.

Two adolescents were killed on the first day of the protests: Marcelo Agredo and Jeirson Garcia, aged 17 and 13

What do these pelados want? To feel that their future is protected by opportunities. Put very simply, they are calling for social justice so they can imagine a future free from inequalities  freedom from racism and poverty as well as the freedom to live in a country that does not return to the armed conflict that stained Colombias recent past. In philosophical terms, the pelados are demanding protection against regimes that manage life by reducing them to bare life, to borrow the words of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben. Bare life is the unprotected body, ravaged by sovereign power, a governmental regime of life typical of states of exception. At the intersection of philosophical abstraction with lived experience, these youth resist efforts to inflict a bare life on them. Wanting to do more than merely survive, they demand a future with possibilities.

This is a demonstration for survival, said Sandra Borda, professor at the University of the Andes. These young people have been pushed well beyond their limits, and given the characteristics of the communities where they live, they have a terrible relationship with public forces. In Cali, Colombias third-largest city, an estimated one in four people live in poverty. Two adolescents were killed on the first day of the protests: Marcelo Agredo and Jeirson Garcia, aged 17 and 13. The poor community of Puerto Rellena is now known as Puerto Resistencia, or Port Resistance  the police do not set foot there. Francia Marquez, the Afro-Colombian activist whose life is at risk because she has confronted the countrys mining corporations, strolls the neighborhoods streets without a care, a projection of the life the pelados dream of. In Port Resistance, Francia can do without her around-the-clock police escort. Here, I would have to protect them, she says. The pelados protect her.

Debora Diniz is a Brazilian anthropologist and researcher at Brown University.

Giselle Carino is an Argentinian political scientist and IPPF/WHR director.
Some 6,000 undocumented migrants arrived illegally in the Spanish exclave city of Ceuta in North Africa on Monday and Tuesday, according to the central governments delegate in the city. Government sources told Spanish news agency Efe that around 1,500 of the migrants may be minors, although their age still needs to be confirmed. Most of the arrivals were recorded between 4.30pm and 7pm yesterday.

The migrants reached Ceuta by swimming from the neighboring city of Fnideq, which is on the border of the breakwater that demarks the exclave city from Morocco. Other migrants used rudimentary swimming boards to make it to from the Moroccan city, also known as Castillejos, and which is home to around 7,000 people. The migrants entered via Tarajal beach and the area of Benzu. One person died in the crossing, according to the Cadena SER radio station and confirmed by this newspaper. Moroccan authorities made no effort to stop the wave of arrivals and the Moroccan government remained silent on the issue on Monday.

In response to the situation, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said via Twitter that Spain will defend the integrity of Ceuta against any challenge. My priority right now is restoring normality in Ceuta. Its citizens must know that they have the absolute support of the Spanish government and our utmost resolve to protect their security, he wrote.

Spanish soldiers arrive in Ceuta. Joaquin Sanchez

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, several army units were sent to Ceuta to control the situation on the ground. The goal is to group the new arrivals together and help maintain the calm in the areas of the city where migrants have gathered. The Civil Guard has also strengthened its presence at the border, breakwater and border perimeter. Members of the armys logistics unit have also been sent to Ceuta to set up beds for the new arrivals.

Adult migrants found on the street will be taken to Benoliel stadium and later deported, according to the central governments delegation in Ceuta. Underage migrants will for now remain at a camp for minors and at warehouses in Tarajal. According to sources from the Red Cross charity, the facility in Tarajal only has capacity for around 200 people and is completely overwhelmed.

The Spanish Interior Ministry is hoping to negotiate the deportation of the adult migrants who arrived on Monday. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told state broadcaster TVE that nearly 1,500 people had been deported by midnight on Monday. The ministry has also sent 150 National Police officers to Ceuta to help with the process. With respect to the migrant teens, who are not subject to the same deportation agreements, Grande-Marlaska said: In accordance with the law and international treaties, we will protect the minors.

Red Cross and Civil Guard officers with the recently arrived migrants from Morocco. Joaquin Sanchez

The arrival of 6,000 undocumented migrants in just one day is unprecedented in Spain. According to sources who spoke to EL PAIS, not even in the worst moments of the countrys immigration crisis have so many migrants arrived in just 24 hours. In the Canary Islands, at the peak of the crisis, 2,000 migrants reached the archipelago between November 7 and 8. In 2018, the year that Spain recorded the highest number of irregular arrivals, nearly 2,800 people landed by boat between June 21 and 27. Government sources believe the arrivals are just the beginning of a mass wave of immigration from Morocco, not only of Moroccans but also of sub-Saharan Africans.

In addition, 86 migrants have also jumped the border fence between Morocco and Spains other North African exclave city, Melilla. According to the government delegation in Melilla, more than 300 people tried to make the crossing but were stopped by Civil Guard and National Police officers.

Tensions with Morocco

The situation in Ceuta comes after weeks of rising tensions between Morocco and Spain. The diplomatic row began in April when Moroccan intelligence services found out that Brahim Gali, the 73-year-old founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), had been admitted under a false name to a hospital in the Spanish city of Logrono when he was suffering from Covid-19. The Polisario Front is a liberation movement by the Sahrawi people and is outlawed in the parts of Western Sahara under Moroccan control. Interior Minister Grande-Marlaska defended the move, requested by Algeria, for strictly humanitarian reasons. The Moroccan Foreign Affairs Ministry, however, lambasted the decision, calling it an affront to the spirit of association and good neighborliness, and threatened Spain with reprisal.

Migrants arrive in Ceuta on Monday after swimming ashore. Joaquin Sanchez

A resident of Fnideq told EL PAIS that Moroccan authorities made no attempt to stop the migrants from entering Ceuta, while Spanish sources agreed that they were unusually passive. Several videos of people swimming without being stopped were shared on social media. The Moroccan police are letting the migrants near the closest beaches of Ceuta. From there, they arrive at once, said one source from the exclave city. The lack of security at the Moroccan beaches contrasts with the rigorous police checkpoints at the countrys municipalities, including Fnideq.

Despite this, both Grande-Marlaska and Foreign Affairs Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya denied that mass arrival of undocumented migrants was related to the spat. On Monday, Gonzalez Laya told the Cadena SER radio network that Moroccan authorities told her the situation was not due to the disagreement over Galis hospitalization in Spain. While Grande-Marlaska told state broadcaster TVE: We have an absolutely fruitful relationship with the Moroccan government on the issue of migration [...]. This is an exceptional situation.

Border closures

A steady flow of undocumented migrants has been reaching Ceuta and Melilla, since Moroccan authorities closed its border in March 2020. The move was aimed at controlling the spread of the pandemic but has led to serious problems for the countrys more than 35,000 cross-border workers. Domestic workers, qualified professionals and employees in the service sector who were left on the other side of the border lost their jobs. The border closure also put an end to the illicit trade of goods, which employed thousands of people, many of whom traveled from inland cities such as Fez.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
KYODO NEWS - May 18, 2021 - 22:15 | All, Japan

Japan's government decided Tuesday to withdraw a bill revising rules on how to accommodate foreigners facing deportation, ruling coalition lawmakers said, amid criticism over the alleged improper treatment of a Sri Lankan woman who died while held at an immigration facility.

The abrupt decision to give up on the passage of the bill during the current parliamentary session through mid-June came amid growing concerns within the ruling camp that pushing through the amendment of the immigration law, which could worsen the conditions for asylum seekers in Japan, may invoke a public backlash.

In seeking to block the proposed legislation, opposition parties demanded the government get to the bottom of the case involving Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali, 33, who was held at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau and died on March 6 after complaining of stomach pain and other symptoms from mid-January.

The Justice Ministry turned down an opposition request to release video footage showing Wishma as her condition deteriorated, partly for security reasons, which made it difficult for ruling and opposition parties to find common ground.

Pushing the bill through at a time when activists, including online petitioners, were calling for it to be scrapped risked dealing a blow to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's administration, whose approval rating has been declining over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the ruling parties' decision to scrap the bill, opposition lawmakers withdrew a censure motion against Hiroyuki Yoshiie, who chairs the House of Representatives' Judicial Affairs Committee. The controversial bill had been deliberated by the committee.

Prior to the bill's withdrawal, opposition forces had also threatened to submit a no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa unless the video footage of Wishma is released.

Critics said Wishma's death is evidence of failures in Japan's immigration and asylum system, particularly concerning the indefinite detention of those facing deportation.

Members of Wishma's family held a meeting with Kamikawa on Tuesday evening, during which the minister offered her "heartfelt condolences."

A senior official of the Immigration Services Agency, meanwhile, told the family that it cannot show the video footage, according to a person supporting them.

The government's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, said at a press conference 17 detainees have died in custody since 2007 including Wishma, without going into specifics such as their nationalities or cause of death.

Opposition parties and activists argued the proposed revision of the immigration law would violate the principle of non-refoulement -- or not returning asylum seekers to the country they have fled from -- because it only allows the deportation procedure to be halted twice while applying for refugee status.

They also criticized it for maintaining detention for those facing deportation as a principle instead of being an exception or last resort.

Under the bill, the government planned to craft some mechanisms to allow foreign nationals facing deportation and detained at immigration facilities to be released, and to protect those who do not qualify for refugee status under the country's strict standards.

Japan only accepts around 1 percent of refugee applications it receives.

Kato declined to say whether the government plans to resubmit the bill in the next parliamentary session, saying only that the Justice Ministry will consult with the ruling coalition and others on how to proceed.

Wishma's younger sisters Wayomi and Poornima arrived in Japan earlier this month and held a funeral in Nagoya on Sunday.

They watched the lower house plenary session while protesters congregated near the parliament building.

"I've heard many people gathered to protest the bill after having learned about my sister. She didn't die in vain," Wayomi, 28, told reporters.

Wataru Takahashi, a lawyer representing the bereaved family, hailed the role protests over the tragedy and media coverage played in securing withdrawal of the bill.

"However, as the issue of long-term detention (of foreign nationals) by the immigration authorities remains unchanged, true reforms will be necessary," he said.

On Monday, the two women visited the Nagoya immigration facility in Aichi Prefecture where Wishma was held to hear in person from officials about their older sister's death but said they were left unconvinced by the explanation.

In an interim report over the incident released on April 9, the Justice Ministry did not determine the cause of death, while her supporters allege the tragedy was caused by insufficient medical treatment provided by the immigration facility.

Wishma entered Japan in June 2017 on a student visa hoping to teach English to children in Japan but she lost her student status when she was unable to pay her tuition, according to her family and supporters.

In August 2020, she sought police protection after fleeing a situation in which she suffered domestic violence at the hands of a fellow Sri Lankan she lived with. Her immigration status was discovered at the time, and she was handed a deportation order.

Related coverage:

Kin of dead Sri Lankan woman unconvinced by Japan immigration account

FOCUS: Sri Lankan's death in spotlight as Japan debates immigration bill
KYODO NEWS - May 18, 2021 - 23:43 | All, Coronavirus, Japan

The Japanese government said Tuesday it will impose stricter restrictions for those who have been in Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka in the 14 days before arrival to prevent a more contagious coronavirus variant first found in India from spreading.

The tighter steps, to be effective in stages from Thursday, came as the three neighbors of India have seen surging infections due to the new coronavirus variant.

For the time being, Japan will newly ban the entry of foreigners who have stayed in Bangladesh and Maldives even if they hold resident status in Japan. Tokyo has already implemented such an entry ban on foreigners with resident status in the country who have stayed in India, Nepal and Pakistan, due to the spread of the variant.

Those given approval under special circumstances will be exempted from the steps, according to the Foreign Ministry.

They include permanent residents and their families as well as the spouses or children of Japanese nationals who leave Japan before Thursday with re-entry permission.

Japanese nationals who have been to the three countries and foreigners with resident status in Japan arriving after a visit to Sri Lanka will be required to stay at a designated facility upon landing for six days and get tested for coronavirus on the third day and the last day during that period.

Those who test negative are asked to remain in self-isolation at home or other location until 14 days pass after arrival.

The measures come on top of submission of negative test results taken within 72 hours prior to their departure and a test upon arrival.

Separately, Japan will ask all travelers from Greece and Jordan to undergo isolation at a designated facility for three days with a coronavirus test administered on the third day, effective from Friday.
Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), a leader in the new build, repair, maintenance, refit and conversion of naval and commercial vessels, has been awarded an AED3.5 billion ($952 million) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and UAE Navy, to build four Falaj 3-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).



The new contract is the largest-ever order received by ADSB and reinforces the companys vision of becoming the leading regional shipyard through delivering innovative and dependable solutions that add value to clients and other stakeholders, both military and civilian.



Khalid Al Breiki, Chairman of ADSB and President  Mission Support, EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence, said: This order represents a resounding vote of confidence in ADSB from the MOD and the UAE Navy. The contract will provide the company with a platform for sustainable profitable growth, while maintaining strategic national assets that are critical to the defence of the UAE.



David Massey, CEO of ADSB, said: ADSBs relationship with key stakeholders has grown stronger since it has become a part of the EDGE Group. This contract underscores our mutual commitment to serving the UAE Navy with the right products and advanced shipping solutions - to enable a secure future. We look forward to expanding and enhancing our portfolio of vessels.



With core technical expertise in marine and naval project management, ADSB previously built the UAE Navys Baynunah-class corvettes, the last of which was delivered in 2017. The Falaj-3 class is a highly flexible and versatile offshore patrol vessel used to carry out a wide range of missions.



Running one of the most advanced shipyards in the Middle East, ADSB operates three main naval programmes: corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and fast patrol boats. The company also offers a full range of maintenance, repair and refit, upgrade and conversion, as well as engineering consultancy services.



ADSB is part of the Platforms & Systems cluster of EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond, which ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.  TradeArabia News Service
KYODO NEWS - May 18, 2021 - 22:06 | World, All, Japan

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou on Tuesday criticized the Quad grouping comprising the United States, Japan, India and Australia as representing a "Cold War mentality" and "100 percent outdated."

In an interview with Kyodo News, Kong urged Japan to depart from diplomacy that follows in the steps of its ally the United States and to strengthen ties with China by exerting "strategic independence."

Japan "can keep a good balance" in its respective relations with China and the United States, he said in his first interview with a Japanese media organization since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.

The Quad grouping of the four major Indo-Pacific democracies is widely seen as a united front against China's attempts to challenge the rules-based international order.

With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China's diplomatic ties with Japan, Kong expressed hope that Tokyo will continue to be a cooperative partner for the next 50 years.

The ambassador, however, defended China's military buildup, saying it is necessary to address the increasingly severe security environment surrounding the country and there is "no scenario (in which China) would give up" bolstering its armed forces.

The envoy said the Japan-U.S. alliance "must not undermine the interests of a third country."

The alliance sparks regional rivalries and it would not be in Japan's interest to become entangled in confrontations between major powers, he said.

Kong pointed out that Japan has an obligation to comply with the Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty, a 1978 pact under which the neighbors agreed to develop relations of "perpetual peace and friendship."

He stressed the importance of establishing bilateral relations based on genuine mutual trust, saying, "Would it be good for Japan's future to position China as a threat?"

Japan is concerned about repeated intrusions of Chinese vessels in its territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The uninhabited islands are controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu.

Kong asserted Chinese sovereignty over the islets and said Japan is "illegally occupying" them.

But he denied that China would seize the Senkakus, saying, "It is not our policy to change (the status quo) by force."

China wants to resolve the issue through peaceful means, he said.

On the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, set to be held this summer after a one-year postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kong said he expects Japan to "successfully host the events in a safe and secure manner."

The ambassador said there is no change to China's plan to send athletes to participate in the events.
Ranchi:

A senior Maoist leader and a strategist Enul Khan alias Govindji, who was wanted for killing at least two dozen security personnel in the red zone area of Jharkhand and Bihar, surrendered before the Jharkhand State Police on Wednesday.

Govindji, 52, had joined the banned left wing organisation as a regular cadre in 2005. Considering his strategy making capabilities, senior leaders of the banned left wing outfit rose his ranks to area commander. He was also member of the political wing of the CPI-Maoist.

He was wanted by Jharkhand and Bihar Police for carrying out attacks on joint security forces. He carried Rs 10 lakh award on his head, said Indrajeet Mahatha, superintendent of police (SP) Latehar.

The SP added that Govindji in 2013 led a troop of Maoist cadres which had triggered a landmine blast killing eight security personnel including a sub-inspector rank officer in Bihars Gaya district.

Mahatha further told newsnation.in that he was also part of the Maoist team which ambushed joint security forces in Palamu in 2016. Six CRPF troopers were killed and several others were injured in the attack.

Another senior police officer of Jharkhand Police said, He was directly or indirectly involved in all major attacks in Bihars Gaya and Aurangabad district and Jharkhands Palamau district.

The Jharkhand and Bihar Police officials believe his surrender is a major setback for the banned outfit.

Govindji was a member of the political wing of the banned organisation. He was a good orator, indoctrinator and strategist. He had planned and carried out several attacks against the government and security forces, added Mahatha.

Another senior officer not willing to be quoted said, Govindji in the last 15 years has indoctrinated more than 100 innocent youths into the banned organisation.

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London:

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday that the UK-based Indian-origin businessmen have committed to projects worth nearly Rs 500 crore associated with the Clean Ganga mission.

The Minister for Ganga, river development, water resources, highways, shipping and transport said that riverfront regeneration and development of ghats in the towns of Patna, Kanpur, Haridwar and Kolkata have been taken on by four leading industrialists from the UK.

Vedanta Group chief Anil Agrawal, who is born in Patna, has pledged his support for the regeneration of the citys riverfront; shipping magnate Ravi Mehrotra has taken on Kanpur; the Hinduja Group will develop the ghats of Haridwar; and Indorama Group chief Sri Prakash Lohia will take charge of Ganga Sagar in Kolkata.

"We have a commitment of more than Rs 500 crores with these projects and I appeal to all NRIs to participate wholeheartedly in Namami Gange," Gadkari said at the end of his three-day UK visit.

The businessmen will take on the projects as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda and work with the Indian government on finalising the plans for each of the cities.

ALSO READ | Govt agencies detected 17.73 lakh 'suspicious transaction' since demonetisation: Nitin Gadkari

"All options are open. The government will act only as a facilitator," the minister said, adding that the UK tour marks the launch of a series of worldwide roadshows to attract businesses to invest in the Clean Ganga mission.

Besides commitments from Indian-origin businessmen, five UK-based companies - Lyndon Water, Celtic Renewables, Mebifarm, NVH Technologies, and Arkatap - have also made a technology sharing commitment to the Clean Ganga programme.

At a business gathering in London, he highlighted the availability of more than Rs 10,000 crore worth of projects for ghat, crematorium, riverfront development water bodies, parks, sanitation facilities and public amenities within the Clean Ganga programme.

He revealed that more than 119 Ghat projects have already been taken up in five states at the cost of Rs 650 crore.

Following the UK, the minister has plans to hold similar roadshows in Dubai, Singapore and the US to make a pitch to the Indian diaspora to get involved in projects associated with Clean Ganga.

ALSO READ: Nitin Gadkari advocates use of pollution-free methanol as fuel

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New Delhi:

Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor to the White House, on Wednesday said having equal gender representation is a financial positive to businesses today besides being a social responsibility.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Trump, inaugurated the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES-2017) in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit is being hosted by NITI Aayog in partnership with the US government. The second session of GES-2017 aims to boost female participation in the workforce.

Here are the Live updates:

# Biases that exist in society have to be addressed, and men need to be a part of that conversation. Business outcomes are great when you have diverse thinking: Karen Quintos, CCO Dell

# There is no other country in the world other than India where 40% of the banking sector is headed by women: Chanda Kochhar, ICICI Bank MD and CEO

# Women need the 3Cs- Confidence, Capabilities and access to Capital. Also, men must understand that women are their equals: Cherie Blair

# One thing I'd like to throw out there is that these aren't women's issues, we are half the population so we need to start thinking about them as critical issues: Ivanka Trump

# Technology offers tremendous opportunity to women & women entrepreneurs: Ivanka Trump

Also Read: Ivanka Trump praises Modi, says Indian PM epitomises transformational change

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Beijing:

China on Wednesday expressed "grave concern" over North Koreas test of a missile capable of hitting anywhere in the United States and asked its ally to stop actions that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Beijing also asked North Korea to strictly abide by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on the use of the ballistic missile technology.

North Korea "successfully" test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which is capable of hitting anywhere in the US. The missile, claimed to be the "most powerful" by North Korea, travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan within Japans economic exclusion zone.

"China expresses grave concern and opposition to the relevant launching activities and strongly urges it to observe the relevant resolution of the UNSC and stop action that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing while reacting to the launch of the ICBM by North Korea.

Geng said that North Korean leadership is well aware of Beijings position on Pyongyang continuing its nuclear programme.

"The UN Security Council resolution have clear stipulations on the use of the ballistic missile technology by Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, (DPRK) for launching activities," he added.

ALSO READ: North Korea test fires another ballistic missile, Trump says we will take care of it

Reacting to President Donald Trumps comments, over the missile test by Pyongyang, that the US "will take care of it" Geng said "at the same time we hope relevant parties act cautiously to work together for the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula region."

The figures tallied with estimates released by Japan and South Korea, CNN reported.

Wednesdays test by North Korea is seen as a setback to China, specially to President Xi Jinping, as it came close on the heels of the visit of his special envoy, Song Tao, to Pyongyang.

Though Songs visit was stated to be to brief the North Korean leadership about the decisions of the last months National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), he also reportedly carried a special message from Xi.

The visit by the special envoy came after the high- profile visit of Trump to Beijing, during which he pressed Xi to do more to curtail North Koreas nuclear programme.

But much to the surprise of Beijing, North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un has not met Song. In an apparent retaliation, China, regarded as a close of ally of Pyongyang, has closed its key bridge which is a lifeline for North Koreas essential supplies.

The bridge is yet to be reopened.

Asked about the bridge, Geng said it was closed by North Korea for repairs and maintenance and not aware of its current status.

Asked whether China would increase sanctions against North Korea, Geng said "China always strictly, fruitfully and earnestly implement the UNSC resolutions on North Korea and we fulfilled our international obligations. We will continue to uphold stability and peace of the Korean Peninsula and work for the settlement of Korean Peninsulas nuclear issue," he said.

About Songs visit, Geng said it was aimed at briefing North Korea about the outcome of the CPCs 19th Congress. "The DPRK is very clear about Chinas position on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue," he said.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump designates North Korea state sponsor of terrorism

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New Delhi:

A day after Supreme Court sent her back to her Salem college to pursue her medical degree, Kerela woman Hadiya nee Akhila Ashokan said she pleaded for freedom before the court but hasnt got yet.

She said she wanted to meet her husband, Shafin Jahan. When asked wasnt she free to meet her husband after the Supreme Court order, she gave a disgruntled reply. Though I asked for freedom but the truth is I am still not free, said Hadiya.

On November 27, the Supreme Court had already sent her Salem in Tamil Nadu to enable her pursue homoeopathic studies.

Hadiya nee Akhila Asokan had converted to Islam before marrying Shafin Jahan. Her parents had alleged their daughter was forcibly converted into another faith. Hadiyas parents demanded their daughter stayed only with them. But the Supreme Court ruled Hadiya would go back to her college to pursue her course in homeopathy.

I asked for freedom from court. I wanted to meet my husband but the fact is that Im not free till now and thats the truth: Hadiya pic.twitter.com/hdYXdAFkAn  ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017

While talking to reporters, Hadiya said she is only demanding her basic rights as an ordinary citizen. It has nothing to do with politics or caste, she added.

I am demanding basic rights that every Indian citizen has. It has nothing to do with politics or caste. All I want is to talk to people I like: Hadiya pic.twitter.com/8ZiYeaoubQ  ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017

The apex court had appointed the dean of the Salem-based homoeopathic college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem.

As the day wore on the principal of the college is reported to have said that Hadiya was free to meet anyone she chose to including her husband.

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New Delhi:

It is often seen that several tenants in India are mistreated by their landlords in terms of contractual obligations including illegitimate or arbitrary rents.

Most of them become victims of landlords harassment. The tenants are always in a defensive position against their landlords as most of them not aware of the tenancy agreements in the country.

So as a tenant one should be cognizant of the type of lease agreements and here is some literature around the same. There are two types of agreements:

1. Lease agreement: It is an agreement which is covered by restrictive rent control laws. Under this, the amount of rent is derived by a formula built up by the legislative or judicial government.

For example: If you are living in Delhi, your maximum annual rent will be 10 per cent of the total cost of construction and the market place. But the actual cost of construction and the land price are based on the historical values and not the current market valuation.

2. Lease and License agreement: It is completely different from the lease agreement and here the agreement is wholly and solely based on the mutual understanding of the landlord and the tenant. Under this, the tenancy contract is only for the period of 11 months.

There are several instances across the country where the tenants are harassed by their landlords. Here are the rights that the tenants must be aware of:

# Right to have full information about the condition of the house

# Right to have a copy of the tenancy agreement

# Right to privacy: The landlord cannot walk into the house with prior intimation

# The landlord cannot disconnect essential services including electricity or water supply under any circumstances

# Right to reimbursement: The tenant is entitled to ask for reimbursement for any repairs in the rented house

# At the end of lease term, the landlord must return the deposit to the tenant
New Delhi :

A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, who was issued a "warning" letter for allegedly taking part in a protest against the university norms, denied the allegation today and claimed that he was out-of-station on the day of the protest.

The chief proctor of the university had issued the "warning" letter to Om Prasad, a student of the School of Social Sciences, on November 15, for taking part in a protest in front of the administration building on March 16.

"This act of Prasad is unbecoming of a student of JNU. Om Prasad is hereby warned and advised to be careful in the future. He must refrain himself from getting involved in such activities," the letter read, adding that strict disciplinary action would be taken if the norms were violated again.

Chief Proctor Kaushal Kumar did not respond to phone calls. However, Prasad showed a copy of a flight ticket and claimed that he had boarded a Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet flight from Delhi at 6 am on March 16.

To back his claim, he also showed two taxi receipts -- one from JNU to the Delhi airport and another in Hyderabad.

"On March 16, I took a SpiceJet flight at 6 am from Delhi to Hyderabad. Even earlier, I was called for an inquiry regarding this matter, but the proctor kept insisting that there was CCTV as well as video footage taken by the guards," he said.

"This is a clear case of falsely accusing students and punishing them in a completely arbitrary manner. I have enough evidence to prove my absence from the campus on that day, but what about those students, who were on the campus but did not take part in the protest?," Prasad asked.

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Washington:

North Korea fired a ballistic missile today that splashed in the Sea of Japan, evoking angry reactions from the US with its Defence Secretary Jim Mattis expressing apprehension that the hermit state seems to be developing missiles that can reach "anywhere in the world".

After a lull of two months, Pyongyang has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Hwasong 15, which "went higher than any previous shot taken," as per Mattis.

The ICBM was believed to have harmlessly landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile launch was a "violent act" that "can never be tolerated" and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting. US and South Korea also reacted in similar fashion and asked for an emergency UNSC session, which, according to a media release, will be held on Wednesday around 4:30 pm EST.

"We will never yield to any provocative act. We will maximise our pressure," on Pyongyang, Shinzo Abe told reporters.

The provocative action comes just a week after the US slapped fresh sanctions on North Korea and declared it a state sponsor of terrorism.

US President Donald Trump, who according to the White House, "was briefed, while missile was still in the air, on the situation in North Korea", exuded confidence that the situation would be handled.

"A missile was launched a little while ago from North Korea. But let me tell you that we will take care of it. We have General Mattis in the room with us and we will have a long discussion on it. It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters.

The US Department of Defence detected and tracked a North Korea missile launch on Wednesday at about 1:17 pm EDT. Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Pentagon Spokesman Col Rob Manning said in a statement.

"The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's EEZ," Manning said.

Trump said he wants the military to be funded now.

"Nothing changed.Nothing changed.We have a very serious approach, but nothing changed. We take it very seriously," he said in response to a question.

Mattis, also briefly spoke with the media.

"A little over 2.5 hours ago North Korea launched an ICBM. It went higher than any previous shot taken," he said.

"Their Research and Development effort... on their part they seem to be developing missiles that can reach anywhere in the world...In response South Korea has launched pinpoint missiles out into the water to make certain North Korea understands they could be under fire from our ally," Mattis said.

"Bottom line is continued effort to build a ballistic missile threat that endangers world peace, regional peace, and certainly the US," he told reporters.

In New York, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, along with her counterparts from Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to be held in the open chamber in response to North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Security Council session will be held on Wednesday around 4:30 pm EST, a media release said.

Strongly condemning the missile launch, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said North Korea's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them must be reversed.

"Together the international community must continue to send a unified message to North Korea that the DPRK must abandon its WMD programs. All nations must continue strong economic and diplomatic measures," he said.

"In addition to implementing all existing UN sanctions, the international community must take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic transporting goods to and from the DPRK," he added.

Also Read: Donald Trump designates North Korea state sponsor of terrorism

Tillerson said the United States, in partnership with Canada, will convene a meeting of the United Nations Command Sending States to include the Republic of Korea and Japan and other key affected countries to discuss how the global community can counter North Korea's threat to international peace.

Also Read: North Korea says Donald Trump deserves 'death penalty' for insulting Kim Jong-un

"Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now. The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful path to denuclearization and to ending belligerent actions by North Korea," he said.

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Washington:

History was made on Thursday when Raj Shah, who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Shah, 33, did so in the capacity of Principal Deputy Press Secretary, a position to which he was promoted by US President Donald Trump in September as he restructured his press office by making Hope Hicks Director of Communications.

Shah was accompanying Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Mid-way to St Louis, Shah, the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the White House press office, gaggled with the travelling press corp. Gaggle is the term used for informal briefing by the White House Press Secretary, which is on the record but bars reporters from video graphing.

Were looking forward to the Presidents remarks later today. It will be in St. Charles, talking about the need for middle-class tax relief and business tax relief, Shah said in his opening remarks.

The focus of todays remarks are going to be on small businesses. Hes going to feature two specific small businesses. One is a local small business incubator, and the other is a jewelry businesstheyre a retail business that also wholesales to about two and a half dozen different retailers throughout the country, he said.

So were very excited about these remarks, and were excited about the developments on pushing tax reform and tax cuts. And the President is going to make a push for Yea votes, Shah said after which he took question from the White House travelling press. The questions ranged from the presidents controversial tweets, to North Korea, and tax cuts. The gaggle lasted for about 12 minutes.

Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. Shahs parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised.

His father was a mechanical engineer, but later moved in the business and owned retail stores. His mother was a dentist. Both are now leading a retired life. After his schooling in Connecticut, Shah went to the Cornell University. It is during the college life that he became politically active. Not as a Republican though.

I actually interned for a Democrat when I was in college, he says. He became a Republican as he learned more and more into issues. He in fact interned in the Bush White House in the summer of 2005.

And just out of college, he got a job in the research wing of the Republican National Committee and since there has been no looking back for him. At 33, there are only a very few in his generation who have accomplished so much.

Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director and Research Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

Its awesome. This is a lot of fun to represent the president, to represent his views not just to a domestic and international audience. What I did in earlier was a little bit about developing our message. This is about delivering the message, he told a group of Indian journalists recently.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, had listed Shah among the top Indian-American performers working under the Trump administration.

We are seeing more political activity by Indian- Americans on both sides of the aisle. We are proud to watch the work of Raj Shah, Manisha Singh, Neil Chatterjee, Naomi Rao, Vishal Amin among others that are all part of the Trump administration, said Haley, the first Indian-American woman appointed to a cabinet-level position in the US.

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Hitachi ABB Power Grids will be an official partner of the Swedish pavilion during the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, which will be inaugurated in October 2021.

The purpose is to contribute to the positioning of Sweden as an innovative and competitive knowledge nation where Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been developing cutting-edge technology for over 120 years. And where it continues to contribute to the electrification of society, nationally as well as globally, to enable the green energy transition and contribute to the UNs sustainability goals.

The Expo 2020 world exhibition in Dubai gives Sweden a unique opportunity to highlight our innovative, smart and sustainable companies and solutions. The purpose of our presence on-site is to increase Swedish exports from different parts of Sweden to different parts of the world. Hitachi ABB Power Grids is a brilliant example of this, and I highly value its participation as an official partner in the Swedish pavilion, said the Minister of Foreign Trade, Anna Hallberg.

The green energy transition is happening here and now we see a great opportunity to meet customers and partners from around the world in the Swedish pavilion to showcase world-class Swedish technology together with other companies, said Johan Soderstrom, Regional Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Hitachi ABB Power Grids.

We are proud of joining the Swedish pavilion as official partner at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Being a global leader in power grids, Hitachi ABB Power Grids will take this opportunity to showcase the worlds best ideas and solutions for achieving sustainable development and protecting the environment. The Expo is a great opportunity for us to show the world how to face the challenge of growing energy demand while minimising environmental impact for a sustainable future, said Dr Mostafa AlGuezeri, Managing Director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids in the UAE, Gulf, Near East and Pakistan.

We are making the smart cities of the future a reality, as the worlds energy markets are going through an unprecedented transformation. This is key as the need for innovative energy solutions is increasing significantly and they will play a key role in achieving the ambitious decarbonisation targets set by countries around the world, he added.

The World Expo in Dubai, in which more than 190 countries participate, will be the single largest export and investment promotion initiative from the Swedish government in the coming years. The Swedish pavilion will be located in the exhibitions sustainability section and will be built of wood. In the pavilion, an estimated one million visitors from all over the world will be inspired by Swedish innovation, culture and knowledge that contribute to a more sustainable world. The exhibition runs from October 2021 to March 2022. -- TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi:

Truecaller on Thursday responded to media reports on Home Ministry directing the Armed Forces to delete around 40 Apps made by Chinese developers to avoid a possible cyber attack. The company on Thursday denied any foul play and said, We are Sweden-based company.

In response to certain reports, we would like to clarify that we are a Sweden-based company. We are not sure why the app is on this list, but were investigating, said Truecaller.

The company further said in a statement, Truecaller is not a malware, and all our features are permission based and are disabled by default.

The company added, For additional clarity, when you download Truecaller from the app store, Truecaller needs access to certain capabilities to provide you with a richer experience.

After media reports, the company on its official Twitter handle also tweeted about its origin. Did you know #Truecaller is made in Sweden?, wrote the company.

Also read: MHA directs Armed Forces to remove Truecaller, WeChat, 40 other Chinese developed Apps; declares them spyware



The Home Ministry issued an official communique on November 24 after the Intelligence Directorate General (DTE GEN) raised concern over the usage of Chinese Apps. The intelligence agencies had alerted the MHA regarding usage of Chinese Applications can lead to data breach.

Did you know #Truecaller is made in Sweden? Learn more about our company and app developers! https://t.co/b7S5GChFvI pic.twitter.com/VHAEyW1AZA  Truecaller (@Truecaller) November 30, 2017

The advisory given to the Indian Armed Force and Central Armed Police Personnel (CAPF) warns of a possible cyber attack through mobile Apps.

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Bengaluru:

A seven-year-old girl in Karnataka died after she set herself ablaze in an attempt to imitate a fire-dance scene from a popular Kannada teleserial. The incident took place at Harihara in Davanagere district on November 11 and she succumbed to her burn injuries the next day.

The incident came to light on Wednesday after the minors parents lodged a complaint with the Harihara police station. The victim has been identified as Prarthana, a class II student of a private school in Davanagere.

According to the girls mother Chaitra, Prarthana used to watch two tele-serials, including a horror-thriller. In one of the serials, the lead character performed fire dance. She was influenced by the dance and immitated it when on one was at home.

Police said the victim, in an attempt to imitate the scene reportedly burnt a few papers and threw them around without realising that it will engulf her too.

On learning about the incident Kannada teleserial artists have expressed their condolence to the family.

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New Delhi:

A cab driver was arrested for allegedly trying to abduct a woman judge, police said on Tuesday.

The judge, in her complaint, told the police that instead of taking her to the Karkardooma Court, the driver started driving towards Hapur on the NH-24 on Monday, they added.

She informed the police and also alerted her colleague, the police said.

Read more: Man killed following quarrel over jacket in Delhi's Anand Vihar

After driving for some distance, the driver took a U-turn towards Delhi, they said, adding he was intercepted at the Ghazipur toll plaza and arrested.

The driver is associated with a private company that is being probed, the police said.
Mumbai:

Security at the Mumbai airport was heightened after a note about an "ISIS attack" on its cargo facility was found on Wednesday, according to sources.

They said a private security guard found the note in a toilet in the cargo section around 6 pm and it read "attack the cargo on 26.01.18 or anytime - ISIS".

Bomb disposal teams of the airport guarding force CISF and police are scanning the spot and contents of the note, the sources said.

The cargo terminal area has been evacuated and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) is at the spot, an airport spokesperson said.

The note looks like a hoax, sources said, adding anti- sabotage checks were being conducted in the cargo area.

"While the cargo area is not secured by the CISF, passenger checks and vigil has been enhanced in the main airport terminal area," a senior CISF officer said.

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United Nations:

The United States on Thursday urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to North Korea and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."

During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.

Haley also called "on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea" and said the Security Council should take away North Korea's voting rights at the United Nations.

The council was meeting at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war.

Also Read| World will not tolerate North Korea's 'nuclear blackmail': Donald Trump

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she warned.

Also Read: North Korea test fires another ballistic missile, Trump says we will take care of it

Pyongyang, on Wednesday, tested its third ICBM, which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States, snapping a two-month pause in missile launches.

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New Delhi:

The counting of votes for 652 civic bodies underway across the state on Friday. Bharatiya Janata Party is leading at maximum mayoral seats in early trends. The polls were concluded for 16 municipal corporations, 198 municipal councils and 438 Nagar panchayats. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had addressed 32 rallies in 14 days.

Here are the live updates-

# BJP mayor candidate Asha Sharma wins Ghaziabad seat

# BJP mayor candidate Hrishikesh Upadhyaya wins Ayodhya seat

# SP activists create turmoil at counting centre in Ferozabad

# BSP's mayor candidate Digamber Singh Dhakare leading by 21902 votes

# BJP Mayor candidates leading in Varanasi and Firozabad

# BJP's mayor candidate Rajiv Agarwal leading in Aligarh

# BJP's mayor candidate Sanjeev Valia is leading in Ballia

# BJP mayor candidate Abhilasha is leading in Allahabad

# Amethi Nagarpalika trends: SP leading in Gauriganj, BJP leading in Jais

# Lathicharge by Police on crowd gathered outside counting centre in Muzaffarnagar. Four people injured

# BJP candidate Meera Agarwal wins the lucky draw. BJP and Congress both had got 874 votes in Ward no.56 in Mathura

# BJP candidate wins ward number 62 in Agra

# BJP Mayor candidate Sanyukta Bhatia leads in Lucknow

# BJP Mayor candidate leading in Kanpur.Congress second, BSP third and SP fourth

# BSP candidate leading in Meerut Municipal Corporation

# BSP candidate wins ward number 6 in Agra Municipal Corporation

# Samajwadi Party wins 2 seats in Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation

# Cong, other parties were giving internal support to each other, We fought alone and we are now leading with a good number in early trends: Mahendra Nath Pandey

# BJP mayor candidate leading in Ghaziabad

# Three independents candidate win in Saharanpur

# BSP mayor candidate now leading in Meerut and Congress leading in Mathura

# BJP mayor candidate leading in first round of counting in Varanasi

# BJP wins two wards in Agra

# Ballot box found unsealed in Noida's Dankaur, senior officials at the spot

# BJP registers first win at ward no 69 in Gorakhpur

# BJP Mayor candidate leading by over 1000 votes in Moradabad, BSP second, SP third and Congress fourth. BJP also leading in Pilibhit

# BJP candidate leading in Loni municipality

# District administration has banned entry of media at counting centre in Jalaun

# BJP's mayor candidate Mridula Jaiswal trailing in Varanasi

# BJP mayor candidate leading in Moradabad

# BJP's Navin Jain leading in Agra

# I don't consider anyone my competitor. I will be number one, no matter who is second or third: Sanyukta Bhatia, BJP Lucknow Mayor candidate

# SP candidate leading in Ferozabad

# BJP mayoral candidates leading in Varanasi, Ayodhya and Ghaziabad

# BSP mayoral candidate leading in Saharanpur

# BJP mayoral candidates leading in Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Meerut

UP local body polls counting to begin shortly. Visuals from counting centre in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/hOhLbMC03O  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 1, 2017

The polls were concluded in three phase in the state.

State election commissioner SK Agarwal informed that counting of votes will begin at 8 am. He said the average voting percentage was 52.5 percent in the state. As many as 79,113 candidates were in the fray.

All district administrations have ordered the closure of liquor shops in the state from November 30 till midnight of December 1.

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Riyadh:

Saudi Arabia has freed influential Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, following a "settlement" with authorities reportedly exceeding USD 1 billion, more than three weeks after he was detained in a sweeping anti- corruption purge.

The former National Guard chief was among more than 200 princes, ministers and businessmen who were rounded up earlier this month, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tightens his grip on power.

Prince Miteb, once seen as a contender to the throne, is the most high-profile royal to be released so far as the government appears to be striking monetary settlements with some of the detainees in exchange for their freedom.

"Yes, Prince Miteb was released this morning (Tuesday)," a source close to the government told AFP, without outlining the terms of his release.

The prince was released after paying more than USD 1 billion in a "settlement deal" with authorities, Bloomberg News cited an unnamed official as saying.

The prince was not reachable for comment.

Saudi information ministry officials also could not confirm the development but posts on social media by members of the royal family suggested he had been freed.

Princess Nouf bint Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud posted an old image of Prince Miteb on a verified Twitter account with the message: "Praise be to Allah. Peace be upon you".

In a similar post with the picture of a smiling prince, Princess Abeer bint Khaled bin Abdullah tweeted: "May god grant you a long life, give you health and keep you safe for us."

Before his arrest the 64-year-old son of the late king Abdullah was sacked as the head of the National Guard, an internal security force that has long been seen as a locus of tribal power.

Some analysts saw Prince Miteb's removal as an attempt by Prince Mohammed, who is also Saudi defence minister, to consolidate his control over the security services.

But Saudi authorities insist the purge was meant solely to target endemic corruption as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

In an interview with the New York Times published last week, Prince Mohammed said 95 per cent of those detained agree to a "settlement", or handing over ill-gotten assets or cash to the Saudi state treasury.

Saudi Arabia's attorney general estimates at least USD 100 billion has been misused in embezzlement or corruption over several decades.

"The apparent release of Prince Miteb may be a sign that the Saudi authorities are making progress in agreeing settlements with detainees," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

"It's an attempt to resolve the situation in a manner that minimises social fallout from the crown prince's recent move and addresses concerns over the political risk of doing business in Saudi Arabia," Ulrichsen told AFP.

The purge has triggered uncertainty among businesses that could lead to capital flight or derail reforms, experts say, at a time when the kingdom is seeking to attract badly needed investments to offset a protracted oil slump.

Other high-profile targets of the crackdown include billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia.

Many of the detainees have been held at Riyadh's Ritz- Carlton hotel, which has been turned into a luxury prison.

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New Delhi:

Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu, who had threatened Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali over upcoming movie Padmavati, has resigned from all party posts, including Haryana Chief Media Coordinator.

While talking to ANI, Amu also made a controversial statement, saying that he wants to slap former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah at Lal Chowk and asked the latter to meet him.

On his resignation, he said, "With a heavy heart I have resigned from the post I had in BJP. I am pained at the behaviour of Haryana CM. I have never seen a BJP CM so arrogant who doesn't respect party workers and community representatives."



Since the inception, the movie has been facing criticism from Shri Rajput Karni Sena for allegedly tampering with historical facts.



Suraj Pal Amu had made disparaging remarks against Bhansali, Deepika and Ranveer Singh. He had also announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress.



This is not all, Suraj Pal Amu had also threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said that TMC chief would face a similar fate to Supanakha if she continued to support Bhansali's periodic movie.

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New Delhi:

Bangladesh, though has given refuge to the Rohingyas who have been facing ethnic cleansing at the hands of Myanmars army, have not been able to give hygienic living conditions.

The camps in which Rohingya refugees have been living are at the risk of catching and spreading diseases.

The open drains of Cox Bazars refugee camps are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other water-borne diseases which puts the health of the inhabitants in grave danger.

Most of the huts are surrounded by garbage and dirty water. The bamboo huts, toilets, and hand pumps are shared by all.

The biggest fear is that the children who spend most of their time wandering through the open drains and filthy mud have become the carriers of diseases.

The camps which house almost 600,000 Rohingya Muslims needs to be safeguarded against the outbreak of an epidemic, said aid agencies.

Pope Francis is scheduled for a three-day visit to Bangladesh starting from Thursday, November 30 where he will also meet members of the Rohingya Muslim refugee camps at Dhaka.

The question that arises is, will the Popes visit be enough to end the plight of the Rohingyas? Only time can say.

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Next time when you eat an apple for extra fibre, flavonoids and flavour, remember that you are also gulping down about 100 million bacteria, and whether these are good or bad microbes may depend on how the apples were grown.

Most microbes are inside the apple but the strains depend on which bits you eat, and whether you go organic, say researchers, adding that organically-grown apples harbour more diverse and balanced bacteria which make them healthier and tastier than conventional apples.

"The bacteria, fungi and viruses in our food transiently colonise our gut. Cooking kills most of these, so raw fruit and vegetable are particularly important sources of gut microbes," said Professor Gabriele Berg from Graz University of Technology in Austria.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, compared the bacteria in conventional store-bought apples with those in visually-matched fresh organic ones.

Stem, peel, flesh, seeds and calyx -- the straggly bit at the bottom where the flower used to be -- were analyzed separately. Overall, the organic and conventional apples were occupied by similar numbers of bacteria.

"Putting together the average for each apple component, we estimate a typical 240-gram apple contains roughly 100 million bacteria," Berg informed.

The majority of the bacteria are in the seeds, with the flesh accounting for most of the remainder.

So, if you discard the core, your intake falls to nearer 10 million.

"Freshly harvested, organically-managed apples harbour a significantly more diverse, more even and distinct bacterial community, compared to conventional ones," explained Berg.

Specific groups of bacteria known for health-affecting potential also weighed in favour of organic apples.

"Escherichia-Shigella -- a group of bacteria that includes known pathogens -- was found in most of the conventional apple samples, but none from organic apples. For beneficial Lactobacilli -- of probiotic fame -- the reverse was true," said the researchers.

Methylobacterium, known to enhance the biosynthesis of strawberry flavour compounds, was significantly more abundant in organic apples, "especially on peel and flesh samples, which in general had a more diverse microbiota than seeds, stem or calyx", said the researchers.

The results also mirrored findings on fungal communities in apples. "Our results agree remarkably with a recent study on the apple fruit associated fungal community, which revealed specificity of fungal varieties to different tissues and management practices," said Birgit Wasserman, lead author of the study.

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Global magnesium oxide market is set for solid growth over the next 10 years with a CAGR of 5 per cent by 2031, according to a report by consulting firm Future Market Insights.

Increasing research and development activities conducted to study application of dead burned magnesia and fused magnesia is one of the key factors driving the market, stated the Esomar-certified consulting firm in this study.

According to FMI experts, surging government investment in agricultural and industrial sector will boost the market. Rising demand of magnesium oxide in development of refractory linings of furnace in iron and steel industry will positively influence the market growth, they added.

As per the European Commission (EC) data, 1.3% to the European Union (EU)-27's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was contributed by agriculture. With soaring industrialization and development in the field of agriculture, high growth in magnesium oxide market is on the card.

"High acid neutralizing capabilities of magnesium oxide has made it popular as lime alternative in waste treatment facilities, thus elevating the magnesium market growth", said a FMI analyst.

The US is the dominant market for magnesium oxide in North America. Growth in the US will be driven by rising adoption of magnesium oxide in biomedical applications and rapid advancement in manufacturing sector and industrial infrastructure, he added.

According to him, Europe is expected to showcase positive growth trajectory during the forecast period.

Surging demand from agricultural sector and consistently evolving industrial domain will create growth opportunities.

China dominates the magnesium oxide market in the Asia pacific on the back of booming industrial sector and soaring demand for dead burned magnesia, he explained.

India is offering lucrative growth opportunities for magnesium oxide market. With establishment of modern industries and manufacturing units coupled with increasing use of magnesium oxide in refractories and agricultural sector, market sales are expected to skyrocket during the forecast period, he added.

The FMI report said rising demand of magnesium oxide for filtration of heavy metals in wastewater treatment was driving the market growth.

Increasing use of magnesium oxide in fertilizer manufacturing and other agro-based applications is driving the magnesium oxide market sales, it stated.

Leading players profiled by FMI operating in magnesium oxide market include Grecian Magnesite, Ube Industries, Magnezit Group Europe, Kuma, Xinyang Mineral Group, Israel Chemical, Manyezit Sanayi, MagnesitaRefratarios, Robert Half International, Premier Magnesia and Martin Marietta.-TradeArabia News Service
According to the AEFI Committee, it has completed an in-depth case review of 498 serious and severe events, of which 26 cases have been reported to be potential thromboembolic (formation of a clot in a blood vessel that might also break loose and carried by the bloodstream to plug another vessel) events - following the administration of Covishield vaccine - with a reporting rate of 0.61 cases per million doses.

The Union health ministry said on Monday that the number of blood clot cases in people who received AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine (called Covishield) in India was "minuscule". Covishield - one of three shots granted emergency approval in India - is the most widely used in the country and is manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute (SII).

The ministry separately released advisories to healthcare workers and vaccine beneficiaries to encourage people to be aware of suspected thromboembolic symptoms. These symptoms, the ministry said, occur within 20 days of taking a shot (particularly Covishield) and asked the beneficiaries to report to the health facility where vaccine was administered.

"AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunisation) data in India showed that there is a very miniscule but definitive risk of thromboembolic events," the health ministry said in a statement, citing a report by the National AEFI Committee.

Thromboembolic events refer to the formation of a clot in a blood vessel that might also break loose and be carried by the bloodstream to plug another vessel.

The list of symptoms mentioned in the ministry's advisory are:

breathlessness;

pain in chest;

pain in limbs/pain on pressing limbs or swelling in limbs (arm or calf);

multiple, pinhead size red spots or bruising of skin in an area beyond the injection site;

persistent abdominal pain with or without vomiting;

seizures in the absence of previous history of seizures with or without vomiting;

severe and persistent headache with or without vomiting (in the absence of previous history of migraine or chronic headache);

weakness/paralysis of limbs or any particular side or part of the body (including face);

persistent vomiting without any obvious reason;

blurred vision or pain in eyes or having double vision;

change in mental status or having confusion or depressed level of consciousness

Any other symptom or health condition which is of concern to the recipient or the family.

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JAKARTA: Indonesia Tuesday launched a private vaccination scheme that will vaccine at least 10 million people against Covid-19. Their inoculations will be paid for by their respective companies ranging from labour-intensive manufacturers to MSMEs.

"This private vaccination drive could accelerate the inoculation programme in Indonesia. I am glad the private vaccination drive has commenced. I hope everyone will be protected from Covid-19 and the plants in these industrial and business zones can be more productive," President Joko Widodo said when he attended the launch at a Unilever plant Cikarang, West Java province.

The launch was held jointly via video conference with other companies from 18 locations in industrial zones around the capital, Jakarta.

The private inoculation drive is using vaccine from China's Sinopharm and CanSino.The government is still in negotiations to import Russia's Sputnik vaccine for the private scheme. The vaccination drive is being coordinated by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce.

The Health Ministry requires that the jabs used should be different from the brands used by the government vaccination programme.

Also, the private entities that take part should buy the vaccines from a state-owned vaccine importer and pledge not to pass on the costs to their employees, in keeping with the government's free vaccination drive for all citizens.

The Chairman of the chamber of commerce, Rosan Roeslani, said more than 22,000 companies have registered to get more than their 10 million employees and their families vaccinated.

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Joe Biden Admin approved USD 735 million arms sale to Israel: sources
In Nepal, KP Sharma Oli has been embroiled in controversy over insulting the President amid his oath as PM. Four writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court on Monday demanding that PM K P Sharma oli be sworn in again. The petitions said Oli insulted the presidency by not repeating all the words spoken in the middle of the swearing-in ceremony.

President Vidya Devi Bhandari had administered the oath of office and secrecy to Oli as PM at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Sheetal Niwas on Friday. In the midst of the swearing-in ceremony, when the President spoke "in the name of God" in addition to the word "oath", Oli, the 69-year-old president of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), dropped those words. When President Bhandari mentioned "God, country and people", Oli, who became the PM of Nepal for the third time, said, "I will take oath in the name of the country and the people. ''

Let us tell you that all the four writ petitioners have appealed that Oli should take oath of office and secrecy once again as the oath taken on Friday was illegal. Senior advocate Chandrakanta Gyavali and advocates Lokendra Oli and Kesar Jung Kc have filed a joint writ petition while advocates Raj Kumar Suwal, Santosh Bhandari and Navraj Adhikari have filed separate writ petitions on the same issue. The petitioners have reportedly appealed to the court to direct Oli to take oath again.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has left for New York City to attend an emergency UN General Assembly (UNGA) session on the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.

As per sources who told a leading international daily, it reads Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi will travel to the US via Ankara and on way to New York, he will be accompanied by his counterparts from Turkey, Sudan and Palestine. He left Islamabad on Monday night. The UNGA session will take place on Thursday.

Besides attending the session, Qureshi, will hold important meetings with various dignitaries at the UN, the sources said.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the besieged enclave since 2014, has so far killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis.

Two day earlier, Qureshi apprised Secretary Blinken of Pakistani people's deep concern and anguish on the worsening humanitarian situation in the Israeli and Palestinian territories and underscored the importance of US role in ensuring necessary steps to help address the dire situation, restore peace, and facilitate a just solution. He highlighted the salience of transformed Pakistan (Naya Pakistan), with its shifting focus on geo-economics.

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The United Nations General Assembly will meet over the violence going on from past a week on Thursday. The fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants will be talked, General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said on Monday.

Niger and Algeria, chairs of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation group and Arab group in New York. It is asked that the 193-member General Assembly meet publicly "in light of the gravity of the situation and its rapid deterioration." The 15-member U.N. Security Council met publicly for the first time on Sunday over the flare-up in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The issue is a public statement because the United States a strong ally of Israel worries it could harm behind-the-scenes diplomacy. While China said it would again push the council to try and agree a statement. Israel killed a senior Palestinian militant commander in heavy air strikes on Gaza and Islamist groups renewed rocket attacks on Israeli cities despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire.

Gaza health officials report the Palestinian death toll since the fighting erupted as 201, including 58 children and 34 women. Till now, ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

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A museologist by profession, Swosti Rajbhandari Kayastha started her career as a curator in 2014 when she joined the Nepal Art Council. There, she worked closely with Sagar Rana and Dina Bangdel who broadened her horizon about art curation and guided her. At Nepal Art Council, she started to experiment using different themes to showcase art. But, in 2015, she left for the University College Londons UCL Qatar programme, where she did her second masters in museum and gallery practice. Returning home, she has been teaching museology at Lumbini Buddhist University while she has also been consulting at various museums.

On the occasion of International Museum Day, Onlinekhabar spoke to Kayastha about the definition and importance of museums and what Nepali museums should do in order to stay relevant in the modern age.

Excerpts:

How would you define a museums role? Has it changed since its inception centuries ago?

The role of museums has definitely changed with time. They were initially a centre for collecting art and artefacts, but slowly its functions evolved. From a storehouse, it started to become a centre for learning. Its primary role of collecting objects and preserving them has not changed since museums started in the 1700s. One function that has changed is it has become a place for learning for people who want to know about the objects that are at the museums. Museums have also been active in communicating what these objects mean because that is one important factor that helps when putting up an exhibition. These functions will continue to evolve with time.

Do you see Nepali museums following these functions?

Museums here are trying. Since 2015, a lot has been done at the Patan Museum and National Museum, but a lot more needs to be done in Nepal. One problem I see is the state does not really care about museums and its importance and does not set aside adequate budgets for it. It needs to understand that museums are more than a store. Until the state pays attention to museums here in Nepal, its function will remain vague.

As members of the public, what can one do to ensure that museums are still relevant?

To start with, we need to visit museums. When we do visit, we need to ask questions and hold dialogues with the museums. In the west, there are guided tours done by the museum. There are guides here too, but we hardly ask for one. I know that going back to museums is pointless here in Nepal, but the people need to tell the museums to do something new and different every six months.

But, in a digital age, do museums have to reinvent themselves to appeal to a younger crowd?

They have to. First of all, we need to make museums more attractive and engaging. A guided tour is a start. I see schools taking children to museums, but they do not use the guides that are on offer. I am sure the session would be a lot engaging if schools used these guides.

Another thing they can do is an audio tour, which will be something new here. But, it will work out quite well if they try. Setting up quizzes after the tour and use of tablets through which one could get a better understanding of the object is also a way to go.

Museums in Nepal are still stuck in the 20th-century mode, but slowly things are changing. It will take time for it to appeal to a younger crowd because like I said, the government has not put museums as its priority.

Many museum lovers say they want to see new artefacts and objects. Cant museums host temporary exhibitions?

They surely can because they generally showcase only around 50 per cent of the objects they have. I would recommend doing temporary exhibitions every six months so that interested people can revisit these museums. From what I know, people will go if they do this.

Who preserves the artefacts? Do museums have skilled human resources in this regards

I do not think there is a conservator position in museums, but I believe every museum has a chemist who is tasked to take care of the objects. There are people but very few experts. Griha Man Singh who retired from the Department of Archaeology is one who, due to lack of skilled people, still works to preserve objects. He conducts workshops to pass down his knowledge to a young group of chemists who work at various museums. But, to answer your questions, no, Nepal does not have enough skilled human resources in this regard.

People often say that Durbar Squares of Kathmandu are open museums. But, when a foreigner goes there, they do not have any information about the place. How can it be made more attractive for these people?

Like I said before, we can make these heritage sites interactive because they are open museums. The Durbar Squares in the valley do not even have a board that explains to a tourist going without a guide what monument is what and when it was built. We need to use interpretation panels to educate both Nepalis and foreigners about these monuments. A map can also be very helpful. If we create a path from one monument to another using technology or a simple board that tells the story of the monument, a lot of good can happen.
Privacy is an important aspect of our life that we always seek for. But, the pictures that you sent to your family or the personal text that you sent to someone you trusted could potentially be seen by the government and some agencies in the name of crime surveillance. All the services associated with the internet are recorded and are used in the process of investigation under certain circumstances. So, does this hamper our right to privacy or is it fine if it is for security purposes? With the growing availability of technology, the question has become as relevant in Nepal as it is in other countries of the world.

Monitoring ones personal life just because he/she can be a subject to future suspects of crime seems futile and directly against our right to privacy.

Crime and surveillance

Crime and terrorism are the biggest fears of any country, even Nepal. In the past, we have been observing the execution of terror attacks and their effects. Whether it was the 9/11 attack, the Taj Hotel attack or the Royal Massacre in Nepal, the casualties are innocent citizens and we see a great economic and political imbalance after the attacks. In order to prevent so in the coming future, the government and various agencies are constantly monitoring the suspects and any traces of crimes and terrorism in the country.

In this process of investigation, the government and its associated agencies monitor individuals online activity without even informing the so-called suspects, who can be any of us.

The Western trend of civil surveillance also affected the Nepal government in recent years. With increasing criminal activities in the country, the government has granted special authority and technologies to the Nepal Police for online civil surveillance. In recent years, the government has also drafted Media Council Bill and the Information Technology Bill with stricter provisions, but they are yet to be endorsed due to various controversies. The US Department of State has assessed Kathmandu as a place with a medium level of threats in terms of terrorism directed at or affecting official US government interests. So, the government has not just ignored this fact and surely is on its way to make Kathmandu a low-threat location through various online surveillance practice.

Safety or privacy?

This is not fair at all. If the suspect is innocent, his/her right to privacy is harshly violated. Despite all these disputes, it is very common to see the police department starting any criminal case by tracking ones online activities without any specific warrant just because they have the authority to do so and is regarded as the easy way to accomplish a case filed. This intrusion over our privacy is itself a criminal act.

In the past few years, it was more than enough, so several protests around the world and even in Nepal started calling for safeguarding personal freedom on the internet from the government. Human rights have to be respected. This unknown peeking into our privacy in the name of security should eventually stop and a new approach should be made for our security.

However, there always arises a question: safety or privacy? A survey held in the UK in 2010 stated that the vast majority were on the side of safety and would let some violation of their privacy for their safety. People exclaimed that if it is for our safety and for a genuine reason, they are ready to get observed. There is the argument of Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, in support of mass surveillance. The online activity which is recorded should only be used for investigation purposes and only the data which has a direct relation with the investigation should only be seen. The recorded data should also be kept private within the agency and should only be used during the time of investigation if very necessary.

According to the reports, many missions to eradicate crime and terrorism were successful in the past using this method of online surveillance. The mission to assassinate Osama Bin Laden also had online surveillance as a key step. Many terror attacks in the South Asian region also are pre-suspected by online surveillance of individuals and necessary security is provided to prevent such attacks. Nepal located in the heart of the large terror-affected countries is commonly doubted as a region with terror insight.

Our safety is always important. So, the method of surveillance of an individuals online activity in the fight against crime and terrorism is not a completely wrong concept as its benefits are seen in the past. However, unwanted spying in the name of terrorism and crime, which might be a common thing in countries like Nepal in the coming future, should eventually come to an end.

Even though one is found suspect, only the necessary observations should be made on his/her online activity by thorough confirmation. The personal life of a suspect or a criminal should never be made public respecting the right to privacy of each individual in the world.
Congress

GOP rep wants feds back in the office

Rep. Hice with Georgia Army National Guardsmen and families in 2018 (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class R.J. Lannom Jr.)

Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, wants to know when feds will go back in the office.

In a May 18 letter to Kathleen McGettigan, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, Hice said it was time for federal employees to go back to the workplace "to the fullest possible degree." He pointed to recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most indoor and outdoor locations and to rising vaccination rates.

Hice, who is giving up his seat in Congress to run for secretary of state in Georgia, wrote that the shift to almost 100% remote work has taken a toll on customer service functions, with negative effects for veterans and Social Security beneficiaries.

"This is particularly critical for the most vulnerable of our constituents including seniors and low-income Americans, as well as individuals who may not have internet access or the computer skills necessary to navigate an entirely virtual interaction with a government agency," Hice wrote.

Hice also noted that he'd like to see some consideration given to rethinking locality pay and the overall government real estate footprint if large-scale teleworking continues post-COVID.

"If fully remote work arrangements continue indefinitely into the future, the taxpayers would benefit from reassessing whether remote workers should be considered eligible for locality pay," Hice said, noting the significant locality pay bump for feds in the National Capital Region.

Hice requested a staff-level briefing no later than May 25, 2021 on the preparation and planning on bringing federal workers back into the office.

Leaders at OPM have stated that the agency is preparing guidance that will provide agencies the flexibility to continue remote and telework going forward after of the pandemic.
Workforce

Few agencies sought Schedule F conversions

Trump delivers a speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. in Aug. 2018 (Image credit: Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com)

Just 14 out of hundreds of eligible agencies and departments provided any written response to a Trump-era executive order establishing a new category of the civil service called Schedule F meant to encompass a range of policy-related and supervisory roles, according to documents obtained by FCW under the Freedom of Information Act.

The executive order, released in October 2020, tasked agencies with compiling preliminary lists of positions to be reclassified under Schedule F by Jan. 19, 2021, just one day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Biden revoked the executive order on Jan. 22.

Ten of the 14 agencies that sent responses to the Office of Personnel Management by the deadline either identified zero positions for conversion or punted their decisions to the subsequent reporting deadline set out in the order of May 19.

National Archives and Records Administration, which identified no positions for conversion, sent its Schedule F determination to OPM via email at 4:16PM on Jan. 19. Most of the other negative responses were also sent on the deadline day.

"I think what you're seeing from those submissions is token compliance. We're going to check that box, but we're going to do it in a way that causes minimal damage," said Ron Sanders, former chair of the Federal Salary Council, who resigned in protest of Schedule F. "[Agencies] did not know at the time what OPM was going to do with those requests. In theory, the executive order was still alive [on Jan. 19], and OPM could have turned around  and approved them the next day. I would characterize it as hedging their bets."

The Treasury Department told OPM days earlier on Jan. 15 that that a preliminary review found that none of the posts held by the agency's 96,000 employees were suitable for conversion.

Other agencies that responded to OPM but didn't seek to convert any positions include the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Some agencies did seek to move substantial portions of their employees into Schedule F positions.

As has been reported in FCW and elsewhere, the Office of Management and Budget sought to convert the bulk of its workforce to Schedule F. The agency, which had 527 general schedule employees according to December 2020 data from OPM, requested that 436 positions be moved into the new schedule.

Russell Vought, then director of OMB, announced in a December 2020 letter published in the Wall Street Journal that his agency would lead in implementing Schedule F.

News of the office's initial moves to classify feds at OMB sparked anxiety among some about the potential politicization of the office, given its critical role in preparing the federal budget and developing governmentwide management policy. At the time, Vought said such objections "bordered on the hysterical."

Among the positions slated for conversion were a GS-11 administrative assistant whose duties entailed "regularly working with predecisional and deliberative materials of the agency and the Executive Office of the President, including such highly sensitive materials as draft Executive Orders" and a GS-12 FOIA officer whose duties included "handling, circulating, and providing a variety of deliberative communications and materials to and from the General Counsel and other OMB offices including closely reviewing sensitive predecisional and other privileged materials."

A number of technology policy positions were added to the Schedule F pool, including the administrator and deputy administrator of the U.S. Digital Service and dozens of other USDS posts. A number of cybersecurity specialty jobs were also tagged for Schedule F conversion.

On Jan. 19, the Environmental Protection Agency also requested that 579 positions be moved to the new category, out of a workforce of more than 11,000.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was poised to convert most of its workforce. The agency included 864 positions in its Jan. 19 request. FERC has 1,166 employees, according to OPM data. The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission sought to convert five positions.

When it was released last year, the Schedule F order sparked concern among Democrats in Congress, federal employee unions and groups representing federal managers and the senior executive service. They argued that taking away civil service employment protections would create a new class of political appointees inside the government.

Those concerns persisted well after the 2020 elections, especially since House Democrats failed in their efforts to block the implementation of Schedule F in the fiscal year 2021 appropriations package.

Absent any new legislation, Schedule F or something like it could resurface in a future administration.

"It nothing changes, it could very much return in the future," Donald Moynihan, a public policy expert at Georgetown University, told FCW in February. "There's nothing to say that another president four years from now or eight years from now couldn't take the exact same language and write another executive order."
(Updates throughout with detail, context, closing share price)

By David French and Rithika Krishna

May 17 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Management Corp went public on Monday with demands that Duke Energy Corp consider separating itself into three companies, a proposal the U.S. utility said was not in its best interests.

The move is the latest by the investment firm in the U.S. utilities space, having previously pushed for changes at power companies including Sempra Energy and Evergy Inc .

In a letter to Duke's board, Elliott said the company's separation into three regionally-focused entities  the Carolinas, Florida and the Midwest  should create $12 billion to $15 billion of near-term value for shareholders.

Such a model would also address the underperformance of the company's stock in recent years versus its peers, despite having high-quality assets, which Elliott attributed to a lack of focus on its businesses outside of the Carolinas by the Charlotte-headquartered Duke. (https://refini.tv/3u3gg5z)

One of the largest regulated utilities in the United States, Duke provides electricity to 7.9 million customers in six states.

In response, Duke in a statement said there was no strategic logic to breaking the company apart. The move would burden each entity with extra costs that would negatively impact services and threaten Duke's ability to pay its shareholder dividend, it added.

While the company would review Elliott's latest proposals, and was open to improvement, Duke said its board and management would prioritize the long-term interests of shareholders.

Duke's shares closed Monday 0.6% lower at $102.45 each, giving the company a valuation of $79 billion.

Elliott's push comes after news in September of an aborted offer from NextEra Energy Inc to buy Duke that would have created a utility behemoth.

By separating into three parts, it could make Duke's Florida unit a more digestible acquisition target for NextEra - which is based in the Sunshine State - or other potential buyers. At this point though, Elliott has not asked for such a sale, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Story continues

Elliott, which has not disclosed its stake in Duke, said in its statement it was among of the company's top 10 shareholders.

The investment firm said it wanted Duke to form a board committee to evaluate the possibility of a tax-free separation of the company, as well as appoint new board members. While saying it had suggested board nominees, Elliott's statement did not disclose how many seats it wanted.

(Reporting by David French in New York and Rithika Krishna in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel and Stephen Coates)
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the kingdom's Public Investment Fund (PIF), has announced its new board of directors under the chairmanship of Ahmed bin Aqeel Al Khateeb. Ghassan bin Abdulrahman Al Shibl has been named the Vice Chairman.

The announcement comes following its Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting held recently in the presence of SAMIs board representative and Vice-Chairman Dr Al Shibl and PIF representative Omar Abalkhail.

The new board will be effective for a three-year term. Its members include Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef; General Abdulrahman bin Saleh Albunayyan; Dr Khaled bin Hussain Albiyari; Dr Ghassan bin Ahmed Alsulaiman; Mosaed bin Sulaiman Al Ohali; Mazen bin Ahmed Al Jubeir; Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Sowailim and Yasir bin Abdullah Al Salman.

Having completed the legal quorum in accordance with Article 30 of the companys Articles of Association and having reviewed the assemblys agenda, based on the results of the vote, the assembly approved all items put up to a vote.

This included the amendment of Article 12 of its Articles of Association, increasing the number of board members from nine to ten, and agreeing to restructure the companys board of directors.

Welcoming the new boaard, Al Khateeb said: "We congratulate the company for restructuring its board, and we welcome its new members in their roles, to whom we wish every success. We also thank the former board members for their hard work and efforts during a period of significant accomplishments."

"We would like to renew our commitment to all our customers and stakeholders that we will continue our journey of achievements and that the board will make every effort to ensure the companys success in supporting the localization of more than 50% of Saudi Arabias military spending by 2030," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Top companies covered are Airbus S.A.S (Netherlands), Cobham Plc (UK), GE Aviation (U.S.), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), Boeing (The U.S.), Eaton Corporation (The U.S.), Safran S.A. (France), Israel Aerospace Industries (Israel), Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group (The UK), Parker Hannifin (The U.S.), and more players profiled.

Pune, India, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global aerial refueling systems market size is expected to reach USD 743.8 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.53% during the forecast period. The increasing development of innovative and lightweight military aircraft such as bombers, fighter jets, and unmanned systems will have a tremendous impact on the market growth during the forecast period, states Fortune Business Insights, in a report, titled Aerial Refueling Systems Market, 2021-2028. The market size stood at USD 535.8 million in 2020.





COVID-19 Impact:

Deferred Military Contracts to Dampen Market amid Coronavirus

COVID-19 has vastly disrupted many industries around the world. The imposition of lockdown in major countries such as the U.S., Germany, UK, France, India, China, and Japan has retarded aircraft procurement, thus dampening the market growth. Moreover, delayed deliveries of aircraft have resulted in a massive loss for the aerial refueling systems market growth. However, emphasis on robust military and defense programs has increased military defense expenditure in the U.S., China, Japan, India, Germany, and France. In addition, cross-border conflicts can further enhance the development of the market during the pandemic.





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https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/aerial-refueling-systems-market-105152





List of the Leading Companies Profiled in the Global Aerial Refueling Systems Market are:

Airbus S.A.S (Netherlands)

Cobham Plc (UK)

GE Aviation (U.S.)

Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.)

Boeing (The U.S.)

Eaton Corporation (The U.S.)

Safran S.A. (France)

Israel Aerospace Industries (Israel)

Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group (The UK)

Parker Hannifin (The U.S.)





Story continues

Market Segments :

Autonomous Segment is Expected to Dominate Market

Based on the application, the market is classified into probe & drogue, flying boom, and autonomous. The flying boom segment is likely to be the largest segment. Increasing defense expenditure and procurement of fighter aircraft for the various military operations is expected to drive the segments growth. The autonomous segment is expected to experience the highest growth during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for automatic fuel transfer systems.

Based on the application, the market is divided into commercial aircraft, helicopters, military aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The military segment is predicted to hold a significant share during the forecast period. The demand for aerial refueling system is expected to increase across military applications.

Geographically, the global market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world.





The report on this market accentuates:

All-inclusive study of the market

Important insights into the segments

Comprehensive information about regions

Valuable data about prominent players

Latest developments in the market





Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/aerial-refueling-systems-market-105152





Driving Factor :

Surging Defense Expenditure to Accelerate Business

The increasing investment in military modernization programs is expected to foster the market's healthy growth in the forthcoming years. In May 2020, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Chinas defense budget experienced substantial growth of 6.6%, i.e., USD 178.2 billion. The recent increase in military spending has cleared the long path of modernization for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) by 2035. Moreover, the heavy defense spending in the US will have an outstanding effect on the market, thereby resulting in an increase in sales of aerial refueling systems. For instance, the Department of Defense (DOD) budget in the U.S. was USD 704 billion for the fiscal year 2020-2021. Besides, Japan announced over USD 51. billion for the defense for the fiscal year 2021. Besides, the growing procurement of advanced fighter planes is expected to improve the prospects of the market in the forthcoming years.





Regional Insights :

Presence of Prominent Companies to Boost Market in North America

The market in North America is expected to increase rapidly during the forecast period. The growth is attributable to the high defense expenditure and procurement of advanced aerial refueling systems for different military applications. The presence of renowned companies such as Eaton Corporation, GE Aviation, and Lockheed Martin, and others will bolster growth in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to hold a considerable aerial refueling systems market share during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is expected to account for the largest share due to increasing investments in the military and defense sector. The procurement of these systems due to the growing border crossing, insurgencies, and terrorism will help expand the market in the region. Europe is expected to experience steady growth during the forecast period due to the existing companies such as Cobham, Safran, Marshall Aerospace and Defense, and others. For instance, in August 2020, Denmark's first F-35 fighter jet started assembling at the Lockheed Martin facility. Denmark will acquire all-new 27 aircraft up to 2026.





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Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Industry Developments  Key Contracts & Agreements, Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnerships Latest technological Advancements Porters Five Forces Analysis Supply Chain Analysis

Quantitative Insights-Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Aerial Refueling Systems Market Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Aerial Refueling Systems Market Steps Taken by Industry/Companies/Government to Overcome the Impact Key Development in the industry in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Potential Opportunities due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Aerial Refueling Systems Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By System Probe & Drogue Flying Boom Autonomous Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Commercial Aircraft Helicopters Military Aircraft Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Components Pods Refueling Probes Hoses Boom Drogues Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the world



TOC Continued!







Notable Development :

March 2020: The U.S. Air force announced to take aid from commercial aerial refueling services. The Air Force will assess the best aerial refueling services with an evaluation to conduct commercial tank services with support training.





Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Helicopter Market Size , Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Civil & Commercial, and military), By Application (Emergency medical service (EMS), Corporate Services, Search and Rescue Operations, Oil And Gas, Defense, Homeland Security, And Others), By System (Airframe, Engine, Avionics, Landing Gear System, Cabin Interiors), By Point of Sale (OEMs and Aftermarket), By Weight (Light Weight, Medium, And Heavy), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Military Drone Market Size , Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Fixed Wing, Hybrid and Rotary Wing), By Range (Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS), Extended Visual Line Of Sight (EVLOS), and Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS)), By Technology (Remotely Operated Drones, Semi-Autonomous Drones), By Application (Intelligence, Surveillance Reconnaissance and Targeting(ISRT), Combat Operations, Battle Damage Management), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027





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Shape strategic responses through the phases of industry recovery

Arkwin Industries Inc., Diakont Advanced Technologies Inc., and General Electric Co. will emerge as major aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market participants during 2021-2025

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Aircraft Thrust Reverser Actuation Systems Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

The aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market is expected to grow by USD 174.59 million during 2021-2025, according to Technavio. The report offers a detailed analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market in optimistic, probable, and pessimistic forecast scenarios.

Enterprises will go through the Response, Recovery, and Renew phases.

Download FREE Sample Report

The aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market will witness a Negative impact during the forecast period owing to the widespread growth of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per Technavio's pandemic-focused market research, market growth is likely to increase in 2021 as compared to 2020.

With the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, organizations across the globe are gradually flattening their recessionary curve by leveraging technology. Many businesses will go through response, recovery, and renewal phases. Building business resilience and enabling agility will aid organizations to move forward in their journey out of the COVID-19 crisis towards the Next Normal.

This post-pandemic business planning research will aid clients to:

Adjust their strategic planning to move ahead once business stability kicks in.

Build Resilience by making effective resource and investment choices for individual business units, products, and service lines.

Conceptualize scenario-based planning to mitigate future crisis situations.

Download the Post-Pandemic Business Planning Structure

Key Considerations for Market Forecast:

Impact of lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, demand destruction, and change in customer behavior

Optimistic, probable, and pessimistic scenarios for all markets as the impact of pandemic unfolds

Pre- as well as post-COVID-19 market estimates

Quarterly impact analysis and updates on market estimates

Major Three Aircraft Thrust Reverser Actuation Systems Market Participants:

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Arkwin Industries Inc.

Arkwin Industries Inc. offers thrust reverser systems that help to enable shorter landing distances and reduce wear on the braking system by slowing down the aircraft after touch-down.

Diakont Advanced Technologies Inc.

Diakont Advanced Technologies Inc. offers electric roller screw servo actuators for aircraft thrust reverse control and other aircraft applications that require high force and reliability.

General Electric Co.

General Electric Co. offers aircraft thrust reverser actuation products through its subsidiary, Middle River Aerostructure Systems.

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Aircraft Thrust Reverser Actuation Systems Market 2021-2025: Segmentation

The aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market is segmented as below:

Application

Geography

The aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market is driven by the increasing demand for newer-generation aircraft. In addition, the increasing demand for newer-generation aircraft is expected to trigger the aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market toward witnessing a CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period.

Get more insights about the global trends impacting the future of aircraft thrust reverser actuation systems market, Request Free Sample @

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Global Aircraft De-Icing Market- The aircraft de-icing market is segmented by product (de-icing systems, deicer truck, and de-icing chemicals and fluids) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA).

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Market Trends

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Vendors covered

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Competitive scenario

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Electric aviation startup Beta Technologies closed a $368 million Series A funding round on Tuesday, with investments from Amazons Climate Pledge Fund. The new capital is the second round of funding announced by the company this year, after the company raised $143 million in private capital in March.

The funding round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, with undisclosed additions from Amazons Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion fund established in September 2019 to advance the development of sustainable technologies. The Climate Pledge fund has also made contributions toward electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, battery recycler Redwood Materials and ZeroAvia, a hydrogen fuel cell aviation company.

The companys valuation is now at $1.4 billion, CNBC reported, putting it in a small circle of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) companies to have achieved valuations at over a billion dollars.

Unlike developers Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, which have each also achieved valuations over the billion-dollar mark, Beta is not primarily focused on air taxis. Instead, its been targeting defense applications, cargo delivery and medical logistics, as well as building out its network of rapid-charging systems in the northeast U.S. Its debut aircraft, the ALIA-250c, was built to serve these various solutions by being capable of carrying six people or a pilot and 1,500 pounds.

The Vermont-based startup has already scored major partnerships in all of these industries, including with United Therapeutics to transport synthetic organs for human transplant; UPS, which purchased 10 ALIA aircraft with the option of buying 140 more; and the U.S. Air Force.

The company has not entirely ignored passenger transportation, however, announcing last month a partnership with Blade Urban Air Mobility for five aircraft to be delivered in 2024.

Beta was the first company to be awarded airworthiness approval from the U.S. Air Force. The company expects to sign a contract in June with the Air Force to allow access to Betas aircraft and flight simulators in Washington, D.C. and Springfield, Ohio. However, it still must achieve certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The funds will be used to refine the ALIAs electric propulsion system and controls, as well as to build out manufacturing space, including expanding its footprint in Vermont on land at the Burlington International Airport, the company said in a news release Tuesday.
BRASILIA, May 17 (Reuters) - Brazil will receive ingredients from China to produce up to 25 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday and early next week, Health Ministry and political officials said on Monday.

Rodrigo Cruz, executive secretary at the Health Ministry, said the Fiocruz biomedical center will receive two lots of ingredients for 18 million AstraZeneca shots on Saturday, while Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria said the state's Butantan biomedical institute will receive ingredients for 7 million shots on May 26.

"The good news is that today I received confirmation that these two lots will be shipped on May 21. It's enough to produce approximately 18 million doses," Cruz told a congressional committee hearing on the COVID-19 crisis.

Cruz said the two lots were originally meant to be shipped separately on May 21 and 28, arriving the following day.

"Good news! The arrival of the new batch with 4 thousand liters of inputs, capable of producing 7 million vaccine shots, is scheduled for 05/26," Doria tweeted.

Both Fiocruz and Butantan depend on ingredients from China to produce the two most common COVID-19 vaccines being used in Brazil.

Butantan last week stalled production due to a lack of supplies from China's Sinovac Biotech, while Fiocruz said production of AstraZeneca doses would stop this week until new supplies arrived.

Only 17% of Brazil's residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and only 8% have been fully vaccinated. The country ranks 30th in the world based on first doses given, according to a Reuters analysis.

(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro and Maria Carolina Marcello in Brasilia; Writing by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
A major European utility with operations in Texas is suing the state for intervening in power markets during the freak winter storm in February, costing the firm nearly $500 million.

Wind-park owner RWE of Germany said its unit RWE Renewables Americas has filed a lawsuit against the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) as well as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), a nonprofit that operates the states power grid.

It did not name the district court at which the motion was filed.

In February, a massive ice storm pounded the state, plunging millions into blackouts and crippling much of Texass energy grid. In response, the PUC issued an emergency order to hike the cost at which utilities buy wholesale electricity to the maximum level allowed under law to reflect the scarcity of power supply.

With 70% to 80% of its own 2.6 gigawatts in installed wind power capacity temporarily knocked out by the storm, RWE was forced to purchase electricity at exorbitant prices to fulfill its obligations to customers.

The crucial point is actually that the regulator intervened to set the price at $9,000 per megawatt-hour. Interestingly enough, this didnt even turn out to be economically sensible, since [the incentive] did not actually create any additional supply to the grid, Michael Muller, finance chief of parent RWE, said last week.

Since this is effectively a political process, no one should expect any concrete result in the near future. Its more of a long-term issue, he told reporters during a quarterly earnings briefing on Wednesday.

RWE declined to provide further details, while a spokeswoman for ERCOT said it was unable to comment at this time amid the ongoing legal proceedings.

A spokesman for the PUC told Fortune the commission was unable to discuss matters that are the subject of pending litigation.

Wont see a payout

Insurance companies would not compensate RWE for the losses, estimated at roughly 400 million euros ($483 million), according to Muller: We wont see a payout since we typically only insure against property damage and not events such as these.

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Following the February ice storms, RWE incorporated the economic hit into its annual earnings guidance, issued in March. This foresees a decline in underlying profits of between 5% to 17% over the past years 3.2 billion euros owing mainly to sharply lower earnings at its onshore wind and solar division that includes the Texas operations.

The Texas storms prompted a national debate over what share of power should come from fluctuating renewable sources. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott even singled out renewables as being especially to blame for the blackouts. While wind parks including RWEs did indeed fail owing to the weather, so too did the typically more stable conventional power plants that burn coal or natural gas.

Weather-related power outages in Texas have also had wide-scale effects on the broader economy. Several semiconductor wafer fabs operated by companies like Infineon, NXP, and Samsung had to be shut down and only gradually ramped back up, exacerbating a global shortage of chips for the auto industry.

Sky-high bills

Texas is a unique energy market in that Texans get roughly 90% of their electricity from independent producers within state lines. Therefore, much of the grid falls outside federal regulatory oversight. The catch: Texans learned that in times of crisis, theyre largely on their own; it is extremely difficult to import power from neighboring states.

A number of Texas households whose electricity contracts were linked to wholesale power prices were hit with exorbitant bills as a result of the PUCs decision, prompting an investigation by the oversight body.

There were people that were hit with bills worth $15,000 for the week, so this is really an issue of broader relevance beyond just RWE, Muller added. RWE doesnt sell power to retail customers.

In March, all three individuals in charge of the PUC at the time of the decision resigned their post. First, DeAnn Walker stepped down as chairwoman at the start of the month, as did her successor, Arthur DAndrea, after being promoted to the post, just two weeks into the job.

RWE said it will review the operation of its wind parks in Texas, the marketing of their electricity, and, in particular, whether to hedge its exposure to major deviations between the retail and wholesale power price to include winter months.

We already do this for the summer months when these price peaks have been known to occur in Texas due to shortages in supply, with the important distinction that regulators did not intervene, Muller explained.

More politics coverage from Fortune :

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Food Lion To Go

Food Lion's convenient Food Lion To Go grocery pickup service is available at more than 400 of stores. Home delivery services are also available in more than half of Food Lion's footprint.

Food Lion's convenient Food Lion To Go grocery pickup service is available at more than 400 of stores. Home delivery services are also available in more than half of Food Lion's footprint.

Customers Using EBT SNAP Now Able to Shop However is Most Convenient

SALISBURY, N.C., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants across the 10 states Food Lion serves are now able to use their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card while shopping online at Food Lion through Food Lion To Go. SNAP participants simply link their SNAP/EBT food card information as a form of payment then select the eligible fresh food and grocery items needed to nourish their family just as they would if shopping in-store.

With the click of a button, Food Lion To Go allows customers to experience the same low prices and fresh food items from the comfort of home. The convenient service allows customers to place an order and pick up their groceries on the same day.

Were excited to now offer all our neighbors using SNAP/EBT this new option to shop however they prefer, in-store or online, said Evan Harding, director of digital and eCommerce at Food Lion. Food Lion To Go allows customers the ability to shop from wherever is most convenient, while still ensuring they have access to fresh, nutritious food to nourish their families. Its one of the many ways Food Lion makes grocery shopping easy, fresh and affordable for our neighbors.



By linking their personal MVP savings loyalty card to their account, Food Lion customers can use digital coupons and redeem their Shop & Earn MVP rewards program savings. Customers can also see their accumulated Shop & Earn rewards on their checkout screen and view which clipped digital coupons will be applied to their order. This is in addition to their MVP discounts, in-store promotions and weekly savings specials.



How Food Lion To Go Works:

Visit shop.foodlion.com or open the Food Lion To Go app.

Enter your zip code and select the closest participating store.

Add fresh groceries and everyday essentials to your virtual cart.

Choose a pickup window (same day or up to seven days in advance) and check out.

A To Go shopper picks, packs and stores the order until you arrive, then loads it in your car.



About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 82,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 750 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com or job applicants may visit www.foodlion.com/careers.

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CONTACTS: Food Lion Media Relations 704-245-3317 publicrelationsteam@foodlion.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81b60081-38c5-48d6-9d91-bd86fe69c0da




Figure 1

Rayfield Copper-Gold Property Location Map

Rayfield Copper-Gold Property Location Map

Figure 2

The ~11,000 ha Rayfield Copper-Gold Project was acquired through staking and property purchases (Rayfield 001 and Owen properties). Access and infrastructure are excellent, with proximity to the nearby town of 70 Mile House along Highway 97, and with all-season service road access to the property.

The ~11,000 ha Rayfield Copper-Gold Project was acquired through staking and property purchases (Rayfield 001 and Owen properties). Access and infrastructure are excellent, with proximity to the nearby town of 70 Mile House along Highway 97, and with all-season service road access to the property.

Figure 3

High-potassium anomalies outlined from a radiometric survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the linear potassic high in the centre of the figure, interpreted to correlate to the ~north-south trending Rayfield River.

High-potassium anomalies outlined from a radiometric survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the linear potassic high in the centre of the figure, interpreted to correlate to the ~north-south trending Rayfield River.

Figure 4

The outlines of high-potassic anomalies (from Figure 2) overlaying a total magnetic survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the anomalies have only been tested by a single historic drillhole in 1989.

The outlines of high-potassic anomalies (from Figure 2) overlaying a total magnetic survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the anomalies have only been tested by a single historic drillhole in 1989.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Sky Minerals Corp. (AUEN.V) (the Company or Golden Sky) is pleased to announce that, through staking and property purchases, the Company has acquired the ~11,000-hectare Rayfield Copper-Gold Property in southern British Columbia, Canada, a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction. With the acquisition of the ~505-hectare Rayfield 001 and ~80-hectare Owen properties, Golden Sky has consolidated its Rayfield Property. Both properties are located within the staked boundary of the Rayfield Property, which will be 100% owned by Golden Sky with no underlying royalties once the purchase agreements are complete (see Transaction Details). The Rayfield Project is located in the Quesnel Trough, British Columbias primary copper-producing belt, which hosts Teck Resources Highland Valley Mine, Imperial Metals Mount Polley Mine, Centerra Golds Mount Milligan Mine, and Kodiak Coppers MPD Project (see Figure 1). The Rayfield Copper-Gold Project is located approximately 20 kilometers east of the Town of 70 Mile House, British Columbia, and is accessible year-round by well-maintained service and logging roads extending from BC Highway 97 (see Figure 2).



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Rayfield Property Highlights

The Rayfield Property contains the Late Triassic alkalic Rayfield River Pluton, speculated to be part of the highly prospective Late Triassic Copper Mountain Magmatic Belt, which includes the Copper Mountain, New Afton and Mount Polley copper deposits.



Historic exploration on the Property has been largely constrained to a ~505-hectare zone with an extensive copper-gold porphyry system outlined by soil sampling, drilling, and shallow-penetration radiometric and IP geophysical surveying. Mineralization in several historic drillholes extends from surface to end of hole, which suggests that the mineralized porphyry system remains open to depth. Previous exploration programs were unable to definitively identify the exact orientation of the porphyry system, but it is believed to be striking to the northwest and dipping to the northeast.



In 2006, the Geological Survey of Canada conducted a geophysical survey over the Rayfield Property that included magnetic and radiometric surveys. The resulting elevated magnetic and potassic anomalies are largely underexplored and show similar characteristics to those signifying other alkalic copper-gold porphyries in the Quesnel Terrane (see Figure 3 and 4).



In 1989, a 34 line-kilometer Induced Polarization (IP) survey on the Rayfield Property outlined several chargeability high zones, which were subsequently tested by drilling programs in 1989, 1990, and 2008. Importantly, due to the shallow response of the survey (limited to ~125 m depth), these anomalies are interpreted to remain open to depth. Golden Sky believes that, with modern exploration methods, there is significant potential to discover additional mineralized zones at depth.



Exploration drilling on the property from the 1970s to the early 2000s totalled just 60 holes (7,774.2 meters), with the majority of the holes being shallow percussion holes typically <60 m in depth. Historic drilling outlined a broad footprint (~450 m x 2,100 m) of low-grade copper mineralization and hydrothermal alteration suggesting a very robust copper-gold porphyry system.



1970 Exploration Program: 31 percussion holes totalling 1,748 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.42% Cu over 6.1m 1989 Exploration Program: 8 diamond drillholes totalling 1,141 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.18% Cu and 71 ppb Au over 33.9 m; 0.14% Cu and 30 ppb Au over 66.7 m 1990 Exploration Program: 14 diamond drillholes totalling 3,337 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and 35 ppb Au over 164 m 2008 Exploration Program: 7 diamond drillholes totalling 1,548.2 m Drillhole highlights include: 0.13% Cu and <10 ppb Au over 67 m



Many shallow historical drill intercepts on the Rayfield Property have similar grades to historic holes reported during early exploration phases on some neighboring alkalic copper-gold porphyries within the Quesnel Terrane. Further drilling is warranted to determine if drilling to date on the Rayfield Property intersected the higher-grade core of the porphyry system.



John Newell, President and CEO of Golden Sky Minerals, states, The Rayfield Copper Gold Property is a quality project with immediate exploration upside and the potential to delineate a major copper-gold porphyry system. We are truly excited about this copper-gold asset and pleased to have secured it through staking and a property purchase agreement with private individuals. With the price of copper reaching new all-time highs, we are hopeful this copper-gold property will complement and add value to the Company, along with our three other gold projects in the Yukon.

Transaction Details

Golden Sky has entered into a property purchase agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Rayfield 001 Property, subject to the approval of the TSX-Venture Exchange and other customary conditions. The terms consist of:

A cash payment of C$3,000 upon signing of the agreement;

A cash payment of C$5,000 30-days after signing of the agreement;

20,000 Golden Sky common shares upon closing of the transaction.



Golden Sky has also entered into a property purchase agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Owen Property subject to any customary conditions. The terms consist of:

A cash payment of C$1,000 upon signing of the agreement.



John Newell, President and CEO of Golden Sky Minerals, further states:

The acquisition of the contiguous Rayfield 001 and Owen claims extends our Rayfield Project area and is an excellent strategic fit for Golden Sky Minerals. The Rayfield 001 property is where most of the historical drilling has taken place in the past and is where the potential for large-scale copper-gold porphyry mineralization was first defined. The historical work conducted on Rayfield 001 will act as a staging point in the property-wide search for the high-grade core areas of the copper-gold porphyry system.

Golden Sky Minerals believes there is considerable exploration upside at depth, and in underexplored areas on the property. We look forward to unlocking this excellent potential, with a view to potentially make an important discovery.

The unprecedented positive market conditions for copper renders Golden Skys 100% control of an easily accessible copper-gold bearing area within the prolific Quesnel Belt as a compelling opportunity for our shareholders. Previous drilling on the property may have missed high-grade core areas of the copper-gold porphyry system which may exist at Rayfield. Golden Sky will now apply modern geophysical and geological exploration techniques to explore the underexplored Rayfield Property.

Golden Sky is in the planning stage to actively explore and drill this property in 2021.

Figure 1 Rayfield Copper-Gold Property Location Map

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71aeb91f-cf30-4733-aea3-b1d03fa19973

Figure 2 The ~11,000 ha Rayfield Copper-Gold Project was acquired through staking and property purchases (Rayfield 001 and Owen properties). Access and infrastructure are excellent, with proximity to the nearby town of 70 Mile House along Highway 97, and with all-season service road access to the property.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96b5de30-8f3d-452e-b161-4715f17ec6b9

Figure 3 High-potassium anomalies outlined from a radiometric survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the linear potassic high in the centre of the figure, interpreted to correlate to the ~north-south trending Rayfield River.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c68c9d9-3491-4f10-8f4e-adec77235d45

Figure 4 The outlines of high-potassic anomalies (from Figure 2) overlaying a total magnetic survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Canada (2006). Note the anomalies have only been tested by a single historic drillhole in 1989.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d3417d6-25b8-41ab-98f1-866a8bd07080

About Golden Sky Minerals Corp.



Golden Sky Minerals Corp. is a Canadian exploration company which evaluates, acquires, and develops mineral properties in Canada. The company explores primarily for gold and copper deposits. The company has three main projects in the White Gold District located in the Yukon Territory of Canada: The Hotspot, Bullseye and Lucky Strike properties. All the properties are 100% owned by Golden Sky with no underlying royalties. The company is currently planning for, and undergoing permitting of, drill campaigns for all its properties in the Yukon, and the recently acquired Rayfield Property, scheduled for later in 2021.

The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

More information can be found at the Companys website at www.goldenskyminerals.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

John Newell, President and Chief Executive Officer

Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Golden Skys exploration projects and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release.

For new information from the Company's programs, please visit Golden Sky's website at www.GoldenSkyMinerals.com or contact John Newell by telephone (604) 568-8807 or by email at info@goldenskyminerals.com or john.newell@goldenskyminerals.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, Forward-Looking Information) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as anticipates, expects, understanding, has agreed to or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results would, occur or be achieved. Although Golden Sky has attempted to identify important factors and risks that could affect Golden Sky and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors and risks that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, without limitation: inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Golden Skys expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title and permitting matters; labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on its projects; that Golden Sky may not be able to confirm historical exploration results and other risks set forth in Golden Sky's public filings at www.sedar.com. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, Golden Sky has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Golden Sky does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.




(The Libyan Investment Authority corrects paragraphs 1 and 5 to reflect that publication of consolidated financial statements will not occur by the end of this month, but will take longer.)

By Tom Arnold

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - The Libyan Investment Authority will this month begin preparations to start reporting consolidated financial statements, it told Reuters, after announcing it had $68 billion in largely frozen assets following its first internal evaluation process in years.

Africa's largest sovereign wealth fund is working to regain the trust of the international community after the United Nations froze most of its assets during the 2011 rising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

It said this month its first asset valuation since 2012 had revealed assets of $68.35 billion at end-2019 compared to $67 billion in 2012.

It now plans to begin releasing financial statements on an annual basis, said chairman Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed in an interview, and it was preparing statements with EY acting as auditor.

In an email following the interview, LIA said it may take a year and a half to publish the final financial statements once they had been audited.

"Through this process we will have a solid foundation for proceeding to invest," Mohamed said.

"These are successes in governance and compliance with the Santiago Principles."

The principles aim to promote good governance, accountability, transparency and prudent investment practice.

LIA was 98th out of 100 sovereign and public pension funds in a 2020 ranking of their sustainability and governance by Global SWF, an industry data specialist.

Libya in 2014 split between warring administrations that vied for control over state bodies including the LIA. Last year a court in Britain ruled in Mohamed's favour as chairman.

Since fighting ended last summer, warring factions have accepted a new unity government mandated to unify state institutions and prepare for elections in December.

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"Libya is now presided by a government of national unity and we are entitled to use our funds and assets," Mohamed said, and the fund was "escalating" talks with the U.N. to be able to invest or use assets more freely than currently allowed.

"The Libyan people are in dire need of these assets. We have people who are displaced, people who do not have houses, problems with electricity, we the have COVID-19 disease."

The unity government faces obstacles including armed groups' control of territory, the presence of foreign mercenaries and involvement of rival outside powers.

Despite sanctions, the valuation, undertaken by Deloitte, showed relative stability in the value of the fund's assets, helped by increases in the value of subsidiaries Oilinvest and Long Term Investment Portfolio.

The majority of the assets, which include $33.5 billion in cash and $20.1 billion in investment portfolios, are overseas and subject to the freeze.

Around $15 billion of LIA's assets belonging to its subsidiary companies were not frozen. Of those, some $9 billion are invested in Libya, and LIA was aiming to invest a further $1 billion there, he said.

Mohamed also hoped to use some frozen cash deposits and equities as financial guarantees to attract foreign companies to Libya and help kickstart projects in oil and gas, electricity and real estate.

The U.N. sanctions committee should insist that the LIA "provide consolidated accounts of all its assets and subsidiaries" before gaining more access to frozen accounts, said Tim Eaton of Chatham House.

"That should be the incentive for the organisation to sort its own house out before it then makes the case to manage more of the wealth of the Libyan people," he added. (Additional reporting by Angus McDowall in Tunis Editing by Giles Elgood)
Former Twilio Executive Joins Largest Independent Customer Data Infrastructure Company; Brings Deep Expertise in Customer Experience

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- mParticle , the largest independent customer data platform, today announced that Chee Chew will be joining the company as its Chief Product Officer. Twilio's former Chief Product Officer will join mParticle's executive team and report to mParticle's co-founder and CEO, Michael Katz. The appointment of Chee to CPO comes on the heels of rapid growth for the company. mParticle grew new sales by 50% over the last year with that number on track to exceed 100% growth in 2021.

"Customer data is the key for any organization to provide personalized experiences to their customers. mParticle is well positioned to help businesses get the most out of their data," said Chee Chew. "I'm excited to join the team at a time when both industry tailwinds and company growth are accelerating."

Chee brings over 25 years of experience leading teams at Twilio, Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Previously, he was the Chief Product Officer at Twilio where he oversaw the execution of the company's roadmap, and a number of acquisitions and investments. Prior to Twilio, he was the VP of Consumer Engagement at Amazon and was responsible for its machine learning personalization, performance marketing, and core online shopping experience. Chee also served as VP of Engineering at Google where he was responsible for Google's real time communication products, including the invention of Google Hangouts.

"It's an honor to work with Chee, we have an incredible opportunity to capitalize on some important secular trends," said Michael Katz, CEO of mParticle. "His experience and leadership will be instrumental as market demand for customer data infrastructure continues to accelerate."

Chee holds bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently one of the owners of the Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS, and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Olin College of Engineering.

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About mParticle

mParticle believes that better customer interactions begin with better data. Its Customer Data Platform helps engineers, product managers, and marketers at companies like Airbnb, Klarna, Lyft, NBCUniversal, PayPal, Spotify, Starbucks and more improve customer data quality, governance, and connectivity across the entire stack. Founded in 2013, mParticle is headquartered in New York City with remote employees globally, and manages more than 1 trillion API calls monthly.

Cision

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SOURCE mParticle
New York --News Direct-- Public Relations Global Network

The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) announced today it has added two new agencies to its global network, raising the number of its offices serving PR clients throughout the world to 54. PRGN is adding two agencies with a total of four new offices to its network in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as Goias, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

PRGN will be represented in Birmingham, Alabama, by Peritus PR, a specialized communications firm dedicated to connecting communities. Peritus is a woman-owned business consistently ranked as a top regional PR firm for strategy-focused campaigns that require a blend of advocacy, reputation management and community relations to navigate challenges, drive results and create impact.

Peritus supports issue-based campaigns, statewide policy initiatives, influential nonprofits, ballot initiatives and some of Alabamas largest employers. Founded in 2014 by Louise Oliver, APR, the firm has supported some of the regions most influential companies including Alabama Power, Bank of America, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Protective Life, Alabama Tourism and Peco Foods. With remarkably high retention rates since its founding, each member of the Peritus team is dedicated to its continued growth and play a unique role in the firms leadership and culture building.

In addition, PRGN is now represented in Goias, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil by Race Communications, a full-service public relations firm that was recognized as the third fastest growing communications agency in the Americas (without the U.S.) by The Holmes Report (now PRovoke) in 2018 and was a finalist in the LATAM category of PRWeek Global Awards in 2018 and 2019.

Race Communications represents a number of national clients from Brazil and multinational companies targeting the Brazilian market in the fields of finance, food and beverages and logistics and transport. The agency was founded in 1999 by Rogerio Artoni, a former journalist who has been named one of the 350 most influential PR professionals in the world by PRWeek. Clients of Race Communications include Allianz Partners, Ajinomoto Food Industry, Atlas Copco, Cetelem Bank, Euler Hermes, DHL, Petronas, Statkraft and Syngenta from outside Brazil and Brazilian companies Prati-Donaduzzi, Norsul, Marilan, Verzani & Sandrini, ANIP  Associacao Nacional das Industrias de Pneus, JBS and Dynatest.

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The network is excited to welcome Peritus PR and Race Communications to the PRGN family of globally-connected communications professionals, said Alexandra Dinita, President of PRGN and general manager of Free Communication in Bucharest, Romania. With Peritus PR, PRGN furthers its coverage in the United States where local representation especially in community relations is key. And Race Communications strengthens the networks presence, especially with three offices in Brazil, the largest economy in South America. Our new members not only extend PRGNs international coverage, but also add to the global expertise and service capabilities of our network.

About PRGN:

Founded in 1992 by a group of visionary public relations leaders, with approximately 1,000 professionals in 54 locations, PRGN is one of the worlds largest international public relations networks.

PRGN partners are independent, local, owner-operated public relations and marketing communications firms that share expertise and resources, while providing broad-based comprehensive communications strategies to clients worldwide.

Companies or organizations interested in the services of PRGNs local agency network can visit the Agency Directory or contact PRGNs executive director Gabor Jelinek at gabor.jelinek@prgn.com for more information.

Independent agencies interested in joining the network can visit the member recruitment section of the PRGN website for more information or email its membership chair, David Wills, Senior Vice President of Media Profile at david.wills@mediaprofile.com

Contact Details

Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)

Gabor Jelinek

gabor.jelinek@prgn.com

Company Website

https://prgn.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/public-relations-global-network-adds-agencies-in-alabama-and-brazil-157354419
Etisalat has announced its value propositions that address the varying requirements of Abu Dhabis small and medium businesses (SMBs) in a bid to boost their digital transformation journey.

This follows Khalifa Fund for Medium Enterprise Developments recent announcement of Etisalat and Microsoft being the latest industry leading organisations to come on board the e-Empower programme ecosystem with innovative resources, such as webinars, workshops, preferential rates and digital support.

Etisalat is committed to support the growth of UAEs SMB sector, which represents more than 94% of the total number of companies operating in the UAE and employs over 86 percent of the private sector workforce, according to the Ministry of Economy.

Abu Dhabis start-up community will have access to a dedicated platform that has all the information of the initiatives. Registered e-Empower SMBs will gain access to Etisalats one-stop destination Hello Business Hub. The dedicated business hub offers tailored telecommunications as well as value added services to SMBs while providing them the ease and flexibility of kick-starting their operations in the UAE, whether it be registering their company, setting up a bank account, telecommunication services or another aspect of operational set-up.

Etisalats Hello Business Hub partners will provide exclusive trade license and banking offers for the startups to legalise their presence in Abu Dhabi.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB, Etisalat, said: We are honoured to be a strategic partner of Khalifa Fund and be part of the e-Empower programme, enabling us to cater to the requirements of small enterprises and startups, while helping them to grow their business and accelerate their digital transformation.

Khalifa Funds SMBs will also have access to Etisalats digital academy, providing a host of informative videos, interviews with subject matter experts, and webinars that will take their business to the next level. In addition, the start-up community can benefit from Etisalats customised comprehensive digital platform addressing all their business needs, ranging from smart connectivity to office productivity, business devices, digital marketing solutions and Microsoft business applications.

Etisalat is offering preferential rates for Microsoft 365 and digital support as well as educational webinars sponsored by Microsoft to help SMBs upskill, grow and run their business.-- TradeArabia News Service
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at its headquarters in Seoul

SEOUL (Reuters) -Samsung Electronics Co Ltd could begin construction of a planned $17 billion U.S. chip plant in the third quarter of this year with a target to be operational in 2024, a South Korean newspaper reported late on Monday.

Samsung is planning to apply an advanced 5-nanometer extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography chip-making process at the plant, which is expected to be in Austin, Texas, the Electronic Times reported citing unnamed industry sources.

Samsung said nothing had been decided.

Documents filed with Texas state officials previously showed Samsung is considering Austin as one of the sites for a new $17 billion chip plant that the South Korean firm said could create 1,800 jobs.

U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed $50 billion to support chip manufacturing, which has spurred companies like Intel Corp and global No. 1 chip contract manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to consider major new investments.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Stephen Coates)
The shift announced by Quebec will follow a similar approach to policies introduced in British Columbia, Alberta and recently in New Brunswick to transition patients who use a reference biologic to a biosimilar. This will contribute to substantial annual savings that can be reinvested in healthcare and innovative new drugs.





The transition will take place under the supervision of the attending physicians and patients will continue receiving safe and effective treatment. Sandoz Canada has a portfolio of six biosimilars (Omnitrope, Rixymio, Erelzi, Hyrimoz, Ziextenzo and Inclunox).





Sandoz Canada is committed to supporting patients, their healthcare professionals and the Quebec government throughout the transition period with quality biosimilar medicines, medical teams, physician and pharmacist advocacy teams, as well as proven patient support programs.



BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandoz Canada, a leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, welcomes the Quebec Governments shift towards biosimilars. According to the governments announcement , this transition will generate annual savings of more than $100 for the public drug insurance plan and its insured parties. These savings will be reinvested in the healthcare system to improve access to innovative drug therapies, in particular.

Quebec is following the biosimilar transition policies implemented by British Columbia and Alberta in 2019 and, more recently, New Brunswick in 2021. With this announcement, the provinces that have adopted and implemented such a policy now make it possible for almost half of the Canadian population to benefit from it1. Under the Quebec initiative, the province will eventually cover only biosimilar drugs on formularies, with some exceptions, and will transition patients who use the reference biologic medicine to the listed biosimilar by April 12, 2022, under the supervision of their attending physicians.

At Sandoz Canada, we are pleased to see that Quebec is adopting a switch policy already initiated by other provinces and is moving towards biosimilars. We are ready to support the government, physicians, pharmacists and all healthcare professionals with our six quality biosimilars, while helping to generate significant savings for the healthcare system, said Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager, Sandoz Canada. With COVID-19 placing our healthcare system under major budget constraints, biosimilar transition policies are an opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of health system financing and provide funding for new innovations, he added.

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The government has stated its intention to engage in discussions with key healthcare partners, and Sandoz intends to actively cooperate in these discussions. We want to share our experience with the Ministry in order to provide patients with the highest quality of care. It will also be an opportunity to clarify certain details of the shift towards biosimilars, in particular with the new regulation (section 80.2) coming into effect as part of the Act respecting prescription drug insurance, said Karine Matteau, Vice President, Bio-Generic Hospital/Physician channel and Head of Biosimilars at Sandoz Canada. Sandoz is fully committed to supporting patients and their healthcare team during this transition period and beyond through our education initiatives and our patient support programs. We have set up a website for Canadians, BiosimilarsGeneration.ca , which contains a wealth of information and resources related to biosimilars, she added.

About Biosimilars

A biosimilar is a biologic medicine that has demonstrated it is highly similar and has no clinically meaningful differences in efficacy and safety compared to the reference biologic already authorized for sale.2 Biosimilars may become commercially available following the expiry of patents and data protection periods of the reference biologic medicine.

The Patented Medicines Pricing Review Board has estimated that private and public drug plans across Canada could save from CA$294 million to CA$1.136 billion by 2021 for established biosimilars3 available in Canada for at least two years, and from CA$222 million to CA$447 million by 20234 for new biosimilars that recently entered the Canadian market.

For further information on biosimilars in Canada, visit BiosimilarsGeneration.ca, which aims to support and educate patients, healthcare professionals and Canadians by providing policy updates from public drug plans, as well as evidence-based information and resources from Canadian, international research and clinical communities, and patient organizations representing Canadians living with chronic diseases who take biologic medicines. In addition, the site also presents the positions of organizations that represent Canadian patients with chronic diseases who take biologic drugs.

Since 2009, Health Canada has authorized 36 biosimilars of reference biologics present on the Canadian market5 and Sandoz Canada has six of them marketed in the country (Omnitrope, Erelzi, Ziextenzo, Riximyo, Hyrimoz and Inclunox).

About transitioning

In the context of biosimilar use, Health Canada considers switching between authorized products to refer to a change from routine use of one specific product to routine use of another specific product. Patients and healthcare providers can have confidence that biosimilars are effective and safe for each of their authorized indications. No differences are expected in efficacy and safety following a change in routine use between a biosimilar and its reference biologic drug in an authorized indication.6

About Sandoz Canada

Sandoz International GmbH is a world leader in generics and biosimilars and a division of the Swiss multinational Novartis.

Sandoz Canada is a pioneer, a leader and trusted supplier of quality generics and biosimilars with over 65 million prescriptions per year, based on decades of global experience and capabilities in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of its products. Sandoz launched the first biosimilar in Europe in 2006 and in the Canadian market in 2009.

www.sandoz.ca

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sandoz-canada/

For interview requests, please contact Paule Pelletier (see contact information below).

Information:

Paule Pelletier

Sandoz Canada Inc.

+1-514-702-7699

paule.pelletier@sandoz.com / communications.canada@sandoz.com

__________________________

1 Statistics Canada, Population Estimates, Quarterly, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901&request_locale=en

2 Health Canada Biosimilars Fact Sheet: Biosimilars Explained.

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/biologics-radiopharmaceuticals-genetic-therapies/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/fact-sheet-biosimilars.html

3 Government of Canada, Biologics in Canada. Part 2: Potential savings associated with biosimilars in Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/patented-medicine-prices-review/services/reports-studies/biologics-part2-biosimilar-savings2018.html#a4

4 Ibid

5 Notice of Compliance Search, Health Canada

https://health-products.canada.ca/noc-ac/index-eng.jsp

6 Health Canada Fact Sheet on Biosimilars: Switching

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/biologics-radiopharmaceuticals-genetic-therapies/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/fact-sheet-biosimilars.html




Seegene MIDDLE EAST to exclusively supply COVID-19 diagnostic tests worth $4.8 to the Ministry of Health of Kuwait

Seegene to expand its global footprint as it secures public procurement deals in Italy, Scotland, Germany, and the Middle East

SEOUL, South Korea, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ -- Seegene Inc. (KQ 096530), South Korea's largest molecular diagnostics firm, will be supplying COVID-19 diagnostic kits worth over $4.8 million to the Kuwaiti government.

Logo (PRNewsfoto/Seegene Inc.)

The company's local subsidiary 'Seegene MIDDLE EAST,' said on May 16 (local time), it has signed the exclusive supply agreement with the Ministry of Health of Kuwait. The supply agreement is the largest volume procured by the Kuwaiti government since Seegene started supplying diagnostic tests to the country last year. The agreement implies that the South Korean biotechnology firm, Seegene, has the upper hand over global competitors, given that the Kuwaiti government had been supplied with diagnostic tests from one of global molecular diagnostics companies until last year.

Under the agreement, Seegene MIDDLE EAST will be supplying the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay, to five laboratories under the MOH for five months starting May. The $4.8 million deal is worth six to seven times larger than that of the company's previous exports to Kuwait in the last two quarters. Although the number of COVID-19 cases in the country showed a downtrend at the beginning of the year thanks to the state-run mass vaccination program that started last December, there has been a resurgence of infections due to the emergence of COVID-19 variants. According to 'Worldometer', on May 17, Kuwait reported 828 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the country to 291,629.

Seegene's AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay is a multiplex real-time PCR assay capable of detecting five targets including four coronavirus genes (E, RdRP, N and S gene) and an exogenous control in a single reaction, allowing highly accurate results and maximize throughput for high volume testing. Also, the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay can identify more targets than major competitors' products so that it can detect new COVID-19 variants. As the product can be processed without the need of extraction, it is expected to improve overall process efficiency allowing more COVID-19 tests, especially in the time where there is a shortage of extraction equipment.

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Ho Yi, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Seegene said "the company recently had procured public procurements for COVID-19 diagnostic tests in European countries including Germany, Scotland, and Italy." He added that "as the tender agreement with the Kuwaiti government is the exclusive deal, it shows the company's competitiveness in the global diagnostic tests market and hopes the agreement lay a foundation for the company expanding its market to more regions in the Middle East."

Seegene Inc.

Jessica Jiyoung Park

P: +82-2-2240-6164

E: jypark2@seegene.com

U.S. Media Contact:

Kristin Schaeffer

E: kschaeffer@cglife.com

Cision

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SOURCE Seegene Inc.

Cision

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Churchill Capital Corporation IV ("Churchill" or the "Company") (NYSE: CCIV). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

Fighting for victims of securities fraud for more than 85 years (PRNewsfoto/Pomerantz LLP)

The investigation concerns whether Churchill and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 22, 2021, a long-anticipated merger between CCIV and Lucid Motors, Inc. ("Lucid") was announced. Shortly thereafter on that same date, Lucid's Chief Executive Officer announced that production of its debut car would be delayed until at least the second half of 2021, with no definite date for set for actual delivery of an actual vehicle. Details of the merger also disclosed that Lucid was projecting the production of only 557 vehicles in 2021, instead of the 6,000 it had been touting in the run-up to the merger announcement.

On this news, CCIV's stock price fell $22.16 per share, or 38.63%, to close at $35.21 per share on February 23, 2021.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

Cision

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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Array Technologies, Inc. ("Array" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ARRY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

Fighting for victims of securities fraud for more than 85 years (PRNewsfoto/Pomerantz LLP)

The investigation concerns whether Array and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 11, 2021, post-market, Array issued a press release announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2021. Among other results, Array reported lower revenues year-over-year and lower margins, citing increased steel and shipping costs. Concurrently, Array announced the resignation of Peter Jonna from the Company's Board of Directors, effective May 10, 2021. During an earnings call later that day, when asked by an analysts to explain the Company's "decision-making process for not hedging steel," Nipul Patel, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, stated that "in the past, that has not been our strategy. We had been . . . let[ting our suppliers] take that risk on." Following these disclosures, analysts cut their ratings on Array's stock, citing concern about its shrinking profit margins.

On this news, Array's stock price fell $11.49 per share, or 46.05%, to close at $13.46 per share on May 12, 2021.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

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CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

Cision

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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
The appreciation of beer goes beyond learning the terminology, but thats a good place to begin. Of course, as with most fields of study, there is vastly more lingo and information that could be addressed, but below are enough terms and definitions to get you started. We also settle down with beer expert, Shawn Connelly, to get practical tips for deciphering those terms to help you find what you like.

Connelly has worked in the world of beer for more than 16 years. He started as a home brewer, but that evolved into working for Big Muddy Brewing in Murphysboro, Illinois. He moved into distribution, then retail, and finally judging beer and writing about it.

Beer talk 101

First things first: All beer is either an ale or a lager. The key differences between the two are the type of yeast used and fermentation temperature. Lager, which employs cold fermentation, is generally refreshing and crisp. Brewed cold, it is also served cold. Light, lower-calorie beers lead the pack in the U.S. They are the most sold by volume and sales since Prohibition, says Connelly.

Ales employ different yeasts and are brewed and served at temperatures slightly warmer than lagers. The optimum temperature to serve an ale is typically around 50 degrees. Not all ales, such as India pale ale, are obvious from their names. Stouts, porters and sour beers are also examples of ales.

Craft beers can also be seasonal beers, either to celebrate a specific season or created with seasonal ingredients. Forage beers and farm beers, which utilize local ingredients, are often seasonal.

So, what is a hop?

Hops are flower clusters from the female vines of the hop plant, which is a relative of hemp. Hops are commonly used in beer brewing to add flavor, aroma and bitterness, but also as a preservative. When a beer is described as hoppy, that indicates a greater use of hops, to increase bitterness. India pale ales are almost always defined by hops, with bitterness being the attraction for those who like these beers. Add words such as imperial or double to your IPA, and youll find that these have more alcohol with added hops to keep them balanced, though they wont necessarily have more hop flavor.

Not all beers have hops, and hops are not the only way to make beer bitter. However, they are extremely common, in varying levels of intensity. Fortunately, for those who dont fancy hops, an Internet search will turn up a nice range of hop-free beer options.

And how does yeast determine flavor?

Yeast is another flavor component that can make a big difference. Connelly relates, The vast majority of brewers use very well-defined yeast cultures developed in labs. Each yeast is very specific to a style of beer and what results are desired. He also notes that yeast is one of the many things that contributes to why Scratch Brewing Company in Ava, Illinois, is so remarkable. Their yeast is homegrown. So that makes them unique, even without talking about the other ingredients.

The menu of beer (and their meaning)

Though there are two main types of beer, there are many different styles within each of these two categories. Heres a quick guide to several varieties:

Lagers

Pale lager: These beers are light-bodied, pale to golden and designed to be refreshing and approachable, though they are not usually very complex in their flavor profile.

Pilsner: Also commonly spelled Pilsener or abbreviated to Pils, this beer was created in what is now the Czech Republic. Refreshing with an alcohol content on the low end of the range, European pilsner is the archetypical beer most of the popular pale lagers in the U.S. are loosely designed to mimic, according to Connelly.

Bock beer: A strong, malty, sweet, dark amber lager of Germanic origin that dates back to the Middle Ages, bocks were traditionally associated with spring. They were made in the fall and stored over the winter. Higher in alcohol than pilsners, they are made for sipping.

Ales

IPA: India pale ale is a category of pale ale often higher in alcohol thats known for the heavy use of hops, which makes this beer bitter. The name is thought to have originated when the beer was shipped to occupying British troops in India when it was discovered that the hops preserved the beer during the long voyage. There is now an American IPA, which is brewed with even more hops than the English version.

Porter: An ale with a slightly burnt taste, porters dark color comes from roasted barley. British in origin, porters were originally brewed over wood-fired boilers which caramelized the barley. Today, porters are known for a flavor thats low in hops with smoky, chocolate and toffee notes.

Stout: Stout is made with heavily roasted black patent malt. It has a dark color, almost black in the glass, with a pale, creamy foam, rich mouthfeel and toasted flavor. Other types of stouts include oatmeal, which, as its name indicates, adds oats to the recipe, milk stout, which includes lactose, and imperial stout, which has the highest alcohol content.

Brown ale: Lighter than porter or stout, brown ale was born in England and has become popular among craft brewers. It tends to have a strong malt flavor, but a relatively mild bitterness and hop flavor. Different types include English brown, American brown and nut brown ales.

Sour ale: These beers are intentionally brewed to be tart with sourness provided, in most cases, by wild yeasts or bacteria, though occasionally by the addition of tart fruits. The lactic and acetic acids in these beers give them a lot of character and complex flavor.

Decoding the label

ABV: This abbreviation stands for alcohol by volume and tells you how much of a punch a beer packs. The ABV of beer generally ranges between 3% and 13%. A session beer never exceeds 5% ABV.

IBU: International bitter units, or IBUs, will be displayed on some craft beers to indicate how hoppy they are. An American pale ale may be in the low- to mid-40s. IPAs start in the mid-40s and can push the limits of 100 IBUs or more. Any beer style that isnt defined by hop content wont list IBUs.

How to explore the world of beer

Some people think that if its not a pale lager, like Budweiser, its not really beer, Connelly notes. These beers are designed to be inoffensive and easy to drink. Nothing wrong with that, but there is a lot more out there, even without leaving lagers behind.

In fact, Connelly recommends that, if youre just beginning to explore, simply choose a more full-bodied beer, rather than jumping to something too extreme. You dont want to shock your palate, he advises. If you drink Bud, try New Belgium Fat Tire or a Sam Adams Boston lager. Both of these are more full-flavored and accessible, without taking you to the bitter hit of an IPA.

Beer drinking is very individualized, Connelly emphasizes. Some types are very much acquired tastes. No one is going to like every beer. You need to dial in to what you like. There are a lot of sources of information, from friends to your local retailer. Beer Advocate and the Beer Connoisseur are two reliable places to find reviews, as well as the website ratebeer.com and the Untappd app.

Appearance isnt everything

With beer, appearance may be deceiving. Connelly notes, Because Guinness is dark, people perceive it as being heavy, but its not. In fact, it has a lower ABV than many lagers. That said, the different color does signal a different flavor profile. Its also good to remember that higher alcohol doesnt necessarily mean better beer. You can hide a lot of flaws with alcohol, Connelly warns. A nice session beer, with a low ABV, can be more flavorful and complex than a beer with more alcohol. Creating that complexity is difficult, however, so it will most likely be found in a craft beer.

These days, craft beer can be for anyone

Craft beers are more widely available these days and they are worth exploring. Some breweries, like Scratch, which specializes in farmhouse and foraged beer, offer flights of beer. Others sell half-pours, so you can make comparisons. Start with the lightest beer and move to beers with higher ABVs.

Different ingredients, including different water sources, make a difference in taste, which adds to the fun of exploring craft beers. Connelly relates, Scratch Brewing, in many ways, pioneered using what is around you. They are very innovative, but others are following their example.

In other words, there are more options than ever now for those who wish to explore beer. The key is finding what you like.
Stephanie Barb of Orange County encouraged adults to read scientific data from reputable sources, both for themselves and their children. Shes been frustrated by the false rumors being spread to incite fear and suggested people check the facts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Virginia Department of Health.

I do not judge people that do not want to get the vaccine, but I am not taking that risk with my kids, said Barb, who has three children, ages 22, 15 and 14. As any parent who leads by example, I got my shot as well. My hope is that we can get back to our lives without losing any more lives along the way.

Kelly Myles in North Stafford admitted shes a little nervous about unknown, long-term side effects for her 13-year-old daughter, whos getting vaccinated on Wednesday. Myles and her husband, who are 48 and 51, have been vaccinated, and if they face long-term side effects 20 years down the road, so be it, she said.

Its a different consideration for her daughter, but the family still decided they preferred the vaccine to the virus.

Its all of our fear, Myles said. Getting the vaccine is an added layer of comfort and reassurance for my family.
FEW MEDICAL professionals are as beloved as nurses, and for good reason. The skilled and compassionate care they render day in and day out is not just a job, but a vocation.

Ever since British nurse Florence Nightingale ditched her aristocratic life to treat soldiers wounded in the Crimean War, nurses have sacrificed their time, their hearts and sometimes even their own health to tend to the sick and dying.

During National Nurses Week (May 612), the Free LanceStar profiled 11 outstanding local nurses who not only perform their professional duties in an exemplary fashion each and every day, but who also went the extra mile during the worst global pandemic in a century.

But they were not the only ones. A selection committee received more than 300 nominations from Fredericksburg-area residents who wanted to recognize the nurses who made an enormous impact on their lives, attending to their newborn babies, dressing their surgical wounds, soothing them during cancer and dialysis treatments, and holding the hands of loved ones dying alone from COVID-19.
While being taken back to the car, Petersen yelled death threats at two of the officers, naming one of their family members by name and threatening them as well.

Petersen had to be forcibly pushed into a cell and continued to make death threats to an officer, spitting on their forehead in the process.

During his sentencing, Petersens attorney said her client had applied to residential treatment in Lincoln and had been accepted to start Wednesday. She also said he had taken responsibility and needed the structure of probation.

Dodge County Attorney Paul Vaughan said although he had gone back and forth on what sentence would be appropriate for Petersen, he said he believed probation would be the most beneficial.

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Although I think Mr. Petersen has a lot of hurdles to cross to be able to successfully complete treatment, it does not appear that he has ever been given that opportunity, he said.

Petersen said he wanted to do better and was finished with incarceration, having been in and out of prison the majority of his life.

I want to go to treatment, I want to get out of Fremont, so Lincolns where Ive got to go, he said.
In an interview with the Tribune, Vaughan said everything is on hold until NSP completes its investigation into the shooting.

Once that work is completed and forwarded to his office, Vaughan can then file a notice with the district court regarding an in-custody death.

That notice triggers a 30-day window in which a grand jury will be convened to review the material regarding the incident.

I have to wait until the reports are received and then I will have to coordinate with the judge about his schedule, because I dont want to file a certificate and find out the judge doesnt have time in the next 30 days, Vaughan said.

While there isnt a clear idea when the State Patrol will complete its investigation, Vaughan said he expects to move forward with grand jury proceedings within the next 60 to 90 days.

I havent really been given a framework from the State Patrol as to how long they will need other than that theyre working aggressively right now, he said. But, I dont have any indication from them of when that investigation will be complete.

Vaughan said at some point in time he would assume that any relevant information regarding the incident could be made available to the public.
Dubai carrier Emirates has signed a MoU with Huawei, one of the world's top tech brands, to further extend its existing partnership.

This enhanced collaboration will allow both brands to build awareness to a wider audience in the Middle East and beyond, said the statement from Emirates.

Orhan Abbas, Senior VP Commercial Operations (Far East) at Emirates and Lu Geng, VP Middle East and Africa of Huawei Global Partnerships & Eco-Development, selaed the pact at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market 2021 (ATM) in Dubai.

Also present at the signing ceremony were Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Chief Commercial Officer and William Hu, Regional Business Development Director, Eco-Development Department, Huawei.

This MoU signallied the deepened strategic cooperation between Emirates and Huawei and mutual benefits in expanding their reach in China and Middle East and African markets, respectively.

In addition to joint promotions designed to build brand awareness for Emirates and Huawei in the other's home markets, the partnership will also encompass the launch of customer-centric initiatives including enhanced and engaging experiences for Huawei smart phone users while booking tickets and making travel plans on the Emirates app, available on the AppGallery  Huawei's official distribution platform and one of the top three global app marketplaces in the world, with more than 530 million active monthly users.

The joint cooperation will also see Emirates providing support for the Huawei search engine, Petal Search, on smart devices in the MEA region.

For Emirates, the integration into Huawei's ecosystem will allow the airline to tap into a wider target audience and Huawei phone users, especially in the Chinese marketplace which has been regarded as one of the key strategic markets for Emirates worldwide.

This move was built on the successful collaboration of the two brands established in early 2020, when the Emirates app was made available on Huawei's smart phone devices on its AppGallery, bringing users a richer and more engaging range of functions conveniently to their fingertips, said the Dubai carrier.

The collaboration was further expanded in September 2020 with enhancements that allowed quicker bookings and other tailored functionalities that customised the mobile experience, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
A 73-year-old man from Pakistan has been notified that he has been approved for release from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after more than 16 years in custody on suspicion of helping facilitate two of the conspirators in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. authorities and his lawyer have said.



Saifullah Paracha was notified on May 17 that he had been cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented Paracha at a hearing before the board in November.

A U.S. Defense Department official late on May 18 confirmed to RFE/RL that the decision had been made to put Paracha and two other detainees into the transfer eligibility category.



Sullivan-Bennis said the notification did not provide details about the decision and concluded only that Paracha was "not a continuing threat" to the United States.



"The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return," she said, adding that she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months.



The Pentagon did not respond to e-mail from RFE/RL requesting confirmation that Paracha had been approved for release.

A Pentagon spokesman told RFE/RL he could not immediately confirm that Paracha has been approved for release.



The other two men who were notified that they have been approved for release were identified as Abdul Rabbani, 54, described as a citizen of Pakistan, and Uthman Abdul al-Rahim Uthman, 40, a Yemeni, according to The New York Times. None of the three men has ever been charged with a crime.



Rabbani was captured in a security-services raid in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002 with his brother, who is also held in the prison at Guantanamo Bay, The New York Times said.



The State Department must make diplomatic and security arrangements with countries to take them before they can go, making it uncertain where they will be sent and when. Some detainees who have been cleared for release have been waiting years for another country to agree to take them.

Paracha is the oldest prisoner at Guantanamo and suffers from a number of ailments, including diabetes and a heart condition.



The United States captured him in Thailand in 2003 and has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004.



Authorities say the former businessman and longtime legal resident of New York was an Al-Qaeda "facilitator" who helped two of the conspirators in the 9/11 plot with a financial transaction. He admitted to safeguarding about $500,000 for them but says he didnt know they were Al-Qaeda and denies any involvement in terrorism.



Paracha made his eighth appearance before the review board in November following developments in a legal case involving his son, Uzair.



Uzair Paracha was convicted in 2005 in federal court in New York of providing support to terrorism. The conviction was based in part on testimony from the same witnesses held at Guantanamo whom the United States relied on to justify holding the father.



A judge threw out those witness accounts in March 2020 and the government decided not to seek a new trial. Uzair Paracha was then released and sent back to Pakistan.



Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo. About nine of them have been cleared for release.



Of the other remaining detainees, 12 have been charged with war crimes. Their trials by military commission have been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With reporting by AP and The New York Times
Riven internally, debilitated by the death of successive leaders, and forced from its strongholds, the armed group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was seen as a largely spent force.

But the TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has reemerged over the past year, unifying squabbling factions and unleashing a spate of deadly attacks across the countrys tribal belt.

Underscoring its resurgence, the TTP last month carried out a deadly car bombing outside a heavily guarded luxury hotel in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, beyond its stronghold in the northwest.

But the TTP is no longer the same militant outfit that wreaked havoc in Pakistan from 2007 to 2014, when a major army offensive drove the group across the porous border into Afghanistan.

Under the leadership of Noor Wali Mehsud, more of a religious figure than a fighter, who has been in charge since 2018, the TTP has retained its close links with Al-Qaeda, the U.S.-designated terrorist network.

But it has also become organizationally decentralized and reduced indiscriminate attacks against civilians, observers say.

The TTP mostly targets Pakistani security institutions and their officials, seldom attacking soft targets, says Abdul Basit, a Pakistani counterterrorism and security expert, in a reference to the targeting of civilians. Rhetorically, the TTP has moved away from a global to local jihadist narrative."

There are also signs that the TTP has opened a new front against Chinese interests in Pakistan, where Beijing has considerable political clout and is spending billions on infrastructure projects.

New Front Against China

The TTPs attack on the Serena Hotel in Quetta, the capital of the restive province of Balochistan, showed the militant groups growing operational strength, observers say.

It was the first attack in Pakistan in years in which an explosive-laden car, or what military experts call suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs), was used.

It was also the TTPs first attack in a major urban center since its reunification.

This shows that the TTP has regained the capability of assembling SVBIEDs and striking heavily guarded landmark targets, says Basit.

But the car bombing that killed five people and wounded a dozen others was also significant because it was in Balochistan.

Not only is Balochistan outside the TTPs traditional stronghold, but it is a vast and resource-rich region that has acquired greater significance in recent years.

It is the site of a new deepwater port in the city of Gwadar that is a flagship Chinese investment within the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project -- which includes the port, an airport, a highway, and a hospital -- is intended to link China's Xinjiang Province with the Arabian Sea.

Ethnic Baluch separatists have frequently targeted Chinese construction in Balochistan, the scene of a separatist insurgency and a brutal state crackdown that has killed thousands of people since 2004. There is widespread resentment among the Baluch people, who have complained that their home province is being exploited by the state.

Observers say the TTPs attack on the Serena Hotel, where China's ambassador to Pakistan was staying but was not present at the time, suggests that the militant group has joined the local fight against Chinese interests.

Following the attack, the TTP issued a statement saying that locals and foreigners were the target. Curiously, it then retracted that statement and issued a second one that omitted the word foreigners.

Experts say this could be part of the TTPs new policy of not openly challenging major powers, as it did in the past.

A local researcher in the South Waziristan tribal region who was permitted to visit TTP training camps tells RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the militant group has joined forces with Baluch separatist groups.

The source, who did not want to reveal his name for fear of retribution, says the TTP provides military training to Baloch fighters. In exchange, the Baluch separatists assist the TTP with logistics in Balochistan.

The alliance has coincided with a sharp uptick in attacks against Pakistani security forces in Balochistan in recent months.

Experts say Baluch separatists, many of them secular, have entered tactical and transactional forms of cooperation with extremist Islamist groups in the past.

That includes the TTPs key ally, Al-Qaeda, but also the Islamic State (IS) extremist group and Lashkar-e Jhangvi, a sectarian Sunni Muslim militant group in Balochistan that has attacked Shi'ite Muslims from Quetta's ethnic Hazara community.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistans troubled tribal belt, is home to an array of sectarian, separatist, and foreign militant groups, including the Afghan Taliban.

IS and Al-Qaeda have had a strategy of reaching out and connecting with local movements and local issues, says Ayesha Siddiqa, a Pakistani author and security expert.

Baluch groups have been cooperating with groups that they are ideologically opposed to, she adds.

Uyghur Brothers

The TTP and its allies have also increased their anti-China rhetoric recently.

Mufti Abu Zar al-Burmi, an influential ideologue who is allied with Sunni militant groups including the TTP, in an audio statement released in March condemned China for its crackdown on that countrys Muslim minority.

The United Nations has estimated that at least 1 million ethnic Uyghurs and other indigenous Muslim minorities have been forced into internment camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Beijing insists that the facilities are "vocational education centers" aimed at helping people steer clear of terrorism and allowing them to be reintegrated into society.

Burmi, a Pakistani national of Rohingya descent, accused China of occupying the region and claimed Chinese security forces were raping Muslim women in the region.

Muslim countries remain silent, Burmi said in the statement. I request the mujahedin and the Taliban to do something for those Muslims and those sisters." Mujahedin refers to Muslims who wage jihad, or holy war.

In 2012, the TTP claimed responsibility for the killing of a Chinese tourist in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, saying it was revenge for the Chinese government killing our Muslim brothers in their Xinjiang province.

Experts say the TTP has maintained close ties with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a militant group made up mostly of Uyghurs.

Before it was evicted by a major Pakistani military offensive in 2014, the TTP hosted ETIM militants in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the Chinese group ran its own training camps.

ETIM militants took refuge in northeast Afghanistan after they were driven from Pakistans tribal regions by a military offensive in 2014. Many ETIM fighters moved to Syria, where they fought alongside Al-Qaeda-linked groups. But local sources say most have returned to Afghanistan.

ETIM has ties to the Afghan Taliban. In 2018, U.S. forces in Afghanistan said air strikes destroyed Taliban training camps in the province of Badakhshan that supported the ETIM.

At the time, James B. Hecker, commander of NATOs Air Command in Afghanistan, said the ETIM enjoys support from the Taliban in the mountains of Badakhshan.

The United States estimates that there are around 100 ETIM fighters in Afghanistan. The United Nations reported in July 2020 that approximately 500 militants linked to the group operate in Badakhshan.

'Improve Image Of TTP'

Several local sources say the TTP is operating from the Bermal district of Afghanistans eastern province of Paktika, which is adjacent to Pakistans South Waziristan tribal region, the TTPs former stronghold. Previously, the group was headquartered in Afghanistans eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

Although most of the 2,640-kilometer border has been fenced by Pakistan in recent years, TTP militants have managed to cross the mountainous border by destroying sections of the barrier.

Experts who study the TTP say the group has significantly increased its financial resources from extortion, smuggling, and taxes on locals and businesses in areas where it is active.

Under the new leadership, the TTP has also become increasingly decentralized, with significant authority handed to local commanders. Each commander heads a unit that numbers around 25 to 30 fighters. This contrasts with previous leaders who appointed commanders for certain zones.

A report by a UN monitoring team released in July 2020 assessed that there were up to 6,500 Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, most of them members of the TTP.

The militant group has also reportedly reduced indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

The new policy is similar to the strategy of the Afghan Taliban, says a researcher focused on the TTP speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. That means exploiting the weakness of the government and grievances of the people to improve the image of the TTP.

There are fears in Pakistan that in the absence of a peace deal Afghanistan will plunge into civil war after the international military pullout in September.

Such a situation could strengthen and embolden the TTP, allowing it to carve out sanctuaries from where to increase attacks on Pakistani soil.

The TTP and Al-Qaeda leadership have sworn allegiance to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. Both groups have close ideological and organizational ties with their Afghan ally.

Some experts say the TTP also poses a threat to Afghanistan, where it does not have a history of carrying out attacks.

Post withdrawal, Pakistani authorities expect the TTP to continue supporting the Afghan Taliban and get more involved in Afghanistan, says Siddiqa. There will be far too much to destroy and fight for there than in Pakistan.
FILE - Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks to reporters Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. Lee has signed legislation putting public schools and districts at risk of losing civil lawsuits if they let transgender students or employees use multi-person bathrooms that do not reflect their gender at birth. Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill Friday, May 14, 2021 cementing another policy into law in Tennessee that LGBTQ advocates say discriminates against their community.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
In this September 2016 photo provided by Kim Calderwood, Mollie Tibbetts poses for a picture during homecoming festivities at BGM High School in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man charged with killing Tibbetts while she was out for a run in July 2018, will stand trial for first-degree murder on Monday, May 17, 2021, in Davenport, Iowa.
Authorities say a Tennessee man who harassed two teenage Muslim girls and then swung a knife and attacked their father has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime
Firefighters in Florida were called to rescue a cat  not from a tree but from the undercarriage of a car owned by New York Giants cornerback Isaac Yiadom
This undated photo made by the International Committee of the Red Cross and provided by lawyer David H. Remes, shows Guantanamo prisoner Saifullah Paracha. A lawyer for the oldest prisoner at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says authorities have approved his release after more than 16 years in custody. Attorney Shelby-Sullivan Bennis says she was notified Monday that the prison review board determined 73-year-old Saifullah Paracha is deemed to no longer pose a threat to U.S. security. The native of Pakistan has been held at Guantanamo since September 2004 for suspected links to al-Qaida but was never charged.
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Prima Car Rental, a leading car rental agency, has received a fleet of Toyota vehicles from Ebrahim K. Kanoo, the sole distributor of Toyota vehicles in Bahrain.



Ebrahim K. Kanoo Executive General Manager of sales, Ismail Akbar handed over the fleet of Toyota vehicles to Hussain Mohammed, Prima Car Rental General Manager at the Toyota showroom.



Hussain Mohammed highlighted the importance of upgrading their fleet with Toyota vehicles, stating: Prima Car Rental is one of the fastest growing car rental companies in Bahrain and hence we require reliable vehicles to maintain our business and provide our clients with the best quality vehicles that are durable for all of their needs.  TradeArabia News Service
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The progressive Working Families Party on Monday endorsed Pueblo activist Sol Sandoval in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Calling Sandoval "an incredible, proven community organizer and leader," Wendy Howell, director of the Working Families Party's Colorado affiliate, said the former social worker is the strongest candidate to take on Boebert in next year's election.

Sol Sandoval has two decades of experience fighting for those our state and nation have left behind," Howell said in a statement. "Its time to bring that fight to Congress and the Working Families Party will do all we can to make sure Congressional District 3 has a representative that will fight for communities, not conspiracy theories.

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Sandoval is one of at least six Democrats running for the chance to challenge Boebert, the Silt Republican whose combative support of the Second Amendment and former President Donald Trump has made her a darling of the right and a top Democratic target.

Others in the primary include state Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail; state Rep. Don Valdez, D-La Jara; Glenwood Springs attorney and former legislative candidate Colin Wilhelm; Walden veterinarian Debby Burnett; and Durango activist Root Routledge, who sought the nomination last year but withdrew before the primary.

The organization, backed by a coalition of community groups and labor affiliates, has been pushing the political conversation in Colorado to the left since it formed in 2017. In the last cycle, Colorado Working Families Party endorsements helped propel numerous candidates to primary wins, including district attorneys Alexis King and Alonzo Payne, University of Colorado Regent Callie Rennison and state Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver.

Sandoval welcomed the endorsement.

WFP stands for the same kind of common-sense values that I do: that we should all be able to get medical care when we need it without going broke, that children are our future and we must stand in solidarity with our public school educators because every child should have access to equal opportunities, and we must address our climate crisis head-on to protect the future of our communities and our economy," she said in a statement.

"I look forward to working with them to ensure that Southern Colorado and the Western Slope have the kind of representation that builds and includes rather than tears down and divides our communities."

The Republican-leaning 3rd CD covers most of the Western Slope, the San Luis Valley and Pueblo County. After surprising five-term U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in the Republican primary last year, Boebert won the seat by nearly 6 percentage points over former state Rep. Diane Mitsch-Bush, who has endorsed Sandoval.

While the district's 2022 boundaries won't be set until sometime this fall, it's likely it will include most if not all of the Western Slope.

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Pius Kamau, M.D., general surgery, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and president of the Consortium of African Diasporas in the U.S.A. He has been a National Public Radio commentator and a blogger, and is author of The Doctors Date with Death.
A Colorado Springs man is moving forward on a guidebook that has divided some in the region's climbing tribe who would rather Pikes Peak's precious rock be kept secret.

Phil Wortmann, 43, expects his self-published "Alpine Adventures on America's Mountain" to be on city shelves later this summer. The book is the culmination of a revered climbing career locally; since the late 1990s, Wortmann, a school teacher, has raised the bar on the peak, ascending cracks and crags never achieved by pioneers of past generations, while maintaining a humble, generous reputation.

"Alpine Adventures on America's Mountain" represents one of a kind. The only comparable record of route descriptions is colloquially known as the "Golden Book," a collection of hand-written notes protected by a local shopkeeper since the '60s  for certain, worthy eyes only.

"If there's anyone that should be writing the book, it should be Phil," said Brian Shelton, a longtime member of the sport's regional guard and co-founder of nonprofit Pikes Peak Climbers Alliance. "There's no question he's got the knowledge, he's got the experience up there."

The question of simmering debate, however: Does anyone have the right to reveal beta that has historically been kept to tight circles? Could the guidebook be an invitation? Like formerly hidden wonders across Colorado, could those above Pikes Peak timberline be subject to overcrowding and degradation?

Explaining his motive to friends and idols has been "uncomfortable" and "stressful" at times, Wortmann said. Outspoken naysayers, he said, are indeed outspoken.

"What I try to tell them is, it seems like every year there's more information on the internet about it," he said. "And all that information, it's this is how cool it looks, this is how amazing it is, and you should go. But there's nothing out there to say, this is how it's gonna kill you, this is how you're gonna impact the environment up there if you're not careful.

"It's not like we can go up with everyone and give them a tour. People are gonna go up there. The hope is this can help educate."

The first pages of the book are dedicated to "please don'ts," a long list requesting visitors pick up trash and step on rocks rather than the fragile alpine tundra, for example. Wortmann said he reached out to Pikes Peak Highway personnel for advice  rangers who patrol the road and tend to drivers who embark into the wilds from parking pull-offs.

"Several" climbs have been left out of the book, Wortmann said. "Because I thought it would have a negative effect on the relationship between the highway and climbers."

Banned access would be one concern of increased popularity, said Stewart Green, another co-founder of Pikes Peak Climbers Alliance, with time on the mountain dating to the '70s.

"But I think the biggest concern I have as well as a lot of other climbers is the additional placement of permanent bolts," he said.

The hardware is central to sport climbing. That style, with gym-bred practitioners flooding such places as Canon City's Shelf Road, has not fit into the proud culture of Pikes Peak alpine  "a true adventure arena," Green called it, true to the "rope, rack and shirt on your back" phrase.

A bolt war  one side placing and another side chopping  would be the last thing America's Mountain needed, Shelton said. In light of Wortmann's book, Shelton said he's heard threats. That could mean a greater strain on rangers.

The highway's manager, Jack Glavan, struggled to foresee a significant climbing rush. "It seems like it's only the real experienced ones that come up," he said, adding that the few are "respectful" and "work with us."

Shelton and Green recognized other barriers, such as the fee to drive the highway and the short, seasonal window to climb; those properly prepared know that afternoon storms threaten and that their car must be down by the tollgate closing time.

While neither supporting nor opposing the book, Shelton and Green expressed careful confidence in Wortmann.

"I know Phil is real respectful of climbing traditions around here," Green said.

In one gesture of blessing, Wortmann was given yellowed pages from the sacred "Golden Book." This came as he reached out to old-time climbers while writing.

"I think just by telling their stories, it makes the place more important and more significant," Wortmann said. "That's where we get that value of place."
When she was in the seventh grade, Lauren Shrack assisted a struggling algebra student only to discover she has a passion for teaching and com
Hong Kong: Inbound travel rules tightened

The Government will arrange for people arriving from Taiwan on or before May 15 and still undergoing home quarantine to complete the remaining compulsory quarantine periods at the Department of Healths quarantine hotels.

It will also issue an updated compulsory testing notice to further enhance the compulsory testing arrangements for people arriving from Taiwan and Singapore upon their completion of compulsory quarantine.

Relevant people who were required to undergo compulsory quarantine for 14 days in accordance with the prevailing requirements when they arrived in Hong Kong are required to undergo compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th day of their arrival.

Under the new requirement, they must also stay at their place of residence, private premises or the quarantine place specified on the quarantine order until the result from the test conducted on the 19th day is available.

Relevant people who were required to undergo compulsory quarantine for seven days in accordance with the prevailing requirements when they arrived because they have completed their vaccination course are required to undergo compulsory testing on the 12th day of their arrival.

Under the new requirements, they must also remain at their place of stay until the result from the test conducted on the 12th day is available.

They will also be subject to further compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th day of their arrival but will not be required to remain at their place of stay during that period.

The new measures were made in view of the latest epidemic situation in Taiwan and Singapore.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The oil and gas industry, which is traditionally a laggard in the adoption of connected technologies, is increasingly deploying digital twins to improve decision-making. The prevailing industry downturn from Covid-19 has heightened the need to reduce costs and make operations more sustainable with technology, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Worldwide lockdowns have significantly impacted global energy demand, while also causing project delays due to supply chain disruptions. The downturn has aggravated the need for improving the overall asset visibility to identify areas for cost reduction. Digital twins are key to achieving this objective and ensuring sustainable operations in the long run.

According to GlobalDatas latest report, Digital Twins in Oil & Gas, the groundwork for this technology may have been in place for some time, but its actual deployment was seen only when profitability was at risk. Incidentally, some of the major digital twins in the oil and gas industry were implemented only after the oil price crash of 2014. BP began wide-scale deployment of its APEX simulation and surveillance system around 2017.

Ravindra Puranik, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: Companies have started to build models that will provide answers to what if or what will questions. By replicating an asset or a portion of it in the virtual world, companies can run simulation tests on real-world problems and visualise the results in 3D. This is helping project engineers to improve their understanding of the asset, thereby enabling them to optimise its performance as per the market requirements. Thus, digital twins are gradually becoming integral to oil and gas operations.

Like Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the lack of standardisation has somewhat hampered the adoption of digital twins as well. To overcome this limitation, DNV GL, in collaboration with TechnipFMC, drafted a best practices guide for the creation and certification of digital twins in November 2020. It provides a framework for developers and users alike to understand the digital twins and extract the most out of their capabilities.

Puranik adds: Newer oil and gas projects, such as Equinors Johan Sverdrup, or BPs Clair Ridge are emerging as benchmarks in digital twin adoption. Companies such as Shell, Chevron, and Petrobras are launching initiatives to deploy digital twins across their global portfolio. With crucial support from oilfield technology and service companies, digital twins are likely to become mainstay for oil and gas operations in the coming years. -- TradeArabia News Service
Joe Barrera, Ph.D., is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS. He teaches US Southwest Cultural Studies and Military History. He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War.
Colorado Politics senior political reporter

Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) said it plans to connect newly drilled smart wells to the main production facilities in Bu Hasa at an investment of AED1.16 billion ($318 million), thus helping it to sustain production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) at Adnocs largest onshore asset.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract has been awarded in two packages by the Abu Dhabi group's subsidiary, Adnoc Onshore.

The Package 1, valued at $158.6 million, has been awarded to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company, while Package 2 worth $159.1 million has been awarded to Robt Stone (ME). The duration of the contracts is three years, with the option of a two-year extension.

The EPC award follows a competitive tender process and will see over 50 per cent of the combined value of both awards flow back into the UAE economy under Adnocs In-Country Value (ICV) programme, highlighting how Adnoc continues to prioritize ICV as it delivers on its 2030 strategy.

The Bu Hasa asset, located 200 km south of Abu Dhabi city, is one of Adnocs oldest oil fields that have been producing since 1965.

Adnoc Upstream Executive Director Yaser Saeed Almazrouei said: "This EPC award demonstrates how Adnoc is leveraging advanced technologies, such as smart wells with state-of-the-art remote capabilities, to drive higher performance from our assets and resources, and to generate additional value."

It will see up to 260 conventional and non-conventional smart wells installed, which enable remote operations.

These installed tie-ins will be different from traditional tie-ins previously used by Adnoc Onshore, as the contractors will procure all required equipment on an upfront basis allowing for faster construction and well hand-over.

"The award underpins our strategic objectives to expand production capacity and create a more profitable upstream business with over half of the contract value flowing back into the UAEs economy, supporting local businesses and stimulating economic growth," he stated.

In 2018, Adnoc had awarded a contract for the Bu Hasa Integrated Field Development Project to increase the production capacity of the asset to 650,000 bpd and sustain long-term production as part of its strategy to expand its crude oil production capacity to 5 million bpd by 2030.

This new award builds on the substantial progress made to date and will enable Adnoc Onshore to unlock greater value from the asset.
Putting the 'wood' in Woodmoor and extending the hand of brotherhood | Along the Divide
5G infrastructure faces foundational threats

A new report identifies three main potential threat vectors to 5G networks: policy and standards, supply chain and 5G systems architecture.

Potential Threat Vectors to 5G Infrastructure, a report by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, outlines the risks to 5G that threaten national and economic security and could impact other national and global interests.

The 5G Threat Model Working Panel  created as part of the National Strategy to Secure 5G to assess risks and vulnerabilities to 5G infrastructure -- first reviewed existing work to find and compile an aggregated list of known and potential threats. The panel then identified and developed sample scenarios of where 5G may be adopted, and assessed the associated risks to 5G core technologies.

The foundation of 5G infrastructure is open, transparent and consensus-driven policies and standards, which will drive the design and architecture of new technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, edge computing and telemedicine. It is critical that international standards and policies are open, transparent, and consensus driven, the report states.

Within the threats to policies and standards category are two sub-threat vectors: open standards and optional controls. If standards are not open, they may include unique, untrusted technologies and equipment, and such propriety tech could limit competition and interoperability.

Not implementing optional security controls could also be detrimental, the report adds, because that could make networks more susceptible to cyberattacks.

Nation states may attempt to exert undue influence on standards that benefit their proprietary technologies and limit customers choices to use other equipment or software, according to the report. There are also risks associated with the development of standards, where standard bodies may develop optional controls, which are not implemented by operators. By not implementing these subjective security measures, operators could introduce gaps in the network and open the door for malicious threat actors.

The second vector, supply-chain risk, refers to efforts by threat actors to exploit information and communications technologies (ICTs) and their related supply chains for purposes of espionage, sabotage, foreign interference, and criminal activity, the report states. The 5G supply chain is particularly vulnerable because of the rush to get devices to market and the potential for counterfeit components.

The supply chain sub-threat vectors, according to the report, include inherited components, which are those that come from third-party suppliers, vendors or service providers. Flaws or malware inserted early in the development phases are more difficult to detect and could lead to the developer marking the component as legitimate through digital signatures or other approvals, the report states. These vulnerabilities could then later be exploited by malicious actors.

Finally, systems architectures are at risk because even though IT and communication firms are enhancing security with 5G, both legacy and new vulnerabilities may be exploited by malicious actors, the report states. For example, the overlay of 4G legacy and 5G architectures could provide the opportunity for a malicious actor to carry out a downgrade attack, where a user on a 5G network could be forced to use 4G, thereby allowing the malicious actor to exploit known 4G vulnerabilities.

Also, because 5G networks will use more information and communications technologies than past generations, bad actors have more potential points of entry.

The report names seven sub-threat vectors in this category, including configuration, software-defined networking, spectrum sharing and multiaccess edge computing. For the latter, it offers a sample scenario in which a firmware vulnerability in MEC lets a bad actor gain access and steal sensitive sensor and user equipment data, modify data streams and deny access to other data.

The report notes that it is the first on the working groups consideration of 5G-associated risks and that more will follow.
"It feels awesome. It feels very rewarding to be recognized today and its an honor Im in Carries house right now," White said. Weber agreed: "It actually feels pretty amazing because we had a hard time with COVID and everything and its nice. Weve done a lot." A third student, Deacon O'Dell, said he hadn't gotten registered yet but that the registration effort is a good way to get involved in the community.

Per Pate, interest in pursuing the award is on the uptick since it was first announced for the 2019-2020 school year.

"We were real pleased with the results. Its not meant to be easy. If it was, there wouldnt be an award. When you look at it: Having 22 high schools across the state who accomplished that, in the middle of COVID, I think that speaks volumes," Pate said. "And we had a lot of schools who got 70%. And thats kind of a national trend if you look at overall how many people register to vote."
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Genesis of statue

Schurtz's role on the River City Sculptures on Parade board, which she undertook three years ago, was a catalyst for having a sculpture dedicated to Vietnam era veterans.

The retired VA nurse said her heart has always been and always will be for the care and well-being of every veteran and their families.

"We have rotating sculptures, and the committee is always looking for local residents who might have an interest in sponsoring a sculpture," she said. "The Mulkey family kindly offered to get the sculpture for the community.

"This is a volunteer group and we are excited when we can add meaningful sculptures to our city."

Mulkey said the "Stand for the Flag" sculpture was originally pitched to the Mason City Clinic, which he says takes care of many veterans and appreciates all they have done for this country.

But in the end, the Mulkey family said it would purchase and sponsor the sculpture because of how near and dear veterans are to the family.

"The clinic is very supportive of veterans and have big hearts," he said. "The reason we decided for myself and my dad's wife to do this is because of our belief in veterans and what message this sculpture would send.

"It will be very well received by the veterans, who you can thank for your freedom to express your opinions. Someone paid a price for that."

Jerry Smith is sports editor and special projects editor for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at jerry.smith@globegazette.com or by phone at 641-421-0556.

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Adam Mason, state policy director for the liberal advocacy group Citizens for Community Improvement, in a statement called the bill clearly an attack on protestors with the statewide movement for Black liberation, who protested for months to demand racial justice and true public safety.

Multiple Republicans countered that anyone concerned with the heightened penalties should not riot, and said the legislation is needed to protect police officers and property owners, including businesses, from the kind of damage that sometimes occurred during racial justice protests last summer.

We saw a lot of rioting in the last year, and I dont think its OK to go out and damage property, both private or public, and there needs to be consequences, Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, said during debate. If enhancing the penalty for that crime helps deter that crime, then I think thats appropriate.

Sen. Kevin Kinney, D-Oxford, a retired law enforcement officer, also raised concern with a provision that would expand the crime of eluding an officer to include drivers who do not pull over for an unmarked officer. Kinney said, for safety reasons, it is common to recommend a driver wait until reaching a more populated and well-lit area before pulling over for an unmarked officer.
RINGGOLD  A fireman and two neighbors rescued an elderly woman from a house fire in Pittsylvania County.

The kitchen fire was reported at about 3 p.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of Bennie Drive in Ringgold, said Ringgold Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Neal.

There was heavy smoke rolling out of the back of the house, Neal said Tuesday.

The agencys first private unit arrived at the home within three or four minutes after the fire was reported, and found two neighbors trying to get the woman out of the house, Neal said.

Luckily, they were able to deliver the woman, who was believed to be in her 80s, to safety, Neal said.

They were able to get her out without her getting injured, Neal said.

The American Red Cross offered assistance, but the woman is staying with relatives, he said.

The occupant had been cooking food in an air fryer cooker when she raised the top and sprayed seasoning into it. After putting the top back down, she walked down the hallway and came back to discover flames extending from the backsplash board and up the wall and into the attic, Neal said.

Firefighters from Kentuck and Blairs provided aid.
It has been a yearslong challenge preceding the Trump administration, preceding the Obama administration, that the time of adjudication of asylum claims is too long, Mayorkas said. We need to shorten that, but not at the expense of permitting individuals to develop their legitimate claims through the recovery from the trauma that they might have suffered, and so many, in fact, have suffered.

Melissa Crow, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said people on informal waiting lists to seek asylum at official border crossings with Mexico should be allowed to enter the United States. The Strauss Center at the University of Texas, Austin, issued a report Tuesday that estimates nearly 19,000 migrants were on such waiting lists in eight Mexican border cities this month, a 15% increase from February.

As asylum-seekers, these individuals are inherently vulnerable and should be covered by the consortium process," said Crow, who represents migrants on waiting lists in a federal lawsuit in San Diego. But due to the lack of any concerted outreach to such individuals by either the government or the consortium organizations, most of them have no idea that the consortium process exists or that they might be eligible for it.
The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return, she said.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment.

The prisoner review board also informed Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, was also notified that he had been cleared, according to his attorney, Beth Jacob, who spoke to him by phone.

He was happy, relieved and hopeful that this will actually lead to his release, Jacob said.

Paracha, who lived in the U.S. and owned property in New York City, was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan. Authorities alleged he was an al-Qaida facilitator who helped two of the conspirators in the Sept. 11 plot with a financial transaction. He says he didnt know they were al-Qaida and denies any involvement in terrorism.

The U.S., which captured Paracha in Thailand in 2003 and has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004, has long asserted that it can hold detainees indefinitely without charge under the international laws of war.
HOUSTON (AP)  A tiger that frightened residents after it was last seen briefly wandering around a Houston neighborhood has been found after a nearly week-long search and appears to be unharmed, police announced Saturday evening.

In a short video tweeted by Houston police, Cmdr. Ron Borza can be seen sitting next to the tiger, petting the animal and saying it has been a long week searching for it.

"But we got him, and he's healthy," Borza said as the wife of the man police allege is the animal's owner sat next to him and fed the tiger with a baby bottle. The tiger was being held at BARC, the city of Houston's animal shelter, but was expected to be taken Sunday morning to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, an animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas, located southeast of Dallas.

Authorities had been searching for the tiger, a 9-month-old male named India, since it was spotted May 9 in a west Houston neighborhood. At the time, it was nearly shot by an off-duty deputy before being whisked away in a car by Victor Hugo Cuevas, who police allege is the owner.

At a news conference Saturday evening, Borza said that Cuevas' wife, Giorgiana, turned over the tiger to police on Saturday after a friend of hers reached out to officials at BARC.
The hackers threatened to leak documents within 10 days if AXA does not pay an unspecified ransom.

AXA said this month that it would stop writing cyber-insurance policies in France that reimburse customers for extortion payments made to ransomware criminals, saying the practice encourages more such attacks.

In a new case, ransomware took down IT systems across five hospitals south of Auckland, New Zealand, forcing staff to cancel some elective surgeries preventing doctors from accessing clinical records, authorities said.

Ransomware attacks have surged in the past year, though there may be a dip following the worst attack to date on U.S. critical infrastructure. A nearly week-long shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies the east coast with 45% of its petroleum products, led U.S. President Joe Biden to vow retaliation.

That prompted the moderator of one of the most popular darknet criminal forums, XS, to disavow ransomware syndicates and to ban them from recruiting and conducting other business on the forum. But experts say its typical for criminals to lay low when law enforcement scrutiny gets acute.
Leading global travel marketplace Skyscanner has announced the trending destinations for Eid Al Fitr 2021 and the extended summer period. The research demonstrates that the time is now for travel, as MENA travellers are eager to travel safely and responsibly as soon as they can.

The top searches for travellers within the UAE and Saudi Arabia during the Eid period included Cairo, Amman and Alexandria for families, whereas groups are turning their attention to Ibiza and Malaga and couples are looking to go to the Maldives, Mauritius and Santorini. For UAE travellers, staycations are still prioritised, with Abu Dhabi, Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah proving popular.

According to Skyscanners recent travel trends report - Skyscanner Horizons - The Return of Travel - that revealed the top trending destinations globally, Dubai was ranked the 4th most popular destination, likely driven by travellers looking for a holiday, as well as wanting to reunite with friends and family to celebrate Eid.

The comprehensive report also highlights that travellers are making their holidays count, as global average trip length is 16 days in 2021  two days higher in comparison to 2019 averages. This is a result of shorter journey times as travellers opt for trips that are closer to home, particularly from June to September, with longer trips in October 2021. In 2019, the average journey time during June to October was 11 hours. This has fallen to 10 hours in 2021.

Ayoub El Mamoun, Global Travel Expert at Skyscanner shares his tips on how to bag a good last minute deal and plan ahead for future travels: Safe and responsible travel remains a key topic for MENA consumers and with travel beginning to re-open across the region, travellers are eager to getting back out to explore again, as safely as possible. With the ever-changing travel restrictions, were seeing more and more travellers wait until the last minute to book travel. But it can be daunting for anyone thinking about a last-minute break to book with peace of mind. The best way to make sure youre covered is purchasing a flexible ticket - you can use the Flexible search filter on Skyscanner to select flights with policies which entitle you to a refund, while others let you rearrange for another date if circumstances change. Travel insurance and the right level of cover is also more important than ever - make sure any existing policy you have in place covers you for the travel you are looking to book.

Travel is returning in the region at a strong pace and we are seeing bright lights on the horizon for MENA outbound travel, with pent up demand for travel for UAE and Saudi Arabian travellers being particularly prolific. On Skyscanner, interest in both regional and international flights have increased steadily from UAE travellers, with a lift of 23 per cent in searches and even more dramatically from Saudi travellers, where there was an increase of 110 per cent in searches from February to March of this year.

The news follows the recent launch of Skyscanners Arabic platform, which is available on desktop, mobile web or via the app, enabling travellers to select Arabic as a language option to access more localised content, including local currency and a better user experience when linking to partner sites to complete their travel bookings.

In addition, when travellers select a flight option with a partner, they will automatically be redirected to the Arabic locale on the partners site, where it is offered as a language option, ensuring for a smoother, more user-friendly experience.

Skyscanner is already a well-established player in the region, with Etihad Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia all participating in the travel marketplaces direct booking platform. - TradeArabia News Service
It was by far the lowest annual compensation for a median employee for the 29 listed corporations.

Our various compensation programs include the payment of market-based wages and the provision of competitive employee benefits, Hanesbrands said in its CEO pay ratio explainer.

The programs vary from region to region and among our various consolidated subsidiaries in each region, from country to country. The vast majority of our employees, about 80%, are compensated on an hourly basis.

The Hanesbrands CEO pay ratio gap is likely to expand again in 2021. Hanesbrands provided an estimated annualized total compensation for Bratspies for 2020 that found him making $1,056 to every $1 for the median employee.

Does not work

The annual CEO pay ratio disclosures may cause some buzz for a few days, but overall the strategy does not work, said Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi, an economics professor at Winston-Salem State University.

Investors do not seem to care about the ratio. What they care about are results, and with the stock market reaching new heights, the ratio of CEO to worker pay is reaching record levels for those corporations who closely tie stock awards to executive compensation.
GREENSBORO  The dean of the Elon University School of Law will step down from that post in December after more than seven years.

Elon announced Monday that Luke Bierman will remain at the law school after resigning as dean.

Bierman said in a statement Elon Law "has successfully shown that legal education is not static and can be redesigned and modernized for the good of our students.

"We are pioneers who have changed legal education during the most challenging period for higher education for the better part of a century. We have contributed to strengthening the rule of law in a rapidly changing nation and a world that grows in complexity by the day. We did this together. And of that I am most proud.

Bierman led the law school through a major overhaul. Starting in fall 2015, Elon Law converted its three-year program  standard at most U.S. schools  to seven trimesters over two-and-a-half years. Elon Law also cut its price and put major emphasis on teaching its students through real-life legal experiences.
In another similar vaccine campaign, Cone Health is offering vaccines to anyone age 12 and older at Greensboro and Burlington locations.

While appointments are preferred, walk-ins are welcome at the clinics, Cone spokesman Doug Allred said in a news release.

Appointments may be made by visiting conehealth.com/vaccine or by calling 336-890-1188.

Clinic sites are:

* BurlingtonBehind JR Cigar Outlet, 2401 Eric Lane.

* GreensboroGreensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd.

Cone to offer J&J Vax starting May 26
Other examples include instruments for music classes, like recorders or keyboards, and projects for students to learn about ecosystems or electricity.

The Enrichment Fund also gave out awards of $100 to teachers for posting videos of their classes having socially-distanced dance parties, either in their classrooms or over video conferencing. The idea, the Enrichment Fund leaders said, was to reward teachers for helping keep classes interesting and engaging for students.

Usually the fund helps out students with very low family incomes who are interested in going on school trips  whether they be in North Carolina or as far away as Virginia or Washington, D.C. However, the organization isnt sure if Guilford County Schools will resume field trips next school year.

For the upcoming fall semester, the Enrichment Fund board plans to pay the Greensboro History museum to offer virtual tours of its Pieces of Now exhibit to middle school classes. Pieces of Now focuses on very recent historic events, specifically the Black Lives Matter protest movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Utilities Commission, whose seven members are appointed by the governor with legislators' approval, would have to approve such a corporate split, as would federal agencies and other states' commissions.

In a lengthy response to Elliott's proposal, Duke said the hedge fund's announcement was the latest in a series of proposals by the fund since last July. Duke said its board had found previous proposals "not in the best interests of the company, its shareholders and other stakeholders.

"Duke Energy will review Elliott's latest proposals as well and the company is always open to new ideas to create growth and value. However, Duke Energy and its Board of Directors will always advocate for the best long-term interests of its shareholders and other stakeholders over any narrow special or short-term interest."

Duke defended its current financial performance, saying it is on track to deliver annual earnings growth of 5% to 7% over the next decade. Its stock price has increased 25.2% over the past 12 months, Duke said, well above the 18.7% of the S&P Utility Index. Duke's stock dropped 61 cents Monday, closing at $102.45.
GREENSBORO  A raccoon that was found on Hanner Street has tested positive for rabies, the Guilford County health department said in a news release Monday.

This is the third confirmed case of animal rabies in 2021, according to the release.

North Carolina law requires that all pets (cats, dogs and ferrets), whether living inside or outside, aged 4 months or older be vaccinated against rabies.

The health department urges pet owners to supervise their pets when they are outdoors, which might prevent contact with wild animals that may have rabies.

Rabies circulates throughout the year.

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Here are some tips from the health department to help prevent you or your family from being exposed to the rabies virus:

 Avoid direct contact with wildlife, dead or alive. Do not approach, try to play with, touch, rescue or treat any wildlife. If you find a sick or injured animal, contact animal control at 336-641-5990.

 Avoid any animal displaying unnatural behavior. Wild animals are not usually friendly so be very careful if one approaches you.

 Do not try to separate fighting animals.
What I would like to see is someone charged and brought to justice, Jacobs said. It would not bring Lauren back but at the same time, if you take someones life, you do not need to be on the streets roaming free. You do not deserve that.

Jacobs said that every case of a person who is missing or has been killed that the sheriffs office handles needs to be treated the same, regardless of race or status. She said she gets frustrated seeing the sheriff or detectives pay more attention to other cases than they have to Holmes case.

Ill contact the sheriffs office and its like, you get excited and its like blowing up a balloon because you feel like maybe this will be the time that youll hear something, Jacobs said. Then when you hang up the phone and its like the balloon has been deflated.

The sheriffs office tell Jacobs the same thing, we dont have anything new, she said.

According to Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins, from 2008 to 2020 Native Americans accounted for 58% of homicides. The office investigated 285 killings in the county during that time and 159 of those cases were Native residents.
One shuttered prison in Connecticut has been repurposed for document storage. Another is used to process and train newly hired correction officers. A third that was emptied of prisoners within the last decade remains unused.

With the states inmate population down by more than half from its peak of almost 20,000 in 2008, decisions will need to be made about what to do with three more prisons slated for closure, including the Northern Correctional Institution that once housed death row, which is scheduled to be shuttered next month.

Its a predicament and opportunity facing many states around the country as declining crime rates, and an emphasis on alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenses, especially drug crimes, allow them to explore new uses for prisons.

Since 2009, the percentage of U.S. residents who are in prison has dropped 17%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. That was helped along during the last year by the pandemic as many prisons furloughed at-risk inmates. The number of people incarcerated in state and federal prisons and local jails declined from about 2.1 million in 2019 to about 1.8 million in late 2020, according to the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice.
While running errands downtown Monday morning, Chad Christiansen saw the vandalism out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, took a picture and posted a photo of the vandalism on Facebook, where it has been re-shared across Helena classified groups.

It doesnt matter what your religious beliefs are, you dont disrespect a sacred place like this, Christiansen said.

According to the archdiocese of Helena communications director Dan Bartleson, the graffiti was not present on the Cathedral of St. Helena during church services on Sunday. Bartleson said the church, at 530 N. Ewing St., will carefully remove the graffiti and it could take some time. The stone and wood that was vandalized are carefully preserved and original to the church, thus the paint has to be removed carefully as to not damage these surfaces, he explained.

The archdiocese is not able to make an official statement at this time. Bartleson said Bishop Austin Vetter was out on Monday. However, Bartleson said they are working with police.

Anyone with information on possible suspects or damage to their property is asked to contact the Helena Police Department at 406-457-8865.
Emrill, a leading facilities management company in the UAE, said it has secured a two-year contract to provide security, housekeeping and mechanical, engineering and plumbing (MEP) services to W Residences Dubai  The Palm, located on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.

Awarded by the owners association management company Strata Global, this contract is within the branded residences sector in the UAE, which the company has identified as a target growth area in 2021, said the statement from Emrill.

Home to 104 serviced luxury apartments, W Residences Dubai  The Palm offers a hotel-inspired concept. Every owner at W Residences Dubai  The Palm benefits from Ws renowned Whatever/ Whenever service promise and has access to a 24-hour residential concierge, in-residence catering and a seamless maintenance service.

Owners can also access W Dubai  The Palms luxurious facilities, including a pristine private beach with several pools, access to the hotels Michelin Star chef-restaurants and a relaxing sanctuary at Away Spa, it stated.

"We are excited to bring the W-branded residences to Dubai with the opening of W Residences Dubai  The Palm," said Peter Katusak-Huzsvar, general manager at W Dubai  The Palm.

"This unique development offers resident owners something extraordinary, from stunning views, modern design, high-end finishes, services and amenities. Were confident Emrill will work hand-in-hand with our team to deliver a premium luxury service for our owners," he added.

Emrill CEO Stuart Harrison said: "This most recent contract win adds W Residences Dubai  The Palm to our growing portfolio of prestigious projects across the emirates and fully aligns with Emrills premium service offering."

"We are honoured to have been entrusted with offering services that will enhance the experience of those living in W Residences Dubai  The Palm and we are confident we can maintain the world-class standards the client and residents have come to expect from one of the worlds leading lifestyle brands," he added.

Emrill has mobilised an extensive team, including housekeeping attendants, security, MEP technicians and an FM Management team.

The primary focus will be to ensure the residences high housekeeping and cleaning standards are maintained throughout the property to ensure the comfort of residents and prevent the risk of cross-contamination from Covid-19 and other infectious illnesses.

Emrill will also oversee the maintenance of facilities and assets located across W Residences Dubai  The Palms eight mansions, which are home to its range of luxury apartments and penthouses.

"Working with W Residences Dubai - The Palm amplifies Emrills commitment to the delivery of service excellence across the full scope of technical, security and housekeeping services. This contract gives us another opportunity to implement global best practices on a local level, contributing to further raising FM standards in the region," said Harrison.

Strata Global CEO Khaled Kaawar said: "Our experience of working with Emrill on various projects has been very positive. Their ability to mobilise in a swift and efficient manner, coupled with their executive and technical support, adds a great deal of value to day-to-day operations."

Emrill has continued its organic expansion in 2021, winning contracts with master developer Arada in Sharjah and entering the education and hospitality sectors.
Montana reported another 39 COVID-19 cases on Monday in an update to the state case mapping and information website.

As of Monday, there were 1,055 active cases in the state. The states official death toll from the disease remained at 1,598.

Total cases in Montana have reached 110,723.

The number of vaccine doses administered had reached 771,705 by Monday. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reports that 369,505 Montanans, or roughly 34% of the states residents, are considered fully vaccinated.

Active hospitalizations for COVID-19 were reported to be at 63 statewide. Total hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Montana have reached 5,157.

Of the COVID-19 cases in Montana, 108,070 are considered recovered, meaning the people infected meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for a person to be released from isolation.

By Monday 701 more tests had been completed. Since the start of the pandemic, Montana health care workers have taken more than 1.3 million COVID-19 tests.

Counties added the following number of cases in the Monday update:

 Flathead County with 16 (118 active)
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Senate is gearing up for a debate over a package of ethics reforms, possibly as early as this week, but its one that Republicans say doesnt go far enough.

Senate Bill 4, which moved out of the Senate Ethics Committee on April 21, is a package written largely by legislative Democrats that would enact new rules governing lobbying, campaign fundraising, who can serve on political committees and the operations of the General Assembly.

Specifically, it would prohibit elected officials, including members of the General Assembly, from lobbying other units of government on behalf of other entities. That became an issue when former Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, who also lobbied the city of Chicago on behalf of a client, was indicted in 2019 for attempting to bribe a state senator.

It would also prohibit lawmakers and executive branch officials from going to work as a lobbyist within six months after leaving office, although it would allow lawmakers to work as lobbyists once the biennial session to which they were elected is over. The same prohibition would apply to lawmakers who are hired to work as consultants for businesses or groups that lobby the legislature.

It would also prohibit both virtual and in-person fundraisers in Sangamon County on days when the General Assembly is in session, as well as the days before and after session days. Current law only bans in-person fundraisers on session days.

Salaried appointees of the governor and other executive branch officials who are subject to Senate confirmation would be prohibited from serving as an officer of a candidate committee or being the designate beneficiary of such a committee.

Finally, the bill would establish the office of legislative inspector general as a full-time employee, create a uniform statement of economic interest form that would also apply to judicial candidates and prorate the monthly salary of lawmakers who leave office before the end of their term.

That bill reportedly has been the subject of negotiations between the chairs of the Senate and House ethics committees, Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, and Rep. Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park. But Gillespie indicated Monday that further changes may be made before the bill comes up for a vote.

I remain committed to passing an ethics package this legislative session and am working with colleagues in both chambers to develop the best package possible, she said in an email statement.

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Senate Republicans, however, argued in a news conference Monday that while the Democrats bill has some good reforms, it falls short of the kind of ethics legislation that they say Illinois needs.

Our discussion on Senate Bill 4, while productive, was left with the promise of an amendment, said Sen. John Curran, of Downers Grove, the ranking Republican on the Ethics Committee. It's been four weeks now. We have two weeks left in this General Assembly.

Curran is the lead sponsor of the GOP-backed ethics package, Senate Bill 1350, which contains a number of other provisions giving local states attorneys and the attorney generals office more authority to investigate and prosecute cases of public corruption.

Those include giving the attorney general authority to convene statewide grand juries to investigate corruption; giving local prosecutors authority, with court approval, to use wiretaps in corruption investigations; and giving the legislative inspector general independent authority to investigate corruption cases and issue subpoenas.

It would also impose a hard one-year revolving door prohibition on lawmakers becoming lobbyists.

This isn't just about a few outliers taking bribes or breaking rules, said Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, of Hawthorn Woods. This is about fundamentally reforming the system that doesn't allow us to police our own house. I believe it's un-American, it's unfair, and it's just fundamentally wrong.

Senate Bill 4 is currently sitting on the Senate calendar awaiting final action. The deadline for final action is listed as Friday, May 21, although that deadline could be extended. The Republican package, which was introduced Thursday, May 13, has not yet been assigned to a substantive committee.

The final day of the session is scheduled for Monday, May 31.

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Only seven states remain on Chicagos emergency travel order, which just bumped Indiana off the list on Tuesday, officials said.

The removal of Indiana  two weeks after it was reinstated on the travel order  means none of Illinois neighbors are subject to additional coronavirus restrictions, although Midwestern states Minnesota and Michigan are still on the list. In total, 11 states and Puerto Rico moved from the orange tier to the yellow one, according to a Tuesday Chicago Department of Public Health news release.

The country overall is making really good progress, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said during a morning question-and-answer session.

Travelers coming from the seven orange states are required to quarantine for 10 days or test negative for the coronavirus no more than 72 hours before arriving in Chicago. People can avoid either requirement if they have been fully vaccinated, which means getting the final dose at least two weeks before arrival.

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The full list of states subject to the orange tier restrictions contains Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia and Washington.

The remaining 42 yellow tier states plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., do not have any quarantine, vaccination or COVID-19 test restrictions for travelers returning to Chicago.

The orange category includes states or territories that have a seven-day rolling average above 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents, while yellow states are under that threshold.

The travel order is updated every two weeks and goes into effect Friday at midnight. Essential workers traveling for their job are exempt, as are people traveling for medical or caretaking reasons. People passing through the orange states for less than 24 hours also are exempt unless their final destination is that state.
LAS VEGAS  The Las Vegas Strip and surroundings will fully reopen to vaccinated diners, dancers, shoppers and club-goers beginning June 1.

Clark County lawmakers on Tuesday followed CDC guidelines and dropped plans to tie business occupancy to coronavirus vaccination rates.

The unanimous vote came after public speakers expressed anger and frustration with pandemic restrictions  especially their effects on schoolchildren.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday aligned state requirements with CDC recommendations issued a day earlier. The CDC says fully vaccinated people can stop social distancing and mask-wearing outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

Most Las Vegas casinos have already returned to 100% occupancy and no social distancing under oversight of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.



THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 Biden coronavirus adviser says teen son has lingering COVID-19 symptoms, encourages young to get shots

 UAE to offer booster shot to recipients of China's Sinopharm vaccine

 Changed by pandemic, many US workers wont return to old jobs

 India reports record day of virus deaths as cases level off

 Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine



HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to dismiss the health minister who has faced criticism for the slow pace of the nations coronavirus vaccination effort.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal held Health Minister Maksym Stepanov responsible for the failure to quickly procure more vaccine. Shmyhal says the nation of 41 million people so far has received only 2.3 million doses, and only 948,3300 Ukrainians had received at least one shot as of Tuesday.

Stepanov argued in his defense that the ex-Soviet nation has faced tough competition as nations try to procure vaccines amid the pandemic. Supplies of the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine were suspended after infections in India surged.

Ukraine has registered more than 2.1 million infections and 48,469 deaths from COVID-19.



AUSTIN, Texas  Texas governor says public schools must end mask requirements starting in June and is ordering Texas cities and counties to drop nearly all face covering mandates by the end of the week.

Tuesdays announcement from Gov. Greg Abbott does not affect private businesses, which can still require customers or workers to wear masks. But the change is the biggest rollbacks of Texas pandemic safeguards since Abbott ended a statewide mask mandate in March.

Public hospitals, jails and state-supported living centers will still be allowed to require masks.

The move comes as Texas coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths continue to plunge and vaccines are being made available to children as young as 12.

Some Texas school have already ended mask mandates. The Texas State Teachers Association criticized Abbotts decision as premature.



MEXICO CITY -- Mexico is mounting a final push to get all of the countrys 3 million school teachers vaccinated so it can reopen schools, perhaps by the second half of June.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that getting kids back into classrooms is an urgent necessity, as much for their social development as anything else. He says: School is like a second home, and we need all students at all levels to return to in-person classes..

Officials estimate 2.1 million teachers at private and public schools have already been vaccinated, and hope to inject almost 520,000 this week and a similar number in the last week of May.

Schools in four of Mexicos least-affected states have gone back to in-person classes, but on a very limited scale. The other 28 states have been giving online classes since early last year.



PORTLAND, Oregon -- Oregon health officials say businesses and churches can choose to no longer require masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated people, but those places must have individuals show proof of vaccination and review it.

Under new rules announced Tuesday, people will still be required to wear masks while on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities.

Oregonians have been required since last summer to wear masks inside public spaces such as grocery stores, shops, gyms and restaurants and outside in situations where people cannot remain six feet apart.



CONCORD, N.H.  New Hampshire will end its participation in all pandemic-related federal unemployment compensation programs June 19 but will offer signing stipends totaling $10 million to encourage people to find jobs.

The state was among the first to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits when the pandemic first struck. Between March and April 2020, its unemployment rate jumped from 2.7% to over 16%, but as of this month, was back down to 2.8%.

Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday that unemployed workers who find full-time jobs will get $1,000 bonuses after completing eight weeks of work and part-time workers will get $800 until the $10 million bonus fund is depleted.

Connecticut is offering a similar incentive, though it is maintaining the federal $300 supplemental payments for those who remain unemployed.



LOS ANGELES -- Five more California counties will move to less restrictive pandemic rules because of improving COVID-19 conditions.

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The state Department of Public Health said Tuesday that Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange and 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.



WASHINGTON  A top White House adviser for the coronavirus is encouraging young people to get vaccinated, sharing his sons struggles after acquiring the virus.

Andy Slavitt revealed during a White House briefing Tuesday that one of his sons was diagnosed with the virus late last year and still suffers from lingering side effects.

Hes appealing to younger Americans to roll up their sleeves, even if they feel theyre at less risk than older Americans for serious medical consequences.

Slavitt says his teenage son was young and fit and in the prime of his life. But six months later, he still suffers from tachycardia, shortness of breath, and ongoing and frequent flu-like symptoms. His hands are cold to the touch.

Slavitt adds: Many young people are in this situation, and many, many have it worse. According to the CDC, more than 3 million kids under 17 have contracted COVID-19.



ATLANTA  A U.S. government report finds rural counties are behind urban counties in their coronavirus vaccination efforts, a gap that could slow the fight against the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that 39% of adults in rural counties had received at least one shot compared to 46% in urban counties as of April 10. The rural lag holds up in women, men and both younger and older adults.

Polling suggests rural Americans are more likely than others to say theyll avoid vaccination. The CDC report says rural Americans may have more trouble traveling to distant vaccination sites.

Early in the pandemic, the coronavirus hit large cities. By September, it spread throughout the country and case rates in rural areas eventually surpassed urban centers. Some research suggests rural Americans may be more vulnerable to serious infection and death from COVID-19.

The CDC says public health departments should work with doctors, pharmacies, faith groups and employers in rural areas to address the gap in coverage.



WASHINGTON  Federal health officials are releasing $3 billion to help states cope with rising substance abuse and mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The money approved by Congress in President Joe Bidens coronavirus relief bill will be equally divided between the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, roughly tripling the federal commitment to the programs, officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported 90,000 overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending last September, which represents 20,000 additional lives lost compared with the same period a year earlier.

Reported episodes of anxiety and depression were up sharply last year, and more people experienced suicidal thoughts. But there was a drop in the use of mental health and substance abuse treatment. Although people are using mental health services again, it hasnt returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The money will be distributed through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The United Arab Emirates says it will offer booster shots six months after vaccination for those who received the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm shot.

The announcement Tuesday comes after some in the UAE received a third shot amid concerns of a low antibody response from the vaccine.

Last month, Chinas top disease control official, in a rare acknowledgement, said current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus.

China has distributed hundreds of millions of doses of domestically made vaccines abroad and is relying on them for its own mass immunization campaign. The state-owned company has not publicly published peer-reviewed data on the final stage clinical trial research and been criticized for a lack of transparency.

The UAE initially said the vaccine was 86% effective in the first public release of information on the shots efficacy. But in the time since, it has offered no study data to support its figures.



NEW DELHI  The Serum Institute of India says it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the U.N. backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, which will significantly set back global efforts to immunize people against COVID-19.

In March, Indias Serum Institute, the worlds biggest vaccine maker and the main supplier of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX, said it was postponing all exports of coronavirus vaccines to deal with the explosive surge of cases on the subcontinent. At the time, the World Health Organization and Gavi announced the delay would affect about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but they expected deliveries to resume by June.

SII has delivered more than 200 million doses, the company said in a statement posted to its Twitter account. It says in the past few days, theres been intense discussion on the decision of the Indian government and vaccine manufacturers about the possible export of vaccines.

We continue to scale up and prioritize India, the company says. We also hope to start delivering to COVAX and other countries by the end of the year.



GENEVA  More than 60 countries want the World Trade Organization member states to temporarily ease protections on the know-how behind vaccines, medicine and tests for the coronavirus.

They are appealing to approximately 140 other members to step forward as soon as possible to flesh out a text for the proposal. The 62 WTO member states -- mostly developing countries -- have rallied around a proposal first made by India and South Africa that garnered some support from the Biden administration when it comes to vaccines.

A joint statement from the countries says theyll soon present a revised proposal on the issue that aims to get coronavirus help to the neediest people -- whether in rich or poor countries.

The 62 states also pledged flexibility on the issue to ensure swift outcomes that would suit a majority of WTO member states. However, the WTO operates by consensus -- meaning any single country could block the proposal. Some have expressed strong opposition.

Wealthy countries with strong pharmaceutical industries say such a temporary intellectual property waiver could have a long-lasting impacting innovation and would take months to carry out -- rendering it ineffective against urgent supply shortages faced in many countries. They say a better solution would be immediate donations of vaccines from rich countries that have extra doses.

Proponents insist capacity to scale up production of vaccines exists, but the protections under WTO rules prevent it.



NICOSIA, Cyprus  Cyprus health minister says private doctors can administer the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19 to anyone over age 20 to expedite its vaccination program.

Constantinos Ioannou says the governments online vaccination appointment program will re-open for all ages so anyone who missed out the first time around can make the arrangement.

So far, 45.2% of its 875,000 population has received at least one shot and 15.5% have completed their vaccination. Ioannou says the governments target to vaccinate two-thirds of the population by the end of June remains on track.

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We saw some students say, Ill just wait til all of this is over [and] I can come back to campus, he said. A lot of our rural colleges and counterparts experienced just extraordinary challenges in reaching students who dont have the technology access. More than one student told me that they were finishing their college degree literally by doing their classes on their phone.

Bullock, for her part, said the general upheavals caused by the shutdowns last year seemed to be a big factor, especially for students with children.

I mean, kids were home, she said. How do you factor in your own education when you have three kids who need to be [studying remotely]? ... Community colleges felt that shock the strongest.

She added that because so many community college students come from lower-income backgrounds, the drop those schools have seen in enrollment during the pandemic translates to a significant hit to the working-class sector in our nation  one that could translate to lower wages and narrower job opportunities for them in the long run.

Hutchison said that local employers, many of whom are already struggling to recruit skilled workers, could also feel the impacts of the enrollment drop in a year or two.
Each cell block also has video call centers for inmates to call family at a cost. Inmates can earn money by working while at the jail or an inmates family can send money to use. Other features included outdoor areas in each cell block and checker boards printed on the table giving inmates more recreation options.

One of the new cell blocks is built for elderly inmates and those with medical needs. The cells are a little bit larger than the others so the two beds are both closer to the ground and at the same level. Electrical outlets are also installed in each of the cells so that if an inmate needs to use any machines, such as a breathing machine, then that is available to them. The outlets can be turned off from the control room when not in use.

Fisher said when someone is booked at the jail they look at their previous behaviors as an inmate if they had been there before and the seriousness of the offense they committed in order to keep all inmates safe. So were not putting some people from two different gangs in the same cell, he said. That would be a problem.

While they wait for the building to be ready, Fisher said the sheriffs office is training officers and hiring new ones to fill 46 new positions at the jail. That has been a challenge with COVID. We have hired several but we need to hire several more.
For prevention, N-CCS plans to use the money to hire more custodial staff and sanitation supplies, install touchless bathroom dispensers and is considering creating outdoor learning spaces, since COVID-19 is transmitted through the air, Gabriel said.

N-CCS is planning to tackle learning loss with the funding as well, which may include new English as a second language teachers, summer schools and technology investments. With increasing technology use, the school also plans to hire technicians to repair and maintain devices, Gabriel said.

N-CCS also plans to use the money to address mental health issues in students, he said, but did not mention specifics. The school system already has an intervention specialist at every school.

The need is great, Gabriel said. If you think about an ice storm, it exposes weakness in the limbs of trees. COVID-19 exposed mental health problems. COVID-19 didnt create it, but its exposed holes.

Gabriel said figuring out how the funding can be used is a challenge, and rules are still changing.

Catawba County Schools was allotted a total of $41.6 million in the three pots of ESSER money, Superintendent Matt Stover said.
If a settlement is reached in opioid litigation, Catawba County has agreed to receive about 2 percent of North Carolinas county share of the settlement money.

A resolution supporting a memorandum of understanding between the state, Catawba County and other counties involved was passed by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners Monday night. The agreement gives the lions share of any settlement money to North Carolina counties and municipalities, Catawba County Attorney Debra Bechtel said.

Catawba County joined lawsuits against opioid pharmaceutical manufacturers in 2019 because of the impact the opioid crisis has had on Catawba County and its citizens, Bechtel said. The manufacturers include Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, according to the memorandum.

Settlements are expected to be reached soon, and states with plans in place for how the money will be distributed saw quick disbursement, but most of the money went to the state and not the counties, Bechtel said.

Last year, she stepped up to be part of a 15-person team to get North Carolina counties a fair share of any possible settlement in North Carolina. The memorandum of understanding the state and counties agreed on gives 85 percent of any settlement money directly to the counties and municipalities involved.
NEWTON  Nu Chapter, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, recently held its annual Treasured Roses Ceremony to recognize members for their long-term years of service to Nu Chapter.

This special event, held at the outdoor pavilion behind Beth Eden Lutheran Church in Newton, honored 10 members in a ceremony led by Michelle Shelly, leadership development chair, and Regina Propst, second vice president.

Nu Chapter reached a first-time milestone when two members were recognized for 50 years of continued service and leadership. Brenda Eckard, a retired middle school teacher in the Newton-Conover City Schools system, and Pat Gibson, a retired associate superintendent in the Newton-Conover City Schools system, both received a 50-year service pin and were honored with a $50 donation to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Betty Blackburn and Phyllis Parsons were recognized for 35 years of continued service and leadership. Linda Fisher was recognized for 25 years of service, and Yvonne Hilderbran achieved 20 years of service. The following were recognized for 15 years of continued service and leadership: Stephanie Calderon, Shawn Clemons, Marsha Fanning, and Sarah Wallace.
" " Finland, along with Denmark, Norway and Sweden, consistently wins the prize for the general happiness and well-being of its citizens. But why is this ridiculously happy country typically left off the list of Scandinavian countries? PublicDomainPictures (CC0 1.0)

Geographically, Finland is the eighth largest country in the European Union. With a land area of 117,344 square miles (or 303,920 square kilometers), it's bigger than Italy, Austria or Greece, to name a few.

The place is not easily categorized. Modern Finland shares borders with Russia, Sweden and Norway. Also, it's flanked by the Gulf of Bothnia and (go figure) the Gulf of Finland. So Finland is obviously part of Northern Europe.

But since humans love classifying things, there's a natural urge to lump this home of 5.5 million souls into a smaller, clearly defined subregion.

Some sources  like various travel guides and the Monty Python musical, "Spamalot"  will tell you Finland is Scandinavian. Yet it's more often cited as one of the "Nordic Countries." While those two terms are related, they're not necessarily synonyms.

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Uniting Scandinavia

The word "Scandinavia" is derived from "Scania," the name of a historical province in southern Sweden. "Scandinavia," as a distinct term, was first popularized in the mid-1800s.

Pull out a map and you'll see that Sweden is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. This mountainous stretch of land in the North Atlantic also contains the entirety of Norway  plus bits of Russia and Finland.

" " Finland is larger than most people realize, encompassing an area greater than Italy, Greece or Austria. Encyclopaedia Britannica/Getty Images

Thing is, not every country with holdings on the Scandinavian Peninsula is considered "Scandinavian." Russia definitely isn't. And Finland ... well, we'll get back to Finland.

Denmark and Sweden had been recurring rivals for centuries, waging numerous wars against each other (often with Norway's involvement). But in 1851, academics in both countries started calling for solidarity. "Pan-Scandinavianism"  as their movement came to be known  emphasized the rich cultural heritage that Danes shared with Swedes and Norwegians.

Language was one of the many things their people had in common.

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Let's Have Words

The Danish, Swedish and Norwegian languages are all related. They're classified as North Germanic languages, putting them in the same linguistic family as Icelandic and Faroese. Many words and phrases are shared between them. Native Swedes can often decipher texts written in Danish or Norwegian, for example.

" " A statue of Alexander II stands in front of the Helsinki Dom, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran cathedral which is a distinctive landmark of Senate Square in the capital city. ullstein bild/Getty Images

Which brings us to one of the key differences between Finland and its Scandinavian neighbors. See, Finnish isn't a North Germanic language at all. Actually, it's a Finno-Ugric language, which puts it in the same family as Hungarian and Estonian. One notable feature of the Finno-Ugric languages is their lack of grammatical gender; in Finnish, the pronoun "han" means both "he" and "she."

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Swedish Ties

Thanks to their similar languages and the legacy of the Pan-Scandinavianism movement, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are the three countries universally regarded as "Scandinavian" today (even though Denmark's not a part of the Scandinavian Peninsula).

So case closed, right? Well, let's not be too hasty.

We can't ignore the fact that the Kingdom of Sweden ruled parts of Finland for 600 years. Right up until 1809, when the Russian Empire claimed it during the Napoleonic Wars.

Although Finland became an independent nation in the early 20th century, it still retains Sweden's influence. After all, Swedish is the native language for over 5 percent of the Finnish population.

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The Nordic Countries

Defining cultural regions can be tricky. (Is Texas a Southern state or a Western one? You tell us.) The usual consensus among Northern Europeans is that "Scandinavia" only includes Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

On the other hand, the New York City-based American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) describes itself as "the leading cultural and educational link between the U.S. and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden." Note the expanded list of nations.

Ultimately, the question of whether Finland is Scandinavian or not is open to some debate. But here's a point everyone agrees on: The land of Nokia phones and Santa Claus Village is one of the "Nordic Countries." That gang is made up of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden  along with their autonomous regions and territories (ergo, Greenland and the Faroe Islands make the cut; they're both part of the Kingdom of Denmark).

Representatives from all these places sit on the Nordic Council. An inter-parliamentary body, this organization facilitates cooperation between its member countries.

Now That's Happy Finland was recognized as the happiest country on Earth by the World Happiness Report in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Denmark, Norway and Sweden have each held the top spot at least once since 2012.
Help India!



Muslims comprise 5.86 per cent of Tamil Nadus population according to the 2011 census, but only 7 Muslims have been elected to the 234 seats Legislative Assembly in 2021 Assembly Elections and none belong to a Muslim party. Two of these Muslim candidates are part of the new cabinet headed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams (DMK) President and Chief Minister M.K Stalin. A TCN Ground Report looks at the performance of Muslim candidates in the southern Indian state and what ails their representation in electoral politics.

Shalini S, TwoCircles.net

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Tamil Nadu: The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams (DMK) President M.K Stalin emerged victorious in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021 against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in alliance with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Edappadi K Palaniswami. M.K Stalin was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 7.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021 was a much-anticipated one with iconic leaders M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalitha of the two Dravidian fronts gone. Opening up the political vacuum, cine stars like Rajinikanth (only to exit later) and Kamala Hassan announced their entry into the political arena. The Tamil nationalist party, Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) led by Seeman, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) led by T.T.V. Dinakaran and Makkal Neethi Mayyam (MNM) led by Kamal Hassan were the other alternatives for people in Tamil Nadu.

However, the Muslim political parties retained the status of fringe parties or minority wing of DMK.

Muslims comprise 5.86 per cent of Tamil Nadus population according to the 2011 census, but only 7 Muslims have been elected to the 234 seats Legislative Assembly in 2021 Assembly Elections and none belong to a Muslim party.

The new Council of Ministers includes 2 Muslim candidates in its cabinet, with S.M Nasar as Minister for Milk & Dairy and K.S Masthaan as Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare. The outgoing assembly had 5 MLAs but no Muslim Ministers in its cabinet.

No elected candidates from Muslim Parties

Muslim parties in Tamil Nadu like Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) were in alliance with DMK. Secular Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were in Alliance with AMMK.

IUML, SDPI, and AIMIM did not secure a single seat in their allotted constituencies. MMK fought for two seats in Papanasam and Manaparai and won in both constituencies.

Jalaluddin, State Joint Secretary of Islamic Democratic Forum and a political analyst based in Pondicherry told TwoCircles.net, MMK candidates were able to win as they contested under the rising sun (DMK) symbol.

In the Papanasam constituency, M. H Jawahirullah won with a margin of 16,273 votes against the AIADMK opponent K. Gopinathan. In the Manapparai constituency, Abdul Samad P won with a margin of 12,243 votes against AIADMKs R. Chandrasekar.

Kanimozhi (NTK) secured 3rd position in Manapparai constituency. Both Chandrasekar and Kanimozhi belong to the Urali Goundercaste, the majority in Manaparai, the vote split between AIADMK and NTK proved beneficial for the MMK candidate, Abdul Samad.

IUML contested under their independent symbol in Chidambaram, Vaniyambadi and Kadayanallur.

In Chidambaram and Kadayanallur, IUML candidates, A. S. Abdul Rahman Rabbani and K. A. M Muhammed Abubacker lost with heavy margins contesting against AIADMK candidates.

In Vaniyambadi, a heavily Muslim populated region in Vellore, IUML candidate N. Mohammad Nayeem lost with a small margin of 4,904 votes contesting against G. Senthil Kumar (AIADMK).

Social activist Palar A.C. Venkatesan told The Hindu that the people in Vaniyambadi will never vote for a party thats in alliance with BJP. Given that, AIDMKs victory in this constituency is appalling with the pending of the Thenpennai  Palar river link project for ten years now under its reign.

Do Muslim parties lack a charismatic leader?

Next in order, SDPI and AIMIM faced defeat with a heavy margin in all of their constituencies. SDPI had contested in six constituencies and AIMIM in three.

Jalaluddin remarks the total vote percentage of SDPI in the assembly election as 0.06 % and AIMIMs vote percentage as 0.01%. The total vote count of the SDPI candidates is 26,289 and the total vote count of AIMIM candidates is 3,045.

Rizwan, a Tamil Nadu based journalist, reasoned lack of organizational skills and political maturity among AIMIM and SDPI for their poor performance in the election.

Jalaluddin, in general, observed that all Muslim political parties in Tamil Nadu lack charismatic leadership.

Commenting on the charges against SDPI as violent and rigid, Rizwan said, It is true that SDPI will not compromise easily in an alliance, and it is a good thing too. SDPI cadres are mostly from the lower middle class or downtrodden. They are being looked at as having an elite mindset. When SDPI wants to sustain its autonomy, it is seen in communal lines.

He said, for such reasons, parties like AIMIM and SDPI are branded as B-team of BJP by hardcore DMK cadres, to maintain the Dravidian partys electoral dominance.

Elected Muslim candidates in DMK alliance

Three DMK Muslim candidates, Abdul Wahab, Nazar and Masthan won in the Palayangkottai, Avadi and Gingee constituencies respectively.

Aloor Shanavas, Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchi (VCK) candidate in alliance with DMK secured a seat in the Nagapattinam constituency with a winning margin of 7,238 votes against an AIADMK candidate.

VCK in its election Manifesto has highlighted the issues of CAA and wrongly convicted Muslims in Tamil Nadus prisons. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 2015, shows that in Tamil Nadu, the percentage of Muslims currently incarcerated was almost thrice the percentage of the Muslim population living outside.

Assan Maulana of the TN Congress committee in alliance with DMK won in Velachery Constituency defeating an AIADMK candidate with a Margin of 4,352 votes. Out of the 10 Muslim representatives from the DMK alliance, 7 secured seats while IUML lost all three.

AIADMK had only one Muslim candidate, Syed Khan, who stood in the Cumbum constituency and lost to the DMK candidate N. Ramakrishnan. Other parties like NTK had 11 Muslim candidates, MNM had 8 and AMMK only one, all of whom lost. It is to be noted that no party outside the two leading alliances secured a single seat.

Will DMK assure better prospects for Tamil Nadus Muslims?

While talking to TwoCircles.net, Jalaluddin said, DMK didnt have to appease the minority as the Muslim population was anti-incumbent. DMK was complacent in its attitude. Tamil Nadus socio-political scenario is not Periyar anymore. The Hindutva propaganda is steadily rising in the state. M.K. Stalin also openly stated in the campaign that 90% of his party cadres are Hindu. The party is forced to do it and will not openly support the Muslim cause. However, the appointment of two Muslim candidates in the cabinet is a good sign. The Muslim population will expect the states solidarity against CAA. DMK cannot entirely wipe out the Hindutva propaganda against Muslims but can dilute it to a good extent.

The Muslim parties have extended unconditional support to the DMK alliance to counter the BJP insinuation in the state of Tamil Nadu. Even Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK), a breakaway group of MMK and an ally to AIADMK in the 2016 election had extended its solidarity to DMK. Non-political organizations like Jamaat ul Ulama Peravai openly supported the DMK alliance to consolidate the minority vote against the AIADMK  BJP alliance.

We were clear about not voting for the BJP alliance. We wanted someone new to come to power. Other small parties did not stand a chance, the Muslim population came together to counter any BJP insinuation than to establish their power. So the votes went to DMK alliance than the small Muslim parties, the Muslim youths of Tamil Nadu told TwoCircles.net.

The Muslim population of Tamil Nadu has invested their vote and trust in the DMK alliance. Whether the party will live up to the expectations of the Muslims and provide them with a sound and promising livelihood will only be determined in time.
" " An Israeli settler cleans outside her house in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied east Jerusalem on May 5, 2021. Israeli Jews backed by courts have taken over houses in Sheikh Jarrah in east Jerusalem on the grounds that Jewish families lived there before fleeing in Israel's 1948 war for independence. The claimants want to evict more Palestinians, and Israel's Supreme Court is set to announce a decision soon. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

Zionism is a nationalist movement that successfully established an independent state for the Jewish people in 1948 and continues to support Judaism's claim to Israel, its ancient homeland. It is also one of the most complex and controversial political ideas of the past 150 years.

Although Zionism draws its name from the biblical Mount Zion, it isn't primarily a religious movement. True, many of the Jewish people have yearned for a return to Abraham's "Promised Land" for 2,000 years, but the leaders of the modern Zionist movement weren't driven by messianic zeal. In fact, most were secular and even agnostic Jews who identified the Jewish people as a nation rather than a religion. Zionism for them meant the creation of an independent political state for the Jewish nation.

Zionism itself wouldn't be problematic if the Jewish people were the only people with claims on the Holy Land. Palestinian Arabs, who comprised the majority of people living in the land known as Palestine for centuries under the yoke of both the Ottoman and British empires, feel that the land should be rightfully theirs.

The result is one of the thorniest and most hotly debated political issues in the modern world. Zionists and other supporters of Israel argue that the safety and continued existence of the brutally persecuted Jewish people depends on the existence of a Jewish state, and the rightful place for that state is Judaism's ancestral homeland.

Meanwhile, Palestinians and their supporters cast Zionism as an imperialist (or worse, racist) movement that forcefully colonized Arab lands and subjugated the native Palestinian people as second-class citizens. Beyond those already striking divisions, decades of war and sectarian violence have inflicted deep emotional wounds that turn any discussion of Zionism into a potential minefield.

To understand how we got here, let's start with the birth of the modern Zionist movement, which took place in Europe at the tail end of the 19th century.

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The 'Jewish Question'

Nationalist movements swept across Europe in the early and mid-19th century. For centuries, different ethnic and cultural groups had been forced to live together under sprawling empires and kingdoms. But now, in places like Italy and Germany, new European states were forged around people with a shared language and cultural history.

This left some European Jews wondering, are we not also a nation? Jews were living in a scattered diaspora in nation-states that mostly treated them as suspect foreigners and occasionally welcomed them as full citizens, as France did in 1790.

Even before the eruption of violent anti-Jewish raids (pogroms) in Eastern Europe, Jewish intellectuals struggled with what was known as the "Jewish question" or the "Jewish problem." The issue was whether it was even possible for Jews to be truly free and equal in someone else's nation. And as anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence increased in the 19th century, this question became far more urgent.

"In many ways, modern Zionism was a response to the 'Jewish question,'" says Daniel Kotzin, a history professor at Medaille College in upstate New York, who has conducted extensive research on the Zionist movement and teaches a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "What is the place of Jews in Europe in a post-Enlightenment age?"

" " Theodor Herzl, seen here sailing to Palestine in 1898, was the father of modern political Zionism. He formed the Zionist Organization and promoted Jewish immigration to Palestine in an effort to form a Jewish state. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty

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The Dreyfus Affair and Theodor Herzl, the Father of Zionism

If Europe's Jews needed a catalyst to pursue independent nationhood, they found it in the Dreyfus Affair.

In 1894, a French army captain named Henry Dreyfus was falsely accused and convicted of treason in a highly publicized trial. Dreyfus, a secular Jew, became the target of openly anti-Semitic attacks in the press.

"Here is this army officer, the epitome of an emancipated and assimilated Jew," says Kotzin, but even he wasn't seen as a true Frenchman. "The people behind the treasonous accusations spread this false idea that Jews could never be part of the European nation state and should always be viewed with suspicion."

Among the journalists covering the Dreyfus Affair was an Austrian playwright named Theodor Herzl, who was living in Paris as a foreign correspondent for a Viennese newspaper. Herzl, himself a fully assimilated and nonreligious European Jew, wrote later that he identified deeply with Dreyfus. If a man of Dreyfus' stature wasn't immune from anti-Semitism, who was?

In 1896, Herzl published "Der Judenstaat" ("The Jewish State"), a call to Jewish nationhood that launched the modern Zionist movement. In it, Herzl argued that the establishment of an independent Jewish nation would not only be good for Jews, but good for Europe.

"Herzl said that anti-Semitism causes divisions within nations," says Kotzin. "If you can find a place for Jews to go, then that would solve a problem that was more than a 'Jewish problem.' It was a problem that plagued Europe."

Coming on the heels of the Dreyfus Affair, Herzl's writings found a ready audience among many Jewish intellectuals. In 1897, the First Zionist Congress met in Basel, Switzerland, and Herzl dedicated the rest of his short life  he died from a heart attack in 1904  to securing political and financial support for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Kotzin points out that while Herzl is considered the father of the "Political Zionist" movement, there are several different streams of Zionism present in the 19th and 20th century. "Cultural Zionism," for example, was a movement led by the Ukrainian-born intellectual Ahad Ha-Am, which called for a spiritual rebirth of Judaism in Israel, not necessarily an independent state.

" " Arabs demonstrate in the Old City of Jerusalem against the Jewish immigration to Palestine in 1937. The arrow points to Jamal al-Husayni, chairman of the Palestinian Arab Party. AFP via Getty Images

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The Balfour Declaration

To Zionists, there are few documents more important than a short letter written in 1917 by the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, to Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, heir to the Rothschild banking fortune and president of the British Zionist Federation.

The letter, known as the "Balfour Declaration," expresses a "declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations" and states that "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object."

While far from a mandate or official compact, the Balfour letter was a huge step forward for the Zionist movement, which to that date had only sent small delegations of Jewish emigres to settle in Palestine, much to the dismay of Arab Palestinians.

"Here you have the most powerful empire in the world at the time saying to the Jewish people, we're going to help you find a home in your native land of Palestine," says Kotzin. "This was enormously important."

When the British took control of Palestine after World War I, the stage was set for conflict. Jewish immigration to Palestine increased, and Arab resentment of Balfour's betrayal boiled over into violent clashes. The next two decades saw Arab riots and rebellions, and when the British tried to clamp down on Jewish immigration, Zionists also fought back.

To critics of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration was a betrayal. Kotzin says that the British "were making promises left, right and center" between 1915 and 1917, including a promise to help create a pan-Arab state in the Middle East in return for Arab support fighting the Ottomans in World War I. Arab Palestinians kept their end of the bargain, and the Balfour Declaration essentially reneged on the deal.

" " Following the United Nations vote dividing Palestine, David Ben-Gurion declared Israel a state in Tel-Aviv. Above him is a portrait of Theodore Herzl. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

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The Holocaust Changes Everything

In his book, "Zionism: A Very Short Introduction," Columbia University historian Michael Stanislawski says that until 1945, Zionism remained a "small minority movement" within the global Jewish community with loud critics from both the religious and secular camps. But the situation changed dramatically after the murder of 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis.

"The need for an independent Jewish state to serve as a safe haven for Jews became not only widespread but central to Jewish consciousness throughout the world," writes Stanislawski.

Large numbers of Holocaust survivors were living at makeshift refugee camps in Europe while Allied governments argued over what to do with them. The British had all but cut off Jewish immigration to Palestine in 1939 in an effort to secure favor with Arab oil-producing nations, but U.S. President Harry Truman now called on Great Britain to allow 100,000 Jewish refugees to enter Palestine immediately, according to Stanislawski.

The British, already the target of Arab and Zionist attacks, saw no viable solution, so in 1947 they handed over the seething Jewish-Palestinian problem to the newly created United Nations (U.N.).

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Founding of the State of Israel

In November 1947, the U.N. passed a resolution to partition or divide Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, of roughly equal sizes (at the time the 1.85 million-strong population of Palestine was one-third Jewish and two-thirds Arab.) The Palestinians flatly rejected the U.N. plan and took up arms against the Zionists in what was essentially a civil war for control of the Holy Land.

As internal fighting raged on, the British set a date of May 15, 1948, for its official departure. The day before British armed forces left Palestine, the Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel, knowing full well that such a provocation would invite all-out war with neighboring Arab nations.

Stanislawski notes that Ben-Gurion's declaration makes no mention of God or the biblical promise of a Jewish homeland. That wasn't the Zionist message. Instead, Ben-Gurion declared the right of the Jews to establish Israel was "the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State."

As Ben-Gurion and the Zionists expected, five different Arab nations immediately declared war on the new state of Israel. To demonstrate the opposing perspectives of this war and its outcome, Israelis call it the "war of independence" and Arabs call it nakba or "the catastrophe."

It's not just the names that are different. As historian Benny Morris has demonstrated, there are also two starkly opposing narratives about how and why hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs left Palestine during the war and became refugees in Jordan and Syria.

In the Zionist account, Palestinians willingly fled the war zone because their Arab allies warned of an imminent invasion that would "drive the Jews into the sea." In the Palestinian account, the Israeli army raided their villages and brutally drove them out at gunpoint.

According to historical documents, there is clear evidence that some Palestinians fled the homes out of fear of violence by Israeli Defense Forces, both real and imagined. Morris, a defender of Israel, conceded in his book "1948: The First Arab-Israeli War," that "the Jews committed far more atrocities than the Arabs and killed far more civilians and PoWs in deliberate acts of brutality in the course of 1948."

Ultimately, Israel won the war and walked away with 50 percent more territory than it would have been granted by the U.N. partition plan. That territory did not yet include the so-called Occupied Territories in Gaza and the West Bank, which were added after Israel's victory in the Six-Day War of 1967.

" " A Palestinian firefighter extinguishes a fire from a beachside cafe after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel killed a senior Palestinian militant commander in heavy air strikes on Gaza on Monday and Islamist groups renewed rocket attacks on Israeli cities despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire. Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Zionism and Its Critics Today

The troubling "Jewish Question" that led to the creation of the Zionist movement has now become the "Palestinian Question." After decades of conflict, can Israelis and Palestinians find a way to live in peace?

Many left-leaning Israelis and other Zionists recognize the plight of the Palestinians and support a two-state solution similar to the U.N. partition, while more conservative backers of Israel oppose such concessions, claiming that Palestinian leaders and their Arab allies continue to seek the destruction of the Jewish homeland.

Not only is the history of Zionism complex and messy, but so are the emotions and opinions surrounding it. Criticism of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians has stoked protests on college campuses and calls for economic boycotts of Israel similar to those levied against South Africa during Apartheid. Such criticisms of Israel strike a nerve in Jewish supporters of Israel because the line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is dangerously thin.

HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article.

Now That's Interesting Herzl and early Zionists explored the possibility of establishing a temporary Jewish state in East Africa while plans for Palestine could be formalized. The plan was called the "Uganda Scheme" though the area proposed was in modern-day Kenya.

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Originally Published: Jun 1, 2020
What's the best way to make some side hustle cash? Photo: Shutterstock

Australia ranks as one of the best countries in the world to sell your skills on the side, according to new analysis.

With an average of $766 earnings per job, Australia is the third highest-paying country in the world, just behind Switzerland and Sweden, when it comes to completing work on freelance marketplace Fiverr.

Online design platform Canva analysed the site across 50 different skillsets to find the earning potential of different creative industries online in 37 OECD countries.

The data comes after a transformative year for work globally.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions saw unemployment numbers soar in countries across the world, with many falling into the gig economy to see them through.

The subsequent recovery meanwhile saw nearly two in every three jobs created being casual ones, as employers and businesses avoided adding permanent numbers to their payrolls.

While Australian politicians argue over the legal status of gig workers, a growing number of Australians are considering freelance or contract work.

The analysis has plenty of insights into the kind of work being offered online.

The highest-paid side hustles in Australia

When it comes to the highest-paid jobs on average, there are two clear front runners when it comes to short-term jobs.

The first is 2D and 3D modelling work, which for projects spanning three days or less, pays an average of $126.

The average proofreading and editing job meanwhile pays $121, making it the only other niche to pay in three-figures.

Australians offering SEO services helping websites rank higher on search engines meanwhile can expect an average payday of around $86, while the next ranked positions of website designers and illustrators tend to attract rates of just half that.





3D and 2D modelling ranks as the best paid job on both an average and maximum basis.

None of that seems particularly high considering the number of hours some projects may demand. Then again, freelance marketplaces tend to pay less than what professional freelancers generally receive.

Canva also examined what the top earners in each profession stood to make. The difference in pay is significant.

Those doing 3D and 2D modelling can rake in up to $650 per project, or five times what the average Australian modeller was charging. Top SEO freelancers meanwhile are making around $350 per gig, or four times the average.

In fact, most of the best freelancers in the top 10 professions tended to earn around four times the average with one key exception. In-demand proofreaders and editors only manage to make 50% more than the average, owing perhaps to an oversupply of workers.

According to Canva, there are more editors on Fiverr than any other profession with nearly 280 of them competing for work on the site.

They are followed by video editors, illustrators, social media advertisers and animators.

Unsurprisingly, 2D and 3D modellers are comparatively few and far between with less than 60 on the site which may explain why they also demand the highest paid jobs.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of completed jobs has increased by 6.5%, with the greatest growth seen for business card designers, photoshop editors, and coders.

For many though, the data shows that while side hustles might be a useful source of income, most projects arent an adequate replacement for a permanent role.

This article was originally published on Business Insider Australia.
Horizon Minerals Limited

Horizon Minerals Limited (HRZ.AX) Acquisition of Bulong South, Glandore and Cowarna Projects

Perth, Australia, May 18, 2021 - (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is pleased to announce it has executed a binding Tenement Sale Agreement with private mining company Aurenne Group Holdings ("Aurenne") for 100% interest in the Bulong South, Glandore and Cowarna gold projects in the Western Australian goldfields (Figures 2 and 3*).



Commenting on the significant acquisition, Managing Director Mr Jon Price said:



"Horizon's core focus remains firmly set on developing a stand-alone gold production business in the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie regions and this significant acquisition aligns with our strategy of further regional consolidation of advanced, complementary development assets in close proximity of the proposed Boorara Mill.



"The Cannon underground gold project presents a high-grade near-term development opportunity that will now be incorporated into the consolidated Feasibility Study and can provide high grade ore feed in the early years to complement the base load Boorara deposit and the four advanced open pit and underground satellite projects currently under evaluation.



"We also see the potential for significant resource growth and exploration upside from the Bulong South, Glandore and exciting Cowarna project areas with multiple walk-up drill targets on major geological structures. Drill planning is now underway, and we look forward to providing further updates as we complete the transaction, update mine development studies and commence exploration drilling."



Bulong South contains the development ready high grade Cannon gold project (Figures 1 and 2*) which now joins the baseload Boorara project, Rose Hill, Binduli, Teal and Kalpini satellite deposits as core development projects under evaluation to underpin the proposed construction of a stand-alone processing plant at Boorara1.



The following sections provide a summary of the projects and the significant development and exploration potential of the project areas.



Bulong South and Glandore gold projects



Bulong South is located approximately 28km southeast of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia (Figures 2 and 3*) and 10km east of the 100% owned Boorara gold project by existing roads. The project comprises three granted mining leases, two prospecting licences, two exploration licences and four miscellaneous leases covering a total area of approximately 180km2. The project includes the high-grade Cannon gold project and a significant number of historic mines and workings within the rich quartz vein system. Glandore sits 4km to the east of Bulong South (Figure 3*).



History



There are mine workings such as historic shafts, modern open cut pits (Cannon open pit) and trenches within the tenements that have been worked since the early 1900s with a significant amount of gold nuggets reported from local prospectors.



Previous exploration was undertaken by a number of companies and prospectors including Cyprus Gold Ltd and Roebuck Resources NL with a number of anomalies identified, shallow RAB drilling conducted and at least three areas of gold mineralisation intersected.



Southern Gold Ltd (ASX:SAU) discovered the Cannon deposit in 2008 as the northern strike extension of the George's Reward deposit held by Northern Mining Ltd and then Metals X Ltd. Open pit mining commenced at the Cannon and George's Reward deposits in August 2015 under a finance, mining and processing agreement with Metals X Ltd (now Westgold Resources Ltd).



The Cannon open pit produced 53koz grading 3.02g/t Au and 91% metallurgical recovery with mining completed in June 2017. Southern Gold then completed an extensional drilling program and defined an updated underground Mineral Resource estimate as announced to the ASX on 9 October 2017.



An underground Feasibility Study and maiden underground Ore Reserve was completed in November 2017, updated in 2019 and announced to the ASX on 6 May 2019. During this period, Westgold sold its South Kalgoorlie assets, including its interest in the Cannon Mine, to Northern Star Resources Ltd as announced to the ASX on 8 March 2018.



As announced by Southern Gold Ltd to the ASX on 10 December 2018, agreement was reached with Northern Star Resources Ltd for the consolidation of the project area securing the tenure covering the strike extension of the Cannon shear zone.



In August 2019, Southern Gold announced the sale of the project and the Glandore and Cowarna tenements to private mining company Aurenne Group Holdings Ltd. Aurenne has completed a number of drilling programs across the tenement packages since the acquisition before deciding to divest the projects to focus on the Menzies region.



Geology



The projects are located within the Kurnalpi Terrane which forms part of the regionally extensive Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt and sit in the western part of the Bulong ultramafic complex in the Boorara domain.



The Bulong South and Glandore projects are located in the western part of the Bulong ultramafic complex consisting of a 5km thick sequence of komatiitic lava flows made up of thick serpentinised peridotite in the centre of the complex, flanked by thin spinifex-textured komatiitic flows at the top of the sequence.



The Cannon Deposit is hosted within a sequence of ultramafic and high-Mg basaltic rocks intruded by a mafic-intermediate suite of lamprophyre dykes, and rarer dacitic dykes. The greenstone sequence strikes N-S while intrusions strike NNE-SSW with variable dips to the west and east. In the vicinity of the Cannon pit, a prominent N-S trending quartz vein extends for at least 1.5km to the southwest of Cannon and a numbers of smaller quartz veins sub-parallel to the main vein is also present.



*To view the full release including tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/31PY1457







About Horizon Minerals Limited:



Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.



Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.



Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.



Contact:



Jon Price

Managing Director

T: +61 8 9386 9534

E: jon.price@horizonminerals.com.au



Michael Vaughan

Media Relations - Fivemark Partners

T: +61 422 602 720

E: michael.vaughan@fivemark.com.au



Source:

Horizon Minerals Limited



Copyright (C) 2021 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 18 (ANI): The Supreme Court of Nepal on Tuesday refused to issue an interim order on writ petitions, seeking scrapping of the May 14 oath of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana led single-bench did not issue any interim order on a writ petition seeking scrapping of the May 14 oath of Prime Minister Oli, reported The Himalayan Times.

The writ petitions were filed on Sunday by senior advocate Dr Chandra Kanta Gyawali and advocates Keshar Jung KC and Lokendra Oli on reasoning that the process was erroneous, it further reported.

The apex court has told the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to come up with written responses within 15 days regarding the oath taken by PM Oli.

"On the oath of the prime minister and ministers, the final decision will be taken after the written response of the defendants so there is no need to issue an interim order now as demanded by the petitioners," stated the order of the Supreme Court after its preliminary hearing on Tuesday, as per The Kathmandu Post.

Four writ petitions have been filed in Nepal's Supreme Court demanding that PM Oli take oath of office again.

The petitioners have sought directions that Oli should take the oath of office and secrecy again for not uttering the word "I affirm" after being reappointed as Prime Minister last Friday. When President Bidhya Devi Bhandari repeated "I affirm" during the ceremony, the Prime Minister replied "it is not necessary". The petitions claimed this was "humiliation" of the President.

The petitions also call for immediate enactment of a federal law on the format of oath to be taken by prime minister and ministers.

The petitioners have also sought dismissal of seven ministers, who they said were reappointed "against the constitution".

Stating that when a minister is reappointed, the person needs to be a member of federal parliament, the pleas stated that the reappointment "was in violation of the constitution".

Story continues

"The Prime Minister has violated Articles 78 (2) and (3) and Article 76 (9) of the Constitution of Nepal by re-appointing them as a minister for the second time as the constitution prohibits it," the writ petitioners claimed.

A total of seven ministers, who are not members of the federal parliament, had taken the oath of office and secrecy for the second time on Friday against the existing constitutional provisions.

The pleas has also demanded that the Prime Minister should not take any action without taking oath again and not even allow the ministers to take action until the final decision of this writ petition is taken. (ANI)
New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) More than two crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and Union territories, while nearly three lakh doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

The Centre has so far provided over 20 crore (20,76,10,230) vaccine doses to the states and Union territories for free. Of this, the total consumption, calculated on the basis of average figures, up to May 16, including wastage, is 18,71,13,705 doses (according to data available at 8 am on Monday), it added.

(REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

'More than two crore COVID-19 vaccine doses (2,04,96,525) are still available with the states and UTs to be administered,' the ministry said.

Furthermore, 2,94,660 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the states within the next three days, it said.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive against the viral disease, the Government of India has been supporting the states by providing them vaccine doses for free, in addition to several efforts to ramp up the production and supply of the vaccines.

Vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of the government for the containment and management of the pandemic, along with 'Test, Track, Treat' and COVID-appropriate behaviour, the ministry said.

The implementation of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of COVID-19 Vaccination has started from May 1. Under the Strategy, every month, 50 per cent of the vaccine doses cleared by the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) of any manufacturer would be procured by the government.

It would continue to make these doses available to the states for free, the ministry added. PTI PLB RC
CONCORD  Thomas Porter celebrated the end of his first century by driving his great-grandchildren around in a Gator disguised as a dinosaur. Hell likely celebrate the first day of his second century driving around once again, only this time hell be mowing the lawn on the familys 500-acre farm.

The World War II veteran, who turned 100 years old on Monday, wouldnt have it any other way. Porter spends 2 to 4 hours every day on his lawnmower, keeping up the grounds around Porter Farms off Mount Pleasant Road in Concord.

I do better sitting on the lawnmower than I do anywhere else, Porter said.

Had it not been his birthday Monday, he would have been out mowing yet again, but he was simply too popular to make it outside with all the visitors who showed up to wish him a happy birthday.

Porter has farmed for a large portion of his life. He did it before going off to World War II, and he resumed farming when he returned from his service. He now lives on a 500-acre farm along with his son, also named Thomas, and the rest of his family, including three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
PARIS (AP)  Air France-KLM sent into the air Tuesday what the company called its first long-haul flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel - petroleum mixed with a synthetic jet fuel derived from waste cooking oils.

The fuel used for the Paris-to-Montreal flight is part of efforts by the industry worldwide to experiment with alternative sources as regulators and governments tighten emissions rules for the coming decades. Other airlines and plane-makers are also experimenting with using varying levels of biofuels or different kinds of sustainable fuel.

The passenger jet took off with sustainable fuel making up 16% of its supply for the journey. Air France-KLM announced its initiative by the tarmac at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Joining France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith at the event were Total oil company CEO Patrick Pouyanne and Airbus President Guillaume Faury.

Frances transport minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, called t proof that there is another way. We show that the biggest part of the solution lies in technological innovation.

Andrew Murphy of Brussels-based environmental advocacy group Transport and Environment said its important that the industry is experimenting with alternative fuels as the world appears to be coming out of the pandemic and travel resumes.
A 75-year-old Madison woman died from COVID-19 Sunday after contracting the illness more than a month after being fully vaccinated, according to her sons, who say immunosuppressant drugs likely reduced her vaccine protection and chronic diseases made her more vulnerable to infection.

Reports of so-called breakthrough cases and deaths after full vaccination are rare, but some are expected because no vaccine is 100% effective and some people dont mount as much of an immune response to the vaccine as others, experts say.

People need to be careful, even if they dont have serious underlying health conditions and even if theyre not immunocompromised, because if you spread it, you might spread it to somebody who is, said Luke Kingree, a Madison attorney whose mother, Olivia Kingree, died early Sunday morning.

My thought is that the combination of  medications impaired her immune response to the vaccine, so she probably did not produce as many antibodies, said Dr. Seth Kingree, her other son, who works at a hospital in West Virginia where he has treated numerous COVID-19 patients.

Its reassuring that for the vast majority of the population, its very beneficial to get the vaccinations, said Seth Kingree, who specializes in treating hospitalized patients. But people who have those immune disorders should still be very mindful of the pandemic going on.

'Breakthrough' cases

As of Monday, Wisconsin reported 1,045 breakthrough cases, or about 0.045% of more than 2.2 million residents fully immunized, according to the state Department of Health Services. More than 99% of the state's roughly 123,000 COVID-19 cases since Jan. 1 have been in people not fully vaccinated, said Elizabeth Goodsitt, a health department spokesperson.

The state has reported nine breakthrough deaths, compared to 2,080 COVID-19 deaths since Jan. 1 among people not fully vaccinated, Goodsitt said. The health department plans to regularly release the data soon, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 9,245 breakthrough cases, or 0.0097% of 95 million Americans fully immunized as of April 26, when the agency started reporting only hospitalizations and deaths involving breakthrough cases. As of May 10, among 115 million Americans fully immunized, the CDC reported 1,136 such hospitalizations and 223 such deaths.

While Goodsitt said the nine Wisconsin deaths were caused by COVID-19, its not clear how many of the 223 U.S. deaths were caused by the coronavirus. Reported data include hospitalized or fatal breakthrough cases due to any cause, including causes not related to COVID-19, the CDC says.

Dr. James Conway, a UW Health pediatrician and vaccine expert, said breakthrough cases and deaths are a reminder that the vaccines, while highly effective, arent a complete guarantee infection wont occur.

People who are vaccinated need to remember that it doesnt make them superhuman, Conway said. Especially if theyre in a high-risk category, they should still practice some moderate avoidance of activity.

The CDCs recent guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to stop wearing masks outdoors and in most indoor places has been controversial, in part, because it could increase the risk to people with weak immune systems, Conway said. Most health care workers are continuing to wear masks, even if fully vaccinated, to avoid infecting such patients, he said.

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Multiple conditions

Olivia Kingree had diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure and mild dementia, her sons said. She also had a kidney condition for which she took steroids, which can suppress the immune system, and an immunosuppression drug.

She was diagnosed with the kidney condition, known as minimal change disease, seven years ago.

She had been living for about four months at Oak Park Places nursing home on Madisons East Side, where she received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine Feb. 10 and the second dose March 10, according to her state immunization record that her sons shared with the Wisconsin State Journal.

On April 27, after developing a fever, she was taken to the emergency room at UW Health at The American Center, where she tested positive for COVID-19, her sons said. She was transferred to UnityPoint Health-Meriter, where she was treated for COVID-19 and remained until being taken Saturday to Agrace hospice, where she died, her sons said.

They said doctors told them the cause of death was COVID-19 and the death certificate, which wasn't ready Monday, would reflect that. Seth Kingree said that if he was signing his mothers death certificate, he would attribute her death to the coronavirus.

Luke and Seth Kingree said they believe their mother was exposed to the coronavirus April 20 during a visit to UW Hospitals emergency room, though they dont know for certain. One of her caregivers at Oak Park Place told them their mother refused to wear a face mask that day because of confusion from her dementia. She wasnt opposed to masks and other coronavirus precautions in general, they said.

Its possible she was exposed at Oak Park Place, but the sons said they believed the facility was taking steps to greatly minimize the risk. It sounded like Oak Park was doing very well with all their protocols, Luke Kingree said.

Other than the UW ER and the nursing home, we are not aware of any other exposure points, Luke Kingree said.

UW Health spokesperson Emily Kumlien said the organization requires the use of medical-grade masks, regardless of vaccination status, on top of visitor restrictions and physical distancing. Oak Park Place nursing home administrator Deanna Wilson didnt respond to messages seeking comment.

Both sons are fully vaccinated. They said they wanted to share their mothers story to raise awareness of the need for continued vigilance about COVID-19, especially regarding people with weak immune systems or other chronic conditions.

Olivia Kingree owned a clothing store when the family lived in Virginia. In North Dakota, where they also lived, she owned a bed and breakfast and restored historical sites. She had lived in Madison for about 15 years and enjoyed painting.

It's very, very rare to have something like this happen in somebody who has a normal or very close to normal immune system, Seth Kingree said. But this could be a bit of a warning for those who do have a compromised immune system, or are on chemotherapy or similar drugs to what our mom was on.

Despite their mothers medical conditions, We thought we would have more time with her, Luke Kingree said. COVID took her from us too soon.
The mayor of Beardstown on Monday said the community's fire chief was hurt fighting a apartment building blaze.

Fire engulfed an apartment building in the 600 block of East Fourth Street in Beardstown late Sunday, injuring a total of three firefighters.

The building, which is privately owned and is just off the downtown area, was formerly known as the Meyer Hotel and was converted into apartments.

Beardstown Mayor Tim Harris confirmed Monday that one of the injured firefighters was Beardstown Fire Chief Brian Becker, 46.

Becker, who is the full-time chief, was transported to Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville. A news release from the city of Beardstown Monday said Becker's injuries are "serious."

One other firefighter was still being treated for injuries while another firefighter was treated and released.

The fire department in Beardstown is a largely volunteer force and was helped out Sunday by multiple crews from surrounding counties.

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At least one resident of the apartment complex was also being treated for injuries.

The American Red Cross is assisting 14 residents who were displaced by the fire.

Also helping out with clothing and monetary donations are Ebenezer Church (217-202-9486), St. John's Lutheran (LCMS) Church (217 323-1288) and the Cass County Health Department (217-452-3057, Ext. 1373).

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist victims.

Multiple people made 911 calls about the fire shortly after 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

The State Fire Marshal was on the scene to assist with the investigation. Fire crews, along with Cass County sheriff's deputies and the Beardstown police, were still on the scene late Monday morning.

The city is considering demolition options on the building.

According to a 1993 article in The State Journal-Register, Paul and Lesa Myers of Beardstown purchased the circa-1910 Meyer's Hotel and planned to create 11 "affordable" apartments, plus two retail stores on the first floor of the building.

Plans called for six two-bedroom apartments and five one-bedroom units.

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JACKSONVILLE  Evil and innocence collided in the soft bluish glow of a cellphone.

Within seconds of hitting send, the photo she was dared to take became a weapon that would haunt the young teen's life.

She had been used, betrayed by someone she thought was a boy her own age. They had spent weeks chatting and texting about everything from school to problems at home.

He knew her well: She shared increasingly intimate details about who she was, where she lived, the fights with her parents.

But he was a mirage  empathetic stories contrived by an adult and carefully calculated to draw her into a world of exploitation that law enforcement authorities in west-central Illinois and across the nation see as a rising threat.

That single picture would be the genesis of increasingly graphic threats and demands.

Alarming growth

Online extortion is unfortunately nothing new, and has been growing in the wake of more people working from home and spending more time on computers, tablets and smartphones. Unlike quick-hit schemes that threaten to expose private details of adult users, the nature of child sexual exploitation is particularly heinous because it targets underage victims with threats that can last months or years.

The goal still can be financial gain, but the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it can be even more nefarious  from creating child pornography to enticing children for sexual acts.

There are concentrated efforts by local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to attack the problem, but it is growing at an alarming pace. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children recorded 19,174 reports of online enticement in 2019; that number jumped 97.5% in 2020, to 37,872.

Some 78% of the victims were girls. Some were as young as 8.

It isn't slowing, either. Dark recesses of the internet even serve as "training grounds" for those who hide behind the cloak of anonymity to discuss their methods and swap photos and videos like trading cards.

"Let's just say for the Springfield greater metropolitan area, if you threw every law enforcement entity that we have into addressing just this one violation, we wouldn't even scratch the surface," Springfield FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot said.

Preying on fear

It is a manipulative game of degrees in many cases, which can start with contact from someone posing as another young person. From that initial communication, trust is established and built upon  authorities refer to it as "grooming"  with gifts, money, flattery, lies or other methods, according to the FBI.

"It's a crime that involves an adult coercing a minor to create or send explicit images or videos of themselves or others around their age. It can take place in many different ways, mostly through electronic mechanisms. As our society and our kids become more familiar with technology and we become more technologically dependent, it also trickles down to our children, and that's usually the avenue in which they use to coerce these minors," Fontenot said.

Predators are skilled at culling what authorities call P.I.I., personal identifying information, and using it against children without them realizing it.

"They present a falsehood, an online presence, that can mislead the child into believing that it is a trusted person, whether it's the same age, same sex, same demographic, whether it is race, or even whatever religion that they are, they'll use to create a false bond with this child, and then it progresses from there," Fontenot said. "The perpetrator will often use images from previous victims to lead the child into a false sense of security, 'hey, you and me are just alike, we're in the same situation, we're the same age, we are faced with the same struggles' and then it's kind of this you-and-me bond."

Eventually comes a request for a sexual photo or video.

The line of betrayal is crossed.

After the criminal has one or more videos or pictures comes a threat to share that content or the threat of violence to get the victim to produce more images.

Like the common thread of adult exploitation, there can be threats to send the photos or videos to family or friends. There may be a demand for money, but often the pressure is for more, and increasingly explicit, material. Sometimes the predators will claim, wrongly, that the victims will get in trouble for sharing the images.

Shame or fear can prevent the victim from telling anyone what is happening.

A teen trapped

Ashley Reynolds was 14 when she got the first message from someone claiming to have nude photos of her.

She ignored it. Her tormenter persisted, demanding she send more and more photos in exchange for protecting her reputation.

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She complied, hoping it would end. It didn't.

"I remember just lying in bed in silence and just thinking. I felt like God was so disappointed in me, and I didn't know what to do. I wouldn't get home until late at night and then I'd have to send him all these pictures. And as I'm doing this, he would be like, 'No this isn't right. This one is blurry.' or 'You didn't do this right, you weren't doing it right, you gotta do it again'," she said. "That's where being a slave to him comes in, because I had to make sure I complied and I sent him all this because, one, maybe tomorrow I'll get a break. I'll get a day off tomorrow if I just do all these right. I never wanted to send them or give him what he wanted, but I wanted my freedom, I guess. So I figured the only way to do that is if I do it right, but nothing was ever right."

Reynolds, now in her 20s, has gone public with her story in the hope of preventing someone else from being trapped.

In her case, it was months later that her parents found out what was happening.

She was embarrassed, but relieved.

They contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Eventually, investigators determined Reynolds was one of almost 600 boys and girls who had fallen into the trap of a man federal authorities identified as Michael Lucas Chansler. The St. Johns County, Florida, man was sentenced in 2015 to 105 years in prison for coercing about 590 children to send him pornographic pictures of themselves, using hundreds of aliases in what Jacksonville, Florida, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michelle Klimt at the time said was one of the largest sextortion cases ever prosecuted.

Chansler was 31 when he was sentenced.

Jacksonville, Florida, FBI Special Agent Larry Meyer, who led the investigation, said even those who had been investigating such cases for years had never experienced anything like it before.

"Several of the instances, I think in one Stickcam video, we have four girls all exposing their breasts. They were apparently having a sleepover and he contacted one of them and, again, these four young girls thought they were having a conversation, a video chat session ... with a 15-year-old boy they'd never see or hear from again. So they're all there exposing their breasts, not realizing he's doing a screen capture, and then he's coming back later  very often in a different persona  saying, 'hey, I've got these pictures of you, and if you don't want these sent to all your friends or posted on the internet, you are going to do all these poses for me'," Meyer said. "That's how a lot of times these young girls got on this slippery slope of what would be a relatively benign picture ... to fulfilling his perverted desires."

Chansler was an egregious example, but just one of dozens upon dozens of cases.

Many had fairly PG-13 beginnings.

"Usually, once they have the first image, even though it may not be as sexually explicit, it becomes a snowball effect until it gets out of control. And then (it's used to) manipulate the child, whether by threatening or blackmailing," Fontenot said.

No safe haven

There is no one app or online site that poses a risk.

There also is no truly safe haven. Law enforcement officials have seen victims from all social and economic walks of life, from troubled teens to straight-A students.

"Regardless of if you're talking about a $20,000 home income or a $1 million income, all children are in need of some kind of social connection, regardless of whether it's electronic or in person. So anybody can be a victim," Fontenot said.

And as the ability to communicate with almost anyone almost anywhere grows, the risk increases for younger and younger children. Law enforcement officials once geared their warnings to freshmen and sophomores in high school; now they are reaching into elementary schools.

"Every individual that is probably over 8 years old has access to some sort of electronic communication device. Especially over the past year, we've seen these younger children sitting in front of some type of screen longer," Fontenot said. "The more and more dependent our society gets on electronic communication and devices ... this is always going to be be a rising threat. It's an endless pool of victims for these predators, because there are always kids. Tomorrow there's gonna be another kid that gets online for the first time, the day after that, there's gonna be another, and another, and another," Fontenot said.

The best defense is for parents to be engaged about their child's online presence.

"You have to get your arms wrapped around it, your head wrapped around it, and understand what they are doing. A lot of parents don't understand what an avenue this communication is for children. ... This is where children get their self-worth," Fontenot said.

He said it is important to have discussions about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and not be afraid to monitor what is going on.

That's even more important now because of the changes the pandemic has caused to the norm for children, parents and families.

Jack Turban, a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, said in an article for Scientific American that the reality of being home during the pandemic is that adults are busy and sometimes distracted.

"They are struggling to balance the competing needs of managing their own mental health and supporting their children. Luckily there are simple ways they can protect their kids. Even one conversation can have an impact," he said. "Parents should have candid talks with their children and take a non-judgmental stance."

"Shame is a dangerous factor here and can lead kids to hide risky online interactions while they escalate," he writes. "Shame also thrives on silence."

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Fully vaccinated people in Illinois will no longer be required to wear face coverings in most situations under new rules Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued Monday, putting the state in line with new federal guidance that caught many by surprise last week.

The change to the state mask mandate that went into effect more than a year ago comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out new guidelines Thursday that said people who are two weeks past their final coronavirus vaccine dose can safely resume most of their pre-pandemic activities without wearing a mask.

The quick change in guidance from the federal government resulted in confusion over the weekend in Illinois as the Pritzker administration said the states rules would change but took a few days to make it official.

One of the reasons that the CDC issued the rules as they did was the recognition that studies have now been done showing that if youre vaccinated, youre protected, Pritzker said at an unrelated event Monday before the new rules were announced. If youre unvaccinated, you are not protected. So I encourage people who are unvaccinated still to wear their masks but to go get vaccinated because I think we all want to get past this we all would like to take off our masks.

The potential for confusion remains  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday that the city needs more information before changing its rules on masks.

The state on Friday entered the next-to-last phase of Pritzkers reopening plan, with increased capacity limits on a wide range of businesses and activities. If COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to hold steady or decline, the state will fully reopen June 11.

Pritzker said he personally would take it gently and carefully going forward when it comes to wearing a mask himself.

But I do think that the CDC guidelines are good ones, and we will follow them in Illinois, he said.

Cities are allowed to have rules that are stricter than those issue by the state or federal government, and Chicago has not yet said when its mask mandate will be revised to align with the new federal guidance. Businesses also are free to continue requiring masks.

The CDC guidelines dont apply to health care settings, and people are still required to wear masks while riding trains, buses, planes or other forms of public transportation, as well as at airports and bus and train stations.

Lightfoot said on MSBNC on Monday that the city needs clarification from the CDC after its abrupt rollout. But, Lightfoot said, shes going to continue to wear a mask in public and encourage others to do the same.

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Weve gotta make sure that people are continuing to follow the public health guidance that has gotten us this far and masks I think are a big and important part of that, Lightfoot said. To say, well, if youre vaccinated, you dont have to wear a mask, thats great, but what about all the other people that are out there that arent vaccinated and theres no way to know that? So I think for the time being, most people are gonna continue to wear a mask outside, outside their homes, and I think thats smart.

Lightfoot said social distancing will continue to be important. The mayor is hoping to reopen Chicago without capacity restrictions by July 4.

The virus is still here, the virus is still real, were still seeing deaths every day, so we cant afford to feel like the virus is gone and suddenly we can just go back to 2019, Lightfoot said.

State health officials reported 946 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday, the lowest since 782 cases were reported March 15 and only the second time this year that there have been fewer than 1,000 cases recorded in a single day.

While case counts have been declining, the latest batch resulted from just 33,148 tests, well below the seven-day testing average of 60,895, though there often are fewer test results reported on weekends.

Nonetheless, the seven-day average of new cases is 1,487, the lowest since an average of 1,483 was reported July 31. The number had recently fallen as low as 1,511 in mid-March before the recent surge.

Officials also reported six additional fatalities, the lowest count since five deaths were reported March 29.

As of Sunday, statewide case positivity rate  the percentage of new cases as a share of total tests  was at a seven-day average of 2.4% for the third day in a row, the lowest since the same rate was reported March 18.

As of Sunday night, 1,512 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 398 patients in intensive care units and 220 patients on ventilators. The seven-day average of total hospitalizations is 1,661, the lowest since an average of 1,637 were reported April 8.

The statewide death toll is 22,445, and the total number of known infections in Illinois since the start of the pandemic reached 1,367,214.

An additional 32,253 coronavirus vaccine doses were administered Sunday, bringing the total to 10,407,841. Over the last seven days, the state reached an average of 61,275 vaccines administered daily, the lowest since an average of 61,132 was reported Feb. 17, when supplies of the vaccines were still well below demand.

The number of residents who have been fully vaccinated  receiving both of the required shots, or Johnson & Johnsons single shot  reached 4,808,286, or 37.74% of the total population.

Officials also noted that more than 64% of those 18 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine. President Joe Biden earlier this month set a national vaccination goal of having a shot in the arm of at least 70% of all adults by July 4.
MASCOUTAH, Ill.  Two pilots ejected from an F-15 fighter aircraft Tuesday on a runway at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois.

The F-15 has been used in training exercises at MidAmerica since February. A dispatcher said one pilot was injured and one was not injured, and that the plane was on the ground at the time.

An airport spokeswoman declined to comment.

Scott Air Force Base said the two active-duty pilots ejected safely after "experiencing an emergency" on the runway about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The base spokesman didn't elaborate on the emergency or say if the plane was in the process of landing when it happened.

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He said the injured pilot was hospitalized after suffering wounds not believed to be life-threatening.

Scott Air Force said in a statement: "An F-15QA, recently accepted by the Air Force from the Boeing Corporation, departed the runway today at Mid America Airport, Ill. Two U.S. active duty pilots who were on board ejected safely and received minor injuries. The aircraft was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales Program. The incident is currently under investigation.

The base said in February that Boeing's new F-15QA plane, designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, would be operating out of MidAmerica Airport.

"Formal training and instruction will be given to the pilots of this new aircraft over the next several months," Scott Air Force Base said on Twitter in February.

Kim Bell  314-340-8115 @kbellpd on Twitter kbell@post-dispatch.com

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The real-estate arm of Cook Out Inc. has bought another Forsyth County restaurant property, this time a former Burger King site.

2897 Reynolds Road Inc. has spent $1.15 million to purchase the property at 2897 Reynolda Road. The deal closed Friday.
Im not an expert, but if you believe Wikipedia, leberkase is a finely ground loaf made with corned beef, pork and bacon. But the meats seem to change slightly in various internet recipes, and Riekers says its leberkase is made with beef, pork and veal.

The result is mild, like bologna. You eat this hot, on a sandwich. He served it thickly sliced and plain on a pretzel roll after sauteing it in a skillet just a few minutes to heat it up. But some people eat it with mustard.

I immediately thought of the fried bologna sandwiches of my childhood, which my mother made with yellow mustard and potato chips on white bread. This was definitely a step up, with better meat and better bread.

Fleischkase is cheap. This is a typical lunch or snack, and you might have it with some kind of salad, he said.

Next, Krabel pulled out some knackwurst and began heating that up, too. This is surprising to a lot of people, but curry is really popular in Germany. This goes way back, he said.

Curry is eaten with wurst often in the form of curry ketchup (a similarly popular condiment with Indians). Krabel showed me a package of Knorr Currywurst dry mix that's sold in Germany, but you also can take any curry powder and mix it with ketchup.
That same day, McCullough alleges, Donohoe explained in a Telegram message the structure of the new group and made reference to an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. Court papers cite Telegram messages telling Proud Boys members that the special chapter was prohibited from having any interaction with other Proud Boys members who were attending the event in Washington, D.C.

On Dec. 30, 2020, a video call was held with prospective members of MOSD, and a member, identified as Person-1 in court papers, reportedly said regardless of who was providing information, Its all one operational plan, so dont get hung up on the delivery. The information is all the same.

McCullough argues in court papers that Donohoe took part in Telegram messages that made it clear there was a plan for Jan. 6. On Jan. 4, Donohoe reported on Telegram about the deployment of a limited number of National Guard forces from Washington, D.C. He cited a CNN report and noted that the National Guardsmen would be unarmed and would not have riot-control agents such as tear gas.
The records refer to cases that are neither pending nor actively being prosecuted, the city and apartment owners said in their motion. As well, the city will omit from the reports the names of any juveniles that are mentioned in them.

Privacy concerns

Asked if the release of the records poses any civil liberties concern, city officials point to the text of the order: It specifies that Rolling Hills cannot publicly disclose any of the information it gets through the order, and limits the sharing of the information to those closely involved with any court proceedings.

But Jillian Sechrest, with the local advocacy group Housing Justice Now, said her group is worried about the precedent the city is setting by releasing non-public information to expedite evictions.

We understand it is framed around public safety, she said. This is going to get rid of a nuisance, but at what cost? Sechrest said future courts could look at the order and find precedent for future releases of private information.

The 12 reports the city is releasing are only a fraction of the number of criminal complaints from the complex, according to the lawsuit the city filed against the owners.

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Observing the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from her House leadership position and her criticism of former President Donald Trump, reminded me of a 1970s TV ad for Listerine mouthwash. The company attempted to use the products bad taste to its advantage. The ad said: Its got the taste people hate  twice a day.

The Republican establishment may hate Donald Trump, but they would be hard-pressed to deny how effective his policies were, pre-COVID-19. The 74 million people who voted for him is a formidable number. Whatever some may think of his personality  and I deplore how he demeans others  no one can credibly deny he was more successful than any modern Republican president. The question is, can he do it again? Last years election was unique due to the pandemic with many using mail-in ballots, fearful of going to the polls. That appeared to drive up the number of voters.

Cheneys main distaste for Trump is that he continues to claim the 2020 election was fraudulent and that he should have been declared the winner. I wont go down that dead-end road again. I will point out that people have short memories, especially when the major media do not report that contesting election outcomes is not unique to Donald Trump.
Due punishment

I dont know who the writer of the May 15 letter Picked apart thinks needs to be punished, but from my view, there are many strong reasons to pick apart and punish our former president  for his constant lies and dishonesty, his bigotry, his responsibility for hundreds of thousands of COVID deaths, the Jan. 6 riot and much more. He wasted billions of dollars on his lavish lifestyle and pet projects benefiting the rich.

President Biden is aiming to rebuild our country to benefit all our people and to strengthen our relationships with allies around the world.

To the devoted followers of our former president, please let the truth set you free.

Virginia Perry

Winston-Salem

A constitutional phrase

The problems with concerns over socialism, as expressed in the May 10 letter Utopian promises, are many. Among them are that conservatives often dont even know what socialism really is. Also, they seem to conflate anything that would promote the general welfare of the American people  a constitutional phrase  with socialism.
"Achieving the green level on the risk dial is a major milestone for our entire community," Lopez said.

The only concerning statistic over the past week was three additional COVID-19 deaths, the first announced locally since mid-April. Lopez said all three of the people, a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 90s, had not received the COVID-19 vaccine. She said she did not know if they declined vaccination or for some reason did not have access to the vaccine.

The shots seem to be taming COVID-19 in ways that masking, social distancing and other measures could not. As of Tuesday, Lancaster County led the state with about 58% of its population 16 and older fully vaccinated against the virus. Last week, the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for kids ages 12-15, and nearly 11% of that age group locally has already received a first dose.

Lancaster County hit its peak weekly total of more than 2,100 new COVID-19 cases the week ending Dec. 4. Local health care workers received the first vaccines 10 days later, and cases started falling steadily. They leveled off in mid-February at about 350 a week and held in a narrow range for about two months. However, over the past month as vaccines have become widely available, cases weekly fell to below 300, then 250, then 200 and finally below 100 last week.
If we had a higher proportion of the population that was fully vaccinated and we had our rates of transmission down to a very low level, then absolutely we could all take off our masks, and we could all feel safe and secure. But I dont think were in that spot today.

The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. But it will clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools and other venues.

Rupp said another factor to consider is that the CDC guidelines rely on unvaccinated people to act responsibly and continue to wear their masks.

Were going to be relying on people to be on the honor system, and if theyre unvaccinated, to be wearing their masks, he said. And I just dont know if thats going to be uniformly followed.

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In addition, Rupp said, a significant proportion of the population is not eligible for the vaccination  and we have people who have received the vaccine but may not have responded very well to it, meaning they did not mount a good immunological response.

Those groups, he said, are reliant on others to be fully vaccinated and to wear their masks in appropriate situations in order to protect them.
She said the support group has been able to continue meeting over Zoom and she hopes theyll be able to return to exercise classes soon.

Ritter said she thinks many people arent aware of Parkinsons until it affects someone close to them.

I think so many people have in their head a grandparent, or someone who they saw get worse day by day, and ended up sitting in a chair and the tremors kind of took over, she said.

JT Cattle, development director for the Heartland Parkinsons Foundation, also traveled to Lincoln for the cornhole tournament. He said the foundations Parkinsons Champions program focuses on how awareness and fundraising can be accomplished through a variety of avenues.

You can do cornhole tournaments, you can throw birthday parties, you can have car washes, bake sales, you can run and have people support you, whatever people's passions are, we want them to be a champion for the Parkinson's Foundation, he said.

Cattle said even small events and campaigns can end up having a large impact on Parkinsons awareness.

This sort of event can really just domino and trickle into other surrounding communities, he said. It just helps really expand that outreach.
Everyone knows, for trauma, its the 'golden hour,'" Anthone said. For cardiac arrest or a heart attack, its 'the golden three minutes.'

"So if you can get to an individual thats suffering a heart attack or cardiac arrest  its in those first three minutes, studies show, that theres about a 75% survival rate for that individual compared to only 50% of a survival rate if its after three minutes. So those first three minutes are crucial.

Representing LPD was Hellmuth, who has been teaching CPR and AED use since 1990 and wasnt surprised by the three minutes statistic Anthone cited in his address to first responders. Hellmuth said the new defibrillators will lead to a "significant increase" in AED availability for individual LPD officers.

It provides every officer that has an AED in their vehicle the ability to provide immediate life-saving aid, Hellmuth said. Not only can we do CPR, which all officers are trained to do, we can give immediate life-saving aid using an AED, so that there is less time of person-down to immediate medical attention.
"Our profession is getting challenged daily and our staffing levels have been below the national average for years," he said. "The men and women of the Lincoln Police Union support any efforts to appropriately hire the best quality candidates available, no matter what sex or race they are."

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He said Lincoln is fortunate to have a great community, anchored by an amazing partnership between the Lincoln Police Department and the citizens.

"We feel hiring quality candidates will only strengthen that partnership," Hulse said.

Two female officers, one who since left LPD for a job with the Omaha Police Department, have sued LPD in the past six months alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. The second suit was filed a week after the union's vote.

Acting Lincoln Police Chief Brian Jackson, who held a news conference announcing LPD had signed on to the initiative March 25, said the only concern he's fielded since from officers is "continued recognition that we need to find more representation from our communities of color through more focused racial and ethnic recruitment efforts, also. This, too, is a goal for the Lincoln Police Department."

He said the department is in an open recruitment cycle, with applications available through the city's human resources website.
Beckius, who was on the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission before beating Republican Roy Christensen in the general election earlier this month, said having three openly gay members on the council says something about the city.

I think it says Lincoln is open to leaders of all colors and stripes and I think it does turn a corner in a way, he said. What matters most is our ability to serve the community, no matter who we are.

For the first time since the council began a hybrid system of electing three at-large and four according to geographic districts, Democrats won all the at-large seats.

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Bowers, a school social worker, said had he had more LGBTQ role models growing up it would have given him more confidence to pursue the goals hes now pursuing. He didnt run for office because he was gay, but because he wanted to make Lincoln a better place to live. He has announced his candidacy for state Legislature.

Bowers said his priorities moving forward as a councilman are to help Lincoln recover from the pandemic, and make sure it remains a strong, resilient city. One of Beckius top priorities is housing affordability.

But Imse said representation also is important.
Unfortunately, more rain is on the way," Edwards said and pointed out that the ground is already saturated. "While we hope that the worst of this rainfall is behind us, we cant be sure of that.

Officials in the Baton Rouge area didnt yet have estimates of how many homes took on water and were asking people to report their damage. The downpours come five years after similar rains swamped large swaths of the capital region for days. Broome acknowledged the heightened sense of anxiety residents were feeling.

Our community has had more than our fair share of severe rain events, she said. But she tried to calm residents: We are not under the same threat as we were in 2016.

Schools and universities in the parish were closed Tuesday to try to keep people off roads, and the parish was working to clear streets where flooded vehicles blocked passage.

Between the hurricanes, the freeze and the coronavirus pandemic, Lake Charles has been part of four federally declared disasters over the course of a year, the mayor said. He said hed talked with federal disaster officials who said they could not think of another city that has been subject to as many federal disasters in a similar time period.
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The parents were in the midst of divorce proceedings, and the father was under court order to provide daily contact between the mother and children during their visits to his home, Nielsen has said.

Nielsen, who lives in Illinois, said she talked with the children Thursday night but was unable to reach them Friday and Saturday nights. She called Bellevue Police on Saturday night asking that they check on the children. Officers went to the home Saturday night and Sunday morning, but didnt see anything suspicious and didnt attempt to force entry, according to Capt. Andy Jashinski, Bellevue police spokesman. Officers did not talk with the father.

After receiving criticism by some on social media for leaving her marriage, Nielsen detailed on Facebook alleged abuse by her husband.

He was very abusive, controlling and manipulative toward me, she told The World-Herald. He found the ultimate way to hurt me.

Jashinski said Bellevue police didnt enter the home because there was no indication of imminent danger and the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches of homes. A parent violating a divorce decree is not sufficient grounds to enter a home, he said.
A judge has found an Auburn man guilty of failing to stop and render aid and tampering with evidence for a Mother's Day hit-and-run crash last year that left a 23-year-old woman in critical condition.

Dustin Pierce, 25, is set for sentencing in July, where he'll face up to six years in prison.

Nemaha County District Judge Julie Smith found him guilty Friday at the end of a two-day bench trial where Pierce testified, saying he had been texting and didn't see anything.

He later told his sister and girlfriend that he had hit a deer.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Pierce in May 2020 after serving a search warrant in Auburn and recovering the car that they believe struck Katelynne "Kat" (Moore) Hendrix.

Hendrix, a wife and mother of two young children, continues to recover from the crash, which happened when she had gone on a walk on Mother's Day 2020.

A car along 26th Street just southeast of Auburn had hit Hendrix, throwing her into the north ditch, where a teenage bike rider found her after noticing a pair of glasses in the road.
Nebraska State Patrol troopers arrested two Virginia residents after finding 186 pounds of marijuana in their car during a traffic stop.

At about 7:45 a.m. Saturday, a trooper spotted an eastbound Dodge Charger whose driver failed to signal a turn and drove on the shoulder as it was exiting Interstate 80 near Giltner, patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said. Giltner is about 20 miles southeast of Grand Island.

During the traffic stop, a patrol dog smelled pot in the car. A search of the vehicle uncovered 186 pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages.

The driver, a 30-year-old man from Suffolk, Virginia, and a passenger, a 25-year-old woman from Virginia Beach, Virginia, were arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana  more than one pound and possession with intent to deliver. Both were taken to the Hamilton County Jail.

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"When I hear that 'the lobby thinks this,' my first inclination is: 'What about the people?'" Vargas asked. "What about the individual workers who are working right now as we speak? What about the loved ones of those workers?

"This is to make sure there is a balanced approach to it," he added. "This has nothing to do with whether or not we are targeting an industry."

Other backers of Vargas' proposal, including Sens. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island and Tom Brandt of Plymouth  both of whom represent districts that employ a large number of meatpacking workers  said the bill was not as onerous as opponents made it out to be.

Aguilar said many meatpacking plants already were in compliance with Vargas' bill, and said without requirements from the state, many would drop those protections, perhaps too soon, in order to speed production and increase profits.

Added Brandt: "Safety is not an unnecessary burden."

But opponents said as Nebraska and the U.S. emerge from the pandemic, the Legislature should look to cut more red tape for businesses rather than keep regulations in place, and said Vargas' bill imposed a one-size-fits-all approach on the state's meatpacking industry.
The opening shots in what is likely to be the usual once-every-decade battle over legislative and congressional redistricting were fired earlier in the day by rural Nebraska spokesmen who urged the committee to preserve as many rural seats in the Legislature as they can.

The Legislature needs to draw "maps that protect the voice of rural Nebraskans," Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue of Central City told the committee at a public hearing.

The committee's proposed guideline that it would attempt to preserve the core of districts is "problematic," he said, when "we need flexibility" in reapportioning legislative districts.

"We support as many rural districts as possible," McHargue said.

A number of rural Nebraskans followed behind, delivering a similar message to the committee.

"We want to maintain our rural representation," Steve Ebke of Daykin said, urging that "current district boundaries not be significantly altered" and cautioning against redistricting that "would benefit urban interests over rural interests."

"Keep agriculture at the top of your mind during the redistricting process," Jason Perdue of York urged the committee.
Then we reached a point where it was either we had to go and get the tractor, or it was probably going to be in such a horrific condition that we would not be able to bring it back, Vicars said. And so we were tossing ideas around, and I said, You know, we dont have the funds right now. We would have to do some kind of fundraising event to help collect some funds to do this. I said let me just put it out there on GoFundMe and see what happens. 

Vicars said Frerichs read an editorial about the project and called her to express his interest in funding the project in honor of his wife, Julia, who died in 2016. Julias first time sitting on a tractor was at the Frerichs family farm.

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Vicars said it was because of Frerichs love for his wife and desire to do something in her memory that the Friends of Homestead group was able to collect the majority of the funds needed to get the tractor.

Somehow, it connected for him, Vicars said. So what for us had been kind of a historical story, a preservation story about this tractor and the fact that it had spent years on this homestead in Alaska, and it became to some extent a love story.
I spent a week with the small but vibrant Christian community. The welcome was warm and excitement genuine. They didn't want pity. They wanted relationships.

I witnessed a wedding attended by both Christians and Muslims. I spent time delivering food to malnourished families and visited a couple Christian schools. I witnessed St. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity operate an orphanage for over 30 handicapped children and elderly. I observed Lutheran groups building housing and Christian and Muslims work hand in hand to improve the daily life of Gazas non-elite.

I also witnessed the black flag of ISIS being flown as I drove the streets. I noticed the development of tunnels in close proximity to schools at a frequency too great to be coincidence. I experienced the smell of raw sewage from the enclave of 2 million people seeping into the Mediterranean, seemingly untreated. I heard of people being driven from their homes by political groups. I also heard the hum of Israeli drones flying overhead and the bright lights of the nightly enforcement of the naval blockade .

I have returned to Gaza twice, and now I see the destruction of this latest war. Recognizing streets and, yes, even some faces brings great sadness. Adding to the disheartenment is the media coverage that lacks context and seemingly encourages every person to pick a side.
Will Nebraskans remember that our representatives met in private to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from her House leadership position because she perpetuated the truth?

Think about it, the truth. Does this mean that there is no room in the Republican Party for honesty, or will they cancel anyone who refuses to play this dangerous game of anti-American power grab? What does it say about a party that cant handle the truth? It loudly proclaims that the Republican Party can not be trusted under any circumstances.

As an organization, Republicans want to perpetuate a lie and divide this country rather than face reality and work to earn leadership back. Real leaders would be honest. Real leaders wouldnt have worked their supporters into a frenzy based on these lies then send them to the nation's capital to stop a legitimate election.

Not one of my representatives showed integrity during this process. Hiding behind their staffers who take phone calls and telling the electorate that they havent formed a position yet. They couldnt figure out if honesty is worthy of removal? If any of them had half the integrity of Liz Cheney (someone whose policies I wholeheartedly disagree with nearly 100% of the time), then government would be working for the people.
The annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service takes place Wednesday in Downtown Kenosha.

After a woman decided to fire a contractor she believed was ripping her off  and who she thought had friends in her home doing drugs while she was away  the man allegedly pulled a gun on her.

Bryan Tidwell, 37, of Lyons, was charged Monday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with felony intimidation of a victim, pointing a gun at another, disorderly conduct  use of a dangerous weapon, and bail jumping. A warrant was issued for Tidwells arrest Monday.

According to the criminal complaint, a Trevor woman hired Tidwell to renovate a bathroom in her home. She paid him $2,500 up front, but he had not completed the work. On April 2 she arrived home not expecting to find Tidwell there, but noticed his vehicle in the driveway when she arrived. She went inside and found him with two men she did not recognize, whom he introduced as friends, according to the complaint.

During this interaction (the woman) saw all three men smoking a blunt and also observed a white crystalline powder in a sandwich bag on her counter, the complaint states.
STURTEVANT  A Racine man allegedly tried to steal toddler clothes, then said he would return and shoot up the store.

Richard J. Dangerfield, 45, of the 1000 block of Davis Place, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of retail theft intentionally taking less than or equal to $500 and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and bail jumping.

According to a criminal complaint:

On Aug. 21, an officer was sent to Dollar Tree, 3900 Erie St., for a theft report.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the manager who said that an hour earlier, a man entered the store and began packing various merchandise into two bags. An employee confronted the man, Dangerfield, and he made threats to return to the store and shoot it up. The value of the items stolen was about $100.

On Sunday, an officer was sent to the Walmart, 3049 S. Oakes Road, Mount Pleasant, for shoplifting in progress.
Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said in March that the companys finalized plans for its Mount Pleasant facilities will be announced by July. During the same March news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, Liu said that Foxconn was debating between locations in Mexico and Wisconsin for constructing vehicles for Fisker.

As such, with the promise to build vehicles in the U.S., this new announcement could be good news for jobs in Wisconsin  but the company remains tight-lipped and local officials didnt have anything to add.

Mark Schaaf, communications director for Racine County, said in an email we dont have anything further beyond our statement from February, referring to when Fiskers and Foxconns potential partnership was first reported.

That statement said: We are pleased to see the exciting collaboration between Fisker and Foxconn to develop a breakthrough electric vehicle. While we look forward to hearing further details, we remain very encouraged by Foxconns progress at the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park and the positive impact the Village and County has already experienced.
Trish Howard, a school counselor organizing the project, reported having collected about 200 cereal boxes when The Journal Times spoke with her in April. Howard, alongside teacher Susanne Kelly-Johnson, were proud to say the school had stockpiled more than 2,300 by the deadline.

The day had finally come.

Principal Scott Campbell asked eager students: How should we knock it down? The choices were using the schools resident air cannon, a remote control car or Campbells well-known prop of tiny hands.

Tiny hands Scott Campbell, Red Apple Elementary School's principal, prepares to topple over the domino with his signature "tiny hands" prop.

Students cheered in excitement, demanding the use of the tiny hands.

Arranging the domino display also was an opportunity for students to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math concepts.

For instance, STEM Coordinator David Venne used the domino display as a way to teach students about energy. We had to think about how we were gonna start this and end this, he said.

Trish Howard and Susanne Kelly-Johnson Trish Howard and Susanne Kelly-Johnson, the staff members who led the organization of the domino display, pose together on Monday.

Howard and Kelly-Johnson thanked students, staff members and community members who donated to help the cause.

Malickis Piggly Wiggly and Aldi have been amazing community partners, Howard said. We couldnt have done this without working together. We are definitely stronger together.
"Firstly, fireworks should not be used by children unless they are under adult supervision," the Racine Fire Department stated. "Furthermore, you should know the fireworks that you are using, have water that is ready nor should (the fireworks) be illegal or homemade. If you decide to use fireworks this summer, your actions should be guided by your local and state guidelines. Fireworks are fun but they can also very dangerous. Lets all be careful."
A Republican candidate for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District has been whipping up discourse in area school board meetings over mask mandates in recent weeks, some of which have grown into heated and unruly debates in board rooms.

Derrick Van Orden, formerly of Hager City and now of Prairie du Chien, has met with and advised several groups of parents from different school districts up and down the district on petitioning their school's mask mandates.

Van Orden is making a second attempt at unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse, who has held the seat representing much of western Wisconsin since 1996.

"Parents are coming to me asking for advice and representation because they know that they aren't being represented or heard by Ron Kind. When elected officials continuously ignore their constituents, that is a failure in leadership, and I am committed to working with everyone in the 3rd District to defend our constitutional freedoms," Van Orden said in a statement.

This "coalition"  as one person described it  of parents protesting school boards about mask mandates has been growing in recent weeks, including at many districts in the Coulee Region and beyond.
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1. Yes. Its important to keep my child as safe as possible. We plan to take advantage.

2. Yes. With the school district dropping its mask mandate, its a necessary step.

3. No. Local COVID cases are dropping. There is no good reason to vaccinate my child.

4. No. There hasnt been enough data on vaccinated children. I think Ill hold off.

5. Unsure. I havent decided yet whether to take part in the vaccine clinics.

Vote

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KEARNEY  John Hoggatt said he and his staff at Pinnacle Bank are excited to take the next big step for their business  a new stand-alone building.

For the past year Pinnacle Bank has been housed in the strip mall at 323 W. 11th St. in south Kearney, but the banks address will change in about 12 months.

On Wednesday, Pinnacle Bank will break ground at 5404 Second Ave.

Hoggatt, Pinnacles market president, anticipates contractor BD Construction will complete the 7,100-square-foot facility in time for a grand opening in May 2022.

The new bank and grounds in north Kearney will be worth more than $5 million.

Its a great community bank, Hoggatt said about the many Pinnacle locations dotting south-central Nebraska. In all, there are 88 locations in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Branches that are closest to Kearney are in Grand Island, Hastings, Lexington, Elwood and Aurora.

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Hoggatt said it has been Pinnacles tendency to expand by purchasing local banks, but Kearney holds the distinction of having started from scratch.
A central question in the case is about viability  whether a fetus can survive on its own at 15 weeks. The clinic presented evidence that viability is impossible at 15 weeks, and the appeals court said that the state conceded that it had identified no medical evidence that a fetus would be viable at 15 weeks. Viability occurs roughly at 24 weeks, the point at which babies are more likely to survive.

But the state argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn't take sufficient account of the state's interest in regulating abortion.

The Mississippi law would allow exceptions to the 15-week ban in cases of medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality. Doctors found in violation of the ban would face mandatory suspension or revocation of their medical license.

Also on Monday the Supreme Court:

 Split 6-3 along conservative-liberal lines to rule that prisoners who were convicted by non-unanimous juries before the high court barred the practice a year ago dont need to be retried. The decision affects prisoners who were convicted in Louisiana and Oregon as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the few places that had allowed criminal convictions based on divided jury votes.
Hyler already faced misdemeanor charges after an incident at about 12:30 p.m. May 1.

Lincoln police say they were called to the Walmart near 27th and Superior streets about a man threatening to kill employees with a machine gun after being denied the sale of alcohol. They said they found him in the parking lot reaching into a car.

At the jail, his blood-alcohol content tested 0.092%, above the 0.08% legal limit to drive. He was released from jail the same day on a promise to appear in court on charges of disturbing the peace and entering a car without permission.

By the time the warrant went out for his arrest for the break-in, Hyler already was back in jail in Papillion facing a felony theft charge.

In court records, Papillion Police said a construction site manager at Amazon called 911 after a Chevy Express van turned off Nebraska 370 and around construction barricades up a newly poured concrete driveway to Amazon.

When the driver tried to turn around, the van got high-centered on the curb.
PARIS (AP)  Cybercriminals have hit four Asian subsidiaries of the Paris-based insurance company AXA with a ransomware attack, impacting operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the insurer said.

The criminals claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data including medical records and communications with doctors and hospitals.

In Ireland, meanwhile, the national healthcare system struggled to restore IT systems that were all but paralyzed by a cyberattack last week by a different Russian-speaking ransomware group. That group is demanding $20 million, according the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site, which The Associated Press viewed.

The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon.

The Irish government's decision not to pay the criminals means hospitals won't have access to patient records  and must resort mostly to handwritten notes  until painstaking efforts are complete to restore thousands of computer servers from backups.
A 29-year-old Holmen man is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on $10,000 cash bond after allegedly blocking a woman from leaving her residence.

Corey J. Langer faces a felony charge of false imprisonment and misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and bail jumping.

According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a May 15 welfare check in Holmen, where a woman said Langer had showed up at her residence uninvited and refused multiple requests to leave.

The woman told police Langer threatened to harm himself if she didnt talk to him. She said she feared for her safety and attempted to leave the residence. She said Langer stood in the doorway, screamed in her face and blocked her from leaving. Eventually, she said Langer went outside and into her garage, which allowed her leave and go to a friends house.

The complaint says Langer has sent the woman suicidal and homicidal text messages. The woman told police that Langers threats against her are credible based on his past behaviors.
A 44-year-old La Crosse man was charged Monday in La Crosse County Circuit Court with felony seventh-offense drunk driving. Jason A. Palahniuk was also charged with seventh-offense operating with a prohibited blood-alcohol content.

According to the criminal complaint, West Salem police were alerted May 16 to a man asleep at the wheel with the engine running. Police found the running vehicle with its lights on parked at the corner of Leonard and Elm streets around 2 a.m.

The complaint says Palahniuk was in the drivers seat with his head drooped. An officer knocked loudly on the drivers side door but was unable to rouse Palahniuk until a second try. The officer reported that Palahniuk had glassy, bloodshot eyes and was swaying back and forth. The officer also noted a faint odor of intoxicants.

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The officer ordered Palahniuk to exit the vehicle. He reportedly told the officer Im not driving before complying with a second request to exit. The complaint says Palahniuk relied on the car door to stay upright and nearly fell forward onto the officer. Palahniuk reportedly told the officer this will be seven while continuing to argue that he wasnt driving.

Palahniuk agreed to a preliminary breath test, which recorded a blood-alcohol level of .203. Police obtained a warrant for a blood test.
A 24-year-old Milwaukee man is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on $5,000 cash bond after being arrested early Sunday morning on drug and weapons charges.

Montanez S. Miller was charged Monday in La Crosse County Circuit Court with two felony counts of a felon in possession of a firearm, one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, two misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called for a complaint of a man carrying a firearm in his pants at Legends Bar in La Crosse. Police made contact with the man but didnt locate the firearm. Several witnesses told police the weapon was handed off to a man later identified as Miller.

Police located Miller in a nearby parking lot a short time later. The complaint says Miller took off running after police requested to talk with him. A foot pursuit ended after Miller tripped and fell on the north sidewalk of 200 Jay St. Miller reportedly complied with police instructions after he fell.

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A search of Miller allegedly found a Glock 19 nine millimeter pistol reported stolen in Racine County and a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol. Both firearms were loaded.
Glena Temple is resigning as president of Viterbo University next month, after accepting a new role at another private school near Chicago, the university announced Tuesday.

Temple, who has been president of Viterbo since 2017, will officially leave Viterbo June 25. She has accepted a leadership position with Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.

Rick Trietley, current executive vice president for Student Success at Viterbo, will serve as interim president through the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

It has been an incredible honor to be a part of the Viterbo community, Temple said in a statement. One of our greatest privileges of my career has been working alongside our outstanding faculty, staff, students and community. Viterbos service-driven values rooted in faith have always set the university apart  and nothing made that clearer than when we came together to support each other and our community during the pandemic.

I leave Viterbo with countless fond memories and deep love for the university and the surrounding community, she said.

Temple was the first lay woman, or nonordained member of the church, and ninth president to lead Viterbo University in its 131 years.

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With the U.S. Supreme Court announcing it will revisit the issue of abortion bans, the implications could be profound for Wisconsin, which still has an anti-abortion law on the books.

The nations high court announced Monday it will hear a case about whether states can ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb. Abortion rights advocates say banning such pre-viability abortions would be in direct contradiction to one of the key holdings in the courts landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and subsequent cases that states cannot ban abortion before a fetus can survive outside of the womb, generally viewed as between 24 and 28 weeks.

The case the court will hear involves a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, significantly before viability.

If the majority conservative court were to issue a broad ruling that fully overturns the Roe v. Wade decision, that could lead to abortions in Wisconsin being banned.

Wisconsin is one of several states with an existing pre-Roe anti-abortion law on the books. The 1849 law criminalizes doctors who perform abortions. Under the law, performing an abortion is a felony punishable with up to six years in prison, according to the National Institute for Reproductive Health.
He said U.S. President Joe Bidens support for a cease-fire is consistent with what we are proposing in the Security Council, and China will support all efforts facilitating the cease-fire, facilitating the ending of the crisis, and the coming back of peace in the Middle East.

The proposed French resolution, drafted in coordination with Egypt and Jordan, could be circulated to council members as early as Wednesday and put to a quick vote, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private.



UNITED NATIONS -- The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations is challenging the Biden administration to show results from its diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, pointing to the U.S. repeatedly blocking U.N. Security Council action on grounds it would interfere with its diplomatic efforts.

Riyad Mansour said if the Biden administration can exert all of their pressure to bring an end to the aggression against our people, nobody is going to stand in their way.

But he said the facts speak for themselves, and nobody has succeeded yet, so the U.S. argument that a council statement would interfere with efforts to achieve a cease-fire does not hold water.
I think whoever did this should definitely pay, the woman said, adding that her view would not at all prevent her from serving.

Dan Vondra, an Iowa defense lawyer who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients and isn't involved in the case, said the two-day jury selection seemed too short given the issues the case raises. He said jurors who posted opinions about the highly publicized case on social media should be screened out to avoid problems later.

Judge Yoel Yates has barred the public from the trial, citing COVID-19 restrictions, but it will be livestreamed by media outlets.

Tibbetts went for a run in July 2018 through Brooklyn, population 1,700, where she ran cross-country in high school. She never made it back to the home where she was dog-sitting for her boyfriend and his brother, who were out of town.

Her disappearance triggered a massive search that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.
She was diagnosed with the kidney condition, known as minimal change disease, seven years ago.

She had been living for about four months at Oak Park Places nursing home on Madisons East Side, where she received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine Feb. 10 and the second dose March 10, according to her state immunization record that her sons shared with the Wisconsin State Journal.

On April 27, after developing a fever, she was taken to the emergency room at UW Health at The American Center, where she tested positive for COVID-19, her sons said. She was transferred to UnityPoint Health-Meriter, where she was treated for COVID-19 and remained until being taken Saturday to Agrace hospice, where she died, her sons said.

They said doctors told them the cause of death was COVID-19 and the death certificate, which wasnt ready Monday, would reflect that. Seth Kingree said that if he was signing his mothers death certificate, he would attribute her death to the coronavirus.

No pinpoint
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  The leaders of the Minnesota Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced a $52 billion deal for the state's next two-year budget on Monday, but lawmakers will have to finish the work next month and difficult negotiations still lie ahead on police accountability and other policy issues.

The agreement calls for a balanced two-year budget without raising taxes, while fully exempting from state taxes federal Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses and unemployment insurance benefits that were raised during the pandemic. It also includes extra money for summer school to help students catch up after a year of distance learning.

Minnesota did it again. We found commonality amongst ourselves, Walz said at a news conference called to announce the deal, which was reached at about 12:15 a.m.

Walz, Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman agreed it was impossible to nail down the language of all the major budget bills and get them passed before Monday night's constitutional deadline for the regular session to adjourn, so lawmakers will have to go into overtime.

But you have three people who basically respect each other and are able to work well together despite huge ideological rifts between them, said Hortman, of Brooklyn Park.
RTHK: Two Thai workers killed in latest Gaza violence

Israel bombarded Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants resumed cross-border rocket fire on Tuesday after a brief overnight lull during which the UN sent a small fuel convoy into the enclave, where it says 52,000 people are now displaced.

Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive to destroy the capabilities of the armed factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, amid calls by the United States and other world powers for an end to the conflict.

Two Thai workers were killed and seven people were wounded in a rocket strike on an Israeli farm just over the Gaza border, police said. Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamist group and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Rockets were also launched at the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba, further north.

Gaza residents said Israel was keeping up intense air strikes. Witnesses said an Israeli tank shell hit a paint factory in the southern Gaza Strip, setting it on fire.

"We will continue as long as it takes in order to restore calm for all of Israel's citizens," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming remarks he has made over the past several days, said in a video clip on Twitter.

Hamas began firing rockets eight days ago in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem. The current hostilities are the most serious between the militant group and Israel in years.

Gaza medical officials say 215 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, and more than 1,400 wounded. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza strip have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary care health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency said. Some 47,000 of the 52,000 displaced had fled to UN schools.

Israel said more than 3,450 rockets have been launched at it from Gaza, some falling short and others shot down by its Iron Dome air defences. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Ephrata man whose identity is being sought by the FBI in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol attended a recent political event that featured a speech by Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and personal attorney for former President Donald Trump.

Samuel Lazar appears in several Facebook photos taken at the May 15 fundraiser held at a Christian school in Chambersburg. In one photo, Lazar poses with the events host, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, Gettysburg legislator who was a leader of the effort to overturn the results of the presidential race in Pennsylvania and award the states 20 electoral votes to former President Trump.

Its not clear why Lazar hasnt been arrested, or whether the FBI has questioned him since LNP | LancasterOnline reported on April 10 that Lazar is the man in photograph no. 275 on the bureaus Capitol Violence webpage.

The FBI declined comment Tuesday.

Lazar has repeatedly declined LNPs efforts to speak with him about his activities at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Video shows him pepper-spraying police and trying to pull down a metal bike rack used by police as a barrier outside the Capitol.

While he did not return a phone message and text sent by LNP on Tuesday, he told a Huffington Post reporter that he wasnt at the fundraiser, despite there being a photo of him posing with Mastriano.

A phone message left at Mastrianos Harrisburg office was not immediately returned Tuesday. Mastriano is preparing to run for governor next year, with the proceeds from the $50-per-person Chambersburg event expected to go toward the senators campaign account.

Lazar is known by the Twitter hashtag as #facepaintblowhard - for the camouflage painted face he sported on Jan. 6 - to online sleuths trying to identify those wanted by the FBI.

Lazar has not been charged with a crime linked to the Jan. 6 insurrection, based on a search of publicly available federal district court records as of late Tuesday afternoon. A number of cases believed to be related to the events of Jan. 6 remain sealed in the federal courts computer system.

Last month, a retired FBI agent offered several reasons why the FBI may not have arrested Lazar. They included strategy, time to investigate, or the possibility that Lazar is cooperating with the investigation.

In other cases where arrests have been made, the FBI has asked judges for more time to work on their cases, citing the scope of the investigation.

One such filing involved Michael Lopatic, the Manheim Township man charged with repeatedly punching one police officer in the head outside the Capitol. He has been released on bail pending trial after spending nearly three months in federal detention.

The investigation and prosecution of the Capitol Attack will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of the evidence, prosecutors wrote in the filing last month.
Manheim Central school board President Linda Williams was greeted with jeers as she walked into the district office prior to Monday nights school board meeting.

Her mistake: She wore a mask.

Take off the mask! one protester shouted. Well vote you out! another yelled.

Williams stopped at the door and thanked the organizers  there to protest the requirement that students wear masks in school  for coming to voice their opinions, then disappeared into the building.

Nearly 200 unmasked protesters crowded outside the district office entrance Monday to express their disgust with mask-wearing and what they say its doing to their kids. Parents among the group said kids are hugging their friends in secret in fear of ridicule from teachers, struggling to focus in school and being singled out for wanting to choose whether to wear a mask.

Masks are affecting our children emotionally, spiritually and physically, said Kate Barto, of Manheim. And its going to start to contribute to some mental health issues.

Barto is one of seven Manheim mothers who organized the protest as part of a newly formed group MC Parents for Change. The group formed after parents got upset over a picture showing Manheim Central band members playing their instruments while wearing masks that was shared on social media.

After over a year of not having our voices heard, we just want the board to hear us, said Barto, whose one school-aged child doesnt attend public school.

Pennsylvania requires people who arent fully vaccinated to wear masks indoors. Schools are still required to adhere to that rule. They are also advised, but not required, to keep their mask requirement in place for fully vaccinated people. Thats in line with the most recent mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Manheim Central Superintendent Peter J. Aiken said the district, like many others in Lancaster County, is sticking with the mask requirement, even for those who are fully vaccinated, through the end of the school year.

I just think the neatest, cleanest thing is to stay the course through June 4, Aiken said, adding that he hopes a mask requirement isnt necessary come August.

Aiken briefly joined the protesters outside Monday night to build bridges, he said, not let this tear this community apart.

After several impassioned speeches, including one from a parent who claimed school board members "scare easily," the majority of the protesters flowed into the auditorium of the neighboring Manheim Central Middle School, where the board meeting took place. School administrators, including Aiken, did not ask any of the protesters to put on masks.

Asked why the group was allowed to attend maskless, in violation of the state's mask mandate, Aiken said the district solicitor  York-based Stock and Leader law firm  advised administrators to allow it. The law firm did not respond to a request for comment by Mondays print deadline.

When Williams started the meeting, some in the crowd heckled her again, shouting that they couldnt hear her through her mask.

Before the meeting, Williams told LNP | LancasterOnline that shed like to finish the school year in compliance with the states guidance, and that means requiring masks for all students and employees.

With 14 days left, I really think we should be happy to have gotten to where we are right now and look to the future and to the new school year, Williams said.

At Penn Manor's school board meeting on Monday, about a dozen parents spoke out against the school mask requirement. Like Manheim Central, Penn Manor expects to keep its mask requirement in place through the end of the school year.
A vigil to express support with the Palestinian people will be held Wednesday evening, May 19, 2021, at Penn Square in downtown Lancaster.

Lancaster Vigil in Solidarity with Palestine will take place from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at Penn Square, North Queen and East King streets.

In a post at its Facebook page, event co-host Lancaster Stands Up says the United States government has helped the (Israel Defense Forces) carry out its agenda of apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

A press release from Lancaster Stands Up acknowledges grieving equally for the loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives in the ongoing conflict, but adds, We feel a responsibility to speak out against the disproportionate violence and oppressive policies of Israels government.

The New York Times reports a week of fighting has killed more than 200 people in Israel and the occupied territories, with most deaths being Palestinians during Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

President Joe Biden reiterated his support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a description of the call posted at the White House website. Biden also expressed his support for a cease-fire.

Peace Action Network is co-hosting the vigil with Lancaster Stands Up.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee will become the first state in the United States to require businesses and government facilities open to the public to post a sign if they let transgender people use multiperson bathrooms, locker rooms or changing rooms associated with their gender identity.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill Monday that represents a first-of-its-kind law, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group that decried the bill as discriminatory and said the required signs are offensive and humiliating. The law will go into effect July 1.

Lee, who is up for reelection next year, had previously been mum on whether he would sign the bill. Instead, he told reporters earlier this month that he always had concerns about business mandates but was still reviewing the bill.

Lee's approval came just a few days after he signed legislation that puts public schools and their districts at risk of losing civil lawsuits if they let transgender students or employees use multiperson bathrooms or locker rooms that do not reflect their sex at birth. It was the first bill restricting bathroom use by transgender people signed in any state in about five years, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Lee also signed a different proposal this year that bars transgender athletes from playing girls public high school or middle school sports.

Republican statehouses have been awash in culture war legislation across the country this year, particularly focusing on the LGBT community. Tennessee has been the front lines on that fight, with civil rights advocates pointing out that only Texas has filed more anti-LGBT bills in the country.

Yet, to date, there has been no big, tangible repercussion where bills have passed targeting transgender people, unlike the swift backlash from the business community to North Carolinas 2016 bathroom bill. In Tennessee, the bills are becoming law despite letters of opposition from prominent business interests.

According to the bill signed Monday, the required sign outside the public bathroom or other facility would say: This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom.

However, questions remain about how the law will be enforced and what, if any, consequences will stem from ignoring it. The law doesn't spell out fines, penalties or any other mechanism to ensure the signs are put up when required.

Republican Rep. Tim Rudd, the bill's sponsor, said no state department will oversee compliance with the law. Instead, Rudd said, local district attorneys could seek a court order to require a facility to post the sign. If an entity refused to comply, it would open the door for whatever judicial remedies the court deems appropriate, Rudd said.

Additionally, its possible that noncompliance could lead to civil liability, Rudd said.

Whether youre a man or woman, dont you want to know who might be waiting on the other side of a bathroom door when you go in? Rudd said in a statement. Everyone has a reasonable expectation to the right of privacy and dignity when using the restroom.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has said the legislation is impermissible compelled speech, in violation of the First Amendment, and raises substantial due process and equal protection concerns.

While the measure is likely to face constitutional challenges, no lawsuit had been filed as of Tuesday morning.

Additionally this year, Lee has signed legislation to require school districts to alert parents 30 days in advance before students are taught about sexual orientation or gender identity. Parents could also opt their student out of the lesson. The requirement would not apply when a teacher is responding to a students question or referring to a historic figure or group.

He has one more bill awaiting his action that LGBTQ advocates have opposed  a ban on gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors, including the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Arkansas approved a similar version earlier this year over a veto from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Lancaster police

STALKING

LANCASTER: Ryan Joseph Groff, 29, who is homeless, was charged with stalking, disorderly conduct, false identification to a law enforcement officer and two counts of harassment after following a woman two blocks to the Red Rose Transit Authority at 225 North Queen Street and placing his arms around her without her consent at around 1:56 p.m. on May 14, police said. Multiple occupants fled the bus station to avoid Groff, who charged at officers when they arrived, police said. Groff also provided the false name ORyan Keith Lee and a false date of birth to officers, police said.

Manheim Township police

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

LANCASTER TWP.: Juan B. Martinez, 35, of Lancaster, was charged with disorderly conduct after he threw a bowl in his apartment in the 1400 block of Manor House Lane at 11:16 p.m. on April 24, police said. The bowl made a loud noise that was heard by others outside, police said.

FLIGHT TO AVOID APPREHENSION

LANCASTER TWP.: Corry Maurice Brooks, 32, unknown address, was charged with flight to avoid apprehension after successfully fleeing on foot and evading officers who were attempting to arrest him on numerous outstanding warrants, including felony strangulation, at Second Lock Road at 2:48 p.m. on May 10, police said. Brooks remains at large, police said.

HARASSMENT

LANCASTER TWP.: Tom P. Vafias, 49, of Lancaster, was charged with harassment after pushing a person during a domestic dispute at his residence in the 600 block of South West End Avenue at 6:51 p.m. on May 6, police said.

MANHEIM TWP.: Mark A. Ressel, 49, of Lancaster, was charged with harassment after striking and kicking a person in the face, causing injuries, during a domestic dispute at his residence in the 1000 block of Grofftown Road at 6:58 p.m. on May 11, police said.

STRANGULATION

MANHEIM TWP.: Kelsi J. Ramond, 21, of Columbia, was charged with strangulation, false imprisonment and harassment after preventing a woman from leaving a hotel room at Americas Best Value Inn at 1320 Harrisburg Pike at 12:49 a.m. on May 15, police said. Ramond blocked the rooms door, covered the womans mouth with her hand and pushed her onto a bed, where she then grabbed her by the throat for about two minutes, police said. The woman was able to break free after striking Ramond on the side of the face, police said.

THEFT

MANHEIM TWP.: Douglas M. Serkoch, 58, of East Petersburg, was charged with theft and three counts of access device fraud after stealing a gas card and using it to make $293.01 worth of fraudulent purchases at Lancashire Hall at 2829 Lititz Pike at 4 p.m. on March 22, police said.

LANCASTER TWP.: Katlynn M. Kearney, 28, of Lancaster, was charged with theft after she was seen stealing a plastic tray containing 60 hamburger buns from outside a McDonalds at 1295 Millersville Pike at 8:45 a.m. on May 6, police said. Officers found Kearney at her residence with the buns, police said.

VANDALISM

MANHEIM TWP.: Brittney Shaqualynn Brown, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was charged with institutional vandalism after intentionally kicking a hole in the wall of Magisterial District Judge David Millers courtroom at 4:15 p.m. on May 11, police said.

Manor Township police

ASSAULT

MANOR TWP.: Jordan O. Silva, 28, of Lancaster, was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief after assaulting a woman, causing her minor injury, during a domestic disturbance in the 2600 block of Valley Drive at 3:30 p.m. on May 14, police said. Silva also broke some of the womans personal items, valued at $1,380, police said.

DUI

MANOR TWP.: Charles Ryan Thomas, 21, of Manheim Township, was charged with driving under the influence and accident to unattended property after crashing his vehicle into a utility pole in the 800 block of Central Manor Road and then leaving the scene on foot at 6:45 a.m. on May 1, police said.

Northern Lancaster County Regional police

CRIMINAL CONTEMPT

CLAY TWP.: Jose Manuel Rosario, of Stevens, was charged with two counts of indirect criminal contempt after text messaging a person he was prohibited from contacting through a protection from abuse order on May 14 and May 15, police said.

West Hempfield Township police

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

WEST HEMPFIELD TWP.: A set of womens clothing including undergarments and shoes were found near Lake Grubb on May 16, police said. Officers, firefighters, search dogs and a police drone searched the area extensively to ensure the items were not related to a crime, but did not find evidence of a crime or person in distress, police said.
Voters in Lancaster County can go to the polls today to decide on significant changes to the Pennsylvania constitution, including 2 proposals to limit a governor's power during an emergency declaration, and another that would add language to prohibit discrimination based on race or ethnicity.

In the first hour and half, 50 people had cast their ballots (out of the roughly 1,500 registered at the precinct) at the Elizabethtown 4-D polling place

"Been a great day," judge of elections Mary Conrad said. "Been busy the whole time." She added that there was a steady trickle in the first hour and half so far.

In Manheim Township's 19th district, Judge of Elections Ava Bowers said that turnout has been better than we expected it to be."

As of 3:40 p.m., 230 voters had cast their ballots, Bowers said.

Judge of Elections Barry Price, of Manheim Township's 10th district, also reported higher turnout than expected. There are 1,070 residents in the district.

Went pretty fast today, Ron Fink, on Manheim Township said after leaving the voting polls. The most important parts are, are we getting the correct counts on the election?

Chris Wagenseller, a judge of elections in Manheim Township's 18th district, said around 5:30 p.m. that the pace of the day had been slow, less than 200 voters. He added that there had been a lot of chatter about the ballot questions this year, and hes being seeing a relatively high number of non-affiliated voters coming in just for that aspect of the election.

There seems to be more interest in (the referendum questions, he said. I dont know if they have (driven turn out), but people seem interested in them.

Richard Eby, judge of elections for New Holland Borough's 3rd district, said 221 people had voted by 5:20 p.m., well in line with the 25% turnout they were anticipating out of the 850 voters in the district.

Eby said voters had come in sporadically throughout the day, at times filling the polling location inside Yoders Country Market and other times leaving the polling location empty.

New Holland Borough voter Kendra Fitz, 24, said she didnt have any issues voting Tuesday.

It was easy, she said. Really fast.

Fitz declined to say who she supported in the boroughs council race, but did say she was motivated to go out and vote.

I live in a very small town of backwards mentality and slow thinking, so I would like to enact change to help our town move forward, she said.

As an independent, Jennifer Holmseth, 41, couldnt cast a ballot in New Holland Borough's council race, but that didnt stop her from coming out to vote.

I try to vote in all of them, she said.

In Lancaster city, Michelle Hines, 29, said she voted for the candidates recommended by the Lancaster Democratic Party, including Ismail Smith Wade-El and Lockhart Calixte, who she said impressed her in an interview with LNP.



Calixte also proved popular among Hines friends, who she said also planned on voting for the newcomer.



Hines said the most important issues facing Lancaster are a lack of affordable housing in the city and policing  things she hopes Calixte and the other Democratic candidates she voted for will address if elected.

Few issues were reported at polling places in Lancaster County on Election Day, however there were issues with more than half of Lancaster County's mail-in ballots, which could lead to a delay in results this evening.

Neighboring York County has run out of ballots in some precincts, according to media reports. There have not been any reports of this happening in Lancaster County, according to county commissioner Josh Parsons.

Here is what you need to know:

When are polls open?

Polls open this morning at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m.

Wheres my polling place?

The Pennsylvania Department of States website has a polling place look up tool voters can use to find their assigned polling site. Its at pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx.

Voters can also preview the races their ballot via the Lancaster County Elections Office website: vr.co.lancaster.pa.us/sampleballots/.

Do I have to wear a face mask?

Per the Department of State, a voter cannot be denied the right to vote for not wearing a mask. Workers at polling sites also are not required to wear a mask, but each voting location will have hand sanitizer and other protective materials available.

Im an independent. Can I still vote in the primary?

All voters, regardless of party, are eligible to vote on the four ballot questions this election. In addition to the three constitutional amendments, voters will also decide whether paid fire and EMS departments should be allowed to access low-interest loans.

LNP | LancasterOnline has a voter's guide for both township and school board races which can be used to see if your municipality has a contested primary and who the candidates are.

When are mail-in ballots due?

For the 27,024 county voters who requested to vote by mail, ballots must be received by 8 p.m. tonight. Do not mail your ballot today, as it will not arrive in time.

Ballots can be dropped off at the drop box inside the Chestnut Street entrance of the County Government Building at 150 N. Queen St., Lancaster.

As of Monday afternoon, the county election's office received 17,367 completed mail ballots, said Christa Miller, the county Board of Election chief registrar.

I received a mail-in ballot but want to vote in person. What do I do?

Voters in this camp should bring their mail-in ballot and envelopes with them to their polling place to be turned over to election staff. The voter will then be allowed to vote in person.

I applied for a mail-in ballot but havent received it. What do I do?

Voters who applied to vote by mail but have not received one should visit the County Government Building to receive one in person, Miller said.

Additionally, voters who did not receive their ballot can cast a provisional ballot at their regular polling place. That vote will be counted after the county confirms the mail-in ballot was not cast.

Where can I find results?

LNP | LancasterOnline will be following the results this evening as they come in. Visit lancasteronline.com, or follow @CarterLNP or @gill_mcgoldrick on Twitter for live results.

Will the results be final tonight?

Unlikely. Final vote counts arent expected to be available until Wednesday or later, because opening and tabulating mail-in votes is a time-consuming process. The county has until next week to finish counting its election results, though the outcome of most races is expected to be clear by Thursday or Friday.

What if I have a problem trying to vote? If you have problems at your polling place, call the Lancaster County Elections Office at 717-299-8293. You also can stop by the Elections Office at 150 N. Queen St., Suite 117. If youd like to report a voting problem to LNP | LancasterOnline, call politics reporter Gillian McGoldrick at 717-481-6029 or email news@lnpnews.com. If youre on Twitter, tweet voting problems or issues using #Lancaster-Votes. Voters also can call the Pennsylvania Department of States hotline: 877-VOTESPA (877-868-3772).
Every Pennsylvania voter  including independents and third-party members  will be asked to consider four ballot questions on May 18. Two of them are about as noncontroversial as possible. The other two? A different story.

Below, Spotlight PA breaks down the basics of what they would do, who is in favor, and who is opposed.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1

Currently, only Pennsylvanias governor can end a disaster declaration, like the one the state is currently under to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. State law gives the General Assembly the option to pass a resolution to terminate the declaration, though the state Supreme Court ruled last year the governor can still veto the resolution. The Legislature can overturn a governors veto with support from two-thirds of members.

This proposed constitutional amendment would allow a majority of lawmakers to terminate the declaration at any time, without the governors consent. What happens after that is a matter of some debate.

Who is in favor? This proposal, borne out of a contentious response to the Wolf administrations approach to the pandemic, has been championed by the House and Senate Republican caucuses, with support from a few Democrats.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the conservative political group Americans for Prosperity has also launched a campaign to urge a yes vote on the question.

Who is opposed? Most Democrats including Gov. Tom Wolf, are urging Pennsylvanians to vote no, as is the grassroots Democratic group Turn PA Blue.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2

This question asks voters to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to limit a disaster declaration to 21 days. It could only then be continued with the consent of the Legislature.

At the moment, a disaster declaration lasts 90 days and can be renewed as many times as deemed necessary by the governor. The measure would also prevent the governor from issuing a new disaster declaration based on the same or similar facts.

The same parties mentioned under Amendment 1 are lined up for and against this proposal.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 3

This proposal would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to enshrine discrimination protections to Pennsylvanians based on race and ethnicity.

It is supported by Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Discrimination based on race is cooked into the DNA of this nation and we must take action to explicitly prohibit racial and ethnic discrimination in Pennsylvanias Constitution, said Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, the amendments sponsor.

Spotlight PA could not identify any opponents, though individuals affiliated with Free PA, a conservative group closely aligned with former President Donald Trump, is urging its members to vote no on the measure.

Statewide Referendum  Act 2020-91

This is a statewide referendum (as opposed to a constitutional amendment) that would allow municipal fire departments or companies with paid personnel, as well as EMS companies, to apply for a loan through an existing state-run program for volunteer companies. The money can be used to modernize or purchase equipment.

The measure passed the Legislature with unanimous support from Democrats and Republicans. The Pennsylvania Fire Emergency Services Institute is urging a yes vote, as is the Pennsylvania Career Fire Chiefs Association.

Spotlight PA could not identify any opponents, but some Free PA members are urging a no vote.

* Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media.
An error by the county's mail-in ballot vendor now means more than half of all mail-in ballots will have to be hand-counted, causing significant delay in final results.

Michigan Elections Resources printed multi-sheet ballots in the wrong order, affecting approximately 14,000 ballots, a press release from the Lancaster County Board of Elections said.

Those ballots are now unable to be scanned by the county's ballot scanners and will have to be hand counted.

Roughly 27,000 mail-in ballots were applied for and as of Tuesday nearly 18,000 had been returned.

"We'll be starting the hand count at the end of the week, weekend, we're fleshing that out at the moment," Christa Miller, chief clerk of the board of elections, said. She anticipates the hand county will take three to four days to complete, and final results will be available by early next week.

"If it weren't for this issue we actually could have been completely done (counting mail-in ballots) by tonight," Commissioner Ray D'Agostino, chair of the Board of Elections, said.

This is now the third error from Michigan Election Resources in the municipal primary election, impacting more than 14,000 ballots. Earlier this month, approximately 2,700 voters were alerted that some received incorrect voting instructions that prompted them that they did not need to pay postage. Additionally, approximately 100 voters in the Marietta and Mount Joy areas received incorrect return envelopes intended for another voter, leading voters to need to cancel their ballots and receive new ones.

The county had to eat the cost on the mailing issue, and work to ensure all voters who received the wrong ballots were either reissued ballots or able to vote provisionally.

D'Agostino said the county will be seeking a new vendor for the November General Election, and to hold Michigan Elections Resources accountable for the errors.

Matt Sandretto, Michigan Election Resources CEO, said the misprint came from a programming error, due to the complexity of the municipal primary election ballots.

The ballot scanners can not be adjusted to read the ballots in any different order, meaning, The only way to address this at the moment is to [hand] count, he said.

Sandretto emphasized that this error did not impact any voters ability to vote.

To the voter, the voter is not even going to know, Sandretto added.

The Lancaster County Board of Elections was unaware of the error until the morning of Election Day. This is because under the state election law, ballots can not be pre-canvassed until 7 a.m., meaning they did not begin scanning mail ballots until this morning.

Election officials across the state have been advocating for an increased amount of time to pre-canvass ballots to avoid and address issues such as these prior to Election Day.

Its a lesson learned on our side in terms of you can always learn from errors, Sandretto said.

Prior to an election, each county is required by the state Department of State to conduct a logistics and accuracy test on its ballots. Lancaster County completed this test and found no errors, Miller said.

Once Michigan Election Resources began printing the ballots, an error occurred while formatting the multi-sheet ballots, which are Republican or Democratic ballots that included the constitutional amendment questions, the statewide referendum question and candidate choices. The affected ballots were printed in an incorrect numerical order.

Honestly, this is an exceptionally complicated election, he added, noting the many different ballots voters received across the countys 240 voting precincts based on their municipality and political party. This differs from the 2020 general election, which was the first election Michigan Election Resources ran for the county (and did so without error), because it was one single ballot for all voters.

Were very sorry that it happened, he added.

Gillian McGoldrick contributed reporting.
After a four year restoration, conducted by the specialists at the Museo Storico dellAeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force Museum) in Vigna di Valle, Italy, an ultra-rare Reggiane Re.2002 is now on public display within the museums Badoni hangar.

This WWII-era fighter bomber arrived at Vigna di Valle on October 12th, 2017, a date which also marked the museums 40th anniversary. While the aircraft appeared to be complete at the time, it still required considerable work to bring it up to museum standards. So, while the aircraft went on display for a brief period as part of the museums anniversary celebrations, it soon re-entered the maintenance workshop for further rework. During the aircrafts most recent period of refurbishment, the restoration team addressed a number of issues, from relatively simple details like aileron alignment, to more complex problems, which included the complete scratch-build fabrication of the left trim flap, wing hard points, wing and fuselage gun ports, radio antenna, external light bays, pitot tube, viewfinder, engine exhausts, all the fairing latches and the ventilation slots on the engine accessory section paneling. The team completed this work in collaboration with restorer Marco Gueli.

This airframe, the sole complete example of the type, is based upon an incomplete fuselage and wing which are believed to have come from airframe number 126, This airframe likely flew first during July, 1943. Initially assigned the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) serial MM8669, researchers believe the aircraft soon ended up requisitioned by the Luftwaffe, but her German serial number, if known, is not presently public knowledge. Post-war, her history is murkier still, but she owes her survival to the University of Bologna, which housed her remains, presumably as technical training aids, until the late 1960s when their historical importance was finally rediscovered. These components then ended up on display at the Caproni Museum, then housed within the old Caproni factory at Vizzola Ticcino. MM8669 remained there until the 1980s when she finally entered restoration, although this occurred in fits and starts across several locations during the decades which followed. Ostensibly ready for display in 2017, she was essentially an empty shell with a fair degree of additional work remaining to bring her up to proper display standard. This work is now complete, so the Re.2002 can finally go on display. The partially restored fuselage from another Re.2002, also with Luftwaffe heritage, is on display at the Musee de la Resistance du Massif Central in Limoges, France.

A development of the Re.2000, two of Reggianes most experienced aeronautical engineers, Roberto Longhi and Antonio Alesso, designed the Re.2002 Ariete (Aries) in the summer of 1940. The Re.2002 employed an updated Re.2000 wing, the same wing which the Re.2001 also fielded. And, just like the Re.2001, it incorporated a radial engine (in this case, a Piaggio P.XIX RC.45) with a modified Re.2000 fuselage. The 1,175hp engine gave the new design a top speed of 329 mph with a 685 mile range, quite a feat for the day. While the Regia Aeronautica ordered 200 airframes, Reggiane produced a total of 255 examples, with 106 of these going to Luftwaffe units.

The aircraft was relatively lightly armed, with a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns in the engine cowling and two 7.7mm machine guns in the wings. The central fuselage bomb rack could accomodate a 500kg bomb, while the two wing pylons were rated up to 160kg. While the prototype first flew in October 1940 the type did not reach operational squadrons until March 1942. Interestingly, the Germans liked the aircraft, and had placed an order for several hundred examples which they planned to operate with BMW 801 powerplants. However, this engine-airframe combination never reached operational status, although the Luftwaffe did operate several dozen Piaggio-powered examples in France.

The unique and freshly-restored Re.2002 is now on public display at the Italian Air Force Museum, which houses some 80 historic airframes, in addition to engines and aeronautical memorabilia of various kinds representing the history of military flying in Italy and those who served within the Italian Air Force.

The museum is located on the shores of the magnificent Lake Bracciano between the towns of Bracciano and Anguillara Sabazia and first opened in 1977. Its mission is to collect, restore, conserve, exhibit and enhance the aeronautical material of historical and documentary interest pertaining to the Italian Air Force. Through multiple internal and external initiatives, the museum is also a driving force of history and aeronautical culture from a scientific, educational and cultural point of view.

The Museum is admission free and open to the public each day from 10:00am to 4:00pm, with the exception of a few Mondays each year, New Years Day, Easter and Christmas Day. Please note that for Saturday or holiday entrance, it is essential to book your visit by phone (at least 24 hours in advance) by calling 06-99887509. For more information, please visit the museums website.
The Cornwall-Lebanon school board at its May 10 meeting unveiled its 2021-22 budget that comes with a proposed 2.9% property tax hike. The meeting was conducted in person inside of Cedar Crest High Schools large-group instruction room, with a virtual option.

The proposed $87.6 million budget would be balanced with a real estate tax hike that would raise the millage to 16.09.

With the proposed recommendation, the median homeowner, with an assessed value of $161,100, would pay an additional $73 next school year for a total real estate tax bill of $2,592.

The final tax levy is yet to be determined.The board expects to vote on the proposed final budget May 17.

Following some debate and adjustments, the final budget and the new real estate tax rate likely will be adopted at the June 21 school board meeting.

Within the proposed budget, the largest increase in expenditure of $925,000 will be used for funding personnel and salaries. Another large part of the proposed increased expenditures is related to virtual education and outside virtual charter learning.

Last year, Cornwall-Lebanon School District raised real estate taxes about 1% to the current rate of 15.64 mills to help balance its $81.6 million budget.

In other business, the board agreed to inform the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Services of its intention to continue the free meal program throughout the district through June of 2022, and that the breakfast and lunch prices will remain the same next year.

In addition, the school board heard about a proposal to add two contracted positions for learning loss and mental health services. The board will be asked to approve that proposal at the May 17 meeting.

At that meeting, the board is also expected to vote on a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance abatement of $2.5 million over five years related to the redevelopment of a 10-acre property at 3000 State Drive in South Lebanon Township.
THE ISSUE

Today is municipal primary day in Lancaster County and the rest of Pennsylvania. As an off-year primary, it may lack the excitement and high profile of elections in which candidates for the White House and Congress are chosen. But today, registered voters will choose candidates to run for the offices in November that often have the biggest impact on our lives  and here, where the Republican Party generally dominates in general elections, the primary can serve as the de facto general election. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Today offers another chance to participate in the democratic process. We hope youll seize it.

If youre registered to vote, please make sure you cast your ballot today  whether at your polling place or by dropping off your completed mail ballot to the drop box at the Chestnut Street entrance of the Lancaster County Government Center at 150 N. Queen St. in downtown Lancaster.

And remember that this evenings 8 p.m. deadline for returning a mail ballot to the county elections office is firm. Getting it postmarked by 8 p.m. isnt going to suffice.

If you woke up this morning thinking your day is going to be too busy to vote  or you dont think a municipal primary merits the effort  please reconsider.

All registered voters may weigh in on four ballot questions today.

The first two are proposed constitutional amendments that would curtail a governors emergency powers and give the state Legislature more sway during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another proposed constitutional amendment would allow for amending the Pennsylvania Constitution to enshrine discrimination protections for Pennsylvanians based on race and ethnicity, as Spotlight PA has explained. And a fourth question, a statewide referendum, asks voters to decide whether municipal fire departments or companies with paid personnel, as well as emergency medical services, should be allowed to apply for loans through an existing state-run program for volunteer companies.

Then there are the primary candidate contests, in which only registered Democrats and Republicans can have their say.

The statewide court races on the ballot include a contested GOP Supreme Court primary. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided key issues relating to the 2020 presidential election in November  and has played a major role in redistricting in the commonwealth.

Republican voters will choose from among three candidates vying for their partys nomination for a Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat that will be vacated by retiring Chief Justice Thomas Saylor.

The GOP candidates are Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Paula Patrick, Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough, and Commonwealth Court President Judge Kevin Brobson, who has the Pennsylvania Republican Partys endorsement.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin, who has the Democratic Party endorsement and is unopposed in todays primary.

Then there are the local races.

In northeastern Lancaster County, three candidates are running for district judge, and in Manheim Borough two Republicans are vying for mayor, according to the LNP | LancasterOnlines primary voter guide, published May 12. Democrats face a contest for Lancaster City Council, and there are battles for councils and boards in five boroughs and nine townships. Nine of 17 local school districts also have primary contests.

In Lancasters largest suburb, Manheim Township  or as its residents call it, to the bemusement of others, simply Township  both the Democratic and Republican parties have contested primaries for the board of commissioners.

As LNP | LancasterOnlines Carter Walker explained, Republican voters will choose among five candidates who are competing for nominations for three seats with four-year terms. The three GOP nominees will face three Democrats in November who are unchallenged in their partys primary today.

Democratic voters do, however, have a decision to make in the primary for a two-year seat, Walker noted. Two Democratic candidates are vying for nomination for that position, and the winner will face a Republican who is unchallenged in the primary.

Hanging in the balance in November is the ideological direction the board will take over the next several years, Walker wrote.

In Lancaster city, Democrats will choose from five candidates vying for four City Council seats.

These are far from trivial positions.

Municipal officeholders determine how much were going to pay in local taxes. What our neighborhoods, streets and public spaces will look like. Whether well have recreational services available to our children and grandchildren. How our police departments will serve our communities.

Magisterial district judges serve as the first point of contact in the legal system  when we want to fight a speeding ticket or have a disagreement with a landlord, for example, we need to go to magisterial district court. And we want the judge wielding the gavel to be a sensible, fair-minded person.

Worried about property taxes? Or about your childs educational needs, or those of your grandchild?

As we wrote in 2017, school directors make decisions about building new schools and facilities, raising property taxes, cutting or keeping curricular programs. If youre a homeowner, or the parent or grandparent of a child in school, what happens in the school board meeting room can have a direct impact on your life and that of your family.

This is why its imperative that you carefully choose school board candidates who rigorously stick to the facts. Who believe in science. Who honor the American democratic process and the bedrock values of integrity, honesty and truth.

Indeed, that goes for candidates seeking any office.

If a candidate spreads lies and conspiracy theories, he or she should not be trusted with the education of our children  or with any aspect of our lives.

We thank those working the polls today for helping to lend democracy a hand. And we wish good luck to Christa Miller, the countys new elections chief who is shepherding her first election today.

We hope for Millers sake  and more importantly, for the sake of voters  that Lancaster County officials choose another election material vendor, and soon.

As Walker reported, the vendor hired to print mail-in ballots for todays primary sent incorrect instructions on how to return the ballots to more than 2,700 Lancaster County voters and sent the wrong ballots and envelopes to approximately 100-150 voters in Mount Joy.

These kinds of mistakes are unacceptable. Casting a ballot should be an easy process.

Lets hope it is for all those seeking to have their say today.
The April 2 letter to the editor Biden has a tough act to follow warrants a response. Consider the following publicly documented incidents involving Donald Trump:

 His discredited birther campaign against Barack Obama, the origin of which he blamed on someone else (it was always someone else).

 The obscene Billy Bush interview.

 His statements in 2016 and 2020 insisting that if he lost, the election is rigged.

 You also had people that were very fine people, on both sides (regarding Charlottesville, Virginia, 2017).

 Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, statement to far-right extremist group during a September 2020 presidential debate. (The Proud Boys did  until Jan. 6.)

 The three-hour delay in deploying troops to the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

 Trumps Stop the Steal campaign was found to be baseless by both conservative and liberal judges.

 Trumps Jan. 2 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to alter election results.

 The continuing Big Lie.

 His malicious name-calling of adversaries. Is he in grade school?

No, I dont miss Trumps America  the discord, acrimony and divisiveness that he sowed incessantly. The Republican Party has abandoned the principles of John McCain and Mitt Romney, voting for a morally and ethically devoid opportunist.

Certainly, any longtime officeholder exhibits flaws and indiscretions, Joe Biden included. Thankfully  despite the animosity of conservative media  Bidens dignity, decency and civility give us what was sorely needed.

Joan Coverdale

West Lampeter Township
I am pleased to spotlight a great Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (DEPC) event taking place tomorrow afternoon titled "Social Equity 2.0: Lessons From Recent State Developments." This is how this event is described on this page (where you can register):

In recent years, social equity has become a routine part of conversations surrounding cannabis legalization. Yet, despite the stated goals of political leaders and various efforts of multiple states, challenges with implementing robust social equity programs persist.

Join the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center for a virtual panel event that brings together experts from states whose recent cannabis legalizations include social equity provisions. Panelists will discuss their states experience, lessons learned, and focus areas for federal legislators and regulators as they begin considering cannabis legalization nationwide.

Speakers:

Dianna Houenou, senior policy advisor and associate counsel, Office of the Governor, State of New Jersey, and incoming chair, New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission

Toi Hutchinson, senior advisor for cannabis control, Office of the Governor, State of Illinois

Jason Ortiz, president, Minority Cannabis Business Association, and board member, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Shaleen Title, distinguished cannabis policy practitioner in residence, Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, and vice-chair, Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition

Moderator:

Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter, POLITICO
The title of the title for this great new resource page from the the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (which I help direct). The page provides data and discussion concerning decades of state and local marijuana decriminalization experiences. The subtitle of the page highlights a key theme of this new resource page: "Exploring the limited and disparate impact of fragmented reforms." I highly recommend folks check out all the data and original visuals on this page. Here is some of the page's introductory text:

The topic of drug decriminalization has gained considerable attention in the United States after Oregon voted in November 2020 to decriminalize all drugs in that state. While we consider the possible impacts of broader drug decriminalization efforts, it is useful to look back at the five decades of marijuana decriminalization for lessons on effects and implementation.

In 1972, the US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, known as the Shafer Commission, issued a report advocating a social control policy seeking to discourage marihuana use but asserting that criminal law was too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in efforts to discourage use. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to implement the recommendations of the Shafer Commission by decriminalizing marijuana statewide. Ten states followed suit in the next five years: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine and Ohio in 1975; Minnesota in 1976; Mississippi, New York and North Carolina in 1977; and Nebraska in 1978. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter even urged Congress to consider marijuana decriminalization. The decriminalization movement stalled throughout the 80s and 90s with President Reagans focus on the war on drugs, but the 2000s brought a sustained attention to the issue with a wave of decriminalization efforts, medical-use and adult-use cannabis legalizations across 35 states, and a rapidly changing public opinion....

By our count, at the end of 2010, roughly only one-third of Americans lived in a jurisdiction with full or partial decriminalization laws. By April 2021, over 75% of people in the United States lived in a jurisdiction that has passed some form of decriminalization or legalization....

These numbers can mask the fact that not all decriminalization initiatives are created equal and that some forms of decriminalization do not ensure significant reduction in criminal justice encounters for marijuana users. Despite the growth in the number of states that have fully legalized cannabis for all forms of adult use (17 states, the District of Colombia and three U.S. territories), residents of 14 states (29% of the U.S. population) continue to be barred from using cannabis lawfully even for medical purposes and many others are subjected to a patchwork of decriminalization statutes, which can differ from a city to city if full decriminalization is not adopted on statewide basis.


A journalist in Bangladesh known for her reporting on government corruption was arrested on charges of violating an official secrets act, officials said Tuesday.

The charges carry a possible death penalty.

Rozina Islam is a reporter for the leading Prothom Alo newspaper. She is charged with using her cellphone without permission to photograph documents related to government negotiations to buy coronavirus vaccines. The government said she was waiting in a room of a government official involved in the negotiations when she took the photos. The Associated Press has seen the document that lays out the charges.

Islam is known for reporting on corruption involving the Ministry of Health and others. Several of her recent stories have reported on the millions of dollars spent to buy health equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Islams sister said she was held for more than five hours late Monday in the Ministry of Health. Her family added that she was physically and mentally harassed while being held.

Islam was then handed over to Dhaka Metropolitan Police to face charges under the Secrets Act. A police official confirmed that she was charged with theft and photographing of state documents.

The charges carry a possible death penalty, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement.

Maidul Islam Prodhan is a spokesman for the health ministry. He said Islam took photos of important documents. He added that She was also taking away some documents over the objections of two workers at that time.

Islam appeared in court on Tuesday. Police asked to hold her for questioning for five days and defense lawyers asked for her release on bail.

The judge rejected both requests and sent her to jail until her next court appearance on Thursday, a defense lawyer said.

Journalists groups in Bangladesh and the CPJ demanded her release. A CPJ representative said the charges were brought under a colonial-era law that carries ridiculously harsh penalties.

Earlier this month, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch said Bangladeshi journalists are risking arrest, torture and harassment under a widely used Digital Security Act.

It said at least 247 journalists were reportedly subjected to attacks, harassment and intimidation by the government in 2020. More than 900 cases were brought under the Digital Security Act, with nearly 1,000 people charged and 353 detained, many of them journalists, it said.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

journalist  n. :the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio

harass  v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

bail  n. an amount of money given to a court to allow a prisoner to leave jail and return later for a trial

ridiculous  adj. extremely silly or unreasonable

harsh  adj. unpleasant and difficult to accept or experience

intimidation  n. to make (someone) afraid

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.
The General Services Administration, or GSA, says the United States Coast Guard has decided it no longer needs four of the nations most beautiful lighthouses. And it is inviting certain types of organizations to take them over at no cost.

The GSA is the business and accounting agency of the U.S. federal government. Among other jobs, it manages all federally-owned buildings.

The GSA has been letting go many of the lighthouses it no longer uses. It is releasing Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The lighthouse is Americas third oldest, and it was present during the American Revolutionary War.

The other available lighthouses are Watch Hill Lighthouse, Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse, and Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Lighthouse. Watch Hill Lighthouse is in Westerly, Rhode Island, near the beachside house of American pop star Taylor Swift.

The Cleveland Harbor lighthouse is in Ohio, and Duluth Harbor Lighthouse is in Minnesota.

There is a condition. The government said it will make the historic lighthouses and their outbuildings available for free to certain groups.

They include federal, state and local government agencies. Additionally, nonprofit organizations or educational and community development agencies may take the buildings. Groups which work with parks, outdoor enjoyment, culture or historic preservation may take them as well.

Paul Hughes is a spokesperson for GSA. He said the U.S. Coast Guard decided that they no longer needed Beavertail Lighthouse. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Beavertail Lighthouse has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. The National Register of Historic Places works to protect historic places and buildings.

Beavertail Lighthouse is a 19.5-meter-high stone lighthouse that faces south where Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound meet. It offers beautiful views of the ocean.

Only the base of the original lighthouse remains. It was built in 1759. It was then burned down by British soldiers leaving the Newport area in 1779 during the American Revolution. The current lighthouse was built in 1856 with six additional structures, totaling 480 square meters.

Hughes said the government wants groups to express their interest in the next 60 days. The National Park Service will review the applications.

Watch Hill Lighthouse is a three-story stone block tower with an iron and glass light on top. It is surrounded by water on three sides. It is attached to a two-story building built in 1935. The outbuildings include an oil house built in 1855 to 1856.

The Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse was built in 1911 to guide ships near the Port of Cleveland. It housed a Coast Guard Station until 1976.

It is best known for its yearly change into a beautiful ice tower when winter temperatures freeze lake water onto the building. A sister lighthouse, Cleveland Harbor East Pierhead Lighthouse, was sold a few years ago for $10,000.

Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Lighthouse was built in 1910. It is located on the westernmost tip of Lake Superior. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Im Anna Matteo.

William J. Kole reported this story for the Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

_______________________________________________________

Words in This Story

lighthouse  n. a tower with a powerful light that is built on or near the shore to guide ships away from danger

view  n. the things that can be seen from a particular place

preservation  n. the act of keeping something in its original state or in good condition


Officials in northern Vietnam have ordered the closure of four industrial parks because of an outbreak of COVID-19.

The parks, in the province of Bac Giang, are to remain closed until the situation improves. "We hope the measure will be in place for just two weeks, but it depends on the situation of the outbreak, local official Le Anh Duong told Reuters.

Three of the parks house production centers for Taiwan-based electronics company Foxconn, which manufactures iPhones and other products for Apple. Foxconn confirmed its operations in the province had been suspended and said it was cooperating with local officials on the latest virus fighting measures.

Bac Giang, which sits about 60 kilometers northeast of Hanoi, has been experiencing a new outbreak of COVID-19 that began in late April. Factory workers were among those infected.

The province has recorded more than 400 infections since April 27. That number was about one third of all of the countrys COVID-19 cases over the same period, the Ministry of Health said.

Local officials and companies operating in the area of the parks will together establish a new way to prevent the virus spreading inside the factories, Le Anh Duong said. We have no choice but to live with the virus."

In January, Vietnam gave approval to a Foxconn-owned company to build a $270 million factory to produce computers and tablets.

Reuters reported last year that Foxconn had decided to move some iPad and MacBook production to Vietnam from China at the request of Apple. The report said Apples decision was linked to ongoing trade tension between China and the United States.

Foxconn said its other factories in Vietnam were still running. However, operations at those centers could also be changed if further virus prevention measures are ordered, it added.

Vietnams VN Express website reported that officials in Ho Chi Minh City, in the south, have begun carrying out mass testing of workers in that areas industrial production centers. Additional anti-virus measures were also ordered in an effort to prevent new outbreaks, the officials said.

Hua Quoc Hung heads the local organization in charge of Ho Chi Minh Citys industrial production centers. He told VN Express the COVID-19 outbreak in the north was troubling because many workers from the south had traveled to other parts of the country during holidays from April 30 to May 3.

Officials said that since the holiday period, 17,000 workers across the city had been tested for COVID-19.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters and VN Express reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________

Words in This Story

outbreak  n. a sudden or violent start of something unwelcome, such as war disease, etc.

province  n. one of the large areas that some countries are divided into

tablet  n. a small, portable computer that you use by touching the screen
Benton County has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate of any county in the state, with 67.1% of those 16 and older vaccinated, according to figures from the Oregon Health Authority released on Monday.

Linn County was far behind, with 47.6% of its population vaccinated.

In Benton County, 55,035 residents are vaccinated, while only 48,759 people in Linn County have been vaccinated. Linn County needs nearly 18,000 more people to get the jab to reach 65%.

In order for counties to move to Oregon's low risk level, at least 65% of residents 16 and older must have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Statewide, most COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted when 70% of residents 18 and older receive their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

Here is a local, state and national update on the COVID-19 caseload and vaccinations based on reports Monday from OHA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

New cases Oregon: 310

Total cases Oregon: 195,882

New cases Linn County: 17

Total cases Linn County: 5,034
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho  A woman charged with conspiring with her new husband to kill her two children has been committed to a mental health facility for treatment, and her husband has pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
by Sam Worthington-Leese

Getting into warbirds might seem like an impossible dream, akin to being a Formula 1 driver, joining the SAS, or becoming an astronaut. But, there are Formula 1 drivers, there are soldiers in the SAS, and there are astronauts  so it isnt impossible. Other than time travel, or settling the debate over whether milk or hot water goes first in a cup of tea, very few things are actually impossible (and even time travel has its proponents). Changing your mindset from impossible  to possible  regarding a particular challenge, is probably the first but most important hurdle to overcome. Indeed, most people use the word impossible to describe an objective which might, on closer inspection, simply take serious effort, time and dedication to achieve. So while getting into warbirds is rarely easy (except for those with deep pockets) it isnt impossible.

From a personal perspective, I have wanted to fly Spitfires for as long as I can remember. My grandfather flew them during WWII, after the Hurricane and before the Typhoon; he died when I was young, but Im sure something of his passion passed from him to me. When I was about six, a little part of me secretly hoped the Battle of Britain might start again, with the naive idea that this could allow me to fly a Spitfire. You could say that my journey started then, or maybe a few years later  about the age of ten  when I taught myself to fly on Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator after school. I flew the Battle of Britain Campaign over and over again; beam attacks, Immelman turns and deflection shooting all seemed so easy at that age.

You might even say the journey started for me when I had just finished college and started glider flying whilst applying to join the Royal Air Force. Flying locally to where I lived above the South Downs, WWII-era bomb craters were still visible on the hills. Glider flying also included my first experiences being close to taildraggers, as we first rose into the air towed behind the clubs Piper Pawnee  a poor mans Hurricane. But all of this was just wishful thinking, in reality; I wasnt taking any proactive action on a path towards warbirds. However, that all changed after I joined, and subsequently became redundant from, the RAF. Then, a few months later, the commercial flight school I had chosen went bust, and I became a modular student, with seriously depleted funds. I knew I wanted to fly for a living, but I also knew I wanted to fly warbirds; the two dont generally go hand-in-hand. So I had to figure out a plan.

At the time, there was very little information available that I could find describing a path into warbirds, so I just extrapolated what I could find. Once you get to the bottom of it, the requirements for somebody to fly warbirds are actually quite straightforward. The vast majority of warbirds are taildraggers. The pipeline to train young fighter pilots in WWII is there to read about in any aviation memoir from the period, but the one which I found best describes it, at least for me, is Geoffrey Wellums First Light. The initial aircraft he flies is the now-legendary de Havilland Tiger Moth. Following 50 to 60 hours of elementary training on these biplanes, he moved on to the more complex North American Harvard. Following about 150 hours of more advanced training on Harvards, Gillum then got posted to No.92 Squadron, to both his and the units surprise; 92 were working up on Spitfires at the time.

Given Gillums experience, it seemed to me that if training was like that then, why shouldnt it be the same now? At the end of the day, the end goal is the same  to fly a Spitfire. This set my mind to work; if thats how pilots transitioned to Spitfires then, then it should work now. Admittedly, the hours requirements might be higher, perhaps double, or even triple, as there isnt a war on after all. But, with that, I was starting to form the first phase of my plan. I needed to fly something like a Tiger Moth, or similar, and then move on to a Harvard, or similar, before being let loose on a Spitfire. That seemed simple enough; three rungs to the ladder. I had the foundations of a plan!

However, flying those aircraft is very, very expensive; it is upwards of 200 an hour for a Tiger Moth, 700-800 per hour for Harvards and lottery winnings for the Spitfire. Even with my meagre maths skills, I could figure out that those costs were going to be prohibitive as I had no chance of earning that sort of money. But returning to my earlier thoughts that it must be possible, because people do it and they cant all be millionaires, I had a rethink. During the hour-building phase of my modular training, I completed a tailwheel conversion in a Stampe down on the south coast. The Stampe is a great aircraft, a vintage open cockpit biplane, just like the Tiger Moth, but without all the bad bits. The instructor was a great guy who taught me a lot in those early taildragger sessions.

Hang on a minute  instructors dont pay to fly, they get paid Epiphany!

In the final stages of my Instrument Rating which would complete my commercial flight training, I received a call from the CFI at the school where I completed my tailwheel conversion; would I like to help out for the summer? As long as I got my own Instructor Certificate, I could expect quite a decent amount of flying. And because I had a small amount of tailwheel experience, I could expect to pick up trial lessons on the Cub, Stampe, and in time, the Tiger Moth. Out came the maths again; the cost of the FI certificate divided by the hourly rate of the taildraggers meant I only needed to get just over 30 hours over the entire summer for it to break even. Coupled with the fact I would be earning a small amount of money whilst flying those hours, as well as flying standard spam cans as well, I decided to take the gamble. I had no idea at the time if it would pay off.

The gamble was this  earn next to no money for a given time period, but obtain as much tailwheel flying as I could by doing it full time. I would do this intensely for a few years, build up a base of tailwheel experience, that I could then use in my spare time if and when I got a job with an airline, in say, five years time. I was turning down some quite juicy salaries as an airline pilot, and airlines were hiring, but I figured I was still relatively young, could put up with living back at home for a few years, and when might I get this opportunity again?

Two full seasons later at the school, and alongside the more standard flying, teaching PPL students and so on, I had managed to clock just under 300 hours on the Cub, Stampe and Tiger Moth. The best part is that I had only paid for a handful of those hours, when I self hired to take friends or family up, and then they chipped in. I hadnt made a fortune doing it, far from it, but I hadnt spent a fortune either. My FI certificate had more than paid for itself and I had got myself onto the first rung of the ladder. If First Light and my plan was anything to go by, the next rung of the ladder was the Harvard. Moving to another school on the south coast at Goodwood, the next step would fall into place.

In all honesty, I didnt know the flying school at Goodwood owned the Harvard. I thought it belonged to their neighbour, the Boultbee Flight Academy. Deep down, that was my thinking for the move to Goodwood. My grandfathers last flight of WWII departed from here, but there was a Spitfire operator on the airfield, Boultbee. I thought, maybe, that if I hung around enough they might give me the keys one day. Having been at Goodwood for around three months, flying the Cessnas and the Cub that the flying school operated, the management were scratching their heads a lot about a reliable, and available, pilot for their Harvard as they kept having to turn trial lessons away through the lack of a resident instructor. Picking my time with the flying school manager, I decided not to ask, but just to let him know that Id be more than happy to help At this time I had around a thousand hours total, three hundred or so on taildraggers and could teach aerobatics. I even offered to pay for my conversion training, thinking that even if it took me five or more hours, it would be worth it in the long run if I could pick up just a handful of flights. They were clearly well and truly stuck for someone reliable and available, because the answer was yes. Whats more, I wouldnt pay for my conversion but I would get a reduced rate of pay for flying it for the first year.

And so I moved up to the second rung of the ladder. During this time, I co-founded the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group, an endeavour I had been working on for a few years already and one that saw me visiting many of the warbird restoration shops in the country and meeting their owners, many of whom operated aircraft as well. I also joined the team at Ultimate High, a great organisation that I had known for a few years, since my hour building, when a friend kindly introduced me to them whilst they were searching for someone to work on some ground school development for them. Now, I was to be a pilot on their team, something which I thought would never happen as they employed exclusively ex-military fast jet pilots. I was ex-military though, just. This was also the perfect time to make use of a contact I made during PPL training, Cliff Spink. With the guidance of Jos and the team at Ultimate High and Cliff, I worked up for, and obtained, my Display Authorisation. Having a DA is not necessarily about flying the displays in the first instance, but I found it incredibly useful to network at shows and do more of getting to know the right people; the rare display flying was a bonus!

Three seasons later, as the sole in-house full time Harvard pilot, although self employed and still not earning very much, I managed to pick up 220 hours in the type. Coupled with the DA, three years of flying with Ultimate High and my work with the Typhoon project, I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, the next rung of the ladder might be around the corner.

Try as I might, no amount of hanging around the Boultbee hangar seemed to have the desired effect. And anyway, they had their own young resident pilot and skygod coming up through the ranks, a good friend of mine Tim, aka Princess. Through my work with the Typhoon, I had met John Romain at the Aircraft Restoration Company a number of times. I had got to the stage where people had stopped asking who are you? in the hangar when I dropped in, so I took that as a good sign. I had come to an arrangement with them too, to use their shower early in the mornings when exhibiting on the Typhoon stand for four days in a row at air shows while camping on site. Part of that was simply my need to be clean and presentable for the public, but part of it was also just being there in that environment, having a coffee afterwards and chatting to the team. Cliff Spink was an ARCo pilot and I knew he was keen on new blood coming into the scene to take over from theold farts (his words) who would be retiring in the coming years.

Through a Black Tie event for the RAF100 anniversary which the Typhoon project had been asked to supply some material for, I find myself sitting next to Anna from ARCo. Anna runs all the bookings, sorts the pilots and their lives out, and generally organises a lot of what happens there. Id met Anna once before, although she didnt remember it, why would she? The seating arrangement was pure fluke, but I was there, and so was she. Talking over dinner and plenty of wine, we spoke about instructing, which we had both done, display flying, people to watch out for, the Typhoon, New Zealand where I had just got engaged and come back from, being vegetarian, all sorts. And then she says they cannot find Spitfire pilots for love nor money. Well, whats the worst that could happen I think to myself?

Ill do it

Dont be silly you need loads of tailwheel time!

Ive got about 600 hours of it

Yes, yes, but you need Harvard time

Well Ive got about 200 of that

OK, but you need a CPL too, for the rides

Yep, got one of them too

Seeing a mild look of confusion on her face, I just smiled and left it at that, we got back to the dinner, other conversation and the wine. I didnt think much of it until a few weeks later.

Walking into the pub on my own, I saw John Romain, Anna and one other, James, at a table round the corner. I waved, thought nothing more of it and went to the bar. I was due to fly to Duxford to renew my DA on the Friday before the May air show, but the flight got cancelled so I drove up instead to be there to set up the Typhoon stand. That meant I was there for dinner that evening and that was when the gamble that Id taken all those years ago after working out my plan paid off. Taking my first sip of beer, John came over and apologised for not recognising me in the light and invited me to sit with them for a drink as they were leaving soon.

How many hours do you have on the Harvard, Sam?

About 200

And you have a CPL?

Yes

Good. I want you to fly my Spitfire.

I knew instantly that in the background, although John knew me through the Typhoon, Cliff had been mentioning that the idea of new blood was a good one. Then Anna had come back from the Black Tie dinner and must have mentioned something to John. John had then probably checked with Cliff, probably his old mates at Ultimate High, and all the strands had come together. Of course, I said yes!

To me, getting into warbirds was a dream; it almost still is, thanks to COVID-19. To me, there are three rungs to the ladder  small taildraggers, bigger taildraggers, then the warbirds themselves. Gain as much experience on the first two rungs as possible, however you can do that. For me, instructing worked. Do whatever you can to add to your flying CV. For me, two things that played a huge part were being heavily involved in the charity work for the Typhoon project and everything that brought, but so too did having the DA; working closely with Cliff for that was a key link in the chain at ARCo for me.

Patience is also key. When I set out on the journey, I was fully expecting it not to happen, or that it would take ten or maybe twenty years if it did. Had I gone about the vintage flying part time, then it would certainly not have happened yet. You will see the results if you immerse yourself in the scene. Live it, breathe it, do charity work, volunteer for the rubbish jobs, get involved as much as possible, drop in when you can, even just sweep the hangar floor. A classic inspirational story of that happening is with Rats, who is now the Aircraft Restoration Companys head of training; he had the unenviable job of trying to teach me to fly a Spitfire. After a full career in the RAF, he swept the hangar floor at Duxford for seven years without touching an aircraft. Now thoughwell, there you go.

Like anything, if you have a plan, and focus everything possible on that plan, or that dream, taking small steps forwards all the time, then you can achieve it. Sure, it will require some sacrifice, but if the end goal is worth the sacrifice, then youll do it. But first, you must change your mindset from impossible, to possible!

Sam Worthington-Leese is a professional pilot, instructor, display pilot and mentor. Currently a First Officer with TUI Airways UK, operating the 737, company pilot with the Aircraft Restoration Company, Duxford and instructor with Ultimate High, Goodwood. He is a Trustee of the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group, a charity established to raise the funds required to rebuild Hawker Typhoon MkIb RB396 to airworthy condition and Director of the all volunteer project team working on achieving the charitys aim. Founder of pilot396.com a community established to give an insight and guidance on getting into warbirds. For more information about Sams mentoring programs visit www.pilot396.com



For more information and to keep up to date with the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group project, visit the official website at www.hawkertyphoon.com. The Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group also has a strong social media presence  visit them at Facebook , Twitter and YouTube.


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Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2014 file photo, people pass an AT&T store in New York's Times Square. AT&T will combine its media operations that include CNN HBO, TNT and TBS in a $43 billion deal with Discovery, the owner of lifestyle networks including the Food Network and HGTV. The deal announced Monday, May 17, 2021, would create a separate media company as households increasingly abandon cable and satellite TV, looking instead at Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) PHOTO:AP Photo/Richard Drew, File

AT&T, Discovery Join Media Brands

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK - AT&T will combine its massive media operations that include CNN, HBO, TNT and TBS in a $43 billion deal with Discovery, the owner of lifestyle networks including the Food Network and HGTV.

It is a major directional shift for AT&T which squared off with the Justice Department less than three years ago in an antitrust fight when it wanted to acquire Time Warner Inc. for more than $80 billion. That was a fight that AT&T won.

It's not immediately clear what the new company would mean for customers, but it likely allow the bundling of streaming services. For example, Disney offers its viewers Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.

A standalone streaming service for CNN is also a possibility.

AT&T operates HBO Max, and Discovery created its own streaming service. HBO Max and HBO have a combined U.S. subscriber base of about 44 million, and Discovery+ has about 15 million subscribers.

The new company will be able to join the upper tier of global (streaming) players: Netflix, Disney and Amazon, Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson told investors.

However, Netflix has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide, and Disney+ has over 100 million.

In the all-stock deal, AT&T will receive $43 billion in a combination of cash, debt securities, and WarnerMedias retention of certain debt. AT&T shareholders will receive stock representing 71% of the new company and Discovery stockholders will own 29% of the new company.

The new company will be in direct competition with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney and Comcast, which are assembling a growing arsenal of original media content.

The combination announced Monday, the companies said, will able to invest more in original streaming content. It will house almost 200,000 hours of programming and bring together more than 100 brands under one global portfolio, including: DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Eurosport, Magnolia, TLC and Animal Planet.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav will lead the new company. The new companys board will have 13 members, seven will initially appointed by AT&T, including the chairperson. Discovery will initially appoint six directors, including Zaslav.

The deal is expected to close by the middle of next year. It still needs approval from Discovery shareholders. AT&T stockholders don't need to vote on the transaction.
A joint statement from the countries says theyll soon present a revised proposal on the issue that aims to get coronavirus help to the neediest people -- whether in rich or poor countries.

The 62 states also pledged flexibility on the issue to ensure swift outcomes that would suit a majority of WTO member states. However, the WTO operates by consensus -- meaning any single country could block the proposal. Some have expressed strong opposition.

Wealthy countries with strong pharmaceutical industries say such a temporary intellectual property waiver could have a long-lasting impacting innovation and would take months to carry out -- rendering it ineffective against urgent supply shortages faced in many countries. They say a better solution would be immediate donations of vaccines from rich countries that have extra doses.

Proponents insist capacity to scale up production of vaccines exists, but the protections under WTO rules prevent it.



NICOSIA, Cyprus  Cyprus health minister says private doctors can administer the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19 to anyone over age 20 to expedite its vaccination program.
But he also saw some companies step in to try to fill that gap, looking for ways to support their employees mental, emotional and physical health. For him, seeing what companies have and havent done has been instructive. Though there are some approaches that should be implemented across the board, nobody has a silver bullet, he said.

As pandemic restrictions lift and more people are vaccinated, many of those challenges are fading. While some employees are eager to return to the office, others have found they prefer to work from the comfort of their own homes. Many could be looking for the flexibility to do a combination of the two. But Fuller anticipates that many employers will fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum: Some will want employees to return to the status quo of in-person work, and some will switch to an all-remote workplace.

Working in the same physical space  colocation, as Fuller calls it  can in some cases make workers more productive and less isolated, but he thinks employers would be unwise to assume they can abolish remote work and revert back to the ways of yore.
I just find those characters to be more interesting. It may be reflection, and I've been lucky to have strong, smart women in my own life. And watching men and women, the women are usually a couple of steps ahead of the men.

I started out with the character as a man when I first started writing the book, and I had probably written five chapters. I liked the idea of somebody having that job, in wildlife relocation. Its a really big thing here, with people having raccoons and possums and snakes in the backyard and stuff. In my business, its mostly guys that show up with the noose. I thought it would be more fun, and be more entertaining for me as an author, if she was a woman. It just opened up some plot possibilities and gave me the chance to say some things. So I went back and redid it.

Have you spent much time in Palm Beach?

Ive been to a couple of events, and have some friends down there. But I think a writer would be the last person invited to something down there. Were just not much fun, and theres always the risk that somebody will say something inappropriate. Or not say something inappropriate.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison also announced last week that beginning Monday the vaccine would be available to kids as young as 12. Officials suggest making an appointment to ensure they have the Pfizer vaccine on hand, as no other vaccines are approved for the 12-15 age range yet. Vaccinations are available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Nicholas Recreation Center, 797 W. Dayton St., with a break from noon to 1 p.m.

BGCDC hopes its competition will help improve Dane Countys already-strong vaccination numbers, as the county has the highest percentage of residents in the state who have received at least one dose.

With this PSA video competition, youth can share the importance of fighting the spread of COVID-19 in our communities by getting a vaccine for everyone in the family, chief operating officer Sarah Ghee said.

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Given the current vaccination rate, officials Tuesday estimated that by June 2, nearly 75% of the county's eligible population would be vaccinated. That includes all those ages 12 and up, after Wisconsin began vaccinating 12- to 15-year olds last week after federal officials OK'd the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for that age group.

Still, with children under 12 not yet eligible for any COVID vaccine, Heinrich acknowledged that some families may face "more difficult" decisions as they wait until vaccine eligibility expands.

Heinrich, who noted she has a son under age 12, said "he will stay masked when we are in places where folks are unmasked."

"The first thing I'll do and I encourage everyone to do, while keeping your children masked, if they aren't eligible for a vaccine is to get vaccinated when they're eligible," she said. "I think those are choices that families are going to need to make. They're hard. They may not be the same for everyone, but wear a mask for those who aren't vaccinated and keep our kiddos safe."
Pocan began by condemning missile attacks on Israeli targets by Palestinian militants aligned with Hamas. But that doesnt make it a both-sides issue, he said. We must acknowledge and condemn the disproportionate discrimination and treatment that Palestinians face versus others in this region. No one should suffer the loss of life, liberty or dignity that the Palestinian people have suffered under the Netanyahu and previous administrations in Israel during the 50-year occupation of the West Bank.

In a speech that reflected his own experience in the region, as someone who has traveled extensively in Israel and Palestine and met with activists and experts on all sides, the congressman detailed his concerns about the current violence and his frustration with U.S. policymakers who support the Israel government without taking into account the condition of the Palestinian people.

When serious human rights abuses compound  such as the recent attacks on places of worship like the al-Aqsa mosque, the forced removal of people from their homes most recently in East Jerusalem but ongoing in the West Bank for way too long, the jailing and military court trials for Palestinian children, the dehumanization of the lives of the Palestinians by having roads and entrances that are separate for some people, which all too often looks like a former South Africa, the blockade and open-air prison conditions for the people in Gaza, where food and clean water is often scarce  when those types of human rights abuses occur, we're not just putting the lives of the Palestinians and Israelis at risk, but we're also putting the United States at greater jeopardy, he warned. Eventually, that could mean the lives of men and women from the United States getting involved in a greater escalation of violence in the region, which none of us wants to see.
On July 4, we will celebrate the Declaration of Independence, a founding document of American democracy. That sacred text has near its beginning the words, We hold these truths to be self-evident. Truth is fundamental to democracy. A party dedicated to lies is the enemy of democracy.

Liz Cheney put it well shortly before the vote to purge her: Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution. Unfortunately, on the infamous dates of Jan. 6 and May 12, they chose lies and autocracy over truth and democracy.

Spencer Black served for 26 years in the state Legislature. He was chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and the Assembly Democratic leader. Since leaving the Legislature, Black has been vice president for conservation for the national Sierra Club and adjunct professor of planning at UW-Madison.

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
Dear Editor: The article pertaining to reopening schools with the last phase beginning April 28 does not fully explain the grim details about our education.

High school kids go back two days a week, only half days. Middle school students have two full days of education (this includes a one hour lunch, a 25-minute midmorning break and a one-hour study hall at the end of the day)

Students are receiving less than half of the education they normally would be getting if they were in school.

High school kids cant have lunch in the school or education after lunch because the school doesnt know how to keep students and staff safe.

All the other schools in Madison and outside of Madison have been going back to school 100% of the time. Verona, Oregon, Stoughton and all the private schools in Madison have had in-person education for the last three months, and some since last October.

Some elementary schools have 15 minutes for their little kids. They watch a cartoon so that they dont talk when theyre eating since they dont wear their mask. After lunch there is no teaching from a teacher. They get out their chrome book and do gym, music and art. The Madison School District is a very sad state of affairs right now.
In an Urban Milwaukee guest column, veteran Wisconsin political observer Bill Christofferson says that enough is never enough for the gun zealots among us. Now some legislative Republicans have come forth with a bill to make Wisconsin a gun sanctuary, he points out.

Political Environment blogger James Rowen calls on his readers to speak for a quiet, no snowmobile Blue Mound State Park. You have until tomorrow, May 19th, to register your feelings with the Department of Natural Resources and he provides instructions on how to do it.

On his Dom's Domain Politics blog, Dominique Paul Noth visits the current Israeli-Palestinian crisis and traces Jewish history since the days of Germany's Hitler. He explains why he believes that Israel over the past seven decades has lost its grip on U.S. thinking.
"Trump was trying to deport victims of domestic violence... and we cannot have a world where they are afraid to walk into a courthouse or afraid to seek help, Krasner said.

Vegas plans had included bringing federal law enforcement partners to the table to press what he says are a small number of people responsible for gun crimes. Vega, 64, wanted to create an earn and learn approach to supervision, where each benchmark a person earns would knock time off of his or her probation or parole.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 5 in Philadelphia had sunk more money and effort into unseating Krasner than perhaps any political race in recent memory, said Lodge President John McNesby. The group backed Vega and hammered home messaging that blamed rising homicides and gun violence on Krasner. On a recent sunny afternoon, McNesby handed out soft serve cones after parking a Mr. Softee ice cream truck in front of the district attorneys office with the message that Krasner is soft on crime.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia chapters of the Guardian Civic League and Club Valiants  fraternal organizations representing Black and Latino police and firefighters  had endorsed Krasner for another term. The groups last year had fought with the larger police union and the local firefighters union over endorsements of former President Donald Trump, who they said supported racists and did not represent them.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A pump at a gas station in Silver Spring, Md., is out of service, notifying customers they are out of fuel, Thursday, May 13, 2021. Motorists found gas pumps shrouded in plastic bags at tapped-out service stations across more than a dozen U.S. states Thursday while the operator of the nation's largest gasoline pipeline reported making "substantial progress" in resolving the computer hack-induced shutdown responsible for the empty tanks. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) PHOTO:AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Normal Gasoline Pipeline Operations Restored

By The Associated Press

ATLANTA - The operator of the nation's largest gasoline pipeline  hit on May 7th by a ransomware attack  announced Saturday that it has resumed normal operations," delivering fuel to its markets, including a large swath of the East Coast.

Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline had begun the process of restarting the pipeline's operations on Wednesday evening, warning it could take several days for the supply chain to return to normal.

Since that time, we have returned the system to normal operations, delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets we serve, Colonial Pipeline said in a tweet Saturday. Those markets include Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

All of these markets are now receiving product from our pipeline, the company said, noting how its employees across the pipeline worked safely and tirelessly around the clock to get our lines up and running.

Gas shortages, which spread from the South, all but emptying stations in Washington, D.C., have been improving since a peak on Thursday night. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told The Associated Press on Friday that the nation is over the hump on gas shortages, with about 200 stations returning to service every hour.

Its still going to work its way through the system over the next few days, but we should be back to normal fairly soon," she said.

Some stations were still out of gas in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday. Driver Jermaine Barnes told CBS17 the shortage has made him more conservative with his trips.

Im not going places I dont need to go, he said. Im not visiting people. Im watching where Im driving. Im doing everything different right now.

Some drivers responded angrily on Facebook Saturday to a post by ABC-13 in Asheville, North Carolina, about the pipeline resuming normal operations. Several said the majority of gas stations still did not have fuel and those that did receive deliveries were quickly selling out.

Martha Meade, manager for public and government relations at AAA Mid-Atlantic, said many gas stations in the Virginia area still did not have gas on Saturday. But she said lines have diminished from the height of the crisis and panic buying has subsided.

Multiple sources confirmed to The Associated Press that Colonial Pipeline had paid the criminals who committed the cyberattack a ransom of nearly $5 million in cryptocurrency for the software decryption key required to unscramble their data network.

The ransom  75 Bitcoin  was paid last Saturday, a day after the criminals locked up Colonials corporate network, according to Tom Robinson, co-founder of the cryptocurrency-tracking firm Elliptic. Prior to Robinsons blog post, two people briefed on the case had confirmed the payment amount to AP.

The pipeline system delivers about 45% of the gasoline consumed on the East Coast.
In September, members of the Wisconsin National Guard 54th Civil Support Team went to the couples home to collect more suspected ricin, including two samples from a dresser drawer and one from beneath the dresser. The samples were sent to the FBI for testing and also found to be ricin.

An FBI scientist later explained to Dane County Sheriffs Detective Coy Bethel that ricin can be present in the home without exposing its inhabitants to a lethal dose, if the amount is small enough.

Adams former husband, identified in Oklahoma divorce court records as Alexander Adams, told Bethel in January, under an agreement that gave him immunity for his statements, that Kore Adams had admitted to him that the white powder found in their neighbors home was the result of her trying to poison their neighbors.

He said he and his wife did not get along with their neighbors and that his wife had the makings of ricin as early as 2012 when they lived near Portland, Oregon.

(Alexander Adams) said that Adams told him that she was brewing ricin for use against their enemies, the complaint states. He said he told his wife to take it away and he didnt see it again.
Other organizations and some Democratic lawmakers have said its premature to strike federal unemployment benefits in Wisconsin and the focus should be on eliminating barriers to employment by improving access to child care, expanding BadgerCare eligibility and increasing the minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

Shawn Phetteplace, state manager for the Main Street Alliance, said the organization disagrees with assertions that enhanced unemployment benefits are the number one factor related to staffing shortages by some businesses. Phetteplace said bigger issues include access to affordable child care and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on demand at businesses such as restaurants.

It will take time for these issues to be resolved, but the best way we can help address it is to make it easier for small businesses to provide the benefits folks need to be able to work, Phetteplace said in an email.

Sign-on bonuses

WMC and the business groups also called on Evers to use some of the federal stimulus to provide sign-on bonuses to create more work incentives and to reinstate Wisconsins talent attraction campaign, which started in 2018 under former Gov. Scott Walker, in order to recruit additional employees to the state.
Im fully vaccinated, Bond said. But if I can maybe prevent somebody else from getting (COVID-19) by wearing a mask in public for a little bit longer, Im all for that.

Even though the current orders days are numbered and the CDC approves of the fully vaccinated going maskless, Public Health spokeswoman Morgan Finke said the local order would continue to be enforced until the day it expires.

Vaccination rates high

Dane County is among the leaders nationwide in vaccination rates, with 62.9% of people having received at least one dose of the two-dose vaccines, and 53.5% of people fully vaccinated. Public Health expects 75% percent of Dane County residents eligible for a vaccination to be vaccinated by the time the current order expires.

There is simply less and less COVID virus circulating in our communities thanks to the incredible effectiveness of COVID vaccines, Public Health director Janel Heinrich said in announcing the changes Tuesday.

Currently, people 12 years old and up are eligible for at least one of the vaccines. Experts generally say that 60% to 90% of the population needs to be vaccinated to achieve the kind of herd immunity to a disease that prevents widespread outbreaks.
Its true that Biden doesnt need Republican votes to pass an infrastructure bill. The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that it can be taken up as part of budget reconciliation, with passage requiring only a simple majority. But that doesnt mean Schumer should try to ram it through on a party-line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.

Republicans have good ideas that ought to be considered, including on the topic that will be the biggest point of contention: how to pay for it all. Biden and Democrats want to roll back the 2017 tax cuts and raise other taxes. Thats a non-starter for most Republicans. Sen. Mitt Romney has worked with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and a group of 20 lawmakers on a counterproposal financed partly through user fees. As Romney said, The pay-for ought to come from people who are using it. So if its an airport, the people who are flying. If its a port, the people who are shipping into the port. If its a rail system, the people who are using the rails. If its highways, it ought to be gas if its a gasoline-powered vehicle.
One was a sheriff who raped a minor. Another was an officer who stole money from clients of his property-management business. These are among the former law enforcement officials who were stripped of their certifications last year.

In 2020, 44 Idaho police officers had their law enforcement certifications revoked because of misconduct, according to records provided to the Idaho Statesman by Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training.

The total number of Idaho POST decertifications in 2020 is up from the previous year, as 39 officers were stripped of their credentials in 2019, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. As of March, POST has decertified two officers in 2021.

Since 2002, 486 Idaho police officers have been decertified. When an officer is decertified by the POST council, the officer is ineligible for certification for at least 10 years, according to POSTs rules.

POST Division Administrator Brad Johnson told the Statesman in an email that the uptick from 2019 to 2020 could be due to different reasons, but he doesnt think more officers are breaking the rules.

While we cant definitively account for the increase, I do not believe it is a result of an increase in officer misconduct, Johnson said.
BOISE (AP)  Idaho Gov. Brad Little has appointed Lori McCann of Lewiston to the Legislature to fill a seat left empty after the previous lawmaker resigned amid a rape investigation.

Little made the announcement Monday, saying the retired Lewis-Clark State College professor will begin serving in the House of Representatives immediately, and continue until the next general election.

The former District 6 representative, Aaron von Ehlinger, resigned last month after a 19-year-old intern reported that he raped her and an ethics committee unanimously found he engaged in unbecoming conduct. Von Ehlinger has denied any wrongdoing and maintains the sexual encounter was consensual. The Boise Police Department is investigating the allegations, and von Ehlinger has not been charged.

The legislative ethics committee found after a public hearing that von Ehlinger had behaved unbecomingly and recommended that the full House vote to kick him out of the statehouse without pay or benefits until his term expired. But before the House could vote on the matter, von Ehlinger resigned, saying that he would no longer be able to effectively represent his constituents but maintaining his innocence.
Its no surprise that Little is facing opposition for re-election, and McGeachins entry would give the Gem State a marquee race. Talking with Humphreys, who at 30 left his practice as a financial adviser to run for governor, he plans to make a lot of noise during this campaign. So, buckle up voters; it will be an eventful year.

Three years ago, Little was the pride and joy of the GOP establishment  the trusted figure who would provide the state with steady and predictable conservative leadership. Those dynamics may be different this time, and especially with McGeachin in the race. Shes no Donald Trump, but she is a strong Trump loyalist and shes captured some of his style. The establishment certainly will rally behind Little again, but the growing right-wing base belongs to McGeachin, which is a good thing to have in a Republican primary.

Recently, McGeachin appeared in a town hall with Kootenai County Republicans and about all that was lacking was her announcing a run for governor. Borrowing from Trump, McGeachin made a couple of fake news references about the media, which seemed to go over well with Kootenai County crowd.

If Little had been there, he might have been booed off the stage. The night belonged to McGeachin.

Here are a few highlights from her talk:
Two Martinsville residents and a Bassett man were indicted by a Henry County Grand Jury on Monday for the shooting death of a man found inside the doorway of an apartment in Bassett.

Robert Wayne Williams, 39, had been shot several times when he was found June 5 near where he lived.

Douglas Hampton Gillespie, 26, of 8 Grace Drive, Apt. 3 in Bassett, was arrested in Live Oak County in Texas a few weeks later, and Ashleigh Nicole McCallister 24, and Daniel Fish, 38, both of Sunset Drive in Martinsville, were arrested by the Arcata Police Department in Northern California the following month after the shooting.

The grand jury indicted all three on charges of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The charges stem from a call at 10-38 p.m. to the 911 Communications Center that said someone had been shot at 7 Grace Drive, Apt. 14 in Bassett.

Deputies found Williams with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds, a Henry County Sheriffs Office release stated. The Medical Examiners office in Roanoke ruled the cause of death to be a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.
Others agree with each perspective, but some say flat-out they wont wear masks.

I only wear one [a mask] when Im forced to, and I see them as muzzles, a way for our so-called government to restrict us and have power [and] control over us, Barbara Stultz Bearden of Henry County said. I will not take the vaccine unless there are a dozen people holding me down and I have no choice. People need to wake up.

Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at bill.wyatt@martinsvillebulletin.com or at 276-638-8801.

Steven Doyle is editor of the Martinsville Bulletin and the Danville Register & Bee. He can be reached at steven.doyle@martinsvillebulletin.com or 276-638-8801, ext. 245.
Experts and academics join the Central Bank in calling for an adjustment of the pension and social systems. The authorities aim for growth based on quality and not quantity of work.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The government must abandon birth control policies to halt the demographic slowdown, a threat to the country's growth and stability. The request comes from experts and academics and adds to that already formulated by the Central Bank. To cope with the progressive aging of the population, they also recommend an adjustment of the pension system.

On 11 May the National Statistical Office published the results of the national census. In 2020, the population exceeded 1.4 billion, but compared to 2019, new births fell by 18%: from 14.65 to 12 million, the lowest level in the last 60 years.

Young Chinese people do not want to have children: it costs too much and the state does not help them. Pregnant Chinese women give birth to 1.3 children each, far from the 2.1 needed to keep the population stable.

The figure is also lower than that of Japan (1.37 children per woman), one of the oldest countries in the world. Some researchers estimate that over the next 10 years the share of Chinese women aged 22 to 35 will decline by more than 30%.

It is the failure of the past one-child policy. His easing in 2016, with the possibility of having two children per family, has not changed the situation. According to the Central Bank, the "liberalization" of births must take place now that there are still couples who want to have more children: due to socio-economic dynamics, as has already happened in more developed countries, this could change in the future.

The numbers show that China is aging: a danger to the social stability of the country. The census reveals that between 2010 and 2020 the population of working age (between 16 and 59) fell by 40 million. Over 18% of Chinese are over 60 years old: they are people who do not work and have the propensity to save. According to a study published in 2019 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the government could run out of pension funds in 2035.

Central authorities have announced vague plans to hire retirement age. Over the weekend, the Central Bank revealed that it will test run private pension schemes in June.

However, in order to cope with the aging of the population and the decline in the number of people of working age, Chinese leaders are focusing on adapting and modifying the economic structure. National production will no longer have to be based on the quantity of work offered, but on the quality of the services. The goal requires efforts to improve productivity thanks to technological innovation and the strengthening of the education sector.
Southern forests, particularly wooded swamps, have long been a stronghold for this owl. Closer to home, however, the barred owl is not an uncommon bird among the ridges and hollows of the Southern Appalachians. The mountains of Holston, Roan and Unaka are good places to look for these owls. They are more apt to remain active during the daylight on overcast, cloudy days.

On a trip to Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain years ago to see a smaller relative of the barred owl known as the Northern saw-whet owl, some friends and I stopped at Twin Springs Recreation Area. The incorrigible Howard Langridge suggested we play a barred owl recording to see if we could add another owl to our tally.

At first, we thought we had failed. No sooner had we ended the recording and stepped back into the car than an irate barred owl whooshed through the darkness and began calling loudly from a hidden perch directly overhead. Howard, who had had extensive experience with these owls, said we were lucky to be back inside the vehicle. We had apparently triggered a territorial response. He said he had experienced some barred owls doing more than whooshing overhead. These owls possess impressive talons that a smart person would rather avoid.
As with accountability, transparency for the voters shall be the hallmark of my office, he said in his news release. I will encourage those victimized by crime to reach out and let me and my staff be your advocates in the courtroom. While the district attorney enforces the laws of the state of North Carolina, he must always be cognizant of the needs of the victims of crime. Under my leadership there will be staff in both counties whose work includes reaching out to victims and victims families to insure that they know of what is happening in the criminal cases brought. Transparency means that there will be no secret meetings involving the district attorney and judges, those meetings if necessary will happen during regular business hours in open or public meeting. To do any less invites speculation and thoughts of conspiracy as to what is happening behind closed doors. With these three qualities defining my service as your district attorney I know that my office and the whole of the court system will be a point of pride for you and your family.
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The wood-frame structure was built around the time that McDowell County was formed. The Carson House served as the first seat of county government for the newly created McDowell and the first county commission meetings were held there.

During the Civil War, Emma Rankin was a schoolteacher living there and she wrote an account of when the Union soldiers under Gen. George Stoneman raided the Carson House in the spring of 1865. She wrote that her room was located within this section.

Sometime after 1900, the addition was removed from the property.

We dont know if it was taken down or burned or washed away, said Jordan.

Moore and his archaeological team are now trying to determine the location of this structure and if any artifacts are still on the site.

His team consists of laboratory supervisor Abra Johgart and two Warren Wilson students, Ali Minnihan and Braxton Clark. Amanda Biddix, a student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is also a part of the team.

They will collect any artifacts they find as they try to unearth the foundation of the L addition.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Five more California counties will move to less restrictive tiers because of improving COVID-19 conditions and no counties regressed, the state Department of Public Health said Tuesday.

Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange, 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.

Santa Clara County's health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, immediately announced that new yellow tier rules will implemented Wednesday. Among the local rules being lifted are requirements that businesses maximize the number of staff who are teleworking.

The improvements were announced a day after the state's health director announced that California will require people to keep wearing masks and practice social distancing indoors until June 15  the date when Gov. Gavin Newsom has said nearly all COVID-19 restrictions will be dropped if cases remain low.

More than 34.8 million vaccines have been administered in California, and the seven-day positivity rate is down to just 0.9%.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP)  An Idaho refugee center plans to begin helping three times as many people resettle in the U.S. under new refugee policies recently announced by the Biden administration that increase the annual admissions cap.

The College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center in Twin Falls intends to resettle up to 300 people a year, center director Zeze Rwasama told the Times-News.

President Joe Biden announced plans on May 3 to increase the annual refugee admissions cap to 62,500 this fiscal year, with a goal of increasing to 125,000 for next year. The fiscal year runs through September.

These caps are major hikes from former President Donald Trump's policies, which slashed the national refugee cap to 15,000.

Under the Trump administration, Rwasama said that the number of people the center helped dropped from 300 per year to about 100. The center's budget was also reduced from about $1.1 million to $500,000, since its funding is proportional to the number of refugees it resettles.
Setup of combined hyperspectral and fundus camera at Stalmans lab. Credit: IMEC

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the three so-called trillion-dollar diseases in the world, next to cancer and diabetes. It is expected that in the next 40 years, the number of people diagnosed with AD will triple.

Today, there is still no adequate treatment, and several recent candidate drugs have failed in the final straight line to commercialization. Experts think these failures are not the active ingredients of the drugs, but the late stage of disease in which the drugs are administered. When memory loss and other AD symptoms appear, the disease has already tricked the brain for more than 20 years. Diagnosing in an earlier stage could be the key to better therapy and population-wide screening (screening only makes sense when the diseases can be treated).

However, until today, AD diagnosis is made with expensive and invasive techniques such as brain scans and lumbar puncture, and diagnosis is often only made in the late stage of the disease when patients already have memory loss. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive and affordable diagnostic tests that can detect AD in the pre-symptomatic phase of the disease, when the chances of effective treatments are thought to be much higher.

The eye, a window into the body

Could the eye be the first to inform us whether someone has AD? The idea to study the eye to learn more about the rest of the body is certainly not new. "The eye is not an isolated organ," says Karel Van Keer, ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Leuven (UZ Leuven). "It offers information about the general health of the patient. Because of its transparency, we can analyze in a non-invasive and patient-friendly way. Using the eye as a biomarker for non-ocular diseases has become one of the major research topics in our group."

For diagnosing AD, two proteins are essential: amyloid-beta (A) and Tau. "A common thread in many neurodegenerative brain diseases is the accumulation of specific proteins in the brains," explain postdoc researcher Lies De Groef and professor Lieve Moons from the Animal Physiology and Neurobiology division of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven). "These are proteins that also appear in healthy brains. However, because of cell aging and other disease-causing mechanisms we do not yet fully understand, production and clearing processes get out of balance and protein accumulation occurs. That is one of the hypotheses to explain for the so-called A plaque and Tau tangle formation in AD brains."

Fundamental research in mice

If you want to search for these specific proteins in the eye, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a crucial tool. Every proteinwhen struck by lightreflects specific wavelengths. The hyperspectral camera captures this reflected light and analyses this 'signature'.

That's why De Groef and Moons, in collaboration with engineers of VITO (an independent Flemish research organization with a focus on cleantech and sustainable development) and the imec hyperspectral team, use a microscope, extended with imec's high-resolution Snapscan camera. They use this tool to study tissue preparations of mouse retinas, for fundamental research on Alzheimer's and the retina. The researchers hope to use hyperspectral imaging to determine true 'signatures' for brain diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ...): which proteins stand out because of accumulation or abnormal presence, which combination of proteins is typical for which disease etc.

First tests in humans

Another exciting result in the field of retinal AD diagnosis was achieved by the lab of professor Ingeborg Stalmans, Head of the Research Group Ophthalmology at UZ Leuven, in a joint effort with VITO and imec. "The idea to use the eye as a window to the brain is not yet commonplace," says Ingeborg Stalmans. "There was a lot of controversy and disbelief when a lab in Minnesota published first results in 2015 on the link between retina and AD. Our first project proposals on the topic were rejected because of a lack of proof of concept. It took several more years to convince the community about the potential of retinal examinations to study brain diseases."

"In a recent study, we differentiated AD patients from healthy individuals by studying the retina," explains the lab's Ph.D. Sophie Lemmens who obtained her doctoral degree on this topic. "We quantified the A protein accumulation in the retina with the help of hyperspectral imaging and studied the thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layera sign of neurodegenerationwith optical coherence tomography (OCT). By combining these measurements, we could discriminate the two groups."

Hyperspectral imaging at the blink of an eye

"For this project, we used a snapshot camera from imec. Next to its compactness, the speed of the camera was an indispensable ingredient for the success of this research. For reliable results and to avoid motion artefacts in the image, it is important that the patient doesn't blink and keeps his eyes in a fixed position," says Sophie Lemmens. "So, it is important that the acquisition time of our measurement equipment is as short as possible. Since the snapshot camera only needs a few milliseconds to collect the images, it is feasible to use with patients. Also, because only light from the visible spectrum is needed, it is safe to use."

Engineers from VITO, together with researchers from Stalmans' lab, combined the snapshot hyperspectral camera with the ophthalmologists' standard fundus camera to create a 'super' instrument with hyperspectral capabilities. Jan Theunis, project manager at VITO's Health Unit: "Thanks to the fruitful discussions with the imec team, we succeeded in setting up a simultaneous operation of the fundus and snapshot, in achieving a large field of view, in acquiring a good image quality and in adapting the image processing software and correction algorithms."

Next, the VITO engineers used machine learning techniques to set up and train a model that could discriminate AD from healthy individuals. "The model uses the hyperspectral and OCT measurements to make this decision with 75 to 80% certainty," says professor Patrick De Boever, former project manager at the VITO Health Unit. The classification model was published in the internationally renowned Alzheimer's Research and Therapy Journal.

What's next? A cure for Alzheimer's?

So what if we could better diagnose Alzheimer's through an eye examination? Since there is no cure for the disease, only a minority of people at this point would be interested in such a new diagnostic tool.

"The first use will be for clinical trials to select people in a very early stage of the disease and perform patient stratification," explains Sophie Lemmens. "Experts believe that drugs fail because they are administered too late in the disease's progression, when too many neurons have already died. We believe that if we could diagnose people 10 to 20 years before developing symptoms, the drugs could be much more effective. Even drugs that today don't come to market because of disappointing results, could be re-evaluated when early AD patients can be recruited for clinical trials. Follow-up on the success of the therapy in these clinical trials could also be done with this simple retina test. And, once effective treatments are available, hyperspectral retinal imaging becomes a suitable candidate for population-wide screening of patients at risk of developing AD."

Could we have a retina test in five years?

The team of imec, KU Leuven, UZ Leuven and VITO will continue to work on this project. Better hardware and software will be developed to optimize the ophthalmologist's 'extended' fundus camera. Also, UZ Leuven is collaborating with the lab of professor Peter van Wijngaarden at the University of Melbourne, a leader in retinal diagnosis of AD, and with professor Rik Vandenberghe, head of the memory clinic at UZ Leuven, to further investigate how long before actual symptoms, AD patients develop protein accumulations in the retina. Is it feasible to diagnose 10 to 20 years ahead?

There are surely indications that AD can first be detected in the eye. Evidence for this is given in the paper 'The AppNL-G-F mouse retina is a site for preclinical Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and research' by Lies De Groef and Lieve Moons. They describe that soluble A proteins accumulate in the retina of mice with AD, early in life, and progress to A plaque formation by midlife. The retina of these mice, together with hyperspectral imaging, offers unique opportunities for research into the early stages of Alzheimer's, such as drug screening.

"Once we can also prove this for humans, and there are drugs available that are effective when administered in this early stage of the disease, people could have a yearly check-up with their ophthalmologist to check for eye pressure, artery quality, ... and AD," says Ingeborg Stalmans. "Just like you have regular screenings today for breast and colon cancer. Doctors could use the eye test to follow-up on the disease, in an objective, quantitative and patient-friendly way. Also, community-based screening, e.g. in the context of general practitioners, pharmacies or health kiosks, would be suitable screening models."

And the good news is that this new test could come to market in a relatively short timeframe, because the equipment does not need much more development and is safe to use with patients. Also, several companies worldwide are already taking the first steps to commercialize the technology, such as the Belgian spin-off from VITO, MONA.

Explore further Retinal imaging technology for early detection of Alzheimer's disease

More information: Sophie Lemmens et al. Combination of snapshot hyperspectral retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography to identify Alzheimer's disease patients, Alzheimer's Research & Therapy (2020). Journal information: Alzheimer\'s Research & Therapy Sophie Lemmens et al. Combination of snapshot hyperspectral retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography to identify Alzheimer's disease patients,(2020). DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00715-1
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Austria will phase out AstraZeneca from its COVID-19 immunisation programme because of delivery problems and wariness among the population following reports of the vaccine's rare side effects, the health minister said.

Austria becomes the third European country to drop AstraZeneca, after Norway and Denmark ditched the vaccine over rare cases of severe blood clots in people receiving the jab.

"We will probably continue to do first shots with AstraZeneca until early June, and then that's it... AstraZeneca will be discontinued," Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein told private TV channel Puls 24 late Monday.

Mueckstein said those who received a first shot of AstraZeneca would still get a second shot of the vaccine, but officials would determine which other vaccine to use for any refresher jabs later.

Mueckstein, a doctor himself, insisted AstraZeneca was "safe" but said Austria had taken the decision to discontinue it because of "bad compliance among the population", "bad press" and "delivery problems".

The European Commission is suing the British-Swedish pharmaceutical group over its failure to deliver millions of doses of its vaccine.

A third of Austria's nine million people has received at least one COVID-19 shot.

The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization both recommend continued use of the vaccine, arguing that the benefits far outweigh the associated risks.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Designer Gere Kavanaugh, left, wears a face mask of her design, as she exercises with Silver Age Home Health licensed vocational nurse Daisy Cabaluna during a weekly outdoors session at her home in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Five more California counties will move to less restrictive tiers because of improving COVID-19 conditions and no counties regressed, the state Department of Public Health said Tuesday.

Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange, 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.

Santa Clara County's health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, immediately announced that new yellow tier rules will implemented Wednesday. Among the local rules being lifted are requirements that businesses maximize the number of staff who are teleworking.

The improvements were announced a day after the state's health director announced that California will require people to keep wearing masks and practice social distancing indoors until June 15the date when Gov. Gavin Newsom has said nearly all COVID-19 restrictions will be dropped if cases remain low.

More than 34.8 million vaccines have been administered in California, and the seven-day positivity rate is down to just 0.9%.

During a virtual meeting of the California Travel and Tourism Commission on Tuesday, the governor noted, however, that since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended looser masking guidelines last week there has been a decline in vaccinations "that is creating some pause and a little bit of concern."

Designer Gere Kavanaugh, left, wears a face mask of her design in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. At right, Silver Age Home Health licensed vocational nurse Daisy Cabaluna monitors her temperature during a weekly outdoors visit at her home. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Some visitors wear face masks outdoors while taking pictures of the Hollywood sign at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Bijan Parsi looks at his phone while carrying his daughter Ava, 6, on his shoulders in Laguna Beach, Calif., Monday, May 17, 2021. California won't lift its mask requirement until June 15 to give the public and businesses time to prepare and ensure cases stay low, state Health Director Mark Ghaly said Monday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

People walk past a sign requesting customers to wear masks in Laguna Beach, Calif., Monday, May 17, 2021. California won't lift its mask requirement until June 15 to give the public and businesses time to prepare and ensure cases stay low, state Health Director Mark Ghaly said Monday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Visitors are seen without face masks at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Visitors wear face masks outdoors at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Drue Burkey and his girlfriend Reace Hammel sunbathe in Laguna Beach, Calif., Monday, May 17, 2021. California won't lift its mask requirement until June 15 to give the public and businesses time to prepare and ensure cases stay low, state Health Director Mark Ghaly said Monday. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Jose Cartamo, 64, originally from El Salvador, wears a face mask as he collects recyclables at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. Cartamo plans to make an appointment to be vaccinated. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Student Sander Albertson, from Minnesota, wears a face mask outdoors with his friends at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Monday, May 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing face masks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Los Angeles Park Rangers wears facemasks at the the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles Monday, May. 17, 2021. California is keeping its rules for wearing facemasks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. State officials said Monday, that the delay will give people time to prepare, and for the state to make sure that virus cases stay low. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

More than a dozen other states, including neighboring Oregon, have already followed the new CDC masking guidelines.

Most of the 58 counties in Californiaincluding gigantic Los Angeles, Orange and San Diegoare heeding the state's masking schedule.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said Monday the county will use the extra month to fully vaccinate more people. "More than half of our adult population remains vulnerable," she said.

After becoming the epicenter for the virus in the U.S. at the start of the year, California has experienced a tremendous decline in COVID-19 cases.

Newsom, like the Biden administration, has been under pressure to ease mask restrictions as coronavirus cases decline nationwide. But the Democratic governor faces a recall election this fall driven largely by frustration with his handling of the pandemic.

The tiers are based on cases, positivity rate and on vaccination figures. Newsom has indicated California will do away with the system in mid-June.

Explore further California won't lift its mask requirement for another month

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
An MRI with increased signal in the posterior part of the internal capsule which can be tracked to the motor cortex consistent with the diagnosis of ALS. Credit: Frank Gaillard/Wikipedia

Academic institutions need to do much more to support faculty members with disabilities and to create an environment in which they can thrive, argues a commentary published May 18 in the journal Trends in Neurosciences. The paper was written by Justin Yerbury, a cell and molecular neurobiologist who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and his wife, Rachel Yerbury, a research psychologist.

"We want people to understand how tough life is for people with a disability," says Justin Yerbury, a professor at the University of Wollongong in Australia. "When you add academia on top of that, it's just incredible that disabled academics like me can actually continue to contribute in the way that we do."

He uses a wheelchair, is unable to speak, and types by using eye movement, which means that typing a document takes him about ten times as long as it does for someone who types using their hands or voice commands. His research is focused on the molecular processes that underpin ALS, a disease that has affected many members of his family.

The commentary discusses how several aspects of academia create barriers for disabled investigators. Many of these obstacles are driven by high demands for bringing in grant money and producing frequent research publications. These challenges, which result in reduced funding when they are not met, in turn make it difficult to retain staff. This creates a cycle in which it's very difficult for disabled academics to perform their jobs and carry out their research.

The authors note that visible disabilities, such as the one that Justin Yerbury has, as well as invisible disabilities, such as those people with most mental health disorders or people with autism who have typical functioning in most cognitive domains have, need to be taken into account when one considers constraints that make it difficult for people to compete at the academic level. They say that underrepresentation of people with disabilities in academia is not related to lack of interest on the part of people who might choose to enter the field but to the difficulties created by the high expectations of the profession.

In the commentary, the Yerburys point out that although universities offer accommodations and adjustments for disabled students, they don't extend the same measures to faculty. "Perhaps it's easier for universities to make adjustments for students, or perhaps it's expected that if you get to the academic level, you can compete, cope, and flourish regardless," says Rachel Yerbury, who is a research psychologist at the University of Wollongong and studies how nature affects mental health and well-being. She adds that universities might support students with disabilities because they don't want to risk discrimination claims.

The Yerburys highlight several ways in which academia could improve. These changes include leveling the playing field and focusing on equity rather than equality; reducing the pressure to compete for all academics, which makes the field almost impossible for disabled academics and dissuades them from entering it in the first place; and challenging ableism in the academy. "Ableism, or the expectations of being able-bodied or able-minded, can be subtle and underhanded," Rachel Yerbury says. "Many academics and institutions may not even realize that they labor under these assumptions."

She adds that this problem is not unique to academia either. "I think most industries have a long way to go in terms of discrimination and ableism."

Explore further Disability gap in post-16 destinations and employment outcomes revealed by new analysis

More information: Trends in Neurosciences, Yerbury et al.: "Disabled in the Academia: To be or not to be, that is the question" DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.04.004 Journal information: Trends in Neurosciences , Yerbury et al.: "Disabled in the Academia: To be or not to be, that is the question" www.cell.com/trends/neuroscien  0166-2236(21)00076-X
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new study published in Nature Communications provides an important new basis for comparing the effectiveness of different tuberculosis treatments.

Tuberculosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is typically the leading infectious cause of death globally, killing 1.2 million people each year. The availability of a new way to evaluate treatments can save lives.

In the study, faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus partnered with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Tuberculosis and the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories at Colorado State University to provide a new perspective on assessing the effectiveness of tuberculosis drugs.

"A key roadblock that holds back new tuberculosis treatments is our current inability to accurately measure how effectively different treatments shorten the time needed to cure tuberculosis," said lead author Nicholas Walter, MD, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "Without improved tools to measure and compare the effectiveness of drug treatments, the evaluation and roll-out of new combination drug treatments will continue to proceed slowly."

"In the past, the effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment has been judged by estimating the burden of the pathogen M. tuberculosis as enumerated via culture based approaches. This historical method correlates poorly with what we care about most, which is whether tuberculosis patients are durably cured," adds co-first author Gregory Robertson, Ph.D., assistant professor at Colorado State University.

In this study, the researchers measured the degree to which drugs interrupt the synthesis of ribosomal RNA, required for the protein-making machinery of the bacterium. The researchers discovered that drugs and drug regimens that shorten tuberculosis treatment duration inhibit Mtb rRNA synthesis more than less potent drugs and regimens. Their new measure, called the rRNA synthesis (RS) Ratio provides an urgently needed molecular metric of drug activity based on a key microbial physiologic property rather than recapitulation of bacterial burden.

"The RS Ratio gives us a readout of drug effect that opens a new era in understanding antibiotics. Measuring a key physiologic property of pathogens provides an innovative way of thinking beyond conventional measures of bacterial burden," said senior author Martin Voskuil, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

"The RS Ratio can enable more intelligent design and evaluation of candidate drug combination regimens, accelerating the development of treatments that can cure tuberculosis faster. This has crucial implications for combatting the global tuberculosis epidemic," adds co-author Payam Nahid, MD, MPH, professor and director of the UCSF Center for Tuberculosis.

Explore further Researchers develop methods to understand how tuberculosis bacterium consumes its favourite foods
The US president in talks with Egypt and other partners to reach a truce. In Gaza the only laboratory for Covid-19 is out of use. Bernie Sanders: Palestinian rights matter. The updated toll is 212 victims in the Strip, including 61 minors.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - US President Joe Biden supports a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after eight days of intense violence between the parties that have already caused hundreds of victims, including dozens of children.

The White House tenant spoke with interim Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the American commitment, in collaboration with Egypt and other nations, to reach a truce. However, despite the declarations, Washington has repeatedly blocked a resolution of the UN Security Council to end hostilities in the region.

212 people died in Gaza alone, including 61 minors; on the Israeli front there are 10 victims, including two children.

In a statement released by the White House, President Biden " "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians".

"The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," it added.

President Biden "expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end", it said.

Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground with Israeli fighters returning to hit the Palestinian enclave, in response to new rocket launches from the Strip.

Mohammad Abu Rayya, a paediatrician in Gaza, tells the BBC that "there are no longer even places for victims in the morgues". The situation "is constantly worsening" and "the system is collapsing". "It will take at least 10 years to rebuild what has been damaged in Gaza". The only laboratory capable of carrying out tests for Covid-19 is also out of order, in an area where the positivity rate on new tampons stands at 28%, one of the highest in the world.

From the United States also comes the critical voice of the socialist - Democrat - Bernie Sanders, according to whom the American government must promote greater efforts with a view to peace. " We should also understand that, while Hamas firing rockets into Israeli communities is absolutely unacceptable, todays conflict did not begin with those rockets.".

Sheikh Jarrah's Palestinian families in Jerusalem " have been living under the threat of eviction for many years, navigating a legal system designed to facilitate their forced displacement. And over the past weeks, extremist settlers have intensified their efforts to evict them."

At the same time, we are witnessing " At the same time, we are seeing the rise of a new generation of activists who want to build societies based on human needs and political equality."

if the United States is going to be a credible voice on human rights on the global stage, we must uphold international standards of human rights consistently, even when its politically difficult. We must recognize that Palestinian rights matter. Palestinian lives matter."
Brian Hendricks, a research assistant professor with the West Virginia University School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Credit: WVU

In studying COVID-19 testing and positivity rates in West Virginia between March and September 2020, West Virginia University researchers found disparities among Black residents and residents experiencing food insecurity.

Specifically, the researchers found communities with a higher Black population had testing rates six times lower than the state average, which they argue could potentially obscure prevalence estimates. They also found that areas associated with food insecurity had higher levels of testing and a higher rate of positivity.

"This could mean that public health officials are targeting predominately rural areas to keep tabs on how the pandemic will unfold in isolated communities within higher food insecurity," said Brian Hendricks, a research assistant professor with the West Virginia University School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Hendricks said a unique element of this research is the Census-level data. While there are 55 counties in West Virginia, there are 484 Census tracts, which allowed the researchers to hone in on individual communities, almost on a scale of 1 to 100. This allowed researchers to compare testing and positivity rates with demographic data such as income level, sex, race, etc. "This is community-level modeling," Hendricks said. "We're doing something at a very granular level. Most modeling is at a county-level or above."

Among tracts included in the spatial analysis, Hendricks and his team identified 14 Census tracts which had among the state's highest percent Black/African American populations and testing disparities (defined as one or less tests per 1,000 people), contained within the cities of Fairmont, Wheeling, Bluefield, Beckley, Huntington, Dunbar and Charleston. These findings are in line with the study's overall findings of more testing occurring in higher food insecure locations with lower percent of the population identifying as Black/African American.

Hendricks said the team wanted to look at rurality and racial disparities, as adverse impacts of socio-economic and racial inequalities are oftentimes worsened in rural areas. Rural communities often have less access to healthcare, higher levels of food insecurity and poverty, and observe overall higher prevalence of pre-existing conditions, which can impact severity of COVID-19 infection.

Credit: West Virginia University

The researchers incorporated a measure called the area deprivation index, which is essentially a scoring comprised of 17 socio-economic indicators, which indicates the extent which a community is vulnerable compared to other communities in the state. In addition to income, the measure controls for percent blue collar workers, household crowding, households with plumbing and transportation, and etc.

Before the vaccine was readily available, social distancing was the major defense against the virus.

"However, not all communities can socially distance equally," Hendricks said. "That was the motivating fire behind this paperwhere are these disparities?"

Recognizing this issue early in the pandemic, the West Virginia National Guard, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and local health departments began holding targeted testing events. A COVID-19 Advisory Commission on African American Disparities was also formed.

While rural Black/African Americans have historically utilized health care at lower rates than their white counterparts due to medical mistrust, access to care, and a myriad of other factors, the article concludes by stating further research is needed to determine the underlying barriers restricting coronavirus testing among Black communities, and to better understand the role food insecurity in isolated areas has on risk of COVID-19 infection.

"This paper is making traction, already informing what do we do next," Hendricks said. For example, a subsequent grant was awarded which focused on putting more testing in vulnerable communities.

The research article was published in the Annals of Epidemiology.

Explore further Racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality wider than reported

More information: Brian Hendricks et al. Coronavirus testing disparities associated with community level deprivation, racial inequalities, and food insecurity in West Virginia, Annals of Epidemiology (2021). Journal information: Annals of Epidemiology Brian Hendricks et al. Coronavirus testing disparities associated with community level deprivation, racial inequalities, and food insecurity in West Virginia,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.03.009
Patients may need extra encouragement to attend routine cancer screening appointments, say cancer experts across Canada.

Many cancer services paused last year during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While most resumed over the summer, physicians are concerned that routine cancer screening still hasn't bounced back from the slowdown.

Dr. Jonathan Irish, provincial head of surgical oncology at Cancer Care Ontario and Ontario Health, says health systems may face a "tsunami" of patients whose diagnosis and treatment was delayed by the pandemic presenting later with more advanced disease. "The collateral damage of COVID-19 in many areas is going to be significant."

In Ontario alone, hundreds of thousands of people missed routine cancer screening appointments last year.

According to Irish, during the first months of the pandemic, screening mammograms decreased by 97%, pap tests by 88%, and fecal blood tests for colon cancer screening by 73%.

In the case of screening mammograms, service disruptions contributed to a shortfall of more than 152,000 screens between March 15 and May 31, 2020, compared with the previous year. By December, the backlog had doubled to more than 300,000 missed screening mammograms. That number is likely higher nowprovincial officials say screening is still being impacted during the third wave and may be scaled back depending on local resources.

Other provinces have seen declines in new cancer diagnoses since the beginning of the pandemic, suggesting that some cancers may be going undetected.

Earlier this year, Quebec officials estimated that 4,119 people with cancer went undiagnosed during the first wave of COVID-19.

According to Dr. Colin Mar, medical director of BC Cancer Breast Screening, the number of cancers detected clinically through symptoms and examination are "almost back to normal" in British Columbia. But the number of screening-detected cancers is not yet back to pre-pandemic levels because participation in screening remains lower than usual.

"We're trying to encourage people to come back," says Mar. Screening programs have enhanced COVID-19 safety measures, including spacing out appointments. Among patients, "there are still some concerns about safety, but also our lives have been so shaken up people have had to reprioritize things."

In Ontario, cancer screening capacity and participation have ebbed and flowed with the pandemic, says Dr. Keith Stewart, vice-president of cancer services at University Health Network in Toronto.

"As the pandemic lockdown levels rise, the programs to detect cancer fall off," Stewart says. "With a little bit of a lag time, we notice a decrease in referrals and radiation, particularly for cancers detected by screeningbreast cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer."

While patients are still receiving letters recommending screening, Stewart says the volume of people following up is "not where it should be."

"Presumably, it's people saying, 'I'm in lockdown. I can't go out.' Or maybe it's 'I don't want to be around people,' or 'I don't have a caregiver to come with me,'" Stewart says.

Screening services in Thunder Bay have launched a campaign encouraging people to get screened for breast, cervical and colon cancer, warning that "Cancer doesn't stop for COVID-19."

Catch-up screening may also be necessary to clear the backlog of appointments. According to a study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, without catch-up efforts, even a three-month disruption in colorectal cancer screening could result in hundreds of additional deaths over the next three decades.

Health services could reduce screening backlogs by temporarily expanding capacity. However, a commentary in The Lancet Public Health noted that key components of screening programs, such as cytology and colposcopy, require a skilled workforce that cannot expand quickly, and pushing people to work overtime isn't realistic given the potential for burnout. As such, targeting catch-up screening to the people at the highest risk of cancer may be "the most effective way for screening services to recover."

As things stand, Stewart predicts it may take a long time for health systems to catch up. "It's going to be multiple years even if we go back up to 100%."

Explore further Americans missed almost 10 million cancer screenings during pandemic

More information: Alejandra Castanon et al. Cervical screening during the COVID-19 pandemic: optimising recovery strategies, The Lancet Public Health (2021). Journal information: The Lancet Public Health Alejandra Castanon et al. Cervical screening during the COVID-19 pandemic: optimising recovery strategies,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00078-5
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

At least 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given in the European Union as of Tuesday, according to AFP data tallying up official figures given by member states' health services.

The milestone indicates that the EU should be on track to meet its goal of fully vaccinating 70 percent of adultsmeaning roughly 255 million people out of its total 448 million populationby late July.

As of 0830 GMT, at least 200 million doses have been administered in the EU, according to the AFP data.

At least 52.9 million people have been completely vaccinated, with two doses in the case of the vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, or one dose for those inoculated with the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

That figure amounts to 11.8 percent of the EU population.

The data showed that Malta was leading the EU table, with 32.5 percent of its small population fully vaccinated, while Bulgaria was trailing badly, with just 6.1 percent inoculated.

Of the big EU countries, Germany has 11.1 percent fully vaccinated, France has 13.5 percent, Italy has 14.6 percent and Spain has 15.4 percent.

Globally, the AFP data showed that 1.5 billion doses have been administered.

By way of comparison with other wealthy territories, Israel has 59 percent of its population inoculated with two doses, while the United States has 35 percent fully vaccinated, and Britain has 30 percent done.

The European Commission, contacted by AFP, did not immediately respond with comment about the vaccination milestone.

It did however say that its vaccine export authorisation mechanism had, between January 30 and May 11, approved 941 export requests from pharmaceutical companies producing COVID-19 vaccines in the EU and rejected onea March shipment of 250,000 AstraZeneca doses meant for Australia.

The vaccines exports went to 45 countries and territories, it said, including the United States, Britain, Israel, India, Australia, Canada and Brazil.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Electron micrographs of hepatitis C virus purified from cell culture. Scale bar is 50 nanometers. Credit: Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University.

Twice as many eligible patients got screened for hepatitis C when it was already ordered for them compared to those who had to request it, according to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, the patients in the studywhose average age was 63completed their screenings much more often when they were contacted via mail as opposed to electronic messaging. The study was published today in BMJ.

"We think that sending the lab order with outreach was so successful because it framed screening as the default," said the study's lead author, Shivan Mehta, MD, the associate chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine. "However, this strategy was also successful because it reduced effort and the number of steps to screen by both the patient and clinician."

More than 21,000 patients born between 1945 and 1965due to the high instances of hepatitis C but low screening rates in this populationwere enrolled in the study. In Pennsylvania, where the study took place, state law requires health systems to offer screening to patients in this demographic. So the researchers decided this was a good venue to see if they could improve upon and rigorously evaluate something they were doing anyway.

Patients were chosen from participating primary care practices in the Philadelphia region and randomized into a number of groups to compare which resulted in higher screening rates: one examining whether pre-ordered screening tests were better than traditional outreach, another looking into mailed versus electronic communication, and the last trying out behavioral science-informed messaging. The study's active phase stretched 12 months from April 2019 until May 2020.

Mehta and his colleagues add more evidence to behavioral science's tenet that it's best to make the most beneficial choice the easiest. In the arm of the study where patients received a screening order in addition to the usual reminder letter, 43 percent of the patients completed their hepatitis C screening within four months; just 19 percent got screened if they only received the reminder letter with no lab order. This was what the researchers believed they'd find.

But the study had some unexpected findings. When the researchers compared the group of patients who received a mailed letter notification against a group who were notified via an online patient portallike those many health systems usethe electronic method underperformed slightly, though not significantly. Roughly 18 percent of the patients mailed letters completed screening versus 14 percent of those who were contacted via a patient portal. There was a specifically pronounced divide when it came to Black patients in this phase of the study, as 11 percent fewer completed screenings if they were reminded via the patient portal.

"This was the biggest surprise for us. Many presume that most people are moving digital towards email, but for some populations, traditional letters might be best," Mehta said. "Additionally, the user experience of the secure messages also may have had to do with the lower response rate. Patients need to click on a link and remember their password, which may pose challenges."

Another slight surprise was the messages with content informed by behavioral science (such as "Join the majority of other patients who have been screened for Hepatitis C" or "Write down a date when you will get your screening done") did not make a difference in screening rates. A single percentage point separated the two groups of patients: roughly 15 percent of patients who were reached with traditional messaging were screened compared to about 14 percent of those from the behavioral science group.

"One of our hypotheses is that the behavioral-informed messages had a longer message, which may have been too much for patients," Mehta explained. "There is some evidence that shorter messages may be more effective. That may be the case in this situation."

Mehta said this study can inform clinical efforts beyond hepatitis C screening, assisting screenings and preventive care for other conditions.

Within hepatitis C, though, the researchers believe that the attachment of the order for screening was the greatest overall driver, so they hope to use that technique digitally, as well, to potentially boost those numbers. And screening recommendations are expanding to include all adults older than 18, which means there is a whole new population to reach.

Explore further Take-at-home tests boost colorectal cancer screening tenfold for health center serving minorities

More information: Shivan J Mehta et al. Behavioral interventions to improve population health outreach for hepatitis C screening: randomized clinical trial

BMJ 2021; 373 doi: Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Shivan J Mehta et al. Behavioral interventions to improve population health outreach for hepatitis C screening: randomized clinical trial2021; 373 doi: doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1022
Prevention is key to managing the parallel mental health pandemic that has occurred in tandem with COVID-19. Credit: Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto

Imagine our only response to the COVID-19 pandemic had been increasing ICU capacity. Maybe encouraging hand-washing and optional mask-wearing, but no social distancing. And no vaccines.

ICUs would have overflowed long ago, our health-care budget would be drained and many more lives would have been lost. It seems like an absurd approach, and yet that is how we're responding to the mental health and addictions crisis that has been surging in parallel to this pandemic.

The current mental health and addictions crisis

In a typical year, 20 percent of Canadians experience a mental illness and 75,000 Canadians die from substance use. The Canadian economy loses $46 billion to substance use and $50 billion to anxiety and depression.

In the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic, 25 percent of Canadians have experienced anxiety, 10 percent of Canadians have had suicidal thoughts and 74 percent of adults, and 70 percent of children and adolescents, have experienced worse mental health.

As a result, mental health wards and waitlists have overflowed. In Ontario, children are waiting up to 2.5 years for services.

In response to this crisis, governments have made much needed investments to increase equitable access to mental health care. However, missing from current plans is a long-term strategy to reduce the number of Canadians who will end up needing costly mental health services.

How to promote population mental health

At present, many non-profit agencies, schools and workplaces in Canada implement advocacy campaigns, skill-building workshops or violence-prevention programs to promote the mental well-being of their patrons.

However, many Canadians do not have access to programs and services that meet their needs, especially people from historically marginalized communities such as Indigenous, LBGTQ+ and low-income people, and refugees. Most Canadians receive only a fraction of the resources needed to reduce their risk of experiencing mental illness: the COVID-19 prevention equivalent of maybe one free mask, but certainly no vaccine.

What would a more comprehensive prevention strategy for mental health look like? The Canadian Mental Health Association recommends increasing research, funding and social marketing for the implementation of culturally safe, population-level mental health programs. Since between 50 and 75 percent of mental illnesses have their onset during childhood and adolescence, prevention programs tend to target these developmental periods.

However, children learn to regulate their thoughts, emotions and behaviours from the things they hear, the behaviours they see modelled and the way adults respond to their emotions. That means programs that improve the well-being of adults also often have intergenerational benefits. Three examples of evidence-based mental health promotion programs include:

1. Parenting and family support programs

Programs that provide psychoeducation and support to parents and caregivers are one of the most effective ways to reduce emotional and behavioural problems among children and youth. Many also have positive effects for parental well-being. Examples include the Nurse Family Partnership, Incredible Years and Family Check-Up.

These programs can be cost-effective, culturally safe and implemented effectively online. Indeed, the pandemic has sped up a pre-existing trend of delivering services virtually to increase access and decrease costs, and preliminary research suggests it is working.

2. Mental health literacy and skill-building

While it is not always possible to control people's environments, it is possible to equip people with skills and strategies to process stressful experiences in positive ways. For example, hundreds of studies have confirmed that universal, school-based programs that focus on building students' mental health literacy, exercise habits, mindfulness, socio-emotional skills, resilience, media literacy or substance awareness improve child and adolescent mental health. There is also evidence that they are cost-effective.

Workplace mental health programs, such as the Canadian-based Working Mind program, can also improve employee mental health. And initial research on skill-building mobile apps also suggests they have a lot of promise. Across settings and across the life-course, there are many low-cost, evidence-based opportunities to help Canadians build skills that support their mental well-being.

3. Social connection and stigma-reduction

To thrive, people need to feel respected, accepted and connected. Programs that help meet these needs are an effective approach to mental health promotion. For example, there is strong evidence that anti-bullying programs in schools promote positive mental health outcomes. Programs that foster positive connections between children and adults in their communitiessuch as teachers and mentorsare also proven to be effective at promoting mental well-being, as are programs that enhance the quality of adults' social connections.

Finally, while robust research on interventions is lacking, current evidence suggests psychoeducation programs that reduce stigma and racial discrimination, or increase sense of belonging, are also likely to have a positive impact on mental health.

A 360 approach to prevention

To slow the spread of COVID-19, we have had to distance, wear masks, improve ventilation and develop vaccines. To reduce the prevalence of mental illnesses, we will need to take a similar, multi-targeted approach, as there is no single solution that addresses all the social determinants of mental health.

To maximize impact, this approach will need to be systematic, with a focus towards choosing evidence-based, cost-effective, culturally safe programs and making them equitable and accessible. It is by extending support, skill-building opportunities and a sense of belonging to all Canadians that we'll ensure our mental health beds, and budgets, don't overflow forever.

Let's not be left facing a third wave of the mental health crisis years from now because we didn't create a preventive public health strategy early enough.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A nurse attends to a patient at a free COVID-19 care center being operated by a Sikh voluntary organization in Ghaziabad, outskirts ofNew Delhi, India, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Amit Sharma)

India's total virus cases since the pandemic began swept past 25 million on Tuesday as the country registered more than 260,000 new cases and a record 4,329 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

The numbers continue a trend of falling cases after infections dipped below 300,000 for the first time in weeks on Monday. Active cases in the country also decreased by more than 165,000 on Tuesdaythe biggest dip in weeks.

But deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still swamped by patients.

India has recorded nearly 280,000 virus deaths since the pandemic began. Experts warn that both the number of deaths and total reported cases are likely vast undercounts.

Infections in India have surged since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for religious festivals and political rallies.

In the last month, cases have more than tripled and reported deaths have gone up six timesbut testing has only increased by 1.6 times, according to Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan tracking India's battle with the virus. With infections outrunning testing capabilities, there are fears that many cases are going undetected.

A woman takes selfie as she receives the Covishield vaccine against COVID-19 in Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Heath workers call a woman, unseen, who does not agree to give swab sample to test for COVID-19 in a slum in Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Experts also say India has lagged behind in doing the testing needed to track and better understand a worrisome virus variant first detected in the country. On Monday, the Health Ministry said 17 new labs will be brought online to help track variants.

The variant first identified in India has prompted global concernmost notably in Britain, where it has more than doubled in a week, defying a sharp nationwide downward trend in infections.

Meanwhile, ever since India opened up vaccinations to all adults this month, the pace of administering shots has plunged. Many states have said they don't have enough stock to give out. The southern state of Karnataka, for example, has temporarily halted its drive to inoculate those aged between 18 and 44 at government-run centers due to a shortage of doses.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A branch of artificial intelligence (AI), called machine learning, can accurately predict the risk of an out of hospital cardiac arrestwhen the heart suddenly stops beatingusing a combination of timing and weather data, finds research published online in the journal Heart.

Machine learning is the study of computer algorithms, and based on the idea that systems can learn from data and identify patterns to inform decisions with minimal intervention.

The risk of a cardiac arrest was highest on Sundays, Mondays, public holidays and when temperatures dropped sharply within or between days, the findings show.

This information could be used as an early warning system for citizens, to lower their risk and improve their chances of survival, and to improve the preparedness of emergency medical services, suggest the researchers.

Out of hospital cardiac arrest is common around the world, but is generally associated with low rates of survival. Risk is affected by prevailing weather conditions.

But meteorological data are extensive and complex, and machine learning has the potential to pick up associations not identified by conventional one-dimensional statistical approaches, say the Japanese researchers.

To explore this further, they assessed the capacity of machine learning to predict daily out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, using daily weather (temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, snowfall, cloud cover, wind speed and atmospheric pressure readings) and timing (year, season, day of the week, hour of the day, and public holidays) data.

Of 1,299,784 cases occurring between 2005 and 2013, machine learning was applied to 525,374, using either weather or timing data, or both (training dataset).

The results were then compared with 135,678 cases occurring in 2014-15 to test the accuracy of the model for predicting the number of daily cardiac arrests in other years (testing dataset).

And to see how accurate the approach might be at the local level, the researchers carried out a 'heatmap analysis,' using another dataset drawn from the location of out of hospital cardiac arrests in Kobe city between January 2016 and December 2018.

The combination of weather and timing data most accurately predicted an out of hospital cardiac arrest in both the training and testing datasets.

It predicted that Sundays, Mondays, public holidays, winter, low temperatures and sharp temperature drops within and between days were more strongly associated with cardiac arrest than either the weather or timing data alone.

The researchers acknowledge that they didn't have detailed information on the location of cardiac arrests except in Kobe city, nor did they have any data on pre-existing medical conditions, both of which may have influenced the results.

But they suggest: "Our predictive model for daily incidence of [out of hospital cardiac arrest] is widely generalisable for the general population in developed countries, because this study had a large sample size and used comprehensive meteorological data."

They add: "The methods developed in this study serve as an example of a new model for predictive analytics that could be applied to other clinical outcomes of interest related to life-threatening acute cardiovascular disease."

And they conclude: "This predictive model may be useful for preventing [out of hospital cardiac arrest] and improving the prognosis of patients...via a warning system for citizens and [emergency medical services] on high-risk days in the future."

In a linked editorial, Dr. David Foster Gaieski, of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, agrees.

"Knowing what the weather will most likely be in the coming week can generate 'cardiovascular emergency warnings' for people at risknotifying the elderly and others about upcoming periods of increased danger similar to how weather data are used to notify people of upcoming hazardous road conditions during winter storms," he explains.

"These predictions can be used for resource deployment, scheduling and planning so that emergency medical services systems, emergency department resuscitation resources, and cardiac catheterisation laboratory staff are aware of, and prepared for, the number of expected [cases] during the coming days," he adds.

Explore further Machine learning helps predict survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

More information: Takahiro Nakashima et al, Machine learning model for predicting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests using meteorological and chronological data, Heart (2021). Journal information: Heart Takahiro Nakashima et al, Machine learning model for predicting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests using meteorological and chronological data,(2021). DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2020-318726
The result of abnormal formation of the normal valve between the kidney and bladder, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) can lead to recurrent febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs) and kidney scarring in children. Previous research has shown that when taken continuously, prophylactic antibiotics can reduce the risk of recurrent UTI in about half of this population. However, this approach can also pose potential problems, such as antibiotic resistance.

Predicting recurrent UTIs

Using data from the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesico-Ureteral Reflux (RIVUR) and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation (CUTIE) trials, pediatric urologist Hsin-Hsiao Scott Wang, MD, MPH, MBAn, and his colleagues in the Department of Urology at Boston Children's Hospital previously developed a machine learning model aimed at predicting recurrent UTIs associated with VUR. The novel machine learning algorithm showed very robust performance in determining which patients with UTIs required further testing for VUR.

"With our predictive algorithm, we can provide personalized care with much better quality for our VUR patients to assign diagnostic imaging and treatments to only those who need them, and spare the adverse effects for those who don't," says

Building on that work, the team recently sought to predict to determine whether a similar model could predict the probability of recurrent UTIs. Based on data from 607 pediatric patients who were part of the RIVUR trial, the researchers created a model to predict recurrent UTI risk with and without continuous antibiotic prophylaxis.

Targeted antibiotic prophylaxis

The model's ability to predict recurrent UTIs was strong, with an "area under curve" of 0.82. Wang and his colleagues found that giving continuous antibiotic prophylaxis to 40 percent of patients with VURinstead of giving them to all VUR patientscould result in minimal recurrent UTIs. These findings were published in the April 2021 issue of the Journal of Urology.

This machine learning model could allow physicians to identify the patients who would benefit most from antibiotic prophylaxis, so those who don't need it will be spared any adverse drug effects. Such a tool could also achieve optimal outcomes while minimizing unnecessary treatments and saving costs.

"We are very excited about the prospects of marrying machine learning with challenging decision-making processes to elevate patient care," says Wang.

Explore further Harnessing the power of machine learning to improve urology care

More information: Dimitris Bertsimas et al. Selecting Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux Who are Most Likely to Benefit from Antibiotic Prophylaxis: Application of Machine Learning to RIVUR, Journal of Urology (2020). Journal information: Journal of Urology Dimitris Bertsimas et al. Selecting Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux Who are Most Likely to Benefit from Antibiotic Prophylaxis: Application of Machine Learning to RIVUR,(2020). DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000001445
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A research team at the University of Oulu, Finland, has discovered a new mechanism in cells that causes an increase in harmful LDL cholesterol. The observation made by the researchers may explain the adverse effects of certain environmental chemicals and medicinal substances on cardiovascular health.

At the heart of the finding is a nuclear receptor that senses the chemical environment of cells, the pregnane X receptor (PXR), which is a key regulator in the drug metabolism of the liver. Recent studies have shown that PXR also regulates blood pressure as well as glucose and lipid metabolism.

Many drugs, food ingredients and environmental chemicals activate the PXR receptor. An example of one such drug is the antibiotic rifampicin. Chemicals activating the PXR receptor are also found in many pesticides, flame retardants, plastic additives and environmental pollutants.

A team of researchers consisting of pharmacology and internal medicine specialists showed for the first time that the activation of the PXR receptor increases the production of cholesterol in the liver and especially elevates the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in human blood.

"It has long been known that some chemical substances can affect human reproductive functions, for example, by disturbing the action of sex hormones. This is the so-called endocrine disruption theory. Recently, evidence has also been obtained on the association of certain drugs and environmental chemicals with elevated cholesterol. The phenomenon can be interpreted as an extension of the endocrine disruption theory. However, this phenomenon and its underlying mechanism have not previously been demonstrated in humans," says Professor of Pharmacology Jukka Hakkola, who led the study.

"Cholesterol levels are known to be affected by lifestyle and hereditary factors. Our research provides strong evidence that the chemical composition of our environment also plays a role in cholesterol elevation. As elevated cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the increase in cholesterol caused by chemical substances can be of relevance to public health," says Janne Hukkanen, Professor of Internal Medicine and another leader of the study.

"The new mechanism we have identified may partly explain the adverse effects of chemical exposure on cardiovascular health and help predict the potential problems in advance," Hukkanen says.

In their follow-up research, the team will further investigate how commonly the PXR receptor activation may explain the cholesterol-raising effects of medicinal substances, environmental chemicals and their combinations. The aim is also to develop methods for predicting the adverse metabolic effects of environmental chemicals. This would make it possible to regulate chemicals more effectively and protect citizens from their harmful effects.

"Efforts should be made to eliminate the PXR-activating property from drugs as well as from chemical substances that end up in the environment, and thus also in humans," Hakkola says.

The study was recently published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Explore further Prenatal exposure to pesticides increases the risk of obesity in adolescence

More information: Mikko Karpale et al. Activation of pregnane X receptor induces atherogenic lipids and PCSK9 by a SREBP2mediated mechanism, British Journal of Pharmacology (2021). Journal information: British Journal of Pharmacology Mikko Karpale et al. Activation of pregnane X receptor induces atherogenic lipids and PCSK9 by a SREBP2mediated mechanism,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/bph.15433

Provided by University of Oulu
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Consistent messages about the safety and need for COVID-19 vaccines are key to overcoming young people's reluctance to get inoculated, researchers at Georgia State and New York universities say.

Regena Spratling, associate dean of nursing at Georgia State, and Donna Hallas, director of the pediatric nurse practitioner program at New York University, analyzed three major COVID-19 vaccine producers' clinical trial results. The analysis was used to create talking points health providers could use with vaccine-hesitant patients. Spratling and Hallas, pediatric nurse practitioner-researchers, have published their findings in Contemporary Pediatrics.

Spratling and Hallas concluded pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners should use consistent messages to youth and parents about the safety and need for vaccines, particularly in those adolescents heading to college. Many private and some public universities require vaccination for enrollment.

"Pediatricians and PNPs need to share one forward-thinking message for adolescents and parents, Spratling said. "Vaccines recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the new EUA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and everyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine should take the vaccine without hesitation."

People who are hesitant to take a vaccine may seek a primary care specialist's advicepediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner. Vaccine hesitancy has varied from concern about the vaccines' safety due to rapid development and testing to questions about which vaccine had the highest effectiveness rating.

Spratling and Hallas previously reviewed the randomized trials of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, using these data to compare the two-dose vaccines to the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Data from this review could assist in convincing parents to get a vaccine, but neither Moderna nor Johnson & Johnson has been studied at length for use in children.

Pfizer studied the use of its vaccine in children aged 12 and older beginning summer 2020 and by March 2021 was researching the use on children as young as six months old. Pfizer has asked the FDA to amend its emergency use authorization to include 12- to 15-year-olds. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also beginning research on young people.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
by Nirmala Carvalho

Dozens of people lost in the storm that crossed the Arabian Sea. On the west coast 24 deaths and serious damage. Mgr. Alwyn Barreto, bishop of Sindhudurg: "We are mobilizing to stay close to the affected families".

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Cyclone Tauktae, which hit the west coast of the country hard, has worsened the situation for states already struggling with the coronavirus emergency.

Just this morning the India Meteorological Department downgraded the alert level for intense rains and wind that have raged over a large region of the country since May 15.

In Mumbai, the wind reached 114 kilometres per hour, with the rainfall registered record highs since records began. The official death toll is 24: 12 in Mahartashtra, 8 in Karnataka and 4 in Gujarat.

The worst situation right now is in the Arabian Sea where some barges are still adrift. There is concern, in particular, off the Mumbai High Field, an oil extraction platform located 170 kilometres offshore from Mumbai's coast. Out of the 273 people on the rig, the Navy's rescue vehicles have so far brought 177 to safety; the fate of the other 96 is unclear.

In the meantime, on the coast, the damage is being counted. Mgr. Alwyn Barreto, the bishop of Sindhudurg, one of the most affected districts in the state of Maharashtra, tells AsiaNews: The cyclone has devastated many areas of our diocese, especially in Malyan. Uprooted trees have damaged homes, destroyed property and cut roads. There have been outages in the power lines. The same gusts of wind and intense rains have caused collapses in the houses.

Our diocese - continues Msgr. Barreto - has always been at the forefront of helping the poor, especially in natural disasters. Already in 2019, thanks to the help of generous benefactors, we supported people affected by a flood in the districts of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg. And in the Coronavirus emergency that has continued since last year, we have helped millions of people with medicines, provisions, food supplies and other aid. Even in this new situation we want to help the poor in every possible way. We have not yet received a clear estimate of the damage, but we are mobilizing to stay close to the affected families, counting on the generosity of many. We pray and hope that God in his goodness will help us in this worthy cause, as in the past.
Researchers understand the neurobiology of autism and develop effective treatments for it. Credit: Tokyo University of Science

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition involving impaired social abilities, and this makes it a fascinating subject for neuroscientists like Prof. Teiichi Furuichi of the Tokyo University of Science who study the neuroscience of social behavior. Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues have previously worked on developing mouse models of autism to unravel the condition's neurochemical mechanisms, and in a paper recently published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience, they provide evidence that a genetic mutation associated with autism can impair the release of a peptide called oxytocin that plays an important role in regulating social behavior. This finding promises to broaden our understanding of the neurobiology of social behavior.

The gene that Prof. Furuichi's team chose to study is Caps2, which encodes a protein called Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CAPS2) that regulates the release of brain chemicals (or "neurotransmitters"). Previous studies have shown that CAPS2 deficiencies in mice cause behavioral impairments such as reduced sociality, increased anxiety, and disrupted circadian rhythms. Furthermore, a study of Japanese patients with autism spectrum disorder revealed that some of them had Caps2 mutations that adversely affect the CAPS2 protein's functions. Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues had previously discovered that the CAPS2 protein is expressed in neurons in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that release the neuropeptide oxytocin. This information formed the basis of their recent study. As Prof. Furuichi explains, "We hypothesized that CAPS2 deficiencies in mice should alter oxytocin release, which should in turn result in impaired social behavior."

To test this hypothesis, researchers Shuhei Fujima, Graduate Student at Tokyo University of Science; Yoshitake Sano, Junior Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Science; Yo Shinoda, Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences; Tetsushi Sadakata, Associate Professor in Gunma University; Manabu Abe, Associate Professor at Niigata University; and Kenji Sakimura, a Fellow of Niigata University, among others, led by Prof. Furuichi conducted a series of experiments involving mice that carried genetic alterations that prevented them from expressing the CAPS2 protein. These mice had lower-than-normal oxytocin levels in their blood but higher-than-normal oxytocin levels in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The researchers interpreted this finding as evidence that CAPS2 deficiencies impede the normal release of oxytocin from these brain regions into the bloodstream.

Unsurprisingly, the reduced bloodstream levels of oxytocin had clear behavioral effects. When placed inside a rectangular box, the oxytocin neuron-specific CAPS2-deficient mice were unwilling to spend much time in the center of the box, and the researchers interpreted this as evidence of increased anxiety about the risk of a predator attacking them. The CAPS2-deficient mice also exhibited diminished willingness to engage in social interactions when introduced to unfamiliar mice. Interestingly, spraying an oxytocin solution into the noses of the CAPS2-deficient mice acted to restore their willingness to socially interact with unfamiliar mice.

Based on these findings, Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues conclude that the CAPS2 protein plays a critical role in facilitating the release of peripheral oxytocin into the bloodstream. They similarly suggest that CAPS2 is also involved in the release of central oxytocin into the brain regions relating to the control of sociality. Given the key role that oxytocin plays in regulating social behaviors, this could help to explain how mutations in the Caps2 gene could lead to atypical patterns of social behavior in persons with autism spectrum disorder. When asked about the social significance of his team's work, Prof. Furuichi remarks, "We believe that this research, although basic, is an important achievement that will contribute to the development of tools for the early molecular diagnosis and effective treatment of autism spectrum disorder."

Given the relatively high prevalence of autism and how extremely disabling severe cases can be, the development of effective treatments would have major benefits for people with autism and the society as a whole.

Explore further Autism: How a gene alteration modifies social behavior

More information: Shuhei Fujima et al, CAPS2 deficiency impairs the release of the social peptide, oxytocin, as well as oxytocin-associated social behavior, The Journal of Neuroscience (2021). Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience Shuhei Fujima et al, CAPS2 deficiency impairs the release of the social peptide, oxytocin, as well as oxytocin-associated social behavior,(2021). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3240-20.2021
(HealthDay)Plenty of teens are burdened with a chronic and often paralyzing fear of being harshly judged by others. Unfortunately, many can't get in-person treatment that could help.

But now a team of Swedish researchers says that an entirely online version of a widely used behavioral therapy technique can deliver significant relief to those affected.

The finding could pave the way for easier and cheaper access to an effective treatment for a common adolescent condition known as social anxiety disorder (SAD).

"SAD is one of the more common psychiatric disorders among young people, affecting 5% to 10% of individuals under age 18," explained study author Martina Nordh. She is a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher in the department of clinical neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

"It manifests as an intense and persistent fear of social or performance situations that most commonly are avoided or endured under great distress," Nordh said.

For young people, "it often leads to problems when playing or hanging out with friends, with performance in school, and with participation in leisure activities," she added.

Standard treatment typically involves some combination of antidepressants and in-person sessions rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

According to the study team, CBT aims to foster positive thinking, new social skills and increased engagement with others. And, by slowly increasing exposure to the kinds of social situations that patients find most daunting, the approach has, in fact, proven effective at helping patients better understand and overcome their anxiety.

The problem is that setting up and maintaining an in-person CBT treatment program can be tricky for teens, said Nordh.

On the one hand, many localities lack a sufficient number of trained pediatric CBT therapists. And, "for SAD specifically, the symptoms of the disorder itself can also make it hard to seek help," Nordh noted. That's because many individuals with SAD fear meeting new people, such as unfamiliar health care professionals, and "hesitate to visit unknown settings, such as mental health care clinics," she said.

Might providing CBT online prove to be a practical and effective alternative? To find out, the researchers looked at just over 100 SAD patients aged 10 to 17 between 2017 and 2020.

About half of the teens received CBT therapy delivered entirely online. The other half were offered supportive therapy, also delivered exclusively online.

The latter also involves providing education about SAD, while stressing the value of friendship, socializing and fostering healthy habits, such as exercise. Gradually increasing exposure to stressful social situations is not, however, part of the supportive therapy agenda.

Both formats lasted 10 weeks, with therapist support provided on a weekly basis. In total, each group had three face-to-face online video sessions with a therapist.

The result: Teens, their parents and the study team all agreed that online CBT was significantly more effective than online supportive therapy when it came to helping curb anxiety, stress and depression. It also proved superior in terms of helping teens to function better on a daily basis.

"We also saw that [internet] CBT was more cost-effective than supportive therapy," said Nordh. And she added that providing an online-based program means that "families don't have to take time off from school and work to participate in the program, and therapists can support more patients at the same time since [internet] CBT requires less therapist time compared to regular CBT."

Nordh said that she and her team hope the findings will "encourage health care providers nationally and internationally to facilitate further research and implementation of this accessible and effective treatment for SAD in youth."

Still, the effectiveness of web-based therapy largely depends on exactly how it's structured, cautioned David Miklowitz, director of the University of California, Los Angeles child and adolescent mood disorders program.

"It is tempting to say that psychotherapy can be delivered in digitized format without any loss of effectiveness," Miklowitz said. "But the current findings are more nuanced. They indicate that internet-based CBT is effective if it is therapist-guided, which in this case included three therapist/child video sessions."

That approach, he noted, is "consistent" with past research indicating that online CBT can be of benefit when "delivered in the context of a human therapist/child working alliance, with a certain amount of face-to-face contact."

By contrast, Miklowitz warned, "treatments that are purely digitized without contact with clinicians are unlikely to provide the same level of benefit."

The study was published online May 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Explore further Online CBT effective for social anxiety disorder in young people

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(HealthDay)Teens may be much more diverse in their gender identities than widely thought, a new study suggests.

In a survey of nearly 3,200 high school students in one U.S. school district, researchers found that almost 10% were "gender-diverse." That meant they identified as a gender other than the sex on their birth certificate.

Often, those kids identified as transgender, but many considered themselves nonbinaryneither male nor female.

Researchers said the 10% figure is far higher than past estimates. A widely cited statistic comes from a 2017 government survey of U.S. high school students, in which 1.8% said they were transgender.

That survey only asked kids whether they identified as transgender, specifically, said Dr. Kacie Kidd, lead researcher on the new study.

In contrast, her team gave high school students more options, asking them to select the terms that best described them: girl, boy, trans girl, trans boy, nonbinary, genderqueer or "another identity."

And more than 9% chose one or more options that did not align with their birth sex.

That figure is likely closer to the truth than the 2017 survey, said Kidd, a fellow at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

"This study was much more inclusive," she said. "Not all kids who are gender-diverse identify as transgender."

Of all students who were gender-diverse, roughly 39% identified as trans feminine, while 30% were trans masculine. Another 31% said they were nonbinary.

The survey revealed another pattern, too: Gender diversity was more common among teenagers who were not white.

The prevalence was just over 14% among Hispanic teens, and 10% among Black students. That compared with 7% of their white peers.

What's striking about that, Kidd said, is that the demographics are much different at the region's pediatric gender clinic. There, the large majority of kids are white.

The clinic offers what doctors call gender-affirming care. That includes services like hormone-blocking therapy that puts a "pause" on puberty for kids who are transgender or gender-questioning, as well as mental health counseling for those dealing with conditions like depression or anxiety.

The new findings, Kidd said, suggest that many minority kids are not getting gender-affirming caredespite the fact that they are particularly vulnerable.

It's known that Black and Hispanic transgender women are at especially high risk for violence, poverty, depression and suicidal thoughts.

It's easy to see why, according to Dr. Michelle Forcier, director of gender, sex and reproductive justice programming at Open Door Health in Providence, R.I.

Those women, she said, are at an intersection of transphobia, misogyny and racism.

Forcier's patients describe a state of chronic stress.

"Every day there are the questions," Forcier said. "Will I be outed? Will I be assaulted, verbally or physicallyin my own home or outside of home? Add to that the experience of racism."

Forcier wrote an editorial published with the findings May 18 in the journal Pediatrics. She agreed that the new numbers are likely a better reflection of reality.

"It's good to have confirmation that, yes, of course, more than 2% of kids are gender-diverse," Forcier said.

That said, the study focused on one urban school district in the Northeast. Additional studies should assess other regions, Kidd said. One reason that's important, she added, is to better allocate health care resources.

Those resources, though, are now under threat, both Kidd and Forcier pointed out.

In April, Arkansas became the first U.S. state to ban doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors. Similar bills have been introduced in many other states.

The current findings, Kidd said, hint at how many kids could be harmed by such legislation.

"There's a whole lot of kids out there who need help, and we need to do more to support them," she said. "That's not happening in our current political climate."

The American Academy of Pediatrics has come out against the recent legislation, saying that kids' access to gender-affirming care can be lifesaving.

A 2020 study of transgender adults found that those who'd had early access to puberty-suppressing therapy were 70% less likely to have ever contemplated suicide, compared to those who'd wanted but not received the therapy.

Forcier said parents can do their part, too.

"You don't necessarily need to have gender-reveal parties and lock your kids into a pink or blue identity," she noted.

And in general, Forcier said, kids will do better if they know they have their parents' support and can talk to them about anything.

More information: The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on Journal information: Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on gender diversity

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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The European Bifurcation Club Left Main (EBC MAIN) trial addressed the issue of provisional single stent versus upfront double stenting in 467 patients with true bifurcation distal left main disease.

So far, only one other randomised trial, DKCRUSH-V (n=482), has addressed the same research question, showing better outcomes with an upfront two-stent strategy, more specifically the double-kissing crush (DK CRUSH) technique.

In terms of methodology, two aspects need to be considered for the correct interpretation of the EBC MAIN trial results. First, both LAD and CX ostia were affected by significant disease on angiography in all included patients. Second, it being a strategy trial, the EBC MAIN did not compare the implantation of one versus two stents, but it rather compared a provisional single stent strategy, which could entail extension to two stents under prespecified procedural conditions, with an upfront assignment to use a two-stent technique.

What is new?

The primary message is that no difference in terms of the studied clinical outcomes was noted between the planned single stenting and the upfront use of two-stent techniques. Of note, 22% of patients randomised to a planned single-stent strategy were ultimately treated with two stents.

The primary composite endpoint of one-year death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization occurred at the rate of 14.7% in the provisional vs. 17.7% in the upfront two-stent group (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.51.3). Furthermore, no significant difference was detected for any of the individual components of the primary endpoint. The rates of stent thrombosis were similar, 1.7% in the provisional arm and 1.3% in patients treated with upfront double stenting.

What will change?

Given the overall neutral trial results, it is important to understand how EBC MAIN could be perceived as practice-changing. This comes on the backdrop of the 2018 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on myocardial revascularization recommendation to preferably use double-kissing crush (an upfront two-stent technique) over a planned single-stent strategy (provisional) in true left main bifurcations (Class of recommendation IIb, Level of evidence B).

The described recommendation was largely based on the results of a single randomised study, the DKCRUSH-V trial. In this respect, the EBC MAIN trial, presented on May 19 at EuroPCR 2021, adds important new data that deviate from the hitherto available randomised evidence on this topic.

Importantly and as highlighted by the authors, neutral findings of the EBC MAIN may provide support for the notion that even in true left main bifurcations the initial strategy of single stenting is not penalised by worse one-year outcomes as compared with upfront two-stent techniques.

The clinical value of these findings is compounded by prior evidence from a pooled analysis of the BBC ONE and NORDIC trials, which associated upfront two-stent techniques with a higher long-term mortality risk, as compared with an initial single-stent strategy.

Explore further Results from the DKCRUSH-V trial reported
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According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer affecting women worldwide, and those in developing countries face a higher risk of dying from it. If detected early, cervical cancer responds well to treatment, however not everyone receives cancer screenings.

A team of researchers, including those from Penn State College of Medicine, took a closer look at cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to determine the prevalence and key factors that influence cancer screenings. The group found that despite high mortality rates, cancer screenings are substantially low, and there are multiple reasons why.

In a new study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, the researchers reviewed demographic and health surveys from nearly 30,000 women, ages 21 to 49, living in the Ivory Coast, Benin, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe. According to the findings, 19% of women underwent cervical cancer screenings from 2011 to 2018. However, the rates varied greatly by country, ranging from less than 1% in Benin to nearly 46% in Namibia.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few comprehensive studies, and perhaps the largest to date, to examine the prevalence and determinants of cervical cancer across multiple SSA countries," said Djibril Ba, lead author and epidemiology doctoral student. "The low prevalence of cervical-cancer screening among childbearing-aged women is concerning and suggests that there is a large group of women who remain unscreened with an increased risk of cervical cancer."

According to the researchers, there were several key determinants to accessing cancer screenings in SSA. Women who visited health care facilities within the past year were more likely to undergo procedures. The researchers found that older women and individuals with health insurance, higher socioeconomic status and a higher level of education were more likely to have cancer screenings. They suggest that increasing screenings across the region may be beneficial and lifesaving.

"Interventions aimed at increasing cancer screenings are needed in countries that traditionally prioritize infectious conditions over chronic conditions," said Edeanya Agbese, coauthor and research project manager from the Department of Public Health Sciences. "The resulting variation of screening presented in this study, coupled with the increased cancer burden in SSA, highlights the importance of such interventions, which can lead to early treatment options."

More information: Djibril M. Ba et al, Prevalence and determinants of cervical cancer screening in five sub-Saharan African countries: A population-based study, Cancer Epidemiology (2021). Djibril M. Ba et al, Prevalence and determinants of cervical cancer screening in five sub-Saharan African countries: A population-based study,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2021.101930
New laws. New governor. New administration.

November 2020 had major implications for Montana. Voters put Republicans into every statewide office, the governors chair and in expanded margins in the Legislature.

For the last four months, the Montana State News Bureau documented the bills lawmakers passed that will mean dramatic changes for Montana. Now, were reporting on the execution of those new laws.

On this season of Big Sky Lede, well dive into the new landscape.

The list of changes Montanas about to go through is long:

Theres the framework lawmakers set up to spend billions in federal coronavirus aid that will unfurl over the summer.

We have more restrictive voting laws, passed with support of the new Republican Secretary of State.

The bill to pass a recreational marijuana program seemed like a herculean lift, but now the real work starts with putting the provisions in place.

Theres still debate over changes to hunting laws affecting outfitters' businesses.

And thats just the start of a slew of new laws thats facing the state.

Our team will explain all the changes Montanas going through as a result of the legislative session.
The study of history reveals pertinent lessons. The PBS series on the "Rise of the Nazis" and how democracy died in Germany from 1930-1933 reveal that the antidotes to fascism are to strengthen voting rights, hold those who break the law accountable, and fight disinformation.

Some of the key takeaways that America should consider before history repeats itself are: Don't think it cant happen here, Don't cooperate with those who show authoritarian tendencies, Holding political people accountable to the rule of law saves lives, and Disinformation leads to death.

In 1930, Germany was a liberal democracy  with elections, parliament and the rule of law, and just four years later the freedom of speech was over, most of the political opposition was in jail, the government was in the hands of murderers. This is the story of how democracy died.

In 1933, the Nazis achieved power democratically by preventing their most immediate political rivals from voting. Mass voter suppression in the form of arrests allowed the Nazis to gain the largest vote share, 43.9%. Despite waging a campaign of terror against their opponents, the Nazis were short of a majority so they needed the votes of a conservative coalition partner to deliver Hitler to power as chancellor of Germany. These conservatives were confident that they could control Hitler.
We agree with one part of Republican Montana Rep. Brad Tschidas May 11 guest opinion in the Missoulian: Property taxes are a top concern of our residents. We vehemently disagree that fixing this system is the sole responsibility of cities and counties. But first lets review Rep. Tschidas assertions that he states as fact.

Tschida writes that cities and counties represent 85% of your tax bill while the state represents 15%. That is a false statement.

For a typical city resident, the city accounts for 30% of the tax bill. Local schools comprise 34% of the tax bill. Missoula County represents 21%, authorities like Mountain Line represent 4% and the state of Montana takes 11% for education. You can see the distribution of your tax bill on Missoula Countys excellent property tax website (itax.missoulacounty.us/itax).
The state of Montana has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to teach all students how settlers brought disease and starvation to Native people and how those tactics were used as genocidal practices for white people land-grabs. Students learn that our founders used the Declaration of Independence to establish a white-Native divide by naming Indians savages. They learn about policies that sought to erase or assimilate Native people. And, they learn that tribes have inherent sovereignty that allows them to determine their future without state interference. These are all lessons that the OPI helped create and that schools and educators implement in classrooms. This is the type of accurate, authentic and factual history that our students need and deserve.

Young people can handle the truth. If we want the next generation to truly understand where we come from and our current context, they need to recognize that systemic racism is part of our daily lives.
ASHEBORO  A mother and her 8-month-old child have been reunited after a man stole a vehicle with the child inside and led authorities on a lengthy chase Monday morning, Asheboro police said in a news release.

James Allen Harris, 32, has been charged with kidnapping and larceny of a vehicle.

Officers responded to a Harbor Freight Tools in Asheboro and spoke to a mother who told police she left her vehicle parked in front of the store to pick up an item she ordered. The mother left the vehicle running and unlocked, with her child inside, according to police.

While the mother was inside the store, a man got into the vehicle and drove away, police said.

With help from a cellphone provider, authorities accessed location information from a phone left inside the vehicle. The vehicle left Asheboro city limits, leading Randolph County Sheriff's Office deputies to respond to the last location the cellphone was known to be.

Deputies found the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver refused, leading to a pursuit through areas south and west of Asheboro, police said.

It is unclear how the pursuit ended, but authorities said Harris was apprehended and the child was found unharmed inside the vehicle, police said.
by Francis Khoo Thwe

Some 4,120 people are in prison, 20 on death row. The fiercest clashes are in Chin State. The UN General Assembly postponed a vote on weapons embargo against the country. The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have imposed new sanctions. Washington has imposed sanctions against 13 top junta officials.

Yangon (AsiaNews)  The death toll from the military crackdown against protests in Myanmar has reached 802 civilians. This follows the ouster in February of the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

In its latest update yesterday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported six deaths in Chin State as well as Yangon and Mandalay districts.

It also noted that the number of dead is probably much higher if the missing are factored in. Overall, 4,120 people are currently held in prison, including 20 sentenced to death.

Currently, the most intense clashes are in Mindat, a town in Chin State, about 100 km from the Indian border. Security units operating in the area are facing tough resistance from the Chinland Defence Force, a newly formed local militia. According to The Irrawaddy, local militiamen killed 20 Myanmar soldiers yesterday.

Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly postponed a vote calling for an immediate ban on the sale and transfer of all weapons and ammunition to Myanmar. The resolution was scheduled to be debated today.

According to several observers, the delay is probably due to pressure from China and Russia, which are determined to undermine any proposed embargo against the regime of General Min Aung Hlaing that might come before the Security Council.

According to media reports, the UN General Assembly resolution also contained a request to the Myanmar military to end the state of emergency, stop the violence against peaceful demonstrators, and respect the results of the November elections, which saw a landslide victory by Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD party.

Meanwhile, the United States, Canada and United Kingdom yesterday imposed fresh sanctions against the military junta.

Washington's punitive measures touch 16 people, 13 of whom are senior members of the military regime, including five ministers, central bank governor U Than Nyein, and U Thein Soe, chairman of the military-appointed Union Election Commission.
Montana as a whole stands at 841.2 doses per 1,000 population.

In Butte-Silver Bow, 14,640 individuals are fully immunized. Thats 48.5% of the countys eligible population, and 41.9% of the countys total population. In Montana as a whole, 34.5% of the total population is immunized.

Sullivan said the goal over the coming months is to have 80 percent of Butte-Silver Bows entire population fully immunized. More information on vaccine distribution in Butte-Silver Bow and in Montana may be found at: https://montana.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b.

On Monday, the Health Department released its weekly COVID-19 data report. As of Sunday, May 16, the department was reporting 4,111 positive cases in the county, since Butte-Silver Bow was informed of its first COVID-19 case March 13, 2020. Of those, 4,018 have recovered, and seven cases remain active.

During the week, five cases were added to the countys overall case count, due to a routine and ongoing reconciliation with state data, Sullivan said.

For the week of May 8-14, the Health Department reported eight newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, up five cases from the previous week of May 1-7, when three new cases were reported.
McCord and Hill readily acknowledged that the automation system will require some fine tuning. McCord is back in school as a graduate student and could be available for that work, Hill said.

The cost to Bausch Potatoes of automating the temperature controls for the blancher totaled about $16,000.

Hill said he was impressed by the quality of the students work and said their senior design project was one of the best hes supervised during his tenure at Montana Tech.

This would be one of the top five, Hill said.

On a recent work day, Megan Bausch, daughter of Mark and Denise and sister of Kaleb, worked with other staff cutting up potatoes before they entered the blancher. Everybody wore a stylish white hairnet.

Megan is studying business management and accounting at the University of Montana Western. Kaleb has numerous interviews set up, his mother said.

Mark Bausch met Denise when she was working at a restaurant in the Four Corners near Bozeman and he was delivering potatoes.

He said running the family farm together is a pretty good gig, even when life is complicated by an occasionally sub-par harvest, by a bankrupt customer or other challenges.
4. Mideast violence

Biden has expressed support for a ceasefire in the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. The President mentioned his position on a call yesterday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and floated the possibility of international diplomatic involvement. Some Democratic leaders want Biden to be more forceful with US engagement in the conflict. Netanyahu, meantime, has vowed to continue strikes against Hamas targets . The US has been in touch with foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan, but demands from Israel and Hamas have so far stymied any solutions. Meanwhile, the volley of rocket attacks and airstrikes continues.

5. Havana Syndrome

The US is investigating two cases of a mysterious illness that affected White House officials late last year. The cases are consistent with "Havana Syndrome," an inexplicable combination of sensory experiences and physical symptoms that have sickened more than 100 US diplomats, spies and troops around the globe. One of the latest incidents began after the 2020 election when an NSC official passed through a White House gate. Now, the government has revealed it's investigating a second, more serious case from weeks later near another White House entrance. The intelligence community still isn't sure who is causing the strange array of nervous system symptoms or if the episodes can even be called "attacks."
McMahon's order cites U.S. Supreme Court case law stating legislative investigations must have a legislative purpose to be valid. Said another way, the investigation cannot be used for law enforcement, exposure for the sake of exposure or to publicly punish those under investigation.

The Legislature's subpoena for the records of Rice, the other justices and Supreme Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin states its authority is related to investigating whether employees or members of the judicial branch deleted public records and whether the Montana Judicial Standards Commission is capable of addressing the question of polling judges on pending legislation.

Meanwhile, another case on the same issue is still sitting at the state Supreme Court, where McLaughlin has also challenged the Legislature's subpoena power over an employee of the judiciary. Last week, the Supreme Court denied Attorney General Austin Knudsen's request that the justices all disqualify themselves from hearing a case filed by their own court administrator. The unanimous decision written by Justice Laurie McKinnon stated the Legislature had sought to "manufacture" a conflict of interest when lawmakers subpoenaed the justices for information that could be extracted through the subpoena for McLaughlin's emails, 5,000 of which had already been turned over by the state Department of Administration.
And a week ago, a group of more than 50 Montana doctors wrote an open letter to RVU saying the time wasnt right for a new medical school in Montana.

While we wholeheartedly support economic development and advancement for medical education in our community and region, the voice of physicians who provide clinical education experiences has been absent from the discussion, the doctors wrote.

A separate private medical school, Touro College and University System, seeks to open a location in Great Falls.

In Billings, St. Vincent Healthcare officials have said they will continue working with RVU and even create an office of medical education to connect students to clinical training programs.

The Billings medical school would be completely privately funded, RVU said in a press release. The projected direct and indirect economic impact of this new medical school during the two-year start-up period (2021-23) is expected to total $78.6 million, provide 350 jobs, and add more than $1.2 million in taxes to communities in the region.
What Ive observed over the last four months while managing a team of organizers around the 2021 Legislative session at Forward Montana should be of concern to all Montanans, no matter your political beliefs. And I hope it inspires you into action.

Over the last 90 days, GOP leadership used their renewed power to exploit the legislative process. Members of the minority party were silenced during floor debates. Committee chairs attempted to conduct hearings without Democrats present and excluded reporters from caucus meetings. During the 11th hour of the session, Republicans added sweeping amendments to bills with no opportunity for public input. Unfortunately, the pace of the session is too quick for the media and other organizations to give each of these abhorrent power grabs, and many others, the scrutiny that our democracy deserves.

Individually these moves may raise an eyebrow, but together these bold and blatant abuses of decorum are nothing short of an assault on our democracy. I wont focus on the important policy outcomes that we know have changed the landscape of Montana for decades to come. Instead, Id like to share some ideas of where we go from here.
Another big service that is happening in Muscatine on the following day, Monday, May 31 at 10 a.m., is the annual Muscatine American Legion Post 27 service. Returning after a year-long absence due to the pandemic, this service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery at the Soldiers Plot, and guests are asked to bring lawn chairs if they wish to attend.

There will be several small events featured within the program, including the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be delivered by a local Girl Scout troop, and the National Anthem. Retired Army Command Sergeant Major Ned Fry will be delivering the Memorial Address as this years guest speaker.

If there is bad weather, the service will be held at the American Legion building on 110 S. Houser St. There will also be a service at Riverside Park on the Muscatine Riverfront following the Greenwood service at 10:50 a.m. where they will float a couple wreaths for soldiers who were buried or lost at sea. If there is bad weather, this service will not be held.

Other services held in the Muscatine area on Monday will include a service at Memorial Park Cemetery at 9 a.m. that will be led and will feature vocals from Jack Carey, Director of BodyBuilders Ministry. Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs with them, and with the exception of lightning, the service is expected to be held rain or shine.
Aaronson was driving a silver Dodge Ram and had his three co-defendants in the pickup. He let Sisul and Owens off in the alley behind the QC Mart and instructed Sisul and Owens to rob the man. Owens was armed with a black handgun.

The victim was standing next to the Dodge Ram talking to Aaronson and Crabb when Sisul and Owens approached.

Owens reportedly struck a man in the back of the head with the butt of a handgun and Owens and Sisul struck the man while he was on the ground. They demanded the mans truck keys and robbed him of $160.

Sisul got in the drivers seat of the victims red truck while Owens is said to have stayed with the victim allegedly telling the man Stay down! Dont move! I swear Ill do it! according to Scott County police affidavits.

The keys were in the vehicle, and the two men fled the area. Officers tried to stop it on Grant Street as it traveled to the Interstate 74 Bridge, but the pursuit continued into Moline, where the truck crashed near Teske's on 16th Street, and the men were caught after a foot chase, police said.
The federal dollars may not be deposited into any pension fund or to "directly or indirectly offset a reduction in the net tax revenue" of the state "resulting from a change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation," according to the Iowa State Auditor's Office.

Davenport city officials are asking residents, businesses and nonprofits to complete a short survey on how they would like to see the federals funds used in Davenport. The survey may be found at www.davenportiowa.com/covid.

City officials will use results of the survey to help guide drafting a spending plan that will be presented to the Davenport City Council.

The survey closes on June 4, and Davenport City Council will meet for a special work session on June 8 to discuss options for spending the federal money.

Davenport previously received roughly $3.5 million in COVID-relief-related funding, including $2.4 million from the State of Iowas Government Relief Fund. Those funds have been used to support city transit operations, public safety salaries, airport operations, purchase personal protective equipment, and to make necessary security upgrades to city facilities.
Today is Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Let's get caught up.

These headlines are in the news this morning: President Biden expressed support for a cease-fire and raised the rising civilian death toll with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu; an associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz pleads guilty to sex trafficking charges; and "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson in court today on rape charges.

Read on for these stories, other top headlines, celebrity birthdays and more.

TOP STORIES

Biden raises cease-fire, civilian toll in call to Netanyahu

President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Since the end of the Soviet regime, the works of ecclesial "mercy" have flourished throughout Russian society: hostels, palliative care, help for the disabled and the sick, homes for the homeless, humanitarian aid. The Russian Church now boasts over 4,500 charitable projects, including 77 hostels for pregnant women and young single mothers. Kirill: "We ask women not to have an abortion, but to donate their children to the Orthodox Church". About 70% of the population declares themselves ready to support patriarchal structures in works of mercy, especially in the youth range between 18 and 24 years old.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The 10th Ecclesial Congress of Social Service opened yesterday in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. 1500 delegates gathered to take part: priests, monks and nuns, volunteers, representatives of non-profit organizations, social workers, activists of charitable institutions (sestry miloserdija, the "sisters of mercy"), from all over Russia.

In the 30 years since the end of the Soviet regime, the works of ecclesial "mercy" have flourished throughout Russian society: hostels for the homeless, assistance for palliative care, assistance for the sick in all institutions, support for the disabled in homes, for the distribution of humanitarian aid.

All these initiatives have made the Russian Orthodox Church the country's leading charitable organization. In the 1990s, initiatives in this field came mainly from foreign institutions that entered Russia after communism. Since the 2000s they have been gradually absorbed and nationalized, sometimes also due to the distrust of foreign "benefactors", accused of wanting to influence the Russian population in various ways. Often these organizations have inspired precisely the "Orthodox charity", which has inherited their systems and purposes.

Today it is the patriarchate of Moscow that "exports" charity all over the world, as Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) recalled in the opening address of the Congress. In his words, "one of the main concerns of our Church is closeness to women, who today for many reasons are reluctant to have children, to whom we ask not to have an abortion, but to give their children to the Orthodox Church".

As the patriarch promised, "the Church is ready to help educate and raise children, without impeding their relationship with mothers, indeed we will do everything to make families more solid, even the most fragile and unofficial ones, which still have a great value before God. Since Soviet times, Russia has been in the throes of a dizzying demographic decline, and the practice of abortion still remains extremely widespread and frequent in the country today.

At the Congress it was noted that ecclesial charity is becoming more and more systematic and popular among the people in Russia. According to some surveys, almost 70% of the population declares themselves ready to support patriarchal structures in works of mercy, especially in the youth range between 18 and 24 years old.

Elizaveta Oleskina, director of the charitable foundation "Seniority in joy" (Starost v radost), told of the pilot project for "long-term" care: "In our country, a third of the population is made up of elderly people who need help in various ways, and if we consider people with different degrees of disability, this help needs one in two families. Ours is not only a major project at national level, but is now part of the priorities of the state's social policy .

The Russian Church now boasts over 4,500 charitable projects, including 77 hostels for pregnant women and young single mothers. Senator Maria Lvova-Belova presented the public-ecclesial project Kvartal Lui ("Louis's apartment"), begun in the city of Penza in recent years and named in honour of the jazz musician Louis Armstrong. It is dedicated to the rehabilitation of orphaned disabled children, today at the forefront in raising awareness of the problems of children with reduced mobility throughout Russia.

According to Lvova-Belova, "we can all do something to overcome barriers, such as setting up special access to churches or public buildings, to allow the invalid to participate in the liturgy or be able to use the services".

The Church has also opened more than 200 humanitarian aid centres; about 90 homes for lonely and homeless people, over 400 centres for the disabled; more than 200 drug rehabilitation communities.
The SA Post Office wants to stop courier companies from delivering packages under 1kg in South Africa, but the previous time it tried to run a courier company it failed spectacularly.

This is feedback from the DAs shadow deputy minister of communications and digital technologies, Cameron Mackenzie.

He was commenting on the SA Post Offices legal battle to enforce its interpretation of the Postal Services Act that it is the only licensed provider which can deliver reserved postal services.

Reserved postal services include all letters, postcards, printed matter, small parcels, and other postal articles up to and including 1kg.

If successful, private courier companies will be prohibited from delivering small packages like medicine, credit cards, passports, visas, and smartphones.

This, many stakeholders warned, can have devastating consequences because the Post Office is not able to match the private sectors service levels.

Commenting on the situation, SA Post Office spokesperson Johan Kruger told MyBroadband they would not like to comment on the issue until it has been heard in court.

Kruger did, however, highlight that they are running a courier operation  Speed Services Couriers  and that it is a successful service and remains available.

Responding to the Post Offices plans to take over delivery of all packages of 1kg or less, the DAs Mackenzie told Parliament the organization cannot run a courier operation.

He highlighted that the Post Office tried it before, but it ended up with that operation in liquidation.

Mackenzie was referring to Courier and Freight Group (CFG), which was an operating subsidiary of the South African Post Office (SAPO).

CFG provided courier services  which ranged from overnight to seventy-two-hour delivery  and express freight products.

CFG was a dismal failure. It sustained huge losses for years, including R100 million in 2015 and R115 million in 2016.

CFG was placed under provisional liquidation in 2016. The only reason the company did not go bust was the Post Offices decision to take over its assets, liabilities, and staff.

Employees of CFG were transferred to SAPO on their existing contractual terms on 1 September 2016.

This poor performance came at a time when the courier industry was growing in South Africa, which illustrates the inability of the Post Office to compete against privately owned rivals.

Mackenzie told MyBroadband that SAPOs Courier and Freight Group was riddled with corruption and maladministration.

But there is an even bigger problem with the Post Office trying to get a monopoly on delivering packages under 1 kg  its dire financial state.

Its last recorded profit was around R200-million in 2014. It made a loss of R1.6-billion for the year ending March 2021 and in 2022 it is expected to make a loss of around R2 billion, Mackenzie said.

There is no indication from the government how this entity will be funded going forward.

Ive lost count of the number of Post Office turnaround plans tabled before Parliament  not one has worked, Mackenzie said.

It continues to bleed cash at an alarming rate, with expenses consistently outstripping revenue.

Mackenzie highlighted that SAPO can not pay its suppliers, its statutory obligations, like employee pensions and medical aid contributions, or rent for branches.

If your cash outflows exceed your cash inflows every month, how on earth can this entity operate an effective, efficient, and competent courier company? he asked.

Now read: The SA Post Office wants to stop couriers from delivering many common items
Fibre has become the buzzword when it comes to the internet over the past couple of years. It has become the fastest and most recognised way to connect to the World Wide Web and is the most affordable for the speed and reliability that it offers.

Krugersdorp, like many other non-metropoles and smaller provincial towns across the country, was left longing for the latest technologies and most advanced internet infrastructure, like the big cities had. Residents of Krugersdorp felt they also deserved to be noticed and allowed the same internet speeds that those in the cities were becoming accustomed to.

Many smaller towns still feel this way.

Open-access, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network operator, Evotel, saw the need and jumped at the chance to build a fibre network in Krugersdorp and give residents the internet connection speeds they deserved.

Evotel stands for Fibre for Everyone and it is our mission to provide everyone in more remote areas of the country with a world-class fibre internet network and allow them fast connection speeds to have seamless multimedia experiences, without delays and unnecessary buffering of movies and gaming content, as well as quick communication services such as video calling to stay in touch with family and friends across the country and the world for that matter, explains Bradley Bekker, Head of Business Development at Evotel.

In January 2019, Evotel broke ground on the Krugersdorp infrastructure build in the Rant-en-Dal suburb. Little ground was actually broken as this network installation was not a trenched solution where the town would be dug up to lay fibre cables.

No, this is an aerial fibre installation, which few people were aware existed, and only a few short trenches were needed here and there during an aerial infrastructure build.

There are multiple benefits to an aerial or over-ground network installation. Firstly, there is the speed in which a network can be rolled out and activated.

It is much faster than the traditional trenched solutions where streets and pavements have to be dug up to lay the cables and then have to be refilled before the build is considered complete.

Aerial infrastructures make use of already existing municipal infrastructures, lampposts, to string cables that allows for a much quicker rollout and activation.

Furthermore, notes Bekker, The risk of hitting municipal services, such as water and sewage pipes and electrical lines, during a conventional trenched build, is also very likely. An average of two to seven breaks per day is common when a trenched solution is put in and places unnecessary stresses on already crippled municipalities to deliver these basic services and repairs.

Disruptions to these municipal services can sometimes take days to repair; not only leaving you without an internet connection, but possibly water, electricity or sewage services.

Evotel has the lions share of Krugersdorp covered and those residents on our Evotel fibre network dont have to worry about any such disruptions, Bekker adds.

The Evotel Krugersdorp fibre network passes 12 606 homes, giving them access to a fast and reliable fibre internet connection, if they choose to sign up.

The network currently has upwards of 4 000 active users benefitting from the estimated 450km Evotel fibre optic cabling that has been installed, across the Rant-en-Dal, Krugersdorp West, Noordheuwel and Oatlands, Rant-en-Dal, Dan Pienaarville, Krugersdorp North, Monument, Quellerie Park, Breaunanda, Lewisham, Wentworth Park, Krugersdorp West, Mindalore, Oatlands, Agavia, Boltonia, Noordheuwel and Chancliff areas.

The first to connect

Rant-en-Dal resident, Piet Nel, was the first to be connected and activated on the Evotel aerial fibre network in Krugersdorp, through the internet service provider (ISP) Cool Ideas.

I am ecstatic with my Evotel fibre network! I almost forget that I have fibre and internet, because I dont have to think about it. It is always there and working, unlike with my previous ADSL network provider.

I rely on my computers being up and connected 24 hours a day and since being on Evotels fibre network I have had nothing but constant, fast connection speeds, Nel says.

Expanding further on reliability and network up-time, Nel adds: In the two and a half years that I have been on the Evotel network there have been one or two times the network was down. But, before I could even call to find out what the issue is and how long it will take to fix, the network was repaired and everything ran smoothly as always, Nel adds.

According to Bekker, it is comments like these that make everyone at Evotel proud and is testament to the professional services our local contractor, Impisi Projects, provides.

Customers only having good things to say about how happy they are with our network and its reliability is what drives us to continue building fibre networks that will assist people in their everyday lives.

There is nothing more rewarding than compliments from happy customers.

Connected Schools

Evotel also started its Schools Programme in 2019; whereby the company provides any school that falls under its network coverage area with free internet access through its fibre infrastructure. Five Krugersdorp schools were some of the first to benefit from this initiative.

Monument Primary School, Krugersdorp High School, St Ursulas School, Diederichs Technical High School and CURAMUS School of Autism are all being provided with free access to the Evotel fibre network, providing over 2000 learners with fast and reliable internet access to assist with their education.

Through the Evotel network these learners now have the ability to do quick research for school projects, participate in online schooling initiatives and utilise all the prospects the internet can offer them during their time at school.

We are currently in the process of activating five more schools in the area to be part of the Evotel Schools Programme that will benefit from free fibre access, adds Bekker.

This initiative saves schools in the region of R24 000 per annum on leasing and running a fibre line  money that can be invested otherwise.

We care about the future of South Africa and its youth which is why we decided to sponsor the fibre infrastructure for schools and ensure the success of our youths education, Bekker says.

The schools that have received the free fibre internet connection only have positive things to say about Evotels generosity and the assistance being provided by the company in educating the youth.

Says MJ Moore, Principal at Monument Primary School, Krugersdorp: We would like to thank Evotel for providing our school with free fibre internet connection. This has benefitted 1200 learners as well as all our staff to continue teaching and not have learners fall behind.

The fibre connection allowed us to continue classes through Teams and to set up a drive where learners can download work during lockdown.

Local excellence

With the Krugersdorp build, as with all Evotels networks, the company focussed on investing in the community and employed local contractors to assist with the construction of the infrastructure.

Impisi Projects was one of the local companies employed to assist in the build. Impisi was initially employed as a subcontractor, but due to the exceptional work and quality provided, the company showed its worth and has now been employed by Evotel as a primary contractor to finalise the overall Krugersdorp build.

The company is also now employed to deal with installations at properties.

The quality of work that Impisi Projects presented during the initial build was so impressive that we made the decision to promote them to a primary contractor to help complete the Krugersdorp network and afterwards take responsibility for the upkeep and servicing of our network in Krugersdorp.

We are confident that their outstanding service delivery will only benefit the residents of the town further in the future and will keep Evotels name in good standing as a result, notes Bekker.

Despite initial teething problems relating to public participation and clarity regarding the difference between traditional trenched and Evotels aerial solution, which was quickly addressed, Evotel considers the Krugersdorp build as one of its most successful network rollouts.

We upped our public participation process in Krugersdorp, which also birthed our current and much more stringent public participation model used in all builds.

Despite a rocky start, we successfully managed to have the first phases of the Krugersdorp build complete before the hard lockdown, giving many people the ability to work reliably from home.

The uptake of users in Krugersdorp is continuing to grow, all while lockdown restrictions have essentially been completely lifted, Bekker concludes.
After she showed up and talked to us, there was a party the following day, Polverino said.

Theyre not our neighbors. All they are is a detriment to the neighborhood, Jim Davis, who also lives near the Valley View home, told the City Council on May 11.

Neighbors of other Pacaso homes on Hillview ($418,000 for 1/8 ownership) and Madrona ($525,000) worry that the same thing will happen to their neighborhoods.

Mari Jansdotter was once a second homeowner herself, but over a year ago she bought a house near RLS Middle School and became a full-time resident. Thanks to a few Pacaso homes that are in the works nearby, this is already not the neighborhood I bought my house in, she said.

She has nothing against second homeowners, but shes worried that if fractional owners cant spend their allotted time at the house, theyll either rent it out under the table or let someone else use it. (Pacaso prohibits rentals, but fractional owners may have guests.)

Then you have commercial visitors in a residential neighborhood, Jansdotter said. Thats why we have residential zoning in the first place.

A Pacaso spokesperson released a statement in response to Saturdays protest.
Glycans are a common carbohydrate found on cell surfaces that are known to modify lipids (fats) and proteins in a process called glycosylation. Now there's evidence that some living things use RNA as a third scaffold for glycosylation. CREDIT Ryan Flynn

Stanford researchers have discovered a new kind of biomolecule that could play a significant role in the biology of all living things. The novel biomolecule, dubbed glycoRNA, is a small ribbon of ribonucleic acid (RNA) with sugar molecules, called glycans, dangling from it.

Up until now, the only kinds of similarly sugar-decorated biomolecules known to science were fats (lipids) and proteins. These glycolipids and glycoproteins appear ubiquitously in and on animal, plant and microbial cells, contributing to a wide range of processes essential for life.

The newfound glycoRNAs, neither rare nor furtive, were hiding in plain sight simply because no one thought to look for them - understandably so, given that their existence flies in the face of well-established cellular biology.

A study in the journal Cell, published May 17, describes the findings.

"This is a stunning discovery of an entirely new class of biomolecules," said Carolyn Bertozzi, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass professor at Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences, the Baker Family Director of Stanford Chemistry, Engineering and Medicine for Human Health and the study's senior author. "It's really a bombshell because the discovery suggests that there are biomolecular pathways in the cell that are completely unknown to us."

"What's more," Bertozzi added, "some of the RNAs modified by glycans to form glycoRNA have a sordid history of association with autoimmune diseases."

Bertozzi gives credit for the discovery to the study's lead author Ryan Flynn, who worked for months in her lab as a postdoctoral fellow chasing down glycoRNA, based mostly on a hunch.

"I came into Carolyn's lab asking, 'what if glycans can bind to RNA?', which turned out to be something that hadn't been explored before," said Flynn, now an assistant professor at Boston Children's Hospital in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. "I just like wondering and asking questions and it was immensely gratifying to arrive at this unexpected answer."

Approaching research with an open mind

Over the course of her trailblazing career, Bertozzi has brought the once-fringe field of glycobiology into the mainstream. For the past 25 years, her work has helped biologists appreciate how glycans, the long-overlooked sugar structures that stud our cells, are every bit as important as proteins and nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA.

Flynn admits he knew little about glycans when he joined Bertozzi's lab. His area of expertise is RNA, which was the focus of his medical degree and PhD. Flynn earned those degrees under the mentorship of Howard Chang, the Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research and Professor of Genetics at Stanford.

"Ryan is RNA, I'm glycans," said Bertozzi. "We have completely different backgrounds."

The fields of RNA and glycan research are traditionally distinct because the biomolecules form and operate in different cellular places. Most types of RNA live in a cell's nucleus as well as in the cytosol, where the genome is kept and protein synthesis occurs, respectively. Glycans, in contrast, originate in subcellular structures bound by membranes and are thus separated from spaces where RNAs occupy. Glycoproteins and glycolipids localize to the cell's surface, acting as binding sites for extracellular molecules and communicating with other cells. (An example of glycolipids are those that define our blood type.)

"RNA and glycans live in two separate worlds if you believe the textbooks," said Bertozzi.

An odd bit of outlying biology had initially piqued Flynn's interest and got him wondering if those worlds might in fact overlap. He had taken note in the scientific literature of an enzyme, little-studied in the RNA field, that glycosylates (adds glycans to) certain proteins and which can also bind to RNAs. Based on this enzyme's mutual affinity for proteins and RNA, Flynn decided to see if there was a more direct connection between RNA and glycans.

"When Ryan started exploring a possible connection between glycosylation and RNA, I thought the chances of finding anything were very low," said Bertozzi. "But I figured it doesn't hurt to snoop around."

On the hunt

Flynn wielded an array of techniques in his search for hypothetical glycoRNAs. Among the most effective was bioorthogonal chemistry, originally pioneered by Bertozzi for enabling studies of living cells without disturbing naturally occurring processes. One common method involves attaching an inobtrusive "reporter" chemical to a biomolecule that emits light when engaging in certain reactions.

Flynn outfitted many different glycans with reporting "lightbulbs" to see what biomolecules the sugars bound to and where the sugar-bonded biomolecules ended up in and on cells. Relying on his experiences preparing and working with RNA, Flynn went beyond the protein- and lipid-containing compartments inside cells as had theretofore been probed.

"Ryan is the first person we know of that actually looked at glycans and RNA in this way," said Bertozzi.

After many frustrating months of negative and confusing results, Flynn reassessed his data. He noticed that one labeled sugar, incorporated into a precursor molecule for sialic acid, kept popping up.

"Once I saw that signal, I felt like something was actually there," Flynn said.

"It was really important that Ryan did not come at this topic with preconceived notions and unconscious bias," Bertozzi said. "His mind was open to possibilities that violate what we think we know about biology."

Life's origins and operations

After documenting the presence of the apparently novel glycoRNA in human cells, Flynn and colleagues searched for it in other cells. They found glycoRNAs in every cell type they tested - human, mouse, hamster and zebrafish.

The presence of glycoRNAs in different organisms suggests they perform fundamentally important functions. Furthermore, the RNAs are structurally similar in creatures that evolutionarily diverged hundreds of millions to billions of years ago. This suggests glycoRNAs could have ancient origins and may have had some role in the emergence of life on Earth, explained Bertozzi.

The function of glycoRNAs is not yet known, but it merits further study as they may be linked to autoimmune diseases that cause the body to attack its own tissues and cells, Flynn explained. For example, the immune systems of people suffering from lupus are known to target several of the specific RNAs that can compose glycoRNAs.

"When you find something brand-new like these glycoRNAs, they're so many questions to ask," Flynn said.

Astrobiology



Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter.
The Pastoral Guidelines for the Celebration of World Youth Day in Particular Churches have been made public. Everyone must feel specially invited, even all those young people who may be looking for their place in the Church and who have not yet found it.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life today released the Pastoral Guidelines for the Celebration of World Youth Day in Particular Churches.

It notes that World Youth Day (WYD) will be a festival of faith as well as an experience of Church, providing an opportunity for vocational discernment and a call to holiness to be celebrated on the Solemnity of Christ the King. The event can be a very good opportunity to motivate and welcome all those young people who may be looking for their place in the Church and who have not yet found it.

The choice of the day is important. It is a desire of the Holy Father that this should be a day for the universal Church to place young people at the centre of our pastoral attention, to pray for them, to engage young people as protagonists, to promote communications campaigns.

To this end, we must have the courage to involve young people and entrust active roles to them. We should include youth from the various pastoral groups present in the diocese as well as those who do not belong to any community, youth group, association or movement.

On this day, said Fr Joao Chagas, director of the Youth Section of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, the whole Church is called to gather around her young people, around all young people, to send them this great message: Jesus loves you and you are in the heart of the Church. The Church has a message for you and you too have a lot to say to the Church. Today she wants to meet you, listen to you, pray with you and for you. She wants to celebrate you.

The WYD, which is celebrated internationally every three years, has proved to provide an excellent opportunity for young people to have a missionary experience. This must also be the case for diocesan/eparchial Youth Days.

In some particular Churches, the young people who have taken part in an international WYD or who have helped organise national and diocesan/eparchial youth initiatives, are now the veterans of these experiences and they have been involved in setting up youth ministry teams in a number of different settings including parish, diocesan/eparchial, national, etc.

The diocesan/eparchial WYD can be a wonderful opportunity to highlight the richness of the local Church. It is important to ensure that young people who are less present and less active in established pastoral structures do not feel excluded.

Everyone must feel specially invited, including all those young people who may be looking for their place in the Church and who have not yet found it. Hopefully, the WYD will offer an experience of universal fraternity as well as an opportunity for young people to meet that is not restricted to just young Catholics, so that the youth ministry ca be inclusive, with room for all kinds of young people, to show that we are a Church with open doors.

As a resource, the Guidelines present the ideal motivations and possible practical implementations that will allow a diocesan/eparchial WYD to be an opportunity to bring out the potential for good that is in each young person, with their generosity, thirst for authentic values and great ideals.

Noting that young people want to be involved and appreciated, and to feel that they are co-protagonists in the life and mission of the Church, [. . .] missions can be organised in which young people are encouraged to visit people in their homes carrying a message of hope, a word of comfort or simply being willing to listen.

Wherever possible, young people can  lead occasions of public evangelisation with songs, prayer and testimonies. They can go to streets and squares in the city where their peers meet, because young people are the best evangelisers of young people. [. . .] What better occasion to promote initiatives in which young people donate their time and energy.
Williams goats are San Clemente goats, which is another whole story. They look like little antelopes and are more manageable than larger-sized goats.

Williams did her research and what really struck my fancy were these San Clemente Island goats which were being eradicated by the U.S. Navy back in the 1970s and 80s. Some were rescued before they were all gone.

Regenerative agriculture

Grazing animals naturally roam the landscape towards more food and water, eating through the landscape, whether its grasslands, forest, or scrubland. They are also prodded to keep on the move by predators.

Its a cycle. They keep moving each other back and forth across the landscape. Thats how nature works, Williams said. If were looking at this in a holistic way, were talking about the air, the climate as well.
I was determined to be on this train, said Wood.

Weve never been on the Wine Train, and now that they are all vaccinated, we wanted to do it, said Dorthea Bridgest, also from San Antonio.

We love wine, she said. The family wanted to try different wines, see the Napa Valley scenery, and just enjoy the day.

To celebrate their mini-reunion, theyd even made matching embroidered navy face masks, Napa Trip, 2021, they read.

Jenny Langhorst of Colorado was celebrating her 40th birthday, which happened to be on the day the train resumed rides.

Im so happy to be here, said Langhorst. She and her small group of guests were staying in the Valley for about five days.

Weve been waiting for six months for the train to reopen, she said. It was the one thing I really wanted to do.

Newlyweds Ashly and Erick Soriano of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said they felt super lucky to have scored tickets for this first 2021 run of the Wine Train. And on their honeymoon, no less.
Its just hard, emotionally, to think something that you bought that was a really great investment for a long period of time is now not going to have the demand it has had for the last 10 years, Fischer said. There are a lot of landlords that have not come to grips with the fact that we have this very significant oversupply in the market, and relatively limited demand, which means their properties are going to be vacant longer, or theyre going to have to do deals at rent numbers that are less than theyve been used to for the past five years.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP)  The murder trial of multimillionaire Robert Durst resumed Monday without the defendant present and with arguments about whether the case should continue after a rare 14-month recess.

Judge Mark Windham questioned jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court to see if they can complete their assignment that was interrupted in March 2020 during the pandemic. If so, it could be a first for the U.S. legal system.

So, where did we leave off? Windham said as jurors laughed.

The length of the stoppage is unprecedented and its the highest-profile U.S. case postponed because of the pandemic, Dursts lawyers say. They have repeatedly  and unsuccessfully  sought a mistrial because they argued the delay harmed his chance of a fair trial.

Durst, 78, an heir to a New York commercial real estate empire, has pleaded not guilty in the killing of his best friend, Susan Berman, at her Los Angeles home in 2000.

Windham, wearing a black mask, approached the 22 jurors  one fewer than before the recess  and addressed the many losses of the pandemic.

Youve likely had losses or like me know people that have lost loved ones, he said.
Maas emphasized the role of the diplomatic Quartet, in which the EU is represented by its new Middle East peace envoy Sven Koopmans, and said we are in favor of further expanding his mediation efforts. The Quartets other three members are the United Nations, the U.S. and Russia.

We must use our relationships with both sides to encourage confidence-building steps that could lead to calming the situation both inside Israel and in the West Bank, Maas added. Only that way will it be possible to talk again about a lasting solution to the Middle East conflict.

Both ministers said that the bloc has a role to play in helping end the conflict, but while the EU is the biggest aid donor to the Palestinians it holds little sway over the militant group Hamas or Israel, despite having some trade arrangements that are favorable to the Israelis.

EU nations are also divided in their approach to the conflict, even though the bloc as a whole remains committed to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians based on the 1967 lines, with the possibility of mutually agreed land-swaps.

Recently, officials have voiced growing concern that Israeli settlement expansion is undermining that possibility.



Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Israeli military said it struck 35 terror targets Monday as well as the tunnels, which it says are part of an elaborate system it refers to as the Metro, used by fighters to take cover from airstrikes. They included a strike against a building that housed the Qatari Red Crescent, Qatar said. That attack killed a man and a 12-year-old girl.

The tunnels extend for hundreds of kilometers (miles), with some more than 20 meters (yards) deep, according to an Israeli Air Force official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations. The official said Israel was not trying to destroy all the tunnels, just chokepoints and major junctions.

The military also said it struck nine houses in different parts of northern Gaza that belonged to high-ranking commanders in Hamas. Islamic Jihad said a strike killed Hasam Abu Harbid, the militant groups commander for the northern Gaza Strip.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were eliminated. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, does not give a breakdown of how many casualties were militants or civilians.


Californians could have been excused if they reacted with a ho-hum the other day, when Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch filed 33 criminal charges against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for injuring six firefighters and endangering public health with smoke and ash from the 2019 Kincade fire that burned for two weeks.

The blaze destroyed 374 buildings and homes and caused almost 100,000 people to flee as it burned 120 square miles, some of which was not in wild or forested land.

Why react indifferently when a utility company faces criminal charges for the wrongdoing and negligence that caused this blaze, for which PG&E has accepted government findings assigning it blame?

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Thats easy: Utility companies have been convicted or taken responsibility for plenty of fires and other disasters they admittedly helped cause over the last 10 years. So far, not a single corporate executive has served even one second of jail time for all the damage done. Surely, someone must be responsible for all these corporate crimes. Actual humans had to be making decisions, for example, when Californias privately-owned utilities misused approximately $65 billion customers paid for alleged facility maintenance between the mid-1950s and 2015. But no one took personal responsibility. No one ever has.
If you have been reading the paper or driving by the old Ridgeview Junior High campus/Harvest Middle School, you might have seen parents protesting school closures. The reason for this disturbing trend is simple, a declining student population due to the exodus of families who cannot afford to live in the valley. Our school system was built when Napa Valley job opportunities attracted middle class families with children.

This is what we are left with, a shrinking school population. Families with money do not have to send their children to public schools. If you look closely at the barrios of Napa, you will find high densities of families living in single-family homes, cars parked on the lawns, and even in vacant lots. These are people with low-paying jobs trying to live close to where they work.

How has this happened? During the 1970s/80s, winery growth was in the range of two to three per year. Things started to change in the '90s and everything let loose in the 2000s. 13 to 20 were approved per year, including tasting rooms as well as events attracting large crowds with weddings and other gatherings. We have had massive growth of low-paying jobs, with the simultaneous loss of good-paying jobs.
Trump tells Biden to give Putin his warmest regards

Newspaper: Pashinyan is both Armenia acting PM and not

Newspaper: Why is Armenia arms dealer released from custody?

National Geographic officially announces 5th ocean

Armenia MP candidate is detained

Armenia Prosecutor General receives OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission's delegation

France's Macron intends to discuss situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with Turkish counterpart

Armenia 3rd President on Nikol Pashinyan: People look at him and say 'greetings, son of a b**ch'

US Department of Commerce intends to impose sanctions against Armenia's Armenal aluminum foil producer/exporter

Armenia 1st President recalls his "remedial secession" formula for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement

"I Have the Honor" bloc to Armenian authorities: Let them try to use force or threaten anyone

Armenia 2nd President: Everything that makes us Armenian has been destroyed over past three years

Azerbaijan continues obscene farce, "investigation" into case of another 26 Armenian POWs is over

Ex-governor presents situation in Armenia's Syunik Province

Armenia 3rd President doesn't know why Nikol Pashinyan hasn't signed the pro-Armenian document he's talking about

Armenia's Pashinyan: If I'm guilty, execute me, and I'll submit

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Armenia acting MOD attaches importance to transparency of procurement and supplies in Armed Forces

Remains of 4 more Armenian servicemen found and removed from Artsakh's Jrakan region

Enigmatic incident takes places in Yerevan, semi-decayed body of man found under bridge

Philip Reeker: Azerbaijani Armed Forces need to return to positions of May 11

Armenia opposition party leader says he's ready to form coalition with all forces, except for ruling party

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijani side opens fire at military posts in border section of Gegharkunik Province

Head of Armenia's Mission to OSCE: Goals of OSCE and CSTO serve as ground for their cooperation

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Azerbaijanis open gunfire at military posts in Armenia's Gegharkunik Province for nearly 30 minutes

Armenia acting justice minister expresses gratitude to US for supporting government's reforms agenda

Philip Reeker: US will continue to press for the return of Armenian POWs and detainees

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Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan

Armenia Parliament Speaker also attending ruling party's campaign meeting in Odzun (PHOTO)

Zakharova: Russia makes essential contributions to post-war demining in Nagorno-Karabakh

160,000,000 children are involved in child labor around the world

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Biden, Johnson underscore close ties between US and UK

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Ex-President Kocharyan: Armenia must stand on its feet to conduct effective negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia 2nd President: Border with Azerbaijan needs to be constructed as soon as possible

Armenia 1st President proposes to acting PM to publicize recording of their conversation about Karabakh

Armenia President congratulates Portuguese counterpart on National Day of Portugal

Iranian Ambassador to Armenia acting minister: Iran has already developed roadmap and timetable for joint programs

People are brought in vans to Lori Province village for meeting with Armenia acting premier

Karabakh rescue squad searching for remains of deceased servicemen in Fizuli and Jabrayil

Karabakh President appoints new chief of staff

Armenia 1st President doesn't rule out formation of coalition with Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan after elections

Armenia former President Kocharyan: Only way to work with external partners is being straightforward, honest

Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs visits Armenian Genocide Memorial

Armenia 1st President: If we Armenians miss this moment as well, very bad things will happen

"I have the honor" bloc is in Armenias Syunik (PHOTOS)

Horsemen lead Armenia acting PM Pashinyan motorcade in Lori Province village

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: I have reasonable doubts that Shushi was deliberately handed over

Azerbaijan provides documents on 6 captured Armenia soldiers health condition

Police apprehend 16 ARF youths near Armenia government building

Ex-President Kocharyan on acting PM idea to exchange son for Armenian captives in Azerbaijan: Primitive stupidity

Armenia acting premier receives acting US assistant secretary of state

ARF youth close off downtown Yerevan street

Yerevan police forcibly apprehend protesting ARF members

Armenia acting PM in Lori Province, he is accompanied by State Protection Service head (PHOTOS)

ARF of Armenia presents facts about high treason

Permit documents can now be submitted online at Armenia border checkpoints

76 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

World oil prices dropping

Armenia interim government holding Cabinet meeting

Daily Express: Brussels angry over upcoming Biden-Putin meeting

Newspaper: Bright Armenia Party leader gives acting US deputy secretary of state sanctions list on Azeri authorities

American billionaires pay little income tax

Most livable city for 2021 is announced

Newspaper: Artsakh President makes controversial decision

WTO countries agree to intensify negotiations on easing access to coronavirus vaccines

Armenia Ombudsman: Trials against Armenian POWs continue in Azerbaijan with gross violations of international law

Ankara hopes Erdogan and Biden find common ground

Acting US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker arrives in Yerevan

Candidate for Armenia PM: Heads of headquarters of Democratic Party are apprehended

More on COVID-19 and tense election campaign in Armenia, June 9 digest

Members of European Parliament call on Yerevan and Baku to start exchanging information for demining

Members of Armenian opposition Adekvad Union post posters reading "Antinikol" near government building

France says it will do everything it can to ensure Amazon is subject to minimum global tax

UN warns of likelihood of mass deaths from hunger and disease in Myanmar

Beijing accuses Washington of paranoid mania

Stanislav Zas: There are still risks of escalation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Trump supports Nigerian government decision to block Twitter access

Erdogan announces visit to Shushi with his family

Armenia ruling party MP Hamazasp Danielyan drops mandate

Armenia ex-president shares promised record about acting PM

Armenia acting PM ends campaign meeting in Gyumri with march, accompanied by many security officers

"Armenia" bloc holding rally in Yerevan

Opposition Bright Armenia Party leader inviting Nikol Pashinyan to a debate

Nagorno-Karabakh issue discussed within the scope of Russian-Turkish consultations in Moscow

168.am: Armenia acting PM in Gyumri, snipers on roof of city council

Armenian authorities forcing employees of educational institutions and nuclear power plant to attend campaign meetings

Putin-Biden meeting in Geneva to take place in 18th-century villa

Armenia opposition party leader: There are 1,837 Armenians who lost their extremities after war in Artsakh

Bright Armenia Party leader slams discourse over transferring acting PM's son in exchange of POWs

Leader of opposition Liberty Party says Armenia acting PM steals over $2,500 from budget every month

Headquarters of political party running in elections applies to Prosecutor General's Office and Police of Armenia

Armenia Ombudsman's Office, Central Electoral Commission hold discussion to guarantee citizens' suffrage

Armenia acting premier, "support group" employees visit Shirak Province

Tech Week Artsakh 2021 to be held in Stepanakert

Armenia Elections Oversight Committee: Such development of events might lead to clashes

2 citizens apprehended for electoral bribery in Armenia's Gavar
Each and every one of these milestones is a credit to Marylanders, especially those who have stepped up to get the vaccine, Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement Tuesday. Together, we can make sure no arm is left behind, and finally bring this pandemic to an end.
YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: The PAP [opposition Prosperous Armenia Party] faction [in parliament] is in a difficult moral and psychological condition; none of the MPs knows whether he will be on the future [electoral] list [in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20].

The topic is closed; they do not even dare to insinuate. [PAP leader] Gagik Tsarukyan writes, deletes the [partys electoral] list by himself.

The concern of the PAP MPs is so great that they ask the journalists about their place [on this list], hoping that we will be more informed than them.

At least there is an approximate idea about the [electoral] lists of the other political forces; [respective] top tens are published in the media, and those names generally remain undeniable.

[Parliamentary opposition] Bright Armenia [Party (BAP)] is virtually not inferior to the PAP in this matter; there is little information about the top ten, the candidates on the [electoral list of this party] list. [BAP leader Edmon] Marukyan is still in active negotiations with vote-getting other party and non-party people to involve to his side, but there is no clarity yet. By the way, the BAP congress scheduled for May 15, then postponed, has been scheduled for May 23.
YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan announced at the ANC [Armenian National Congress Party] congress that he will head the [partys] electoral list [in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20].

"As for the decision of the Congress to run in the elections or not, I ask the congress to delegate its authority to the newly elected [party] board," he said.

There is no doubt that the board will make a positive decision; moreover, negotiations on the [ANC] electoral list have been going on with various people for a long time.

The Congress assures that generation change [at the ANC] is unequivocalboth in the newly elected board and on the list.

Of course, the old guard () will also be represented, but they will place the middle and young generation on the top ten [of the ANC electoral list].

The names of iLur [news agency] editor Kristine Khanumyan, [ANC] new board member Tatev Zoryan are being discussed to fill the women's quota [on this list].

Maybe the name of Ter-Petrosyan's loyal spokesperson, Arman Musinyan, will also be on the list.
YEREVAN.  A telephone conversation took place between the secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan, and the secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan and chairman of the Committee of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils, Nasrullo Makhmudzoda. Armenian News-NEWS.am was informed about this from the press service of the Security Council of Armenia.

During the telephone conversation, Grigoryan briefed Makhmudzoda on the current situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan, in turn, stressed the importance of a peaceful settlement to this issue, and expressed readiness to assist in the implementation of mechanisms within the CSTO to resolve this matter.

Armen Grigoryan, for his part, attached importance to Wednesdays meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers as a favorable platform for discussing this issue.

During the telephone conversation, the secretary of Armenias Security Council stressed also that the demands of the Azerbaijani side have no factual basis, emphasizing in this regard the immediate and complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from Armenia's territories.

For his part, Nasrullo Makhmudzoda added that the President of Tajikistan and chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, Emomali Rahmon, had already given relevant instructions for this matters comprehensive discussion along the lines of the forthcoming meeting of the CSTO Committee of Foreign Ministers.
Honestly, we looked at the map because Im a new mom, and I look for places that I can take my son and things to do. Baltimore came up on top of the list, said Hall, who arrived in Baltimore on May 7 and left two days later. I believe it was the number one choice, to be honest with you, for proximity and things to do  things that would be available.
Data from Maryland State Department of Education reports on its website that during the 2017-18 school year, that white students in Carroll County Public Schools were 79% of the 1,194 offenses that resulted in a suspension or expulsion. Black students, who are 4% of the student population, made up 9% of the offenses. And Hispanic and Latino students, the next highest racial demographic in this category who make up 7% of the student population, made up 6% of the offenses that year.
At least 132 buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed by Israeli rocket attacks, and dozens of schools and hospitals were damaged, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported.

According to the report, 132 buildings, including 621 units of housing and commercial facilities, are completely destroyed, 316 houses are seriously damaged and are not suitable for habitation.

Another 6,500 housing units suffered moderate or minor damage.

Six hospitals and nine medical facilities were damaged by the bombing.

47 educational institutions, including 42 schools, two kindergartens, and the UNRWA training center for Palestine refugees and works have been damaged by the hit rockets. According to the decision of the Palestinian ministry of education, schools do not work, including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which is why 600,000 students, more than half of whom are girls, dropped out of the educational process.

According to UNRWA, 50 schools in the Gaza Strip under the agency have been converted into shelters for displaced refugees, whose number has already reached 42,000. In total, the UN Office notes, 58,000 people have become internally displaced persons due to hostile actions between Palestinians and Israelis.

According to the Israeli army, since May 10, Palestinian radicals have fired 3,350 missiles at Israel, 90% of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system. During the same time, more than 1,500 targets were hit in the enclave, and many missiles fell on residential buildings. On Sunday night, the shelling of the Al-Wahda quarter in Gaza destroyed many of the houses where the sleeping residents remained. The bodies of 42 people were recovered from under the rubble, including many small children. The total number of victims of shelling in the Gaza Strip has already exceeded 200 people.
Nevin lauded the teamwork from town staff to engineers to project managers to contractors. He said the SHA team was great to deal with and noted that some of the same people he had worked with on the Hampstead bypass a decade earlier worked on the Main Street project, in more high-profile roles.
Azerbaijan has advanced in different directions in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). This is what deputy of the Justice faction of the National Assembly of Artsakh Metakse Hakobyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The situation in Artsakh has been troubling ever since the incidents took place in Syunik Province, but the Azerbaijanis are unable to move forward a lot since they have to travel meters. Based on the information that I received yesterday, they had moved in the direction of Charektar and tried to position themselves, but the residents of Charektar and Haterk made them return to their starting positions, she stated.

Touching upon the fact that Azerbaijani cars have passed through the territory of Karmir Shouka and the residents concern, the deputy said the following: The Azerbaijanis pass through the territory of Karmir Shouka every day. After November 10, 2020, this is the only road through which they pass to reach Shushi. Since there is a long series of trucks and it takes hours for them to pass, today the residents tried to not let them pass. They were very persistent and have decided to not let them pass until the issue is solved. They ask why Azerbaijanis can pass through their territories, but they cant pass through Karvatchar to visit Armenia.
What happened to former Prime Minister of Armenia Khosrov Harutyunyan at Freedom Square yesterday was an organized provocation, and police officers apprehended him with a clearly aggressive and disrespectful attitude instead of giving an adequate response to the provocation. This is stated in the statement issued by former Prime Ministers of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan and Hrant Bagratyan and former Prime Minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Anushavan Danielyan. The statement also reads as follows:

Similar actions of law-enforcement authorities against members of the opposition are solely aimed at inseminating an atmosphere of fear among average citizens who share the views of the opposition so that they dont try to speak out against the capitulating regime of the country. We condemn and dont accept the happening and express our support to the former Prime Minister of Armenia. This is actually another act of the incumbent authorities to discredit state institutions in an informed manner, on the backdrop of widespread dissolution of those institutions, and there will be an adequate evaluation of this sooner or later. The phenomenon is also troubling in that this behavior of police officers further contributes to the deepening of the existing barrier between citizens and the police and the spread of an atmosphere of hatred in society.
Last year, Russian government hackers succeeded in planting spyware in more than 18,000 government and business systems through whats known as a supply chain attack. The infected sites use software from a company named SolarWinds to monitor and manage their computer systems. The hackers planted malware in a SolarWinds update that allowed them to access virtually all the data on the infected machines. The Russian government could and did read anything and everything from government sites including the departments of Homeland Security, State, Commerce and Treasury. After the attack had been exposed in November, House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff described the attack as devastating. Senate Republicans said, We should make it clear that there will be consequences. Even now, six months after the intrusion was detected, we dont know the extent of the breach.
In case of absence of a peaceful settlement, that is, failure of Azerbaijani soldiers to return to their starting positions within reasonable timeframes, the Armed Forces of Armenia will reserve the right to solve the problem, including by force. This is stated in the press release issued by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.

As of the evening of May 18, the situation created after the provocations made by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on May 12-13 hasnt changed. The situation is relatively calm.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia attaches importance to the need for a peaceful settlement of the issue, highly appreciates the efforts made by various countries and international organizations in this direction and reckons with the calls that those countries and international organizations have made for a peaceful settlement. In this regard, the negotiations that were launched on May 14 are in progress.

Nevertheless, in case of absence of a peaceful settlement, that is, failure of Azerbaijani soldiers to return to their starting positions within reasonable timeframes, the Armed Forces of Armenia will reserve the right to solve the problem, including by force.

Once again, the Ministry of Defense declares that any encroachment on the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia is absolutely unacceptable, and Azerbaijani soldiers must leave the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
Taiwan eyes US to help supply Covid-19 jabs

Taiwan has reported more than 700 new domestic Covid infections over the past week, and is talking to Washington about Covid jabs. File photo: Shutterstock

Taiwan is in talks with the United States for a share of the Covid-19 vaccine doses President Joe Biden plans to send abroad, Taipei's top official in Washington said, as the island deals with a rare spike in domestic cases.



Biden said the United States would send at least 20 million more vaccine doses abroad by the end of June, marking the first time the United States has shared vaccines authorised for domestic use.



Biden announced on Monday that his administration would send doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca doses he had already planned to give to other countries.



Hsiao Bi-khim, the de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the United States, told Taiwan's official Central News Agency said she had already expressed that Taiwan wanted to be included.



"We are in negotiations and striving for it," Hsiao said, in comments reported on Tuesday.



The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer.



She said that although vaccine purchases were the remit of Taiwan's health ministry, her office's role was to talk to the United States about speeding up those requests.



Taiwan has reported more than 700 new domestic infections over the past week, leading to new curbs in the capital, Taipei, and shocking a population that had become accustomed to life carrying on almost normally with the pandemic well under control.



Taiwan has only received about 300,000 shots so far for its more than 23 million people, all AstraZeneca vaccine, and those are rapidly running out.



Taiwan has ordered 20 million more doses, mostly from AstraZeneca but also from Moderna, though global shortages have curtailed supplies.



Taiwan has said it also expected to get more than 1 million AstraZeneca shots via the COVAX vaccine sharing programme for lower-income countries. (Reuters)
US 'vaccine diplomacy' targets Russia, China

Washington says 20 million more doses are being released over the next six weeks, bringing the total earmarked for shipping out by the end of June to 80 million. Image: Shutterstock

President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the United States is surging exports of Covid vaccines to other countries to reclaim "American leadership" in the global fight against the pandemic, dismissing rival efforts by China and Russia.



Biden confirmed that 20 million more doses are being released over the next six weeks, bringing the total earmarked for shipping out by the end of June to 80 million.



The boost follows pressure on the Biden administration from other governments to use its large vaccine surplus to help struggling countries, now that significant progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations at home.



The initiative also addresses concerns that Moscow and Beijing have been taking advantage of the worldwide crisis to spread influence through distribution of their own national vaccines in a so-called "vaccine diplomacy" contest.



By July, the United States will have easily cemented its place as leader on this stage, Biden said, while pointedly adding that Washington was not using the rollout as leverage over countries.



"This will be more vaccines than any country has actually shared today, five times more than any other country," Biden said in a White House speech.



"Russia and China... have donated 15 million doses. You know there's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with our values," he said.



"We will not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries."



The White House would not say which countries were being prioritized for the shipments, but Biden has signaled that Washington will be doing what it can to help India push back against a surge in the pandemic.



An initial 60 million doses have already been pledged.



These will all be of AstraZeneca, a British-developed vaccine that has yet to be used in the United States and looks increasingly unlikely ever to be needed. Exports will begin as soon as US health regulators give approval.



Biden said the next wave of 20 million doses would also include already authorized vaccines being used in the United States -- Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.



Biden framed the US effort to assist other countries as both moral and medically necessary.



"We know that America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that's raging globally is under control. No ocean's wide enough, no wall's high enough to keep us safe," he said.



"We need to fight the disease around the world to keep us safe here at home, and to do the right thing of helping other people -- it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do, it's the strong thing to do."



However, concerns over Russian and Chinese soft power are also clearly high on the president's mind.



He flagged US efforts in leading the "world's democracies" in a "multilateral effort to end this pandemic."



"I expect to announce progress in this area at the G7 summit" being held in Britain next month, he said.



"Just as democracies led the world in the darkness of World War II, democracy will lead the world out of this pandemic," he said, calling it a moment that "requires American leadership." (AFP)
Jimmy Lai asset freeze strengthens HK's status: CE

Jimmy Lai asset freeze strengthens HK's status: CE

Damon Pang reports

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday dismissed what she called "attacks from western media" on Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre, saying the move to freeze the assets of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai strengthens  rather than undermines  the citys position.



Last Friday, authorities used provisions under the Beijing-imposed national security law to freeze Lais assets, alleging that the property was reasonably suspected to be related to offences endangering national security.



Speaking ahead of a meeting of her Executive Council, Lam said the asset freeze showed how serious the SAR is in enforcing the law and protecting the security of not only Hong Kong residents but the countrys entire population of 1.4 billion people.



Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council was quoted as saying the asset freeze was "a warning to global investors" about the risks of doing business in Hong Kong.



Lam said some "western media" have used the case to "attack" the city's position as a financial hub.



"This will not undermine Hong Kong's status... but protect our position, because no one will be able to make use of our financial systems to threaten national security and that of the SAR's," Lam said.



Lai faces three national security-related charges. He is already serving a 14-month sentence for taking part in unauthorised assemblies in August 2019.



Lam stressed that officials will work in accordance with the law on matters of national security, to ensure those who violate the law are punished.



But she wouldn't be drawn on whether commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre next month will amount to a national security breach, accusing the press of trying to force her to say what will be illegal.



Lam said there are laws on public order to deal with gatherings, and ultimately it's up to the courts to decide the legality of certain acts or slogans, such as "end one party rule".



Reports that the police would arrest whoever enters Victoria Park for the commemoration on June 4 are "speculative", she said, as she refused to offer any further comment.
Duterte gags ministers on South China Sea row

Protesters in Manila don masks of President Xi Jinping and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines earlier this month. File photo: AP

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday the Philippines would not waver in defence of its interests in the South China Sea, even though he had barred his ministers from talking about the situation there in public.



China's maritime conduct has been a constant problem for Duterte but he has refrained from criticising Beijing and instead praised its leadership, hoping to secure investment.



But after weeks of rebukes of China by his ministers over the presence of hundreds of fishing vessels in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), he told his ministers on Monday they must refrain from discussing the matter.



"If we talk, we talk but just among us," he said in a televised address.



On Tuesday, he said his order should not be construed as weakness and that maritime patrols must continue.



"Our agencies have been directed to do what they must and should to protect and defend our nation's interest," Duterte said in a statement. "We will not waver in our position."



Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea and has built military installations equipped with missiles on reefs in disputed areas, including within the Philippine EEZ, alongside a constant presence of coastguard and fishing vessels.



Duterte's defence and foreign ministers and his legal adviser have taken strong positions lately on what they have called a "swarming and threatening" presence of Chinese vessels they believes are manned by militias.



China's embassy in Manila has denied the presence of militias. It did not respond to requests for comment on Monday and Tuesday.



The gag order could lessen tensions at the rhetorical level, said Aaron Jed Rabena of the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress, a Manila-based think tank.



"It could be that President Duterte has realised that it's high time for his administration to speak with one voice given the mixed signals...which show a government that is incoherent," Rabena said. (Reuters)
360 DigiTech, Inc. Sponsored ADR (QFIN) closed the most recent trading day at $24.93, moving +1.71% from the previous trading session. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.85%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the company had lost 3.2% over the past month. This has lagged the Business Services sector's loss of 3.08% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.41% in that time.

QFIN will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release, which is expected to be May 27, 2021. In that report, analysts expect QFIN to post earnings of $0.78 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 333.33%.

QFIN's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $4.22 per share and revenue of $2.36 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +11.05% and +19.1%, respectively.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for QFIN. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant within the past month. QFIN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note QFIN's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 5.81. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 30.39.

The Technology Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 213, which puts it in the bottom 17% of all 250+ industries.

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The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow QFIN in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Credit: janeparkang, chrisellelim/TikTok; ohjoy/Instagram

As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we want to spotlight the inspiring Asian American moms who have taken over platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Whether its launching child-inclusive workspaces for millennial and Gen Z moms or teaching their kids (and audience) about their family heritage, these super-talented mamas are educating in style  all while raising tiny humans in the process.

Here are five inspiring Asian American moms to follow on social media, who uplift all of us with their creativity, inspiration and cultural pride. They also let us in on the Asian American and Pacific Islander social media stars they follow when theyre looking for inspo of their own!

Korean American fashion influencer Chriselle Lim has taken the world of haute couture to Instagram, TikTok and beyond. The mom of two balances fashion shoots in Dior and Fendi with raising daughters Chloe and Collette. She even helps us out with those tongue-twisty designer names. (As she tells daughter Chloe on TikTok, its not Her-meez, its Ehr-mehz.) While mixing mom life with high fashion might seem like a tough sell, Chriselles endearing and humorous approach has moms LOLing right into their (sometimes fake) Birkin bags. But its not just fashion that gets the spotlight on her platforms. We get to share in her moms Korean cooking tips, too. Not only that, but Chriselle is launching BumoWork, a kid-friendly workspace with educational resources, in Los Angeles this month, too!

How Chriselle helps her daughters connect with their Asian heritage  Colette and Chloe are half-Korean, half-Taiwanese, and we are very, very much active in their lives when it comes to them learning about their culture. So theyre learning both languages, both Korean and Mandarin, and I think thats obviously the first step, to communicate with both sets of grandparents. Then, we also have these photo albums of our families on both sides, and [Chloe is] always asking questions about her great-grandparents, my grandparents, and so were always showing photos of them because they are in Korea. Were always telling stories and showing photos of myself because I lived in Korea for a bit growing up. We always try to tell her about her heritage and also learn the language and hopefully, once COVID is gone, we can actually take them to Asia.

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Chriselle follows these AAPI TikTokers 

Jane Park, @janeparkang  I just discovered her a few months ago, and I think her content is so funny and relatable to moms, and I love that shes always integrating her Korean heritage and teaching her kids Korean. I love following her. She just makes my day.

Tina Chen Craig, @tinachencraig  Shes like an OG fashion influencer, probably one of the first. She had the blog Bag Snob, and Ive been following her since, but shes such an advocate for #StopAsianHate. Shes always speaking up and also calling out people, not afraid about using her platform. She just supports the community and does so much for the community. I really admire her for that.

Ava Lee, @glowwithava  When I think of Korean beauty, I think of her. Shes always teaching her followers about Korean beauty tricks and hacks and products and massage techniques, and I feel like I really learn a lot from her.

Nava Rose, @the.navarose  When it comes to fashion, Nava Rose just has really cool, chic style. She takes vintage, thrifted things and makes them look super edgy and unique. I love following her.

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When you think of vibrant pops of color, you think of lifestyle expert and designer Joy Cho and her Oh Joy! brand. The Los Angeles-based mom of daughters Ruby and Coco launched her design studio in 2005, and her company has grown exponentially ever since. The Thai American designer is also the author of six books and has created beautiful licensed products for brands including Target, Band-Aid, Keds and more.

How Joy helps her daughters connect with their Asian heritage  My kids are half Thai-American and half Korean-American, so its been important to us that they know both sides as much as were able to teach them. We immerse them into foods, teach them words and phrases in both languages, and celebrate holidays and traditions of both countries. We want them to appreciate where they come from and be proud of their unique mix!

Joy follows these AAPI Instagrammers 

Sandy Ho, @sanssho  Sandy Ho is a chef and food stylist, and is constantly inspiring with her culinary creations.

Dabito, @dabito  Dabito is a designer and artist who creates the most stunning spaces.

Ann Shen, @anndanger  Ann Shen is an illustrator and author whose work I just love!

Jane Park is a Korean-American mom of two whos based in Seattle. A former TV journalist, Jane discovered TikTok at the height of the 2020 lockdown. Since then, shes grown her platform from a creative outlet into a place where she can connect with her more than 3 million followers about parenthood and the complexities of raising Asian American children.

How Jane helps her kids connect with their Korean heritage  Id say we do all the typical things dual culture families do. We eat Korean food several times a week, we keep in regular contact via FaceTime with grandparents who live in California, and this year we officially started teaching our children Korean through online lessons and more frequent Korean usage at home. For New Years Day, we made Korean dumplings (mandu) for our traditional New Years meal, rice cake and dumpling soup. This year, weve also been focusing on not just what it means to be Korean American, but also part of the greater Asian American community.

Jane follows these AAPI TikTokers 

Nick Cho, @yourkoreandad  Youve all heard of him! Hes the lovable father figure who makes POV-style videos that get millions of hearts and tearful duets. I try to channel him whenever I take my kids on an impromptu grocery store run. Nicks just a wonderful person, and hes become an invaluable mentor to me on this journey.

Janette Ok, @inmyseams  I will be so happy if she ever notices me! I love Janettes fashion content. She gives such ingenious tips, and I just love all of her fabulous looks.

Kevin Wilson, @crossculturechristian  Kevin is an immensely gifted storyteller. Hes a youth pastor who challenges traditional notions of Christianity through compassionate storytelling, typically all while hes brewing a cup of chai. So good!

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Small-business owner, proud mama and hand-lettering enthusiast, Amy Tan is the founder of Amy Tangerine, a brand fully committed to providing creatives with the tools and space to see the bright, shiny side of life. In her day-to-day, Amy makes sweet online content as well as top-end products designed to promote a colorful, positive message. Amy released her book, Craft A Life You Love, in 2018, and has a podcast of the same name. She has taught workshops all over the world, filmed tons of YouTube videos and consulted with brands including American Crafts, Avery, Amazon and more. The Los Angeles-based mom of son Jack and daughter Juniper lives with the intention of building a sense of fun, positive energy and putting valuable resources out in the world for everyone to use. She loves any excuse to celebrate and spread happiness. You can meet Amy at the intersection of creativity, passion and purpose.

How Amy helps her kids connect with their Chinese heritage  My dad and mom were both born and raised in India (we are all Chinese) and immigrated to the US in 1970. Because my dad felt like he didnt really fit in anywhere, his hope was for me to be assimilated and Americanized. He and my mom worked really hard and saved up for 10 years before having me. I was born in the northern suburbs of Chicago and was lucky enough to have my maternal grandparents nearby to help raise me. They didnt speak English, but they loved their first grandchild with so much heart. And food.

When I was pregnant with Jack, my husband and I found a home where my mom could live in the guesthouse. Its been amazing having her close by. She speaks five languages and is working on teaching Jack Mandarin and Hakka Chinese. Its funny because up until last year, Jack really didnt know he was mixed-race. We are blessed to live in a very diverse and open-minded community. He started Spanish immersion a few years ago and thought that he was half Spanish. Now that hes 7, he asks a lot of questions that are clever and curious in nature. My hope is to lead with kindness and love always. Its disheartening to know hatred and racism still play such a big role in the news. With Jack and Juniper being mixed-race, I hope they dont have to endure many of the same hurdles and heartaches that I did. I fully embrace the role of helping them be empathetic and kind humans, knowing that brighter days are ahead for the collective good.

Amy follows these AAPI Instagrammers 

Joy Cho, @ohjoy  I love Oh Joys honesty and openness.

Sam Ushiro, @aww.sam  Sam is so creative and inspiring, and its been fun watching her bloom into being a new mom!

Amy Kim, @homeyohmy  Amy has a boy just a few months older than Juniper, and its been fun to see her style and take on motherhood.

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Veena Crownholm, a mom of two who recently traded the palm trees and beaches of Los Angeles for the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, has got wellness and lifestyle down to a positively optimistic science. The Chinese-Indian mom has served as Miss California, covered the red carpet and contributed helpful tips on local morning shows as well as The Doctors. From holiday gift ideas to fun activities for young kids, the mom sons Eddie and Max knows how to keep the kiddos entertained and parents inspired.

How Veena helps her kids connect with their Chinese-Indian heritage  One of the ways we help Eddie connect to his Chinese and Indian culture is through the holidays. Holidays like Chinese New Year and Holi are big days for us. I have taught him how our family celebrates these days and pass down the traditions I grew up with. Food is another way. We shop at the respective grocery stores, cook the food, and I pass down our family recipes and the history behind them. Eddie is currently taking Hindi lessons with my dad to continue building that connection to my Indian heritage.

Veena follows these AAPI Instagrammers 

Remi Ishizuka, @rrayyme  Remi inspires me to embrace and be proud of my Asian heritage. I love her authentic and genuine nature in sharing her life, good and bad.

Arushi Garg, @thesnazzymom  Arushi is a trailblazing Indian mama who I have loved becoming friends with on IG. I love seeing her share our Indian culture with the world.

Joy Cho, @ohjoy  Joy Cho is AMAZING! The most genuine and kind and crafty mama I know.

(Editors note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.)

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The wife of Belgian Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, left, was seen on security footage slapping a clothing store employee, center. CCTV footage/Reuters

Xiang Xueqiu, the wife of Belgian Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, is accused of slapping a store employee in South Korea.

She's claiming diplomatic immunity to avoid charges in the case.

Lescouhier apologized for his wife in a video shared on Instagram.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The wife of Belgium's ambassador to South Korea is claiming diplomatic immunity to avoid charges after she was accused of slapping a store employee in the face.

Xiang Xueqiu, the wife of Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, was apparently seen on security footage shared online slapping an employee at a clothing store in April, CNN reported. Staff had accused Xiang of stealing a jacket, sparking the altercation.

Lescouhier apologized for his wife's actions in a video shared on Instagram, and said she was "cooperating actively with the police."

Seoul Metropolitan Police, however, told CNN that Xiang had exercised diplomatic immunity, which she's entitled to under the Vienna Convention.

Police said prosecution in the case would be dropped because of her immunity.

Read the original article on Insider
But Shrodes said he is most proud of his service to constituents during his time as a councilman. He said he is inundated with calls from people with questions or a problem they want fixed, and he will keep answering them even if he is not a councilman.
Associated Press

At least one-quarter of the people in Myanmar's smallest state have been forced to flee their homes because of combat with the military junta that seized power in February, raising fears of a possible humanitarian tragedy including thousands of civilian deaths, a U.N. expert said Wednesday. The U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called for international pressure on the junta to deprive it of the resources needed to continue these brutal attacks on the people of Myanmar. Mass deaths from starvation, disease and exposure could occur in Kayah state after many of the 100,000 forced to flee into forests from junta bombs are now cut off from food, water and medicine by the junta, he said in remarks posted on Twitter.
(AFP/Getty Images)

European Union ambassadors are set to meet on Wednesday to finalise a plan to allow fully vaccinated people to fly to Europe without quarantine or Covid testing.

The US is expected to be included on a so-called green list of countries that would permit Americans who have received a Covid-19 vaccine to visit the continent this summer.

Residents of seven countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Israel, are currently allowed into the bloc for non-essential travel.

They would be joined by the US and UK which now have low incidences of Covid-19 and high rates of vaccination.

The proposal calls for a lifting of the ban on non-essential travel in countries that have fewer than 100 Covid infections per 100,000 people. The US currently has 35 per 100,000, and the UK has 44.

Ambassadors are expected to approve the proposal on Wednesday and formal adoption would follow on Thursday by EU trade ministers.

More follows...

Read More

The Independent visits Heathrow ahead of international travel restarting

Bosnia authorities move migrants to camp in northern town

Energy agency: End new fossil fuel supply investments
By Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With his muted response to the Gaza conflict, President Joe Biden is largely sticking to a time-worn U.S. playbook despite pressure from progressive Democrats for a tougher line toward Israel and from Americas allies for a more active role to end the violence.

By citing Israels right to defend itself against a rocket barrage from the Hamas-ruled enclave and only nudging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward a ceasefire, Biden has effectively given Israeli forces more time to press their offensive against Palestinian militants there.

U.S. officials hope both sides will reach a point when they will be ready to wind down their attacks in coming days and that quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving regional players such as Egypt will help achieve an end to the hostilities, people familiar with the matter say.

However, Bidens effort to cautiously navigate the crisis in the Gaza Strip will be put to the test if in the meantime the fighting increases and the civilian death toll rises sharply.

"Theres a playbook thats being followed, said Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. Middle East peace negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations. But theres always room for the unpredictable.

When Biden took office in January, he made it clear that he wanted to focus on the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn at home and challenges such as China, Russia and Iran abroad.

Tackling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that has bedeviled U.S. presidents for decades, was not a top priority, though he had promised to revise some policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, that were widely considered heavily biased in favor of Israel and which alienated Palestinians.

It was weeks before the new president talked to Netanyahu, a right-wing leader who cultivated strong ties with Trump.

The latest eruption of Gaza violence caught the new administration off guard, and it has responded so far in accordance with a familiar pattern.

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Biden, a longtime supporter of Israel from his decades in the Senate and the vice presidency, began by backing Israels right to self-defense against the cross-border rocket attacks, something successive presidents have always said of Washingtons chief Middle Eastern ally.

This comes at a time when the Biden administration has sought, to little avail, to assuage Israeli concerns as it negotiates over a possible return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

It took Biden until Monday, after Israels destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organizations but which Israeli officials said also sheltered militants, to voice support for a ceasefire.

But the White House, apparently reluctant to antagonize, made clear he was not demanding that Israel agree to one.

PRESSURE FROM PROGRESSIVES

The current hostilities are the most serious between the militant group and Israel in years, and in a departure from previous Gaza conflicts have helped to fuel violence in Israeli cities between Jews and Arabs.

Gaza medical officials say 217 Palestinians have been killed, including 63 children, and more than 1,400 wounded since the fighting began on May 10. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Taking note of the disproportionate casualties, some progressive Democrats, a group that helped Biden win the Democratic nomination and the presidency, are pushing for him to be more assertive with Israel.

We need to have a ceasefire. The president should demand it, not just say he supports it, U.S. Representative Ro Khanna said.

Biden so far has shown no signs of giving much ground, and left-leaning Democrats may not be ready to confront him head-on.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee met on Monday, after which some members said its chairman, Representative Gregory Meeks, planned to send a letter asking Biden to delay a planned $735 million smart bomb sale to Israel. However, Meeks had decided by midday on Tuesday not to send the letter.

Republicans have sought to use the Gaza conflict to hammer Biden and his fellow Democrats. Pro-Israel voters are a major part of the Republican political base and many are also Democrats and independents.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said anyone who advocates for a ceasefire is "basically suggesting that there is moral equivalency" between Israel and Hamas, which the United States views as a terrorist group. "There are a significant number of Democrats who want to throw Israel under the bus," he said.

At the same time, the Biden administration, which has touted its multilateral credentials, has found itself isolated over the Gaza issue at the United Nations. The United States has blocked any Security Council action on the issue, saying it would not help calm the crisis and would continue intensive diplomacy.

Biden, however, has not yet named an ambassador to Israel and dispatched to the region a mid-level official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr, instead of a more senior envoy.

The administration would like to get on a path in coming days leading to what a source familiar with the situation called a humanitarian pause in the violence to let relief assistance be delivered to Gaza and build a sustainable calm.

The Biden administration was also believed to be preparing significant initiatives on Gaza humanitarian reconstruction, the source said.

Biden was confronted with the issue on Tuesday on a trip to Michigan, where he was met by U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress and a leading progressive Democrat. She told him that "Palestinian human rights ... must be protected, not negotiated," according to an account provided by a Tlaib ally.

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Additional reporting by Joseph White in Dearborn, Michigan; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)
Operating in China requires foreign tech companies to submit to the government's strict censorship and cybersecurity laws. Just ask Apple. The iPhone maker has been reproached by civil rights activists over its compliance with the country's convoluted rules that target dissent. In the past few years, Apple has been accused of acquiescing to Chinese censors to remove a podcast app, a raft of mobile games and a map app used by Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaigners. Worryingly, more revelations detailing its cozy relationship with the Chinese administration keep surfacing. A damaging new report uncovering the way it handles local data could create another ethical nightmare for the company.

According to a slew of documents reviewed by the The New York Times, Apple has "ceded control" of its data centers in Guiyang  which is reportedly due to be completed next month  and in the Inner Mongolia region to the Chinese government.

The compromises reportedly occurred in the aftermath of a law passed in 2016 that required all personal information and important data collected in China to remain in the country. Subsequently, Apple allegedly moved the iCloud data of its Chinese customers from servers located outside the country to the network of a Chinese state-owned company, known as Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD). It did this on the advice of its China team, according to the Times, as part of a project known internally as Golden Gate. This also allegedly allowed Apple to protect itself from American laws, which forbid US companies from handing over data to Chinese law enforcement.

Apple reportedly butted heads with the Chinese government over encryption, but eventually moved the digital keys that unlock customers' private information from the US to China. Alarmed Apple execs told the Times that the move could "jeopardize customers data."

It alerted Chinese users to the changes as part of new iCloud terms and conditions that listed GCBD as the service provider and Apple as an additional party. Apple told customers the update was to improve iCloud services in China mainland and comply with Chinese regulations.

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However, the publication admitted that it had seen no proof that the Chinese government had accessed the information. But, the underlying issue is that officials can still demand that data from local companies under the country's strict surveillance laws  the same rules that were partly used to justify bans against Huawei by the US and its allies.

Another, arguably bigger, concern is the type of encryption tech Apple is using in China. After the Chinese government basically prohibited its current iCloud system, Apple allegedly planned to build new security devices for data storage that used an older version of iOS and a low-cost hardware originally built for the Apple TV. Needless to say, the dated tech has security experts spooked that the hardware modules pose a cybersecurity minefield and could be easily breached by hackers.

Apple refutes the allegations made in the report. The company said it designed the iCloud security in such a way that only Apple has control of the encryption keys. It added that some of the documents viewed by the Times were outdated and that its Chinese data centers feature our very latest and most sophisticated protections. In addition, the company said it keeps all third parties disconnected from its internal network.

Beyond its data handling, Apple also continues to proactively delete software at the behest of China's censors. A Times analysis found that tens of thousands of apps have disappeared from Apples Chinese App Store over the past several years, more than previously known. They include foreign news services, gay dating and encrypted messaging apps. It also blocked apps about the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism who fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Apple disputed those figures to the Times, saying that some developers remove their own apps from China. It said that since 2017 it had taken down 70 news apps in response to Chinese government demands. According to Apple, the majority of the apps it removed for the Chinese government were related to gambling or pornography or were operating without a government license, such as loan services and livestreaming apps.
Arab American activists are planning a series of protests on Tuesday during President Biden's visit to Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the highest percentage of Arab Americans of any U.S. city, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Why it matters: Arab American activists are outraged over Biden's public support of Israel's military operation in Gaza, which has killed more than 200 Palestinians, including 61 children.

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The fighting began when Hamas militants launched rockets at Jerusalem in response to heavy-handed policing against protests related to Israel's planned eviction of several Palestinian families.

12 people in Israel have been killed in rocket attacks, per AP.

The big picture: The White House released a statement on Saturday reaffirming Biden's "strong support for Israels right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," while stressing the importance of protecting civilians.

Biden on Monday expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas for the first time.

An Israeli official told Axios that Biden's "overall message was that they support us but want this to end."

The state of play: Biden is set to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn and will deliver remarks from the plant at 1:40 p.m.

The first protest will take place at 10 a.m. at the American Moslem Society, which is located close to the Ford Rouge plant.

The next protest will take place at 1 p.m. near the Dearborn police station, and the last protest is scheduled to occur at 1:30 p.m. in Lapeer Park.

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DETROIT - As tensions heat up in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians, metro Detroit's Jewish and Arab American communities are reacting with frustration and anger at times, but also are looking at ways to keep the peace among the region's diverse population.

In Dearborn, Arab American advocates are planning three protests Tuesday against President Joe Biden during his visit to a city that is almost half Arab American. Biden is to speak about electric vehicles during a stop at the Ford Rouge plant, located in a section of Dearborn that's estimated to be more than 90% Arab American Muslim, many of them strong supporters of Palestinians.

The protests are set for 10 a.m. at the American Moslem Society mosque in Dearborn that sits close to the Ford Rouge plant, 1 p.m. outside the Dearborn Police station on Michigan Ave. and 1:30 p.m. in Lapeer Park in Dearborn. Different Arab American groups are organizing the various protests.

The demonstrations would be the latest of several held in Dearborn over the past week as Arab American activists in Michigan are outraged by Biden's support of Israel over its attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, where more than 200 have been killed, most of them Palestinians. Dearborn is 47% Arab American, most of them Muslim, the highest percentage among cities in the U.S. Israeli officials maintain they are defending themselves from Hamas rocket attacks and violence from some Palestinian extremists.

The latest: Palestinians go on strike as Israel, Hamas trade fire

Ties to Israel, Palestinians

Some on both sides in metro Detroit have loved ones living in Israel and the Palestinian territories they are concerned about.

"There's a huge concern right now about what's happening in Gaza," said Sufian Nabhan, a Palestinian immigrant who is executive director of the Islamic Center of Detroit, a mosque with a majority-Palestinian congregation. "Israel is doing extra force that is not needed. ... People are very mad."

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Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, takes in the scene as people chant during a rally and march in support of Palestine held by New Generation for Palestine on Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Dearborn.

Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, expressed frustration with the Biden administration, which had cultivated the Arab American and Muslim vote last year. A clear majority of Arab Americans in Dearborn voted for Biden, according to an analysis of precincts by the Middle East Eye.

"I have never seen our community so angry," said Siblani, who helped organize a big protest Sunday in Dearborn in support of Palestinians. Loud boos against Biden from the crowd could be heard when his name was mentioned, videos of the event showed.

On Saturday, the White House released a statement on Twitter saying Biden "reaffirmed his strong support for Israels right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. ..." On Monday, Biden reiterated Israel's right to defend itself, but called for a cease-fire.

"When they say Israel has a right to defend itself and then don't give the right of people being occupied to defend itself," Siblani said, "that doesn't make sense."

Siblani, who's helping organize the 1 p.m. protest at the Dearborn police station, stressed their protest was not aimed at Ford Motor Co., which is hosting Biden's visit to promote electric cars.

Emails sent to the White House media office seeking comment on the Dearborn protests were not returned Monday.

Who's who: Key players in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and why peace remains elusive in Gaza

Michigan's two senators, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, were initially not among the 28 Democratic senators who called Sunday for a cease-fire, disappointing Arab American and Muslim groups who had endorsed their campaigns in previous years. But late Monday night, Peters posted on Twitter that he now supports a cease-fire.

"Hey, Democrats, our votes arent cheap," Siblani posted on Facebook on Monday. "Watch what we can do in 2022. We wont forget."

Census data from 2019 shows there are about 266,000 people living in Michigan with roots in the Middle East, about 6,800 of whom identity as Palestinian. Metro Detroit's Jewish population is about 72,000, according to the 2018 Detroit Jewish Population Study.

In the Jewish community in metro Detroit, there also is anxiety along with support for Israel.

Rabbi Asher Lopatin leader of Kehillat Etz Chayim shared prayers during a religious service at night, Selichot, which is often done in preparation for the Jewish high holidays Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Congregation Beth, Shalom in Oak Park.

Rabbi Asher Lopatin, who helps lead a synagogue in Oak Park, said he has a stepbrother living in the Israeli city of Modi'in. Because of threats of Hamas rocket attacks, the children and some of their friends had to stay in a "secure room because there were missiles targeting them and flying over ... near Tel Aviv. It's just so sad to see the children terrorized."

Lopatin, who is also the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee of Detroit, said that "people are so sad because of Hamas shooting the missiles indiscriminately, and they're just sad that there has to be another war. ... We're sad for the deaths on the Israeli side and sad for the deaths on the Palestinian side."

Detroit Jewish-Muslim dialogue put on hold

The tensions in the Middle East led to the temporary cancellation of the sixth annual Muslim-Jewish dialogue in metro Detroit called "A Shared Future" that was scheduled for Thursday, online this year because of COVID-19. It will be rescheduled, organizers said.

The dialogue is hosted by the Michigan Muslim Community Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee of Detroit and was to include Howard Lupovitch, a professor of history at Wayne State University in Detroit and the director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at the university, and Saeed Khan, who also teaches at Wayne State.

Lupovitch said the event was canceled for now because emotions are running high. They're waiting for "things to cool down" because it would more productive and sensible to have a dialogue without the "emotional resonance of the conflict" affecting the discussion.

Lupovitch said he's concerned about the violent incidents in Israel between Arabs and Jews that he said "really hasn't happened before."

"This is really the new part of the current conflict," he said.

Before war broke out this month, Israel was about to have a new governing coalition that involved Israeli Arab leaders, "on the cusp of moving in a remarkable direction" that rejected extremists among both Jews and Arabs, he said.

Now, that future is uncertain, he said.

An Israeli woman speaks to a rescue team inside her damaged apartment that was hit by a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021 in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, near the border between Israel and the Hamas-run Palestinian territory. - Israel's army said about 3,000 rockets had been fired since last Monday from Gaza towards Israel -- the highest rate ever recorded. Around 450 fell within the coastal strip, while the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted over 1,000, according to the army.

Nabhan said that Biden needs to intervene and help protect Palestinians.

"Things are getting worse," he said. "Hopefully, the Biden administration can do something about it. The Palestinian community is not happy with Biden's statements. He's trying to play politics to please Israel more than they need. ... The aggression has to stop. Discrimination has to end."

On Sunday, Biden and first lady Jill Biden released an Eid greeting online, praising the contributions of Muslim Americans and Islam's holy book, the Quran.

"The values of the Quran ... are woven into our history," Biden said.

He also said, "Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security.

Communities living in harmony

During the protests in Dearborn over the weekend, some chants were criticized by pro-Israel advocates on social media for promoting extremism and an end to Israel's existence.

But this month and over the years, the Jewish and Arab communities in metro Detroit have avoided violent clashes in Michigan despite fighting in the Middle East, a peaceful history they hope to continue.

Last week, the Michigan Muslim Community Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee of Detroit released a joint statement saying metro Detroit can serve as a model for interfaith harmony.

The statement read in part: "We pray for the safety and security of all who live in the Holy Land  Muslims, Jews, and Christians and for all the victims of violence."

"We call for dialogue and mutual respect and for pursuing nonviolent channels for justice. We hope that our model in Detroit, of working in partnership on issues of mutual concern, can inspire those who are fighting to return to a meaningful pursuit of peace and justice for all in Jerusalem and everywhere."

Lopatin said: "We want to keep our beautiful relationship with the Muslim community and our Muslim partners strong."

Free Press staff writer Miriam Marini and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Twitter @nwarikoo

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Arab Americans to protest President Joe Biden's visit to Dearborn
PHOENIX (AP)  Firms hired to run a partisan audit of the 2020 election for Senate Republicans in Arizona said Tuesday that data was not destroyed, reversing earlier allegations that election officials in the state's most populated county eliminated evidence.

The claim of deleted databases was amplified by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, who believe conspiracy theories about election irregularities.

Ben Cotton, founder of a computer forensics firm working on the audit, told key senators that he had recovered all data. The revelation came a day after Maricopa County officials released a scathing letter saying the auditors couldn't find the data because they didn't know where to look.

I have the information I need from the recovery efforts of the data, said Cotton, founder of CyFIR LLC.

He spoke at a livestreamed hearing called by Republican Senate President Karen Fann to demand answers from county officials about the allegation of deleted data and improper documentation of ballot storage.

The GOP-controlled county Board of Supervisors refused to show up, instead holding a blistering meeting of their own Monday to refute the allegations. They called the audit a sham and said Fann's auditors are incompetent.

After Trump complained without evidence that his loss in Arizona was marred by fraud, Fann used the Senate's subpoena power to take control of 2.1 million ballots, counting machines and hard drives full of data from Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix area. She hired Cyber Ninjas, a firm led by a Trump supporter who has promoted conspiracy theories about the election, CyFIR and other firms to review the ballots and data.

The ballot count is on hold this week while the aging arena where it's taking place is used for high school graduations.

At the Senate's hourlong meeting Tuesday, Fann and Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen, also a Republican, asked friendly questions of Cotton, Cyber Ninjas founder Doug Logan and Ken Bennett, a former Republican secretary of state serving as the Senate's audit liaison. The meeting was broadcast online but was not open to the press or public. Neither senators nor auditors answered questions from the media.

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County officials have refused the Senate's demand to provide administrative passwords to vote-counting machines and internet routers, saying the county doesn't have the passwords and releasing the routers would compromise sensitive data.

The hearing did not shed light on a central question of the audit: who's paying. The Senate has agreed to pay Cyber Ninjas $150,000, but Logan has acknowledged that's not enough to cover his costs. He has refused to say how much the audit is costing or who is contributing. At least two fundraisers, one organized by a pro-Trump cable network and the other by a prominent Trump donor, have claimed to have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While many Trump supporters hope the audit will turn up evidence that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, Fann said she's not looking to overturn or decertify the election results. Rather, she wants to identify ways to improve election procedures in the future, which has prompted fears among Democrats that the GOP will push for legislation that suppresses Democratic votes.

Petersen, the Judiciary Committee chairman, said the Maricopa County audit will be a model for lawmakers in the future.

When the next forensic audit is done, it will be a completely smooth process from start to finish," Petersen said.
"I sit at a desk, where probably generations of legislators would be completely repulsed that a queer young Asian person is now sitting at their desk and making decisions," Assemblymember Alex Lee said.

Video Transcript

- ABC 7 is very proud to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. And today, we're looking at the AAPI community in government.

- Yeah, while the AAPI community makes up about 15% of California's population. It's about half that number when it comes to elected officials. ABC 7 News reporter Amanda Del Castillo takes a closer look.

- Congratulations, Mr. Attorney General.

[APPLAUSE]

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: The recent confirmation of California's new attorney general, Rob Bonta, proves there is a place for Asian-American Pacific Islander representation in government. With today's call to action and among the demands to STOP AAPI Hate, there is an amplified interest to seek greater political influence. Enter the South Bay's own Alex Lee.

ALEX LEE: My name is Alex Lee. I'm the State Assembly member for District 25.

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: A Cantonese-American son of immigrants, his resume includes a list of distinguishing historical firsts, the first Generation Z legislator, the first to be openly bisexual, the youngest Asian-American lawmaker, and at only 25 years old, the youngest to be elected in more than 80 years.

ALEX LEE: It's important to me to be doing the job really well really competently and make sure that I can prove that more people deserve to be at the table,

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: Previously interning for prominent AAPI legislators like Congressman Mike Honda and assembly members Ed Chao and Evan Lo, Lee says there's no question representation matters.

ALEX LEE: You can't imagine yourself in that role if there's not someone that looks like you, speaks like you, thinks like you. And having that kind of mentorship and knowing it was possible at least give me the inkling of the idea to do so.

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: US Census Bureau data details the AAPI community account for more than 15% of California's population. That number drops to roughly 8% when looking at representation at the state legislature. AG Bonta's recent confirmation means now only eight AAPI lawmakers currently serve in the assembly, two in the Senate. Nationwide, according to the Congressional Research Service, out of the 535 members of Congress, just 17 are of AAPI descent. Lee stresses lived experiences have the power to shape policy. Few are in a better position than former Assemblyman, now California Attorney General, Rob Bonta.

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ROB BONTA: I might succeed. I might not. That's for others to judge. But I'm never going to be outworked. And right now, I'm working hard every day, exclusively focused on how to uplift the lives of Californians and make their lives better.

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: As the state's new top cop, he believes the AAPI community is better protected and better represented with him there.

ROB BONTA: The AAPI community in California is the fastest-growing. We are powerful. We are talented. We are committed to change for the better and creating a community and a state that we can all be proud of. And I'm excited to do my small part in that regard and just really thankful for our incredible AAPI community throughout the state.

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: Privilege that isn't lost on either Bonta or Lee.

ALEX LEE: I think about, every day when I go to work in the state capital, how that was the birthplace of a lot of really terrible, problematic, and racist laws, right?

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: Lee referencing the Chinese Exclusion Act and the internment of Japanese-Americans, recognizing today there are clear signs of change.

ALEX LEE: I sit at a desk where, probably, generations of legislators would be completely repulsed that a queer, young, Asian person is now sitting at their desk and making decisions because that's how far we've come in this country. And we can go even further in making sure that our society is completely inclusive of every single person there is.

AMANDA DEL CASTILLO: He's not alone. Taking a closer look at the Bay Area and on the city level, Reflective Democracy Campaign found Fremont, San Francisco, and San Jose make the list of the five large American cities with the highest concentrations of AAPI residents. Fremont and San Francisco have roughly proportional AAPI elected leadership at the city level. However, San Jose, with the fourth-highest share of AAPI residents, has hardly any representation.

Regardless, it's clear the push is on, as many seek reflective leadership.

I'm Amanda Castillo, ABC 7 News.
MCALLEN, Texas (AP)  Domingo Antonio Zeledon traveled for nearly three weeks from his hometown in Nicaragua, leaving behind his wife and three youngest children to come to the United States with his 17-year-old son.

The 39-year-old couldn't support his family on earnings equivalent to $5 a day. Even after crossing the border in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and receiving a COVID-19 test while detained, he didn't think he would be allowed to stay in the U.S. to seek asylum. Other migrants assured him he would not.

I dont know why I was not expelled like others, Zeledon said at a shelter in McAllen, Texas, last week as he prepared to leave for Wisconsin to join a friend and work construction.

As migrants face uncertainty about who is allowed to stay and who isn't, the Biden administration is reshaping how it's using pandemic-related powers known as Title 42, named for a section of an obscure 1944 law that former President Donald Trump tapped to effectively end asylum while health officials sought to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday confirmed it was taking steps to ease more than a year of asylum restrictions that have led border authorities to rapidly expel single adults and many migrant families with older children from the country. Unlike Trump, President Joe Biden has exempted unaccompanied children.

An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday that the changes were a result of negotiations to settle a lawsuit that the organization filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.

The Biden administration has agreed to eventually let about 250 people a day through southern border crossings to seek refuge in the United States. Homeland Security said it was working to streamline a system for identifying and lawfully processing particularly vulnerable individuals who warrant exceptions for humanitarian reasons under the Title 42 order. They will be allowed to seek humanitarian protection through a consortium of nongovernmental organizations after being tested for COVID-19.

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About 2,000 people have already been exempted from expulsion and allowed to enter the country to pursue asylum or other forms of protection in the United States, said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt.

While these concessions will hopefully save lives, they are not a substitute for eliminating Title 42 and restoring asylum processing fully, Gelernt said.

The government also has stopped flying migrant families from the Rio Grande Valley, the nation's busiest corridor for illegal crossings, to El Paso and San Diego to be expelled to Mexico. The U.S. can resume flights if it deems the circumstances warrant, both sides said.

Homeland Security said in a statement that flights were initially halted based on operational needs and that negotiations resulted in continued suspension.

Biden has faced criticism from progressives for keeping asylum off-limits to many and creating policies that encourage parents to send children across the border alone. Enforcement-minded critics say exempting unaccompanied children from expulsion led to record numbers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and that further lifting restrictions will invite many more people to come.

Immigration advocates have ratcheted up pressure to end expulsions entirely, arguing that they cannot be defended solely on the grounds of protecting public health. Migrants are typically expelled to Mexico within two hours of getting picked up by Border Patrol agents.

Administration officials have insisted that the pandemic powers are in place for public health reasons but have been vague on the humane asylum system that Biden promised during his campaign. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers last week that improvements are needed.

It has been a yearslong challenge preceding the Trump administration, preceding the Obama administration, that the time of adjudication of asylum claims is too long, Mayorkas said. We need to shorten that, but not at the expense of permitting individuals to develop their legitimate claims through the recovery from the trauma that they might have suffered, and so many, in fact, have suffered.

Melissa Crow, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said people on informal waiting lists to seek asylum at official border crossings with Mexico should be allowed to enter the United States. The Strauss Center at the University of Texas, Austin, issued a report Tuesday that estimates nearly 19,000 migrants were on such waiting lists in eight Mexican border cities this month, a 15% increase from February.

As asylum-seekers, these individuals are inherently vulnerable and should be covered by the consortium process," said Crow, who represents migrants on waiting lists in a federal lawsuit in San Diego. But due to the lack of any concerted outreach to such individuals by either the government or the consortium organizations, most of them have no idea that the consortium process exists or that they might be eligible for it.

The Border Patrols more than 173,000 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in April were the highest level since April 2000, though the numbers arent directly comparable because more than six of 10 last month had been expelled. Being expelled carries no legal consequences, so many people try to cross multiple times.

Authorities encountered 17,171 children traveling alone in April, the highest number since an all-time high of 18,960 in March.

There were about 50,000 people encountered in families in April. About one of every three families was expelled to Mexico. The rest were allowed to remain in the United States to seek asylum.

___

Spagat reported from San Diego.
In fact, Mitchell used funds from the Navy not only to pay for work on the Pax River Project, but also to pay funds to BAU [Bel Air Underground], disguised as payments for work performed by BAU, or to be performed by BAU, which Mitchell could then direct Kacher to pay to and for the benefit of Mitchell personally, the indictment states.
Last February following a snowfall, 7-year-old Presley Goins took her chicken, Blueberry, sledding.

Presleys mom, Alexa Felts, snapped a photo of the little girl lying on her back in the sled, both arms supporting Blueberry, who stood on her human friends chest. As the pair slid down a slight slope together, Presley stared up at the chickens beak, her face rapt. Blueberry, not a feather askew, appeared completely unruffled.

Moments like that are exactly why Presleys grandmother, Patricia Felts, fought for three years to persuade the Aberdeen City Council to allow residents to own hens within city limits. The legislation, which permits up to six hens per half acre of land, took effect Aug. 16.

Chickens make great emotional support animals, said Patricia Felts, who owns seven of the birds.

They use chickens in nursing homes. They have been good for my grandkids, especially since COVID-19 has been keeping everyone at home. You can sit there and watch them and interact with them, and its amazing how calm that can make you feel. Now, the girls are focused on something other than not being in school. They feed the chickens and water them and help socialize them. They hold them and love them. If they could bring the chickens inside to sleep with them at night, they would.

Since the pandemic descended on Maryland in the spring of 2020, activities related to sustainability and in particular to in-home food production have experienced an upsurge of popularity. Packets of vegetable seeds flew off the shelves. There were monthslong delays in purchasing such major appliances as refrigerators and ranges, and a nationwide shortage of canning jars and lids.

And increasing numbers of Marylanders began experimenting with raising their own flocks.

Tractor Supply in Fallston couldnt keep enough fluffy baby chickens, ducks and turkeys in its two high-rise coops to satisfy the public demand, according to Katelyn Mosmiller, a team leader for the store, which sells poultry annually between March and September.

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Last year, we sold twice as many birds as we did in a normal pre-COVID year, she said. For a while, I couldnt get enough chickens in. This year, the demand has remained really high.

More than 279 poultry premises (including backyard flocks) are registered in Harford County, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, or 3.3% of the total establishments statewide.

A Facebook group Phelps started called Aberdeen Backyard Chickens had 148 members in August. By April, the group had grown by 64% to 230 members.

According to state officials, the number of poultry premises in Maryland increased 26.4% during the pandemic, from 6,770 as of July 1, 2019, to 8,561 in April.

The vast majority of poultry premises  88.9%  are small backyard flocks where Marylanders are raising their own chickens, ducks and turkeys.

Individual municipalities make their own rules regarding the keeping of livestock.

In Annapolis, residents can have up to five hens (no roosters), but only if the neighbors with whom they share property lines sign off. The city of Baltimore allows up to four chickens as long as the coop is at least 15 feet away from the nearest home. Prince Georges County generally prohibits all animals that arent customary household pets, though there are exceptions.

In Aberdeen, chickens had been banned since the 1950s. Opponents who testified last year feared that backyard flocks would tarnish the citys image and would make it more difficult to turn down requests from residents wishing to own other unconventional pets.

The opponents argued that there was no shortage of cheap eggs. Then the pandemic hit.

When we moved into our new home last May, I wanted to make our new property more purposeful and self-sustaining, said Laurena Fringo, 37, of Havre de Grace.

We all got a real glimpse of what it would be like when you couldnt buy food in the store. The shelves were pretty bare. My store ran out of eggs, and sometimes I had a hard time finding milk.

And even when you could find everything you needed, if you were self-sustaining and grew your own food at home, you wouldnt have to risk going out to the store.

Some may debate which comes first in the hearts of flock owners: the chickens, or the eggs.

Style maven Martha Stewart is often credited with helping revive the interest in backyard chickens nationwide. Beginning in the 1980s, her publications showcased rare, heritage breeds that laid eggs ranging from white to a deep brown, from speckled olive to bright copper to robins egg blue.

Theyre natural Easter eggs, said Fringo, who has started selling some eggs from her three dozen chickens and ducks to friends.

Suddenly, owning chickens became a status symbol, as chronicled in a 2009 article in The New Yorker magazine, The Rise of the It Bird, in which the writer Susan Orlean chronicled her own obsession with her feathered friends.

But theres no question that for many poultry owners, the birds are their pets.

They name them. They throw birthday parties for their flocks. When the birds become ill, the owners stay up all night, feeding them by hand. Fringos favorite chicken, Henny, sits on her shoulder for their daily walk to the mailbox at the end of a long driveway.

Flock owners report being charmed by the birds often quirky personalities.

A few years ago, we had a chicken who would knock on our front door with her beak every single day, said Sarah Hindle, 35, who keeps 40 chickens on her property outside Aberdeen.

One day, when my grandma was over, we heard a knock. My grandma opens the door. Its the chicken, and she just lets it in the house.

Grandma what are you doing? we asked.

And she said: Well, it knocked. 

Hindle initially resisted having chickens, saying shed been afraid of birds ever since she was a kid and her friends pet parakeet flew into her hair.

But her daughter, Emmalyn, now 8, begged. And her husband thought that having a pet that makes breakfast would be cool. About five years ago, Hindle succumbed.

And then all of a sudden, chicken math kicked in, she said. And now, Im the chicken lady.

Chicken math?

Chickens are like potato chips, explained Hindle, who is in the process of getting certified to run her own hatchery.

You cant have just two. I originally bought four babies. Then, when I was buying food for them, there were two that were dying, and I had to rescue them. Then I saw one that was a different color, but they only sold them in twos. And then I found one that lays blue eggs.

I started out with four chickens, and now I have 40. Thats chicken math.

Jennifer Dorsey, 52, was in the Fallston Tractor Supply this April supplementing the flock she keeps at her home in nearby Kingsville, just across the Baltimore County line.

Dorsey has found that the cheeping balls of fluff are a perfect teaching tool for her students at A World of Friends, the preschool she runs in Baltimore. As a bonus, many of the eggs she collects from the 28 chickens, four ducks and two turkeys go home to the families of her 4-year-old pupils.

Some of these kids are really sheltered, Dorsey said. They dont get outside much.

They dont know what a horse or a sheep is. They dont know that a cow says moo. I take them on hikes. I show them nests and teach them that they can eat dandelions. They are very, very interested. If you show them birds, soon they start to notice other things: flowers and plants and bees.

Three little chickens can rock their world.
Authorities in Belarus raided the offices of the country's largest independent news outlet and took down its website on Tuesday, signalling a widening crackdown in the wake of historic opposition protests last year.

Journalists in the ex-Soviet nation are facing mounting pressure after the protests contested a presidential election win claimed by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko.

The long-serving authoritarian leader has drawn scorn from the West, and the United States and EU have slapped sanctions on him and his allies.

The Tut.by news portal on Tuesday became the latest media targeted by authorities in Belarus, with security agents searching the offices and homes of journalists working for the site, its editor-in-chief said.

The outlet was then taken offline entirely.

AFP journalists said the site was unavailable in Belarus, Russia and France.

The ministry of information confirmed later in a statement that it had blocked Tut.by at the request of the general prosecutor's office, saying prosecutors had established the outlet routinely published "prohibited information".

Editor-in-chief Marina Zolotova earlier told AFP that members of a state financial investigations department had searched her home and the homes of several of her employees.

"Representatives of security agencies also came to the newsroom," she said, adding that she was unable to get in touch with several Tut.by employees.

Later on Tuesday, Tut.by said on its Telegram channel that at least 13 of its employees -- including journalists, editors and accountants -- had been detained.

- 'Planned attack' -

The state control committee's financial investigations department, which confirmed the searches, is a powerful enforcement body that has previously targeted the opposition.

It said Tuesday that it was investigating Tut.by for tax evasion. The group later announced a separate criminal probe into the portal's director Lyudmila Chekina.

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The committee's financial investigative body also notably probed Lukashenko's opponent Viktor Babaryko, who was arrested two months before last August's presidential election.

Babaryko has remained in custody since and is on trial for corruption and money laundering.

The US Department of State on Tuesday "condemned" the crackdown on Tut.by.

"Today's raids are another example of a systematic effort to stifle independent voices and punish journalists for accurately reporting news," spokesman Ned Price said on Twitter.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, claimed a sixth presidential term in last August's vote that the opposition and Western diplomats said was rigged.

All of his opponents have since been jailed or have fled the ex-Soviet republic.

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called on the international community to "immediately" offer support after Tuesday's raids.

"This is a planned attack on our journalists and media, and they need legal protection and emergency relocation," she said on Twitter.

- 'Unprecedented crackdown' -

Lukashenko faced down mass protests against his rule in the wake of the vote, with Belarusian law enforcement unleashing repressions that saw thousands of demonstrators detained and more than 400 people given lengthy jail terms.

Addressing his security council on Tuesday, the 66-year-old authoritarian leader called on his security services to "not relax in any way".

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), 16 journalists in Belarus are currently behind bars as of Tuesday.

Last week, two Belarusian journalists, including a freelance reporter for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, were jailed for 20 days. Both journalists have reportedly launched a hunger strike in protest.

The European Union and the United States have sanctioned Lukashenko and dozens of officials and businessmen tied to his regime with asset freezes and visa bans.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said earlier this month the bloc was readying a fourth round of sanctions against Belarusian authorities over the crackdown.

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REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

McDonald's workers in 15 US cities plan to strike on May 19 for higher wages.

Bernie Sanders and AOC will join the striking workers and make a speech.

The strikes are planned for the day before McDonald's annual shareholder meeting.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will join McDonald's workers in strikes planned around the US for higher wages on May 19, the day before the company's annual shareholders meeting.

On "Walkout Wednesday," employees in 15 US cities will go on strike to demand all McDonald's workers make at least $15 per hour. So far, the strikes are planned for Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Kansas City, St Louis, Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, Houston, and Milwaukee.

A demonstration is also planned outside the company's Chicago headquarters, organizers from the advocacy group Fight for $15 said.

Sen. Sanders and two current McDonald's employees will give remarks about the strike in a livestreamed event, then workers in a Durham, North Carolina McDonald's will stream from their picket line.

Read more: McDonald's franchisees blame hiring challenges on unemployment benefits and say an 'inflationary time bomb' will force them to hike Big Mac prices

"When working people stand together, they cannot be defeated," Sen. Sanders told Insider. "I'm proud to join courageous workers who are taking on corporate greed and demanding dignity on the job. The time is now to end starvation wages in the richest country in the world."

McDonald's announced earlier in April that it would raise minimum wages at corporate-owned stores. Entry-level workers will make at least $11 per hour, and shift managers will make at least $15, boosting the average worker by about 10%. The chain is aiming to hire 10,000 new employees in the coming months and says its average hourly wage is expected to reach $15 by 2024.

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The raises only impact the 5% of locations owned by the company in the US, not franchises.

The Company previously told Insider when the demonstrations were first planned that it depends on local governments for minimum wage laws.

"It's the responsibility of federal and local government to set minimum wage, and we're open to dialogue so that any changes meet the needs of thousands of hardworking restaurant employees and the 2,000 McDonald's independent owner/operators who run small businesses," a spokesperson said.

The strikes comes as fast food restaurants struggle to hire enough workers. A labor shortage in many sectors of the economy has been a boon to some dissatisfied retail workers who are suddenly able to shop around for new jobs and leave retail for other industries.

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photo Getty

Bill Gates enjoyed holding court at Jeffrey Epsteins Manhattan mansion, allegedly seeking refuge from his marriage and talking with the sex offenders circle of high-profile dinner guests about philanthropy and other worldly topics.

But the Microsoft mogul may have been angling for another perk by networking with Epstein: Gates hoped the well-connected pervert could help him secure the Nobel Peace Prize, one former Gates Foundation employee told The Daily Beast.

This person said members of the foundations communications team were alerted to Gates relationship with Epstein and were told it was a maneuver to try to get himself a Nobel Peace Prize. They said the tech mogul had even kept some employees on call on prize day in years past just in case he was awarded the distinction.

We were aware of things that were potential reputational risks for the foundation and the co-chairs, Bill and Melinda, said the former employee. Even back then, people knew this guy wasnt squeaky clean, the person said, referring to Epstein.

He [Gates] thought that Jeffrey would be able to help him, that he would know the right people, or some kind of way to massage things, so he could get the Nobel Peace Prize, which is what Bill wants more than anything else in the world, the staffer said.

I think he was ultimately disappointed it didnt work out, the person added.

Epstein was known for cultivating a rolodex of elite contacts from around the globe: billionaires, royals, celebrities, politicians, and prominent scientists, including Nobel laureates Frank Wilczek, Gerald Edelman and Murray Gell-Mann. The money-manager also opened various nonprofits over the years to steer millions to his friends projects and to fund research at institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Researchers continued taking Epsteins money despite widespread reports of his abuse of underage girls and young women.

The former staffers claim that Gates thought Epstein was his ticket to the prestigious prize adds fuel to a Norwegian newspapers report last year that highlighted a 2013 meeting with Gates, Epstein, and the Norwegian Nobel Committees chairman at the time, Thorbjrn Jagland.

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A spokesperson for Bill Gates, however, denied the billionaire philanthropist was seeking Epsteins help in obtaining the award.

While a Nobel Prize would certainly be a great honor, it is false to state that Bill Gates was obsessed with the honor, set it as a goal, or campaigned for it in any way, the spokesperson told The Daily Beast. If Epstein had a plan or motivation to insert himself into any processes related to any awards or honors on behalf of Gates, neither Gates nor anyone he works with was aware of his intentions and they would have rejected any offers for assistance.

Jeffrey Epstein Gave Bill Gates Advice on How to End Toxic Marriage, Sources Say

Since his divorce announcement this month, Gates has faced a torrent of scrutiny over his ties to Epstein, whom he met dozens of times after Epstein went to jail for soliciting a minor and had to register as a sex offender. Over the weekend, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal published reports on Gates alleged history of hitting on employees and his extramarital affair with a Microsoft engineer.

It was not a secret within the foundation that he had dalliances, the former foundation employee told The Daily Beast. Of Melindas attitude toward the infidelity, the employee added, I dont think it was a wink-wink permissive thing at all. I think she was humiliated and did not like it.

According to People, Bill and Melinda Gates will continue as co-chairs of their foundation, even as they divide their $130 billion in marital assets, because of their shared ambition for the Nobel Prize. One source told the magazine: They were really interested in trying to win a Nobel Prize. So one thing that was part of this is, if it gets worse, then it ends that. It seems as if that was on the agenda, and thats for both of them.

Melinda Gates Warned Bill About Jeffrey Epstein

Bill Gates may have had the prize on his mind in March 2013, when he and Epstein reportedly visited Jaglands home in Strasbourg, France.

The rendezvous was revealed by Dagens Nringsliv, Norways largest business newspaper, in an October 2020 report. At the time of the meeting, Jagland was chair of the committee which awards the Peace Prize, and Gates was a potential candidate for the honor.

The meeting also included members of the International Peace Institute (IPI)a think tank run by former Norwegian diplomat Terje Rd-Larsen that Epsteins secret charity lavished with a $375,000 donation in 2017. (Rd-Larsen resigned from the New York-based IPI last October after it was revealed his group received $650,000 in donations from Epstein, who also provided him with a $130,000 personal loan.)

According to DN, Jagland said Gates and Epstein arrived at the Strasbourg meeting together, and Epstein introduced Gates to IPI for a polio eradication project. Rd-Larsen didnt attend the meeting but is a longtime friend of Jagland.

Rd-Larsen also had longstanding ties to Epstein, who issued press releases touting his support of IPI while he worked to rehabilitate his image following his 2008 conviction in Palm Beach, Florida. (As The Daily Beast reported Sunday, Gates allegedly encouraged Epstein to revamp his reputation in the media.)

In an email to DN, Jagland claimed Gates asked to meet him while he was in France and that their discussion centered not on the Nobel, but around human rights organization Council of Europes work on counterfeit vaccines. Asked if he thought it was a conflict to socialize with a possible Nobel laureate, Jagland told the newspaper: Bill Gates was not nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.

Not long after the Strasbourg gathering, the Gates Foundation granted IPI millions of dollars; records on the foundations website show IPI received a $2.5-million grant in October 2013, $5.5 million in March 2014, and $256,968 in June 2019 and July 2020.

And, in September 2013, Bill and Melinda Gates spoke at IPIs Eighth Annual Ministerial Working Dinner on the Middle East. A writeup of the event indicates the couple were special guests who discussed the ongoing efforts of their foundation to eradicate polio and cited the connection between health and security.

When asked about Gates meeting with the Nobel committee chairman, a spokesperson for the billionaire directed The Daily Beast to a 2019 statement, which says: Multiple high-profile people suggested that Bill Gates meet with Epstein because he made claims of being able to bring billions of dollars into philanthropy based on his status as an agent and advisor to wealthy individuals with respect to their giving strategies.

Given the prospect of helping catalyze significant increases in charitable giving, Gates met with Epstein and others multiple times to discuss philanthropy and the work of his foundation. Although Epstein pursued Gates aggressively, Gates had absolutely no business partnership or personal friendship with Epstein. Gates never socialized with Epstein or attended parties with him.

Its become clear that Epstein misrepresented the nature of his meetings with Gates while also working to insert himself behind-the-scenes without Gatess knowledge. Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgement to do so.

Melinda Gates Called Divorce Lawyers in 2019 After Epstein Report: WSJ

The Strasbourg meeting may not have been Gates only visit abroad with Epstein.

In August 2019, the French news outlet Franceinfo reported on a roster of famous visitors to Epsteins Parisian apartment, which included Bill and Melinda on at least one occasion, according to the financiers former butler. A spokesperson for Melinda Gates told The Daily Beast that Melinda has never been to Epsteins Paris home.

In spring of 2013, Epstein and his friend Lawrence Krauss appeared to be touting Gates appearance at a future panel at Arizona State University in 2014.

Krauss, a theoretical physicist who led ASUs Origins Project and left the university amid sexual misconduct allegations, name-dropped Gates in an email to a prospective panelist for the event, which was later canceled. (Epstein had donated $250,000 to the Origins Project, while his buddy, billionaire hedge-funder Leon Black, donated $2 million, according to Buzzfeed.)

In an email obtained by the Daily Mail, Krauss indicated Epstein was organizing a panel on the Origins of Money" and that "right now he has Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Larry Summers on board. Through a spokesperson, Branson denied having anything to do with the event, while Summers apparently didn't comment for the article.

Reached by The Daily Beast, Krauss would only say that the panel never happened. Since I dont know Gates or these people, I cant comment, he said.

 with additional reporting from William Bredderman

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian senators on Tuesday accused the country's former foreign minister of undermining efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines after he used anti-China rhetoric during the pandemic.

In a parliamentary inquiry into far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the world's second-deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus, senators blamed the president and his inner circle for delays in deliveries from China of active ingredients to make Sinovac Biotech Ltd's vaccine in Brazil.

Ernesto Araujo, who was replaced as foreign minister in March, told senators on Tuesday that Bolsonaro's disparagement of the Chinese vaccine did not impact relations with Brazil's largest trade partner or delay vaccine supplies.

Araujo last year published an article entitled "The Comunavirus Has Arrived" where he argued that the novel coronavirus was part of a plan for global domination.

In the hearing, he denied that the article disparaged China.

"It was not a reference to coronavirus but to an ideological virus, coined by another author, that creates the conditions for a global Communist society," he told the Senate commission.

Senator Katia Abreu, a farmer and former agriculture minister, said Araujo's views and those of the Bolsonaro government have hurt exports to China, where approval of dozens of Brazilian meatpacking plants has been held up in Beijing.

Araujo said his criticism of China's ambassador to Brazil last year was not an attack on the Asian nation but a complaint about the diplomat's "unacceptable" tweet, which said the Bolsonaro family was a "huge poison" for Sino-Brazil relations.

The diplomat's tweet, which he quickly deleted, was prompted by the president's son Eduardo Bolsonaro, then chair of the House foreign relations committee, blaming authoritarianism in China for preventing faster action against the pandemic.

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Attacks on China by members of Bolsonaro's inner circle further soured diplomatic relations last year. The spat was laid to rest when Bolsonaro called President Xi Jinping and the two presidents agreed to work together to fight the coronavirus.

A surge of COVID-19 cases this year has raised Brazil's death toll to more than 435,000, and the country is short of vaccines. Just one in eight Brazilian adults have been fully vaccinated. Through April, 85% of the vaccines administered in Brazil were from China's Sinovac.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
BukuKas co-founders Krishnan Menon (left) and Lorenzo Peracchione (right) with a BukuKas user

BukuKas co-founders Krishnan Menon (left) and Lorenzo Peracchione (right) with a BukuKas user. Image Credits: BukuKas

BukuKas, a startup focused on digitizing Indonesias small businesses, has raised $50 million in Series B funding. The round included participation from Gokul Rajaram, the DoorDash executive, and Taavet Hinrikus, co-founder and chief executive officer of TransferWise.

This news comes just four months after BukuKas announced a $10 million Series A led by Sequoia Capital India. BukuKas will use its Series B to hire for its engineering and product teams in Jakarta and Bangalore, and launch new services for merchants.

Weve been growing really fast and there was a lot of interest from some very good people, chief executive officer Krishnan Menon told TechCrunch. This is not a capital-need based raise, but more of a tactical raise and having the right people back us long term.

BukuKas was founded by Menon and chief operating officer Lorenzo Peracchione, who met while working at Lazada Indonesia. Since its launch as as a digital bookkeeping app in December 2019, BukuKas has added new features, including online payments and an e-commerce platform. The app has onboarded about 6.3 million businesses so far and now has a total of 3 million monthly active users. It claims its annualized bookkeeping transaction volume is $25.9 billion USD, or the equivalent of about 2.2% of Indonesias gross domestic product.

According to Bank Indonesia, the countrys central bank, there are about 60 million SMEs, though Menon says that number may range from 55 million to 65 million. The majority still operate mostly offline, but the push to digitization began even before the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the Indonesian government launched a program two years ago with marketplace Blibi to encourage more businesses to sell online, with the goal of helping more SMEs go global.

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This means there is a growing roster of startups and services focused on helping small businesses go online. These include Y Combinator-backed BukuWarung, WarungPintar, Grabs Mitra GrabKios and wholesaler-focused CrediBook. India-based Khatabook, another Sequoia Capital India portfolio company, launched BukuUang in Indonesia, but has since pulled out of the market.

Theres obviously a macro shift thats happening in the market right now. People are rushing to get digitized and people are coming out of a rough year. They started to realize I need to upgrade, so theres a rush to get digitized, to manage their money better, a movement to digital payments, said Menon.

BukuKas goal is to become an end-to-end software stack for micro, small and medium enterprises and serve 20 million MSMEs by the end of 2022, with inventory management, invoicing, payment-related analytics and other tools. The company recently took several steps toward that goal. In April, it launched BukuKasPay for business owners to pay suppliers online or accept digital payments, including virtual bank accounts and e-wallets like OVO, Dana, GoPay, LinkAja and ShopeePay from customers. In September 2020, it acquired a digital ledger app called Catatan Keuangan Harian to expand its market share before launching an e-commerce platform called Tokko that enables MSMEs to set up online shops. About 1.3 million merchants have created shops using Tokko in the six months since its release.

Tokko focuses on merchants who find big marketplaces, like Tokopedia, too complicated, and want an alternative way to set up an online brand.

BukuKas users include warungs (small stores), fashion retailers, electronics stores, social commerce sellers and service providers. On average, its users make several thousand U.S. dollars per month in revenue, but some earn as high as tens of thousands of dollars.

The app is designed to work as a layer on top of WhatsApp. For example, many merchants allow customers to buy on credit, so they can use BukuKas to send automatic reminders through WhatsApp with a payment link. Businesses can also send invoices or take Tokko orders through WhatsApp. Menon said since many Indonesian merchants already relied on WhatsApp to communicate with suppliers and customers, this helps it onboard more users because they dont have to make major changes to their operational routines. It also creates viral loops, as other businesses get payment reminders or invoices sent through BukuKas, and decide to try the app, too.

Our thesis is very similar to what Square or Shopify did in the U.S. We keep merchants as the center of the universe, and we keep building solutions for them, Menon said. That can be software-related solutions like BukuKas early version and Tokko moving further into commerce. Were moving further into banking solutions, so payments come first, and then actually building out the full banking suite. The end goal is if a merchant five years from now looks back and says, thanks to BukuKas I was able to adapt to the digital era, and sticks with us.
Three Chester County schools will remain closed and use remote learning Tuesday as a police manhunt continues for an armed suspect who allegedly shot at two sheriffs deputies, officials said.

Residents of Richburg have been asked by Chester County Sheriffs Office deputies to lock their doors and stay inside. Richburg is off S.C. 9 and close to Interstate 77.

Lewisville High School, Lewisville Middle School, and Lewisville Elementary School are nearby. The Chester County School District decided to keep the three Lewisville schools closed. All county schools started on a two-hour delay because of the manhunt, school officials said in a statement.

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Sheriff: Deputies returned fire after being shot at

Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey told reporters one deputy returned fire at the suspect after the suspect shot at the deputies.

Neither deputy was hurt, Dorsey said. Two police vehicles were damaged. A picture of a damaged patrol SUV provided by the sheriffs office to The Herald showed a bullet hole in the windshield.

It is unclear if the suspect was hit when deputies returned fire, Dorsey told reporters.

Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriffs office, identified the suspect as Tyler Donnet Terry, 27, of Great Falls in Chester County.

Chester deputies have warrants against Terry charging him with two counts of attempted murder for shooting at deputies, Suskin said. As of 9:30 a.m. Terry remained uncaught, Suskin said.

Arrest warrants state the incident started after deputies attempted to make a traffic stop when the car was in the parking lot of the Bojangles restaurant off S.C. 9 while the restaurant was closed.

Manhunt ongoing for shooter, driver arrested

S.C. 9, the main east-west highway in Chester County that intersects with I-77, remains blocked as deputies, State Law Enforcement Division agents, S.C Highway Patrol troopers, and police from York and Lancaster counties assist in the manhunt, officials said.

The search location includes several wooded areas and extends to large industrial areas nearby, officials said.

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The incident started before midnight off Edgeland Road in Richburg near Exit 65 of I-77, according to Suskin. A chase went on for more than 20 miles that went into York County and back to Chester County.

Terry was a passenger, officials said.

A woman driver in the vehicle was taken into custody but Terry fled on foot, officials said.

The driver, Adrienne Roshea Simpson, 34, of Myrtle Beach, is charged with failure to stop for a blue light, according to arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
BEIJING (Reuters) -China has banned financial institutions and payment companies from providing services related to cryptocurrency transactions, and warned investors against speculative crypto trading.

It was China's latest attempt to clamp down on what was a burgeoning digital trading market. Under the ban, such institutions, including banks and online payments channels, must not offer clients any service involving cryptocurrency, such as registration, trading, clearing and settlement, three industry bodies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

"Recently, crypto currency prices have skyrocketed and plummeted, and speculative trading of cryptocurrency has rebounded, seriously infringing on the safety of people's property and disrupting the normal economic and financial order," they said in the statement.

China has banned crypto exchanges and initial coin offerings but has not barred individuals from holding cryptocurrencies.

The institutions must not provide saving, trust or pledging services of cryptocurrency, nor issue financial product related to cryptocurrency, the statement also said.

The moves were not Beijing's first moves against digital currency. In 2017, China shut down its local cryptocurrency exchanges, smothering a speculative market that had accounted for 90% of global bitcoin trading.

In June 2019, the People's Bank of China issued a statement saying it would block access to all domestic and foreign cryptocurrency exchanges and Initial Coin Offering websites, aiming to clamp down on all cryptocurrency trading with a ban on foreign exchanges.

The statement also highlighted the risks of cryptocurrency trading, saying virtual currencies "are not supported by real value", their prices are easily manipulated, and trading contracts are not protected by Chinese law.

The three industry bodies are: the National Internet Finance Association of China, the China Banking Association and the Payment and Clearing Association of China.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Twinnie Siu; Additional reporting by Alden Bentley and Gertrude Chavez; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Jane Merriman and David Gregorio)
Gov. Larry Hogan announced late last week that the statewide mask mandate would be lifted as of Saturday, in line with new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID do not have to wear masks, whether inside or outside. Maryland went further, lifting the mandates even among those yet to be vaccinated.
Associated Press

Hertz will likely emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the end of the month after a bankruptcy court confirmed the reorganization plan for the beleaguered car rental company. Hertz Global Holdings Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2020, said Thursday that its plan will erase more than $5 billion in debt and provide more than $2.2 billion in liquidity. Hertz was among the first major corporations to be felled by the pandemic last year as infections surged and shut down travel on a global scale for both companies and vacationers.
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Road blockades connected to weeks of anti-government protests in Colombia will be lifted by security forces in coordination with mayors and provincial governors, President Ivan Duque said on Monday.

The sometimes deadly demonstrations, originally called in late April against a now-canceled tax plan, have expanded to include demands like a basic income, an end to police violence and opportunities for young people.

The blockades, many erected by local demonstrators or truckers, have caused shortages of food and gasoline across the country, especially in the city of Cali, an epicenter of protests. The government says some are connected to criminal and guerrilla groups, which it also blames for sparking looting and other violence.

Duque said he had ordered "the increase of all operational capacity of our public security forces on the ground to - together with mayors and governors - unblock the roads of our country with strict adherence to human rights."

The government will also subsidize 25% of the minimum wage for workers between 18 and 28 years old for at least a year, Duque said in a video, in an effort to encourage employers to hire young people.

Vandalism and the blockades have cost the economy about $1.6 billion, while road closures had halted the transport of 700,000 tonnes of food, the government said last week.

The number of deaths connected to the protests is disputed. The attorney general's office says just 15 deaths are tied directly to demonstrations, but human rights groups allege the toll is about two dozen people higher.

Government representatives were meeting late on Monday with representatives from the national strike committee - made up of unions, student groups and others - to agree to terms for a negotiation the government hopes will curb marches.

Protests continued over the weekend and into a federal holiday on Monday, with deaths reported in several smaller cities.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Faye Resnick, from left, Kyle Richards and Camille Grammer in "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." (Nicole Weingart / Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

When the 11th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premieres Wednesday, therell be a new Friend in town: Just as last years addition, Sutton Stracke, graduates to diamond-holding Housewife  a jump that only three Housewives have ever made, though many more have been demoted in the other direction  Kathy Hilton makes her debut in the franchises distinctive supporting role.

In the Housewives universe, the place of Friend is usefully fluid: It allows the series to get the most from a cast member without having to commit fully to their individual storyline (and without the cast member having to commit to filming full-time). While they can play the villain or the comic relief, Friends most commonly act as an ally or sounding board for members of the main cast, making them a key variable in Housewives well-honed reality TV formula.

The bench of supporting players in Beverly Hills has evolved over the series 10 seasons to date, but one near-constant presence has been not only an expert Friend on Housewives, but also a renowned friend beyond its confines: Faye Resnick. What Judy Greer is to the rom-com, Faye Resnick is to unscripted: not the main character but the devoted friend and confidante who is nonetheless instrumental to the story. Nor has Resnick made a career out of reality television, in the way of many of her castmates. If anything, reality television has made a career out of Resnick: She occupied this world long before the cameras showed up.

The Housewives audience first met Resnick in Season 1 at a dinner party that has ascended into reality television infamy, when Camille Grammer  then Kelseys wife  menacingly asked the question: Who is Faye? I know she looks familiar, but I dont know who Faye is.

She almost certainly knew the answer, as many do, but appeared to feign an epiphany when it occurred to her that she recognized the party guest from her spread in Playboy after the O.J. Simpson trial. I realized, Oh my God, thats who it is; its Faye Resnick, she said. The morally corrupt Faye Resnick.

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Since entering the public consciousness during the trial of the century as Nicole Brown Simpsons closest confidante, Resnick has become a reality television staple, in the same peripheral position in genre powerhouses The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (opposite Kyle Richards) and Keeping Up with the Kardashians (opposite Kris Jenner) as when we first met her: friend.

In a sense, its a role Resnick was born to play. She emerged early in the Simpson saga as a vocal defender of Nicole and adamant about Simpsons guilt.

Determined to tell Nicoles story, and with the encouragement of a psychic, Resnick was the first to do what nearly every major player in the Simpson case would: write a book. Nicole Brown Simpson: A Private Diary of a Life Interrupted was published just four months after the murder and proved incendiary enough to halt jury selection. Though a loving portrayal of Nicole as a supermom who suffered horrific abuse, it was the inclusion of what many viewed as tawdry excerpts, like the details of Nicoles sex life, that dominated the conversation and defined Resnicks reputation.

Kathy Hilton joins the cast of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" as a Friend this season. (John Tsiavis / Bravo)

While recent projects like American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson have helped rehabilitate prosecutor Marcia Clarks reputation by confronting the misogyny she was subjected to at the time, Resnick has rarely received a second look.

Despite a few attempts to reconsider her place in American culture, notably in an extended series on the Simpson case from the popular podcast Youre Wrong About, perceptions of Resnick remain much the same as they did in the 90s. While the Dream Team used her cocaine addiction to concoct a story about Colombian drug dealers killing Nicole because Resnick supposedly borrowed money from them to open a Starbucks, it was the general outlines of that narrative, fueled by a misogynistic media, that stuck: Resnick was a drug-addicted, greedy sell-out whose version of events couldnt be trusted. She was, in short, morally corrupt.

If money was indeed the driving factor, selling stories to tabloids would have been far more lucrative, according to the books publisher at the time. Resnick maintains that she wrote the book, warts and all, as a way to take the power from the defense  to present even the less savory details contextualized through the lens of Nicoles abuse.

Resnick recognized something in 1994 that the culture has only just begun to catch up to: Victims shouldnt have to be perfect for us to care about their abuse. She told Larry King in 1996 that she wanted her portrait of Nicole to be an example to survivors of domestic violence that their perceived faults under no circumstances warranted the abuse they faced, no matter what theyd been conditioned to believe. I had to show that its not a womans fault for being beaten up, she said. No matter what theyve done, they do not deserve to be beaten up or killed.

Though Resnick was one of few people at the time to center domestic abuse in the story of the Simpson trial, to draw the connection between battery and murder, she unwittingly prophesied the lasting reaction to the book when she told the New York Times what she imagined it would be like if she were called to testify: "It will be like a rape case," she predicted. "I will be telling the truth, but I'll be made to look like some entrepreneurial villain before the entire world. I hate everything about it."

In many ways the trial laid the groundwork for reality television, pre-empting soap operas for real-life drama, and nowhere is this connection clearer than in Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Over the years, Resnick has appeared on the show as Kris Jenners friend and confidante, a role shes had since before the trial. Those deep ties were displayed in one appearance as the pair tearfully reminisced about Nicole at one of her favorite restaurants. Resnick provides a shoulder to lean on, like when she assuaged Kris fears about dating again post-divorce, but shes also a sounding board for lighter fare: laughing as the Kardashian matriarch tells her about contrived plots like donating her eggs to a royal family or getting her ashes turned into a diamond.

While the KUWTK set is safe terrain, controlled by her friend of 30 years, RHOBH is a dicier battlefield. For the shows entire run, Resnick has breezed in and out as the best friend of stalwart cast member Kyle Richards, ranging from guest to official Friend. All the while, she displayed that same devoted loyalty that she had for Nicole when we first met her.

When Kyle encouraged her to keep an open mind about Camille despite hearing about their conflicts, Faye dug in her heels, But if shes mean to you, obviously Im not going to watch her, she said. All I know is everybody adores you, youve had your friends forever. The dinner that followed showed that Resnicks supporting role couldnt keep her out of the crossfire, with many of the conflicts shes been involved in relating back to her public beginnings with the O.J. case.

Faye Resnick arrives at the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" premiere party in Hollywood in 2012. (Gregg DeGuire / WireImage)

There tends to be twisted hypocrisy in many of the criticisms of Resnick. Moments after the infamous morally corrupt moment in which Grammer digs at her for posing in Playboy, another guest casually asks, Camille, didnt you do Playboy?

A similar thing happens in Season 6 when new Housewife Kathryn Edwards (ex-wife of Simpsons friend Marcus Allen) confronts Resnick over claims in her book that Edwards turned a blind eye to Allens alleged affair with Nicole. She capitalized on a tragedy Im sure she loved the limelight, I mean come on, she was having her 15 minutes, Edwards says in disgust  under the lights of her own Real Housewives confessional.

But Resnick shrugs these attacks off, making it clear she has no interest in talking about that horrible time in her life. Though fiercely defensive of her friends, Resnick is barely fazed when people come for her. Instead, she breezes through conflict with a Teflon-like imperviousness that we rarely see on Housewives, a show where just the mention of Harry Hamlin can lead to shattered glass and a chokehold. And anytime her resilience surprises you, you remember Resnick is a veteran of 1994. If she can handle that, she can handle Brandi Glanville. Perhaps alone in the annals of reality TV friends, she can handle anything.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Over the 14 months since COVID-19 laid waste to the economy, 150,000 or more fraudulent unemployment claims have been identified by the state Department of Labor, many coming in surges of phony applications from criminal organizations trying to steal from the billions of dollars appropriated for pandemic relief.

State officials said Monday they are fighting back in part by re-establishing a state prosecution unit that will work with labor department investigators to run down fraudulent claims and, where possible, make arrests and seek restitution. The state had such an unemployment fraud prosecution unit until 2018, when it fell to budget cuts. It is being financed this time by $368,000 from the $1.9 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money that the state received.

Many of the claims arrived electronically, with thousands filed by organized criminals here and abroad using stolen personal identity information purchased on the dark web. Most phony claims are being identified and rejected almost immediately, Westby said.

The latest surge was in early March when the labor department received 20,000 claims for unemployment over a period of days. Other states are experiencing similar attacks corresponding to the rollout of new federal unemployment programs, Westby said.

It comes from all over, Westby said. Nigerian gangs were a problem in the last recession and they are still active today. There are organized crime groups in others countries which are actively spawning bad claims as well, not to mention organized crime groups within the U.S. and just local individuals doing the same thing and learning from each other how to steal money.

Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo said the resurrected unemployment fraud unit will work from his office and will consist of a full time prosecutor and two inspectors who will run down leads provided by labor investigators.

Our previous efforts in this area were highly successful and we are hopeful that the reconstituted unit will make similar progress on an even greater scale, Colangelo said. People should understand that claiming unemployment benefits you are not entitle to is a crime and may result in a criminal record, restitution, and possibly jail time.

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Those who are suspected of stealing benefits and identified could be prosecuted for a range of offenses.

If they are applying by computer and they are all coming from one particular IP address, it could be a computer crime, he said. Most of the time that we have charged these in the past, it was larceny from a public entity. But we also want to start thinking outside the box. Is it a forgery? Is it identity theft? Is it a computer crime on top of a larceny?

It is very easy for people to do this online and we made it easy for people on purpose because we were dealing with a pandemic, he said. And with any criminal element they are looking for something that is easy.

Westby said the 1.5 million unemployment claims filed with the department over the course of the pandemic is about 10 times the departments normal claims rate of about 2,500 a week. Of the surges  20,000 in March and a smaller 800 claim surge two weeks ago  Westby said he believes the departments screening process weeded out all the fraud.

We stopped all of those to our knowledge, he said. We have an adjudication process and an appeals process that is very robust.

Westby said he believes the departments claim screening system, which shares information with, among others, the state police, U.S. Treasury Department, the federal labor department and labor departments in other states, has been effective in identifying fraud before payments are made on claims.

We have screens where we have a lot of cross matching that we do on the front end and I am not going to get into the details because I dont want to tip off some of the techniques that we use, Westby said. We will take a questionable claim and we will cross match it with other departments of labor. We can send out data to find out whether that claim, or person or IP number has been used in another state. And vice versa.

In recent weeks, Westby said his department mailed thousands of 1099 tax reporting forms to recipients of unemployment benefits, an event that can be an indicator of the success of weeding out fraud. When criminals use stolen identities to collect benefits, the owners of the identities  who never applied for unemployment  often complain about being taxed on benefits they never collected.

We sent out way over 500,000 1099s recently for last years income, Westby said. The numbers that we have had returned from folks who said, Hey wait a minute. I didnt earn that money are very small. So that is an indicator that we are in a fairly good situation.

Before the Chief States Attorneys dedicated employment prosecution unit was disbanded in 2018 when both agency budgets were cut, it had made about 300 arrests and recovered about $2 million in benefits.

Westby said current case load suggests there is more to work with the second time around. He said his staff already is making cases with Secret Service, the State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor and labor departments in other states.

It is keeping us busy, Westby said.
(Bloomberg) -- A cyclone barreling through Indias west coast sank a barge hired by state-run explorer Oil & Natural Gas Corp. prompting a massive operation to rescue 96 people missing from the vessel.

Long-range maritime surveillance aircraft were assisting the rescue effort but bad weather was hampering operations, Indian Navy Spokesman Vivek Madhwal said, adding that about 177 people, who were on the barge, were rescued in a night-long operation.

Another warship of the Indian Navy sailed out on Tuesday to rescue hundreds of people from two other ONGC-operated barges, which were adrift in high seas, Madhwal said.

Indian Navy ships and vessels of Indian Coast Guard and ONGC have joined the rescue operations, the company said in a statement. The cyclone was equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, with waves as high as eight meters. ONGC has major production installations and drilling rigs in the area.

Cyclone Tauktae, which slammed Indias western Gujarat state Monday night, will gradually weaken in the next three hours, according to the India Meteorological Department. Heavy rain is likely to continue in parts of the western state of Gujarat, with wind speeds reaching as high as 125 kilometers (78 miles) per hour, it said.

The intensity of the cyclone is similar to the one that hit Gujarat in 1998, according to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the national weather forecaster.

Cyclone Tauktae struck at a time when the country is battling a coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals and crematoriums in India are getting overwhelmed amid the worlds fastest-surging outbreak.

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state that escaped the worst of the storm, canceled coronavirus vaccinations at public centers on Monday and moved more than 600 patients from the so-called jumbo facilities -- makeshift hospitals to accommodate the surge in infections -- to government-run hospitals. The citys international airport was shut for most of the day.

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Ports in Gujarat remained closed on Tuesday because of the turbulent sea conditions and high wind speed, according to a state government official handling port operations. A decision on resumption will be taken depending on the situation in the afternoon.

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Dallas police are looking for information regarding a Sunday fatal shooting in the 2000 block of East 8th Street, according to a news release.

Doris Ramirez, 33, died of her wounds in the hospital Monday afternoon after she was was shot May 16 around 2:30 a.m, according to the release.

Police said the motive and circumstances of the crime are still under investigation but ask anybody with information to contact Detective Eric Hearn at 214-883-9507 or by email at eric.hearn@dallascityhall.com.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward to anybody who comes forward with information on the crime that leads to an arrest and indictment. Tips to Crime Stoppers can be called in at 214-373-TIPS(8477).
Relentless rain has triggered deadly flash flooding and a state of emergency across Louisiana.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared the state of emergency Monday as rounds of intense rain, thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes threatened the southwestern part of the state.

Significant flooding has been reported across Louisiana from Baton Rouge to Lake Charles. Photo and videos shared online showed local streets turned into rivers, forcing drivers to abandon their cars while others traveled by boat.

Edwards has urged caution and said now is the time for residents to be aware of the changing weather conditions.

Water rescues and other emergency actions have been necessary this afternoon as heavy rainfall fell across Southwest Louisiana, he said in a statement. We are only a few weeks away from the start of hurricane season, but this threat is the latest in a string of recent weather threats that remind us of the importance of preparedness and staying informed.

Officials said there have already been four weather-related deaths, and the National Weather Service in New Orleans confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in Jefferson Parish.

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Since Monday, parts of Louisiana have seen upward of 13 inches of rain in the past 24 hours  and forecasts show more is on the way with the risk of excessive rainfall through Thursday.

As the weather threat continues this week, I implore Louisianans to monitor their local weather forecasts and follow all instructions from local leaders, Edwards said.

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for the southern Louisiana region through noon Wednesday, according to weather officials.

Photos and video depict the damage the heavy rain and floods have caused so far. Here are scenes from across the state:

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In an update, the National Weather Service in New Orleans said storms are expected to become more numerous Tuesday evening with heavy rain possible.

Officer enters home with gun, Louisiana cops say. It was fake  and so was her badge

Story continues

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GAZA CITY, Gaza  Nadeen Abed al Lateef has witnessed more violence at 10 years of age than most people have in a lifetime, and as Israel and Hamas exchange the most intense rounds of fire since the 2014 war in Gaza, the child has a message for America: Were just dying.

The American people, stop giving, stop giving weapons to the occupiers, she told NBC News amid the rubble in the tiny, impoverished Gaza Strip. Thats the way that you can help us.

The girl spoke Sunday  the deadliest day yet in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.

Image: Nadeen Abed al Lateef (NBC News)

Days of continuous Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have left 212 people, including 61 children, dead in the densely populated enclave that is home to 2 million Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Local officials said more than 90 multistory apartment blocks and residential buildings have been destroyed since last Monday.

Meanwhile, 10 people, including two children, have been killed following rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel.

More than 3,300 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory since the outbreak of the violence, according to Israeli authorities, sending panicked families rushing to shelters throughout the country for over a week.

In Gaza City, meanwhile, Nadeen says she wants to cry every time she sees someone die or looks at someone who is visibly scared. She is struggling to sleep at night.

Palestine children are dying in Gaza, Nadeen, the second-youngest of six children, said.

We can't do anything, she added. Were just dying.

More than 40 Palestinians died in air raids Sunday. And a strict land, air and sea blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt ensures that Nadeen and others like her cannot flee.

I want to let out my anger out of my body because theyre killing people, she said. We dont deserve this.

In recent days, pressure has been mounting on the United States, Israels most important and powerful ally which provides $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel annually, to do more to curb the civilian bloodshed and violence witnessed in the past week.

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President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, but made no direct call for an immediate end to violence as the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas entered a second week with no signs of a resolution in sight.

The White House said that Biden "expressed his support for a cease-fire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end" while reiterating U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself from rocket attacks from Gaza.

Department of State envoy Hady Amr has been dispatched to the region for de-escalation talks.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the U.S. has been working intensively behind the scenes to bring an end to the violence.

Image: Gaza residents inspect their house after it was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. (Said Khatib / AFP - Getty Images)

He reaffirmed U.S. support for Israels right to defend itself, but said that as a democracy it has an extra burden to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.

There is no equivalence between a terrorist group indiscriminately firing rockets at civilians and a country defending its people from those attacks, he said, while visiting Denmark.

So we call on Hamas and other groups in Gaza to end the rocket attacks immediately.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday thanked the U.S. for blocking a United Nations Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued to pound Gaza as Hamas also pressed on, launching rockets at southern Israeli cities in the early hours.

Nadeen's words conveyed the trauma of the children caught in the bombardments.

"I feel horrible that we are even seeing this," she said.

"I just don't want to listen to the screams of the families and children out there. I just want to sleep," Nadeen said. "I can't handle any more."

Wajjeh Abu Zarefah reported from Gaza City, Saphora Smith reported from London.
They use chickens in nursing homes. They have been good for my grandkids, especially since COVID-19 has been keeping everyone at home. You can sit there and watch them and interact with them, and its amazing how calm that can make you feel. Now, the girls are focused on something other than not being in school. They feed the chickens and water them and help socialize them. They hold them and love them. If they could bring the chickens inside to sleep with them at night, they would.
President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and during their call expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and encouraged Netanyahu "to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," the White House said.

Over the last week, Israel has been conducting airstrike after airstrike in Gaza, and in return, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel. This is the worst fighting between the two sides since 2014, and so far, at least 200 Palestinians and eight Israelis have been killed.

Egypt and the United Nations have been trying to broker a ceasefire, but have yet to make any progress. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said any "diplomatic initiative that advances that prospect is something that we'll support," but "ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a ceasefire."

The Biden administration said it is focusing on "quiet, intensive diplomacy," but some Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), are calling on the president to "push harder" on Israel and Hamas to stop the violence. "We can't continue to see this loss of civilian life," Schiff said on Face the Nation Sunday. "It's got to come to an end."

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The manager of a Georgia gas station is accused of sexually assaulting a police officer who was on duty and in uniform.

According to the Hogansville Police Department, Prilesh Navinchandra Thakkar attempted to forcefully commit an indecent act on an on duty female police officer.

The officer was conducting a business check on May 11 at the Hop In service station along state Highway 54 when the 300-pound manager grabbed her and pulled her behind the counter, WAGA reported.

She was able to get away from Thakkar and immediately reported what happened.

Police believe that due to the boldness of Thakkars attack, its not the first time hes done something like it.

To have attempted this act on a uniformed police officer ... there may be other victims of similar attacks, police said.

Police are asking any victims to come forward to investigators and contact detective Marcus Rakestraw with the Hogansville Police Department at 706-637-6648.

The Troup County Sheriffs Department assisted HPD in the investigation, and handled initial interviews in the case, according to a release. Thakkar was arrested the day of the attack and booked into the Troup County Jail.

He has been charged with sexual battery, and obstruction.

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Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a ceremonial swearing-in at the White House in 2018. (Associated Press)

On Monday the Supreme Court bolstered the 4th Amendments ban on unreasonable searches and seizures, ruling that police officers may not enter a home without a warrant and seize property as part of their so-called community caretaking role. But in another decision handed down that day, the court was depressingly less protective of the right to a fair trial guaranteed by the 6th Amendment.

In the 4th Amendment case, the court ruled in favor of Edward Caniglia, a Rhode Island man whose guns were confiscated by police who entered his home without a warrant after his wife expressed concern that he might kill himself.

Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas said the so-called community caretaking" exception to the warrant requirement  established in a 1973 decision about the search of an impounded rental car  didn't extend to searches of the home. Thomas noted that the court has said that the very core of the 4th Amendments protection was the right of a man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion.

Unfortunately, a majority of the court was less sensitive to constitutional rights in another new ruling, this one involving the right to a jury trial.

Last year the court ruled that the 6th Amendment required that juries in state courts must be unanimous when they convict a defendant of a serious crime. But on Monday, by a 6-3 vote, the justices refused to apply that ruling retroactively in the case of Thedrick Edwards, who was in convicted in 2007 by a non-unanimous jury of armed robbery, rape, and kidnapping. Edwards had sought to overturn his conviction in a federal habeas corpus proceeding.

Writing for the majority, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said that under Supreme Court precedents, decisions announcing a new procedural rule were not retroactive in cases such as Edwards. Kavanaughs opinion seemed to nullify a 1989 decision allowing retroactivity for watershed rules" of criminal procedure implicating fundamental fairness.

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Kavanaugh justified the decision by arguing that applying the courts 2020 decision retroactively would potentially overturn decades of convictions in states that allowed non-unanimous jury verdicts. But thats a matter of speculation.

More to the point, defendants such as Edwards shouldnt be denied a new trial because they were convicted before the court decided that unanimity was essential. As Justice Elena Kagan put it in a powerful dissenting opinion: If the right to a unanimous jury is so fundamental  if a verdict rendered by a divided jury is no verdict at all  then Thedrick Edwards should not spend his life behind bars over two jurors opposition.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ALBANY  New York firefighters and environmental advocates joined Sen. Todd Kaminsky on Tuesday to push for the passage of a bill that would ban carcinogenic flame retardant chemicals in household items.

Kaminsky (D-Nassau) is the lead sponsor of legislation that would prohibit toxic flame retardants in electronics, furniture and mattresses.

This bill will save lives, Kaminsky said. This bill would ban the most dangerous flame retardants in household products. Its time to stop listening to the corporate lobbyists and listen to our first responders.

Supporters rallied outside of an FDNY firehouse in St. Albans, Queens, to encourage lawmakers to take up the measure, which mirrors protections already in place in 13 other states as well as Europe.

Flame retardants are in everyday items such as TVs, phones and mattresses, and are meant to slow or prevent the start or growth of a fire.

However, many of the chemicals have been linked to serious health effects, from cancer and reproductive issues to developmental disabilities.

FDNY fire officers and firefighters face dangers every day, but cancer is the hidden killer, said Jake LeMonda, president of the United Fire Officers Association. This bill would go a long way in preventing our members from inhaling the cancer-causing toxins, and save lives of future generations of firefighters and fire officers in New York City and State  allowing first responders to stay safe, while keeping our city safe.

Industry and business groups have pushed back on the bill, arguing that it could increase fire deaths, injury and property damage.

Groups such as the American Chemistry Council, Association Home Appliance Manufacturers and The Business Council of New York State also say the legislation will adversely impact product safety for New Yorkers and would put manufacturers, retailers and small businesses in our state at a competitive disadvantage.

Bobby Eustace, the vice president of Uniformed Firefighters Association, and others believe opponents are resorting to scare tactics in order to prevent the measures passage and protect their bottom line.

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Its an unfortunate side effect of technology and advancement that couches just arent the same, furniture is just not the same, Eustace said. You buy a couch and you hear its flame retardant, its supposed to be safer. Its not safer to us, its not safer to you.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU Langone Health said the health risks are real for pregnant women and children as well as firefighters who are exposed to the chemicals.

We know that these flame retardants that we are talking about are associated with cancers, especially in highly exposed populations such as firefighters, he said. The bottom line is these categories of chemicals are literally hacking our our human health and costing our economy.
Susan Sarandon was diagnosed with endometriosis aged 36 - IAN LANGSDON /EPA

Women with endometriosis have been banned from serving in Spain's police force in a decision that has been called "degrading" and likened to "excluding all blonde people".

An estimated 10 per cent of women are affected by endometriosis, which can cause pelvic pain, heavy periods, painful bowel movements and infertility, meaning that thousands could be affected.

Gynaecologists say the interior ministrys change to the list of health-related exclusions shows a lack of understanding of a common condition.

"It's a real outrage," said Maribel Acien, head of gynaecology at the San Juan University Hospital in Alicante.

To include it as a general exclusion seems degrading to me. Endometriosis affects a large number of the female population. It's like excluding all blonde people.

This is completely discriminatory, and excludes many women who are able to lead a normal life, said Emi Escudero, spokeswoman for EndoSpain, an association that represents women with endometriosis.

Numerous celebrities, from Chrissy Teigen to Whoopi Goldberg, have opened up about their personal experiences, showing just how common the condition is.

Gynaecologists say the change shows a lack of understanding of a common condition - Juan Naharro Gimenez /Getty Images Europe

Actress Susan Sarandon said she spent years thinking of myself as someone who was weak and somewhat hysterical" before being diagnosed aged 36.

Suffering should not define you as a woman! Ms Sarandon told the Endometriosis Foundation of America. "It is not OK to miss a part of your life because of pain and excessive bleeding."

The government's decision, spotted by investigative journalism organisation Civio, puts the national police force out of step with Spains other security forces, such as the military and Guardia Civil, which consider endometriosis to be a bar to entering service only in severe cases where it incapacitates a woman.

Similarly, British police list endometriosis as a condition that should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to analyse its impact on a given candidate.

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It does not make sense that endometriosis in general is a reason for exclusion, said Juan Antonio Garcia Velasco, professor of gynaecology at Madrids Rey Juan Carlos University.

A lot of women have the disease, but most of them are not incapacitated. Some can even be completely asymptomatic, while others can lead an absolutely normal life with medical treatment.

The Telegraph approached Spains interior ministry for comment.
A customer at the Waverley, Edinburgh, enjoys a drink at the bar - Jane Barlow/PA

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to speed up Scotlands vaccine rollout in Covid hotspots, after her deputy warned that areas with rising virus rates could soon see lockdown restrictions reimposed.

Opponents accused Ms Sturgeon and her ministers of sitting on their hands over the roll-out of jabs in Glasgow, which along with Moray has been forced to remain in Level 3, while the rest of the country enjoyed new freedoms on Monday.

Public Health Scotland figures showed there are now 100.3 cases per 100,000 people in Glasgow following an outbreak linked to the Indian variant - more than double the benchmark of 50 for it to join most of the rest of the country in Level 2.

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, warned that the outbreak in the country's largest city would not "settle down quickly" and said it was unlikely experts would feel confident lifting restrictions next week.

Under Level 2, hugs and indoor visits to homes are allowed while hospitality venues are allowed to serve alcohol indoors.

First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney - Andy Buchanan/PA

On Monday, John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, admitted that East Renfrewshire could be put back into Level 3 restrictions following a "very, very swift" increase in cases, bringing its rate to 86.9.

Meanwhile, Midlothian's rate increased to 55.2, apparently putting that area at risk of going back to Level 3, although the outbreak in Moray appeared to have stabilised, with cases per 100,000 there falling to 59.5.

Mr Swinney admitted "there may be circumstances where we have to apply further restrictions once again" to areas other than Glasgow but acknowledged the worst scenario for businesses was "going in and out of restrictions like a yoyo."

However, the Scottish Government faced criticism over a sluggish response to local outbreaks, after more than 6,200 people were vaccinated in Bolton over the weekend by English authorities due to a spike linked to the Indian variant.

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In contrast, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it was making vaccines available to people aged 18 to 39 but is yet to finalise plans. The health board said it was likely appointments would be available from this week onwards.

car drives past a sign reading 'Welcome to Moray' on May 13, 2021 - Peter Summers/Getty Images

The outbreak has been associated with younger people who are less at risk of the virus. As of Monday, just one person on the health board area, which serves well over one million people, was in intensive care with Covid while only 26 were in hospital.

Crowds of young people gathered at the Hydro in Glasgow amid reports there were spare doses available. However, officials told the crowd there were only a "few hundred" and the youngsters would have to wait several hours to see if they would get one.

"For months I have badgered the Scottish Government to pull out all the stops, Willie Rennie, the leader of the Scottish LibDems, said. The Scottish Government are sitting on their hands when they need to act decisively.

"In Glasgow and Edinburgh in particular the vaccine rollout is sluggish. On day one the next Health Secretary should commit to speeding up the rollout, particularly in areas experiencing spiking caseloads."

Ms Sturgeon performed a last-minute about turn on Friday by announcing Glasgow would remain in Level 3, only days after stating it would join the rest of the mainland apart from Moray in Level 2. The move dismayed hospitality businesses in the city.

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In a letter to Ms Sturgeon, the bosses of Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) and UKHospitality Scotland said: "Emotions are running very high now within the industry and feelings of resilience and hope are now turning to bitterness and anger which is being directed towards the Scottish Government."

They said many hospitality and tourism businesses had brought in extra staff in the expectation of reopening this week, and the majority of them "will be new and ineligible for furloughed support."

The two trade groups said food and beverage bought in "will go to waste", the travel ban to and from Glasgow has led to widespread cancellations and the 750 support announced by Ms Sturgeon is "significantly" less than what is required for firms to survive.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: We understand the extremely difficult situation faced by local businesses as a result of Glasgow remaining in Level 3, and we are doing all we can to mitigate against the impact of the continuing restrictions, which will not stay in place for a moment longer than absolutely necessary.
We could not be more excited about this extraordinarily generous gift and we are grateful that Dr. Nash has allowed the University to name this historic Chair in her honor, said Fisk University President Vann R. Newkirk.



On Monday, Fisk University announced that it received a $2.5 million donation from a Nashville family. The donation came from a couple, Amy and Frank Garrison, and is the largest in the HBCUs 155 year history.

We could not be more excited about this extraordinarily generous gift and we are grateful that Dr. Nash has allowed the University to name this historic Chair in her honor, said Fisk University President Vann R. Newkirk.

Amy and Frank Garrison are alumni of the neighboring Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and their gift will be used to establish The Diane Nash-Descendants of the Emancipation endowed chair, named for civil rights organizer and strategist Diane Nash. The chair will serve as director of the universitys John Lewis Center for Social Justice, according to the universitys website.

Fisk University campus (Courtesy of Fisk University)

Read More: North Carolina A&T, the nations largest HBCU, received $181 million in donations

Nash and the esteemed civil rights activist John Lewis are both Fisk University alumni along with many other luminaries such as W.E.B. Dubois, Nikki Giovanni, Ida B. Wells, James Weldon Johnson and John Hope Franklin to name just a few.

This is the first and only endowed chair with my name and I am so pleased to have it at my alma mater. This is such an honor and it belongs not only to me, but also to the thousands of people who participated in the freedom movement with me, said Nash.

In recognition of the role the university has played in shaping American history, the Garrisons said they are happy to support the universitys service to future generations of students and alumni.

Fisks extraordinary contributions to the fabric of American life are well documented and todays students are eager to continue in the footsteps of those legendary leaders, like Diane Nash and John Lewis, who helped shape a better future and set lasting examples of courage and purpose for all of us, said Frank Garrison.

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Fisk is such an important asset to our ever-changing city and we wanted to recognize that; Fisk is so deserving of city-wide support and we are very happy to be in a position to lend ours, said Amy Garrison.

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Read More: Travis Scott casts a philanthropic eye toward HBCU students

Like other HBCUs, Fisk has reported an increase in student enrollment over the last five years. Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T, Elizabeth City State University and Edward Waters College also reported increases in 2020, signaling a renewed focus on the invaluable institutions that is happening nationwide.

Fisk students, the Universitys partners and the broader community are all looking for thoughtful and focused programming, inquiry and discussion around social justice, said Fisk University vice president Jens Frederiksen.

With this remarkable gift and the endowed Director role, Fisk will be able to address this need for the next 155 years and we are beyond grateful to Amy and Frank Garrison for their vision and support.

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Kevin Enns Rempel with HistoricFresno.org says it's hard to find homes older than the one that once stood on the corner of Illinois and Diana St.

Video Transcript

- Fresno firefighters have already battled a record number of fires in recent months, and we're not even halfway through the year.

A recent fire that destroyed a home, over a century old, was battled by fire crews. Action News reporter Alyssa Flores has more on the loss of local history and the alarming trends that are stretching resources and responses.

- The Hewitt House is, by Fresno standards, part of our ancient history.

ALYSSA FLORES: The 130-year-old homes stood the test of time until last week. 40 firefighters fought the flames Thursday, but a piece of Fresno history destroyed. The boarded-up, vacant home was a property on the local register of historic resources. The John Hewitt home, built in 1891 by a Fresno farmer.

Kevin Enns-Rempel with HistoricFresno.org says it's hard to find homes older than the one that once stood on the corner of Illinois and Diana Street.

KEVIN ENNS-REMPEL: And given how many buildings like the Hewitt home we have torn down over the years, makes it even more crucial that we try our best to not lose the few that are left.

ALYSSA FLORES: Shane Brown with Fresno City Fire says, unfortunately, homes this old are prone to burn faster.

SHANE BROWN: Construction methods were different at that time. Some of the things that we see are types of construction called balloon frame, and there's no real fire stops in between the floors.

ALYSSA FLORES: It's not the first time the area has seen historic properties destroyed. Last June, two houses in downtown's Armenian Town, built in the early 1900s, were left in shambles after a devastating fire. Fresno fire investigators discovered homeless people were responsible, which Brown says could be the cause behind the fire at the Hewitt Home.

SHANE BROWN: The homeless-involved fires are up 102% from the same date last year.

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ALYSSA FLORES: And as weather heats up, the department expects city fires will continue to ramp up.

SHANE BROWN: With the weather getting ready to change and get hotter, the belief is it's only going to get worse.

ALYSSA FLORES: As of now, an official cause has not been declared for this incident. The fire department says they are completely overwhelmed with about 2,700 fires so far this year in the city and only six investigators.

In Central Fresno, Alyssa Flores, ABC30 Action News.
Floridas Department of Health on Monday announced 1,976 new confirmed cases of COVID-19  the lowest count recorded since last month. The state also announced 59 new deaths. Of those who died, 58 were residents.

Mondays case count is the lowest reported since April 12, when 1,613 cases were added. Mondays, like Sundays, usually have a lower case count because less data is processed during the weekend.

On Monday, the state reported the results of 53,329 residents tested the day prior, the lowest reported since April 11. The states percent positivity increased from 4.35% to 4.42%.

The state has recorded a known total of 2,293,980 coronavirus cases and 36,857 deaths. Among those who died, 36,133 were residents and 724 were nonresidents.

More than 7.5 million Floridians have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or have completed Johnson & Johnsons single-dose vaccine, according to Mondays vaccine report.

COVID-19 in Florida

 Miami-Dade County reported 464 new cases and 15 deaths, putting its pandemic totals at 495,367 cases and 6,319 deaths. In Miami-Dade, 338,007 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 1,054,688 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 3.63% to 3.76%.

 Broward County reported 185 new cases and one death, putting its pandemic totals at 242,199 cases and 3,012 deaths. In Broward, 209,331 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 703,402 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity increased from 3.14% to 3.38%.

 Palm Beach County reported 118 new cases and 10 deaths, bringing its cumulative count to 146,833 cases and 2,826 deaths. In Palm Beach County, 142,412 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 559,802 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity decreased from 4.07% to 4.04%.

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 Monroe County added no new cases and no deaths. Pandemic totals in the Keys are at 7,038 cases and 49 deaths. In the Keys, 10,264 people have received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna and 29,767 people have either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or have completed the two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna. Percent positivity decreased from 2.56% to 1.45%.

Florida COVID-19 Hospitalizations

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reports the number of patients hospitalized statewide with a primary diagnosis of COVID. The data, which is updated at least every hour, does not distinguish between the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units and those in acute-care beds, which require less attention from nurses.

Government officials use current hospitalizations to decide the next steps in fighting the pandemic.

As of 2:46 p.m. Monday, the agency said there were 2,443 people hospitalized. Of these, Miami-Dade had 438; Broward, 314; Palm Beach, 143; and Monroe, 2, the agency said.

According to Miami-Dades New Normal Dashboard, county hospitals have reported 480 COVID-19 patients, up from 447 on Sunday. There were 59 new patients and 34 were discharged.

State hospitalization data doesnt always match Miami-Dades New Normal Dashboard data for various reasons, including the frequency of daily updates.

Miami Herald staff writer Carli Teproff contributed to this report.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- HOZON Auto, a Chinese startup owning EV brand Nezha, announced its cumulative vehicle outputs reached 40,000 units on May 10 at the car manufacturing plant in Tongxiang, Zhejiang province.

Photo credit: HOZON Auto



The startup said the milestone indicates that it has formed a certain scale in car production and a stable supply chain, and also demonstrates the company's abilities to well control costs and guarantee products' quality.

HOZON Auto saw its first production vehicle roll off the assembly line at the Tongxiang plant in July 2018. The automaker is intensifying efforts to construct the car plant in Yichun, Jiangxi province, which is set to start production at the end of this year. By that moment, HOZON Auto will feature a total capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

HOZON Auto has been posting consecutively upward momentum in sales on a yearly basis. According to the company, its annual sales in 2018, 2019, and 2020 reached 1,206 units, 11,212 units, and 15,091 units respectively. For the first four months of 2021, HOZON Auto sold 11,458 vehicles in total, a year-on-year hike of 432%.

According to Zhang Yong, co-founder and CEO of HOZON Auto, the startup aims to sell over 50,000 vehicles in 2021.

Chinese Internet security giant 360 announced on May 10 its partnership with HOZON Auto on car building business. The information was afterwards confirmed by HOZON Auto via its Sina Weibo account.

The EV manufacturer said on April 26 it had initiated its Series D financing, which was intended to raise roughly 3 billion yuan ($466.389 million) and was strategically led by 360. Upon completion of the funding, 360 will become the second largest shareholder of HOZON Auto.
The easing of restrictions, according to Martirano, is due in part to the countys high vaccination rate and quickly improving coronavirus metrics. The viruss presence in Howard County is lower than at nearly any time during the pandemic. Howard, which boasts the highest rate in the state at 61.7% of all residents (adults and children) at least partially vaccinated, has a weekly positivity rate of 1.21% and has had only 80 COVID-19 cases in the past seven days  both of which are lower than at any point since last spring  according to the Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday.
Sheriffs deputies in Florida have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the murder of a mom of two who was fatally shot during a botched carjacking, officials recently announced.

JaQuarius Sentel McCray has been charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder for shooting and killing Roxana Sanchez, 36, just hours before Mothers Day, the Orange County Sheriff's Office announced late Monday. OCSO officials also shared a video of McCray wearing a gray and black shirt, red pants and handcuffs as hes walked to a department vehicle.

FAMILY OF FLORIDA MOM KILLED IN BOTCHED CARJACKING ASKING PUBLIC FOR HELP FINDING ATTACKERS

Local officials are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads deputies to the second suspect.

Sanchez was gunned down in the driveway of her Orange County home shortly before 12:45 a.m. on May 8, police said. The mom of two and a friend were returning from a shopping and dinner trip and had just pulled into her driveway when another car drove up behind them, according to police and Orlando Sentinel.

MISSING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOUND DEAD ON MIAMI CAUSEWAY, POLICE SEARCH HIT-AND-RUN SUSPECT

A pair of strangers exited the second vehicle and ordered Sanchez and her friend, who was driving, out of their car, according to the report. Instead of doing so, Sanchezs fearful friend shifted the vehicle into reverse and backed into the strangers car, prompting one of the suspects to shoot and wound Sanchez, police and the report said.

She was rushed to an area hospital, but could not be saved.

On May 11, police released video showing what they believe is the suspects' vehicle. The family is asking anyone with information in the case to contact the sheriffs office.

Sanchezs sister, Yahaira Viado, has created a GoFundMe page to cover hospital and funeral expenses.

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"She was my rock and sounding board for everything. She had an infectious smile, and always had the best advice," she wrote on the page. "She changed our lives and helped us out whenever she could."

Viado wrote that the "cowards" who shot her "did not think how it would severely impact her life and those around her."
By Angela Moore

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After 13-year-old Sahil Shah lost his sense of smell to COVID-19 in November, his parents looked everywhere for help.

"We met with neurologists, neurosurgeons, ENT specialists, and all of them said if it was supposed to come back, it would have come back by now," said Sahil's father, Pratik Shah.

But six months later, the teenager from Chicago still had no sense of smell or taste.

The family sought help from an unlikely source - New York fragrance expert Sue Phillips. She has helped develop and market perfumes for Elizabeth Arden, Lancome and Tiffany & Co, and now runs her own company, Scenterprises.

"So let me tell you, first of all, I am not a doctor. I'm not a scientist. I'm not even a chemist," Phillips told a client at her boutique on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

To begin the process of helping people learn to smell again, Phillips sets up an array of 18 custom-blended fragrances. Starting with the lighter notes such as rose, lavender and mint, Phillips hands one scented blotter strip at a time to her client.

If there is no response, she uses more robust scents, such as spice and musk.

"What's been happening is we're training people to, I like to say, smell with your brain... I can see almost the fog lifting. And then they can start to smell again. And it's really amazing."

After visiting Philips, Shah's father said Sahil's smell is now at about 25%. "It's better than zero."

A panel of experts recommended in a paper https://bit.ly/3iD6D9B published in January in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that COVID-19 patients who lost their sense of smell receive a form of "smell rehab" known as olfactory training.

Harvard University neuroscientist Venkatesh Murthy said some smells can trigger memories and emotions and Phillips may be on to something.

"By trying various different fragrances, maybe for a particular person, you hit upon one or two things that the leftover sense of smell is able to perceive," he said, adding there was no harm in trying to use scents to restore smell.

(Reporting by Angela Moore; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
ZURICH (Reuters) - The GAVI Vaccine Alliance hopes deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines from India can be resumed in the third quarter of this year, it said on Tuesday, after the pandemic-battered country halted exports to focus on its own surge in infections.

"We remain in regular and close contact with both the government and SII (Serum Institute of India), and remain hopeful that deliveries could resume, in reduced quantity, in the third quarter," GAVI told Reuters.

Reuters reported earlier that India is unlikely to resume major exports of COVID-19 vaccines until at least October as it diverts shots for domestic use, a longer-than-expected delay set to worsen supply shortages from the global COVAX initiative which is jointly run by GAVI and the World Health Organization.

Battling the world's biggest jump in coronavirus infections, India halted vaccine exports a month ago after donating or selling more than 66 million doses.

The move has left countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and many in Africa scrambling for alternate supplies.

One of Africa's most senior health officials said an extended halt of exports from India risked damaging vaccination efforts in the continent, which is already facing supply and financial constraints.

"This is very problematic as it means unpredictability of our vaccination programmes and a serious risk of not achieving our stated target ... on time," the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Emma Farge, writing by John Revill, editing by Chris Reese and Giles Elgood)
BERLIN (AP)  A businessman suspected of helping Russia purchase sophisticated machinery in breach of arms export rules has been detained in Germany, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The man, identified only as Alexander S. because of privacy rules, was detained by German customs officials in the eastern city of Leipzig. Officers also searched premises in Leipzig and Berlin in connection with the case, the federal prosecutors office said.

The suspect is accused of running a trading company that had ties to a business in Russia controlled by a Russian intelligence agency.

This company acted as an intermediary, by purchasing high-quality machine tools and having them shipped to arms companies in Russia," German prosecutors said in a statement.

The suspect is alleged to have shipped several pieces of machinery to Russia in 2019 without obtaining the necessary export licenses, each time declaring a false recipient for the dual-use goods. He is also suspected of having signed purchase agreements for further devices to be shipped to companies involved in Russia's missile program, though prosecutors said it was unclear whether those goods were delivered.

The suspect now faces charges of failing to obtain export permits, breaching export bans and acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.

Prosecutors said the suspect isn't the same Alexander S. who was charged last year over the delivery of 8 million euros worth of machinery to a company linked to the Russian military between January 2016 and January 2018.
Google developers are confident they can build a commercial-grade quantum computer by 2029. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the plan during today's I/O stream, and in a blog post, quantum AI lead engineer Erik Lucero further outlined the company's goal to "build a useful, error-corrected quantum computer" within the decade.

Executives also revealed Google's new campus in Santa Barbara, California, which is dedicated to quantum AI. The campus has Google's first quantum data center, hardware research laboratories, and the company's very own quantum processor chip fabrication facilities.

The main benefits of quantum computing come in terms of processing power, scale and accuracy, allowing researchers to run complex computations incredibly quickly. Experts predict quantum computing will help drive breakthroughs in a number of industries, including healthcare, economics, encryption, artificial intelligence, sustainability and energy.

"As we look 10 years into the future, many of the greatest global challenges, from climate change to handling the next pandemic, demand a new kind of computing," Lucero said. "To build better batteries (to lighten the load on the power grid), or to create fertilizer to feed the world without creating 2 percent of global carbon emissions (as nitrogen fixation does today), or to create more targeted medicines (to stop the next pandemic before it starts), we need to understand and design molecules better. That means simulating nature accurately. But you cant simulate molecules very well using classical computers."

Google isn't alone in the race for quantum computing: IBM is installing its first commercial quantum computer at the Cleveland Clinic this year, as part of a decade-long partnership to drive discoveries in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
After years without a major update, Wear OS is getting some love today at Google's I/O developer conference. The software's latest version is coming, and was developed in collaboration with Samsung. This isn't the deep Fitbit integration some of us might have been expecting since Google completed its acquisition earlier this year, but its still a pretty huge deal.

Wear OS meets Tizen OS

Ive long considered Samsung's Tizen to be the best smartwatch platform for Android users and this partnership demonstrates Google's ability to recognize the Korean company's expertise in this area. Though neither Tizen nor Wear OS measure up to Apples watchOS at the moment, Samsungs software at least offers good built-in health and fitness tracking, along with a navigation system that makes common functions easy to find. Wear OS, meanwhile, is a simple skeleton that relies on cards and Assistant to get most things done, but has much more third-party app support than Tizen.

We dont have all the details on what the new UI will look like yet, but based on some renders Google has provided, it looks like some navigation changes are coming. First, a double tap of a physical button on the watch case will let you switch between your current and previous apps, like a Spotify dashboard and a Strava workout session.

Google is also expanding its existing Tiles feature, which lets you swipe horizontally through a selection of widgets, to third-party apps. It was previously limited to first-party functions like Weather, Fit and Heart Rate. Some third-party examples weve seen so far include a relaxation timer from Calm. Google said you'll be able to customize the carousel of Tiles to make your favorites easier to reach. Hopefully, well see more support from developers since the Tiles alpha was opened up in March. A horizontal carousel of widgets would make Wear OS feel much more similar to Tizen, at least on the surface.

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Wear OS tiles nav.

Google also said it learned things from Samsung like how to optimize battery efficiency and run certain processes in the background for a better user experience. In addition to improved performance like apps starting 30 percent faster and having smoother animations and transitions, the two companies also worked on things like the chipsets and platform-level enhancements. This should improve battery life, though don't expect to see longer runtimes just yet. The energy efficiencies are more to enable useful processes without draining too much juice. Things like constant heart rate monitoring or sleep tracking, for example, were possible on previous versions of Wear OS but would sap the battery too much to be really useful.

The new combined platform would be more open, according to director of product management for Wear OS Bjorn Kilburn, and Google would be providing a new reference UI for watch makers. "We're going to enable OEMs the ability to customize that experience much more deeply than they were able to in the past," he said in an interview with Engadget. This means companies like Fossil and Montblanc can tweak the software more deeply than before, which could result in smartwatches from different OEMs being more distinct than ever.

Improved health and fitness tracking

One area where Wear OS fell short of Tizen and Apple's watchOS before was health and fitness tracking. Though Google Fit tracked things like your steps progress and heart health points (gained from cardio activity), Wear OS didn't offer a well integrated exercise-tracking system.

Google Wear OS 2021 Fitbit app. A screenshot of the Fitbit app for the new Wear OS, showing the Active Zone minutes box.

For the new platform, Google has "been working intensely with Fitbit and Samsung to completely rebuild the health and fitness framework on Wear," Kilburn said. He said the team collaborated with Samsung to learn how to run things like constant heart rate tracking without draining too much battery. Google also got input from both companies on how to make use of sensors like accelerometers and heart rate scanners for a comprehensive health-tracking system. At I/O, the company launched a Health Services API alpha that would let developers get familiar with the new features available on the latest Wear OS.

In addition, Fitbit is building an app for the new Wear that will bring in its tools like workout tracking and health and activity monitoring throughout the day and on-screen celebrations. It's not yet clear if Fitbit's capable sleep-tracking function will be coming to Wear OS, but if it does, it'd give Google's platform an edge over Apple. Since Fitbit uses your heart rate to tell what sleep stage you're in throughout the night, it offers more insight than watchOS, which doesn't interpret your cardio data that way yet.

Other upcoming changes

Some other changes include upcoming refreshes of Googles own apps like Pay, Maps and YouTube Music, and the Assistant. Support for offline music playback (via YouTube Music and Spotify) is coming and Maps will also soon offer turn-by-turn navigation on the wrist.

The new Wear OS 2021 YouTube Music app. Screenshot of the YouTube Music app on the new Wear OS, showing an

Most of these, like the Fitbit app, YouTube Music and Spotify updates are coming later this year, while the Maps redesign is expected later this month or early next. Similarly, Google Pay support on watches is expanding to 26 new countries later this month or early June, bringing the total number of countries to 37. The Pay redesign is coming later this year, though, while an Assistant revamp is set for early 2022.

Bitmoji is also working on a new watch face that will use your customized avatar as a background and change facial expressions based on your health and fitness progress. There will also be a new tool that will let designers customize watch faces, as well as promised improvements to performance and chipsets thanks to the Samsung partnership. Through that collaboration, the new Wear OS will also support more carriers for LTE connectivity, as well as more countries and languages. These are all expected to arrive later this year.

To make it easier for developers to create apps for the platform, Google is also offering Kotlin support optimized for Wear OS as of this week. Also beginning this week, developers will have access to new APIs for health services and ongoing activity to enable more background processes, making their apps more useful.

Samsung and Fitbit watches with the new Wear OS

While theres no news of actual devices running the next generation of Wear OS yet, Fitbit did say it's working on "premium smartwatches" based on the new software. Meanwhile, Samsung said that its existing smartwatches will continue to run Tizen and itll continue to support the OS for three years. But moving forward, new devices will use this co-engineered Wear OS instead. With the openness that this new platform will bring, Samsung's devices could see an influx of third-party app compatibility that would make its watches more useful.

That marks the end of one era and the beginning of another in the wearable world. Though no other company has said it will be making watches based on the new Wear OS, we wouldnt be surprised if Fossil, whos so far been one of the biggest makers of these smartwatches, jumps in soon.

Will the Google and Samsung team up be the boost the industry has been waiting years for? And will the new Wear OS finally give Android users a smartwatch that rivals Apple? Its still too early to tell. Until we can test devices and the new software out ourselves, all we can do is be cautiously optimistic.
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google on Tuesday launched its Showcase news platform in India with 30 domestic news publishers, at a time when the country is trying to weed out misinformation surrounding a ferocious second COVID-19 wave.

Indians have become increasingly reliant on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for information related to the crisis amid a shortage of critical medical supplies.

Google will pay the partnering publishers for their online content and allow them to curate it, while allowing users limited access to paywalled stories. It did not reveal further financial details.

"Today's announcement comes at a particularly challenging moment in India, with Indians seeking out authoritative news and information as the COVID-19 crisis deepens," Google said in a blog https://india.googleblog.com/2021/05/news-showcase-india-announcement.html.

The world's second most populous country is going through one of the deadliest outbreaks, with the total COVID-19 caseload crossing 25 million on Tuesday.

The Indian government has also been at odds with social media platform giants. Last month, it asked Twitter to take down dozens of tweets that were critical of its handling of the virus outbreak.

Google's service was globally launched late last year and has been in use in more than 12 countries, including Germany, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

Content from Indian publisher partners in English and Hindi will begin to appear in News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover, Google said, adding it would launch additional Indic languages this year.

Google, led by Sundar Pichai, has promised $18 million in new funding for India, including advertising support for public health campaigns.

(Reporting by Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
CORFU, Greece (Reuters) - The Greek island of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday, hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020 due to the coronavirus.

Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety measures were being adhered to in the port.

Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able to travel again.

"It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better. You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.

Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU and other key markets such as the United States, Israel and Britain, lifting the need for people to quarantine as long as they have been vaccinated or tested negative for COVID-19.

Costa's first ship to resume cruises in Greece and the second to restart operations overall, is one of four scheduled to resume cruises this summer in the Mediterranean.

It set sail from the port of Trieste on May 16, and besides Corfu, will also stop in Athens, Mykonos, the port of Katakolon near Olympia in Greece, and Bari in Italy. It will operate until mid-November for some 27 cruises.

According to the company website, safety measures due to the coronavirus include a reduced number of passengers, social distancing, testing before embarking and midway through the cruise, as well as daily temperature checks when passengers disembark and re-enter the ship, as well as during excursions.

Masks will be required when necessary. The crew will also undergo frequent tests.

Another cruiseship, Mein Schiff 5 with about 1,000 passengers, was the first to dock at Piraeus Port this summer holiday season, Piraeus Port Authority said.

Tourists visited the local sites on the island wearing masks and underwent temperature checks at the museums.

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"At last we're coming back on track to freedom and work," said tour guide Wafaa Spirou. "Safety and hygiene measures are being respected both by us and by our clients."

In March, the Costa Luminosa bound for the Italian harbour of Savona, had 36 people on board found to be infected with the coronavirus when tests were undertaken on passengers, during a stop in the French port of Marseille.

(Reporting by Spyros Skordilis, Writing by Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Abortion rights groups asked a federal judge on Tuesday to block a new Indiana law that would require doctors to tell women undergoing drug-induced abortions about a disputed treatment for potentially stopping the abortion process.

The lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis argues that the requirement would confuse patients and increase the stigma associated with obtaining an abortion, while also forcing doctors to give what they regard as dubious medical information. The groups want a judge to block the new so-called abortion reversal law from taking effect as scheduled in July.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb last month signed the bill, which GOP legislators argued would ensure that a woman had information about halting a medication-induced abortion if she changes her mind after taking the first of the two drugs used in the procedure and takes another drug instead.

The lawsuit maintains the requirement wrongly singles out doctors providing abortion drugs and their patients.

No other healthcare providers are required to inform their patients about experimental medical interventions, the safety and efficacy of which are wholly unsupported by reliable scientific evidence, and no other patients are required to receive such information as a condition of treatment, the lawsuit said.

Six states already have similar requirements in place, while such laws in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee have been blocked by legal challenges, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

The Indiana lawsuit also challenges a new state law banning doctors from providing abortion services by virtual visits with patients.

Republican state Attorney General Todd Rokita said his office would seek to have the law take effect.

Protecting the God-given right to life, especially for the unborn who cant protect themselves, is my highest priority, Rokita said in a statement.

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Medication abortions accounted for 44% of the roughly 7,600 abortions performed in Indiana in 2019, according to the state health departments most recent statistics.

The Indiana law is part of a wave of legislation being pushed in several Republican-led states to further restrict medication abortion and ban telemedicine abortions.

Indianas Republican-dominated Legislature has adopted numerous abortion restrictions over the past decade, with several of them later blocked by challenges in federal court.

Among those challenges, a federal judge in 2019 ruled against the states ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure that the legislation called dismemberment abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 also rejected Indianas appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the states ban on abortion based on gender, race or disability. However, it upheld a portion of the 2016 law signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains after an abortion.

Republican state Rep. Peggy Mayfield of Martinsville, who sponsored this years bill said she wasnt concerned about the potential cost of a lawsuit.

I think the priority is on saving babies and not whether or not someone wants to take us to court, because we win some and we lose some, Mayfield said during a committee hearing.
Howard, which boasts the highest rate in the state at 61.7% of all residents (adults and children) at least partially vaccinated, has a weekly positivity rate of 1.21% and has had only 80 COVID-19 cases in the past seven days  both of which are lower than at any point since last spring  according to the Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday.
Many of the world's largest cybercrime gangs are still actively hacking and extorting victims, undeterred by the international spotlight after one of their peers hacked a U.S. fuel pipeline.

A Russian-affiliated hacker gang, DarkSide, disappeared last week after it hacked Colonial Pipeline, which provides fuel for much of the U.S. East Coast. That prompted the company to shut down operations for five days, leading to gas shortages in the U.S. and condemnation from President Joe Biden. Seemingly spooked, DarkSide, which had collected around $5 million in ransom from the company, claimed that it was "apolitical" on its main website, which soon was deleted.

But DarkSide is only one player in a thriving scene of cybercrime groups. More notorious gangs are still active after the Colonial attack, according to evidence of their exploits, which many such groups post to blogs that they maintain on the dark web.

The groups continue to post information from victims they have hacked and are actively extorting U.S. organizations. Like DarkSide, such gangs make money by infecting organizations with ransomware, meaning they hack them to encrypt and steal files. They demand money to make their files usable, threatening to publish private files if they're not promptly paid.

An effective ransomware attack can net the hackers millions of dollars. Although some gangs, like DarkSide, code their hacking programs not to attack Russian victims, many ransomware groups have few qualms about whom they hit, as long as they can potentially turn a profit.

A gang with a track record of hacking hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic has in recent months devastated a hospital that serves the Navajo Nation and published sensitive patient files from other U.S. hospitals that didn't promptly pay up. Last week, it also hacked Ireland's national health care system, the Health Service Executive, or HSE, a spokesperson confirmed by text message. The service's email server is still offline because of the attack.

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The attack, which the HSE announced Friday, has led to a number of appointment cancellations across six Irish hospitals. Ireland's minister for public procurement and e-government, Ossian Smyth, said it was "possibly the most significant cybercrime attack on the Irish state."

The gang has been active with extortion attempts on its website. Since May 13, it has published files from Bee County, Texas, a Utah farming equipment manufacturer, an Australian butcher chain and an Indian travel technology company, all as punishment for not paying.

Another prolific group is most recently known for hacking a Taiwanese company that manufactures Apple computers and leaking previously private specs. Since Saturday, it has posted proof of at least four new victims to a dark web blog it maintains: a California sensor manufacturer, a Texas home construction company, a Florida law firm and an international customer experience consulting company.

A third gang last week published a vast trove of documents stolen from Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department after police were reported to have offered only $100,000 to keep them private. It leaked files from two more victims Friday: a New Jersey LED light manufacturer and the U.S. arm of a Swiss automation company.

Websites for two smaller ransomware gangs went down over the weekend, prompting some speculation that DarkSide's disappearance marked the beginning of cybercriminals' facing consequences for their sprees.

But the reality is probably more bland, said Allan Liska, a ransomware analyst at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

"The most likely scenario is that DarkSide, rightfully, feared they had attracted too much attention, so they decided to shut down operations and drain their accounts," Liska said. The other groups "were second-tier players  they won't be missed."
WASHINGTON  For more than a year, reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans have drastically climbed.

Legislation meant to combat the attacks and racism is headed to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature after passing a final vote in the House  a win for advocates and the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander community.

The House passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, 364-62, which would expedite the Justice Department's review of hate crimes and designate an official at the department to oversee the effort.

More: Suspect in Atlanta-area spa killings indicted on murder, domestic terror charges, could face hate crimes

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a news conference Tuesday that "after a year in which we've seen 6,600 reported anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents and after a year of the Asian American community crying out for help, today, Congress is taking historic action to pass long-overdue hate crimes legislation."

"These incidents have terrified the Asian American community," she said.

After a mass shooting in Georgia in March that killed eight people  six of whom were women of Asian descent  lawmakers in both chambers of Congress called for quick action on the legislation. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

The bill passed the Senate in April by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 94-1, becoming one of the few pieces of legislation to be negotiated and pass the gridlocked upper chamber.

More: COVID-19 hate crimes bill to fight Asian American discrimination passes Senate

"The vote today on the Anti-Asian hate crimes bill is proof that when the Senate is given the opportunity to work, the Senate can work to solve important issues," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said from the Senate floor before that vote.

The last piece of hate crime legislation to be signed into law was the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded the law to include crimes motivated by sexual orientation, gender identity and more. President Barack Obama signed the measure in 2009 as a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act.

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Violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities has grown despite increased national attention and political action against anti-Asian hate. The uptick in anti-Asian violence was first reported in March 2020 as COVID-19 began spreading, and some politicians, including President Donald Trump, blamed China for the pandemic.

Opinion:Asian and Pacific Islander heritage helps lift America to what it must be

There was a more than 164% increase in anti-Asian hate crime reports to police in the first quarter of 2021 in 16 major cities and jurisdictions compared with last year, according to a report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

More than 6,600 hate incidents have been reported in the year since the pandemic began in the USA, Stop AAPI Hate announced this week. More than a third of those incidents were reported this March, according to the organization founded last year in response to increased targeting of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the pandemic.

In New York this week, a woman was arrested after being seen on surveillance video attacking two Asian women because they were wearing masks, striking one with a hammer.

'A historic surge': Anti-Asian American hate incidents skyrocket despite public awareness campaign

Tuesday's House vote fell on the third annual National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Day Against Bullying and Hate, which coincides with the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in 1982 in a hate crime. Chin was a Chinese American man in Detroit killed by two autoworkers who thought he was Japanese, whom they blamed for the industry's struggles. His killers paid a $3,000 fine each and went free.

Though the hate crimes legislation got broad bipartisan support in the Senate and widespread support in the House, it faced some Republican resistance.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said from the House floor Tuesday that his GOP colleagues took issue with provisions in the bill such as the "ambiguous hotlines for people to report anything they find troubling."

Helen Zia has seen hostility against Asian Americans before: We didnt learn enough or some people have forgotten.

Biden supports the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. He said in March, Its time for Congress to codify and expand upon these actions  because every person in our nation deserves to live their lives with safety, dignity and respect."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Tuesday that Biden would sign the legislation into law this week.

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For some AAPI members of Congress, the legislation is a good start to combat some of these crimes, but advocacy and support from other communities is necessary.

Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., author of the legislation, released a video in September that played several racist voicemails her office received.

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Some of the messages referred to the "kung flu," an offensive and derogatory term used to describe COVID-19.

"During COVID-19 we have witnessed unspeakable acts of violence  even death  against our community. It breaks my heart to see such hateful incidents. But I believe this moment in American history has planted new seeds of friendship and allyship," Meng said in a statement Tuesday. "Let us go forward in solidarity within our community and lock arms with other communities."

Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., rose in support of the "Senate-amended, bipartisan" legislation Tuesday, saying hate crimes are "not reflective of the country that welcomed me and my family into its fabric."

"That's why I'm glad Congress is coming together in a bipartisan way to take steps against the hate targeting communities like the AAPI community," she said. "However, let's recognize that we cannot legislate hate out of our people's hearts and minds. We must treat each other with respect and see each other as Americans."

Rep. Young Kim: Bipartisan stand needed against hate crimes that target Asian Americans

Chu, who was born in the USA, told USA TODAY in March that like many Asian Americans, she has received comments like where are you from? Those questions make her feel "seen as a foreigner in my own land."

The text of the No Hate Act, legislation co-sponsored by Chu that is included in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, would enact a more informed approach to prevention by providing grants to states to improve hate crime reporting.

That provision would allow courts to require people convicted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act to take part in community service and educational programs as a condition of supervised release.

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., called the data around increased anti-Asian hate "both humbling and frightening."

"Everyone deserves to live without fear of violence against themselves and their families. And our country needs a way forward past this era of violence and hate. The swift passage and implementation of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act will prove crucial to this endeavor," he said during Tuesday's news conference.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Ryan W. Miller USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anti-Asian hate crimes bill to go before Biden after full House vote
Roy Hodgson is to step down as Crystal Palace manager at the end of the season, the club announced on Tuesday.

The 73-year-old will bring the curtain down on his four-year spell at his boyhood club against one of his former sides, Liverpool, on Sunday.

The former England manager's contract was due to expire in the close season after another campaign in which he maintained Palace's Premier League status.

"After more than 45 years of coaching, I have decided that the time is right for me to step away from the rigours of top-flight Premier League football," Hodgson said in a statement.

"So our final two matches will be my last ones as manager of Crystal Palace.

"It's been a particularly rewarding period of my football life and career to have been able to spend these last four seasons with Palace."

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been mentioned in the media as a potential replacement for Hodgson at Palace.

Palace fans will recall Hodgson's first season in charge with particular affection.

He was appointed early in the 2017-18 campaign, Palace were pointless and had failed to score during their opening four league games after a disastrous start to life under Frank De Boer.

The former Inter Milan and Switzerland manager looked to have an insurmountable task when the Eagles lost their first three games under him.

However, he engineered an astonishing revival which saw them preserve their elite status, eventually finishing 11th in the table.

It was the first time in Premier League history a team had stayed up in the top flight after losing their first seven games (itself a Premier League record).

- 'Give us stability' -

They are presently enjoying their longest consecutive spell in the top flight -- they have been in the EPL since the 2013/14 season.

"It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to work alongside Roy, who is both a magnificent human and an outstanding football manager," said Palace chairman Steve Parrish.

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"I know how much it has meant to Roy managing the club he supported as a child.

"His record with us simply cannot be overstated, he is the only Palace manager to secure four years in the Premier League and he has helped give us stability in the most turbulent of times."

Hodgson is a much respected coach despite low points with Liverpool and ultimately England.

He resigned after England lost to minnows Iceland in the Last 16 clash at Euro 2016 -- following a first round exit at the 2014 World Cup.

However, he has worked wonders with mid-level teams.

He built his reputation firstly with Malmo in Sweden and then taking Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup and Euro 96.

After a rebuilding job with Inter Milan and further league title glory with Copenhagen, Fulham offered Hodgson the chance to boost his reputation in England in 2007 and he enjoyed a memorable three years there taking them to the 2010 Europa League final.

Another successful survival battle at West Brom secured him the England job when Fabio Capello walked out prior to Euro 2012.

The England job was expected to be his last but the temptation to manage a club so close to his heart proved too much.

He departs Palace with the record of being the oldest person to ever manage in the Premier League.

pi/lp
"We run businesses, we can't go on holiday and then come home and self isolate for 10 days."

Last year, Sandra Norman and her family spent nearly 5,000 booking a package deal for a villa in Rhodes for the end of May 2021, to celebrate family birthdays.

But Greece is still an amber-rated country under the government's traffic light system and the advice is to not travel to amber countries for leisure.

Sandra asked the travel agent if they could move the booking to the same dates in 2022.

She says the company refused to move the booking or issue a credit note, so if they didn't go on the holiday then they stood to lose everything.

BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme has been contacted by people who booked holidays last year for summer 2021, or had holidays moved from 2020 by tour operators, who now feel they cannot travel due to government advice.

However, the travel companies are refusing refunds or delays to the holidays.

International travel restrictions for British holidaymakers were eased on Monday. 12 countries or territories have been given a green rating, meaning you can travel to them for tourism. But many tourist hotspots, such as France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Croatia, are amber countries.

Many popular holiday destinations, such as Greece, remain on the amber list

The government's traffic light system is guidance rather than a legal requirement, and some travel companies have opted to still offer holidays to amber destinations if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not advised against all but essential travel.

However, when you return from an amber country you have to self isolate at home for 10 days and take Covid-19 PCR tests on day two and day eight.

For Sandra and her family, it's not an option.

"My husband and son run a plumbing business, they have jobs booked in for the day we get back. I work, and we picked this time because the boys have an extra week off school. Now, when we come back they have to isolate, that's another week off school for the boys".

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The company who Sandra booked through, Villa Plus, told You & Yours: "Government advice on amber destinations is not legislation and whilst we empathise with those that may now choose not to travel due to the entry requirements they face upon return to the UK, we cannot provide them with a refund or credit for monies paid and they should seek compensation from their travel insurance provider."

The company has agreed to make an exception in Sandra Norman's case, and has now offered to move the flights to the same dates next year and to issue a voucher for the value of the villa, which they can use to rebook once 2022 dates become available.

The UK's largest tour operator, Tui, is currently offering holidays to amber countries such as Cuba, Barbados and Antigua, and to some Greek and Spanish islands.

Lauren Bower and her family are due to fly to Gran Canaria on 4 June with Tui. They booked their holiday last summer, expecting things would be back to normal by now.

"I've got a five and a seven year old, we haven't got the option to quarantine when we get back, obviously with school and with my husband's work and my work."

The Bower family checked with their travel insurance provider and were told that their holiday insurance would be invalid if they travelled to an amber country against government guidance. Tui can offer the family travel insurance, but it will mean paying twice.

Passengers checking in at Gatwick

The company is offering customers free changes to holiday bookings if they don't want to travel, but they will be required to pay any price difference for the new dates, which can be more expensive because demand is high.

Lauren says her family would rather have a refund as their options to rebook are limited, having to use most of their annual leave from work to cover childcare in the school holidays.

"We can't do that because the one week we get off together as a family, my mother-in-law is getting married, so to go on holiday next year is not an option. And the price of holidays for next year have gone up already. If we were to go in the six-week holidays it would be an extra 2,200 on top of the price we've already paid."

In response to Lauren Bower's case, Tui said: "We're sorry to hear that the Bower family will not be able to take their holiday to Gran Canaria as planned.

"We're offering as much choice and flexibility as possible; all customers due to depart before the end of August can change their holiday to another time for free before the end of October 2022.

"Unfortunately in line with our Tui Holiday Promise, their booking does not qualify for a refund or voucher. This would only happen if we have to cancel their booking for operational reasons, there's a change in FCDO travel advice, or their destination is on the red list prior to travel."
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit will not contend in next month's Belmont Stakes after the New York Racing Association (NYRA) temporarily suspended the horse and its famed trainer, Bob Baffert, on Monday following a failed drug test.

Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, a banned substance, earlier this month after winning the first of the three legs of horse racing's Triple Crown series.

The horse came up short at Saturday's Preakness Stakes, finishing third behind Midnight Bourbon and upset winner Rombauer.

"In order to maintain a successful thoroughbred racing industry in New York, NYRA must protect the integrity of the sport for our fans, the betting public and racing participants," NYRA Chief Executive Dave ORourke said in a written statement announcing the suspension.

"That responsibility demands the action taken today in the best interests of thoroughbred racing."

Baffert, one of the most successful and recognizable figures in the sport with a record seven Kentucky Derby wins, said there was "never any attempt to game or cheat the system" in a statement provided to NBC Sports on Saturday.

If the positive test for the anti-inflammatory steroid is confirmed, it would strip Medina Spirit of his Kentucky Derby win.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
May 18Howard County police arrested two young adults on firearms charges Monday morning after they had a loaded gun in Long Reach High School's parking lot, according to the department.

Police charged Rashad Rudder-Watkins, 18, of Elkridge, and Katherine Mejia, 20, of Glenarden in Prince George's County, with multiple firearms violations, including the possession of a gun on school property.

Police said Rudder-Watkins was being dropped off for class at Long Reach High in Columbia by Mejia when a "domestic incident broke out," according to a police department news release.

No one was injured in the incident, police said.

According to the police department, Mejia called 911 at around 9:25 a.m. to report that Rudder-Watkins refused to leave her car, adding that he had a gun. A patrol officer who "happened to be inside the school" on an unrelated call, according to the release, went to the parking lot.

Police then discovered an illegal loaded firearm in the glove compartment, known as a "ghost gun," the release states. The firearm, police said, is untraceable with no serial number and is assembled by different components purchased online.

Rudder-Watkins and Mejia were taken Monday to the Howard County booking center for processing. Both were released the same day on their own recognizance, according to electronic court records.

A scheduling hearing for Mejia is set for July 7 in Howard County District Court, while one for Rudder-Watkins is set for the day after, according to electronic court records. Neither had attorneys listed in the online court database.
Howard County schools Superintendent Michael Martirano on Monday announced the system is once again increasing capacity for its in-person high school graduation ceremonies at Merriweather Post Pavilion starting in less than two weeks.

Martirano wrote in the release that the Gov. Larry Hogans state orders last week lifting capacity restrictions on outdoor venues allow the school system, in conjunction with Merriweather, to allow more family members and friends of graduates to attend. Now, each graduate will receive six tickets for guests.

Originally, when planning began earlier this spring, graduates were going to be given only two tickets. Then, last week, as the countys coronavirus numbers showed vast improvement, the number was doubled to four.

Another change is where guests may sit. Before, guests were only allowed to sit on the lawn at Merriweather, but after the new guidance, guests can sit in the pavilion or on the lawn. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, which has a large lawn space behind its covered seating, has a capacity of around 19,000.

The easing of restrictions, according to Martirano, is due in part to the countys high vaccination rate and quickly improving coronavirus metrics. The viruss presence in Howard County is lower than at nearly any time during the pandemic. Howard, which boasts the highest rate in the state at 61.7% of all residents (adults and children) at least partially vaccinated, has a weekly positivity rate of 1.21% and has had only 80 COVID-19 cases in the past seven days  both of which are lower than at any point since last spring  according to the Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday.

Last spring, after the coronavirus first shuttered school buildings, the topic of graduations was an important one for many in the community  especially for parents with seniors in the Class of 2020. The system decided to cancel the in-person events and instead streamed prerecorded ceremonies.

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Graduations for the 12 public high schools  as well as Cedar Lane School  will be on a staggered schedule between May 28 and June 4. They will also be streamed online and broadcast on television (Channel 42 on Verizon and Channel 95 on Comcast).

Here is the 2021 graduation schedule:

Cedar Lane School*  10 a.m. May 28

Wilde Lake  3 p.m. May 28

Mt. Hebron  11 a.m. June 1

Oakland Mills  3 p.m. June 1

Atholton  7 p.m. June 1

Marriotts Ridge  11 a.m. June 2

Centennial  3 p.m. June 2

Howard  7 p.m. June 2

Reservoir  11 a.m. June 3

Glenelg  3 p.m. June 3

Long Reach  7 p.m. June 3

Hammond  11 a.m. June 4

River Hill  3 p.m. June 4

*Cedar Lane Schools graduation will be on school grounds in Fulton, not at Merriweather. Homewood Center students will graduate with their home schools.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday condemned the EU's "one-sided" statements on Israel, as his European counterparts called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians.

"I have a general problem with these European statements on Israel...," Szijjarto told AFP in an interview.

"These are usually very much one-sided, and these statements do not help, especially not under current circumstances, when the tension is so high."

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called for a ceasefire to stop the fighting between Israel and the Palestinians.

Borrell said the statement, issued after a video conference of EU foreign ministers, was backed by all the bloc's member states except Hungary.

Heavy air strikes and rocket fire in the Israel-Gaza conflict claimed more lives on both sides Tuesday after more than a week of fighting.

Israel's bombing campaign on Gaza has killed 213 Palestinians, including 61 children, and wounded more than 1,400 people in Gaza in more than a week of fighting against Islamist group Hamas, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

- 'Less lecturing' -

Hungary has been criticised in some quarters for its diplomatic tilt from West to East -- a foreign policy nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban calls "eastern opening".

It has recently used its veto power to block EU statements on China, for example.

In the interview with AFP at the Hungarian embassy in Paris, Szijjarto insisted that blocking such decisions "is a right of every country in the European Union".

Past EU statements on China had not helped "change things", he argued.

"So if we have already made eight statements, which didn't make sense, why should we make a ninth one? ... EU diplomacy should not consist only of judgements, negative statements and sanctions," he added.

"So I think less judgement, less lecturing, less criticism, less interference and more pragmatic cooperation could give back a lot of strength to the European Union."

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- 'Double standards' -

Szijjarto also criticised western European countries for "double standards" on coronavirus immunisation, insisting Hungarian experts had approved Russian and Chinese vaccines and so it was "absolutely not a gamble" to use them.

Hungary has the EU's highest coronavirus death rate, according to data compiled by AFP from official data. Its current death toll of a little over 29,000 translates to more than 3,000 deaths per million inhabitants.

But its Covid-19 immunisation rollout has been one of the fastest in the EU thanks to its use -- alone among the bloc's 27 members, for now -- of China's Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik.

Almost half of Hungary's population of 9.8 million half already received at least one jab. Slovakia plans to start offering the Sputnik V vaccine in June.

So far however, neither Sputnik and Sinopharm has received a green light from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in the EU.

"We have always looked at the vaccines as they are: tools to save lives of the people," said Szijjarto.

Other countries however had made the "huge mistake" of seeing them as "issues of geopolitical or ideological nature", he added.

- Yacht pictures -

Szijjarto raised eyebrows last year when Hungarian media published pictures of him holidaying onboard a Hungarian oligarch's yacht in Croatia, but he dismissed this as a "private" matter.

"Picturing me as if I could be touched by corruption is just simply ridiculous. Everybody in Hungary knows that I'm coming from a pretty rich and wealthy family because of the achievement of my parents being successful entrepreneurs," he said.

Hungary ranks 69th out of 180 countries worldwide in the latest corruption perception index of Transparency International.

bg-jza/jj
Daniel Blue took the stand in his own defense, admitting he dealt marijuana, but not the cocaine he was charged with conspiring to distribute, according to his attorney William R. Buie III. Buie underscored to jurors that Blue was charged with being part of a drug conspiracy despite not being caught with drugs.
May 17A group of alumni, local and area residents and visitors gathered at McAlester's Michael J. Hunter Memorial Park on Saturday for a May Day celebration  and so much more.

In addition to the celebration, organizers trying to save the former L'Ouverture School Building at 1401 E. Cherokee Ave. hoped get more individuals involved in the effort. They also publicly thanked some of those who have already helped with cleanup and restoration efforts.

The Saturday celebration marked the first major public event held at Hunter Park since major efforts have been underway to clean up and upgrade the park.

McAlester resident Primus Moore, a retired educator and principal with McAlester Public Schools, said May Day had been a major event when he attended L'Ouverture.

"It used to be a big fun-day celebration when we were getting close to the end of school," he said.

Moore, the class president of the L'Ouverture Class of 1965, spoke of the history of the former L'Ouverture School as well as the current cleanup and restoration efforts. Herbert Keith, the valedictorian of the L'Ouverture Class of 1965, joined Moore at the podium for the celebratory event.

"We want to honor all the volunteers who are present," Keith said

Keith is hopeful more will volunteer and also help in other ways with the restoration of the former L'Ouverture School, now known as the L'Ouverture Historical Center.

"A lot of hands make a heavy load light," Keith said.

Keith noted that progress has been made on cleaning up the former school building, thanks to volunteers, including McAlester Police Lt. Bobby Cox, who has helped with the volunteer efforts while off-duty.

McAlester Mayor John Browne also stood on the podium to address the participants, which included former Mayor Steve Harrison.

L'Ouverture School was the public school attended by African American students in McAlester for a 60-year period, from 1908 to 1968  when 115 L'Ouverture High School students integrated with McAlester High School, followed later by students in the elementary through eighth grades. MPS had last used the building as the Key Academy Alternative School before moving the alternative school to the McAlester High School campus.

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In 2014, Moore and Keith joined together as the L'Ouverture Class of 1965 to purchase the building from McAlester Public Schools in 2014. Keith said those supporting the effort are getting close to obtaining a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit designation for the L'Ouverture restoration project.

During the Hunter Park event, old friends reunited while people made new ones. Afro Student Union sponsor Rosalynn Jones talked with Yvonne Allford about upcoming activities.

Rashaud Buie, the new assistant boys soccer coach at McAlester Public Schools, who was also graduating from the University of Oklahoma over the weekend, stopped by the event.

Coluah Watts Stanfield and Lynn Watts, whose father was the well-known civil rights advocate, Wade Watts, also took part in the celebration.

"This is great," Stanfield said. "I see people here with their kids. It's a community." Speaking of her father and others who worked for civil rights, she said "That's what they were all about when they were alive.

The Rev. Donald E. Brown had attended L'Ouverture in elementary school before transferring to Emerson Elementary after integration.

"This is our history," he said. "I hope more people in the community help us save this school."

Ricky Barr kept a cooker going during the early part of the day to prepare a meal for the celebrants, while nearby Mark Johnson, of Restoration Ministries, kept another one fired up.

Some students, including Isaiah Hishaw, Aaron Hall and Asia Hall played games during the morning. Later, they and other members of the Afro Student Union were honored with certificates thanking them for their volunteer work to help clean up L'Ouverture.

The Pittsburg County Health Department had a station set up, where Registered Nurses Shandy Schmitt and Tiffany Busby administered COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone who wanted one, including Adam Butler, who got his first shot.

Rev, Brown said he believes restoring the L'Ouverture building would be a benefit to McAlester.

"It's going to help the whole community," he said.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
An Ada County couple accused of starving and beating a 9-year-old boy to death have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Monique and Erik Osuna, of Meridian, appeared in court Monday morning and both pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges, according to Emily Lowe, spokesperson for the Ada County Prosecutors Office. Erik Osuna also pleaded not guilty to one count of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.

The two were charged after the death of 9-year-old Emrik Osuna, Eriks biological son, on Sept. 2. Emrik Osuna did not have a pulse and was not breathing when police and paramedics arrived at the familys Meridian apartment on Sept. 1. Emirk was pronounced dead at around 1:30 p.m. the next afternoon.

During a preliminary hearing in March, prosecutors showed numerous videos depicting the abuse Emrik Osuna endured before his death. The abuse was captured on nanny cameras that the couple had in their Meridian apartment, authorities said.

One video showed Emrik performing a wall-sit while Monique Osuna stood over him, screaming profanities and threatening to beat the child. Another video depicted Emrik doing a physical exercise in the kitchen before Erik Osuna appeared to hit the child with a belt in the back of the head.

Meridian Police Officer Scott Frazier was one of two officers who first arrived on scene. He said during the March hearing that Emrik had extensive bruising and signs of trauma on the lower half of his body. Frazier said the child looked sickly, and described Emrik as looking very emaciated and ill.

Both Osunas are being held at the Ada County Jail in lieu of $2 million bonds. Their trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 21.
A Meridian man has pleaded guilty to illegally profiting from the coronavirus pandemic and to fraud related to his former employment, according to a news release from the Idaho U.S. Attorneys Office.

Douglas Wold, a former human resources manager at Fry Foods in Ontario, Oregon, developed two illegal money-making schemes while working at the food processing company, according to the release. He has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.

From May to August of 2020, Wold filed payroll requests to the company for people who were not working there, and subsequently deposited the fraudulent earnings into his personal bank accounts, according to prosecutors.

Also in May 2020, a coronavirus outbreak at a Fry Foods plant in Weiser led the plant to voluntarily shut down. Wold charged his employer nearly $40,000 for a COVID-19 testing program that was conducted by a separate company at a lower cost, according to the release. Wolds company, Hala Lallo Health, did not conduct the tests but was paid for them, and Wold deposited the money into his own account. The company that actually provided the testing was not paid, according to prosecutors.

Wold used over $69,000 of the money he obtained fraudulently to purchase a speedboat and a trailer, among other things, the release notes.

The two counts of fraud could result in up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine and three years of probation. Wold also faces up to 10 years in prison, another $250,000 fine and another three years of probation on the money laundering count, according to prosecutors.

Wold was arrested last September by Internal Revenue Service agents, according to court records. He will be sentenced on Aug. 27.

Wold has an extensive criminal record in Idaho and has served time for felony forgery, according to court records. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to arson and was sentenced to five years in an Idaho prison. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to six counts of felony grand theft and was sentenced to four years.
Two downstate Illinois men charged with breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 said they were there to tour the historic site and went out of their way to avoid the violence, even stopping to ask a cop for directions to the nearest bathroom.

Douglas Wangler, 53, and Bruce Harrison, 58, both of the Danville area, were charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Urbana on Friday with entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

A judge released both men on their own recognizance with orders to appear on the charges in Washington, court records show.

At least eight Illinoisans have now been federally charged as part of the ongoing investigation into the Capitol attack, which prosecutors have described as one of the largest criminal investigations in American history.

According to the complaint filed last week, Wangler and Harrison decided at the last minute to drive to Washington to attend President Donald Trumps rally decrying the legislatures vote to certify the Electoral College results from the 2020 presidential election.

Wangler told the FBI in an interview last month that as they walked to the Capitol building after Trumps speech, he heard several loud bangs that sounded to him like a civil war re-enactment and saw protesters fighting with police and trying to breach barricades surrounding the building.

The friends avoided the violence by walking around to the other side of the building, according to Wanglers interview. He told the FBI that as they were walking, he saw a man pounding on one of the buildings windows and he told the man to knock that (expletive) off, the complaint stated.

Eventually they entered the Capitol through an open door that had broken-out windows on either side, according to the complaint. Multiple images from the scene showed Harrison and Wangler roaming around the Capitol Crypt, taking photos and video by a white marble sculpture of John Stark and a bust of Abraham Lincoln, the complaint stated.

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At one point, Wangler said he asked a police officer if they were going to get in trouble for being inside the building. According to Wangler, the officer shrugged and said something to the effect of, It doesnt matter now, the complaint stated.

Harrison, meanwhile, told the FBI that while they were in the Capitol he asked another officer where the nearest restrooms were located. The officer pointed in a certain direction but the friends were not able to reach the bathroom because that area of the building had been blocked off, according to the complaint.

Harrison told the FBI they decided to leave after about 15 minutes because they had gotten caught up in the moment and realized they should probably not be inside, the complaint stated. They took a taxi back to their hotel and drove back to Illinois the next day.

The FBI later identified Wangler and Harrison from tipsters and the distinctive clothing they were seen wearing in surveillance images, including Harrisons red, white and blue New England Patriots jacket, which he said hed chosen because of its patriotic colors, the complaint stated.

A friend of the men interviewed by the FBI said Wangler had confided that he and Harrison had walked around for a little while inside the U.S. Capitol building to take a tour of some of the sights and then left, according to the complaint.

The friend told the FBI that Wangler also said, If walking around and singing some patriotic songs is a crime then I guess I am guilty.

An attorney for the men did not immediately return calls seeking comment on Monday.

Both Wangler and Harrison are scheduled to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington on May 28.

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Leading Sixty8 Capital is Kelli Jones, the first Black woman to lead a venture capital fund in Indiana.

Video Transcript

ALIA BLACKBURN: Sixty8 Capital says it's looking for any and all business models. And while it is open to all diversities, organizers say there's a strong focus in the Black company. Sixty8 Capital was looking for start-ups in the early stages, and that means no more than a year or two in operation. They must also have the potential to grow fast. Select companies could get between 250,000 to half a million dollars. The goal is to connect businesses with investors and a growing network of opportunities and clients.

Kelli Jones is also looking for diversity from the inside out in these companies. As the first Black woman to lead a venture capital fund in Indiana, she hopes to use her platform to help those who may be otherwise limited in resources.

KELLI JONES: We, obviously, have the opportunity to take advantage of a lot of the newfound effort to see more inclusiveness in our business community. I want to make sure that we are not giving diversity the lens of just one face, but that we're looking at it across the entire spectrum. What does your entire business look like? How do you sort of put yourself out there into the world? How did you respond during Black Lives Matter?
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A major Canadian National shareholder is urging the railroad to abandon its $33.6 billion bid to buy Kansas City Southern after regulators dealt the deal a procedural setback this week.

London-based investment firm TCI Fund, which owns nearly 3% of Canadian National, sent a letter Tuesday urging it to drop its pursuit of Kansas City Southern. It cited uncertainty about whether U.S. regulators would approve the acquisition under a tough set of rules for railroad mergers that haven't been tested since they were written 20 years ago.

There is no way the CN board can have any confidence in how these new rules will be interpreted because they have never been used before, wrote Chris Hohn, TCI founder and portfolio manager, and Ben Walker, a partner at the firm.

TCI said the comments regulators made when they raised a procedural issue with Canadian Nationals plan Monday suggested they will take a cautious approach to evaluating the merger.

TCI, however, does have a potential conflict of interest in the dispute because it is also the largest shareholder in Canadian Pacific railroad, which has made a rival $25 billion offer to buy Kansas City Southern. Still, the firm said it would be reckless to bet nearly $2 billion  the amount Canadian National would owe in breakup fees  on the Surface Transportation Board approving Canadian National's plan to buy Kansas City Southern.

CN said it welcomes input from its shareholders, but it still believes it should move forward with the Kansas City Southern deal.

CNs board believes its pro-competitive combination with Kansas City Southern is in the best interest of CNs shareholders and other stakeholders, Canadian National said.

And Canadian National's largest shareholder, billionaire Bill Gates' Cascade Investment, has backed the deal. Cascade spokesman Charles Zehren said Tuesday the investment fund  which holds roughly 12% of CN's stock and a seat on its board  stood by the public statements it made last month in support of the deal.

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For its part, Canadian Pacific has until the end of Thursday to respond to Canadian National's bid. But Canadian Pacific has said it doesn't plan to engage in a bidding war. Kansas City Southern said last week that it believes Canadian National made the better offer.

Canadian Pacific has said it believes allowing Canadian National and Kansas City Southern to merge would hurt competition because those two railroads both have lines that compete for business between the Gulf Coast and the Midwest. Canadian National has said it is confident it can address any competitive concerns during the review process for the deal.

The Surface Transportation Board said Monday that it rejected Canadian National's plan to set up a voting trust that would acquire Kansas City Southern and own the railroad while regulators review the deal. The STB said it couldnt review Canadian Nationals plan because it didn't include a detailed merger agreement.

Canadian National said it remains confident that regulators will eventually approve its acquisition of Kansas City Southern, and it plans to resubmit its voting trust plan this week after it filed a copy of its merger agreement with regulators Tuesday.

Citi Research analyst Christian Wetherbee said the board's comments about Canadian National's plan suggest that it is setting a high bar for approving the plan. For instance, regulators said they question whether the price Canadian National has agreed to pay for Kansas City Southern could hurt CN's finances because of the amount of debt it will take on.

Regulators haven't approved a major railroad merger since the 1990s.
(Bloomberg) -- Iron ore futures rose for a second day amid demand optimism in the wake of robust output data from China and lower inventory levels.

Steel mills in China are ramping up production to benefit from elevated prices, with the nation churning out crude steel, putting China on track for record output this year. In another sign for a strong demand, stockpiles for rebar continued to drop, while iron-ore port inventories declined for the third consecutive week.

Chinese firms should boost domestic exploration for the steel-making input, widen their sources of imports, and explore overseas ore resources, the National Development and Reform Commission said at its monthly briefing. Despite the heightened government campaign to curb raw material prices, industrial commodities prices powered on, recovering much of their poise after last weeks pullback.

Mysteel expects single-digit growth for apparent steel consumption in China to persist past 2021 as a result of the nations medium-term urbanization targets, according to a note from UBS Group AG, citing a call with Henry Liu, head of iron ore analytics at the pricing and market intelligence service.

Iron ore futures in Singapore rose 3.2% to $214.15 a ton by 3:55 p.m. local time, after climbing 2.9% on Monday. Contracts in Dalian closed 3.8% higher, and rebar and hot-rolled coil futures edged higher in Shanghai.

However, other risks to the rally may be looming as supply from Brazil could pick up in the coming months. Brazilian producers are looking to generate cash and make new investments to supply a tight market underpinned by robust China-led demand, according to the president of the countrys mining industry group Ibram.

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YOUSSEF MASSOUD/AFP via Getty

The discourse around the most recent round of fighting between Israel and Hamas was already toxic. Then, while Gaza was burning, an IDF soldier posted a video last week on TikTok lip-syncing the quote, Huh? What was that? I should kill everyone and escape?

The soldier, who has been featured on the IDFs Tiktok page, was sharing a quote from Harley Quinn, the unhinged supervillainess from the 2016 film Suicide Squad, based on the DC comic. Sorry, its the voices, the quote continues, Ahaha, I'm kidding! Jeez. That's not what they really said.

Yael Deri, the TikToker in question, has posted other videos that drew backlash on social media, including one in which she danced and smiled to a patriotic Palestinian song, plastered with emojis of the Israeli flag.

Now Im not going to get into the fact that this song is obviously not meant for you, one TikTok user said in a post responding to the clip. But the fact that youre smiling and dancing to this song right now when your people are killing kids, innocent kids, innocent mothers, fathers, and you have a smile on your face?

An IDF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast asking for confirmation about Deris position with the Israeli military. But a video on the IDFs official TikTok account describes her in the caption as a fighter from the crossing battalion Taoz of the military police.

Deri, who posted sporadically on Facebook in the years before she joined Tiktok, is seen in the video wearing patches from Israeli military police and the Taoz battalion, which carry out law enforcement functions among IDF troops and staff checkpoints. Deri is often seen in videos on her account filming at apparent checkpoints.

Since the start of the conflict, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials. Ten Israelis have been killed from Hamas rockets launched from Gaza into Israel. Tensions are running understandably high. Shitposts and misinformation from all sides are making it worse.

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Israeli Officials Dispute Death Toll in Gaza Amid Onslaught

Other clips posted before and during the ongoing hostilities appear to feature Deri dancing with IDF soldiers in a group, making finger-gun gestures to soundbites of gunshots, and lip-syncing to the song Stand Up from the movie Harriet, based on the life of the political activist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and helped liberate dozens of slaves in the American Civil War.

But Deri isnt the only one whose social media posts have helped inflame tensions in the current conflict. The Israeli government itself has used its official state Twitter account to spread misinformation, including a tweet aimed at Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid, falsely claiming that she advocated for throwing Jews into the sea and for the elimination of the Jewish State after she had attended a protest against the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

What were seeing is the use of disinformation targeting civilians to cause chaos and instill fear, Lisa Kaplan, founder of the disinformation tracking firm Alethea Group, told The Daily Beast. The abdication of norms underscores that our ecosystem relies on users to adhere to an ethical standard that continues to erode.

Other, non-official social media accounts, including the idftweets Instagram page, have been churning out one inflammatory post after another, including a photoshopped image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posing as the Salt Bae meme, sprinkling airstrikes over an image of Gazas landscape engulfed in smoke and flames.

Screenshot/Instagram/IDFTweets

Social media pugilists on both sides of the conflict have, wittingly and not, recycled footage from previous wars between Hamas and Israel and recast those depicted in footage of different conflicts altogether as Israelis and Palestinians in order to rally support to their cause.

The most high-profile example came from Ofir Gendelman, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tweeted footage purporting to show Hamas launching rockets at Israel. 1/3 of these 250+ rockets fell inside the Gaza Strip, killing Palestinians, Gendelman said alongside the video. But the footage, as numerous observers pointed out, showed artillery rocket launches not from Gaza but from Syrias civil war in 2018.

Another viral video tweeted by an Israeli government adviser purports to show Palestinians staging a fake funeral for propaganda purposes during the fighting in Gaza. BBC investigators traced the clip back to well before the recent conflict to young men in Jordan engaging in an apparent effort to skirt coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Dozens of posts on Facebook and Twitter have also shown the image of a little girl, variously named Malak Al Tanani and Buthaina Ubaid, swaddled in a blanket and described as killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza. In a since-deleted tweet, Irans state-run English-language TV channel posted the picture on Tuesday with the caption, The world is not the same place since this morning when this 3yo girl stopped breathing after Israeli missiles targeted her home.

Dozens of children have been killed in Gaza over the past week, but the child depicted in the photo is not one of them. The picture of the girl was taken from a 2018 Instagram post of a Russian child model based in Moscow who is alive and not in Gaza. Some posts casting her as Buthaina Ubaid appear to be taken from reporting about a 7-year-old Palestinian girl by that name who was killed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza over the past week.

Journalist Hit by Missile Recounts Gaza Horror: Suddenly Everything Was White

Other social media users used recycled footage taken in places far away from the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict to push their own narratives. In one example, posters recast footage of Swedish police arresting a youth in 2015 into a video that falsely claimed to show how an Israeli policeman strangles a Palestinian child to death after a protest over Israels threats to evict Palestinian residents of Jerusalems Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Just like the current explosion of violence taking place in Gaza, the toxic cycle of disinformation and incendiary posts sweeping social media shows no signs of slowing down.

Actors have always used propaganda to confuse their enemy or build rapport with local populations, and norms have developed around use during wartime, said Kaplan. However, those norms are not translating to the disinformation landscape and continue to be ignored.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Some $5.8m (4.2m) recovered by UK agencies that was stolen by a Nigerian former governor and laundered in Britain have now been returned to Nigeria, the Nigerian authorities say.

Former Delta state Governor James Ibori was convicted of money laundering in the UK in 2012.

Prosecutors say he stole an estimated $165m (117m) from the oil-rich state.

A Bombardier Challenger jet is among the items listed in court documents for a confiscation order against Ibori.

The 4.2m has been recovered from Ibori's wife, sister and fiduciary agent, who were also convicted of money laundering.

Observers expect more money to be retrieved from Ibori himself.

Nigeria's Attorney General Abubakar Malami hailed the return of the loot as a "demonstration of the recognition of reputation Nigeria earns" for managing recovered money, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

Who is James Ibori?

James Ibori went from petty thief to Nigerian state governor to convicted money launderer.

He went to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a DIY shop in London.

Ibori was convicted in 1991 for stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and got involved in politics.

When he ran for Delta State governor, he lied about his date of birth to hide his UK conviction - which would have prevented him standing for office.

He became governor in 1999 and soon began taking money from state coffers. Delta state is the source of much of Nigeria's oil.

Why did the British authorities convict him?

The British police began to take an interest in Ibori again in 2005 after they came across a purchase order for a private jet, made through his solicitor in London.

He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was eventually arrested in Dubai in 2010 and extradited to the UK.

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He was convicted on 10 counts of fraud worth a total of nearly 50m in 2012.

After his release in 2016, Ibori was placed straight into immigration detention.

The publication of the court judgement revealed a Home Office email which had recommended keeping him in immigration detention to buy time to work out how to recover at least 57m.

What happened to Ibori?

James Ibori seen here celebrating in 2009 when he was cleared by a Nigerian court, but he was later convicted in the UK

Once he was eventually released, he returned to Nigeria and sued the Home Office for unlawful detention.

Ibori won the case but was awarded just 1 compensation.

In 2020 prosecutors in a UK court asked a judge to make a confiscation order against Ibori of 117.7m.

Court documents list several bank accounts owned by Ibori, as well as more than 10 properties around the world, ranging from flats on London's famous Abbey Road to a 5m mansion in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

The documents also list a Bentley car and a Bombardier Challenger jet valued at just under 17m.

How have Nigerians reacted?

The UK authorities' announcement in March about how it promised to return the money to Nigeria provoked outrage.

The agreement laid out that the money would be used to contribute towards building a bridge and two roads.

The bridge, called the Second Niger Bridge, connects Delta state with neighbouring Anambra State.

But the two roads - the Lagos-Ibadan Express road and the Abuja-Kano road - are more than three hours' drive from Delta state.

"It is bad news that this money is not going back to the victims," said David Ugolor the Director African network on Environmental and Economic Justice on Tuesday.

Mr Ugolor is among the critics who argued that this money should have specifically gone to people in Delta state instead.
Its not yet clear whether the apartment was targeted or he was shot by a stray bullet, police said. No one else was injured.
President Biden released his 2020 tax return on Monday, showing that he and first lady Jill Biden earned just over $600,000, with an effective federal income tax rate of 25.9% after 5% in charitable donations.

Why it matters: The release revives a decades-old tradition of the president releasing their tax returns after former President Trump refused to do so.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

Trump fought prosecutors in the courts to try and stop them obtaining his tax and financial records. But the Supreme Court ruled in February that New York City prosecutors could enforce a subpoena to obtain them.

Of note: Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff also released their 2020 tax forms Monday, showing they earned almost $1.7 million, paying a federal income tax rate of 36.7%.

Flashback... NYT: Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017

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The cheers started roughly 35 minutes before Mondays first pitch at Wrigley Field.

They accompanied Washington Nationals left-hander Jon Lester while he trekked toward the visitors bullpen in right field as Chicago Cubs fans provided the soundtrack. By the end of the night, the crowd of 11,144 had welcomed Lester back with three ovations during the Cubs 7-3 win.

I was out there thinking we should petition the mayor (Tuesday) for Jon Lester Day and let it be full capacity just for the pregame ceremony for him, Cubs manager David Ross said.

Fellow ex-Cub Kyle Schwarber received plenty of love, too, from fans in the left-field bleachers and applause before his first at-bat. But the return of Lester and Schwarber to Wrigley didnt derail the Cubs on-field focus.

The Cubs hit three home runs and scored five runs off Lester in 5 innings en route to the victory. Jason Heyward (two-run homer), Willson Contreras (solo) and Javier Baez (solo) took Lester deep. The veteran lefty entered the game without allowing a home run in his first three starts (16 innings).

At this point in my career, you try to soak in as much as you can with a lot of different things, Lester said. But at the same time, you have to kind of walk that line trying to win the baseball game and soak it in. It was awesome, a nice atmosphere here.

For Ross, game-planning against Lester, his close friend-turned-opposing pitcher, was an unavoidable part of the lead-up to Mondays series opener.

Its extremely, extremely awkward, a smiling Ross said before the game.

Ross called it business as usual in going over every detail about Lester and how to take advantage of him, just as the Cubs would for any starting pitcher they face. Lesters six seasons in Chicago (2015-20) didnt change that approach, regardless of how well Ross and the Cubs know him.

Although Ross couldnt help but talk about his friend during the game-planning process.

Our friendship creates a lot of conflict in my heart for sure, Ross said.

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Lester returned to Wrigley with 193 career wins, third among active pitchers, to accompany three World Series titles with the Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

Hes got enough stats that will carry him throughout his life. Im not worried about his career stats today. Today, were out to beat him, Ross said. Ill have a beer with him at some point for sure. But today, well try to keep him at 193 and wish him the best after today.

A full-circle moment put the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the first. Contreras  the catcher Lester has pitched to the most during his 16-year career with 99 starts  and Kris Bryant opened the inning with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners. Anthony Rizzo followed with a fly ball to Schwarber in left to bring home Contreras.

Schwarber enjoyed his first game back at Wrigley with a two-run homer against right-hander Adbert Alzolay in the fourth. Asked if he came into the series thinking he had something to prove to his former organization, Schwarber noted that how the sides parted wasnt ideal.

Obviously you want to finish your tenure with the team, and from there, whatever happens, happens, Schwarber continued. But its not a hate thing or anything like that. Its more of just going out there and proving something to yourself.

Schwarbers home run ball, which trimmed the Cubs lead to 4-3, landed back on the field courtesy of a fan and eventually made it to the Nationals dugout courtesy of Baez and Rizzo as a souvenir for Schwarber, who plans to authenticate the baseball.

I was like, They threw it back?  an amused Schwarber said. Definitely keep that as a keepsake, definitely a special moment here for myself just being able to get a hit in that moment.

The Cubs aired a pregame video tribute to Schwarber, after which Ross presented him with a No. 12 from the Wrigley scoreboard. The team will play a tribute for Lester before Tuesdays game.

Kris Bryant had some fun with Schwarber too. He left candy for his positional counterpart in left field during the game. Schwarber said he enjoyed a Twix in the field and then homered in his next at-bat.

I might have to eat a Twix tomorrow, Schwarber said. It was a funny gesture.

Alzolay allowed three runs in five innings, though he had the pitch count (63 pitches) to go deeper. However, Ross opted to pinch-hit for him. He thought Alzolay didnt look sharp with too many sinkers leaking back over the plate, while his slider appeared flatter. His velocity on both pitches was a tick down too. Plus, the third time through the middle of the Nationals lineup was looming, and the Cubs had a chance to tack on a run in the fifth after a leadoff double by Ian Happ.

The bullpen did its job in relief of Alzolay, combining to throw four shutout innings. A spectacular defensive play from second baseman Nico Hoerner preserved a three-run lead in the eighth with the bases loaded. Hoerner ranged to his left toward the hole to make a diving stop, throwing out Starlin Castro at first to end the inning.

Despite Mondays performance not being Alzolays best, he held his own versus a Nationals lineup that features three tough left-handed hitters.

With average stuff, to give us five and compete, keep us in the game, he did a really nice job in some moments, Ross said.
By Tom Hals

(Reuters) -A federal judge on Tuesday questioned a $2 billion proposal by Bayer AG that would create a framework for resolving future claims that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, casting doubt on the plan a day before a key hearing.

Bayer and class action attorneys hope U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco will give preliminary approval on Wednesday to create a class of people exposed to Roundup who could get sick in the future.

The agreement would provide free medical exams and up to $200,000 in compensation if a class member is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer.

Chhabria in a court filing asked if it was possible to contact the potentially millions of homeowners and farmworkers who have been exposed to Roundup to notify them they were going to be bound by the settlement.

He also wanted to know how he would determine if the compensation was adequate and whether he should evaluate the plan against other options, including Bayer adding a cancer warning label to Roundup, something the company has resisted.

Chhabria noted in his final question that jury trials have gone very well for plaintiffs. Given that, the judge asked why class members should agree to a settlement that requires them to present at future trials a report from a science panel that will spend the next four years determining if Roundup causes cancer.

"The last question is a killer," said David Noll, a professor at Rutgers Law School.

The company has said decades of studies have shown Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate do not cause cancer and are safe for human use. Consumer groups and personal injury lawyers have criticized the plan because it prevents lawsuits for four years and bars class members from seeking punitive damages.

Bayer said in a statement that judges often raise questions for parties to address prior to hearings.

"We look forward to working with the court and the parties through the approval process to ensure the class plan is fair to all parties, the company said.

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Chhabria said if his nine areas of concern were addressed at the hearing, a second hearing would be scheduled to deal with smaller concerns.

The company in June agreed to commit $9.6 billion to settle the existing 125,000 claims over Roundup, which is separate from the class settlement aimed at resolving future claims.

Bayer inherited the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, and the litigation, as part of a $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto in 2018.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Noeleen Walder and David Gregorio)
The Justice Department has withdrawn its subpoena seeking information about a Twitter user who parodies Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare). (Andrew Harrer / Associated Press)

The Justice Department has withdrawn a subpoena filed in the final weeks of the Trump administration that sought information about a Twitter user who parodied Rep. Devin Nunes, according to court documents released Tuesday. The California Republican has spent years seeking to unmask such anonymous users and sue them for defamation.

Court papers unsealed Monday in Washington revealed that Twitter was seeking to quash the Justice Department's subpoena for information related to the user of an account, @NunesAlt, that pokes fun at Nunes (R-Tulare). The social media giant argued that it believed the Justice Department might have been trying to help Nunes in his long-running campaign to learn the identities of such users so he could sue.

Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the Justice Department to make public by Wednesday its response to Twitter's motion, which had been filed under seal on March 10. The docket and filings did not indicate that the Justice Department had withdrawn the subpoena, which was issued in November when the department was overseen by President Trump's attorney general, William Barr.

The Justice Department on Tuesday afternoon complied with Howell's directive, making public court papers it filed under seal on March 19 that urged the judge to reject Twitter's motion because it was moot  prosecutors had informed the social media company two days earlier that it had withdrawn the subpoena.

The New York Times first reported that the subpoena had been withdrawn. Sheila Miller, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, declined to comment. A spokesman for Nunes did not respond to requests for comment. Twitter issued a statement Monday saying the platform "is committed to protecting the freedom of expression for those who use our service."

It isn't clear why the Justice Department was seeking information about @NunesAlt, which describes itself in its profile as the no-so-proud alt-mom of prolific Libel Tourist, and part-time Congressman, Devin Nunes. (Yes, its parody) Probably hammered. Nunes is a Trump political ally.

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Hayden M. Schottlaender, an attorney representing Twitter, wrote in a declaration made public Monday that an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington told him in January that the subpoena was issued as part of a criminal investigation into threatening communications in interstate commerce and specifically pointed to an area of the law related to threats to kidnap or injure. The Justice Department, Schottlaender said, declined to provide further information.

The subpoena, which Twitter attached as an exhibit to its filing, revealed that a special agent with the U.S. Capitol Police was seeking the information from the company. Capitol Police have jurisdiction over reports of threats made against members of Congress.

In its motion seeking to quash the subpoena, which was filed under seal in March, Twitter sought to link the subpoena to Nunes past legal efforts to unmask users and then file lawsuits accusing them of defamation. It tallied at least nine lawsuits brought by Nunes in the last two years against individuals, the media and one research and intelligence firm for either publicizing negative information or making negative comments about him.

The @NunesAlt account originated as a parody of Nunes mother, under the name @DevinNunesMom, which was suspended by Twitter in 2019, the company wrote in court filings. The user has verified controlling both accounts and declined to comment further.

Nunes in 2019 sued @DevinNunesMom and another parody account, @DevinCow, which called Nunes a treasonous cowpoke. The lawmaker alleged the accounts had defamed him, ruined his reputation and caused him to win his 2018 election by a narrower margin than expected.

Most of the suits have been withdrawn by Nunes or tossed out of court.

Anonymous Twitter critics have dogged Nunes since he rose to prominence in 2017 as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. From that post, he was tasked with investigating accusations of Russian interference in the previous years presidential election won by Trump.

Nunes quickly found himself at the center of a political firestorm in Washington over his quick release of a controversial memo that dismissed the allegations and cleared the presidents campaign of any wrongdoing. Those conclusions were disputed in a similar memo released once Democrats took control of the committee, as well as by the special counsels Russia investigation.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Vitali Klitschko, the former boxing champion who is now mayor of Ukraine's capital Kiev, accused President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration of "pressure" after the country's security services searched his appartment block Tuesday.

Klitschko, who has served as Kiev's elected mayor since 2014, has been at odds with Zelensky since soon after the president was elected in 2019, when he accused his administration of an illegal attempt to curb his powers.

Although the authorities said the raid had nothing to do with Klitschko, the mayor accused the presidency of being behind the raid.

"What is happening today looks to me like psychological pressure" he said in a statement.

In a raid early Tuesday a dozen men -- some of them armed with automatic rifles -- entered his residential building in central Kiev, he said.

A video surveillance camera recorded the armed men gathering near the entrance to his apartment as he himself was not at home, said the mayor.

The SBU security service, which is led by a Zelensky close ally, later confirmed the raid on the building but said it had nothing to do with Klitschko.

The raid followed searches conducted by law enforcement last week in several municipal companies and in the home of a Klitschko ally, part of a probe into embezzlement of public funds and tax evasion.

Local media reports however described a new standoff between the mayor and the presidency, which sees Klitschko as a potential rival to Zelensky in the 2024 presidential election.

- 'Someone is very annoyed' -

Klitschko on Tuesday called the raids "nothing but pressure on the local government and attempts to destabilise the situation in Ukraine's capital city.

"It is no secret that the President Office often holds meetings on account of Klitschko," he said.

"Someone is very annoyed with the city initiatives."

Zelensky, a popular comic actor turned president, in 2019 called for Klitschko to lose some of his powers, and his then prime minister accused the mayor of failing to root out corruption.

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Zelensky controls a majority in Ukraine's parliament and if Klitschko was removed from office that could pave the way for him to put an ally in charge of Kiev.

A sporting legend with pro-European views, Klitschko has made significant efforts to renovate public places and infrastructure in the city of three million.

But critics accuse him of turning a blind eye to the controversial activity of developers building huge malls and luxury apartment blocks in the city.

bur-dg/emg/jj
Rep. Matt Gaetz. AP

Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty to six felony counts Monday and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Greenberg might incriminate Rep. Matt Gaetz, who so far hasn't been charged and maintains innocence.

Greenberg's lawyer teased when asked whether Greenberg had info that could hurt an elected official.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A lawyer for the associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz who on Monday pleaded guilty to six felony counts and agreed to cooperate fully with prosecutors teased "must-see television" when asked whether his client had information that could harm an elected official.

Fritz Scheller, an attorney for Joel Greenberg, spoke with reporters Monday after Greenberg pleaded guilty to sex trafficking, wire fraud, identity theft, stalking, and conspiracy.

Even though Gaetz is not named in Greenberg's plea deal, it is sure to be unwelcome news for Gaetz, as Insider's Sonam Sheth reported. The two used to be close associates, and reports say Gaetz is a target of the same criminal investigation as Greenberg's.

On Monday, Scheller was asked whether Greenberg had information that could harm an elected official.

Read more: Matt Gaetz is getting warnings he shouldn't feel 'very comfortable' from a goateed Florida lawyer who likes to quote the Dalai Lama

"Does my client have information that could hurt an elected official?" he replied. "I guess this is just, you know, must-see television - you'll just have to wait and see."

Gaetz has not been charged with a crime, and his spokesperson told Insider before Greenberg's plea deal that Gaetz was innocent.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Eli Berlzon

ASHKELON, Israel (Reuters) - Standing over his baby's cot in the whitewashed glare of an Israeli rocket shelter, Natanel Sharvit spends his days killing time. If he risks going outside, the alternative could be far worse.

He and his family live under the near-constant threat of rocket attacks launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip, just 12 miles (19 km) from their home in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon.

Sharvit, his wife and four children are no more in control of the air war raging above their heads than Palestinian civilians living on the other side of the Israeli military barrier that separates north Gaza from southern Israel. All they can do is wait, and hope for a return to something like normality."We are in this situation for many years now, almost 20 years. I don't know exactly how long," Sharvit, 30, told Reuters. "We don't leave the shelter, playing here, trying to kill time as much as possible and hoping it will be OK."

The fortified "safe" room is a mandatory feature for all new homes in Israel, but older buildings do not have them.

Moshe Loutati, 44, hides his eight children under the staircase when the red alert sirens sound, because they dont have a fortified room in their third-floor apartment in Ashkelon.

"There is nowhere to run to. The shelter is very far away and neglected and we can't put eight children in a neglected shelter," he said.

Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, launched the latest round of rocket attacks last Monday, after widespread Palestinian anger at threatened evictions of families from East Jerusalem, and Israeli police clashes with worshippers near Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site.

Gaza medical officials say 215 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children, and more than 1,400 wounded. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

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Israel says its air and artillery strikes on Gaza will continue as long as necessary to destroy Hamas military sites and kill its leaders.

But Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said on Tuesday that even with the intensive bombardment, Hamas and other militant groups had thousands of rockets and mortars.

It is very difficult to degrade all of those rockets and to interdict or otherwise destroy them. They are very dispersed, he said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that while Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system was intercepting the majority of rockets launched into Israeli territory, "if 120 rockets, or over 50-60 rockets are fired into those populated areas, there is still a percentage of rockets that will make their way through."

That, he said, was the reason it was "absolutely critical" for Israelis to remain vigilant and go into their safe areas.

But after more than a week of the most intensive bombardment ever from Gaza, residents of cities like Ashkelon simply seek respite.

"We want a safe place and we want all this war to stop," said Jacqueline Mashiach-Zaghel. "Every place now is not safe. You go to Tel Aviv? You go to Ashdod? What, I will leave my home and run away?"

(Reporting by Eli Berlzon; Writing by Stephen Farrell in Jerusalem; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Joe Biden, sporting aviator sunglasses, looked out from the driver's seat of Ford's new electric truck and delivered a presidential proclamation: "This sucker's quick."

The battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning is due to be unveiled on Wednesday as the auto giant's new big bet on the emerging electric auto market. But avid car enthusiast Biden not only got a sneak preview Tuesday -- he managed a test drive.

Streaking across the enormous tarmac expanse of Ford's proving grounds in Dearborn, Michigan, with just a Secret Service agent in the passenger seat for company, Biden appeared to be living his dream.

The pickup truck, almost silent, flashed across the hot, hazy surface before turning back to journalists accompanying the president.

At 78, Biden is the oldest person ever elected to the White House but at the wheel he acted more like a giddy teenage driver.

The Lightning can hit 0-60 mph in about 4.4 seconds, he marveled, prompting a moment of consternation among Ford executives who had wanted to keep details like that secret until launch day.

When queried by a journalist whether she could ask him a question about ongoing fighting in Israel, Biden snapped in a mock rebuke: "No you can't. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it."

How fast had he managed to go? Now that did interest him.

Biden said he'd show everyone.

"Ready?"

Journalists, Ford executives and White House staffers hurriedly got out the way.

Biden floored the accelerator to disappear across the tarmac a second time.

- The future -

Biden was racing around in a yet-to-be-sold Ford truck to promote his $2 trillion infrastructure plan. In addition to rebuilding standard stuff like roads and bridges, Biden's package would pour $174 billion into electric vehicle development.

Getting to Michigan required a 10-minute flight in a helicopter, 90 minutes of aviation fuel in Air Force One and 15 minutes riding in a gas guzzling motorcade comprising dozens of non-electric cars.

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But Biden had no doubt about what the future should look like.

"We're at a great inflection point in American history," he said in a speech on the floor of Ford's shining factory. "The future will be built right here in America."

Biden talked about the fight to "save the planet" from global warming. But he was just as worried, if not more so, by China and what he sees as a contest for electric supremacy.

"The only question is whether we will lead or fall behind," he said.

"They think they're going to win," he said. "Well I've got news for them: They will not win this race."

- 'Car guy' -

Most politicians court car owners and auto union workers. In the United States, iconic companies like Ford and cars in general are even more important, serving as patriotic backdrops for speeches about American independence and exceptionalism.

But Biden's trajectory really is bound up in cars.

A 1972 crash that killed his first wife and baby daughter would overshadow the rest of his life.

An affinity for automobiles has also been integral to the way Biden presents himself -- a "regular Joe" who, despite being a senator for four decades and a vice president for eight years, remains happy to discuss the finer points of tires or torque.

As president, his main ride is the heavily armored "Beast" limousine. Secret Service protocols -- Tuesday's joy ride aside -- mean he can no longer get behind the wheel.

Nevertheless, Biden still refers frequently to his treasured 1967 green convertible Corvette Stingray, a wedding present from his father, who was a car dealer.

The Corvette is a muscle car, a noisy, throbbing statement about as far as you can get from the quiet, environmentally responsible electric movement.

But it is part of the Biden brand -- and perhaps Biden soul.

"I like speed," he told Jay Leno during a 2016 television auto show when he was vice president.

During the Ford plant tour, Biden got an opportunity to go full car nerd, exclaiming things like "amazing," "absolutely astounding," and "pretty damned cool."

Touching the huge battery installed in the F-150's low-slung chassis, he said: "fascinating." He sounded like he meant it.

When it was time to go to the podium and address Ford workers, executives and Democratic politicians, the president began with a self-introduction.

"My name is Joe Biden," he said, "and I'm the car guy."

sms/bfm
By John Irish

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday a summit in Paris on Africa financing had agreed to work towards persuading rich nations by October to reallocate $100 billion in IMF special drawing rights monetary reserves to African states.

Impoverished African economies must not be left behind in the post-pandemic economic recovery and a substantial financial package is needed to provide much-needed economic stimulus, African and European leaders concluded at a summit in Paris.

In the immediate term, that meant accelerating the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and creating the fiscal breathing room for African nations, which will face a spending shortfall of some $285 billion over the next two years, the summit communique showed.

The communique set out a two-pronged response based on addressing financing needs to support a sustainable, green recovery and the underpinning of private-sector-driven growth - but it was light on concrete commitments.

"This is a new start, a new deal for Africa," Senegalese President Macky Sall told reporters.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva said it was time to stem the "dangerous divergence between advanced economies and developing countries, especially (in) Africa."

Georgieva said the African continent's economic output would increase by only 3.2% in 2021, compared with 6% in the rest of the world.

Central to the talks was the question of how to reallocate IMF reserves (SDRs) that were earmarked for developed countries towards developing economies.

World finance chiefs agreed in April to boost SDRs by $650 billion and extend a debt-servicing freeze to help developing countries deal with the pandemic, although only $34 billion was to be allocated to Africa.

Macron said France had decided to redirect its SDRs and that there had been an accord to try to get rich nations by October to reallocate $100 billion to Africa.

"Our work in the next few weeks will be to make the same rate of effort as France, starting with the United States of America, and I know all the work that we will have to do with Congress and the executive, but I am confident," he told reporters.

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Georgieva pledged to come up with a new allocation proposal by August.

"On the $100 billion, is it enough? Let's be very clear, no it is not enough. We have a financial gap just to catch up with the impact of COVID for the continent of Africa of $285 billion, she said. "It is genuinely an all-hands-on-deck situation."

"We have to make the private sector attracted to go into a risky environment by de-risking investments."

The summit was part of Macron's efforts to recast France's engagement in Africa, where it was once a colonial power, at a time when the continent faces a near $300 billion deficit by the end of 2023 while trying to recover from the downturn.

The African Development Bank forecasts that up to 39 million people could fall into poverty this year, with many African countries at risk of debt distress because of the pandemic.

(Reporting by John Irish; Additional reporting by Richard Lough, Leigh Thomas and David Lawder; Editing by William Maclean and Peter Cooney)
May 18MANCHESTER  The parents of a disabled girl who said she was raped by another student on a school bus are suing the Board of Education and Dattco for negligence leading to the incident.

The lawsuit, filed by lawyer John O'Brien in Hartford Superior Court on behalf of the victim's parents, contends that a fifth-grade student with intellectual disabilities was raped by a male student on the bus twice in April 2019.

Per the complaint, video of the rape and other video taken on the bus from earlier that month indicate there may have been other sexual assaults of the girl and another female student. The incident went unreported by the school bus driver, who was a fill-in driver, according to the suit.

"The perpetrator student said he did it because he could," the suit says.

Police investigating the incident said that both the regular and fill-in drivers told them that mandated seating assignments were not communicated to them. In the suit, O'Brien contends that seat belts, assigned seating, and better monitoring could have prevented the rape and similar incidents.

The suit lists the Manchester Board of Education, Dattco, and the town as defendants. School officials declined to comment on the suit. Dattco officials did not return requests for comment. The lawsuit contends, among other things, that all three entities failed in their duty to maintain a safe environment for the victim.

The girl speaks limited English and "functions at a communication level far below her actual age," according to the complaint, making her more vulnerable than others. She has suffered "shock, emotional distress ... and increased anxiety," since the incident, among other struggles.

According to the complaint, the boy has a "history of behavioral issues," and was riding the special education bus for a period of time after being taken off a regular bus.

"The decision to place deviant students with vulnerable ones in an effort to remove the deviant problem from a mainstream bus is denying the disabled students an education free of fear and abuse," the suit says.

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Jen O'Brien, who works as a paralegal and office manager along with her husband, said that similar incidents have happened in the past, even as recently as a rape of student on a bus in East Hartford in 2018. Many of these cases settle without trial, she said, allowing companies like Dattco to get off without much criticism.

"You wouldn't see it if you didn't know," Jen O'Brien said. "When they settle for peanuts, the cases are erased from the school system and it may not ever be seen or noticed."

She said she was "shocked" to learn that there aren't monitors riding with vulnerable students on the bus, and emphasized assigned seating and seat belts could act as preventive measures.

"The bottom line is, it costs money to put seat belts on special education buses and regular buses, so they don't put them on," Jen O'Brien said of bus companies.

For updates on Manchester and Bolton, follow Skyler Frazer on Twitter: @SkyFraCT, Facebook: SkyFraCT, and Instagram: SkylerFrazerJI to stay updated on his latest articles.
Police said in a news release that troopers were called early Sunday to southbound I-95 in the Wilmington area to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked partially in the roadway. While troopers tried to remove the traffic hazard, a trooper positioned a patrol SUV in the right lane with emergency lights activated to warn approaching motorists.
- By GF Value





The stock of Manhattan Associates (NAS:MANH, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $132.12 per share and the market cap of $8.4 billion, Manhattan Associates stock is believed to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Manhattan Associates is shown in the chart below.





Manhattan Associates Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Because Manhattan Associates is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 2.1% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 5.49% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. Manhattan Associates has a cash-to-debt ratio of 7.55, which is in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Manhattan Associates at 8 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Manhattan Associates is strong. This is the debt and cash of Manhattan Associates over the past years:

Story continues

Manhattan Associates Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Investing in profitable companies carries less risk, especially in companies that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. Typically, a company with high profit margins offers better performance potential than a company with low profit margins. Manhattan Associates has been profitable 10 years over the past 10 years. During the past 12 months, the company had revenues of $589.3 million and earnings of $1.36 a share. Its operating margin of 19.56% better than 87% of the companies in Software industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Manhattan Associates's profitability as strong. This is the revenue and net income of Manhattan Associates over the past years:

Manhattan Associates Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Growth is probably one of the most important factors in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus' research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long-term performance of a company's stock. If a company's business is growing, the company usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Likewise, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. Manhattan Associates's 3-year average revenue growth rate is in the middle range of the companies in Software industry. Manhattan Associates's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -12.4%, which ranks worse than 81% of the companies in Software industry.

Another method of determining the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, Manhattan Associates's return on invested capital is 31.76, and its cost of capital is 13.35. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Manhattan Associates is shown below:

Manhattan Associates Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

In closing, Manhattan Associates (NAS:MANH, 30-year Financials) stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is strong and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks worse than 81% of the companies in Software industry. To learn more about Manhattan Associates stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Mr Hancock said he was a great supporter of technology in medicine, saying it could improve access to healthcare no end - Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA

People need to be able to see their GPs in person, the Health Secretary has said, as new NHS guidance took effect.

Last week health officials ordered the abolition of a system of total triage, under which those seeking to see their GP have been discouraged and told to have an online or phone discussion first.

From this week, patients have been given the right to opt for a face-to-face appointment in the first instance, following a backlash from patients and doctors.

All GPs have now been told that every practice in England must make a clear offer of appointments in person and respect the preferences of patients, in guidance which came into effect on Monday.

The Health Secretary has said that it is important that patients should be able to secure a face-to-face appointment if they so choose.

Asked by Conservative MP Rob Butler if it would become easier to have a face-to-face appointment with GPs, Mr Hancock said peoples rights should be respected.

He told the Commons: It is important to offer a face-to-face consultation for a patient who really wants a face-to-face consultation, while also using technology where that is the most totally appropriate thing to do. These decisions should be taken between doctor and patient together.

Mr Hancock said he was a great supporter of technology in medicine, saying it could improve access to healthcare no end.

But he said: People do need to be able to go to the surgery if they so choose and see the right person, the clinically appropriate person.

The climbdown last week came after the Patients Association, the Royal College of GPs, the British Medical Association and Jacob Rees-Mogg , the Commons leader, all raised concerns about the NHS system of total triage.

The measures were introduced during the pandemic, but became formalised into annual NHS operational planning guidance, which came into force last month.

The Telegraph had been inundated with letters from readers describing problems accessing GP care  with one likening their local surgery to Fort Knox  after it highlighted the problems.

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NHS England had always said anyone deemed by a doctor to require a face-to-face consultation should still be able to get one after undergoing remote assessment.

But readers said attempts to secure appointments had fallen on deaf ears, with others struggling to navigate online systems, or failing to get through to surgeries after hundreds of calls.

Last week Dr Nikki Kanani, the NHS medical director for primary care, and Ed Waller, the director of primary care, wrote to all GPs to inform them that the guidance had been replaced, with new advice giving patients the right to see a GP. GP practices must all ensure they are offering face-to-face appointments, the letter said.

While the expanded use of video, online and telephone consultations can be maintained where patients find benefit from them, this should be done alongside a clear offer of appointments in person.

Doctors unions have since objected to the guidance, with the British Medical Association telling members that their contracts do not oblige them to follow the advice.

In a letter to GPs on Friday, BMA GP Committee chairman Dr Richard Vautrey said practices have contractual freedom to deliver appointments based on their individual circumstances, including capacity and workload pressures.
Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan star in trailer for duke's Apple TV mental health show

Meghan Markle's former boyfriend said the Royal Family has a history of racism as he praised the duchess for her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Joshua Silverstein, who dated the now royal when they were teenagers, told Lorraine Kelly that the Royal Family's history of racism goes back to the slave trade.

He said: "Meghan did Oprah and was very honest and transparent with her experiences in the Royal Family.

"There's a history of racism within the Royal Family that goes way back to the transatlantic slave trade, you know? The fact Meghan is able to get on TV and bravely talk about that is awesome."

He added: "Whenever people of colour speak out against oppression and racism, genuinely there's a huge backlash so the fact she got up and spoke about that even knowing it could create a lot of tension between her and her family, I thought that was really courageous on her part."

Harry and Meghan made an accusation of racism against the Royal Family during their explosive interview with Winfrey in March, with Meghan saying someone had raised questions with Harry about the colour of their then unborn baby's skin.

Harry would not be drawn on the conversation, but they later clarified it was not the Queen or Prince Philip who had raised it.

Silverstein joined Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show on Tuesday. (ITV)

Read more: Meghan Markle's first boyfriend says 'she could run for President'

Prince William was asked if his family was racist while on an engagement in the days after the interview aired, and defended his family as "very much not racist".

The Queen's statement after the interview said that "recollections may vary" and said the claims about race were "concerning".

Silverstein's remarks on ITV's Lorraine came soon after one of the Queen's cousins explained how he had made reparations for his ancestors' part in the slave trade.

Story continues

Earl David Lascelles, a first cousin once removed of the Queen, is to appear in an ITV programme about the impact of George Floyd's death in the UK, and Charlene White, the host, recounted what he did when he discovered a link to the slave trade in their archives.

The earl, whose family seat is Harewood House in Yorkshire, discovered papers in the basement of the property that showed they had profited "quite well  from the slave trade", White said.

She told Metro: "He talked about the fact that they were quite uncomfortable with that fact but they had a choice  it was something they could keep to themselves or it was something they could be really honest about and do something about.

"And they decided that actually, they needed to be honest about this and they needed to work out a way to pay back and  its the word that has been bandied about a lot in the past year  reparations."

During the 1600s, the Royal African Company was led by Charles II's brother, the Duke of York. It was the company responsible for shipping more African slaves to the Americas than any other company in the trade's history.

Silverstein praised Meghan for what she said while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. (CBS)

Read more: 'Royal pain in the a**': Backlash intensifies after Prince Harry calls US First Amendment 'bonkers'

Before that Queen Elizabeth I had been invested in the slaving "expeditions" of John Hawkins, giving him ships, supplies and guns when they became profitable.

She also gave him a coat of arms featuring a bound slave.

In 2018, when on a royal tour in Ghana, Prince Charles acknowledged the role of Britain in the slave trade, saying: "The appalling atrocity of the slave trade, and the unimaginable suffering it caused, left an indelible stain on the history of our world."

He added: "While Britain can be proud that it later led the way in the abolition of this shameful trade, we have a shared responsibility to ensure that the abject horror of slavery is never forgotten."

Although there have been some calls for it over the years, there has not been an apology from the Queen for the slave trade or Britain's role in it.

Watch: Historic England lists villages that have ties to the slave trade
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico aims to ensure its population has had at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by October before the onset of colder weather, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday.

Mexico has so far distributed nearly 24 million vaccine doses to its population of 126 million, and Lopez Obrador said he was sure it would receive more shots from the United States.

By July, health authorities will begin providing vaccinations to people as young as 40, he told a regular news conference.

Over the next month and a half, the pace of vaccinations in the world's largest Spanish-speaking country should accelerate as tens of millions of new doses arrive, the government says.

During the news conference, Lopez Obrador initially suggested Mexico could conclude its vaccination rollout before the winter, but he later clarified that the aim was to ensure everyone had had at least one shot by October.

Last month, the president said Mexico would soon receive at last 5 million additional AstraZeneca Plc vaccination doses, on top of a previous U.S. donation of 2.7 million doses of the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 vaccine.

On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a plan to provide 20 million doses from several vaccine developers to countries in need of more supplies.

Speaking alongside Lopez Obrador, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told reporters that Mexico expects another 38 million vaccine doses to arrive between the end of May and July 4.

Depending on the spread of the virus and how vaccinations proceed, Mexico and the United States would look at easing some restrictions on their shared border beginning June 22, the Mexican foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez and David Alire Garcia; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
A man from New Mexico faces a charge of felony murder in the shooting death of a Kansas City, Kansas, man whose body was discovered last week.

Guadalupe Benitez-Pizarro, 35, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, has been charged with second-degree felony murder in the killing, police announced Monday evening. He is being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on $250,000 bond.

The victim is Francisco Herrera-Flores, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas. He was found dead on May 11 around 1:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of Sortor Drive.

Police say the homicide remains under investigation by the departments major case unit. The department is encouraging anyone with information about the killing to call the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
By Joseph White

DEARBORN, Mich. (Reuters) - When Joe Biden returned on Tuesday to one of the battleground states that handed him the presidential election, he was met with rage over how his administration has handled the sudden escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Biden, on a visit to a Ford Motor Co facility in Dearborn, Michigan, to promote electric vehicles, faced protest over his administration's approach to Israel as it attacks Gaza in response to rockets launched by Palestinian militants there eight days ago.

At a rally in Dearborn, the heart of Michigan's Arab-American community, over 1,000 people gathered a few miles away from Biden's event and booed at mentions of the Democratic president's name.

Israeli air strikes have pounded densely populated Gaza day and night since the conflict flared on May 10, while residents in Israeli cities race for shelters or safe rooms, if they have them, every few hours or minutes to flee militant rockets.

Biden has privately pressed for a ceasefire in the more than week-long conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group in the Palestinian territories. His aides have said they are aggressively pursuing behind-the-scenes diplomacy to bring the conflict to an end.

That is not enough for some Democrats, who want Biden to denounce the disproportionate casualties suffered in the Palestinian territories during the conflict and to reconsider the weapons and other assistance it provides Israel, Washington's closest ally in the turbulent region.

He should not be supporting them, said Dawood Ali, 21, at the demonstration.

Ali, who voted for Biden, said he regrets doing so.

Speakers on the stage shared similar sentiments, saying they felt courted - and then disrespected - by Biden.

Reuters/Ipsos polling showed that Biden won Muslim voters by 8 percentage points in his 2020 race against Republican President Donald Trump, who had been a stalwart defender of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on all fronts.

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Turnout among those voters in Michigan rose 6 percentage points to 71% in 2020 from 65% in the 2016 presidential race, according to Emgage, a Muslim-American voting group.

Biden's presidential campaign eagerly sought their support, given their sizeable numbers in swing states, like Michigan, which are closely divided between Democrats and Republicans.

MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS

In recent days, the administration has worked to tamp down outrage in Arab-American and Muslim communities over its handling of the crisis.

On Monday, a senior aide to Biden, Cedric Richmond, met with Arab-American, Palestinian-American and Muslim community leaders.

Over the weekend, the White House scrapped its original lighthearted plan for an event celebrating the Muslim Eid holiday and instead offered somber wishes for peace and an update on the administration's diplomatic efforts.

"Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security and enjoy equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy," Biden said at the event, which was boycotted by several Muslim groups.

On his trip to Michigan, Biden was met by U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress and a leading voice in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

She told the president that "Palestinian human rights are not a bargaining chip and must be protected, not negotiated," according to an account provided by a Tlaib ally.

"I pray that your grandmom and family are well," Biden said to Tlaib at a public event later. "I promise you, I'm going to do everything to see that they are, on the West Bank. You're a fighter, and God, thank you for being a fighter."

(Reporting by Joseph White in Dearborn, Michigan, and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Dearborn, Michigan, and Chris Kahn in New York; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)
(Bloomberg) -- Sometimes buried treasure can be hiding right under your nose. Just ask Alex Dorsch, whose company found what could be Australias first major palladium resource on the fringes of Perth, the nations mining hub.

Its a fascinating bit of serendipity, said Dorsch, managing director of Chalice Mining Ltd., which confirmed the Julimar discovery just over 12 months ago and has been the best performer this year on the S&P/ASX 300 Metals and Mining Index. It is quite amazing that it wasnt found in the 1960s or 70s to be honest, he said in a phone interview.

Chalice, whose shareholders include mining magnate Robert Friedland and Blackrock Inc., plans to add supply to a palladium market thats been in deficit for years due to high demand for the metal, used in catalytic converters to curb emissions in gasoline-powered vehicles. Prices surged to record highs this year and UBS Group AG has raised its forecasts on expectations of the largest deficit since 2014.

Julimar -- just 70 kilometers (43 miles) north east of Perth, a city of two million people -- could be big enough to support a large open pit operation producing around 340,000 ounces of palladium a year over a 12-year lifespan, Macquarie Group Ltd. said in a May 5 note. That compares to a market where annual demand runs close to 10 million ounces.

So far, all the drilling suggests this thing could be significantly bigger than what theyve already identified, said Gavin Wendt, founding director and senior resource analyst at Mine Life Pty. The find also contains platinum, copper, nickel and cobalt deposits.

Explaining why the prospect may not have been found earlier, Dorsch, a former McKinsey & Co. consultant, said the industry tended to focus exploration in areas that already were proven to be minerals-rich -- the area around Julimar had no such tradition. The lack of road infrastructure near the prospect had also helped to keep it hidden, because a lot of discoveries start with roadside soil sampling.

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Theres a perception out there that Australia is well explored, but if we can make a discovery within a couple of hours drive of a major capital city then by definition it disproves that perception, he said. Dorsch was reluctant to put a time frame on when Julimar might be brought into production, but suggests the industry standard of between four and eight years was a reasonable range.

Tighter pollution standards in Europe and China are spurring demand for palladium from automakers, and output is struggling to keep up amid disruptions at Russian mines run by MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, the worlds largest producer. While demand for the metal is expected to remain robust as auto production picks up alongside the global economic recovery from the pandemic, the longer-term outlook is clouded by the shift to electric vehicles.

Why Palladium Is Suddenly a More Precious Metal: QuickTake

The metals tight physical market could ease with pressure from gaining electrical-vehicle sales, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Eily Ong said in a report earlier this year. Rising mass-market interest for electric cars could reduce future demand for fuel auto-catalysts that use palladium to clean toxic emissions.

Dorsch remains confident there will be a strong market for palladium for decades to come, citing growth in hybrid vehicles -- which still need a catalyst for the internal combustion engine. Many countries are still a long way from having the power infrastructure and charging capacity to support a fleet of 100% battery EVs, he added. Meanwhile, palladium and platinum also are key components in the fuel cells that are an essential part of green hydrogen production -- with growth potential as that clean energy technology gains traction.

Julimars other minerals were a useful hedge against any emerging softness in the palladium market, Dorsch said. Those metals might take on growing significance as the company continues to explore the resource, he added.

Metals Index

The market is now waiting for a maiden mineral resource estimate for Julimar, expected late in the third quarter of 2021. In the meantime, Chalice - with a market value of A$2.8 billion ($2.2 billion) -- is on the cusp of being admitted to Australias benchmark S&P/ASX 200 share index, potentially opening it up to a new cohort of giant index-tracking institutional funds.

Chalice shares rose 7.6% in Sydney trading on Tuesday, outpacing a 2.1% gain for the mining index.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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Minnesota lowered its reported positivity rate of recent COVID-19 diagnostic testing to 5%, the first time since mid-March that the key measure of viral transmission levels has been at or below the state's caution threshold.

The positive indicator came on Tuesday as the Minnesota Department of Health reported another 14 COVID-19 deaths and 519 infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease. Minnesota since the start of the pandemic has reported 7,310 COVID-19 deaths and 595,532 infections identified through diagnostic testing.

All deaths reported Tuesday involved people who lived in private residences, an indicator of the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine that was prioritized earlier this year for residents of long-term care facilities who otherwise have suffered 60% of the state's deaths in the pandemic.

More than 2.7 million people in Minnesota have received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 2.3 million of them have completed the one- or two-dose series. The increase means that 61.7% of Minnesotans 16 or older have received at least a first dose.

Children age 12 to 15 became eligible for the Pfizer version of the vaccine last week, and health officials believe that will boost vaccination activity in Minnesota. That expansion made another 283,000 Minnesotans eligible for COVID-19 vaccine.

Ramsey County officials at Tuesday morning's board meeting said some families had been waiting until the parents and children can get shots all at once. Teenagers also have been eager to get vaccinated in order to see friends and participate in more social activities.

"I've never seen my daughter so excited to get a shot before," said Kathy Hedin, deputy county manager of health and wellness. "She's usually terrified."

The board voted to modify mask-wearing rules in county-owned locations, waiving the requirement outdoors but still requiring that masks be worn in indoor public spaces such as libraries and service centers. County workers don't need to wear them at their workspaces or in meetings in which social distancing can be maintained.

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While Gov. Tim Walz lifted a statewide indoor public mask-wearing mandate last week, Hedin said continued use of the protective face coverings could keep viral transmission low in Ramsey County and buy time to provide shots to people who have had limited access to them due to transportation, income, employment or other barriers.

Hennepin County requires that masks be worn in its facilities while Washington County does not. Both the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have broader indoor mask-wearing requirements that apply beyond public buildings.

State health officials suspect there will be some resurgence in COVID-19 activity as mask-wearing and social distancing practices decline. Pandemic totals on Tuesday included 440 people hospitalized in Minnesota for COVID-19, including 112 requiring intensive care.

The 5% positivity rate reflects the results of COVID-19 tests performed in the seven-day period ending May 9. The rate had reached a low of 3.5% on March 3 but then rose to 7.4% on April 11 amid the circulation of more infectious variants of the coronavirus.

Jeremy Olson  612-673-7744
(Reuters) - More than 800 people have been killed by Myanmar's security forces since a wave of protests broke out across the country after the military seized power in a coup in February, an activist group said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army ousted Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government and detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party.

The military has responded to protests by pro-democracy supporters in cities and towns with lethal force, while there has been an upsurge in fighting between the army and ethnic rebels in border areas and newly formed militia forces.

As of Monday, 802 people had been killed in the junta's crackdown on its opponents, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

"This is the number verified by AAPP, the actual number of fatalities is likely much higher," the group said in its daily briefing.

It detailed six additional fatalities including in towns in Chin state and in districts of the main cities of Mandalay and Yangon.

Reuters could not independently verify the casualties and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment.

The junta has previously disputed the number of civilians that have died and said dozens of members of the security forces had also been killed during the protests.

The activist group said 4,120 people were currently being detained, including 20 who had been sentenced to death.

RESIDENTS FLEE

Some of the most intense fighting since the Feb. 1 coup has emerged in recent days in Mindat, about 100 km (60 miles) from the Indian border in Chin state as the army battles local militias.

Thousands of residents in the hill town in northwest Myanmar were hiding in jungles, villages and valleys on Monday after fleeing an assault by the military, witnesses said.

Martial law was declared in Mindat last week before the army launched its assault, using artillery and helicopters against a newly formed Chinland Defence Force. The militia, armed mainly with hunting rifles, said it had pulled back to spare civilians from being caught in the crossfire.

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Several residents reached by Reuters said food was in short supply and estimated as many as 5,000 to 8,000 people had fled the town. Roads were blocked and the presence of troops in the streets was preventing their return.

"Almost everyone left the city," said a volunteer fighter who said she was in a jungle. "Most of them are in hiding."

The United States and Britain have called on the army to avoid civilian casualties and a shadow National Unity Government formed by loyalists of Suu Kyi appealed for international help.

A U.N. General Assembly vote on Tuesday on a draft resolution calling "for an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions" to Myanmar has been postponed, diplomats said.

It was not immediately known when a vote would be rescheduled. Some diplomats said it had been delayed in a bid to win more support.

The draft resolution calls on the Myanmar military to end a state of emergency, stop all violence against peaceful protesters and respect the will of the people as expressed in the results of November's election.

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Everything that followed  a profane confrontation with a Donald Trump-supporting, Confederate flag-flying neighbor; a fight with a postal carrier; a confrontation with another Trump supporter from around the corner; a couple of nights in jail  flowed in some way from Floyds death and Perkins anger about it. This story about Americas racial-political fault line is from Perkins perspective because others declined to discuss their encounters with him. (One neighbor said, Thats in the past, when I asked about an incident from last summer.)
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Tuesday for a cease-fire in the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on the Biden administration to intervene more forcefully to help end the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Calling Israel our friend and ally, Pelosi said it is in the U.S. national security interest to support security in Israel.

Hamas exploited a volatile situation to initiate hostilities against Israel, launching more than 3,000 rockets, and as always, Israel has a right to defend herself, Pelosi said in a statement.

Now, after more than a week of hostilities, it has become even more apparent that a cease-fire is necessary, she said. There must be a serious effort on the part of both parties to end the violence and respect the rights of both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

President Joe Biden expressed his support for a cease-fire on Monday in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has not insisted on one publicly.

Defense secretary urges Israel against ground invasion

Behind the scenes, top Biden administration officials  including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin  have urged Israeli military leaders not to escalate the conflict by launching a ground invasion, according to a person familiar with the matter. This person said the White House has been deeply concerned that would lead to a protracted weeks-long campaign.

The prospects of a ground invasion have now receded somewhat, this source said, and there's even some hope the conflict could wind down in a matter of days. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The U.S. is also urging Israel to make public the intelligence it relied on to strike an office building that housed The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera, this person said. That strike, which leveled the building, has triggered widespread outrage. The AP's CEO and others have demanded to see the intelligence and suggested it was an effort to censor media coverage of what's happening in Gaza.

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A fireball and smoke billow up into the air during an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City early on Saturday, May 15, 2021. The strike targeted the Ansar compound, which is linked to the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

Biden addresses Rep. Tlaib, others

On Tuesday, Biden referenced the conflict in the Middle East briefly while speaking at Ford Motor Co.'s electric-vehicle plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

During his opening remarks, Biden told Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat who is the only Palestinian-American in the Congress, that he admired her passion and concern for other people and said he prayed that her family is well.

"I promise I'm going to do everything to see that they are in the West Bank," he said.

In a private conversation, Tlaib challenged the president to address the plight of the Palestinians.

"Palestinian human rights are not a bargaining chip and must be protected, not negotiated," Tlaib told Biden, according to her office. "The U.S. cannot continue to give the right-wing Netanyahu government billions each year to commit crimes against Palestinians."

Tuesday's developments come as a growing number of Democrats in Congress are calling for an end to the conflict and pressing Biden to become more engaged.

On Monday, 29 Democratic and independent senators issued a joint statement calling for an immediate cease-fire.

To prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, we urge an immediate cease-fire, said the group led by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.

More: Key players in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and why peace remains elusive in Gaza

Violence, protests erupt in West Bank

The calls by Pelosi and other members of Congress for a cease-fire came as the deadly tensions entered their second week.

A rocket launched from Gaza killed two Thai workers in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory that housed bookstores and educational centers. With the war showing no sign of abating, Palestinians in the region staged a general strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies.

Violence erupted at protests in the occupied West Bank, including in the city of Ramallah. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas canisters at the crowd, and protesters picked up some of them and threw them back.

One protester was killed and more than 70 wounded  including 16 by live fire  in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state. It threatened to further widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the West Bank last week.

Contributing: Courtney Subramanian, Todd Spangler, The Associated Press

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

More: In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the dying children capture our attention. What about the ones living?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel-Hamas cease-fire urged by Pelosi, US warns against invasion
By Alexis Akwagyiram

LAGOS (Reuters) - Police launched an operation on Tuesday in southeast Nigeria to put a stop to rising violence and crime there, including a spate of attacks on police which have triggered fears of a return to war and state-sanctioned violence.

Armed gangs have carried out a series of killings of police officers in the region in recent months and mounted a jailbreak of more than 1,800 prisoners in the city of Owerri in April.

Nigerian authorities blame a banned separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and what police call the group's armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.

Operation Restore Peace will "confront criminal elements" and address crimes such as banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery, the Nigeria Police Force said in a statement.

It aims to "roll back the murderous attacks, violence, proliferation of weapons and other threats to law and order occasioned by the separatist agenda," the force said.

Nigeria's military and intelligence agencies will also take part in the operation, the police said.

The southeast's population is predominantly Igbo, a group that led the secession of the region known as Biafra from Nigeria in 1967, sparking an ethnic conflict that killed one million people and ended with the separatists' defeat in 1970.

IPOB's efforts to revive Biafra have prompted a crackdown from Nigerian security agencies in the last few years, though the group denies responsibility for the jailbreak and attacks.

IPOB has "assumed an armed dimension in which important political and community leaders as well as personnel and assets of the Nigeria police, military and other security agencies, critical national infrastructure are being constantly targeted," said the statement.

IPOB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; additional reporting and writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Hartlepool, England, May 7, 2021. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

A nurse who treated Boris Johnson when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 has resigned.

Jenny McGee has stepped down over the government's treatment of health workers in the pandemic.

McGee said that health workers are "not getting the respect and now pay that we deserve."

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A nurse who treated Boris Johnson when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 last year has resigned over the government's treatment of health workers.

Jenny McGee, who treated Johnson while he was placed in intensive care at St Thomas's hospital in April last year, said in a documentary that NHS staff were "not getting the respect and now pay that we deserve," HuffPost UK reported.

Johnson singled out McGee when he was released from hospital last year following nearly a week of treatment.

Referring to her as "Jenny from New Zealand," he described her as one of "two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way."

But speaking in a Channel 4 documentary called "The Year Britain Stopped," which is due to explore the UK's coronavirus response, McGee said she had become disillusioned by the government's treatment of NHS staff, HuffPost UK reported.

The government has faced particular criticism this year for offering health staff a 1% payrise, which has been characterized as a real-terms paycut after inflation is factored in.

McGee said that she was invited to take care in a "clap for carers" event at Downing Street in July last summer, but had declined to attend.

"Lots of nurses felt that the government hadn't led very effectively, the indecisiveness, so many mixed messages. It was just very upsetting," she said.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Insider contacted the Department of Health for comment, but is yet to recieve a response.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said McGee's decision was a "devastating indictment of Boris Johnson's approach to the people who put their lives on the line for him and our whole country."

McGee said she would be starting a nursing contract in the Caribbean and holidaying in her native New Zealand, HuffPost UK reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
May 17The Odessa City Council will discuss whether to award an $8,308,472 contract to Onyx Contractors to oversee construction of a new city animal shelter during council's virtual Tuesday work session.

If council approves the project, construction could begin later this year and be completed within one year, Police Chief Michael Gerke said. The current facility is too small and is not equipped to provide the care needed.

"The current facility was built as a pound over 30 years ago," said Gerke, whose department oversees shelter operations. "It was built to house dogs and cats for two or three days and then they were euthanized.

"But things have changed. We're asking for a facility that's more conducive to adopting."

The proposed new 20,538-square-foot facility, which will be constructed just east of the current shelter, would be paid for with funds from certificate of obligation bonds that the council approved in 2019, according to city documents. The $10 million earmarked for the new animal shelter was part of an overall $93 million bond that is being used for other projects also.

Councilwoman Detra White recently said the new shelter is long overdue and very much needed. White was one of six council members who voted in favor of using certificate of obligation bonds dollars to pay for the project two years ago.

The current outdated facility has many problems, besides its small size, White said. The facility is plagued with ongoing plumbing problems and lacks an adequate cooling system, which makes the shelter very hot and humid most of the year.

"I know we're talking about a lot of money," White said. "But we're not talking about building a Taj Mahal for dogs and cats.

"We're talking about building a new shelter that has more room, that's animal and people friendly, and promotes adoption."

Because of the current shelter's limited space, many dogs and cats that arrive have to be euthanized immediately because there isn't space to keep them separated from the rest of the animals, White said.

The new facility would have a room where veterinarians can perform surgeries, including spaying and neutering, Gerke said.

Gerke on Tuesday will also review with council city crime statistics for 2020-21.
A woman pretending to be a police officer was carrying a gun and badge  both of which were fakes, Louisiana authorities say.

Michelle Medice, 41, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and impersonating a peace officer, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office.

Deputies were responding to a call about a suspicious person entering a home early Sunday when they found Medice in a parked car behind the residence, a news release states. The caller told 911 that the woman in question was wearing a badge and was armed with a gun.

Medice alleged that she used to live at the home and that she was a law enforcement officer, deputies said.

To play up the ruse, she wore a badge on a chain around her neck and had a fake handgun tucked into the waistband on her pants, according to police.

Medices claims about being a cop didnt check out, however, and she was arrested without incident, officials said.

She remained in custody at the Terrebonne Parish Jail as of Tuesday.

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Hard hat of missing Seacor Power crewmember washes up 600 miles away, officials say
May 18The clock is ticking on the release of millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief funds to local governments, and the lawmakers who helped author the legislation are fighting to make sure townships aren't left out.

A dozen federal legislators have sent an urgent letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging her make sure Ohio townships are not excluded when she releases further guidance this week for distribution of American Rescue Plan funds.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law March 11, and it allocated $350 billion to help local governments with pains caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The law directs that the first round of funding must be sent by mid-May, the second half will be sent a year later and communities have until the end of 2024 to spend it.

Last week, Yellen's department released some guidelines for the direct distribution of money to states, counties and local jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents. The treasury's plan also allocates $843.7 million to Ohio for distribution to "non-entitlement" entities or smaller jurisdictions below the 50,000 population threshold.

Townships were included in the version that passed the U.S. House but not the Senate version the president signed. Ohio Township Association Director of Governmental Affairs Marisa Myers told the Journal-News there was a definition change for "non-entitlement unit of local government" that apparently changed the funding formula.

U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, who along with his Republican colleagues opposed the legislation, said he and the other lawmakers who signed the letter to Yellen will be "surprised" if she adds townships to the funding formula.

"I hope that she says, you know, 'We're going to do what's good for the economy and we're going to do it in a consistent way,'" Davidson said.

Davidson has said the money should have been given to the states to divvy up amongst local jurisdictions rather than the distributions determined in Washington.

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Butler County's direct allocation is nearly $75 million, and the county commissioners have said they are willing to share if the townships remain excluded.

"It needs to be done in a highly focused way to projects that truly going to make a long-term difference," said Commissioner Cindy Carpenter. "I don't want to see this $74 million chipped away at a little bit here a little bit there."

Some townships had trouble spending the first allocation of coronavirus relief funding known as the CARES Act last year, because of the tight timelines and restrictions on the money. The county auditor's office said College Corner, Jacksonburg and Millville didn't accept the money.

This new money can be used to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on households and businesses, non-profits and other industries; grant premium pay for essential workers, government or to employers dealing with the pandemic; revenue loss due to the pandemic and investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.

The Journal-News reached out to townships, which are unhappy the funds apparently cannot be used for roads, which could stimulate the economy. In Liberty Twp. the trustees would want to have money to put into the proposed Millikin Road interchange at Interstate 75, which could be worth $388 million in new investment.

A very preliminary breakdown of distributions that included townships showed Liberty Twp. could get $7.3 to $8.8 million. Trustee Tom Farrell hopes the CARES Act leniency that came later in rules for that money extends to these funds.

"The stimulation of the economy can be giving it to local businesses, giving it to infrastructure, controlling costs internally," Farrell said. "There's a lot of things it can be used for if they give us the flexibility."

Ross Twp. had about $500,000 in CARES Act funding and carried over $235,000 into this year. Fiscal Officer Julie Joyce-Smith said it has about $25,000 still unspent.The preliminary estimate for ARP funds showed Ross Twp. would received $1.6 to $1.9 million. Joyce-Smith said she isn't certain they could spend it all.

"I've been taking a very conservative approach on how we spend the money and I'm not anxious for an audit two years down the road," she said. "I've told my folks no on some things, they said other entities are doing it, well just cause they're doing it doesn't mean it's right."

A couple of the small townships, namely Hanover, Madison, Ross and possibly St. Clair, said they could use the funds to expand broadband to their outer areas.

"We get a lot of complaints about the extension of internet and while we have no authority over that, we thought we could come up with project and work with the vendors in the area to extend that service to people who really need it," Hanover Twp. Administrator Bruce Henry said.

Madison Twp. Trustee President Brian McGuire said this money "could be a game changer" but they only spend windfalls like this on one-time expenses, not things that require ongoing investment like salaries.

"We will use every dime we can," he said. "I wish we could use it for anything we wanted to."

Morgan Twp. Administrator/Fire Chief Jeff Galloway said he is scheduled to participate in a webinar by the state Office of Budget and Management to get clarification on the new money if there is any. If there is, they already have projects earmarked. About the CARES money he said "we spent everything but 2 cents."
A southwest Missouri pastor is urging people to help fund the defense for the Circle of Hope Girls Ranch owners accused of abusing girls at their Christian boarding school.

The plea comes as attorneys on both sides prepare for Boyd and Stephanie Householders preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Cedar County Circuit Court. Already in court hearings, prosecutors with the Attorney Generals office have raised questions about the Householders attorney, who was indicted in 2019 on charges that he bribed a witness in a murder case.

Pastor Jerry Pyle, of Bible Baptist Church of Vernon County, sent a note this month to Supporters of Circle (of) Hope and Boyd and Stephanie Householder. The couple  along with students of their Cedar County school  began attending the church in June 2020 when their facility was still open.

I know that prayer is where this battle is going to be won, Pyle wrote in the May 7 letter. However, I believe it is our responsibility to do what we can to aid them in clearing their names of these false, demonic accusations. We can not do it alone. We absolutely need your help in your prayers, but we need your help financially.

Pyle did not respond to requests for comment about his letter.

At this weeks hearing, state and local prosecutors will detail their case against the couple, who are charged with 102 crimes, including statutory rape, sodomy and physical abuse.

Both have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bond in the Vernon County Jail. In his letter, Pyle said they were in solitary confinement. The couple told The Star in September after they decided to close the school that the allegations were all lies and that they would never hurt a child.

Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither said in an email to The Star that the Attorney Generals office is handling the preliminary hearing and the Householders will be there. In other hearings, the couple have appeared from jail.

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Pyle regularly has gone to see the Householders since their arrest in March.

I can not begin to tell you how it grieves me to only be able to see and visit with these two faithful Christians once a week separated by glass while talking on a phone, Pyle wrote.

We have been able to liquidate some of COH assets along with some of Boyd and Stephanies personal assets, he wrote. However, we neither have the money needed to retain a lawyer nor the money to post bail if it is set. We are now at the point that we need additional financial resources

The Householders are represented by Springfield attorney Adam Woody, whose own history was brought up by prosecutors in a March bond hearing.

Woody is under criminal felony indictment, accused of bribing a witness in a murder trial and committing perjury, one of the two assistant attorneys general handling the case told the court.

That case will likely be resolved before this one, and even if it isnt, if I were a defendant and my attorney was under a criminal indictment for bribing a witness, I would be concerned that my attorney would be focused more on that, the attorney said. And I would certainly raise that on appeal  that his attentions are divided. And if he is found guilty of that and disbarred, then were starting all over.

Woody, whose attorney has told media that his client is innocent, argued that the Householders know about the charges filed against him. And he said the AGs office was using scare tactics to remove him from the Circle of Hope case.

Ive taken in lots of cases since then, Woody told the court. And thats not going to have any bearing whatsoever on our ability to represent Ive taken in hundreds  hundreds  of cases since that charge has been filed. Every defendant has been notified. Ive been able to effectively represent each one.

Boyd Householder, 72, was charged in Cedar County Circuit Court with 79 felonies, including six counts of second-degree statutory rape; nine counts of second-degree statutory sodomy; six counts of sexual contact with a student; 56 counts of abuse or neglect of a child; and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. An additional count of second-degree child molestation is a misdemeanor.

Stephanie Householder, who turns 56 on Friday, was charged with 22 felonies, including 12 counts of abuse or neglect of a child and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The Householders started attending Bible Baptist Church in Nevada in June, Pyle said, at least two months before authorities removed the girls from the school in mid-August.

Bible Baptist Church is an independent fundamental Baptist church. IFB churches teach followers to separate themselves from worldly influence. Some IFB churches have supported Circle of Hope financially over the years, and their pastors have recommended the boarding school to parents of troubled girls.

Like numerous other Christian boarding schools across the country, Circle of Hope was inspired by Lester Roloff, the late independent fundamental Baptist pastor seen by many as a pioneer in the effort to deliver wayward teens to Jesus. Roloffs reform schools have been the subjects of serious abuse allegations over the years that include whippings and extended periods of isolation, and some that have been shut down have packed up and reopened in other states.

In a letter to supportive pastors last year, Boyd Householder  whose now-deleted Twitter account was Gunslinger4God  said he wanted to explain the attacks being made against us on Social Media.

He blamed the problems on his daughter and mother-in-law, who he said had turned their daughter against them. Their daughter, he said, has determined that she will force Circle of Hope Girls Ranch to shut down.

At the Householders bond reduction hearing in March, Woody asked the court to release Stephanie Householder on her own recognizance. He requested that Boyd Householder be released on a $10,000 bond but said if that wasnt acceptable to the court, they would agree to a $40,000 bond.

The prosecutors asked that the couple continue to be held without bond but added that if the court was inclined to set one, they were requesting a $3 million cash-only bond for Stephanie Householder and $5 million for Boyd Householder.

Prosecutors said the Householders were a flight risk because they were receiving tuition payments from a number of students and getting donations from churches to subsidize their ranch, which they said meant the couple had the resources to flee.

Woody argued that there was certainly no evidence that theyre going to pack up and leave and said dozens of people were prepared to testify to the couples upstanding character.

In his May 7 letter, Pyle said that the Householders brought the Circle of Hope students to church services and activities and the girls participated in Sunday school as well as other youth activities. On Wednesdays, Pyle said, the church divides into small groups for prayer.

Each one of our ladies would take two or three girls to pray with them, Pyle wrote. There were never any accusations of wrongdoing against Bro. Boyd or Mrs. Stephanie by the girls in any of their interactions with our church members.
The head of the Pennsylvania State Trooper Association called Monday for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to issue an apology for remarks he made toward police in a recent letter to state employees regarding the Juneteenth holiday.

The unions criticism centered on the content of Wolfs letter last Friday informing employees that Friday, June 18 would be a state holiday this year. Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, has been officially observed in Pennsylvania since 2019.

"Juneteenth is a celebration of the progress we have made as a nation towards equality and justice for all," Wolf said in the letter. "Sadly, the continued death of African Americans at the hands of police  are painful reminders that racism and intolerance are still with us today."

Wolfs letter drew a sharp condemnation from PTSA President David Kennedy.

"Let me be clear: Pennsylvania state troopers support the Juneteenth holiday. But for Gov. Wolf to use his platform to further push a false narrative that police are racist murderers is nothing less than the worst kind of political pandering," Kennedy said in a statement obtained by PennLive.com. "It only serves to further divide our nation at the expense of officers who already work incredibly dangerous jobs."

Kennedy accused Wolf of ignoring violent crime in Philadelphia.

"Its clear Gov. Wolf would rather play politics. We wont," Kennedy added. "Troopers want to have real conversations about moving forward together to benefit all residents of this great commonwealth. But we cannot have a real conversation as long as the leader of our commonwealth pits everyone against the police. This must end now."

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Wolfs office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Representatives for Pennsylvania state troops have been critical of Wolfs administration in recent weeks. In March, Kennedy publicly called for the governor to prioritize state troopers and other first responders for vaccinations.

Kennedy also alleged that the state had failed to provide face masks for state troopers.
Pilot error caused a fatal aircraft crash in June 2019 at Addison Airport that killed 10 people, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The failure of a pilot to control the plane following the loss of thrust in one of two engines just seconds after takeoff led to the fatal crash, the NTSB reported.

The Beechcraft King Air 350 rolled upside down and crashed into an airport hangar seconds after liftoff, killing the pilot, co-pilot and all eight passengers.

It was the worst aviation disaster in Dallas-Fort Worth in three decades.

On a cockpit voice recorder, pilot Howard Cassady, 71, of Fort Worth, can be heard talking with another, unidentified person about the engine on the left side of the plane, according to the transcript.

The recording also reveals that, at 9:10 a.m., about six seconds after liftoff, the pilot uttered the phrase What in the world?

Then the co-pilot, Matthew Palmer, 28, also of Fort Worth, responded, You just lost your left engine, according to the transcript. Another six seconds later, the co-pilot can be heard saying Holy ---- and two seconds after that there is a sound of impact and the recording stops.

Passengers killed in the crash included Brian and Ornella Ellard, whose family owned a business that bought the plane earlier in 2019; their children Alice and Dylan Maritato; Steve and Gina Thelen; and John and Mary Titus.

Cassady had 16,450 hours of flight experience, according to NTSB records.

Palmer and his wife had just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary, according to Palmers wifes Facebook page. Palmer was a ranch and arena hand at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

Palmer had 2,357 hours of overall flight experience  including 225 hours as pilot, and 615 hours as co-pilot, of a turboprop aircraft.

Investigators analyzed video from multiple cameras on and off the airport property, the flight track broadcast by the airplane as well as known flight performance data and characteristics of the plane to recreate the accident flight path and determine the planes position, speed, altitude and roll angles.

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The left engine lost almost all thrust several seconds after takeoff and the pilot responded with left rudder input, the opposite action of what the emergency called for, according to the NTSB report. Seconds later, the pilot applied right rudder but by that point the plane was rolling inverted, and there was insufficient altitude for recovery.

Investigators determined that had the pilot applied right rudder input, the airplane would have been controllable, according to the report released on Tuesday.

The audio from the recorder indicated that the pilots did not call for any of the checklists that would typically be used before takeoff, and they did not discuss what they would do in case of loss of engine thrust on takeoff or any other emergency procedure, the report stated.

The pilots failure to follow checklists and adhere to the airplane manufacturers emergency procedure were factors in the fatal accident, according to the NTSB report.

A detailed examination of the left engine and its control systems found no condition that would have prevented normal operation, the report says. The NTSB noted that there was a known risk of an unintentional movement of an engine power lever if its friction lock was adjusted incorrectly. Friction lock settings are one of the items in a pre-takeoff checklist the pilot failed to use, the NTSB said.

Investigators were unable to determine if the friction lock settings played a role in the loss of thrust on the left engine. The cause for loss of engine thrust could not be determined, according to the report.

In 2020, family members of two people killed in the crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aircrafts operators, EE Operations LLC, EE Realty, Inc. and S&H Aircraft LLC. The suit was filed in Dallas County. The status of the lawsuit was not available on Tuesday.

The flight on the privately owned airplane was bound for St. Petersburg, Florida.

This report contains information from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives.
Yet, this is good news, not bad. Just as science is helping Americans overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, when unleashed it is more than capable of saving the human race from the potential nightmares around the globe  even as waters rise, productive cropland is lost, weather becomes increasingly severe, natural habitat is destroyed, pollution worsens and nations wage wars over diminished resources. And so the most essential element for a rational response is for this vital information about climate to be shared and for people to recognize the threat and take action to address it. The better informed we are and the more aware we are of the consequences of the choices we make, whether individually or as a society, the better the chances that we will act in our own best interests.
May 18Voter turnout for Pennsylvania's primary is sparse compared to November's election, but officials say it's being bolstered by mail-in voting and statewide ballot questions drawing out third-party voters.

In Allegheny County, voters requested 124,813 mail-in ballots  based on Department of State data, that's about 13% of the county's 926,759 registered voters. As of Monday, about 81,020  65%  had been returned.

To be counted, those ballots must be returned  not just postmarked  by 8 p.m. Tuesday. The County Office Building on Forbes Avenue will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for ballot drop-off.

Elections personnel will make several trips to the main post office Tuesday  including a 7 p.m. trip  to make sure all mail-in ballots are collected.

In Pittsburgh, most eyes will likely be on the mayoral race, which has incumbent Bill Peduto facing three challengers: state Rep. Ed Gainey, retired Pittsburgh cop Tony Moreno and math tutor and service driver Michael Thompson.

Gainey voted about 10 a.m. at his polling place in Lincoln-Lemington. He said the city's unity is at stake.

"You see so many other cities coming together nowadays, doing things that inspire the fight for justice and making justice the foundation of how we build a city for all," Gainey said after casting his ballot. "We can do that right here in the city of Pittsburgh. It's our time."

About two hours later and two miles away, Peduto cast his ballot shortly before noon at Sterrett Classical Academy in Point Breeze. He acknowledged that this primary election is a "referendum on our administration."

"There always is when you're an incumbent, but most certainly when you seek a historic third term," he said. "I think there is a referendum on what is a progressive versus what is a socialist, and I don't think that that conversation is being had at the national level; I think it's happening more on a local level."

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Peduto said an election always poses the question of establishment versus change.

"I think all three of those questions will be answered this evening by the people of Pittsburgh," he said.

In Westmoreland County, mail-in and absentee ballots were mailed to 18,604 voters  about 7.5% of the county's 246,306 registered voters. As of Sunday night, 10,780, or 58%, had been returned. A drop-off box for mail-in ballots will be open in the lobby of the county courthouse until 8 p.m.

Elections officials in Westmoreland were predicting voter turnout of about 25%  a bit higher than in previous years because of mail-in ballots, said JoAnn Sebastiani, director of the county's election bureau.

About 40 or 45 voters had cast their ballots at Valley High School in New Kensington by around noon, according to Jim Love, judge of elections.

"For a primary, that's not bad," he said. "A lot of people don't come out for primaries."

Though it was only a primary, Elizabeth Schachte was excited "to have a say." She voted for the first time in the November election and wanted to continue participating.

"I just started voting," she said. "I figured, why not keep up with it?"

Voting for local offices, she said, was just as important as casting a ballot for the presidential race.

"I think local government is more important, honestly," she said. "It starts at a local level."

She came to the polls with her mother, Donna Schachte, who admitted she sometimes skips voting in primary elections. But this year, she said, she came to vote in support of ballot referendums that would limit the governor's emergency declaration powers.

"You can't complain if you don't vote to be part of the solution," she said.

At the polling place in the Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington, Rosemary Milliron cast her ballot and then stuck around to support her niece, Sara Yurga, in her bid for school board. She said there had been a "pretty steady stream of people" since she'd arrived at 8 a.m., but she was disappointed with the turnout.

"It's a little disheartening that more people don't vote, don't exercise their right, exercise their privilege," she said.

Even in local primaries, she said, people should care about casting their ballots.

"Most of the people that are running today have a more integral role in their lives than people even realize," she said.

Turnout was slow but steady in Murrysville and Delmont as well.

"I think the council and school board races are very important to us locally," said Andy Jarabak of Murrysville as he stood outside the Sardis Volunteer Fire Company precinct. "And I think the ballot questions (about emergency declarations) are very important in limiting the government's power."

Maria Beadling of Delmont, who was at the Faith United Methodist Church precinct on Tuesday morning, said she will be voting in favor of the ballot questions asking voters to limit the governor's power to extend emergency declarations without authorization from the General Assembly. The current state emergency declaration, issued in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, has been renewed every 90 days for the past 14 months.

"I support them because I don't believe any governor should have too much power," she said.

Unlike last November, Westmoreland County officials said unofficial final results should be available before sunrise Wednesday. Because of the high volume of mail-in votes cast in November, when nearly 60,000 were submitted, it took about three days to have results tallied.

Even with a special election to fill the vacancy in the 59th Legislative District created by the Jan. 2 death of state Rep. Mike Reese, Unity resident Jeffrey Bossart was surprised when he arrived at the Pleasant Unity precinct just before 9 a.m. and found he was one of only two voters casting ballots.

Compared to Nov. 3, when lines reached into the parking lot with the presidential election, Bossart said Tuesday's voting regimen posed "no problems."

"I was in and out today," Bossart said, cracking a large smile.

There weren't many people at the polls around 11 a.m. at Kinloch VFD social hall in Lower Burrell. But Valencia Yajko said she was eager to cast her ballot because "it's so important."

"I think it's even more important to vote for local officials, because they're working in our communities," she said. "We'll benefit in our communities if we vote for people who represent our values. It starts in the community."

Similar scenes took place at West Hempfield Presbyterian Church, where almost 50 people had turned up to vote by 10 a.m., according to poll workers, who noted the number was higher than expected. Still, several people commented on short lines during Tuesday's primary compared to lines that wrapped around the building during the presidential election.

Linda Burhans, 75, said she decided to vote Tuesday because, "I just want to do my civic duty."

Dan Williams, 59, echoed similar sentiments saying, "I really wanted to get out here and vote."

At 2:40 p.m., about 20% of the roughly 3,500 registered voters in Unity's Dennison precinct had turned out to cast their votes at the SonRise Church.

Judge of elections Karen Kuklewski said those numbers matched the expected turnout, as the weather cooperated.

"It's been a great day," she said. "People are turning out because it's gorgeous."

Voters reported a wait of no more than 15 minutes to fill out ballots. It was a far different story during last year's presidential election, when the line of voters circled around the parking lot and overflow parking extended along Frye Farm Road

Miles Johnston had to wait behind just two people on Tuesday. "I'm 79 years old and had nothing else to do today," he said, but added he felt it was important to cast his vote in the special election in the 59th Legislative District.

Voting was well underway in Hampton. Residents in Districts 6 and 12 were able to cast their ballots at Parkwood Presbyterian Church along Mt. Royal Boulevard.

Pine-Richland elections appeared to be drawing much interest early in the day as a steady stream of people arrived before 11 a.m. at the Pine-Richland Youth Center in Gibsonia to cast their ballot.

Poll workers and campaign volunteers at the Tarentum Borough Building said around 2:15 p.m. that turnout had been low so far, but other polling places throughout the borough had much steadier turnout.

At the Highlands Community Center in Natrona Heights, voters had been coming in at a steady pace, said Jamie Nee, a Republican candidate for Natrona's Board of Commissioners who is running unopposed in the Primary. Nee said she'd been visiting polling locations since around 8 a.m.

Pat Finkle, 73, said she came out to vote on the ballot measures up for decision  not necessarily one of the local candidates (She declined to say which way she voted for each measure). A registered Democrat, the Natrona Heights resident said she felt it was important to vote even though Tuesday was not a general or presidential election.

"It's my right to do that and it's my responsibility," she said.

Gary George, 73, said something similar. He wasn't moved by any particular candidate or ballot measure  he just felt it was his responsibility to participate in the voting process.

"It's important," said George, a Republican in Natrona Heights. "You have to support your community."

That sentiment was prevalent in Harmar as well, where there has been consternation among the township supervisors. Three Democrats are running for two nominations, and four Republicans are running for two nominations in their respective parties.

"It's something I do every election," said Marilyn Steenburgh, 70. "I'm just trying to find some honest people, hopefully, to take office."

Paula Hitshew, 79, went so far as to call two of the newcomers running for supervisor.

"I felt they have a sense of what they're looking to do here if they're elected supervisor, and I like that," Hitshew said. "I felt they were sincere and I like some of their new age thoughts about Harmar."

Margaret Cook, 78, said she wasn't aware of the contention among current board members, as she hasn't been able to attend a board meeting amid the ongoing pandemic.

"Nothing really excites me but I'm doing my civic duty," she said. "I would love to see a board that works together and there's no backstabbing and the like."

Four statewide ballot questions mean independents and other minor-party members will be able to vote on those questions.

Two of the four seek to limit the governor's power when it comes to disaster declarations.

One asks voters to consider an amendment to the state constitution that gives the General Assembly the ability to terminate a disaster declaration. The other poses an amendment that would limit disaster declarations to 21 days and limit the governor's ability to renew the declaration without legislative approval.

Those questions brought out a number of voters in Harmar, including 67-year-old Arran Kendrick. He said he's been dismayed by the state Republican's response to things, and he thought his vote could help fix things.

"The two questions that are on the ballot are pretty important," he said. "That seems to be pretty important with a predominantly Republican legislature."

Derek Kalinosky, 39, and mentioned those particular ballot questions.

"It's good to put it in the hands of the voters rather than just politicians," he said. "I want the people to be able to choose, to put it in the people's hands and say, 'OK, this is what we should do.'"

A third question would amend the state constitution to enshrine discrimination protections for Pennsylvanians. The fourth would give fire and EMS departments with paid personnel the ability to apply for loans through a state-run program for volunteer companies.

Two local ballot questions deal with criminal justice issues: a ban on no-knock warrants by Pittsburgh police and the restricting the use of solitary confinement at the Allegheny County Jail.

Those were the questions that helped bring Natalie and Bill Hoffman to their polling place on Reynolds Street in Point Breeze.

"I was really interested in the issues more than the candidates," Natalie Hoffman said.

Stephen Baird, 63, of Springdale Township, said he was particularly interested in local school board and judicial races.

"I've been voting in every election for as long as I can remember," Baird said. "I just think that voting local is the start of it all. If you live in a location you should think it's important to vote in an election."

Stephen Negrich, 29, also of Springdale Township, said the ballot questions asking voters to decide whether the general assembly can end a disaster declaration with a simple majority without the governor's output, and whether the government must ask for lawmakers' approval to extend a declaration beyond 21 days, were important to him. Negrich also mentioned the Springdale Township commissioners' race as an important one.

"The biggest thing was to limit the governor's power during a state of emergency," Negrich said. "And then to change some of these commissioners is my goal. I feel like we've had a lot of issues (in the township) for a while. A couple of years ago you weren't even allowed to speak at meetings so getting some new people in there would be a good thing."

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Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Police are asking for the public's help in their search for Jessica Edwards, a Connecticut woman who disappeared last week.

Edwards was reported missing by her family on May 10, according to the South Windsor Police Department. Her husband last saw her that morning around 7 a.m., Sgt. Mark Cleverdon said at a press conference. Edwards' mother and sister saw her the night before on Mother's Day, he said.

According to police, it's believed that Edwards left her home with an unknown person. She had called out of her clinical training at Hartford Hospital on the morning of her disappearance, a police tweet said.

Cleverdon said via email on Tuesday that police do not have any information about the person Edwards left home with and the person has not been identified.

Jessica Edwards has been missing since May 10. (South Windsor Police Department)

Her family told NBC Connecticut that Edwards had a baby seven months ago and would never leave home without him. She was days away from graduating with a second degree, they said.

"My sister is missing. My nephew is really, practically without a mother right now, her brother Mario Edwards said.

Edwards' mother, Hope Edwards, pleaded for her daughter's safe return. "I need my daughter," she told the outlet.

Authorities said that they searched Edwards' home and three "associated" vehicles on Friday in hopes they would find information to help them "understand what has led to Jessica's disappearance," according to a press release.

Neighborhood canvases involving K-9s and helicopters have also been conducted in the immediate area surrounding her home.

The South Windsor Police Department is working with local, state and federal agencies in locating her.

"The Town Manager has been in constant communication with the Chief of Police as to the status of the case and we have every confidence that our police department, in conjunction with our local, state, and federal partners, is doing everything possible to locate Jessica," said South Windsor Mayor Andrew Paterna and Town Manager Michael Maniscalco in a joint statement.
May 18A man was shot in the leg in the parking lot of the People's Market on North Main Street, officials reported. His injuries were non life-threatening.

Initial investigations show that the shooting may have been caused by a road rage incident, officers on the scene reported.

The shooting was reported around 4:15 p.m. in the 2000 block, of North Main Street, near Indianola Avenue.

Officers are searching for surveillance video to learn more about the incident.
May 18A proposed moratorium that would have banned new shelters in Portland's Bayside neighborhood fell one vote short of the support it needed to be considered Monday night and will have to come back to the Portland City Council in two weeks for a hearing and vote.

In order for the council to enact the ban as an emergency order, it would have taken seven affirmative councilor votes to hold a public hearing and then a final vote at Monday night's council meeting.

The emergency measure failed to move ahead on the council's 6-3 vote. After the vote, Mayor Kate Snyder adjourned what most expected to be a long and contentious public hearing, saying the shelter moratorium will be brought back to the council for a hearing and final vote on June 7.

Councilors Andrew Zarro, April Fournier, and Pious Ali voted in the minority. Zarro and Fournier are the newest members of the council. They gave no reasons for why the way they voted. But, their opposition overrode the recommendation made by members of the council's Health and Human Services Committee. Tae Chong, Belinda Ray and Mark Dion each urged their colleagues to consider passing the ban as an emergency order. At a May 11 meeting, those councilors voted 3-0 in support of passing the moratorium as an emergency order. Ray, who represents Bayside, said the council should not delay its decision beyond Monday.

At its May 11 meeting, committee members "discussed the inequitable distribution of emergency shelter beds and social services in the neighborhood and that a moratorium would provide breathing room for this heavily impacted community while shelter licensing is finalized," the committee wrote in documents provided to the council.

The proposal would establish a 180-day ban on new emergency shelters in the Bayside neighborhood, which has long been home to a cluster of social services used by people throughout the state and region struggling with homelessness and other issues.

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Chong, who serves as chairman of the committee, said the moratorium is not meant to block any specific shelter proposal but to give city officials additional time to finalize a new annual licensing program for all emergency shelter operators.

"This would only affect Bayside and no other area of the city," Chong said Monday.

However, the head of the nonprofit social services agency Preble Street says the proposal is directed at the organization, which is in the process of setting up a new shelter in addition to others it already operates. The moratorium comes four months after the city approved Preble Street's new 40-bed shelter at 5 Portland St. The shelter, which is currently under development and is expected to open this summer, replaces its resource center, which included a day shelter. Its progress will not be affected by any ban or moratorium the city passes.

Mark Swann, executive director of Preble Street, said the nonprofit contemplated relocating and expanding some services in Bayside two years ago, but those plans are now up in the air. The original plan would have consolidated teen services, by adding the teen shelter at 38 Preble St. to the Teen Center on Cumberland Avenue, and then converting the former teen shelter into a small shelter for women.

"While it is true that we had put a plan together to open a new women's shelter there, we are now not at all sure that is the best use of that space at this time," Swann said. "In any event, with all (that's) going on right now, it is definitely not something we would be pursuing within the next year."

Preble Street also is working on opening a healing center for victims of human trafficking at 55 Portland St., but that facility will consist of caseworker offices, group rooms and the like and will not have any overnight uses.

With the support of some neighborhood residents, city officials have been trying to break up the cluster of social services in Bayside, which is undergoing rapid redevelopment.

Officials argue that having so many people accessing services in one area presents a risk to clients, who become easy targets for traffickers and other bad actors.

That strategy was one of the reasons the city is working to create a new 200-bed homeless services center away from Bayside on Riverside Street near the Westbrook city line. That plan is being fought by neighbors in that part of the city, however.

The council resolution that faced a vote Monday highlights concerns over the concentration of social services in the neighborhood. It notes that Bayside currently has more than 500 emergency shelter beds and accounts for 20 percent of police calls and 10 percent of EMS calls, despite having only 5 percent of the city's population and 1 percent of the land area.

"The city of Portland's homeless population has higher rates than the general public of individuals with lower socioeconomic status, individuals who are racial minorities, and individuals who suffer from substance use disorder and other mental health disorders, leading to a concentration of vulnerable individuals in the Bayside neighborhood," the resolution states.

"The current city of Portland Code of Ordinances is inadequate to protect the Bayside neighborhood from the further concentration of emergency shelters in that neighborhood, potentially creating further serious harm from emergency shelter development in that area," it continues. "The current city of Portland Code of Ordinances is also inadequate to prevent the potential overburdening of police, fire, and other city services from concentrating additional homeless shelter services in the Bayside neighborhood
DETROIT  President Joe Biden made a visit to the Detroit area on Tuesday to push the future of electric vehicles.

Air Force One was met by Democratic U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell of Dearborn and Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, who spent some time talking to the president before Biden left to meet with Ford Motor officials.

Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American in the Congress and has been among those criticizing Israel for the rocket attacks and other violence involving Palestinians in Gaza and others parts of Israel. It wasn't immediately known what Tlaib and the president spoke about.

Biden wasn't in metro Detroit to talk about the situation in the Middle East but with Dearborn having one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S., it was certain to color the event at least somewhat. Several protests about the Biden administration's continued support of Israel were scheduled.

Biden is visiting Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle plant in Dearborn ahead of Wednesday's big reveal of the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck. "My name is Joe Biden, and I'm a car guy," was the president's opening line at the factory. He quickly played to the crowd, noting, "the UAW elected me," when he first got to the Senate.

He then addressed Tlaib: I admire your concern for so many other people. And it's my from my heart, I pray that your grand-mom and family are well -- I promise Im going to do everything to see that they are in the West Bank."

Here's what else you need to know about his visit:

Expect Biden to make note of the fact that it will be UAW workers building the new F-150. Biden has been a more vocal advocate for union workers than any recent president.

He will likely bring up that his administration is pushing a huge infrastructure bill that also calls for billions to begin building half a million charging stations across the U.S. and provide incentives to electric vehicle manufacturers and drivers.

Electrifying Ford's F-series of trucks is a big deal, given that they're the best- selling vehicles in the country, and could be a game-changer in terms of getting the public to buy into  and buy  electric vehicles, which still make up a small percentage of vehicles on the roads in the U.S.

Ford's big reveal is scheduled to be livestreamed from the company's world headquarters in Dearborn at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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Biden's visit, which was encouraged by Dingell, among others, was timed to underscore the importance of the new F-150 and push for passage of Biden's infrastructure bill.

Electric vehicles and Biden's infrastructure plan

On Tuesday morning, the White House put out a fact sheet reiterating that the infrastructure bill, which faces an uncertain path in the Senate, makes investments to encourage electric vehicle adoption. It also reminds people that, as of now, other nations, especially China, are leading the world race to embrace electric cars and trucks.

Members of Biden's administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, were headed to Capitol Hill to discuss Republican counterproposals. Environmental groups, meanwhile, were pushing to make sure the administration keeps its $174 billion proposed investment in electric vehicles, even though some Republican lawmakers, particularly those in the U.S. House, have suggested it's asking too much given the paucity of the number of electric cars on the roads now.

Future of cars 'is electric'

But the International Energy Agency is also saying in a new report that if the world is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the switch to electric vehicles being the only ones sold in the years to come is key.

"The future of the (auto) industry is electric. Everyone will tell you that," press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during the flight to Michigan. "That's where the jobs are and that's where the future of the auto industry is."

Some of those coming to the plant with Biden want to make sure Michigan remains a central player in the automotive future, especially with batteries becoming such a key component and much of the supply chains that feed that industry spread around the world and around the country.

"I'm going to push him to prioritize Michigan jobs," said U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills. "This (change to electric vehicles) is not a light switch. This is not going to happen overnight... There are steps we can take now that wont lead to a slow bleed of jobs."

Related: Arab Americans plan to protest Biden's visit to Dearborn amid tensions over Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Protests over Israeli-Hamas conflict planned

Tuesday's visit by the president won't be entirely about motor vehicles, however. Dearborn is one of the largest Arab-American population centers in the U.S. and a protest is scheduled at the Dearborn Police Station at 1 p.m. against Biden's support of Israel in the wake of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians that has killed more than 200 people.

Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he supports a cease-fire but critics of Israel's actions say the U.S. should be doing more to protect the rights of Palestinians, who are bearing the brunt of the violence.

Who's who: Key players in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and why peace remains elusive in Gaza

In a letter sent to Biden, Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council in Dearborn, asked the president to "act swiftly, fairly and justly to end the human suffering that the Israeli war on Gaza is imposing on its population... The goal of the Israeli war is to harm the (Palestinian) population and terrorize it. This is an illegal and immoral war."

Biden and others, however, have made clear that they believe Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks and other violent acts from Hamas, the group that controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S.

Psaki said much of the discussions going on to end the violence are happening  and will continue to happen  outside of public view. "Sometimes diplomacy has to happen behind the scenes," she said.

Knowing that the Arab-American community in Dearborn is angry, a senior adviser of Biden's, former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, held a call with community leaders on Monday night.

Contact Todd Spangler at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Staff writer Niraj Warikoo contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Joe Biden visits Ford plant in Michigan to promote electric vehicles
Picture: (Getty Images)

US Rep Rashida Tlaib says that some of her Democratic colleagues in Congress express empathy towards the Palestinians in private, but do not in public.

The Michigan Democrat made the observation during an interview on MSNBCs The Reid Out on Monday evening.

It is really hard because any of my colleagues that even have some sort of empathy towards Palestinians, they do it quietly with whispering because they continue to be intimidated and bullied by those that want to continue the status quo apartheid in Israel, Ms Tlaib told host Joy Reid.

Ms Tlaib added that those interested in maintaining the status quo literally brush over Palestinians as ... somehow inherently violent, that they dont deserve human rights.

Ms Tlaib did not specify what kind of intimidation or bullying her colleagues were subject to, nor from whom.

The congresswoman also said there was more criticism of the Netanyahu government within Israel than there was from the Biden administration.

I hope that my president, our president, speaks up and speaks truth about what exactly is happening, because I know they know, she said. Many of the people that live there, including some of the Israeli citizens, have come out and opposed Netanyahu very forcefully. Enough with this kind of discrimination and racism. These are our neighbors. These are children that were raising our children with.

The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has been increasingly vocal in its opposition to traditional US policy towards Israel.

Ms Tlaib and other members of Congress have called out the US government over arms sales and the military aid that is given to Israel.

She joined representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Andre Carson of Indiana in signing a joint statement asking president Joe Biden to reconsider the $3bn in annual military aid provided to Israel.

As Hamas rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes continue and the death toll mounts, the Biden administration has said that it supports a ceasefire, though has not explicitly called for one.

Story continues

On Monday, the US blocked a joint statement in the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Read More

Rep. Greene's combative behavior could spark ethics review

Rep. Greene's combative behavior could spark ethics review

Marjorie Taylor Greene defends abused Capitol rioters and Ashli Babbitt in House floor speech
CAIRO (AP)  A leading international rights group on Tuesday urged Egyptian authorities to release a woman who was arrested apparently over publishing a letter from her imprisoned son in which he claims he was tortured and sexually assaulted behind bars.

Police last month raided the Cairo home of Hoda Abdel Hamid, and detained her along with her husband and daughter.

Human Rights Watch said in its statement that the arrest followed Abdel Hamids posting on Facebook her sons account in which he describes being tied up by another inmate with the assistance of prison guards, stripped of his clothes and sexually assaulted.

Her 29-year-old son, Abdelrahman al-Showeikh, had passed the letter on to her when she recently visited him in prison. He has been detained in a maximum security prison in the southern province of Minya for the last 15 months.

Instead of investigating Hoda Abdel Hamids report that her son had faced horrific torture and sexual assault in prison, Egyptian authorities are persecuting the messenger, said Joe Stork, the New York-based group's Mideast and North Africa director, adding that the case strongly underscores the abysmal state of Egypts so-called justice system.

Since the arrests were made, Abdel Hamids husband and daughter were freed but she remains in custody, HRW said, adding that the group has written to the government inquiring about the incident but has so far not received an answer.

There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

Since the militarys 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive president  the Muslim Brotherhoods Mohammed Morsi  the Egyptian authorities have launched a wide crackdown on dissent. Thousands of Islamists have been jailed, along with secular activists and pro-democracy advocates. Tight control of the media has also been imposed and freedoms won in a 2011 uprising have been rolled back.
A Rock Hill teen has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to the Lancaster County killing of another teenager, according to court officials and records.

Jarod Keshun McNeil, 19, had fled to Alabama after the September 2019 killing but was caught days later and has been in jail ever since.

McNeil pleaded guilty in Lancaster County criminal court to murder in the killing of Jaquavious Neely, 19, also of Rock Hill, said Randy Newman, 6th Circuit Solicitor. Neely was shot in Lancaster County.

McNeil and Neely were passengers in a car that pulled up to a house on Carmel Road before McNeil shot Neely on the homes porch steps, Lancaster County Sheriffs Office deputies and prosecutors said.

A jury had been picked Monday as Lancaster County prosecutors Luck Campbell and Melissa McGinnis planned to start McNeils a murder trial. But McNeil pleaded guilty before opening arguments, Newman said.

A conviction for murder in South Carolina carries a minimum sentence of 30 years up to life in prison.

Visiting South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Eugene Griffith Jr. sentenced McNeil to 35 years in the S.C. Department of Corrections Tuesday after the guilty plea, said Jeff Hammond, Lancaster County Clerk of Court.
The article dealing with the fact that the mental health law is flawed (A Woodlawn mans erratic behavior worried neighbors for years. Could something have been done before he killed 3 people? May 16), states that the killings are prompting questions about how Maryland handles cases of people who may be in a mental health crisis. The law in Maryland for involuntary psychiatric commitment is among the strictest in the nation, and the judiciary system as well as other law enforcement agency tiptoe around it if possible.
Rudy Giuliani is arguably a lot of things, but he isn't the "head of a drug cartel" or "a terrorist," his lawyers say, and shouldn't be treated as such.

In a redacted letter made public on Monday, Giuliani's attorneys asked a Manhattan federal judge to unseal the affidavits in support of a November 2019 search warrant that prosecutors used to secretly obtain files from Giuliani's Apple iCloud account. At the time, Giuliani was serving as the personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump, and his attorneys say the iCloud files collected likely included "material relating to the impending impeachment, the welfare of the country, and to national security."

The judge is deciding whether a "special master" should be appointed to Giuliani's case to protect attorney-client privilege. Giuliani's attorneys have asserted that the unsealed affidavits will help prove their argument that "this unilateral, secret review was illegal," The Associated Press reports.

Giuliani's legal team described him in the letter as a "distinguished lawyer," and accused prosecutors of treating him "as if he was the head of a drug cartel or a terrorist, in order to create maximum prejudicial coverage of both Giuliani and his most well-known client  the former president of the United States."

Federal prosecutors are looking closely at Giuliani's ties to Ukraine and whether he violated federal laws regarding lobbying for foreign countries, AP reports. Before the 2020 presidential election, Giuliani went to Ukraine to try to dig up dirt on then-candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, and has said the work he conducted in the country was on behalf of Trump.

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Senator Tom Cotton (AFP via Getty)

US senator Tom Cotton drew criticism for suggesting the Associated Press (AP) was acting in collusion with Hamas, after an Israeli strike on a building that housed news organisations offices in Gaza.

After the 12-story building was blown-up by Israel on Saturday, the countrys intelligence agencies alleged that the AP building was actually a base for Hamas  a Palestinian terrorist group.

It follows the UN issuing a warning of full-scale war between Israel and Hamas, after days of fighting in and around Gaza.

Speaking on the Senate floor on Monday, Mr Cotton asked: "Why is the AP sharing a building with Hamas? Surely these intrepid reporters knew who their neighbours were."

"Did they knowingly allow themselves to be used as human shields by a US-designated terrorist organisation? the senator continued, accusing the AP of refusing to report on Hamas for years.

Mr Cotton also attacked "whiny reporters" from AP and Al-Jazeera, also based in the offices before Saturday, following international condemnation of Israel for the airstrike.

Footage of the building falling to bits on Saturday was shared widely on social media, with Mostefa Soug, the acting director general of Al-Jazeera, accusing Israel of a "war crime.

AP president and CEO Gary Pruitt added that "the world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today", and called for further evidence from Israel.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

"We have called on the Israeli government to put forward the evidence, wrote Mr Pruitt in a statement. APs bureau has been in this building for 15 years.

We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building. This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk."

Anthony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said on Monday there was not any evidence of Israeli intelligence that he had seen, as reported by AP and Axios.

Story continues

On Twitter, critics of Mr Cotton offered criticism of the allegations, with a user, D Lowther writing: This is clinically insane ranting, even as measured by Tom Cotton's usual standards.

I think Tom Cotton has some uncomfortable questions to answer, including why he is making such an monumental ass of himself, another Twitter user, Bruce Coffman added. Blinken has said that he has seen no evidence that there was any Hamas presence in that building. They bombed it to shut down press coverage of their dirt.

The Independent has reached out to AP for comment on Mr Cottons remarks.

Read More

Biden move to share vaccine designed to spread US influence

Biden move to share vaccine designed to spread US influence

Trump allies react with fury at Facebook ruling: Its a sad day for America
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Registrations began Tuesday for the state's Vax-a-Million cash prize and college scholarships, which are being awarded to residents who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Five winners will be chosen to receive $1 million each, and five winners will be chosen to win a full scholarship to a public Ohio college or university.

Ohioans who want a shot at the cash prize or college scholarships must enter through ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling 833-4-ASK-ODH, Gov. Mike DeWine's administration said Monday. That's a change from the initial plan, which would have used voter registration records to choose winners for the cash prize.

By opting-in, winners will agree to have their vaccination records verified and be publicly announced, state officials said.

Here's what to know about the lottery.

Who is eligible to win $1 million?

Ohio residents who are 18 or older, have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and registered for the drawing are eligible for the cash prizes. Five winners will be chosen to receive $1 million each.

Ohio teens ages 12 to 17 who have received one vaccine dose and registered are eligible for the scholarships, which will cover tuition, room and board, and books for four years at a public Ohio college or university. Funds for this program will be deposited for the winners into Ohio 529 Savings Plans.

Latest COVID-19 updates: Infections down 50% from last month; child tax credits expanded, covering majority of children

How do I sign up for Ohio's vaccine lottery?

Visit www.ohiovaxamillion.com or call 833-4-ASK-ODH to register for the drawings. One sign-up is good for all five drawings. Duplicate entries will be removed.

What is the deadline for getting vaccinated?

To be eligible for the five consecutive Wednesday drawings, participants must have received a first dose of a vaccine by 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday before that week's drawing.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine talk to a student while visiting the Columbus COVID-19 mass vaccination site at the Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center on Monday, April 5, 2021.

How will the drawings work?

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The Ohio Lottery will conduct the drawings using its random number generator. It'll be observed by the auditor of state staff. The winner and up to 100 alternates will be selected. The winner's vaccination verified by Ohio Department of Health. If it can't be verified, officials will move on to the first alternate, and so on.

Spring mask wars: As stores update COVID mask policies, are even more conflicts on the horizon?

When will the winners be announced?

The drawings will be held two days before the winners are announced. The announcements will be televised live at 7:29 p.m. on five consecutive Wednesdays, starting May 26.

What are the odds of winning?

It depends on how many people register through the opt-in program.

How will I know if I won?

If state officials need more information to verify vaccination and Ohio residency, the winner may be contacted before the Wednesday announcement. Otherwise, the winner will learn the big news on Wednesday.

The goal is to increase COVID-19 vaccination numbers. Is it working?

The Ohio Department of Health doesn't have a specific numbers goal but noted that since the program was announced, there has been an uptick in people getting vaccinated. Last Friday was the highest vaccine administration day in three weeks, with 25,414 shots given.

The boost isn't attributable solely to 12- to 15-year olds becoming eligible, according to health department director Stephanie McCloud. Vaccinations among 30-year-old to 74-year-old Ohioans had fallen 24% over the past three weeks, but increased 6% on Friday, she said.

When DeWine announced the Ohio Vax-a-Million program on May 12, it drew national media attention. Experts say the big prize money may move people who have been hesitant to get vaccinated.

The prizes and scholarships are being funded by federal CARES Act money that was allocated to the Ohio Department of Health. The Ohio Lottery will administer the drawings.

Can Gov. Mike DeWine really give away $5 million for getting vaccinated? 'Lottery' raises constitutional, legal questions

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio vaccine lottery: How to sign up for Vax-a-million, scholarship
By Jon Nazca and Mariano Valladolid

CEUTA, Spain (Reuters) -A sudden influx of migrants swimming into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Africa is a serious crisis for Europe, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday, vowing to re-establish order promptly amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Morocco.

Spain deployed troops to Ceuta to patrol the border with Morocco after around 8,000 migrants, many from Sub-Saharan Africa and including 1,500 minors, entered the enclave on Monday and Tuesday by swimming in or climbing over the fence.

Armoured vehicles were guarding Ceuta's beach on Tuesday, and soldiers and police used batons to clear migrants from the beach and threw smoke bombs to discourage others from crossing.

A Reuters reporter on the ground said the number of arrivals by sea had slowed, and some migrants were voluntarily returning to Morocco. A few others could be seen being carried away by soldiers. Footage of the beach at around 8 p.m. local time showed nearly all migrants had been cleared.

Spain said approximately 4,000 migrants had already been sent back to Morocco, under a readmission deal.

The regional leader of Ceuta criticised what he described as Morocco's passivity in the face of Monday's surge, and some independent experts said Rabat had initially allowed it as a means of pressuring Madrid over its decision to admit a rebel leader from the Western Sahara to a Spanish hospital.

The Spanish government did not make that connection, with Sanchez calling the north African nation a friend of Spain and the interior ministry citing cooperation over the readmissions, although Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told Morocco's ambassador Spain rejected and disapproved of the mass arrivals.

Rabat recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations, said a diplomatic source who declined to be named, adding that relations with Spain needed a moment of "contemplation". Moroccan authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Story continues

Moroccan TV footage showed authorities setting up barriers on Tuesday afternoon to prevent people from crossing into Ceuta, but footage filmed from the Spanish side earlier showed a Moroccan soldier or policeman waving dozens of running migrants through a gate to no-man's land without any checks.

"This sudden arrival of irregular migrants is a serious crisis for Spain and Europe," Sanchez said in a televised address before his arrival in Ceuta.

European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas tweeted that the enclave's frontier was a European border, expressing his "full solidarity with Spain".

Ceuta, with a population of 80,000, is on the northern tip of Morocco across from Gibraltar. Along with another Spanish enclave, Melilla, it has long been a magnet for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Morocco has a claim on both.

WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE

The spike in arrivals took place after Rabat expressed its anger last month when Spain discreetly admitted Brahim Ghali, the leader of Western Sahara's rebel Polisario Front to hospital. Madrid said it acted on purely humanitarian grounds.

Morocco's Foreign Ministry criticised what it said was Spain's decision to admit Ghali under a false identity without informing Morocco, warning of repercussions.

The Polisario Front wants the Western Sahara to be an independent state rather than part of Morocco. Algeria, Morocco's regional rival, backs the Polisario Front.

The United States in December recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory.

(Reporting by Belen Carreno, Joan Faus, Cristina Galan and Inti Landauro, Writing by Andrei Khalip and Ingrid Melander, Editing by Estelle Shirbon, Alexandra Hudson and Giles Elgood)
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's public health commission has approved a proposal by the health ministry that Spaniards under 60 who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine get a second shot of the coronavirus vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc , El Pais newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

The proposal will affect about 1.5 million Spaniards who received the AstraZeneca shot before the government banned it for those aged under 60 due to blood clot concerns.

A study by the government's Carlos III Health Institute found that mixing and matching the two drugs was both safe and effective.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Peter Cooney)
Police interests in the city say St. Louis needs more officers on the street. Mayor Tishaura Jones says the city has more officers than any city its size, and different approaches are needed.

Video Transcript

- St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says cutting 98 vacant police jobs, moving that money elsewhere, and hiring between 15 and 20 social workers was not a quick, rash decision, rather, a well thought-out plan with extensive research.

What is it that makes you feel that this is the best thing to do?

TISHAURA JONES: Well, we've seen it in cities across the country that this is the right thing to do.

- Critics say we need more police. What do you say?

TISHAURA JONES: Well, we have more police in St. Louis than any other city our size. And has that made us safer?

- Mayor Jones says no current officer will lose their job. But Jane Dueker, legal representation for the police department, says cutting the positions will affect overall safety in St. Louis.

JANE DUEKER: When you cut the vacancies, you're actually impinging on overtime, which can decrease services that are actually being performed on the street right now.

- Dueker also says using social workers is fine, but they can't do the job of a police officer and can't go to a call unless it's first deemed safe by an officer. So it adds to their workload.

JANE DUEKER: We have to get more police officers on the street. And I don't-- you know, I'm not sure I've heard what her position is on that. It would be good to know. But I think people believe that if there's more police presence, it will decrease crime.

- But Mayor Jones says statistics show the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department handles more killings per capita than any of the 100 largest departments in the country.

TISHAURA JONES: I am hearing that people want help. And I'm also hearing that African-Americans, especially people that live in my neighborhood, which is in north St. Louis, they want someone to respond when they call 911.

Story continues

- The mayor adds by using social workers instead of police on calls, it will free up officers to do work they were trained to do.

TISHAURA JONES: It happens when you call 911, and that operator can triage that call to see what type of help to deploy. Sometimes an officer may not even be deployed at all.

- In February, a program called Cops and Clinicians began-- social workers riding with trained officers, responding to various calls involving mental or behavioral calls. Lieutenant Commander Sally Panzer leads the program.

- How's it been working so far?

SALLY PANZER: Actually, overall, really pretty well. We've had good results from the community. They really liked it.

- Jane Dueker wants a conversation with the mayor about how the department moves forward. She says every district and every shift has officers filling cars that are paid with overtime. So with no overtime money moving forward, those shifts won't be manned.

TISHAURA JONES: Officers are exhausted from having to answer to every call, no matter what it is. And so what we're trying to do is deploy the right professional to the right call.
Stephen Colbert agreed with his fellow late-night hosts that the CDC's reliance on the honor system to keep unvaccinated Americans in masks is unlikely to be effective. "Okay, the only thing Americans need to stay safe is to be honest with themselves," he said on Monday's Late Show. "We are doomed. Do you know what the serving size of Oreos is? It's not 'sleeve.'"

Meanwhile, it was another "bad day for Florida congressman Matt Gaetz," Colbert said. "Gaetz is being investigated by the feds for alleged sex trafficking and having sex with a minor, and it looks like his so-called wingman is ready to sing, man." Today, Joel Greenberg "officially pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors."

"It's not just Greenberg's guilty plea that spells bad news for Gaetz," Colbert said. "We just learned that, reportedly, at a 2019 fundraiser, Gaetz snorted cocaine and had sex with an escort who was paid with campaign money. So don't worry, donors, you didn't flush your money down the drain  Gaetz placed it on the dresser." After a few more jokes, Colbert moved on. "Okay, enough GaetzGaete," he said. "Let's turn to a completely different story, GatesGaete!" His recap of Bill Gates' problems included a lot of Microsoft jokes.

Greenberg's plea deal "doesn't seem like great news for Gaetz," Late Night's Seth Meyes agreed. "I'd say Matt Gaetz should lay low for a while, but no matter how low he lays, you can still see the top of his head." More Gaetz revelations are probably coming but "we already knew about the drug-fueled sex parties and the trip to the Bahamas with his other buddy, a Florida hand surgeon and marijuana entrepreneur  which is one of the characters in Florida Clue, along with a vaping gator in a Margaritaville tank-top," he joked.

Grown men shouldn't have a "wingman," Meyers said, "but on the topic of wingmen, one could argue Rudy Giuliani served the role for Trump." Former President Donald Trump has reportedly "blown off Rudy's pleas for help," even though he "is deeply entangled in Rudy's mess, not to mention he's got his own legal problems, including multiple criminal investigations of his own." In fact, Meyers said. "I don't want to make generalizations, but there are more criminals or alleged criminals in Trump's inner circle than there are in a motorcycle gang or a Hollywood PTA meeting." Watch below.

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The very core of the Fourth Amendments guarantee is the right of a person to retreat into his or her home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion,  Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the court ruling.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to restrict police authority to enter a persons home without a warrant. The unanimous decision follows a 2015 incident involving a Rhode Island man who police performed a wellness check on.

The wellness visit came after Edward Caniglia, a resident of Cranston, Rhode Island got into an argument with his wife, Kim Caniglia on August 20, 2015. During their dispute, Caniglia placed a handgun he owned on the couples dining room table and asked his wife to shoot him now and get it over with, NBC News reports.

Clouds are seen above The U.S. Supreme Court building on May 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Read More: Supreme Court wont hear case involving the N-word

Kim Caniglia ended up hiding the gun and spending the night at a hotel. When she couldnt get in contact with her husband the next day, she asked Rhode Island police to do a wellness check. Caniglia ultimately agreed to a psychiatric evaluation but instead of leaving it there, police waited until he left his home, entered it, and confiscated two handguns.

The ACLU sued Rhode Island police on the grounds that their actions violated Caniglias 4th amendment rights which protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Courts decision on Monday overturned a previous ruling on the case, (Caniglia v. Strom) by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that sided with Rhode Island police.

The very core of the Fourth Amendments guarantee is the right of a person to retreat into his or her home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion,  wrote Justice Clarence Thomas, NPR reports.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (Photo by Susan Walsh-Pool/Getty Images)

Read More: Supreme Court to weigh rollback of abortion rights

Though the court confirmed that there are restrictions to police authority to search homes without a warrant, Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Stephen Breyer also underscored the exception of community emergencies which police often take on.

Story continues

A warrant to enter a home is not required  when there is a need to assist persons who are seriously injured or threatened with such injury, wrote Roberts and Breyer.

Justice Samuel Alito also addressed the specific situation of elderly people in his remarks.

Read More: Supreme Court to take up right to carry gun for self-defense

Today, more than ever, many people, including many elderly persons, live alone, he wrote and added that they think of these homes as their castles but it is doubtful that she would have wanted it to be the place where she died alone and in agony.

However, the Supreme Court ruling noted that the community care-taking exception more appropriately applies to vehicles rather than homes, citing a 1973 law that gives police the right to search impounded cars for unsecured firearms.

Recognition that police officers perform many civic tasks in modern society was just that  a recognition that these tasks exist, and not an open-ended license to perform them anywhere, wrote Thomas.

Have you subscribed to theGrios new podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post Supreme Court declines to expand police power to enter homes without warrant appeared first on TheGrio.
A surfer has died after being bitten by a shark at a beach north of Sydney, Australian authorities said Tuesday.

Paramedics were called to Tuncurry Beach, about three hours' drive from Australia's most populous city following reports of the attack on Tuesday morning.

"Despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene, the man could not be resuscitated," New South Wales Ambulance tweeted.

The man, believed to be in his 50s, went into cardiac arrest after being bitten on his thigh, a spokesman told AFP. Police said he was surfing when the attack occurred.

The New South Wales state government's SharkSmart organisation said beaches in the area had been closed until further notice following the incident.

It was the first fatal shark attack recorded in Australian waters this year, according to the Taronga Conservation Society Australia.

There were 26 maulings in 2020, eight of them fatal, data from the government agency shows.

hr/arb/jah
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas sided with the majority. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, and Justice Samuel Alito abstained, since he owns stock in two of the companies sued by Baltimore. Some advocates had argued that Coney Barrett should do the same, since her father had worked as a top attorney for one of the companies.
Two teenagers wearing hijabs were walking home from a school bus stop in 2017 when they said a man shouted at them and told them to go back to their country. The same man is accused of attacking their father with a knife when he stepped in to defend them.

After nearly four years and a mistrial, the man charged in the incident  35-year-old Christopher Beckham  pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges in Tennessee federal court on Friday, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said in a news release.

Beckham faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine when hes sentenced in October.

The cowardly and unprovoked attack and display of hate-filled aggression by this defendant toward two innocent young girls and their father is despicable, Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart said in the release.

Public defenders appointed to represent Beckham did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment Tuesday.

The case dates to Oct. 24, 2017, when the teenagers told federal agents they opted to walk home from their school bus stop in Nashville instead of waiting for their dad to pick them up. He drove a cab and routinely give them a ride home from the stop but was sometimes late because of traffic.

As the girls were walking, they said a man they had never seen before passed them and shouted Allahu Akbar! The man, who investigators later identified as Beckham, then told them to go back to your country.

Around the same time, investigators said the girls father drove up in his taxi and saw his daughters being followed by an unknown white man. He reportedly parked the van and got out to stand between the man and his daughters.

Beckham is accused of throwing the first punch after the girls dad confronted him. They fought for a few minutes before prosecutors said Beckham brandished a small pocket knife and tried to swing it at the girls father, who ducked but lost his balance and fell.

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When Beckham stood over him, one of teenagers reportedly yelled, Dont hurt him, hes my father!

Beckham ultimately walked away after other witnesses got involved, and investigators said the family followed him in their taxi while they called 911. Beckham reportedly charged the taxi when he saw it. Hes also accused of chasing the girls mother in her van with his knife drawn.

Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department arrived shortly thereafter and arrested Beckham. While he was being arrested, Beckham reportedly called the family Iranians, N-words, terrorists and members of ISIS.

He asked the officers why they were siding with a terrorist over one of their own kind, investigators said after interviewing the father. The family heard (him) clearly state that he would kill the family when he got out of jail.

The father told investigators he was from Somalia and his daughters were born in a refugee camp in Botswana. He said they immigrated to the United States when the girls were 5 and 6 years old.

In addition to state charges related to the assault, Beckham was indicted on federal hate crime charges in April 2018. He was also accused of lying to FBI agents when he told them the teenagers were trying to break into cars and hit him on the head.

Public defenders representing Beckham tried unsuccessfully to have the case thrown out, saying the federal government was overstepping its bounds in a local crime.

The judge denied the motion, court filings show.

The case went to trial in September 2019 but the jury wasnt able to reach a verdict. Beckham pleaded guilty on Friday before the case could go back to trial this summer.

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By Steve Gorman

(Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday ordered all public school districts in his state to lift mask-wearing requirements next month, contradicting the latest student-safety COVID-19 guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Abbott's executive order also bars other local government entities in the state from continuing to require face coverings beginning on Friday, echoing a similar move earlier this month by fellow Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida.

Abbott said Texas was making strides against the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccinations, antibody therapeutics and voluntary health-safety practices, leaving government mask requirements no longer necessary.

"We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up," he said in a statement announcing the executive order.

Abbott and many other Republican politicians have cast mask mandates as an imposition on personal freedoms, though they grudgingly required face coverings at the height of the pandemic as hospitalizations and deaths surged out of control.

Texas lifted its state-imposed mask mandate 10 weeks ago when the crisis began to ebb. The state then sued officials in Austin, the Texas capital, for refusing to go along with the lifting of those restrictions.

Tuesday's order marked an escalation in Abbott's determination to force other local governments to align with his no-mask policy at the state level.

It also puts Texas at odds with the latest CDC guidance recommending students in schools across the United States wear masks for the 2020-2021 academic year because not all will have been inoculated against the coronavirus when in-classroom instruction resumes.

The action in Texas comes as states across the country have moved to end or relax compulsory mask-wearing in most other public places, in accordance with CDC guidelines in recent weeks. Those recommendations reflect a steady decline in coronavirus infections, hospital admissions and mortality as the U.S. vaccination campaign gains momentum.

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday his state will drop face mask requirements in most public spaces for vaccinated individuals, while fellow Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California said he would keep his mask order in place for another month.

But most governors who have discarded mask mandates at the state level have allowed local governments, school districts and businesses to exercise discretion in choosing when and how to ease their own requirements.

Texas, the second-most populous state in the nation, now becomes the most aggressive in steering away from masks altogether.

Beginning Friday, local governments or officials attempting to impose a mask mandate or other restriction in defiance of Abbott's latest executive order would be subject to fines of up to $1,000.

Public school districts have been given more time to comply, but after June 4, "no student, teacher, parent or other staff member of visitor can be required to wear a mask while on campus," his announcement said.

Regardless of what government mandates are in place, a new Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters over the weekend shows more than half of Americans expressing a reluctance to quickly return to normal pre-pandemic behavior.

Of those surveyed, just 17% said they intended to swiftly get back to their previous routines. Another 28% said they already were doing so, a figure that included 42% of Republicans polled.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Karishma Singh)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday that will bar public schools and most other government entities from requiring masks. The order is Abbott's latest effort to roll back coronavirus protective measures in the state.

The order bans any government entity  including counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities and government officials  from mandating masks, with fines of up to $1,000 for those who don't comply.

There are some exceptions. Public schools can continue to require masks through June 4, and state-supported living centers, government-owned or operated hospitals, criminal and juvenile justice facilities, and county and municipal jails are exempt from the order entirely.

"Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities," Abbott said, according to CBS affiliate KHOU. "We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up."

Abbott's executive order follows his March decision to lift the statewide mask mandate and end most capacity restrictions on local businesses, despite warnings from health experts about reopening prematurely.

The order also comes at a promising time for Texas' battle against the coronavirus. Nearly 50% of eligible Texas residents have received their first dose of the vaccine, and nearly 40% are fully vaccinated, according to state data. Abbott said Sunday that the state reported zero COVID deaths that day, and had its lowest-ever COVID positivity rate.

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AUSTIN, Texas The Texas Senate, thwarted in two previous efforts directed at young transgender Texans, took a third bite of the apple Monday by giving initial passage, on a party-line vote, to a Republican bill that would ban gender-affirming medical care for those under age 18.

Senate Bill 1311 would prohibit doctors from offering a range of treatments to youths, including puberty blockers  reversible medications commonly prescribed to delay the onset of physical changes providing teenagers time to decide whether more permanent changes are desired.

The bill also would bar hormone therapies, which can produce body alterations that cannot be reversed, as well as castration, vasectomies, hysterectomies and similar surgeries, although medical experts have testified in Capitol hearings that such surgeries are not offered before age 18.

The bill's author, Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, revived SB 1311 on Friday, placing it on the Senate calendar one day after a House voting deadline killed a similar measure in the lower chamber.

More: Reversing Trump, US restores transgender health protections

On Monday, the first day SB 1311 was eligible for a Senate floor vote, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recognized Hall to present the bill.

"Our job is to protect children who can't protect themselves," Hall told fellow senators.

Democrats challenged Hall's assumptions, noting that leading medical associations and businesses oppose SB 1311 as detrimental to the mental health of transgender youths and bad for a state economy that thrives when segments of the population are not singled out for legislative retribution.

"Isn't this exactly the wrong time to pass discriminatory and anti-business legislation?" asked Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, noting estimates that it could take more than two years for employment to recover from the pandemic.

"Well," Hall replied, "I think it is just the right time to protect these children. It was wrong yesterday, it is wrong today and it'll be wrong tomorrow to not protect those who cannot protect themselves."

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With the legislative session in its final two weeks, Senate Republicans have had little luck getting cooperation from the House on legislation directed at young transgender Texans:

 First, all 18 Senate Republicans voted as a bloc in mid-April to approve SB 29, which would require athletes in Texas public high schools and grade schools to compete in sports based on the "biological sex" listed on their original birth certificate. Under that definition, biological boys would be banned from competing in girls sports, although girls could compete in boys sports if a comparable female sport was not available.

SB 29, however, apparently has stalled in the House, where it has yet to be sent to the Calendars Committee  which schedules floor votes on bills  despite approval by the House Public Education Committee on May 7.

The House must give initial approval to Senate bills by May 25, placing the transgender sports bill in jeopardy.

 Second, senators also split along party lines in late April to approve another GOP bill aimed at barring gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths.

SB 1646 by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, seeks to broaden the legal definition of child abuse to include providing puberty-blocking medication, hormone therapy or surgery to a transgender Texan under age 18.

Parents who allow such treatments would risk removal of their children by Child Protective Services under the bill, but the House has shown little appetite for taking that route, shunting Perry's legislation to a committee that has taken no action on it for the past two weeks.

More: US hits record for transgender killings. Puerto Rico is the epicenter of the violence

More: 'It gave us hope': Biden tells transgender youth he's on their side. Advocates say that's huge for the community.

On Monday, GOP senators hoped to change their luck with SB 1311, knowing that a similar bill by Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, was approved by a House committee and placed on the House calendar for a vote last week.

That House bill, however, was placed so low on the calendar that it had almost no chance of getting a floor vote before a midnight Thursday deadline, indicating little appetite in the House for bills targeting transgender youths, at least thus far.

Under Hall's bill, doctors who provide gender-affirming care would lose their medical license. SB 1311 also would prohibit liability insurance coverage for banned treatments.

Monday afternoon's vote was 17-13, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.

SB 1311 must receive a final Senate vote before it can be sent to the House.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate tries to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youths
May 17A central city man who is charged with holding a woman against her will and causing serious injuries is being held on $1.5 million bond, according to Toledo Municipal Court records.

Timothy P. Printke, II, 27, of the 1700 block of Grand Avenue, is charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and kidnapping, a first-degree felony. A Toledo Municipal Court judge set bond at $1.5 million  $1 million for the kidnapping charge and $500,000 for the felonious assault.

On Sunday, the victim, who knows Mr. Printke, was held against her will in the basement of the Grand Avenue home, according to court documents.

Mr. Printke is accused of beating the woman on her face and body while attempting to tie her hands together. He is believed to have burned her with a handheld torch and put cigarettes out on her body, records state.

Authorities claim Mr. Printke held a knife against the woman's throat and threatened to kill her and he also choked her to the point of her almost losing consciousness during various incidents throughout the night, according to court records.

At one point, Mr. Printke grabbed the woman by her hair and forced her back to the home after she apparently fled for help, court documents show.

Mr. Printke forced the woman into her vehicle and she was able to jump out and stop a police officer, according to Toledo police documents. Mr. Printke fled in the woman's vehicle, but he was later arrested by Toledo police about 2 p.m. Sunday.

He is being held in the Lucas County jail and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, whose condition wasn't available Monday.

If he posts bond, he will be placed on electronic monitoring.

Less than three weeks ago, Mr. Printke pleaded no contest in Toledo Municipal Court to a misdemeanor offense of obstructing justice for providing officers incorrect identification information during a burglary report at the Grand Avenue home. On April 30, a Toledo Municipal Court judge suspended a 60-day sentence at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.

First Published May 17, 2021, 9:17am
Israel is celebrating the Shavuot holiday this week. Its a festive celebration when Jewish families gather for dairy meals and stay up all night to learn Torah and eat cheesecake.

In preparation, families run to grocery stores to do their shopping. This week, it's an activity that requires a risk assessment.

Recent days have brought fighting at a level unseen since Israels War of Independence in 1948. In addition, there is a national feeling of malaise from two years of no government and no national budget. And the nation appears to be sliding toward what will be its fifth election in two years.

As a nation, the missiles wake us from our slumber in the middle of the night, but it is the images of Israelis attacking Israelis that prevent us from going back to sleep.

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It might be hard to imagine how people can celebrate at a time like this, but this is Israel  the nation that has mastered the art of eternal optimism. As Israels founding prime minister, David Ben Gurion, famously said, Israel is a nation where believing in miracles makes you a realist.

Take holiday shopping, for example. We have learned that missiles come in volleys and that after waiting for an appropriate amount of time (10 minutes after the sirens stop to allow debris from the collision of Hamas missiles with the Iron Dome to hit the ground), one can go out to shop safely. As long as one doesnt tarry.

A family inspects the damage to their apartment after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip over night in Petah Tikva, central Israel, Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Our family is in Raanana, a bedroom community about 12 miles north of Tel Aviv. After seeing a missile land four blocks from our sons dormitory at Bar Ilan University outside of Tel Aviv, we debated how and when we might be able to safely pick him up and bring him to us.

Explosions resound in the distance

Not that we are out of missile range ourselves, but at a time like this, parents just want to put their hands on their kids.

As we sat together on the balcony under clear skies with a cool breeze blowing in from the Mediterranean, we reveled in the momentary escape from the news of the day. As we worked our way through the amazing desserts, we heard the sounds of muffled booms in the distance.

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Everyone continued laughing and sharing stories, but then it happened again and again and again.

It sounded like thunder in the distance, but, on a cloudless night, that was not possible. We knew what it was, but without uttering a word, we each concluded that with no air raid siren, the threat must be distant.

We may have to run to the shelter later, but for now there is cheesecake and at the least, a believable and welcome, if not self-delusional, normalcy.

In Hebrew, we have an expression, Gam Ze Yaavor. It means this too shall pass, and it can be equally applied to both good and bad times.

It also works well when recalling that in the 3,000 years since we received the Torah on Mount Sinai, there have always been those who rose up to smite us and all thankfully failed. Tonight will be no different, we say to ourselves.

For those in the south, where the missiles have been the most unrelenting, taking a similarly sanguine approach is not possible. The combination of Torah and cheesecake took place there in crowded bomb shelters while the booms outside could not possibly be confused with anything but Hamas missiles.

For people in Lod, where Arab-Israeli mobs have burned synagogues to the ground, there is a dual fear of leaving ones house to face hoodlums in the street as well the threat from missiles above.

For Arab-Israelis finishing Ramadan, there are communities where Jewish mobs of hoodlums brought fear to their holiday experiences even as they too face the threat of Hamas missiles.

Hope for ceasefire to bring peace

As Islamic and Jewish leaders increasingly call on the relative handful of hoodlums to cease their violence in the streets, more Arabs and Israelis are reaching out to each other to clean up the mess. And we hope a ceasefire will soon restore peace to the citizens of Israel and Gaza.

All of this in the space of little more than a week. It gives hope that once the current fighting stops, our neighborliness will last longer than it has in the past.

Some pessimistically proclaim that this would take a miracle. Thats OK, because as Ben Gurion said, in this part of the world, that is what we call a realist.

Aaron Weil is executive director and CEO of Central Florida Hillel.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Israel celebrates Shavuot, missiles mix with cheesecake and Torah
Spending time outdoors has always been healing for Claire Lewinski. And over the last year, she really needed to heal.

After a series of unrelated incidents left her with three concussions in just a few months, the 24-year-old had trouble speaking, balancing and remembering information. She struggled to focus in conversations and on her school work.

As a teenager, Lewinski found refuge in the outdoors around her familys home in McCall. She grew up hiking, camping, canoeing, fishing and hunting with her family and learned early on that was like a salve for her mental health. She quickly noticed being outside also eased the symptoms from her concussions.

Outdoors have really been ingrained in who I am, she said in a video call interview.

So last spring, Lewinski set out on an adventure thousands of miles away from Idaho  thru-hiking the Southern Alps of New Zealand. And when that journey concluded, she started yet another: writing a book to help others understand how hiking can heal.

Struggling with symptoms of traumatic brain injury

In November of 2018, Lewinski was in a car crash in Lolo Pass while driving back to college at Montana State University. She hit a patch of black ice and ended up in a snowbank, passed out from the impact. She didnt think much of the crash until a few weeks later when, after returning to school, she hit her head on a bathroom shelf hard enough to get a concussion.

I just kind of brushed it off until my symptoms were really bad, Lewinski said. Like I couldnt actually speak what I wanted to say, and I couldnt remember my birthday.

Thats when she learned she may have been concussed during her car accident, too. Doctors advised her to take it easy for a while, and within a few weeks she felt well enough to go to the bar with friends.

Within 30 minutes I was like, Oh this is not the place where I should be,  she said.

She tried to head home with a friend who was already drunk and later tried to make a sexual advance. When she pushed him away, he punched her in the face. That was her third concussion in less than six months.

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This time, the trauma to her brain caused even worse symptoms. Her equilibrium was off, causing her to feel constantly off-balance.

I would get lost walking to campus, even though I had been going to this campus for four years, she said. And I couldnt find my way around certain buildings because the lights would be distracting. I had headaches. I couldnt focus on conversation.

Lewinskis mother, Lynn Lewinski, said seeing her daughters symptoms was alarming.

I didnt realize the depth at first until I actually saw her (in person), Lynn said in a phone interview. Theres a disconnect in someones eyes, and that was really scary for me. And yet I didnt want to share that fear because I didnt know how she was (feeling).

Lynn said her daughter seemed careful not to let on how disorienting her symptoms were.

Lewinskis friends noticed, too. Ashley Ludack, who met Lewinski their freshman year in college, said she noticed her friend becoming withdrawn.

There were a lot of struggles that Claire didnt let the world see, Ludack said. She took it all on on her own.

Claire Lewinski, right, and Ashley Ludack pose for a photo on the ridges of New Zealands Richmond Ranges while thru-hiking the Te Araroa trail.

Hiking became a way to heal

Lewinski found that spending time in nature was becoming a crucial part of her recovery.

After my last concussion, it was kind of my goal to get back outside again because I felt the best when I was outside, and I felt most like myself again when I was outside, Lewinski said.

In mid-2019, she decided to pursue a longtime dream  thru-hiking the 1,864-mile Te Araroa trail across New Zealand. She asked Ludack to come with her.

Both women were avid hikers who already had ties to New Zealand. Lewinski grew up traveling to New Zealand each year on a family fishing trip, while Ludack had spent time studying there.

It took a little convincing before Lewinskis doctors signed off on the idea. Lewinski said her medical team realized it would be a stress relief, which she needed after her symptoms forced her to place her chemical engineering degree and work on hold. Walking the trail would also stimulate blood flow to her brain, which would help her heal.

Knowing that she needed to disconnect from stress and find a way to heal made it easier to let her go on this great big hiking adventure, Lynn Lewinski said.

As they planned their trip, the symptoms from Lewinskis concussions continued to challenge her. She was still struggling to walk without nausea and balance issues, but the trip had become a way of proving to herself that she could recover.

On Jan. 19, 2020, Lewinski and Ludack began their hike. It was a challenge from the start.

I hadnt gone on a backpacking trip that was longer than, like, three days, Lewinski said. So going from three days hiking to like two months of consecutive days hiking was a big transition.

Not only was the hike physically challenging, but Lewinski was still dealing with memory loss and trouble focusing.

I could not organize my thoughts at the beginning, like I got overwhelmed planning for more than a week out, she said. I literally couldnt think that far, so I was really lucky that I had  Ashley to walk with.

As the two continued their trek, Ludack said she noticed a shift in her friend.

One thing I really noticed in Claire was this confidence kind of grew out of her as we were on the trail longer, Ludack said. Of course, some of that is growing stronger and more comfortable out there  but I also think a lot of it was mentally believing in herself, even on the days that were really hard.

Even from afar, Lewinskis mother noticed the change.

Ashley Ludack, left, and Claire Lewinski cross the Deception River in New Zealand during their thru-hike of the Te Araroa trail. Lewinski, an Idaho native, hiked the trail as part of her recovery from a traumatic brain injury.

Theres a definite brightness, a joy of living thats in her again, Lynn Lewinski said. A lot of it is in her eyes. As she was able to rest and walk and go through the hike, you could just see this difference starting  a strength and a gladness that hadnt really been there, hadnt been connected.

Lewinski said the hike re-instilled in her the idea that she could enjoy her life. She recalled one particular point when the pair were standing among the Southern Alps, isolated and listening to the wind blow between the mountains. She was taken aback by the solitude and by their accomplishment.

At that point it was like: This is it. Everything I have come through has been for this moment, she said. Like, no matter how hard my life has been, I still got here. I can still move forward and live.

Teaching others to take a walk

The trail took Lewinski and Ludack through forests and bogs, across roads and rocky scrambles until they reached the end of their route on March 21. Just days later, the country went into lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ludack was able to reschedule a flight back home to the United States, but Lewinski decided to stay, find work and finish her degree remotely. She also signed up for a writing class that would challenge her to complete a book manuscript in five months. She had tried other projects  learning a new language and picking up the ukelele  to try to challenge her brain, but those hadnt stuck.

Ive always kind of joked about writing a book, Lewinski said. And (the class was) a way to be accountable for it, so writing the book was really just another way of recovering. It was like a way to relearn how to learn.

She decided to write about her concussions, the profound impact theyd had on her life and how nature and the hiking journey in New Zealand helped her reconnect with herself and heal. She called the book I Need A Walk and launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund publication.

Within days, she had surpassed her $5,000 campaign goal thanks to dozens of donors. Her book is scheduled to be published in August.

Lewinski said she hopes she can help people learn about traumatic brain injuries and teach them that recovery is possible.

Before my concussions, I had no idea what having a brain injury was like and that perspective was completely foreign to me, she said. (I wanted to show) how humans can overcome hardship.
(Reuters) - The United States has administered 274,411,901 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Monday morning and distributed 344,503,595 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The agency said 157,827,208 people had received at least one dose, while 123,828,224 people are fully vaccinated.

The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine as of 6 a.m. ET (1000 GMT) on Monday.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
As part of negotiations from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the Biden administration has agreed to allow up to 250 asylum-seekers who meet certain criteria into the country per day. Meanwhile, ProPublica reports the administration is fighting misinformation that's driving more people to the U.S.-Mexico border. Lomi Kriel, a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative, spoke with Anne-Marie Green and Vladimir Duthiers on CBSN about what she learned from her investigation.

Video Transcript

ANNE-MARIE GREEN: The Biden administration has agreed to allow up to 250 asylum seekers into the US per day. The agreement stems from an ACLU lawsuit to stop the expulsion of migrant families under a Trump era policy that continues under the Biden administration. A new article from ProPublica tells the stories of people who have tried to cross the border and dives into the confusion that's driving more people to it. Lomi Kriel is with us now. She is a reporter with ProPublica Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. And she wrote the piece. Thank you so much for joining us, Lomi.

Let's just start with this new information that we're getting out of the Biden administration that they are agreeing to allow people who have been forced to go back to Mexico to cross the border, 250 people, so they can continue their case, their asylum case on American soil. Is that enough? It seems like a drop in the bucket. But is that enough to make a difference?

LOMI KRIEL: You're right. I mean, compared to the thousands of people that are waiting in Mexico, it is still a very small number. But it is quite significant in the sense that up until now the Biden administration has continued the health order that the Trump administration instituted last March, citing the pandemic and expelled most migrants who crossed the border immediately in a process that lasts about 90 minutes without asylum interviews. So this is sort of a significant step in allowing some vulnerable asylum seekers into the US.

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VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: So can you help our audience understand what the actual immigration policies are right now, and who is allowed in?

LOMI KRIEL: Yes. And it is very complicated not only for most importantly, the migrants themselves, but for anyone following this issue. Because there are so many varying directives in place. So as I just said, the Biden administration has continued this health order that the Trump administration instituted expelling most migrants at the US Mexico border. However, there are significant exceptions to that, including this new development overnight. But in addition to that, the administration has decided to not expel children who cross the border alone, changing Trump policy, and then allow them into to continue their asylum cases in the US.

They also are allowing in some families, in part because the Mexican government in the state of Tamaulipas, which borders South Texas, is not accepting families with young children there. So the Biden administration in many cases is accepting those families when they cross in South Texas. But then they're still mostly expelling adults and some families. And then they are letting other migrants who have been waiting in Mexico under a different Trump policy and have pending immigration cases. They're allowing those in under a process coordinated by the United Nations.

So there's so many different things going on that it is very confusing for migrants who often think, well, I hear some people are getting in. So I may as well try.

ANNE-MARIE GREEN: You spoke to a lot of people who have tried to cross the border for your article. Is there a particular story that stands out? I'm sure you heard a lot of heartbreaking stories. A particular story that stands out that captures the issue at the border.

LOMI KRIEL: Yeah. I mean, all of these sororities are just always heartbreaking because people for the most part are coming here, especially now. We're seeing after the pandemic situations in their home countries have just really deteriorated, particularly in Central America. So people are coming here out of desperation.

One of the people I spoke with I met him outside of out of a migrant camp in Matamoros across from South Texas. And he was just desperate. He had come here because gang members in Honduras had tried to force him to sell drugs. When he refused, they killed his brother. So he came here, tried to cross into the US. He was returned to Mexico under a Trump policy called the Migrant Protection Protocols. He waited in Mexico for two years trying to make his claim for asylum. That was denied in this process that lawyers have called flawed legal process.

And he was trying to wait for Biden to come in and hoping that he would get a second chance. But then the Mexican government deported him in March. So he's now back in Honduras and living in fear of the situation there. And he told me last week that he was going to come back and try again because he has no hope there. And I think his story just sort of shows the desperation that many people are in and mostly the confusion that they feel. Because this guy Marvin was telling me that a lot of other migrants he knew at the US Mexico border had been allowed in.

And so he was confused why he wasn't getting that same treatment.

VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: You wrote that some of the confusion is actually coming from smugglers giving people false information, which just adds an extra layer of sadness to the stories that you're telling. Explain how these smugglers cash in on folks trying to cross the border looking for a better life. What is common? It really is horrific. But we should also put in the context that the smugglers themselves are part of this system too where they themselves are poor and have very limited-- I'm sort of trying to be sympathetic to people who are at their wits' end, even though they're exploiting other people.

It's not as if they are some kind of fat cats living high off the hog. These people are also struggling and suffering.

LOMI KRIEL: Yeah. I mean, the system-- this has now been built up over many years where every part of the system, somebody's benefiting. Smugglers benefit any time that US immigration policy is more confusing because migrants seek them out and ask them for help. And especially now given this new health order, that automatically expels most migrants as we talked about. It's increasingly difficult to be allowed into the US unless you're one of these many exceptions that we've talked about.

So people are relying on smugglers, trying increasingly more dangerous ways to slip in undetected. And especially after the pandemic, people are just really in bad situations in their home countries. And smugglers are telling them that Biden is letting people in. The time is now, which is not unusual over many times [INAUDIBLE] the Trump administration or prior, they've done similar things. But it's sort of aggravated now just because there's so many different competing messages.

And so it is easier to kind of manipulate migrants at this point especially.

ANNE-MARIE GREEN: So what is the Biden administration trying to do about this influx of people at the border and the immigration system in general? What did the experts you talked to say needs to be done?

LOMI KRIEL: The Biden administration has repeatedly said, don't come now. We're fixing an asylum system, the immigration system has been broken under the Trump administration. That message, as we said, is not working particularly well. But in the meantime, they have done something. They're working in Central America. They've committed some more aid. They've allocated a small amount of temporary work visas for Central Americans.

And then some of these other things are still in the works. What experts say should be done is the Biden administration should have asylum officers adjudicate some of these claims at the border directly rather than have it be under the immigration court system, which is very backlogged. And once you're in that system, it can take more than two years to decide a case. So that just adds to sort of the delay and also the confusion. But I think also, a key thing is sort of having a system where it's clearer for people when you will be allowed in and when you won't, but having some way, some avenue where you can make protection claims or you can provisionally work here.

What many of the experts said is key. Because at the moment, especially for people from Central America, which make up the biggest drivers of migration to the US Mexico border right now, there really isn't many waiting to come here in any lawful avenue. So that's why you sort of see this build up at the border because asking for asylum there and crossing illegally is sort of the main way that [INAUDIBLE].

VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: Some really fascinating and important reporting. Lomi Kriel, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

LOMI KRIEL: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
By Michelle Nichols and John Irish

NEW YORK/PARIS (Reuters) -France called on Tuesday for a U.N. Security Council resolution on violence between Israel and Palestinian militants, as diplomats said the United States told the body a "public pronouncement right now" would not help calm the crisis.

The 15-member Security Council held its third private meeting in a week on the worst violence between Israel and the Palestinians in years. The council also met publicly on Sunday, but has been unable to agree a press statement, which needs consensus support, due to the objection of the United States.

"We have not been silent and neither have you," Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Tuesday, according to a U.N. diplomat familiar with her remarks.

"With regard to further Security Council action, we must assess if any given action or statement will advance prospects for ending the violence," she said. "We do not judge that a public pronouncement right now will help de-escalate."

During the same meeting, diplomats said France raised the possibility of a Security Council resolution on the conflict. The French presidency then confirmed it was calling for such for a move. Diplomats said no draft text has been put forward.

"The U.N. Security Council must take up the subject and we have also called for a vote on a resolution on the subject," the presidency said after talks between Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah.

Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington's focus would continue to be intensive diplomacy to try and end the violence, noting there had so far been 60 high-level calls by senior U.S. officials, President Joe Biden.

She added: "President Biden expressed support for a ceasefire."

French diplomats said they believe that a U.N. Security Council resolution could raise pressure on the parties to end hostilities, adding that any action in New York would complement other diplomatic initiatives and they think there is a way to make the United States "evolve".

Story continues

Israel unleashed an offensive on militants in Gaza after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Gaza health officials said the Palestinian death toll so far was at least 212, including 61 children. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; additional reporting by John Irish; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)
Entertainment



Lights All Night Announces Puerto Vallarta Edition



The beauty of Lights All Night Puerto Vallarta is that it will feel much more intimate and exclusive than the brand's flagship event, which regularly hosts more than 30,000 guests every New Year's Eve in Dallas, Texas.



The organizers of Lights All Night have announced a new music fest in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico November 4-7, 2021. They are pulling out all the stops for the inaugural event, tapping three major dance music acts as headliners.



Iconic French electronic music duo Justice, techno powerhouse Nina Kraviz, and future house pioneer DJ Tchami have been confirmed, and more performers will be announced in the near future.



"I'm personally very excited for this lineup and the timing of this event next fall," Lights All Night founder Scott Osburn said in a press release.



"It's going to be a great way to get us back to the live experiences we've missed over the last year while gearing up for the return of our Dallas event this coming New Year's Eve."



The beauty of Lights All Night Puerto Vallarta is that it will feel much more intimate and exclusive than the brand's flagship event, which regularly hosts more than 30,000 guests every New Year's Eve.



The international event will go beyond just a beach party, with Pollen helping to curate an epic weekend itinerary that includes deep-sea snorkeling, meditative yoga, tequila tours, dinners on a pirate ship, and more.



Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 20th. Head over to



Original article For over a decade Lights All Night has long been a fan-favorite New Year's Eve destination. While the festival is set to return to its hometown of Dallas for its 11th anniversary December 30-31, 2021, the word is out that the brand will be expanding its reach south of the border.The organizers of Lights All Night have announced a new music fest in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico November 4-7, 2021. They are pulling out all the stops for the inaugural event, tapping three major dance music acts as headliners.Iconic French electronic music duo Justice, techno powerhouse Nina Kraviz, and future house pioneer DJ Tchami have been confirmed, and more performers will be announced in the near future."I'm personally very excited for this lineup and the timing of this event next fall," Lights All Night founder Scott Osburn said in a press release."It's going to be a great way to get us back to the live experiences we've missed over the last year while gearing up for the return of our Dallas event this coming New Year's Eve."The beauty of Lights All Night Puerto Vallarta is that it will feel much more intimate and exclusive than the brand's flagship event, which regularly hosts more than 30,000 guests every New Year's Eve.The international event will go beyond just a beach party, with Pollen helping to curate an epic weekend itinerary that includes deep-sea snorkeling, meditative yoga, tequila tours, dinners on a pirate ship, and more.Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 20th. Head over to Pollen's Lights All Night microsite to learn more about the event.



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By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday urged Facebook Inc to drop plans for a version of photo-sharing app Instagram for children younger than 13, saying the social media company had failed to "make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online."

Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal and Representatives Kathy Castor and Lori Trahan said Facebook had not addressed their concerns. Facebook told the lawmakers in an April 26 letter made public on Tuesday that it does not have a set timeline for the version, but expects development will "take many months."

Facebook has a clear record of failing to protect children on its platforms," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "When it comes to putting people before profits, Facebook has forfeited the benefit of the doubt, and we strongly urge Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for kids."

Last week, a group of 40 state attorneys general also urged Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to abandon those plans.

A Facebook spokesman said Tuesday "as every parent knows, kids are already online. We want to improve this situation by delivering experiences that give parents visibility and control over what their kids are doing."

The company said previously it will not show ads in any Instagram version for people under 13.

The letter from the state attorneys general cited 2019 media reports that Facebooks Messenger Kids app, intended for kids between the ages of six and 12, "contained a significant design flaw that allowed children to circumvent restrictions on online interactions and join group chats with strangers that were not previously approved by the childrens parents."

Last month, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood also called on Zuckerberg not to create a kids version, saying it would put them at "great risk."

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain wants to see progress soon in talks with the European Union on solving the post-Brexit Northern Irish border riddle, with its minister in charge of ties with the bloc urging member states to meet their obligations.

After the United Kingdom left the European Union's orbit at the end of last year, checks were introduced on some goods moving from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland, which has a land border with EU member Ireland.

The checks triggered anger and a perception among pro-British unionists in Northern Ireland that the Brexit deal divides them from the rest of the United Kingdom, a shift they say could sink the 1998 peace deal that brought an end to three decades of violence there.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had promised there would be unfettered trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, unilaterally extended a grace period on certain checks to minimise supply disruption, a move Brussels said breached the Brexit divorce deal.

David Frost, the minister in charge of ties with the EU, said he wanted the bloc to meet its obligations under the Brexit deal to try to minimise barriers in trade between Britain and the province, but had yet to have the conversation.

He also said there should be progress before July 12, when Northern Irish loyalists gather to mark the 1690 victory at the Battle of the Boyne by Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James of England and Scotland.

"I would like to feel that we will be making progress with the EU in good time before that date," he told a parliamentary committee.

Earlier, the BBC said Britain was asking the EU to introduce checks slowly. From October, checks on fresh meat products could begin, extending to dairy products, plants and wine from the end of Jan. 2022, the BBC reported.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said separately he wanted the deal to work, adding he did not get an immediate sense from his meeting with Johnson that London wanted to rewrite the trading arrangements, as reported this week in the Irish media.

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"We were very clear and are very clear that this is an international agreement, commitments have been made and it needs to be worked, and the processes that are in it need to be worked also," Martin told an online event when asked about the Irish national broadcaster RTE report.

Preserving the delicate peace without allowing the United Kingdom a back door into the EU's single market via the Irish border was one of the most difficult issues of nearly four years of tortuous talks on the terms of Britain's exit from the bloc.

Some fear the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol, designed to prevent a "hard" border, could spill over into violent protest in the province in the coming months.

Britain's retail industry lobby group on Monday called for urgent talks between the major supermarket groups it represents and European Union and British officials to discuss proposed new post-Brexit Irish Sea border checks for food products.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Alistair Smout, Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Michael Holden, Catherine Evans and Alexander Smith)
Older farmers in England will be paid to retire under a UK government scheme to bring new blood into the trade.

The average farmer could receive a lump sum payment of 50,000 - capped at 100,000 for farmers with most land.

It is part of a massive overhaul of farm grants, incentivising farmers to protect the environment.

Some older farmers are resistant to new "green" methods, Environment Secretary George Eustice believes, and he wants them to move on.

Next steps in England's rural revolution unveiled

Radical changes to farming in post-Brexit plan

UK farmers to need 'thousands of foreign workers'

Currently, under the old EU system, farmers receive grants based largely on the amount of land they farm.

The average farmer currently receives about 21,000 in grants - although those who own large amounts of land, such as the Queen, have been receiving more than half a million pounds each year.

Farmers in Wales are expected to be able to benefit from a similar scheme to the England plans announced by Mr Eustice. Plans in Scotland and Northern Ireland will be different.

New green shoots

Mr Eustice says the EU's grants system encourages some farmers "to coast, to take no risks" and hold on to their land in order to collect the subsidy.

Hence the need for help for older farmers to move on.

At the Oxford Farming Conference earlier this year, Mr Eustice said some veteran farmers were "standing in the way of change" and coasting along on state subsidies.

He said: "I understand the burden of expectation that can exist to loyally continue the family tradition (of farming) and how this sometimes stands in the way of change."

But, he said: "A fresh perspective can make a world of difference. New entrants are the lifeblood of any vibrant industry and farming is no exception."

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), told BBC News: "There's evidence that farmers who wish to leave farming can find it difficult to generate capital to do so.

Story continues

"So, a lump sum payment could help contribute to the costs of moving somewhere new or moving into an alternative sector."

Nearly four in 10 UK farmers are over the age of 65, with an average age of 59.

The agriculture sector accounts for about 9 per cent of the UK's annual greenhouse gas emissions

The Tenant Farmers' Association sought the views of 360 farmers and reported that three-quarters of them were seriously interested in the proposed retirement scheme, which is launched in a consultation today.

The organisation's chief executive, George Dunn, told BBC News he supported the plan for a lump sum for farmers based on the grants they would have received if they'd stayed in business.

But he warned: "The government have got to make it easy enough for people to take up the scheme - not drown them in bureaucracy.

"The payments on their own won't be enough - but when you tie in other factors such as selling livestock, some farmers will want to take it up.

"For people on larger holdings, it won't be very attractive - but a lot of owner-occupiers might find it attractive."

At the launch of today's consultation, Mr Eustice explained: "We need to address the twin challenges of helping new entrants fulfil their dream and gain access to land, while also helping an older generation retire with dignity.

"Our exit scheme will offer farmers real incentive to confront what can often be a difficult decision and will help them clear bills and settle debts."

A spokesperson for the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said: "As our agricultural support is overhauled, farm businesses across the country will be making life-changing decisions about the future of their farm."

They added: "We want to see a fair transition which allows farmers who are considering leaving the industry to have sufficient time and information to make those life-changing decisions."

About 3bn of state subsidy is paid to UK farmers each year, but this will be phased out. An estimated 61% of farm income comes from subsidy.

Under the new post-Brexit scheme, grants will be used to incentivise so-called "public goods", such as protecting water supplies; holding floodwater on land; capturing carbon in soil and trees, and increasing wildlife.

The government believes that younger farmers will be more open to new nature-friendly ideas and more inclined to seek income by diversifying into businesses such as camping or glamping.

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Business Insider

The report described Britain's exit from the EU as an "ultimately longer-lasting and more significant" shift. Getty

Britain's sluggish economy could soon resemble Italy's due to the long-term impact of Brexit and the pandemic, a report said.

The Resolution Foundation warned that exports to Europe have seen a major decline since Britain's exit from the EU.

Italy's annual GDP growth has averaged just 0.3% in the last decade.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Britain's economy is on course to deteriorate to the level of deeply-struggling Italy over the next decade if it is unable to overcome the hit taken by challenges, including Brexit, according to a new report.

The Resolution Foundation, an economics think-tank, and the London School of Economics said in a report on Tuesday that Britain faced a long decade of decline and underperformance due to its departure from the EU, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, automation, and the expensive challenge of making the economy less reliant on fossil fuels.

"The UK now faces a decisive decade, as the aftermath of Covid-19, Brexit and the net zero transition come together with major shifts in technology and demography. This matters far more than economics. Failing to rise to this challenge risks leaving the nation diminished and divided," the report said.

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The report suggests that the recent experience of Italy, where annual GDP growth has averaged 0.3% in the last decade, showed that once "relative decline" sets into a country, it could "persist for a long time."

"A decade of under performance would significantly harm living standards and could leave the UK falling behind other leading European economies," the report said.

If that relative decline continued at the same pace, the Resolution Foundation said that the UK would end up closer to Italy than Germany in terms of economic performance.

While the coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on the economy, the report described Britain's exit from the EU as an "ultimately longer-lasting and more significant" shift.

Story continues

The UK's trade in goods in the first quarter of this year was 14% lower than in the same quarter in 2020, the report noted, while trade with non-EU countries had not yet increased, despite efforts by the UK's trade department to strike new deals this year.

"Brexit constitutes a huge change for Britain's economy," the report found.

"Starting from the night of the referendum, we have seen impacts on trade and investment that have passed through to labour markets and the macroeconomy."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nigeria has received 4.2 million pounds ($5.9 million) looted by a former governor, who was jailed in Britain for money laundering and fraud, the justice minister said Tuesday.

The money was stolen by James Ibori, the flamboyant governor of the southern oil-rich Delta state between 1999 and 2007.

A landmark corruption case led to a deal in March signed by Nigeria and Britain on repatriating the money.

The deal stipulates that Nigeria will use the funds to finance vital infrastructure projects.

A spokesperson for Justice Minister Abubakar Malami said "the Federal Government of Nigeria has received GBP 4,214,017.66."

"The amount has been credited into the designated Federal Government account with naira equivalent value of the amount as of 10th May, 2021," the spokersperson, Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said in a statement.

Ibori was jailed in April 2012 for fraud amounting to nearly 50 million pounds (at the time $78.6 million or 62 million euros).

The one-time cashier at a chain of British DIY stores used public funds to buy luxury homes, top-of-the-range cars and a private jet.

He fled to Dubai in 2010 but was extradited to Britain, where he was sentenced and served four years of a 13-year jail term. He was released in December 2016.

Scotland Yard said that during his two terms as governor, Ibori "systematically stole funds from the public purse, secreting them in bank accounts across the world."

Anti-corruption campaigners hailed his sentence as a rare victory in the fight against international graft.

Millions of dollars stolen by former military ruler Sani Abacha have also been repatriated to Nigeria from Switzerland and other countries.

Abacha died in June 1998 after reputedly looting some five billion dollars.

ean-joa/ach
ABUJA (Reuters) - The British government has sent Nigeria 4.2 million pounds ($5.97 million) recovered from a former state governor who was jailed for laundering money in Britain, the West African country said on Tuesday.

James Ibori, who was governor of the southern oil-producing Delta State from 1999 to 2007, pleaded guilty at London's Southwark Crown Court in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering. He received a 13-year sentence.

The 4.2 million pounds was stolen by Ibori and his associates but retrieved through operations led by British law enforcement agencies, who identified assets bought in Britain with illicit funds, the Foreign Office in London has said.

A spokesman for Nigeria's attorney general confirmed the money had been received.

The two countries established a memorandum of understanding providing a framework for the return of stolen assets to Nigeria in 2016.

Ibori returned to Nigeria in 2017. His arrival was met with celebration in his native south, where he remains popular.

($1 = 0.7041 pounds)

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; Writing by Paul Carsten)
May 18Students enrolled in the University of Hawaii System in the fall will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend in-person classes or be on any of the system's 10 campuses, the university announced Monday.

The requirement will take effect when at least one of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use has received full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which could happen this summer.

"It is clear that a vaccinated campus is a safer campus for everyone, and a fully vaccinated student community enables the best opportunity for a healthy return to high-quality face-to-face teaching, learning and research, " UH President David Lassner said in a news release.

Lassner said the decision "does not come lightly " and is based on guidance from the university's own Health and Well-Being Working Group and the recommendation of the American College Health Association.

Unvaccinated UH students will still be able to enroll in online courses and participate in student activities virtually.

The University of Hawaii System joins a growing list of colleges and universities throughout the country that are requiring students to be vaccinated, including the University of California and California State University.

Schools such as Brown University and Duke University announced student vaccines would be required as early as April, and since then an increasing number of schools have followed. So far, more than 360 campuses are requiring students be vaccinated for the fall semester, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which is.

UH appears to be the only school so far in Hawaii to require students be vaccinated in order to return to campus. Other schools, such as Chaminade University, are strongly encouraging vaccinations but not requiring them.

Hawaii Pacific University still hasn't decided, Stephen Ward, a spokesman for the university, said by email.

Story continues

"We evaluate potential policy on our own schedule and will be in communication with our students, faculty and staff as we move into summer, " he said. "We will continue in-person on-campus this fall, as we did through this entire past academic year."

As the vaccine becomes available to increasing numbers of young people, discussions also have begun about whether states can or should be mandating the coronavirus vaccine for students enrolled in elementary, middle and high schools. The vaccine is currently available to children 12 and up, an age threshold that's expected to drop as vaccine companies continue to do more studies.

Gov. David Ige, in an on Monday, however, indicated that Hawaii wasn't moving in that direction, at least not for now. Ultimately, it would be up to the state Department of Health to amend school vaccination requirements.

"We don't at this point in time have plans to require vaccinations for public school students, or for private school students, for that matter, " he said.

Exemptions Schools throughout the country have long required students to obtain certain vaccinations in order to enroll.

UH, which enrolls approximately 50, 000 graduate and undergraduate students, requires that students receive the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, the Tdap vaccine, which can prevent tetanus, diptheria and pertussis, and the varicella vaccine. Men ingococcal Conjugate vaccinations are also required for first-year students who plan to live in on-campus housing. Students must also be tested for tuberculosis.

As with the current vaccine requirements, UH students will be allowed to request exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons.

Students who receive an exemption will be allowed on campus, but the details of how that would work are still being determined. For example, unvaccinated students might have to test for the virus once a week, according to UH officials.

This past academic year, there were 958 religious exemptions and 37 medical exemptions granted, comprising about 2 % of the student body, suggesting that the demand for COVID-19 vaccine exemptions also could end up being low.

UH's announcement adds momentum to the state's efforts to get more young people vaccinated, but the university stopped short Monday of requiring its approximately 10, 000 employees to be immunized as well, a policy a smaller number of colleges and universities have adopted as they prepare for the fall school year.

Implementation Lassner said he planned to initiate formal discussions with the three unions that represent university employees about implementing such a requirement.

Christian Fern, executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents university faculty, said the matter would have to be negotiated through the collective bargaining process.

It "is important that we move forward carefully to ensure we balance public health and safety with individual choice and an individual's existing health condition, " Fern said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for the Hawaii Government Employees Association said it would be premature to comment on the matter, while the United Public Workers of Hawaii didn't respond to a request for comment.

In the meantime UH is encouraging students to get vaccinated now.

"We wanted to get word out there now so that our students would know they should get vaccinated and know that they will be coming back to a safe UH campus, whichever UH campus they attend, " said Lassner. "And we've had many inquiries from parents who are concerned and want to see a vaccination requirement so that they know that their child will be coming to a safe campus."

GET A VACCINATION There are multiple ways to find a vaccine location or schedule an appointment.Residents can find vaccine locations throughout Hawaii via the state's COVID-19 portal at hawaiicovid 19.com /vaccination-registration.Find pharmacies offering the vaccine with the atText your ZIP code to the number 438829 to find nearby locations offering the vaccine.

Correction : The Varicella vaccine is required for all students. A previous version of this story said it was only required for first-year students who plan to live in on-campus housing.
Frans House, also known as Tower House, at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, pictured in a Facebook photo, is used as gender-neutral housing as well as an LGBT+ safe space. It was reportedly attacked by ex fraternity members on Thursday. (Facebook/Frans House)

A university in Pennsylvania has launched an investigation following a horrific attack on LGBT+ students allegedly carried out by former members of a banned fraternity.

On Thursday night, nearly 20 men, who were reportedly former members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, launched an assault on their old building, two years after the organisation was shut down in 2019 over hazing, including the use of dog collars on new members.

The mantra of the national fraternity, which was founded in 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, is: Better men for a better world.

Frans House, also known as Tower House, had subsequently become gender-neutral housing as well as a safe place for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.

Residents were reportedly harassed and intimidated by nearly two dozen men who are accused of attempting to get into the building, attacking a Pride flag and urinating on the steps whilst shouting: Let us in!, This isnt your home!, This is our home!.

Pictured are members of Frans House, also known as Tower House, a gender neutral housing facility at Bucknell University, which was allegedly attacked by ex members of a banned fraternityFacebook/Frans House

Tyler Luong, a Fran House residential adviser, reportedly wrote in a letter to the universitys president, John Bravman, that he felt the universitys campus public safety officials were slow to respond, as reported by CNN.

He also claimed that when they arrived they laughed at the situation.

He wrote: The officers bonded with our offenders, reminiscing their college days and calling them handsome young men. President Bravman, the two officers didnt even speak to me. Neither of the two officers came up to us Frans House residents to ask if we were okay.

In a statement the university condemned the attack as horrific and said they had hired a third-party firm to investigate breaches of the student code of conduct.

They said: It is clear from multiple accounts that the students violated the physical space and, far more importantly, the residents sense of place and security. Further, it is equally clear that Bucknell Public Safetys response to the incident was lacking in myriad ways.

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They added: We cannot erase the ugliness and subsequent trauma of last nights transgression against the students of Frans House and, implicitly, many others, but we can commit to addressing it in a way that protects LGBTQ Bucknellians and better ensures their safety in the future.

In a statement posted on the Frans House Facebook page, residents asked the university to protect the building as a permanent LGBT+ space.

Never again should someone feel entitled to come to our home and say its their house and not ours, the statement read.

A spokesman for Bucknell University told The Independent: TKE ceased operations at its Bucknell University Chapter two years ago. We hope those who attacked the Fran House at Bucknell are held accountable. No one deserves to feel less than. These acts of intolerance dont align with our Fraternity or any Greek-letter organization. We stand in love and solidarity with members of the LGBTQ community who are dynamic and valued members of our TKE family.

The Independent has reached out to Tau Kappa Epsilons national division for comment.

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The United States' top military officer has warned the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas is creating instability beyond Gaza, saying it is "in no one's interest to continue fighting".

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, speaking to journalists while flying to Brussels for a NATO meeting, urged both sides in the conflict to de-escalate, echoing comments from President Joe Biden, who has said he backs a ceasefire.

"There is a significant amount of casualties and I just think that that level of violence is destabilising beyond the limited area of Gaza," Milley said late Wednesday, responding to a question about possible Iranian support for Hamas.

More than 200 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed since hostilities flared between the Jewish state and armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip last week, according to local authorities.

Ten people have died in rocket strikes launched at Israel.

On Monday, Washington blocked a draft UN resolution calling for a halt to the violence for the third time, although in a call with the Israeli prime minister, Biden said he backed a truce.

"No one is denying the right of Israel to defend itself," Milley told reporters.

"But having said that, the level of violence that is there is at such a level that it is in no one's interest to continue fighting... Civilians are being killed. Children are being killed."

The violence between Hamas and Israel, which escalated after being sparked by unrest in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is the worst since 2014.

Palestinian militants have fired around 3,350 rockets toward Israel, which has responded with relentless air strikes it says are targeting top Hamas commanders and military infrastructure.

"I believe that whatever the military objectives are out there, they need to be balanced against other consequences," Milley continued.

"In my view, de-escalation is the smart course of action at this point for all parties concerned."

sl/mm/reb/jah
Update: 18-05-2021 | 16:07:41

President Ho Chi Minhs vision and his important role in struggles for independence of African countries and their fight against racism has been highlighted in radio programme The Taylor Report hosted by Phil Taylor, which often discusses topics related to war and peace.

President Ho Chi Minhs vision and his important role in struggles for independence of African countries is highlighted in radio programme The Taylor Report hosted by Phil Taylor

President Ho Chi Minhs chronicles about dire circumstances experienced by coloured people in all parts of the world, especially in the US, were also reviewed in the programme.

According to Taylor, after reading the book entitled "The Black Race by Ho Chi Minh and Selected Works on Systemic Racism written by Prof. Nguyen Dai Trang, President of the Canada-ASEAN Initiatives, he was extremely surprised to learn that the Vietnamese President had been to Boston, New York, Madagascar, and Paris  experiences that helped Uncle Ho to recognise connections between colonialism and racism.

The information in the book is really valuable and new materials for many Western researchers who want to understand more about the great leader, Taylor said.

The book "The Black Race by Ho Chi Minh and Selected Works on Systemic Racism made debut in Canada in February with the English and Vietnamese versions.

Trang, who has spent more than 25 years on collecting, studying, and writing about President Ho Chi Minh, told the Vietnam News Agencys reporter that The Black Race was written in French by Ho Chi Minh in 1925, and its Russian version was published in the former Soviet Union (now Russia) in 1928.

Only few people have a chance to read it, Trang said, and not many readers have known about his considerable influence on national liberation movements in Africa, as well as movements protesting against wars and seeking equality for people of African descent in the US.

This has encouraged Trang to gather 20 articles by Ho Chi Minh, including 12 from The Black Race and seven others written in the 1922 - 1924 and 1963 - 1966 periods, in this book.

The book has attracted the attention of Canadian scholars in the context of challenges related to racism in the country, where diversity and inclusion are supposed to be the foundation of national identity, she said.

VNA
PMs look to boost Vietnam  Japa

PMs look to boost Vietnam  Japan partnership

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide lauded the growing Vietnam  Japan ties and discussed ways to boost the two nations extensive strategic partnership at their phone talks on May 17.

PM Pham Minh Chinh at the phone talks (Photo: VNA)

Congratulating Chinh on his election as the Prime Minister of Vietnam and speaking highly of his contribution to the bilateral relations as Chairman of the Vietnam  Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Suga expected the Vietnamese PM to make further efforts to deepen the partnership and invited him to soon visit Japan.



For his part, Chinh highly valued Japans effective cooperation and assistance toward Vietnams development and expressed his willingness to visit Japan again at an appropriate time.



To step up practical and effective collaboration between the two nations, the Vietnamese PM suggested both sides focus on five cooperation areas. They include infrastructure development in transport, environment, and digital transformation, among others; access to supply sources of and technology transfer on vaccines against COVID-19; encouraging Japanese investment in Vietnam for supply chain diversification, support industry development, and innovation in association with technology transfer; and increasing the grant of scholarships and reception of Vietnamese interns to work in Japan.



Suga affirmed Japans consistent policy of attaching importance to the relations with Vietnam, and pledged to continue support for Vietnam in infrastructure development, especially in the fields of transport, energy, environment, and space cooperation.



He underscored that Japan will offer Vietnam maximum support and collaboration to ensure that the nation has its necessary amount of COVID-19 vaccines.



According to Suga, in the process of promoting supply chain diversification, the waves of Japanese investment into Vietnam have increased sharply. Hoping Vietnam will improve its business climate, he expressed his willingness to assist the Southeast Asian nation in digital transformation and IT development. He also pledged to make efforts to soon receive Vietnamese trainees, and continue supporting Vietnam in training high-quality human resources.

At the talks (Photo: VNA)

The two PMs agreed to strengthen strategic dialogue between Vietnamese and Japanese ministries, sectors, and localities, and coordination to handle issues arising in the bilateral relations.



They said they will work together in organising activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (in 2023) commensurate with the strategic partnership.



The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue. They agreed to continue working closely at multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations and ASEAN.

Source: VNA
Members of Congress who have served in the military joined Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit dedicated to forging bonds between Americans and the U.S. military, on Tuesday to help assemble care packages for deployed service members during Military Appreciation Month.

Nearly 20 veteran members of the congressional For Country Caucus, as well as Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis Richard McDonough and dozens of other volunteers, attended Tuesday's meeting to help assemble 5,000 individually addressed care packages.

"As a Marine who fought in the War on Terrorism, I fully understand the incredible sacrifices made each and every day by members of our armed forces and their families," caucus co-chair Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, told Fox News in a statement. "I led a Marine reconnaissance platoon in Iraq where we lived the creed, Leave no one behind. This applies not only to troops serving overseas but to those same troops when they return home."

He added that the For Country Caucus "is committed to standing with our service members no matter."

VIETNAM VETS KILLED DURING SECRET PACIFIC MISSION GET MAINE MEMORIAL NEARLY 60 YEARS LATER

"Thats why the For Country Caucus strongly supports the construction of a national memorial on the national mall here in D.C. to recognize and honor those who sacrificed so much in the Global War on Terrorism," Taylor said.

Caucus co-vice chair Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., said preparing the care packages "is a small way for those of us here in the United States to show our appreciation for the brave Americans who are currently serving abroad."

"Its not easy for these young men and women to be away from their families and friends for long periods of time," the congressman said. "Until our troops return to American soil, it is important we show that we stand by them. And as a Vietnam veteran, I know the importance of making sure our troops continue to feel supported even after they return home. The For Country Caucus is focused on supporting our service members at home and abroad."

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WORKSHOPS FOR WARRIORS: TAKING BACK AMERICAN MANUFACTURING ONE VETERAN AT A TIME

The packages, which contain Girl Scout cookies, personal care products, Starbucks coffee, handmade items like knitted scarves and letters, will then be shipped to deployed soldiers, airmen, Marines. and sailors.

Operation Gratitude will ship the packages to service members in "dozens of counties and on U.S. Navy vessels in all seven seas" including the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, USS Carter Hall, USS Laboon, USS Dwight D Eisenhower and USS Sullivan, Operation Gratitude CEO Kevin Schmiegel, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, told Fox News.

"We received tens of thousands of scarves, hundreds of thousands of bracelets and nearly a million handwritten letters, so it's really cool," he said of donations Operation Gratitude has gathered throughout the past year amid COVID-19.

WEST VIRGINIA AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS AIM TO FUNDRAISE $20K FOR SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The care-package assembly event, which will continue until May 20, also comes as the Military prepares for the full withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan following President Biden's April announcement that all 2,500 remaining service members deployed in the country must return by Sept. 11, 2021, on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

"What we don't want, as an organization, is for people to forget that there are still more than 200,000 men and women in our military who will still deploy each year  to the Middle East  Africa, Asia and on ships across the world. And there are Marines in more than 100 embassies across the globe, too. So, what we don't want from that  announcement to the American people is that the War is over," Schmiegel said.

He continued: "The war is not over. We still have people in harm's way. And even when the last troop comes home from Afghanistan, there are going to be people all over the world who are deployed away from their families for months on end, and we want people to continue to recognize that and support them. "

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Other members of the For Country Caucus who were present at Tuesday's meeting include caucus co-vice chair Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., as well as caucus co-chair Jared Golden, D-Maine, could not attend Tuesday's event due to the birth of his first child on Friday.
Kyle Theodore Griffith, a 30-year-old from Largo, Florida, went to Walmart to pick up a 24-pack case of soda.

He heard a bang and took a shot to the leg.

Now, hes facing a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon, court records show.

According to the Largo Police Department, Griffith was at a Walmart on Missouri Avenue on Saturday, May 15, and bent over to pick up the soda case. But that movement apparently caused the gun police say he was carrying in his waistband without a holster to go off. Or, as the report says, the gun suddenly discharged.

A bullet hit Griffiths upper right thigh.

Several witnesses, including a Largo police officer who happened to be in the West Central Florida store, said they saw Griffith take the gun from his pants afterward and slide it across the aisle to his brother, WFLA NewsChannel 8 reports.

Griffith did not have a concealed weapons permit in order to be carrying the gun.

Bond was set at $5,000.

This is the second time in as many months Griffith has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. On March 19, he was charged as such when he was spotted using a flashlight to look into balconies and cars at an apartment complex on Seminole Boulevard in Pinellas County.

According to that arrest affidavit, Griffith told officers he was looking for someone to help him jump his vehicle. But police found a black Sig Sauer firearm in a holster in his waistband. Police say he told them he had a concealed weapons permit in Virginia to carry the gun but according to the arrest report he does not.

He was released from Pinellas County Jail for that charge at the apartment complex after paying $2,000 bond, according to court records.

It is not clear if the gun in the jolting soda pop case was the same one. But, according to the report, he tried the Virginia explanation again to no avail, CBS17 reported.
Back in February, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration considered the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany, "a bad deal" that "exposes Ukraine and Central Europe" to Moscow and "goes against Europe's own stated energy and security goals." Similarly, during his confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is "determined to do whatever we can to prevent" the completion of the controversial pipeline. But on Tuesday, Axios reported the Biden administration is set to waive sanctions on the company overseeing its construction, as well its CEO, Matthias Warnig, who is considered a "crony" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

That doesn't mean President Biden now supports Nord Stream 2  on the contrary, the White House reportedly still hopes it doesn't go into use  but it does suggest his administration feels sanctions are ultimately a bigger risk than safeguard. Per Axios, sources close to the situation said that Biden officials have determined sanctioning the German-end users of the gas is the only way to stop construction, 95 percent of which is already complete, at this point. The administration simply doesn't want to jeopardize its relationship with Berlin over the pipeline.

The waivers reportedly could be lifted, and sanctions reinstated, at any moment, so administration sources told Axios the looming threat should still give Washington leverage in the situation. Read more at Axios.

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COVID-19 is notoriously hard to control, and political leaders are only part of the calculus when it comes to pandemic management. But some current and former world leaders have made little effort to combat outbreaks in their country, whether by downplaying the pandemics severity, disregarding science or ignoring critical health interventions like social distancing and masks. All of the men on this list committed at least one of those mistakes, and some committed all of them  with deadly consequences.

Narendra Modi of India

Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University

India is the new epicenter of the global pandemic, recording some 400,000 new cases per day by May 2021. However grim, this statistic fails to capture the sheer horror unfolding there. COVID-19 patients are dying in hospitals because doctors have no oxygen to give and no lifesaving drugs like remdesivir. The sick are turned away from clinics that have no free beds.

Many Indians blame one man for the countrys tragedy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In January 2021, Modi declared at a global forum that India had saved humanity  by containing corona effectively. In March, his health minister proclaimed that the pandemic was reaching an endgame. COVID-19 was actually gaining strength in India and worldwide  but his government made no preparations for possible contingencies, such as the emergence of a deadlier and more contagious COVID-19 variant.

Even as significant pockets of the country had not fully suppressed the virus, Modi and other members of his party held jampacked outdoor campaign rallies before April elections. Few attendees wore masks. Modi also allowed a religious festival that draws millions to proceed from January to March. Public health officials now believe the festival may have been a superspreader event and was an enormous mistake.

As Modi touted his successes last year, India  the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer  sent over 10 million vaccine doses to neighboring countries. Yet just 1.9% of Indias 1.3 billion people had been fully inoculated against COVID-19 by early May.

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Modi and Bolsonaro shake hands

Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil

Elize Massard da Fonseca, Fundacao Getulio Vargas and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro did not just fail to respond to COVID-19  which he derides as a little flu  he actively worsened the crisis in Brazil.

Bolsonaro used his constitutional powers to interfere in the Health Ministrys administrative matters, such as clinical protocols, data disclosure and vaccine procurement. He vetoed legislation that would have both mandated the use of masks in religious sites and compensated health professionals permanently harmed by the pandemic, for example. And he obstructed state government efforts to promote social distancing and used his decree power to allow many businesses to remain open as essential, including spas and gyms. Bolsonaro also aggressively promoted unproven medicines, notably hydroxychloroquine, to treat COVID-19 patients.

Bolsonaro used his public profile as president to shape the debate around the coronavirus crisis, fostering a false dilemma between economic catastrophe and social distancing and misrepresenting science. He has blamed Brazilian state governments, China and the World Health Organization for the COVID-19 crisis, and has never taken responsibility for managing his own countrys outbreak.

In December, Bolsonaro declared that he would not take the vaccine because of side effects. If you turn into a crocodile, its your problem, he said.

Bolsonaros pandemic mismanagement created conflict within his government. Brazil cycled through four health ministers in less than a year. Brazils uncontrolled outbreak gave rise to several new coronavirus variants, including the P.1 variant, which appears more contagious. Brazils COVID-19 transmission rate is finally starting to drop, but the situation is still worrisome.

Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus

Elizabeth J. King and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan

Many countries around the world have responded to COVID-19 with tragically inadequate policies. However, we argue that the worse pandemic leaders are those handful who chose total denialism over ineffective action.

Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime authoritarian leader of Belarus, has never acknowledged the threat of COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, as other countries were enforcing lockdowns, Lukashenko opted not to implement any restrictive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Instead, he claimed the virus could be prevented by drinking vodka, visiting the sauna and working in the fields. This denialism essentially left preventative measures and pandemic aid to individuals and crowdfunding campaigns.

Over the summer of 2020, Lukashenko stated that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 but that he was asymptomatic, which allowed him to continue insisting that the virus was not a serious threat. Allegedly thwarting the disease and visiting COVID-19 hospitals without a mask also supported his desired image of a strong man.

Belarus has just started vaccination efforts, but Lukashenko says he wont get vaccinated. Currently, fewer than 3% of Belarusians are inoculated against COVID-19.

Donald Trump of the United States

Dorothy Chin, University of California, Los Angeles

Trump is out of office, but his mishandling of the pandemic continues to have devastating long-term consequences on the United States  particularly on the health and welfare of communities of color.

Trump in front of a crowd

Trumps early denial of the pandemic, active propagation of misinformation about mask-wearing and treatments and incoherent leadership harmed the country as a whole  but the outcome was much worse for some groups than others. Communities of color suffered disproportionate illness and deaths. Although African Americans and Latinos make up only 31% of the U.S. population, for example, they account for over 55% of COVID-19 cases. Indigenous Americans were hospitalized 3.5 times more and suffered 2.4 times the mortality rate of whites.

Unemployment rates are also disproportionate. During the worst of the U.S. pandemic, they soared to 17.6% for Latino Americans, 16.8% for African Americans and 15% for Asian Americans, compared with 12.4% for white Americans.

These crushing gaps amplified existing inequities such as poverty, housing instability and quality of schooling  and will likely continue to do so for some time to come. For example, while the overall U.S. economy shows signs of recovery, minority groups have not made equivalent progress.

Finally, Trumps blame of China for COVID-19  which included such racial epithets as calling the virus the kung flu  immediately preceded a nearly twofold increase in attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the past year. This disturbing trend shows no signs of abating.

The Trump administration supported the countrys initial development of the vaccine, an achievement few world leaders can claim. But the misinformation and anti-science rhetoric he broadcast continues to compromise Americas path out of the pandemic. Latest polling suggests 24% of all Americans and 41% of Republicans say they will not get vaccinated.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico

Salvador Vazquez del Mercado, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas

With 9.2% of its COVID-19 patients dying from the disease, Mexico has the highest case fatality rate in the world. Recent estimates show that it has likely suffered 617,000 deaths  on par with the U.S. and India, both countries with much larger populations.

A combination of factors contributed to Mexicos prolonged, extreme COVID-19 outbreaks. And inadequate national leadership was one of them.

Throughout the pandemic, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sought to minimize the gravity of the situation in Mexico. In the very beginning, he resisted calls to enact a nationwide lockdown and continued holding rallies nationwide before eventually, on March 23, 2020, Mexico shuttered for two months. He frequently refused to wear a mask.

Mexico's president speaks at a lectern on a stage with a small crowd of government officials sitting nearby

Having inherited an underfunded patchwork of health services when he took office in 2018, Lopez Obrador increased health-related expenditures during the pandemic only slightly. Experts said hospital budgets are insufficient to the enormous task facing them.

Even before the pandemic broke out, Lopez Obradors policy of extreme fiscal austerity  in place since 2018  had made tackling a health crisis much more difficult by significantly limiting the COVID-19 financial aid available to citizens and businesses. That, in turn, aggravated the economic shock caused by the pandemic in Mexico, feeding the need to keep the economy open all last year, well into the ferocious winter second wave, from which Mexico is only beginning to emerge.

Eventually, another lockdown became inevitable. Mexico shut down again briefly in December 2020.

Today, mask-wearing is up and Mexico has fully vaccinated 10% of its population, compared with 1% in neighboring Guatemala. Things are improving, but Mexicos road to recovery is long.

[Like what youve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversations daily newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University; Dorothy Chin, University of California, Los Angeles; Elizabeth J King, University of Michigan; Elize Massard da Fonseca, COVID crisis in India: why its public health strategy failedActivist farmers in Brazil feed the hungry and aid the sick as president downplays coronavirus crisis

Sumit Ganguly receives funding from the US Department of State.

Dorothy Chin receives funding from the Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Elize Massard da Fonseca receives funding from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation and Brazil's National Research Council (CNPq).

Salvador Vazquez del Mercado receives funding from the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Scott L. Greer has received funding from the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center, US National Science Foundation, and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

Elizabeth J King does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is heading into the belly of the beast Tuesday and asking the business community to support President Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan during a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Why it matters: By trying to persuade a skeptical and targeted audience, Yellen is signaling the presidents commitment to raising corporate taxes to pay for his plan. Republican senators, critical to a potential bipartisan deal, oppose any corporate tax increase.

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We are confident that the investments and tax proposals in the (American) Jobs Plan, taken as a package, will enhance the net profitability of our corporations and improve their global competitiveness, Yellen plans to say, according to excerpts from her speech obtained by Axios.

We hope that business leaders will see it this way and support the Jobs Plan.

The big picture: The administration is working to build support for the plan both in and out of Washington as it awaits the second counterproposal from Senate Republicans.

Their initial offer of $568 billion could climb as high as $800 billion.

Cabinet members will hit the road again this week, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visiting Georgia and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh stopping in New Hampshire on Friday. Other members will make other trips and give TV interviews.

Back in Washington, officials will continue to make use of a TV studio in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to reach local audiences.

We are going to spend this week continuing to make the case around the country for the presidents vision and pushing to get it done, said Michael Gwin, White House rapid response director.

The other side: Congressional Republicans have declared President Trumps 2017 corporate and individual tax cuts are off-limits.

The Business Roundtable prefers a mix of deficit spending, repurposed money from Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill and user fees to fund infrastructure projects.

Between the lines: Yellens speech to the Chamber will take an economic history tour.

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The secretary will argue previous periods of economic uncertainty were met with government investments in infrastructure, education and research and development.

She'll note legislation that was controversial at the time spawned institutions now part of everyday American life, including the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Social Security Administration.

It is the time to recommit our government to playing a more active and smarter role in the economy, she'll say. Were proposing smart investments  to make our economy more competitive and sustainable, to provide opportunities for all families and workers and to make our tax system fairer.

Driving the news: Yellen will be introduced by Suzanne P. Clark, the chamber's president and CEO. The two will kick off the Global Forum on Economic Recovery, a two-day virtual event sponsored by Google, Amazon and UPS.

The chamber has scheduled conversations with the presidents of Kenya and Colombia and prime minister of Singapore, as well as business executives, including IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Microsoft President Brad Smith and the software company's former CEO Bill Gates.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a former venture capitalist who has told the president directly not to raise corporate taxes, also will attend.

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Theres a wild card in the push to return to pre-pandemic life: Many workers dont want to go back to the jobs they once had.

Layoffs and lockdowns, combined with enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, gave many Americans the time and the financial cushion to rethink their careers. Their former employers are hiring again  and some, like Uber and McDonald's, are offering higher pay  but workers remain hesitant.

Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist who researches low- and middle-income workers with the Economic Policy Institute, said health concerns and child care responsibilities seem to be the main reasons holding workers back.

In April, she said, at least 25% of U.S. schools weren't offering in-person learning, forcing many parents to stay home. And health concerns could gain new urgency for some workers now that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks in most settings.

Shierholz added that unemployment benefits are designed to give workers the time to find jobs that are better suited to their abilities.

In other developments:
Tartakovsky said he tried to work with Schermerhorn. Court records show the tenants troubles paying his rent predated the economic fallout that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first eviction case Tartakovsky filed against Schermerhorn dates to May 2019, just a few months after he moved into the house. At first, he found a way to settle up with his landlord and keep his home.

In February 2020, he fell behind and never caught up. However, court closures and protections meant to keep renters in their homes during the public health crisis delayed his case over the next few months.

Last July, he signed a sworn statement attesting he had lost 90% of his income from his small business, a website called Interpunk.com that sells punk memorabilia and vinyl records, because of the pandemic, according to court records.

By then, his delinquent balance was more than $6,700, and it has grown since. Schermerhorns monthly rent was a little more than $1,000; he estimated he was at least 10 months behind on it.

Between unpaid rent, damage to the property, legal fees and other costs, Tartakovsky said Schermerhorns two-plus years at the house cost him more than $15,000.
Since Democrats gained control of the presidency and Congress, the Middle East has been returning to previous behavior. Mullahs have ramped up their heated sermons against Israel and vile labeling of Jews, reminiscent of a not-too-distant past in Nazi Germany. Anti-Semitism is also rising in Europe.

All the U.S. does is issue tepid statements. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, While we urge de-escalation on all sides, we also recognize Israels legitimate right to defend itself, to defend its people and its territory.

This is meaningless if policies dont follow.

The Taliban is in the process of retaking Afghanistan as U.S. troops withdraw. It clearly sees this sign as an invitation to return to the days of mandatory burqas for women, denying females jobs, education and other freedoms they have recently enjoyed. A re-established base for al-Qaeda may soon follow.

Another sign taken seriously by enemies of Israel and the West is the Biden administrations determination to re-enter nuclear talks with Iran, a country whose religious and political leaders have refused to stop their enrichment of uranium and have not been deterred in their determination to eradicate Israel. Bargains with the devil do not end well. See Dr. Faust and the Munich Agreement for examples.
Thats not an even trade but its better than nothing. Gov. Ralph Northam tried to get the legislature to pass some language declaring its intent to direct future savings from the coal tax credit retirement to expanding tech-oriented classes at the University of Virginias College at Wise.

The legislature reacted poorly to that suggestion. Republicans didnt like it because they considered it too weak; one legislature cant bind a future one.

Some Democrats didnt like it because they considered it too strong; they worried they might create some expectations. (Horrors!)

Still, we have to wonder: If Virginia is going to follow Colorados lead in legalizing marijuana, why cant it follow Colorados lead in making a formal commitment to its coal counties?

For now, all we have out of Colorado is rhetoric, but at least its the right rhetoric. Consider this statement from K.C. Becker, who as Colorados Speaker of the House introduced the bill creating that Office of Just Transition: The time to take action on climate is now, but we cannot work toward a clean-energy economy without also working on solutions to support workers who are affected by this transition. Workers and communities whose livelihoods are threatened by shifting economic tides and advancements in technology need support.
Cheneys removal betrays ideals

As a life-long Republican, I am dismayed that congressional Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from her position as Republican Conference Chair in the US House of Representatives because of her persistent criticism of Donald Trumps role in the events of January 6. Her removal on these grounds betrays Republican and conservative ideals.

Ms. Cheney is a true conservative whose sin was to speak truth about President Trumps role in promoting the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Her removal came even though her comments on this matter were entirely consistent with those of Minority Leader McCarthy, who said the president bears responsibility for the  attack on the Congress by mob rioters. Her other sin  the apparently unforgivable one  is that she wouldnt shut up about it. And she shouldnt; truth on matters as serious as this one bears repeating, lest we allow this treacherous breach of the public trust to recede from our political consciousness.
Kiyotaka Nishimura has closed the doors for good on the 14-seat wine bar and restaurant that he and his wife, Makiko, operated in suburban Tokyo for about 10 years.

Call General Warrant, which offered a contemporary and casual dining ambience, a COVID casualty. It closed in late March, 10 days after Japan came out of its second COVID state of emergency, and the Nishimuras have since moved to Ayabe, a rural town in Kyoto Prefecture, where they plan to take up mountain management and do some hunting.

"The coronavirus pandemic forced the move," Kiyotaka, 43, told Nikkei Asia. Despite developing a takeout menu and winning concessions from his landlord, Kiyotaka struggled to cover monthly rent of 170,000 yen ($1,550) for the bistro's 33-sq.-meter space.

Since the Nishimuras decided to move to the mountains of Kyoto Prefecture, a third state of emergency that covers Tokyo has been decreed and extended.

"I'm positive," Kiyotaka said on April 28, days after the third emergency took effect, "that I made the right decision."

Kiyotaka and Makiko Nishimura have closed the suburban Tokyo restaurant they ran for about a decade and have moved to the mountains of Kyoto Prefecture to take up hunting and other pursuits. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Japan has one of the world's most diverse dining scenes, from sushi bars to authentic Chinese restaurants to trendy Western havens.

Its capital is also the Michelin star capital of the world. The 2021 edition of Michelin Guide Tokyo gives stars to 212 restaurants, far surpassing Paris' 115.

"The food service sector and Japan's food culture provide Japan with some world-class soft power," Nobuko Kobayashi, a partner with EY Strategy and Consulting, told Nikkei.

So many tourists flock to Japan to savor its myriad cuisines that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the traveling gourmands a pillar of his growth strategy. In 2016, the administration announced a plan to double the number of inbound tourists to 40 million by 2020. Now Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga backed the plan as the Cabinet Secretary.

But prolonged COVID emergencies present the restaurant industry with an existential threat. The latest declaration, which took effect on April 25, is Japan's third in a little more than a year. It was to end on May 11 but has since been extended until the end of the month as the virus rages on.
World-renowned fashion designer Koshino Junko has been awarded France's highest order of merit, the Legion of Honor.

French Ambassador to Japan Philippe Setton presented Koshino with the award in a ceremony at his official residence in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Koshino was made a chevalier, one of the award's five ranks, for her contributions to cultural exchange between Japan and France.

Koshino, a native of Osaka in western Japan, showed one of her collections in Paris for the first time in 1978. She has since held fashion shows around the world. She has also been involved in designing various types of products, and has been active in promoting Japanese culture overseas.

In the ceremony, Setton said Koshino has served as a bridge between Japan and France through her outstanding work and personality.

Koshino responded by saying that she is very happy. She said she's worked in the field of culture and art in a place she admires, Paris, and made wonderful French friends. She said she hopes to continue fostering cultural exchange between Japan and France.

After the ceremony, Koshino said she was honored to receive the award and felt encouraged to continue her work. She went on to say that she also wants to promote exchanges with France in fields other than fashion. - NHK
Japan will subject three more countries -- Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives -- to tighter entry measures, due to the spread of a coronavirus variant that was first detected in India.

The government announced on Tuesday that people coming from the three countries will have to stay at government-designated accommodations for the first six days of the two-week self-isolation period upon arrival.

Tokyo has already taken the same measures for arrivals from India, Pakistan and Nepal.
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I think whoever did this should definitely pay, the woman said, adding that her view would not at all prevent her from serving.

Dan Vondra, an Iowa defense lawyer who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients and isnt involved in the case, said the two-day jury selection seemed too short given the issues the case raises. He said jurors who posted opinions about the highly publicized case on social media should be screened out to avoid problems later.

Judge Yoel Yates has barred the public from the trial, citing COVID-19 restrictions, but it will be livestreamed by media outlets.

Tibbetts went for a run in July 2018 through Brooklyn, population 1,700, where she ran cross-country in high school. She never made it back to the home where she was dog-sitting for her boyfriend and his brother, who were out of town.

Her disappearance triggered a massive search that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.
This ruling by the CDC doesnt really take that into account, Rupp said.

Labor groups and others say employees at stores, restaurants, bars and other businesses could be exposed to the coronavirus by customers and could be forced into becoming vaccination police.

Rupp said he would like to see local officials continue to push vaccination and get to the point where 70% to 80% of the total population is vaccinated.

Transmission rates factor into the situation, too. Although Omaha rates are coming down, Rupp said, theyre still at more than 10 cases per 100,000 residents per day.

We need to be at least half that before we really start to relax, he said.

Dr. Jessica Jones, an infectious diseases physician with Methodist Health System, said there has been a disconnect between health officials urging people to get vaccinated while still asking them to wear masks.

As time has gone on, she said, more studies have shown that the vaccines are not only good at preventing people from getting severe and symptomatic COVID-19 but also prevent asymptomatic infection.
Responding to CDC guidance issued on Saturday for schools, Council Bluffs Community School District specified additional situations where students are not expected to wear masks but did not relax protocols in other settings.

Saturdays statement from the CDC said, CDC recommends schools continue to use the COVID-19 prevention strategies (including the universal and correct us of face masks) outlined in the current version of CDCs Operational Strategy for K-12 schools for at least the remainder of the 2020-21 academic school year.

Superintendent Vickie Murillo clarified the districts guidelines in a message sent to families on Sunday.

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As we prepare today for the final nine days of the school year, I have confidence that, together we can finish the school year with the expectation that masks be worn when it is not possible to remain more than three feet apart from others, she said. We will, however, provide more flexibility for teachers to provide mask breaks for students when they are seated apart from their classmates.

Murillo added that students would no longer be expected to wear masks during outdoor recess, on the bus if they are seating more than three feet from others (or) when moving from one class to another or to and from lunch or recess, if students are not congregating.
The followed editorial appeared in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald on May 12:

If you listen closely, you might make out the strains of Pomp and Circumstance being rehearsed by area high school bands as students prepare for graduation.

After super-weird junior and senior years, the Class of 2021 is gearing up for graduation and getting ready to move on. By now, most have an idea of what that next step looks like, and for the many students heading off to an institution of higher education, choosing the right school was a decision they labored over.

No doubt the most difficult piece of that decision was sorting out how to cover the ever-rising cost of college. Sometimes, even determining what that cost will be and how it compares to other colleges that a student is considering can be difficult to determine.

Thats why Iowas U.S. senators have introduced three bills that would make it easier for parents and students to understand the true cost of higher education. At the same time, the Student Loan Disclosure Modernization Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The measures put forth by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst focus on three key areas:
WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Republicans are signaling that they will try to block  or at least slow down  a Democratic effort to create a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, threatening the chances of a deeper, independent look at the siege and how it could be prevented from happening again.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he is pushing the pause button, on the legislation to form the commission, which is expected to pass the House this week despite the opposition of House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. That means the bill is likely to have a more difficult path when it reaches the Senate, where majority Democrats will need at least 10 GOP votes to pass it.

McConnell told reporters that his caucus is undecided but willing to listen to the arguments about whether such a commission is needed. He questioned whether the panel's work would interfere with the hundreds of criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6 attack and whether the fine print of the bill would ensure that both parties on the commission have an equal say.

He also questioned a separate, $1.9 billion spending bill that the House is expected to pass this week for security upgrades. We're not sure what to spend the money on yet, McConnell said.
Abortion-rights advocates sounded the alarm Monday in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to review Mississippi's strict abortion law, setting the stage for the possible end or restriction of abortion rights granted under Roe v. Wade.

Anti-abortion organizations, however, hailed the court's action.

"The most vulnerable among us, babies in the womb, deserve equal protection of the law," Marian Miner, associate director for pro-life and family policy at the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said.

"While it is not clear how far the court is willing to go in this case, we are hopeful for a decision that will affirm that right, embolden states to protect it and finally correct the grave injustice of Roe."

Planned Parenthood voiced the opposite reaction.

"The protections guaranteed under Roe v. Wade are in jeopardy like never before," Planned Parenthood said in a written statement.

"With three Trump nominees on the court, anti-abortion legislatures and governors have become even bolder in their attacks on essential health care," it said.
Ben Nelson plays a key role in the highly informative and readable account of the battle to enact the Affordable Care Act contained in a new book called "The Ten Year War."

Jonathan Cohn, a senior national correspondent at the Huffington Post, takes us inside the tense struggle in Congress and provides historical perspective in exploring "the unfinished crusade for universal (health care) coverage."

Nelson occupies only a few pages, but Nebraska's former Democratic senator emerges as the guy who opened the door when the health care reform bill appeared to be trapped by a Senate filibuster.

He was "the last holdout in the Democratic caucus," Cohn writes, a senator who wanted no public option provision in the bill, carefully-tailored abortion language and Medicaid expansion only as optional for the states.

It was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, not Nelson, who ultimately suggested that the federal government pick up the entire cost of Medicaid expansion in Nebraska, Cohn writes.

The deal was struck and Nelson provided the critical 60th vote to break the Senate filibuster on Christmas Eve morning.

And a new term, "the Cornhusker Kickback," was born.
Because the board is not responsible for overseeing the Iowa Legislature, any inquiries there would fall to the Legislatures ethics committees, which are chaired by majority Republicans.

Spokespeople for legislative leaders did not immediately respond to a question of whether Republicans plan to look into Heritages claims.

Iowa is the first state that we got to work in, and we did it quickly and we did it quietly, Heritage Action executive director Jessica Anderson said in the video, as reported by The Associated Press. We helped draft the bills. ... Honestly, nobody even noticed. My team looked at each other, and were like, it cant be that easy.

Kaufmann and Smith disputed the claims, with Kaufmann saying Heritage had nothing to do with the elections bill. Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley suggested Anderson may have made the claim to boost fundraising.

Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, leader of the Senate Democrats from Coralville, called the state board's inquiry good news, and called on Smith to cooperate.

If asked, Sen. Smith should turn over any records of contacts with anyone affiliated with Heritage Action, including emails, letters, messaging memos and phone records, Wahls said in a statement. Iowans deserve to know the facts about this case and whether any laws or rules have been broken.
COVID-19 grant money and federal pandemic relief loans to businesses would be exempt from state income tax.

Despite unified control of state government, Iowa Republicans in the House, Senate and governors office spent weeks negotiating some of those provisions.

Because of the disciplined budgeting practices of Iowa House Republicans over the last decade, Iowa is in a strong fiscal position to further reduce the tax burden on Iowans, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said in a statement. Im proud of the role House Republicans played in making this bill the best possible outcome for Iowans.

The Senate moved quickly, debating and passing the sweeping legislation on Monday evening, mere hours after it was introduced.

Senate File 619 passed the Senate on a 29-17 vote with Democrats Tony Bisignano and Kevin Kinney joining all Republicans in support of the measure. It now moves to the House for consideration there.

Not only is this something big and something bold, this is something we can take back to our constituents and say we did something fair, something right, something good, Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs said during debate.
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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  The Keystone XL is dead after a 12-year attempt to build the oil pipeline. But the fight over Canadian crude rages on as emboldened environmentalists target other projects and pressure President Joe Biden to intervene.
The Lincoln County commissioners on Monday authorized Chairman Kent Weems to sign an agreement and release with Employers Mutual Casualty Co. concerning law enforcement liability coverage and the countys umbrella policy.

Its a single-page policy release, a document the board signed with our general carrier, said Deputy County Attorney Tyler Volkmer.

The insurance carrier cut a check to the county, Volkmer said, for $100,000 to cover medical bills for James Mitchell.

In exchange, the county has essentially released (the insurance carrier) from any liability on any of Mr. Mitchells medical bills, Volkmer said.

Mitchell was shot by a sheriffs deputy at Lake Maloney on Feb. 24, 2020, as he attempted to escape arrest.

In other action, the board:

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 Accepted the low bid from Midlands Contracting of Kearney for the Ingham Bridge replacement project. Three bids were submitted, with Midlands offering the lowest at $124,995. The other two bids were from Simon Construction of North Platte at $176,000 and Paul Reed Construction of Gering, $256,781.
Fidelity's youth account will not put limits on how much or how often a teen can trade, though it won't let them buy or sell cryptocurrencies, stock options or ETFs that use borrowed money to supercharge gains and losses. Fidelity's hope is that parents and guardians will use the new youth account as a way to have conversations with their kids about how to safely invest for the long term.

There is a lack of financial literacy, said David Dintenfass, Fidelity's chief marketing officer and head of experience design. People who are already Fidelity customers, they want to pass on their knowledge to their children. When we talked to them, they said they would love to have a product to develop better conversations with their children as soon as possible."

Fidelity began a pilot of the youth account program in the middle of 2020. While the sample size is admittedly small, only about a third of the pilot participants actually made trades. More of the teenagers in the pilot used their debit cards, 40%, said Jenn Samalis, senior vice president of customer acquisition and loyalty at Fidelity.

The youth accounts offer educational materials for teenagers about finances, and they will transition into a standard brokerage account after the child turns 18.
He took part in the statewide Blueprint Nebraska planning process and is a board member of the Platte Institute.

Jenkins said he announced his Unicameral candidacy early so he could meet and discuss the issues with as many people around the district as possible.

As I have traveled and talked with people in the district, I am impressed with all of the good things that are happening even in the midst of a pandemic, he said in a press release.

If elected, I look forward to working closely with the many talented people in the district on those issues critical to our success.

Jenkins said he would stress working together with rural- and urban-based lawmakers alike if he succeeds Williams.

We have good leaders throughout the district who reflect the value and importance of working together, he said. One of the critical tasks of a rural senator is to communicate the importance of agriculture and small business to the states economy. ...

Since agriculture is literally the foundation on which our state economy is built, urban and rural senators must work together for the benefit of all Nebraskans.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

The demonstrations and ongoing violence came as moves toward a cease-fire appeared to be gaining more traction.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down its bombardment of Gaza. Egyptian negotiators also were working to halt the fighting, and while they have not made progress with Israel, they were optimistic international pressure would force it to the table, according to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing diplomatic efforts.

The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem's usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank.
A group of eminent scientists has urged Australian leaders to tackle an often overlooked problem which they say carries "potential catastrophic risk to humanity".

In a new report, researchers argued the growing presence of chemical pollution represents risk on a scale equivalent to climate change.

Chemical pollution is having a deleterious affect on male fertility, cognitive health and food security, scientists said.

The report was published in the journal Environment International as its authors warned that while "benefits of synthetic chemicals to everyday life are undeniable" they do pose serious contamination risks.

That risk has "accelerated markedly in the last half-century," researchers wrote.

Chemical pollution has reached unprecedented levels in parts of the planet, researchers warn. Source: Supplied

"Trillions of tonnes of chemically active material are discharged into the environment by mining, mineral processing, farming, construction and energy production."

Nanoparticles and chemicals found in personal care products and home cleaning products were also singled out, with researchers saying it would "take over 100,000 years to evaluate all existing synthetic chemicals for human and environmental safety, and an additional 2,000 years to evaluate each years new products."

Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu from and the University of Newcastle, and lead author of the report, said federal and state governments in Australia and around the world should seize on the economic and employment opportunities that stem from addressing the issue of growing chemical pollution.

"Pollution now kills nine million people a year," he said in a statement.

"This is by far the worst case of preventable death and injury in human history. Action is overdue in every country on Earth, not least Australia."

Story continues

Rapidly developing nations like China and India have vowed to tackle the pollution crisis, with Chinese president Xi Jinping allocating billions to clean up land, water and air pollution in the country while India also seeks to address air pollution problems and clean up its toxic cities.

Prof Naidu says Australia's already $3 billion clean-up industry could prosper in the global fight against chemical pollution with a focus on exporting our skills and technologies, with a little help from governments.

"Clean-up is a vibrant, high-tech industry in its own right, which is on a strong growth trajectory worldwide. We need governments to help make it go faster," he said.

Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu is calling for a global accord to tackle chemical pollution. Source: Supplied

Chemical emissions almost five times greater than climate emissions

According to Prof Naidu, human chemical emissions now total four or five times our climate emissions.

"Most people are concerned about climate change and many are making changes in their lives and work to curb it. This does not yet apply to chemical contamination, which is growing out of control around the world, including Australia."

While noting that Australia is leader in trying to build international support to tackle the issue, he is calling for governments to sign on to a Global Contamination Accord for leaders to pledge to reduce the impact of human-made chemicals on human health and the environment.

Chemical pollution from a variety of household, consumer, agricultural industrial products can be "associated with heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and a rising epidemic of brain damage and mental disability," Prof Naidu said.

It's a problem scientists have been sounding the alarm about in recent years.

Last year, Prof Barbara Demeneix, a biologist and endocrinologist and author of Toxic Cocktail: How Chemical Pollution Is Poisoning Our Brains, warned the growth of environmental contaminants will affect future generations.

"Chemical pollution has now reached unprecedented levels, with every child born today 'pre-contaminated' with hundreds of chemicals," she wrote in the Financial Times.

Aside from climate change, she described growing chemical pollution and the loss of biodiversity as the "asteroid threats" facing the planet.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
Dozens of progressive and mainstream Democratic lawmakers already have called for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militants, and some Democrats are demanding Biden push harder for an end to fighting.

Committee member Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was among the Democrats seeking a harder line, saying he has serious concerns about the timing of this weapons sale, the message it will send to Israel and the world about the urgency of a cease fire. He said late Monday that the Biden administration must use every diplomatic tool to de-escalate this conflict and bring about peace.

Committee chair Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. said the lawmakers expect an administration briefing Wednesday on the crisis. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday acknowledged the difference between a growing number of progressive Democrats and the Biden administration on the U.S. approach to the conflict, but played it down.

Every Democrat, and I think every Republican, wants to minimize the exposure of both sides in Gaza and in Israel, Hoyer told reporters. Theres a difference about how that can be done.

Biden did not join in the calls by some of his party's lawmakers and by many foreign governments to demand a cease-fire, however.
Washington, PA (15301)

Today

Showers early then scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 58F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Colombias oil industry is yet again under considerable pressure, despite the national government in Bogota attempting to reactivate the economically crucial sector. The March 2020 oil price crash, COVID-19 pandemic, rising security risk and now significant political turmoil are weighing heavily on the oil industrys performance. After a rough 2020 where Colombias five-month long quarantine lockdown sharply impacted operational activity and crude oil production, there are signs that the Andean countrys oil industry is struggling to recover. This comes after a moment of optimism in late-2020 where it appeared that Colombias hydrocarbon sector was on track to return to a pre-pandemic tempo of operations. The latest data from the energy ministry for Latin Americas fourth largest economy indicates that is not the case. During March 2020, Colombia pumped a daily average of 744,715 barrels of crude oil and 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, which is a 0.14% and 5% less than a month earlier.

Source: Colombia Ministry of Mines and Energy, U.S. EIA.

More worrying are signs that Colombias hydrocarbon sector is struggling to recover from a devastating 2020. A reliable de-facto indicator of industry activity is the Baker Hughes rig count. The latest data shows that by the end of April 2021 there were only 16 active drill rigs in Colombia, which while 2 more than a month earlier is nearly half of the 30 operating at the end of April 2019.

Related: IEA Drops Bombshell Report On Oil And Gas



Source: Baker Hughes Rig Count and U.S. EIA.

A key reason for the sharp decline in drilling activity is a lack of investment. According to Colombias leading industry body the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP  Spanish initials) oil companies will invest (Spanish) $3.1 to $3.45 billion during 2021. While that is significantly higher than the $2.05 billion invested in 2020, it is still substantially less than $4.03 billion industry investment made during 2019. Colombias high breakeven prices, estimated to be around $40 to $45 per barrel after-tax, are a deterrent to investment. Breakeven prices for onshore oil projects in the Andean country is significantly higher than many other Latin American jurisdictions including offshore Brazil and Guyana.

Colombias primary crude oil grades are Castilla, Magdalena and Vasconia which have API gravities of 18.8, 20 and 24.3 degrees with sulfur contents of 1.97%, 1.6% and 0.83%, respectively. Demand from refiners for sour medium and heavy crude oil varieties is falling because of the global push to reduce sulfur emissions, which led to the introduction of IMO2020 at the start of last year which capped sulfur emissions for maritime fuels. Heavier sour crude oil grades are also more costly and difficult to refine into high grade gasoline, diesel and other fuels than lighter sweeter varieties of crude oil. For those reasons Colombias crude oil grades sell at a notable discount to Brent, which during times of market stress had historically widened considerably. During March 2020, when a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia emerged, Vasconia was selling at a $7.75 per barrel discount to Brent, but by March 2021 that discount had eased to be around $5 per barrel. That is also weighing on foreign investment in Colombias struggling and economically vital petroleum industry.

A spike in violence in the strife-torn Andean country poses a threat to oil industry operations. Colombia has been rocked by anti-government protests for nearly three weeks and blockades have been set-up on major roads preventing in some regions, especially around the countrys third largest city Cali, the movement of people and goods. Violent incursions into oilfields, notably in Colombias east around the municipality of Puerto Gaitan in the Llanos Basin, are intensifying as the petroleum industrys social license unravels. Heightened political turmoil and elevated conflict are weighing on foreign investment in Colombias economically vital oil industry.

The combination of weaker oil prices, the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing security crisis and weaker than expected oil production are sharply impacting Colombias economy. Bogotas 2021 budget deficit is expected to reach 9% of gross domestic product, the March 2021 unemployment rate stood at 14% and first quarter 2021 GDP plunged 9% compared to the previous quarter. The contribution of petroleum extraction to Colombias first quarter 2021 GDP fell almost 4% quarter over quarter and by 15% compared to a year earlier, despite oil prices rallying significantly since the start of 2021 to see Brent up by around 36%. Those poor numbers indicate how important it is for Bogota to restart Colombias economically crucial petroleum industry, which is struggling to reach a pre-pandemic tempo of operations because of a third viral wave and heightened violence. The Duque administrations inadequate management of the pandemic and inability to reactivate the hydrocarbon sector, coupled with its impotence when it comes to controlling rising lawlessness, poses a direct threat to Colombias economic recovery.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The IEA made headlines today when it suggested that there should be no new oil and gas investments after 2021... If that were to happen - with a supply crunch already looming - the oil traders at OPC Markets would have a great time.

Chart of the Week

- U.S. residential energy consumption declined by 4% in 2020, despite people spending more time at home during the pandemic.

- Relatively warmer weather reduced heating needs during winter months, offsetting the 2 percent increase in electricity sales.

- Space-heating and water-heating are usually the most energy-intensive uses in the average U.S. home.

Market Movers

- BP (NYSE: BP) is in advanced talks to sell its 28% stake in a North Sea oil field.

- Natural gas stocks rose in concert with prices following new weather forecasts showing hotter-than-average temperatures later this month. Nymex natural gas was up more than 5% on Monday. Coal stocks also rose on the news.

- Gran Tierra Energy (TSX: GTE) announced that it was shutting some of its oil wells in Colombia due to unrest.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Oil prices took a breather Tuesday morning, but Brent is once again testing $70 per barrel, with expectations of improved demand on the heels of widespread vaccinations in the U.S.

IEA: No new fossil fuel exploration. The IEA is out with a landmark report on a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. Among the many important points in the 200-plus-page report is the call to end fossil fuel exploration. [N]o exploration for new resources is required, the agency said. It also listed a series of restrictive policies that are necessary, including phasing out sales of the internal combustion engine and bans on new natural gas hookups in buildings. The conclusion is a dramatic shift in tone.

Supply crisis coming? The steep cuts to capex and the increasingly stringent climate policy have forced the oil majors to lower their growth plans. Some analysts warn that this could set the market up for a supply crunch in the coming years.

India demand takes 500,000-bpd hit in May. Indias oil demand could be off by as much as 500,000 bpd for the month of May, according to Reuters. The negative effects from the Covid-19 spike are expected to extend into June.

Gas industry faces an existential threat from renewables. The Wall Street Journal details the gas industrys looming decline from renewables. Im hellbent on not becoming the next Blockbuster Video, said Vistra (NYSE: VST) Chief Executive Curt Morgan. Im not going to sit back and watch this legacy business dwindle and not participate. Vistra owns 36 gas-fired power plants but said it will not build anymore, instead it will invest $1 billion in solar and batteries.

Central banks step up climate scrutiny. A coalition of 90 central banks from around the world  the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System  is scheduled to meet next month at a major conference to address risks from climate change.

Gasoline shortages ease. Over 1,000 retail gasoline stations were resupplied over the weekend, easing the shortages from the Colonial Pipeline outage.

Iran planning oil export boost. Iran is preparing to boost production and exports of crude oil as talks on the nuclear deal with the United States continue to progress, government officials said.

OPEC+ production rising by 1 mb/d. OPECs oil exports have jumped by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) so far in May, while the OPEC+ group started easing the production cuts by 350,000 bpd this month.

Spain to end fossil fuel production. Spains parliament voted in favor of a new climate law that commits the country to cut emissions 23% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The law also bands coal, natural gas, and oil production by 2042, and outlaws new permits immediately.

Shell says Nigerian assets not compatible with energy transition. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) acknowledged that its operations in Nigeria are incompatible with its green transition. The balance of risks and rewards associated with our onshore portfolio is no longer compatible with our strategic ambitions, CEO Ben van Beurden told investors. We cannot solve community problems in the Niger Delta. Shell has been selling off assets in Nigeria incrementally in the past decade, so a full retreat would be an obvious end point, Bloomberg said.

Related Video: Iraq Eyes Exxon Stake and New OPEC Status

Offshore wind turbines require 63,000 pounds of copper. Renewablesand especially offshore windare set to drive a surge in copper demand that will push prices even higher, as the amount of copper required per wind turbine is staggering, at 63,000 pounds.

Activist investors get another boost against ExxonMobil. Glass Lewis & Co. agreed with investor activist Engine No. 1 in its quest to revamp the board of ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), another boost for the effort.

Washington States most aggressive climate policy. Washington State just enacted the most aggressive climate policy in the nation, a cap-and-trade system that would take emissions down close to zero by 2050. Utilities need to be carbon neutral by 2030. The law covers more of the economy (70% of overall emissions) than most other state policies.

UK seeks G-7 deal to end fossil fuel subsidies. The UK is helping the G-7 move close to an agreement to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.

Oil industry gets a partial win at Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court gave the oil industry a partial win in a highly-anticipated court case. The City of Baltimore has sued 20 international oil companies seeking damages related to climate change, and the Supreme Court decided that the case should be heard in federal court, which the oil industry views as more favorable terrain. The case now goes back to federal court.

Shell wins backing from shareholders. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) won backing from shareholders in a non-binding vote on its green transition plans, with 88% of shareholders voting in favor.

Shale comeback would be disastrous for oil. Experts are now warning that OPEC+ could see its efforts thwarted by a chief rival: U.S. shale. According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, rising oil prices could allow for a significant return of U.S. shale to the market in 2022, potentially upsetting the delicate rebalancing of the global oil market.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Middle Eastern oil producer Oman plans to build one of the largest green hydrogen plants in the world. The plant will be powered by 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy and could cost as much as US$30 billion, according to one of the project partners.

Omans state-held energy company OQ, Hong-Kong-based green fuels developer InterContinental Energy, and Kuwaits government-backed clean energy investor and developer, EnerTech, announced on Tuesday the plan for one of the biggest facilities of green hydrogen in the world.

OQ is developing one of the biggest Green fuels projects in the world with the capacity of 25 gigawatts that will transform Omans renewable energy capacity, the state energy company of Oman said.

The project to produce hydrogen from renewable electricity may cost around US$30 billion, Alicia Eastman, co-founder and president of InterContinental Energy, told Bloomberg in an interview.

The consortium has been collaborating on analysis for the future project for more than three years and will use its relationships and partnerships to secure long-term product sales agreements.

Given the sites strategic location between Europe and Asia, as well as excellent solar irradiance and wind resource facing the Arabian Sea, the development is well positioned to offer a secure and reliable supply of green fuels globally at a highly competitive price, InterContinental Energy said in a statement.

The mega project is expected to decarbonize the energy industry and provide green hydrogen or derivatives such as green ammonia to international customers, Omans OQ said.

A final investment decision for the project is expected in 2026 or later, Bloomberg quoted InterContinental Energy as saying.

Hydrogen, especially green hydrogen made of water electrolysis using electricity from solar or wind, has been gaining momentum in recent years. Hydrogen now features in nearly every strategy of Big Oil and can be seen in many government plans for industry decarbonization. Hydrogen is expected to play a prominent role in lowering the carbon emissions from energy-intensive industries.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the complete shutdown of the Limetree Bay refinery on the Caribbean island of St. Croix because of multiple improperly conducted operations, Offshore Technology reports.

The Limetree Bay facility only resumed operations last month after another full shutdown, that one resulting from an unspecified operational issue. The refinery, which was idle for four years until 2016 when ArcLight Capital Partners and EIG Global Energy Partners acquired it and set bout to restart it.

Initially, the crude oil processing facility was supposed to resume operations in 2019, but the deadline was extended several times before the facility finally began operating last year. However, multiple problems caused a shutdown earlier this year. This second shutdown will last for at least 60 days, according to the EPA order, which cited imminent risk to public health.

The order followed a flaring session last week, which released oil droplets over nearby neighborhoods. Following the release, the operator of Limetree Bay voluntarily shut down. According to the EPA, the refinery was violating the Clean Air Act because it was "substantially endangering public health, welfare, or the environment."

In addition to the oil droplets, the environmental authority found the Limetree Bay facility exceeded the limit of sulfur dioxide emissions.

The last few years have been tough for Caribbean oil refineries but last year changed the fortunes of at least one of them. Aruba, better known as a tourist hotspot, this year started considering the reopening of its refinery, a 235,000-bpd processing facility that operator Valero idled in 2021, saying it was unprofitable.

Yet as tourist revenues vanished amid the pandemic, the island was in urgent need of new revenue streams, hence the refinery reopening plan, which involves either its conversion to an oil terminal or into a liquefied natural gas import terminal.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Royal Dutch Shell does not see its upstream oil operations in Nigeria as compatible with its strategy to become a net-zero energy business, chief executive Ben van Beurden said at the supermajors annual general meeting on Tuesday.

The balance of risks and rewards associated with our onshore portfolio is no longer compatible with our strategic ambitions, van Beurden told shareholders, as carried by Bloomberg.

We cannot solve community problems in the Niger Delta, said the top executive at Shell, which has encountered numerous problems in Nigerias onshore in recent years, including oil theft and pipeline sabotage, as well as lawsuits brought up by local communities over oil spills.

Shell has launched talks with the Nigerian government on how to proceed with its onshore operations in OPECs largest African oil producer, van Beurden said, without specifying whether or when Shell would want to divest its oil assets in Nigeria.

Earlier this year, van Beurden said that persistent issues with theft and sabotage in the Niger Delta could prompt Shell to take a hard look at its operations onshore Nigeria.

Our onshore oil position, despite all the efforts we put in against theft and sabotage, is under challenge, van Beurden told reporters in February, as carried by Reuters.

But developments like we are still seeing at the moment mean that we have to take another hard look at our position in onshore oil in Nigeria, Shells top executive added.

A week earlier, The Hague Court of Appeal ordered Shell to compensate Nigerian farmers for two oil spills in the country 13 years ago, in the first lawsuit in which a company had been held liable in the Netherlands for its actions abroad.

The ruling of the Dutch court is setting a precedent for future lawsuits brought against oil firms in the countries where they are based, instead of the countries where oil spills or oil pollution has allegedly taken place.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The parents were in the midst of divorce proceedings, and the father was under court order to provide daily contact between the mother and children during their visits to his home, Nielsen has said.

Nielsen, who lives in Illinois, said she talked with the children Thursday night but was unable to reach them Friday and Saturday nights. She called Bellevue police Saturday night asking that they check on the children. Officers went to the home Saturday night and Sunday morning, but didnt see anything suspicious and didnt attempt to force entry, according to Capt. Andy Jashinski, Bellevue police spokesman. Officers did not talk with the father.

After receiving criticism by some on social media for leaving her marriage, Nielsen detailed on Facebook alleged abuse by her husband.

He was very abusive, controlling and manipulative toward me, she told The World-Herald. He found the ultimate way to hurt me.

Jashinske said Bellevue police didnt enter the home because there was no indication of imminent danger and the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches of homes. A parent violating a divorce decree is not sufficient grounds to enter a home, he said.
CHICAGO (AP)  Lollapalooza is returning to Chicago this summer, a year after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the music festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of people to a lakefront park, the mayor's office said Tuesday.

Lollapalooza will return to Grant Park at full capacity July 29-Aug. 1, and the line-up of entertainers will be released at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with tickets going on sale two hours later, Mayor Lori Lightfoots office said.

Here in Chicago, the word Lollapalooza has always been synonymous with summer, great music and four days of unforgettable fun  which made last years decision to postpone it all the more difficult, Lightfoot said in a news release.

People attending the music festival will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have negative COVID-19 test results the day before entry, officials said.

Organizers said they will detail the festival entry process in early July.
Ewald already has heard from residents who want to help the university pull together the history of the site so the university has the complete story.

The site also is known as the Voigtman property, named for previous owner Mike Voigtman, who operated a wood shop there after the steel plant moved to Wahoo.

Ewald said the university has completed work to clean up the former industrial site. State environmental officials have signed off on the work. The NU Board of Regents approved more than $4 million in 2017 to remove contaminated soil, underground tanks, concrete and other materials from the steel plant site.

The innovation hub will house a number of existing operations, including UNeMed, UNMCs tech transfer office, and UNeTech, which coordinates the creation of business startups from UNMC and University of Nebraska at Omaha research. Also on the tenant list are UNeHealth, UNMCs contracting and fiscal arm for industry-funded clinical trials, and UNOs Nebraska Business Development Center.

Also included in the renovation would be mixed-use space, including bays that could be used by new health technology startups and spaces for restaurants and retail operations. A pedestrian connection also is planned across Saddle Creek to allow pedestrians to move safety across the busy street to the medical center campus.
The multiple fallouts from COVID-19 will be revealed for years. But one reality is clear now: Working mothers were particularly punished by the coronavirus pandemic. Many women lost service sector and personal care jobs, which were the first to disappear. Others were called home to manage children being schooled virtually or elderly parents no longer safe in their living situations. Rob Grunewald, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, has been watching the trend closer than most as a researcher and, now, new father. We reached out to Grunewald to get his take on the times we're in, and to predict what the workplace might look like for mothers and fathers going forward.

Q: COVID-19 hit and it's as if we reverted back to the 1950s. Why is it that we tend to still fall into these gender patterns in the United States, with women taking up the lion's share of child care and home responsibilities?
The parents were in the midst of divorce proceedings, and the father was under court order to provide daily contact between the mother and children during their visits to his home, Nielsen has said.

Nielsen, who lives in Illinois, said she talked with the children Thursday night but was unable to reach them Friday and Saturday nights. She called Bellevue police Saturday night asking that they check on the children. Officers went to the home Saturday night and Sunday morning, but didnt see anything suspicious and didnt attempt to force entry, according to Capt. Andy Jashinske, Bellevue police spokesman. Officers did not talk with the father.

After receiving criticism by some on social media for leaving her marriage, Nielsen detailed on Facebook alleged abuse by her husband.

He was very abusive, controlling and manipulative toward me, she told The World-Herald. He found the ultimate way to hurt me.

Jashinske said Bellevue police didnt enter the home because there was no indication of imminent danger and the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches of homes. A parent violating a divorce decree is not sufficient grounds to enter a home, he said.
Five Omaha police officers shot at a man who repeatedly threatened to kill himself and who fired a gun several times Sunday just before he was fatally shot, police officials said Monday.

Deven Telford, 34, was pronounced dead about 6 p.m. Sunday outside a home near 41st Avenue and F Street.

Cruiser and body cameras recorded the incident, but parts of the encounter werent captured due to (the officers) positions of cover, police officials said in a press release.

According to the Omaha Police Department:

Officers went to the home to investigate a 911 call of an assault in progress  the caller said a man was drunk, armed with a handgun and shooting.

Telfords last post on Facebook was at 12:41 p.m. Sunday, saying it was game time and asking who would drink with him.

Multiple people who were inside the home said Telford was upset about personal issues and started to drink heavily, which was not common for him.

Telford started to make suicidal comments as he shaved his beard and put on his old military uniform, boots and hat, the witnesses said. He then pulled a 9 mm H&K p30 handgun from his waistband. The gun was unregistered.
State officials overseeing jails want Douglas County to address several concerns before receiving final approval for the downtown juvenile detention center plans.

Those include a too-small space for visitation, parking for visitors and volunteers, room sizes that would prohibit the county from expanding the capacity in the future, staffing, food service for detained youths and natural light in their rooms. The concerns were spelled out in a letter to the Douglas County Board from Denny Macomber, director of the Jail Standards Division of the Nebraska Crime Commission.

They wont prevent the Jail Standards Board from approving the project. The plans as submitted meet the states jail design and construction standards, Macomber said Monday.

The issues we have and that I address there (in the letter) are things that they need to straighten out before they move in to avoid problems down the road, he said.

The list includes serious concerns. The room size issue relates to the relatively smaller capacity, 64 people, at the countys new detention center than at the current Douglas County Youth Center, which can hold more than 100.
The search continues for an 11-year-old La Vista boy who went missing Monday.

Ryan Larsen was last seen about noon Monday walking out of La Vista West Elementary School near 78th Street and Terry Drive. He is described as being about 5-foot-8 and 125 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

La Vista police said in an update Tuesday night that the autistic boy has a history of running away and may have been hiding from police.

Ryan was wearing a black jacket, jeans and an Old Navy shirt. He was carrying a polka-dot umbrella. An endangered missing advisory has been issued by the Nebraska State Patrol.

A business between Ryans school and his home caught the boy on security camera about 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Between 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. we know everything was fine, said La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten. We knew yesterday that he was trying to hide from police because of the cruisers in the background that we saw.

La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten noted that theres no evidence that points to Ryan being abducted.
The decision comes in time for the visit of Biden to EU headquarters in mid-June to discuss a new relationship after the blocs difficult relationship with his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The issue goes back to the 2018 tariffs that Trump slapped on EU steel and aluminum, which enraged European and other allies by calling their metals a threat to U.S. national security. The Article 232 proceeding both hurts European producers and has raised the cost of steel for American companies.

The EU is not a national security threat to the U.S. But the distortions created by global excess capacity  driven largely by third parties  pose a serious threat to the market-oriented EU and U.S., Dombrovskis said.

Together, the EU and U.S. would be better positioned to deal with major steel producer China, which is seen as partly responsible for the glut.

When Trump imposed the tariffs, Europe retaliated by raising tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.

The U.S. spirits industry was elated.
The LAO and the governor's administration sometimes disagree over numbers, but they usually aren't that far from each other. But this year, the LAO says the state's surplus is $38 billion  or half as large as Newsom says it is.

The difference, they said, is Newsom included a bunch of money in his surplus estimate that the state Constitution says must be spent on certain things, like public schools or paying down debt. The LAO does not consider that money surplus, since there are limits on how the state can spend it.

I think most of what the governor is doing is posturing, said Jon Coupal, president of the conservative Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Hes facing a recall election, and there is a lot in this budget that is just awful in terms of excessive spending.

Ting said the disagreement was just semantics, saying both the LAO and the Newsom administration are talking about the same numbers.

Andrew Acosta, a Democratic political consultant, says it's unlikely Newsom would benefit politically by calling it a $76 billion surplus instead of a $38 billion surplus. He said focus groups on budget issues have shown most voters don't pay attention to the numbers.

It's just a bunch of zeroes, he said. I don't think voters are going to say, $100 billion! Now Im really going to be for him.' I just don't get that vibe from real people."

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Buffalo, WY (82834)

Today

Sunny. High near 75F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low 51F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Suddenly you have this small, poor, mountainous state (that) has not just one but two senators highly involved with infrastructure, said Robert Rupp, a political history professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

If you wrote a script, it couldnt be any better than that, Rupp said.

The two children of political families have been here before. Capito's late father, Arch Moore, was a three-term governor and six-term congressman. Manchin's father and grandfather were mayors of his tiny hometown, Farmington, and an uncle was a state lawmaker and administrator.

Manchin remembers always seeing Capito, a few years younger, at events. She pinpoints their first meeting on another infrastructure project, when she was a newlywed who needed flooring in her home.

Her father knew just whom to call. Manchin's father owned a furniture store and sent his son to measure the carpeting.

Theirs became a working relationship like so many in the state, forged on political ties and common needs, and enduring despite their opposing political parties. Capito served seven terms in the U.S. House before becoming the state's first woman elected to the Senate in 2014. Manchin was the state's two-term governor before winning the special election in 2010 for Byrd's seat.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama lawmakers ended their legislative session without a vote on one of the most controversial bills before them: a measure to outlaw gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors.

The Senate-passed bill died on the final night of the legislative session after it was placed at the end of a debate agenda that lawmakers did not have time to finish before the session adjourned around midnight on Monday. The demise of the bill was a victory for advocacy groups and transgender youth and their parents, who held rallies outside the Alabama Statehouse to oppose the bill.

This important victory is the result of trans people and their families mobilizing to defend this life-saving medical care in Alabama and around the country, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice with the ACLUs LGBTQ & HIV Project.

The Alabama Senate approved the bill in March, but it did not get a vote in the House. Opponents say such measures interfere with medical decisions and target trans individuals for the sake of politics. Sponsors counter that they are trying to protect children from decisions that should wait until adulthood.
LITTLE RIVER, S.C. (AP)  A South Carolina man accused of throwing objects at police officers, among other crimes, during the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January has been indicted on multiple federal offenses.

Nicholas Languerand, 26, was arrested by the FBI in April at a home in Little River. A grand jury found there was enough evidence to indict him on seven counts including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, according to federal court documents obtained by news outlets.

Previous evidence entered in court alleged Languerand threw a variety of objects, including a traffic barrier, at law enforcement officers on Jan. 6, a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia previously said. A tip led authorities to a social media post that allegedly showed Languerand present during the insurrection, according to a complaint in the case.
MIAMI (AP)  Allies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, including his Cabinet chief, have been included in a list of senior officials in Central America deemed corrupt by the U.S. State Department, according to a copy of a report obtained by The Associated Press.

The emergence of the list of purportedly five corrupt officials is likely to heighten tensions with Bukele, who is facing intense pressure from the Biden administration over the removal of several Supreme Court justices and El Salvadors attorney general. The U.S. has made strengthening democracy one of the pillars of its policy toward Central America, saying that rampant corruption is one of the root causes of illegal immigration.

A copy of the report, which was sent Monday to members of the U.S. Congress, was provided to The Associated Press by a Democrat staffer on the condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

The list was originally included as a classified annex of a report sent to Congress in April in response to an appropriations request last year pushed by Rep. Norma Torres, a California Democrat who chairs the Central America caucus. That larger list contained the names of 12 Honduran and Guatemalan politicians accused of corruption or believed to have ties to drug trafficking organizations.
The fact that this event could be forced upon us in our sacred lands despite our clear opposition to the event traumatizes us as a people and inflicts grief upon us. To us, allowing this event to occur again is a colonial attack on one of our most sacred places, the tribe and Vance argue in court documents.

Noem, in a document filed Sunday, opposed the tribe's request to join the lawsuit, arguing that the tribe doesn't have standing in what is a state-federal dispute. Her lawyers argue that the fireworks display wouldn't hinder the tribe's religious or free speech rights.

When she filed the lawsuit, Noem included patriotic arguments on why the fireworks should be allowed and argued that the permit's denial was an arbitrary and capricious decision based on politics.

Chief Judge Roberto Lange of the federal district court of South Dakota hasn't ruled on whether the tribe can join the suit. He indicated that he'll decide by June 2 whether to issue a preliminary injunction to force the Park Service to allow the fireworks this summer. The governor's daughter, who worked as a federal liaison for her mother for last July's event, said in a court filing that the governor's office had invited tribal leaders to provide their perspective on it.
LINCOLN  State senators rejected a proposal Tuesday to establish COVID-19 safeguards in meatpacking plants in Nebraska, marking the second time in less than a year that such regulations were blocked.

Lawmakers did grant first-round approval to a bill that ensures workers legally present in the U.S., whose employers pay into the states unemployment insurance pool, receive unemployment insurance checks.

Right now, Nebraska is the only state that doesnt provide those unemployment benefits to such legally authorized workers, but Gov. Pete Ricketts said he remains an opponent of the measure, which could mean a gubernatorial veto if Legislative Bill 298 gains final legislative approval this year, which isnt certain.

LB 241, the Meatpacking Employees COVID-19 Protection Act, was portrayed as an effort to fully ensure the safety of workers in meatpacking plants, which were a hot spot for infections early in the COVID-19 pandemic. At one time, such workers accounted for one in six infections in Nebraska. Nationwide, as of Feb. 24, more than 57,454 beef- and poultry-processing workers had tested positive for COVID-19 and 284 had died.
Of course, a main concern is for the residents who live near the plant and those who live on or near the land where insecticide- and fungicide-treated seed has polluted the soil, water and air. Those closest to the problem deserve answers to why there were so many missteps in the handling of AltEn. They deserve remediation of the environmental hazards in the most affected areas.

In addition, there is no evidence that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has ever been on site to test the workers or former employees for any possible health risks due to exposure to insecticides and fungicides. A team from UNMC and Creighton University has stepped up to study the situation, but there needs to be legislative action.

Unfortunately, there are additional concerns. The Mead Cattle Company, adjacent to the AltEn plant, has not been testing the cattle for insecticide and fungicide contamination. Since beef gets comingled with beef from other sites as it is processed, shipped and sold, there is no telling how widespread the contamination might be.
The Legislature has pressed the brake pedal, for example, on both a reduction in the corporate income tax as well as a decrease in state taxation of Social Security benefits. Lessening the tax burden on retirees and cutting the corporate income tax, given lower rates in neighboring states, are worthwhile goals. But lawmakers must balance those aims with the need to maintain a sound revenue stream. At the insistence of Stinner and others, the Legislature has rightly adopted safeguards, scaling back the reductions and adopting a process to monitor the ongoing effects on state revenues. Its an eminently responsible approach.

The current legislative session is atypical, in that lawmakers for the first time in years have some leeway for a significant boost in spending and tax reduction (a bit more than $200 million for the two-year budget). This budgetary windfall has left senators tipsy at the many possibilities for spending and cutting taxes.
Duluth, MN (55816)

Today

Thunderstorms likely in the morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High around 55F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms in the evening. Partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 53F. E winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Omaha in right place

The 2021 municipal elections in Omaha shows that Omahans dont want what we saw in other cities this past summer of riots and tolerating anarchy. The city of Omaha has for many years and continues to be the city of moderation and inclusion but draws the line when it comes to outlandish positions that some champion as their reason for change.

The recent electoral victories of Mayor Stothert and Council members Harding, Melton, Rowe and Begley were all challenged by progressive candidates who advocated for many of the same policies that other major cities have implemented. And Omaha voted against those progressive candidates.

Omaha is not the same size of New York City, Chicago, Portland or Seattle, but being the largest city in Nebraska, Omaha set the tone and message that we want positive economic and sociological growth. Omaha must react to attract the best talent rather than relay on organic growth while balancing out the Nebraska Nice attitude many of us hold.

Omaha is in a good place, and Im glad the mayor has a balanced city council that is reasonable and positive-thinking.

Chris Routhe, Omaha

Big factor for Stothert
European, American and African leaders, together with financial institutions, are looking for ways to help restart growth in Africa after the Covid health crisis when they meet in France this week.



Described as a New Deal for African economies, they aim to find solutions to Africas international debt, which could see the continent fall into recession.



The BBCs Maggie Mutesi says its the big economies that are at the table and theyll be looking at a range of problems.



For Zambia, a country which is indebted to China, the problem is one of how to meet its obligations now.



While countries like Mozambique, suffering from insurgency, have seen investors going out of the country and in the long run will be spending a lot of money to keep the country stable.



She says its a debt that great-grandchildren will have to pay for.



Ramah Nyang, an economic journalist with Bloomberg Africa, says such meetings are highbrow but hit us all where it hurts.



International leaders will have to look at debt being paid back over a longer period but governments also need to consider downsizing.



In Africa Daily, Nancy Kacungira has been looking at the extent of Africas debt problem and how a deal might help the continent.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Do you want to trade your gift cards for cash here in Ghana? Say no more. You can now trade your gift cards seamlessly on the Giftcardstonaira app and get your money immediately.



Giftcardstonaira is the best gift card trading app in Ghana today. You can quickly download the app from Google Play Store or from the Apple App Store now and start trading your gift cards for cash.



Why Giftcardstonaira?



You might be asking the question "Why should i trade my gift cards with Giftcardstonaira instead of other trading apps?". Below are some reasons why Giftcardstonaira is the best gift card trading app in Ghana



1).Safe/Secure: Giftcardstonaira is the most secure gift card trading app in Ghana today. Since the platform was created in 2017, security has been one of the top priorities of the admins. Be rest assured that your money is safe while trading on the app.



2). High Rates: No other gift card trading app in Ghana comes close to Giftcardstonaira in terms of Gift card Rates. Giftcardstonaira has the highest gift card rates in Ghana. You can sell your $100 steam gift card on Giftcardstonaira for about 113 Ghanaian Cedi.



3). Fast Payout: You dont have to wait the whole day to get paid whenever you want to trade your gift card for cash. Giftcardstonaira pays within 5 minutes of submitting your gift card on the app. Be rest assured that you will receive your money ASAP. Once your gift card has been confirmed, you will get your money in your wallet instantly which you can withdraw into your bank account any time you wish.



4). Ease of use: The Giftcardstonaira app is very easy to use. From the login page to the Gift card trading page. You can easily download the app and start trading without having to go through any online tutorial.



5). Check current Gift Card Rate: You can check the current rate of any gift card on the Giftcardstonaira app. The rates are always updated so you will be sure that any rate you see is the rate at which you can trade your Gift Card.



How To Trade on Giftcardstonaira



 Register and Login



 Navigate to wallet and click on add new account to Add your bank details



 Go to Dashboard and click on Sell Giftcard to Submit your card



 Wait for 2 minutes or less for card to be confirmed.



 Check your wallet for your cash.



 Withdraw to your bank account



When you open the giftcardstonaira app, Register first if you havent but if you have, click on login to start using the app immediately. Quickly click on the wallet button and add your bank details. Click on add new account to add your bank details.



To start selling your gift card, click on dashboard at the bottom of the screen. On the dashboard, you will see a button named Sell Giftcard and select the type of Gift card you would like to sell from the various options made available for you on the app. Select gift card, enter the amount and upload the gift card image. When you are through, click on submit trade and wait for 2  5 minutes for the card to be confirmed. After about 2 minutes, click on wallet and withdraw your money into your bank account.



Gift Cards You can sell in Ghana on Giftcardstonaira



Below is a list of gift cards and many more you can sell on the Giftcardtonaira app and get paid immediately in Cedis



 Steam Gift Card



 Amazon Gift card



 Razor Gold Gift Card



 eBay Gift Card



 iTunes Gift Card



 Google Gift Card



 Visa Gift Card



 Sephora Gift Card



 Nordstrom Gift Card



 Nike Gift Card



 Walmart Gift Card



 Offgamers Gift Card



 Nike Gift Card



 BestBuy Gift Card



 Home Depot Gift Card



 Apple Store Gift Card



 Macy Gift Card



 Vanilla Gift Card



 Target Gift Card



How to Download Giftcardstonaira



You can easily download Giftcardstonaira either from google play store or from the Apple App store



Download Giftcardstonaira from Google Play Store



Download Giftcardstonaira from Apple App Store



For support, call/Whatsapp +234 70 5837 2518













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Featured Video
Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum has responded to the controversial religious debate over Wesley Girls' school management refusal of a Muslim student from engaging in the just-ended Ramadan on campus.



The student wasn't allowed to join his brothers and sisters in the long period of fast observed by Muslims across the world.



The management's decision courted heated arguments with people arguing on the lines of religious tolerance and intolerance.



Addressing the issue in an interview on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum revealed the matter has been peacefully dealt with and the parties involved have come to an amicable agreement.



He detailed that, following the Wesley Girls' brouhaha, his Ministry held a meeting with all the stakeholders, listened to their grievances and realized the main challenge is that there are no basic guidelines governing religious schools, particularly Christian and Muslim schools.



The Minister stressed that, in resolving the issue, he has adopted what he calls ''universal policies and principles'' to serve as a guide for all the schools.



In view of this, there will be a working document that will be soon laid before Parliament and when approved will determine the rules for the administration of religious schools as well as capture relevant information into a handbook for parents to know what to do when sending their children to a school that doesn't represent their religious beliefs and faith.



"We met with all the stakeholders and they revealed their greatest worry is the lack of basic guidelines for them. So, when something happens, they and GES cannot reach a consensus because each thinks this or that is the way to go . . . So, we have all agreed to resolve the challenges and the Ministry of Education is coming out with a working document for Parliament's approval to spell out the basic rules for our schools . . . and also teach the Headmasters how to run a Christian school and how to run a Muslim school," Hon. Adutwum said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers-Ghana (COPEC), Mr. Duncan Amoah has disclosed that Ghanaians should expect a marginal increase in fuel tariffs in the coming days.



He says geopolitical events over the past few days has led to increases in International Market Prices from $630.525/mt to around $655.625/mt for premium or petrol as of Friday whiles prices of AGO or diesel has moved from $520/Mt to $545/Mt.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that LPG has also seen a little over $1.6377 increase within the period though the country's currency has been relatively stable within the period.



These increases on the international market translate to around Ghp 8/litre on local pump prices for both petrol and diesel or around 5% on the international price index representing a further increase of about 1.25% variance on current pump prices.



Watch Video Below





Barely a fortnight after prices at the pumps in Ghana shot up by over 12% due to the introduction of some taxes, increases in margins by the NPA and industry as well as increases on the international market fuel prices are set to go up again in the next few hours.Geopolitical events over the past few days have led to increases in International Market Prices from $630.525/mt to around $655.625/mt for premium or petrol as of Friday whiles prices of AGO or diesel has moved from $520/Mt to $545/Mt.LPG has also seen a little over $1.6377 increase within the period though the country's currency has been relatively stable within the period.These increases on the international market translate to around Ghp 8/litre on local pump prices for both petrol and diesel or around 5% on the international price index representing a further increase of about 1.25% variance on current pump prices.This variance is expected to likely reflect at the Ghanaian pumps on or before Tuesday (18/05/2021) and will eventually add on to the recent increases of over 12% a few days ago thereby bringing the cumulative increases at the Ghanaians pumps to, in excess of a cumulative nominal Ghp 68/litre or 14% increases at the pumps within a spate of under 10 days.The trend if not checked could likely continue or escalate as the geopolitical developments are pointing to bullish sentiments on the international market in the coming days.The country does not have to seem to have in place any mitigating policies or programmes in place to cushion the average Ghanaian from these International Market price shocks as the effects reflect directly at the pumps and on pockets.A myriad of taxes including the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy component on pump prices which should have provided a buffer in times like these for some of these price movements has barely ever been used to cushion Ghanaians and the market around these times when needed and thus fuel prices becoming pretty unbearable on pockets.The country's Strategic Stocks which could have also been used to offset these price movements on the international market is currently non-existent as the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation instead of holding strategic stocks has now become fully commercial in their outlook though they continue to take monies from Ghanaians at the pumps in the name of Bost margins, we believe this particular margin ought to be looked at again if we need to bring fuel prices down.The current state of Ghana's only National Refinery leaves so much to be desired as nothing seems to work from poor management practices and decisions as no productivity is happening there, even water has over the past few weeks been disconnected from the Refinery due to its inability to settle Ghana Water Company its indebtedness.We call on Authorities to as a matter of urgency put concrete strategies in place to forestall these increases as it is affecting harshly the general cost of living within the country with transport operators waiting to slap increases on fares in the coming days.Signed.Duncan AmoahExecutive Secretary.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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Featured Video
Samuel Ayigba, a man believed to be in his mid-60s, wept uncontrollably when he appeared before the Madina District Court following delays in the commencement of his committal proceedings.



Ayigba, who is being held for murder, has been awaiting his committal proceedings for the past five years. He has suffered a stroke while in custody and is unable to walk well.



The commencement of the committal proceedings would enable him to stand trial at the High Court.



Ayigba has been granted bail by an Accra High Court but has not been able to execute the bail conditions due to a justification attached to it.



Case Investigator told the court that Ayigba had been admitted to bail by the High Court but the challenge had been the justification clause, which his family said it did not have.



Chief Inspector Sophia Adamuwaa, who recently took over prosecution, said they were waiting for the committal proceedings by the AGs representative.



The Court presided over by Maame Efua Tordimah, tasked the investigator to expeditiously follow up at the Attorney Generals Department.



Let the Principal State Attorney know the condition of the accused person. This case has been before the court over the past five years. Accused has even suffered stroke whiles in custody, the Magistrate said.



She further directed the case investigator to let the AGs representative know that the matter had been adjourned to May 31 for committal.



The court remanded Ayigba into custody.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
The Local Government Committee of Parliament has called for the healthcare delivery system to be fully integrated into the local assembly system to give Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) the authority to extend support to health directorates at the local level.



The committee said it was only when the healthcare delivery, financing and management systems were fully decentralised that assemblies could significantly provide finances and resources to support quality health delivery at the local level.



Besides, it said that would also empower the assemblies to offer competitive incentives to attract health professionals to deprived communities.



If the health directorates are well integrated into the district assembly concept through the decentralised system and they are in critical need of drugs or vaccines and other urgent needs, they can fall on the assemblies to provide because they are part of the assembly system and they can hire and fire health professionals, the committee said.



Project inspection



The Ranking Member on the committee, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, made the call when some members of the committee inspected the progress of work on the construction of District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) projects  a two-storey administration block and staff bungalows  for the Ahafo Regional Health Directorate at Hwediem last Thursday.



During the inspection, it emerged that personnel of the directorate had been operating from a rented apartment at Goaso, the regional capital, since January 2021.



The rent, which is being paid by the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Asutifi District Assembly, is due to expire at the end of this year and it is uncertain where the next funds to renew the rent will come from.



Besides, the funds that were used to renovate the apartment prior to its occupation, were said to have been taken from the special fund of the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Mr Collins Dauda.



Decentralise



Mr Vanderpuye said under the Local Government Act (Act 633), various departments and agencies in the regions and districts were supposed to be fully decentralised into the local governance system.



He, however, said currently, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service had refused to be fully made an integral part of local assemblies.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Togbe Lablulu Tegbeza V, Chief of Adaklu Waya in the Volta Region, has advised the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Kwame Agbodzah, not to be distracted by the honours bestowed on him over the years but to remain focused to develop the constituency.



He described him as development-oriented, who always walks the talk and the constituency is privileged to have an extraordinary and hardworking MP yearning to grow and develop the area and make it an enviable one.



Togbe Lablulu, who showered praises on Mr Agbodzah on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark the commencement of work on an eight-unit classroom block for Adaklu Waya Senior High School, disclosed that the project, known as knowledge hub which is his initiative and estimated to cost GHC1million is being funded by him from his own resources.



The numerous projects undertaken by our MP in the fields of education, health, road networks and water projects were ample proof of his dynamism, commitment, determination, dedication and due to his hardworking nature won national recognition and was voted as the best performing MP for two consecutive times.



We should be proud and thankful to God for giving us such a person who is working hard to bring growth, development and honour to Adaklu as our MP, Togbe Lablulu noted and appealed to citizens of Adaklu to join hands and work in tandem with him to transform and win more honours for the area.



Mr Agbodzah said the project was dear to his heart and would not be distracted by the honour bestowed on him, but would continue to work to make Adaklu a hub of education and health.



FAKS Investigative Services after reviewing its data for 2019 and 2020 survey carried out named Mr Agbodzah as the best performing MP for those two consecutive years.



It carries out surveys annually to assess performance of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Regional Ministers, MPs and Chief Executive Officers of State Owned Enterprises in the country and focuses on project initiations, execution of projects and impact the project had or will be having on the citizenry as a whole.



Scoring was influenced by project initiatives, execution and its impact on Ghanaians currently and the future.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, on Tuesday, embarked on an aerial (helicopter) tour over the Pra River Basin, which covers the Central, Western, Eastern, and Ashanti regions.



The tour was to ascertain for himself the progress made so far regarding the protection of the country's water bodies and forest cover since the Operation Halt started on April 28, this year.



The Minister was accompanied by top military officers, officials from the Ministry Lands and Natural Resources and the media.



At Anyinam in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region, the Minister appealed to the residents to help the Government to curb the illegal mining menace.



He also pleaded with them to form cooperative associations to help obtain the requisite support from the government to boost their businesses.



"You must also plant trees after your mining operations to protect our rivers and increase our forest cover," he said.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Airlines passengers may be required to step on the scale at the airport or share how much they weigh before boarding a flight, a new report suggests.



This measure is because Americans are getting "fatter" and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is concerned aircraft may be overloaded.



Airline carriers are tasked with calculating the weight and balance of their aircraft to ensure it is within allowable limits for the safety of the plane. Increasing obesity rates in the United States, however, dictate that the standard numbers used by the airline industry to average out passenger weight is likely outdated and therefore, unsafe to use.



Now, air carriers may have to update average passenger weight by weighing them at the gate, circular advisory sent out by the FAA states.



Under the new pending requirements, reviewed by airline industry publication AirInsightGroup, airlines would be mandated to take surveys to set "standard average passenger weights" for crew members, baggage and passengers through random sampling and call on passengers to participate.



"Regardless of the sampling method used, an operator has the option of surveying each passenger and bag abroad the aircraft and should give a passenger the right to decline to participate in any passenger or weight survey," the guidance says, according to AirInsightGroup.



The survey is said to be conducted on a voluntary basis, so if a passenger declines to participate, the airline is advised to select another traveler at random, according to the guidance.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
Persons who are eligible for the second shot of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will have to go to the same centre where they took the first shot for the repeat dose when the exercise begins tomorrow, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said.

Also, all such persons must ensure that they present the cards they were given when they took the first jab, as the card, which is a form of identity, will facilitate the data needed as well as make it easier to verify persons who actually qualify to receive the second shot.



COVID-19: Find out where to get your second AstraZeneca jab in Accra

The Programme Manager of the EPI, Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic to explain some concerns raised with regard to the roll out of the second shot, said the list of all those who were qualified for the second dose had been compiled and sent to the various districts where they would be taking the injection.



All persons who took the first shot should return to the centres they had it to receive the second shot. The database compiled from the first roll-out has been forwarded to all the regions, districts and centres to make for easy verification. So it is important that people who received the first shot return to the same centre for the second shot.



For instance, if you took the first shot at Adabraka Polyclinic, you have to return to that same venue because your data has been captured within that district and will need to be verified within that database before taking the jab. If you visit another district or even region, that will be difficult, despite you having the card, Dr Amponsa-Achiano explained.



Those who will receive the jabs are in the 43 districts in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central regions where the first exercise took place.

The nine-day exercise is the third phase of the national vaccination programme against COVID-19.



Second round



Although the administration of the second dose was due during the last week of April, the exercise was postponed because of the delay in the arrival of the vaccines as it had become difficult to have orders placed delivered.



However, on May 7, Ghana took delivery of 350,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Kotoka International Airport from the Democratic Republic of Congo under the Covax facility and last Sunday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his 25th address to update the nation on the COVID-19 situation, announced that the exercise would now take place from May 19 to May 26.



He encouraged all to go for the second shot, saying: Let us take the vaccine when it gets to our turn.



The vaccines received are an addition to the 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine received on February 24, 2021, and which enabled Ghana to roll out the first round of the shots last March.



Vaccination cards



Dr Amponsa-Achiano indicated that once a person received the second shot, the card issued during the first jab would be replaced with a new one which has enhanced features such as a QRCode and hologram for easy authentication.



Asked if that card with enhanced features would be internationally accepted if need be, the EPI Programme Manager said for now, no agreement had been reached yet on international cards, but they would serve as a proof of vaccination that would be recognised anywhere.



Currently, there is no agreement on international cards, though it is envisaged that discussion and agreement will take place at some point.



For now, the cards to be issued will serve as proof of vaccination. Every country has its card to serve that purpose, he explained.



Eligible people



Dr Amponsa-Achiano emphasised that as President Akufo-Addo indicated, only people who were vaccinated between March 1 and 9, 2021 should go for the jab as those are the people who were very close to the time frame of maximum 12 weeks to take the second jab.



He explained that to make information easily accessible, some places in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi regions had developed infographics that directed people to where they would be taking the jabs.



He said through the infographics some centres had reduced the number of people and offloaded them to other sites while others had also increased their numbers depending on the number of people vaccinated.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Even in death, the body of a 49-year-old man will not know peace, as his family's lingering land litigation followed him to his grave.

Few hours after Theophilus Budu was buried at the Abokobi Boi public cemetery in the Greater Accra Region last Monday by the Akpoman family, the coffin containing the body was exhumed and deposited a few metres from the grave.

The traumatised Akpoman family, which suspects a disputant family, Boi family as responsible for the act, reported the matter to the Abokobi Police.



No one has been arrested yet.



Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra last Thursday, the police said they were investigating circumstances surrounding the exhumation of the body.



However, preliminary police findings revealed that after the family had performed the necessary funeral rites for Budu, his remains were buried at the Abokobi Boi public cemetery on May 10, 2021.



Out of fear that a rival family litigating over the piece of land would react adversely to Budu being buried on the land, the family had some people keep vigil at the cemetery until midnight, before returning home.



That was an exercise in vain, as the next morning, the Akpoman family followed up to the cemetery only to find the casket used for the burial with the remains of their dead relative outside the cemetery.



Report



According to the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs Effia Tenge, the Abokobi Ayi-Mensah District Police Command received a report about the incident on May 11, 2021.



She said a patrol team was subsequently dispatched to the scene and the casket containing the body was conveyed to the police hospital morgue.



After preliminary investigations, the police invited the family of the deceased including the Boi family, which is the other party in the dispute.



The police said efforts were also underway to arrest those behind the exhumation of the remains.





Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Circuit Court in Wejia, presided over by Her Honour Bernard Benstil sentenced two salesmen to a total of five years in prison for stealing.



The accused persons, Nathaniel Ekow Anderson and Patrick Semadebe are former salesmen at a company at Gbawe in Accra and said to have collected goods amounting to GHc16,089.89 and Ghc 36,561.35 in 2019.



But failed to render account for the goods and pleaded not guilty to the charges.



In sentencing the accused person, the court said, it had no choice but to convict the accused of theft on the strength of their admission and given that, they are first time offenders.



Anderson was sentenced to two years in prison on each of the two charges of stealing while Semadebe, was also sentenced to three years in prison on all two charges of stealing.



Both are to serve their jail terms concurrently.



Aside the jail term, the court also ordered that, they refund the entire money stolen to the complainant.



Brief facts



In the facts of the case, the complainants, Mrs. Patricia Acquaye Pappoe is a business woman and owner of 2PA Company Limited at Gbawe in Accra while Mr. Derrick Duodu is also an accountant with the same company.



The accused persons, Nathaniel Ekow Anderson and Patrick Semadebe are former employees of the company as salespersons as well as drivers.



According to the complainants, the accused persons in December 2019, on their regular sales duty, collected goods to the tune of Ghc16,089.89 and Ghc 36,561.35.



The court heard that the accused persons, informed the complainants that the suppliers had not paid the amounts involved.



When the complainants mounted pressure on them for the monies, the accused persons provided the complainants with nonexistent phone numbers, which led to dead ends, as contacts of their supposed suppliers.



The complainants however discovered after investigations that the two had been paid the amounts in full by the suppliers, which they had misappropriated.



A report was made to the police and the two were arrested.



The accused persons pleaded with the first complainant Mrs. Patricia Acquaye Pappoe, the owner of the company to continue working in the company, to offset their debt, to which she agreed.



However, on July 26, 2020, the complainants, discovered that the accused persons had again stolen goods worth Ghc13,332.23 and Ghc31,224.08 from the warehouse.



The matter again was reported to the police and the accused persons arrested.



They admitted to the offence and were subsequently charged and arraigned.







Source: kasapafmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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It was a worrying moment when videos of a woman in labour being carried on a wooden door from Abrokyire, a farming community in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Regio to a nearby clinic at Boinson, went viral.



Subsequently, Adom News paid a visit to the community which is about six miles from the health centre to gather details about the situation.



Led by regional correspondent Augustine Boah, Adom News discovered the road and environment were very bad.



Relating to the particular health incident, it was revealed residents volunteered to carry the pregnant woman, identified as Hagar Gyamfi, to the clinic, as they have to travel miles to access taxi, and hours more to get to the clinic due to bad road network.



Madam Gyamfi, speaking in Sefwi dialect, recounted how the pain of contraction rendered her immobile, leaving her with no option than to rely on the services of the volunteers.



Her husband also narrated how every passing second of the journey was a nightmare.



Despite the communitys name suggesting overseas states, residents claim that they are far from comfort, disclosing it is a norm for residents to carry patients on wooden doors or tied to motorbikes to be transported to health facilities.



Aside the heavy weight of patients, volunteers have to travel over river Boin and several others, a situation which most times lead to mortalities on the part of the patients.



Some beneficiaries, who spoke under anonymity to Adom News, said they lived in fear of losing their lives along the way, adding that they will forever be indebted to the volunteers.



Consequently, Abrokyire residents are pleading with the government to divert attention to their municipality and improve their standard of living.



Meanwhile, the woman successfully gave birth to a bouncy baby boy and has since been discharged.

Source: adomonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Madam Jean Mensa, has outlined some challenges faced by the Electoral Management Body during the 2020 election processes.



She made this known in her speech during the assessment of the 2020 election with the IPAC today, May 18 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.



Rejected Ballots



According to the Electoral Commissioner, the the Commission spent considerable effort in designing a ballot paper to reduce the incidence of rejected ballots by creating a wide space between each candidates box to prevent the mark of the thumb from seeping into the next box. And yet, they still recorded 314,901 rejected ballots.



One issue that confronted us as a nation was the phenomenon of rejected ballots. To date, in spite of the advances made in the design of the ballot, we have continued to witness a disturbing trend of a high number of rejected ballots, she bemoaned.



She says the Commission intends to undertake an audit to determine the root cause and find workable solutions to eliminate this problem when the time is right.



"Unfortunately, our laws do not allow us to take possession of the ballots until after a year but we intend to undertake an audit to determine the root cause and find workable solutions to eliminate this problem," she said.



Manual verification



Jean Mensa said another challenge the Commission is keen to address is the use of Manual Verification.



As a Commission, we were hoping to reduce this significantly as we used both facial features and fingerprints to register applicants. My colleagues assure me that the 11,000 recorded instances of manual verification is relatively small, compared to the number of Voters on the Register and the number of Polling Stations i.e 38, 622. The 11,000 cases compared to the Polling Station and Voters Register amounts to 0.08% of the total votes cast. This is very insignificant. In spite of the fact that the figures are small, our aim is to reduce this drastically in the near future.



Encouraging minors and foreigners to register as voters



She discloses that on the front burner of discussions at the Commission is the perpetuation of the illegality of encouraging minors and foreigners to register as voters.



She said during the 2020 Exhibition Exercise, the EC went to great length by collaborating with opinion leaders and civil society at the grass root level to expunge the names of minors and foreigners from the register.



Very often fingers are pointed in our direction as if to say that the Commission registered the minors and foreigners but we need to take the time to identify the root cause of this phenomenon. We must ask ourselves, na who cause am?. It is certainly not the Electoral Commission and its officials who cart illegal persons to the registration centres. We need to re-look at our Laws and provide stringent sanctions for perpetuators of this illegality.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Madam Jean Mensa, has said it is important that having successfully carried out the 2020 General Elections amidst the unprecedented circumstances of a global pandemic, we pause as a country to celebrate the successes achieved together as a nation in carrying out Elections under such circumstances.



She said with a decorum and a level of efficiency that earned us the admiration of our neighbours across the sub-region and the international community as a whole, why should we gloss over our achievements while the international community applauds us.



"Why should we gloss over our achievements while the international community applauds us?" she rhetorically asked.



In a speech delivered by the Chairperson during the assessment of the 2020 election, she said we should collectively examine the challenges faced in the electoral processes of 2020 and identify what did not work and why.



This is important to gain insight and understanding of why certain targets were not achieved, she said.



As a nation, as a Commission and as stakeholders, it is important that we recognize the feats we achieved through the 2020 electoral processes for the purpose of documenting best practices and experience, and to ensure that the successful strategies we adopted do not fall through the cracks of inordinate fault-finding and critique. Constructive critique is a vital part of any institutional-building and learning process, but so is celebration of success!, she added.



As state institutions we tend to gloss over our achievements. Instead, as a country, our default mode is to cast assessments of public initiatives or exercises in the mould of fault-finding missions armed with a fine-tooth comb, seeking earnestly to find fault. Sadly, we are slow to recognise where we have put good processes and systems in place, much less document them. In a bid to improve upon our past performance, we rush to propose new recommendations when the old processes and structures are working very well. We need to be guided by the adage that if it aint broke, dont fix it.



At the assessment of the 2020 election with the IPAC at Alisa hotel on Tuesday, she said there should be no rush to propose recommendations for processes that are already working well.



We must remember that we all will have to live with the recommendations that we make. But equally, let us not be slow to propose changes that address real challenges. Again, we must remember that we will have to live with the changes we failed to make.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has expressed disappointment in the African Presidents who are currently attending a summit in France.



The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Sunday, May 16, 2021 for a nine (9) day official working visit to France, Belgium and South Africa.



These working visits are part of the President's efforts to re-engage with the world following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and further highlight Ghana's impressive business-friendly environment to the world.



In France, President Akufo-Addo is attending a Summit on Financing African Economies hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, May 18.



The Summit brings together various African and European leaders and heads of international financial institutions to devise strategies for Africa's recovery.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' on Tuesday, Kwesi Pratt questioned the logic in organizing the summit in France.



He asked why the African leaders would leave Africa to attend a summit on COVID-19 in France, asking if there is no place in West Africa where they could have held the summit.



To Mr. Pratt, this sends a wrong signal, hence stressing Africa must wake up and stop the neocolonialism.



"So, if there is an outbreak of COVID in West Africa and we want to discuss issues about it, we have to go to Paris. We couldn't organize it in Ghana, Lagos or Abuja, unless we send it to Paris. Why? Emmanuel Macron is doing this because he knows what he wants. You know what, all the French-speaking African countries' foreign reserves are stored in the Central Bank of France to the extent that the French-speaking African countries save up their foreign reserves in France, go back for a loan and pay interest on it. This arrangement between us and the former colonial metropolis doesn't help West Africa," he said.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chiefs in Birem North have today voted against the re-nomination of Raymond Nana Damptey as their District Chief Executive (DCE).



The Chiefs held a meeting over some allegations leveled against them by the DCE, captured in an audio recording and played during the meeting.



The audio, leaked from his camp, contained some threats against the Chiefs in the area.



On the audio recording, an assign of the DCE named Ama Abrafi could be heard warning President Nana Akufo-Addo not to trust the Chiefs because they are all saboteurs of his government.



Ama Abrafi stated emphatically that she has organized a gang, with some members from Nima and other places, to attack and beat the Chiefs.



The DCE was also heard challenging the Chiefs to dare write a petition to the President, threatening to expose the ''corrupt'' ones among them.



''If you dare send a petition, you will hear from me. Dare send the petition and we will mention all your names. As for the Chiefs, we have respect for them, so we will withhold their names for now but if they refuse to heed my warning and go ahead with their petition, I will mention names. You challenge me'', a voice purported to be the DCE's warned.



Forty-two (42) Chiefs gathered and voted for or against the Birim North DCE and out of the number, 4 voted in his favor while 37 voted against him; one vote was rejected.



The Chiefs, by majority decision, voted against the DCEs re-nomination on grounds of his gross disrespect to them.



They raised the following concerns against Mr. Raymond Damptey.



1. Lack of respect for the Chiefs by refusing to attend to their calls anytime an invitation is extended to him.



2. Involvement of the DCE in Chieftaincy disputes and cited Abodom and Ntronang as examples. In most of these disputes, it turned very violent and bloody.



3. The DCEs attack on the Chiefs on his Ananse FM station and during assembly meetings and also attack by the various assigns of the DCE. They cited the attack on the Chiefs and the President of the Republic by one staunch supporter of the DCE by name Ama Abrafi.



4. Refusal of the DCE to recognize the Chiefs in making key decisions affecting the district.



In view of the aforementioned complaints filed against the DCE, the Association of Chiefs in Birim North District led by Obrempong Kwasi Amo Tweretwie said ''we, the Chiefs, are not allowed by law to engage in party politics but we have the right to vote...Now, we are consternated and filled with fears but we have committed no wrong. We scare for our lives because of somebody's unguarded utterances and search for power''.

Some Constituency Executives have also appealed to the President, in a letter, to heed the Chiefs' call.They however suggested for the President to appoint a certain Chairman Banor as the new DCE.We (NPP Abirem Constituency Executives: Constituency Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Deputy Organizer, Youth organizer, Deputy Youth Organizer, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Communication Officer, Nasara Coordinator and Deputy Nasara Coordinator) write to kick against a re-nomination bid by Raymond Nana Damptey as Birim North District Chief Executive (DCE).Your Excellency Mr. President, kindly accept our congratulations for your re-election and successful swearing-in for a second term as the President of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Vice President, H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.We trust and have no iota of doubt in our minds that you will deliver on your mandate, thus we wish you all the very best.We emphatically maintain that several reasons make it impossible for the former DCE to be reappointed.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Deforestation in Borneo - as a new study estimates 32% of Earth's land area has seen land-use change. (Getty)

The human footprint on planet Earth - in terms of land-use changes around the globe - now affects about a third of the land on our planet, researchers warned.

New analysis using satellite data and statistics found that global land-use changes affect four times as much land area as previously estimated.

Statistics suggest that land-use changes affect about 32% of Earths surface - in the form of deforestation, urban growth, agricultural expansion, or reforestation.

The researchers say that the new maps of land use could help governments around the world hit climate change targets.

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

The research team from IMK-IFU and Wageningen University in the Netherlands combined various data from free sources to develop a set of new, high-resolution maps called "HILDA+" (Historic Land Dynamics Assessment +).

The maps trace and reconstruct global land-use changes between 1960 and 2019 using high-resolution satellite data and land-use statistics

Karina Winkler from the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research  Atmospheric Environmental Research Division (IMK-IFU) said: "To face the global challenges of our time, we need to better understand the extent of land-use change and its contribution to climate change, biodiversity, and food production.

"In fact, land use also plays a critical role in achieving the Paris climate targets."

Watch: A closer look at Planet Earths hot spots

Read more: Why economists worry that reversing climate change is hopeless

The maps show that the rate of land-use change has changed: with a period of accelerated land-use change from 1960-2005 which then slowed down.

Winkler said: "This trend reversal could be related to the increasing importance of global trade for agricultural production and to the global economic crisis of 2007/2008.

The researchers point to North-South differences. Hence, in the Global North, for example in Europe, the USA, or Russia, forests have expanded and the arable land area has decreased.

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In the Global South, for example in Brazil or Indonesia, forest areas have decreased and arable as well as pasture lands have increased.

The new land-use data could provide an improved data basis for climate and Earth system models  and thus contribute to political debates on strategies on how to achieve sustainable land use in the future.

Watch: Drone captures devastating floods in Brazil
Are you trying to get pregnant? Heres something that can help you determine the best time to conceive. Check out some ovulation test kits available in the Philippines.

What can you read in this article?

Ovulation test kits  what are they for?

What you should look for in buying one

Ovulation test kits here in the Philippines

Theres no beating around the bush; if you want to get pregnant, you need to know when is the best time for you to have sex with your partner. Ideally, you want to do it on days that you are ovulating to increase the chances of getting pregnant.

While there are other ways to predict when a woman is ovulating like keeping an ovulation calendar or checking her body temperature, there are also more scientific methods to go about it like using an ovulation test kit.

Ovulation test kits  what are they for?

What are ovulation tests and why would you need them? If you are planning to have children and are not sure whether or not you are ovulating, then these tests will help you know when is the best time.

Ovulation takes place in the middle of your menstrual cycle, which usually starts on the first day of your period. Once your ovaries release an egg, it stays there for about 12 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, the sperm can live in your body for up to 5 days. So even if you dont have sex during that 24-hour ovulation window, you may still get pregnant if youve had sex a few days before.

Since there is such a small window to conceive during the month, using ovulation test kits can help predict when a woman is ovulating.

READ MORE:

Ovulation test kits  how are they used?

ovulation test kits Philippines

Image from Pexels

Most of the ovulation test kits available here in the Philippines are used pretty much like pregnancy kits. You pee into a strip, and your urine is tested for the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH). This hormone signals ovulation, which is the release of an egg from your ovaries into the fallopian tube.

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What to look for?

For these tests, it is mostly about accuracy. Most tests that are in the market though are almost 99 percent accurate. So the results that you get from these tests will be able to give you enough of an indication if you are fertile or not.

However, you can always double-check using your fertility calendar or through a checkup with your OB-gynecologist.

Of course, you would also want to use an ovulation test kit thats pretty easy to use, and delivers quick results. If you also plan to monitor your ovulation long-term, you might want to get something thats affordable so you can purchase more.

ovulation test kits Philippines

Image from iStock

Ovulation test kits in the Philippines

While theres a limited selection of ovulation test kits here in the Philippines, we listed down some brands that are being used by a lot of Filipinas who are also trying to conceive and predict their ovulation dates. Here are some ovulation test kits that are available in the market:

One of the more expensive tests in the market, it is also one of the most sought after because of its accuracy. The result is displayed as either a smiley or sad face on the meter. It also recommended to use by most OB-Gynecologists. It promises 99 percent accuracy reading of your Luteinizing Hormone. Also it just takes 3 minutes to get the results!

Why we like it?

Speed of result

99 percent accuracy reading

Recommended by OB/Gyne

Price: 2,799.00

Fujibio Ovulation Rapid Test Kit is fast and easy-to-use which is why it is one of the best ovulation test kits in the Philippines. It is a qualitative test that can predict when there is a luteinizing hormone surge, and when you are likely to ovulate.

With this test, you must determine the length of your menstrual cycle, so it would be useful to know your menstrual cycle. If your cycle varies, you should consult first with your doctor to be sure. The manufacturers recommend performing 1 test each day over a 5 day period, or until the LH surge has been detected.

ovulation test kits Philippines

Image from iStock

Why we like it?

Easy to use

Budget-friendly

Can buy it online

Price: P680

The Blue Cross One Step Urine Home Screening Ovulation Test is one of the best ovulation tests in the Philippines because of its rapid chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of luteinizing hormone (LH) in urine to help in detecting the perfect time you are fertile.

This is a system that is the easiest to use when you are not in a hurry because it will signal you are going to start ovulation in the next 24-36 hours. So it is one that can be used in advance, rather than having it right away.

Why we like it:

Can be bought from major drugstores in the country

Gives way to proper planning

It is budget-friendly

Price: P600

Before getting any of these ovulation test kits, its advisable to consult with your OB-gynecologist so she can recommend the best kind for you, and so you can determine your fertility calendar and get the proper treatment if you and your partner are having trouble conceiving.

The post TAP Picks: 3 Ovulation test kits in the Philippines: Check these out if youre trying to get pregnant appeared first on theAsianparent Philippines: Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids.
The mass vaccination site at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis is accepting appointments. A limited number of walk-ups will be accepted from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. People are encouraged to get an appointment to ensure a vaccine will be available. To schedule an appointment, go to onestop.md.gov/preregistration.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Australian scientists have compared an ancient Greek technique of memorizing data to an even older technique from Aboriginal culture, using students in a rural medical school.

The study found that students using a technique called memory palace in which students memorized facts by placinthem into a memory blueprint of the childhood home, allowing them to revisit certain rooms to recapture that data. Another group of students were taught a technique developed by Australian Aboriginal people over more than 50,000 years of living in a custodial relationship with the Australian land.

The students who used the Aboriginal method of remembering had a significantly improved retention of facts compared to the control and the "memory palace" group.

The study led by Dr. David Reser, from the Monash University School of Rural Health and Dr. Tyson Yunkaporta, from Deakin University's NIKERI Institute, has just been published in PLOS One.

Medical students, and doctors, need to retain large amounts of information from anatomy to diseases and medications.

Because one of the main stressors for medical students is the amount of information they have to rote learn, we decided to see if we can teach them alternate, and better, ways to memorize data," Dr. Reser said.

The memory palace technique dates back to the early Greeks and was further utilized by Jesuit priests. Handwritten books were scarce and valuable, and one reading would have to last a person's lifetime, so ways to remember the contents were developed.

In Aboriginal culture, which relies on oral history, important facts like navigation, food sources, tool use and inter and intra tribal political relationships are important for survival. Aboriginal methods of memorizing also used the idea of attaching facts to the landscape, but with added stories which describe the facts and the placement to facilitate recall.

Working with Dr. Yunkaporta, formerly at the Monash School of Rural Health, the research team randomly divided 76 medical students attending Monash's Churchill Campus, in rural Victoria, into three groups. The students were given 30 minutes of training in the memory palace, Aboriginal techniques, or were in a control group who watched a video rather than undergo training. The students were then asked to memorize 20 common butterfly names (to dissociate from medical curriculum).

They were then tested on their recalls at 10 minutes and then 30 minutes after using their assigned techniques to memorize the list.

The researchers found the students who used the Aboriginal technique for remembering ie a narrative plus locations from around the campus were almost three times more likely to correctly remember the entire list than they were prior to training (odds ratio: 2.8). The students using the memory palace technique were about twice as likely to get a perfect score after training (2.1), while the control group improved by about 50% (1.5) over their pre-training performance.

Importantly a qualitative survey found the students using the Aboriginal technique found it more enjoyable, "both as a way to remember facts but also as a way to learn more about Aboriginal culture," Dr. Reser said.

Dr. Reser said the Monash School of Rural Health is considering incorporating these memory tools into the medical curriculum once teaching returns to a post-COVID normal. "This year we hope to offer this to students as a way to not only facilitate their learning but to reduce the stress associated with a course that requires a lot of rote learning,"he said.

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The combination of bipolar electrochemistry with electrolytic micelle disruption leads to produce shaped organic thin films. The approach involves wirelessly inducing a desired potential distribution on a plate in an electrolytic cell to control the 'popping' of bubble-like micelles, which release their cargo to automatically form a film. Customized thin films produced with this inexpensive strategy could unlock applications in sophisticated biosensor systems and optoelectronics. Credit: Tokyo Tech

Modern and emerging applications in various fields have found creative uses for organic thin films (TFs); some prominent examples include sensors, photovoltaic systems, transistors, and optoelectronics. However, the methods currently available for producing TFs, such as chemical vapor deposition, are expensive and time-consuming, and often require highly controlled conditions. As one would expect, making TFs with specific shapes or thickness distributions is even more challenging. Because unlocking this customizability could spur advances in many sophisticated applications, researchers are actively exploring new approaches for TF fabrication.

In a recent study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a team of scientists from Tokyo Tech found a clever and straightforward strategy to produce organic TF patterns with a controllable shape and thickness. The research was led by Associate Professor Shinsuke Inagi, whose group has been delving into the potential of bipolar electrochemistry for polymeric TF fabrication. In this peculiar branch of electrochemistry, a conducting object is submerged in an electrolytic cell, and the electric field generated by the cell's electrodes causes a potential difference to emerge across the surface of the object. This electric potential can be large enough to drive chemical reactions on the surface of the introduced (and now bipolar) object. Noting that the potential distribution on the bipolar object simultaneously depends on multiple factors, Prof. Inagi's team had previously leveraged this technique to achieve a good degree of controllability in fabricated polymeric TFs.

Now, Yaqian Zhou, a Ph.D. candidate in Prof. Inagi's team, has combined bipolar electrochemistry with a unique strategy developed in the 1980s by Dr. Saji and colleagues, also from Tokyo Tech. This other method, called "electrolytic micelle disruption (EMD)," basically consists of encapsulating an organic compound inside spherical structures called micelles, which are, like some soaps and detergents, composed of surfactant molecules. These surfactant molecules are special in that they tend to easily lose electrons when near a positively charged electrode; this destabilizes the micelles and releases the organic compounds trapped within, which then accumulate and form a film.

The team employed special bipolar electrochemical cells with different configurations to control the potential distribution induced wirelessly on a plate, creating, for example, a voltage gradient along a direction or a circular area with a positive potential zone. They then introduced micelles loaded with a desired organic compound. The catch is that these micelles "popped" more frequently on the more positively charged regions on the bipolar plate. Thus, as they released their cargo, the thin films that automatically formed closely resembled the induced voltage distribution, providing an interesting degree of customizability. "We managed to produce a variety of thickness-gradient and circular organic thin films in proof-of-concept experiments, which confirmed the validity of our proposed approach," highlights Prof. Inagi.

This novel strategy is remarkably inexpensive and makes customizable thin films much more accessible. Moreover, as Prof. Inagi explains, the technique is not limited to organic molecules and could be made compatible with polymers and carbon materials. "We've developed a promising tool for various applications that rely on thin films, not just in the field of luminescence, but also for more sophisticated areas like biosensor systems, due to the organic solvent-free and mild conditions required," he concludes. Hopefully, further improvements on this combined technique will help produce thin films that can satisfy all sorts of practical demands.

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More information: Yaqian Zhou et al, Fabrication of Gradient and Patterned Organic Thin Films by Bipolar Electrolytic Micelle Disruption Using RedoxActive Surfactants, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2021). Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Yaqian Zhou et al, Fabrication of Gradient and Patterned Organic Thin Films by Bipolar Electrolytic Micelle Disruption Using RedoxActive Surfactants,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202103233
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Global agriculture both is one of the major drivers of climate change and strongly affected by it. Rising temperatures are among the main reasons for yield reductions. Therefore, the agricultural sector is faced with the major challenge of adapting to climate change in order to ensure food security in the future. According to a new study carried out by international researchers, the use of locally adapted cultivars can significantly contribute to achieve this goal. The study was led by LMU geographer Dr. Florian Zabel.

For four different climate scenarios, he and his colleagues simulated the impacts of climate change on the global production of maize, rice, soy and wheat and investigated how locally adapted cultivars would affect crop yields. Thereby, the scenarios represent different socio-economic pathways that result in temperature increases ranging between 1.4 and 3.9 degrees Celsius in global average.

"Our results show that, at least under moderate warming, we could generally adapt well to climate change and even increase global yields by almost 20% until the end of the century.

Thereby, the increase of atmospheric CO 2 partly attributes to the yield increase for some crops, due to positive effects on the efficiency of photosynthesis." says Zabel.

Strong warming threatens adaptation

If global warming can be restricted to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as specified in the Paris Agreements, the simulations suggest that 85% of the global cropland area can be optimally cultivated with already available cultivars.

The stronger the warming, the more new cultivars will be needed and the higher the risk that a required locally adapted cultivars that can cope with the changed local conditions will not be available.

"In the worst-case scenario, almost 40% of global cropland could require new cultivars, of which some would need to have traits that currently do not exist," says Zabel. Thereby, a critical point is that this even affects globally important production regions, such as North America's Corn Belt, the world's most important region for maize production.

"In addition, there are some regions where cultivar adaptation will not be possible, for instance due to a change in future precipitation and possible droughts," says Zabel. The simulations consider local and regional effects of climate change, and therefore allow identifying regions where locally adapted cultivars could be particularly beneficial for yields. These include large areas of Europe, China and Russia. However, in other parts of the worldincluding Turkey, Northeastern Brazil, Texas, Kenya and parts of Indiaadapted cultivars are predicted to have little or no effect on yields, due to a reduction of available water for crops.

Innovative and more efficient breeding methods offer a possible solution. "Conventional breeding approaches often take years," Zabel says. "New methods such as CRISPR-Cas could help to develop required cultivars that are specifically adapted to local conditions more quickly and in a more targeted way," Zabel adds.

The study appears in the journal Global Change Biology.

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More information: Florian Zabel et al. Large potential for crop production adaptation depends on available future varieties, Global Change Biology (2021). Journal information: Global Change Biology Florian Zabel et al. Large potential for crop production adaptation depends on available future varieties,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15649
Geological context of the studied area (white rectangle), at the junction between the Aves Ridge, the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles. Credit: Cornee et al.

Fossils of land animals from South America have been found in the Antilles, but how did these animals get there? According to scientists from the CNRS, l'Universite des Antilles, l'Universite de Montpellier and d'Universite Cote d'Azur, land emerged in this region and then disappeared beneath the waves for millions of years, explaining how some species were able to migrate to the Antilles. This study will be published in June 2021 issue in Earth-Science Reviews.

Fossils of land animals from the Antilles, including mammals and amphibians, have their closest relatives in South America. The crossing of the Caribbean Sea from South America was therefore possible, but how?

As swimming across the continent must be ruled out, given that several hundred kilometres separate the South American continent from the Antilles, the dispersal of this fauna has been attributed either to natural rafts coming out of the continent's flooded rivers, or to the existence of land bridges that are now submerged.

A scientific project involving geologists, palaeontologists and geophysicists1 is now solving some of the mysteries related to these terrestrial species in the Antilles. The researchers have reconstructed the geography of the northern Lesser Antilles over the last 40 million years and have shown that the movements of the tectonic plates at the junction between the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles and the Aves Ridge (an underwater mountain), have several times given birth to archipelagos and islands quite close to each other, which were then swallowed up in the course of time.

Eocene limestones in Saint-Barthelemy (Lesser Antilles) containing Quaternary karst deposits that have yielded the remains of Amblyrhiza, a recently extinct giant rodent, emblematic of the Caribbean. The origins of this rodent go back more than 35 million years in South America. Credit: Laurent Marivaux

In addition to tectonic movements, the glacial-interglacial cycles for 1.5 million years (Quaternary) have favoured the appearance and disappearance of archipelagos. Indeed, during these cycles, the sea level decreases or increases according to the storage of water in the ice caps or their melting (the duration of these cycles is about 100,000 years). The formation of these archipelagos could thus have favoured terrestrial connections between the Aves Ridge, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles.

Scientists will now extend their studies southward, between Guadeloupe and South America, to reconstruct the past geography of the entire Caribbean Plate, in order to define more precisely the nature of the terrestrial species' dispersal paths between the Americas.

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More information: Jean-Jacques Cornee et al. Lost islands in the northern Lesser Antilles: possible milestones in the Cenozoic dispersal of terrestrial organisms between South-America and the Greater Antilles, Earth-Science Reviews (2021). Jean-Jacques Cornee et al. Lost islands in the northern Lesser Antilles: possible milestones in the Cenozoic dispersal of terrestrial organisms between South-America and the Greater Antilles,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103617
Crystalline interference coatings bonded on different optical substrates. Credit: Georg Winkler, Universitat Wien

In an international cooperation with partners from industry and research, physicists from the University of Vienna, together with Thorlabs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the University of Kansas, have now succeeded for the first time in demonstrating high-performance laser mirrors in the sensing-relevant mid-infrared wavelength range that absorb less than ten out of a million photons. Manufactured in a new process based on crystalline materials, these low-loss mirrors promise to open up completely new application areas, for example in optical respiratory gas analysis for early cancer detection or the detection of greenhouse gases. This work will be published in the current issue of the journal Optica.

In 2016 researchers at the LIGO laser interferometer succeeded in the first direct observation of gravitational waves, which had originally been predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916. A significant contribution to the observation of this wave-like propagation of disturbances in space-time, which was rewarded with the Nobel Prize a year later, was provided by the laser mirrors of the kilometer-long interferometer assembly. Optimization of these mirrors for extremely low optical absorption losses was a key advancement in realizing the sensitivity necessary to make such measurements. "Low-loss mirrors are a key technology for many different research fields," explains Oliver H. Heckl, head of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Mid-IR Spectroscopy and Semiconductor Optics, "They are the link for such diverse research fields as cancer diagnosis and gravitational wave detection."

In fact, comparable mirror properties are also promising technological breakthroughs for significantly more practical applications. This includes, among other things, sensitive molecular spectroscopy, i.e. the detection of the smallest amounts of substances in gas mixturesa research focus of the Christian Doppler Laboratory (CDL). Examples can be found in the early detection of cancer through the detection of the smallest concentrations of marker molecules in the breath of patients, or in the precise detection of methane leaks in large-scale natural gas production systems in order to limit the contribution of such greenhouse gases to climate change.

Unlike the experiments at LIGO, however, such investigations are conducted much further outside the visible light spectrum, in the mid-infrared range. In this wavelength region, also known as the "fingerprint region," many structurally similar molecules are clearly distinguishable on the basis of their characteristic absorption lines. Therefore, it is a longstanding wish of the photonics community, to realize similarly low loss levels in this technically challenging wavelength range.

Coauthor Georg Winkler working on a setup used to characterize the high-performance mirrors under vacuum. Credit: Barbara Mair, Universitat Wien

This is exactly what the team led by Oliver H. Heckl has now achieved in an international cooperation. In this case, low loss means that the new type of mirror absorbs less than 10 out of a million photons. For comparison: A commercially available bathroom mirror "destroys" around ten thousand times more photons, and even the mirrors used in top research have ten to a hundred times higher losses.

This drastic improvement was made possible through the use of a completely new optical coating technology: First, single-crystal stacks of high-purity semiconductor materials are deposited via an epitaxial growth process. These monocrystalline multilayers are then transferred via a proprietary bonding process onto curved silicon optical substrates, completing the mirrors that were tested at both the CDL and NIST. This unique "crystalline coating" technology was developed and carried out by the industrial partner of the Christian Doppler Laboratory, Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions. This company was originally founded under the name Crystalline Mirror Solutions (CMS) in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Vienna by Garrett Cole and Markus Aspelmeyer. CMS was acquired by Thorlabs Inc. in December 2019. This industry collaboration was made possible, with the support of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs, via the internationally unique model of the Christian Doppler Research Association (CDG) to promote application-oriented basic research. A research group led by Adam Fleisher from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland (U.S.), which is renowned for precision measurements, also played a key role in this success. Georg Winkler, co-author of the current study expresses his enthusiasm: "Precise measurement technology is much more than just pedantry. Wherever you can take a closer look by an order of magnitude, you usually discover completely new phenomena, just think of the invention of the microscope and telescope!"

In fact, this assessment has already proven true in the detailed characterization of the new mirrors themselves, when a previously unknown effect of polarization-dependent absorption was discovered in the semiconductor layers and theoretically explored by collaborator Prof. Hartwin Peelaers at the University of Kansas. "These results open up great opportunities regarding further refinement of these mirrors ", co-author Lukas Perner is delighted: "Thanks to the extremely low losses can we now further optimize the bandwidth and reflectivity."

With this in mind, the project partners are already working on a further improvement of the technology: Expansion of the optical bandwidth of the mirrors will allow them to be used efficiently with so-called optical frequency combs. This will enable the analysis of particularly complex gas mixtures with unprecedented accuracy.

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More information: Mid-infrared interference coatings with excess optical loss below 10 ppm, Optica, May 2021; Journal information: Optica Mid-infrared interference coatings with excess optical loss below 10 ppm,, May 2021; DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.405938
Tomatoes grown in Davis, CA and sampled to obtain genetic material for this research. Credit: Siobhan Brady/UC Davis

University of California scientists have discovered genetic data that will help food crops like tomatoes and rice survive longer, more intense periods of drought on our warming planet.

Over the course of the last decade, the research team sought to create a molecular atlas of crop roots, where plants first detect the effects of drought and other environmental threats. In so doing, they uncovered genes that scientists can use to protect the plants from these stresses.

Their work, published today in the journal Cell, achieved a high degree of understanding of the root functions because it combined genetic data from different cells of tomato roots grown both indoors and outside.

"Frequently, researchers do lab and greenhouse experiments, but farmers grow things in the field, and this data looks at field samples too," said Neelima Sinha, a UC Davis professor of plant biology and the paper's co-author.

The data yielded information about genes that tell the plant to make three key things.

Xylem are hollow, pipe-like vessels that transport water and nutrients from the roots all the way up to the shoots. Without transport in xylem, the plant cannot create its own food via photosynthesis.

"Xylem are very important to shore up plants against drought as well as salt and other stresses," said lead study author Siobhan Brady, a professor of plant biology at UC Davis.

In turn, without plant mineral transport in xylem, humans and other animals would have fewer vitamins and nutrients essential for our survival. In addition to some typical players needed to form the xylem, new and surprising genes were found.

The second key set of genes are those that direct an outer layer of the root to produce lignin and suberin. Suberin is the key substance in cork and it surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

Crops like tomatoes and rice have suberin in the roots. Apple fruits have suberin surrounding their outer cells. Anywhere it occurs, it prevents the plant from losing water. Lignin also waterproofs cells and provides mechanical support.

"Suberin and lignin are natural forms of drought protection, and now that the genes that encode for them in this very specific layer of cells have been identified, these compounds can be enhanced," said study co-author Julia Bailey-Serres, a UC Riverside professor of genetics.

"I'm excited we've learned so much about the genes regulating this moisture barrier layer. It is so important for being able to improve drought tolerance for crops," she said.

Genes that encode for a plant's root meristem also turned out to be remarkably similar between tomato, rice, and Arabidopsis, a weed-like model plant. The meristem is the growing tip of each root, and it's the source of all the cells that make up the root.

"It's the region that's going to make the rest of the root, and serves as its stem cell niche," said Bailey-Serres. "It dictates the properties of the roots themselves, such as how big they get. Having knowledge of it can help us develop better root systems."

Brady explained that when farmers are interested in a particular crop, they select plants that have features they can see, such as bigger, more attractive fruits. Much more difficult is for breeders to select plants with properties below ground they can't see.

"The 'hidden half' of a plant, below ground, is critical for breeders to consider if they want to grow a plant successfully," Brady said. "Being able to modify the meristem of a plant's roots will help us engineer crops with more desirable properties."

Though this study analyzed only three plants, the team believes the findings can be applied more broadly.

"Tomato and rice are separated by more than 125 million years of evolution, yet we still see similarities between the genes that control key characteristics," said Bailey-Serres. "It's likely these similarities hold true for other crops too."

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Credit: Earlham Institute

A new software tool developed by Earlham Institute researchers will help bioinformaticians improve the quality and accuracy of their biological data, and avoid mis-assemblies. The fast, lightweight, user-friendly tool visualizes genome assemblies and gene alignments from the latest next generation sequencing technologies.

Called Alvis, the new visualization tool examines mappings between DNA sequence data and reference genome databases. This allows bioinformaticians to more easily analyze their data generated from common genomics tasks and formats by producing efficient, ready-made vector images.

First author and post-doctoral scientist at the Earlham Institute Dr. Samuel Martin in the Leggett Group, said: "Typically, alignment tools output plain text files containing lists of alignment data. This is great for computer parsing and for being incorporated into a pipeline, but it can be difficult to interpret by humans.

"Visualization of alignment data can help us to understand the problem at hand. As a new technology, several new alignment formats have been implemented by new tools that are specific to nanopore sequencing technology.

"We found that existing visualization tools were not able to interpret these formats; Alvis can be used with all common alignment formats, and is easily extensible for future ones."

A key feature of the new command line tool is its unique ability to automatically highlight chimeric sequencesweak links in the DNA chain. This is where two sequencesfrom different parts of a genome or different speciesare linked together by mistake to make one, affecting the data's accuracy.

Chimera sequences can be problematic for bioinformaticians when identifying specific DNA. The chimera formation can physically happen to the DNA molecules during either sequencing library preparation, during the sequencing process on some platforms, and by assembly tools when trying to piece together a genome.

During the development of the tool, the team compared genome assemblies with and without using Alvis chimera detection. The vector image produced shows an example output, where the intuitive tool tracks all reads it recognizes as chimeras.

"Although chimeric sequences don't make up a large proportion of samples, they can have a significant effect, so we have to be careful that we have identified them during analysis," said Dr. Martin.

"In the Alvis diagram example of chimera data, each rectangle across the page represents a read, and the colored blocks inside them represent alignments. Most chimeras are easy to see because their alignments are different colors, meaning they map to different genomes. Others are more subtle because both alignments are to the same genome, but different regions."

The Alvis tool can pinpoint visualization of only chimeric sequences for further inspection, and output numerical data describing the chimeras. This demonstrates that by applying the tool and then bioinformatically splitting the chimeras, the quality of the assemblies is significantly improved.

Accessed over 600 times since being made available at the beginning of March this year, Dr. Martin, adds: "We hope that Alvis continues to be useful to other researchers working with, for example, nanopore sequencing; improving their understanding of their data by visualizing alignments."

"Alignments are so fundamental to bioinformatics that it could be of use to anyone working with long read sequencing data, as well as alignments generated by sequencing data from short-read platforms. The diagrams that Alvis generates can be easily exported to directly use in publications, demonstrated in our study already."

The paper "Alvis: a tool for contig and read ALignment VISualization and chimera detection" is published in BMC Bioinformatics.

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More information: Samuel Martin et al, Alvis: a tool for contig and read ALignment VISualisation and chimera detection, BMC Bioinformatics (2021). Samuel Martin et al, Alvis: a tool for contig and read ALignment VISualisation and chimera detection,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04056-0
Water surrounds a house along flooded areas on Bluff Road Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Ascension Parish, La. Heavy rains have swept across southern Louisiana, flooding homes, swamping cars and closing a major interstate. Credit: Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP

Residents in southern Louisiana were bracing for more rain Tuesday after heavy downpours flooded homes, swamped cars, and closed a major interstate.

Lake Charles was hammered once again by nature's fury in a coastal zone still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes last fall and a deep freeze in February.

The National Weather Service said south Lake Charles in western Louisiana saw 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rain in a 12-hour period Monday, while elsewhere in the parish as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) fell.

As the storm moved east, as much as 13 inches (33 centimeters) of rain fell overnight in Louisiana's capital city of Baton Rouge, according to East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

By Tuesday the waters had largely receded, but more rain is expected across the region this week.

"It is mind-boggling," said Lake Charles resident Patrick King. He was at a car rental office Tuesday after his truck was flooded Monday. He still hadn't moved back into his house after it flooded during October's Hurricane Delta but had recently had new furniture delivered to the home. Then it flooded again.

King spent Tuesday morning mopping the house and preparing for further rains.

Homeowner Stephen Punkay, right, dumps a cart-load of wet carpet to add to the debris pile, after the Baker Drive home that he and wife Amy share with their six children got at least six inches of water in Monday night's deluge of rain in the Westminster subdivision, as they clean up with the help of family, neighbors and "church family" from Community Bible Church, on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. Heavy rains have swept across southern Louisiana, flooding homes, swamping cars and closing a major interstate. Credit: Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP

"I picked up everything I could get off the floor and got it elevated," he said.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter estimated that 400 to 500 structures flooded during Monday's downpours. Hunter was mayor last year when the city was hit by Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27 and then six weeks later by Delta. Then in February, a deep freeze settled over the region, freezing pipes and causing widespread drinking water problems. Layered on top of all those disasters has been the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are a very resilient people. We are a very strong population. But, you know, eventually you do kind of get to a point where you ask Mother Nature: What more can you do to us?" Hunter said Tuesday.

Some parents in Lake Charles picked up their children from school in kayaks Monday because the roads were impassable, and other residents reported on social media taking winding trips through town to avoid flooded roads.

In this photo taken by a drone is an aerial view of the flooded Siegen Calais apartments Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. Heavy rains have swept across southern Louisiana, flooding homes, swamping cars and closing a major interstate. Credit: John Ballance/The Advocate via AP

Lake Charles resident Don Dixon said there was intense rainfall for about 12 hours Monday. He lives on Lake Street but he said it was more like a raging river.

"Water came up about 6 inches from going into my house," he said. "It got pretty close. I was very, very lucky."

The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to more than 300 calls overnight of people either trapped in cars or in homes that were starting to flood, The Advocate reported.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference that there were two weather-related deaths. The body of 33-year-old Justin Blaine Thompson was found in a vehicle submerged in water under a Baton Rouge overpass, the coroner's office said. Across the Mississippi River near Port Allen, 40-year-old Alvarado Morentes Hermelindo died and another person was missing after their car crashed into a canal Monday evening, Louisiana State Police said.

Parents use boats to pick up students from schools after nearly a foot of rain fell in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 17, 2021. Credit: Rick Hickman/American Press via AP

"Unfortunately, more rain is on the way," Edwards said and pointed out that the ground is already saturated. "While we hope that the worst of this rainfall is behind us, we can't be sure of that."

Officials in the Baton Rouge area didn't yet have estimates of how many homes took on water and were asking people to report their damage. The downpours come five years after similar rains swamped large swaths of the capital region for days. Broome acknowledged the "heightened sense of anxiety" residents were feeling.

"Our community has had more than our fair share of severe rain events," she said. But she tried to calm residents: "We are not under the same threat as we were in 2016."

Schools and universities in the parish were closed Tuesday to try to keep people off roads, and the parish was working to clear streets where flooded vehicles blocked passage.

Nick Delgado uses his boat to help a neighbor pick up their kids from schools during heavy rains in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 17, 2021. Credit: Rick Hickman/American Press via AP

Cars sit stalled on a flooded Sale Road during heavy rains in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 17, 2021. Credit: Rick Hickman/American Press via AP

Cars sit stalled on a flooded Nelson Road from heavy rains in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 17, 2021. Credit: Rick Hickman/American Press via AP

Cars sit stalled on a flooded McNeese Street during heavy rains in Lake Charles, La., Monday, May 17, 2021. Credit: Rick Hickman/American Press via AP

A wooden bridge leads to a flooded area along Bluff Road Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Ascension Parish, La. Heavy rains have swept across southern Louisiana, flooding homes, swamping cars and closing a major interstate. Credit: Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP

Between the hurricanes, the freeze and the coronavirus pandemic, Lake Charles has been part of four federally declared disasters over the course of a year, the mayor said. He said he'd talked with federal disaster officials who said they could not think of another city that has been subject to as many federal disasters in a similar time period.

Hunter said the city is still waiting for a supplemental disaster relief package from Washington to help the region recover from Hurricane Laura, whose 150 mph (240 km/h) winds scoured western Louisiana in what state officials said was the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the state.

"The plight of the average homeowner in Lake Charles is unthinkable at this moment. You have people that are possibly ripping out Sheetrock and renovating a home for now the third time," he said. "The financial capability of this of this city, the human capital that we have here, is finite."

Edwards has requested $3 billion in federal aid to help Louisiana with its ongoing recovery from the 2020 hurricanes.

Explore further Weary Louisiana residents assess damage from latest hurricane

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
An eastern monarch butterfly taking a short rest. Credit: Rodrigo Solis-Sosa

Simon Fraser University researchers are playing a key role in guiding conservation efforts to protect a declining butterfly population. The eastern monarch butterfly, an important pollinating species known for its distinct yellow-orange and black colour, is diminishing due to the loss of the milkweed plantits primary food source.

Researchers analyzed current conservation strategies and recommended changes to how and where declining milkweed can be restored, based on assessments of climate and butterfly migration. Their study is published today in Frontiers in Environmental Science.

SFU Ph.D. student Rodrigo Solis-Sosa and professor Sean Cox, from the School of Resource and Environmental Management, led the study with biological sciences professor Arne Mooers. The trio collaborated with Christina Semeniuk, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) and study co-writer Maxim Larrivee, director of the Insectarium de Montreal, one of the five Montreal's Space for Life museums.

Solis-Sosa says researchers hope to prevent the eastern monarch butterfly from the same fate as the western population, which typically migrated from the Okanagan to California each winter. This year's measurements of western monarch butterfly colonies found "zero overwintering populations, putting them at an all-time low and closer to extinction," he explains.

Eastern monarch butterflies overwinter in Mexico from November to March then migrate and reproduce across the U.S. before reaching eastern Canada in late August.

Eastern monarch butterfly larvae depend on the milkweed plant for food. Credit: Rodrigo Solis-Sosa

Milkweed has declined across the U.S. due to clearing land for agricultural use, GMO crops, herbicides and climate change. While identifying the U.S. midwest as the best place to focus on restoration efforts, given optimal weather and milkweed availability when the monarch butterfly arrives, the team also found that the southern U.S. has a paramount yet somewhat neglected role.

"While increasing the number of milkweed stems in the South wasn't as effective as in the Midwest, decreasing their number in the South was catastrophic," says Solis-Sosa. "While the South may not play a huge role in increasing the eastern monarch butterfly population, it acts as a safety net."

Researchers also found that recommended estimates of between 1.2 and 1.6 billion milkweed stems falls short of supporting butterfly populations by 50 to 90 percent. Existing conservation models don't factor in the effects of drought, changes in temperature and the stem's effective usability by the monarch butterflies.

"Monarchs may need at least three billion stems to reach a safe minimum threshold population of six overwintering hectares," says Solis-Sosa. The population once covered the equivalent of 18 hectares over its wintering territory nearly 25 years ago, but that hasn't risen above six over the past decade. The latest measure has dwindled to just 2.3 overwintering hectares.

Communities in Mexico also depend on monarch butterfly ecotourism as an essential part of their livelihoods. "Monarch butterflies also hold a special significance in traditional Mexican culture," says Solis-Sosa. "They arrive in Mexico by November 2the Day of the Deadand symbolize the dead souls of loved ones arriving to comfort them through the dark and cold winter season. Losing the monarch butterfly would represent a cultural loss to the Mexican people."

Solis-Sosa says their research will help policymakers across North America update conservation strategies and has already led to discussions with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The CEC supports cooperation between North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners to address environmental issues of continental concern.

More information: Rodrigo Solis-Sosa et al, A Landscape-Level Assessment of Restoration Resource Allocation for the Eastern Monarch Butterfly, Frontiers in Environmental Science (2021). Rodrigo Solis-Sosa et al, A Landscape-Level Assessment of Restoration Resource Allocation for the Eastern Monarch Butterfly,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.634096
A new study, led by ASU SOLS professor Christian Rabeling, has provided detailed insights into the molecular evolution of social parasitism in ants. Credit: Martin Bollazzi

Ants are renowned in the insect world for their complex social structure and behaviors. Workers and foragers support the queen, faithfully carrying out their social roles for the overall health of the colony. This complex "superorganism" -as scientists have dubbed it - has become a prime model to explore the genetic and behavioral roots of social organisms.

Remarkably, there are also rare instances of ants not playing well with others and shrugging off their societal duties to become free-loading parasites amongst their free-living relatives.

Now, in a new study published in Nature Communications, an international collaboration of researchers from Europe (the Universities of Munster and Copenhagen), South America (University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay), and the U.S., (led by Arizona State University), teamed up to discover and collect these rare ant social parasites. Together, they have obtained and analyzed the full DNA genome sequences of three rare "social parasite" leaf-cutting ant species (called Acromyrmex inquilines) to better understand the differences between them and their respective host species.

It's the first time several species of socially parasitic ants could have their genomes sequenced.

"Our findings advance our understanding of the genomic consequences of transitioning to a novel, highly specialized life history and provide detailed insights into the molecular evolution of social parasitism in ants," said Christian Rabeling, an associate professor in ASU's School of Life Sciences and a corresponding author of the study.

From social to social parasite

The unusual social parasite transition is important to understand because the genomes of ants have evolved for more than 100 million years. A single major transition occurred to introduce the novel "superorganism" level of social organizational structure with queen-worker caste segregation and unconditional altruism. This superorganism was so successful, it produced a biodiversity of 17 subfamilies, 338 genera and more than 13,900 living species.

"It is therefore no surprise that parallel shifts to a highly specialized socially parasitic behavior and lifestyle abandoning this fundamental ancestral condition, usually based on outbreeding and larger effective populations, leave significant genomic footprints," said Rabeling. "The results of our analyses of just three of these species confirm that ant social parasites offer important study systems for identifying hallmarks of cooperative social colony life.

And in doing so, their analyses have confirmed that over a time span of about a million and a half years, these ant species have each found independent, separate ways to evolve and become social parasites. The signatures of genome-wide and trait-specific genetic erosion were found to be most extreme in social parasite ants.

Think of how it would start. A group of queen ants wants to just live in a colony without doing the work. And not work on the nest anymore. Next, the queen ants focus on solely producing new queens and males, and this small population size of social parasites would start frequent inbreeding to survive. This immediately reduces their genomic diversity over time. Then, over a blink in evolutionary time, due to natural selection and an increase in the prevalence of genetic drift, it would enhance the rates by which ancestral traits were lost while also slowing down the rates by which new, more adaptive traits could emerge.

It's almost like a 'snooze and lose it' phenomena occurred within the parasitic ant DNA to trigger the genome erosion.

To prove this effect within the ant genome, the research team investigated the overall genomic structure and the individual genes that may be affected by this genomic decay. First, they found widespread evidence of genomic rearrangements and inversions that are hallmarks of instability and decay. Then, within gene networks, they identified 233 genes that showed evidence of relaxed selection in at least one of the social parasite branches and signatures of intensified selection in 102 genes. "Our analysis showed that gene family evolution at three of the four social parasite nodes is indeed largely characterized by gene losses," said Rabeling.

The genome losses and reductions most affected were in the social parasite ants' sense of smell and to a lesser degree taste.

Divergence estimates for Acromyrmex host and inquiline parasite species. ime-calibrated phylogeny of the fungus-growing ants for which genomes have been sequenced, including the three inquiline social parasite species and their two host species. The two origins of social parasitism in Acromyrmex (orange dots and boxes) occurred ca. 0.96 Ma ago for A. insinuator (1) and ca. 2.50 Ma ago when the ancestor of A. heyeri diverged from the stem group representative of Pseudoatta argentina (2) and A. charruanus (3). Credit: Arizona State University

Failing the sniff test

Not only did some of the genes responsible for ant smell become lost over time, but as a result, the ants also showed a reduced size in the olfactory lobes in their brains when microCT scans were performed.

"This is no surprise because ants predominantly communicate via chemical cues and have once been described as chemical factories," explains Rabeling. "So, the loss of olfactory genes is correlated with an extreme transition of extensive morphological and behavioral changes."

This includes the reduction or complete loss of the worker caste system, simplified mouthparts, antennae and integuments, loss of certain hormonal glands, and a nervous system of reduced complexity likely associated with a drastically narrowed behavioral repertoire.

From their comparative analysis, they could also put these changes into the larger perspective of evolutionary time. They were also able to date the origins of social parasitism within the leaf-cutting ant family tree.

Two independent origins of social parasitism occurred in the ant genus Acromyrmex. Within this genus, A. heyeri, a social ant, is the host species of both A. charruanus and P. argentina parasitic species.

First, a South American lineage of social ants (A. heyeri) separated from the last common (thought to be socially parasitic) ancestor of A. charruanus and P. argentina before the two social parasites diverged. Second, a Central American speciation event occurred when A. insinuator diverged from its host A. echinatior.

Both origins of social parasitism are evolutionarily recent, estimated to be about 2.5 million years ago for the divergence between A. heyeri and the last common ancestor of A. charruanus and P. argentina, and about 1 million years ago for the divergence between A. insinuator and A. echinatior.

"We infer that relaxed natural selection accelerated general genome erosion in social parasites and alleviated evolutionary constraints, which facilitated rapid adaptive evolution of specific traits associated with a socially parasitic lifestyle," said Rabeling.

Joy of discovery

Why did it take so long to do the genome analysis? It turns out that the easiest part of the study may have been the comparative genome analysis. Finding the ants in the first place proved to be the greatest major hurdle. Why?

Populations of ant social parasites are almost invariably small and patchily distributed. How patchy?

Well, the last time that one of the species, P. argentina was seen in the wild was 1924, a time well before the discovery of DNA as the hereditary chemical unit of life.

Micro CT scans show the relative olfactory lobe (OL) size of the hosts and inquilines. The phylogram is an ancestral state reconstruction of OL volumes relative to total brain volumes across the social parasites (A. insinuator, A. charruanus and P. argentina) and their hosts (A. echinatior, and A. heyeri). Barplots show ratios of OL volume to total brain volume in inquiline parasites (in orange) relative to their hosts (in blue). Circles inserted at the tips of bars are proportional to the measured total brain volumes, while the smaller contained circles represent the measured volumes of the right and left OLs. On average, Panamanian species have larger brains than Uruguayan species (2-sample t-test, pt-test = 0.005, df = 2.97, t = ?7.74, n = 5). Relative OL volumes became reduced (pt-test = 0.059, df =2, t = ?2.65, n = 5) as inquiline social parasites evolved their different degrees of specialization along the gradient of inquiline adaptations known as the inquiline syndrome27. Shown below are 3D surface reconstructions of the brains (with the OLs highlighted in yellow) and of the head capsules of A. heyeri, A. charruanus, and P. argentina (from top to bottom). Credit: Arizona State University

Rabeling remembers prior trips to South America that were in vain because they could not find P. argentina. Then, about a decade ago, a phone call from colleague Martin Bollazzi and study co-author changed his life.

"Martin Bollazzi said his wife Leticia just re-discovered P. argentina!!!"

Rabeling hopped on a plane as fast as he could. When he saw P. argentina up close, it was a moment of discovery he'll never forget.

"Leticia's rediscovery of P. argentina was the find of a lifetime. What I especially love is to connect the ant field work and natural history observations with the new technologies like whole genome sequencing, and to have the opportunity to do so was such a joy."

Now, they could make their research dreams a reality by collecting P. argentina and put their field work-based hypotheses to the test by doing the first modern whole genome sequencing of social parasitic ants.

Next steps

Their results are not only important to understanding ants, but offer insights into the role of these genomic 'loss-of-function' study systems in other parasites and for identifying hallmarks of cooperative social colony life at both the phenotypic and the genomic levels.

"Social parasites came to exploit the foraging efforts, nursing behavior and colony infrastructure of their hosts," said Rabeling.

Rabeling also points to other species, such as the Mexican blind cave-dwelling fish or other parasites such as tapeworms as examples of organisms that lost important traits over time. In each case, they have developed and exploited novel ecological niches. for their species survival.

From these first 3 social parasite ant species, they have learned a lot. Next, they plan on future genomics studies of these ant social parasites to generate exciting further insights, particularly with long-read sequencing technologies allowing analyses in even greater detail.

But Rabeling and his colleagues are now involved in another race against timeas every year, more and more natural ant habitats are lost to deforestation and development. Now, our understanding of ant evolution depends on people to cooperate to save biodiversity-while we still can.

"We hope such future studies can expand our knowledge on the signatures of the evolution of social behavior in ants, for which few other model systems can offer such species-level sample sizes of several dozens."

Explore further Maternal instincts lead to social life of bees
Volke called for a hold on his bill to end the emergency powers until other legislation protecting restaurants is passed. The hold was passed by the council with only Councilwoman Sarah Lacey, D-Jessup, opposing the hold. Lacey said she voted against it as she thought it would be better to vote the bill down now because the resolution will be before the public in different circumstances on June 7th.
Cow grazing enhanced this erosion resistance by compacting the soil by trampling. Credit: University of Groningen

Combining natural salt marsh habitats with conventional dikes may provide a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative for fully engineered flood protection. Researchers of the University of Groningen (UG) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) studied how salt marsh nature management can be optimized for coastal defense purposes. They found that grazing by both cattle and small herbivores such as geese and hare and artificial mowing can reduce salt marsh erosion, therefore contributing to nature-based coastal defense.

People around the world live in coastal areas that are prone to flooding. Dikes provide traditional flood protection for coastal defense purposes. In addition, salt marshes bordering these traditional barriers may strongly contribute to coastal protection by reducing wave forces on dikes.

Cost-effective

Hence, combining natural salt marsh habitats with conventional dikes may provide a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative for fully engineered flood protection. However, to safeguard this nature-based coastal defense, long-term salt marsh width and stability needs to be assured.

Researchers of the UG and NIOZ, therefore, studied how salt marsh nature management can be optimized for coastal defense purposes. They found that grazing by both cattle and small herbivores such as geese and hare and artificial mowing can reduce salt marsh erosion, therefore contributing to nature-based coastal defense. The results of this study have been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Soil erosion

For this study, 78 soil samples were collected at different sites on the salt marsh of Schiermonnikoog, a barrier island in the Dutch Wadden Sea. At these locations, long-term exclosures were present to exclude grazing by either cows or smaller herbivores such as hare and geese.

Samples from grazed areas were compared with samples from the exclosures and artificially mowed sites. Soil cores were transported to the lab and exposed to artificial waves in controlled tanks. Researchers then measured soil erosion for a total of 38 hours.

Grazing by small herbivores such as geese and hare can reduce salt marsh erosion. Credit: University of Groningen

Erosion resistance

The main author of the paper, Beatriz Marin-Diaz, explains: "The sandiest cores eroded most heavily, whereas soils with more clay were more erosion resistant. Cow grazing enhanced this erosion resistance by compacting the soil by trampling. Surprisingly, small herbivores contributed to less erosion by changing the vegetation to plants with high root densities that bind the soil together." In addition, the researchers found that artificial mowing also contributed to erosion resistance by excluding burying animals from the soil that destabilize the sediment.

Coastal protection

Overall, grazing and artificial mowing can reduce the erosion of fine-grained soils, making salt marshes more resilient to erosion. However, soil compaction by cattle simultaneously lowers the elevation of a marsh. This may impair their ability to keep up with sea-level rise.

Hence, to effectively manage salt marshes for coastal protection, the study recommends moderate or rotational livestock grazing, avoiding high-intensity grazing in sediment-poor systems sensitive to sea-level rise as well as investigating measures to preserve small grazers. This way, salt marshes can be managed effectively to enhance their coastal protection function.

Explore further Sustainable coastal protection through a combination of salt marshes and dykes

More information: Beatriz MarinDiaz et al, How grazing management can maximize erosion resistance of salt marshes, Journal of Applied Ecology (2021). Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology Beatriz MarinDiaz et al, How grazing management can maximize erosion resistance of salt marshes,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13888
Coastal marshes on Johns Island, South Carolina. Credit: Lindsey Smart

The green and gold tidal marshes visible entering Johns Island on South Carolina's coast are a sign of coming home for some longtime residents. By 2060, the marshes could be in open water.

Researchers from North Carolina State University mapped how important environmental, cultural and historical sites like the marshes could be impacted by the double "coastal squeeze" of sea-level rise and urban development on Johns Island, a low-lying island near Charleston.

Published in Global Environmental Change, the study offers a blueprint for mapping important and threatened cultural and historical sites across the coastal South, and beyond.

"We present an approach that can lay the foundation for more inclusive conservation planning," said the study's corresponding author Jelena Vukomanovic, assistant professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State. "We demonstrate new approaches for mapping cultural ecosystem services. Aesthetic and cultural services, like sense of place or a feeling of community, are hard to map. But they are really important. When things are mapped, they become real. Then you can have a chance of putting them on equal footing with the biophysical, or environmental, services."

The Abstract spoke with Vukomanovic and study first author Lindsey Smart, research associate at the NC State Center for Geospatial Analytics, about the study.

The Abstract: Why did you study Johns Island?

Vukomanovic: Johns Island is facing complex, interacting pressures. It's a very low-lying place that's at enormous threat from sea-level rise. And it's in Charleston County, which is experiencing rapid population growth and associated development.

There is also an important environmental justice dimension.

The island was settled by many African Americans after the Civil War, and it was important in the civil rights era. To get the right to vote, African Americans had to take voter-registration literacy tests. Citizenship Schools were set up to teach adult literacy to African Americans, as well as lessons on democracy, civil rights and community leadership. They had a whole system to help people get to the schools and get to voting sites.

There are people whose families have lived on the island for generations, working predominantly in agriculture. Now there's sea level rise, urbanization and gentrification.

TA: How did you map places of cultural significance and include diverse perspectives?

Vukomanovic: We purposefully wanted to start with African American residents with long family connections to Johns Island. Because if you don't start there, you're never going to hear those voices. We opened it up to other participants in subsequent workshops. We asked residents to help us identify places key to their heritage, community and the island's sense of place.

TA: How did you map urbanization, and what impacts did you predict to cultural sites?

Smart: We used an urbanization simulation model to project likely areas of development out to 2060. We found development is likely going to get closer to culturally important areas. Having that development encroach on those areas may affect the way people view them. One example is the iconic Angel Oak tree. It's located in an area where development has increased.

Vukomanovic: In 2012, there was a plan to make the Angel Oak, which is a 500-year-old tree, part of a courtyard for a private development. It was a pivotal moment. It brought together a lot of the community groups to purchase the land and purchase surrounding land to give it a buffer. There's a lot of development projected around the area near the Angel Oak.

Another example are the oak alleys. They're on two-lane roads and there's immense pressure to expand them as the population of the island grows. It seems very likely that these beautiful old live oaks would be lost with road expansion.

Smart: There's also the Progressive Club, which was historically surrounded by working farms and forests. That's where people gathered for Citizenship Schools. As development continues to get closer and closer, it may negatively impact the site.

Another important piece for long-term residents is water access points on rivers and creeks. As development spreads and the shoreline becomes increasingly privatized, people are losing water access points.

TA: How did you map impacts of rising sea levels, and what did you find?

Smart: We used a standard sea-level-rise projection from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center. We used it to estimate inundation on Johns Island in the next 50 years or so. Although it doesn't take into account phenomena like erosion, deposition or adaptation, it provides a good baseline we can use to estimate potential impacts.

Vukomanovic: We looked at the high range of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's "very likely" scenario. It really means widespread loss of wetlands. The residents spoke a lot about how, when they cross the bridge to the island, seeing these expansive wetland vistasthat's how they know they're coming home. That whole large wetland area is expected to be open water.

Smart: Also, there's some long-term farming and agricultural operations along the creeks that will be inundated. I think they're experiencing issues right now from that.

TA: Was there a lot of overlap between sites that had environmental and cultural value?

Smart: There was not a large amount of overlap between the biophysical and cultural ecosystem services. The bigger takeaway is that those working to plan and protect areas should keep in mind that these values are not co-located. We can't assume that protecting one will necessarily protect the other.

TA: Is your approach relevant for other coastal sites?

Vukomanovic: Definitely in the coastal South, but even further afield. Many coastal areas are facing this double-coastal squeeze of sea-level rise and development, and many of these coastal areas are home to irreplaceable heritage sites. The social justice dimensions are also repeating themselves elsewhere, but with different communities.

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More information: Lindsey S. Smart et al. Cultural ecosystem services caught in a 'coastal squeeze' between sea level rise and urban expansion, Global Environmental Change (2020). Lindsey S. Smart et al. Cultural ecosystem services caught in a 'coastal squeeze' between sea level rise and urban expansion,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102209
Credit: Amin Hosseinzadeh FARDNIA on unsplash.com

More than three quarters of Iran's land is under extreme groundwater overdraft, where the rate of human uptake is higher than the rate of natural recharge. This is according to a new study led by Concordia researchers published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.

The article was co-authored by Samaneh Ashraf, a former Horizon postdoctoral researcher now at the Universite de Montreal, and Ali Nazemi, an assistant professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering. Amir AghaKouchak of the University of California, Irvine, also contributed to the paper.

The researchers write that mismanagement by the country's authorities is exacerbating existing strains on the semi-arid country's aquifers by an inefficient agriculture industry. Without urgent action, they note, the country faces multiple national crises.

"The continuation of unsustainable groundwater management in Iran can lead to potentially irreversible impacts on land and the environment, threatening the country's water, food and socioeconomic security," Ashraf says.

The authors write that an estimated 74 km3 of groundwater has been depleted from the country's 500 basins and sub-basins between 2002 and 2015. This has contributed to both growing soil salinity and an increase in land subsidencebasically, land sinking. Among the most at-risk regions of land subsidence is the Salt Lake Basin, which includes Iran's capital Tehran, home to some 15 million people and already at risk of severe seismic activity.

Human role is clear

The researchers used publicly available data published by the Iranian Ministry of Energy as the basis for the study.

"We wanted to quantify how much of Iran's groundwater was depleted," Nazemi explains. "Then we diagnosed why it was depleted. Was it driven by climate forces, by a lack of natural recharge or because of unsustainable withdrawal?"

After looking at all the data they had available, the researchers concluded that heavy agricultural demands were the overwhelming leading cause of groundwater depletion. The country's west, southwest and northeast, where farmers grow strategic crops like wheat and barley, experienced the most severe drops.

The paper notes that the number of registered wells that draw groundwater for agriculture has almost doubled in a decade and a half, from around 460,000 in 2002 to roughly 794,000 in 2015. Anthropogenic groundwater withdrawals decreased in 25 of the country's 30 basins during that same period. This suggests that the aquifers are being overexploited by human activity.

The researchers looked at soil electrical conductivity as a proxy for measuring salinity levels across the country and found that they were rising as well.

Urgent action required

Compounding all these problems are governments at the local and national levels that are not equipped to address the growing crisis for a variety of reasons, including international sanctions, local corruption and general mistrust of authorities among the population. But the authors say the country is in acute need of both short- and long-term solutions.

"In the short term, the unregistered wells need to be shut down," Nazemi says. "But longer term, Iran clearly needs an agricultural revolution. This requires a number of elements, including improving irrigation practices and adopting crop patterns that fit the country's environment."

While Iran is uniquely at risk due to its natural environment, growing population and ineffective governance, Nazemi warns that its experiences offer warnings to other countries, including Canada.

"Iran's example clearly shows that we need to be careful how we manage our water because one bad decision can have a huge domino effect. And if the problem is ignored, it will easily get out of control," he says. "It also illustrates the importance of environmental justice and stewardship. These are even more important when addressing the problem of climate change."

More information: Samaneh Ashraf et al, Anthropogenic drought dominates groundwater depletion in Iran, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Samaneh Ashraf et al, Anthropogenic drought dominates groundwater depletion in Iran,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88522-y
The NASA Black Brant XII rocket lifts off with the KiNET-X experiment at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Credit: NASA Wallops/Terry Zaperach

NASA launched one of its largest sounding rockets Sunday from an East Coast facility in an experiment led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute space physics professor.

The four-stage Black Brant XII rocket carrying the KiNET-X experiment of principal investigator Peter Delamere lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 8:44 p.m. Eastern time. The ascent of the rocket, which flew on an arc into the ionosphere before beginning its planned descent over the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, could be seen along the East Coast.

The experiment seeks to understand how a large mass of plasma such as the solar wind interacts at the particle level with, for example, the plasma of Earth's space environment.

The interaction between the solar wind and a planet's magnetosphere appears as the aurora, whether here on Earth or on another planet that has a magnetic field and a substantial atmosphere. Physicists have long been trying to understand how the interaction works.

"KiNET-X was a fantastic success, as the Wallops and science teams worked through unprecedented pandemic-related challenges," Delamere said. "Hats off to all involved. We couldn't have asked for a better outcome tonight."

The rocket released two canisters of barium thermite, which were then detonatedone at about 249 miles high and one 90 seconds later on the downward trajectory at about 186 miles, near Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean. The detonations produced purple and green clouds.

Glowing clouds created by the release of barium into the ionosphere. Credit: Don Hampton, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute

The barium, once dispersed from the canisters, turned into a plasma when it became ionized by the sunlight. The barium plasma clouds, which generated their own electromagnetic fields and waves, then interacted with the existing plasma of the ionosphere.

The experiment's science team has already begun analyzing the data from that interaction.

The launch came on the final day of the 10-day launch window. Previous days had been plagued by bad weather at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and in Bermuda, unacceptably high winds at upper elevations, and an incident in which the rocket "came in contact with a launcher support during launch preparations," according to NASA.

The experiment included three other Geophysical Institute space and plasma scientists: Project co-investigator Don Hampton, a Geophysical Institute research associate professor, was in Bermuda for ground observations; Geophysical Institute researchers Mark Conde, a space physics professor, and Antonius Otto, an emeritus professor of plasma physics, monitored the experiment from Fairbanks.

Two UAF students pursuing Ph.Ds at the Geophysical Institute also participated. Matthew Blandin supported optical operations at Wallops Flight Facility, and Kylee Branning was at Langley Air Research Center operating cameras on a NASA Gulfstream III monitoring the experiment.

The experiment also included researchers and equipment from Dartmouth University, University of New Hampshire, Clemson University, University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Preparation began in 2018, when NASA approved the project.

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Sea level rise will, it is commonly predicted, displace 187 million people by 2100. But the figure, which comes from a 2011 study, is controversial. Credit: Rish Agarwal / Unsplash

Governments who build defences against rising seas can actually increase their citizens' risk of being floodedif they fail to take account of the 'safe development paradox," according to a flood defence expert.

Professor Jeroen Aerts, a hydrologist at the Institute for Environmental Studies at Vrije University in The Netherlands, says that when a city builds a defensive wall or dyke, it can make its citizens feel so secure that they actually flock to live or to develop businesses in the protected area. What's more, they don't bother to install their own flood protection.

This means that when rarebut inevitableextreme flooding occurs the damage can be colossal.

It is just one way in which flood protection modellers may be underestimatingand sometimes overestimatingthe true consequences of sea level rise, says Prof. Aerts. And it is happening because physical scientists are failing to integrate human behaviour into their models.

Prof. Aerts leads a team that is trying to change this using the technique of agent-based modelling which attempts to reproduce complex phenomena like human behaviour. They use software that creates autonomous decision-making entities called agents, each of which assesses its situation and makes a decision based on a set of rules that have been drawn from survey data and decision theory.

Last year, they published a paper that underlined the problem of the safe development paradox. By modelling what is known about how humans behave when governments install flood protection where they live and work, the team demonstrated that 'the impact of extreme flood events increases considerably when governments provide high protection levels, especially in large metropolitan areas."

But the study went on to show that governments could 'largely counteract' this effect if they simultaneously promoted policies that encourage people to flood-proof their buildings.

Migration

Prof. Aerts believes that the failure of physical scientists to take human behaviour into account may also have led them to misjudge the degree to which flooding will drive migration. What's more, it means they are not identifying precisely where it would be best to target help, because the models don't distinguish adequately between those who will manage to look after themselves and those who won't.

Sea level rise will, it is commonly predicted, displace 187 million people by 2100. But the figure, which comes from a 2011 study, is controversial.

"Most modelling studies that deal with flooding risk or sea level rise use a top-down approach," said Prof. Aerts. "You have long-term scenarioslike how many centimetres is sea level going to rise, and what will the exposed population be  and you try to estimate the impact." Then, he said, the models are rerun to include the effects of various adaptation measures, such as dykes or managed retreat, after which researchers do a cost-benefit analysis.

But, Prof. Aerts said, 'they forget about (asking) what is the probability that this dyke will be built? Or what is the probability that people will retreat? So they do not take into account the human behavioural factor which determines whether or not this measure will be implemented.

"Natural scientists forget about the whole social science aspect of it."

Factors that get ignored include evidence that people's decisions to migrate, or to stay and defend their land, vary with their wealth, age, risk perception, trust of government and attitudes to individual freedom.

Social scientists

Prof. Aerts says that his team is now turning the models on their head, in a new project known as COASTMOVE. They are integrating a global coastal flood risk model with an agent-based model to simulate how governments, private sector actors such as insurance companies, and individuals act and influence each other.

Prof. Aerts believes that the failure of physical scientists to take human behaviour into account may also have led them to misjudge the degree to which flooding will drive migration. Credit: The Tampa Bay Estuary Program / Unsplash

Another difference is that social scientists are feeding data into the project.

"They provide me with the information about under what conditions are people going to implement a certain measure, from the individual level to the higher aggregate government level," said Prof. Aerts.

Some of this information is from pre-existing surveys on what drives people to migrate or otherwise respond to floods. The rest will be gathered from new surveys in six coastal areas in France, Ghana, the Marshall Islands, the United States, Vietnam and Bangladesh.

Other, less traditional sources of information will come from data already collected via mobile phones, Twitter posts and even tax returns.

They will use data from Bangladesh, for example, where other researchers have been able to discover, from anonymised mobile phone data, how many people have fled from floods, where they travelled, and how soon they returned. They will also use data that Prof. Aerts has gathered over the last six years using algorithms to monitor tweets that mention the word 'flood', in 20 different languages. This provides daily flood maps that give 'a pretty good idea of where we can expect most of the problems," he said.

More data is coming from the United States where it has been possible to draw conclusions about migration after flooding from the location from which people have filed their annual tax returns.

Vulnerabilities

By simulating adaptive behaviour, the team hopes to provide more refined predictions about the degree to which sea level rise will cause migrationin the form of 1x1km2 global migration maps.

Dr. Bina Desai, head of policy and research at the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, says that sea level rise will bring a variety of direct and indirect impacts, which will affect people differently depending on factors such as inequality and poverty, that are not adequately reflected in models.

"What's needed, if we think about risk of migration and displacement, is modelling with a less strong focus on the hazard and a stronger focus on underlying vulnerabilities and what exacerbates them," she said.

"In principle, it's the only way to do it," Dr. Desai said of COASTMOVE's approach. Even as a conceptual model, she adds, it will help to work out how the many factors interrelate.

"The downside is to move beyond the conceptual model," she added. "If you want to translate that into numbers then (when we have tried it) we found we failed because all the inputs could not be populated with data.

"But if they can find a way of doing it by (collecting enough data), using proxies and making assumptions and somehow modelling it out then I think that's great."

Just how are our seas changing and rising with climate change and the melting of Earth's ice caps? This is the final story in a three-part series looking at the past, present and future of extreme sea level rise. In part one, we looked at what the last interglacial can tell us about extreme sea level rise and in part two we looked at rise of atmospheric 'meteotsunamis."

Explore further One degree of global warming causes a 50% increase in population displacement risk
Red Buttes Wilderness, southern Oregon. Credit: Will Downing, OSU

Oregon State University researchers say 'topographic templates' can help forest conservation managers develop strategies for protecting and restoring the most fire-resistant parts of vulnerable forests across a range of ecosystems.

That's important because changing wildfire regimes are affecting forests around the globe, the scientists note, and areas that burn over and over in relatively quick succession may not be able to recover between fires.

'Fire refugia'areas that burn less frequently and/or less severely than the landscape around themare crucial for supporting post-blaze ecosystem recovery, including the persistence of species under pressure.

Findings of the study, led by faculty research assistant Will Downing, were published in Global Change Biology.

"Observed and projected forest losses from wildfire tell us that we need to understand where and why refugia persists through multiple fire events," said OSU ecologist Meg Krawchuk, who oversees the College of Forestry's Landscape Fire and Conservation Science lab group. "And we really need to understand fire refugia in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion of southwest Oregon and northwest California. That area holds some of the most diverse collections of conifers in western North America, and expected increases in fire activity, along with a warming climate, could result in the loss of more than 30% of the region's conifer forests."

Krawchuk, Downing, Matt Gregory of the College of Forestry and Garrett Meigs of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources used recent advances in fire progression mapping and weather interpolationestimating the information between known weather data pointsplus a novel application of satellite smoke imagery to build new fire refugia statistical models for the Klamath-Siskiyou region.

The analysis focused on mature, conifer-dominated forests and looked at the key factors behind fire refugia occurrence and persistence through a series of three fire events over 32 years.

"The models suggest hotter-than-average fire weather is associated with lower refugia probability and higher fire severity," Krawchuk said. "Refugia that persisted through three fire events appeared to benefit from topographic variabilitya mix of rocky outcrops and landscape depressions, for examplewhich means the variability may be an important stabilizing factor as forests experience successive fires."

In addition, the models show that smoke density strongly influences fire effectsrefugia are more likely to occur when smoke is moderate or dense in the morning, a connection the scientists attribute to the shade smoke provides.

"Our hope is that this study can inform management strategies designed to protect fire-resistant portions of biologically and topographically diverse landscapes," Krawchuk said.

Fire refugia are part of a larger category of hardy areas known as disturbance refugia, and comparatively little is known about why certain refugia are able to hang tough as they pass through successive 'fire filters,' she said.

"Refugia can be transient and survive a single fire because of random weather or fire behavior conditions, or there can be persistent refugia that don't change very much in the face of multiple fire events," Downing said.

The Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion is ideal for studying refugia occurrence and persistence because it's a 'biodiversity hotspot' in which fire has been a key ecological component for thousands of years.

"Fire there has contributed to the maintenance of patchy, heterogeneous landscapes of conifer and hardwood forests, shrublands and grasslands," Downing said. "But a hotter and drier climate and a lack of surviving post-fire seed sources eat away at the ability of conifer forests to recover after a high-severity fire. Climate change is expected to increase fire frequency in the region, and repeat burning is projected to convert about a third of the conifer forest to shrublands or hardwood forest by the end of the 21st century."

In some cases, that conversion will be a good thing ecologically, she saidsuch as where fire suppression has led to a decline in early seral communities, those that spring up after a stand-replacing event and before a new forest takes hold. In others, carbon storage and biodiversity, as well as timber supply, will be vulnerable from widespread conifer forest loss.

"Figuring out which areas are most likely to persist as forest through wildfire requires using landscape-scale assessments of the factors behind fire behavior and severity: topography, fuels and weather," Krawchuk said. "Refugia are ecologically important parts of fire severity mosaics, and it appears that the more times a landscape burns, the more important terrain features are for refugia persistence."

More information: William M. Downing et al, Where and why do conifer forests persist in refugia through multiple fire events?, Global Change Biology (2021). Journal information: Global Change Biology William M. Downing et al, Where and why do conifer forests persist in refugia through multiple fire events?,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15655
X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Credit: NASA

For new sun-watching spacecraft, the first solar eruption is always special.

On February 12, 2021, a little more than a year from its launch, the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter caught sight of this coronal mass ejection, or CME. This view is from the mission's SoloHI instrumentshort for Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imagerwhich watches the solar wind, dust, and cosmic rays that fill the space between the sun and the planets.

It's a brief, grainy view: Solar Orbiter's remote sensing won't enter full science mode until November. SoloHI used one of its four detectors at less than 15% of its normal cadence to reduce the amount of data acquired. Still, a keen eye can spot the sudden blast of particles, the CME, escaping the sun, which is off camera to the upper right. The CME starts about halfway through the video as a bright burstthe dense leading edge of the CMEand drifts off screen to the left.

For SoloHI, catching this CME was a happy accident. At the time the eruption reached the spacecraft, Solar Orbiter had just passed behind the sun from Earth's perspective and was coming back around the other side. When the mission was being planned, the team wasn't expecting to be able to record any data during that time.

The first coronal mass ejection, or CME, observed by the Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) appears as a sudden gust of white (the dense front from the CME) that expands into the solar wind. This video uses difference images, created by subtracting the pixels of the previous image from the current image to highlight changes. The missing spot in the image on the far right is an overexposed area where light from the spacecraft solar array is reflected into SoloHIs view. The little black and white boxes that blip into view are telemetry blocks  an artifact from compressing the image and sending it back down to Earth. Credit: ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/SoloHI team/NRL

"But since we planned this out, the ground stations and the technology have been upgraded," said Robin Colaninno, principal investigator for SoloHI at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "So we actually got more downlink time for the mission than what was originally scheduled." So SoloHI winked onand caught its first CME.

Two more imagers on Solar OrbiterESA's Extreme Ultraviolet Imager and Metisalso captured views of the CME.

NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, short for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, also caught a glimpse from its COR2 detector, which blocks out the sun's bright disk to see otherwise faint phenomena in the solar wind.

The first CME witnessed by Solar Orbiters Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager, as seen from NASAs Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-A spacecraft. Credit: NASA/STEREO/COR2

Back on Earth, NASA's Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office modeled the CME to trace its trajectory through the solar system. The positions of Solar Orbiter, marked with a red diamond, and STEREO-A, a red square, reveal their different vantage points.

The modeled path of the CME observed by SoloHI on February 12, 2021. The plot on the far left shows the Sun as a white circle in the center, and the inner planets and some spacecraft appear in their positions in orbit. The center and right panels show different angles of the same model, focusing on Earth. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center/M2M/CCMC

NASA spacecraft have been watching CMEs for decades, but Solar Orbiter is still a game-changer. "We've realized in the last 25 years that there's a lot that happens to a CME between the surface of the sun and Earth," said Colaninno. "So we're hoping to get much better resolution images of all of these outflows by being closer to the sun."

Solar Orbiter has already taken the closest picture of the sun to date, and it will only get closer. Solar Orbiter's official mission begins in November, when SoloHI and the rest of the remote-sensing instruments will be switched on in full science mode.

Explore further Solar Orbiter images first coronal mass ejections
Credit: Official SpaceX Photos/flickr

In December 2020, the Indonesian government had offered the Papuan island of Biak, home to some 100,000 inhabitants, to the centibillionare Elon Musk as a potential launch site for the SpaceX Mars-bound expedition.

SpaceX, an aerospace corporation founded in 2002 by Musk, is arguably the world's most leading-edge technological project. It aims to enable humans to travel to and live on Mars and potentially other planets sustainably and at scale.

This way, human civilisation can continue in the event of a planetary disasterfor instance, an asteroid strike or nuclear warthat would make life on Earth impossible.

At a local level, government officials say the project will help enhance the economic development of the residents of Biak, a rural island where urban infrastructure is lacking.

Most recently, local news reported on March 11 that the Indonesian government has denied making the offer to Elon Musk, although a report published in late March by JUBI, a news website based in the capital city of Papua, Jayapura, claims the SpaceX project in Biak is still ongoing.

It is still unclear whether Musk has confirmed his acceptance of the government's offer.

However, many Biak residents have voiced strong opposition to the project.

They fear it may damage their natural environment, have negative impacts on their cultures and livelihoods, and displace communities from their homes and villages.

Economic and strategic factors

Biak island is an attractive location for the Mars expedition for economic and strategic reasons.

The island sits within a region rich in natural resources, including copper and nickel. These metals are essential for the production of rockets and long-range batteries for electric vehicles, like Tesla (another Elon Musk venture).

Biak is also located one degree south of the equator, meaning less fuel will be required for a spacecraft to reach orbit.

SpaceX expects to generate revenue of US$36 billion by 2025, although the accuracy of such projections is disputed.

As a social anthropologist, I have spent many years researching how Indigenous Papuan peoples interact with their natural environments.

In particular, I have been exploring how Papuan cultural values and traditions shape how they engage with and understand the value and meaning of the natural environmentthe forests, oceans, rivers and land.

Between March and April 2021, I interviewed 10 Biak inhabitants to understand their perspectives on the SpaceX project.

The overwhelming majority of these individuals believe they have the right to decide what developments happen on their lands and what kind of livelihoods they want to pursue.

One of the elders explained that local communities in Biak have been fishing, gathering, hunting and engaging in small-scale horticulture and animal husbandry for many generations.

The idea of achieving sustainability in outer space, especially Mars, was strange for many of the interviewees. They firmly believe that the way they use forests and oceans is already sustainable.

Land and livelihoods

The SpaceX project could also threaten the lands and livelihoods of Biak residents. They continue to rely primarily on fishing, hunting and horticulture for their daily subsistence.

As with other Indigenous Papuan communities, the land and environment represent an integral part of the richness of their local cultures.

As several interviewees explained, clans and tribes in the Biak area share ancestry with different plants, species and locations in the landscape, which are responsible for their health and well-being.

For instance, the crocodile is said to represent the power of the sea and Biak clans consider it a sacred totem animal.

To Biak and other Papuan dwellers, the environment is also a source of precious traditional knowledge, stories passed down through generations, and animist belief systems.

Biak myths often feature forest plants like the coconut palm, animals including snakes and birds, and natural phenomena like the Moon and Sun.

For Biak inhabitants, damaging the environment means damaging local people's sense of cultural identity, belonging and pride.

Another risk is that the Biak project might displace populations.

One of the Biak elders I interviewed noted that relocating tribes to other territories could cause problems with the tribes already inhabiting and owning these territories.

This in turn risks leading to land disputes, social conflict and more violence.

Deep-rooted trauma

Many Biak dwellers whom I interviewed also argue that the project will obscure the history of violence and suffering, and the dreams of justice and freedom for West Papuans, in favor of rockets and space exploration.

In particular, the transformation of their island into a launchpad for extra-planetary discovery risks further obscuring the trauma that haunts the relatives and descendants of those who died in the Biak Massacre of July 1998.

The Biak Massacre Citizens Tribunalan expert witness and judicial inquiry event held at the University of Sydney in December 2013concluded that Indonesian military and security forces had tortured, raped, killed and dumped hundreds of Biak civilians at sea.

Some of the victims had attempted to raise the West Papua Morning Star flaga crime punishable by up to 15 years' jail under Indonesian law.

To date, no charges have been laid against the perpetrators of the violence.

The government denies responsibility for this event, described by human rights organisations as one of the worst massacres in Indonesia's post-Suharto history.

Unhealed trauma plays a big part in shaping Biak residents' reactions to the SpaceX project.

For many inhabitants, looking into the future demands first and foremost a recognition by the national and international community of the violence that has characterised West Papua's modern past and the denied freedoms that continue to characterise its present.

From my long years working with and learning from Indigenous Papuans, I have come to understand that they, too, have their own dreams, including dreams of justice, healthy environments and cultural continuity.

Indigenous Papuan peoples are among the last standing guardians and custodians of rich Indigenous civilisations in Indonesia. These are grounded in relations of respect and nurture with the land and environment. Papuan peoples envision hopeful futures for their children and grandchildren to comenot on Mars or the Moon, but right here on their own customary lands, forests and seas.

The problem arises when some dreams are prioritised at the cost of others.

Extra-planetary exploration may promise revolutionary futures for humans to come. But it should not undermine the well-being and justice of humans today.

Humanity's shared future can only be great if all visions of the future are respectfully taken into accountthose of entrepreneurs and government, but also those of local communities and their increasingly vulnerable environments.

Explore further Indonesia wants to lure SpaceX to build rocket launch site

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Gavin Mudd, Author provided

Buried in last week's budget was money for rehabilitating the Rum Jungle uranium mine near Darwin. The exact sum was not disclosed.

Rum Jungle used to be a household name. It was Australia's first large-scale uranium mine and supplied the US and British nuclear weapons programs during the Cold War.

Today, the mine is better known for extensively polluting the Finniss River after it closed in 1971. Despite a major rehabilitation project by the Commonwealth in the 1980s, the damage to the local environment is ongoing.

I first visited Rum Jungle in 2004, and it was a colourful mess, to say the least. Over later years, I saw it worsen. Instead of a river bed, there were salt crusts containing heavy metals and radioactive material. Pools of water were rich reds and aqua greenshallmarks of water pollution. Healthy aquatic species were nowhere to be found, like an ecological desert.

The government's second rehabilitation attempt is significant, as it recognises mine rehabilitation isn't always successful, even if it appears so at first.

Rum Jungle serves as a warning: rehabilitation shouldn't be an afterthought, but carefully planned, invested in and monitored for many, many years. Otherwise, as we've seen, it'll be left up to future taxpayers to fix.

Rehabilitation of Rum Jungle began in the 1980s. Credit: Mick Stanic/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

The quick and dirty history

Rum Jungle produced uranium from 1954 to 1971, roughly one-third of which was exported for nuclear weapons. The rest was stockpiled, and then eventually sold in 1994 to the US.

The mine was owned by the federal government, but was operated under contract by a former subsidiary of Rio Tinto. Back then, there were no meaningful environmental regulations in place for mining, especially for a military project.

The waste rock and tailings (processed ore) at Rum Jungle contains significant amounts of iron sulfide, called "pyrite". When mining exposes the pyrite to water and oxygen, a chemical reaction occurs generating so-called "acidic mine drainage". This drainage is rich in acid, salts, heavy metals and radioactive material (radionuclides), such as copper, zinc and uranium.

Acid drainage seeping from waste rock, plus acidic liquid waste from the process plant, caused fish and macroinvertebrates (bugs, worms, crustaceans) to die out, and riverbank vegetation to decline. By the time the mine closed in 1971, the region was a well-known ecological wasteland.

When mines close, the modern approach is to rehabilitate them to an acceptable condition, with the aim of minimal ongoing environmental damage. But after working in environmental engineering across Australia for 26 years, I've seen few mines completely rehabilitatedlet alone successfully.

Many Australian mines have major problems with acid mine drainage. This includes legacy mines from historical, unregulated times (Mount Morgan, Captains Flat, Mount Lyell) and modern mines built under stricter environmental requirements (Mount Todd, Redbank, McArthur River).

This is why Rum Jungle is so important: it was one of the very few mines once thought to have been rehabilitated successfully.

Salts litter the bed of the Finniss River. Credit: Gavin Mudd, Author provided

So what went wrong?

From 1983 to 1986, the government spent some A$18.6 million (about $55.5 million in 2020 value) to reduce acid drainage and restore the Finniss River ecology. Specially engineered soil covers were placed over the waste rock to reduce water and oxygen getting into the pyrite.

The engineering project was widely promoted as successful through conferences and academic studies, with water quality monitoring showing that the metals polluting the Finniss had substantially subsided. But this lasted only for a decade.

By the late 1990s, it became clear the engineered soil covers weren't working effectively anymore.

First, the design was insufficient to reduce infiltration of water during the wet season (thicker covers should have been used). Second, the covers weren't built to design in parts (they were thinner and with the wrong type of soils).

The first reason is understandable, we'd never done this before. But the second is not acceptable, as the thinner covers and wrong soils made it easier for water and oxygen to get into the waste rock and generate more polluting acid mine drainage.

The iron-tainted red hues of the Finniss River near the waste rock dumps leaking acid mine drainage. Credit: Gavin Mudd, Author provided

The stakes are higher

There are literally thousands of recent and still-operating mines around Australia, where acid mine drainage remains a minor or extreme risk. Other, now closed, acid drainage sites have taken decades to bring under control, such as Brukunga in South Australia, Captain's Flat in NSW, and Agricola in Queensland.

We got it wrong with Rum Jungle, which generated less than 20 million tonnes of mine waste. Modern mines, such as Mount Whaleback in the Pilbara, now involve billions of tonnesand we have dozens of them. Getting even a small part of modern mine rehabilitation wrong could, at worst, mean billions of tonnes of mine waste polluting for centuries.

So what's the alternative? Let's take the former Woodcutters lead-zinc mine, which operated from 1985 to 1999, as an example.

Given its acid drainage risks, the mine's rehabilitation involved placing reactive waste into the open pit, rather than using soil covers. "Backfilling" such wastes into pits makes good sense, as the pyrite is deeper and not exposed to oxygen, substantially reducing acid drainage risks.

Backfilling isn't commonly used because it's widely perceived in the industry as expensive. Clearly, we need to better assess rehabilitation costs and benefits to justify long-term options, steering clear of short-term, lowest-cost approaches.

The Woodcutters experience shows such thinking can be done to improve the chances for successfully restoring the environment.

The copper-tainted green hues of the Finniss River near the waste rock dumps leaking acid mine drainage. Credit: Gavin Mudd, Author provided

Getting it right

The federal government funded major environmental studies of the Rum Jungle mine from 2009, including an environmental impact statement in 2020, before the commitment in this year's federal budget.

The plan this time includes backfilling waste rock into the open pits, and engineering much more sophisticated soil covers. It will need to be monitored for decades.

And the cost of it? Well, that was kept confidential in the budget due to sensitive commercial negotiations.

But based on my experiences, I reckon they'd be lucky to get any change from half a billion dollars. Let's hope we get it right this time.

Explore further Evaluating the rehabilitation of an old mine waste rock pile

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Zagros Mountains on the edge of Mesopotamia (Iran). Credit: Madelaine Bohme

The formation of deserts on the Arabian Peninsula had a decisive impact on the migration and evolution of large mammals and our human ancestors over millions of years. That is the conclusion of a new study by an international research team led by Professor Madelaine Bohme of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tubingen. The researchers reconstructed the climate history of the northern Arabian Peninsula from 12.5 to 2.5 million years ago using aridity-sensitive data obtained from rocks from Mesopotamia. This yielded new clues about the causes of animal migrations. The results have been published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

The evolution of today's African savannah fauna took place in relative isolation over the past five million years. This has been known for some time, as has the fact that the ancestors of many savannah animals such as rhinos, giraffes, hyenas and big cats came from Eurasia. However, what led the animals to make this large-scale change of location between the continents was unclear until now.

Climate data stored in rock

The northern Arabian Peninsula is the gateway to Africa. Today, it includes desert areas such as the Syrian Desert, the Negev Desert in Israel and the Saudi Nefud Desert, as well as less dry steppes and semi-deserts in Mesopotamia, the largest part of which is in present-day Iraq. The research team studied the 2.6-kilometer-thick rock layers at the foot of the Zagros Mountains in Iran, on the edge of Mesopotamia, using chemical, physical and geological methods. The researchers found evidence for four brief phases of desertification in Mesopotamia, each lasting only a few tens of thousands of years. These phases, 8.75 million, 7.78 million, 7.5 million and 6.25 million years ago, were each interrupted by periods of wetter climate. "5.6 million years ago, coinciding with the temporary drying-out of the Mediterranean Sea, Mesopotamia experienced an extreme drought that lasted for 2.3 million years," says Madelaine Bohme. This exceptionally long-lasting period of desert climatereferred to by Bohme's team as NADX (Neogene Arabian Desert climaX)  was only ended by global warming 3.3 million years ago, she says.

Researchers examined 12 million years of climate history of the northern Arabian Peninsula on 2.6 kilometer-thick rock layers. Credit: University of Tubingen

Phases of migration and isolation

"Contrary to what we had expected, these desert phases on the Arabian Peninsula did not coincide with those in the African Sahara," Bohme reports. Desertification in the Sahara was causally linked to polar ice formations, she says, while that on the Arabian Peninsula and in Mesopotamia was linked to a low water table in the Caspian Sea, according to the findings. "The reciprocal emergence and decay of deserts in the Sahara in northern Africa, on the one hand, and on the Arabian Peninsula in western Asia, on the other, is like a kind of swing, a desert swing," Bohme says.

The research team assumes that these changing and initially short-lived deserts formed in Mesopotamia were the push factor behind the spread of mammals from Eurasia to Africa. By contrast, during the subsequent extremely long-lasting desert phase NADX, the African continent was cut off from migration and exchange with Eurasia for 2.3 million years, she said. "During this time, the Eurasian arrivals gave rise to today's African savanna fauna, and the australopithecids evolved, our human ancestors," Bohme explains. During the global warm period 3.3 million years ago, the deserts in both continents shrank, ending Africa's isolation, and a mutual exchange developed between the faunas of Africa and Eurasia. The first dogs, pigs and sheep appeared in Africa, and the ancestors of the mammoth and the Asian elephant migrated to Eurasia.

Explanation for two phenomena

"Climatological explanations for two central phenomena emerge for the first time from our study," Bohme sums up. On the one hand, these underpin Bohme's Out-Of-Europe hypothesis, according to which the ancestors of African apes and humans evolved in Europe, but dispersed south six to seven million years ago, so that their further evolution took place in Africa. On the other hand, this could explain why the evolution of the African savannah fauna, including human ancestors, took place during a long period of isolation.

Explore further Earliest hominin migrations into the Arabian Peninsula required no novel adaptations

More information: Madelaine Bohme et al. Neogene hyperaridity in Arabia drove the directions of mammalian dispersal between Africa and Eurasia, Communications Earth & Environment (2021). Madelaine Bohme et al. Neogene hyperaridity in Arabia drove the directions of mammalian dispersal between Africa and Eurasia,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-021-00158-y
Update: 18-05-2021 | 16:07:41

Vietnam, which held the chair of ASEAN in 2020, had set the agenda for future chairpersons of ASEAN, not only for 2021 but also for the next several years, said an assessment recently published by The Times of India, an Indian-based Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media.

Illustrative photo

The assessment, titled Vietnams influence in ASEAN meetings 2021, mentioned Vietnams Cohesiveness and Responsive theme for 2020. It said the theme highlights ASEANs unity and solidarity in the face of increasing challenges. Brunei as Chair of ASEAN this year is continuing with the policies laid down by Vietnam by selecting the theme of We care, We prepare, We prosper.

The article said Vietnam had stressed a need for leveraging the fourth industrial revolution, focusing on the requirements of not only capital but also raw materials. Hence in February 2021, the bloc discussed a plan to exploit mineral resources and developing the ASEAN Mineral Cooperation Action Plan in a time-bound manner. Vietnams emphasis on economic development was further taken up by the chair in the ASEAN Leaders Meeting in April 2021. Brunei stressed the timely realisation of Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) under the ASEAN Economic Community Pillar.

Taking forward Vietnams priorities for community development and unity were taken up in ASEAN meetings this year. In a March meeting, plans for ASEAN Community development in 2025 and ASEAN after 2025 were proposed. Brunei emphasised better care, effective preparations, and prosperity. The ASEAN chair also underscored the need to maintain the unity, centrality, and relevance of ASEAN in the region and to collectively address common challenges.

According to the assessment, COVID-19 health-related issues were in the focus of Vietnam last year. At the ASEAN level, under Vietnams chairmanship, all channels of communications among member states were activated to share their problems and take appropriate actions. In April this year, Brunei convened the ASEAN Leaders Meeting to advance the blocs community building, fasten post-pandemic recovery, strengthen ASEANs external relations, and address pressing issues of common interest. Brunei stressed the commitment for the implementation of the Plan of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework in a timely manner.

The article said Vietnam, last year, paid great attention to the policy moves on the Indo-Pacific and stressed the ASEAN Outlook for Indo-Pacific (AOIP), while engaging with other nations. This year, Brunei has highlighted the need for engaging ASEAN external partners through ASEAN-led mechanisms in order to build mutual trust and confidence as well as to reinforce an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at the centre./.

VNA
Homicide detectives and other officers combed the street Monday afternoon. The shooting scene is between several vacant homes with boarded-up windows and was taped off by police. Officers set markers in an alley where the shooting took place as neighborhood residents watched.
QUEENSBURY  A Glens Falls man has admitted to setting fire to a vacant home in Queensbury in November 2019.

Anthony J. Hart, 21, pleaded guilty in Warren County Court on May 12 to fifth-degree arson.

Hart was arrested on Nov. 7, 2019, after police said he set a home on fire next to the former Leos Lobster restaurant on Route 9 near the Lake George town line.

He had been staying in a cabin at the King Hendrick Motel across the road. The Warren County Department of Social Services had placed him there after he needed temporary assistance after coming to the area from Schenectady.

Police suspected him after he was asking a lot of questions at the fire scene. He admitted to setting leaves next to the home on fire.

Hart had been charged with felony fourth-degree arson, but he pleaded guilty to the reduced misdemeanor count.

Hart also pleaded guilty to second-degree rape in an unrelated case. He was arrested in January on charges of second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sex act after police said he had sex with a 14-year-old girl on Dec. 30, 2019.

There were no allegations that he forced the girl to have sex, but she was too young to legally consent to sex.
NEW YORK (AP)  A leg injury may keep Robert De Niro from celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival. The accident happened last week in Oklahoma while on location for the upcoming Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

The two-time Oscar-winner immediately flew back to New York to get it checked out.

My leg is fine  I ripped a ligament I guess in my quad, so I have to have it reattached to my knee. Buts its OK, De Niro said Saturday during an interview promoting this year's Tribeca events. Its all manageable. Thats all. All good.

The accident happened at his on-location home, and the actor was not due to shoot additional scenes for several weeks.

While his scenes for the film can be pushed back further to accommodate his recovery, he may not have the same luxury when the Tribeca Film Festival kicks off on June 9. De Niro co-founded the event with producer Jane Rosenthal.

Yeah, I dont know because I have (surgery on) my leg, I got the whole thing. Im not sure well have to figure that out," De Niro said. Well figure that out once we get closer.
Editor:

On Friday, May 7, a group of local health professionals and other interested parties had arranged to have a half-hour discussion with Senator Stec about the Medical Aid in Dying Legislation, which continues to languish in both houses of the New York Legislature.

This legislation is modeled after Oregons Death with Dignity Act, which was enacted in 1997 and since has been adopted by nine other states and D.C. It would allow New Yorkers with mental capacity, a terminal illness (verified by two doctors) and a prognosis of less than six months to live the ability to request a prescription for medication from their physician which they could take (or not) to peacefully end their lives should suffering become unbearable. The legislation has numerous safeguards and protections and there have been no instances of abuse or coercion in its many years as law.

The group had contacted Sen. Stec's office and a Zoom meeting was arranged. He selected the date and time. Four members of the group had carefully prepared presentations and were poised to answer any questions from the senator. This legislation is widely supported among health professionals (67% of New York doctors) and people across the political, geographic, ethnic and religious spectrum (70% of Catholics support it).
The lawsuit alleges Frazier, a former caseworker at the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency, sexually abused the child over three years, including in a bathroom inside the Smalls home. Frazier was a substitute teacher in the district from 2015 to 2017 while LaQuetta Small was principal of the Pennsylvania Avenue School.

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Frazier had lived with the Smalls in their Atlantic City home while attending Stockton University and for some time after, Small has said, but moved out to live in his own apartment in October 2015.

LaQuetta Small has said she dismissed Frazier as a school employee in 2017 when she discovered Minor Child 1 was staying over Fraziers home in violation of school policy.

Mother of victim of Kayan Frazier sues Smalls, Atlantic City school board ATLANTIC CITY  The mother of a child sexually abused by a relative of Mayor Marty Small Sr.

The federal lawsuit alleges LaQuetta Small not only knew of the sleepovers with Minor Child 1, but also had allowed her own son to participate in them for a time. It alleges she knew of Fraziers abusive behavior because she eventually prohibited her son from continuing to go to the sleepovers.

In March, the Smalls filed a slander lawsuit in Atlantic County Superior Court against Craig Callaway and five unnamed others for comments Callaway made on local radio programs, claiming the Smalls allowed sexual abuse to happen in their home.
Southlake, Texas, is not the most unlikely place for a showdown over critical race theory.

The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb is a red city, but its surrounding county went blue in the last presidential election (for the first time in more than 50 years) and its the demographics are dramatically shifting as coastal Democrats flock to Texas. Progressive ideologies about race and culture are starting to close in.

Southlakes demographics  wealthy, well-educated and white  also are typical of enclaves where things like critical race theory and its more innocuous aliases are ascendant.

But such theories met resistance in the May nonpartisan municipal elections, in which two school board candidates who were against a proposed cultural competence action plan for the district trounced two who supported it, by a margin greater than that which separated Donald Trump and Joe Biden in November.

That suggests these candidates and their respective ideologies werent solely defeated by a bunch of pro-Trumpers on purely partisan lines, as some have argued, but by a broader coalition of voters who perceive real harm in the unrelenting effort by a powerful few to frame everything, in all circumstances, through the lens of race.
May 18, 2021 in Illustration (E)

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The new addition to ConceptDraw Solutions is a paid item ($25 USD) for current users of the latest ConceptDraw DIAGRAM v14 app. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is well-known for its ability to exchange documents with Microsoft Visio. It can open and save files that can be used by Visio (VSD, VDX, and VSDX documents) users. It retails for $199 (USD) per end user license.

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###
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama lawmakers ended the 2021 legislative session without a vote on a gambling bill, and Gov. Kay Ivey indicated she will only call a special session on the issue if lawmakers can reach an agreement  something the have been unable to do for decades.

The session wound down Monday night without a House vote on the Senate-passed lottery and casino bill. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said House leaders opted not to bring the bill up for debate on the busy final legislative day after negotiations fell apart earlier this month.

Im quite disappointed, said Republican Sen. Jim McClendon, who sponsored the bill. He said the Senate worked hard to get a compromise, only to see the bill fall apart in the House. It was a lot of work, but so much for that this session, McClendon said.

Alabamians last voted on the issue of gambling in 1999 when voters rejected then-Gov. Don Siegelmans proposed lottery to fund education. Over the next two decades lawmakers made multiple attempts to pass a gambling bill but the efforts failed amid battles and turf wars over casino gambling.

A spokeswoman for Ivey said the governor has no plans to call a special session and would only consider it if lawmakers reached an agreement.
"I believe this demonstrates how there needs to be a broader public discussion of how the city is spending its CDBG funds, especially funding for affordable housing," she said. "That said, I cannot justify to the residents who voted for me to spend $230,000 on one house and then selling it for maybe $50,000.

"I have not made this decision lightly."

According to a memo provided to council members by Small-Vollman and Miles Brainard, planning and redevelopment administrator, Pillar Construction was the only contractor to submit a bid during the three-month request for proposal process.

Small-Vollman and Brainard said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cost of materials to skyrocket, leading to the high cost of renovation for the home. Although the house is "structurally sound," it requires lead and asbestos abatement, all new electrical and plumbing, installation of an HVAC system, a new water heater, new windows, siding, and the front and back porches will be rebuilt. The estimated cost of the renovation is $209,105.

Pillar Construction will have six months to complete the work. "Once completed, the house will be sold to an income qualifying family at an affordable price," the memo states.
CAMBRIDGE  Three California residents appeared Monday in Henry County Circuit Court on preliminary hearings for Class X felony methamphetamine trafficking after the 2006 Honda Accord they were traveling in April 27 was allegedly found to hold 31.8 pounds of methamphetamine.

Judge James Cosby found probable cause to believe Adaliz Olivares, 25, of Los Angeles, the driver, and Orlando Najera, 65, of Compton, California, to whom the Accord was registered, committed felonies. The judge will hear further arguments on passenger accountability and rule Thursday whether to proceed with the case on the third person in the car, Louis E. Villagalvan, 39, also of Los Angeles.

Trooper Hayden Combs testified to pulling over the Accord after Olivares stopped past the stop sign at the bottom of the exit ramp off Interstate 80 eastbound about 3:15 p.m. April 27. He said he called for routine backup in the parking lot at Beck's Oil, and Sgt. Sean Veryzer's K-9 alerted on the vehicle.

In the trunk, officers found tools and equipment for making a false compartment for holding contraband. Under the hood, they found a Spark Nano 7 GPS unit in a magnetic box. The 31.8 pounds  approximately 14,400 grams  of suspected methamphetamine was found in a hidden compartment in the gas tank after the vehicle was sent to Hancock Repair on Route 82 north of Geneseo.
The Mississippi River Visitor Center at Locks and Dam 15 on the Rock Island Arsenal will reopen to the public Sunday, May 23, according to a news release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District.

Summer visiting hours through Labor Day weekend will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

The Mississippi River Visitor Center includes an observation deck, museum, interactive displays, theater, gift shop, small aquarium and a view of the locks.

Corps of Engineers park rangers and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and assist anyone interested in purchasing America the Beautiful Interagency Passes or USACE annual day use passes.

Face masks are required to be worn while inside the visitor center.

The Mississippi River Visitor Center is located at Building 328, Rodman Ave, Rock Island.

To gain access to the Rock Island Arsenal, all visitors must acquire a visitor pass from the Visitor Control Center located at 5309 Prospect Drive, Rock Island, near the Moline entrance.
Williams told police that he gave Zorii her bottle while the mother was in the shower and he burped her and placed her in a bassinet. Zorii was placed on her back on the pillow. He told police that he was the last to hold Zorii and the other children were upstairs in their rooms, according to the documents.
We will be happy to invite the public back into this building." Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, told reporters, noting the unusually high number of lawmakers and journalists present Monday. "To have members of the public here in this building, making lots of noise while were doing our work, is how it is supposed to be.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, of East Gull Lake, said he didn't oppose allowing spectators into the public galleries for the special session.

This is the peoples house, Gazelka told reporters.

The House included several policing measures in its public safety budget bill; the Senate never gave them a hearing. Gazelka acknowledged in his closing speech on the Senate floor that there were strong passions on both sides, but indicated that less controversial measures could make it into the final package.

We are not going to do anything that we perceive as anti-police, but we are going to look at things that are police accountability that would make sense," Gazelka said.
PEORIA  A toddler died Saturday night after being tangled in the cords of window blinds, the Peoria County Coroner's Office said Monday.

An autopsy on Monday showed the 18-month-old child suffered strangulation due the cords around the neck, Coroner Jamie Harwood said.

"The death is being investigated as a very tragic accident; no foul play is suspected," he said.

About 6:30 p.m., emergency response workers went to a house within the city of Peoria after the parents found the girl tangled up the cords.

Paramedics found the girl unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. She was transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 7:17 p.m.

This incident is under investigation by the Peoria Police Department.
Adam Mason, state policy director for the liberal advocacy group Citizens for Community Improvement, in a statement called the bill clearly an attack on protestors with the statewide movement for Black liberation, who protested for months to demand racial justice and true public safety.

Multiple Republicans countered that anyone concerned with the heightened penalties should not riot, and said the legislation is needed to protect police officers and property owners, including businesses, from the kind of damage that sometimes occurred during racial justice protests last summer.

We saw a lot of rioting in the last year, and I dont think its OK to go out and damage property, both private or public, and there needs to be consequences, Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, said during debate. If enhancing the penalty for that crime helps deter that crime, then I think thats appropriate.

Sen. Kevin Kinney, D-Oxford, a retired law enforcement officer, also raised concern with a provision that would expand the crime of eluding an officer to include drivers who do not pull over for an unmarked officer. Kinney said, for safety reasons, it is common to recommend a driver wait until reaching a more populated and well-lit area before pulling over for an unmarked officer.

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Despite unified control of state government, Iowa Republicans in the House, Senate and governors office spent weeks negotiating some of those provisions.

Because of the disciplined budgeting practices of Iowa House Republicans over the last decade, Iowa is in a strong fiscal position to further reduce the tax burden on Iowans, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said in a statement. Im proud of the role House Republicans played in making this bill the best possible outcome for Iowans.

The Senate moved quickly, debating and passing the sweeping legislation on Monday evening, mere hours after it was introduced.

Senate File 619 passed the Senate on a 29-17 vote with Democrats Tony Bisignano and Kevin Kinney joining all Republicans in support of the measure. It now moves to the House for consideration there.

Not only is this something big and something bold, this is something we can take back to our constituents and say we did something fair, something right, something good, Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs said during debate.
Rapid City police are seeking the public's help to locate Susan Fast Eagle, 30, of Rapid City.

According to a news release, Fast Eagle was reported missing by her family on May 13. She was last seen by law enforcement on May 3.

Fast Eagle is a Native American woman, 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds.

Anyone with information about Fast Eagle's location should contact police immediately at 605-394-4131. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by texting the letters "RCPD" and the information to 847411.

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Students of color in Chesterfield represent approximately 54% of the overall student population and there are 103 home languages represented in the school system; 85 of them are represented in the English as a Second Language program, Santacoloma said.

The divisions top languages spoken in student homes are Spanish, English, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Khmer, Gujarati and Urdu, he said.

In last months inaugural session, Richmond-area residents shared their stories including their reasons for coming the United States and challenges they faced. The five residents, including an immigration attorney, were from Mexico, Vietnam, Senegal and Thailand.

I know as an immigrant that sometimes its not easy to share our own immigration experience, said Santacoloma during the April 28 session. He came to the United States in 2000 after escaping a guerilla warfare group in Columbia.

In 2003, at the age of 12, Nancy Torres walked from Mexico to the United States border with her parents and six siblings. It took the family 10 days to make the journey and upon arriving, settled in Chesterfield County.
And also, just the collaboration that we had with the Chesterfield County Commonwealths Attorneys Office. We just felt that this is the right time to move forward with the case with the evidence that we have, Louth said.

According to the commonwealths attorneys office, Lunsford suddenly disappeared after she and her former boyfriend, Howard, finished their shifts at Walmart just off Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield.

Extensive efforts were made by law enforcement to locate Lunsford but the case eventually grew cold, said the commonwealths attorneys office.

In 1997, police told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that they were focusing their attention on a man whom Lunsford had briefly dated. They would not identify the man.

At the time of the 1997 story, Lunsfords five children ranged in age from 14 to 20. Three of them  girls who were then 14, 15 and 17  were living with their mother.

In 2009, police said Lunsford disappeared after having coffee with a coworker at the McDonalds in the Village Marketplace shopping center off Midlothian Turnpike. She went there after finishing her shift at the Walmart at 8:30 a.m.

Her Nissan Sentra was found in front of the Food Lion store in the same shopping center.
Bill Rehkopf, publi information officer for Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department, said a pickup truck and tractor trailer crashed head-on in Woodbine on Old Washington Road and Mabe Drive, which is on Md. 97. Firefighters extracted two passengers from the pickup truck and both were taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. One was taken by helicopter and the other by ambulance.
Given all of the other competing priorities that we have right now, I dont think that now is the right time to completely revamp the way that we do school construction given that were trying to reopen in an unprecedented year, Doerr said in an interview.

When her motion to discuss the construction of George Wythe failed, she criticized her colleagues who did not support it.

I think its extremely unfortunate that my colleagues do not want to discuss the construction of George Wythe, she said during the meeting. I want the public to be aware, this means we are transparently not discussing George Wythe and a major decision that needs to be made by June 1st.

Gibson, who initially introduced the school building resolution, addressed Stoneys proposal in a written statement:

The mayor wants us to believe this is a petty power struggle and remains adamant that the cost for those schools was reasonable, Gibson said of schools recently built in RPS at a cost of $140 million. This is not a debate on whether or not politicians can collaborate. This is about fixing a broken system to get as many students as possible in functional buildings as soon as we can.
The catalyst for the recent escalation of violence was the move to evict a half-dozen Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, to be replaced by Jewish families  part of what critics describe as an attempt at ethnic cleansing in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem.

Of course, evictions in the U.S.  including in Richmond, which has been a national leader in eviction rates  emerged as a major issue of Black Lives Matter during the pandemic. Urban neighborhoods are gentrifying, with older, poor and Black residents being displaced. And police, in some quarters of the Black community, are viewed less as protective servants than as an occupying force.

But in the midst of this nations ongoing reckoning on race, as President Joe Biden navigates slender Democratic majorities both in the House and in the Senate, the R-MC professor is uncertain that business as usual on Israel is tenable. Biden cannot afford the defection of progressive Democrats, who are rallying in defense of the Palestinian right to survival.
Calvin Wayne Cunningham, wrongfully convicted of a 1979 rape and who was released from prison May 3 seriously ill with cancer, died Monday morning, said his daughter, Alicia Randall, of Portsmouth.

Cunningham, 68, was exonerated in 2011 of his Newport News rape and burglary convictions as part of Virginias post-conviction DNA testing program. He told the Times-Dispatch that the wrongful convictions barred him from good jobs, ruined his life and led him to drug abuse.

After his 1988 release for the rape conviction, he went back to prison in 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2009 for unrelated crimes.

He was in prison when he was diagnosed with cancer and was serving time for convictions in Chesapeake for grand larceny, contempt of court, obstructing justice and falsely identifying himself to law enforcement. His projected release date was in 2023.

Jonathan Sheldon, a Fairfax lawyer assisting Cunningham in an effort to win compensation for wrongful imprisonment, said that last month Cunningham learned he was suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Sheldon sought a conditional compassionate release for Cunningham from the Virginia State Parole Board. He was released provided he stay at the VCU Medical Center, where he was being treated, or with his family.
Unsuccessful GOP gubernatorial contender Amanda Chase is mostly ending questions about whether she plans to run for governor as an independent, saying Tuesday she supports GOP nominee Glenn Youngkin.

Chase, a state senator from Chesterfield County, said she congratulated Youngkin last week. She finished third in the GOP convention balloting for governor behind Youngkin and investor Pete Snyder.

At this point, Im planning on supporting [Youngkin], Chase said. Im not planning on running as an independent. ... Im not likely to at this point.

She said Youngkin, former co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, has an incredible chance to win in the fall because he can self fund with his personal wealth and perform well in Northern Virginia.

Chase, who had urged GOP officials to pick the partys nominee in a primary, had repeatedly threatened to run as an independent. She had asserted that state GOP officials had rigged the process in favor of Snyder.

Chase said Tuesday she considered running as an independent only if Pete Snyder won. That was my contingency for running as an independent.
Law enforcement and local government representatives expressing concerns included Virginia State Police, Portsmouth police, Virginia Tech police, Middleburg police, the Virginia Sheriffs Association, the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League. (Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County.)

Among the concerns: Releasing records would result in harassment or doxxing of police officers, information would be misinterpreted by the public, and it would be unfair to release records of police officers when the same wouldnt happen for other local government employees.

Some police officials said such a policy would make it more difficult to recruit and retain good police officers in a time when being an officer is already challenging because of the increased scrutiny of police abuses following the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minnesota by then-officer Derek Chauvin.

Some said the bill, if it became law, would have the result of encouraging law enforcement not to properly conduct disciplinary proceedings.
More than a quarter are in an intensive care unit.

As Virginia surpassed 3 million residents fully vaccinated, the number of people testing positive reached the second-lowest percentage of the pandemic. The first was 3.7% on March 16, 2020  nine days after Virginias first identified case and two days after the first virus death.

The data is giving us a very clear message, Gov. Ralph Northam wrote in a tweet on Monday. The vaccines are working.

Case counts have fallen by 34% in a two-week span, with some of the greatest drops reported in localities with the highest vaccination rates.

Goochland is one of six counties in the state with more than 55% of its population vaccinated with at least one dose. A New York Times tracker monitoring national COVID-19 trends showed an 87% decline in cases.

Hanover County, 1 of 10 localities that has 50% to 55% of their residents receiving at least one shot, reported a nearly 70% dip in infections.
Once everyone was seated inside Scott Stadium, the graduates were treated to a variety of musical performances and speeches following an introduction from UVA President Jim Ryan.

As with almost everything else during this pandemic, uncertainty reigned and you have to suffer through several changes of plans and a number of curveballs, including the recent gas shortage, he said. About which all I could say after everything else that happened this year was, really? When are the locusts coming? And then someone reminded me about the cicadas.

Finishing up his introduction, Ryan urged the graduates to remember the lessons they learned at UVA as the world reopens and life returns closer to normal.

I hope you carry forward the lessons you learned here, like how to think and read critically, how to empathize, how to lead and how to build bridges across lines of differences, he said. I continue to have all those hopes for you, but seeing you here, surrounded by your friends and your family, its clear to me that youve all carried that with you.

James Murray Jr., rector of the university, also sought to impart some wisdom, urging the graduates to use their time wisely and drawing parallels to his own commencement amid the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.
The state bar also found Covati in violation of bookkeeping standards for accepting $1,100 in fees from Phillips but not depositing the money into his trust account or banking it for safekeeping, as is required.

According to the agreement, Covati was found in further violation of bar rules in relation to a case he took on last year, when he was retained by a Bedford County woman facing two years in prison for a probation violation.

The bars summary of that more recent issue said Jacqueline Carson was due to report to custody on Aug. 6. It said a mutual friend introduced Carson and her spouse to Covati, who on July 27 accepted an advance of $2,000  cash delivered to Covati at his home by that mutual friend  so that Covati would ask for a delay before Carson had to report, then seek to have her sentence reconsidered.

No such requests were filed, the summary said, and after being unable to reach Covati, Carson turned herself in on her report date and began serving her sentence.

Over the next two weeks, Carsons spouse, Kristal Winder, filed a complaint against the attorney, the summary said. She also demanded he refund her the $2,000, which he did.
For at least the third time in the past five years, a criminal conviction has been thrown out of Roanokes federal court based on prosecutors failure to reveal evidence that might have helped the accused.

In the most recent case, charges were dismissed Monday against Amany Raya, who was convicted last year of conspiring to smuggle a cellphone to her boyfriend in the Roanoke City Jail, where he was awaiting trial on drug charges.

Raya, 39, was free on bond awaiting sentencing when the case against her began to unravel.

In January, defense attorney Aaron Cook filed a motion for a new trial, claiming that prosecutors had failed to tell Rayas previous attorney about information that suggested other people might have been involved in the crime she was convicted of.

After first saying the potential evidence was not helpful to the defense  the standard by which prosecutors are required to turn information over  the U.S. Attorneys Office reversed field last Friday.

After a careful review of the record in this matter by new counsel, the government agrees that the documents at issue ... should have been disclosed in the course of discovery, Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar wrote in a motion to dismiss the case.
This is a different year for us, Siddiqui said. Typically, we wouldve known the [maintenance of effort] and how much in state aid wed be getting back in September, and that wouldve informed our budget planning. With the enrollment decline, we appreciate that the governor and the legislature has done everything possible to hold districts harmless. But what thats led to is still unanswered questions that were waiting for official confirmation on so we can figure out what the rest of the budget looks like.
I am very confident that SCHEV will be supportive of VMI once the report is released and weve had the opportunity to consider those recommendations based on the independent findings that come through this investigation, Council Chairwoman Marge Connelly said in response to Slater announcing his resignation.

VMI spokesman Bill Wyatt said Tuesday that at the first meeting between Barnes & Thornburg in January, investigators said they would share their findings and recommendations prior to the publication of the report. Several weeks later, the lead investigator said that would no longer be the case, Wyatt said. The Barnes & Thornburg team has interviewed Wins twice for several hours, and Wins asked at those meetings to review the final reports findings.

Regardless of whether VMI gets to see the findings and recommendations prior to publication, VMI continues to build on the progress made over the past several years on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, Wyatt said in an email. Our hope is that the report is objective and factual while providing useful recommendations that VMI can act upon and are based on best practices within the higher education and military environments.
A protester from West Virginia was arrested Tuesday after blockading a path to a Mountain Valley Pipeline worksite, according to the Virginia State Police.

Sydney M. Browning, 28, of Whitesville was found attached to the interior of a disabled 2000 Isuzu Rodeo that was blocking a right of way used by MVP crews, authorities said.

The demonstration was reported by pipeline security staff about 5:40 a.m. along Doe Creek Road, about 1.5 miles from U.S. 460 in Giles County.

In addition to the SUV, which had flattened tires and was painted with slogans like "Who Killed The World?", about a dozen activists were nearby, officials said.

Appalachians Against Pipelines said the protest was able to halt pipeline work for about five and a half hours. The move was the latest in a series of efforts designed to delay construction and add cost to the controversial, 303-mile natural gas pipeline project.
An administration official familiar with the call said the decision to express support and not explicitly demand a cease-fire was intentional. While Biden and top aides are concerned about the mounting bloodshed and loss of innocent life, the decision not to demand an immediate halt to hostilities reflects White House determination to support Israels right to defend itself from Hamas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.

Netanyahu told Israeli security officials late Monday that Israel would continue to strike terror targets in Gaza as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

As the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting since 2014 raged, the Biden administration has limited its public criticisms to Hamas and has declined to send a top-level envoy to the region. It also had declined to press Israel publicly and directly to wind down its latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, a six-mile by 25-mile territory that is home to more than 2 million people. Cease-fire mediation by Egypt and others has shown no sign of progress.
The shooting, which ignited days of unrest, happened amid the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murder for pressing his knee against George Floyds neck as the Black man said he couldnt breathe.

Police have said Wright was pulled over for expired tags, but they sought to arrest him after discovering an outstanding warrant. The warrant was for his failure to appear in court on charges that he fled from officers and had a gun without a permit during an encounter with Minneapolis police in June.

Intent isnt a necessary component of second-degree manslaughter in Minnesota. The charge  which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison  can be applied in circumstances where a person is suspected of causing a death by culpable negligence that creates an unreasonable risk and consciously takes chances to cause a death.

As Monday's hearing began, Chu acknowledged that Wright's family and friends were listening and extended her condolences to them. After finding there was probable cause for the case to continue, she set deadlines for court filings, saying it would benefit everyone to expedite the case.
Jury selection will continue Tuesday before a two-week trial at the Scott County Courthouse.

Rivera, 26, has been jailed since his August 2018 arrest. He wore a dress shirt and slacks Monday and listened through headphones as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish. Hes likely to face a predominantly white jury in a state that Trump carried in 2020.

Defense lawyer Chad Frese told prospective jurors that his client's immigration status had become an unfortunate flashpoint but said it had nothing to do with the trial. He said Rivera enjoys the same constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen, and that jurors cannot hold his lack of English language skills against him.

The vast majority of about 30 potential jurors questioned Monday said they had heard about the case, and a dozen said they'd formed opinions about it. At least six were excused after being questioned in private about their views.

One prospective female juror said she felt sympathy for Rivera because he's accused of a horrible crime, and for the family of Tibbetts, who she said was so viciously murdered.

I think whoever did this should definitely pay, the woman said, adding that her view would not at all prevent her from serving.
The Navy sets carrier PIAs every few years largely to keep up with fast-changing electronic devices, software, weapons system controls and communications networks, he added.

Another 20% of the work involves maintenance  and since Ford is the first of its class, a key focus will be making notes on wear and tear on the ship and its components to see how it compares with what designers expected. The goal is to refine the long-term maintenance plan for a carrier that will be in operation for half a century.

Just in case, Hicks is setting aside about 8% of scheduled work time for any fixes needed after the shock trial  itll be the first such trial of a carrier since 1987.

The rest of the time will be finishing up any fixes to ship systems that need to be made.

One significant task here is completing the testing and certification of the last two of the Fords 11 weapons elevators.
During last years presidential campaign, we reviewed the rural economy plans from each of the candidates and found Joe Bidens to be one of the thinnest and least inspiring.

For what its worth, the most detailed plan came from Pete Buttigieg, now Bidens secretary of transportation.

Ideology seemed to have little to do with this: On the right, then-President Donald Trump did nothing to try to build a new economy in rural America in the wake of an historic economic transition that is draining the heartland of people and jobs while metro areas mostly along the coasts prosper like never before.

On the contrary, Trump tried to eliminate funding for some of the agencies most closely connected with rural economic development, such as the Appalachian Regional Commission. He seemed more content to play rural America for cultural tropes than deal with the hard economic challenges.

On the other hand, Bernie Sanders on the left didnt show much enthusiasm for, or interest in, the task, either.

So count us quite surprised now to see just how energetically Biden is moving to address what economists have called the great divergence between rural and urban America or what might be better called the great disconnect.
After reading the article on sentencing of the tree sitters peacefully protesting the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) devastation ("Days in jail for tree sit protesters," May 6), I felt profound dismay over the medieval mindset of the sentencing judges.

Ive read several articles in which some legal scholars are claiming many of the Jan. 6th rioters will not serve jail time because of plea deals. These violent insurrectionists tried to take over the government and they dont go to jail! Yet, two peaceful pipeline protesters do?

The General District judge stated trying to apply some common sense in his sentencing.

The Enlightenment philosopher, Voltaire, once said common sense is not so common. It takes little cognition to see which comment rings hollow.

The Circuit Court judge fined the two and then assessed them the cost of their extraction. His comment quoted in this paper seemed to show he was more concerned over MVP not being able to recover that money.
Binance Holdings, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, is reportedly under investigation by federal authorities for money laundering and tax evasion.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) and the IRS have sought information from individuals with insight into Binance's business, according to a report by Bloomberg.

According to the report, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has been investigating the exchange for the past couple of months to determine whether Binance allowed Americans to make illegal trades on its platform.

As of June 2019, individuals who live in the United States are not permitted to trade on Binance because it offers securities that are not registered with the CFTC; however, experts claim its restrictions on Americans can easily be bypassed.

The company said it follows US regulations and blocks American citizens from accessing its website.

In late 2019, it launched BinanceUS to serve American clients with bitcoin trading. Last month, the exchange appointed former U.S. Treasury official Brian Brooks as its chief executive.

Binance spokeswoman Jessica Jung told Bloomberg that the company takes legal obligations very seriously and engages with regulators and law enforcement in a collaborative fashion.

We have worked hard to build a robust compliance program that incorporates anti-money laundering principles and tools used by financial institutions to detect and address suspicious activity, she said

Much the same as the general industry, Binance has mostly avoided regulation. The company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and has an office in Singapore.

The inquiry from the IRS comes as the agency is stepping up its efforts to force bitcoin investors to pay taxes. Earlier this week, the IRS said that it could potentially seize peoples crypto assets to settle unpaid taxes.

Robert Wearing, deputy associate chief counsel at the IRS, said crypto could be seized in the event of failure to pay taxes because the tax authorities treat crypto as property, not currency, for tax purposes.

Last month, Germany's financial regulator, BaFin, also warned that Binance may have violated European securities rules with the launch of its stock tokens.

The news is sending another shock wave through the crypto market. Bitcoin slid to a 2-1/2-month low after the Bloomberg report broke.

Prices for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were already reeling from a tweet by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who said that Tesla will no longer accept payments for its cars in Bitcoin due to Bitcoins environmental impact.

"We are concerned about the rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel, " Musk explained in a tweet.

In late January, Musk added the word bitcoin to his Twitter profile. Just hours later, it caused a 15% rally in the currencys value. The tweet followed Tesla investing $1.5 billion in bitcoin. Yet, following month he also caused Bitcoins plunge by 10% when he tweeted that the prices of bitcoin and rival token Ether seemed overvalued.

Recently, Bitcoin has been under intense scrutiny for its energy-intensive mining process.

In March, Bill Gates sounded the alarm bells over the cryptocurrency's massive carbon footprint.

Bitcoin uses more electricity per transaction than any other method known to mankind, and so its not a great climate thing, Gates told The New York Times.

According to Digiconomist, a single bitcoin transaction uses roughly 707.6 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy. That is equivalent to the power consumed by an average U.S. household over nearly a month.
Julio Meneses Alcantara, 20, of the 600 block of Cutter Court, has been indicted on five counts of second-degree rape and one count each of sexually abusing a minor, sexual solicitation of a minor and second-degree assault after having a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old. (Photo courtesy of the Annapolis Police Department)
Last year pretty much devastated the restaurant industry, with estimates that more than 110,000 were permanently closed and 5.5 million jobs were lost. As states are easing restrictions on dining and things are slowly returning to normal, the industry now faces a different problem: They cant find workers.

Many pre-pandemic restaurant industry workers opted to rely on unemployment benefits. Others went back to school, and still others left the industry altogether in search of something more pandemic-weathering.

This could, however, prove to be a boon for job seekers.

The worker shortage, not only in the food industry, might help current workers in the industry to get their $15 minimum wage, more than double the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.

The $15 minimum wage is a sore point. Labor activists and the public say this higher minimum wage is needed to provide a livable income. Businesses, of course, disagree, and the smaller ones say they cant afford the wage increase and that it will eventually force them to eliminate jobs.

The government is unable to find bipartisan support for it, but they might not have to in the end. Market forces might dictate this for everyone.

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has pushed several times for raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. He initially proposed it as part of the COVID-19 relief bill that was passed in March, but the White House dropped the wage proposal after the Senate ruled against it.

More recently, during his first address before a joint session of Congress in late April, President Biden renewed his bid and called for the passage of the PRO Act and for a $15 federal minimum wage.

"No one, no one working 40 hours a week should live below the poverty line The guys and women on Wall Street, Wall Street didnt build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class," Biden told Congress.

Also, last month President Biden signed an executive order that raises the minimum wage for federal contractors and tipped employees working on government contracts to $15 an hour from existing $10.

Some major corporations like Amazon, Target and Costco have already enacted $15 minimum wage or more, while others have made plans to gradually increase wages in the coming years.

A $15./hour minimum wage is not an idea coined by President Biden. It actually dates back to 2012, when New York City fast-food workers walked off the job to demand higher pay.

Since then, the FightFor$15 movement has gained momentum.

The $15 minimum wage is already rolling out in many states and some forty cities. Currently, 29 states and D.C. have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage.

According to the US Bureau of Statistics, last year there were about one million hourly workers earning wages that were at or below the minimum. However, there are many more who earn just above minimum wage.

The Congressional Budget Office reported in February that 17 million workers would see wages increased. The report also states that the wage increase would reduce the number of Americans in poverty by 0.9 million workers.
CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
The Ground Breaking: An American City and Its Search for Justice, by Scott Ellsworth (Dutton)

No one really knows what 19-year-old Dick Rowland did or said to Sarah Page in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he rode the elevator she operated to the fourth floor of the Drexel Building, the nearest place to Rowlands shoeshine stand where a Black person could use the washroom. But the 17-year-old Page screamed, Rowland ran and police were called. Page declined to press charges but police arrested Rowland the next day anyway.

Soon, a white mob showed up at the jail, bent on administering their brand of justice through a rope hung from a tree.

But Blacks from Greenwood rushed to defend Rowland and that was enough to trigger a flash flood of falsehoods, chiefly, that Blacks were planning an uprising.

As Scott Ellsworth notes in his book The Ground Breaking: An American City and its Search for Justice, radio had not yet come to Tulsa and in the absence of facts, fiction took over. Within hours, white Tulsans by the thousands were mobilizing to exterminate Greenwood.

And that night, they did, killing, looting and burning to the ground stores, hotels, churches, houses  everything in the Black community.
After we leave, we go in to a 90-day coaching period, Fields said. Every principal will have an action plan, and they will know exactly what has not been met at their school. We will set up a touch base about every 30 days to keep them engaged in giving us that evidence that we need to move the school forward.

I am excited at the prospect of Lester becoming a Blue Ribbon school, Williams said. I think it is a great goal for us to work toward, and we are up for the challenge. The fact that we will have a chance to work with the committee, that theyll act as a coach to prepare us for all of the things that we need to do, that part I am really grateful for. Knowing that the entire district is doing it and you are not out there on your own, I think that will be so helpful for everyone but especially for Lester.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Children who love to read are now able to pick up a book from five parks in Florence County.

Florence One Schools and the South Carolina Education Association held a news conference Monday morning to announce that literacy boxes have been installed in five Florence parks: Ebenezer Park, Levy Park, McLeod Park, Maple Park and Dr. Iola Jones Park.

Sherry East, president of the education association, said her organization had the vision to develop the literacy boxes a while back and was looking for a school district or a career and technical education center to partner with.

The literacy boxes are sort of a like a library. When a person wants to take a book from the library, they are asked to replace it with a book that is special to them.

Florence One Schools agreed to the partnership, and the districts career center developed the boxes.

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Sarah Kitty Carpenter, director of the career center, said the centers mechanical design, building construction, visual arts and early education classes worked on the boxes.

Lisa Raison, the Florence One Schools 2021 teacher of the year, provided a book: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, a written version of the nursery rhyme.
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is one of 18 members of the House seeking to remove reminders of two men whose work helped prevent African Americans from gaining an equal footing in the United States.

Clyburns office recently announced that Clyburn is one of 17 co-sponsors of a bill being reintroduced by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer that would direct the library of Congress to remove a bust of Chief Justice Roger Taney, the author of the Dred Scott opinion, and a statue of John C. Calhoun from the capitol.

On January 6th, we experienced the divisiveness of Confederate battle flags being flown inside the U.S. Capitol, Clyburn said in a news release. Yet there are still vestiges that remain in this sacred building that glorify people and a movement that embraced that flag and sought to divide and destroy our great country. This legislation will remove these commemorations from places of honor and demonstrate that as Americans we do not celebrate those who seek to divide us.

A man from Delaware accused of carrying a Confederate battle flag into the Capitol building has been indicted by a Washington, D.C., federal grand jury.
Or, if the court determines that the Mississippi law does not violate the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, it is possible that the court could determine that the South Carolina law does not violate the due process clause either.

There is also the possibility that the court could craft an entirely new standard to evaluate the constitutionality of abortion restrictions. At that point, it would be difficult to determine if the South Carolina law is constitutional or not.

The Mississippi case will be the current courts first attempt to tackle the issue of abortion.

In the most recent ruling on abortion, the court determined that a Louisiana law that prevented doctors who perform abortions from being able to admit patients at local hospitals posed an undue burden on pregnant women seeking to abort a yet-to-be-viable fetus.

However, the court now is seen has having a six to three conservative majority with the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Lewis, the South Carolina federal judge who issued the stay that prevented South Carolinas law from taking effect, said that she felt this would not matter to the justices on the court. She said that the justices would not let their personal opinions determine the constitutionality of the laws.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  Attorneys on Tuesday completed selection of a jury for the first-degree murder trial of the farm laborer charged with fatally stabbing a University of Iowa student while she was out running three years ago.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera is accused in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018. Opening statements are scheduled Wednesday morning at the Scott County Courthouse. The trial is expected to last through next week.

A prosecutor and Bahena Riveras defense lawyer chose the eight women and seven men  12 jurors and three alternates  from a pool of 183 prospective jurors after questioning them on their knowledge of the case, their opinions of his guilt and other subjects.

Bahena Rivera, who may have entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally a decade ago, is accused of fatally stabbing Tibbetts while she ran through her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, and hiding her body in a cornfield.

The disappearance of Tibbetts, who was studying to become a child psychologist, prompted a massive search involving hundreds of officers and volunteers.
Pfizer logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Andreo Calonzo

The Philippines ordered 40 million coronavirus vaccine doses from Pfizer Inc., the Southeast Asian nations biggest supply agreement as it fights one of the regions worst outbreaks.

The term sheet for the order has been signed, Carlito Galvez, who leads the nations vaccination program, said in a mobile-phone message on Monday evening.

The deal gives a boost to the Philippines, which is targeting to achieve herd immunity this year to help an economy that remained in recession last quarter.

But while the country expects more than 200 million vaccine doses to arrive this year, recruiting as many as 50,000 health workers to administer shots in key cities poses a challenge, Galvez said in a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte. Most doctors and nurses are still treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals, Galvez said, following a surge in infections that started mid-March.

The government plans to hire midwives, pharmacists, paramedics and medicals students to administer the vaccines, Galvez said. Inoculating workers and the poor will start this month, he said.

The Philippines recorded 5,979 new virus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 1.15 million, the second highest in Southeast Asia next to Indonesia with 1.74 million. More than 2.5 million vaccine doses have been administered out of a population of more than 109 million, using vaccines mostly from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and AstraZeneca Plc.

Duterte, on Monday night, warned he may impose another strict lockdown should the public disregard health protocols as the country has detected new COVID-19 variants.

 2021 Bloomberg L.P.
LONDON (Reuters) - Bond dealers and investors recommended that Britain's first green bond should have a maturity of 10-12 years, and raised the possibility of issuing a longer-dated bond later, the country's debt issuer said on Tuesday.

The United Kingdom Debt Management Office said dealers thought a 10-12 year green bond "was expected to attract a wider and more diverse investor base than issuance of a longer maturity" when it is launched later this year.

Bond investors were more split, with some backing a 10-year bond but others saying that a 25-30 year green bond would be more appealing to pension funds and similar buyers.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William James)
Police arrested Ebrahimnejad and Benjamin Wagner on the same day as the sting when they returned to the hotel where the woman was kept. Ebrahimnejad had five vials of crack cocaine on him during the arrest. Wagner was arrested with three vials of crack cocaine on him. The woman told police Wagners role was to prevent her from leaving and protect her from aggressive Johns. She said he watched but didnt help when Ebrahimnejad abused her.
A north-central Nebraska school district violated students' Native beliefs when an employee cut their hair, a lawsuit filed in federal court Monday alleges.

The American Civil Liberties Union brought the suit on behalf of two parents against Cody-Kilgore Unified Schools, saying an employee cut the hair of two elementary students without their consent twice during head lice exams in the spring of 2020.

The haircuts continued even after the parents objected, the suit claims.

The parents, who live in Kilgore, say the haircuts violated the beliefs of their children, who are Lakota and affiliated with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. In their culture, the length of their hair is viewed as a sacred symbol, and hair can only be cut under specific circumstance and by select people.

We believe our hair is our spirit; as it grows, our spirit grows, one of the parents named in the suit said in a news release.

The parents contend the school's actions violated the First Amendment, as well as the constitutional right to due process, while also breaching racial discrimination provisions under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act. The parents are seeking damages in the case.
SIOUX CITY -- Bishop Heelan High School senior Bereket Ware has been named the Rotary Club of Sioux City Student of the Year.

Ware was honored during the Rotary Club's weekly meeting Monday at the Sioux City Convention Center.

Ware, the son of Barassa Ararisso and Mekoya Ayele of Sioux City, is Heelan student body president, a member of National Honor Society, Spanish Club president, and has been on the Gold Honor Roll for six semesters.

He has been active in Environmental Club and Miracle Makers Club and has volunteered as an academic peer tutor.

During the school year, the Rotary Club of Sioux City honors a student each month. All of the Students of the Month returned to the club's meeting on May 10 for a final presentation. Club members then voted to select the Student of the Year.

Monthly winners included:

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September -- Emma Walz (North)

October -- Reid Jansen (West)

November -- Ryan Crawford (East)

December -- Avery Nelson (Heelan)

January - Reed Adajar (North)

February -- Colin Houts (West)
SIBLEY, Iowa -- For years, Eldert Beek's parents and siblings held out hope that someday he'd surprise them and return home from Korea.

Declared dead by the U.S. Army after going missing on Dec. 1, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, his remains had not been recovered.

Though the family had a memorial service for him and placed a grave marker for him at Evergreen Cemetery in George, Iowa, there was still hope he was alive.

"Before my dad died, he said if Eldy comes home, tell him I missed him and I loved him," said Cindy Brey, of Cushing, Minnesota, Beek's niece.

Brey's father, Arnold Beek, died in January 2019 at age 95, nearly living long enough to learn that his brother's remains had been recovered and identified. Cpl. Eldert Beck will be returned home and buried next to his parents, John and Minnie Beek, on June 14.

"It's bittersweet. However, we are glad that now we have closure," Brey said.
NEW YORK (AP)  Amazon said Tuesday that it will extend its ban on police use of its face-recognition technology beyond the one-year pause it announced last year.

Amazon and other technology companies have been under pressure from civil rights activists and their own workers to halt the sale of face-recognition systems to law enforcement agencies. One concern is that the technology can incorrectly identify people with darker skin. Amazon has pushed back against bias claims and touted its technology's accuracy.

At least seven states already have enacted restrictions limiting government use of the technology and several other states, cities and regional governments are debating similar proposals. One of the latest to consider a ban is the governing council of King County, Washington, which encompasses Seattle, where Amazon is based.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A parolee who pleaded guilty to the execution-style killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant in 2016 was sentenced Monday to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Trenton Trevon Lovell, 31, was sentenced for killing Sgt. Steve Owen, who was shot five times on Oct. 5, 2016, as he answered a 911 report of a burglary in progress at an apartment building in Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles.

Owen had radioed that he had the break-in suspect at gunpoint and was standing outside his patrol car when Lovell shot him in the head, then fired four more times into his face and chest as the deputy lay wounded on the ground, prosecutors said.

Lovell confessed to investigators that after wounding Owen he finished the job by emptying his revolver into Owen, according to court documents.

Owen's family members and friends spoke at Lovell's sentencing hearing.

Owen's daughter, Shannon Owen, said she was walking to her car after finishing classes at a college when she heard gunshots from the neighborhood across the street.

I heard you killing my dad," she told Lovell.
The legislation must still go before the full Assembly and be passed by the Senate before heading to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. Senate President Sweeney's spokesperson Richard McGrath said Senate leaders plan to advance the bills. A message seeking comment was left with the governor. Assembly members say the package of bills is the first of two they plan to pursue.

The labor union representing state correctional officers, called out only the body camera bill. William Sullivan, the President of the State Policemens Benevolent Association Local 105, said in a statement that the legislation would require more training and means more responsibility for officers. Officers should be paid more for the added duties, he said.

If they compensate our officers I would have no reason oppose the bill," he said in an email.

The state Corrections Department is currently in the midst of a pilot program implementing some cameras, and it will be important to see how that plays out, he added.

The legislative action grew out of headline-grabbing developments Edna Mahan.
President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian.
Hes a distraction from the goals of the session. Hes an obstacle. We would like to get some meaningful tax reform done, Magee said. Clay has given Ray every opportunity to participate and work with people so he would not have to be removed as chairman and accomplish tax reform. Ray has refused at every step and has dug his heels in.

Black lawmakers were upset with Garofalo's legislation aimed at blocking the teaching of critical race theory, a shorthand label for any examinations of the ways in which race and racism have influenced politics, culture, government systems and laws.

The bill would prohibit teaching in public schools or colleges that the United States or Louisiana is systematically racist or sexist, and forbid giving students or employees information that promotes divisive concepts.

Garofalo suggested he lost his chairmanship because he wouldn't agree to demands to shelve the bill.

It is the speaker's prerogative to choose who he wants to chair a committee, Garofalo said in a statement. I have no problem with his exercising his authority, but I will not sacrifice my principles in doing what I know is right. My legislation is about protecting our children, not erasing or rewriting history as Critical Race Theory seeks to do.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  More than two dozen farms in southern New Mexico have applied for a program that will pay them not to plant their fields as water managers look for new ways to stretch resources in the drought-stricken state.

Its the first phase of a multiyear pilot project being managed by the Office of the State Engineer. State Engineer John DAntonio has described the program as essential for ensuring the aquifers in the lower Rio Grande remain at sustainable levels in the future.

The Legislature approved funding for the effort last year and the state began accepting applications from farmers in the fall. The Interstate Stream Commission is now processing 27 contracts totaling more than $900,000 and covering just over 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) of farmland.

While that represents just a fraction of the agricultural real estate that stretches from Elephant Butte Reservoir south to the Texas border, state officials are looking to develop more tools that can be used to better manage water, especially during extended drought. New Mexico also is on the hook for ensuring a certain amount of water is delivered via the Rio Grande to Texas each year as part of a decades-old water sharing agreement.
As the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting since 2014 raged, the Biden administration has limited its public criticisms to Hamas and has declined to send a top-level envoy to the region. It also had declined to press Israel publicly and directly to wind down its latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, a six-mile by 25-mile territory that is home to more than 2 million people. Cease-fire mediation by Egypt and others has shown no sign of progress.
Traffic was being rerouted to Interstate 55 and the 71-year-old Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south.

Arkansas and Tennessee authorities have not given a timeline for when the bridge will reopen. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said Monday that the I-40 bridge repair will be conducted in two phases, and both steps must be completed before the bridge can be reopened for road traffic.

The first step is installing steel plates on each side of the fractured beam to provide stability for crews to permanently replace the damaged parts, TDOT said in a statement. The plates are being made and fabrication should be completed by Wednesday, TDOT said. The second phase involves removal and replacement of the damaged piece of the bridge.

TDOT said it intends to select a contractor Monday afternoon for the first phase of the repair.

The department is not projecting a reopening date for the I-40 bridge. The department also said it will review the condition of the I-55 bridge out of an abundance of caution.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  At least two shooters opened fire on a party bus driving on a San Francisco Bay Area freeway early Tuesday, killing two women and wounding at least five others, authorities said.

The passengers were celebrating a womans 21st birthday when the bus was attacked around 12:20 a.m. on Interstate 580 as it was returning to Oakland from San Francisco, the East Bay Times reported.

At least two shooters in another vehicle began firing at the bus, then followed it off the freeway and continued shooting at it on city streets, authorities said. About 70 rounds were fired at the party bus.

Based on preliminary investigation, it does not appear this shooting was a random event, according to the California Highway Patrol, which is investigating along with Oakland police.

The Alameda County Coroners Bureau said one woman died on the bus and the other at a hospital. One of them was a 19-year-old Stockton resident, relatives told the newspaper.
His most recent return to prison stemmed from a March 2019 arrest, in which he was allegedly high on crack and crashed into a Davenport yard while trying to flee from police. It was at least his fifth arrest for operating while intoxicated since 2007. In 2014, officers used a stun gun and pepper spray to subdue him after he crashed his car while on cocaine. In 2011, he allegedly caused an accident involving multiple semi-trailers and cars when he drove the wrong way on Interstate 80 while intoxicated. In another incident that year, he drove 90 mph (145 kph) while high through a residential area where children were playing, with his SUV's engine later exploding.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka Tiny Harris are under investigation by police in Los Angeles after a sexual abuse allegation.

Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Cervantes said Tuesday that an active investigation is underway. The investigation comes after a woman in Los Angeles and another in Las Vegas filed a police report that accused the couple of sexual assault.

A report was taken April 8 for a sexual assault involving the couple that occurred in 2005, Cervantes said. The police did not provide any additional details.

Las Vegas police received a report this month of a sexual assault incident in 2010 involving the couple. But the case was closed because it was reported outside the statute of limitations.

Steve Sadow, the attorney for T.I. and his wife, said his clients steadfastly deny and repudiate all the allegations. He said the couple has not spoken or been contacted by police in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or any other jurisdiction in the country.
Two Maryland sheriffs deputies were shot and wounded Monday while trying to serve a warrant for a probation violation on an assault charge, a spokeswoman said.

Charles County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson told The Associated Press that deputies responded to a call at around 3:30 p.m. from a home in Waldorf about a man who the caller, identified as a family member, wanted out of the house. Additional deputies were dispatched to the home, Richardson said, because there were concerns about the man's mental condition and the danger he might pose. He was said to be experiencing a mental health episode, she said, citing the caller.

The family member let the deputies inside the home, and as they began going upstairs, the suspect came out of a room and opened fire, Richardson said. Two deputies were shot multiple times, but managed to get out of the house and were flown to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries that didn't appear to be life-threatening, she said. Richardson said it wasnt known if deputies returned fire, and she didn't know how many deputies entered the home.

The man was barricaded inside the home and deputies had not been able to make contact with him, Sheriff Troy Berry told reporters at a briefing on Monday evening. It's believed the family member who made the call was able to get out of the home.
State law enforcement groups are divided on the legislation. The Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association and the Iowa State Patrol Supervisors Association are registered in support of the bill, while the Iowa State Police Association and Iowa Peace Officers Association are registered in opposition to the bill, according to lobbyist declarations registered with the state.

Adam Mason, state policy director for the liberal advocacy group Citizens for Community Improvement, in a statement called the bill clearly an attack on protestors with the statewide movement for Black liberation, who protested for months to demand racial justice and true public safety.

Multiple Republicans countered that anyone concerned with the heightened penalties should not riot, and said the legislation is needed to protect police officers and property owners, including businesses, from the kind of damage that sometimes occurred during racial justice protests last summer.

We saw a lot of rioting in the last year, and I dont think its OK to go out and damage property, both private or public, and there needs to be consequences, Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, said during debate. If enhancing the penalty for that crime helps deter that crime, then I think thats appropriate.
** COVID-19 grant money and federal pandemic relief loans to businesses would be exempt from state income tax.

Despite unified control of state government, Iowa Republicans in the House, Senate and governors office spent weeks negotiating some of those provisions.

Because of the disciplined budgeting practices of Iowa House Republicans over the last decade, Iowa is in a strong fiscal position to further reduce the tax burden on Iowans, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said in a statement. Im proud of the role House Republicans played in making this bill the best possible outcome for Iowans.

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The Senate moved quickly, debating and passing the sweeping legislation on Monday evening, mere hours after it was introduced.

Senate File 619 passed the Senate on a 29-17 vote with Democrats Tony Bisignano and Kevin Kinney joining all Republicans in support of the measure. It now moves to the House for consideration there.

Not only is this something big and something bold, this is something we can take back to our constituents and say we did something fair, something right, something good, Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, said during debate.
A Missouri farmer accused of attempting to cover up a $215,000 cattle fraud scheme by killing two Wisconsin brothers was indicted Tuesday on a federal mail fraud charge.

Garland Joseph Nelson, 27, is awaiting trial on state murder and other charges in the deaths of 24-year-old Justin Diemel and 35-year-old Nicholas Diemel, of Shawano County, Wisconsin. The brothers disappeared after visiting Nelsons farm in July 2019, and their burned remains were later found in Missouri and Nebraska.

The federal charge focuses on the financial deal that brought the brothers to Missouri.

Nelson agreed to feed and pasture cattle belonging to the brothers' Wisconsin livestock trade and investment business, the indictment says. The arrangement was supposed to end with Nelson, who worked for J4s Farm Enterprises Inc., a business started by his mother, selling the cattle and sending the brothers the proceeds, minus the costs of raising the cattle.

But the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release that Nelson sold, traded or killed many of the Diemels cattle without paying them.
Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it. Irish officials say a ransom has been demanded but they will not pay it.

Conti, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, was demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site viewed by The Associated Press. The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon if the money was not paid.

The government will not be paying any money, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told RTE. We will not be blackmailed.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine urged people not to turn up at hospitals' emergency departments unless they have a genuinely urgent need to do so. It said that electronic ordering of blood tests, X-rays and scans is not available, and clinicians have no access to previous X-rays or scan results. Many hospitals' telephone systems are also not functioning because they are carried on computer networks, it added.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.
The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled. Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has so far vowed to press on.
At the same time, all elementary schools and high schools will fully reopen. Schoolchildren and students will be tested once a week.

The same applies for universities where, however, the spring term in many cases ends next week.

It will be also possible for up to 1,000 people to attend outdoor cultural events, while up to 500 are allowed at such events indoor.

Mondays announcement comes on the day when Czech bars and restaurants are reopening for outdoor dining.

The number of people infected per 100,000 inhabitants in last seven days has dropped to 71 in the Czech Republic.



BERLIN  Germanys health minister says the country will open up coronavirus vaccinations to everyone starting on June 7. Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters on Monday that the current system of prioritization in which the most vulnerable groups are to be vaccinated first will no longer be valid then.

The minister said, this does not mean that everyone will get an appointment within days, but ... everyone who wants to get vaccinated will get an offer.
A New Guide to the First Amendment for Scientists

Posted on 18 May 2021 by Guest Author

This is a re-post from the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund

Today we published A Pocket Guide for Scientists: The First Amendment to help scientists understand how this amendment protects their free speech rights.

We wrote this guide so scientists can make informed decisions about how to safely and effectively participate in advocacy and activism.

The First Amendment protects scientists who engage in the political process and express their views in various ways, even if they work for a federal, state, or local government entity. But the location, nature, and subject of a scientists speech, and who theyre employed by can have implications for how the First Amendment protects a scientist against government action resulting from their activities.

Scientists are also citizens who increasingly speak out on issues involving their areas of expertise.

For example, in the lead-up to the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York City, millions of people worldwide took to the streets to demand action on climate change. Many of them were scientists.

COVID-19 has similarly inspired many people in the health sciences to speak up. A group of scientists who were health officials in the Trump administration is organizing to strategize about setting the record straight on the administrations response to the coronavirus pandemic while avoiding being scapegoated by former Health Secretary Alex Azar and other ex-colleagues.

Doctors, epidemiologists, and other scientists, many of whom are also moms, have formed grassroots networks to combat online misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Researchers also raise their voices about matters unrelated to science. After the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis during summer 2020, scientists and scientific organizations around the world organized a Strike for Black Lives, halting their usual work activities to learn about systemic racism in the research community and to craft ways to address inequalities.

Scientists participating in activities like these should understand how various factors affect their First Amendment rights. Our guide helps scientists navigate the First Amendment so they can be involved in their communities and the political process while minimizing concerns about negative repercussions in their professional lives.

Download your free copy of A Pocket Guide for Scientists: The First Amendment.
Now that Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the remaster of BioWares groundbreaking space trilogy, is out, the video game series is likely to reach a whole lot of first-time playersespecially considering the current drought in new game releases. If youre one of those players, first of all, welcome! Youre in for an incredible RPG experience packed with adventure, gunfights, telekinesis, ethical quandaries, space politics, and romanceable aliens. In Mass Effect, your choices have real consequences on the story, and you should feel free to experiment accordingly.

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But heres one choice you absolutely shouldnt make: Do not, under any circumstances, play the protagonist as a guy.

Look, theres nothing wrong with men. Im one myself! Its totally OK to be a man, and in most circumstances, its perfectly OK to choose to play a male character in a video game when given multiple gender options. Many men find it very affirming of their identity to see their body type and masculine presentation reflected by their choice of on-screen simulacrum. According to BioWare, more than 80 percent of Mass Effect players chose to play as the male version of Shepard over the course of the trilogys initial release, and Im sure most of these players simply didnt know any better. Thats why Im telling you before its too late that the female version of our hero Commander Shepard is the superior Shepard, and I insist you play as her.

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The reason the female version of Shepard is so remarkable is due to the voice acting of Jennifer Hale, who elevates the character beyond the realm of superlatives. There are other reasons to play as FemShep (as fans affectionately call her), but if you miss this voice performance due to male insecurity (or because male Shepard is the quick start option), youre missing what may well be the greatest voice performance in video game history.

This is not a criticism of the voice acting of Mark Meer, who plays the male version of Commander Shepard, any more than recognition of Mozarts genius is a criticism of Antonio Salieri. Meer gives a perfectly competent reading of the characterat times, its even downright good. However, as almost all the lines are the same between the male and female versions of Shepard, comparing the two allows you to appreciate the full depth and passion in Hales voice acting. Male Shepard is a video game character. Hes  fine. But female Shepard feels like a living, breathing person. She is a tough, demanding leader who inspires loyalty in the men, women, and gender-free aliens of her crew through personal excellence, exacting standards, impatience with politics and social niceties, and, if you play the Paragon decision tree, high moral values and moments of kindness and compassion. (If you play as a Renegade, she deals more in threats and intimidation.)

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The authenticity of the female Shepards characterization is revelatory. Women still face an uphill struggle in gaining and excelling within leadership roles in real life, because many people dont have a fully realized template for what success looks and sounds like in a female leader. Mass Effect transports you to a world where a woman in a combat leadership role is completely natural. Even as FemShep speaks the same lines as the male Shepard, her relationships with men and other women read differently because shes a woman. Her position of authority is no less solidly held, but it is unmistakably the authority of a competent and high-achieving woman, not that of a man. If youve had an excellent female boss, or if (like me) you supported Elizabeth Warrens candidacy for president, theres something in there you may recognize. If you never have, then you more than anyone need to play this video game as female Shepard.

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In gaming, theres a well-known trade-off between allowing for player choice and self-determination and telling a well-paced story with strong, specific characters. If a player can do or say anything at any time, then theres no room for narrative structure or developing relationships between the player character and nonplayer characters. However, if the players choices have no impact at all, a game can feel confining, and the experience of playing it may become unsatisfying. Mass Effect 3s famously disappointing ending is an example of the latter: Throughout the series, the player felt that their decisions had real and lasting consequences in the world, but then the final cutscene of ME3 played out nearly identically, regardless of the players actions. Allowing the player to choose between a male and female Shepard, however, is an example of too much choice resulting in less specificity and poorer narrative quality. Commander Shepard is a more interesting, deeper, and more fully realized character as a woman. Everyone who plays the remastered trilogy should start with a female Shepard.
How someone talks is complicated. It depends on where theyre from, where they spent their formative years, if they moved around, and whether theyre consciously trying to alter how people perceive them. But beneath it all are the regional roots of a persons speechthose patterns of pronunciation, shaped by long histories of settlement and migration, that can pin an individual down to a surprisingly small patch of the map.

Despite this, however, for decades the study of American English left a big territory unexplored on the map. Even as researchers divided northern New Jersey from southern New Jersey, or the inland South from the Gulf Coast, linguistics held as conventional wisdom that African American English was a single entity, regardless of place.

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But a growing body of research says otherwise. Taylor Jones, a quantitative social scientist who recently got his doctorate in linguistics, wrote a thesis that investigates regional differences in African American English. As an Army kid who moved every couple of years, Jones said, he knew that what he heard in real life contradicted the official story that Black people in America are a linguistic monolith. Where linguists held that African American English always merged the vowel sound in pen with the sound in pin, a whole catalog of New York City hip-hop rhyme schemesthe Notorious B.I.G. saying, Givin ends to my friends, and it feels stupendousshowed otherwise.

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I went into linguistics with the background knowledge that African American language use varies from place to place, Jones said, and did not see that represented much in the scientific literature. Following the lead of researchers including Sonja Lanehart, Lisa Green, Hiram Smith, Sabriya Fisher, Kelly Wright, John Rickford, and Sharese King, he set out to document the patterns of variation. While white American English pronunciation groups tend to cluster along East-to-West lines of population movement,Jones found African American English groups stretching South-to-Northalong the routes of the Great Migration, where Black people left the Jim Crow South for cities in the North.

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I spoke with Jones about the complexity of the different ways of speaking African American English, the role language plays in stigma, how vowel enunciation offers insight into someones origins, and how accents shiftand I convinced him to guess where Im originally from. Spoiler: Despite the circumstances that complicated a pure analysis, such as being on the phone during a professional interview, he got really close.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Julia Craven: Tell me a little bit about the work that you do and your thesis.

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Taylor Jones: My research is primarily, but not exclusively, on African American language. I also have work on Mandarin, Persian, Zulu, and other languages, but African American English is one of the main areas of focus for me. Im a white guy, but Ive always grown up and spent my life in AAE speech communities. So thats the language that I grew up around, the language that Im used to hearing. Theres a ton of research left to be done, and also stuff that we just dont know about AAE.

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The other reason I went to grad school in particular is I think theres a lot of work around AAE that can speak to current events. It can speak to social justice and to civil rights. Thats not necessarily always everybodys path into linguistics or sociolinguistics or studying African American English, but its definitely the way that Im coming at the language that my friends, my family by choice, and everybody I grew up around speaks. It is highly stigmatized, and theres a lot that linguists and linguistics can do.

I want to learn more, just for the sake of pursuing knowledge, but also to challenge that stigma, to challenge linguistic discrimination, and to challenge linguistic discrimination as a proxy for racial discrimination.

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How do you think this type of research is going to help remove the stigma from AAE?

Thats a harder question to answer than it sounds like it would be, in part because I think linguists have been very hopeful about what role we can play and historically have been pretty consistently surprised by how things play out in the real world and in politics. I have tempered expectations at this point, especially looking back to the Ebonics controversy in the 1990s, the discussions about speech pathology before that, and even going back to articles like African American English Is Not Standard English With Mistakes, or The Logic of Nonstandard English by [William] Labov.

But I do think that times are a little bit different now. Theres a little bit more grassroots discussions of language that you see on places like Twitter and TikTok and wherever else that didnt exist before. The more that we can get the word out about the fact that African American language varieties are valid, are structured, are systematic, and that all of the things that people say to diminish them are not linguistically, scientifically grounded, the more we can explain the link between those language ideologies and discrimination. Im hopeful that that actually helps us make a little bit more progress.

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One of the points of your research is that there isnt just one way that Black people talk. It very much varies depending on where youre at, where youre from, and whatnot. How did you go about collecting such a large variation of data?

The way that I approached that is fairly standard. Normally, what sociolinguists will do is: Theyll have a reading passage and they may have a list of words, and theyll say, Can you pronounce these and these words? Do these words rhyme with one another? Do they not rhyme? And then you may do a sociolinguistic interview.

Because these regional variations had not been described at all in the literature systematically, I just wanted to start with the reading passage because even though people are going to speak a little bit more carefully, its still a snapshot of how people speak differently in different places and what is below the level of consciousness for careful speech. So theres certain words that maybe well pronounce one way or the other, but accents in general, more broadly, we dont give a lot of thought to.

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If you look at the existing reading passages for sociolinguistics, they have their strengths, but a lot of them are very strange. Theyre very culturally, linguistically, socially white and very academic in a way that is off-putting to a lot of people who arent in academia.

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I put together a reading passage called Junebug Goes to the Barber, and the idea was to have a story that encouraged people to code-switch and to use more, rather than less, African American English. The way that that was accomplished was telling a story where people are talking.

I shared it on social media and personally with people. From there, it was a phonetic analysis where its this coding pipeline. I used whats called forced alignment and vowel extraction, FAVE for short. I use it in part because its used by a lot of other linguists for a lot of other varieties of English, so its directly comparable to other work that people are doing.

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I was really interested in the vowels. So, when youre speaking, your vocal cords vibrate and you produce sound waves from your mouth and nose. What makes a vowel different from another vowel is basically the configuration of your tongue and your lips, so if your tongue is high or low in the mouth, if your tongue is front or back in the mouth, relatively, and if your lips are rounded or unrounded. You hear them in the sound wave, but thats something that we can do.

For instance, Washington, D.C., people will say goose and goat with vowels that are muchthe tongue is much more forward in the mouth than it is for people in, I dont know, Gulfport, Mississippi. So its the difference between:

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Can I ask where youre from?

I was actually going to ask you if you could tell where I was from.

Oh, I would have to ask you a bunch of words.

I can also read Junebug Goes to the Barber. I actually read it before this call, and I was like, This is fun.

I liked it. I had some help with it, because I had to run it by a bunch of people and make sure it didnt have regional stuff. I think it says Dad in there nowI think I had Pops or something, and in some places that was fine, nobody cares, but in other places people are like, We dont say that.

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Do you have Junebug nearby?

Yeah, I do.

I have a hypothesis from some vowels, like, what they call the strut vowel gives me some information. Did you grow up in one place and was it in the Southeast?

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Yes.

Thats what I got right now from how you said point and from how you say Junebug. But narrowing it down is going to be a little bit harder.

All right. Just tell me when to stop reading: So heres the deal: Marcus is named after his dad, but everyone just calls him Junebug. Hes turning 12 this week. His momma stay watching him like a hawk. Shes always asking him, Where you going? But today, shes letting Junebug go to the barbershop by himself. Thats probably cuz its soI hate reading out loudThats probably cuz its so near she can see him from down the street anyway.

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Theres certain vowels that Im listening for now, where its to narrow it down. Can you keep going? Is that all right?

He dont even care. Hes just happy he can take care of getting a haircut. Theyre having a birthday cookout on Saturday and everybodys going to be there. Everybody. That means the boys from school and the girls from school tooso you know hes got to look fresh. Its like his old man is always telling him, Always come correct. 

Im thinking, because you got to some of the vowels that I was curious about. Now, let me add some caveats, all right? Before I ask you some other questions.

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One is that in general theres certain vowels that are more stigmatized and people pay more attention to and try to correct away from, especially if they work in anything having to do with language. So it may be that the clues for a particular place are something that you are aware of trying not to say in general. Ill tell you what it is after I ask you, but I want to actually try this, because now youve got me thinking about this.

They give a keyword for each of these vowels. Theyll talk about a goose vowel, goat vowel, strut vowel, the one that Im thinking of is theusually they talk about caught, because they say the cot/caught merger. In the Southeast and then more as you get closer to Mississippi and then up the Mississippi River, thats more and more pronounced like:

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Yours sounded like it was a little closer to that, but not like Alabama or anything. At least not the speakers that I had from Alabama.

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The way that you said bug, which is the strut vowel, suggested to me also parts of the Southeast. It could be consistent with the Carolinas, but the way that you were saying the vowels that are normally called the kit vowel and the dress vowel are not as consistent with North Carolina, for instance, as what I would expect from really casual speech from people from those places. You also didnt have the hawk or caught voweldid not sound like Florida, and didnt really sound like a lot of the speakers I have from Georgia. So Im leaning towards southern Virginia, but I really do not feel confident that thats the place.

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You dont have any of the stuff like the mergers before R or really classic Washington, D.C., and Baltimore stuff, so I want to rule those out. But again, working in language, high level of education, speaking formally in an interviewthat kind of thing all affects this stuff.

Am I even in the neighborhood, or will you be like, Im from California, obviously?

Youre definitely in the neighborhood.

I dont think Im going to narrow it down any further, because thats the cues that I have to go on, like how do you pronounce words like hawk, coffee, dog, that kind of stuff. How do you pronounce words like

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Miss Mary [may-REE]? I assume that would have given you the Carolinas.

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Yep! South Carolina?

North. Ive only heard North Carolinians say Mary. I never hear it that way anywhere else.

So now Im interested, because theres a split in North Carolina. Where in North Carolina? Thats what I want to know.

Lexington. Its centrally located, in Davidson County.

What I was listening for is the eastern versus central split. They talk about it like its a reversal, but its not really a reversal. Its more like what comes first in the vowel. They talk about splitting and they talk about reversal of the vowel nucleus, meaning the first, heavier part of the vowel. So what they call the kit vowel and a lot of Southern white English and in certain places in African American English would be like kit:

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Similarly, like bad or like head, that kind of thing would be like  head would be like head.

Thats what I was listening for, for eastern North Carolina, and didnt hear that on certain words. Which is why I was like, I dont know. I was ruling out some of the Gulf states because of the vowel in dad. The most extreme example of that would be parts of Alabama and Georgia saying, like, dad and jazz music so it sounds like dead and jezz to outsiders. I heard people from the South saying, about the musician in the story, they say, He play jezz.

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Each of those things add up. They all have their own geographic distributions. You can have like a mental map of it and say like, OK, well, if I hear this sound, then that restricts it to here, and I hear this other sound and that restricts it to this smaller part of here. You know what I mean?

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I wasnt sure about southern Virginia, but I got close.

When you said the Carolinas, I was like, Wow. This leads me perfectly into my next question, because I always felt like I had lost my accent, and I know it comes out at times. But whenever people move and they live in a new placelike I went to college and I was around a whole bunch of different people with a whole bunch of different accentsIm just wondering how peoples accents can shift.

Theres a lot of research on that. Education plays a part in it. Theres actually some studiesI think Sabriya Fisher was on one of thembut they looked at people going off to college and found that they did a lot of identity construction and a lot of accent work.

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Peoples accents change with who theyre surrounded by, and what communities they want to be a part of, and how they want to be perceived, and what theyre aware of versus not aware of. I think the really important thing to remember is that everyone has an accent, always. So if you talk about accent reduction, its not that you lose an accentits that you develop an ability to speak in a different accent. But its all accents. Theres no such thing as nonaccented speech. Some [accents] have more social prestige and some have less, but nobody speaks without an accent.

Then when you talk about losing a Southern accent, that also depends on what communities youre interacting in, what they even consider a Southern accent. So among African American English speakers in D.C., whats considered a Southern accent? Its going to be different than among white Virginians in the suburbs. And thats going to be different than somewhere else where those suburban white Virginians are considered to have a Southern accent by people in New York. So its a whole complicated system.

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What I will say is theres certain things that people really notice. But theres other things that people dont really notice. Like the way that you say out, O-U-T, like, My accents coming out. Different people in different places pronounce that vowel differently, but nobody really pays attention to how everybody else is pronouncing it, other than linguists. They notice that so-and-so sounds different than some other person, but they dont really notice its because of how he says out.

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In my dissertation defense, I actually played audio of Jay-Z saying bounce, because my advisers werent really sure on that one, and I just played them Jay Z saying bounce. Thats like very much a New York accentCan I Get A, thats the song Im thinking of, I played thatthen I played audio from the conductor on the 1 train in Harlem and said, Just listen to how he says, This is a downtown-bound 1 train.  Its completely different than other places.

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Accents are complicated. Everybody has one, but then what youre aware of and what the people around you are aware of and what is stigmatized and what is not stigmatizedits all going to affect how somebody speaks. Thats where you get into code-switching. Thats where you get into having telephone voice or white voice, where people feel like they have to navigate making their speech less stigmatized. I recognize the reasons for it, I recognize that it is strategically sound and intelligent to do, but I also dont think, in an ideal world, that it should be what people have to do.

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What happens is in the United States, one, people dont really know much about linguistics in general unless they study linguistics, and two, all of those things become pathologized when were talking about African American English, even though theyre normal and natural. Tons and tons and tons of languages make exactly these kinds of changes. African American English is unique, but all of the individual things that make it unique are cross-linguistically common and attested. It just gets pathologized in the United States because of our history of race and racism.

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Like everything from double negativespeople say two negatives make a positive. Well, not in Russian, not in French, not in Arabic, not in Hebrew, not in all of these other languages. But when Black people do it, suddenly its a problem. I think that shapes a lot of how language is talked about, where the American mainstream starts from a position of What Black people do is wrong and then finds reasons to justify it. If you go out and look at the data, you actually measure how people speak, you look at the syntax, you look at the grammar, you look at the morphology, it is normal and natural and does exactly what other languages do, but its pathologized socially in the United States.

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I saw your thread on George Floyd and him appearing to say, I aint do any drugs. It was very interesting to me that people were hearing I ate too many drugs. Your thread was very enlightening, I think, for a lot of people, because to me, I aint do any drugs is a perfectly said, understandable statement. So seeing language being pathologized during the trial for Derek Chauvin, what are your broader thoughts on the way language has been used?

I mean, the strategy for the defense, as far as I can tell, is to portray him as dangerous and that use of force as being required. One of the ways you do that is you play into stereotypes about the criminal Black man. One of the ways that you do that is you play into stereotypes and fears about Black people being stronger. Its not true, but theres a ton of research that suggests that people think, incorrectly, that Black people can tolerate more pain or that theyre stronger or whatever. Theres certain drugs that, theyll argue, make people more violent, that will make people impervious to pain. So the idea is to play into that concept.

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I want to be careful here, because I cant say for certain that they understood it and misrepresented it. They may have misunderstood it themselves. I dont know which of those is the case. But either way, they thought that the witnesses and the jury would think that I ate too many drugs is a plausible interpretation of what he said. I just dont think its a plausible interpretation if you have any familiarity whatsoever with African American English.

Theres other examples in high-profile cases of Black peoples speech being misunderstood, misrepresented, or completely ignored. We wrote a paper in 2019 about court reporters and their transcript of African American English in Philadelphia and found, among other things, that they were not performing at 95 to 98 percent accuracy, which is their certified level.*

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In doing that paper, we looked through some other high-profile cases, and you have everything from judges going to Urban Dictionary to find out what finna means. Its actually the same judge that said it was impossible to determine whether Hes gonna shoot me is an excited utterance, and that has bearing on the admissibility of evidence in court. He said it was impossible to determine because there wasnt a conjugated form of the verb to be.

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Any linguist whos done any work on African American English will tell you that the conjugated form of the verb to be is obligatory in the past tense, and theres certain contexts in which it can be reduced or deleted in the present in African American English, but also this is consistent with, again, Russian, with Hebrew, with a variety of other languages. Hes gonna shoot me, theres no ambiguity about the time frame there. So thats one thing.

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Then you have, within the same span of years, the guy who asked for a lawyer and was denied legal counsel because he said  I forget the exact quote, but it was like, I want a lawyer, dog. They denied him legal counsel on the fiction that he was requesting a canine lawyer.

What?

Did you not hear about this one? This was 2017, I think. He was like, I want a lawyer, dog. And they say, Uh, were denying the motion for counsel on the grounds that a canine lawyer doesnt exist.

So theres a range of making decisions on appeal based on going to Urban Dictionary to try and understand what was said, which tells me that theres a problem there. But at least theyre trying to do their job. And then theres being denied legal counsel because you said the word dog. Theres a whole range of ways in which this plays out.

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What we saw with the defense for Derek Chauvin is consistent with all of that, because we dont have a level of understanding, of education, in the United States, and respect for African American speech that would prevent these things from continuing to happen.
This story also appears in David Epsteins newsletter, Range Report.

For 17 months, six astronauts from four countries were crammed together in a 775-square-foot concrete building, simulating a trip to Mars. They had no contact from friends or family.

Four crew members developed sleep trouble; one became depressed. Interpersonal conflict was a constant. Fifty times during the simulation, conflicts were significant enough that a crew member filed a report about it.

Even among astronauts who are highly prescreened for their ability to handle stress, conflict is both frequent and inevitable. It happens on every single space mission, Amanda Ripley told me. Every single one.

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Ripley is the author of the new book, High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out. Her reporting spanned astronauts and gang members to married couples and politicians, so I invited her to join me for a recent episode of How To!, to talk about strategies for turning high conflictthe kind that devolves into me versus you or us versus theminto productive conflict.

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In terms of space missions, Ripley told me, the most predictable conflict is between the crew and mission control. Theres a lot that is lost in that back and forth, she said. Given that NASA hopes to put astronauts on Mars in a decade, the space agency has taken a special interest in effective communication and conflict resolution. What NASA has learned, Ripley said, is that communication needs to be slowed down, and much more iterative than we expect.

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Ripley is, in my opinion, one of the best nonfiction writers in the biz, so High Conflict is a page-turner just for the stories. But she also came away with a toolbox for that kind of slower, iterative communication that forms the foundation of productive conflict. On the latest How To!, Ripley counseled a listener who is stuck in an intractable conflict with her partner, and below are (in small nutshells) three tips she shared that really apply to any kind of conflict:

Figure out what youre actually upset about: In most conflicts, Ripley said, theres the thing were arguing about and the thing its really about. Every conflict has an understory, so to speak. Ripley wrote about one couple who was getting divorced and went to war over who would get custody ofthe Legos. Seriously. The couple didnt realize it at the time, but the reason they were so heated over the Legos was that, in their minds, toys represented their childs affection. Often, by the time people understand what theyre really upset about, its too late. Dont wait until its too late to start taking a step back from the heat of arguments and searching for the understorywhat you or the other person are really upset about.

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Practice looping for understanding: When youre in a contentious conversation, force yourself to repeat back what someone just said to you, in your own words, and then ask, What am I missing? That might seem tedious, a little cheesy, or just very difficult in the heat of an argument, but force yourself to try it. That simple act of making someone feel heard, and of making it clear that youre truly trying to understand what they mean, can stop the barreling conflict snowball in its path. It can be the start of productive friction.

(This is a tactic that NASA mission control uses with astronauts, as part of frequent communication check-ins, but it hit closer to Earth for me. I have a two-year-old, and it immediately reminded me of pediatrician Harvey Karps book, The Happiest Toddler on the Block. In it, Karp describes his fast-food rule. At a fast-food order window, if you ask for a burger and fries, the first thing the order-taker will probably say is, So thats one burger and an order of fries. Anything else? They are, essentially, looping for understandingThis is what I heard, is that right? Is there anything else? Karp suggests the fast-food rule for dealing with toddlers; Ive found it very helpful, especially now that my son is trolling me.)

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The seven-minute writing exercise: In a fascinating experiment, couples were made to spend seven minutes writing about their most recent dispute, from the perspective of an imaginary third party who wants the best outcome for everyone involved. Imagine a mediator, Ripley said, or someone in the room whos watching, and imagine how that person might think about this fight. How might he or she find the good that could come from it? And then you write that down for seven minutes from that perspective. The next time you have that fight, which you will, or some version of it, think about that third party perspective. The couples repeated that exercise every four months for a year, and not only did they report feeling less upset about their argument than couples who didnt do this marriage hack, as Ripley put it, they actually did not experience the slow loss of satisfaction that typically occurs for couples over time. So, how about you commit 21 minutes over the next year to give this a try?

Ripley shared more useful tips, and background on the science behind them, in her book, and in the How To! episode, so check those out for moreespecially if you find yourself fighting for custody of the Legos.

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To hear Amanda Ripley help an American woman figure out ways to fight less with her partner, a Syrian refugee, listen to the episode by clicking the player below or subscribing to How To! wherever you get your podcasts.
Criticism of Arizona Republicans so-called audit of the states 2020 election results is growing and on Monday the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors added its condemnation to the tin hat election review that is seeking to uncover some vast, conspiratorial fraud validating Donald Trumps claims that he was robbed of the presidency. In response to outlandish Republican accusations that voter files were surreptitiously deleted (oooh) and fake ballots secretly imported (ahhhh), the board held a public meeting blasting the conspiracy-fueled, taxpayer-funded audit as a sham and a con. In a letter to the Republican leader of the state Senate, the county board officials, four of five of whom are Republicans, accuse the elected Republicans who are pushing the audit effort of being only interested in feeding the various festering conspiracy theories that fuel the fundraising schemes of those pulling your strings.

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The Maricopa supervisory board demanded that Republicans call off the audit, which, using public funds, has been outsourced to private contractors at Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based company with zero election experience whose CEO has echoed many of the most absurd election fraud claims made by Trump. The Cyber Ninjas audit as is indicated by the companys name, is pure spectacle, but one where the integrity of a public goodthe electionhas been privatized and handed over to a partisan company of conspiratorial hacks. The state Senate used a subpoena to remove the countys voting machines and nearly 2.1 million ballots from a county facility late last month and handed them over to a team of contractors led by Cyber Ninjas, the Washington Post notes. Since then, the companies have been conducting a slow hand recount of the ballots on the floor of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

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No election fraud theory is too insane for the Cyber Ninjas, such that every cockamamie conspiracy is treated credulously. The team of voter fraud sleuths say they are using UV lights to investigate a far-right conspiracy theory that ballotscast in the state of Arizonawere actually smuggled in from Asia ahead of the election and that these ballots are detectable by traces of bamboo in their composition. This is real stuff. You have rented out the once good name of the Arizona State Senate to grifters and con-artists, who are fundraising hard-earned money from our fellow citizens even as your contractors parade around the Coliseum, hunting for bamboo and something they call kinematic artifacts,  the county supervisors letter reads. None of these things are done in a serious audit. The result is that the Arizona Senate is held up to ridicule in every corner of the globe and our democracy is imperiled.
The announcement of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates split after 27 years of marriage has left many shocked, in part due to their finely crafted image of marital stability and Gates image as a nerdy do-gooder. But since then, media outlets have turned the spotlight on Gates, opening up a slew of questions surrounding the Microsoft co-founders behavior during what French Gates, in her petition for divorce, called an irretrievably broken marriage. In case you havent yet had time to dig through the details of the reporting that emerged this past weekend, here are the highlights of what weve learned so far.

Jeffrey Epstein

Shortly after the announcement, People and the Daily Beast published reports on the yearslong relationship between Gates and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The two men were first connected in 2011, three years after Epstein had been convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution. According to the Daily Beast, Gates made dozens of visits to Epsteins New York mansion, where they allegedly discussed how the Microsoft co-founder could end what he called a toxic marriage, as well as Epsteins potential involvement in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Going to Jeffreys was a respite from his marriage. It was a way of getting away from Melinda, one source told the Daily Beast, a characterization that a representative for Gates disputed as inaccurate.

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Arguably the most memorable detail of the Times investigation was a quote from an email that Gates sent to colleagues in 2011: His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me, Gates wrote about Epstein. Gates spokesperson told the Times that Gates had been referring to the unique decor in Epsteins house.

Money Manager Michael Larson

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that French Gates asked her husband in 2017 to hire an outside party to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against his longtime money manager, Michael Larson. Larson runs Cascade Investment, the secretive entity that oversees much of the Gates wealth; the harassment allegations came from the manager of a bicycle shop that was partially owned by a venture capital firm Cascade had invested in. When these allegations first came to light, Gates had moved to settle the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum, but French Gates pushed for further action. Gates failed to hire the outside investigator, and Larson remains in his role.

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Workplace Allegations

The Times reported that Gates was known for seeking out relationships with women working for him, both at Microsoft and at the couples multibillion-dollar charity. According to the Times, in an email Gates sent to one female colleague in 2006, he asked her out to dinner and wrote: If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened. Another woman who worked for the Gates Foundation told the Times hed once asked her out at a cocktail party.

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And on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Gates affair with a former Microsoft employee in 2000 ultimately led him to step down from the companys board of directors. After Microsoft received a 2019 letter from a woman describing a sexual relationship with Gates, the board opened an investigation. But before it had formally been concluded, Gates resigned. A spokesperson for Gates told the Journal that there was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably, and claimed that the real reason for his resignation was a desire to focus more on philanthropy. But the Journals reporting found that board members were concerned Mr. Gates relationship with the woman had been inappropriate. Gates departure from the board happened three months after he had been reelected to it.

Marriage Trouble

The Times pointed out the dissonance in the fact that all this was happening as French Gates worked to promote female empowerment worldwide and reported that Gates could be dismissive of his wife in meetingscausing some foundation employees to cringe.

French Gates allegedly opposed the relationship between Gates and Epstein from the beginning. That relationship, the Wall Street Journal reported, ultimately led French Gates to seek out divorce lawyers as early as October 2019, when the ties between Gates and Epstein became public. In the end, as Bill Gates reputation reels in the wake of this reporting, one takeaway feels undeniable: French Gates has handled the fallout impressively. As journalist Sarah Jones tweeted, nothing but respect for Melinda Gatess PR team.
Theres at least one person between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River for whom gruesome recent events have worked out just fine: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Two weeks ago, while tensions were already growing over the planned eviction of six families from a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem but before they were exacerbated by police raiding the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israels longest-serving leader was in a jam. The inconclusive results of the countrys fourth election in two years had left him unable to form a government. His rivals were on the verge of forming an unlikely right-center-left-Islamist coalition for the specific purpose of removing him from power.

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Those talks collapsed last week when right-wing kingmaker Naftali Bennett pulled out, saying that the emergency situation in the country required a military response, something he thought would be impossible in a government including the Arab party Raam. A potential breakthrough for Jewish-Arab political cooperation was snuffed out as Jews and Arabs fought in the streets.

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Netanyahus rivals have stopped short of blaming him for creating the crisismost put the blame on Hamas, which, enmeshed in its own internal political struggle, began firing rockets at Israeli cities from Gazabut at the very least, it has been a lifeline for the prime minister.

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From a leader who recently looked on the verge of removal from office (and possibly jailtime given the wide range of corruption charges he was facing), Netanyahu now looks like one with few meaningful constraints on his power. Some of the Israeli governments recent actions, from the storming of Al-Aqsa during Ramadan to the bombing of the APs office in Gaza, almost have a deliberately provocative, trolling quality, as if Netanyahu is daring his critics to be outraged.

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The crisis has mostly neutralized the prime ministers domestic opposition. Most Arab governments have condemned Israel, in line with public sentiment, but a split has emerged, as the governments that signed on to the Donald Trumpsponsored Abraham Accords with Israel last year have been more muted in their response.

As for Israels most important international backer, Joe Biden has certainly not embraced Netanyahu with the same fervor as Trump, but thats not the same thing as applying real pressure. Biden finally called for a cease-fire on Monday in a statement that felt as if multiple committees had gone over it with a fine-toothed comb and notably did not include any timeline. This came after the U.S. used its veto in the U.N. Security Council to block a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, and after Biden defended Israels bombing of Gaza as a proportionate response. The administration has also approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, a deal that has been in the works since before the latest violence began.

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Through his public clashes with the Obama administration over the Iran nuclear deal, and his enthusiastic embrace of Trump, Netanyahu has done much to make U.S. support for Israelonce a sacrosanct matter of bipartisan consensus in Washingtoninto something closer to a partisan issue in the U.S. Polls show Republicans have become dramatically more sympathetic to Israel and Democrats dramatically less so over the past 10 years.

But so far, Netanyahu hasnt paid much of a price for this. When Republicans are in office, they support almost everything the Israeli government does. When Democrats are in office, they do so with less enthusiasm and some concerns. (Its worth noting that the Iron Dome rocket defense system, which has kept Israeli casualties remarkably low despite Hamas barrage was funded by the U.S. under Obama.)

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This may not last forever. Skepticism of unwavering U.S. support for Israel among elected Democrats is growing, and its not just Bernie Sanders, the squad, or even younger Jewish members like Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, but longtime AIPAC stalwarts like Rep. Gregory Meeks and Sen. Robert Menendez.

At some point, Netanyahu may have to contend with a U.S. administration that puts constraints on military aid or no longer goes to bat for Israel at the Security Council as a matter of course. At some point, his rivalsleft, right, and centermight actually cobble together enough votes in the Knesset to oust him. (They came very close this time, and a fifth election is likely coming soon.) At some point, Netanyahus right-wing settler allies might actually expect him to deliver on his talk of annexing parts of the West Bank; a move so provocative and illegal it even made Mike Pompeo nervous.

But these are long-term concerns, and right now, Netanyahu does not appear to be thinking about the long term. Hes governing week-to-week, election-to-election, and for the time being, theres nothing constraining him from doing whatever it takes to survive.
Last week, 124 retired generals and admirals signed an open letter denouncing the hard left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government taken by a Democrat Congress and the Current Administration, and urging citizens to reverse what they claim to beadopting the right wings most prominent conspiracy theorythe fraudulent election of 2020.

Was this, as some have argued, a disturbing sign of extremism in the armed forcesthe kind of act of insubordination, bordering on coup-plotting, that many more moderate or apolitical officers feared during the weeks leading up to President Joe Bidens inauguration, a concern heightened in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection?

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In one sense, probably not. Most of the officers who signed the statement have been out of the military for many years, some for decades. A few of themnotably Lt. Gen. William Boykin, well known for his overt Islamophobia, and Maj. Gen. Richard Secord, who colluded with Oliver North in the Reagan administrations Iran-Contra scandalare long-known members of the radical right. Most of the others are unknowns. (I asked a few retired officers whether they knew any of the signatories. None knew more than a handful.)

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One retired general, who dismisses the letters significance, emphasized that officers are trained to obey civilian authority, and the vast majorityactive-duty and retireddo. (For instance, he said, look at the absence of public protest to Bidens withdrawal from Afghanistan, even though most officers disagree with that decision.) In other words, nothing to see here, folks, move along.

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In another sense, however, there is plenty to worry about. A retired four-star admiral, while noting that those who signed the letter do not constitute a significant group, still said he was concerned about its highly politicized content, detecting, in its language and aspirations, echoes of the juntas in Latin America of the 60s and 70s.

Extremism within the U.S. military is a longtime phenomenon, and a letter such as this one could vindicate and encourage those who lean in that direction.

And there are plenty of leaners. Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, an active-duty squadron commander in the Space Force, was relieved of duty just this week (though not booted out of the military) for spouting extremist views in a book and on a podcast. Lohmeier saw the militarys recent diversity and inclusion initiatives as evidence of a drift toward Marxism, which he sees as the roots of critical race theory.

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Several military personnel have posted messages, on Twitter or on popular Facebook pages, which tout conspiracy theories about the election and pledges of outright insubordination. Beijing Biden is not my president End of god damned story, posted Airman 1st Class Sean Brinson, who is assigned to a cyberspace operations squadron. He added, referring to the Jan. 6 rioters, I do not condemn the people at Capitol Hill. (Both posts, reprinted in Military.com, have since been deleted from Facebook.)

Lt. Col. Joseph Cannon, an infantry regiment commander in the Michigan National Guard, posted several conspiracy theories, including one that claimed the Sandy Hook shooting was concocted by the media.

According to a study by West Points Combating Terrorism Center and George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism, 12 percent of those arrested for the Jan. 6 insurrection43 out of 357had experience in the military, ranging from three to 25 years. A quarter of those veterans were officers; nearly half had been deployed overseas.

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These may be isolated incidents, but they reflect a larger reality. In a poll of 1,630 active-duty personnel, published in Military Times last fall, over one-third said theyd personally witnessed incidents of white nationalism or ideologically driven racism. This was up from just under a quarter in a similar poll the previous year. More than half of minority service members said theyd experienced ideological forms of racism, up a few percentage points from the year before.

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The Biden administration is taking some steps to quell this trend. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently established a Countering Extremism Working Group and has said he regards its work as one of his top priorities. Lecia Brooks, chief of staff of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has been writing reports on racism within the military since the mid-1980s, calls Austins effort a great first step.* Brooks told me that she and members of more than a dozen civil rights organizations were invited to one of the groups meetings a couple of weeks agoit was very open, very transparent, she told meand will be invited to future meetings as well.

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The groups task is to devise standards and policies for rooting out extremism within all the military services. But the first step is simply to compile reliable data on how widespread extremism issomething that has never been done systematically.

In another significant effort, an eight-member commission has been formed to rename the 10 Army bases currently named after Confederate generals. This is a separate project, mandated last summer in a bill sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, in the wake of the George Floyd murder. But Austin has appointed some of its members as well, including retired Adm. Michelle Howard, the first female admiral in American history and the third African American to reach that rank, and retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the author of a recent book, Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerners Reckoning With the Myth of the Lost Cause.

The entire military is reckoning with that mytha bit late in the day, but better now than never.

Correction, May 18, 2021: This piece originally misspelled Lecia Brooks first name.
Inslee convened a task force last year to suggest ways to guarantee independent investigations of police use of deadly force. The move followed community outrage over the death of Manuel Ellis as he was being restrained by Tacoma police and repeatedly saying he couldnt breathe. The Pierce County Sheriffs Office conducted a botched review of the case without disclosing that one of its deputies had been involved.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surprised everyone by announcing updated guidance about COVID-19 precautions. Fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks or maintain 6 feet of distance in most indoor environments. The science underlying the recommendation that vaccinated people can take off their masks is very solid, but the way its being communicated is anything but. There was little prior notice of this change, and while reactions have been decidedly mixed, most of the dialogue concerns the many questions that have yet to be answered to the satisfaction of the public.

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Why such a profound shift in recommendations and why now? Top health officials emphasized that this decision is supported by a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence. We know from animal studies, clinical trials, and, increasingly, from real-world data that the vaccines provide exceptional protection against symptomatic COVID-19. Vaccinated people are not likely to get sick if they are exposed, so the data does strongly support that it is safe for fully vaccinated people to remove their masks.

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When the vaccines were first authorized, the clinical trials showed high efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease, but it wasnt clear whether they would also prevent infection. Clinical trials were designed to assess protection against the disease COVID-19, but investigating the vaccines abilities to block infection altogether had to wait until vaccines were rolled out into the population. From real-world studies done in the U.S., the U.K., Israel, and Denmark, we now have the answer to that: They are very effective at preventing infection in the majority of those vaccinated, with the exception of older people and those who are immune compromised. In studies of vaccinated health care workers in Israel, Texas, Minnesota, and California, vaccines were exceptionally protective against infection even in the face of rising community transmission. The vaccines clearly can prevent many infections, which at population level will mean reductions in transmission, since people cannot spread SARS-CoV-2 to others if they are not infected to begin with.

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But what about those who are infected despite being fully vaccinated? The CDCs announcement coincided with a cluster of breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated members of the New York Yankees, spurring fresh concerns about whether breakthrough infections can be transmitted to others, including other vaccinated people. There is lean data on transmission by vaccinated people, although a study from the U.K. suggests that, like most of the cases among the Yankees, breakthrough infections usually appear to be asymptomatic and not associated with household spread. Furthermore, breakthrough infections were found to be associated with much lower viral loads than in unvaccinated people, which in turn are associated with reduced transmission. In other words, most vaccinated people who do get infected are not shedding enough infectious virus to spread it efficiently to others. This also might explain why breakthrough infections are frequently asymptomatic: Their vaccinated immune systems are rapidly and robustly responding to clear the infection, so there is no clinical disease and very little virus shedding.

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Finally, the guidance is also based on sustained declines in new cases. At the peak of the winter surge in early January, the rolling seven-day average of new cases reported to CDC exceeded 250,000 new cases per day. As of May 15, that number has dropped to about 32,000.

While this is good news, it also is one of the biggest causes of concern around lifting this guidance now. These national averages can disguise the fact that prevalence and immunization rates vary substantially by region and community. Many are worried that communities with low vaccination rates are vulnerable to resurgence, especially where new cases have plateaued and are not continuing to decline. The CDCs new mask guidance makes more sense in San Francisco, where COVID prevalence is extremely low and the majority of residents have been fully vaccinated, compared with Sacramento, where prevalence is about three times higher and only about 35 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated. If the CDC had waited, or linked this guidance to benchmarks at the county or state level, it could have avoided shifting the burden to the behavior of individual people. Because it released this blanket guidance now, without accounting for the local discrepancies in community risk, the most crucial question then becomes not whether the guidelines are evidence-based, but whether or not people will comply with them.

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Unfortunately, things do not look promising so far. Though the CDC cites a Harris poll finding that most Americans understood previous mask recommendations and planned to abide by them, its not clear that applies to this guidance, or extends to resulting policy decisions and individual behavior. Within several days of the announcement, 18 states and many businesses announced an end to mask mandates for fully vaccinated people. With no infrastructure in place to verify a persons vaccination status, this is based entirely on the honor system, which only goes so far. Already, social media has filled with anecdotal reports of people misrepresenting either their own vaccine status or the guidance itself, including a viral video of actor Ricky Schroder aggressively confronting a Costco employee about the chains continued masking requirements. Its unclear whether Schroder is vaccinated, but as his apology included statements about independence from medical tyranny, it certainly seems plausible that he is not.

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In theory, the guidance is supposed to incentivize vaccination, and the opportunity to resume a mask-free life will certainly be a strong inducement for some. But the CDCs guidance seems to assume that anyone over the age of 12 who wants to be vaccinated can do so immediately. But major disparities in vaccine access remain, leaving millions behind. Some workers cannot take time off to get to an immunization site or fear they will have side effects without sick leave. People who are homebound or who dont have ready access to transportation struggle to get to a vaccination site. Many states still require navigating a byzantine system to book an appointment, and vaccines are still not available in the offices of primary care providers. These barriers to access disproportionately affect racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities. Black and Hispanic communities have the lowest proportion of people vaccinated, and it is not because these communities are more vaccine-hesitant than others; it is because of limited access. Overall, many states just started offering vaccines to all this month, meaning there simply isnt enough time for a majority to be fully vaccinated. Children under the age of 12 will not be eligible for vaccination until at least next year.

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To a degree, the CDC is in a no-win situation. Many public health pundits who previously chided the CDC for being too timid and issuing guidance that was too complicated now complain that the agencys recommendations were premature and the updated guidance was not complex enough. Any CDC action or lack thereof will be viewed as insufficient by a large number of people. Move too slowly, and it is accused of being too conservative, while drastic changes are criticized as reactionary and unjustified. At the same time, public trust in the CDC and governmental health agencies has sharply eroded, with a recent poll showing that only half of Americans have a great deal of trust in the CDC. It is imperative that public health agencies do everything in their power to rebuild that lost trust. A surprise announcement of radical changes does not reassure people, and even pointing to the science does little to answer questions about why this was the best decision now, given that some communities are much more vulnerable than others.

Whatever the scientific case, the public deserves insight into how and why public health guidance is issued. Even when recommendations are backed by strong scientific data, analysis of the evidence and formulation of public recommendations must be more transparent, particularly when the success or failure depends on public compliance with guidelines. Public health necessarily demands the engagement and participation of the public. Going forward, our public health leaders must do better to make sure they have this before pressing ahead with guidelines that are so fundamental to our daily lives and our health and safety.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Tim Jin is one of the people celebrating the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions new guidance stating that vaccinated people do not have to wear masks. It is not because he is against masks or tired of wearing onehe is unable to. Jin, 46, has cerebral palsy and frequently drools. Fabric next to his mouth quickly becomes too wet to wear.

Like most CDC announcements since the start of the pandemic, the latest has been met with confusion and mixed feelingincluding among those in the disability community. Those with immunocompromising conditions and parents of disabled children in particular have been concerned about the change, given their or their childrens high-risk status. It seems like it will be impossible to know who is vaccinated and who is just getting away with going maskless. But the disability community is not a monolith. For some with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like Jin, the CDCs announcement that it is safe for vaccinated people to be maskless provides a glimmer of hope.

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Before the pandemic, Jin lead an active life in Orange County, California. He worked at an education publisher for 15 years, frequently traveled for speaking engagements and pleasure, and even gave a TEDx Talk. He serves on the boards of multiple disability nonprofits, including CommunicationFirst, which is focused on advocacy by and for people who rely on alternative modes of communication like typing instead of speaking. Jin communicates by typing with his toes. But COVID-19 has upended Jins life. He no longer works. He cannot travel. Ive been isolated in my house since the pandemic has started, due to the fear of getting sick, Jin wrote to me in an email. As a person with a developmental disability, he is at high risk of complications and death from COVID-19. More importantly, my ability to socialize with people has been greatly reduced where I dont feel confident anymore, he added. These might be familiar problems; most Americans living through the pandemic have experienced a loss of activities, social life, and even work. But there are also workarounds, like socializing over Zoom or taking outdoor, socially distanced walks. These arent viable solutions for all disabled people. In a recent study conducted by the nonprofit Easterseals, isolation was found to be the highest source of stress for the disabled people served by the organization, beating out worries about finances, physical health, and access to disability services. I asked Jin about what he was excluded from doing because of the mask mandate in his state. Pretty much everything, he answered. Because of the mask issue, my well-being has stopped.

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To be clear, Jin wants to wear a mask and has needed the protection a face covering provides (as well as the protection provided by other people wearing masks). Jin has tried many alternatives to traditional cloth and paper masks, including, memorably, a full-face scuba mask. The scuba mask didnt work out. I couldnt get enough oxygen, he explained. He finally settled on an ingenious solution: a motorcycle helmet. It [covers] my entire face and still lets me breathe, Jin said. He doesnt feel too self-conscious about wearing it. People always look at me no matter what because my disability is so pronounced, he told me. Im an outgoing person. And while the helmet enabled him to go to out, it wasnt exactly comfortable to wear. Donning it involved putting up with heat and sweat and no ventilation.

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Jin is excited to quit wearing the helmet soon. When I asked Jin if he was vaccinated, his reply was an emphatic YES, followed by multiple exclamation points. Hes counting down the days until hes at full immunity. He does not plan on continuing to wear his motorcycle helmet after that. I have built up my neck muscles enough! he exclaimed.

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For some, wearing a face covering of any kind has been downright impossible. Thats true for Adam, 31, who lives in Massachusetts, has a developmental disability, and needs support to do many daily tasks. I interviewed Adam and his mother, Sarah Coletti, last fall for the American Prospect. Adams world had shrunk dramatically because of the pandemic, they told me: In March 2020, the state of Massachusetts closed schools, state parks, and day programming for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His group home stopped admitting visitors in a failed attempt to prevent spread of the coronavirus to residents. Adam moved back home with his parentsif he hadnt, they wouldnt have been able to see each other at all. Adam is both at high risk for COVID and too sensitive to touch on his head and face to tolerate wearing a mask. This meant that going to indoor settings where hed be near people outside his household was off the table. To help other people feel more comfortable, Adam and his parents came up with a solution to comply with outdoor mask mandates and social norms. He keeps a bandana in his teeth, which doesnt work like a mask, but at least when were taking a walk [outside] people dont freak out, Coletti told me last year.

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Adams life has improved dramatically as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign has ramped up; Massachusetts has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, and Adam has been vaccinated himself. The day program he attends has reopened, and hes been able to move back into his group home, his mom told me. Even with the new CDC recommendations that say its perfectly safe for Adam to be out and about sans mask, they arent going full speed ahead back to normal. Ill probably wait a little while before I take him grocery shopping, Coletti told me. Were still a little wary of public spaces. But they did have a picnic planned with familyhis cousin, aunt, and uncle, all of whom he hasnt seen since before the start of the pandemic. Like everyone else, Adam is still adapting to the change. This morning he was almost ready to give his cousin a hug, and then he had to back away. He wasnt sure if it was OK. Were all doing that, were all a little unused to being with people, Coletti said. Its a process. But public health guidance that provides some of the most isolated people a little more freedom is an important step.
Unhappy mayors, happy developers. What does the proposed construction law change?

Construction is governed by rules almost half a century old, Sme Rodina looking to make changes.

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The new construction law has been under discussion for years. The law was among the two previous governments' priorities, but neither managed to push it through. The construction permission process in Slovakia follows rules created nearly half a century ago. The new draft law, published in early May 2021 by the deputy PM overseeing legislation, Stefan Holy (Sme Rodina), aims to change this.

Municipalities were quick to express their concerns, pointing out that the draft law as proposed would harm towns and their inhabitants.

Related article Brand new construction law out of sight Read more

"Everything happens with one sole aim  to cut deadlines to issue binding stances as short as possible and to eliminate any obstacle a developer currently faces on their way to the speedy valorisation of their investment," said the deputy president of the Union of Cities of Slovakia (UMS), Bratislava Mayor Matus Vallo. "That is unacceptable."

Here are some questions and answers providing more details on two draft amendments, on the Construction Law and the Urban Planning Law, as compiled by the Index business magazine.

Both laws are currently under interdepartmental review, until May 26. Holy has suggested that he wants part of the laws to become effective as of next year.

How has the construction permission process worked so far?

18. May 2021 at 13:38 | Tomas Vasuta
Lawyer spent more than year and half in custody. Constitutional Court ordered his immediate release

Slovakia deserves at least a bit of shame for this case, the lawyer's attorney said.

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The Constitutional Court decided that in the case of the Bratislava-based attorney Martin Riba, he should be immediately released at large, the Sme daily reported.

Ribar was kept in pretrial custody for 18 months when the court agreed with the prosecutor's reasoning that he could influence witnesses. Neither the police nor the prosecution service specified who those witnesses were.

Several involved people in this case, from the supervising prosecutor to courts, probably made a mistake, but they will bear no consequences. Chair of the Specialised Criminal Court Jan Hrubala said this is out of the question because judges would fear doing their job as a result.

If an intent to do harm is not proven, a judge's mistake in this or other decisions cannot be a reason for his disciplinary prosecution and definitely not for criminal prosecution, said Hrubala, as quoted by Sme.

He said that judges only had a different opinion than the Constitutional Court on whether Ribar should stay in custody.

Accused as part of organised group

18. May 2021 at 11:36 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Data on people waiting for their vaccine jab revealed

The biggest interest in vaccination is in the Bratislava Region.

People queuing in front of the vaccination centre in Bratislava, May 15 (Source: TASR)

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People can now check more detailed information on those registered for the vaccination.

The dashboard created by Martin Huba now shows how many people are waiting for the first or second jab, and also how many are waiting in respective age groups and in which regions.

People interested in vaccination

Data published on May 18 shows that there are 220,000 people in the waiting room. Further tens of thousands people have already received the date of their vaccination appointment.

Green: How many people are vaccinated, Yellow: How many people should be yet vaccinated, Blue: How many people will not be vaccinated (Source: Dashboard by Martin Huba)

The Data Without Pathos organisation expects there to still be enough people to vaccinate by the end of June, and that people will even continue registering in the online system.

This comes as a response to some predictions that people are not very interested in getting vaccinated, so that there will be no one to receive the vaccine jab in June.

Some AstraZeneca appointments cancelled

The data also suggests that more than 150,000 people should receive their second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, the National Health Information Centre (NCZI) has reported that more than 2,500 people cancelled their appointment for the second shot last week.

Currently, AstraZeneca is not administered as the first shot in Slovakia due to its low and unstable supplies, as the Health Ministry said.

How many people are in the waiting room for the first dose according to age categories (Source: Dashboard by Martin Huba)

When it comes to the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna jab, all those vaccinated in May should be re-vaccinated in June. Analysts expect that more than 750,000 people could receive the second jab in June. With the current rate of 30,000 doses administrated a day, Slovakia should handle the matter in 25 days.

Last first jabs in August?

The vaccination rate in Slovakia currently stands at 26 percent. When taking people older than 16 (who can be vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines) into consideration, almost one third of the population has received a jab.

How many doses have been administrated so far (Source: Dashboard by Martin Huba)

Most people are currently waiting for their vaccination appointment in the Bratislava Region (more than 60,000), followed by the Zilina Region, Trnava Region, Nitra Region and Trencin Region. There are not so many people waiting in the Presov Region, Banska Bystrica Region and Kosice Region.

Analysts also calculated that if Slovakia fulfills its aim of vaccinating 3.3 million, the last first jab could be administrated on August 12.

Read more about vaccination in Slovakia:

18. May 2021 at 17:57 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Austria requires no quarantine upon arrival, but Belgium imposes it again. Schools to be equipped by digital technologies worth 40 million.

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This is the Tuesday, May 18, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia. Learn about politics, business, and other notable events of the day in Slovakia in less than five minutes. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

Floods across Slovakia claim one life

Following a heavy rainfall that has hit Slovakia in the past few days, some places are struggling with the deluge.

The worst situation so far occurred in the village of Rudno nad Hronom in central Slovakia, where a water reservoir situated above the village burst. The flooding claimed one victim  a former mayor.

Police, firefighters and soldiers came to help. Even PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO) visited the place, and has promised financial aid.

Meanwhile, other municipalities across Slovakia, and particularly in central and eastern parts, struggled with floods. Even the operation of a hospital in Banska Bystrica was affected.

Slovak economic growth a pleasant surprise

(Source: TASR)

The gross domestic product (GDP) at constant prices grew by 0.3 percent y-o-y in the first quarter of the year. Seasonally adjusted, it increased by 0.5 percent y-o-y, as the Slovak Statistics Office reported in its GDP flash estimate.

In early May, analysts expected the Slovak economy to decline by some 2 percent y-o-y. In the coming quarters, the economy should gradually rebound.

Lubomir Korsnak, analyst of UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, considers the flash estimate a pleasant surprise and confirmed better than expected monthly figures, especially in the last month of the quarter (March).

Coronavirus and vaccination news

233 PCR tests carried out on May 17 were positive, out of 7,276 (3.20 percent), and of 70,972 antigen tests, 265 were positive (0.37 percent). 10 more people died, increasing the number to 12,248.

carried out on May 17 were positive, out of 7,276 (3.20 percent), and of 70,972 antigen tests, were positive (0.37 percent). more people died, increasing the number to 12,248. More than 220,000 people in Slovakia have signed up for vaccination, in the virtual waiting room . The number of people is gradually growing, as stems from the data published by the Data Without Pathos organisation.

in Slovakia have signed up . The number of people is gradually growing, as stems from the data published by the Data Without Pathos organisation. The British coronavirus strain is still prevailing in Slovakia, identified in 97.4 percent of cases, according to data of the Public Health Authority (UVZ) from April 2021. The South African version has been uncovered in seven samples and the Indian mutation in one sample.

is still prevailing in Slovakia, identified in 97.4 percent of cases, according to data of the Public Health Authority (UVZ) from April 2021. The South African version has been uncovered in seven samples and the Indian mutation in one sample. People travelling from Slovakia to Austria will not have to self-isolate from May 19. They will be required to show a confirmation on testing, vaccination or recovery from the disease.

from May 19. They will be required to show a confirmation on testing, vaccination or recovery from the disease. Belgium will list Slovakia as a red country from May 19. This means that people travelling from Slovakia will have to fill in the Health Passenger Locator Form, show a negative Covid-19 test result no older than 72 hours, and undergo a 10-day quarantine upon their arrival. This can be shortened to seven days if they take another Covid test.

Feature story for today

On the ground, what we see is that the problem is not that there is disinterest in vaccination among the elderly, but transport to vaccination centres, say the people who operate the mobile vaccination teams, which travel to villages to inoculate seniors and immobile people.

More mobile vaccination teams roll out to help elderly get jabs Read more

Other news

President Zuzana Caputova appointed Pavol Nad as the president of the newly-established Supreme Administrative Court. His tenure is limited to five years.

as the president of the newly-established Supreme Administrative Court. His tenure is limited to five years. Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollar (Sme Rodina) suspended the ongoing parliamentary session until May 26, 13:00, giving the need to discuss some proposals in the coalition as a reason.

giving the need to discuss some proposals in the coalition as a reason. The coalition decided on postponing the discussion on changes to collusive custody , submitted by Sme Rodina, to the June session .

, submitted by Sme Rodina, to the . The Specialised Criminal Court sentenced Juraj Ondrejcak, boss of the Bratislava-based organised criminal group Pitovci, to 23 years in prison for murder, the ordering of a murder and other crimes.

boss of the Bratislava-based organised criminal group Pitovci, to for murder, the ordering of a murder and other crimes. The Supreme Court has rejected the complaint of Kajetan Kicura, the accused former head of the Administration of State Material Reserves, against the decision of a Specialised Criminal Court judge not to release him from pre-trial custody.

of Kajetan Kicura, the accused former head of the Administration of State Material Reserves, against the decision of a Specialised Criminal Court judge not to release him from pre-trial custody. The Education Ministry will invest 40 million in digital technologies for teachers and students. The first pieces of equipment are set to be delivered to schools in early September, said Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS).

for teachers and students. The first pieces of equipment are set to be delivered to schools in early September, said Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS). Trnava-based carmaker Stellantis Slovakia suspended part of its production for all three shifts today as well, with exceptions including a press shop, partly a welding shop and the quality and logistics departments.

Do not miss on Spectator.sk today

Lawyer spent more than year and half in custody. Constitutional Court ordered his immediate release Read more

Unhappy mayors, happy developers. What does the proposed construction law change? Read more

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

18. May 2021 at 18:04 | Nina Hrabovska Francelova
The investigator interviewed Dolezal, who denied the conversations. He acknowledged adding the girl on SnapChat, though he also claimed he had mistakenly added the girl. He refused to consent to a search of his cell phone or provide information to investigators to access his electronic records. Investigators obtained a search warrant and records were received on May 5.

In reviewing those records, investigators determined Dolezal had also been chatting with a 14-year-old girl from mid-December to mid-February. He is described as grooming the girl, complementing her on her appearance and then the conversations becoming sexual in nature. An investigator recovered 51 images of the girl in various stages of undress and four videos, which Dolezal allegedly saved to his social media account.

Dolezal had lived in Bellevue before he began working with the Nebraska State Patrol Troop E after being sworn in June 2020. Nebraska State Patrol Public Relations Director Cody Thomas said Dolezal was terminated from the patrol on March 2 after an internal investigation immediately began after the Gering Police Department informed the patrol of its investigation in late February. Dolezal was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Bond in the case has been set at 10% of $300,000. A warrant for Dolezals arrest was issued on Friday, May 14 and he was arrested early Saturday afternoon in Sarpy County, where he was jailed. He had not yet been transferred to Scotts Bluff County to appear on charges on Monday.

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A year for the history books, as everyone has said, but no one wants to talk about that, James Bruner, who graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors, said during his graduation address to his fellow Scottsbluff High School classmates. COVID-19  It was tough on us, but that wont be my focus today.

For Bruner and Halle Shaddick, who also graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors and spoke, COVID-19 was something that was not going to be discussed at their graduation. Instead, they focused on what graduation usually is for seniors: a time to reminisce about the good ol days and a time to look forward to whats ahead.

Shaddick used her time to describe the Bearcat legacy within her family, and what the Bearcat tradition means for the entire community  from alumni to elementary Bearcat hopefuls.

Longfellow fourth grader Jaden Dicks said, The SHS Bearcats are courageous and inspiring, and I cant wait to be one of them one day, Shaddick quoted. If this ... expedition has taught us anything, I hope its that were part of a tradition that exhibits success, and our potential is limitless.

Bruner said this chapter in their lives is closing, but is the start of a new one.
The first time they ran, I bolted straight up in my bed. I thought they were in my front yard. Its that loud, he said.

He and his wife tried sleeping with ear plugs and were unable. Because he lives and works in Mitchell, he said that getting a hotel was an inconvenience for his family and is not an accommodation. Every one of the 11 residents in his subdivision experienced issues last summer, he said.

Strauch and Randy Sorrell, said that the problems werent just noise-related, but other issues as well, such as shaking of windows. His family even had a wedding reception affected after filming was delayed and crews decided to film on a day he had provided advance notification.

Sorrell said that some people who had asked to be accommodated with hotels reported problems. One mother showed up at a hotel with her children only to be told that the production company would not be paying for her hotel. Another reported that it took more than two weeks to get hotel accommodations.

Asked about problems experienced by law enforcement, Scotts Bluff County Chief Deputy Troy Brown said that some racing outside of the show was reported around the county, as well as some other activity. He said that the sheriffs department would work with its law enforcement partners to provide coverage as it did last year.
It might seem small to some but being able to reassure this neighbor and get the problem solved meant a great deal to herand to me. Thats what stronger together means to me. I want residents to call us when they see an issue that needs to be addressed, whether its a pothole or a runoff issue or maybe an intersection that could use a stop sign. Its why were here!
Nebraska State Patrol troopers arrested two Virginia residents after finding 186 pounds of marijuana in their car during a traffic stop.

About 7:45 a.m. Saturday, a trooper spotted an eastbound Dodge Charger whose driver failed to signal a turn and drove on the shoulder as it was exiting Interstate 80 near Giltner, patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said. Giltner is about 20 miles southeast of Grand Island.

During the traffic stop, a patrol dog smelled pot in the car. A search of the vehicle uncovered 186 pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages.

The driver, a 30-year-old man from Suffolk, Virginia, and a passenger, a 25-year-old woman from Virginia Beach, Virginia, were arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana  more than one pound and possession with intent to deliver. Both were taken to the Hamilton County Jail.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday predicted a return to normal in Nebraska's K-12 schools by this fall after a year of coronavirus restrictions that included mask-wearing in classrooms and remote learning.

Ricketts said the state appears to be in good shape with its vaccination efforts and virus-related hospitalizations, which have now fallen below 100 statewide.

Given where we are right now, it's my expectation that we will not need these pandemic restrictions this fall, Ricketts said at a press event in Omaha.

Ricketts, a Republican, made the comments as he encouraged Nebraska's new high school graduates to get vaccinated if they haven't already. He said he also supports younger children getting vaccinated, as long as a vaccine has been federally approved for a child's age group and the parents give consent.

We really want our high school graduates to get that vaccine, he said.

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Cheryl Logan said the district has worked with Douglas County public health officials to provide vaccination sites and share information about vaccines with students and families.

We must not let up on our health and safety focus, she said.
It all sounds so futuristic. But sometimes when we get a glimpse of future threats, its wise to rummage through the lessons of the past.

As metaphors go, describing the internet as a vast ocean isnt half bad. There are enormous continental powers such as Facebook. There are archipelagos of smaller sites linked to each other in various ways. There are even remote lawless islands in hard-to-access backwaters like the dark web. And, as with a real ocean, commerce and communication depend on being able to navigate it.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, being a seafaring nation brought power, prosperity and prestige. And it brought pirates.

Which brings me back to DarkSide. Sure, its a criminal organization, and its members should be brought to justice. But its also fascinating. DarkSides hackers claim to be bound by an ethical code, saying they wont hack hospitals or schools.

We are apolitical, we do not participate in geopolitics, do not need to tie us with a defined government and look for other our motives [sic], DarkSide said in a statement. Our goal is to make money, and not creating problems for society.
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Little Elm ISD will no longer require face masks, and the plastic dividers are coming down.
Current Affairs

A ttorney Peter Karam, who is seeking to avoid being extradited to Argentina, has agreed to appear before a judge in that South America country in connection with a multi-million dollar money laundering investigation.



Karam, a former partner in the law firm Karam &Missick, is on $1.2million bail from the court in Argentina, which is secured by an insurance bond.

During a recent hearing before Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin, it was noted that Karam will appear before the Argentine judge virtually on May 11th, then he will travel there a few days later for a formal hearing, since the Argentinian authorities have original jurisdiction over the matter.



Karam's lawyer Oliver Smith has argued that there is no longer a need for the extradition process to proceed against Karam and he is seeking to have the proceedings withdrawn.



Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin had previously agreed with submissions from Andrew Mitchell, QC, who appeared for the Attorney General's Chambers, that extradition proceedings against Karam could have commenced.



However, those extradition proceedings are now on hold, pending the outcome of the hearings in Argentina.



During the hearing before Chief Magistrate Hatmin, Smith had argued that It is incorrect to assert that Karam is the subject of a valid extradition request from Argentina and that what was served on Karam on October 16, 2019 was a judges letter rogatory, which is not an extradition request in law. He had also submitted that the Chief Magistrate does not have jurisdiction to commence a hearing, that there is no formal request for extradition, there is no warrant of arrest issued by the Argentine authorities and that he is not charged with a criminal offence.



Karam also contended that he was not named in any indictment or legally recognized charging instrument and it is therefore incorrect to assert that he was an accused person in the Argentina case.



In outlining the facts of the matter, Mitchell QC told Chief Magistrate Hatmin that the request for extradition arose from an investigation and prosecution in Argentina relating to funds from corrupt behaviour being laundered through accounts controlled by Karam for the purpose of taking over companies which owned land, formerly owned by the Crown.



Mitchell said the funds had to be "re-layered following the discovery of the original source" flowing from the Panama Papers revelation in 2016.

According to Mitchell, in 2007, Crown land at Northwest Point (plot numbers 60000/307, 310, 317 and 327) was sold to Islanders. The land was then sold, at a significant profit by the Islanders (the subject of separate proceedings), to three Turks and Caicos Islands companies Vandon, Navigation and Hardwork all of which were, at the relevant time, subsidiaries of another Turks and Caicos Islands company The River (TCI) Limited.



In 2008, in order to secure the land for the companies, a local bank lent the companies the sum of $11.8 million, including sums for forward interest and arrangement fees.



In October 2014, two new companies were registered in the Turks and Caicos Islands by a third-party company services provider. The two companies were called Marble Hill Limited and Woodhaven Limited.



Mitchell said that in May 2016 an entity known as Mother Queen remitted $75,000 to Karam & Misick just a few weeks before Karam's visit to Argentina.



Between 12 and 14 July 2016, Karam visited Buenos Aires entering from US and leaving for Brazil.



"This visit sits with the recorded testimony of Pochetti that Peter Karam was brought to Argentina to assist in moving funds into the Turks & Caicos Islands. A business card of PMKs was found in the property of one of the Argentinian conspirators (Ortiz Municoy)," Mitchell stated, adding that the fact that Karam was in Argentina at this time is also confirmed by a printout in the additional material supplied by the Argentinian authorities.



Mitchell said on December 28th, 2016 a loan agreement was executed between a company known as Oceanfront Properties Limited [OPL] and Marble Hill Limited [MHL] (or nominee) (both Turks and Caicos Islands registered companies). By this loan agreement MHL agreed to make available loan facilities to OPL in the sum of $29,300,000 (at 10% for 12 months plus extensions of 2 years in total at .5% pa per extension).



Mitchell stated: "The loan was, it is suggested a disguise to show how the following property was being transferred: a. $10.5million for transfer of Unit 23 Regalia Condominium owned by Dream Golden Enterprises Inc, b. $5.8m by transfer Turnberry Ocean Colony North Tower, c. $5.8m by transfer of 9005 Biscayne Blvd and d. $9m in cash. The loan agreement states that Sean Sullivan is the sole beneficial owner and guarantor of OPL, the borrower, and of The River (TCI) Limited, which it will be recalled, is the sole shareholder of the companies that originally borrowed the funds. Those borrowing companies were the corporate guarantors of the loan OPL."



He said this was "an unusual and non commercial transaction", as the corporate guarantors owed money to the local bank.



Mitchell stated: "It is simply untenable to pursue an argument at the committal stage that acts done in good faith or in the fulfilment of his fiduciary duty is not criminal. If there is evidence that the acts were performed and that those acts relate to the sanitising of criminal funds then that is prima facie material to support a committal and cannot be dismissed.... It is submitted that the facts and matters surrounding the activity of Karams role in the transactions call for an explanation which is sufficient to warrant a finding that the acts Karam in collusion with his alleged co-conspirators were designed to sanitise the proceeds of crime. That is not, as is suggested in the defence submissions, attempting to turn PMKs role as counsel to criminal, but rather highlighting how the role of counsel can be criminal. Attorneys can breach the criminal law in the performing of their roles, if the facts support such an allegation."






Caribbean

The Bahamas' Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister dismissed calls from United Nations (UN) human rights experts to halt the demolition of The Farm shantytown on Abaco, and said plans are in place to begin a similar exercise on New Providence very soon.



In a statement issued on Friday, the UN called on the government to halt further demolitions in The Farm shantytown on Abaco, arguing that the forced evictions and demolitions would force residents, who are primarily Haitian migrants, into homelessness and extreme poverty.



But Bannister said the demolition exercise is in the best interest of Bahamians and said that without action, public health issues could arise, The Nassau Guardian reported.



When I saw that, there were two questions I asked myself, he told reporters outside Cabinet.



The first question is, What is in the best interest of the Bahamian people whose interests I am supposed to represent?



And then the other question is, What are the consequences of me not doing my job?



The consequences of me not doing my job is that we could have a spread of E.coli in Abaco. Innocent peoples water in Abaco might be contaminated and people could be sick. We could have the constant widespread anomie in our country where people decide that theyre going to go on other peoples land and take it over.



And I can tell you that complaints in New Providence and elsewhere now have increased. I have a number of complaints from Bahamians who are saying that when they go to their property now, they are meeting shanty houses. We are going to have to conduct an exercise in New Providence because of that very soon.



Bannister said that otherwise, The Bahamas could become like Haiti.

It has come to a point where we have to decide whether we are going to have a society like The Bahamas or if we are going to have a society like Haiti, and if any of you have been to Haiti, you would see what happens there  dirt, garbage, shanty houses all over the place, he said.



We have to decide if thats what we want. And if we want that, then we have to decide that we are going to take a stance in the interest of our country. So, I am just carrying out my job based on The Bahamas.



If those folks want to make a statement about The Bahamas, then I think as a country, as we are deporting people, if they want them to come to their neighborhood and put a shantytown in their neighborhood, thats what you should ask them.



How would they feel if in their neighborhood there were a shantytown with feces going in the groundwater, with potential for people to get sick, with all the other challenges where you go on your land and somebody is already there putting up a shanty house.



Id like you to ask them these questions when they raise these issues about The Bahamas because we are just trying to live with law and order and we are just trying to protect the health and well-being of Bahamians.



In the ongoing rebuilding of Abaco in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the issue of shantytowns has been a particularly contentious one, with many residents raising concern over the swiftness with which new illegal structures are being erected.



Leading up to the storm, two of the largest known shantytowns in The Bahamas occupied prime property in Marsh Harbour, the islands capital.



In 2018, the Minnis administration announced plans to demolish shantytowns throughout the country, giving residents of most shantytowns on New Providence until August 10, 2018, to leave before demolition.



Residents in Abaco shantytowns were given until the end of July 2019 to leave.



However, in August 2018, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted an injunction preventing the demolition of shantytowns.



But when Dorian made landfall in the Abacos in September 2019, the shantytowns were some of the worst-hit communities  many of them virtually wiped out by the strong winds and storm surge.



Much of what remained of the communities was bulldozed by the government in the post-hurricane cleanup process.



Of the major shantytowns on Abaco, only The Farm survived; because some buildings were still standing and people were still living in the community in the aftermath of Dorian, it was protected by the injunction.



The government is seeking to have that injunction lifted in an ongoing Supreme Court hearing.



In the meantime, Bannister has maintained that the only buildings that will remain untouched in the governments planned demolition of the Abaco community are those that were erected prior to Dorian.






Despite ranking second globally in cotton production, China has come under immense international pressure, with critics accusing it of labour abuses in Xinjiang, prompting buyers to look elsewhere for cotton supplies to avoid the political fallout.

In this scenario, Uzbekistan, the world's sixth-biggest cotton producer, is emerging as a preferred supplier as buyers turn their back on supplies from China, after a decade-long international boycott over forced labour, writes Mimi Lau for South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Uzbek activists began raising the alarm about forced labour in the country's cotton industry more than a decade ago, during the time where millions of people, including doctors, teachers and even children, were mobilised to bring in the cash crop.

Several sanctions followed and more than 300 brands and retailers signed the international boycott of Uzbek cotton and textiles.

Since then, Uzbekistan has launched radical reforms to end child labour and forced labour through privatisation of cotton farms and trying to move up the value chain, writes Lau.

Meanwhile, China has been rebuked globally for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and subjecting them to abuse including forced labour.

Beijing, on the other hand, has vehemently denied that it is engaged in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang while reports from journalists, NGOs and former detainees have surfaced, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal crackdown on the ethnic community.

The US banned imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang in January, and Canada and the United Kingdom followed suit. Many international brands, including H&M, Nike and Ralph Lauren, have also gone on record to declare their products are not made from Xinjiang cotton, SCMP reported.

Consumers and state media in China responded with calls to boycott the firms but companies like Ralph Lauren, claiming that "diversifying the supply chain has become a corporate strategy for the brand".

Researchers say there are signs that US companies are decoupling from their Chinese suppliers to head off political risks, SCMP reported.

This effect is likely to spill over from cotton to other sectors, according to Fan Di, assistant professor with Hong Kong Polytechnic University specialising in fashion retail and marketing.

Meanwhile, an official source close to Uzbekistan's cotton industry said the Central Asian country was expecting "a huge influx of trade and investment" in the next 18 to 24 months.

"What is happening in Xinjiang now is in fact a window of opportunity for Uzbekistan. We are seeing a sharp increase from large multinational brands and retailers expressing their interests to source from Uzbekistan as they were concerned with their exposure in China," the source said.

Uzbekistan can also become a source of cotton for China, which consumes much more than it produces, writes Lau.

Meanwhile, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden have issued a joint statement expressing grave concern at the human rights situation of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in China's Xinjiang province.

The statement by these Nordic and Baltic countries, which was delivered by Martin Bille Hermann, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN on Wednesday, said, "We are gravely concerned about the information presented in reports and statements on the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region."

(ANI)

Also Read: Israel-Palestine conflict: Calls for ceasefire grow as Gaza death toll crosses 200
Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has already built 23 kilometers (14 miles) of fence on its border with the impoverished nation of Haiti, a project begun without fanfare prior to President Luis Abinaders announcement of plans for a frontier-long barrier.



The completed stretches are located at the Jimani and Elias Pina border crossings  second and third, respectively, in terms of binational traffic  and are still under construction, Gen. Santo Domingo Guerrero Clase, the Dominican Republic armed forces combined staffs director of planning and operations, told Efe.



The work has been carried out discreetly by the army and gone unannounced by Dominican authorities, who are seeking to control illegal immigration and eradicate cross-border contraband, arms- and drug-trafficking and vehicle and livestock theft.



The longest stretch of fence begins on the shores of Lake Azuei, Haitis largest, and winds through the arid hills surrounding the Dominican town of Jimani. That urban area is the closest to the Jimani border crossing, which is located on the highway that links Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince.



The fence stands around four meters (13 feet) tall, has a cement brick wall foundation and is topped off by razor wire, now rusted in some places due to humidity from the lake.



Monitored 24/7 by troops with the Cesfront border security force, the fence cuts through rocky paths that smugglers and traffickers had used to travel from the lake to Dominican soil, the soldiers explained.



The other completed stretch, built between 2019 and 2021, is located on hills near Elias Pina, a border crossing located in the center of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.



In a speech to Congress in February, Abinader announced plans for the construction of a fence spanning the entire border and said additional security systems also would be installed, including facial recognition cameras and motion and infrared sensors.



The goal, he said, is to completely stamp out illegal immigration, drug trafficking, contraband smuggling and vehicle and livestock theft within two years.



Gen. Jose Manuel Duran, Cesfronts commander, told Efe the fence wont actually span the entire length of the border because it wont be necessary in mountainous areas.



All the threats we face on a daily basis will be significantly controlled with that project, since theres no way to move a cow that was taken from the Dominican side over a height of 15 feet, nor a vehicle, Duran said at the northern border bridge of Dajabon, the main crossing between the two countries and one that still lacks a fence.



Potential contractors are currently readying their proposals for the official border security project, which is to begin before years end.



The plans, however, have come under criticism from Dominican and Haitian retailers and other business leaders, as well as human rights defenders.



The fence is a disservice to vulnerable people, especially the thousands of migrants who cross into the Dominican Republic in search of work, Haitian activist and conflict mediator Jesula Blanc told Efe at her office in the Haitian city of Ouanaminthe, located across the border from Dajabon.



She said the project will merely create more conflict and further distance the two communities from one another.






Lt. Col. Saksorn Fhaikhao, Royal Thai Air Force C-130 Hercules instructor pilot, stands in front of a C-130H3 at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., while serving with the 94th Airlift Wing as part of the international Military Personnel Exchange Program, March 23, 2021.
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The 27th annual Manhattan Wine Auction will put 225 lots and 750 individual bottles of the grape-based alcohol up for bid this weekend to raise money for the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation.
CHEHALIS  A Kelso man facing 11 charges in Cowlitz County faces new allegations in Lewis County, where he is accused of breaking into a Cowlitz Indian Tribe housing complex Wednesday in Toledo.

Authorities say John A. Threlfall previously threatened to burn down the Cowlitz Indian Tribe housing complex and kill everyone inside.

The Lewis County Sheriffs Office responded to the harassment complaint April 23 after Threlfall reportedly called his mother, who lives at the housing complex in the 100 block of Spencer Road, and said he was going to kill everybody and burn down the apartments, according to court documents.

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Threlfall also left a threatening message for one of his sisters, who lives in Idaho but was in town visiting, on April 8. He reportedly said there is going to be murder on all you (expletive).

Threlfall has pending first-degree arson, drive-by shooting and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon charges out of Cowlitz County after a road rage incident and subsequent standoff with police in late March in which authorities say he burned down his Kelso home after setting off explosives inside. Threlfalls two sisters reportedly told deputies they were scared of what their brother would do.

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Area towers are holding a procession Sunday in honor of a Longview tow truck driver killed on Interstate 5 last month.

Arthur Anderson, owner of Affordable Towing, was one of three people killed in a crash April 24 south of Castle Rock when a driver hit a vehicle parked on the shoulder. Authorities said the driver was impaired.

Carls Towing and Repair, Triple Js Towing and Christopher Fisher are organizing the procession with permission from Andersons family.

The procession will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Three Rivers Mall, travel north on Interstate 5 before turning around at Exit 46, taking Exit 36 onto Tennant Way, taking a right on Third Avenue, a right on Allen Street to cross the bridge back to Kelso and ending back in the mall parking lot.

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We are not only honoring Art for selflessly giving his life in the assistance of others, but also to bring attention to the general public of the slow down and move over law so that these accidents can be avoided and lives are not lost, according to an email from Carls Towing.

Affordable Towing owner Arthur Anderson Affordable Towing owner Arthur Anderson died in a Saturday crash on Interstate 5 south of Castle Rock.
The COVID-19 pandemic is once again making most events commemorating the 41st anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens virtual, but the mountain itself slowly is becoming open to the public as snow melts and pandemic restrictions ease.

On the morning of May 18 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, blowing away the top of the mountain and triggering landslides, mud flows and floods that killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes and flattened 230 square miles of forest.

Last year, an abundance of 40th anniversary of events had been planned, but were forced online or canceled when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the county and state.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest spokesperson Gala Miller said the Forest Service still is waiting to see if the Johnson Ridge Observation Center will be open to the public this year.

"It remains closed, but the Forest Service is evaluating a potential opening with some reduced services later this summer," she said. "However, the road to Johnson Ridge, SR 504, is currently open as is the parking lot. You can park there and the viewing plaza, which is outdoors, is open for the public to view the volcano."
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Trimble said he has not checked to see if mortgage assistance could be covered with the department of commerce money.

He said three organizations could receive the funds: Lower Columbia CAP, the county housing authority and a shelter called Community House on Broadway.

The public hearing will help the council decide which organization should receive the funds to distribute, Trimble said.

All of the countys funds for rental and mortgage assistance are distributed through Lower Columbia CAP, James said.

Eviction moratorium

Kerby said she is worried about what will happen when the states eviction moratorium expires and those not paying their monthly rent are forced to cover the back pay.

During the eviction moratorium, which is set to expire June 30, landlords cannot remove someone from their residence for not being able to pay as a result of the pandemic. When the moratorium expires, renters may be asked to pay the amount they have forgone since the order was put in place in March 2020 or be evicted.

The bill is going to come due when thats lifted and thats whats scary because they will have a huge bill and how they will pay it back, I dont know, Kerby said. Hopefully people are trying to pay something.

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Sheriff Brian Pixley has expressed support, saying in a March statement that one of his responsibilities is to uphold people's Second Amendment rights and that he's eager to move forward with the will of the voters.

The measure is divisive locally, though, and four residents filed court documents opposing it. One, Brandee Dudzic, referenced the strict gun safety drills she learned in military medic training, saying she values the right to own a gun but believes it should come with safety measures like background checks and secure storage.

A gun shop owner in Columbia County said he supports background checks and believes that state law trumps the county law." But he voted in favor of the Second Amendment measure on principle.

We need to make sure that people are safe. We need to make sure that people are responsible," he said. But as more rules are in place, we just need to make sure that were not overregulated.

He spoke on the condition he not be identified because some of his customers take a hard line against gun restrictions and he didn't want to lose their business.
Maybe he used the offensive words too much or with too little sensitivity. I wont even try to judge that case from a distance. But, as a former J-school major myself, I think journalism professors and students should aim for accuracy and clarity without sugarcoating, as one of my old journalism profs used to say, yet also without rubbing new salt into old wounds.
Precision Scheduled Railroading calls for running fewer, longer trains with a mix of freight to reduce the number of crews and locomotives needed to deliver millions of tons of goods nationwide. The railroads also operate their trains on more of a set schedule now, with fewer stops and pickups, and they have eliminated shorter, less-profitable routes.

By increasing the length of trains, railroads can reduce total trips, cut down on the number of engines and railcars needing maintenance, and manage with fewer employees. Some trains now stretch longer than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers). Union Pacific said the average of its maximum train length has grown more than 30% to 9,250 feet, which is 1.75 miles (2.8 kilometers), since it started using the new operating model in 2018, and the railroad is expanding track sidings throughout its network to accommodate much longer trains.

The railroads say they abide by federal regulations for car and signal inspections and that human inspections are supplemented by high-tech systems that can scan tracks and railcars for defects.

They also say safety has improved overall over the past five years. All the major railroads issued statements defending their safety records and citing investments they have made in their networks.
Some of France's most sensitive state and corporate data can be safely stored using the cloud computing technology developed by Alphabet's Google and Microsoft, if it is licensed to French companies, the government said on Monday.

The comment, part of strategic plan laid out by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and two other ministers, acknowledges U.S. technological superiority in the field and contrasts with previous calls from European politicians for fully homegrown alternatives.

Google and Microsoft, along with market leader Amazon, dominate the realm of data storage worldwide, fuelling concerns in Europe over the risk of surveillance by the United States in the wake of the adoption of the US CLOUD Act of 2018.

Read more: New AI rules could ban surveillance and scoring in the EU

Yet a "trustworthy" cloud computing alternative can be developed within Europe, Le Maire said, by guaranteeing the location of servers on French soil as well as European ownership of the companies that store and process the data.

"We therefore decided that the best companies - I'm thinking in particular of Microsoft or Google - could license all or part of their technology to French companies," Le Maire said at a news conference. He did not mention Amazon.

Google said it welcomed the "clarification" provided by the French government, adding that it supported "the need for the greatest security levels".

Microsoft said this was good news for France's digital transformation "in complete independence".

Amazon's cloud unit has been collaborating via partnerships with several major French companies, including state-controlled telecoms firm Orange, its general manager in France Julien Groues told Reuters.

"This is something that we've been doing for many years," he said.

Also read: Don't want to accept WhatsApp's new privacy policy? Here's how the competition treats your data

Le Maire compared the licences he mentioned with the ones seen in the 1960s in the field of the civil nuclear energy between France and the United States.

A so-called "trustworthy cloud" label would be delivered to the companies that offer cloud computing services that respect the principles spoken of by Le Maire, and other conditions set by France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI.

OVHcloud and Dassault Systemes' Outscale are two French companies that already fulfil these criteria. OVHcloud said late last year it had partnered with Google to build its cloud computing capacities.

"We... hope that other Franco-American alliances will emerge in this area, which will allow us to have the best technology while guaranteeing the independence of French data," said Minister for Digital Affairs Cedric O.
Google on Tuesday announced extending the Google News Showcase programme in India. The company has partnered with 30 news publishing, including national, regional, and local news organisations. Some of the partner content publishers are The Hindu Group, HT Digital Streams Ltd, Indian Express Group, ABP LIVE, India TV, NDTV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Telegraph India, IANS (Indo Asian News Service) and ANI.

Googles new programme builds on the ongoing News Showcase deals it has signed with 700 news publications in more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Canada, the UK, Australia, Italy, Japan, Brazil, and Argentina. The company says it is in talks with publishers in several other countries as well.

Here is what some of the content from Google's News Showcase partners in India will look (Google)

Google will now show content from its partner publishers in dedicated News Showcase panels on Google News and Discover. It includes both English and Hindi languages. The company plans to add more languages in the coming days.

Another important aspect of the partnership is that Google is paying participating news organisations to give readers access to a limited amount of paywalled content.

ALSO READ: Google says 'not up to us' to dictate how news companies spend its $1 billion

This feature means readers will have the opportunity to read more of a publishers articles than they would otherwise be able to while deepening readers relationships with publishers and encouraging them to subscribe, Google said in a blog post.

ALSO READ: Google signs news content deals with Italian publishers

Apart from the launch of the News Showcase programme, Google said it is expanding its Google News Initiative efforts in India as well. As part of the expanded efforts, Google said it will train at least 50,000 journalists and journalism students. It will include programmes on using digital tools to detect misinformation online.

ALSO READ: Enact law on lines of Australia to make Facebook, Google pay for news: Demand in RS

Google has also launched new programmes to assist small and mid-sized publications financial sustainability as part of the GNI Digital Growth Programme. You can learn more about the initiative here.
Ransomware attacks have increased significantly since the pandemic disrupted the pace of life last year. In the past, reports have detailed the impact ransomware attacks had on various industries last year. Now, a new report talks about the ransomware attacks witnessed this year.

According to a report by Check Point Research (CPR), an average of over 1,000 organisations have been impacted by ransomware every week since April. This follows an increase of 21% in the first trimester of the year and of 7% since April. The report says that this increase has resulted in a staggering 102% overall increase in the number of organisations affected by ransomware compared to the beginning of 2020.

Countries impacted by ransomware (CPR)

Furthermore, the report says that India remains the country most impacted by these attacks. As per the report, India has seen the most number of attack attempts per organisation, with an average of 213 weekly attacks since the beginning of the year. It was followed by Argentina with 104 weekly attacks, Chile with 103 weekly attacks, France with 61 weekly attacks and, Taiwan with 50 weekly attacks.

As far as the top impacted industries are concerned, the report says that globally the healthcare industry is witnessing the highest number of attacks with an average of 109 attacks attempts per organisation every week, followed by the utilities sector with 59 attacks and insurance and legal sector with 34 attacks. It was followed by software and manufacturing on fourth and fifth spots.

As far as the region-wise distribution is concerned, insurance/legal, manufacturing and healthcare remain the top affected sectors in APAC region, while in North America healthcare, software and insurance/legal remain the top affected sectors. Similarly, in Europe utilities, software and healthcare remain the top affected sectors, and in Latin America communications, manufacturing and retail/wholesale remain the top affected sectors. Lastly, in Africa, banking/finance, manufacturing and retail/wholesale remain the top affected sectors.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Amazon, which has faced criticism for above-industry-average injury rates at its warehouses, said it is taking steps to halve the rate of workplace injuries in them by 2025.

The company is launching a suite of new programs, grouped under the moniker "WorkingWell," designed to keep its nearly 1 million warehouse workers worldwide fit and limber, Amazon announced in a news release.

"The health and safety of our employees has always been Amazon's top priority," the company wrote in the release. "WorkingWell uses scientifically proven physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating habits to help recharge and reenergize the body, and ultimately reduce the risk of injury for operations employees."

Amazon's nationwide injury rate was roughly 7.7 injuries per 100 employees in 2019, nearly double the warehouse industry average, an investigation from Reveal for The Center for Investigative Reporting found. In some locations, the injury rate was even higher. Workers at Amazon's warehouse in DuPont, Pierce County, were injured at a rate more than five times higher than the warehouse industry average, the investigation found.

In his most recent letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos committed the company to becoming "Earth's Best Employer and Earth's Safest Place to Work."

The new measures, though, sidestep an issue that some Amazon criticsand employeeshave said is at the root of many injuries at Amazon's hundreds of warehouses: the company's focus on speed.

Warehouse workers unloading pallets, scanning merchandise and packing boxes are expected to work at a pace that some find unreasonable, previous media reports have highlighted. As Amazon began automating more warehouse functions, replacing workers with robots that never slowed or took breaks, injury rates rose, according to Reveal.

A worker at Amazon's Kent warehouse, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said injuries happen "a lot. All the time." He sees responsibility for injuries as shared between workers and Amazon: Not all workers lift packages appropriately or perform the stretching regimen Amazon recommends, but the company also expects workers to move at speeds that not everybody can sustain, he said.

"I've seen people come in here for their first day and quit at noon," he said, because the work is so strenuous.

The WorkingWell program focuses on lowering the incidence of injuries caused by repetitive motion in part by prompting employees to take short breaks and stretch. Amazon is also upping its education on workplace injury prevention and healthy eating, and rolling out a wellness-focused mobile app for employees. In pilot programs, WorkingWell helped decrease injuries like muscle sprains by 32% between 2019 and 2020, according to Amazon, though the company noted other company initiatives focused on lowering injury rates were running concurrently. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for more details on those concurrent initiatives, or how much WorkingWell alone lowered injury rates.

The company is also expanding its network of health care services for employees, both at on-site clinics and what it calls Neighborhood Health Centers, offering off-site primary-care services to employees.

Amazon has been called out by federal workplace regulators for using its health centers to hide the extent of injuries at the company's warehouses. In 2019, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that some of Amazon's on-site clinics were sending injured employees back to work without referring them to a physician for further medical care. Injuries must be reported to OSHA if the employee sees a physician or needs workplace accommodation as a result of the injury. Amazon did not immediately respond to questions about its standards for reporting injuries.

Explore further Amazon defends warehouse safety following report on injuries

2021 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
President Joe Biden waves as he walks towards Marine One on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

President Joe Biden is putting the spotlight Tuesday on the electric vehicle future he envisions for the United States, as a way to tackle climate change and create jobs.

Biden is touring Ford's Electric Vehicle Center, a new factory being built on the grounds of the automaker's massive Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan.

The president was visiting a day before Ford is expected to release details of an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup truck called the Lightning.

Biden has proposed a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan that aims to help transform the automotive sector by making vehicles that don't burn gasoline more mainstream. He also sees a shift toward electric vehicles as a major part of his plan to fight climate change.

Biden wants to pay for the infrastructure package by raising corporate taxes. Leading business groups and many Republicans oppose raising the corporate rate from 21% to 28%.

He also has to overcome a major hurdle before his electric vehicle zero emission future becomes reality: the lack of stations where people can plug in and juice up their engines.

To that end, Biden has proposed $174 billion for electric vehicles. That money includes rebates and incentives for consumer purchases, along with money to build 500,000 charging stations by 2030.

President Joe Biden takes off his mask as he walks towards Marine One on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

The widespread presence of charging stations would help to overcome drivers' fears of being stranded in a powerless car, one of the challenges confronting Ford and General Motors as those companies seek to go electric.

The White House says the U.S. has just a fraction, about one-third, of the electric vehicle market share that China has, and far fewer public charging pointsand needs to catch up before it can take the lead.

At Ford, its F-Series pickupincluding heavy-duty versionshave been the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 39 straight years. Last year, the company sold more than 787,000 of the trucks, even though it had to close factories for eight weeks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ford sells about 900,000 F-Series pickups during a normal year.

The trucks are a huge cash cow for Ford. A study by the Boston Consulting Group found that the F-Series brings in $42 billion in U.S. revenue for the automaker. That's more than whole companies such as McDonald's, Nike and Netflix.

The F-150 Lightning electric truck, due in showrooms in the middle of next year, will come at a time when only a few in the U.S. have been willing to switch away from gasoline-powered vehicles.

President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Through April of this year, automakers have sold only 107,624 fully electric vehicles in the U.S. That's almost double the number for the same time last year. Still, EVs account for only 2% of U.S. vehicle sales, according to Edmunds.com.

Ford announced it was building the electric vehicle center last year and said it would employ 500 people to build batteries and assemble the F-150 Lightning. The exterior of the plant is finished, with work under way on the interior.

Biden also has pushed the transition to electric vehicles as a way to create good-paying American union jobs for the next generation of transportation. Critics of his plan say that his taxes and the move away from fossil fuels would increase expenses for businesses and possibly cost jobs.

Studies have shown that each electric vehicle sold reduces emissions, although it takes a couple of years to reach that point if coal is used to generate the power used to charge the vehicles.

Explore further Ford to build electric truck plant in Michigan, add 300 jobs

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Hours-long lines at the pump, gas stations that ran dry, and images of people hoarding gas in jerry cans, across multiple Eastern states, dominated the news last week.

The cyberattack that crippled Colonial Pipeline Co.'s operations seemed reminiscent of dystopian science fiction. The Colonial pipeline, the largest in the nation, extends 5,500 miles from Houston to the Northeast and provides up to 2.5 million barrels of diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel each day. Some 45 percent of the gas and diesel fuel consumed on the East Coast comes via the pipeline. The shutdown halted fuel deliveries and lead to widespread panic buying by consumers.

Although Colonial resumed operations days ago, the shortage has continued into this week.

The incident has served as a jarring reminder of how vulnerable many organizations are to cyber threats. Attacks like these continue to raise concerns about the security of our increasingly networked infrastructure.

What Happened?

The attack in question, known as a ransomware attack, holds a company's data hostage by encrypting it and making it unusable. This is the same technology we use to keep our data safe, maliciously highlighting the impacts of security innovation.

Once intruders have this data, they may publish it, delete it, decrypt it, or exercise numerous other options based on how an organization reacts to the ransom demands. As one might expect, this is a dubious proposition as there is no guarantee that, should the ransom be paid, hackers will hold up their end of the bargain. There has been much debate about whether companies should or should not meet these demands.

Hamstrung by halted operations, Colonial executives found themselves in this position, and reportedly paid the equivalent of $5 million dollars in cryptocurrency to the hacking group to decrypt their data. Despite being provided the decryption tool, recovery was slow and the cobbled-together effort landed them back on their feet only recently.

The perpetrators were identified by the FBI as Darkside, a relatively new Eastern European ransomware group. The future of the group remains unclear now that various governments and organizations have focused on its activity. Regardless of whether they fold, rebrand, or become emboldened, ransomware organizations are not going away anytime soon.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Much of the potency of cyberattacks comes from their ability to affect at scale. As we have seen from breaches in the past, one successful intrusion can net databases with millions of records or, as in this instance, bring operations to a grinding halt. Thankfully for individuals, this means that the odds an average person is targeted by such attacks are slim, as cyber criminals often choose to attack organizations for a bigger return on their effort.

Unfortunately, this means the attacks that do find purchase will likely be significant in scope. In the coming weeks, the Northeast will feel the effects of operational lag induced by these attacks. Much of the cost consumers will experience will be from the resulting shift in the supply chain, highlighting the dependencies many of us take for granted after long periods of smooth operations.

Due to the ubiquitous nature of our networked devices and systems, the threat of a cyberattack has shifted the question from "if we get attacked" to "when we get attacked" for all organizations. The Colonial Pipeline Co. attack reminds us that our risk analyses need to include our operational dependencies that exist in the hands of suppliers and third parties. Companies and organizations must also concern themselves with the IT security of their partners, or suffer their vulnerabilities as well.

In this instance, companies and individuals that have a high dependency on fuel will feel the impact the most and the delay is short enough to stave off many existential concerns that businesses may have had about the disruption.

As the surface area and magnitude of cyberattacks continues to grow, so too does our preparedness and knowledge. While we feel little solace in the wake of this attack, knowing that breaches will succeed in the future, organizations are taking steps to learn from and mitigate these efforts in the future as we witness the continued struggle of the IT-security arms race.

Explore further Colonial Pipeline paid hackers nearly $5 million in ransom
Model of image fusion based on deep learning. Credit: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.

Image fusion is a process that can enhance the clinical value of medical images, improving the accuracy of medical diagnoses and the quality of patient care.

Researchers at the College of Data Science Software Engineering at China's Qingdao University have developed a new "multi-modal" image fusion method based on supervised deep learning that enhances image clarity, reduces redundant image features and supports batch processing. Their findings have just been published in KeAi's International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering.

Author Yi Li explains, "Most medical images have unilateral or limited information content; for instance, focus positions vary which can make some objects appear blurred. Having important information scattered across a number of images can hamper a doctor's judgment. Image fusion is an effective solutionit automatically detects the information contained in those separate images and integrates them to produce one composite image."

Researchers are increasingly turning to deep learning to improve image fusion. Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, draws on artificial neural networks that are designed to imitate how humans think and learn. That means it is capable of learning from data that is unstructured or unlabelled.

However much of the current research focuses on the application of deep learning in single image fusion processing. Studies that use it for multi-image batch processing are much rarer.

Li explains, "Medical images have specific practical requirements, including information richness and high clarity. During our study, we used successful image fusion results to build an image-training database. We were then able to use that database to fuse medical images in batches."

Li adds, "Our method also enhances the clarity of MRI, CT and SPECT image fusion, improving the accuracy of medical diagnosis. We have achieved state-of the-art performance in terms of both visual quality and quantitative evaluation metrics. For example, the fused images we produced look more natural, and have sharper edges and higher resolution. In addition, detailed information and features of interest are better preserved."

Explore further Discerning deep fakes digitally

More information: Yi Li et al, Medical image fusion method by deep learning, International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering (2021). Yi Li et al, Medical image fusion method by deep learning,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcce.2020.12.004

Provided by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
In this file photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021, the Stellantis sign is seen outside the Chrysler Technology Center, Tuesday,, in Auburn Hills, Mich. Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwan's Foxconn on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications. Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwan's Foxconn on Tuesday announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the services that will be developed through the tie-up "will mark the next great evolution of our industry," alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains.

The deal brings together Stellantis, the world's 4th-largest automaker formed this year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot, and Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones.

The companies said the venture would focus on such services as infotainment, the integration of telecommunications and computer systems, artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communications, e-commerce channels and smart cockpit integration.

The companies announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a 50-50 joint venture called Mobile Drive, which will be based in the Netherlands and function as an automotive supplier also to other carmakers.

In this Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 file photo, CEO of PSA Groupe Carlos Tavares arrives for the presentation of the company's 2019 full year results in Rueil-Malmaison, west of Paris. Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwan's Foxconn on Tuesday announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said that the services that will be developed through the tie-up "will mark the next great evolution of our industry," alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler, File

The new venture will combine advanced consumer electronics, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) to create new services "that will exceed customer expectations," the companies said in a release.

"Customers today and, in the future, demand and expect ever-increasing software-driven and creative solutions to connect the drivers and passengers with the vehicle inside and out,'' Foxconn Chairman Young Liu.

Explore further Stellantis sets sights on electric vehicles in future

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
It's Eurovision 2021 semi-final week - here's all you need to know if watching from the UK.

There will be two live semi-final shows for Eurovision this year, determining which countries will make the grand final on Saturday.

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As one of the Big Five countries along with Spain, Germany, France and Italy, the United Kingdom does not have to qualify from the semi-final stage of the competition and will gain automatic access to the Saturday Grand Final. The Netherlands, as host, also has automatic qualification to the Grand Final.

However the UK will still be able to vote in the second semi-final tonight (Thursday).

The semi-finals will be live on BBC Four, presented by Scott Mills and Chelcee Grimes with Sara Cox standing for Rylan Clark-Neal, who has stepped down due to illness.

Here's all you need to know...

Semi Final 1 - Tuesday 18th May, 8pm on BBC FOUR

In the first semi-final, the first group of countries will compete for a place in Saturdays Grand Final.

The 16 countries competing are: Lithuania, Slovenia, Russia, Sweden, Australia, North Macedonia, Ireland, Cyprus, Norway, Croatia, Belgium, Israel, Romania, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Malta.

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Opening the show is The Netherlands Duncan Laurence, the most recent winner of Eurovision from 2019. Since 2019 Duncan's Eurovision winning song 'Arcade' became a TikTok phenomenon, and earlier this year it returned to the UK charts along with an appearance in US Billboard charts.

Highlights of the first semi-final includes one of the bookies favourites Destiny, who is representing Malta. Also appearing is a Russian rapper who is also a women's rights activist, a Ukrainian electro-folklore outfit, and a Cypriot act whose song "El Diablo" has faced protests from some of the country's devout Christian community.

Semi Final 2 - Thursday 20th May, 8pm on BBC FOUR (UK Vote)

The second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will feature the remaining 17 acts taking to the stage in the hope of securing a place in Saturdays Grand Final.

Competing this evening are: San Marino, Estonia, Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Poland, Moldova, Iceland, Serbia, Georgia, Albania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Finland, Latvia, Switzerland and Denmark

Viewers in the United Kingdom are able to vote in this semi-final once all of the nights acts have performed. You can vote via the phone numbers on screen or via the show's official app.

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Highlights of the second semi-final include one of the bookies favourites, San Marino with their entrant Senhit. Plus Dai Freyr is back for Iceland. Dai was due to appear last year and even though the contest was cancelled, their entry Think About Things was a viral sensation racking up more than 75 million Spotify Streams.

The 2021 Eurovision final will take place on Saturday at 8PM (UK Time) on BBC one.
Under Tuesdays update to the citys mask guidance, those who are two weeks after their final vaccination dose can take off the mask except in hospitals, public transportation, jails and schools, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said during a news conference. She cited strong evidence of the vaccines effectiveness before adding the caveat that many businesses do not have the ability or desire to regulate who is vaccinated and who isnt.
South Hills (15301)

Today

Showers early then scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 58F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
The two biggest Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce fundraisers of the year, Chamber Experience and Business & Bites, have been combined into one event for the first time. And it wont be the last.
Rudder testing tent, 401 Joe Routt Blvd. on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., weather permitting. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members only. No appointments or insurance needed.

FARMERS MARKETS

South Brazos County Farmers Market, noon to 5:30 p.m. at the Baylor Scott & White Clinic parking lot off Glenhaven Drive in College Station. Local produce, free-range eggs, herbs, jams, jellies, honey, olive oil and more. Details: facebook.com/SBCFarmersMarket.

The Local at Lake Walk, 4 to 7 p.m., Lake Walk Town Center. A neighborhood artisan market with regional farmers, vendors, food trucks and music.

EXHIBITS

Something Tangible, through Thursday at the Wright Gallery at Texas A&M Universitys College of Architecture. Artist Bryan Florentin uses materials salvaged from demolition sites and common subjects from daily life to explore relationships between object and image. The gallery, in Langford Architecture Building A, is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Benden said the goal of the event is for the students to feel celebrated and appreciated as they begin the next chapter of their life.

Its a big step going from high school to college or vocational school or whatever they decide to pursue, she said. Were here to celebrate their college, their journey in CSISD and springboard them into the future and wish them the best of luck.

For A&M Consolidated High School senior Jakayla Gooden, the $1,000 academic scholarship sponsored by Dr. Leonard and Nancy Berry gave her some reassurance about persevering through a difficult year that included being hit by a car and a broken wrist that forced her to sit out of her final year of powerlifting.

Just keep that strength about myself because if I didnt, Im pretty sure I wouldnt be able to get this scholarship, she said. Im just happy that people actually see, like, me and see, Hey, this is the person that we want to give this to because she looks like shes ready for it. As much as I say Im not, I am. Its nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time.

She said she is grateful for the support as she looks ahead to attending Prairie View A&M to study pre-clinical nursing with hopes of becoming a midwife.
The proposal says schools must try to offer a bathroom or changing facility that is single-occupancy or that is for employees if a student or employee desires greater privacy when using a multi-occupancy restroom or changing facility designated for their sex at birth.

Lee, who is up for reelection next year, has said the bill promotes "equality in bathrooms," despite the prohibition against transgender people using multi-person facilities that don't align with their sex at birth. The legislation takes effect July 1.

That bill provides equal access to every student. Its a reasonable accommodation, Lee told reporters last week. It allows for accommodation for every student regardless of their gender. I think thats a smart approach to the challenge.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has said the requirement would violate equal protection rights under the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act. The ACLU expects the law will be challenged in court.
The bills author, Edgewood Republican Bob Hall, said its intent was to improve the mental health of Texans who may later come to regret their transition, citing statistics that many children may cease to experience gender dysphoria later in life.

However, experts have said those studies often include children who arent transgender, but just dont conform to typical gender norms, such as a boy who plays with dolls.

In a 2021 study, the Fenway Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital found that only 13.1% of transgender people have detransitioned at some point, and 82.5% of those cases were caused by external pressure and stigma related to being transgender rather than regretting their transition.

Later, Hall and the Senate at large rejected an amendment by Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, which could create an exception allowing children who have attempted suicide or experienced other severe mental health effects to receive treatment.
The removal of Indiana  two weeks after it was reinstated on the travel order  means none of Illinois neighbors are subject to additional coronavirus restrictions, although Midwestern states Minnesota and Michigan are still on the list. In total, 11 states and Puerto Rico moved from the orange tier to the yellow one, according to a Tuesday Chicago Department of Public Health news release.
As passed by the chambers, both bills would ban the release from jail on personal bonds  which dont require cash up front  for those accused of some violent or sexual crimes. But SB 21 would also bar release on personal bonds if the person had ever previously been convicted of a violent crime, even if the current charge was minor. Any defendant would still be able to be released if they had access to enough cash.

As it left the House, HB 20 would have also required judicial officers to use a risk assessment tool when making bail decisions. Murr, and some conservative bail reform advocates, have argued that HB 20 would deprioritize defendants financial means by providing reports that weigh the likelihood of them intentionally skipping court or committing new crimes instead of simply assigning a dollar amount based on current charges. Huffman has previously said she opposes risk assessments.

Other bail reform advocates and Democrats questioned the racial bias of such assessment tools, which they fault for their consideration of criminal history in a system that disproportionately incarcerates Black people.
In July 2018, when Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD) agreed to a deal with state-owned telco China Telecom to move iCloud data belonging to Apple's China-based users to the latter's servers, the shift raised concerns that it could make user data vulnerable to state surveillance.

Now, according to a deep-dive report from The New York Times, Apple's privacy and security concessions have "made it nearly impossible for the company to stop the Chinese government from gaining access to the emails, photos, documents, contacts and locations of millions of Chinese residents."

The revelations stand in stark contrast to Apple's commitment to privacy, while also highlighting a pattern of conceding to the demands of the Chinese government in order to continue its operations in the country.

Apple, in 2018, announced iCloud data of users in mainland China would move to a new data center in Guizhou province as part of a partnership with GCBD. The transition was necessitated to abide by a 2017 regulation that required all "personal information and important data" collected on Chinese users "be stored in the territory."

"iCloud in China mainland is operated by GCBD (AIPO Cloud (Guizhou) Technology Co. Ltd). This allows us to continue to improve iCloud services in China mainland and comply with Chinese regulations," the iPhone maker's support document states.

Although iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted, Apple is said to have agreed to move the encryption keys to its Chinese data centers, when before all iCloud encryption keys were stored on U.S. servers, and therefore subject to U.S. laws around requests for government access.

While U.S. law forbids American companies from turning over data to Chinese law enforcement, the New York Times report reveals that Apple and China entered into an "unusual arrangement" to sidestep U.S. legislation.

To that effect, the company ceded legal ownership of its customers' data to GCBD, in addition to granting GCBD physical control over the servers and complete access to all information stored in iCloud, thereby allowing "Chinese authorities ask GCBD  not Apple  for Apple customers' data."

In the wake of the law's passing, Apple has provided the contents of an unspecified number of iCloud accounts to the government in nine cases and challenged three government requests for data, the report added. However, there's no evidence to suggest that the Chinese government gained access to users' data with the help of the digital keys.

What's more, Apple reportedly eschewed hardware security modules (HSM) made by Thales by building its own in-house HSMs after China refused to certify the devices for use. HSMs house one or more secure crypto processors and are used to perform encryption and decryption functions, and store cryptographic keys inside a tamper-resistant environment.

Besides refuting the allegations, Apple told the New York Times that it "never compromised" the security of users or user data in China "or anywhere we operate," adding its Chinese data centers "feature our very latest and most sophisticated protections," that are expected to be rolled out to other countries.

Beyond its handling of Chinese users' data, the report also called out Apple for its removal of tens of thousands of apps from the Chinese App Store over the past several years, including foreign news services, gay dating, and encrypted messaging apps. Since 2017, an estimated 55,000 apps have been purged, per data compiled by Sensor Tower.

"Apple asked a lot of people to back them against the FBI in 2015," security researcher and Johns Hopkins professor Matthew Green said in a series of tweets. "They used every tool in the legal arsenal to prevent the U.S. from gaining access to their phones. Do they think anyone is going to give them the benefit of the doubt now?"

"Apple is clearly being forced to give the Chinese government more control over customer data. The current compromise may even be 'ok', in the sense that some end-to-end encryption is allowed. But sooner or later the Chinese government is going to ask Apple for something that it doesn't want to give up, and Apple is going to have to make a choice. Maybe they already have," Hopkins added.
Andrea Mack is the treasurer for Grand Island Right to Life, which is a chapter of Nebraska Right to Life.

We are excited to hear of this development and possibility for progress, Mack wrote in an email to The Independent. This is the biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade that may allow the opportunity to protect the most vulnerable among us. We who love women, families, mothers/fathers, children and all life, are hopeful for this hearing and pray for what is at stake. Our group, especially, will pray for an increased humanity to be applied to the beautiful miracle of the unborn child. The Supreme Court has the chance to make this prayer a reality and give more power to the States as they seek to protect all life for the good of the people.

Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, issued this statement:

No one is free unless they control their own body. Abortion is a safe medical procedure that is essential health care. As the Supreme Court takes up a case on abortion rights and access, we must remember we all deserve the opportunity to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families and our lifes path, including whether and when to become a parent.
The campaign will pay for the remodeling costs, as well as equipment upgrades, new signs and improved storage facilities.

Clark said people may frown at the concept of taking on debt to pay for improvements, but the board believes it can, and should, be done.

Paying off the remodeling costs and a few extra things will make sure were good and solid for the future, she said.

Dave Blauvelt, board chair, added: We could have stayed on Avenue A, but there was so much need. We get a bigger facility for more income that we can give away. None of us take money home. The more we take in, the more we give away.

Saturday garage sales

The Jubilee Center has seven employees and roughly 30 volunteers who help sort, price and display thrift store items, run cash registers and help at the food pantry. The center has nine trustees, 21 church partners and 27 community partners, including businesses and nonprofits.

New this spring are Saturday garage sales at the annex across the street. Sales began the first week in March, and Clark said people were lined up to get in for three hours  thank COVID-19 for that, too.
The Texas Legislature wrapped up this years lawmaking session on Sunday. Although members of the House and Senate touted wins for both Republicans and Democrats, tensions are rising between the legislative bodies amid criticism from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. What would you grade this years legislative session?

You voted:
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
Echoing many who said something similar, he plans to wear a mask indoors not for him, but for others. He feels it is out of respect for people who for many reasons, whether because they have cancer or a compromised immune system or cant get time off, havent been vaccinated yet. Even though my risk of transmitting COVID to them is extremely low, they do not know that Im vaccinated and could be concerned, Linder said.
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Carbondale improves city's 'bikeability' with new Oakland Avenue bike lanes

Isaac Smith / ISAAC SMITH The Southern Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry, middle, delivers remarks Monday before a ribbon cutting opening the newly-finished bike lanes along Oakland Avenue in Carbondale. Isaac Smith / ISAAC SMITH The Southern Bikes sit Monday along Oakland Avenue in Carbondale.

CARBONDALE  Celebrating the small things is important, especially when they are part of something bigger.

Carbondale officials did just that Monday as they commemorated the opening of bike lanes along Oakland Avenue.

SIU names new enrollment chief Wendell Williams, who has extensive experience in growing enrollment at various institutions, will become Southern Illinois University Carbondales next associate chancellor of enrollment management, pending approval by the SIU Board of Trustees.

In 2015, the city made a commitment to incorporate bike lanes and other inclusive transportation features wherever possible. This meant trying to build in these features as roadwork needed completed.

Over the last year, students and other visitors to Carbondale have certainly noticed the immense work being done on Oakland Avenue near Chautauqua Road.

But the scene was quite different Monday with the ribbon cutting officially opening the new, bike-friendly roadway  timed to coincide with National Bike Month this May.

Where once there were cars lined up at the corner of Oakland and Chautauqua, Monday there were wide-open streets with plenty of space for cyclists to navigate the roadway. Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry and others said every time the city improves the citys bikeability, it also improves the citys quality of life and boosts the economy.

Molly Maxwell, a planner with the city and its bike czar, said while six-tenths-of-a-mile of new bike lanes may not seem like the biggest deal, celebrating it has value. When potential visitors or prospective residents see stories and announcements about bike improvements it can really point to the citys work to improve the lives of its citizens.

Carbondale hires new bike planner to implement cycle-friendly programming CARBONDALE  Molly Maxwell could have gone anywhere, but she chose to stay in Carbondale. Now, shes trying her best to help other people choose to do the same.

Southern Illinois University Law School assistant professor Sheila Simon said she bikes to work every day of the week and was thrilled with the improvements.

She said her regular commute is now much safer. She also said it also connects campus to the closest grocery store, the Schnucks market to the north.

Maxwell said while she couldnt take any credit for the Oakland bike lanes project, which was already underway when she was hired about 18 months ago, she said it still is good to see progress on the citys overall goal to be more bike-friendly.

Simon said the Oakland bike lanes arent a huge stretch of road, yet another reminder for motorists to expect to see bikers, something Simon said many drivers already do in Carbondale.

This isnt the only expansion of bike lanes the city is looking forward to. Maxwell said it is currently waiting on word for grant money that will continue work on the proposed bike route along Route 13 that will connect Murphysboro to Carbondale, limiting the amount of time cyclists would have to ride next to cars.

Ben Newman is SIUs police chief and he said any time bike lanes can be added, its a plus.

Designated bike (lanes) adds to the safety of bicyclists, Newman said Monday.

He said it can add to student life as well. However, he said newcomers to Carbondale or to Illinois should review cyclists' rights have under the law  But the laws extend to cyclists  and they should know their responsibilities, too, Newman said.

Maxwell said those interested in keeping up with the city's bike initiatives should visit bikecarbondaleil.com.
Chrstine Mize, president of Jackson County Right to Life, was driving home Monday when she heard that the U.S. Supreme Court had agreed to consider a major rollback of abortion rights.

She said she hopes the U.S. Supreme Court lets the Mississippi law stand.

I think any limiting of abortion is good. I would like it to be eliminated, Mize said.

When she arrived at home, two new baby chicks had hatched, one was breaking out of its shell and other eggs were peeping. She called it a wonderful pro-life message.

Age and location shouldnt be a determinate of life, Mize said.

State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, was encouraged to see the U.S. Supreme Court take up the appeal.

I think the Mississippi law should be allowed to stand, he said, adding that we will know more once the case is heard.

Windhorst would be like to see the court overturn 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision and 30-year-old Casey decision that gave and affirmed a womans right to seek an abortion.

He has sponsored legislation in the past in Illinois to limit abortions to 20 weeks except in the case of serious health issues of the mother.
Illinois Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, applauded the Supreme Courts move. The group filed an amicus brief in support of Mississippis case last year and plans to file a second one in the coming weeks.

The pro-life movement has waited 47 years for the Supreme Court to undo its unconstitutional restriction of states right to protect human lives from the very moment they begin, the group said in a statement Monday. Now that the Court has agreed to hear this case, which is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the pro-life movement and the Court have that opportunity.

The state still has some restrictions in place, such as parental notification and only allowing procedures to be performed at or past viability  when a fetus can survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks  when the mothers life or health are endangered.

But, as in many states where abortion-rights lawmakers form a majority, the trend has been towards liberalization of reproductive health laws.
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I like to read because it is fun: O6 Foundation sends children home with books

GENE ZALESKI, T&D Richard Carroll Elementary School K5 teacher Lynda Warren shows a book to, from left, Emily Ethridge, Suzanna Bunch, Clarity OHerien and Julian Lawson. SPECIAL TO THE T&D Denmark-Olar Elementary K5 student Kingsley Johnson selects books at the inaugural Original Six Foundation My First Library Book Fair. GENE ZALESKI, T&D Richard Carroll Elementary School held the inaugural Original Six Foundation (O6 Foundation) 2021 My First Library Book Fair for K5 students. My First Library program allows early childhood students to stay engaged and improve reading skills during summer months. GENE ZALESKI, T&D Richard Carroll Elementary School Principal Stacey Walter hands out book journals to K5 students Waylon Reed and Walter Banks.

BAMBERG  Richard Carroll Elementary School kindergarten student C.G. Saitz had a bag full of books tucked under his arm, ready to travel to new lands and explore new adventures.

I like to read because it is fun, Saitz said Monday morning. I can also learn new words.

He attended the inaugural Original Six Foundation (O6 Foundation) 2021 My First Library Book Fair held at the school.

Two of the 10 books Saitz received addressed topics of personal interest.

One, Hungry, Hungry Monsters, asks the question: What do hungry monsters like to eat?

Saitz got the book because he also likes to eat when he is hungry.

Another adventure is the book Snow Friends.

I like to build snow, Saitz said.

He also likes to read.

One day I picked out a Pete the Cat book out of the library and I almost read the WHOLE book! he said. It was like 20 or 21 pages. I only missed two or one word.

WATCH NOW: Haley has confidence in S.C. States Clark; former gov. wont run for president if Trump does Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says she absolutely has confidence that South Carolina State Universitys president can carry the institution forward.

Kindergarten student Alyssa Collins was also excited to see where the books would take her.

One was a Max and Ruby Celebrate Easter activity and coloring book and another was My Little Pony: The Perfect Pear.

Collins said she was excited about the book fair and reading because, I get to learn.

Saitz and Collins were among the 124 K5 students at Richard Carroll Elementary and Denmark-Olar Elementary schools to receive books during the book fair.

Each child picked 10 books they like to help promote reading at home throughout the summer.

About 1,330 books were distributed: 930 at Richard Carroll and 400 at Denmark-Olar.

The book fair focused on early childhood literacy and is aimed at laying the groundwork for reading proficiency in Bamberg County.

The Original Six Foundation (O6 Foundation) was started by former S.C. Governor Nikki Haley, who is a Bamberg native and Orangeburg Preparatory Schools graduate.

Richard Carroll Elementary partnered with the O6 Foundation about six years ago. The foundation helps fund the school's after-school program.

Richard Carroll Elementary School Principal Stacey Walter said it means everything for the O6 Foundation to provide books for children to start their own libraries.

You can't do anything else if you can't read, she said.

Walter is hoping the books will get more parents involved in reading to their children at home.

Students in virtual school will also be able to participate in the book fair program as well, Walter said.

"The partnership we have with the Original Six Foundation is invaluable in so many ways," Walter said. Haley has been very good to her hometown and the surrounding areas."

In addition to Bamberg County, the fair will also be held in Barnwell, Florence, Kershaw, Marion, Richland and Union counties at schools that have been determined as high poverty areas by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The program is providing summer reading books to students in 16 schools in the states highest-need areas. The program will reach over 1,250 students in K5 to ensure they are prepared to enter the first grade.

Students who cant read by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school. Thats why these libraries are so important, said Nikki Haley, founder and chair of the O6 Foundation.

Were telling these kids they matter, weve got their back and we are going to make sure they have the tools they need to succeed, she said.

O6 Foundation Program Director Nick Washington said the goal is to make sure students have access to books on a regular basis and to inspire reading at a young age.

It is pivotal that kids are able to read at the third-grade level by the third grade, Washington said. We are giving them the skills early on to continue that process.

Washington said the books are free and are chosen by the students, making them more personal.

O6 Foundation Executive Director Nicki Hood said the book fair aims to instill a joy of reading and a love of learning.

By sending these kids home with books over the summer, we are teaching them that they matter and that we care about them and that we are proud of them, Hood said.

Established in 2016, by South Carolina Future Minds, the My First Library program allows early childhood students to stay engaged and improve reading skills during the summer months. It was absorbed by the O6 Foundation in July 2020.

In addition to the O6 Foundation, key community partners include Bojangles, The Longleaf Fund, The Womens Club of Columbia and the Carolina Panthers.

Founded in 2011, by then-Governor Haley, the O6 Foundation works to improve education by identifying gaps and filling them through hands-on engagement and resources.

To learn more or to donate, visit: www.originalsixfoundation.org.
The choice is yours

2020 brought out the worst and best in people. We have witnessed people in high-ranking positions take advantage of the trust that was placed in them by the people of this country. We have seen a rise in racism that has resurfaced from the eras of slavery and Jim Crow.

There are people who are attacking Asians for no apparent reason. And the thing that's appalling to me is that the people (Black men) who have been targets of the worst racism in this country are also attacking them! Why? What could have possessed you to attack defenseless people?

If anyone should have compassion it is us, African Americans! I was very upset when I saw this young African American kicking an older Asian woman. Do you not remember how we, African American women, were abused and raped (still are) by white men? What, you may ask, is happening? The world as we know it is coming to an end. Jesus is on the way!

Jesus told us that all these things would happen, but he also told us to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world. Satan, the god of this world, thinks that he has defeated the people of God, but he hasn't. The battle is just beginning. He thinks that he is going to rule and reign forever. Well, I have news for him, his time is up!
CONCORD, NH: Grants from the Northern Forest Destination Development Initiativewill help 11 communities and organizations serve residents and visitors with improved outdoor recreation opportunities.

This years funded projects include all kinds of trail development, from accessible community trails to mountain biking and an arts trail, as well beginner-level ski jump hills, mountain biking skills parks, visitor information and a safe crossings program, said Joe Short, vice president of the Northern Forest Center. The grant program invests in projects that support economic development and outdoor recreation opportunities for residents in our regions rural communities.

Grants from the

will help 11 communities and organizations serve residents and visitors with improved outdoor recreation opportunities.The program is an initiative of the Northern Forest Centerin Maine and New Hampshire, offered in partnership with Northeastern Vermont Development Associationand NEK (Northeast Kingdom) Collaborativein the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The initiative is supported by the Northern Border Regional Commission(NBRC).

For the second year in a row, this unique partnership has identified crucial projects in our region that support what those of us who live here have known for a long time, that this is the place to recreate outdoors and to build a business that enables outstanding experiences for both returning visitors and new friends, said Rich Grogan, executive director of the Northern Border Regional Commission.

The $317,526 granted this year leverages matching funds and in-kind project support for a total $515,491 investment in community-based outdoor recreation amenities. Coupled with 10 grants awarded in 2020, the initiatives support for outdoor recreation infrastructure in the region totals $619,317 in grant funds toward a total $1.1 million investment in recreation projects.

"NVDA is pleased to once again partner with the Northern Forest Center to advance the Northeast Kingdom's outdoor recreational economy through funding local community-supported projects," said David Snedeker, executive director of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association.

In St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the town will create a trail network to complement its Riverfront Path and connection to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The in-town trail network will be a key marketing message that will allow us to attract walkers and bikers to our Designated Downtown shopping and dining hub, said Town Manager Chad L. Whitehead. This increase in local usage and tourist visitation will have huge benefits to our local retail and hospitality businesses.

The outdoor recreation grant program is part of the Northern Forest Centers focus on destination development for the region, which helps communities create the amenities and experiences that can attract new visitors, new residents, and new businesses while sustaining and enriching quality of life for people who already live in the destination area.

In partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism, the Center has run Community Destination Academies for the Greenville, Rangeley, and Bethel, Maine areas and recently launched theNorthern Forest Rural Tourism Academyto help communities in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and northern New Hampshire leverage their outdoor recreation amenities to make regional tourism destination development efforts more strategic and effective. The Rural Destination Academy is funded by the Northern Border Regional Commission, USDA Rural Development, and the Center.

The first round of grants last year coincided with the arrival of Covid-19, said Short of the Northern Forest Center. The projects we funded were planned before the pandemic, but they added resources and infrastructure that served residents looking to get outdoors for exercise, fun, and stress relief. This year applicants proposed more than $557,000 in projects, demonstrating that the trend toward active outdoor recreation is strong for residents and for visitors coming to the region.

Data reported by the Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association, from its annual outdoor participation report show a 28% increase in camping and a 16% increase in hiking nationwide in 2020.

The full list of grant recipients includes:

Maine:

Carrabassett Region Chapter of New England Mountain Bicycle Association, Wyman Township and Carrabassett Valley, Maine; $30,000 to begin construction of a new pod of user specific trails with its own trailhead facilities with 12 to 15 miles of mountain bicycle trails for all abilities.

This award will allow us to get started on a significant expansion to our current network, said Joshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley trails manager, on behalf of the Carrabassett Region Chapter of New England Mountain Bicycle Association. We have been working with the Town of Carrabassett Valley and Maine Bureau of Public Lands since 2015 on planning and are excited that construction can soon begin. Our goal of providing quality outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike is growing the economic stability of our region significantly. Where there once was minimal year-round activity, we now have a world class network of trails for all abilities, providing sustainable healthy living for those who seek and experience it.

High Peaks Alliance, Farmington, Maine; $50,000 to improve accessibility of trails and community connection in Farmington, ME and train a new generation of trail stewards.

The Sandy River is an enormous asset to the town of Farmington, said Brent West, executive director of the High Peaks Alliance. By building an accessible trail connecting downtown Farmington to the waterfront, we will attract more people to town, keep people in town longer, and showcase why this region is a great place to raise a family, enroll in college, or spend a day. We have found that access to water, well maintained trails, and proximity to local amenities are popular for visitors and residents alike. These experiences are foundational to growing our economy and the Northern Forest Centers grant will enable our community to build the first accessible trail in Franklin County.

New Hampshire

Nansen Ski Club, Inc., Milan, NH; $40,000 to restore an abandoned 40-meter ski jumping hill and create a new 20-meter ski jumping hill suitable to train beginner ski jumpers.

"We are so grateful to the Northern Forest Center for providing the Nansen Ski Club this exceptional funding opportunity to help us bring back the sport of ski jumping to the North Country, said Scott Halvorson, treasurer of the Nansen Ski Club. Ski jumping is a strong part of the Clubs legacy and creating our new small hills will attract youth and parents  locally and statewide  to experience this unique and wholesome activity. As these hills sit in the shadow of the Big Nansen ski jump, they will complement and provide a boost to the area economically as well as infusing significant community pride."

Town of Gorham, NH; $40,000 to build and install visitor kiosks on high-use trails, build new parking for Androscoggin River sport access on Howland Avenue, and complete branding and signage to promote lasting economic development.

Gorham, New Hampshire is a rural paradise of adventure, said Denise M. Vallee, Town Manager of Gorham, NH, but people driving through might have no idea that our trail networks exist, or that we have a Multi-Modal Recreation Path to take you to the variety of amenities in Gorhams downtown village. We need wayfinding signs and educational resources that speak to the quality and connection of our natural assets and village amenities. This grant enables us to improve several vital, non-motorized recreation locations in Gorham and strengthen our long-term pride of place.



Outdoor recreation is vital to Gorhams present and future economic development, said Vallee. Our long-term goals align to promote Gorham as a safely walkable and bike-friendly community: we are a trail community for all. This wayfinding work adds to the collective momentum of building sustainable trail accessibility and promoting stewardship of Gorhams natural resources.

Town of Milan, NH; $26,000 to complete a hiking trail started by the Milan Village School 5th grade class and construct a wildlife viewing platform; construct a 2-mile loop trail on a newly acquired property; and install 4 information kiosks in the Milan Community Forest.

The Town of Milan and its Community Forest is so excited about this grant, said George Pozzuto, chair of the Milan Community Forest Committee. The Committee has been hard at work acquiring land and now its time to implement projects to make that land accessible for our residents and visitors. This grant provides the support we need to make that a reality and we look forward to a continued excellent relationship with the Northern Forest Center. Without this grant we would likely have needed to wait a few more years before providing recreational opportunities on the Milan Community Forest.

Vermont

Albany Community School, Albany, VT; $10,050 to build a pump track training and practice area to introduce youth to mountain biking skills.

Without this grant we would not be moving this project forward at this time, said Steve Owens, principal of Albany Community School. We were hoping to build a pump track two years ago but did not have the resources. Were moving ahead now at much better location, and the pump track will give kids the opportunity to safely practice skills associated with single-track mountain biking before taking to the trails. The Community School has an ongoing partnership with the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (COC). Many of our students learn to ride on our trails, and then graduate to programs at the COC. By creating safe family- and community-centered site where people can explore mountain biking, we provide a gateway to the larger recreational opportunities offered in the Kingdom. This project will also help with the revitalization of Albany Village, including the restoration of the Albany Store.

Kingdom Trail Association, East Burke, Vermont; $32,076 to create the Safe Road and Trail Crossingsproject to improve safety at road and trail crossing.

"Kingdom Trails is beyond thrilled to be a recipient of a Northern Forest Outdoor Recreation Grant! said Abby Long, executive director of Kingdom Trail Association. Our Safe Road and Trail Crossings project was identified as a priority in KT's recent community-led Capacity Study. This project will improve safety for drivers and trail users, residents and visitors where roads and trails intersect. The funds will be dedicated to the projects infrastructure and paired with expanding Kingdom Trail's Ambassador Program to hold trail users accountable, monitor safe road and trail crossings, and promote engagement and education with the goals of creating a safer experience for those walking, biking, and driving. We aim to strengthen the economic impact across the region and relieve pressure and stress on private landowners and our host communities."

Lyndon Outing Club, Lyndonville, Vermont; $26,000 to construct a pump track, mountain bike skills progression park including berms, jumps, rollers, and wooden trail features  followed by construction of an on-hill trail system on town land.

"We hope the Lyndon Outing Club Bike Park project will begin the development of a new hub for mountain biking closer to downtown Lyndonville,said Caleb Gale of the Lyndon Outing Club. Bringing more trail users closer to the downtown area will provide the opportunity for economic growth in the areas of retail, lodging, and restaurants among others. The park will initially offer a skills progression area and trails tailored to new and beginning riders. Eventually we hope to develop more trails and plan to explore a connection to the rest of the Kingdom Trails network. The park will be open to the public and free to use for locals and visitors alike. This grant from the Northern Forest Center will fund the majority of the first phase of the bike park project, with the remainder made up of grants from Kingdom Trails and Blue Cross Blue Shield, along with Lyndon Outing Club fundraising."

Old Stone House, Lyndon, Vermont; $33,200 to create The Alexander Twilight Educational Trail, Open to Interpretation to bring together outdoor recreation, art, culture, and local history.

This project will celebrate and explore the legacy of African American educator, legislator and academic Alexander Lucius Twilight through artistic interpretations of the historic landscapes both human and natural  he called home. said Molly Veysey, executive director of Old Stone House Museum. The project will integrate Brownington and Orleans County school children into the creation processes of four selected artists, allowing for rich local learning opportunities. Open to Interpretation will attract a dynamic and diverse audience not only to the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village, but also to our region's many attractions."

Town of Hardwick, Vermont; $10,000 toimprove community trails for better access for downhill mountain biking, greater trail use during peak periods, and nearly 100% access to the Community Trails throughout the year, including a new access point to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

The Town of Hardwick is honored to have received this award from the Northern Forest Destination Development Initiative, said Town Manager Shaun Fielder. With this grant support, Hardwick will further improve its recreational trail network and strengthen the 4-season recreational opportunities the town has to offer.

Town of St. Johnsbury, Vermont; $20,000 to improve trails in the Town Forest.

Having an in-town trail network that the Town of St. Johnsbury can promote to complement our Riverfront Path and connection to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail will be a key marketing message that will allow us to attract walkers and bikers to our Designated Downtown shopping and dining hub, said Town Manager Chad L. Whitehead. This increase in local usage and tourist visitation will have huge benefits to our local retail and hospitality businesses. The location of the Town Forest in proximity to the Village also provides benefit for residents by putting outdoor recreation at their doorstep. We encourage people to move into our downtown, become part of our community and invest in housing, and this type of amenity makes that opportunity more attractive to those looking to relocate to the Northeast Kingdom.

 END 
Job Title: Human Resources Specialist

Organization: United States Peace Corps

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Deputy Director of Management and Operations (DDMO)

Vacancy Announcement No: 2021  002

About US:

The U.S. Peace Corps is an agency of the United States Government, which sends American volunteer development workers to assist in capacity building and technical assistance activities in over 70 countries worldwide. It operates in Uganda by the invitation of the Government of Uganda and has a memorandum of understanding with government ministries that outline broad areas of agreement of cooperation regarding the work of Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda. Volunteers are assigned to government and non-governmental agencies and organizations, community based organizations, colleges and schools who in partnership enable Volunteers to provide capacity building in Education, Health; Agribusiness and Community Economic Development. Peace Corps also aims to build cultural understanding between Americans and Ugandans. Peace Corps Uganda is located at 48 Malcolm X Avenue, Kololo, and Kampala. Our Post office box numbers are 29348 or 7007 Kampala, Uganda.

Job Summary: Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director of Management and Operations (DDMO), the Human Resource Specialist (HRS) coordinates all personnel actions for Peace Corps Uganda in accordance with Post-specific and United States Government policies. This employee will work closely with local government, Ugandan staff, American staff, American government officials, and American Volunteers. This individual facilitates the recruitment, orientation, and support of employees throughout their contractual period in addition to working closely with the DDMO on a wide variety of tasks in a busy and diverse setting.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure complete confidentiality regarding all information related to Peace Corps Staff and Volunteers, including Peace Corps Uganda operations.

Personal Services Contracts 35%

Under direction from the DDMO, prepares and determines all relevant information to be included, estimated cost of contract, prepares payment invoices, and applies fiscal coding. Coordinates with the department hiring the contractor to ensure that a Statement of Work and other necessary requirements are included in the contract. Ensures that the contract is prepared and is signed by the Contracting Officer and the Contractor prior to the incumbents first day of work. Ensures that contract payments are processed per terms stated in the Personal Service Contracts.











Prepares obligation/de-obligations for all contracts and ensuring close out of all Personal Service Contractors (PSC) and Foreign Service National (FSN) contract file obligations.

Completes in a timely manner all required periodic contractual obligation reviews and reporting.

Ensures that all PSC contracts have on file the completed contractors release statement upon completion of contract. Initiates and prepares amendments as needed. The HRS prepares a number of staff and Pre-Service Training (PST) contracts each year. Upon execution of each contract, copies are to be distributed to the contractor/vendor and Contract file. Contract file shall state date of distribution.

Maintains official logs for contracts and leases (including those for option year renewal notices).

Staff Payroll:  Prepares monthly payroll for all contractors, ensuring signatures are obtained and payments are made on time. Answers employee questions regarding payroll payments. Works closely with PST staff regarding all salary financial matters during the training period. Coordinates the salary deductions and prepares and submits biweekly schedule of staff PSC deductions to STEADFIN.

Prepares employee contracts with correct clauses and attachments assuring all requirements, such as security clearances, are met both before and during the contractual period.

Completes fiscal documentation of PSCs, both short and long term, with varying work and compensation criteria. Provides information to staff using existing regulations and procedures. Refers personnel to other staff; DMO, Director of Programming and Training (DPT), or Country Director (CD) as necessary; follows up to ensure the request was satisfied.

Liaison with Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and office of contracts staff at Headquarters on all payroll issues, including new employee contracts, changes in benefits, contract modifications etc. Calculates any pension/severance as needed and submits to Peace Corps Washington (PCW).

Maintains knowledge and updates staff on contract regulations, personnel policies, benefits coverage, Ugandan Labor Law, and Embassy Local Compensation Plan.

Serves as Posts point person concerning personnel matters and assists in managing questions particular to Ugandan culture.

Provides explanation of benefits/coverage of health insurance to staff via State Health Insurance scheme.

Using OdyWeb application calculates and submits for DMO approval; other PSC non-recurring payments such as LWOP, bonuses, awards, overtime, etc.

Administrative and Financial Support 30%

Coordinate staff training and ensures staff compliance to human resource policy guidelines

Cross-functional coordination of all staff issues in the various departments for effective employee satisfaction.

Collaborates with staff and supervisors to develop job descriptions and monitor staff performance.

Sends Time and Attendance and other reports to Peace Corps Washington as required. Maintains all post-level timekeeping materials, such as the PC-57 form and monitors all leave forms, logs, and balances. Updates the DMO, DDMO and Cashier on bills of collection for departing staff.

Maintains employee records including health benefits, medical claims, ID cards, permits, and contracts.

Coordinates staff performance appraisal process, disciplinary actions and awards

Responsible for the administrative preparation of all emails and supporting documents required for various personnel actions including termination of a Personal Services Contract (PSC). Such actions shall be handled with utmost discretion and tact. Necessary paper work documenting the action shall be carefully prepared and reviewed to ensure the information is complete and in accordance with Peace Corps Manual Sections and that the sensitivities of the individual involved are maintained. Incumbent shall ensure that required supporting documentation from other staff is submitted accurately and timely. Any problems encountered shall be brought to the immediate attention of the supervisor.

Prepares official correspondence to offices and institutions such as banks, Embassies, etc for PC employees and contractors.

Tracks staff anniversaries and coordinate the awards programs as stipulated in the Peace Corps staff handbook.

Identify and implement wellness improvement activities that are fully integrated in the organizations core strategies and add value to staff.

Process and request vendor identifications for staff by submitting to Peace Corps Washington.

Attends all admin sessions concerning IPBS and other Budget sessions.

Recruitment and Selection 25%

Develops job announcements, advertises for positions, reviews resumes, organizes interview panels, and schedules interviews.

Organizes, performs, and coordinates orientation and induction program for new hires.

Coordinates all personnel departures (calculating severance and other payments)

Performs initial, pre-Regional Security Office (RSO) investigation background reviews as needed for PSC and potential Locally Engaged Staff (LES).

Coordinates the processing of security clearance with RSO at Embassy for new staff both long and short term, recertification for old staff and with Embassy HR office for all issues related to FSN and U.S. Direct Hire (USDH) employment.

Training and Development 8%

Coordinates all employee development programs in collaboration with respective employees and supervisors/coordinators.

Conducts staff training and manages staff development plans.

Performs other duties as assigned by the DMO or CD.

Standard Roles and Responsibilities 2%

S&S: Maintains current knowledge of the Peace Corps office evacuation plan, the Peace Corps Emergency Action Plan and how to use a fire extinguisher in order to ensure adequate level of security and support for Peace Corps Uganda volunteers and staff. Be knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps Uganda safety and security policies and procedures, to include timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles that could potentially endanger volunteers, staff, the Peace Corps program and Peace Corps property.

Immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and CD.











Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The applicant for the United States Peace Corps Human Resources Specialist should hold a Bachelors degree in Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Human Resources Management, or relevant study is required.

Two years of progressively responsible experience in human resources/personnel management work which includes position classification, financial accountability, wage administration, and other personnel operations.

Excellent command of English. Excellent computer skills including word processing and spreadsheet programs.

Ability to work independently with little supervision; good organization and time management skills; willingness to take the initiative; excellent teamwork skills; strong service attitude; personal integrity; strong cross-cultural skills; strong interpersonal skills and strong interest in Ugandas development. In addition, the candidate should be flexible, highly organized, creative and able to multi-task.

Ability to work on a regular Monday through Friday schedule with evening and weekend hours when necessary.

This position requires strict adherence to ethical standards of confidentiality and professional conduct.

Legally able to work in Uganda.











Desired

Hold a post graduate qualification in Human Resource Management

Five years of progressively responsible experience in human resources/personnel management work which includes position classification, financial accountability, wage administration, and other personnel operations.

Familiarity with U.S. Government financial and contract management procedures is a plus.

How to Apply:

All candidates should send their Email applications with 3 Word-formatted documents to ug-applications@peacecorps.gov

A letter of interest (maximum 1 page),

A resume (maximum 3 pages)

Names and contact information for three references.

Please clearly indicate your name and the position applied for on the subject line of the cover email as well as on all the attachments: For example OPIO Michael_HRS for the Human Resources Specialist position. Do not write any other words in the subject line of your mail. Submitted documents become the property of the Peace Corps.

Peace Corps Uganda provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

NB: You will be contacted ONLY if you are deemed qualified.

Deadline: 31st May 2021 by 4:45 pm

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
Before the pandemic, more than 347,000 U.S. students went abroad for class credit in the 2018-19 school year, according to the nonprofit NAFSA: Association of International Educators. When the pandemic was declared in March 2020, universities shelved programs and required students to return home. While some scrambled to secure flights, others found themselves stranded, unable to leave for days or weeks due to border closures.
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Coquille, OR (97420)

Today

Becoming cloudy with occasional light rain late. Low 51F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Becoming cloudy with occasional light rain late. Low 51F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Fort Payne, AL (35967)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 83F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
The current COVID-19 fuss has caused adverse effects on the business industry. However, as businesses transform seamlessly to accommodate changes caused by the pandemic, the e-commerce industry has experienced a boom for a niche of products. Even in a marketplace platform such as Amazon, sellers have noticed at least 8 products that customers frequently add to their carts.

Buying Trends in 2021

Industry influencers often determine buying trends, and the current customer behavior is fast shifting towards trending products. Thankfully, social media has a hand in promoting buying trends for most products in 2020 and 2021.

8 Amazon Items That Are Flying Off The Shelves

With thousands of products today, some people rely on social media recommendations and reviews that back bestsellers in the online market. In this regard, let us explore 8 Amazon Items you can feel confident purchasing this spring.

1. Little Green Machine
Chicago Public Schools, the biggest school district in Illinois and third in the U.S. with 638 schools and 341,000 students, has already been planning for a mostly in-person fall. CEO Janice Jackson, who is leaving CPS in June, said earlier in May that CPS was looking to the state ... to get us back to normal from a schooling perspective where everyone is expected to go to school in a brick-and-mortar building every single day unless there are extenuating circumstances, medical circumstances, that prevent them from coming to school.
Philanthropist and retired banker John Jorgensen will receive the 2020 Carol Mead Leaders in Literacy Award on Tuesday afternoon at the Nicolaysen Art Museum at the conclusion of the Wyoming Reads literacy celebration for first graders. A reception sponsored by the Natrona County Library Foundation will follow the awards presentation.

The award is sponsored by the University of Wyoming College of Education Literacy Center and Clinic Board.

Jorgensen first began the Casper Reads program more than 20 years ago in honor of his late wife, Sue, who specialized in literacy before her death in a car accident in 1996.

In 2018, he told the Star-Tribune how the program, now expanded to every county in Wyoming and several other states, began.

When Sue passed away, we had some memorial money left. Our five children went to Woods Learning Center and they had a really substandard library. I think there were about 150 students there then. So we thought it would be nice to give them some books to honor Sues work with and love of literacy. Judy Neal from the Woods staff helped provide some titles for us, and we gave a hardback book to each student there. Then we thought, well, could we do it for the county? And we thought we might have to raise $10,000 to do it in Natrona County one time, he recalled then.

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Country music and rodeo are iconic western pastimes and both will be in plentiful supply next month in Casper.

Lucas Hoge joins previously announced Chancey Williams in providing free, live concerts during CNFR Week in Casper. The annual rodeo event attracts competitors and spectators from all over the country to Casper.

Williams, a native of Moorcroft, and his band play at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 17, in a free concert at David Street Station. Williams fiddle player, Brooke Latka, is a Kelly Walsh High School graduate. Williams was a saddle bronc rider and competed at the National High School Rodeo Finals, CNFR and Cheyenne Frontier Days. He and the late Chris LeDoux of Kaycee were the only artists to have competed in the rodeo and performed on stage at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

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Hoge, who has shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan and Martina McBride, performs a free post-rodeo concert at the Ford Wyoming Center on Friday, June 18. Hoges album, Dirty South, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album sales chart and his latest single is Get Lost.
When did you make the decision? I decided probably in August. The deal was when we came back from regionals in Spokane in March 2020, I really thought that was going to be it because that was 40 years for me (she left the chorale for one year to join her husband, Pat, in Kansas City in 1989-90 and then returned). But then when the pandemic hit, I knew I had to stay on. Then I thought well if Im staying on, well just send in one more audition tape and see if we can get invited to nationals (American Choral Directors Association convention). I knew it would probably be virtual, but that was probably even more exciting because we were the opening choir of the convention. Because it was virtual, it attracted professional musicians from all over the world and they were writing in the chat box in real time. Their wonderful comments were going by so fast, I couldnt keep up with it.
The case of a man who says he was wrongfully arrested when Casper police came to his work looking for another man may be heading to a jury, recent court filings suggest.

Kaleb Clark, a Black man, was inside The Gaslight Social after a shift as a bouncer there in the wee hours of July 7, 2018. He was wearing his work uniform and was sober, according to court documents.

Then, according to the complaint in the case, three Casper police officers came in looking for someone else  a Lucas Sanchez, who they were looking for on a warrant out of Johnson County.

When they allegedly accused Clark of being the one they were looking for, he told them he wasnt, Clarks lawsuit states. When he refused to show them his identification, they placed him under arrest.

Clark was charged with disturbing the peace for yelling and resisting after officers began putting him in handcuffs, court documents state.
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP)  Heavy rains in western Louisiana flooded streets, left cars stranded and heightened worries in a region hammered by two hurricanes last year and a deep freeze this winter.

The National Weather Service said in a Facebook post Monday that south Lake Charles got the heaviest rainfall with about 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) falling there in a 12-hour period. But the rainfall wasn't limited to that one area. Numerous areas in Calcasieu Parish where Lake Charles is located saw totals of 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) of rainfall Monday.

The mayor of Lake Charles, Nic Hunter, told The Advocate that they didn't have an exact number of flooded homes but that it would likely be in the hundreds. Hunter was mayor last fall when the city was hit by Hurricane Laura on August 27 and then six weeks later by Hurricane Delta.

We will continue to be resilient through this event. But I will admit it would be nice if Mother Nature would give us a break," Hunter told the newspaper.
Gov. Mark Gordon laid out broad areas where he plans to allocate the first half of the American Rescue Plan funds that Wyoming recently received from the federal government.

The roughly $1 billion will go toward health and social services, education and workforce, and economic diversity and economic development, according to a Monday news release from the governors office.

A more detailed plan will be released in June, the governors office said, and this future plan will also include proposals for initiatives or new programs for consideration by the Legislature.

This is our way of informing the public that were working on it and we got the money, said Michael Pearlman, Gordons communications director.

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The state learned last week that it would receive more than $1 billion thanks to the latest stimulus package. Of that total, $568.5 million was based on unemployment statistics, on top of the base amount of $500 million provided to every state and D.C.

Because the American Rescue Plan provides additional funding specifically for groups such as schools, child care, community health centers and others, Wyoming will also receive $360 million for education and $9 million for community health centers that is not up to Gordons discretion.
Programs incentivizing COVID-19 vaccines are popping up across the U.S. as inoculation rates slow nationwide. Officials say similar initiatives could work in Wyoming, where vaccine hesitancy is higher than anywhere else in the nation, though details about possible efforts are sparse.

We have had preliminary discussion about incentives but its still in the deliberative phase, said Michael Pearlman, communications director for Gov. Mark Gordon.

The governor strongly believes getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice, Pearlman added.

He couldnt offer specifics on those discussions nor could he confirm whether there would be a statewide vaccine incentive program in the future.

State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist also declined to offer details but said if the state does pursue vaccine incentives, the efforts would be catered to Wyomings rural nature.

What we really want is something that makes sense for Wyoming and would work here, Harrist said, adding the department is watching what other states are doing to gauge how plausible a Wyoming-specific initiative could be.
Like many conservative republicans, I sent Wyomings congresswoman Liz Cheney a scathing message after she openly criticized and voted to impeach President Trump. I pointed out to Ms. Cheney that most of the people who voted for her, also voted for President Trump. To this day, I believe President Trump did more for Wyomings economy and its citizens than Liz Cheney could ever hope to do. I called on Ms. Cheney to resign as did many others. I carefully watched news reports concerning the election and I am convinced the election was stolen. I am also convinced President Trump did nothing to justify being impeached. Apparently, many republicans in congress believe as I do. As I write this opinion, they are considering removing Cheney for her leadership role, which I wholeheartedly support.
HELENA, Mont.  Gov. Greg Gianforte signed two bills changing the way Montana responds to how grizzly bears are managed, saying the animal should lose federal Endangered Species Act protections and shifting responsibility for conflicts to the U.S. government.

The measures are two of several controversial wildlife bills recently pushed by Montana Republicans, the Independent Record reported.

Senate Bills 98 and 337 follow an assessment of grizzly populations that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in late April, saying their population has increased but protections under the Endangered Species Act are still warranted.

SB 98 expands the circumstances in which a person can kill a grizzly to protect life or property.

It also says that because grizzly numbers have recovered, the animal should be removed from the federal endangered species list.
Tobagonians are being urged not to show up at the health centres to request Covid-19 vaccines as vaccinations are being done by appointment only on the island.

Speaking at yesterdays Covid-19 news conference in Tobago, general manager of primary care at the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) Dr Roxanne Mitchell said some people descended on health centres on Wednesday, demanding to be vaccinated on a walk-in basis.
Outdoor dining became a lifeline for many of our restaurants last year, which makes todays announcement all the more exciting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. With more and more proposals, Chicago Alfresco will only build on the success we have had with similar initiatives, beautify our city, and further ensure that our economic recovery from this pandemic is inclusive of all communities.
Two weeks ago, Belize police Senior Supt Henry Jemmott was shot through the head with his service weapon in San Pedro, an offshore tourist paradise.

Held for the killing was 32-year-old Jasmine Hartin, a glamorous Canadian.
My son, in his ever-increasing efforts to make sure Im relatively safe during this pandemic, sent me two packets of masks from the USA. His concern is especially so since I am over 80 and live alone.
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A 35-year-old Sierra Vista man was arrested Monday after police officers and state explosive experts found what appeared to be remains of an explosive device along with chemical compounds and hazardous explosive materials in his home, the Police Department said.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, May 17, Sierra Vista police received reports of an explosion with debris in the road in the 200 block of Coronado Lane.

Officers found several pieces of what appeared to be a broken bowling ball in the road and in neighboring property, with most of the debris in the yard of resident James Jaggers III. When questioned about blowing up the bowling ball, Jaggers claimed to be just mixing compounds.

The compounds at Jaggers home were determined to be potentially dangerous, so the Arizona Department of Public Safety Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit was called in and neighboring houses were evacuated. The debris in the yard was identified as the remains of a homemade explosive device.

Officers served a search warrant at Jaggers residence, where several chemical compounds and potentially hazardous explosive materials were found.
ATLANTA (AP)  Three people wanted on murder charges in the death of a Georgia taxi driver last month have been arrested in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., authorities said Monday.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 30-year-old Megan Alyssa Colone of Stone Mountain; 26-year-old Oscar Manuel Garcia of Austell and 25-year-old Juan Antonio Vega were arrested in Mexico on Saturday and are now being held at detention facilities in Texas. Stone Mountain and Austell are two Atlanta suburbs.

The three now await extradition to Georgia in connection with the death last month of taxi driver Rosanna Delgado, 37, investigators said Monday. It's unclear if any of them have lawyers who could speak on their behalf.

Vega, identified only as a resident of the Atlanta suburbof Cobb County, was named by GBI as the man investigators had been previously trying to identify who they said was also linked to the killing. Like Colone and Garcia, he is charged with murder in Delgado's death.
Its unlikely that most shareholders want to rock Microsofts boat, given its years of steady growth since Nadella took over in 2014 that have made it one of the worlds most valuable companies. Its rising profits and stock performance have been largely unaffected by the pandemic because of the importance of its services to people working or studying from home.

In 2019, Arjuna Capital asked fellow Microsoft shareholders to vote in favor of making the company report on gender disparities in salaries at the companys annual meeting. Microsoft asked investors to defeat the proposal, which they did -- though 30% voted in favor, a relatively high percentage for activist proposals. The investment firm will be trying again this year.

Although the recent reports have been damaging to Bill Gates and the foundation that bears his name, Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University, says it likely wont affect how nonprofits looking for funding approach the organization.

Most grantees will continue to come to the foundation for money, because they are more interested in money than they are in the intrigues that go on at the foundation, Gostin said. But, he added, the reports are likely to influence how the public continues to view the foundations prolonged work around gender equality.
The thought of those kids leaving our museum and having the first thing they see is the undergarments and underwear of this enormous Marilyn sculpture would be highly offensive, Grachos previously argued during a city council meeting to determine whether or not to welcome back the statue.
While Otting said he wanted to modernize the law to reflect changes in the banking industry, his proposal was considered too broad for many activists and for Democrats overseeing banks on the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said in a statement that the OCCs decision was a step in the right direction. He said the regulations were jammed through last year against the advisement of civil rights leaders, community development activists, and local voices.

Under the CRA, banks must pass exams to show they are making enough loans in their communities. Banks are required to get a passing grade on the exam in order to open more branches or merge with other banks.

But among the 2020 changes to the law, banks would have been given credit toward passing the exam from issuing credit cards and, under certain circumstances, for loans they make to build or improve facilities such as sports stadiums and hospitals.
The NTSB said the uneven force from the propellers wasnt enough, however, to cause the plane to tilt as far as it did. Armed with data from the propeller and plane manufacturers, the investigators believe the pilot should have been able to control the plane by maneuvering the rudder, but he turned the rudder the wrong direction, perhaps because he was startled by a stall warning. By the time he corrected the rudder setting, it was too late..
Five years ago: In an unusual move, Republican Donald Trump released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices he would consider if elected president (not included was Trumps eventual first pick for the nations highest bench, Neil Gorsuch).

One year ago: President Donald Trump said hed been taking a malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement to protect against the coronavirus despite warnings from his own government that the drug should be administered only in a hospital or research setting. Moderna announced that an experimental vaccine against the coronavirus showed encouraging results in early testing. The World Health Organization agreed to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to the coronavirus. A federal judge in Virginia ruled that a salvage firm could retrieve from the wreckage of the Titanic the Marconi wireless telegraph machine that broadcast distress calls. Ken Osmond, the actor best known for playing teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on TVs Leave it to Beaver, died in Los Angeles at 76.

Todays Birthdays: Actor Priscilla Pointer is 97. Actor Robert Morse is 90. Actor Dwayne Hickman is 87. Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is 83. Actor Candice Azzara is 80. Bluegrass singer-musician Rodney Dillard (The Dillards) is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is 75. Former Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., is 73. Country singer Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 73. Rock musician Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 72. Rock singer Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) is 71. Actor James Stephens is 70. Country singer George Strait is 69. Actor Chow Yun-Fat is 66. International Tennis Hall of Famer Yannick Noah is 61. Rock singer-musician Page Hamilton is 61. Contemporary Christian musician Barry Graul (MercyMe) is 60. Contemporary Christian singer Michael Tait is 55. Singer-actor Martika is 52. Comedian-writer Tina Fey is 51. Rock singer Jack Johnson is 46. Country singer David Nail is 42. Actor Matt Long is 41. Actor Allen Leech is 40. Christian singer Francesca Battistelli is 36. Actor Spencer Breslin is 29. Actor Violett Beane is 25. Actor Hala Finley is 12.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SEATTLE (AP)  Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed one of the nations most ambitious packages of police accountability legislation, prompted by last years outcry for racial justice following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people at the hands of police.

The dozen bills Inslee signed include outright bans on police use of chokeholds, neck restraints and no-knock warrants such as the one that helped lead to Taylor's killing in Louisville, Kentucky.

They require officers to intervene if their colleagues engage in excessive force  a demand inspired by the officers who stood by while Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee to Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

The bills also create an independent office to review the use of deadly force by police, make it easier to decertify police for bad acts, and require officers to use reasonable care, including exhausting de-escalation tactics, in carrying out their duties. The use of tear gas and car chases are restricted and it's easier to sue officers when they inflict injury.

As of noon today, we will have the best, most comprehensive, most transparent, most effective police accountability laws in the United States, Inslee, a Democrat, said before signing the bills.
PHOENIX  A member of the Arizona Board of Regents, Karrin Taylor Robson, wants to try her hand at politics. And she wants to start at the top, at least as state offices go.

Taylor Robson cited the November election results as a reason she wants to be governor.

In just a few months weve seen the direction that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to take this country, the Republican candidate said in a video news release on Monday. And as Arizonans we need to fight back. We need to fight for Arizona values.

Taylor Robson did not return repeated messages seeking clarification of those values or to answer any questions about her views on state issues, ranging from tax policy to education. Instead, she promised in her video to travel around the state to hear from people on how we can stand together and fight the radical Biden-Harris agenda.

In a separate statement on her campaign website, she said she is committed to do whatever it takes to defend Arizona from the radical left.

Her announcement points up what could be a crowded race for the seat that Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has to vacate because he is constitutionally limited to two four-year terms in the office.
There were several pieces of information/evidence that led detectives to believe that the cleaver was the weapon used during this incident, Carbajal said.

Police said Inoue told them she woke up around 4:30 a.m. Saturday with blood on her hands and arms and the two children were dead and bloody near the doorway of the bedroom.

Inoue didnt believe she had killed the children, but said she couldnt remember and woke up to the situation after taking a bath.

Police said they had been called to the same apartment earlier Saturday morning because of a domestic dispute involving a husband and wife.

Police said Inoues husband confirmed he had left the apartment around 12:30 a.m. Saturday after arguing with her over money.

He said the children were asleep at the time of the argument and he didnt have concerns about Inoue harming them.

Police also said there was no apparent reason at the time to call child welfare authorities.

The man told police he slept until morning in his vehicle in the parking lot of a bank where he works.
PHOENIX  Maricopa County supervisors blasted Senate President Karen Fann on Monday, accusing her of allowing a mockery to be made of the election process with her audit.

On one hand, the board and County Recorder Stephen Richer prepared a 14-page letter responding to Fanns specific questions  they called them accusations  about everything from handling of the ballots to whether a database had been deleted after the election but before files were delivered to Senate-hired auditors. In each case, they said either that the information is false or that they cannot or will not provide what she wants.

But each official also lashed out at Fann, R-Prescott, and the Senate for perpetuating what several said amounts to a hoax on the public. They said she has effectively given over the Senates powers to Cyber Ninjas, an outside firm that not only has no election audit experience but is now using the audit to raise money.

As chairman of this board, I want to make it clear: I will not be responding to any more requests from this sham process, said board Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican.

Finish what youre calling an audit,  Sellers continued. Be ready to defend your report in a court of law.
Some patients have even been given singing lessons as therapy.

There is no universal definition of long COVID, a term applied to a range of persistent post-viral symptoms. While most people recover from coronavirus infections within a few weeks, Britains statistics office says almost 14% still report symptoms 12 weeks later.

Ainleys clinic has seen 700 patients, with another 120 on the waiting list. Their symptoms are often mental as well as physical. Psychologist Marc Kingsley said many experience memory loss and brain fog, as well as loneliness and low moods.

Some of the people Ive spoken to have survivor guilt, Kingsley said. They actually feel guilty about having survived where they saw people in front of them passing away.

A lot of our patients say to us they dont feel that they can just talk to friends and family, he said. They dont want to upset people.

As well as home visits from physiotherapists, Miller gets phone calls from a therapist where he can talk about the frustration he feels.

Its nice to talk to other people and get a load off my chest," he said. "And to find out through her that there are people in the same boat as I am.
She wrote: A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother, so honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you my angel. There is no greater love.
Though she had only limited physical bruising from her seven hours under the rubble, the young girl was in severe trauma and shock, said pediatrician Dr. Zuhair Al-Jaro. The hospital was unable to get her the psychological treatment she needs because of the ongoing fighting, he said.

She has entered into a deep depression, he said. Only today, he said Tuesday, did she eat something after she was allowed briefly outside the hospital and saw her cousins.

As her father spoke to the AP, Suzy sat on the bed next to him, silent and studying the faces of the people in the room but rarely making eye contact. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she turned away. When her father started to answer for her, saying she wanted to become a doctor, the girl began sobbing loudly.

Ishkontana, 42, who recently stopped working as a waiter because of coronavirus lockdowns, said Suzy is smart and tech-savvy and loves smartphones and tablets. She explores them, she has more experience dealing with them than I do, he said. She also loves studying and would gather all her siblings into a play class, taking the role of their teacher, he said.

The Ishkontanas were just one family destroyed that day.
The World Health Organization granted the Sinopharm shot emergency approval earlier this month, potentially paving the way for millions of doses to reach needy countries through the U.N.-backed COVAX vaccine program. A range of governments, including in Hungary, Pakistan, Serbia and the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, already administer Sinopharm.

This spring, the UAE became the first in the world to manufacture its own local version of the Sinopharm vaccine. Widespread vaccination also plays a key role in preparing Dubai to host the long-awaited World Expo in October this year, expected to draw some 25 million visitors.

As part of the states proactive strategy to provide maximum protection for society, the door has been opened for the public to receive an additional supportive dose of the Sinopharm vaccine for people, said Dr. Farida al-Hosani, an Emirati health spokeswoman, in a statement broadcast on state television.

The government statement did not reveal any further information, saying only that all approved vaccines undergo strict safety tests. In the first public release of information on the shot's efficacy last year, the UAE said the vaccine was 86% effective against the virus based on its review of an interim analysis, without providing further details.
OPINION: The Maricopa County audit is still leading the discussion in letters to the editor. Read todays letters to see what Tucsonans are saying and weigh in on the discussion.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter sent a letter to President Joe Biden, where he renewed his call to the administration to support additional energy infrastructure  including the Keystone XL pipeline  following the Colonial pipeline shutdown.

In the letter, Hunter and 18 other state attorneys general say Biden sacrificed the Keystone pipeline on the altar of left-wing virtue signaling.

Hunter said the presidents own energy secretary directly contradicted his decision to cancel the Keystone pipeline.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, in a public briefing said that pipelines  as opposed to other transport methods  is the best way to move fossil fuels, Hunter said.

When the president was vice president, his state department published multiple studies that Keystone was a net positive for the economy, the environment and energy security. No one can argue against the safety and efficiency Keystone brings, not even the presidents own people. Canceling it does nothing but kill jobs and hurt our economy. My colleagues and I encourage the president to do the right thing for the country and restart this project.
The Caring Vans earliest COVID effort was visiting schools to immunize teachers who were ages 65-older. Toledo, who is bilingual, says interpreters help with the comfort level in populations who dont speak English or use it as a secondary language.

She said they also have hosted clinics with the Center For Individuals With Physical Challenges  a partner even before the pandemic.

It was just really nice for them to be able to go somewhere that they are familiar with, with staff that their familiar with and comfortable with, and they know theyre going to have an accessible way to get there, Toledo said.

The federally supported Community Vaccination Center at TCCs Northeast Campus also has boots on the ground in communities.

Spokesperson Anthony Valdez said the FEMA Corps team is conducting awareness and informational outreach in the community and with businesses, including events such as Mayfest, a car show and a food bank.

The community has continued to be receptive for the most part and they feel their efforts have remained successful, Valdez said.
The witness said Shaver had his back to Poulin, and Poulin reportedly made a stabbing motion to Shavers back. Shaver then grabbed the spot on his back where Poulin struck him. Shaver fell to the floor, and a pool of blood started to form, according to the affidavit.

While Shaver was on the floor, the witness said Poulin started kicking him. The witness then fled in fear.

The witness reportedly told investigators he did not intend for this to happen to Shaver and he didnt deserve what happened.

Investigators interviewed Poulin on Thursday, and he said Shaver f***** over a friend and he wanted wanted to beat his a**, according to the affidavit.

Poulin said when he got to Shavers house, he, Shaver and the witness started talking, and Shaver lied three different times. Poulin said he then started beating Shaver. He said he picked up what looked like a table leg and started hitting Shaver with it.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that member Carlisha Williams-Bradley was absent. She attended the meeting, which was conducted by videoconference, via an audio connection.

The Oklahoma State Board of Education on Monday authorized the use of taxpayer dollars for an outside law firm to represent it in three lawsuits over charter school funding.

Up to $45,000 subject to subsequent review, consideration and adjustment as deemed necessary was approved for a legal services contract with the law firm of Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson. Tulsa attorney John OConnor is to serve as lead counsel for the board.

Over the strongly voiced objections of State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and against the advice of its own legal counsel, the State Board of Education split 4-3 on March 25 in voting to settle a years-old lawsuit by the Oklahoma Public Charter School Association seeking an equal share of revenues from Oklahomas gross production, motor vehicle and rural electrification association tax collections, state school land earnings and county tax collections.

It was members Williams Bradley and Bill Flanagan, along with Hofmeister, who cast no votes to that March 25 surprise settlement deal.
The easiest way, by far, if you want to attend Lollapalooza is to get vaccinated now. Youre going to be hearing some more in the days to come about ways in which we may tie Lollapalooza tickets to opportunities for vaccination, Arwady said during a Tuesday news conference. And, certainly, I want to thank the folks who are organizing here for their willingness to say, We want to bring this festival back. We want to bring it back big, and we want to bring it back in the safest way that we can, which really is around encouraging people to get vaccinated.
On this day in 2015, a former Tulsa man who served 16 years in prison on robbery and burglary convictions before being paroled and eventually 
Kellough spent most of his time discussing the possible criminal liability of the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County and state of Oklahoma.

Government entities can in theory be charged with criminal misconduct and face possible fines, he said.

But the crimes that relate to the Greenwood massacre are not in my opinion the kind of crimes that governmental entities are able to commit, he said.

The states conspiracy law could well apply to the massacre, Kellough said.

In theory, the government entities in the Greenwood case could be considered as co-conspirators, along with the persons who committed the acts, he said. However, in my opinion, the statute of limitations for conspiracy, which is three years from the date of the commission of the crime, would prevent charges being filed.

City officials updated plans for the investigations next phase at the meeting and said they are on pace to begin June 1 with the excavation and exhumation of remains at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Last fall, researchers found what they said appear to be 12 badly decomposed coffins in what was once Oaklawns Black paupers field.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Purple Heart on Tuesday was awarded to Tulsa Police Officer Aurash Zarkeshan and the late Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson.

The honor is awarded by the governor to public safety members who suffer life-threatening injuries or death while performing their duties.

Johnson died June 30 after he and Zarkeshan were shot during a June 29 traffic stop in east Tulsa.

Johnsons widow, Kristi, accepted the honor on behalf of her late husband.

Our family appreciates Craig being honored and we are humbled by the ongoing show of support, Kristi Johnson said in a statement.

Zarkeshan accepted the honor in person.

I am honored and speechless, Zarkeshan said. I just dont really know what to say. I am speechless.

He said his recovery is going well.

Gov. Kevin Stitt thanked the recipients for laying their lives on the line for their fellow Oklahomans.

He said he recognized that receiving the award cant begin to fill the void in the hearts of Johnsons survivors.
If the aggression continues we expect conditions to become worse, mayor Yahya Sarraj told Al-Jazeera TV.

The U.N. has warned that the territorys sole power station is at risk of running out of fuel, and Sarraj said Gaza was also low on spare parts. Gaza already experiences daily power outages for between eight and 12 hours and tap water is undrinkable. Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the the territorys electricity distribution company, said it has fuel to supply Gaza with electricity for two or three days. Airstrikes have damaged supply lines and the companys staff cannot reach areas that were hit because of continued Israeli shelling, he added.

The war broke out last Monday, when the Hamas militant group fired long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the holy city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The protests were focused on the heavy-handed policing of a flashpoint sacred site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

Since then, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,100 rockets into Israel.
In a statement to the Journal, a spokesperson for Gates said, "There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. Bill's decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter. In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier."

The spokesperson also pointed to a March 2020 statement regarding his decision to resign from the board.

The WSJ's story was published soon after a separate New York Times article that reported Gates had "developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings."

The Times reported, citing "people with direct knowledge with overtures," that "on at least a few occasions, Mr. Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."

The Times did not cite the names of the people involved.

Gates' spokesperson told the Times that, "It is extremely disappointing that there have been so many untruths published about the cause, the circumstances and the timeline of Bill Gates' divorce."
Not only is (HB 2899) bad policy, but the process has been abused to avoid public input and ram this through before anyone noticed, the organization claimed in one of its emails.

Lawson, for whom the waiting list has been a priority, was particularly piqued.

Until today, this has been the one issue where weve said we can put our politics aside and do the right thing, he said.

Were talking about people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in their families, he said. Some of these people who qualify are people who cant feed themselves.  Theyre incapable of opening a can of soup. Theyre incapable of grasping food and putting it in their mouth.

Rep. Collin Walke, D-Oklahoma City, said it was not about politics but about the plain wording of the bill.

Theres a practical problem with this bill, Walke said. This bill has nothing to do with cleaning up the waiting list. This bill has to do with preventing people from getting services without being a resident for five years.

Lawson said the waiting list has about 5,800 names on it, some of whom first applied for services in 2008.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed bills redistricting the Oklahoma Legislature for the next 10 years.

The revised districts equally divide the states 3.9 million people into 101 House districts and 48 Senate constituencies, thus complying with federal one-person, one-vote rule.

COVID-19 issues delayed census figures needed to complete the redistricting, pushing lawmakers close to their legal deadline for finishing the process.

With Republicans firmly in control of both chambers of the Legislature and the governors office, there was reason to suspect at the beginning of the process that it would be done secretively and in a partisan fashion. Thats certainly been the pattern in the past regardless of which party controlled the Legislature.

We were surprised and pleased then to see a relatively open process and an improved result.

The House and Senate held 22 town hall meetings  18 in person and four virtual  to get input from the public. Proposed redistricting maps and related materials were made available for review online.
The signing of House Bill 1775 by Gov. Kevin Stitt is an absolute outrage and something all Oklahomans should condemn.

At its worst, it could cause serious emotional and physical harm or death to marginalized individuals and communities. At best, it's a disgusting drain on taxpayers time and money.

The authors of the bill and all those who voted in favor should be ashamed.

What weve been fed is a lie: that any mention of historical accuracy as it relates to systematic oppression and violence is in itself inherently harmful when taught, discussed or called out.

I can attest to the harm caused by Oklahomas attempts to cover up our history in lies and disgrace through my own public schooling in the early 2000s.

Diversity training and education teaches us to value those from all cultures, races, genders, sexual orientations and backgrounds.

It helps us better love our neighbors and ourselves.

Only by confronting the uncomfortable, painful truth will we truly be able to move forward.

We must confront our harmful past and do the important, hard work necessary to be better informed, more proactive and more connected citizens.
Masan Group Corporation and a consortium led by Alibaba Group and Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) on Tuesday announced the signing of definitive agreements for the acquisition of a 5.5 percent stake in The CrownX for a total cash consideration of US$400 million.

The CrownX is Masans integrated consumer retail arm that consolidates its interests in Masan Consumer Holdings and VinCommerce.

The transaction implies a pre-money valuation of $6.9 billion for 100 percent of its equity, an equivalent of $93.5 per share.

Masan will own 80.2 percent of the company post the consortiums investment.

The formation of The CrownX last year brought together two industry leaders to form a consumer and retail powerhouse.

As part of Alibabas investment, The CrownX will now partner with Lazada to build the formers digital presence and capabilities and accelerate the offline to online market in Vietnam.

This deal marks a shared vision across the companys shareholders that The CrownX has the potential to establish Vietnams first tech-enabled consumer ecosystem and expand its reach to serve consumers nationwide.

This strategic partnership will accelerate our ability to achieve our goal of transforming The CrownX into a one-stop shop to serve consumers everyday needs, whether offline or online," said Danny Le, CEO of Masan Group.

"Our immediate priority is to modernize Vietnams grocery market and develop an unparalleled consumer proposition from assortment to shopping experience.

I strongly believe that this partnership will reduce our learning curve and enable us to reach our endgame more efficiently and effectively."

We are delighted to be partnering with Masan and Alibaba, and believe this strategic investment has the potential to supercharge The CrownXs growth in a nascent retail market and create the largest consumer ecosystem in Vietnam," said Janice Leow, managing director of BPEA.

"As a long-term investor in the country, we think Vietnam has a long runway for growth supported by strong macroeconomic tailwinds and attractive demographics.

The CrownX also has tremendous digital potential, particularly in e-commerce and data analytics.

"BPEA prioritizes digital transformation in all of our portfolio companies, and we look forward to working with the company in its next stage of growth.

As a part of the transaction, VinCommerce will enter a strategic cooperation agreement with Lazada, Alibabas Southeast Asia e-commerce platform.

VinCommerce will be the preferred grocery retailer of choice on Lazadas e-commerce platform in Vietnam.

The parties will co-share know-how, co-develop analytics to spur grocery as a key online category, transform VinCommerces offline stores into pick-up points for online orders, and explore synergies between the respective parties logistics platforms for service and cost optimization for consumers.

Grocery accounts for 50 percent of Vietnams retail market and 25 percent of consumer wallet share and is of essential daily use, but online penetration is still nascent.

Masan has aspirations for The CrownXs online gross merchandise value to account for at least five percent of its total sales value in the upcoming years.

Credit Suisse (Singapore) Limited acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Masan Group.

Deutsche Bank acted as the exclusive financial advisor to BPEA.

The transaction closing is subject to customary corporate approvals.

Masan is also in advanced discussions regarding a further strategic investment of $300-400 million into The CrownX from other investors, expected to close in 2021.

Masan Groups member companies and associates are industry leaders in branded food and beverages, branded meat, value-added chemical processing, and financial services, altogether representing segments of Vietnams economy that are experiencing the most transformational growth.

The CrownX was established with the vision to become a 'Point of Life' platform in order to provide more products and services to Vietnamese consumers online and offline.

Alibaba Group aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce while Baring Private Equity Asia is one of the largest private alternative investment firms in Asia, with assets under management of $23 billion.
Police in Ho Chi Minh City arrested 40 people and found many weapons after raiding a gambling den last weekend.

Officers under the municipal Department of Public Security confirmed on Monday that the suspects had been charged for gambling and organizing gambling.

Police previously inspected a three-story house on Street No. 18 in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District at around 8:00 pm on Sunday.

Dozens of people were participating in both offline and online gambling activities in the house.

Officers also found a large amount of cash, more than 10 machetes, and relevant exhibits.

Preliminary information showed that the gambling den was managed by 32-year-old Pham Dinh Dat from the northern province of Hai Duong.

Dat, who has several criminal records, hired some individuals to help him operate and safeguard the gambling racket.

In accordance with the Penal Code, gambling with transactions worth VND5 million (US$217) and over is punishable by a VND10-50 million ($434-2,170) fine, six-month to three-year non-custodial rehabilitation, or three to seven years in prison.

Organizing gambling is punishable by a fine worth VND50-300 million ($2,170-13,000) or a jail term lasting one to ten years, depending on the severity of the violation.

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Actors, he wrote, should think not so much about getting ahead as becoming as good as you can be, so youre ready when you do get an opportunity. I did that, so I didnt suffer from the frustration of all the rejections. They just gave me more time. He spelled out that advice in his first book, It Would Be So Nice If You Werent Here, published in 1989.
Healthcare providers in Ho Chi Minh City have said they will screen at least 6,700 people after a retest on a local man returned positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

N.Q.N., a 35-year-old employee of Deloitte Vietnam, first tested positive for the coronavirus at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Binh Thanh District on Monday after having a fever, cough, and sore throat, a Thu Duc City Medical Center spokesperson told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday morning.

N., who lives in Block A1 of Sunview Town Apartment Buildings in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward, Thu Duc City, which is under Ho Chi Minh City, retested positive for COVID-19 at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases on Tuesday afternoon, said Dr. Dinh Thi Hai Yen from the municipal Center for Disease Control.

The patient is likely to have caught the virus recently, according to an analysis of clinical signs and test results.

Health authorities say they will test 6,000 people at Sunview Town in relation to this infection, which has yet to be officially logged by the Ministry of Health.

The patient lives with his mother, wife, and two children in an apartment on the 18th floor of Block A1, according to an epidemiological investigation.

N. has never left Ho Chi Minh City in the past month.

He said he could not remember how many people he had come into contact with.

Among his contacts was an Indian expert who was not a COVID-19 patient.

Health workers have sectioned off the apartment block, disinfected it, and proceeded with contact tracing.

They have also cordoned off the workplaces of N. and his wife, Deloitte Vietnam and Datalogic in District 3 and Thu Duc City, respectively.

At least 700 people at both companies will be screened for COVID-19, Tuoi Tre journalists reported from the scene.

Vietnam has so far reported 4,464 patients, including 85 local cases announced at noon on Tuesday.

Recoveries have reached 2,668 while 37 virus-related deaths have been recorded.

The country has confirmed 1,425 domestic cases in 28 provinces and cities since April 27, when it began to deal with a fourth wave following around a month of no known community transmission, according to the health ministrys data.

Ho Chi Minh City has registered only one case, except for N., in this bout.

The health ministry will give the final COVID-19 update for Tuesday at 6:00 pm.

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Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide lauded the growing Vietnam - Japan ties and discussed ways to boost the two nations extensive strategic partnership during their phone talks on Monday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Ministry of Health on Tuesday morning confirmed 19 local coronavirus cases in Hanoi and the northern provinces of Son La, Ha Nam, and Dien Bien, raising the countrys tally to 4,378, with 2,668 recoveries and 37 deaths.

-- The health department in northern Hai Phong City confirmed that a 42-year-old teacher tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday after she had taught many classes, visited multiple places, and come into contact with a lot of people.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have required all residents who have symptoms of respiratory disease to fill out health declaration forms whenever they purchase over-the-counter medicine.

Society

-- The Ministry of Public Security on Monday initiated legal proceedings against a married couple who own an IT company named VNIT TECH for collecting and trading a large amount of personal data.

-- A teacher from the Central Highlands city of Da Lat has been disciplined for beating a second-grade student, causing multiple bruises on his buttocks and engaging in a physical confrontation with his mother.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Monday they had arrested 40 people and confiscated 10 machetes after raiding a gambling den in Binh Tan District.

-- Traffic police in the southern province of Dong Nai on Monday detected five illegal Chinese migrants hiding inside cardboard boxes on board a long-haul bus.

Business

-- The total volume of rice exported by Vietnam in the first four months of this year was recorded at 1.9 million metric tons, worth US$1.01 billion, down 10.8 percent in quantity but up 1.2 percent in value year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

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Five Chinese people were found on Monday hiding in disguised cardboard boxes on a passenger bus, which was traveling from northern Bac Giang Province to Ho Chi Minh City.

A local traffic warden in southern Dong Nai Province pulled over the bus numbered 98B-02763 when it entered Xuan Loc District from south-central Binh Thuan Province at about 2:00 pm on Monday.

As traffic police officers got on the bus for an inspection, they found five Vietnamese sitting in the middle of a pile of goods.

As they asked the driver to unload the goods in the aisle of the bus, four Chinese people were found hiding in the cardboard boxes placed there.

Checking the goods at the end of the aisle, the police force discovered another Chinese national hiding in another cardboard box.

This supplied photo shows a passenger bus which was caught carrying five Chinese people without legal immigration documents in cardboard boxes in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, May 17, 2021.

The Chinese people said that they had entered Vietnam through northern Cao Bang Province before hiring cars to go to Bac Giang, with a group of other Chinese people.

Due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bac Giang, the five Chinese people rented the 98B-02763 bus to travel from Bac Giang to Ho Chi Minh City.

They failed to present legal immigration documents upon the Dong Nai functional forces request.

Officers have coordinated with the medical authorities of Xuan Loc District to bring the ten Chinese and Vietnamese people to a concentrated quarantine center in Dong Nai for medical examination.

The case will be handed over to the provincial police for further measures.

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have sealed off an apartment block as a resident had tested positive for the coronavirus once.

Officials started isolating Block A1 of Sunview Town Apartment Buildings in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward, Thu Duc City, which is under Ho Chi Minh City, on Tuesday morning.

Sunview Town residents are now banned from leaving the buildings while those residing in Block A1 will be tested for COVID-19, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper journalists reported from the scene.

Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, and Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the municipal Center for Disease Control, were both present at Sunview Town to direct pandemic control efforts.

A Thu Duc City Medical Center spokesperson told Tuoi Tre that a Sunview Town resident, 35-year-old N.Q.N., tested positive for the coronavirus at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Binh Thanh District on Monday after having a fever, cough, and sore throat.

N.s sample has been sent to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for a retest.

The suspected case is a Deloitte Vietnam employee.

N.s family includes five members, according to the spokesperson.

His wife works for a company at a high-tech park in the city.

Health authorities have fumigated Sunview Town while informing the municipal Center for Disease Control and the couples workplaces for disinfection and contact tracing purposes.

N. has never left Ho Chi Minh City in the past month, according to an epidemiological investigation.

He said he could not remember how many people he had come into contact with.

Among his contacts was an Indian expert who was not a COVID-19 patient.

Vinmec Central Park International Hospital is among 24 medical facilities permitted to do conclusive coronavirus tests in Ho Chi Minh City, according to a list on the website of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,340 domestic cases in 28 provinces and cities since April 27, when it began to deal with a fourth wave following around a month of no known community transmission, according to the health ministrys data.

Ho Chi Minh City has detected only one domestic case in this fourth wave.

Vietnam has logged 4,378 local and imported infections since the coronavirus emerged in the country on January 23, 2020, including 2,668 recoveries and 37 virus-related deaths, according to the health ministry.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Ho Chi Minh City health authorities have asked all local drug retailers to ask their customers to make medical declarations if they have fever and respiratory problems, as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Healthcare providers in Thu Duc City and all Ho Chi Minh City districts must direct all pharmacies to request their customers who have a fever, cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing to file declarations on their health status, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said in its urgent dispatch released on Monday.

Medicine buyers with such COVID-19-like symptoms can declare their health status at http://tokhaiyte.vn, which is also available in English, or through the apps NCOVI and Vietnam Health Declaration on their mobile phones, the department said.

This new requirement is aimed at the early detection of people contracting the novel coronavirus, which Vietnam has been battling since early 2020, health authorities explained.

The department also requires drugstore attendants to comply with epidemic prevention measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands with sanitizer, and maintaining required safe distance from customers.

Pharmacies are required to report any suspicious COVID-19 cases to local health authorities or relevant hotlines.

Any medicine retailers that fail to follow these requirements, thereby causing the virus to spread, will be subject to strict punishments, health authorities warned in their dispatch.

The health ministry on Tuesday noon reported 85 local COVID-19 cases in Hanoi and five other northern and central localities.

These new cases have taken the countrys tally to 4,464 cases, including 2,668 recoveries and 37 deaths, since the virus hit the country on January 23, 2020, the ministry said.

Since April 27, when a fourth wave broke out after Vietnam had spent roughly a month detecting no community transmission, the country has recorded 1,425 domestic coronavirus infections in 28 provinces and cities.

Ho Chi Minh City has detected only one domestic case in this fourth wave but it has taken many safety precautions, including the shutdown of all schools and non-essential businesses.

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A Hanoi police officer has been warned and transferred from his current position for not helping a taxi driver seize a robber who had stabbed him.

Police in the capital's Thanh Oai District on Monday evening gave a warning to Captain Nguyen Van Lam, a police officer of Cu Khe Commune, for his irresponbility in dealing with a robbery that occured in the district a day earlier.

Lam was also transferred to a team in charge of criminal judgement execution and legal assistance of the district police.

The robbery occurred on Sunday afternoon, when 45-year-old Nguyen Tran Minh, a taxi driver, was stabbed in the chest by a man who had booked his taxi service before, according to the results of an investigation.

Despited being injured, Minh, a Hanoi resident, managed to get off the cab and struggled with the man who attempted to rob him.

When the struggle took place, Lam was standing near the scene but he did nothing to help Minh other than gluing his eyes to his mobile phone.

Locals assisted Minh in subduing the robber and handed him over to the commune police later.

A clip of the incident was posted on social media later the same day, showing a police officer who was standing nearby the scene but took no action to seize the robber.

After verification, local police confirmed the officer to be Lam and the robber to be 51-year-old Pham Sy Sau, who had been hunted by police in Thanh Hoa Province for murder.

In his report about the incident, Lam said the robbery occurred when he was on the way to perform his tasks related to citizen identification cards.

Lam explained that he used his phone to call reinforcements from the commune police.

Lieutenent General Nguyen Hai Trung, director of Hanois Public Security Department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that Lam had been warned for being indifferent and irresponsible in helping a resident catch a robber.

However, public opinion commented that the disciplinary action against Lam is too light and inappropriate since his behaviors are unacceptable, badly affecting the image of the police force in the public eye.

Regading such comment, Lieutenant General To An Xo, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, said that agencies concerned have grasped such feedback and will review the case.

Authorities are currently reviewing the case," the lieutenant general said.

"The review will be performed in a right order."

Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee Chu Ngoc Anh on Monday gave a letter of commendation and a reward of VND10 million (US$435) to Minh for his bravery in seizing the robber.

Hanoi police also offered a similar letter to Minh on Tuesday.

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The Ministry of Health must consult government members on solutions for securing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine procurement, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated on Monday.

The premiers statement was mentioned in the Government Office's report on a meeting on COVID-19 vaccine procurement on Monday.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Pfizer Inc. has refused to negotiate on price and contract terms while also inquiring Vietnamese representatives to respond by no later than Tuesday.

As per the opinions of government members, the prime minister concluded that the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines is essential, thus requiring the Ministry of Health to take charge of selecting the right variety and report on the current price negotiation.

Prime Minister Chinh pointed out that vaccine scarcity is seen on a global scale, hence the sourcing of the jabs should be considered an urgent task by law and prioritized as such.

He ordered the Government Office to collaborate with the health, planning and investment, and justice ministries to collect opinions of government members, as well as preparing a draft resolution on the procurement of Pfizer vaccine.

Vietnam had administered more than 977,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots as of last weekend, according to the health ministry.

Those inoculated were medical staff and other frontline workers.

The Southeast Asian country received a batch of 1,682,400 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the COVAX Facility on Sunday, the second shipment since April.

This delivery came in addition to 811,200 doses arriving on April 1 and is part of the 4.1 million vaccine doses committed to Vietnam free of charge by the COVAX Facility, UNICEF said in a press release the same day.

COVAX is an international partnership created to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Partners and producers have pledged to supply 110 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam in 2021, with 31 million doses manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, the Ministry of Health said in a post on its verified Facebook account last week.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,425 domestic coronavirus infections in 28 provinces and cities since April 27, when the country was first hit by a fourth wave after having spent roughly a month detecting no community transmission.

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The Department of Child Affairs under Vietnam's Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs has proposed relevant bodies remove a channel that broadcasts harmful content aimed at children from all social media platforms.

The child affairs departments director Dang Hoa Nam said on Monday afternoon that the proposition was sent to the Authority of Information Security under the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-Tech Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security.

Timmy TV, a content provider active on both Facebook and YouTube, has uploaded videos with content and images that are toxic, superstitious, creepy, and are unsuitable for children, affecting their healthy development, according to the proposition.

The Department of Child Affairs thus requested the Authority of Information Security and the Department of Cybersecurity and Hi-Tech Crime Prevention to take Timmy TV down from the Internet and handle its creators and operators in accordance with regulations on child protection in cyberspace.

According to Nam, Timmy TV, which has been active since 2018 with 874 videos having been broadcast, is operated by a Vietnamese administrator, who is currently living in Ho Chi Minh City.

His department has recently received many parents reports that the channel provided many horror and superstitious content and images that are not suitable for the healthy development of children and can even lead to their improper behaviors and lack of life skills.

Nam affirmed that designated authorities had sufficient evidence and data to handle the violations of the Timmy TV channel.

The child affairs departments director also called on the community, parents, and children to dial 111 -- the national hotline for child protection -- for timely support whenever discovering content and images exhibiting signs of breaking rules about children protection and care.

Previously, Nguyen Thi Hong Tho, a woman from southern Binh Duong Province, was fined VND7.5 million (US$325) for posting superstitious clips on Tho Nguyen, a Vietnamese YouTube channel for children.

This channel then went inactive, with its administrator turning off the YouTube monetization feature for a short period.

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Vietnam added 19 local coronavirus cases on Tuesday morning, the majority in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health said in a morning update.

The new infections were detected in quarantine zones, the ministry noted.

Hanoi found 13 of the cases, Ha Nam Province three patients, Dien Bien Province two, and Son La Province one.

The Southeast Asian nation has confirmed 1,340 domestic cases in 28 provinces and cities since April 27, when it began to deal with a fourth wave following around a month of no known community transmission, according to the health ministrys data.

Bac Giang Province is sitting atop with 411 cases, followed by Bac Ninh Province with 290, Hanoi with 239, Da Nang with 142, and Vinh Phuc Province with 87.

Ho Chi Minh City has detected only one domestic case in this fourth wave.

Vietnam has logged 4,378 local and imported infections since the coronavirus emerged in the Southeast Asian nation on January 23, 2020, including 2,668 recoveries and 37 virus-related deaths, according to the health ministrys data.

Most of the fatalities had suffered serious pre-existing medical conditions.

The country is quarantining over 108,000 people who either came into close contact with infected patients or from virus-hit regions.

Health workers have conducted nearly 483,000 COVID-19 tests since April 27.

Japan will help Vietnam ensure a supply of necessary COVID-19 vaccine shots, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh during their phone talks on Monday.

PM Chinh said at a separate cabinet meeting the same day that Vietnam is keeping the virus at bay, with infection sources having been identified so far.

But the country is still at high risk of further contagion so authorities must stick to current safety measures, he underlined.

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The 2021 Diversity Showcase now has an Open Casting Call.

This September the Equity Foundation, with major support from Screen Australia, the Australian Directors Guild and Australian Writers Guild, will host the second Screen Diversity Showcase in Sydney.

The Showcase will bring together five writers, five directors and ten performers from diverse backgrounds. The selected creatives will collaborate on five distinct projects, all to be filmed as five-minute proof of concepts.

The Diversity Showcase is open to members and non-members. Applications have been extended until 4th June.

More information can be found here.

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We would have had a skeleton of the structure, and then visual effects would have, basically, put the cityscape behind The Bean. I mean, we had a plan. We were very thankful that it got taken out of the script because to make something like that work and look good, you need to have a huge budget and a lot of time. In TV series like ours, its not something that we have. We have a good budget, but we dont have a lot of time.
Marc & Felicity were just weeks from moving into their new home when it went up in flames. 8:30pm Wednesday on Lifestyle.

Eurovision Semi Final 1

Travel Guides

The Weekly with Charlie Pickering

See What You Made Me Do Forum

Bull

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The Screen Diversity Inclusion Network has appointed Kelrick Martin and Michelle Cheng as the new co-chairs for 2021-22.

Kelrick Martin is ABCs Head of Indigenous, while Michelle Cheng is the SBS Content Industry Diversity Manager for TV and Online content.

They take over the SDIN Chair position from Benjamin Law and Jo Dillon from 1st June. The Network thanks both for their contribution to SDIN.

Benjamin Law and Jo Dillon said in a statement, Were so proud of everything SDIN has achieved in the past year, especially rolling out The Everyone Project  a game-changing industry-standard tool that finally tracks and measures diversity and inclusion in Australian screen productions. Were also thrilled SBSs Michelle Cheng and ABCs Kelrick Martin now step into the role of co-chairs. SDINs mission has always been to foster, celebrate and showcase Australian diversity on our screens, and their combined industry experience speaks for itself. Its also a wonderful milestone to have two people of colour  the first Asian-Australian woman and First Nations person  lead the organisation.

Kelrick is a Ngarluma man from Broome WA, and in 1998 was the inaugural presenter of ABC TVs Message Stick. In 2002 he completed his Masters in Documentary Writing and Directing at AFTRS, and in 2007 returned to WA to become NITVs Commissioning Editor. He formed Spear Point Productions in 2010 whose credits include the multiple 2015 AACTA Award nominee Prison Songs. Kelrick was also the Indigenous Manager for Screenwest before joining the ABC as Head of Indigenous in 2016. His commissions at ABC include Cleverman series 2, Kiki and Kitty, Black Comedy s3 & s4, Maralinga Tjarutja and popular award winning drama Total Control (series 1 & series 2).

Michelle Cheng is the SBS Content Industry Diversity Manager for TV and Online content. In this role, she is working to improve career pathways for diverse TV creatives, investigating international best practice for screen diversity and rolling out The Everyone Project at SBS, which aims to measure diversity on and offscreen on all commissioned productions. Michelle has a background in TV presenting/writing, journalism and law (as an Australian solicitor). From 2016 to 2020 she worked with ITV Studios and Channel 7 as a television writer on the quiz show The Chase Australia and in 2018 she was an ABC TV panellist on more than 75 episodes of the quiz show Think Tank. Michelle also has extensive experience as a journalist with by-lines in The Guardian, ABC, Yahoo News and the Daily Mail Australia. She also worked in world news as an Assistant Reporter/Researcher for the major Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, shooting stories on-location across the Australia Pacific region. Most recently, she was a Media & Communications Advisor at Monash University. Outside of the media world, Michelle has experience as Curation Coordinator for TEDxMelbourne and as a Creative Writing Teacher at Laneway Learning.

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Travel Guides is on home turf tonight for a road trip through South Australia.

The reviewers travel from Kangaroo Island to the Southern Ocean and, yep, the underground town of Coober Pedy.

Our Travel Guides pick up their wheels and cruise down the scenic Fleurieu Peninsula to Cape Jarvis where they board a car ferry to Kangaroo Island  Australias third largest island, boasting a natural wonderland of rolling green hills, pristine beaches and abundant wildlife.

They better bee-hive themselves at King Island Living Honey, where they get close and personal with up to 10 million bees.

Next is a visit to the gin distillery on KI, involving a cocktail-making masterclass and, for the true gin junkies, a lesson in blending your own tipple.

For daredevils of all ages, the Guides head to the Little Sahara Adventure Centre for some sand-boarding down 70 metre-high sand dunes and then on to discover the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, home to over 600 native and rescued animals.

7:30pm tonight on Nine.

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By Anna Beebe '22 and Maggie Weaver '21

Human rights are interrelated and interdependent. The violation of one right- whether civil or political, economic, or social and cultural- harms the realization of the others. During their individual internship experiences with Counterpart International, HRC interns Anna Beebe and Maggie Weaver explored the relationship between human rights and development.

Bangladesh- Anna Beebe

In October 2020, I joined the Counterpart International team, excited to learn more about nonprofit and development work. I was initially drawn to Counterpart because of its approach to development. Rather than going into areas and pushing Western agendas, Counterpart works alongside civil society organizations in developing countries to build problem-solving capabilities at the local level and foster sustainable communities. As an intern, I supported Counterparts Promoting Advocacy and Rights (PAR) program operating in Bangladesh. This program addresses many human rights issues, with a primary focus on unplanned urbanization, environmental pollution, gender-based violence, and drug abuse. All of these issues are extremely prominent in Bangladesh, especially in its urban centers.

During my time with the PAR program, I conducted research into two of my greatest interests. First, I dove deeper into environmental issues in Bangladesh and how those issues intersect with health and gender. Following my research, I composed a policy brief to help further educate civil society organizations working in communities to help prevent environmental pollution. The policy brief addressed the leading causes of pollution in Bangladesh, including poor government regulation and waste management. Because the Bangladeshi government falls short in implementing most environmental policies, the brief concluded with recommendations for civil society organizations to help fill these gaps. One recommendation suggested civil society organizations build stronger partnerships with the government to advocate for change at a direct level. Engaging in environmental discourse as a Human Rights Studies student was really interesting. Often, we forget that climate issues are strongly connected to human rights. For example, not only does environmental conservation help the health of our beautiful planet, but it also reduces poverty, violence, and the displacement of people.

Secondly, I explored the intersection of gender with PARs primary focus areas. My research revealed that much like climate issues, gender can never be left out of human rights discourse. Gender identity and norms heavily influence the life experiences of men, women, and nonbinary people in Bangladesh. For example, men experience drug abuse at higher rates than women, but women experience drug abuse very differently than any other group. Gender norms dictate the way women are viewed by society and government leaders, which often limits their access to resources and services that are readily available to men. I learned that it is not enough to consider how gender affects human rights violations-we must consider why it does.

In my courses, I had learned about interdependence and interrelatedness as a core human rights principle. However, my experience with Counterpart opened my eyes to the complex reality of human rights and the work needed to address them. Not only has this experience deepened my understanding of human rights, but it also prepared me for working as a future human rights practitioner.

El Salvador- Maggie Weaver

This past fall, I joined Counterpart Internationals team in El Salvador, supporting their Rights and Dignity project as a research intern. The Rights and Dignity project supports the protection and promotion of human rights for Salvadoran citizens, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQI+ community. Since the end of its civil war in 1992, El Salvador has created systems to protect and promote the human rights of all citizens. However, significant challenges still exist as the government and justice systems in El Salvador struggle to address chronic violence throughout the country. Gender-based violence, gang activity, and mano dura (firm hand) security policies have left citizens vulnerable. Additionally, impunity within the justice system is rampant, and crimes often go unpunished. Human rights violations against vulnerable groups are perpetrated mainly by discrimination in the public and political spheres and through limited accountability in the justice system.

My primary task was to conduct research for Partners El Salvador, a local NGO and collaborative partner of Counterpart, for the development of a policy brief focused on human rights violations against women and members of the LGBTQI+ community. The policy brief will address violence and discrimination faced by these groups and identify its impact on irregular migration. Irregular migration refers to any movement of persons that takes place outside the laws, regulations, or international agreements governing the entry or exit of borders. In El Salvador, women and members of the LGBTQI+ population are often motivated to migrate in order to escape the danger and discrimination experienced in their daily lives. The policy brief aims to provide insights into the human rights situation for Salvadoran women and LGBTQI+ persons by identifying gaps in or ineffective policies for the response and protection of these groups within the security and justice sectors of the government.

My research consisted of quantitative data gathering, a qualitative literature review, and the development of an interview tool, all of which contributed significant data to be used in the research protocol. The research protocol outlines the context of the investigative problems, research methodology, and timeline for the policy brief. It depicts the cycle of violence and discrimination that is being investigated within the policy brief. The cycle begins with women and LGBTQI+ persons experiencing discrimination or violence within the home. These crimes are typically not brought to justice, forcing the vulnerable to leave their homes, resulting in internal displacement. Still, these individuals continue to face safety concerns, which leads to increased irregular migration by these populations. As vulnerable migrants, these people often face recurring danger along the migration route and are regularly returned to their home country, where the cycle begins again. The policy brief seeks to address this cycle by clearly explaining the phenomenon of how discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQI+ persons result in irregular migration and recurrent violence experienced along that route.

My experience working with Counterpart International provided me with a unique opportunity to engage in human rights-related research and exposed me to the intricacies of such projects. As an international studies student with a focus on migration, the opportunity to examine the motivating factors behind irregular migration and the risks encountered along the migration route has been invaluable in expanding my knowledge and perspective. As I move forward in my career, I know I will look back on this experience and apply the insights I have gained using a human rights lens and approach to address migration issues.

Anna Beebe is a third-year student studying Human Rights Studies with minors in Political Science and Sustainability. She is also pursuing the Nonprofit and Community Leadership certificate, which helped spark an interest in nonprofit work and community development.

Maggie Weaver is a senior international studies and economics major with a minor in Spanish. Her area of interest is in global migration and economic development and she plans to pursue a career in law or development upon graduation.
Commencement Celebrates Spring Graduates, Including Five, 4.0 Grads

Bachelors, masters and doctoral degree candidates were celebrated during the University of Houston Commencement for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) on May 17. The socially distanced ceremony began at UHs TDECU Stadium. However Mother Nature had other plans, causing the ceremony to move to Fertitta Center to complete the presentation of the bachelors degree candidates.

Although more than 800 NSM students completed degree requirements for spring 2021, not all were able to attend the ceremony with some viewing via livestream. The ceremony included remarks from UH President Renu Khator, the Honorable Alvaro De la Cruz Jr. of the UH System Board of Regents, and UH Provost Paula Myrick Short.

NSM Graduation by the Numbers

70 Ph.D. candidates

92 masters degree candidates

690 bachelors degree candidates

99 summa cum laude graduates

151 magna cum laude graduates

125 cum laude graduates

29 teachHOUSTON graduates

Faculty Award Presentations

Two NSM faculty awards, the John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award and the Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, were presented. Butler Award winners were Tai-Yen Chen, assistant professor of chemistry, and Lisa Farmer, instructional assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. The Junior Faculty Award went to Andrew Renshaw, assistant professor of physics. All award recipients received a $5,000 cash award and a plaque.

Honorary Degree Recipient  Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.

University of Houston confers doctoral degrees, honoris causa, on individuals who have distinguished themselves in their professions, made major contributions to their community and nation, or maintained an interest in higher education and a supportive association with the University. Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. has accomplished all three of these distinctions.

Harris, a 2017 NSM Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, received an honorary degree, the highest honor the university can bestow, during the NSM ceremony.

For more than 25 years, he has dedicated his life to math and science education and creating opportunities for youth in these areas.

Harris currently serves as chief executive officer of the National Math and Science Initiative. In addition, he is president and founder of the Harris Institute and Foundation, a non-profit serving socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the areas of education, health and wealth.

While serving as an astronaut, Harris was the first African American to complete a spacewalk, logging more than 438 hours and traveling over 7.2 million miles in space. He is an adviser to UH faculty, staff and students and serves as an inspiration to the next generation of leaders.

Harris earned a bachelors degree in biology from UH, a medical degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine, a masters of medical science degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and a masters of business administration degree from UH-Clear Lake.

He has received numerous UH awards, holds honorary doctorates from several prestigious universities across the country, and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. In addition, he received the NASA Space Flight Medal, NASA Award of Merit, and was the recipient of the 2000 Horatio Alger Award.

Dan E. Wells Outstanding Dissertation Award  Ya Zhuo

Each semester, the Dan E. Wells Outstanding Dissertation Award is presented to a doctoral student who has performed outstanding research and submitted the best dissertation to the College. The Spring 2021 recipient was Ya Zhuo, a Ph.D. graduate in the Department of Chemistry. She received a certificate and an award of $1,000.

Her dissertation was Developing Rare-Earth Substituted Inorganic Phosphors Through Machine Learning. Zhuos research combined state-of-the-art machine learning methods with advanced computational modeling and experimental material chemistry techniques, with the goal of facilitating the development of new luminescent material to be used in solid-state light, LED bulbs. Her advisor was Jakoah Brgoch.

She will be starting a postdoctoral position at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Two students received Honorable Mention for the dissertation award, Neil Jerome Egarguin, receiving a Ph.D. in mathematics, and Geethal Amila Udalamatta Gamage, receiving a Ph.D. in physics.

NSMs 4.0 Graduates

Five exceptional students participating in the ceremony graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Two of the students, Michael Lara and Mayoor Shardha, completed their entire college career at UH.

Michael Lara, B.S., Mathematics

Pursuing a career that utilizes the skillset gained through his field of study

Pursuing a career that utilizes the skillset gained through his field of study Mayoor Shardha, B.S., Computer Science

Joining Hewlett-Packard (HP Inc.) as a software engineer/developer

Joining Hewlett-Packard (HP Inc.) as a software engineer/developer Jake Deeks, B.S., Computer Science

Working for Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior consultant software engineer

Working for Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior consultant software engineer Jerel Lopez, B.S., Computer Science

Joining TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) as a full-time software engineer

Joining TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) as a full-time software engineer Shreyas Suresh, B.S., Biochemistry

Entering the University of Texas School of Dentistry in the fall

Commencement Banner Bearers  NSM Outstanding Students

(From left) Michael Lara, Mayoor Shardha, Shreyas Suresh,Noah Sladek, Jerel Lopez, Ayatsuki Yagi, Kali Simpson, and Adrian Rangel Soto.

Outstanding students from NSMs six departments were honored as banner bearers. This semester, due to pandemic protocols, the students were unable to carry the banners in the processional but were recognized during the ceremony.

University Banner: Michael Lara , mathematics major

, mathematics major College Banner: Mayoor Shardha , computer science major

, computer science major Department of Biology and Biochemistry: Shreyas Suresh

Department of Chemistry: Noah Sladek

Department of Computer Science: Jerel Lopez

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Ayatsuki Yagi

Department of Mathematics: Kali Simpson

Department of Physics: Adrian Rangel Soto

UHs Oldest Graduate: Edward M. Stout Jr., Ph.D. Mathematics

NSM had the distinction of having UHs oldest graduate for spring 2021. Edward M. Stout Jr., 75, received a doctoral degree in mathematics. He entered the Ph.D. program in fall 2015 and focused on mathematical theories and methods of analysis.

A proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Stout served as a commissioned officer (Captain) with the primary duty of flying the A6 Intruder jet aircraft. After his military service, he worked as a software programmer designing custom applications for financial and marketing businesses, retiring in 2007.

Stout doesnt plan to pursue another career; he just really enjoys learning things I dont know enough about right now and sharing his knowledge with those who ask.

I just finished developing this incredible skillset at UH, Stout proudly said. Now, I have the skills I need to pursue just about anything that engages my interest.

After the graduation ceremony, to his family, he will be officially and affectionately known as Dr. Grandpa, Ph.D.

- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
At least 212 Palestinians are now dead after a series of airstrikes launched by Israeli forces to Gaza, a Palestinian territory, according to Gaza health officials. This includes 36 women and 61 children.

Several commanders and Military figures from the Palestinian militant group Hamas were also among the casualties following the air raids.

On the other hand, Israels Foreign Ministry reported that at least 200 Israelis have been injured and 10 have been killed -- including two children -- after militant strikes to Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, and Lod.

These have prompted the United Nations to warn against a possible war.

"Stop the fire immediately. Were escalating towards a full-scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation. The cost of war in Gaza is devastating and is being paid by ordinary people," says Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

The casualties continue to rise as violence ensues.

The recent displays of violence were ignited after weeks of scuffles between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers during the start of Ramadan last April 13th.

The police put restrictions to stop gatherings at Damascus Gate. They saw it as a way of maintaining order, but it was viewed by the Palestinians as a restriction to their freedom to assemble, Reuters reports.

The plan to forcibly expel Palestinian families residing in Sheikh Jarrah for generations has also added to the tension. Palestinian leaders see this as an act of ethnic cleansing.

Intensifying violence

The fighting intensified last May 7th when the police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at worshippers praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site for Muslims.

The Palestine Red Crescent reports that at least 300 Palestinians have been injured and 20 Israeli officers wounded.

Another commotion took place in a Mosque compound last May 10th, hospitalizing 200 Palestinians.

Hamas warned that such display of violence in Jerusalem is a red line, and fire rockets will be sent out to Israel if the raids do not stop.

It has escalated rapidly since then, with Hamas firing rockets to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, and Lod. Israel also conducted multiple airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Amongst the recorded casualties were civilians, including children.

The 13-storey Hanadi Tower which was the largest residential tower in Gaza also got destroyed after being one of the targets. The residents were advised to evacuate an hour and a half before the strike.

Hamas fired another 130 rockets as a sign of retaliation following Hanadi's collapse.

The Qassam Brigades are launching their biggest rocket strike against Tel Aviv and its suburbs, with 130 rockets, in response to the enemys targeting of residential towers, says Hamas armed wing.

Israel also pledged to intensify the air raids against Palestine.

And although several world leaders expressed urgent concerns regarding the bloodshed, a ceasefire between the two forces is not yet in sight.

I am urging Israel and the Palestinians to step back from the brink and for both sides to show restraint. The UK is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 12, 2021

Awareness campaigns and donation drives

The international community's support for displaced and affected Palestinians have been flooding social media.

Various twitter hashtags such as #SaveSheikhJarrah, #GazaUnderAttack, and #FreePalestine have been going viral with more than a million tweets.

These tags have the intention to inform and spread awareness regarding the bloody situation.

Watch | Two Palestinian children miraculously survived an Israeli airstrike that hit their apartment in Gaza yesterday.#GazaUnderFire #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/EtNlDoVD2n  Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 13, 2021

words from the gazans. in disbelief. may allah protect them #GazaUnderAttackk pic.twitter.com/tkO1SO9DS0  hana (@hanazekro) May 13, 2021

EARLY TONIGHT: Gaza was under Israeli attack from air, land, and sea. Hundreds of airstrikes have hit in just the last hour. Residents are saying this is even worse than the attacks of 2014.#Gaza_Under_Attack#GazaUnderAttackk

pic.twitter.com/aA9AauXljc  Noura Shehada  (@NouraShehada) May 14, 2021

Several donation drives aiming to benefit displaced and affected Palestinians can also be found and accessed through the said hashtags.
(AP)

Holidaymakers faced fresh confusion over whether they can travel to amber list countries today as a Cabinet minister suggested people can visit friends.

George Eustice said there were reasons people felt the need to travel to amber zones, despite official government advice stating

people should not travel to those countries.

The Environment Secretarys comments clashed with the London director of Public Health England, Professor Kevin Fenton, who said: Dont travel unnecessarily if you dont need to.

Asked why more than 150 planes left for amber destinations yesterday, Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We dont want to stop travel altogether and the reason, as Matt Hancock set out, that we have the amber list is there will be reasons why people feel they need to travel, either to visit family or indeed to visit friends.

They can travel to those countries but they then have to observe quarantine when they return and have two tests after returning.

So people can travel to those areas, yes, but they will then have to subject themselves to the quarantine requirements on return.

Passengers faced border queues of up to three hours yesterday as thousands of Britons jetted off as restrictions were eased. However, many appeared to defy government guidelines not to take holidays in amber list countries which includes Spain and France.

Some travellers yesterday claimed they had to stand side by side with arrivals from India  which is on the red list  while queuing at Heathrow passport control.

It was claimed that a shortage of Border Force officials made the overcrowding worse. Travel firms welcomed the boost in demand but called for coronavirus restrictions to be eased for more destinations.

But Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of The Wellcome Trust charity, warned there is a risk that the coronavirus variant first identified

in India could be transmitted by people travelling out of the UK.

Professor Fenton advised people not to travel unnecessarily, citing Covid variants. Asked if people should think twice about going

Story continues

overseas, he replied: I think if youre able to, that would be good until we have more certainty about whats happening with the variants, whats happening in other European countries and other holiday destinations.

It comes as EU ambassadors are expected to sign off a plan that will allow inoculated travellers from low-risk countries such

as the UK unrestricted entry to Spain, France and Italy among other tourist destinations.

Read More

PM says amber list travel only in extreme circumstances as EU loosens rules

Ambassadors back plan to allow vaccinated UK tourists to visit EU this summer

EU considers allowing vaccinated UK tourists to visit this summer
Police have arrested a man in Leeds on suspicion of committing war crimes during Sierra Leone's civil war more than 20 years ago.

The 42-year-old was arrested on 18 May as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations relating to atrocities that occurred during the conflict between 1994 and 2000, the Metropolitan Police said.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a police station in Leeds and later released under investigation. Officers also carried out a search of a property in the city.

The civil war in Sierra Leone broke out in 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began a campaign against President Joseph Momoh.

The RUF captured towns near the southern border with Liberia, aided by the special forces of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia.

According to Action Aid, a third of the West African country's population was displaced, with tens of thousands killed during the 11-year conflict from 1991 until 2002.

In 2012, former Liberian president Taylor was jailed for 50 years for war crimes.

Taylor was found guilty of aiding rebels who committed atrocities during Sierra Leone's civil war.

He was found guilty of 11 crimes and Judge Richard Lussick said at the time that the ex-warlord was responsible for "some of the most heinous crimes in human history".

Taylor maintained his innocence, saying he only made contact with the rebels to urge them to stop fighting, but it was confirmed two years later that he would serve his full sentence and was transferred to a prison in the UK.

The conviction made him the first former head of state to be found guilty of war crimes since the Second World War.
During his news conference, Womble said a deputy who tried to open Browns car door wound up partly on the hood as Brown backed up, and the deputy found himself directly in the cars path moments later when Brown drove forward. Womble said the deputy had to push off the car with his hand to narrowly avoid being run over, and at least one of the other deputies was also endangered as the group tried to take Brown into custody on drug-related warrants.
A UN General Assembly meeting set for Tuesday to discuss a non-binding resolution on halting arms transfers to Myanmar was postponed indefinitely because there was not enough support to pass the text, diplomatic sources said Monday.

The authors "did not have the support they expected" in order to pass the motion with a large majority of the Assembly's 193 member countries, one diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

And they "wanted more time for negotiations," especially with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, another source told AFP.

The text was drafted at the request of Liechtenstein, with the support of 48 countries, including Britain, the European Union and the United States -- but with South Korea as the only Asian country signed on.

South Korea's support came after several weeks of negotiations in an effort to gain the backing of at least one ASEAN country.

The resolution, which would have been non-binding but politically powerful, called for the "immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar."

It asked for military authorities in Myanmar -- which took control of government operations in a coup February 1 -- to "end the state of emergency" and to "immediately stop all violence against peaceful demonstrators."

It also demanded that the military "immediately and unconditionally" release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians under arbitrary detention.

The resolution also called on Myanmar to "swiftly implement" a consensus plan to restore democracy that was reached at an April ASEAN meeting and to allow a visit from UN representatives, which has so far been blocked.

Finally, the draft resolution called for "safe and unimpeded humanitarian access."

The coup ended a 10-year foray into democracy, setting off a near-daily series of demonstrations that have been met with sometimes violent repression.

(AFP)
Third of Arab world has relations with the Jewish nation but violence shows ties have done nothing to resolve crisis, Financial Times states in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian escalation.

When the United Arab Emirates shocked the Arab world by normalising relations with Israel it said the move would help ease the protracted Arab-Israeli conflict. But nine months later, the wealthy Gulf state finds itself in a difficult position as its newest ally bombards the impoverished Palestinian territory of Gaza. Israeli warplanes and artillery have been pounding Gaza while Hamas, the group that controls the territory, has fired rockets into Israel. On Sunday, the death toll in Gaza stood at 192, including 92 women and children, local health officials said. Ten people have died inside Israel, including two children, local medics have said.

Diplomatic ties ushered in by last years so-called Abraham Accords have given them little leverage and done nothing to ease the root cause of the protracted crisis  the Jewish states conflict with the Palestinians. They [the UAE] are clearly in a very difficult position. On one hand, the UAEs interests with Israel are long term and strategic, so ideally their relations should be resilient to shocks, said Cinzia Bianco, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. At the same time, the UAE obviously claimed that the Abraham Accords would give them leverage to also support the Palestinians and rein in Israels aggressions against them.

So far, Israel has rejected all international efforts pushing for a ceasefire. But Bianco said Abu Dhabi could still deploy diplomatic leverage to pressure the Jewish state to limit the scale of its retaliation. Such intervention, however, could jeopardise progress on joint projects of strategic value to the UAE, she added. Recent collaborations include plans for Emirati and Israeli defence manufacturers to develop a system to counter drones.

The normalisation of relations between Israel and the UAE under the Abraham Accords was quickly followed by similar moves from Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, that marked a radical departure from the established Arab stance towards the Jewish state.

The Arab position before the accords was that they would recognise Israel only if there was a just settlement with the Palestinians that led to the creation of a viable Palestinian state. The transactional deals brokered by the Trump administration, which pursued an overtly pro-Israel stance, left the Palestinians feeling isolated and betrayed. Critics said Arab states had given up a bargaining tool and gained little in return, warning the moves would be exploited by more militant Palestinian factions.

Like other members of the Arab League, the UAE endorsed an appeal on Tuesday to the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the Palestinians.

The UAE stands with the rights of Palestinians, for the end of the Israeli occupation and with a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, said Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, this week. This is a historic and principled position that does not budge.

The UAE foreign ministry was last month quick to condemn Israeli plans to evict Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Israeli settlers. And when clashes broke out between armed Israeli police and rock-throwing Palestinian youths, the UAE urged Israeli authorities to reduce tensions.

The UAEs clear public stance has given cover for Emiratis and residents in the autocratic state to condemn Israeli actions and express support for the Palestinians, after any local anger at the earlier decision to normalise relations was suppressed at the time. Apart from a fringe of Emirati online activists who have sided with Israel, most social media reaction  even from some ministers  has been pro-Palestinian.

Normalisation [of relations] is irreversible but it is very difficult to defend and even talk about in these circumstances, said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a Dubai-based political science professor.

After the UAE signed its accord, there was speculation about whether Saudi Arabia, Israels main prize, would follow suit. Like Abu Dhabi, Riyadh has been covertly co-operating with Israel on intelligence and security matters as they share the goal of countering Iran.

But this weeks Israeli assault on Gaza makes that appear ever more remote. Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Sunday said the kingdom categorically rejects the Israeli violations against Palestinians, while calling for an immediate ceasefire.

In Morocco, which established relations with the Jewish state in October in return for US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the foreign ministry said it was watching events with deep concern.

In 2014, during the last major war between Israel and Hamas, thousands of protesters, including government ministers, took to the streets across Rabat, the capital. This time Moroccan police dispersed a small pro-Palestinian protest in the city this week. The newly formed Morocco-Israel Business Council was also reported to have postponed a virtual meeting aimed at encouraging Moroccan investment in Israel.

Public sentiment in the Arab world remained strongly pro-Palestinian, said HA Hellyer, senior associate fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The absence of protests isnt an absence of the desire to protest but an absence of permission to protest.

Restrictions on freedom of speech across the region made it harder to gauge the extent of public anger, Hellyer said, but social media and the extensive coverage on mainstream television showed the Palestinian question was still close to Arabs hearts. Almost half of the messages I received on Thursday for the religious festival marking the end of Ramadan, show pictures of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, he added.
Aeroflot has removed from sale almost all tickets to Turkey for June, except for two flights per week permitted by the authorities, the carriers spokesman Mikhail Demin told reporters.

"Travels are always planned weeks, sometimes months in advance. We stopped sales and canceled all flights to Turkey for June, with the exception of the two flights a week to Istanbul allowed by the headquarters, so as not to inconvenience passengers due to possible cancellations," he said.

Demin added that if other decisions are made, the company is ready to revise the schedule, if necessary, increase the number of flights and open sales.

"We, like other carriers, are awaiting the decision of the government headquarters," TASS cited him as saying

Earlier on Monday, the Izvestia newspaper, citing a letter from Aeroflot, announced the extension of the restriction on flights with Turkey until June 30.

At the moment, regular and charter flights from this country have been suspended until June 1, except for two flights a week by Russian and Turkish airlines. On Monday evening, the headquarters said that no decisions have been made to extend the restrictions until June 30.
U.S. President Joe Biden, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, expressed his support for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants, the White House said.

"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," the White House said.

Israel continued to pummel Gaza with air strikes on Monday and Palestinian militants launched more rockets at Israeli cities. At least 212 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, in more than a week of fighting, according to Gaza health officials. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Biden "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," the White House said.

"The President reiterated his firm support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks," Reuters cited the statement as saying.

The White House said the two leaders also "discussed progress in Israels military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey brought COVID-19 infection "under control to a great extent" after lockdowns and restrictions during the holy month of Ramadan. Meanwhile, an Iraqi Health Ministry official warned Iraq is still in danger despite the recent decline in daily COVID-19 cases.

"We are speeding up vaccination activities as much as the supply program allows. I hope that such comprehensive measures will not be needed from now on," Erdogan said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.

Turkey had imposed a 17-day lockdown since April 29 and the government on Monday launched a gradual easing period in measures until June 1, Xinhua reported.

Turkey on Monday confirmed 10,174 new COVID-19 cases, including 923 symptomatic patients, raising the total number of cases in the country to 5,127,548.

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 223 to 44,983, while the total recoveries climbed to 4,961,120 after 13,864 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.
Covid-19 vaccination of prisoners has started today in Georgia, the Georgian Justice Ministry reports.

Inmates in Rustavi Prison Colony #5, Geguti prison in west Georgia and, Gldani prison #8 will be vaccinated today.

As of now, a total of 240 prisoners have expressed their desire to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

"The vaccination process is being carried out under the supervision of medical workers, in full compliance with the recommendations of the Health Ministry. Ambulance vehicles and doctors are mobilized at penitentiary institutions to respond quickly to any possible complication or side effects of the vaccine," the press office of the Georgian Justice Ministry reads.

Vaccination will gradually be carried out in all penitentiary institutions of Georgia, Agenda.ge reported.

Georgia started coronavirus vaccination in mid-March when the country received the first 43,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. As of now, Georgia is using AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines for certain groups of people.
Yosef said he hadnt talked with the girls family but he was optimistic that she survived through the night. But Mondays shooting is just another example of children being shot or killed in their neighborhoods, he said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed the delimitation of the border with Armenia must be conducted in accordance with the trilateral Karabakh statement. He made such a statement during the telephone conversation with National Security Adviser to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan.

"Sullivan expressed his concerns over the recent tension on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of such disagreements. He also underscored the need for constructive discussions between the sides for the demarcation of the international border. Jake Sullivan conveyed the United States' commitment to achieving reconciliation in the region," the Azerbaijani presidential press service reported.



Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan is "committed to ensuring peace and stability in the region."

"The President of Azerbaijan positively evaluated the post-conflict situation in the region, noting that the situation in the region, including the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, has been stable for six months since the end of the conflict," the press service noted.



Ilham Aliyev stressed the need for commencing talks on the delimitation of the international border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and emphasized the importance of this process to be conducted in accordance with the trilateral statement dated November 10, 2020.



"President Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenia's inadequate response to border tensions and attempts to internationalize the issue could lead to increased tensions in the region, and stressed the importance of peacefully resolving all disputes within the negotiation process," the statement reads.
Israeli military planes on Monday dealt strikes against the main operative center of the Internal Security Force of the movement Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip, the army's press service said.

"Fighter-planes attacked the main operative headquarters of the Hamas Internal Security Force in Er-Rimal neighborhood in the north of the Gaza Stip. The headquarters was the central component of the Hamas terrorist infrastructure and served as a basis for military intelligence officers," the Israeli army's news release runs.

The military said that "before delivering the air strike the army had warned the building's residents well in advance, thus giving enough time for evacuation."

"The Israeli army takes every precaution to avoid harm to the civilian population during its operative activity," TASS cited the press service as saying.
Humanitarian aid has arrived in Bishkek from Kazakhstan on May 18, the Kazakh Embassy said.

The ceremony of handover of the first consignment of aid - around 4,500 tons of wheat flour - was held in presence of Ambassador of Kazakhstan Rapil Joshybaev and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources Azamat Mukashev.

The Embassy of Kazakhstan said President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev made the decision to provide humanitarian assistance to Kyrgyzstan in the amount of 10,000 tons of flour, AKIpress reported.

In May 2020, Kazakhstan sent 5 tons of flour to Kyrgyzstan. In November 2020, Kazakhstan handed over 400 life saving ventilators and 2 million medical masks.
Switzerland is the most likely venue for a potential summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in June, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported on Monday, citing government sources.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are due to hold talks later this week in Iceland, the highest-level talks between Moscow and Washington since Biden took office. They are expected to discuss preparations for the potential summit.

Last month, Biden has proposed he hold talks with Putin on June 15-16 in a European country.

The White House has said that differences between Washington and Moscow would need to be resolved before such a meeting. The Kremlin has said it is studying the possibility of holding the summit.
North Macedonia has announced its plans to expel a Russian diplomat, North Macedonias news portal MKD reported on Tuesday.

"[North Macedonias] foreign ministry has confirmed reports [about the expulsion] and said that in line with article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations it has been decided to declare a diplomat from the Russian embassy persona non grata in North Macedonia," it said.

"In this context, the Russian Ambassador [to North Macedonia Sergei Bazdnikin] was summoned to the foreign ministry on May 14, 2021 to receive a note binding the diplomat named in it to leace North Macedonia within seven days," TASS cited the statement as saying.
An extension of the list of unfriendly countries is possible, but Moscow does not want this list to become infinite, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview Tuesday.

"The list of unfriendly states could be extended, but we would not like this list of states to become infinite. So far, the most vicious position has been taken by Washington and Prague. What we see in the governmental decree is a reflection of the actual state of affairs. There is no element of rhetoric here," TASS cited him as saying.

Last week, the Russian official legal information website published a list of unfriendly states, approved by the Russian government. Currently, it contains only the US and the Czech Republic. The document points out that Czechia is allowed to employ a maximum of 19 local workers - citizens of Russia or third countries - while the US is not allowed to employ local workers at all.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the May 19 online ceremony to launch construction of the Russian-Chinese nuclear energy project, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

"President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin will attend on May 19 the online ceremony of starting construction of a Chinese-Russian facility created under a program for cooperation in nuclear energy," she said in a statement, giving no details on the construction and the name of the project.

On March 7, 2019, the master contract for construction of power units No. 7 and 8 of the Tianwan NPP was signed in Beijing. The contract stipulates that the Russian side will design the nuclear island of the power plant and deliver the key equipment of the nuclear island for both units, TASS reported.

In March this year, Director General of Russias State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev said in an interview with Rossiya-24 that "the first concreting at unit No. 7 of the Tianwan NPP" was slated for May.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed removal of the cap for airfares on domestic flight routes operated by at least three...

Airplanes are seen in Phu Cat airport in Binh Dinh Province. The CAAV has proposed airlines can decide their own domestic ticket prices on routes with three or more airlines operating together.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed the removal of the cap for airfares on domestic flight routes operated by at least three carriers.

It made the request in a draft report reviewing the implementation of the 2006 Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam and the revised edition in 2014. It said the domestic transportation market has become very competitive with more and more airlines.

The CAAV has proposed on routes with three or more airlines operating together, airlines can decide their own domestic ticket prices and list them according to regulations.

At present, the ceiling rates of domestic airfares are decided based on distance in accordance with State regulations.

The basic economy fares are applicable from August 2015 for five groups of air routes, stand between VND1.6 million and VND3.75 million (US$70-$163), depending on distance and excluding additional costs.

Ceiling prices will limit airlines from improving flight service quality. This will affect the airlines 'ability to compete on quality of service', an important factor in sustainable development, CAAV, stated in a report submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

Experts said the removal of the caps will help airlines become more flexible in adjusting ticket prices during peak times and maximise revenue.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines proposed in 2019 that Viet Nam abolish the domestic price ceiling. Currently, Viet Nam is one of the few countries in the world that still imposes a ceiling on airfares. The CAAV has also repeatedly proposed to remove the ceiling price when amending and supplementing the Civil Aviation Law, but it has not been approved.

Vietnam Airlines also proposed to impose a domestic floor price of about VND560,000 to VND1.4 million to help airlines overcome the pandemic difficulties. However, the Ministry of Transport has not taken this into account. Some believe by removing the floor price will offer clients opportunities to get cheap airfares.

Local carriers served 11.7 million passengers in the first four months of 2021, up 9.5 per cent year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office.

Viet Nam is now home to six domestic airlines of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Vasco, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines.  VNS
According to the news release from Lt. Anthony Columbus, the man had been inside his home when he heard a noise outside and saw the dome light lit on his vehicle. He grabbed a handgun and went outside and saw what appeared to be more than one person rifling through his vehicle, which police did not provide a description of.
A recent report on the local fashion market of the Vietnam Industry Research and Consultancy (VIRAC) found that Vietnamese fashion brands are losing out in the local market, which is increasingly dominated by international brands.

Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo has had eight stores in Vietnam since late 2019. A view of a store in Vincom Metropolis in Hanoi. As Vietnamese people enjoy foreign fashion brands, the local brands are suffering from losses.  VNS Photo Le Mai Huong

Fashion market revenue in 2020 decreased by more than 10 per cent from 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the report, adding that popular local brands such as Biti's, Canifa, Viet Tien and May 10 all ranked behind Adidas, Zara and H&M in terms of sales.

The top three fashion retailers in the country in 2020 were Adidas, Zara and H&M. Experts have said the enthusiasm of Vietnamese people for foreign fashion brands has helped them make trillions of dong in the country.

While the revenue of big local brands has not been reported, according to H&M's annual report in 2020, the brand's revenue in Vietnam hit SEK453 million (US$54.3 million), up about 4.4 per cent from 2019. The brand also opened its ninth store in the country last year.

Local media reported that a few months after launching in Vietnam, H&M achieved revenue of VND227 billion (US$9.78 million) in 2017 and reached VND760 billion in 2018 and VND1.116 trillion in 2019.

They also said Zara Vietnam recorded VND321 billion in revenue in 2016, more than VND1.1 trillion in 2017 and nearly VND1.7 trillion in 2018.

As for Uniqlo, although it has not announced revenue and profit figures yet, the Japanese fashion giant has continuously opened many new stores since entering Vietnam at the end of 2019. The brand now has eight stores in Vietnam.

While more and more fashion stores have closed in the pandemic, during the April 30 and May 1 public holidays, H&M in Vincom Dong Khoi in HCM City was full of people waiting in line to buy clothes. Zara, another foreign fashion brand located next to H&M in the same centre, was even more crowded while Uniqlo, a Japanese fashion brand nearby, was even busier again.

VIRAC's report on May, 7 said: "More and more international brands are entering the market which is increasingly dominated by H&M, Zara, Uniqlo.

The VIRAC report calculated more than 200 foreign fashion brands from mid-range to high-end have official stores in Vietnam.

Data from Euromonitor shows fashion giants lead the Vietnamese fashion industry, with Adidas, Zara and H&M the three businesses holding the largest market share in the local fashion market.

VIRAC said local fashion brands, on the other hand, were dwindling, saying: "The domestic fashion business has long been the underdog in the local market and the situation is even worse now."

According to the report, poor designs and the small scale of many local businesses made it tough for them to compete.

Pham Xuan Hong, chairman of the HCM City Association of Garment Textile Embroidery and Knitting, told local media: Vietnamese love famous brands so they enjoy buying products from foreign giants when they enter the country. In addition, the foreign brands also serve them with products of diverse models at suitable price segments.

The trading of fake products at markets and stores and on e-commerce platforms has also caused difficulties for Vietnamese businesses.

VNS
Vietnamese supporting industry enterprises for the electronics industry participate in the value chain, however, most of them only provide simple products with low technology and value.

An assembly line of Samsung Electronics Vietnam.  Photo dantri.com.vn

The Industry Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that production and trading of electronic products has grown significantly.

Exports of the country's electronics industry have an average growth rate of over 50 per cent in the period from 2010 to 2019, which is the highest in the world.

The group of mobile phones and components exported reached US$50.9 billion last year, down 1 per cent compared to 2019 due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, the group of exported electronics, computers and components reached $44.7 billion, up 24.4 per cent compared to 2019.

Among 11 items with export turnover of over $1 billion, phones and components have the largest export value of $14.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, accounting for 18.2 per cent of total export turnover, up 9.3 per cent over the same period last year.

Similarly, the group of electronic products, computers and components reached $12 billion, up 31.3 per cent over the same period last year.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, deputy director of the Export Promotion Center, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the Vietnamese economy continued to witness significant changes in its export structure in recent years.

From a country with major exports such as agricultural products and labour-intensive commodities, Vietnam is gradually moving towards products with higher technology and added value such as precision mechanical products and electronic products and components.

With the experience of working and co-operating with the world's leading companies and corporations from the US, Europe, Japan and South Korea, Vietnamese businesses are fully capable to participate in the supply chains of large companies and corporations around the world," Thuy told VOV online newspaper.

However, the current localisation rate of the electronics industry is low, only about 5-10 per cent. Most of the electronic products on the Vietnamese market are completely imported or assembled domestically with a majority of imported components.

In order to develop the electronics industry proactively, quickly and sustainably, a representative of the Industry Agency emphasised the need to develop measures to protect the market, with measures such as defensive taxes, technical barriers and fight against commercial fraud, counterfeit and smuggled goods.

At the same time, the agency also noted the focus on supporting promising Vietnamese enterprises in the electronics field to create opportunities for them to develop and play a leading role in the domestic market, especially electrical products and appliances.

It is also necessary to review and complete legal policies, especially regulations on goods of Vietnamese origin; implement solutions to expand domestic and export markets.

In addition, the agency also noted that electronic enterprises should pay more attention to identify core and breakthrough products to promote the electronics industry and develop faster and more efficiently.

VNS

FDI firms still dominate electronics shipments Foreign direct investment (FDI) firms still dominated electronics shipments to foreign markets in the first quarter of 2021, accounting for a whopping 95% of the total revenue from electronics exports,
The scarcity of chip supply that began in late 2020 has affected most manufacturing industries.

In 1970-1980, late professor Tran Dai Nghia cherished a plan to build a semiconductor industry in Vietnam. He ordered a production line of Thomson-CFS (the predecessor of Thales Group, France), but due to poor infrastructure, supporting industries and logistics at that time, his efforts were unable to deliver the desired results.

Later, Dr. Dang Luong Mo (a reputable Vietnamese scientist in the microchip field in the world) also gave many enthusiastic proposals and projects with the desire to build a foundation for the microchip industry in Vietnam, but the results were modest. However, his research works have contributed to opening a new direction for the fledgling microchip industry in Vietnam.

From the constantly increasing demand of the global supply chain, the semiconductor sector has become more exciting and has become a field that receives a lot of favor. When manufacturing industries slowed down due to the current shortage of microchip supply, new opportunities for Vietnam opened up, and the semiconductor industry is now forecast to enter a new "golden time".

Semiconductors account for a large proportion in export turnover of high-tech goods.

In recent years, the Vietnamese electronics industry has grown into the country's most important industry. The total export turnover of these commodity groups in 2020 amounted to US$95.8 billion, equal to one third of the total export turnover of Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam ranks 9th globally in the field of electronics exports.

Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that, for 2020, exports of telephones and components reached $51.18 billion, a slight decrease of 0.4% compared to 2019. Of which, export revenue from China was $12.34 billion, up by 48.8%; the EU - $10.06 billion, down 18.6%; the US - $8.79 billion, down 1.2%; South Korea - $4.58 billion, down 11% from the previous year.

For computers, electronic products and components, the export value reached $44.58 billion last year, up 24.1% compared to 2019. Specifically, the Chinese market accounted for $11.09 billion, 16% increase compared to 2019; the US market with $10.39 billion, up by 71.7%; the EU with $6.51 billion, up 28.7%; Hong Kong - $4.19 billion, up 38.2%.

In December 2020 alone, the export value of mobile phones and components hit $4.61 billion, up 4.6% over the previous month. With an impressive growth rate of 11.9%, computers, electronic products and components reached $2.31 billion of export turnover in the same period.

It is said that in the era of IoT (Internet of Things), market demand for products in the semiconductor industry will be very high.

The era of IoT opens new opportunities for Vietnam's semiconductor industry.

According to Research and Markets forecasts, the global Industrial IoT (IoT) market is expected to reach $263.4 billion by 2027, with at an annual growth rate of 16.7% in the period 2019-2027. With about 7 billion devices connected via the Internet in the next 2 years, this number could increase many times by 2025, according to Dr. David Bray, CEO of People Centered Internet (USA).

Dr. Bray also said that this is an opportunity for Vietnam to leapfrog not only in Southeast Asia but also in the world in the field of IoT. semiconductor industry will be an important platform because all IoT devices are chip-dependent. In the current global chip crisis, semiconductor factories are seeking an "escape" from China, and Vietnam can become an ideal destination for technological eagles to "nest".

Is Vietnam the ideal destination for semiconductor investors?

In Vietnam, the semiconductor industry is considered a platform to support and promote the development of other industries, contributing to economic development in depth. This is an economic sector determined by the Government to have products in the list of 9 national products and is an important way to convert scientific and technological achievements into high value-added commercial goods.

Currently, with the influence of the 4.0 industrial revolution, the semiconductor market in developing countries is also growing strongly. In particular, Vietnam is known as an emerging market in Asia, highly appreciated by analysts and foreign enterprises with great potential for development. The increase in consumption demand is the direct cause of the strong growth of Vietnam's semiconductor factories, attracting investment from many foreign corporations in recent years.

In the Government's Action Program to implement the Politburo's Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated March 22, 2018 on a national industrial development policy to 2020, with a vision to 2045, the Ministry of Information and Communications was assigned to submit to the Prime Minister for approval a program to develop the information technology, electronics - telecommunications industry to 2025, with a vision to 2030.

In particular, the Ministry is assigned to propose mechanisms and policies to prioritize development of a number of areas: software, digital content, hardware, and electronics - telecommunications at the world's advanced level, meeting the requirements of the 4. 0 Industrial Revolution; and mechanisms and policies to increase the added value of domestic enterprises in the global value chain.

Will the semiconductor industry enter a new "golden age"?

Thanks to the policy and legal corridors that facilitate the investment and development of high-tech products, the semiconductor chip sector has become a top priority. Industrial parks and high-tech parks in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang... with favorable geographical location and abundant human resources have become attractive destinations for investors.

Most recently, Intel Products Vietnam Company (IPV, under Intel Corporation, USA) received a project adjustment investment certificate with an additional investment of $475 million to build the most modern chip test and assembling facility in the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park (SHTP), bringing the total investment capital of Intel in Vietnam to $1.5 billion.

Samsung HCMC CE Complex (SEHC) has just been approved to shift from a high-tech enterprise to an export processing firm, which creates favorable conditions for supporting businesses in the supply chain of Samsung, especially those in the semiconductor industry.

The project of SNST & Finger Vina (South Korea), with the goal of designing integrated electronic circuits, with total investment of nearly $1 million, was put in operation in the first quarter of 2021.

Thus, the semiconductor industry in Vietnam has strong momentum to become a spearhead economic industry, in line with the global digital transformation trend today.

Diep Luu

Lack of semiconductor chip to affect car sales The global vaccination led to a positive economic outlook, resulting in faster and stronger demand for car.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide lauded the growing Vietnam  Japan ties and discussed ways to boost the two nations extensive strategic partnership at their phone talks on May 17.

PM Pham Minh Chinh at the phone talks (Photo: VNA)

Congratulating Chinh on his election as the Prime Minister of Vietnam and speaking highly of his contribution to the bilateral relations as Chairman of the Vietnam  Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Suga expected the Vietnamese PM to make further efforts to deepen the partnership and invited him to soon visit Japan.

For his part, Chinh highly valued Japans effective cooperation and assistance toward Vietnams development and expressed his willingness to visit Japan again at an appropriate time.

To step up practical and effective collaboration between the two nations, the Vietnamese PM suggested both sides focus on five cooperation areas. They include infrastructure development in transport, environment, and digital transformation, among others; access to supply sources of and technology transfer on vaccines against COVID-19; encouraging Japanese investment in Vietnam for supply chain diversification, support industry development, and innovation in association with technology transfer; and increasing the grant of scholarships and reception of Vietnamese interns to work in Japan.

Suga affirmed Japans consistent policy of attaching importance to the relations with Vietnam, and pledged to continue support for Vietnam in infrastructure development, especially in the fields of transport, energy, environment, and space cooperation.

He underscored that Japan will offer Vietnam maximum support and collaboration to ensure that the nation has its necessary amount of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to Suga, in the process of promoting supply chain diversification, the waves of Japanese investment into Vietnam have increased sharply. Hoping Vietnam will improve its business climate, he expressed his willingness to assist the Southeast Asian nation in digital transformation and IT development. He also pledged to make efforts to soon receive Vietnamese trainees, and continue supporting Vietnam in training high-quality human resources.

At the talks (Photo: VNA)

The two PMs agreed to strengthen strategic dialogue between Vietnamese and Japanese ministries, sectors, and localities, and coordination to handle issues arising in the bilateral relations.

They said they will work together in organising activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (in 2023) commensurate with the strategic partnership.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue. They agreed to continue working closely at multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations and ASEAN./. VNA
On the morning of May 17, nearly 300 officers and soldiers of the Mobile Police Command left Hanoi to go the northern province of Bac Giang to help prevent and control the Covid-19 outbreak.

Bac Giang, a gateway to Hanoi, appealed for assistance from the Ministry of Health and other localities as the caseload was constantly breaking its daily record figure. From Friday to Sunday morning, the province confirmed more than 250 new cases of COVID-19.

Most of the cases were detected at Hosiden Vietnam Co. Ltd., an electronic parts supplier at Quang Chau industrial park. With hundreds of cases found at Hosiden, the Bac Giang administration called for immediate assistance from the MoH and other localities.

In response, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong and Military Hospital 110 dispatched healthcare workers to Bac Giang. A contingent of professionals of the MoH fanned out to Bac Giang to assist the locality with contact tracing and testing.

Hanoi has just sent 20 anti-pandemic medical experts to help the pandemic-hit province of Bac Giang in the fight against Covid-19.

Besides, the city also will support Bac Giang Province to take more than 10,000 samples for Covid-19 testing, assist the pandemic region for the epidemiological investigation, tracing, zoning and testing biological products at Van Trung Industrial Park with nearly 100,000 workers, ensure environmental hygiene and spray disinfectant in the industrial park.

In the latest news, Bac Giang recorded a further 63 out of 85 community infections confirmed by the Ministry of Health at noon on May 18.

The new patients tested positive after having close contact with COVID-19 patients, the MoH said in its noon bulletin update. They were all detected at Quang Chau, Van Trung and Dinh Tram industrial parks in Bac Giang.

Bac Giang has recorded nearly 500 locally transmitted cases, mostly at industrial parks, since the virus recurred in Vietnam in late April.

The provincial administration on May 17 decided to temporarily suspend operations of Quang Chau, Van Trung, Dinh Tram, and Song Khe-Noi Hoang industrial parks. They also moved to impose social distancing on several localities in the province in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.































Hanoi has sent 20 anti-pandemic medical experts to help Bac Giang in the fight against Covid-19.



Hanoi Mayor Chu Ngoc Anh sees doctors to their cars

Volunteers who are medical students in Hanoi depart to Bac Giang.

Pham Hai
Localities are authorised to decide on social distancing in accordance with the PMs directions and their real situations, ensuring pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic development, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Long said the pandemic has been basically controlled in almost all localities. However, the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang should work harder to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Noting that the COVID-19 situation in Bac Giang is developing complicatedly as infections are mostly workers in industrial parks, he lauded the provinces efforts in COVID-19 testing with more than 200,000 samples tested.

Meanwhile, its neighbouring province of Bac Ninh is facing a high risk, the minister said, expressing his hope that with current effective measures, Bac Ninh will well control the situation soon.

Explaining the reason why a massive social distancing has not been applied despite a rise in the number of COVID-19 infections, Long said that the policy will be applied with reasonable scales and methods to ensure the prevention of the pandemic from spreading and avoid affecting socio-economic activities of the localities and peoples lives.

It is the responsibility of local administrations to evaluate the pandemic situation in their localities to make a proper decision, he stressed.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (Photo: VNA)

Underscoring the significance of COVID-19 testing, Long said that this time, testing on a large scale is being carried out using more kinds of bio products for faster results.

The Ministry of Health encourages domestic producers of biological products to continue increasing their production, while boosting imports to ensure enough supply for testing, he said.

The minister affirmed that the approach to and methods of conducting COVID-19 testing have been changed to improve the capacity in the field for better pandemic prevention and control./. VNA

Cities and provinces reapply social distancing rules amid new virus outbreaks Social distancing has been applied in many areas as Vietnam confirmed a record 64 locally-transmitted Covid-19 infection cases on Thursday.
Medical workers from Quang Ninh Provinces Viet Nam- Sweden Uong Bi Hospital prepare to take testing sample at Quang Chau Industrial Park in Bac Giang Province. Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

About 160,000 labourers from 14 localities nationwide work in industrial parks in Bac Giang. With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, about 200,000 people in the province need testing as soon as possible, beyond the capacity of the local health sector.

The province has never witnessed such a major disease outbreak and needs help, particularly to take testing samples so testing can be conducted in a fast, accurate and economical manner.

Responding to Bac Giangs calls for help, hundreds of medical workers and students from neighbouring provinces and cities have volunteered to help out.

Nguyen Thi Huong, a 38-year-old nurse from Quang Ninh Provinces Viet Nam- Sweden Uong Bi Hospital said she and 199 other medical workers from the hospital arrived in Bac Giang on May 15 and only had one hour to check-in to their rooms at a hotel before rushing to the provinces Quang Chau Industrial Park in Viet Yen District.

We worked overnight until past 2am, she said, adding that in two days, they took 5,000 testing samples in the industrial park.

Huong said as her husband worked in the construction sector and usually worked far from home, she alone took care of her family, including her son who is set to sit the high school entrance exam next month, a daughter who will be a first-grader this year and their parents who are all more than 80 years old.

She has been busy working at the hospital or disease clusters since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Viet Nam early last year, she said, adding that her husband now deals with all the housework.

We dont know when we will finish work in Bac Giang but it does not matter to me, Huong said.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Oanh also from the Viet Nam- Sweden Uong Bi Hospital said she just had time enough to grab a few essentials before setting off for Bac Giang.

I gave my daughter a goodbye hug and kiss in a hurry, she said.

Nguyen Thi Hong Hoa, vice director of Viet Nam- Sweden Uong Bi Hospital, said that once testing was conducted timely, COVID-19 cases could be detected and epidemiological maps developed for the affected areas, helping control the disease.

Medical workers all are aware of the danger, the difficulties and the risks that they could face when working in disease clusters, she said, adding that all were working almost day and night, determined to control the disease as soon as possible.

Doctor Le Hung, an official from Ha Nois Health Department, said medical workers from Ha Noi were ready to support Bac Giang in the fight against COVID-19.

Among the volunteers, some of them have little children to take care of, many of them are overloaded with work and personal business. However, we are so proud to be the first people who reached and support medical workers in Bac Giang Province, he said.

Duong Le Quyen, a student of Hai Duong Technical Medical University, said that she was happy to be told she was eligible to go to Bac Giang to help out.

Bac Giang is my hometown. Hearing about disease clusters and increasing SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in the province during the past days make me worried a lot, Quyen said.

Now, I can help fight the disease in my hometown, she said.

She added that she and her classmates also worked at disease clusters when COVID-19 resurged in Hai Duong Province early this year, so they had some experience.

My parents agreed with me about my volunteering. They told me to be very careful when working at disease clusters, Quyen said.

Together with Quyen, three lecturers and 211 students from the university reached Bac Giang on Sunday.

On Monday, 15 medical workers from the northern province of Yen Bai also headed to Bac Giang to help.

In addition, 130 lecturers and students of Military Medical University, 300 officers and soldiers from Mobile Police High Command under the Ministry of Public Security arrived in the province.

As of Tuesday  just 10 days after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Bac Giang Provinces Shinyoung Ltd Company in Viet Yen District, the total cases in the province topped 400.

For six straight days, the number of cases in Bac Giang has been the highest in the country, particularly on May 16, when nearly 200 cases were reported.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said the disease development in the province was very complicated and unpredictable. He also warned about the risk of infections in quarantine areas.

VNS
Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, called for the use of emerging technologies for right purposes at the UNSC video meeting on the Impact of Emerging Technologies on International Peace and Security on May 17.

Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnamese mission to the United Nations (Photo: VNA)

Addressing the event, which was co-initiated by Permanent Missions of China and Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UN, the Vietnamese diplomat affirmed that that emerging technologies have helped promote cooperation and development, and contributed to solving pressing global issues such as climate change and development of renewable energy, disease prevention, terrorism and food security.

The UNSC has effectively used emerging technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to protect civilians and ensure security and safety for peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Central Africa, and Mali, as well as investigate IS crimes in Iraq, he said.

The research, development and use of new technologies must be for the purposes of peace and development of mankind, in line with international law, the UN Charter, and meet the interests of developing countries, he stressed.

To achieve these goals, countries need a comprehensive, transparent and constructive approach at all UN forums, he said./. VNA
There are many, many barriers that we cannot legislate our way out of that exist in obtaining that cooperation, Kersten said. Short of video evidence or other witnesses that are willing to come forward, if we dont have that complainants version of events, we often have nothing with which to proceed on a case.
A Waco man wanted on a murder warrant fled on foot from a multiple-car crash Saturday on Interstate 35 and led area law enforcement on a two-hour chase before his arrest near Troy, authorities said.

Troy police assisted by other agencies arrested Tyler Warren, 23, on several charges, including warrants for a Waco murder and a state parole violation. Information on the murder warrant was not immediately available Monday.

Warren was involved in a multiple-vehicle crash around 11:35 a.m. Saturday, Troy Police Chief Gary Smith said.

He said officers were dispatched to the scene near Mile Marker 311 near Big Elm Road. They found that Warren had been driving a vehicle stolen in Limestone County and had fled on foot. No one was reported injured in the wreck.

The department called for assistance and responding agencies including Texas Department of Public Safety, Bell and McLennan County sheriffs offices, Bell County constables, and Lorena and Temple police departments.

Smith said the department is thankful to all those who assisted in the incident.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan legislators gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would exempt high school graduation ceremonies from a state order that restricts crowd sizes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The measure could be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. It passed 22-13 in the Senate, with all Republicans and two Democrats in support.

Outdoor stadiums with enhanced protocols can operate at 20% capacity under the order from the state health department. Up to 1,000 people can be in outdoor arenas with a fixed seating capacity of up to 10,000  1,500 if it is a bigger venue  as long as they do not surpass 50% occupancy. At indoor arenas, the limit is 375, or 750 if the seating capacity is more than 10,000.

The legislation would allow more people to attend high school commencements.

Why shouldn't our schools be able to have safe graduations? said Sen. Jim Runestad, a Republican from White Lake Township in Oakland County Why are we still stuck with another one-size-fits-all approach to our high schools?

Many Democrats have criticized the bill. Whitmer's office has said in-person graduations are allowed.
Still, at the direction of legislators in 2017, an audit was performed that ultimately found 16,190 older kits in local law enforcement custody that could be tested.

Stein, a Democrat elected in 2016, said so far nearly 3,000 of these kits have been completely tested and about 5,400 sit primarily in the queues of a private lab vendor, which is seeing testing demand grow nationwide due to other untested kits. More than 1,000 of those tests identified enough DNA to upload samples to a national database, and 45% of those samples landed matches, Stein's office said in a news release. The arrests related to the tested kits involve at least 58 assaults, as well as other violent crimes.

Its one thing to promise to never forget the survivors of sexual assault, but its another thing to act on that promise, Sen. Warren Daniel, a Burke County Republican, told reporters. Weve been able to chip away at the backlog and to make numerous arrests in cases that had long thought to be unsolvable.
But in recent years, his favorite project was Veterans Park. One of his early initiatives was to get a replica Statue of Liberty moved there from Overman Park downtown, and to get the City Council to designate Waterloo Road adjacent to Veterans Park as Veterans Parkway. He was well known for his semiannual sales of commemorative bricks honoring veterans to finance the parks upkeep. The bricks line its walkways. He also raised funds for several expansions of the park. He was instrumental in securing Veterans Park as the location of Black Hawk Countys Freedom Rock, one of many statewide painted by Greenfield artist Ray Bubba Sorensen II.

Contemporaries who worked with Morris on those projects said he was known for his gentle persistence and self-effacing humor.

When it came to Veterans Park, Sid was the first guy there, said Vietnam War era Navy veteran Mike Butler, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Cedar Falls. It took a little arm twisting, but Sid always did it with a smile, and he could laugh at himself.

Its a terrible loss for our community, said Butler, a retired banker and financial consultant. I think Sids whole goal was to bring the community together. He recalled Morris pride in the development of the Cedar Falls Industrial Park during his years on the City Council.

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who was removed from a house that was hit by gunfire Monday has been arrested on unrelated warrants for stalking and burglary.

Waterloo police detained Tony Terrell Campbell, 37, on charges of stalking, trespassing and second-degree burglary after he exited 817 Grant Ave. shortly after someone opened fire on the home.

No injuries were reported from the shooting, and further details werent available.

According to court records, officers had been looking for Campbell since May 4 when he allegedly entered a Franklin Street home and assaulted a woman inside.

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Authorities allege that on Monday Campbell followed people to the Franklin Street home around 2:30 a.m. and cracked a vehicle window with a punch. He disappeared before police arrived.

Hours later, around 9:20 a.m., Campbell showed up at the Grant Avenue home and refused to leave, according to court records. A relative came over to convince him to exit the house, and during the attempt someone outside began shooting at the home, records state.

The assailant fled. Officers found spent shell casings in the street and damage to the residence. Campbell was detained on the warrants.
WATERLOO  When Dayton Matlock-Buss was shot and killed in a Waterloo neighborhood over the weekend, it was the second time in less that decade that his family lost a member to gun violence.

Waterloo police continue to investigate the early Saturday shooting on Grant Avenue that took Matlock-Buss life and sent two others to the hospital. Officers said neighbors called about gunfire in the area around 3:30 a.m., and they found Matlock-Buss, age 23, dead in an alley next to 1408 Grant.

No arrests have been made, and investigators are still trying to piece together the details of what happened.

Friends and relatives paid honor to Matlock-Buss with a vigil Saturday night just outside the crime scene tape, said his aunt, Latina Walker.

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He had his flaws, but he was perfect for us, Walker said.

The slaying is the second tragedy in recent years for the family.

In 2012, Matlock-Busss grandmother, Kay Straw, 59, was shot and killed following a domestic dispute.
WATERLOO  The Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center is now the Waterloo Convention Center.

The name change was unanimously approved Monday by the City Council. It includes naming the plaza surrounding the center Sullivan Brothers Plaza. Convention center management company Spectra said it would market the facility with the full name Waterloo Convention Center at the Sullivan Brothers Plaza on marketing materials, logos and social media sites.

Spectra said the new name provides easier recognition of the location. Mayor Quentin Hart said he spoke with the Sullivan family about the change. The five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo died in November 1942 when the ship USS Juneau sunk off Guadalcanal during World War II.

Waterloo resident David Dreyer suggested the name change should go on the November ballot. He said lifelong Waterloo residents should decide the matter rather than City Council members.
DES MOINES  A health and human services budget that Democrats called the best they could recall in several years, was approved largely without their support, 54-35, by the Iowa House on Monday.

There were parts of the massive budget Democrats liked.

As with all bills, there are things that are good, and there are things you may not think are good or you could do a better job on, Rep. John Forbes, D-Urbandale, said about House File 891. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=HF891

My caucus has tried to take a bill and make it better. A lot of amendments we asked for do cost money, and we think we have the ability to fund these priorities if we wanted. Unfortunately, the majority party did not agree.

Health and Human Services Chairman Joel Fry, R-Osceola, liked many of the Democrats proposals but said they should be rejected either because of the cost or because the cost was unknown.

His rough math showed the Democratic amendments would have added at least $76 million to the $2 billion-plus budget that funds the Departments of Aging, Human Services, Public Health and Veterans Affairs.
They were in uniform, clearly Chicago police officers, and this offender had no regard for their position as police officers  no regard  and began trying to kill them. Lets be clear: This offender turned and immediately tried to kill these officers by firing a gun at them and hitting both of them. But for the good Lords grace that were not here talking about planning a funeral for our officers, Brown said.
Klein initially tried to table a decision until after the November election, in which the mayor and four council seats are on the ballot. She and Boesen were the only votes supporting her motion.

The councilwoman said she felt the rebranding committee was a sham, and anyone who spoke against replacing the griffin was labeled racist. She said it was a low blow that Mayor Quentin Hart did not approach the police department about the logo before the City Council formed a rebranding committee.

Councilman Jonathan Grieder said delaying controversial decisions would take away the governing bodys responsibilities.

This is masquerading as democracy when what it really is is taking away the voices of the people that voted us to be here, Grieder said. By that logic, we will do nothing here.

Hart and others disputed claims they are anti-police. Several elected officials pointed to their support for funding for new police equipment, training and other needs. Hart said the local governments partnership with the police department significantly lessened misconduct lawsuits.
It was chaos," said Austin Even, who has been hauling away trees nearly every day since the storm.

It's more manageable now, but in the days after the derecho, just getting around town was a nightmare, given 10-foot-high (3-meter-high) walls of debris, broken power poles and no cell service, Even said.

No one can really understand it, Mayor Brad Hart said. The crews who came from other parts of the country to help clean up said they had never seen anything like this.

Even now, piles of branches line streets and the whine of chainsaws is part of city life.

City officials have begun the long recovery process by committing at least $1 million annually for 10 years toward planting trees and $24,000 to watering new trees for the next two years. The city is working with Trees Forever on a releaf initiative'' that is expected to stretch for 15 years or more.

As part of the effort, organizers are tallying up the remaining trees and specifying where new ones are needed on city property. Organizers also hope to raise up to $25 million from private sources.
IOWA CITY  Attorneys on Tuesday completed selection of a jury for the first-degree murder trial of the farm laborer charged with fatally stabbing a University of Iowa student while she was out running three years ago.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera is accused in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018. Opening statements are scheduled Wednesday morning at the Scott County Courthouse. The trial is expected to last through next week.

A prosecutor and Bahena Riveras defense lawyer chose the eight men and seven women  12 jurors and three alternates  from a pool of 183 prospective jurors after questioning them on their knowledge of the case, their opinions of his guilt and other subjects.

Bahena Rivera, who may have entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally a decade ago, is accused of fatally stabbing Tibbetts while she ran through her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, and hiding her body in a cornfield.

The disappearance of Tibbetts, who was studying to become a child psychologist, prompted a massive search involving hundreds of officers and volunteers.

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SIBLEY, Iowa (AP)  Thick black smoke billowed into the air Sunday after a train derailed in northwest Iowa, prompting authorities to evacuate part of a small, nearby town.

The fiery derailment happened around 2 p.m. Sunday on the southwest edge of Sibley, which is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 200 miles (321.87 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines. There were no immediate reports of injuries related to the derailment.

Photos and video of the derailment posted online Sunday show dozens of train cars piled up along the tracks with flames and a large plume of smoke coming from one end of the pile of cars. Local media reports say authorities evacuated an area within 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) of the derailment.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said about 47 railcars came off the tracks during the derailment, but the train crew was not injured. She said the railroad is working with local authorities.

Tysver said the cause of the derailment is under investigation.
HOLIDAY CLOSING: All Iowa Department of Transportation business locations will be closed May 31 in observance of Memorial Day.

All Iowa DOT drivers license service centers will be closed May 29 and May 31, and resume operations June 1 at 8:30 a.m.

Many people may be able to complete drivers license business online at iowadot.gov or at a self-service kiosk.

For service at one of a DOT office, an appointment is required and can be set up through the website.

The DOT recommends that commercial vehicle operators needing services immediately following the Memorial Day weekend to plan several days in advance. Commercial vehicle operators needing oversize/overweight permits for travel in Iowa on June 1 should submit the permit request and attain approval before 4:30 p.m. May 28.

No movements of oversize/overweight loads will be permitted in Iowa from noon May 28 until 30 minutes before sunrise June 1.

HOME BASE PARTNERS: Iowa Western Community College and Marshalltown Community College received designation as Home Base Iowa Certified Higher Academic Military Partnership (CHAMPs) programs.
Observing the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., from her House leadership position and her criticism of former president Donald Trump, reminded me of a 70s TV ad for Listerine mouthwash. The company attempted to use the products bad taste to its advantage. The ad said: Its got the taste people hate  twice a day.

The Republican establishment may hate Donald Trump, but they would be hard-pressed to deny how effective his policies were, pre-COVID-19. The 74 million people who voted for him is a formidable number. Whatever some may think of his personality  and I deplore how he demeans others  no one can credibly deny he was more successful than any modern Republican president. The question is, can he do it again? Last years election was unique due to the pandemic with many using mail-in ballots, fearful of going to the polls. That appeared to drive up the number of voters.

Cheneys main distaste for Trump is that he continues to claim the 2020 election was fraudulent and that he should have been declared the winner. I wont go down that dead-end road again. I will point out that people have short memories, especially when the major media do not report that contesting election outcomes is not unique to Donald Trump.
Lubbock, TX (79423)

Today

Sunny. Near record high temperatures. High 108F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Another two officers, also in uniform, arrived in a squad car in the area of the 1500 block of South Lawndale Avenue and got out of the car with their weapons drawn, prosecutors said. Lua walked toward the officers while they ordered him to stop and remove his hands from his pocket.
En espanol | Its encouraging to see how many older Americans have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 7 in 10 people 65-plus are now fully vaccinated, and nearly 60 percent of all adults have received a first dose. And the vast majority of nursing home residents have been vaccinated.

Your eagerness to be vaccinated and steadfast adherence to health and safety guidelines such as masking and social distancing have dramatically brought COVID cases and deaths down from their winter peaks. After struggling for more than a year through a pandemic that has sickened nearly 33 million Americans and taken the lives of more than 580,000  more than 95 percent of whom were age 50-plus  the nation appears to be turning a corner.

Vaccinated grandparents are hugging their grandkids again. Workplaces are inviting employees to return to the office. Families are making plans for summer vacations and reunions. And, for the first time in more than a year, nursing home residents are holding hands with loved ones.

Last week brought more good news: Vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or stay 6 feet apart in most cases, according to new federal guidelines. Finally, we can see each other laugh and smile.

But we must remain vigilant. Some parts of the country are not progressing as rapidly as others. Tens of thousands of new COVID-19 cases and hundreds of deaths are still reported each week. Vaccine hesitancy among the staff of many long-term care facilities, which have been home to more than a third of COVID-19 deaths, continues to be a challenge. And despite the widespread availability of vaccines, outreach and distribution to Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans are still a problem.


Acquires EL6350 Adjacent to Samphire Project

Brisbane, May 18, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alligator Energy ( ASX:AGE ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Binding Terms Sheet to acquire EL6350 from Stellar Resources Limited ( ASX:SRZ ). The tenement, which contains existing historic uranium intersections, borders the southern end of Alligator's 100% owned Samphire Uranium Project (refer Figure 1*) and is deemed prospective for extensions to the historic non JORC compliant Plumbush Uranium Deposit.Under the terms, Alligator through its wholly owned subsidiary S Uranium Pty Ltd will acquire a 100% interest in EL 6350 from Stellar Resources for $135,000 to be satisfied through the issue of AGE shares. The number of Consideration Shares to be issued will be determined based on the lower of $0.019 and the 10 business day volume weighted average price (VWAP) immediately prior to execution of the binding terms sheet.Greg Hall, Alligator CEO, said: "We are very pleased to consolidate our holding of the Samphire uranium project through the acquisition of EL6350. Alligator's initial focus is the advancement of the Blackbush deposit, however the potential value to be added to the project through the improvement of resource confidence and extensions to the Plumbush deposit on our existing tenement and extending onto EL6350 is an excellent value opportunity."The OpportunityEL6350 is a split tenement, with the main area of interest being directly adjacent to Alligator's existing tenure at the Samphire Uranium Project. The Project is deemed prospective for paleochannel hosted mineralisation as seen at Blackbush and Plumbush.The Project was explored by Samphire Uranium (then UraniumSA), with 18 regional scout rotary mud holes drilled in 2009 and 2010 by Samphire Uranium in joint venture with Stellar Resources (see ASX release (SRZ), 28th July 2010 "Pirie Basin Continues to Deliver Good Uranium Results"). Of the 18 holes 9 recorded uranium values of over 1m at 100ppm eU3O8, with the most significant result being 7.3 metres at 445ppm eU3O8 (see Table 1*).The Plumbush deposit is directly north of EL6350, with this additional tenement remaining largely untested through drilling (see Figure 2* below). Alligator believes the latest geophysics techniques employed at the Blackbush deposit will assist to identify channel locations on this acquired tenement in a more effective way. Whilst Alligator's immediate priority remains resource confidence upgrade and extension of the Blackbush deposit, assessment of the work required to upgrade the Plumbush deposit to a JORC 2012 Compliant Resource will commence in parallel. No access agreement for the Plumbush area (including EL6350) is currently in place with the pastoral holders.Key terms and conditions of the Binding Terms SheetThe Binding Terms Sheet executed between the parties includes the following:- Alligator through its wholly owned subsidiary, S Uranium Pty Ltd (SUPL), has agreed to acquire EL 6350 from Stellar Resources subsidiary, Hiltaba Gold Pty Ltd (Hiltaba), for the consideration of $135,000, subject to obtaining the necessary Regulatory and Shareholder approvals;- The consideration to be settled in Alligator fully paid ordinary shares based on the lower of $0.019 (being the share price at the date of agreeing the substantial terms) and the 10 business day VWAP immediately prior to executing the Binding Terms Sheet which is $0.027. Approval from Shareholders to be obtained at an EGM targeted for the end of June 2021;- Alligator to assume all tenement expenditure commitments and liabilities in relation to EL6350 at the time the transaction completes and to cover annual rentals and other costs from the date of executing the Binding Terms Sheet;- The significant Conditions Precedent to the transaction completing include renewal of EL6350 (an application has been lodged with the Department of Energy and Mines); Ministerial approval of the transfer and Hiltaba completing all 2020/21 compliance reporting obligations by 25 May 2021.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Alligator Energy Ltd

Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX:AGE) is an Australian, ASX-listed, exploration company focused on uranium and energy related minerals, principally cobalt-nickel.

Alligator's Directors have significant experience in the exploration, development and operations of both uranium and nickel projects (both laterites and sulphides).


Acquisition of Bulong South, Glandore and Cowarna Projects

Perth, May 18, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to announce it has executed a binding Tenement Sale Agreement with private mining company Aurenne Group Holdings ("Aurenne") for 100% interest in the Bulong South, Glandore and Cowarna gold projects in the Western Australian goldfields (Figures 2 and 3*).Commenting on the significant acquisition, Managing Director Mr Jon Price said:"Horizon's core focus remains firmly set on developing a stand-alone gold production business in the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie regions and this significant acquisition aligns with our strategy of further regional consolidation of advanced, complementary development assets in close proximity of the proposed Boorara Mill."The Cannon underground gold project presents a high-grade near-term development opportunity that will now be incorporated into the consolidated Feasibility Study and can provide high grade ore feed in the early years to complement the base load Boorara deposit and the four advanced open pit and underground satellite projects currently under evaluation."We also see the potential for significant resource growth and exploration upside from the Bulong South, Glandore and exciting Cowarna project areas with multiple walk-up drill targets on major geological structures. Drill planning is now underway, and we look forward to providing further updates as we complete the transaction, update mine development studies and commence exploration drilling."Bulong South contains the development ready high grade Cannon gold project (Figures 1 and 2*) which now joins the baseload Boorara project, Rose Hill, Binduli, Teal and Kalpini satellite deposits as core development projects under evaluation to underpin the proposed construction of a stand-alone processing plant at Boorara1.The following sections provide a summary of the projects and the significant development and exploration potential of the project areas.Bulong South and Glandore gold projectsBulong South is located approximately 28km southeast of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia (Figures 2 and 3*) and 10km east of the 100% owned Boorara gold project by existing roads. The project comprises three granted mining leases, two prospecting licences, two exploration licences and four miscellaneous leases covering a total area of approximately 180km2. The project includes the high-grade Cannon gold project and a significant number of historic mines and workings within the rich quartz vein system. Glandore sits 4km to the east of Bulong South (Figure 3*).HistoryThere are mine workings such as historic shafts, modern open cut pits (Cannon open pit) and trenches within the tenements that have been worked since the early 1900s with a significant amount of gold nuggets reported from local prospectors.Previous exploration was undertaken by a number of companies and prospectors including Cyprus Gold Ltd and Roebuck Resources NL with a number of anomalies identified, shallow RAB drilling conducted and at least three areas of gold mineralisation intersected.Southern Gold Ltd ( ASX:SAU ) discovered the Cannon deposit in 2008 as the northern strike extension of the George's Reward deposit held by Northern Mining Ltd and then Metals X Ltd. Open pit mining commenced at the Cannon and George's Reward deposits in August 2015 under a finance, mining and processing agreement with Metals X Ltd (now Westgold Resources Ltd).The Cannon open pit produced 53koz grading 3.02g/t Au and 91% metallurgical recovery with mining completed in June 2017. Southern Gold then completed an extensional drilling program and defined an updated underground Mineral Resource estimate as announced to the ASX on 9 October 2017.An underground Feasibility Study and maiden underground Ore Reserve was completed in November 2017, updated in 2019 and announced to the ASX on 6 May 2019. During this period, Westgold sold its South Kalgoorlie assets, including its interest in the Cannon Mine, to Northern Star Resources Ltd as announced to the ASX on 8 March 2018.As announced by Southern Gold Ltd to the ASX on 10 December 2018, agreement was reached with Northern Star Resources Ltd for the consolidation of the project area securing the tenure covering the strike extension of the Cannon shear zone.In August 2019, Southern Gold announced the sale of the project and the Glandore and Cowarna tenements to private mining company Aurenne Group Holdings Ltd. Aurenne has completed a number of drilling programs across the tenement packages since the acquisition before deciding to divest the projects to focus on the Menzies region.GeologyThe projects are located within the Kurnalpi Terrane which forms part of the regionally extensive Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt and sit in the western part of the Bulong ultramafic complex in the Boorara domain.The Bulong South and Glandore projects are located in the western part of the Bulong ultramafic complex consisting of a 5km thick sequence of komatiitic lava flows made up of thick serpentinised peridotite in the centre of the complex, flanked by thin spinifex-textured komatiitic flows at the top of the sequence.The Cannon Deposit is hosted within a sequence of ultramafic and high-Mg basaltic rocks intruded by a mafic-intermediate suite of lamprophyre dykes, and rarer dacitic dykes. The greenstone sequence strikes N-S while intrusions strike NNE-SSW with variable dips to the west and east. In the vicinity of the Cannon pit, a prominent N-S trending quartz vein extends for at least 1.5km to the southwest of Cannon and a numbers of smaller quartz veins sub-parallel to the main vein is also present.*To view the full release including tables and figures, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited

Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.

Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.

Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.


Broker Briefing Investor Webinar

Perth, May 18, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - BPH Energy Limited ( ASX:BPH ) is pleased to invite shareholders and investors to attend the Broker Briefing May 2021 Investor Webinar on Thursday 20 May 2021, which will feature video presentations from several ASX Listed companies.Date: 20 May 2021Time: 11:30am EST / 9:30am WSTPresenter: Executive Chairman and Managing Director, David Breeze, presenting at 12:20am EST / 10:20am WST.The Company invites shareholders, investors, and media to participate in this digital event by registering online via the link below:Participants will be able to submit questions via the panel throughout the presentation, however, we encourage shareholders and investors to send through questions via email beforehand to info@brokerbriefing.comAbout BPH Energy Limited

BPH Energy Limited (ASX:BPH) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company developing biomedical research and technologies within Australian Universities and Hospital Institutes.

The company provides early stage funding, project management and commercialisation strategies for a direct collaboration, a spin out company or to secure a license.

BPH provides funding for commercial strategies for proof of concept, research and product development, whilst the institutional partner provides infrastructure and the core scientific expertise.

BPH currently partners with several academic institutions including The Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT).
Im asking members of Congress to organize and work on some new type of legislation to make sure that we screen people that want to join the armed services, Hardiman said. And the (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) should do a better job at intercepting the illegal gun traffic in here, which results in people being killed on the streets of Chicago.
WENN Movie

The former 'ER' actress opens up about her audition for a movie with the 'Under Siege' actor years ago, explaining why the hotel room meeting was so scary for her.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Julianna Margulies recalled a "frightening moment" when she was asked to go to action star Steven Seagal's hotel room.

Appearing on "The Drew Barrymore Show", the 54-year-old actress recalled being asked by a casting director to run a scene with the "Under Siege" actor in his hotel room - as Seagal was thrilled by Julianna's audition.

"It was actually the casting director that asked me to go to his hotel room, I had a fourth and final call back the next day and she called me to say, 'He'd like to run the scene with you, he saw your tape, he thinks you're great, come to the hotel room,' " she remembered. "And I didn't want to go because I lived in Brooklyn and I couldn't afford a cab, I was waitressing, I was broke. And she said, 'Don't worry, we will pay for the car, get a car service and I'll be here we are going to run the scene.' "

However, when she arrived, the casting director wasn't there and Seagal asked her to sit down on the sofa, at which point she realised he had left a gun on the couch.

"The casting director was not there and it was a frightening moment because he asked me to sit on a couch and underneath this cushion, I jumped up because there was something hard and he pulled out a gun, and said, 'Oh I must have left my gun there,' " she continued.
Instagram Celebrity

The 'Anaconda' hitmaker shares on her Instagram account a picture of her old mugshots from 2003 when she was arrested for weapons possession, though she then deletes the post.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Nicki Minaj made use her social media account to reflect on her life prior to becoming hip-hop superstar. On Monday, May 17, the "Anaconda" hitmaker shared on her Instagram account a picture of her old mugshots from 2003 when she was arrested for weapons possession.

"It took me years to be able to look at things like this," Nicki wrote in the caption of the now-deleted post which featured two mugshots of a 20-year-old Nicki under her government name, Onika Maraj. "Criminal possession with the intent to use. I did use it tho. This is so inspiring to look back."

She went on recalling, "The girl was leaking blood and spent days in the hospital. The word on the street was that I was gonna b deported. I was so scared. LOL. I was 'on the run.' I rlly thought I was in a ghetto movie. I hid my car and went to stay with my Aunt in Brooklyn chile. Bwahahahaaaa. #Growth."

Nicki Minaj shared 2003 mugshots.

In response to the post, fans were not impressed. "Why would she post about shooting someone and them bleeding out...then lol that's not growth," one user questioned. Another person asked, "Why she tryna show she hood all of a sudden," while someone accused her of "trying for attention lately."

"This is embarrassing which is why she deleted it. Shes nearly 40. Who still boasts about things they did in their teens or 20's. Embarrassing," another person added. "I love her but baby this ain't it. We want you to keep posting music and we will be happy," someone commented.

A comment, meanwhile, read, "Why she bragging about having a girl leaking.... she act like a teenager . I definitely believe she's been threatening her husband's victim now." The person is referring to the allegations that Nicki and her associates harassed an alleged victim of of Nicki's husband Kenneth Petty, who was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender.

Back in March, Jennifer claimed that she was often approached by people who were associated with the Trinidadian star. One of them gave her number to Nicki who later called her. According to Jennifer, the raptress offered to fly her to Los Angeles or Atlanta. One person even contacted Jennifer's cousin in North Carolina, offering $500,000 for Jennifer to speak with Kenneth's lawyer. In another occasion, Jennifer was offered $20,000 in cash by a man if she agreed to sign a letter that she lied about her assault. Jennifer said that she rejected all offers.
Instagram Celebrity

After making their red carpet debut at the 2021 MTV Movie and TV Awards, the 'This Is Us' actor is said to have tied the knot with his former 'The Young and Restless' co-star in a private ceremony.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Justin Hartley might have become a married man once again. Having been spotted wearing matching wedding rings with Sofia Pernas on two different occasions, the "This Is Us" actor was alleged to have had secretly tied the knot with his girlfriend of about one year.

On Monday, May 17, the 44-year-old actor and his former "The Young and the Restless" co-star were first reported by PEOPLE to have "recently" exchanged vows. Backing the outlet's claim, another source told ET, "Justin and Sofia have only been married for a short period of time and their ceremony was private. The couple had an instant chemistry and early on discussed marriage."

Just one day earlier, Justin and Sofia made their first red carpet appearance as a couple at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Adding more fuel to the speculations about their marital status, the former "Smallville" star was seen wearing a gold ring, while the "Blood & Treasure" actress was seen rocking what appeared to be a diamond ring.

Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas during MTV Movie & TV Awards.

In early May, the couple was also seen wearing matching rings on their left fingers while enjoying a romantic date at a beach in Malibu, California. As seen in photos obtained by Page Six, the actor wore a red band, while his beau's ring was silver in color. These matching bands, however, were different from the ones they wore to the red carpet event.

Justin was first romantically linked to Sofia in the summer of 2020 amid his divorce battle with Chrishell Stause. The two of them then made their relationship Instagram official on New Year's Eve.

At the time, Justin took to his Instagram account to share a black-and-white photo of him and Sofia. Alongside the sweet photo, he wrote, "Last minutes of 2020 here in LA. Bring on 2021! Happy New Year!" Meanwhile, his rumored wife posted, "Sayonara 2020, it's been real. Happy New Year from our quarantine den to yours."

The couple's May beach outing saw them flaunting PDA. A number of images captured them all smiles as they sat on the sand while having drinks with friends. At one point, the "A Bad Moms Christmas" actor wrapped his hand around the Morocco-born beauty's shoulders while holding a bottle of beer in his other hand. Another photo displayed the actress kissing her muscly man's arm.
Instagram Celebrity

Posting a series of pictures of herself with Josie the pooch, the 'Scandal' actress claims she initially did not understand how having a dog would 'change' her and 'transform' her life.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Kerry Washington is mourning the death of her dog. The actress took to Twitter over the weekend to mark the passing of her pet pooch, Josie, who took "a piece of" Kerry's heart with her.

Posting a series of pictures of herself with the dog, the "Scandal" star wrote, "Last night, Josie crossed over into a world beyond this one and a piece of my [heart] went with her. We are so blessed to have had her for so long. My heart unfolded when I met her. She will always live in the very fabric of my being. We adore you Josephine Baker Washington Asomugha [sic]."

Kerry then posted a lengthier caption on Instagram, in which she said she was unaware of how much having a dog would "change" her before she took Josie home.

She wrote, "I didn't grow up with a dog. I wasn't aware of what this kind of love could look like or feel like. I didn't understand how it would change me and transform my life. To say that Josie was a member of our family doesn't even come close. She was my fur baby companion girl. She was my partner."

"She went places with me and experienced things that no one else ever did or ever will. She was a witness to my life and to my journey and me to hers. My heart unfolded when I met her and she will always live in the very fabric of my being..."

"She brought so much joy into our home and into our lives and into the lives of almost everyone she met. I'm so grateful that she chose us. And that God chose me to be her dog mom. With enormous love in my heart, I will be donating to @wagsandwalks in her name. We adore you Josephine Baker Washington Asomugha [sic]."
Women's Health Magazine Celebrity

Less than two years after welcoming daughter Atlas, the former 'Pretty Little Liars' actress shares her belief that mothers should be allowed to be unhappy with their post-baby figures.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Shay Mitchell wants to help women celebrate their bodies after giving birth.

The "Pretty Little Liars" star welcomed daughter Atlas 19 months ago and admits she didn't feel like herself after having her baby, because of the way her body looked.

And although she believes women should be allowed to be unhappy with their post-baby figures, she also wants to encourage more people to celebrate their bodies at "whatever point we feel our best again."

Speaking to Women's Health magazine, she said, "Right after I had Atlas, if I ever made a comment about how I didn't feel like myself, people were like, 'Well, you just had a baby'. Yeah, I know I just had a baby. I'm very grateful for my body, and that it gave life, but I'm still allowed to express that I don't feel like myself."

"I was strong before I had Atlas, and I wanted to feel that way after. We celebrate our bodies before we're pregnant; we celebrate our bodies with bumps. We should also celebrate our bodies at whatever point we feel our best again."

Shay has been practising dead-lifting since welcoming her daughter, and is now able to lift an impressive 50 pounds (23 kilograms). She added, "Getting up to 50 pounds was a boss move. I was really proud of myself."

Elsewhere in the interview, Shay addressed the new wave of Asian American racism. Claiming it was nothing new for her and her parents, the 34-year-old said, "It's something my mom has dealt with her whole life. When she and my dad were dating in the 1980s in Toronto, their relationship was looked down upon."

"On the bus with my dad, she would get the worst looks. They would tell me about going into a restaurant and people not serving them. I also saw it in real life. My mom would get derogatory remarks like, 'Are you the cleaning lady? Are you the nanny?' " she recalled. "In school I was bullied - I'd get questions like, 'Are you going to go clean the bathrooms?' "
Chinese FM expounds on China's position on Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Xinhua) 10:10, May 16, 2021

Palestinians run away as fire broke out after an Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 15, 2021. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday expounded on China's position on the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict during a phone talk with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

In recent days, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continuously escalated, causing huge casualties, which is distressing, said Wang, before presenting China's views and proposals on the issue.

First, Wang said, the root cause of the deterioration of the situation is that for a long time there has not been a just solution to the Palestinian issue.

Especially, in recent years, the Middle East peace process has deviated from its original track, the UN Security Council resolutions have not been earnestly implemented and, in particular, the Palestinian right to build an independent state has been continuously violated, adding to the plight of the Palestinian people, which has led to the intensification of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and repeated conflicts, Wang said.

As has been proven, Wang noted, without a just settlement of the Palestinian issue, Palestine and Israel as well as the Middle East will not be able to achieve true peace.

Second, Wang said, what is pressing now is the ceasefire and cessation of violence, and the Security Council has the responsibility to seek early de-escalation.

China, as the president of the Security Council for May, has pushed the Council to hold two emergency consultations on the Palestine-Israel conflict, and has drafted a press statement, in a bid to guide the Council to take actions, he added.

But regrettably, the Council has so far failed to reach an agreement, with the United States standing on the opposite side of international justice, Wang said, urging all members of the Council to shoulder their due responsibilities and make effective efforts to maintain regional peace and security.

Third, Wang said, an ultimate way out of the Palestinian issue lies in the implementation of the two-state solution. China will host an open debate on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at the UN Security Council Sunday, and expects all parties to make a unified voice on this issue.

China holds the opinion that the Security Council should reconfirm the two-state solution and urge Palestine and Israel to resume peace talks on the basis of the two-state solution as soon as possible, Wang added.

China will continue to firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people to strive for the restoration of their legitimate national rights, support a just solution to the current issue through political dialogue, and support the UN, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in playing a constructive role in this regard, Wang said.

For his part, Qureshi said that Pakistan agrees with China's position on the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, supports the two-state solution and the just cause of the Palestinian people, and advocates promoting a solution through dialogue and negotiation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

Noting Pakistan highly appreciates China for upholding justice in the Security Council, Qureshi said his country is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to find ways to achieve a ceasefire and cessation of violence as well as to cool down the situation.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Alvarez was walking through a Portage Park gas station parking lot just after midnight March 31 when two officers in an unmarked police SUV advanced quickly toward him. Alvarez ran, with the officers first following in their police vehicle and then on foot. The foot pursuit went through an alley and then around a corner onto a small residential lawn, where Alvarez was shot by Solano.
Instagram Celebrity

LAPD confirms there's an active investigation into allegations of sexual assault by the couple stemming from a 2005 incident, but a lawyer for the rapper and his wife says they have not been contacted by LAPD regarding the probe.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - T.I. and Tiny Harris a.k.a. Tameka Cottle are officially under investigation for alleged sexual assault. The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that they're currently probing into allegations of drugging and rape by the hip-hop couple after speaking to one of their alleged victims.

"There is an active investigation into Clifford Harris," Officer William Cooper of the LAPD told Deadline on Monday, May 17, referring to the rapper's real name. While the LAPD did not mention if Tiny is also under investigation, The Daily Beast claimed that the former Xscape member is also being investigated.

The alleged victim, whose identity is only identified as Jane Doe, met LAPD detectives virtually in April, detailing an incident that allegedly took place in 2005 involving T.I. and Tiny. The detectives have been looking into other claims as well, according to sources.

Responding to reports of the investigation, a lawyer for T.I. and Tiny said in a statement, "The Harrises have not spoken to or been contacted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD) or, indeed, any member of law enforcement from any other jurisdiction in the country."

"Even assuming the story in the Daily Beast is close to accurate, it appears the LAPD 'accuser' has chosen once again to remain anonymous, thereby preventing us from being in a position to disprove or refute her allegations - or even examine them," the statement continued.

"Meanwhile, although we now appear for the first time to have the name of an 'accuser' who supposedly filed a police report with LVPD, we have absolutely zero details about her or her claim," it concluded.

A second woman, Rachelle Jenks, filed a police report with similar allegations in Las Vegas earlier this month. Both Jane Doe and Rachelle are represented by attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn, who claimed in March that more than 30 women have come forward with allegations against the couple including "forced drugging, kidnapping, rape, and intimidation in at least two states, including California and Georgia."
WENN/Daniel Tanner Music

Sin Quirin has reportedly posted a statement about him quitting the Al Jourgensen-founded band on Facebook, explaining that he was taking a break to focus on his health.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin has quit the band a year after two women accused him of having sex with them when they were underage.

The official announcement comes three days after Quirin reportedly posted a statement on Facebook, which is not visible to the public.

Quirin did not address the allegations, but told fans he was taking a break to focus on his health.

The initial allegations appeared in a Spin expose back in January 2020, when two women told the magazine Quirin approached them when they were teenagers. One of the accusers, Kelly Longoria, claimed she was 15 when she first had sex with the guitarist. Her relationship with Quirin continued for many years.

Longoria noted in her police report that her first sex with Quirin happened between "December 2002 and April 2003." She added, "There were approximately two encounters during that time frame and after that we had a 'boyfriend-girlfriend' type relationship, even after I was of legal age. I could not tell you how many times we had sex during that time frame."

The second accuser claimed she had sex with him in March 2005, a month after she turned 16. She said to have met him at a Society 1 performance in Portland.

Quirin denied the allegations. Still, he claimed to have recalled meeting Longoria and exchanging contact information. Through his lawyer, he clarified, "During this time Society 1 was touring heavily in various locations throughout the United States. When the band was in or near the San Antonio area, Ms. Longoria would come to the show as a guest."
Facebook Celebrity

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat confirms the 'Everyday We Lit' rapper has been housed in the Fulton County Jail in a way that keeps both him and the staff safe.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - YFN Lucci has turned himself in after being indicted in gang racketeering case. The rapper has been housed in the Fulton County Jail in a maximum security unit since he surrendered to cops on Monday, May 10.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said Lucci is housed at the facility in a way that keeps both him and the staff safe. "We do treat charges more so than the celebrity status and he is certainly in our maximum security area," he explained.

Lucci, whose real name is Rayshawn Lamar Bennett, was one of 12 people who have been listed in a 75-page, 105-count indictment targeting alleged members of Atlanta Bloods gang. In the indictment, it is stated that they had connections and relationships to each other. They were also accused of committing several criminal activities to protect and improve the gang's reputation, as well as to gain and maintain control of territory.

The "Key to the Streets" spitter has been slapped with several charges, including racketeering, felony murder, violating the state's anti-gang law, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A warrant was issued for his arrest earlier this month.

Lucci's attorney Drew Findling, however, has denied his client's tie to any gangs and gang activities. "He's not guilty of any crime that's referenced in the previous charge and now in this indictment," Findling said of the rapper. "He's absolutely not a gang member, and this indictment - neglectfully or purposely - fails to say that Mr. Bennett is a nationally and internationally recognized musical artist."

Back in January, Lucci had been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and participation in criminal street gang activity. He was allegedly involved in a shooting that killed James Adams, which was also listed as one of the alleged gang activities in the racketeering case. He was released in February after posting a $500,000 bond.
Instagram Celebrity

During the promotional event, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star visits some stores such as Bevmo in Van Nuys and one of the many Ralph's grocery store locations.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Kendall Jenner had her own unique way to celebrate her recent achievement. When launching her 818 tequila brand in Los Angeles, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star got behind the wheel of its big delivery truck.

On Monday, May 17, the 25-year-old beauty could be seen driving the truck that read, "Kenny's Tequila Delivery Service" on the front and sides of it. She stopped by many stores such as Bevmo in Van Nuys and one of the many Ralph's grocery store locations to check out the 818 display.

In the promotional event, Kendall treated fans to 818 marchandise, including hats and shirts, which were thrown from inside the vehicle. For the outing, she opted to go with white long-sleeve top, straight leg jeans and a navy blue 818 vest with a "Kenny" patch. She completed her look by wearing a black face mask.

Kendall first announced the launch of her 818 Tequila brand in mid-February. Posting videos and photos of the drink, she wrote, "for almost 4 years i've been on a journey to create the best tasting tequila. after dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously and WINNING."

"3.5 years later i think we've done it," the older sister of Kylie Jenner went on to gush. "this is all we've been drinking for the last year and i can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do! @drink818 coming soon."

Just less than 24 hours after the announcement, however, Kendall was accused of cultural appropriation by many on Twitter. One user in particular argued, "Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way..like the idea of white celebrities taking from local Mexican artisans and profiting off our traditions and agricultural business yet only visit Cabos and Puerto Vallarta for vacation spots."

"Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it '818 tequila' is GENTRIFICATION," another troll raged. "The 818 does not claim Calabasas. What about those smaller, family owned Mexican tequila/mezcal brands? They deserve the hype & support."
WENN/Joseph Marzullo/Avalon Celebrity

Though stressing that she is not 'a monarchist,' the 'Without Remorse' actress deems the Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from the royal family 'a terrible missed opportunity.'

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Jodie Turner-Smith has something to say about Meghan Markle's decision to step down as member of the royal family. To be soon be seen as Anne Boleyn in the U.K'.s upcoming Channel 5 series, the "Without Remorse" actress shared her belief that the Duchess of Sussex had a chance to help modernize the monarchy.

During an interview with The Telegraph published on Saturday, May 15, the 34-year-old said, "I think that Meghan could have been that." Elaborating further, she stated, "It was a terrible missed opportunity, the way in which it was not allowed to be something that really modernizes that institution, and to change it to something for the better. I think that's why there's dysfunction there."

Insisting that she is not a monarchist, the "Queen & Slim" actress went on to say, "I think it's interesting that the institution is not changing with the time, or quickly enough." She added, "We have to look at things in a modern context. And only then we will recognize that certain things are archaic, and don't really serve us as a community and are limiting us."

The wife of actor Joshua Jackson continued explaining, "I think we should keep those things in stories and move on to something else in reality. I think it's interesting that the institution is not changing with the time, or quickly enough." She further reminded, "We have to look at things in a modern context."

Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, announced their decision to withdraw from their royal duties in early 2020. The married couple has since spoken out to Oprah Winfrey about the decision. In the tell-all interview, airing in March, they discussed the lack of support from the monarchy during her time as a senior official.

During the interview, Meghan shared how the Palace refused to give her the help that she desperately needed. She told Oprah, "I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said that 'I've never felt this way before, and I need to go somewhere.' And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution."

In the wake of the interview, Queen Elizabeth II said in the a statement that the whole family was "saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan." She continued, "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."
WENN/Avalon Celebrity

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation announced their partnership with PnG last week, stating on their website that the 'multi-year global partnership' is set to 'focus on gender equality.'

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Another day, another backlash. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were reportedly under fire over their partnership with a skin whitening cream. Some people found the decision surprising as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were known for advocating for anti-racism.

A former executive for Procter & Gamble (P&G) slammed the pair for the deal in an interview with The Mirror. "Meghan has talked a lot about the issue of race and racism, so this does stick out like a sore thumb," Alex Malouf, a former Procter & Gamble executive, said.

P&G has been criticized for years for selling whitening creams with "toxic beliefs." According to reports, the Olay brand currently sells the "White Radiance" moisturizer in India, Singapore and Malaysia.

Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation announced their partnership with P&G on Tuesday, May 11. It was stated on their website that the "multi-year global partnership" is set to "focus on gender equality, more inclusive online spaces, and resilience and impact through sport."

"Building on Archewell Foundation's work with organizations such as Girls Inc. and National Women's Law Center, the partnership will elevate the voices of adolescent girls to ensure their point of view and lived experience is heard at the tables where decisions are made," the statement continued. "Expanding on P&G's collaboration with Promundo, together we will underscore the importance of engaging men and boys in the drive for gender equity throughout society and encourage shared caregiving at home so everyone in the family can thrive."

This news arrives after it was said that Palace aides were left fuming following Harry's recent remarks about his dad Prince Charles and his late grandfather Prince Philip. During his appearance on "Armchair Expert" podcast, Harry accused his dad of making him through a "cycle" of "pain and suffering." He also said that Charles' parenting skills reflected his own upbringing by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

In response to that, one aide spilled,"People are appalled that he could do this to the Queen when the Duke of Edinburgh is barely in his grave. To drag his grandfather into this is so shocking and disrespectful." The senior aides allegedly wanted both Meghan and Harry to give up their royal titles over the offensive remarks.
https://www.beyonce.com/ Celebrity

In urging Americans to get inoculated, the fashion designer posts a statement that reminds the fact that Pfizer, which discovered the COVID vaccine, also made Viagra.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Tina Knowles is doing her part in a social media campaign to urge Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine. Taking to her Instagram page, the mother of R&B diva Beyonce Knowles has shared her hilarious and NSFW take on the safety and efficiency of the vaccine.

On Sunday, May 16, the businesswoman posted a statement that reminds others of the fact that Pfizer, which discovered the COVID vaccine that is widely used in the U.S., is also known for making Viagra. FYI, Viagra is a globally popular medication used to treat erectile dysfunction.

"Have faith in the Pfizer vaccine. Don't forget they make Viagra," read the cheeky message printed on a white paper. It added, "If they can raise the dead ... They can save the living." Tina wrote in the caption, "Ain't that the truth Ruth!!" and gave a shout-out to @maggylathan who likely originally posted the picture.

Many found Tina's post funny, with one commenting, "OMG" while adding a shocked face and several laughing emojis. Another jokingly told the fashion designer, "Ms. Tina...put the phone down, please." A third one reacted, "Lol, I'll just check out everybody else's reactions since it typically takes about 5 years to create a vaccine for antivirus... But yes ma'am."

Some others, however, are still not convinced to take the vaccine. "Still not buying it momma T," one person insisted. Another pointed out, "And the Viagra don't help every man either she left that out." Someone else claimed, "And they both stops the heart."

Prior to urging Americans to get inoculated, Tina teamed up with her daughter Beyonce to help fund COVID testing facilities in Houston. They provided 1,000 testing kits and protective gear such as face masks and gloves to participants in May 2020.

Through the star's BeyGOOD organization, they also initiated the #IDidMyPart campaign, which encourages black communities to prioritize their health amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "We are all in this together. But we have to look at what is happening in our Black and Brown communities and how they are being decimated by COVID-19," Tina said in a statement at the time.

She added, "It is critical that we stay vigilant with social distancing, wearing a mask, and most of all getting tested. If you don't get tested then you don't know if you are a carrier of the virus. Being asymptomatic is how you infect your entire household and those around you, the very people you love. We have got to go to these free testing facilities and find out our status."
Instagram Celebrity

While she vows that she 'will always love and support' the 'Coming 2 America' star, Mizz Rada hints that she separated from the funnyman because she was 'lied to' by him.

May 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Michael Blackson is single again. The comedian has broken up with his girlfriend Mizz Rada, who wasted no time to let everyone know that she is back on the market while offering an explanation as to why their romance came to end.

Making use of her Instagram page, Rada gave her followers and Blackson's fans an update on the status of their relationship on Sunday, May 16. "IG friends, I'm posting because I feel like you all have supported us even though this is my page," she began her statement which accompanied a picture of her and her ex-boyfriend during their happier time together. "I see his haters spilled over and every time I'm on live or I post something, there is always mention of him."

While raving about their moments together, the hip-hop model threw a jab at Blackson as she wrote, "It has been a great ride.....although I love him to death, he has internal issues that he needs to work on." She went on hinting that she called it quits with him because she was "lied to."

"I am an easy person to deal with but I will not be lied to," she further stressed. Still, she promised to remain amicable with her ex as adding, "I will always love and support him with all my heart......it's time for me to move on and love him from afar. Enjoy the Gold Coast....my side beeches and I are moving on #takecare ...."

Blackson himself has not addressed his split from Rada. Their breakup report came just a day after the Ghanaian-American comedian announced his intent to run for president in his homeland in 2024. "I'm going to clean up my act and run for president of Ghana in 4 yrs. No joke. I'm too passionate about my people. Who will vote for me? Let me know now so I won't waste my time," he first announced on Twitter on Saturday.

Posting a screenshot of his tweet on Instagram, the 48-year-old added in the caption, "In a year I'll be canceling TT Tuesday, Twerking Thursday, camel toe Friday and loose coochie Saturdays. Laugh now but I promise I saw a vision today. #MichaelKojoBediakoBlackson for president #2024."
Updated 1:20 p.m. Saturday, May 22, 2021 - Officials from Thermalito's Union Elementary School District have released information concerning reports of a student overdose situation that occurred in their Butte County school district more than a week ago.

Action News Now has been working to get the information on what occurred since last week.

On Sunday Action News Now received a copy of a message that was sent to parents by Union Elementary School District Superintendent Greg Blake. It was dated Friday, May 21, 2021, and says the following:

"Hello Thermalito School Community. You may have heard about an incident that occurred last Friday at Heritage Community Day School on the Nelson Avenue Middle School Campus. this is what we can share with you.

One student brought edibles to campus. Law enforcement has told us that they were marijuana (THC) edibles and did not contain Fentanyl, as has been rumored. The student consumed too many of the edibles and presented medical conditions that, out of an abundance of caution, prompted us to call 9-1-1. The student had previously identified a second student who had also consumed the same edibles. The second student started to present similar but less severe symptoms. Again, out of an abundance of caution we called an ambulance. Two other students were initially identified but did not actually consume the edibles. Both students who were transported to the hospital were discharged and released to their families that evening.

Follow up for all other Nelson and Heritage students was in place on Monday with our Thermalito counselors and additional counselors from outside agencies. Any and all students were encouraged to talk with the counselors.

We pride ourselves on providing safe environments for our students here on our campuses and we are working cooperatively with law enforcement in an ongoing investigation. Additionally, we are planning activities and outreach with our counselors to educate and guide our students to make well thought out decisions.

We commend the staff at Nelson and Heritage for their quick response and exceptional commitment to the safety and well being of their students."

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OROVILLE, Calif. - The Oroville Police Department is investigating a student drug overdose at Nelson Avenue Middle School.

"This should be talked about, it needs to be talked about with these kids, said Crystal Loomis, a parent at Nelson Avenue Middle School.

Parents at the middle school are on edge following a drug scare that sent kids at Nelson Avenue Middle to the hospital on Friday, May 14.

"Where is this coming from?" questioned Loomis. "Who's making it? Who is giving it to the kids? Are the teenagers making it? I have questions."

Loomis is using this as a learning lesson, and talking with her kids about the danger of drugs.

"You can't take a piece of gum or a skittle from one of your friends and that bothers me, said Loomis. I hope it bothers everybody."

Principal Rochelle Simmons has worked at the school for eight years, and has never seen anything like this happen before.

"We are looking forward to getting to the root of the problem, so that students know when they come to school they can be safe, said Simmons. That is what we pride ourselves on."

Simmons could not tell Action News Now how many students were involved, or what they were exposed to just yet.

Loomis and other parents said they learned about the students overdosing and going to the hospital through a Facebook post.

"I pray for the families and those kids, said Loomis. I just hope we can get the drugs off the street before it gets too worse."

The school did have counselors on campus today to talk with students that needed it.

Rumors just explode over Facebook, said Simmons. We are just offering them a safe space for them to come with the counselors and just have the community build with each other.

The students are all back home as of Monday, May 17.

Action News Now is still working to learn more about what drugs were involved.

This is a developing story. Action News Now will keep you updated with new information on-air and online.
REDDING, Calif. - Frustrated parents in Shasta County are calling for local schools to relax mask rules for kids.

Dozens of people lined up out here are demanding schools to lift the mask mandate.

Parents, grandparents, kids, and community members came out to make sure their schools heard their concerns.

The message, they don't want their kids to wear masks at school anymore.

Many say they are concerned about the health impacts and psychological impacts that mask wearing is causing.

Parent, Rebecca Walker says she's part of the group "Informed Parents of California" and says other counties across the state held their own rallies on Monday as well and she helped organize the one in Shasta County.

Among the parents attending the rally was Kimberly Pullen.

She tells Action News Now she pulled her daughter Bella out of public school because she disagreed with the mask mandate.

I don't want her to be told what to do and what to wear on her body. It's her body it's her choice and as her advocate, I have to step up and speak for her which is why all these parents and grandparents are here, said Pullen.

As my mom said, its my body no one can tell me what to do with it it's really weird to be told what to do, I dont believe in it and it's just hard knowing my friends have to do it at school. Its sad, said Bella.

Pullen says if schools lift the mask mandate and kids can attend classes regularly again she will send her daughter back to school in-person.

Officials with the Shasta County Public Health department tell me that they are simply following the guidance from the state when it comes to requiring masks indoors.

Action News Now reached out to school officials with The Shasta County Office of Education but they declined to comment on the rally.

School officials in Shasta County will hold their regular school board meeting on June 23.
Good morning, Chicago. Yesterday we saw some positive news on the coronavirus front. Illinois recorded under 1,000 daily cases of COVID-19 for the first time since mid-March, with 946 new cases. Officials also reported that six Illinoisans died from the coronavirus, which is the lowest number since the end of March. Vaccination numbers, on the other hand, have continued to decline with 32,253 doses of the vaccine administered statewide Sunday.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Authorities say someone has opened fire on a party bus on a San Francisco Bay Area freeway, killing two women and wounding at least three others.

The East Bay Times reports that the passengers were celebrating a woman's 21st birthday early Tuesday when the bus was attacked as it was returning to Oakland from San Francisco.

Dozens of rounds were fired at the party bus.

The California Highway Patrol says "it does not appear this shooting was a random event."

Relatives told the newspaper that one of the women killed was a 19-year-old Stockton resident.
In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, where companies are no longer undertaking on ground events for their brand awareness or activations. Club FM, Keralas No 1 radio station undertook the initiative to conduct first of its kind online Bharatanatyam dance competitionMathrubhumi Nadanam Shobanam for its listeners and supporters. The events logo was unveiled by heart throb young Gen molly wood actor Dulquer Salman . The famous dancer and actress Shobana was the brand ambassador of the competition.

The dance competition was divided in 2 main categories as per age group of 16-23 yrs., 24-32yrs, and invited dancers across India to recreate a dance performance from Shobanas reels in her Instagram account @shobana_danseuse. The event received over 1000 entries out of which only 65 entries were shortlisted by the actress. The shortlisted contestants were also given the opportunity to interact with Shobana through a virtual zoom workshop where she gave first hand expertise on Bharatanatyam dance forms through a short performance. The contestants were also given separate cash prizes for each age group consisting of a sum of Rs 25,000 each for winners and Rs 15,000 each for runners up, in addition, the winners & finalists will be given an opportunity to perform in a video with shobana which is yet to be finalized.

The activity is a testament to the power of Radio as a medium and the amazing engagement that we drive with our listeners, which in turn benefits advertisers. The sponsors of Mathurbhumi Nadanam Shobanam included Swayamvara, Joyalukkas, Pittapillil, Esaf, Ocean, Truecoat, Ponkathir & Hyundai.

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As part of our series on PR Conversation, we at Adgully are speaking to some of the industry leaders from both PR agencies and the corporate communications world about how PR as a business and communication tool has evolved and grown over the years. In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media in a big way. While the PR business has grown, some of the challenges that the industry is facing have also multiplied as clients are becoming more demanding and are expecting their consultants to be on their toes to manage their brand reputation, as news today travels fast and clients are expecting quick response and action in case of a crisis situation.

In conversation with Adgully, Sukanya Chakraborty, Head  Corporate Communications & CSR, VFS Global, speaks at length about the shifts in the communications industry, how companies are adopting an empathy-first approach in the pandemic times, the growing power of digital platforms and much more.

How has PR evolved in the last 10 years? Going forward how will the Industry shape up as the dynamics of the PR will keep changing with digital transformation?



The operating environment for communication & PR professionals has changed in the last decade. There have been significant changes in the media landscape; where traditional print media was once king, social and digital platforms have become consumers top choice for information consumption, facilitated by the rapid advancement of technology and mobile-first consumer behaviour. Whereas top-down communication pushed out by corporates meant that they were in control of pace and content, todays 24/7 news-cycle and the decentralisation of content creation means that communication professionals must monitor news in real time and respond quickly to potential crisis, no matter big or small. This shift in the operating environment has added layers of complexity to the communicators role.

The online medium has expanded the ability of audiences to access everything in real time. The upside is, this also gives communicators a much larger number of channels with which to engage consumers and develop a brand image that suits the sensibilities of multiple consumer cohorts, across platforms.

Another shift for communicators has been the accuracy and detail with which they can now measure their campaign results. Whether it is an article in a traditional publication or a social media campaign  the sheer amount of data available to measure the reach, readership, website traffic, and engagement, gives the ability to develop and execute strategies more effectively with a near-precise RoI. Going forward, we will only experience increased powers of the digital medium, its reach and insights that will push brands to communicate in a customizable yet integrated manner. The future of communications depends on how we manage to be dynamic enough to engage with the consumer how, when and where they want it.

Big corporates and MNCS are very particular in preserving and maintaining their reputation. In todays world where pandemic has disrupted the world how are companies managing their reputation?



Given the completely out-of-ordinary times that we have had since March 2020, the way brands interact with their audiences has undergone a significant remodelling, forcing companies to take a more proactive, and holistic view (involving all aspects of business) to crisis communication. Irrespective of the industry, business function and sector  companies have had to adapt to a new playbook of reputation management, dictated by the new sensitivities of the world we live in.

One of the most significant shifts has been companies adopting an empathy-first approach. Knowing the panic that ensued right after the first wave that hit early last year, companies are ensuring that they understand the consumers anxiety and build their optimism and confidence towards the future. Sensitising stakeholders about impending events and arming them with the right information that helps make right decisions, goes a long way in building confidence in the organisation, and keeping the brand at the top of consumers minds as a trustworthy name.

Corporates are also banking on a more holistic approach to reputation management to ensure that the brand can reach its stakeholders across demographics and geographies through a centralised identity. Brand communications are now putting the stakeholder needs and relationships at the front and center of their focus  with low priority to new launches or business announcements. A companys reputation reflected in the voices and advocacy of their consumers is what will build and sustain a stronger, reliable and more empathetic brand image, irrespective of the crisis at hand.



Managing crisis communication is a challenge and it comes with years of experience. Can you share one or two interesting examples where a reputed organisation successfully managed the crisis?



Most companies are no stranger to crisis-management, but the COVID-19 crisis is one that none of us were ever prepared for. Whatever crisis playbooks existed before 2020, looked irrelevant during the pandemic. All through the past year, brands have adapted their crisis management and communications strategies to accommodate the unpredictable circumstances.

There are enough examples of how brands engaged with their audience segments and the world-at-large during the Covid crisis. Barring a few ill-timed communications, most brands changed their tone and narrative to suit the times and did it well by not force-fitting themselves. The connect had to be purposeful. Many known brands had socially relevant messages out there. The clear communication plan and empathetic approach spoke volumes about the priorities of such companies making them in the list of socially responsible brands. Some that come to my mind are Nike, McDonalds, Ikea, Ford, Amazon, Swiggy, Ola, Amul, Fevicol, among others.

For us, as the travel eco-system grappled with drastic changes, slowdowns and even shutdowns, it became more important than ever to keep consumers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders apprised of all developments. This, however, needed to be done in a way that was both transparent and reassuring- the kind that could help reinstate the faith to #TravelAgain. The first step of communication was to inform and educate customers about the suspension or resuming of visa services, and how operations would progress during the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Given VFS Globals network across 140+ countries and serving 60+ governments, this was no mean task, given the speed at which information was required to be communicated for each stakeholder in various countries. Empathy-Engage-Educate became our communication approach. From #Covid19FaqSeries that had all probable questions related to visa applications answered, to #SafetyFirst highlighting all the health & hygiene measures in our centres, #SafeTravels that spoke about measures people can follow during trips, #DoNotFallForFraud that advised people to beware of scamsters and #TravelAgain that was aimed to keep the spirit of wanderlust alive even though it was time to #FlattentheCurve and #StayHome. All these were campaigns run throughout the length of the past year, and still continue, as we engage proactively with audiences.

Digital has become a powerful communication tool and managing online reputation is a challenge as the medium is dynamic as news travels fast. How is your company geared to manage the online reputation to project a positive image and strengthen the brand equity?



The power of digital platforms has been only increasing and brands cannot ignore its importance in the communication strategy. For us at VFS Global, being the worlds largest outsourcing partner for governments, we need to have a clear approach to increase brand affinity, promote thought leadership and boost employee engagement adopting a well-defined content and channel specific strategy. From educating consumers about the visa application process, keeping them aware about constantly changing visa and travel advisories, sensitising them on data privacy, building awareness on our optional services to enhance the application submission experience, weaving in employee stories, thanking happy customers, besides of course, having a dedicated team to manage customer issues, we ensure to keep the information up-to-date and relevant.

During pandemic times, when traditional PR took a backseat, social media was an important platform for us to reach out to our audiences. Our social media handles were active 24X7, becoming the one-stop-shop for people looking out for credible information. From the lockdown to the restart period, we saw an unprecedented rise on 350% in customer interaction volume as against the pre-COVID 19 period. Our global follower base doubled in 2020 and our efforts of providing real-time information helped us increase the level of trust among our audiences.

We all speak about external communication, but equally important is internal communication. What process and framework do you follow to stay engaged with your internal stakeholders and employees to manage the reputation of your company on an ongoing basis?

Companies today have realised the importance and value of a structured approach to internal communications. Just as we do with our external audiences, it was equally important for us to keep our employees abreast of all company and industry-related developments.

At VFS Global, we believe internal communication is a critical element of creating a highly successful and engaged organisation. We believe employees are the ambassadors and important stakeholders. Today, with nearly everyone having a social media presence, every single employee becomes an ambassador of sorts of the company. Employees have friends, relatives, or followers with whom they constantly communicateand, in this case, they become brand representatives. The more aware and clear the employees are of the brand values, the more likely they are to demonstrate it in their actions while engaging with the external stakeholders, especially the customers.

Our overarching objectives of communicating effectively with our employees aims to:

Promote employee inclusion, engagement and empowerment by ensuring right information is available to the right people at the right time Strengthen the culture by enhancing awareness and understanding of organisational priorities Build transparency within the organization by improved leadership engagement.

In todays complex world, cross-cultural communication at a global level is a challenge. One has to manage different geographies in different languages. So, what are the challenges you face here and what is the process you follow to have communication that is meaningful and sensitive across cultures?



At VFS Global, we work across over 140 countries. This means we have a diverse workforce of over 118 nationalities, making it extremely important for us to keep them engaged with their global counterparts for efficient implementation of standard global protocols. Our employees bring in diversity in culture, experience, knowledge, opinion, and background that supports creativity and innovation, and especially in the current environment, has helped us serve the evolving needs of customers around the world with greater sensitivity.

While diversity is one of our biggest source of innovation, the multicultural nature of the workforce does pose barriers in language, geographical distance or time difference, and differences in perceptions. We address this by ensuring consistency in the messaging and tone of the overall communication within the company.

To start with, we make sure each and every communication created or designed is agnostic from regional, political or social sensitivities. Regional communication is further customised keeping in mind every employees culture, sentiments and language. In certain regions, we tailor the communication to include messages in the native language in addition to English. Further, catering to the millennials, who make up a significant section of our employee base, we have to constantly keep exploring ways and channels of communicating effectively. We try to do this by ensuring the communication is appealing, and the activity is fun and engaging.

For VFS Global, our very demographic make-up is a manifestation of our pledge of diversity. It is the essence of a healthy, entrepreneurial organisation, and our diverse culture is an important driver of our success.
Many people in India are battling COVID today, while others are taking the necessary precautions in anticipation of a third wave. In this scenario, HIFI Digital&Mad Influence, Indias leading influencer marketing platform, has partnered with the Isha Foundation to help the villagers of India battle COVID-19. The Instagram live stream had been hosted by Mr. Sachin Gupta, a renowned Music Director in the Hindi film industry.

The people in the villages of India are the backbone of many industries. Everything from farming to transportation to security could be adversely affected if one does not take the necessary steps to ensure the safety, protection and well-being of villagers of this nation. By taking a step for them, we are actually helping ourselves by ensuring that we have healthy manpower to keep the most important industries in this country running smoothly. So, helping villagers in India combat COVID is not just about helping them, it is about helping them help us.

To that end,Mad Influence, along with many other companies, celebrities and influencers, has launched an initiative called the #DonateForRuralCause campaign. It is a fundraiser initiative to help villagers in India combat the Coronavirus. This will be done via an Instagram live, where 100% of the funds raised will go to the Isha Foundation. Along with Mad Influence, other notable names associated with this cause are Mr. Sachin Gupta, Sociohuband HIFI Digital. The celebrities associating themselves with the cause are Shaan, Rituraj, Komal Nahta, Hansraj, Kanika Mann, MJ5, Bhavin, JanakBhanushali,GautamMadhavan, Aadil, Tejas, Ishpreet, Shibani Kashyap, Sneha Dube, Vishal, Sanyam, Jaspreet, Aishwarya Pandit, Dr. Sneha Jhaveri, Varun Mehta and ShalmaliKholgade.

Mr. Gautam Madhavan, Founder & C.E.O. of Mad Influencers was very happy to express his association with this cause I am extremely happy and proud to be a part of such a noble cause. Just the idea that our combined efforts can actually make a real difference in peoples lives, and lives of people in the villages of our country no less, its a truly amazing feeling. It is about time we took a step to help the people in our villages to combat COVID-19 the proper way. With the proper infrastructure from beds, oxygen, food and water to medicines that everyone so desperately needs. I earnestly look forward to this event and I hope that it can help the maximum number of people possible through Isha Foundation.

Speaking on this virtual event, Mr. JanakBhanushali, CEO at HIFI Digital Advertisingsaid As an influencer agency, we wanted to create a medium for our influencers wherein they can happily contribute their part to support nation through this campaign. And, I am honored to be a part of something that is helping the villagers of this country. They are the base, the root which helps everyone else in this country stand tall and strong. So it is extremely important that we make sure that our roots always stay healthy, safe and strong. At the end of the day, it is not just about providing oxygen, medicines, food and beds. Yes, they are extremely important things that all of us need, but I think, just a little more importantly, it is about the heart behind it all. Something that motivates us to be inclusive, come together and help each and every one to be stronger, healthier and safer to help India fight this virus."

Talking about the time and dedication celebrities and influencers across the country have given to such a selfless cause, a spokesperson from the Isha Foundation said The generosity of people of such note and celebrity coming together and giving so much of their time for an initiative like #DonateForRuralCause is truly amazing. I sincerely hope the funds go to the people who need it, as many people as possible, and that it inspires other people who are fortunate enough to do help others combat this pandemic to do all that they can.
THE MINIMALIST - a Mumbai based creative solutions group having presence in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR today celebrates its 6th Anniversary. The agency which started as a team of two people is today a strong team of 150+ people across offices. Having grown by leaps and bounds, they are now spreading their offering in the global markets.

With global presence in USA, Dubai, Mauritius, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Maldives, Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Australia through its clients, the agency looks forward to spreading its wings in various other countries.

On the occasion of its 6th Anniversary, THE MINIMALIST takes a giant leap forward and has unveiled its new vision for the agency. THE MINIMALIST now aims on being India's most inventive company in the creative business. Having created some out of the box marketing campaigns and design experience, with a holistic approach for brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Airtel, Disney+ Hotstar, HDFC Bank, The Hindu, Saint Gobain, MTV and TATA Capital, they now look forward to exploring uncharted sectors and becoming the trend-setters in the global and local creative space.

THE MINIMALIST has started the year on a high note by already onboarding more than 8 major brands via multi-agency pitches in core business areas of Branding and Communications, Digital Solutions and UX Designing and Consulting.

Keeping the current pandemic situation of the country in mind, rather than having grand celebrations, the agency is supporting its team and their families by extending financial aid, as and when required, and prioritizing their mental health via online sessions. The founders have been more than welcoming while lending an empathetic ear whenever the employees are in the need for some support. Along with this, the company is also lending support via charity to people outside the organisation.

Speaking on the 6th Anniversary, Sahil Vaidya, Co-Founder, The Minimalist, said, Our journey of six years has been full of opportunities, breathing in a lot of innovative approaches and uninterrupted learning. We are and always will be an organization that seeks to create thought-provoking work globally. With our accomplished clientele, invaluable experiences in hand and a new vision in mind, we look forward to pulling out all the stops to create a distinctive space in terms of innovative thinking and providing curated solutions.

Chirag Gander, Co-Founder, The Minimalist said, This anniversary is an extra special one as we have survived a challenging year. Our new vision is on offering INVENTIVENESS is not just a word on the wall but a way of life at THE MINIMALIST. This inventiveness will define what we are to achieve in the coming years and we aspire to be India's most inventive company in the creative business."

I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of our journey in any small or big way, and made us what we are today, he further added.

The Minimalist was started by Chirag Gander and Sahil Vaidya in the year 2015 and offers services in the area of Integrated Marketing (Digital + Traditional) and Experience Design & Technology.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 20.04.2021 - Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, received the Foreign Minister of Belarus, Uladzimir Makei, on a courtesy visit to Bern on 20 April 2021. Their talks focused on the current situation in Belarus and the case of Natallia Hersche, a Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen who is currently serving a prison term.

In a one-on-one meeting with Mr Makei, Mr Cassis expressed Switzerland's concern about the continued problematic human rights situation in Belarus: "Switzerland's position is clear: Fundamental rights must be guaranteed and serious human rights violations must be prosecuted in Belarus," said Cassis. He also called for the release of all arbitrarily detained persons.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the case of the imprisoned Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen Natallia Hersche. She is under Swiss consular protection, and the Swiss ambassador in Minsk has so far been allowed to visit her on eight occasions. Ms Hersche was recently sentenced to a two-and-a-half year prison term in Belarus. Switzerland will continue to intercede on Natallia Hersche's behalf under the terms of consular protection.

Mr Cassis and Mr Makei also discussed the current tensions in eastern Ukraine.

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Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

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This would require Israel to change its military doctrine toward Hamas. Out would be the approach of periodically degrading the groups military capabilities through targeted strikes. In would be a strategy calling for a full-scale land invasion and reoccupation of the strip in order to defend the Israeli heartland from Hamas missiles. The casualty count in the next war would be multiples of what it is today.
Producers have been planting soybeans across most regions in the state for many years now, so research centers followed suit with soybean trials to help their production.

Even in western North Dakota, agronomists have been conducting soybean production trials.

With the large amount of data available from across the state on soybeans, we had the opportunity to re-evaluate the current soybean planting rate and row spacing recommendations, said Greg Endres, NDSU Extension cropping systems specialist at Carrington Research Extension Center.

Endres worked with Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension agronomist, at NDSUs Plant Sciences Department, on the data compilations and the new guidelines.

We were surprised that the new numbers actually come close to what we have recommended in the past, he said.

NDSUs long-term recommendation has been to establish 150,000 plants per acre across row spacings.

In the past, there hasnt been any differences noted between what producers in the eastern half of the state should use for a planting rate versus what producers in the western half of the state should use for a planting rate for optimum yield.

This publication is the first to give separate guidelines on soybeans for the eastern and the western regions.

We wanted to provide a more precise guide for establishing soybean stands, using seed yield response data among regions in the state, based on the combination of planting rates and row spacings, Endres said.

The new planting rates guidelines are:
After a week that saw grain markets surge, early indicators are for another week of good prices.

Grain prices were up double digits across the board to open the week of April 26, which fits with the markets plan to encourage more acres and boost up supply, according to Don Roose, analyst with U.S. Commodities in West Des Moines, Iowa. High prices will lead to more crops planted, while also limiting the number of buyers who are willing to pay such high prices.

We need to buy the right amount of acres, Roose said. We need to slow down demand, in other words, ration demand.

Roose said the second corn crop in Brazil has also been a major concern, adding fuel to the price jumps. Drought has been prevalent in South America for nearly seven weeks, right in the critical pollination stage, which will limit yields overall.

Its one of the worst times to be dry and stay dry, Roose said. Trade is fearful the world supplies are going to tighten up and you are going to have to get the corn from some place.

With limited corn, Roose said wheat is likely the substitute in the market, which has led to continued gains in those markets as well.

As prices continue to rise, farmers may be more encouraged to add acres. However, until planting is finished, the market will try to find ways to create incentives for additional crop, putting prices at historic highs.

We are trying to do everything to slow down the demand on old crop, Roose said. Weve got from now until the first of September to slow down usage and three to four weeks to buy the acres we need. The markets are not kidding around anymore. They are trying to get this done right now.
While the 2020-21 school year has been rough on students of all ages, it has been particular
https://www.aish.com/jw/me/Appropriating-Apartheid-to-Bash-Israel.html

Human Rights Watch traduces the sacred memories of South African victims.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of apartheid. Yet in making the accusation in an April 27 report, the group brazenly acknowledges that it has detached the term apartheid from its original South African context.

This is immoral. Apartheid has a sacred historical meaning, sanctified by the blood and suffering of millions of South Africans who were oppressed and discriminated against on the basis of race. In appropriating the word, Human Rights Watch presents a grotesquely distorted picture of both South African history and the current reality in Israel.

Apartheid was a state-enforced national system of racial discrimination that manifested in a slew of oppressive laws aimed at obliterating the human rights of an entire race  among them the Population Registration Act, the Group Areas Act, and the Separate Amenities Act. Black South Africans were denied the vote and equality before the law until 1994.

In contrast, within the borders of the state of Israel, all citizens  Jews, Arabs or otherwise  have the right to vote and complete equality before the law. They participate side by side in elections, and Israeli Arabs hold high-ranking positions throughout the Israeli government, including the Knesset and the Supreme Court. After the recent election, an Arab-led party holds the balance of power in the Knesset, and it was an Arab judge that convicted former Israeli president Moshe Katzav.

There is a continuing and bitter dispute around establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, which arent legally part of Israel. The Palestinian leadership has consistently rejected concerted efforts to create a separate Palestinian state in these territories, from the United Nations partition plan in 1947 to Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts offer in 2006. Successive Israeli governments have demonstrated that they are willing to pay a huge price for a lasting two-state solution. Israeli overtures have been met with terrorist attacks, rockets and mortars.

No one who truly understands the systematic racism and denial of basic human rights that made apartheid infamous could, with any integrity, apply the term to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  a complex political, religious and cultural dispute concerning national identities.

So why the lie? Because Human Rights Watch seeks to delegitimize Israel, to portray it falsely as a state founded on the cardinal sin of racism, thereby denying it the moral right to exist.

The irony is that this itself is a form of prejudice. Unjustly applying the apartheid canard to the Jewish state falls squarely within the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, which includes claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

There can be no greater desecration of the memory of the victims of apartheid than ripping the word out of South African soil, detaching it from its original meaning, and weaponizing it in the cause of another form of bigotry.

This op-ed originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Living-in-Iran-Made-me-a-Lifelong-Zionist.html

Growing up in a country that tried its hardest to teach me to hate everything about my Judaism and Israel made my resolve even stronger.

Growing up in Iran in the 1980s, I was used to seeing the images of war and fighting. The young, zealous regime had a burning desire to cast their demons on the lives of all Iranian citizens.

Iran was a very dangerous place during 1981-1985; the regime was even more brutal than it is today. In those early days, the revolutionary guard exercised considerably more power than it does today. Their lack of confidence about their power propelled them to know no bounds and to ensure that no crimes, perceived or real, crime, went unpunished. Simply going out in public became an exercise in self-awareness and worry. You suddenly had to be worried about what you wore, who you were with and where you were going. Survival consumed peoples every day actions.

All of your actions were under close scrutiny and possible for punishment. Survival became the focus of many peoples lives, just making it through one more day. A wrong glance at a revolutionary guard could send one to jail, never to be heard from again. Educated, well-read people were a constant target, because nothing is more dangerous than a free-thinking mind.

We learned to keep our Judaism tucked away, close to our hearts and behind closed doors.

Books and magazine were taken away in large numbers and burned. Western ideologies were shunned as the Imams closed the country to the outside world. Jews were especially in danger. Several well-known Jewish figures were executed. Mr. Habib Elgahnian, a philanthropist and Jewish community leader was executed 40 years ago. A dear friend of my familys, a woman who owned a salon, was taken from her place of business and executed overnight. Her family heard about her death the next morning over the radio.

We learned to keep our Judaism tucked away, close to our hearts and behind closed doors. I knew at the young age what was acceptable and safe to say in public and what would hurt your family in an instant. On the evening news, accounts from the outside world always included images of Palestinian children throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, and their triumphs were widely celebrated. The children were gallantly dubbed as heroes and praised for their fearless acts of defiance against the tyrant regime that was Israel.

I came to view Israel as a war-stricken country, constant fighting in its street, rampant lawlessness.

The narrative my parents told us was vastly different than the official voice emanating from the newscaster. I grew up seeing each rock as an attack on the very existence of the young Jewish nation, each stone a dagger into the hearts of all Jews across the world. I listened to the voices of the announcer, but only heard the prejudice and the one-sided way in which my beloved Israel was portrayed.

Oddly enough, living in Iran made me a lifelong Zionist. In a country that showed no mercy for anyone who didnt fit the mold that the imams laid out, I learned to dig through empty words and search for my own truth.

Growing up in a country that tried its hardest to teach me to hate everything about my Judaism and the only Jewish country in the world made my resolve even stronger. I dreamt of the day that I could have the privilege to visit the place that I had only seen on my small television screen, feelings its pain, crying for its hurt.

When I finally landed for the first time in Israel in 1997 for the summer, I crouched on the land of Ben Gurion airport and kissed the ground, with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart. I saw a land filled with beauty and peace, and a people who had transformed a barren desert and filled it with democracy, tolerance and honesty. I saw with my eyes what my parents had told me.

Watching Hamas recent barrage of rockets attack Israeli towns, I wonder once again if the world sees the narrative that I hear in my minds eye. Seeing Israeli children sleep on the stairs, seeking a hideout from the rain of bombs, is truly heartbreaking. Their trauma will haunt them for years to come.

Terror never brings peace and hate cannot create unity. May we unite our voices in prayer for complete peace in Israel with her neighbors and stop all bloodshed.
An inspiring true story on the power of giving.

One evening in the summer of 2015, David Birnbaum was pulling into his driveway in Monsey, New York. Sari Bryk, the 7-year-old girl who lived next door, was sitting on the curb next to the driveway. David didnt see her. His two-ton SUV hit Sari and he immediately heard her screams. He jumped out of his car and called Hatzalah, the Jewish volunteer emergency medical service.

In less than a minute, Judah Hoffman was there in his ambulance. He quickly placed Sari on a stretcher, lifted her into the ambulance and raced to the hospital. Judah arrived at the hospital within 17 minutes. Sari underwent numerous medical procedures. Both of her legs were broken but thank God she was going to be okay.

That night, Judah found it hard to sleep. He could not stop thinking about bringing little Sari to the hospital. He thought back to the reason he had become a Hatzalah member in the first place. He, too, had been in a terrible accident. Judah grew up in Flatbush. When he was 11, he was walking home from school when a pickup truck sped around the corner and hit him. A woman named Miriam Bryk saw it happen and ran down the block into the office of Dr. Marvin Bess, a well-known pediatrician in the area. She shouted for him to come right away. While others called Judahs parents, Dr. Bess accompanied him to Beth-El hospital where they saved his life.

Now, 34 years later, a sudden thought crossed Judahs mind. The woman who ran for Dr. Bess to save him was Miriam Bryk. The little girls last name is also Bryk. Is it possible that they are related?

The nest morning, Judah made some phone calls and discovered the extraordinary Divine orchestration of events. Sari, the girl he helped save, was the granddaughter of the woman who helped save his life more than three decades earlier.

The Hebrew word used in the Torah that instructs us to give or take care of others, is the word Venatnu. Venatnu is a palindrome. It can be read the same way forward and backward.

The Torah is teaching us that any time a person gives to another  whether it's one's time, attention, encouragement, financial assistance  it will return to him.

Giving is cyclical. In the end it will come back, you just never know how. Judah had paid back a noble deed and hadnt even realized it. He saved the granddaughter of the woman had saved him.

During these difficult times in Israel and around the world, let us search for opportunities to help others in need and care for those around us. May the merit of our acts of kindness bring healing and blessing to the world.
Alabama remains near the bottom in the United States for COVID-19 vaccinations, and vaccine rates here are plummeting.

As of Monday morning, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Alabama had fully vaccinated 35.2 percent of its adult population. That was the second worst mark in the country.

[Cant see the map? Click here.]

Only Mississippi had fully vaccinated a smaller percentage of its adult population than Alabama. Just 33.5 percent of adults there had completed a vaccine series as of Monday.

Alabama was third in the nation for percent of population 18 years old and older who have gotten at least one dose of a vaccine - ahead of Mississippi and Louisiana. Just over 44.2 percent of Alabama adults have had at least one shot.

But vaccine rates are slowing dramatically.

Alabama hit a peak of around 40,400 vaccine doses administered every weekday in mid-April. As of last Friday, May 14, that number had fallen, plunging to less than 17,000 doses administered per weekday.

[Cant see the chart? Click here.]

Thats a decline of nearly 60 percent in just one month. The state reported just under 13,800 new shots given on Friday, the lowest on any weekday since Feb. 16, when much of the state was essentially shut down due to winter weather. Before that, the last time Alabama had given this few vaccines was Jan. 15.

Despite slowing vaccination rates, new coronavirus cases in Alabama appear to be low. ADPH has reported a number of backlogs in recent days, raising case counts. Since the start of May, ADPH has reported at least four significant backlogs. The most recent of those helped raise the states 7-day average for new reported cases up over 1,000 for the first time since another large backlog in mid-March.

Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories here.
The Alabama man who carried out a 2017 standoff with authorities from inside a Columbia bank has been found guilty on 10 counts of aggravated kidnapping.

Armed with a machete, Douglas Roberts Roach of Cherokee, Ala., took 10 people hostage inside Columbias Community First Bank & Trust on Friday, Sept. 23, 2017.

Four years later, the determination was made by a local jury in Columbias circuit court. Roach, represented by Columbia attorney L. Samuel Patterson, was prosecuted by the state led by Chief Deputy District Attorney Caleb Bayless.

The jurys ruling last Friday followed four days of testimony and deliberation.

The 53-year-old burst into the bank located along South James Campbell Blvd at 2:30 p.m. before responding police closed both sides of the four-lane thoroughfare as the standoff took place, the Columbia Police Department said at the time of the incident.

Columbias SWAT team was dispatched and snipers were strategically placed surrounding the building, joining patrol officers and members of the Maury County Sheriffs Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for a nine-hour standoff.

The road then reopened when authorities determined there were no firearms in the building.

As the day progressed, the 10 hostages were released by Roach without injury until he was the last remaining individual in the building. By 5 p.m., four hostages were released by Roach following negotiations. The remaining six where then released before 7 p.m.

Roach then exited the building at approximately 11:30 p.m. where he was tackled and detained by officers from the Columbia Police Department.

Video captured by witnesses at the scene showed Roach as he stood at the front entrance of the bank as police shouted for him to get on the ground.

Still standing, Roach was tackled by a group of officers followed by an eruption of cheers and applause from the spectators, who had gathered at the scene over the course of the day.

He was booked into the Maury County Jail facing 10 counts of aggravated assault and 10 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping. His bond was set at $750,000.

At the scene, Columbia Police Capt. Jeremy Alsup said there was no indication that robbery was the suspects prime motive, but the authorities did not elaborate on why the bank may have been targeted.

It was determined that Roach had previously been sued by the bank for defaulting on a loan, according to information shared by the Columbia Police Department.

Following his arrest, Roach said he had no intention of robbing the bank or harming anyone when he entered the building, instead he said he hoped the day would end with police taking his life.

While taking over the bank, Roach said he informed the hostages that he was there to share his story and would not harm them in any way.

If I wanted to harm anybody I would have taken a gun, Roach told local media. I never flashed a weapon at them. It was always concealed and never exposed.

A grand jury held in October 2017 determined Roach had no intention of harming anyone when he entered the bank dropping the 10 counts of aggravated assault placed on him at the time of his arrest.

Roach will again appear in court for a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 16, 2021.

He faces between 10 to 15 years for each count.

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(c)2021 The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tenn.)

Visit The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tenn.) at www.columbiadailyherald.com

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Alabama students have more ways to keep learning over the summer, even without being in school.

The Alabama Department of Education launched a free Summer Learning Challenge this week, offering children in kindergarten through 12th grade online access to hundreds of thousands of books, along with math exercises and online activities.

State education officials hope parents and families will use the resources to help students get ready for school in August.

To ensure students are fully prepared for their return to in-classroom learning in 2021-22, State Superintendent Eric Mackey said in a news release, we are asking parents and caregivers to consider incorporating fun reading, math, and science skill-building activities into their summer schedules.

This is the ninth year state education officials have offered the challenge, but Assistant State Superintendent Terry Roller said this years offerings have been expanded to help students recover learning lost since COVID first shut down schools in March 2020.

Calling it a fifth quarter of school, Roller said all children statewide can access a full array of opportunities where they not only learn, but have fun, too.

This helps parents create their own learning plan at home, he added.

Students need access to the internet, which has been expanded to more children statewide due to remote learning needs during the school year, and the links to all offerings are available on the state departments website, www.alsde.edu.

Related: You can now apply for $50 a month federal internet discount

Many schools are offering in-person summer learning opportunities, too, particularly for struggling readers in kindergarten through third grade, for free. Some, like Tuscaloosa City schools, offer all summer learning programs at no cost to families.

Summer Adventures in Learning, or SAIL, still has open spots for summer camps, particularly in the Birmingham area, director Jim Wooten told AL.com. SAIL has a proven track record of growth in math and reading skills for children who participate in their programs.

Go to their website, www.sailalabama.org, for more information.

Parents should check with school officials to see what types of learning programs they are offering this summer, Roller said.

The Summer Learning Challenge website also contains a list of summer resources offered by community groups like the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Related: Dont call it summer school: Battling the COVID slide in math, science, reading with summer programs

Related: Alabama district sees overwhelming need for English language summer camp
In the waning hours of the legislative session, the Alabama Legislature has passed a bill to ban curbside voting.

Today is the final day of the 15-week session.

Curbside voting is not practiced in Alabama but became a topic during last years election because of COVID-19 and because of a federal lawsuit over the issue.

The Senate passed the bill 25-6 after voting to cut off debate. Democratic senators were arguing against the bill.

The legislation goes to Gov. Kay Ivey, who can sign it into law.

Republicans support the ban on curbside voting because they say it would jeopardize ballot security to allow people to cast votes from their vehicles rather than having to go inside the polling place. Democrats oppose the bill and say curbside voting has potential as a way to expand voting access.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, is arguing against the bill tonight.

We should be embracing those things that bring people out to the polls, Singleton said.

He suggested Republicans want to pass the bill for political points rather than as a practical matter.

I know this is a good headline, a good sound bite, Singleton said. But at the end of the day this does not help the electoral process in the state of Alabama.

Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Birmingham, disputed that and said the issue was brought to light by the court case and needs to be addressed.

Were not doing anything that would hinder the right to vote, Roberts said. Were ensuring that the vote cast is secure.

Roberts noted that federal law already requires polling places to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The Alabama House passed the bill on a party-line vote two months ago.

Singleton is filibustering to try to block a vote in the Senate tonight.

Last year, some voters and advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging some Alabama voting laws as overly restrictive during the COVID-19 pandemic. A federal judge ruled that counties should be able to offer curbside voting.

Secretary of State John Merrill and Attorney General Steve Marshall appealed. The U.S. Supreme Court granted their request to block the judges ruling from taking effect for the general election last year.

The legislative session has to end by midnight. A bill to allow voters to decide whether to allow a lottery and casinos has not been considered today after stalling on May 6, the last day lawmakers met before today.

A bill to ban hormone treatments and surgeries as transitional therapies for transgender minors has not been considered yet but could before midnight.

Tonights Senate calendar also includes an abortion-related bill. It says if a child is born alive after an attempted abortion the doctor has to provide the same care to keep the child alive as would apply to any other child at birth.

Related: Alabama House passes bill to ban vaccine passports
Who can forget the bridge to nowhere, a proposed span between the Alaska mainland and a tiny island that was home to just 50 people? That $233 million scheme, canceled only after public outcry, was the product of an earmark by the late Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. But most people have forgotten former Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham, R-Calif., who went to prison for taking bribes from defense contractors. It was his ability to earmark some $50 million a year that made lobbyists so eager to befriend him.
A Birmingham man was in stable condition Monday after he jumped Sunday afternoon from the Interstate 65 bridge at the Tennessee River and was pulled from the water by an off-duty deputy.

The 35-year-old man was taken to Huntsville Hospital and is expected to recover, according to Morgan County Sheriffs Office spokesman Mike Swafford.

One of those who assisted the man was Lt. Shane Pullam of the Morgan County Rescue Squad.

I hope that young man understands the good Lord had everyone in the right place at the right time, and it wasnt time for him to go, Pullam said Monday. He said that if Rescue Squad members hadnt already been out on the water at the time, it would have taken more time to reach him.

Swafford said 911 calls came in from passersby on the interstate about a vehicle stopped there at around 12:42 p.m. Sunday. The individual had called his sister and told her what he was planning to do, he said.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officer who was nearby heard the dispatch and headed to the bridge, Swafford said, and found the man on the passenger side of the vehicle, tossing items from it. The officer tried to talk with the man to prevent him from jumping, but he moved away and jumped.

An off-duty Morgan County Sheriffs Office deputy, Cpl. Austin Wiggington, was nearby on the river with his girlfriend and witnessed the jump and they were able to pull the man onto his boat, Swafford said. Swafford said the man jumped at 12:51 p.m., and the deputy pulled him from the water at 12:54.

Wiggington was not available for comment.

Meanwhile, the ( Morgan County) Rescue Squad was out, responding to a boat taking on water, Swafford said.

While two Rescue Squad members were towing that boat, which had two occupants, Pullam was in a boat by himself headed back to a Rescue Squad facility when he heard the call about the man who had jumped. Pullam, who has been with the Rescue Squad for 18 years and been a reserve deputy for about 16 years, said he headed to the scene, advising 911 that Fire & Rescue and First Response were needed for medical care at Riverwalk Marina.

Pullam said he met Wiggington about a half-mile west of the bridge and we transferred (the injured man) from his boat to our Rescue Squad boat. He was conscious and talking, but was in a good bit of pain.

According to Swafford, the bridge is 55.8 feet high and the water is about 28 feet deep. Swafford said the man had some broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and contusions to his head.

From Morgan County 911, Fish & Wildlife, the off-duty deputy and teams from the Rescue Squad and First Response, 11 individuals responded initially in the rescue, Swafford said, and Decatur Fire & Rescue assisted once the man was on land. Rescue Squad Chief Lt. Danny Kelso said the Alabama Marine Police followed the Rescue Squad boat to the marina.

 marian.accardi@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.

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(c)2021 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)

Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
From todays Down in Alabama podcast:

The final day of the 2021 Alabama state legislative session has come and gone. Some of the last bills that passed the Alabama state legislature and are on their way to Gov. Kay Iveys desk for approval include:

On the briefing today well also talk about Alabamians having trouble paying rent and a circuit judge facing some rather odd accusations.

The Down in Alabama podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for Down in Alabama on the device of your choosing. Get this and other AL.com newsletters here.

You can find Down in Alabama in these places:

Spotify podcast page

Alexa skill page on Amazon

Amazon Music podcast page

iTunes podcast page

Google podcast page

YouTube channel
A Massachusetts man who faked his own death after he and a Rhode Island man became the first people in the country to be charged with coronavirus PPP aid fraud has pleaded guilty, the feds announced Monday.

David Staveley of Andover pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court.

The 54-year-old man has been charged with fraudulently seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in forgivable pandemic relief small business loans guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) allowed qualifying small businesses to receive loans to meet payroll costs and mortgage, rent and utility payments.

The feds on Monday said Staveley has admitted he conspired with David Butziger, 53, of Warwick, R.I., to file four fraudulent PPP loan applications with a Rhode Island bank. They falsely claimed they owned businesses with large monthly payrolls when, in fact, they did not own the businesses.

Staveley admitted that he and Sanborn filed fraudulent loan applications seeking $185,570 to pay employees at Top of the Bay restaurant in Warwick; $144,050 at Remington House Inn restaurant in Warwick; $108,777 at On The Trax restaurant in Berlin, Mass.; and $105,381 for employees at Dock Wireless, an unincorporated business.

Remington House Inn and On The Trax were closed at the time the loan applications were submitted, and they remain closed, the feds said. Staveley has no ownership interest in Top of the Bay, while Dock Wireless had no employees and no wages were ever paid by the business.

Last May, Staveley and Butziger became the first people in the nation charged with defrauding the CARES Act PPP.

Three weeks after appearing in federal court and being released to home detention with electronic monitoring, Staveley removed his electronic device and fled, the feds said. Staveley staged his suicide by leaving suicide notes with associates and in his car, which was located by the ocean in Massachusetts. The car was unlocked and his wallet was inside.

The feds determined that between May 26 and July 23, Staveley traveled to various states using false identities and stolen license plates. He was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Georgia last July 23.

Staveley is scheduled to be sentenced this August.

Butziger pleaded guilty last September to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced this June.

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(c)2021 the Boston Herald

Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin presented his proposed 2022 fiscal year budget to the City Council today, offering an optimistic forecast for a return to good economic times.

The proposed budget of $455,517,344 would restore funding to boards and agencies that in many cases was dramatically cut in the 2021 budget.

Everythings brought back to pre-COVID, Woodfin said. Libraries are made whole. Boards and agencies are made whole.

Proposed funding would be restored to 2020 fiscal year budget levels in most cases, he said.

The budget does not use or take into account funding from the American Rescue Plan, in which Birmingham will get a total of $148.8 million by next year as part of the stimulus signed March 11 by President Joe Biden. The city received its first of two installments, $74.41 million, last week.

That money has been put in a different account and will be kept separate from the citys regular operating budget, Woodfin said. That money will be allocated after a review of the federal guidelines for what can be funded with it, he said.

This budget does not include any ARP money, Woodfin said of the proposed operating budget.

The proposed budget includes a cost-of-living adjustment of 1.5 percent for city employees, longevity pay and merit raises. It fully funds the citys annual contribution to the pension for city employees. This budget invests in our people, Woodfin said.

The citys $1 million contribution to Birmingham City Schools in 2020, which was cut from the budget in fiscal 2021, will be restored but will be earmarked, Woodfin said. It will not be a blank check, he said.

Last year, the city adopted a $412 million budget, with drastic cuts to account for $63 million in revenue shortfalls caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

Projections for the rest of this year show the city returning to normal business activity and setting the stage for an economic comeback.

After the fatigue of social distancing over the past 14 months, we believe things will continue to get better, Woodfin said.

Were emerging from a crisis, Woodfin told the City Council this morning as he presented the budget. The council will have a public budget hearing virtually on June 1 at 5:30 p.m.

If approved by the City Council, the 2022 budget would take effect July 1. The 2021 fiscal year budget ends on June 30.

The proposed budget is available online.
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, seeking to win a seat in the U.S. Senate next year, received his first endorsement Tuesday from a sitting member of the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, announced his backing for the north Alabama congressman, according to an announcement from the Brooks campaign.

It adds to a list of endorsements that already includes former President Donald Trump as well as Alabama Congressman Barry Moore and former Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller.

Im happy to endorse my friend Mo Brooks today for the U.S. Senate, Paul said in the Brooks announcement. Mo has proven time and time again he will stand up for liberty and do what he thinks is right. He will join me in fighting to lower spending, cut the size and power of government, curtail foreign aid, and stop our endless wars overseas. Mo will stand for the Bill of Rights and against the entrenched bipartisan power and big spenders in the Senate just as he has done in the House.

Brooks is seeking to replace Sen. Richard Shelby, who has announced he will retire when his term expires in January 2023. Montgomery businesswoman Lynda Blanchard has also declared her candidacy for the Republican primary senate race.

In the announcement, Brooks said he and Paul are good friends and share common Republican Party philosophies.

I am honored by Senator Rand Pauls endorsement and look forward to fighting with him in the U.S. Senate to limit and reverse exploding federal government growth; stop endless wars that cost too many American lives while depleting our treasury; promote and defend liberty, freedom and Americas foundational principles that have combined to make America the greatest nation in world history; and lower federal taxes so that American citizens can keep more of their hard-earned money so that they can better take care of themselves and their families, Brooks said in the announcement.
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Sixty-seven years after the U.S. Supreme Court ended state-enforced segregated schools, Alabamas public schools in the Black Belt have not reaped the benefit of school integration.

A recent study found Alabamas public schools in the Black Belt, with few exceptions, are slightly more segregated than they were in 1990, prompting the authors to question whether Gov. George Wallaces 1963 promise of segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever was ultimately kept.

If that was the goal, even if it wasnt done through policy, then sadly, that was something that was achieved, University of Kansas professor Bryan Mann told AL.com about the studys findings. If you look at it through that lens, I think its shocking.

Many believe school desegregation was achieved after the Brown v. Board of Education decision was handed down on May 17, 1954, Mann said, but that isnt the case.

Alabama and other southern states put up massive resistance to desegregating schools. New laws were created, successfully thwarting the courts order until the federal government forced the state to integrate in the late 1960s, nearly 15 years after the original legal decision.

The new studys findings show Black students in Alabamas Black Belt counties attend public schools that are increasingly racially isolated: They attend schools with overwhelmingly majority-Black student populations, indicating efforts to desegregate schools largely have been unsuccessful in the region.

Mann said he wanted to specifically focus on Alabamas 17 Black Belt counties  using the traditional designation based on the regions fertile soil  because of the areas contribution to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. He began the research while a professor of education policy at University of Alabama.

The study considered enrollment in schools in the counties from 1990 through 2018.

Using a racial isolation index, which measures the percentage of Black students who go to school exclusively with other Black students, the authors found that in the Black Belt counties, Black students are more likely to attend school with other Black students, and fewer students of other races over that 30-year period.

In 1990, a Black student in the Black Belt, on average, attended school where 78% of students were also Black. That percentage rose to 82.9% in 2000, ticked up to 83.1% in 2010, and then declined to 80% in 2017-18, still at a higher level than in 1990.

The increasing isolation has a number of causes, the study claims, including fewer school-aged white children living in the area and white families continuing to choose private schools over public schools for their children.

Still, while the white population in the area is declining, the authors say the term segregation is appropriate because local and state policy choices have influenced public school enrollment in the region.

Through no fault of the students, those racially isolated schools recently have performed poorly on state standards.

Thirty of the states 76 failing public schools in 2019  a designation placed on schools whose achievement levels are in the bottom 6% statewide  were located in the Black Belt, the study points out, highlighting the struggles and unequal educational opportunities students have there.

The most recent list, released in November 2019, shows 31 of the states failing public schools are located in Black Belt counties.

That failure has consequences for students and for society, Mann said. He and co-author Annah Rogers, a graduate student at the University of Alabama, cite multiple benefits of school integration, backed by scholarly research, in the study.

Scholars have found that contact, especially in a school setting, can be more beneficial than contact down the road, Rogers said. It has been shown to help students not form so many stereotypes, create better relationships, create better friendships, and really bond with people and learn how to work with people who may look different than them.

Societal benefits of integration are backed by research, too, Mann said.

If children go to school together from different backgrounds, then were more likely to have a society where we have less tension.

Beyond isolation of Black schoolchildren, the area is one of the poorest in the country.

Given the serious economic challenges facing Black Belt counties, along with a declining population overall, it will take more than government intervention to mitigate the impact of and reduce racial isolation for Black students there, Mann said.

The authors recommended state investments to not only bring new employers to the area, but also to improve infrastructure such as broadband, sewers and wastewater.

Creating regional school enrollment policies, beyond current school district boundaries, and adding magnet programs and targeted school choice policies could reduce isolation, too.

Families make choices about where to live based in part on the quality of the schools, he said. If youre moving and you think a school is not good enough for your kid, then why is it good enough for someone elses kid, right?

But, Mann cautions, Any policy recommendation wouldnt be successful unless its weighing those the voices of people in the process.

Rogers, a native of Greene County, knows about the challenges in the Black Belt and hopes that their research, along with the recommendations on how to begin addressing those challenges will help people in the area. This study and future research is important to her, she said.

I want people to know that we cant just forget Black Belt, that its still here, she said. It needs our help, and we cant just forget about it, and leave it to continue to decline.
Authorities are asking for the publics help finding relatives of two people who died in Jefferson County in April.

Their bodies are ready to be released for burial, but the Jefferson County Coroners Office has not been able to find family members to notify them.

Joseph Huloe Yawn, a 53-year-old white male, was found dead April 19 at 2930 12th Ave. North in Birminghams Norwood community. Authorities said Yawn was homeless and was found dead at 1:28 p.m. at the bottom of a flight of stairs inside a vacant building. The cause of death is pending.

Yawn was reportedly born in Haleyville and possibly has family living in eastern Mississippi.

Dena Kay Stover, a 50-year-old white female, was found dead at 2:18 a.m. on April 27 by her roommate at their home in the 2700 block of 28th Street North. She died of natural causes.

Stover is believed to have previously lived in Texas, Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Grand Bay, Alabama. She possibly has family living in Casco, Maine and Las Vegas.

Anyone with information is asked to call the coroners office at 205-930-3603.
Three people are behind bars after authorities say they carried out a robbery last month in which the victims were forced to strip down.

Jefferson County sheriffs deputies and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task made the arrests in a Tuesday-morning operation. Those arrested are Jaylin Ashford, 19, Victoria Crumpton, 30 and Kontrell Crumpton, 27. They are charged with multiple counts of first-degree robbery.

The crime happened April 21 at an apartment on Chace Lake Parkway in southern Jefferson County near Hoover. Sheriffs Sgt. Joni Money said the trio, along with two other unidentified suspects, entered the apartment and held the victims  at least a half dozen - at gunpoint. They ordered the male victims to strip down to their undergarments and took undisclosed valuables from them. One of the female victims was hit in the forehead with a gun.

The suspects then fled the scene.

Investigators learned that Ashford knew the victims and had been allowed to stay at the apartment. Money said it is believed that Ashford was upset about an earlier conversation with some of the victims regarding the current living arrangements.

He left the apartment and returned with the four other suspects  three males and one female. The victims were able to identify Ashford and the Crumptons as three of the five suspects.

Each suspect is held on multiple robbery and theft charges. Their bonds are set at: Ashford, $266,000; Victoria Crumpton, $149,000 and Kontrell Crumpton, $266,000.
Just last week, Courtney Ashley sent one of her sisters a text message that read, Life can be a struggle, but I am so lucky to be alive.

Days later  early Sunday morning - the 35-year-old woman known affectionately to family and friends as Coco - was fatally gunned down while she was walking her dog, Peewee, near Birminghams Brother Bryan Park.

Her death marked the end of her struggle to get away from a violent relationship, her said sister said, and cut short the great strides she had made in her journey of addiction recovery.

She had really turned her life around,' said sister Kellie Ashley. Our family is just really, really broken right now.

My sister was a really kind person and very selfless,' Kellie said. She did a lot for other people and never put herself first like she should.

The shooting happened at 6:30 a.m. Sunday at the corner of 10th Avenue South and Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard, the edge of Brother Bryan Park in the Five Points South community. When it was over, Coco and Brian Anthony Adkins, 34, were dead.

Four Birmingham police officers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a double murder suspect who was killed. The shooting happened at 1:20 p.m. Sunday, May 16, 2021 following a double homicide earlier in the day.

Efforts to locate Adkins family for comment werent immediately successful.

Coco had just recently ended her on-again, off-again relationship with the alleged gunman, 39-year-old Brian Timothy Dunne. The dog shared by the two of them still lived with Dunne, but Coco would get visits with him and often took him on walks.

Thats what she was doing Sunday when she was killed. Some kind of altercation took place and while Peewee was mentioned during that dispute, Kellie said the cause of her sisters death goes much deeper.

She had made a decision recently that she was going to leave, and she had and had started moving on,' Kellie said. So, it wasnt over a dog. It was over someone who shouldnt have had a gun, a person with a history of mental illness who my sister had been trying to get away from, which is hard to do.

A family member of Dunnes didnt immediately return a request for comment.

Courtney "Coco" Ashley was shot to death Sunday, May 17, 2021 while walking her dog Peewee, who is still missing. Her estranged boyfriend was suspected in her death and later killed in an exchange of gunfire with Birmingham police. (Contributed)

Coco was raised in Mobile but moved to Birmingham at least five years ago. Mobile is a bit slower and she just enjoyed the atmosphere of being in a city that was a bit busier without being too far from home,' Kellie said. She loved the city.

Coco was devoted to helping others, her sister said, and often took food to the homeless people who frequent Brother Bryant Park. She was in recovery and been sober for quite some time,' Kellie said. Shed been spending her time trying to help other people in the community. She had some kind of certification to help others with addiction.

Coco loved country music and vintage stores. She was an adored daughter, sister and friend.

She used her time in recovery to try to help other people. If she saw you and you needed something, you got the shirt off her back,' Kellie said. She knew everyone. She never met a stranger.

She was a really, really generous person with a kind heart,' her sister said.

Coco was also a true animal lover. She adored Peewee,' Kellie said. Part of her process from getting away from (Dunne) was to make sure Peewee was safe. She lost her life walking her dog, and no one should have to go through that.

Kellie said Coco was holding Peewee when the shooting happened. She collapsed in the street, and it is believed the dog took off.

Its really hard on my family,' Kellie said earlier today. If we could find Peewee it would be great. He meant a lot to my sister.

After this article was published, the dog was found.

Birmingham police spent the next almost seven hours searching for the shooter, which ultimately led them to Dunnes residence at Stratford Place Apartments at 1000 18th Street South. When members of the departments tactical team tried to enter his third-floor apartment, police officials said the officers were immediately met with gunfire. They returned fire, killing Dunne. Two officers were shot and two others grazed.

Cocos family was not notified until early Monday morning. Kellie said the family is so thankful that the wounded officers are OK.

Someone with that level of mental illness should not have been able to get a gun,' she said. My sister was trying to get away from this person because he was violent. If you know about domestic violence, you know its very hard to leave.
City officials began the process of revising Mobiles zoning code several years before the hull of the Clotilda was discovered kickstarting a renewed focus on the Africatown community as a tourism draw.

The citys work on rewriting its antiquated code was a culmination of more than 150 meetings and 1,000 public comments over five years. The result is the Unified Development Code (UDC), the most wide-ranging revision to Mobiles zoning law in at least 50 years. The Mobile City Council is scheduled consider the new code within the next 30 days.

But activists remain concerned that the UDC does not go far enough in undoing decades of what they say are environmental injustices that have long plagued Africatown, a mostly Black neighborhood adjacent to large industrial plants. They also believe those issues could continue to be a hindrance to Africatowns tourism potential, which state officials believe can rival the Equal Justice Initiatives national lynching museum and memorial in Montgomery.

A vast majority of our concerns are not addressed, said Ramsey Sprague, president of the Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition (MEJAC). There needs to be further discussion.

The focus of the concerns, raised during a public hearing in February, are based on a chapter within the new code called the Africatown Overlay District that includes streetscape and building design standards within the historic community that was established by the African slaves who survived the Clotilda voyage into Mobile more than 160 years ago.

The city believes they have addressed at least one major concern expressed earlier this year from MEJAC and other organizations, including the Mobile chapter of the NAACP, over concerns about adequate setback requirements of industrial properties from residential neighborhoods.

Shayla Beaco, executive director of Build Mobile -- a city department focused on the citys building codes, ordinances and plans  said the city heard loudly and clearly from the community about a need for the UDC to address greater distances between industrial and residential development within Africatown.

Beaco said the city will require a 30-foot-wide protection buffer between an industrial site and nearby residences. In addition, the Africatown District requires a wall or a fence with a minimum height of six feet or a berm with a minimum height of five feet to serve as a separation between residential and industrial properties. Also, the code calls for the buffer zone to include a double row of evergreen shrubs and a mixture of overstory and understory trees.

It requires a significant buffer that ... provides protections for the residential property owner, Beaco said.

Sprague said the buffer request was only one of 10 issues his organization and others suggested be included within the UDC for Africatown. MEJAC, in a blog post on Monday, suggested that other issues be addressed within the code including a requirement for industrial developers to raise buffer walls or fences to 10 feet. According to MEJAC, the raised wall and fencing requirement would limit light, noise and dust that irritate residents living near industrial properties.

Other issues of concern include:

-A lack of stringent regulations against new above-ground oil storage tank farm expansions into the neighborhoods.

-Omits waterfront conservation and should address efforts to bolster cleaner water and other efforts to promote tourism.

-Does not protect residential communities like Africatown from new coal handling facilities. MEJAC is pushing to have new and existing coal handling operations store their coal piles indoors while prohibiting coal handling operations from moving coal piles in bulk by any mechanism other than a conveyor system/

-Ignores the metrics the city has set forth in its fair housing coals.

10 Africatown industry

Beaco said the concerns over oil storage tanks and coal handling facilities can be addressed during the planning process if a specific project surfaces before the citys planning commission. The commission is charged with providing recommendations on new developments to the city council, which has the final say.

They have to go through a detailed process, should an application come (forward), said Beaco. If they objected (to an oil storage tank or coal-handling facility) project, then it would be through the city council channels.

She added, What I think we heard from the Africatown community recently and early on during this process was a couple of things. They wanted to see more opportunities for infill housing and vacant lots and underutilized lots and more housing opportunities. We think weve addressed that to allow for smaller homes placed on small lots. With respect to the environmental issues, the buffering was of great concern to them  (we are) providing that enhanced buffer.

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the UDC is a foundational document that can be changed and modified at any time, and Beaco said there will have to be a commitment to review the zoning codes for changes.

Zoning codes are not meant to live for 50 years, said Beaco. Successful cities frequently test and refine their regulations. The city is committed to reviewing their UDC after adoption.

But Sprague said hes not sure there will be a commitment to make future changes, citing his concerns over the potential that exists for new oil storage tank developments encroaching into Africatown more than five years after the Mobile City Council agreed on a 1,500-foot space restricting between new oil tanks and residential areas.

We were told then that the ordinance was a living ordinance and there would be future opportunities to amend it should it need to be amended, Sprague said, referring to what was once a hot button issue pitting environmentalists and business leaders including the Alabama State Port Authority, and which first surfaced in 2013. He said that MEJAC and other activists feel their requests to keep the oil storage tanks away from Africatown have been dismissed by the city.

We would like to see a rewording of the storage tanks and how far they should be from residential communities, said Joe Womack, executive director Africatown-C.H.E.S.S., an organization focused on making sure the community is Clean, Healthy, Educated, Safe and Sustainable.

Mobile City Council President Levon Manzie, who represents downtown Mobile and the Africatown community, said hes spoken to Sprague and others in the community regarding their concerns, and he vowed for further engagement before the council votes on the final UDC.

But Manzie called the overall UDC process a monumental effort that will be transformative in nature for many, many decades.

While I understand we will have the ability to make modifications (to the UDC), we want to make it the best opportunity and to make it the best legislation we can while we have the opportunity to do so, Manzie said. Mayor Stimpson, Ms. Beaco  theyve bene very deliberate and analytical in the way they have engaged in the UDC process thus far. And all Im asking, and all the council is asking for, is a sufficient amount of time for us to do our due diligence and to make sure we are checking in with our stakeholders so that what we ultimately pass is something that is palatable to our citizens and stakeholders.

Stimpson said the UDC is not perfect, and recognized that there have been some strong-willed interest groups as well as individuals who have expressed opinions about it throughout the lengthy process. The code, itself, establishes minimum standards for site designs, lighting, landscaping, and establishes parameters to support public healthy, safety and urban design throughout the city, Beaco said.

It also establishes new long-term environmental protections such as introducing riparian buffers to help protect water quality and reduce erosion in areas adjacent to waterways and flood-prone areas. MEJAC, though, said the code doesnt do enough to address the current Africatown shoreline with regard to water quality preservation and beautification.

Not everyone got all they wanted, but everyone got something, Stimpson said about the UDC. Its a compromise product that is in the best interest of all the interest groups and for the citizens of Mobile.
On the proposal for the bipartisan panel to look into the insurrection, McCarthy said he wanted the new panel to look beyond the violent uprising by supporters loyal to Donald Trump, The Associated Press reports. McCarthy and other Republicans  including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  have pushed to have the new commission also investigate other violent acts, including protests last summer in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. More from the AP here.
The trial of a 21-year-old protestor charged with impeding law enforcement officials in a manner that impacted interstate commerce began after motions to delay the trial until September.

Tia Pugh is believed to be the first person in Mobile, and likely the state, to face federal charges for involvement in demonstrations related to the death of George Floyd. Floyds death after an encounter with Minneapolis police sparked nationwide and international protests.

One such protest occurred on May 31 in Mobile, in which Pugh was alleged to have smashed the window of a Mobile police car during a protest on I-10.

Jury selection in the trial began around 9 a.m. Monday, after an Alabama federal judge ruled that a controversial law used to prosecute protesters across the country over the past year is constitutional.

Gordon Armstrong, one of Pughs lawyers, argued that the statute used in her case was born out of a racist backlash to the civil rights movement and gives prosecutors too much discretion to charge almost anyone engaged in a heated confrontation with police during a public demonstration.

Judge Terry Moorer of the U.S. District Court in Mobile issued an order rejecting those claims on May 13.

Each of the prosecutions that arose from those protests encompass individuals of a variety of races and genders with extremely different ideology, the judge wrote. Thus, the Court finds that to the extent Pugh asserts a selective prosecution claim, the claim fails.

Ultimately, the jury, which was seated just before 1 p.m., was made up of a majority of white people with three people of color. Most of the 14 jurors were women.

Opening statements began around 2 p.m. this afternoon. Both the defense and the prosecution agreed that Pugh did smash the window, but disagreed on whether or not it was a federal crime.

Prosecutors said that Pugh interfered with law enforcement during a civil disorder, which the unrest later interfered with interstate commerce. An affidavit from FBI Special Agent Paul Roche said that the smashing of the window caused the situation to become more frantic than it already was.

Despite the fact that protesters did not succeed in walking onto I-10, this civil disorder still affected interstate commerce, Roche said in the affidavit.

On May 31, the protesters were gathered on the Water Street on-ramp. The Mobile Police Department was forced to close both the on-ramp to Westbound I-10 from Water Street and Exit 26B Eastbound for the safety of the protesters and the motorists.

Any vehicles that were transporting hazardous material had to take a nearly 20 mile detour because theyre not allowed to travel though the George C. Wallace Tunnel.

Pughs defense countered the prosecutions argument, saying that there was not enough evidence to prove that the protest that occurred in May was a civil disorder.

Jury deliberations in the case could begin as soon as tomorrow.
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Stacker compared the minimum wage in each state and Washington D.C. to the cost of living, referring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Living Wage Calculator. Click for more.
Anna Istre, a second grade teacher at Lake Charles Charter Academy, had two very unusual starts to her career. She graduated McNeese State University and began teaching right before the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns and then began again with the difficulties of the storm ridden 2020-2021 sch
Lightfoot has been saying for months that she would soon finish crafting her civilian oversight plan. She originally pledged to do so during her first 100 days in office in 2019, but has since said shes deliberating and consulting with lots of people to get it right.
HOUMA, La. (AP)  A guard at a Louisiana jail has been fired and arrested after authorities said she conspired with inmates to bring drugs and other contraband into the facility.
Former CIA agent Howard Hunt introduced a useful phrase into the political lexicon during the Watergate brouhaha -- limited hangout. Those two words well describe the recent New York Times article, Secret Sharers: The Hidden Ties Between Private Spies and Journalists.

Better late than never, one supposes, Barry Meier of the Times concedes that his newspaper and many others in the media fell for the trap set by former British intelligence operative, Christopher Steele, and his employers at Fusion GPS.

Only readers of the Times could be shocked to learn in May 2021 that many of the [Steele] dossiers most explosive claims -- like a salacious pee tape featuring Mr. Trump or a supposed meeting in Prague between Michael Cohen, Mr. Trumps former attorney, and Russian operatives -- have never materialized or have been proved false. OMG!

Meier takes particular aim at his fellow journalists. He argues that the dossier took them down a very different path from the more traditional ones they had followed in the past --court records, corporate documents and other tangible pieces of evidence.

After BuzzFeed published the entire Steele dossier in January 2017, Meier notes that countless articles, television shows, books, tweets and blog posts about it appeared. What Meier seems to overlook, at least in this article, is that the dossier began influencing the media well before the 2016 election, not just afterward. That, in fact, was the point of the dossiers creation.

In September 2016, for instance, Michael Isikoff wrote a lengthy breakout article for Yahoo News based on a briefing by multiple sources, the most notable of whom, unnamed in the article, was Steele. As Isikoff reported, intelligence officials were investigating Trump adviser Carter Pages private communications with senior Russian officials.

Isikoff reported too that Senate majority leader Harry Reid had briefed FBI director James Comey on the significant and disturbing ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, information Reid could only have gotten from the dossier. The word was spreading.

In Meiers retelling, Isikoff is something of a hero for having backed away from the dossier before his peers. Meier also cites Erik Wemple of the Washington Post for writing a series of columns about the media infatuation with the dossier. Although Isikoffs commentary is undated, Wemples columns appeared in 2020. No misprint, 2020.

According to Meier, the media started to wise up in 2019, when Robert Mueller and Michael E. Horowitz issued their respective reports, which together threw cold water on the dossier and raised the possibility that Russian agents might have fed disinformation to Mr. Steeles sources.

What Meier does not even hint at in this 2600-word article, largely excerpted from his forthcoming book, Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube and the Rise of Private Spies, are the political consequences of the three-year media feeding frenzy between the dossiers rise and fall. Not surprisingly, Meier makes zero mention in this lengthy excerpt of how then-President Barack Obama and his operatives used the dossier to rig the 2016 election and subvert the Trump presidency. This omission is classic limited hangout.

According to a lawsuit filed by Watergate conspirator Hunt, A limited hangout' is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting -- sometimes even volunteering -- some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. The public, however, is usually so intrigued by the new information that it never thinks to pursue the matter further.

By focusing on the media failure to see through the Steele dossier, as part of a larger problem with reliance on private spies, Meier spares Times readers knowledge of just how the dossier was used in 2016. Working with Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Permanent Subcommittee on Intelligence (HPSCI), author Lee Smith provides arguably the clearest analysis of Steeles mischief in his 2019 book, The Plot Against the President.

According to Smith, Steele started speaking with Fusion GPSs Glenn Simpson and the Justice Departments Bruce Ohr on the subject of Trump-Russia in January 2016. In October 2015, Simpson had hired Ohrs wife, Nellie Ohr, a Russian expert, to investigate, in her words, the relationship of Donald Trump with Russian organized crime figures.

In April 2016, the Clinton campaign and DNC hired Fusion GPS to share its Russian dirt on Trump with the media. Leading from behind as was his wont, Obama was never so far behind that he could not see what was to come. From time to time he showed his hand, starting with an April 2016 appearance on a Fox News Sunday morning show with Chris Wallace.

When asked about Hillary Clintons nonsecure email system, Obama opined, She has acknowledged -- that theres a carelessness, in terms of managing emails, that she recognizes. That conceded, he added, I continue to believe that she has not jeopardized Americas national security.

Hillary was Obamas chosen successor. He was confident his secrets of state would be safe with her. If she were indicted for her apparent crime, the White House could easily fall into enemy hands. If James Comey and his colleagues were uncertain of Obamas will before that appearance, they no longer were.

By May 2016, relying on Nellie Ohrs research, Fusion prepared a series of what Nunes called protodossiers on Trump-Russia. It wasnt front-page material, reports Smith. Still, the proto-dossiers provided journalists with some leads.

In that same month, May 2016, Fusion hired Steele to flesh out the proto-dossiers. In so doing, Steele, a self-avowed Trump hater, shifted the emphasis of the investigation. Whereas Ohr had been looking into connections between Trumps people and Russian crime lords, Steeles goal was to frame Trump as a tool of the Kremlin.

The plot was in gear. On June 20, Steele introduced the first of the memos that would comprise the Steele dossier. In late June, a British counterpart allegedly tipped off CIA chief John Brennan that something was rotten at Trump Tower. On July 5, the FBI met secretly with Steele in London. On that very same day, Comey cleared Hillary Clinton of criminal charges.

The task had fallen to the now notorious Peter Strzok, the FBIs lead investigator on the Clinton email case -- code name Midyear Exam -- to align the FBIs messaging with that of the White House. It was he who changed the language in an earlier draft by Comey from gross negligence -- the exact words in the Espionage Act -- to extremely careless, the words Obama introduced and Comey eventually used.

In her testimony before the HPSCI, Strzoks FBI lover, Lisa Page, acknowledged that the directive had come from Obamas DoJ not to charge Hillary with a crime. With Clinton now the certain nominee, the pressure increased to protect her candidacy and Obamas legacy.

As the summer of 2016 progressed, Steele shared his research about Donald Trump memo by memo not just with the FBI, but also with the DoJ, the State Department, and select media. The cumulative tale the Steele memos told was that Donald Trump had been compromised by the Russian government and was colluding with it to steal the upcoming election.

The CIAs John Brennan got the word. According to a March 2018 HPSCI report, Brennan had become aware of specific Russian efforts to influence the election by that summer. It was he who pulled together experts from the CIA, NSA, and FBI to focus on the issue.

In June 2017, the Washington Post published a lengthy, breathless article detailing an early August 2016 meeting in the White House. It should be noted that the article was written to provide cover for the Obama administrations seemingly lackadaisical response to what the media imagined as the greatest provocation from Moscow since the Cuban missile crisis. According to the Post, the CIAs Brennan had sent an intelligence bombshell directly to Obama, an eyes only report with sourcing deep inside the Kremlin.

This report had to be some subset of Steeles memos. It allegedly detailed Russian President Vladimir Putins direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race. Reportedly, Putin was not just meddling in the campaign but was actively trying to defeat Hillary and elect Trump.

In June 2017, when the Post article was published, its editors were still confident that Russias interference was the crime of the century. It was no such thing, but in documenting the White Houses multilevel response to the alleged threat, the Post sheds unwitting light on what was the crime of the century, the White Houses framing of Donald Trump for collusion with Russia.

For their role in that crime, the Washington Post and New York Times shared a "national reporting" Pulitzer in 2018. Yes, as late as 2018, when every sentient person in MAGA land knew what a clown show the collusion hoax was, the Pulitzer people were praising the Times and Post for their "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation's understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect's transition team and his eventual administration."

Spitballing here, but I am guessing Meier will not address the effect of that reporting on the 2018 mid-terms, let alone the 2020 election.

Jack Cashills latest book, Barack Obamas Promised Land: Deplorables Need Not Apply, is now on pre-sale. See www.cashill.com for more information.

Image: NYTimes

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Recently, during a Fox News interview with Martha MacCallum, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten was asked about Critical Race Theory in K-12 classrooms. Weingarten answered by oversimplifying the historical inaccuracies contained in the New York Times 1619 Project, and when pressed on the racially polarizing, anti-American nature of the curriculum, Weingarten abruptly changed the subject to the 2020 election.

Thats a dodge, MacCallum told Weingarten.

It was a dodge indeed. The divisive tenets at the heart of Critical Race Theory are not the easiest to promote and defend. This doesnt excuse Weingarten from answering basic questions about the topic, and as a Philadelphia public school teacher and dues-paying member of the AFT, Id like to know how Weingarten truly feels about the toxic ideologies being pushed on Americas teachers and students.

Here are 10 questions for Weingarten concerning the use of critical race theory in Americas K-12 Classroom:

1. Should we be teaching children that all White people are inherently racist? This is a central point made by Robin DiAngelo, who regularly facilitates professional development trainings for teachers and other organizations. Her bestselling book, White Fragility has been used to develop so-called antiracist curriculum in school districts across America.

2. Should we be teaching children that America is a systemically racist country based on white supremacy? The Oregon Department of Education is promoting a program called A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction, which aims to deconstruct racism in mathematics, and make visible the toxic characteristics of White supremacy culture in math.

White supremacy culture infiltrates math classrooms in everyday teacher actions, the program toolkit states. Coupled with the beliefs that underlie these actions, they perpetuate educational harm on Black, Latinx, and multilingual students, denying them full access to the world of mathematics.

3. Should we be teaching children that all racial disparities are the sole result of racism? Ibram X. Kendi, who runs the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, forwards this very idea. He proposed passing an anti-racist constitutional amendment to fix the original sin of racism in America. This amendment would not be concerned with equal opportunity, but equal outcome, and any racial disparity would be viewed as the result of racist policy and would be dealt with accordingly.

4. Should we be teaching children that you are either racist or antiracist, and that there is no neutral? Kendis bestselling book, How to Be an Antiracist, polarizes Americans into separate camps and presents educators with the fallacy of the false dilemma: you either accept Kendis ideology wholeheartedly, or risk getting labeled racist.

5. Should we be teaching children that White America is inherently anti-Black, and that all Whites suffer from an unconscious bias against people of color? Seattle Public Schools held a teacher training where educators were deemed guilty of spirit murder, which is the concept that American schools murder the souls of Black children every day through systemic, institutionalized, anti-Black, state-sanctioned violence, according to University of Georgia education professor Bettina Love.

6. Should we be polarizing children into tribal camps based on race, and teaching them to view the world through victim groups? According to a study by the Heritage Foundation, a major thematic component of critical race theory is the Marxist analysis of society made up of categories of oppressors and oppressed.

7. Should we be teaching children that things such as linear time, work ethic, individualism, and the scientific method are aspects of White supremacy culture? In July of 2020, the National Museum of African American History and Culture published a pamphlet titled Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States which did just that.

8. Should we be teaching children that so-called whiteness is problematic, and must be targeted and disrupted? An organization of English teachers called Disrupt Texts wants to remove White authors like William Shakespeare from English classes. Bree Picower, an education professor at Montclair State University, recently published a book titled Reading Writing and Racism: Disrupting Whiteness in Teacher Education and in the Classroom, which teaches education majors that so-called whiteness is something that must be eliminated in classrooms.

9. Should we be teaching children that being nice, cooperative, and compliant is racist, and that the notion of hard work is White cultural appropriation? In July of 2020, KIPP Charter School founder Richard Barth announced that KIPP was retiring its national slogan, Work hard. Be nice. According to Barth, the slogan ignores the significant effort required to dismantle systemic racism, places value on being compliant and submissive, supports the illusion of meritocracy, and does not align with our vision of students being free to create the future they want.

10. Should we be teaching children that the most important determinant of success in their lives is skin color, which is the guiding principle at the heart of Critical Race Theory?

As president of the second largest teachers union in the United States, Weingarten should properly address these questions. When it comes to the racially polarizing, anti-American nature of Critical Race Theory, we deserve to know how she feels.

Christopher Paslay is a longtime Philadelphia public school teacher and education writer. His new book, Exploring White Fragility, examines the effects CRT is having on K-12 schools.

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On Saturday, Israel announced that it had evidence that Hamas military intelligence assets were operating out of a building with civilian media offices  in essence, using the media as a shield. Because Hamas turned the building into a military site, it became a legitimate target under international law. So the AP and Al Jazeera lost their propaganda sites. Israel gave detailed information about notifying Biden in advance of the strike. However, on Monday, secretary of state Antony Blinken said there was no such evidence. Does this represent some kind of creepy and dangerous game-playing from the Biden administration?

You can read here about Israel's initial targeting of the Hamas building, including Israel's detailed statement about its justification for destroying that building. In the same post, you can see how the Biden administration's knee-jerk reaction was to castigate Israel for having destroyed the AP and Al Jazeera headquarters.

Various media outlets, however, reported that Biden had so much evidence in front of him that he "gave the OK" to Israel's assault on the building:

PRESIDENT Joe Biden "gave the OK" for the huge Israeli blitz that levelled an alleged Hamas building in Gaza after Benjamin Netanyahu shared the "smoking gun" evidence. The evidence is said to have been handed over by the Israeli President during his telephone conversation with Joe Biden on Saturday. A source close to Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi is reported to have said: "We showed them the smoking gun proving Hamas worked out of that building". He added Biden had "found the explanation satisfactory", although did not provide details of the evidence.

The White House "readout" of a Saturday call between Biden and Netanyahu states that Biden "reaffirmed his strong support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza." It's not clear whether that call occurred before or after the strike on the Hamas building.

The whole equation changed, though, on Monday, when Secretary Blinken announced that can be distilled to his asking, Hamas? What Hamas?

Secretary of State Antony Blinken claims that he hasn't been shown evidence to justify Israel's airstrike of the building in Gaza, which housed the Associated Press and Al-Jazeera offices. "Shortly after the strike we did request additional details regarding the justification for it," Blinken said at a news conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, choosing not to address specifics, adding that he "will leave it to others to characterize if any information has been shared and our assessment that information," according to the Associated Press. "I have not seen any information provided," he continued.

Maybe I'm unduly cynical, but I trust the Israel version of events over anything Blinken has to say. You don't have to rely on my cynical instincts, though.

In 2014, Matti Friedman, a former AP journalist, explained the symbiotic relationship between Hamas and the mainstream media outlets that routinely shared space with it (although neither in 2014 nor 2021 did Friedman have personal knowledge about the specific building Israel targeted):

To be clear, I don't at all think that the AP works with terrorists. I think they just make the calculation that part of the cost of doing business safely in an enclave ruled by terrorists is keeping your head down.  Seffi Kogen (@seffikogen) May 16, 2021

In my two essays from 2014, I gave multiple examples of the way news organizations like the AP had been compromised by Hamas in Gaza. Contrary to what Ive seen attributed to me today, I didnt write that Hamas operated out of the same building, and dont know if thats true.  Matti Friedman (@MattiFriedman) May 16, 2021

The army legal advisers who approve these strikes were convinced that the intel and the military logic could be defended, meaning they saw proof. And because hitting press offices is a net negative for Israel, the army seems to have had a target it considered worth the fallout.  Matti Friedman (@MattiFriedman) May 16, 2021

Any press organization operating in a dictatorship is going to be compromised, and will further compromise itself to conceal how it has been compromised. Its not a new story, or one limited to the AP, or to Gaza. I wrote about it here: https://t.co/knuj5T3ce1  Matti Friedman (@MattiFriedman) May 16, 2021

In sum, it's been common knowledge for years that media outlets, for better or worse and whether out of opportunism or fear, routinely work next to Hamas terrorists. It's also common knowledge that Hamas routinely places its military installations among civilians. There's currently a debate about whether Israel informed Biden about its plan to take out the Hamas/journalism building or not. And finally, Matti Friedman points out that Israel took a big risk, so it must have believed there was a big reward, adding that he has a source who says Israel was right.

Based on all the above data, my feeling is that Blinken isn't telling the truth. I also think this was meant to be part of a set-up to put extreme pressure on Israel to stop its powerful attack against Hamas before Hamas  armed with Iranian weapons paid for by American taxpayers  is able fully and finally to implement its openly genocidal agenda.

Image: Israel destroys Hamas building. Twitter screen grab.

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Is Kamala Harris behind the curve? What has she done so far about the out-of-control border?

Here's her latest tweet in her role as migrant surge czar, still looking for all those "root causes" as she avoids the border:

Today, I met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to get their input on our diplomatic efforts in the Northern Triangle and to discuss how we can work together to address the root causes of migration from the region. pic.twitter.com/1yfFk3i9G7  Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 17, 2021

Prior to that, we know she had a March 30 phone call with the president of Guatemala, nothing with the president of Honduras (who's involved in drug-dealing, according to the U.S. Treasury), and the president of El Salvador won't take her call should she make one, based on Bidenite diplomatic blunders. She also called the president of Mexico on April 7 to discuss trees for visas and other stupid things. The president of Mexico cut out of that call early with better things to do. As American Thinker's Andrea Widburg wrote, it did not go well.

But still no visit to the border.

Talks with Democrats, talks with two presidents, but no border. This is relevant because she might learn just how slow she is on the uptake as to what's going on there. She's pretty well pursuing last year's story with her phone calls and visits when something else is emerging.

If she did go to the border, she'd learn that the Central Americans have basically all arrived. Now it's the other countries whose nationals are surging in  from places like Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, and India. They're now 30% of the border surge apprehensions of the Border Patrol, and their numbers are growing. Here's that secret intelligence she's still unbriefed on, hiding out in the front pages in the New York Times. Headline:

From India, Brazil and Beyond: Pandemic Refugees at the Border Fleeing virus-devastated economies, migrants are traveling long distances to reach the United States and then walking through gaps in the border wall. The Arizona desert has become a favorite crossing point.

That's what's going on at the border now from all those root causes. Joe Biden's invitation to migrants has been heard around the world, in all sorts of places, rich and poor, not just the northern triangle. They're all rushing in now, which suggests a root cause a little different from Central America just needing some foreign aid, which is Harris's working thesis now as Biden's border czar.

The reporting in this Times piece is very good, albeit missing some details. The Cubans and Venezuelans, to take two cases, are not just fleeing COVID, as the Times argues; they're very specifically fleeing socialism and stolen elections. Those are actual root causes that could be determined just by asking the migrants now flooding the border who also heard Joe Biden's invitation to come in loud and clear. That's what's going on now, but don't count on Harris to get there  she's still focused on Central America, which is rapidly becoming an irrelevant story.

Imagine how weird it could get once Harris gets word that the border-surgers are now coming in from Venezuela, not El Salvador. Can you see Harris calling up Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro as she has the others, looking for all those root causes and asking him how to fix them?

Imagine her, if she were honest about root causes, urging Maduro to quit stealing elections and forcing communism onto people. That has a funny sound, given Biden's election and subsequent failed administration, so don't bet the farm on her doing it. It would be a pretty interesting conversation, though, and don't think Maduro wouldn't bring that stuff up.

Harris says she's serious about root causes, but she's looking in all the wrong places. She's not serious about root causes. Her visit to the congressional Democrats tells us she's interested in elections  her own, and how her failure to visit the border might impact the Latino vote for Democrats. That's as far as root causes gets with her  the phone calls are just for show.

Central America may be fading from the scene, but the border surge carries on and on, Harris firmly keeping herself out of the loop and barking up the wrong tree.

Image:  Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Like Nixon, Kamala Harris has an enemies list.

It comprises media characters who "don't fully understand her or appreciate her life experience," writes Edward-Isaac Dovere in the Atlantic Monthly, noting her self-absorption.

Instead of going to the border, or doing her job as vice president, seems she's replaced concerns about her home decorating with seething about reporters who don't gush as enthusiastically about her as she'd like them to, and like Nixon, or Hillary Clinton, she's keeping score.

The Washington Free Beacon's Andrew Stiles writes:

According to Dovere's reporting, Harris judiciously monitors the words journalists use to describe her. "She particularly doesn't like the word cautious, and aides look out for synonyms too," he writes. "Careful, guarded, and hesitant don't go over well." Antonyms as well, apparently. During the 2020 campaign, journalists and other libs were sounding the alarm about the word "ambitious." This was especially true following reports that some aides to then-candidate Joe Biden thought Harris was too ambitious to be his running mate; Biden did "not want to be outshone."

Powerline's Paul Mirengoff notes that that isn't the only indicator from the Stiles piece:

Antonyms as well, apparently. During the 2020 campaign, journalists and other libs were sounding the alarm about the word "ambitious." This was especially true following reports that some aides to then-candidate Joe Biden thought Harris was too ambitious to be his running mate; Biden did "not want to be outshone." Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.) was reportedly considered because, unlike Harris, she had no interest in running for president in the future. [Note: The information in this paragraph is from a different article in The Atlantic about Harris.]

This isn't an attractive picture. Kamala, after all, loves flattering, gushing reporters. Remember when she went shopping and trying on clothes with the denizens of CBS and CNN? To quote myself:

The girls on the bus not only covered the news, they joined in the fun. A video posted by CBS News political correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns shows her press buddy CNN correspondent Maeve Reston picking out a new jacket for Harris, the star of the show, to try on in front of a mirror in a South Carolina boutique. Squeals and giggles followed. As Harris staged a shopping trip with the cameras on, the whole chick moment, politicians and press united, was captured by Reston's buddy on Twitter. The women's vote is now assured!

Here's the money quote from Stiles's reading of the Dovere piece:

In many ways, Harris is merely a non-white version of Hillary Clinton. Both women are possessed by ruthless ambition, yet lack the necessary skills to succeed in politics at the national level. They are most comfortable when regurgitating talking points and platitudes. Objectively speaking, they share a knack for unsettling laughter and launched their political careers by dating powerful men. Harris's obsession with keeping track of the politicians and reporters who "don't fully understand her or appreciate her life experience" might seem strange, but it's nothing new. Hillary did the same thing but never got a chance to exact her revenge. Alas, neither will Harris, in all likelihood.

Word, bro.

Dovere also notes that (like Hillary, as the rest of us will note), Harris is banal. (And cripes, nasal, too, as the rest of us note.)

Critics of Harris see her vice presidency so far as a collection of unconnected set pieces. Harris arrives somewhere with the plane and the motorcade and the Secret Service agents, makes a few mostly bland statements, then tells whomever she's meeting with about how she's going to bring their stories back to Washington. Then she's quickly out of sight again. She marvels aloud to aides about how the president is the same in private as he is in public  a fact that is striking to her because she is still getting to know him, and because her public and private personas are different: She is much looser, and talks more about herself and her experiences, when the cameras are off.

You can see the ignorance and self-absorption, the me-me-me animator in her, thinking only about herself. She always does that, blathering on about her "story" and never bothering to do her job. What's more, she's obsessed with very small things, such as particular words such as "cautious," signaling a small mind.

Someone like this must be unbearable.

But the enemies list is worth noting. We know that Harris likes to manipulate the press  that was obvious enough in her planting of stories to the press about the shortcomings of her rivals as she sought the vice presidency from Joe Biden, over a group of rival black female candidates. That, too, was exposed by the Atlantic Monthly's Dovere, and once again expounded upon by Stiles at the Washington Free Beacon, sure enough, so it's pretty clear they're both seeing, from left and right, a creepy pattern.

It's disgusting. It's Putinesque. It's something much worse than what Nixon was accused of doing. Obviously, Harris is so narcissistic, she has no scruples, she's basically just a beast to be fed, craving flattery from the press, demanding it, obsessing, yet using the press to smear rivals, and then keeping a scorebook for those who don't play ball. One wonders, given her prosecutorial record, how much of the state she might be using illegally to surveil and discredit her press adversaries.

Sound like just the person for the presidency? It could happen. Be interesting to see what happens when the entire press at some point gets tired of this, sees more benefit in taking her down than boosting her, and eventually turns against her.

Image: Gage Skidmore, via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

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Road trips often elicit thoughts and memories of quirky roadside attractions, local food, postcards, and long hours behind the wheel. A recent trip from my home in Maryland to Texas, for a nephew's wedding, was just the excuse my wife and I needed to create some of these road trip memories for our family of five. Our trip didn't disappoint as we visited family and famous attractions: the Parthenon in Nashville; a Civil War museum and battlefield in New Market, Va.; and Buc-ee's in Texas.

I couldn't help but notice the striking difference between the two different worlds we encountered along the way.

Unlike the state of Maryland, Texas has many citizens focused on freedom of action and thought. Everyone we encountered at the wedding was unafraid of COVID and exhibited independence and self-reliance in personal matters. These people were staunchly against the government telling them what they could and couldn't do.

Upon our return to Maryland, despite the governor lifting the mask mandate, my wife heard a local man at the grocery store explain to another shopper that he would keep wearing his mask until someone explicitly told him it was safe and proper not to.

These are two very different mindsets: personal independence versus dependence. People who look to themselves for solutions first and those who look to the government for answers.

Our road trip took us through rural and urban areas, and the differences were just as striking as the personalities of the Texans and Marylanders exhibited above. The rural areas we encountered east of Dallas, and when visiting friends in northwest Louisiana, represented people who make a living at farm work, auto repair, construction, and other blue-collar professions. There's also rapid growth and development, especially east of Dallas, as Texas continues to grow with fresh transplants from liberal states.

On the other hand, my excursion off the highway in West Memphis, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., due to the I-40 bridge failure, stood in stark contrast. My lengthy detour off the beaten path shined a spotlight on the blight of urban existence. Not only were the shopping plazas and office buildings of yesteryear long since abandoned and standing as hollow reminders of what once was, but the staples of everyday living seemed outdated and poorly maintained: grocery stores, gas stations, stoplights, police departments, and of course the I-40 bridge are all crumbling and outdated. The once proud and industrious heart of our nation  cities gleaming with lights and modern conveniences  are now a morass of drugs, violence, and hopelessness. Don't believe me? Go visit just about any major city  like Baltimore (where I work) or the non-government sectors of D.C.  and you'll see the same thing.

The people we visited in Texas and Louisiana were thriving  not because of government aid or support, but because of their faith and desire for personal freedom. They are people who see hope not from a government agency, but in a Creator who gave them unalienable rights to pursue life, liberty, and happiness as they see fit. To their benefit, they live in areas where this independence is still valued.

Contrarily, in the government-controlled urban areas, rife with political left-wing radicalism, we see the utter failure of the political elites. They don't dispense power with truth or justice; instead, they have trained generations of people to remain beholden to the government's carrot. Independence is not rewarded, but rather mocked, canceled, or outright punished. People in these areas, including my own home of Maryland, must move in lockstep or suffer the consequences.

Ultimately, our nation has become a people of haves and have-nots  those who have freedom and those who don't. The liberal political elites have misappropriated power and funds away from essential services that improve safety and health and the development of new industries  not to mention bridge repair. Instead, liberal politicians eschew basic governance in lieu of niche social justice campaigns, topics of little concern for the working man.

Our nation was once proud and mighty, not because of politicians, but because the people were industrious, hardworking, and unafraid to tackle challenges. Americans didn't exhibit these character traits because of government directives; rather, they exhibited these attributes because they valued and maintained their independence and personal freedom. Thankfully, there are many who still ascribe to these beliefs. Now it's time to help those saddled with the burden of liberal political control to see that they too can be free once more.

Image via Needpix.

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Shortly after Barack Obama took office in 2009, CNBC editor Rick Santelli called for a "tea party" protest against the new administration's destructive economic policies. People listened. And on Tax Day, April 15, 2009, rallies in cities across the nation launched the grassroots conservative political movement known as the Tea Party.

Recently, a HuffPost article claimed that Joe Biden is doing many of the same things as Obama but, because Biden is an old white guy, there is no opposition as in 2009, thus confirming a major motivation of the Tea Party: racism.

But there are a dozen years separating the launching of the Obama and Biden administrations. That's a long time in the world of politics. Things have changed, but the principles of the Tea Party have not gone away. Indeed, the agonies of the current Republican establishment over their party's identity have their roots in the Tax Day rallies of 2009. It can be argued that, directly and indirectly, the Tea Party's efforts culminated in Donald Trump's 2016 election.

Even though some tried to hijack it and leftists claimed it was Astroturf or receiving massive right-wing or libertarian funding, the Tea Party was a true grassroots movement. Given the classic life cycles of organizations, the Tea Party was destined either to dissolve from a lack of momentum or formally organize and probably calcify.

It did neither. As radicals of the 1960s realized they needed to cut their hair and put on suits to infiltrate Western institutions, many Tea Partiers set aside their Gadsden flags and NRA bumper stickers to become became active in local Republican committees, campaign for candidates, and run for office. Some Tea Partiers said their goal was to take over the Republican Party. Why not? No one was using it anyway.

At the Tax Day launching of the Tea Party movement, estimates are that, at one time or another, 2,000 people came to the town square in Fayetteville, Arkansas, near where I live. Although the legacy media downplayed them, rallies were simultaneously going on around the country, perhaps drawing millions. It was more than just a feel-good get-together. After the rallies, people organized locally. And things happened.

One of the speakers at that first rally in Fayetteville eventually became a deputy secretary of state. He later was elected as our county's chief executive; his wife is seeking a major office in the state Republican Party. Another speaker now owns her own lobbying firm. After organizing, our local Tea Party had a chairman, but he left to run for office, eventually serving a term as a state legislator. Another former Tea Partier is now a GOP state committeeman.

Other local Tea Partiers developed influential watchdog and lobbying organizations that ranked legislators on their votes on economic issues. They watch for fidelity to our state party's very conservative platform and promote "platform Republicans." Their organizations even included a radio program broadcast in several markets in our state, and, for a time, our county Tea Party had its own radio broadcast in our community. In its prime, our local Tea Party regularly hosted political candidates, and its leadership and other state Tea Party leaders spent part of a Saturday morning meeting with one of our U.S. senators.

The Tea Party reached deeper than what was visible. There was the silent Tea Party: people who considered themselves part of the movement, even though they never attended a Tea Party meeting or rally. Through the efforts of all these like-minded individuals, Arkansas turned in the last decade from blue to red, the last Southern state to do so. For the first time since the postCivil War Reconstruction era, all seven of what we call "constitutional offices"  governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, and land commissioner  are Republican.

Today, there's no need for a Tea Party movement. Many of its principles are engrained in the efforts of the Republican base. While the base was resistant to the Republican establishment long before 2009 and Barack Obama, it was the effort of what became the Tea Party that helped translate the base's beliefs into direct political action. Given the train wreck that was the 2020 election, coupled with the leftist insanity that has captured the Democratic Party, there's a new cadre of conservatives who have stopped yelling at their televisions and, like the Tea Partiers of a decade ago, are getting off their couches to become political activists. Unlike Republican suspicions when those weird Tea Partiers tried to join them in 2009, newly hatched politicos are being welcomed into local GOP committees.

Despite Donald Trump's would-be banishment, establishment Republicans are discovering they can't resume their party dominance. There are too many Tea Partiers and those of a like mind controlling the grassroots mechanisms of the GOP.

While there's a long way to go, and today's challenges are greater than those of 2009, the legacy of yesterday's Tea Party brings to mind Ronald Reagan's description of the accomplishments of his administration: "Not bad. Not bad at all."

A retired marketing professor, broadcaster, and journalist, Mike Landry is a freelance writer in Northwest Arkansas. He can be reached at landry_74464us@yahoo.com.

Image: Tea Party Tax Day ROAR Rally at Ah Nab Awen Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 15, 2010, by John Eisenschenk. CC BY 2.0.

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They put the bowling alley on the auction block in October 2019 and were finally able to sell the place for just over $1 million. The sale closed on Jan. 13.
Since the French Revolution, leftists have been at odds with Christianity, which they see as a hindrance to man's true nature  which, usually, is to engage in perverse activity and have totalitarian governments. To put lipstick on this pig, leftists attack the Church for being anti-science and invariably point to Exhibit A (through Z): Galileo Galilei, who was tried as a heretic in 1615 for claiming that the earth revolved around the sun, rather than vice versa. The irony is that, today, the leftist Church of Science is fanatically banning as heretical anyone who dares states the truth about human biology.

In Scotland, which was one of the bastions of scientific Enlightenment, Abertay University in Dundee is formally investigating Lisa Keogh, a student, for daring to say that only women have vaginas and that a 32-year-old man who became a so-called "transgender woman" would be stronger than the average woman because of his decades of testosterone:

Keogh told The Times of London that she had been taking part in a video seminar about gender feminism and the law when she raised concerns about biological males who identify as "transgender women" competing in mixed martial arts. When Keogh first heard about the formal investigation, it didn't compute. "I thought it was a joke. I thought there was no way that the university would pursue me for utilising my legal right to freedom of speech," she told The Times. Keogh said the professor muted her during the debate, and afterward, her fellow classmates heaped abuse on her.

Heresy! Keogh now legitimately fears being barred from practicing law because of her heresy.

Incidentally, men do not have vaginas (except for the minutely small number of intersex people whose rarity proves the rule). Moreover, even NBC was forced to concede that men who pretend to be women, even if they take estrogen, are still stronger than women.

Meanwhile, in Spain, Twitter suspended a Spanish politician who stated, quite accurately, that men do not have babies. Science tells us that men do not have ovaries or uteruses, making pregnancy and birth impossible. Likewise, those so-called "trans men" are in fact women who sliced off their breasts and took testosterone to deepen their voices and grow facial hair. They're still not men, which is why they can carry babies.

But those scientific truths are heresies in the left's Church of Science:

Francisco Jose Contreras, deputy to Spain's far-right Vox Party, was locked out of his Twitter account for 12 hours last week after saying "a man cannot get pregnant" because they have "no uterus or eggs." Contreras' comments were in response to an article he shared on the social media platform about a transgender male who announced they were a father after giving birth to a baby girl. Contreras said in a Facebook post on May 11 that he had received a message from Twitter which informed him that he had violated its policies on "hate speech" for the remarks." "The hateful tweet (which I was forced to delete) was one that said: A man cannot get pregnant. A man has no womb or eggs"," Contreras wrote in response to the move. "You can see this is already fascist biology. Next time I'll try 2 + 2 = 4." According to Twitter, Contreras violated its policy against material that threatens, harasses, or fosters violence against other people on the basis of their race, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, age, disability or disease.

And shame on Fox News for referring to that woman as a male and using the "they" pronoun. If properly written, the sentence would read: "Contreras' comments were in response to an article he shared on the social media platform about a sadly confused woman who believes she is a man and who announced that she is a father after giving birth to a baby girl."

There's a splendid irony to the fact that the same leftists who sneer at Christianity for once challenging Galileo's heliocentric theories (which were not then provable) while denying as heretical the undisputed science of human sexuality, reproduction, and strength. But even while I can laugh at the irony, I find frightening how quickly half the people in the Western world  all of whom should be children of the true scientific Enlightenment  can abandon rationality for irrational fanaticism.

Image: Galileo facing the Roman Inquisition by Cristiano Banti; WERK for Consent- A Queer and Trans Dance Protest by Ted Eytan. CC BY-SA 2.0.

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On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a decision holding that police may not seize guns from a persons home without a valid warrant or proof that there is an emergency. Justice Clarence Thomass decision is a masterpiece of clarity and brevity, as well as a much-deserved scolding to a careless and cavalier First Circuit court. In addition, the legal principle was so obvious that the Court reached its decision unanimously. Monday was a good day for constitutional principles and the rule of law in America.

The facts of Caniglia v. Strom are simple: During a fight with his wife, Petitioner Edward Caniglia grabbed his handgun, put it on the table, and said, Shoot me now and get it over with. Instead, his wife headed for a hotel. The next day, when she couldnt reach him, she called the police for a wellness check. When the police met up with Caniglia, he willingly went for a psychiatric evaluation on the condition that the police wouldnt take his gun. The moment he was in the ambulance, using a ruse the police got Caniglias wife to show them the gun, which they seized. Caniglia sued, claiming the police violated his Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures.

The First Circuit gave the case short shrift. It relied on Cady v. Dombrowski, a 1973 case in which the Supreme Court held that, if officers patrolling public highways concluded that community caretaking functions militated in favor of seizing a gun from a car, they could do so. The First Circuit, therefore, declined to consider whether Caniglia consented, whether there were exigent circumstances justifying seizing the gun, or whether state law permitted the police to seize a gun from a home without a warrant.

Justice Thomas, in a miraculously brief four-page opinion, reamed the First Circuit for its careless, cavalier, and erroneous decision. He began with the Fourth Amendment itself, which protects [t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Absent a legal warrant, this makes the home inviolable to all unreasonable intrusions. Reasonable intrusions are narrowly defined: They consist of emergency situations, such as aiding injured people or protecting people at immediate risk, or being invited in after approaching the door and knocking as any citizen may do.

In addition to the First Circuits lazy unwillingness do to anything other than analogizing a house to a car, Thomas nailed the court for misreading the Cady case: Cady expressly contrasted its treatment of a vehicle already under police control with a search of a car parked adjacent to the dwelling place of the owner. In other words, if youre on the freeway and the police stop you and conclude that its unsafe to the community for you to possess a firearm, thats entirely different from police spontaneously seizing a weapon from anything attendant upon the home, including a car next to the house.

Moreover, said Thomas, the Cady decisions language makes it clear that community caretaking doesnt include allowing the police to do whatever they think will make for a safer community. (After all, and this is me speaking, not Thomas, police can theoretically argue that everything they do is to make a safer community. The First Districts standard would render the Fourth Amendment a nullity.) As it was, wrote Thomas,

Cadys unmistakable distinction between vehicles and homes also places into proper context its reference to community caretaking. This quote comes from a portion of the opinion explaining that the frequency with which . . . vehicle[s] can become disabled or involved in . . . accident[s] on public highways often requires police to perform noncriminal community caretaking functions, such as providing aid to motorists.

Thomass decision proves something I have long believed: The more honest a decision, the shorter it will be. Justices (invariably activist justices) who circumvent the Constitution will write endlessly long decisions replete with innumerable case citations to marginally relevant principles, all in an effort to weave together a gossamer and dishonest fabric that only has a superficial resemblance to constitutionality.

IMAGE: United States Supreme Court. Piqsels.

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Word that President Biden "supports a ceasefire" between Israel and the Israel-denying Hamas (May 17) indicates that the terrorist organization has read Biden right  that he will, eventually, pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the campaign to put a stop, once and for all, to aggression against the Jewish state by Hamas. That includes likely support by Biden for a U.N. Security Council resolution for a ceasefire demand, possibly with threats of sanctions and war crimes trials thrown in for anti-Israel measure.

Consider how a re-elected President Trump would have responded to the Hamas aggression. First, it is more likely than not that Hamas would never have thought to launch thousands of missiles against Israel  and over a private dispute over property rights in Jerusalem, no less  with President Trump in the Oval Office. Hamas likely knew that it would never find aid and comfort for restarting a military conflict with Israel with Mr. Trump the American president.

But should Hamas have been so rash as to attack Israel during a Trump presidential tenure, the message it would have gotten from the Trump White House would have been: "You started this round of combat; now deal with the consequences." At the U.N., if the cool-to-Israel international community drafted a ceasefire resolution, President Trump's U.N. representative would have quickly vetoed it.

Until the Trump presidency, the Middle East conflict remained on low boil due to the rush of the international community, with Washington's support, always to pull the Arab chestnuts out of the fire.

A U.N. Security Council resolution, August 1948, initiated this invidious practice: demanding a ceasefire, with the Arab belligerents to be returned to their starting line, when they commenced hostilities. This practice created no-risk belligerency for the Arabs, encouraging them to wait until the next time to resume fighting.

Eventually, Israel couldn't accept the practice of insulating the Arab belligerents against defeat. After Israel returned its Sinai gains following the 1956 round, it realized with the 1967 round that the policy of forcing Israel back to the conflict starting line served only to encourage Arab intransigency. Consequently, after the conflict in 1967, Israel held onto Sinai  and the Golan Heights in the north  until peace was signed (with Egypt) and the zealous Arab belligerent (Syria) lost the Golan, which had given Damascus a favorable vantage point to shell northern Israel.

Today, it is noted that the fighting between Hamas and Israel is the most serious outbreak since the seven weeks of combat in 2014. What happened to end the 2014 fighting? A ceasefire, that's what. There was no move to disarm the Hamas belligerent, to put a stop to its stockpiling massive quantities of rockets, to make certain construction materials did not go toward networks of tunnels used to launch attacks against Israel.

After 2014, the only obstacle to resumed terrorism by Hamas was Donald J. Trump in the White House. Now, thanks to narrow-visioned NeverTrumps who favor the whirlwind of Democrat leftism over the orderly, liberty-loving Trump administration, Biden, the child of Democrat leftism, seems ready to reward the despicable practice of Hamas to embed its military units among civilian populations for the purpose of leading to media demands that Israel  Israel  stop killing civilians. Hamas places civilians in harm's way and, as in 2014, is about to be rewarded for its war crimes.

If the blockheads who rush to blame Israel for the casualties intentionally made vulnerable by Hamas had been active in the 1940s, they would have loudly protested the demand that Germany surrender unconditionally, and, rather than the Middle East, Europe would have been the site of a seven-decades war.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
In "Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A chronology" (5/16/21), The Washington Post begins the chronology of the conflict with "a coalition of Arab states, allied with Palestinian factions, battle Israeli forces." In the Post's account, the battle "grows" at the "end of the British Mandate for Palestine and Israel's declaration of Independence in May 1948." There is no explanation for why this conflict "grows." The Post doesn't feel it necessary to state that the war began as an Arab attempt "to drive the Jews into the sea," as the Arab leaders put it, while the Jews were forced to fight for their lives. The local Arabs, who decades later started calling themselves Palestinians, were actually offered a state of their own by the U.N.  two states for two peoples. But they and the neighboring Arab countries  who made no distinction between Palestinians and other Arabs  wanted it all. Only 30 years before that, there were no sovereign Arab nations  not one  it was all ruled by the Turks as the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire lasted for 400 years. So Palestinians weren't at all different from Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, etc. They conveniently named themselves Palestinians to project the image that "Palestine" had been their country since time immemorial.

Yes, the chronology curiously left out the offer for a Palestinian state in 1947 by the U.N. and several offers fairly recently, one of which would have given the Palestinians 100% of the West Bank (including land swaps), 100% of Gaza, and a capital in East Jerusalem. There was even an offer to repatriate many of the original Palestinians who had been displaced from Israel in prior wars.

The one-sided chronology was replete with Palestinian talking points. Nowhere was it mentioned that at the same time as Palestinians were displaced in the 1948 war, 100% of all Jews living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were either murdered or expelled by the Arabs. Subsequently, in that same war, the Palestinians lost the West Bank not to Israel, but to Jordan, and lost Gaza not to Israel, but to Egypt. And why doesn't the chronology explain why the Palestinians never showed an interest in a homeland of their own when their Arab brethren occupied the land from 1948 to 1967, and seemed to care about it only when Israel captured it? Lastly, why not list 1964 as a date in the chronology, when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded to destroy Israel years before Israel controlled the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem? Could it be that acknowledging the PLO founding in 1964 would undermine the Palestinian narrative parroted by the Post and reveal that the real goal of the Palestinian movement is to destroy Israel? More proof of the PLO's motive is their pattern of "walking away from the table" of negotiations without making counter-offers. The original PLO charter explicitly spoke of the destruction of Israel as the PLO's goal. No wonder the charter has since been removed and expunged from the internet to hide their true ambitions. The Hamas charter expresses the same genocidal aim.

Let's have a reckoning at The Washington Post and dig a little deeper into what is really happening. If a layperson like me can do it, why can't an investigative news organization like the Post do it?

Image via Pixy.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
The diminutive French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte lies buried in a crypt under the dome at Les Invalides, in Paris, sans many vital body parts, one being his penis.

After the Little Corporal died on 5 May 1821, his autopsy was witnessed by no less than seventeen people, eight of them physicians, so it must been an act of extreme stealth, as the story goes, when Francesco Antommarchi, the lead doctor, snipped off the love appendage from its owner. Another theory is that the genitalia was cut-off by Napoleon's priest Ange-Paul Vignali, while conducting the last rites upon the Emperor's body. And it was not the only body part that was so unceremoniously stolen from the Emperor. Napoleons second valet, Louis-Etienne Saint-Denis, who was also present during the autopsy, confessed to have stolen two little pieces from a rib taking advantage of a moment when the eyes of the English were not fixed on the body. These two body parts also went to Vignali.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps by the French artist Jacques-Louis David.

The penis passed into the possession of Napoleon's chaplain, who smuggled it out of St. Helena to his home on Corsica. It remained in the priests' family until 1916, when Maggs Bros Ltd, a bookselling company based in London, purchased it. Eight years later, it went into the possession of Dr. Abraham S.W. Rosenbach, a Philadelphia-based bookseller, when he acquired all the Vignalis heirlooms including the mummified penis for only $2,000.

Related: Galileos Missing Fingers

In 1927, the shriveled body part went on display for the first time at the Museum of French Art in New York. A New York newspaper covering the event observed observed that Maudlin sentimentalizers sniffled; shallow women giggled and pointed. In a glass case they saw something looking like a maltreated strip of buckskin shoelace or shriveled eel.

Two decades later, Dr. Rosenbach sold the appendage to Donald Hyde, a collector of the books and letters. When Hyde died, his wife returned the desiccated tendon to Rosenbach's successor, John Fleming. Some time later, a wealthy collector named Bruce Gimelson acquired the Vignali collection for a reported $35,000.

The opening of Napoleons casket on St. Helena in October 1840, by Nicolas-Eustache Maurin

In 1972, the putative penis was put up for sale at a London auction house, but having failed to reach its reserve price was withdrawn, causing a British tabloid to scream in a raunchy headline: NOT TONIGHT, JOSEPHINE!,

The tendon was eventually sold in 1977 to American urologist Dr. John K. Lattimer. Upon Lattimers death, his daughter inherited the object.

While forensic analysis conducted on the specimen confirms that it is a penis, it's still not certain whether its owner was Bonaparte. Some historians doubt that the priest could have managed the organ heist when so many people were passing in and out of the emperor's death chamber. Others suggest he may have removed only a partial sample.

The alleged penis is still in the possession of Evan Lattimer, Dr. Lattimers daughter. She has been offered north of $100,000 for the penis, but refuses to sell it.

References:

# Stanley M. Bierman, The Peripatetic Posthumous Peregrination of Napoleon's Penis, The Journal of Sex Research

# Judith Pascoe, Meanwhile: The pathos of Napoleon's penis, NY Times

# Shannon Selin, What happened to Napoleons body?, shannonselin.com

# Ishaan Tharoor, The strange journey of Napoleons penis, Washington Post




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DUI ARREST: Deshawn Duncan, 26, of the 400 block of Orchard Drive, Park Forest, was arrested and accused of aggravated drunken driving, unlawful possession of a fraudulent I.D. card and no insurance May 2 after police discovered him asleep behind the wheel in the drive thru lane of White Castle, 15801 S. Harlem Ave. on May 2, police said. Duncan then refused commands to put his car in park and drove forward after waking up, striking the squad car that had parked in front of him, according to a police report.
(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 18 - Industry Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti,said Tuesday that Italy may adopt a green pass system to make it possible for the nation's night clubs to reopen in safety.

Although the government has eased COVID-19 restrictions for many sectors, night venues do not yet have a reopening date.

A green pass certifies that as person has been vaccinated or has recently tested negative for the coronavirus.

"I realise that some sectors have been penalized and the discotheque sector is the most glaring example," said Giorgetti. (ANSA).


As we are reassessing our institutions and our structures of access and service, now is the time for those in need to speak up, Jordan said. Speak so I can listen, so I can learn how I may serve you, so we can act together to make Rich Township a place where all residents can enjoy the quality of life they not only desire, but they deserve.
A sexual predator who murdered a trusting and friendly mother in her home more than 36 years ago has been jailed for life after being snared through a DNA breakthrough.

Convicted rapist Graham McGill, 59, was an inmate at HMP Edinburgh on temporary release when he strangled Mary McLaughlin, 58, in Partick, Glasgow in 1984.

The mother-of-11 had enjoyed a night out drinking and playing dominoes at different bars on Wednesday September 26 of that year and was last seen at about 10.45pm heading to a chip shop on her way home.

Mary McLaughlin was murdered in 1984 (Police Scotland/PA)

McGill strangled her with her own dressing gown cord and her body was found days later by one of her sons.

McGill was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

Ms McLaughlins death sparked a major police investigation and spawned dozens of lines of inquiry, but the cold case remained unsolved until modern DNA techniques placed McGill in her flat with a greater than billion-to-one likelihood, the trial heard.

McGills ex-wife, Suzanne Russell, also told jurors that in 1988, he had confessed to murdering a woman because he just wanted to know what it felt like.

The crime scene at Mary McLaughlins flat (Crown Office/PA)

He was sentenced at the High Court in Aberdeen on Tuesday to life imprisonment and will have to spend 14 years behind bars before any possible release on licence.

Sentencing him, Judge Lord Burns said: 36 years after the death of Mary McLaughlin, you have been convicted of her murder. She was 58 when she died and you were 22. You are now 59.

Her family has had to wait all that time in order to discover who was responsible for that act knowing that whoever did it was probably at large in the community.

They had never given up the hope that some day they would find out what had happened to her. They have been deprived of her love and companionship.

It is due to the perseverance of police authorities and, in particular, the forensic biologists, that your guilt could be demonstrated.

The evidence showed that your chance encounter with Mary McLaughlin that night allowed you to take advantage of a vulnerable and lonely woman who was probably intoxicated.

The attack took place within her own home to which she may have invited you. She was wholly unable to defend herself against any attack from someone like you.

You proceeded to strangle her with a cord until she was dead. You then left her in her house.

From the evidence of Suzanne Russell, to which I can have regard, it may be that you made a calculated decision to kill this woman.

She was eventually found by one of her sons. You continue to deny any responsibility for your actions. You therefore show no remorse for this murder.

Mary McLaughlin was a mother of 11 (Crown Office/PA)

Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime, David Green, said: This was a challenging investigation requiring complex and thorough work by specialist prosecutors.

Under their direction, experts in forensic science saw an opportunity to use modern DNA techniques to analyse evidence from the scene that had been preserved by the original investigating officers before such techniques were available to them. This foresight ultimately led to Graham McGills conviction.

Unresolved homicides are never closed, and the Crown is committed to working with police to bring these cases to court wherever possible.

Our thoughts remain with Marys family, and I hope the sentence imposed today goes some way towards providing resolution for them.

Police Scotland Detective Superintendent Suzanne Chow echoed his comments, saying: Marys family has waited a long time for justice and I hope todays verdict provides some form of resolution for them.

It is fitting to know that despite the passage of time, justice has finally been served.

She added: Despite crimes occurring years ago, there is always hope of solving them one day. They are never forgotten.
The Prince of Wales has followed in the footsteps of his late father by visiting a world famous shipyard in Belfast.

Charles donned a hard hat and hi-vis vest on arrival at Harland and Wolff in the east of the city where his father Prince Philip had visited in 1977.

He spent some time talking to workers at the firm which was rescued from administration in 2019 by the company InfraStrata.

The Prince of Wales during a visit to Harland & Wolff (Samir Hussein/PA)

Crossing the historic yard, where HMS Titanic among many other ships were built, the prince was photographed exactly how his father had been in 1977 walking in front of one of the enormous yellow cranes which dominate the citys skyline.

Looking towards the future of the business, the royal visitor was also shown automatic welding machinery.

He unveiled a plaque for the 160th anniversary of Harland and Wolff and was presented with a photograph of his fathers visit to the shipyard.

In a speech to the workers, the Prince of Wales said it had been a great pleasure to have had a short opportunity to meet some of them.

Im old enough to remember the days when there were an awful lot of people working here, so its been such a pleasure to talk to those of you who have been working here for 40 or 45 years, and the fact that its always been such an amazing family company, so many of you have followed your grandfathers and fathers, uncles and so on, he said.

Im so pleased to hear that there is all sorts of potential new activity here and new fabrication opportunities, that could be really encouraging, and I hope you could encourage a lot more of the young to become apprentices and understand the importance of manufacturing, and to also understand how this country has led the way in so many of these areas.

We owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude for your skills and ingenuity, which are so remarkable. Well done all of you and thank you for all the hard work you put in.

The Prince of Wales unveils a commemorative plaque during a visit to Harland & Wolff at Queens Island, Belfast (Samir Hussein/PA)

Robert Childs was among the workers who met Prince Charles.

He said it had been an honour, describing him as a lovely, genuine man.

He was interested in the cranes and also in peoples history within the company, how long people had worked here and what their trades were, he seemed to have a lot of time for every single person he spoke to, he said.

Im fourth generation, my great grandfather, grandfather, father and myself all worked here. My great grandfather was a shipwright, my grandfather and father were both fitters and I ended up as an electrical engineer.

Philip McClean, a welding and steel work inspector, started at the firm as an apprentice in 1974. He also followed in his fathers and grandfathers footsteps.

I told the prince about how in 1977 I was asked to represent all apprentices and was introduced to his father, he was tickled by that, he said.

I was actually named after Prince Philip by my grandmother.

Today was not just a good experience for me but good for Harland and Wolff, good for Belfast and good for Northern Ireland to see heavy engineering put in the spotlight.

Were looking forward to getting apprentices back in, the young blood back into the trades.

General manager Steven Wright said it was a great day for Harland and Wolff and the workers.

It was great to see the expression and the pleasure on the guys faces especially people who have been here for so long, and also some of the new people who are starting, its great to have this exposure, he said.

Prince Charles took a genuine interest in speaking to people and our new robotic welding machine which is part of the innovation process we are going through and moving forward.

As a company, Harland and Wolff, we are looking towards the green revolution, the offshore wind markets and renewables.
The formal election of Scotlands First Minister is set to take place at Holyrood on Tuesday afternoon.

MSPs will vote to choose the First Minister from 2pm, with the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon expected to continue leading the country following the Scottish Parliament election earlier this month.

Nominees for the position must put themselves forward by 1.30pm, ahead of the vote that is overseen by the new Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone.

Candidates will have five minutes to appeal for support from other MSPs who will each be able to cast one vote.

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In the case of only one candidate, MSPs will be asked to vote for, against or abstain. If that candidate obtains a simple majority, he or she will be declared as the Parliaments nomination for First Minister.

If there are two candidates, a candidate is selected if they obtain a simple majority of votes in their favour.

Where there are more than two candidates, a winner would be elected if they exceed the total number of votes for all other candidates.

If they fall short of an absolute majority, the candidate with the smallest number of votes is eliminated and further rounds of voting take place until a candidate is selected.
By APD writer Shristi Kafle

Nepal is considering buying two million Vero Cell Covid-19 vaccines from China.

The latest move comes after Nepal failed to receive one million doses of the purchased Covishield vaccines from India in last couple of months.

According to an official of the Ministry of Health and Population, the process has already been initiated to buy vaccines from the northern neighbor.

Though it has not been formally announced, it is learnt that the ministry has sent a letter to the concerned agency in China through the channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is further informed that the Nepali Embassy in Beijing is coordinating with the Chinese side for the purchase.

As per local reports, in preliminary talks, China has responded saying it can deliver one million doses of the vaccines by the first week of June.

China had provided 800,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccines to Nepal in grant assistance in March. Nepal had utilized the same vaccine to inoculate its large number of population in April, while the second dose is being administered from this week.

However, it had not taken any initiation to purchase the vaccines from China as it was waiting for the arrival of Covishield vaccines from the Serum Institute of India.

Initially, Nepal had received one million doses of vaccines as a gift from the Indian government. Following this, Nepal purchased two million doses of vaccines at $4 per dose by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India via G2G process. The delivery schedule was1 million in February and remaining 1 million in March.

Considering the then situation, the government was even looking forward to buy additional 5 million doses at $5.5 per dose.

Out of the two million purchased, Nepal received only one million doses in the first phase in February, but hasnt received the second installment even in months. It was later revealed that some insiders and commission agents obstructed the vaccine purchase process. The purchase was halted after the agents demanded a ten percent as commission.

The Nepali Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi spoke openly in several media interviews about the involvement of influential agents and the commission row which delayed in delivery of Covishield vaccines from India. However, he didnt reveal the names, saying they are powerful.

Nepal government had agreed to provide ten percent as commission to the private sector in vaccine purchases. However it hadnt agree to pay a commission on the vaccine purchased directly from the factory, following which the agents moved to actively block the purchase.

As per the local media report, Nepal's Hukum Distribution company quoted its price at $5.5 per dose, and it quoted 10 percent (0.55 cents) as administration, coordination and distribution margin, making the total cost as $6.05 per dose.

"The agents payment terms were: 80 percent advance, 20 percent before shipment, in favour of Hukum Distribution. It meant Hukum, as a local distributor, wanted the commission on the total transaction without investing a cent," The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Indian side has remained mum over the issue, citing huge demand within India itself with the deadly second wave, and the ban on vaccine exports.

Health experts in Nepal have warned that at a time when the death toll from the second wave of COVID pandemic is surging, Nepal must move ahead with the vaccine procurements. Amid this pressure, now, it seems the government is finally eyeing towards China to purchase the needed vaccines.

According to a high official at the ministry, If the vaccination drive had taken momentum as per the plan with expected vaccines from India, our human casualty would not be this at this scale.

Nepal's death toll due to COVID-19 infection has already crossed 5,000 mark, which more than that of China, while it has registered over 450,000 positive cases.

"Nothing is important than people's life. Vaccine is the only solution and China is capable to supply at present. I hope the wisdom prevails to the people in the power over all kinds of arguments for holding on," Leela Mani Paudyal, Former Nepali Ambassador to China, remarked.

He further urged the government, particularly Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, through his social media platform, "Please allow clinical trial for a vaccine through shortest possible method by ensuring required quantity of vaccine for us on priority. A request is pending for a long."

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

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This takes control away from us completely, Owens said. And at this point we have the infrastructure in place to be able to accommodate families. ... Its unconscionable to take the infrastructure that we have right now and then just throw it by the wayside on a declaration and not let school districts do what they need to do to help their families.
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Oregon to issue more than $550 million in food assistance to 572,000 children

Households do not need to apply unless not currently enrolled in free or reduced meals
Health experts are warning that India will soon face a shortage of medical staff in critical care units

A patient suffering from the coronavirus receives treatment inside the emergency ward at Holy Family hospital in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

New Delhi: Some 90,000 Indian doctors armed with medical degrees from Russia, China and Ukraine are urging the government to put them to work in the battle against COVID-19 instead of standing idly by, waiting for local licences.

Nowhere in the world has been hit harder by the pandemic than India, as a new variant of the virus fuelled a surge in infections that has risen to more than 400,000 daily, with more than 4,000 deaths a day, overwhelming the health system.

Graduates from overseas medical schools including Bangladesh, Philippines, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan have to pass local exams in India before they are allowed to practise.

Many have either cleared the exams and are waiting for their licences to be issued, while others are to sit for the test next month.

"We are not demanding that foreign graduates should be allowed to conduct surgeries, but they must be allowed to work as frontline workers at such a critical juncture," said Najeerul Ameen, president of All India Foreign Medical Graduates Association.

Health experts are warning that India will soon face a shortage of medical staff in critical care units as the second wave takes its toll.

"Over the next few weeks we'll be seeing the death of patients in ICUs (intensive care units) because there may be no nurses and doctors to take care of them. This is going to happen," said Dr Devi Shetty, a prominent cardiologist at a recent conference.

Last week, overworked nurses and paramedics in government hospitals in the western state of Gujarat went on a strike asking for better wages and insurance cover.

Ameen said thousands of the foreign medical graduates were standing idle despite being keen to work. The World Health Organization recognises their degrees.

Officials at the National Board of Examination (NBE) said the exams were mandatory because they had not been trained in India.

"They are not accustomed to Indian health care problems at all," said Pawanindra Lal, executive director of the NBE.

The health ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Successful launch of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, its 'eyes' designed by U-M researchers

A five-year quest to map the universe and unravel the mysteries of "dark energy" is beginning officially today, and University of Michigan researchers were instrumental in the project's development.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, is an international collaboration under the aegis of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with primary funding from DOE's Office of Science. The project aims to create a 3D map of the universe, unraveling the mysterious dark energy. To complete its quest, the instrument will capture and study the light from tens of millions of galaxies and other distant objects in the universe.

To do this, the instrument will aim its robotic array of 5,000 fiber-optic "eyes" at the night sky to capture the first images showing its unique view of galaxy light. The robotic eyes were assembled by U-M students and technicians, under the leadership of physicist Gregory Tarle. The team delivered a total of 7,300 robotic fiber positioners, including spares.

By gathering light from some 30 million galaxies, project scientists say DESI will help them construct a 3D map of the universe with unprecedented detail. The data will help them better understand the repulsive force associated with dark energy that drives the acceleration of the expansion of the universe across vast cosmic distances.

What sets DESI apart from previous sky surveys?

"DESI is the most advanced cosmic cartography experiment ever attempted. By observing the spectrum of tens of millions of galaxies and quasars, ten times more than any previous experiment, DESI will construct a detailed three-dimensional map of our universe," said Tarle, U-M professor of physics and chair of the DESI Institutional Board.

"With this map, we will be able to trace the impact of the mysterious dark energy through 11 billion years of cosmic time and attempt to understand its nature. This is such an exciting time, marking the culmination of almost a decade of work by dozens of institutions from all over the world to build DESI, carry out the targeting surveys and make it work on the sky."

DESI's components are designed to automatically point at preselected sets of galaxies, gather their light and then split that light into narrow bands of color to precisely map their distance from Earth and gauge how much the universe expanded as this light traveled to Earth. In ideal conditions, DESI can cycle through a new set of 5,000 galaxies every 20 minutes.

"We will measure 10 times more galaxy spectra than ever obtained. These spectra get us a third dimension," said project director Michael Levi of the Berkeley Lab.

Instead of two-dimensional images of galaxies, quasars and other distant objects, he explained, the instrument collects light, or spectra, from the cosmos such that it "becomes a time machine where we place those objects on a timeline that reaches as far back as 11 billion years ago."

The formal start of DESI's five-year survey follows a four-month trial run of its custom instrumentation that captured spectra from four million galaxies--more than the combined output of all previous spectroscopic surveys.

The DESI instrument resides at the retrofitted Mayall Telescope at the National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

"We're not using the biggest telescopes," said Berkeley Lab's David Schlegel, who is a DESI project scientist. "It's that the instruments are better and very highly multiplexed, meaning that we can capture the light from many different objects at once."

In fact, the telescope "is literally pointing at 5,000 different galaxies simultaneously," Schlegel said. On any given night, as the telescope is moved into a target position, the optical fibers align to collect light from galaxies as it is reflected off the telescope mirror. From there, the light is fed into a bank of spectrographs and CCD cameras for further processing and study.

Spectra collected by DESI are the components of light corresponding to the colors of the rainbow. Their characteristics, including wavelength, reveal information such as the chemical composition of objects being observed as well as information about their relative distance and velocity.

As the universe expands, galaxies move away from each other, and their light is shifted to longer, redder wavelengths. The more distant the galaxy, the greater its "redshift." By measuring galaxy redshifts, DESI researchers will create a 3D map of the universe. The detailed distribution of galaxies in the map is expected to yield new insights on the influence and nature of dark energy.

"Dark energy is one of the key science drivers for DESI," said project co-spokesperson Kyle Dawson, professor of physics and astronomy at University of Utah. "The goal is not so much to find out how much there is--we know that about 70% of the energy in the universe today is dark energy--but to study its properties."

The universe is expanding at a rate determined by its total energy contents, Dawson said. As the DESI instrument looks out in space and time, "we can literally take snapshots today, yesterday, 1 billion years ago, 2 billion years ago--as far back in time as possible. We can then figure out the energy content in these snapshots and see how it is evolving," he said.

DESI is supported by the DOE Office of Science and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. Additional support for DESI is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Science and Technologies Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, Ministry of Economy of Spain and DESI member institutions.

The DESI collaboration is honored to be permitted to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak), a mountain with particular significance to the Tohono O'odham Nation, the scientists say.

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Survey: Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

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Commentary: Exchange of violence only pushes Israel, Palestine farther from peace

Xinhua) 08:26, May 18, 2021

A Palestinian woman inspects the destroyed houses in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, on May 14, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

It has proved in history that tit-for-tat attacks only deepen hatred and nurture revenge. All the concerned parties should unite on the side of justice and peace, and the right side of history, and shoulder their due responsibilities.

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Tears in scared children's eyes, destroyed communities and thousands of refugees packed in make-shift camps ... the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip is now testing the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation on the Middle East peace process and questioning the conscience of humanity.

The most severe conflict between Israel and Palestine since 2014 has entered the second week with heavy casualties. Among over 200 deaths, the majority are innocent civilians, including children.

Truce is now the most pressing issue and a top priority in the region as the bloodshed has turned thousands of civilians into refugees seeking for inadequate shelters, and is risking peaceful coexistence of Jews and Muslims in other parts of the world.

Palestinian people who fled their homes due to Israeli air and artillery strikes, take refuge at a school in Gaza City, on May 14, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

The exchange of violence is forcing the deadlock of the peace process between Israel and Palestine further to a dead end.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the Sunday meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the escalation in violence in Gaza "only perpetuates the cycles of death, destruction and despair, and pushes farther to the horizon any hopes of coexistence and peace."

"Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately. Rockets and mortars on one side and aerial and artillery bombardments on the other must stop," the UN chief said.

It has proved in history that tit-for-tat attacks only deepen hatred and nurture revenge. To really protect their people, forces of Israel and Palestine should both stop military and hostile actions, including airstrikes, ground offensives and rocket launches.

Photo taken on May 15, 2021 shows rockets being fired from northern Gaza Strip toward Israel. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Israel, which has the upper hand with more advanced weaponry and much fewer casualties, must exercise restraint in particular. It should conform to the UN resolutions, stop destroying houses and expelling people of Palestine, halt expansion of Israeli settlements, avoid anti-Muslim violence, threats and provocations, and respect the historical status quo at holy sites of Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian side should also avoid actions that worsen the situation, stop retaliatory rocket launches, try not to hurt civilians and join in the efforts to deescalate the tension.

The double scourge of military conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic has created worrisome humanitarian crises in the densely populated communities in and around Gaza.

To avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, Israel must fulfill its obligations proposed by relevant UN resolutions, completely lift its lockdown in the Gaza Strip, ensure the safety and legal rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories, and facilitate the entrance of humanitarian assistance.

Israeli security forces inspect a damaged vehicle which was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza strip in southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on May 16, 2021. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

China has been consistent in promoting the peace process in the Middle East, has adhered to fairness and justice, and is ready to support all efforts that help to ease the tension.

As the rotating presidency of the UNSC for May, China has made it a top priority to tackle the Palestine-Israel conflict and pushed the UNSC to deliberate on the Palestinian issue many times.

All the concerned parties should unite on the side of justice and peace, and the right side of history, and shoulder their due responsibilities. The international community should practice true multilateralism, push for a comprehensive, fair and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue at an early date.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Chris Leow of ESI Consultants, the engineering design manager on the project, said that between 2014 and 2018, there were 36 vehicle crashes at this Grand Avenue railroad crossing, far more than other Grand Avenue intersections in the area. The study also looked at the six Grand Avenue intersections from 75th Court to 79th Avenue during the same timeframe. Five had fewer than 10 crashes, and one had 16.
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Services for Mabel McCrackin McGee, 92, of Tyler were held Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 2 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home Chapel in Tyler and Rev. Brandy Stevens officiated. Burial followed at Goodgame Cemetery near Athens under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mabel McGee passe
Cody Lang, 19, of the 3800 block of N. Nora Ave., Chicago, and Makayla Wheeler, 18, of the 8300 block of W. Winona St., Norridge, were taken into custody May 14 at a Motel 6 at 1535 Milwaukee Ave. Both were charged with felony possession of stolen property in connection with the crime, police said.
But thats not to say that Musk cant voice some of his frustrations regarding how they do business. Specifically, when briefly addressing a bunch of fans and reporters gathered outside the construction site, Musk spoke about the reason for the delay in opening production at the plant.The initial plan was to have Giga Berlin operating by July 1, but with less than two months to go to that date, its clear the deadline will be missed. Amid speculation that Giga Berlin is facing at least six months in delays, Musk tells reporters that hes hoping it will be operating by the end of this year. Six months was an accurate estimate, it turns out.As for what caused this delay, Musk points the finger at bureaucracy in Germany. It makes it impossible to make accurate estimates or, as it turns out, keep progress on track. I think there could be less bureaucracy, that would be better, he explains (via AutoNews ). There should be some kind of active process for removal of rules. Otherwise, over time, the rules will just accumulate and you get more and more rules until eventually you can't do anything.This wouldnt be the first time that Musk speaks against bureaucracy. In March this year, after feuding publicly with local authorities in California over his right to keep the Fremont facility open as an essential business, he moved to Texas . One of the reasons for the move, he said, was the fact that California had grown complacent and would stifle all kinds of innovations under a pile of rules, regulations, and paperwork.Bureaucracy, it seems, remains Musks arch-nemesis.
The AMRAAM missile , also known as AIM-120, was first fired in 1991. It has been created as a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of operating regardless of the weather. This fire-and-forget weapon was used in combat in several hot areas worldwide. Still, given how the world is not getting nearly as many dog fights as it once used to, it is credited with just under 20 kills of enemy aircraft since its introduction. At least that we know ofThe American military is planning to sometime replace the AIM-120, but it will squeeze some more life out of it until that time comes. And it will do so by fielding a more modern variant called AIM-120D-3. Thats the missile that was fired twice in test runs during these past few months.According to the U.S. Navy , the new variant comes with an improved guidance system. It was tested on May 13 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range in California after being fired from the underside of an F/A-18F Super Hornet . According to the people overseeing the launch, the objectives of the mission were met.More to the point, the military wanted to see if the missiles safe separation autopilot works as it should, but also have a look at the weapons free-flight navigation toward its target. Sadly, there's no video of the test, for obvious reasons, but the image released by the U.S. Navy and attached above says all there is to say about it.The plan is to have the new variant of the AMRAAM ready for deployment in 2023. It will have some big shoes to fill, as the present version sold over 14,000 units to both the American military and its allies.
EV

Earlier this month, the Italian competition watchdog fined Google for not allowing a third-partyapp to be updated with support for Android Auto.Korean media reports that Google is now accused of blocking apps downloaded from third-party stores from running on Android Auto, a feature thats already available on a significant number of cars sold in the country.Just like iOS, which comes with Apples App Store offered by default on all iPhones, Android bundles its very own app store called Google Play Store, which is maintained by Google. But unlike Apples platform, Android also allows third-party stores, with some apps available in more than one version in an attempt to reach a bigger audience.For example, there are apps listed for download not only on Googles Play Store but also in Samsungs Galaxy Store. And according to this latest claim, its believed the search giant has blocked apps from showing up on Android Auto unless they were specifically downloaded from the Google Play Store.The company hasnt responded to these accusations, but the Korea Communications Commission says it would launch a probe to determine if the access for these apps has indeed been restricted on Android Auto.Google has recently unlocked Android Auto for more third-party app categories, including parking solutions and EV tools, therefore allowing developers to provide users with alternatives even to its very own apps. For example, several big companies, including Sygic and TomTom, have already released their navigation solutions on Android Auto following this announcement, therefore allowing users to replace Google Maps with other third-party solutions when getting behind the wheel.More apps are currently in the works, with the Android Auto app ecosystem expected to grow bigger by the end of the year.
One of the biggest promoters of the so-called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) based on drones is NASA. The agency makes no secret of its support for the development of air mobility, and the latest step it took when it comes to this field is as good an example as any.This week, NASA announced it entered a partnership with The Longbow Group to create flight corridors for AAM drones in the Hampton Roads area in Virginia. That would be the first step that needs to be taken to see if air mobility over cities is a feasible idea.These beyond visual line-of-sight flight corridors will allow NASA and Longbow to assess the needed infrastructure, the requirements of such a system, and the required data sharing between the parties involved. Data on surveillance radars, meteorological systems, data networks, and command and control communications could also be gathered.For the task at hand, the two will be using small drones to fill the roles of their future, much larger counterparts. No exact details on the type of drones to be used, or on the exact flight corridors, have been provided yet. NASA, however, did say it will use Raytheon s and Hampton Universitys Skyler radar, mounted in downtown Hampton, as a sense and avoid system. Skyler will work in conjunction with a series of other radar systems currently being installed at the NASA Langley Research Center.For now, the start date of the test program was not announced. Full details on the initiative, as announced so far, can be found in the press release section below.
Every Bugatti embodies hair-raising performance, exquisite design, and impeccable craftsmanship. Thats why these vehicles are so expensive yet extremely sought-after. Last year, five of the most expensive cars sold at auctions worldwide were all built by the Molsheim-based luxury carmaker.Although those were all classic models, the present-day Chiron is just as desirable. Revealed in 2016 as the successor of the Veyron, this 1,479-hp beast dressed in a tuxedo is an exceptional piece of contemporary automotive art that everyone wants but few can afford.Its one of the few car designs out there that nobody can complain about since it blends elegance and aggressiveness in a flawless package. But behind the gorgeous production versions that end up in the mind-blowing collections of a chosen few, there are countless hours of development.To reach that renowned level of perfection, Bugatti builds several prototypes that go through a series of challenging tests. It is where we meet the 4-005, an early version of the Chiron that was driven hard for more than 46,000 miles (74,000 km) across several continents, in the most unforgiving conditions you can imagine.The fifth of eight prototypes built in 2013, this car served as a test lab on wheels for the companys Electrics and Electronics department. To develop, analyze, and fine-tune features that are usually taken for granted, engineers didnt just simulate several environments and conditions but actually took to the roads, sometimes driving constantly for more than 10 hours.Years before the Chiron was officially unveiled, the 4-005 was fitted with a tarpaulin cover to protect it from the paparazzi and traveled to the U.S., Canada, or South Africa. It eventually came back to Europe, where it covered nearly half of the continent, on highways, country roads, and even icy pathways over frozen Scandinavian lakes.In the U.S., it reached the Death Valley, where it was pushed to the limits to see how the air conditioning and several other electrical components behave under extreme heat. Then, experts drove the camouflaged Chiron to the Grand Canyon to check its satellite, aerial, radio, and phone reception and how they behave without a signal. These particular tests were subsequently repeated in every country because, after all, the aforementioned features needed to work perfectly everywhere.The test car was even subjected to the afterburner of a Eurofighter Typhoon military jet to see how it handles heat. On the opposite side of the extreme temperature spectrum, it was extensively tested in the freezing wilderness of Northern Europe.One of the numerous parts of the Chiron that we find amazing is its minimalistic yet high-tech cabin. The virtual interface and every physical button inside the hypercar were all initially developed using the 4-005.Even though it now seems like a beat-up piece of work equipment filled with inaesthetic wiring and testing tools, this prototype took one for the team and had a major contribution to the final production version.After years of hardcore duty, it has been retired. Still, since its role in the development process of the Chiron was so influential, Bugatti decided against scrapping it, as is usually the case with development prototypes. The company will preserve it as a showpiece in the Molsheim factory.
EV

Back then, the two examples were added to the competitor list of the very first U.S.-based transcontinental road race. It kicked off in New York City, and it was created in a bid to demonstrate and test both the endurance and capabilities of a yet-to-be proven technology: the automobile.The Ford Model T No.2 needed exactly 23 days and 4,106 miles (6,608 km) to prove its worth as it crossed the finish line in Seattle at the World Fair. Recreations of that amazing race have taken place ever since, and records have fallen continuously. Lets take the highly illegal Cannonball Run, for example, as it serves our purposes in more ways than one.Earlier this year, a Porsche Taycan 4S traveled from the Red Ball Garage, New York, to the Portofino Hotel in Los Angeles, from coast to coast (on a shorter distance, of just 2,800 miles or 4,500 km) in a mere 44 hours and 26 minutes. Remember, its an, and it needed to be recharged along the way.As it turns out, the Blue Oval goes the opposite way; instead of endangering the people inside the car and everyone around them for a reckless challenge, it decided to take its sweet time and recreate the winning Model Ts journey in a very relaxed manner. And with the Mustang Mach-E, of course, as the goal is to promote e-mobility.Basically, the company uses the Ocean to Ocean Reimagined as a marketing tool devised to demonstrate the capability and technology of Fords all-electric SUV as it travels across America . The reimagined journey started on May 17th at the Classic Car Club Manhattan in New York City and wont be complete until the EV has traveled almost 6,500 miles (10,461 km) in a span of no less than 50 days and across 20 states.It is a much longer run than its original, but this time around the Ford Mach-E isnt battling anyone. Instead, it will stop along the way for product endorsements that will demonstrate its qualities in places such as the iconic Amelia Island (Florida), Washington, D.C., Charlotte (North Carolina), Atlanta, and Las Vegas before reaching the final destination in Seattle.
Over the course of these past weeks, NATO demonstrated that it could successfully coordinate two major, separate operations at the same time. Royal Navys Strike Warrior exercise and U.S. exercise Ragnar Viking involved a total of 15 ships from four NATO states. According to a U.S. Navy statement, around 9,000 military members from the participating countries came together in the final stage of the operations on May 17, which demonstrates the coordination abilities of NATO Allies.USS Iwo Jima and HMS Queen Elisabeth took center stage, as they were the leading ships for each exercise, respectively. The first one, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, is the flagship of the U.S. IWO Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) participating in Ragnar Viking, while aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elisabeth is, according to the Royal Navy , the largest of its vessels and the most powerful one.Ragnar Viking is a U.S.-led multilateral operational exercise unfolding in the Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas. Some of this years operations included long-range strike demonstrations, amphibious landings, and anti-submarine warfare. The main U.S. participants were the IWO Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), together with other U.S. Navy ships and Air Force aircraft. HMS Lancaster and HMS Albion represented the Royal Navy, and other participants included ships from the Norwegian Navy and the French one.Royal Navys Strike Warrior brought together over 84 aircraft, 20 ships and three submarines from multiple nations. The UK Carrier Strike Group, centered around HMS Queen Elisabeth, participated in its final test and was certified as ready for deployment during this years Strike Warrior exercise.
No exact details on the motorcycle were provided, and we do not know to the letter what makes this particular bike special, but a few of the released images with the two-wheeler show the paint scheme that makes this one stand out in its family.Fully designed by Triumph s paint shop, the scheme is clean and elegant, with white and black on the fuel tank, the DGR logo featured on the bodywork and the promise of unique customizations.The bike maker will spill the full beans on the bike on May 23 because it is then when DGR is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The event came to be in Sydney, Australia, and it is meant to raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer and mens mental health. To date, over 300,000 riders took part, and $27.45 million were raised for the cause.The special Thruxton is meant as an additional perk for those willing to take part, as one of the participants in this years event will get to win it. The rides are open to all whose willing to attend and will take place all over the world. All one has to do to get a chance at winning the one-off motorcycle is to register, make a random donation, and raise an additional $250 from other rides.Full details on rules and regulations for this years Distinguished Gentlemans Ride and the ways of getting a shot at winning the unique bike can be found at this link
So right now, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO , and possibly others are currently exploring approaches to become big players in the car industry, but in the coming years, a surprise name might join this growing tech club as well.Its Roborock, the company thats mostly known for building robot vacuum cleaners, as the firm has recently applied for a new trademark that could mark its first step in the car biz.As per a report from China , Roborock applied for Rock Smart Car, which at first glance is a sign that the company wants to build a vehicle from scratch.While some tech companies are planning a gradual expansion in the car world and stick with baby steps, joining forces with a traditional automotive company to supply new-generation systems, this trademark suggests that Roborock wants to go the same route like Apple and build a full vehicle from scratch.Of course, very little is known at this point, and Roborock could very well give up on its car ambitions at all if something doesnt go as planned. Still, for the time being, its pretty clear more and more tech companies are currently envisioning a future where they would step out of their comfort zone and search for profits in the automotive industry.Xiaomi, Roborocks biggest ally in the tech world, has already confirmed plans to launch an EV , with the company likely to launch this project in 2023 or 2024 at the earliest.Xiaomi aims to compete directly against Apple, as the iPhone maker is now seeking a partner to manufacture its highly anticipated Apple Car , also expected to see the daylight in three or four years if everything goes according to the plan.
Called Mobile Drive and based in the Netherlands, the new joint venture will focus specifically on infotainment solutions, telematics, 5G communications, artificial intelligence, over-the-air updates, smart cockpit integrations, and e-commerce opportunities.Given these targets, its easy to figure out the role of each company in this 50/50 joint venture. Foxconn will be in charge of everything related to software, therefore becoming one of the first tech companies stepping into the automotive industry to provide fully featured solutions for the next generation of cars.Stellantis, on the other hand, will contribute with its car know-how, design expertise, and global experience on tech integration in the automotive industry.Carlos Tavares, Chief Executive Officer at Stellantis, has obsessively insisted software plays a key role in the long term for the modern driver. He says in a press release that Mobile Drive will allow all brands operating under this umbrella to benefit from services that maker the next great evolution of our industry.Interestingly enough, todays announcement reveals that Mobile Drive wont just build new-generation technology for Stellantis brands, as the company is open to working together with other interested automakers as well.Joining forces with Stellantis pretty much puts an end to rumors that Foxconn could end up building the Apple Car . Currently the largest iPhone maker, Foxconn has long been considered Apples backup plan should no traditional automaker be interested in manufacturing the Apple Car.But right now, it looks like the collaboration between Apple and Foxconn would be limited to the tech industry, as the two are going on separate ways in the car biz. Apple is believed to be discussing an Apple Car manufacturing partnership with another joint venture formed by LG and Magna
Her attorney, Jed Stone, said Yang could not have shot Rhoni Reuter to death in 2007 based on photos of Reuters condo that were recently released by Deerfield police. The photos support Yangs contention that she did not kill Reuter, who was pregnant with Gayles child at the time of her death.
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President Biden expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a call on Thursday evening with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said in a statement.

Why it matters: This is the first time since the beginning of the crisis last Monday that Biden or anyone in his administration has publicly backed a ceasefire. It will increase pressure on Israel to seek an end to the conflict, which Netanyahu has insisted will continue until Hamas' ability to attack Israel is further degraded.

Between the lines: An Israeli official said the Biden administration hadn't given Israel a deadline for reaching a ceasefire but had been stressing on Monday that it was reaching the end of its ability to hold back international pressure on Israel over the Gaza operation.

The overall message was that they support us but want this to end."

 Israeli official to Axios

The U.S. has blocked at least three attempts at the UN Security Council to release a statement on the situation in Gaza.

During the call, Biden reiterated his support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks while encouraging Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties, the White House said.

Gaza health officials say at least 212 Palestinians have been killed over the past week, including 61 children. Most of the casualties are the result of Israeli airstrikes.

10 Israelis have been killed, including two children, as Hamas has fired thousands of rockets at Israel  most of which have been intercepted.

What to watch: Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support for Israels right to self-defense but stressed that he wants to complete all the goals of the Gaza operation, his office said.

Biden and Netanyahu also discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners toward a ceasefire, the White House said.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Blinken spoke on the phone today with his Israeli, Jordanian, Emirati and EU counterparts about efforts to end the fighting.

Worth noting: The U.S. waited until five minutes before the deadline to block the most recent UN Security Council statement on Monday, which Israeli officials read as a signal that the U.S. position was shifting, Israeli officials say.
Colorado will no longer require face masks in most settings  even for unvaccinated people  and expects to lift all public health guidelines at the end of the month.

Driving the news: The state's move goes beyond the latest CDC guidelines that allow vaccinated people to go maskless because it also applies to those who are not immunized.

A face covering is merely suggested for those who are not vaccinated but is not required.

What they're saying: "Today we are not celebrating the end of the pandemic, but we are celebrating an important milestone," a maskless Gov. Jared Polis announced on Friday.

"I never really liked wearing a mask very much," he added.

The state of play: Colorado's COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the decline as vaccines become more prevalent. Those rates remains elevated from a fourth wave that hit when the state first relaxed public health protocols.

Yes, but: The state's new order, in effect through June 1, requires masks in certain settings, including health care facilities, prisons, jails, schools and childcare operators.

But a school district may now permit vaccinated teachers and students to go without masks if they show proof of vaccination.

The order is expected to maintain rules for indoor events with 500 or more people.

Officials expect some businesses to continue requiring face masks, and Polis said people should be courteous and do so when asked.

Between the lines: The governor expects this is "one of the final if not the final" order to phase out all public health restrictions  barring an increase in COVID case rates.

What's next: Denver announced later on Friday an end to capacity restrictions on businesses starting Sunday. The city will follow the state's lead and not impose mask requirements.
Abortion bills have surged in statehouses this year. The Supreme Court just showed why
We found hundreds of ballots that contained no election judges initials, which invalidates them. Not addressed in this ruling, but we will certainly be looking into why there are +1,600 more ballots than people who voted, he wrote.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms in the evening, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Courtesy Instagram, KillaKyleon

Rap music fans on social media have been in shambles following North Carolina rapper J. Cole's freestyle over Houston's treasured anthem, "Still Tippin."

While there's been some controversy over whether the freestyle was actually good or not, some Houston emcees are piping up with their own thoughts.
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Charles Grodin, best known for the neurotic comic wit he demonstrated in such films as The Heartbreak Kid, Heaven Can Wait and Midnight Run and for his role in the Beethoven movies, died Tuesday at his home in Connecticut. He was 86.

The New York Times reported that his son said he died of bone marrow cancer.

After getting his start in television, Grodin graduated to both leading and character roles in motion pictures, usually portraying the exasperated urban neurotic. His dry, understated sense of humor also made him a perfect talkshow guest, and later, host of his own cable show. Grodin also wrote plays and books.

The wry 1972 comedy The Heartbreak Kid, written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May, highlighted Grodins trademark neurotic befuddlement, and won him a Golden Globe nomination. But it was one of the few successful films in his career in which he was center stage.

Another one of his better comic assignments was Warren Beattys 1978 Heaven Can Wait, in which Grodin, playing the scheming, larcenous lawyer, was paired humorously with Dyan Cannons character in adultery and homicide. But he was definitely a supporting player in the film, which starred Beatty and Julie Christie.

The film in which Grodins talents were perhaps best utilized was Martin Brests 1988 adventure comedy Midnight Run, in which he starred opposite Robert De Niro. Roger Ebert said: De Niro is often said to be the best movie actor of his generation. Grodin has been in the movies just about as long, has appeared in more different titles and is of more or less the same generation, but has never received the recognition he deserves  maybe because he often plays a quiet, self-effacing everyman. In Midnight Run, where he is literally handcuffed to De Niro at times, he is every bit the masters equal, and in the crucial final scene it is Grodin who finds the emotional truth that defines their relationship.

Grodin made his Broadway debut in 1962s Tchin Tchin; he was in a supporting role but was singled out for praise. It was followed by another comedy in 1964, Absence of a Cello.

Two years later he co-wrote and directed an Off Broadway musical spoof, Hooray! Its a Glorious Day.And All That. He then directed Joe Bologna and Renee Taylors successful Lovers and Other Strangers.

He was hired and fired from Bruce Jay Friedmans Steambath, as were several other actors. For television he directed a special for Simon and Garfunkel in 1969 and The Paul Simon Special in 1977; for the latter he won a shared Emmy for writing.

Grodin made his film debut in the little-seen Sex and the College Girl in 1964, after which he turned down the lead role in The Graduate, which made Dustin Hoffman a star. His real film debut was a supporting role as a doctor in 1968s Rosemarys Baby. The next time Graduate director Mike Nichols asked him to appear in a movie, Grodin said yes, though the film was the less-than-successful Catch-22.

Grodin began to emphasize writing and directing more than acting but, in 1972, Elaine May convinced him to take the lead in The Heartbreak Kid, to which he particularly well suited.

His 1974 effort 11 Harrowhouse, a caper-film spoof, was a failure, and Grodin fell back into directing Bologna and Taylors Emmy-winning Acts of Love and Other Comedies, starring Marlo Thomas, whom he directed the following year in the Broadway comedy Thieves. He later starred in the film version along with Thomas.

In 1975 he starred on Broadway opposite Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year, though he was passed over for the film, which starred Burstyn and Alan Alda. He next produced and directed the Broadway comedy Unexpected Guests and appeared to comic effect in the big-budget remake of King Kong and in 1978s Heaven Can Wait.

Over the next decade he starred in a number of successful films, often in support, playing a variation on his comic persona. He toplined in 1979s Sunburn and Albert Brooks 1979 mockumentary Real Life. He starred in the comedies Its My Turn and Seems Like Old Times as well as with Lily Tomlin in The Incredible Shrinking Woman. He co-starred in two Steve Martin vehicles, The Lonely Guy and All of Me (which also starred Tomlin) and in Gene Wilder comedy The Woman in Red. He wrote the Hollywood spoof Movers and Shakers, in which he co-starred with Walter Matthau in 1985. Later in the decade he appeared in The Last Resort, the disastrous Ishtar and The Couch Trip.

During this period his biggest hit by far both commercially and critically was Midnight Run, in which he starred with Robert De Niro.

Grodins return to the stage in 1990 in The Price of Fame, which he penned and starred in Off Broadway, did not succeed, and he went on to pen one-act play One of the All-Time Greats, which was produced in 1992.

He had a memorable supporting role as Kevin Klines sidekick in 1993 hit film comedy Dave. Other films from the 90s included Heart and Souls, Taking Care of Business and the sleeper family comedy Beethoven and its first sequel. He also appeared in The Great Muppet Caper and Clifford opposite Martin Short.

As an author, Grodin had a number of healthy performers including his 1989 autobiography It Would Be So Nice If You Werent Here, his 1992 comic observation How to Get Through Life and his behind-the-scenes Were Ready for You, Mr. Grodin, published in 1994.

Because of his numerous talkshow appearances over the years, in which he often launched into mock arguments with his hosts, King World Syndicate offered Grodin his own show, which debuted in 1994. He moved over to CNBC in 1995 and hosted his own primetime show for a few years. Many of the guests were personal friends, and the show received good reviews.

The actor returned to the bigscreen in 2006 after a 12-year absence for the comedy Fast Track, and his play The Right Kind of People was staged Off Broadway the same year.

More recently he appeared on the smallscreen in a 2012 episode of Law & Order: SVU, in 2013 in a guest role on The Michael J. Fox Show and in a recurring role on FXs Louis C.K. comedy Louie in 2014-15.

He appeared in director Barry Levinsons film The Humbling, with Buck Henry having co-scripted an adaptation of Philip Roths novel. It was released in January 2015 and starred Al Pacino as an aging actor named Simon; Variety described Grodins performance as deliciously sardonic, as he looks like the cat who ate the canary  along with the entire birdcage  as Simons long-suffering agent.

Grodin also had a supporting role as a documentary filmmaker in director Noah Baumbachs While Were Young, released in 2015.

He also apppeared in ABCs 2016 Madoff miniseries, playing Carl Shapiro, a Boston philanthropist who was one of Madoffs earliest investors and eventually had to return $625 million.

Charles Grodinsky was born in Pittsburgh and was valedictorian of his class at Peabody High School. He decided to pursue a career in the theater, he once told a reporter, after seeing A Place in the Sun. He studied acting at the University of Miami for half a year and then received a scholarship to the Pittsburgh Playhouse School of the Theater. By the mid-50s he was appearing in summer stock in his home state. He tried Hollywood briefly, then moved to New York with the intention of studying at the Actors Studio. He failed his initial audition but went on to study under Uta Hagen for three years, supporting himself with odd jobs. Through a introduction to Lee Strasberg he was admitted to the Actors Studio in 1959.

He is survived by his wife, author Elissa Durwood Grodin, son Nicholas, daughter-in-law Aubrey and granddaughter Geneva, and daughter by a previous marriage, Marion.

His family has requested that donations may be made to The Innocence Project in his memory. Grodin received the William Kunstler Racial Justice Award for his advocacy work on behalf of non-violent inmates.

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With the rescission of the mask mandate and full reopening of businesses, medical experts worried spring would bring a debilitating fourth wave of COVID-19 infections to Texas.

But as vaccination rates slowly leveled off in recent weeks, the rate of infections and hospitalizations did as well. Public health officials are cautiously optimistic efforts to quell the spread of the virus and vaccinate as many people as possible are working.

Yet despite claims from officials like Gov. Greg Abbott that this downturn is linked to herd immunity  the mysterious target ranging between 60 and 80 percent fully vaccinated against COVID-19  experts say Texas cannot rely on vaccinations alone to achieve what some think may mean the end of the pandemic.

Nobody knows for sure whats going to happen, said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist with UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston. But my educated guess would be as more of the population becomes either vaccinated or immune through natural infection, we wont see as many cases.

Fewer than 3,000 patients have been hospitalized across the state for the past five weeks, according to a Chronicle data analysis. Its the longest streak with that few patients since June 2020.

Dr. Carl Vartian, chief medical officer at HCA Houston Healthcares Clear Lake and Mainland hospitals, worries the public conflates herd immunity with ending COVID-19. But COVID-19 may not truly end. Rather, experts suspect it will become endemic, never fully leaving the population  like influenza, which still infects hundreds of thousands of people a year in the U.S.

The vaccines currently authorized for emergency use are designed to reduce severe complications and death from COVID-19, but researchers dont know whether herd immunity from mass vaccination prevents infections.

We have to remember the number of people who have had natural disease are in the tens of millions, he said. Some we knew about, some were asymptomatic and we never really diagnosed them. Between the vaccine and people whove already had COVID, I think we got a huge percentage of our population.

Even if the nation as a whole reaches herd immunity, that doesnt grant Houstons safety. Disease transmission happens at the local level; therefore the virus can continue spreading wildly in areas with lower rates than the national average. And visitors to these places could even bring the virus back with them when they return home, spreading it anew.

Herd immunity is sort of a false god to begin with, Troisi said.

Why there was no wave

Medical experts cant pinpoint the exact reason behind the low numbers, but the historic winter storm, slowly rising vaccination rates and continued mask-wearing may account for part of it.

As the state came off the holiday peak by late January, people became more cautious about mask-wearing and gathering with people outside of their immediate circles, said Ben Neuman, a Texas A&M epidemiologist.

A fourth wave in the spring, doctors worried, would be worse than any of the previous surges. Houston is now home to a more infectious variant of COVID-19, B.1.1.7, and while that doesnt necessarily mean its more severe, it is more transmissible.

Infection and hospitalization rates are low, but theyre not decreasing. Neuman suspects that more younger people are catching COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, and skipping tests.

Wastewater samples are still detecting COVID-19 in the statewide population, so the virus is still there. But epidemiologists worry there is now a false sense of security without high reported infection rates.

What if we are now a mine without a canary? Neuman said.

What about herd immunity?

Herd immunity is possible for some viruses such as polio and smallpox, but epidemiologists think the world wont be as lucky with COVID-19. The current theory is that immunity from a prior infection or a COVID-19 vaccine lasts for at least a year, and will require booster shots in the future.

As of May 5, 11 million people, or more than half of Texas adults, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 8 million are fully vaccinated.

The numbers are similarly high in Webb Countys seniors; nearly 84 percent of the 65 and older population in the county had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Were something like halfway toward the virus going extinct on its own, Neuman said.

If the county and the state can fully vaccinate at least 50 percent of the population, they can start to turn the corner on infection rates, public health officials said. Scientists have held up Israel, which has vaccinated half its population, as an example. The country has lowered infection rates in the six months since its vaccine campaign debuted, and offers a blueprint for local and national governments worldwide to curb the pandemic.

Nationwide, Vartian expects infection rates to stay low.

There will be individual upticks here and there, there might be a superspreader event, he said. Anything can happen. But slow and steady wins the race. 

Putting all trust into a COVID-19 vaccine to solve the pandemic is fine, Troisi said, but its unattainable as long as children  who make up 20 percent of the U.S. population  are ineligible for vaccines and vaccine hesitancy continues.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizers vaccine for emergency use in children between 12 and 15 years old as soon as next week, which should put shots in the arms of tens of millions of teenagers.

For the pandemic to truly end, there needs to be a mixture of public health measures, contact tracing and vaccination, experts said.

The idea that if we got 80 percent of the population immune, we wouldnt see any more infections, was never realistic, Troisi said.

Staff writers Jordan Rubio and Lisa Gray contributed to this report.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

The demonstrations and ongoing violence came as moves toward a cease-fire appeared to be gaining more traction.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down its bombardment of Gaza. Egyptian negotiators also were working to halt the fighting, and while they have not made progress with Israel, they were optimistic international pressure would force it to the table, according to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing diplomatic efforts.

The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem's usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank.

Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state.

The strike was intended to protest the war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike.

Strike organizer Muhammad Barakeh said Palestinians are standing against Israeli aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as brutal repression by police.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces. Scores have been injured, including a Jewish man who died Monday after being attacked last week by a group of Arabs in the central city of Lod.

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 217 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, including 63 children, with more than 1,500 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in rocket attacks.

Tuesday's rocket attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory, killing two Thai workers. Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded at Erez.

Israeli airstrikes into Gaza demolished a six-story building housing bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris. Israel warned its occupants beforehand, sending them fleeing before dawn. There were no reports of casualties.

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the military was focusing on destroying the tunnels where Hamas fighters hide, move between locations and resupply launchers with rockets to fire at Israel.

The tunnels run under civilian neighborhoods, and Israeli airstrikes have been trying to target roads above them to minimize damage to buildings, Conricus said. One weekend airstrike that Israel said targeted a tunnel caused several buildings to collapse and killed 42 people in the deadliest single attack of the conflict.

The attacks on the tunnels continue, and the assessment is that that effort will be expanded to areas that we so far have not conducted this effort in, and that is to be expected over the coming days, he said.

Medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

The WHO said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered ambulances and supply vehicles in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak.

Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing. Blinken declined to characterize the material, and Israel has not publicly provided evidence of its claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated calls for an independent investigation of the attack.

___

This story has been updated to correct that the toppled six-story building housed bookstores, not libraries, and educational centers used by the Islamic University, not belonging to it.

___

Nessman reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.
BRDO, Slovenia (AP)  Serbia and Kosovo clashed Monday at a summit of Western Balkan nations over state border changes, a thorny issue in a region that is still recuperating from bloody civil wars in the 1990s.

The largely ceremonial annual gathering in Slovenia of the presidents of two EU-member states, Slovenia and Croatia, with leaders of six Balkan nations that formally seek membership in the bloc was to adopt a resolution that calls for unchangeability of the existing borders in the region.

However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected such a wording in the resolution because it would indirectly mean that Serbia recognizes the borders of its former breakaway province of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence in 2008.

He has proposed that only the borders recognized by the United Nations be declared as fixed. Kosovo, which is not an UN member, has been recognized by the United States and most of the West, while Serbia and its allies Russia and China refuse to do that.

Kosovo would like to interpret the borders as it wishes, or like a part of the world has already done, Vucic told reporters after the meeting in the Slovenian resort of Brdo.

Kosovo did not want to talk about the U.N. at any price  for us to accept anything like that is absolutely impossible, he said.

In her speech at the summit, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said she wants to be loud and clear: The Republic of Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country is a permanent project.

There is nothing and no one that can reverse this reality. Dangerous adventures on border changes should be resolutely rejected by all of us, if we truly desire peace and stability in our region, she said.

The clash at the summit came several weeks after the publishing of a document allegedly drafted by the Slovenia's populist Prime Minister Janez Jansa, which proposed border changes across the Western Balkans. That is something highly controversial, because such attempts to forcefully change borders between former Yugoslav nations triggered the worst carnage in Europe since World War II.

Jansa reluctantly denied that he was the author of the document handed over to the EU that triggered the political storm. The alleged non-paper was reportedly intended to settle lingering ethnic tensions by forming nearly ethnically pure states and thus help the Western Balkan nations in their long-term goal of joining the 27-nation European Union.

The summit's hosts, Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, said a compromise wording was adopted in a joint statement by the participants that reaffirmed their commitment to EU enlargement.

There were many differences, voices were raised, Pahor said. But in the end we signed a document with which Im very happy.

The meeting, marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative, was attended by the leaders of Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.

The in-person gathering was postponed twice last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

___

Dusan Stojanovic and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, and Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania contributed.
13. Alvin Joyner, 36, of the 2400 block of Branch Court, Naperville, was arrested on charges of no front or rear plate or permit displayed, improper use of registration or title, no valid registration, driving with a suspended or revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and illegal transportation of cannabis at 3:51 p.m. May 6 at Ring Road and Kingsley Court.
Update 3:10 p.m.:

Orange County officials are recommending a voluntary evacuation for the Lake View area, including Four Oaks, Ranch Road, Loving Acres, Connelly Road and other low lying areas along the Neches River in Orange County.

The county also has set up sand bagging stations for residents here:

Precinct 1 Maintenance barn located on North Hwy 87 at North Teal

11897 State Hwy 62 in Mauriceville directly across from Market Basket on Hwy 62

Precinct 3 County Maintenance barn located on 2502 West Roundbunch Road

Precinct 4 County Maintenance barn located on 375 Claiborne Street

Update 3:05 p.m.:

Newton County Judge Ken Weeks has issued a disaster declaration and voluntary evacuation.

The disaster declaration was implemented due to the "imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from countywide conditions created by torrential rainfall over an excessive period of time, affecting Newton County by causing river flooding in populated areas as well as major infrastructure damage preventing access to or the safe passage on many roadways," the declaration read.

Such a move also allows the county official to call for an evacuation, which he did at the same time.

The evacuation, which is voluntary, is based on the forecasted rainfall and likely emergency release of water from the Toledo Bend Dam by the Sabine River Authority, "which is expected to result in flooding that has the great potential of causing severe bodily injury or the loss of human life in the low-lying areas of the Sabine River corridor in Newton County," the order said.

Update 2:30 p.m.:

Nearly all the National Weather Service survey points at rivers, creeks and bayous around Southeast Texas were running high as of Tuesday afternoon.

Here's where they sat:

The Neches River at Saltwater Barrier was at just over 6 feet, or moderate flood stage. At that level, according to the National Weather Service, water is about 2 feet over portions of Four Oaks Ranch Road. The NWS graph does not yet show a crest for the river but it's expected to hit nearly 11 feet by Sunday afternoon. At that level, area residents are expected to see major flooding along the river including in Northwest Orange County from Lake View to Saltwater Barrier with several homes and camps flooded. Flooding also would occur along the river in Beaumont.

was at just over 6 feet, or moderate flood stage. At that level, according to the National Weather Service, water is about 2 feet over portions of Four Oaks Ranch Road. The NWS graph does not yet show a crest for the river but it's expected to hit nearly 11 feet by Sunday afternoon. At that level, area residents are expected to see major flooding along the river including in Northwest Orange County from Lake View to Saltwater Barrier with several homes and camps flooded. Flooding also would occur along the river in Beaumont. The gauge on the Neches River at Beaumont was not giving a reading on Tuesday afternoon, but it was predicted to already be above minor flood stage, which occurs at 4 feet. The NWS also doesn't give an expected crest for this section, but it also is expected to reach nearly 11 feet by Sunday afternoon. At that time, major flooding is expected at Colliers Ferry Park and around the Beaumont Country club. Residential roads off Pine Street also could be impassable, and some water could reach homes in that area and Northeast Beaumont.

was not giving a reading on Tuesday afternoon, but it was predicted to already be above minor flood stage, which occurs at 4 feet. The NWS also doesn't give an expected crest for this section, but it also is expected to reach nearly 11 feet by Sunday afternoon. At that time, major flooding is expected at Colliers Ferry Park and around the Beaumont Country club. Residential roads off Pine Street also could be impassable, and some water could reach homes in that area and Northeast Beaumont. Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake was just over 16 feet as of Tuesday afternoon, which puts the bayou above minor flood stage. The bayou is expected to reach nearly 28.5 feet around Friday afternoon, and hover at that level through Sunday morning. At that level, moderate lowland flooding is possible, and water could cover roads in Bevil Oaks.

was just over 16 feet as of Tuesday afternoon, which puts the bayou above minor flood stage. The bayou is expected to reach nearly 28.5 feet around Friday afternoon, and hover at that level through Sunday morning. At that level, moderate lowland flooding is possible, and water could cover roads in Bevil Oaks. The Sabine River at Orange was the least swollen body of water as of Tuesday afternoon. The river was not at flood stage and was expected to only barely reach action levels of 3.5 feet through the weekend.

was the least swollen body of water as of Tuesday afternoon. The river was not at flood stage and was expected to only barely reach action levels of 3.5 feet through the weekend. The Sabine River at Deweyville was well into the moderate flood level as of Tuesday afternoon. The NWS does not show an expected crest for the river yet, but it's not shown to be expected to rise above 27 feet through the weekend. At that level, the weather service expects widespread moderate lowland flooding. Some homes closest to the river could see flooding.

was well into the moderate flood level as of Tuesday afternoon. The NWS does not show an expected crest for the river yet, but it's not shown to be expected to rise above 27 feet through the weekend. At that level, the weather service expects widespread moderate lowland flooding. Some homes closest to the river could see flooding. The Neches River at Evadale was sitting at nearly 19 feet -- still well within the "minor" flood range -- as of Tuesday afternoon. However, starting Wednesday afternoon, the river was expected to make a significant jump to nearly 21 feet, which would put it in the moderate flood risk category. At that level, the NWS expects to see moderate lowland flooding and water across some roads near the river.

was sitting at nearly 19 feet -- still well within the "minor" flood range -- as of Tuesday afternoon. However, starting Wednesday afternoon, the river was expected to make a significant jump to nearly 21 feet, which would put it in the moderate flood risk category. At that level, the NWS expects to see moderate lowland flooding and water across some roads near the river. Village Creek near Kountze appeared to be running just over 18 feet -- slightly above NWS predictions -- on Tuesday afternoon. The creek currently is forecast to peak just under 20 feet on Saturday afternoon. At that level, water could begin to flow over the bridge on Farm Road 418 as well as several other locations. Roads in Village Creek State Park also could begin to see water.

appeared to be running just over 18 feet -- slightly above NWS predictions -- on Tuesday afternoon. The creek currently is forecast to peak just under 20 feet on Saturday afternoon. At that level, water could begin to flow over the bridge on Farm Road 418 as well as several other locations. Roads in Village Creek State Park also could begin to see water. The Neches River at Town Bluff was well into moderate flood stage on Tuesday afternoon, but it'd already started to come down. The river was running at nearly 77 feet, which could cause flooding in the Mont Neches, Barlow Lake and Sheffields Ferry communities.

was well into moderate flood stage on Tuesday afternoon, but it'd already started to come down. The river was running at nearly 77 feet, which could cause flooding in the Mont Neches, Barlow Lake and Sheffields Ferry communities. After a significant dip on Monday afternoon, the Sabine River near Bon Wier was back up to moderate flood stage on Tuesday afternoon. The river is expected to crest at 35.5 feet on Thursday evening, according to the NWS. At that point, secondary roads in the Merryville and Bon Wier areas would be closed.

However, these predicted levels are subject to change based on weather conditions or water releases upstream.

As of Monday evening, the Toledo Bend Reservoir was operating with 11 gates open 1 foot each.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday, the Sam Rayburn Reservoir was just over 7 feet above normal elevation, but no water was being released. BA Steinhagen Lake -- Dam B -- was just above normal elevation, and releasing 44,800 cubic feet of water per second. The dam is located between Jasper and Woodville and intends to assist the Sam Rayburn Reservoir in providing flood control to Southeast Texas, among other goals.

Update 2:10 p.m.:

Southeast Texans across the region are prepping for another round of possible flooding. In Silsbee, Jack Favors is prepping bags for the Silsbee dance academy, which already had several inches of flooding from yesterdays torrential downpour. / @BmtEnterprise pic.twitter.com/psCozbobJJ  Isaac Windes (@isaacdwindes) May 18, 2021

Update 1:30 p.m.:

Port Arthur ISD will pivot to virtual learning on Wednesday due to impending inclement weather and potential for severe flash flooding.

"Southeast Texas experienced a torrential downpour yesterday that had many streets in our area flooded. We have been closely monitoring the weather and due to the heavy rains expected early tomorrow morning and throughout the day that will make travel to and from our campuses unsafe, the district has made the decision to close all facilities on Wednesday, May 19th and pivot all students to virtual instruction," the district said in an update sent to students.

Update 12:55 p.m.:

Similar flooding if not worse here off 365. pic.twitter.com/oN2MoAyePy  Jorge Ramos (@byjorgeramos) May 18, 2021

Update 12:50 p.m.:

From Hardin County Emergency Management:

We are closely monitoring weather conditions throughout the County and Region, and remain vigilant to support the needs of local jurisdictions responding to any needs of the public associated with this unsettled weather pattern over the next week.

If anyone needs sandbags, we will have bags and sand available at each of the following Hardin County Road & Bridge Departments and Fire Stations:

R&B 1 - 1290 Hwy 327 West, Silsbee (409) 385-5501

R&B 2 - 1315 North Pine Street, Kountze (409) 246-3972

R&B 3 - 13745 FM 787, Saratoga (936) 274-5411

R&B 4 - 100 Southland Drive, Lumberton (409) 755-4584

ESD 2 - (Lumberton Fire Station #2) 8890 Keith Road, Lumberton

ESD 5 - (Pinewood Fire Station) 333 Commercial Dr, Sour Lake

Update 12:15 p.m.:

As the potential for serious flooding looms, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel is reminding residents who havent already to sign up for the Southeast Texas Alerting Network.

The system uses text messages, e-mail or phone messages to provide important information to residents during a disaster.

If you are not already registered to receive these alerts, I recommend that you do so, or if you are only registered for voice alerts, I recommend that you also register for text/email alerts, he said in a Facebook post.

Registration can be completed at www.thestan.com/register.

Update noon:

Jefferson County already is asking residents to self-report damages to homes and businesses.

The objective of this survey is to identify damages and support emergency management officials across the state gain an understanding of damages that have occurred during the recent severe weather event, according to a county news release. The survey can be found at damage.tdem.texas.gov.

The release was one of the first in whats likely to be a slew of information coming from Southeast Texas officials over the next few days.

Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said he and other officials have a weather briefing at Tuesday afternoon, at which point hell decide whether to issue a disaster declaration in anticipation of Wednesday and Thursdays heavy rain chances.

If it stays the same (the decision) probably will be to make sure we have a disaster declaration in place  he said.

Branick said he also is expecting the countys emergency operations center to be activated by early Wednesday morning.

In preparation for the rain, the county has opened four sandbag locations. Residents are asked to bring a shovel.

Precinct 1: 20205 W. Hwy 90, China

Precinct 2: 7759 Viterbo Rd., Nederland and 12880 Farm Road 365, Labelle

Precinct 3: Hwy 124, Hamshire

Precinct 4: 7780 Boyt Rd., Cheek

Update 11:30 a.m.:

Jasper County residents now have two locations to get sandbags.

County Commissioner Vance Moss reports that sand and sandbags are available at the county barn on Farm Road 1004 in Buna. They also will be available at the Evadale Fire Station.

Residents are asked to bring their own scoop/shovel to the Evadale location.

Continued rain predictions show that a number of rivers and other bodies of water likely will enter major flood stage by the end of the week.

The Neches River at Saltwater Barrier is expected to reach at least 8.3 feet by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Services Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. However, even that prediction doesnt yet appear to be the rivers expected crest.

The Sabine River at Deweyville appears to be expected to crest in moderate flood stage  just under 27 feet  this afternoon.

However, these predictions can change based on weather patterns and water releases upstream.

With the rising waters, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel has asked residents to use the next 24 hours to prepare for the possibility of flooding.

The ground is saturated and some flooding is already occurring throughout the county, he wrote in a Facebook post. Additional heavy rainfall is expected overnight and tomorrow through Thursday. Add to that all the rainwaters that are draining this direction from the north, the ongoing high flow release from B.A. Steinhagen Lake Dam and the anticipated release from the Sam Rayburn Dam, there is a lot of water headed our way and the time to prepare is now.

The city of Port Arthur also is asking residents to help with drainage by pulling their garbage cans away from the street.

Original story:

Forecasters are expecting widespread showers and thunderstorms to return on Tuesday, and a flash flood watch will remain in effect through much of the week.

The news comes just one day after parts of the region already clocked up to 17 inches of rainfall. As a result, the flash flood watch will continue through at least 7 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service Lake Charles office.

We have another little upper-level disturbance, and this is another in a series of upper-level disturbances that (are) going to be moving over the area in the next few days, NWS meteorologist Donald Jones said in a Tuesday morning briefing.

With that, the high rain chances likely will continue into Friday.

The Weather Prediction Center  one of nine service centers under the NWS which helps in medium-range precipitation forecasting  listed Southeast Texas risk for excessive rainfall at moderate, or a 25% to 50% chance of seeing flash flooding within 25 miles of any location in the region.

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Its fairly unusual for us to get a risk that high  especially outside of a tropical system, Jones said.

Over the course of the next two to three days, Beaumont is foretasted to see anywhere from 8 to 10 inches of additional rain. In Woodville forecasters expect to see 6 to 8 inches of rainfall over the next two or three days, and Jasper could see up to 6 inches during the same time period.

Its important to keep in mind while we are looking at this, that there are definitely going to be some locally-higher amounts, Jones said. Our rainfall forecasts does not account for those extremely high rainfall values. Nobody couldve predicted 16 inches in one day in an individual location.

Jones said a good rule of thumb to gauge potential local rainfall totals would be to double the rainfall totals forecast across an area.

Despite the threat of flash flooding, Southeast Texas will only have a marginal risk  1 out of 5  for severe weather.

To account for the potential risks, Tyler County Judge Jacques Blanchette has issued a disaster declaration.

Such a declaration would give the county judge powers such as ordering an evacuation or a curfew. However, he hasnt yet made any such announcement.

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Police are looking for information regarding a drive-by shooting in Port Arthur early Tuesday morning.

The drive-by was reported just before 2 a.m. in the 3600 block of 41st Street, according to Port Arthur Police Department news release.

The release said three vehicles and a house were hit, but there were no reported injuries.

The incident is under investigation by the Port Arthur Police Department.

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HARTFORD, Conn.  As some states set plans to a pandemic $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit as a way to encourage people to find work, Connecticut is offering a much different incentive  a $1,000 signing bonus for taking a job.

Starting May 24, up to 10,000 people in Connecticut considered to have been unemployed for the long-term will be able to sign up for the program with the state Department of Labor. Ultimately, they would be paid the bonus after spending eight weeks in their new full-time job.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that the state will also retain the $300 benefit before some people are still afraid to work because of the coronavirus.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 A dip in cases is bringing a glimmer of hope in India, but shortage of beds, oxygen show virus crisis isn't over yet

 Joy in UK as pubs, restaurants and museums reopen but new variant sparks worry

 Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKlines vaccine candidate triggered strong immune responses; production to begin soon

 Eurovision song contest gears up in Rotterdam for 1st time since the pandemic began, hopes virus bubbles will ensure safety

 Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

WASHINGTON  The Biden Administration is putting a fresh wave of funding toward its stated goal of making a serious dent in homelessness across the country.

Despite a wave of public support and a nationwide eviction moratorium, Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge said as many of 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the middle of the pandemic.

Fudge, who heads the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Monday that an extra $5 billion would be allocated toward keeping families off the streets. Thats in addition to the $5 billion in funds for preventing homelessness previously announced as part of the American Rescue Plan.

The aid will come in the form of 17,000 emergency housing vouchers that will be distributed to housing authorities across the country. Fudge said the vouchers were expected to help provide shelter for up to 130,000 people and called the new money, an important milestone in our effort to end homelessness in the United States.

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WARSAW, Poland  Poland-based molecular diagnostics firm Genomtec says it has registered for use in European Union a pioneer, high-reliability COVID-19 test from saliva.

The test, Genomtec SARS-CoV-2 EvaGreen Direct-RT-LAMP CE-IVD Kit spares those tested the discomfort of having swabs pushed up their noses and down their throats. Instead, they only need to produce a sample of saliva in a small test tube, Genomtec, a Polish-British firm, said Monday.

The result is obtained within one hour, because the technology does not require special preparatory procedures on the sample. Its reliability is pegged at over 92%, according to the Genomtec. The test detects various mutations of the coronavirus, said the company that is listed on the Warsaws Stock Exchange NewConnect market.,

Genomtec said the test has been registered and approved for use in the European Union by Polands Office of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. First tests on the general public using the kit will be done still this month in Wroclaw, southwestern Poland, where Genomtec is based.

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PRAGUE  The Czech government has announced a new wave of easing coronavirus restrictions amid falling numbers of infected people.

Starting May 24, all hotels are allowed to return to business. The guests will need to present a negative coronavirus test or be vaccinated or recover from COVID-19. If they want to stay longer than seven days, an additional test will be required.

At the same time, all elementary schools and high schools will fully reopen. Schoolchildren and students will be tested once a week.

The same applies for universities where, however, the spring term in many cases ends next week.

It will be also possible for up to 1,000 people to attend outdoor cultural events, while up to 500 are allowed at such events indoor.

Mondays announcement comes on the day when Czech bars and restaurants are reopening for outdoor dining.

The number of people infected per 100,000 inhabitants in last seven days has dropped to 71 in the Czech Republic.

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BERLIN  Germanys health minister says the country will open up coronavirus vaccinations to everyone starting on June 7. Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters on Monday that the current system of prioritization in which the most vulnerable groups are to be vaccinated first will no longer be valid then.

The minister said, this does not mean that everyone will get an appointment within days, but ... everyone who wants to get vaccinated will get an offer.

Spahn said that the vaccination campaign has picked up speed in recent weeks and that by the end of May about 40 percent of all people in Germany will have received at least one shot. He said 70 percent of those above the age of 60 have received one shot, about one-quarter of them are fully vaccinated. All in all, 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been given and around nine million people are fully vaccinated, in this country of 83 million.

After months of lockdown, the infection rate has been dropping in Germany and some states are slowly starting to open up outdoor dining and various shopping possibilities.

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NEW YORK  Vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks or social distance in New York starting Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

The governor said the state is adopting the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released last week.

Lets get back to life, Cuomo said. If you are vaccinated, you are safe, no masks, no social distancing.

Cuomo urged people who are unvaccinated and immunocompromised to continue to wear a mask and social distance.

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BISMARCK, N.D.  The North Dakota Department of Health on Monday issued new guidance on coronavirus masks.

State health officer Nizar Wehbi says the department is aligning with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask indoors and outdoors.

The risk of being infected or spreading COVID-19 once fully vaccinated is very low, and therefore wearing a mask if you are fully vaccinated is no longer a recommendation, the health department said in a statement.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

A recommendation remains that everyone wears masks when they are in a health care setting, when they are traveling on public transportation, including airplanes, and when they are in a business or employer that requires masks, health officials said.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt.  Vermont is preparing to hold its first jury trials since the coronavirus pandemic hit last year.

Jury draws were planned Monday for a number of cases in Windham County criminal court. Among them are cases involving drug crimes. According to court documents, social distancing and masking will be part of the proceedings.

Vermont Chief Superior Judge Brian Grearson told the Brattleboro Reformer that the judiciary picked cases that were not very complicated, meaning they did not involve a large number of witnesses and could be tried within a couple of days because of the virus-related protocols.

An upgrade to the buildings heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system for proper airflow could lead to fluctuating temperatures, according to a court flyer sent to jurors.

The trial arrangements were planned in consultation with an infectious disease expert to comply with virus guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Vermont Health Department, the newspaper reported.

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GENEVA  The head of the World Health Organization is calling on some of the worlds top COVID-19 vaccine makers to do more to get doses to needy people around the world, especially in the developing world -- and more quickly.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed in particular to U.S.-based Moderna to accelerate its planned timetable for doses of its vaccine to be available to the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which aims to get vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

Moderna has signed a deal for 500 million doses with COVAX, but the majority has been promised only for 2021, Tedros said Monday. We need Moderna to bring hundreds of millions of this forward into 2021 due to the acute moment of this pandemic.

The WHO chief also said COVAX was working toward a deal with U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson that could get doses to the program by the second half of this year, but this has not been finalized and we do not know when they will arrive.

Tedros said we appreciate the work of AstraZeneca  the British-Swedish manufacturer that has been the main pillar so far of COVAX and the source of the vast majority of doses in the program that has now deployed some 65 million doses.

U.S.-based Pfizer, along with German partner BioNTech, has committed to 40 million doses this year to COVAX, but the majority of this would be in the second half of 2021, he said.

Tedros cited figures from UNICEF, which is helping the deployment, that COVAX is facing a huge shortfall of 190 million doses in its planned rollout because of tight supplies and a surge in cases.

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TORONTO  All adults in Canadas most populous province will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday.

The Ontario government says those turning 18 this year will be allowed to book shots. The provincial government had initially said it would lower the vaccine eligibility age to 30 this week.

The province will also now send shots to regions on a per-capita basis, after two weeks of sending half the vaccine supply to COVID-19 hot spots.

Canada expects to get 3.5 million Pfizer and Moderna vaccines this week. More than 55% of the population in Ontario aged 18 and over have received at least one dose.

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AMSTERDAM  The European medicines regulator says it is safe to store thawed Pfizer vaccines in a regular fridge for up to 31 days, a ruling that will make handling the vaccine easier around the European Union.

The European Medicines Agency said Monday that its human medicines committee has recommended changing the storage guidelines for unopened, thawed vials of the Pfizer vaccine from five days to a month at normal fridge temperatures after they have been taken out of deep freeze.

The change came after Pfizer and BioNTech submitted additional stability study data to the Amsterdam-based agency.

The European Union agreed a massive contract extension for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this month for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

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ROME  The number of calls placed to Italys national domestic violence hotline increased nearly 80% last year in a sign that coronavirus-induced lockdowns created a detonator effect in already violent homes.

Italys national statistics agency issued a comprehensive report Monday on the requests for help last year to the hotline and shelters.

The report said the number of calls to the toll-free 1522 number and related texting option hit a peak in April and May, during the first wave of COVID-19, which hit Italy first in Europe. Another peak came around Nov. 25.

ISTAT said the data confirmed it was accurate to speak of a double pandemic  one that was epidemiological and one fueled by domestic violence.

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NEW YORK  Target and CVS are the latest retailers to no longer require vaccinated shoppers to wear a mask in its stores. Targets said vaccinated workers can also stop wearing masks, but at CVS, the company said workers will be required to wear them even if theyve been inoculated.

The announcements come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people last week, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. On Friday, Walmart, Costco and several other large retailers said that those who have been vaccinated dont need to wear masks.

Target and CVS said Monday that they will still recommend those who arent vaccinated to wear masks in its stores. Target said it is offering paid time off to workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Bedford, PA (15522)

Today

Cloudy with showers. High 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers tapering off in the evening with foggy conditions overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.


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Hundreds of reporters demanded the release of a veteran journalist who was formally arrested Tuesday under Bangladesh's Official Secrets Act, on suspicion of photographing without permission documents related to the governments purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from China and Russia.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the documents for the vaccine deals had non-disclosure clauses, but a lawyer for arrested journalist Rozina Islam accused the ministry of targeting her because of her recent reports that exposed alleged graft in the public health system.

The [health] ministry officials filed the case against Rozina to get revenge as she wrote several reports on the corruption of the ministry officials, said Ehsanul Haque Somaji, the attorney for Islam and her employer, Prothom Alo, one of Bangladeshs most popular daily newspapers.

It was a false case and the sections of the laws mentioned in the case were conflicting with each other, he said, without elaborating.

Islams sister, Sabina Yesmin Juli, denied that the journalist took photographs while at the health ministry, where Islam went to meet a senior official and collect a document on Monday. Islam was waiting to meet the health secretary in person and visited the room of his personal secretary, Sabina Yesmin said.

My sister told me that she did not take any pictures and did not take any documents from the office. Some employees tried to put some papers in her bag at the ministry room, Sabina Yesmin told reporters.

International media advocacy and human rights groups condemned the arrest, saying Bangladeshs government was cracking down on journalists doing critical reporting on the administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic and other policies.

Islam was detained on Monday after a health-ministry official filed a complaint against her at the Shahbag police station under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

She was produced in court on Tuesday, where Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim ordered Islam jailed. Jasim also scheduled a bail hearing for Islam on Thursday.

She was trying to steal non-disclosure documents of the agreements with Russia and China that [were] signed recently, Health Minister Maleque told reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday.

We are committed to these states not to disclose the agreements. The documents were confidential, if they become public, then they [China and Russia] may refuse to provide us vaccines because of breach of promise. It could cause huge damage to the country, the minister said.

Islams sister alleged that the journalist was harassed for five hours after being detained at the health ministry on Monday afternoon. Maleque denied that Islam was harassed or assaulted at his ministry.

Journalists with the Prothom Alo newspaper form a human chain in front of the dailys office to protest the arrest of senior colleague Rozina Islam, in Dhaka, May 18, 2021. [BenarNews]

Exposed the weaknesses of the ministry

Meanwhile, journalists nationwide staged demonstrations against Islams arrest.

In Dhaka, dozens of reporters gathered at the premises of the Shahbag Police Station to demand her unconditional release.

Elias Khan, general secretary of the National Press Club, said a delegation of journalists met with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

The minister told us that he is optimistic about the bail of Rozina in Thursdays hearing, Elias told BenarNews.

For the past several months, Islam was reporting on corruption in the countrys public health sector.

In an April 12 report, for instance, she reported that two members of a recruitment committee at the Directorate General of Health Services had complained about candidates allegedly paying off officials to be selected for posts.

Last June, she reported that the Health Minister had been tardy in attending to official duties during the pandemic.

Her reports have clearly exposed the weaknesses of the ministry to safeguard the health rights of the people during the coronavirus pandemic, the Law and Mediation Center group said in a statement, according to news agency Agence France-Presse.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, meanwhile, demanded that Islam be released and all charges against her be dropped.

We are deeply alarmed that Bangladesh officials detained a journalist and filed a complaint under a draconian colonial-era law that carries ridiculously harsh penalties, Aliya Iftikhar, senior Asia researcher at CPJ, said in a statement.

She was referring to how the Official Secrets Act stipulates a maximum prison term of 14 years for anyone convicted under it.

Bangladesh police and authorities should recognize that Rozina Islam is a journalist whose work is a public service and should immediately drop the case against her and allow her to go free, Iftikhar said.

Dozens of cases have also been filed against journalists under another draconian act, the Digital Security Act of 2018.

In March, the United Nations human rights chief said the ill-defined, overly broad provisions of the Digital Security Act  have been used to punish criticism of the government.

Michelle Bachelets comments came after Mushtaq Ahmed, a 53-year old writer, died in jail after being incarcerated for 10 months under the DSA, for his criticism of the manner in which the government was handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
International donors have pledged U.S. $340 million of nearly $1 billion being sought by the United Nations refugee agency this year to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the UNHCR chief said on Tuesday.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington announced $155 million, or about 46 percent of total pledges, in new humanitarian assistance for the international response to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

What we launched this morning officially is the fourth Joint Response Program (JRP) in support of Bangladesh to manage the large Rohingya population that has taken refuge [there], Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said during a virtual news conference.

The 2021 JRP is seeking $943 million to meet the needs of more than 880,000 Rohingya refugees and 472,000 Bangladeshis in the surrounding host communities, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said.

With funds received since the beginning of this year and todays pledges, close to USD 340 million has been committed towards the 2021 JRP by the international community so far, amounting to more than 35 percent of total requirements, Mahecic told BenarNews in an email.

Late last week, the Geneva-based United Nations agency called for more international aid for the stateless refugees, saying their plight risked being overshadowed by post-coup violence in Myanmar.

Blinken acknowledged that additional help was needed for the Rohingya refugees and for Bangladesh, which hosts more than 1 million of them.

[T]he United States announced nearly $155 million in new assistance to sustain critical efforts to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and internally displaced Rohingya and other affected people in Burma, Blinken said in a statement Tuesday.

With this new funding, our total humanitarian aid for those affected by the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh, and elsewhere in the region since the brutal violence by the Burmese military in August 2017 is more than $1.3 billion, including more than $1.1 billion for programs inside Bangladesh.

The U.S. recognized the cost and responsibility that the Rohingya response has placed on host countries, especially Bangladesh, Blinken said.

Last year, the United Nations appealed for more than $1 billion to meet the needs of the Rohingya refugees and host communities in Coxs Bazar, a district in southeastern Bangladesh.

At the end of 2020, this appeal was just 59.4 percent funded, Mahecic said in a statement on Friday.

The UNHCR hopes to exceed that percentage in 2021, Grandi said on Tuesday.

We need to make progress in order to exceed, if possible, the levels of last year, Grandi said.

This continues to be a difficult year for the whole world including for Bangladesh which finds itself in a region particularly affected by COVID-19. The needs are even more urgent than in the past.

Repatriation of Rohingya refugees

Shahriar Alam, Bangladeshs state minister of foreign affairs, joined Grandi at the virtual press conference.

He emphasized the urgency of solving the crisis that drove the Rohingya from their homes in Myanmars Rakhine state to camps in and around Coxs Bazar. The refugees include more than 740,000 who escaped a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine in 2017.

The international community, including the U.N., must intensify their focus on a permanent solution, which lies in the sustainable return and reintegration of Rohingya in Myanmar, Alam said in a statement.

Rohingya are willing to return to their homeland if it is safe to do so and if they can go back with dignity, he said.

However, any ray of hope has yet to be seen, Alam said.

The Bangladesh minister said priority areas identified in the JRP must be aligned with the core objective of preparing the Rohingya for their return to Myanmar.

Any project such as education or skills development should be designed and implemented in ways that would help Rohingya integrate in society upon their return to Myanmar, he said.

Bangladesh officials, whose wish is for the Rohingya to return home, reached a repatriation agreement with neighboring Myanmar in November 2017. Since then, efforts to assist the Muslim-minority groups repatriation have failed.

Any new efforts would be up against a nation in turmoil following the Feb. 1 military coup that overthrew the nations democratically elected government. Since then, more than 800 have been killed by the junta, according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thai NGO.

It is important that recent events in Myanmar  the events of the first of February  need to be addressed in their own right, Grandi said, echoing calls to end the violence.

It is important that the Rohingya crisis is not forgotten as action is taken hopefully to address the political crisis that is affecting Myanmar. Hence the importance of this appeal.

A former Bangladesh ambassador noted that repatriation efforts likely are on hold because of the ongoing post-coup violence.

But we see a glimmer of hope for repatriation: the National Unity Government in Myanmar recently announced that they would talk to the Rohingya representative on their probable inclusion, former ambassador Humayun Kabir told BenarNews.

This is a big development, I think, said Kabir, president of the private think-tank Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

On April 16, the pro-democracy National Unity Government formed as a parallel government to the one run by the junta.

Meanwhile, the most common needs for host communities are access to food and cash, along with essential health services, said the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), which provides humanitarian assistance to affected populations around the world.

For instance, efforts to provide food supplies to the Rohingya cost about $11 million per month, the World Food Program representative in Bangladesh said in March last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded vulnerabilities for the hosts as well as Rohingya refugees, ICSG said.

More than 40 percent of this years financial appeal focuses on two of the most basic and critical human needs, food security and health, Nicole Epting, ISCG senior coordinator, said in a statement.

In addition, the priorities for this year include water, sanitation and hygiene, wider health needs including sexual and reproductive health with a focus on women and girls, education and addressing the protection concerns of the Rohingya refugee population in the camps.

The virtual 2021 JRP conference was co-hosted by the Bangladesh government, the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR. The plan brings together the Bangladesh government along with 134 U.N. agencies and partner NGOs.
Sabah state Police Commissioner Hazani Ghazali (left) and other officers display weapons used by suspected Abu Sayyaf Group militants in a deadly standoff with police, May 18, 2021.

Malaysian police said Tuesday that they killed five suspected members of Abu Sayyaf, a pro-Islamic State militant organization based in the southern Philippines, during a shootout in Sabah while a local cell had stepped up recruitment among undocumented immigrants.

The gunfight in Beaufort, a district in western Sabah, occurred more than a week after police arrested eight Abu Sayyaf suspects and 29 others from the same area in the Malaysian state on Borneo Island after a tip from Philippine authorities, Sabah Police Commissioner Hazani Ghazali said.

Yesterdays follow-up operation by the Criminal Investigation Division successfully shot dead five more Abu Sayyaf members hiding in a makeshift house in a mangrove swamp in Beaufort, Hazani told a news conference.

The 37 people arrested on May 10, including eight women and 21 children, were still being held by police in Sabah, he said.

We believe that from this operation we conducted in combination with the Royal Malaysia Police Sabah and intelligence from ESSCOM, we were able to cripple an Abu Sayyaf cell that was hiding in Sabah and was in allegiance with Daesh or IS [Islamic State], Hazani said, referring to the Eastern Sabah Security Command.

The five suspects who were shot dead had evaded arrest in the other operation earlier this month, by escaping into a mangrove swamp, only to return to the same location days later, police said.

The suspects were said to have been involved in bombings and shootouts with Philippine marine security personnel at the Bud Bawis Complex in Panamao, Sulu, in 2011, 2018, 2019 and November 2020, Hazani said.

They were among militants who, according to the Philippine military, had escaped to avoid getting caught in Sulu, a nearby province made up of islands in the far-southern Philippines.

We suspect that there are still remnants of the ASG [Abu Sayyaf Group] or other Daesh- affiliated groups and their sympathizers hiding in Sabah, Hazani said.

On Monday, the suspects opened fire on police around 11:30 a.m. after hiding out, the police commissioner said.

One of the men opened the door and started to shoot at the police officers. His accomplices also started shooting and attacking [officers] with machetes, Hazani said.

Police returned fire, killing the five men inside.

According to Hazani, Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other Islamic State (IS)-linked militants snuck into Sabah after a crackdown by authorities in Sulu.

Sabah has become a safe heaven and a place to recruit members to support ASG among the illegal immigrants in Sabah, Hazani said about thousands of Filipino migrants in the border state.

The West Coast and inland areas [of Sabah] are now the hiding places of members of this terrorist group because in these areas it is a little peaceful compared to the East Coast, which has ESSCOM that actively runs operations [there].

Police believe that local sympathizers are helping these militants, he said.

The dead militants include Mabar Binda, the groups sub-leader whose elder brother Sansibar Bensio was one of those arrested in the May 10 raid. The two were wanted by Philippine authorities for their suspected involvement in gunbattles with security forces and kidnappings of foreigners, Hazani had said earlier this month.

The other slain suspects killed were ASG members Abhirham Samsula (also known as Samsed), Jurakhdam Binda (also known as Jura or Abu Jar), and Alsimar Sukarno, who is from Jolo in the southern Philippines, Hazani said.

All their identities were confirmed by Philippines security agencies, except for one of the five whose identity remains unknown, the Sabah police commissioner said.

His identity is unknown, but we suspect he is from the same group, Abu Sayyaf, said Hazani.

Sabah a 'transit point' for foreign militants

Meanwhile, ESSCOM commander Ahmad Fuad Othman said surveillance operations on ASG suspects had begun in March in Silabukan, a town in Lahad Datu district.

Units from Joint Task Force Sulu had alerted their counterparts in ESSCOM, Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., the chief of the Philippine militarys Western Mindanao Command, told BenarNews earlier this month.

We have cross-border sharing of information with our counterparts in the Philippines to track the [Abu Sayyaf] groups movements, Hazani said.

Malaysian police operations against the ASG illustrate the critical role that cross-border and inter-agency sharing of intelligence play in countering the activities of such militant groups, said Ramli Dollah, a regional security expert.

For instance, in 2017, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia launched trilateral patrols aimed at preventing acts of piracy and kidnappings at sea along their common maritime boundaries.

In January last year, Malaysian security forces launched an operation codenamed Ops Gasak, when they began checking immigration papers of people suspected to be working as lookouts for kidnap-for-ransom gangs.

One such crime involved the kidnapping of five Indonesians who were believed seized within Sabahs territorial waters on Jan. 16, 2020, by suspected ASG members.

Ever since the Sabah authorities intensified the implementation of Ops Benteng to check the activities of illegal immigrants in the state especially in the east coast of Sabah, the only place these militants can hide is in the West Coast, including in remote areas in Keningau and Beaufort, Ramli told BenarNews.

Malaysia started the operation codenamed Ops Benteng in May 2020 to ensure that border security was strengthened as part of efforts to contain COVID-19.

Sabah has long been a transit point for foreign militants from Indonesia heading to conflict zones in the volatile southern Philippines, Ramli said.

It is not a new issue. Even during the existence of Jemaah Islamiyah and Darul Islam in the early 2000s, for example, Sabah had indeed become the main route and transit point between Indonesia and Southern Philippines, said Ramli, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Similarly, during the conflicts in Ambon, Poso, Sambas and Maluku in Indonesia, Sabah continued to be a transit point for such groups.

Nisha David contributed to this report from Kuala Lumpur.
Protesters hold up masks of Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a South China Sea protest outside the Chinese consulate in Metro Manila, May 7, 2021.

Updated at 8:40 a.m. ET on 2021-05-19

The Philippines will maintain patrols in contested waters of the South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, as he barred members of his cabinet from speaking publicly about maritime frictions between Manila and Beijing.

Also on Tuesday, the Philippine leader signed off on a law to renew a 25-year franchise for DITO Telecommunity Corp., a China-backed telecoms firm.

Our vessels will continue to patrol relevant areas to firmly assert what is ours, Duterte said in a statement, which presidential spokesman Harry Roque read out.

The Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will be where they need to be.

While Manila would not waver in its position, the Philippines must be willing to resolve disputes peacefully and through diplomatic means, the statement said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs as lead agency will be at the forefront in advancing our interest, harnessing time-honored principles of international law, Dutertes statement said.

Meanwhile, during a weekly cabinet meeting that was broadcast live on national TV on Monday night, the president imposed a gag order on cabinet members.

So, this is my order now to the Cabinet and to all  all and sundry  talking for the government to refrain discussing  [the] West Philippine Sea  with anybody, the president said, according to a transcript. The West Philippine Sea is how Filipinos refer to areas of the South China Sea claimed by Manila.

He issued the order amid criticism against China over the swarming of hundreds of Chinese fishing boats and maritime militia ships in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

On May 4, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. apologized to the ambassador from Beijing after he had posted an expletive-laden tweet telling the Chinese to leave the Philippine territory.

Since then, Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. reported that Philippine patrols on May 9 had spotted 287 Chinese Maritime Militia ships in and around Manilas EEZ.

While the government has not released updated figures, it continues filing daily diplomatic protests over the lingering presence of Chinese ships.

On Tuesday, Manila released a statement officially protesting and not recognizing Chinas fishing moratorium in the South China Sea announced on May 1 to run through Aug. 16, noting it includes territories claimed by the Philippines.

The Philippines strongly urges China to desist from any action and activity that infringes on Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, in contravention of international law, said the statement dated May 17.

Cabinet meeting

Duterte has been criticized domestically for being seen as soft on maritime disputes with China, with which his administration has pursued bilateral ties.

In defending himself from the criticism, Duterte has often cited concerns about Chinas military might.

Even if we put our entire navys ships there, we will not start a war because we cannot afford it. I was just being frank to everybody. And China understood us, Duterte told Juan Ponce Enrile, the former president of the Philippine Senate, whom he invited to Monday nights cabinet meeting.

On Tuesday, critics of the administration welcomed Dutertes fresh statement on the South China Sea dispute.

Diplomacy should be our first, if not best, option, said Sen. Panfilo Lacson, an independent, who has often criticized the government.

He said Manila should also build stronger alliances with other militarily powerful and capable countries who may be willing to help our cause.

Opposition Sen. Francis Pangilinan noted that Filipino fishermen already had lost their livelihood because of Chinese incursions into Philippine waters.

Its one thing to be friendly and diplomatic, its another thing to be subservient and quiet, said Pangilinan, a former presidential adviser on fisheries on agriculture. China is occupying key areas in our exclusive economic zone.

Beijing claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, including up to the shores of other claimants. It has allowed its fishermen, backed by militias, to fish in areas that are considered in the EEZ of other claimants.

Five Asian governments  Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam  have territorial claims or maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, in addition to Beijings sweeping claims in the waterway.

While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias EEZ.

License for telecoms firm extended

Meanwhile, the Philippine president signed a law renewing the franchise of DITO Telecommunity Corp. for 25 years.

The law, Republic Act No. (RA) 11537, extends DITOs franchise which would have expired on April 24, 2023, unless revoked or canceled, according to the presidential palace.

DITO began commercial operations in selected areas in March and consists of Filipino firms Chelsea Logistics and Udenna Corp. along with China Telecom, which owns a 40 percent stake.

The two local firms are based in Davao, a city in the southern Philippines that is Dutertes hometown. The firms are controlled by businessman Dennis Uy, a Duterte supporter.

DITO faced accusations last year that it would be allowed to install communications equipment including at sites inside Philippine military bases.

The Senate held inquiries into DITOs proposed services while company officials denied allegations that the firm could be used by China for espionage.

Previously, the telecommunications sector was controlled by two dominant carriers, Globe Telecommunications and SMART/Philippine Long Distance Co.

Jojo Rinoza in Manila contributed to this report.

This report has been updated to include details about the Philippine protest of China's South China Sea fishing ban.
This is about injustice and it doesnt matter if its in Palestine or anywhere else, Alabsy said. Were not just talking about adults, but children being killed. As safe as it is to live in Oak Park, those images that I see on TV of whats happening in Gaza, whats happening in the West Bank and whats happening in Jerusalem remind me of those horrors and fears [I had] growing up in Palestine and the West Bank.
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Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
I hope this is a tradition that continues, Fermanich said. Its fun to see them go through one last time and see kids that I may not have seen since their freshman year, which is really nice. I think its another great way to send off the seniors, especially with this year not being the ideal year.
Acting Features Editor

Jennifer Huberdeau is the acting features editor. Prior to The Eagle, she worked at The North Adams Transcript. She is a 2020 New England First Amendment Institute Fellow and a 2010 BCBS Health Care Fellow.
2021 SUMMER SEASON AT A GLANCE

May 29 | James Turrell, Shaun Leonardo and a concert by Julianna Barwick and harpist Mary Lattimore

A celebration of the summer season and the opening of new installations: "You walk ..." by Shaun Leonardo and James Turrell's Skyspace C.A.V.U.

Performance: 9 p.m., Courtyard D. Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. Tickets go on sale 1 p.m., Wednesday. Tickets are $35 for one person pod: $70 for a two-person pod; $140 for a four-person pod.

June 5, 12 and 19 | Auditory After Hours

Experience the museum after hours while listening to a curated playlist by an inspired musician. For this local hero-themed Auditory After Hours, four members of the North Adams-based creative community Common Folk  producer Dan OConnell, indie rocker Ciarra Fragale, singer-songwriter Melanie Glenn, and electro-experimentalist Wallasauce  collaborate to create a one-of-a-kind soundtrack for the museums galleries.

Entry at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets, on sale Wednesday, are $18 and up.

June 19 | Shaun Leonardo

Artist Shaun Leonardo, in collaboration with community members, leads a series of interactive activities throughout the day in "You walk ..." in honor of Juneteenth.

June 19 | Passion Fruit Dance Company

What is the groove and how do you find it? In Dance Within Your Dance, choreographer Tatiana Desardouin invites the audience to connect with the techniques, rhythms, and essence of hip-hop and house dance styles. Not just a simple aesthetic, the groove is the soul of street and club dance. A coalescing of community, fashion, training, introspection, liberation, and individual journeys, in this outdoor pop-up performance Passion Fruit explores how the groove can be a roadmap to social justice through the physical expression of Black culture.

June 25 and 26 | Alec Soth & David King: The Palms

Photographer Alec Soth   collaborates for the first time with drummer/composer Dave King of the jazz duo The Bad Plus. The result is a new multimedia work-in-progress performance that delves into the physicality of memory thats been lost in the digital age. Shows on both days are at 8 p.m. Tickets, which go on sale 1 p.m., Wednesday, start at $25.

June 26 | Time of Now: History + Memory

This in-person and virtual event explores the relationship between individual memory and collective history, and how the past continues to shape our present reality. Pop-up performances, activities, in-person and virtual talks, and self-guided tours will bring together a group of thinkers, performers, and artists for public events throughout the museum. Featuring programming from Osman Khan, Jimena Sarno and Axel Krygier, Blane De St Croix, and the inaugural performance in Taryn Simons The Pipes, in celebration of the installations opening.

July 3 | LRain

Brooklyn-based songwriter and producer LRain brings an ethos of experimentation to her richly layered compositions. She weaves guitar, synthesizers, and delay effects into a swirl of free jazz and heartfelt, personal songs. This performance concludes her week-long artist residency the museum. Performance begins at 8:30 p.m. in Courtyard D. Tickets go on sale 1 p.m. Wednesday. $25 for a single pod; $50, two-person pod; $100, four-person pod.

July 17 | Community Day

A celebration of community and the museums mission featuring the opening of Wes Bruces travelling artmaking mobile The Drifting Studio, pop-up music performances, CARE SYLLABUS programming, and activities for all ages. Free admission for Berkshire residents.

July 30 and 31 | Bang on a Can: LOUD WEEKEND

A two-day festival of genre-bending sound featuring dozens of composers and performers, the Bang on a Can All-Stars Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe and special guests. Tickets go on sale in June.

Additional programming will be announced at a later date.
Jackson Cannon of now-closed Boston bars Eastern Standard, The Hawthorne, and Island Creek Oyster Bar joined a virtual rally calling for additional restaurant relief measures Monday from his Zoom bar.
Prospects for reopening the Massachusetts Statehouse remain unclear, despite Gov. Charlie Baker's announcement Monday that the state would end most remaining pandemic restrictions on May 29.
Francesca Paris is The Eagle's data and public records reporter. She was previously the North Adams reporter. A California native and Williams College alumna, she has worked at NPR in Washington, D.C. and WBUR in Boston. Find her on Twitter at @fparises.
NORTH ADAMS  Firefighters battling the East Mountain Fire that spread across nearly 1,000 acres in the Clarksburg State Forest area have shifted to a patrol and mop-up operation.

The fire was 90 percent contained as of Tuesday evening, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

As of Monday night, around 950 acres had burned, and the fire did not grow overnight between Monday and Tuesday, according to the department.

By Tuesday morning, the burden of the response had shifted to state and federal firefighters, who moved their focus to patrolling the perimeter of the fire and putting out hotspots.

Well probably hold it in that status for the next couple of days because we dont have any rain, said Dave Celino, chief fire warden for Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Well end up with firefighters patrolling that fire until we get a significant change in the weather, with some precipitation, or we just finally dont find any hotspots up there.

Tuesday marked the fifth day of fighting the states largest wildland fire in more than two decades.

The fire started in Williamstown on Friday and had burned around 180 acres by Saturday morning. Over the weekend, it spread over the Appalachian Trail and across Clarksburg State Forest and reached some 800 acres total by Monday morning, making it the largest fire since 1999.

By Monday evening, the crews  a total of around 120 professional and volunteer firefighters from Massachusetts and Vermont  had brought the fire to 75 percent containment.

Celino said last years drought appears to have made the forests supply of leaves, logs and sticks abnormally dry, helping the fire spread quickly across steep, rugged terrain. In a normal year, he added, those dead plants would not be as available to burn until the mid or late summer, when conditions turn drier and hotter.

What were seeing across the Northeast, especially where the drought really sped up last year, was that larger fuels ... never really recovered with moisture, Celino said. That means they become much more available to burn going into the next fire season, which were in now.

Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini said that residents should expect to see smoke even after the fire is fully contained.
While nice, the E-911 operators hadnt heard anything about a police command for Tuesday, she said, so she walked alone from one end of the section where authorities believe Kyrin disappeared to the other, which is about four blocks west from the hotel. What she really wanted to do was get into the yard behind the engineering firm next door to see what she could see, because the places shed searched that morning gave no clues of the boys whereabouts.
ADAMS  For more than a decade, the two artists who saved an Adams theater from foreclosure invested money, won grants and tried to make the numbers work for their Topia Arts Center.

Today, the dream of shaping a vibrant downtown performing arts center goes by the name Adams Theater LLC, which bought the 27 Park St. property last week for $189,00, less than half its original asking price.

Yina Moore, its founder and executive director, plans to spend three to six months renovating, with bold streetfront changes meant to give the theater greater visibility and win back a public following. Moore links her vision with what Marianna Simopoulos and Caryn Heilman attempted to create with Topia.

Vertical of Adams Theater design A design rendering of a proposed new facade for what is now called the Adams Theater, following a sale last week.

We have some very similar things that we wanted, she said Tuesday. They kind of passed the baton to me. I felt I might be able to push it forward.

While much of the early work will be unglamorous, designs that Moore has posted online show a dramatic new look, with several versions of a restored facade. The 2,000-square-foot cafe space, formerly leased as a Subway outlet, will be opened up by removing a wall that divides it from the theaters entrance next door.

There will be a lot more street presence, said Moore, an architect who splits her time between North Adams and New York City.

Deeper inside, the theaters 8,000-square-foot auditorium, which dates to 1937, will be insulated and get a new heating and ventilation system and a new interior look. The work will add public bathrooms as well.

The theater has a very good lineage, Moore said. Her design and development team includes Aishwarya Sarvade, Kira Horie, Wilson Harkhono and Elena Hasbun.

With that construction work ahead, Moore has been getting in touch with local arts groups, scouting for collaborators. Shed like the theater to step back up to the role it once played in civic life, when the building rose to replace the former Atlas Theater, which burned.

This vaudeville and movie theater has played a vital role in connecting generations of local residents, the project states on its website, and will continue to energize the public life of Adams and Berkshire County.

Moore says the new theaters programming will be shaped by musicians and performing artists and become a creative hub for innovative thinkers.

She plans to host workshops, community events and pledges to have the theaters events be affordable. It focuses relentlessly on accessibility to all demographics, the plans say. Adams Theater celebrates rehearsals as much as performances.

Adams Theater is a public place where tradition inspires [the] future, one post says. It will provide a new stage for artists and cultural entrepreneurs to collaborate and build a thriving community in Berkshire County.

Artistic echoes

That echoes goals outlined more than a decade ago by Topias owners, Simopoulos and Heilman. Their quest to create a 700-seat theater and cultural center got one of its first public airings in late 2004, when a member of the towns Select Board saluted their imagination.

In a 2018 interview with The Eagle, Simopoulos said she believed the idea of a multi-function performance space remained viable, despite the setbacks she and her partner encountered, after laying out roughly $300,000 for the property and investing another $125,000 in the cafe space. They managed to present some performances, but they didnt continue.

We hope to find someone who can take this project to the next level, Simopoulos said at the time. Hopefully, a person or group of people who can see the potential a theater has to make a difference in the quality of life for the people of Adams as well as the Berkshires as a whole.

With help from the towns community development department, Topia Arts LLC secured over $300,000 in grants and was aided by a volunteer board.

Moore declined to specify how much she plans to invest in renovations. The company is not so far seeking nonprofit status. Before going to architecture school, Moore worked in finance in New York. Being able to write a business plan and run a spreadsheet to put in front of people is really helpful, she said.

Moore says she came to the Berkshires 20 months ago to work as an architect on Thomas Krens proposed Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum. For a spell during the pandemic, Moore and her husband and two children, along with her parents, spent time in North Adams.

She noticed that her family was hardly alone in taking up residence in the region during the pandemic. I thought we can put down some roots here, and do something more sustained, she said.
Amanda Burke covers Pittsfield City Hall for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Find her on Twitter at @amandaburkec.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com.
SANDISFIELD  A repeat sex offender currently jailed in Connecticut while awaiting trial for stalking a teen was arraigned Friday in Massachusetts on federal firearms charges.

Brian Hohman, 57, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Springfield on one count of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. He was indicted on Feb. 11.

The release said a detention hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The charges stem from an ongoing investigation of a "possible sexual assault" in September at his Sandisfield home, in which police say the alleged victim tipped them off about a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition in his home.

Hohman could face up to 10 years in prison, three years of parole and a maximum $250,000 fine if found guilty.

Hohman is a Level 3 sex offender whose convictions stretch from the Berkshires to the U.K. He was arrested again on Oct. 7 for allegedly stalking a Winsted, Conn., teen in August, and is still held at the New Haven Correctional Center on $250,000 bond in that case.

According to court documents, Hohmans record shows 47 arraignments in the Berkshires on sexual assault charges, including rape of a child, over almost two decades.

Formerly a resident of Great Barrington, Hohman was convicted in 1993 for assaulting eight minors in the Berkshires, for which he served a six-year prison sentence. He was acquitted in 2019 on a sexual assault charge.
An eighth grader at Robinson Middle School, Jasic Helvey, 12, hears information about her COVID-19 vaccine Monday at Topeka High School from Shaunee Darrough, registered nurse with TrueCare Nursing, with her mom, Brandi Snyder, nearby. Anyone 12 and older is eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is available in Berkshire County at various Walgreens and CVS locations, as well as the three Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics: St. Elizabeths of Hungary in North Adams, Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield and W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School in Great Barrington.
The Israeli military has unleashed another heavy wave of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and says it has destroyed militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders
Wyclef Jean is using his voice to stand up against hatred toward the Asian-American community.

In the new song Stop the Hatred, Jean teams up with rapper MC Jin, who is Chinese-American, for the powerful song that calls for unity between AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) and Black communities.

Wyclef Jean said in a recent press release: Racism and hate against underrepresented communities can only be fought with unity. Im proud to work with my brother, MC Jin, to build bridges for our communities through our music. We all need to be active in our fight to stop the hatred.

MC Jin, whose big break came in 2002 when he performed during Freestyle Friday on BETs 106 & Park, also said in a statement: After witnessing the uptick of heinous hate crimes against the AAPI community, I wanted to use my artistry to inspire this generation to take action in a way that has never been done before. To be able to reconnect with Wyclef for this song is not only special for me on a personal level, but also symbolizes the importance of solidarity amongst all communities during these dark times.

The song title was actually inspired by my 8-year-old son, Chance, who boldly shouted stop the hatred into a crowd of thousands at a #StopAsianHate rally in New York City, the Learn Chinese rapper continued.



RELATED: Atlanta Massage Parlor Shootings: 'Too Early' To Rule Out A Hate Crime

Anti-Asian hate crimes and violent attacks against AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities have increased in the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Poynter.org reports.



Watch the video below for Stop the Hatred, which is directed by Vietnamese-American director Bao Nguyen and created in partnership with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), below:
Rep. Ayanna Pressley questioned U.S. monetary aid to Israel last week as violence in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem escalated. The Massachusetts legislature compared the conflict between Palestenians and the Israeli military to the more familiar struggles between Black Americans who experience police violence.



Palestinians are being told the same thing as Black folks in America  there is no acceptable form of resistance. We are bearing witness to egregious human rights violations, Pressley said on the House floor on Thursday evening, according to The Boston Globe.



RELATED: Rep. Ayanna Pressley Leads Congress In Calling For Biden To End The Death Penalty

Israeli forces continued to fire missiles at the Gaza Strip, targeting Palestenian nationalist group Hamas, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he wants to levy a heavy price" against them for launching rockets at Israel, according to CBS News.



In the second week of the latest fighting, Israeli rockets reportedly killed 200 Palestenians, including 55 children and 33 women, with more than 1,200 injuries, CBS News reports.



Pressley has publicly questioned the delivery of billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Israel while Palestinian children and families are left harmed.



RELATED: Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reveals Panic Buttons Were Ripped Out Of Office During Capitol Insurrection



The latest chapter in the lengthy conflict between Israelis and Palestenians began over recent attempts to move Palestinians out of certain parts of Jerusalem over land disputes. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israeli police raided a mosque in Jerusalem, considered an Islamic holy site, setting off demonstrations.



Hamas, which controls Gaza, fired rockets in response at several Israeli cities, including Jerusalem. Israel responded with multiple airstrikes into Gaza, further escalating the conflict.



We cannot stand idly and complicitly by and allow the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people to continue, Pressley said. I am committed to ensuring that our government does not fund state violence in any form, anywhere The question at hand is should our taxpayer dollars create conditions for justice, healing and repair, or should those dollars create conditions for oppression and apartheid?

Pressleys House colleague, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also been critical of the Biden Administration after President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu urging calm in the region. Biden however, also said that Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas attacks.

Do Palestinians have a right to survive? Ocasio-Cortez said on the House floor. Do we believe that? And if so, we have a responsibility to that as well.



Meanwhile, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters he welcomes any effort by the United Nations or other countries to help facilitate a cease-fire.



Any diplomatic initiative that advances that prospect is something that well support, he said. And we are again willing and ready to do that. But ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire.
That was the excitement of it all, trying to make his designs come together and figure out how to make the program work within them. Hed come up with a crazy idea but we had to figure out how to get the elevator and the stairs in the building to function to these early, bold schemes, he said.
A Minneapolis judge ruled Monday (May 17) that a trial may proceed over the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright.

Kimberly A. Potter, a 26-year-veteran of the Brooklyn Center, Minn., police force, was charged with second-degree manslaughter for the April 11 fatal shooting of the 20-year-old. Hennepin County Judge Regina M. Chu said during a virtual hearing that probable cause was found to support the charges against Potter, the Associated Press reports. A tentative trial date was subsequently set for December 6.

On April 14, Potter, who is white, was charged over the shooting, which happened during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota just three days prior.

RELATED: Ex-Police Officer Charged in Daunte Wright Shooting Makes First Court Appearance

Potter, 48, resigned April 13 over the shooting and has remained free on bond. Brooklyn Center Police chief Tim Gannon also resigned the same day amid the backlash from the community over Wrights death.

Wright was fatally wounded when he was pulled over for expired tags. In footage from Potters body camera video, officers began to place him in handcuffs, arresting him for alleged outstanding warrants. But after a short scuffle, Wright attempted to get in his vehicle, and Potter shouted taser, taser, then pulled her service weapon and fired. Wright drove several blocks before crashing. Officers attempted lifesaving maneuvers, but he died at the scene.

At a press conference a day before resigning, Gannon said Potter mistook her taser for her firearm and characterized it as an accidental discharge. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled Wrights death a homicide.

In the days following Wrights death, Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, was rocked by days of protests. Significant changes were also prompted after the shooting as the City Council reorganized its power structure by firing the city manager and turning control of the police department over to the mayors office.



The shooting took place in the shadow of the trial of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin, who was convicted April 20 on all counts in the murder of George Floyd.
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Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Sunny. Windy during the morning. Much cooler. High 73F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
BOISE - On Monday, May 17, Senator Jim Risch and the Idaho Department of Commerce announced the launch of the second annual 'Support Local Gems Initiative,' which will serve as an all-day event to support Idaho small businesses as they come off a year of significant challenges.

On Friday, May 21, 2021, Idahoans are invited to Support Local Gems by giving their business to their favorite local shops and restaurants. Idahoans can get involved by shopping at a small business, dining safely at an independent restaurant, purchasing a gift card for a loved one, writing a review online, or simply saying thank you to a small business they love.

Additional partners of the Support Local Gems initiative include Governor Brad Little, Senator Mike Crapo, Rep. Mike Simpson, Rep. Russ Fulcher, Association of Idaho Cities, Idaho Association of Counties, Idaho Chamber Alliance, Idaho Retailers Association, Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association, Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry, the Boise Metro Chamber, and more.

Over the last year, Idahos independent retailers and restaurants did an exceptional job adapting to the challenges of the pandemic. But even as life begins to return to normal, small businesses still need support, said Risch. On Friday, May 21st, give your support to the small businesses  the local gems  that power Idahos economy and make our communities thrive.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they need our support now more than ever before. At the state level, we prioritized resources for small businesses in our pandemic response. On a personal level, we can all support small businesses with our dollars, Little said.

Background

Last year, Idahos small businesses faced unprecedented hardships as they worked to remain viable through the pandemic. In an effort to support them, Senator Jim Risch and the Idaho Department of Commerce launched Support Local Gems to encourage Idahoans to shop and dine locally. On the second annual Support Local Gems initiative, Idahoans are encouraged to once again give their full support to the small businesses  the local gems  that make Idaho a special place to live and grow.
Launched by the Beijing-based International Confucian Association, a national-level forum was held in Beijing on Saturday on the study and promotion of poetry as an educational approach to Confucianism.

Dozens of scholars specializing in poetry and Confucianism studies attended the forum, which aims to display the significance of poems in the establishment of the ancient Chinese ritual system and moral standards in early history, besides their importance in literature.

Classic of Poetry, or Shijing, which comprises 305 works dating from the 11th and 7th century BC, is generally considered a fundamental collection of poems. It was compiled by the great Chinese educator Confucius as one of the Five Classics.

Experts at the forum considered this tradition means Chinese poetry, which has more rigid rules in its format and themes than its Western counterpart, and plays a crucial role in education, ceremonies and rule in the country.

The forum also explored the similarities between Chinese and Western poems, considering their common function of nurturing people's and enlightenment of psychological strength.

"Due to historical reasons, the tradition of using poems as an education approach has faded in China, and people's understanding of poetry is basically within the field of literature," Zhang Jian, deputy director of the International Confucian Association, said.

"To fully recognize traditional Chinese poems, it's necessary to resume its function in nurturing people's minds if we want to revitalize fine traditional Chinese culture as a whole," he said.

At the forum, scholars from the country's top-tier institutions, like Renmin University of China, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Beijing Foreign Studies University, traced the history of Chinese poetry and explored their educational value for modern society. They also contributed their ideas on how to better publicize traditional philosophy, values, and aesthetics in today's educational system through poetry.
BOISE - On Tuesday, May 18, Idaho Governor Brad Little appointed Lori Wolff to take over as administrator of the Division of Human Resources (DHR).

Lori Wolff has a proven track record leading several major projects for operational and technology improvements within state government, and I am confident she will carry over that focus on achieving excellence in government operations into her new role to best serve the people of Idaho and support our state workforce, Governor Little said.

Wolff has worked at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for 18 years, serving as deputy director and division administrator, among other positions. She has played a key role with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to help Idaho recover from the pandemic. Wolff is a lifelong Idahoan who was born and raised in Salmon, Idaho, and graduated from Idaho State University with a masters degree in public administration.

I am humbled and excited for the opportunity Governor Little is giving me to support our wonderful state employees and the workforce behind the programs and agencies that serve Idahoans, Wolff said. I am entering this new role committed to operational excellence for all state agencies, with particular attention on the public we serve. Government functions best when it focuses more on outcomes and less on just our activities.

As the State of Idahos central human resources agency under the Office of the Governor, DHR provides consultation on various HR issues to state agencies, employees, and Idaho citizens.

Wolff will focus on supporting the Luma Project, which modernizes and improves transparency in the states aging business systems. She will provide support to state agencies in fully recovering from the impacts of the pandemic and address other issues facing the state workforce.

Wolff starts in the position on June 7.
Today

Overcast. High 78F. E winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain after midnight. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Tomorrow

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 80F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
BOISE - On Monday, May 17, the Idaho State Board of Education approved requests from each of Idahos four-year institutions to hold current resident undergraduate tuition rates in place for 2021/22 academic year, marking the second consecutive year that the resident undergraduate rate will not increase.

This is a recognition that the State Board, and our institution presidents are committed to doing everything we can to make sure an Idaho college education is one of the most affordable in the country, State Board President Kurt Liebich said.

The Board did approve Idaho State Universitys request to increase its resident graduate tuition by 4 percent and its non-resident tuition by 3.4 percent.

The Board approved a $36 per year consolidated mandatory student fee increase put forth by the University of Idaho at the request of student leadership groups.

The Board also approved Lewis-Clark State Colleges request establishing tuition for its new graduate level nursing program launching in Coeur dAlene.
Watch the latest video at FoxNews.com By Bill O'Reilly Whether it's Obamacare, the food stamp explosion, the punishment of convicts or a myriad of other social issues, the big chasm among Americans is between those like me who believe in personal responsibility and self- reliance and those who will not make judgments on behavior and want the federal government to provide support and solace to those who cannot or will not compete in the American marketplace or obey the law. Let's look at one very brutal and stark example of what you're talking about; 14-year-old Shaaliver Douse was a troubled teen living in the poor section of the Bronx in New York City. The kid is being raised by a single mother, no father around. He had several arrests on his sheet including attempted murder and possession of a gun. Shaaliver was allegedly part of a gang called "The Nine" -- the nickname of the gun and of his block. At 3:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, August 4th. Police confronted the teenager who was shooting at a man in the street. According to the NYPD, Shaaliver turned his gun towards the officers and was then shot dead. After the incident the boy's aunt said this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) QUWANA BARCENE, SHAALIVER DOUSE'S AUNT: What if did he have a gun? Does that give you right to shoot him in the head -- a kid? Police can shoot our kid? It's not fair. It's not fair for the police to be able to kill our kids. (END VIDEO CLIP) O'REILLY: Now grief can cause people to say foolish things so that woman should get some slack for her comments. But police officers are human beings. They have a right to protect themselves when someone is shooting a gun which the teenager did three times that night. Sadly this terrible incident goes back to what "Talking Points" has been reporting. Shaaliver Douse was a victim of circumstances that are not being confronted by American leadership or by the civil rights industry. No one forced Shaaliver's mother to birth him out of wedlock. No one forced his cowardly father to ignore the boy. No outside entity allowed a 14-year-old to roam the streets at 3:00 in the morning. No one forced him to shoot a gun in the street or to fail to heed the police warning. Those were all personal decisions and society is not responsible for them. The boy was doomed by his parents who would not control him. No amount of tax money given to people will make them responsible. No amount of hand-wringing by the left will solve the problem. It must be solved one person at a time. Until that message begins to get out, violence and hopelessness will continue to consume poor precincts and devastate families. As I have said, many media and politicians don't care enough about the issue to be honest about it. The grievance industry is in it for the money and power. And the far left simply refuses to confront the basic problem because it does not fit their ideology. Thus, nothing gets done and racial divisions grow wider. Last month in Gulfport, Florida three black kids, all 15 years old, attacked a 13-year-old white boy on a school bus. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BUS DRIVER: They about to beat this boy to death over here. Please get somebody over here. And they're still doing it. There's nothing I can do. Leave that boy alone. Leave him alone. Leave him alone. You know you are all going to jail. You are all going to jail. (END VIDEO CLIP) O'REILLY: The victim had a broken arm, multiple other injuries. A 15-year-old is charged with aggravated battery and will likely face an adult court. Few national media even covered the story because it was blacks attacking a white. In the wake of Trayvon Martin, if it had been three white boys attacking a black, it would have been massive media coverage. So why the double standard? A politically correct and cowardly media is the answer to that question. And by the way no fair-minded person, no fair-minded person, should believe that most black Americans want to hurt whites. They don't. That bus attack was about three thugs beating up a kid who objected to their behavior. There is no evidence the crime is any more than that. But there is plenty of evidence that the power structure in America doesn't want to help solve the dissolution of the traditional family which is the root, the root from which violence and personal failure grows. Shaaliver Douse is yet another vivid example of that truth. And that's "The Memo." - You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com. Transcript Show Name: O'Reilly Factor
Watch the latest video at FoxNews.com By Bill OReilly For six days we have been telling you that the 30-year-old Georgetown law student has become a major player in the presidential election. Last night we reported that she is now being handled pro bono, for free, by the PR firm SKDKnickerbocker, which is good because Sandra doesn't have enough money to buy birth control pills as we know. But there is more to Sandra's story than just contraception. Right now she's on spring break in California with her boyfriend who is the son of Democratic stalwart William Mutterperl. He has made at least 56 donations to Democratic candidates or organizations. Nothing wrong with that; I'm just pointing it out. Ms. Fluke herself seems to be a sincere woman. She worked here in New York City helping at risk families and she is devoted to liberal causes. Again, nothing wrong with that; sincere constructive activism is good. But as I told "The View" ladies yesterday, the whole Obamacare mandating contraception business is a huge canard. Ms. Fluke can afford to go on vacation, can fly coast to coast to appear on "The View," although ABC might have picked up that tab. She can dress very well. She gets all over the place. But she doesn't have $9 bucks a month for pills? Come on. This story is really about the nanny state and the imposition of a huge federal apparatus on all Americans. When the Catholic bishops challenged the nanny state on moral grounds, the White House got nervous. And the women's health play began to ramp up. Of course that's when Sandra Fluke suddenly appeared. Popping up at congressional hearings, showing up in the media. Polls show President Obama's poll numbers among women now on the rise and he has Ms. Fluke to thank that. If you don't pay close attention to this story it looks like President Obama is simply helping out a young woman under siege but again, that's not what's going on here. The election in November will be between the Democratic Party, which wants a nanny state and the Republic Party which does not. You the voter have a very important decision to make. By the way last month, February, the U.S.A. ran up the biggest deficit ever; $229 billion dollars was added to the national debt in 29 days. For that, we can thank the poor economy and the ever growing nanny state. We can also thank folks like Sandra Fluke who desperately want it. And that's The Memo. Pinheads & Patriots As you may know, we are auctioning off a unique piece of history. This Wounded Warrior poster has been signed by all five living American presidents, the only document we know of containing all of those signatures together. Very valuable. Right now, the top bid is more than $81,000. The auction closes Sunday evening. But, if you would like to simply help the warriors we know 81 K is a lot you can send them $25 or more, and they'll send you a facsimile of the poster suitable for framing. So we hope you do that. Information available on the Web site. Also, one week from tonight I will be at Boston University, my alma mater, doing a benefit for the Alexa Foundation, which helps victims of violent crime all over the USA, and they need help. So we would like you to come to that event. It's going to be a lot of fun, despite the seriousness of the charity. Again, info on BillOReilly.com. Everybody who helps the wounded vets and crime victims is, of course, a Patriot.  You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com. Transcript Show Name: O'Reilly Factor
Thanks for listening to The OReilly Update. No Spin. Just Facts. Always looking out for YOU.



Heres whats happening across our nation. Vaccinated Americans ditch the face-mask John Kerry talks climate change with the Pope Gay cops get banned from New Yorks Pride Parade Israel bombs terrorist targets in Gaza A new study finds five-year-olds now staring at computer screens for seven hours a day Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, Lights out for the U.S.A.

The O'Reilly Update is on Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms. Subscribe to the podcast here.
A corruption case against former South African president Jacob Zuma and French company Thales related to a $2bn arms deal was adjourned on Monday to 26 May, and his defence lawyer said Zuma would plead not guilty when the hearing finally starts.

South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma, who is facing fraud and corruption charges, greets supporters in the gallery of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, May 17, 2021. Reuters/Rogan Ward

The trial of Zuma, 79, had been expected to begin on Monday but was delayed again after his newly appointed defence team raised concerns over the lead prosecutor and said it might seek his recusal from the case.Zuma defence lawyer Thabani Masuku told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that a plea application of not guilty would be entered when the court next hears the case on 26 May.The case takes place as an anti-graft crackdown led by his successor as president, Cyril Ramaphosa, gathers pace and the governing African National Congress is beset with infighting as top officials accused of corruption fight back.The bespectacled Zuma, dressed in a blue suit and tie, looked relaxed in court and gave the thumbs up and waved to supporters. Among those in court was suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, a Zuma loyalist, while a crowd of supporters waving the green, gold and black ANC flag sang Zuma's praises outside the court.Sacked as deputy state president in 2005 after his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was jailed for corruption in the same arms deal, Zuma swiftly regained political power and spent almost a decade as president before a judge reinstated the case in 2018.Zuma is accused of accepting R500,000 rand annually from Thales from 1999 as a bribe, in exchange for protecting the company from an investigation into the deal following whistle-blower revelations by a lawmaker in parliament that same year.The alleged bribe forms part of a broader corrupt relationship the state argues existed between Zuma, Shaik and his firm Nkobi Group, as well as Thales. Nkobi Group was the local joint venture partner to Thales, then known as Thompson-CSF, which was part of a consortium that won a R2.6bn rand bid to provide combat suites for new navy frigates.Zuma, who was acquitted on a 2005 rape charge where he admitted having unprotected sex with his HIV-positive accuser, currently faces 18 charges, including racketeering, corruption and fraud. Zuma, who has said the arms deal case is politically motivated, and Thales have consistently denied any wrongdoing.""You can't have a case for so many years. That the charges keep changing and changing. But I don't want to say too much, we will say what we have to say in court." Zuma told supporters outside the court, before leading them in singing his trademark Umshini wam' (bring my machine gun) anti-apartheid struggle song.The trial is expected to last from May until June, the court has said previously, with more than 200 witnesses lined up for the state.
South Africa's failure to tackle toxic levels of air pollution produced by burning coal is a violation its post-Apartheid constitution, activists and a UN rights expert said in court on Monday.

General view of the coal-based Kriel Power Station owned by state power utility Eskom in Mpumalanga, near Kriel, South Africa, February 17, 2020. Reuters/Mike Hutchings/File Photo

Singing activists

Premature deaths

Campaigners are suing the South African government in the High Court, hoping to force tougher action against heavy polluters such as state power company Eskom and liquid fuel producer Sasol. The campaigners say tougher action is required to enforce a constitutional guarantee of the right to an environment not harmful to health.Environment minister, Barbara Creecy, acknowledges that air pollution is a problem, but her submission to the court says the constitution does not require the ministry to impose stiffer rules. Using the constitution to try to force the minister's hand violates the separation of powers, she argues.The ministry says that environmental concerns conflict with economic considerations: the need to generate power, nearly 90% of which comes from coal, but also jobs in a coal belt with high poverty rates.A spokesman for the Department of Environmental Affairs said he could not comment while the matter was before the court.The hearing is virtual, but a few dozen singing activists gathered outside the High Court in the capital Pretoria to protest against the coal industry, waving banners with slogans such as "coal kills" and "united against deadly air"."We're asking for accountability from government for its failure so far to ... implement its own plan. We view the levels of unsafe air pollution as a public health crisis," Tim Lloyd, lawyer for the Centre for Environmental Rights, told Reuters in a videocall.A 2012 South African government plan set goals to address air pollution in the Highveld.Representatives of Eskom and Sasol had yet to respond to requests for comment sent on Friday.Activist groups including Groundwork say there are "dangerous levels of air pollution" in the Highveld Priority Area, which comprises parts of Gauteng, the province in and around Johannesburg, and Mpumalanga, where coal is mined and burned to generate electricity.The activists' submission to the court cites a South African Air Quality Management Systems report covering 2015 to 2018.The report shows that air quality at monitoring stations in the Highveld exceeded the lower of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guideline for smaller particulate matter on most days and its guideline for bigger particulates on more than half of the days monitored."Air pollution in the Highveld Priority Area is responsible for premature deaths, deterioration of the lungs and heart ... diseases such as asthma, emphysema ... and cancer," the claimants said in their court submission, which is backed by David Boyd, UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment.A study in February by medics at George Washington University estimated that in 2018 particulates from the burning of fossil fuels killed 8.7-million people globally, equating to nearly a fifth of worldwide deaths that yearThe 30,000 sq km Highveld area is home to a dozen Eskom coal-fired power stations and some Sasol petrochemicals plants.While the court submission from the environment ministry's lawyers acknowledge that "air quality in the area is ... indeed very poor at certain hotspots" and that the 2012 plan has not yet achieved its aims, they say the right to a healthy environment is an aspirational, long-term goal and must be balanced against economic needs."The minister is not under any legal or obligatory duty ... to make regulations for the Highveld Plan," they said.
Remy Martin is a steadfast name in the alcohol industry. With centuries of rich history behind it, the brand looks to promote luxury through its classic cognac taste. Lately, the brand has been doing some exciting campaigns which look to promote collaboration and shared values.

What does your job entail, and what does your average work day look like?

What do you love most about working in the marketing space?

How would you define your brand?

What has been your most successful branding campaign to date, and why?

Remy Martin has recently teamed up with Grammy-winning artist Usher, could you elaborate more on this campaign?

Theres nothing more beautiful than when talents team up to create harmony.#TeamUpForExcellence the Film ft. @Usher is available now. Watch now: https://t.co/sIOedzKnJe pic.twitter.com/PiNNxXxF4L  Remy Martin SA (@RemyMartinSA) May 17, 2021

What is the future of branding looking like for Remy Martin?

What do you think are the most successful channels for getting your brand out there?

What career advice would you give to aspiring marketing and branding professionals?

Watch Team Up For Excellence - The Film

Jerome Adonis is the marketing manager for Remy Martin in South Africa. Taking a global brand, keeping it true to its roots, and making it relevant to the South African market is the essence of what he does. There are challenges which come with the job, but he has been successful in making this global brand pertinent to local flavour.Here, he gives us more insight into how to successfully manage a global brand locally, and what the future looks like for Remy Martin:I am responsible for handling the promotion and positioning of my brand in the local market. Remy Martin is an international brand with years of rich history, and my aim is to keep the essence of the brand consistent with its global roots, but make sure that it is relevant to its South African customers. Overall, my job is to attract new consumers by raising brand awareness through successful marketing campaigns.Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has changed significantly. My day was traditionally filled with back-to-back meetings with various local and international stakeholders. Now, as technology has taken over, these face-to-face interactions have been replaced by Zoom and Teams meetings.I studied applied mathematics and I landed a job as a supply chain analyst at Sasol. I honestly knew that the environment didnt fit my personality. I then decided to make a change and go after a career that I felt would make me happy by connecting with people.Working in marketing has given me the opportunity to get to know and understand my consumers needs. This career path has given me the licence to be creative and push the boundaries. I love It.Remy Martin has hundreds of years of history, and the brands uniqueness and luxury has been celebrated by royalty from around the globe. We provide only the best eaux-de-vie from the finest grapes. Luxury is the word that comes with the name Remy Martin. It is the epitome of cognac, period!Team Up for Excellence is a global campaign which celebrates collaboration, shared values, and the success it generates. The project launched locally in 2019 in partnership with local ambassador and award-winning beat maker, Rikhado Riky Rick Makhado. We wanted to portray the French opulence of Remy Martin in a way which expresses African luxury, and felt that teaming up with Riky Rick manifested this idea in the best way.I have loved working on this campaign, and it has deeply resonated with the local market. The tagline is 'Behind every individual success is a collective story'. I personally believe in this mandate, as no one gets where they are without a team to help them.The Remy Martin family is very excited about the new global Team Up collaboration between Remy Martin and Usher. We believe that the magic happens when various people with different talents and ideas collaborate.Team Up For Excellence - The Film highlights the cultural connection between cognac and American music since 1917 in France, and how the two have been synonymous ever since. Usher narrates a story spanning decades which pays tribute to the multicultural connections, celebrated styles and rhythms of the past. From blues to hip hop, swing dancing to breakdancing; Usher and Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal travel through decades in France and the US, to honour these cultural figures; both rooted in a shared philosophy of aiming for the stars.Usher has said that music and cognac dont need each other to exist, but they were meant to meet. When they did, they created cultural harmony.We are planning to roll out this campaign this year through-the-line with a touch of African luxury. Watch this space!The Remy Martin symbol is a centaur; a mythological creature which is part human, part animal. The centaur invites us to reveal and combine our talents.Our cellar master, distillers, winemakers, tasting committee, and everyone in between works together to instil passion and excellence. This is what our cognac speaks to - a combination of talents coming together. Blending eaux-de-vie is all about assembling ingredients, combining skills, associating qualities and connecting emotions.From a key visual point of view, you will always see people collaborating and connecting to create magic. Remy Martin has, and always will be, about collaboration in order to achieve excellence. This message will continue to be the essence of our brand story.The traditional channels of off - and on - consumption are key in the South African market. The rise of digital and social media has made e-commerce a very important channel for most fast-moving consumer goods brands, especially in the liquor industry.Ask questions, be inquisitive and try to gain a meaningful understanding of how the world works. If you have the opportunity to travel, take it. See as much as you can! Show interest in other cultures, learn how to pick up on new trends, and be open-minded about other people's perspective and world view.Work hard, and take everything youve learned to create something with your own mark fearlessly. Lastly, you need to have passion for what you do. Not every day will be rosy, and its only that fire inside you that will carry you through tough times.
UNICEF chief asks G7 to donate excess vaccines to cover COVAX shortfall

Xinhua) 08:28, May 18, 2021

People line up to enter a vaccination clinic at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on May 13, 2021.(Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Sunday asked the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries to donate excess COVID-19 vaccines to the COVAX Facility, a global tool to procure and deliver vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.

She made the plea as G7 leaders will meet next month in Britain.

New data analysis provided by Airfinity, a life sciences research facility, indicates that G7 nations and "Team Europe" group of European Union member states could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20 percent of their available supply over June, July and August. They could do so while still meeting their commitments to vaccinate their own populations, Fore said in a statement.

A woman receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in New Delhi, India, on May 15, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

"While some G7 members have greater supply than others, and some have further advanced domestic roll-outs, an immediate collective commitment to pool excess supply and share the burden of responsibility could buttress vulnerable countries against becoming the next global hot spot," she said.

Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now, she said.

Among the global consequences of the situation in India, a global hub for vaccine production, is a severe reduction in vaccines available to COVAX. Its soaring domestic demand has meant that 140 million doses intended for distribution to low- and middle-income countries through the end of May cannot be accessed by COVAX. Another 50 million doses are likely to be missed in June, said the statement.

The clearest pathway out of this pandemic is a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. COVAX, with UNICEF as key implementing partner, represents such a pathway, she said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
The World Economic Forum said on Monday that it cancelled the special annual meeting in Singapore.



"The World Economic Forum has informed the Singapore government that due to the continuing global uncertainties caused by COVID-19, it will be cancelling its Special Annual Meeting for 2021, which was scheduled to take place in Singapore from 17 to 20 August," Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Monday.

In a media statement issued on Monday, the forum highlighted the difficulty of organizing a meeting of this scale, involving business, government and civil society leaders from different corners of the world, in light of the evolving international travel rules aimed at containing the COVID-19.

The forum will now plan to hold its next annual meeting in the first half of 2022, with the final date and location to be determined later, it said.
Pardon Makumbe, co-founder and managing partner of CRE Venture Capital

When you look at raising capital in Africa, what can we see in the current landscape?

We think these two trends of democratisation and globalisation will be game changers.

#StartupFunding101: Capital funding and the fund raising basics Antonia Bothner, Endeavor South Africa Capital Markets Lead and Fundraising Lead at Endeavor Harvest Fund, uncovers the basics of capital funding and how to access it...

More recently, venture capital funds and investors are finding and backing some formidable businesses built by world-class local African founders as well.

Why is it so hard to raise capital in Africa?

To illustrate the point, consider that in 2020, the US saw $150b+ in venture investments and nearly $300b in venture exits in 2020.

What are some of the challenges entrepreneurs are facing when raising capital?

Given the limited amount of venture capital available for Africa, founders have to approach each investor discussion with thoughtful intentionality.

What can be done to overcome these challenges?

Among other things, investors want to see founders who are energized for what they are building and keen on building a good relationship.

Dont show up at an investor meeting without a clear view of who that investor is, what they focus on, whether or not you may be a good fit for each other.

I believe investment firms operating in Africa are not actually sourcing funds in Africa. What's your take on this?

What advice do you have for raising capital in Africa?

What are some of the most successful investment fields right now?

Many startups wish to reach an international audience as there are more opportunities. In your opinion, what would you advise on crossing the bridge?

Build relationships and partnerships in those international markets that can help you find your way around town without burning your fingers.

When you look at the US ecosystem, what approach should Africans take to reach those markets?

As with everything else in early-stage companies, the entrepreneurs hustle is the strongest predictor of their success.

Endeavor is a global high-impact entrepreneurship movement to drive long-term economic growth and build strong entrepreneurship ecosystems in South Africa by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs.

Our continent is a big place made up of regional ecosystems, each with its own unique personality and dynamism. The regions we know the best are South of the Sahara  Southern Africa, West Africa, East Africa.In Southern Africa, South Africa is the obvious juggernaut. The story of South Africas early-stage technology entrepreneurship and venture capital ecosystem can be traced back to Mark Shuttleworth building Thawte and selling it to Verisign for $575m in 1999, at the age of 26. Following that staggering success, Shuttleworth established HBD Venture Capital (Here Be Dragons). You can connect several dots to that genesis and ultimately trace an arc to where we are today.There have been two very encouraging developments in South Africa over the last few years. First is that access to venture capital has slowly but surely expanded beyond pockets of the Western Cape and has become more accessible to founders of various backgrounds from across the country.Second is that South African founders are beginning to earnestly engage global investors as sources of capital, expanding beyond their historical focus on local investors. We see these trends not just in the ecosystem at large, but also in our own portfolio: the teams that we have backed at companies like Yoco, Sweep South, Stitch, Flow and FlexClub come from every walk of life and they have cultivated relationships with global investors along the way.In West Africa, Nigeria is the mother lode. Nigerias massive demographics (over 200 million people) translate to a massive local market which translates to massive investor appetite. Seems obvious today, but as recently as five years ago, Nigeria was largely neglected by venture capital investors. Many people dismissed it as too difficult, too this, too that. Some even said it was too African (the nerve!).CRE Venture Capital was among a very small number of strong-willed investors who saw the opportunity early on, went against the grain, and sought out high caliber founders in Nigeria. We were fortunate to find and back some incredibly hard-working founders who have since built compelling businesses, most notably Andela and Flutterwave.Recent landmark financings in Nigeria, such as the Series C financing of our portfolio company Flutterwave - at a valuation of over $1bn - which was led by Tiger Global, speak to how Nigeria has gone from no-go market to a high conviction market at a global level.In East Africa, Kenya is the beating heart the technology ecosystem. It is the technology-forward hub for the East African region which has some ~280 million people (including Ethiopia). The strong regional integration of countries of the East African Community is of great significance not only for traditional industries but also for technology companies.Historically, founders from Kenyas sizeable global expatriate community in many ways helped kick start the ecosystem in East Africa by using their global relationships to connect pools of venture capital from their home countries (e.g. especially the United States) to ventures that they were building in East Africa.So, in a way, venture capital in East Africa was globalized at inception, and is becoming more democratized as part of its ongoing evolution.As a founder, raising capital is as much about finding investment partners that share your vision for the future as it is about presenting a sound business plan. Larger, more established venture ecosystems bring together a wider and more diverse base of potential investment partners  so you are more likely to have the right company/investor fit that gets a deal closed.While Africa venture financings have grown 3x+ since 2016, the ecosystem still draws from a dramatically smaller base of potential investors.According to Briter Bridges, the continent saw ~$1.1b in new investments and ~$1.1b in venture exits in 2020. So you could say there is 150 times as much capital for an American founder as there is for an African founder.With that said, the best founders will tend to find their way to the best investors even against these difficult odds. It is difficult, but not impossible. In many ways companies in our portfolio are testament to this.Most entrepreneurs are first-timers and they often do not know which investor to talk to, at what stage to engage investors, what narrative to present, what to expect out of an investor meeting, how to follow up with investors and so forth. Layer on top of that; the scarcity of capital in Africa, and you can see how raising capital can be challenging.And while all that is happening, there is still a business to run: employees to manage, customers to find and serve and keep happy, products to build, and day-to-day blocking and tackling.So, for many entrepreneurs, fundraising also makes it hard to run the day-to-day business.Firstly, a point on mindset. Many entrepreneurs start businesses to build products or services that solve specific pain-points. They see fundraising as a necessary evil that takes them away from what they love to do. Truth is, for a venture backed business, fundraising is a core part of actually building the business. We think it is important that founders change their perspective and build that fundraising muscle with a positive attitude.Bringing a can-do mindset serves you better than bringing a grudge to the meeting.Secondly, do your homework and focus on what you can control. Talk to your friends, talk to other entrepreneurs, talk to the local tech hub, incubator, accelerator. As of 2019, there were more than 643 tech hubs across Africa. Thats a lot of places to find help.Qualify investor interest early, invest time in the relationships that are a good fit for the current round you are raising, be diligent in your responses to investor inquiries, and leverage your work product.A diligence FAQ is a great way to preempt common investor Q&A while preserving management bandwidth for more substantive interactions with investors.Venture Capital as an asset class is still new in Africa. Most traditional sources of funding  both institutional investors and high net worth individuals  either have limited knowledge or understanding of the asset class, are waiting to see the asset class prove itself out, or have mandates that do not allow them to invest in venture capital funds in Africa.As a result, most Africa-focused fund managers have to source their capital from global investors who often do so as part of their own portfolio construction. We think that as time passes by and more success stories emerge from Africa, we will see more and more African sources of capital pour into the asset class.The best time to raise capital is when you are not raising capital. Exhaust your networks for warm intros, build a community of allies within your specific venture ecosystem, seek input on strategic and investment matters from prospective investors, and prepare to move quickly once interest is confirmed.We have seen significant investment flow into sectors including financial services, supply chain, logistics and fulfilment, healthcare, and education to name a few.But the beauty of innovation and entrepreneurship is that you can identify a need, build a solution for it, and create your own success. Investor sentiment ebbs and flows across sectors over time, so we encourage entrepreneurs to stay authentic by building solutions for the problems that they understand most, and not try to chase what the hot-money-of-the-day is. In the long term, you as the entrepreneur own your own success.Do your homework. Do the market research to understand what exactly you would offer to which international audience exactly.Going it alone in foreign lands is almost always a recipe for disaster.One of CRE Venture Capitals strengths is that we have deep insights and relationships across different regions in Africa so we are often a great ally to founders looking to expand from one region to another. We also have a global rolodex of relationships, especially in Asia, Europe and the United States  so we are a great ally for founders looking at those markets too.Weve found that partnering with accelerators, incubators, investors, and other entrepreneur focused networks (like Endeavor ) that have a track record of improving access to the US ecosystem is a great way for founders to stack the odds in their favour.CRE Venture Capital really walks in between worlds  between Africa and the US principally  so we often do a lot of work to help our founders connect the two worlds.
Hope and excitement gripped the Munsieville care home in the South African mining city of Krugersdorp on Monday, when people over the age of 60 were called to receive the Covid-19 vaccine for the first time.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu leaves after receiving his coronavirus (Covid19) vaccination in Cape Town, South Africa, May 17, 2021. Reuters/Mike Hutchings

"It's going to change our country for the better," Caroline Nicholls, 64, a judge, told Reuters while waiting to get her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine."I am very excited to finally be here today," said Ellen Segope, 65, a pensioner who lives nearby. In Cape Town, celebrated anti-apartheid activist and cleric Desmond Tutu was among those vaccinated.South Africa's vaccination campaign has suffered a series of setbacks, delaying the point at which it can start protecting its elderly against the coronavirus.In February, it ditched plans to use AstraZeneca's vaccine because of data showing it had greatly reduced efficacy against the dominant local variant, and it temporarily paused use of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) vaccine in a research study vaccinating health workers because of concerns over very rare cases of blood clots.But it recently signed large bilateral supply deals with Pfizer and J&J for a combined 61-million doses and had received the first one-million Pfizer shots by Monday."We do know that our people have been waiting for long for these vaccines, ... but we are pleading for patience," health minister, Zweli Mkhize, told a news conference."We would have loved to have had the vaccines as early as January or December last year. It was not possible, but now it is here. Let's make use of it," he added.Wealthier countries like the United States and Britain started their vaccination campaigns in December.South Africa kicked off immunisations in mid-February, but the rollout of the J&J vaccine has been slow because it is being administered in a research study using limited stock to further evaluate its efficacy in the field.As of Sunday, roughly 480,000 health workers had been given J&J's vaccine in the so-called Sisonke study.Mkhize said the country worst affected by Covid-19 on the African continent in terms of recorded deaths was aiming to vaccinate more than 16-million people in the second phase of its vaccination campaign, which started on Monday.Along with the over-60s, the government plans to vaccinate those with comorbidities and workers deemed essential for economic activity in that second phase, which is expected to last until mid-October.
UX Specialist

Location: Johannesburg, Santodton Type: Permanent Reference: #ZH52394 Company: E-Merge IT Recruitment

UX

Design essential

User Testing

Interface Design

Wire Frames

Sketch

An exciting chance to join a high-performance team is available! The innovative group is looking forwithto join their fast-paced and dynamic environment based in Sandton. In this position, you will work with product, business, marketing and other teams to create high-quality conceptual designs and superior user interfaces across multiple platforms as required and deliver all UI assets ready for development teams.The dynamic environment rewards great performance and offers exciting cross-divisional opportunities to those wishing to expand their horizons.for this position iswhich is a permanent position based inoffering a cost to company salary negotiable on experience and ability at around. Contact Zara on az.oc.egrem-e@haraz or call him on 011 463 3633 to discuss this and other opportunities.Are you ready for a change of scenery? The e-Merge IT recruitment is a specialist niche recruitment agency. We offer our candidates options so that we can successfully place the right developers with the right companies in the right roles.Check out the e-Merge website www.e-merge.co.za for more great positions.Do you have a friend who is a developer or technology specialist? We pay cash for successful referrals! Posted on 18 May 15:13
Production Manager

Location: Cape Town, Observatory Education level: Degree Job level: Mid Type: June 2021 Reference: #ProdManager Company: Okuhle Media/Trace Studios

Budget management - To ensure that the day-to-day operations of the project are managed smoothly and accurately as well as the management of financial processes and procedures in conjunction with the Producer

Logistics  Logistical oversight of all the need on production

Managing Workflow within the Production department

Implementing and managing internal systems within Production department

Staff Management and Administration

Matric certificate

Three year diploma/degree or equivalent Financial/Media and Broadcasting qualification.

Minimum of three to five years experience as a Production Manager in a Production Company or similar environment.

Excellent financial and business skills including the ability to manage budgets according to standard accounting systems is a pre requisite.

Unendorsed drivers license  Code EB (8)

Computer literacy essential

Proficiency in MS Excel  Intermediate level is a prerequisite

An accurate and well-balanced knowledge of the production process

Must be able to work in a highly pressurized environment.

Time management is essential

Ability to think out of the box, innovative and Solutions Driven,

Strong strategic and logical capability

Excellent planning, negotiation and problem-solving skills

Diligent team player, Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills.

Company Description

Okuhle Media/Trace Studio is on the search for a dynamic, energetic, detailed orientated Production Manager who works exceptionally well as part of a bigger team.To turn creative ideas into practical realities by calculating and determining the logistics required, facilitating their implementation and keeping the production on schedule and within budget. The role is focused on the organisational aspects of the production, assisting the Producer to realise the productions objectives both financially and logistically.Should this vacancy interest you, kindly apply by sending a comprehensive CV to the HR Manager with Production Manager in the subject line to narendse@trace.tv by no later than Monday, 24 May 2021.If you do not receive a response within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.We live by the words, Dare to be Great. Our ability to create meaningful and memorable connections between our clients and their audiences, is a reflection of our culture and the versatility of our team of strategists, storytellers, producers, and designers. Our people are the alchemy that defines Okuhle. They are the essence of who we are  they are dreamers, thinkers, and creators. Posted on 18 May 09:14
This job expired on 22 May 2021.
Leading fashion and lifestyle retailer TFG shared its strategy to revolutionise the omnichannel experience and transform into Africa's leading high-tech omnichannel retailer. "We are laying the foundations to become the largest, most reliable and most profitable e-commerce destination on the continent; via a simplified, customer-centric approach, aimed at maximising group scale, minimising duplication and cost, and leveraging our incredible assets," shared newly appointed co-chief omni officer Claude Hanan. The announcement came as part of the retailer's 2021 financial year-end presentation.
You are here: Business

China urges Australia to treat Chinese enterprises fairly and stop interfering with the investment and trade cooperation between the two countries, the country's top economic planner said Tuesday.



The Australian side has unreasonably restricted and suppressed projects and existing achievements of bilateral investment and trade cooperation, damaging mutual trust between the two countries and seriously affecting the confidence of enterprises, said Jin Xiandong, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Jin made the remarks in response to a previous NDRC decision to indefinitely suspend all activities under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

"China has to make a necessary and legitimate response, and Australia must bear full responsibility for this," said Jin.

He urged the Australian side to cease its interference and take actions to promote the healthy development of China-Australia relations.
Reporters photograph the Chongqing SkyShuttle train on its arrival outside the International Intangible Cultural Heritage Town in Bishan district, Chongqing, on May 16, 2021. [Photo by Ge Yu/CQNEWS.net]

One month after its official launch on April 16, the SkyShuttle train still excites onlookers as it speeds through the Bishan district of the southwestern city of Chongqing.

The SkyShuttle is the first project of its kind in China, featuring electric-powered, unmanned, fully automatic trains that run across 15.4 km of elevated rails. Developed by leading Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD, the SkyShuttle is designed to further reduce congestion in the City of Hills  which already has a well-established metro network.

"The metro lines are like major veins, while the SkyShuttle lines are like capillaries," Liang Lizhong, vice manager of Chongqing SkyShuttle Rail Traffic Operation and Management, told China.org.cn. "The SkyShuttle has been built considering local population scale, and helps Bishan residents connect to the metro and city rail, enjoy the local landscapes and parks, and ease traffic jams."

In the future, the SkyShuttle will also be fitted with the new Blade Battery developed under BYD's sub-brand FinDreams. According to staff in FinDreams' battery factory in Chongqing on Monday, the Blade Battery has several advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, including exceptional safety, longer life and high endurance. The new battery is already in use in one of BYD's pure electric vehicles.

Visitors admire a model of the new Chongqing SkyShuttle transit system in a BYD industrial park in Bishan district, Chongqing, May 17, 2021. [Photo by Zhang Rui/China.org.cn]

BYD is one of the best examples of how Chongqing is supporting the high-tech industry and innovation. The municipality is working hard to help Bishan district become a high-tech hub and to quickly transform high-tech achievements into commercial applications. In Bishan, the smart manufacturing and information technology industries are leading the way.

At an incubator and pilot test center under the Chongqing Institute of High-tech Industry, a wide range of high-tech products are currently undergoing testing. The center, which entered into operation last year, has so far incubated around a dozen high-tech companies, covering smart manufacturing, new energy technology and other fields. It has also attracted more than 100 R&D personnel, while the total value of orders of incubating companies has exceeded 100 million yuan.

Yin Kaifeng, head of the comprehensive management department at the Chongqing Institute of High-tech Industry, explained to China.org.cn that the district has been accelerating construction of a sci-tech innovation system in recent years. It has done so by improving the innovation environment, and focusing heavily on original innovations, basic research and the incubation of sci-tech results. While attracting leading high-tech enterprises and new start-ups to the district, the local government is also encouraging traditional manufacturing companies to undergo smart upgrades, and build R&D centers.

"Bishan district is transforming scientific and technological achievements in a targeted manner," Yin said. "It's also building a platform for the industrialization of specialized achievements to realize the coupling of the five chains of value, benefits, technology, finance and talents, making it the first district to do so in China."

Reporters take pictures of engineering robots at an incubator and pilot test center under the Chongqing Institute of High-tech Industry, where high-tech products undergo testing, in Bishan district, Chongqing, May 17, 2021. [Photo by Ge Yu/CQNEWS.net]

Last October, the local government issued a raft of policies aimed at encouraging innovation, and awarded up to 10 million yuan to enterprises that implement innovations as well as support high-tech financing by establishing several investment funds. The district has also published various preferential policies and a fast-track green channel to attract high-level professionals.

So far, Bishan has nurtured 27 new-type independent enterprise R&D centers and 822 sci-tech-related companies, of which 239 are high-tech enterprises. A further 172 labs, tech centers, research institutes and expert workshops have been attracted to the district to enhance its tech and innovation strength.

Meanwhile, construction of the Western (Chongqing) Science City  Bishan Innovative Eco-Community, is also underway in Chongqing. Covering a total area of 300,000 square meters, it will bring together such functions as R&D, incubation, exhibitions, offices, manufacturing and public amenities, to create an optimal environment for innovators and start-ups. The first phase, with a construction area of 130,000 square meters, opened in October 2020.
China is expected to witness broader recovery in growth this year, providing room for counter-cyclical tightening and refocusing on a sustainable growth path, according to a research report by Morgan Stanley.

The investment bank forecast a more balanced growth mix for the country in 2021, with continued improvements in private consumption and manufacturing capital expenditure (capex).

"We expect a strong cyclical recovery in manufacturing capex to above the pre-COVID trend on the back of robust external demand," said Robin Xing, chief China economist of the bank, in the co-authored report.

This echoed a steady expansion of industrial production last month, with China's value-added industrial output rising 9.8 percent year on year in April, official data showed Monday.

Fixed-asset investment in the manufacturing sector continued to increase in the January-April period, up 23.8 percent from a year ago. The figure was 3.9 percentage points higher than the overall investment growth.

China's consumption is also returning to the pre-COVID level, Xing said, attributing the rebound to favorable conditions such as continued labor market recovery, the release of precautionary savings, and a stable domestic epidemic situation.

According to official data, China's job market sustained the momentum of recovery in April, as surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent last month, 0.2 percentage points lower than the level in March.

China's continuing growth momentum has provided room for gradual policy normalization to stabilize the macro leverage ratio, Xing said, adding that he expects broad credit growth to soften to 11 percent year on year by the end of 2021.

Going forward, the country is likely to focus more on long-term sustainability, with more efforts on facilitating urbanization, upgrading the manufacturing sector, renminbi internationalization and green growth, Xing added.
A former Jeffrey Epstein insider claims that Bill Gates was a regular at the notorious pedophile's $77 million Manhattan townhouse, where Epstein held "men's club" - type gatherings for his closest pals (documented by his home's alleged network of spy cameras, we're sure).

For Gates, "Going to Jeffreys was a respite from his marriage. It was a way of getting away from Melinda" according to one of two insiders, who came forward to the Daily Beast to break what we're guessing is the first rule of elite pedo-lair club.

According to the report, Gates and Epstein traded advice over their respective problems, while Gates " met a rotating cast of bold-faced names and discussed worldly issues in between rounds of jokes and gossipa mens club atmosphere that irritated Melinda."

Gates used the gatherings at Epsteins $77 million New York townhouse as an escape from what he told Epstein was a toxic marriage, a topic both men found humorous, a person who attended the meetings told The Daily Beast. The billionaire met Epstein dozens of times starting in 2011 and continuing through to 2014 mostly at the financiers Manhattan homea substantially higher number than has been previously reported. Their conversations took place years before Bill and Melinda Gates announced this month that they were splitting up. Gates, in turn, encouraged Epstein to rehabilitate his image in the media following his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and discussed Epstein becoming involved with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. -Daily Beast

According to one of the insiders, Epstein and Gates "were very close."

A spokesperson for Gates (fleet of attorneys) told the Beast "Your characterization of his meetings with Epstein and others about philanthropy is inaccurate, including who participated. Similarly, any claim that Gates spoke of his marriage or Melinda in a disparaging manner is false."

"Bill never received or solicited personal advice of any kind from Epstein on marriage or anything else. Bill never complained about Melinda or his marriage to Epstein," the rep continued.

According to the Beast, "Melinda Gates was furious over Bills relationship with Epstein, and was put off by the creepy financier upon meeting him in September 2013, after the couple accepted an award at a New York City hotel. Melindas anger, people familiar with the matter said, eventually led to the demise of Bill and Epsteins friendship."

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal just reported that Melinda began consulting divorce attorneys in October, 2019 - right around the time it was revealed that Bill and Epstein were pals. What's more, Microsoft board members wanted Bill gone in late 2019 after an internal investigation revealed that Gates had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female Microsoft employee.

Bill and Melinda Gates announced earlier this month that they were ending their 27-year marriage because, according to Melinda, the marriage was "irretrievably broken." She had been working with attorneys since at least 2019 to end it according to the Journal. And while the couple hasn't revealed what prompted the split, the Journal also reported that Bill's dealings with Epstein was a 'source of concern.'

The Daily Beast continues:

People close to Bill Gates told The Daily Beast that the deterioration of their relationship could be seen in Bill and Melindas body language. The couple used to interact with more laughter and ease, said one friend of Bill, who added that eventually, being around them was like arriving at a summit. It wasnt like arriving at a dinner with a couple or something; it was more like two heads of state, the friend added. So thats why Epstein could have been a factor [in their split], but was it the factor? That I fundamentally dont believe. The friend said the couples strictly regimented existence as billionaire philanthropists supplanted the more normal life and levity they enjoyed in younger years. Bill is far less comfortable being out in the world, the person said. For Bill, it was just so rare he was allowed to do normal things, which I think he really craved. To Bill, such normal things included meeting new people over dinner at Epsteins homea break from the tech moguls tightly choreographed schedule of events where hed be seated at the head table with the most prominent guests.

"He likes nothing better than to get together and debate or lecture people, or tell everyone what hes doing with the polio vaccine. He has an ability, unlike any other person Ive ever met, to lecture to a table of people without stopping for an hour," said one insider. "Anyone that gave him a stage for a performance and said, Bill, come talk to us about what youre passionate about, that would be something he would enjoy."

Meanwhile, we'd still like to know how Gates adviser Boris Nikolic (pictured below), was named as a fallback executor in an will Epstein amended days before his August 10 death in a Manhattan jail cell

Come to think of it, maybe someone should ask Larry Summers if he was ever in Epstein's "men's club" at the pedo lair.
Yet another deadly Chicago weekend has seen shootings soar with as of Sunday mid-evening 48 people shot since Friday night, including 5 killed from their wounds. "A violent weekend in Chicago left at least 48 people shot in separate incidents, including two police officers who were wounded on Sunday morning when they responded to a ShotSpotter detection alert, authorities said," ABC News reports in a mid-evening update.

Tragically this included a 2-year old girl who was wounded after a vehicle pulled up beside the one she was riding in the backseat of and opened fire. Thankfully she survived the ordeal after being wounded with a bullet to the leg.

This adds to an already record-smashing year as Newsweek observed at the start this month: "In Chicago, 956 people were shot in the first four months of 2021217 more than the same point in 2020, which was a record-setting year for shootings in the Illinois city."

Via AP

On Sunday the Chicago Sun-Times detailed some among the growing casualty list from shootings as follows...

In the weekends latest fatal shooting, a man was shot dead Saturday afternoon in Woodlawn on the South Side... The 21-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Early Saturday morning, two people were killed and three others wounded in a shooting at a party in Gresham on the South Side.

Several people were at a gathering in the 7800 block of South Loomis Boulevard when a gunman opened fire shortly after 3 a.m., according to police.

A 26-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

A 21-year-old was also struck in the head and taken to the same hospital, where he later died, police said.

And in once instance police arrested an 18-year old male with a rifle fleeing on foot in an urban neighborhood street after gunshots rang out, only to later find that a man was shot in the head and died in the same vicinity, which is now under investigation.

On Sunday morning two police officers were shot after they approached a suspect who "immediately began firing a gun at the officers," Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown told a news briefing. Thankfully their wounds were considered minor, and both are "stable, recovering and in good condition."

A gunman in an alley opened fire and wounded two Chicago police officers Sunday morning before being shot himself. https://t.co/b2ZsTurUx4  Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 16, 2021

Chicago's situation echoes that of many other liberal-run cities, where crime has run rampant since last summer's "peaceful protests," which consisted of property damage, assaults, looting, and lighting cities on fire.

Police and emergency responders are no doubt bracing for another likely violent summer, given civic leaders in many of the hardest-hit cities appear content to simply continue the same failed policies while simply blaming endemic and "structural" inequalities, leading to more rhetoric and proposals of "banning the police" and other insane measures.
China understands and supports the appeal of developing countries to exempt the intellectual property rights (IPR) of COVID-19 vaccines, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on many developing countries' hope to exempt the IPR of COVID-19 vaccines.

Noting vaccines are a powerful weapon in the fight against the pandemic, Zhao said as the largest developing country and a responsible member of the international community, China will do everything to help developing countries prevail over the pandemic.

"China supports any action conducive to the equitable access to vaccines for developing countries. It is a reflection of the nature of COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good and a necessary part of the construction of a global community of health for all," he added.

China has been making contributions to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, although it has a huge population and very tight vaccine supplies itself, said Zhao. He added that China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has been validated for emergency use by the World Health Organization.

China has also announced offering of COVID-19 vaccines for UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee. These offers are making positive progress, he added.

"China will continue to make contributions to making vaccines more equitable and accessible in developing countries. We also call on capable countries to take concrete actions to support and help developing countries to obtain the vaccines to contribute to an early victory over the pandemic for humanity," Zhao said.
But now we are being told that this is the new normal.

The western half of the country desperately needed a healthy level of precipitation during last winters wet season, but instead conditions were much drier than usual

Consequently, this past winters wet season was not very wet at all. In fact, it just added insult to injury, with only 25 to 50% of normal rainfall falling across much of the Southwest and California. This followed one of the driest and hottest summers in modern times, with two historic heat waves, a summer monsoon cycle that simply did not even show up and the worst fire season in modern times.

Now we are moving into the dry season, and there simply is not enough water for everyone.

Along the California-Oregon border, things just went from bad to worse. Farmers in the region already knew that they would be getting much less water this year, but now federal officials have decided to completely shut the water off for most farmers

The water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir and said they would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to a half-dozen wildlife refuges that harbor millions of migrating birds each year. In what is shaping up to be the worst water crisis in generations, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it will not release water this season into the main canal that feeds the bulk of the massive Klamath Reclamation Project, marking a first for the 114-year-old irrigation system. The agency announced last month that hundreds of irrigators would get dramatically less water than usual, but a worsening drought picture means water will be completely shut off instead.

Needless to say, for many of them no water will mean no crops.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has already declared a drought emergency.

So has California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The state of California grows more of our vegetables than anyone else does, and this growing water crisis is forcing many farmers in the state to make some heartbreaking decisions

With the uncertainty of water, some Central Valley farmers are destroying their crops ahead of the summer season in order to survive. Its impacting jobs and soon possibly the grocery shelves.

In many instances, farmers are destroying some of their crops in order to give other crops half a chance of making it.

For example, farmer Joe Del Bosque just destroyed all of the asparagus he was growing in order to use water elsewhere

Theres been a blade thats cut underneath and these here, they are green still but they are going to die, explained Del Bosque. The loss of asparagus means 50-60 farmworkers are out of a job next year. If more crops are lost, jobs will follow.

This is already a major national crisis, and it is getting worse with each passing month.

According to the NOAA, the soil moisture content in our southwestern states is now the lowest it has been in at least 120 years

Kelsey Satalino, the Digital Communications Coordinator from NOAAs National Integrated Drought Information System, says that during the past few months, several states including Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah experienced their most intense period of drought since the Drought Monitor began back in 2000. As a result, soil moisture content is at its lowest levels in at least 120 years.

That means that things werent even this bad during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s.

As I have discussed in previous articles, colossal dust storms are now regularly happening in the western half of the country.

In fact, some of them are so large you can see them from space.

In addition to being extremely unpleasant, these dust storms can also spread fungal spores that cause Valley fever. The following comes from NASA

Valley fever is a dangerous threat to human health  and cases are on the rise in the arid southwestern United States, as wind from increasing dust storms can transport the fungal spores that cause the disease. Valley fever is caused by the Coccidioides fungus, which grows in dirt and fields and can cause fever, rash and coughing. Using NASA research and satellite data, the World Meteorological Organization is refining its Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System to help forecast where dust risk is greatest.

In my most recent book, I warned that record drought was coming, and now it is here.

Sadly, extremely dry conditions create an ideal environment for wildfires.

Last years wildfire season was a complete and utter nightmare, but now officials are warning that 2021 could be even worse.

Could that be possible?

It is hard to imagine anything worse than what we witnessed in California last year, but it appears that things are off to an even earlier start this year.

At this moment, an absolutely massive fire is burning out of control in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County authorities looked Sunday for a potential arsonist who might have set off a brush fire that forced the mandatory evacuation of about 1,000 people in the exclusive Pacific Palisades area near Topanga Canyon. Cool and wet conditions overnight helped prevent the Palisades Fire from spreading beyond the 750 acres it had reached Saturday, but the LA Fire Department said in an update Sunday morning that warming weather and afternoon winds may push the blaze northwest  threatening homes  as it rips through dense mountain vegetation that is very dry and has not burned in 50+ years.

It almost seems like the west coast is under some sort of a curse.

Whenever it seems like things couldnt get any worse, somehow they do.

Scientists tell us that another very dry summer is looming, and that is extremely bad news for the entire region.

Dust Bowl conditions have returned, and it appears that they will be with us for a long time to come.

* * *

Michaels new book entitled Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.
Broken clocks are right twice a day...

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden for his approval of weapons sales to Israel while vowing Turkeys continued support of Palestinians during the latest bout of conflict between the sides.

"Today we have witnessed Bidens approval of weapons (sales) to Israel, A Haber cited Erdogan as saying. "You (Biden) are writing history with bloody hands.

Erdogans remarks arrive as Biden's administration on Monday approved the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, Reuters reported citing U.S. congressional sources.

Erdogan also condemned the government of Austria, for hoisting the Israeli flag on their prime ministry building, saying it was unbefitting of a government to display the flag of a "terrorist state.

Turkey has always called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Erdogan said, adding that Ankara would continue exerting efforts for the formation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel has thanked the US for blocking a United Nations Security Council statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and stressing the need to protect children and other civilians.

On Monday, the Biden administration rejected - for the third time - to the draft of a statement that would have called for a deescalation of violence, and expressed concern over the loss of civilian lives, and those injured in more than a week of violence.

While the US has a long history of stopping criticism of Israel in official UN statements, even regularly using its veto power to do so, there was a hope the US would sign on to a statement that called for both Israel and Hamas to act to prevent further casualties.

But for the third time in a week, the US said it would not agree to the wording, a decision that reportedly startled some of its allies.

Late on Monday evening, Israels defence minister, Benny Gantz, posted a tweet thanking the US for its actions.

My sincere thanks to the US administration and in particular to @SecDef Lloyd Austin, with whom I spoke this week, for rightly preventing the unjust UN Security Council statement criticising Israels actions in Gaza, he wrote.

While Hamas, a terror organisation, targets our civilians and commits war crimes, our aims are solely to dismantle terror infrastructure and protect our people. This criticism of Israel is hypocritical and detrimental to the global fight against terror.
China is working at full throttle to vaccinate its people against COVID-19, as over 400 million doses had been administered as of Sunday, just nine days after the figure surpassed 300 million doses.

It took 17 days for the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered on the Chinese mainland to exceed 300 million doses from 200 million doses, and 26 days from 100 million doses to 200 million doses, according to daily updates by the National Health Commission.

The accelerated mass vaccination drive has been partially spurred by the latest COVID-19 outbreaks in east China's Anhui Province and northeast China's Liaoning Province, which had seen 16 confirmed locally transmitted cases in total as of Sunday evening.

Long queues were seen at multiple vaccination sites in Hefei, capital city of Anhui. A temporary vaccination site has been set up in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University to meet the surging demand since May 14.

Duan Yichen, a Hefei citizen, queued up at the hospital in the early morning the next day.

"I had thought of it before, but I never went. The recent outbreaks made me realize the importance of vaccination," Duan said. "Getting vaccinated without delay means taking responsibility for yourself and the well-being of others."

To ensure orderly vaccination, the hospital has adopted a booking system. Areas for waiting, registration, injection and observation were isolated from the rest of the hospital and arranged following a one-way route.

As of May 14, Hefei had administered over 2.6 million doses. The day also witnessed the city's highest daily inoculation number so far -- 364,100 doses.

The city currently has more than 7,100 medical staff for COVID-19 inoculation and treatment, capable of administering 300,000 jabs a day in normal circumstances.

The city of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, has set up over 300 vaccination sites capable of administering 200,000 doses a day.

"Since May 12, Shenyang has seen more than 100,000 doses be administered every day. About 154,000 doses were administered on Thursday, the highest figure in recent days," said Dong Guihua, deputy director of the city's center for disease control and prevention.

A mobile inoculation vehicle has appeared in Shenyang's downtown area, which can serve three people at the same time.

"If a pedestrian wants to get vaccinated, he or she can simply show their ID card, scan the QR code and fill in their information," said Zhang Ge, a local health official. "We expect to vaccinate about 1,100 people a day."

Zhao Xin, director of Huanggu Hospital under the Northeast International Hospital of Shenyang, said COVID-19 vaccination is currently irreplaceable in preventing the spread of the virus, adding that the number of citizens going to vaccination sites for inquiries has increased significantly.

According to the local health authorities, none of the confirmed cases from the two provinces had been vaccinated.

Gene sequencing analysis conducted by the provincial center for disease control and prevention of Anhui found the coronavirus strains behind the cases were not the highly infectious variants found in India and South Africa.

In the meantime, citywide nucleic acid tests were immediately launched, while dozens of neighborhoods were sealed off and labeled as medium- or high-risk areas.

As of Sunday noon, nearly 1.14 million people in Anhui's medium- and high-risk areas tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Experts have effectively ruled out the possibility of mass infections in the province.

"Vaccination is a great way to achieve herd immunity. The vaccination rate in China is still low and behind many countries. So we need to step up efforts to raise our vaccination rate to 70 to 80 percent as soon as possible," Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory disease expert, said after he received a dose of a China-developed COVID-19 vaccine recently in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

"I hope, together, we can do what we can to help stem the pandemic for our country, the world, and ourselves," Zhong said.
Our View: A ridiculous initiative you have to take seriously
Letter: 'Remember what Michael Jordan said about staying out of politics'
Boulder, MT (59632)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low near 45F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
You are here: China

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Monday called for measures to facilitate employment of college graduates.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while inspecting employment activities at China Agricultural University. The activities are part of a weeklong college graduate employment campaign organized by the Ministry of Education.

During the activities, Sun attended a job fair and had talks with employers and students.

Employers and universities ought to broaden job-seeking channels for graduates and provide them with more high-quality jobs, said Sun, adding that job-seeking activities should accurately connect employers and graduates.

Sun also emphasized the necessity to support graduate entrepreneurs and create a favorable environment for business startups through policy support and subsidies.

Meanwhile, college graduates should form the correct values about jobs, make practical plans for their work and lives, and lead meaningful lives by working hard and contributing to China's development, said Sun.
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The International Forum on Poverty Governance and Development Towards Modernization was held in Nujiang, southwest China's Yunnan province on Tuesday.



The event, which hosted around 150 diplomats, officials, and scholars from 18 countries and four international organizations including the U.N., aims to draw lessons from China's poverty alleviation efforts, promote international cooperation on poverty reduction and development, and advance sustainable development towards modernization.

Speaking at the forum, Guo Weimin, president of the China Public Relations Association and former vice minister of the State Council Information Office, said that Nujiang's transformation is a typical example in the history of China's poverty reduction campaign. He said China and the rest of the world should work together to draw lessons and experience learned from the anti-poverty efforts to better contribute to the global fight against poverty.

Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), said that China's historic success in poverty alleviation has demonstrated the country's institutional advantages in promoting people's well-being and advancing common prosperity. He said that, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community should pool wisdom, and foster a bridge of exchange and cooperation in order to build synergy in sustainable development and create a better world for all.

As a major battleground for China's poverty alleviation campaign, Yunnan has eliminated absolute poverty on schedule with the concerted efforts of the people of all ethnic groups in the region, said Wang Xiangang, vice governor of Yunnan province. He vowed that the province will promote rural vitalization and the drive towards socialist modernization, while cementing the progress in poverty alleviation.

"It is of great significance to hold this forum at this moment, which brings together representatives of governments, private sectors, universities, and research institutions worldwide to share the experience of China and other countries in poverty reduction," said Jose Luis Gioja, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Argentina, via video. He said he hopes that the forum will provide more insights into China's valuable experience in its poverty alleviation practices, so countries can learn from each other and allow new ideas on global poverty governance and modernization to emerge.

Poverty eradication is an uphill battle for the whole world where different countries face different forms of poverty, said Korn Dabbaransi, president of the Thai-Chinese Friendship Association and former deputy prime minister of Thailand. He added that Thailand should learn from China's experience of targeted poverty alleviation, as well as the good practices in e-commerce, infrastructure development, and R&D in agricultural technologies, and further promote cooperation and exchange with China under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism.

"In the continued investment in the South-South cooperation and in the green and sustainable Belt and Road Initiative, we see China moving towards an ecosystem that provides a network for prosperity, well-being, education on a global scale," said U.N. Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee via video. He said that efforts such as these, if implemented in full, will pull millions of people out of poverty as a potential game-changer for countries around the world.

"China's poverty alleviation experience shows us how well-designed solutions enhance the overall productive capacity and facilitate trade and investment by introducing innovative and modern technologies that make sustainable development a reality," said Tania S. Y. Romualdo, ambassador of Cape Verde to China. "After seeing how they are impacting the population's well-being, we are looking forward to learning more from the Chinese experience and adapting it to our own realities."

Liu Chunxiang, deputy director-general of the International Liaison Bureau of the State Council Information Office, Zhu Xinkai, vice president of Renmin University of China, Qu Sixi, representative of the World Food Programme China Office, and Kung Phoak, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN, also addressed the plenary meeting and shared their insights on the theme of the forum.



In addition, several speakers were invited to the event to share their successful poverty reduction practices that may inspire future anti-poverty efforts. The report, "China's Poverty Reduction: Concepts, Perceptions and Inspirations," was released profiling the country's experience of and lessons learned from its anti-poverty campaign.

At the three themed panel discussions held in the afternoon, speakers shared their wisdom and insights on the topics of exchanging poverty reduction experience for common development, consolidating poverty reduction achievements for rural vitalization, and promoting green poverty reduction for ecological progress.

The wide participation of the guests as well as their lively and informative discussions on poverty governance and the development towards modernization have demonstrated that the ideas of a community with a shared future for mankind, global cooperation, and mutual respect and mutual learning are gaining popularity and have been ingrained into people's mind, said Gao Anming, vice president and editor-in-chief of the CIPG, at the conclusion of the forum.

After the forum, participants will visit the Poverty Reduction Exchange Center as well as other sites in Nujiang to see the achievements and draw experience of China's poverty reduction, rural vitalization, and integrated urban-rural development.

The forum was sponsored by the CIPG, the Yunnan Provincial Government, the China Public Relations Association, and Renmin University of China, and organized by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, the Information Office of the Yunnan Provincial Government, and the People's Government of Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A Philadelphia judge has dismissed charges against a former police officer seen on video lowering the mask of at least one protester before dousing a group with pepper spray as they knelt on a city interstate during a demonstration last summer.

Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ruled Monday that ex-SWAT officer Richard Paul Nicoletti had been authorized by his commanders to clear the highway during protests over the death of George Floyd and had been given pepper spray as a tool to do so, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

You may not like their methods, that doesnt criminalize their method, Meehan said. When the prosecutor cited Nicoletti's termination for violating department protocols, the judge said officials couldn't put officers in charge of maintaining order, and then tie their hands on how theyre going to do it."

District Attorney Larry Krasner vowed to vigorously pursue charges" in the case.

The people want and deserve justice and change, including police accountability, even though some institutional players are in denial. We will stay the course, Krasner said in a statement on the eve of a closely watched primary in his re-election bid.

Nicoletti had faced charges including simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression in the case. A video of him dressed in riot gear approaching three protesters kneeling on Interstate 676 on June 1, 2020, pulling down at least one protesters mask or goggles, then pepper-spraying them, was circulated widely on social media and was included in several news stories about the national police response to demonstrations.

In January, a judge dismissed charges against another officer charged over his actions during the protests, ruling that prosecutors had failed to provide evidence that Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna's use of a baton constituted a crime. Krasner re-filed charges the following month and the case is pending.

The dismissal of the charges against Nicoletti came after a preliminary hearing featuring testimony from three people doused with the spray. After the ruling, defense attorney Fortunato Perri Jr. called it another example of the district attorneys office charging a police officer with a crime that is not supported by the facts or the law.

After the city and state police use of tear gas against demonstrators who had made their way onto the expressway gained national attention, Mayor Jim Kenney and Commissioner Danielle Outlaw apologized, calling the use of force that day unjustifiable.

Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby, however, said the Philadelphia police union would help Nicoletti with his defense. The union has had a confrontational relationship with Krasners office, and McNesby accused the prosecutor of an anti-police agenda.
MIAMI (AP)  As the streets of Colombia smolder amid the biggest antigovernment unrest in decades, a former rebel leader who would undo antinarcotics cooperation with the U.S. is looking to capitalize on the growing discontent and ride it to the presidency next year.

In a long political career that included a stint as Bogotas mayor, Sen. Gustavo Petro has earned a reputation as Colombias perennial rabble-rouser with a silver tongue admired  when not feared  by friends and foes alike.

But hes adopted a decidedly low-key approach to the recent protests, apparently believing that he must win over some of his many conservative skeptics to prevail in what would be his third run for Colombias presidency.

The protests began April 28 after President Ivan Duque attempted to ram through a tax increase amid a pandemic that has left millions without work or food. Although he quickly backed down, protesters have remained on the streets, broadening their fight to include grievances ranging from the decrepit state of Colombias health care and education systems to the slow implementation of a 2016 peace deal with Marxist rebels.

Duque has accused the nations many cocaine cartels and criminal mafias of adding fuel to the fire, although so far hes presented no evidence to back the claim. But the culture of political violence that has long plagued Colombia has taken a toll: to date, at least 42 people have been killed, with police accused of scores of abuses.

Many of the young activists on the streets hail from Colombias left, where Petro, 61, has been a fixture for decades.

If theres someone in Colombia who has consistently been paying attention to young people and the issue of economic inequality, its Petro, said Sandra Borda, a political analyst at Bogotas Andes University.

In the past, Petro hasnt hesitated to take to Twitter  where his 4.2 million followers almost double those of Duque  to fan protests, blast opponents as fascists or spread baseless claims that the 2018 election he lost by more than 2 million votes was marred by vote buying.

But this time, Petro has projected restraint, in counterpoint to the growing rejection of Duque as a weak, flailing leader.

On April 27, the night before the start of a national strike, he delivered what he dubbed an address to the Colombian nation in which he appealed for calm and urged protesters to wear masks and maintain social distancing while on the streets.

The police arent the enemy, he said in the video published on social media. The enemy is the tax reform.

So far, he's avoided appearing alongside protesters, in part for fear of being cast as a firebrand. In a leaked audio recording from a private meeting with peace activists, he suggested strikers should have gone home once Duque buried the tax hike.

Thats when they shouldve declared a triumph and put a stop to it, he can be heard saying in May 5 online meeting. In other words, accumulate strength for what comes next.

Petro didnt respond to repeated requests for an interview.

But Jorge Rojas, a longtime aide, said Petros cautious approach is deliberate.

Owing to his youthful militancy in the M-19 rebel movement, Petro has long battled conservative attempts to brand him as Colombias harbinger of Castro-Chavismo who would follow the path of the late Cuban and Venezuelan revolutionaries Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

He knows that he has to behave like a statesman to fill the void left by Duque, said Rojas.

However, younger voters less shaped by the ideological battles of the Cold War appear to be more forgiving.

In the central city of Bucaramanga, Laura Velazco, 26, said she doesnt fear Petro so much as the status quo  her inability to find work since graduating from college three years ago with a degree in psychology.

Were becoming Venezuela and were not even governed by the left, said Velazco, who voted for Petro in 2018 and says she will consider doing so again next year  if she doesnt emigrate first.

If I have to wash dishes, Ill do so because I have a daughter to take care of, she added.

But the more violent and disruptive the protests become, theres a risk Petro would be blamed, said Borda. Already law-and-order allies of Duque have urged the president to deploy the military, suspend civil liberties and decree a state of internal commotion to control the unrest.

Petro rose to prominence 15 years ago leading a crusade to expose the alliance between conservative allies of then-President Alvaro Uribe and right-wing paramilitary groups. In mesmerizing televised speeches from the Senate floor, he revealed evidence that spurred the arrest of dozens of members of Congress for criminal ties to the paramilitaries.

The signing of a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in 2016 created space for leftist politics that Petro has been quick to seize on. Several opinion polls show him as the clear frontrunner to win next Mays presidential election, in some cases quadrupling the support of his nearest rival.

But some fellow leftists say his ego can get in the way of shrewd political instincts. He's also lost support among women because of his staunch defense of a former aide accused of domestic abuse. In 2018, a decade-old video surfaced showing him receiving stacks of cash from a government contractor.

Despite that, Petro has managed to maintain a lock on the left and distance himself from the rest of Colombia's discredited political establishment. And now, members of the country's business elite in recent weeks have been requesting meetings with Petro to learn more about his policies, said Rojas. A trip to Washington is planned this year, he added.

I still believe that Petro is perhaps the only politician who has a coherent program to offer a country submerged in a deep social crisis, said Maria Mercedes Maldonado, who distanced herself from Petro after serving as his top policy adviser in the 2018 campaign, complaining that he doesn't listen to grassroots activists.

As mayor of Colombias capital, he racked up enemies by banning bullfights, cutting bus fares and transferring control of private garbage collection to a city agency  a move for which he was briefly ousted by the nations inspector general in 2014.

U.S. officials at times have viewed Petro as a radical populist in the mold of Chavez, according to a 2006 secret U.S. Embassy cable published by pro-transparency group Wikileaks. But two years later, Ambassador William Brownfield in another cable described him as pragmatic.

If he were elected, it would likely upend Colombia's role as the U.S.' caretaker in the war on drugs, the linchpin of more than two decades of close bilateral cooperation, said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. Frictions with the U.S. could also emerge if he takes a softer approach to neighboring Venezuela and engages more with China, Shifter said.

A Petro administration would probably mean heightened tensions with the U.S, on drug policy, sharp conflicts with the (Drug Enforcement Administration) and the end of forced eradication of coca crops, Shifter said.

Nonetheless, he said Petro understands the importance of maintaining good relations with the U.S. It's hard to see how hostile bilateral ties would advance his policy priorities.



AP Writer Astrid Suarez contributed to this report from Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman
(The Center Square)  Lou Barletta, a former congressman from Pennsylvania and Hazleton mayor, said Monday he will seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2022.

Barletta represented Pennsylvanias 11th congressional district for four terms after drawing national attention over immigration policies he endorsed in the Luzerne County city during his tenure as mayor between 2000 and 2010. He left Congress in 2019 after a failed attempt to unseat Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., despite an endorsement from then-President Donald Trump.

Barletta told the The Associated Press on Monday hed welcome Trumps support still.

I would love his endorsement and Im going to try to earn it, he said.

Barlettas platform centers on rebuilding the economy after 14 months of pandemic restrictions. He criticized Gov. Tom Wolfs one-size-fits-all approach as disastrous for small businesses, nursing homes and the states vaccination rollout alike.

The solutions arent complicated, he said on Twitter. More than anything, we need someone to fight for you. So, lets do it. Lets take back Pennsylvania, together.

He also reiterated his bullish stance on undocumented workers and said it remains an issue of public safety, health and job protection.

The rhetoric hearkens back to the decade Barletta served as mayor of Hazleton. The City Council made national headlines for adopting ordinances that punished businesses and landlords for employing or renting to undocumented immigrants. The Supreme Court struck the measures down in 2014.

Barletta was also one of several prominent GOP members to question the results of the 2020 election and allege widespread fraud via the states new mail-in voting law.

He told the AP on Monday he still supports repealing the 2019 law that expanded mail-in voting to most residents with no excuse necessary "because it encourages the chances" of fraud.

Legislative Republicans remain intent on reforming the state's election laws after concluding 10 investigative hearings into the issues that arose out of the 2020 general election.

Lawmakers are not, however, considering repealing the mail-in voting law as part of the review, but do want to tighten registration deadlines to ease the burden on county officials.

Other recommendations suggest legislation to address shortcomings in the existing election audit process, an outdated system for registering and maintaining voters rolls and statutory ambiguities that give the Department of State too much leeway in dictating election guidance  the latter of which Republicans insist resulted in a disparate application of the law in the November election.

Barletta is the third Republican candidate to enter the race behind Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale and Erie restaurateur Jason Monn, according to a report from the Erie Times-News.
Bradford, PA (16701)

Today

Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 80F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming cloudy overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Brandon City Councils ranks were bolstered on Monday with the swearing-in of Sunday Frangi as the new councillor for Ward 5, Meadows-Waverly.

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Brandon City Councils ranks were bolstered on Monday with the swearing-in of Sunday Frangi as the new councillor for Ward 5, Meadows-Waverly.

Frangi prevailed in a May 5 byelection by a margin of 50 votes to 42 against competitor Gordon McRae in the race to replace John LoRegio, who stepped down to focus on his fight against multiple myeloma cancer.

He is the citys first Black councillor dating back to at least the early 1970s, before which the city does not have photographs for prior city councils.

The second time was the charm for Frangi, who unsuccessfully ran for the Manitoba Liberals in the 2018 provincial election in the Brandon West constituency represented by Progressive Conservative Central Services Minister Reg Helwer.

Leading up to Frangis swearing-in, Mayor Rick Chrest said the occasion was an honour that council doesnt get to enjoy very often.

Wearing a bright orange shirt, city solicitor Rex Osivwemu led Frangi through the process where he affirmed his qualifications.

With a big grin on his face, Frangi expressed gratitude for his warm welcome from his new colleagues and thanked LoRegio for his years of service on council.

He then took the opportunity to explain how much his election to council means to him and why.

"It didnt manner how many votes, but it did matter that the people have made a choice," Frangi said, referring to the eight-vote margin that elected him to council. "A choice to bring change to the city that represents the making of our diversity. We have a lot to learn, we have a lot to do to improve voter turnout because every vote counts.

"Many years ago, when I moved to Brandon from Winnipeg, I immediately loved this city and the fact that the majority of its people are open to listen and discuss ... this is the uniqueness and beauty of Canada, that all men and women are equal and no one is judged by who they are and where they come from but by the content of their character.

"Seventeen years ago, when I arrived in Canada, I never thought I would make it this far. I didnt have anything. I didnt know where to start but I knew one thing, that I had to start somewhere. Thomas Jeffersons famous quote says if you want something you never had, you must be willing to do something youve never done."

He then talked about his journey of getting his high school diploma, persisting through hard times and enrolling at the University of Manitoba.

"Throughout my struggle, I had fallen so many times, but I had to pick up myself and keep going, believing that one day, I will see the light through my struggle," he said. "This country has given me so much and I have always wanted to give back. Today, I am truly honoured to take my place among you, to serve our community faithfully and respectfully."

Chrest said he was sorry Frangi couldnt hear a room full of thunderous applause due to council being held online because of COVID-19, but praised his speech and looked forward to his wisdom shining through in his work for the city.

Though one council vacancy was filled on Monday, Coun. Ron Brown (Richmond) remains on indefinite medical leave.

To make sure Browns responsibilities are being taken care of and to have Frangi take charge of his own responsibilities, there was a bit of a shuffle as various councillors were appointed to vacancies on boards, committees and other groups.

Frangi will join the Grants Review Committee, the Taxi Appeal Committee and the Brandon General Museum & Archives Board as a full member and the Building Standards and By-law Compliance Committee as an alternate member.

Coun. Barry Cullen (Victoria) will join the Taxi Appeal Committee and the Age Friendly Committee.

Coun. Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes) will join the Brandon Museum board, Coun. Jeff Fawcett (Assiniboine) will join the Western Manitoba Regional Library board and Chrest will join the Taxi Appeal Committee as an alternate member.

Given drought conditions in the region, Coun. Bruce Luebke (South Central) asked administration if the city is considering implementing a fire ban like many of the other municipalities in the region have already put in place.

Answering on behalf of Brandon Fire and Emergency Services Chief Scott McDonald, city manager Ron Bowles said the situation is being monitored.

With property tax bills currently being mailed out to Brandon residents, Berry asked city treasurer Dean Hammond why some people might see the payable amount on their bill increase after the city voted in favour of a slight reduction in municipal property taxes in this years budget.

Hammond explained that a sample property with a gross education levy of $1,700 will have to pay an extra $175 upfront because the Education Property Tax Credit Advance has been lowered. However, because the province is in the process of eliminating education property taxes, that homeowner would get a rebate cheque worth $425.

That means that the net payment will end up being lower at $725, compared to $1,000 before the rebate was implemented.

Coun. Shaun Cameron (University) congratulated students at Valleyview Centennial School for running a fundraiser selling elastic loom bracelets to benefit the Manitoba Childrens Hospital Foundation. The fundraiser collected $566 for the foundation.

Council also congratulated the Brandon Wheat Kings for winning the East Division in the WHLs Regina bubble.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
OTTAWA - Canada's chief public health officer said Tuesday she expects Canadians who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca in the first round of vaccinations will be able to choose which vaccine they get for their second dose.

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A man makes his way past signage to a mass COVID-19 vaccination centre at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on Monday, May 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

OTTAWA - Canada's chief public health officer said Tuesday she expects Canadians who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca in the first round of vaccinations will be able to choose which vaccine they get for their second dose.

Dr. Theresa Tam's comments came hours after a small Spanish study on mixing and matching vaccines reported that giving a Pfizer-BioNTech shot for the second dose after AstraZeneca is safe and produced twice as many antibodies as a second dose of AstraZeneca.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization, known as NACI, is still awaiting further data from another mixing-and-matching study underway in the United Kingdom, but Tam said advice on second doses should be ready before most people are due to get their second vaccination.

"It is likely that people in Canada who've received one dose of AstraZeneca will have a choice for their second dose," she said at a news conference from Ottawa.

The decision could affect more than 2.1 million people vaccinated with AstraZeneca, and is related mainly to safety issues for that vaccine. Tam said there are now 21 confirmed cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT, the rare but serious blood-clotting disorder potentially linked to AstraZeneca.

Another 13 cases are under investigation. Three women have died.

NACI advised last month that people at low risk of getting COVID-19 should get either Pfizer or Moderna, leading many to wonder if they should risk getting another dose of AstraZeneca.

Tam and Health Minister Patty Hajdu said there will be enough doses of vaccine for AstraZeneca recipients regardless of which kind it is.

"I think everybody's anxious to make sure people who got the first dose of AstraZeneca do have the ability to get that second dose," said Tam.

She has said that a less socially distanced summer will depend on curbing case rates, reducing hospital patients and getting more vaccines into arms. She said if 75 per cent of eligible Canadians  right now that's people over 12  get one dose, and 20 per cent get both doses, the summer could hold the promise of backyard barbecues, camping, outdoor picnics and evenings out with friends on a restaurant patio.

"We're not there yet, but I am really hopeful because of how fast some of the vaccines are going in the arms," she said.

On Tuesday, about 17.6 million Canadians had at least one dose, or 55 per cent of people over the age of 12. Another 1.5 million have both doses, about 4.5 per cent of the eligible group.

Many provincial governments aren't following the national suggestions. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said 75 per cent of people over 40 now have one dose, intends to move to step one reopening as planned May 30.

That means in less than two weeks, restaurants can open for limited indoor services, and people can socialize with up to 10 people indoors or outdoors at private homes.

Saskatchewan said it intends to start vaccinating teenagers in early June, hoping to have most 12- to 17 year-olds vaccinated by the time school ends for the summer.

The province also released a plan for starting second doses, cutting the expected wait from 16 weeks to 13 weeks for most people.

In British Columbia, health officials said second doses of COVID-19 vaccines may be given sooner than previously expected with more information to come early next month. B.C. reported 411 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Quebec said Tuesday 75 per cent of all adults have either received one dose or have their first appointment scheduled.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault unveiled a detailed, months-long reopening plan that will start in the next two weeks with most Quebec schools fully reopening, eliminating all of the province's curfews on May 28, and allowing people to gather with up to eight people in their backyards.

Legault said if 75 per cent of Quebecers over the age of 12 get both doses by the end of August, the provincewide public face mask requirement will be lifted.

Tam said it's not just about vaccines though, but also the level of COVID-19 around, and there were many positive signs on that front as well.

While Canada reached the grim milestone of 25,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday morning, the number of daily deaths has fallen in the last week from 49 to 43.

The average number of new daily cases fell from 7,275 to 5,600. Hospitalizations are down from 4,000 to about 3,600, and the number of people in intensive care fell from 1,400 to 1,300, in the last week, but Tam said both those markers are still higher than is comfortable.

She warned that reopening things too soon could be damaging.

"We have to be very cautious about that downward path," she said. "I can't tell you right now when we'll get to the bottom of this. Last time we only got two-thirds of the way down the curve and then with some relaxation of restrictive measures we went back up again. And so there's still a chance that could happen if we're not careful."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
The Branson Board of Aldermen on Thursday (now postponed to July 28) will consider an ordinance that would require face coverings in public spaces. The aldermen might approve it, disapprove it, or approve an amended version. Would you be in favor of some form of mandatory face covering ordinance in the city of Branson?

You voted:
Apple has become a cog in the censorship machine that presents a government-controlled version of the internet, said Nicholas Bequelin, Asia director for Amnesty International, the human rights group. If you look at the behaviour of the Chinese government, you dont see any resistance from Apple  no history of standing up for the principles that Apple claims to be so attached to. While both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken a tougher line toward China, Apples courtship of the Chinese government shows a disconnect between politicians in Washington and Americas wealthiest company. Behind the scenes, Apple has constructed a bureaucracy that has become a powerful tool in Chinas vast censorship operation. It proactively censors its Chinese App Store, relying on software and employees to flag and block apps that Apple managers worry could run afoul of Chinese officials, according to interviews and court documents. A satellite image provided by CNES and Airbus shows the Apple data center in Guiyang, China. Apple planned to store the personal data of its Chinese customers there on computer servers run by a state-owned Chinese firm. Credit:CNES/Airbus via The New York Times A Times analysis found that tens of thousands of apps have disappeared from Apples Chinese App Store over the past several years, more than previously known, including foreign news outlets, gay dating services and encrypted messaging apps. It also blocked tools for organising pro-democracy protests and skirting internet restrictions, as well as apps about the Dalai Lama.

And in its data centres, Apples compromises have made it nearly impossible for the company to stop the Chinese government from gaining access to the emails, photos, documents, contacts and locations of millions of Chinese residents, according to the security experts and Apple engineers. The company said in a statement that it followed the laws in China and did everything it could to keep the data of customers safe. We have never compromised the security of our users or their data in China or anywhere we operate, the company said. But just as Cook figured out how to make China work for Apple, China is making Apple work for the Chinese government. An Apple spokesman said that the company still controlled the keys that protect the data of its Chinese customers and that Apple used its most advanced encryption technology in China  more advanced than what it used in other countries. Apple added that it removed apps only to comply with Chinese laws. These decisions are not always easy, and we may not agree with the laws that shape them, the company said. But our priority remains creating the best user experience without violating the rules we are obligated to follow.

Cook declined an interview for this article. The entrance to Apples new data center in Guiyang, China. Credit:Keith Bradsher/ The New York Times The Chinese government regularly demands data from Chinese companies, often for law-enforcement investigations. Chinese law requires the companies to comply. US law has long prohibited American companies from turning over data to Chinese law enforcement. But Apple and the Chinese government have made an unusual arrangement to get around American laws. In China, Apple has ceded legal ownership of its customers data to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data, or GCBD, a company owned by the government of Guizhou province, whose capital is Guiyang. Apple recently required its Chinese customers to accept new iCloud terms and conditions that list GCBD as the service provider and Apple as an additional party. Apple told customers the change was to improve iCloud services in China mainland and comply with Chinese regulations.

The terms and conditions included a new provision that does not appear in other countries: Apple and GCBD will have access to all data that you store on this service and can share that data between each other under applicable law. Under the new setup, Chinese authorities ask GCBD  not Apple  for Apple customers data, Apple said. Apple believes that gives it a legal shield from American law, according to a person who helped create the arrangement. GCBD declined to answer questions about its Apple partnership. Phillip Shoemaker, who ran Apples App Store from 2009 to 2016, said that Apple lawyers in China gave his team a list of topics that couldnt appear in apps in the country, including Tiananmen Square and independence for Tibet and Taiwan. He said Apples policy was matter-of-fact: If the lawyers believed a topic was off-limits in China, then Apple would remove it there. On Chinese iPhones, Apple forbids apps about the Dalai Lama while hosting those from the Chinese paramilitary group accused of detaining and abusing Uyghurs, an ethnic minority group in China. The company has also helped China spread its view of the world. Chinese iPhones censor the emoji of the Taiwanese flag, and their maps suggest Taiwan is part of China. For a time, simply typing the word Taiwan could make an iPhone crash, according to Patrick Wardle, a former hacker at the National Security Agency.

Sometimes, Shoemaker said, he was awakened in the middle of the night with demands from the Chinese government to remove an app. If the app appeared to mention the banned topics, he would remove it, but he would send more complicated cases to senior executives, including Cue and Schiller. Loading Apple resisted an order from the Chinese government in 2012 to remove The Times apps. But five years later, it ultimately did. Cook approved the decision, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Shoemaker said he and his team rationalised removing apps by framing them as simply enforcing a countrys laws. Similar steps were taken in places like Saudi Arabia and Russia, he said. At the same time, we didnt want to get hauled up in front of the Senate to talk about why were quote censoring apps in China, he said. It was a tightrope we had to walk. The New York Times
The leisure tourism and staycation trend driving a rebound in Australias accommodation sector is supporting property values and revenue across the industry, according to the countrys largest hotel operator.

Australians willingness to explore their backyard and book hotels in popular regional and leisure locations such as Port Douglas, Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Byron Bay has placed Accors Pacific venues at the top of the revenue pile among their peers in the groups global portfolio, Accor Pacific chief executive Simon McGrath said.

The Movenpick Melbourne on Spencer opens next month. Credit:Artists impression

Within our sector, the Australian economic recovery has been stronger than we have seen anywhere else in the world, Mr McGrath said.

Each month is better than the last month. Its rebounding. Compared to the rest of the world, year to date, were probably 25 per cent down on 2019 revenues. Thats positive, he said.
Victorias Deputy Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie says states are moving closer to opening up access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Professor Cowie also said there continued to be some officials calling for restrictions on who can receive vaccines to be lifted.

Professor Ben Cowie is overseeing the Victorian Health Departments vaccine rollout. Credit:Penny Stephens

All states and territory are experiencing the balance between trying to ensure those at greatest risk have access to the vaccine as a priority, Professor Cowie told ABC 774 on Wednesday evening.

Thats the whole reason for prioritisation, to make sure we can protect hotel quarantine workers, protect our front-line healthcare workers and not have them competing for a vaccine with people with a much lower risk of getting COVID-19.

We are seeing an under utilisation of [vaccines] in some of the clinics we have established and we dont want to hold onto restrictions any longer than theyre useful.

At some point to be determined, were going to drop the prioritisation. We are moving down that path.

Professor Cowie admitted there was always more that could be done to push more information about vaccines and officials needed to use local GPs and community leaders to spread those messages.

Id say this jobs not going to be done for some time yet, so Id say that myself and my colleagues are working extremely hard to try and improve peoples access to information, Professor Cowie said.

Theres always more we could do.

So certainly, programs such as yours referencing. Having myself, my colleagues, whether thats Jeroen [Weimar] or Brett [Sutton] or , obviously, our political leadership, Health Minister Martin Foley and anyone else out there, talking about the vaccine program. Thats part of the answer.

But another part of the answer. Something we learned from last year, is actually having people that are trusted by the communities that make up Victoria.
We have incredibly low rates of infection in Australia, but without very high vaccine uptake rates, were never going to achieve any long-lasting protection, and well just keep doing the same thing over and over again. There are now growing calls for a cautious easing of border restrictions, with many of Australias leading infectious diseases figures suggesting a new, risk-based quarantine system would allow select groups to safely avoid 14-day mandatory quarantine in a hotel. Professor Sharon Lewin, the director of the Doherty Institute, suggested people who had been vaccinated or travelled from low-risk countries could safely quarantine at home with regular testing. However, she believes Australia was still a long way off letting coronavirus circulate freely.

This isnt even on the table until vaccination rates are up around 70 per cent to 80 per cent, she said. Some in the business sector have been rallying against the federal governments timeline of a border reopening in mid-2022. Virgin Australias chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka has pushed for borders to reopen sooner, saying Australia needs to adopt the idea of COVID-19 infiltrating the community even if some people may die. Jayne Hrdlicka has sparked outrage over her call for borders to be reopened even if some people may die. Credit: Prime Minister Scott Morrison reiterated on Tuesday that the prospect of reopening international borders was some way off, but he said some changes were likely, including vaccinated Australians being able to travel overseas and return under different quarantine arrangements.

Loading The pandemic is raging. The pandemic is morphing ... Im not going to take risks with Australians lives, he said. More than 3.1 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered so far in Australia, which has a population of more than 25 million people. The government has so far refused to reveal how many people are fully vaccinated against the virus. Most of the promised 45 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are not expected to start arriving until late in the year and it remains unclear when most people will get their vaccine. Last month, the Prime Minister refused to put a deadline on the goal of inoculating the bulk of the population, after one of his senior ministers said the aim was for every adult to receive their first vaccination by Christmas.

Loading Professor Fiona Russell, a vaccine adviser to the World Health Organisation, estimates that the optimal vaccination coverage target, where Australia had enough immunity to safely open its borders to other countries, was somewhere between 60 and 85 per cent of the population. The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute epidemiologist formed her estimate by examining outcomes in countries with some of the highest vaccination rates. The small British territory of Gibraltar, home to roughly 33,000 people, has vaccinated more than 85 per cent of its adult population and has not recorded a case since it completed its vaccination program in March. But one of the worlds most vaccinated countries, the Seychelles, is currently experiencing an out-of-control coronavirus outbreak, despite roughly 61 per cent of the adult population on the East African island being immunised.

Loading Professor Russell said this could be due to pockets of high coverage and very low immunisation rates in other areas of the island and that it acted as a warning for countries with high levels of immunisation. We only have to look at what is unfolding in India and surrounding countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka ... the virus is sparking up again and its also shooting right up in Singapore, she said. Its all going a bit pear-shaped and this is all around us ... right on our doorstep. Professor Gregory Dore, an epidemiologist at the Kirby Institute, said it was eminently sensible to drop the one-size-fits-all approach to COVID-19 quarantine and move towards a stratified system with different levels of protection for different levels of risk. But he warned even if 70 per cent of Australias adult population were to be fully vaccinated, there would still be breakthrough cases as the international borders reopened further.

There still could absolutely be infections and small to moderate outbreaks, but when youve large portions of the population protected, youre not going to get those massive sort of escalating exponential epidemics because there should be enough immunity in the community, he said. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid said a general target for reopening could motivate more people to get vaccinated. If we knew the borders were going to open on January 1 next year, I think every Australian knows theyve got to get vaccinated, fully vaccinated, before January 1, he said. Professor Baxter, a clinical epidemiologist at the University of Melbourne, has watched from afar as a third wave of the virus struck her hometown of Toronto in Canada, where she said authorities had managed to vaccinate vulnerable aged care residents, leading to much lower death rates overall compared to previously.

Loading So far, almost 19 million doses of vaccine have been administered across Canada, which has a population of about 38 million people. Now, Professor Baxter said, the ICUs were filling with younger people. This is a system that is like Melbourne, she said. Two hospitals almost ran out of oxygen. Thats what youre looking at if we decide to open up when we are at 50 per cent vaccination.
A 33-year-old woman has died in hospital after a house fire in Wollongong early on Wednesday.

Fire and Rescue NSW say the first triple zero call, at 2.14am on Wednesday, came from a woman inside the home on Matthew Street, Fairy Meadow, who stated she was trapped due to the fire.

An occupant of the home made the first triple zero call. Credit:Fire and Rescue NSW

She remained on the phone with the FRNSW call-taker as crews were assigned, FRNSW said.

Critical information was passed on from the call-taker to the crews as to the exact location of the person still trapped inside the burning house.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has conceded the language used by an officer investigating a rape complaint was inappropriate and admitted police should be more sensitive.

The woman, a 33-year-old mother who was allegedly raped at the back of a Gold Coast hotel in 2017, said the commissioners response was not good enough and called for further training for officers, after the police response to her case left her feeling not believed, not safe.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Credit:Michelle Smith

The woman, Sarah, who asked for her identity to be protected, said she had been drinking with friends before she was lured outside, where she alleged a man pulled her by the hair and pushed her to the ground before raping her.

She sustained broken bones and has since suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
Four bushwalkers were followed by a cassowary for seven minutes in an unnerving incident, prompting Queensland wildlife officers to issue a warning for people not to feed the potentially aggressive birds.

The Department of Environment and Science (DES) is urging people not to feed cassowaries, after a close encounter with a group of people in the Atherton Tablelands.

Footage taken in May shows a cassowary approaching the group, coming within a metre of the walkers, before following them for seven minutes along a walking track near Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park.

Cassowaries, which can grow to 180 centimetres tall and weigh about 80 kilograms, have been known for vicious attacks, with sharp talons that can leave deep gashes.
There has been no change to the advice around use of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine, health authorities said, after a trainee nurse in Brisbane developed a blood clot weeks after getting the vaccination.

Ellie Peacock wrote on her social media accounts that she received her first dose of the vaccine on March 31, just days before updated advice recommended people younger than 50 not receive the AstraZeneca vaccine because of concerns over clotting.

Ellie Peacock developed blood clots weeks after receiving her AstraZeneca dose. Credit:Ellie Peacock/ Facebook

On April 18, the 18-year-old went to hospital with pain in her calf, which she suspected was a blood clot, but an ultrasound did not show any signs and she was sent home with painkillers.

Over the next few weeks, Ms Peacock was in and out of hospital with pain in different parts of her body, before being admitted with pneumonia in early May.
The head of a major Queensland medical research institute is calling for the approvals process to be streamlined to stop researchers being tied up in red tape.

Hearings were held in Brisbane on Monday and Tuesday as part of a parliamentary inquiry into approval processes for drugs and medical technology in Australia.

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

QIMR Berghofer director and CEO Fabienne Mackay gave submissions to the hearing calling for the approvals process to be streamlined.

Professor Mackay said they wanted a national framework for ethics approvals on medical trials of new drugs and therapies.
Australias higher education and tourism service sectors, crucial to our economys diversification from resources, were dealt double whammys in the 2021 budget. They were given no specific funding support and must contend with the assumption of closed borders until mid 2022.

If we lived in a fantasy world where there was no politics, there is a clear solution: we should soon open our borders in a controlled way to students and tourists from a small group of low-risk countries. Importantly, this group should include China. Chinas rate of infection is close to that of Australia. It has had less outbreaks from its draconian quarantine system than Singapore and Japan. And, crucially, it is Australias largest source of students and tourists by a staggering margin.

The rates of COVID infection in China are similar to Australias so why not open our borders first to Chinese travellers? Credit:Getty

Students from China comprised about 30 per cent of international students in 2019, significantly more than the next three source countries combined being India, Nepal and Brazil. Ominously, almost all the revenue universities generate from international students is spent on funding future-focused, strategic Australian research.

In the inbound tourism industry, China was not only our largest source of tourists by number in 2019, but Chinese tourists also spent more here ($12.4 billion) than tourists from the next five biggest source countries combined. While exhortations to diversify are sensible, there is simply no easy substitute for the scale and wealth of students and tourists from China.
A colleague of Mohinder Singh, the truck driver who killed four police officers on the Eastern Freeway last year, said he told their supervisor that Singh should not be driving that day.

Even though Stephen Harrison thought Singh, who was jailed last month, needed a couple of days off to rest, he said nothing raised alarm bells for him in the shift before the tragic April 22 crash.

Simiona Tuteru (left) arrives at court on Tuesday with his lawyer David Hallowes. Credit:Simon Schluter

Simiona Tuteru, 49, a supervisor at the trucking company that Singh drove for, is facing a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with four counts of manslaughter after Singh hit and killed the officers.

Singh, who was sentenced to a maximum 22 years in prison, was driving a prime mover for Connect Logistics delivering chicken for Inghams when he veered into an emergency lane on the Eastern Freeway about 5.30pm on April 22 last year.
Historic legislation that will allow suffering Queenslanders to choose when to end their own lives will be introduced into Parliament next week.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the laws were an election commitment, and she asked people to have a respectful debate.

There are going to be opposing views, she said. I also understand these are deeply personal issues.

Having seen the suffering of both my grandmother and my uncle, it is heartbreaking, and no one wants to see that.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has blamed her states vast, decentralised geography for the slow pace of vaccination against COVID-19.

As at Sunday, NSW had delivered 280,135 vaccines, Victoria had given 313,539 doses and Queensland 170,330.

Western Australia, which has about half the population of Queensland, has administered 130,649 vaccines.

But Ms Palaszczuk argued Queensland was very decentralised.
After devastating Indias biggest cities, the latest COVID wave is now ravaging rural areas across the worlds second-most populous country. And most villages have no way to fight the virus.

In Basi, about ninety minutes from the capital New Delhi, about three-quarters of the villages 5,400 people are sick and more than 30 have died in the past three weeks. It has no health-care facilities, no doctors and no oxygen canisters. And unlike Indias social-media literate urban population, residents cant appeal on Twitter to an army of strangers willing to help.

Most deaths in the village have been caused because there was no oxygen available, said Sanjeev Kumar, the newly elected head of the farming community. The sick are being rushed to the district headquarters and those extremely sick patients have to travel about four hours, he said, adding that many dont make it in time.

People discuss how to handle the pandemic in the village of Basi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Credit:Bloomberg

Its a scenario playing out all over India. In interviews with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages in different parts of the country, officials outlined the scale of the carnage  from entire families wiped out to bloated bodies floating down the Ganges River to farmland left untended due to a lack of workers.
London: An intensive care nurse who stood at the side of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he was hospitalised with COVID-19 has resigned, citing lack of government support for health care workers.

Jenny McGee, a New Zealander who has worked as an intensive care nurse in Britain for 11 years, said: Were not getting the respect and now pay that we deserve. Im just sick of it. So Ive handed in my resignation.

Jenny McGee, a nurse from Invercargill who treated British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has quit her job.

Johnson, one of the first world leaders diagnosed with COVID-19, spent three days in a London intensive care unit in April 2020. After he recovered, he singled out two nurses who stayed at his bedside for 48 hours, when things could have gone either way. They were Luis Pitarma, from Portugal, and McGee, from Invercargill in New Zealand.

The reason, in the end, my body did start to get enough oxygen, was because for every second of the night they were watching, and they were thinking and they were caring, and making the interventions I needed, Johnson said.
Washington: The US Supreme Court on Monday (Tuesday AEST) agreed to consider gutting the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion nationwide.

The high court will take up Mississippis bid to revive a Republican-backed state law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

By hearing the case in their next term, which starts in October and ends in June 2022, the justices will look at whether to overturn a central part of the landmark ruling, a longstanding goal of religious conservatives.

The US Supreme Court in Washington as a storm rolls in. Credit:AP

The eventual ruling by the conservative-majority court, expected next year, could allow states to ban abortions before a fetus is viable outside the womb, upending decades of legal precedent. Lower courts ruled against Mississippis law.
by Alexa Criscitiello - Aug 16, 2018

This year, a living legend of musical theatre turns 90: Lyricist-bookwriter Tom Jones (who also, under a stage name) appeared in the original company of his most famous and wildly successful record-breaking musical, The Fantasticks. His collaborator, composer Harvey Schmidt, just recently passed away. The production's record-breaking run closed, on January 13, 2002, after 17,162 performances. Their shows also include 110 in the Shade, I Do! I Do!, Philemon, Celebration and many more. And celebration is what it's about when Broadway veterans Carole Demas, who originated the role of Sandy in Grease, and Sarah Rice, who originated the role of Johanna in Sweeney Todd, return to celebrate Jones & Schmidt. Demas and Rice have based the show on their 50 years of work and personal relationships with Tom and Harvey. With very special guest Broadway's Hal Robinson who is also a Fantasticks alumni.
HARRISBURG >> The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on June 9 passed legislation authored by State Rep. Wendi Thomas (R-Bucks) to increase the amount of the burial benefit provided to those who perform burials with military honors for deceased veterans at any one of the Commonwealt
"Innovation", "being rooted in reality" secrets to CPC's success: South Korean expert

Xinhua) 08:30, May 18, 2021

SEOUL, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean expert has said in an interview with Xinhua that the key to the Communist Party of China's (CPC) success is "innovation" and "being rooted in reality".

Lee Hee-ok, Director of the Sungkyun Institute of China Studies at Sungkyunkwan University, said China is developing by leaps and bounds.

Lee pointed out China's poverty alleviation campaign is a vivid example of how the CPC singles out and tackles the principal contradiction.

Lee set up the Sungkyun Institute of China Studies at Sungkyunkwan University in 2012. It is seen as a window through which the Koreans can have a better understanding of China.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Telecom industry body has approached the information technology ministry for removal of fake and misleading messages from platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter linking spread of COVID-19 to 5G technology.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, said the claims linking 5G with coronavirus are baseless as 5G networks have not yet been installed in the country and even 5G trials are yet to be started by the telecom operators.

In a letter dated May 15 to MeitY Additional Secretary Rajendra Kumar, Director General S P Kochhar said: "To safeguard the national interest, we request your good office to kindly instruct all the platforms such as Facebook, Watsapp, Twitter, etc, to remove all such posts and misleading campaigns from their platforms on an urgent basis."



People have been sharing audio and video messages on platforms in which 5G towers are being blamed for rise in casualties across the country even though none of the have installed 5G technology anywhere in India.

Video messages show that people convinced with the claim want to bring down mobile towers.

"We would hereby like to highlight that these types of rumours have spread over the past two weeks, mainly in semi-urban and rural areas.

"There has been a rise in such misinformation mainly in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab. We are concerned that this misleading and false claim / information might spread to other parts of the country as well," Kochhar said.

The Department of Telecommunications has also denied the claim of linking the COVID-19 pandemic to the 5G technology as false, and said it has no scientific basis.

"Moreover, it is informed that the testing of the 5G network has not yet started anywhere in India. Hence, the claim that 5G trials or networks are causing coronavirus in India is baseless and false," the DoT had said.

International bodies like the World Health Organization and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection have also rejected claims of 5G having any ill effect on the health of people.

said spreading myth around telecom services is against the national interest and may significantly impact the telecom operations.

The impact on the connectivity will deprive the public or government authorities from getting uninterrupted telecom services at this crucial juncture when telecom and internet is essential for enabling work from home and various initiatives of the government including the vaccination, it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pharma firms have come forward to help employees and their dependents during the pandemic. With over 270,000 deaths due to Covid-19 in the country, the pharma players, who are also part of essential services, have stepped up efforts to ensure that families of employees, who succumbed to the disease, are able to have some financial support.

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An investment of USD 3.7 billion (about Rs 27,000 crore) will be required over the next three years to develop six million sq ft space for the sector, according to a report by India.

The Indian industry is expected to add 560 MW capacity during the 2021-23 period, the property consultant said.

"India's sector will require an investment of USD 3.7 billion over the next three years in order to fulfil the 6 million sq ft greenfield development opportunity for the industry," India said in a statement.

The data centre industry is expected to grow exponentially to reach 1,007 MW by 2023 from its existing capacity of 447 MW.

India's colocation data centre industry witnessed the unprecedented absorption of 102 MW during 2020, notching higher absorption than most key markets of Europe and America," said Rachit Mohan, Head, Data Center Advisory (India),

Mohan expects increased demand for colocation space, driven by rising cloud adoption, increasing digitalisation and progressive legislation.

"Rising demand led data centre operators and developers to pursue ambitious expansion plans, while some adopted the acquisition route to enter Indian markets, which we expect to continue," he said.

Colocation capacity grew by around 28 per cent to reach 447 MW in 2020 from 350 MW in 2019.

The consultant said the demand is likely to ramp up further due to the imminent 5G rollout, IoT-linked devices, data localisation and cloud adoption.

Mumbai and Chennai are expected to drive 73 per cent of the sector's total capacity addition during 2021-23, while other cities like Hyderabad and Delhi NCR emerging as new hotspots, JLL said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
fell 27 per cent in April on a sequential basis as the second wave of Covid-19 hurt travel demand. Airlines flew 5.7 million passengers in April compared to 7.8 million passengers in March.

The introduction of mandatory RT-PCR tests and lockdown like curbs introduced by various states including Maharashtra and Delhi dampened the demand. This had an impact on customer travel plans and airlines saw 50-60 per cent drop in bookings. Airlines also began cancelling and clubbing flights with the fall in loads.

Among the airlines, SpiceJet reported highest seat occupancy of 70.8 per cent followed by GoAir and AirAsia which registered around 65 per cent occupancy. Air India, IndiGo and Vistara reported seat occupancy below 60 per cent.

GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara reported the best on time performance among all airlines. GoAir, Air India and IndiGo registered an increase in market share while AirAsia, SpiceJet and Vistara saw a decline.

An airline executive said Maharashtra government's move to insist on a negative RT-PCR test 48 hours before travel and ongoing restrictions continue to impact the travel in May and daily air traffic has reduced to less than 100,000 passengers.
on Tuesday announced several initiatives for Indian industry under its Initiative (GNI), including the launch of Showcase, a programme to train 50,000 journalists in digital skills, and training 800 small and mid sized news organisations grow their digital ad revenue.

The Google New Showcase, launched late last year, and currently active in several other countries, will show content from Indian publisher partners in English and Hindi in dedicated News Showcase panels in and on Discover.

Showcase will have add support for more Indian languages in the future. As part of the licensing agreements with publishers, Google will also pay participating news organizations to give readers access to a limited amount of paywalled content.

From today, Showcase will roll out in India with 30 news publishers including national, regional and local news organizations like The Hindu Group, HT Digital Streams Ltd, Indian Express Group, ABP LIVE, India TV, NDTV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Telegraph India, IANS (Indo Asian News Service), ANI, and others.

The Indian news industry and journalists are embracing to engage with readers and make data-driven decisions to improve their business and reporting efforts. We believe its important that digital platforms contribute to a sustainable, independent and diverse news ecosystem, working with journalists, news outlets and news associations, said Sanjay Gupta, Vice President,

He added that News Showcase was just one part of our overall commitment to the large and diverse Indian news ecosystem. Today, were also announcing the expansion of our Initiative efforts to bolster journalist training efforts, and new programs to support over 800 small and mid-sized publications achieve financial sustainability with trainings in audience development and product innovation to support business success for news organizations, he said.

Further, Google said it will expand its work to strengthen digital skills in newsrooms and journalism schools across India, with increased support from its Google News Lab to train 50,000 journalists and journalism students to aid reporting and combat misinformation online.

Google News Lab is a team within GNI which works with journalists and entrepreneurs to drive innovation in news.

With the GNI Digital Growth Program, Google will offer new business training workshops in audience development and product innovation, to help news organizations address the needs of their audiences, grow their readership and deepen reader engagement.

These workshops will be available for free to Indian publishers, alongside existing workshops it has for news organisations.

Google will also invest in product training sessions and implementation support to help more than 800 small and mid-sized Indian news organizations grow their digital ad revenue with the GNI advertising Lab, and will launch The GNI Transformation Lab, a more comprehensive program for 20 local small and mid-sized Indian news organizations to help them transform every aspect of their business to succeed online.
Oberoi Realty, the Mumbai based developer of premium apartments, is aggressively looking to redevelop residential buildings in the coming quarters, said its chairman Vikas Oberoi.

"We have hired and hiring people for redevelopment business . Their KRA (key responsibility area) will be to identify and pursue such opportunities, " Oberoi said in a call with analysts on Monday.

Oberoi said the company is open to redevelopment of large residential societies and doing joint development, he said .

was one of the bidders for Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj Terminal redevelopment project.

He said the company is looking to buy land aggressively under the current circumstances.

"We will continue to buy land. It is the best time to buy land as coffers of most of developers are empty. Land owners have very few options ," he said.

Oberoi added that the country is under-built in terms of and few of them, including will build it due to strong balance sheet, brand name and capabilities.

"We will have a large share of the market, " he said.

He said April and May months of the current year look like wash outs.

"Once lock down opens up, we come to know how momentum picks up." He said.
A consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) on Tuesday moved a step closer in their attempt to recover debt from loans paid out to Vijay Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the High Court in London upheld an application to amend their bankruptcy petition, in favour of waiving their security over the businessman's assets in India.

Chief Insolvencies and Court (ICC) Judge Michael Briggs handed down his judgment in favour of the banks to declare there is no public policy that prevents a waiver of security rights, as argued by Mallya's lawyers.

At a virtual hearing, July 26 was set as the date for final arguments for and against granting a bankruptcy order against Mallya after the banks accused him of trying to kick matters into the long grass and called on the bankruptcy petition to be brought to its inevitable end.

I order that permission be given to amend the petition to read as follows: The Petitioners (banks) having the right to enforce any security held are willing, in the event of a bankruptcy order being made, to give up any such security for the benefit of all the bankrupt's creditors', Justice Briggs' judgment reads.

There is nothing in the statutory provisions that prevent the Petitioners from giving up security, he notes.

Mallya's barrister, Philip Marshall, had referenced witness statements of retired Indian judges in previous hearings to reiterate that there is public interest under Indian law by virtue of the banks being nationalised.

However, Justice Briggs found no impediment to the creditors relinquishing their security under Indian law because of the engagement of a principle concerning public interest and favoured the submissions made by retired Indian Supreme Court judge Gopala Gowda at a hearing in December 2020 in this regard.

In my judgment the simple stance taken by Justice Gowda that Section 47 PIA 1920 is evidence of the ability of a secured creditor to relinquish the creditor's security is to be preferred, the ruling notes.

The Indian banks, represented by the law firm TLT LLP and barrister Marcia Shekerdemian, were also granted costs in totality for the petition hearings, as the overall successful party in the case.

Dr Mallya should have been extradited by now. He was refused permission to go to the Supreme Court in May last year, Shekerdemian pointed out, in reference to one of Mallya's defence planks that the cases against him are politically motivated.

The 65-year-old businessman remains on bail in the UK while a confidential legal matter, believed to be related to an asylum application, is resolved in connection with the unrelated extradition proceedings.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Warning of a COVID-19 vaccine shortfall of nearly 190 million doses by next month, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Monday called for a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to curb the spread of the virus.

In a statement, Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that COVAX - the global COVID vaccine equity scheme - will be delivering its 65 millionth dose soon, which should have been at least its 170 millionth.

"We have issued repeated warnings of the risks of letting down our guard and leaving low- and middle-income countries without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics... Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling in countries near - like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives - and far, like Argentina and Brazil. The cost for children and families will be incalculable," she said.

"By the time G7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as a deadly second wave of COVID-19 will likely continue to sweep across India and many of its South Asian neighbours, the shortfall will near 190 million doses," she warned.

Underscoring the growing risk of deadlier variants of the virus if it is kept unchecked, Fore stated that the COVAX facility, though led by the World Health Organization, Gavi and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is undersupplied.

The chief also expressed concern over the 'tragic' COVID-19 situation. "Among the global consequences of the situation in India, a global hub for vaccine production, is a severe reduction in vaccines available to COVAX," she added.

She further said that due to the increasing demand for vaccines, 140 million doses intended for distribution to low and middle-income countries through the end of May cannot be accessed by COVAX and another 50 million doses are likely to be missed in June.

"This, added to vaccine nationalism, limited production capacity and lack of funding, is why the roll-out of COVID vaccines is so behind schedule," she remarked.

Citing a data analysis, Fore said that G7 nations and European Union (EU) member states could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20 per cent of their available supply over June, July and August.

"While some G7 members have greater supply than others, and some have further advanced domestic rollouts, an immediate collective commitment to pool excess supply and share the burden of responsibility could buttress vulnerable countries against becoming the next global hotspot," she said.

Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now, said Fore.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) announced that the country will share 80 million vaccine doses globally over the next six weeks, five times more than any other country has shared to date which represents 13 percent of vaccines produced in the country by June end.

"Today, we're taking an additional step to help the world. We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic, that's rising globally, is under control. No ocean is wide enough, no walls high enough to keep us safe," said Biden during his address.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Power discom BYPL has set up extensive infrastructure within a week to provide uninterrupted electricity to two 500-bed ICU facilities created by the amid a devastating second wave of the



COVID-19 pandemic, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The two facilities were built on empty grounds near GTB and Lok Nayak hospitals within a fortnight.

The is developing healthcare infrastructure in the city keeping in mind the possibility of the third wave of COVID-19.

These large facilities required an equally large power infrastructure. For this, BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) had been tasked with readying the power infrastructure on a war-footing, said the BYPL spokesperson.

"The discom did it in a record time of seven days on each of the two sites. Between the two sites, the discom has laid nearly 7 kms of underground cables using trenchless technology," he said.

The anticipated power demand at each of the facilities can go upto 5 MW and accordingly, at each of the two sites, four distribution transformers, each having an installed capacity of 1.6 MVA, totalling 6.4 MVA were set-up, the spokesperson said.

A team of around 280 discom officials and workers worked round-the-clock to install the electricity network that conforms to the best international standards, he said.

Quick response teams, including senior engineers, keep a watch on the power infrastructure round the clock, he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the first ever such interactions with District Magistrates (DMs) of 46 high Covid-19 burden districts, Prime Minister on Tuesday said the Central government is working on a fortnightly schedule for vaccine supply to streamline and prevent wastage.

Interacting over video conference with these DMs across eight States with Chief Ministers of these regions, the Prime Minister told them, Union Health Ministry is continuously streamlining the arrangements and procedures regarding to larger strategy.

The next round of interactions will be with District Magistrates of 54 districts across 10 States, on May 20.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said constant efforts are being made to increase the supply of vaccine on a very large scale.

Modi further said that is a powerful means of fighting Covid, so we have to unitedly remove every illusion related to it.

Noting that there are three main weapons that we have in our armour to check the contagion. "These are delineating local containment zones, aggressive testing and giving correct and accurate information to the local populace especially in terms of availability of medical resources like hospital beds," Modi said.

The Prime Minister later stressed on the need to crack down on black marketing of medicines and equipment, saying "if you feel there is a need to tweak or innovate upon strategies set up at State or Central level please go ahead, and if they work, do not hesitate to share with me or my office".

"Learn from places where the infection curve is showing a downward trend," Modi said.

Noting that the spread of the disease was towards rural areas, the Prime Minister said we should focus on these areas.

Besides saving lives of people in rural areas from Covid, the Prime Minister said, there should also be a focussed plan to take care of the ease of living of every citizen in each district.

"We also have to stop infection as well as keep moving the supply of essential items being used in daily life."

He asked for empathy from local administration in implementing local lockdowns, and to pay attention to ease of living issues. "Even if one person from the local administration gets in touch with a patient or his family, the mental strength of that family to fight the disease goes up," Modi said.

"Through PM CARES we have decided to set up an oxygen plant in every district and my request to all DMs is to prepare in advance for the rapid setting up of such plants, as demonstrated in Chandigarh and other places," Modi said.

--IANS

rak/skp/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In early April, Payal Raj accompanied her family to India to renew the visas that permit them to live in the United States. She and her husband waited until they had been vaccinated, carefully preparing their paperwork according to the advice of their immigration lawyers. But the visa itself would soon strand her in India indefinitely, separating her from her husband and daughter in Hendersonville, Tenn.

Our family is in a crisis, said Ms. Raj, who is one of thousands of immigrants stuck in India, in part because the Biden administrations restrictions on most travel from the country mean that temporary visa holders are explicitly barred from re-entering the United States. Every morning is a struggle.

The restrictions, issued as a devastating surge in cases has overwhelmed India in recent weeks, prohibit Ms Raj and others like her from returning to their homes, families and jobs in the United States. Even those exempt under the ban are in limbo as the outbreak forces the US Embassy and consulates to close, leaving many with no clear path home.

Ms. Rajs husband, Yogesh Kumar, an operations manager for a multinational corporation, lives in the United States on an H-1B visa, or a temporary permit for highly technical foreign workers. As dependents, Ms. Raj and their daughter hold H-4 visas, which allow temporary workers to bring immediate family and must be renewed about every three years at an embassy or consulate outside the United States.

Mr. Kumar and his daughter, Saanvi Kumar, renewed their visas, but Ms. Raj was asked to submit biometrics and complete an in-person interview, both of which would not be completed until after the travel restrictions went into effect two weeks ago.

As the primary breadwinner, Mr. Kumar said his employer would not allow him to work from India indefinitely given that some aspects of his job required in-person interaction. He returned to Tennessee with Saanvi, leaving Ms. Raj behind in Bangalore.

If he quits his job, we wont have any means to sustain ourselves, Ms. Raj said of her husband, whose income also supports both their parents. But in the middle of all of this, Im sitting here, away from my family, for I dont know  months? Years?

The White House did not respond to questions about the restrictions on travel from India, but a State Department representative described them as appropriate public health measures that are critical to defeating the

The pandemic is a global issue, and it will not be over for anyone until its over for everyone, the representative said in a statement.

But critics say that the exemptions to the travel ban are unevenly applied and still risk spreading the virus. American citizens and permanent residents, for instance, can travel freely, while people who are fully vaccinated, test negative or quarantine before and after flying cannot. The administration has not indicated when or under what circumstances it would lift the restrictions.

They just put the same blanket ban for India that they were using in the Trump administration, said Greg Siskind, an immigration lawyer who is suing the Biden administration over the State Departments inability to issue visas in countries experiencing lockdowns. This was the same style ban that President Biden said last March was ineffective and was a bad idea.

The United States has restricted entry from a number of countries, but the most recent ban has had a disproportionate effect on Indians in the United States given that Indian citizens claim more than two-thirds of H-1B visas issued each year.

Including those on other kinds of nonimmigrant visas, immigration lawyers estimate that thousands of Indians living in the United States have been affected.

Some traveled to India when case counts were low to renew their visas or see family. Others went to care for sick or dying relatives. Now some are unable to secure even emergency appointments to renew their visas at the embassy in New Delhi or any of the four U. S. consulates in India.

In late April, Gaurav Chauhan traveled to Agra to care for his father, who was hospitalized with the coronavirus. He is now separated from his wife and two children, who live in Atlanta.

As a parent of American citizens who are minors, Mr. Chauhan is exempt from the ban, but he has been unable to make an emergency appointment on the State Departments website to renew his visa. His employer, a software company, has temporarily allowed Mr. Chauhan, who works in human resources, to do his job overseas. But others in similar situations say they have been asked to leave their jobs.

If you are certain that in two months or three months things are going to be normal, we are going to get a visa issued, you have at least a timeline of when you are going to see your family, Mr. Chauhan said. But the uncertainty  thats the thing that is killing us.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, American embassy and consulate closings have bottlenecked visa processing. In early April, 76 percent of consulates were still fully or partly closed, according to an analysis of State Department data by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

Such shutdowns should not stop visa processing, Mr. Siskind said, pointing to other immigration agencies that had successfully adapted to remote work and exceptions to in-person document submission.

One of the issues with the State Department for the last 14 months is their lack of imagination in terms of how to change their procedures in a pandemic, Mr. Siskind said. They have, for example, not switched to video interviewing, which is something that they have the statutory authority to do.

The State Department acknowledged that services are limited at U. S. outposts in India but said that it would make every attempt to continue to honor approved emergency visa appointments. The department could not provide a specific date for when other visa services would resume.

Abhiram, a professor in Broward County, Fla., whose wife and 3-year-old daughter remain outside Hyderabad after visiting family in January, said he did not fault the government for enforcing travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But the situation has made him consider whether to stay in the United States.

Every day my daughter asks me, Daddy, where are you? said Abhiram, who asked to be identified only by his middle name. I do feel sometimes like going back to my home country, rather than dealing with this.

But for Ms. Raj and her family, home is Hendersonville.

Our whole day-to-day life was interacting with our neighbors, going and visiting friends, getting together for backyard parties. Its been wonderful, she said. I dont want to uproot our lives.
After devastating Indias biggest cities, the latest Covid-19 wave is now ravaging rural areas across the worlds second-most populous country. And most villages have no way to fight the virus.

In Basi, about 1.5 hours from the capital New Delhi, about three-quarters of the villages 5,400 people are sick and more than 30 have died in the past three weeks. It has no health-care facilities, no doctors and no oxygen canisters. And unlike Indias social-media literate urban population, residents cant appeal on Twitter to an army of strangers willing to help.

Most deaths in the village have been caused because there was no oxygen available, said Sanjeev Kumar, the newly elected head of the farming community. The sick are being rushed to the district headquarters and those extremely sick patients have to travel about four hours, he said, adding that many dont make it in time.

A family member show the portraits of members who scummed to Covid-19. Photo: Bloomberg

Its a scenario playing out all over India. In interviews with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages in different parts of the country, officials outlined the scale of the carnage  from entire families wiped out to bloated bodies floating down the Ganges River to farmland left untended due to a lack of workers.

Many people said the scale of the crisis is much bigger than official numbers reveal, with villagers afraid to leave their homes even if they have fevers and local authorities failing to properly record virus fatalities. India reported 274,390 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to figures from the Health Ministry.

Anger is building both at Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration and local authorities for failing to bolster medical infrastructure following a virus wave last year, including securing sufficient supplies of oxygen and vaccines. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party last month lost local elections in Basi and other parts of  Indias most populous state  just as the country started recording almost 400,000 new cases a day.

The sentiment on the ground suggests broader troubles for Modi and fellow BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of who has been mentioned as a possible successor to the prime minister. The state holds elections next year.



Funeral pyres burn along the bank of the Yamuna river. Photo: Bloomberg

We had complete support for Modi and Yogi, but now whatever happens we will vote the BJP out, Sahab Singh, 72, said in the center of Basi, which was virtually empty. He noted people were too scared to leave their homes.

During the recent election to appoint village heads, many poll workers became infected  including Kumarsain Nain, 59, who caught the virus along with his 31-year-old son. Unable to walk and gasping for breath, Nains family rushed him last month to a nearby hospital after they were unable to find an ambulance with oxygen support, said another son, Praveen Kumar.

After we reached the hospital, the doctors said he had died, but instead of recording Covid-19 as the cause of death they put cardiac arrest, Kumar said. The doctor told us there was no need to check whether my father was Covid-19 positive since he was already dead.

His brother died soon afterward in another clinic about 30 minutes away, at the same time as six other patients who were also on oxygen support. My suspicion is that hospital ran out of oxygen, which led to the deaths, Kumar said. Holding the elections when the government knew that cases were rising and the infection was spreading is a criminal act.



A family member mourn the death of Covid-19 victims at her home. Photo: Bloomberg

Representatives from both the prime ministers office and the Health Ministry have not responded to request for comment. Modi addressed the issue on May 14 following a meeting with several chief ministers. I want to warn you about corona. The infection is spreading fast in villages, the prime minister said. Efforts are being taken to deal with this.

Baijayant Jay Panda, a senior official with Modis BJP, told Bloomberg Television on Monday the latest virus wave has been a humbling experience, but pointed to a significant vaccination rollout and the provision of shots to more than 80 countries in a global outreach effort.

He defended Modis response, saying election authorities made the decision to proceed with polls and states were responsible for building oxygen plants that received federal funding.

Its not just the prime minister who thought we had overcome the biggest ravages of corona  the consensus in India by early January was that we had done so, Panda said. Many of the epidemiologists who are today criticizing are on the record back in October saying the worst was over and that we should not have as many restrictions.

Covid-19 is adding to Modis troubles along with a severe economic downturn, rising unemployment and farmer protests against a law perceived to favor big business, according to Nikita Sud, an associate professor in international development at the University of Oxford and author of a book on Hindu nationalism.



It is too simplistic to say that Covid mismanagement spells the turning of the tide for the Modi regime, Sud said. However, the regime looks out of its depth for the first time since coming to power in 2014.

As leaders in Delhi struggle to contain the crisis, horrifying scenes are playing out across India. Last week in the eastern state of Bihar, residents woke up to find as many as 70 bloated bodies floating in the Ganges River. With crematoriums overflowing as the death toll surges, they feared these bodies were Covid victims whose families could not properly lay them to rest. More corpses have since been reported along the river.



(Left)Citizens discuss how to handle the pandemic; (right)locked gates of the villages closed health center. Photo:Bloomberg

Both the federal and state governments have failed us all, said Rajesh Sharma, who owns a travel company in the Hindu pilgrimage city of Ujjain in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

India had a full year to prepare, but except for sending vaccines out of the country for personal credit and glory nothing much was done, he said. There are no hospital beds, no medicines. People have been left to die. In Ujjain and around, entire families died in the last two weeks.

In Punjab, a northern state bordering Pakistan, local authorities are asking volunteers among Indias one-million-strong Accredited Social Health Activists to visit every house to urge people to get vaccinated and see if anyone has a fever. While the group is well known for working in harsh conditions to deliver childhood immunizations and basic first aid to villages, the scale of the current crisis is unprecedented, said Balbir, one of the workers.

Many people are so scared they are not even telling anyone about their fever, she said, asking to be identified by only her first name due to fear of a backash from local authorities in Ludhiana district, where infections are spreading rapidly. Despite such a huge surge they have still not given us adequate protection: no masks, no gloves, nothing.

Uttarakhand has also been hit hard. The state in the Himalayan foothills saw virus cases jump almost 20 times after it hosted more than nine million people for the Hindu religious festival known as the Kumbh Mela between March 31 and April 24.

There isnt a house in Rishikesh where people arent sick  Haridwar is also in a similar condition, said Navin Mohan, who helps arrange tours to the holy towns on the banks of the Ganges.

The pandemic is now truly beyond control, Mohan said. Thousands are dying and will die in the next few weeks. The government is fudging numbers, but the reality is visible to everyone.
India's reproduction value (R) for COVID-19, which shows how fast the infection is spreading, is below one now which means that the pandemic is shrinking, the government said on Tuesday even as it cautioned that 98 per cent of the population is still vulnerable.

Addressing media, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said in many states the pandemic curve is stabilising.

"Comprehensive efforts at containment and testing are resulting in stabilisation. We still have a few states which continue to be cause of concern... there is a mixed picture but overall there is stabilisation and what we know from scientific analysis is the reproduction number is below 1 now which means the pandemic is shrinking," Paul said.

He said this has happened because there is a huge containment effort in addition to managing the cases in home settings and hospitals.

"We are hoping and keeping the case fatality rate reasonably under control. We have to be very mindful that when we are achieving declining positivity rate it is because of the results of what we are doing and that doing cannot be slackened. We cannot again let this go out of hand," he said.

Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary at the Health Ministry, said 1.8 per cent of the total population in India has been affected by COVID so far which means 98 per cent of the population is still susceptible or vulnerable to the infection.

"Despite the high number of cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2 per cent of the population due to continued efforts by the medical fraternity, states and districts," he said.

"This should also make us wary of protecting the still vulnerable/susceptible 98 per cent population. We cannot let our guards down, hence continued focus on containment is critical," Agarwal said.

Giving figures from around the world, he said 10.1 per cent of the population in the US has been infected so far, 7.3 per cent in Brazil, 9 per cent in France and 7.4 per cent in Italy.

About black fungus, Paul said till now the number is not that high but it cannot be taken for granted.

"We have held discussions with all states on black fungus and there is a push on availability of Amphotericin B and till now the number is not that high but we cannot take it for granted. There are a large number of cases through which we have learnt that when a combination of diabetes, an uncontrolled one, particularly in COVID and steroid use comes up then likelihood of this disease becomes a possibility. So whoever has diabetes should try to keep it in control," he said.

He stressed on rational use of medication. "We reiterate that proper use of steroids has to be done and we must not take it lightly," he said.

On COVID infection in children, Paul said it was seen that children were affected and they are asymptomatic.

"So response remains the same of what we do, we have to protect ourselves with COVID appropriate behaviour and they have to be encouraged to wear masks and main social distancing. There is a clear cut science-driven protocol already available. If COVID symptoms are seen in children then that should be followed. Severe disease in children is uncommon but we have a protocol for that too," he said.

He said COVAXIN is also conducting a trial and it will begin in 10-12 days.

"Science's attention is on it and children can have asymptomatic infection and they can also spread it. We have reasonable clarity on it," he added.

Giving statistics, Agarwal said a continuous decline in active cases has been noted in the last 15 days.

"From being 17.13 per cent on May 3, active cases now comprise 13.3 per cent of the country's total infections. A positive trend in the recovery has also been noted. The recovery rate which was 81.7 per cent on May 3 has increased to 85.6 per cent now," he said.

"Since May 11, daily recoveries in the country have outnumbered daily cases. India has witnessed a consistent upward trend in weekly tests since mid-February with average daily tests more than 2.5 times in last 14 weeks. After a consistent increase in case positivity for 13 weeks, a decline in case positivity since the last week has been reported," he added.

"Now eight states have more than 1 lakh active COVID-19 cases, while 22 states have more than 15 per cent case positivity which is a cause for us," he said.

Agarwal said a decreasing trend in positivity rate has been observed in 26 states and UTs.

"In Delhi, the weekly positivity has reduced from 25 per cent to 13.6 per cent. In Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat and UP also the weekly positivity has reduced. An increasing trend in weekly positivity is being noted in northeast states mainly in Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Manipur. It is important to strengthen containment measures in these states," he added.

Maharashtra, UP, Delhi, Bihar, MP and Chhattisgarh are among eight states showing a decline in COVID-19 cases and decline in positivity.

Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram showing rise in COVID-19 cases and rise in positivity, he said.

He further said that eight states have more than 1 lakh active COVID-19 cases, 22 states have more than 15 per cent case positivity.

He said there are 199 districts showing a continued decline in cases and positivity since the last two weeks.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Battling extreme weather, the and Coast Guard have so far rescued 314 people on board two barges that went adrift in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai hours before Tauktae made landfall on the Gujarat coast, an official said on Tuesday.

Three barges and an oil rig with 611 personnel on board had gone adrift on Monday. These included accommodation barge P305 with 273 persons, cargo barge GAL Constructor with 137 personnel on board, accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig with 101 personnel on board, a Navy official said.

While all the 137 people on board the cargo barge GAL Constructor have been rescued, 177 of the 273 onboard P305 have been rescued so far, the official said.

"Two Coast Guard Chetak helicopters operating from the Coast Guard Air station in Daman rescued personnel on board the GAL Constructor. One more Chetak helicopter was also pressed into service for the SAR operations," he said.

There is no word yet on the progress of rescue operations for the accommodation barge SS-3 and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig.

Navy ships were deployed on Monday after receipt of a request for assistance for barge 'P305' adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel on board. The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

Sixty persons on board the P305 barge were rescued till 11 pm and the remaining till Tuesday afternoon, the official said, adding a Navy helicopter brought three rescuees to INS Shikra this morning.

INS Shikra, formerly known as INS Kunjali, is a naval air station located at Colaba in south Mumbai.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had on Monday said barge P305 with 261 personnel deployed for offshore drilling got de-anchored and began drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

A barge is a long flat-bottomed boat either under its power or towed by another. An accommodation barge is of shallow draft (vessel whose keel is not far below the waterline) and is used to accommodate personnel on projects where shore accommodation is not available.

Offshore accommodation barges are fully autonomous and used mainly in the oil and gas industries.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Monday said the barges P305 and GAL Contractor were hired by them and personnel are of the contractor Afcons, which is owned by the Shapporji Pallonji Group of Cyrus Mistry.

The barges were deployed at the Heera platform, the largest of the ONGC rigs on the Bombay High, the largest oil and gas assets of the energy major, and were anchored to safety ahead of the but got drifted and de-anchored due to the gusty winds that have made the Arabian Sea violent.

"We have two barges deployed at the ONGC rigs. Barge No. P305 has personnel onboard and 137 people on the other. Unfortunately, both were de-anchored by the powerful cyclonic winds. However, with the help of the Navy, both the barges have been steadied and all the 410 personnel are reported safe as of 1530 hours," an Afcons spokesman had said on Monday.

The Navy on Tuesday morning deployed the P-8I long- range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft to join the search and rescue operations, the Navy official said.

GAL Constructor with 137 persons on board ran aground about 48 nautical miles north of Colaba Point, he said. An Emergency Towing Vessel 'Water Lily', two support vessels and CGS Samrat were involved in rendering assistance and evacuation of crew, he added.

"Navy ship INS Talwar has proceeded to assist oil rig Sagar Bhushan and accommodation barge SS-3. Both are adrift about 50 nautical miles south-east of Pipavav port, an all- weather port located 152 nautical miles from Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai," the official said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Battling extreme weather, the has so far rescued 177 people on board a barge that went adrift in the Arabian Sea near hours before Tauktae made landfall on the Gujarat coast, an official said on Tuesday.

Navy ships were deployed on Monday after receipt of a request for assistance for barge 'P305' adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel on board. The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of

Sixty persons on board the barge were rescued till 11 pm and the remaining overnight, the official said, adding a Navy helicopter brought three rescuees to INS Shikra this morning.

INS Shikra, formerly known as INS Kunjali, is a naval air station located at Colaba in south

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had on Monday said barge P305 with 261 personnel deployed for offshore drilling got de-anchored and began drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

P305 being an accommodation barge had no engine to power it, and it hit an oil rig in the vicinity and there was ingress of water, sources said.

A barge is a long flat-bottomed boat either under its power or towed by another. An accommodation barge is of shallow draft (vessel whose keel is not far below the waterline) and is used to accommodate personnel on projects where shore accommodation is not available.

Offshore accommodation barges are fully autonomous and used mainly in the oil and gas industries.

The Navy on Tuesday morning also deployed the P-8I long-range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft to join the search and rescue operations, the official said.

Another barge, the 'Gal Constructor' with 137 persons onboard has run aground about 48 nautical miles north of Colaba Point, he said. An Emergency Towing Vessel 'Water Lily', two support vessels and CGS Samrat are in the vicinity for rendering assistance and evacuation of crew, he added.

"INS Talwar has proceeded to assist another oil rig Sagar Bhushan with 101 personnel on board and an accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board, both of which are adrift and presently located about 50 NM South East of Pipavav Port," the spokesperson said in a statement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 13 people were killed in as Tauktae pummelled parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles, trees and damaging thousands of houses and roads, officials said on Tuesday.

In what was one of the worst cyclones faced by the state, Tauktae triggered heavy rains in many parts along its way from the Saurashtra coast to North with as many as 46 talukas receiving over 100 mm of downpour, while 12 of them recorded 150 mm to 175 mm of rains.

Tauktae, characterised as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday, has now weakened into a "cyclonic storm" and will gradually become a "deep depression" as it moves northwards, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Even as Tauktae's intensity weakened, it left behind a trail of destruction with as many as 13 people losing their lives in different parts of Gujarat, including Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Patan, Amreli and Valsad, officials said.

Over 16,000 houses were damaged, more than 40,000 trees and over 70,000 electric poles uprooted, while 5,951 villages faced total power blackout due to the cyclonic storm in Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said.

In his media briefing, Rupani said officially the death toll due to the stood at 13.

A woman died when an electric pole fell on her while she was sleeping in Patan town late Monday night amid strong wind, an official from Patan A-division police station said.

A woman and her daughter were killed when the wall of their house collapsed at Badeli village in Palitana taluka of Bhavnagar, a local administration official said.

In another incident, a girl died after the roof of her house collapsed on four members of the family at Rajula in Amreli district on Monday night, police said.

In Sanand town of Ahmedabad district, an unidentified man in his 30s and a woman, believed to be his relative, died on the spot when a live wire got dislodged from the pole and fell on them near a complex on Sanand-Bavla road, said police.



A woman and her teenage daughter died after coming in contact with a live electricity wire in Nadiad town of Kheda district. The deceased were identified as Taraben Bhil (35) and her daughter Asha (16), said Nadiad town police.

Government officials did not provide the details of the other five deaths.

The landfall process of the eye of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which hit the coast in the Saurashtra region between Diu and Una, ended around midnight on Monday, the IMD said.

The remnant of the weather system is very likely to move north-eastwards across Rajasthan to west Uttar Pradesh during May 19 and 20, said the Ministry of Home Ministry in its advisory.

As of Tuesday evening, the cyclonic storm lay centred over Saurashtra, around 35km west of Ahmedabad, 80km east- northeast of Surendranagar, and 120 km south-southeast of Deesa, with the wind intensity now reduced to 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph, the IMD said.

The IMD said districts such as Amreli, Bhavnagar, Navsari, Valsad, Sabarkantha, among others in Gujarat, and Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the neighbouring Union Territory as well as Sabarkantha, were likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.

The completed the landfall in Gujarat at 1:30 am on Tuesday, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar said, adding districts of Amreli, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Botad in Saurashtra were the worst affected by the natural disaster.

Rupani told reporters that 5,951 villages suffered blackout and work was underway to restore power supply in 3,850 of them.

Around 70,000 electric poles fell and four 220-KV sub stations were yet to restart out of five that suffered damage due to the storm, the chief minister said.

He said 68 out of 165 66-KV sub stations were also damaged and later made functional.

Rupani said out of 425 COVID-19 hospitals located in the affected areas, 122 suffered power blackout, out of which electricity supply in 83 was restored, and 39 others were working on backup arrangements.

Rupani assured people that loss caused to standing crops, mango and coconut farms, as well as houses and cattle will be compensated by the government, and a survey will be immediately undertaken for the purpose.

Due to the cyclone, the state received widespread rainfall, with 96 talukas receiving more than one inch of downpour, Rupani informed.

As many as 46 talukas received around 4 inch rainfall, and 12 around 6 to 7 inch rainfall. Ten talukas received more than five inch downpour, the chief minister said.

The cyclone poured very heavy rains at all places where it passed from as well as adjoining areas.

Many areas of Ahmedabad city were inundated with knee-deep water following incessant downpour since afternoon as Tauktae passed northward along the district's periphery.

The (ICG) on Tuesday rescued eight fishermen onboard a fishing boat that drifted into the sea off the coast of Veraval harbour due to the cyclone, officials said.

Besides, two Coast Guard Chetak helicopters, operating from the CG airbase at the Union Territory of Daman, rescued eight crew members of the stranded ship 'Gal Constructor' from the sea off the Satpati coast (in neighbouring Maharashtra) amidst very rough and inclement weather conditions, a release said.

The intensity of the wind has gradually reduced but "looking at its movement, we need to take extreme precaution till night," Additional Chief Secretary Kumar told reporters. (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar.

A major cyclone in Gujarat on June 9, 1998, had brought widespread death and destruction in its wake, particularly in the port town of Kandla.

While official figures had then put the death toll at 1,173, adding 1,774 went missing, media reports, eyewitness and volunteer accounts suggested this was grossly an understatement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India on Tuesday reported a net reduction of 163,232 in active cases to take its count to 3,353,765. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 20.18 per cent (one in 5). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Tuesday, it added 263,533 cases to take its total caseload to 25,228,996. And, with 4,329 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 278,719, or 1.10 per cent of total confirmed infections.

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Digital Editor
The ravages of the coronavirus show no country in this modern age can single-handedly combat all challenges, especially those caused by nature. Sufferings bring us together as evident by the instances of support being offered in the wake of the COVID-19 eruption by different nations, especially China, to countries around the world hit by the pandemic. It is just one example of multilateral efforts to jointly confront a challenge faced by humanity.



Going through the literature about natural or man-made calamities that may befall humanity, it becomes abundantly clear that the current virus is neither the first nor the last one. Countries, no matter rich or poor, are vulnerable to such threats to public health. Therefore, it should serve as a wakeup call to get united and prepare for futuristic viral disease.

In this context, the importance of multilateralism is manifold. To put it plainly, global cooperative efforts are required whenever our health, security, stability or peace is threatened due to various known or unknown factors. In other words, multilateral approach, despite the reservations of some nations, is the surest way to address global complications.

What is multilateralism and how it can help to address the most pressing challenge of our life or other future problems?

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently addressed a meeting of the U.N. Security Council where he expounded four principles helpful to understand the concept.

First, he said, all parties should pursue win-win cooperation, not a zero-sum game. Second, all parties should seek fairness and justice, and not engage in bullying. Third, all parties should focus on action, instead of mere talk. Fourth, all parties should respect diversity, and refrain from pursuing supremacy.

Putting the concept in the perspective of effort to tackle the coronavirus, the key lesson of multilateralism is to pool all resources and efforts.

What we have seen so far is that there are too many cases of isolated struggle. Some of them have succeeded in containing the pandemic, but only a few have readily involved the sharing of experiences and resources with lower-income countries really needing help.

Given this, China is taking the lead by providing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines and other supportive materials to the poor nations.

However, some developed nations have been reluctant to share their experiences and research fruits with others. "Vaccine nationalism" is something that must be discouraged, as it could seriously hinder global anti-pandemic efforts.

It is high time that we embrace a multilateral approach to create a united world capable of containing the pandemic and building strong firewalls to forestall similar health problems in future.

Only by synchronized multilateral efforts can we beat this global threat.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
The on Tuesday stayed trial court proceedings in the CBI's INX Media corruption case involving Congress leader and his son Karti.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait issued notice and sought responses of Chidambaram and others on the CBI's plea challenging the trial court order directing supply of documents to the accused.

The CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED had lodged the money laundering case.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
International, the segment which includes the retail giants operations outside the US, reported net sales of $27.3 billion, a decrease of $2.5 billion or 8.3 per cent in the first quarter for FY2022. But the e-commerce sales increased 49 per cent.

International retained market growth of 5.1 per cent on constant currency. This was led by strength in India, Canada and China. The Bentonville-based company (in Arkansas) is locked in a battle with US rival Jeff Bezos-led Amazon and Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliances JioMart for dominance in Indias online retail and financial services market through and

In India, and continue to experience strong growth, said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer, on Tuesday evening, during its first-quarter earnings results.

Digital payments firm which came to Walmart as part of the $16 billion acquisition of e-commerce firm in 2018, has witnessed over 150 per cent growth in terms of annualised total payments value (TPV) run rate.

At Flipkart, monthly active customers and users are key metrics and we are performing well, said McMillon.

Flipkart recently also announced its proposed acquisition of Cleartrip, a leading online travel technology company. This underscores our commitment to transform the customer experience through digital commerce, said McMillon.

Flipkart is also adding other new capabilities including logistics and data storage. The Bengaluru-based firm recently formed a strategic and commercial partnership with the Adani Group, Indias largest multinational infrastructure company. The partnership has brought Flipkart a unique combination of logistics, real estate, green energy, and data centre infrastructure capabilities.

Our growing base of customers means we need to add new capabilities including logistics and data storage, said McMillon. The partnership with Adani Group would help us just do that.

Brett Biggs, executive vice-president and chief financial officer for Walmart, said Flipkart continues to perform well, driving strong and sustainable e-commerce GMV (gross merchandise value) growth.

This (includes) strong monthly active customers and users, said Biggs. He said this is despite the teams dealing with the pandemic challenges and the firm is serving amid Covid cases in India.

Biggs said the Covid-19 pandemic continues to create both tailwinds and headwinds for the business. Certain international markets continue to be negatively affected by the resurgence in the covid cases and related government restrictions for operations, particularly in India and Canada.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, McMillon said the past several weeks have been more challenging in some countries including India, Canada, Chile and South Africa. These are a priority for the company at the moment. Besides associates being a primary focus, Walmart is also investing resources to support the countries including helping people get vaccinated. McMillon said the situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India is tragic and the firm is supporting the country besides its own employees.

In India, we're donating oxygen concentrators, PPE (personal protective equipment) and financial support, said McMillon. In India, we're facilitating vaccinations for our associates and their households, and our Flipkart and PhonePe contractors. More than 200,000 people across the countries where we operate. We'll keep looking for more places to make a difference. This pandemic won't be over until it's over for everyone.

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to e-commerce, with an increasing number of consumers shopping online at a higher frequency.

Walmart Internationals growth was negatively affected by government-mandated restrictions in certain markets, according to Walmarts first-quarter earnings results presentation.

Walmart Internationals net sales were negatively affected by $4.2 billion or 14.1 per cent related to recent divestitures. The changes in currency exchange rates positively affected net sales by approximately $0.9 billion.

Walmarts total revenue was $138.3 billion, an increase of $3.7 billion, or 2.7 per cent.

This was a strong quarter. Every segment performed well, and were encouraged by traffic and grocery market share trends, said McMillon. Our optimism is higher than it was at the beginning of the year.

He said in the US, customers clearly want to get out and shop. We have a strong position as our store environment improves and e-commerce continues to grow.

McMillon said stimulus in the US had an impact, and the second half has more uncertainty than a typical year. We anticipate continued pent-up demand throughout 2021, he said. Our results reflect the continued hard work and commitment our associates have shown throughout the pandemic.
COVID-19 has not spared even a single family and still central government's officers are living in "ivory towers" oblivious of ground realities, observed the which on Tuesday was of the view that manufacturing of Sputnik V vaccine in India is giving an opportunity to the nation staring at shortage of vaccines.

God bless this country, was another remark of a bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla which castigated the Centre for not being alive to the pandemic situation that is taking so many lives.

The bench said the collaboration of Panacea Biotec with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for manufacturing of Sputnik V vaccine should be seen as an opportunity to ensure its usage here and in such matters instructions are to be taken from the highest authorities that too within 30 minutes.

It said "no one is applying its mind" when there is an opportunity for the government to get millions of vaccines and it should use this as a window.

Otherwise, deaths will continue to happen. Every day you are castigated by each and every court and still you are not awake.

Which bureaucrat is giving you instructions. Is he not alive to the situation? God bless this country. That is why we are facing this situation. In such matters instructions are to be taken from the highest authorities that too within 30 minutes, the bench said.

It added, Does your officer not see so many deaths are taking place in the country and we are short of vaccines. Your client is not alive to the situation.

The bench, which was critical of the Centre's stand on the issue, said You (government) are so short of vaccines and you are not taking it through. May be it is an opportunity for you. Don't be so negative. It is like a raging fire and nobody is bothered. You people don't understand the larger picture or what.

Tell your officers it is an opportunity for you, don't lose it. No one is applying its mind. The virus has not spared any single family. Your officers are living in ivory towers, the bench said.

The high court's observations came while hearing a plea of Delhi-based Panacea Biotec seeking to modify a July 2020 order, by which the firm had undertaken not to prosecute further the execution proceedings instituted by them in relation to an arbitral award, running into crores of rupees, passed in its favour and against the Centre.

The company, in its fresh application, sought release of the arbitral award saying it needs funds at the earliest in the larger interest of humanity as it has already manufactured trial batches of COVID vaccine Sputnik V in collaboration with RDIF and the process of manufacturing scale-up batches is on.

The bench said This court is of the view that in today's time there is acute shortage of vaccines in India and the collaboration of applicant (Panacea Biotec) with RDIF gives India an opportunity to ensure that the vaccine manufactured by the applicant is used for sale in India.

The court issued notice to the Centre and asked it to examine the plea and file a reply within a week and listed it for hearing on May 31.

The company, represented through senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, said, If the awarded amount is not released, the whole process of manufacture of vaccine at the fastest pace may get derailed and delayed which will not be in the larger interest of humanity.

Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh, representing the Centre, submitted that the manufacturing of Sputnik V will not benefit the country as it will be for global supply by RDIF.

He claimed that certain misleading statements were made in the plea and there was no urgency as the vaccines are to be sold outside India.

The Centre was also represented through advocates Rajesh Ranjan and B S Shukla.

Sethi, however, responded that no manufactured vaccines can be exported without the government's consent.

He said these vaccines are meant only for Indian use and it will benefit the government as the firm is one of the largest manufacturers of vaccines which supplies domestic and international markets.

On the Centre's objection to the plea, the bench said the government is short of vaccines and this company says they are willing to manufacture and deposit 20 per cent of sale proceeds in the court, so it should be taken as an opportunity.

The application was filed in a pending appeal of the Centre challenging a single judge's order dismissing its petition on a limited point of limitation period.

Before the single judge, the Centre had challenged the arbitral tribunal's award which was in the favour of Panacea Biotec and Bharat Biotech International Ltd and Serum Institute of India relating to an earlier agreement for pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccines in 2010.

In its plea before the division bench, Panacea Biotec mentioned that Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech are also exporting COVID-19 vaccines to various countries and now there is huge shortage of vaccines which is not readily available for citizens of the age of 18 years and above, though officially it has been declared that they are eligible for vaccination since May 1.

It is one of the greatest challenge the humanity is facing which can only be overcome by vaccination and by following other protocols. Unless timely steps for manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine are taken, the death toll can go up to astronomical figures, it said while maintaining that 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V vaccine for the global market would be manufactured.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
need to rethink their distribution models to offer uninterrupted service, superior customer experience (CX), and maximum value as the industrys business dynamics continue to evolve, according to a new report by Capgemini and Efma. As natural disasters and emerging risks such as Covid-19 become more severe, and lockdowns and social distancing spur the adoption of digital channels, the world is more insurance conscious.

More than 60 per cent insurance executives said Covid-19 affected their firms customer acquisition efforts, and about 40 per cent cited an impact on customer retention, the report found.

The report, titled "World Insurance Report 2021" suggests that to regain lost ground, should consider the CARE approach, where Convenience, Advice and REach are at the heart of designing and evaluating the effectiveness of their channels.

The report includes insights from the 2021 Global Insurance Voice of the Customer Survey, the 2021 Global Insurance Executive Interviews, and the 2021 Global Agents and Brokers Survey. Together, these sources cover insights from 25 markets including US, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong and India.

The report found that while 87 per cent of said they would invest in digital enhancements, only 32 per cent said digital channels were effective in securing sales because they lack personalised advice capabilities.

Digital channels earned high marks for 24/7 availability, ease of updating information for insurers, and search capabilities. Yet, their inability to provide in-depth, personalized advice to customers seeking complex products such as retirement plans and annuities made it clear that agents and brokers are still essential for purchasing these types of insurance.

The global impact of all-at-once digital adoption has changed the way insurers need to operate to satisfy their customers. Digital investment in connected channels is a critical ingredient for insurers of the future to be successful, said John Berry, CEO of Efma.

The report suggests insurers need to empower their distribution network with emerging technologies, including augmented and virtual reality and AI, and embed insurance in customers daily lives by embracing

open insurance, the report found.

The insurance customers surveyed said the ease and speed of access to information impacts the convenience of their experience. Seventy-seven percent of insurance executives say that agents and brokers are their most prominent distribution channel. However, more than 40 per cent of personal line customers said it was challenging to contact agents and brokers outside typical office hours  and lockdowns and social distancing complicate the situation.

Unlike personal policyholders, commercial lines and small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) did not see an appreciable difference in the convenience offered by agents and brokers, digital channels or direct channels. More than 50 per cent of SMBs rated their experience of interacting with agents and brokers as convenient, while more than 60 per cent rated digital channels convenient.

Insurers have an opportunity to convert digital traffic to sales by focusing on a hyper-personalised virtual experience, said Anirban Bose, CEO of Capgeminis Financial Services and Group Executive Board Member. Todays customers expect interacting with their insurers to be easy, and providers need to ensure their channels enable a convenient and seamless customer experience. By investing in the right technologies, insurers can win and retain customers while empowering their agents and brokers to deepen relationships.
Japan's health ministry is set to authorize the use of Moderna's vaccine against later this week.

Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is the only one being used as inoculates the elderly and others. Applications for the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines have been filed with the ministry, following Pfizer's, as reported by NHK World

The ministry will convene a meeting of experts on Thursday to look into both vaccines. The ministry will likely give the green light to Moderna as early as Friday, after gaining approval from the experts.

The Moderna vaccine is then expected to be administered at mass vaccination sites due to open on Monday next week.

As for the AstraZeneca vaccine, ministry officials will carefully weigh its alleged risk of forming blood clots against the efficacy, with input from the experts in mind.

Under a contract with Japan's government, AstraZeneca will supply enough doses for 60 million people.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has allowed the storage of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against the in normal fridge conditions, at 35 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, for up to 31 days.

According to initial demands from manufacturers, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures between -80 to -60 degrees Celsius (-112 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit). EMA's human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended a change to the approved storage conditions, EMA said on Monday to Sputnik.

The accessibility of vaccines will help in stopping the spread in such a massive number.

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines appear to protect against COVID variants B.1.617 and B.1.618 first identified in India, researchers have reported in a new pre-print paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, CNN reported.

Based on lab experiments involving cell cultures, the B.1.617 and B.1.618 variants seem to be partially resistant to the antibodies elicited by vaccination, according to the pre-print paper posted to the online server biorxiv.org on Sunday.

"Thus, there is a good reason to believe that vaccinated individuals will remain protected against the B.1.617 and B.1.618 variants," the researchers from New York University wrote in their paper. But more research is needed to determine just how effective the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are against those variants in the real world.

Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the coronavirus variant first found in India as a "variant of global concern".It said studies show the B.1.617 mutation spreads more easily than other variants and requires further study, CNN reported.

The new research involved serum samples collected from eight people who recovered from Covid-19, six people fully vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and three people fully vaccinated with Moderna's vaccine. The researchers analyzed in lab experiments how the serum samples neutralized lentiviruses -- a type of retrovirus -- equipped with the same mutations as the B.1.617 and B.1.618 coronavirus variants.

.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The will provide Rs 50,000 ex gratia to each family that has lost a member to Covid-19, besides a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 if the deceased was an earning member, Chief Minister announced on Tuesday.

He also said that the children who have lost both parents, or single parent, due to Covid-19 will also be provided a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 up to the age of 25 years. Also, the government will provide them free education.

Addressing an online media briefing, the chief minister said that all these announcements will be implemented in a few days after getting them approved by the Delhi Cabinet.

Kejriwal also said that each of 72 lakh ration card holders in the city will be provided free 10 Kg ration, including 5 Kg from a central government scheme, this month.

The poor and the needy will be provided free ration even if they are without ration card, he added. No documents will be needed to get ration by them, he said.

Delhi has lost 22,111 persons due to COVID-19 so far, according to a health bulletin on Tuesday.

Pointing that many families have lost their members, including breadwinners, Kejriwal said his government pondered over for days on ways to provide relief to them and also those whose livelihood has been affected due to lockdown.

"Each family in which death has occurred due to COVID, ex gratia of Rs 50,000 will be provided."



"There are also many families where the earning member died due to COVID-19. Such families will be provided a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 besides the ex gratia of Rs 50,000," he said.

Kejriwal said he knew many children who lost their parents to and were rendered orphan.

"Such children whose both parents or single parent died due to COVID-19, will also be provided Rs 2,500 per month till they achieve 25 years of age. The will also provide free education to them," he said.

"In these difficult times when people are in trouble, I will always stand beside you. It is my duty to help you whenever you are in trouble" Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said that all the steps to provide relief to the people were being taken because they elected an "honest" government.

"We have made this possible by checking bribery and expenditure extravagance in government works and saving money."



In a bid to help Delhi people hit hard by COVID-19 and the ongoing lockdown, the has so far provided one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to registered labourers and auto, taxi drivers in the city.

The capital on Tuesday reported 4,482 Covid-19 cases, the lowest single-day rise since April 5, and 265 fatalities, while the positivity rate dipped to 6.89 per cent.

Delhi had reported 4,524 cases and 340 fatalities on Monday, while the positivity rate was 8.42 per cent.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The and has said a live-in-relationship is morally and socially unacceptable while dismissing a petition filed by a runaway couple seeking protection.

Petitioners Gulza Kumari (19) and Gurwinder Singh (22) in the petition had stated that they were residing together and intended to get married shortly.

They had apprehended danger to their lives from Kumari's parents.

"As a matter of fact, the petitioners in the garb of filing the present petition are seeking seal of approval on their live-in-relationship, which is morally and socially not acceptable and no protection order in the petition can be passed. The petition stands dismissed accordingly," Justice H S Madaan said in his May 11 order.

According to petitioner's counsel J S Thakur, Singh and Kumari were living together in Tarn Taran district.

He said Kumari's parents, who are in Ludhiana, did not approve of their relationship.

The couple could not get married as Kumari's documents, which have details of her age, were in possession of her family, Thakur added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madhya Pradesh government has



extended the 'corona curfew' in all 52 districts of the state for different durations, a senior official said on Tuesday.

In the state capital Bhopal, the coronavirus-induced curfew has been extended till 6 am on May 24, while in the industrial hub of Indore, it will remain in force till May 29 night, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr Rajesh Rajora said in a release.

After meetings of various district crisis management committees, it was decided to extend the corona curfew till 6 am on May 31 in 19 districts -- Ujjain, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sagar, Morena, Neemuch, Shahdol, Umaria, Dewas, Agar-Malwa, Raisen, Bhind, Balaghat, Sheopur, Seoni, Sehore, Vidisha, Mandla and Damoh, he said.

Besides, the curbs have been extended till 6 am on May 24 in 25 other districts -- Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Singrauli, Satna, Sidhi, Ashoknagar, Dhar, Mandsaur, Rajgarh, Tikamgarh, Panna, Khargone, Guna, Barwani, Shajapur, Niwadi, Khandwa, Chhattarpur, Jhabua, Katni, Harda and Datia.

In Alirajpur, Narsinghpur, Betul, Anuppur and Ratlam, the corona curfew will remain in force till 6 am on May 25, in Burhanpur till 6 am on May 20 and in Dindori till 7 am on May 27, the release said.

On Monday, Madhya Pradesh reported 5,921 COVID-19 cases and 77 fatalities, taking the infection count to 7,37,306 and the death toll to 7,069, as per official data.

The number of fresh cases in the state fell below 6,000 on Monday for the first time after a gap of nearly five weeks.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The worlds largest vaccine maker of India (SII) which is making the AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines for Covid-19 in India said that it may start supplies to the global Covid vaccine alliance Covax by the end of this year. In a statement the firm also noted that it continues to prioritise India and has never exported Covid vaccines at the cost of the people in India.

In a message posted on micro-blogging site Twitter, SII said that it has delivered more than 200 million doses, even though it received EUA two months after the US pharma companies. If we look at total doses produced and delivered, we rank among the top three in the world. We continue to scale up manufacturing and prioritise India, the statement by SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said.

Poonawalla said that they hoped to start delivering to Covax and other countries by the end of this year. We would like to reiterate that we have never exported vaccines at the cost of the people in India and remain committed to do everything we can in support of the vaccination drive in the country. We have been working with the government tirelessly to do our best for humanity and will continue in the same spirit, he added.

After the third phase of Covid vaccination started with people above 18 years being made eligible to get the jab, the Centre has come under severe criticism on vaccine availability and shortage. Many states had to halt vaccinations for the 18-44 age group citing vaccine shortage. Police made arrests in Delhi, reportedly, after some people posted posters criticizing Covid vaccine exports last week.

SII now makes 65-70 million doses of Covishield per month and aims to ramp up production to 100 mn doses per month by July.

In January SII had a large stockpile of vaccine doses, and the Indian vaccination drive had started successfully. The number of daily cases being recorded were at an all time low, SII said. At that stage, most people including health experts believed that India was turning the tide on the pandemic. Around the same time, many other countries in the world were facing an acute crisis and were in desperate need of help. Our Government extended support wherever possible during this period, he said.

Poonawalla said that cooperation between countries also forms the basis to get access to technology and aid for healthcare. He gave the example of India supplying hydroxychloroquine, a drug used in Covid treatment, to other countries.

Further, as part of our global alliances, we also had commitments to COVAX, so that they could distribute the vaccines around the world to end the pandemic, Poonawalla says.

India being one of the most populous countries in the world cannot complete the vaccination drive within 2-3 months, SII said on Tuesday adding that it would take 2-3 years for the entire world population to get fully vaccinated.
The entire medical system in villages and small cities of is "Ram bharose", the said on Monday while hearing a PIL over the spread and the condition of quarantine centres in the state.

A High Court Bench of Justices Siddharth Verma and Ajit Kumar made the observation while taking into account the death of Santosh Kumar (64), who was admitted to an isolation ward at a Meerut hospital.

The doctors there failed to identify him and disposed of the body as unidentified, according to a probe report.

Santosh had fainted at a hospital bathroom on April 22 and efforts were made to revive him but he died.

The hospital staff could not identify the dead and failed to locate his file. Thus, it was taken as a case of an unidentified body. The body was packed in a bag and was disposed of, according to the probe report.

Commenting on it, the High Court on Monday said if this is the state of affairs at a medical college in the city like Meerut, then the entire medical system of the state pertaining to smaller cities and villages can only be taken to be like a famous Hindi saying, ''Ram bharose" (at God's mercy).

If doctors and paramedical staff adopt such casual approach and show carelessness in the performance of their duty, then it is a case of serious misconduct because it is something like playing with lives of innocent people. The state needs to take stern action against those responsible, the court observed.

Upon perusal of the report submitted by district magistrates of five districts, the court said, We have no hesitation in observing that health infrastructure is absolutely insufficient in city areas to meet the requirement of city population and in the rural areas the community health centres are virtually lacking in respect of life-saving gadgets.

The court directed the state government to provide sufficient health care infrastructure in compliance of its direction issued earlier.

On the issue of vaccination, the court suggested that big business houses who take benefits under taxation laws by donating to various religious organisations may be asked to divert their funds for vaccines.

Every nursing home/ hospital, which has more than 20 beds, should have at least 40 per cent of their beds as intensive care units, the court said.

Every nursing home and hospital, which has more than 30 beds, should compulsorily have an oxygen production plant, the court added.

Every second and third tier town of should be provided with at least 20 ambulances and every village should be provided with at least two ambulances having intensive care unit facilities, the court suggested while fixing May 22 as the next date of hearing.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Israel will temporarily reopen Gaza's main cargo crossing Kerem Shalom on Tuesday to allow the transfer of the humanitarian aid of gas, food and medicine to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The crossing will be reopened for a few hours to transfer the humanitarian aid to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government spokesperson told Xinhua.

The decision came amid the eighth day of intense fighting between Israel and Gaza's ruler Hamas, killing 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister



on Monday dismissed the allegation that he has diverted a project of manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines to his home district Pune.

He said the plant was being set up in Pune following a Bombay High Court decision in this regard.

Pawar is the guardian minister of Pune.

Pawar issued a statement after BJP MLA from Nagpur Krishna Khopde reportedly alleged that the deputy CM diverted the project to his home district.

"The Bombay High Court itself ordered to allot a place in Manjari in Haveli taluka of Pune to for manufacturing vaccine against COVID-19. Being the guardian minister, I have discharged the responsibility of obeying the court," Pawar said.

The senior NCP leader said he would have been equally happy if was allotted a space anywhere else in the state.

"Hence, Khopde's allegation is utterly false and misleading. It's a feeble attempt at garnering publicity for a transient period," Pawar said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 130 people in have contracted the after receiving both shots of the vaccine, with 12 cases being fatal, according to the latest data provided by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) on Monday.

From January 1 to May 14, 134 vaccinees were infected with the deadly virus, with most of them aged 80 and over. Of those infected, 27 people were hospitalized and 12 died.

The lowest number of COVID-19 infections after the vaccination was recorded among people aged 20-29. In this age group, only one man and two women tested positive for COVID-19.

"Since most of the elderly have been vaccinated so far, the number of infections after vaccination is higher in older people. In addition, the effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease with age. We will closely monitor the developments," a FOPH representative told Sputnik, adding that no COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective against the virus.

So far, more than 1.1 million people, or roughly 14% of the population, have been inoculated in The country has approved three vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, and currently considers AstraZeneca's application.

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More than 1.94 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and Union Territories, while one lakh jabs will be delivered to them within the next three days, the Centre said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Union said more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses have been made available to states and UTs far.

"The government has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses (20,78,04,890) to States/UTs. Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 18,83,47,432 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today)," it said.

"More than 1.94 crore COVID Vaccine doses (1,94,57,458) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Furthermore, 1 lakh (1,00,000) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next three days," the ministry said.

The ministry further said that in the second quarter of May 2021 (May 18 to May 31, 2021), 1.95 crore doses would be made available free of cost by the government to all States/UTs.

This advance information has already been shared with States/UTs by the Centre, the statement said.

"In addition, 72.40 lakh doses would be available for direct procurement by the States/UTs," it said.

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Sharing vaccine formulae for COVID-19 with developing countries will not help mitigate the global pandemic crisis as many of these countries did not have the capacity to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines adequately, Bill Gates, one of the world's leading billionaires and philanthropists, said on April 25. A few days later, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, of which he is co-chair, issued a statement saying they support a "narrow intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic". The Gates Foundation has been involved with vaccine-development efforts since early into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intellectual property rights (IPR) on drugs and vaccine formulae give creators an exclusive right over inventions for a certain period of time, and prevent multiple pharmaceutical companies from making the same items. This typically keeps prices high, and when drugs go off patents and multiple companies can make them, prices crash, making them more accessible and affordable.

The conversation on patent waivers began in the first year of the pandemic, when India and South African made a proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on October 2, 2020, for exemptions on several items for COVID-19, including drugs, vaccines, protective gear, ventilators and diagnostic kits. The WTO is the ultimate authority on global trade rules, including IPR, and enabler of international trade agreements for 164 member countries including India. Internationally, are governed by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which would have to be waived as an exception, per the proposal. The proposal recommended that these exemptions be in place until "the majority of the world's population has developed immunity" and until "widespread vaccination is in place globally".

At the time, the World Health Organization's director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had also said that he supported this move as it would "ease international & intellectual property agreements on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments & tests in order to make the tools available to all who need them at an affordable cost". Public health advocates have supported the proposal.

The tide has begun to turn in favour of the proposal only as of this month. Apart from the divergence between Bill Gates and his foundation, the United States government has also come out in support of a waiver.

On May 5, the United States Trade Representative said the government "supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines" in "service of ending this pandemic". The United States is home to several COVID-19 vaccine-makers including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novavax and Moderna. In a day's time, several other countries indicated they would support a waiver, including France, Russia and New Zealand.

Any waiver by the WTO would have to be by consensus among member states. The European Commission said it would begin discussions on waivers but Germany, home to BioNTech, the firm that created the vaccine being marketed by Pfizer, said it opposed a waiver because "the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so".

However, the Indian government has taken a different line domestically: At a hearing in India's Supreme Court this month, the court asked the government whether it intended to issue any compulsory licenses to companies to manufacture drugs like remdesivir that are being used for COVID-19 treatment. The government reportedly informed the court that as it was "actively engaging itself with global organisations at a diplomatic level to find out a solution", and further: "Any exercise of statutory powers either under the Patents Act 1970 read with TRIPS Agreement and Doha Declaration or in any other way can only prove to be counter-productive at this stage". If the government were to use its powers to waive patents on COVID-19 items, this "would have serious, severe and unintended adverse consequences in the country's efforts being made on global platform using all its resources, good-will and good-offices though (sic) diplomatic and other channels".

The shortage of COVID-19 vaccines is global, and India being a major producer, its shortage directly impacts global supplies. Some 64 countries are due to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVAX facility for low and middle income countries. But this has taken a hit--the WHO said in March 2021 that countries depending on the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII), branded Covishield in India, would experience delays "due to the increased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in India."

Likewise, the production and supply of the Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines has also been delayed. Several countries in the developed world had placed advance orders, but the companies have not been able to deliver, according to the Launch and Scale Speedometer of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center in the US.

Patent waiver without tech-transfer means nothing

Waiving intellectual property rights without technology transfer "is like saying 'From tomorrow we will make space travel free'," said Gopakumar Nair, a former pharmaceutical industry executive and an expert on

"The patent waiver at the global level is a good move. Indian companies will be able to step in and make more COVID-19 vaccines," said Sudarshan Jain, secretary general of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), which represents 24 leading pharmaceutical companies. The next step must be to ensure transfer of technology, without which the first step is meaningless, he said.

India's generics industry has for decades reverse-engineered drugs to sell cheaper, mass-produced generic versions. But vaccines, especially those using the newer mRNA technology, require a higher order of scientific knowhow, Nair said, which is the reason why technology transfer will be key.

Yet, pharmaceutical companies may not want to comply with WTO waivers, even if they come through--the WTO's next meeting to discuss IPR is in June, and the next is slated in October. Experts believe vaccine production after waivers will take well over a year to ease the current shortage.

The most effective solution is for patent holders themselves to issue voluntary licenses to other companies, Jain said, adding that the recent announcements have created an environment where patent holding companies will have to recognise this as a real and imminent issue.

"For generic companies wishing to make COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, it is important that they not only have access to the patent information but also have some sort of partnership or license with the innovator companies to figure out how to develop the item. This will help them arrange the necessary equipment, infrastructure, technical skills, technology, software, laboratories and raw materials," said Shivangi Mittal, senior associate at Koan Advisory.

"Companies who receive these licenses from the innovator companies, to make the drug or vaccine on contract basis, will also avoid going through clinical trials again, which will not be the case for a generic company that develops the entire technology, product and process for the item on its own without a technology transfer," said Mittal.

Amid this, the Indian government's statement in court has drawn criticism. "We may think that big pharmaceutical companies are bluffing about not wanting to allow patent waivers, but it is the Indian government who is bluffing by saying these contradictory statements abroad and in India on whether it will support waiving patents," said Murali Neelakantan, a lawyer, and formerly the legal counsel for Cipla and Glenmark. "How can Indian companies have confidence that they will not be sued for patent infringement, when the government sends different signals?" he said.

There are other reasons why those opposing patent waivers say they will not be immediately beneficial, as a May 2021 report from research and brokerage firm Sanford Bernstein highlights. One reason they cite is that unless the waiver comes with technology-transfer, it will take longer for Indian manufacturers to themselves develop the technology needed, end-to-end, especially for the mRNA vaccines such as from Pfizer and Moderna. Another reason they cite is that the existing manufacturing capacity in India is already in use, with very little idle capacity.

Big foreign pharmaceutical companies and their industry-associations are not yet on board with the waiver, or convinced that it will solve any of the current supply problems. They point out that a waiver could disrupt existing supply chains of raw materials and manufactured vaccines, and result in a suboptimal use of limited resources at a critical time. For instance, a statement from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) pointed out that patent waivers would not solve the limited availability of raw materials or provide solutions to actually distribute the various vaccines thus produced. Trade barriers and supply-chain constraints are a more worrisome problem than patents, according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

Companies who want to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and governments interested to make this happen must ensure that raw materials are available, adequate infrastructure and equipment are available, that high levels of quality control are maintained and that a large enough and skilled workforce is available, a report in the British Medical Journal said on May 10, 2021.

However, drawing it all together, "the patent is still the critical barrier", said Davinder Gill, an expert on vaccines and former vice president for global biotherapeutics at Pfizer. "If you compare India with other countries in the sub-continent, and if the same waiver was provided to all countries, India would be the one to perform well. In India there is the capacity, and experience, to make drugs and vaccines." Without technology transfer, it may take longer, but Indian companies will be able to develop the vaccines, he said, adding, "But the patent is still the critical barrier which poses the risk and is preventing companies from jumping in."

Giving licenses to Indian companies

As an example of voluntary licenses already happening with some success in this pandemic, Jain cited the examples of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine. All of these companies have given out voluntary licenses to some companies around the world.

If the waiver itself does not automatically mean companies can immediately start producing COVID-19 vaccines, why has there been so much opposition from big pharmaceutical companies? Some experts believe it is to protect their long-held and rigid positions on intellectual property rights, for fear they may have to concede even more over time.

Neelakantan said that although patent holding companies could license their vaccine and collect royalties, that too at a large scale, they have no incentive to do this. If a drug or vaccine is being sold at a cheaper price in India, the low price in India will be seen as a 'reference-price', and the manufacturer will have to answer why the same item is sold cheaply in India but at a high price in the west. "Pharmaceutical companies don't have an incentive to allow cheaper pricing in the developing world. They don't want to be seen giving the situation an easy walk over."

What India can do

In a global pandemic, governments must use all their powers, laws, and negotiation skills, and reinvent how patents operate, said Leena Menghaney, global intellectual property rights advisor for Medecins Sans Frontieres' Access Campaign.

"Clearly the two Indian companies supposed to supply vaccines to India--Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech--have not been able to keep up. So this duopoly should not be allowed to exist anymore," she said. "Why are we giving all our powers to pharmaceutical companies to decide whether people in India and around the world can afford or access COVID-19 drugs and vaccines and whether to give licenses to other companies to make them?"

The Indian government has the power to issue a compulsory license--to make a patent-holding pharmaceutical company compulsorily grant a manufacturing license to another company, which could be accompanied by transfer of technology. She added that Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, which was developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, has been licensed to three companies--the Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited and Haffkine Institute. "This kind of licensing and technology-transfer needs to be done for all the other vaccines too," she said.
Prime Minister will interact with field officials from states and districts, many of which have seen a surge in Covid-19 cases in the second wave.

Official from Karnataka, Bihar, Assam, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi will take part in the meeting, which is scheduled for 11 am.

In their interaction with PM Modi, the officials will share some best practices, suggestions and recommendations for continuing the ongoing battle against Covid-19 especially in semi-urban and rural areas, the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read.

Official sources had earlier said that district magistrates from 46 districts from nine state will take part in this meeting.

They also said that the PM Modi will hold similar meeting on May 20 in which officials of 54 districts from 10 states will take part.

The battle against Covid-19 across various states and districts is being led at the cutting edge by field-level officials and many of them have shown great initiative and come out with imaginative solutions, the PMO said on Monday.

The officials from these states and districts also have success stories in containing the spread of the virus that could be replicated across the country, the statement said.

"Many of them have shown great initiative and come out with imaginative solutions. A better appreciation of such initiatives will help towards developing effective response plan, targeted strategy implementation and support necessary policy interventions," it said.

Many effective measures have been taken to control the spread from ensuring strict containment measures, preparing healthcare facilities for handling the second wave, ensuring availability of healthcare workforce and a seamless supply chain for logistics, the statement said.
Farmers in Maharashtra's



Aurangabad district have raised concern over the rising prices of fertilisers amid the grim COVID-19 situation and sought help from the government ahead of the upcoming sowing season.

When contacted, state Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse told PTI that they have written to the central government to reduce the prices of fertilisers.

Notably, the Centre recently said it is considering subsidies to offset rise in global prices of raw materials of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers in a bid to ensure their availability to farmers at subsidised rates across the country.

The government said it was taking all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of farmers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Farmer Deepak Joshi from Devgaon in Paithan said the rising prices of fertilisers have upset his farming budget.

He said his crop yield last year got sold at lower prices than normal as there were no buyers due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

"Government agencies suggest use of fertilisers while sowing seeds. Not only fertilisers, but the cost of every activity has gone up due to fuel price hike. Earlier, two bags of fertilisers used to cost around Rs 1,100 each. Now, each bag costs around Rs 1,925," he said.

Farmer Ishwar Sapkal from Soyegaon town also expressed similar woes.

"To cultivate jowar for a yield of 100 kg of grains, we need need 25 kg fertiliser which costs Rs 1,000 now. Last time, I fetched a price of Rs 1,000 per quintal for my jowar crop. So there was no profit at all," he said.

Sakpal has 40 acre of land and this year, he has taken up cultivation of turmeric, ginger and cotton which need less amount of fertilisers as compared to other crops.

Kalidas Apet, working president of the pro-farmer outfit Shetkari Sanghatna, said the increase in rates of fertilisers is justified only if farmers get the right price for their produce.

Local agriculture expert Vijayanna Borade said the current second wave of COVID-19 coupled with the fuel price hike and rising prices of fertilisers were a big cause of worry for farmers.

"The government gave Rs 2,000 each to farmers through the Kisan Samman Yojana, but it has got neutralised with the fertiliser price hike. The Kharif season yield this year may go down and cause shortage of food grains," Borade claimed.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that once the devastating COVID-19 outbreak in India recedes, the will need to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX, the global initiative to supply coronavirus vaccines to nations around the world.

During a daily virtual press briefing on Monday, the World Health Organisation Director-General said that the surge in COVID-19 cases around the world has compromised the global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.

COVAX, the global COVID vaccine equity scheme, has so far delivered 65 million doses to 124 countries and economies but it is dependent on countries and manufacturers honouring their commitments.

Once the devastating outbreak in India recedes, we also need the to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX, Ghebreyesus said.



Read Also: World is at risk of 'vaccine apartheid', says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom

The UN children's agency UNICEF said the devastating surge in coronavirus cases in India has impacted vaccine supplies to the COVAX facility.

Among the global consequences of the situation in India, a global hub for vaccine production, is a severe reduction in vaccines available to COVAX.

Soaring domestic demand has meant that 140 million doses intended for distribution to low- and middle-income countries through the end of May cannot be accessed by COVAX. Another 50 million doses are likely to be missed in June, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement.

A note to editors in the UNICEF statement said that shortfall numbers are based on delays related to shipments from the (SII) only. Other delays related to the original COVAX delivery schedule are expected to be made up by the end of June.

There is currently no timetable to resolve SII-related delays, the note said.

UNICEF said the COVAX facility will deliver its 65 millionth dose in the coming days when it should have been at least its 170 millionth.

By the time G7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as a deadly second wave of COVID-19 will likely continue to sweep across India and many of its South Asian neighbours, the shortfall will be near 190 million doses.

The UNICEF Executive Director said in addition to vaccine nationalism, limited production capacity and lack of funding is the reason why the roll-out of COVID vaccines is so behind schedule.

While expressing concern over the surge in coronavirus cases in India, Fore said the UN has issued repeated warnings of the risks of "letting down our guard and leaving low- and middle-income countries without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

We are concerned that the deadly spike in India is a precursor to what will happen if those warnings remain unheeded. While the situation in India is tragic, it is not unique.

Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling in countries near like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives and far, like Argentina and Brazil, Fore said, warning that the cost for children and families will be incalculable.

The longer the virus continues to spread unchecked, the higher the risk of more deadly or contagious variants emerging, she said, adding that the clearest pathway out of this pandemic is a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

While COVAX -- led by the WHO, Vaccine Alliance Gavi and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations with UNICEF as implementing partner -- represents such a pathway, Fore voiced her concern that COVAX is undersupplied.

Earlier this month, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said it was not possible to ramp up production overnight since vaccine manufacturing is a specialised process. The SII has received total orders of over 26 crore doses from the Government of India, of which more than 15 crore doses have been supplied.

In a tweet last week, Poonawalla said that the SII is doing our best to ramp up production & launch new vaccines on priority for India.

Fore cited new data analysis provided by life sciences research facility Airfinity that indicates that G7 nations and Team Europe' group of European Union Member States could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20 per cent of their available supply over June, July and August.

The chief said Pfizer has committed to providing 40 million doses of vaccines with COVAX this year, but the majority of these would be in the second half of 2021.

Moderna also has signed a deal for 500 million doses with COVAX, but the majority has been promised only for 2022.

As per the pact which included funding to support manufacturing increase, the SII is contracted to provide COVAX with the SII-licensed and manufactured AstraZeneca (AZ)-Oxford vaccine (known as COVISHIELD) to 64 lower-income economies participating in the Gavi COVAX AMC (including India), alongside its commitments to the Government of India, the had said.

Last year, it was announced that the collaboration among SII, Gavi and the Gates Foundation would accelerate manufacturing and delivery of up to an additional 100 million doses of future vaccines for low- and middle-income countries in 2021.

India's COVID-19 death toll on Tuesday climbed to 2,78,719 with a record 4,329 fresh fatalities, while the single day rise in cases stood at 2.63 lakh, the lowest in 28 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Severe cyclonic storm Tauktae that is hovering over Saurashtra in would move north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during next three hours, informed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday.

"Severe cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' lay centered at 08:30 hrs IST of May 18 over Saurashtra, about 130 kilometers south-southwest of Surendranagar and 10 kilometers east of Amreli. It would move north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours," tweeted.

The meteorological department informed that 'Tauktae' lay centered at 09:30 am over Saurashtra, near latitude 21.65 degrees north and longitude 71.35 degrees east, about 205 kilometers southwest of Ahmedabad, 125 kilometers south-southwest of Surendranagar.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a high-level review meeting on situation and rainfall conditions in the state, especially in the 14 coastal districts, today.

had earlier said the eye of cyclonic storm Tauktae has ended and it is now disorganizing.

"The VSCS 'TAUKTAE' lay centred at 0430 HRS IST of 18TH MAY 2021 over SAURASHTRA, near LAT. 21.40N AND LONG. 71.20E, about 85 KM north-northeast of Diu and 20 KM south of AMRELI. The continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening," tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy and NDRF continued to remain vigilant and carry out rescue operations along the Western coast.

According to Pramod Yadav, Deputy commandment, NDRF, "Connectivity of COVID hospital was blocked due to damage caused by the in Goa, NDRF team clearing the road to restart the connectivity."

Following the effects of the cyclone, IMD predicted light to moderate intensity rain over isolated places of West-Delhi, South-west Delhi, Hathras, Firozabad, Badayun, Aligarh, Sikandra Rao, Narora, Raya, Igals, Atrauli, Kashganj, Mathura, Sahaswan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Khurja, Pahasu, Tundla, Alwar, Mahwa, Dausa, Kotputli, Rajgarh, Viratnagar, Kairthal, Nagaur, Jhunjhunu, Pilani, Nadbai (Rajasthan) and adjoining areas during the next two hours.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Singapore on Tuesday dismissed media reports quoting Delhi Chief Minister that a very dangerous" strain of the was prevalent in the city state, saying there is no truth whatsoever in such assertions.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said the new strain of could invade India in the form of a third wave.

"The new form of in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis," the Delhi chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday.

Responding to Kejriwal's tweet, Singapore's health ministry said: There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports.

There is no Singapore variant. The strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India. Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore, it said in a statement.

Responding to the chief minister's appeal, India's Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said only a few flights are being operated between the two countries under the government's Vande Bharat Mission to bring stranded Indians back, and added that "all precautions are being taken".

While there is no known Singapore strain of the coronavirus or any known to have originated in the city-state, Kejriwal appeared to be referring to a media report on Monday.

The report had mentioned the threat posed to Singapore's children by the variant first detected in India.

Reacting to the media report, Dr V K Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog, told a briefing on Tuesday, "We are examining it".

Aviation Minister Puri replied to the Delhi CM's tweet, saying, "Kejriwal ji, all international flights have been stopped since March 2020. We have no air bubble with Singapore either."



Only a few flights are being operated between the two countries under Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indians stuck there, he added.

"We are still keeping an eye on the situation. All precautions are being taken," Puri noted.

Earlier this month, the chief minister had said Delhi should prepare for the third wave of COVID-19.

The national capital on Tuesday reported 4,482 Covid-19 cases, the lowest single-day rise since April 5, and 265 fatalities, while the positivity rate dipped to 6.89 per cent.

Delhi had reported 4,524 cases and 340 fatalities on Monday, while the positivity rate was 8.42 per cent.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister M K



Stalin has ordered a payout of Rs 2,000, the first instalment of the Rs 4,000 pandemic assistance plan, also to people who have newly received their rice category ration cards, the government said here on Tuesday.

Now, 2,14,950 new rice ration cards that have been issued have come under use and Stalin has ordered payment of the first instalment to such families as well, a government release said.

The payment, to families covered under the two lakh plus new cards, would be disbursed this month at an estimated cost of Rs 42.99 crore.

Stalin has already ordered disbursal of first instalment in May to 2,07,66,950 rice card holders at a cost of Rs 4,153.39 crore.

The Rs 4,000 COVID-19 cash assistance to people holding rice cards is an electoral promise of the DMK.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China appreciates Afghanistan's firm support for China to safeguard its core interests, and will as always speak up for the independence, sovereignty and dignity of Afghanistan.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar.

Wang said that the China-Afghanistan strategic cooperative partnership has maintained a momentum of development, their Belt and Road cooperation has made continuous progress, and traditional friendship between the two countries has been enhanced in the joint fight against COVID-19.

China is willing to work with Afghanistan to take the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good-neighborly Relations between the two countries as an opportunity to deepen their Belt and Road cooperation as well as practical cooperation in various fields, Wang said.

China will continue to provide necessary support for Afghanistan and South Asian countries to fight the pandemic, and is willing to deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and help Afghanistan strengthen its anti-terrorism capacities, he said.

Wang said that China will continue to support the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country's peace and reconciliation process, and call on all parties to support and implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions to promote a smooth transition of the Afghanistan situation, to avoid in particular a resurgence of terrorist forces.

The international community and regional countries should uphold justice and fairness and help the Afghan people maintain and consolidate the fruits of peace and reconstruction in the country, he said.

China supports all parties in Afghanistan to continue to push forward negotiations among the Afghan people themselves and establish a broad and inclusive political framework for the future based on the principles of political settlement, putting peace first and advancing step by step, Wang said.

In this process, all parties should maintain patience and goodwill, strive to stop violence and cease fire, and create a favorable environment for peace talks, he added.

Wang expressed his hope that Afghanistan's future leadership will pursue a moderate Muslim policy, promote a foreign policy of peace, maintain friendship with neighboring countries, and firmly combat all forms of terrorism.

China will continue to play a constructive role in advancing the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, he added.

Atmar, for his part, said that Afghanistan is firmly committed to strengthening its relations with Afghanistan, and hopes to conduct strategic dialogue and communication with China on deepening bilateral pragmatic and anti-terrorism cooperation as well as advancing regional cooperation.

Thanking China for its strong support as well as humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan, Atmar said that the Afghan side hopes to work with China to implement the outcomes of the video conference of foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the pandemic.

The Afghan side highly appreciates China's continuous positive role in supporting the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, and is willing to cooperate closely with China in bilateral and multilateral coordination to safeguard peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, Atmar said.
The and had rescued 314 people till Tuesday evening from two barges that went adrift in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai as Tauktae struck.

The storm showed signs of weakening, but not before causing significant damage to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In Gujarat, at least seven people were killed as the battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electricity poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, officials said on Tuesday. In Mumbai, three lives were lost and 10 people were injured in the last 24 hours.

Over 16,000 houses were also damaged and more than 40,000 trees and over 1,000 poles uprooted due to the cyclonic storm in Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, three barges and an oil rig with 707 personnel on board had gone adrift on Monday.

These included an accommodation barge P305 with 273 persons onboard; cargo barge GAL Constructor with 137 personnel onboard; accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel aboard; and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig with 101 personnel, a navy official said.

All 137 onboard GAL Constructor and 177 of the 273 aboard P305 have been rescued so far, the official said.

Two Coast Guard Chetak helicopters operating from the Coast Guard Air station in Daman rescued personnel on board the GAL Constructor. One more Chetak helicopter was also pressed into service for the SAR (search and rescue) operations, he said.

There is no word yet on the progress of rescue operations for the accommodation barge SS-3 and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig.

Navy ships were deployed on Monday after a request for assistance for barge P305, which went adrift off Heera oil fields in the Bombay High area with 273 personnel on board. The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

Sixty persons on board the P305 barge were rescued till 11 pm and the remaining till Tuesday afternoon, the official said, adding a navy helicopter brought three rescues to INS Shikra this morning.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had on Monday said barge P305 with 261 personnel deployed for offshore drilling got de-anchored and began drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

Lives and supplies hit

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the landfall process of the eye of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which hit the Gujarat coast in the Saurashtra region between Diu and Una, ended around midnight.

The crossed the Gujarat coast as an extremely severe cyclonic storm and gradually weakened, IMD said.

On Tuesday evening, it lay over the Saurashtra region, 75 km south-south-west of Ahmedabad. The wind intensity reduced to 105-115 kmph, gusting to 125 kmph, according to the IMD bulletin.



Boats at sea



A barge is a long, flat-bottomed boat carrying freight or personnel either on its own power or towed by another.



An accommodation barge is of shallow draft (vessel whose keel is not far below the waterline) and is used to accommodate personnel on projects where shore accommodation is not available.



Offshore accommodation barges are fully autonomous and used mainly in the oil and gas industries.

Before the cyclonic intensity weakened, at least seven people were killed  three in Bhavnagar and one each in Rajkot, Patan, Amreli and Valsad, officials said.

Also, 159 roads were damaged and 196 blocked, the official said, adding that 45 of them had been cleared for traffic movement. There was a power outage in 2,437 villages but supply to 484 of them has been restored, the officials added.

The state government's major concern was uninterrupted treatment of Covid-19 patients in around 1,400 hospitals across Gujarat.

Out of these facilities, 16 faced a power outage due to the cyclone. Electricity supply was restored in 12 of them, while the remaining four were operating on backup power generators.

The production of medical oxygen at a plant in Bhavnagar was disrupted due to the cyclonic storm, but the supply continued from the buffer stock, the official said.

According to the IMD, most places of Gujarat are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall on Tuesday, with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places in these areas.

Home Minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, spoke to the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Diu tomorrow to review the situation and damage due to Cyclone Tauktae.
The United States will share 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses with other countries, taking the total number of such shots to 80 million, President said on Monday.

"Over the next six weeks, the United States of America will send 80 million doses overseas. That represents 13 per cent of the vaccines produced by the US by the end of June. This will be more vaccine doses than any country has actually shared to date, five times more than any other country. More than Russia and China, which have donated 15 million doses," Biden told reporters at a news conference here.

"There's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with this demonstration of our innovation, ingenuity, and the fundamental decency of the American people. Just as in World War II, America was the arsenal of democracy, in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation is going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world. We'll share these vaccines in the service of ending the pandemic everywhere," he said.

"We will not use our vaccines to secure favours from other countries," Biden said as he announced that in addition to the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines, the US will give another 20 million COVID-19 approved vaccines.

"In March, we shared over four million doses of our AstraZeneca vaccine with Canada and Mexico. At the end of April, we announced that we would provide another 60 million doses of our AstraZeneca vaccine overseas," he said.

AstraZeneca vaccine has not been authorized for use in the US yet, and it is awaiting safely clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration. "And today, I'm announcing that we'll also share US-authorized vaccines doses of Pfizer and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, as they become available, with the rest of the world as well. These are vaccines that are authorized to be put in the arms of Americans," he said.

"And by the end of June, when we'll have taken delivery of enough of such vaccines to protect everyone in the United States. The US will share at least 20 million doses of those doses -- that extra supply -- with other countries," Biden said.

Biden's announcement was welcomed by US lawmakers and Indian-American community leaders.

"While I'm glad to see the White House committing to sharing an additional 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with the world by the end of next month, this is only one step of the many more we need to take to reduce the threat of new mutant strains emerging from outbreaks abroad and causing another deadly surge here at home," said Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

"The outbreaks we're seeing in India and many other nations are a tragedy for all those facing them, and they're a threat to those in other countries who've already been vaccinated because of the risk they pose of producing vaccine-resistant mutations," he said.

"We need to further expand our support to the nations battling these outbreaks in order to save the millions of lives in danger today, and the millions more across the world, and in the United States, who could be endangered by new forms of the virus if these surges are allowed to fester," Krishnamoorthi said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that a decision on which countries would receive these vaccine doses would be taken in due course.

Indian-American community leader Ajay Bhutoria also welcomed Biden's announcement.

"The President is restoring America's leadership in the world by stepping by being a Leader in fight against COVID-19 and sharing vaccine doses with people around the world," he said. In a statement, he urged the President that the vaccines be sent to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Brazil and other countries heavily impacted by the pandemic.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on Monday announced that it has extended Covid till May 25 due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state.

Giving information about the important decisions taken regarding the Covid-19 in the high-level meeting, government spokesman Subodh Uniyal said that the COVID-19 lockdown will be implemented from May 18 to 6 am to May 25 at 6 am.

"A maximum of 20 people will be allowed in the wedding ceremony and RTPCR test will be mandatory before 72 hours. COVID-19 will be valid only for the visit of the patient to the doctor, the pass will be given on the e-pass application in the health emergency", read an official note.

At Bank's request, the procedure was carried out from 10 am to 2 pm, the same arrangement will also be applicable to the State Employees Finance Institute.

Also, the Uttarkhand Police has decided to keep police personnel aged 55 years and above and pregnant police personnel free of COVID frontline duty in the state.

Women police personnel having infants below one year of age too will also be kept free of COVID-19 duty, said an official statement issued by the state police.

"Policemen above 55 years of age, pregnant police personnel, and women police personnel having infants below one year of age should be kept free of COVID frontline duty. And they should be allotted task where their need to be in touch of public remain the least," it said.

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The on Tuesday declined to entertain a PIL seeking waiver of clinical trials of foreign vaccines and priority in to those who have already taken the first dose, and said authorities may treat the plea as a representation.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said the reliefs sought in the petition by a lawyer pertained to drafting of policies which was not the domain of the courts which would consider making policy decision only in exceptional cases.

The court said the petition by advocate Nazia Parveen was seeking priority in for those who have already received the first dose of the vaccine and such a relief cannot be given "just for the asking".

"It has become a fashion in Delhi that every now and then people are rushing to the courts with PILs for priority in

"If everyone is given priority, question would be who will come next in line. Government has its own priorities," the bench said.

With regard to the prayer seeking information regarding status of vaccine doses ordered for the vaccination drive starting from May 1, the bench said these details can be sought under the Right to Information Act and filing a writ petition or a PIL was not the appropriate remedy.

On the issues of framing a policy with regard to vaccine distribution and waiver of clinical trias of foreign vaccines, as sought in the plea filed through advocate Sanjeev Sagar, the bench said policy decisions are taken by experts in the field as it was a complex phenomena.

"It (policy) cannot be drafted by courts. We are not going to exercise our power to draft a policy," the bench said.

On the issue of bottling of vaccines raised in the plea, the bench said it was a technical aspect to be dealt with by experts.

The court also said that few of the prayers in the petition related to issues already pending before the Supreme Court and therefore, that was another reason not to entertain the plea.

"We see no reasons to entertain the writ petition. Concerned respondent authorities may treat the petition as a representation and decide it in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the facts of the case.

"With these observations, the petition is disposed of," the court said.

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The IT and Business Services market in the country recorded a lower year-on-year growth of 5.41 per cent to USD 13.41 billion in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on organisations, research firm IDC said on Tuesday.

However, the IT and Business Services market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.18 per cent between 2020-2025 and touch nearly USD 19 billion by the end of 2025 on the back of increased spending in areas like cloud and artificial intelligence.

The Indian IT and Business Services market had grown by 8.43 per cent in 2019, but the growth rate fell in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the country, as per IDC Worldwide Semi-annual Services Tracker.

Of the IT and Business Services market, the IT Services segment contributed 77.06 per cent and grew by 5.97 per cent in 2020. This is against a growth rate of 8.91 per cent in 2019.

As per IDC, the IT and Business Services market will begin picking up momentum gradually from 2021 onwards due to increased spending in areas like cloud, application modernisation, AI, automation etc.

"The IT and Business Services market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.18 per cent between 2020-2025 and reach USD 18.97 billion by the end of 2025," it said.

IDC India Senior Market Analyst (IT Services) Harish Krishnakumar said enterprises across all sectors have started investing in digital transformation as the pandemic made it evident that businesses with higher digital adoption would fare better than ones with traditional IT systems.

"During the second half of 2020, apart from cloud adoption and IT security, enterprises also started to increasingly invest in technologies like AI, machine learning, and analytics for solutions like conversational AI and Chatbots, fraud prevention, demand forecasting, etc., which would help streamline their business operations," he added.

Even sectors like manufacturing, which was adversely affected during the initial stages of the pandemic, started investing in cloud-based applications and automation projects, Krishnakumar said.

IDC classifies the IT and Business Services market into three primary markets Project-Oriented, Managed Services, and Support Services.

For 2020, managed services segment registered the highest growth rate at 6.85 per cent, followed by project-oriented services at 5.92 per cent, and support services at 4.51 per cent.

In 2020, hosted application management and hosted infrastructure services witnessed a higher growth as many enterprises continued to migrate their applications to the cloud, IDC said.

The growth is also attributed to the increase in demand for cloud services driven by the rise in remote working, online classes, and online streaming because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.

"While the year 2020 pushed enterprises to focus on survival and business continuity strategies through cost takeout and cost optimisation initiatives, the year 2021 will pave the way for business resiliency plans to kick-in and accelerated investments in technologies to support an enterprise's digital goals," IDC India Senior Research Manager (Enterprise Software and ICT Services) Shweta Baidya said.

Some of the areas where IDC envisions clear opportunities for service providers include cloud enablement and augmentation services, network management, optimisation and automation, managed security services, and AI-based services, among others, Baidya added.

"With a large part of the workforce being out of action during the second wave of the pandemic, enterprises will look up to their service partners to enable digital transformation initiatives and prepare them to be a future-ready enterprise," Baidya said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Scottish National Party (SNP), which will continue in government after emerging as the single largest party in elections this month, aspires to ramp up trade and ties with India.

Robert Taylor, a senior spokesman for the Scottish government in Edinburgh, speaking exclusively to Business Standard, said: India is an increasingly important market for and is identified as one of the top 20 countries for export growth.



In general, the devolved government plans to increase the total value of exports from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of Scotlands gross domestic product (GDP). Taylor added the potential areas of export growth with India include engineering and advance manufacturing, food and drink, technology, energy, finance and business services, and chemical sciences.



It also seeks inward investors from India. A notable in the past has been by Piramal Healthcare, which has a facility in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire. This unit manufactures bio-conjugates, including antibody drug conjugates. India has a consulate in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.

Scottish exports to India today are modest. In 2018, goods and services (excluding oil and gas) accounted for 295 million or just 0.9 per cent of Scotlands international exports. The biggest sale was food and drink, representing 140 million, or almost half of total Scottish exports to India. Scotch whisky is a significant attraction for Indian consumers, notwithstanding the 150 per cent duty being slapped on imports by India.

In fact, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been at pains to plead with the Indian government that the tariff should be reduced. However, the Enhanced Trade Partnership agreement signed between the two countries a fortnight ago did not extend this concession.

India is the eleventh largest inward investor in This could change if the incentives provided by the British government, combined with the gloomy climate in India in the foreseeable future leads to a spurt in outward activity on the part of Indian companies.

Front and centre in the SNP manifesto was an early independence referendum. While there is no definitive feedback to suggest there is majority support for Scotlands separation from the United Kingdom, the sentiment for cessation has certainly risen since the plebiscite of 2014. This is because voted overwhelmingly against the UK exiting the European Union in 2016, but was forcibly dragged into leaving because of the overall British inclination being in its favour. The hardline Scottish view is, therefore, to quit the UK and rejoin the EU.

Johnson is firmly opposed to another referendum. He argues the 2014 test of opinion was a once in a generation opportunity, which the SNP lost. Nevertheless, a major confrontation looms next year between the central government at Westminster and the SNP.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister and a Scot, weighed in on the debate in a recent column, affirming that Johnsons muscular unionism was mistaken policy. He revealed that an opinion poll carried out on the same day as when 48 per cent of voters opted for the SNP, 73 per cent of Scots favoured better cooperation between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

An argument against an independent Scotland is that it is economically unviable. Scottish finances are kept afloat by significant grants from London. For instance, 100 per cent of outgoings on education, housing, health and justice are funded by the UK government. The difference between revenue and spending by the Holyrood government was estimated to be 8.6 per cent of GDP in 2019-20. Scotlands GDP being 146 billion in Q2 of 2020. Besides, riches from North Sea oil and gas are now a dwindling matter.

It is, thus, all the more important that, if the SNP is to advance a credible case for freedom from the UK, it majorly shores up economic engagement with other countries to demonstrate it can stand on its own feet.
is looking to hire three agencies to strengthen its brand, aiming to be a preferred choice of customers with innovative models.

requires services of marketing agencies for overall strategy, improving effectiveness of digital eco system, suggesting ideas as per requirement of the bank and well as doing analytics in the digital space among others, the bank said.

"Bank proposes to empanel three agencies and these digital marketing agencies shall be responsible for digital marketing communication across various media," the lender said in a tender document inviting bids from eligible agencies.

is one the largest PSU with over 8,400 branches and 12,000 plus ATM network across the country.

With presence in 21 countries across the globe, Bank of Baroda said it is forging ahead with cutting edge technologies and innovative new models.

Noting that it is an "iconic" and a "hugely trusted" brand, Bank of Baroda said in the recent past it has innovated a slew of digital offerings targeted not just at the youth, but across the demographic spectrum, both in rural and urban India.

"With such innovations and improvements, bank aspires to give an impetus to its marketing efforts to develop a highly favourable brand perception from what it is today, in the process, endeavour to become the preferred choice of customers when it comes to fulfilling their needs," said the lender.

To that end, the bank now seeks to appoint a highly regarded and well recognized digital agency. The bank said the agency should have a minimum experience of at least 5 years and for start-ups, the minimum experience is of at least 3 years.

Among others, the agency should currently be a Google/Facebook partner in India and have a full-fledged office in Mumbai and shall allocate a dedicated team for the bank.

Bank of Baroda also aspires to be visible digitally through means such as YouTube, influencer tie-ups, content syndications as well as new age media opportunities. The digital marketing firm will also be required to create content through campaigns, mobile first based content, blog--articles, infographics, gifs and videos.

The bank said it will hire the agency for a period of three years which may be extendable further for a period of two years.

The interested agencies can submit their bids by 3PM on June 4. The bank said it will shorty inform about the date of commencement of the bid opening.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
All 86 of railways' COVID hospitals will soon have plants of their own, the national transporter said on Tuesday.

A statement from the ministry said that it was planning massive capacity enhancement in 86 railway hospitals across India which have been identified as COVID hospitals.

While four plants are already functional, 52 have been sanctioned and 30 are under various stages of processing.

"All railway COVID Hospitals to be equipped with plants," it said.

General managers of zonal have been delegated further powers upto Rs 2 crore in each case for sanctioning oxygen generation plants, it said.

A series of measures have been initiated for the treatment of rail staffers and their families.

The number of beds for COVID treatment have been increased from 2,539 to 6,972. The ICU beds in COVID hospitals have been increased from 273 to 573.

Invasive ventilators have been added and their number has been increased from 62 to 296.

"Constant efforts are being made to add critical medical equipment like BIPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders etc in railway hospitals. The have also issued instructions that COVID affected employees may be admitted to empanelled hospitals on referral basis as per need.

"This massive capacity enhancement in railway hospitals would usher in better infrastructure to handle medical emergencies," the said.

Around 2,000 railway employees have so far lost their lives to COVID with about 1,000 getting infected daily, according to official data. So far, around 4.32 lakh rail employees have been vaccinated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pledging that he will not risk Australian lives, Prime Minister on Tuesday said the strict measures adopted by his government have avoided 30,000 deaths in the country due to the "raging" COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries.

Addressing a press conference in Queensland, Morrison termed the emergence of new virus strains was a "great risk".

He said all the vaccines being administered across the world may not be equipped to deal with the new virus variants. However, he assured that his government was taking decisions based on the best medical advice available currently.

"The pandemic is raging. The pandemic is morphing. It's changing everyday. When you see the pandemic this year raging through developing countries, then the great risk, as we're already seeing, is new strains, new variants coming through," he said.

"I'm not going to take risks with Australian lives. I'm not going to do that and I'm going to ensure that we maintain a regime that has so far avoided the loss of 30,000 lives in this country and has seen more Australians come back into work than were there before (the pandemic)," the prime minister said.

He compared the Australian situation to the global scenario which was largely reeling from the pandemic, more devastating than last year.

Australia has so far recorded 29,988 cases of coronavirus, along with 910 related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Morrison said, "I understand that we want to be able to prepare to get us in a place where when it's safe to do so, we can make changes."



"But right now, it's not safe to do so. We are working on plans, as I've said many times, working on plans to enable vaccinated Australians firstly to be able to travel around Australia and to be able to move around when states... potentially to travel overseas and have different quarantine arrangements on their return with the sign-off from State Chief Health Officers," he said.

Australia's borders were slammed shut in March last year as the spread across the world. Only citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to enter the country under some strict COVID-19 border rules.

On April 27, Australia suspended all direct passenger flights from India until May 15 due to the "very significant" spike in COVID-19 cases there.

The Morrison-led government had imposed a temporary ban on travel from India due to the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the country.

The government threatened to prosecute the returnees from India with a possibility of five years of jail term or a penalty of 66,000 Australian dollars (USD 50,899).

The move triggered a backlash in this country with several lawmakers, doctors, civil societies and businessmen criticising the government for "abandoning" Australians in India.

Repatriation flights from India have started since then.

Meanwhile, an Australian citizen of Indian-origin has died of the in India on Tuesday.

Govind Kant, 47, who lived in Sydney, had flown to India for personal matters before the flight ban had been announced. He had not been allowed to fly back to Australia as he had contracted the virus.

His employer, Trina Solar, Australia, confirmed Kant's death on business and job site LinkedIn.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
on Monday blocked fuel shipments for the power station, said Raed Fattouh, Head of the Coordination Committee for entry of goods in the Strip.

This move by comes when the airstrikes have extensively damaged the region's infrastructure.

On Monday, local media reported that the Israeli authorities had given the green light for a shipment of Qatari-bought fuel to Gaza, which is experiencing major electricity shortages amid the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Israeli authorities today refused permission to transport fuel for the power plant in the Strip through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint," Fattouh told Sputnik.

According to Monday media reports, Gaza's electricity distribution company is expected to run out of fuel in two to three days, as fighting and airstrikes have damaged power lines.

Many households in the Gaza Strip are already getting only a few hours of power a day due to the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing with through which Gaza receives its fuel.

The United Nations also warned that Gaza's only power station is at risk of running out of fuel.

US President Joe Biden, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, expressed his support for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, the Palestinian military group in Gaza.

"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end. The two leaders agreed that they and their teams would remain in close touch," according to a readout of the call released by the White House.

In the call, Biden "reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks" and "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians."

The call between Biden and Netanyahu on Monday was the third in less than a week as the violence has intensified.

The President welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem.The two leaders discussed "progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza."

The death toll in Palestine due to Israeli airstrikes has reached 198 on Monday, said Health Ministry in Gaza.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 Flash

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday held a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart, Mario Draghi, with both sides pledging to promote bilateral ties and advance China-European Union (EU) cooperation to address global challenges.

Underlining their comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said China-Italy relations are rooted in a long history of exchanges and enjoy solid bond of interests.

Since last year, the two sides have joined hands to carry out international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, and have achieved positive progress in key cooperation projects, Li noted.

China is willing to work with Italy to promote cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, energy and climate change, he said.

The Chinese premier called on the two sides to ensure the success of the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism to be held next year, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhance cooperation in the framework of the Group of 20 (G20).

Li said he believes that the deepening of China-Italy relations and cooperation will help improve the well-being of people of the two countries.

China highly values its relations with the EU, Li said, adding that a united and prosperous EU is an importance force in preserving world peace, supporting multilateralism and promoting free trade.

The Chinese premier said he hopes that both sides should steer their relations in the right direction, stick to an open mindset to advance pragmatic cooperation and settle differences through dialogue and coordination based on mutual respect.

Noting that China-EU cooperation will contribute to world economic recovery, Li said both sides should work jointly to put the agreement into effect at an early date.

Li said he expects Italy, an important member of the EU, to continue playing a positive role in promoting healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

For his part, Draghi said Italy attaches great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with China and is ready to work with China to push forward important cooperation projects, deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, aviation, economy and trade, and investment.

Italy is willing to take the opportunity of the Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, he said.

Draghi said he appreciates China's support for Italy's work in its presidency at the G20, saying that Italy stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral affairs, promote international cooperation on fighting COVID-19, boost global economic recovery and jointly address climate change and other challenges.

Noting that the EU-China investment agreement is an important consensus between the two sides, Draghi said Italy supports to advance the follow-up process of the treaty through dialogue at an early date.
In a temporary relief for Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to issue an interim order on the writ petitions against his controversial oath-taking and reappointment of the seven ministers who are not lawmakers.

Four writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court of on Monday demanding that Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli be sworn in again as he disgraced the office of the President by refusing to repeat all the words she recited during the oath-taking ceremony.

The Supreme Court has refused to issue an interim order on the writ petitions on the issue of Oli's oath and reappointment of the seven ministers who are not lawmakers.

However, the apex court has told the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to come up with written responses within 15 days regarding the oath taken by the prime minister on Friday, The Kathmandu Post reported.

"On the oath of the prime minister and ministers, the final decision will be taken after the written response of the defendants so there is no need to issue an interim order now as demanded by the petitioners, stated the order of the Supreme Court after its preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Oli as the prime minister at a scaled-down ceremony at Shital Niwas, the presidential palace, on Friday.

During the oath-taking ceremony, Oli, the 69-year-old Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified MarxistLeninist), omitted the word vow when the President recited it, besides in the name of God.

I will take oath in the name of the country and the people, Oli, who has become Nepal's prime minister for the third time, said, while President Bhandari mentioned God, country and the people.

All four writ petitioners demanded on Monday that Oli take another oath of office and secrecy as the one taken on Friday was illegal, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.

Senior advocate Chandra Kanta Gyawali and advocates Lokendra Oli and Keshar Jung KC have registered a joint writ while advocates Raj Kumar Suwal, Santosh Bhandari and Nawaraj Adhkary have registered separate writs on the same issue.

The petitioners claim that the prime minister disgraced the office of the President by saying it is not necessary even when the President repeated the word twice, the report said.

They have demanded that all the actions of the prime minister be declared null and void until he takes the oath again, it said.

The petitioners said the prime minister told the president that a phrase of the oath - "I solemnly and sincerely pledge"- was not necessary and such an utterance by the prime minister during the swearing-in ceremony undermined the prestige of the President's Office.

The petitioners have demanded that the court ask Oli to retake the oath of office and secrecy and bar him from working as the Prime Minister until he is sworn in again, the report said.

The petitioners also urged the court to order the government to enact a federal law governing the process related to the swearing-in of the prime minister and ministers.

They also seek the dismissal of seven newly-appointed ministers on constitutional grounds.

Arguing that when a minister is reappointed, he or she needs to be a member of federal parliament, the writ demanded the dismissal of ministers, terming their reappointment a violation of the Constitution, My Republica website reported.

Seven ministers, who are not members of the federal parliament, had taken the oath of office and secrecy for the second time on Friday against the existing constitutional provisions, the report said. According to a Supreme Court official, the hearing on the writs has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Oli was reappointed as prime minister by the president in his capacity as leader of the largest political party in Nepal's House of Representatives.

He will head a minority government as he does not enjoy a majority in Parliament after losing the vote of confidence on Monday. He was reappointed to the post on Thursday night as the Opposition parties failed to secure majority seats in Parliament to form a new government.

Oli will now have to face a vote of confidence in the House within 30 days, failing which, an attempt to form a government under Article 76 (5) of the Constitution would be initiated by the President.

Whether he will be able to win the vote of confidence will determine the country's future political course - midterm elections or a full-term government led by Oli.

Earlier, the president had asked the Opposition parties to come up with the support of majority lawmakers to form a new government by 9 pm on Thursday after Oli lost the vote of confidence in the House on Monday.

Until Thursday, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who got backing from CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpakamal Dahal "Prachanda" was hopeful to get sufficient votes in the House to stake his claim as the next Prime Minister.

But as Madhav Kumar took a U-turn after his last-minute meeting with Oli, Deuba's dream to become the next Prime Minister was shattered.

The CPN-UML of Prime Minister Oli is the largest party with 121 seats in the 271-member House of Representatives. At present 136 votes are needed to form a majority government.

If the parties fail to form a new government in line with Article 76 (5) or the Prime Minister elected under this provision does not secure the vote of confidence again, the sitting Prime Minister can recommend the President to dissolve Parliament and announce the date to hold general elections within the next six months.

plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

Oli's move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival 'Prachanda'.

In February, the apex court reinstated the dissolved House, in a setback to Oli who was preparing for snap polls.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UK Prime Minister said on Tuesday that experts continue to monitor the data on the B1.617.2 variant of COVID-19, first identified in India, but there is nothing conclusive yet that indicates that it would force Britain to deviate from its roadmap to lift restrictions fully next month.

Johnson said the government is keeping everything under very close observation" following the emergence of the B1.617.2 variant of concern (VOC), which is feared to be on track to take over from the local B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the county of Kent, as the dominant mutation in the country.

"We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the roadmap, he said, in reference to the government's scheduled June 21 timeline for a complete lifting of restrictions.

"But we've got to be cautious and we are keeping everything under very close observation. We'll know a lot more in a few days' time," the prime minister said.

Johnson used a visit to a vaccination centre in London to reiterate a message for the British public to continue to come forward for their vaccination when they are invited by the National Health Service (NHS) in order to protect against all variants of COVID-19 after vaccine hesitancy was flagged as one of the factors behind some of the B1.617.2 VOC hotspots in north-west England.

"The numbers (vaccinations) are incredibly high. And I know that... some people have been more vaccine hesitant than others, but actually, across the whole of society, the numbers continue to go up in every group. And that's very, very encouraging. And I would urge everybody just to make the obvious point who is eligible for a vaccine, when you get your call up, when you get the notification from the NHS, come and get your jab," he said.

Johnson's message follows a similar drive by senior ministers, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock informing Parliament on Monday that vaccines seem effective against the highly transmissible B1.617.2 VOC.

There are now 2,323 confirmed cases of B1617.2 in the UK; 483 of these cases have been seen in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, where it is now the dominant strain. Cases there have doubled in the last week and are rising in all age groups, Hancock told the House of Commons in an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

In Blackburn, hospitalisations are stable, with eight people currently in hospital with COVID. In Bolton, 19 people are now in hospital with coronavirus, the majority of whom are eligible for a vaccine but have not yet had one. That shows that the new variant is not tending to penetrate into older vaccinated groups, and underlines again the importance of getting the jab especially, but not only, among the vulnerable age groups, he said.

The minister also updated members of Parliament on early evidence which suggests that B1.617.2 is more transmissible than the B.1.1.7 so-called Kent variant.

We do not yet know to what extent it is more transmissible. While we do not have the complete picture of the impact of the vaccine, the early laboratory data from Oxford University corroborates the provisional evidence from the Royal Bolton Hospital and the initial observational data from India that vaccines are effective against the variant. This, of course, is reassuring, but the higher transmission poses a real risk, he added.

According to latest data, more than 36.7 million people have had their first vaccine dose in the UK and more than 20.2 million have had their second. The NHS bookings for a vaccination are now open to all those aged 36 and over.

It follows Monday's significant easing of rules, with people allowed to socialise indoors and travel around more freely after months. However, a planned review of long-term social distancing requirements for the end of this month is likely to be delayed as the spike in B1.617.2 VOC infections continues to be monitored.

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Oil rose on Tuesday to hit $70 a barrel for the first time since March, as expectations of demand recovery following reopenings of the European and U.S. economies offset concern over spreading coronavirus cases in Asia.

The British reopened on Monday, and Europe is starting to reopen cities and beaches.

New cases in the United States continued to fall and New York lifted the mask requirement for vaccinated people.

Brent crude was up 47 cents, or 0.7%, at $69.93 by 0825 GMT, and earlier topped $70 for the first time since March 15. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 45 cents, or 0.7%, at $66.72.

"Economies are again switching a gear higher," said Tamas Varga of broker PVM. "The euphoria is reflected in the general belief that the economic revival will be soon coupled with oil demand recovery."

The latest gain to $70 brings Brent's rally this year to 35%, supported by supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies. This could lead to a further advance, some analysts said.

"A rise through $70 should trigger more systematic buying and see it advance to $71.50 a barrel quite quickly," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at brokerage OANDA.

European and U.S. progress in the battle against the pandemic contrasts with the situation in Asia, which is limiting oil's rally.

Singapore and Taiwan have reinstated lockdown measures, and India has seen a plunge in fuel demand following restrictions to curb infections.

Also limiting oil's upside is the prospect of a revival of Iran's nuclear deal that would allow the OPEC producer to fully restart exports.

In focus later will be this week's U.S. supply reports, expected to show a 1.7 million-barrel rise in crude inventories.

The first report, from the American Petroleum Institute, is out at 2030 GMT.

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By Laura Sanicola

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil slid nearly 2% on Tuesday, tumbling from a two-month high, after media reports said the United States and Iran have made progress on reviving a deal restricting Iran's nuclear weapons development, that could release more barrels into the market.

Prices plunged on the reports citing Russian ambassador to the UN Mikhail Ulyanov as saying significant progress had been made, but the losses were capped after he said on Twitter that negotiators need more time to finalize an agreement.

After falling more than $2, Brent crude was down $1.07, or 1.5%, at $68.39 a barrel by 1:19 p.m. EDT (1719 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.12 cents, or 1.7%, to $65.43.

If the United States lifts sanctions on Iran, the country could boost oil shipments, adding to global supply.

"That could put a significant amount of crude oil on the market, which is why we are steadily drifting lower now," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Earlier in the session, global benchmark Brent oil hit $70 a barrel for the first time since March, lifted by expectations of demand recovery.

Britain further eased coronavirus restrictions on Monday and Europe is starting to reopen cities and beaches. New cases in the United States continued to fall and New York lifted the mask requirement for vaccinated people.

"Economies are again switching a gear higher," said Tamas Varga of broker PVM. "The euphoria is reflected in the general belief that the economic revival will soon be coupled with oil demand recovery."

European and U.S. progress in the battle against the pandemic contrasts with the situation in Asia, which is limiting oil's rally.

Singapore and Taiwan have reinstated lockdown measures and India has experienced a plunge in fuel demand after imposing restrictions to curb infections.

Also weighing on the market, analysts forecast U.S. crude inventories to have risen by 1.6 million barrels last week, according to a Reuters poll ahead of weekly reports from the American Petroleum Institute at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the government on Wednesday morning. [EIA/S] [API/S]

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler and Yuka ObayashiEditing by Marguerita Choy and David Goodman)

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on Tuesday said that a meeting between President and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, could be held in a European diplomatic capital if an agreement is eventually reached by the two countries.

"There is no final agreement yet, but I think that anyway if an agreement is reached [the meeting will be held in] one of the European diplomatic capitals," Ryabkov told RBC.

"A whole range of countries have offered and keep offering their capacities for organizing the meeting of the Russian and the US presidents," the diplomat continued.

Commenting on the possibility of Geneva hosting the meeting, Pierre Vercauteren, a political sciences professor at UCLouvain University in Belgium, told Sputnik that it was probably the best option for the summit between the leaders.

"For this very important meeting between the Russian and the US leaders, Geneva, Switzerland is the best option. The city is the third-largest diplomatic center of the world after Washington DC and Brussels. It is in Europe without being in the European Union. The EU is not neutral in the issues that will be discussed by the two leaders," Vercauteren said.

The professor noted that the strict neutrality of Switzerland was perfect, recalling that the four allied victors of World War 2 -- the USSR, the US, the UK and France -- used to meet in Geneva until the 1950s to deal with all post-war issues.

While Helsinki and Vienna also keep an aura of neutrality, because of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe that took place in the Finnish capital and the nuclear talks on Iran in the Austrian capital, their role is much diminished, the professor added.

"Reykjavik, Iceland could also have been chosen, as it hosted the historic meeting between [then-US President Ronald] Reagan and [USSR President Mikhail] Gorbachev, so could have been capitals in Asia, but Geneva is for me, indeed the best place: in Europe but not in the EU. It seems the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs has played a discreet role in inviting the leaders of the two superpowers," he said, noting that the agenda will be serious -- arms control, security issues, and deescalation in Europe.

Switzerland, in the meantime, does not comment on the claims that it could host the summit. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs also declined to tell Sputnik earlier in the day whether Switzerland had notified Moscow and Washington of its readiness to host the top-level summit.

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Pressure is mounting on South Korean President to pardon Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, who is back in prison after his conviction in a massive corruption scandal, even though business has rarely looked better at South Korea's largest company.

Lee is just the latest South Korean corporate boss to run his business from behind bars, communicating decisions through visiting company executives.

But his imprisonment is causing national handwringing over the future of the technology giant in the country sometimes called the Samsung Republic.

Many people from business leaders and editorial writers to even Buddhist monks have urged Moon to release Lee for the sake of an economy heavily dependent on Samsung's technology exports. They worry Lee's imprisonment could compromise Samsung's speed and decisiveness, hindering its competitiveness in the fast-changing technology business.

Lee has been in prison for nearly four months and few expect him to serve his full prison sentence through July 2022. There's speculation Moon could free him on Buddha's Birthday, which falls on Wednesday.

There's also Liberation Day in August, which celebrates Korea's independence from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II. That also has often brought presidential pardons of high-profile politicians and businesspeople.

Moon's office said he will consider both the intensifying competition in the semiconductor market and public feelings about fairness before deciding whether to pardon Lee.

Lee runs Samsung as vice chairman. He's also the country's richest person. He is serving a 2 1/2-year sentence for bribing then-President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante, who are serving lengthier prison terms, to win government support for a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates that tightened his control over the corporate empire.

Samsung's latest results suggest it is doing just fine.

The company posted a near 50% jump in operating profit and its $58 billion revenue was the highest ever in the first three months of the year.

Demand for its mainstay computer memory chips, TVs and other products has surged as the pandemic has forced millions to stay home. And Samsung's sleek Galaxy smartphones and tablets are the biggest competition for Apple's iPhones and iPads.

Samsung has announced ambitious plans to expand its computer chip manufacturing. Last week it said it will invest 171 trillion won ($151 billion) through 2030 in higher-margin logic chips and its foundry business for contract chipmaking as it expands beyond its dominance in memory chips.

The company expects demand for advanced chips to soar in coming years, lifted by emerging technologies such as fifth generation (5G) wireless networks, artificial intelligence and self-driving cars.

Still, analysts say Samsung is increasingly falling behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in the race for high-tech chips. The world's biggest contract chipmaker, TSMC controls 55% of the global foundry business versus Samsung's 17% share, according to South Korea's Trade Ministry.

Both could be threatened by U.S. efforts to reduce American dependence on Asian supply chains and rebuild the declining U.S. chip industry in response to chip shortages that have hobbled American auto manufacturing in recent months.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Samsung said Lee's role is to "contribute to the company's overall strategic direction, and make decisions related to the future growth through his insights and global network of business leaders. The company declined to comment on calls for Lee's release and also would not say how often company officials are visiting him.

It's not difficult for Lee to manage the company from prison through his visitors, and it's not like he had ever run Samsung like an omnipotent king, said Chung Sun-sup, chief executive of corporate analysis firm Chaebul.com. Even though Lee is the grandson of Samsung's founder and is the family's third generation helmsman of the company, important decisions are still weighed by the board, he noted.

But who knows what Samsung is missing when Lee isn't visiting business sites or traveling abroad for new opportunities? he said.

Lee's imprisonment comes at a time when Samsung should be pushing for a major reshaping of its semiconductor business, said Lee Seung-woo, a senior analyst at Seoul-based Eugene Investment and Securities.

Samsung's rise as a global technology powerhouse drew from its dual strength in parts and finished products. But that's proving a disadvantage in its competition with TSMC as major clients like Apple shift orders to TSMC to avoid relying on chips manufactured by a competitor.

Samsung should be considering bold moves, such as splitting its foundry business into a separate company and listing it on the U.S. stock market to ease the concern of clients, Lee said.

Lee Jae-yong clearly has a role to do, he said. Lee could be meeting (Apple CEO) Tim Cook asking Apple to invest in the new foundry company.

Samsung's daily operations are mainly handled by co-CEOs who each lead its semiconductor, smartphones and consumer electronics divisions. Samsung reaped robust profits during Lee's earlier stints in jail, in 2017 and 2018, when it finalized a deal to acquire American auto electronics firm Harman. That assuaged jitters about a possible void in decision making.

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A strike launched from killed two Thai workers in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory that housed bookstores and educational centers. With the war showing no sign of abating, Palestinians across the region went on a general strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies.

Violence erupted at protests in the occupied West Bank, including at one in the city of Ramallah. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires and hurled stones toward an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas canisters at the crowd and protesters picked up some of them and threw them back. One protester was killed and more than 70 others wounded  including 16 by live fire  in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 per cent of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state. It threatened to further widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the West Bank last week.

Over 58,000 Palestinians displaced in Gaza, says UN More than 58,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli air strikes that have destroyed or badly damaged nearly 450 buildings in the Strip, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. According to Al Jazeera, about 47,000 of the displaced people have sought shelter in 58 UN-run schools in Gaza, Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesman, told reporters. Laerke also said 132 buildings had been destroyed and 316 had been severely damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary healthcare centres.

In a rare joint action, millions of Palestinians join General Strike Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel downed tools for the day on Tuesday, as did workers across the occupied West Bank and in Gaza, protesting violence against Arab Israelis, the unfolding Israeli military campaign targeting militants in and the looming eviction of several families from their homes in East Jerusalem. Streets were deserted in Arab areas across both Israel and the occupied territories, as shopkeepers shuttered stores along the waterfront in Jaffa, central Israel; the steep roads of Umm el-Fahm, an Arab town in northern Israel; and West Bank cities such as Hebron, Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah. NYT

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The US and the (EU) will begin talks on the steel tariffs imposed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, according to a joint statement.

The statement was released by the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

During a virtual meeting last week, the leaders from the two sides "agreed to chart a path that ends the WTO disputes following the US application of tariffs on imports from the EU under section 232", the statement said.

Tai, Raimondo and Dombrovskis were quoted as saying the statement that they will start discussions to "address global steel and aluminium excess capacity".

"To ensure the most constructive environment for these joint efforts, they agreed to avoid changes on these issues that negatively affect bilateral trade.

"They committed to engaging in these discussions expeditiously to find solutions before the end of the year," it said, vowing to ensure the "long-term viability" of their steel and aluminium industries.

Citing national security concerns, the Trump administration unilaterally imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports globally in 2018, drawing strong opposition both at home and abroad.

Argentina, Brazil and South Korea agreed to limits on their metal exports, and were able to avoid the extra US tariffs.

In May 2019, the Trump administration removed the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in hope of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)'s ratification.

After failing to reach a deal with the Trump administration, the EU took the case to the World Trade Organization and imposed retaliatory tariffs on a range of American products, including Bourbon whiskey.

The second tranche of tariffs was expected to be in effect in June.

In a tweet on Monday, Dombrovskis said the EU will "temporarily suspend" the increase of its rebalancing measures on US 232 steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that "this gives us space to find joint solutions to this dispute".

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, welcomed the move in a statement.

"Distillers across the US are breathing a huge sigh of relief after bracing for a 50 per cent tariff on American whiskeys in just a matter of days that would have forced many craft distillers out of the EU market," Swonger said.

He however, added that there is "still work to be done" to get EU and US spirits back to zero for zero tariffs.

--IANS

ksk/

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The United States Senate on Monday advanced a bill that would provide billions of dollars in government funding for research as part of a legislative measure to counter amid strained ties and fierce competition between the two countries.

The Senate voted 84-11 to move ahead with the Endless Frontiers Act introduced by Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, which seeks up to USD 100 billion over five years for basic and advanced tech research and another USD 10 billion to create new hubs across the country, according to South Morning Post (SCMP).

This move has cleared the way for the Senate to vote on the bill's passage.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation had voted to approve the Endless Frontier Act on Thursday, as a consensus is emerging in the US that the country must do more planning to deal with China's strategic technological challenge.

The bill, if passed, would start a new high-level office to oversee the development of technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and biotechnology.

"Members on both sides of the aisle know that decades of federal underinvestment in science and have imperilled America's global economic leadership," Schumer said ahead of the vote.

"Holding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its years of rapacious economic policies and theft of American ingenuity will help create a level playing field that American workers have lacked for decades," he added.

According to SCMP, spent a record USD 340 billion on R & D in 2019, representing 2.2 per cent of the country's GDP - a record high, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Endless Frontier Act represents concern over China and is one of the very few areas where Democrats and Republicans agree. The legislation is aimed at countering China, which lawmakers are expecting to combine into a larger bill that addresses all of the US government's friction points with Beijing.

Meanwhile, the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, sponsored by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and Republican Representative Jim Risch, is also under consideration. The proposed legislation seeks to add new sanctions on Chinese officials accused of human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The Menendez-Risch bill would also strengthen US ties with Taiwan, and try to limit Beijing's military operations and territorial claims in the South China Sea and beyond, according to SCMP.

Last month, in his first State of the Union address to Congress, US President Joe Biden called his multi-trillion proposal for domestic investment as key to challenging China and strengthening the US's position on the world stage.

"We're in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st Century. We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better. Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have transformed America," Biden said.

He also said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is "deadly earnest on becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world".

Under the former President Donald Trump's administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China's military aggression in various parts of the world.

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China, which has stepped up its diplomacy between Pakistan and in the wake of the US troops withdrawal from the war-torn country, has offered to host peace talks between the Afghan government and the

Significantly, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who in the last two-days held telephone talks with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts, said that will back the Afghan government headed by Ashraf Ghani in playing a leading role.

The offer to facilitate peace talks was made during Wang's phone talks with his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Tuesday.

Asked to elaborate, Zhao said, is ready to facilitate intra-Afghan talks and will provide necessary conditions for negotiation in

The US had announced its plans to withdraw its troops completely from by September.

The US troop pull-out has raised concerns in Beijing that it may lead to the regrouping of Xinjiang province's Uygur Muslim militants in Afghanistan, which shares borders with China.

During their telephonic conversation, Wang told Atmar that "China will continue to support the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country's peace and reconciliation process", state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Wang also called on all parties to support and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions to promote a smooth transition of the situation, to avoid in particular a resurgence of terrorist forces, it said.

In a comment that may not go down well with the Taliban, Wang, according to the report, expressed his hope that Afghanistan's future leadership will pursue a moderate Muslim policy, promote a foreign policy of peace, maintain friendship with neighbouring countries, and firmly combat all forms of terrorism.

Wang's talks with Atmar came a day after he held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi during which he called on the UN to play its due role to fill the void being left by the US troops withdrawal.

Wang told Qureshi that the "hasty withdrawal" of the US troops from Afghanistan has severely impacted the Afghan domestic peace process and negatively affected regional stability.

Under such circumstances, China expects the UN to play its "due role". He, however, did not elaborate the "due role".

Wang also said that the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which India and Pakistan are members, should pay more attention to the situation and Afghanistan's neighbours to strengthen communication, speak in one voice and take coordinated actions.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan are the SCO members.

Observers say that the US' plan to speed up its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan may have troubling consequences for China, specially for its volatile Xinjiang province.

China has been expressing its concern over the US move despite tensions with Washington on a host of issues, including America's allegation of a genocide against Muslim Uygurs by the Chinese government in Xinjiang. It denies the allegations of running mass detention camps and violating human rights of Uygurs.

The previous Trump administration had also lifted a ban on the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a Uygur militant outfit active in Xinjiang.

The ETIM was designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN's 1267 counter-terrorism committee in 2002 for its alleged association with al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and the

Reports from Afghanistan said some of the recent attacks were attributed to the consolidation of the Islamic State militants who fought in Syria until recently.

China is concerned that hundreds of Uygur militants, who joined ISIS in Syria, could threaten the peace and stability in Xinjiang.

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Indian equities are likely to outperform their emerging market (EM) peers in 2021, says the latest report by and bets on domestic cyclical stocks followed by rate sensitives. The research and broking house, however, has kept its December 2021 target for the S&P BSE Sensex unchanged at 55,000 levels (base case; 50 per cent probability) for now  an upside of around 10 per cent from the current levels.

Our unchanged BSE Sensex target of 55,000. This level implies that the BSE Sensex would trade at a forward P/E multiple of 17.5x and a trailing P/E of 21.2, ahead of the 25-year average of 19.7x. This premium over the historical average reflects a higher confidence in the medium-term growth cycle in India. We are overweight on India in a global emerging (GEMs) context, wrote Ridham Desai, head of India research and India equity strategist at in a coauthored report with Sheela Rathi and Nayant Parekh.



ALSO READ: Markets will digest dent on June quarter earnings as one-time hit: CLSA

In a bull-case scenario (30 per cent probability), sees the Sensex at 61,000 levels  an upside of around 22 per cent from the current levels, while it's bear case scenario that has a 20 per cent probability pegs the Sensex at 41,000 levels by December 2021.



Our set of 16 leading indicators and six coincident or lagging indicators suggest an improving market outlook for the second half of 2021. This is a stock-pickers market, with ample alpha opportunity underscored by falling correlation of returns across stocks. Our pecking order: domestic cyclicals, rate sensitives, global cyclicals, defensives exporters and mid-caps, large caps, small caps, Morgan Stanley said.

Covid wave and markets

The second wave of Covid infections in the country, Morgan Stanley believes, may have peaked and the are now looking at how quickly the wave descends, in addition to how much the vaccination can be ramped up. While corporate earnings are likely to be impacted due to the Covid-triggered lockdown and mobility curbs, are likely to look through this disruption, Morgan Stanley believes.





EPS estimates

India faces two opposing challenges  immediate shortages of vaccine supply and a medium-term problem of convincing people to be vaccinated. At the margin, the equity market will be assessing the shift in vaccine supply as a key input. Our earnings outlooks for FY22 and FY23 are unchanged from where we were at the start of the year, the report said.



ALSO READ: Markets to look beyond second Covid wave, say analysts; bet on cyclicals

Sector-wise, Morgan Stanley remains bullish on Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, Financials and Utilities; neutral on Materials and Consumer Staples; and underweight on Communication Services, Energy, Healthcare and Technology sectors.

Consumption hit

Meanwhile, the possibility of a further extension in lockdown, analysts feel, could hurt the overall consumption  more so when the Covid infections have reached rural India.

Forced or involuntary savings, analysts believe, are now getting replaced by precautionary savings, while there is exhaustion of some part of pent-up demand last year.

Rural demand losing its vigor amidst proliferation of virus in rural centers. A first cut comparison of the response of high frequency consumption-oriented indicators during the first lockdown with the early trends of the ongoing lockdown, suggests that in contrast to a V-shaped recovery in FY21, consumption redux could look more U-shaped in FY22, wrote Shubhada Rao, founder, QuantEco Research in a co-authored note with Yuvika Singhal and Vivek Kumar, their economists.
The public sector bank's net profit stood at Rs 1010.87 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with net loss of Rs 3,259.33 crore in Q4 FY20.

Total income increased 51.33% to Rs 21,522.60 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. The bank posted a pre-tax profit of Rs 1,568.40 in Q4 FY21 as against pre tax loss of Rs 3,334.51 crore in Q4 FY20. Net interest income grew 9.87% year-on-year (y.o.y) in Q4 FY21.

The bank's total provisions for Q4 FY21 stood at Rs 4,134.15 crore, declining 23% from Rs 5,375.38 crore in Q4 FY20. The Provision Coverage Ratio stood at 79.68% as on 31 March 2021 compared with 76.95% on 31 March 2020.

On the asset quality side, gross non-performing assets (NPAs) stood at Rs 60,397.80 crore as on 31 March 2021 as against Rs 49,988.56 crore as on 31 December 2020 and Rs 37,250.53 crore as on 31 March 2020.

The gross NPA ratio stood at 8.94% as on 31 March 2021, compared to 7.48% on 31 December 2020 and 8.24% as of 31 March 2020. The net NPA ratio stood at 3.82% as on 31 March 2021 from 2.65% as on 31 December 2020 and 4.23% as on 31 March 2020.

The PSU Bank posted a net profit of Rs 2557.58 crore for the year ended March 2021 (FY21) compared with net loss of Rs 2235.72 crore in the year ended March 2020 (FY20). Total income rose 49% to Rs 84,525.08 crore in FY21 over FY20.

Domestic deposit of the bank stood at Rs 963306 crore as at March 2021 with growth of 10.74% y.o.y. Domestic advances (gross) of the bank stood at Rs 652558 crore as at March 2021, with growth of 5.51% y.o.y.

Shares of Canara Bank were down 3.13% at Rs 148.80 on BSE.

The Government of India held 69.33% stake in the state-owned commercial bank as of 31 March 2021. As on 31 March 2021, the bank had 10,416 number of branches, out of which 3,069 are Rural, 3,140 Semi- Urban, 2,094 Urban and 2,113 Metro along with 13,452 ATM.

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Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC) gained 2.04% to Rs 408.60 after the company reported a 29.4% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 308.91 crore in Q4 FY21 as against Rs 238.77 crore in Q4 FY20.

Net sales rose 29.1% to Rs 1733 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with Rs 1342.47 crore in Q4 FY20 aided by better realisation of industrial chemicals.

Profit before tax (PBT) soared 229.5% to Rs 449.81 crore in Q4 FY21 from Rs 136.53 crore in Q4 FY20. PBT margin rose to 26% in Q4 FY21 from 10% in Q4 FY20. EBITDA grew 189% to Rs 470 crore in Q4 FY21 from Rs 163 crore in Q4 FY20. EBITDA margin improved to 27% in Q4 FY21 from 12% in Q4 FY20.

The company posted a 38.1% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 689.21 crore for the year ended March 2021 (FY21) as compared to Rs 498.90 crore in the year ended March 2020 (FY20). Net sales declined 0.7% to Rs 5,128.69 crore in FY21 over FY20.

During the year, improved realisation across the board in chemicals has contributed to improved bottom line.

The board of directors has recommended a dividend of Rs 8 per equity share ofor the year ended 31 March 2021.

Commenting on the performance, Pankaj Joshi, MD of the company said, "Inspite of impact of COVID-19 on production and sale volume for practically one full month of April 2020 for Bharuch Complex and in case TDI Dahej complex till middle of June 2020, the company has achieved second highest PBT of Rs 948 crore for FY 21 in the history of GNFC."

During the FY21, the fertilizer segment results were reduced from Rs 216 to Rs (24) crores mainly due to Covid 19 forced shut down of plants during FY21 resulting in to production and sales losses as well as one time urea subsidy income of earlier years booked in FY20 (Rs 160 crore on comparable basis). Inspite of lower production and sales volume due to forced shut down of plants, the chemical segment results improved substantially by 425% from Rs 166 crore to Rs 874 crore mainly due to increase in Sales realisations across the board.

Further, the board has cleared the Capex plan of Rs 1,250 crore for its various product lines like Ammonia, Weak Nitric Acid (WNA) and AN Melt. On the liquidity front, due to additional allocation of budget Rs 65,000 crore by GoI, the company has received highest ever subsidy of Rs 1,722 crore during FY21, which has improved the cash position of company substantially. The company is already implementing de-bottlenecking in respect of Formic Acid as well as Toluene Di-Isocyanate (TDI) in addition to brownfield expansion of Concentrated Nitric Acid (CNA).

In his outlook, Joshi said that the company is confident of performing well in the fertilizers business. Rise in demand from end user industries and increasing per capita consumption is likely to support strong demand for chemicals. Companies, indigenous as well as global, seeking to de-risk their supply chains and reduce dependency on China presents a valuable growth opportunity for Indian chemical manufacturers. Moreover, prudent and industry friendly policies like Atmanirbhar Bharat, PLI scheme, 100% FDI, mandatory BIS standards, PCPIR policy etc. by the government can prove to be a game changer for this industry.

GNFC is engaged in operating businesses in the industrial chemicals, fertilizers and information technology (IT) products space.

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Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 1995.1, up 1.77% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 41.61% in last one year as compared to a 70.27% gain in NIFTY and a 56.68% gain in the Nifty Energy index.

Reliance Industries Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 1995.1, up 1.77% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.31% on the day, quoting at 15118.3. The Sensex is at 50214.64, up 1.28%. Reliance Industries Ltd has added around 4.91% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has added around 10.55% in last one month and is currently quoting at 18847.05, up 1.82% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 38.05 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 74.75 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark May futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 1997, up 1.7% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 41.61% in last one year as compared to a 70.27% gain in NIFTY and a 56.68% gain in the Nifty Energy index.

The PE of the stock is 44.97 based on TTM earnings ending March 21.

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As the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, forecasters have begun lowering growth projections for the current fiscal year. The concurrent fiscal stress from lower can also put pressure on Indias sovereign rating.

What would a sovereign rating downgrade mean for India? The second edit outlines the risks here

Other views today examine the political outlook for Narendra Modis, ways to pay for pandemic supplies and the implications of Chinas space missions

The notion that Prime Minister Narendra Modis inept handling of the second wave of the pandemic marks the end of his political dominance is misplaced, Vir Sanghvi argues here

India urgently needs to import various medical supplies to deal with Covid-19. How to ramp up availability quickly given the governments limited finances? One part of the solution is make use of the Reserve Bank of Indias large reserves. Gurbachan Singh explains how this can be done here

As put a new space station into orbit, and landed a rover on Mars, its technological advancement has global implications, says the top edit. Read it here
Days after leading the ruling LDF to a stupendous electoral victory, CPI (M) veteran was on Tuesday elected its Parliamentary Party Leader for a second term as Chief Minister but the omission of 'rockstar' health minister KK Shailaja from the new cabinet sparked a debate.

Having won international accolades for her deft handling of the first wave of Covid-19 in after it reported India's first case in 2020, Shailaja's surprise omission drew instant comparisons with the late KR Gowri Amma, the firebrand Marxist who was once tipped to head the state but never did.

However, Shailaja, described as a "rockstar health minister" by section of international media, said she was not disappointed at being denied berth in the new cabinet.

"There is no need to be emotional.. I became the minister earlier because of the party's decision. I have absolute satisfaction in what I have done. I am confident that the new team can perform better than me," she said.

"Not the individual but the system is showcasing the fight against the pandemic. I am happy that I could lead the team," the leader added.

She was, however, entrusted with the position of party whip, a CPI(M) statement said here, even as the party took the position that all members except the Chief Minister should be fresh faces in the new cabinet.

Among the fresh faces is Vijayan's son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas.

The state committee of the Marxist party nominated 11 freshers including two women as its ministers in the new government which would be sworn-in on May 20 at the Central Stadium here in adherence to Covid-19 protocol.



The state committee, which met at its headquarters AKG Centre, elected Vijayan to lead the party, the statement said.

Vijayan had scripted history in the April 6 Assembly polls by leading the ruling Left front to a consecutive term, bucking the over four-decade-old trend in the state of the people choosing between the Communists and Congress-led governments alternatively.

Though it was almost sure that no ministers in the previous VIjayan government would find a place in his new cabinet, Shailaja was expected to be given an exemption by the party, as the state is reeling under the second wave of the pandemic.

She had won the polls with the highest margin of 60,963 votes from Mattannur in Kannur.

The media, during the election, had even projected her as the first woman chief minister of the state in future.

Belying all expectations, Shailaja was not included in the new ministry.

Hailed as 'rockstar health minister' by the global media for her able leadership, effective crisis management and matured intervention in arresting the first wave of Covid-19 in the state, Shailaja's non-inclusion raised many eyebrows cutting across party lines.



A retired school teacher, she had done a commendable job in containing the covid surge in the state last year and also during the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018 and 2019.

Social media users responded sharply to the omission of the 64-year-old leader, popularly known as "Shailaja Teacher" or "Teacher Amma" among her admirers.

They pointed out that it would not be good to change the minister as was witnessing an unprecedented surge in cases.

There were many who put up her photos as their WhatsApp status, in an apparent act of extending solidarity with her.

Some comparedShailaja being dropped from the cabinet with the manner in which late Gowri Amma was allegedly denied chief ministership in the last minute in 1987.

Though projected as a CM candidate during the then elections, Gowri Amma was allegedly sidelined by the party which preferred E K Nayanar for the top post.



Though critics and media alleged that Shailaja was sidelined, CPI(M) took the position that all ministers except the Chief Minister should be fresh faces in the new cabinet.

So had been the case with T M Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister in the outgoing cabinet, among others who had not been given a chance as they were elected twice consecutively, party sources said.

The dropping of Isaac, a known Left intellectual and a finance management expert, had also come as a shock for many including grassroot level party workers.

Sources said the party wanted to evolve a second generation of leaders in parliamentary and give them more serious opportunities.

They also claimed that the new cabinet would be a right blend of experienced seniors and youngsters.

Party central committee member M V Govindan, former Rajya Sabha MPs P Rajeev and K N Balagopal, senior leaders K Radhakrishnan, V N Vasavan, Saji Cheriyan and V Sivankutty are among those inducted in Vijayan's second cabinet.

Veena George and R Bindhu, wife of CPI(M) acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan, would be the women members in the new ministry.



Riyas, Vijayan's son-in-law and national president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), also managed to find a cabinet berth.

The state committee meeting, chaired by senior leader Elamaram Kareem, picked M B Rajesh, who wrested the Thirthala seat from Congress's V T Balaram, as the party nominee for the post of Speaker.

The meeting, attended by polit bureau members S Ramachandran Pillai, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, M A Baby besides Vijayan, also electedsenior leader and former minister T P Ramakrishnan as the parliamentary party secretary.

Meanwhile, taking a cue from the CPI(M), ally CPI alsonominated fresh faces to the cabinet.

Newly elected MLAs K Rajan, P Prasad, J Chinchu Rani and G R Anil were its pick in the coalition government.

Senior party leader and Adoor MLA Chittayam Gopakumar has been nominated to the post of deputy speaker, the party said.



Petition against ceremony

With only a day left for the swearing-in ceremony of the Left government, a political outfit has petitioned the High Court seeking its intervention to shift the venue of the event to Raj Bhavan here, in view of unprecedented Covid-19 situation in the state.

Democratic Party state president George Sebastian sent a letter to High Court Chief Justice seeking its direction to the authorities concerned to shift the venue from the central stadium here to Raj Bhavan, official residence of the Governor, and limit the number of participants to just 50. According to Vijayan, the ceremony would be held by adhering to Covid-19 protocol. The function would be held in the presence of 500 invited guests at the stadium, which has the capacity to hold 50,000 people.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The consumer internal SSD market shipments recorded 34 per cent growth (quarter on quarter) in the first quarter of 2021 while on an annual basis, the overall market registered remarkable 172 per cent growth in Q1, a new report showed on Tuesday.

While PCIe/NVMe SSD shipments registered 433 per cent (YoY) growth on a small base, portable SSD market shipments were up 64 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to market research firm CMR's 'India Hard Drive Market Review for Q1 CY2021'.

In the overall consumer internal SSD market, WD captured 14 per cent market share followed by Adata capturing 13 per cent and Crucial at third position with 12 per cent share.

"The internal SSD market growth is largely attributed to the increased relevance of PCs due to the extended work from home (WFH) and remote learning. Growing awareness about the supreme features of SSDs over traditional HDDs gave an additional boost," said Shipra Sinha, Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

"Consumers inclination towards SSDs was clearly visible giving ample growth opportunity. A significant contribution was observed by the lesser-known brands thus increasing the overall internal SSD base," Sinha added.

In the external SSD market, Samsung stood at the top spot with 51 per cent market share followed by WD at 41 per cent.

WD shipments increased by 32 per cent YoY, while Samsung shipments went up by 109 per cent YoY.

Seagate captured the third position with 6 per cent market share, the CMR report said.

CMR anticipates the internal SSD market to grow 25-30 per cent (YoY) by the end of CY2021 on back of increased SSD adoption and penetration, making it a mainstream product.

Portable SSDs are also expected to grow 50 per cent YoY on a small base.

"Unabated growth in data and increasing complexity in data management will drive portable SSDs future growth," Sinha said.

--IANS

na/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 18 (ANI/PRNewswire): Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd. (BSE: 540005), (NSE: (https://www.lntinfotech.com/investors) LTI, a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has entered into a strategic engagement with Hoist Finance AB, a pan European financial services company, to provide Banking-as-a-Service for Performing Loans segment through its (https://www.lntinfotech.com/news-event/lti-selects-temenos-to-launch-digital-banking-platform-in-the-nordic-market) Digital Banking Platform.

LTI's Digital Banking platform, powered by Temenos, will enable Hoist Finance to be more scalable and with faster on-boarding of new asset classes across regions. The platform provides seamless interoperability, agility, and higher security at a lower total cost of ownership.

Klaus-Anders Nysteen, CEO, Hoist Finance, said: "The strategic partnership with LTI is in line with our growth strategy for performing loans segment in Europe. It will help us strengthen Hoist's positioning as a leader in this segment with digital-first strategies. LTI has been a strategic partner for Hoist since 2019 and has supported multiple transformation initiatives, spanning workplace transformation, infrastructure transformation and migration to the cloud. Onboarding LTI's digital banking platform was a natural extension of our strategic partnership."

With its comprehensive capabilities, LTI's Digital Banking Platform provides end-to-end integration with Temenos Transact, Temenos Infinity, Temenos Payments, and Temenos Financial Crime Mitigation as well as Fintech solutions like regulatory reporting, authentication, KYC solutions, card services, and payment solutions available on Temenos Marketplace.

Sanjay Jalona, CEO & Managing Director, LTI, said "LTI's digital banking platform combines our functional and technological expertise to modernize operations without huge upfront investment or license cost. The consumption based model offered by the platform will enable banks to stay competitive without worrying about technology cycles. We are proud of our partnership with Hoist, and look forward to enabling their expansion across Europe."

LTI's Digital Banking platform will seamlessly operate across existing Hoist applications and infrastructure through an API driven interface to connect with third party systems.

Julia Ehrhardt, Chief Retail Banking and Business Development Officer, Hoist Finance, said: "LTI's state-of-art digital banking platform will facilitate Hoist in accomplishing its strategic objective of enhancing its market share in the retail banking segment which is estimated to grow from 700 Million SEK currently to 4 Billion SEK by 2023. LTI's platform is fully scalable, providing Hoist with the agility to expand its performing loans and deposits offering into all of our markets."

With presence across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, LTI is one of the leading IT Consulting and digital solutions providers in the Nordic region. A (https://www.lntinfotech.com/news-event/lti-recognized-among-the-top-performers-in-nordic-region) recent study by Whitelane Research and PA recognized the company among the top performers in the Nordic region and #1 in customer satisfaction in Sweden. The company counts leading banks and financial institutions among its clients in the region.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], May 18 (ANI/Mediawire): Numerous scientific studies over the years have concluded that a child's first five years are most important for the development of the child's brain, and experiences during these early years directly impact how they develop learning, social and emotional skills.

According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the emotional and physical health, social skills, and cognitive-linguistic capacities that emerge in the early years are all important prerequisites for success in school and later in the workplace and community.

Early Childhood Care and Education is really the greatest and most powerful equaliser, and according to the UNICEF, investing in the foundations of learning, in quality early childhood education for all, is a proven solution to closing learning gaps, strengthening education systems, providing a solid foundation for human capital development and supporting a country's goals for economic growth and development. Some research studies also reveal that children who have completed pre-school learning have fewer behavioural problems and are not involved with crime in their adolescent and adult years.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused the closure of pre-schools and anganwadis schools in March 2020 and these are still shut. Toddlers from two-and-a- half years of age have had their learning halted for over a year now and it appears that this closure will continue for another year. As the early years are crucial for the start of the learning and developmental journey, pre-school parents have expressed their worries about their children having lost out on learning as a result, and believe that it is very important to keep a child's education going during this pandemic.

According to a survey by EuroKids International, 95 per cent of the parents polled have enrolled their child in some form of learning - online or home schooling, to ensure continuity in their learning.

Parents have found that online learning has been a viable substitute for their toddlers to avoid a near zero-learning year for their children. In keeping with social distancing regulations and the need to stay indoors, an online pre-school offers children a structured learning program whilst in the safety of their own homes.

"The closure of early childhood education centres all throughout this pandemic has resulted in a widening gap in learning for most children. We understand the importance of uninterrupted learning and we want to encourage parents to consider remote learning for their children, so they can continue to achieve their developmental milestones. Children should stay indoors for the present, but restart their learning with experienced educators and use scientifically developed methods," said K V S Seshasai, CEO, Pre-K Division, EuroKids International.

Educators in pre-schools teach young children not just basic skills, but also critical social and emotional skills, motor skills, languages, numbers, cognitive and analytical skills through scientific methods that are joyous for children.

When asked about the achievement of learning outcomes of their children, parents surveyed stated that their children were able to grasp pre-academic skills such as recognizing colours, printed names, letters of the alphabet, numbers, etc. more than any other skills through their online pre-school. Additionally, the survey also reveals that many parents believe that while academic learning is being somewhat managed and learning outcomes therein are being addressed, parents are also worried about their child's social and physical development.

Over 70 per cent of the parents surveyed stated that they would continue or choose online learning (led by the teacher and supplemented by the parent), in case schools do not reopen in the next six months, while 22 per cent would seek a home schooling option, by the parent, perhaps with teacher support.

As nuclear families tackle work from home with household chores, parents may not be able to spend enough time engaging with their child as would be needed to develop social, emotional skills. Hence more and more parents are looking at enrolling their child into a pre-school to be able to offer their children a curious, learning and fun environment where he or she can imbibe skills for the long term.

EuroKids International offers an online pre-school format where educators help toddlers learn language, number concepts through short live, and pre-recorded video sessions that are engaging and ensure there is 'joy in learning.'

As the development of a young child's brain affects his or her physical and mental health, the capacity to learn and impact his or her behaviour throughout childhood and adult life, the impetus for laying the groundwork for tomorrow's citizens lies with the early childhood education sector.

For more information on online pre-school enrollment, please call: 1-800-2095656 or visit: (https://eurokidsindia.com/enrollment)

For more information on EuroKids International's curriculum, please visit: (https://eurokidsindia.com/#eunoia-curriculum)

Check out our video at - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZQ-EYNoOrM)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Padma Shree awardee and former national president of the Indian Medical Association Dr KK Aggarwal has passed away after battling Covid-19 for several days at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Sixty-two-year-old Aggarwal was admitted to AIIMS after his condition deteriorated and was on ventilator support for the past one week.

A cardiologist by profession, he was also the head of the Heart Care Foundation of India. He also received the Dr BC Roy Award in 2005 and Padma Shree in 2010.

"Ever since he became a doctor, Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal dedicated his life to the welfare of the public and raising health awareness," a note by his family posted on his Twitter account said.

He did his schooling in Delhi and completed MBBS from Nagpur University. He was active on social media and used to post videos of him talking about various aspects of Covid-19.

The note said even during the pandemic, he made constant efforts to educate the masses and was able to reach out to over 100 million people through numerous videos and educational programmes and save countless lives.

If youre aware of the distance you can cover at your best in 6 mins, it would help you assess the lung involvement using 6 min walk test if/when you contract #coronavirus



Note: Dr KK is recovering from COVID-19, meanwhile this account is being managed by HCFI & Medtlaks. pic.twitter.com/lTvwKI3vf0  Dr K K Aggarwal (@DrKKAggarwal) May 17, 2021

"He wanted his life to be celebrated and not mourned," the statement said.

It added that "his spirit of spreading positivity in the direst of circumstances must be kept alive in each one of us. Let us remember him for his work and indomitable spirit."

Also read: 'Laugh but get vaccinated': Dr KK Aggarwal after video of wife scolding goes viral
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, interacting with district officials on the COVID-19 situation in India, on Tuesday said they were playing a very important role in the battle against coronavirus. He said in a way, they were "field commanders" of the battle against the deadly virus.

"There are different challenges in every district of our country. You understand the challenges of your district best. When your district wins, it is the country's victory. If your district defeats COVID-19, so does the country," said PM Modi.

              



       field commander : PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 18, 2021

He said last year, the government refrained from shutting the farming sector. "I was astonished to see how villagers were maintaining social distancing in the fields. Villages grasp the information and modify it according to their needs. This is the strength of villages," he said.

The PM said only "local containment zones, aggressive testing and correct and complete information" were India's tool against coronavirus. He said the country would continue to work towards "testing, tracking, treatment and Covid appropriate behaviour" and that in the second Covid-19 wave, a lot of attention was needed to be paid to rural and inaccessible areas.

Interacting with District Officials on the COVID-19 situation. https://t.co/Yy4w15sZYB  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 18, 2021

Also read: India's cases fall but positivity rate 'very high', says WHO chief scientist

He said apart from Covid-19, district authorities would also have to take care of the 'Ease of Living' of every citizen. "We have to stop infection while ensuring the all daily essential supply chain remains ineffective," he said.

Talking about the vaccine shortage issue, he said constant efforts were being made to increase the supply of coronavirus vaccine on a very large scale.

District officials, who participated in the virtual interaction session from 10 states - Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also attended the meeting. The Prime Minister's Office has issued a statement on Monday, saying PM Modi will be interacting with field officials from states and districts on their experiences in handling the pandemic at 11 am on May 18. Many of these districts have seen a huge surge in cases and widespread infection.

"The battle against COVID-19 across various States & Districts is being led at the cutting edge by field-level officials. Many of them have shown great initiative and come out with imaginative solutions. A better appreciation of such initiatives will help towards developing an effective response plan, targeted strategy implementation and support necessary policy interventions," the statement said.

Also read: AAP says it put up posters critical of PM Modi, alleges harassment of its workers by cops
Google on Tuesday announced that it is launching its News Showcase feature in India and is partnering with 30 news organisations. According to Google, the move is aimed at incentivising and supporting local publishers to curate high-quality content on the search engine's News and Discover platforms. This initiative is part of Google's investment campaign to support quality journalism in India.

Google has stated that it is also taking steps to strengthen the digital skills of news organisation and journalism schools in the country. Google is expanding its efforts under Google News Initiative (GNI) in India. With help from News Labs, it plans to train 50,000 journalists and journalism students.

"We are launching News Showcase now to help publishers reach people with trustworthy news, especially in this critical time with the Covid crisis continuing. News Showcase panels highlight the articles publishers want, allow them to give additional context about a story, so audiences can better understand what's going on around them," Google vice president (Product Management) Brad Bender said. Bender added these news panels ensure branding of the publisher and also drive all traffic back to the publishers' website. This helps in deepening the relationship between the reader and the publisher, he explained,

"We are also paying publishers for access to paywalled content to provide users free access to select content, enabling people to try content that they may not have otherwise seen on their journey to becoming a subscriber," he added.

Currently, 30 Indian publishers have partnered with Google for its New Showcase feature, this includes national, regional and local news organisation. Google is in talks with many more organisations in order to further expand the program.

Over 700 news publishers from over a dozen countries such as Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the UK, Australia, Czechia, Italy and Argentina have already signed deals with Google for its News Showcase feature.

"News has been a deep focus and commitment for Google and the company has been helping a large number of journalists and media players to reach out to customers," Google country head and vice president, India Sanjay Gupta said.

Gupta added that youngsters are leveraging digital means in order to access news. He added that this fact poses two significant challenges - monetisation and branding.

"We were very keen to get Showcase to India ... When you solve for India, you need to solve for languages in a very significant way and that's one capability that the product team was developing to help launch ... Over the last 8-9 months, we spent a lot of time talking to each one of the publisher partners to see how we can both enable them and work with them," he said.

Content of its publisher partners in English and Hindi languages will begin to appear in dedicated News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover. Content in native languages will follow later.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read: 'Never felt this helpless before', says emotional doctor; urges everyone to wear mask, take vaccine
Berkshire Hathaway Inc has sold nearly all of its holdings in Wells Fargo & Co, as Warren Buffett abandoned a more than 31-year-old investment that had been among his most successful before the bank was felled by scandals for mistreating customers. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned just $26.4 million of shares in the fourth-largest U.S. bank as of March 31, down from around $32 billion in January 2018. Berkshire began investing in San Francisco-based Wells Fargo in 1989, and spent at least $12.7 billion on its shares, building a 10% stake.

The bank's reputation was shattered by revelations that employees facing aggressive sales goals opened millions of unwanted accounts, charged unnecessary mortgage fees and forced drivers to buy car insurance they did not need. The conduct grew out of Wells Fargo's longstanding strategy of selling more products per customer, or cross-selling. Buffett, who is Berkshire's chief executive, told CNBC in February 2020 that Wells Fargo had a "dumb" incentive system and was slow to make things right.

"The big thing is they ignored it when they found out about it," he said. "You absolutely have to attack a problem as soon as it occurs, and you know about it. And if that had happened, Wells Fargo shareholders would be a lot better off." Berkshire, based in Omaha, Nebraska, still owns shares of other banks, including Bank of America Corp, its largest common stock holding other than Apple Inc.Wells Fargo paid $3 billion in February 2020 to settle criminal and civil probes.

Last November, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged two former top Wells Fargo executives with misleading investors about its financial results. Wells Fargo remains under a February 2018 Federal Reserve directive barring asset growth until it makes sufficient improvements.

Shares of Wells Fargo closed Monday up 94 cents at $47.90. Although the price has more than doubled since October, it is 28% below its January 2018 peak.

Also read: Ratan Tata-backed Moglix 13th unicorn in India this year
China, which is actively pursuing vaccine diplomacy, said on Monday that it is "supportive" of India and South Africa's proposal for a temporary waiver of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for coronavirus vaccines, asserting that Beijing will back all actions that are conducive to the developing countries' fight against the pandemic.

India and South Africa called for TRIPS waiver of certain intellectual property provisions of COVID-19 vaccines in a communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in October last year so that people in developing countries get access to life-saving vaccines and therapeutics as soon as possible.

Since then, the proposal started gathering support even in the US and the European Union. Early this month, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appealed to the member countries to quickly present and negotiate a text that could temporarily ease trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology, considering the urgency.

"China fully understands and is supportive of the developing world's demand for an IPR waiver for COVID-19 vaccines", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing, without directly referring to India and South Africa's proposal.

"As the largest developing country and a responsible member of the international community, China will do all things that are conducive to developing countries'' fight against the virus and support all actions that can help developing countries acquire vaccines in an equitable way," Zhao said.

China, which has given emergency approval to five domestically-made vaccines, has recently got approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its first vaccine, Sinopharm. Zhao said China has provided vaccine assistance to over 80 countries and three international organisations and vaccine exports to over 50 countries.

"We are also working with over 10 developing countries including Egypt and the UAE on technological transfer and cooperative production to quickly advance large-scale production of vaccines," he said. China also promised to supply 10 million vaccines to COVAX, a global vaccine distribution campaign backed by the WHO.

Early this month, more than 100 American lawmakers wrote to US President Joe Biden, urging him to support India's proposal to the WTO to temporarily lift certain intellectual property barriers and allow countries to locally manufacture COVID-19 diagnostics and vaccines.

TRIPS came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets.

TRIPS allows countries to negotiate compulsory licences, a flexibility that was reaffirmed in the Doha Declaration. However, compulsory licences must be negotiated by each WTO member country and for each patent or other protection applying to each individual product.

Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan said on Friday the proposal had received support from several countries. "I am hopeful that in an early timeframe, some decision will be reached at the WTO...I am hopeful that an early outcome will be achieved on this," he told reporters in New Delhi.

The move would help in scaling up the production of vaccines and other essential products to deal with the coronavirus, he added.

Also read: Plasma therapy dropped as treatment against COVID-19 after govt panel finds it 'ineffective'

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Sanofi, GSK report robust immune response in early-stage trials
The second wave of coronavirus has hit the country hard, and devastated countless families. Among them is the Gregory family of Meerut, who lost twin sons Joefred and Ralfred to coronavirus. The twins had turned 24 a day before they were tested positive for the virus.

"Our family is broken. We are only three in the family now," lamented the twins' father Gregory Rafael, adding that his sons Joefred Varghese Gregory and Ralfred George Gregory died due to Covid.

Joefred and Ralfred were both engineers. They tested positive a day after they turned 24 years on April 23. The twins had tested negative on May 10. However, Joefred faced breathing issues on May 13 and passed away the same night around 11pm, while Ralfred's condition deteriorated the same day and he passed away on May 14.

The twins were working from home when they contracted the virus. The duo did almost everything together -- they both were computer engineers and both had jobs in Hyderabad. They contracted the virus on the same day too. Gregory Rafael told Times of India that whatever happened to one would happen to the other too. That's how they knew that since Joefred had died of COVID-19, Ralfred was unlikely to survive.

The parents -- both teachers at St Thomas School in Meerut -- said even though Joefred and Ralfred recovered from coronavirus, they infection had spread to their lungs that worsened their condition. The brothers were admitted to Anand Hospital on May 1.

The heartbroken parents mourned the death of their sons. Their eldest son, Nelfred, has also tested positive for Covid-19.

Also read: Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri and former IMA president, dies of Covid-19 complications at 62

Also read: COVID-19 second wave: India loses 244 doctors so far; Bihar, UP, Delhi report most casualties
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced a slew of decisions to provide relief to families affected with COVID-19 in the national capital. The Delhi government will provide free food grains, monthly pension for families who have lost breadwinner to COVID-19, among others.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the Delhi government will provide Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to families who have lost any member due to the coronavirus. Besides, he also announced a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 for families who have lost their breadwinner due to COVID-19.

He said children have been hit hard by the pandemic and said Delhi government will provide free education to children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19. The Delhi government will also provide Rs 2,500 every month to such children till the time they turn 25 years old.

Also read: COVID-19: Arvind Kejriwal urges Centre to suspend flight services from Singapore

The national capital has reported 14.02 lakh COVID-19 cases cumulatively and over 22,000 people have lost their lives because of the infection.

Kejriwal also announced free food grains for 1 month for poor households who have been hit badly due to pandemic and the lockdowns. The Delhi government will provide 5 kg of food grains for free to poor household, including those who don't have ration card. This will be in addition to 5 kg of food grains being provided by the Centre.

No income certificate will be required to get free food grains, the chief minister said. The announcements will come into effect in a few days.

The national capital, which is recovering from the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, reported 4,482 new cases and 265 deaths in the preceding 24 hours as of Tuesday. The downtrend in positivity rate continued, with it dipping to 6.89 per cent.

Also read: Haryana man who organised funerals of over 300 COVID-19 victims succumbs to virus
Extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae made landfall on Monday at the Gujarat coast around 9 pm and ended around 12 am on Tuesday. The wind speed reached 190 km per hour in Gujarat and uprooted trees, and damaged structures and electricity lines. After midnight, the weather department downgraded Cyclone Tauktae from 'extremely severe' to 'very severe'.

In Maharashtra, six people died from the cyclone and nine were injured. Mumbai witnessed the highest-ever wind speed of 140 km per hour on Monday. In Karnataka, eight people were reported dead, while over 1 lakh people were evacuated from the coastal areas in Gujarat.

The Indian Army stated that its teams and task forces are prepared for relief work. Indian Navy, on the other hand, rescued 148 people who were onboard a barge that went adrift in the Arabian Sea.

Here are 10 developments:

1. Gujarat saw winds with a speed of 155-165 km per hour, gusting to 190 km per hour due to Cyclone Tauktae. It is said to be the biggest cyclone to hit the region in decades. The winds slowed down after midnight, following which the weather department downgraded the severity of the cyclone.

2. The Indian Navy rescued 148 people from a barge that went adrift in the Arabian Sea hours before the cyclone made landfall in Gujarat. The Navy sent three frontline warships to rescue 410 people on board two barges that went adrift after receiving messages. INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Talwar were the warships that were deployed by the Navy. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations continued through the night for the remaining crew, said a Navy spokesperson.

3. "Due to severe cyclonic storm, unfortunate incidents have occurred involving three construction barges of Afcons working on a project of ONGC in Western Offshore fields in the Arabian Sea and one drilling rig of ONGC deployed for exploration purpose. ONGC is taking all possible measures in coordination with ODAG (Offshore Defence Advisory Group) and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) to ensure the safety of personnel and vessels. At least 148 people have been rescued so far. Rescue operations are still on," said ONGC.

4. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray reviewed the damage caused by the cyclone. Vehicular movement was being restored after clearing fallen trees and electric poles.

5. Maharashtra reported six deaths and nine injuries due to Cyclone Tauktae.

6. Mumbai saw the highest-ever wind speed of 114 km per hour and intense rainfall. Flight operations were suspended for hours and the Bandra-Worli sea link also remained closed for traffic due to strong winds. On Tuesday, the IMD alerted that Colaba and Santacruz are likely to receive moderate to intense spells of rain with gusty wind.

7. Karnataka reported eight deaths due to Cyclone Tauktae. Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority said that 121 villages in seven districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Belagavi were affected by the cyclone.

8. Kerala reported seven deaths and damages to nearly 1,500 houses, as mentioned by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

9. In Gujarat, four people were killed due to Cyclone Tauktae that left a trail of destruction along the western coast. The eye of the extremely severe cyclonic storm hit the Gujarat coast between Diu and Una.

10. "With the impending landfall of the extremely severe cyclonic storm forecast in coastal areas of Gujarat, Indian Army units and formations have prepared themselves with substantial teams along with elements of communication and engineer task forces to provide relief and all kinds of assistance," stated the Army in a statement.

Also read: Cyclone Tauktae begins landfall process on Gujarat coast

Also read: Cyclone Tauktae: Indian Army's 180 teams, 9 engg task forces on stand by ahead of landfall
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Diu on Wednesday to personally review the situation there and the damage wrought by cyclone Tauktae, government sources said. He will leave Delhi at around 9:30 AM and land at Bhavnagar from where he will proceed for an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad and Mahuva, they said.

Modi will also hold a review meeting at Ahmedabad.

At least seven people were killed in Gujarat as the cyclone battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, officials said on Tuesday.

After reviewing the situation, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters that despite such a high-intensity cyclone hitting the state, his government has managed to prevent any major loss to life or property as over two lakh people were already shifted to safer places.

Also Read: Cyclone Tauktae: Intense rain likely in Mumbai; 2 dead in Palghar, 1 in Thane

Also read: Cyclone Tauktae: Navy rescues 148 from adrift barge; cyclone weakens; 10 points
Hospitals in Delhi have reported a rise in the number of back fungus cases or mucormycosis among people recovering from COVID-19 during the second wave and it could be ascribed to "irrational" use of steroids at home without consulting a doctor, medical experts said on Tuesday.

The fungal infection, which affects the brain, lungs, and sinuses, can be lethal to those suffering from diabetes and having compromised immune systems.

According to Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, Senior Consultant, ENT, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, mucormycosis is more prevalent among people with low immunity due to diabetes, kidney disease, liver disorder, old age, cardiac issues, or those on medication for auto-immune disease like rheumatoid arthritis.

"If such patients are administered steroids, their immunity reduces further, allowing the fungus to thrive," he said.

Dr Naruka said he has been dealing with three to four patients with severe mucormycosis every day as compared to one or two cases a month before COVID-19 began.

COVID-19 kills one or two per cent of the people infected, while black fungus has a mortality rate of 75 per cent, he said.

Drugs used in the treatment of mucormycosis have severe side-effects, and can lead to kidney issues, neurological dysfunction and stroke, the doctor said.

Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman, Department of ENT at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, termed the mucormycosis situation "terrible". "We have more than 35 cases, of which around 10 are Covid positive. The rest developed the fungal infection post-Covid," he said.

Mucormycosis is a serious disease and requires hospital admission. Maybe, if diagnosed early, it might not require surgical intervention, Dr Swaroop said.

Amphotericin B Liposomal, used for the treatment of the fungal infection, is unavailable at most of the pharmacies, he said.

Dr Sumit Mrig, Head ENT, Max Hospital, Saket, said 15 to 20 cases have been reported at their facility in the last three to four days.

"We have operated on 14-15 patients so far and four to five surgeries are planned for Tuesday. The factors responsible are extensive use of steroids to an extent that people have taken them without doctor's advice at home," he said.

Patients from rural areas are also coming in with mucormycosis, Dr Mrig added.

Sugar monitoring is important. The fasting sugar should be around 100-110 and thereafter, the level should not rise above 140, he said, adding one should seek medical advice if experiencing symptoms such as unilateral headache, facial pain, pain in the eye, decreased sensation on one side of the face, bloody nasal discharge.

Dr Abhinit Kumar, Head of ENT, Aakash Healthcare, said he has been coming across one or two such cases a day for the last 10 days.

Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, the Delhi government's largest healthcare facility, said steroids should be used under medical supervision when oxygen saturation is below 93 per cent.

The hospital said it has four cases of mucormycosis currently.

"All these patients have been referred here from private hospitals and nursing homes, which did not have Amphotericin B for their treatment," he said, adding LNJP has stock of three months.

Before COVID, the drug was not being used much. Now, the demand has risen, leading to a shortage of it, Dr Kumar said.

Dr Yudhyavir, Assistant Professor (Anaesthesiology and Critical Care), AIIMS, said the drug is not commonly available and is manufactured in lesser quantities. He said steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs, but also reduce immunity and increase blood sugar levels in both diabetics and non-diabetic Covid patients.

This is leading to an explosion in the number of black fungus cases.

"This time people are aware of a lot of steroids being used in treatment of COVID and are using them without medical supervision. Even some administration officials are promoting use of steroids, which is dangerous, and leading to cases of mucormycosis," the doctor said.

Another official from the central government-run hospital said the healthcare facility has around 30 mucormycosis patients at present.

Dr Mohit Agarwal, Additional Director and Head of Medical Oncology Department, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said people have been self-medicating without consulting a doctor.

"Some patients have been taking medicines that doctors had prescribed to their friends or family members earlier. This is leading to inadvertent use of steroids."

The increase in the number of "black fungus" cases this year can be attributed to the high COVID caseload and more severe cases during the second wave. "The use of steroids has increased because of limitations of resources," Dr Agarwal said.

Also read: 'Never felt this helpless before', says emotional doctor; urges everyone to wear mask, take vaccine
India Inc's foreign investment in the first month of this current fiscal jumped by more than two-times year-on-year to $2.51 billion, data from the Reserve Bank showed on Monday.

Indian investors had committed $1.21 billion worth of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in April 2020.

Of the total commitment of $2.51 billion in April this year by the Indian company owners, $1.75 billion was in the form of loan, $421.42 million as equity capital and $333.11 million was chipped in through issuance of guarantee, showed the RBI data on OFDI for the month of April 2021.

In March 2021, Indian firms made investment of over 1.99 billion in their overseas ventures.

Among the major investors, Tata Steel invested $1 billion in its wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore, Interglobe Enterprises Pvt Ltd invested $145.61 million in a joint venture based in the UK and Reliance Industrial Investments & Holdings Ltd committed $78.52 million in a fully owned unit in the UK.

Reliance Industries alongside Reliance Brands invested a sum of $91.56 million in various wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures based in the UK, Singapore, the UAE and the USA.

Varroc Engineering put in $65.5 million in a wholly owned unit in the Netherlands and Motherson Sumi Systems invested $41.70 million in a fully owned firm in the UAE, showed the data.

The RBI said the data is provisional and is subject to change based on the online reporting by the authorised dealer (AD) banks.

Also read: Demand shock biggest toll of COVID wave II, loss of momentum less severe than 2020: RBI

Also read: NBFCs remain resilient; COVID impact to manifest over time: RBI
A consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) on Tuesday moved a step closer in their attempt to recover debt from loans paid out to Vijay Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the High Court in London upheld an application to amend their bankruptcy petition, in favour of waiving their security over the businessman's assets in India.

Chief Insolvencies and Companies Court (ICC) Judge Michael Briggs handed down his judgment in favour of the banks to declare there is no public policy that prevents a waiver of security rights, as argued by Mallya's lawyers.

At a virtual hearing, July 26 was set as the date for final arguments for and against granting a bankruptcy order against Mallya after the banks accused him of trying to "kick matters into the long grass" and called on the "bankruptcy petition to be brought to its inevitable end".

ALSO READ: Vijay Mallya granted access to GBP 1.1 million of court-held funds to meet legal, living costs

"I order that permission be given to amend the petition to read as follows: 'The Petitioners (banks) having the right to enforce any security held are willing, in the event of a bankruptcy order being made, to give up any such security for the benefit of all the bankrupt's creditors'," Justice Briggs' judgment reads.

"There is nothing in the statutory provisions that prevent the Petitioners from giving up security," he notes.

Mallya's barrister, Philip Marshall, had referenced witness statements of retired Indian judges in previous hearings to reiterate that there is "public interest under Indian law" by virtue of the banks being nationalised.

However, Justice Briggs found no impediment to the creditors relinquishing their security under Indian law because of the engagement of a "principle concerning public interest" and favoured the submissions made by retired Indian Supreme Court judge Gopala Gowda at a hearing in December 2020 in this regard.

ALSO READ: UK govt clears Nirav Modi's extradition to India

"In my judgment the simple stance taken by Justice Gowda that Section 47 PIA 1920 is evidence of the ability of a secured creditor to relinquish the creditor's security is to be preferred," the ruling notes.

The Indian banks, represented by the law firm TLT LLP and barrister Marcia Shekerdemian, were also granted costs in totality for the petition hearings, as the "overall successful" party in the case.

"Dr Mallya should have been extradited by now. He was refused permission to go to the Supreme Court in May last year," Shekerdemian pointed out, in reference to one of Mallya's defence planks that the cases against him are "politically motivated".

The 65-year-old businessman remains on bail in the UK while a "confidential" legal matter, believed to be related to an asylum application, is resolved in connection with the unrelated extradition proceedings.

ALSO READ: Never exported vaccines at cost of people in India: Serum Institute
The United States will continue to provide a range of assistance to India, as its "important partner" continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said Monday.

President Joe Biden, who has announced a $100 million worth of COVID-19 assistance to India, is deeply engaged with the assistance program, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

"The President is, of course, kept abreast of the COVID pandemic - how it's impacting different regions in the world, including our important partners in India. And he has been deeply engaged as we've made determinations about the type of relief and assistance that we can and should provide," Psaki said.

Responding to a question on India's COVID-19 situation, Psaki said the United States will continue to work through how it can provide assistance to its important partner during this difficult time.

"We expect our assistance to be about $100 million. We've sent seven air shipments funded by the US Agency for International Development to India. The seventh flight, carrying additional oxygen concentrators via commercial shipping center, arrived today, and that obviously is critical for a number of the patients who have already been - are already battling COVID," she said.

"We will continue to provide a range of assistance. We will remain in touch about what the direct needs are on the ground, and hope that we can play a constructive role in reducing the numbers and bringing some relief to the people of India," Psaki said.

Also read: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris release tax returns; US V-P paid $621,893 in taxes
Sirens wailed just before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began on Sunday evening, sending Chen Farag and her family once again running for cover as they have dozens of times over the past week since the latest war between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military erupted.

The Farags live in Ashdod, Israel's largest port on the Mediterranean coast. The city of about 225,000 people is around 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Gaza Strip. Six adults, two dogs and a parrot huddled in their home's reinforced safe room a routine precaution for hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the country's south.

After an explosion shook the building, they rushed outside to see cars on fire, including their own. Their home's front door had been blown off, windows were blasted and shrapnel was embedded in walls.

We are in shock. It's a nightmare," said Farag, a 24-year-old cable technician. It's hard to sleep, because we are thinking, what if Gaza tries to hit us again?

Also read: 42 Palestinians, including 10 children, killed in Israeli airstrike; militants fired rockets from Gaza

The cycle of fighting and cease-fires has repeated itself numerous times in the past 15 years since the first rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The barrages have caused deep frustration for residents, many weary over what they see as the government's failure to change to the situation. Many children who have grown up in the area suffer from trauma-related issues.

Since the latest war erupted last week, Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,200 rockets at Israeli cities. Most were intercepted or fell short, in Gaza, but hundreds made it through.

The Farag home is one of 146 buildings in Israel that were hit by rockets fired from Gaza, according to military statistics. They include homes, apartment blocks, schools, kindergartens and an oil storage tank.

When sirens signal incoming rockets, Israelis can seek shelter in communal shelters or in reinforced rooms in their apartments, a feature of newer buildings. Many have been pinned down indoors, fearing they couldn't reach shelter in time.

So far, 10 people have been killed in Israel, most from rocket fire. This includes a soldier, a 5-year-old boy and two people who died from injuries sustained while running for cover. Paramedics say at least 106 people suffered shrapnel and blast wounds.

In Gaza, at least 212 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Also read: 30-year-old Indian woman killed in rocket attack by Palestinian militants in Israel

Fighting erupted on May 10, when Hamas fired seven rockets at Jerusalem following clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a shrine considered holy to both Jews and Muslims. Since then, Palestinian militants have fired heavy barrages at cities deep inside Israel, and the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

For hundreds of thousands in communities in southern Israel cities, towns, kibbutzim and farming villages air raid sirens have been unrelenting as missiles rain down.

There were two difficult days. The rockets didn't stop falling," said Ronit Ifergan, 47, a mother of three from Kfar Aza, a kibbutz just a couple of miles from the Gaza Strip.

Almost everyone left the kibbutz to seek safety elsewhere; Ifergan and her family are staying with relatives in the nearby town of Ofakim. Her children are too scared to use the bathroom, terrified they would get caught in a barrage, she said.

I don't know where to flee to. I am afraid of every place I need to go, she said.

Ifergan and other residents of the area say the past week of fighting has been far more intense than previous rounds, with Hamas firing near-nonstop barrages of rockets indiscriminately into Israel.

This is the fourth Israel-Hamas war since the militants seized the Gaza Strip in 2007, driving out the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous enclaves in the occupied West Bank.

Israel and Egypt have enforced a border blockade of Gaza for the past 14 years, with the aim of preventing Hamas from building up its weapons arsenal. But despite the chokehold, the militants have been able to produce thousands of rockets, even as the blockade caused growing hardships for the tiny territory's 2 million people.

On the Israeli side, Yoash Hagay, 53, said his hometown of Ashkelon just 11 kilometers (6 miles) from Gaza has been hit hard, with a couple of rockets making it through Israel's Iron Dome defense system with every barrage.

Also read: Death toll jumps as violence rocks Gaza, Israel and West Bank

Every time you hear a couple interceptions by the Iron Dome, and two or three explosions on the ground," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with airstrikes against Gaza militants "as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

Ifergan says southern Israel has seen many years of neglect by the government, exacerbated by what she describes as unfinished military campaigns against Gaza militants. She criticized the government's handling of the past month of mounting tensions in Jerusalem, violence that heralded the Gaza fighting.

We are tired of this, said Farag, whose house was damaged in Ashdod. We always hope that it will end. And it will be just be quiet. It never happens, she added.
Vodafone Idea, doing business as Vi in India, on Tuesday, launched a special Covid-19 relief offer for its low-income subscribers.

Vi, in its special relief offer, is offering Rs 49 prepaid plan, that offers talk time of Rs 38 and 100 MB data with a validity of 28 days - free to over 60 million low-income customers due to the ongoing pandemic situation in India. Vi, with this offer, will extend benefits of up to Rs 294 crore.

The telecom service provider said that with this provision, Vi is hopeful of enabling its customers to stay connected safely, and have access to all necessary information in these challenging times.

"As a special gesture, with this one-time offer, VIL will be extending benefits worth up to Rs 2,940 million to the low-income group users in the country," it added in a statement.

Apart from its Rs 49 free pack, Vi has also announced a new voucher of Rs 79, which comes with a talk time of Rs 128 (64+64) and 200 MB of data for a validity of 28 days for a limited period.

Vi's this move comes after its rival Airtel and Jio announced their COVID relief plans for users. Jio promised to provide 300 free minutes of outgoing calls per month to Jio Phone users, who haven't been able to recharge due to the ongoing pandemic.

The initiative, announced in association with Reliance Foundation, will offer 10 minutes per day to the Jio users for the entire period of the pandemic.

Airtel, as its COVID relief plans, is giving the Rs 49 pack free to over 55 million low-income customers. The Rs 49 recharge pack offers 100 MB of data and Rs 38 worth of talk time with a validity of 28 days.

Airtel is also offering its prepaid customers who purchase the Rs 79 recharge coupons with double the benefits.

Also Read: Never exported vaccines at cost of people in India: Serum Institute

Also Read: Tata Motors FY21 net loss widens to Rs 13,395 crore; revenue slips

Also Read: Ask Money Today: Is Rs 20,000 monthly investment enough to retire comfortably?
A Sustainable Mining Attractiveness Index (SMAI) developed by Delhi based Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) has revealed that the best performing districts in terms of mining activities among the 24 districts of Jharkhand ranked lowest on environment parameter while the lowest ranked districts in terms of mining ranked among the top 10 on the environment pillar.

The index, which is aligned with the principle of environmental and social responsibility in mining emphasised in the National Mineral Policy 2019, underscores the need to push the accelerator on community development and environmental conservation, especially in the context of numerous controversies surrounding the sector.

Jharkhand accounts for more than two-fifths of the mineral wealth of the country -- including 27 per cent of its coal resources, 26 per cent of its iron ore resources, and 18 per cent of its copper ore resources. However, it is one of India's most impoverished states. In per capita gross state domestic product (GSDP) terms, Jharkhand ranks 25 out of the 28 Indian states.

"The SMAI provides stakeholders with a holistic understanding of the potential of mineral resources-led development in the state, identifies factors that encourage and discourage mining investments, suggests government-led policy actions that enable sustainable mining jurisdictions and provides mining companies benchmarks for guiding investment decisions," Rajesh Chadha, Senior Fellow, Energy, Natural Resources & Sustainability, CSEP, says.

The CSEP-Sustainable Mining Attractiveness Index for Jharkhand has been constructed by evaluating the 24 districts of Jharkhand based on various secondary data normalised and aggregated under five pillars: mining potential and performance; socio-economic status; policy and governance; infrastructure; and environment. The scores of the five pillars have been averaged to give each district a final sustainable mining attractiveness score and index.

The top five districts overall are: Dhanbad (1), East Singhbhum (2), West Singhbhum (3), Ranchi (4) and Ramgarh (5). The five lowest-ranked districts are: Deoghar (20), Koderma (21), Garhwa (22), Simdega (23) and Godda (24).

The top-performing district Dhanbad, is ranked the lowest on the environment pillar (24). Similarly, East Singhbhum performs relatively poorly on the environment pillar (9) when compared to its ranks for the other pillars, while West Singhbhum lies low on the socio-economic status (22) and infrastructure (10) pillars.

On the other hand, two of the lowest-ranked districts -- Garhwa and Simdega -- rank among the top 10 on the environment pillar. Lohardaga (17), also does well on the environment pillar. Similarly, Jamtara (19), is a relatively better performer on the socio-economic status, policy and governance, and infrastructure.

"The CSEP-SMAI study portrays a holistic overview of 24 districts of Jharkhand with regard to the five pillars. While the mining potential of a district may be an important incentive for mining investments, the miner (company) would also consider the policy and governance, and infrastructure issues. The district government should be equally concerned about both these issues, as well as about the socio-economic status and environmental sustainability of mining," says Chadha.

The indexing of the five pillars and the Index carry not just policy implications for the district administrations and the Government of Jharkhand, but also provide benchmarks for guiding mining investment decisions across India, the results show.

Also read: 43 of world's 100 cities at greatest environmental risk in India

Also read: Scrapping Pollutants Away
Highlights WhatsApps new terms of service went live on May 15th, 2021, and is applicable to special business accounts.

You will not immediately lose WhatsApps features if you have not accepted the new terms of service.

However, WhatsApp on Monday told Delhi High Court that it is not going to defer the date of the new terms of service and it continues to be May 15th, 2021.

It has been over three days since WhatsApp's new terms of service went live. Now, if you have not clicked on "Accept" yet, you will not lose the functions on WhatsApp -- at least immediately. However, if you are someone who thought you will have to comply with the new terms sooner or later, and did go ahead and clicked on Accept, WhatsApp will bring about some changes. No, you cannot "undo" the changes once you have accepted the new terms. WhatsApp on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it is not going to defer the May 15th deadline, and users not accepting new terms will lose features to the app over a span of time. It also noted that the company was complying with the Indian IT law in contrast to the Centre's views.



WhatsApp on its help center announced that "The changes are related to optional business features on WhatsApp, and provide further transparency about how we collect and use data.". According to features tracker, WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp users have two business accounts -- the one that uses cloud providers and the ones that do not. The new privacy policy is only applicable to the first type of business accounts, while the other one is treated like personal accounts whose messages and data will be end-to-end encrypted according to WhatsApp.



Reports noted that contacting a normal business account is like chatting with a friend or family member while chatting with a business account that uses cloud providers can give access to the details of the chat to generate targeted ads. The special business accounts will have labels and users can check a business' privacy policy by sending a single message before starting a conversation.



Only the chats between WhatsApp business accounts that use cloud providers and users can be stored and managed by business accounts, which is also possible only if the user contacts them. The report notes that these special business accounts are labeled so users can restrict themselves from interacting with these accounts if they wish to. Secondly, user's data can be targeted if users interact with business accounts on Instagram or Facebook to generate ads. It is entirely up to the user if he or she wants to use Facebook shops, notes WhatsApp. If users interact with Facebook shops, WhatsApp will inform users how this action is shared with Facebook.



Kapil Sibal, who represented WhatsApp, told Delhi High Court on Monday that WhatsApp is not deferring its update on the privacy policy which has now come into force. He said it would not straightaway delete the accounts and would rather persuade people to come on board. But, if the users are not convinced, slowly their accounts would be deleted.




Highlights Vi is giving a Rs 49 prepaid plan free of cost to low income users.

The move comes after Airtel and Jio announced similar offers for low income users.

Vi has also launched a new Combo Voucher RC79 that will offer a large base population.

Vodafone Idea On Tuesday announced special Covid-19 relief offers for its 60 million low-income customers to help them stay connected at all times during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic. As a special relief offer, Vi is giving Rs 49 prepaid plan free to over 60 million low income customers due to the current situation. The plan offers talktime of Rs 38 and 100 MB data with a validity of 28 days. With this Vi notes that with this provision, it is hopeful of enabling its customers to stay connected safely, and have access to all necessary information in these challenging times. As a special gesture, with this one-time offer, Vodafone Idea Limited will be extending benefits worth up to Rs 2,940 million to the low income group users in the country.

Additionally, Vi has launched a new Combo Voucher RC79 that will offer a large base population. This special offer will give users the benefit of Double Talktime of Rs 128 (64+64) and 200 MB of data for a validity of 28 days for a limited time period.



The move comes after telecom companies Airtel and Jio also announced covid relief plans for users. Jio has promised to provide 300 free minutes of outgoing calls per month to Jio Phone users who have not been able to recharge their Jio plans due to the ongoing pandemic. The initiative announced in association with Reliance Foundation will offer 10 minutes per day to the above-mentioned Jio users for the entire period of the pandemic. In addition, Jio has announced a free recharge plan for every Jio Phone plan recharged by a user. The additional recharge plan will be of the same value as the plan paid for by the Jio Phone user.

Airtel, as a one-time gesture, is giving the Rs 49 pack free of cost to over 55 million low-income customers. The Rs 49 pack offers users 100 MB of data and Rs 38 worth of talk time with a validity of 28 days. Through this gesture, Airtel aims to empower its over 5.5 crore customers, most of them in rural areas, to stay connected and have access to critical information when needed. Airtel is also its prepaid customers who purchase the Rs 79 recharge coupons with double the benefits.






Alphabet Inc's Google on Tuesday is expected to unveil updates across many services, including search and Android, as the company showcases its role in a world that has become more digitally connected during the pandemic.

Google has seen an increase in usage of search, video-conferencing and other tools in the past year, as lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions forced people to shop and communicate online.

With in-person activities resuming, Google is out to make a case that it can remain just as relevant and compete with services from Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and others, including through features that foster hybrid working set-ups.

Chief Executive Sundar Pichai will headline a two-hour livestream starting at 10 a.m. PT Tuesday (1700 GMT) as part of Google I/O, the company's annual three-day developer conference. The forum was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 and will have only a virtual audience this year.

Pichai also may highlight Google's progress on issues that have become bigger priorities for corporate America over the past year, including climate change and racial justice. He has called for features, such as eco-friendly directions in Maps, that help users live more sustainably, and he has sought to ensure Google technology works well for people of all backgrounds.

Increasing data privacy and growing various subscription businesses have been other areas of focus, as has been improving the performance of products through artificial intelligence (AI), custom computer chips and potentially quantum computing.

I/O is normally held outdoors near Google's Silicon Valley headquarters, with thousands of software developers from major companies to startups attending to learn about new programming options to jazz up their apps. Unspecified updates to the Android and Chrome operating systems, Google Assistant virtual helper and Google Play app store are planned, according to the conference agenda.

One unknown is whether Google will release new consumer gadgets, something it has done at I/O in the past with smartphones and smart speakers.

Also Read: Google launches News Showcase in India; partners with 30 domestic publishers
This dedicated capability supports the development of the Australian Commonwealths Industry Capability and Sovereign Shipbuilding Programs



Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC), has celebrated the opening of a new laboratory and testing facility in Regency Park close to Port Adelaide, the hub for Australian naval shipbuilding in South Australia. The facility was officially opened by the Premier for South Australia, the Hon. Steven Marshall MP in a ceremony on 11th May 2021.

The newly opened laboratory is offering ISO 17025 NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) accredited Mechanical Testing on state-of-the-art methods. It demonstrates the commitment of Bureau Veritas to support defence and naval shipbuilding within South Australia. It complements the Groups existing operations within the state, where 300 staff have been supporting key industry sectors including General Fabrication, Mining and Oil & Gas for more than 50 years.

Alongside the new Regency Park laboratory, a naval liaison office established in Adelaides Defence and Space Innovation Precinct - Lot Fourteen enables Bureau Veritas to drive growth in this strategic and emerging sector of the South Australian economy and provide dedicated support for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Premier for South Australia Steven Marshall declared: Bureau Veritas commitment to support defence and naval shipbuilding within South Australia is sustaining and creating jobs in this key industry for our state. It was a great privilege to open Bureau Veritas brand new laboratory and testing facility and I look forward to seeing the great work this company will be doing as the Federal Governments naval shipbuilding program ramps up in the coming months and years.

Rhys LEWIS, Director  Strategic Development  Bureau Veritas Pacific:This latest investment into South Australia continues our long history of providing independent Testing Inspection & Certification services to strategic and economically significant industries within the state. Whilst this new facility is supporting Sovereign Shipbuilding capability, we have previously supported similar growth and capabilities with developments in Mining and commodities testing businesses within South Australia.

Pierre de Chateau Thierry, Director, Marine & Offshore, Bureau Veritas Australasia:Our marine and naval know how, combined with the Groups global testing and certification expertise, enable to provide a unique mix of maritime and industrial capability. Supporting Australias naval ambitions requires that combination of marine technology capabilities with the broader TIC breadth and depth that we offer.

Bureau Veritas is already supporting the strengths and capabilities of the Royal Australian Navy to prescribe the naval material policies and a new standardized naval material rule set for Australia to provide the necessary ecosystem for the design, build and commissioning of naval ships now - and into the future.

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 75,000 employees located in more than 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index.

Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI.

For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritas) and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210517006041/en/
CSC, the worlds leading provider of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services, has secured a specialised depositary license from the Central Bank of Ireland. On the heels of obtaining CSCs Irish fund administration license last year, the depositary license further enhances the companys capabilities in Ireland and advances CSCs long-term strategy of providing a comprehensive suite of multijurisdictional alternative investment, capital markets, and corporate solutions in key global financial centers.

Were delighted to be among the first companies to receive authorization to act as a depositary of assets other than financial instruments in Ireland, said Paul Whelan, managing director of depositary services for CSC Global Financial Markets in Dublin. Id like to thank the Central Bank of Ireland for engaging with us throughout the process. This license allows us to provide our clients with additional services while delivering the high level of support and expertise they expect.

CSC has earned the trust of clients around the world, working with 60% of the top 100 global alternative asset managers, providing specialised outsourcing services to them and their advisors in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. CSC, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, is a 120-year-old privately held independent service provider, offering clients long-term stability and a commitment to service excellence.

Attaining our depositary license in Ireland is another important milestone in building a leading services offering for fund managers and enhancing our global capabilities, said John Hebert, president of CSC Global Financial Markets. Our clients interests are our top priority, and our team-based approach allows us to work in concert with them, no matter the market, service, asset type, or location.

CSC anticipates fund administration and depositary licenses in Luxembourg to follow shortly, which will complement service offerings in Ireland and the Netherlands.

The Irish office of Simmons & Simmons advised CSC on the licensing and approval process with the Central Bank of Ireland.

For more information about CSCs Depositary Services business, visit cscgfm.com.

About CSC

CSC is a leading provider of specialised administration services to alternative asset managers across a range of fund strategies, capital markets participants in both public and private markets, and corporations requiring fiduciary and governance support. We are the unwavering partner for 90% of the Fortune 500, nearly 10,000 law firms, and more than 3,000 financial institutions. CSCs Global Financial Markets professionals are located in key financial centers across the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. We are a global company capable of conducting transactions wherever our clients areand we accomplish that by deploying experts in every business we serve. For more information about CSCs services, visit cscgfm.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005350/en/
Payslip, an automation and integration technology platform for global payroll management, today announced a successful close of an additional 8.3 million to its Series A financing round, bringing the companys total financing to 12 million.

Proceeds from the funding round will enable Payslip to hire more talent across a range of departments. With over 150 positions to be filled, the company is looking to hire extensively in Ireland, especially in Westport and Dublin.

Payslip hopes to recruit software developers, integrations engineers, customer project managers, solution architects, tech support specialists, FinTech project managers and customer success managers, among many others, to drive the business forward and serve its growing international client base.

This extension round follows a record year of growth for Payslip since its last financing in March 2020, which saw a nearly 100% increase in employee headcount, 40% revenue growth, and 25% quarterly customer growth. This investment empowers Payslip to continue helping multinational organizations solve a range of payroll-related pain points, including lack of data standardization & automation, reporting & analytics, compliance and payroll operational efficiency and facilitates the ability to grow a business by scaling into new countries and markets seamlessly.

Payslip is already used by dozens of multinational organizations throughout various industries and customers include LogMeIn, Get Your Guide, Cloudera, and Airbus.

Welcoming the announcemount, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said, "This is great news from Payslip today. These 150 new jobs across Dublin and Westport are highly skilled positions and are a real vote of confidence. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Irelands tech sector continues to perform very well."

Payslip founder and CEO. Fidelma McGuirk added, "We are creating a lot of new positions across engineering, customer success and project management. With Team Payslip based in Westport, they can have a great life by the mountains and sea, while delivering cutting edge technology to the best multinational clients in the world."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
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The launch of investigation indicates the CSRC has some evidence in hand, knowledgeable sources told Caixin. Photo: VCG

Chinas securities regulator has launched an investigation into potential pump-and-dump schemes where stock promoters allegedly worked with companies to try to push up the prices of stocks listed on the domestic A-share market, seeking to lure in retail investors before dumping their holdings, leading to sharp swings in stock prices.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is probing trading accounts suspected of manipulating the stock prices of Jiangsu Lettall Electronic Co. Ltd. (603629.SH) and Zoy Home Furnishing Co. Ltd. (603709.SH), among other companies, it said in a statement (link in Chinese) on Sunday.

The launch of investigation indicates the CSRC has some evidence in hand, knowledgeable sources told Caixin. The regulator is looking to clamp down on shady investment practices that hurt retail investors.

The scandal, revealed earlier this month by a private fund manager involved in the practice, gives a glimpse into how publicly traded companies on the A-share market, along with fund managers and brokers who promote their stocks, can manipulate stock prices with bogus news and stock analysis touting their perceived value.

These intermediaries often make positive claims about the firms, then pour in huge amount of funds to buy stocks, boost prices and lure retail investors, and then dump the shares shortly afterward.

Ye Fei, the private fund manager, previously punished as a stock swindler, has made headlines across China and evoked heated public discussion. His posts on the Chinese social media platform Weibo since May 9 have accused (link in Chinese) Zoy Home of manipulating its stock price and failing to pay a broker who had bought its shares but ended up with huge losses, among other accusations.

The broker, Minsheng Securities Co. Ltd., bought more than 15 million yuan ($2.3 million) worth of Zoy Home shares on March 31, Ye said. However, its share price slumped 8.8% that day.

Yes barrage of accusations target at least 18 listed companies (link in Chinese), including Shandong Longji Machinery Co. Ltd. (002363.SZ), Visionox Technology Inc. (002387.SZ), Guangzhou Haozhi Industrial Co. Ltd. (300503.SZ) and Eastern Pioneer Driving School Co. Ltd. (603377.SH), according to the posts.

Zoy Home and Eastern Pioneer have denied Yes accusations, saying in filings in response to the Shanghai bourses request for information that they were not involved in value management practices nor did they know or contact Ye.

Most companies named by Ye saw their stock prices drop sharply on Monday.

Ye himself was fined (link in Chinese) 20 million yuan by the CSRC in 2015 for manipulating the market. The private fund management license of his investment company was canceled (link in Chinese) in 2019 by the Asset Management Association of China.

The CSRC pledges zero tolerance for violations including vicious market manipulation and insider trading, according to the Sunday statement. In recent years, some stock market actors have taken advantage of shareholding, capital, inside information and technology to conspire to manipulate stock prices, seriously harming investors interests and disrupted the market order, it said.

The regulator said it has investigated a total of 65 cases of suspected market manipulation since 2020. Wang Yue, controlling shareholder of Chinese game developer Kingnet Network Co. Ltd. (002517.SZ), got sentenced to five years and six months in prison and fined 10 million yuan for stock manipulation, the company said in a filing in late December.

The A-share market has more than 185 million (link in Chinese) investors, the majority of whom are retail investors.

Read more

Cover Story: The Losing Game for Chinese Retail Investors

Contact reporter Luo Meihan (meihanluo@caixin.com)

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A man works at the construction site of a sky train link in Hanoi, Vietnam, on November 12, 2015. Photo: IC Photo

(Nikkei Asia)  The Vietnamese government has asked domestic steelmakers to boost production and limit exports in an effort to fight off soaring steel prices.

We should prioritize supplies to the domestic market to ensure price stability, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said in a statement released early this month. Such an industry intervention by a top Communist Party official is considered highly unusual.

Import prices of hot-rolled coil steel, a staple for construction material, has exceeded $1,000 per ton, touching highs not seen in 13 years. Prices have jumped 50% from the start of the year.

The main driver for the rising prices is China, which commands the majority of global steel production. Supplies from the Asian power have recently been on the decline.

International steel prices in general have steadily climbed since demand for steel remained robust even under the coronavirus pandemic. Separately, speculation has grown since the beginning of the year about China ending rebates for value-added taxes on ex-ported steel, spurring speculative steel purchases.

The Chinese government did indeed end up removing value-added tax rebates on major steel products on May 1, keeping import prices on an upward trend.

Vietnam is the largest steel importer in Southeast Asia, taking in 13.2 million tons of steel last year  most of it from China.

Hanoi, which had long been concerned about the inflow of low-cost Chinese steel pro-ducts, has signaled a cautious stance against permitting the expansion of steelmaking facilities within the domestic industry.

Now that steel prices are anticipated to stay high for potentially the foreseeable future, the government may have pivoted toward recommending increased output, said a source from a steel trading company.

Steel costs account for an estimated 10% to 20% of all construction costs for a project. Most construction companies are unable to renegotiate contracts if steel prices spike, said Nguyen Quoc Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors, ac-cording to local media.

As a result, some construction projects are suffering delays. Vietnam exported nearly 10 million tons of steel last year, and the question remains whether the government interference will help keep a substantial portion of that volume within its borders.

This story was first published in Nikkei Asia.

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The giant animals make headlines after trekking more than 500 kilometers from their natural habitat; Chinas factory inflation has experienced its greatest surge in nearly 13 years; and top commerce officials from Beijing and Washington hold discussions on trade and investment

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China hits 400 mln vaccine doses following recent COVID-19 outbreaks

Xinhua) 08:47, May 18, 2021

-- More than 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in China by Sunday as the country steps up the inoculation drive.

-- East China's Anhui Province and northeast China's Liaoning Province have seen new outbreaks of COVID-19, partially spurring the mass vaccination drive in the country.

-- Contact tracing and mass testing have been stepped up in both provinces to contain the latest COVID-19 outbreaks.

HEFEI/SHENYANG, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China is working at full throttle to vaccinate its people against COVID-19, as over 400 million doses had been administered as of Sunday, just nine days after the figure surpassed 300 million doses.

It took 17 days for the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered on the Chinese mainland to exceed 300 million doses from 200 million doses, and 26 days from 100 million doses to 200 million doses, according to daily updates by the National Health Commission.

Aerial photo taken on May 14, 2021 shows people waiting for nucleic acid sampling at a testing site in Lu'an City, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo by Chen Li/Xinhua)

The accelerated mass vaccination drive has been partially spurred by the latest COVID-19 outbreaks in east China's Anhui Province and northeast China's Liaoning Province, which had seen 16 confirmed locally transmitted cases in total as of Sunday evening.

Long queues were seen at multiple vaccination sites in Hefei, capital city of Anhui. A temporary vaccination site has been set up in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University to meet the surging demand since May 14.

Duan Yichen, a Hefei citizen, queued up at the hospital in the early morning the next day.

"I had thought of it before, but I never went. The recent outbreaks made me realize the importance of vaccination," Duan said. "Getting vaccinated without delay means taking responsibility for yourself and the well-being of others."

A citizen receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, May 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

To ensure orderly vaccination, the hospital has adopted a booking system. Areas for waiting, registration, injection and observation were isolated from the rest of the hospital and arranged following a one-way route.

As of May 14, Hefei had administered over 2.6 million doses. The day also witnessed the city's highest daily inoculation number so far -- 364,100 doses.

The city currently has more than 7,100 medical staff for COVID-19 inoculation and treatment, capable of administering 300,000 jabs a day in normal circumstances.

Residents of Xiaowanghai Village wait to have a second round of nucleic acid testing in Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 16, 2021. (Xinhua)

The city of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, has set up over 300 vaccination sites capable of administering 200,000 doses a day.

"Since May 12, Shenyang has seen more than 100,000 doses be administered every day. About 154,000 doses were administered on Thursday, the highest figure in recent days," said Dong Guihua, deputy director of the city's center for disease control and prevention.

A mobile inoculation vehicle has appeared in Shenyang's downtown area, which can serve three people at the same time.

"If a pedestrian wants to get vaccinated, he or she can simply show their ID card, scan the QR code and fill in their information," said Zhang Ge, a local health official. "We expect to vaccinate about 1,100 people a day."

Zhao Xin, director of Huanggu Hospital under the Northeast International Hospital of Shenyang, said COVID-19 vaccination is currently irreplaceable in preventing the spread of the virus, adding that the number of citizens going to vaccination sites for inquiries has increased significantly.

Residents of Xiaowanghai Village queue up for nucleic acid testing in Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 16, 2021. (Xinhua)

According to the local health authorities, none of the confirmed cases from the two provinces had been vaccinated.

Gene sequencing analysis conducted by the provincial center for disease control and prevention of Anhui found the coronavirus strains behind the cases were not the highly infectious variants found in India and South Africa.

In the meantime, citywide nucleic acid tests were immediately launched, while dozens of neighborhoods were sealed off and labeled as medium- or high-risk areas.

As of Sunday noon, nearly 1.14 million people in Anhui's medium- and high-risk areas tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Experts have effectively ruled out the possibility of mass infections in the province.

Medical workers collect samples from residents of Xiaowanghai Village for nucleic acid tests in Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 16, 2021. (Xinhua)

"Vaccination is a great way to achieve herd immunity. The vaccination rate in China is still low and behind many countries. So we need to step up efforts to raise our vaccination rate to 70 to 80 percent as soon as possible," Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory disease expert, said after he received a dose of a China-developed COVID-19 vaccine recently in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

"I hope, together, we can do what we can to help stem the pandemic for our country, the world, and ourselves," Zhong said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
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News at 4Cs

Cape Cod Community College Establishes New Transfer Partnership, Scholarship Opportunity with Champlain College Online

Cape Cod Community College is proud to announce a new student transfer partnership with Champlain College Online (CCO). This partnership establishes a personalized pathways program for students attending 4Cs to seamlessly transfer into guaranteed online Bachelors Degree programs at CCO while staying on Cape Cod and in our surrounding communities.

CCO, based out of Burlington, Vermont, offers more than 60 online degree programs that encompass four in-demand areas of study: Business, Cyber Security, Healthcare, and Information Technology. Students at 4Cs can enter the pathways program which provides personalized advising from both colleges that keeps them on-track for a seamless transfer pathway into an online Bachelors Degree.

Most of the students we serve are from right here on Cape Cod, the Islands, and the greater Plymouth area. They are truly the backbone of our local economy and the community, said Dr. John Cox, President of Cape Cod Community College. While many graduate and immediate starting working, we acknowledge that obtaining further higher education increases earnings and quality of life. For many of our students, this often means leaving the region to obtain their Bachelors Degrees and other advanced credentials. Through this transfer partnership with CCO, our students wont have to leave the region to get that degree.

Craig Morong, Vice-Chair of the Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation, helped make the connection between the two institutions by creating a new scholarship that will support 4Cs students transferring to CCO.

What drew us as a family to Champlain College was their emphasis on careers in-demand for the 21st century, passionate educators, and a student body that offers both diversity and ensures that the student is not a number, Morong said. The concept of this partnership is to provide a first-rate education with a leader in career-oriented learning, while allowing our students at 4Cs the benefit of living here on the Cape. Our Family Foundation has created a dedicated scholarship for this program that will fund a number of full, merit-based scholarships that will cover tuition, books, and all the essentials needed to graduate with a B.S. or a B.A. from Champlain College.

A division of Champlain College, Champlain College Online is a regionally accredited, nonprofit, 100% remote college designed for adult learners.

This agreement represents new opportunities to better serve hard-working, busy, and driven students looking to continue their education beyond their associate degrees, said Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, President of Champlain College. Providing virtual resources to students seeking affordable, accessible, and supportive online college experiences is at the very heart of everything we do here at Champlain College. We believe that through this inaugural collaboration, Cape Cod Community College associate degree students will soon join the Champlain family.

Registration is currently open at Cape Cod Community College for 14 and 7-week Fall classes starting September 7 and 5-week Summer classes that start June 7. For more information on registration, contact the 4Cs Admissions team at admissions@capecod.edu or by phone/text at 508-808-8035.

For more information on Champlain College Online and how to apply, please visit https://online.champlain.edu/capecod.


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Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight.

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Caimyn Anderson of Morehead City loads water in preparation for Hurricane Florence in September 2018. With Atlantic hurricane season starting Tuesday, June 1, the American Red Cross encourages residents to begin preparing emergency kits now. (Cheryl Burke photo)
Carteret Community College cosmetology student Shamra Lee, right, wears a mask during the fall semester as she practices a hair styling technique on student Harleigh Brungard. CCC officials announced Tuesday they are lifting mask requirements based on new federal safety guidance. (Cheryl Burke photo)
If you look to your left and then to your right, chances are you're going to spot a piece of technology (yes, looking forward into your screen counts too). And if you haven't heard of the Big Five tech companies in the world, you're probably not actually reading this article. Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon bring $5 trillion into the global economy and they just keep growing. But, while the tech world has taken over the real world, how many cities have been blessed by the Midas touch of tech? Let's find out.

North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region dominate the tech world

The table above is a list of the top 20 cities in the world for tech (out of 63 assessed overall). We looked at factors such as basic access to tech, how strong the tech industry is in the city, how much freedom the city offers in the tech world, and how well suited it is for educating and employing the city's future tech geniuses. Dive into our data to get the full World's Tech Hotspots report.

It'll come as no surprise that the USA's San Francisco (home of Silicon Valley) comes up top in the global rankings with a total score of 126.74 out of a possible 170. When every other city's tech hub is known as the Silicon Valley of -insert name of city here-, you know you're setting the standard that everyone else can only meekly follow.

That said, New York isn't giving up without a fight, scoring only slightly behind with 125.90. London makes sure the US isn't the only entrant in the top 3, taking a cosy third place with a score of 118.08. A quick trip round the world rounds up the top 6, with Boston scoring 117.27, Stockholm getting 117.05 and Asia's first entrant, Singapore, getting 116.58.

In all, these three continents dominate the top 20 tech hotspots, with cities like Sydney, and Seoul keeping it strong on the Asia-Pacific front, Copenhagen, Berlin and Paris all scoring well for Europe and Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver making sure the North American cohort isn't solely a US affair.

Diving a little deeper into each category, and some cities pop up higher in the rankings:

Which cities provide the best access to tech?

Our Access to Tech metrics look at factors such as smartphone penetration, availability of high-speed internet, social media access and affordability of mobile internet. Copenhagen scores highest in the category, earning 45.32 points out of a possible 50, while Singapore follows with 43.76. Lowest in the list of 63 are India's Bengaluru in second-to-last and Cape Town, South Africa at the bottom, with their lowest scores centred around speed of internet and social media access.

How strong overall is the city's tech industry?

The factors we covered to measure industry strength included number of tech centres in the city, the strength of its start-up ecosystem, the number of unicorns in the city and their Ease of Doing Business score. Dominating the start-up scene is San Francisco (scoring 31.17 out of 40), followed by Beijing (30), New York (27.75), London (25.04) and Seoul (24.54). Despite a decent Ease of Doing Business score, Bogota falls to the bottom of this category with a tiny score of 1.72.

Where in the world can we freely tech?

The Tech Freedom category covers factors such as web censorship, social progress from a tech perspective and access to online governance (i.e. online public access to government information and input into social decision making). Estonia's Tallinn wins this category with a strong score of 28.63 out of a possible 30, while cities in Japan, Denmark and the Netherlands also featured up top.

While India's Bengaluru gets the bottom spot here, it's perhaps not surprising that cities in China fare pretty badly too: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hangzhou all score 12.50. China's particular downfall is in its poor performance in web censorship, with each city receiving 9 out of 10 for level of censorship and tech restrictions. Only Seoul, South Korea scored worse, getting 10 out of 10 for web censorship.

Which city's best for students interested in tech?

Considering the massive value of the industry stated up top, the glitzy world of electronics technology is a great choice for students looking for career security. But, where should they park their e-textbooks? When looking at factors such as access to quality education, average pay for tech jobs such as software engineer, the university rankings of top STEM schools and global technology skillset, New York wins out for students.

Its score of 37.52 out of 50 comfortably dwarfs second-placed San Francisco which gets 34.94. Germany's Munich (34.60) and Berlin (34.23) follow close behind, as does Japan's Tokyo with 33.53. Drop down to the bottom, China's Shenzhen (4.60) and Chengdu (3.03) close off the list for education and careers.

While London wins in the UK, other cities shine brightly too

The eagle-eyed among you might've spotted that London gives many of the cities in the global table a run for their money. But, what about the rest of the UK? The table above's got you covered.

We looked at the following categories: access to technology (high-speed internet, access to funding and the like); strength of industry (top performing companies, existence of tech hubs and others); education and careers (including top universities, and average tech salaries). Here's a quick rundown of the best cities in the UK for tech.

London performs best overall

Not surprisingly, the multitalented capital city performs best across the three categories assessed. Before you accuse us of being London fanboys, the numbers speak for themselves. Thanks to near-perfect scores across the board, London soars above second-placed Birmingham with a massively impressive total score of 88.20 out of 90, compared to Brummies' 31.65. By perfect, of course, we mean perfect performance in the metrics we studied  whether the tech industry in London is perfect overall is a different question.

Tech seems to favour the UK's southern cities

Looking specifically at the top 5, while Scotland's capital city Edinburgh gets a cosy third place in the overall rankings, no other cities are based in the northern end of the UK. With Birmingham representing the Midlands, Bristol the South West of England, Oxford the South East and Cambridge the East, it's a shame that no other top cities are based in the northern end of the UK.

The top city is a matter of metrics

When you dive deeper into some of the metrics, it's interesting to see where some of the cities take over. For Access to Tech, which looks at internet and 5G speeds and access to capital for tech businesses, Birmingham comes in second (London leads with 28.34 out of 30). But when you slide over to our Strength of Industry metrics, London and Bristol tie in first (30/30) and Edinburgh takes third place (7.29), with Birmingham dropping down to no. 7. It's a similar story in the Education and Careers metrics, with Cambridge (17.29 out of 30) and Oxford (15.95) stepping up to the podium behind London (29.86).

Which UK cities make the grade for tech learning?

If the last year is anything to go by, tech is definitely here to stay. But, where is it likely to linger the longest? We took a look at which cities in the UK are best at preparing the next generation of tech bods.

London does the best here overall, scoring 29.86, mostly thanks to a whopping 6 universities making the global top 100 for STEM teaching. Its best university (Imperial College London) gets a score of 92.1 in Top Universities' rankings. And, of course, the London salary doesn't fail to impress, with software developers in the city earning an average of 40,000 per year.

Of course, Oxford and Cambridge have obvious strong showings in the education category: Cambridge scores 17.29 overall and Oxford gets 15.95. Both of their top universities do better than London, with the University of Cambridge scoring 93.4 in the rankings and the University of Oxford getting 92.5. We'd be remiss not to give the University of Cambridge props for also being third in the world for STEM, and for being the best in Europe.

Back to the overall table and rounding out the top 5 are Edinburgh with a healthy 14.79 overall and Southampton with 14.73. Doing better than Oxbridge, Edinburgh has 2 universities in the top 100 for STEM, with its University of Edinburgh getting an impressive score of 77.8. The University of Southampton isn't too tardy either, scoring 75.3 while The University of Manchester brings a strong showing for the north, scoring 80.5. Whether you're fresh out of school and looking at universities or thinking of going back to school for a sprint in the ever-growing tech sphere, the UK's a great place to start your tech journey.

Whichever city in the world you end up, when you're surrounded by top tech, you'll want to make sure yours keeps up with the times too. Look no further than our mobile phone deals to find some great options that'll have you feeling prepared for new tech possibilities in any of our top tech cities.

Methodology

We assessed 68 cities on 26 different factors related to the city's capabilities in the electronic technology industry. For the global table, 48 cities were assessed across 17 factors. For the UK table, 22 cities were assessed across 9 factors (London and Manchester appear in both tables). All data was collected March-April 2021. To standardise our results and help rank the cities, a formula was applied to rank each factor evenly between 1-10. The formula used was:

Score(i) = 10 * ( ( (x(i) - x(min) ) / ( (x(max) - x(min) ) )

For each table, a final score was calculated by adding up the points awarded across all factors.
Carroll, IA (51401)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this Tuesday, July 22, 2014, file photo, gold bars are stacked in a vault at the United States Mint, in West Point, N.Y. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mike Groll

Canadian miner Centerra Gold Inc. says the Kyrgyz Republic is moving to install external management at its Kumtor gold mine in the Central Asian country after "effectively seizing control" of the operation over the weekend.

In a news release, it warns of the potential for a material impact or loss of its entire investment in the mine, which produced 90,169 ounces of gold in the first quarter.

In support, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau and Mary Ng, minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, issued a joint statement Monday indicating Canada is "very concerned" about the situation.

"This will potentially have far-reaching consequences on foreign direct investment in the Kyrgyz Republic," they said.

"Canada is also disappointed that this dispute between foreign investors and the government of the Kyrgyz Republic was not allowed to be resolved transparently by the parties working together."

Centerra said it is no longer in control of the gold mine and can no longer ensure the safety of the mines employees or operations, though all key safety, monitoring and operational systems at the mine were functioning properly before control was lost.

It said it has suspended the access of all local Kumtor Gold Co. employees in the Kyrgyz Republic to its global IT systems to prevent any unauthorized intrusions.

"Todays action by the parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic is a clear violation of Centerras and KGCs rights in the Kumtor mine as well as the governments obligations to Centerra and KGC under long-standing investment agreements," Centerra said in a statement Monday.

"This and other recent actions have no justification whatsoever under those agreements or applicable law."

Ongoing disagreements with the Kyrgyz government resulted in Centerra reporting a series of developments last week that it said were part of a concerted effort to coerce it to give up economic value or ownership of the Kumtor mine or to falsely justify a nationalization of the mine.

It said Sunday it had initiated binding arbitration against the government to prevent it from adopting the new law allowing it to appoint new management, or pursuing recently procured fines and tax claims against the mine which violate its investment agreements.
Photo: The Canadian Press

British Columbians who opted for the AstraZeneca plc COVID-19 vaccine for their first dose will be able to get their second doses from the same manufacturer, the provinces top doctor promised Monday.

Dr. Bonnie Henry also said it remains a very real possibility for those AstraZeneca recipients to choose the Pfizer Inc. vaccine instead in the coming weeks.

B.C. suspended administering first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this month amid shrinking supplies as manufacturers in India, where much of Canadas supply has come from, deal with a surge in their own country.

American regulators have yet to approve the vaccine in their country and only a limited supply has entered Canada from the U.S. in what officials south of the border have described as a loan.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced earlier Monday that his country would soon be shipping 60 million doses throughout the world to help tamp down on the pandemic.

Henry reassured B.C. residents that they will have the option of getting AstraZeneca for their second dose.

A total of 315,000 AstraZeneca doses have been delivered to B.C. to date, while the province currently has about 20,000 doses left in its own stockpile as it awaits further deliveries.

Henry said health officials expect to examine studies from the U.K. in the coming weeks that examine the efficacy of mixing and matching the AstraZeneca and Pfizer doses.

I ask people to be patient. We know that we have some time as your system is developing its protective response to your first dose, she said.

You will have the option of receiving the second dose of AstraZeneca and we have stocks coming in to be able to support that. Or you can take the information once we have it and make your own decision about what you want for your second [dose].

To date, 2,390,375 British Columbians  or about 55% of the eligible adult population  have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Another 130,023 people  or about 3% of the eligible population  have received two doses.

Henry said details on administering Pfizer doses to children 12-17 will be unveiled later this week.

The Pfizer vaccine is the most widely used one throughout the country and it is the first of Canadas four approved vaccines to get the nod for children 12-15 years old.

The vaccine has been permitted for children 16 years and up since December 2020.

We know that children tend to have milder illness but it is not insignificant for many children and weve seen that here in B.C., too, Henry said when asked about the World Health Organizations request that wealthier donations postpone administering doses to children and teens and instead donate supplies to lower-income nations.
Photo: The Canadian Press Then-Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, right, shares a laugh with Kevin Falcon after an announcement during a campaign stop in Burnaby, B.C., Saturday, October 12, 2019. Falcon, a former Liberal cabinet minister who left British Columbia politics almost a decade ago to work in the private sector, says he's entering the party's leadership contest. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

A former British Columbia government cabinet minister who left politics almost a decade ago to work in the private sector says he's entering the Liberal party's leadership contest.

Kevin Falcon announced his leadership bid Monday, saying he wants to rebuild, renew and rename B.C.'s Liberal Party, which has lost its way since the 2017 election.

Falcon is the third candidate to enter the Feb. 5, 2022 leadership race, joining Ellis Ross, the Liberal member of the legislature for Skeena, and Gavin Dew, a Vancouver entrepreneur and former Liberal byelection candidate.

Liberal transportation critic Michael Lee signalled Monday he is also preparing a leadership bid with a social media post declaring he was "ready to run."

Falcon, a former B.C. finance, health and transportation minister, says he left politics in 2013 to spend more time with his young family, but he's now seeking the leadership to protect both his family's and the province's future from what he says is NDP mismanagement.

Falcon, first elected in Surrey-Cloverdale in 2001, is making his second bid for party leader after being defeated by former leader Christy Clark in 2011.

"My belief is if you share our principles of a private sector driven economy, generating sufficient revenues to support first-class public services, then you ought to be part of our party regardless of your sexual orientation, regardless of your gender, regardless of your ethnic or socio-economic background," says Falcon.

"I'm just genuinely really concerned about the direction the NDP is going in," he says in an interview. "They're just essentially reprising their playbook from the 1990s and I know where that's going to lead and I'm very concerned about it."
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stop the violence that has been escalating in the region.

He says the violence needs to stop and Canada will work with the international community to de-escalate the situation "so that there is no more loss of civilian life."

At a news conference in Ottawa today, the prime minister says that his heart goes out to Israelis and Palestinians as they live through the violence surrounding them.

Hundreds have died in recent days after Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, launched rockets and Israel unleashed airstrikes.

Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signalled it would not pressure the two sides for a ceasefire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

The escalation was triggered by days of clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, which is built on a hilltop site sacred to Jews in the holy city.

That followed tensions fuelled by the planned eviction of dozens of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem where Israeli settlers have waged a lengthy legal battle to take over properties.

Gaza's Health Ministry says the Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 213 Palestinians, including 61 children, and wounded about 1,500 Palestinians.

Israel says 12 people have died, including two children, and at least 300 have been wounded.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is suggesting that three-quarters of Canadians will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the Canada-U.S. border can be reopened.

Trudeau acknowledges that discussions about the border are ongoing, but he's tamping down any expectations that travel restrictions could be lifted soon.

Discretionary travel between Canada and the United States has been prohibited since March 2020, a restriction that will be extended into June before the end of the week.

Trudeau says Canada is still not out of the current third wave of COVID-19 and has much more work to do before it's safe for travel to resume.

That's in contrast with the U.S., where a blistering vaccination pace has prompted public health officials to lift face mask requirements for people who are fully vaccinated.

That has some U.S. lawmakers urging the Biden administration to get serious about drafting a plan to allow travel to and from Canada to resume in time for the July 4 holiday.
Photo: The Canadian Press Justice Minister David Lametti reviews his notes before attending a news conference in Ottawa, Friday May 7, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti told the Commons heritage committee Tuesday that it's not his role to give a legal opinion on revisions to a bill that aims to regulate internet platforms.

Lametti said that, as a member of the Liberal cabinet, he supports Bill C-10 but as justice minister "I am not here to offer legal advice or opinions  That is something that I never do publicly."

Opposition MPs on the committee grilled Lametti about the implications of removing a section of Bill C-10 last month during clause-by-clause analysis of the legislation.

Conservative MP Rachael Harder, who has insisted for weeks that the legislation was fundamentally changed by the removal of Section 4.1 from the original bill, was first to demand answers.

"Experts in the industry now say that the removal of Section 4.1 takes away the safeguards that were imperative to protect user generated content. Do you agree with that?" Harder asked.

"As I said in my opening remarks, I'm not going to give legal advice," Lametti replied. "I don't give legal advice to committees."

Lametti said his department responded to the committee's concerns last week by providing a document that says the bill meets the requirements of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

If passed, the bill will mark the first major updates to the Broadcasting Act since social media platforms became a major source of individual and commercial communications.

Under amendments introduced recently amid the debate, Bill C-10 would give the regulator CRTC three new roles.

Those include collecting information about revenue generated by internet platforms in Canada, and determining how much should be used to fund original Canadian content in the same way the CRTC does with conventional broadcasters.

The third role, and one of key objections to Bill C-10, is to ensure Canadian content is easily discoverable or promoted on the platforms.

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says Bill C-10 will ensure platforms like YouTube are treated like broadcasters when they stream audio and video content as radio or TV broadcasters do, levelling the playing field.

But critics of Guilbeault's handling of the file has been iticized -- including by opposition MPs on the committee -- because it hasn't dealt with criticism that Bill C-10 will infringe on individual internet users.

The Liberals also must contend with some former members of the Canadian Radio-telecommunications Commission who have denounced the bill.

"I think it's a very bad idea. I think it's the equivalent of an enabling act for the control of communications," former CRTC member Timothy Denton said in an interview Tuesday.

Denton, a retired lawyer who was a member of the CRTC from 2009 through 2015 and currently chairs Internet Society Canada, said he doesn't think the legislation can be salvaged.

He was part of the CRTC when the appointed body decided not to regulate the internet because it wasn't necessary.

But Denton said he had another reason for saying the CRTC, which traces its history to the early days of radio, should keep its hands off the internet.

"I have always felt that the CRTC's claims to have jurisdiction over the internet is bad law, and would be found to be unconstitutional," Denton said.

With Bill C-10, the CRTC's mandate would be expanded to include some activities of internet platforms and Denton said that's the wrong approach to take.

"This is an enormous, enormous, enormous expansion of the CRTC's jurisdiction over communication. And there are many solid reasons to think broadcasting regulation should be restricted to broadcasters," Denton said.

Guilbeault has said Bill C-10's critics aim to delay the legislation long enough that it can't be passed before the next election.

He says speed is necessary to ensure that international internet giants are required to contribute funds that pay for professionally produced content.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Justin Trudeau says he first learned weeks ago that the general overseeing Canada's vaccination campaign was under investigation, which the prime minister described on Tuesday as "not an ideal situation."

The comments during a regular COVID-19 update represented the first from Trudeau since the Department of National Defence announced late Friday that Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin was being replaced because of an unspecified military investigation.

A source who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Canadian Press that the investigation relates to an allegation of sexual misconduct.

CTV News has reported that Fortin is being investigated for having allegedly exposed himself to a woman while he was an officer cadet at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Que., in 1989.

Fortin's military lawyer Cmdr. Mark Letourneau says his client only learned of the details of the allegation when reached by a reporter on Sunday, and that he categorically denies any wrongdoing.

Trudeau told reporters that he was not given the details of the allegation against Fortin as he was pressed on why the Liberal government did not replace the general immediately after it learned of the investigation.

The prime minister also deferred to military authorities when asked why more information about the nature of the investigation has not been publicly disclosed by the government or Department of National Defence.

Some experts as well as Conservative Leader Erin OToole have criticized the secrecy surrounding Fortins removal on Friday, which was announced in a terse three-line statement from the Defence Department.

"I understand all these questions, and they're very legitimate questions," Trudeau said.

"This is also not an ideal situation to be in, particularly in this moment of crisis, in this moment of importance, on the vaccine rollout. But it is really, really important that we have proper processes in place and that any concerns be followed up on."

The Liberal government and military have both been under fire over their handling of several other cases involving allegations of misconduct against senior officers, including former chief of the defence staff general Jonathan Vance.

The House of Commons' defence committee has been specifically drilling into why the government didn't do more after then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne flagged an allegation against Vance to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in March 2018.

Committee members were scheduled to meet on Tuesday afternoon to discuss next steps after months of testimony from various witnesses, including Walbourne, Sajjan and senior members of Trudeaus office.

For his part, Trudeau sought to reassure Canadians that the vaccination campaign, which is now being overseen by Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, will not be negatively affected by Fortin's departure.

The Public Health Agency of Canada announced late Monday that Brodie, a 30-year veteran of the military who was working with Fortin on the vaccination campaign, would be taking over.

"Brig.-Gen. Brody had already played a key role in the vaccine rollout with the Public Health Agency," Trudeau said. "She, along with the team that's been there since day one, is ready and able to get millions of doses to Canadians in the coming weeks."
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Cement dispatches from Peru rise to 0.985Mt in April

ICR Newsroom By 18 May 2021

Cement dispatches from Peru in April surged to 0.985Mt in April 2021 from a low base of 0.011Mt in April 2020 when the country was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the countrys cement association, Asocem. When compared with April 2019, dispatches were up by 16 per cent.



Cement production from domestic cement plants advanced to 0.973Mt in April 2021 from 0.010Mt in April 2020. When compared with April 2019, output rose by 20 per cent. Clinker output reached 0.48Mt, down 40 per cent when compared with April 2019.



Cement exports by Asocem members in April 2021 declined 41 per cent YoY to 13,000t while clinker exports reached 48,000t from zero in April 2020.



Cement imports fell by 56 per cent YOY to 22,000t in April 2021. Vietnam is the largest importer, accounting for 63 per cent of total imports. Clinker imports more than doubled YoY to 91,000t in April 2021 with half of clinker imports being shipped from South Korea.

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Mike Carter and I became close friends over the years after serving with him as members of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Affairs.

I always called him Judge Carter because he was a former General Sessions judge. He and I didn't always agree on some issues, but we never lost our respect and friendship for one another.

Chairman Carter and I talked many times about government issues and he always stayed on top as a champion for the people he represented.

I will miss our visits at our favorite barbecue place. I will miss his wise counsel on numerous issues and the friendships that came with those many conversations.

I remember the last communication I had with him and he said, "Mayor, please pray for me," and I did.

Mike always attended our Cleveland 100 annual meetings honoring our first responders.

I will miss him. No man ever stood taller defending citizen rights than Mike Carter.

Mayor Emeritus Tom Rowland

Mayor of Cleveland 1991-2018

* * *

I was sorry to learn of the loss of my friend Mike Carter. Mike and I both had our office chambers on the 2nd floor in the courthouse just doors apart.

Mike was a wonderful man and a great judge. He was a person of good character and principle. He could be stern or compassionate with people but he was always fair.

While in the legislature he did much for this community. He increased teacher pay, passed legislation to stop emission testing and prevented over aggressive annexation by cities.

He touched many lives.

It is my hope that this community or in particular State District 29 will name something in Mikes honor and carry on his legacy.

Russell Bean

* * *

When you mention Mike Carter in Hamilton County most anyone that has been around these neck of the woods could tell you they have heard of him.

If you were lucky enough to spend some time with him then you know what at great story teller he was and if you listened real close you most likely could learn something from those stories.

He loved to talk about his wife and boys. He would say how lucky he was to have them and how proud he was of them.

One thing is for sure, the citizens of Hamilton County and the great State of Tennessee have lost a man that was looking out for us all.

God bless Mike and his family.

Ben Wilson

* * *

Mike Carter was a kind and good man. In past years Mike found time to stop by for a visit after conducting business in the Courthouse. It was a joy to hear him express his love for Jesus Christ.

When he began serving in the legislature it was an honor to receive a call from him with legislative news of interest, or an email updating me on repeal of the emissions law that he and Senator Bo Watson championed.

More recently, it was my honor to assist him and Joan with business in the Clerks office as he prepared for the future transition.

His outstanding service, friendly smile and the Mr. Clerk he referred to me as will always be remembered and appreciated.

Bill Knowles

Hamilton County Clerk
Latter-day Saints in the greater Chattanooga area joined in the National Day of Prayer  designated by the United States Congress as the first Thursday in May  with believers everywhere acknowledging that prayer is meant for everybody, everyday.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, There is nothing more important right now than the people of all nations praying for divine inspiration and guidance. As reported at newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, President Russell M. Nelson tweeted, Our Heavenly Father can see things we cant see. While we see mortal problems and pain, He sees our immortal potential and progress. If we pray to know His will, He will guide and help us along the way.

Remember the Saviors admonition to watch and pray always (3 Nephi 18:15), Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said. Be strong, be believing, and keep praying. Prayer is often heard and answered in the most unexpected hour.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has 13 congregations in the greater Chattanooga area and over 16.5 million members in more than 31,000 congregations around the world, teaches that we are all children of our Father in Heaven. He loves us. He wants us to be happy. We can reach out to Him through prayer in the name of Jesus Christ and He will hear us.

Prayer, ultimately, is communication between each one of us and God. Because we are His children, He desires that we communicate with Him. When we pray, we should listen as much as we speak, said Jason J. Isaacson, President of the Chattanooga Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So, please exercise your faith  and pray, Elder Ballard states. Express appreciation to our Father in Heaven, especially for loving us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

The Atoning sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ changed each of our lives forever, President Nelson testified. We love Him and gratefully worship Him and our Heavenly Father.

Emphasizing that the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ are for every race, language and people, President Nelson affirmed that each of Gods children deserves the opportunity to hear the healing, redeeming message of Jesus Christ. No other message is vital to our happiness  now and forever. No other message is more filled with hope. No other message can eliminate contention in our society, (see Nelson, Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VGCEQLzITk.

Declaring that Jesus is Risen, President Nelson also invited all to increase their faith through prayer. Our prayers are heard, he said, and through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.
McCallie School announced Monday that for the 2021-22 school year all age-eligible students and faculty/staff will be required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

In making the announcement, Head of School Lee Burns 87 said that by having campus-wide COVID immunizations, McCallie hopes to be able to lift many of the restrictions that have been in place since the pandemic began, including the requirements that students wear face masks while in classes.

This is a logical, socially responsible extension of our general student health policy, Mr. Burns said in a message to students and parents. The CDC, the FDA, the Hamilton County Health Department, the National Association of Independent Schools, physicians with whom weve consulted, and many other health and educational professionals -- all of them strongly recommend vaccinations. He said that McCallie requires vaccinations for many viruses and adding COVID-19 vaccinations to that list is the responsible thing to do.

This spring McCallie has held two vaccination clinics on campus, and most faculty and staff, as well as a large percentage of upper-grade students have been vaccinated. The school will offer another on-campus vaccination clinic on Thursday and plans others over the next few months. Under new FDA and CDC guidelines, students 12 years old and higher are eligible for COVID vaccinations.



By having everyone vaccinated, Mr. Burns said, McCallie can return not just to normal, but a better normal, a higher level of McCallie brotherhood, of working together to keep everyone safe, and building an even stronger McCallie community. As with all required vaccinations, McCallie allows exceptions for medical, religious, moral, or ethical reasons.




Chattanooga State Community College will be open this fall providing 71 percent of credit classes and 100 percent of TCAT classes in-person. Its an exciting time to head to college and we have many new options such as seven-week class choices, to help you meet your educational goals as well as the way to help pay for them.

High School students are well-versed about Tennessee Promise and adults are becoming more keenly aware of Tennessee Reconnect benefits, but what you may not know is that each year scholarships worth hundreds or thousands of dollars are also available to help cover not just tuition and fees, but also books, transportation, and other costs related to attending college. Why not try to secure a scholarship for yourself?

We are incredibly grateful to our loyal scholarship donors, the Chattanooga State Foundation Board of Directors, and our Foundation Investment Committee that have contributed to a tremendous increase in scholarship funds available for the upcoming academic year, said Nancy Patterson, vice president of College Advancement and Public Relations. This boost in Chattanooga State Foundation scholarships will help us impact even more deserving students.

A recent Mass Communication student named Antwon gave his final speech about getting out of his comfort zone to college administrators. His reminder was a quote popularized by Wayne Gretzky, You miss 100 percent of the shots you dont take. That is definitely a true statement.

All current and incoming students are encouraged to apply for Chattanooga State Foundation scholarships, regardless of financial situation, program of study, or GPA. Currently, more than $638K in scholarships are available. These funds come from private donors who believe in the educational well-being of our students. There are more than 132 different scholarships to check out, all with different requirements and in varying amounts. Recipients do have to meet individual qualifications of the awarded scholarship to stay in good standing and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester unless the program is approved for less hours or the scholarship criteria states otherwise.



Although the priority deadline for scholarship applications has passed, the availability of $638K in scholarship money has not. A scholarship committee will review your academic records, essays, two letters of recommendation, and other application information. And, if you need help submitting an essay, free help is available through the Student Support Center or Andrews Reading and Writing Center.

Students may apply now for scholarships: chattanoogastate.edu/sites/default/files/scholarship_applications.pdf.
Seo Yoon Yang, a senior at Signal Mountain Middle High School, was announced as a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Ms. Yang is one of 161 finalists from across the country and among the three finalists from Tennessee.Ms. Yang was selected as a finalist for the competition for her demonstrated excellence in academics. She is no stranger to recognition, as she is co-valedictorian of her graduating class and leads Student Body Public Relations.Im incredibly grateful to have been selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar this year, said Ms. Yang. I still remember how surprised I felt when I opened the email that started with 'Congratulations, and it felt like all of my hard work paid off because our national government was recognizing me.Ms.Yang is an active participant on and off the Signal Mountain Middle High campus. She was the director-general for SHSMUN 2020 (Southeastern High School Model U.N. conference), is involved in the theater department, and is also part of Chattanooga Students Demand Action, the National Students Demand Action advisory board, and Chattanooga Students Leading Change. After graduation, Ms. Yang will be studying at the University of Pennsylvania through the Huntsman Program, a dual degree program for International Business and International Studies.Seos selection as a U.S. Presidential Scholar is a testament to her hard work and dedication to excellence, said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. We join her family in celebrating this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future.The U.S. Presidential Scholars competition was established in 1964 to recognize and honor students to demonstrate exceptional academic abilities. The competition was later extended to recognize outstanding students in both the creative and performing arts and career and technical programs. Out of over three million graduating high school seniors, just over 5,000 are selected as candidates, with 161 chosen as finalists this year. The Presidential Scholars Class of 2021 will be recognized for its outstanding achievement this summer.
Governor Bill Lee was traveling to Memphis to assess progress on the Hernando de Soto bridge repair, meet with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and "address the need for immediate federal action on infrastructure."

We are making swift progress on repairs to the Hernando de Soto bridge to ensure safety and a return to uninterrupted commerce, said Governor Lee. While Congress ponders the definition of infrastructure, we call upon the federal government to prioritize the safety of actual roads and bridges.

American Rescue Plan funds are expressly prohibited from being spent on road, highway or bridge infrastructure. Currently, the American Rescue Plan designates $182 million to Shelby County and $161 million to the city of Memphis. The American Jobs Plan, touted as an infrastructure plan, would spend an estimated $2 trillion with a mere 5.6 percent dedicated to roads and bridges, the governor said.

We will continue investing in infrastructure for the safety of our citizens and the strength of our economy, said Governor Lee. I commend the state of Arkansas, the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers for their work and look forward to meaningful action out of Congress to address the condition of our roads and bridges across the country.
Today, Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education announced 59 Tennessee schools and districts have received Governors Civics Seal grant funding to help implement high-quality civics education programs to prepare students for college, career and civics life. The list of recipients of the 2021-22 Governors Civics Seal Grants can be found here We are proud that so many Tennessee schools are prioritizing strong civics education for their students, said Governor Lee.By providing grant funding to support civics instruction for our students, we are preparing the next generation of Tennesseans for life beyond the classroom and to become active leaders in their communities and in our state.All 59 grant applicants, which includes 42 schools and 17 districts, were awarded funding totaling $500,000 through the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER).On March 4, 2019, Gov Lee announced the Governors Civics Seal initiative to recognize Tennessee schools and districts that prioritize teaching our nations and states history and civics values. These grants are the second round of Governors Civics Seal Grants, funded by the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), to support schools, school districts and charter school management organizations in earning the Tennessee Excellence in Civics Education designation, which will be shown on the online State Report Card by the Governors Civics Seal.This second round of funding tripled the number of grants awarded in the 2019-20 school year, with grantees now representing 26 counties and 32 school districts or charter management organizations across Tennessee."Thanks to Governor Lees vision for preparing our students for life beyond the classroom, we are thrilled to invest in nearly 60 Tennessee districts and schools across the state that are prioritizing civics education, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. These grants will provide access to programs and resources to help our students learn the importance of civics and how to become engaged citizens in our communities.In their submissions, grant applicants were encouraged to address two key priorities, high-quality instructional materials and resources as well as teacher preparation and professional development.Applications for the 2021-22 Governors Civics Seal Grants were open to all Tennessee public schools, districts, and charter schools through a competitive application process and awards ranged from $3,000 to $20,000."Oak Ridge Schools is thrilled to be awarded funding to support civics and citizenship to help prepare our students for success in our classrooms now and well beyond as they enter the workforce and become contributing members of Tennessees society, said Dr. Bruce Borchers, director of Schools, Oak Ridge Schools. Thank you to Governor Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education for making these grants available to continue providing opportunities for advancement and preparation for our students.Grant awardees will receive ongoing planning and implementation support towards civics initiatives, be provided a tool to conduct a needs assessment to help identify the assets and opportunities within their civics programs and add capacity to school and district strategic plans for civics education.
Addison Rae Easterling is one of the most popular stars on TikTok. She has millions of fans online and is even friends with Kourtney Kardashian.

However, Easterling was not always popular with her peers growing up. She once recalled being bullied at school because her family did not have money.

Addison Rae | Todd Williamson/Getty Images

Addison Rae lived in an RV growing up

Easterling grew up in Louisiana. Her mother, Sheri Nicole Easterling, was a single mom for much of Easterlings childhood. Sheri had an on-and-off relationship with Easterlings father, Monty Lopez.

As Easterling shared on the first episode of her and Sheris podcast, That Was Fun?, that when Easterling was seven, she and her family moved into an RV.

My dad worked in the trailer business, and they also had a brother business with RVsthey owned an RV lot, Easterling said. They let us use [an RV] because we didnt have anywhere to live.

Easterling clarified that the home was more like a camper, and she especially disliked showering in it.

Addison Rae was bullied because she didnt wear the latest fashion

RELATED: TikTok Star Addison Rae Is Known For Her Dancing Videos, But She Was Rejected From a College Dance Team

When Easterling was in fifth grade, her family moved to Texas. They lived there for about two years before moving back to Louisiana. This time, they lived in a different part of the state than where they were originally from.

At the time, Easterlings family lived in an apartment because they couldnt buy a house yet. The apartment was furnished with outdoor chairs and a plastic dining room table.

Easterling had to enroll at a new school, and she recalled being immediately bullied by fellow classmates for her clothes.

She recalled, I had Ugg, but they werent Uggs. They were Bear Paws, which is still a great brand But people didnt know Bear Paws as openly as they knew Uggs, so they saw my Bear Paws shoes and they literally bullied me. You cant afford real Uggs? Like, thats embarrassing. So mean to me.

Easterling cried when she came home. Despite being strapped for cash, Sheri decided to help her daughter fix the situation.

My mom, being the sweet mom that you are, was like, Were gonna buy you Uggs so that people arent mean to you anymore, Easterling said. She literally [took] me to buy Uggs that day. I remember we went to the mall They were, like, $200 Uggs, which was not cheap for us.

Sheri admitted a part of her felt guilty that her daughter had to go to a new school and deal with a difficult situation. In any case, Easterling said she is very thankful for what her mom did.

What is Addison Raes net worth now?

RELATED: Addison Rae Reveals a Backhanded Compliment She Often Receives

Nowadays, it seems Easterling can afford many pairs of Uggs. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she is worth $5 million.

Much of Easterlings earnings come from advertising with brands on social media and selling merchandise.

Easterling has expanded her career as well. She recently released a single called Obsessed. She is also working as an actor and will be appearing in the upcoming movie Hes All That. It looks like her net worth can only go up from here.

She also lives in a home in Los Angeles that is reportedly worth $3,000,000.
What happens after happily ever after? Enchanted fans are about to find out. Disneys highly anticipated Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted, has officially started production. Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden are all returning, and its set to debut on Disney+. But when is Disenchanted coming out? Heres everything you need to know.

Amy Adams as Giselle in Disneys Enchanted | Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

What will Disenchanted be about?

Enchanted came out in 2007 and marked a fun new experiment for Disney. The film combined Disneys classic 2D animation style with live-action, and featured original songs from legends Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. The movie musical starred Adams as Giselle, Dempsey as divorce lawyer Robert Philip, Idina Menzel as Nancy Tremaine, and Marsden as Prince Edward.

The movie ended with Giselle and Robert together and Nancy and Edward getting married in the animated world of Andalasia. Disenchanted will revisit the couples and show how their happily ever afters are going. As a May 17 press release from Disney+ said:

Disenchanted features the much-anticipated return of Giselle, the princess from the fairy tale world of Andalasia banished to Manhattan who found her real Prince Charming in divorce lawyer Robert Philip. 15 years later, Giselle moves to the suburb of Monroeville with Robert and their teenage daughter Morgan, where she must juggle the challenges that come with a new home and discover what happily ever after truly means to her and her new family.

Good morning! Amy Adams and @adammshankman here taking over @DisneyStudios for a bit. Wanted to get a few friends together to tell the story of what ever after looks like pic.twitter.com/IE4vuV4Hkv  Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) May 17, 2021

RELATED: Marvels Loki Cast: Who Is Starring in the Disney+ Series?

Disenchanted will stream exclusively on Disney+

With the success of Disney+ debuts, the studio announced in 2020 Disenchanted would debut on the streaming service.

Disenchanted, a sequel to the hit film Enchanted, will stream exclusively on @DisneyPlus, the studio tweeted in December 2020. Amy Adams returns for more fantastical fun as Giselle!

Disenchanted will debut exclusively on Disney+ in 2022. An exact release date has not been announced. The original movie is currently not on Disney+, or any streaming service, for that matter. The studio has not revealed if Enchanted will be available for streaming by the time of the sequels release.

Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey arrive at Enchanted premiere, 2007 | Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images

RELATED: Percy Jackson: Rick Riordan Confirms He Wants Disney+ Series to Be 5 Seasons

Who is in the Disenchanted cast?

Fans can expect to see some exciting new faces in the second film. The Disenchanted cast is rounded out by Maya Rudolph as the villain Malvina, Communitys Yvette Nicole Brown, The Offices Oscar Nunez, Glees Jayma Mays, and Kolton Stewart. Robert and Giselles daughter, Morgan, will be played by newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino.

Menken and Schwartz are returning to write the songs and score for the movie musical. Their work on the first film earned Enchanted three Oscar nominations. Hairsprays Adam Shankman is directing and producing.

Working again with Disney has been like coming home, Shankman in the press release. With Amy and this extraordinary cast, Alan and Stephens mind blowing new score, and Barry and Disneys support, I just hope to bring magic and joy to audiences around the world.

Disenchanted is currently filming in Ireland.
Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis is known for her expertise in Italian cuisine. Partnering with pal and fellow chef Bobby Flay for a food-related excursion to Italy in 2019, De Laurentiis toured the European countryside with the Iron Chef star. Bobby and Giada in Italy is now streaming on Discovery+, and De Laurentiis recently shared how the two meshed abroad.

Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis | Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay filmed in Italy for one month

In September 2019, Flay recruited De Laurentiis to take in the sights of Rome and Tuscany during the filming of Bobby and Giada in Italy. De Laurentiis credited Flay with the idea for the show.

It was really his passion project, she told Parade in March 2021. I was lucky enough to go with him.

The discovery+ series was filmed prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and premiered on the streaming service in January 2021. Flay hoped the show served as a form of escapism for viewers who were weary of lockdown.

It was actually a really nice moment to kind of take your mind away from what was going on, and just sort of [see] somenormalcy, in the world, Flay remarked, according to Delish. Rome has been there for some time, its not going anywhere anytime soon. And to be able to experience that, what it did for me personally was that it gave me hope for the future  that were going to be back to that at some point.

RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis Goes Full-On Scrumptious With This Smores Brownies Recipe

Giada at Home star needed her own time during the trip

With De Laurentiis being born and raised in Italy, she was the ideal guide for Flays tour of Rome and Tuscany. While De Laurentiis praised Flay for spearheading the Italian adventure, she admitted there were days when she wanted to venture out on her own.

Hes a good traveling companion, she explained. But there were days where I was like, OK, Ive had enough of him. I need my own time.

The Everyday Italian star attributed any moments of wanting to go it alone to both she and Flay having to share the same status.

Thats also [what happens] when you put two people together who are both used to being the boss and the star, De Laurentiis noted, and then theyre asked to share.

Bobby Flay said Giada De Laurentiis is so relaxed in Italy

Apparently, Flay had no problem with togetherness during filming, and raved of his journey with De Laurentiis.

Its almost like we were on some sort of extended vacation, but were also working at the same time, he shared. We were just in a great mood the entire time. We got along great  We always have a great time together.

RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis Most Embarrassing Moment Happened on This Show

With Italy being De Laurentiis home country, her family members made appearances on the show. According to Flay, the culinary queen adopts an added zen vibe when shes in her native land.

I love Giada in Italy  like the person, not just the show  because shes so relaxed there, Flay said. And I feel the same way.

De Laurentiis makes an annual trip to Italy, though its a tough call on naming her top city to visit.

I try to go to Italy at least once a year, she told La Cucina Italiana in March 2021. My mom was living in Rome up until this year when she moved to LA, so it was always nice to visit her. Its hard to say what my favorite place is! Each area is great for its own reasons  I love the energy of Rome, but I also love the sprawling Tuscan hills, and the Amalfi Coast and Capri will always have my heart.

Bobby and Giada in Italy is now streaming on discovery+.
I Love Lucy is a TV series that broke barriers and introduced the character of Lucy Ricardo into pop culture. A sassy redhead who was determined to become famous, Lucy was constantly getting into trouble, and usually had her best friend, Ethel Mertz, at her side.

Lucy and Ethels friendship eventually became the blueprint for many onscreen female friendships, inspiring people all around the world. Still, there was a very real woman behind the character of Ethel, and as it turns out, it took some time before she and Lucille Ball were able to bond.

When did I Love Lucy debut on television?

#ILoveLucy debuted #OnThisDay in 1951!



It aired for 6 seasons and hasn't gone off the air since!



When did you start loving LUCY? pic.twitter.com/DmSamPZIio  getTV (@gettv) October 15, 2020

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I Love Lucy made its historic debut on television in 1951. The show, the brainchild of Ball and a group of writers and collaborators, was a long time in the making. Ball had been looking for ways to work with her husband, bandleader Desi Arnaz, for years, and being on a television show with him seemed like the perfect opportunity,

Television producers were taking a gamble casting Ball and Arnaz in a television comedy, but right out of the gate, viewers and critics loved the show, and couldnt get enough of Balls antics as Lucy Ricardo. After the first few months of I Love Lucy, several other performers began standing out as well  including the hilarious actress who played Lucys best friend, Ethel Mertz.

Vivian Vance played Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy

(L-R) Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo, and Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

RELATED: Why I Love Lucy: The Movie Remained Unreleased for Decades

Vivian Vance was a stage actor who got her start on stages in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to New York City to pursue a career on the Broadway stage. Throughout the 30s and 40s, Vance acted and sang, proving her versatility by taking on a variety of roles.

When she decided to audition for I Love Lucy, Vance was taking a big chance  but ultimately, one that paid off. The character of Ethel might have been written as a slightly frumpy, dumpy housewife, but through Vances expert comic acting, she became much more.

Far from just being Lucy Ricardos partner in crime, Ethel became an instant hit with fans, with many gravitating to her exasperation with her husband, Fred, and thoroughly relating to her desire to make her own mark on the world. Ultimately, the character of Ethel would define Vances career, and she went on to work with Ball on several other occasions throughout the remainder of her professional life.

Why did it take Lucille Ball several months to recognize Vivian Vances expertise?

Headline: Popular CBS Sitcoms May One Day Be Televised in Color. #ILoveLucy pic.twitter.com/8gQVoHteiR  CBS (@CBS) April 20, 2019

RELATED: The First Thing Lucille Ball Did After I Love Lucy Ended

Even though Vance became a huge star thanks to I Love Lucy, Ball wasnt initially convinced that the veteran stage actor had what it took to play Ethel Mertz. In fact, historian and writer Geoffrey Mark said: It took several months of filming for Ms. Ball to realize what she had with Vivian. Which is why, as the show goes on, the Ethel Mertz character gets more and more prominent, because she realized that as well as she and Desi worked together, actually the better team was Lucy and Ethel.

In fact, Ball became so reliant on working with Vance that for future projects, she called on her old friend to join forces with her. For her 60s television series The Lucy Show, Ball courted Vance heavily, offering up any salary or contractual demands that Vance required  and eventually, the actress agreed.

Ultimately, Ball and Vance formed a partnership that would live on through the years, inspiring people to this day.
Accusations of sexual abuse and assault have been looming over Clifford T.I. Harris and his wife, Tameka Tiny Cottle. Allegations have continued to plague the couple since January and now, T.I. is under investigation in California. Reports indicate that police have been looking into the rapper for weeks.

T.I. and Tameka Tiny Harris attend LIBRA Album release Party at Gold Room on October 16, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia | Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images

Los Angeles police confirm T.I. is being investigated

According to ABC News 7, the Los Angeles Police Department is investigating rapper T.I. for sexual assault. It is unclear whether he is the only person implicated in the investigation. The outlet confirmed the information with LAPD that theres an active probe underway.

Per ABC, in April 2021, an unnamed victim reported a 2005 incident which is at the center of this investigation. Deadline also reports that the alleged victim spoke to detectives about drugging and rape claims.

In this instance, the woman claims she went to T.I. and Tinys hotel room and only remembers waking up naked in bed with them. She also felt ill during the alleged encounter.

Authorities are referring to her as Jane Doe, and shes retained the same New York lawyer representing other accusers.

RELATED: T.I. and Tiny Harris: NY Lawyer Contacts Prosecutors to Investigate the Couple Over Assault Accusations

Women from multiple states name T.I. and Tiny as sexual predators

What started as a wave of accusations from Tinys former friend, Sabrina Peterson, has ballooned into a full-blown controversy. Alleged victims from multiple states have come forward, and many contacted attorney Tyrone Blackburn, a Brooklyn-based lawyer, to represent their interests.

In February, he spoke to the New York Times and informed the outlet he sent letters to Georgia and California prosecutors requesting they investigate the Harrises and members of their team. Blackburn stated that none of his clients know each other, but many shared similar stories.

Accusations include rape, forced ingestion of drugs, terroristic threats, and kidnapping. One of the alleged victims is a military veteran. In March, Blackburn asserted other victims reached out, including one who claimed that the couple trafficked her in Nevada, California, and Florida, per his interview with the Daily Beast.

He told the outlet that his only interest is justice. This is very sensitive, and I do not want the Harrises to get off on a technicality because I may have disclosed something prematurely or because something may have gotten out, he said. For me, the goal is to get justice for these women, hands down. This is not about money. This is not about clout.

Four women have accused T.I. and Tiny of drugging and sexually assaulting them, according to letters that a lawyer representing 11 people, Tyrone A. Blackburn, sent to state and federal prosecutors in two states. The couple's lawyer denied the allegations. https://t.co/AeQd3LygF2  New York Times Music (@nytimesmusic) March 2, 2021

T.I. and Tinys lawyer denies the claims

When accusations first surfaced in January, both T.I. and Tiny vehemently denied everything and challenged Petersons assertions. They maintained that theyve only had consensual sex with people.

Their attorney Steve Sadow refuted Blackburns moves and issued a statement via the NYT. These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system.

Neither of the entertainers have spoken out directly in months, but Tiny has since fallen out with one of her longtime friends, Shekinah Jo, someone who staunchly defended them against these allegations.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area
Hot off the heels of McDonalds partnerships with Travis Scott and J Balvin, this fast-food chain announced the BTS Meal, created in part with the award-winning boy band, BTS. However, this wouldnt be BTS first time working with one of the worlds biggest brands.

Heres what we know about some of BTS other brand deals.

An advertisement for K-pop boy band, BTS, displayed in Seoul, South Korea | SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

BTS recently partnered with McDonalds

Theyre Grammy-nominated, chart-topping artists. Now, BTS is collaborating with one of the worlds biggest fast-food chains  McDonalds. In 2021, the group announced that theyd have their own meal with the company, available for fans to purchase across the globe.

The BTS meal wouldnt be McDonalds first time partnering with a celebrity, as the fast-food chain released the Travis Scott meal in 2020. This also wouldnt be BTS first time partnering with one of the worlds biggest companies. In the past, they worked with The Coca-Cola Company, Samsung, and even Starbucks.

RELATED: Is Jungkook the Last BTS Member to Create a Solo Song? Heres What We Know About Still With You and the Mixtapes of These K-Pop Idols

McDonalds isnt the only food chain that worked with this boy band

In 2020, BTS created the Be the Brightest Stars campaign with Starbucks, encouraging positivity for young people in South Korea and around the world. This came with a few new mugs and purple-themed treats, sold at select Starbucks locations.

J-Hope is an unapologetic fan of Sprite. In the past, BTS worked with The Coca-Cola Company, collaborating for the global campaign titled Turn up your rhythm. This came with new Coke bottles, each featuring a picture of the BTS members.

BTS became brand ambassadors for Samsung, even having their own products, created in conjunction with the tech company. They worked with Hyundai, advertising the car companys newest models. Because of their love for fashion, this boy band also worked with clothing brands like FILA. Recently, BTS became the brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton.

RELATED: Jimin From BTS Finally Puts the Dumpling Incident, Mentioned During The Late Late Show With James Corden, to Rest

What is included in BTS McDonalds meal?

Now, fans can try some of these idols favorite foods. The BTS Meal available globally starting from May 26th, 2021, although some of the details surrounding this release are still a mystery.

With other product partnerships, fans got BTS photocards of the members. However, McDonalds did not confirm whether little perks for ARMYs would be a part of their meal in the initial statement.

According to a statement from Alistair Macrow, McDonalds Global Chief Marketing Officer, The bands signature order includes a 10 or 9-piece Chicken McNuggets (depending on your market), medium World Famous Fries, a medium drink, and two dipping sauces  Sweet Chili and Cajun  inspired by recipes from McDonalds South Korea.

The Life Goes On music video by BTS is now available for streaming on YouTube. The K-pop groups deluxe album, titled Be, is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major streaming platforms.
The Last Kingdom is currently in production for season 5. But fans recently learned the upcoming season will sadly be its last. Emily Cox, who plays Brida, recently shared some images of herself dressed as Brida in her look for season 5.

Emily Cox as Brida in The Last Kingdom | Adrienn Szabo/Netflix

Season 5 of The Last Kingdom is in production, but it will be the final season

The series, which is based on Bernard Cornwells beloved novel series The Saxon Stories, is back in production according to a video recently shared on the official social media channels. In it, a number of fan favorites can be seen, including Emily Cox as Brida.

But ahead of the video being released the news dropped that season 5 will be the final season. Deadline announced the news of the conclusion of the series with season 5, verifying the news with Netflix and Carnival Films.

Season 5 will follow the next two novels in the series, nine and 10, which are titled, Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer, according to Radio Times. It will consist of 10 episodes, and viewers could see it later this year or in the beginning of 2022.

Who is Brida in The Last Kingdom?

Brida was a Saxon child when she was taken in by the Danes. She becomes lovers with the main character, Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) at one point, and their relationship is more than complicated despite them having grown up together.

Brida, loyal to the Danes, was once the significant other of Young Ragnar (Tobias Santelmann) before he was killed, and then she was with Cnut (Magnus Bruun), whom she killed upon learning of his involvement in Ragnars death. Cnut had spoken and encouraged Aethelwold (Harry McEntire) to kill Ragnar, and Aethelwold ends up slaying Ragnar.

Brida has Cnuts child, and she also holds a major grudge against Uhtred for him not killing her when she was found by the Welsh in battle after killing Cnut. She is then taken as a slave but is eventually set free by Sigtryggr (Eysteinn Sigurarson).

Is this Bridas look for season 5?

RELATED: The Last Kingdom: Fans Weigh in on the Death That Changes Everything

Emily Cox recently shared some images of herself dressed as Brida, and it shows her new look for season 5. In the first image shared two weeks ago, Brida looks over her shoulder at the camera while wearing furs on her shoulders. She has her hair back with people surrounding her. She has ear cuffs on and material braided into her hair. Season 5!!! she wrote in the post.

The next image, which was shared five days ago, is from the current production session in Hungary based on Bridas new look, which hasnt been seen before. Emily Cox has her sunglasses on as she takes an image with the camera facing upward. A blue sky is overhead while she wears a brown shirt with layers of animal hide and furs. There is even fur around her neck, so its possible Brida is bracing for cold weather. Her hair is back, and its quite an impressive image, which the official The Last Kingdom Instagram account is tagged in.

Three days ago, Emily Cox also shared a few images on Instagram of herself and Eliza Butterworth, who plays Lady Aelswith, as they sit on a dock surrounded by a body of water. Emily Cox wears a similar look as before in a brown ensemble with long sleeves and animal hide wrapped around the top. She also has on a red belt and brown pants to match. Both Brida and Aelswiths looks havent been seen before in the series. Aelswiths attire consists of a brown and black ensemble and her crown. Both Eliza and the official Instagram account for the series are tagged as well as the person who took the photo.

Followers of Emily Cox on Instagram just got their first glimpse of Brida in season 5. Well have to see if she posts anything else before season 5 of The Last Kingdom drops.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is back on TV with Oprah two months after Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special. This time the 36-year-old is discussing mental health and emotional wellbeing. Get details on the long-awaited docuseries and find out whether or not Harrys wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will make an appearance.

Oprah will hear from Prince Harry and other celebrities about mental health on The Me You Cant See

(L-R): Prince Harry in 2017 and Oprah in 2019 | John Phillips/Getty Images; Vera Anderson/WireImage

RELATED: The Meghan Markle Comment a Royal Expert Finds so Difficult to Understand From Oprah Interview

After he and Meghan discussed the pressures of royal life, racism, and mental health with Oprah in March 2021, the Duke of Sussex is continuing the conversation in this docuseries. Hell be opening up about his personal story and his own mental health.

Harrys involvement with the program goes beyond appearing in front of the camera. Hes also a co-creator and executive producer on The Me You Cant See along with Oprah.

The Duke of Sussex is just one of multiple high-profile people who will appear on the show. Lady Gaga, Glenn Close, DeMar DeRozan, and Langston Galloway will also discuss mental health with Oprah, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Additionally, speaker and mental advocate Zak Williams will sit down with Oprah. So will celebrity chef Rashad Armstead and Olympic boxer Virginia Ginny Fuchs.

Apart from personal stories from celebrities, expect The Me You Cant See to share ways of treating mental health. Producers of the series partnered with 14 accredited and renowned health experts and organizations to inform viewers on treatment options.

The Me You Cant See trailer shows Meghan Markle and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Oprah Interview Is Getting Dissected in a Discovery+ Special

Harrys wife and son appear in The Me You Cant See trailer. The Duchess of Sussex makes a quick cameo without her baby bump. Meghan and Harry are expecting their second child, a girl, in the summer of 2021.

Footage in the two-and-a-half-minute trailer shows Harry in front of a laptop presumably on a video call. Sitting in what appears to be the couples multi-million dollar home in Montecito, California, Meghan briefly joins Harry as she smiles sporting a Raising the Future t-shirt. Head to the 1:54 mark in the trailer to see her quick cameo.

As for Meghan and Harrys son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, The Me You Cant See trailer doesnt offer any new glimpses of the 2-year-old. It does, however, show Meghan reading to Archie in a video the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared in May 2020 to mark their sons first birthday.

Catch a glimpse of Archie at the 2:12 mark as Harry tells Oprah, The results of this year will be felt for decades. The kids, families, husbands, wives, everybody.

The Me You Cant See premieres on May 21

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Reuniting With Kate Middleton and Prince William Is Hard to Even Envision, Royal Expert Says

Harry and Oprahs long-awaited project is finally coming to TV. The Duke of Sussex announced the docuseries in April 2019 on he and Meghans @sussexroyal Instagram account they no longer use. The shows release got pushed back from 2020 to 2021.

The Me You Cant See will begin streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 21, 2021.
The Cherokee Nation is disbursing nearly half a million dollars total to 136 northeast Oklahoma rural fire departments such as the Brushy Fire Department. The tribes annual disbursement helps support volunteer fire departments, which otherwise rely on fundraisers, membership dues and the help of their communitys residents to maintain operations.
Memorial Service for Carol "Sue" Woods will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Hawkins Baptist Church in Alex, OK. Carol "Sue" Woods, of Alex, OK passed away on Saturday May 29, 2021 at the age of 76 in her home surrounded by her family. Sue was born June 15, 1944 in Scipio, 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, weve witnessed firsthand how painful, exhausting, and occasionally frightening it is to live among people who passionately disagree. In this maelstrom of masks, quarantines, vaccines, and lockdowns, weve often forgotten how to love our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, to say nothing of our enemies.

This makes me all the more thankful for the example set by Rachel Pieh Jones in her new book Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus. As committed Christians and American expatriates living in East Africa, Jones and her family have built a life on the borders of one of the most fractious relationships in human history: Islam and Christianity.

In Pillars, Jones writes about experiencing the friction of expatriate life. She describes finding the faith of her Muslim neighbors rubbing against the box in which I restricted God and my spiritual life. The book is structured, as Jones puts it, around Islams five pillarsshahadah, or confession of faith; salat, prayer; zakat, almsgiving; Ramadan, fasting; and hajj, pilgrimage, and she explores how all five can connect with and critique Christian practices. She relates her story without universalizing her experience, but we can learn much from her example.

Jones allows the teachings of Islam to challenge her own religious practices. For instance, the Muslim practice of involving the whole body in the ritual salat prayers (through actions like kneeling and bowing) emphasizes that Gods presence permeates all of life, that space between spiritual and physical does not exist. This moved her to adopt a new posture of prayer, one characterized by desperation for God ...

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Do Boomers or Millennials prefer longer sermons?

What do unchurched people think about the community leadership of pastors in the wake of COVID-19?

How would individuals in your city describe the presence of the local church?

The answers may surprise you, just like they surprised many in attendance at the launch of Barna Groups monthly forums that educate church leaders on how to better understand and serve their local community.

Over 2,300 pastors, nonprofit leaders, and civic officials have joined a year-long initiative to learn about and discuss community perceptions of the church in four major United States areas: South Florida, Kansas City, Columbus, and Dallas-Fort Worth. In each forum, attendees reviewed brand new data on how people in their communities feel about the church, ranging from their perceptions to their expectations and desires.

Early in each forum, Mark Matlock, Insights Lead for Barna, introduced Glenn Packiam, Associate Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. New Life faced a globally public scandal in the 1980s, which taught a lesson Packiam will never forget: When churches set out to regain credibility, they only make the problem worse.

People can smell that inauthenticity, Packiam said.

Step one is not how can I win you back? Packiam said. Step one is how can I listen better? How can I better understand how you are experiencing me?

Hubs of Hope

These are the questions that Barnas unprecedented research asked on behalf of the church. David Kinnaman, President of Barna Group, and Savannah Kimberlin, Barna's Director of Published Research, analyzed this data for the attendees, encouraging them to identify three features according to their own contexts: spotlights, which illuminate a problem that would otherwise go unnoticed, scales, which provide an opportunity to measure something useful, and shovels, which help identify areas where more research is needed. Later in the forum, participants shared their spotlights, scales, and shovels in breakout groups that facilitated discussions on local solutions.

In all four cities, most of those who were polled think favorably of the church. In each group, the most common description was that the church offers hope to people. And perhaps most encouraging, the majority of both unchurched and churched respondents said that pastors in these cities demonstrated strong leadership on issues related to the pandemic and racial justice.

Across generations, the average ideal sermon length was 32 minutes in person and 30 minutes online. Millennials, often chided for their short attention spans, actually prefer longer sermons compared to older generations. Matlock identified this fact as a potential spotlight for the pastors in attendance, wondering if some millennials lack foundational Biblical knowledge that theyre now hungry for in the sermons they hear.

Room to Rise

The data also presented opportunities for growth as respondents nationwide hold their local faith communities to high standards. In Dallas-Fort Worth for example, of those polled, 58% expect churches to provide homeless services, 57% expect companionship for the elderly, and 51% expect the church to offer counseling services. The numbers are even higher in Columbus, where 67% of residents polled expect homeless services, 60% expect companionship for the elderly, and 49% expect counseling services.

Even while many small churches struggle to support existing staff members, Kinnaman argues that this data presents a unique opportunity for the church to listen, move outward, and personify hope. Coming out of the pandemic, Kinnaman said, there will likely be a tsunami of mental health challenges and emotional support needs. People want mental health and emotional well-being support from churches, as best reflected in Columbuss polling where a remarkable 68% of Millennials and 73% of GenXers affirmed such a desire. How can local churches anticipate and meet this need?

A major part of Barnas presentation outlined five dimensions of human flourishing: spiritual growth and development, financial well-being, mental and emotional well-being, vocational or career well-being, and relational well-being. These dimensions (and distinctions) are significant as polling reveals that those unaffiliated with a local congregation are open to church programs that help them achieve greater flourishing across these areas. Seemingly, should pastors offer counseling or similar services, many in the local community would pursue that care, including residents not currently attending church.

When prompted, forum attendees also offered measured advice from their perspective as co-leaders in the community. Those in attendance were encouraged to complete the following thought: Together, we can improve the reputation of the church by _____.

Partnering with or providing mental health services, suggested Jackie Helbling of South Florida.

Participating in other groups activities in a supportive way without taking over, said Jim Fenlason in Kansas City.

In Columbus, Robin Forde observed that there are many younger persons who are hungry to learn more, noting that they are open minded when it comes to the ways the church may be relevant to their lives. Kurtran Wright highlighted that 34% of polltakers in Dallas-Fort Worth feel that the church is judgmental. 42% of respondents say that the church is known for the things they are against.

We may be majoring in morality and minoring in compassion, Wright suggested.

Leading by Listening

While examining these trends sparked awareness and conversation, the forum speakers and attendees seemed to understand one essential caveat: the data itself is not the goal. Rather, the data serves the greater good, enabling community like that of the tribe of Issachar, who "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do'' (1 Corinthians 12:32).

With understanding then centered as the goal, Barna provided timely data from major cities thats relevant to pastors and church leaders. But the unsung hero of the events laid in the chat box: an open platform for questions, comment, insight, and discussion with other attendees, like when Rebecca Walls, Executive Director of Unite DFW, noted rising community concern about eviction prevention, or when several pastors were able to foster a discussion over potential differences in church perception and polling across racial groups.

And this, it seems, is the collaborative aim of the forums: to empower pastors who, after a harrowing year, are still regarded as community leaders. Barnas data equips people to better understand avenues for leadership, but as energetic joy permeated the chat and pastors shared their spotlights, scales, and shovels with fellow attendees, the community building was entirely their own.

A push for listeningto the polling, to the presenters, and to the pastorstook centerstage at Barnas first event while the forums design communicated as much as its content: yes, pastors need more information, but supporting them as they support others is essential to the future health and happiness of the church.

These opportunities for listening, learning, and mutual discovery will continue as Barna hosts its next set of monthly forums on June 910.
Pastoral care has many expressions, from joyful visits with an elderly parishioner to painful conversations with an adolescent having suicidal thoughts. From the tough work of addressing division and disunity to the tender work of shepherding over the long haul. Here are seven new and recent books that engage and equip pastors for the deep and multifaceted ministry of pastoral care.

Aging: Growing Old in Church by Will Willimon (Baker Academic)

Will Willimon invites pastors to think intentionally about their own aging and the vocation of their elderly parishioners in this comprehensive and engaging text. While old age brings with it a certain loss of control for many, it also provides a new set of freedoms that Christians should view as an opportunity to invest more fully in their walk with God and in the lives of those they are called to serve in this new stage of life. Pastors in turn should consider how they can help their aging parishioners transition well by providing both practical opportunities to prepare for financial and health care challenges and opportunities for continued ministry within the life of the church. Willimon offers fantastic illustrations from his own experience as a septuagenarian pastor and vivid anecdotes from a lifetime of faithful service within various intergenerational congregations.

Michael Niebauer is rector of Incarnation Church in State College, Pennsylvania, and a teaching fellow at Trinity School for Ministry.

The Beautiful Community:Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best by Irwyn L. Ince Jr. (InterVarsity Press)

Irwyn Ince Jr. is convinced that diverse local churches are a natural outworking of a ministry of reconciliationbut diversity isnt where he chooses to begin. Ince starts with theological explorations of beauty and relationality. This sets the tone for the entire book, which cites historic Reformed confessions far more frequently than any social-scientific concepts. Ince doesnt ignore racial theorists as he considers how to care for peoples souls while cultivating a multiethnic church. He shows how patterns such as white normativity and white structural advantage impede authentic diversity. His solutions, however, remain steadfastly biblical and theological.

This book is unlikely to find a hearing with those who refuse to admit the ongoing impact of systemic racism on American churches. But, for those who see these problems and yearn to shape peoples souls in diverse contexts, Ince has given the gift of a practical guide for building more beautiful communities.

Timothy Paul Jones is chair of the department of apologetics, ethics, and philosophy at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as a teaching pastor at Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky.

A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson by Winn Collier (WaterBrook)

Pastoral care can be achingly lonely work, making faithful companions essential on the journey. Winn Colliers biographyA Burning in My Bonesportrays Presbyterian minister Eugene Peterson as a thoughtful, kind, fiery, and whimsical man of God and a consummate storyteller whose love of Scripture deepened his commitment to practical care, the pursuit of wisdom, and the common good. Petersons deep knowledge of the Bible, open heart for wounded and wandering souls, and wise boundaries around his family life and Sabbath rest are an encouragement to all who seek to love God and neighbor well while caring for a community of faith. This biography is a love letter to those who pastor locally, reminding them that honoring the presence of God made visible in one place is perhaps the hardest, holiest, and best work of all.

Courtney Ellis is associate pastor at Presbyterian Church of the Master in Mission Viejo, California, and the author of Uncluttered and Happy Now: Let Playfulness Lift Your Load and Renew Your Spirit.

The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastors Heart by Harold L. Senkbeil (Lexham Press)

Id like you to be as infatuated with soul care as Ive become. . . . [T]heres great joy in this workif we just have the eyes to see it. These words frame well the way of seeing that Harold Senkbeil heartfully lays out for his reader. My own early days as a pastor were filled with excitement, and then the reality set in that I did not have the habitus needed to offer the cure for souls. Joy eluded me for a long time. Had I known the tenets Senkbeil proposes, I might have recovered earlier and been able to see the joy.

Senkbeil offers the sheepdogs of God an even-tempered way of being present in ministry: keeping one eye on the sheep and one eye on the Shepherd. Senkbeils writing helps us care for our souls while offering guidance in the habitus needed to care for the souls of others. Rich in scripture and story, The Care of Souls has staying power. Would that I had it 30 years ago! Fortunately, now I can share it with those who share in this work.

Juanita Campbell Rasmus is co-pastor of St. Johns United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, and the author of Learning to Be: Finding Your Center When the Bottom Falls Out.

Not Uninformed: Sure and Certain Hope for Death and Dying by D. Eryl Davies (Christian Focus)

People are uncomfortable with the idea of death. This prevalent discomfort with death can stunt the spiritual growth of aging believers and keep families from mourning departing saints in a healthy way. As a pastor, preparing a saint to step into eternity can even be seen as unwelcome by families who wont entertain the idea of death until all life-saving options have been exhausted and the dying persons body moves into its last hours.

In Not Uninformed, D. Eryl Davies addresses the misinformed ways in which many believers today approach death. He shares from his own experience how pastors can care for, counsel, and prepare saints for death. Davies finds the balance of building a theologically astute case while also offering practical application for daily ministry. Not Uninformed would be beneficial to any pastor as it helps to correct nonbiblical modern views of death and equips one to minister to the dying and their families.

Wes Faulk is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Vidalia, Louisiana.

Preaching Hope in Darkness: Help for Pastors in Addressing Suicide from the Pulpit by Scott M. Gibson and Karen Mason (Lexham Press)

There are at least two myths about suicide. One, dont talk about it. Two, leave it to the experts. This book corrects both of these. Cowritten by a preacher and a suicide preventionist, it is especially for pastors and is eminently practical. It will give you words to say along with much more. It includes case studies, sermon ideas, liturgies, plans to equip the church in order to prevent suicide and help those who have lost a loved one to suicide, and a curriculum for high school students. Given that suicidal thoughts and acts are increasing, pastors will want to read at least one book on this critical matter. This book does not try to make you an expert. Instead, it reminds you that the preaching of the gospel of hope and ordinary expressions of wise love, when refined with a basic understanding of suicide, can have a profound effect on our church communities.

Ed Welch is a counselor and faculty member of Christian Counseling & Education Foundation as well as an author of several books, including Created to Draw Near.

Soul Care in African American Practice by Barbara L. Peacock (InterVarsity Press)

Christianity is more than an academic venture; God should be the chief object of our affections and the source of our joy. Believers run the risk of seeking only facts about God at the expense of knowing God, which does not lend itself to effectual spiritual formation. In Soul Care in African American Practice, Dr. Barbara Peacock stresses spiritual disciplines that orient our lives toward God. She underlines habits that nourish the soul and sustain us during trying times. Admirably, she approaches the subject by highlighting the spiritual practices of African American men and women who, by Gods grace, left a lasting mark on American history. Her use of biographies makes the subject relevant; her words have real-world viability. I commend this book to all who desire a surrendered walk with the incomparable King.

Brandon Washington is a church planter and the pastor of preaching and vision at The Embassy Church in Denver, Colorado.
By Kat Armstrong

Kat Armstrong was born in Houston, Texas, where the humidity ruins her Mexi-German curls. She is a powerful voice in our generation as a sought-after Bible teacher and innovative ministry leader. She holds a masters degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of No More Holding Back and The In-Between Place. In 2008, Kat cofounded the Polished Network to gather working women in person and online to navigate careers and explore faith in authentic community.

As the host of The Polished Podcast, she interviews working women at the crossroads of faith and work. Kat is a proud board member of Pillar Seminary. She and her husband, Aaron, have been married for eighteen years and live in Dallas, Texas, with their son, Caleb, and attend Dallas Bible Church, where Aaron serves as the lead pastor.

www.katarmstrong.com

@katarmstrong1

We are standing in modern-day Samaria. Youll remember, its the setting for the story of the woman at the well. And now well hear from Jackie Roese about Dinahs story from Genesis 34. One casual transition statement from our Israel tour guide, Ronnie, about the Holy Land site visit for the day to our Bible teacher, Jackie Roese, reoriented the way I read the Samaritan womans conversation with Jesus in John 4.

How did I not see it sooner? When I discovered that both Dinahs story from Genesis 34 and the Samarian womans conversation with Jesus in John 4 have Samaria as their setting, I realized there is divine purpose in the places and spaces God revisits in the Scriptures.

Dr. Richard Bauckhams compelling book Bible and Mission, deepened my appreciation for the redemption story we see woven from Genesis to Revelation. He points out that biblical scholars and theologians have usually found biblical history more significant than biblical geography. Yet there is a great deal of geography in the Bible, much of it literal, but much of it also used with symbolic significance.[i] I have to agree. His point made sense to me after tracing the biblical history of Shechem in the Old Testament, which is called Sychar in the New Testament.

Many tragic and traumatic events took place in Shechem, one being the rape of Dinah in Genesis 34. If sexual violence toward women is a trigger for you, hear me when I tell you it wasnt your fault. You didnt deserve it. God is not okay with the way you were abused, and you are so loved.

Shechem, a Really Bad Place

At first, Shechem was a host to God himself. Genesis 12 tells us that Abram built an altar to God in Shechem. This historic setting sounds like a safe place to meet God, worship him, and experience the peace of his presence. Thats what makes the next major biblical reference to Shechem so startling. In Genesis 34, Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, was raped in Shechem by a man named Shechem. At that point it became a corner of the earth where unspeakable violence toward women happened and where silence about sexual violence toward women became the status quo.

In the following chapter of Genesis, we see the patriarch Jacob trying to bury his idols in the ground at Shechem. Imagine this pathetic scene: the great leader of our faith, Jacob, attempting to hide physical evidence of sin, as if the dirt could absolve Gods people of idol worship. Jacobs beloved son, Joseph, was sold into slavery in Shechem in Genesis 37, so it became a place where family members turned against family members with murderous intentions and where betrayal ended in human trafficking. What was once an area visited by God and marked by his presence became a crime scene for cover-ups, rape, attempted murder, and the slave trade.

It only got worse.

Image: Personal photo

Tucked into the sad history of Israel, under the judges leadership, is a story about evil King Abimelech (Judges 9). He tortured people and reigned with reckless abandon to all of his corrupt and destructive impulses. Not only did men like Shechem from Genesis 34 abuse women there, but the town also became a place where fickle followers empowered abusive men to oppress innocent victims. Evil was not just happening in Shechem; it was celebrated with a crown. The evil king Rehoboam was also coronated in Shechem (1 Kings 12:1). Although his reign was less severe than King Abimelechs, it was disturbing nonetheless.

The next time we see Shechem it is renamed Sychar in John 4 where Jesus has his conversation with the woman at the well. John wrote that Jesus had to travel through Samaria, but the thing is, he didnt. At least not in the usual way we interpret the word had to mean had no choice. Jesus made a deliberate choice. His destination, Sychar, would lead to a sacred conversation that would have redemptive impact on us all. To our surprise, what we soon learn is the Saviors presence meant all bets were off. Look with me at a comparison between Dinah and the woman at the wells experience in Shechem.

Dinah and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Leah and Jacobs daughter Dinah went out one day to visit her friends. Along the way, the princes son, Shechem, spotted her, stole her, and attacked her. Abusing her was not enough for Shechem. He became obsessed with her and enlisted his father, Hamor, to help him keep her under his power forever as his wife. Or should we say toy?

When Jacob, one of the fathers of our faith, heard his daughter had been defiled, he kept silent. Dinahs brothers, on the other hand, were furious, enraged by the disgrace. A deal was then struck between Jacob and his sons and Shechem and his dad regarding the fate of the victimized young girl. She would marry Shechem, her rapist, but in turn, Hamor, Shechem, and their people would have to be circumcised. The terms of negotiation were simply a ploy to give Dinahs brothers an advantage as they schemed revenge. Weakened from their surgeries, Hamor and Shechem and their people would be unable to defend themselves from Dinahs brothers. Their plan worked, and Genesis 34 ends with mass murder and more women being brutalized.

Although Jacob seemed unconcerned with Dinahs pain, he reprimanded his sons behavior with scolding remarks about how their revenge would bring trouble upon himself. Trouble to Jacob? Wow. Never mind Dinahs troubles. Dinah became a discarded widow, and we never hear about her again in the Scriptures except when shes mentioned as one of Leahs daughters (Gen. 46:15).

In Dinahs culture, women were objects to be acquired to produce male heirs for their husbands. The value assigned to a baby girl was woefully less than that of a male child. One way we know this to be true is the lack of daughters listed in the Bible at their birth. Dinah makes biblical history by being one of the very few (Gen. 30:21). And we see in her story that being Israelite royalty did not shelter her from oppression. In contrast, the Samaritan woman at the well is nameless in the text. But dont miss the truth that Jesus knew her name. We may not, but he did. While Dinah is the first named daughter in the Bible, and her experience represents evils accessibility to even the most prestigious, the nameless woman at the well in John 4 represents all women, all Gentiles, and ultimately, all people.

In Dinahs story we were introduced to her fathers landlord, Hamor the Hivite, the regions chieftain (Gen. 34:2), and Hamors son, Shechem. The saying like father, like son rings true for these two. Hamor and Shechem, both princes of terror, sharply contrast the main man in John 4, Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Whereas Hamor and Shechem gave their town a bad name with their intimidation, Jesus, the one who knows all our names, ushers in harmony and safety with his presence.

When Dinah casually ventured out to connect with her friends, the mood was chill. Just another day. But while Dinah was minding her own business, Shechem was hunting his prey. We get the sense from the story that we need to hide from his wandering eye and protect ourselves from his looming presence. Compare that to the nameless Samaritan woman at the well who encountered the Prince of Peace. The Samaritan woman was also minding her own business, but when Jesus sat down near the well, his posture spoke to his vulnerability. Our Savior was a safe stranger to approach. Unlike Shechem, Jesus just wanted to talk.

What gets me in Dinahs story is her fathers silence. Jacob, the man in her life tasked with her protection and provision, seemed uncaring at best. His reaction to his daughters rape shows him complicit in her trauma and a coconspirator in her demise. Not only do we not have a record of him ripping his clothes in mourning, shouting to the rooftops with anger, cursing his daughters tormentor, or falling to his knees in grief, we have no record of him talking to his daughter about her most painful moment. Shockingly, just a few chapters later, Jacobs reaction to his son Josephs rumored death is full of emotional expressions we should have seen in Dinahs story too. What kind of godly parent abandons a young girl to process her trauma on her own? Apparently, the same kind of guy willing to sell her off to a possessive sexual predator infatuated with his daughter. Why did Jacob sell her out? He bought his land from Shechems powerful dad, Hamor. To confront the sin could have meant disrupting the existing power structures and threatening his own power and possessions.

Contrast Jacobs silence to the long conversation Jesus initiated with an unclean woman in Samaria. Even though Jesus knew every part of her story, he wanted her to tell it. He listened. He cared. Allowing her own voice to speak her truth, Jesus engaged her in one of the longest continuous narratives in the book of John.[ii] Its as if Jesus wanted to remind you and me that we are worth a sit-down, face-to-face conversation. Jesus gave the Samaritan woman the dignity Dinah should have received from her father, Jacob. In doing so, Jesus gave away his power. He did not dominate the exchange, disrespect her by mansplaining her experience, or fail to believe her. Twice Jesus told her, What you have said is true, confirming his trust in her testimony and validating her story. Did you know Dinah was never heard in all of the Scriptures? Never. Her perspective was never given a voice. Jesus not only gave the Samaritan woman a voice, he also then gave her an audience to proclaim her truthand the truth that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Dinahs story ends in Genesis 34 with genocide, and you cant help but close the chapter disappointed that there was no redemption in the ending. In sharp contrast, the Samaritan womans story in John 4 ends with many in the town being saved. Dinahs story begins with a dead-end future and ends in the death of a whole people group. The Samaritan womans story begins with a curious encounter and ends in a whole group of people finding eternal life. While Dinah and the woman at the well are connected through Shechem, Jacob and Jesus are contrasted through Shechem.

Jacobs failures as a patriarch left a woman vulnerable, but Jesus is better than Jacob in every respect. In fact, this was one of the questions the Samaritan woman asked of Jesus in John 4:12: Are you greater than our father Jacob? The answer is yes. Jesus is greater.

Metaphorically speaking, I think God is showing us what he can do with our Shechem-like places. No longer will silence about rape be tolerated here. No longer will we tolerate abusive men in positions of power. It ends with Jesus. He enters into our broken places like he owns themand he redeems them. No place is too broken, no person too far gone for Jesus to change the narrative with his presence.

Maybe you think the hardships or the trauma youve suffered feel like ancient history still haunting your present and hindering your future. Well, I have good news for you: Jesus specializes in redeeming broken places. What he did for Shechem, I know he can do for you.

[i] Richard Bauckham, Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003), 55.

[ii] Ben Witherington, Johns Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), 115.
Ex porn star-turned-Christian on importance of healthy friendships, how to identify 'toxic' people

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Christian author and speaker Brittni De La Mora weighed in on the crucial role friendships play in living a God-glorifying life and identified the various kinds of toxic people Christians should avoid allowing in their inner circle.

Brittni, a former porn star who famously left the industry behind to become a Christian, recently discussed the topic on an episode of Lets Talk Purity, a show she co-hosts alongside her husband, Rich De La Mora.

I've had my fair share of great friendships that have been a blessing, that have been destiny friendships, but then I've also had some friendships that have really, especially since becoming a Christian in the last eight years, have tried to hinder me in some way or another. And I know that this isn't an isolated incident, she said.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the Lets Talk Purity Podcast on Edifi

Rich stressed the importance of healthy peer friendships, adding: I've seen people who stayed in an impure place because of the people that are around ... we have to be very intentional and we have to take a look at our friendships ... I think it's very important before we invest, we need to learn to investigate.

Brittni shared how, when she left the porn industry and began going to church, she realized she needed to change her lifestyle. But the man she was dating at the time encouraged her to return to stripping to make ends meet.

The old me would have been like, Yeah, you're right.' But no, I was such a person of conviction, I was like, 'No, God set me free from that, she recalled. If you're not a person of conviction, especially, your friendships will definitely hinder you.

Brittni identified different types of toxic friends, including yes people and performance-based people who fail to hold others accountable or reveal their true character.

We need people in our lives who can tell us the truth even when it hurts, she said.

A sign of a toxic friend, Rich added, is one who pulls you away from Christ or makes you compromise your faith: Your friends who are for you  you know they're going to make sure that you become all that Christ has called you to be ... we have to be really wise. The serpent knows how to get in cracks and crevices.

Ive seen some of the strongest leaders I've ever seen, some of the most brilliant gifted people in ministry, get pulled away because of bad friendships, he added. Be careful with people who try to compromise your convictions.

The couple also cautioned listeners against befriending those who are intimidated by them, stressing the importance of having friends who can both celebrate and uplift those around them.

A confident person is going to cheer you on, whereas an insecure and an intimidated person  you just can't trust them, Brittni said. They're not going to push you closer to the things that God has for you. They are going to try to tempt you to just be mediocre ... they're going to gossip behind your back. Its very hard to be friends with an insecure person because they are jealous of you.

Brittni added that many people were there for her when she was stumbling into church drunk and on drugs  but the more success she found, the smaller her circle became because people became envious.

I think God is so good at pruning friendships, she said. And so if there are friendships in your life that God has been pruning, He's removed people out of your life, or He's convicting you to maybe close the door on them, don't fight Him. Don't fight Him because your bad friendships, your toxic friendships, will definitely hinder your destiny.

Rich added that Jesus exemplified how to have a tight-knit inner circle, adding: Toxic people tolerate you. People who are healthy people honor you. You have to know the difference.

For those who are forced to have toxic people in their lives for various reasons, Brittni advised setting boundaries.

Boundaries are the most beautiful thing because they keep toxic people at bay where you can love them, you can even minister the Gospel to them, you can show them the love of Jesus, but they aren't impacting your heart, she explained.

Previously, Brittni highlighted the pivotal role friends play in recovering from drug or alcohol addiction: Part of the reason why I didn't go back to drugs was [that] I got rid of all my friendships, all the connects, all of my hookups, and I literally surrounded myself with church people, she said.

Anybody that might be a temptation to you  get them out of your life, and keep pressing in with God. Go to church, serve in your church too ... take your eyes off of yourself and your problems and put them on helping other people ... you have to be in the right environment.
Where is the Church amidst the chaos of the ungodly

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Last month, in two high-profile police shootings, two armed individuals were fatally shot, and once again, the harshest criticism came against the police rather than the perpetrators.

Every day police officers have only seconds to make life or death decisions about threats to public safety, and they do not have the luxury of carefully deliberating other options. In one instance, the officer was placed on administrative leave for using his firearm even though the suspect was armed and was trying to outrun the police. In the other case, the officer fatally shot the teenager poised to drive a knife into another person.

Both the media and some politicians were quick to blame the police and reignite the passion for defunding police departments across the U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib went so far as to public comment on Twitter that "policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist. No more policing, incarceration, it can't be reformed."[1] Regarding the knife-wielding teenager, the media hosted numerous experts to explain how de-escalation tactics should have been used since the young lady was a product of the foster care system and could not self-regulate her emotions.[2]

In my two decades of experience training and consulting for both local and federal law enforcement on building early intervention programs for potential terrorists, if there was a real and credible threat of violence by an individual, other forms of intervention were immediately ruled out. The clear line of demarcation between community actors such as health care professionals and the police was when a person posed a physical threat to society. Multidisciplinary teams that can de-escalate a crisis are not utilized when there is a violent crime in progress. If the use of deadly force, carrying a weapon with the intent to use it, is no longer the standard for the role of law enforcement, chaos ensues.

God sets up a standard for man of prohibiting violence and loving one's neighbor as yourself, as well as equity and justice for all in the sight of God. We are taught forgiveness and compassion towards our enemies and that vengeance belongs to the Lord. Our rule of law and respect for authority are based on these Biblical principles. Without a moral standard based on Biblical values, morality becomes relative. Some claim that violence is justified to destroy systematic oppression or personal grievances, as we see in these cases and when the rioting breaks out in cities across the U.S. At the same time, others decry the violence when their business is burned, or their home is attacked. Law and order will continue to decline if the use of violence is morally justified based on competing versions of social justice.[3]

The most tragic aspect of this rise in moral relativism is that the church is almost entirely absent from the national dialogue. There are competing voices from conservative pundits and the liberal media, but we hear very little from the pulpit condemning the violence. Very few pastors are speaking and writing publicly to denounce the degradation of our societal norms. There are no national calls of repentance and asking the Lord to intervene for His people.

Moses demanded Pharaoh to set the Israelites free, Elijah destroyed the prophets of Baal during the reign of King Ahab, and Daniel refused to bow in worship to King Nebuchadnezzar. God's elect always spoke truth to power when the power went against God's will for man. The Bible is not a series of fairytales. It is God's living word to be used for instruction and teaching.[4] God's people can't sit idly by when lawlessness, evil, and violence run rampant. Under the new covenant with Christ, we no longer go to a physical building of a temple. Our bodies are the temple[5] of God, yet, the importance of repentance and prayer to God is timeless and applicable today. For example, we can use as guidance the Prayer of Solomon 2 Chronicles: 6:12-42 honoring God, repenting, and asking for blessing upon the land. It says [in part]:

Lord my God, give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.Forgive, and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart), so that they will fear you and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

.When they sin against youfor there is no one who does not sinand you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy...and if they have a change of heart in the land... and repent and plead with you...and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul.then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

In American history, George Washington and the founding fathers found strength in the preachers of the day who encouraged them to fight against the tyranny of the British. They believed it was a calling on their lives to set up a nation under God and the church was there to support them from the pulpit.[6] It was the little-known black robe regiment that provided the prayer and the word of God to support the revolution, not to mention soldiers who fought alongside them[7]. The freedoms we enjoy today exist largely due to their support to the politicians who enshrined those beliefs in the nation's founding documents. Where is that regiment today?

The problem with the church, in many cases, is allegiances and alliances that are against God. Whether it is setting up false gods of fame and popularity or being afraid to confront the ungodly trends of the day, we are divided against ourselves. Jesus warns that a "city or house divided against itself, will not stand."[8] So, if we are unwilling to defend the truth of the Gospel, we may find ourselves irreparably lost like past generations until the remnant intercedes in a way that the Lord accepts[9]. As the Apostle Paul so passionately says:

"and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel."[10]

[1] https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1381745303997534216

[2] https://www.vox.com/22406055/makhia-bryant-police-shooting-columbus-ohio

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/03/us/us-crime-rate-rise-2020/index.html

[4] 2 Timothy 3:16

[5] 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

[6] https://calvarycch.org/god-in-america/

[7] https://nationalblackroberegiment.com/history-of-the-black-robe-regiment/

[8] Matthew 12:22-28

[9] Romans 11:5

[10] Ephesians 6:19
White evangelicals hold highest disapproval of Biden among religious groups: Pew

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Three-quarters of white evangelicals disapprove of President Joe Bidens job performance, the highest of any surveyed religious groups, according to a report by Pew Research Center.

A Pew report published last week analyzed Biden's approval ratings among several different religious groups and compared them to their approval ratings of former President Donald Trump in 2017.

According to the report, 75% of white evangelical Protestant respondents disapproved of Bidens performance as president, while 23% responded that they approve of his performance.

White non-evangelical Protestants had the second-largest disapproval rating for Biden at 53%, with Protestants overall having 50% disapproval, 48% approval.

On the opposite end, black Protestants were the least likely of surveyed religious groups to disapprove of Biden, with only 8% saying they did not like his performance as president.

Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and religiously unaffiliated Americans  also known as religious nones because they describe themselves, religiously, as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular  have long been staunchly Democratic constituencies, according to Pew.

White evangelical Protestants are among the most solidly and consistently Republican religious group in the U.S., and they have grown even more uniformly Republican in recent decades. White Catholics and White Protestants who are not evangelical also have shifted in a Republican direction in recent years, Pew added.

Data for the report came, in part, from a survey conducted April 511 of 5,109 respondents, with a margin of error for the overall sample being plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

Over the past few years, much has been made about Trump's strong support among white evangelicals, despite controversies surrounding his moral conduct.

During the 2020 election, some exit polling research suggested that Trump experienced a slight drop in white evangelical support, which might have contributed to his defeat.

An ABC network analysis of the exit polls, for example, indicated that white evangelical and born-again Christian support for Trump declined from 80% in 2016 to 76% in 2020.

Others, among them the conservative group, the Faith & Freedom Coalition, presented research showing that Bidens evangelical support was actually lower than Hillary Clintons evangelical support in 2016.

Trumps 81% of the evangelical vote tied his 2016 total, while Biden won the lowest share of the self-identified white evangelical vote ever received by a Democratic presidential nominee, the Faith & Freedom Coalition noted last November.

The post-election survey commissioned by FFC and conducted by Public Opinion Strategies also found that 31% of the electorate self-identified as conservative Christians, and these voters cast 87% of their ballots for Trump and only 11% for Biden.
Zachery Tims' ex-wife Riva weds best friend and heart-centered financier

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More than a decade after divorcing her late troubled celebrity pastor husband Zachery Tims in 2009, whose affair with drugs and sex ultimately ended his life two years later, Riva Tims announced Sunday that she has found love again and is now remarried.

Introducing Mr. Robert and Mrs Riva Watkins. I married my best friend and love of my life. Robert found a REAL GOOD THING!!!! wrote the new Mrs. Watkins who leads the thriving Majestic Life Church in Florida on Instagram.

Her new husband, Robert J. Watkins, who is a 20-year entrepreneur, bestselling author and the leader of Conquer Worldwide also shared the news of his nuptials in a similar fashion to his fans on social media where he declared: Just married my best friend and the love of my life... Pastor Riva Tims.

Watkins describes himself on his website as a heart-centered financier completely focused on his God-given mission  to educate, empower and equip people around the globe to build empires that transfer wealth through generations.

Through his company, Watkins wants to create 20 million jobs by resourcing 2 million new entrepreneurs in 200 cities.

In her 2017 book, When It All Comes Together, the former Mrs. Tims shared her painful process of recovery from the relationship with her ex-husband and the challenges of life as a single mother with four children, including a son with cerebral palsy.

She also talked about the pain of losing the once popular and now Paula White-led New Destiny Christian Center, which she co-founded with her ex-husband, and how God used those events to birth Majestic Life Church.

"This book came about after seven years of really excruciatingly horrible trials," Watkins told The Christian Post at the time.

The book was a sequel to one she wrote in 2012 titled, When It All Falls Apart, which details the circumstances that led to the accidental death of her ex-husband from "acute intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine and heroin" in a New York City hotel and the media circus that followed.

"Nothing  and I mean nothing  in my life turned out the way I thought it would. I was supposed to be a hospital administrator happily married to my accountant husband, Zachery Tims. I never thought Zachery and I would become pastors, but God sent us to begin a church in Orlando," she wrote in her 2017 book.

"So weren't we supposed to be married still, building the third phase of the City of Destiny, the cathedral? Weren't we supposed to be leading 'a family church meeting family needs'? Weren't we supposed to be there for each milestone in our children's lives and grow old together? My life was nothing like what I expected. But as Paul did, I chose to press forward and do all I knew to do despite what the situation looked like, she added.
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As most Americans are aware, the Palestinian terror group Hamas has been firing missiles from the northern Gaza Strip toward Jewish Israeli population centers like Tel Aviv for over a week. Hamas claims this is in response to rising tensions in Jerusalem over evictions of Palestinians, and Israeli police measures at the Al Aqsa Mosque. At this point, over 2000 missiles have been fired against Israeli civilians, and Hamas has even targeted an Israeli nuclear reactor in the Negev. The Israeli military have responded by targeting Hamas military leaders, fighters, and military communications facilities, but not targeted civilians. Its Iron Dome anti-rocket defense has helped, but even Jewish children have been killed. The Biden Administration had restored $235 million of funding recently to the Palestinians (which had been cut off by the Trump administration), and that money appears to have helped fund the attacks. Having served between Israel and Egypt on military peacekeeping duties (1996-1997), I firmly believe America needs to take our stand behind Israel. Let me explain.

On that peacekeeping deployment, I was an Infantry Captain in an Infantry Battalion Task Force (TF 2-27 IN Wolfhounds). Our mission was to occupy various checkpoints in the Sinai desert, from the Straights of Tiran to the border crossing into Eilat, Israel. This was as part of the overall Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO) of multiple nations along the border between Egypt and Israel in the Sinai. During that time, I had the opportunity to travel throughout Israel, including Palestinian territories, and surrounding Arab countries. Of note, we deployed shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected Prime Minister. Based on Netanyahus known conservativism, this caused a great deal of violence and acts of terror by the Palestinians. Regardless, I had the chance to speak with average people from the different sides and form my opinions about the conflict. I deployed to the MFO mission neutral to all sides. I had previously deployed to Kuwait twice and had listened to a number of anti-Israel voices. I left the MFO mission knowing that, despite minor imperfections, Israel was the good guy America should support in the dispute with the Palestinians.

The first thing I noticed was that Israel was the kind of free, equal, and Democratic nation like America, while the other side was opposite. After the Israeli War of Independence (1948-49), Jews from throughout the Middle East were expelled by Arabs and resettled in Israel. Jews are virtually non-existent within the Palestinian areas beyond fortified Jewish settlements. The Jews in Israel did not force out Muslim Palestinians, but incorporated them within Jewish Israel proper. Over 3 million Muslim Arabs are Israeli citizens. Muslim Arab Palestinians in Israel even have seats in the Knesset (Parliament) where they are able to openly praise the Palestinian cause and criticize Israel. Though all Israelis must serve in the military, Muslim Arabs in Israel have the option not to serve. The Israeli newspapers, unlike the Palestinian and surrounding Arab nations, give voice to both sides.

During the time I was there, Israelis were in the process of giving back major parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control. What I noticed then, and much more over the coming years, was that Israeli unilaterally giving land back caused more attacks by Palestinians. When the Israelis gave back full control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (which involved the Israeli Army forcibly removing long-time Jewish residents) in 2006, the Palestinians rewarded Israel with attacks. When the Israelis withdrew from Southern Lebanon, they suffered the same dynamic. Each Israeli concession is seen as weakness, and has encouraged Palestinians to drive toward their stated aim of the destruction of the Jewish State.

The current justifications by Hamas for missile attacks hold absolutely no water. From 1949 to 1967, East Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount which is the Holiest place to Jews, was off-limits to Jews. The Temple Mount was where the Ark of the Covenant was previously kept within the Temple. When Jordan attacked Israel in 1967, Israel took East Jerusalem during the fighting. Immediately afterward, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan allowed Arab Muslims to have policing participation of the Temple Mount, but under Israeli sovereignty. Unlike what happened to the Jews, Israel not only allowed Muslim access to the Temple Mount, but allowed them to have policing authority. For Hamas to fire thousands of missiles at Jewish civilians and a nuclear reactor over an issue of policing there is absurd, as Israel has been more than fair.

American interests are furthered in standing behind the truly Democratic nation of Israel, and demanding Hamas be dismantled. Allowing the cancer of the Hamas ideology, radical Islam, to spread does come back to America, as we experienced on September 11, 2001. It is shocking that the Biden administration decided to give that $235 million to those seeking to destroy Israel, but after the rocket attacks it cannot continue. The Palestinians must utterly repudiate this cancer, and show itself a true Democracy first. Israel is in the right, and America stands up for whats right. John Adams said that our Constitutional System was predicated upon a moral and religious people. Lets show that character in backing our ally Israel now.
Church director, seminary student set to wed in November arrested for child pornography

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Andrew Shiira, once the director of worship planning at Lake Shore Church, was getting ready to graduate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on Saturday. A few months later in November, he was expected to move on to wedded bliss with his fiancee, but his life was upended Thursday when he was arrested on 10 counts of child pornography.

Shiira, whose father is president of the Hawaii Baptist Academy, was being held at the Orleans Parish Prison after his arrest, according to Baptist Press. Officials there told The Christian Post Friday morning that he was no longer in custody.

In a statement released on their website, the NOBTS said they were made aware of criminal online sexual misconduct allegations against Andrew Shiira and were in complete cooperation with law enforcement.

We offered any assistance we might provide to complete the investigation. Currently, we have no evidence of any physical harm or sexual harassment pertaining to our campus population by Mr. Shiira, the seminary said in their statement.

It further noted that Shiira was dismissed from the school where he previously worked but had resigned before he was criminally charged. A spokesperson told BP that the Master of Divinity degree he would have received on Saturday would no longer be conferred because he failed to meet the degrees requirements.

The New Orleans Police Department could not immediately confirm details of the charges Friday, but NOBTS President James "Jamie" K. Dew said the seminary was shocked by the news.

We are shocked and grieved to receive this news and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in this matter. Our counseling services are always available to assist any student, faculty, or staff members impacted by this shocking news and encourage anyone in need of counseling or other forms of assistance to let us know how we can help. We grieve and pray for those who are often overlooked as victims of online sexual crimes. We also pray for everyone who is negatively impacted by this situation, Dew said.

An email cited by BP from Lakeshore Church stated that Shiira was not part of their pastoral staff and had no contact with children or students at Lakeshore Church.

His work with the church also ended on April 30, and they have no evidence of any physical harm or sexual harassment pertaining to our church congregation by Mr. Shiira.

We take this matter very seriously, Lakeshore Church elders said. And will cooperate with appropriate parties throughout any further investigation or review. Church leaders are expected to address the congregation further on Sunday.

In a Pacific Connector report in the summer of 2019, Shiira also talked about how he became The Gatherings first worship leader in 2016 when the church started a new Honolulu campus called Citywide.

When Pastor James first approached me about planting a church in Honolulu, geared towards college students, I was both excited about the idea and confused that he would ask me, Shiira said. Ive been part of a few church plants before but never in the actual planting and visioning phase. So it was a brand new experience for me, and Im not going to lie, it was hard.

When he started his Master of Divinity at NOBTS, Shiira said he felt Gods call toward collegiate, high school or pastoral ministry.

You get out of seminary what you put in, Shiira said. You can come to class do your work and pass or you can come to class, do your work and dive deeper, ask questions, seek mentorship and advice and fully immerse yourself where you are, and come out equipped.
Army urged to protect religious freedom of chaplain punished for supporting transgender military ban

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An advocacy group comprised of military chaplains has called on the United States Army to intervene on behalf of a chaplain who was punished for sharing his views on transgender ideology on Facebook.

U.S. Army leadership reprimanded Chaplain Major Andrew Calvert for criticizing possible changes to the Department of Defenses policies on transgender service.

The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty released a statement Monday calling on senior Army leadership to dismiss charges of wrongdoing against Calvert for the social media post.

Calvert was expressing views that were consistent with U.S. Defense Department policy at the time, argued the Alliance, and was also expressing his sincerely held religious beliefs on the matter.

The right to freedom of conscience' is the most sacred belief held by all Americans and proponents of a free society, and that is why it is our first constitutional right, said Alliance Executive Director Derek Jones, in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

Chaplain Calverts sincerely held beliefs are protected by the First Amendment and our federal courts have repeatedly ruled in favor of First Amendment protection for religious expression such as Chaplain Calverts.

In January, Calvert commented on a news article about President Joe Biden's plans to overturn a ban on trans-identified men and women serving in the Armed Forces, expressing his support for the ban that allows men who identify as women to enter female-only spaces.

How is rejecting reality [biology] not evidence that a person is mentally unfit [ill], and thus making that person unqualified to serve, Calvert posted on Facebook.

An unknown party took screenshots of Calverts comments and sent them to the Third Forces Assistance Brigade, leading to the chaplain being issued a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand on April 22.

Earlier this month, Calvert filed an appeal to the reprimand, with the chaplain being represented by the conservative law firm the First Liberty Institute.

Chaplain Calvert is a decorated soldier with an exemplary record. He faces having his career ruined simply because he expressed his religious views on his personal Facebook page, said Mike Berry, general counsel at First Liberty Institute, in a press release.

Throughout Chaplain Calverts military career, he has personified selfless service and sacrifice, and a desire to provide for the spiritual needs of those under his care. Punishing a chaplain because of their expressed religious belief is illegal and wrong.

Colonel Myles B. Caggins III, spokesperson for the III U.S. Army Corps, defended the proceedings against Calvert in an emailed statement to The Army Times.

Calvert was provided full due process and given the opportunity to submit matters to the Investigating Officer, said Caggins, as quoted by The Army Times. Calverts command, after carefully considered the findings of the investigation and all matters submitted by [Calvert], took appropriate administrative action.
Existential threat: CCCU fights LGBT students' Title IX lawsuit targeting Christian colleges CCCU seeks to uphold rights of Christian colleges amid 'open hostility' from Biden admin.

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A leading association of over 180 Protestant colleges and universities is coming to the defense of Christian colleges amid a lawsuit filed by former and current LGBT students who seek to revoke religious schools exemptions to Title IX discrimination law.

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities filed a motion to intervene in a legal challenge against the U.S. Department of Education seeking to strip federal financial aid from college students who attend faith-based institutions that espouse biblical beliefs on marriage, gender and sexuality.

The lawsuit was filed in March by an advocacy organization called Religious Exemption Accountability Project on behalf of 33 LGBT former and current students who felt discriminated against on 25 faith-based campuses across the country.

Title IX of the Civil Rights Act forbids sex-based discrimination in education. Faith-based institutions that uphold biblical definitions for marriage and sexuality can request a religious exemption that allows them to adhere to scriptural beliefs on matters of sexuality.

The legal challenge essentially seeks to restrict students at faith-based institutions that adhere to traditional sexuality and gender beliefs from receiving tuition grants, student loans and any other form of federal financial assistance.

In a statement, the CCCU called the lawsuit "frivolous."

Faith-based higher education has always been an essential element of the diversity of higher education in the United States  many of the first colleges and universities in the country were religious  and it is crucial that students continue to be given the opportunity to choose and access the college of their choice in a diverse educational landscape," the Washington, D.C.-based council argued.

Most of the plaintiffs of the lawsuit are former or current students of CCCU institutions. CCCU is an advocacy organization that claims over 140 member schools across the U.S., many of which subscribe to sincerely held biblical beliefs, which include specific religious convictions around human sexuality and gender.

Policies based on those beliefs could result in LGBT student clubs not gaining official campus recognition, transgender students not being housed in dorm rooms that correspond with their gender identity or prohibitions against same-sex sexual relationships.

According to CCCU, those schools are transparent about their policies and behavior guidelines, which students voluntarily agree to when they choose to attend the institution. CCCU noted that many of its schools have core religious tenets that conflict with the Plaintiffs understanding of Title IX.

"Campuses work hard to ensure that potential students understand their institution and its religious identity and want to be a part of that community, the CCCU statement continues.

CCCUs motion to intervene contends that removing Title IXs religious exemption poses an existential threat to religious higher education. Additionally, it will deprive religious colleges of the oxygen that gives them life by forbidding them, on pain of losing federal assistance for their students, from teaching and expecting adherence to their core religious beliefs.

To CCCUs member colleges, the Title IX religious exemption has proven indispensable as contemporary notions of sexuality and gender depart, often substantially, from the religious beliefs that animate every aspect of Christian campus life, CCCUs motion states.

CCCUs motion to intervene argues the Biden administration is opposed to upholding Title IX religious exemptions and said the rights of religious colleges will go unrepresented and, thus, unprotected.

There is ample evidence that the current administration will not only fail to make the points necessary to defend Title IXs religious exemptions as applied to sexual and gender minorities, but it may also instead be openly hostile to them, CCCUs motion states.

Students represented in the REAP lawsuit include current and former students of schools like Bob Jones University, Liberty University, Baylor University, Cedarville University and Brigham Young University.

REAPs lawsuit asserts the constitutional and basic human rights of LGBTQ+ students, seeking to end the sexual, physical and psychological abuses perpetrated under the religious exemption to Title IX at thousands of federally-funded schools, colleges and universities across America, according to REAPs website.

The lawsuit claims that such policies at Christian schools led to the abuse and bullying of LGBT students. However, the CCCU has denied that claim.

"While this lawsuit presents frivolous legal claims, the CCCU takes reports of student experience seriously," the CCCU statement reads.

"We are committed to learning, growing, and deepening our understanding of how we can provide and strengthen support for all students on Christian college and university campuses, as CCCU institutions should be places where all students feel safe, supported, and welcome. We know the college experience can be stressful, and even more so for LGBTQ students who are working to understand how their sexual orientation or gender identity intersects with their personal faith."

Alliance Defending Freedom, a national religious liberty advocacy legal group, filed a motion in April to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of college students at Corban University in Oregon, William Jessup University in California and Phoenix Seminary in Arizona to protect the colleges religious exemptions to Title IX.

This lawsuit [filed by REAP] wants the federal government to tell Christian schools, To continue accepting students who have federal financial aid, all you have to do is to start acting contrary to your own beliefs. Thats neither reasonable nor constitutional, ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman said in a statement.

CCCU asserts its member colleges will only be able to further their religious missions if they are able to teach and adhere to their doctrines without interference from the government.

... [This litigation] threatens to suffocate religious higher education in America. For these reasons, combined with the fact that only religious colleges can fully understand the importance of the exemption and the current Administrations open hostility to the arguments necessary to fully defend the Title IX religious exemption, CCCU is entitled to intervene as of right, CCCUs motion argues.
Biden HHS rule will 'force religious providers' out Title X family planning program, pro-lifers warn

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Pro-life activists warn that a proposed rule change to the Title X family planning program would force religious family planning providers out of the program because of its requirement that recipients of the federal funding provide abortion referrals.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, hosted a virtual press conference Monday examining the potential consequences of proposed changes to the Title X family planning program currently under consideration by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The proposed rule change would reverse a 2019 rule implemented by the Trump administration that prevents health clinics that receive Title X funds from performing abortions or referring patients for abortions.

Moderated by the EPPCs Josh Britton, the panelists included EPPC Senior Fellow Roger Severino, who directed the HHS Office of Civil Rights during the Trump administration. He was joined by Valerie Huber, who formerly served in the HHS Office of Global Affairs, and Senior Counsel Denise Harle from the conservative legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom.

Harle discussed the effect of the proposed rule on women, on taxpayers and on healthcare providers conscience rights.

The current Title X rules ensure that taxpayer dollars dont fund programs promoting abortion, but the revised Title X rule compromises healthcare professionals freedom of conscience by requiring Title X participants to refer patients for abortion and contraceptives, she said.

The revised rule targets everyone who believes abortion is not birth control and imposes a one-size-fits-all method of family planning on the public.

Harle concluded that "the revised rule would force religious family planning providers out of the program because they cant in good conscience abide by the government mandates.

Severino offered a similar analysis, warning that the rule change would coerce participants into referring for abortion.

Harle asserted that the HHS' "proposed revision targets the basic conscience rights of American citizens by funneling business to Planned Parenthood and big abortion.

Describing the proposed policy as reflective of government hostility towards people of faith, she stressed that Title X should not be used to punish people of faith, and government programs certainly shouldnt be used in a revenue stream for the abortion industry.

As Huber explained, the Title X program was established in 1970 as the only federal program dedicated solely to the provision of family planning.

The program provides funding to assist in the establishment and operation of voluntary family planning projects, which shall offer a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods and services, including natural family planning methods, infertility services and services for adolescents.

Expressing concern that the proposed rule blurs the line between Title X services and abortion services  and withdraws significant conscience protections, Huber warned that the rule change would mark a return to hostile restrictions on the grantees ability to select sub-recipients of  their own choosing.

According to Severino, the proposed rule change serves as a favor to the abortion industry and big abortion.

Under the Trump administrations 2019 rule, family planning clinics had to implement a strict physical and financial separation between family planning services and any abortion services they offer to receive federal funding. Before the rule's implementation, the nation's leading abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, was a leading fund recipient of the Title X program.

When the 2019 rule came through, Planned Parenthood and many of its affiliates decided to voluntarily back out, Severino recalled. They chose to keep their abortion prioritized over family planning services. If they had agreed to separate their physical and financial operations, [putting] their abortion on one side and Title X family planning services on the other, they could have continued.

Severino cited Planned Parenthoods decision to pull out of the Title X program rather than comply with the requirements as evidence that Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics are about abortion first, family planning second.

Discussing the proposed rules intention to allow Title X providers to refer their patients for all family planning-related services desired by the client including abortion services, Huber concluded that HHS is acknowledging that their referring for abortion is for the preferred purpose of family planning.

She characterized the rule as more focused on ideology than on the congressional intent and the statutory provisions or, for that matter, even on implementing authorized family planning services to low-income Americans.

Huber addressed the other problematic themes of the proposed rule. She referred to its removal of requirements that Title X providers highlight practical ways for minors to discuss family planning with their parents, encourage couples to communicate about and to share in family planning decisions together, and provide minors with counsel on how to avoid sexual coercion."

The Biden administrations proposed rule change maintained that the number of family planning services grantees has dropped precipitously due to the Trump administration's rule. However, Harle alleged that the new rule would limit options for women by forcing providers who offer natural family planning services out of the program entirely.

Additionally, she remarked that family planning providers have been flourishing under the 2019 Title X rules, offering women and families access to a broad range of services, including natural family planning and expanding care in many parts of the country.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center is part of a broad coalition that submitted comments in opposition to the rule ahead of the Monday deadline for public comments.

Coalition members include pro-life groups such as Students for Life and Susan B. Anthony List as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Noting that the 30-day window for public comment was much shorter than usual, Severino contended that the Biden administration hoped to rush out this rule to get ahead of the Supreme Court, which is considering this issue right now.

The Trump administration rule will remain in place until the proposed rule is finalized.
Scottish law student faces disciplinary action after saying women have vaginas, men are stronger

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A law student at Abertay University in Scotland is being investigated after making comments during lectures asserting that only women have vaginas and that men are the physically stronger sex.

The British daily newspaper The Times reported Saturday that Lisa Keogh is now facing disciplinary actions after her classmates reported her for saying that women were born with female genitals and that the difference in physical strength of men versus women is a fact.'"

The 29-year old law student, who is in her final year, is now afraid that any sanction from the school might hurt her aspiration to become a human rights attorney. Keogh reportedly made remarks about biological sex during seminars on gender feminism and the law.

According to Keogh, she was muted by her lecturer during a video seminar when she raised concerns about trans-identified males being able to take part in mixed martial arts matches. She said she made a point that a trans-identified male "had testosterone in her body for 32 years and, as such, would be genetically stronger than your average woman."

I thought it was a joke, Keogh said about receiving an email that accused her of making bigoted comments.

I thought there was no way that the university would pursue me for utilizing my legal right to freedom of speech.

Her classmates that reported her, who are reportedly younger than she is, said she referred to women as the "weaker sex."

Keough is accused of calling classmates man-hating feminists when one classmate suggested that all men were rapists and pose a threat to women.

I didnt deny saying these things and told the university exactly why I did so, Keogh told the newspaper.

I didnt intend to be offensive but I did take part in a debate and outlined my sincerely held views. I was abused and called names by the other students, who told me I was a typical white, cis girl. You have got to be able to freely exchange differing opinions. Otherwise, its not a debate.

She further reiterated that she was not trying to be unkind but stating basic biology. She said that she was previously employed as a mechanic, and her male colleagues could lift heavy things she could not in the workshop.

Abertay University, a public university in Dundee, has a misconduct policy that forbids the use of "offensive language" or discriminating against transgender identity.

The schools bullying and harassment guidelines prohibit actions that are reasonably considered by that person to have the effect of violating their dignity or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them, even if this effect was not intended by the person responsible for the conduct.

Scottish Parliament member Joanna Cherry supports Keogh, arguing that the student is unfairly subjected to a disciplinary procedure that could result in expulsion for merely stating an opinion rooted in biology.

Cherry, a member of the Scottish National Party who represents Edinburgh South West and is the deputy chairwoman of the Lords and Commons joint committee on human rights, has described Keogh's ordeal as farcical. She wrote the university to inquire what it would do to protect student rights outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The university reportedly said it did not comment on disciplinary matters, according to The Times.

Other students in the United Kingdom have faced punishment for expressing their beliefs on controversial issues. One example is Felix Ngole, a Christian student expelled from his social work masters program at the University of Sheffield for posting about his religious beliefs on sexuality on Facebook.

In 2019, the Court of Appeal overturned a previous court ruling against Ngole.

Repercussions on similarly-phrased speech have not been limited to higher education settings.

Social media giant Twitter updated its terms of service forbidding "misgendering" in 2018 around the time it permanently booted Canadian feminist journalist Meghan Murphy from the platform after she wrote that "men aren't women" and referred to a transgender-identifying male as "him."

Last week, the social media platform blocked the account of Francisco Jose Contreras, the deputy of Spain's Vox Party, for 12 hours after tweeting that "a man cannot get pregnant" because "they have no uterus or eggs."
More than 120 priests die in 2 weeks amid COVID-19 outbreak in India

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Father Victor David, parish priest of Our Lady of Happy Voyage in Howrah, India, died from COVID-19 last Thursday at the Mercy Hospital hours after Sister Pranita Rai, principal of St. Teresas School in Kidderpore, died from the virus too.

The two missionaries of the Catholic Church died as the faithful were observing the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, according to The Times of India. And as more than 4,000 people die daily from the virus in that country, more than 160 priests have reportedly died in the past five weeks. Some 120 of them died between April 1 and April 15, Father Suresh Mathew, the editor of Indian Currents, told CRUX.

I wanted to know the extent of the tragedy and the reasons. With journalistic interest, I began compiling the list of priests who died in the second wave (of COVID-19 pandemic in India). I approached the deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, and he gave me around 20 names of priests. But Jose Kavi, the editor of Matters India, gave me the names of numerous priests who succumbed to the virus, Mathew said.

Those names amounted to a list of 117, and Mathew reached out to individual bishops in India regarding the deaths and was surprised by what he found.

Within 24 hours, my inbox was flooded with messages of names of priests who died. A few in the list were not COVID casualties. Right now, I can say more than 120 priests died in India between April 1 and April 15, he said.

The number of deaths of priests is higher than the national average of COVID deaths and we should do a deep study into the reasons for the deaths, he told CRUX. Importantly many priests were around 40, and died in their prime. More than 20 were Jesuits. We need to make a study of this: Why are so many young priests dying in this coronavirus second wave? Our brother priests should not remain mere statistics.

Mathew further told Vatican News that from April 10 to May 17 he compiled a list of at least 160 diocesan and religious priests who died. He suggested that the death toll among priests could be higher because not all COVID-19 related deaths have been reported from Indias 174 dioceses.

Many priests are dying for want of timely medical care. It is a horrific situation, Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur in central Indias Madhya Pradesh state told the publication. I am shocked to know that so many priests have died when priests and vocation to the priesthood are very scarce in the country.

Almeida noted that many priests and nuns who work with the general public had experienced heightened fear of death and isolation as they work through the pandemic.

Our priests have given their lives in service, to the people. Many of our young priests who died were actively serving their communities, administering the sacraments  with due social distancing and wearing masks  during Easter, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, the president of the bishops conference, told Crux.

Our priests out of pastoral zeal gave their lives in service and succumbed to the virus. Many of our young priests with their missionary zeal, and even with the necessary precaution, paid with their lives: A heavy price for their devotion in the fight against virus, the cardinal said.

Some priests have also died after attending large church gatherings, according to The Times on India. At least three priests died from COVID-19 after attending the Church of South India retreat at Munnar from April 1317 the publication reported.

India is the world's largest vaccine-producing nation, and while 141.6 million people have received at least one vaccine dose, that's roughly 10% of its population of 1.35 billion, according to health ministry data cited by Reuters. Just over 40.4 million people, or 2.9% of its population, are fully vaccinated.

Koshy George and John Prabhudoss, president and chairman, respectively, of the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America, called on President Joe Biden in a letter Sunday to help charitable organizations get beyond government restrictions they say are worsening the crisis in India.

As the world is witnessing, the pandemic in India is proving to be a much deadlier affair. Unfortunately, we are realizing that the government of India does not have the infrastructure or the resources to effectively manage this pandemic. We are afraid that poor planning and management by the government of India has exacerbated the current situation, George and Prabhudoss wrote.

Further, some untimely implementation of government regulations and restrictions on private charity organizations in the middle of a pandemic have added to the problem by severely hampering the relief effort on the ground, they added.

Among those onerous restrictions, the charity leaders say, is a new regulation requiring them to open a new bank account in Delhi and obtain clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Some charities have indicated that few officials are refusing the needed clearance demanding bribes. We also understand from the bank officials that many of their staff are infected by the virus and with few staff they are unable to handle the workload resulting in a huge backlog, they said in their letter to Biden.

We are asking you to please intervene with Prime Minister Modi and suggest that he lift or suspend the new regulation requiring the charities to open a new bank account and obtain clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the middle of a pandemic. We ask that these bureaucratic hurdles are suspended or lifted for a minimum of 12 months so that charity organizations and health care providers in India could receive the much needed funds already available to them in a timely fashion to help the people who need it the most, they urged Biden.
Planned Parenthood sues Texas city for becoming largest sanctuary city for the unborn

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A Planned Parenthood abortion clinic has filed a lawsuit against a city in Texas over its recent vote to approve an ordinance that bans abortions from being performed in their jurisdiction.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Surgical Health Services filed the suit in federal court on Monday against the city of Lubbock, which recently became known as a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.

The complaint claims that the ordinance is unconstitutional since it imposes substantial liability on anyone who procures, performs, aids, or abets an abortion in Lubbock, be it a doctor, nurse, relative, friend, or stranger.

The Ordinance will prevent Plaintiffs from providing abortions in Lubbock and will seriously impede access to abortion. Consequently, the Ordinance plainly violates the constitutional right to abortion, the suit argues.

Plaintiffs (Planned Parenthood) bring this lawsuit to safeguard their patients constitutional right to abortion, to prevent the harm that the Ordinance will cause their patients health and well-being, and to preserve their own ability to fulfill their mission to provide comprehensive reproductive health care.

Lubbock officials released a statement in response to the suit, vowing to vigorously defend this ordinance in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division.

The city is being represented by Heather Hacker and Andrew Stephens of Hacker Stephens LLP of Austin, and Fernando Bustos of the Bustos Law Firm, P.C., of Lubbock, according to the statement.

In recent years, several small towns, mostly in Texas, have passed ordinances stating that abortions will not be allowed within their city limits, despite current laws.

Lubbock became the largest city in the United States to identify as a Sanctuary City for the Unborn after the ordinance was approved via referendum with 62% of the vote on May 1.

In an earlier interview with The Christian Post, Mark Lee Dickson, the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn movement, called the referendum a landslide victory.

I think it says a lot because Lubbock is the 11th-most populated city in the state of Texas and the 83rd most populated city in the United States of America, Dickson said.

All cities at this point, with the exception of Lubbock, have outlawed abortion through their mayor and city council  I think this is the appropriate way it needs to be done  through the mayor and the council the people have elected.
The killing of Christians in Nigeria: Who will help us?

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Christianity is under siege in Nigeria. So many Christian Nigerians have been kidnapped and some of them will never return home alive. The unfortunate aspect of what is happening is that the government has decided to do nothing about it. The security situation in Nigeria has degenerated to the extent that countries that are at war are far better than our country. Every morning we wake up with news of kidnapping and killing. Who will come to our rescue?



Nigeria was designated a Country of Particular Concern in December 2020 by the U.S. Secretary of State for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom by the U.S State Department reported about Nigeria:



General insecurity throughout the countrys regions increased during the year: a terrorist insurgency in the North East; brazen kidnapping and armed robbery rings in the North West and southern regions; militant groups and criminal gangs in the South South region; and conflict between farmers and herders over access to land in the North Central region.



The report also recognizes that religion appears to play a role in some conflicts:

Some domestic and international Christian groups stated that Muslim Fulani herdsman were targeting Christian farmers because of their religion. Local Muslim and herder organizations said unaffiliated Fulani were the targets of Christian revenge killings. Local and international NGOs and religious organizations criticized what they said was the governments inability or unwillingness to prevent or mitigate violence between Christian and Muslim communities. Christian organizations reported several cases during the year of Muslim men kidnapping young Christian girls and forcing them into marriage and conversion to Islam.



In response to the U.S. State Departments designation of Nigeria as a CPC, the Nigerian government denied it and asserted there is no religious violation in the country. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, "Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue". It is obvious that Nigerian government officials are pretending that they do not know about the attacks on Christians in Nigeria.

The government in their reports have attributed the killings to farmer-herder conflicts, bandit activities and communal crises. A close look at what is happening in Nigeria shows that there is Jihad going on in Nigeria and Christian government officials are complicit to this war against Christianity. Otherwise how do we explain the fact that Christian government officials are always at the forefront of defending the attackers on Christians in the nation.

If it is farmer-herder crises, what of the attacks on worshipers during church service? When has the church become a farmland? On April 25, worshipers in Haske Baptist Church, Kaduna state, were attacked and a medical doctor was killed and others kidnapped. Is this a farmer-herder crises or a communal clash?

Even as Christians are being murdered on a daily basis, churches in Nigeria that are not affected move about their activities unperturbed, with no empathy for those who have fallen victim. People still go to church for miracles, signs, wonders and prosperity, and pastors still climb pulpits to talk about how to live comfortably and make money.

The Church is supposed to be the strongest tool to fight against violation of religious freedom and religious persecution, but unfortunately the Nigerian Church is asleep. Who shall pray to God to wake us up from this slumber and revive the Nigerian Church? We have so many megachurches and "powerful men of God" in our country but it seems like there is no balm in Gilead and no prophet in Israel.

Is it that the hand of God is too short to deliver us? I presume that it is our iniquity that has separated us from the protection of God. Our negligence and disobedience to the mandate of the Great Commission is to a large extent responsible for our problems. If we had already taken the Gospel to those who are killing us now, the current situation would be very different.

The spirit of "let us build and make names for ourselves" as instituted by Nimrod in Genesis chapter 11 has bedeviled the Nigerian denominations, and empire-building has taken over the mandate of the Great Commission that is the purpose of the Church. We are now competing among ourselves in which church can build the tallest tower that will touch heaven even when we are not sure that we will be alive to worship in such cathedrals.

When God wants to heal a land, He doesn't require the cooperation of the government but the Church: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). The Nigerian Church is capable of bringing the needed changes in Nigeria if we are willing and obedient. The spirit of Nimrod must be prayed out of the Nigerian church if we must come out from this mess and enter into the realm of restoration.
Shameless lie: Xavier Becerra denies existence of law banning partial-birth abortion HHS secretary dodges questions on 'illegal, utterly inhumane' practice

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The nations top health official denied the existence of a federal law that bans partial-birth abortions nationwide during a congressional hearing this week, receiving criticism from a prominent pro-life activist organization.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., asked Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra during Wednesdays House Energy and Commerce Committees Health Subcommittee hearing if the administration would uphold legislation banning partial-birth abortion.

Bilirakis also asked Becerra, the former attorney general of California and former member of Congress, if he believed the practice was illegal.

We will continue to make sure we follow the law. With due respect, there is no medical term like partial-birth abortion, and so I would probably have to ask you what you mean by that to describe what is allowed by law, Becerra said. Roe v. Wade is very clear. It [set a] precedent that a woman has a right to make decisions about her reproductive health and we will make sure that we enforce the law and protect those rights.

When Bilirakis asked again if he agreed with the law banning partial-birth abortion, Becerra responded that there is no law that deals specifically with the term partial-birth abortion. We have clear precedent in the law on the rights that women have to reproductive health care.

.@RepGusBilirakis: Will you uphold the law banning Partial-Birth Abortions?@SecBecerra: There is no such law



Stop lying.



The law passed & Supreme Court upheld it.



This law bans killing a child when it is already partially born.



You voted AGAINST this law.



Shame on you. pic.twitter.com/vESTylewGS  Susan B. Anthony List (@SBAList) May 12, 2021

When further questioned on the topic by Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., Becerra said that his question is not so much with the term partial-birth abortion, [it] is with what the rights are of the woman  I will make sure we are providing women with the protections they need on their reproductive rights.

He further argued that while the term partial-birth abortion is "recognized in politics, it is not a medically recognized term."

"Perhaps if you were to talk about what you probably know as dilation and extraction, which is a procedure used by OB-GYNs like my wife to care for a woman who is having a difficult pregnancy where there is a chance the fetus will not survive, then we can talk about that," he stated. "But what I am saying to you is that under the law, a physician or any provider of healthcare much make sure that he or she abides by the law."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of leading pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement that Becerra has no excuse to plead ignorance on the partial-birth abortion topic and said his avoidance of the question was a shameless lie.

During his confirmation hearings, Xavier Becerra dodged questions about his stance on partial-birth abortion  when an unborn child is partially delivered and then killed  deflecting with repeated claims that he would follow the law as head of HHS, Dannenfelser said in a statement.

Now the top health official in America, Becerra outright denies the existence of a law banning partial-birth abortion since 2003.

Becerra voted against the bill when it passed in the House in 2003 by a vote of 231 to 142. Because of that, Dannenfelser argues that Becerra can hardly plead ignorance on this topic.

Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in 2007.

This shameless lie is standard for the most radical pro-abortion administration in history, she contends. It should not be hard to recognize that partially delivering a baby and then suctioning his or her brain is not only illegal, but utterly inhumane.

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, signed by President George W. Bush, prohibits physicians from deliberately and intentionally performing partial-birth abortions.

The legislation argues that a moral, medical, and ethical consensus exists that the practice of performing a partial-birth abortion  is a gruesome and inhumane procedure that is never medically necessary and should be prohibited."

In a partial-birth abortion, the physician will partially deliver a child and killing it before the full delivery from the mother.

The law describes partial-birth abortion as an abortion in which a physician deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living, unborn childs body until either the entire babys head is outside the body of the mother, or any part of the babys trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother and only the head remains inside the womb.

The bill states that the overt act usually results in the puncturing of the back of the child's skull and removing the baby's brains.

In a Senate hearing in February, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, asked Becerra why he voted against the partial-birth abortion ban.

Most people would agree that partial-birth abortion is awful, Romney said.

Becerra responded by saying that he understands that people have different deeply-held beliefs on this issue, and I respect that.

I understand that we may not always agree on where to go, but I think we can find some common ground on these issues, he said. Everyone wants to make sure that if you have an opportunity, you are going to live a healthy life.

I think we can reach common ground on many issues, but on partial-birth abortion it sounds like were not going to reach common ground there, Romney responded.

At the time, Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana asked Becerra if the administration would commit to not using tax dollars to fund abortions.

We will follow the law when it comes to the use of federal resources, he said. There I can make that commitment that we will follow the law.

Dannenfelser, who served as the co-chair of the 2016 Trump campaigns pro-life coalition, argued that Becerras responses further reveal the extremism of Biden-Harris Democrats.

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said, Becerras answers were disingenuous, evasive at best.

The members attempts to have Secretary Becerra clarify his stance on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act were more revealing of the Secretarys position than the Secretarys ambiguous answers during his Senate confirmation hearings, Tobias said in a statement. As a member of Congress, Secretary Becerra voted against passage of the 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The law passed and was found to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.
Pelosi praises Vatican letter on communion for pro-abortion politicians

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a Roman Catholic, has rejected calls from Catholic bishops to refrain from communion due to her support for abortion, asserting that she can use her own judgment when assessing her worthiness for the Eucharist.

At her weekly press conference Thursday, Pelosi was asked by a reporter to react to the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops doesnt want you to receive communion.

No, they dont, she replied. I think I can use my own judgment on that.

She remarked that she was pleased with what the Vatican put out on that subject, asking the reporter if he read it.

When the reporter summarized the document as leaving the matter of whether to give communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion up to the individual priests, Pelosi characterized the message differently.

No, it basically said dont be divisive on the subject, she asserted.

The exchange comes after Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church, wrote a letter this month addressing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The conference had announced that it was considering putting out national guidance advising priests to withhold communion from Catholic politicians who engage in pro-abortion advocacy.

Ladaria warned that establishing a national policy on the matter could become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States.

Ladaria argued that local Ordinaries should engage in dialogue with politicians within their jurisdiction who adopt a pro-choice position regarding abortion legislation, euthanasia, or other moral evils, as a means of understanding the nature of their positions and their comprehension of Catholic teaching.

Additionally, Ladaria stressed that any national policy would need to express a true consensus of the bishops on the matter, while observing the prerequisite that any provision of the conference would respect the rights of individual ordinaries in their dioceses and the prerogatives of the Holy See.

He also encouraged the bishops to avoid giving the impression that abortion and euthanasia alone constitute the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching that demand the fullest accountability on the part of Catholics.

According to Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the chair of the USCCBs Committee on Pro-Life Activities, having a Catholic president who engages in abortion advocacy presents a unique problem for the Catholic Church that the draft document hopes to address.

Earlier this month, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who oversees the Archdiocese of Pelosis hometown of San Francisco, released a letter expressing his view that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should not receive communion.

While he did not mention the House speaker by name, Cordileone directed a message to all Catholic politicians who engage in abortion advocacy.

If you find that you are unwilling or unable to abandon your advocacy for abortion, you should not come forward to receive Holy Communion, he stated.

To publicly affirm the Catholic faith while at the same time publicly rejecting one of its most fundamental teachings is simply dishonest, he added. And please stop pretending that advocating for or practicing a grave moral evil  one that snuffs out an innocent human life, one that denies a fundamental human right  is somehow compatible with the Catholic faith. It is not.

As the Catholic Churchs Code of Canon Law teaches, those obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.

The debate about whether or not pro-abortion politicians should receive communion has caused division among Church officials.

In 2019, a priest in South Carolina refused to give Biden communion as he campaigned in the state, citing his abortion advocacy.

But Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who oversees the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, said that he would allow Biden to receive communion despite his position on abortion.

A recent poll from the Pew Research Center found that two-thirds of American Catholics agree with Gregorys position, while 29% think that Bidens position on abortion should disqualify him from receiving communion.
Texas Republican lawmakers intentionally derailed bill to ban child sex-change procedures, insiders say

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Despite Texas' reputation as a conservative bastion, a bill banning chemical and surgical sex changes for children younger than 18 failed to be scheduled for a vote in the House after stall tactics were deployed, according to activists and insiders.

A bill to prohibit medicalized gender-transitioning of children  the prescribing of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and performing cosmetic surgeries such as mastectomies and genital mutilation  passed the state Senate in late April. But when the bill moved to the House, it stalled in the Calendars Committee which didn't put the bill on the docket to be debated and voted on in the lower chamber.

Child advocacy groups who were in Austin lobbying lawmakers to pass the measure said Republicans on the committee used stall tactics to evade having to vote on the contentious measure that was opposed by LGBT activists and major corporations.

The text of the legislation, HB 1399, bans the experimental practices on children suffering from gender dysphoria for the purpose of transitioning a child's biological sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child's perception of the child's sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child's biological sex.

An exception was granted in the legislation for those with rare disorders of sexual development, also known as intersex conditions. The bill also would have banned medical insurance policies from insuring doctors against the damage caused by experimental gender-transitioning drugs and elective cosmetic surgeries.

Tracy Shannon, a Houston-area activist and blogger who was part of the lobbying efforts in support of the legislation, told The Christian Post on Friday that a seemingly impenetrable barrier exists between the elected officials and the general public, and that is their staffers.

The staffers, Shannon said, always gave them the same one-line answer: "The bill is going through the process and the representative supports the bill."

"We asked what the process was that the bill was going through while HB1399 languished in Calendars [Committee] which is headed by [Republican state Rep.] Dustin Burrows of Lubbock and has a majority of Republicans on the committee. When we inquired why not one member motioned to schedule the bill, we were verbally attacked, mocked and called liars," Shannon said.

"We spend a lot of time, money and energy lobbying our representatives [only] to be treated with disdain. It is shameful," she asserted, noting that Republican politicians in the House will now return to their districts and claim they co-authored, authored, or supported these gender modification bills that they did not push to get out of the House committee.

Texas-based political consultant Luke Macias tweeted Friday: "Republican legislators in the Texas House kill a bill that would ban sex-change surgeries on children. 93% of voters supported a ballot measure to ban it but evidently GOP leadership represent the other 7%."

CP called the House Calendars Committee earlier this month to ask if the bill would make it out of committee and was told the bill was "making the rounds" among its 11 members who decide which bills will go to the House floor for consideration.

The ongoing fight over transgender medicalization of children gained international attention in 2019 when the plight of then-7-year-old James Younger garnered international headlines.

Younger continues to be at the center of a bitter custody dispute between his parents. His mother, Dr. Anne Georgulas, a pediatrician, was intent on transitioning her son into a girl named Luna despite the objections of the boy's father, Jeffrey Younger, who has long referred to the medicalized gender transitioning of children as a form of "chemical castration."

In a January 2019 interview with Macias on his podcast, Jeffrey Younger described the psychological dynamics and how he has had to navigate the various hurdles in order to save his son from irreversible medical harm.

"You have to see your son sexually abused, and you have to maintain your calm, he explained, "because the courts are not going to be fair to you. And the only way you can survive this and get your son through this alive is to calmly allow your son to be tortured right before your eyes and outlast the opposition. Thats what its like, Younger recounted at the time.

Although bills banning the puberty blockers and genital mutilation of children have been put forward by Republican legislators at the state level, their efforts have faced intra-party opposition through various legislative processes and because of the influence of economically powerful entities.

A bill that would have banned the medicalized gender transitioning of minors in heavily Republican South Dakota died last year in a state Senate committee in part because of the influence of the Chamber of Commerce.

Earlier this year, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison, a Republican, vetoed a bill prohibiting the use of experimental drugs and genital mutilation of gender dysphoric minors, citing limiting government principles and interference between doctor-patient relationships. The overwhelmingly Republican Arkansas legislature ultimately overrode his veto.

Matt Rinaldi, a former Texas state representative, said the way in which the bill was handled in the Calendars Committee, which held the bill back for consideration on the last day, was intentional and an indication that Republicans didn't consider it a priority.

When they schedule something on the last day, theyre setting it up for the Democrats to filibuster it. If they wanted it to pass, it would have already passed, Rinaldi said in an interview with the National File.

If you look at the calendars the last several sessions, and look on the last day, youll see a host of bills that are conservative firebrand bills that they knew they would never get to, and thats all for them escaping accountability, he explained.

I think its absolutely disgusting that bills like banning the mutilation of children and sex-change surgeries are even being delayed," he added. "If we cant, as a party, holding both Houses of the Legislature and the governors mansion, if we cant pass that bill, whats the case for voting for them at all, in any election? Theyre absolutely terrible.
Radical Islamic jihadists killed over 1,400 Nigerian Christians in first 4 months of 2021: report

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Islamic jihadists murdered at least 1,470 Christians and abducted over 2,200 in Nigeria in the first four months of this year, a report has revealed. More than half of the killings were carried out by Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

The number of Christians murdered within the first four months of this year is the highest since 2014 and goes beyond the total number of Christians killed in 2019, a Nigerian civil society group, Intersociety Rule of Law, says in a report released this week.

Northwestern Kaduna state recorded the highest number of Christian deaths, at 300, according to the investigation which took weeks to compile all of the killings in the majority Christian areas of the country.

The north-central Benue state witnessed 200 murders of Christians, followed by the central Plateau state with 90 Christian deaths, says Intersociety, an organization headed by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi.

The northern Muslim-controlled Nigerian Army also killed at least 120 Christians in the states of Benue, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, it adds.

Of the 2,200 Christians abducted, Kaduna state recorded the highest number with 800 abductions. Out of these 800 Christians abducted, 600 were indigenous Christians, including those abducted in Muslim-held areas of Birnin-Gwari, Igabi and Giwa Local Government Areas.

Niger state recorded the second largest number of Christian abductees, at 300.

Through interviews and open-source reports, the group learned that 220 Christians are most likely to have died or been killed in captivity of their abductors.

This represents 10% of 2,200 abducted Christians across the country, especially Christian travelers and rural others among them are male and young female farmers including those abducted and raped to death or killed after being raped, explains the report, which relies on what it deems to be credible local and foreign media reports, government accounts, reports from international rights groups and eyewitness accounts to compile statistical data.

The report notes that the Nigerian government falsely claims that the high number of murders and abductions in the country can be attributed mostly to herder-farmer clashes and not due to religious motives.

Nigerias federal government and the governments of the affected states have made several deliberate attempts to cover the egregious and grisly massacre of Christians in Nigeria by falsely labeling them as herders-farmers clashes, or attacks by bandits, or killings that cut across Muslims and Christians, it says.

To explain that, the report categorized the non street crimes butcheries ravaging the country into: (1) killings with disproportionate reprisals by Fulani Muslim Bandits against Hausa Muslims (Yansakai), (2) killings and acutely disproportionate reprisals by Fulani Muslim Herdsmen against indigenous Christians in the North and nowadays Southwest, Southeast and South-south, and (3) killings and zero reprisals by Fulani, Kanuri and Shuwa Arab (with some Hausa Muslim foot soldiers) controlled Boko Haram, Ansaru and others against Christians, moderate Muslims and Government targets.

The report adds, Apart from killings, maiming and abductions by the  Jihadist groups, Governments and local institutions in the Muslim-controlled northern States are also making life very unbearable for their indigenous Christians communities. These include Katsina State where under-age Christian girls are forcefully married to Muslim men and converted to Islam.

The Global Terrorism Index ranked Nigeria as the third-most affected country by terrorism and reported over 22,000 deaths by acts of terror from 2001 to 2019.

The U.S. Commission on International and Religious Freedoms 2021 report warned that Nigeria will move relentlessly toward a Christian genocide if action is not taken.

Islamic extremism, particularly in northeast Nigeria, has led to thousands of deaths and millions displaced in recent years.

Nigeria was the first democratic nation to be added to the U.S. State Departments list of countries of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.
HONG KONG (AP)  The Hong Kong stock exchange halted trading of Next Digital shares Monday at the media company's request after authorities froze assets belonging to its founder, Jimmy Lai, who has been a high-profile voice in the the territory's pro-democracy movement.

Later in the day, the media tycoon and nine other pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty to taking part in an unlawful assembly in 2019. Lai is already serving a 14-month sentence for his role in two other unauthorized assemblies during a period when Hong Kong residents were involved in mass anti-government protests.

Next Digital said in a filing that it requested the trading halt after authorities announced the freeze on Lais assets Friday under a national security law that critics say is meant to snuff out dissent in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Next Digital publishes pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, and the company was founded by Lai, who owns a 71% stake and is its controlling shareholder.

The freezing of Lai's assets raises questions about Next Digital's survival as a company. Advertisers have become wary of Apple Daily's staunch, pro-democratic stance in Hong Kong, adversely impacting its revenue as authorities crack down on dissenting voices in the city at the urging of leaders in Beijing.

Hong Kong security minister John Lee dismissed concerns that the freezing of Lai's assets was an attack on press freedom and said that under the national security law, he is able to freeze assets if there are reasonable grounds to suspect they are related to offenses that endanger national security.

The action that we have taken is acting in accordance with the laws to tackle crimes that are endangering national security. Its not directly related to journalism, he said to reporters Monday.

It is illegal activities that we are dealing with. It is not press work. In regard to timing for my issuing of notices, I will issue it when I have reasonable suspicion that the power should be exercised, Lee said.

Last week, the Taiwan Apple Daily newspaper said it would stop publishing a print edition. The paper said it had been losing money, and Next Digital could no longer support it because pro-China forces had blocked access to advertising for its flagship Apple Daily newspaper and other publications in Hong Kong.

Lai and the nine others who pleaded guilty over an October 2019 demonstration can make mitigation pleas on May 24 and the sentences are to be handed down on May 28. They face up to five years' imprisonment.

The mass protests started over a proposed extradition bill that many saw as an infringement on the freedoms Hong Kong was promised when it was handed over from British to Chinese control in 1997 and then evolved to include broader demands for democracy. After months of protests and sometimes-violent clashes between security forces and protesters, Beijing began tightening its control over the territory.

Last year it imposed a new national security law on the city that is widely seen as giving authorities a way to crack down on dissent that was previously legal. The law broadly criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion, and police have arrested more than a hundred people under the legislation.

Lai is under investigation by the national security department for allegedly colluding with foreign powers and endangering national security.

In recent months, Hong Kong police have arrested most of the citys pro-democracy activists and have put prominent activists such as Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow behind bars. Most of the pro-democracy activists arrested are still in police custody.
The King of Country was born on May 18, 1952 just 40 minutes away from San Antonio.

The country crooner-turned-tequila mogul may technically have retired from touring in 2014, but he's still as present as ever in our Texan hearts.

RELATED: George Strait to perform at Houston Rodeo

Take a trip down memory lane with a our rundown of George Strait's life, maybe while listening to "The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium," chilled Codigo tequila or a cold beer are totally optional.
SEATTLE (AP)  The first wild members of the wolverine family known as fishers have been born in the North Cascades for the first time in decades.

A coalition of wildlife agencies announced the discovery Monday, saying a female fisher was seen on a trail camera in April, KING-TV reported.

The fisher was photographed moving four kits at her den in western Chelan County.

Fishers are native to Washington forests but were eliminated by the mid-1900s through trapping and habitat loss.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Dr. Jeff Lewis said in a statement that seeing fisher F105 and her kits is a wonderful first indication that the North Cascades Ecosystem can support a reproductive population of fishers, and its a great sign for fisher recovery in Washington.

We have high hopes that we will find additional females in the North Cascades having kits this spring," he said.

To restore the species in Washington, 89 fishers were released into the North Cascades and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest between 2018 and 2020. Eighty-one fishers were released in the southern Cascades from 2015 to 2020.

More than 250 fishers have been reintroduced to Washington since releases first started near Olympic National Park in 2008, according to the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

The female caught on camera in Chelan County was released west of Darrington in 2018.

Fishers were listed as a state endangered species in 1998.
Lisa Anderson shook her husband, Jacob, awake.

"I just got off the phone with the nurse," she told him. "She said I could have a stroke."

Jacob bolted out of bed, trying to make sense of the news. It was around 1:30 a.m. on Easter.

Lisa had had a terrible headache the previous day. She'd gotten a deep tissue massage in the afternoon, hoping it would help. But nothing alleviated the pain. Finally, when she couldn't sleep, she called her insurer's 24-hour nurse service.

The nurse asked if Lisa could take her own blood pressure. She could, and the numbers were alarmingly high. They needed to get to the hospital.

At first, all seemed well. Jacob even made the 10-minute drive back to their home outside Seattle so his mom could care for their 4-year-old daughter, Everly. He also arranged for the care of Ivy, the family's small dog.

Doctors diagnosed Lisa with bilateral vertebral artery dissection. The inner lining of both of her vertebral arteries in the neck were torn or damaged, causing clots that stifled blood flow to the brain. While it is rare in the general population, it's one of the more common causes of stroke in people younger than 45. Lisa was 34.

Doctors wanted to observe her further, just to be safe.

Hours later, Lisa began throwing up. She couldn't swallow. She was having another stroke.

Doctors rushed her into the catheterization lab. They patched the damage by inserting two stents in her arteries.

The next day started off well. Lisa moved fine, but had some problems speaking. Then her brain began to swell, requiring doctors to perform an operation to remove part of her skull.

She also lost a piece of her cerebellum, which controls motor skills and balance. This changed everything. Lisa was unable to move, swallow or breathe on her own  and the hard work of rehabilitation began.

From the stroke in April 2017 until July 2018, Lisa stayed in a series of facilities where she received care along with physical and occupational therapy. Once her ventilator was removed, she began speech therapy, too.

Jacob visited every day. On workdays, he continued to serve as an actuary with a life insurance company. Then, he would pick up Everly and drive to see Lisa. Some facilities were more than an hour away. Sometimes they brought Ivy, too.

"Even though I got mostly conservative, bleak outlooks from doctors, I always thought she would survive," Jacob said.

To prepare for Lisa to come home, Jacob learned how to dress her, give her medicine and use the relevant medical equipment. He also got their house ready for her.

He hired a contractor to create an accessible bathroom, enlarge entryways and turn their previously detached garage into an adjoining room where Lisa could spend her days. He also worked with his uncle to build a wheelchair ramp in the back of the house. Lisa was part of the process, too. Jacob brought her samples of materials and colors to choose. Sometimes, the contractor came to her.

More than 15 months after her stroke, Lisa returned to their remodeled home.

"Friends who were helping finish things up rushed out the front door as we came in through the back," Jacob said. "We wanted to be alone because it was pretty overwhelming."

Now, four years after the stroke, Lisa's right side remains paralyzed from her shoulder down. Her speech is impaired, and swallowing remains a challenge. Though she began taking pureed food by mouth for the taste, nourishment still came through a feeding tube.

"I love food," Lisa said. "I missed it."

Lisa was vaccinated against the coronavirus in March, raising hopes of resuming therapy. Then came a setback that led to the insertion of a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. She's now in a long-term acute care facility, trying to get healthy enough to have the tube removed.

"She's working hard and we're hopeful she will be able to return home soon," Jacob said.

The best facility Jacob could find for her was in Idaho, more than a four-hour drive away. So, again, he and Everly are making road trips on many weekends. They also call and text her. Speaking is a challenge because of the trach but it's doable. She had previously learned how to text using her left hand, albeit slowly.

Lisa, who was interviewed prior to the setback, said what frustrated her most was "not being able to have a normal conversation."

Jacob is learning to cope, too.

At work, he helped launch an employee resource group for disabilities, mental health and caregiving.

"It's nice to be able to talk to other people who can more fully understand what challenges you face," he said.

He also tries to educate others about stroke, making it clear "that stroke is not something just happening with elderly people."

Then there's Everly.

Before the stroke, the family enjoyed spontaneous outings. "You want your child to have experiences like, 'Let's go to the lake today,'" Jacob said. "But you can't do that."

Still, the family hopes soon to get back to the other ways of having fun  playing board games and watching movies  things they'd begun to enjoy before Lisa's setback.

And to return to the things that hadn't changed, such as when Jacob and Lisa cooked together.

"She likes to boss me around in the kitchen."

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  A search warrant affidavit alleging repeated instances of unwanted sexual advances by a former Oklahoma County judge has been made public after two attorneys making accusations said it took them a long time to come forward because they feared for their careers.

The search warrant, which does not identify the women, was made public Monday on the allegations of sexual misconduct against now-resigned Oklahoma County District Judge Timothy Henderson.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate at the request of District Attorney David Prater after two of his prosecutors and a female defense attorney accused the judge of sexual misconduct.

Henderson, 62, resigned in March.

The affidavit cites interviews with two female attorneys, one of whom said the unwanted approaches started in 2016. At one point, according to the affidavit, Henderson called her to his office, "shut the door, turned her around, kissed her and put her hand on his erect penis (over the clothes).

A second attorney said Henderson began hugging her last year and squeezed her buttocks during one hug. She alleges that at one point Henderson groped her from behind and she was forced to kiss him as he inappropriately touched her.

Henderson's attorney told The Oklahoman that she hopes the OSBI will also present to prosecutors the women's emails to the judge asking him to do various sexual things.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation continues to investigate.

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This story has been corrected to show that The Associated Press erroneously reported that Oklahoma City lawyer Jacqui Ford accused the judge of making advances toward her. Ford has not made any accusations against the judge and was speaking as an analyst for a TV station about allegations made by other women whose names have not been made public. The APs story also said three female attorneys have made accusations about the judge. Two attorneys came forward with accusations in the affidavit.
NEW YORK (AP)  Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, announced Tuesday he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor of New York, potentially setting up a battle with third-term incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

Giuliani vs. Cuomo. Holy smokes. It's Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier," the 35-year-old said in an interview with the New York Post.

He also posted a video on Twitter that assailed Cuomo for, among other things, barring gatherings and closing businesses and schools as the coronavirus began killing thousands of New Yorkers last March.

At the first sign of a problem, they chose to shut us down. They take away our freedoms. They quarantine healthy people," Giuliani said.

Giuliani served as a White House aide under former President Donald Trump and has more recently been a commentator for the conservative network Newsmax. He has never run for public office.

Andrew Giuliani first came to public attention at his father's 1994 mayoral inauguration when, at age 7, he mimicked his father's gestures at the podium and repeated some of his words. The spotlight-stealing antics were lampooned by Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live."

Giuliani was recruited for the golf team at Duke University but sued the university in 2008, saying he had been improperly cut from the team. Duke said the cut was based on bullying behavior, which Giuliani denied. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2010.

Giuliani was present last month when federal agents raided his father's Manhattan home as part of an investigation into the business dealings of the elder Giuliani during his time as Trump's personal lawyer. The younger Giuliani told reporters the raids on his father's home and office were disgusting and absolutely absurd.

To win the Republican nomination in 2022, he will have to get past two far more seasoned politicians already in the race: U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, a well-funded Trump standard-bearer on Long Island, and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Astorino was the Republican nominee in 2014, losing to Cuomo by about 14 percentage points.

Zeldin received an endorsement Tuesday from Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under Trump and former Congress member from Kansas. Pompeo called Zeldin "a family man who will step up and defend New York against the radical left.

Cuomo, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment and is being investigated over his administration's handling of data on deaths of nursing home residents from COVID-19, has not announced whether he is running for a fourth term.

Most of New York's most prominent Democrats called on Cuomo to resign after the number of women accusing him of misconduct grew to include one aide who said he groped her breasts.
Gov. Andy Beshear gave a pandemic pep talk for Kentucky's students Tuesday, saying their willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine empowers them to help "overcome a challenge that we adults can't do on our own.

The governor visited a pop-up vaccination clinic at a Lexington high school to promote expanded youth inoculations, calling them "the key to having a fully normal school year in the fall.

Chatting with a group of students awaiting their vaccinations at Lafayette High School, Beshear asked if they were nervous. Offering reassurance, he told them: Its just a shot, right?

The governor praised the state's youth for their sacrifices, enduring the loss of their normal lives during the pandemic. He urged them to do their part again by rolling up their sleeves for the shots.

How often do we as a society, as a commonwealth, come to our young people and say, We need you? Beshear said. We need your help to win something. We need your help to protect people. We need your help to overcome a challenge that we adults cant do on our own.

The governor reported Monday that more than 6,300 Kentucky youngsters age 12 to 15 had received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine since becoming eligible for the shots. Beshear called that a good start and said efforts are ramping up to vaccinate that age group. The state's coronavirus incidence rate Monday was highest among youngsters and adults age 20 to 49.

Beshear stressed the vaccine's effectiveness in a message Tuesday aimed at students and parents.

By the grace of God, and it is the grace of God, these vaccines have proven more effective than we ever could have imagined," the Democratic governor said.

Beshear said his own son will take his turn getting vaccinated once he turns 12.

Im personally going to take him to get this vaccine because I believe it is that safe and that effective, the governor said. "I wouldnt ask any of our young people here today to take it if I wasnt willing to give the same advice to my own children.

More than 1.9 million Kentuckians have gotten at least one shot of the vaccine, but vaccination rates have lagged among younger adults. Roughly 80% of Kentuckians 65 and older have gotten the vaccine, but the percentage drops off to 29% of Kentuckians age 18 to 29 having received the shots.

The state reported 645 new coronavirus cases and 11 more virus-related deaths Tuesday. Kentucky's overall death toll from the virus reached at least 6,673. The statewide rate of positive cases was 2.79%.

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Find APs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Boaz Atzili, American University School of International Service

(THE CONVERSATION) Israel and Hamas are locked in ever-escalating rounds of violence.

This is not new. Every few years, large-scale violence erupts for a few days or weeks and ends with a temporary ceasefire that essentially returns the situation to the same depressing status quo: The Gaza Strip besieged and devastated and the adjacent Israeli population in a constant fear of the next attack as well.

Though this is far from a symmetric conflict  Israel has vastly more military resources than Hamas  it is traumatic on both sides.

And neither side has a vision of either actual military resolution or a diplomatic solution to the impasse.

Israeli leaders know that pressing the offensive in Gaza will prolong the missile barrage on its towns and cities, including even Tel Aviv, Israels largest city, which in the past has not endured such ferocious rocket attacks. Hamas leaders know that the price the people of Gaza pay for their continued rocket launches is disproportionately high and rising.

So why keep escalating? Because the prize for each side is to be seen as tougher than the other. And there is no end to that contest.

Making the other side suffer

The Gaza Strip is a tiny and densely populated strip of land by the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2007, Hamas, which Israel defines as a terrorist organization but most Palestinians regard as a legitimate political party, has been the de facto ruler of the area.

Also since that year, Israel has been blockading the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza, aimed across the border at Israel. The result has been an increasingly severe economic crisis, hunger and desperation in Gaza. Repeated rounds of violence did not fundamentally change this situation, and the current one is looking no different.

Israels main goal is to be seen as tough against its enemies, including Hamas. This isnt done to achieve better lives for its Israeli citizens or even to advance national interests, but as a goal in and of itself, as demonstrated in a book Wendy Pearlman and I authored on the subject.

Despite the asymmetry of their forces, the mode of thinking is quite similar in the leadership of Hamas. Thats evident from the repeated rounds of violence that it initiates that result in no strategic achievement, but which enhance the prestige of Hamas as standing up to Israeli oppression.

And for both sides, reputation is not defined as showing resolve, resilience or perseverance. That could be accomplished by defensive means.

This boils down to a deadly calculus: The more the other side suffers, the better your reputation, no matter how much your side suffers as well.

Heres how that works: An Israeli child is killed in a Hamas rocket attack on Sderot, just east of the Gaza Strip. Israeli rockets then pulverize a building in Beit Lahia a few miles away, killing four children from one family in the process.

Israel flattens a residential tower in the Gaza Strip. Hamas then increases the range and quantity of missiles launched toward central Israel.

And so it continues in a fatal tit-for-tat, with Israeli violence responding many times more intensely to each instance of Hamas violence.

Not rational

Scholars generally see a countrys attempts to establish a reputation for resolve as part of a rational action to deter attacks by its enemy.

So, if either Israels leaders or those of Hamas think that their action would prevent future attacks by the enemy, this ferocity might make sense  regardless of its morality. But, as is obvious, neither sides actions do.

When actual victory is impossible and when the two sides are reluctant to engage in meaningful negotiation, the escalation is meant, instead, to create a picture of victory, as Zvi Bar'el, a news analyst for Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz described it on May 12, 2021.

On May 11, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh declared that the organization achieved victory in the battle of Jerusalem, referring to the conflict over eviction of Palestinians from their homes that started this round of conflagration. He said the organization has set a new balance of power against Israel.

Yet clearly, as Gaza is crumbling under the ferocity of Israels bombardments and Jerusalem remains firmly controlled by Israel, Hamas made no such achievements.

Israels Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that the Israeli leaderships goals were to bring long-term peace, strengthen the moderate forces in the region and deprive Hamas of strategic capabilities.

Yet Israels actions, like previous rounds of violence, only strengthen the political and military power of Hamas, as evidenced by its ability to target more of Israels territory than ever before, and over a longer time period than before. Israels citizens, in cities from Beer-Sheva in the south to Tel Aviv, farther north, continue to face a barrage of missiles from Gaza. And as the carnage in Gaza increases, the diplomatic damage to Israel is increasing as well.

Playing to their audience

What could be the purpose of the Israeli and Hamas leaders actions?

Their picture of victory is targeted solely at domestic audiences. Both Israel and Hamas frequently use the term deterrence when justifying their action against each other.

But their practice is not actually a rational attempt to sway the opponents action. It is not a rational attempt to make their own public more secure. It does not, therefore, serve to enhance deterrence. Convincing your own public that you have been victorious does not affect the degree to which your enemy is deterred.

For Israel, such distortion of the understanding of dynamics of deterrence is not new. Israels retaliation policy started in the 1950s as a fairly rational attempt at deterring enemies from threatening Israeli interests.

But then it became a strategic culture, or a habitual reaction to any attack on Israeli soil, whether that retaliation is likely to yield positive results or not.

Israeli bombing of Lebanese infrastructure during the 2006 war serves as a good example. As in that war, Israel attempts today in Gaza to achieve a picture of victory rather than concrete aims. And Hamas wants to achieve the same goal.

So long as the two sides are each aiming to convince their own public of their superiority, military ingenuity and resolve, and as long as the leaders on both sides do not care about the consequences of their actions, their citizens and the rest of the world  watching in horror  should expect no progress.

[Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/both-israel-and-hamas-are-aiming-to-look-strong-instead-of-finding-a-way-out-of-their-endless-war-160962.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  A transgender man filed a federal discrimination complaint against the New Orleans Police Department after his job offer was rescinded on unspecified psychological and behavioral grounds.

Britton Hamilton was offered a job with the agency in December, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate reported, but it was pulled a month later. The 33-year-old told the news outlet Monday that his transition was focused on for an unreasonable amount of time during the psychological evaluation process for the job.

Just to be denied because of my gender was very heartbreaking, Hamilton said. My being trans doesnt affect my capabilities to serve my community.

The police department didnt address the specifics of the allegations in a statement issued Monday but denied that it discriminated against Hamilton.

The decision not to move forward with the applicant in question did not involve any discrimination against the individual as a member of a protected group, the agency said.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment.

According to the complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hamiltons hiring process started encountering issues when the police department learned he changed the name assigned to him at birth.

Hamilton has undergone elective surgeries and taken hormone treatments to live as a transgender man. His transition legally occurred in 2016.

While Hamilton applied for a job with the New Orleans police in June and received a conditional offer in December, the complaint says a cisgender man who applied around the same time received an offer by September.

That man was given a uniform and supplies needed to complete the training academy for the job, according to the complaint, but Hamilton was not. Instead, he was told that he had to pass medical and psychological screenings.

Hamilton said he was asked whether his parents accepted his transition and if he had supportive friends. The department also asked for additional medical and employment records.

After submitting those, Hamilton received an email from a city official in January saying he couldnt be hired based on a psychological assessment of (his) emotional and behavioral characteristics. It said further details on the evaluation couldnt be released.

A physician who provides hormone treatments to Hamilton signed a letter a week later saying he was intelligent, responsible, reasonable and kind.

Hamiltons attorney, Chelsea Cusimano, told the news outlet that most people who file complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dont have such powerful evidence.

Something is not adding up, and we have to get to the bottom of it, she said.

While the commission rarely takes up cases, Hamilton could sue the New Orleans Police Department for damages after the complaint is reviewed. He told the news outlet that he still hopes to become a police officer somewhere.

I love helping people, Hamilton said. Thats always been my calling.
RICHLAND, Wash. (AP)  A judge has set bail at $1 million for a driver accused of fatally hitting a construction site worker in Washington state last weekend after police said she had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

Jada J. Gibson, 21, was arrested Saturday and was being held in the Yakima County jail following the death of Bonnie M. Stewart, 51, the Tri-City Herald reported Tuesday.

Gibson was driving a Volkswagen Passat at 1:30 a.m. near the Yakima River Bridge when she hit Stewart as the worker stepped off a mixer truck into the street, authorities said. Stewart died before she could be taken to a hospital.

A passenger in the vehicle, Ganell G. Arthur, 18, had a broken ankle and another passenger, Jenna J. Gibson, 20, suffered cuts, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. They were treated at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and released.

Deputy Prosecutor Heather Thorn said Gibson is a risk to public safety because her breathalyzer test at the site came back to 0.27%. The legal limit to drive in Washington state is up to 0.08%.

Defense attorney Beth Wehrkamp said Gibson, who is an enrolled Yakama Nation member, is in court for her first alleged crime and should be released, citing a really high bail. Gibson appeared in court virtually on Monday.

In light of the fact that we had one person suffer serious injuries  broken bones  and the other person was killed with you hitting them with your automobile, $1 million bail is appropriate at this time, Judge Richard H. Bartheld said.

Adam Stewart, one of Stewart's two sons, said an online fundraiser was set up to help raise money for his mother's funeral.
DENVER (AP)  The FBI has revealed that it is investigating the 2017 death of an Asian American teenager in Colorado as a possible hate crime, a grisly case in which local authorities said she was purposefully set on fire and burned alive in her familys mountain community home.

The FBI said in a statement Monday to Denver news station KCNC-TV that it was looking into the death of 17-year-old Maggie Long as a hate crime matter.

Longs death was ruled a homicide, and authorities later released composite sketches of at least three men they believed were involved in her death. No arrests have been made.

The FBI did not provide any information about why agents are looking at the possibility of a hate crime and did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages from The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Longs body was found inside her familys home in December 2017 in Bailey, a mountain community about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of Denver. A fire had broken out following a report of a disturbance.

Investigators believe there was altercation between Long and her attackers before the fire started. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw has said that Long was purposely set on fire and burned alive.

A Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a safe and jade figurines were stolen from the home, authorities have said.

The FBIs hate crime investigation into Longs death comes as a series of attacks have targeted Asian Americans nationwide since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. after surfacing in China.

Longs sisters, Lynna and Connie Long, said they did not notice any overt Asian discrimination when they lived in the community.

Lynna Long said she hoped the shift in the investigations focus would encourage people to reconsider interactions they may have had around the time her sister was killed and if anyone expressed bias toward Asian Americans.

This is an angle that wasnt looked into in the past, and at this point, it is no stone left unturned. Looking at the extent of violence in this crime, that is certainly an angle to look more closely into, she said.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The federal government has seized $3.6 million from the bank account of a company involved in a deal to sell $4.5 million in overpriced, counterfeit N95 masks to the state of Maine.

The U.S. attorney is seeking to force the company, Med-Tech Resource LLC of Eugene, Oregon, to forfeit the money and reimburse the state for 1.8 million fake respirators purchased by the state. But the company's CEO already agreed to refund the state, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Well do everything in our power to make everyone whole, said Michael Modrich, founder and CEO of the 30-year-old medical supply company.

Donald Clark, acting U.S. attorney for Maine, declined to comment on the case Monday, including whether criminal charges will be brought.

Homeland Securities Investigations began looking into the matter in February, around the time a National Recall Alert Center notified Maine that the state had purchased masks that might be counterfeit, according to a forfeiture claim filed on Friday.

3M, which manufactures the real N95 masks, later confirmed the masks were counterfeit. The money was seized in March, according to court documents.

In other pandemic news in Maine:

THE NUMBERS

The number of daily cases of the coronavirus in the state continued to trend downward. The average number of daily deaths has also fallen by more than half over the past two weeks.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 298.14 new cases a day on May 2 to 242.29 new cases a day on Sunday. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 2.57 deaths a day on May 2 to 1.14 deaths a day Sunday.

The AP is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that the total number of positive cases of the virus in the state since the start of the pandemic is more than 66,000. There have also been 805 deaths, the agency reported.

More than half the state's population has now had at least a first dose of coronavirus vaccine.

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Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
Pic story: father and son devoted to bronze ware restoration

Xinhua) 09:15, May 18, 2021

Fang Guorong (L) and his son Fang Chen discuss a restoration plan in Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 14, 2021. In the Culture Relics Protection Center of Hubei Provincial Museum, 62-year-old Fang Guorong and his 33-year-old son Fang Chen have been repairing Zenghouyu bronze chime bell for nearly two years. The repair work is about to be completed after a series of complicated processes. Fang Guorong has engaged in bronze ware restoration for more than 40 years since he entered the Hubei Provincial Museum at the age of 18, and now is an expert in this field in Hubei. Since 2009, Fang Chen has begun to learn bronze relic restoration skills from his father and received strict training. After five years of learning and practice, Fang Chen was able to restore bronze wares independently. This time, to restore the Zenghouyu bronze chime bell, Fang Chen applied advanced techniques such as 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies. Now Fang Chen has continued his father's career and devoted himself in the restoration of bronze ware. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia Power Co. said Tuesday that delays in completing testing means the first new unit at its Vogtle plant is now unlikely to start generating electricity before January at the earliest.

The unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. had in recent years been aiming to complete the first unit in November, but officials told investors last month that it would probably be finished in December. Company officials said Tuesday that testing began in late April, would take three weeks longer than expected and is unlikely to be completed before late June, adding more time to construction and startup.

The additional month will add another $48 million to the cost of the two nuclear units being built alongside two existing units near Augusta. The project is now projected to cost more than $26 billion for all its owners, including Georgia Power, electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. Ultimately, most electric customers in Georgia, except those in the northwest corner of the state served by affiliates of the Tennessee Valley Authority, will have to pay for the plant. Florida's Jacksonville Electric Authority is also obligated to buy power from Vogtle.

The further delay was disclosed in a periodic hearing with the Georgia Public Service Commission to discuss spending and construction progress on the only nuclear plant being built in the U.S. Commissioners must ultimately decide how much of Georgia Power's share of the spending is allowable and how paying the bill will be phased in for 2.6 million ratepayers.

Customers are already paying for part of the plant. Rates have gone up 3.4% to pay for earlier costs and Georgia Power projects rates will rise another 6.6 percentage points for a total increase of 10%

The reactors, approved in 2012, were initially estimated to cost a total of $14 billion, with the first new reactor originally planned to start generation in 2016. Delays and costs spiraled, especially after the main contractor filed for bankruptcy in 2017. The company and regulators insist that the plant is the best source of future clean and reliable energy for Georgia.

The first new reactor is 98% complete, but Southern Nuclear Vice President Aaron Abramovitz said risk of delays and problems doesn't go away.

I would expect risk to decrease," he told regulators. "I would not expect risk to go to zero.

Georgia Power has agreed to write off about the first $700 million over the $7.3 billion that the Public Service Commission has approved. The company currently projects $8.7 billion in spending, though, plus borrowing costs ratepayers will also have to repay. The company could seek repayment of some of the amount over $7.3 billion.

Exceeding the $7.3 billion, that does not mean the costs are unrecoverable, it just means the standard of proof there has changed, it has gotten higher," said Georgia Power's Jeremiah Haswell.

The company says that workers being out with COVID-19 has caused delays in recent months, as well as having to redo electrical and other work that the company decided wasnt up to standard. Georgia Power said there's some evidence that contractors were declaring work complete without testing for deficiencies, relying on inspectors to catch it and fix any problems later. The company is currently engaged in hot functional testing of the first reactor, and has encountered more expansion of metal parts as systems were heated up than anticipated.

Theres a chance we may need to make some adjustments to the structural supports," Stephen Kuczynski, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear, said Tuesday of the thermal expansion issues.

The second new reactor is supposed to start operating in November 2022. The company says it is still on schedule.

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Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Republican candidate for governor John Lee has tested positive for COVID-19.

The North Las Vegas mayor made the announcement in a Facebook post Monday evening. He had announced his campaign for Nevada governor earlier in the day.

The 65-year-old Lee said in a statement that he learned Monday afternoon that he came in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and then immediately got tested and learned he had contracted it.

Lee said he had no symptoms and was feeling well but would quarantine.

The mayor said he had not yet gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been available to those 65 and older since late February and anyone over 16 since April 5.

Lee's campaign spokeswoman Courtney Alexander declined to answer when asked why he didn't get vaccinated and instead referred to his statement.

The mayor survived cancer of the nasal cavity after being diagnosed in 2007.

Lee said in a statement he wants his diagnosis to remind people to continue to take proper precautions.

The mayor kicked off his campaign earlier Monday by criticizing Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak's handling of the pandemic.
WASHINGTON (AP)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Tuesday for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, citing human rights abuses by China's government.

We cannot proceed as if nothing is wrong about the Olympics going to China, the California Democrat said during a joint video hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Rather than advocating for a full boycott of next year's Winter Games, in which countries would keep their athletes away entirely and corporate sponsors would stay away, too, Pelosi instead said world leaders should not attend the competition because of a genocide that is ongoing while youre sitting there in your seats.

Honor your athletes at home. Let's have a diplomatic boycott if, in fact, this Olympics takes place, Pelosi said. Silence is inexcusable.

The Beijing Games are slated to begin Feb. 4, 2022, just six months after the postponed Summer Olympics in Tokyo are scheduled to end. Rights groups have met several times in the last year with the International Olympic Committee, asking that these Olympics be moved out of China, which also hosted the 2008 Summer Games.

Last week, human rights groups and Western nations led by the United States, Britain and Germany accused China of massive crimes against the Uyghur minority in the western region of Xinjiang and demanded unimpeded access for U.N. experts.

Human Rights Commission co-chair Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, opened the hearing by calling on the IOC and all interested parties including the United States to find a new host city or boycott.

In granting Beijing host status for the Olympic Games, we are crowning a barbarous regime with laurels while we should be condemning their abuse and genocide, Smith wrote in his prepared remarks.

He said the IOC and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee were invited to attend the hearing but did not.

Last week, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland wrote a letter to Congress to lay out the group's long-held stance that boycotts do not help geopolitical issues in host countries and put athletes training for the Olympics under a cloud of uncertainty.

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More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP)  The Idaho State Board of Education approved the budgets for the state's four-year higher education institutions on Monday, keeping tuitions mostly flat and including few significant increases in fees and other costs.

It's the second year that the board has opted not to raise tuition at the University of Idaho, Idaho State University or Boise State University for Idaho students seeking a bachelor's degree, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported. That move has drawn broad support from university leaders.
BERLIN (AP)  U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington is looking into the possibility of introducing a fee on imports from countries that don't tax heavy polluters, but he cautioned that such a move could carry risks downstream.

Kerry said President Joe Biden had instructed U.S. officials to examine what are the consequences, how do you do the pricing, what is the impact.

But he wants to make sure weve thoroughly vetted it and thought about it as a matter of policy, particularly because our friends are doing so, Kerry said.

The European Union has indicated it will put forward plans next month for a carbon border adjustment mechanism aimed at pushing its trading partners into doing more to cut carbon emissions if they want to sell their goods in the world's largest single market.

Although still vague, the EU's proposal has drawn significant concern, particularly from major emerging economies such as China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin before talks with his EU counterpart, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, Kerry said Washington and Brussels had agreed to consult each other on the issue as they also push for greater international efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions before this year's U.N. climate summit in November.

We want to make sure that its not going to have a counter impact, a negative impact on this process, Kerry said.

Nobody wants their businesses disadvantaged" by introducing carbon taxes that businesses elsewhere don't pay, he said.

But we do have some concerns about what the downstream impact might be, and we want to understand that fully before jumping on this, Kerry added. Our preference would be that every country is joining in in a fair manner in its efforts to reduce emissions sufficiently, that were all paying the price of avoiding the consequences of the global climate crisis.

That includes obviously major emitting nations in the world. We all know who they are, he said.

As secretary of state during the second Obama administration, Kerry played a key role in negotiations between the U.S. and China, which is now the world's biggest polluter, that paved the way for the 2015 Paris climate accord. In his new post as Biden's climate envoy, Kerry, 77, is again engaged in a flurry of international diplomacy ahead of the U.N. talks set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland.

Several countries, including the United States, have pledged to make tougher cuts to their emissions. But experts say more needs to be done to achieve the Paris targets of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times.

Kerry said that on a recent visit to China he discussed the need for Beijing to address its domestic use of coal, its funding for coal-fired power plants abroad and the importance of beginning to reduce emissions from peak levels - as the U.S. did in 2005 and Europe did during the early 1990s.

(China) beginning to turn the curve downwards would be an important contribution, very important contribution, to the success of Glasgow, Kerry said.

He also backed calls for all major economies to contribute to a $100 billion annual climate fund that was promised to poor countries by 2020 but which remains short, in part due to former President Donald Trump withholding U.S. payments.

Our commitment was reneged on to put money into the 100 billion, for two years, Kerry said, going on to note that U.S. states, cities and businesses had continued to pursue the Paris goals even as the Trump administration opposed the accord.

Were not, I think, quite as culpable as some people think, he said.

Kerry held a flurry of meetings with German officials during his stop in Berlin, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the three leading contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in the countrys national election this September.

He declined to be drawn into giving an opinion on the possible consequences if Germany's environmentalist Greens party wins the election, but he praised the current government's newly raised climate targets as impressive.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
CHICAGO (AP)  Lollapalooza is returning to Chicago this summer, a year after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the music festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of people to a lakefront park, the mayor's office said Tuesday.

Lollapalooza will return to Grant Park at full capacity July 29-Aug. 1, and the line-up of entertainers will be released at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with tickets going on sale two hours later, Mayor Lori Lightfoots office said.
JASPER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)  A 23-year-old man died when the single-engine plane he was piloting crashed and caught fire in a mid-Michigan field, police said.

Midland County Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene just before 1:30 p.m. Monday after a passerby saw the plane in flames in a Jasper Township field.
MACON, Ga. (AP)  A middle Georgia man has been charged with murder and concealing a death after a body was found under a mattress this month.

Bibb County sheriff's deputies arrested Margaton Dudley, 45, on Friday and he remained jailed without bail following a court appearance Monday, The Macon Telegraph reported.

It's unclear what led investigators to suspect Dudley in the death of Amond Rashad Norwood, 26, who was found shot multiple times after a passerby saw an arm of Norwood's body sticking out from under a mattress in an illegal dump on May 7.

Magistrate judge Valencia Davis-Jones said there could also be another suspect in Norwood's death.

I will give you one bit of advice and that is you not communicate with your co-defendant unless youre doing it through attorneys," Davis-Jones told Dudley during his court appearance.

Im not aware that I have a co-defendant, maam, Dudley replied.

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis has said that investigators believe Norwood was killed on a nearby street before his body was dumped.

While reporters were interviewing Davis on May 7, a man drove up nearby and fired a shot into the air. Deputies said the alleged shooter shouted something related to a gang and the death investigation, but got away before deputies could rush over with guns drawn.
FARGO, N.D. (AP)  A man who killed himself inside a federal courthouse in North Dakota after he was convicted for brandishing a weapon at a minor faced a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum term of life, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Jurors had just departed the Fargo courtroom on Monday when Jeffrey Sahl Ferris, 55, of Belcourt, North Dakota, slashed his throat with what an FBI spokesman called an easily concealable instrument" and died after U.S. marshals and other court personnel attempted life-saving measures. An autopsy was being conducted Tuesday.

FBI spokesman Kevin Smith said his agency will investigate whether any federal criminal laws were broken in the incident. The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for security of the courthouse.

Officials there will review their security procedures to ensure the safety of the courthouse family and those visiting the facility, Smith said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Nick Chase of North Dakota declined to comment about any details of the incident other than to say there were five employees from his office in the courtroom at the time and none of them were physically hurt.

Ferris was found guilty of terrorizing, reckless endangerment and the most serious charge, use of a firearm in relation to a felony crime of violence. Federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account criminal history, acceptance of responsibility and other factors, would have helped determine Ferris' sentence.

Ferris' attorney, Ward K. Johnson III, did not respond to email inquiries from The Associated Press.

Ferris was arrested for an incident in April 2020 on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, in northern North Dakota near the Canadian border. Ferris was not an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, according to court documents.

Ferris told investigators he believed several minors were vandalizing property on the reservation and began chasing them with his Jeep. One teen said Ferris was driving 80 mph and nearly hit some of them while they were fleeing on dirt bikes and four-wheelers.

Investigators said after one of the minors crashed his dirt bike into a fence, Ferris got out of his vehicle and brandished a firearm. Ferris told the youth to stay on the ground, said he was going to call the police and that he got one, documents said.

Ferris denied pointing the gun at anyone, the affidavit stated.

The jury found Ferris not guilty on eight counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in relation to allegedly targeting the minors with his vehicle.

The Turtle Mountain Star newspaper reported in July 2020 that a terrorizing charge against Ferris in Rolette County District Court had been dismissed, more than two months after the federal indictment was filed.

Turtle Mountain Chairman Jamie Azure did not return a phone message left by The Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  The remains of an Indianapolis man have been located in a suburban storage unit nearly 17 months after his disappearance, authorities said.

The body of 58-year-old Roger Farmer was found Thursday in a Brownsburg storage unit, the Marion County Coroners Office said Monday. Farmer died of a gunshot wound to the head, the office said.
PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona woman accused of killing her two children with a meat cleaver became the subject of a child services investigation two months ago and at one point had been taken to a psychiatric hospital, child welfare officials said Tuesday.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety said in a statement that the agency was alerted on March 2 about a case of neglect in suburban Phoenix involving Yui Inoue, 40, after she and her 7-year-old son Kai went missing from the family's apartment in Tempe.

Police found them behind a convenience store. Inoue was taken to a psychiatric hospital and the boy was returned to his father. Officials did not say how long she was hospitalized or provide details on her release.

An Arizona DCS investigator later interviewed the family but did not report finding any visible signs of child abuse or neglect involving the boy or his 9-year-old sister Mia. Both children said they felt safe with their parents, according to the statement.

Citing a lack of evidence, the agency opted not to remove them from the home. The investigation was still considered open when the children were found dead Saturday.

As the community is struggling to grasp the tragic death of two innocent siblings, the Department is caring for staff who have also been impacted, the agency said. Our prayers go out to the family and all who knew Mia and Kai.

Police had been called to the family's apartment earlier Saturday about a domestic dispute involving a husband and wife. At the time, officers said there was no apparent reason to call child welfare authorities.

It's not clear if the officers were aware of the ongoing investigation. Tempe police did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Later that morning, Inoue went to a Tempe police station and said she was hearing voices telling her to kill her children, according to charging documents. Officers went to the apartment and found the mutilated bodies of the children under a blanket and boxes.

Her husband, who has not been identified, told police the couple had filed for divorce in April and had argued the night before over money she wanted so she could move to Japan. He said she threatened to stab him so he left just after midnight and slept in his car in a parking lot. He said he did not think she would harm their children.

Inoue is facing two counts of first-degree murder. She is currently being held on a $2 million cash bond. It was unclear Tuesday if a court-appointed attorney had been assigned to her case.

Students, teachers and others in the Tempe school district where the children were students were devastated by the deaths. Counselors are being made available at Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School throughout the week.

Moments like this remind us that life is precious and too often fleeting, Laura Toenjes, Kyrene School District superintendent, said in a statement. Please hold your children and loved ones close.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A man convicted of kidnapping and sexual assaulting a 6-year-old girl has been released from prison after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled there was misconduct during his trial.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that their ruling led to an order Monday for the immediate release of 41-year-old Diego Salazar.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Under updated mask guidelines in Oregon, which were released Tuesday, businesses can now choose whether or not customers will still be required to wear a mask.

But in order to do that, customers must provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated.

If (businesses, employers and faith institutions) have a process to review vaccination records and show that people are fully vaccinated, theyre free to serve customers in that manner, said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the states epidemiologist. If they dont want to, or cannot implement a system like that, they can continue to operate under the OHA (Oregon Health Authority) guidance that requires masks and physical distancing.

Everyone  vaccinated or not is still required to wear a mask while on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities.

In addition, mask requirements are no longer applied to anyone who is outdoors, although health officials recommend that people continue to wear a mask in crowded areas and in large gatherings.

However, businesses, employers and faith institutions can choose to no longer require masks and physical distancing for fully vaccinated people, defined as individuals who received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose at least two weeks prior.

But if a business decides to allow fully vaccinated people to not be required to wear a mask, those individuals must provide proof of their status in the form of a vaccination card or a photo of the card on their phone. In addition, the business must review the proof.

If businesses decide not to implement a policy for checking the vaccination status of customers and employees," then everyone in that building will still be required to wear masks.

Many have questioned how businesses will be able to check the authenticity of vaccination cards. Some worry that proof will be forged.

We hope that Oregonians will not lie or cheat and put others at risk by forging a vaccine record if they are not vaccinated, Sidelinger said. Individuals who choose not to (get vaccinated) or don't want to share that they have already been vaccinated can wear a mask and keep their distance while being served by the business.

Oregon's new mask guidance comes after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could stop wearing masks and stop physical distancing in most public spaces.

(Last) weeks announcement from the CDC emphasizes the point that safe and effective vaccines are the very best way to protect people from getting and spreading COVID," said Patrick Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority. "Thats why its safer for life to look more like normal for people who are fully vaccinated. And why people who havent had a chance to get vaccinated should do so as soon as they can.

Oregons Gov. Kate Brown pointed to the CDC announcement as another sign that as more people become fully vaccinated, the closer we are to ending this pandemic.

Oregonians have been required to wear masks  inside public spaces such as grocery stores, shops, gyms and restaurants and outside where people cannot remain six feet apart from others  since last summer.

Brown said she is hopeful that the state's economy will soon reopen if people continue to be vaccinated and reach goals she set earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Brown announced that five Oregon counties have reached the county vaccine threshold  65% of the county's population who are 16 or older have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

By reaching that target Benton, Deschutes, Hood River, Lincoln and Washington counties will move to the state's lowest risk category allowing for increased capacity  50%  in restaurants, theaters, gyms and other indoor entertainment spaces.

Brown also set a state vaccination goal of 70% of the state's population who is 16 or older have received their first vaccine dose. When the state reaches the vaccination target, Brown said most of the Oregon's restrictions, including capacity limits, will be lifted.

Currently, nearly half of Oregons eligible residents have received at least their first vaccine dose.



Cline is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local news
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP)  Aa man opened fire on a group of people who entered his eastern Pennsylvania home to rob him, killing one and seriously wounding another, state police said.

Police in Monroe County said the resident's confrontation with the five intruders happened at about 5:45 p.m. Monday in the home near East Stroudsburg.
NAGURSKOYE, Russia (AP)  During the Cold War, Russia's Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

It was a remote and desolate home mostly for polar bears, where temperatures plunge in winter to minus-42 Celsius (43 degrees below zero Fahrenheit) and the snow only disappears from August to mid-September.

Now, Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with missiles and radar and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, projecting Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources.

The shamrock-shaped facility  three large pods extending from a central atrium  is called the Arctic Trefoil and is painted in the white-red-and-blue of the national flag, brightening the otherwise stark vantage point on the 5,600-kilometer (3,470-mile) Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic coast. Other buildings on the Island, which is called Alexandra Land, are used for radar and communications, a weather station, oil storage, hangars and construction facilities.

Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway as shrinking polar ice from the warming planet offers new opportunities for resources and shipping routes. China also has shown an increasing interest in the region, believed to hold up to one-fourth of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion.

Tensions between Russia and the West will likely loom large over Thursday's meeting of the Arctic nations foreign ministers in Reykjavik, Iceland, where Moscow is set to take a rotating chairmanship in the Arctic Council.

We have concerns about some of the recent military activities in the Arctic, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday after arriving in Iceland for talks with foreign ministers of the eight members of the Arctic Council. That increases the dangers of accidents and miscalculations and undermines the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region. So we have to be vigilant about that.

The Russian base, which sits about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of the geographic North Pole, was built using new construction technologies as part of Kremlin efforts to bolster the military amid spiraling tensions with the West following Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

The following year, Russia submitted a revised bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, claiming 1.2 million square kilometers (over 463,000 square miles) of Arctic sea shelf, extending more than 350 nautical miles (650 kilometers) from shore.

While the U.N. pondered that claim and those from other nations, Russia has said it sees the Northern Sea Route as its historically developed national transport corridor, requiring authorization from Moscow for foreign vessels to navigate along it. The U.S. has dismissed Russia's claims of jurisdiction on parts of the route as illegitimate.

Moscow has declared its intention to introduce procedures for foreign ships and assign Russian pilots for guidance along the route, which runs from Norway to Alaska.

As part of that effort, Russia has rebuilt and expanded facilities across the polar region, deploying surveillance and defensive assets. A base in the similar trefoil shape and patriotic colors to the one in Nagurskoye is on Kotelny Island, between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea on eastern end of the shipping route, also with missiles and radar.

Adm. Alexander Moiseyev, chief of Russia's Northern Fleet, said last week that Moscow has the right to set navigation rules along the shipping lane.

Practically the entire Northern Sea Route goes through Russias territorial waters or the countrys economic zone, Moiseyev told reporters aboard the Peter the Great missile cruiser. The complex ice conditions make it necessary to organize safe shipping, so Russia insists on a special regime of its use.

NATO is increasingly worried about the growing Russian military footprint in the Arctic, and Washington sent B-1 bombers to Norway this year.

Increased Russian presence, more Russian bases in the High North, has also triggered the need for more NATO presence, and we have increased our presence there with more naval capabilities, presence in the air, and not least, the importance of protecting transatlantic undersea cables transmitting a lot of data, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Moiseyev fretted about the U.S. military assets in Norway, saying it has led to an increase of the conflict potential in the Arctic.

The Russian Foreign Ministry last week fumed at a U.S. nuclear submarine calling at a Norwegian port, saying it reflected what it described as "Oslo's course for the militarization of the Arctic.

On the sidelines of this week's Arctic Council meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to hold talks with Blinken -- an encounter intended to lay the groundwork for Putin's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden planned for next month.

Blinken has pointed out that with the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the global average, Russia has moved to increase its presence in the region.

Russia is exploiting this change to try to exert control over new spaces, he said last month. It is modernizing its bases in the Arctic and building new ones.

Blinken has rejected Russian calls to resume a military component of the Arctic Council. He also took Lavrov to task for comments earlier this week in which the Russian diplomat dismissed such criticism because the Arctic is our territory, our land.

We have to proceed all of us, including Russia, based on the rules, based on norms, based on the commitments that weve each made and also avoid statements that undercut those, Blinken said.

Since Putin visited the Nagurskoye base in 2017, it has been strengthened and expanded. It now houses a dedicated tactical group that operates electronic surveillance, air defense assets and a battery of Bastion anti-ship missile systems.

A runway has been extended to accommodate all types of aircraft, including Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers, said Maj.-Gen. Igor Churkin, who oversees air force operations at the base.

The modernization of Arctic airfields significantly increases the potential of the Northern Fleets aviation to control the airspace in the area of the Northern Sea Route and allows to ensure its security, he said.

In March, the Russian military conducted drills at Nagurskoye with ground troops and a pair of MiG-31 fighters flying over the North Pole. The exercise also saw three nuclear submarines smash through the Arctic ice next to one another in a carefully planned show of force.

On Monday, Lavrov rebuffed Western criticism of Russias Arctic expansion and bristled at what he described as Norway's push for a stronger NATO presence there.

We hear whining about Russia expanding its military activities in the Arctic, Lavrov said. But everyone knows that its our territory, our land. We bear responsibility for the Arctic coast to be safe, and everything our country does there is fully legitimate.

-

Isachenkov reported from Moscow.
CAIRO (AP)  A top American diplomat arrived Tuesday in Libya's capital, marking the first visit by a senior U.S. official since the U.N.-backed election of an interim government in February.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood affirmed the U.S.'s full support of Libya's transitional authorities and urged an end to foreign military intervention in the North African country.

Libya's government of national unity is expected to enforce a cease-fire agreement signed in October and lead the country into general elections in December 2021.

Todays meetings demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. government and our strong diplomatic support for the progress the Libyan people have made towards an inclusive negotiated political solution, Hood said at a joint news conference with Libya's Foreign Minister Najla al-Manqoush.

Along with U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland, Hood met with Libyas Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and Mohammad Younes Menfi, head of Libyas Presidential Council.

We urged the U.S. to help us pressure all concerned parties to meet their obligations, respect U.N. resolutions and support the cease-fire, said Manqoush.

Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The uprising divided the oil-rich country between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the countrys east. Each were backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His 14-month-long campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.

An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the transitional government and December elections.

In a report obtained by The Associated Press last week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres complained there has been no reduction of foreign fighters or their activities in Libya and that a U.N.-imposed arms embargo continues to be breached.

The U.N. estimated in December there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including Syrians, Russians, Sudanese and Chadians. But at an informal council meeting in late April, speakers said there were more than 20,000, including 13,000 Syrians and 11,000 Sudanese, according to diplomats.

The goal of the U.S. is a sovereign, stable, unified Libya with no foreign interference and a state that is capable of combatting terrorism, said Hood.

Hood said the U.S. hopes that Libyans reach an agreement soon on the constitutional mechanism of the upcoming elections.

He added that America is willing to re-open its embassy in Libya but that the process would take time and require a lot of logistics.

We are not waiting for that; we will be visiting frequently and we will be inviting her excellency to Washington, he said in reference to Manqoush.

The U.S. suspended embassy operations in Libya in 2014 as fighting between Libyan factions neared its embassy in Tripoli. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Libya is now located in safer Tunis, Tunisia.

In recent months, several European governments, including France and Greece, reopened their embassies in Tripoli after years of closure as an act of support of the newly-elected transitional authorities.
SYDNEY (AP)  A surfer was killed by a shark on Tuesday off the Australian east coast, police said.

The man, aged in his 50s, had been surfing off Forster, 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of Sydney, when he was attacked late in the morning, a police statement said.

Onlookers pulled the man from the water suffering critical injuries to his upper right thigh, police said.

The Ambulance Service said the man could not be resuscitated despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene.

Forster beaches have been closed.

Police said they were working with government authorities to identify the species of shark.

Lower North Coast Surf Life Saving branch president Brian Wilcox said a drone search after the attack had spotted two sharks in the area.

Its pretty unprecedented. I cant recall ever having a shark attack in this area, Wilcox told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Well ... do drone missions for the next couple of days, within the Tuncurry Beach area, just to make sure there are no sharks hanging around, Wilcox added, referring to the beach where the surfer was attacked.

The mans name has not been released.

It was the first fatal shark attack in Australia since November when a 55-year-old surfer was mauled near the northwest town of Broome.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  At least two shooters opened fire on a party bus driving on a San Francisco Bay Area freeway early Tuesday, killing two women and wounding at least five others, authorities said.

The passengers were celebrating a womans 21st birthday when the bus was attacked around 12:20 a.m. on Interstate 580 as it was returning to Oakland from San Francisco, the East Bay Times reported.

At least two shooters in another vehicle began firing at the bus, then followed it off the freeway and continued shooting at it on city streets, authorities said. About 70 rounds were fired at the party bus.

Based on preliminary investigation, it does not appear this shooting was a random event, according to the California Highway Patrol, which is investigating along with Oakland police.

The Alameda County Coroners Bureau said one woman died on the bus and the other at a hospital. One of them was a 19-year-old Stockton resident, relatives told the newspaper.

At least five other women were wounded, and some were taken by ambulance to a hospital from an Oakland police station, where the bus driver went after the shooting. One of the victims is in critical condition.

A man who identified himself as the father of the 21-year-old celebrating her birthday said she was shot in the leg but is in stable condition.

Last month, a 25-year-old woman was shot while riding on a party bus in Oakland. There were more than 30 passengers on the bus that was supposed to go to San Francisco, authorities said. None of the other passengers or the driver were injured, and the woman survived.
CEUTA, Spain (AP)  Spain deployed its military to the Moroccan border Tuesday and expelled nearly half of the thousands of migrants who jumped fences or swam onto European soil over two days after Rabat loosened border controls amid a deepening diplomatic spat.

Overwhelmed soldiers separated the adults from the young and carried children in their arms while Red Cross workers helped an endless trickle of migrants who were emerging from the water shivering and exhausted. One unconscious woman laid on the sand before she was carried away on a stretcher.

The sudden influx of migrants has fueled the diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid over the disputed Western Sahara region and created a humanitarian crisis for Ceuta, the Spanish city of 85,000 in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Morocco by a double-wide, 10-meter (32-feet) fence.

Amina Farkani, a 31-year-old Moroccan woman who commuted to jobs in Ceuta for 18 years until foreign workers were banned from entering when coronavirus outbreaks began to surge last year, said she saw an opportunity to go back to work when she heard that police were not controlling the border.

They let people pass and stand there without speaking, Farkani told The Associated Press. People just pass and pass and pass.

Farkani was among the thousands of migrants who were sent back to Morocco. AP reporters saw Spanish military personnel and police officers ushering both adults and children through a gate in the border fence. Some tried to resist and were pushed and chased by soldiers who used batons to hasten them.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied that unaccompanied migrants under 18, who are allowed to remain legally under the tutelage of Spanish authorities, were being deported.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled a trip to Paris, where he was to attend a summit on international aid to Africa, and flew by helicopter to Ceuta. While calling Morocco a friend of Spain," Sanchez also urged authorities to respect the shared border.

A senior Moroccan Foreign Ministry official said the government had recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations. The official wasn't authorized to be identified by name in media reports.

By Tuesday afternoon, nearly 8,000 sea-soaked people had crossed the border into the city since early Monday, the Spanish government said, including some 2,000 thought to be teenagers. The number getting in slowed after Spain deployed additional police officers and soldiers, but the arrivals didn't stop even when anti-riot police on the Moroccan side dispersed crowds of people hoping to cross over.

At least 4,000 were returned to Morocco, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. Morocco and Spain signed an agreement three decades ago to expel all those who swim across the border.

Yet many arriving Tuesday were sub-Saharan Africans who often migrate to flee poverty or violence at home. Spain has agreements to return some of those migrants to their native countries, but not all of them.

One young man drowned and dozens were treated for hypothermia or small injuries, the Red Cross in Ceuta said, adding that it was performing coronavirus tests on the new arrivals. The adults were being transferred to Ceutas main soccer stadium, while those thought to be minors were sent to warehouses run by charity groups.

Neither the government in Rabat nor local officials have commented about the mass influx or responded to queries by The Associated Press.

Its such a strong invasion that we are not able to calculate the number of people that have entered, said Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, an autonomous city of about 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles).

The army is at the border in a deterrent role, but there are great quantities of people on the Moroccan side waiting to enter, he told Cadena SER radio.

Four Spanish armored vehicles parked Tuesday at Tarajal beach in Ceuta, where the border fence leads to a short breakwater. Some people also rushed up the hills surrounding the city and jumped over the fences.

In a video shared by a Spanish police union urging authorities to send in reinforcements, anti-riot officers behind the border fence were using shields to protect themselves from stones being thrown by people in Morocco.

The European Unions top migration official  Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson  described the incidents as worrying and called on Morocco to prevent people from setting out in the first place.

The most important thing now is that Morocco continues to commit to prevent irregular departures, and that those who do not have the right to stay are orderly and effectively returned, Johansson told the European Parliament.

Spanish borders are European borders. The European Union wants to build a relationship with Morocco based on trust and shared commitments. Migration is a key element, she said.

Morocco's loosened border watch came after Spain decided to grant entry for medical treatment to the chief of a militant group that fights Morocco for the independence of Western Sahara. Morocco annexed the sprawling region on the west coast of Africa in 1975.

Moroccos Foreign Ministry has said Madrids move to assist Brahim Ghali, head of the Polisario Front, was inconsistent with the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness and vowed there would be consequences.

Vivas, Ceuta's conservative regional president, said residents were in a state of anguish, concern and fear" and 60% of the city's children had not shown up for school on Tuesday. He also linked the sudden mass arrival to Spain's compassionate assistance to Ghali.

The Spanish government officially rejects the notion that Morocco is punishing Spain for a humanitarian move. Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya summoned Morocco's ambassador, however, to express the governments disgust and to communicate that Spain rejected the massive entry of Moroccan immigrants.

Moroccan Ambassador Karima Benyaich was later recalled by Rabat.

Sanchez appeared on live television to announce he would visit Ceuta and that his top priority was to ensure safety in the city in the face of any challenge, any eventuality and under any circumstance.

Over the decades, Spain has built a close relationship with Morocco to crack down on illegal border crossings but also to increase economic exchanges and fight extremism. Sanchez on Tuesday avoided any direct criticism to Rabat in his speech.

To be effective, he said, that cooperation must always be based on respect  respect for the shared border.''

The prime minister also faced a political storm at home. The far-right Vox party blamed the migration crisis on the government's inaction" and sending its leader on a quick visit to Ceuta.

Many African migrants regard Ceuta and nearby Melilla, another Spanish territory, as a gateway into Europe. In 2020, 2,228 chose to cross into the two enclaves by sea or land, often risking injuries or death.

On Tuesday, another 80 African migrants reached Melilla, 350 kilometers (218 miles) east of Ceuta, by jumping over the enclaves double fence.

Morocco scored a diplomatic victory last year when the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump recognized Rabats sovereignty over Western Sahara, paving the way for normalizing relations between Israel and Morocco.

___

Aritz Parra reported from Madrid. AP journalists Bernat Armangue in Ceuta, Spain, Tarik El Barakah in Rabat, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Iain Sullivan in Madrid and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.

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Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  Iowa granted an early release from prison to a repeat offender just months before he allegedly kidnapped and killed a 10-year-old girl, according to parole documents released Tuesday.

The Iowa Board of Parole granted Henry Dinkins parole from a Davenport minimum-security residential facility in March 2020, determining he was able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law abiding citizen.

There is a reasonable probability that you can be released without detriment to the community or yourself," according to the parole order signed by the board's chair, Helen Miller, that The Associated Press obtained under the open records law.

Less than four months after his parole, Dinkins, a registered sex offender with a history of violent and reckless behavior, allegedly kidnapped Breasia Terrell from a Davenport apartment complex, shot her to death and hid her body in rural eastern Iowa.

At the time he was granted parole, Dinkins, 48, was awaiting trial on felony charges in Illinois of possession of methamphetamine and amphetamine with intent to deliver stemming from an April 2019 traffic stop. Its unclear whether Iowa authorities took that into consideration.

Breasia was the half sister of Dinkins son, and investigators say both children were staying the night with him at an apartment where he was living with a girlfriend. The girl's July disappearance prompted a monthslong search that ended in March when two people fishing near DeWitt discovered her remains in a pond.

Dinkins is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping, each of which carry a possible life term. A public defender representing him didnt immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Dinkins is set to be arraigned next month.

Iowa Board of Parole records detail Dinkins criminal history and some leniency he received along the way, even as he committed crime after crime.

He had been in and out of prison and correctional programs since 1990, when he was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse of a child when he was 17 and required to register as a sex offender. Hed been arrested and cited dozens of times, on charges that include violating sex offender registry requirements, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, domestic violence, drug possession, theft and eluding. A 2009 murder charge was dropped after police said he was a witness, not the killer.

His most recent return to prison stemmed from a March 2019 arrest, in which he was allegedly high on crack and crashed into a Davenport yard while trying to flee from police. It was at least his fifth arrest for operating while intoxicated since 2007. In 2014, officers used a stun gun and pepper spray to subdue him after he crashed his car while on cocaine. In 2011, he allegedly caused an accident involving multiple semi-trailers and cars when he drove the wrong way on Interstate 80 while intoxicated. In another incident that year, he drove 90 mph (145 kph) while high through a residential area where children were playing, with his SUV's engine later exploding.

Days after the March 2019 OWI, he was arrested while allegedly in possession of more than 900 grams of meth and 200 grams of amphetamine in Bureau County, Illinois. He was released from jail after posting a $100,000 bond.

Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Dinkins to up to five years in prison in October 2019 for the OWI and barred him from driving for six years. Records show Dinkins served 60 days before he was transferred to the minimum-security Davenport Residential Facility.

There, he completed a four-month substance abuse treatment program and secured fulltime employment, records show. A probation officer recommended he be released by April 6, 2020, then moved up his release date to March 19. Miller approved both requests, ending a sentence that had been projected to last until January 2022.

Waylyn McCulloh, director of the 7th Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Davenport, said the handling of his sentence was standard process for repeat OWI offenders and that the coronavirus pandemic didn't appear to have an impact on the release decision. But he said the case was complicated by the Illinois charges, which have not yet been resolved.

Records show Dinkins appeared in an Illinois courtroom on July 8, 2020, for a conference ahead of a July 27 trial date. Breasia disappeared two days later.

Its a horrible situation and a horrific crime, McCulloh said. But of course we have to keep in mind that he has yet to be convicted.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday it will offer a third shot to recipients of the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine six months after their initial two-dose regimen. The move appears to make the UAE the first country worldwide to formally introduce the booster.

The brief statement comes after some residents in the UAE reported receiving a third shot amid concerns about an insufficient antibody response. Chinas top disease control official acknowledged last month that the country's locally produced vaccines offer low protection against the virus, adding to growing questions over the shots efficacy.

The Sinopharm vaccine has become the linchpin of the UAE's vaccination campaign, among the fastest in the world per capita. The country, home to the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and glitzy city-state Dubai, has raced to widespread immunity in hopes of a swift economic reopening. Dubai draws heavily from the service-heavy tourism and aviation industries, which have been clobbered by the coronavirus.

Aside from efficacy numbers, the Chinese manufacturer has released very little public data about its Sinopharm vaccine, prompting criticism for its lack of transparency. Nonetheless, the shot is at the heart of China's own mass immunization campaign and its vast vaccine diplomacy efforts.

The World Health Organization granted the Sinopharm shot emergency approval earlier this month, potentially paving the way for millions of doses to reach needy countries through the U.N.-backed COVAX vaccine program. A range of governments, including in Hungary, Pakistan, Serbia and the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, already administer Sinopharm.

This spring, the UAE became the first in the world to manufacture its own local version of the Sinopharm vaccine. Widespread vaccination also plays a key role in preparing Dubai to host the long-awaited World Expo in October this year, expected to draw some 25 million visitors.

As part of the states proactive strategy to provide maximum protection for society, the door has been opened for the public to receive an additional supportive dose of the Sinopharm vaccine for people, said Dr. Farida al-Hosani, an Emirati health spokeswoman, in a statement broadcast on state television.

The government statement did not reveal any further information, saying only that all approved vaccines undergo strict safety tests. In the first public release of information on the shot's efficacy last year, the UAE said the vaccine was 86% effective against the virus based on its review of an interim analysis, without providing further details.

In March, an official from a state-linked Emirati company distributing Sinopharm set off a storm of confusion when he acknowledged on Dubai's state-owned radio that a very small number of residents had already received booster shots of Sinopharm. As vaccine recipients became worried about their antibody levels, authorities cautioned the public against mixing different coronavirus vaccines.

Last month, the head of international cooperation at China National Biotec Group, which is a subsidiary of Sinopharm, described the UAE's use of booster shots as not included in our clinical plan.

"The country made their own decision that they found for some immunocompromised part of the population or the elderly group, if they found they have low levels of antibodies then they may give a third dose, but it is not recommended in our formal schedule, Li Meng said.

Chinese officials made no immediate new comments on the UAE's decision to drastically expand its booster shoot program.

At first, Abu Dhabi exclusively used Sinopharm for its rollout, while the neighboring emirate of Dubai offered other options, including Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca. However, in recent weeks, Abu Dhabi has started to offer Pfizer as well. Across the country, the majority of low-paid workers from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East who power the UAE's economy received the Sinopharm vaccine.

Infections in the UAE have gradually declined from peaks reached in January as tourists fleeing lockdowns back home flooded the country's bars and beaches. But daily counts of new cases still hover over 1,000 a day, far above last year's levels, even as the country has administered 117 vaccine doses per 100 residents. Unlike other countries with rapid vaccination drives, like Israel and the United Kingdom, the UAE remained open for business after emerging from a strict lockdown a year ago.

Earlier this month, health authorities in Bahrain, another small Gulf Arab sheikhdom that has relied on Sinopharm for its speedy campaign, reported that a booster shot will soon be made available to individuals, with the aim of strengthening herd immunity.

After the Emirati announcement Tuesday, Bahrain said the third shot for its Sinopharm recipients would initially go to a prioritized group, including first responders, residents older than 50 and those with underlying health conditions.

___

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  With a potentially ferocious wildfire season threatening to ignite across the western U.S., a push is on to persuade wildland firefighters to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday that lives could be lost if frontline state and federal firefighters get sidelined with the illness as tinder-dry conditions prompt state officials to brace for the worst.

Little made his remarks said during a meeting of the Idaho Land Board, which manages state-owned land, much of it forested.

If they're going to get vaccinated, they need to get vaccinated today, because in three weeks were going to be right in the middle of fire season, the governor said.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management held a virtual town hall last week that included an emergency room doctor urging crews to get the vaccination.

At least two states, Texas and Alaska, are requiring firefighters to get a rapid test for the coronavirus before being allowed into the state to fight fires.

The national Drought Monitor shows 84% of the West is in drought conditions, with 47% in extreme or exceptional drought.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise directs the nations wildland firefighting resources and forecasts fire conditions.

Were not in a good position currently, said Dan Smith, one of seven members of the National Multi-agency Coordinating Group at the center. It will all be weather-dependent, but its looking like another tough season.

Smith, who is with the National Association of State Foresters, said he and his colleagues representing federal agencies and tribes will be discussing policies surrounding COVID-19 later this week.

Most of the people I work with have been vaccinated, he said. But Im in the later stage of my career, and I dont hang out with the young, on-the-line firefighters.

With the vaccination rate among firefighters unknown, fire camps will operate like last year with multiple precautions to reduce coronavirus infections.

All that added cost would not be necessary if everybody got vaccinated, Little said.

Little has been vaccinated and encourages others to get vaccinated as well. But in April he issued an executive order banning state government from requiring or issuing so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports. The order also prohibits state agencies from providing information on peoples vaccine status to other people, companies or government entities.

Idaho has one of the lowest vaccine rates in the nation at 31% despite the vaccine being widely available.

Little asked state officials to find out how many of the state's wildland firefighters have been vaccinated, but it's not clear if the state has those numbers. Sharla Arledge, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Lands, said the data was not available Tuesday.

Jessica Gardetto, a fire center spokeswoman with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and a former wildland firefighter, said efforts to persuade firefighters to get vaccinated could be working.

Were just hearing that, overall, the wildland firefighter workforce wants to be vaccinated because it's just going to make everyone safer, she said.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)  Wyoming's health director and chief information officer have resigned after a data leak involving the personal information of tens of thousands of people who were tested for the coronavirus.

A state Department of Health employee working with computer code accidentally released COVID-19 test results, as well as blood alcohol test results going back to 2012, for 164,000 people in late 2020 and early 2021.

The COVID-19 test leak alone affected over one-quarter of Wyoming's population of 579,000.

Health Director Mike Ceballos will be replaced with Deputy Director Stefan Johansson, while Chief Information Officer Gordon Knopp will be replaced with state Information Services Administrator Timothy Sheehan, both in interim roles, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Tuesday.

Certainly, we have faced unprecedented challenges. I learned a tremendous amount and found the work to be very rewarding, Ceballos said by email after his resignation Tuesday.

Ceballos didn't respond when asked if Gordon requested his resignation and if it was was related to the data leak. Gordon, a Republican, appointed Ceballos, a retired telecommunications executive and unsuccessful 2014 Democratic candidate for state education superintendent, in 2019.

Gordon spokesman Michael Pearlman declined to comment on the reason for the changes, calling it a personnel matter" that by policy isn't disclosed to the public.

Knopp didn't return phone and social media messages seeking comment on why he resigned and when.

A recorded message on the Wyoming technology help line said there was a statewide government network outage Tuesday. A person who answered but declined to be identified said the problem was fixed and not likely related to Knopp's resignation.

A Health Department employee who has not been publicly identified began mishandling the coronavirus and blood alcohol test information as long ago as November. The information became publicly available on GitHub, an internet-based software development platform, as long ago as January, state officials announced in April.

The release of test results, names, addresses, birth dates and other information didnt stem from any problem with GitHub and it's not clear if anybody intentionally misused the files.

Public knowledge of the problem nonetheless prompted scammers to call Wyoming residents, apparently at random, in pursuit of insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or other financial information.

___

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The worlds longest international border has been shut for over a year.

Canada planning to reopen U.S. border The worlds longest international border has been shut for over a year.

Canada planning to reopen U.S. border The worlds longest international border has been shut for over a year.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government have begun working towards reopening the Canada-U.S. border, according to Bloomberg.

However, discussions are just getting started, and a reopening of the border may not be imminent just yet.

One approach would be to adopt a new system that allows vaccinated people to travel between the two countries without the need for COVID-19 testing or for the mandatory 14-day quarantine. This is being considered, according to an unnamed source speaking to Bloomberg.

This would be in line with Health Minister Patty Hajdu saying that Canada will be considering the use of vaccine passports that would allow vaccinated people to travel. There are some obstacles that need to be considered first, such as the measures that are appropriate for those who are vaccinated by vaccines that are not approved by Health Canada.

Trudeau has mentioned that Canada is working with the European Union to align their approaches. The E.U. is already working towards ending its internal travel restrictions.

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The Canada-U.S. border was closed in March 2020, and limited to essential travel, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. As expected, the border closure affected Canada economically. The tourism and airline sectors were particularly hard-hit.

The reopening of the border is expected to be gradual, and will depend on the number of COVID-19 cases in both countries.

Canada is hit hard by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, more so than the U.S. This is because a vaccine rollout in Canada has slowed due to supply issues. Trudeau has said that Canadians are likely to be fully vaccinated by September. Canadas vaccine campaign, however, has gained steam in recent weeks and the country is now recording among the highest vaccination rates per capita among OECD nations.

What do travellers need to do?

Restrictions for travellers of all countries including the U.S. are still expected to be extended later this week, at least until the reopening is finalised.

International flights will continue to be accepted through just four of Canadas airports: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

Travellers to Canada who are exempt from the travel restrictions will be required to show a COVID-19 test that is taken within 72 hours before coming to Canada. They will also need to take another test upon arrival, and quarantine in a government-approved hotel for three days while they wait for their results.

In addition, travellers will have to abide by the 14-day quarantine requirement. The three-day hotel stay can count towards your quarantine period. On the eighth day, travellers are required to take a third and final COVID-19 test.

Essential travellers will not need to quarantine. This includes emergency service providers, truck drivers, some technicians or specialists, those living in a trans-border community and those who regularly cross the border for work.

Who can currently travel to Canada?

Until the reopening of the border is materialised, only certain people are allowed to come to Canada. Those include Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their family members.

Some temporary foreign workers, as well as international students who are attending a learning institution that has a COVID-19 readiness plan, are also exempt from the travel restrictions.

Protected persons and people coming to Canada for compassionate reasons are also exempt. For a full list of who can travel to Canada, visit this government webpage.

In all cases, Canadian border services officers have the final say on who is allowed into the country.

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More than half of New Yorkers are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the Empire State  and the country as a whole  still has a long way to go when it comes to ending large-scale community spread. Vaccine hesitancy remains a key barrier to reaching the herd immunity that scientists say would require about 80% of the population get vaccinated. While state efforts to improve access and promote voluntary acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines remain ongoing, the state might eventually lean on legal mandates to boost immunity as it has for other diseases like measles and polio for decades.

A legal mandate could accomplish a lot even if it were not applied to the population at large. Vaccination rates among nursing home staff across the state still remain 20 percentage points below the herd immunity threshold, The New York Post reported May 9. And at some New York City nursing homes, most residents have not received a single shot. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that the governing boards at the City University of New York and State University of New York would require students to get vaccinated if they want to attend in-person classes this fall. What is stopping the state from requiring the same of other classes of people, whether they are nursing home staff, health care workers or the general public?

The current legal landscape surrounding the three available COVID-19 vaccines is a little tricky because they are currently administered under an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That makes it tough to legally require that some people get their shots compared to others. Here is how it all works in practice.

Are vaccine mandates constitutional?

Yes. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled more than a century ago in Jacobson v. Massachusetts that state governments can impose vaccine mandates as long as they are reasonable and fairly enforced. A New York state court recently upheld the constitutionality of a 2019 law that eliminated religious exemptions for vaccines. The current U.S. Supreme Court could always rule otherwise, but the slow pace of the legal system means that would likely happen long after any future state vaccination requirements took effect in the near or medium terms.

So why is a vaccine mandate happening for public college students but not nursing home staff?

Guidelines from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission make it clear that private employers can make vaccinations a condition of employment as long as the underlying rationale is job-related and consistent with business necessity. However, the FDA also requires that vaccine administrators give recipients a fact sheet that informs them of their right to refuse a vaccine. That creates a paradox of sorts for any public agency (like the New York City Police Department) or private business (like many nursing homes) that want to require vaccinations while also administering them under the Emergency Use Authorization. Colleges do not face the same problem when it comes to issuing mandates on students because their mandate is contingent on the FDA granting full approval to the vaccines by the fall.

The state could theoretically do the same for everyone else  just not until the vaccines are officially authorized. At least one public sector union leader has also noted how organized labor might also have to sign off on what type of disciplinary actions could be taken against vaccine scofflaws protected by collective bargaining agreements.

Are any vaccine mandates in the works at the state level?

The governor has already given his blessing to the new student vaccine mandate for SUNY and CUNY campuses, but there are just a few weeks left for state legislators to take matters into their own hands. State Sen. Brad Hoylman of Manhattan has recently unveiled a bill to legally require all in-person college students in New York to get vaccinated. Im working to get this legislation passed this session so it can go into effect once the U.S. FDA gives standard approval for COVID-19 vaccines, Hoylman said in a statement. A representative for Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried of Manhattan did not respond to a request for comment about the status of a proposed bill that would require staff at residential health care facilities get vaccinated. Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan has not reintroduced a proposal from the last legislative session that would have allowed the Department of Health to issue a broader vaccine mandate if the state appeared unlikely to reach herd immunity.

What sort of backlash might materialize against such ideas?

There are a few signs that opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates could be even more fierce than the pushback against the 2019 law ending the religious exemption, which came within one vote of dying in an Assembly committee. Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines range from pseudo-scientific concerns about its safety to more mainstream civil liberties. It should be an individual's choice as to whether they want to receive the vaccine, Republican Assembly Member Mike Reilly of Staten Island tweeted earlier this month. While GOP members of legislative minorities have little say about what gets passed, that has not stopped Republican Assembly Member David DiPietro of Western New York from submitting two bills (here and here) to preclude any statewide vaccine mandate. And anti-scientific forces both on- and offline have their ways of threatening politicians who get behind vaccine mandates. Even though vaccine science is well settled, the rhetoric around the vaccine remains exceptionally hot, and even dangerous, Rosenthal said in a statement. As someone who is aggressively pro-vaccine, it has been exceptionally challenging to have reasonable conversations with vaccine skeptics because I have received death threats and was subject to misogynist and anti-Semitic hate.

But wait are vaccine mandates good policy?

Experts say sometimes yes, sometimes no. There were about 600 cases of the measles reported in the Empire State between October 2018 and July 2019, with 49 people getting hospitalized. While the full effects of the 2019 halt of the religious exemption for vaccines are still a matter of dispute, measles outbreaks have decreased to almost nothing over the past two years. However, public health experts say governments at all levels should exhaust their options before pursuing sweeping mandates. When enforcement capacity is limited or nonexistent, mandates cannot be properly implemented and are thus unlikely to promote public health and safety, Carmel Shachar, a bioethicist at Harvard Law School, and Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a law professor at UC Hastings College of Law, wrote last year in the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. Moreover, mandates can backfire if a population resents being coerced and has not received sufficient education about the safety, efficacy, and public health importance of vaccinations. The civil rights implications alone should make policymakers think twice before approving any future vaccine mandates, according to Allie Bohm, policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union, unless they do everything they can to make sure that vaccine mandates do not exacerbate existing political, social, economic and racial divisions. How do you know you're making sure that you're enforcing fairly and that you're enforcing evenly? she said in an interview. Its another really important thing to think about.
On Monday, the governor announced that the state would be adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions new mask and social distancing guidance, which means the state will be ending its executive order requiring masks in all indoor public settings such as stores and offices. Private businesses may decide on their own rules when it comes to wearing a mask indoors but the state will not enforce them. And masks are still mandatory on public transportation, in schools, nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters. This followed the CDC issuing new guidance on Thursday, saying that people who have been vaccinated no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors but should continue to follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines set forth by each state.

While some New Yorkers are eager to return to their lives without masks, others remain concerned and skeptical about the new CDC recommendations. Public health officials and epidemiologists have also been calling this new guidance into question, considering the lack of direction provided by the CDC, the inability to adequately verify whether or not individuals have been vaccinated, vaccination rates across the country  and state  have yet to reach herd immunity levels and new variants are surfacing across the globe.

The CDC based its decision to announce that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors on two studies that indicated that individuals who have been vaccinated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines are at an extremely low risk of contracting COVID-19. The rate of transmitting the virus to others, should they become infected, is also very low.

However, more research is needed to assess how effective other vaccines are in preventing people from contracting and transmitting the disease, according to epidemiologists. All of the authorized vaccines provide strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and death, and we are accumulating data that our authorized vaccines are effective against the variants that are circulating in this country, the CDC said in a statement on Friday.

Dr. Robyn Gershon, a professor of epidemiology at New York Universitys School of Global Public Health, told City & State that the CDCs abrupt announcement left her and fellow epidemiologists extremely confused. I think we would have been so much better off if they (the CDC) had said, in two weeks, we can pretty much stop wearing masks and here are the steps (were going to take), Gershon said, adding that the new advice makes it seem as though the pandemic is over, even though cases remain relatively high in New York. Even though the number of COVID-19 cases have dropped over the past week, theyre still high, as is the risk of COVID-19 transmission, according to data compiled by The New York Times,

As of Monday, 51.8% of the state has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which means that its still far from reaching herd immunity of 70 to 90% vaccinations. I think the CDC might send a wrong message saying that everythings OK, Dr. Ahammed Hashim, a pulmonologist in Texas, told the Times. It would feel much better if we had a 60 or 70 percent vaccination.

Its also worth noting that there are big disparities in vaccination rates between rich and poor neighborhoods. For example, 56% of people are fully vaccinated in Yorkville, on Manhattans Upper East Side, whereas 24% are fully vaccinated in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Lifting mask mandates when only 24% of people are vaccinated in certain areas could pose a big risk to the many unvaccinated people living in that area.

New York City Council Member Mark Levine, who is chair of the councils Health Committee, said in a series of tweets that New York City should refrain from lifting its mask mandate indoors, as it would be extremely difficult to determine if someone has been vaccinated and could lead to further spreading the virus. Gershon similarly remarked that shes concerned the state might see a spike in cases in about four or five weeks.

A crowded store, supermarket, movie theater, gym, museum etc in which many people (both vax'd and unvax'd) are unmasked would pose a risk of covid spread. This is especially unfair for workers, for the immunocompromised, for kids.

5/  Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) May 15, 2021

Currently, the only way to tell if someone is vaccinated is their vaccination card, although the city and state has been developing a vaccine passport app that would enable people to show their vaccination status without having to carry their vaccination card around with them. However, the app is not yet available. Neither the CDC nor the federal government have vaccine databases with immunization records, and they do not plan to create any.

Being without any sort of formal vaccination verification system means that everyone is operating on a vaccination honor system, which means that unvaccinated individuals could easily pretend that theyve been inoculated. And already, people have been caught peddling fake vaccination cards, which makes verification even more difficult.

I worry about passports and permission to travel becoming the focal point, Jason Schwartz, a public health professor at Yale University, told The Atlantic, when we really need to focus on helping to sell these vaccines.

New Yorkers who remain most at risk of contracting COVID-19 are those who have not been vaccinated yet. People who are immunocompromised, including people with diabetes, cardiovascular issues and asthma, are also much more likely to suffer from a severe case of, or die from, COVID-19. Anyone with these conditions, regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated should continue to wear a mask indoors and outdoors, according to Gershon.

There are also new variants that have emerged and its unclear whether any COVID-19 vaccines offer sufficient protection from them. I know that vaccines cover 70 to 80% of the variants, but we have newer variants now that have not yet been tested, like the India variant, Gershon said. For me, personally, I'm not taking off my mask. I don't feel we have enough people out in the community fully vaccinated for me to feel safe against all these other variants.
In a New York Supreme Court last November, the conservative website Project Veritas launched its defamation suit against the New York Times in much the same way that Veritass founder, James OKeefe, launches his viral videoswith a fusillade of accusations. Among the many allegations listed in the suit: an attempt to show that Times reporter Maggie Astor was biased against conservatives because she was once interviewed by The New York Sun while wearing a shirt that said, I hated Bush before it was cool. 

That isnt wrong, although Veritass lawyers leave out the fact that this happened more than thirteen years ago, when Astor was a first-year student at Barnard College.

The Times is being sued because of how it characterized two Veritas videos, which ran last September and alleged voter fraud in Minneapolis. Astors story, as quoted in the suit, called a Veritas video deceptive and said OKeefe and his colleagues have a long history of releasing manipulated or selectively edited footage. Astor noted that Veritas released its first video just hours after a big Times scoop about Donald Trumps tax returns, and she quoted an academic research group saying that a series of Veritas-promoting tweets by Trump and others resembled a coordinated disinformation campaign.

To many journalists, those statements would seem uncontroversial, the litigation a nuisance. But Veritas recently scored an important win when a New York justice rebuffed the Times efforts to get the suit dismissed. That means the Times, which has appealed the ruling, may now face a protracted court battle. And each side could soon be imposing onerous discovery and depositions on the others reporters and editors.

Veritas filed its suit in the New York Supreme Court, a trial court whose justices hear cases on a county levelin this case, Westchester County, a New York City suburb where Veritass office is located. And theres evidence that the suit was a hot potato: two Supreme Court justicesincluding Alexandra Murphy, the daughter of New York States chief judgequickly recused themselves without providing a rationale.

The decision in the Veritas case got little notice in mainstream or progressive mediaeven the Times didnt mention itbut it was enthusiastically covered in conservative outlets such as The Federalist and the Washington Examiner. A Twitter-banned Trump took to video so he could congratulate Veritas on its win: Whatever you can do for their legal-defense fund, were with them all the way. They do incredible work. (The Times isnt Veritass only target these days. Last month, OKeefe filed a defamation suit against Twitter after it kicked him off the platform, while Veritas filed another defamation suit against CNN.)

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The Times, in its response to the lawsuit, argued that Astor and another defendant, reporter Tiffany Hsu, were either telling readers the truth or were putting unverifiable expressions of opinion into their news stories.

That last bit is a handy term among media lawyers, the idea being that since most opinions cant be proved true or false, they cant serve as the basis of a defamation suit. As Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha told me, the term opinion has a special meaning in defamation law, one that differs from the common understanding of the term, adding that it refers to descriptive statements [that] help readers understand the significance of the news. In that sense, you could say that the Times is portraying opinion as something closer to analysis or colorlike when a sportswriter says a ballgame was played on a beautiful day rather than reporting it was 74 degrees, or describes the shortstop as clumsy instead of noting he made three errors.

If that was the distinction, it was lost on the justice in the case, Charles D. Wood, who was elected to a fourteen-year term as a Republican in 2009. Wood noted Veritass argument that a reasonable reader would expect a news reporters statements to be assertions of fact and not opinion. He added, If a writer interjects an opinion in a news article (and will seek to claim legal protections as opinion) it stands to reason that the writer should have an obligation to alert the reader.

By framing his decision that way, Wood highlighted the key irony of the case: a court is pointing to Project Veritas as a possible victim of unethical journalistic conduct. Meanwhile, the New York Times must counter the blowback that comes from arguing that its reporters put opinion, however its defined, into its news stories.

THE VERITAS PIECE at the heart of the Times case opens with a Snapchat video featuring a man named Liban Mohamedalso known as Liban Osmanspeaking in Somali and English, to no one in particular, about absentee ballots he had collected on behalf of his brother Jamal Osman, a local municipal candidate. His car is littered with envelopes, and he is seen saying, Just today we got three hundred for Jamal Osman. It isnt clear from the video whats in the envelopes, or when this was shot, or who was behind whatever was going on.

The video then cuts to another Somali man in Minnesota, Omar Jamal, who serves as Veritass key on-the-record source. Some of Jamals quotes leave a lot to the imagination. Here is how one of Veritass subtitles readswith its parentheses, not mine: I think he (Liban Mohamed) was (working for) both Ilhan Omar and Jamal (Osman) but I think he was more with Ilhan Omar, referring to the Democratic congresswoman from Minneapolis.

Mohamed at one point is seen saying: A campaign is managed by money. You cannot campaign with two hundred dollars or one hundred dollars you got from your grandmother or grandfather. You gotta have fundraisers. Most politicians would fully agree.

Theres more in this vein: An unnamed ballot harvester with a pixelated face makes allegations about Ilhan Omars campaign; an unnamed and unseen former political worker talks about taking absentee ballots from voters; someone identified as Jamal, member of the states Democratic Party, says that several ballots were returned blank. In another Snapchat scene, Mohamed says to a woman (in Somali), There are winners and losers, right? and she responds, Yes, they will win with the Japanesebut theres no indication who the Japanese are or what their relevance might be. Throughout, videos are cut and spliced together in ways that make it difficult to tell what has been independently verified.

The video nevertheless was a sensation on the right. Then-president Trump blasted out his endorsement (This is totally illegal), as did his son Don Jr. and a host of other conservative activists.

That video, and another one that Veritas released the next day, came under scrutiny by mainstream news outlets, some of which wrote that Veritass work was shoddy. A USA Today analysis stated in a fact-check column that based on our research, the claim that Project Veritas discovered a voter fraud scheme connected to Rep. Ilhan Omar is FALSE, adding that there are many aspects that are impossible to corroborate. Snopes, the fact-checking site, said Veritas was spreading an unfounded claim about Rep. Ilhan Omar and voter fraud. Meanwhile, the local Fox affiliate in Minneapolis interviewed Mohamed, the man with the envelopes in his car, and quoted him as saying he was offered $10,000 by Jamal to claim he was collecting ballots for Rep. Omar. Veritas denies that.

One of the most withering reviews came from the Election Integrity Partnership, a nonprofit group backed by Stanford University and the University of Washington that researches the spread of misinformation on the Web. They reported on September 29 that Veritass video made several falsifiable claims that have either been debunked by subsequent reporting or are without any factual support. They went on to show that OKeefe had teased in advance that the first video was originally to be posted September 28, but Veritas published it a day earlier, shortly after the Times expose on Trumps taxes.

About an hour after the academics report came out, Astors story in the Times went live. This was her lede:

A deceptive video released on Sunday by the conservative activist James OKeefe, which claimed through unidentified sources and with no verifiable evidence that Representative Ilhan Omars campaign had collected ballots illegally, was probably part of a coordinated disinformation effort, according to researchers at Stanford University and the University of Washington.

Astors story adds that OKeefe and Project Veritas have a long history of releasing manipulated or selectively edited footage purporting to show illegal conduct by Democrats and liberal groups. The story points out characteristics of the video to show why some allegations are unsubstantiated, but it provides less evidence for why its deceptive. Astor didnt seek comment from Veritas, nor did she provide a link to the video. The Times story also didnt mention incidents from OKeefes more distant past, such as his guilty plea for his role in a scheme to infiltrate a Democratic US senators office, or the $100,000 he paid to settle a suit filed by a California man who said hed been illegally taped in an undercover Veritas video.

Elizabeth Locke, an attorney for Veritas, wrote the Times to seek a retraction and to state that the academics report was fraught with factual errors and its own violations of basic journalistic standards. She also provided a line-edited version of Astors story that included changes that would, in her words, fully gut the original article, starting with a revised headline: Project Veritas Debunks Researchers Claims Viral Video Was a Coordinated Disinformation Campaign.  The Times did not take up Lockes offer to publish her revisions.

The following week, Hsu cited the Veritas video in a story headlined Conservative News Sites Fuel Voter Fraud Misinformation. She wrote that the video claimed without named sources or verifiable evidence that the campaign for Representative Ilhan Omarwas collecting ballots illegally. Like Astor, she didnt ask Veritas for comment, nor did her article link to the videos.

Several days later, Veritas filed its suit. It chose well in its counsel: Locke successfully represented a University of Virginia dean who was defamed by Rolling Stone in a bogus story about a campus rape. She has been part of the legal team representing former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whose defamation case against the Times, filed nearly four years ago, will move to a full-blown federal trial later this year. And her firm is now representing Dominion Voting Systems in its litigation against Rudy Giuliani and others who peddled false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

The Times strategy of saying its reporters put opinion into news stories isnt crazy. Its lawyers successfully used that argument in December in persuading a federal judge to dismiss a defamation suit filed by an anti-immigration activist, who had been characterized by the Times as a white supremacist.

Locke, in an interview, told me that the Times erred in using this strategy in the Veritas case. Maggie and Tiffany are news reporters, she said. These pieces we sued on are in the news pages, not the editorial page. That context matters.

AS I BEGAN WORKING on this story, in April, I emailed Locke to request an interview. I didnt hear back from her right away, but a few hours later I did hear from my colleagues at Columbia Journalism School, where Im a professor. A Project Veritas crew had made its way into the school, without advance notice and despite covid-related restrictions on visitors. They were walking the halls, looking for me. As it happens, I wasnt in the office that day, but a lot of students were, and a few of them interviewed OKeefe outside, after campus security came to clear the Veritas team out.

OKeefe emailed me that afternoon: William, Im at Columbia University for the next 1-2 hours today if you wanted to meet up briefly for an interview. James. I told him Id speak with him later.

We did talk a few weeks after that, in a conference call that included Jered Ede, Veritass chief legal officer. I asked some detailed questions about the videos.

For instance, when Liban Mohamed, the man with the ballot envelopes, was interviewed by Veritas, was he aware whom he was speaking with? I wouldnt know what Liban was or was not aware of, replied Ede. Certainly we dont tell our subjects that we are recording them.

What about the allegation raised by the Minneapolis Fox affiliate, that Veritass main source offered $10,000 to Mohamed to implicate Rep. Omar? From my standpoint here, there is no truthfulness to that whatsoever, said Ede.

What about concerns that many of Veritass key allegations come from anonymous sources? Veritass journalism is well above and beyond the standard of most journalists, said OKeefe, adding that in the Times story on Trumps taxes, you couldnt hear anyones voices in the interviews that were conducted.

Why did Veritas post the first video a day earlier than originally planned, with the result that it ran the same day as the Times tax story? Ede says the Times piece was irrelevant: We made a decision that the video would have a better viewership on a Sunday night than a Monday morning.

The Times decision not to ask Veritas for comment was a clear violation of basic journalistic standards, Locke previously stated. So did Veritas reach out to people who are implicated in its videos? Ede said they did contact Ilhan Omars campaign, but that Liban Mohameds monologue in his Snapchat videos effectively was his comment. Theres no evidence in the videos that they reached out to several others linked by Veritas to election misconduct, or that they made those people aware of the allegations before the videos went live. And Veritas didnt directly answer specific questions about this in a follow-up email.

The Times spokesperson wont explain why its reporters didnt contact Veritas before publishing. Because the case is still in the early stages of litigation, we are not able to discuss the decision-making regarding this story, said Rhoades Ha. As for not linking to Veritass videos, she said, When we report on misinformation or disinformation, we often do not include a link to avoid further disseminating it.

Astor didnt comment for this article, and Hsu didnt return several messages, but each provided sworn affidavits to the court. Astor didnt shy from the conclusion she reached back in September, stating that Veritass work appeared to me to employ many deceptive editing techniques, including grouping together short clips without context and using subtitles that inserted additional words into the statements of those in the Video.

Justice Wood noted that eventually, to prevail at trial, Veritas will have a high burden. Proving defamation requires that its lawyers show the Times acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truththat its reporters knew that what they wrote was false and published it anyway, or were reckless in not caring whether it was true or false. It can be difficult to find evidenceactual or circumstantialto prove that case. Few plaintiffs make it that far.

Nonetheless, Veritas has managed to deploy a decision by a justice in the suburbs of New York City to portray itself as a warrior in the crusade against biased journalism. They say on their Donate page that they have raised more than $437,000 to cover legal costs in the case. Their strategy has been highlighted by conservative commentators ranging from Trump impeachment attorney Jonathan Turley to Fox Newss Brit Hume. They havent ruled out suing others who looked unkindly on their videos; Locke told me that they focused on the Times first because it has the most breadth. They might now force Times reporters and editors to answer difficult questions, under oath, while Justice Woodss ruling is on appeal.

In the meantime, the lawsuit is serving as a useful talking point. Last week, the Times reported that conservative activists, including people at some point associated with Veritas, had mounted an undercover operation in 2018 to entrap FBI employees and H.R. McMaster, then Trumps national security adviser. OKeefes response, as quoted in the article: Because The New York Times is losing to Project Veritas in a court of law, it is trying to smear Project Veritas in the court of public opinion.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Bill Grueskin is on the faculty at Columbia Journalism School. He has previously worked as founding editor of a newspaper on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, city editor of the Miami Herald, deputy managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, and an executive editor at Bloomberg News. He is a graduate of Stanford University (Classics) and Johns Hopkinss School of Advanced International Studies (US Foreign Policy and International Economics).
As innocent lives are lost in Palestine and Israel, CNN is once again flubbing the coverage.

Most cable producers cant ignore stories that show rocket fire. Military action dominates breaking news coverage of conflicts overseas, which perpetuates old narratives. The focus becomes the latest violence, the number of rocket attacks, and the ensuing death toll. That framing omits critical perspectives from the communities themselves, and continues a trend of presenting half-true storylines. (MSNBC has been slightly better, thanks to the hosts Ayman Mohyeldin and Mehdi Hasan.)

Cable producers tend to believe that Americans dont care about international news, so they dont think it will rate. Middle East politics is enmeshed in religion, international law, and decades of failed policy, which requires dedication to learn and explain on air. Instead, producers are drawn to images of violence and destruction. Its easier to spend time discussing what is happening at that moment and how to end the military action, rather than what precipitated it.

Last week, after Hamas began firing rockets at Israel, CNN hardly reported on the causes behind the surge in violence. The network gave little time, for instance, to the pending evictions of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. CNN Correspondent Hadas Gold, reporting from Jerusalem, said, Recently, there have been some clashes in a Jerusalem neighborhood called Sheikh Jarrah over the possible evictions of some Palestinian families living there. That was the extent last Saturday, and the network didnt cover the story at all that Sunday. (For comparison, see the useful perspective PBS provided in its coverage last Monday.)

Last Tuesday, CNN aired a two-hour special on the brewing crisis from 3pm to 5pm Eastern Time without explaining why it was happening. Almost every guest was located in Israel; the network didnt feature a single person in a Palestinian territory or neighborhood. There were no questions about the recent Palestinian evictions or actions by Israeli police that instigated Hamas retaliation.

On Wednesday, Jake Tapper dedicated time to the topic, but half of it went to a correspondent in Jerusalem and the other half to the current Israeli ambassador to the United States, who discussed the fear he felt for his parents living in Israel. No one represented the Palestinian perspective.

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Perhaps not surprising, social and print media have tended to give much more contextual information than TV news. Last Wednesday, conservative David Frum retweeted a video of an attack on a man a crowd believed to be Palestinian. The tweet read, What looks like an anti-Arab lynch by a far-right Jewish mob on live TV. However, that video was nowhere to be found on live American TV (the clip was cut from an Israeli source). The New York Times also provided this excellent explainer on why the violence erupted starting with events several weeks ago.

Jeremy Slevin, senior aide to Rep. Ilhan Omar, who issued a strong statement in support of Palestinians, says cable coverage has been worse than expected, given the shifting political sentiment in the wake of the Israeli bombings. In fact, ten representatives spoke on the House floor in favor of Palestinians last Thursday (a notable event that received no airtime on CNN). At a minimum, Slevin thought that the attacks by former president Donald Trump would have been considered made-for-cable material, but even that didnt budge TV producers from their broken formula.

Slevin told me the coverage has been an outrage. He said, The politics are changing, but very slowly, and cable news is behind the curve.

For almost fifteen minutes Thursday night, Chris Cuomo interviewed Tom Friedman, who covered the Middle East for almost a decade, winning a Pulitzer Prize for that reporting, and who wrote the best-selling From Beirut to Jerusalem. And yet, in that whole chunk of prime time, Cuomo didnt ask a single question about Israel.

This week, the network aired video of Palestinan victims of Israeli bombing, but it still hasnt discussed why rockets have started flying again.

This story is too big and too important to keep fouling up. CNN should stop over-simplifying the narrative by focusing on military operations and allow time for some backstory. They would only have to look back a couple of days to do so.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Ariana Pekary is the CJR public editor for CNN. She was an award-winning public radio and MSNBC journalist for two decades. Now she focuses on the systemic flaws of commercial broadcast news. She can be contacted at publiceditors@cjr.org.
SIBLEY, Iowa (AP)  Thick black smoke billowed into the air Sunday after a train derailed in northwest Iowa, prompting authorities to evacuate part of a small, nearby town.

It was the second derailment involving a Union Pacific train last weekend. Another train left the tracks near Goose Lake in Albert Lea, located 100 miles south of the Twins Cities, about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the Albert Lea Police Department said in a Facebook post.

The fiery derailment in Iowa happened around 2 p.m. Sunday on the southwest edge of Sibley, which is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 200 miles (321.87 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines. There were no immediate reports of injuries related to the derailment.

Photos and video of the derailment posted online Sunday show dozens of train cars piled up along the tracks with flames and a large plume of smoke coming from one end of the pile of cars. Local media reports say authorities evacuated an area within 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) of the derailment.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said about 47 railcars came off the tracks during the derailment, but the train crew was not injured. She said the railroad is working with local authorities.

Tysver said the cause of the derailment is under investigation.

Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls told KIWA radio the train was hauling fertilizer and ammonium nitrate.

Nate Minten of Sibley told the Des Moines Register that smoke was still visible around 4:30 p.m. Sunday from his mothers home.

I could see smoke filling up a couple hundred feet at least, said Minten who posted aerial drone video of the derailment online, We didnt hear any bangs or anything.

An emergency text message Minten received about the derailment said the western end of Sibley west of Second Avenue was being evacuated.

In the meantime, authorities say there is no risk to the public as cleanup continues on the train derailment in southeastern Minnesota. More than 20 cars derailed. There were no injuries.

Union Pacific Railroad crews led cleanup efforts over Saturday night and through Sunday, according to police. They had cleared eight cars from the track as of Sunday morning.

Crews also set up air quality monitoring units, which had detected no airborne substances, according to Freeborn County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Rich Hall.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency joined monitoring efforts, Hall said.

Authorities asked the public remain out of the area as crews continue cleanup.

The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

About the photo: Smoke billows from a train derailment, Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Sibley, Iowa. Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said about 47 railcars came off the tracks during the derailment, but the train crew was not injured. (Mason Dockter/Sioux City Journal via AP)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Legal malpractice claims frequency leveled off in 2020, after two years of record payouts and total costs that approached $1 billion, according to a survey by Ames & Gough.

The national brokerage, based in McLean, Virginia, said nine out of 11 carriers surveyed reported that claims frequency decreased or stayed flat last year. By comparison, 80% of carriers said claims frequency increased or stayed the same in 2019. That was the first year since 2013 that most insurers experienced higher claims frequency than the year before.

Ames & Gough said the last two years were the worst on record for legal malpractice claim payouts. There were at least four claims that cost more than $100 million.

The collective market is now apprehensive about claims that may mature post pandemic; with most insurers reporting a significant volume of claims with substantial reserves and large payouts, the report says.

All 11 legal professional liability insurance carriers polled had claims with reserves of more than $500,000 for indemnity and defense costs. Six of the insurers had 21 or more claims with reserves over $500,000.

Nine of the 11 insurers had paid in excess of $50 million for a legal malpractice claim in the past two years. Two paid a claim totaling $150 million to $300 million and four of the carriers had paid a claim costing more than $300 million. Ames & Gough said one claim settled for more than $400 million.

While the full effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies is still largely unknown, there is growing concern among LPLI underwriters that we may well see an increase in legal malpractice claims  similar to past recessionary periods  and that these claims might be slow to develop, the report says.

Ames & Gough said underwriters are concerned that social isolation and economic uncertainty may create high-stress situations that might lead clients to bring legal malpractice claims against their lawyers even when unwarranted.

Trust and estates was the practice area that saw the greatest number of malpractice claims in 2020, followed by business transactions/commercial and corporate and securities. The volume of engagements involving retired Baby Boomers and the economic downturn may have exacerbated the number of trust and estate transactions, the report says.

The high frequency of legal malpractice claims may also be due to developments in case law that enable third parties, such as relatives or family friends, to bring a legal malpractice claim against an attorney who did trust or estate work for an elderly or sick client, Ames & Gough said. The brokerage said lawyers can protect themselves by writing engagement agreements that make it clear who the client is and what services are being offered.

Poor communication is also a frequent cause of malpractice claims.

Insurers expect this phenomenon to become significantly worse during the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report says. Even assuming attorneys are not making more errors while working from home, they are likely communicating more loosely by text and email.

Lawyers must carefully document instructions by their client, inform their clients of decisions and circumstances related to their case, consult with clients about what they hope to accomplish and respond to client requests for information, Ames & Gough said.

The 11 insurers surveyed represent approximately 80% of the 250 top law firms rated by The American Lawyer, Ames & Gough said.
NEW YORK  The billionaire Italian family that until recently owned Brooks Brothers has been accused in a lawsuit of driving the iconic apparel retailer into bankruptcy instead of selling it, to avoid paying millions of dollars to an investor.

In a complaint on Monday, Hong Kong clothing maker Tal Apparel said Claudio Del Vecchio and his son Matteo pressured it to invest $100 million in Brooks Brothers in 2016, and promised it would be made whole if they later sold the retailer for less than $652 million.

The complaint said the Del Vecchios lined up several bids for Brooks Brothers in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not pursue them because they would owe Tal money, and even asked if Tal would take a haircut on any payment.

Instead, the family put Brooks Brothers into Chapter 11 last July, making Tals original investment nearly worthless, according to the complaint in Manhattan federal court.

The defendants include the Del Vecchios and Delfin SARL, a holding company for family investments including eye wear giant EssilorLuxottica and Mediobanca. Claudio Del Vecchio bought Brooks Brothers in 2001.

A person close to the Del Vecchios said: The allegations in the complaint are false and we expect the court will dismiss the case. Delfin, which owns a small Brooks Brothers stake, declined to comment.

Tal is seeking $100 million of damages, less sums received from Brooks Brothers bankruptcy estate.

The 70-year-old family-run firm said it makes one in six dress shirts sold in the United States, and Brooks Brothers had been its largest customer.

Forbes magazine said on Tuesday the Del Vecchio family is worth $27.9 billion.

Founded in 1818, Brooks Brothers is the oldest continually operating U.S. apparel brand, known for its suits, preppy clothing, and dressing 40 U.S. presidents including Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.

A venture backed by licensing company Authentic Brands Group and mall owner Simon Property Group acquired Brooks Brothers in bankruptcy for $325 million.

The case is Castle Apparel Ltd et al v Del Vecchio et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 21-04406.
ST. HELENA, California  Last October, firefighter Ryan Bellanca and his crew battled to keep the raging Glass Fire from devastating an upmarket Napa Valley vineyard.

But Bellanca wasnt working for any fire department. He owns a private company that had been hired to protect the vineyard. Authorities from Cal Fire and the Napa County Sheriffs office eventually stepped in and detained the private firefighters for several hours, according to Bellanca and a sheriffs office report. Bellanca said Cal Fire accused his crew of lighting dangerous backfires and failing to leave an evacuated area.

Bellanca denies lighting backfires  which consume fuel in a wildfires path  but admits his team failed to advise Cal Fire, the states fire agency, that it was in the evacuated area, as required by law.

It was the fog of war, said Bellanca, CEO and owner of Bella Wildfire & Forestry. But we saved an entire mountain that Cal Fire thought was gone. Cal Fire wants it to be just them. If they can set precedent with kicking us out, then they can tell anybody to leave.

The incident highlights how a booming business in private firefighting is creating friction with government firefighters as wildfires grow more frequent and dangerous across the western United States. It also underscores the inequity of who receives protection. Businesses and wealth property owners have growing options to protect themselves, for a price. Meanwhile, homeowners across California are being denied homeowners insurance renewals because of wildfire risk.

Californias largest firefighting union calls the Glass Fire incident a cautionary tale and says it should be further investigated.

When an evacuation order is given, you dont question it. You get the hell out of there, said Brian Rice, who represents more than 30,000 government firefighters as the president of California Professional Firefighters. To us, private firefighters are one more group of civilians, who we need to know where they are. Theyre a liability.

Rice said hes particularly worried about the training and equipment maintenance at smaller mom and pop operations that are not subject to clear regulation.

The Napa County District Attorneys Office in December declined to press charges of unauthorized entry into an emergency area against Bellanca and a handful of other private firefighters who were detained. Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero said there was insufficient evidence that Cal Fire had asked the firefighters to leave, and that the Cal Fire report did not mention backfires. Cal Fire said it was still investigating the incident and declined further comment.

The controversy over private firefighting comes as a record 4.2 million acres burned last year in California amid heat waves and dry-lightning sieges. Climate scientists blame global warming for the increasingly flammable landscape. Expecting the worst this summer, after an unusually dry winter, the state is investing $536 million to improve fire protection and hire nearly 1,400 additional firefighters.

Lets be realistic. Fire season has already started, Governor Gavin Newsom said on April 8, long before the typical summer fire season. Gavin said the state had already seen twice as many fires by early April as last year.

About 280 private companies are involved in preventing or fighting wildfires, up from 197 a decade ago, according to the National Wildfire Suppression Association, a trade group. Most of the firms work in the western United States, for clients including private landowners, insurers and government agencies. The trade group, however, only represents companies with government contracts, so the total number of private fire companies may be higher. Many focus on prevention work rather than fighting fires.

When they do battle blazes, private contractors run the risk of getting in the way or even accelerating a fire, state firefighters warn. Thats because the private groups are focused on saving a particular property rather than protecting entire communities.

Rice of the firefighters union pointed to an incident at Californias Point Reyes National Seashore last year in which two private firefighters were injured by debris from a burning tree. Rice said a professional firefighter would have known not to enter the area. The National Park Service, which manages Point Reyes, said it frequently contracts with private crews to help fight wildfires when government crews are insufficient. It said the two firefighters injuries served as a lesson to better prepare for the unexpected.

Representatives of private fire services companies say they work well with authorities.

We dont see that area of conflict, said David Torgerson, the president of Montana-based Wildfire Defense Systems, which works for insurance companies and says it oversees the nations largest private wildfire service.

Burning Holes In Pockets

Private forestry companies provide a range of services from preventative tree trimming to traditional firefighting when blazes break out. Companies contacted by Reuters declined to disclose their rates.

A recent job advertisement seeking private firefighters in California offered pay of $13 to $15 per hour  far lower than the average of nearly $42 an hour for the states firefighters, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bellanca, whose company has about 30 employees, confirmed that his company was protecting a vineyard during the Glass Fire but declined to name the owner.

A source with knowledge of the arrangement told Reuters Bellancas firm was protecting a property of Jackson Family Wines, which operates about 40 wineries around the world. One of them, Lokoya, is a few minutes drive up from where Bellanca and his crew were detained.

A spokeswoman for Jackson Family Wines, Galen McCorkle, said the company was not involved in this investigation but did not answer questions about whether Bellancas fire company was protecting its vineyard.

The Glass Fire burned 67,484 acres in the Napa and Sonoma regions and destroyed dozens of buildings, including the mansion-like Chateau Boswell winery and a farmhouse containing storage, bottling and fermentation facilities at the Tuscan castle-style Castello di Amorosa. Six months later, the smell of ash still floats among the charred trees that dot vineyard-covered hillsides.

Castello di Amorosa winery, a 175-acre property in Napa Valley, said that, after the fire, it invested some $100,000 in gear and equipment for a new fire-protection team, made up of eight employees.

The 2020 wildfires will cost the California wine industry about $3 billion through 2028 chiefly because of grapes that were destroyed or ruined by smoke, according to an estimate by Jon Moramarco, managing partner of alcohol industry consultancy bw166.

A Napa Valley wine industry executive predicted that demand for private firefighting will continue to increase because vineyards are struggling get strapped government crews onto their property.

Cal Fire did not respond to questions about whether it had enough firefighters to handle last years blazes.

California also saw a 31% increase in homeowners being dropped by their insurance from 2018 to 2019, mostly in areas with high wildfire risk, according to the California Department of Insurance. The state government has responded by ordering moratoriums on rejected renewals in certain wildfire-prone areas.

Wealthy homeowners can turn to insurance companies like PURE, which offers wildfire protection for homes that would cost more than $1 million to rebuild.

Go West

Texas-based private firefighter Ian Shelly, 45, can make up to $40,000 during a few months of fire season work in the west. But disaster struck last summer, when he and his 63-year old mother Diana Jones were hired by an Oregon-based firefighting company.

In the Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 31, Jones hopped into a truck and drove backwards to flee from a growing blaze, according to a Cal Fire report reviewed by Reuters.

A crew leader yelled stop! repeatedly over the radio to Jones, the report said. But the truck slid into the fire and Jones died, trapped in the vehicle. Shelly said his mother had been fighting fires for more than five years and had ample training. After her death, he said he agonized over whether to keep battling blazes.

There were several times I was ready to wash my hands of fire entirely. But I know that mom wouldnt want that, said Shelly, a former mechanic who has four children. This is what I do, this is what I know.
Claremore, OK (74018)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 73F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
AKRON, Ohio  The Akron Zoo will open a new area, the Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia, on Saturday, May 29.

The area will feature white-cheeked gibbons, Sumatran tigers and red pandas.

Milo and Parker, a bonded pair of gibbons, arrived at the Akron Zoo from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. The decision to add the gibbons was based on feedback from Summit County residents who wanted to see more primates at the zoo. Milo is 21-years-old and has black and white fur, while Parker, 19, has tan and white fur. The pair will reside in a large habitat that features indoor and outdoor areas. The exhibit also includes a treehouse and a slide for zoo visitors.

The new Sumatran tiger habitat will feature innovative habitats for male tiger Eko, 3, and female tiger Diburu, 3. Since tigers prefer to live alone, each tiger will have its own habitat complete with a pool, cave and tiger skylight, among other amenities. Eko came to the zoo from the Oklahoma City Zoo and Diburu is from San Diego Safari Park.

Wild Asia will also debut a new habitat for red panda triplets Coco, Lulu and Penny. The 1-year-old pandas are from the Kansas City Zoo. The trio has recently been featured on the zoos web series, Panda Palace.

The Akron Zoo is accredited through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo takes part in numerous Species Survival Plans, which are scientifically managed breeding programs that seek to aid endangered species through genetic diversity. The zoo has a breeding recommendation for its Sumatran tigers and white-cheeked gibbons.

Summer zoo hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors and $10 for children ages 2-14. Children under 2 are free. Tickets must be purchased on the zoo website in advance.

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BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- City Council President James Pasch announced during Monday (May 17) nights online meeting that he will not be running for re-election this fall.

Pasch read a statement during the meeting that began by telling how friends and residents have, over the past few weeks, been asking him if he would pull petitions to run for a third term as a City Council member.

Serving the people of our city and those who live and work here has been, and continues to be, an honor and a privilege, Pasch said. In my humble opinion, there is no greater honor than public service. I am incredibly proud of all that weve been able to do and accomplish over the last eight years.

With that being said, having spent eight years as a City Council member, including time as council vice president and now president, at the end of this year, it is time to hand the baton to others.

Pasch served as Beachwood councils first vice president, a position created in 2016, for four years, and was unanimously voted by his colleagues as president in January 2020 after former council president Brian Linick was not re-elected to council in 2019.

Pasch will serve out the rest of his term, through Dec. 31 of this year.

In his statement Monday, Pasch noted that when he first ran for council in 2013, he made specific promises that he has kept.

I talked about increased transparency at city hall, he said. Simply put, the free flow of information at the time did not meet 21st century standards. Now, our meetings are live-streamed and recorded, theyre on TV and the city website, (and) our council packets are published online so that the public has the same backup information we receive as members of council.

I promised I would make our citys anti-discrimination laws reflect our values and protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, he said. Our city now has a comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance so that everyone that lives and works in our city is protected under our citys ordinances.

I promised to fight for a city that values all its residents. And when our former President (Donald Trump) announced his discriminatory immigration ban, I led council in passing a resolution declaring Beachwood a welcoming city for all its residents.

Pasch said that council, during his time as president, worked to institute a complete overhaul of the citys zoning code in a way that expands our economic opportunities.

He said that council has also expanded the relationship between the city and the Beachwood School District.

This past year, however, proved to be more challenging than any other during my time on council because of the pandemic, he said. Nothing has been more important than ensuring the safety of residents and the people who work for our city during the past year.

Speaking to residents, Pasch said: The greatest gift I have received in public service was that you have let me into your lives. So many of you have made a great impact on my life.

Pasch said among the people he has met is George Carr, an attorney who has pulled petitions to run for council this fall. Pasch said Carr has his full support.

In closing, Pasch said a good council member must listen to his constituents.

I will keep listening over the course of this year, Pasch said, and I will keep listening for all of the years to come. Thank you, Beachwood.

Read more from the Sun Press.
SOLON, Ohio -- Rich Parker, the citys director of recreation, says both of its outdoor swimming pools will be in full operation this summer.

Parker, who also manages the Solon Community Center, relayed that good news to City Council Monday (May 17).

The fun will start on Memorial Day weekend, as the outdoor pool at the Solon Community Center, 35000 Portz Parkway, will be open May 29-31. Hours will be 1 to 6 p.m. for those three days, Parker said.

Regular hours for the Community Center pool will be extended from June 4 through Aug. 17, but have not been finalized yet, he said. Residents should check the citys website, solonohio.org, for reservation times when that information becomes available.

The Solon Municipal Pool, at 33655 Arthur Road, will also be open throughout the summer, from June 4 through Aug. 17, Parker said. That pool also will remain open from Aug. 19 through Sept. 30, he added.

The Solon Municipal Pool did open for two months last summer, but with some restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The outdoor pool at the Solon Community Center remained closed throughout the summer.

Masks required until June 2

Mayor Ed Kraus also told council Monday that city officials have decided to keep the requirement for wearing face masks indoors, at City Hall and other public buildings, in place until June 2.

Obviously, come June 2, things will be changing dramatically, he said.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday (May 12) that Ohio will lift the state face mask mandate and all remaining coronavirus health orders, except those for nursing homes and assisted living facilities, on June 2.

Indoor activities for seniors

Jill Frankel, the citys director of senior services, said the Solon Senior Center will resume limited indoor activities with a phased-in approach at the beginning of June.

We began in-person outdoor activities in April, and there has been a lot of excitement for those, just to return to in person, she said. Outdoors really is the safest place for everyone to be, and we plan on doing that throughout this milder weather.

New software program

Frankel said the Senior Center is also looking forward to transitioning to CivicRec, the new membership and program registration software for the recreation department, senior services and Solon Center for the Arts that was approved by council Monday.

We think its going to be easier for the seniors who already learned to transition this year to online registration, she said.

The software package was purchased through the citys General Services Administration Cooperative Purchasing Program at a cost of $39,030 for the first year and $28,125 for the second year.

Ward 3 Councilman Jeremy Zelwin said the city sought new online software for those departments because MaxGalaxy, the previous recreation software program, needed to be replaced due to server issues and other factors.

New commission member

Council also confirmed Kraus appointment of Stephen Fein to the citys Charter Review Commission, representing Ward 6.

Fein replaces Brian Maiden, who resigned from the commission May 11 after being unable to attend any of its meetings since the first one April 8.

The commission has met four times since then and is scheduled to meet again at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at City Hall.

Memorial Day ceremony

The city will have a Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. May 31 at Roselawn Cemetery. Vice Mayor Nancy Meany encouraged residents to attend so we can honor our veterans.

No meeting July 5

Council voted to cancel its meeting that was scheduled for July 5, rather than reschedule it for July 6. The city is observing the July 4 holiday on July 5. Meany said a special council meeting could be scheduled that week if necessary.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  With demand lagging in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine is taking a game-show approach to incentivize more residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning May 26, Ohio will hold weekly lottery drawings to award five $1 million prizes to residents whove been vaccinated. The idea is to spur more residents to get the shot before June 2, when Ohio will lift nearly all of its coronavirus restrictions.

The flashy approach sparked an immediate, nationwide debate over the merits of dangling the carrot of a large cash prize in exchange for getting the vaccine.

Some believe Ohio should use the combined $5 million elsewhere, such as additional stimulus payments for residents who remain unemployed or more rental assistance for tenants who face eviction.

Others are focused on the question of whether a lottery is best way to persuade someone to get the vaccine. Is it ethical to try to convince someone to take a vaccine by offering the chance at $1 million? And is it even going to work?

Experts in psychology, economics and health ethics told cleveland.com they are split on the idea of holding a lottery to incentivize residents to take the vaccine. It doesnt address the underlying issues why someone hasnt gotten it by now, and some of those concerns could be related to legitimate, unanswered questions that need to be addressed. They also worry that offering a prize in exchange for getting the shot creates a precedent for the future, which could be important if there is a need to receive a booster shot to protect against coronavirus variants or if the COVID-19 vaccine becomes annual like the flu shot.

Its also unclear whether a lottery will be effective. It might convince someone who isnt opposed to the vaccine but hasnt been motivated to get it. But barriers still exist for others, such as adults who are unable to take time off from a job to make an appointment. And someone who is anti-vaccine for political or ideological reasons is unlikely to be persuaded by a small chance at a big payout, experts said.

Its definitely time to be thinking creatively about how to promote vaccination, said Emily Largent, an assistant professor in medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine. I think financial incentives are a part of that, but theyre not the whole solution.

At least one other state is also using a financial incentive to entice its residents to get vaccinated. West Virginia is offering a $100 savings bond to anyone aged 16 to 35 who gets the shot. The idea is to convince teens and young adults who might not be as motivated to make an appointment, because theyre at lower risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.

Financial incentives like the lottery could be most effective for someone who isnt totally opposed to getting the vaccine, said Richard Petty, a psychology professor at Ohio State University. That could be a large group: A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found just 34% of Americans who remain unvaccinated said they definitely wont get the shot.

It almost provides a way to feel like I didnt change my mind, Im just doing it for the money, Petty said. It provides a way out, potentially, for someone who needs that excuse.

The main issue with financial incentives, though, is that they dont solve the underlying issues that led to someones delay in getting the vaccine. Polls have found that many Americans have delayed getting the shot because they dont fully trust the vaccines or the process that led to their emergency use authorizations.

The chance at $1 million does nothing to address those concerns, said Dominique Brossard, the chair of the department of life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin.

Either money incentives or the lottery doesnt particularly build trust in the system, she said. It makes it sound like a game.

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine at MetroHealth in Cleveland. Experts believe Ohio's idea for a vaccine lottery could motivate some to get the shot, but it may not work for those who are strongly anti-vaccine.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Could a lottery change someones mind?

There are generally two approaches to modifying someones behavior, Petty said. The first is to modify someones beliefs. For the COVID-19 vaccine, that involves persuading them its safe, effective and beneficial because high vaccination rates could help society return to normal.

The second is compliance. If you cant change someones beliefs, it might be possible to incentivize them to do something. Think of a parent paying a child $5 to vacuum the house, Petty said.

Experts dont believe the lottery will be particularly effective at persuading someone who is adamantly opposed to getting the vaccine. The odds of winning Ohios contest are better than the odds of winning the traditional lottery, but theyre still less than one-in-1 million.

If people realize its just a drawing, and the odds are not in their favor, it might not actually be as compelling as a guaranteed smaller payment, Largent said.

However, the lottery or other financial incentives could be particularly compelling for young adults, said Seema Jayachandran, an economics professor at the University of Northwestern. Teens and young adults may be less motivated to get the shot because data shows theyre less likely to develop severe illness of die from COVID-19. The lottery could provide the incentive they need to make an appointment.

In a lot of college students, just like they might procrastinate on their studies, theyll procrastinate on getting a vaccine or just dont think its worth the hassle, Jayachandran said. But if you made that deal a little bit more enticing with some money, you could tip some people to doing it.

Jayachandran is more skeptical of West Virginias use of $100 savings bonds to motivate teens and young adults. Generation Z grew up with the internet and smart phones, so they tend to be used to instant results. Cash payments are more likely to motivate them than a savings bond, Jayachandran said.

Another concern surrounding financial incentives is that they might backfire and reinforce someones skepticism. Some experts have suggested that offering someone a payment, or the chance at a big payout, for getting the vaccine could unintentionally suggest theres a risk involved.

Petty isnt concerned by that possibility, though. That could have been the case if incentives had been used from the beginning of the vaccine rollout. But theres been ample time for someone to observe the rollout, and most understand the lottery is being offered because vaccination rates are lagging, he said.

Everyone knows millions of people have taken it, Petty said. Its literally just an incentive.

A nurse administers the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine inside the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management's new Community Resource Unit March 29 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Experts said further investment in mobile clinics or other ways to bring the vaccine to the community could be more effective than Ohio's idea for a shot at $1 million. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

Is there a better approach?

Even if the lottery or payments might work, experts are split on whether its truly the right solution.

The lottery doesnt solve the fundamental issue that many Ohio residents have likely delayed making a vaccine appointment because they still have questions. They are looking for more information on side effects, or how the vaccines were developed and tested. The lottery doesnt provide answers.

If someone had very serious concerns about whether these vaccines were safe, it doesnt mean money cant be helpful in pushing them to get it, Jayachandran said. But you want to pair that with dispelling or listening to their concerns.

While the lottery is likely to be an effective marketing tool for the vaccines, experts believe Ohio might have been better served by additional efforts to increase access to the shots.

The state, local governments, and hospitals are already investing in mobile or pop-up clinics in low-income neighborhoods or areas where vaccination rates are lagging. But another $5 million could fund additional pop-up clinics in areas where someone might have easy access to a vaccine during their daily routine, such as outside a pharmacy or a grocery store.

Largent noted that if not everyone has equal access to the vaccine, having a lottery based on whos gotten the shot could be problematic.

This has been a pandemic of disparities from the beginning, she said. And we still see evidence that thats happening with vaccination.

Part of the reason some experts and government officials are hesitant to recommend financial incentives is they set a precedent for future vaccination efforts. That could be particularly notable with COVID-19, because Moderna and Pfizer have already announced they are working on booster shots to protect against more contagious coronavirus variants.

Its also unclear how long the protection offered by the vaccine will last. Experts have said its possible the COVID-19 will need to be taken annually, like the flu shot. Everyone who gets the shot so they can participate in the lottery may expect a similar incentive in the future, Brossard said.

Its kind of a short-term, easy solution to a problem that is complex, she said. Wed be better off investing in hearing what people have to say, in order to build community confidence in the vaccine in the long run.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Northwest Ohio resident admitted Tuesday that he planned to carry out a mass shooting at a synagogue to show his allegiance to ISIS.

Damon Joseph, 23, of Holland pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Toledo to charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to commit a hate crime. He faces 20 years in prison when Judge Jack Zouhary sentences him Sept. 14.

Authorities arrested Joseph on Dec. 7, 2018, moments after he grabbed a duffel bag that contained two semi-automatic rifles from an undercover FBI agents car. Unbeknownst to Joseph, agents disabled the weapons.

Jewish community leaders condemned the plot and praised federal authorities for stopping it before anyone was hurt. After Josephs arrest, the Anti-Defamation League cited the fact that the plot came just weeks after 11 people were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Its shocking to hear another attack was being planned, Jeremy Pappas, then-the director of the Anti-Defamation Leagues Cleveland regional office, said.

The investigation began when the FBI learned of Josephs postings on social media. Undercover agents, posing as sympathizers, connected with Joseph online about ISIS, and he sent videos about the terrorist group. He spoke, however, of wanting to do more, records show.

In October, just days after the shootings in Pittsburgh, Joseph discussed his hatred of Jews, prosecutors said.

My opinion is the Jews are evil, and they get whats coming to them, Joseph told an agent, adding, I dont feel bad at all considering what theyre doing in Palestine.

He also told the undercover officer, I can see myself carrying out this type of operation.

Joseph went by the name Abdullah Ali Yusuf. The charges said he sought to harm members of the Toledo Jewish community at an undisclosed location.

Besides speaking with undercover officers online, Joseph also recruited a person whom he believed was an ISIS supporter. That person also was an FBI agent.

On Dec. 6, 2018, he met with the agent and drove to a synagogue. He discussed the attack and how he would carry it out, authorities said. Joseph said he wanted to obtain two rifles and two pistols. He feared that 30 rounds wouldnt be enough and stated that he wanted to cause a massacre, prosecutors said in documents.

The next day, the agent provided the rifles and arrested him moments later.

In an oral statement to law enforcement officers, [Joseph] confirmed his intention to carry out the attack and his desire to cause mass casualties in support of ISIS, prosecutors wrote.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Prosecutors on Tuesday rested their case against a U.S. Army soldier charged with murder in the shooting deaths of three people in a shooting at a New Years Eve party in 2018.

The state called dozens of witnesses over five days of testimony in the trial of Tevin Biles-Thomas. Of them, only two identified him as firing shots in a shootout that came after someone attacked Biles-Thomas cousin, Devaughn Gibson, at the party in an Airbnb above a pizza shop on Clevelands West Side.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Joan Synenberg told jurors on Tuesday to disregard a portion of one of the identifying witness testimony. The other took the stand and wavered under cross-examination on whether he saw Biles-Thomas fire a gun at the party.

No DNA evidence ties Biles-Thomas to the shooting. Police did not recover a gun.

Biles-Thomas and his defense attorneys have not signaled if they plan to call any witnesses before the trial concludes with closing arguments.

Biles-Thomas is charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and perjury in the deaths of Gibson, Delvaunte Johnson and Toshaun Banks. If convicted of the most severe charges, he faces life in prison.

Prosecutors presented during opening statements that they believed either Delvaunte Johnson or Toshaun Banks pushed Gibson up against a refrigerator and Biles-Thomas pulled out his gun. Johnson also had a pistol and the two exchanged gunfire, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Biles-Thomas shot and killed Johnson and Banks, and Gibbs was shot by bullets from two different guns. Johnson was shot five times in the head, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson testified Monday.

But the picture that emerged from trial testimony was much less concise. Most of the party-goers said they were focused more on reveling or a specific person at the party and did not see the shooting in the kitchen.

Witness IDs shooter, then wavers

The states key witness from the party was Macquise Lewis, who testified Tuesday that his back was turned when he heard gunshots. He turned around and saw a man wearing a blue jacket, gold-rimmed glasses and Timberland boots shooting at Johnson and Banks.

I saw my friends get murdered, Lewis said on the stand.

Lewis pointed to Biles-Thomas at the defense table and identified him as the gunman.

Lewis testified as part of a plea deal with prosecutors who agreed to reduce a felony tampering with evidence charge Lewis faced for taking Johnsons gun from the scene to a misdemeanor in exchange for his testimony against Biles-Thomas.

On cross-examination, defense attorney Joe Patituce played video of Lewis from April 2019 where Cleveland police detectives showed him a photo lineup with Biles-Thomas photograph in it, and he did not pick him out. Lewis also told detectives that the shooter was wearing a blue or black jean jacket.

Lewis maintained Biles-Thomas was the shooter because of his Timberland boots.

There was only one person with Timberland boots at that party that night, he said.

Patituce then showed him a video of two other people wearing Timberland boots as they walked out of the party.

You didnt actually see Tevin Biles-Thomas pull the trigger that night. Youve been going off of what youve been told, Patituce said.

Lewis hesitated before he replied, I guess so.

Patituce also attacked Lewis over why he took the gun from the scene of his friends shooting. Lewis gave a statement to prosecutors when he pleaded guilty that he picked the bloody gun up from the floor near Johnsons head and drove from the apartment to Edgewater Park and chucked it into Lake Erie. He said it was a scared reaction.

Patituce asked if he did that because the gun was tied to another shooting. Lewis denied it.

Patituce also peppered Lewis with questions about his May 2020 arrest with a 9mm pistol in his car. Lewis was free on bond on his tampering with evidence charge at the time of his arrest in Warrensville Heights, and police filed a felony carrying a concealed weapon charge against him. The case was boundover to the Cuyahoga County grand jury, but prosecutors declined to bring charges against Lewis.

Lewis said that he lied to police at first but that he was telling the truth on Tuesday when he identified Biles-Thomas as the shooter.

There aint no point in lying no more, Lewis said.

Jurors told to disregard testimony

Lewis testimony came after another witness, Jozette Brown, testified on Friday that the shooter pulled a gun from the front pocket of a blue or black swooshy jacket that Biles-Thomas was wearing in the security video. A bullet grazed Brown during the gunfight.

She initially identified another persons photograph but testified that she knew Biles-Thomas was the shooter after seeing his photograph in news stories about the arrest.

Synenberg on Tuesday told the jury that they could not consider as evidence a statement from a witness who claimed the defendant was the shooter because the witness saw it in the news. Synenberg did not name Brown, but the statement mirrored an instruction that Biles-Thomas attorneys requested related to Browns testimony.

Near Mistrial

Tuesday afternoon also brought a motion from Patituce asking Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Joan Synenberg to declare a mistrial. Synenberg previously instructed jurors to disregard statements that Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Gregory Mussman made during opening statements about Biles-Thomas invoking his right to have an attorney with him when he spoke about the killing of his cousin.

She told prosecutors during a sidebar not to mention Biles-Thomas wanting an attorney again.

On Tuesday, Mussman began to read from a grand jury transcript a question in which a prosecutor noted that Biles-Thomas had previously said he wanted an attorney. Patituce objected and asked Synenberg to declare a mistrial. Synenberg spent several minutes outside the courtroom deliberating, and members of the prosecution sat motionless at the table in her absence. She returned and overruled the motion but warned prosecutors that there would be no more mentions of Biles-Thomas invoking his right to an attorney without consequence.

Biles-Thomas statements

Biles-Thomas told the grand jurors that he didnt have a gun that night and didnt see the shooting either. He said he, Gibson and Mauk had been hanging out all day drinking and had gone to Slymans for corned beef sandwiches before Mauk got invited to the party. Biles-Thomas said he drove Mauk in his new Chevrolet Camaro and Gibson drove separately and met them at the party.

Biles-Thomas said he walked into the party, heard gunshots and ran out of the apartment with Mauk. He said he assumed that Gibson had made it out as well but did not try to check up on him that night because he assumed he was with a girl.

He then went back to Georgia the next day because he said he needed to get his Army uniform dry cleaned and prepare for training to become a sergeant.

After the shooting, police obtained a warrant to get a sample of Biles-Thomass DNA from him. A Georgia sergeant testified Tuesday that he showed up with a warrant and served it to Biles-Thomas. The sergeant said that Biles-Thomas asked him, Is this from Cleveland, Ohio? Because I havent done anything, Georgia. I mean, I havent done anything at all.

Reese also told Biles-Thomas that if he acted in self-defense, he needed to say so. Biles-Thomas maintained he didnt shoot.

Read more stories

Witnesses in Cleveland triple murder trial arrested after failing to show up to testify

Army soldier charged with murder opened fire at Cleveland New Years Eve party after cousin was attacked, prosecutor says

Jury selection set to begin in trial of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles brother charged with murder in Cleveland New Years Eve party shooting

Prosecutors refute defense claims that investigation into Cleveland New Years Eve 2018 triple shooting was improper

Lawyers say Simone Biles brother indicted in Cleveland triple slaying without evidence and after improper interrogation
AKRON, Ohio  A 7-year-old boy accidentally shot himself after he found his mothers gun hidden under a couch, and the woman is now facing criminal charges, according to police.

The boys mother, Deatrice Woodall, 42, has been charged with endangering children, weapons under disability, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, possession of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

Officers were called to the 700 block of Clay Street in South Akron at about 8:50 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived, they found the boy with wounds to his hand and leg, police say.

The boy was taken to Akron Childrens Hospital and his wounds were not life-threatening, according to police.

Police say Woodall admitted that she had left the weapon under a couch and that her son had somehow found and it and shot himself. Officers searched a vehicle at the location and recovered a gun Woodall placed in the car, as well as suspected methamphetamines, cash, and a digital scale, police say.

The boy and another child were transferred into the custody of Summit County Childrens Services.

More crime-related content on cleveland.com:

Cleveland woman dies after being shot by boyfriend, police say

Police investigating link between Garfield Heights homicide and Cleveland shooting that killed two

Cleveland man dies from gunshot after a night out drinking with friends

Witnesses in Cleveland triple murder trial arrested after failing to show up to testify

Cleveland FBI releases surveillance images of four suspected in nine recent carjackings
CLEVELAND, Ohio Three teenagers accused of committing nine carjackings in the Cleveland-area, including eight in a three-day span, are in custody, according to the FBI.

FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said agents arrested a 16-year-old boy late Monday, a second turned himself in early Tuesday and agents arrested a third Tuesday afternoon.

The teens are charged with aggravated robbery in connection with one of the nine carjackings. One other teen is charged in connection with the same incident. Anderson said agents and local police are still searching for him.

The group is accused of committing the carjackings in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Euclid and Willoughby. The group used stolen cars in subsequent carjackings, the FBI previously said.

The group shot one of the carjacking victims in Euclid, and shot at an off-duty police officer in another in Cleveland Heights, according to the FBI. They also grabbed a womans hair and threw her to the ground in Brooklyn, bear-hugged a woman during a carjacking in Willoughby.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors have charged several teens and adults in connection with four separate armed-carjacking rings in Cleveland so far in 2021.

Read more from cleveland.com:

Cleveland FBI releases surveillance images of four suspected in nine recent carjackings

3 teens arrested, linked to more than 30 carjackings and car thefts in Cleveland, police say

10 teens involved in rash of carjackings, shot, pistol-whipped and robbed way across Cleveland, police reports show

Teen arrested in Cleveland carjacking spree recently released from house arrest for previous carjacking case, records show
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A woman is dead after she crashed into two other vehicles on the Jennings Freeway near the Spring Road overpass in Old Brooklyn.

The crashed happened shortly after 2 p.m. Friday. A 26-year-old woman in a Kia Forte was southbound on the Jennings Freeway when she struck the rear end of a Chevrolet Malibu, Cleveland police said. Investigators said the woman failed to stop for the slower moving traffic ahead of her.

The womans car continued moving and crashed into a another vehicle that was driven by a 57-year-old woman.

Paramedics took the Kia driver to MetroHealth where she was pronounced dead. Cleveland police did not report injuries from the other two vehicles involved in the crash.

The 41-year-old woman in the Malibu suffered no injuries.
This article is from Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join their free mailing list, as this helps provide more public service reporting.

When Matthew Bishop started getting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance a year ago, it pulled him out of a tight spot. Bishop, who runs a small company called Gutenberg Author Services, lost all his customers when the economy imploded in March, and had moved out of his group house and in with his parents because he couldnt make rent. PUA was a lifeline.

But in April, the state told him he owes $20,000 because he was overpaid.

Tens of thousands of overpaid Ohioans could be eligible to have their debt wiped out. But when the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services tells people theyve been overpaid, the notices dont mention that a repayment waiver might be available.

Thats leaving people like Bishop in a panic as they stare down bills they cant possibly pay. Bishop said he contacted both his Ohio representative and senator, and filed an appeal online, but he hasnt gotten a hearing date.

I dont have a lawyer, Bishop said. I dont really know what Im doing.

Over 1 million Ohioans have received PUA assistance. In the months since the system was launched, however, the state found that it approved some people by mistake, or didnt have enough paperwork to make a determination.

After seven requests for PUA overpayment data between March 12 and April 26, ODJFS spokesman Bret Crow said he expected data to be available in a few weeks. In a press conference Monday, interim Director Matt Damschroder said the state gave out $1.2 billion in accidental PUA payments between the launch of the system last May and February of this year. Non-fraud overpayments, Damschroder said, could include a case where someone wasnt aware they were supposed to report any money they made each week, or where an ODJFS employee mistakenly waved through an application that had a problem. Thats not including fraudulent payments, where a claimant deliberately lied to get money they werent entitled to have.

The state has always had the option to waive overpayments for traditional unemployment insurance if the mistake happened on the states side, and the unemployed person would have trouble repaying. When the PUA program launched, the state didnt have the same flexibility to forgive those overpayments, but Congress changed that with the CARES Act extension in December 2020.

Damschroder said ODJFS received federal guidance about waivers only recently, so the department is still sussing out what waiver requirements could be, or whether ODJFS will forgive some overpayments automatically through a blanket waiver. He said there will be more information about that soon.

Michelle Wrona, with Community Legal Aid in Youngstown, said many of the clients who ask her organization for help dont know they can ask for a waiver. Every week, the state takes back half of the benefits clients qualify for to pay down the overpayment balance. And, Wrona says, if they dont clear the balance, they may not be able to get unemployment assistance for the next three years.

That safety net is gone for years to come, Wrona said. We cant have people three years out to the future after the pandemic still feeling the financial effect.

According to Wrona, ODJFS officials told Legal Aid representatives early in 2021 that the agency would set up a formal process for requesting a waiver through their website. But, four months after Congress allowed PUA overpayment waivers, theres still no formal pipeline.

Rep. Lisa Sobecki proposed a bill in February to automatically waive any overpayment caused by a mistake by ODJFS, but the bill hasnt moved since it was referred to the Insurance Subcommittee later that month.

For now, Wrona said, the best way to get an overpayment waiver is to log in on the ODJFS online portal, find a notice about the claimants overpayment status, and click an option to file a late appeal.

Jeri Lindner says thats how she got her overpayment waived  though it wasnt easy. She said she filed seven appeals before she was finally given a hearing date for February. After a ten-minute conversation with the hearing officer, she received a notice that her PUA balance had been waived.

But repayments are still being deducted from her weekly benefits.

I have contacted [ODJFS] every day since, and I am starting back at the beginning, she said. No one knows anything.

She said that one ODJFS representative she spoke to on the phone said shed never heard of overpayment waivers and didnt think they existed.

For people like Bishop and Lindner, Damschroder recommended patience.

Certainly for individuals who have experienced an overpayment  again by no fault of their own, Damschroder said, as hard as it is to hear, the best thing I can say is, Hold tight. Were working on the policy.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Get the coronavirus news from around the world, read more about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and see more stories trending online today.

Top stories

Biden supports cease-fire between Israel, Hamas in call to Netanyahu (AP)

Pence slams Biden for weakness in handling of Israel-Hamas conflict (NBC News)

Biden, Harris Release Federal Tax Returns (US News & World Report)

Monthly child tax credit payments for parents to start in July (cleveland.com)

What The New Monthly Child Tax Credits Mean For You And Your Family (NPR)

Columbus city council approves $10 million settlement with family of Andre Hill (NBC)

US investigates second suspected case of mystery syndrome near White House (CNN)

Huge numbers of abortion cases heading to Supreme Court to test limits of Roe v. Wade (USA Today)

Senate advances a rare bipartisan deal on countering China (Politico)

GOP-dominated Arizona board of supervisors call for end to election audit (CBS)

Coronavirus news

Cuomo Set to Receive $5.1 Million From Pandemic Book Deal (NY Times)

More places in the US lift mask mandates. One local leader says the honor system is already not working (CNN)

California will stay masked for another month (AP)

More Covid-19 Hospital Patients Are Younger (WSJ)

U.S. will send 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad (CBS News)

Ricky Schroder confronts Costco employee about masks (NBC)

Carnival Cruise Line in Talks With the CDC To Resume Cruises in July (Cruise Fever)

Other trending headlines

New WHO study links overwork to 745K deaths a year (The Hill)

Lamborghini announces plan for a fully-electric car by 2030 (CNBC)

Ariana Grande marries Dalton Gomez in intimate ceremony (BBC)

Bob Baffert suspended by New York Racing Association ahead of Belmont Stakes (CBS Sports)

Book Monicas apartment from Friends for an overnight stay (GMA)
COLUMBUS, OhioA bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers unveiled plans Tuesday to reform the states bail system, arguing the current system unfairly decides who remains behind bars based on the amount of money they have.

Under twin bills introduced in the Ohio House and Senate, judges would be granted leeway to determine for themselves, within 24 hours of a defendants arrest, whether he or she should be released following their arrest.

Within 48 hours of a defendants arrest, a judge would have to hold a conditions of release hearing, during which the judge would decide whether to set bail or impose some other restriction (such as GPS monitoring or probation requirements, among other options). Right now, an Ohio Supreme Court rule requires judges to set the least restrictive conditions necessary for public safety  these new bills would put that requirement in state law, rather than just in court rules.

What this bill does is, instead of having that initial decision, before you ever see a judge, hinge on how much money you have, it would instead hinge on whether or not you actually pose a threat, said Claire Chevrier, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

Judges would also, for the first time, be required to put into writing their reasoning behind the conditions of release they set for each defendant.

If the judge decides to set bail, the new legislation would create a formula to calculate bail amounts based on defendants income, expenses, and debts. Current law, by contrast, sets fixed bail amounts based on the crimes defendants are accused of.

Finally, the bills would allow judges to detain defendants accused of felony domestic violence or felony violation of a protection order.

Judges are already allowed to order preventive detention for first- and second-degree felonies, such as murder, but right now they usually opt instead to set a huge bond. One example is Cleveland kidnapper/rapist Ariel Castro -- who, instead of being detained, had his bond set at $8 million following his 2013 arrest.

State Rep. David Leland, a Columbus Democrat, is co-sponsoring the House version of the bail-reform bill (which as of early Tuesday afternoon had not yet been assigned a bill number). In a release, Leland asserted that, on any given day, more than 60% of people in Ohio jails are there not because theyve been convicted of a crime, but because they cant afford to pay cash bail.

People stuck in jail because they cant afford bail lose their jobs, their homes, and even custody of their children, Leland said in a statement. He cited studies showing that cash bail disproportionately harms people of color, makes Ohioans less safe, and that bail reform would save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Lives are ended over the near-inability, in some cases, to come up with $500, said state Rep. Brett Hillyer, a Tuscarawas County Republican co-sponsoring the legislation. You spend several days in jail waiting for your hearing. You cant really help with your defense, because your cell phones been confiscated by the police. You cant really communicate with your family to let them know where you are.

So far, 45 of 99 members of the Ohio House have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, a longtime supporter of bail reform, has also voiced support for the legislation.

State Sen. Rob McColley, a Napoleon Republican co-sponsoring the Senate version of the bill  Senate Bill 182  noted that he introduced a bail-reform bill last session, but it went nowhere. He said that was because the legislature ran out of time to act before session ended and because it included some additional data requirements that arent in the new bills.

State Sen. Stephen Huffman, a Tipp City Republican, expressed confidence that both chambers are going to look at it very objectively and move quickly.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mark your calendar for July 15 if youve got kids aged 17 or under.

Thats the day roughly 39 million households around the country, covering some 88 percent of the nations children, will get their first monthly payment from the expanded and newly advanceable Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service announced Monday.

The one-time Child Tax Credit expansion for the 2021 tax year will give eligible parents $300 per month for each child under age 6, and $250 for each child ages 6 to 17, including children who turn age 17 in 2021. Starting in July, the Internal Revenue Service will start sending the payments on the 15th of each month, unless it falls on a weekend or holiday. Before the American Rescue Plan, taxpayers couldnt claim the credit until they filed their taxes.

We are getting you a tax cut this year, now, when you need it and not have to wait, President Joe Biden said Monday.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who sought the expanded tax credits inclusion in the American Rescue Plan, said it will help lift millions of children out of poverty. He said hes urging Biden to make the expanded tax credits permanent in the next recovery plan he sends to Congress.

The expansion of the Child Tax Credit is one of the most transformative policies to come out of Washington in generations, said a statement from Brown. The CTC is one of the best tools we have to lift children out of poverty and put money in the pockets of working families.

The Treasury Department said households covering more than 65 million children will receive the monthly CTC payments through direct deposit, paper check or debit cards. Most taxpayers wont have to do anything to receive their payments, but Treasury and the IRS say theyll be conducting outreach to make more more families aware of their eligibility.

For tax year 2021, families claiming the Child Tax Credit will receive up to $3,000 per qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17 at the end of 2021. They will receive $3,600 per qualifying child under age 6 at the end of 2021. Under the prior law, the amount of the CTC was up to $2,000 per qualifying child under the age of 17 at the end of the year.

The increased amounts will be phased out for incomes over $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return and qualifying widows or widowers, $112,500 for heads of household, and $75,000 for all other taxpayers.

Advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit will be made regularly from July through December to eligible taxpayers who have a main home in the United States for more than half the year. The total of the advance payments will be up to 50 percent of the Child Tax Credit. Advance payments will be estimated from information included in eligible taxpayers 2020 tax returns or their 2019 returns if the 2020 returns are not filed and processed yet.

The IRS urges people with children to file their 2020 tax returns as soon as possible to make sure theyre eligible for the correct Child Tax Credit amount and any other tax credits theyre eligible for. Filing electronically with direct deposit also can speed refunds and advance payments of the child tax credit.

Eligible taxpayers do not need to take any action now other than to file their 2020 tax return if they have not done so. And those who do not want to receive advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit will have the opportunity to decline receiving advance payments. Taxpayers will also have the opportunity to update information about changes in their income, filing status or the number of qualifying children. More details on how to take these steps will be announced soon.

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COLUMBUS, OhioA federal appeals court has sided with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in his lawsuit attempting to force the U.S. Census Bureau to provide detailed population data needed to meet the states deadlines for drawing new political districts.

Tuesdays ruling by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for the state to get the data in raw form by mid-August instead of waiting until Sept. 30, when the Census Bureau had estimated it would provide the detailed breakdowns.

The later date, which the Census Bureau attributed to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, posed a major problem for Ohio, as the states new multi-step redistricting process sets initial deadlines for drawing legislative and congressional maps at Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, respectively.

But according to the appeals court ruling, census officials said they could deliver Ohios data in a legacy format by Aug. 16. A legacy format means the data would come in a raw form, without the data tables and other formats the census usually prepares for states to make the numbers easier to use. The census announced as early as March that such data would be available by mid-August, even as it fought Ohios lawsuit, filed by state Attorney General Dave Yost.

Although Ohio would prefer to get its data sooner, Ohio agrees that an August 16 delivery would allow it to complete its redistricting process, the ruling stated. But as Ohio so far has no guarantee that the census will deliver the data by then, the appeals court continued, monitoring by the district court could move the proceedings along and provide Ohio with some redress if the data isnt sent by then.

The circuit court ruling sends the case back to U.S. District Court, which had dismissed the case, saying Ohio lacked standing. The appeals court ruling said Ohio not only had standing to pursue the case, but had suffered harm as a result of the delay. The court stated that with Aug. 16 only about three months away, the district court should treat this matter expediently and hold a hearing to determine what remedy (if any) is appropriate.

Yost, a Columbus Republican, said in a statement that his lawsuit forced the U.S. Census Bureau to admit it can provide us the data sooner than originally stated  which has been our goal all along.

Yost added: Now we are asking the (district) court to hold them to their word.

Ohios AG originally sought to get the states census data by the end of March. But the Census argued that Yost was seeking the impossible.
Judging by the present pattern, the next conflagration over Gaza  and by extension, the still-unresolved Palestinian question will occur in 2028 or so, just in time for the 80th anniversary of Israels creation. And judging by the present mood, the seven years until then will yield as little political progress as have the past 13, a period in which weve witnessed two full-scale wars between Israel and Hamas, with a third now in the offing.

In the surge of commentary that has accompanied the escalation of hostilities during the last few days, more than a few writers have pointed out that the Hamas leadership is fighting a fruitless war that its destined to lose. And when Hamas does lose, it will portray its defeat to the captive Gazans as a victory, just as it did in 2009 and 2014. This is not entirely wrong; when you are a terrorist group with no democratic mandate to govern the territory under your control, surviving a war with your overlord status intact counts as a victory.

Again, the pattern of recent history suggests that once the hostilities end this time around, the legal and political warfare directed against Israel will intensify. The contention that Israel is the most horrible of anachronisms  an apartheid state that discriminates between its citizens based on their racial origin  will be advanced with renewed vigor, through the campaigns of pro-Palestinian NGOs to convict Israeli political and military leaders for war crimes, alongside the advocacy of the various groups urging boycotts of the Jewish state.

The allied trend of holding Jewish communities outside of Israel to account for these fictitious Israeli crimes will certainly continue and probably get worse. In 2009 and 2014, Jewish communities learned through bitter experience that renewed conflict involving Israels armed forces will unleash physical assaults on Jews and attacks on Jewish property thousands of miles away from the region. Now  notwithstanding the fact that the Jewish population in Europe is at its lowest level since the year 1170 (according to one recent study)  we have every reason to expect these outrages to become more frequent, more brazen and more violent.

As always, there will be those European politicians who express their shame that on the continent of the Holocaust, the windows of synagogues are once more being smashed, just as there will be those who insist that the miseries inflicted upon European Jews are one more item on the list of Israeli offenses. Were it not for Israeli aerial operations in Gaza or the evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, these politicians of the left impress upon us, arsonists wouldnt be setting fire to synagogues, elderly Jews living alone wouldnt be sitting frightened in their homes, and wearing a kipah on public transport wouldnt be an invitation for a lethal beating. They do not ask themselves (and they never will) whether Israels military engagements can truly explain why Jews are insulted as the offspring of apes and pigs at Muslim-organized demonstrations in European cities, or why video recordings of humiliating attacks on haredi Jews as mark of solidarity with the Palestinians have become an internet meme from Antwerp in Belgium, to Brooklyn in New York, to Jerusalem in Israel.

As Israel-related antisemitism intensifies, there will be a parallel trend of antisemitism denial  mostly driven by academics, with the occasional musician or novelist making a guest appearance. The mantra that anti-Zionism is just an expression of anti-racism, rather than a form of hatred of the Jews themselves, will be chanted more earnestly. National governments, city councils, educational bodies, law-enforcement agencies and other institutions will be lobbied by self-styled experts  many of them left-wing Jews teaching social sciences at various universities  to disregard any complaints of antisemitism that are connected to the vilification of Zionism or Israel.

Is there an alternative to this chain of events? The dynamic outlined above unfolds because hot wars between Hamas and Israel typically end with the former chastened yet undefeated, and the latter having dealt powerful blows to the enemys infrastructure, yet knowing that its defense forces will likely have to perform the same dangerous operation all over again a few years from now. As for the overthrow of the Hamas regime by the Israel Defense Forces that would mean resuming the direct occupation of Gaza, which would quickly become a Lebanese or Iraqi-style death trap for Israels young soldiers. With that option in the wings, leaving a weakened Hamas in power, and therefore responsible for the welfare and governance of the Gazan population, seems far preferable for Israel.

Still, once this path is chosen, the trends of previous years will be repeated with each key element in the pattern  rising antisemitic violence abroad, legal offensives targeting Israeli citizens  becoming more pronounced than the last time. The bitter truth, for the present at least, is that escaping this pattern requires a complete transformation of how a good portion of the world, especially its Muslim population of almost 2 billion, perceives the Palestinian issue.

That transformation would mean concentrating on the Palestinian future and not the Palestinian past. It would mean jettisoning the so-called right of return in favor of a generously funded international program to compensate Palestinian refugees and integrate their descendants as citizens of the countries in which they were born. It would mean abandoning the tactics and language of boycotts, and embracing joint entrepreneurship. It would mean recognizing and disavowing wholesale the deep-seated folk hatreds that lead some people to set synagogues on fire, even when they grew up with Jews as their neighbors. It would mean telling the Palestinian people, in plain terms, that their own founding myths are the biggest obstacle to their childrens advancement.

But just as it is not the job of Jews to cleanse the world of antisemitism, it is not Israels job to reform Palestinian society and politics. That is a task for Palestinians themselves. All we can do is hope that the cynics among us are proved wrong about the zero expectations we presently entertain when it comes to that process. That would really go against the historical grain.

Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS. Top read more of Cohens columns, visit cjn.org/cohen.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) Majority or 73% of Senate employees have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

"Seventy-three percent of the Senate employees are already vaccinated. For the record," Sotto said during Tuesday's plenary session, adding some of the senators are among the remaining 27%. "Because ang usapan natin huli tayo (Because we said we'll go last)."

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri said those vaccinated belong to priority groups, such as health workers, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities.

"Special mention to Sec. Vince Dizon who had facilitated... during the time that we're vaccinating A1, A2, A3 of our Senate employees," Zubiri said, as he thanked Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. "for making this happen."

Zubiri also welcomed Galvez's pronouncement that the A4 group  composed of essential workers and frontliners in national government offices  will be inoculated soon.

"Hopefully when we return, we'd be fully vaccinated and be able to do more work during the budget deliberations that will need plenary discussions," Zubiri said, referring to the budget season in August after a nearly two-month break.

The Senate only has less than three weeks before session adjourns on June 5. Senators agreed to hold sessions from Monday to Thursday, instead of the usual three-day schedule, to allow them more time to deliberate on priority measures.

The Senate has around 1,800 employees. In an interview with Senate reporters on May 6, Sotto said only 190 employees had received their COVID-19 shots then.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The country logged 4,487 new COVID-19 infections, the lowest in two months, but this excludes data from eight laboratories, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.

It is the lowest daily case count after March 17, when there were 4,387 cases reported.

The nationwide tally of cases is now at 1,154,388, with 4.5% or 52,291 active or currently ill patients, according to the DOH daily case bulletin. At least 93.1% of the active cases have mild symptoms, 2.2% have no symptoms, 2% have severe symptoms, 1.5% are in critical condition and 1.29% are moderate, the department added.

The death toll increased to 19,372 - which is 1.68% of the case tally - after 110 more people lost their lives to the disease. The DOH said 64 of the new fatalities were previously tagged as recoveries and reclassified after validation.

Meanwhile, 6,383 more people were cleared of the virus, raising the recovery count to 1,082,725 or 93.8% of the COVID-19 total. The Health Department said it deleted 24 duplicates including 22 survivors.

The DOH said the eight laboratories which failed to submit their data on time contributed over the past two weeks an average of 2.5% of samples tested and 2.7% positive individuals.

The daily positivity rate or rate of individuals that tested positive stood at 13% out of 26,672 tests conducted. The figure is still beyond the recommended rate of below 5% by the World Health Organization. High rates may mean high transmission, experts have said.

In a briefing, the DOH noted that the country is now averaging 5,886 cases per day, almost half of its peak of 10,406 from April 6 to 12. In Metro Manila, the average also dropped from a peak of 5,325 in March 30 to April 5, down to 1,417 as of recent days.

However, although cases are declining in Metro Manila, the department said there is a need to monitor the situation in Visayas and Mindanao as ten regions that are mostly from these areas registered a growth in the rate of infected persons per a population of 100,000.

Among Filipinos abroad, eleven more cases were detected, along with one new recovery and two more fatalities, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The total number of infected among overseas Filipinos is now 18,629 with 11,375 survivors and 1,163 deaths, as well as 6,091 patients undergoing treatment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) The government is expanding the vaccination priority group to the A4 and A5 clusters, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Tuesday.

The A4 group covers essential workers, frontliners in national government offices, and uniformed personnel, while the A5 cluster includes the indigent sector.

The official said the vaccination of A4 and A5 will start after this month or once the supply stabilizes.

"Magbubukas na tayo sa A4 at A5, timing na lang ang tinitignan natin. Iniinventory ang supply na darating at ang current inventory... I-announce po namin next week just in case kung makakapagsimula na po tayo sa A4 at A5," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: We will open to the A4 and A5, it's all a matter of time. We are conducting an inventory of the arriving supply and current stockpile. We will announce next week when we can start their vaccination.]

RELATED: LIST: Who are included in the A4 priority group

During the meeting of key pandemic response officials with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Galvez suggested opening the COVID-19 vaccination to A4 and A5 to ensure that no vaccines go to waste.

Some 2 million doses of AstraZenaca vaccines are expiring soon  1.5 million on June 30 and 500,000 in July.

The vaccine czar clarified that the soon-to-expire AstraZeneca vaccines cannot be used on the A4 group since it came from COVAX, a global initiative aiming for equitable vaccine access. Vaccines from COVAX can only be used by A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (seniors), A3 (people with comorbidities), and A5 groups. Doses procured by the government will be used by A1 to A4 groups.

Duterte said during the meeting that Galvez's recommendation is in line with his earlier order to vaccinate uniformed personnel and poor families as soon as possible.

He added that Galvez's call to vaccinate the A4 and A5 groups to prevent wastage is also similar to his previous order to rush the distribution of doses.

"If you dilly-dally, you run the risk of wasting. Kaya as many as we can, kung maaari day and night [if we can do it day and night], para we will not have stock of spoiled medication," the President said.

There are 12 million people in the A4 group, while 16 million people are listed as poor. Once the vaccination of these two groups kick off, they will be inoculated alongside healthcare workers, seniors, and people with comorbidities.

Galvez said major military and police camps will be used as vaccination sites for the A4 and A5 groups with the assistance of local government units.

Those in the A4 priority group must present a certificate of eligibility from their respective offices prior to their COVID-19 vaccination, which is expected to begin soon, according to Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rose Edillon.

RELATED: A4 group should pre-register, show certificate of eligibility from office prior to vaccination

Biz groups happy with inclusion of A4 group

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines, an umbrella organization of business groups in the country, welcomed Duterte's decision to start the vaccination of essential workers.

ECOP President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Ngayon the national government's latest move addresses the delay in the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines purchased by the private sector.

"Dahil malaking bagay na may pabakuna si Presidente at yung mga opisyal natin, malaking bagay 'yun to bring confidence to the people," said Ortiz-Luis.

[Translation: It is a big thing that our President and officials have a vaccination drive, which increases the people's confidence to get inoculated.]

Ortiz-Luis, however, appealed to the national government to add more vaccination sites as more COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the country. This is to prevent virus transmission and entice more people to get vaccinated.

He noted that unless care is taken and the system put in order, COVID-19 vaccination activities can become super-spreader events. If the schedule for inoculation is not clear, people will go in droves to vaccination centers, increasing the risk of virus transmission even if there is enough physical distancing of chairs at the site, he added.

The Philippines has received a total of 7.7 million doses of Pfizer, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines. Since the vaccination drive rolled out in March, only 719,602 have completed their doses, while 2.28 million have received their first doses.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  There is currently no tension between the country and China over the West Philippine Sea as far as Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is concerned, as he once again accused government critics of exaggerating the issues surrounding the disputed waters.

Wala po akong nakikitang tension sa West Philippine Sea, Roque said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday. Ang tension po ay binubuo ng kritiko dito lang sa Pilipinas.

[Translation: I dont see any tension in the West Philippine Sea. This tension is only being made up by critics here in the Philippines.]

While problems between the two nations remain due to warring claims, Roque said these are not as serious as the conflict during the previous administration, when Philippine ships had a standoff with Chinese vessels in the Scarborough Shoal.

Alam naman po natin na may problema, pero wala pong tension, hindi gaya ng nangyari sa Scarborough Shoal," he said. "Ang ingay ay naririto sa Pilipinas lamang.

[Translation: We know theres a problem, but theres no tension unlike what happened in the Scarborough Shoal. The noise is only here in the Philippines.]

In late March this year, Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef sent radio challenges to a Philippine military aircraft patrolling the West Philippine Sea, asking it to leave immediately."

The same demand was returned by both the Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs which issued strongly worded statements against China for amassing its ships in Philippine waters.

The DFA has fired off numerous diplomatic protests. Beijing, for its part, merely reiterated its claims and told Manila to stop its drills in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite these developments, Duterte said the country owes China a huge debt of gratitude and that he wouldnt want trouble with them.

Roque has also maintained that a "warm friendship" between the two countries remains, even adding he believes that the Philippine-Chinese relations is currently "enjoying [its] renaissance."
(CNN) -- Israeli warplanes continued to pound Gaza on Tuesday and rocket fire into Israel resumed after a brief lull, as Palestinian protesters hit the streets in cities across the West Bank and elsewhere.

Thousands gathered in various towns in the West Bank, including Ramallah and Hebron, on Tuesday after a number of Palestinian groups, including Hamas militants in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank, called for mass strikes.

"The first priority for the Palestinian political leadership now is to have Israel stop its crimes and massacres against our people in Gaza," Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Executive Committee in Ramallah, told CNN on Tuesday.

Israel imposed a partial closure on the West Bank on Tuesday, an Israeli security source told CNN, with only men older than 45 and Palestinian construction workers with work permits allowed to enter Israel.

Israeli airstrikes continued through the night into Tuesday. The Israel Defense Forces said warplanes had struck nine rocket launch sites in Gaza on Tuesday in addition to targeting a tunnel system in northern Gaza, several residences of Hamas commanders and an anti-tank squad in Gaza City.

The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said 213 people, including 61 children, had been killed and 1,400 others injured in the current round of violence. More than 2,500 Palestinians are now without homes and more than 38,000 are considered internally displaced, according to the United Nations.

Israel briefly allowed trucks carrying international aid into Gaza for the first time since the conflict began last week, but Israeli authorities halted the entrance of aid trucks in response to mortar fire at two border cross crossings.

Monday night and early Tuesday morning had brought a brief respite in southern Israel from militants' rockets. The Israel Defense Forces did not report any warning sirens overnight, the first time in a week Israel went a night without rocket fire from Gaza.

The attacks resumed later Tuesday, with one mortar killing two civilians at an agricultural packaging factory on the Israeli side of the Gaza border, bringing the total number of dead in Israel to 12 since the start of the. Sirens also sounded once again Tuesday in Ashkelon and other towns, sending residents fleeing again into shelters.

Now into its eighth day, this is the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian confrontation since the two sides fought a war in 2014, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday that Israel would "continue to strike at the targets of terrorism."

Around dawn, the IDF destroyed an office building near Gaza. An advance warning was given that the tower would be targeted, witnesses said, and there were no reports of casualties. Israel has not commented on the incident.

The destroyed building was among several pieces of infrastructure used by civilians that have been targeted by the IDF. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of "deliberately" operating near buildings like hospitals and schools, thereby endangering civilians who risk becoming human shields

Over the weekend, Israeli forces destroyed a building housing offices for international media outlets Al Jazeera and The Associated Press, claiming it contained Hamas military intelligence assets. Hamas has denied that allegation.

Dozens of Israeli jets bombed more than 9 miles (14 km) of Hamas' tunnel system in Gaza Sunday night into Monday morning and targeted 14 residences Monday that the Israeli military said belonged to commanders from the Palestinian militant group.

Hamas authorities and video from the ground showed a health clinic in Gaza City damaged by an Israeli airstrike on a nearby target, its windows blown out. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said the clinic was one of its main coronavirus testing centers.

The ministry earlier warned the destruction of medical facilities could lead to a surge of Covid-19 cases because those fleeing to shelters would be "exposed to the spread of infectious diseases, especially the danger of spread of the coronavirus."

A spokesperson for the IDF told CNN on Tuesday that it targeted the main operations center of the Hamas internal security forces in the Rimal neighborhood, and that the building was close to the clinic.

As Israel continued to trade airstrikes with rockets fired from Gaza on Tuesday, protests took place in a number of cities on Tuesday.

Thousands raised the Palestinian flag and chanted in support of Gaza at a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Some of the protesters burned tires and there were some clashes with Israeli forces near a checkpoint, said Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian National Initiative, who attended the demonstration.

Thousands of women and children also took part in a demonstration in Al-Bireh, north of Ramallah. Some protesters were heard chanting, "One hand is planting collaborators, another hand is planting freedom, cover the martyrs with flags, no peace, and no surrender."

One 30-year-old protester in Al-Bireh told CNN they would take "to the streets until we can put an end to the humiliation and indignity that we have to live through."

Attempts to negotiate a truce between Israel and militants in Gaza has so far proven difficult.

US President Joe Biden voiced support for a ceasefire Monday during a telephone call with Netanyahu and "discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," a White House description of the call read.

Egypt and Qatar's efforts to broker a truce have stalled over two main points, a senior Hamas leader with direct knowledge of mediation efforts told CNN on Sunday.

One stumbling block is Israel's insistence that Hamas must initiate the ceasefire, at least three hours before Israel, at which point Israel would follow. Hamas flatly rejected this proposal, the Hamas leader said.

The Hamas source said the other hurdle is Hamas' insistence that any ceasefire must include the ending of Israel's "provocations" at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem -- the third holiest site in Islam -- and a resolution of the situation in Sheikh Jarrah, an East Jerusalem neighborhood where several Palestinian families face eviction.

A pro-Jewish settler organization called Nahalat Shimon is using a 1970 law to argue the owners of the land in question before 1948 were Jewish families, and so the current Palestinian landowners should be evicted and their properties given to Israeli Jews.

Palestinians say restitution laws in Israel are unfair because they have no legal means to reclaim property they lost to Jewish families in the late 1940s in what became the state of Israel.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Israeli jets pound Gaza as rocket fire resumes and Palestinians hit streets to protest"
He told us that he wanted corners that played with a dog mentality. He just want dogs out there on the island," junior Alexander Smith said of his new position coach.
Patti Grimes is the executive director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. The foundation is doubling the amount of available funding for its FACES grants for local non-profits this year.
SoDel Concepts has promoted Maggie Cellitto to corporate chef. She will oversee the culinary operations at three of the companys restaurants: Matts Fish Camp and Bluecoast Seafood Grill in Bethany Beach and NorthEast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View.
On May 11, the Millsboro Lions Club met and inducted three new members, at Ocean Grill, a shared meeting-place with the Rotary Club. Inducted at the meeting were, from left: Bob Sawyer, pictured with sponsor Greg Ryan; Inductor David Mitchell; Jasmine Fogarty, pictured with sponsor Bill Yourman; and Suni Guyni, who was also sponsored by Bill Yourman. The groups next meeting will be May 25 at the home of Chris Cordrey. For more information on the Millsboro Lions Club, contact David at (302) 604-2990.

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Charles Burton, shown here, at right, with Beebe Medical Foundation President Tom Protack, left, and I.G. Burton & Co. are sponsors of 'Rehoboth at Sunrise' by Red Moulinier, which has been placed at the cancer center at Beebe Healthcare's South Coastal Health Campus.
Representatives of La Esperanza, the Arsht-Cannon Fund, First State Community Action Agency and FSCAA pose in front of the Delaware Community Foundation at The Circle in Georgetown in January 2021 to celebrate relief funding for immigrant families affected by COVID-19. Delaware non-profits can now apply for funding from the DCF for community needs.
The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.
Columbia, SC (29201)

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State Colleges Community Diversity Group hosted Powerful Voices: Asian Americans in Centre County Speak Out Monday evening, a panel discussion focused on highlighting Asian discrimination in Centre County.

The discussion followed an anti-Asian hate incident reported Wednesday in Ferguson Township in which an Asian woman alleged a white man threw an object at her and told her to go back to where she came from, according to a Ferguson Police Facebook post.

Featuring six panelists and over 140 attendees, the event began with a black and white narrated film detailing several statistics and incidences of anti-Asian hate in the U.S., beginning with the recent shooting in Atlanta, Georgia.

The video segued into a short presentation by panelist and event host Shih-In Ma, a State College activist. Ma led attendees in a breathing exercise before launching into her personal story of growing up in State College as an Asian American.

According to Ma, she was one of 10 individuals of color in a graduating class of 600 from State College Area High School. She said she was bullied and spoke of her personal research into the mindset of those who bullied her  a mindset she said all humans share to varying degrees.

Our ego, self-centered way of processing means we tend to dismiss, disbelieve, minimize [and] pathologize things that are not in our experience, Ma said.

However, she said self-reflection is the most important step toward diminishing personal biases and becoming a better ally to those of other ethnicities and minorities.

Nalini Krishnankutty then took the virtual stage and spoke of her experience attending college in the U.S. after growing up in Mumbai, India.

Krishnankutty presented many historical facts about the Asian American community, including the prevalence of seventh, eighth and even ninth generation Asian Americans in the U.S. Some, she said, were responsible for famous inventions throughout the centuries, including skyscrapers, the filter in the N95 mask and Zoom.

According to Krishnankutty, Asian Americans often do not receive the recognition they deserve for their achievements, and she told audience members to find these untold stories. Celebrate them they are just the tip of the iceberg.

Centre County magistrate, former mayor and borough council member Donald Hahn followed Krishnankutty, speaking of his experience as a second-generation immigrant.

Hahn said he experienced slurs in his middle school years, but this improved as he aged. Continuing to serve Centre County, Hahn said he hopes "State College and Centre County remains a welcoming community.

Hyeseon Kim, a first-generation South Korean immigrant, spoke next about her journey to the U.S. for post-secondary education and of raising her family in sometimes unwelcoming environments.

A large aspect of Kims presentation was her investment in the Buddhist religion, to which she is an avid subscriber. She said her religion helped shape her into the person she is today.

Im a unique being with my own set of beliefs and [my] own issues, and [I was] still brave enough to come here [to the U.S.], Kim said.

Kim was followed by Celeste Good, a current Penn State student heavily involved in the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Caucus, Queer and Trans People of Color and, more generically, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center on campus.

Good (senior-womens studies) spoke about her upbringing as an adopted Asian with white parents, having been adopted with her twin sister from China.

There is no one way to be Asian, Good said, referencing her feeling of isolation and exclusion from the Asian American community due to her upbringing.

She spoke at length, however, about the work of the APIDA Caucus, QTPOC and the PRCC and how her involvement impacted her tenure at Penn State.

At-large University Park Undergraduate Association representative Steven Zhang concluded the panel presentation.

Zhang (senior-economics and political science) spoke about the work of UPUA but focused mainly on his personal experiences with Asian American stereotypes.

For the longest time, I felt like a statistic, Zhang said. I felt like I was perceived by everyone as nothing more than my GPA or my SAT score or the medals and accolades that I would have. Ive been told many times that my path would lead to great financial security but never that I would be a change-maker or a leader.

Zhang attributed this stereotyping to American generalizations of Asian culture in America, specifically referencing the stereotype that Asians are seen by many to be the model American minority.

This model minority myth is entirely backward, Zhang said. I feel like were very siloed into this narrow section of society and the American experience because we arent given the support we need to enrich our lives in other directions and other ways.

In the Q&A session that followed Zhangs presentation, each panelist spoke about their own experiences with Asian American stereotypes.

According to Hahn, ignorance and a lack of educational effort are causes of many stereotypes. He encouraged those wishing to be allies to educate themselves in any way possible.

Theres always room to reach out, Hahn said.

A problem Hahn said he has often faced is being labeled as different, something he said isnt necessarily bad but he wishes was done to highlight strengths rather than fears.

I was hoping for a day where I didnt have to feel like I was different, Hahn said.

Krishnankutty agreed with Hahn and shared similar experiences.

Can we just say that [something] is just different, but one doesnt have to be better than the other or worse than the other? Krishnankutty asked.

Detailing a different form of stereotyping, Good recounted experiences in which she felt some Penn State minority organizations were used simply for a false image of diversification.

Theres a lot of performative activism out here, Good said. A lot of people are doing it for the clout or to be on TV or to have the big headline. Its not about that. I think that being an ally is sitting back and listening.

To Good, such fake action by non-minority organizations dehumanizes the members of the minority ones.

I dont want to be tokenized, and I dont want people in my community to be tokenized, Good said. Being an ally is more than showing up at Pride or showing up at a march.

The discussion ended with a short documentary titled Stand Together in Solidarity, a production detailing the story of the Sikh people.

In the film, the silence of onlookers was emphasized as the greatest contributor to the issues of the Sikhs  and it is a contributor many of the panelists, specifically Hahn and Zhang, blamed for several of the issues faced by the Asian American community.

Hahn said what hurt the most when he was bullied in middle school was not the daggers thrown by the 10% who bullied him but the silence of the 90% who looked on and did nothing.

And Zhang agreed.

The silence on the Asian experience in America is tangible, and many of us feel like were treated like outsiders, Zhang said. Its no wonder no one wants to speak out, because we cant be sure that there will be anyone out there to support us or listen to us.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE

Penn State police officers now equipped with body cameras Penn State police officers began wearing body cameras Monday, which fulfilled the University
This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!
A grass fire that burned Sunday afternoon on a property on Cherry Heights Road in The Dalles has been contained, officials said.

The fire burned around an acre and a half after an open burn pile of debris got away, said Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer.

Its the third grass fire the agency has responded to over the past two weeks, Palmer said.
Moving toward sustainability and prosperity in Inner Mongolia

09:22, May 18, 2021 By Wang Di ( People's Daily

Yurts built by Honggelbatel. (Peoples Daily /Wang Di)

Recently, more than 160 calves were born in Honggelbatels Modern Joint Family Ecological Ranch, which will bring him an annual income of approximately 2 million yuan ($310,794).

Honggelbatel, a herdsman from Zarut Banner, Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, runs a family ecological ranch together with his brother and sister, which was gradually developed into a demonstration base for grassland ecological restoration in Horqin district.

In 2014, the joint ranch had more than 1,000 sheep and 300 cattle. However, the increase in the number of livestock also led to pressure on the pastures and the severe decline of the grassland ecology. Faced with the dual pressure of protecting the grassland and increasing income, Zarut Banner began to implement a policy of reducing sheep and increasing cattle.

While other herders were still waiting to see, Honggelbatel made up his mind to sell all of his sheep. He adopted measures such as scientific livestock breeding, grassland grazing, and breed improvement. He also began to shift toward eco-tourism.

Sheep eat a lot of grass and shave grass roots, but cows eat the tip, which will not affect the growth of the grass. The same grassland, different pressure. I used to raise more sheep, and it took nearly a million yuan to buy forage. Under the guidance of the government and experts, we continue to improve the breeds, to raise fewer but better cattle, which not only improves economic efficiency but also protects the ecological environment, Honggelbatel said.

Living a happy life is the primary human right, as President Xi Jinping pointed out in his congratulatory letter to the symposium marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. China embraces a human rights philosophy that centers on the people, and regards the rights to subsistence and development as the basic human right of paramount importance.

Contrary to the unfounded allegations in Western media in recent years, the facts in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region show that the cause of human rights in China has made headway on all fronts. Several measures proved that the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been fully committed to implementing Chinas Human Rights Action Plan from 2016 to 2020, respecting and safeguarding the rights of ethnic minorities to use and develop their own cultures and languages, and protecting and caring for the rights of disadvantaged groups.

Nowadays, the family ecological ranch of Honggelbatel is continuously expanding, with modern facilities readily available. Relying on beautiful natural scenery and transportation advantages, Honggelbatel has built several yurts on the ranch and started a pastoral tourism industry, receiving thousands of tourists every year. He took the initiative to provide stable jobs for the surrounding poor households and lead them to improve their lives together.

The Mongolian herder Hein helps out on the ranch from May to October every year during the peak tourist season. With the help of the governments poverty alleviation policy, he moved from an earthen house to the new building, and now he has a stable job. Thanks to the good policies of CPC and government, there is nothing to worry about in my life, Hein said.

At the same time, ethnic Mongolian women are more confident while their living conditions are improved and their own cultural characteristics are vigorously promoted.

Since participating in Mongolian embroidery skills training organized by the Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner government, Liu Menglans embroidery had increased the familys income by about 20,000 yuan per year. In 2017, Liu Menglan started learning Mongolian embroidery, and has now become a first-level embroiderer. She has taught more than 70 apprentices.

In 2019, Lius family has been completely lifted out of poverty. In the past, dry days caused poor harvests, life was sad and difficult. In recent years, with the help of the government, we moved into a new house and learned new skills. My husband has been hired as a forest ranger, Liu said. I am living a happy life out of my past expectation.. Every day is full of hope. If there is any dissatisfaction, I would say, it will be better to learn embroidery earlier!

Today, nearly 30,000 women in Xingan League, North Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, have gathered to learn and pass on Inner Mongolias intangible cultural heritage like embroidery and paper cutting.

The greatest benefit of the promotion of Mongolian intangible cultural heritage by the government is that it has improved production methods in rural areas that have been dominated by male labor for a long time. Now, more women can participate in the economic development and cultural revitalization of their hometown, said Bai Jingying, director of the Standing Committee of the Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner Peoples Congress and leader of a Mongolian embroidery group.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Columbia, MO (65201)

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Corsicana, TX (75110)

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Following its launch of Colgate Zero in 2020, offering oral care without artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and colors, the company describes innovations related to biofilms, a solid mouthwash and CBD in recent disclosures, provided here in brief.

See related: Oral Care Refresh; Intersecting Function with Beauty and Innovation

Methods of Modifying Biofilms



WIPO Patent Application WO/2021/092613

Publication date: May 14, 2021

Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company and Regents of the University of Michigan

Abstract: According to this disclosure, despite advances in oral care therapeutics, there remains a need for new approaches to address the problems of oral biofilms. Challenges include reducing the ability of biofilms to attach, or remain attached, to an oral cavity surface; compromising the structural integrity of biofilms; and/or making the biofilms more susceptible to penetration by antimicrobial agents.

Embodiments of the present invention are designed to address these and other needs. For example, one embodiment provides methods for modifying or manipulating the surface topography or thickness of an oral biofilm by administering a composition comprising an effective amount of a basic amino acid or a divalent metal ion source to the oral cavity. The basic amino acid is selected from arginine, lysine and histidine; and the divalent metal ion source is selected from a zinc ion source (e.g., zinc citrate, zinc oxide, zinc lactate, zinc chloride or zinc phosphate); and a stannous ion source (e.g., stannous fluoride or stannous chloride).

Solid Compositions for Teeth Whitening and Antimicrobial Effects

European Patent Application EP3817707

Publication date: May 12, 2021

Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Co. (U.S.)

Abstract: Described here is a solid composition for oral care comprising at least one whitening agent chosen from: chloride isocyanurate and metal salts of hypochlorite; at least one carbonate base; and optionally at least one effervescent acid. Further disclosed is a kit comprising the solid composition and an aqueous liquid composition, as well as methods of whitening teeth and/or producing antibacterial effects in the oral cavity, that are mixed until the solid composition disintegrates to create a mouthwash comprising hypochlorite, and contacting teeth with the mouthwash comprising hypochlorite.

From the archives: Addressing Tooth Sensitivity and Dental Erosion

Oral Care Comprising Cannabinoids

WIPO Patent Application WO/2021/071867

Publication date: April 15, 2021

Assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co. (U.S.)

Abstract: As this patent explains, unchecked bacterial growth in the oral cavity can lead to a number of adverse conditions such as gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums. It is ordinarily caused by bacterial accumulations on the surface of the teeth, which may be in the form of plaque. Gingivitis results in a number of unpleasant symptoms including inflamed gums that are painful or sensitive, halitosis and bleeding from the gums while brushing or flossing.

Other common disorders of the mouth include abscesses and cold sores, which also involve inflammation and are painful to those afflicted. As such, there is a need for oral care compositions with antibacterial efficacy that are also palatable and desirable for a user. According to these inventors, it is believed that oral care compositions including cannabinoids such as CBD provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

This invention relates to oral care compositions comprising a cannabinoid source; a thickening system comprising xanthan gum and carrageenan; and an orally acceptable carrier. It also relates to oral care compositions comprising a cannabinoid source, a surfactant system comprising an acyl glutamate, a non-silica abrasive (e.g., calcium carbonate or charcoal) and an orally acceptable carrier.

WIPO Patent Application WO/2021/072422

Publication date: April 15, 2021

Assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co. (U.S.)

Abstract: In relation to the above patent, this invention relates to oral care compositions comprising a cannabinoid and one one more source(s) of zinc ions and/or stannous ions. The zinc ions may be selected from: zinc oxide, zinc citrate, zinc lactate, zinc phosphate and combinations thereof; the source of stannous ions comprises stannous fluoride.

According to this patent, the inventors believe that oral care compositions with cannabinoids such as cannabidiol, in combination with one or more sources of zinc ion and/or one or more sources of stannous ion, provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, the inventors have surprisingly demonstrated that cannabidiol in combination with one or more zinc ion source(s) and/or a stannous ion source, can enhance the efficacy of stannous and zinc in suppressing certain bacterial cellular metabolism.

WIPO Patent Application WO/2021/072423

Publication date: April 15, 2021

Assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co. (U.S.)

Abstract: Lastly, this disclosure relates to oral care compositions comprising amino acids and a cannabinoid. The inventors report they have surprisingly demonstrated that cannabidiol in combination with a basic amino acid, e.g., arginine, can enhance the efficacy of arginine in suppressing bacterial cellular metabolism.

Patents accessed on May 17, 2021.
Yes, to an area over 100 miles away.

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In a world of corporate nepotism and small loans of one million dollars from daddy (a la former President Donald Trump) the humble genesis of Flamin' Hot Cheetos once reigned supreme as the hustle porn world's most powerful and beloved tale of entrepreneurship.

Before making his mark in the corporate world as an executive at Pepsi Co., Richard Montanez was a janitor at a Frito-Lay who says he came across the idea for the spicy treat after a batch of Cheetos weren't covered in the infamously finger-sticking dust due to a malfunction. Taking inspiration from a street vendor in his neighborhood who sold Mexican corn seasoned with lime and chili, Montanez decided to coat the flavorless snacks in chili powder, a twist he says his friends and family loved.

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Claiming he was inspired by a recent video in which CEO Roger Enrico encouraged his employees to  take ownership of the company, he boldly reached out the exec to share his idea. I called him up, not knowing you werent supposed to call the CEO," he remembered. Fortunately, he says the bold move paid off  he was given two weeks to prepare his pitch.

After reading up on marketing from books snagged from the library, Montanez walked into the meeting sporting a $3 tie and product packaging he designed himself. They were amazed at the product design, he said of that fateful day.

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Just as Flamin Hot Cheetos ascended from that famed meeting, it seems Montanez's career followed suit. Montanez has built a lucrative second career out of telling and selling this story, appearing at events for Target, Walmart, Harvard and USC, among others, and commanding fees of $10,000 to $50,000 per appearance," the LA Times wrote of Montanez, whose story will soon be immortalized in a biopic directed by actress Eva Longoria.

I have a PhD of being poor, hungry and determined," the beloved exec and author of the memoir Flamin Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Mans Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, told the Washington Post in 2018, singlehandedly slapping those shelling out thousands for an Ivy League doctorate with a pervasive existential crisis. "And I think when youve experienced those three things, theres a lot of wisdom. When youve been poor, theres so much innovation that comes out of that.
Well, folks, it seems a local Chicago animal welfare group has taken a page out of the Disneyland book of pest control, releasing more than 1,000 feral cats onto the streets of the Windy City to tackle the city's latest vermin problem  an onslaught of rats. Proudly bearing the number one spot on pest control company's list of rattiest cities, the Tree House Humane Society has taken an unusual approach in attempting to rectify their community's rodent issue, sending in a vicious army of adorable kittens, The Hill reported.

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Drawing upon cats that aren't suited for life in a home, animal shelter and for whatever reason, can't return to their original colonies, are employed to do what they do best, catching rats as a part of the apparently highly lucrative Cats at Work program, working on behalf of businesses or properties that request and are approved to have an animal.

Property and business owners provide food, water, shelter, and wellness to the cats who work for them," their website explains. In most cases, our Cats at Work become beloved members of the family or team.

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Despite being unconventional, Sarah Liss who works for the group told local news outlet WGN 9 that the program has been a resounding success. Weve had a lot of our clients tell us that before they had cats, they would step outside their house and rats would actually run across their feet, Liss explained. Furthermore, despite the old adage of when the cat's away, the mice will play, such is far from the case, thanks to good ol' pheromones scaring rats away for good. They are actually deterring them with their pheromones, Liss explained. Thats enough to keep the rats away."

For more internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ on TikTok as @HuntressThompson_, and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.
It's human nature to want some type of "silver bullet" that will solve complicated problems like curing the common cold. But complex problems almost inevitably require complex solutions. Hundreds of different viruses cause colds, so a single magical cure isn't going to make all that coughing and sneezing vanish overnight. It's the same for cybersecurity. Everyone would love to be able to say that a single tactic or tool will prevent every attack and there will never be another breach, but that's just wishful thinking. Today, cybersecurity is a lot more complicated than installing a patch and calling it a day.

As attacks become ever more complex and sophisticated, enterprise security teams need to minimize exposure as much as possible by:

Reducing the attack surface with hardening

Practicing good security hygiene

Providing security training to employees

Setting up a defense in depth strategy

Taking steps to prevent attacks is necessary, but unfortunately it isn't enough. Even if an organization does everything right to reduce exposure, prevention alone doesn't solve the problem. Security updates always lag behind threat outbreaks. A responsible patching window is 2-6 weeks, but the average time for an exploit is 7 days, so zero-day attacks can slip past security systems. In addition, there's the human element  which is often the weakest link. At every company, there's always someone who can't resist clicking on a very convincing phishing email or a particularly tempting attachment. Indeed, research suggests that approximately 5% of employees regularly fail cybersecurity awareness tests.

The fact is that breaches are going to happen, so security teams have to assume that endpoints will be compromised at some point. As more employees work remotely, the number of endpoints is only going to increase. Many organizations are struggling to cope with new security challenges arising from the influx of non-trusted devices on their networks, and there's an increased focus on endpoint resiliency.

Effective endpoint resilience is made up of four key ingredients: visibility, proactive control, self-defense, and self-healing.

1. Visibility

Complete visibility means organizations must be able to see any device attempting to access network resources, as well as any device already on the network. When it comes to endpoint security, security teams need to have visibility into every asset, so they can answer questions like:

What type of access should be provided  guest, limited or unlimited?

Are any devices on the network unprotected?

What applications are running on a given endpoint?

What reputation does a given application have?

Are there vulnerabilities that need to be patched?

The challenge is that most enterprises have a lot of endpoints. Everything from servers to laptops to mobile devices, like phones and tablets. Other networked devices may include point of sale systems, equipment, sensors, and scanners. Endpoint solutions need to be able to identify and monitor mission-critical business processes and have complete visibility into the operating system, applications, data services, processes, and vulnerabilities of assets.

2. Proactive control

Once you have the visibility, you need to have security policies and controls in place to preemptively harden endpoints before patches are applied. Using discovery and risk mitigation capabilities, security teams can ferret out and proactively control any rogue devices, IoT devices, applications, and vulnerabilities across the system or applications.

Many threats designed to steal data may work slowly and over time, so that identifying and exfiltrating data falls under the radar. That strategy is effective as it takes an average of 280 days to detect and contain a breach. In many cases, threats are only detected after a significant amount of data is lost. In contrast, the goal of other types of attacks, such as ransomware, is not data theft but sabotage. Some ransomware solutions are able to bypass file-based malware prevention and ruin a system in minutes or even seconds. Attacks can occur faster than any security team could manually respond to and contain, so anything short of real-time blocking increases the organizations risk of a successful attack.

Proactive controls need to address both of these issues: identifying low-level attacks that traditional security systems may not detect and responding quickly enough to disrupt a fast attack designed to do maximum damage before traditional security tools understand what is happening and can respond.

3. Self defense

Most modern endpoint security is focused on prevention to keep malware from downloading or executing. An important aspect of self-defense, however, is the ability to also protect the endpoint after an infection or compromise. Because attacks can be stealthy, they are often able to evade the prevention layer by leveraging legitimate system tools or by exploiting applications so they look, initially at least, like legitimate behavior. The recent highly publicized supply chain attacks are examples of this type of file-less attack.

Therefore, for a system to self-defend, it first needs behavioral-based detection. No matter what type of tool an attacker may use, it always has to carry out a particular mission that can be identified and stopped. As a result, behavioral-based detection is much more durable than file-based detection.

However, detection isnt just about self-defense. After detecting malicious intent, to protect the data and the endpoint, the system must also be able to move quickly to block the specific action. As soon as it detects a malicious process, it should block all outbound communications attempts and also block access to the file system. In this way, the malicious process can neither "phone home nor move laterally to infect other systems. It also can't download additional payloads or traffic stolen data. In the case of ransomware, it cant encrypt files. This type of detect and diffuse approach effectively stops a breach automatically, in real time.

4. Self-healing

After stopping an attack, your endpoint security needs to have the ability to roll back any malicious changes that were made by the attacker. With more employees working remotely, this ability to self-heal becomes even more important. In the past, if an endpoint was compromised or suspected of being infected, most IT teams would resort to reimaging and rebuilding the endpoint. But if 80% of your workforce is remote, this option is unrealistic and can have a negative impact on productivity. Self-healing automates cleanup and rolls back malicious changes without taking machines offline by cleaning up the registry, deleting malicious files, and restoring tampered files, or in the case of ransomware, files that have been encrypted.

The Recipe for Endpoint Security

To see, control, and protect all devices across the enterprise, companies need an integrated endpoint security solution that includes prevention, detection, and response capabilities. The current generation of EDR solutions ability to remain effective even as attack methods change, is a key reason why they should be included as part of any comprehensive enterprise cybersecurity strategy.

Learn more about Fortinets FortiEDR solution and how it has the unique ability to defuse and disarm a threat in real time, even after an endpoint is already infected.
ANSONIA  In early March, tenants at an apartment building at 10 State St. complained to the Naugatuck Valley Health District that they didnt have heat or running water.

City officials came to inspect and saw a steeple instead of a chimney. The residents had been living inside a former church illegally converted into apartments, according to John Marini, the citys corporation counsel.

The city believes the landlord may live in Florida.

Marini said its difficult to confirm how many absentee landlords there are in Ansonia. Its enough of a problem that the city is now working to investigate the issue with the creation of a commission and proposed regular building inspections.

The sad thing is that they don't pay attention to the property until there's a safety hazard, Marini said.

He said most tenant complaints that involve absentee landlords stem from the lower wards. He said the city estimates that it gets 50 calls a year where tenants complain they cant reach their landlords. That part of the city is denser and has more multi-family units.

The city has been working on an app that would make it easier for residents to lodge complaints against property owners. A law already exists that requires landlords to give their contact information to the city, but Marini said a lot of the information is out of date.

This makes it harder for city officials to track down the owners when an emergency happens. He said there are three buildings the city is currently investigating over safety hazards.

The church at 10 State St. was first purchased in 1987 but the owner is listed as the Church Property Joint Venture Trustee. The city sent out notices to the owner as well as the person who first bought the property. But so far, the city has been unable to confirm who owns the building.

Liens on the property currently total more than $12,000.

Ronda Porrini, Ansonias land use administrator, said that the person who the city suspects is the owner was nonchalant when city employees came to remove residents from the building and place them in hotels.

The day we took the people out, he said he wasn't going to do anything because I'm leaving for Florida today, that's what he said to us, Porrini said.

Attempts by Hearst Connecticut Media to contact the suspected owner of the building were unsuccessful.

The church had been converted into rooms. The only source of running water came from a sink. Photos taken during inspection show tenants in dirty rooms, using space heaters for warmth. The kitchen area didnt have a sink.

The complaint report stated some of the floor boards were weak enough that a person could fall through them if stepped on.

Marini said the citys aldermen plan to discuss a proposed program that would require landlords to submit to regular inspections twice a year by the building department. The city is also working on a master list of multi-family buildings with the assessors office. But that would still miss out on illegally converted apartments which arent meant to house people in the first place.

According to the zoning enforcement and blight officer, David Blackwell Sr., an absentee landlord isnt in itself a bad thing, but their buildings tend to fall into disrepair and lead to dangerous living conditions.

So there are very responsible absentee landlords that buy homes, they invest money, they also bring it up to speed and maintain it. But then again, most of them do not, Blackwell Sr. said.

Mayor David Cassetti, who has family that also rents out apartments in the city, said that hes looking into hiring additional staff to combat the problem.

We're going to have to get more people involved. Whether it's through another town through regionalization or hiring somebody, I need to get this corrected as soon as possible, Cassetti said.

The church has since been declared condemned. Marini said that the city is now considering foreclosing on the property to prevent the owner from renting it out to tenants again.
Andrew Harnik/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board will step down from his position at the end of June, and the Biden administration is expected to nominate a fellow board member to replace him, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.

Robert Sumwalt, who has served as chairman of the board since 2017, is expected to step down on June 30, according to an internal communication obtained by the AP. The former commercial pilot and commercial aviation executive had served in various positions on the board, beginning in 2006.
PHOENIX (AP)  The top Republicans in Arizona's largest county gave an impassioned defense of their handling of the 2020 election Monday, calling on fellow members of the GOP and business leaders to speak out against an unprecedented partisan election audit.

The GOP-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors cast the audit as a sham that's spun out of the control of the state Senate leader who's ostensibly overseeing it. Board Chairman Jack Sellers said Senate President Karen Fann is making an attempt at legitimatizing a grift disguised as an audit.

After former President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that his loss was marred by fraud, Fann used the Senate's subpoena power to take possession of ballots and voting machines from Maricopa County, a longtime Republican stronghold that was won by Democrat Joe Biden last year. She turned all of it over to Cyber Ninjas, a small Florida-based cybersecurity firm owned by a Trump supporter who has promoted election conspiracies, to conduct an audit along with several subcontractors.

Last week, Fann sent a letter to Sellers questioning records that document the chain of custody of the ballots and accusing county officials of deleting data. The county on Monday sent a 12-page response vehemently denying wrongdoing, explaining its processes and accusing Cyber Ninjas of incompetence.

They cant find the files because they dont know what they're doing," Sellers said during a public meeting held to refute Fann's allegations. We wouldn't be asked to do this on-the-job training if qualified auditors had been hired to do this work.

Fann did not immediately comment but sent a tweet saying the media was given the county's letter before she was. She has said the audit is an effort to address concerns raised by many Trump supporters who worry the election was not conducted fairly and to find out whether the Legislature should change election laws.

Fann's accusations touched a nerve with county officials, who have grown increasingly exasperated with the audit. They said they won't appear in the Senate on Tuesday, as requested by Fann, to answer questions, and would not give in to Fann's demands for the county's internet routers, which county officials say would compromise sensitive data unrelated to elections.

Fann has also demanded an administrative password for vote-counting machines, but county officials say those are maintained by the system's manufacturer, Dominion Voting Systems Inc., which says it will only give such access to certified election vendors. None of the firms involved in the audit is certified.

On Monday, county Republicans threatened to sue if senators or auditors accuse them of breaking the law. And they implored elected officials who have doubts about the audit to stop keeping their criticisms to themselves.

Elected Republicans, I think, are afraid of the next election and they cant be, said Bill Gates, the vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Theyve got to stand for what is right. Otherwise, why did they run for office in the first place?

Later, he lamented silence from business leaders and urged them to contact those elected officials who they donate money to."

This is creating a black eye to Arizona and I would think that those business leaders would want this to stop, Gates said.

County officials also highlighted the backlash they've experienced for speaking out, including death threats and protests at their homes.

Promoted heavily in right-wing media, the audit has become a cause celebre among some of Trumps most loyal fans, who believe it will uncover evidence of the former presidents claim that he was the rightful winner of the election.

Trump sent a statement saying, in part, that the entire Database of Maricopa County in Arizona has been DELETED! This is illegal and the Arizona State Senate, who is leading the Forensic Audit, is up in arms.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, one of the countys top election officials, on Saturday called the statement unhinged and called on other Republicans to stop the unfounded accusations.

Richer was elected in the same election many in his party are now questioning, defeating an incumbent Democrat. As recorder, he oversees the voter registration database and the mail voting operation, including signature verification, while the county board oversees the team charged with election-day operations and counting ballots.

On Monday, he said he hoped that he and other county officials were making it easier for others to speak out against the narrative of election fraud.

Were out here now. Weve moved, Richer said. I think youre going to see others joining. The waters warm. Come in.
FAIRFIELD  Officials and residents want more to be done to combat racism in town.

School officials, members of the police department and the Rev. D Stanley Lord, president of the Greater Bridgeport NAACP, met Monday after two brothers reported they were the victims of two separate allegedly racist incidents involving students from Warde and Ludlowe high schools.

Superintendent Mike Cummings said the group had an extremely productive discussion focusing on how we move forward. This is just the beginning of our work together to support the students and staff of Fairfield Public Schools and we appreciate having (NAACP) as a resource.

The officials had a solution to part of the problem of what appears to be student insensitivity: We want every school to be open to diversity training, Lord said Tuesday.

Lord offered the NAACP as a resource for the district and will lead sensitivity training with staff and students on biases, the cultures of all people and why words matter, he said.

College students from NAACP chapters at University of Bridgeport, Southern Connecticut State University, University of New Haven and Housatonic Community College will lead sessions with the public school students in the fall.

And Lord said he also recommended that administrations of all departments or agencies that interact with the public, including the police, should take the training.

We have to start at the top, he said.

On May 7, police received a report that a 16-year-old Fairfield Warde student posted a Snapchat of a Black classmate with a racial slur.

After an investigation, the student was charged with second-degree breach of peace and ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality or race. School officials said they took disciplinary action, though details cant be released because of student privacy rules.

On Monday, police received information on a second alleged racial incident that was described as happening May 8. It is currently under investigation by the police departments school safety unit, according to Police Lt. Antonio Granata.

This investigation pertains to a potential racial slur used during a phone conversation amongst juvenile(s), he said.

He said its unknown at this time if the two incidents are connected.

As with all complaints, the incident will be investigated to the fullest extent possible and any applicable statues would be applied, he said.

Lord said its hard to say what the schools need to do to address the two incidents until the second investigation is concluded. However, he said the national NAACP organization plans to call for the charges in the first case to be elevated to a hate crime. A press conference is set for next week.

The two school investigations are not the only complaints that Fairfield residents have engaged in racist behavior.

Fairfield Police launched a hate crime investigation last month after a person used racial epithets and racist remarks during a video conference meeting of the Racial Equity and Justice Task Force.

On Monday, town officials said the incidents show the need for the task force and the need for the town to take action.

I, of course, stand in complete opposition and condemn racism in all forms, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said.

She called the racist incidents heartbreaking, especially those at the schools, but said its a reminder that schools and families should teach tolerance and practice it in everyday life.

This latest incident is certainly a teachable moment for our parents and educators and entire community, Kupchick said.

In a letter to families last week, Fairfield Warde principal Paul A. Cavanna announced the formation of the Warde Unity Coalition to foster unity in the school community. He said the group will focus on issues of discrimination.

He also spoke to students after the Snapchat incident, among other things covering federal, state and Board of Education policies on discrimination.

Selectwoman Nancy Lefkowitz, who also co-chairs the task force, said she would have been shocked to learn of school incidents 10 months ago, but has since heard other firsthand accounts from residents.

I hope people can hear this and receive this message and not get defensive, but rather open their hearts and minds and realize that we each can take responsibility for making it better and more inclusive, Lefkowitz said.

On Monday, Aimee Guerrero, a Filipina American, shared her own experience when she moved to Fairfield from Stamford about 20 years ago.

Shortly after we got here, I thought we made a huge mistake because I could go days without seeing another person of color, she said. The towns ethnic diversity has only increased marginally since then, she said.

Guerrero said she organized a recent gathering to protest against the rise of racism and discrimination toward Asian people and Pacific Islanders.

I was so proud of our youth speakers  five of them  for sharing their stories of pain and visibility and feeling othered, she said. Now, all five of them grew up in Fairfield. They grew up in the Fairfield school systems and they all had experiences of not being thought of as American.
BRIDGEPORT  Former University of Bridgeport president, revolutionary Jewish theologian and Fairfield resident Richard Rubenstein has died.

He was 97.

A professor, university president, theologian and rabbi, Rubensteins work  from books to scholarly articles  addressed the meaning of modern Jewish life. He was perhaps best known for After Auschwitz, which rethought the traditional Judaic concept of God in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

His daughter, Hannah Rubenstein of West Simsbury, described him as someone who made people think.

He was born searching for meaning and identity, trying to figure out his place in the world, said son Jeremy Rubenstein, of Los Angeles.

Rubenstein, who died Sunday at Bridgeport Hospital, dedicated many years of his life to UB, including four years as president  from 1995 to 1999  and Distinguished Professor of Religion from 1995 until 2021. He also served as Life Trustee and President Emeritus until his death.

Richard Rubenstein served as the Universitys president with distinction ...and brought international scholarly acclaim to UBs academic reputation, Stephen Healey, Interim President of UB, said in a statement. As Distinguished Professor of Religion, he taught courses in religion and society and was known by his students as a wonderful and student-oriented teacher.

He was an intellectual giant and an important part of restoring vitality to the University of Bridgeport back in the 90s, said former UB president Neil Salonen, who took the reins from Rubenstein, and described him as a teacher, mentor and friend.

Colleagues said as both an administrator and individual, Rubenstein fostered dialogue and new ideas.

He was a person of strong opinions, but he was very respectful of people whose opinions might be different, said Salonen, who added: Hed expect them to back (their opinions) them up.

Stephen Perle, a professor of clinical sciences at UB since Rubensteins tenure, said Rubenstein put a premium on academic freedom that was embraced by faculty.

If you dont have the freedom to think outside the box and to think differently, then were only really going to think the way we always did, said Perle.

Rubenstein was born in pre-Great Depression New York City to a predominantly secular family.

He attended Hebrew Union College and the University of Cincinnati, where he met his first wife. He attended Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was ordained and received his Master of Hebrew Letters. He then studied at Harvard Divinity School where he received his Master of Theological Studies and Ph.D. in the history of religion while also serving as interim director of the schools Hillel and as a local rabbi.

Rubenstein became the Hillel director and humanities professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and then a Distinguished Professor of Religion and co-director of the Humanities Institute at Florida State University.

He came to UB after Florida State.

In interviews Tuesday, the former presidents friends and family emphasized the integral role Rubensteins second wife, Betty, played in his life. Betty Rogers Rubenstein died in 2013.

Jeremy Rubenstein described Betty, an art historian, as his fathers personal anchor for more than 40 years.

He was an old-school Jewish intellectual, but Betty really smoothed the edges off of that and helped him live a more social life, he said. He always loved his family deeply and wanted nothing but the best for us.

The older he got, he took huge pride in his grandchildren and their accomplishments, said Hannah Rubenstein.

Survivors include his daughter, Hannah, and son, Jeremy; three stepchildren, John Alschuler of Sag Harbor, N.Y., Jean Reed of Knowlesville, NB, Canada and Liora Alschuler of East Thetford, Vt.; five grandchildren; five step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Beth El Cemetery in Fairfield. Shiva will be observed in-person at Rubensteins home following the service.
MONROE  First Selectman Ken Kellogg has announced that he will seek reelection this November.

It is an honor serving the people of Monroe, said Kellogg. Despite the fact that most of my second term has been primarily focused on responding to the COVID19 pandemic, my administration continued to make strong progress, deliver essential services and keep our local economy strong.

Kellogg praised his administrations efforts in managing the public health emergency. He declared a local civil preparedness emergency in March 2020, once the first confirmed case of COVID19 was reported in Monroe.

Without question, the number one priority is the health and safety of our community, Kellogg said this week. Priorities shifted very quickly throughout the pandemic, from state-mandated lockdowns and social distancing, to testing and contact tracing and the ongoing massive undertaking regarding mass vaccinations. I have great gratitude for our Emergency Management and Health departments for assisting at the forefront of this response.

Keeping residents informed has remained a priority, according to Kellogg. Throughout the pandemic, Kellogg has provided weekly updates on the towns website, social media and through the local media. He has also used the Towns CodeRED system to update residents by phone on a regular basis.

Kelloggs administration also implemented several municipal programs.

Our community and social services staff and volunteers handed out bags of groceries to our seniors, our senior center workers helped make vaccination appointments and our library staff assisted residents while running a Library to Go curbside service, he said.

Keeping businesses informed and helping them navigate the everchanging state sector rules was one of the primary jobs of a Community and Economic Recovery Coordinator position Kellogg created and implemented almost a year ago.

The functions of this position are directly related to emergency response and recovery, and therefore eligible for federal reimbursement, Kellogg said. This position has been important, not only in reducing the spread of illness, but has expedited business reopenings, especially when they have transitioned to new ownership. We worked hard to help our Monroe businesses survive and keep them open during the pandemic.

Kellogg stated that, unlike most towns, he kept Monroes park open.

There was ample space at Wolfe Park for residents to use the park while adhering to the social distancing rules, Kellogg said, and I wanted our residents to be able to use this tremendous asset.

There was a record high attendance recorded at Great Hollow Lake in Wolfe Park last season, he said.

Kellogg stated that while important board and commission meetings continued virtually, and then hybrid, there are many projects that were in progress that he is now anxious to see through.

Certain projects were dependent upon other agencies and personnel and simply had to be re-prioritized, Kellogg said, however, we did everything we could to keep them moving forward and with the pandemic coming under control, we are really wellpositioned to move ahead.

The efforts range from new fields at Wolfe Park, public safety infrastructure improvements and online permitting to enhance customer service, he said.

Monroe is such a great town, Kellogg said. I look forward to continue to serve as First Selectman as we emerge from the isolation of COVID, continue our strong progress, and hopefully return to normal very soon.
When President Joe Biden arrives at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London Wednesday, protesters will be assembled just outside the academys front gate raising objections to the presidents handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his proposed military spending.

Jewish Voices for Peace and multiple groups from local mosques, churches and student organizations plan to demonstrate against what they believe is Bidens unfair support for Israel amid escalating violence in the region. Organizers said more than 100 people are expected to attend.

A separate protest against U.S. support for Israel is planned for the Stamford Government Center Wednesday evening, where U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, has an office.

The protests will follow a day of demonstrations by Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, where Biden visited a Ford plant on Tuesday. Similar demonstrations were also held in Hartford on Saturday.

We are urging the administration to have Israel stop its violence and illegal evictions against the Palestinian people and engage in sincere efforts toward peace, said Uniz Bakar of Windsor, one of the organizers of the New London protest. Bakar, who is Palestinian-American, said his parents lost their business and home to Israelis before they emigrated to the U.S.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford issued a strong statement condemning violence targeting Israelis on Tuesday.

Hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza have caused mounting deaths and injuries and forced millions to huddle in bomb shelters, the groups said. We stand in solidarity with Israel, which has the right to defend itself against violence and terror, as does any sovereign nation.

RELATED: Why Connecticut is a top demonstration for Biden administration visits

Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinians militants continued Tuesday with Israels military dropping 110 guided bombs on the Gaza strip overnight, while Hamas  a group the U.S. has called a terrorist organization  fired rockets in return, CNBC reported. The violence in recent days has led to the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians, Gaza authorities said.

When reporters in Michigan asked Biden Tuesday if they could ask him a question about Israel, Biden said No, you cant. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. Im only teasing.

Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and expressed his support for a cease-fire and reiterated his firm support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks, according to a White House summary of the call. Biden also spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday and reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution.

The U.S. government is now considering a $735 million weapons sale to Israel, multiple outlets reported, a small piece of Americas larger military support for the key ally. Biden has also restarted economic and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Biden is scheduled to deliver commencement remarks at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London on Wednesday in his first official visit to Connecticut as president. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stressed Tuesday that the administration is engaging in quiet intensive diplomacy behind the scenes in the region.

But a growing collection of domestic and international voices are calling for an immediate cease-fire. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called for a cease-fire on Monday, as did more than 20 other senators.

While many Republicans have pressed for Biden to be more supportive of Israel, the protracted conflict has divided some Democrats. Progressives have called for more solidarity with Palestinians, framing Isaelis as an occupying force, while other Democrats have offered steadfast and unwavering support for Israel. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is one of the most powerful lobbying groups on Capitol Hill.

Hamas has launched more than 3,000 rockets against Israel, and yet again has initiated hostilities in the region. Hamas is terrorist organization and as always, Israel has the right to defend itself against these attacks, U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, said Tuesday. Leaders from both sides of the conflict must get the message that they cannot drag the region back into an endless cycle of violence.

Larsons challenger, Democrat Muad Hrezi, said he plans to atend the protest in New London Wednesday. He said Biden was enabling a right-wing Netanyahu government and should condition U.S. military assistance to Israel on human rights standards.

I am extremely dissatisfied in President Joe Bidens response so far to Israeli aggression against Palestinians when Israelis have provoked the Palestinians during their holy month, Hrezi said.

Farhan Memon, board chair for the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his organization has coordinated a rally in Stamford scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for supporters in Fairfield County to attend. He blasted Bidens response to the conflict as non-existent.

The Voluntown Peace Trust has organized another protest outside the Coast Guard Academy in McKinley Park calling on Biden to cut military spending, end the production of nuclear weapons and invest in local communities. Both protests are planned for Wednesday morning.

emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
UNITED NATIONS -- Chinas U.N. ambassador says France is seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants who control Gaza.

Zhang Jun, the current council president, confirmed that Frances U.N. Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere informed the council during the third round of closed consultations Tuesday on the conflict that a resolution was being prepared.

The United States has blocked the U.N.s most powerful body, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, from issuing a press statement calling for a halt to the violence, insisting that it would not help diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Diplomats said the 14 other council members supported the statement proposed by China, Tunisia and Norway. But Security Council press and presidential statements require approval of all 15 members. Resolutions, which are legally binding, do not. They require at least nine yes votes and no veto by a permanent member. This would put the United States in the position of voting in favor, abstaining, or vetoing a cease-fire call.

Zhang told reporters that China, Tunisia and Norway havent given up our effort ... and that draft statement stays there on the table, and we will continue to make our effort, making sure that the Security Council is fulfilling its mandate and responsibilities.

He said U.S. President Joe Bidens support for a cease-fire is consistent with what we are proposing in the Security Council, and China will support all efforts facilitating the cease-fire, facilitating the ending of the crisis, and the coming back of peace in the Middle East.

The proposed French resolution, drafted in coordination with Egypt and Jordan, could be circulated to council members as early as Wednesday and put to a quick vote, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private.

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UNITED NATIONS -- The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations is challenging the Biden administration to show results from its diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, pointing to the U.S. repeatedly blocking U.N. Security Council action on grounds it would interfere with its diplomatic efforts.

Riyad Mansour said if the Biden administration can exert all of their pressure to bring an end to the aggression against our people, nobody is going to stand in their way.

But he said the facts speak for themselves, and nobody has succeeded yet, so the U.S. argument that a council statement would interfere with efforts to achieve a cease-fire does not hold water.

Mansour spoke at a press conference Tuesday as the Security Council again met in closed consultations at the request of China, Norway and Tunisia who have been pressing for the U.N.s most powerful body to respond to the Gaza conflict, now in its second week. But council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussion was private, said the United States reiterated again that a statement would not help diplomatic efforts despite the 14 other members calling for council action.

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JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Palestinian militants have been dealt unexpected blows in more than a week of Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahus office released a video of the prime minister speaking in front of an F-16 fighter jet at an air force base in southern Israel on Tuesday.

I have no doubt that we set them back many years, Netanyahu said. I am sure that all our enemies around us see the price we have levied for the aggression against us, and I am sure they will learn the lesson.

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BEIRUT  Scores of Palestinians and Lebanese protesting along the border with Israel threw rocks and climbed the cement wall snaking around the frontier, and drew tear gas from Israeli forces Tuesday.

Lebanons National News Agency said five people were injured and others suffered from smoke inhalation. A number of protesters in the Lebanese border village of Adaisseh had climbed the wall to plant Lebanese flags and the yellow flags of the militant Hezbollah group.

It was the fifth straight day of protests along the border as support for the Palestinians swelled against an Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of protesters also marched in Lebanon's capital on Tuesday in support of Gaza, which has been under Israeli airstrikes since last week. The march went from Beirut's refugee camp of Mar Elias toward the city center.

On Monday, rockets fired from Lebanon fell inside Lebanese territory.

Last week, the Israeli army shot and killed one protester along the border. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah later identified the person killed as one of its fighters.

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RAMALLAH, West Bank  The Palestinian Health Ministry says a Palestinian protester was killed and dozens more were wounded when gunshots rang out at a large demonstration in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military says protesters opened fire at troops at Tuesdays demonstration. It says two soldiers were shot in the leg and had to be hospitalized. Palestinian protesters often clash with Israeli troops in the West Bank but the demonstrators are rarely armed.

The Health Ministry identified the deceased as 25-year-old Muhammad Hamid. It says 46 others were wounded, including 16 with bullet wounds. It says four of them are in serious condition.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered on the outskirts of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered, to protest against Israels actions in Gaza and Jerusalem. They burned tires and hurled stones at the Israeli troops, who fired tear gas at them.

At one point, seven shots rang out, but it was unclear where they came from. Israeli soldiers on a hillside opposite the protest could be seen taking cover behind mounds of sandbags.

Tensions are soaring over the latest Gaza war, as well as recent clashes in Jerusalem and cities across Israel. A general strike on Tuesday was observed by Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories.

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CAIRO  Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has announced the allocation of $500 million for reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.

El-Sissis office said in a Facebook post Tuesday that Egyptian firms would contribute in the re-building efforts.

Egypt, which is leading mediation efforts to reach a cease-fire, has sent some two dozen trucks carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Gaza through the Raffah crossing point.

It has also received wounded people from the latest round of violence to be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

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REYKJAVIK, Iceland  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has given the United States information about its bombing of a Gaza building housing The Associated Press and other media outlets.

Israel had claimed that Hamas had a military intelligence office in the Gaza building which it leveled in a weekend airstrike. But Israel has not publicly provided any evidence backing up that claim. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would share any evidence of Hamas presence in the targeted building through intelligence channels.

Blinken said from Iceland on Tuesday that we have received some further information through intelligence channels. He declined to characterize the material, saying "thats not something I can comment on.

Press freedom groups condemned the attack, which leveled the building and marked a new chapter in the already rocky relationship between the Israeli military and the international media.

AP President Gary Pruitt has called for an independent investigation into the attack.

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israeli police say two Thai workers inside Israel have been killed in a strike launched from the Gaza Strip.

Another seven people were wounded in that attack Tuesday afternoon that hit a packaging plant in southern Israel, authorities said.

Militants from Gaza have launched thousands of rockets at civilian targets in Israel since last week. Israel has responded with airstrikes against what it says are militant targets in Gaza.

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VIENNA  Austria has summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about comments in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Austrian officials decision to fly the Israeli flag over government buildings as a signal of solidarity.

The Israeli flag was raised over the chancellery and foreign ministry in Vienna on Friday amid rocket attacks by the Hamas militant group on Israel. In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Erdogan said: I curse the Austrian government which raised the Israeli flag over its (chancellery) building.

He added that flying the flag of a terrorist nation over such an official (building) is akin to living a life with terror. Presumably the Austrian government is trying to make Muslims pay the price of their own genocide against the Jews. The latter is a reference to the fact that, after its annexation in 1938, Austria was part of Nazi Germany.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Turkeys ambassador was summoned Tuesday over these absurd comments by President Erdogan.

Schallenberg added that it wont be possible to solve the Middle East conflict while foaming at the mouth. He said that instead of pouring oil on the fire, Turkey is urgently called on to contribute to de-escalation.

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GENEVA The U.N. humanitarian agency is describing an increasingly dire situation inside the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and the territorys Hamas rulers rages with no end in sight.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes during more than a week of heavy Israeli airstrikes. Hamas and other militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israel.

Laerke says electricity across Gaza is only available for six to eight hours a day.

Citing Palestinian authorities, he said 132 buildings comprising 621 housing and commercial units have been destroyed in Gaza. He says another 316 housing units have been severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable.

Israel and Egypt have imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the closures are needed to keep the group from rearming, while rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment.

Laerke welcomed Israels decision to open Gazas main commercial crossing, allowing essential supplies to flow in for the first time since war broke out on May 10.

COGAT, the Israeli military body that coordinates civilian affairs in Gaza, said the crossing was closed after a mortar attack, several hours after it had been opened in order to allow medical equipment in.

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ISLAMABAD  Pakistans foreign minister visited Turkey on Tuesday seeking to mobilize international pressure on Israel to halt attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The latest development comes a day after Pakistans lower house of parliament passed a unanimous resolution denouncing Israels attacks on Palestinian people.

Before leaving on his diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan stands firmly with the Palestinians.

Qureshi will also travel to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly later this week on the matter.

A day before, Pakistans opposition parties and the government issued a call for nationwide rallies on Friday to express solidarity with Palestinians.

Pakistan is among those countries that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

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MOSCOW  Russian President Vladimir Putin says it is imperative to end the violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

Speaking at a ceremony with new foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin noted that the outburst of confrontation between the Palestinians and the Israelis has already led to a large number of casualties among civilian population, including children.

We consider it imperative to end violent actions on both sides and to actively seek a solution based on a relevant resolution of the United Nations Security Council and universally recognized principles of international law, Putin said.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the American leader stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian.

Bidens carefully worded statement, in a White House readout Monday of his second known call to Netanyahu in three days as the attacks pounded on, came with the administration under pressure to respond more forcefully despite its determination to wrench the U.S. foreign policy focus away from Middle East conflicts.

Bidens comments on a cease-fire were open-ended and were similar to previous administration statements of support in principle for a cease-fire.

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies on Tuesday as Israeli strikes rained down on Gaza and militants fired dozens of rockets from the Hamas-ruled territory.

With the war in Gaza showing no sign of abating and truce efforts apparently stalled, the general strike and expected protests could again widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Tuesdays airstrikes toppled a six-story building that housed libraries and educational centers belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.
Funeral service for Helen Francis Turner, 76, of Cullman will be Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Watts and Rev. Keith Whitley officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing with burial in Bell Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, June 11, 2
Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

For some New Yorkers, the nonstop buzzing of helicopters, not sirens or fireworks or pot-banging, has been the sound of the COVID era, and theyre not happy about it. Between October 2019 and October 2020, chopper noise complaints jumped by 130 percent. During a recent community board meeting on the Upper West Side, a resident complained that the frequency of these helicopters, seven days a week, is so high I literally cannot get any rest. But its not only an Upper West Side problem, New Yorkers from other neighborhoods, including Brooklyn Heights, have also been increasingly hearing the obnoxious chopper noise above them. A recent 311 data analysis from The City shows that residents of districts along the Brooklyn waterfront were among those making the most complaints.

You might wonder whether thats because there are more flights lately, or because people are simply cooped up at home and are primed to call and gripe. Its a question that is almost impossible to answer because, surprisingly, there is no comprehensive data on traffic in city airspace, which is completely unregulated below 1,200 feet. Individual heliports count their flights, but theres no overarching agency keeping track. Its not controlled by any of the towers in New York or La Guardia or JFK, said Robert Gottheim, district director for Congressman Jerry Nadler, who has been trying to ban certain low-flying helicopters since 2019. And it sets up very, very heavy, very dense air traffic. Efforts to gain local control over everything below 1,200 feet have failed over the years. In an effort to reduce noise, the de Blasio administration ruled in 2016 that sightseeing choppers taking off from the city can only fly above the Hudson River  but that law doesnt apply to tourist choppers coming from New Jersey, and most of them originate there. Those aircraft are allowed to go wherever they want, whenever they want, as long as they stay below that 1,200-foot ceiling. The FAA doesnt actively monitor those lower levels either.

Having all those helicopters buzzing around unregulated airspace is not only annoying but can be dangerous too: Since 1982, there have been 30 fatal helicopter wrecks in the city, including the chopper that crashed onto a midtown building in 2019, killing its pilot, and the sightseeing helicopter that was owned and operated by Liberty Helicopters (and booked through New Jersey-based FlyNYON) that fell into the East River in 2018, causing five deaths. (And every New Yorker of a certain age remembers the day in 1977 when a helicopter broke up atop the Pan Am Building, throwing its rotor blades and other parts into the streets around Grand Central Terminal.)

There are now also several commuter chopper outfits buzzing around the city, notably the Uber-for-helicopters start-up Blade, which has quickly cornered the market on zipping business executives to and from the Hamptons. According to an analysis by the data company BetaNYC, most helicopters that hovered below 2,500 feet over Manhattan between March and December 2020 were for tourism and private travel. (There was a significant uptick in news-station and NYPD flight time in June, but tourist chopper companies dominated the rest of the year.)

Despite the crashes and mounting noise complaints, the FAA continues to ignore the low airspace, and no city or state regulation has been able to curb helicopter traffic. Weve met with everybody we can meet with, we met with the FAA, with the Eastern District Helicopter Association, with the city, with New Jersey, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer says. But I cant tell New Jersey what to do. Unless theres a federal law, I dont know what else to do. Nadler and a group of New York lawmakers reintroduced the Helicopter Safety Act, a bill authored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney that would enact a federal ban on sightseeing flights and other private choppers from city airspace. (NYPD, medical, and news helicopters would be exempt.)

Any place you have these tourism helicopters, and this density of flights in the air, is a dangerous situation, Gottheim says. The FAA doesnt want to regulate, so thats why Congress needs to step in.
Weather Alert

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... The Flash Flood Watch continues for * Portions of northeast North Carolina and Virginia, including the following areas, in northeast North Carolina, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Eastern Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Western Currituck. In Virginia, Brunswick, Charles City, Chesapeake, Dinwiddie, Eastern Chesterfield (Including Col. Heights), Eastern Henrico, Greensville, Hampton/Poquoson, Isle of Wight, James City, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Newport News, Norfolk/Portsmouth, Prince George, Southampton, Suffolk, Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach, Western Chesterfield, Western Henrico (Including the City of Richmond), and York. * From Friday afternoon through Friday evening * Additional heavy rainfall is possible Friday Afternoon into Friday evening as a frontal boundary becomes nearly stationary across the region. Up to 2 to 4 inches of rainfall may fall in a short period of time in the heavier thunderstorms, leading to the potential for flash flooding. * Low lying areas near creeks, streams, and rivers and locations with poor drainage could become inundated with floodwater and inaccessible. Flooding of roadways and road closures are also possible. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. &&
Actress and "Duck Dynasty" star Sadie Robertson Huff and her husband, Christian, announced the birth of their daughter after a challenging pregnancy.

Honey James was born on Tuesday and Sadie shared a glimpse of her on Instagram.

"We saw a million little miracles yesterday - the best one being this girl right here... Honey," she wrote.

"The pure goodness of God. [S]tory to come, but I'm way too occupied right now by cuteness," she further said.

The actress revealed that the name of their daughter was inspired by Proverbs 16: 24.

"Gracious words are like honey, sweetness to the soul and health to the body," the verse says.

She went on to explain that when she and her husband started dating, they went through Proverbs together and when she got into the verse, she told Christian, "[Y]ou have words like honey. [T]hey are so sweet and are healing places in my heart I didn't even know needed to be healed."

Moreover, she said that on their first date, wherein they went to do pottery together, she wrote "honey" on her cup, calling Christian "the boy with the honey words." The word also reminded her of her great grandma "who calls everyone she loves" as "honey."

Captured by The Christian Post, Sadie revealed on social media that she contracted COVID-19 while pregnant in October last year.

"I'm not going to lie, this has been one of the most challenging things. I got Covid-19 and ended up getting very sick. I know everyone experiences [C]ovid differently, but wow these symptoms are wild. I've definitely struggled through this one! Thankfully baby Huff is doing great and healthy, and I am now healing as well. I'm no longer in the hospital...and [I] have just about fully recovered," she said.

"I will say my dependency on Jesus has never felt greater in some of the hardest moment of this sickness. I'm thankful I serve a savior who is with me in these moments that feel rather lonely. My heart and my families heart goes out to everyone suffering with Covid," she added.

Sadie told People that she met Christian through her sister Bella's friends, when she went to visit Florida in July 2018.

His cousin invited her for a night at the beach and brought Christian with them. Sadie tried avoiding him, not wanting to get into a relationship yet. But before the evening ended, he made her follow him on social media. When she did, she discovered that Christian actually sent him a sweet message two years ago, encouraging her about God's work in her life, after he saw her speaking at a youth conference. He also called Sadie "the most beautiful girl in the world." She was moved and delighted with his words.

They became official after a few months and Christian proposed at their joint birthday party, after almost a year of dating.

In November 2019, the couple tied the knot in Louisiana.
Fred Shults age 86, of Dalton, passed away Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at Hamilton Medical Center. He is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Audie Shults and brother, D.O. Shults. He was a member of South Cohutta Baptist Church and the Antique Car Club. He is survived by his loving wife 
Sarah Mount, a science educator with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, helps Highland Middle School eighth-grader Sahar Mokal, left, and seventh-grader Zack Maroney collect baby glass eels from Black Creek on Wednesday, April 14
Bonnie Smith of Kingston, N.Y., left, and Carol Lopez, both of Kingston, exit the Uptown Kingston Post Office Monday morning wearing masks. Vaccinated New Yorkers can let go of pandemic restrictions like wearing masks or social distancing starting Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
U.S. Senators are calling on President Biden to stop American negotiations with Iran, which is backing the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Up to 44 Republican senators have urged President Joe Biden to "unequivocally" side with Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas militant group attacks and "immediately" end negotiations with Iran, which fully supports the terrorists activities of the Hamas group. They called out the vicious attacks, saying that the Biden administration should immediately halt any talks with the Iranians.

"In light of these recent attacks by Hamas against Israel, the United States should take all steps necessary to hold Tehran accountable and under no circumstances, provide sanctions relief to Iran," dozens of senators wrote in a letter dated May 12, 2021 to President Biden, FOX News reported. They believe it was "especially important as Iran is supported the terrorist activity against the United States' closest ally in the region, Israel."

The letter also detailed how the Iranian-backed Hamas ruthlessly attacked Israel, even working out of a Gaza building that housed several international media companies. Republicans also campaigned against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who took to Twitter to rally Palestinians to "use the tools of their disposal" to fight Israel, which he describes as a "terrorist garrison." The Hamas militant group was designated by the U.S as a terrorist organization in 1997. Iran on the other hand has been a "longtime financial and material supporter of Hamas."

Dozens of senators are worried that as the U.S. is "engaging in active negotiations with Iran and potentially providing billions of dollars in sanctions relief" to Iran, the Middle Eastern country will continue its support to the likes of the Hamas militant group and "other terrorist organizations who attack Americans and our allies."

The senators argued that the U.S. must not engage in activities that "enrich Israel's enemies" such as providing sanction relief to a "regime that seeks to destroy Israel." Instead, the Daily Wire reported that senators are calling upon the U.S. to "hold Tehran accountable and under no circumstances, provide sanctions relief to Iran," especially now that members of the Biden administration are busy negotiating with Iranian leaders in Vienna.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) research fellow Andrea Stricker shared the sentiments of the dozens of senators who are calling for the Biden administration to halt negotiations with Iran. She believes that the nuclear accord in UN Security Council resolution 2231 lifts Iran's sanctions that prohibit the import and export of missiles into the country until 2023. Lifting these sanctions will further arms and weaponry to militant groups such as Hamas.

NBC News reported that on Monday afternoon, President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday to "[reiterate] his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks." This is the President's second call to the Israeli Prime Minister in two days, as he faces political pressure from Democrats who are calling for a more indignant approach to Israel and Republicans who are calling for a halt in negotiations with Iran.
Kingston police can be seen at the scene of reported shots fired in Midtown Kingston on Monday, May 17, 2021. Police responded to the scene of shots fired from a vehicle in the area of Wall and Franklin streets at around 5:40 p.m. Monday.
Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996.
Ashland, KY (41101)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with numerous thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening - fog may develop overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski, who earlier this month was detained because he was claimed to have held a religious service that breached new public health rules on meetings, was freed on bond and said he had been grossly mistreated while in police detention.

Pawlowski, 48, the pastor of Calgary's Fortress (Cave) of Adullam Church, also cautioned his fellow Canadians about the country officials' rising authoritarianism. The preacher told Rebel News in an interview, "They are doing this to me. They are going to come after you. It's just a matter of time. "

"We have become political prisoners in Canada because we dare to challenge their corruption," he said. "Because that's what it is, the whole system is corrupted. The politicians are corrupt people."

According to CBN news, Pawlowski also charged the Canadian legal system of being corrupt, adding "if they can do this to me, they can do this to you. And anyone they wish."

Additionally, the preacher discussed the difficult circumstances surrounding his arrest. "As you saw, I was taken in the middle of the road. They threw me behind the police vehicle. My head was down and my feet up," he told the reporters.

On the day of his arrest, he was on his way home when his car was stopped by at least six patrol cars. He and his brother Dawid were charged of violating public health orders for gatherings because of Saturday's church service.

Due to the manner Pawlowski was restrained, the police officers were unable to transport him in their car. He said that he was placed in a police vehicle, a "short version of a van," and was forced to lie down in a cramped space for an hour with his hands bound behind him.

The pastor said that one of the cops threatened to file an assault complaint against him if he kicked an officer. He said he was being assaulted, considering how he and his brother were arrested, but the police were the ones threatening him with with an assault complaint.

"You can imagine how painful that was," Pawlowski continued. "That was actual torture, I was being tortured by the way they did it. One hour with my whole body on the handcuffs. It was unbelievable."

The preacher then went on to explain his experience inside the prison.

He said that it was just concrete and light with no bedding.

Pawlowski added that the officials deprived him and his brother Dawid of sleep, as well as denying his request for a Bible. When the guard's shift changed, however, everything changed, and he was treated kindly by the new guard, a certain Staff Sergeant Campbell, who provided him with a mattress and a Bible.

The pastor explained that two men from the second set of guards treated him humanely, even letting him walk around and giving him coffee. He then described how, in his experience facing authorities, some of them treated him with a vendetta because he would often challenge them.

"I say, most of them have a vendetta, it has become personal. It looks like, me, challenging their authority-that's unacceptable. Me, having a big mouth, and when I open my mouth they don't like it," he said. "So it was clear, you could see, it was a vendetta. They recognize us right away, they knew who we were, and they were mocking us."

"One jailer would just put his hands like, 'praise the Lord, praise the Lord' and laughing at us and pointing, like totally mocking our faith, mocking us, zero respect. Not just for a clergyman -zero respect for us as humans," he said. "We were dogs. That's how we were treated there."

The brothers were subsequently transported to a new prison facility, which the pastor characterized as "hell." They were reportedly put in a "filthy cell" with 30 other detainees and told they couldn't contact their attorneys.

The preacher also alleged that the authorities in his community have a grudge against him.

"It becomes personal, it becomes a personal vendetta and (Alberta Premier) Jason Kenney coming out and saying that, 'I'm going to crush Pawlowski,' that really broke my heart because it shows the level of evil. Evil! They're evil people. The premier of Alberta is an evil man."

"I think we have fallen very, very low in our country," Pawlowski concluded.

Watch the video below to leran more about how Pastor Pawlowski's imprisonment contradicts the authorities' push for "health" and more, according to him.
'Eye yoga' can help strengthen muscles in the eye and even minimise strain, according to experts.

The practice was championed by Sir Paul McCartney in an interview with Jessie Ware on her Table Manners podcast. He claimed his eyesight has improved since he discovered eye yoga on a trip to India in the late 2000s.

'I learned off some yogi in India. He explained that your eyes are muscles. Your ears aren't, so you can't exercise your ears. But your eyes, you can,' he explained.

'It all makes sense. I don't know if that's why I don't need glasses when reading a newspaper.'

The musician also revealed that he created eye yoga instructions for a friend's daughter, which 'improved her eyesight', and stopped her from getting glasses 'for a few years'.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, experts explained eye yoga is not a cure-all solution for eye problems, many of which require specialist treatment, but said it can help keep the eye muscles strong and potentially minimise strain.

Elizabeth Hawkes, Consultant Ophthalmic and Oculoplastic Surgeon at the Cadogan Clinic, says for those working in front of screens every day, it's important to take regular screen breaks and adopt the 20-20-20 rule. Pictured, looking away from the screen

Elizabeth Hawkes, Consultant Ophthalmic and Oculoplastic Surgeon at the Cadogan Clinic, explained eye yoga works because it manipulates the muscles in the eye.

'After the brain, the eye is the most complex organ in the body and there are many confounding factors affecting sight and ageing of the eye,' she explained.

'There are muscles in the eyelid, on the eyeball and inside the eye. All are very important and are controlled by the nervous system and brain.

'The muscles on the outside of the eyeball are called extraocular muscles - we have six - and there are also muscles inside the eye which cause contraction of the natural lens and allow us to focus on objects close up.

'This process is called accommodation and as we age we lose this ability and therefore require reading glasses to focus on objects close up.'

She went on to say that the only time a medical professional will prescribe eye exercises is for a medical condition called 'convergence insufficiency' which causes headaches and double vision when focusing on an object close up.

The practice was championed by Sir Paul McCartney in an interview with Jessie Ware on her Table Manners podcast. He claimed his eyesight has improved since he discovered eye yoga on a trip to India in the late 2000s

'This is due to extraocular muscle weakness and eyelid exercises will help,' she explained. 'It's vital to be seen by an orthoptist who will demonstrate these and exercises and oversee the condition.'

She says that whilst there is no robust evidence to support eye yoga to delay this process or improve eye health, in theory strengthening our eye muscles of accommodation by focusing on an object in the distance and then an object up close is a very good idea.

'Strength is important for every muscle in the body and taking a holistic approach to health is a good complement to conventional medicine,' she added.

Amir Hamid, ophthalmic surgeon and Medical Director at Optegra eye hospital group, agreed, saying eye yoga 'cannot correct eye problems in terms of refractive errors'.

He added: 'If you need glasses for distance vision or if there is a need for glasses for reading, there's no way you can anatomically change the shape or the function of your eye by performing an exercise.'

Chatty Dobson, Yoga Teacher & Owner of FLEX Chelsea, also agrees and says that eye yoga will only 'keep your eyes strong,' rather than improve vision.

She continued: 'So it will keep them as they are now. It might improve them slightly but you're not going to throw your glasses away in a week. It will keep your eyes better for longer.

'It's the strengthening of the eye muscles that helps you to maintain good eye sight. These exercises help improve the flexibility in these muscles and help you focus better. The exercises also help to minimise eye strain which allows your eyes to work more efficiently.'

During the podcast, The Beatles legend explained some of the exercises and likened it to the Union Jack shape, saying: 'So head still, and then you look up as far as you can, one, two, three, go back to the middle, then down, back to the middle.

'You do three lots of that then go to the left and the right. Now you've got a cross, up and down, and sideways, now you do the diagonals.'

And according to Chatty Dobson, Paul's technique is spot on.

'Paul's description is exactly how you do eye yoga,' she noted. 'He describes some of the exercises, but there are more too! But those are perfect as the basics,' she explained.'
A brave two-year-old boy has been left with horrific burn scars across 95 per cent of his body after surviving a deadly house fire that claimed the lives of his grandfather, mother, and sister, after allegedly being set by a disgruntled lodger who had been welcomed into the family's home.

Liam Rodriguez, from New York City, was left with agonizing injuries after getting caught in the July 2019 blaze alongside his mom Elizabeth, six-year-old sister Ema, and grandfather Claudio, 76.

The youngster's burns were so severe that he was given just a one per cent chance of survival by doctors in the ER, who warned that, even if he did live, he would have to endure multiple surgeries, including amputating his right foot and several fingers and toes, lifelong treatment, and round-the-clock care.

Now, two years after the alleged arson attack, Liam's aunt Denise Moreno, 45, is revealing the devastating impact that it has had on her nephew's life.

Agonizing: A two-year-old boy who survived a deadly house fire that killed his mother, sister, and grandfather, has been left with horrific injuries and burns across 95 per cent of his body

Devastating: Liam Rodriguez, from New York City, was the sole survivor of an alleged arson attack which is understood to have been perpetrated by a lodger who was living with his family

Heartbreaking: The 'beautiful' boy (pictured before the fire) was given just a one per cent chance of survival by doctors when he arrived at the hospital after the July 2019 fire

Loss: Liam's mother Elizabeth, his sister Ema, and his grandfather Claudio (pictured with a relative) were all killed in the fire, which also claimed the life of alleged arsonist Nunez

Denise remembers Liam being a beautiful little boy with lots of character and sass, who loved playing with his older sister and being around his family - especially his mother - but this all changed instantly.

The tragic fire is believed to have been started by David Abreu Nunez, who came to New York City in search of a job and stayed at the Moreno's family home while he found his feet.

However, the family claimed that they asked him to leave after he began displaying what they believed to be erratic behavior. Nunez reportedly became aggressive after being told to move out of the property and allegedly set the home on fire in an act of revenge.

Nunez died in the fire, which also instantly claimed the lives of Ema and Claudio.

Elizabeth succumbed to her injuries a month later after being rushed to hospital for treatment by paramedics - who arrived to find the mother-of-two desperately trying to escape the flames with her young son.

As they arrived, Elizabeth and Liam were found by the front door trying to escape, and one firefighter had to administer CPR on Liam which saved his life. He was then rushed to hospital by an ambulance along with his mother.

Denise recalls the horrifying moment that she received a call about the fire, and she says she was in a state of complete shock after hearing the details. She soon rushed to the hospital, where Liam was in an extremely critical condition, having suffered burns across 95 per cent of his body.

Recovery: The youngster had to spend more than a year in hospital undergoing treatment for his injuries, and was forced to endure more than 35 surgeries

Loss: Doctors were forced to amputate Liam's right foot, as well as several fingers and toes, in order to prevent infection and increase his blood flow

Family: The toddler is now being cared for by family, including aunt Denise Moreno (pictured), who is sharing his story in the hopes of raising money to fund his round-the-clock care

Ongoing: Liam was allowed to go home in November 2020, but he has since had to undergo dozens of operations, including multiple skin grafts, neck realignment and intestinal surgery

When she arrived at the hospital, Denise was told that Liam had less than a one per cent chance of survival and doctors warned her that - even if he were to survive - he would need constant around-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

Liam's body was extremely swollen and he was unable to open his eyes and mouth. He was covered in medical equipment and had to have his stomach opened up in order to relieve pressure.

He also had to go through extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) - where a machine is hooked up to the patient and used to replace the function of the heart and lungs - as his body was failing.

On July 24, 2019, doctors informed Denise that for Liam to survive, he would have to have his right foot, fingers and toes amputated as there was no more blood flow to his limbs which was needed to prevent any further infection.

After over a year in hospital, Liam was finally allowed home in November 2020 where he entered the full-time care of Denise's sister-in-law, Rafelina Moreno, 50. Although they're thankful that he's finally home, the amount of care and attention he needs has been overwhelming.

Since then, he has returned to hospital to have 35 further surgeries which included multiple skin grafts, neck realignment and surgery on his intestines.

As well as this, he receives up to five home therapies per day, five days a week, which includes speech therapy, swallow aid and individual assessments as well as general check ups from the doctors a few times a month.

Then and now: Liam will likely have to receive round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, and his aunt Denise says she is afraid he may face bullying because of his appearance

Monitoring: The tot receives up to five home therapies per day, five days a week, which includes speech therapy, swallow aid and individual assessments

Denise worries that in the future, Liam will get bullied for the way he looks and moves around, especially as he will need some assistance due to this tragic ordeal.

Despite the long road to recovery ahead, Liam shows perseverance every day and reminds his family that each day is a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted.

'I remember my nephew Liam, as a beautiful little boy who was full of character and sass. He used to love playing with his older sister, Ema and loved being around his family, especially his mother, Elizabeth,' said Denise.

'However in July 2019, this all changed when a fire broke out in their home which is believed to have been caused by an arsonist.

'Liam, his sister, mother and grandfather, Claudio, were all in the property at the time whilst everyone else was at work.

'I was packing up my stuff at work when I received a notification through an app on my phone that alerted me of a mass fire in my neighborhood. As I clicked on the link, my heart sank as I realized it was my family's home.

'I was in total disbelief and I rushed out of work to make my way to the house, where my phone kept ringing each time there was a further note of severity.

'As I arrived, I fell to my knees in complete shock and fear at the site of the house, which was crumbling apart.

'From what I was told, Elizabeth tried to escape with Liam first, as she was found by the front door holding onto him and it was believed that Claudio had a physical fight with the arsonist whilst trying to save his family.

'The neighbor from the first floor initially called 911 after an explosion was heard and after five minutes, firefighters appeared where they pulled out Liam first and performed CPR on him, which saved his life.

Moving forward: 'The amount of care and attention he has needed has been overwhelming and none of us could have ever imagined the painful recovery of a burn survivor,' Denise said

Miracle: The family says that everyone who meets Liam 'instantly falls in love with his laughter'

'Liam was wrapped up and rushed to the hospital in an ambulance as he was in an extremely critical condition. Over 95 per cent of his little body was burned and he was given less than a one-percent chance of survival.

'As I arrived at the hospital, I noticed that his whole body was extremely swollen where his eyes and mouth were completely stuck shut. Shortly after, he was completely bandaged up to help with the pressure of the burns and was placed on medical equipment to help him breathe.

'Medics then informed me that his intestines were starting to swell and in order to save his life, they had to open up his stomach so that they could relieve the pressure.

'Although our whole family was in complete fear over the condition of Liam, the doctors made us feel reassured each step of the way that they were doing everything they could to help his severe state.

'Despite this, it was very easy to lose hope and we held onto our faith even harder, praying for not just Liam, but for Elizabeth too.'

On August 6, 2020, the family were sadly informed of the passing of Elizabeth, as her condition never stabilized. Although Denise was absolutely heartbroken, she had to turn her attention to Liam, who was still in a critical state and had no immediate family left by his side.

'As we heard about the passing of Liam's mother, we knew we had to step in as a family, where my sister-in-law became his legal guardian,' Denise said.

'We knew from the beginning that amputations were likely, but we were informed just a few weeks after the tragic accident that an amputation of Liam's right foot, fingers and toes were necessary as the blood flow to his limbs had started to cut off.

'Over the course of a year, Liam also went through an ECMO where a patient is placed onto a machine to replace the function of the lungs and heart, which was the scariest procedure by far as not many patients survive this procedure.

Helping hand: Liam's family is now working to ensure that the little boy gets every form of care possible to provide him with the best quality of life

Fears: 'Although we're so proud of his progress, I do have concerns for the future with bullies who may treat him differently for the way he looks and moves around,' Denise admitted

Staying strong: Denise added that her nephew has taught his family to see every day as a 'gift'

'Alongside this, he has had a further 35 surgeries to date which has included multiple skin grafts, neck realignment and surgery on his intestines to help with the swelling.

'The whole time whilst Liam was in hospital was devastating, as although we knew he was getting the care he needed, each surgery took around six hours to complete and after each one, there would be a long and laborious recovery period.

'However in November 2020, Liam was finally allowed home right before Thanksgiving, which we are all so grateful for.

'Despite this, the amount of care and attention he has needed has been overwhelming and none of us could have ever imagined the painful recovery of a burn survivor - especially one so young.

'Now, Liam has to visit the doctors a few times a month for various check-ups which monitor any intestinal concerns, as well as his hearing and swallowing development.

'From Monday to Friday, he receives up to five at home therapies a day for his speech, swallowing and movement, which has helped him a great deal since leaving hospital.

'Although we're so proud of his progress, I do have concerns for the future with bullies who may treat him differently for the way he looks and moves around, as well as the fact that he will need around-the-clock assistance.

'So far though, the general public have been great whenever they see Liam and are always amazed by his willingness to fight. Anyone who meets him instantly falls in love with his laughter and we are thankful that there has been no negativity surrounding Liam and his situation.

'It has been hard as a family seeing our little baby suffer - not just physically, but emotionally too with the loss of his mother and sister - but we do our best to play with him all the time and spoil him as much as we can with massages and gifts.

'Liam takes everything day by day and he is starting to get used to seeing the therapists, which has been a great breakthrough as it makes my job as a carer slightly easier.

'We have learned through Liam and his fight that you can never give up and that each day is a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted.'
From being starved and beaten to having their eyes gouged out in violent acts of revenge, a new historical novel sheds light on the harsh existence endured by prostitutes in Ancient Rome.

Set in Pompeii in the first century AD, The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper follows the story of Amara, a well-educated doctor's daughter who is sold into slavery by her destitute mother and bought by a violent pimp who owns the local brothel.

The novel recounts the violence and degradation suffered by the so-called 'she-wolves' who were forced to sell their bodies at the city's brothel, but at its centre is a story about a smart, ambitious and ruthless woman determined to survive.

While Amara's personal story is a work of fiction, the world in which she exists is steeped in vivid historical detail.

Harper, a journalist, former Latin student and lover of classical literature, drew on literature, historical artefacts and the ruins of Pompeii to inform everything from the characters' backstories to the smallest scene-setting flourishes.

'Like every other light in the brothel, it is modelled in the shape of a penis, flames flickering from the tip. One or two even have a small clay man attached, brandishing an enormous fiery erection,' Harper writes, describing the phallic lamps that were unearthed at Pompeii.

Steeped in history: The Wolf Den, by Elodie Harper, is set in Pompeii in the first century AD and follows the story of Amara, a well-educated doctor's daughter who is sold into slavery by her destitute mother and bought by a violent pimp who owns the local brothel. Pictured, an erotic painting from a private residence in Pompeii that was preserved in the eruption of Vesuvius

The Wolf Den: The novel takes its name from Pompeii's brothel - the Lupanar, or Wolf Den. A series of cramped, dark cells with thick stone walls, it is where women like Harper's character Amara were forced to live, sleep, eat, and sell their bodies for sex. Pictured, the Lupanar

Erotic frescoes: Like the real lupanar (pictured), the walls of Harper's Wolf Den are decorated with graphic frescoes showing women pleasuring men or 'being taken from behind'. The pimp's 'favourite w***e' has her cell marked with a picture of a woman on top

The Wolf Den, the first in a trilogy of books, is set in the years leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried the thriving cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae and Herculaneum under layers of volcanic deposit.

It is estimated some 2,000 people died in Pompeii alone.

The city's streets, buildings and objects remained buried under these thick layers of ash and rock fragments until they were discovered in 1748.

Today the excavated ruins are a popular tourist attraction that allow visitors to step back in time and walk in the footsteps of the Romans.

The 'astounding wealth of evidence' allowed Harper to root her novel firmly in historical fact.

'I didn't have to invent everything,' she said in an interview with FEMAIL. 'You can actually walk down the streets, see the brothel or grand houses, even visit a Roman bar and touch the marble countertop. It's the most fabulously evocative place.'

As one might expect, violence, sex and death feature heavily in the Wolf Den. Scenes depict women being beaten, raped and emotionally abused.

In one scene, Amara encounters her pimp, Felix, with a group of his friends.

'Felix's companions have stopped running and are stretching on the side of the track a few feet away,' Harper writes.

'The amusement value of their friend's tryst is obviously wearing thin. "Your girlfriend can suck you off another time," says one, wandering over...

"You should try my d**k," he says to Amara, rocking his pelvis. "You won't be wanting him to f**k you after that"...

Frozen in time: The Wolf Den, the first in a trilogy of books, is set in the years leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried the thriving cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae and Herculaneum under layers of volcanic deposit. Pictured, the Lupanar

'"Your c**k is so small, none of my w****s can even find it," Felix says, pulling her towards him, one hand at the small of her back, the other cradling her face.

'He kisses her, long enough for the others to start whistling, then slaps her on the backside as an obvious sign of dismissal.'

Coarse language is peppered throughout the book but is used in order to portray the setting 'in a convincing way', according to Harper.

'I do realise some readers might find swearing offensive, but I also felt it was crucial to be true to the location and the era,' she explained.

'My language is pretty tame compared to the graffiti in Pompeii's real brothel or even that used by revered Latin love poets like Catullus.

'The coarsest language is also specific to characters like Felix the brothel owner - he is a violent, offensive man and his way with words reflects that.'

The novel takes its name from Pompeii's brothel - the Lupanar, or Wolf Den.

A series of cramped, dark cells with thick stone walls, it is where women like Amara were forced to live, sleep, eat, and sell their bodies for sex.

Forgotten women of Rome: Harper said she 'tried to reflect on what we know about Roman society (which mainly comes from the viewpoint of elite male writers') and think about how the same situations might have looked to women or people lower down the social scale'. Pictured, part of a fresco at the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii

Like the real lupanar, the walls of Harper's Wolf Den are decorated with graphic frescoes showing women pleasuring men or 'being taken from behind'.

Pliny the Elder: The hero of Pompeii Pliny the Elder, who died during the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, is the only truly historical figure who appears in The Wolf Den. Pliny, father of Pliny the Younger, was an author, naturalist and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire. He was also a friend of emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia, which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. When Vesuvius erupted, Pliny was stationed across the Bay of Naples. He launched ships and sailed towards the disaster to attempt a rescue. But no rescue was possible and Pliny himself died during on the beach, likely suffocating due to toxic gases from the eruption. Harper reimagined Pliny the Elder based on his 'wonderfully likable and distinctive voice in the Natural History'. She also relied on Daisy Dunn's recent biography of the two Plinys, In the Shadow of Vesuvius. Advertisement

Felix's 'favourite w***e' has her cell marked with a picture of a woman on top.

'The shutters in the small cells are locked to keep out the damp and the air is thick with smoke from incense and oil lamps,' Harper writes.

'Fabia is slopping out, trying to stop the latrine from overflowing with rainwater. The stench, never pleasant at this end of the brothel, is worse than usual.'

The names of some of the she-wolves were taken from graffiti found in the lupanar.

'I chose names that are actually written on the real lupanar's walls for three of the women: Cressa, Beronice, Victoria,' she said.

'With Victoria, she is also matched to the tone of some of the graffiti in which she refers to herself as Victoria Victrix, or 'Victoria the conqueress'.

Harper also tried to remain true to historical fact when it came to devising the women's backstories.

Dido, for example, was kidnapped by pirates who pillaged her hometown before being sold off, while Cressa, an older she-wolf, was forced to sell her son into slavery after falling pregnant at the brothel.

Meanwhile Victoria was a 'rubbish dump baby' raised by a sex worker.

'Dumps were places people picked up abandoned or exposed babies to use as slaves,' explained Harper.

'Life in the ancient world was cheap and precarious.'

Harper also drew on Latin literature when constructing her characters.

'Zoilus the freedman is a reflection of Trimalchio from Petronius's The Satyricon - only I chose to write the character from a sympathetic rather than satirical viewpoint, in order to switch the perspective,' she explained.

Tourist attraction: The city's streets, buildings and objects remained buried under these thick layers of ash and rock fragments until they were discovered in 1748. Pictured, Pompeii today

'I tried to do that a lot in the book, reflect on what we know about Roman society (which mainly comes from the viewpoint of elite male writers') and think about how the same situations might have looked to women or people lower down the social scale.'

Prostitutes who carved their names into the brothel walls Author Elodie Harper remembered the women who worked at the real Lupanar by taking their names for characters in The Wolf Den. Graffiti on the brothel walls hints at the lives of those who once occupied the cramped, stone cells. 'Cressa' and 'Beronice' both appear on the walls and in the book. Meanwhile another woman, Victoria, referred to herself on multiple occasions as a conqueress: Victoria Victrix. 'I took the hint and made her a forceful character in my book,' Harper said. Advertisement

Despite the bleak circumstances the women find themselves in, there is a thread of hope, humour and female friendship that runs through The Wolf Den.

The she-wolves celebrate each other's triumphs, share in their misery - and delight in coming together to mock the customers they have to service.

One is dubbed 'Mr GarlicFarticus' while another is ridiculed for 'being hung like a snail'.

The relationship between the she-wolves was inspired by a rare drawing on ivory from Herculaneum that shows five women enjoying themselves in a game of dicing.

'The scene is relaxing to look at, full of good humour,' Harper explained in the Daily Telegraph.

'One of the women is even smoking a pipe. Whenever I pictured my own five women from the lupanar, imagining their friendships or the way they might have enjoyed one anothers company, I thought of this image.'

She added: 'There were times when I found The Wolf Den a difficult book to write, whenever I thought about how hard life must have been for women in the lupanar.

'But then I would remember the painting of the friends dicing, and realise that the real women who lived here must have laughed and schemed  and hoped, too, because the human spirit can still find a way to burn through, even in the darkest of places.'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is published by Head of Zeus at 16.99.
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Giant metal shipping containers may look ugly on the outside to most, but some ambitious and creative types have spotted the potential to create a low-cost luxury property.

Compiled in a gallery by Bored Panda, pictures show how old metal containers have been transformed into stunning homes complete with balconies, rooftop decks and a hammock swinging in the front yard.

One graffiti-covered container has been converted into a cosy, winter wonderland cabin in upstate New York, while in Bali stacked containers have been made into a multi-storey villa with a swimming pool.

Here, FEMAIL explores some of the most amazing transformations...

 Slide me  Three-storey shipping containers in Costa Rica may look like a junk yard before, but one ambitious homeowner saw potential for a low-price luxury property surrounded by nature and multiple balconies overlooking the canopy

 Slide me  In Michigan, these seven shipping containers, originally used for transporting cargo, were transformed into a charming house decorated with a wooden facade and sold for $429,900

 Slide me  This graffiti-covered container has been converted into a cosy, winter wonderland cabin with fairy lights in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York

 Slide me  A number of stacked shipping containers were transformed into a luxury two-bed villa with floor to ceiling glass windows to let in as much natural light as possible and a swimming pool in the front yard in Bingin, Bali

Before and after pictures show how these metal containers were renovated into a stunning home in Brazil complete with multiple balconies and a hammock swing

This 2,000-square-foot home in Alberta, Canada was made out of six shipping containers and comes with a spacious roof deck and wooden facade

This eco-friendly build in Brazil was named Casa Suspensa or The Hanging House because it was built above ground level, and 80% of the construction materials used were recycled

A luxury 'pocket house' in Belo Horizonte, Brazil was built inside a single container measuring just 320 square feet and features a glass-window facade and a timber rooftop deck

A large covered deck was added to this single shipping container home, making it the perfect spot to host summer barbecue

This two-storey shipping container home in Peru comes complete with a suspended bedroom and an outdoor living and dining area

A shipping container house with exposed red steel facade in Hudson, New York is polished up into a unique home with diagonal windows

A geometric apartment block of stacked, white shipping containers looks wonderfully aesthetic with pink blossoms growing on the balconies

This black shipping freight was renovated into a cosy AirBnb in Logan, Ohio which comes complete with a hot-tub for guests

The blue exposed metal of these containers was covered up and made into a natural green oasis with a large garage
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An imposing concrete mansion designed by late Bulgarian architect Iwan Iwanoff that looks like a prop from a dystopian movie set hides a string of glamorous and groovy secrets.

Inspired by a trip to Las Vegas in the 1970s, Perth builder Sergio Marsala commissioned Iwanoff to design his family home around one outrageously extravagant feature: a 'nightclub' with a light-up checkerboard disco floor.

The duo travelled extensively together, sourcing one-off fittings, furniture and artwork from around the world to create the kooky masterpiece that is Marsala House, a 1,483sqm property in Dianella, nine kilometres from Perth CBD, better known as the Disco House.

The design, which includes sunken living areas synonymous with the Sin City of the '70s, two cocktail bars, a gym, an outdoor swimming pool and enormous balconies that capture panoramic views of the city, is now a significant piece of Western Australian architectural history.

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The house that funk built: This imposing concrete mansion designed by late Bulgarian architect Iwan Iwanoff hides a string of glamorous and groovy secrets

Built in 1976, Marsala is the newest house on the WA State Heritage Register and the only of Iwanoff's designs to be heritage-listed.

Listing agent Danielle Geagea, who is currently overseeing the sale of the house for Zsa Zsa Property, describes it as an 'architecturally significant home'.

'It's not only a sculptural work of art, but also an incredible estate,' Ms Geagea told Daily Mail Australia.

With its light-up floor, DJ booth, Venetian chandelier and crocodile skin wallpaper, the famed disco room is like a scene from Saturday Night Fever which you'd never expect to find at the heart of a private family home.

The house was built around one extravagant feature: a 'nightclub' with a light-up checkerboard disco floor (pictured)

The unique design includes sunken living areas synonymous with the Sin City of the '70s, a gym, a spa and an outdoor swimming pool (pictured)

Enormous balconies that capture views of the city skyline wrap around the house

The style of the house was inspired by a trip to Las Vegas the 1970s

Marsala is widely considered to be the jewel in the crown of Iwanoff's impressive portfolio

Enormous balconies wrap around the edge of the house, which is lavishly decorated with Alpaca wool carpets, Italian marble and custom wallpaper inside.

Marsala is widely considered to be the jewel in the crown of the late architect's impressive portfolio, which also includes striking builds such as Golowin House in Mount Lawley, five minutes' drive north of Perth CBD.

Iwanoff, also known as Iwan Nickolow, was born in western Bulgaria in 1919 and studied architecture across Europe before emigrating to Fremantle, WA, where he lived until his death in 1986.

The interior is filled with lavish furnishings such as Italian marble, Alpaca wool carpets

Built in 1976, Marsala is the newest house on the WA State Heritage Register and the only of Iwanoff's designs to be heritage-listed

Meticulous restorations during the Noughties also saw Marsala House awarded the 2011 Western Australian Heritage Council's Award for Outstanding Residential Conservation

His signature Brutalist style is evident in every corner of the 'Disco House', which is fronted and filled with rough, unfinished surfaces, oblong shapes, straight lines and small windows.

Iwanoff was famous for installing clerestory windows, an architectural technique dating back to the temples of ancient Egypt that positions rows of narrow windows above eye level which floods the interior with natural light, making the space feel bright, airy and considerably larger than its actual floor size.

Alongside its heritage listing, meticulous restorations during the Noughties saw Marsala House awarded the 2011 Western Australian Heritage Council's Award for Outstanding Residential Conservation, as well as the 2012 Australian Institute of Architects award for Conservation or Restoration of a Heritage Place.
Lukewarm showers, plenty of water and a different moisturiser to the one you usually use are the keys to looking after your skin during the winter, a leading skin expert has claimed.

Ultraceuticals Global Education Ambassador Tracey Beeby told FEMAIL that a change of season and a sudden cold snap can quickly lead to a range of skin concerns if you're not careful, from dryness to dehydration, rosacea and even eczema.

'Skin tends to suffer more from dryness and dehydration (lipid and moisture loss) in winter due to hotter showers and heating, harsher weather outside, more comfort foods and less activity,' Tracey told Daily Mail Australia.

Lukewarm showers, plenty of water and a different moisturiser are the key to looking after your skin during the winter, a leading skin expert has claimed (Tracey Beeby pictured)

'Certain skin conditions can also flare up in winter such as dermatitis and eczema due to the dry, windy air and harsh temperatures, but also the fact that the skin is covered with woollen clothing, which can often irritate the skin.'

The first important step to ensuring your skin is adequately moisturised over winter is identifying whether you have a dry or dehydrated complexion.

'Dehydrated skin lacks moisture but still may produce oil,' Tracey explained.

'Whereas dry skin is skin that is oil-dry. A dry complexion can feel tight all the time - even after applying moisturiser and flakey patches may crop up.'

The first important step to ensuring your skin is adequately moisturised over winter is identifying whether you have a dry or dehydrated complexion (stock image)

1. Change your moisturiser

The first thing to do to get glowing skin in the winter is change up your usual spring and summer moisturiser.

'Within our daily regimen, sometimes a more occlusive moisturiser may be required along with the addition of a hydrating serum,' Tracey explained.

'Sometimes an upgrade in your moisturiser is necessary and the addition of a nourishing or replenishing mask will help replace essential moisture while restoring and repairing your skins barrier, the epidermis.'

The Ultraceuticals Ultra Rich Moisturiser Cream ($112) is a great remedy for distressed and dehydrated skin, while the Ultra Replenishing Mask ($78) by the same brand will boost the hydration levels and support the skin's lipid barrier function.

2. Drink more water

Alongside external hydration, the skin expert said you need to think about how well you're hydrating on the inside.

Something between two and three litres of water per day should keep your complexion looking plump and juicy.

If you don't like water, you can get this in the form of flavoured water or even herbal tea.

3. Ditch hot showers

It can be tempting to enjoy a hot shower in winter, with temperatures plummeting and the desire to be warm at an all-time high.

But hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling.

They can also disrupt the skin's natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats and proteins that keep your skin healthy.

If you must indulge in a hot shower or bath, keep your bathroom door closed and lock in moisture by moisturising or applying a body oil directly afterwards.

Avoiding hot showers is good for your skin, as hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling (stock image)

4. Don't forget SPF

While it might not feel warm in the winter, you still need SPF to protect your skin from the sun's penetrating rays.

'While there is less UVB around in winter, the levels of UVA (or UV ageing) are still significant enough to age your skin,' Vicki Engsall, co-founder of The Jojoba Company, previously told FEMAIL.

'Apply a safe option like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to exposed areas and make sure you remember to moisturise too.'

Vicki recommends applying moisturiser to damp skin to help 'seal that dampness into the skin'.

If you're having a bath, a few drops of jojoba oil will help to add moisture while you relax.

5. Add in extra steps

Our skin needs some extra TLC in winter, so don't be afraid to add various lotions and potions into your morning and night-time skin routine.

'Add a mist toner into your routine,' Elizabeth Barbalich, the CEO of Antipodes, told FEMAIL.

'A spritz of something like an antioxidant-rich gentle toner at any time of the day delivers a powerful moisture boost and can help you to feel instantly relaxed.'

Elizabeth also recommends adding a water-based serum in to your day-to-day products, and 'nourishing the skin' with a face oil.

'Our skin is more dehydrated in the winter, and dehydrated skin leads to signs of early ageing, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on it,' she said.

Fiona Stewart, of Slip, finally says that sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help your complexion to look its best.
A facial serum that costs less than a sandwich promises to clear spots and restore skin's natural radiance in as little as three days.

While top-quality skincare is typically associated with sky high price tags, The Ordinary's 'Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1%' will set you back just $9.90 (AUD).

The potent formula from the cult US beauty brand has been shown to reduce blemishes, blackheads and congestion, particularly across the nose and forehead, leading its adherents to dub it the 'secret to flawless skin'.

The affordable secret to flawless skin? This $9.99 serum from cult beauty brand The Ordinary is said to clear breakouts and congestion in as little as three days

Customers (one pictured) say the radiance of their lacklustre skin was restored by the powerful blend of zinc and niacinamide, the cosmetic name for vitamin B3

The budget-friendly product is packed with vitamins and minerals that strengthen the skin's structural integrity and smooth uneven skin tone

Available in Australia at Priceline and Myer stores as well as online from Adore Beauty, the budget-friendly product is designed to strengthen the skin's structure and smooth uneven skin tone.

Zinc and niacinamide, the cosmetic name for vitamin B3, occur naturally in the body and support the health of the kidneys, brain and skin.

Both ingredients are used in beauty products to prevent build-ups of sebum, the leading cause of spot breakouts.

The combination of the two also helps to fight blemishes by reducing bacteria on the skin and minimising the appearance of pores.

The combination of zinc and niacinamide helps to fight blemishes by reducing bacteria on the skin and minimising the appearance of pores

It should be applied morning and night in between cleansing and moisturising to balance oil levels and soothe redness and irritation.

There's plenty of other niacinamide-based serums on the market, but these cost anywhere from $35 to $76.

The Ordinary's version boasts countless five-star ratings as well as hundreds of reviews that hail it the secret to a radiant, youthful-looking face.

'No matter what skin type you have, I urge you pick this stuff up now!' one woman wrote on cosmetic website, Adore Beauty.

'I purchased it because I have dry and acne prone skin with some hyperpigmentation issues, plus I am an eczema sufferer. This stuff has been a godsend that has kept my skin more balanced and my breakouts under better control.'

A second said the serum cleared her spots in just three days.

The Ordinary serum boasts countless five-star ratings as well as hundreds of reviews that hail it the secret to a radiant, youthful-looking face

'My mum noticed that I've been breaking out on the sides of my nose and on my forehead because of oil, so she gave me this. I literally had bumps ALL over my forehead, until I started using this THREE days ago,' she wrote.

'I use it everyday morning and before bed, and my forehead is completely clear and (the breakout on) my nose is almost gone.'

Another customer from Perth said she had the Western Australian heat and The Ordinary's Niacinamide to thank for her radiant, dewy skin.

Others have described it as a 'must-have' for anyone with oily or acne-prone skin.
A women-only gym that tints its windows and warns members when male staff will be working has gone viral on TikTok after some men accused it of segregation.

Hooters waitress Heather Huesman, 23, shared a video of Blush Fitness, in Overland Park, Kansas, which is open 24/7 to members who are able to let themselves in with a key fob.

Her clip, which has nearly six million views, highlighted the female-friendly features of the gym, including free sanitary products and a locked door so only members can access the space.

Heather said it was 'the best gym' because it makes her feel 'so safe and comfortable' while she is working out there, with thousands of women taking to the comments to say they'd love to join.

But some men branded the exercise center 'discriminatory' for it's female-only members policy, with one writing: 'We are evolving, backwards.'

Hooters waitress Heather Huesman, 23, shared a video of Blush Fitness, in Overland Park, Kansas, which is open 24/7 to members who are able to let themselves in with a key fob

Heather captioned the clip: 'The BEST GYM! We need these everywhere, we feel so safe and comfortable going to the gym, gonna be my new favorite spot.'

Thousands of women took to the comments section saying they'd love to work out in a female-only environment, with some admitting that they don't feel safe in mixed exercise spaces.

Others confessed to feeling 'judged' in their own open gyms.

'I would feel so much safer using the machine wrong because I'm a beginner. I would feel so much less judged and more comfortable asking for help,' wrote one.

'This is amazing,' added another.

'Until men can learn how to be respectful and not make women feel uncomfortable or unsafe, spaces like this are 100 per cent necessary,' wrote a third.

Others pointed out that spaces like this have existed for years, and it's fantastic for Muslim women in particular.

Heather (pictured) said it was 'the best gym' as she felt 'so safe and comfortable' working out there, with thousands of women taking to the comments to say they'd love to join

Heather said it's a 'great work out with no men in sight' adding that the gym also has free feminine products

And while women in the comments were overwhelmingly supportive - some men said it was 'discrimination' and that they were going to 'sue the gym'.

'Segregation at it's finest,' said one.

'This is modern day segregation,' added another.

'I can't wait for them to get sued,' wrote a third.

However, many hit back at segregation claims saying that it's no different to gender selective public bathrooms.

'Not the men being pressed they can't harass women anymore,' said one.

'The fact men are opposed to this? How does women having their own gym affect you?' questioned another.

'Not these men acting like there's no such thing as gentlemen clubs and men only country clubs,' wrote another.

Thousands of women took to the comments section saying they'd love to work out in a female-only environment, with some saying they didn't feel safe in mixed spaces. And while women in the comments were overwhelmingly supportive - some men said it was 'discrimination' and that they were going to 'sue the gym'. However, many hit back at segregation claims saying that it's no different to gender selective public bathrooms

'Men saying this is segregation have clearly never heard of all boys or all girls schools, same with scouts,' commented one user.

Speaking to BuzzFeed, Heather said that she decided to shared her experience because the first time she went to Blush it felt like 'a breath of fresh air'.

'I definitely feel safer in an all-women's gym. I personally like to wear tight clothing because it is easier to work out in, and I don't have to worry about men taking photos of me without my permission, or worry about men making me feel uncomfortable while I'm there.

'There are also not so many people there that all the racks are being taken up. The place is very clean and has great energy and vibes to it!'

'I don't think the gym is segregation at all. I honestly love the idea of an all-men's gym as well. I think if someone is mad that there's an all-women's gym, it's because they want women [in their co-ed gym] for a reason...

'Whatever makes people feel comfortable working out at a gym is what should be done. Everyone is there for a reason and needs to start somewhere!'
Meghan Markle's childhood sweetheart has been slammed after he claimed the Royal Family has been 'racist for centuries.'

Joshua Silverstein, a Los Angeles-based actor, who was the royal's first kiss, aged 13, and dated her throughout that summer, appeared on ITV's Lorraine today and praised the 'courageous' Duchess for speaking out during the bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview - despite knowing it would 'create tension.'

Silverstein, now a married father of two, appeared via video link and told the Scottish presenter: 'Meghan did Oprah and was very honest and transparent with her experiences in the royal family.

'There's a history of racism within the royal family that goes way back to the transatlantic slave trade. The fact Meghan is able to get on TV and bravely talk about that is awesome.'

Silverstein (as a child, left), met Markle (as a teenager, right) when they were both 13

He continued: 'Whenever people of colour speak out against oppression and racism, genuinely there's a huge backlash so the fact she got up and spoke about that even knowing it could create a lot of tension between her and her family, I thought that was really courageous on her part.'

However, those who tuned in were left outraged by the claim, with one writing: 'Why have you just allowed somebody on your show to say that The British Royal Family are institutionally racist without asking him to back that up with facts?'

Another commented: 'Why are we being told how racist the UK is by some unknown person. Lorraine just agrees. No balance.'

A third added: 'Meghan's ex-boyfriend Joshua spouts as much rubbish as she does. The Royal family is not racist!' while a fourth raged: 'I can't believe that interview with Megan's 1st boyfriend.

'What was Lorraine playing at? She allowed him 2 accuse the royals as being racist of Megan telling truths in her intv with OW. she didn't correct him once. She's gone right down in my opinion of her.'

A further added: 'So an ex of Meghan claims she can trust him but he is giving an interview about him & her as kids OH & took an opportunity to slate our Royal Family for racism...turned you off Lorraine remembered why I had given up listening to your show.'

Joshua Silverstein (pictured), a Los Angeles-based actor, who was Markle's first kiss, aged 13, and dated her throughout that summer, appeared on Lorraine and opened up about how he thought the Duchess of Sussex had dealt with recent criticism

Taking to the comments section, viewers were outraged by Joshua's claims, with one writing: 'Why have you just allowed somebody on your show to say that The British Royal Family are institutionally racist without asking him to back that up with facts?' (pictured)

Joshua said Meghan was always a 'strong, confident young person' and always had a 'very clear idea of where she wanted her path to take her.' Pictured left, Lorraine and right, Joshua

Joshua went on to explain how he doesn't believe change can take place unless people are 'willing to have a conversation.'

'You look at any history of politics, things only start to look different when opposing sides are both brought to the table and they have a conversation,' he said. 'That's the way it's always worked.'

'I think the more and more people become honest about their role and privilege and all the darkness in the past, then we can move forward.

The unfortunate role of humanity is that we want to pretend thing are great and wear our rose-coloured glasses but that's just denial. The more people can speak comfortably and confidentially about pain and trauma. then healing can begin.'

Speaking of what Meghan was like at high school, he said: 'Meghan was always a strong, confident young person. It was always clear when we was together that she had a very clear idea of where she wanted her path to take her.'

Silverstein, now a married father of two, appeared via video link and told the Scottish presenter: 'It seems like she's handling it well. She did Oprah and was very honest and transparent with her experiences in the royal family. Pictured, during bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview

Taking to the comments section, one person asked: 'Having Meghan's ex-boyfriend on to give an interview...why?' (pictured)

Bombshells from the Oprah interview - Meghan's mental health The Duchess of Sussex revealed she had suicidal thoughts and said: 'I just didn't want to be alive any more.' She said she begged for help, and asked to go somewhere to get help, and approached one of the most senior people in the institution, but was told it would not look good. The duchess said: 'I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said that I've never felt this way before and I need to go somewhere. And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution.' - Baby Sussex is a girl Prince Harry said his first thought was 'amazing' when he discovered they were having a girl, adding: 'Just grateful. To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. 'But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we've got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs.' - Royal family accused of racism Meghan said, when she was pregnant with Archie, an unnamed member of the royal family raised 'concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born'. Asked whether there were concerns that her child would be 'too brown' and that would be a problem, Meghan said: 'If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one.' Pushed by Winfrey on who had those conversations, Meghan refused to say, adding: 'I think that would be very damaging to them.' She added: 'That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations the family had with him, and I think it was really hard to be able to see those as compartmentalised conversations.' - Archie's title Meghan suggested she and Harry wanted Archie to be a prince so he would have security and be protected. The duchess expressed her shock at 'the idea of our son not being safe', and the idea of the first member of colour in this family, not being titled in the same way as other grandchildren. Archie, who is seventh in line to the throne, is not entitled to be an HRH or a prince due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by King George V. He will be entitled to be an HRH or a prince when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne. As the first born son of a duke, Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton - one of Harry's subsidiary titles - or have been Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, instead at the time of his birth, a royal source said Harry and Meghan had decided he should a regular Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. - The Prince of Wales The Duke of Sussex said his father the Prince of Wales stopped taking his calls while Harry and Meghan were in Canada 'because I took matters into my own hands. I needed to do this for my family'. He said Charles wanted him to put his plans in writing. Advertisement

Lorraine went on to ask what it was that Joshua saw in Meghan that made him want to make her his girlfriend.

'I think as she told it, she approached me, so I think that in itself was very attractive that a young person would have the confidence and walk up to me and tell me that she thought that I was attractive or anything like that,' he said.

At that time we was together it's what kids did. She told her friends she liked me, I told my friends I liked her. Our friends met and they kind of arranged it and then we became girlfriend and boyfriend.'

Lorraine went on to explain on the pair have stayed in touch, and questioned whether it was strange when Joshua found out his ex was going to marry into royalty.

'My only thought when I found out that she was going to be marrying Harry was that I hope she's happy,' said Joshua. 'That's all that matters. Love is love.

'No matter what the relationship looks like or what the background is, as long as that love is authentic, honest and real then I'm happy for her.'

Joshua went on to say how he got on well with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and stayed in contact with her too, throughout the years.

'Meghan and I dated when we were kids, broke up before high school and we stayed friends throughout high school,' he said.

'I would see her every now and then at the church we were going to but I mostly stayed in contact with her mum.

Her mum would let me what she was up to. 'Megs is doing this, Megs is in Canada, Megs is modelling, Megs is acting.'

I knew she was definitely staying busy and staying on her trajectory on success.'

Joshua added: 'I hope that whatever Meg is doing in this moment she knows she can trust me. I definitely have nothing but respect for her and what it looks like she's doing'

'I love that her and Harry are working on this documentary with Oprah about mental health.

'I think mental health is one of the biggest crises in our world right now so it's great they're drawing a lot of attention to that'

'I even heard she might run for office in the states here so depending on who she surrounds herself with, that could be great.

'I support her as long as she's keeping her focus on change, awareness and making the world a better place - that's awesome.

Lorraine went on to ask Joshua what his wife makes of his very famous ex-girlfriend.

'Cynthia was very thrilled at the beginning of this whole thing,' he said. My wife has been really obsessed and very much into the royal family history and the fact I know someone that is part of that narrative makes her very excited.'

Joshua says Meghan and Harry make an 'amazing couple.'

'They're about to have two children which is super awesome for her. It's a big deal to raise kids in this current climate. She has a lot of access and a lot of responsibility to the country now. She's a figure head.

'A lot of people are looking up to her now for guidance as a role model. Young black girls are looking up to her now in a way that I'm sure Meghan is taking very seriously.

'The fact she's a mother and this pop culture figure, she's got a lot on her hands.'
UN chief calls for efforts to make digital technologies "a force for good"

Xinhua) 09:29, May 18, 2021

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for efforts to make digital technologies "a force for good."

"On World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, let us commit to work together to defeat COVID-19 and ensure that digital technologies are a force for good that help us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind," the UN chief said in his message for the international day celebrated annually on May 17.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation across the planet, millions worldwide still lack Internet access, said the secretary-general, highlighting why information and communication technologies must be "a force for good."

"Digital technologies sustain life, work, health and learning for billions of people. In the face of COVID-19, businesses, governments and the digital community have proven resilient and innovative, helping to protect lives and livelihoods. These challenging times have accelerated the transformation everywhere," he said.

The secretary-general said that some 3.7 billion people, or nearly half the world's population, remain unconnected to the Internet. Most are women.

"They, too, must be included if we are to make the possibilities of 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, digital health and other technologies truly transformative and sustainable," he said.

"We must also protect against the dangers of digital technologies, from the spread of hatred and misinformation to cyberattacks and the exploitation of our data," he added.

World Telecommunication and Information Science Day marks the signing in 1865 of an agreement to form the International Telegraph Union (ITU), making it the world's first modern international organization. ITU took the name of International Telecommunication Union in 1932 and became a UN specialized agency in 1947.

Last June, the UN launched a Roadmap for Digital Cooperation that lays out eight key actions, including achieving universal connectivity by 2030.

Guterres said the roadmap, together with the vital work of the ITU, aims to make the digital transformation equitable, safe, inclusive and affordable for all, while also respecting human rights.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Olu Brown said Sunday that he would step down as senior pastor of one of the United Methodist Church's steadily growing congregations in June 2022, more than 14 years after founding Impact Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with only 25 volunteers.

According to Christian Post, in 2019, the progressive Impact Church was recognized one of the top five fastest-growing United Methodist congregations, with weekly attendance of 2,400 in-person and 1,600 online.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta is a member, and on her inauguration day in 2018, she attended an ecumenical worship service.

"With any call that God gives us for our lives, there will always be a vision. And as we move toward realizing that vision, it becomes clear that the call is much greater than we can ever think or imagine," said Brown, 43, in his statement.

"Impact is part of my call, and when God gave me the opportunity to partner with 25 launch team volunteers to start this ministry, I knew there would come a time where God would call me beyond Impact Church."

Brown is anticipated to devote his whole time to entrepreneurial and consulting pursuits after he resigns as pastor of Impact Church. He hopes to kick off a movement called "Normalize Next" that will celebrate and support succession planning, retirement, and pastoral transition.

"I count it an honor to have been the founding and lead pastor of Impact Church and I will always be grateful for my time as a pastor and servant leader in the local church," Brown stated.

"Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve in ministry with phenomenal people and travel the world. I will always cherish my wonderful ministry experiences and the people I have been honored to know and serve. Life and living is a continuous journey and a series of next and I hope to help people 'Normalize Next' and embrace tomorrow with hope and expectation. When I think about one of the most important themes of my ministry, it has been about helping people change, transition and embrace their next."

Brown will assist the church's next senior pastor in settling in after Bishop of the North Georgia Conference, Sue Haupert-Johnson, makes the appointment.

"It goes without saying that a change like this can be difficult to understand, but change does, in fact, happen, and when it does, we embrace it and move in the direction where that change is taking us," said Sheldon Snipe, Chairperson of the Impact Church's Staff Parish Relations Committee.

"This is a very exciting time for Olu, and for Impact, and we are confident that our plan to transition the leadership of our outgoing and incoming pastors will ensure undisrupted continuity to our ministry."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted Robert M. Franklin Jr., the Laney chair in moral leadership at Emory University's Candler School of Theology and former president of the Interdenominational Theological Center as saying that Brown is a "pioneer" in generating "inspiring" ideas in the 21st-century for urban ministry that have been replicated by others.
The names Gemma and Kieran are the monikers most at risk of going extinct in the UK as parents opt for shortened ones like Albie and Aria, according to a new study.

Label manufacturer My Nametags analysed their of database of more than 1.5 million names to discover names Gemma and Kieran fell by more than 65 per cent over 10 years, putting them at risk of dying out completely.

They found just 36 uses of the name Gemma in 2020 and none in 2021 so far, while there have been only four Kierans added to the list this year.

Heather, Scott, Tia, Aimee, Kyle,Rebecca, Ross and Reece are all also at risk of going extinct, as a trend for nicknames as given names has surged.

The names Gemma and Kieran are the monikers most at risk of going extinct in the UK as parents opt for shorted like Albie and Aria', according to a new study (stock image)

Parents are opting for names such as Ronnie, in place of Ronald and Albie, Bertie or Teddy in place of Albert.

While girls name Belle appeared on the top 10 fastest growing names in place of Isabelle.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the trend when they chose to name their son Archie in 2019, in place of the more traditional Archibald.

Elsewhere, influencer Sophie Hinchcliffe - who goes by Mrs Hinch online - named her son Ronnie in 2019.

As well as modern takes on traditional names, there's been a trend in 'old-fashioned names' such as Rupert, Mabel, Florence, Arthur in the last 10 years.

Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, said: 'We see thousands of names every day and we were interested to see how the popularity of certain names has changed over time. Our analysis revealed that names once popular with Baby Boomers, such as Gemma, Kieran, Hannah, and Ryan, are experiencing a steep decline in overall popularity.

Heather, Scott, Tia, Aimee, Kyle,Rebecca, Ross and Reece are all also at risk of going extinct, as a trend for nicknames as given names has surged. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the trend when they chose to name their son Archie in 2019, in place of the more traditional Archibald.

'These names are being replaced by new favourites, and we were interested to find that modern parents tend to fall into three distinct camps when it comes to naming their children. The data shows a strong trend for modern names influenced by pop culture, vintage names that are having a come-back, and shortened versions of more traditional names, such as Ronnie and Albie.

'We hope that our list can provide some inspiration to expectant parents  and perhaps even help to save Gemma and Kieran from total extinction!'

Last year, the ONS revealed Olivia and Oliver remained the most popular baby names in Britain in 2019 - while they said Kirsty, appears to have fallen out of fashion, with only four babies given the name and a drop in use of a whopping 99 per cent since 2000.

Meanwhile for boys the name Mitchell was most at risk of being left behind in 2019, with only 21 born - compared to 639 in 2000, a 96 per cent drop.

Other names following Kirsty on the endangered list included Jordan, Shauna, Shannon, Courtney and Lauren.

Elsewhere, influencer Sophie Hinchcliffe - who goes by Mrs Hinch online - named her son Ronnie in 2019. Pictured together

Lauren has suffered a sharp dip in popularity over the last 20 years, despite once holding the top spot in the year 2000. It has since dropped 98 per cent to its current rank at sixth most unpopular.

Gemma was seventh on the least used list, with Jodie, Jade and Natasha also seeing a steady decline in popularity with new parents.

After Mitchell, the boys names most likely to disappear in 2020 included Ross, Brandon, Craig and Ben.

The name Kieran's popularity has also plummeted since 2000, with just 116 given the name in 2019 compared to 2,586 in 2000 - a drop of 95 per cent.

Jordan was also on the list of unpopular boys names, at seventh most likely to go extinct. Callum, Kyle and Scott were also rarely chosen as names for the babies of 2019.

On the other end of the scale, an incredible 4,082 babies were named Olivia, the name which has held the top spot of the ONS name charts for three years, and an impressive 4,932 babies were named Oliver.

Emily was knocked out of the top 10 for the first time since 1984, with names including Freya and Lily now taking spots there.
A woman from New Jersey who moved to India to look after orphans with special needs has revealed how she took in four children during the height of the country's coronavirus crisis.

Courtney Lalotra, 34, from Brick, moved to India in 2010 to help in orphanages, before marrying her husband Yogesh, 37, and adopting 11 children, including Dipu, 17, Raju, 11, Shivam, 11, Shiva, 10, Shivam, 10, Jai, seven, Satyam, five, Roshit, five, and Piyush, three.

The fashion graduate, who also has one biological child, Adi, five, lives with her vast family in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and took in four children affected by the pandemic which is engulfing the country.

Among the children the couple adopted were Piyush, nine, whose father lost his job as a rickshaw driver in the pandemic, and Krishna, four, whose single mother lost her work due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Courtney said she has heard of many more who need help, revealing: 'I get messages every day from people who know of families where both parents have passed away. It is a race to find the next of kin because you want to avoid children entering the system.'

Courtney Lalotra, 34, from New Jersey, has revealed how she who moved to India to look after orphans with special needs before adopting 12 children (pictured with Dipu, 17, Raju, 11, Shivam, 11, Shiva, 10, Shivam, 10, Piyush, nine, Jai, seven, Satyam, five, Roshit, five, Sialesh, four, and Piyush, three)

Courtney initially travelled to India in 2010 for a college trip before she decided she wanted to move to the slums and work in an orphanage (pictured, graduating university)

Courtney and her husband Yogesh, 37, are now parents of 12 with one biological son, Adi, five, (pictured)

Courtney first visited India in 2010 on a project to research fabrics as a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan.

She was immediately shocked by the poverty she saw.

'What stuck with me was the first moments of stepping off the plane and being faced with poverty like that - children begging on the streets, women holding crying babies in their arms.'

She volunteered in a slum in North East Delhi and realized that her calling was to help orphans in India.

In 2010, Courtney volunteered in a slum in North East Delhi and realized that her calling was to help orphans in India (pictured with her son Jai)

Courtney, who has been living in India for 11 years, said she 'couldn't even grasp the language' when she first moved to the country (pictured with her son Shivam)

She explained: 'I was volunteering at an orphanage for boys and girls in the middle of the slum. The despair and hopelessness was so thick and you could feel it.

'These children didn't have anyone who really cared about them, asking them about how their day was and the past tragedies they had faced.

'I couldn't even grasp the language at that point. I would get girls who would cry into my shoulder and we were somehow able to communicate.'

Courtney was convinced to return to India when an orphan called Fatima told her that none of the volunteers usually returned.

The fashion graduate lives with her vast family in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and took in four children affected by the pandemic which is engulfing the country

Courtney initially worked for a non-profit before settling up her own home for children with special needs in 2012

She said: 'My visa was expiring and I said I would be back and Fatima said: "No one comes back here".'

'At that moment, I thought I don't want to be that person - I really do want to give it all up and do something different.'

Courtney returned to the US and sold her car and all her possessions.

She raised $15,000 which was enough to rent a home for six months and buy linen, furniture and food for the children she intended to help.

Courtney is now committed to helping the orphans in India live a happier life, and has adopted 11 children

She returned to India in March 2011 and worked for a non-profit before settling up her own home for children with special needs in 2012.

Despite initial reservations, her parents were supportive with her father even donating three paychecks to help her start her home.

She fell in love with Yogesh and the pair married in 2014 and had their son Adi the next year.

Courtney admitted that at the height of the coronavirus, she was jealous of her friends and family back in the US.

Courtney and Yogesh adopted Satya and Shivam after their mother was killed by their father - their next of kin was a 17-year-old uncle who was unable to look after the kids (pictured, left to right Sialesh, Satyam, Adi and Shivam)

She said: 'They were walking around the block, they were walking around the park.

'We couldn't do that - we were stuck in the house. The Indians were very disciplined about the lockdown rules.'

She added that the lockdown was terrible for migrant workers who live hand to mouth, explaining: 'The need here is so much greater. We have a daycare center for the children of migrant families.

'When the lockdown happened, those families were stranded. They couldn't make money and these are people who live hand to mouth. There was complete panic.

Courtney added that she was even supposed to fly back to the US to see her family in April but opted to stay in India to help as the virus spread

She continued: 'We started giving them rations - we had hundreds of people on our doorstep asking for food.

'We started ordering truckloads of rations like lentils and rice and distributing it to everyone who was in need.

Indias COVID crisis A devastating surge of coronavirus in India has seen nearly 25 million people infected and a staggering 274,390 deaths. Even though India is the world's largest vaccine-producing nation, it has fully vaccinated only 2.9 per cent of its population of 1.35 billion, or just over 40.4 million people, health ministry data shows. India's COVID variant is now dominant in four local authorities in England and its rapid spread could jeopardise plans to ease lockdown, experts fear. Analysis by one of the UK's biggest variant trackers warns the strain is focused in hotspots Bolton and neighbour Blackburn with Darwen, where outbreaks have grown by 93 and 86 per cent in a week, respectively, with more than half of lab-checked cases proven to be the Indian strain. The mutant B.1.617.2 virus is also thought to be behind half of all COVID infections in London, Bedford and South Northamptonshire, although outbreaks in these areas are still small. Advertisement

'We have helped more than 2,000 families during this entire crisis.'

Meanwhile the family have continued taking in children during the crisis.

Courtney and Yogesh adopted Satya and Shivam after their mother was killed by their father - their next of kin was a 17-year-old uncle who was unable to look after the kids.

The mother-of-12 said that the pandemic is not just a disaster for the people who catch the deadly virus.

She explained: 'With COVID, it's not just people who are getting sick and dying.

'There is a ripple effect - the whole of society is suffering.

'There are hundreds, if not thousands, of children being orphaned every day in India, especially now during the pandemic.'

She said: 'A lot of the children in our home are either completely orphaned or have lost one parent and their next of kin is not able to care for them.'

Courtney added that she was even supposed to fly back to the US to see her family in April but opted to stay in India to help as the virus spread.

She said: 'The US embassy contacted all US citizens and told us to book our flights as the borders were about to be locked down.

'I thought this was my chance to see my family again and I got a seat on the last flight out.

'But I had to get a pass from the district magistrate here as it is a containment zone and he knew me because of my COVID relief work.

'He said: "We would urge you to stay because the need is so great".

'I decided to stay because I felt I wouldn't have any peace of mind in the US.'

Courtney added that despite the severity of the COVID pandemic in India, she still has hope, saying: 'At this point, fear and panic gripped the nation but without hope, what is the point?

'We were meant for service, each one of us, if we are not serving in some way we are missing out on life.'
Boris Johnson's sister Rachel has said that she hopes that Carrie Symonds will be a guest on her 'Difficult Women' podcast at 'some point' - but insists that her future sister-in-law is 'delightful.'

The LBC presenter, 55, who has a new podcast called 'Difficult Women,' appeared on ITV's Loose Women today via video link and was asked by presenter Penny Lancaster whether she would consider her brother's fiancee Carrie Symonds as a future guest on her show.

'Carrie is delightful - and thank you for asking!' said the Prime Minister's sister, Rachel. 'Listen, media organisations all over the globe want to interview Carrie.

'I am sure she will do a LBC podcast at some point. It may be Nimco Ali's, or it may be mine. That is up to Carrie to decide.'

The Prime Minister's sister Rachel Johnson (pictured) has told how she sees being called 'difficult' a 'complete badge of honour.' Pictured, with Boris Johnson at the Methodist Central Hall, London on 6 May

During the segment of the show, Rachel also explained how she is embracing the term 'difficult.'

'I think being called "difficult" is a complete badge of honour,' she said. 'It's not an insult at all. Unless you're called difficult you're seen as a pushover and all of the woman I'm interviewing for my LBC podcast series have, or have been, or have had to be difficult to get anything done.

'I called the podcast "difficult women" in honour of Theresa May because as you will all remember, Ken Clarke said off mic during an interview, I think it was on Sky News, "Ah Theresa May, bloody difficult woman."

'And so of course, the first person I wanted to launch my podcast was Theresa May - but true to Ken Clarke's description, she turned me down. She was a bloody difficult woman about it!'

The LBC presenter (pictured) also said she's sure Carrie Symonds will do an LBC podcast 'at some point' - but added it's up to her who it will be with

Rachel (right) said she's 'always encouraging' her daughter to be a 'difficult woman' and praised Janet (pictured, left) for being a fantastic role model'

Speaking of who she has interviewed so far, Rachel explained: 'Sasha Swire, who you'll remember wrote that explosive 'Diary of an MP's Wife,' she gave us an audio explosive which was great.'

'Iain Dale, who is another presenter at LBC complained that he'd asked her three times. She'd had endless bids but I wheedled my way in. She came into the studio and she gave a cracking podcast.'

She continued: I've interviewed Brenda Hale, she of the famous spider brooch, who said that my own brother acted unlawfully in probing parliament back in 2020 in order to 'get Brexit done.'

Rachel said 'you've got to be "difficult" which simply means asking for that the man is getting' (pictured with presenters on today's show)

Presenter Kaye Adams went on to say to Rachel that it's interesting because when we're talking about older women, we're quite happy to adopt 'difficult' woman as a term, but that when when you get to younger women, maybe they're not as comfortable.

'I think you've got a daughter of 26 - would you be saying to her - "be a difficult woman," she asked.

Rachel replied: 'I'm always encouraging her to be a difficult woman...I think Janet is a fantastic role model in this.

'She doesn't take prisoners, she probably asks for pay rises. My daughter, aged 26, 45 after the equal pay act, she still doesn't ask for a pay rise. Yet the man who joined the company at the same time has probably asked for three.'

'It still happens. You've got to be "difficult" which simply means asking for that the man is getting.'
Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company Goop is being sued for more than $5 million in damages by a Texas man who claims that the actress's infamous $75 This Smells Like My Vagina candle 'exploded' in his home just hours after he lit it for the first time.

Colby Watson has filed a class action lawsuit against the 48-year-old Oscar winner's wellness-focused brand in California, alleging that his candle - which he purchased from the Goop website in January - suddenly became 'engulfed in high flames', before 'exploding' and leaving his room 'filled with smoke'.

In the legal documents seen by DailyMail.com Mr Watson adds that the nightstand on which he had placed the candle was left with a 'black burn ring', while the jar itself 'is now charred and black'.

He insists that the candle was placed on a level surface while it was burning, and that there were 'no objects or loose materials above or in close proximity to it'.

Under fire: Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop is being sued by a Texas man who claims her $75 This Smells Like My Vagina candle 'exploded' on his nightstand

Evidence: Colby Watson alleges that his candle (pictured) - which he says he purchased on the Goop website in January - became 'engulfed in flames'

Popular: Gwyneth, 48, first released the tongue-in-cheek product in January 2020, and it sparked a flood of excitement and bewilderment, promptly selling out in days

Mr Watson does note in his lawsuit that the candle comes with a warning that it should not be burned 'for more than two hours at a time' - and admits that his was lit for 'an estimated three hours or less' when it allegedly 'exploded'.

However, the plaintiff and his legal team insist that this warning is inadequate because it 'fails to address the known danger' of what happens to the candles if they are allowed to stay lit for longer periods of time.

The Texas resident is seeking in excess of $5 million in damages as part of the class action lawsuit - which also calls for Goop to provide compensation to anyone else who claims to have suffered a similar incident with their own candle.

Mr Watson's lawsuit comes just four months after a London-based woman hit out at Goop, alleging that her own Vagina candle 'exploded' in her living room and sparked an 'inferno'.

Jody Thompson, 50, from Kilburn, spoke out about the mishap in January, while also sharing an image of the charred candle remains.

'The candle exploded and emitted huge flames, with bits flying everywhere,' she told The Sun at the time.

'I've never seen anything like it. The whole thing was ablaze and it was too hot to touch. There was an inferno in the room.'

'We eventually got it under control and threw it out the front door.

'It could have burned the place down. It was scary at the time, but funny looking back that Gwyneth's vagina candle exploded in my living room.'

Expansion: She has since expanded the line of risque home fragrances to include an 'orgasm' version and a 'prenup' version

Repeat offender? In January, London-based woman Jody Thompson, 50, made similar claims about her own Goop candle, alleging that it had caused an 'inferno' in her living room

In his lawsuit, Mr Watson references this incident - accusing Goop of failing to 'warn customers of a defect', despite being 'on notice' about a potential issue since January, when Ms Thompson raised the alarm.

A spokesperson for Goop hit back at Mr Watson's claims, insisting that his lawsuit is nothing but a 'frivolous... attempt to secure an outsized payout'.

'Were confident this claim is frivolous and an attempt to secure an outsized payout from a press-heavy product,' the spokesperson said.

'We stand behind the brands we carry and the safety of the products we sell. Here, Hereticthe brand that supplies the candle has substantiated the products performance and safety through industry standard testing.'

Gwyneth first released her tongue-in-cheek vagina candle back in January 2020, revealing that the home fragrance - which is described as having a 'funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent' - started out as a joke between her and a perfumer.

However, the idea stuck, and the candle became a major success, selling out in a matter of hours after it was first unveiled on the Goop website.

In the 16 months since the vagina candle's debut, Gwyneth has gone on to add several other varieties to the 'This Smells Like' range, which she created in collaboration with perfume brand Heretic.

The Goop website currently offers three different 'This Smells Like' fragrances: the original vagina scent as well as a 'prenup' and 'orgasm' version.

All three candles are currently sold out, as is the smaller 'vagina' votive, however customers can still purchase a $45 roll-on perfume in the vagina and orgasm scents.
The majority of the British public think Harry and Meghan should either lose their royal titles or stop using them.

Three out of five people polled said the couple should be stripped of their official titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

A further one in five said they should be allowed to keep them but not use them day to day.

The Queen ordered the couple not to use their HRH  His or Her Royal Highness  status, but they now style themselves Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in their commercial dealings.

The majority of the British public think Harry and Meghan (pictured) should either lose their royal titles or stop using them

It has sparked renewed debate as to whether the Queen should fully strip them of the dukedom, which was given as a wedding gift.

However, Her Majesty and senior advisers are aware that the public blamed the monarchy for Harrys mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, losing her royal status, even though she agreed to it.

Buckingham Palace is keen not to be accused of behaving in a similarly vengeful manner towards her son. The survey of just over 4,500 adults was carried out by YouGov on May 17 following the release of a podcast in which Harry attacked his fathers and grandparents parenting styles.

It found just 17 per cent thought the couple should keep and use their titles, while one in five said they didnt know.

Prince Harry and Meghan feature in a trailer for the upcoming The Me You Can't See, a series on mental health for Apple TV+.

It comes as sources close to Harry claimed that his complaints were no different to his fathers account of his unhappy childhood in an authorised 1994 biography by Jonathan Dimbleby.

In the Armchair Expert podcast last week, Harry said that his move to the US was in part to break the cycle of genetic pain for his own children.

The issue is likely to be picked over again on Friday when he features in a series on mental health for Apple TV+.

Yesterday it emerged that the couple are winding down their UK-based Sussex Royal charity, which was renamed MWX Trading following their decision to quit as working royals.

Documents filed with Companies House show they have appointed a voluntary liquidator.
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Dr Anthony Fauci admitted on Tuesday that he knew he was at 'extremely low' risk of contracting COVID-19 indoors after getting vaccinated, but kept wearing a mask any way.

'I didn't want to look like I was giving mixed signals, but being a fully vaccinated person, the chances of my getting infected in an indoor setting is extremely low,' Dr Fauci said during a Good Morning America interview.

Dr Fauci has been criticized for continuing to wear a mask - sometimes two masks - indoors after being fully vaccinated. Conservative analyst Candace Owens accused the nation's top infectious disease doctor of 'making this stuff up as he goes along,' in a Monday Tucker Carlson Tonight interview.

'Dr Fauci is to me, you know when your kid and you play that game Simon Says? You always wondered who was Simon and why are we doing what he says? Simon is Dr Fauci, hes making this stuff up as he goes along. Simon says where your mask. Simon says dont wear your mask,' she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) own real-world data has shown that fully vaccinated people face about 94 percent lower risk of getting symptomatic COVID-19 compared to unvaccinated people indoors (although the research was based on health care workers, who still wear masks at work).

Last week, the CDC updated its guidance to say that Americans who are fully vaccinated can safely go maskless indoors, or outdoors, with the exception of crowded indoor settings like planes.

The change was long-awaited, and many U.S. leaders said it was overdue.

Dozens of states have lifted or updated their mask mandates to reflect the new guidance - including New York, where vaccinated people can go maskless starting tomorrow - but confusion has abounded, and some, like California, are keeping their requirements or the time being.

There's no way to tell who has and hasn't been vaccinated without asking for proof, which businesses can do, but proves logistically challenging (and raises potential issues of discrimination).

Public health officials including Dr Fauci and CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky have encouraged Americans to continue to 'model' masking, especially for children younger than 12 who are not eligible for vaccination and won't be for months.

Until now, Dr Fauci has insisted that there was still uncertainty over how well vaccines work to prevent illness and especially for blocking transmission.

But now, he says he continued to wear as a matter of messaging, despite the 'extremely low risk that he would be infected or spread coronavirus.

Dr Anthony Fauci said in a Tuesday GMA interview (left) he had kept wearing a mask indoors after being fully vaccinated in order to avoid sending 'mixed messages' despite knowing his risk of infection was 'extremely low.' Dr Fauci has been criticized for continuing to wear a mask - or two - (right) in settings the CDC has said it's safe for vaccinated people like him to go maskless in

The risk of coronavirus infection after getting fully vaccinated has appeared low ever since the shots were in clinical trials.

Clinical trials of Moderna's vaccine found it to lower the risk of getting symptomatic COVID-19 by 94 percent. Pfizer's reduced the risk by 95 percent in its trials.

The real-world data that the CDC said it leaned heavily upon to make its recommendation that fully vaccinated Americans matched up almost exactly with the findings of the clinical trials.

So why didn't public health figures like Dr Fauci admit masks were no longer necessary and shed their own earlier, when it appeared being vaccinated gave them plenty of protection?

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky slammed Dr Fauci for 'theater' of continuing to tell Americans to wear masks after vaccination in March, before the changed its guidance.

In a sense, it was, according to Dr Fauci's statement that he was trying to avoid the appearance of sending 'mixed signals.'

When asked by GMA's George Stephanopoulos how his own mask wearing practice had changed, Dr Fauci said: 'I'm obviously careful because I'm a physician and health care provider. I am now much more comfortable with people seeing me indoors without a mask. Before the CDC made the recommendation change, I didn't want to look like I was giving mixed signals.'

And vaccines offered Dr Fauci and people who were vaccinated months ago the protection then that makes Dr Fauci comfortable with taking off his mask indoors now.

The difference is time, over which more data has accumulated.

In March, scientists were relying on data from trials of some 40,000 people each to make their recommendations about mask-wearing, and those trials weren't designed to test whether vaccines prevented infection - just symptomatic illness.

Since the rollout began in January, scientists have been collecting a growing body of data to tell them just how well the shots work to prevent both illness and infection.

And now there is robust evidence that the shots work, exceedingly well - and well enough that someone who is fully vaccinated is very unlikely to get infected with COVID-19 even without a mask.

But, in short, we simply know more now, with greater certainty, than we did in March.

'The science that evolved over the last few weeks that prompted the CDC to make the recommendation that people who were vaccinated should feel safe and be able to go indoors and outdoors without a mask relates to the evidence of how effective these vaccines are, not only in protecting you against infection, but even if you have a breakthrough infection, the chances of you transmitting it to someone else is extremely low, very very low,' Dr Fauci told GMA.

One-to-one comparisons of unvaccinated people and vaccinated people show much lower rates of infection among those who have had the shots.

And now that 60 percent of American adults have had at least one dose of vaccine and nearly half of over-18s are fully vaccinated, Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths are plummeting.

On Monday, 15 states reported zero COVID-19 deaths. Sunday was the first day since Texas began counting Covid fatalities last March that the state saw no new deaths.

And for the first time in the pandemic, cases are declining in every single state.

The end of the pandemic seems to be 'in sight,' as Dr Walensky said last week, and it has many Americans ready to ditch their masks for good.

More and more states are dropping their mask mandates for fully vaccinated Americans in the wake of U.S. health official guidance deeming it safe for people who have had the shots to be indoors or outdoors without covering their faces.

'The problem and the issue is we dont have any way of knowing who is vaccinated and who isnt vaccinated and I think thats where the confusion arises,' explained Dr Fauci.

'Because we have some establishments saying, "well, Im going to have some people coming into my store or my establishment or what have you, some are gonna be vaccinated some are not, Im not going to know the difference, some might be infected, and might actually have a risk of infecting someone else."

'And under those circumstances, its perfectly reasonable and understandable for the owner of that establishment to say, "you know, were going to keep the mask mandate up, and I think thats what were seeing and thats causing the confusion because some are maintaining a mask mandate and others are not."'

Some national establishments, like Starbucks, have lifted their mask requirements, but only in states that have also relaxed masking mandates for fully vaccinated people.

Dr Fauci also noted that the CDC still advises children who are not vaccinated to wear masks indoors. Dr Walensky has encouraged teachers and parents to continue to wear masks around kids, even if they themselves are vaccinated, in order to 'model' good behavior for children.

Since vaccine eligibility was expanded to children ages 12 to 15, about 600,000 in that age group have gotten shots, but Dr Fauci pointed out that kids younger than 12 won't be eligible for several months, and will need to keep wearing masks

Overall, nearly 60% of U.S. adults have had at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but rates lag in rural areas. As of April 10, 46% of urban adults had had a first shot, compared to 39% of rural adults, new CDC data reveal

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 48 percent of Americans - including 60 percent of adults 18 or older - have had at least a first shot and 37 percent are fully vaccinated (including 47.4 percent of adults).

But only 3.1 million children under 18 have had their first dose, and 'we're not going to have kids at that age [younger than 12] vaccinated for at least several months as we get toward the end of this year and the beginning of next year,' said Dr Fauci in a Tuesday Good Morning America interview.

Children aged 12 to 15 became eligible for vaccination last week, but younger kids are not yet eligible to get the shots, and likely won't be until fall at the earliest.

Their risks of getting sick if they do get COVID-19 are low, and the risk they will die of the infection is miniscule, but kids can transmit the virus, a concern for health officials.

And while the nationwide vaccination rate is promising and already driving down COVID-19 infections and deaths, the U.S. is a massive and patchwork nation, with widely varying vaccine uptake.

As of April 10, for example, 15 percent fewer rural Americans had been vaccinated, compared to urbanites, new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data released Tuesday reveal.

Vaccination rates have undoubtedly risen in both urban and rural parts of America, but it's unlikely the gap has closed.
As national U.S. case numbers fall to their lowest point since March 2020, 15 states reported zero COVID-19 deaths yesterday.

The states, including Delaware, Georgia and Minnesota, are politically and geographically diverse, with no-death days reported in the South, Northeast, Midwest, and West coast.

The falling case counts are thanks to vaccinations. Over one-third of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, and more than 60 percent of American adults have had at least one dose, White House officials revealed Tuesday.

Nationwide, The U.S. reported 392 deaths on Monday, according to John Hopkins University. The seven-day average is now below 600 new COVID deaths per day for the first time since March 2020.

And cases are declining in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic began, a historic sign that the end may be in sight.

Minnesota was one of 15 states to report zero new deaths on Monday, despite concern last month that high rates of the UK variant would make it the next hotspot after Michigan

The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines all work against coronavirus variants - including the more-contagious variant from India now spreading in the U.S.

In 15 states, no deaths were reported at all on Monday. These states are: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Minnesota, one of the states that reported zero deaths, recently saw a concerning rise in cases tied to the B.1.1.7 variant which has spread rapidly through both this state and its neighbor, Michigan.

Lower COVID case and death numbers are usually reported on Mondays compared to other days of the week, as many of the healthcare centers and local public health agencies that document COVID numbers do not report numbers over the weekend.

In other words, just because no COVID deaths were reported does not necessarily mean no deaths occurred.

Still, this reporting milestone marks how well vaccines have helped many U.S. communities control their COVID outbreaks.

Six of those 15 states reported an average of less than one COVID death per day for the past week, according to CNN. These states are Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont and Wyoming.

The drop in COVID deaths has followed an even more dramatic drop in cases. The U.S. recorded about 29,000 new cases on Monday, bringing the seven-day average to 32,000.

Despite having one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, Georgia has seen fewer than 10 deaths a day for about a month, with zero recorded Monday

Delaware has struggled to get its Covid figures under control, but reported zero deaths Monday

Cases have fallen by half from mid-April (when we saw 70,000 cases a day), and are now at a fraction of the numbers seen during the winter surge.

About 27,000 Americans are now in the hospital being treated for COVID - compared to over 120,000 in mid-January - according to the CDC.

These promising numbers may largely be attributed to vaccination. More than one-third of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, including 47 percent of adults (over age 18) and 73 percent of seniors (over age 65).

These fully vaccinated Americans are now able to safely go without a mask in many settings, as more and more states follow the CDC's guidance to remove mask mandates for those who are fully immunized.

Almost one in two Americans - 48 percent - has received at least one dose.

In the week since the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for children ages 12-15, over 600,000 kids in this age group have already received shots, the White House COVID Response Team reported this morning.

The COVID vaccines are protecting the U.S. from another surge even as dangerous variants spread through the country.

B.1.1.7, the super-contagious UK variant, now causes two of every three cases in the U.S., if not more. But the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines all protect against severe disease and death from this variant.

B.1.617, the variant linked to India's recent COVID surge, has now been identified in several U.S. states. While it currently represents a tiny fraction of U.S. cases (around 1-3 percent), scientists are worried that it may spread rapidly and outcompete even the UK variant.

Luckily the COVID vaccines work against B.1.617, too.

At the White House COVID press briefing this morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci presented data from recent studies showing that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines prevent infection, severe disease, and death from this new variant.

'In summary, this is just another example of the scientific data accruing... indicating another very strong reason why we should be getting vaccinated,' Fauci said.
More than 600,000 American children between ages 12 and 15 were vaccinated against COVID-19 last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said during a Tuesday White House briefing.

U.S. regulators last week authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12.

That widened vaccine eligibility to about 17 million more Americans, a step that U.S. officials would hope speed the nation's progress toward herd immunity.

Children generally face low risks of Covid, with the fatality rate well below zero, which has raised questions about whether getting them vaccinated against COVID-19 is for kids' own protection or to protect more at-risk adults.

So far, parents are split about 50/50 over whether they want to get their kids vaccinated against COVID-19, with only three in 10 saying they would take their kids for the shots right away, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

But clearly more than half a million preteens and their families were eager to get them vaccinated.

More than 600,000 adolescents between ages 12 and 15 got vaccinated against COVID-19 last week after the CDC recommended the shot for tweens (file)

Most states began issuing shots to children last Thursday but some, including Georgia, started sooner.

In total, more than four million people under 17 have been vaccinated in the United States so far, Dr Walensky said.

Top U.S. infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci said he expects that by the end of 2021 the United States will have enough safety data to vaccinate children of any age.

Trials are underway to test whether both Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines are safe and work well against COVID-19.

Pfizers shot is the first to be cleared in the United States for children 12 to 15.

Vaccinating younger ages is considered important for getting children back into schools safely. U.S. President Joe Biden has asked states to make the vaccine available to younger adolescents immediately.

The vaccine has been available under an emergency use authorization to people as young as 16 in the United States since December.

Most children with COVID-19 develop only mild symptoms or no symptoms. Yet children remain at risk of becoming seriously ill, and they can spread the virus.

Widely vaccinating 12- to 18-year olds could allow U.S. schools and summer camps to relax masking and social distancing measures suggested by the CDC.

More than three million people younger than 18 have had at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccines (top, red). But the rate shot up last week. Children make up just 2.2% of all people who have had at least a first dose, but nearly 14% of people who got shots in the past two weeks

About 1.4% of people who have been fully vaccinated are under 18 (dark blue) but they made up 14% of Americans who became fully vaccinated over the past two weeks (light blue)

The CDC on last week updated is masking guidance to tell fully vaccinated Americans they can safely do just about anything without covering their faces, except in crowded indoor settings like airplanes.

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) order still requires masks on all forms of public transit - though Dr Walensky has said her agency will be looking into whether to revise travel guidelines soon.

But unvaccinated people should still wear masks, according to the CDC.

And that includes the vast majority of kids, and all children under age 12.

'CDC...still maintains that for children who are not vaccinated - and most are not - that indoors, they should still wear masks, Dr Anthony Fauci reiterated during a Tuesday Good Morning America interview.

'We have to keep up with the evolving situation...we're not going to have kids at that age [younger than 12] vaccinated for at least several months as we get toward the end of this year and the beginning of next year.'

Until then, the CDC will likely continue to recommend masks for kids.

Dr Walensky has even said that parents and teachers may want to continue to wear masks after vaccinations in order to 'model' good behavior for their children when they are in public or at school.

But some states have no intention of complying.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued an executive order banning schools and local governments from requiring masks in class, an threatening fines up to $1,000 for any that do.
The U.S. has hit a significant milestone of progress toward herd immunity against COVID-19: At least 60 percent of of U.S. adults have had at least one dose of vaccines against the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of Tuesday, nearly 48 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, as is 37.5 percent of the total population (including children of all ages).

And the campaign to inoculate Americans is finally closing the racial gap, agency data suggest. Over the past two weeks, 51 percent of those who got vaccinated were people of color.

Throughout the U.S. vaccination campaign, people of color have been vaccinated at lower rates than white people - leading to worries that these communities would continue to be vulnerable to COVID.

Among U.S. residents who received their first doses in the last two weeks, 24 percent were Hispanic/Latino, 10 percent were Black, 8 percent were Asian, and 1 percent were Native American/Alaska Native.

These vaccinations have been achieved through partnerships with community health centers, local communication campaigns, mobile clinics and other equity efforts. Dr. Nunez-Smith said that this work must continue to keep closing the vaccination gap between white people and POC.

At least 60% of American adults have now been vaccinated with at least one dose of COVID-19 shots, despite the rate of vaccination falling from its April peak

White, Asian, and Native American people have been vaccinated at higher rates than other minority communities, but the rates have begun evening out in recent weeks - closing the 'vaccination gap.'

Fewer Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are vaccinated compared to White Americans.

A year into the pandemic, it's a well-known fact that communities of color in the U.S. have been hit harder than their white neighbors.

Black Americans make up 14 percent of U.S. COVID deaths, despite being only 12.5 percent of the country's population. Hispanic/Latino Americans make up 19 percent of deaths, compared to 18 percent of the population.

While these percentage differences may seem small, they account for disproportionate impacts on minority communities. Indigenous Americans are 3.3 times more likely to have died of COVID than white and Asian Americans, APM Research Lab reports.

Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and Black Americans are 2.6, 2.4, and two times more likely to have died of COVID compared to white Americans, respectively.

To address these disparities, the Biden administration has prioritized vaccinating people of color. The effort has included partnerships with community health centers, pop-up vaccination sites, and communication campaigns.

For the first few months of the vaccine rollout, this effort has lagged. Only 8.5 percent of Black Americans are fully vaccinated as of May 17, significantly lower than this group's share of the U.S. population (12.5 percent).

About 12 percent of Hispanic/Latino Americans are fully vaccinated. White Americans, meanwhile, are overrepresented in vaccination: 65 percent of this group is fully vaccinated, compared to 61 percent of the population.

8.5 percent of Black Americans are fully vaccinated, though this group makes up more than 12 percent of the U.S. population.

Lower vaccination rates in Black and Hispanic/Latino communities are, by and large, not driven by vaccine hesitancy. According to polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 13 percent of Black people and 9 percent of Hispanic/Latino people say they would 'definitely not' get a COVID vaccine, compared with 13 percent of white people who gave that response.

Instead, these lower vaccination rates are often driven by barriers to access. Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are more likely to work jobs that don't allow them to take time off for a vaccine appointment, for example.

These racial and ethnic groups also tend to skew younger than white Americans, with lower life expectancies - many people of color weren't eligible for vaccination until mid-April.

In recent weeks, however, the country has begun closing the vaccination gaps, according to White House COVID Response Team advisor Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.

Out of all vaccinations in the past two weeks with race/ethnicity data available, 51 percent went to people of color, Dr. Nunez-Smith said. As a whole, non-white Americans make up 40 percent of the national populations.

Among these first-dose recipients, 24 percent were Hispanic/Latino, 10 percent were Black, 8 percent were Asian, and 1 percent were Native American/Alaska Native, according to CDC data.

An important caveat: race and ethnicity data are only available for 56 percent of people with at least one dose administered, and for only 60 percent of people who are fully vaccinated. Despite federal guidance to collect this demographic data, many vaccination sites are not doing so. The true numbers for minority communities could be lower or higher.

Several states in the South have made great strides towards closing their vaccine gaps. The bars on this chart represent differences between the Black people vaccinated in a state and the overall Black population. The lower the bar, the greater the gap.

Many states are following the national trend in closing their vaccination gaps. Fourteen states have closed at least half of their Black vaccine gap, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.

Several Southern states, in particular, have made great strides towards vaccine equity. Maryland went from 14 percent fewer Black people vaccinated compared to its population on February 4 to 5.6 percent fewer on May 11. Mississippi went from 17.6 percent fewer to 3.5 percent.

The federal government is supporting vaccination in minority communities with community health centers and mass vaccination sites run by FEMA.

Dr Nunez-Smith said that 60 percent of the shots administered across FEMA sites have been given to people of color - and 70 percent of shots given through the community health center program have gone to people of color.

Dr Nunez-Smith also noted the importance of the federal pharmacy program, in which many pharmacy chains and local pharmacies are now offering walk-in vaccinations. Of those shots given in pharmacies, 47 percent have gone to people of color.

'We recognize that ZIP code is a stronger predictor of health than genetic code,' Dr. Nunez-Smith said. As a result, the federal government's strategy is all about 'meeting people where they are' - whether that's through offering vaccinations at a local health center or a mobile clinic.

However, this month's progress is not the end-point for protecting minorities, who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

'We know there is more work to do, and we know that equity work does not always happen by default,' Dr. Nunez-Smith said.

The federal government will continue to support vaccination efforts and communication campaigns at the local level - both answering people's questions and helping them get vaccinated wherever they are.
Glaxosmithkline boss Emma Walmsley has been put on notice by a leading investor as she prepares to fight off Wall Street raiders.

Pensions and investment giant Aviva warned that the 'jury is still out' on the chief executive's future.

The unusually frank comments piled further pressure on Walmsley, 51, at a time when GSK is being circled by US activist Elliott Management.

Pressure: In a shock intervention, pensions and investment giant Aviva warned that the 'jury is still out' on Glaxosmithkline chief executive Emma Walmsley's future

Elliott  notorious for its aggressive tactics  has reportedly built a 'multi-billion pound' stake in the drugs giant, triggering feverish speculation about its intentions as well as efforts by Walmsley to show her turnaround efforts are bearing fruit.

Observers say Elliott could seek to push the chief executive out or speed up the separation of GSK's consumer and biopharma businesses.

Walmsley has insisted she is the right person to lead GSK after the split and pointed to 'enormous' progress made during her tenure.

But although top investors such as Blackrock, Dodge & Cox and Royal London are said to privately back her, Aviva yesterday broke cover and became the first to go on the record criticising her.

GSK announced the separation of its consumer division in 2018 after striking a deal with rival Pfizer to create a 10bn joint venture

David Cumming, Aviva's investment chief, claimed that GSK's potential was 'not being realised' and that this was reflected in its share price  down 15 per cent since Walmsley took charge in 2017.

'That's why Elliott has been allowed appear on the [share] register,' he told BBC Radio 4.

'It has left a gap they can exploit. Often the easiest catalyst to enforce change is to change the CEO, so the jury is still out on her future.

'She'll have to demonstrate a more positive view to shareholders in terms of her leadership if Elliott is to be kept at bay'

GSK announced the separation of its consumer division in 2018 after striking a deal with rival Pfizer to create a 10billion joint venture.

David Cumming, Aviva's investment chief, claimed that GSK's potential was 'not being realised' and that this was reflected in its share price

The split is scheduled to complete in mid-2022 and will leave the 'New GSK' comprised of just the pharmaceuticals and vaccine businesses.

But analysts have questioned whether the four-year process could be sped up now that Elliott  which has a reputation for waging aggressive campaigns for change at big companies  has appeared on the scene.

In one bright spot yesterday, GSK and France's Sanofi said their potential Covid-19 vaccine  which was delayed by a mishap  triggered strong immune responses in all adult age groups in preliminary trials, boosting optimism the shot may join the fight against the pandemic this year.

Last night a GSK spokesman said: 'Nearly four years ago, we set out a new strategy to tackle the historical challenges we faced, transform the company and create long term value for shareholders.

That strategy involves improving research and development productivity, sharpening commercial performance and separating into two new companies next year.'
An army chaplain who has been serving for 16 years has een reported to file an appeal against the reprimand he received for questioning President Joe Biden's Transgender Policy entitled "Enabling All Qualified Americans To Serve Their Country In Uniform" that was signed on January 25.

The Christian Headlines reported that 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade Army Chaplain Major Andrew Calvert has filed an appeal for receiving a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand that could end his more than a decade of military career.

Calvert received the Reprimand after he posted in Facebook that those who identify as transgender are actually "mentally unfit" to join the army. He was then put under investigation on the account that his comments are against "treating people with dignity and respect" and against supporting "the Commander in Chief" and his policies "against all forms of discrimination on the bases of gender identity."

Supporting "the Commander in Chief" actually pertains to Biden's executive order for Transgenders serving in the military. In Biden's executive order, he clearly pinpointed that he is reversing what former President Trump instituted in banning transgender persons to join the Armed Forces, as well as, to "take steps to transition gender while serving." Biden made it a policy beginning this year that transgenders can serve in the military "openly" and "free from discrimination" provided they can "meet the appropriate standards."

The investigation, according to Calvert's legal counsel First Liberty Institute, "concluded that Chaplain Calvert violated DoD Directive 1344.10 and Army Regulation (AR) 600-20, and recommended that Chaplain Calvert receive a GOMOR."

According to the Christian Headlines, Calvert's lawyers were asserting the veteran's right in the First Amendment for "religious speech" being the army chaplain. His comments, they stressed, were an expression of his religious beliefs that are constitutionally protected yet the army has violated by giving him the Reprimand.

First Liberty Institute sent the appeal dated May 12 to Lieutenant General Robert White, the Commanding General of Fort Hood for the "Rebuttal" of the Reprimand.

"Taking adverse action against Chaplain Calvert because he expressed his sincerely held religious beliefs and personal views on matters of public concern lacks any basis in law. Moreover, you are hereby notified that issuing a GOMOR against a chaplain in retaliation for his expression of his sincerely held religious beliefs is unconstitutional, and violates DoD and U.S. Army regulations," First Liberty sternly pointed out.

First Liberty also condemned the "inappropriate and offensive" remarks made by 3D SFAB Headquarters Commander Colonel Trotter against Calvert that the Reprimand violates the latter's religious beliefs. First Liberty said neither Trotter nor the US Army are capable of determining "what does or does not violate or infringe upon any Soldier's religious beliefs." First Liberty persisted that speaking in opposition to the policies does not merit him to be punished for it and cited a quote from General Douglas MacArthur on it.

"As stated in our rebuttal letter, taking adverse action against a chaplain for expressing his or her sincerely held religious beliefs is not only legally wrong, it is morally wrong. We request that you withdraw the GOMOR and disapprove the investigator's findings and conclusions. Should you refuse to do so, we are prepared to take all necessary legal action to vindicate Chaplain Calvert's rights," First Liberty reiterated in ending their appeal.
At around this time last year, a team of Rio Tinto engineers were toiling in the searing heat of the West Australian outback.

Over the course of several days, they would drill hundreds of blast-holes in the red sandstone, before loading them with high explosives.

Their mission was to expand the site of Rio's Brockman 4 mine in the Pilbara region, and dig up an estimated 100million of iron ore buried in the rock.

Fury: Earlier this month Rio faced a shareholders revolt, which centred on the millions in pay and bonuses handed to ousted boss Jean-Sebastian Jacques and other disgraced executives

With an estimated 3bn tons of iron ore reserves in the Pilbara alone, this was not a big project by Rio's standards. But it has proved to be an enormously costly one.

Lying at the centre of the blast site was the Juukan Gorge, a sacred site for the local Aboriginal people which housed two 46,000 year-old rock shelters.

When the detonation button was pushed on the morning of May 24 last year, the caves were blown to smithereens  along with much of Rio's reputation.

The Anglo-Australian mining giant made things worse by initially claiming it was all one big misunderstanding, despite being fully aware of the significance of the site and receiving increasingly frantic pleas to abandon the blast from the local Indigenous population.

As a devastating Parliamentary inquiry in Australia would later conclude: 'Rio knew the value of what they were destroying but blew it up anyway.'

The shockwaves of the explosion are still felt today.

Earlier this month Rio faced a massive pay revolt from shareholders, which centred on the many millions in pay and bonuses handed to ousted boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques and other disgraced executives.

John Ashburton (pictured), is a member of the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation. Juukan Gorge was named after his grandfather

But the anger of shareholders pales in comparison with that felt by the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people (PKKP), who live across this vast, iron-ore rich region.

They say they have been left 'traumatised' by the destruction of the caves and cannot bring themselves to forgive Rio.

A year on, two prominent members of the PKKP visited the Juukan Gorge to mark the anniversary of the fateful blast.

Burchell Hayes, a director of the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation, remembers vividly when he heard the news.

He was travelling from Port Hedland east along Australia's north-western coast to the mining town of Karratha with his four grandchildren.

'It was devastating for us,' he said. 'You felt the emptiness that something was taken away from you. Something that was so significant to you and our community.'

Although Rio has pledged to compensate the PKKP, Mr Hayes said: 'No amount of money will ever replace that  nothing. I'd rather have the rock shelter back than you write me a cheque. That's how I feel about it.'

He was accompanied on the trip by John Ashburton, another distinguished member of the PKKP. Juukan Gorge was named after his grandfather Tommy, known as Juukan.

'We are the caretakers of this land. We need to preserve what's there,' he said. 'To us it's not rocks and carvings. To us its precious. It means something to us.'

The PKKP people believe the 1300 ft long, sandstone gorge is where the spirits of their ancestors have come to rest.

It includes a sacred rock pool which forms the shape of a snake's head entering the ground. This too has been severely damaged.

In recent decades, various archaeological studies  some of them funded by Rio  have uncovered more than 7,000 artefacts in the gorge.

Among the most stunning finds have been a 30,000-year-old grinding stone, and the remains of a 4,000-year-old belt made of human hair that has been genetically identified to match ancient ancestors of the PKKP.

Sacred: The two 46,000 year-old rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in the West Australian outback which were destroyed by Rio Tinto last year

Mr Ashburton and Mr Hayes could not venture too close to the caves themselves as it so dangerous underfoot.

The painstaking work to restore them  which Rio has committed to doing itself  has yet to begin.

For all the vast resources as its disposal, it faces a fiendishly difficult task. One of the two caves  identified as a place of the 'highest archaeological significance in Australia'  has been completely destroyed. There is hope that the other cave can be salvaged in some form, once the rubble has finally been cleared.

But Rio has to do more than rebuild the caves to restore its reputation, and mend its broken relationship with Australia's indigenous population.

Three senior executives, including the chief executive, the boss of the iron ore division and the corporate affairs director have all been fired over the debacle.

Like rival BHP Billiton, Rio has also pledged to trawl through thousands of heritage sites that could be affected by mine expansions.

It insists it has learned from the mistakes. A few months after the Juukan Gorge incident, Rio pledged to protect a 43,000-year-old rock shelter on the fringe of its Silvergrass iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

Along with BHP, it has committed to scrap controversial gag clauses which prevent Aboriginal groups from speaking out as a price for any royalties they receive.

Rio has also promised to work more closely with indigenous people in future rather than speaking to them as an after-thought.

This will be one of the key roles of Simon Trott, the chief executive of Rio's vast iron ore operations. 'The events at Juukan Gorge should never have happened,' he told the Mail. 'We need to learn from that and make sure it does not happen again.

That's the focus of me and my team  to put in place those steps and to really engage and listen to traditional owners. We acknowledge that will take some time  we have a long way to go.'

But this is not all about Rio Tinto. The Parliamentary inquiry into Juukan Gorge found in its interim report last summer that Rio's ruthless focus on the maximisation of profit and scant regard for Aboriginal heritage was 'systemic' across the mining industry.

It said mining companies have exploited weak federal and state laws which provide little protection for traditional owners of the land.

New legislation is slowly working its way through the Western Australian parliament to address this.

Queensland MP Warren Entsch, who chairs the Parliamentary inquiry into Juukan Gorge, described the incident as a 'game changer' for the entire mining industry.

'There is now a much greater level of awareness,' he told the Mail. 'Rio and others are really keen to avoid this sort of thing happening again in the future.

'The ideal result to come out of all this would be that this sort of destruction of cultural heritage never happens again.'
Ryanair has posted the biggest annual loss in its 35-year history after being battered by travel restrictions.

After the pandemic sent passenger numbers plunging, the budget airline swung from an 860million profit to a 701million loss in the year to March 31.

That was after revenues tumbled from 7.3billion to 1.4billion.

Ryanair boss boss Michael OLeary (pictured) said he is still not certain it will break even over the next 12 months, adding that this will depend on the speed of the pandemic recovery

Its better than we predicted, but still a fairly traumatic loss for an airline that has been consistently profitable for our 35-year history, Ryanair group boss Michael OLeary said.

The record loss underlines the scale of the damage dealt to the airline industry by the Covid crisis.

Annual passenger numbers at Ryanair dropped from 149million to just 27.5million last year, as countries shut their borders and airlines cancelled flights.

Ryanair was provided some relief last summer as the virus temporarily receded and lockdowns eased, but this was swiftly followed by fresh waves in the autumn and winter that grounded many flights once again.

However, passenger numbers are expected to recover to between 80m and 120m in 2021-22 as Ryanair benefits from strong rebound of pent up travel demand.

The airline said there had already been a dramatic spring back in bookings prompted by tentative reopening of several destinations.

Since it was announced that travel restrictions in the UK were set to be eased on May 17, bookings have trebled from 500,000 to 1.5m per week, the firm said.

Despite this, OLeary said he is still not certain that Ryanair will break even over the next 12 months, adding that this will depend on the speed of the pandemic recovery.

The Irishman, 60, added: Most of the uncertainty revolves around the timing of the recovery and the fares that people will pay into the key June, July, August, September travel period.

However, he said the airline would come out of the pandemic with a significantly reduced cost base due to cuts in wages, more efficient new aircraft and lower airport costs.

The firm has in recent months secured extensions on deals with key bases at London Stansted, Milan Bergamo and Brussels Charleroi.

Ryanair had been aiming for a bumper summer in 2022 with the delivery of Boeing 737 Max Gamechanger aircraft and bases in Billund in Denmark; Riga; Stockholm; and Croatian spots Zadar and Zagreb.

But in a blow to these plans, Ryanair has reported fresh delays in the delivery of the first 737 Max plane and they may not arrive until after the peak summer period.

OLeary said he was quite upset with Boeing over the delays.
Around 1,500 bank branches are still only open part-time more than a year after the pandemic started.

Most banks restricted branch services when Covid hit in March last year, with many closing altogether.

The move caused long queues down high streets around the country, while many customers complained they had been turned away at the door because their visit was not deemed 'essential'.

Most banks restricted branch services when Covid hit in March last year causing long queues down high streets around the country

Yet 14 months on, and with lockdown restrictions easing, many of Britain's biggest banks are still to resume a full service.

It means that of the estimated 5,556 branches in Britain, about 1,479  or one in four  are only open part-time.

A further 529 branches have shut up shop entirely since the start of the pandemic  roughly nine a week, according to consumer group Which?. And another 286 are scheduled to close over the rest of the year.

Critics say that continuing to limit opening hours and branch services is 'unacceptable' and putting extra pressure on helplines already experiencing long call waiting times.

Customers accuse banks of using lockdowns as an excuse to force them online.

Freelance writer and events planner Abby Knight, 55, has banked with HSBC in Billericay, Essex, for more than 20 years.

674 towns with 1 bank There are now 674 towns in Britain with just one bank left. And almost nine in ten do not have another bank branch within 1km, according to research seen by Money Mail. Many will have a Post Office for basic transactions, but services are limited. And experts say it is inevitable customers will face yet more closures in the future. Natalie Ceeney, chair of the Access To Cash Review, says: 'There are over five million people who rely on cash, and face-to-face services. 'Without access to face-to-face services and free-to-use cash access they face serious difficulties and costs in just living their lives.' 'It's sadly inevitable that we'll see more bank branch closures, but we can't just shrug our shoulders and accept it. We need a long-term solution.'

She says before the pandemic she noticed cashier services being replaced by machines, and now her branch is only open between 10am and 2pm.

Every time she visits she says there are at least ten people in front of her. Many are elderly and often have to wait in the rain as only a certain number are allowed inside at a time.

Abby says: 'I like to be able to go into the bank and I do not think they should be using lockdowns to scale back their services and force us all online.'

HSBC told Money Mail that not a single one of its 588 branches had returned to normal opening hours.

Of these, 327 are open between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday and the remaining 261 are open for just four hours between 10am and 2pm during the week.

Before Covid the majority of branches were open either between 9.30am and 4.30pm or 9am and 5pm.

Face-to-face appointments have also been stopped. But HSBC says customers may still be able to speak to someone to help with a bereavement or mortgage application. Call waiting times are still more than 20 minutes.

The bank did not say when branch hours and services would return to normal, only that the matter was 'under review'.

It says it is rare for the Billericay branch to have a queue, especially one as long as ten people, but says its staff are conscious of social distancing and only four customers are allowed in at a time.

Money Mail reader John Russell, 67, visits his local HSBC branch in Norwich each Friday to withdraw cash.

But he always has to wait outside in a queue of customers because the branch is still only open between 10am and 4pm during the week  which he says 'is no good to anyone'.

John, a former civil servant, says: 'Norwich is a big city and everything else seems to have gone back to normal  bar one bank. I have no idea why, but it seems completely stupid.'

An HSBC spokesman says its focus has been keeping as many branches open as possible rather than fewer sites with longer hours.

He adds that with some staff shielding the bank has needed to resource branches accordingly. About two-thirds of Barclays' 859 branches now shut before 4pm, with some closing at 2pm.

Prior to Covid the majority were open between 9am and 5pm.

Covid closures: HSBC admitted that not a single one of its 588 branches had returned to normal opening hours

Customers registering a bereavement or seeking financial support can get the help they need in branch, but customers are encouraged to make an appointment first. Other services, such as mortgage appointments, are done over the phone or online.

Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, refused to say how many of its 1,568 branches had resumed normal hours. Instead it says 'many' branches are now open on Saturdays, while larger branches, with greater footfall, are open from 9am to 5pm. A spokesman adds that its branch hours are tailored according to local usage and customer demand.

There really is no excuse for banks not to be returning to offering the services and opening hours they were before the pandemic. Bank branches offer essential services and the queues outside my local branch are unacceptable. Martyn James, Resolver

Roughly half of Nationwide's 650 branches close at 4.30pm during the week, while the remainder are only open between 9am and 2pm or 3pm.

On Saturdays, opening hours are 9am to 12pm or 1pm. Before the pandemic, branches were open from 9am to 4pm or 5pm. The building society is also still not offering appointments in branches.

A spokesman says: 'Current opening hours are based on a range of factors such as local needs, as well as the size and location of the branch. We will continue to review these hours as we emerge from lockdown to ensure we have the right resources in the right places.'

Martyn James, from complaints website Resolver, says: 'There really is no excuse for banks not to be returning to offering the services and opening hours they were before the pandemic. Bank branches offer essential services and the queues outside my local branch are unacceptable.'

Gareth Shaw, head of money at Which?, says: 'Branch networks have continued to shrink in the last year despite the Financial Conduct Authority asking firms to reconsider closures, so it's crucial that banks provide their customers with reasonable access to banking services.'

Yet some banks have been able to resume an almost normal service again.

As of Monday, Metro Bank's 77 branches went back to their usual opening hours of between 8.30am and 6pm six days a week, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

Santander's 564-strong network is also now back to normal hours of 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Those that offer services on a Saturday are open between 9.30am and 12.30pm or 9.30am to 4pm.

As of last week, most of TSB's 330 branches have resumed normal opening hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Up until earlier this year weekdays had been reduced to between 9am and 2pm.

All of NatWest Group's 844 branches are open as usual from between 9.30am and 4.30pm during the week.

A spokesman says the same branch services are available as before the pandemic, as well as phone and video appointments.

a.murray@dailymail.co.uk
A woman who was born into the same religious cult as Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan has revealed the vile abuse and bizarre practices of The Family International commune.

Sharen Seitz, now 33, recalled being beaten for disobeying trivial orders and spending hours locked in a closet where she was forced to memorize Bible passages as a punishment for her supposed misbehavior.

The Boulder, Colorado woman told DailyMail.com she did not even know who her parents were for 'a long time' because she had been taught to view all cult members as family.

The Family International was founded in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California by preacher David Brandt Berg and was called Teens of Christ, later known as the Children of God.

Sharen Seitz, 33, of Boulder, Colorado, was born into The Family International cult - formerly known as The Children of God

Sharen, pictured far right with her brothers, recalled the vile abuse and bizarre practices she experienced while growing up in the religious group

Sharen's parents, who were given names David (left) and Mary (second right) Psalms, joined the cult five to six years before she was born

The group was made up of communes, known as 'colonies,' consisting of runaway hippies looking for spiritual salvation and happiness with a total distrust of the outside world.

The society quickly grew using a practice that Berg termed 'flirty fishing', where he would order females in the group to recruit men by engaging in sexual activities with them.

Cult members were taught to spread 'God's love' through sex and men were allowed to have more than one wife.

By the 1970s the organization began to face allegations of incest, child abuse, and rape and was reported to the FBI. It was labeled a cult in 1974 by the New York attorney general's office.

Several celebrities are known to be former members including Rose McGowan, who was born into the cult's commune in Florence, Italy, before her family fled when she was nine.

Joaquin and River Phoenix likewise were part of the Children of God's branch in Venezuela before the family escaped, aboard a cargo ship to Miami.

Sharen said she was raised in the Family International until her family finally fled when she was six years old.

She claimed she and other kids in the cult were taught that sex was a way of sharing God's love with people.

Sharen (bottom left) says her parents (top left) were passionate evangelicals who enjoyed travel and thought they were joining a missionary organization when they joined the cult years before she born

Among the group's bizarre practices was learning songs written by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer, while sitting on a fluffy blanket called 'the cloud' (pictured)

She also revealed how they were taught songs written by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer, who joined the group in 1971, while sitting on a fluffy blanket called 'the cloud.'

'This particular cult was an abusive take on Christian evangelism,' Sharen told DailyMail.com. 'It started out as missionary work which reeled a lot of people in.

'We were taught that sex was sharing God's love with people.

Jeremy Spencer famously left the band in 1971 to join The Children of God

'Jeremy Spencer joined the cult and he became a big deal. He wrote songs for the cult and they were taught to us.

'We would sit on "the cloud" - a big fluffy blanket - and learn songs.

'They had coloring books with pictures of Jesus and then as you got older there were pictures of older men in bed with children with talk bubbles that said "God loves you, let me show you that".'

Although Sharen says she endured physical abuse at the hands of cult members, fortunately, she cannot recall being sexually abused.

'There was a lot of physical abuse and a lot of emotional abuse,' she said. 'There is a chunk of my memories from the age of three to five that are missing.

'My sister says she was aware that I would see naked people having sex.

'But it's pretty common to block these things out.'

Sharen recalled that she and her siblings and other cult children would be dressed in identical outfits and taken to old people's homes to perform feel-good songs and gather donations to fund the cult - a practice known as 'witnessing.'

Sharen, her parents and her eight siblings travelled the world with the cult, moving from safe house to safe house and slept in a room full of bunk beds, she said

Sharen recalled how she was once battered with a wooden board for accidentally causing another girl to trip. She is pictured cleaning a bedroom at the Texas ranch

Cult children were dressed in identical outfits and taken to old people's homes to perform feel-good songs and gather donations to fund the cult - a practice known as 'witnessing'

'We went to old people's homes, police headquarters, fire departments and restaurants.

'They always dressed us the same and we would sing songs that Jeremy Spencer had written or songs like Lean On Me.

'The aim was to get donations and get people interested in the cult.'

Sharen, who works as a dog trainer and is a former model, says she experienced frequent beatings and was once battered with a wooden board for tripping another girl up.

She claimed that one cruel punishment doled out to kids who misbehaved was locking them in a closet and forcing them to learn Bible passages.

'I was beaten a lot,' she said. 'When I was about five, I was tying up my shoes and I accidentally tripped someone up.

'I was taken into a laundry room and a man got a very large wooden board and hit me five times on my back and on my butt.

'We would have to have mass baths with multiple kids and I remember not sitting down.

'I turned around and my sister saw that I was black and blue from my mid thighs to my back.

Sharen with microphone singing with cult kids in old people's home in Texas

Sharen (on right in striped shirt) is seen at the Texas ranch with cult members and her grandparents

'As a punishment, we would be locked in a closet and forced to memorize the Bible.

'By the time I was nine, I knew most of the Bible.'

Sharen said that her parents - who were given the names David and Mary Psalms by the cult - were passionate evangelicals who enjoyed travel and thought they were joining a missionary organization.

'They had probably been in the cult for five or six years when I was born.

'It was a Christian missionary program initially and they were very Texan, very Christian.

'They were already travelers. They wanted to spread the word of God.'

Sharen, her parents and her eight siblings travelled the world with the cult, moving from safe house to safe house - a tactic, Sharen believes, to keep them dependent on the organization.

Sharen was born in the cult's base in Osaka, Japan, before traveling to a ranch in Dallas, Texas, and then another base in Colorado.

'We moved so much because it was a psychological method for control and it was a way to avoid the authorities.

Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan are among the celebrities counted as former members who were born into the cult

'We would be fully clothed in bed with a bag next to us with everything we needed, we would know the car we would have to get to, the safe house we would have to go to.

CELEBRITIES RAISED IN THE CHILDREN OF GOD CULT By the 1970s, the Children of God had cults all over the world - and some of its youngest members would grow up to become famous. Rose McGowan was born into the cult, growing up in Italian communes before eventually fleeing with her parents when she was 10. Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix and his late brother River were also raised in the cult, but in communes in South America. In a 2014 interview, the Joker and Gladiator actor said: 'I think my parents thought they'd found a community that shared their ideals. Cults rarely advertise themselves as such. It's usually someone saying, "We're like-minded people. This is a community," but I think the moment my parents realized there was something more to it, they got out.' Musicians Christopher Owens and Susan Justice, authors Lauren Hough and Flor Edwards, as well as Julian Buhring, the first woman to bicycle around the world, were all raised in the cult, but left in later life. Fleetwood Mac founding member Jeremy Spencer quit the band in 1971 to become a member of the cult. Advertisement

'There was constant panic about law enforcers.

'I remember on the ranch in Dallas there was a group of people ready to put on an act for anyone who came to the door.

'It was a very nervous way of living.'

Sharen added that she lived in communes with several families and was encouraged to see all cult members as her relatives.

'We would sleep in a room full of bunkbeds.

'I didn't know who my parents were for a long time.

'In The Family that's what it is - everyone is an aunt, everyone is a cousin.'

Sharen said that her family fled the commune in Colorado Springs when her father became concerned about the physical abuse of his children.

'We got into our motor home in the middle of the night and we left the gated area in a quiet fashion.

'It was an escape.'

Sharen's family fled to Arizona and stayed with another family who had escaped The Family International.

'Then we started to become more normal.

'We were finally treated like we were cared about and seen for the first time.'

But Sharen said her time inside the cult left her with mental health issues which led her to attempt suicide four times and develop an eating disorder.

She said: 'I've had to work really hard to create a life for myself where I can even start to heal from all I have experienced.

'I now have a house in Colorado with a stunning view of the mountains where my puppy can roam and with a man that loves me.

'My full-time job is me: I can either grow or decay in my opinion.'

In 2005 the cult made headlines when Berg's son Ricky Rodriguez recorded a video detailing the childhood sex abuse he suffered within the Family International.

The next day he murdered his former nanny Angela Smith, whom he claimed had abused him as a child inside the cult, before committing suicide.
Republican Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has taken aim at the Associated Press for allegedly sharing the same building as Hamas.

The revelation was made after the Israeli Defense Force operated a military strike against a building in Gaza which Israel claimed also housed offices for the terrorist organization.

There was outcry from journalists over the weekend after the strike blew up the Gaza bureau of the Associated Press and television network Al Jazeera.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has suggested the Associated Press knew that Hamas had offices in the Gaza tower where the AP was housed for 15 years

Nobody was injured or killed in the strike after reporters and residents were warned an hour in advance that a strike was about to take place.

The Associated Press, who have been based in the building for 15 years, denied knowing of Hamas' presence.

Senator Cotton expressed a degree of skepticism while speaking on the Senate floor on Monday.

'Why is the Associated Press sharing a building with Hamas?' Cotton asked. 'Surely these intrepid reporters knew who their neighbors were.'

'Did they knowingly allow themselves to be used as human shields by a US-designated terrorist organization? Did the AP pull its punches and decline to report for years on Hamas' misdeeds?'

Israeli forces Saturday destroyed a tower in Gaza that house the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and other media organizations

'I submit that the AP has some uncomfortable questions to answer, yet the AP and its fellow journalists are in high dudgeon about Israel's wholly appropriate airstrike,' Cotton continued.

'Leave it to whiny reporters to make themselves the story and the victim when terrorists are shooting missiles at innocent civilians.'

Journalists are asking for Israel to detail the intelligence it had that suggested Hamas was located in the same building as the international media outlets.

AP President Gary Pruitt has called for an independent investigation into the Saturday airstrike, which was preceded by a phone call from the Israeli military that gave the building's occupants one hour to get out.

'As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike,' Pruitt said in a statement. 'This is something we check as best we can. We do not know what the Israeli evidence [of the Hamas presence] shows, and we want to know.'

But a 2014 report in The Atlantic written by journalist Matti Freidman suggested Associated Press were well aware of Hamas's presence in the building - and chose not to report it.

'When Hamas's leaders surveyed their assets before this summer's round of fighting, they knew that among those assets was the international press,' the article states, referring to an outbreak of fighting that year

Writing in The Atlantic in 2014, journalist Matti Friedman said 'Hamas fighters would burst into the AP's Gaza bureau and threaten the staffand the AP wouldn't report it'

'The AP staff in Gaza City would witness a rocket launch right beside their office, endangering reporters and other civilians nearbyand the AP wouldn't report it,' Freidman wrote.

The journalist at the time claimed that Hamas fighters would regularly 'burst into the AP's Gaza bureau and threaten the staffand the AP wouldn't report it.'

The Atlantic article also appeared to show journalists had been aware of their presence since at least 2014.

The AP came were criticized on social media for the apparent oversight.

One person shared The Atlantic article on Twitter, and commented: '@AP didn't know about sharing a building w/ Hamas for 15 years?'

'Doesn't say much for their reporting abilities if they missed a Hamas staging office a floor away,' another tweeted.

AP President Gary Pruitt has called for an independent investigation into the Saturday airstrike, which was preceded by a phone call from the Israeli military that gave the building's occupants one hour to get out

President Joe Biden has strongly defended Israel's right to defend itself because of the repeated rocket barrages from Hamas, which the United States views as a terrorist organization.

But the administration did not support Israel's destruction of the Gaza high-rise that housed the AP and Al Jazeera offices.

The Biden administration viewed the strike on the building as a major strategic mistake, particularly because it turned some public opinion against Israel in the United States, the source said.

The Gaza building attack has also prompted some Democratic lawmakers to call foul.

'The increasing loss of civilian lives of Palestinians and Israelis is unconscionable and unacceptable,' said Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro.

Smoke rises as the building collapses after an Israeli airstrike hits Al-Jalaa tower, which housed apartments and several media outlets, including The Associated Press and Al Jazeera

'Im particularly disturbed by the disproportionate bombing of the Gaza Strip, including the deaths of at least 92 women and children and the targeting of the Associated Press building.'

Separately, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israels bombing of a building housing the media organizations as a possible war crime.

Sally Buzbee, APs executive editor, said that the Israeli government has yet to provide clear evidence supporting its attack, which leveled the 12-story al-Jalaa tower.

The Israeli military, which gave AP journalists and other tenants about an hour to evacuate, claimed Hamas used the building for a military intelligence office and weapons development.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Israel was compiling evidence for the U.S. but declined to commit to providing it within the next two days.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting Israel's claim that Hamas operated in the building

On Sunday, Conricus said, 'Were in the middle of fighting. Thats in process and Im sure in due time that information will be presented.'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting Israel's claim that Hamas operated in the building.

Buzbee said the AP has had offices in al-Jalaa tower for 15 years and never was informed or had any indication that Hamas might be in the building. She said the facts must be laid out.

'We are in a conflict situation,' Buzbee said. 'We do not take sides in that conflict. We heard Israelis say they have evidence; we dont know what that evidence is.'

'We think its appropriate at this point for there to be an independent look at what happened yesterday - an independent investigation,' she added.

The Biden administration viewed the strike on the AP building as a major strategic mistake, particularly because it turned some public opinion against Israel in the United States

In remarks Sunday, Netanyahu repeated Israels claim that the building housed an intelligence office of Hamas. Asked if he had relayed supporting evidence of that in a call with President Joe Biden on Saturday, Netanyahu said that 'we pass it through our intelligence people.'

Buzbee said the AP journalists were 'rattled' after the airstrike but are doing fine and reporting the news. She expressed concern about the impact on news coverage.

'This does impact the worlds right to know what is happening on both sides of the conflict in real time,' she said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone Saturday with APs president and CEO, Gary Pruitt. The State Department said Blinken offered 'his unwavering support for independent journalists and media organizations around the world and noted the indispensability of their reporting in conflict zones.'

Buzbee and Conricus spoke on CNNs 'Reliable Sources' and Netanyahu was on CBS 'Face the Nation.'
'I did not kill anybody,' Yui Inoue, 40, said through a Japanese interpreter. She is pictured in a May 15 booking photo

An Arizona woman accused in the grisly slayings of her two children with a meat cleaver made her first court appearance Monday, where she denied harming them.

'I did not kill anybody,' Yui Inoue, 40, said through a Japanese interpreter before a Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner in Phoenix told her not to talk about the case except with an attorney.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit and a face mask in front of a podium, Inoue otherwise spoke little during her initial appearance, where prosecutor Jay Rademacher asked that she be held on a $2 million cash bond.

Rademacher described how the bodies of Inoue's 9-year-old daughter Mia Inoue, 9, and 7-year-old son Kai Inoue, were found in their suburban Phoenix apartment lacerated, mutilated and 'almost completely decapitated.'

'These children were helpless, Your Honor, and did everything they could to fight their mother,' Rademacher said.

Upon hearing the prosecutor's description of the children's injuries, Inoue put her head down on the podium.

Inoue is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

The commissioner ordered she be held on the requested bond, surrender her passport and wear an electronic monitoring device. He also ordered her a court-appointed defense attorney. It was not immediately known if one had been assigned.

Tempe, Arizona police officers found two children - ages nine and seven - dead after their mom told them she was hearing voices

Police were called to the same apartment about 6.5 hours earlier for a domestic call, but officers separated the parents and saw the children were fine

Inoue went to a Tempe police station Saturday morning and told officers that 'she was hearing voices telling her to kill her children,' according to charging documents.

Police called Inoue's husband. He said the couple, who filed for divorce in April, had fought the night before over money and that fact that she wanted to move to Japan. He said she threatened to stab him so he left around 12:30 a.m.

Officers responded to a domestic call and checked on the children, who who were fine at the time.

'It didn't seem like there was an immediate threat to the children,' Carbajal said. 'Parents, couples, argue and they have disagreements, and they have issues that come up' that often don't require that type of intervention.

Her husband told investigators he slept in his car in a parking lot. He told authorities he did not think she would harm their children.

Police also said there was no apparent reason at the time to call child welfare authorities.

Inoue is facing two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son

Later that morning, different officers went to the apartment and discovered the bodies of both children under a blanket and boxes, as well as a large amount of blood.

'It was a very tragic what officers encountered, and we're trying to support the father and our officers right now,' Tempe Police Sgt. Steven Carbajal said. 'Our officers are really struggling.'

The children, who had numerous wounds, were immediately pronounced dead.

Police arrested the mother after noticing bloodstains on her heel, superficial cuts on her fingers, and bruising on her hands and knees. They also noticed blood spatter on suitcases in her car.

When questioned by police through a Japanese interpreter, Inoue said she woke up around 4:30 a.m. with blood on her hands and arms. She found her children dead but said she had no memory of doing anything to them. She said she took a bath before heading to the police station.

Tempe police recovered a meat cleaver with a 6-inch (15-centimeter) blade from her car. It was in a bag containing clothes with bloodstains.

Carbajal said the father, who is not a suspect, 'broke down' when police told him what happened to the children.

Inoue's next preliminary court hearing is scheduled for May 25.
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The EU is expected to sign off on plans for Britons who have had both jabs to fly to Europe without having to quarantine or take a Covid test.

The European Union's new plan would see member states adopting uniform entry requirements, meaning vaccinated holidaymakers from low-risk countries - such as the UK - would be able to enter France, Spain, Italy and other hotspots.

Britain will be included on an EU expanded 'green list' of permitted holiday travel on Wednesday as the bloc's ambassadors are set to confirm a European Commission proposal lift restrictions on well-vaccinated nations, it is understood.

It will also be recommended that member states prepare digital portals allowing Britons to use the NHS app as a vaccine passport, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Those without vaccinations will be required to present a negative Covid test or evidence of immunity.

It comes as change to the NHS app brought in today allows people to prove whether they have had the Covid jab  effectively making it a vaccine passport.

The update for users in England has been brought in with little fanfare but MPs and privacy campaigners have voiced fears that any such system could be discriminatory and a breach of human rights.

The app, which is separate to the NHS Covid-19 app for contact tracing, can already be used to request repeat prescriptions, book doctor appointments and view medical records.

A No 10 source said the updated app was designed to allow people to meet foreign countries' requirements for visitors. But they said 'no decisions' had been taken on the scope or use of any domestic scheme.

Passengers disembark from an early morning flight to Madeira, one of the government's green list destinations on Monday

A cabin crew member and passengers onboard an early morning TUI flight to Madeira in Portugal yesterday

The news comes just as the ban on non-essential travel was lifted and Downing Street doubled down on its insistence that people should only be holidaying in the 12 countries on the 'green list'.

They should not be travelling to the dozens of popular destinations on the 'amber list' unless it is essential, a spokesman said.

Digital portals such as NHS app to show if people had their jabs Member states of the EU are set to recommend digital portals which will let people use the NHS app as a vaccine passport. The EU is currently developing its own version to show people have had both their jabs. Proof of your Covid-19 status will be on the NHS app, developed by NHS Digital and NHS England, which is different to the separate Test and Trace app. The NHS app was originally developed to allow people to book appointments, repeat prescriptions and see their full medical records. To use the NHS app you must be aged 13 or over and registered with a GP surgery in England. It also provides health information and advice and allows people to view their health record and register for organ donation. Both apps are available from Google Play store or the Apple App Store. Advertisement

And Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Britons should not travel to amber or red list countries or territories 'unless you have an exceptional reason'.

And the boss of British Airways has now called on the Government to open up air travel to low-risk countries.

In a rallying cry to Ministers, Sean Doyle said data on vaccination and infection rates for countries including the US, Spain and Greece made a 'compelling case' for putting them on the green list for quarantine-free travel from early next month.

Yesterday Matt Hancock came under fire over the Government's travel restrictions, with one senior Tory asking 'what the point' is of having a passport.

The Health Secretary appeared to rule out holidays to France, Spain and elsewhere by warning people should not travel to countries on the amber list unless they have an 'exceptional' reason to do so.

Huw Merriman, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, said: 'Given that he's just effectively turned the amber list into red, can I ask him what the point of me having my passport is anymore?

'Covid will always mutate, the vaccine will always have to keep up.

'We managed to vaccinate 99% of the mortality risk.

'When will this Government actually take a little bit of risk and allow people to get on with their lives again?'

Mr Hancock replied: 'The red, amber and green lists are there reflecting risks that there are in other places around the world.

'The amber list of course means that you have to quarantine at home, the red list means quarantine in a hotel, the green list means that we think that it is safe to travel.

'So of course he should get his passport out, he can get on a plane to Portugal or one of the other countries.

'It allows for some careful foreign travel, but my first duty is to protect the lives of people here in the UK and the best way to do that right now is to make sure we are cautious on international travel to protect the opening up here at home.'

Last week Boris Johnson said the quarantine-free travel green list will not be expanding 'very rapidly'.

The Prime Minister said: 'We will certainly be making sure that people travelling abroad will be subject to all the tests and constraints to prevent the virus being reimported.

A group of tourists who flew in earlier in the day from Manchester and Essex enjoy a drink by the marina in Vilamoura, in Portugal's southern Algarve region

'That's why it's such a tiny list of countries and I don't expect we will be adding to it very rapidly. We will be maintaining a very, very tough border regime for the foreseeable future. It is just too early to talk about exactly what the summer will be like.'

His downbeat outlook came as 18 airport bosses signed a letter urging Mr Johnson and his counterparts in the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to initiate 'a more meaningful restart of travel'.

They wrote: 'We believe the current extremely limited green list of countries demonstrates that the UK is being overly cautious and will fail to grasp the opportunities resulting from the successful rollout of the vaccine.

'There are a million jobs in aviation, with a further half a million jobs relying on aviation in the tourism sector.

'This is quite apart from the many sectors that need aviation in order to trade with both existing and new, developing markets. With the current restrictions the Government is applying, those jobs remain at very high risk.'

They warn 'serious failures to manage the border' also threaten the recovery.

There have been queues of up to seven hours at Heathrow as border guards check passengers' Covid paperwork manually and electronic passport gates remain closed.

Brits are warned they must wear face masks on the beach or face 100 fines as they land in Portugal and emotional families are reunited in Gibraltar as holidays FINALLY restart

British tourists were handed face masks and sanitiser as they landed in Portugal

Officials asked them about their stay as they touched down in Faro, the Algarve

Passengers were asked to produce proof of a negative PCR test and a form

The country was added to as a green list country to the UK's traffic light scheme

British tourists were handed face masks, sanitiser and asked to provide full details about their stay in Portugal as they touched down in the country for the start of long-awaited sunshine breaks.

All Brits arriving the country were also warned by officials at Faro airport of the strict rules for wearing face masks in public places, which includes keeping them on while on the beach or they could be hit with hefty 100 fines.

Passengers arriving were asked by immigration officials to produce proof of a negative PCR test and show that they had completed a locator form, with details of where they are staying before being allowed to proceed to the baggage hall.

In Gibraltar, support worker Lynne Wilson clinked glasses with husband David and her Rock-based daughter Kelly Dolan after a tearful airport reunion with toddler granddaughter Gabriela.

It comes as the Portuguese tourism minister announced at the weekend that 'everything is open' for British tourists when borders open.

Restaurants, coffee shops and bars have been opened up in time for an expected influx of holidaymakers next week, Rita Marques revealed.

She told the BBC : 'We have been working hard to tackle the pandemic, as I said, so restaurants and coffee shops and shops and everything is open as from May 1.'

Amongst the first Brits to arrive in Faro today was honeymoon couple Siddhant Majithia, 26, and his wife Hemisha, 24.

The young couple only married two weeks ago and admitted that they were not looking forward to the prospect of honeymooning in Britain and were relieved when the Government placed Portugal on the green list.

Grandma Lynne Wilson greets her daughter Kelly Dolan and baby Gabriella at Gibraltar airport

People arrive at Faro Airport from Manchester on the first day that Britons are allowed to enter Portugal without needing to quarantine

Grandparents David and Lynne Wilson meet her daughter Kelly Dolan and baby Gabriella at the airport in Gibraltar on the day global travel restrictions are eased

Grandma Lynne Wilson with Husband David,her daughter Kelly Dolan and baby Gabriella having first drink in Gibraltar

The traffic light system rates countries as green, amber or red based on the risk of importing coronavirus into Britain, with those going to green list countries such as Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel free to travel without quarantining on return

UK border rules are branded a 'joke' as Brits ignore Matt Hancock's warnings and board HUNDREDS of flights leaving for 'amber list' nations - saying they don't care about isolating at home for 10 days The UK's border rules were branded a 'joke' today as Brits ignored Matt Hancock's pleas to board hundreds of flights bound for 'amber list' countries. Passengers have been taking advantage of at least 340 flights from Heathrow and Gatwick that MailOnline has identified to destinations in the medium-risk category. They included nine flights to Rome, 21 to Paris and 26 to New York - on what is expected to be one of the busiest days of the year for British airports. Brits catching flights at Gatwick admitted the Health Secretary's entreaties only to visit a small set of of 'green' rated destinations had not swayed them - and nor had the requirement to isolate at home for 10 days on return. In another confusing signal, the government has dropped the threat of 5,000 fines for non-essential travel. Former No10 chief Dominic Cummings complained that the policies were not tough enough to protect public health and the economy this afternoon, while British Airways chief Sean Doyle said the rules on when people are permitted to visit amber countries are 'not clear'. Nathan Priestly, 31, from Wokingham in Berkshire, said he was heading to Corfu with five friends. Asked if he minded having to quarantine after returning to England from the Greek island, he said: 'For me, I work from home at the moment so it's neither here nor there. I'm still fairly young and fairly active. I haven't had anything wrong with me, nothing underlying, so for me, a negative test and away you go.' Other tourists were seen landing in the Algarve in southern Portugal, a green list country, and smiling for the cameras as they stepped into Mediterranean sunshine for the first time since the end of last year. However, Ryanair passengers flying to Portugal from Birmingham were told to wear their masks or face spending the start of their holiday in a police station. According to LBC, the pilot threatened: 'This isn't a kindergarten, this is a two hour flight. If you can't wear your masks you will be starting your holiday in Portugal in a police station.' Just 12 countries including Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are green list countries on the UK traffic light scheme, meaning British holidaymakers are allowed to travel there without quarantining on their return to Britain. However, they are required to take a covid test on or before day two of their arriving back in the UK. The Government has said that people travelling to amber list countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the US and Canada must quarantine at home and take two tests upon returning. All travellers to green, amber and red list destinations must also follow the entry requirements of the countries they are heading to. This means while Britons can fly to countries like Portugal, Greece and Italy with proof of negative test, they can only enter countries like Spain if they are citizens and legal residents of the EU, Schengen states, Andorra, Monaco, The Vatican, and San Marino, or can demonstrate essential need to enter. Under the UK's traffic light scheme, people travelling to red list countries such as India and Pakistan are required to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days at a cost of 1,750 upon returning in Britain. Again, government guidance says they will need to follow the local entry requirements and restrictions. British holidaymakers returning to the UK from amber and red list countries have to complete a passenger locator form providing the results of their covid tests and where they will be quarantining for 10 days. Advertisement

Siddhant, an optician from Leicester revealed that they only booked their Portugal honey last Thursday. He said: 'It's great to get away and we're very lucky to have got on this plane. We had to cancel three other honeymoons before this one because of the travel restrictions.

'It was very frustrating and getting us down because the thought of a honeymoon in England with unpredictable wedding wasn't very exciting.'

Hemisha, a physiotherapist added: 'We were thinking of doing a road trip to the Lake District, which isn't exactly a memorable honeymoon given the unpredictable British weather.

'Now we've got the chance for a great break in the sun and I'm really looking forward to it.'

Romina Depino, 28 and her sister Teresa, 43, said that Portugal was their first break in over a year.

Teresa, from Surrey said: 'It feels great to be here. The sun is shining, it's warm and I just want to lie by the pool and chill. I'm a care worker for elderly people and it's been a really difficult year and I really need this holiday.

'We were meant to be going to Turkey but then it was placed on the red list, so we've ended up in Portugal, which isn't bad really.'

Onel Hernandez, 28 arrived in Faro with his fiance Kirsha, 27, her sister Hazel, 18, and their daughter Dreamy, two.

The family revealed that they were staying for two weeks and had been saving up all year for the break.

Onel, who lives in Norwich said: 'It's great to be back on holiday and something we've really missed. The one good thing about the lockdown is that it gave me a chance to save some money for a decent family holiday.

'We only booked the holiday two weeks, and it was quite expensive because there is a lot of demand for Portugal. But it's worth it because given what the whole world has gone through over the past year, we all need a holiday.'

British holidaymakers celebrated with drinks in the sun today after jetting to Gibraltar on the first 'green list' flight from the UK.

Lynne, 59, clinked glasses with husband David and her daughter Kelly, 33, after a tearful airport reunion with granddaughter Gabriela.

Lynne, from Cambridge, wiping away a tear as she sat Gabriela, one last week, on her lap after hugging her as she came out of arrivals and watched her walk towards for the first time, gushed: 'Last time I saw her was at Christmas when Kelly came to the UK.

'Gabriela couldn't walk then so this is a very emotional moment for me. She started walking on April 1 and she's been running since then.

'We booked last year for May 11 but that flight got cancelled and we rebooked for today. We're here for six days and we're going to make the most of the sunshine and being with family again.'

Fuel service engineer David, sipping his first pint in near-eighty degree Fahrenheit heat at a bar in Gibraltar's iconic Casemates Square after leaving Heathrow Airport on the BA492 flight which touched down at 11am local time, added: 'This beer tastes great.

'The sun makes it feel so much better. It was cold and raining when we left London.'

Mark Walker, enjoying his first pint in a neighbouring terrace bar a few feet away with wife Jo before checking into their nearby hotel after coming in on the same flight, added: 'We left our home in Devon at midnight because we weren't sure how chaotic the airport would be and we knew parts of the M4 were closed.

'We got to Heathrow around 4am and we haven't had any sleep.

'But it's been worth it so far. It's great being able to travel again.

'We normally take several short breaks abroad every year. We were booked to be on the Greek island of Skiathos right now but when that got cancelled I decided to try booking Gibraltar last month because I thought it would be a dead cert for the green list and I wasn't wrong.'

Jo, 50, added: 'Mark's been here twice on day trips years ago but it's my first time on the Rock. It's just nice to get away and be in the sun. The weather was decent in Devon in April but it was a rotten May.

'That's why we stopped off for a drink before we got to the hotel and we're still lugging our suitcases. We'll savour this first pint, and maybe a second, and then do the check-in.

'We've got a walking tour booked for Wednesday and I imagine we'll make it to the top of the Rock at some point to see the Barbary apes.

'But basically we're just looking forward to a relaxing six days away after so long without a holiday.'

On board BA's first Portugal flight By Vivek Chaudhary Boarding the 9.05 BA flight to Faro felt a bit strange. It wasn't because I hadn't flown in more than six months but because it was my first taste of the 'new normal' when taking to the skies. It actually started even before I boarded the plane as I had to produce two pieces of new documentation; a 'Fit to Fly' certificate, showing I was COVID free and a Portuguese locator form giving details of my stay in the country. Seats on the flight were virtually sold out with passengers continually warned about COVID regulations. We were repeatedly told to keep our masks on at all times and remain in our seats as much as we could to avoid mingling with others. In the post-COVID era, keeping to yourself behind a mask is the way to fly. Despite the rigid rules, the captain helped ease our anxiety by welcoming us aboard and informing us that BA was happy to see the return of passengers such as holidaymakers. BA has also decided to show a bit more generosity as it attempts to lure back travellers. Free bottled water and a breakfast bar was provided, something which it previously charged for on shorthaul flights. A cabin crew member remarked smugly when asked about BA's modest give away that 'desperate times call for desperate measures'. 'We need passengers to come back to us,' she smirked. But no coffee, tea or any other drinks and snacks were available unless pre-ordered online. We boarded and de-boarded in groups according to our row number in an attempt to restrict passengers interacting. Despite the precautions being taken by passengers and airline staff, it was difficult for most of us to maintain social distance as some got up to go to the toilet or just stretch their legs. And it goes without saying, aeroplane seats are not two metres apart. But daunting as it seemed and given the pandemic, flying to Portugal was tolerable but not pleasant. Besides, we have little choice in the matter and will have to get used to the new normal if we want to experience the sun and sand again or any other far off location we have in mind. Advertisement

Passengers arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom walk at Faro airport

Algarve tourism authority workers prepare Covid-19 welcome kits containing masks and disinfectant to hand out to passengers arriving at Faro airport

First British holidaymakers arrive today flight into Gibraltar on the UK's green zone for travel

First British holidaymakers tested with Covid PCR on arrival at Gibraltar airport

People travelling out of UK could transmit India variant, warns director of the Wellcome Trust Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said that he would not meet indoors 'at the moment'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it is reasonable to just be sensible about knowing where transmission is occurring, mostly indoors, mostly in larger gatherings indoors with lots of different people, different families, different communities, and I would just restrict that at the moment personally.' But he added: 'I don't think it's unreasonable to lift the restrictions - we do need to lift the restrictions at some point, we've been in restrictions now for a very long time.' There is a risk that the variant first identified in India could be transmitted by people travelling out of the UK, Sir Jeremy Farrar said. The director of the Wellcome Trust told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Britain is a very connected, and very small country and the chance of local cases becoming regional and then regional becoming national is very clear. 'And it is also connected internationally and I think that's also a concern not only for importation of new variants coming into the country, but also people travelling out of the country - there is a risk that this variant B.617 could be transmitted from the UK now. 'I think travel should still be very cautious and only when absolutely essential. 'But the only way to stop these variants occurring is to drive down transmission.' He added: 'The biggest risk to countries like the UK - who have done very well with vaccine rollout - is variants arising from anywhere in the world and then spreading around the world when they have a biological advantage. 'So driving down transmission in this country is essential, but so is it in the rest of the world, and that means driving down transmission and making vaccines available globally.' Sir Jeremy warned that restrictions may have to be reversed if the new variant 'escapes' protection afforded to people by the vaccines. 'The new variant that has come, the B.167, is becoming dominant in parts of the UK,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Yet vaccination across the country has been extraordinarily successful. 'I think we will see an increase of cases and infections over the coming weeks as some of the restrictions are lifted, but I think the key question is whether we have decoupled increased transmission and number of people who do get infected from the number of people that get ill and need to go into hospital or with long Covid. 'If we've decoupled them, then I think the country can cope with a marginal degree of an increase in transmission. 'So that is the key question and to be honest, we don't know that today and that is why I think a very careful lifting is reasonable, but we may have to reverse that if there is escape from the vaccine.' He added: 'I just think we're at this point where we've lifted restrictions, and yet we don't have that full amount of information - I think it is reasonable to lift them today, but I do believe all of us need to be really, really careful.' Advertisement

Finance director Max Arks, 36, the first off the flight with pal Warwick Howard, 37, said: 'It's the first chance we've had to go on holiday for ages so we just thought, 'Why not!'

'I've come to see friends and mix a bit of pleasure with business. We'll have a few beers while we're here.'

Luke Barnard, 26, who flew in from his home in Chelmsford, Essex, to get married on the Rock with fiancee Alexa Turner, 23, from Cincinnati, Ohio, added: 'Getting married in the US was going to be very difficult and Gibraltar seemed a great option.

'We're getting married on Wednesday in the Registry Office and we're staying in the Rock Hotel.

'It was something we had already planned but the fact Gibraltar was put on the UK's green list is a relief because you're always a little bit concerned about what's going to happen at the moment when you book a trip abroad.'

Alexa, who did five days' quarantine after flying in from the States three weeks ago, added: 'The flight was about 90 per cent full and there were quite a lot of tourists on it.

'When we left Heathrow it was raining and cold and only about 12 degrees Celsius so we're looking forward to feeling the sun on our faces.

'We're here till Thursday and we're going to make the most of every minute.'

The first UK flight to Gibraltar since the May 7 announcement the overseas British territory was one of a handful of green list countries, touched down just 24 hours after the Rock's government announced zero active resident and visitor Covid cases for the first time since July 21 last year.

All its adult population have been offered vaccines and thousands of Spanish workers who cross the busy border every day to work in Gibraltar, which has a population of just over 33,000, have also received both their jabs.

The last records released yesterday show the total number of vaccines administered were 74,461 - 38,905 first dose and 35,556 second dose.

A last-minute Gibraltar Government vaccination change in policy meant holidaymakers and Gibraltar residents on the first green list plane this morning discovered they still had to be tested for Covid despite saying they had been told before their trip no tests were needed.

Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo boasted on Sky TV earlier this month British holidaymakers jetting to the Rock would not need PCR tests.

But he was due to announce this afternoon air arrivals from the UK would continue to have to undergo testing for Covid-19 upon arrival in Gibraltar because of concerns over the spread of the Indian variant of the virus in the UK.

Passengers on flight BA492 were today offered free - but mandatory - quick lateral flow tests after reaching the Rock unless they could provide negative PCR tests.

Nick Tree, a former BA airport manager from Stratford-upon-Avon in the West Midlands, said after arriving in Gibraltar: 'I paid for a PCR test in the UK 10 minutes before the Gibraltar Government changed the technical notice and said no test was required.

'I touched down to be told the policy had changed while we were in the air and I had to go to a Portakabin outside the terminal to be swabbed.

'When I said I'd got a negative PCR test which is the most reliable type of test there is I was told to upload it online so local officials were aware.'

Another passenger on the flight added: 'It was all a bit chaotic. We boarded the flight thinking we'd need nothing and arrived to find we had to be tested because of a last-minute change of policy.

'The immigration officials were telling us to start with when we touched down they could only let us in if we booked a lateral flow test online but when we tried through the app we were told there would be a charge.

'In the end we got through and had it done for free.'

Warwick Howard, from Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire, said: 'We were caught a bit blindsided by the test requirement but I'm happy to comply.

'It's a simple test and very little hassle for something which at the end of the day helps to keep everyone safe.'
Guantanamo Bay's oldest prisoner has been approved for release 16 years after he was arrested for allegedly helping a terror mastermind who plotted the 9/11 attacks.

Saifullah Paracha, 73, was cleared for release alongside two other men held at the Cuban detention facility, Paracha's lawyer Shelby Sullivan-Bennis announced Monday.

As is customary, the notification did not provide detailed reasoning for the decision and concluded only that Paracha is 'not a continuing threat' to the U.S., Sullivan-Bennis said.

Paracha has never been charged with a crime, and was originally arrested in 2004 over claims he'd helped facilitate two financial transactions made by alleged 9/11 plotter Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

Mohammed remains in detention at Guantanamo, with his death penalty trial delayed by COVID-19.

Saifullah Paracha, who has been held on suspicion of ties to al-Qaeda but never charged with a crime, has been cleared for release from Guantanamo Bay

Paracha has been held at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba, pictured in January 2017, for more than 16 years

Monday's announcement does not mean Paracha's release is imminent.

But it is a crucial step before the U.S. government negotiates a repatriation agreement with his native Pakistan for his return. Pakistani officials are expected to agree to a deportation that would see Paracha permitted to fly home.

The United States has not transferred a detainee from Guantanamo Bay to Pakistan since 2008.

President Joe Biden's administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the detention center, a process that former President Donald Trump halted.

Paracha's attorney said she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months.

'The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return,' she said.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment.

Paracha's lawyer took to Twitter to celebrate Paracha's release approval

Paracha, who lived in the U.S. and owned property in New York City, was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan.

Authorities alleged he was an Al-Qaeda 'facilitator' who helped two of the conspirators in the Sept. 11 plot with a financial transaction after the attacks.

Those conspirators were allegedly Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is accused of planning the 9/11 attacks, and Mohammed's nephew, Ammar al-Baluchi.

Khalid Mohammed remains at Guantanamo Bay, with no trial death penalty trial date set after the January 2021 trial was delayed due to COVID-19. Ammar al-Baluchi is also being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Authorities alleged he was an al-Qaeda 'facilitator' who helped two of the conspirators in the Sept. 11 plot with a financial transaction after the attacks, including the alleged mastermind

Paracha admits to safeguarding $500,000, but says he didn't know the conspirators were Al Qaeda and denies any involvement in terrorism.

The U.S. captured Paracha in Thailand in 2003 during an FBI sting. Paracha believed he was going to discuss a merchandising deal with Kmart, only to be seized by intelligence agents and flown to Afghanistan.

The U.S. has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004 and has long asserted that it can hold detainees indefinitely without charge under the international laws of war.

In November, Paracha, who suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition, made his eighth appearance before the review board.

It was established under President Barack Obama to try to prevent the release of prisoners who authorities believed might engage in anti-U.S. hostilities upon their release from Guantanamo.

At the time, his attorney said he was more optimistic about his prospects because of Biden's election, his ill health and developments in a legal case involving his son, Uzair which undermined the allegations against Paracha.

Uzair Paracha was convicted in 2005 in federal court in New York of providing support to terrorism, based in part on testimony from the same witnesses held at Guantanamo whom the U.S. relied on to justify holding the father.

Two other detainees also received release approval: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, 40 (left) and Abdul Rabbani, 54 (right)

His health battles included an incident where military doctors brought in a cardiac catheterization lab and surgical team to treat Paracha, only for Paracha to refuse consent over concerns about the quality of care.

In March 2020, after a judge threw out those witness accounts and the government decided not to seek a new trial, Uzair Paracha was released and sent back to Pakistan.

Mustafa Paracha, Saifullah Paracha's other son, has said that Saifullah wants to spend time with his family and take care of his medical problems upon returning to Pakistan.

The prisoner review board also informed Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, 40, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, that he had been cleared, according to his attorney, Beth Jacob, who spoke to him by phone.

'He was happy, relieved and hopeful that this will actually lead to his release,' Jacob said.

Uthman was suspected of being a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden and was previously denied his release in 2018.

According to the New York Times, the third person approved for release was Abdul Rabbani, 54, another citizen of Pakistan.

Rabbani was captured in Karachi, Pakistan in 2002 with his brother, another prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.

Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners currently held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700

President Joe Biden's administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the center, pictured here in October 2018

Last week's decision about the releases came from the attorney general, the director of national intelligence, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the secretaries of defense, homeland security, and state.

Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700 in 2003.

With this latest review board decision, there are now about nine men held at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, including one who has been approved since 2010.

Under Obama, the U.S. would not return men to Yemen because of the civil war there and often struggled to find third countries to accept former prisoners.

Given that history, Jacob was only cautiously optimistic about her client's release. 'I'm just hoping that in 11 years he's not just still sitting there with his clearance still at Guantanamo,' she said.

There are 10 facing trial by military commission and two who have been convicted, including one awaiting sentencing. Proceedings in the tribunals have been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A killer dad left a chilling post-it note in his study before turning the gun on himself after murdering his two teenage children.

John Edwards shot dead his daughter Jennifer, 13, and son Jack, 15, in West Pennant Hills in Sydney's north-west on July 5, 2018.

The 67-year-old killed himself at his rented home near Normanhurst on the night of the murders. Five months later, the mother of the children, Olga, took her own life.

Edwards, who had a history of domestic violence, wrote 'justice delayed is justice denied' on a note displayed in his study - just metres from where he killed himself, NCA NewsWire reported.

John Edwards is pictured with his estranged wife Olga before he murdered their two children

NSW Police stand outside the entrance to a property in Normanhurst in Sydney, in July 2018

The retired financial planner also left family law documents on the desk.

Documents were also discovered in a green suitcase in the lounge room of the West Pennant Hills home following the murders of Jack and Jennifer.

It was earlier revealed that Edwards sought the assistance of private investigators to stalk Olga and an adult daughter in the years before his crimes shocked the nation, according to court documents obtained by NCA NewsWire.

The retired financial advisor emailed SpouseBusters in December 2016 with orders to spy on his estranged wife and find out details on her personal life.

'At this state I am thinking Friday 16/12/16 after work  to see if she meets up with a boyfriend  but at this time of year she may just go to a work related Xmas party,' Edwards wrote to a man named Shane Johnson.

'Surveillance again on Sunday evening 17/12/16  based on the assumption that if she is in a serious relationship she will spend Saturday night with him  either by going out, or at his place, or him coming to her place.'

John Edwards (right) shot dead his daughter Jennifer, 13, and son Jack, 15, in West Pennant Hills in Sydney's north-west on July 5, 2018. He earlier ordered a private investigator to spy on his estranged wife Olga (left)

Pictured: Jack and Jennifer Edwards, who were shot dead by their father in 2018

Edwards paid SpouseBusters $2823.64 to snoop on Olga over three Friday and Saturday nights in December 2016.

SpouseBusters was not the only instance where Edwards sought the assistance of a private investigator to track down his family's whereabouts.

After losing Jack and Jennifer, Olga showed police an email chain Edwards forwarded to her in 2016 after the couple had separated.

The chain showed Edwards' communication with agency Sydney Private Investigations, who he hired in July 2010 to track his adult daughter, who cannot be named.

Edwards killed himself at his rented home near Normanhurst on the night of the murders. Pictured: His daughter Jennifer Edwards

Edwards' daughter sought an AVO against her father six months later, claiming she was being stalked.

On the day of the murders, Edwards stalked his daughter on her way home from school in order to learn their new address before he followed or chased his daughter inside.

The children were later found 'crumpled together' under Jack's bedroom desk with multiple gunshot wounds.

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Representative Cori Bush's Nigerian faith healer claims he cured her of COVID-19 - simply by the power of prayer over the phone.

Charles Ndifon, a Rhode Island-based pastor whose Kingdom Embassy International church claims to be able to cure AIDS and resurrect people from the dead, has long acted as Bush's spiritual guide.

Bush, a 44-year-old representative for Missouri, is a local chapter founder member and pastor at the controversial church.

Representative Cori Bush's Nigerian faith healer Charles Ndifon claims he cured her of COVID-19 by the power of prayer over the phone

On Monday, Ndifon made the bizarre, unfounded claim that he could magically cure worshippers of COVID-19 in just 30 minutes.

The 'healer', who believes that illnesses are caused by demons that must be expelled from the body, claims he cast them out of Bush after speaking to her in March 2020.

'She had COVID, and she called me from the hospital,' Ndifon told The Washington Free Beacon. 'And 30 minutes later, she was breathing. Healed. It was that simple.'

Ndifon says that Bush also believes she has the power to heal and would attempt the heal the sick.

'Once in a while, cases they can't handle, they would send to me,' he claimed.

Another member of the church, who goes by Chris Chris, claimed the pastor had 'murdered coronavirus, son! We just murdered it.'

'[Bush] got healed from coronavirus right now, about maybe 30 minutes ago.

Charles Ndifon, a Rhode Island-based pastor whose Kingdom Embassy International church claims to be able to cure AIDS and resurrect people from the dead, has long acted as Bush's spiritual guide

On Monday, Ndifon made the bizarre, unfounded claim that he could magically cure worshippers of COVID-19 in just 30 minutes

'Bring people with AIDS. Bring the paralyzed people. The paralyzed people are gonna get healed and start breakdancing.

'The AIDS people, they're gonna be able to donate blood.'

Chris, who said he does not wear a mask because he believes his faith protects him from contracting the virus, added that he was 'ready to go march in the streets and just, bam, hulk-smash corona.'

'That's why I walk in confidence without no face mask; that's why I walk in confidence with no gloves,' he said.

Bush is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment about her pastor's wild claims.

Since joining Congress in January, she has frequently recounted her time as a nurse, and urged others to 'follow science'.

She announced in January that she was moving her office away from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's, claiming that the Georgia Republican was endangering her by refusing to wear a mask.

Bush also hit the headlines earlier this month when she testified before Congress on maternal mortality and referred to mothers as 'birthing people', in a nod to transgender men who could also bear children.

On her website, Bush describes herself as 'a registered nurse, single mother, and an ordained pastor. Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. by a now-terminated Ferguson police officer, she became a civil rights activist and community organizer fighting for justice for Black lives on the streets of Missouri and across the country.'

Ndifon promotes events to huge crowds, promising: 'Healing the sick, raising the dead, guaranteed!'

Rep Cori Bush shared her recovery from coronavirus in this video on her Facebook account last year

Bush is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment about her pastor's wild claims

The spiritual leader solicits donations from attendees, while staying at luxury hotels and donning designer suits, the Beacon reported.

Ndifon told the site he does not take a salary, outside of donations, and noted that the Swedish government failed when it attempted to take him to court for practicing medicine without a license.

'We don't prescribe medication, we don't tell you to get off your medication,' he said.

'We tell you, you're healed, go see your doctors, your doctors will get you off because it's obvious.

'It's like science, we have the proof.'

Ndifon has self-published 52 books and audio collections about healing, miracles, wealth-creation and other subjects, which are listed for sale on the church website for between $9.99 and $200.

He said he has conducted hundreds of thousands of healings and miracles, including diverting Hurricane Katrina's path away from Florida.

He also said he caused the rain to stop for two weeks during the monsoon season in India.
Twitter reportedly suspended the account of Spanish politician Francisco Jose Contreras for posting that men "cannot get pregnant."

Faithwire said Contreras announced in Facebook that his Twitter account was suspended for merely pointing out biological truths that men "cannot get pregnant" because they have "no womb or eggs." Contreras posted on Twitter in response to an article that announced a transgender male was going to give birth to a baby girl.

Twitter temporarily barred Contreras' account for "hate speech." Twitter explained that Contreras' post was contrary to their policies on content that threatens others on the basis of gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

"Keep in mind that repeated defaults may lead to permanent suspension of your account. Go to Twitter not to fix the problem with your account," Faithwire quoted Twitter in warning Contreras before the latter was forced to delete his tweet.

In his Facebook account, Contreras posted a graphic used in Biology classes that shows the male reproductive system and its various parts. Contreras said his account was blocked for 12 hours for "incitement to hatred" before he quoted his post blocked by Twitter.

"The hateful tweet (which I have been forced to delete) was one that said: 'A man cannot get pregnant. A man does not have a uterus or eggs'," he said, "'It's a lie. A man cannot get pregnant. A man does not have a uterus or eggs.'"

"It is seen that this is already fascist biology. Next time I'll try 2 +2 = 4," he retorted.

Contreras also disclosed in his Facebook post that Twitter threatened to permanently suspend his account if he repeats this "breach."

In an interview with Life Site, Contreras said he was not the first Spanish conservative politician to be banned by Twitter as other members of his political party, Vox, have been previously suspended of their accounts in the said Big Tech platform.

Contreras pointed out that despite this opposition from Twitter, he and his political party members will not stop speaking the truth.

"We will not yield to Twitter imposing a twisted (and anthropologically wrong) worldview. We will continue to speak the truth about human nature. Biological truth should not be regarded as 'hate speech'. It's biology, not bigotry," he told Life Site during his interview.

Life Site reported that Contreras has received a lot of support regarding Twitter's "outrageous" suspension of his account. The said supporters have created a hash tag #AManCannotBePregnant. One of his supporters was renowned Spanish author and journalist Mario Noya who condemned Twitter's move in his account.

Contrera's post on Facebook has received similar report where supporters expressed how simple biology could not be understood and be censured as a "hate threat." Supporters stressed the lack of intelligence and the extreme "sensitivity" of Twitter on the matter.

This is but one of the latest reports showing how Big Tech is censoring the voices of those who are speaking out and proclaiming Biblical and scientific truths, particularly those that the gender-crazed Left are pushing for.
A Kentucky YouTuber famous for his gun videos nearly died last month when a gun he was using for a new video suddenly exploded.

Scott DeShields Jr., who runs the Kentucky Ballistics YouTube page, was shooting a fire hydrant at the end of his gun range with a Serbu 0.50-caliber rifle on April 9, when the gun exploded into pieces, puncturing him in the throat and causing temporary blindness.

'I shouldn't be standing here, I should be six-feet under' DeShields, a former Kentucky State Patrol Officer, said in a 20-minute long video explaining the incident more than two weeks later.

Scroll down for video

Scott DeShields Jr was shooting a fire hydrant at the end of his gun range on April 9, when he said, the SLAP rounds he was using began 'acting a little funny'

The gun he was using exploded a short time later, causing a steel cap on the back of the gun to go flying and break apart two ears on top of the gun, one of which punctured his throat

He said he was using SLAP rounds for the video  high-powered ammunition that isn't made anymore and is expensive to buy. They were powerful enough to pass through the fire hydrant DeShields was shooting, but he now believes they were tampered with, calling them 'very hot.'

DeShields managed to hit the fire hydrant several times, drilling several holes in it, but 'the SLAP rounds were acting a little funny,' he said, with one landing about a foot and a half lower and to the right of where he was aiming.

He decided to fire one more round, aiming for the thickest part of the fire hydrant, when the gun exploded, causing the steel cap to blow off of it.

The cap knocked ears off of the gun that were intended to keep users from closing the gun without everything being properly in place, and struck DeShields in his face, breaking his nose and his orbital bone in three places even though he was wearing protective goggles at the time.

One of the ears, meanwhile, zipped past DeShields' head and tore a hole through his hat, causing it to go flying seven to eight feet, and the other blasted into his throat, lacerated his jugular vein and punctured his right lung.

By the time he arrived at a local hospital, his lung had collapsed and he had to be intubated and flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center

DeShields had his chest cut open at Vanderbilt University Medical Center following the incident, and had a collapsed lung

He was seen in a video explaining the incident with a bandage over his nose and his left arm in a cast, after he saw the index finger was bent 'like a W'

He went instantly blind in his right eye, and was 'in a daze' following the 'freak accident' until his father, who was filming the incident, ran over to him and told him to keep his thumb against the hole in his throat, so he would not bleed out.

'If he had not been out there with me, that would've been the end of me,' DeShields said of his father in the video.

The two then ran to DeShields' truck, which they used to speed to a local hospital.

DeShields also called 911 personally, to prevent himself from losing consciousness, and kept himself awake by thinking about his children.

When he arrived at the hospital, a doctor informed DeShields that his right lung had collapsed because it was full of blood, and he noticed that his index finger on his left hand was 'shaped like a W.'

DeShields was intubated while he was still awake and was promptly flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where he said he was 'hooked up to every machine possible.'

The doctors cut open his chest and pinched off his jugular vein to repair it and his lung, putting him at a risk of a stroke, as the jugular vein supplies oxygenated blood to the brain.

He showed viewers what weapons he used that day, and the damage it caused

DeShields was using SLAP rounds for the video  high-powered ammunition that isn't made anymore and is expensive to buy

He was able to strike the fire hydrant several times with these SLAP rounds, drilling holes right through the hydrant

A nurse provided him with a whiteboard so he can continue to communicate with his wife, and he needed five units of blood  even though the doctors told him a man of his stature typically only has six to eight units of blood in their body.

DeShields spent two days with tubes coming out of his chest, and left the trauma unit after just a few days.

'I'm healing extremely fast,' he said in the video, which shows him with a bandage covering his left arm, a bandage over his nose, and sutures down his front.

'I am healing at a Wolverine rate,' he said in reference to the Marvel superhero.

He now plans on continuing his YouTube series, saying he has some videos he plans to upload while he is in recovery.

'I'm not going to quit doing what I love,' he said. 'There's nothing that can keep me from continuing on.'
A plant native to Australia which injects venom into the skin is considered the most deadly shrub in the world - with just one touch inducing up to nine months of 'unbearable' pain.

The Dendrocnide Moroides - also known as the 'Gympie-Gympie', the 'suicide plant' and the 'giant Australian stinging tree' - is found in the rainforests of Queensland and northern NSW.

Those who have been stung by the shrub describe it as like being 'electrocuted and set on fire at once' and the 'worst kind of pain you can imagine'.

The 'deadly stinger' plant, also known as 'gympie-gympie', can cause months of excruciating pain for unsuspecting victims

One victim shared his horror experience with the venomous plant this week.

He said he had been holidaying in Hamilton Island with friends when he stumbled across the plant during a bush walk.

'My knee felt like it had been stabbed, but I hadn't bumped it. Seconds later, my wrist, my ankle, and elbow felt the same,' he wrote.

The man first thought he had been bitten by a snake or a spider and started to feel increasingly dizzy.

WHAT IS THE GYMPIE-GYMPIE STINGING TREE? The Gympie-Gympie is a species of Australian stinging tree that can grow to 4-5 metres, but is most often found as a smaller shrub around 0.1-1 metre tall. The 'suicide plant' is most commonly found in Gympie in southern Queensland to Cape York Peninsula, but can also be grown in northern NSW. The plants tend to grow in sunny areas protected from the wind, along the edges of streams, walking tracks and roadways through the forest. How is it different to other Australian stinging trees? There are four common species of Australian stinging tree, two being large rainforest trees that can grow up to 35m, the others small shrub-like bushes The smaller of the species have a more painful poison, and are responsible for the most stings due to their size and accessibility All four species have a stinging mechanism, however the Gympie-Gympie is considered to have the worst sting, comparable to a scorpion or spider bite The 'suicide plant' is the most toxic of the six Australian species of stinging trees and one of the most poisonous plants in the country How does it deliver its sting? The toxic nettle has small hairs covering the entire plant that deliver a potent neurotoxin when touched. The small bulb at the tip of the stinging hairs breaks off and penetrates the skin to deliver a toxin, similar to that of a self-injecting hypodermic needle. The tiny hairs can become embedded in the skin and cause excruciating pain in humans for weeks and even months. The injured area becomes covered with small, red spots joining to form a red, swollen welt, in more severe cases a liquid will drip from the skin. How can the sting be treated? Experts say it is important not to rub the affected area, as this can break the tiny hairs and make them difficult to remove. After applying diluted hydrochloric acid to neutralise the plants peptide coating, wax strips can then be used to remove the hairs. How to reduce the risk of being stung Stay on the designated path, wear closed shoes and long pants Always carry a first-aid kit when bush walking complete with diluted hydrochloric acid, wax strips and latex gloves in case Source: National Geographic Advertisement

One Reddit user said he had also been stung by the gympie-gympie and described feeling as if their calf 'had been sliced open with a razor blade'

He then realised the hand that stung the most was the one he used to brush away overhanging branches - and immediately googled 'stinging plant'.

'I bring the photo up, look at the plants around me, I was surrounded. The other guys were 10-15 metres behind me so I quickly pointed them out,' he said.

As the group tried to find a path around the venomous plants, the man said the 'incredible' pain increased.

After three sleepless nights the man said the constant stinging finally subsided.

'It felt more like the first stages of ripping off a bandaid, a slightly about-to-sting feeling, but not a full on pain,' he explained.

'It took about 4-5 months until the spots that were stung went back to normal, and still, over a year, I still feel it every now and then under extreme cold water,' he said.

'This plant is insane'.

The man was on holiday in Hamilton Island when he stumbled across the toxic nettle on a bush walk

Other Reddit users shared their own horror stories.

'I was with a woman who was stung on a bushwalk. She just brushed it across her ankle on accident. She said she'd rather give birth again,' one said.

Another said he got stung on his forearm and elbow while running through bush beside the Crystal Cascade waterfalls in Cairns.

'This was around six years ago and I honestly recall it stinging for over a year (and probably a bit more) when I swam or showered', he said.

Another Reddit user described feeling as if their calf had been sliced open with a razor blade after being stung by the poisonous nettle.

'This bush is called the suicide plant for a reason', they said.

The furry nettle can be identified by its broad, oval or heart-shaped leaves and strawberry-like fruit which are covered with tiny stinging hairs.

Despite its toxicity, the plant is eaten by some indigenous Australian mammals, birds and insects, however it can trigger fatal allergic reactions in others.
Scientists have developed an antiviral drug that kills off 99.9 per cent of Covid particles in the lungs of mice.

The 'next-generation' treatment works like a 'heat-seeking missile' to detect the viral load and attack them.

It has been developed by a team of international experts from Australia's Menzies Health Institute Queensland at Griffith University.

The treatment, given via an injection, works by using a medical technology called gene-silencing that was first discovered in Australia during the 1990s.

Gene-silencing utilises RNA - fundamental building blocks in the body, similar to DNA - to attack the virus.

Modified RNA was also used to develop the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines, shown to be up to 96 per cent effective at blocking the disease.

The new therapy has been designed for people who are already severely ill with Covid, for whom the vaccines are too late.

Co-lead researcher Professor Nigel McMillan from MHIQ said the groundbreaking treatment prevents the virus from replicating and may even put a stop to Covid-related deaths across the world.

'Essentially, it's a seek-and-destroy mission,' he said. 'We can specifically destroy the virus that grows in someone's lungs.'

The treatment has only been trialled in rodents and therefore exactly how effective or safe it will be in humans remains unknown.

But the researchers behind the therapy say they are confident 'normal cells are completely unharmed by this treatment'. They hope it will be ready for rollout by 2023.

Professor Kevin Morris (left) Dr Adi Idris (second left), Professor Nigel McMillan (centre), Dr Arron Supramanin (second right) and Mr Yusif Idres (right), make up part the Griffith University COVID-19 antiviral research team

'Essentially, it's a seek-and-destroy mission,' Prof McMillan said. 'We can specifically destroy the virus that grows in someone's lungs'

Pictured: A graphic shows the RNA medicine can stop the Covid-19 virus from replicating

'This is a technology that works with small pieces of RNA that can specifically bind to the genome of the virus,' Professor McMillan said.

'This binding causes the genome to not work anymore and in fact it causes the cells to destroy it.'

Although there have been other antiviral treatments such as Zanamivir and Remdesivir which have reduced symptoms and allowed coronavirus patients to recover faster, this is the first treatment to directly stop the virus.

The medicine needs to be delivered into the bloodstream via injection in something called a 'nanoparticle'.

'These nanoparticles go to the lungs and fuse into the cells delivering the RNA,' Prof McMillan said.

'The RNA seeks out the virus and it destroys its genome, so the virus can no longer replicate.'

Scientists have been working on the treatment since April last year, as Australia was ordered into a nationwide shutdown for six weeks.

Scientists have been working on the treatment since April last year, as Australia was ordered into a nationwide shutdown for six weeks. Pictured: Technicians prepare Pfizer vaccines at the newly opened COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Sydney

The University of Griffith treatment is now set to enter the next phase of clinical trials and it is expected to be made available by 2023. Pictured: Technicians prepare Pfizer vaccines at the newly opened COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Sydney

WHAT ARE THE ANTIVIRALS TESTED AGAINST COVID SO FAR? Remdesivir is one antiviral that hit headlines earlier in the pandemic and was used to treat Covid patients for some time. It still is used in the NHS and in the US but studies have failed to prove it gives any substantial benefit to recovery. Remdesivir has to be injected and currently doesn't come in pill form, however, making it unsuitable for the Government's plans. There aren't other antivirals routinely used to treat Covid, but clinical trials are ongoing. One already in trials is molnupiravir, which was originally designed to tackle flu but worked against Covid in trials on hamsters and is now being studied in humans. Molnupiravir, made by the pharmaceutical firm Merck, 'continues to show promise as a potential treatment for non-hospitalised patients,' the company said after their second phase study. They decided it was not effective for seriously ill people. Another, called Tollovir, is being trialled on people by the company Todos Medical in Israel. Todos Medical said past research had shown the drug could work against coronaviruses in general and that it had potential to 'significantly reduce' the severity of Covid. Favipiravir is a Japanese-made antiviral drug that is being trialled in the UK in the PRINCIPLE trial. It is not a novel drug and Japanese health officials have already approved it for flu patients, but it could be added to the UK's arsenal if trials show it works against Covid, too. Ritonavir and lopinavir, drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being trialled on coronavirus patients. They have been in studies throughout the pandemic and results have been conflicting, but trials are still recruiting patients. US company Romark is trying to get US approval for its antiviral drug NT-300, made using a chemical called nitazoxanide, which it said trials showed could cut the risk of severe disease by up to 85 per cent. Romark is still doing late-scale human trials of the drug and already uses a slightly different version of it treat parasitic illnesses. Although it's not an antiviral, a study of the asthma steroid budesonide found that it appeared to have some ability to stop the virus from reproducing in the airways, while simultaneously reducing swelling the lungs and making it easier for patients to breathe. The Oxford University-led study found that budesonide could reduce recovery time by three days, on average, by the country's chief medics said there wasn't enough evidence to make it part of the NHS's standard care. Advertisement

There have been more than 165 million cases of coronavirus, including 3.4 million deaths, across the world since the virus first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan.

The University of Griffith treatment is now set to enter the next phase of clinical trials and it is expected to be made available by 2023.

In the UK, the first 'antivirals taskforce' has been set up to find and fund research into new therapies just like the one in Queensland.

They are committed to finding 'novel antiviral medicines', the British Department of Health said, meaning drugs not currently being sold commercially are being pushed through clinical trials over the summer.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the drugs could 'provide another vital defence against any future increase in infections and save more lives', and there are hopes they will help stop the new variants making people seriously ill  mutated strains make it more likely that someone will get ill even after vaccination.

Remdesivir is one antiviral that hit headlines earlier in the pandemic and was used to treat Covid patients for some time. It still is used in the NHS and in the US but studies have failed to prove it gives any substantial benefit to recovery.

Remdesivir has to be injected and currently doesn't come in pill form, however, making it unsuitable for the Government's plans.

There aren't other antivirals routinely used to treat Covid, but clinical trials are ongoing.

One already deep into trials is molnupiravir, which was originally designed to tackle flu but worked against Covid in trials on hamsters and is now being studied in humans.

Molnupiravir, made by the pharmaceutical firms Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, 'continues to show promise as a potential treatment for non-hospitalised patients,' the companies said after their second phase study. They decided it was not effective for seriously ill people after testing it in hospitals.

Another, called Tollovir, is being trialled on people by the company Todos Medical in Israel.

Todos Medical said past research had shown the drug could work against coronaviruses in general and that it had potential to 'significantly reduce' the severity of Covid.

Favipiravir is another antiviral drug, made in Japan where it is used to treat flu, that is being trialled in the UK in the PRINCIPLE NHS trial. It is not a new drug but it could be added to the UK's arsenal if trials show it works against Covid, too.

Ritonavir and lopinavir, drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being trialled on coronavirus patients in the UK. They have been in studies throughout the pandemic and results have been conflicting, but trials are still recruiting.

US company Romark is trying to get US approval for its antiviral drug NT-300, made using a chemical called nitazoxanide, which it said trials showed could cut the risk of severe disease by up to 85 per cent.

Romark is still doing late-scale human trials of the drug and already uses a slightly different version of it treat parasitic illnesses.

Although it's not an antiviral, a study of the asthma steroid budesonide found that it appeared to have some ability to stop the virus from reproducing in the airways, while simultaneously reducing swelling the lungs and making it easier for patients to breathe.

The Oxford University-led study found that budesonide could reduce recovery time by three days, on average, by the country's chief medics said there wasn't enough evidence to make it part of the NHS's standard care.
A man from Harlem has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison having been found guilty of murdering, torturing and beating his girlfriend's six-year-old son to death with a broomstick and steel shower curtain rod in his squalid New York apartment.

Rysheim Smith, 46, was convicted by a jury in Manhattan Supreme Court in January 2020 over the brutal bludgeoning to death of Zymere Perkins.

His sentencing which took place on Monday was postponed from March of last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Zymere died in September 2016 after being waterboarded, savagely beaten and hung from the bathroom door by his t-shirt in Smith's Harlem apartment.

Prosecutors described Zymere as having endured months of abuse by Smith and the boy's mother, Geraldine Perkins, which included beatings with a broomstick.

Rysheim Smith, 46, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Monday

Smith was sentenced for the murder of six-year-old Zymere Perkins who died in 2016

Judge Pickholz handed down the 25-to-life sentence after hearing from both the DA's office and the defense attorney who asked for the minimum sentence of 15-years-to-life

Zymere Perkins died in 2016 after being waterboarded, savagely beaten and hung from the bathroom door by his t-shirt in a squalid Harlem apartment

Judge Ruth Pickholz ensured that Smith received the maximum prison term on Monday as he claimed before the court that he he 'loved' the boy.

'Despite how the prosecution has spoken about me, I loved Zymere Perkins,' Smith said to the court. 'I put emphasis on that.'

'I do accept responsibility for him being in a toxic environment. I don't have the financial means to take him out of it, though I was starting to,' he said.

Smith was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges last year.

Judge Ruth Pickholtz described the trial, which included horrific photos of the youngster's injuries, as 'long and difficult'.

Zymere's mother reported seeing Smith punch her son in the ribs and stomach but and admitted that she also beat him.

She received a 2-to-6-year sentence as part of a plea deal that saw her testify at the trial and is currently in prison.

Rysheim Smith spoke before his sentencing telling the court he tried to get Zymere Perkins out of the bad home but that money kept him from doing it

'Despite how the prosecution has spoken about me, I loved Zymere Perkins,' Smith said to the court. 'I put emphasis on that.'

Smith stands up before court officers prepare to handcuff him and take him away to prison

Smith leaves the courtroom having been handcuffed and sentenced to 25-years-to-life

The gruesome attack on the little boy left him with more than 30 fractured ribs. Zymere's autopsy showed that his entire body was covered in cuts, bruises and scars when he died.

Following the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. described the little boy's death as an 'unthinkable tragedy' that sent shock waves through the city.

'As proven at trial, Zymere was an innocent and helpless six-year-old boy who suffered unconscionable, ongoing violence at the hands of Rysheim Smith,' Vance said.

'Now, a Manhattan jury has rightly held the defendant accountable for this horrific murder.'

Zymere's torturous death was so horrific that it prompted changes within city's Administration of Children's Services.

Waterboarded and beaten to death with broomstick: The harrowing final moments of Zymere's life

Smith was accused of killing Zymere on September 26, 2016 after flying into a rage when he discovered the boy had defecated in the living room and attempted to hide the mess.

The night before the brutal killing, the court heard that Perkins and Smith had eaten Chinese take-out in front of the starving boy.

Perkins said Zymere had been forbidden from eating or drinking for 24 hours as punishment but she couldn't recall what for.

The boy went to sleep alone that night curled up on the living room floor.

Hours later, Perkins said she woke to hear a rummaging in the living room and assumed at first that it was a mouse moving through the trash-filled apartment.

She said she went out to the living room and found her son going through the garbage and eating scraps of food. Perkins testified that she grabbed the trash bag from her son and went back to sleep.

The next morning, the court heard that Smith had found Zymere had defecated in the middle of the living room.

Perkins testified that when she came out of the bedroom, she found her boyfriend standing over her son and prodding him with the sharp end of a broken broomstick.

Zymere died in September 2016 after being waterboarded, savagely beaten and hung from the bathroom door by his t-shirt in Smith's Harlem apartment. The little boy's mother, Geraldine Perkins, 30, had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter as part of a deal to cooperate against her now-ex-boyfriend

'He started to strike him with the broomstick, beating him from his chest to his legs with the broomstick,' Perkins testified.

'Why the f**k did you take a s**t? Why did you take a f**king s**t in here? There's a bathroom, you could have used the bathroom,' Smith allegedly said to the boy every time he beat him.

The boy's mother told the court that she stood by idly while Smith savagely battered her son. Perkins testified that her son did not say a word during the beating and just lied on the floor shaking.

The little boy's underwear and shirt were smeared in feces.

She claims the abuse intensified moments later when Smith picked up a now-screaming Zymere, took him to the bathroom and waterboarded him.

Smith allegedly pulled down the shower rod and continued beating the boy.

'He was going limp, like unresponsive,' Perkins testified. 'I figured he was just faking.'

Perkins said Zymere had previously pretended to be unconscious in a bid to get Smith's beatings to stop.

Smith then allegedly hung the unconscious boy on a hook on the back of the bathroom door with his clothes dripping with water and blood.

Perkins claims Smith took her son down a while later and threw his limp body into a bedroom. The little boy landed between the wall and the bed, authorities say, and Perkins testified that her son 'looked like he was dead'.

During Smith's trial, the court was shown pieces of the broken broomstick that was used to beat the little boy to death

During Smith's trial the court was shown pieces of the broken broomstick that was used to beat the little boy

Prosecutors also showed the steel shower curtain rod that Smith allegedly used to beat the little boy

The hook that Zymere was hung from by his t-shirt on the back of the bathroom door was also shown in court

Smith allegedly ordered Perkins to clean the apartment while he went out to get food.

Perkins claims about 30 minutes later she realized her son wasn't breathing but went about cleaning and reading the Bible for several hours.

Prosecutors say Perkins made a feeble attempt to resuscitate her son with mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions.

She then bathed the little boy's body in the bath to wash off the blood before lying him on a bed and waiting for Smith to return home.

'I was hoping he'll just wake up out of whatever was going on with him. I was just hoping he'll get up,' Perkins testified. '(I was thinking) that my baby is dead and I'm going to be in jail and I'm in a lot of trouble.'

When Smith returned home, he allegedly ordered Perkins to take the boy out of the apartment through a back exit and to avoid mentioning his address to anyone.

He allegedly told her to tell doctors or law enforcement that the boy had fallen ill with food poisoning at a homeless shelter.

Before leaving, however, Perkins spent 10 minutes applying her make-up and putting on a wig.

The gruesome evidence: Autopsy photos of his injuries and the squalid scene of his death

Doctors said Zymere, who weighed just 35 pounds at the time of his death, sustained more than 30 rib fractures during the beating.

Gruesome autopsy images were shown during the trial that showed Zymere's entire body covered in cuts, bruises and scars.

Dark bruises were visible across his body, around his neck and across his face. The little boy had puncture wounds inside his mouth from his own teeth.

One graphic image shown to the court showed the little boy's injured leg without any skin on it.

Zymere's mother, Geraldine Perkins, 30, has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter as part of a deal to cooperate against her now-ex-boyfriend

Surveillance video captured Perkins carrying Zymere's lifeless body out of the building before a passerby helped flag down a taxi. The mother was captured on cameras walking into the hospital carrying her son's body

The court was also shown various evidence photos, including the blood-covered broken broomstick and the steel shower curtain rod that were used to beat the little boy.

Prosecutors also showed the hook that Zymere was hung from by his t-shirt on the back of the bathroom door.

Jurors were shown surveillance footage of Perkins carrying her son's lifeless body out of the apartment building as his right arm swung limply towards the ground.

The video captured a passerby helping her to flag down a taxi before the mother was shown on surveillance cameras walking into the hospital carrying her son's body.

Photos and footage of Smith's squalid apartment were also shown to the jury as evidence during the trial to give them a glimpse of Zymere's horrifying reality.

The footage, which was taken by the NYPD in the days after Smith's arrest, showed the cluttered living room where Zymere had gone to sleep the night before he died.

It showed dirty clothes strewn across the floor, prescription pill bottles scattered across a table and a white bucket in the middle of the room filled with a brown substance.

The bathroom was covered in grime and rust, while the bedrooms were filled with piles of trash, dirty clothes, and broken furniture.

After beating the boy with the broomstick, Smith took the six-year-old to the bathroom where he waterboarded him in the squalid tub

The photos of the squalid bathroom were shown to the court during Smith's murder trial

Photos and footage of Smith's squalid apartment were also shown to the jury as evidence during the trial to give them a glimpse of Zymere's horrifying reality

Two sinks are lined with muck and rust, which hadn't been cleaned for some time

A white bucket is shown in the middle of the room, filled with putrid brown water, left. A picture of the filthy stove in the apartment, right

Prescription bottles scattered across a table amid a clutter of other trash on a table

The years of unrelenting abuse and neglect that went unnoticed by child services

Prior to his death, the court heard that Zymere had been subjected to years of unrelenting abuse and neglect.

It emerged during the trial that child protection agency had received a total of five reports of abuse regarding Zymere.

A video was shown to the court of Zymere at the Manhattan Advocacy Center in April 2016 - just five months before his death - after his teachers reported suspected abuse when they spotted him walking with a limp at school.

The footage showed him playing with Play-Doh and speaking to a child welfare worker.

A month later, a nurse at Zymere's school noticed a bump on his head, which he said was just a mosquito bite.

His mother testified that she stood by idly while Smith savagely battered her son with a broomstick and a shower rod before hanging him on the back of a bathroom door and throwing his body across the room inside their squalid apartment

His mother testified that she regularly deprived her son of food and water as a form of punishment.

She also admitted to whipping her son with a belt in order to avoid bruising her hands because she suffered from the autoimmune disease Lupus.

Perkins claimed that her boyfriend would force Zymere to take freezing cold showers and once forced him to stand all night in a corner.

She told the jury that Smith, who has two adult children of his own, encouraged her to dish out cruel punishments to her son.

'He said the disciplines he did with Zymere he did with his sons and that's how they became good men,' Perkins said.

'I thought if they grew up right then this should be good for my child, too.'
Home owners will soon be hit with massive stamp duty and land tax bills as Victoria's Labor government targets rich baby boomers to pay for the costly Covid lockdowns.

Ahead of the May 20 Budget, Treasurer Tim Pallas has revealed stamp duty on homes worth more than $2million will increase from 5.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

This will see the home buyer transfer tax jump from $110,000 to $130,000.

Mr Pallas, who late last year indicated he wanted to get rid of stamp duty, argued investors had profited from soaring property values.

'It's only fair that those making large profits return a reasonable proportion to the community,' he said.

Home owners will soon be hit with massive stamp duty and land tax bills as Victoria's Labor government targets rich baby boomers to pay for the costly Covid lockdowns. Pictured is an older couple in Melbourne

Land tax is also being increased by 19 per cent on investment residential properties, holiday homes and commercial real estate worth more than $1.8million.

A rise in land tax, from 1.3 per cent to 1.55 per cent, will see landlords who own a $2million house pay $12,475 a year to state coffers, up from $11,975.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan said the land tax measures would hurt baby boomer retirees.

Ahead of the May 20 Budget, Treasurer Tim Pallas has revealed stamp duty on homes worth more than $2million will increase from 5.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent. Houses in upmarket areas like Toorak and South Yarra will incur higher taxes

'The Victorian government's planned assault on property owners with and increases in the 2021-22 state Budget will hurt self-funded retirees and worsen housing affordability,' she said.

Someone who buys a median-priced Melbourne house to live in, worth $868,676, will continue to pay $35,438 in transfer duty.

Premier Daniel Andrews's government has flagged revenue-raising measures worth $2.7billion to pay for last year's coronavirus lockdowns.

Treasurer Tim Pallas, who late last year indicated he wanted to get rid of stamp duty, argued investors had profited from soaring property values. He is pictured left with Premier Daniel Andrews

Under this crackdown, developers will pay a windfall gains tax of up to 50 per cent from July 1, 2022 where land has been rezoned.

From January 1 next year, men's only clubs will be deprived of no longer receive the land tax concession reserved for charities, clubs and associations.

This will see them pay land tax on their landholdings.

Federal Treasury last year estimated the Melbourne-wide lockdown, from early August until late October, cost $1billion a week.
Police say 'significant amounts' of DNA evidence are being examined after a schizophrenic son was charged with the murder of his Holocaust survivor mother.

Thomas Bednar, 53, was on Monday arrested and charged with the murder of his 78-year-old mother Judy Bednar after she was found dead in her Chelsea home on Saturday morning.

Locals became concerned about Ms Bednar's welfare when they hadn't seen her in several days.

Police will allege she was killed at some stage between May 12 and May 15.

Judy Bednar (pictured), 78, was allegedly murdered by 53-year-old schizophrenic son between May 12 and May 15

Thomas Bednar (pictured), 53, was on Monday arrested and charged with the murder of his 78-year-old mother after her body was found inside her Chelsea home

Ms Bednar grew up in Hungary but fled during World War II to escape the Nazi regime. Her father and other family members had been imprisoned in concentration camps.

Ms Bednar's family are currently in Israel, but told the outlet Mr Bednar was a 'sick person who needed treatment'.

The 53-year-old man did not appear during a brief filing hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court court on Monday evening.

His lawyer told Magistrate Victoria Campbell he was not aware Mr Bednar had a history of psychiatric illness and was not withdrawing from drugs.

He did, however, have a nightly prescription for 20 milligrams of temazepam, a medication used to treat sleep problems including insomnia.

Thomas Bednar (pictured) was described by his cousin as a 'sick person who needed treatment'

Locals became concerned about Ms Bednar's welfare when they hadn't seen her in several days

It is his first time in custody.

Prosecutors have been granted additional time to gather CCTV footage, and send off 'significant amounts of DNA evidence' and devices for analysis.

Mr Bednar did not apply for bail and was remanded to next appear before court on October 4.
Government backbenchers are supporting Virgin boss Jane Hrdlicka's calls for the nation to open its borders before mid-2022 even if some people die of Covid-19.

Ms Hrdlicka said the borders should open once most Australians, including the most vulnerable, are vaccinated and said we must learn to live with the virus like flu.

'Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu,' she said.

Government backbenchers are supporting Virgin boss Jane Hrdlicka's calls for the nation to open its borders before mid-2022. Pictured: Travellers in Brisbane

Nationals Senator for Queensland Matt Canavan said the CEO had 'put it starkly' but agreed with her position, saying it was 'about time' the nation talked about opening the borders again.

'Eventually when we open up, eventually when we ease some restrictions, there will be the unfortunate situation that some people, even with the vaccine, may get sick and ultimately die just like they do with the flu and other diseases,' he told Sky News.

Borrowing a phrase Prime Minister Scott Morrison used to announced the easing of lockdown in May 2020, he added: 'We can't stay under the doona forever.'

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka

Senator Canavan is among a group of backbenchers, including Jason Falinkski, the member for Mackellar in Sydney's northern beaches, who support a faster re-opening.

But government ministers are being cautious as three in four Australians support keeping the borders closed.

'We will listen to the advice of our health experts not business CEOs,' Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

Mr Morrison refused to reveal the benchmark for reopening the international border, saying only that restrictions will remain in place until it is safe to do anything different.

'It's not safe to take those next steps right now, it's not. But we'll keep working on what the next steps are,' the Prime Minister said on Monday.

He condemned Ms Hrdlicka's comments on Tuesday, saying: 'I regret that those comments were somewhat insensitive.

'And so, no, I find it very difficult to have any part of what was said there.'

Business leaders also want the borders to reopen, concerned about the economic consequences of keeping them sealed for another year.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet agrees, and has warned against letting populism determine public policy.

'It's the role of political leaders not to be following the polling or looking at what focus groups are saying,' Mr Perrottet told Sky News.

'The job is to lead and communicate and bring Australian people with us.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to reveal the benchmark for reopening the international border. Pictured: Travellers arriving at Sydney Airport

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said Australians must learn to live with coronavirus and be prepared for the disease to spread in the community when international borders reopen.

Dr Coatsworth said reaching zero cases of coronavirus in Australia was 'perhaps unattainable' and suggested vaccination rates of 90 per cent may be needed to control coronavirus within the community.

Australia's vaccination rollout has entered a new stage, with people aged over 50 able to get the AstraZeneca shot from their family doctor.

The vaccines will be available at more than 4,000 general practices across the country, with some clinics to have their deliveries tripled to cope with the expected rise in demand.

Previously, people aged over 50 could only receive their jabs from vaccination hubs or respiratory clinics.

More than three million Australians have received their coronavirus vaccinations.

But 15 per cent of aged care residents have still not been vaccinated.

Some 999 residential disability care residents have been vaccinated as of Monday, Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed.

Mr Hunt defended the pace of the rollout in the sector after the disability royal commission heard it was an abject failure.

The federal budget assumes the borders, which have been closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will open in mid-2022. Pictured: Sydney's Coogee Beach in November

According to a Newspoll on Monday, only 21 per cent of voters believe the country should open up when everyone has been offered a vaccination, a view supported by several health experts including former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth.

Speaking on the Today show on Monday morning, Dr Coatsworth said Australians will have to get used to the virus circulating in the community next year.

'I think it's completely reasonable for three-quarters of Aussies to not want the borders open right now.

'What we have to start a conversation with the community about is, what do we do in 2022,' he said.

Poll Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes No Undecided Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes 458 votes

No 241 votes

Undecided 34 votes Now share your opinion





'What do we do when the majority of Australians are vaccinated and immune, safe from hospitalisation, safe from death from Covid-19 but there's still critical events going on that people want to attend around the world.

'Do we still put them in hotel quarantine in 2022 at their own expense?

'This is a conversation we need to get the community involved in. There will be Covid-19 circulating within the community in the future.'

Dr Coatsworth made similar comments in a speech at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons on Sunday in which he called eradication of the disease a 'false idol'.

'It is clear we will not have our borders closed indefinitely,' he said.

'We will not have quarantine stations in perpetuity while we aim for the false idol of eradication.'

'At a point in the future when a significant majority of our community is vaccinated, there will be pressure to open our borders. We must not resist that. In fact, when the time is right, we should be leading the calls for it.'
The Daily Mails Remember Me campaign takes another huge stride towards its target today thanks to a 100,000 donation from entrepreneur and philanthropist Mohamed Amersi and his family.

The top businessman said he was honoured to help create the Covid-19 memorial at St Pauls Cathedral with the gift through the Amersi Foundation.

It means the campaign is fast closing in on its 2.3million target to build the multi-faith tribute at the London landmark. The total raised so far is over 1.7million.

The top businessman said he was honoured to help create the Covid-19 memorial at St Pauls Cathedral with the gift through the Amersi Foundation

Mr Amersi, 61, founder of asset management firm Emergent Telecom Ventures, said: We were honoured when the Daily Mail contacted the Amersi Foundation to consider making a contribution towards this very noble cause. He added: We were so pleased to see the St Pauls initiative of having this multi-faith, multi-community memorial being brought to fruition as it will serve as a lasting memory to the many lives tragically lost through Covid-19.

The foundation had previously presented the Government with a similar idea to remember Covid-19 victims and even offered to donate a 30-acre site to create a corona war cemetery. The organisation, which was created in 2012, was also quick to join efforts to help fight the pandemic last year. Mr Amersi, a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, said: Normally, the foundation has supported initiatives involving, among other causes, youth empowerment, inclusive capitalism, entrepreneurship and innovation and [combating] modern-day slavery.

However, at the start of Covid-19, the foundation turned its attention to fighting an asymmetric war with an enemy that could not be seen or touched and which established bases in every country of the world and indiscriminately targeted all strata of society. It was a humbling experience. No one is safe until we are all safe resonated very strongly with us.

The foundation supported ventilator development, Covid-19 lateral flow and LAMP testing methodology coming out of Oxford University and its Oxford Foundry entrepreneurship centre. It also fought against dangerous misinformation surrounding Covid-19 and supplied food and other essentials to workers on the frontline.

A further substantial donation to the memorial at St Pauls has been made by Jacky Lambert, founder of the Tutor The Nation charity. She said: Like so many, I was moved to give something in memory of those who have died.

The former investment banker set up Tutor The Nation, which matches university students and state school pupils to offer free online tutoring, after being inspired to help children who fell behind due to the pandemic.

Mr Amersi, 61, founder of asset management firm Emergent Telecom Ventures, with Theresa May

More than 7,000 Mail readers have also donated to the Covid memorial fund, with more than 115,000 arriving in the post and 178,000 given on the cathedrals online Crowdfunder page.

Together with 1million secured by the Mail in pledges  including gifts from Apprentice star Lord Sugar and businessmen Matt Moulding and Sir Tom Hunter  almost 1.3million has now been raised. Combined with funds previously collected by the cathedral, the current total is 1,739,540. It is hoped the memorial can be completed for the pandemics second anniversary in March 2022.

Fewer than 1,900 of the Mails 5,000 Remember Me candles are still available. They can be claimed by those donating at least 25.

Now join us... and get this beautiful memorial candle with your 25 donation

What is the plan? To create a memorial in St Pauls Cathedral to those who died as a result of the pandemic, whether direct victims of Covid or those whose medical treatment was disrupted by lockdown restrictions. The memorial will let people of any faith pay their respects to family and friends at a permanent site

What is the plan?

To create a memorial in St Pauls Cathedral to those who died as a result of the pandemic, whether direct victims of Covid or those whose medical treatment was disrupted by lockdown restrictions. The memorial will let people of any faith pay their respects to family and friends at a permanent site.

How will it work?

St Pauls has set up Remember Me  an online book of remembrance. Anyone wishing to remember a loved one can submit, free of charge, the name, photograph and a short message in honour of their loved one at www.rememberme2020.uk

At least four virtual books of remembrance will be installed in the cathedrals Middlesex Chapel. Visitors will be able to light candles or simply sit in contemplation.

Where will it be?

A newly built wooden portico will be set in the north transept of the cathedral, away from the busier main doors. Entrance will be free. It will sit on the site of an earlier hallway which was destroyed by a Luftwaffe bomb in 1941.

Alongside works of non-religious art, the words Remember Me will be written in all the main languages of the UK. Visitors will walk through the portico to reach the remembrance area in the Middlesex Chapel.

How much is needed?

2.3million. Of this, 1.13million is needed to pay for the portico and 670,000 to run the exhibition for two years. Money is needed for the preparatory design work, symbolic artwork and signage. The hope is to open it in March 2022 for the second anniversary of the pandemic. Around 440,000 has already been raised.

Any money raised over the 2.3m required will be used in a variety of ways to help preserve the memorial.

Is it part of Mail Force?

No, the Mail is supporting the St Pauls Cathedral Foundation to raise funds for the memorial.

Where will it be? A newly built wooden portico will be set in the north transept of the cathedral, away from the busier main doors. Entrance will be free. It will sit on the site of an earlier hallway which was destroyed by a Luftwaffe bomb in 1941

Is this the official national memorial?

There are no other current plans for a national memorial. What started as an online St Pauls memorial, backed by the Prince of Wales and all major faith leaders, has now turned into a project for a physical and living memorial inside the cathedral.

How can you donate?

Go to crowdfunder.co.uk/rememberme. You can donate any sum you like but the first 5,000 people to donate online using the special 25 Limited Edition Candle from the Daily Mail button will receive a free Remember Me frankincense scented candle funded by the Mail. By clicking this button, you will have the option of adding a larger sum. Donors using the 50 Reward button will receive a years free membership to St Pauls Cathedral, worth 30. Regrettably, donations made by cheque will not be eligible for the free candle or St Pauls membership.

Make cheques payable to St Pauls Cathedral Foundation and send it to Remember Me, Chapter House, St Pauls Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD. To boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every 1 you donate, please fill in and cut out the form and add this to your envelope.
A major outbreak of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis is rapidly spreading through Melbourne.

Statistics compiled by the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre revealed there is a growing concentration of the infection in the city's outer suburbs.

More than 1400 cases of syphilis were recorded in Victoria in 2020, and already 560 so far this year.

Melbourne's syphilis hotspot was Brimbank in the western suburbs, which recorded 56 cases last year, followed by the western satellite suburb of Melton with 46 infections and Casey in the outer southeast with 42 detected.

Syphilis is transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact and is highly contagious when the sore or rash is present.

The health centre found that the disease, which was once mostly found in gay men, was rapidly spreading to women, with a 220 per cent spike in cases among females in recent years.

Ocular syphilis, which affects the eyes, was increasing at an alarming rate, with the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital reporting a 20-fold increase in syphilis-related eye infections.

Syphilis is transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact and is highly contagious when the sore or rash is present

National records of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses between 2000 and 2018 have revealed that infection rates have had the biggest rise among 55 to 74-year-old females

The hospital would typically get one case per year in the early 2000s, now they were getting up to five per week, and it can cause permanent blindness.

With women now becoming more regularly infected, syphilis can be passed onto unborn children, resulting in stillbirths or babies with deformities, damaged organs and deafness.

The startling statistics come despite Melburnians spending nearly half of 2020 in lockdown, with a reduction of social contact.

Professor Marcus Chen of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre said it was urgent that the outbreak be controlled through greater testing.

'If this isn't reversed right now we are going to see more of the same happening,' Professor Chen said.

'These are tragic and avoidable events. It's extremely disappointing because we know syphilis can be controlled, we've got the tools to do it, and it is a highly treatable condition.'

Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity professor of microbiology Deborah Williamson said experts are now using tracing measures similar to those used to control Covid to identify syphilis outbreaks.

Experts are now using tracing measures similar to those used to control Covid to identify syphilis outbreaks

'It's an ancient disease, but the way we have diagnosed and treated it hasn't really changed for many, many years,' Professor Williamson told The Age.

'We think applying these cutting-edge technologies that we have used for coronavirus will be quite transformative for this disease, which has long plagued humankind.'

'It may be that there are networks where there is a particularly high incidence of syphilis, we've seen that before with gonorrhea, where there's spillover into other populations.'

Epidemiologist Eric Chow reported a 129 per cent increase in heterosexual men between 2015 and 2018, citing the need for further screening.

National records of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses between 2000 and 2018 have revealed that infection rates have had the biggest rise among 55 to 74-year-old females.

While infections are still low compared to females in their teens, 20s and early 30s, the results show the issue also needs to be monitored among women in older groups, the University of Melbourne study said.

Epidemiologist Eric Chow reported a 129 per cent increase in heterosexual men between 2015 and 2018, citing the need for further screening

The health centre found there had been a 220 per cent spike in syphilis cases among females in recent years

PhD student at the university's School of Population and Global Health, Louise Bourchier, said sexual health needs of older women needed more attention.

'There is an assumption that older adults are not sexually active or people might be thinking they might be sexually active with a long term partner, and they're not thinking about new partners,' Ms Bourchier said.

The data for the study was taken from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for 2000-2018 for chlamydia and gonorrhoea and 2014-2018 for syphilis.

For example, chlamydia diagnoses between 2000 and 2018 among 15-24-year-old women went from 511 per 100,000 to 2057. For 55 to 64-year-old the figures went from three to 18 per 100,000. While the figures are smaller, the rate of growth is sharper.

Victoria Health says syphilis is transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact and is highly contagious when the syphilis sore or rash is present.

Syphilis can be treated with long-acting penicillin, and anyone with the infection should avoid sexual contact until treatment is completed.
A key thought to have once unlocked Adolf Hitler's personal toilet in the Reich Chancellery is up for sale.

It was reportedly taken from a drawer in his desk by a British airman after Berlin was liberated in 1945.

Flt Lt A A Williams wrote a letter of provenance to go with it.

The key has a metal tag with the Nazi eagle and swastika and is stamped 'Reichskanzlei' (Reich Chancellery). It was bought by a private collector ten years ago and is expected to fetch 300 on May 26.

A private collector bought it from his deceased estate ten years ago and is now selling it with C&T Auctions, of Ashford, Kent. (Pictured, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler watch a Nazi parade staged for the Italian dictators's visit to Germany)

The metal key fob is adorned with the Nazi political eagle and swastika and stamped 'Reicjskanzlei' (Reich Chancellery)

Matthew Tredwen, of C&T Auctions in Ashford, Kent, said: '[It] is engraved 'Herren' which means 'men' so it seems likely it was for a male-only area. Hitler would have had his own private toilet and changing facilities so it's possible this was for that purpose.'

In his letter, Flt Lt Williams wrote: 'Reichskanzlei Toilet keys metal tab taken by me from a drawer of Adolf Hitler's own desk. A.a. Williams Flight-Lieut R.A.F July 1945.'

The key was acquired from him by the late Reg Palmer, who owned a small museum near Charing Cross in London in the 1980s and '90s.

A private collector bought it from his deceased estate ten years ago and is now selling it with C&T Auctions, of Ashford, Kent.

It was reportedly found from a drawer in Hitler's desk by a British airman after Berlin was liberated at the end of World War Two

Mr Tredwen added: 'It comes with a note from Flt Lt Williams who says it was taken from a drawer in Hitler's own desk.

'The first soldiers to enter the Reich Chancellery would have found items scattered everywhere which they took home as souvenirs.'

The key is expected to sell for 300 when the auction takes place on May 26.
A Michigan Lawyer has revealed in an expose that "anyone who has access" to the election tabulators can change the results and backdate it "to November 3rd."

WND reported that Attorney Matthew DePerno, a lawyer fighting for the 2020 presidential elections results' full review in Antrim County, has revealed in a conference held on Monday that the election totals were changed.

"And I'll tell you something we discovered this weekend. We can now show that after the election is done, someone, anyone really who has access to those tabulators, can reopen the election, run more ballots through the tabulator, print off new tabulator tape with a new balance and backdate that tape to November 3rd," DePerno said in the conference.

DePerno previously exposed that the voting machines were installed with a software that can manipulate vote totals. He said that the MySQL program installed in the machines can be easily accessed by anyone to "do whatever you want." This, he said, has resulted in "phantom votes" of 1,061 in Michigan during the last election based on the recount of the votes that showed a total of 15,962 versus the records in the Michigan secretary of state's 14,901 votes.

Above these revelations, DePerno also pointed out that all the voting machines were connected through an intranet that was left open on Election Night counting.

"What we've seen in Antrim County is that all of the computers in the county are connected on a dedicated network, an intranet. So, remember back when I was coming up as a lawyer, we had email within the office that wasn't connected to the internet. It was self-contained, an intranet, right, a dedicated email network. They have the same thing in Antrim County even today, a dedicated network where everyone can communicate, but they tell us it's not connected to the internet," DePerno said during an interview with JD Rucker.

DePerno explained that the discrepancies in the vote tallies were manipulated remotely, which was done by someone who left the voting machines on during election night and accessed it through a "VPN port" to make the "breach," particularly to "manipulate the votes."

WND said the previous recount done by the county on former President Donald Trump was 9,749 votes while President Joe Biden had 5,959 votes. Then Antrim County reported that there were human errors and confirmed that Trump actually won and not Biden.

In February, election fraud experts from Droz Dr. William Briggs and Thomas Davis discovered a "discernable pattern" of manipulation has affected voting results in Michigan and several other swing states.

Michigan was one of the states Trump's team filed a case for voter fraud and sent an appeal for reconsideration at the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was filed by Attorney Sidney Powell for "fraud and vote dilution." The case, however, was dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

DePerno, who is representing Antrim County resident William Bailey on the account of "massive fraud" during the November eletions born from "switched or deleted votes," also revealed in Twitter the modems they discovered that were connected to the voting machines, which make them "no longer federally certified" and puts a real question on the voting results.

He previously reported experiencing "an increase in suspicious behavior" against him after Representative Cynthia Johnson hurled threats against Trump supporters and raised the security and safety of his client.
A North Dakota man who had just been found guilty of stalking and faced a life sentence committed suicide in court by slashing his own throat 'from ear to ear' Monday.

The man, identified as Jeffrey Sahl Ferris, 55, had been on trial at the Quentin Burdick Courthouse in Fargo on several stalker-related charges.

When the jury returned a partial guilty verdict on the charges, Ferris rose to his feet and cut his throat with a pen or a plastic shank, Valley News Live reported.

The U.S. Marshals said the jury had left the courtroom at the time of the incident, but U.S. District Judge Peter Welte, courtroom staff and people in the public gallery witnessed the incident.

Security guards, deputy marshals and paramedics tried to save the man but he reportedly died at the scene. The suicide happened in front a packed gallery

BREAKING: The U.S. Marshals confirm one person is dead after an incident at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Fargo this afternoon. A witness tells VNL during his sentencing hearing, the male defendant stood up & slit his throat w/ what looked like a pen or a plastic shank. pic.twitter.com/azj0C3BLPU  Bailey Hurley (@BaileyHurleyVNL) May 17, 2021

Security officers and deputy marshals tried to save his life, but he died at the scene, according to Fox News.

'The guy turned around and you could see the inside of his neck. He had slit his neck with some object,' a witness told Valley News Live.

'One of the other attorneys in there said it looked like a pen, but his attorney said it looked like a scalpel.'

The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that a person had died in a courtroom at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Fargo.

Baily Hurley, a journalist with Valley News Live, tweeted that the 'male defendant stood up & slit his throat w/ what looked like a pen or a plastic shank'.

North Dakota U.S. Marshal Dallas Carlson said the FBI was investigating the death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47,511 people committed suicide in the United States in 2019, the 10th most common cause of death.

Baily Hurley, a journalist with Valley News Live, tweeted that the 'male defendant stood up & slit his throat w/ what looked like a pen or a plastic shank'
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said there will be enough Pfizer jabs available to vaccinate children against Covid-19.

His comments on Monday suggest that there could be a drive to vaccinate teenagers in autumn.

Mr Hancock said that he was monitoring data on the Pfizer vaccine in children and a final decision would be made in the coming months.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said there will be enough Pfizer jabs available to vaccinate children against Covid-19

It comes as scientific advisors are yet to decide on whether children should be vaccinated against Covid-19.

There has been debate about whether vaccinating youngsters to prevent the spread of the virus among adults is ethical or justified.

Most children who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms.

Further cases of the Indian coronavirus variant have been identified in the UK, with 86 local authorities now reporting five or more confirmed cases, ministers have said.

The Health Secretary told the House of Commons on Monday that while the B1617.2 variant seemed more transmissible, the evidence suggested vaccines were effective against it.

Mr Hancock said the variant had become the dominant strain in parts of the North West of England.

There has been debate about whether vaccinating youngsters to prevent the spread of the virus among adults is ethical or justified (Stock image)

A range of measures are being taken to tackle its spread, including accelerating second doses of vaccines for people over 50 and the clinically vulnerable, he added.

Mr Hancock told the Commons there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of B1617.2 in the UK - of which 483 were in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, where it is now the dominant strain.

He said cases there had doubled in the last week and were rising in all age groups.

Mr Hancock also told MPs there were 86 local authorities where there are five or more confirmed cases, with Bedford the 'next biggest cause of concern'.
Trans and non-binary people are being put off getting checks for cervical cancer due to discrimination, a charity has said.

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said that people who do not identify as women but still have a cervix can face 'barriers' to accessing screening.

Anyone between ages 25 and 64 is eligible to have their cervix screened, but research has concluded that trans men and non-binary people who are less likely to be up-to-date with their cervical cancer screening than cisgender women.

Now a new study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, saw a small group of trans men and/or non-binary people polled about their experiences with cervical screening.

They were asked about the barriers and facilitators to cervical screening among other issues. Among the 137 respondents, 47% were eligible for cervical screening, yet only 58% of this group had ever been screened for cervical cancer.

The study comes following an apparent drive for inclusion within the NHS which sparked controversy earlier this year when a hospital told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than 'mothers' and 'breast milk'.

In February Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust unveiled a blizzard of 'gender inclusive' phrases in a drive to stamp out 'mainstream transphobia'.

Other changes included substituting the use of the word 'woman' with the phrase 'woman or person', and the term 'father' with 'parent', 'co-parent' or 'second biological parent', depending on the circumstances.

The NHS also drew fire in early 2021 for implying men can get pregnant in the wording of a page on its website.

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said that people who do not identify as women but still have a cervix can face 'barriers' to accessing screening

The health service's 'Trying to get pregnant' stated: 'Eight in 10 people under 40 years old will get pregnant within one year of trying by having regular sex without using contraception.'

The wording sparked a lively debate on social media.

Fury at hospital's order to midwives to say 'chestfeeding' so transgender people are not offended A hospital which told staff to use terms such as 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than 'mothers' and 'breast milk'. In February this year Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust revealed its suggested 'gender inclusive' phrases in a drive to eradicate 'mainstream transphobia'. Other changes include replacing the use of the word 'woman' with the phrase 'woman or person', and the term 'father' with 'parent', 'co-parent' or 'second biological parent', depending on the circumstances. But it led to a backlash from critics today who have hit out at the new terminology, branding it 'utter nonsense'. Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was the first in the country to formally implement such a radical overhaul for its maternity services department - which will now be known as 'perinatal services'. Advertisement

Now participants of the new study described a number of barriers to care including experienced or anticipated stigma and discrimination and poor understanding of trans-health among healthcare providers.

Some said that having a male 'marker' in their GP record meant that they were unable to access routine calls for screening.

And a number reported they had been 'discouraged' from attending cervical screening because of their gender identity, with one person saying they had been turned away.

Other reasons for not attending included how others may react to their gender identity, facing difficult questions and the disclosure of gender identity.

Many said that they has 'insufficient information' about the process and what it might mean for them.

Participants said they they would prefer to attend screening at a trans-specific health clinic with a small number of participants saying they would prefer to self-test at home.

The authors wrote: 'This study indicates that TMNB (transgender men and non-binary people assigned female at birth) lack sufficient information about cervical screening, and experience barriers to accessing screening services at personal, interpersonal, and institutional levels.

'Cervical screening uptake could be increased by adopting TMNB-appropriate screening invitations, providing options for self-sampling, improving cultural sensitivity in health literature, and improving access to trans-specific or trans-aware health services.'

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has guidance on cervical screening for trans men and/or non-binary people as well as professionals providing care.

Commenting on the research, Rebecca Shoosmith, acting chief executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: 'Accessing cervical screening can be difficult for many people.

'This can be exacerbated for trans men and/or non-binary people with a cervix who face many barriers to accessing routine cervical screening, as well as discrimination because of their gender identity.

'Just as cervical cancer does not discriminate, cervical screening shouldn't either.'

Between 2015 and 2017 there were 3,152 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

Data from England show that around half (51%) of people diagnosed survive for at least 10 years after their diagnosis.

And between 2016 and 2018, 854 people died from the disease in the UK, according to CRUK.
A diver has taken a selfie with a curious pufferfish after it started following her around in the water.

Underwater photographer Jules Casey came across the fish while diving close to Rye Pier in the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Ms Casey joked the fish was whispering 'sweet nothings' into her ear as it came up next to her.

Diver Jules Casey took a selfie with a curious pufferfish after it started following her around in the water

Ms Casey told Daily Mail Australia she dives nearly every day and often comes across the species while underwater.

'Occasionally I encounter one that is extremely friendly like this one, so I decided to turn my camera around and capture this cute selfie of us,' she said.

'They are common in our waters and for this reason they are often ignored by many divers. This one was definitely an attention seeker and followed me around.'

The pufferfish calmly gazed into the GoPro as Ms Casey pointed it towards herself.

Ms Casey joked the fish was whispering 'sweet nothings' into her ear as it came up next to her

She said the fish might have been attracted to the light or red cap hanging off her camera.

Pufferfish are known for blowing up when threatened, ingesting water and air to expand their elastic stomachs and turn into a giant ball.

However, the artist said she was not worried the friendly fish would hurt her.

'They only do that if they feel threatened, she looked pretty comfortable in my company, I'd never force a selfie with a sea creature,' she said.
Police displayed digitally-aged images of the 'Cheshire Kray' twins on billboards to show how old the gangsters will look when they finish their jail sentences.

Cheshire Police toured a giant billboard around Warrington on Saturday showing the pictures of siblings Leon and Anthony Cullen, 33, in a bid to show the risks of crime.

They hope the images of the gang bosses, who have been jailed for a combined total of 50 years, depicting how they old they will be after their sentences will serve as a warning to others.

Leon and Anthony are behind bars serving 22 years and 27 years respectively after leading a notorious firearms and cocaine gang, which was the biggest ever uncovered in Cheshire.

Cheshire Police toured a giant billboard (above) around Warrington showing digitally-aged pictures of siblings Leon and Anthony Cullen, 33, in a bid to show the risks of crime

The gangster twins are nicknamed the 'Cheshire Krays' as, like the notorious 1960s London criminals, they were also caged in their early 30s for running a 20-strong gang involving weapons, violence and intimidation.

Cheshire Police's Det Chief Insp Mike Evans said they hope the 'aged' images will make others ask if crime 'really worth it', rather than having young people 'look up to them'.

He continued: 'People may think it's a quick and easy way to earn money to lead a lavish lifestyle but that is far from the reality.

'The consequences of being involved in the supply of drugs and firearms are worlds away from that.

'Instead you become embroiled in violence and debt and are constantly looking over your shoulder.

'Leon and Anthony will leave prison a lot older, they will miss out on being around their family.

Police hope the images of the twins (above: Leon Cullen), who have been jailed for a combined total of 50 years, depicting how they old they will be after jail will serve as a warning to others

Leon and Anthony (left, now, and right, 'aged' image) are behind bars serving 22 years and 27 years respectively after leading a notorious firearms and cocaine gang

'They will be under constant watch by the authorities when released and always paying back what they profited. Young men will at one time have looked up to them.

'But now we want them to look at them in a different light and see the true reality of where organised crime takes you. Is it really worth it?'

The twins had a front business, called Future Press Ltd, to launder drug profits, and used violence to intimidate and exert control over those they believed had crossed them, as well as to enforce debts.

Detectives believe that more than 50kg of cocaine was supplied by the gang across Cheshire, North Wales and the North East between June 2016 and January 2018.

Officers seized 205,680 cash and more than two kilos of cocaine during a series of strikes as part of an 18-month covert investigation, Operation Samurai.

In 2017, the brothers also started supplying an arsenal of weapons - boasting an AK47 machine gun, a pump-action shotgun, automatic pistols and revolvers.

The Cullens' operation saw the brothers and their associates - Chris Houghton, Sean Ryan, Jason Eastens and Michael Mason - using firearms to protect themselves and intimidate others.

At least one of their firearms was previously used in a shooting in Liverpool back in August 2015.

Leon, of Orford, Warrington, fled the UK in January 2018 after detectives laid bare the brothers' criminal enterprise.

He was detained on an international arrest warrant in Dubai in January 2020 after detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit uncovered his false identity.

The twins are nicknamed the 'Cheshire Krays' as, like the 1960s London criminals, they were also caged in their early 30s for running a 20-strong gang involving weapons (pictured)

Officers seized 205,680 cash and more than two kilos of cocaine during a series of strikes as part of an 18-month covert investigation. Pictured: Some of the cash seized from the gang

He was extradited from the United Arab Emirates and brought back to Cheshire in February 2021.

Meanwhile, his twin brother Anthony was arrested in January 2018 - along with 19 of his and Leon's associates.

In January 2019, all 20 of the gang, without on-the-run Leon, were jailed for a total of 185 years - 27 of which were given to Anthony Cullen.

Anthony Cullen admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis, and was convicted of conspiracy to possess for sale or transfer prohibited firearms and ammunition.

On May 14, Leon was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for 22 years and six months after admitting conspiracy to supply firearms, conspiracy to possess ammunition and conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Det Chief Insp Evans added: 'The Cullen brothers have been a driving force for organised crime in Warrington for many years.

'However there was only one way they were headed and that was always going to be behind bars serving significant sentences.'
A Woolworths shopper has shared his very honest opinion on the supermarket's popular creamy pasta salad - claiming it tastes like 'battery acid'.

The man shared a TikTok of himself tucking into the pasta before pulling a disgusted face at what he says is an obscure aftertaste.

'When you're eating Woolies pasta salad and it starts tasting like battery acid,' he captioned the video.

Instantly the clip was flooded with comments from hundreds of other Australians saying they also noticed an unusual taste but were never able to pinpoint what ingredient caused it.

'The first half tastes like heaven but then one bite just starts hitting like hot glue,' one commented.

'So we all feel this but continue to eat it?' another asked.

'How can something taste so good yet so painful at the same time?' one pasta salad fan said

Back in March, another TikTokker Taylah Davies sent the internet into meltdown after announcing she thought the pasta salad tasted like 'TV static'.

A man has taken to TikTok to claim Woolworths' popular creamy pasta salad tastes like 'battery acid'

'If I was on death row this would be my last meal, but as Australians can we all collectively get together and just ask: 'WTF is the aftertaste?' she says in one video.

Poll Do you think supermarket pasta salads have an unusual aftertaste? Yes No Do you think supermarket pasta salads have an unusual aftertaste? Yes 59 votes

No 12 votes Now share your opinion





The post was flooded with comments from other Aussies and pasta salad lovers around the world agreeing with Ms Davies and giving their own suggestions as to what may cause the distinct flavour.

Ms Davies then took it upon herself to get to the bottom of the matter, taste testing four pasta salads from different stores in a desperate attempt to find out which ingredient leaves the unusual taste in her mouth.

She filmed herself doing a blind taste test with variations of the pasta salad bought from Woolworths, Aldi, Coles and IGA.

After trying a mouthful of each store's product she revealed that in her opinion Aldi's version tasted the best - but all four still left her tasting 'static'.

Back in March, another TikTokker Taylah Davies sent the internet into meltdown after announcing she thought the pasta salad tasted like 'TV static'. She then tested each pasta salad from different supermarkets including Coles, Woolworths, IGA and Aldi

Some speculated it may be the combination of vinegar and dijon mustard used in the dressing, while others suggested it was the starch of the pasta.

Others said the taste was simply down to the pairing of celery and spring onion while another blamed the red capsicum.

A Woolworths spokesperson wasn't able to reveal if there was hidden ingredient in the popular salad but said it was a crowd favourite.

'The experience of taste is unique to everyone and one of the great joys of food is the discussion it generates,' they said.

'While it might not be for everyone, we know our Creamy Pasta Salad is a favourite for many customers, with millions of tubs sold each year.'
A deadline for making homes safe in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy has been demanded after a recent tower fire left 44 people needing treatment.

Campaigners say the blaze in London's Canary Wharf district two weeks ago, where work to remove Grenfell-style ACM cladding was yet to begin, is 'a wake-up call' for the Government.

It comes amid accusations ministers' plans to end the cladding crisis are putting lives at risk. Rebel MPs will vent their fury over failures to fix fire-trap flats in a Commons debate today.

Firefighters at the scene in New Providence Wharf in London which was covered in cladding

The Daily Mail is campaigning to make all homes safe by June 2022. And now Labour will force a crunch vote tomorrow on making the repair timetable legally enforceable. It is calling on the PM to 'act now to save lives and livelihoods'.

Work has been completed on 247 of 469 buildings with ACM cladding almost four years after the west London tower fire claimed 72 lives.

There are an estimated 11,000 with other forms of combustible cladding where work has barely started.

Labour has tabled an amendment to the Queen's Speech, which argues that the Government is making the crisis worse for leaseholders by leaving them liable to pay tens of thousands of pounds each for repairs.

It comes after Mr Johnson survived a series of rebellions from his own MPs when ministers refused to pass legislation guaranteeing leaseholders would not have to pay to put these problems right.

Labour's shadow housing secretary Lucy Powell said: 'This is the biggest building scandal in modern history, and instead of decisive leadership to solve it, government delays are putting lives at risk.

'The Conservative Party is putting the interests of their developer donors over innocent homeowners.

Leaseholders take part in a demonstration in London to demand an end to the 'cladding scandal' a day after a fire at a building in in Canary Wharf

'Ministers have failed to meet targets to assess unsafe buildings and remove cladding, and broken promises that residents will not pay the costs of those responsible for the building safety scandal.

'The Government must step up and end the waking nightmare for millions of residents trapped in unsafe, unsellable homes.

'Through no fault of their own, leaseholders' lives are on hold, faced with crippling costs, with the fear of fire a real and present danger for many.'

Ministers have trebled the Government fund to replace unsafe cladding to 5.1billion since the Mail launched its campaign in January.

But only those living in blocks above 18 metres (60ft) are eligible, while hundreds of thousands of leaseholders in smaller buildings must make do with a loan scheme that could cost them up to 600 a year.

Critics say the lack of funding is delaying vital repairs. The Commons housing select committee recently urged ministers to scrap the loan scheme and replace it with a major new fund to cover all the works - and claim the money back from firms responsible.
A New Zealand homeowner is being sued for more than $292,000 after a planning error saw him build his new house right on his neighbour's boundary.

Deepak Lal had began building his three-bedroom dreamhouse in Papakura in Auckland's north when construction stopped in August 2020 when his contractors alerted him to the issue.

Development company C94 Development, who own the neighbouring house, have demanded the building either be moved back a metre or pay NZ$315,000 ($292,000) in damages.

Mr Lal employed Pinnacle Homes to build his house, who used HQ Designs to draw up the structural plans which were approved by Auckland Council. Mr Lal told the New Zealand Herald it is the council who are at fault.

'It's a nightmare for me. I wake up in the middle of the night and think "how am I going to solve this?"' Mr Lal said.

Deepak Lal is being sued for more than NZ$300,000 after a planning error saw him build his new house right on his neighbour's boundary

Mr Lal's lawyer sent a letter to both Pinnacle Homes and HQ Designs in September saying a surveyor confirmed the house was within building consent.

They say the error was made in the 'design stage', likely when information swapped hands between designers and planners.

The project manager at Pinnacle Homes Johnny Bhatti was the first person to identify the issues, before noting that the house was built in the right place as per the building consent.

He says the fault lies with HQ Designs and Auckland council and that Pinnacle are willing to help move the house over the required distance - which would cost NZ$150,000.

'We need to negotiate who's going to pay for it,' he told the NZ Herald.

'The council checked everything and approved the building consent. But the council didn't cross-check that it was supposed to be one metre within the boundary.'

Mr Lal, who is paying NZ$1,000 per week on the flawed home's mortgage, plus rent at another property, said he desperately wants the issue resolved.

'Everyone seems to be blaming someone else,' he said. 'I have no idea what's going on.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Pinnacle Homes, HQ Designs and Auckland Council for comment.
A man who was allegedly trying to convince a mother to let him have sex with her nine-year-old girl was snared after the woman turned out to be an undercover detective.

Police swooped on the 48-year-old man at Westmead, in Sydney's west, on Monday, after a month-long investigation by Strike Force Trawler - a taskforce set up by the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad's Child Exploitation Internet Unit.

The alleged child sex predator was charged in relation to online grooming and soliciting child abuse material.

The man, who was allegedly trying to convince a mother to let him have sex with her nine-year-old girl, was actually communicating with an undercover detective

Police swooped on a 48-year-old man at Westmead, in Sydney's west, on Monday, after a month-long investigation by Strike Force Trawler

'Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with the 39-year-old mother of a nine-year-old girl and engaged in sexually explicit conversations about acts he wished to perform on the child,' police said in a statement.

Specially trained detectives who target sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect, began engaging with the man online in April.

A short time after his arrest, a search warrant was executed at a home at Breakfast Point, where investigators seized a number of electronic devices which are set to undergo further examination.

'The man was taken to Granville Police Station and charged with use carriage service to procure child under 16 years for sexual activity,' police said.

He was refused bail and is due to appear at Fairfield Local Court on Tuesday.

The alleged child sex predator was charged in relation to online grooming and soliciting child abuse material
An Irish backpacker who was allegedly involved in a gruesome stabbing of a house guest after a night out has had her bail conditions eased so her mum no longer has to chaperone her to school.

Katie Eileen Murtagh, 26, had been ordered not to leave her house at all without her mum but those provisions were eased in Sydney's Central Local Court on Tuesday so she could attend tourism and travel classes three days a week alone.

But if she wants to go out anywhere other than college, she must be accompanied by her mother at all times, the court ordered.

The 26-year-old and her boyfriend Patrick Earle were arrested on August 29, 2020 after Oliver Solan was found bleeding out in the foyer of their Randwick apartment in Sydney's east.

The alleged victim's ear was partially severed, he had several other stab wounds and his punctured spleen was later removed in surgery.

Katie Eileen Murtagh has been spending her weekends out and about at cafes and bars in Sydney's east as her boyfriend remains behind bars

Young Irish couple Katie Murtagh and Patrick Earle (pictured together) were charged over the alleged stabbing of a man that left him stranded in a unit block hallway with a partially severed ear

Murtagh was granted bail under strict conditions she must reside at her mother's home address, abide by a curfew of 8am to 8pm and only leave the house with her mum present.

But her lawyer told Magistrate Margaret Quinn on Tuesday that Murtagh is studying tourism and travel at college and would like to be able to attend classes without dragging her mother along to supervise.

The court heard she would be required to attend the college on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week.

The prosecution didn't oppose the changes, which also sought to extend Murtagh's curfew to 9pm each night.

Magistrate Quinn granted the amendments, clarifying that on all other days, the original conditions will remain in place.

In spite of the strict court orders, Murtagh appears to be living a relatively unchanged life in Sydney, enjoying trips to the beach and day drinking with friends.

On Mother's Day, she shared photos sipping on a drink at a restaurant with her mum, while just weeks earlier she was pictured at The Ivy celebrating a friend's birthday.

On Mother's Day, she shared photos sipping on a drink at a restaurant with her mum. She is not permitted to leave home without her mother with her

Neighbours found victim Oliver Solan, 30, barely conscious in a hallway at a Young Street apartment block in Randwick, in Sydney's east, about 8.40pm on Sunday

On another occasion days after St Patrick's Day, Murtagh was pictured drinking a Guinness at a bar in Sydney's east with two friends

Other pictures reveal she still frequents eastern suburbs bars and cafes, including The DOG Hotel in Randwick and Estate in Coogee Beach.

As stipulated by her bail conditions, Murtagh's mum was required to be present at each of the recent outings - though she rarely appears in the glamorous photos.

Any references to Earle have also disappeared from Murtagh's social media accounts, which now feature sombre quotes about 'never looking back' and 'gratitude changing everything'.

On Tuesday, Murtagh didn't wait in the court room as her boyfriend's matter was mentioned. He appeared via audio visual link.

The last time each of their matters were in court in late February, Murtagh waited after she was dismissed, craning her neck to get a brief look at Earle.

Another condition in granting Murtagh bail was that she must not have any direct or indirect contact with her co-accused.

Any references to Earle have disappeared from Murtagh's social media accounts, which now feature several sombre quotes about 'never looking back' and 'gratitude changing everything'. Pictured: Earle and Murtagh before their arrests

Earle's girlfriend, 26-year-old Katie Murtagh, let his three friends in before allegedly going to hide in a bedroom as the alleged fight ensued

Footage shows a shirtless Earle being handcuffed and put into the back of an ambulance at the time of his arrest

Police allege the couple had been drinking in the eastern suburbs when they invited Mr Solan back to their home on August 29.

An argument broke out and Mr Solan allegedly attacked Earle, resulting in a dislocated arm and cuts to his head.

Police allege Earle contacted his co-accused, John Dunlea, who arrived at the apartment with Patrick Farrell and Christopher Morrisson, all of whom have since been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Detectives further claim Murtagh was aware of the consequences of inviting and letting the trio into her apartment.

Murtagh and Earle often shared photos adventuring together but Murtagh's Instagram page has been scrubbed clean of any reference to Earle - while his account appears to have been deleted entirely

Murtagh has also enjoyed trips to the beach (pictured) and hikes despite her strict bail conditions, which she begged to have amended in court on Tuesday

Murtagh was pictured at The Ivy in April (pictured) celebrating a friend's birthday

CCTV footage showed the group allegedly fleeing the apartment after Mr Solan's bloodied body was dragged into the hallway.

On Tuesday, matters for all five accused were adjourned until June 15 at the request of the prosecution.

Defence lawyers require further materials from the prosecution to allow negotiations to continue, the court heard.

In February, Murtagh was hit with several new charges, including one count each of supplying a prohibited drug and wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

She also faces a further two counts of possessing a prohibited drug.

The unit block was splattered with blood after Oliver Solan was allegedly dragged to the hallway and abandoned
Chinese Christian Lawyer and Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan to Receive '2020 Lin Zhao Freedom Award' for Exposing Truth About COVID-19 in Wuhan, China Investigation





NEWS PROVIDED BY

China Aid Association

May 18, 2021



MIDLAND, Texas, May 18, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- On May 14, Lawyer Zhang Zhan's one year anniversary of her arrest for reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, ChinaAid awarded her the "2020 Lin Zhao Freedom Award." Based on the nominations received, ChinaAid's Selection Committee unanimously voted to honor Ms. Zhang, a Christian, a lawyer, and a fearless, citizen journalist.



During the time the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) raged throughout the world, igniting and spreading fear of its deadly, debilitating effects, Lawyer Zhang travelled to Wuhan, the center of the outbreak. She courageously investigated the area, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, to film what she witnessed. For her work revealing unsettling findings to the world, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities arrested Ms. Zhang, unjustly tried her, and then sentenced her to serve four years in prison. By courageously exposing what she witnessed and learned, however, Zhang Zhan demonstrated a dedication that touched the world and a spirit of fearless sacrifice against the Chinese Communist regime.



As the year 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of Lin Zhao's death, ChinaAid Association inaugurated the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" to commemorate Lin Zhao and pass down her legacy to following generations. The award recognizes domestic Chinese citizens who are committed to promoting contemporary Chinese civil society and to progressing rule of law. The "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" aims at commemorating Lin Zhao's democratic vision and ethics and courage, as well as her insistence to non-violence. It also provides moral and financial support to individuals who have sacrificed enormously in order to promote contemporary, Chinese civil society and progress rule of law.



Bob Fu, PhD, founder and president of ChinaAid, issued the following statement on Zhang Zhan's heavy, unjust, unjustifiable sentence, which included the following;

"The Chinese Communist authorities' arbitrary arrest, torture, and shameful trial of Christian citizen journalist, Lawyer Zhang Zhan and the heavy, heartlessly four-year prison sentence portray an extension of the CCP authorities' year-long ongoing cover-up of the Wuhan viral COVID-19 crime. Like whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang, Ms. Zhang is not only innocent of the CCP's fabricated charges, but she is also a heroine to the world for her selfless and courageous efforts to expose the truth about COVID-19."

ChinaAid Association has scheduled to host its "2020 Lin Zhao Freedom Award" ceremony this fall in Washington, DC, USA.



To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lin Zhao's martyrdom, ChinaAid established the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" in 2018 to honor Chinese citizens in China who have worked to advance civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China. ChinaAid established this award to honor Lin Zhao's democratic ideals and spiritual-moral courage, as well as her commitment to the principles of non-violence. This award also provides moral and financial support to individuals who paid the ultimate price for advancing civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China.



Nominees for the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" must have completed outstanding work to advance the rule of law and civil society in contemporary China by promoting freedom and democracy, truth, and reconciliation in the spirit of non-violence against injustice and oppression advocated by Ms. Lin Zhao and have suffered injustice and persecution in the process.



During the process of exposing the truth regarding the coronavirus, Zhang Zhan conveyed compassion, care, and loving concern for victims of the coronavirus which continues to touch the world. ChinaAid proudly honors Zhang Zhan for not only her courage, but also for her fearlessness and willingness to sacrifice herself.



SOURCE China Aid Association



CONTACT: ChinaAid Media Team, 432-689-6985, media@chinaaid.org;

Office phone, 432-689-6985, General inquiries: info@chinaaid.org


Gladys Berejiklian has lashed out at a reporter who implied she could agree with controversial calls to open Australia's international border earlier then scheduled, even if people die from coronavirus.

The fallout from Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka's comments continues after she called for the nation's borders to be reopened well before mid-2022, even though 'some people may die'.

Australia's borders were slammed shut in March 2020 due to the pandemic which has since claimed more 900 lives across the nation.

International travel is expected to remain off limits until the Australian population is vaccinated.

Ms Berejiklian quickly distanced herself from Ms Hrdlicka's comments when she was asked how many deaths would be acceptable for her to feel comfortable about Australia's borders reopening and issued a fiery response.

She added any conversation about borders now would be premature.

A question about Australia's borders sparked an angry response from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) on Tuesday

Poll Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes No Undecided Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes 458 votes

No 241 votes

Undecided 34 votes Now share your opinion





'Please, no death is acceptable. Please don't put words in my mouth. I've never said that and I never would,' Ms Berejiklian snapped at the reporter at a press conference on Tuesday.

'We've worked hard in NSW to protect life, to keep community safety and that's what we will do.'

'There's no doubt that the vaccine program is key to our freedom.

'Having a successful vaccine program is key to making sure that we can make decisions moving forward about our future but we can't even think about those decisions unless the vast majority of our population are vaccinated.

'Any conversations we have now are premature.'

'We have a big job ahead of us in terms of getting the community vaccinated. Until that time, we can't even have the conversation.'

Ms Berejiklian was asked the question after she expressed support for reopening the international borders if it was backed up by health advice.

Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka (pictured) came under heavy fire after she called for the nation's borders to be reopened well before mid-2022, even if 'some people may die'.

The NSW Premier has been outspoken on the need to keep domestic borders open and highly critical of other state and territory leaders who have closed their borders whenever a fresh outbreak has emerged.

'I think we need to be very sympathetic and mindful to the fact that community safety always comes first but in NSW we've demonstrate that you can keep the community safe but also push ahead with economic openness,' Ms Berejiklian said moments earlier.

'Community safety always has to come first, but we also believe that you can make some decisions about easing restrictions or opening up to the rest of the world, with facts and science backing you.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hit back at Ms Hrdlicka as he slammed her comments about Australia's borders as insensitive.

'You know, 910 Australians have lost their lives. Every single one of those lives was a terrible tragedy, and it doesn't matter how old they were,' he told reporters in Queensland on Tuesday.

'Some were younger, some were older. They were someone's mum, someone's dad, someone's auntie, someone's cousin, brother, sister, friend. 910  all felt extremely consciously by those loved ones around them.

'And so, no, I find it very difficult to have any part of what was said there.'

Australia's international borders are expected to remain closed until June next year. Pictured are returned travellers at Perth Airport

His comments come after Ms Hrdlicka disagreed with the federal government's estimated reopening date for international travel, declaring Covid will be part of the community and 'we've got to learn how to live with' the virus.

'We can't keep (Covid) out forever. It's not in anybody's interest to do that,' Ms Hrdlicka declared at a business lunch in Brisbane on Monday.

She wants the border reopened once the country's most vulnerable people are immunised and a high percentage of the general community is vaccinated.

'Covid will be part of the community, we will become sick with Covid and it won't put us in hospital, and it won't put people into dire straits because we'll have a vaccine,' Ms Hrdlicka said.

The NSW Premier expressed support for reopening the international borders if it was backed up by health advice but says we're not there just yet. Pictured is a traveller at Sydney International Airport

'Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu.

'We're forgetting the fact that we've learnt how to live with lots of viruses and challenges over the years and we've got to learn how to live with this.'

Ms Hrdlicka warned Australia risked being left behind by the rest of the world if it waited until about this time next year before reopening the border.

Virgin Australia later stood by its chief executive, saying the airline believed Australia 'must learn to live with Covid-19 in the community'.

'The safety of our guests has always been our number one priority  nothing will change that. We have worked in lock-step with State and Federal governments to put the health and safety of Australians first, and well keep doing that as we learn to live with COVID-19,' the airline tweeted on Tuesday.
Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka

Scott Morrison has slammed Virgin boss Jane Hrdlicka after she called for the nation to open its borders before mid-2022 even if some people die of Covid-19.

Ms Hrdlicka said the borders should open once most Australians, including the most vulnerable, are vaccinated and said we must learn to live with the virus like flu.

'Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu,' she said.

Mr Morrison condemned Ms Hrdlicka's comments on Tuesday, saying: 'I regret that those comments were somewhat insensitive.

'You know, 910 Australians have lost their lives. Every single one of those lives was a terrible tragedy, and it doesn't matter how old they were.

'Some were younger, some were older. They were someone's mum, someone's dad, someone's auntie, someones's cousin, brother, sister, friend. 910 - all felt extremely consciously by those loved ones around them.

'And so, no, I find it very difficult to have any part of what was said there.'

Earlier Nationals Senator for Queensland Matt Canavan said the Virgin CEO had 'put it starkly' but agreed with her position, saying it was 'about time' the nation talked about opening the borders again.

'Eventually when we open up, eventually when we ease some restrictions, there will be the unfortunate situation that some people, even with the vaccine, may get sick and ultimately die just like they do with the flu and other diseases,' he told Sky News.

Borrowing a phrase Mr Morrison used to announced the easing of lockdown in May 2020, he added: 'We can't stay under the doona forever.'

Senator Canavan is among a group of backbenchers, including Jason Falinkski, the member for Mackellar in Sydney's northern beaches, who support a faster re-opening than forecast in the federal budget last week.

Government backbenchers are supporting Virgin boss Jane Hrdlicka's calls for the nation to open its borders before mid-2022. Pictured: Travellers in Brisbane

But government ministers are being cautious as three in four Australians support keeping the borders closed.

'We will listen to the advice of our health experts not business CEOs,' Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

Mr Morrison on Monday refused to reveal the benchmark for reopening the international border, saying only that restrictions will remain in place until it is safe to do anything different.

'It's not safe to take those next steps right now, it's not. But we'll keep working on what the next steps are,' the Prime Minister said.

Business leaders also want the borders to reopen, concerned about the economic consequences of keeping them sealed for another year.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet agrees, and has warned against letting populism determine public policy.

'It's the role of political leaders not to be following the polling or looking at what focus groups are saying,' Mr Perrottet told Sky News.

'The job is to lead and communicate and bring Australian people with us.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to reveal the benchmark for reopening the international border. Pictured: Travellers arriving at Sydney Airport

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said Australians must learn to live with coronavirus and be prepared for the disease to spread in the community when international borders reopen.

Dr Coatsworth said reaching zero cases of coronavirus in Australia was 'perhaps unattainable' and suggested vaccination rates of 90 per cent may be needed to control coronavirus within the community.

Australia's vaccination rollout has entered a new stage, with people aged over 50 able to get the AstraZeneca shot from their family doctor.

The vaccines will be available at more than 4,000 general practices across the country, with some clinics to have their deliveries tripled to cope with the expected rise in demand.

Previously, people aged over 50 could only receive their jabs from vaccination hubs or respiratory clinics.

More than three million Australians have received their coronavirus vaccinations.

But 15 per cent of aged care residents have still not been vaccinated.

Some 999 residential disability care residents have been vaccinated as of Monday, Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed.

Mr Hunt defended the pace of the rollout in the sector after the disability royal commission heard it was an abject failure.

The federal budget assumes the borders, which have been closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will open in mid-2022. Pictured: Sydney's Coogee Beach in November

According to a Newspoll on Monday, only 21 per cent of voters believe the country should open up when everyone has been offered a vaccination, a view supported by several health experts including former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth.

Speaking on the Today show on Monday morning, Dr Coatsworth said Australians will have to get used to the virus circulating in the community next year.

'I think it's completely reasonable for three-quarters of Aussies to not want the borders open right now.

'What we have to start a conversation with the community about is, what do we do in 2022,' he said.

Poll Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes No Undecided Should Australia's border open once everyone has been offered the vaccine? Yes 458 votes

No 241 votes

Undecided 34 votes Now share your opinion





'What do we do when the majority of Australians are vaccinated and immune, safe from hospitalisation, safe from death from Covid-19 but there's still critical events going on that people want to attend around the world.

'Do we still put them in hotel quarantine in 2022 at their own expense?

'This is a conversation we need to get the community involved in. There will be Covid-19 circulating within the community in the future.'

Dr Coatsworth made similar comments in a speech at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons on Sunday in which he called eradication of the disease a 'false idol'.

'It is clear we will not have our borders closed indefinitely,' he said.

'We will not have quarantine stations in perpetuity while we aim for the false idol of eradication.'

'At a point in the future when a significant majority of our community is vaccinated, there will be pressure to open our borders. We must not resist that. In fact, when the time is right, we should be leading the calls for it.'
The Pentagon has been operating a secret 60,000-strong undercover army made up of soldiers, civilians and contractors who work under fake identities to carry out undercover domestic and overseas missions, according to a Newsweek investigation.

The force includes NSA agents, cyber security experts and special forces operating behind hostile enemy lines in places like North Korea and Iran. It is serviced by around 130 private companies and supported by dozens of secretive government agencies at an annual cost of $900million, according to the report.

The true size of the force of undercover operatives, which is completely unregulated and has never been the subject of Congressional oversight, is unknown. However, after a two year investigation, Newsweek says it is 10 times the size of the CIA's clandestine forces and has grown substantially in the past decade.

Its 60,000 members include cyber warriors who use false personas online to search for 'high-value targets'.

The 'army' operates in an amorphous new area of combat known as 'signature reduction', which is largely undefined but is a term used to describe the extreme measures taken to protect undercover operatives and operations.

It involves, in part, creating false documentation and disguises to paying the bills and taxes of agents while they are operating under their fake identities. It also involves building high-tech and undetectable devices that agents can use to photograph or listen in on activities in remote sections of the world.

A Department of Defense spokesperson told Newsweek that 'signature reduction' 'is not an official term'. The Defense Intelligence Agency says it could be described as 'operational security (OPSEC) measures for a variety of activities and operations'.

The Pentagon is running a clandestine 60,000-strong army of clandestine agents who work under a loose definition known as 'signature reduction'

While reported signature reduction operatives are exceedingly rare, intelligence agents point to the 2013 arrest of American 'diplomat' Ryan Fogle in Moscow

Fogle was arrested by the Russian FSB while trying to recruit a Russian double agent, and was found with wigs, glasses and other disguises, prompting ridicule and comparisons with Get Smart

But one expert in this area said Fogle may have been working in the signature reduction field, in which people change their identities and appearance to pass undetected and operate in hostile territories

What is signature reduction? Signature reduction, sometimes referred to as 'measurement and signature intelligence, is an area of intelligence gathering that is not easily defined. A basic Google search throws up job adverts for military contractors requiring 'high level security clearance'. One former military intelligence officer says signature reduction exists in a 'twilight' between covert and undercover. Newsweek reported that covert is defined in law as subject to presidential approval and officially belongs to the CIA's National Clandestine Service. 'Undercover' is officially only allowed to be used by law enforcement efforts undertaken by people with a badge. The Defense Intelligence Agency says that signature reduction could be described as 'operational security (OPSEC) measures for a variety of activities and operations.' A Department of Defense spokesperson told Newsweek 'it relates to HUMINT operations' -meaning human intelligence. They said signature reduction 'is not an official term' and that it is used to describe 'measures taken to protect operations.' Advertisement

One of the major roles of signature reduction is keeping the people and organizations involved secret, which includes - but is not limited to - creating undetectable fake identities.

One senior intelligence officer said signature reduction exists in the 'twilight between covert and undercover'.

A retired senior officer responsible for overseeing parts of the program said: 'Most people haven't even heard of the term signature reduction let alone what it creates.'

Signature reduction technicians also help maintain real life credit scores, tax and Social Security payments so that when a person's assignment ends they can resume their normal life.

While signature reduction operatives are rarely outed, Newsweek pointed to a handful of reported cases where agents operating in this murky world had been uncovered.

One such case was in 2013 when American 'diplomat' Ryan C. Fogle was arrested in Russia while allegedly trying to recruit a double agent.

Fogle was carrying two wigs, one blond and one dark, four pairs of sunglasses, a Moscow map and a compass, earning comparisons with the 1960s spy-spoof show Get Smart.

However, an intelligence expert familiar with 'signature reduction' operations says the seemingly amateurish paraphernalia such as the blue Nokia phone would have been concealing covert communications.

The same intelligence expert pointed to the case of former American military intelligence officer Kevin Patrick Mallory, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to sell secrets to China in 2018.

Mallory was caught with a fake wigs and mustaches, and appeared to be playing the role of a cartoon spy.

However, Mallory had a special communications device disguised as a regular cellphone, which was so sophisticated that the FBI did not find a hidden partition used to store secrets until Mallory showed it to them.

Other tools of the trade in signature reduction are an an RFID shield, a radio frequency identification blocking pouch which prevents electronic tracking.

Then there are the transmitters and receivers hidden in fake rocks, such as the one discovered by the Russian intelligence in Moscow in 2006 and later confirmed to be a British spy device.

Particularly sensitive signature reduction missions where agents infiltrate places like Pakistan and Yemen have to be personally approved by the Secretary of Defense.

The Newsweek piece reported on a company in rural North Carolina that ran a clandestine workshop and training facility where they teach agents to create cutting edge listening devices.

The company also teaches operatives mold and casting techniques so they can change their appearance in the field.

They teach operatives to alter their age, change their gender, or gain weight using disguises.

The firm also shows agents how to conceal their identities by using a silicon sleeve that can alter their fingerprints without being detected.

After ISIS released a 'kill list' of US military targets in 2015, the Pentagon said it suspected Russian hackers had been behind the effort to unmask and threaten the military members.

They realized that military personnel's private information was being compromised through fitness devices and ancestry websites.

The Newsweek report said at least 30,000 of the United States' 'signature reduction' forces were special forces operating in warzones around the world, from Pakistan to West Africa.

These 'shadow warriors' also operated in unacknowledged conflicts such as North Korea and Iran.

The ability to carry out stealthy field operations is becoming a key priority for the United States' elite special forces.

This month, the US special operation forces leadership sounded the alarm that their stealth missions are becoming increasingly threatened by advances in sensors used by their adversaries.

American Kevin Patrick Mallory, 62, was convicted of spying for the Chinese in 2018. Mallory had a special device disguised as a regular cellphone, which was so sophisticated that the FBI did not find a hidden partition used to store secrets until Mallory showed it to them.

Virtual Special Operations Forces Industrial Conference, Rear Adm. Collin Green, commander, Navy Special Warfare Command, cited the need for Navy Seals to 'reduce their signature' while operating in the field to counteract these advances.

It said adversaries such as terrorists and insurgents were now using 'small unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with optical and infrared sensors,' Seapower Magazine reported.

Green said the Navy was 'developing and expanding our undersea capability' to maintain its maritime advantage.

Daniel Yoo, commander, Marine Corps Special Operations Command, said his force was using emerging technology on uniforms and digital material, but told the magazine that 'true full-spectrum signature reduction' is needed 'in the information environment that we're going to fight in'.

The second largest component of the signature reduction forces are military intelligence operatives, such as counter-intelligence agents, who operate under assumed identities overseas.

The third largest group are comprised of cyber warriors who operate from anywhere in the world, covering their digital tracks while pursing 'high-value' targets for the US intelligence effort.

A large part of the digital effort is to provide cover to agents in the field - 'scrubbing' the internet of any traces that might reveal their true identities.
An Australian father-of-two has died in India from coronavirus after returning to the Covid-stricken nation for family reasons last month.

Solar energy businessman Govind Kant, 47, died at Delhi Hospital over the weekend after contracting the virus upon returning to India in April following the death of his mother.

In a heartbreaking last Facebook post before his death, he wrote: 'I am so sorry Mummy - I was not with you.'

Mr Kant (pictured) was in India following the death of his mother where he contracted the virus and died in hospital on Tuesday

Mr Kant had not been able to see his beloved mum while she was ill.

His former colleagues posted a heartfelt tribute to the father on Tuesday morning confirming his passing.

'It is with immense sadness that Trina Solar has to announce that our beloved colleague and friend Mr Govind Kant, Trina Solar Australia Country Manager, passed away on May 16th, 2021 at Delhi hospital,' Mr Kant's company Solar Juice Pty Ltd posted to Facebook.

'Our deepest condolences go to his wife, two daughters and other family members. This is a significant loss to Trina Solar and mere words cannot express the heartfelt sorrow we all feel upon Govind's passing.'

India's seven-day average of new coronavirus cases currently sits beyond 320,000 new infections per day, with more than 4,000 deaths in the week.

Overall, the nation has suffered more than 25 million cases since the pandemic began and 274,000 deaths.

Mr Kant was recognised as a pioneer of the solar power industry, described by a 'true champion' from the director of energy at Tesla Australia.

'Govind was a true champion of our industry, always had time for everyone, always humble and forever supportive for all around him. Much loved and respected,' Mark Twidell said.

'Govind Kant was the first mentor I ever had, after we met 15 years ago while I was finding my way in renewable energy,' RACV Solar boss Andy McCarthy posted to LinkedIn.

'No matter how many times I hassled him for advice, or how silly my question was, he was always happy to provide guidance and support.'

'Govind was the epitome of  professional, intelligent, warm, and just an absolute gentleman to do business with.'

Australia's total travel ban with India was lifted on May 15, meaning citizens stuck there can now apply to be brought back Down Under.

They will fly to Darwin before being taken to the Howard Springs facility for two weeks of mandatory quarantine.
A police bust has uncovered over $1million worth of bodybuilding steroids.

Western Australia police raided two homes in the Perth suburbs of Bertram and Wellard on March 25.

A 32-year-old Wellard man is facing 80 charges over the bust, which includes 54 counts relating to drug supply.

Massive steroid bust has uncovered over $1million worth of bodybuilding drugs, including vials of liquid steroids stacked in a fridge (pictured)

West Australian police raided two homes in the Perth suburbs of Bertram and Wellard on March 25 before allegedly seizing the drugs (pictured)

Images from the Betram property - which police said was used solely as a base for the alleged drug operation - show a fridge full of vials and boxes full of prescription drugs stacked across shelves.

Police alleged they found over 32,000 steroid tablets, thousands of vials of liquid steroids and 23 boxes of human growth hormone during the raids, the West Australian reported.

They also claimed to have seized dozens of insulin pens, $2000 in cash, a USB crypto-currency wallet and other prescription drugs,

The man who was charged has not made a plea and will face court later this month.
Bosses at a Queensland yacht club have been labelled 'beer snobs' after proclaiming one of Australia's most beloved brews, Victoria Bitter, tastes like dam water.

Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club wrote a message over the bar that was uploaded to social media saying 'No VB sold here. Nearest dam water 200kms.'

The cutting insult by the well-to-do establishment left connoisseurs of the iconic larger feeling very bitter, while others said VB super-fans should lighten up and take the joke.

Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club has been labelled 'beer snobs' after proclaiming one of Australia's most beloved brews, Victoria Bitter, tastes like dam water (pictured, the sign above the bar)

The full-bodied, 4.9 per cent alcohol beverage, produced by Carlton and United Breweries and now owned by Japanese beer giant Asahi, has been quenching thirsts Down Under since 1854 and is recognised around the world for its iconic green label

Poll HOW GOOD IS VB? Really good It's alright Not good at all HOW GOOD IS VB? Really good 22 votes

It's alright 35 votes

Not good at all 38 votes Now share your opinion





'Blokes from Noosa prefer to drink strawberry daiquiris,' one commenter wrote in response to the controversial sign.

Others said: 'Simply rude!' and 'Shut it down'.

'It's Noosa, full of pretentious craft beer drinking, selfie-taking, limp-hand-shaking, w**kers,' another wrote.

The full-bodied, 4.9 per cent alcohol beverage, produced by Carlton and United Breweries and now owned by Japanese beer giant Asahi, has been quenching thirsts Down Under since 1854 and is recognised around the world for its iconic green label.

But over the years, the working-class beer has divided opinion.

For those who enjoy the drink it's sometimes nicknamed 'Very Best', 'Vitamin B' and 'Victory Beer'.

Among others who aren't so fond of the taste, it is sometimes referred to as 'Vomit Beer'.

The cutting insult by the well-to-do establishment left connoisseurs of the iconic larger feeling very bitter

One commenter wrote: 'It's Noosa, full of pretentious craft beer drinking, selfie-taking, limp-hand-shaking, w**kers

Some drinkers championed the yacht club's sign and told insulted VB drinkers to 'lighten up'.

'Great QLD sense of humour!, one person said.

Another wrote: 'We seem to have lost our sense of humour, lighten up people. Hats off for a great attention grabbing sign.'

'A bit of larrikinism doesn't hurt anyone. I find it quite funny,' a commenter wrote.

But for some beer-lovers the hurtful sign crossed a line and they fired back at Noosa venue.

'The bloke who wrote it probably pays $35 for a six pack for craft beer and thinks he's cool,' a commenter said.

'Looks like someone in Noosa hasn't been raised properly,' another wrote.
Fed up residents want to see the gates to a national park closed each night after another illegal 'cave rave' party last weekend.

Police were called out on Saturday night to the Malabar Headland National Park, in Sydney's south-east, where a rave was in full swing.

Officers - including a PolAir helicopter - issued a move on directive to the crowd around midnight - only to then receive reports of another unauthorised party in bushland at Henry Head, near neighbouring La Perouse, roughly an hour later.

Last December, officers from NSW Eastern Beaches Police warned partygoers these type of anti-social events would not be tolerated, following a string of illegal parties being shut down on the Malabar Headland.

The parties are quickly spread by word of mouth, with punters often affected by drugs and alcohol in the Malabar Headland National Park (pictured)

The illegal rave in Malabar in 2020 attracted hundreds of partygoers (pictured) - and also damaged many parts of the protected national park in Sydney's south-east

Partygoers (pictured) during an illegal rave at Malabar Headland, in Sydney's south-east, last year

Following the latest unauthorised party, Eastern Beaches Police Acting Superintendent Samantha Fordy said officers won't hesitate to prosecute people caught attending the illegal parties.

'Police will work closely with officers from Randwick City Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to target these events and prosecute offenders accordingly,' she said.

'The local community and environment are being impacted by the noise and the rubbish left behind.'

A man, 27, was also arrested at the National Park after allegedly being caught with cocaine, LSD and cannabis.

David Pyett, the Friends of Malabar Headland chairman, is concerned about bushland being repeatedly damaged by partygoers - sometimes beyond repair.

'It (damage) is increasing. It is a disaster for us,' he told the Southern Courier.

'(Party goers) go off into the bush wherever they feel like it and it is not just rubbish they leave behind...it is human excrement.'

A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spokesman said illegal parties were usually associated with drugs and alcohol.

'The NPWS works with NSW Police and has installed surveillance cameras and employ security guards to patrol key areas,' they said in a statement.

'Illegal party organisers face penalties, seizure of their equipment and clean up or site rehabilitation costs.'

Randwick Mayor Danny Said has urged residents aware of planned illegal parties in the area to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A fed-up man has hung up a sign urging ignorant dog owners to clean up after their pets.

The anonymous man took it upon himself to drill his homemade sign into a fence along a boardwalk in Warrnambool, in southern Victoria, posing the question why locals weren't picking up their pet's droppings.

He provided a series of excuses including 'I'm a jerk', 'I'm lazy', 'Mummy still cleans up after me' and another asking if residents just simply didn't care about the environment.

'Don't be a tosser, pick up your dog s**t and rubbish,' the sign read.

A man in Warrnambool, Victoria, took it upon himself to hang up the sign urging dog owners to pick up after their pets

The poster was set up between the Pavilion Cafe & Bar and the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club - a popular walking track in the area.

Photos of the sign have circulated on Facebook with many residents calling for the 'brilliant' warning to be set up everywhere around Australia.

'I need one of these for out front of my house,' one said.

'Anyone have dog but don't pick their dog's s**t shouldn't have one. It's so ridiculous!' another said.

Others called upon their own councils to recreate the sign while one admitted the warning would fit in perfectly in the UK.

Residents are now concerned the sign may be taken down by the Warrnambool Council but the man responsible has insisted he will just replace it.

'If it comes down, I will reprint a different version of it and put it up in a different area,' the mysterious local told Seven News.

'I just wanted to remind people about the correct thing to do with their dog waste. The number of times I have seen people leave their dog's poo on the ground in that area is astounding.'

The Warrnambool Council confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the sign has been removed.

'While many of us would agree with the overall sentiment expressed by the sign, Councils traditionally avoid coarse language and seek to encourage positive behaviours rather than belittle those not doing the right thing,' a spokesperson said.
Queensland could become the fourth state to legalise euthanasia with the government introducing a voluntary assisted dying bill to parliament next week.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the proposed laws are aimed exclusively at people who are suffering or dying.

She says Labor MPs will be allowed to have a conscience vote on the bill and indicated she will support it after witnessing the slow and painful deaths of her grandmother and uncle last year.

'I'm a Catholic, I've thought about this long and hard,' Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday.

'I've had a lot of personal experiences in the last 12 months, and I have made up my mind based on what I have seen and those experiences.

'And like I said, this is a choice, and it's not going to be the right choice for a lot of people, but it's got to be an option for people, and far be it for me to make that individual choice on how a person wishes to end their life.'

Under the bill, people choosing euthanasia must have an eligible condition, which is either a disease, illness or medical condition that is advanced, progressive and will cause death.

Annastacia Palaszczuk referenced her 'personal experiences in the last 12 months' when explaining the reasoning behind the bill

Annastacia Palaszczuk witnessed the slow and painful deaths of her grandmother and uncle in the last year (stock image)

Their condition must be expected to cause their death within 12 months and it must causing suffering that is 'intolerable'.

Legally, patients will have to be assessed to be acting voluntarily and without coercion, aged at least 18 and be a Queensland resident.

Patients seeking voluntary assisted dying will need to make three applications over a period of at least nine days.

Health practitioners must tell applicants that they can change their mind at any point during the process.

Queensland could become the fourth state in Australia to legalise euthanasia after a new bill was introduced to its state parliament

Queensland health minister Yvette D'ath said medical practitioners won't be able to recommend euthanasia

A doctor will assess each application, which will then be sent to a second doctor, with the successful applications sent to back to the first doctor to proceed.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said medical practitioners would not be will be able to recommend euthanasia and would be allowed to be conscientious objectors under the proposed laws.

'So that, importantly, the individual themselves still gets to access that option, but respecting individual medical practitioners and entities may be conscientious objectors,' she said.

Ms D'Ath said a new navigator system would also be set up to help guide applicants and their families through the process.

She said that would help patients who were turned down by practitioners who were conscientious objectors.

'So they don't have to go shopping around themselves and trying to find someone at what is a really difficult time for them and their family,' the health minister said.

The process, prescription and supply of a substance can then be chosen with patients able to self-administer euthanasia or have a health practitioner do so.

The premier said Labor MPs will be allowed to have a conscience vote on the bill while she indicated she will support it

A special oversight board of existing authorities will be tasked with compliance.

The bill will be debated in September and, if it passes, a euthanasia system will be in place by May 2022.

Victoria is the only Australian state in which voluntary assisted dying is active, while Western Australia and Tasmania have passed their own laws.

South Australia is also a step closer to having a voluntary assisted dying regime after the state's upper house recently passed legislation.
It was designed to cater for office workers in Sydney's new Barangaroo precinct - but not a single customer has passed through its doors for more than a year.

The David Jones store at Barangaroo on the north-western edge of the central business district has been frozen in time since closing in March 2020.

Covid-19 has stripped the area of workers and tourists and apart from signs saying the move is only temporary there is no word on when - or if - the store will ever reopen.

Mannequins stand sentinel behind glass windows and shopfront displays are still filled with unsold cosmetics, handbags and women's shoes.

The David Jones store at Barangaroo on the north-western fringe of Sydney's CBD was 'temporarily' closed in March last year due to Covid-19 and has not reopened its doors

Barangaroo was the site of the first David Jones boutique store and opened in November 2016 (picutred) ahead of most of the surrounding office tenants moving in

Covid-19 has stripped the area of workers and tourists and apart from signs the move is only temporary there is no word on when or if the store will ever reopen. Inside the store is pictured

Barangaroo was the site of Australia's first David Jones boutique store and opened in November 2016 ahead of most of the surrounding office tenants moving in.

It was focused on men's and women's fashion, beauty products and services, with a product line tailored to inner-city customers who lived nearby or wanted to shop during or after work.

A reduced range was offered in a space of about 1,400 square metres, one tenth of the size of a normal big city David Jones department store.

How online shopping is taking over Online shopping in Australia exploded last year reaching an all-time high amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to lockdowns and social distancing, people had little choice but to do more online. Behaviours changed, from how people shop for everyday goods, to how they pay for them. Online purchases grew 57 per cent on the previous year, with an average one million extra households using the technology every month compared with 2019. That adds up to total spending of $50.46billion at the online checkout. About four in five households bought something online at some point in the year. Source: Inside Australian Online Shopping report compiled by Australia Post Advertisement

Shoppers could also collect online orders through the David Jones click and collect service. Now customers are directed to go online or visit the flagship Elizabeth Street store.

Models Jesinta Franklin (then Campbell) and Jessica Gomes were joined by television presenter Jason Dundas when the opening ribbon was cut amid much fanfare and great hopes for the new face of retail.

'David Jones Barangaroo is the one stop shop for all of your ladies and men's fashion needs,' the business still states on its website.

Mannequins stand sentinel behind glass windows and shopfront displays are still filled with cosmetics, handbags and women's shoes

It was designed to cater for office workers in Sydney's new Barangaroo precinct but not a single customer has passed through its doors for more than a year

David Jones's Barangaroo outlet was focused on fashion, beauty products and services, with a product line tailored to inner-city customers. A cosmetics display is pictured on Tuesday

'From international favourites like Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein to classic Australian brands, you'll find all your sartorial must haves under one roof when you head to David Jones.

'Our concept store offers a finely selected mix of offerings from the best named brands across clothing, footwear and accessories, bringing high quality fashion to the streets of Barangaroo.

'You'll also be able to benefit from our amazing in-store services, with lingerie fitting and gift wrapping services both available.'

'Located, number 300 Barangaroo Avenue, getting to our newest and chicest store couldn't be easier, with public transport stops, the Darling Harbour Wharf and Barangaroo South Interchange just a short walk away.'

Upon Barangaroo's opening David Jones's then chief executive John Dixon described the new boutique stores as an 'evolution' of the company's business model.

'David Jones Barangaroo is the one stop shop for all of your ladies and men's fashion needs,' the business still states on its website. The opening is pictured

Models Jessica Gomes (left) and Jesinta Campbell are pictured posing outside David Jones at Barangaroo at the store's official opening on November 3, 2016

'The store looks fantastic and it is interesting when you hear customers talking about the edit of products and also customers who are time-precious actually finding it an easier shopping experience,' he said at the time.

Mr Dixon had been tasked with turning around the department store chain but 18 months after Barangaroo opened was himself shown the door.

The New South Wales government had forecast 12 million people a year would come to Barangaroo, attracted by its office towers, restaurants, apartments and parkland.

But corporate tenants including Westpac, investment bank HSBC and accounting firms PwC and KPMG sent their employees home at the start of the Covid-19 epidemic and many workers are yet to return.

The New South Wales government had forecast 12 million people a year would come to Barangaroo, attracted by its office towers, restaurants, apartments and parkland

A reduced range was offered in a space of about 1,400 square metres, one tenth of the size of a normal David Jones department store. The view through a window on Tuesday is pictured

There has been little demand for department store wares in the area with so many near-empty office floors and while international borders remain closed.

The $2.2billion Crown Sydney casino is yet to welcome gamblers due to regulatory findings against its operator, although some of its high-end restaurants have opened.

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes told the Sydney Morning Herald in November he believed workers would eventually return to Barangaroo as not everyone could work from home.

'I don't think this idea of some sort of post-apocalyptic, dystopian urban wasteland will emerge,' Mr Stokes said. 'The city will come back and it will come back strong.'

However, several large companies are still working out how much space they will need in city office towers in the future.

There has been little demand for department store wares with so many near-empty office floors and while international borders remain closed

David Jones said in November last year the Barangaroo precinct 'remains impacted, with fewer office workers and commuters visiting and working in the area'

In November just 15 per cent of PwC staff were working from the firm's 12 floors of offices, and for only two or three days a week, while Westpac was 'hibernating' some of its floors.

David Jones said at the same time the precinct 'remains impacted, with fewer office workers and commuters visiting and working in the area.'

The chain announced last May it would close some of its 48 stores and sell off property to reduce almost $500million in debt following a plunge in sales during the Covid-19 shutdown.

Its South African-based parent company Woolworths Holdings also owns fashion retailers Witchery, Trenery, Mimco, Politix and Country Road.

The department store has been contacted for comment.
A Nine News anchor has accidentally dropped the c-word live on air while reading a segment on a coronavirus vaccine scam.

Michael Farrer posted a clip to his TikTok account showing the embarrassing slip of the tongue from the newsreader discussing scam artists attempting to steal money from people offering them a chance to jump the vaccine queue.

'We're all being warned these are fakes, there are no short c***s... short cuts rather, to access the vaccine,' the reporter says.

A Nine News anchor has accidentally dropped the c-word live on air while reading a segment on a coronavirus vaccine scam

The footage, which is believed to have been filmed in April, has drawn more than 70,000 likes and 1,500 comments.

'When your INNER AUSSIE accidentally slips out,' one person replied.

'No short people!' another TikTok user joked.

'He meant what he said you pack of CU in the NT' said another, referencing the famous tourism campaign pushed by a company in the Northern Territory.

Nine News did not comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

'We're all being warned these are fakes, there are no short c***s... short cuts rather, to access the vaccine,' the reporter says

The gaffe comes after Queensland Labor MP Steven Miles dropped the c-word when speaking at a Labor Day event in Brisbane.

Miles was comparing a $5,000-per-head dinner with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, who was in attendance at the free event.

'Scott Morrison's in town, he's holding $5000-a-seat fundraisers, think about that,' Mr Miles said at the event.

'Albo's here with us at Labour Day while Scott Morrison's charging $5000 a head to have dinner with him.

'What a cun... contrast.'

Miles, who grinned and laughed as the crowd roared with laughter and cheered at the slip of the tongue, then introduced Albanese who he said would be more careful with his words

Miles, who grinned and laughed as the crowd roared with laughter and cheered at the slip of the tongue, then introduced Albanese who he said would be more careful with his words.

At a press conference following the event, Miles said the gaffe was the result of his stutter rather than a shot at the PM.

'I understand I might have stuttered while speaking earlier and some in the crowd might have misheard,' he said.

'What I said I want to be very, very clear that I was using the word contrast, the word contrast.'
An NYPD transit cop charged with murdering his autistic eight-year-old son by locking him in a freezing garage kept his dog in a heated room inside, according to new testimony.

Michael Valva, 41, wept as the family housekeeper Tyrene Rodriguez recounted how Thomas Valva was locked in garage in 19 F temperature while the pet dog 'Bella' slept in a storage room.

Rodriguez told the pre-trial hearing how she would collect her cleaning gear from the room where Bella slept, WPIX11 reported.

'And that's a heated room, correct?' asked the Suffolk County Prosecutor.

'Yes,' Rodriguez replied.

Thomas Valva, who was on the autism spectrum, who was allegedly starved, beaten and locked outside their Long Island home.

He died of hypothermia after allegedly being forced to sleep in the garage in near freezing conditions on January 17, 2020, after soiling his pajamas.

Michael Valva breaks down and cries during his hearing in Criminal Court in Riverhead, New York on May 11

Valva and his former fiancee Pollina were were shown images of Thomas' shirt, socks and soiled pants on a screen inside the courtroom during Suffolk County detective Michael Ronca's testimony on Wednesday. Pictured: Valva appears emotionless inside the courtroom on Wednesday

Authorities were dispatched to the home where Thomas had been living at about 9.40am on January 17, 2020 after his father said the boy had fallen in the driveway and lost consciousness while running for the school bus

His former fiancee Angela Pollina, 42, who is also charged with second-degree murder.

The couple had six children in their care at the time of Thomas's death.

The housekeeper arrived at the family home in Long Island at 9am on January 17, 2020.

She recalled seeing Pollina sitting at a kitchen table doing bills.

Rodriguez said she heard a child crying, and asked who it was.

The housekeeper said she was told Thomas 'fell running for the bus.'

She started cleaning an upstairs bathroom and says she saw Thomas being escorted by Michael Valva and Pollina towards the basement.

A few minutes later, she said Pollina returned to the bathroom and said Thomas wasn't breathing.

Rodriguez rushed to the basement and heard Michael Valva talking to a 911 operator who told him to do CPR in a hard surface.

She said Thomas was completely naked. 'He was very blue. His lips were blue.'

The housekeeper said she knelt by Thomas' head and held him steady while Mike administered CPR.

Pollina was 'standing behind us. Just freaking out', said Rodriguez.

Thomas was one of six children in Mike and Angela's care who were living at the home at the time the little boy died. Thomas' brothers have since been placed in the custody of their mother while Pollina's daughters were placed in the custody of their biological fathers

Angela Pollina is presented for indictment by the Grand Jury, for second-degree murder of Thomas Valva, 8, at Suffolk County Court, in Riverhead, New York. February 6, 2020

Valva cries in court during the testimony of Det. Flores during a hearing in the Arthur M. Cromarty Criminal Court complex in Riverhead, NY

WPIX11.com reported that the prosecutor asked Rodriguez if Pollina had mentioned that Thomas had defecated on himself and urinated.

'I think I heard them say that when I went down in the basement,' Rodriguez told her. 'I was wondering why he was naked.'

The paramedics arrived soon afterwards and tried to revive the boy, but they 'realized there was nothing happening'.

They put a silver blanket on him and took him away, she said.

She said Michael Valva changed his clothes before going to the hospital.

According to police, cameras and microphones that had been set up in Mike Valva's home captured audio of him and Angela taunting Thomas as he froze to death.

The audio files allegedly recorded the couple discussing the fact that Thomas was suffering from hypothermia, had been washed with cold water, couldn't walk and was 'face-planting' on the concrete.

They laughed as they said 'he's hypothermic' and that he had 'face-planted' the floor.

Pollina remarked: 'You know why he's falling?'.

Valva replied: 'Because he's cold.... boo f*****g hoo'.

Thomas' death has since prompted an investigation into the social services department and how it dealt with abuse allegations against the couple and the children who lived with them.

A separate task force will examine how the department handles cases of children with developmental disabilities.

Following his death, Thomas' brothers were placed in the custody of their mother.

Pollina's daughters were placed in the custody of their biological fathers.
Top doctors have issued their six-point plan detailing exactly what Australia needs to do to open borders and allow international travel.

The Australian Medical Association's federal council has this week asked national cabinet to improve the hotel quarantine system by establishing long-term facilities specifically designed for the purpose.

The experts at the AMA said even though Covid-19 continues to spread overseas, once a significant portion of the Australian population is vaccinated, borders should be progressively opened.

The Australian Medical Association has outline their plan for Australia to open borders which includes increasing vaccinations (pictured: Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell receives the Pfizer vaccine on May 10)

The plan also involved improving the hotel quarantine system (pictured is Howard Springs in the NT)

The release of the AMA's plan follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday rejecting comments about the international border re-opening issued by Virgin Australia's boss.

The airline's CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said borders should open once a large chunk of Australians are vaccinated and that: 'Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu'.

Mr Morrison denounced the comments as 'insensitive' saying every life lost because of Covid was a 'terrible tragedy'.

The AMA's panel of experts have outlined what they believe needs to happen in order for travel to resume safely.

In addition to widespread vaccination, the group's plan involves strengthening existing hotel quarantine with improved ventilation systems and better personal protective equipment as standard.

AMA'S SIX POINT PLAN TO OPEN BORDERS 1. Increase vaccinations across the country especially staff in hotel quarantine. 2. Strengthen hotel quarantine by upgrading ventilation systems and issuing better PPE gear. 3. Stocktake of non-hotel facilities which could be repurposed as quarantine accommodation. 4. Fast track the development of these facilities. 5. A partnership between the federal and state governments to establish and fund long term quarantine accommodation. 6. A boost to funding for public hospitals to increase surge capacity to deal with potential outbreaks. Advertisement

A stocktake of facilities outside of hotel quarantine should be carried out to gauge what can be repurposed into specifically designed quarantine accommodation - and existing proposals should be fast-tracked.

The group has also said the federal and state government must establish a partnership and funding scheme to develop these longer term facilities.

Lastly, the experts recommend public hospitals receive a boost in funding to upgrade their surge capacity to deal with any potential outbreaks.

Australians have been told they will be eligible for overseas travel exemptions once they have received both doses of the Covid vaccine under a government plan to encourage more people to get the jab.

National Cabinet is reportedly weighing up the incentive - which would fast track the already lagging rollout.

'Where there are outbreaks or issues regarding state borders, there is the potential for those who have been fully vaccinated to be exempt from some of those restrictions,' Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Monday.

Last month Scott Morrison said plans for vaccinated Australians to be able to go overseas and isolate at home upon return was only intended for 'essential travel' at first.

'What I'm working on right now, is that where an Australian is vaccinated under our program, when they will be able to travel overseas,' he said.

Australians could be eligible for overseas travel exemptions if they have received both doses of the Covid vaccine

Travelers at Sydney airport on April 19 as they wait to board a flight to NZ after the travel bubble was opened

To encourage Aussies to get the jab, National Cabinet is reportedly weighing up the move - which would also fast track the already lagging rollout

'I would think in the initial stages, particularly for essential purposes, business, things like that, medical reasons, friends and family, important events, funerals, so on.

'That could be done and return to Australia without the need for a hotel quarantine of 14-days and to be able to do that either at home or under some other less stringent environment than you have with hotel quarantine.

'Now that would require being vaccinated and that would be an important incentive for people to do that.'

However since then the government has announced in the Budget that it did not anticipate international travel being anything like back to normal until the latter part of 2022.

The Prime Minister on Monday refused to reveal the benchmark for reopening the international border, saying only that restrictions will remain in place until it is safe to lift them, with no objective standard of what constituted safe.

'It's not safe to take those next steps right now, it's not. But we'll keep working on what the next steps are,' he told reporters in Queensland on Monday.

Mr Morrison is taking comfort in broad public support for the closed border.

Three in four people believe Australia's international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year.

However, there is a growing push from the business community and within government ranks to open the border sooner than that.

Last month Scott Morrison said despite working on a plan for vaccinated Australians to be able to go overseas and isolate at home, he admitted it would only be for 'essential travel' at first

Three in four people believe Australia's international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year

A group of Liberal MPs including Jason Falinski want the country to reopen as soon as possible.

They also want vaccinated Australians to be given a greater opportunity to travel overseas.

Mr Falinski said he understood the 'fortress mentality' that had developed during the coronavirus pandemic.

'But it doesn't need to be that way,' he told Seven.

'We spent a lot of money keeping families safe, we don't want to keep them apart.'

Mr Falinski wants people who are vaccinated to be able to reunite with friends and family overseas.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet agrees, and has warned against letting populism determine public policy.

'It's the role of political leaders not to be following the polling or looking at what focus groups are saying,' Mr Perrottet told Sky News.

'The job is to lead and communicate and bring Australian people with us.'
A Northern Territory man who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl has been charged, the third assault of a minor in less than a week.

The 14-year-old girl reported the incident to police on Sunday, saying she'd been attacked a day earlier near Darwin by a 20-year-old man known to her, NT police said on Tuesday.

The man was taken into custody on Monday and will appear in Darwin local court on Tuesday

He was taken into custody on Monday and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16 years.

He was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.

It comes a day after a teenage boy was taken into custody over the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in Tennant Creek.

The girl reported the incident to Police on Sunday alleging she was attacked on Saturday

The 16-year-old allegedly assaulted the girl, who was known to him, on Wednesday.

He was arrested late Sunday and is expected to be charged in the coming days.

Earlier, a 43-year-old man was arrested for alleged indecent dealings with a child in East Arnhem Land on Saturday.

He was charged with gross indecency with a child under 16 and appeared in Darwin Local Court on Monday.
New York City resumed 24-hour subway operations on Monday and is set to lift virtually all coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, but it comes as the city is experiencing a spike in crime, including on the trains.

The subway was closed overnight for cleaning during overnight hours since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

Long famous for their all-night operation, the system was shut down between 1 and 5am on April 30, 2020, so trains and stations could be disinfected. The overnight closure was scaled back to 2 to 4am in February.

The change was also intended to make it easier to remove homeless people from trains, where many had been spending the night.

On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised an extra 250 NYPD officers would be deployed to specifically patrol the subway stations and trains in an effort to restore passenger confidence and safety.

There are more than 2,500 officers on the transit system, with 500 surge officers which will now be backup up by the additional 250 extra special deployment cops.

The extra 250 officers is the highest level of NYPD presence in more than two decades, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. Police patrols in the subway system have increased after a recent spate of violent crimes on trains

The subway was closed overnight for cleaning during overnight hours since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic last year Subways were shut down between 1 and 5am on April 30, 2020, so trains and stations could be disinfected. Police officers stand inside a subway station in Manhattan on May 17, 2021 in New York City

The Mayor is promising an extra 250 officers to be deployed across the NYC Subway System

The numbers of those riding the subway reached two million riders on April 8, the highest since the pandemic began.

Ridership is still down from the pre-pandemic average daily ridership of 5.4 million people.

'This is a critical moment in New York City's recovery, and at the MTA we have a singular focus right now, and that is bringing riders back to mass transit,' said MTA chairman Pat Foye.

'This goes hand in hand with providing a safe and secure environment where people feel comfortable to ride,' he added.

But the reopening comes with a worrying spike in crime on the subway.

On Friday, there were five people were injured in a series of slashings throughout the system.

Three teenagers have been charged in connection with the unprovoked attacks.

One man, 48, was stabbed in the eye and needed surgery while three others were slashed in the face in the early hours of Friday morning. Another described waking up to being punched in the face.

In another attack, the victim's wallet was stolen, and his phone was thrown on the tracks, police said.

The first three attacks happened over a 10-minute span starting at 4:20am on the same train. The fourth attack was reported about 30 minutes later, but police said all four were committed by the same suspects.

NYPD crime figures show felony assault was up 35.6% in April from last year, murder has increased 15.8% and robbery had soared by 28.6%

Friday's attack happened two days after four commuters were beaten over the course of three hours in unprovoked subway attacks, including a victim who was spit on and slashed in the face.

Sarah Feinberg, interim MTA president blamed Mayor de Blasio for creating a culture of violence in the subways.

These 'very serious' armed robbery and slashing incidents 'all seemingly could have been prevented by a uniformed presence on each of these platforms,' Feinberg said.

'The responsibility for these vicious attacks does not fall on an already strapped police department, it falls on City Hall and the individuals who are taking advantage of the mayor's negligence on the issue,' she said.

Police officers walk inside a subway station in Manhattan on Monday in New York City

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks with police officers on the plqtform of the F subway line. Mayor de Blasio visited the subway to address the growing concern about crime in NYC

'If he needed a wake-up call, this is it. Enough is enough. The mayor is risking New York's recovery every time he lets these incidents go by without meaningful action.'

Last week's violence on the subways were the latest in a rash of random assaults in a year-long trend sparked by the pandemic.

Police leaders in the city previously say the random street and subway attacks is returning New York to its 1980s nadir, when lawlessness and murder were commonplace.

There was a tough crackdown in the 1980s, which lowered crime levels made neighborhoods that were previously known as no-go areas safe to walk around, even at night.

But now, there are fears the city is returning to the bad old days, including areas like today's attacks in Midtown Manhattan, which have generally been considered to be safe.

On Monday, the NYPD announced that it would be adding 250 extra cops to patrol the subway system.

As the New York subway returned to a 24-hour service on Monday that was suspended during the pandemic, new contingents of NYPD police have been deployed underground because of an alarming increase in rider assaults and workers who are stabbed, beaten, stolen or thrown under the train

There used to be 4,300 cops that were in the subway system in the 90s. The network will now have it largest police presence in more than 25 years with 3,250 officers on patrol

It will see the network having the largest police presence in more than 25 years.

The additional cops will bring the total number of officers securing the subways to 3,250.

''Today we're announcing an additional 250 officers on a special deployment on top of the previous 500 on top of the previous 2,500,' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

'We're going to take officers and put them in the right places in the subways at the right time, particularly at peak times of ridership,' de Blasio said.

As the city gradually begins to emerge from the coronavirus crisis and unemployment falls, but crime statistics are far from improving.

The latest figures, released on May 9, showed 505 victims of shootings since the beginning of January, the highest in 10 years. It was up from 275 for the same period in 2020.

There have been 146 murders so far this year, up 40 percent from 2019 when 104 people were killed and up 27 percent on last year.

Officially, crime in the subway is down 43 percent, but many experts note that is misleading as ridership plummeted with the pandemic.

The reopening of the subway comes just days before limits on occupancy are to be scrapped for many business and cultural venues in the city including shops, restaurants, cinemas and museums.

They will be allowed to welcome as many people as they want provided six feet of social distancing is maintained.

The six-feet rule does not apply if all customers provide proof of vaccination or a negative test.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York will adopt the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidance on masks from Wednesday.

A new deployment of NYPD officers have been deployed underground because of an alarming increase in assaults both on passengers and workers

The CDC ruled last week that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks outdoors or indoors.

The announcement caused confusion because the policy is left for the relevant local authorities or employers to decide.

There is also no way of knowing whether unmasked people have been vaccinated.

More than 60 percent of New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, according to official data.

'Masks will still be required on public transit, in schools and some communal settings. Private venues may require masks,' said Cuomo.

'Unvaccinated people should continue to wear a mask,' he added.
The Fraternal Order of the Police represents 356,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges throughout the country but was not included in the police reform plans. Jim Pasco, executive director for the Fraternal Order of Police, said he was 'fascinated' by a proposed police reform plan but does not 'have anything to say about it'

One of the largest police unions was barred from discussions on a new police reform plan that hopes to end unions' unquestioning solidarity with officers accused of poor conduct - and encourage cops to intervene if they notice a colleague acting wrongfully.

The Fraternal Order of the Police represents 356,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges throughout the country but was not included in the police reform plans developed by the AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Service Employees International Union.

John Paul Smith, a United Steel Workers staffer who served as a police officer for four years told CNN that local FOP leaders' 'incendiary rhetoric' made labors' job more difficult over the past year.

Jim Pasco, the executive director of the Fraternal Order, said he was 'fascinated by the plan,' but does not 'have anything to say about it.'

The plan would require 250,000 law enforcement professionals and more than 100,000 members in 'police adjacent' professionals to become 'active bystanders,' challenging local police unions to decide the merits of an officer's actions when deciding whether to defend them.

One of the largest police unions was barred from discussions on a new police reform plan that would encourage officers to intervene when they notice another member of their union acting wrongfully. In this picture, police officers in Charleston, South Carolina watched as protestors called for justice for Jamal Sutherland who was shocked with a stun gun

Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was filmed pressing his knee up against George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. He was convicted of Floyd's murder last month

Floyd's death led to renewed calls for police reform, with protests against police brutality like the one seen here held throughout the country

It was designed to 'empower local union members to speak up and take action if their fellow members are violating their oath or abusing their power, and ultimately helps the union weed out wrong-doers from union membership,' according to a copy of the plan CNN obtained.

'Public safety professionals and our unions have duty to call out the wrong-doers and actions that harm people in our communities, and in doing so, the integrity of our profession' it reads.

The Fraternal Order of Police, one of the nation's largest police unions, was barred from police reform discussions

'We can no longer stand idly by, or defend transgression when those who fail to uphold their oath and duty take actions that stain the work of law enforcement.'

Officials noted in the blueprint that they would likely encounter backlash for the plan, which was developed in response to the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, as it is rolled out.

The success of the program, they said, would hinge on details that have not yet been ironed out, but the committee that developed the blueprint for the police reform act would continue to meet.

'We're not trying to be a tattletale squad on every little thing that happens on the job, but the point is you establish a set of standards and expectations of what it means to be a union professional, and when members see something doesn't comport, they have a process in place that can remedy that,' said Liz Shuler, who co-chaired the union committee.

'Right now, 95 percent are sitting silently back while 5 percent don't do right by union values,' she added. 'This empowers the 95 percent and reclaims the notion of what it means to be a professional.'
Martin Bashir claimed that Princess Diana gave him key information contained in fake bank statements which he used to gain her brother Earl Spencer's trust and secure his bombshell 1995 Panorama interview.

The hoax bank statements are at the heart of a six month probe, which was led by retired judge Lord Dyson, into allegations that the BBC's former religion editor used rogue tactics to land his scoop with the princess.

The statements showed fake payments from a newspaper and from an offshore company totalling 10,500 going into a bank account of a company owned by Earl Spencer's former head of security, Alan Waller.

Bashir is accused of using them to gain Earl Spencer's trust and persuade him to introduce him to his sister in order to land an exclusive interview, which she used to make incendiary claims about her marriage to Prince Charles.

In April 1996, Matt Wiessler, the graphics designer who mocked up the bank statements on Bashir's orders, was made a scapegoat and sacked.

The BBC commissioned the former Master of the Rolls to investigate last November amid claims Bashir peddled royal smears and lies to trick Diana into the interview.

Lord Dyson's much-anticipated report was delivered to corporation top brass at the weekend, amid news of Bashir's resignation as religion editor on grounds of ill-health. It is expected to be published this week.

Diana, Princess of Wales, during her interview with Martin Bashir for the BBC in 1995

Martin Bashir who is stepping down as the BBC's religion editor on the grounds of ill-health

The statements showed fake payments from a newspaper and from an offshore company totalling 10,500 going into a bank account of a company owned by Alan Waller, the former head of security for Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer

Timeline of the Diana-Panorama scandal 1986: Martin Bashir joins BBC as news correspondent and works on programmes including Songs of Praise, Public Eye and Panorama. November 1995: The famous interview with Princess Diana turns Mr Bashir into TV's hottest property. 1996: The Mail on Sunday reveals claims that Mr Bashir used faked bank documents to persuade Diana to talk. The BBC holds internal inquiry dismissed as a 'whitewash'. 1999: Moves to ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald. His scoops include interview with Stephen Lawrence suspects and documentary on Michael Jackson. May 2004: Quits to host ABC's Nightline in US. Suspended in 2008 after making 'Asian babes' remark at Asian American Journalists convention. 2010: Joins NBC News as an MSNBC anchor. He resigns in 2013 after controversial remarks about vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. 2016: BBC re-hires Mr Bashir as religious affairs correspondent. He is later promoted to religion editor. October 2020: Channel 4 documentary alleges there was 'elaborate plot' by Mr Bashir to trick Diana into talking. November 7: The Daily Mail reveals a shocking dossier held by Diana's brother Earl Spencer revealing alleged royal smears, lies and tricks that Mr Bashir used to land his interview. November 18: BBC orders six-month inquiry by former judge Lord Dyson. May 14, 2021: The BBC announces Mr Bashir has quit on health grounds. Advertisement

The Telegraph reports that Bashir defended the use of the mocked-up bank statements by insisting he only did it after being given the information by the princess.

He told Lord Dyson that Diana was the source of the claims that payments were being made into the account of Earl Spencer's ex-head of security. She later withdrew claims about the payments, Bashir is said to have alleged.

Waller has denied ever receiving the payments and told the Telegraph: 'This man [Bashir] has become a multi-millionaire by using me. I am the fall guy.

'Bashir has effectively stolen my identity; stolen my banking information and then used it to frame me as the fall guy. That is exactly what he has done. He has framed me thinking I would never find out. It has had a devastating effect on me.'

Bashir is also understood to have told the retired judge that he mocked up the statements because it was common for Panorama journalists to do so at the time. He claimed they were useful to keep in a file for any future probe by the broadcaster's flagship news show.

However, it is unlikely that all the information came from Diana, as one of the companies which allegedly made payments to Waller was an offshore business that Bashir became familiar with following a Panorama investigation.

Lord Dyson is investigating whether the statements and other methods deployed by Bashir were instrumental in securing the 1995 interview, in which Diana rocked the Royal Family by saying 'there were three of us in this marriage' - a reference to Camilla Parker-Bowles, who became the Duchess of Cornwall.

Diana divorced Prince Charles the following summer and died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

Lord Dyson has interviewed all the key players, including Lord Hall, who was head of news at the time and went on to become director-general until he stood down in August last year. Lord Hall led an initial inquiry in 1996 that was later branded a 'whitewash'.

Lord Dyson was also given access to BBC archives to investigate the claims. His report is expected to examine claims of a cynical cover-up mounted by BBC executives in 1996 after the Mail on Sunday revealed allegations that Bashir had used fake bank statements to land an interview with the princess.

It comes amid reports of an explosive document which reveals how BBC bosses plotted to 'pick off' Panorama staff who exposed Bashir's tactics.

The memo suggests executives discussed 'troublemakers' and how to get rid of them 'one by one'. Panorama reporters had come forward to blow the whistle on Bashir's use of forged bank statements to secure his Diana interview.

But instead of being thanked, the staffers were reportedly told by the programme's editor it was not any of their 'f****** business'. Then what critics believe was a cover-up was launched, starting with an alleged cull to get rid of the whistleblowers.

According to a source familiar with the new document, which is from minutes of a news and current affairs board meeting that month, bosses discussed embarking on a 'disciplinary' route to tackle the whistleblowers.

But it noted that they would need 'proof' and suggested an alternative that would instead 'pick off' these people 'one by one'.

Bashir is accused of using the fake bank statements to gain Earl Spencer's trust

Lord Dyson is investigating whether the statements and other methods deployed by Bashir were instrumental in securing the 1995 interview

Well-placed sources who were at the BBC at the time say a number of those who raised concerns with bosses about Bashir's behaviour were forced off the show in the following months.

Lord Dyson is believed to have had access to the document. It is not known whether he will refer to it in his bombshell report.

But it chimes with a previously released dossier showing that corporation chiefs had vowed to 'deal with leakers and remove persistent troublemakers'.

Meanwhile, the row over a new Panorama investigation into the Diana interview scandal due to have been broadcast last night - but shelved on the orders of director-general Tim Davie - intensified yesterday.

The BBC won praise for commissioning Panorama to, in effect, investigate itself.

Veteran investigative reporter John Ware spent five months preparing a half-hour programme to be broadcast ahead of the Dyson report.

But then Davie pulled the show last Friday, the same day it announced that Bashir was quitting the BBC as religion editor.

Last November the BBC commissioned former Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson (pictured) to probe allegations that the corporation covered up the trail of deceit by its reporter

Diana and Prince Charles, after announcing their engagement at Buckingham Palace in 1981

Some corporation sources said the decision was 'ludicrous', and Diana's brother Earl Spencer, a key interviewee on the programme, voiced his anger on Twitter.

Last night there were signs the BBC was on the verge of a humiliating U-turn. It is understood the corporation intends to broadcast the Panorama show after all, on the same day as the Dyson report, albeit in the evening.

The U-turn would make a mockery of the decision to postpone it from last night, if the delay turns out to be only 48 or 72 hours.

A BBC spokesman has explained the postponement by saying it was because of a 'significant duty of care issue' - believed to refer to Bashir, who has been on sick leave following heart surgery.

It is understood the journalist was back in hospital last week. A friend of Bashir said yesterday that he was 'very low' and was 'very worried about Dyson'.

The peer was asked to uncover the truth about Bashir's tactics in winning the 1995 Diana scoop. Bashir is accused of peddling lies and smears to persuade a vulnerable Diana to give her world-famous interview that November.

One source said it was 'astonishing' that the BBC had written down in an official document the way in which it was going to target members of its own staff.

A spokesman for the BBC said last night: 'The BBC is determined to get to the truth about the circumstances surrounding the Panorama interview in 1995 and has commissioned Lord Dyson to carry out a fully independent investigation.'
A Dallas teenager who allegedly abducted a four-year-old boy from his bed before stabbing him to death and dumping him in a nearby street has been booked by police.

The body of toddler Cash Gernon was discovered by a jogger in the city's Mountain Creek neighborhood at around 7am Saturday. Police said it appeared the child suffered a violent death from an 'edged weapon'.

Darriynn Brown, 18, was arrested hours later and charged with kidnapping and theft. Investigators said they expect to bring capital murder charges once forensic analysis has been completed.

A loved one, Kamron Moori, hit out at the 'evil' killer on Monday as he mourned the loss of Cash - whom he described as a sweet little boy who loved superheroes.

Moori told NBCDFW he lived with Cash and his twin brother, and that his mother, Monica Sherrod, dated Cash's father. The father - who has not been named - departed Sherrod's home suddenly in March, leaving the boys behind with her.

Meanwhile, police said the boys' biological mother, Melinda Seagroves, has been searching for them 'for an extended amount of time'. The twin was reunited with Seagroves after Cash's death.

Sherrod, Moori's mother, identified Cash as the slain toddler in an interview with WFAA. She said Brown had broken into her home through a back door early Saturday morning and snatched the 'happy-go-lucky' child while he slept.

Police said Sherrod helped them identify Brown as the kidnapper in video from a baby monitor in Cash's room. At the time of the kidnapping Brown was wearing an ankle monitor stemming from a separate arrest last month.

An arrest affidavit suggested Sherrod did know Brown prior to the kidnapping but the nature of their relationship remains unclear.

Sherrod told WFAA Cash was unknown to Brown and said she had no idea what led the teen to target him. Moori, who went to high school with Brown, said of the murder: 'Evil. No reason. Literally, no reason.'

Four-year-old Cash Gernon (left) was found stabbed to death on a street in southwest Dallas on Saturday morning. Darriynn Brown, 18, (right) was arrested and charged with kidnapping and theft hours later

Video shows Brown being booked into the Dallas County jail after his arrest

At the time of his arrest Brown was wearing an ankle monitor stemming from a prior charge for evading arrest in late April

Cash Gernon (left) was the 'sweetest boy ever', said Kamron Moori (right), who lived with Cash and his twin brother in Dallas

Cash had been staying at the home of his biological father's ex-girlfriend Monica Sherrod (pictured)

Cash Gernon was snatched from his bed in the Dallas home where his biological father had been living with his girlfriend

When his father broke up with the girlfriend in March he left Cash and his twin brother with his ex-girlfriend  Kamran Moori's mother

Moori said Cash's abduction was captured on surveillance video inside the home  it has not yet been released

Moori said he had attended nearby Duncanville High School with the suspect, but that they were not friends and he believes the incident in random

Cash's biological mother, Melinda Seagroves, had been trying to find her children since the dad took them earlier this year

Cash's twin brother has since been reunited with Seagroves

Moori described Cash as 'the sweetest boy ever' and told NBCDFW reporters: 'He'd be so happy y'all were here he'd probably come out and say: "What's up y'all?"'

After Cash went missing on Saturday morning Moori said he went searching for the boy and came across the crime scene. He said he instantly knew it was connected to Cash's disappearance.

Moori said surveillance cameras had captured the suspect breaking into their home, and carrying Cash out while he was asleep.

Moori said he had attended nearby Duncanville High School with Brown, but that they were not friends.

'Yes, random. Out of nowhere,' he said of the kidnapping. 'No reason for none of this. Its not from revenge, not from hate, not from none of that.'

He added that Brown was not known to Cash, and he was struggling to understand why anyone would brutally murder an innocent child.

'He was four, who does this to four year old kids, why, just because you want to be evil?' he asked.

Moori said that if he could change places with Cash, he would.

'I love this little boy,' he said. 'He was the sweetest boy ever. He loved to play superheroes. He always thought he was Iron Man.'

Brown was being held Monday in Dallas County jail in lieu of $1.5million bond. Video showed him being processed at the jail.

When he was arrested late Saturday night Brown was wearing an ankle monitor stemming from a prior misdemeanor charge for evading arrest in late April, according to the Dallas Morning News.

A charging document from that case states Brown lived with his parents just half a mile from where Cash's body was found.

A woman at Brown's address, who identified herself as the suspect's mother Mimi Brown, told the Dallas Morning News that her son could not have kidnapped Cash because he was home all weekend.

'That's not right at all,' Mimi Brown said. 'I know my son is traumatized. I know he's scared, because I'm scared.'

The mother also revealed that Brown is a patient of Metrocare Services, which provides mental health care to children and adults.

She said that Brown helps take care of several young cousins and would not have hurt Cash.

'Darriynn is very kind,' she said. 'I feel that he's being framed.'

The case shocked residents of the southwest Dallas neighborhood where Cash was found dead.

Antwainese Square, 39, told The Dallas Morning News she called police after seeing Cash's body on the 7500 block of Saddleridge Road just before 7am while she was out for a run.

She said the boy's face and upper half of his body were covered in blood and that he didn't have shoes or a shirt.

'It breaks my heart,' Square told the newspaper. 'And now I'm afraid. Now I'm paranoid. Because I don't know what happened, I don't know what's going on.

Cops are seen on the 7500 block of Saddleridge Road where Cash's body was found

Investigators roped off the crime scene on Saturday morning before Brown's arrest

'I mean just knowing that someone out there is capable of killing a child, that alone is just unsettling.'

Assistant Police Chief Albert Martinez said it's believed Cash was killed at about 5am and appeared to have suffered multiple stab wounds.

His body was found less than half a mile from Sherrod's home on the 7500 block of Florina Parkway.

When they searched Sherrod's home police found a small pocket knife and tissue paper with drops of blood on it, according to a search-warrant affidavit. It's unclear if that knife was used to kill Cash.

Sherrod reportedly called police to report the boy missing at around 11am - four hours after his body was found.

'We are shocked, we are very angry about what has happened to this small child,' Martinez said.

Dallas police issued an update on Monday afternoon which said Sherrod had been misidentified by the media as Cash's mom.

Local reports said Sherrod is actually the girlfriend of Cash's father. She is also Moori's mother.

'Cash was left in the care of Ms. Sherrod by his father unbeknownst to his biological mother, Ms. Melinda Seagroves,' police said in their release.

'According to Ms. Sherrod, she has not been able to contact the father since his departure from her residence in March 2021.'

The release further explained that Seagroves - the biological mother of Cash and his twin brother - 'has been conducting an extensive search for her sons for an extended amount of time'.

Dallas police spokeswoman Melinda Gutierrez said Seagroves believed the boys were with their father and did not know he had left them with Sherrod.

The father's whereabouts remain unknown, Gutierrez said.

It is unclear how long Cash and his twin had been living with Sherrod prior to their father's departure in March.

Cash's twin was reunited with Seagroves after briefly being taken into the custody of child protective services.

A makeshift memorial is seen at the site where Cash's body was found

Investigators reportedly asked residents living near where Cash was killed for any additional footage that could help shed light on what happened.

Some neighbors told WFAA that Brown was regularly seen in the Mountain Creek area where Cash was killed. Court records showed he lived with his parents about a half-mile from the crime scene.

Neighbor Jose Ramirez called the slaying 'hard to believe' and said: 'I don't think [Brown] was in his right mind.'

By midafternoon Saturday, FBI agents were focusing on a wooded trail not far from where the body was found and police were on horseback in the area.

The trail, which neighbors said is popular for biking, was sealed off with crime-scene tape.

'They were back in the alley, looking through trash containers to see if they could find any type of evidence,' Ramirez said. 'They went down the street, and they spent a good time down there.'

Another neighbor, Katie Guillen, spoke to the outlet when she stopped by a makeshift memorial at the site where Cash's body was found to drop off flowers.

'It's just so sad that someone woke up this morning and lost their child without a warning,' Guillen said.

'How do you throw away someone's body like he's nothing? He's someone's kid.'
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Andrew Brown Jr (pictured) was shot five times outside his home on April 21 by deputies attempting to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants

Andrew Brown Jr was shot twice by deputies on April 21 and not five times, it emerged on Tuesday, as the family criticized North Carolina prosecutors' decision not to bring charges against the officers.

Relatives of Brown, 42, called the decision not to prosecute those involved in the shooting of the unarmed black man 'an insult and a slap in the face'.

District Attorney Andrew Womble announced the decision on Tuesday - almost a month after deputies in Elizabeth City, attempting to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants, shot and killed Brown.

Womble said that Brown's official autopsy has not be finalized.

However he said preliminary results from the medical examiner's office showed he had suffered two gunshot wounds - one to the right shoulder and one to the back of the head.

The cause of death appears to be multiple gunshot wounds.

The medical examiner's findings disputed those of an independent autopsy released by the family, which found that Brown was hit by five bullets, including one to the back of his head.

Womble said the official autopsy also determined a substance consistent with crystal meth was found in Brown's mouth at the time of his death.

A chunk of crystal meth as big as 'a 50-cent piece' was found in Brown's car, Womble said.

Womble said a probe by the State Bureau of Investigation found that the deputies' use of force against Brown - who was accused of selling crack cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin - was justified.

Brown's family swiftly rejected that conclusion in a statement through their attorneys, saying: 'To say this shooting was justified, despite the known facts, is both an insult and a slap in the face to Andrew's family, the Elizabeth City community, and to rational people everywhere.'

Brown's family slammed prosecutors' decision not to bring charges against the deputies who fatally shot the unarmed black man in a statement Tuesday, calling it 'an insult and a slap in the face'. The family are pictured at a protest on May 2

Protesters in Elizabeth City marched on May 11 angered by the death of Brown

Activists on May 11 demanded justice for Brown, who was shot and killed on April 21

The family's attorneys also said they plan to file a federal lawsuit against the Pasquotank County Sheriffs Office this week and to petition the Justice Department to file federal charges against the three deputies who discharged their weapons at Brown.

At his press conference earlier in the day Womble played previously unseen body-camera video showing the moment seven deputies confronted Brown with their guns drawn as he sat behind the wheel of his BMW sedan.

He said Brown ignored commands to stop and began to drive his car directly at one of the officers, giving the deputies ample reason to fear their lives were in danger and justifying their decision to fire 14 shots in the suspect's direction.

In their statement, Brown's family expressed the opposite view, noting that out of the seven officers only three opened fire.

Those officers - Investigator Daniel Meads, Deputy Robert Morgan and Cpl Aaron Lewellyn - were placed on leave after the shooting.

The other four were reinstated after it was determined they didn't open fire.

The DA on Tuesday released body-camera video of the deputies confronting Brown before he was shot five times

The video shows deputies confronting Brown with guns drawn as he sat behind the wheel of his BMW sedan in his driveway

'To say this shooting was justified is both an insult and a slap in the face': Brown family slams DA's decision not to charge killer cops The Brown family issued the following statement through their attorneys on Tuesday afternoon: Andrew Brown Jr., his grieving family, and this community deserve answers. And they received anything but from D.A. Womble's attempt to whitewash this unjustified killing. To say this shooting was justified, despite the known facts, is both an insult and a slap in the face to Andrew's family, the Elizabeth City community, and to rational people everywhere. Not only was the car moving away from officers, but four of them did not fire their weapons - clearly they did not feel that their lives were endangered. And the bottom line is that Andrew was killed by a shot to the back of the head. Interestingly, none of these issues were appropriately addressed in today's press conference. We demand that the court release the full video and State Bureau of Investigation report that will help shed some much needed daylight on this case and bring a small measure of justice to this family and this community. Because we certainly got neither transparency nor justice today. We request that the Federal Department of Justice intervene immediately. Advertisement

The family's statement - released by high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump - read: 'Andrew Brown Jr., his grieving family, and this community deserve answers. And they received anything but from D.A. Womble's attempt to whitewash this unjustified killing.

'To say this shooting was justified, despite the known facts, is both an insult and a slap in the face to Andrew's family, the Elizabeth City community, and to rational people everywhere.

'Not only was the car moving away from officers, but four of them did not fire their weapons - clearly they did not feel that their lives were endangered.

'And the bottom line is that Andrew was killed by a shot to the back of the head. Interestingly, none of these issues were appropriately addressed in today's press conference.

'We demand that the court release the full video and State Bureau of Investigation report that will help shed some much needed daylight on this case and bring a small measure of justice to this family and this community. Because we certainly got neither transparency nor justice today. We request that the Federal Department of Justice intervene immediately.'

Reporters had raised similar questions in during a tense Q&A after Womble delivered his statement at Tuesday's press briefing.

Several reporters said that the heavily-edited bodycam video showed Brown was trying to drive away from the officers, not into them.

Womble countered that Brown was attempting to use the car as a 'deadly weapon'.

'Mr Brown's death, while tragic, was justified, because Mr Brown's actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others,' he said.

The prosecutor noted that no weapon was found in Brown's vehicle and he was not known to carry weapons.

He also said preliminary autopsy results showed Brown had meth in his mouth when he died.

Womble said Brown was known to officers as having a long history of arrests and convictions dating back to 1995, including assault with a deadly weapon.

Last week DailyMail.com revealed that Brown had rap sheet dating back to his teens and spent at least eight stints behind bars.

Court documents which showed he faced more than 100 charges over three decades, ranging from misdemeanors for breaking and entering, making threats and assault with a deadly weapon, to six felony drug convictions.

On Tuesday Womble refused to confirm whether the three officers were still on leave after the investigation.

Both Meads and Lewellyn are white and Morgan is black, the sheriff's office said.

Womble said on the day of the shooting deputies interacted with Brown for a total of 44 seconds and showed four different videos from that time frame on a projector in the briefing room.

He first showed frame-by-frame stills of the clips before playing them in full.

He said the compilation he was releasing is shorter than that which was previously shown to the family.

In a statement after the briefing, Brown family attorney Bakari Sellers said his team would file a petition to release the full body-camera video and the state investigator's report.

District Attorney Andrew Womble (pictured) explained the decision not to bring charges at a news conference

'There was a clear violation of policy on top of the recklessness displayed in this matter,' Sellers tweeted. 'The video speaks for itself. Release the video and SBI report. Transparency and accountability. Justice for Andrew Brown.'

The first clip Womble aired showed the deputies jumping out of their truck and running toward Brown's vehicle with their guns pointed at him.

Brown is then seen reversing his vehicle away from deputies.

Womble said he was unable to escape backward because his house was behind him, so instead he drove forward toward the deputies surrounding his car.

One deputy is seen jumping to the side to avoid making contact with the car.

Womble said the footage showed that the first shot fired at Brown's car went through the front windshield, not the back as was previously reported.

The footage then showed several more shots being fired as he drove off.

The car ultimately crashed into a tree a few yards away before deputies ran over to pull him out.

Womble said he purposely did not release that portion of the video because it did not have 'value' for the media.

He said the investigation did not determine how fast Brown was driving.

'Brown's precise speed in attempting to flee and striking deputy Lundsford is uncertain. But that he drove recklessly and endangered the officers, is not uncertain,' he said.

Womble said deputies interacted with Brown for a total of 44 seconds and played four different videos from that time frame

The video showed an officer jumping to the side to avoid being hit by Brown's car

The car ultimately crashed into a tree a few yards away before deputies ran over to pull Brown out

Brown's family listen as their attorney Chance Lynch speaks at a press conference on May 11

Andrew Brown Jr was charged with 100 crimes over three decades, did EIGHT stints in jail and had a history of violent confrontations with cops Last week DailyMail.com revealed that Brown had a decades-long history of violent confrontations with police, including a 2016 incident during which he fought officers and was tasered. The black father's had a rap sheet dating back to his teens and spent at least eight stints behind bars, according to court documents which showed he faced more than 100 charges over three decades, ranging from misdemeanors for breaking and entering, making threats and assault with a deadly weapon, to six felony drug convictions. Furthermore, Brown was charged with resisting a public officer - otherwise known as resisting arrest or obstructing a police officer - on at least six separate occasions from 1997 to 2016. In two of those instances he was accused of using his car to flee, foreshadowing the deadly April 21 encounter when he was blasted in the back of the neck while apparently trying to drive away from deputies executing a drug-related search warrant. Advertisement

'I find that the facts of this case clearly illustrate that the officers who used deadly force on Andrew Brown Jr. did so reasonably and only when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to place their lives in danger,' Womble said.

He explained that the law allows law enforcement to use force when faced with apparent danger, not actual danger, but said he believes the deputies involved in Brown's death faced both.

'Brown's actions and conduct were indeed dangerous by the time of the shooting. ... Brown posed an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others,' he said.

'The constitution does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm.'

Reporters questioned Womble about his decision not to show footage of cops pulling Brown out of his crashed vehicle and about what life-saving measures were performed afterward.

Womble indicated that the deputies did not provide aid because it was clear Brown wouldn't live.

He said the investigation found that the bullet lodged in Brown's skull had ricocheted off a surface in the car and splintered into three pieces before striking him.

Lawyers for Brown's family who watched body camera footage before it was released publicly said it showed Brown was not armed and that he didn't drive toward deputies or pose a threat to them.

'We were able to see Mr. Brown sitting in his vehicle - that he was ambushed as the sheriff's office made their way to his residence,' Brown's family said.

'Appearing to be surprised. At all times his hands were visible. At all times he did not appear to be a threat.'

Womble has previously disagreed in court, saying that Brown struck deputies twice with his car before any shots were fired.

Womble gestures to body-camera footage of the shooting played on a projector in the briefing room

Diagrams show the location of bullets in Brown's body, per an independent autopsy ordered by his family

The sheriff has said his deputies weren't injured - but on Tuesday Womble said he wasn't sure if that was true. He pointed out that the deputy who leapt out of the path of Brown's vehicle appeared to yelp in what may have been pain from his foot getting run over.

'I cannot clarify whether there were any injuries sustained. I do not know that,' Womble said.

The shooting sparked protests over multiple weeks by demonstrators calling for the public release of body camera footage.

A judge had refused to release the video publicly pending the state investigation.

Separately, the FBI has launched a civil rights probe of the shooting - which took place one day after former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was convicted of killing George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Brown's family had publicly called for an independent special prosecutor to lead the investigation into the shooting instead of Womble.

Gov Roy Cooper also previously made that recommendation.

But Womble defended his handling of the case on Tuesday, saying he refused to be swayed by the media's portrayal of what happened.

Brown's shooting sparked protests over multiple weeks by demonstrators calling for the public release of body camera footage. The slain father-of-10 is pictured left and right with one of his kids

Protesters block a bridge during a demonstration over Brown's death in Elizabeth City on April 27

Video released by authorities last month shows a militarized sheriffs vehicle carrying armed deputies moments before Brown was shot outside his home

Andrew Brown Jr was charged with 100 crimes over three decades, did EIGHT stints in jail, and had a history of violent confrontations with police including a 2016 incident when he had to be tasered by officers

Last week DailyMail.com revealed that Brown had a decades-long history of violent confrontations with police, including a 2016 incident during which he fought officers and was tasered.

The black father had a rap sheet dating back to his teens and spent at least eight stints behind bars, according to court documents which showed he faced more than 100 charges over three decades, ranging from misdemeanors for breaking and entering, making threats and assault with a deadly weapon, to six felony drug convictions.

Furthermore, Brown was charged with resisting a public officer - otherwise known as resisting arrest or obstructing a police officer - on at least six separate occasions from 1997 to 2016.

In two of those instances he was accused of using his car to flee, foreshadowing the deadly April 21 encounter when he was shot in the back of the neck while apparently trying to drive away from deputies executing a drug-related search warrant.

Grieving family members say Brown was unarmed and have labeled his death - the latest in a series of high-profile, deadly encounters between cops and African Americans - an 'execution'.

Andrew Brown Jr, 42, had racked up a more than 100 charges for offenses committed over the course of 30 years that ranged from misdemeanors to six felony drug convictions. He is pictured above in booking photos in 2007, 2016, and 2020

Records reviewed by DailyMail.com after his death showed Brown was just 16 when he recorded his first criminal conviction for first degree trespass in 1995.

That same year he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and robbery, though the case was later dismissed, according to state records.

By 1996 he had racked up the first of dozens of drug offences, beginning with possession of marijuana.

Between April 1999 and April 2010 he was convicted of multiple felonies for possession and intent to supply cocaine and a range of other narcotics charges.

At the time of his death, Brown was facing a string of further felonies and the possibility of another lengthy prison spell relating to a November 2020 arrest for allegedly selling fentanyl or heroin from a motel room.

He was arrested again in neighboring Dare County earlier this year for intent to manufacture and sell drugs although the case was discontinued.

Brown was also arrested for a number of assaults beginning in his teens, several of which targeted his female partners.

Brown was just 16 when he recorded his first criminal conviction for first degree trespass in 1995. He is pictured above in a booking photo for a 2013 offense

He was hit with a permanent restraining order in 2007 for continuing to threaten Josette Brickhouse, a woman he dated for 15 years, in breach of a protection order.

'Yes I know he had a record and he had a past but none of that should have mattered. It's heartbreaking what they did to him,' Brickhouse told DailyMail.com.

'They shot him down like an animal. He didn't deserve to die that way. That was murder. They need to be arrested for murder.'

Brown's confrontations with police date back to 1997 when he was twice charged with resisting a public officer, a class 2 misdemeanor in North Carolina punishable by up 60 days in jail.

He was hit with the same offence in 2001, 2003 and in 2010, when he served the full 60 days for resisting arrest and fleeing from an officer during an attempted traffic stop.

The career criminal was convicted of the exact same offences three years later, along with possession of drug paraphernalia, and spent another 60 days in custody.

The most violent clash took place in July 2016, however, when he was shot with a taser during an encounter with Pasquotank sheriff's deputy, Jay Winslow.

According to documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Brown was 'continuing to fight with investigator Winslow and other law officers despite commands to stop fighting, resulting in the defendant having to be tazed.'

He was booked for various charges including felony possession of cocaine and schedule II narcotics but the case was ultimately dismissed.

Brown has also been involved in numerous civil court cases in his native Pasquotank County, including demands for child support and several domestic violence complaints in which he has been both the victim and the alleged perpetrator.

In February he applied for a protection order accusing another long-term ex-partner, Patrice Revelle, of pouring ice tea over him, stabbing him in a 'private area' and hitting him in the arm with a bar. The application was denied.
Prestigious UK universities including the London School of Economics (LSE) and St Andrews are planning to continue Zoom lectures in the autumn term, sparking a backlash from students who are calling for refunds in 9,000 tuition fees after 14 months of lockdown disruption.

University College London is preparing for a blend of online and campus teaching, with different approaches depending on the course.

Information for next year's students says: 'We are planning for our campus to be open to all students for the start of the new academic year in September 2021. You will have a blend of face-to-face and online teaching and learning, designed to support you to progress and succeed academically.

'Our 'blended by design' approach responds to the feedback of our students and builds on the continuous refinement of our online education this year.

'We expect the majority of students to come to campus for face-to-face teaching (unless you will be on a distance-learning programme). On campus, your programme teams will prioritise interactive face-to-face teaching, such as seminars and workshops, laboratory and studio practicals.

But it then adds: 'Within your programme, some modules will blend online and on campus teaching, some will be mostly online and others completely online if all learning outcomes can be met this way.'

LSE is expecting the 'vast majority' of seminars and classes to be taught in-person, but that lectures will be 'largely delivered online' in a blow to thousands of students eager to return to campuses this autumn.

Academics at Liverpool University have been told that lectures will take place 'mostly online' next academic year, while Nottingham University said 'large scale' lectures with 'high numbers' of students will be delivered remotely.

The University of Manchester is planning a 'blended approach, with a mix of both on-campus and online element', and St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh across the border are expecting large lectures to be online.

One London academic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that there would be financial savings for universities from reducing staffing levels and making a longer-term shift to keeping classes online.

The higher education watchdog warned that a further roll-out of online lectures must not lead to a drop in standards, and threatened to intervene if the quality of teaching fell short.

But the move has been met with fury by students at the University of Leeds who argue there is no reason in-person teaching cannot resume if they are allowed to meet with friends and family indoors in pubs and restaurants.

In a petition which now calls for a reimbursement of 9,000 tuition fees, they branded plans for another term of online lectures 'unacceptable' and thundered: 'Online teaching is in no way a substitute for in-person learning'. Around half of students in England have only been able to return to face-to-face teaching this week.

A University of Leeds spokesman said: 'We intend to give every student a substantial on-campus experience throughout next semester, including multiple face-to-face sessions each week.' However, large lectures 'will be delivered online as part of an overall hybrid approach'.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, told the Telegraph: 'No matter what teaching methods universities and colleges use, they must provide a consistently good courses for all students. As the regulator we have powers to step in where this is not the case.'

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, added that universities should be 'cautious' about moving courses online and warned that the move will not go down well with students.

British universities including the London School of Economics (LSE) and St Andrews are planning to continue Zoom lectures in the autumn term

A third year student studying model making for TV and film works at the University of Bolton

Angry students in Leeds supporting a petition for reimbursement of tuition fees said it was 'ridiculous' and a 'disgrace' to maintain virtual teaching. They called for a 'complete return to in-person teaching'.

One petitioner wrote: 'Now children are in school fulltime, people are back in the workplace and the general public can visit pubs, theatres and cinemas... there is absolutely no need for any lectures to remain online.'

A parent backing the petition added: 'My daughter has had an awful year stuck in her room Get a grip please.' Leeds students' union said it is planning a survey of students' experience of online learning this year and what they want for next year.

But the National Union of Students claimed there could be some positive advantages in teaching online.

Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, the union vice president, said: 'Online lectures, remote access to resources and other digital provision has significantly improved access to education and, offered alongside in-person teaching, gives students greater choice over how they learn.'

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said : 'No matter what teaching methods universities and colleges use, they must provide consistently good courses for all students.'

She added that universities had to provide 'timely and clear information for students on how their courses will be taught next year'.

A spokeswoman for Universities UK said universities were trying to plan without knowing what restrictions would be in place in the autumn - and that students would still have access to facilities even if lectures were virtual.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokeswoman said: 'Universities have a strong track record in delivering excellent blended tuition, and we have been clear that quality and quantity should not drop.'

It comes as data from the Official for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that around three-quarters of students (76 per cent) are living at the same address as they were at the start of the autumn term.

The stay-at-home order to a million students has led to a huge fall in the morale and mental health of young people who had hoped to be living at universities.

British universities including the London School of Economics (LSE) and St Andrews are planning to continue Zoom lectures in the autumn term

Surveys carried out by the ONS have found plummeting levels of well-being among students and levels of loneliness more than four times higher than among the population as a whole.

Students who need additional mental health support, or who do not have access to appropriate study spaces in their vacation accommodation, are allowed to return to term-time accommodation.

Other university leaders have criticised the Government for delaying the return of face-to-face lessons for all students until now.

Chloe Baker, a first-year English Literature student at the University of Reading, does not have any face-to-face lessons this week as she has exams - which end at the start of June.

The 20-year-old told the PA news agency: 'I do think that the course price should definitely be lowered. 9,000 is quite a lot for an online course basically.

'It only hit me recently that the year is almost over and I didn't really have much in-person teaching at all. So that did shock me to be honest.'

She added: 'I would have appreciated it definitely if it [in-person lessons] had started earlier because now it is the summer term and there's not really much teaching at all going on at the moment. There's a lot more people back for the exam season. But pretty soon people will be leaving again and it will start to get empty, which is strange.'

Most students in England, apart from those on critical courses, were told not to travel back to university as part of the third lockdown announced in January.

Students on practical courses, who require specialist equipment and facilities, began returning to face-to-face teaching on March 8.

But it is estimated that around half of students, including many arts and humanities students, were not able to return to in-person lessons until now.

Ms Gyebi-Ababio, vice president for higher education at the National Union of Students (NUS), said: 'In reality, only a small portion of students will be travelling back to university today.

NHS figures show that vaccine uptake among all over-40s, which is at 83 per cent average across England, is below average in all but one (Sefton) of the Indian variant hotspot areas. Although experts do not think the at-risk older age groups are the ones driving outbreaks at the moment, it could be cause for concern if the virus spreads to them

'At this point in the term, most teaching is finished, many students are already on placements or have decided they're better off waiting until the next academic year to return. A significant number of students will have returned to term-time accommodation weeks ago, wanting to make use of the accommodation they were still forced to pay out for.

'With widespread financial insecurity facing students, it is disheartening that so many are having to make decisions around accessing their education based on affordability. Students deserve better than what they've experienced this year.'

Ian Dunn, Coventry University provost, said the Government's decision not to allow all students to resume in-person lessons until now - when other restrictions were lifted last month - seemed 'perverse'.

He told PA: 'A third of my students are international and of the two thirds that are not international, half are commuting and half are residential. So the idea that we'd have this enormous movement of people around the country I think was not necessarily very obvious.

'As for the 'why open pubs before you open universities?', I think it goes counter to what the Government was saying very clearly that education was the most important thing and that didn't seem to be the case when it came to April 12.'

Mr Dunn said students who still have teaching this term are being offered a blended learning approach - with five hours of in-person lessons a week and the rest of lessons online.

He said: 'There are undoubtedly more students on campus today, but we are making provision available fully online. Some students have opted for that and we've tried to give them the choice they wish to make.'

For university courses that do still have some teaching left, returning students are expected to get tested for Covid-19 twice a week throughout the term.

At the University of Hull, students said it was 'really nice' to see people returning to the campus. Face-to-face lectures were taking place at the Cottingham Road site on Monday, while cafes and bars welcomed the return of customers indoors.

James Aygun, a third-year drama and theatre practice student, said it had been 'really difficult' to try to study his subject online. He told PA: 'To be back on campus, it's been really refreshing. Just to see everyone, it's so much easier to create theatre, so it's made our life a lot easier.'

Mr Aygun, who returned to university in March, said: 'It's just nice to see everyone back because for the last month we've been here on our own pretty much so just to get that camaraderie, it feels so much better when everyone's around, everyone's happy.

'People, especially students, want to immerse themselves with interaction so it's really important to have everyone back, everyone feeling good, so it's just really nice.'

Vanessa Wilson, the chief executive of the University Alliance, said: 'We have been calling for this for many months, and whilst the return is later than hoped, our member universities are ready and prepared to welcome their students back to make the most of this final term with extensive learning and development activities and opportunities; alongside the outstanding face-to-face teaching sessions.'

She added: 'Alliance universities have a high proportion of commuter students, who have been living locally but unable to access campus. We understand there to be huge demand amongst all students, including those returning from elsewhere, to be allowed back to university for the remainder of term, and we expect numbers will be high.'

Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, which are traditionally the most selective institutions, said: 'While many universities are now running examinations, students will be able to take part in a mix of online and in-person teaching, as well as access libraries and other facilities on campus.

'Universities have also planned additional non-academic activities to help students to develop peer networks and prepare for the world of work. Our universities have worked hard to make their campuses Covid-secure, and we would encourage all students to take up the offer of free twice-weekly testing so we are able to help contain future Covid outbreaks.'

Students have been encouraged to take a test via home or community testing at least one day before they travel back to their term-time accommodation.

All students will be encouraged to take three supervised Covid-19 tests three to four days apart at an asymptomatic testing site on campus. They will then be expected to be tested for Covid-19 twice a week.
Hospitals in regional NSW are going without antibiotics and blood supplies, community leaders and medical professionals have told an inquiry.

Understaffing is so serious that nurses sometimes have to help restrain aggressive emergency patients.

Nurses are even meeting staff from a nearby aged care facility in a local car park to get access to incontinence pads when their own ward runs out.

Hospitals in regional NSW are going without antibiotics and blood supplies, community leaders and medical professionals have told an inquiry (stock image)

Understaffing is so serious that nurses sometimes have to help restrain aggressive emergency patients (stock image)

Medical staff have shared their stories about grim working conditions with a NSW parliamentary inquiry investigating rural and regional health, which is sitting on Tuesday in Wellington in the state's central west.

'Sadly there are times, and the times are too frequent for my liking, where we run out of basic antibiotics to treat basic conditions,' Warrmunbungle Shire Council's deputy mayor, doctor Aniello Iannuzzi, told the inquiry.

'Say a mother brings in a child with a throat infection or ear infection. There have been times where we haven't had any antibiotics.'

Dr Iannuzzi also said the four hospitals in his shire did not have blood supplies, a problem which doctors had raised for many years.

Medical staff have shared their stories about grim working conditions with a NSW parliamentary inquiry investigating rural and regional health, which is sitting on Tuesday in Wellington in the state's central west (stock image)

Dr Iannuzzi also said the four hospitals in his shire did not have blood supplies, a problem which doctors had raised for many years (stock image)

Labor health spokesman Ryan Park said the stories were 'all too common' in regional Australia.

'The health inquiry is shining a light on the appalling conditions our vital health staff are experiencing day in, day out,' he said in a statement.

'We must make these workplaces safe. Access to quality healthcare should be a given in NSW.'

More than 700 people have made submissions to the inquiry.
A call for information from the public helped police solve a 'puzzle' when two people were arrested this morning and charged with one count each of murder in the violent death of a personal trainer.

The arrests follow an investigation in which the man, 42, and woman, 40, had spoken to police a number of times and offered assistance 'to a point' in relation to the death of Mark Carson on April 3.

Queensland Police had last week made a renewed call for any information about the death of Mr Carson, 58, leading to the execution of a search warrant at a Maryborough residence.

A man and a woman known to Mr Carson were arrested in connection with his violent death

Police believe Mr Carson died hours before they received the emergency call

The 42-year-old man is taken into custody at Maryborough Police Station, Queensland

The 40-year-old woman under arrest. She and the man arrested were known to Mr Carson

Police allege the pair were involved in an altercation with Mr Carson, a personal trainer and volunteer firefighter, during which he sustained fatal injuries.

In the early days of the investigation, police said Mr Carson died from a severe wound he suffered in a physical fight with the pair at his Pacific Haven residence, near Hervey Bay.

'We hope todays arrests bring some closure to Mark Carsons family,' Detective Senior Sergeant David Harbison, Officer-in-Charge of the Maryborough CIB, said. He acknowledged that critical information provided by the local community had helped bring about the arrests.

Detectives had previously described the investigation into Mr Carson's death as a 'puzzle'.

Officers found his body after the 42-year-old man called triple zero at 12:08pm on Saturday, April 3.

Police believe Mr Carson might have died hours before that call was made, having established that the couple arrived at the home about 8am.

Detectives had earlier called for information from anyone who saw the couple's light blue four-door 2011 Hyundai Accent sedan near Mr Carson's home between 8am and about midday.

Police earlier released a CCTV photo of the couple's light blue four-door 2011 Hyundai Accent sedan near Mr Carson's home in the quest for more information

Mr Carson's UK relatives had posted a number of online tributes to the volunteer firie

A number of Mr Carson's UK relatives had earlier posted tributes to Mr Carson on Facebook.

'My beautiful brother, I will love you for always my heart is breaking. RIP Lion Heart,' wrote his sister Loretta.

'My amazing, gentle and big-hearted brother,' wrote Donna Carson, another sister. 'I will not rest until the evil people that did this to you are brought to justice. I hope you're now at peace. Forever in our hearts and thoughts. Love you.'

The man and woman are expected to appear in Maryborough Magistrates Court tomorrow.
Four men arrested after anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car in North London in videos shared on social media were today released on bail.

The incident in St John's Wood on Sunday afternoon received cross-party criticism, with the Prime Minister condemning it as 'shameful racism' with 'no place' in society.

A convoy of cars covered with Palestinian flags was filmed passing along Finchley Road with passengers heard to shout offensive language and threats against Jews.

The passengers allegedly yelled: 'F*** the Jews... F*** all of them. F*** their mothers, f*** their daughters and show your support for Palestine. Rape their daughters and we have to send a message like that. Please do it for the poor children in Gaza.'

Detectives traced the car to the A40 in Hillingdon, with the police helicopter deployed and the car stopped at about 6.30pm the same day.

Do you know the men? Contact rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Four men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences and were taken into custody at a police station in West London.

While there, they were also arrested in connection with what police described as a 'similar incident' on the same day at 1.35am in Salford, Greater Manchester.

Scotland Yard said all four men have since been 'released on bail pending further enquiries in relation to both incidents'.

The incident comes after thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to the gates of the Israeli embassy.

Protests also took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car in North London on Sunday afternoon

Thousands of Palestinians have had to flee their homes after a week of sustained conflict.

Since Monday last week, Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, whose military responded by barraging the Gaza Strip with tank fire and air strikes.

Metropolitan Police Superintendent Jo Edwards, in charge of investigation into the video, said: 'This behaviour was utterly shocking and will not be tolerated.

'I understand that this would have caused considerable concern within the community and we have arranged extra patrols in the St John's Wood and Golders Green areas this evening.'

The act in St John's Wood in North London on Sunday afternoon received cross-party criticism

And Mr Johnson said: 'There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society.

'Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain's Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as 'utterly disgusting'.

'Anti-Semitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society,' he said. There must be consequences.'

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators wave flags as they stage a protest in London on Sunday. There is no suggestion that those pictured were involved in the suspected race-hate incident

Mike Freer, the MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said: 'The scenes I've witnessed in my constituency today have left me sick to my stomach.

'The blatant and open anti-Semitism on display today, deliberately targeting areas with large Jewish populations is nothing short of incitement and I have urgently raised the matter with the Home Secretary, Commissioner and Mayor.'

Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted: 'There is no place for this hatred in the UK.'

Referring to the video of the convoy, Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'This, on the streets of London, is deeply disturbing.

Police watch pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday. There is no suggestion that those pictured were involved in the suspected race-hate incident

'Vile, criminal hatred like this must not be tolerated.'

In a statement Mr Jenrick continued: 'Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there is no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim hatred.

'The incidents of anti-Semitism we have seen in recent days have been shameful.

'Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, criminal and racist.

Smokes and flames rise after airstrikes by the Israeli army hit buildings in Gaza City yesterday

'We must not tolerate this vile, shameful hate in our country. These actions must stop.'

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: 'We are deeply concerned for the safety of British Jews. We are grateful for the allyship of those who have spoken up for us but alarmed by the incitement that drowns it out.'

The Met added that officers also engaged with protesters at a planned demonstration in Whitehall during the afternoon.

It said the event occurred peacefully and concluded without any arrests.

Do you know the men? Contact rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
Convicted Russell Street bomber Craig Minogue has been ordered to stand trial over the abduction and rape of two teenage girls in the 1980s.

Minogue and Peter Michael Komiazyk - who was acquitted of any part in the 1986 bombing - have both pleaded not guilty to 38 charges including abduction by force and rape of the women, aged 18 and 19, in November 1985 and March 1986.

The second incident occurred on the eve a deliberate car bomb explosion outside the then Victoria Police headquarters, which killed Constable Angela Taylor and injured 21 others.

Magistrate Carolyn Burnside said she believed there was sufficient evidence to convict the Minogue and Komiazyk of the rapes and ordered they stand trial in Victoria's County Court.

Russell Street bomber Craig Minogue (left) and Peter Michael Komiazyk (right) - who was acquitted of any part in the 1986 bombing - have both pleaded not guilty to 38 charges including abduction by force and rape of the women

Craig Minogue and Stanley Taylor bombed the Victoria Police headquarters on Russell Street on March 27, 1986 which killed policewoman Angela Taylor

While Komiazyk's barrister Malcolm Thomas estimated it could take up to six weeks, Minogue's barrister Bruce Walmsley wants the case against his client to be permanently discontinued.

Prosecutors allege both women were abducted off streets in Melbourne's South Yarra and Nunawading, taken to another location and raped by multiple people including Minogue and Komiazyk.

They allege a third rapist was Stan Taylor. He died in 2016 while serving a life sentence over the bombing.

DNA forms part of the evidence against the men but during a committal hearing the court heard DNA was not at the forefront of forensic investigators' minds in the 1980s.

Minogue's defence team also want his police interview cut from the case against him, accusing police of using 'dishonest trickery' to get Minogue to participate, by telling him DNA did not form part of the evidence.

They also suggest police and prosecutors formed a view as early as 1986 that Minogue was responsible for the alleged offending, despite not charging him until mid-2019.

Police constable Angela Taylor died during the Russell Street bombing when she was just 21

A cold case detective said one of the original investigators told her they had suspected the 'Russell Street bombers' were connected to the rapes, while one of the complainants allegedly told a friend she felt she had received victims compensation as 'hush money' so police could focus on the bombing case and not be distracted by the rape claims.

On Tuesday Mr Walmsley noted Minogue had also been advised of the process if he was to offer an alibi, describing it as an 'absurdity' to suggest that Minogue might be in a position to do so having only learned of the allegations more than 35 years later.

Minogue is currently serving a life sentence and while he was granted a non-parole period which has expired, Victorian laws were changed in 2016 to ensure he could never be released.

Detective Tony Benham told the court on Tuesday that he had never been told to 'hurry up' the investigation into the rapes because of what was happening politically regarding Minogue at the time.

Komiazyk will remain on bail subject to a $50,000 surety and a requirement he report to police.
The Australian Defence Force's new Joint Strike Fighter has hit the skies above the Northern Territory for the first large-scale air combat training exercise since the COVID pandemic hit.

About a dozen Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters - worth $140million each - made the trek to the Top End, along with 40 other aircraft and over 500 Defence personnel, for the month-long exercise.

'Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21 marks the first opportunity the F-35 has had to deploy domestically inside Australia,' No. 3 Squadron Commanding Officer Matthew Harper told reporters on Tuesday.

'It's also the first opportunity we've had to drop a large number of bombs from that aircraft.'

The Australian Defence Force's new Joint Strike Fighter has hit the skies above the Northern Territory for the first large-scale air combat training exercise since the COVID pandemic hit

About a dozen Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters - worth $140million each - made the trek to the Top End, along with 40 other aircraft (pictured US military jets)

Wing Commander Harper said the NT was a perfect location for the exercise and would give various RAAF squadrons the opportunity to work together to plan missions and execute them.

'It's overland, the airspace is really large and an amazing opportunity to spread and practise our operations in a contested environment,' he said.

'It also has some fantastic range facilities, which Defence has spent a lot of money improving over the last few years.'

Wing Commander Harper, who is the commanding officer of Australia's first F-35A squadron, said the supersonic fighter was an amazing aircraft.

'Firstly, it's a stealth platform which makes it quite difficult for the adversary systems to detect us,' he said.

'Secondly, it has some amazing avionics, which when integrated together provide a remarkable picture for the pilots to use when fighting and share across the battlespace.'

RAAF Base Tindal's No. 75 Squadron will retire its F/A-18A Hornets at the end of 2021 and these will be replaced with the F-35A

Other aircraft deployed to the exercise include the F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F/A-18A/B Hornet, Hawk 127, C-130J Hercules, C-17A Globemaster, C-27J Spartan, KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, and E-7A Wedgetail.

No. 3 Squadron is normally headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle in NSW.

It's the first of four F-35A squadrons expected to be flying in the skies above Australia by 2023.

RAAF Base Tindal's No. 75 Squadron will retire its F/A-18A Hornets at the end of 2021 and these will be replaced with the F-35A.
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Footage has revealed the moment a Hamas 'suicide submarine' drone was obliterated by an Israeli airstrike - and the crew operating it were 'neutralised' in their car - as bombardments on Gaza continue despite US calls for ceasefire.

Video taken from the air by Israeli aircraft on Monday shows two missiles smashing into the drone submarine and a huge explosion erupting in the shallow waters close to a tower block in northern Gaza.

Another piece of aerial footage then shows a car being tracked by overhead cross hairs before it is rocked by a blast which brings it to a swift and fiery halt. The IDF said the militants inside had launched the autonomous submarine.

Photographs of the car later showed its roof ripped open in a pattern which suggests a six-bladed 'ninja' missile was fired. The missiles are designed to cut through cars, killing targets with minimal collateral damage.

The Israeli Defence Forces did not specify what Hamas were planning to target with their explosive-laden submarine but they have previously fired rockets at naval vessels and oil rigs in the Mediterranean.

The vessels can be armed with up to 70 pounds of explosives and GPS tracking is used to direct them towards targets.

'The submarine that was attacked was launched from the shore in Gaza,' the military said. 'It went a few meters deep and was directed at a target, which could have been an Israeli beach or Israel Navy boats.'

The IDF announced 65 Hamas targets were hit by air strikes last night as Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to 'continue striking the terrorists' despite Joe Biden's calls for ceasefire amid a rising civilian death toll.

A total of 212 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, since the conflict started last Monday. The IDF says that figure includes 120 members of Hamas and 25 members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Ten Israeli civilians, including a child, have been killed in rocket fire from the Strip.

The IDF last night said it blasted through more of 'The Metro', the militants' underground network of tunnels and bunkers which are used as hideouts and for shipping weapons underneath the densely populated city.

Meanwhile Hamas fired 70 rockets - most of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.

At least two Israelis were killed and several more were seriously injured on Tuesday after a rocket from Gaza struck a factory in southern Israel - following several hours of relative calm this morning.

Video taken from the air by Israeli aircraft shows two missiles smashing into the vessel in quick succession as a huge explosion erupts in shallow waters close to a tower block in northern Gaza

Footage shows smoke billowing beside the Mediterranean after the missile strike

Another piece of aerial footage then shows a car being tracked by overhead cross hairs before it is rocked by a blast which brings it to a swift and fiery halt. The IDF said the militants inside had launched the autonomous submarine

Photographs of the car later showed its roof ripped open in a pattern which suggests a six-bladed 'ninja' missile was fired. The missiles are designed to cut through cars, killing targets with minimal collateral damage

Palestinian firefighters douse a huge fire at the Foamco mattress factory following an Israeli airstrike, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip

Explosions light-up the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shell the Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Tuesday

A Palestinian woman stands next to an unexploded bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 warplane on Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood

Palestinians sit among the rubble of their home that was destroyed during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Tuesday

Palestinian firefighters inspect the remains of a destroyed residential building targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday

Palestinians carry the body of Obaida Jawabreh, killed a day earlier during clashes with Israeli soldiers, at his funeral in al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron city in the the occupied West Bank

Smoke and flames are seen following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City on Tuesday

Rockets are launched towards Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on Monday evening. The IDF said that 70 were fired last night

Air strike sinks Hamas 'suicide submarine' The Israeli Air Force has destroyed a 'suicide submarine' which was being launched into the Mediterranean in northern Gaza. The autonomous submersible was still close to the shore when the missile rained down and sank it on Monday. Moments later a second 'ninja' missile was dropped on the car of militants who were seen driving away after launching the vessel. The submarines, capable of carrying up to 70 pounds of explosives and guided by GPS technology, are suspected of attempted attacks on Israeli oil rigs and naval assets. Video footage released by the IDF showed both the strike on the submarine in the water and the assassination of the militants in their car shortly afterwards. The IDF did not specify what the drone submarine was targeting but simply said it was aimed towards the State of Israel's maritime territory.' Israel's naval vessels have been targeted by Hamas rocket fire in the past, as well as the Tamar oil rig which was drained of fuel last week as a precaution. Tamar is just 14 miles off the coast of the southern city of Ashkelon which has been pummelled by Hamas rocket fire. The Israeli Navy says it has been successful in thwarting any attempts by Hamas to attack them in the water. 'The most significant thing, as in all of the IDF, is denying [the enemy] capabilities and establishing a strong defence. Therefore, we have attacked bases, vessels, weapons warehouses, infrastructure and operatives. We have acted so that the naval arms of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas would be depressed,' the head of the Israeli Navy Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit told reporters on Sunday. Advertisement

The two dead are both foreign men in their 30s who worked at the factory that was hit, Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service said, while seven others were hurt - some of them seriously.

The factory was hit during a late-afternoon rocket salvo fired from Gaza that came after a six-hour lull in the bombardment. Another building in Ashdod was hit, though it was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt.

Israel responded by launching airstrikes on rocket launchers in northern Gaza which it said had been used in the attack. It is unclear if anyone was killed in those attacks.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz today repeated his vow to 'bring about complete and long-term calm' in Gaza, saying the IDF has 'thousands' more targets to strike and 'no person, area or neighborhood in Gaza is immune.'

It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu last-night defied Joe Biden's calls for a ceasefire, saying that Israel will 'continue striking at the terrorist targets'.

But despite their breakthroughs against Hamas, Israel faces a growing crisis on three fronts, with an internal battle to quell unrest among Palestinians in the West Bank, and to prevent rocket attacks by terrorists in neighbouring Lebanon.

Rocket fire from the northern border has increased in recent days amid resentment for the air strikes on Hamas.

Terror groups in Lebanon such as Hezbollah back Hamas' efforts against Israel.

Six rockets were fired from Lebanon late last night but fell short of the border fence, according to the IDF. The military said they responded with an artillery barrage.

The rockets triggered warning sirens and residents near the northern border were warned to stay inside bomb shelters. No injuries were reported.

Airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza today toppled a six-story building that housed libraries and educational centres belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of concrete slabs. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.

Israel warned the building's residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness, and there were no reports of casualties. Israel typically says such buildings also house militant infrastructure.

'The whole street started running, then destruction, an earthquake,' said Jamal Herzallah, a resident of the area. 'This whole area was shaking.'

Late Monday, strikes had knocked out Gaza's only Covid-19 testing laboratory and damaged the office of the Qatari Red Crescent.

The rate of positive coronavirus tests in Gaza has been among the highest in the world, at 28 percent.

Hospitals in the poverty-stricken territory, which has been under Israeli blockade for almost 15 years, have been overwhelmed by patients.

Gaza resident Roba Abu al-Awf, 20, said she expected a rough night.

'We have nothing to do but sit at home,' she said. 'Death could come at any moment - the bombing is crazy and indiscriminate.'

Israeli fire on Gaza has cratered roads and battered crucial infrastructure, causing blackouts and prompting the electricity authority to warn yesterday it only had enough fuel left to provide power for another two to three days.

The conflict risks precipitating a humanitarian disaster, with the UN saying nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced and 2,500 have lost their homes.

Palestinian militants have fired around 3,350 rockets toward Israel in the heaviest exchange of fire in years.

Hamas has threatened more rocket strikes on Tel Aviv if bombing of residential areas does not stop.

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled.

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a house destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike on Tuesday

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building which was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City

A block of flats destroyed during an Israeli air strike in the early hours of Tuesday

Palestinian demonstrators burn tires during a protest against the tension in Jerusalem and the Israeli-Gaza fighting, on May 17, 2021 in the occupied West Bank, near the settlement of Beit El next to Ramallah

Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has so far vowed to press on.

With no end in sight to the fighting, Palestinians in Israel, east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank observed a general strike on Tuesday.

It was a rare show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 per cent its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state of their own. Life had already ground to a halt in Gaza when the fighting began.

The strike was intended to protest the Gaza war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians the rights afforded to Jews.

Israel rejects that characterisation, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence across the region.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike, and protests were expected.

Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organisers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a 'collective position' against Israel's 'aggression' in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the 'brutal repression' by police across Israel.

People look at an unexploded missile thrown by Israel in al-Rimal neighborhood as Israeli warplanes continue to carry out airstrikes

Palestinian workers clean up the rubble and attempt to repair infrastructures damaged in Israeli air raids in Gaza City on Tuesday

Smoke and flames are seen following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City May 18

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City on Tuesday

Thick black smoke rises from an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it fired at 65 militant targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters and the homes of Hamas commanders that the army said were being used for military purposes. It said more than 60 fighter jets took part in the operation.

The military said it also shot down a drone 'approaching the Israeli border' in the northeast, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but it's possible the drone came from Syria.

The military said Palestinian militants fired 90 rockets, 20 of which fell short into Gaza. Israel says its missile defences have intercepted about 90 per cent the rockets.

Israel's strikes have brought down several buildings and caused widespread damage in the narrow coastal territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

The attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and entirely destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organisation said in a new report. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

It said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered the movement of ambulances and supply vehicles.

Over 41,000 displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in U.N. schools in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak. Gaza is also running low on fuel for its electricity supply and water.

Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signalled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

'We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with top security officials on Monday .

The Hezbollah and Palestinian flags are flown at the Israeli border as an Israel flag is burned during a protest in Maroun Al-Ras village, near the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon

Palestinian firefighters attempt to put out a blaze at a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday

Flames rip through a warehouse belonging to a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip early on Monday

Israel has defied international calls for a ceasefire and continues to bombard targets within Gaza today

Palestinians inspect damaged building after airstrikes by Israeli army hit buildings in Gaza City

The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticise Israel's part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region.

On Monday, the United States again blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to 'the crisis related to Gaza' and the protection of civilians, especially children.

Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas' militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israel.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 160 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were 'eliminated.'

Israel's airstrikes have levelled a number of Gaza City's tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting that.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated the organisation's call for an independent investigation into the attack.

'As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike,' he said in a statement. 'We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know.'

Does Israel have its own 'ninja missiles'? Precision strike that killed Hamas 'terrorist' but left his car largely intact sparks speculation that IDF has weapon similar to six-bladed US rocket

By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline

A bombed-out car in the Gaza Strip has sparked speculation that Israel has developed its own version of America's six-bladed 'ninja missiles'.

The car - a while Citroen Xsara - was blown up in a strike by the Israeli air force on Tuesday to the west of Gaza City in an attack the IDF said targeted operatives of a Hamas 'suicide submarine'.

Video of the strike, released by the IDF, shows the driver's side of the car being struck by a missile which blows out the windows and doors but otherwise leaves the vehicle intact as it rolls to a stop on a nearby roundabout.

The pattern of damage is similar, though not identical to, damage caused by R9X 'ninja missiles' - dud Hellfire rockets that use a combination of sheer force and six long blades to shred targets and have been used by the US in Lybia, Syria and Iraq.

That has raised questions over whether the Israeli military, with its strong ties to the US, has been able to develop its own version of the missile.

A precision strike on what the IDF described as a Hamas terrorist involved in a 'suicide submarine' attack killed the man, but left his car largely intact

The pattern of damage, similar to that seen in CIA and Pentagon strikes using 'ninja missiles', has sparked speculation that the IDF has developed a similar weapon

The strike blew out the car's windows, doors and roof, but without destroying the vehicle and left two cars parked nearby with only moderate damage

'Ninja missile' strikes - often against vehicles - are distinctive because the car typically remains intact with only a small hole or holes caused by the missile.

The hole itself is often star shaped because the uses six blades that extend from the sides of the rocket to slice through its target - hence its nickname.

Because the missile's warhead is inert - meaning non-explosive - targeted vehicles usually do not show signs of blast damage, such as blown-out windows or doors.

That is not the case with the strike in Gaza, since the car's roof, front doors and boot have clearly been bent outwards by a small explosion.

Two parked vehicles that were close to the strike also had their windows either fully or partially blown out with the force, with shrapnel damage visible across their bodywork and tyres blown out.

IDF footage also shows a small explosion partially destroying the vehicle.

But the damage is far less extensive than would be expected from a strike using a conventional missile, which has caused speculation online.

IDF footage of the strike shows the car drive off down the street before the missile strikes, after which it rolls to a stop at a roundabout

Footage captured by Palestinian media showed people rushing to help the car's occupant after the blast, though it is thought the sole occupant was killed

Kyle Glen, an open-source intelligence analyst and co-founder of the Twitter feed Conflict News, wrote: '1 killed after an airstrike targeted a car in Western Gaza. Impressive precision.

'Reminds me of the R9X strikes in Syria but as far as I know, Israel do not possess them.'

Coupsure, another open-source intelligence Twitter feed in French, added to the speculation, writing: 'It is interesting to note that there is very little damage in the surroundings.

'I think they used a missile similar to the R9X or a missile with a very small explosive charge.'

MailOnline has reached out to the Israeli defence ministry but had not received a response prior to publication.

The R9X, a modified version of the better-known Hellfire missile, was developed during Obama's presidency amid concerns over the number of civilians being killed in drone strike campaigns in the Middle East.

The R9X is a modified version of the precision Hellfire missile which carries a non-explosive warhead filled with 45kg of metal and six ejecting blades designed to shred its target

Strikes using ninja missiles are distinctive because they leave vehicles intact with star-shaped damage marks caused by the blades (pictured, a 'ninja missile' attack in Syria in 2020)

The first known attack using a R9X missile was to kill deputy leader of Al-Qaeda Abu Khayr al-Masri in February 2017 (above)

It was also developed in response to tactics by terrorists who took to hiding among women and children in the hopes they would not be targeted.

The weapon consists of a typical Hellfire missile with its laser targeting system, but with the explosive warhead replaced by 45kg of metal designed to crush the target.

Six blades are also hidden in the missile's fuselage which extend moments before it strikes the target, allowing it to shred through vehicles.

Under development since 2011, the first known use of the missile was in 2017 to kill the deputy leader of Al-Qaeda, Abu Khayr al-Masri in Syria.

It was used in a number of other strikes that year across Libya, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, and again in 2019 in Afghanistan.

The aim of the weapon - also known as the 'Flying Ginsu' after a famous brand of knives - is to be able to kill a terrorist target in a car without harming the driver, or to kill someone at the dinner table without harming others sitting with them.

Obama had reportedly considered using an R9X to kill Osama Bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011 - though he eventually decided to send in a Navy SEAL team instead.
George Eustice and Liz Truss are locked in an 'absolutely ferocious' row over the UK's post-Brexit trade deal with Australia amid fears it could result in the 'slow death of British farming'.

The Environment Secretary and the International Trade Secretary are reportedly split on whether to grant Australian farmers tariff-free access to the UK.

Mr Eustice is against the move because of the damage cheap Australian lamb and beef imports could do to domestic farmers.

But allies of Ms Truss are insistent a deal with Australia would not damage the UK's farming industry due to the size of the market and its geographic location on the other side of the world.

They said that if the UK cannot agree to terms with a like-minded nation like Australia 'we may as well pack it all in and shut up shop'.

Mr Eustice this morning refused to be drawn on the Cabinet dispute but said there is a 'balance to be struck' in all trade deals and the accord with Australia must be 'on the right terms'.

UK farming bosses have warned allowing zero-tariff access would 'make life unbearable for small British family farms' and the only way to compete with large-scale Australian ranches would be to 'lower our standards' and 'turn our backs on the iconic British countryside'.

Downing Street moved to assuage concerns this afternoon as it said any deal 'will include protections for the agriculture industry and wont undercut UK farmers or compromise our high standards'.

George Eustice and Liz Truss are locked in an 'absolutely ferocious' row over the UK's post-Brexit trade deal with Australia amid fears it could result in the 'slow death of British farming'

Mr Eustice and Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, are reportedly opposing granting zero-tariff access to Australian farmers, according to the Financial Times.

There are fears in Whitehall that allowing cheap imports from Australia would spark a furious backlash from UK farmers.

Meanwhile, Ms Truss and the Cabinet Office minister Lord Frost, are said to be on the other side of the argument.

The UK and Australia are aiming to have finalised the broad terms of the trade deal by June, ahead of Australian PM Scott Morrison attending the G7 summit in Cornwall as a guest.

Boris Johnson is yet to make a ruling on the farming issue, with one government official telling the FT that his stance on the matter is the '$100m question'.

One person with knowledge of the Cabinet row told the newspaper: 'There is an absolutely ferocious row going on in Whitehall over the Australia deal with real pressure to get it resolved by the end of this week.'

An insider opposed to granting zero-tariff access said: 'Basically we're talking about signing off the slow death of British farming so Liz Truss can score a quick political point.'

But another official said: 'Liz argues that if you can't get a good trade deal with Australia, who can you get one with?'

Meanwhile, a government source who agrees with Ms Truss told Politico: 'If we can't do a deal with Australia  who produce high quality, high standard food and share our core beliefs  we may as well pack it all in and shut up shop.

'At the moment we're giving preferential trading terms to the EU, so why shouldn't the Aussies get something similar? It's a much smaller market than the EU, more than 9,000 miles away. An Australia deal will not damage our farming industry.'

Mr Eustice would not be drawn on the row this morning, telling Sky News: 'We think there's great opportunities, we're very keen for instance to pursue trade agreements with Australia and also with the United States and with other countries as well.

'But always in any trade agreement, yes there's a balance to be struck between your commercial interests and your desire to open up free markets.'

Asked if zero-tariff access to the UK market for Australian farmers could harm the interests of domestic farmers, Mr Eustice said: 'There are huge amounts of things that a country like Australia produces that are currently subject to tariffs because that is what we had in the European Union but where actually we are not even a producer and we can offer them tariff-free access in those areas, everything from nectarines to almond nuts where they are a big producer, and also of course, wine.'

Pushed on what zero-tariffs would mean in areas where both countries do produce similar goods, Mr Eustice replied: 'Well, it is a standard thing in any trade agreement where you have what are called sensitive sectors, that's particular areas where there might be economic impacts to having a trade agreement.

'There are well-established ways to manage that where you can have what is called a tariff rate quota, if you like a tariff free envelope at a set volume, so there's ways of dealing with all of these things.'

UK farmers fear they would not be able to compete with large-scale Australian cattle ranches. Cattle at auction are pictured in Dalby west of Brisbane in 2013

Asked specifically about the row with Ms Truss, Mr Eustice said: 'I'm not going to get into discussions that are going on in Government about individual trade agreements.

'In any discussion on any part of Government policy, and trade agreements are no exception, there's a discussion and there's a consensus.

'At the moment there's a very clear consensus in Government that we want to do a trade agreement with countries like Australia, but obviously on the right terms.'

He added: 'I have very good discussions with all of my Cabinet colleagues on all issues where we have got a shared agenda.'

Emily Thornberry, shadow international trade secretary, said: 'It's perfectly normal that the Australian government should try to get the best possible deal for its agricultural mega-corporations.

'But British family farmers have a right to expect that Liz Truss will do the same for them, not sell out their livelihoods for the price of a quick trade deal, and a cheap headline at the G7 summit.'

UK agriculture bosses have pointed out that cattle and sheep farming in Australia is often carried out on a much larger scale than in Britain - and to different standards.

For example, the average beef herd size in the UK is between 28 to 50 cows, according to the National Farmers' Union.

But a 2016 report published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that in northern Australia average herd size was 1,576 per farm.

The total number of sheep and lambs in the UK in 2015 was estimated at just over 33million while the Australian Bureau of Statistics put the number at 64million for Australian farms in June 2020.

The UK Farming Roundtable, which consists of 19 farming bodies from across the UK, has urged the Government to 'stand up for UK farmers in all of its negotiations'.

NFU president Minette Batters said following a meeting of the roundtable yesterday that there is a 'very real risk' that UK farming will suffer 'irreversible damage' if ministers get the trade deal wrong.

National Farmers Union president Minette Batters has warned the only way for UK family farms to compete with zero tariff imports would be to slash food standards and 'turn our backs on the iconic British countryside'

She said: 'The British government faces a choice. It must recognise that opening up zero tariff trade on all imports of products such as beef and lamb means British farming, working to its current high standards, will struggle to compete.

'Does Government lower standards here, which it says it won't and a million people who signed our petition don't want to see, or will it watch family farms go out of business when they are unable to compete?'

Ms Batters wrote in the Mail on Sunday that negotiators from Australia 'are sticking firm to their hardline demands for the complete removal of tariffs on all their exports to the UK'.

'This would make life unbearable for small British family farms, which, remember, must respect British laws governing high farm standards,' she said.

'It will be all but impossible to compete with vast volumes of imports from the southern hemisphere produced in a very different manner.

'Not unless we lower our standards to compete with them  and turn our backs on the iconic British countryside.'

Ms Batters said family-run farms must not be thrown 'under the bus' by the Government.

She said slashing standards would mean 'waving goodbye to the green undulations of North Yorkshire' and replacing that with 'massive feed lots and soulless ranches processing tens of thousands of cattle at a time'.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said at lunchtime that the Government is 'united in wanting to secure an ambitious free trade deal with Australia that benefits businesses across the UK'.

He added: Any agreement will include protections for the agriculture industry and wont undercut UK farmers or compromise our high standards.

Asked directly whether Mr Johnson favours granting zero-tariff access, the spokesman said: Negotiations are ongoing on the trade deal with Australia so I am not going to preempt the outcome of the talks.
A shocking map shows the brutal reality of Australia's soaring property market, with just six suburbs across Sydney accessible for buyers with a 20 per cent deposit up to $100,000.

New data from Aussie Home Loans' suburb spotter map has revealed where prospective homeowners can buy based on their deposit size and median property prices.

Sydneysiders with a smaller nest egg are limited to homes in the western outskirts as the Australian dream slips away from thousands of young people amid climbing property prices.

While the Harbour City boasts more than 600 suburbs, Austral, Airds, Blackett, Bidwill, Box Hill and Willmont - all more than 40km from the CBD- are the only post codes where buyers can snatch up a home with a down payment up to six figures.

The suburb spotter map, created by Aussie Home Loans, has revealed there are only six suburbs in Sydney (highlighted in purple) where buyers can snatch up a property with a 20 per cent deposit of $100,000 or less

The six suburbs left where you can buy a house with a $100k nest egg Austral Airds Blackett Bidwill Box Hill Willmont Advertisement

Prospects are better in Melbourne, where property seekers with $100,000 in the bank have the option of buying in 10 suburbs, including Wyndham Vale, Rockbank, Dallas Meadow Heights and Coolaroo.

Location choices increase significantly across Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, which all have many more suburbs that are affordable with the same deposit.

But you will need to keep saving if you are looking to buy in Canberra, where no homes are available for a deposit of $100,000 or less.

According to the research, more one in two Australian property buyers feel unsure how to approach their property goals, while over half feel stuck due to market pressure.

Despite the bleak market conditions, 80 per cent of those surveyed felt optimistic about entering the market in 2021 compared to last year.

David Smith, CEO Lending at Aussie Home Loans, said many buyers are confused and overwhelmed about how to enter the market.

'In today's property market, its easy to be intimidated by the big numbers you see on property listings - so we wanted to show Australians the tangible numbers of what it takes to get you to your goal. We think its important to show buyers what a deposit of five, 10, 15, or 20 per cent could get you on the map,' he told news.com.au.

'With two in three aspiring buyers missing out on properties because the market was too competitive, and over half not knowing what suburbs they can afford to buy in, and two in five confused about the current house prices in their desired suburb, the current housing boom is creating a form of "progress paralysis" amongst many Australians.'

Austral, Airds, Blackett, Bidwill, Box Hill (pictured) and Willmont are the only postcodes in Sydney where home buyers will need a deposit less than six figures

Although the market conditions are disheartening, Mr Smith buyers can best position themselves to snap up a bargain if they are prepared.

'According to our research, two in three property buyers are missing out on properties because they were not ready with a pre-approval. When you do find a home, having finance pre-approved leaves you free to focus on price negotiations  rather than juggling the stress of finding a suitable home loan at the same time,' he said.

The Westpac bank is expecting capital city house prices to surge by 15 per cent in 2021 before slowing to 5 per cent in 2022.

Sydney and Melbourne house prices were tipped to fall by 1 per cent in 2023 as affordability issues turned younger buyers off getting into real estate.

'Some moderation is likely, particularly as affordability becomes more stretched for owner occupiers,' Westpac economists Bill Evans and Andrew Hassan said.

'Deteriorating affordability will become a more binding constraint for owner occupiers as prices rise.'

A fall in prices means borrowers are left in a situation known as negative equity where they owe the bank more than their home is worth.

In Melbourne, there are 10 suburbs where buyers can secure a home with the same desposit. Pictured: Austral

While unemployment has fallen to 5.6 per cent, borrowers who relied on their parents to service a mortgage could struggle if their working hours fell or their mum and dad went through a costly divorce and were no longer able to help them.

Ms Megginson said first-home buyers worried about missing out needed to be mindful of prices eventually falling again.

'We had a boom in Sydney a few years ago and there was similar panic from first home buyers that they need to buy now or they'd miss out,' she said.

'But after the boom came a correction where prices moderated and in some areas, they even fell.'

Between 2017 and 2019, Sydney's median house price fell by 15 per cent after the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority imposed stricter rules on investor and interest-only loans in a bid to cool an overheating market.

Top 10 least affordable Aussie suburbs on the map ranked by median dwelling values 1. Longueville, Lane Cove - $3,641,690 2. Dover Heights, Waverley- $3,242,502 3.Clontarf, Northern Beaches - $3,164,193 4. Palm Beach, Northern Beaches - $3,055,580 5. Bringelly, Liverpool - $3,034,600 6. Balgowlah Heights, Northern Beaches - $3,009,225 7. Castlecrag, Willoughby - $3,008,90 8. Northbridge, Willougby - $2,933,663 9. Vaucluse, Waverley - $2,786,127 10. Hunters Hill - $2,748,552 Advertisement
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Fifty Indian doctors have died from coronavirus in a single day as the country continues to fight an alarming second wave of infections and deaths.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that 244 doctors had lost their lives to Covid-19 so far this year, with 50 dying on Sunday.

The figures, published on Tuesday, came as the India reported a record 4,329 fatalities in the last 24 hours and concern spreads across the world about a variant of coronavirus originating from the country that is believed to be more infectious.

Scientists on Britain's SAGE advisory panel say there is a 'realistic possibility' that the B.1.617.2 variant is 50% more infectious, and it is fueling fears of a third wave in that country after being imported from India.

And although India's cases rate is starting to fall, with 23,533 new cases registered today, bringing the total number of infections recorded since the pandemic to more than 25million, the number of death is set to keep climbing for some time.

While the number of new daily infections remains high, Tuesday's figures followed a trend of falling cases after infections dipped below 300,000 for the first time in weeks a day earlier.

Active cases decreased by more than 165,000 on Tuesday - the biggest dip in weeks. But deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still swamped by patients.

India has recorded nearly 280,000 virus deaths since the pandemic began last spring. Both the number of deaths and total reported cases are thought to be vast undercounts.

On Monday evening, the former president of the IMA, Dr KK Aggarwal died after 'a lengthy battle with Covid-19,' according to a post from his Twitter account.

Nearly 1,000 Indian doctors have died since the pandemic began last spring, the ITA said.

This is thought to represent only a portion of the total number of Indian doctors likely to have died from coronavirus as the IMA only records deaths among its 350,000 members. India has more than 1,200,000 doctors, according to NDTV.

On Tuesday, India reported a record 4,329 fatalities in the last 24 hours

Some 23,533 new cases were registered on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections recorded since the pandemic to more than 25million

Fifty Indian doctors have died from coronavirus in a single day as the country struggles with a punishing second wave of infections and deaths. Pictured: A crematorium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha state

On Tuesday, India reported a record 4,329 fatalities in the last 24 hours. Pictured: Family members pay their last repects to a relative in New Delhi

Concerns are mounting over a new variant that t may spread more easily but India has lagged behind in conducting the testing needed to track and better understand it. Pictured: Testing in Jaipur, Rajasthan

The IMA said that many doctors are yet to be vaccinated and are made increasingly vulnerable to catching the virus due to overwork.

Rural officials have warned that 'entire families' have been wiped out by the disease, with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages saying the extent of the devastation in rural communities is not being properly recorded.

Bloomberg reported that in Basi, a village about 1.5hours from the capital, New Delhi, about three-quarters of its 5,400 people have coronavirus and more than 30 have died in the last three weeks.

There are no health care facilities, doctors or oxygen canisters.

In the eastern state of Bihar last week, some 70 bodies of coronavirus victims were found floating in the Ganges River, while crematoriums around the country are struggling to cope with the number of corpses.

Some 23,533 new cases were registered on Tuesday, which brings total number of infections recorded since the pandemic to more than 25million. Pictured: Family members pay their respects to a relative who died from coronavirus in New Delhi

On Monday evening, the former president of the IMA, Dr KK Aggarwal died after 'a lengthy battle with Covid-19,' according to a post from his Twitter account

Rajesh Sharma, who owns a travel company in the Hindu pilgrimage city of Ujjan told Bloomberg that both the federal and Madhya Pradesh state governments 'have failed us all'.

'India had a full year to prepare, but except for sending vaccines out of the country for personal credit and glory nothing much was done,' he said.

'There are no hospital beds, no medicines. People have been left to die. In Ujjain and around, entire families died in the last two weeks.'

The government announced on Monday that 17 new labs will help to track variants, boosting India's genome sequencing abilities as concern grows over a potentially worrisome variant first detected in the country.

The variant may spread more easily but the country has lagged behind in conducting the testing needed to track and better understand it.

The variant first identified in India has prompted global concern - most notably in the United Kingdom, where it has more than doubled in a week, defying a sharp nationwide downward trend in infections.

The government announced on Monday that 17 new labs will help to track variants, boosting India's genome sequencing abilities as concern grows over a potentially worrisome variant first detected in the country. Pictured: Rows of beds inside a makeshift Covid-19 isolation centre in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir

While the number of new daily infections remains high, Tuesday's figures followed a trend of falling cases after infections dipped below 300,000 for the first time in weeks a day earlier. Pictured: A crematorium in New Delhi

Active cases decreased by more than 165,000 on Tuesday - the biggest dip in weeks. But deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still swamped by patients. Pictured: Crematorium workers in New Delhi

India's health crisis has been complicated by a powerful cyclone in one of the states where Covid-19 is spreading most quickly.

Tests were administered to 200,000 people evacuated from coastal districts of the western state of Gujarat before the cyclone struck late on Monday and efforts were being made to try to limit any spread of infections.

'Masks have been arranged for people shifted to shelter homes,' said Sandip Sagale, a top official in Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat.

'Efforts are also being made to maintain social distancing.'

Vaccinations were suspended in the state for two days, while hospitals awaited back-up generators to keep power running and additional oxygen supplies.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said oxygen manufacturing and distribution was not disrupted.

India's health crisis has been complicated by a powerful cyclone in one of the states where Covid-19 is spreading most quickly. Pictured: Indian policemen help others to cross a flooded street in Mumbai

Out of the more than 1,400 hospitals designated for treating COVID-19, power failures were reported in 16, and restored in 12, while the remaining four moved to back-up generators.

India pummeled by cyclone Cyclone Tauktae bore down on India on Monday, disrupting the nation's urgent response to its devastating Covid-19 outbreak. At least 16 people have died since Tauktae, the biggest cyclone to hit western India in 20 years according to local media, triggered gale-force winds, torrential rains and high tidal waves along the Karnataka, Kerala and Goa coasts. The storm has weakened somewhat after making landfall on Monday but continues to disrupt coronavirus care in several states. On Tuesday, the Indian navy said more than 90 people were missing after a barge sank off Mumbi. The navy said it had rescued 177 of the 270 people aboard and that efforts to find survivors were ongoing. Three other commercial barges are also stranded off Mumbai. Tauktae was initially classified as 'extremely severe' with windspeeds of up to 100mph when it made landfall in Gujarat state late on Monday. Advertisement

In neighbouring Maharashtra state, which was sideswiped by the cyclone on Monday, 1,000 coronavirus deaths were reported overnight - the worst toll nationwide.

The infection rate in Maharashtra has soared 15% in the last two weeks, government data showed.

The pace of vaccination in Maharashtra has fallen 30% since peaking in early April, according to data from the government's Co-WIN portal.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to more people than Brazil, rural areas have been severely hit, as healthcare systems have struggled to cope.

Incensed by scarce testing and tracing, a state court remarked on Monday the situation was turning to 'God's mercy', and hurtling towards a 'third wave'.

'If this is the state of affairs of five districts, one can guess where we are leading people of this state to, i.e. (a) third wave of the pandemic,' the state's Allahabad High Court said.

Chandrakant Lahariya, a public policy and health systems expert, said in the Hindustan Times newspaper that India's vaccine policy urgently needed a reset.

'For six weeks now, India's vaccination drive has been struggling. How long must one wait before acknowledging that what was planned is not working?

'Part of the problem seems to be the fact that there is political decision-making in the areas that are purely technical. The political leadership should give a free hand to technical experts to decide and implement new strategies.'

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday that his administration would send at least 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad by the end of June.

Biden has been under pressure to share vaccines to help contain worsening epidemics from India to Brazil, where new, more contagious coronavirus variants have become rampant.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that India is unlikely to resume major exports of coronavirus vaccines until at least October as it diverts shots for domestic use, citing three government sources.

Battling the world's biggest jump in coronavirus infections, India halted vaccine exports a month ago after donating or selling more than 66 million doses.

The move has left countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and many in Africa scrambling for alternate supplies.

The World Health Organization, which co-leads the global COVAX initiative, on Monday called on vaccine makers outside India to advance supplies to the programme given the shortfall from the South Asian country.

The sources, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to media on the subject, said India's vaccination drive will now take priority.
A beautician who claimed her BMW hire car had been hijacked in a robbery to cover up for her boyfriend's hit and run has been spared jail.

Candice Clarke, 29, from Hulme, Manchester, rang police at 4am and falsely claimed the 118i M Sport Shadow had been stolen - just 45 minutes after Billy Bowen ploughed it into an oncoming car while fleeing a police patrol in 2018.

In a bid to avoid her boyfriend being implicated over the collision, the mother-of-two said she had been sat inside the vehicle at 7am the previous morning when a man approached it and ordered her to get out before driving off.

But police became suspicious over the length of time it took Clarke to report the non-existent hijacking, detaining both her and Bowen over the crash.

Candice Clarke (pictured), 29, from Hulme, Manchester, rang police at 4am and falsely claimed the BMW hire car had been stolen - just 45 minutes after Billy Bowen's hit and run

Later in a basis of plea, Clarke said: 'We had an argument and Billy took the car.

'A short time later, he told me that he had had an accident in the vehicle and said I should report that the car was stolen. I did this knowing it was not true but I felt under pressure from him, so I did as he asked.'

At Manchester Crown Court, Clarke admitted perverting the course of justice and was handed six months imprisonment, suspended for a year.

Bowen, 29, was given a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving but was later jailed after he was caught throwing a drunken party outside his home during the first nationwide lockdown.

The scam occurred in 2018 after Clarke hired the BMW for two weeks from a car rental company at Manchester Airport and was the only named person insured to drive the vehicle.

Paul Treble, prosecuting, said: 'Police noticed it [the car] because of its erratic driving. It went through a red traffic light, and as a result, a PC driving a liveried police car put on his emergency equipment.

'The car failed to stop and at times, it was driven on the wrong side of the carriageway, and eventually as a consequence of that, collided with an on coming car.

'The other motorist appeared to be injured and the constable took the view that it was more important to go to the help of the driver than carry on pursuing the BMW which was driven away from the scene.'

Clarke (pictured outside court with her head covered next to her solicitor) admitted perverting the course of justice and was handed six months imprisonment, suspended for a year

Regarding Clarke's phone call, he said: 'The police officer had his suspicions that she wasn't telling the truth as she couldn't describe the robbery, and there was no explanation why she waited over 20 hours to tell the police what happened.

'She was warned about lying to the police but said she understood that but maintained her story and she contacted the car rental company and said that the car had been stolen in a robbery. Scientific evidence proved Billy Bowen was the driver.'

Bowen pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in October 2019, and he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, 180 hours of unpaid work and a two-year disqualification.

But in May last year he was jailed for nine months when he hurled abuse at police while holding a glass of vodka in his hand and tried to claim a gathering of 15 people in a field opposite his back gate was his 'hour's exercise.'

In mitigation for Clarke, defence counsel Roger Brown said: 'They were in a relationship for a short period. That ended, but it then entered a new phase and it was a coercive and controlling relationship.

Bowen, 29, was given a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving but was later jailed after he was caught throwing a drunken party outside his home during the first lockdown

'She did feel under pressure from him and on the day she was away from her family. Mr Bowen was angry and instructed her on what to do. She did it without thinking as it was from a background of years of being controlled by that man.

'Mercifully, the police didn't believe her but did what she was told without thinking it through. Mr Bowen is the cause of everything, but she accepts she went along with it. She knows what she has done is wrong.'

Sentencing Clarke, Judge Hilary Manley told her: 'This was an unsophisticated attempt by you to pervert the course of justice and it was doomed to fail.

'It was perhaps reported in a half-hearted way, doing what you were told by a man who was behaving in a coercive and controlling way towards you. But you went along with what he told you to do. Perverting the course of justice does strike at the heart of the criminal justice system.

'I take into account that you didn't start providing witness statements and getting yourself deeper and deeper involved and I am satisfied that at the time, you were in some form of coercive and controlling relationship.'
An innocent man has revealed how his life fell apart and he experienced suicidal thoughts after being accused of being a paedophile by a Facebook 'hunting' gang.

Darrell Edmondson, who has since been exonerated, was confronted by a group in July who broadcast the two-and-a-half-hour encounter live on the internet.

The 49-year-old, from Tunbridge Wells, was arrested by Kent Police before authorities launched an investigation.

It has since concluded he was innocent and police will not be taking any further action against him.

But Mr Edmondson said his life had already been torn apart after losing his job, friends and reputation as a result of the baseless accusations.

Darrell Edmondson (above, who did not want his face pictured), who has since been exonerated, was confronted by a group in July who broadcast the two-and-a-half-hour encounter live on the internet

Mr Edmondson, in an interview with the Kent and Sussex Courier, painstakingly explained the events which led to him being caught up in a 'nightmare' which saw him drive to Beachy Head with a plan to take his own life.

'It's one of the most stressful, painful things,' he said. 'I can't put it into words. You know how old people can't talk about the war because it's too horrific? That's how I felt about this. This is the first time I have talked about it.'

Mr Edmondson, who did not want his face pictured, said that prior to the confrontation he had joined two dating sites.

He said a woman had originally messaged him 'out of the blue' and they had texted each other in July.

At one point she had told him that she would not be in touch for a while as colleagues were 'losing their jobs' but she started messaging again on July 31 about meeting up that night - the day of the sting.

Mr Edmondson agreed despite saying that he was reluctant because he was still in his work clothes.

'The woman I had gone to meet that evening had asked me to be outside a pub at 7pm in Maidstone,' he recalled.

'I had been working all day, it was the hottest day in July, I was in my work clothes and I didn't really want to. I tried to put it off to the next day. But she said she had got her mum to look after her daughter.'

Mr Edmondson painstakingly explained the events which led to him being caught up in a 'nightmare' which saw him drive to Beachy Head (pictured) with a plan to take his own life

'I had been charging my phone at work in the office and left it. Someone said you'd better check your phone, it's been going non-stop.

'There were six or seven missed phone calls. Loads of texts. They were about wanting to meet that night.

'I thought I was meeting a woman. Why would a child talk about having colleagues laid off from work and her mum going to look after her daughter?' he said.

'Once she sent me a picture of her in lingerie - the top half. I only used a basic phone, so the quality was not that great. She texted me first. I never sent any pictures.

'I never phoned her. I never asked to meet. To be honest, I wasn't that bothered. When I get my phone back, I can show you the texts from her which were piling up.'

But Mr Edmondson said that when he arrived at the meeting point he was instead confronted by members of a 'paedophile hunting' gang.

The 49-year-old revealed how his life fell apart and he experienced suicidal thoughts after being accused of being a paedophile by a Facebook 'hunting' gang (stock image)

He said: 'When they frog-marched me to the van, there were about six or eight of them in a semi-circle, one woman, and I recognised her as the woman in that picture,' said Mr Edmonton, who said he never sent sexual-type messages.

Mr Edmondson said he felt 'relief' when the police arrived after a two-and-a-half hours' 'interrogation' at the back of the group's vehicle.

He was arrested and Kent Police confiscated Mr Edmondson's mobile phone and two tablets for investigation.

No action was taken against him by Kent Police and he was given a 'refuse to charge' sheet on March 24 this year which he now always carries with him.

Vigilantes use violence and blackmail, police warn, but their evidence is used in over HALF of prosecutions Police have previously expressed concerns about online paedophile hunters after prosecutions relying on evidence from vigilante groups soared to four a week. Senior police officers have often criticised groups who pretend to be children online in a bid to snare child sex abusers. They have even suggested they can go beyond the law and could be guilty of crimes such as blackmail, extortion and varying forms of violence. Freedom of Information data revealed the numbers of people convicted of child grooming offences increased five-fold between 2013 and 2018 from just 68 to 359. Figures also show that more than half of those prosecutions relied on evidence gathered by online paedophile hunters. According to the BBC, of the 403 people prosecuted for attempting to meet up with a child following sexual grooming in 2018 - 250 cases used hunters' evidence. Children's charities have also expressed concern they are not mindful of children's safeguarding when they carry out their stings - often streamed live on social networking sites such as Facebook. In some cases, the vigilantes have themselves been exposed as predators. Last year Paul Tong, from Bolton, was jailed after being trapped in a sting operation having sent explicit pictures and messages to an investigator posing as a 13-year-old called 'Gracie'. Advertisement

Mr Edmondson has been in communication with Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark and Facebook about the vigilante group which broadcasts its stings live via its Facebook page.

But he has also raised the malicious use of profile photos and other details which are taken by others with devastating effects.

The former van driver said that, three days after the livestream, he lost his job of 17 years in Tunbridge Wells.

He has been shunned by friends and family members as well as being shouted at in the street.

Mr Edmondson said the gang had a large A4 ring binder file full of photocopies of messages between a girl and another which had his profile picture.

'The file they showed me, I knew nothing about them. It had been going on for months. It was not me. I had never seen that person.

'It was not until that night when I opened the file, that I saw the girl's picture for the first time,' he said.

Before the incident, Mr Edmondson has worked as a van driver at the same firm for 17 years and before that for 13 years at the same company, driving across the south east surrounded by longstanding colleagues.

But, having lost his job, he is now living on benefits and does not know what the future holds.

He said: 'I'm now totally isolated. I am picking up the pieces but it's basically stolen my life.'

Mr Edmondson believes he was targeted because someone had stolen his personal details and photograph from social media.

He told the Courier he had asked the woman when she first messaged him, on which of the two dating sites she had found his number, as he wanted to check if he had in fact put his number.

She eventually answered the question, sending him the name of a site he did not recognise.

He said he entered the name of the site, which has no implications in the words it could be related to child abuse, into Google but a plain-looking page came up with no photos and a simple sign-in section.

But he said he 'just had a sense' not to proceed and never entered the site.

'I just thought, this is as far as I want to go. This is not a dating site. And if it is, I am already on two, I don't need another. It just doesn't feel right.

'I remember later when I was sitting in the cell and I sat and thought about it all night, it just felt like a set up.'

The paedophile hunting group Strike UK has since made a public apology after it targeted Mr Edmondson.

Strike UK published an apology on its Facebook page which said: 'Darrell Edmondson, Tunbridge Wells. Sting date July 31, 2020.

'We have just been informed that the person named above was set up by an unknown person and that Darrell Edmondson is innocent.

'I would like to give our sincere apology to Darrell and his family for everything and I will make full effort into resolving this.

'The police have issued a refuse to charge notice. I accept full responsibility.'

Mr Edmondson said: 'I am glad they have actually come out and apologised because from the moment that this case was closed because of no evidence, I have nothing because everything has just disappeared.'

Asked if he would take legal action against the group, which has taken down the video, he said: 'I don't know really for the simple reason I have never been in this situation before. I hope no-one has to go through it because if they are not strong enough, they could take their life.

'I contemplated it on the Sunday after it happened. I started driving to Beachy Head and the reason I didn't commit suicide is because no-one would have known the truth.

Now, everyone has seen the outcome and now the apology,' said Mr Edmondson

Asked how he would feel if people reached out to him after reading of his innocence, after previously staying away, he said: 'I would probably burst into tears, if they said "sorry, I wasn't there for you".

'It's not that people might not understand, it's just it's hard to explain. It's the biggest taboo going and it's not talked about and as soon as it comes up you were involved, even if you were totally innocent, people shy away.'

He said during his nightmare of eight months after the sting, as he waited to hear the outcome from Kent Police but knew news of the sting had reached all corners of his life, one person's approach meant the world to him.

'He just came up and said "Hello Daz, how are you?" I felt grateful. It's hard to put into words what that meant to me at that time,' he said.

Police have since warned people not to take law into their own hands.

Detective Chief Inspector Heather Thompson, who leads the county's Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: 'Keeping children safe is a top priority for Kent Police and significant resources are dedicated to tackling this issue.

'The force has specialist detectives working in the Paedophile Online Investigation Team who are trained to work in this field and have the skills and resources needed to carry out investigations in the most appropriate way. In 2020 they arrested 225 people.

'We understand that crimes involving children and sexual offences are very emotive but I would urge those who have information about alleged offences to contact us and not take the law into their own hands.

'Some people within online child activist groups are taking risks they do not understand - revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles can give them the opportunity to destroy evidence before we can investigate.

'Their actions could also jeopardise ongoing police investigations or work being carried out by undercover officers and put children at risk as groups have no way of safeguarding child victims.

'Furthermore the actions of the groups can create the need to divert significant resources towards protecting suspects, rather than investigating, and prosecuting them.

'It is also worth noting that they could wrongly accuse someone which can have a devastating impact on innocent people and their families.

'Finally, some of the people targeted by online child activist groups have had severe learning difficulties and other mental health issues and have been placed at significant risk.

'In terms of actual investigations, when dealing with these groups, the quality of evidence often makes it difficult for police to carry out their duties.

'Groups can fail to provide devices for download and do not capture evidence in the correct manner, which can undermine prosecutions.

'We have established reporting processes, such as calling 101 or 999, to raise concerns about a child being groomed, meaning there is no requirement to carry out a 'sting' and I would urge people to follow this process and work with us to protect vulnerable people.'
This is the moment a stunned family spotted five mysterious UFOs flying above the south London skyline.

Mark Banks, 38, was at his girlfriend Vicky Andrews's home near the A2 in Welling with his daughter Aimee, 13, when Vicky spotted the donut-shaped objects out of the window.

They filmed the five objects, which were round with a hole in the middle, hovering in the sky above the Sidcup area at 6.40pm yesterday.

Mark, a postman, said they watched the objects for around 10 minutes, although they might have been there longer.

He said the objects rose up and then floated into the distance. He wants an expert to look at the video to explain what they could be.

In the footage, the family are gathered by the window, watching the objects as Vicky, a 33-year-old carer, says: 'I told you I saw something the other day.'

Aimee says they are 'definitely drones' and 'look like they are coming closer', while Mark says they are 'flipping around'.

Towards the end of the clip, Mark said: 'That is the weirdest thing I have ever seen,' while Aimee added: 'We've got some aliens coming.'

Mark Banks, 38, was at his girlfriend Vicky Andrews's home near the A2 in Welling with his daughter Aimee, 13, when Vicky spotted the donut-shaped objects out of the window

Mark told MailOnline that he is racking his brains to figure out what the objects could be, as he does not believe in the extraterrestrial.

He added: 'I would always like to look for an explanation. It was definitely not an airplane, definitely not a helicopter.

'It definitely wasn't a drone. They were too high, and it wasn't a lantern because they were black.'

Mark (right), a postman, and Vicky (left), 33, a carer, filmed the five objects, which were round with a hole in the middle, hovering in the sky in the Sidcup area at 6.40pm yesterday

He wondered whether it could be helium balloons with the number zero printed on to them, but said: 'They seemed far too big to be balloons and would someone have let five of them off?'

The objects didn't look like drones to him, he said, because of the way they moved and flipped upside down.

He added: 'It doesn't make any sense. I've been racking my brains, I would rather try to explain it than not.

Mark said he is racking his brains to figure out what the objects could be, as he does not believe in the extraterrestrial, but said they weren't drones, airplanes or helicopters and seemed too big to be helium balloons

Mark said he felt had to take his phone out to document the sighting 'so someone else would believe him'.

He continued: 'I'm not someone who sort of believes in anything like that anyway so I just wanted clarification as to what they are, but it was definitely surreal.

'It was a weird feeling, it was a feeling that I've never felt before because I'm looking at something that I never expected to see.

'It's changed my opinion now which is quite a strange thing.'

Mark confirmed that the objects looked like they were flying over the Sidcup area.
A bombed-out car in the Gaza Strip has sparked speculation that Israel has developed its own version of America's six-bladed 'ninja missiles'.

The car - a while Citroen Xsara - was blown up in a strike by the Israeli air force on Tuesday to the west of Gaza City in an attack the IDF said targeted operatives of a Hamas 'suicide submarine'.

Video of the strike, released by the IDF, shows the driver's side of the car being struck by a missile which blows out the windows and doors but otherwise leaves the vehicle intact as it rolls to a stop on a nearby roundabout.

The pattern of damage is similar, though not identical to, damage caused by R9X 'ninja missiles' - dud Hellfire rockets that use a combination of sheer force and six long blades to shred targets and have been used by the US in Lybia, Syria and Iraq.

That has raised questions over whether the Israeli military, with its strong ties to the US, has been able to develop its own version of the missile.

A precision strike on what the IDF described as a Hamas terrorist involved in a 'suicide submarine' attack killed the man, but left his car largely intact

IDF footage of the strike shows the car drive off down the street before the missile strikes, after which it rolls to a stop at a roundabout

'Ninja missile' strikes - often against vehicles - are distinctive because the car typically remains intact with only a small hole or holes caused by the missile.

The hole itself is often star shaped because the uses six blades that extend from the sides of the rocket to slice through its target - hence its nickname.

Because the missile's warhead is inert - meaning non-explosive - targeted vehicles usually do not show signs of blast damage, such as blown-out windows or doors.

That is not the case with the strike in Gaza, since the car's roof, front doors and boot have clearly been bent outwards by a small explosion.

Two parked vehicles that were close to the strike also had their windows either fully or partially blown out with the force, with shrapnel damage visible across their bodywork and tyres blown out.

IDF footage also shows a small explosion partially destroying the vehicle.

But the damage is far less extensive than would be expected from a strike using a conventional missile, which has caused speculation online.

The pattern of damage, similar to that seen in CIA and Pentagon strikes using 'ninja missiles', has sparked speculation that the IDF has developed a similar weapon

The strike blew out the car's windows, doors and roof, but without destroying the vehicle and left two cars parked nearby with only moderate damage

Footage captured by Palestinian media showed people rushing to help the car's occupant after the blast, though it is thought the sole occupant was killed

Kyle Glen, an open-source intelligence analyst and co-founder of the Twitter feed Conflict News, wrote: '1 killed after an airstrike targeted a car in Western Gaza. Impressive precision.

'Reminds me of the R9X strikes in Syria but as far as I know, Israel do not possess them.'

Coupsure, another open-source intelligence Twitter feed in French, added to the speculation, writing: 'It is interesting to note that there is very little damage in the surroundings.

'I think they used a missile similar to the R9X or a missile with a very small explosive charge.'

MailOnline has reached out to the Israeli defence ministry but had not received a response prior to publication.

The R9X, a modified version of the better-known Hellfire missile, was developed during Obama's presidency amid concerns over the number of civilians being killed in drone strike campaigns in the Middle East.

The R9X is a modified version of the precision Hellfire missile which carries a non-explosive warhead filled with 45kg of metal and six ejecting blades designed to shred its target

Strikes using ninja missiles are distinctive because they leave vehicles intact with star-shaped damage marks caused by the blades (pictured, a 'ninja missile' attack in Syria in 2020)

The first known attack using a R9X missile was to kill deputy leader of Al-Qaeda Abu Khayr al-Masri in February 2017 (above)

It was also developed in response to tactics by terrorists who took to hiding among women and children in the hopes they would not be targeted.

The weapon consists of a typical Hellfire missile with its laser targeting system, but with the explosive warhead replaced by 45kg of metal designed to crush the target.

Six blades are also hidden in the missile's fuselage which extend moments before it strikes the target, allowing it to shred through vehicles.

Under development since 2011, the first known use of the missile was in 2017 to kill the deputy leader of Al-Qaeda, Abu Khayr al-Masri in Syria.

It was used in a number of other strikes that year across Libya, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, and again in 2019 in Afghanistan.

The aim of the weapon - also known as the 'Flying Ginsu' after a famous brand of knives - is to be able to kill a terrorist target in a car without harming the driver, or to kill someone at the dinner table without harming others sitting with them.

Obama had reportedly considered using an R9X to kill Osama Bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011 - though he eventually decided to send in a Navy SEAL team instead.
Eurostar has secured a 250 million rescue package after warning it was 'fighting for its survival' due to the coronavirus crisis.

The cross-Channel rail operator said it has reached a financing agreement with its shareholders and banks.

This includes French state rail company SNCF, which is the company's majority shareholder.

It came after mounting pressure on the international line after it suffered a 95% drop in passenger numbers as a result of the Covid pandemic.

The UK sold its Eurostar stake to private companies for 757 million in 2015, and the Government resisted pressure to contribute to the bailout.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs in February that the Government was 'very keen for Eurostar to survive' but insisted 'it's not our company' and its difficulties were 'the shareholders' problem to resolve'.

Eurostar has secured a 250 million rescue package after warning it was 'fighting for its survival' due to the coronavirus crisis

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, pictured in February, previously said the UK Government will not be responsible for saving the Eurostar as it sold its shares for the company in 2015

Following the announcement of the rescue deal, chief executive Jacques Damas said: 'Everyone at Eurostar is encouraged by this strong show of support from our shareholders and banks which will allow us to continue to provide this important service for passengers.

'The refinancing agreement is the key factor enabling us to increase our services as the situation with the pandemic starts to improve.

'Eurostar will continue to work closely with governments to move towards a safe easing of travel restrictions and streamlining of border processes to allow passengers to travel safely and seamlessly.

'Their co-ordinated actions and decisions are crucial to the restoring of demand and the financial recovery of our business.'

The package consists of 150 million of loans guaranteed by shareholders, 50 million of additional equity from shareholders, and the restructuring of 50 million of existing loan facilities.

In November 2020, Eurostar claimed it 'has been left fighting for its survival against a 95% drop in demand'.

It called on the UK Government to provide further support as it claimed a taxpayer-funded scheme to cover up to 8 million of business rates at each major English airport put it 'at a direct disadvantage against its airline competitors'.

A dozen MPs also wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak at the start of the year urging him to offer financial support, saying French and UK ministers should come up with a joint plan.

Passengers numbers fell by 95 per cent amid the pandemic and Covid travel restrictions

Its signatories included Sir Roger Gale, Tom Athron, the CEO of the Queens grocer Fortnum and Mason, Brian Bickell, chief executive of West End landlord Shaftesbury, Basil Scarsella, chief executive of UK Power Networks and the bosses of City law firms Pinsent Masons and Clyde & Co.

The line, which connects London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, has been credited with reducing carbon emissions.

It launched in 1994 and since then the number of flights between London and Paris has more than halved.

On Tuesday, the firm said in a statement it has 'experienced a more severe decline in demand  than any other European train operator or competitor airline' during the pandemic.

It has been operating just one daily train in each direction between London and Paris, and between London and Amsterdam via Brussels, for several months.

Before the virus crisis, its daily timetable consisted of 56 trains.

The firm announced it will increase the number of trains on the London-Paris route to two daily return services from May 27, with a third added from the end of June.

Frequencies will gradually increase over the summer as travel restrictions are eased, the firm said.

It pledged to focus on increasing passenger numbers on its core routes between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, and 'maintaining rigorous cost control' to ensure loans can be repaid.
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Russia is building up its military in a remote Arctic airbase prime with missiles, radar and a runway as the Kremlin seeks to assert its dominance in the disputed oil-rich area which it declared this week it 'our land'.

The Nagurskoye airbase in the Franz Josef Land archipelago was built in the 1950s as a weather station and communications outpost between the Eurasian mainland and the North Pole.

It was previously a home for polar bears with temperatures plunging to minus 42 Celsius in winter, and snow only disappearing from August to mid-September.

Now, Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with activity and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers.

The site projects Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources, as the country's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov declared this week: 'We hear whining about Russia expanding its military activities in the Arctic.

'But everyone knows that it's our territory, our land. We bear responsibility for the Arctic coast to be safe, and everything our country does there is fully legitimate.'

A Russian soldier walks at a radar facility on the Alexandra Land island near Nagurskoye on Monday as the Kremlin seeks to assert dominance in the region

An officer stands near a landed Il-76 military cargo plane on an extended runway on the island which can accommodate all types of aircraft

A Russian soldier stands guard as the Bastion anti-ship missile systems take positions on the northern outpost

The shamrock-shaped facility on the 3,470-mile Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic Coast consists of three large pods extending from a central atrium called the Arctic Trefoil (pictured)

The base is located between the Russian mainland and the North Pole and is the county's northernmost military base

The shamrock-shaped facility on the 3,470-mile Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic Coast consists of three large pods extending from a central atrium called the Arctic Trefoil and it is painted in the white-red-and-blue of the national flag.

Other buildings on the Island, which is called Alexandra Land, are used for radar and communications, a weather station, oil storage, hangars and construction facilities.

Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway as shrinking polar ice from the warming planet offers new opportunities for resources and shipping routes.

China also has shown an increasing interest in the region, believed to hold up to one-fourth of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

A Russian military cargo plane Il-76 crew member, foreground, works during a flight to the Alexandra Land island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago

An officer speaks on walkie-talkie as the Bastion anti-ship missile systems take positions on the Nagurskoye airbase

The site projects Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30trillion.

Tensions between Russia and the West will likely loom large over Thursday's meeting of the Arctic nations' foreign ministers in Reykjavik, Iceland, where Moscow is set to take a rotating chairmanship in the Arctic Council.

The base, which sits about 600 miles south of the geographic North Pole, was built using new construction technologies as part of Kremlin efforts to bolster the military amid spiraling tensions with the West following Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

The following year, Russia submitted a revised bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, claiming nearly 500,000 square miles of Arctic sea shelf, extending more than 350 nautical miles from shore.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30trillion

Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with activity and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers. Pictured: Bastion anti-ship missile systems

The base, which sits about 600 miles south of the geographic North Pole, was built using new construction technologies as part of Kremlin efforts to bolster the military

Tensions between Russia and the West will likely loom large over Thursday's meeting of the Arctic nations' foreign ministers in Reykjavik, Iceland

While the UN pondered that claim and those from other nations, Russia has said it sees the Northern Sea Route as its 'historically developed national transport corridor,' requiring authorization from Moscow for foreign vessels to navigate along it.

The US has dismissed Russia's claims of jurisdiction on parts of the route as illegitimate.

Moscow has declared its intention to introduce procedures for foreign ships and assign Russian pilots for guidance along the route, which runs from Norway to Alaska.

As part of that effort, Russia has rebuilt and expanded facilities across the polar region, deploying surveillance and defensive assets.

A base in the similar trefoil shape and patriotic colors to the one in Nagurskoye is on Kotelny Island, between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea on eastern end of the shipping route, also with missiles and radar.

Adm. Alexander Moiseyev, chief of Russia's Northern Fleet, said last week that Moscow has the right to set navigation rules along the shipping lane.

Moscow has declared its intention to introduce procedures for foreign ships and assign Russian pilots for guidance along the route, which runs from Norway to Alaska

An Icebreaker makes the path for a cargo ship with an iceberg in the background near a port on the Alexandra Land island

NATO is increasingly worried about the growing Russian military footprint in the Arctic, and Washington sent B-1 bombers to Norway this year

'Practically the entire Northern Sea Route goes through Russia's territorial waters or the country's economic zone,' Moiseyev told reporters aboard the Peter the Great missile cruiser. 'The complex ice conditions make it necessary to organize safe shipping, so Russia insists on a special regime of its use.'

NATO is increasingly worried about the growing Russian military footprint in the Arctic, and Washington sent B-1 bombers to Norway this year.

'Increased Russian presence, more Russian bases in the High North, has also triggered the need for more NATO presence, and we have increased our presence there with more naval capabilities, presence in the air, and not least, the importance of protecting transatlantic undersea cables transmitting a lot of data,' NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Moiseyev fretted about the US military assets in Norway, saying it has led to an 'increase of the conflict potential in the Arctic.'

The Russian Foreign Ministry last week fumed at a US nuclear submarine calling at a Norwegian port, saying it reflected what it described as 'Oslo's course for the militarization of the Arctic'

A Russian military cargo plane Il-76 crew member puts on headphones during a flight to the Alexandra Land island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30trillion

The Russian Foreign Ministry last week fumed at a US nuclear submarine calling at a Norwegian port, saying it reflected what it described as 'Oslo's course for the militarization of the Arctic.'

On the sidelines of this week's Arctic Council meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to hold talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken - an encounter intended to lay the groundwork for Putin's meeting with President Joe Biden planned for next month.

Blinken has pointed out that with the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the global average, Russia has moved to increase its presence in the region.

'Russia is exploiting this change to try to exert control over new spaces,' he said last month. 'It is modernizing its bases in the Arctic and building new ones.'

Since Putin visited the Nagurskoye base in 2017, it has been strengthened and expanded. It now houses a dedicated tactical group that operates electronic surveillance, air defense assets and a battery of Bastion anti-ship missile systems.

In March, the Russian military conducted drills at Nagurskoye with ground troops and a pair of MiG-31 fighters flying over the North Pole

On Monday, Lavrov rebuffed Western criticism of Russia's Arctic expansion and bristled at what he described as Norway's push for a stronger NATO presence there

A runway has been extended to accommodate all types of aircraft, including Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers

A serviceman stands near a Russia's Bastion mobile coastal defence missile system in the Arctic airbase

A runway has been extended to accommodate all types of aircraft, including Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers, said Maj.-Gen. Igor Churkin, who oversees air force operations at the base.

'The modernization of Arctic airfields significantly increases the potential of the Northern Fleet's aviation to control the airspace in the area of the Northern Sea Route and allows to ensure its security,' he said.

In March, the Russian military conducted drills at Nagurskoye with ground troops and a pair of MiG-31 fighters flying over the North Pole.

The exercise also saw three nuclear submarines smash through the Arctic ice next to one another in a carefully planned show of force.

On Monday, Lavrov rebuffed Western criticism of Russia's Arctic expansion and bristled at what he described as Norway's push for a stronger NATO presence there.

'We hear whining about Russia expanding its military activities in the Arctic,' Lavrov said. 'But everyone knows that it's our territory, our land. We bear responsibility for the Arctic coast to be safe, and everything our country does there is fully legitimate.'
The last surviving British member of the RAF's 'Dambuster' squadron has called for a dedicated medal to be awarded to Bomber Command veterans.

George 'Johnny' Johnson, 99, served as a bomb-aimer on the raid on the Mohne and Eder Dams in the industrial heart of Germany in 1943.

The dams were heavily fortified and needed the innovative bouncing bomb - which bounced on the water over torpedo nets and sank before detonating.

The men who carried out the raid were among 125,000 who took part in Bomber Command's against Nazi Germany. Nearly half lost their lives.

But unlike veterans who served in Italy, Africa, the Pacific and the Arctic during the Second World War, they were never awarded a campaign medal.

Now, Mr Johnson has now teamed up with Dan Llywelyn Hall, the royal portrait artist commissioned to paint him in his 100th year, to call for the 'slight' against the men to be corrected, the Times reported.

Some critics have previously argued that a dedicated medal would be wrong because the Allied strategic bombing of Germany killed more than 300,000 civilians.

George 'Johnny' Johnson, 99, the last surviving British member of the RAF's 'Dambuster' squadron, has called for a dedicated medal to be awarded to Bomber Command veterans. Pictured: Mr Johnson in 2015

Mr Johnson (pictured above during his time in the RAF), 99, served as a bomb-aimer on the raid on the Mohne and Eder Dams in the industrial heart of Germany in 1943

Mr Llywelyn Hall, 40, sold his portrait of Johnson last week for 2,500 to raise money for a veteran's charity in South Wales which is named after the RAF's 617 'Dambusters' Squadron.

The sale coincided with the 78th anniversary of the raid, which took place on May 16-17, 1943.

Mr Llywelyn Hall, the youngest artist to have painted a portrait of the Queen, told The Times: 'None of Bomber Command doing Churchill's dirty work were properly recognised with a medal and the question remains.

'As a result, the likes of Johnny have had to make the moral argument for themselves.'

Mr Johnson said as the portrait was unveiled: 'It would be excellent if a new petition could finally see Bomber Command recognised with a medal.'

He added that he was 'honoured' to represent the men who took part in the raid.

Mr Johnson has now teamed up with Dan Llywelyn Hall (pictured), the royal portrait artist commissioned to paint him in his 100th year, to call for the 'slight' against the men to be corrected

Mr Llywelyn Hall, 40, sold his portrait of Johnson (above) last week for 2,500 to raise money for a veteran's charity in South Wales which is named after the RAF's 617 'Dambusters' Squadron

Mr Johnson, pictured far left with his Dambuster crew, served as a bomb aimer on the mission, in which 53 men on board 19 Lancaster Bombers were killed

The Ministry of Defence did issue a clasp to Bomber Command veterans in 2013.

It was designed to attach to the 1939 to 1945 Star medal, which was given to all members of the armed forces who took part in the Second World War

But Mr Johnson, who was awarded an MBE in 2017 after a petition calling for him to be recognised was signed by thousands of people, said in 2018 the clasp was an insult.

'Mine is still in the box, and there it will stay until we get a medal,' he said.

Mr Johnson was awarded his MBE by The Queen at Buckingham Palace.

TV presenter Carol Vorderman previously launched a petition to get Mr Johnson a knighthood, branding the decision to leave him off the list 'disgraceful' after finding out that he had been nominated in 2015.

Mr Johnson was awarded an MBE in 2017 after a petition calling for him to be recognised was signed by thousands of people

A wartime photograph showing the damage inflicted by the 'Dambusters' raid on the Eder dam. The RAF's 617 Squadron used bouncing bombs to breach two dams within Germany during a night attack in May 1943

For his part in Operation Chastise - the mission to bomb the German dams - Mr Johnson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.

Of the 133 Allied aircrew who boarded 19 Lancaster bombers to carry out the raid, 53 did not return.

Mr Johnson has been the last surviving Dambusters veteran since Canadian former front gunner Fred Sutherland died aged 98 in 2019.

The stunning raid was depicted on screen in 1955 film The Dam Busters.

Mr Johnson's portrait of the Queen was unveiled at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in 2013.

A petition for Bomber Command veterans to be honoured with a dedicated medal has been set up on Change.org.
Two men have been arrested after a gunman opened fire inside a Liverpool pub and blasted a man in the chest.

Armed police were called to the Old Bank pub in Huyton, Merseyside, at about 8.20pm last night after reports of a shooting.

A short time later a man was found with chest injuries nearby and has been taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

At around 10.55pm, a second man arrived at hospital with a gunshot wound to his groin, also assessed as non life-threatening.

Two men have been arrested after a gunman opened fire inside a Liverpool pub and blasted a man in the chest. Pictured: Forensics officers at the scene

These men, aged 29 and 23 and both from Huyton, have been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent.

Officers will remain a high-visibility presence in the area today, to offer reassurance and gather any information.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Smith said: 'We understand the concern that such incidents have, especially when taking place in such a public location with other people in close proximity.

'We're pleased to have arrested two people who we believe were those involved, but nonetheless, I'd continue to appeal for any information which may be vital to this investigation going forward.

'It's absolutely key that all of those people present come forward, so we have full accounts of exactly what happened. If you saw or heard the incident, captured those responsible on CCTV, dashcam or other devices, or have heard anything since, come forward. This can be by speaking to those officers in the area today, or via other channels, directly or anonymously.

Armed police were called to the Old Bank pub in Huyton, Merseyside, at about 8.20pm last night after reports of a shooting

'The recent decrease in such serious gun crime incidents across Merseyside is testament to the hard work of officers and staff across the force, but also the information from those communities most impacted upon. With your help, we will keep removing weapons and those who use them from the streets.'

Forensics officers began scouring the scene last night and evidence was found that shots had been fired.

One witness said that the gunman fired two shots while running through the pub before shooting the victim in the doorway.

They told the Liverpool Echo: 'The lad ran in there was running round the pub looking about, shot twice and then ran out, and as he ran out he shot someone in the door way, and ran off.'

Anyone with information can contact Merseyside Police with reference 1016 of 17 May.

You can also call 101 quoting incident reference 20000085245 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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The Indian Covid variant has already overtaken the Kent strain in 23 English local authorities and has spread to 40 per cent of the country, positive test data revealed today as Boris Johnson desperately tried to play down fears that the June 21 'freedom day' could be ditched because of the strain.

Analysis of samples from people infected with Covid has revealed that by the week ending May 8, the variant accounted for eight in 10 cases in hotspots Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen, Sefton and Bedford, as well as in Chelmsford in Essex and Croydon in London.

Data suggests it is also dominant - accounting for more than half of all positive tests - in Nottingham, West Lancashire, Stevenage, Oadby and Wigston, South Northamptonshire, Broxbourne, Hillingdon, Brent, Camden, Hounslow, Greenwich, Bromley, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Rushmoor and Hart.

Despite the worrying development, the Prime Minister stressed that the roadmap out of lockdown is currently unchanged with the government sifting through emerging data about the fast-spreading strain.

But he appeared to shift his language slightly by saying there is not yet 'conclusive' evidence that the roadmap will need to be altered and said things would be clearer in a 'few days'.

'We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map,' he said.

'But we've got to be cautious and we are keeping everything under very close observation. We'll know a lot more in a few days' time.'

The Department of Health today counted another 2,412 positive tests and seven deaths, with fatalities falling 65 per cent from last Tuesday and cases down 2.5 per cent. Another 106,733 people got first vaccine doses yesterday along with 259,049 second doses, meaning more than 36.8million Britons have had at least one jab and 20.5million are fully vaccinated.

Figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute revealed the Indian variant had been spotted in 127 English local authorities - or 40 per cent - in the two weeks ending May 8, the most recent data, after the total number doubled in a week. Nationally, there have been 2,323 cases of the variant - four times the 520 ten days ago - and the strain now makes up at least one in five of all new infections.

Surge testing began today in Nuneaton in Warwickshire and Bedford  where the variant cases surged 20-fold during April  to try and weed out clusters of infections caused by the new strain.

Cabinet ministers met today to try to thrash out a strategy to curb the new variant, with emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots while the rest of the country relaxes.

In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat.

Mr Johnson today tried to dampen concerns that vaccine hesitancy could prevent the next round of easings going ahead, pointing out that levels of uptake in the UK were very high by international standards. On a visit to a vaccine centre in London, he urged people to 'get your jab' when invited by the health service.

But Manchester's mayor and the hospitality industry reacted with anger at the idea, insisting it had not worked last time and would cripple thousands of businesses.

There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown will be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month.

As the coronavirus crisis took more twists and turns today:

Dominic Cummings has tweeted hinting that he has a bombshell documents about the decisions made on lockdown;

Deaths involving Covid-19 among people in over-60s have fallen by at least 98 per cent since the second-wave peak, the latest ONS figures suggest;

Dozens of flights left UK airports for 'amber list' countries such as France, Spain and the United States, despite a warning against doing so from No 10;

Figures revealed the Indian variant has now been identified in 86 local authorities, after cases doubled in four days. It now accounts for 20 per cent of infections;

Britons aged 36 and 37 are being invited to have the jab, with 35-year-olds expected to join the list by the end of the week;

Andrew Lloyd Webber hit out at 'selfish' individuals who refuse the jab, and urged the PM not to abandon the June 21 date;

The National Audit Office said the cost of tackling Covid had hit 372billion, with the bill rising by more than 100billion since January.

Positive test figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute  which cover only lab-analysed cases in the two weeks between April 25 and May 8  reveal the mutant Indian strain made up 50 per cent or more of all samples in 23 parts of the country by last week. Bolton and Blackburn in the North West remain the worst-hit areas with almost 600 cases between them and the variant making up 81 per cent of infections

The growing red sections on graphs represent Indian variant cases surging in local authorities where it could be taking off. In these places it can already be seen edging out the Kent strain (orange) and scientists fear this suggests it is more infectious and could take over as the number one type of the virus in the UK. Note: Some areas, such as Stevenage, Broxbourne and Oadby are recording very few cases of the virus so changes may not constitute a trend

The Indian variant also appears to be edging out the Kent strain in various parts of London, where it already accounts for half of cases or more, but low numbers of infections mean this may an effect caused by small clusters of cases

While the Indian variant is spreading rapidly in pockets of the country, 60 per cent of local authorities in England have yet to record a case (shown in grey). But it is likely the variant has spread even further than the map suggests because the data is 10 days out of date. Experts have said they expect it to overtake the Kent strain and become dominant in the coming weeks and months

 Slide me  Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute shows that the variant has spread widely across the UK since it was first discovered. In mid-March there were no cases linked to the strain (shown left) and, by the beginning of May, it had been found in dozens of local authorities, with hotspots emerging in the North West of England, the Midlands and London

A Warwick University model of a more infectious variant after lockdown is completely lifted on June 21 suggests that any more than a 30 per cent increase in transmissibility compared to the Kent variant could lead to an August peak of daily hospital admissions that is higher than either the first or second wave. In a worst-case scenario with a variant 50 per cent more transmissible, hospital admissions could surge to 10,000 per day or even double that (Thick lines indicate the central estimate while the thin lines are possible upper limits known as confidence intervals)

Labour and local leaders have been demanding vaccines are rushed through for younger people in areas where the strain is taking hold - something that has so far been rejected.

One government source told ITV News that some of the loosening that took effect this week - including 'Rule of Six' socialising indoors and in bars and restaurants - might have to be rolled back.

'It is clear some social distancing will have to be retained, not everything we've set out for 21 June is likely to happen,' they said. But it is also possible some of the easing we've done today will have to be reversed.'

Any backtracking would be a huge blow to Mr Johnson after he vowed a 'cautious but irreversible' exit from lockdown.

Tory ministers and MPs have been warning the PM against changing course, complaining that curbs must not be extended to protect people who are refusing vaccines - which are believed to be effective against the Indian variant.

One Cabinet minister said missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline.

Similar but less grim modelling by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine suggested that a 50 per cent increase in transmissibility could trigger a peak of 4,000 admissions per day in July or August, possibly extending to 6,000 per day

The LSHTM team suggested that there will be 1,000 deaths per day in August if the variant is 50 per cent more transmissible - which would be less than the 1,900 seen at the peak this January

The LSHTM model suggested hospitals could have another 30,000 inpatients by the end of July - up to around 45,000 - compared to the current 845

BORIS GATHERS CABINET AMID RISING VARIANT CASES Boris Johnson is gathering his Cabinet for crunch talks today amid grim claims there is a 'close to nil' chance of June 21 lockdown easing going ahead as hoped. The PM and his senior ministers are meeting with anxiety over the fast-spreading Indian variant of coronavirus running high. Ministers are preparing emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots, or even the next stage of the roadmap delayed. In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat. There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown can be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month. One Government source told ITV News that some of the loosening that took effect this week - including 'Rule of Six' socialising indoors and in bars and restaurants - might have to be rolled back. 'It is clear some social distancing will have to be retained, not everything we've set out for 21 June is likely to happen,' they said. 'But it is also possible some of the easing we've done today will have to be reversed.' Any backtracking would be a huge blow to Mr Johnson after he vowed a 'cautious but irreversible' exit from lockdown. Tory ministers and MPs have been warning the PM against changing course, complaining that curbs must not be extended to protect people who are refusing vaccines - which are believed to be effective against the Indian variant. One Cabinet minister warned that missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline. 'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.' Advertisement

'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.'

The source said No 10 had 'overreacted to panicked warnings from the usual suspects' in parts of the health establishment.

The latest analysis of the Indian variant's spread comes from the Sanger Institute, one of the largest variant-testing labs in the UK. It checks more than half of all the UK's samples to spot different types of the virus.

Its data excludes door-to-door surge testing and travellers' tests, allowing it to reflect which variants are spreading in the community and not random cases brought in from elsewhere.

London and the North West are experiencing the largest outbreaks of B.1.617.2, the data suggest, although it is being spotted in many other areas. Some 40 local authorities recorded just one case.

Sefton, in Merseyside, had the highest proportion of infections down to the variant with nine in ten of all cases (99 out of 110 cases checked) in the week to May 8. This was a four-fold spike on the previous week.

In Bolton 85 per cent of cases were due to the variant (289 out of 337), while in Blackburn with Darwen it was 83 per cent (110 of 132) and Bedford 81 per cent (69 of 85). South Northamptonshire had 75 per cent of cases due to the variant (24 of 32). Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen and Bedford saw their cases more than double in a week.

Mr Hancock said yesterday there were eight people in hospital with the Indian variant of the virus in Blackburn, where admissions are 'stable'. But there are now 19 people in Bolton's hospitals, and some in intensive care.

The Government also faces intense pressure to explain why there was a delay in adding India to the red list of countries, while neighbouring Pakistan had been placed on it days before.

Dominic Cummings, the PM's former senior adviser, joined the criticism of Whitehall's slow approach yesterday, calling the UK's border policy a 'joke' because of its 'refusal' to learn from pandemic measures used in East Asian countries.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said today that 'in some of these areas that are affected, vaccine uptake has been a little bit lower than the national average'.

Challenged on comments from Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi suggesting part of the problem was there was poor organisation rather than reluctance to have a jab, Mr Eustice told Times Radio: 'The feedback that I have had right across the country has been universally positive about the way people locally have delivered this.

'But it is the case that in some communities there's been a bit more hesitancy. A lot of work has been done in particular to get BAME communities to engage and to have the vaccine. We just need to keep pushing on that work.'

He told Times Radio that 'intensive surveillance' was being used in areas with high case rates but local restrictions remained a possibility.

At the moment there was a 'clear road map out of the lockdown ' with a decision due in a few weeks' time on whether the June 21 measures can go ahead.

Dominic Cummings threatens to reveal 'crucial' Covid documents Dominic Cummings today set the stage for an explosive appearance in front of MPs next week, claiming an obsession with secrecy at the heart of Government 'contributed greatly to the catastrophe' of the Covid pandemic in the UK. Boris Johnson's former top aide also threatened to reveal a 'crucial historical document' when he is grilled on No10's handling of coronavirus at a joint session of the health and science committees on May 26. He took to Twitter today in a typically lengthy diatribe about the the pandemic, saying 'openness to scrutiny would have exposed Government errors weeks earlier than happened'. He urged the Government to learn from this in their handling of the vaccine rollout and the Indian variant by making '99 per cent' of it public to increase confident yet further. It came after last night be branded the UK's border policy a 'joke' amid questions over whether Indian arrivals should have been haled sooner. No10 is bracing itself for a mauling from the PM's former Svengali when he takes questions from ministers next Wednesday. Today he appeared to goad the Prime Minister over a document from his time in Downing Street He asked his 37,000 Twitter followers today whether he should reveal it when he appears or keep it secret by selling it for charity. He later clarified that he would be releasing the document to the committee whatever happened. Advertisement

'If we do have a deterioration in some of these areas then of course we can't rule out that we would put in place certain local lockdowns,' he said.

'At the moment we are doing a lot of intensive surveillance in those areas, with surge testing to identify it and deal with it.'

Irritation at the refusal of a small number to have a jab intensified yesterday after Mr Hancock told MPs that most patients hospitalised by the Indian variant in the epicentre of the outbreak in Bolton had not had the jab.

The Health Secretary said most of them had turned down jab offers.

Mr Johnson has also described local lockdowns as a 'last resort', with the government instead focusing efforts on surge testing and increasing the availability of vaccinations in the worst-hit areas.

The plans being drawn up at the moment could put parts of the country into something similar to last year's Tier 4, the equivalent of a full lockdown.

But some ministers have voiced concerns that local lockdowns in towns and cities would not be enough and they should be imposed on regions - which would have a larger economic impact than those seen last year.

There were several reports last year of people leaving higher tier areas to enjoy freedoms in areas with low or no restrictions just miles away.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: 'Last year, tiers did not work  they did not stop the spread of the virus.

'It would be hard for me to put out a message of caution in Greater Manchester when nationally the messaging is very different, that the road map is proceeding.

'We struggled with that mixed messaging all of last year.

WHERE HAD THE INDIAN VARIANT BEEN SPOTTED IN ENGLAND BY MAY 8? Local authority Bolton

Blackburn with Darwen

Sefton

Bedford

Nottingham

Leicester

S. Northamptonshire

Hounslow

Wigan

Croydon

C. Bedfordshire

Hillingdon

Brent

Ealing

Harrow

Bromley

Chelmsford

Gedling

Rochdale

Birmingham

Manchester

Sandwell

Enfield

Greenwich

Canterbury

Chorley

Barnet

Aylesbury Vale

Barking and Dagen.

Bury

Tower Hamlets

Preston

Wolverhampton

E. Northamptonshire

Salford

Bexley

Lewisham

N. Lincolnshire

Milton Keynes

Pendle

Broxtowe

Liverpool

Coventry

Herefordshire

Luton

Three Rivers

Burnley

Trafford

Newham

Wiltshire

Sevenoaks

Stockport

Camden

Slough

Watford

Dartford

Tameside

Waltham Forest

Westminster

Reading

Cambridge

Rushmoor

Broxbourne

Northampton

Nuneaton and Bedworth

Oldham

North Tyneside

Dudley

Kirklees

Hull

Eastleigh

N.Herefordshire

Rossendale

West Lancashire

Newcastle

Walsall

Havering

Kingston upon Thames

Lambeth

Southwark

Blackpool

Southampton

Cheshire East

Cheshire West and C.

High Peak

Hart

Test Valley

Dacorum

Oadby and Wigston

Breckland

Tamworth

E. Hertfordshire

Stevenage

St. Helens

Bradford

Leeds

Hackney

Haringey

Redbridge

Darlington

S. Gloucestershire

Bracknell Forest

County Durham

Brentwood

Colchester

Uttlesford

Dover

Tonbridge and Malling

Lancaster

Charnwood

N. Kesteven

W. Lindsey

S. Oxfordshire

Stafford

Spelthorne

Mid-Sussex

Worcester

Welwyn Hatfield

Hammersmith and Ful.

Kensington and Chelsea

Halton

Derby

Telford and Wrekin

Bath and NE Somerset

N. Somerset

Plymouth

Medway

Wokingham

Brighton and Hove

Isle of Wight

South Bucks

Huntingdonshire

S. Cambridgeshire

S. Lakeland

Derbyshire Dales

Harlow

Tendring

New Forest

Winchester

Hertsmere

Ashford

Maidstone

Tunbridge Wells

Fylde

Hyndburn

Ribble Valley

S. Ribble

East Lindsey

S. Norfolk

Corby

Selby

Mansfield

Vale of White Horse

Ipswich

Surrey Heath

Rugby

Warwick

Crawley

Knowsley

Wirral

Doncaster

Sutton B.1.617.2, April 3 to May 8 456

162

125

104

75

58

36

29

26

25

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'Government should listen to its own MPs, to what I am saying, and allow the vaccination programme to proceed much more quickly in Bolton, Blackburn and other places that have the spread of this variant.

'That is the solution, and it is right in front of us.'

Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It is going to take at least three years for businesses to return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of getting rid of loans, the debt, the rent arrears and the VAT holidays.'

Even with yesterday's easing of some restrictions 'businesses were operating at 50 per cent' as they had to provide a range of safety measures including one-way systems and table service.

'We can't live by these rumours. We need absolute assurances. We have been told about this review date of June 14  one week isn't enough to get hospitality running again,' he warned.

Bedford's director of public health said today she was 'really worried' about the spread of the Indian Covid-19 variant in the area.

Vicky Head told BBC Breakfast there had been 80 confirmed cases of the variant in Bedford.

She said: 'What we know is what we've been seeing locally, which is a really massive rise in cases.

'About three or four weeks ago we were having three or four cases a day. We are now up to 10 times that.'

She added: 'What we think now is that pretty much all of our cases are likely to be the variant from India.'

Ms Head said: 'That's one of the really striking things about the variant, is just how transmissible it is. If someone goes to school and tests positive, we are then seeing their whole family test positive.'

Asked if she was worried about the rise in cases, she said: 'I am really worried about it. Everyone needs to understand just how transmissible this variant is.'

Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth told Mr Hancock last night that instead of local lockdowns the government should be pushing 'going hell for leather to roll out vaccination to everyone' in hotspot areas.

'Health officials in Bolton And Blackburn have called for it. Shouldn't we listen to the experts on the ground?' he said.

But he also cautioned: 'Even if we drive up vaccination amongst adults, 20 per cent of the population are children and while they remain unvaccinated this means the virus can still spread. The CDC in the US is moving to vaccinate children - what progress is there on that here?'

Tory MPs suggested they would support vaccination for younger people if it was practical - but pointed out that mid-30s were already being called in for jabs.

'The problem is that there are areas of London where only 58 per cent of the people currently eligible have had it,' one senior MP told MailOnline.

'The key point is that the people that are most likely to be hospitalised are in priority groups. There the ones that have to be vaccinated.'

They added: 'We have got to be quite clear about this... we cannot reach the position where we are going to carry on locking down when people have been invited for vaccines and haven't done it.'

No 10 has urged those deliberating over whether to be vaccinated to 'think of others' but refused to say whether the next stage of unlocking would go ahead as planned.

Downing Street also confirmed that the Prime Minister's plan to announce the end of social distancing measures like the one-metre rule and masks in shops was likely to be delayed while scientists analysed the scale of the threat posed by the new strain.

The possible return of local lockdowns would be fiercely resisted in the North West of England, where restrictions were in place for much of 2020.

Mr Johnson would face huge pressure from his own ranks if he tries to push back the reopening of the economy and society.

Mark Harper, chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, said: 'It is concerning to hear the government is entertaining the delay of the June 21 unlocking  causing massive problems for many people's livelihoods  because some people won't have a jab.

'Wider society's fate can't be sealed by the actions of a small group of people.'

Tory former minister Conor Burns said: 'As a nation we have tolerated with generally good humour the most profound curtailment of our freedoms in peacetime for the greater good. It wouldn't be right to do it again for those who have been offered a vaccine and have freely chosen not to take it, fully aware of the risks.'

Simon Clarke, another former minister, said: 'It's vital people take the vaccine when offered. Our wider society should not be held back from recovering our freedoms by those who choose not to protect themselves and others.'

Fellow Tory Marcus Fysh said: 'It is not reasonable to delay complete release from restrictions domestically on June 21. The vast majority are vaccinated, the vaccines work, and the rest now have a vanishingly small risk of harm. If people don't want to be vaccinated it is not up to society to shield them.'

To help boost the vaccine rollout NHS England has today widened the drive to 36 and 37-year-olds, pulling the programme down into the mid-30s for the first time.

Health officials in Bolton have also started a huge vaccination push in a bid to stop a surging outbreak there and got jabs to more than 9,000 people over the weekend.

Concerns over the variant are leading to many people in Bolton who had been eligible for the jab attending appointments, after previously failing to turn up.

NHS England data for May 9 show that 81 per cent of people over the age of 40 in Bolton have had at least one vaccine dose, compared to 83 per cent across England.

The uptake is worse in nearby Blackburn where just 78 per cent of eligible people have got a jab.

London mayor Sadiq Khan is also calling for the roll-out to be sped up in parts of the capital with outbreaks of the Indian variant. He hinted yesterday the plan had been sent to Mr Hancock but that it appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.

More than eight in ten cases were also found to be the Indian strain in Chelmsford (85 per cent or 11 of 13) and Croydon (82 per cent or 14 of 17), which both saw infections rise by around 150 per cent in a week.

In Nottingham it was responsible for more than seven in 10 cases (74 per cent, or 47 out of 63). Across London, a fifth of boroughs had more than 50 per cent of cases due to the Indian variant.

Croydon had the highest proportion, followed by Hounslow (72 per cent, or 21 of 29), Hillingdon (69 per cent or 9 of 13), Greenwich (64 per cent, or 9 of 14), Camden (62 per cent, or 5 of 8), Bromley (54 per cent, or 6 of 11) and Brent (50 per cent, or 12 in 24).

Fewer than 10 cases of the variant were sequenced in hotspots West Lancashire (60 per cent, or 3 of 5), Stevenage (2 cases), Oadby and Wigston (2 cases), Broxbourne (3 cases), Dartford (4 cases), Sevenoaks (67 per cent or 2 of 3), Canterbury (50 per cent, or 4 of 8), Rushmoor (83 per cent, or 5 of 6) and Hart (75 per cent or 3 of 4).

The director of public health for Sheffield, Greg Fell, told the Financial Times local health chiefs would be fools to think they would not see cases of the variant.

'What we are seeing is generalised community spread from a number of initial "seeds" [made easier] by very closely connected, hyperlocal communities with densely packed housing,' he told the publication.

SAGE scientists say they are fairly sure the variant is faster spreading than older strains and some suggested it could be by as much as 50 per cent on top of the Kent variant.

But some scientists dispute this figure. They point out it may be based on a large number of cases being imported from India before the country was put on the government's red list, which has made it seem better at spreading.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a SAGE member from Warwick University, said the variant has 'taken hold in several areas of the UK'.

'While the vaccination campaign has been progressing extremely successfully since January, it is important to remember that the vaccines are not 100 per cent protective and the presence of a more transmissible variant exposes people to increased risk, even if they have been vaccinated.

'Therefore it is vital that as many people as possible, regardless of age or health status, take up the vaccine when offered.'

Officials are considering surge vaccination plans in hotspots for the Indian variant as a way to curb the spread of the virus there amid fears it could spark a third wave.

Indian variant cases surged more than two fold in a week in Blackburn. It made up 110 out of 132 cases sequenced for strains of the virus. South Northamptonshire remained a hotspot for community transmission. Some 75 per cent of its cases, or 24 out of 32, were linked to the variant

The proportion of positive tests that contain th variant strain in Bolton and Sefton: The strain was responsible for more than eight in ten cases sequenced in Bolton in the week to May 8, the latest available. They made up 289 out of 337 cases sequenced. : The Indian variant of Covid was blamed for nine in ten cases sequenced in Sefton, Merseyside. It made up 99 out of 110 cases of the virus

Rifts are opening up between ministers and scientists over whether it will be safe to end lockdown as planned on June 21 with top SAGE advisers today admitting they won't be enjoying new-found freedoms, which saw pubs and restaurants reopen indoors and home visits back on the cards, because of the threat of a huge spike in cases.

One minister today said the chances of the next easing going ahead were 'close to nil', as Boris Johnson met his senior advisers in order to thrash out a strategy.

The Prime Minister yesterday urged people to adopt a 'heavy dose of caution' after lockdown loosened and a Cabinet colleague encouraged revellers to avoid 'excessive drinking' with ministers at loggerheads over whether to extend lockdown to battle the strain.

The vaccine programme will go full pace in a bid to try and protect people from the variant, with jabs the last line of defence now that lockdown has all but ended.
Russia's spy chief has denied responsibility for the SolarWinds cyber attack but admitted he was 'flattered' by the accusations from the US and Britain.

The hack, described by Microsoft as the 'most sophisticated cyber attack ever,' was uncovered in December - a breach of software company SolarWinds which exposed their numerous high value clients, including nine US government agencies and a raft of Wall Street's biggest firms.

Washington and London pointed the finger at Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), successor to the KGB.

'These claims are like a bad detective novel,' SVR Director Sergei Naryshkin, a close ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, told the BBC on Tuesday.

'These claims are like a bad detective novel,' SVR Director Sergei Naryshkin, a close ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin , told the BBC on Tuesday

Asked directly if the SVR was responsible for the SolarWinds attack, Naryshkin quipped with a smile that he would be 'flattered' if the SVR had been responsible for such a sophisticated attack but that he could not 'claim the creative achievements of others as his own.'

Naryshkin said he did not want to accuse the US of being behind the attack but quoted from documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden to suggest that the tactics of the attack were similar to those used by US and British intelligence agencies.

The US and Britain cast Russia as a dangerous former superpower which they say has poisoned enemies with nerve agents and radioactive isotopes, meddled in Western elections and carried out hacking operations across the world.

Naryshkin said such accusations were absurd and that Russia was not responsible for the cyber-attacks, poisonings, hacks, or meddling in elections that it was blamed for.

The hack of SolarWinds gave access to thousands of companies and government offices that used its products.

Microsoft President Brad Smith described the attack as 'the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen.'

Britain's GCHQ cyber spying agency said that it was highly likely that SVR was responsible for the SolarWinds attack.

Naryshkin's dismissal of the claims comes amid anger among American lawmakers at a cyber attack on an oil pipeline which has also been blamed on a Russian hacking outfit.

The Colonial Pipeline - which supplies 40 percent of fuel to the East Coast - was shut down last week after an attack which the FBI blamed on DarkSide.

The SolarWinds logo is seen outside its headquarters in Austin, Texas

Joe Biden has said that the Russian government was not behind the attack but has faced criticism from Republicans who claim that his 'weakness' has emboldened Moscow.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) last week said: 'No cyber-gang in Russia can conduct this kind of attack against an American piece of critical infrastructure without the tacit or explicit knowledge of Vladimir Putin's government.'

He told Fox News: 'It shows that Joe Biden's weak policy on Russia is having consequences for the American people.'

In the wake of the SolarWinds hack, the US expelled a number of Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions.
This is the shocking moment hooded thugs from rival gangs fight with giant machetes on a quiet residential street in London before fleeing in a getaway car.

Video filmed by a bystander shows three people brandishing the huge blades in the middle of Dowsett Road in Tottenham Hale as they stand by the gang's car.

One of the yobs is seen squaring up to a rival gang member, also armed with a machete, before the pair clash in a frenzied duel.

Video filmed by a bystander shows three people brandishing the huge blades in the middle on Dowsett Road in Tottenham Hale as they stand by the gang's car

This is the shocking moment hooded thugs from rival gangs fight with giant machetes on a quiet residential street in London before fleeing in a getaway car

As the fight rages on, the driver reverses the gang's car into their rival, who jogs away to avoid being run over by the vehicle.

One of the three hooded thugs hurls a glass object at the rival before the machete-wielding trio make a dash to their car and flee.

As the car hurtles off, their rival chases after them, brandishing his machete. However, he is seen falling over in the street.

The video was uploaded to social media on Monday, May 10

Rising numbers of criminals are choosing machetes as their weapons of choice to instil terror in victims and rival gang members

The gang's driver then reverses back into the street to continue their fight with the man. But the rivals then run away from the gang.

The video was uploaded to social media on Monday, May 10, and is believed to have been filmed recently. The Met Police has been approached for further information.

Rising numbers of criminals are choosing machetes as their weapons of choice to instil terror in victims and rival gang members.

It comes as statistics uncovered using freedom of information requests show that in the final two months of 2019 police dealt with 664 crimes involving machetes - an average of 11 a day, or one every 130 minutes.

This represents a dramatic rise from just three years before, when the deadly blades were used in only 100 crimes a month over the same period.
An entire community has rallied to donate a home and tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts to three children left without a mother after she was allegedly set on fire by their father.

Kelly Wilkinson, 27, was found dead in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast about 6.40am on April 20, having suffered severe burns.

Her ex-husband Brian Earl Johnston, a former corporal in the US military, has been charged with her murder - accused of setting Ms Wilkinson alight - and breaching a domestic violence order.

Their three kids, who were home when their mother was allegedly attacked, are staying with Ms Wilkinson's sister Danielle Carroll and her husband Rhys, where the living room has been converted into a sleeping space.

Kelly Wilkinson, 27, (pictured) was allegedly murdered by her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston at her Gold Coast home last month

Now, construction company Metricon are building the family-of-ten a new home for free on a plot of land offered up by an anonymous donor.

'A home is somewhere to be able to feel safe and a sense of belonging, and if we are able to play a very small part in helping this family we are only so happy to do so,' Metricon's Queensland General Manager, Luke Fryer told A Current Affair.

Australia's leading retailers, including Harvey Norman, Officeworks, and YouFoodz, have also jumped in to offer their support, providing them with supplies as they adjust to their new lives.

Since their mother's death, Ms Wilkinson's three children and their five cousins - who are all under 11 - have been packed into bunk beds in the Carolls four bedroom house, and the family has need to upsize their car to a mini bus.

'We've got five of our own and Rhys just looked at me and said "This is us" and I said "yep", so we will make it work,' Danielle said.

'It's a three-hour mission every morning to get them ready for school. It's crazy to think, [we have] eight tiny feet to put shoes on.

The outpouring of support began when entrepreneur Tamika Smith, Rhy's step sister, set up an online campaign to raise funds to help build the home.

The fundraiser rapidly went viral, leading to an anonymous donor offering up a block of land and Metricon putting up their hand to do the construction work, with their suppliers also donating materials.

Tamika Smith (pictured) launched a campaign to help build the family a new home, garnering an outpouring of donations

'Looking at those children, realising I could not bring their mum back, broke my heart,' Ms Smith said, during the program on Monday night.

'But what I could do is try and make their future better and what I could do is something I do every day - build houses for people.'

After being contacted by A Current Affair, several high profile companies have come forward to present the family with goods and services.

Harvey Norman CEO Gerry Norman has donated a $15,000 voucher to be used in his stores, while Officeworks will be providing the family with eight school packs for each child and a store gift voucher.

Homeware and furniture retailer Temple and Webster has gifted a $10,000 voucher and home delivery service YouFoods, are giving the family a year supply of food.

Village Roadshows have contributed a five-night family vacation at Seaworld resorts and unlimited entry into its parks for 12 months.

The family of ten (pictured) have been packed into the Carrolls' four-bedroom home since Ms Wilkinson's death

The Block 2020 winners Jimmy and Tam have also offered their services to help with the building project, which is expected to be completed by Christmas.

Danielle and Rhys were blown away by the generosity.

'Unbelievable, I just... I'm still living in such a surreal world at the moment, I don't think I'll believe it until we are standing there,' Danielle said.

When asked how Ms Wilkinson would feel about the community support, her sisters Emma and Natalie said the mother-of-three would feel honoured.

'I think part of her would be a bit scared that she is all over TV, but to see that all of these people are standing behind her, her fight and the fight of other people just like her, it would really touch her,' Emma said.

Danielle said once her sister's memory will always live on through her children.

'[We will] make sure they know the person she was. They knew, but [we will] keep those memories alive,' she said.

'We will make sure they feel the love, and I am sure they will.'
Dawn Trevitt, a 66-year-old Gulgong teacher, was taken to the Gulgong Multi-Purpose Service by ambulance on September 15, 2020

A woman whose mother died in a regional NSW hospital without a doctor present says her mother fell victim to an 'inadequate and ill-equipped' health system.

'My mother died alone with no family present. She would have been terrified,' Hayley Olivares told a parliamentary inquiry investigating rural and regional health on Tuesday.

Mrs Olivares' mother Dawn Trevitt, a 66-year-old Gulgong teacher, was taken to the Gulgong Multi-Purpose Service by ambulance on September 15, 2020.

There was no doctor working there.

Although she was triaged into the most urgent category and should have been seen by a doctor immediately, it took 35 minutes to connect with a doctor on telehealth. She had significantly deteriorated.

There was only one headset to speak to and hear the doctor, leading to confusion over the timing of compressions as nurses tried to resuscitate Ms Trevitt.

She died within an hour.

Other patients in the medical centre were left in the care of a cook while the two nurses on duty assisted her.

Mrs Olivares was critical of a NSW Health review into her mother's death, saying it was not independent and its conclusions were flawed.

The report found that having a doctor present would not have saved Ms Trevitt's life.

'I'm not as convinced,' Mrs Olivares said.

'At what point did it become acceptable to have a multi-purpose service open for business with emergency and ambulance signs on the front but with no doctor inside the walls?

'It fills the community with false hope that they will receive appropriate care when they need it, when in fact that could not be further from the truth.'

Gulgong Multi-Purpose Service where Ms Trevitt was taken by an ambulance

The inquiry sat in Wellington in the state's central west on Tuesday, its fourth day of hearings.

Community leaders, medical staff, activists and residents painted a picture of an understaffed, under-equipped health system.

One woman, Sally Empringham, said she'd decided not to have more children because of a lack of healthcare.

Two friends had delivered children on the side of the road and she'd had to drive two hours to Dubbo for her own pregnancy complications to be checked out, she said.

Another man wept as he told of relatives having to drive hours to see a family member because of a lack of dementia treatment available in Warren.

The deputy mayor of Warrumbungle Shire Council, experienced GP Aniello Iannuzzi, said the four hospitals in his region were going without antibiotics and blood supplies.

'Sadly there are times, and the times are too frequent for my liking, where we run out of basic antibiotics to treat basic conditions,' he said.

Doctors had raised the problem of a lack of blood supplies for many years, he said.

One Canowindra nurse told of having to restrain an aggressive emergency patient because of a lack of security staff.

Another nurse from Gilgandra said she'd stopped taking emergency shifts despite having a certification in emergency work because understaffing meant she didn't feel safe.

More than 700 people have made submissions to the inquiry.

It sits in Dubbo on Thursday.
Sir Keir Starmer is said to be in discussions about starring in a documentary about his leadership of Labour as he seeks to recover from an election mauling.

The Opposition leader is under pressure to make more of an impact on the electorate after it lost a slew of high-profile votes a fortnight ago.

Sir Keir is facing pressure from moderates and the Labour Left after the party lost the Hartlepool by-election and mayoral vote sin Tees Valley and the West Midlands.

But any plans for a 'fly-on-the-wall' programme, reported in the Times, are likely to raise eyebrows after his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn disastrously took part in one five years ago.

Mr Corbyn appeared in Vice News' The Outsider in 2016, which showed him to be paranoid, with attacks on party staff and the media.

Former Tory leader Lord Hague, who also starred in a similar documentary as Opposition Leader two decades ago, told Times Radio: 'I had a fly on the wall documentary when I had a faltering leadership. I had fun ... it didn't do me any harm.

'The bad news is: it didn't make any difference.'

It came as a new poll showed Sir Keir's approval ratings have sunk to a record low.

A survey for Redfield and Wilton Strategies showed 23 per cent approved of his efforts and 35 per cent disapproved, a net figure of -12, down from -7 in a week.

Sir Keir is facing pressure from moderates and the Labour Left after the party lost the Hartlepool by-election and mayoral vote sin Tees Valley and the West Midlands.

But the plans for a 'fly-on-the-wall' programme, reported in the Times, are likely to raise eyebrows after his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn disastrously took part in one five years ago.

Boris Johnson's approval rating with the same firm is +10, but it has fallen seven points in a week. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is on +27, but he is also down 5 per cent.

A Labour spokesman today said: 'We are regularly approached by companies hoping to work with us on content. But it isn't correct that there is anything planned or in the pipeline.'

Sir Keir has already agreed to be interviewed by former GMB hoist Piers Morgan. Mr Morgan will return to ITV's schedules to interview the Labour leader for his long-running Life Stories programme.

It will be filmed next month and will air on ITV later this year.

In his 2016 documentary Jeremy Corbyn hit out at the BBC for being 'obsessed with trying to damage' his leadership of Labour.

It also showed his director of communications, Seumas Milne, accusing Labour staffers of leaking Mr Corbyn's briefing notes for Prime Minister's Questions to the Tories.

It was filmed by Vice News and covered local elections last month, preparations for Commons performances and the reaction to the early stages of the anti-Semitism scandal that rocked the Labour Party and eventually led to his suspension from the party last year.

Sir Keir last night faced his MPs in the wake of the party's disappointing election results. Labour lost Hartlepool to the Tories for the first time in half a century in a vote that showed that the stars of Brexit are still raw in former Red Wall areas.

He told them the party needed to be 'bold' in its plans to modernise Britain, adding: 'I didn't come into politics to tinker around edges.

' I came into it, as all of you did, to change lives and change Britain. This is a once in a generation moment. We need to build a post-austerity, post-Brexit post-pandemic Britain. That is the challenge before us.'
A detective at Yongsan police station in central Seoul said, adding that police would not pursue the case

The Belgian embassy 'has expressed it would maintain the right of immunity for the ambassador's wife,' South Korean police said on Sunday

Xiang Xueqiu is accused of hitting two boutique staff in the head on April 9 in a row over shop lifting, police said on Monday

The wife of Belgium's ambassador to South Korea has claimed diplomatic immunity to avoid criminal charges.

Xiang Xueqiu is accused of hitting two boutique staff in the head on April 9 in a row over shop lifting, police said on Monday.

Ambassador Peter Lescouhier has previously said that he 'sincerely regrets the incident involving his wife,' adding that he 'wants to apologise on her behalf.'

The Belgian embassy 'has expressed it would maintain the right of immunity for the ambassador's wife,' a detective at Yongsan police station in central Seoul said, adding that police would not pursue the case.

Slapped: The shop worker (above) displays the red mark on her face after being allegedly hit by Xiang Xueqiu, who is the wife of the Belgian ambassador to South Korea

South Korea is a signatory of the Vienna Convention, which gives accredited diplomats and their families immunity from criminal prosecution.

Officers questioned Xiang earlier this month after the embassy said she would cooperate with police.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that Xiang was hospitalised with a stroke and was discharged on April 23.

Reports say Xiang tried on clothes in a Seoul store before walking out, prompting an assistant to run after her to ask about an item she was wearing and triggering the confrontation.

The employee told CNN that she had asked Xiang about a jacket she was wearing, believing she might have stolen it.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous told the outlet that she couldn't understand Xiang and so had tried to look at the label inside the jacket and saw it was not from the shop.

The woman said she had apologised to Xiang in English but that Xiang followed her back into the shop.

Xiang (pictured) is filmed by security cameras trying on clothes that shop workers suspected her of leaving without paying for

CCTV camera footage showed Xiang pulling at one employee's arm and hitting her in the head, before slapping another worker who tried to intervene across the face.

The footage also appeared to show Xiang speaking with two police officers at the scene.

Ambassador Peter Lescouhier (pictured) has previously said that he 'sincerely regrets the incident involving his wife,' adding that he 'wants to apologise on her behalf' [File photo]

'We can understand her anger but that does not justify her violent behavior,' the employee told CNN.

'We're not sure if we'll be able to get a genuine apology through reporting this incident but this could happen to other employees in the service industry,' the employees said in a statement quoted by the outlet.

'In a hope to prevent any future recurrences, by someone who abuses one's power, we're providing this footage.'

The footage - provided by the family of an alleged victim - was widely reported by local media and circulated online and turned public opinion sharply against the ambassador's family.

The Belgian embassy issued the ambassador's apology in a bilingual Facebook post as it sought to contain the damage, but its Korean translation sounded heavy-handed, further souring some reactions.

Public anger heightened in response to the use of diplomatic immunity, with more than 1,000 largely negative comments posted on one online report.

'I understand diplomats are given immunity but why are their families given such rights too?' asked one poster on Naver, the country's largest portal.

'This incident should not pass by without consequences.'
A beach hut overlooking the North Sea has been snapped up for 65,000 within hours of going on sale.

The hut, which measures 7ft 10in x 7ft and comes with its own electricity supply, sold for a record price in the area at around 20,000 more than others sold in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

The boom in beach hut sales has been prompted by the pandemic as families plan to holiday in the UK rather than risk travelling abroad.

Staycation bookings have risen by 136 per cent for May compared to the same time before the coronavirus outbreak.

The hut, which measures 7ft 10in x 7ft and comes with its own electricity supply, sold for a record price in the area at around 20,000 more than others sold in Felixstowe, Suffolk

Speaking about the sale of the beach hut, Charlie Papworth, of Diamond Mills estate agents, said: 'It sold for the asking price, within hours of being offered for sale.

'There is a lot of demand for beach huts at the moment, and this is a record price, about 20,000 more than any other huts we have sold in Felixstowe.

'One reason for the higher price is the very good location, close to the Fludyers Hotel.

'Another was that it has its own electricity supply, which is very unusual.

'Beach huts are selling fast because more people plan to holiday at home due to Covid-19. The pandemic is the driving force.

'We have other beach huts on sale but they are going fast - one on the cliff-top has also sold, for 45,000.

'Another, next to the pier, has just gone on sale for 40,000.'

The beach shack facing out on to the North Sea has been snapped up for 65,000 within hours of going on sale

Speaking about the sale of the beach hut, Charlie Papworth, of Diamond Mills estate agents, said: 'It sold for the asking price, within hours of being offered for sale'

The spike in demand has seen seaside councils drawing up plans for extra pitches to boost profits.

Ten more beach shacks have been installed along Gorleston's prom in Norfolk amid a surge in demand in recent weeks.

All 10 have been sold on either a 10 or 20-year lease - generating up to 19,800 each for Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

It brings the total number along the stretch to 30 - 19 of which are sold, 10 are for annual hire and one is available for shorter term lets.

Carl Smith, council leader, said he was delighted the beach huts have seen a surge in popularity.

'Last year they were boosted by the staycation summer, and this year could well be the same,' he said.

'We put 10 down in the first lockdown and they proved to be popular and we will look at demand and put another 10 down there.

'It takes people to actually be in them, then it springboards from there.

'Any revenue that comes into the council is welcome in these times. They were slow to start with but are now becoming popular.'

Elsewhere, 100 hundred huts were planned in Herne Bay and Whitstable in Kent to cash in on the Covid-19 staycation boom and Canterbury City Council said it also hoped to raise 2million from the sales.

Demand has 'gone bonkers' said Canterbury Council Spokesman Rob Davies.

'Our finances are in a perilous state, and one of our key approaches has been to look for income-raising opportunities, which will reduce the level of savings we need to find and help us retain vital front-line services such as rough sleeper work and reducing homelessness.

'The plan for new beach huts is therefore a commercial project to bring in income, as well as meeting the demand we know exists.

'Even taking into account the build costs, we would expect to make a healthy profit, which would help us balance the books in the next couple of years.'

He said seaside towns would welcome it because more beach huts mean more tourists with money to spend.

'We are absolutely certain that local residents would support us in pursuing income-generating projects like this, rather than having to cut services more and more.'

Beach huts have recently been changing hands in Herne Bay for about 16,000 but in Whitstable they tend to fetch fees in the region of 25,000.

Councillor Andrew Cook, who chairs Herne Bay Beach Hut Owners' Association, said some have risen in value by up to 30 per cent.

'Over the Covid period, the prices have gone up dramatically because people can't holiday abroad and spend fortunes flying all over the world.

'These people have a lot of disposable income to spend now. Beforehand, people would be choosy, but now they're buying anything because everyone's desperate to get their hands on a beach hut. It's gone bonkers.'

He estimates there are about 260 huts in the town and owners have been approached by people prepared to outbid each other to secure one.

Mr Cook said: 'It's the most luxurious thing to have when you can't go anywhere. We had waiting lists already, but they've got phenomenally large.'

The UK's most expensive beach hut was sold in July last year after receiving offers of 330,000 following an intense bidding war.

The UK's most expensive beach hut was sold in July last year after receiving offers of 330,000 following an intense bidding war

The wooden cabin at Mudeford Spit in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset, was listed for sale for the same asking price as a five-bedroom detached house in Hull

The wooden cabin at Mudeford Spit in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset, was listed for sale for the same asking price as a five-bedroom detached house in Hull.

Four potential buyers put in offers on the 12ft by 10ft hut - two of them without even viewing it.

The final sale price smashed the record amount paid for a beach hut on the exclusive sandy peninsula.

The surge in beach hut popularity comes as staycation bookings have risen by 136 per cent for May compared to the same time before the pandemic, an expert has revealed.

Matt Fox, CEO and Founder of Rest Easy Group, said there was a 'stark increase' in demand for cottages, particularly in Cornwall and Devon, for the May bank holiday weekend this year compared to 2019.

Meanwhile, the EU is expected to sign off on plans for Britons who have had both jabs to fly to Europe without having to quarantine or take a Covid test.

The European Union's new plan would see member states adopting uniform entry requirements, meaning vaccinated holidaymakers from low-risk countries - such as the UK - would be able to enter France, Spain, Italy and other hotspots.

Britain will be included on an EU expanded 'green list' of permitted holiday travel on Wednesday as the bloc's ambassadors are set to confirm a European Commission proposal lift restrictions on well-vaccinated nations, it is understood.
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Thousands of migrants have stormed across the border from Morocco into Spain by jumping and swimming around the fence amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

More than 6,000 people - including 1,500 thought to be teenagers - made the crossing into Ceuta between Monday and Tuesday after Moroccan border guards largely stood aside.

At least one man drowned while swimming around the border fence while dozens of others were treated for hypothermia and exhaustion after collapsing in front of Spanish border guards and paramedics.

It comes amid fury in Morocco after it emerged that Brahim Ghali - a leader of the Western Sahara independence movement which has been engaged in a decades-long war with Morocco - has been admitted to hospital in Spain to be treated for Covid.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to 'restore order' on Tuesday as he deployed armed forces to the border and announced he would visit Cueta and Melilla - another Spanish enclave in northern Africa.

By Tuesday afternoon, the flow of migrants had largely slowed to a trickle as Morocco also deployed extra guards who fired tear gas at migrants around the Fnideq crossing to keep them back.

A soldier and an Spanish Red Cross worker comfort an injured migrant on the beach at Cueta. Six thousand migrants swam and paddled from Morocco into the Spanish enclave after Morocco left border posts unguarded

The Spanish Army has been called in to round up the thousands of migrants, here they send a group of migrants back around the border fence

By Tuesday afternoon, the flow of migrants had largely slowed to a trickle, Spanish soldiers are pictured helping a stricken migrant

The sudden influx of migrants has deepened the diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid and created a humanitarian crisis for Ceuta, the Spanish city of 85,000 that lies in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Morocco by a fence.

Up to 6,000 migrants have crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, in northern Africa, by swimming around the border fence after guards on the Moroccan side largely stood aside

The crisis erupted after it emerged that Spain is giving hospital treatment to the leader of an independence movement involved in a war with Morocco, prompting border guards to stand down on Monday (pictured, the scene today)

Spain deployed the military Tuesday to help overwhelmed border guards restore order, with Moroccan security also firing tear gas as they stepped up policing along the frontier

A Spanish soldier stands guard on a beach in Ceuta as migrants swim ashore. At least one person has drowned and dozens of others have required treatment for hypothermia after making the crossing

An exhausted man lies on the beach in Ceuta after swimming ashore in the early hours of Tuesday in the hopes of crossing from Africa into Europe via the Spanish enclave

A Spanish soldier with a baton wades into the waters off Ceuta as he attempts to stop young people crossing the border

Migrants manage to grab a Moroccan boat near the border crossing, using it to float on and avoid Spanish soldiers on shore

Spanish soldiers attempt to marshal some of the thousands of migrants who made it ashore between Monday and Tuesday

Soldiers run towards the border as they try to prevent another wave of migrants crossing amid a diplomatic standoff between Spain and Morocco

Overwhelmed soldiers separated the adults from the young and carried children in their arms while Red Cross workers helped an endless trickle of migrants who were emerging from the water shivering and exhausted. One unconscious woman laid on the sand before she was carried away on a stretcher.

The sudden influx of migrants has fueled the diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid over the disputed Western Sahara region and created a humanitarian crisis for Ceuta, the Spanish city of 85,000 in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Morocco by a double-wide, 10-meter (32-feet) fence.

Video cameras captured how some people rushed up the hills surrounding the city and jumped over the double fence.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled a trip to Paris, where he was to attend a summit on international aid to Africa, and announced an imminent visit to the southern city.

While calling Morocco a 'friend of Spain,' Sanchez also urged authorities to 'respect the shared border.'

Some 2,700 adults were already returned to Morocco, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. Morocco and Spain signed an agreement three decades ago to expel all those who swim across the border.

Yet many arriving Tuesday were sub-Saharan Africans who are usually fleeing poverty or violence back home. Spain has agreements to return some of those migrants to their native countries but not all.

By Tuesday afternoon, Moroccan authorities closed the road leading to the border post with Ceuta and anti-riot police dispersed crowds of would-be migrants. Neither the government in Rabat nor local officials have commented about the mass influx or responded to queries by The Associated Press.

'It's such a strong invasion that we are not able to calculate the number of people that have entered,' said Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, an autonomous city of about 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles).

'The army is at the border in a deterrent role, but there are great quantities of people on the Moroccan side waiting to enter,' he told Cadena SER radio.

Several people were rescued after suffering hypothermia after making the crossing

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would visit Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other north African enclave, later on Tuesday

A Spanish legionnaire detains a Moroccan citizen at El Tarajal beach where thousands arrived today and yesterday

Spanish soldiers help a migrant on the coast as he has managed to cross over to Ceuta, Spanish enclave in the north Africa

A migrant man who swam across the border between Morocco and Spain before collapsing from exhaustion is helped to his feet by soldiers sent to reinforce overwhelmed border guards

Barely 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles), Ceuta is located in North Africa. It is an autonomous city of Spain and is home to some 85,000 people

Men lie on the ground after arriving on the Spanish side of the border with Morocco, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Sanchez has vowed to 'restore order' at the Moroccan border.Pictured: A migrant rests after arriving in Spain

A Spanish legionnaire indicates the direction to follow to Moroccan citizens arriving on El Tarajal beach

Soldiers and Red Cross medics help migrants as they managed to cross over to Ceuta, Spanish enclave in the north Africa

Spanish soldiers take an eye on migrants that have managed to cross over to Ceuta

Migrants rest after swimming towards the shore of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

The arriving adults were being transferred to Ceuta's main soccer stadium as they waited to be returned to Morocco while those thought to be minors were sent to warehouses run by charity group.

Four Spanish armored vehicles parked Tuesday at Tarajal beach in Ceuta, where the border fence leads to a short breakwater.

In a video shared by a Spanish police union urging authorities to send in reinforcements, anti-riot officers behind the border fence were using shields to protect themselves from stones being thrown by people in Morocco.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied local media reports saying that unaccompanied Moroccan migrants under 18, who are allowed to remain legally under the tutelage of Spanish authorities, were being deported.

The European Union's top migration official - Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson - described the incidents as 'worrying' and called on Morocco to prevent people from setting out in the first place.

'The most important thing now is that Morocco continues to commit to prevent irregular departures, and that those who do not have the right to stay are orderly and effectively returned,' Johansson told the European Parliament.

'Spanish borders are European borders. The European Union wants to build a relationship with Morocco based on trust and shared commitments. Migration is a key element,' she said.

Morocco's loosened border watch came after Spain decided to grant entry for medical treatment to the chief of a militant group that fights Morocco for the independence of Western Sahara. Morocco annexed the sprawling region on the west coast of Africa in 1975.

Morocco's Foreign Ministry has said Madrid's move to assist Brahim Ghali, head of the Polisario Front, was 'inconsistent with the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness' and vowed there would be 'consequences.'

Many African migrants regard Ceuta and nearby Melilla, also a Spanish territory, as a gateway into Europe

Pictured: Moroccan nationals break the fence on the Moroccan side to Ceuta on Tuesday

Soldiers and Guardia Civil officers stand guard after some 6,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Men rest after swimming towards the short of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Un video mas del ataque a la soberania nacional por parte de Marruecos que estamos sufriendo. pic.twitter.com/89eScXFl2Q  Susana Burgos (@burgosusana) May 18, 2021

Spanish legionnaires stand guard around Moroccan citizens after thousands swan across the border on Monday and Tuesday

'It's such a strong invasion that we are not able to calculate the number of people that have entered,' said the president of Ceuta, an autonomous city

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called off a trip to Paris on Tuesday due to the surge at Ceuta

Vivas, Ceuta's conservative regional president, said residents were in a state of 'anguish, concern and fear' and 60% of the city's children had not shown up for school on Tuesday. He also linked the sudden mass arrival to Spain's compassionate assistance to Ghali.

The Spanish government itself, however, officially rejects the notion that Morocco is punishing Spain for a humanitarian move.

'I cannot envisage that putting the lives of young people and minors at risk is in response to a humanitarian issue,' Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said.

The prime minister appeared on live television to announce he would visit Ceuta and that his top priority was to ensure safety in the city 'in the face of any challenge, any eventuality and under any circumstance.'

Over the decades, Spain has built a close relationship with Morocco to crack down on illegal border crossings but also to increase economic exchanges and fight extremism. Sanchez on Tuesday avoided any direct criticism to Rabat in his speech.

'To be effective,' he said, 'that cooperation must always be based on respect - respect for the shared border.'

Sanchez was also facing a political storm at home, with the far-right Vox party blaming the migration crisis on the government's 'inaction' and sending its leader on a quick visit to Ceuta.

Many African migrants regard Ceuta and nearby Melilla, another Spanish territory, as a gateway into Europe. In 2020, 2,228 chose to cross into the two enclaves by sea or land, often risking injuries or death.

On Tuesday, another 80 African migrants readed Melilla, 350 kilometers (218 miles) east of Ceuta, by jumping over the enclave's double fence.

Morocco scored a diplomatic victory last year when the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump recognized Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara, paving the way for normalizing relations between Israel and Morocco.

Around 200 extra police and soldiers were being deployed to help manage the situation. Pictured: A man reacts after reaching the Spanish territory

'The army is in the border in a deterrent role, but there are great quantities of people on the Moroccan side waiting to enter,' Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, told Caden SER radio

Spain's Interior Minister said the migrants who had not been processed and returned yet soon would be because Morocco and Spain signed an agreement three decades ago to return all those who swim to the territory
The attorney for Matt Gaetz's wingman has promised 'must-see-television' when asked if his client's plea deal would spell danger for the congressman.

Speaking outside court after Joel Goldberg had pleaded guilty to six charges, including sex trafficking a minor, Fritz Scheller refused to directly answer questions regarding his clients links to Gaetz and what he would reveal as part of the deal.

Scheller deflected several questions about Gaetz's involvement, telling reporters 'I'm not going to answer that... I'm still not going to answer that'.

Pushed for answers on whether elected officials, such as Gaetz (R-Fla.), would be impacted by the plea deal, Scheller smirked and said: 'This is must-see television. You'll have to wait and see'.

Joel Greenberg's attorney has promised 'must-see television' when asked about a possible connection to Representative Matt Gaetz (pictured)

Fritz Scheller made the comments after Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal charges, including sex-trafficking a minor, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors on Monday

Joel Greenberg (left), a former tax collector in Florida's Seminole County, is central to the federal probe into whether Representative Matt Gaetz (right) trafficked a minor for sex

Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida's Seminole County, is central to the federal probe into whether Gaetz trafficked a minor for sex.

On Friday, federal prosecutors dropped 27 charges against Greenberg in exchange for his cooperation and testimony.

He had faced 33 counts with a maximum of life behind bars but reached a deal to plead guilty to just six of those charges: sex trafficking a child, using a fake ID, identity theft, wire fraud, stalking and conspiring to commit a crime against the US.

The most severe charge he will plead to is paying a 17-year-old girl for sex, trafficking her across state lines and giving her drugs, which is what might implicate Gaetz.

The sex trafficking charge has a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.

Greenberg also said he would cooperate with the ongoing investigation into Gaetz, and testify in court if necessary. He admitted to introducing the minor he trafficked to other adult men who engaged in sex acts with the minor in his presence, court papers showed.

The papers did not identify the other adult men. Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He was not mentioned in the plea agreement or during the court hearing.

But Greenberg, who is married, may be ready to accuse Gaetz of paying at least 15 young women for sex including prostitute Megan Zalonka after a cocaine-fueled party at a Trump fundraiser.

Geenberg said he would cooperate with federal prosecutors and admitted to introducing the minor he trafficked to other adult men who engaged in sex acts with the minor in his presence at a hearing on Monday

Megan Zalonka (right) is pictured with Gaetz, who is said to have snorted cocaine and had sex with her

Roger Stone, Matt Gaetz and Joel Greenberg pictured in a selfie together in 2017

Gaetz and Greenberg pictured together at the White House. To reduce charges from 33 to 6 indicates Greenberg has valuable information for prosecutors, say legal experts

Greenberg's attorneys filed this document on Thursday signaling he would change his plea to guilty

Appearing in court wearing a blue prison jumpsuit with the words 'Orange County Corrections,' Greenberg was shackled and returned to jail following the hearing.

Prosecutors said the entirety of the plea deal was published Monday and that no portion of it remained under seal and out of the public eye.

They added that depending on how much he assists them going forward, they could recommend some leniency in Greenberg's sentencing.

Greenberg also has to forfeit $650,000. He was arrested last year and immediately started telling the feds about Gaetz and how they 'sex trafficked' together to get himself a deal.

Greenberg's lawyer, Fritz Scheller, suggested after a court hearing last month that his client would implicate Gaetz, telling reporters: 'I am sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today.'

Scheller was more measured on Monday when asked if Gaetz should be worried about Greenberg cooperating with investigators.

'Last time we talked I had a certain agenda, which I accomplished,' Scheller said. 'This time I will leave that up to Matt Gaetz's attorneys to answer.'

Scheller added that his client would 'honor' his plea agreement, which promised full cooperation with investigators.

Scheller said a sentencing hearing probably will be set for sometime this summer and said of Greenberg: 'He's feeling a sense of remorse' over his actions.

Joel Greenberg and his wife Abby and their two children. As part of his plea agreement, Greenberg admitted that he recruited women for commercial sex acts and paid them more than $70,000 from 2016 to 2018, including at least one underage girl he paid to have sex with him and others

An Orange County Corrections transport vehicle leaves the federal courthouse before a hearing for Joel Greenberg on Monday

A banner reading 'Tick Tock Matt Gaetz' is flown above the federal courthouse during a hearing for Joel Greenberg on Monday

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) walks with his fiancee Ginger Luckey in January. Investigators are seeking to determine whether Gaetz had sex with the same 17-year-old Greenberg was accused of trafficking

The plea deal marks a turning point in the sprawling federal investigation that has roiled Florida politics and ensnared Gaetz, 39, one of former President Donald Trump's staunchest defenders in Congress.

Investigators want to determine whether Gaetz had sex with the same 17-year-old Greenberg was accused of trafficking, according to news reports and a law enforcement source who spoke with Reuters.

At a gathering of Republican Party activists last weekend in Ohio, Gaetz addressed the crowd and, according to an NBC News report, said, 'I'm being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors.'

Gaetz, 38, and his fiancee Ginger Luckey, 26, in a photo shared on Twitter by Gaetz on December 10 under a photograph of Ronald Reagan

Gaetz with Trump. Greenberg is said to be cooperating with federal investigators for months amid the probe into the congressman

Gaetz, according to NBC, then criticized Congress for reinstituting the use of special-interest spending known as earmarks, saying it is 'a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors... and everybody knows that's a corruption.'

When news of Greenberg's impending guilty plea broke on Thursday, Gaetz spokesman Harlan Hill questioned Greenberg's credibility.

'The first indictment of Joel Greenberg alleges that he falsely accused another man of sex with a minor for his own gain. That man was apparently innocent. So is congressman Gaetz,' said Hill.

Greenberg also pleaded guilty to having letters sent to a school where a political rival worked that falsely accused the man of sexual misconduct with a student, according to federal prosecutors.

Sources close to the DOJ probe told DailyMail.com in April that Gaetz was expected to be indicted as soon as a matter of weeks after the 17-year-old testified before a Florida grand jury. She said she had sex with him before she reached the state's age of consent, which is 18.

Greenberg allegedly confessed in a letter to Donald Trump ally Roger Stone that the pair paid for sex with the 17-year-old girl in a bid to get a pardon from then-President, the Daily Beast reported.

Gaetz went on Tucker Carlson to deny the sex trafficking claims but it was a fumbled interview that Carlson later described as the 'weirdest ever'

Gaetz's wider actions in congress have also come under close scrutiny in recent weeks, with claims he showed off nude photos of women he said he had slept with to other lawmakers on the House floor

'On more than one occasion, [the 17-year-old] was involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls, the congressman from Florida's 1st Congressional District and myself,' Greenberg reportedly wrote in the letter.

One message said to have been sent by Greenberg to Stone allegedly said he was pressured to 'flip' and cooperate with prosecutors.

Gaetz's wider actions in Congress also have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with claims he showed off nude photos of women he said he slept with to other lawmakers on the House floor and that he played a sleazy Harry Potter themed sex game scoring points for sleeping with married colleagues, virgins and women in sorority houses.

It also has been claimed that he regularly attended gated community house parties with other Republican lawmakers where cellphones were handed over at the door and the 'frat party boy' Florida representative would discuss politics while popping pills.

Meanwhile, as well as the federal investigation, the House Ethics Committee also launched an inquiry into a string of allegations including 'sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct.'

Gaetz denies all allegations and has insisted he will not resign.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has slammed governor Andrew Cuomo for receiving a $5million advance for his book on leading the state during the COVID pandemic, describing it as 'state-sponsored literature'.

American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, was released in October last year, just before New York's COVID-19 numbers spiked again and Cuomo sent the state back into lockdown.

The New York Attorney General's office is investigating whether Cuomo used state money to put the book together.

Junior staffers reported that their tasks included editing early drafts, sitting in on pitch meetings, and even printing and delivering manuscript pages to his mansion.

When asked by Spectrum News NY1 anchor Errol Luis whether he thinks the book deal was improper, de Blasio said: 'I think it was state-sponsored literature.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (pictured) has slammed governor Andrew Cuomo for receiving a $5million advance for his Covid-19 book, describing it as 'state-sponsored literature'

When asked by Spectrum News NY1 anchor Errol Luis (left) whether he thinks the book deal was improper, de Blasio (right) said: 'I think it was state-sponsored literature'

Cuomo's controversial book American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, was released in October

'This guy clearly depended upon public employees to do a lot of the work, and that's not acceptable.'

'You don't need a lot of ethics training to figure out that's not acceptable,' de Blasio added.

'So obviously the attorney general and the legislature will be looking at that on top of a nursing home scandal, the sexual assaults, the harassment, giving out vaccines as a political favor,' claimed de Blasio. 'I mean it just goes on and on, it's unbelievable.'

This is the latest in a long-running openly hostile feud between Cuomo and de Blasio, who have sparred over reopening the city and setting rules during the pandemic.

This spring de Blasio called for Cuomo to resign over allegations of sexual harassment and claims his administration covered up COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

Cuomo refused to say at the time of the book release how much of an advance he'd been given by his publisher Crown - a division of Penguin Random House.

But on Monday, his office confirmed the $5 million sum after he filed his taxes.

According to the tax documents, the group paid him $3.12 last year, and will pay him the remainder in two installments worth around $2 million each in 2021 and 2022.

He donated $500,000 of the proceeds to charity, leaving the rest for his three daughters who he said worked 'tirelessly' through the pandemic.

Cuomo was slammed for the book which was released in the midst of the pandemic and amid blame for thousands of COVID deaths in nursing homes.

Publisher Crown stopped promoting it after the nursing home scandal, and after a number of women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct this year.

Cuomo is being investigated by the New York Attorney General's Office who wants to know if he used state money to put the book together

Cuomo told The New York Times that any staffers who worked on the book did so voluntarily and that there may have been some 'minor' work on it done incidentally.

His spokesman told the Times in April: 'We have officially jumped the shark  the idea there was criminality involved here is patently absurd on its face and is just the furthering of a political pile-on.'

In 2020, Cuomo was paid $3.12million for it the book. He'll get another $2million in the next two years.

Last year, after taxes, he got a net payment of $1.5million. Cuomo gave a third of that money to charity and left two-thirds for his three daughters, giving them around $300,000 each.

Cuomo's three daughters' mother is Kerry Kennedy, who is one of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel's children.

Michaela, 23, and 26-year-old twins Cara and Mariah worked for him in the pandemic, he said, producing 'tireless and effective work for all New Yorkers'.

Cuomos's daughters Michaela, 23, and 26-year-old twins Mariah and Cara. He gave them each more than $300,000 for their 'tireless' pandemic work. Michaela, left, graduated from Brown this year. Mariah (far right) is a social media strategist at Teneo and Cara, center, works at Sahar Global Summits, a 'minority owned small business that organizes and hosts invitation- only summits focused on alternative investments'

The book is available on Amazon for $6.82 but when dividing what he was paid by how many actually were sold, it puts the price at $100 per copy.

Cuomo's first book was a flop. He was paid $783,000 by Harper Collins but only 3,200 copies of it sold.

The Wall Street Journal reported late in March that the New York state attorney general's office had subpoenaed dozens of officials in Cuomo's administration as part of the probe into sexual harassment accusations.

The governor has denied any wrongdoing and said he was sorry if his behavior had made 'people feel uncomfortable.'

Because of the way the state health department counted, it looked as though 8,700 people had died from COVID in nursing homes but, in fact, the true number was 15,000. The AG is investigating that discrepancy.

It happened after Cuomo signed a directive that forced nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients, even if they were still testing positive, to free up hospital beds.
Angela Merkel's spokesman has warned that Jews no longer feel safe in Germany as he condemned anti-Semitic abuse hurled at pro-Palestinian protests last week.

Police were deployed outside synagogues across the country after protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip descended into racial abuse.

'What has been heard in the last few days of hatred of Jews and anti-Semitic abuse is shameful,' Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday.

He called it 'particularly outrageous' that a Jewish journalist had been attacked on the sidelines of a demonstration in Berlin at the weekend.

Seibert said this 'highlights the fact that Jews in Germany cannot move around as freely and safely in some areas and in some situations as is the right of every citizen in Germany. And that makes us angry and it is shameful for all of us.'

A man is detained by riot police in Berlin during a pro-Palestine demonstration on Saturday

Protesters march to demonstrate for the rights of Palestinians in Berlin on Saturday. Similar demos were held across Germany last week and over the weekend

A protester holds a placard at a demonstration in Berlin on Saturday

Antonia Yamin, a reporter for Israeli state TV, was heckled during the demonstration in Berlin and was forced to run for cover after someone threw a firework which exploded near her.

Speaking to the camera, she said: 'I suspected that something like this could happen. It's not the first time for me, in this part of Berlin, with a Hebrew microphone and speaking in Hebrew. Last time the same thing happened, also with a firecracker.'

There were numerous reports of anti-Semitic slogans being chanted in German cities amid anger at Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip which has killed 212 Palestinians - including 61 children.

Footage emerged from a protest outside a synagogue in the city of Gelsenkirchen which showed men yelling obscenities about Jews while waving Palestinian and Turkish flags.

Israeli flags were also burned outside synagogues in Munster and Bonn, where police made 16 arrests.

A 29-year-old German citizen of Kazakh origin was arrested in Hamburg on Friday after striking a Jewish student over the head outside a synagogue.

Seibert said that the recent spate of anti-Semitism showed that the problem existed across the political spectrum.

'There are anti-Semites in various camps in Germany,' he said. 'Right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis have always been part of it. And in these days it becomes clear again to us: There are also Muslim anti-Semites.'

Last week, Seibert made it clear that Germany backed Israel's right to defend itself from rocket attacks by Hamas.

'The German government condemns these incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip against Israeli cities in the strongest terms,' Merkel's spokesman said.

'Israel has the right to self-defence against these attacks.'

Police secure the Westend Synagogue in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, after a pro-Palestine demonstration on Saturday

Police face participants as they gather to protest for peace in Palestine in Cologne

People hold the flags of Palestine, Turkey and other countries, as they gather in front of the opera house to demonstrate in Stuttgart

Merkel has been popular in Israel throughout her tenure and was the first ever politician to speak in German inside the Knesset, the parliament, during a visit in 2008.

'At this point, in particular, I would like to say explicitly: Every federal government and every chancellor before me were committed to Germany's special historical responsibility for Israel's security,' Merkel said in the historic speech.

'This historic responsibility of Germany is part of my country's reason of state. That means Israel's security is never negotiable for me as German chancellor.'
Kamal Ahmed has left the BBC to begin a 'new media business' just weeks after he was axed from his 205,000 editorial director role.

The BBC axed Mr Ahmed and two others from its news board in February in a 'modernisation' plan - leaving it with no ethnic minority members despite a pledge to increase senior management diversity last year.

The former Observer executive news editor today confirmed he will part ways with the broadcaster after seven years and launch a new media venture to focus on 'trusted, objective information.'

He said: 'After seven great years @BBCNews working with some of the finest, funniest, hard working and committed journalists on the planet, today is farewell.

'Next month I am starting a new media business with friend and fellow media traveller William Lewis.

'We know audiences are changing the way they consume 'news' and @TheNewsMovement will focus on trusted, objected (sic) information on social media and other digital channels.'

Kamal Ahmed (above) has left the BBC to begin a 'new media business' just weeks after he was axed from his 205,000 editorial director role

The former Observer executive editor today confirmed he will part ways will the broadcaster after seven years and launch a new venture with media executive William Lewis

He added: 'Finally - a thank you to @BBCNews.

'You are amazing, a privilege to work for and one of the most remarkable and important news organisations in the world.

'Trusted, impartial news has never been more vital.'

His departure comes weeks after MailOnline revealed the former BBC editorial director lost his 'non-job' after allegedly falling out with rival boss Fran Unsworth.

The slimmed-down BBC news board will remain headed by director of news and current affairs Ms Unsworth, who earns 340,000-a-year, a source said.

In February last year, Mr Ahmed, who had earned between 205,000 and 209,999-a-year, agreed a 12,000 fee for a 40-minute appearance at the Aberdeen Standard Investment's conference at a time when 450 people were laid off.

There were also claims of hypocrisy because at the time he was involved in an internal review of rules on BBC staff taking speaking engagements for cash, and he was forced to apologise in an email to colleagues, before refusing to accept the cash.

A BBC insider told MailOnline: 'No one working here was very surprised. Most people think he had it coming.

His departure comes weeks after MailOnline revealed the former BBC editorial director (above) lost his 'non-job' after allegedly falling out with rival boss Fran Unsworth

Following news of his departure today, the BBC responded on Twitter: 'Goodbye and good luck Kamal!'

'Kamal had gone to Tony Hall [Previous director-general] arguing that we needed this editorial director role, and Tony created it for him. But most people think it was a non-job. He and Fran [Unsworth] did not get on.

From broadsheet to broadcast: The rise of Kamal Ahmed Kamal Ahmed is a former newspaper man who started his career in Scotland during the nineties. He moved to the Guardian and was appointed executive news editor at the Observer. Ahmed briefly left journalism to become the Director of Communications at the Equality and Human Rights Commission but returned to reporting as business editor of the Sunday Telegraph in 2009. He replaced Robert Peston as the business editor of BBC News in March 2014 and the next year took his role as economics editor. Four years later he was announced as BBC News's Editorial Director in a position created by Fran Unsworth on the News Board. Ahmed previously hit the headlines last February when he apologised for accepting a 12,000 payment for speaking at a banker's conference. He received 12,000 for a 40-minute appearance at the Aberdeen Standard Investment's conference, just days after telling 450 of his colleagues that their jobs were being cut. He came under fire both publicly and within the BBC for his fee for the event and has sent an email to colleagues apologising. Advertisement

'People didn't like him. They didn't understand how he was elevated so quickly, and many didn't forgive him for that speech to a hedge fund while lots of job losses were being announced here.'

An 80 million savings plan saw the job cuts announced by the broadcaster in February, the 'restructuring' as part of 'plans to modernise BBC News'.

Two other members of the board, Gavin Allen and Jo Carr, have also lost their jobs after the restructuring.

In 2019, the corporation said all senior leadership groups should have at least two staff members from minority ethnic backgrounds.

However, Ahmed's departure will mean that the BBC News board is now all-white.

Former newspaper man Ahmed's role was created by Unsworth in 2018 and she said she was 'thrilled he was joining her top team'.

However, the pair were said to have had differences of opinion over the department's editorial direction, leading to his removal.

Reacting to the change in February, one BBC source told the Telegraph: 'And just like that our news board is all-white again. Not the direction I and many others hoped we would be going in.'

Mr Ahmed's latest venture, The News Movement, will launch later this year.

He initially tweeted that the start-up would be 'partnering' with ITN, but the production firm has since confirmed The News Movement will only rent office space at its Gray's Inn Road base.

Following news of his departure today, the BBC responded on Twitter: 'Goodbye and good luck Kamal!'.

Journalist Mina Al-Oraibi said: 'Congratulations! Although I will miss your insights on the BBC, I am excited to see what you will do with @TheNewsMovement.'

Ahmed, whose mother is from Rotherham and whose father is from Sudan, had a role as editorial director which included overseeing Question Time and was paid around 205,000. He joined the BBC in 2014.

He found himself challenged in February last year when Victoria Derbyshire told him to 'reconsider the decision to close our programme'.

It came after he had shared a post about a probe by Newsnight that had resulted in the Government announcing measures to ban putting children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation.

Ahmed wrote: 'Investigations matter. Original journalism matters.'

Derbyshire made her feelings known about her programme's cancellation, and has condemned the BBC's claims that it pulled the show off air because it had failed to grow its live audience.

In February last year the BBC's editorial director apologised after he pocketed 12,000 for a 40-minute appearance at the Aberdeen Standard Investment's conference at a time when hundreds of people were laid off. He then said he would not take the cash

BBC executives Gavin Allen (left), Naja Nielsen (second from left), Jonathan Munro (second from right) and Kamal Ahmed (right) sat in front of staff on barstools at New Broadcasting House as they cut 450 jobs last year

Ahmed previously hit the headlines in February 2020 when he apologised for accepting a 12,000 payment for speaking at a banker's conference.

He received the cash for a 40-minute appearance at the Aberdeen Standard Investment's conference, just days after telling 450 of his colleagues that their jobs were being cut.

He came under fire both publicly and within the BBC for his 12,000 fee for the event and has sent an email to colleagues apologising.

In the email, he wrote: 'I realise now that I did not think things through sufficiently at the time of the booking and, although I did not break any of the BBC's guidelines on external speaking, it was a mistake to agree to a fee.

'I have told ASI this morning that I will not be taking any payment. I wanted to say sorry that a mistake made by me has become a public and internal issue.'

Days before, Ahmed was one of four senior BBC bosses who sat on bar stools as they announced the job cuts.
A British Army Staff Sergeant sexually assaulted a junior female soldier and sent her naked pictures of himself while promising to help her career progression, a court martial heard today.

Staff sergeant Kareen Thomas allegedly told his junior colleague he could help her get onto a training wing which she had 'aspirations' to join before sending her two pictures of his penis.

The female Lance Corporal - who cannot be named for legal reasons - told the court she did not feel she could complain about SSgt Thomas's behaviour at first because she was 'respecting his rank,' the court heard.

Staff sergeant Kareen Thomas (pictured) allegedly told his junior colleague he could help her get onto a training wing which she had 'aspirations' to join before sending her two pictures of his penis

The female Lance Corporal - who cannot be named for legal reasons - told the court she did not feel she could complain about SSgt Thomas's (pictured) behaviour at first because she was 'respecting his rank,' the court heard

SSgt Thomas of the Royal Logistics Corps is also charged with two incidents of sexual assault after kissing the woman without consent and grabbing her hand and brushing it against his penis.

She told the court she had considered SSgt Thomas a 'mate' because he 'wanted to help (her) career' but he then made the unwanted advances.

SSgt Thomas (pictured) of the Royal Logistics Corps is also charged with two incidents of sexual assault after kissing the woman without consent and grabbing her hand and brushing it against his penis

SSgt Thomas allegedly drove to her house to discuss her career and then drove her to a nature reserve and asked for a hug.

The woman said she agreed to hug him but then he 'snogged' her neck.

Prosecutor Rupert Gregory told the court martial: 'As he hugged her, he kissed her neck as she already turned her face. She then wiped off the kiss on her neck, he laughed and drove her home.'

While the pair were then based in Cyprus, SSgt Thomas offered to take her to a cash point.

The court heard that instead, he drove her to a beach to look at the view - even though it was pitch dark - where he grabbed her and forced her to sit on his lap before putting her hand in his crotch.

The woman said she first thought something was wrong when SSgt Thomas parked his minibus far away from her accommodation when he had picked her up, but told herself it was nothing to worry about.

She said: 'I said to myself ''you are going to a cashpoint with a Staff Sergeant it is going to be fine''.'

Describing the incident, she added: 'He had control - he had the keys, I was in another country and I could not run away.'

The trial at Bulford Military Court (pictured), Wiltshire, continues

SSgt Thomas also sent her a naked photo before the beach incident and another one after.

The female soldier said he later messaged asking why she was giving him 'evils' at work and said 'is it because you are missing this D,' in reference to the pictures.

The woman said it was 'awful' for her as she had made it clear that she did not want the photos.

The court heard he later called her to explain himself but the woman said she was so angry at the unwanted attention by this point she told him 'do not talk to me anymore.'

SSgt Thomas (pictured) also sent her a naked photo before the beach incident and another one after

'Even though I was crying it felt good to stand up to him because I was always respecting his rank and going with the flow.'

As a result she decided to request a transfer.

She told the court: 'I just had enough and I wanted it to end and I just wanted it to stop.

'Unfortunately, it has had to come to this. I am still in shock that this is all going on.'

SSgt Thomas denies two charges of sexual assault and a third charge of sending inappropriate text messages including two pictures of his penis.

The trial at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, continues.
A cosplay fanatic who dressed as Marvel comic book character The Punisher at events has been jailed for more than nine years after launching a 'savage attack' on a teenage girl in a park toilet before leaving her for dead.

Connor Deegan, 21, was found by police near Little Ilford Park in London wearing blood-soaked clothing and carrying a bag containing a large hunting knife which was covered in his 18-year-old victim's DNA.

He lured the teenager to the public toilets on February 17, 2020 while pretending to be taking her to Ilford railway station. There, he stabbed her multiple times in the neck and stomach during a frenzied attack.

A court heard that the woman survived the onslaught and played dead on the toilet floor until her assailant left. She then managed to make her way to a nearby house, where a family watching TV let her in to keep her safe.

The knife wound was just centimetres from the main artery in her neck, according to a member of the family who spoke to the Evening Standard.

Connor Deegan, 21, was found by police near Little Ilford Park in London wearing blood-soaked clothing and carrying a bag containing a large hunting knife

Police arrested Deegan at a nearby address within six hours of the initial attack and was charged within 24 hours due to overwhelming evidence of his guilt.

Deegan was still wearing blood-stained clothing and had a bag that contained a large combat knife, a balaclava, black gloves, and a pocket knife.

Detectives investigating the stabbing found photographs of Deegan dressed up in body armour and calling himself 'The Punisher', a Marvel comic book character.

Text messages from him indicated that he also planned on creating his own weaponry and armour. Deegan was a regular cosplayer, and turned up in this outfit at conventions and meet-ups nearby.

At Inner Crown Court yesterday, Deegan was jailed for nine years and four months for attempted murder, theft, and possession of an offensive weapon.

He lured the teenager to the public toilets in Little Ilford Park on February 17, 2020 while pretending to be taking her to Ilford railway station

He had previously pleaded guilty to a Section 20 wounding and possession of an offensive weapon at the same court, five days before he was due to stand trial. This plea was accepted by the court with the offence of theft to lie on file.

Detective James Cronin, of the Metropolitan Police's North East BCU Safeguarding Unit, said: 'Deegan committed a cold, calculated and savage attack on a victim who is very lucky to have survived.

'Had it not been for the help she received from the community immediately following the attack, and the assistance provided by first responders and medical specialists, the outcome could have been even more severe.

'For the victim, the resulting scars from this incident will not only be physical, and they will last far beyond the healing of wounds.'

In an impact statement presented to court, the victim said that she now suffers panic attacks and uncontrollable crying fits, and has life-long physical scars.
A private landlord who threw out a tenant's belongings and changed the locks on the front door has been fined over the illegal eviction.

Antanas Danilevicius had fallen into rent arrears at the property in Basford Place, Sheffield.

He returned home from work in February last year to see his belongings, including his five-year-old son's toys, strewn across the pavement.

His landlord, Antanas Klibavicius, had also packed up clothes, a TV, a vacuum cleaner, watch, bedding and collectable coins and put them outside.

Antanas Danilevicius had fallen into rent arrears at the property in Basford Place, Sheffield, before the landlord left his belongings strewn on the pavement

Sheffield City Council launched proceedings against 40-year-old Klibavicius and he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court where he admitted one charge of unlawful deprivation of occupation.

He was fined 416 and ordered to pay 650 in compensation to Mr Danilevicius.

He was also ordered to pay 1,183 in court costs.

Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services at Sheffield City Council, said: 'We will not tolerate the harassment or illegal eviction of private tenants in this city as this case shows.

Sheffield City Council launched proceedings against 40-year-old Klibavicius and he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court (pictured) where he admitted one charge of unlawful deprivation of occupation

'We have one of the most robust approaches to tackling illegal evictions of any city in the country and we have a zero-tolerance approach to those who intimidate and exploit vulnerable tenants.

'Everyone deserves to live in safe, good quality housing regardless of whether they rent or own their home.

'I am determined to carry on clamping down on the very small minority of bad landlords in Sheffield who treat their tenants badly and tarnish the private rented sector.'
A Muslim policewoman is being probed by Scotland Yard today after footage emerged of her chanting 'Free Palestine' while on duty at a protest outside the Israeli embassy in London.

The unnamed Met officer raised her fist in the air and joined in with protesters there calling for 'immediate action' and an 'end to occupation' amid the ongoing conflict with Israel that has led to the deaths of hundreds of people.

In footage that emerged this morning, the policewoman is shown holding the hand of an activist having been handed a white rose, before hugging the woman on the street in Kensington, west London.

The officer appears to say she is 'praying day and night' to Allah, before embracing the woman despite Met rules saying 'officers must remain independent and impartial in carrying out their duties'.

She then raises her arm in the air and repeatedly chants: 'Free free Palestine, free free Palestine', sparking cheers from the thousands of people walking to the protest at the Israeli embassy, where nine Met officers were injured after being pelted with bottles and eggs over the weekend.

The clip has sparked outrage on social media, especially amongst British Jews, and Scotland Yard is investigating after being bombarded with complaints on Twitter. MailOnline has asked whether the officer has been suspended, but the Met declined to answer.

The incident came after Met officers were criticised for taking the knee during BLM protests in London in 2020, after bosses gave them the green light saying it was down to their 'discretion' to do so. Some older officers were insistent that police shouldn't kneel to protesters, who injured a total of 27 Met police officers last summer.

A Met officer was filmed raising her arm in the air and chanting 'free Palestine' while policing a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in London over the weekend

The officer hugged a woman who urged her to join the protest, where nine police officers were injured

She hold the protester's hand while clutching a white rose in the film that has sparked a Met investigation

Nine police officers were injured and missiles were thrown amid efforts to disperse pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday

Metropolitan Police officers took the knee during the summer's Black Lives Matter protest in London, after being given the green light to do so by bosses

A spokesman said: 'We are aware of a video that has been posted on social media which shows an officer joining in with chanting while on duty at a demonstration.

While officers are encouraged to positively engage with those attending demonstrations, they know they are not to actively participate or adopt political positions. This is vital to ensuring the public have confidence in our officers.

The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and are investigating the full circumstances of this incident and to determine what further action is appropriate'.

While the Met's events unit, which is in charge of policing protests in London.

It tweeted: 'We police hundreds of events and protests every year and officers must remain independent and impartial in carrying out their duties. We are aware of footage circulating from the weekend. We're reviewing it and a further update will be released shortly'.

The incident has led to a slew of complaints to the Met via social media, with the force saying they are taking it seriously

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) told the crowds international action provides 'succour, comfort and support' to those suffering in the conflict. Crowds chanted 'oh, Jeremy Corbyn' and threw roses as he took to the stage

Pictured: Supporters of Palestine attend a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy in London, Britain, 15 May 2021

Police watch pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday. There is no suggestion that those pictured were involved in the suspected race-hate incident

24 hours later anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a convoy of cars driving through a Jewish area of North London on Sunday afternoon

Nine police officers were injured and missiles such as eggs and bottles were thrown amid efforts to disperse crowds outside the Israeli Embassy in London.

Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Nine people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in London, the Metropolitan Police said. A further four were arrested on suspicion of breaching the Health Protection Regulations, the force added.

The Met said small pockets of disorder had followed a largely peaceful demonstration.

Superintendent Jo Edwards, in charge of the policing operation, said: 'We once again saw police come under fire from missiles and several were injured as a result of this. It is totally unacceptable and I wish those officers a speedy recovery.

'Throughout the day, officers sought to engage with people who had gathered to demonstrate, and encourage them to disperse to help protect themselves and others during this public health crisis.

'Where this approach did not work and officers were met with hostility, they took enforcement action.'

A Palestinian woman stands next to an unexploded bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 warplane on Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood

Smoke and flames are seen following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City on Tuesday

Rockets are launched towards Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on Monday evening. The IDF said that 70 were fired last night

Explosions light-up the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shell the Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Tuesday

Palestinian firefighters douse a huge fire at the Foamco mattress factory following an Israeli airstrike, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appeared alongside the Palestinian ambassador to the UK at a rally in support of the Palestinians, as the conflict with Israel continues.

Demonstrators chanted 'free, free Palestine', and held banners calling for an end to the bombing of the territory by Israeli forces.

A temporary stage was set up on Kensington High Street and organisers urged people to keep moving down the road as numbers continued to swell.

Other speakers addressing the crowds included former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, Labour MP Zarah Sultana and rapper Lowkey.

Crowds chanted 'oh, Jeremy Corbyn' and threw roses as the former opposition leader took to the stage.

Ms Abbott told those present: 'We must remember we are part of an international movement. This is a worldwide movement for justice.

'Palestinian people are having their land seized... and they are now being killed in their homes.

'All of this is illegal.'

The names and ages of the children killed in the conflict were read out and a minute's silence was then held.

There were cheers as organisers told those in attendance that the turnout was 'the biggest pro-Palestine demonstration since 2014'.

Organisers said demonstrator numbers were estimated at 150,000.

Coloured smoke was set off along Kensington High Street and some demonstrators climbed on to buildings and bus stops, while dozens of officers from the Metropolitan Police lined nearby streets.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes after a week of sustained conflict.

Since Monday night, Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, whose military responded by barraging the Gaza Strip with tank fire and air strikes.

At least 145 people in Gaza and eight in Israel have been killed since the fighting erupted on Monday night.

In Israel those killed, include a six-year-old boy and a soldier.
The European Union is expected to sign off on plans for Americans who have had their coronavirus jabs to fly to Europe without having to quarantine or take a Covid test in advance.

The EU's new plan would see member states adopting uniform entry requirements, meaning vaccinated holidaymakers from low-risk countries - such as the United States and the UK - would be able to enter its member states.

America is expected to be included on the EU's expanded 'green list' of permitted holiday travel on Wednesday as the bloc's ambassadors are set to confirm a European Commission proposal to lift restrictions on well-vaccinated nations.

Those without vaccinations will be required to present a negative Covid test or evidence of immunity, which can come from recently recovered from the virus.

For travelers from the UK, it is expected that member states will be recommended to prepare digital portals that will allow Britons to use the country's health service app as a vaccine passport, the Daily Telegraph reported.

But the US has no such nation-wide app, and so vaccinated US travelers will likely be asked to input information from their vaccines cards before travel, although exactly how this would work in practice is currently unclear.

The European Union is expected to sign off on plans for Americans who have had their coronavirus jabs to fly to Europe without having to quarantine or take a Covid test in advance. Pictured: A healthcare worker fills in a vaccination card in New York

America is expected to be included on the EU's expanded 'green list' of permitted holiday travel on Wednesday as the bloc's ambassadors are set to confirm a European Commission proposal to lift restrictions on well-vaccinated nations. Pictured: Eiffel tower, Paris (file photo)

Last month, the head of the EU's executive body told the New York Times that all American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with jabs approved by the bloc's Medicine's Agency would be allowed entry.

At the time, it was reported that talks between authorities in the US and the EU to make vaccine certificates acceptable as proof of immunity for visitors were in an advanced stage.

'The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,' Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told The Times in April.

'This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union.'

'Because one thing is clear: All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A.,' she added.

The European Medicines Agency has approved all three of the vaccines being rolled out in the US' highly successful vaccination program - Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson shots.

Pictured: Visitors and staff wearing protective face masks, walk down the Main Street of Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallee on the outskirts of Paris. - Disneyland Paris, normally Europe's biggest tourist attraction

The EU's new plan would see member states adopting uniform entry requirements, meaning vaccinated holidaymakers from low-risk countries - such as the United States and the UK - would be able to enter its member states. Pictured: A street in Portugal

As of May 16, 157.5 million people, or 47.1 percent of the US population, had been given at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, with 123.5 million - or 36.7 percent being fully vaccinated.

From Wednesday, these 123.5 million people are expected to be allowed to travel to countries within the European Union without the need to quarantine.

In the EU, meanwhile, at least 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been given as of Tuesday, according to AFP data tallying up official figures given by member states' health services.

The milestone indicates that the EU should be on track to meet its goal of fully vaccinating 70 percent of adults - meaning roughly 255 million people out of its total 448 million population - by late July.

The data showed that Malta was leading the EU table, with 32.5 percent of its small population fully vaccinated, while Bulgaria was trailing badly, with just 6.1 percent inoculated.

Pictured: Travelers wearing protective masks line up to check-in for JetBlue Airways Corp. flights in Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Those without vaccinations will be required to present a negative Covid test or evidence of immunity, which can come from recently recovered from the virus

Of the big EU countries, Germany has 11.1 percent fully vaccinated, France has 13.5 percent, Italy has 14.6 percent and Spain has 15.4 percent.

By way of comparison with other wealthy territories, Israel has 59 percent of its population inoculated with two doses, and Britain has 30 percent done.

According to The Times, diplomats from Europe's tourism destinations - many of which have economies that greatly benefit from tourism - have been arguing for weeks that the EU's criteria for determining whether a country is a 'safe' origin purely based on low cases of coronavirus are becoming irrelevant due to vaccines.

Technical discussions have also been on-going for several weeks between the EU and the US over the viability of making vaccine certificates from different origins readable so that people can travel without restrictions.

It is hoped that government-issued vaccine cards issued by foreign governments will become acceptable and readable in the EU and the US.

The shift in attitude towards American tourists provides a stark contrast to a year age when, as the pandemic surged across the United States amid the world's worst outbreak, they were largely unwelcome in Europe.

Now, Americans are set to be some of the first travelers to be allowed back from outside the continent, as the average number of new daily coronavirus cases in the US sits at its lowest point since mid-September last year.

May 17 saw the US record 53,497 new coronavirus cases, although this was higher than the new daily infections over the last week. By contrast, at the height of the pandemic in January, over 300,000 cases were recorded in a single day.

The acceptance of US tourists does however highlight growing global vaccine inequality, with richer nations with access to millions of vaccines allowed to travel long before other less wealthy nationals, some of which are yet to even start vaccinating their citizens.

Brits are warned they must wear face masks on the beach or face 100 fines as they land in Portugal and emotional families are reunited in Gibraltar as holidays FINALLY restart

British tourists were handed face masks and sanitiser as they landed in Portugal

Officials asked them about their stay as they touched down in Faro, the Algarve

Passengers were asked to produce proof of a negative PCR test and a form

The country was added to as a green list country to the UK's traffic light scheme

British tourists were handed face masks, sanitiser and asked to provide full details about their stay in Portugal as they touched down in the country for the start of long-awaited sunshine breaks.

All Brits arriving the country were also warned by officials at Faro airport of the strict rules for wearing face masks in public places, which includes keeping them on while on the beach or they could be hit with hefty 100 fines.

Passengers arriving were asked by immigration officials to produce proof of a negative PCR test and show that they had completed a locator form, with details of where they are staying before being allowed to proceed to the baggage hall.

In Gibraltar, support worker Lynne Wilson clinked glasses with husband David and her Rock-based daughter Kelly Dolan after a tearful airport reunion with toddler granddaughter Gabriela.

It comes as the Portuguese tourism minister announced at the weekend that 'everything is open' for British tourists when borders open.

Passengers arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom walk at Faro airport

Restaurants, coffee shops and bars have been opened up in time for an expected influx of holidaymakers next week, Rita Marques revealed.

She told the BBC : 'We have been working hard to tackle the pandemic, as I said, so restaurants and coffee shops and shops and everything is open as from May 1.'

Amongst the first Brits to arrive in Faro today was honeymoon couple Siddhant Majithia, 26, and his wife Hemisha, 24.

The young couple only married two weeks ago and admitted that they were not looking forward to the prospect of honeymooning in Britain and were relieved when the Government placed Portugal on the green list.

Siddhant, an optician from Leicester revealed that they only booked their Portugal honey last Thursday. He said: 'It's great to get away and we're very lucky to have got on this plane. We had to cancel three other honeymoons before this one because of the travel restrictions.

'It was very frustrating and getting us down because the thought of a honeymoon in England with unpredictable wedding wasn't very exciting.'

Hemisha, a physiotherapist added: 'We were thinking of doing a road trip to the Lake District, which isn't exactly a memorable honeymoon given the unpredictable British weather.

'Now we've got the chance for a great break in the sun and I'm really looking forward to it.'

Grandparents David and Lynne Wilson meet her daughter Kelly Dolan and baby Gabriella at the airport in Gibraltar on the day global travel restrictions are eased

Romina Depino, 28 and her sister Teresa, 43, said that Portugal was their first break in over a year.

Teresa, from Surrey said: 'It feels great to be here. The sun is shining, it's warm and I just want to lie by the pool and chill. I'm a care worker for elderly people and it's been a really difficult year and I really need this holiday.

'We were meant to be going to Turkey but then it was placed on the red list, so we've ended up in Portugal, which isn't bad really.'

Onel Hernandez, 28 arrived in Faro with his fiance Kirsha, 27, her sister Hazel, 18, and their daughter Dreamy, two.

The family revealed that they were staying for two weeks and had been saving up all year for the break.

Onel, who lives in Norwich said: 'It's great to be back on holiday and something we've really missed. The one good thing about the lockdown is that it gave me a chance to save some money for a decent family holiday.

'We only booked the holiday two weeks, and it was quite expensive because there is a lot of demand for Portugal. But it's worth it because given what the whole world has gone through over the past year, we all need a holiday.'

British holidaymakers celebrated with drinks in the sun today after jetting to Gibraltar on the first 'green list' flight from the UK.

People arrive at Faro Airport from Manchester on the first day that Britons are allowed to enter Portugal without needing to quarantine

Lynne, 59, clinked glasses with husband David and her daughter Kelly, 33, after a tearful airport reunion with granddaughter Gabriela.

Lynne, from Cambridge, wiping away a tear as she sat Gabriela, one last week, on her lap after hugging her as she came out of arrivals and watched her walk towards for the first time, gushed: 'Last time I saw her was at Christmas when Kelly came to the UK.

'Gabriela couldn't walk then so this is a very emotional moment for me. She started walking on April 1 and she's been running since then.

'We booked last year for May 11 but that flight got cancelled and we rebooked for today. We're here for six days and we're going to make the most of the sunshine and being with family again.'

Fuel service engineer David, sipping his first pint in near-eighty degree Fahrenheit heat at a bar in Gibraltar's iconic Casemates Square after leaving Heathrow Airport on the BA492 flight which touched down at 11am local time, added: 'This beer tastes great.

'The sun makes it feel so much better. It was cold and raining when we left London.'

Grandma Lynne Wilson greets her daughter Kelly Dolan and baby Gabriella at Gibraltar airport

Mark Walker, enjoying his first pint in a neighbouring terrace bar a few feet away with wife Jo before checking into their nearby hotel after coming in on the same flight, added: 'We left our home in Devon at midnight because we weren't sure how chaotic the airport would be and we knew parts of the M4 were closed.

'We got to Heathrow around 4am and we haven't had any sleep.

'But it's been worth it so far. It's great being able to travel again.

'We normally take several short breaks abroad every year. We were booked to be on the Greek island of Skiathos right now but when that got cancelled I decided to try booking Gibraltar last month because I thought it would be a dead cert for the green list and I wasn't wrong.'

Jo, 50, added: 'Mark's been here twice on day trips years ago but it's my first time on the Rock. It's just nice to get away and be in the sun. The weather was decent in Devon in April but it was a rotten May.

'That's why we stopped off for a drink before we got to the hotel and we're still lugging our suitcases. We'll savour this first pint, and maybe a second, and then do the check-in.

'We've got a walking tour booked for Wednesday and I imagine we'll make it to the top of the Rock at some point to see the Barbary apes.

'But basically we're just looking forward to a relaxing six days away after so long without a holiday.'

Finance director Max Arks, 36, the first off the flight with pal Warwick Howard, 37, said: 'It's the first chance we've had to go on holiday for ages so we just thought, 'Why not!'

'I've come to see friends and mix a bit of pleasure with business. We'll have a few beers while we're here.'

Luke Barnard, 26, who flew in from his home in Chelmsford, Essex, to get married on the Rock with fiancee Alexa Turner, 23, from Cincinnati, Ohio, added: 'Getting married in the US was going to be very difficult and Gibraltar seemed a great option.

'We're getting married on Wednesday in the Registry Office and we're staying in the Rock Hotel.

'It was something we had already planned but the fact Gibraltar was put on the UK's green list is a relief because you're always a little bit concerned about what's going to happen at the moment when you book a trip abroad.'

Alexa, who did five days' quarantine after flying in from the States three weeks ago, added: 'The flight was about 90 per cent full and there were quite a lot of tourists on it.

'When we left Heathrow it was raining and cold and only about 12 degrees Celsius so we're looking forward to feeling the sun on our faces.

'We're here till Thursday and we're going to make the most of every minute.'

The first UK flight to Gibraltar since the May 7 announcement the overseas British territory was one of a handful of green list countries, touched down just 24 hours after the Rock's government announced zero active resident and visitor Covid cases for the first time since July 21 last year.

All its adult population have been offered vaccines and thousands of Spanish workers who cross the busy border every day to work in Gibraltar, which has a population of just over 33,000, have also received both their jabs.

The last records released yesterday show the total number of vaccines administered were 74,461 - 38,905 first dose and 35,556 second dose.

Algarve tourism authority workers prepare Covid-19 welcome kits containing masks and disinfectant to hand out to passengers arriving at Faro airport

A last-minute Gibraltar Government vaccination change in policy meant holidaymakers and Gibraltar residents on the first green list plane this morning discovered they still had to be tested for Covid despite saying they had been told before their trip no tests were needed.

Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo boasted on Sky TV earlier this month British holidaymakers jetting to the Rock would not need PCR tests.

But he was due to announce this afternoon air arrivals from the UK would continue to have to undergo testing for Covid-19 upon arrival in Gibraltar because of concerns over the spread of the Indian variant of the virus in the UK.

Passengers on flight BA492 were today offered free - but mandatory - quick lateral flow tests after reaching the Rock unless they could provide negative PCR tests.

Nick Tree, a former BA airport manager from Stratford-upon-Avon in the West Midlands, said after arriving in Gibraltar: 'I paid for a PCR test in the UK 10 minutes before the Gibraltar Government changed the technical notice and said no test was required.

'I touched down to be told the policy had changed while we were in the air and I had to go to a Portakabin outside the terminal to be swabbed.

'When I said I'd got a negative PCR test which is the most reliable type of test there is I was told to upload it online so local officials were aware.'

Another passenger on the flight added: 'It was all a bit chaotic. We boarded the flight thinking we'd need nothing and arrived to find we had to be tested because of a last-minute change of policy.

'The immigration officials were telling us to start with when we touched down they could only let us in if we booked a lateral flow test online but when we tried through the app we were told there would be a charge.

'In the end we got through and had it done for free.'

Warwick Howard, from Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire, said: 'We were caught a bit blindsided by the test requirement but I'm happy to comply.

'It's a simple test and very little hassle for something which at the end of the day helps to keep everyone safe.'
A surfer who died in a horror great white shark attack on Tuesday morning was desperately trying to warn others of the danger beneath them before it attacked him.

The man, 59, believed to be from Sydney's Northern Beaches, was savagely bitten on his upper right thigh while surfing at Tuncurry Beach near Forster at 11.20am on Tuesday.

Police said the man, who was believed to be on a surfing holiday with friends, was letting them know where the 4.5 metre white pointer was in the water - when it latched onto his leg.

The surfer, who was believed to be on a surfing holiday with friends from Sydney's Northern Beaches, was warning others of the shark's position when he was attacked

The surfer, 59, died after he was bitten by a shark on the upper leg while surfing at Tuncurry Beach on the New South Wales mid-north coast

'When the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try and warn others,' Superintendent Christopher Schilt told reporters.

He was pulled from the water and paramedics performed CPR at the scene, before transporting him to a local dog park with the intention of airlifting him to John Hunter Hospital.

He died at 12.40pm before he could be taken to hospital.

The victim was surrounded by his friends when he was attacked.

Locals said the monster that attacked him was likely a large great white shark they call Bruce.

The Sydney man died from a great white shark bite on Tuesday before he could be taken to hospital

The man, 59, was bitten on his upper right thigh at Tuncurry Beach (pictured) near Forster before 11.20am on Tuesday

'Bruce has been swimming around there for years now finally big enough to attack someone. RIP old mate,' one person said, referring to fears among residents the shark would be culled.

'Probs the local white,' one person commented.

Another agreed saying they were 'pretty sure it was Brucey'.

Two great whites - one measuring about 4metres - were spotted not far from the site of the attack on Tuesday afternoon.

The area is a known breeding ground for great white sharks.

In 2018, 64 great whites were caught off Foster and Tuncurry during a six month period.

Police said they are working with the Department of Primary Industries to identify the species responsible for the first shark attack fatality this year.

There are drones circling the area to try and find the shark, local surf lifesaver Brian Wilcox told the ABC.

The attack was at Tuncurry Beach near Forster on the mid-north coast of New South Wales

'We have had a drone up in the air to circle the spot ... a couple of sharks [were] spotted, whether they were the ones or not who knows,' he said.

App Dorsal shark alert, which alerts surfers and swimmers of shark sightings, reported a tagged great white shark was detected at Main Beach at 10.30pm on Monday, and at 2.44pm on Tuesday.

The Mid Coast Council announced beaches in Tuncurry and Forster have been closed in response to the incident.

'In response to reports of a shark attack at Tuncurry Beach this morning, we have closed all beaches from Black Head to One Mile at Forster,' the council said.

Police said they are working with the Department of Primary Industries to identify the species responsible

'This decision has been made based on advice from Surf Life Saving Australia officials.'

A local who visited Tuncurry Beach after the attack said it was quiet and 'eerie'.

'Tuncurry Beach is very quiet and has an eerie feeling to it.'

'A silence besides the crashing of waves and helicopters overhead,' he wrote on social media.

'Rest in peace fellow waterman.'
Dominic Cummings today set the stage for an explosive appearance in front of MPs next week, claiming an obsession with secrecy at the heart of Government 'contributed greatly to the catastrophe' of the Covid pandemic in the UK.

Boris Johnson's former top aide also threatened to reveal a 'crucial historical document' when he is grilled on No10's handling of coronavirus at a joint session of the health and science committees on May 26.

He took to Twitter today in a typically lengthy diatribe about the the pandemic, saying 'openness to scrutiny would have exposed Government errors weeks earlier than happened'.

He urged the Government to learn from this in their handling of the vaccine rollout and the Indian variant by making '99 per cent' of it public to increase confident yet further.

It came after last night be branded the UK's border policy a 'joke' amid questions over whether Indian arrivals should have been haled sooner.

No10 is bracing itself for a mauling from the PM's former Svengali when he takes questions from ministers next Wednesday.

Today he appeared to goad the Prime Minister over a document from his time in Downing Street

He asked his 37,000 Twitter followers today whether he should reveal it when he appears or keep it secret by selling it for charity. He later clarified that he would be releasing the document to the committee whatever happened.

Boris Johnson's former top aide threatened to reveal a 'crucial historical document' when he is grilled on No10's handling of coronavirus at a joint session of the health and science committees on May 26.

Mr Cumminsg appeared to goad the Prime Minister, asking his 37,000 Twitter followers today whether he should reveal the document or keep it secret by selling it for charity.

In comments that will be greedily lapped up by MPs on the committees due to question him, Mr Cummings said today: 'One of the most fundamental & unarguable lessons of Feb-March is that secrecy contributed greatly to the catastrophe. Openness to scrutiny would have exposed Government errors weeks earlier than happened.

'So why are MPs accepting the lack of a public plan now for VTF (Vaccine Task Force) viz variants? Especially when rumours reach me that the silent entropy of Whitehall is slowly turning VTF back into a ''normal'' entity?

'The best hedge re a variant escaping current vaccines is PUBLIC SCRUTINY of Government plans. This will hopefully show it's been taken seriously. If not, better learn now that the Government has screwed up again than when ''variant escapes'' news breaks.

'I can think of no significant element of Covid response that would not have been improved by discarding secrecy and opening up.

'This was symbolised by e.g how COBR could not be used: a constrained STRAP (secret information) environment could not cope with the scale/speed, another important lesson.

'Having watched classified elements of Covid response, Government could make the vaccine plans 99 per cent public without risks, ''national security'' almost totally irrelevant to the critical parts of the problem, a few things could be withheld while publishing all crucial parts of the plan.'

Mr Cummings, who has seen the classified elements of the Covid-19 response, also suggested that vaccines could have been developed faster if 'human challenge' trials, where volunteers are deliberately infected with the virus, had begun immediately.

That could have meant 'jabs in arms (in the) summer', he said, but the vaccine taskforce (VTF) was 'constrained' in ways they should not be.

Human challenge trials only took place this year, but the development of vaccines was rapid in comparison with work on jabs for other diseases.

Downing Street rejected his claim about the border today. Asked what checks had been mad eon documents he might have taken with him when he left Downing Street in December the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I am not going to be getting into individual cases. Obviously there are clear rules that are abided by in these situations.'

Asked if Mr Johnson was concerned about Mr Cummings suggesting that he has the only copy of a crucial historical document on Covid decision making, the spokesman added: I havent spoken to the Prime Minister on that. He is on a visit this morning. I am not going to speculate about what information individuals may or may not choose to present to committees.

It came as Boris Johnson gathering his Cabinet for crunch talks today amid grim claims there is a 'close to nil' chance of the June 21 lockdown easing going ahead as hoped.

The places in England where the Indian variant is spreading quickest: Bolton, Blackburn, Sefton, Bedford, South Northamptonshire and Nottingham are seeing the biggest rises. Note: Some areas, such as Stevenage, Broxbourne and Oadby are recording very few total cases of the virus

NHS figures show that vaccine uptake among all over-40s, which is at 83 per cent average across England, is below average in all but one (Sefton) of the Indian variant hotspot areas. Although experts do not think the at-risk older age groups are the ones driving outbreaks at the moment, it could be cause for concern if the virus spreads to them

The PM and his senior ministers have been meeting with anxiety over the fast-spreading Indian variant of coronavirus running high.

Ministers are preparing emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots while the rest of the country relaxes, or even the next stage of the roadmap delayed.

In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat.

There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown can be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month.

The fears come as ministers scramble for ways of controlling outbreaks, with more than 2,300 cases of the Indian Covid variant now identified in England. Figures have quadrupled in just 10 days and now account for at least one in five infections.

Labour and local leaders have been demanding vaccines are rushed through for younger people in areas where the strain is taking hold - something that has so far been rejected.

One government source told ITV News that some of the loosening that took effect this week - including 'Rule of Six' socialising indoors and in bars and restaurants - might have to be rolled back.

'It is clear some social distancing will have to be retained, not everything we've set out for 21 June is likely to happen,' they said.

'But it is also possible some of the easing we've done today will have to be reversed.'

Any backtracking would be a huge blow to Mr Johnson after he vowed a 'cautious but irreversible' exit from lockdown.

Tory ministers and MPs have been warning the PM against changing course, complaining that curbs must not be extended to protect people who are refusing vaccines - which are believed to be effective against the Indian variant.

One Cabinet minister warned that missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline.

'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.'

The source said No 10 had 'overreacted to panicked warnings from the usual suspects' in parts of the health establishment.
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British tourists wallowed in glorious sunshine and temperatures of 82F (28C) as many admitted that they were enjoying soaking up the rays and having the beach virtually all to themselves.

Thousands of Brits flocked to the Algarve yesterday, after Portugal allowed non-essential travel, but many preferred to kick off the first full day of their break lounging by hotel pools or enjoying a drink rather than flock to the region's picture postcard beaches.

Patrick Ryan, 40, from Ruislip, West London, sat beside the beach in Albufeira, normally one of the most popular destinations for British tourists.

He said: 'I was expecting it to be a lot busier but it's actually lovely to see the beach not too busy. It feels as if I've got it all to myself and I'm loving just sitting in the sun and getting some Vitamin D.

(From left) Susan Jones, 64, and her two friends, Paul Walker, 45, and Jennifer Wallace, 61, kick off their holiday in Albufeira today with a few drinks outside Tunes bar, a popular British haunt

Two women walk along the beach at Albufeira today as Britons head to Portugal for an early summer holiday

Rachel (pictured left) from Essex, said in Albufeira today: 'I'm going to lie on the beach for the whole week that I'm here'

People enjoy the beach at Albufeira yesterday as UK tourists began arriving in large numbers in southern Portugal

Patrick Ryan, 40, from Ruislip, West London, sits beside the beach in Albufeira as he speaks to MailOnline this morning

People walk today through a very quiet Albufeira, which is normally one of the most popular destinations for British tourists

Thousands of Brits have flocked to the Algarve after Portugal allowed non-essential travel. Albufeira is pictured today

'My flight from Stansted Airport on Monday was very busy but I think most Brits are probably nursing hangovers and haven't been able to get to the beach yet.

'I really needed to get away because it's been a difficult year and I've been on furlough, so I just want to sit in the sun for the whole week.'

One couple from Essex were fast asleep on the beach having flown in on Tuesday morning from Stanstead.

Rachel, who did not want to give her full name, said: 'Just look at how pale I am. I needed to get away from the rain and into the sun. I'm going to lie on the beach for the whole week that I'm here.'

Jose Dominguez, 74 who runs Diona, a beachwear shop in Albufeira, told MailOnline today: 'Financially, I've really struggled'

Holidaymakers continue to arrive at Faro Airport in Portugal this morning as Britons head to the country for some sunshine

People walk through a quiet Albufeira today after Portugal allowed non-essential travel to the country

A man wears a face mask as he sits on a bench and looks out to the sea in Albufeira this morning

Tourists arrive for some sunshine at Faro Airport this morning as Portugal reopens for non-essential travel

Susan Jones, 64, and her two friends, Paul Walker, 45, and Jennifer Wallace, 61, kicked off their holiday with a few drinks outside Tunes bar, a popular British haunt.

Mr Walker said: 'We'll eventually get to the beach, but I had to have a beer first. That's the way I like to start my day when I'm on holiday.'

Ms Wallace, who is works behind the bar said: 'We only opened up last week in time for the arrival of the Brits. I'm a bit surprised that it's not busier but I'm sure that things will pick up.

'Financially, the past year has been a disaster and we can't wait for British tourists to return in full numbers. They love coming here for the traditional pub atmosphere and have a knees up to British music.'

Passengers arriving on a flight from Britain wait outside Faro Airport in Portugal yesterday

Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro at Gatwick Airport in West Sussex yesterday

Businesses in Albufeira have been closed for much of the past year and only re-opened last week in anticipation of a return of British tourists.

Jose Dominguez, 74 who runs Diona, a beachwear shop said: 'Financially, I've really struggled and haven't made any money over the past year. Most of my customers are from the UK and because of the pandemic, they've not been able to come.

'I'm delighted that they're now allowed to travel here but my worry is that it's going to take a long time for businesses like mine to recover.

'I must admit that I thought it was going to be a lot busier and my worry is that even when tourists do return, they're not going to have as much money to spend.'
This is the shocking moment a Wisconsin teacher berated a vaccinated student because he did not want to wear a mask in the classroom.

The Poynette High School teacher was placed on administrative leave after the incident while an investigation takes place.

Videos of the interaction were posted to TikTok on Tuesday. In the footage, the female teacher can be seen standing over the 17-year-old student who is sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.

This is the shocking moment a Wisconsin teacher bullied a vaccinated student because he did not want to wear a mask in the classroom while he was eating lunch

Videos of the interaction were posted to TikTok on Tuesday. In the footage, the female teacher can be seen standing over the 17-year-old student who is sitting on the floor with his back against the wall

'Fine. I don't care if you're vaccinated you little dink', the teacher shouts. 'I don't want to get sick and die. There's other people you can infect, just because you're vaccinated.

'You know what, you're not a special person around here. You should hear how everyone talks about you'.

The student, who is eating, responds: 'I hear how people talk about me. I don't care how people talk about me'.

'You're a jerk', screams the teacher. 'You need to have respect for other people in your life. You're not a big man on campus. Quit walking around here like you have a stick up your butt.'

The boy could be heard saying he walks like that because he doesn't 'want to crease my shoes.'

'It's not literal, you dummy,' she responds at the end of the first footage.

In a second video posted to TikTok, the teacher can be heard telling the student: 'People don't like you. I don't like you'.

He then says, 'In a few years look at me and then you'll be like, 'Oh hey, I was wrong about him.'

'No,' the teacher replies, 'In a few years, I know exactly where you'll be because people with your attitude don't get very far.'

'You treat people like crap,' the teacher says, 'and people who treat people like crap don't get very far, Jimmy.'

The interaction between the teacher and student took place at Poynette High School, Wisconsin, on May 11

The Wisconsin teacher was seen standing over the student, who was eating his lunch in the classroom, while she berated him

'You don't care about people,' she said, 'You are one of the most disrespectful kids I've seen grace the halls of this high school and I've been here 27 years.'

'Grow up,' she says, 'Have a little compassion for other people in the world.'

The boy says 'I do,' to which the teacher says 'show it then, prove me wrong Jimmy. Be nice once. Just be nice to somebody once.'

Jimmy tries to tell her that he's 'nice all the time,' to which the teacher responds, 'you are not.'

The pair of videos were tweeted by Wisconsin talk radio host Vicki McKenna.

District Administrator Matthew Shappell said on Facebook the district 'is aware of an incident that occurred today, May 11th, 2021, involving a teacher and student at the Poynette High School,

'The District is initiating an investigation and the teacher involved has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.'

Shappell wrote on the district's Facebook page that the district was aware of the incident and was providing support to the student

Poynette School District Administrator Matthew Shappell said the district requires students to wear masks in school buildings, but did not say what the penalty is for not wearing one

He added the student had been offered support by the district and that his parents had been contacted, WMTV reported.

The post on social media garnered more than 300 comments, according to KCTV, before district officials disabled comments on the post 'to maintain the integrity of our social media platform.'

He told CNN masks are mandatory in school buildings and on district-sponsored transportation, but did not say what the penalty is for not wearing one.
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A famous rock formation off the Galapagos Islands named after Charles Darwin has collapsed.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment announced the collapse of Darwin's Arch in a Facebook post on Monday, saying it was caused by 'natural erosion'.

Images showed the arch missing its central part, with only the two stone supporting columns remaining.

The Galapagos Conservation Trust described the arch as 'an icon' of the islands in a Twitter post following the news of its collapse.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment announced the collapse of Darwin's Arch in a Facebook post on Monday, saying it was caused by 'natural erosion'

The arch lies less than a kilometre from Darwin, the northernmost island of the Galapagos archipelago [File photo]

The arch lies less than a kilometre from Darwin, the northernmost island of the Galapagos archipelago.

It is made of natural stone and, at one point, may have been part of the island of Darwin, the environment ministry said.

The formation is named after the famous English biologist Charles Darwin, whose study of finches on the islands in the 19th century helped him describe the theory of evolution.

The uninhabited Darwin island and its surrounding area are not open for land visits, however the site is considered one of the best locations on the planet to go diving and observe schools of sharks and other species, according to the ministry.

Sharks that can be seen there include scalloped hammerheads, whale sharks, Galapagos sharks and black jack sharks.

Other species found in the area include manta rays, dolphins and green turtles.

The Galapagos Islands, some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) off the coast of Ecuador, contain unique flora and fauna not seen anywhere else on earth and are part of a biosphere reserve.

The archipelago, a World Heritage site, is made up of 234 islands, inlets and rocks. Four of them are home to some 30,000 people.
China, Italy pledge to deepen bilateral ties, advance China-EU cooperation

Xinhua) 10:19, May 18, 2021

Medical supplies coming along with the third Chinese medical team are unloaded from the plane at Milan Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy, March 25, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)

Underlining their comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said China-Italy relations are rooted in a long history of exchanges and enjoy solid bond of interests.

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday held a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart, Mario Draghi, with both sides pledging to promote bilateral ties and advance China-European Union (EU) cooperation to address global challenges.

Underlining their comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said China-Italy relations are rooted in a long history of exchanges and enjoy solid bond of interests.

Since last year, the two sides have joined hands to carry out international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, and have achieved positive progress in key cooperation projects, Li noted.

China is willing to work with Italy to promote cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, energy and climate change, he said.

The Chinese premier called on the two sides to ensure the success of the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism to be held next year, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhance cooperation in the framework of the Group of 20 (G20).

Li said he believes that the deepening of China-Italy relations and cooperation will help improve the well-being of people of the two countries.

China highly values its relations with the EU, Li said, adding that a united and prosperous EU is an important force in preserving world peace, supporting multilateralism and promoting free trade.

The Chinese premier said he hopes that both sides should steer their relations in the right direction, stick to an open mindset to advance pragmatic cooperation and settle differences through dialogue and coordination based on mutual respect.

Noting that China-EU cooperation will contribute to world economic recovery, Li said both sides should work jointly to put the agreement into effect at an early date.

Li said he expects Italy, an important member of the EU, to continue playing a positive role in promoting healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

Members of the third Chinese medical team pose for a group photo with local people after they arrived at Milan Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy, March 25, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)

For his part, Draghi said Italy attaches great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with China and is ready to work with China to push forward important cooperation projects, deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, aviation, economy and trade, and investment.

Italy is willing to take the opportunity of the Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, he said.

Draghi said he appreciates China's support for Italy's work in its presidency at the G20, saying that Italy stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral affairs, promote international cooperation on fighting COVID-19, boost global economic recovery and jointly address climate change and other challenges.

Noting that the EU-China investment agreement is an important consensus between the two sides, Draghi said Italy supports to advance the follow-up process of the treaty through dialogue at an early date.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Bill Gates attended a 2013 meeting in Strasbourg with Jeffrey Epstein at the home of the then chairman of Norway's Nobel Committee, it has been claimed, amid comments from ex-staffers who say the Microsoft founder turned a blind eye to Epstein's reputation because he thought he could help him get the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Norwegian newspaper DNMagasinet, Epstein and Gates arrived together at the meeting in March 2013. It took place in Strasborug, at the home of former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjrn Jagland and Gates asked for it.

Jagland was the chairman of Norway's Nobel Committee at the time.

Also at the meeting were representatives of IPI - a think tank whose work focuses on healthcare and vaccination. According to the report, Epstein introduced Gates to representatives of IPI.

Since the meeting, The Gates Foundation has given millions to the think tank to help fund, in part, a polio eradication project.

'Bill Gates asked for a meeting as he visited Strasbourg. He was interested in the Council of Europes work to safeguard medicines for everyone. The Council of Europe, carries a very important international convention on this issue, and counterfeit medicines are a big problem.

'They came to my Residence with their respective delegations. Bill Gates and Epstein arrived together, followed by the others. I made an introduction on the European system for controlling medicines. After that, the conversation advanced further,' Jagland said.

The meeting in 2013 was revealed this week as former staffers of The Gates Foundation claimed anonymously that Gates turned a blind eye to Epstein's 2010 conviction for child prostitution solicitation, and pursued an acquaintanceship with him because he thought he might help him get the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein at Epstein's home in 2013. In March that year, Gates and Epstein arrived together at a meeting in Strasbourg at the home of the then chairman of Norway's Nobel Committee

All of the fresh details of Epstein's relationship with Gates and the extent of it have emerged since Gates announced his divorce from his wife Melinda on May 4.

A source told The Daily Beast on Monday: 'We were aware of things that were potential reputational risks for the foundation and the co-chairs, Bill and Melinda.

Thorbjrn Jagland says Gates asked for the meeting to meet people from the Council of Europe

'Even back then, people knew this guy wasnt squeaky clean,' the person said, referring to Epstein.

'He thought that Jeffrey would be able to help him, that he would know the right people, or some kind of way to massage things, so he could get the Nobel Peace Prize.

'I think he was ultimately disappointed it didnt work out.'

Gates met the disgraced, late pedophile in 2011.

Epstein had pitched an investment fund to The Gates Foundation. At the time, he'd already been in prison for soliciting a child prostitute.

It didn't stop Gates from visiting his Manhattan townhouse on multiple occasions and even flying on his private jet. Sources previously cited by The Daily Beast say the association ended in 2013, after Melinda warned her husband against Epstein.

In an email to DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning, a Gates Foundation spokesperson said that Gates never actively pursued a Nobel Peace Prize.

'While a Nobel Prize would certainly be a great honor, it is false to state that Bill Gates was obsessed with the honor, set it as a goal, or campaigned for it in any way.

'If Epstein had a plan or motivation to insert himself into any processes related to any awards or honors on behalf of Gates, neither Gates nor anyone he works with was aware of his intentions and they would have rejected any offers for assistance.'

Jagland with the Dalai Lama. At the time of the 2013 meeting, he was the chairman of Norway's Nobel Committee. He says Gates asked for the meeting and he arranged it. Epstein didn't take part in the talks but he introduced Gates to IPI - a think tank

Former staffers of The Gates Foundation said Bill and Melinda knew about Epstein's reputation and his conviction but Bill carried on with the relationship because he though tit could be beneficial philanthropically, and could earn him a Nobel Peace Prize. More details of his relationship with Epstein have emerged since he announced his divorce on May 4

The spokesperson added: 'Multiple high-profile people suggested that Bill Gates meet with Epstein because he made claims of being able to bring billions of dollars into philanthropy based on his status as an agent and advisor to wealthy individuals with respect to their giving strategies.

'Given the prospect of helping catalyze significant increases in charitable giving, Gates met with Epstein and others multiple times to discuss philanthropy and the work of his foundation.

'Although Epstein pursued Gates aggressively, Gates had absolutely no business partnership or personal friendship with Epstein. Gates never socialized with Epstein or attended parties with him.

'Its become clear that Epstein misrepresented the nature of his meetings with Gates while also working to insert himself behind-the-scenes without Gatess knowledge. Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgement to do so.'

It was previously claimed by other unnamed sources that Epstein advised Gates on how to get out of his 'loveless' marriage to Melinda.

'[Its] not an overstatement. Going to Jeffreys was a respite from his marriage. It was a way of getting away from Melinda,' the source said.

The Gates Foundation denied the claim as categorically false.
This is the dramatic moment a kayaker rescued a capsized man who had been clinging onto his boat in a chilly Canadian lake.

Sally Wallick, 27, was filming herself out on her kayak on April 30 when she came across the man who she believes had been clinging to his boat for at least 45 minutes.

In the footage, Sally, who was concerned by the man's condition, goes over to him and casually asks: 'In a little bit of trouble?' before finding out how long he had been in Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Sally, who is a musician, swimming coach and middle school teacher, told Global News: 'I noticed right away he wasnt really okay. I tried to keep it light not to panic him. He was past the point ofbeing panicky which was concerning.

Sally Wallick was filming herself out on her kayak in late April when she came across a capsized man (top left) who she believed had been clinging to his boat for at least 45 minutes

Sally was concerned by the man's condition and in the clip, the kayaker went over to the man and casually asked: 'In a little bit of trouble?'

'I tried to keep it light, but inside I was like, "Oh no, this guy needs help right away." ' She had already phoned to arrange for help on shore, about a mile away.

Sally told the man, whose lips she said were turning purple, to grab onto her boat.

Her footage she calmly tells him: 'We're just going to leave your kayak. We're just going to drop it. It will wash up to shore.

The teacher reassured him they would find the boat and said: 'We need to get you to shore because your lips are purple and you're really cold.

'Leave the kayak, we'll find it I promise but grab on to my boat.'

Sally urged the capsized kayaker to grab her boat, warning him that it was 'tippy', taking his phone as he grabbed on and asking whether there was anything important in his bag which was on his kayak.

Sally told the man, whose lips she said were turning purple, to grab onto her boat and that they were going to leave his kayak

Sally remained calm, telling him that they would leave his kayak and find it later when it washed up on the shore, urging the capsized kayaker to grab her boat

She asked the man to grab on to the front of her boat, so that she could see him as she reminded him to breathe and keep his eyes open.

The man then helped Sally to turn her boat around so that they could get back to the shore. She told him to kick his legs 'to keep warm'.

The day had started out 'supper sunny' with 'clear skies', Sally said, but the wind came very fast.

She is a strong swimmer and felt confident enough to be out on the water despite the change in the weather but was ready to turn back when she spotted the man.

Sally told the Nanaimo News Bulletin: 'I was actually ready to turn back but I kept seeing something in the water. It was really hard to see with the waves, and it didnt even dawn on me that it would be a person.'

In her footage, Sally paddles back to shore and the man holds on to the front of the boat and she keeps reassuring him.

She tells him: 'Good job, keep going. Remember to breathe. Okay, here we go. We're going. That's good now.

'Okay, here we go, you're doing great. Can you keep your eyes open for me? Hold on to the boat you're doing great. Good job. Hold on.'

Sally later recalled that the man's eyes started closing, he started to go limp and she feared he was about to let go of the boat.

As the boat careers off course, Sally suggests they try another method.

Sally asked the man to grab on to the front of her boat, so that she could see him as she reminded him to breathe and keep his eyes open as she paddled back to shore

However, the rescue attempt then takes a dramatic turn when she asks him to lie across her kayak. As he tries to do so she is tipped into the water too.

Sally immediately reassures the man that it's okay and tells him to hold onto the kayak.

She then flags down another boat to help them before saying to the man: 'Hey, here you go. It's okay, there's a boat coming.'

Sally said that the man had all the right things but was very unlucky that the weather switched unpredictably. She doesn't believe he was seriously injured.

As the boat careers off course, Sally suggests they try another method and asks him to lean on her boat but this causes her to get tipped into the lake

Sally wants this to be a safety lesson to everybody that the weather can change from being very calm to windy unpredictably

She believes he got into trouble when the wind picked up on what had been a calm day, and wants it to be a safety lesson to everybody that the weather can change unpredictably.

Sally said you should have someone in the water with you and people on shore who know you are out in the water.

The lake in Kelowna is 84 miles long and between 2.5 and 3 miles wide.
Vaccine 'refuseniks' today revealed why they were still shunning Covid jabs despite living in areas with high levels of the Indian variant, with their reasons ranging from government conspiracy theories to fears of needles and worries about blood clots.

Experts have warned that the virulence of the new strain means unvaccinated people will be particularly at risk, while Tory MPs are urging Boris Johnson not to delay unlocking on June 21 for the sake of people who have been offered a jab and refused.

Surge testing is underway for the Indian variant in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and the London Borough of Hackney, but both areas have seen concerns over vaccine take-up.

Figures show that most Covid-19 patients in Bolton hospitals had not taken up the offer of a vaccine and up to 10,000 vulnerable people have also still not been jabbed.

Father-of-four Steven Biggs, 69, pictured in Bolton today, said he would not be having the vaccine because he 'doesn't need it'

Mother-of-three Tracey Davis, 55, said Covid jabs were party of a government 'conspiracy', while Edna Anear, 68, was worried about getting a blood clot

Locals today blamed conspiracy theories and apathy, with one Asian chef claiming that up to 25 of his friends have refused to be inoculated over baseless fears it will kill them within ten years.

Shailesh Patel, 50, who has taken the vaccine, told MailOnline: 'Some people genuinely believe it is part of a government conspiracy to limit the population and the vaccine will slowly kill them.

'There are a lot of ethnic minorities living in the same household with multi-generational family members. So if one gets it they all get it.'

Experts say jabs provide protection against the Indian variant, which could be more contagious even if it does not result in a more serious illness.

Mother-of-three Tracey Davis, 55, who was out shopping in the Bolton sunshine today, said she would not be joining the millions of people who have already been safely vaccinated.

'I think it is part of a government conspiracy so I definitely won't be taking the vaccine,' she said.

'I just do not believe Covid exists. I don't know anyone who's had it. I just think it's all part of a push towards a cashless society.'

Married mother-of-four Edna Anear, 68, said: 'I am very worried that I will get a blood clot from the vaccine. That is the main reason why I don't want it, plus I also have a fear of needles.'

Chef Shailesh Patel, 50, who has taken the vaccine, told MailOnline: 'Some people genuinely believe it is part of a government conspiracy to limit the population'

Alan Walker, 58, who was on his way to get his second vaccine, said: 'I think these people who are refusing to have it are idiots'

Scientists say that blood clots are rare and the risk of developing a dangerous one is far lower than the risk of being exposed to Covid.

Father-of-four Steven Biggs, 69, said: 'I have been offered the vaccine but won't be having it.

'I have had several letters but I have ignored them. I just not bothered taking it as I don't think I need it. I rarely go out plus even I did I don't think it will kill me.'

Packing her shopping into her car, mother-of-three Sara Cartwright, 33, said: 'I will only take it if I need it to go holiday. I haven't taken much notice to be honest and most of my family feel the same. I am just not that worried about it.'

However these views were slammed by other Bolton residents, including removals worker Alan Walker, 58, who was on his way to get his second vaccine.

He said: 'I think these people who are refusing to have it are idiots. My wife is due for her second and my two kids have had it. It makes no sense not to have it.'

Targeted testing for the Indian variant is also taking place in parts of Hackney, east London, after it was identified there. There have been three cases in the area since the start of April.

Positive test figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute  which cover only lab-analysed cases in the two weeks between April 25 and May 8  reveal the mutant Indian strain made up 50 per cent or more of all samples in 23 parts of the country by last week. Bolton and Blackburn in the North West remain the worst-hit areas with almost 600 cases between them and the variant making up 81 per cent of infections

The places in England where the Indian variant is spreading quickest: Bolton, Blackburn, Sefton, Bedford, South Northamptonshire and Nottingham are seeing the biggest rises

The Indian variant also appears to be edging out the Kent strain in various parts of London, where it already accounts for half of cases or more, but low numbers of infections mean this may an effect caused by small clusters of cases

A heat map of where vaccine uptake is lowest shows that the same areas that have Indian variant cases  the North West, the Midlands and London  also have low vaccine uptake

The borough's director of public health Dr Sandra Husbands has asked everyone aged 16 and over living in the affected areas to get a Covid-19 PCR test, even if they are symptom-free.

The variants are believed to spread more easily but there is currently no evidence that the variants cause more severe illness, with all of the current Covid-19 vaccines likely to offer good levels of protection against them.

However, some people today were still reluctant to have a jab.

Simone Jackson, 38, who works in media sales in Dalston and lives in Finchley, north London, told MailOnline: 'I will never have the vaccine. Ever. I'm not a scientist I don't know what's in it.'

Mohammad Birou, a 23-year-old grocer from Slough, said: 'I am not going to get the vaccine at all.

'You have no idea what might be in it. I would take it if it was compulsory, but I wouldn't be happy with it. I am concerned about Covid, even the Indian variant.

'But I wear my mask everywhere I go, I stay away from customers, I wouldn't want the vaccine. I just don't know what it's in it. It's not for me.'

A Warwick University model of a more infectious variant after lockdown is completely lifted on June 21 suggests that any more than a 30 per cent increase in transmissibility compared to the Kent variant could lead to an August peak of daily hospital admissions that is higher than either the first or second wave

Similar but less grim modelling by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine suggested that a 50 per cent increase in transmissibility could trigger a peak of 4,000 admissions per day in July or August, possibly extending to 6,000 per day

Isaac Martin, a 31-year-old builder from Hackney, said: 'I'm not interested in the vaccine.

'It just hasn't been tested enough. I don't know when I'll be asked to get it, but I'm not waiting on them at all. I don't know anyone that's had Covid. I haven't had it, personally. Maybe if I did then maybe I'd feel differently.

'If you have to get one to go travel, I might end up doing that but I still wouldn't be lining up first thing.'

Rachel Oteh, 25, from Hackney, said: 'I'm undecided on whether I want to get the vaccine or not.

'I might wait for a year and see what happens to the people who have had it.

'I just don't trust it yet. It's too new, it's not been tested enough, and who knows when another strain will come along that might be worse?'

Some people said they were initially hesitant about getting a vaccine but had agreed in order to travel to see their family.

Patrick Smith, a 44-year-old who works in sales, said: 'I was hesitant to get one. My problem with it was that it came so quickly when normally these sorts of things take years and years to develop.

'I think that I had to decide whether to get the vaccine versus the need to travel back to Ireland and to the UK.'

The LSHTM team suggested that there will be 1,000 deaths per day in August if the variant is 50 per cent more transmissible - which would be less than the 1,900 seen at the peak this January

The LSHTM model suggested hospitals could have another 30,000 inpatients by the end of July - up to around 45,000 - compared to the current 845

Ali, 57, who works at an Islington coffee shop, said: 'I didn't have a choice but to have a jab.

'I was very hesitant to get the vaccine, but I had to get one to visit my family in Turkey. They have not been vaccinated but I had to be.'

Scientists note that the Covid vaccines approved in the UK have all gone through medical trials involving hundreds of participants, and that no corners have been cut during the approval process.

There has been irritation at the small number of people refusing to be vaccinated after Matt Hancock yesterday told MPs that most patients hospitalised by the new strain in the epicentre of the outbreak in Bolton had not had a jab.

Last night Tory ministers and MPs told the Prime Minister they would not accept the Covid curbs being extended to protect jab refuseniks.

They urged him to press ahead with the final stage of unlocking next month, even if scientists say the fast-spreading Indian variant poses a risk to the small band of anti-vaxxers.

One Cabinet minister warned that missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline.

'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.'

At the most recent count the Sanger Institute in London, which is analysing the variants in positive tests, found the Indian variant now makes up more than 20 per cent of all cases (light green line in the bottom right), showing it is edging out the Kent variant, now at 78 per cent (purple line at the top)

The source said No 10 had 'overreacted to panicked warnings from the usual suspects' in parts of the health establishment.

It comes as Mr Hancock announced that a total of 2,323 cases of the Indian Covid variant have now been found in England - as figures show they have quadrupled in just 10 days and now account for at least one in five infections.

The Health Secretary said in a statement to Parliament that 483 of the cases were in Bolton and Blackburn and it was now dominant there, with cases rising in all age groups as they battle to stem a tide of cases.

Experts say the variant will within days become the dominant strain in the UK, having seen a rise in cases of more than 75 per cent since Thursday.

The government also faces intense pressure to explain why there was a delay in adding India to the red list of countries, while neighbouring Pakistan had been placed on it days before.

The 23 areas of England where the Indian variant is ALREADY overtaking Kent strain as it's revealed Covid mutant has now reached 40% of England's local authorities  so how many cases have been recorded in your area?

By Luke Andrews and James Tapsfield for MailOnline

The Indian Covid variant has already overtaken the Kent strain in 23 English local authorities and has spread to 40 per cent of the country, positive test data revealed today as Boris Johnson desperately tried to play down fears that the June 21 'freedom day' could be ditched because of the strain.

Analysis of samples from people infected with Covid has revealed that by the week ending May 8, the variant accounted for eight in 10 cases in hotspots Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen, Sefton and Bedford, as well as in Chelmsford in Essex and Croydon in London.

Data suggests it is also dominant - accounting for more than half of all positive tests - in Nottingham, West Lancashire, Stevenage, Oadby and Wigston, South Northamptonshire, Broxbourne, Hillingdon, Brent, Camden, Hounslow, Greenwich, Bromley, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Rushmoor and Hart.

Surge testing began today in Nuneaton in Warwickshire and Bedford  where the variant cases surged 20-fold during April  to try and weed out clusters of infections caused by the new strain.

Despite the worrying development, the Prime Minister stressed that the roadmap out of lockdown is currently unchanged with the government sifting through emerging data about the fast-spreading strain.

But he appeared to shift his language slightly by saying there is not yet 'conclusive' evidence that the roadmap will need to be altered and said things would be clearer in a 'few days'.

'We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map,' he said.

'But we've got to be cautious and we are keeping everything under very close observation. We'll know a lot more in a few days' time.'

The Department of Health today counted another 2,412 positive tests and seven deaths, with fatalities falling 65 per cent from last Tuesday and cases down 2.5 per cent. Another 106,733 people got first vaccine doses yesterday along with 259,049 second doses, meaning more than 36.8million Britons have had at least one jab and 20.5million are fully vaccinated.

Figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute also revealed the Indian variant had been spotted in 127 English local authorities - or 40 per cent - by May 8, the most recent data, after doubling in a week. Nationally, there have been 2,323 cases of the variant - four times the 520 ten days ago - and the strain now makes up at least one in five of all new infections.

Cabinet ministers met today to try to thrash out a strategy to curb the new variant, with emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots while the rest of the country relaxes.

In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat.

Mr Johnson today tried to dampen concerns that vaccine hesitancy could prevent the next round of easings going ahead, pointing out that levels of uptake in the UK were very high by international standards. On a visit to a vaccine centre in London, he urged people to 'get your jab' when invited by the health service.

But Manchester's mayor and the hospitality industry reacted with anger at the idea, insisting it had not worked last time and would cripple thousands of businesses.

There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown will be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month.
Two South Carolina cops have been fired over the death of a mentally ill black man who said 'I can't breathe' as they knelt on his back and tasered him in his prison cell.

Jamal Sutherland, 31, died on January 5 in the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston while Charleston County Sheriff's deputies were forcing him from his cell for a bail hearing.

Just 24 hours earlier, Sutherland had been relocated to the jail from a mental health facility.

Shocking bodycam footage released last week shows the deputies pepper spraying, tasering and pinning him to the ground while he cried out in pain.

His death - which has drawn parallels with the murder of George Floyd - has sparked protests in South Carolina and calls for reforms in the way people with mental illness are treated in police custody.

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Jamal Sutherland, 31, (pictured) died on January 5 in the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston

Sgt. Lindsay Fickett (left) and Detention Deputy Brian Houle (right) have been fired from Charleston County Sheriff's department over his death

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano announced Monday Sgt. Lindsay Fickett and Detention Deputy Brian Houle had been fired from the department over the incident.

Fickett had been employed there since March 2011 and Houle since July 2016.

'Today, I made the decision to terminate the two detention deputies involved in this case,' Graziano said in a statement on Twitter.

'I must weigh the interest of public safety for the community against any incident that creates even the perception of an impairment to the operation of the Detention Center for the safety of all residents, staff and our Community.'

Both deputies had been suspended for 30 days and placed on desk duty following Sutherland's death.

Local prosecutors are deciding whether to bring any crininal charges against the deputies.

Charleston County Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said she expected to announce a decision before the end of June.

Officials finished their investigation on the in-custody death and turned it over the solicitor's office.

The sheriff's department is also carrying out an internal investigation.

Sutherland had been staying at Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health mental health facility since New Year's Eve before being moved to the jail on January 4.

His family's lawyer Mark Peper said he was moved because of an incident at the health center where he was accused of 'a misdemeanor offense of simple assault on a nurse staff member.'

Workers said a fight had broken out and Sutherland assaulted a staff member, according to the Post and Courier.

Shocking bodycam footage released last week shows the deputies pepper spraying, tasering and pinning him to the ground while he cried out in pain. It begins with deputies saying he is refusing to leave his cell for his bail hearing

Deputies deploy pepper spray into the cell as Sutherland hides his face with a blanket

The 31-year-old and another patient were arrested on charges of third-degree assault and battery.

Sutherland was not booked into the jail's medical facility because it was already at capacity, Graziano told CNN.

Instead he was taken to an area 'where he could be housed safely and not in an open bay area where he would be exposed to other residents,' she said.

The fatal incident took place the following day - January 5 - when Sutherland allegedly resisted leaving his cell for his bail hearing around 9:30 am in the morning.

Graphic bodycam footage was released last week by the sheriff's office at the request of Sutherland's family.

The footage begins with a deputy saying Sutherland is refusing to leave his cell and has a spoon in his hand.

He says the judge has said Sutherland needs to appear for his hearing.

Sutherland is heard chanting something inaudible in the background and several deputies are seen around the outside of his cell.

Sutherland is then ordered to 'slide to the door' and get on his stomach. He is seen complying with this request, sitting on the ground of the cell and inching toward the officers

The deputies enter the cell and put him in handcuffs. 'Do not resist,' one deputy says. 'I'm not resisting, officer,' he replies. A deputy deploys their taser on Sutherland

A deputy is heard telling him to put his hands through the cell door so he can be cuffed and taken to court.

Sutherland is heard shouting 'I'm warning you, I'm warning you' and 'what do you want.'

Around 15 minutes later, a deputy deploys pepper spray into Sutherland's cell before shutting the door again.

Sutherland is heard coughing and is seen wrapping a blanket around his head to protect from the spray.

Officers deploy pepper spray again into the cell and later deploy their taser.

Sutherland is then ordered to 'slide to the door' and get on his stomach.

He is seen complying with this request, sitting on the ground of the cell and inching toward the officers while he asks: 'What is the meaning of this?'

The deputies enter the cell and put him in handcuffs.

'Do not resist,' one deputy says.

'I'm not resisting, officer,' he replies.

A deputy deploys their taser on Sutherland.

Sutherland is seen face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back as he is heard screaming in pain and the taser is heard repeatedly.

A male deputy - identified as Houle - is seen putting his knee on Sutherland's back pinning him to the ground for more than two minutes as the black man tells him: 'I can't breathe.'

A female deputy - Fickett - is seen sitting on his lower back.

It is not clear how many times Sutherland was tasered by the officers but Houle later says in the footage he believes it was 'probably about six to eight times, at least.'

Sutherland is seen face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back as he is heard screaming in pain and the taser is heard repeatedly

A male deputy - identified as Houle - is seen putting his knee on Sutherland's back pinning him to the ground for more than two minutes as the black man tells him: 'I can't breathe.' A female deputy - Fickett - is seen sitting on his lower back

A motionless Sutherland is pulled out of his cell into the common area where taser barbs are moved from his body and he is lifted into a wheelchair.

Around three minutes has passed since they first entered his cell.

A medic is asked to 'check him' and checks his pulse. The medic says he is breathing and he is lifted again down onto the floor.

His pulse is checked again while several people are seen standing around looking down on the black man lying limp on the floor.

At one point, Sutherland is asked if 'you think you can sit up.'

When he fails to respond they check his vital signs and pulse and say he has a pulse.

Paramedics later arrive on the scene and are seen performing CPR on him and hooking him up to a chest compression machine.

Footage from the day before shows Sutherland arriving at the jail and shouting about the Illuminati conspiracy

Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston where Sutherland died in January

After about 35 minutes, Sutherland is pronounced dead.

Footage from the day before shows Sutherland arriving at the jail and shouting about the Illuminati conspiracy.

Sutherland's family called for the deputies' firings last week.

His mom Amy Sutherland said the family weren't even told about his death for four hours and had never been informed he had been transferred to jail.

'We got no information from anybody,' she said.

Graziano, who took over the department the day Sutherland died, has vowed to reform the way mentally unwell individuals are handled by law enforcement.

The incident drew comparisons to last year's death of George Floyd, who died after white cop Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes as he begged for air and said 'I can't breathe.'

Chauvin was convicted in April of Floyd's murder and is due to be sentenced in June.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is facing sexual harassment allegations from at least 10 women - some of whom worked for him - joked about the matter Monday, drawing a furious reaction on social media.

Cuomo, who is being investigated by the state attorney general amid accusations of sexually harassing comments and touching, made the comments at a coronavirus news conference at Radio City Music Hall.

When asked point-blank whether he'd had an 'intimate' relationship with a state worker, he made a joke, saying 'intimate' doesn't necessarily mean sexual.

'Intimate? You mean sexual relationship?' Cuomo said. 'Intimate has a number of manifestations.'

Then, turning to New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, he said, laughing: 'I think we have an intimate relationship, don't you think? Yeah, not a sexual relationship.'

He denied having a sexual relationship with a state worker, and again, speaking to Zucker, said: 'Made you uncomfortable with that question, didn't I?'

His lighthearted take drew a swift backlash on social media.

'Nothing about these accusations are funny,' Twitter user NY Labor Lawyer wrote.

'Cuomo, an equal opportunity abuser. He has a need to make people feel uncomfortable? He's a sick puppy,' Sheila Kaplan tweeted.

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Facing questions over his alleged sexual misconduct, Governor Andrew Cuomo joked of having an 'intimate' relationship with New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker during a news conference on the coronavirus at Radio City Music Hall

Upon making the joke, Cuomo bantered that he may have made Zucker (above, pictured in April) uncomfortable with the joke

Peter Grandich wrote, 'Only these days a guy like this can still be in office and thumbing his nose at others (don't want to mention what else he can still be doing to others).'

'Its all a joke to him. Everything he says can & will be used against him in the ADs investigation,' Jennifer Bick said, presumably referring to the attorney general.

'This is not a humorous subject; why is he laughing?' asked Meg Oliver

At least some, however, defended the governor.

'Some don't have a sense of humor...' Twitter user @Stevie_Knicks said.

Cuomo, for his part, said at the press conference that he was simply making the differentiation between merely being made to feel uncomfortable vs. sexual harassment.

'There is a legal definition of harassment that is very clear. All I was saying is just making someone uncomfortable does not mean sexual harassment,' he told reporters.

Users took to social media after Cuomo's comments, mostly to criticize him for making light of the serious allegations. Some, however, defended the governor

The comments came as Cuomo faces multiple probes into his alleged inappropriate behavior with women.

Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the allegations, and over the weekend the New York Times reported that four women had been subpoenaed to testify under oath in the probe, including former aide Charlotte Bennett.

Bennett, 25, alleges that Cuomo made off-color sexual remarks including one in which he told her that at 63, he was open to dating women in their twenties, while the two were alone in his Albany office.

Her accusations served as the impetus for James' investigation.

Bennett's lawyer, Debra Katz, said that her client had undergone four hours of preliminary interviews with the attorney general's office and provided more than 120 pages of 'contemporaneous records.'

The former aide is expected to testify in next two weeks Katz said, and Bennett tweeted on Saturday that she was, 'Looking forward to this.'

Cuomo with former aide Charlotte Bennett. Her allegations of unwanted sexual advances at Cuomo's Albany office were the impetus of Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into his alleged behavior

Bennett is set to testify under oath in the coming weeks. She tweeted on Saturday that she was 'looking forward to this.'

Other accusers that have come forward include Lindsey Boylan and Ana Liss.

Boylan, 36, claims Cuomo commented on her appearance inappropriately, kissed her without her consent and went out of his way to touch her on her lower back, arms and legs.

She also alleges that he once suggested a game of strip poker aboard his state-owned jet.

Liss, 35, previously served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015. She has said that during her time in his administration, the governor had subjected her to unsolicited advances.

Liss claims these included asking her if she had a boyfriend, touching her on the lower back during an event reception and kissing her on the hand.

At least 10 women in total, most of whom were former staffers, have come forward to allege Cuomo made inappropriate remarks to them or initiated unwanted physical contact.

Lindsey Boylan (pictured), 36, claims Cuomo commented on her appearance inappropriately, kissed her without her consent and went out of his way to touch her on her lower back, arms and legs

Ana Liss (pictured), 35, previously served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015. She has said that during her time in his administration, the governor had subjected her to unsolicited advances

Cuomo is also facing an impeachment inquiry as well as calls on him to resign.

His comments on Monday came after a news conference Thursday in which he said he was looking forward to speaking to investigators.

'I am very eager to tell them the other side of the story because it is a much different story, and the truth will be told, and the truth is much, much different than what has been suggested,' he said, adding: 'I'll leave it at that for now.'

Cuomo has previously admitted to acting 'in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,' but has always denied any inappropriate physical contact.

At the Thursday news conference he said that making someone feel uncomfortable did not constitute harassment, saying: 'harassment is not making someone feel uncomfortable - that's not harassment.

'If I just made you feel uncomfortable, that is not harassment. That's you feeling uncomfortable.'

No deadline has been set for the release of the investigation's findings, but the New York Times reported that it would most likely be completed by the end of summer, citing 'a person with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly'.

James has hired outside lawyers to take part in the investigation, with Joon H. Kim, a former federal prosecutor, and Anne L. Clark, a prominent employment lawyer, leading the interviews.

Clark has reportedly collected documentation of the harassment claims, including text messages, emails and photographs.

Meanwhile, Kim has been looking into whether Cuomo or his aides broke any laws or sought to retaliate against the governor's accusers, the New York Times reported.
The US Navy has decommissioned two high-tech warships because the threat they were designed to tackle is no longer deemed a priority.

USS Independence and USS Freedom - both littoral combat ships - will be taken out of service by the end of 2021. Independence was first used in 2010, with Freedom commissioned in 2008. The vessels had been expected to cost $220 million each, but ended up costing around $600 million apiece.

Both the Independence and Freedom had been expected to spend up to 25 years in action when they were originally commissioned to help fight the so-called global war on terror, which would have seen them target Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

They were designed as small, stealthy ships that would operate close to coastlines and deter terrorists by patrolling troubled areas. The vessels were also built to stop pirate hijackings and kidnappings, and were fitted with two 30 mm guns, as well as other weapons including an anti-boat missile system.

View of the USS Independence in Mobile, Alabama, shortly after its completion in 2010. It is due to be taken out of service by the end of 2021

But now the US Navy has decided that it needs bigger, more traditional ocean-faring warships to tackle the growing threat posed by China and Russia.

Additionally, the ships have a checkered history of functionality, breaking down in the ocean during missions in the past and sitting idle without a mission for long periods of time. They were designed with sophisticated jet engines instead of propellers, that enabled them to travel at speeds of up to 46mph.

But those cutting-edge systems have suffered ongoing issues, with some sailors nicknaming the problem-prone vessels 'little cr*ppy ships.'

The USS Independence, which was commissioned in 2010 is set to decommission on July 31 after 11 years, while the USS Freedom, which was commissioned in 2008, will be decommissioned from the active fleet on September 30 after 13 years of service.

USS Freedom, the first ship in the Littoral Combat Ship class, will also be decommissioned. It is pictured being trialed on Lake Michigan shortly after its completion in 2008

According to USNI News, neither ship will be scrapped, with both now set to form part of the US Navy's reserve fleet.

They were the first two ships in the LCS program and lead classes of other ships marked with their name. A total of 35 will be completed, with $61 billion set aside to operate the remaining ships.

The ships were commissioned during the height of the War on Terror, designed to be automated with just 40 sailors on each, later expanded to 70.

The terrorism threat from Al-Qaeda when the ships first came about was later usurped by ISIS terrorists.

But a class of 20 new frigates being built over the next decade, at a cost of about $20 billion, is now said to be suited to tackle Islamist terrorism. They are also designed to take on the threat of China and Russia, both of whom have become increasingly hostile towards the US and its allies in recent years.

The USS Freedom, pictured in San Diego in 2013, will not come close to hitting its expected 25-year service life

The ships were designed to have 'modular' missions, able to adjust for either anti-mine missions, anti-submarine missions, or for surface warfare.

But this was later scrapped, in favor of sending each ship out with a single purpose. The littoral combat ships were also initially designed without defense systems, with critics saying that lack of firepower further undermined their credibility.

Defense systems have since been added.

Two other littoral combat ships - the USS Forth Worth and Coronado - were also earmarked to be decommissioned, but have since been spared.

The Navy stated last year that it would cost $2.5billion to update four of the LCSs when proposing that they should be retired.

The Freedom's most recent mission saw it help the US Coast Guard take on drug smugglers in the eastern Pacific.

Service officials have claimed the four ships - two of which will not be decommissioned yet as originally scheduled in 2021 - are test ships.

Rep. Elaine Luria, who opposes the decommissioning of the combat ships

Surface Force spokeswoman Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman said the moves were necessary to keep up with competition.

'To remain ahead of our competitors, particularly under fiscal constraints, it is important for Navy to carefully review our force structure regularly and divest of legacy capabilities that no longer bring sufficient lethality to the fight,' Schwegman said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

But Rep. Elaine Luria opposes the decommissioning, believing the Navy just wants to buy fancier weapons.

'The idea of divesting of current platforms that still have usable service life in order to invest in something that we might develop the technology for in the future  paired with our poor track record on [developing new] platforms  just makes absolutely no sense to me,' Luria said to USNI News.

Reasons for LCS' VERY early retirement As the first ships in the LCS fleet are retired up to 14 years early, these are some of the reasons the fleet is struggling: -Mechanical problems, including an issue with the combining gear that affects the transmission on Freedom-class ships -High-profile breakdowns, some of which have forced ships to return early from deployments -Cost of maintaining the program, as it will cost $61 billion to maintain and operate the fleet for the remainder of its lifespan -The mission capabilities of the fleet have decreased over the years as the US military moves away from fighting Islamist militants -The fleet is not suited for combat with Russia and China's warships Advertisement

Others who supported the ships said their ability to get into smaller ports, and closer to land, dramatically boosted US diplomacy efforts.

There have not been many missions for these ships, with the USS Freedom only recently going to the U.S. Southern Command to conduct anti-drug operations.

The U.S. Southern Command praised the ship for that deployment, with chief Adm. Craig Faller telling Congress,'Thereve been some real bright spots with Littoral Combat Ship deployments. You cite Freedom  it was a very successful deployment. They had a high operational availability.'

Mechanical failures have also been commonplace with the LCS fleet, affecting both the Independence and Freedom class ships.

There were multiple breakdowns affecting the Independence class in 2016, including the Coronado and the Montgomery.

According to Defense News, the Detroit combat ship in the Freedom class had to retreat from a South American deployment after its combining gear failed last year.

'USS Detroit (LCS 7) experienced an engineering casualty during routine operations, and a technical evaluation determined that in-port repairs would be required,' a statement said from the 4th Fleet at the time.

In the past, the LCS Milwaukee and Fort Worth have run into similar failures.

In January 2021, the Navy was forced to stop accepting ships in the Freedom class because of the discovery of a design flaw in its combining gear, which affected the ship's transmission.

The ships were designed to reach a 40-knot speed, which was proving to be consequential to the combining gear's functionality.

The Independence class is not designed the same way and doesn't have a combining gear.

Testing for a fix of the problem is taking place in Germany, Schwegman says.

'Land-based factory testing is currently underway at the RENK facility in Germany and will continue over the next several months,' Schwegman said. 'This will be followed by sea-based testing.'

The Independence class is outfitted with an aluminum hull, sparking fears that it may not be able to survive an impact the way stronger steel vessels could.

ISIS prisoners in a hospital in Syria in 2020. Littoral Combat Ships were designed to tackle the threat of Islamic extremists, but the US is now more concerned by Russia and China

Some ships in the class began receiving the Naval Strike Missile in 2019 and 100-mile-range anti-ship missiles since then, but the whole fleet has yet to be outfitted.

'An LCS that didnt have those missiles? Maybe not very threatening in the open seas,' said Cmdr. Christopher Brusca, who helms the Kansas City.

Critics of the LCS program believe it was a mistake to develop technology for the ship and construct them simultaneously.

Shelby Oakley of the GAO said, 'LCS is certainly one of those programs ... that was set up with a high-risk approach. And the outcome was reduced quantities, reduced capability, increased cost, schedule delays  all those things that you dont want to have happen that happen all too frequently.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinse Counterpark Xi Jinping are now feared to be a greater threat to US security than Islamic terrorism, rendering the LCS largely obsolte

Diana Maurer, also of the GAO, added, 'I think the simple way to answer whether this is or is not a success is just to look at the fact that the Navy is in the process of buying an entirely new class of ships  the frigate  because of shortfalls in the LCS.'

Instead, the Navy seems poised to turn towards the new frigate ships, along with unmanned aircraft, to battle the growing threats from Russia and China's warships.

Luria stated, 'I agree with research and development into new technologies, I agree with a modest investment into developing capabilities for unmanned surface vessels; however, while that remains a technology thats not mature, I do not agree with divesting of resources and assets that we have today that are desperately needed in order to deal with the issue we have with China, with Russia, and just around the world.'
Top 10 wealthiest people on Bloomberg's Billionaire Index 1. Jeff Bezos (U.S.) - $190Billion; Amazon founder and CEO 2. Bernard Arnault (France) - $161Billion; chief executive of luxury goods firm LVMH 3. Elon Musk (U.S.) - $160.6Billion; Tesla's chief executive 4. Bill Gates (U.S.) - $144Billion; Microsoft founder 5. Mark Zuckerberg (U.S.) - $118Billion; Facebook chief executive 6. Warren Buffett (U.S.) - $109Billion; Investor and business tycoon 7. Larry Page (U.S.) - $105Billion; Co-founder of Google, controlling shareholder 8. Sergey Brin (U.S.) - $101Billion; Co-founder of Google, controlling shareholder 9. Larry Ellison (U.S.) - $91.1Billion; Chairman, chief technology officer and cofounder of software giant Oracle 10. Steve Ballmer (U.S.)- $88.7Billion; Former CEO of Microsoft Bloomberg data as of May 17 Advertisement

Elon Musk has dropped out of his spot as the world's second richest man, falling below Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault after Tesla's share price sank.

Musk's fortune sank by $3.16 billion on Monday, to $160.6 billion, marking a 24 percent decline from its January high, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index.

As recently as March, the Tesla CEO and 'Technoking' had topped the list as the world's richest man, but now sits below Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Arnault, the French billionaire who runs LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

On Monday, Bezos had a fortune valued at $190 billion, and Arnault was at $161.2 billion.

The eye-watering fortunes topping the list are composed primarily of stock holdings, meaning that their values fluctuate daily with changes in the stock market.

Musk's latest net worth fall comes as a co-creator of Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency Musk has gotten behind - and then seemed to abandon - called the Tesla founder a 'self-absorbed grifter.'

It also comes after Musk sent the price of Bitcoin tumbling as much as 15 percent over the weekend with tweets saying that Tesla would no longer accept the cryptocurrency from customers, citing environmental concerns over the energy used to process transactions.

Tesla holds a reserve of Bitcoin that cost the company about $1.3 billion, linking the company's share price to the volatile cryptocurrency.

On Sunday Musk suggested in a cryptic tweet that Tesla could have dumped the remainder of its Bitcoin holdings.

But in the early hours of Monday, he tweeted: 'To clarify speculation, Tesla has not sold any Bitcoin.'

After hitting an all time high of $64,829.14 last month, the price of Bitcoin dropped below $45,000 for the first time in three months on Monday. The cryptocurrency was at $43,637.90 on Tuesday morning.

Tesla shares dropped again in early trading on Tuesday, hurt by news that the California Department of Motor Vehicles is reviewing whether Tesla is violating a state regulation by advertising its vehicles as being fully autonomous.

Elon Musk's fortune sank by $3.16 billion on Monday, to $160.6 billion, marking a 24 percent decline from its January high

Tesla's share price is well off its January highs, as seen in this year-to-date view of the stock

Bitcoin dropped sharply over the weekend after Musk's tweets spurred investor concern

State regulation prohibits advertising vehicles for sale or lease as autonomous if they can't comply with the regulatory definition, the agency said.

Tesla advertises a $10,000 'Full Self-Driving' option on the website for its electric vehicles, but the same website says the vehicles cannot drive themselves.

Tesla's driver assistant features, which the company describes as 'Autopilot' or 'full self-driving' are under growing scrutiny following a series of accidents and online videos of Tesla cars driving with no one in the driver's seat.

Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault took the second spot on the list of the world's richest people on Monday

Louis Vuitton stock is sitting at all-time highs, as seen in this long-term view of the stock

Tesla charges $10,000 for its semi-automated features such as lane changing and parking assistance under its full self-driving (FSD) software.

Tesla says on its website that the features do not make the vehicle autonomous, but the term FSD is widely used by Musk, who has over 50 million Twitter followers.

The probe comes amid several high-profile crashes nationwide - including a fatal wreck in California - involving Autopilot in recent weeks.

On Saturday, a Tesla in autopilot mode plowed into a Snohomish County deputys patrol car north of Seattle, causing significant damage but no injuries.

A 35-year-old man was killed on May 5 in Fontana, California, when his Tesla Model 3 struck an overturned semi on a freeway east of Los Angeles about 2.30am.

On Wednesday, Tesla announced that it would no longer accept Bitcoin as payment, citing environmental concerns

The billionaire responded Sunday afternoon to a Twitter account which claimed he would be selling off all Bitcoin holdings

Bitcoin has fallen off its all-time high last month following Musk's mixed messages

The California Highway Patrol initially said its preliminary investigation had found that Autopilot 'was engaged' prior to the crash, but walked back its statement a day later.

Investigators have not made 'a final determination made as to what driving mode the Tesla was in or if it was a contributing factor to the crash,' it said.

The victim, Steven Michael Hendrickson, had previously posted social media videos of himself riding in the vehicle without his hands on the wheel or foot on the pedal.

The DMV joins the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in investigating Teslas automated systems. In the past, NHTSA, has taken a hands-off approach to regulating partial and fully automated systems for fear of hindering development of promising new features.

But since March, the agency has stepped up inquiries into Teslas, dispatching teams to three crashes.

It has investigated 28 Tesla crashes in the past few years, but thus far has relied on voluntary safety compliance from auto and tech companies.

At least three people have been killed in U.S. crashes in which Autopilot was operating but neither the system nor the driver took action to avoid obstacles.

Dogecoin creator brands Elon Musk a 'self-absorbed grifter' after his SNL performance caused the joke cryptocurrency to plummet 22%

A co-creator of Dogecoin branded Elon Musk a 'self-absorbed grifter' after the Tesla CEO caused the meme-inspired cryptocurrency's value to plummet by calling it a 'hustle' on Saturday Night Live.

Australian entrepreneur Jackson Palmer, who created Dogecoin with American Billy Markus in 2013, took aim at Musk in a string of since-deleted tweets on Thursday, writing: 'Reminder: Elon Musk is and always will be a self-absorbed grifter.'

In a second tweet he added: 'Removing this in 1 min as that's all I have to say and I enjoy the quiet life.'

Palmer followed that up with one more jab in reference to Musk's performance hosting SNL days earlier, writing: 'ps. SNL episode was cringe, bro.'

The tweets came a day after Tesla announced that it would no longer accept Bitcoin as payment due to environmental concerns, causing the value of the cryptocurrency to plummet.

Dogecoin co-creator Jackson Palmer (left) branded Elon Musk (right) a 'self-absorbed grifter' after the Tesla CEO caused the meme-inspired cryptocurrency's value to plummet by calling it a 'hustle' on Saturday Night Live

Dogecoin had taken a similar hit after Musk referenced the cryptocurrency on SNL - almost certainly adding to Palmer's qualms with the CEO.

In his monologue, Musk himself did not mention Dogecoin by name, sending the price of the volatile asset plunging dramatically as he spoke.

His mother Maye, who made a guest appearance for Mother's Day, did say she hoped that his gift would not be Dogecoin, to which he replied: 'It is!'

Later in the Weekend Update segment, Musk appeared in the character of 'financial expert Lloyd Ostertag' to explain cryptocurrencies including Dogecoin.

Palmer took aim at Musk in a string of since-deleted tweets on Thursday, writing: 'Reminder: Elon Musk is and always will be a self-absorbed grifter'

'It started out as a joke based on an internet meme, but now it's taken off in a very real way,' he said. Pressed over and over again to explain what Dogecoin is, 'Ostertag' finally admitted: 'Yeah, it's a hustle!'

Breaking character, Musk then laughed and shouted 'to the moon!!' in the rallying cry for Dogecoin boosters.

Palmer - who founded Dogecoin seven years ago to 'take a jab' at all the new alt-coins that were coming on a market dominated by Bitcoin - was apparently unimpressed by Musk's comments and the subsequent drop in his cryptocurrency's value.

Musk has a history of provocative tweets about the markets, which have landed him in hot water with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and earnt him a $20million fine.

He caused his latest stir on Sunday by posting a cryptic tweet suggesting that Tesla had off-loaded its Bitcoin holdings.

It came in response to a tweet from a random account which read: 'Bitcoiners are going to slap themselves next quarter when they find out Tesla dumped the rest of their #Bitcoin holdings. With the amount of hate @elonmusk is getting, I wouldnt blame him.'
A trio of classic ex-military tanks that operated in the Vietnam War are for sale in Queensland by a business that allows people to drive tanks for fun.

The three Centurion tanks are being sold from Tamborine, about an hour south of Brisbane, for between $80,000 and $120,000 each.

One is a 'mid-restored' Mark 3 gun tank and the other two are Mark 5 gun tanks - one of which was restored after its gun turret was damaged in combat in Vietnam.

Queensland company Tank Ride is selling three 52 tonne Vietnam-era gun tanks from its base at Tamborine. Pictured is one of the Mark 5 gun tanks for sale

The Mark 3 gun tank for sale has semi-restored but still goes 'on the start of a button'

All three were built in the early years after World War II and were best known for their deployment during the Vietnam war, where they saw action.

They still work today.

'All three start on the button and drive well,' said the seller, Tim Woods, who runs Tank Ride.

'All vehicles are stored undercover and have been loved and appreciated,' he said.

'Genuine enquires and inspections welcome with negotiable prices between $85,000-$120,000.'

Mr Woods is selling the massive war machines to lighten his workload and make room for new tanks.

'[It is] due to a lack of time and space and the potential purchase of new different vehicles,' Mr Woods said.

'With a large collection that I personally maintain I need to be realistic on my workload.'

Mr Woods also wanted to reassure people that his business is continuing.

One of the two Mark 5 tanks for sale lost its gun turret during combat in the Vietnam War

'I'm still keeping three Centurions so don't worry. - Tank Ride is not closing down.'

His company has tank rides that start from $100 - ranging up to several hundred - but have several strict rules - including 'no flip flops'.

While Mr Woods is serious about the sale, the tanks could prove difficult to relocate - so he is open to negotiation if someone wants to store them on this present site.

Each weighs around 52 tonnes, has a top speed of 35km per hour and guzzles two litres of petrol every 100 metres - so just the trip back to Brisbane would cost around $2,500 in gas.

Each time you refill the gas tank it costs around $800.

Just in case anyone was planning to put the tanks back into action, while it is legal to drive them on private property, it is against the law for the weapons to be functional.
The Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors slammed the 'sham' recount of the 2020 presidential results, calling it 'political theater' backed by 'grifters and con-artists.'

The members of the board didn't hold back when it came to expressing their disgust for the audit, which is examining 2.1 million ballots in Arizona's most populous county during the election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

It has become subject to numerous conspiracy theories including one that state elections officials shredded ballots, fed them to chickens, and then had the chickens incinerated to cover up the evidence.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a GOP official who is in charge of maintaining files on the country's 2.6 million registered voters, blasted that claim.

'I mean, that chickens one is probably pretty top of the charts,' he told CNN.

The Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors slammed the 'sham' recount of the 2020 presidential results - above a contractor for Cyber Ninjas examines a ballot with a UV light as they look for evidence of bamboo to see if China conspired in the election

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a GOP official, blasted a conspiracy theory that officials shredded ballots, fed them to chickens, and killed chickens to cover up evidence as 'pretty top of the charts'

Stephen Richer, Arizona Republican who heads Maricopa County elections department, slams GOP-led election audits and accusations including:



 Chickens ate ballots and then were incinerated

 Hugo Chavez rigged voting machines pic.twitter.com/ULLayC0FhU  The Recount (@therecount) May 18, 2021

The audit was ordered by the Republican-controlled state Senate in Arizona and is being paid for with a combination of tax payer money and private donations.

In a public meeting on Monday night and in a letter to state Senate President Karen Fann, who ordered the recount, the Maricopa county board criticized the audit as a 'spectacle' that is causing Arizona to be a 'laughing stock' and encouraging people to distrust elections.

In their letter to Fann, the county board of supervisors called out 'the big lie,' referring to the false claim the election was stolen from Trump. There has been no evidence of wide spread voter fraud in the presidential contest and multiple recount have confirmed Biden's victory.

'It is time to make a choice to defend the Constitution and the Republic,' they wrote in the letter obtained by The Washington Post. 'We stand united together to defend the Constitution and the Republic in our opposition to the Big Lie. We ask everyone to join us in standing for the truth.'

'You have rented out the once good name of the Arizona State Senate to grifters and con-artists,' they claimed.

In a show of unity Richer also signed on to the letter, as did the county's Democratic sheriff.

'We express our united view that your 'audit', no matter what your intentions were in the beginning, has become a spectacle that is harming all of us. Our state has become a laughingstock. Worse, this 'audit' is encouraging our citizens to distrust elections, which weakens our democratic republic,' they wrote.

Richer told CNN the officials sent the letter to Fann because they're exhausted.

'It is exhausting having to respond to every insinuation when we're trying to do the normal work of the county. I have no idea how long this will go on for. It will possibly go into 2022,' he said.

'Just stop indulging this. Stop giving space for lies,' he noted.

Trump has touted the audit repeatedly and his allies are pouring money into the state but the Justice Department warned it could be in violation of federal voting and civil rights laws.

Multiple Republicans in the state have criticized the audit, saying the election was fairly conducted and the results - Biden beat Trump by 10,457 votes, or 0.3 percent of the nearly 3.4 million ballots cast - are accurate.

Two previous recounts of the ballots in Maricopa County, where Biden won by more than two points, found the results had been accurate.

The audit is being conducted by Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based private contractor whose chief executive has promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

It no formal authority and will not change the election results in Arizona.

The board of supervisors, made up of four Republicans and one Democrat, declined to meet with Fann about issues she claimed the Cyber Ninjas found with the ballots.

'I will not be responding to any more requests from this sham process. Finish your audit and be ready to defend what you're finding in a court of law,' Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, said at Monday's public meeting.

'This board is done explaining anything,' he noted. 'People's ballots and money are not make-believe. It's time to be done with this craziness, and get on with this county's critical business.'

And Supervisor Bill Gates, also a Republican, said no Maricopa county official would attend Fann's meeting on Tuesday.

'This board was going to be part of a political theater broadcast on live stream by OAN,' he said, referring to the pro-Trump news outlet One America News, whose hosts have been covering the audit. 'We're not going to be a part of that.'

State Senator Warren Petersen, the Republican chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeted in response he was disappointed no county officials would attend the gathering and said the letter was filled with 'unnecessary insults.'

Contractors for Cyber Ninjas have counted about 500,000 out of 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa county, the largest county in Arizona

The ballots were put in storage this week as high school graduation ceremonies take place in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum where the recount was taking place; the audit begins again next week

Cyber Ninjas has been conducting a slow hand recount of the ballots on the floor of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. They've also been examining them, with a microscope and UV light. One contractor said the workers are conducting a 'forensic' analysis of the ballots to determine if the paper is made of bamboo as part of their look into whether or not China interfered with the election.

Officials have decried their methods.

'You have rented out the once good name of the Arizona State Senate to grifters and con-artists, who are fundraising hard-earned money from our fellow citizens even as your contractors parade around the Coliseum, hunting for bamboo,' the officials wrote in their letter.

County officials, Richter said, have reached their limits.

'It was one thing with the audit when they were looking at UV lights and looking for bamboo fibers in the paper,' he told CNN. 'But when they just accused us too many times of breaking the law, they defamed our good employees too many times, they've defamed the hard-working people here. We're all humans, and we have our limits!'

The breaking point appears to have been when Fann sent a letter that implied that someone in the county had illegally removed critical election files from equipment and software that the Senate had subpoenaed.

Trump latched on to the claim and took it a step further, saying a statement on Saturday that the 'entire Database of Maricopa County as been DELETED!' He added: 'This is illegal.'

The board learned about the claim when it went viral on Twitter.

In their letter to Fann, they said it was false and demanded a retraction.

'We demand that you immediately rescind your false and malicious tweet asserting that Maricopa County 'spoiled evidence' in the days before we provided the server to the Senate,' they wrote.

The contractors have counted about 500,000 ballots so far. They were forced to pause while high school graduation ceremonies took place in the coliseum. The ballots were packed up and placed in storage. Counting is expected to resume next week.
The dangers of riding New York City's subway system have dramatically increased in the last two years, with murders and serious crimes rocketing, statistics show.

Figures show 119 felony assaults have taken place so far this year - the highest number for the first three months of the year since 1998.

Last year saw 106 felony assaults recorded over the same period, with 91 reported in 2019.

Murders doubled between 2019 and 2020 - from three, to six, with the 2021 figure now on track to eclipse the previous two years.

Meanwhile, felonies - serious crimes including murders, rapes and assaults - saw a steep 53.7 per cent increase over the last two years.

New York City crime statistics show that violent crimes, including felonies and felony assaults, have risen dramatically in the first few months of 2021. Murders on the subway system have been up 25% since 2019 and are on track to beat 2020 numbers

In an effort to combat the rise in violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to deploy 250 additional police officers to the subway. A cop is pictured at 34th Street Station

For every million riders in the first three months of this year there were a reported 1.63 felonies.

That was up from 1.06 reported felonies per million riders in 2019 - a 53.7 per cent increase.

The numbers for the early part of 2021 are also upon the 1.48 reported felonies per million riders for the same period in 2020 - an increase of 10.1 per cent in just a year, according to The New York Times.

There have also been seven racist attacks on Asian-Americans so-far in 2021, compared to none recorded over the same period the previous year.

The total number of major felonies has dropped overall - with 335 reported this year so far, versus 697 for the same period in 2020, and 559 for the same period in 2019.

But safety advocates say the overall number of riders was far greater for the same period last year and the year before, pre-COVID shutdowns, and that the felonies per million riders offer a more useful snapshot of rising crime figures.

Around 2.1 million people a day now ride the subway system, well down on the 5.4 million average weekday riders, before COVID-19 saw people switch to working from home, and limited socializing opportunities.

Anecdotally, there has been much evidence of the crime spike across the network.

Last weekend, five people - including two police officers- were violently attacked on the New York City subway in just a four-hour period on Sunday May 16.

From 5:30 am to 9:30 am a 41-year-old man was attacked and robbed of his cellphone by three men, a 40-year-old man was robbed of his cellphone and money at gunpoint by three men and two police officers were injured chasing fare dodgers, ABC 7 News reported.

That string of assaults came just two days after a subway slashing spree that left five people injured on Friday morning.

Four people, all aged 17 to 19, were arrested, ABC 7 News reported.

There has also been an uptick in people being shoved onto the subway tracks.

NYPD Data shows that since Christmas Eve 2020, six people have been pushed onto the subway track by someone with mental health issues, the New York Daily News reported.

As violent crimes, including felonies, see a dramatic uptick on the subway, more NYPD officers (pictured at Times Square Station) have been deployed to protect straphangers

'I think we have been under policed for quite some time,' Governor Andrew Cuomo said in regards to the Subway. He says he would not let his three daughters ride the system

In an effort to combat the rise in violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to deploy 250 additional police officers to the subway, bringing the number up to over 3,000 cops, the largest force the subway system has seen in 25 year, NYT reported.

De Blasio has insisted that the subway is relatively safe. But state Governor Andrew Cuomo - who is in charge of the MTA - said he would not let his daughters ride the subway due to safety concerns.

'I think we have been underpoliced for quite some time,' the governor told reporters on Monday.

The mayor and the governor, who frequently clash over big issues, are not the only two city officials in disagreement over subway safety.

Kathryn Wylde, the president and chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, an influential business group, said that subway safety is the biggest obstacle in getting New Yorkers back into the office full-time.

'I don't think there's any question that fear of crime is way up,' she told the NYT. 'You can't reopen offices if people aren't comfortable taking mass transit.'

While Kathleen O'Reilly, the Police Department's transit bureau chief, has slammed the 'continued fearmongering' surrounding the subway.

'It's a disservice to New Yorkers to advance a narrative that crime is soaring in the subways when it's simply not the case,' the NYT reported she told transit officials at an agency board meeting in April.

Many officials say crime rates should drop as vaccinated people return to work and the subways become busier, meaning there is 'safety in numbers' from potential attacks.
This is the 17 year-old boy accused of killing a mom of two during a botched carjacking after she and a friend refused to hand over the keys to the BMW they were in.

Orange County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday tweeted out a short video clip, showing the suspect, identified as Ja'Quarius McCray, being led in handcuffs to a police car.

McCray is facing charges of first-degree murder with a gun and attempted first-degree murder with a gun over the death of 36-year-old Roxana Sanchez in the early hours of May 8.

He was declared unfit for trial for an armed burglary case in March - just six weeks before Sanchez's murder.

McCray and an unidentified accomplice are said to have followed Sanchez and a friend as they drove home in a BMW sedan from a night out, and allegedly boxed them into Sanchez's driveway in Orlando.

Sanchez was shot dead after her friend tried to escape by reversing, and crashed into the carjackers' car.

Ja'Quarius McCray, 17 (left), faces charges of first-degree murder with a gun and attempted first-degree murder for the killing of Roxana Sanchez, 36 (right)

McCray was arrested by Orange County sheriff's investigators after a week-long search

Authorities say McCray had an accomplice who is still being sought, and a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest

The sheriff's office stated that investigators are still looking for a second suspect in the killing, and the reward for information leading to his capture has now been doubled to $10,000.

It is unclear at this time whether McCray is accused of being the person who pulled the trigger at Sanchez as she returned home from shopping with a female friend at 12.30am.

According to previous reporting, the car Sanchez was in had just pulled into the driveway of her home in the 10000 block of Lecon Branch Court in Orlando, where her husband and two sons were asleep, when it was boxed in by another vehicle.

Law enforcement officials stated that two men approached the car occupied by Sanchez and her friend, banging on the windows and ordering the two women to get out.

Sanchez was fatally shot in the driveway of her home on May 8 after returning home from shopping with a female friend. Her husband and two sons were asleep at the time (pictured)

According to the sheriff's office, the driver panicked and put her BMW in reverse, ramming the suspects' car. That prompted the perpetrator standing on Sanchez's side to open fire on her before fleeing.

Sanchez was rushed to a hospital suffering from gunshot wounds and later died.

In a statement, Sanchez's husband Douglas Meijia said: 'My wife was a very caring person. She was my mountain in this relationship.'

Sanchez's sister described her in a GoFundMe campaign as the 'most caring person' and her 'rock and sounding board.'

'They just killed her without thinking leaving two small kids without a loving and caring mother, a husband without the love of his life, sisters without the glue that holds the family together, and the best daughter a parent could have,' the sister stated, referring to Sanchez's attackers.

Surveillance video captured the would-be carjackers' vehicle driving near the crime scene in the 10000 block of Lecon Branch Court in Orlando

The shooting took place in Sanchez's driveway, after her friend, who was behind the wheel, panicked and rammed the carjackers' vehicle

Authorities have not revealed what led them to McCray, but they previously said that surveillance video has played a key role in the investigation because it showed the suspects' car.

In February 2020, McCray was arrested in connection with an armed burglary, but he was found unfit to stand trial in March

Court records indicate that McCray has another criminal case pending against him in Orange County. It stems from his February 2020 arrest on charges of armed burglary of a dwelling, robbery with a firearm, attempted aggravated battery with a firearm, shooting into a building and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Following a series of psychiatric evaluations, McCray was found unfit to proceed with the trial for the armed burglary. He was placed on conditional release on March 22 - just over six weeks before the botched carjacking that resulted in Sanchez's death.

Judge Wayne Wooten ordered McCray to live with his mother, abide by a curfew from 6pm to 6am and make no contact with the burglary victim or his co-defendants.

A hearing in that case is scheduled for September 27.
A sexual predator who murdered a mother-of-11 in her own home more than 36 years ago has been jailed after being snared through a DNA breakthrough.

Convicted rapist Graham McGill, 59, was an inmate at HMP Edinburgh on temporary release when he strangled Mary McLaughlin in Partick, Glasgow, in September 1984.

Ms McLaughlin, 58, was found dead six days later by her son with the cord of her dressing gown wound round her neck three times.

Her death sparked a major police investigation and spawned dozens of lines of inquiry but the cold case remained unsolved until modern DNA techniques placed McGill in her flat 'with a greater than billion-to-one likelihood'.

Scientists managed to extract his DNA from one of the knots in the dressing gown ligature.

McGill, who had previously been locked up for six years for assault with intent to ravish and rape in 1981, was convicted of the murder last month following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Aberdeen today to life imprisonment and will have to spend 14 years behind bars before any possible release on licence.

Convicted rapist Graham McGill, 59, was an inmate at HMP Edinburgh on temporary release when he strangled Mary McLaughlin in Partick, Glasgow, in September 1984

Ms McLaughlin had enjoyed a night out drinking and playing dominoes at different bars on September 26 and was last seen at about 10.45pm heading to a chip shop on her way home.

The jurors heard that in 1984 a major investigation was launched but no one was ever charged with murder.

Over the years police and scientists battled to find out the identity of Mary's killer and a number of cold case probes were launched.

McGill was finally caught thanks to the dedication and determination of two forensic scientists.

They looked at new ways to extract the killer's DNA from the ligature that was tightly wrapped three times round her neck and knotted twice.

The material had deteriorated badly over time but techniques in obtaining DNA had reached what was described as 'the gold standard'.

They discovered that although one of the two knots on the cord had been untied and tested the other had not been touched since Mary's body was found in her home.

Ms McLaughlin, 58, was found dead six days later by her son with the cord of her dressing gown wound round her neck three times

This double knot was carefully opened in a slow, methodical way and photographs taken at every stage.

The fabric inside the knot was tested the scientists found Mary's DNA as well as the DNA of McGill.

McGill's ex-wife, Suzanne Russell, has told jurors that in 1988, he had confessed to murdering a woman because he 'just wanted to know what it felt like'.

Sentencing, Judge Lord Burns said: '36 years after the death of Mary McLaughlin, you have been convicted of her murder. She was 58 when she died and you were 22. You are now 59.

'Her family has had to wait all that time in order to discover who was responsible for that act knowing that whoever did it was probably at large in the community.

'They had never given up the hope that some day they would find out what had happened to her. They have been deprived of her love and companionship.

'It is due to the perseverance of police authorities and, in particular, the forensic biologists, that your guilt could be demonstrated.

'The evidence showed that your chance encounter with Mary McLaughlin that night allowed you to take advantage of a vulnerable and lonely woman who was probably intoxicated.

Ms McLaughlin's death sparked a major police investigation and spawned dozens of lines of inquiry but the cold case remained unsolved until modern DNA techniques placed McGill in her flat (pictured) 'with a greater than billion-to-one likelihood'

'The attack took place within her own home to which she may have invited you. She was wholly unable to defend herself against any attack from someone like you.

'You proceeded to strangle her with a cord until she was dead. You then left her in her house.

'From the evidence of Suzanne Russell, to which I can have regard, it may be that you made a calculated decision to kill this woman.

'She was eventually found by one of her sons. You continue to deny any responsibility for your actions. You therefore show no remorse for this murder.'

Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime, David Green, said: 'This was a challenging investigation requiring complex and thorough work by specialist prosecutors.

'Under their direction, experts in forensic science saw an opportunity to use modern DNA techniques to analyse evidence from the scene that had been preserved by the original investigating officers before such techniques were available to them.

'This foresight ultimately led to Graham McGill's conviction.

'Unresolved homicides are never closed, and the Crown is committed to working with police to bring these cases to court wherever possible.

'Our thoughts remain with Mary's family, and I hope the sentence imposed today goes some way towards providing resolution for them.'
Animal rights activists have been slammed for urging farmers to avoid killing mice during the devastating plague as the rodents deserve to be saved.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has pleaded with farmers to avoid killing the 'curious animals' that are 'just looking for food to survive.'

'They shouldn't be robbed of that right because of the dangerous notion of human supremacy,' PETA spokeswoman Aleesha Naxakis told NCA NewsWire.

PETA spokeswoman Aleesha Naxakisas (pictured) has pleaded with farmers to avoid killing the mice as they are 'just looking for food to survive'

Farms across New South Wales have been overrun with plagues of mice in recent months (pictured property in Gilgandra)

The organisation suggests farmers create humane traps that 'allow small animals to be caught gently and released unharmed' instead of using poisons.

'This cruel killing method not only subjects innocent mice to unbearably painful deaths, but also poses the risk of spreading bacteria in water when mouse carcasses appear in water tanks,' Ms Naxakis said.

Deputy Premier Michael McCormack has lashed out at the comments, calling the group 'idiots who have never been outside the city' and that the only 'good mouse is a dead mouse.'

'The real rats in this whole plague are the people who come out with bloody stupid ideas like this,' he said.

Mr McCormack said the ideas were 'reprehensible' as farmers across Australia are struggling - with some losing $300,000 each in ruined crops.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro also said he 'will not entertain PETA's 'ridiculous' concerns' and said he 'would laugh if this wasn't so serious.'

Dr Barilaro reiterated that mice are pests and continue to destroy crops and farming businesses across southern Queensland, central NSW and northern Victoria.

Farmers have collected scores of rodents across Australia (pictured above) who have been causing havoc with stock

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has slammed PETA's comments as 'idiots who have never been outside the city'

Mr McCormack said the ideas were 'reprehensible' as farmers across Australia are struggling - with some loosing $300,000 each in ruined crops from mice infestations (pictured)

The rodents exploded in numbers in recent months following heavy rainfall that was initially welcomed by farmers after years of drought.

But the population has spiralled out of control as the mice can produce a litter of around 10 pups every 20 days.

NSW Farmers and the Country Women's Association met at State Parliament on Tuesday last week to detail just how much their lives have been put on hold to cope with the endless stream of mice.

They asked for $25,000 per farm to help buy and set up mouse baits to kill the rodents and save their crops and homes.

But Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said after spending billions of dollars on the drought crisis, it wasn't possible to offer the same support to those fighting the mouse plagues and they would have to make do with workshops instead.

'The proposal that I've read in media reports would cost anywhere between $600-700 million. After spending nearly $4.5billion in drought support, I don't have that money on my fingertips,' he told the ABC.

Elong Elong residents shocked to discover dead mice decaying in their water tanks after 25mls of rainfall (pictured)

Residents in rural NSW have stopped using their own pools after 24 mice were discovered after heavy rainfall (pictured)

Lisa Minogue, a farmer from Barmedman, in central NSW said the mice kept coming and couldn't be stopped, and the smell they left behind was 'horrific'.

'You can pick up all the mice you see but there is always more,' she said.

'I did 38 loads of washing in three days. My house is pretty much packed up in boxes.'

Dubbo farmer Tracey Jones shared an alarming video of mice falling out of her auger when her son went to the clean the machinery.

'When you clean out the auger and it rains mice!' She captioned the video as countless rodents flew out of the pipe to land on the dirt.

Tracey Jones, who lives in Dubbo, shared an alarming video of mice falling out of her auger when her son went to the clean the machinery.

Ms Jones said the mouse plagues were devastating for her family that relies on grain farming for its livelihood.

'People out here are struggling badly with them in our houses,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'My 90-year-old mother in law is living out of an esky because it's the only way she can mouse-proof her food.

'Mice are in everything, roofs and walls, eating wiring, cupboards and pantries eating, nesting in and soiling in food and clothing, in cars and machinery chewing through wiring.

'The smell of dead mice is overwhelming, it's everywhere.'

In early February, Ben Storer filmed the mice as he drove through the horde in a ute on his family farm in Warren in central northern NSW (pictured)

'I know it has certainly had a psychological impact on my husband and living with mice crawling through the walls and ceiling all night keeping you awake would drive anyone up the wall.'

Some farmers estimated losses of between $50,000 and $150,000 due to grain and fodder being destroyed, NSW Farmers Grains Committee Chair Matthew Madden said.

'Farmers and rural communities are still in the midst of combatting a ceaseless mouse plague that is continuing to impact the northern and central west regions and rapidly spreading and growing through the south,' he said.

He said if this same problem was seen in an inner-city suburb like Balmain, it would have been fixed long ago.

A survey on farmers around the state found that more than 80 per cent had suffered significant damage to machinery and infrastructure from mice.

It was also found that 75 per cent of farmers couldn't access bait when they needed it most.
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Donald and Melania Trump joined the ranks of past presidents and first ladies when their portraits were placed in the National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.

The museum reopened on Friday for visitors where Trump's portrait was found in the presidential portraits exhibit on the opposite side of a freestanding wall where former President Barack Obama's famous 'Hope' poster is hanging.

Trump's image was quietly put up while the gallery was closed due to pandemic restrictions.

The picture has a caption noting that Trump was elected 'after tapping into populist American sentiment' as he 'put forth an 'America First' agenda'. It also mentions his two impeachments and says the coronavirus pandemic 'became a key issue during his re-election campaign'.

The current portrait hanging in the museum is actually a photograph of the former president scowling behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, which was taken by Pari Dukovic for Time magazine in June 2019  the day before he announced he was running for reelection.

The photograph will likely be switched out with a formal portrait in the next year.

A photograph of Donald Trump was added to the American Presidents Exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Museum-goers were able to see the Trump addition on Friday after the Smithsonian finally reopened after closing last year due to coroanvirus restrictions. Many were eager to get an image of the former president's portrait

An image of Trump's wife Melania was also added to the exhibit on first ladies

The image of Trump is hanging on the other side of a free standing wall in the museum where the famous 'Hope' poster of former President Barack Obama is hanging

The National Portrait Gallery reopened to the public on Friday, May 13

The portrait hanging in the museum is a photograph placeholder of an image taken by Pari Dukovic for Time magazine in June 2019  the day before he announced he was running for reelection. Smithsonian Institution spokesperson Brendan Kelly said a traditional portrait with oil paint on canvas is 'currently moving forward'

Smithsonian Institution spokesperson Brendan Kelly told Yahoo News a traditional portrait with oil paint on canvas is 'currently moving forward.'

'We approached the president and Mrs. Trump after the 2020 election and are currently in conversations with them,' he added.

It is tradition for a past president to be present at the unveiling of their official portrait.

The move to get a portrait of Trump in the gallery shows he is joining the likes of past presidents, even though it's likely he will launch a bid for president again in 2024 after only serving one term following his loss to Joe Biden in 2020.

The gallery has drawn some criticism from those who feel Trump's portrait should not be in a position where it is across from a portrait of the late Representative and Civil Rights leader John Lewis.

Barack and Michelle Obama unveil their presidential and first lady portraits on February 12, 2018 at the National Portrait Gallery

Obama's portrait was moved to make way for Trump's  the latest president to vacate office

Lewis claimed in 2017 that Trump was not the 'legitimate' leader of the U.S. and boycotted his inauguration.

The Georgia representative died last year, and Trump, who was president at the time, did not appear fazed.

'He didn't come to my inauguration,' he said of Lewis at the time of his death.

Paul Staiti, an expert on presidential portraits who teaches at Mount Holyoke College, told Yahoo that the placement of the portrait 'invites heated conversation.'

'Trump's neighbor to the right is, pointedly, Richard Nixon,' Staiti said.

Trump's critics compare the two presidents. Nixon was a Republican who resigned from office amid the Watergate scandal and looming impeachment.

Ben Freedman, a British documentary maker based in Louisville, Kentucky, was celebrating his 40th birthday while visiting the Smithsonian portrait museum.

'I deliberately averted my eyes,' he said of the portrait of Trump. 'It's cool they put Obama behind the bad guy.'

Trump's portrait hangs now along the likes of other former Presidents John F. Kennedy (pictured left), Abraham Lincoln and George Washington

'He looks like an insecure man holding the desk to believe in himself,' he told The Guardian. 'He doesn't look very humble.'

Fran McDonald, a British professor at the University of Louisville, agreed: 'It's hard to look at.'

'I started to take a picture of it and then decided I don't want it on my phone,' she said. 'I'm so relieved we don't have to look at him or listen to him any more. It was a relentless assault on the senses to have him in the 24-hour news cycle.'

On the other hand, it appeared many other visitors were eager to get a photograph of the portrait and document the Trump addition to the exhibit on past presidents.

Melania Trump's stern image of her arms crossed with a serious look was also added to the portraits of first ladies.
A North Carolina city councilman says cops urinated on his business 'in retaliation' because he joined protests demanding police release bodycam footage of Andrew Brown Jr's fatal shooting.

Gabriel Adkins, who is in his second term as Elizabeth City, North Carolina councilman, posted Ring footage to Facebook of one of the incidents showing a uniformed officer urinating on his funeral home on Saturday.

He said there's also surveillance footage of an officer doing the same thing a day earlier.

The one-minute-and-six-second RING footage shows a police car's flashing lights on the left side of the video and an officer walking to Adkins' business, turning his back to the camera and appearing to urinate.

A few seconds pass before the officer walks back to the patrol car and leaves.

'I'm completely furious that any member of the sheriff department would think these acts are acceptable,' Adkins told The Washington Post in an email. 'This is a funeral home. A place where we house family's loved ones. I have lost all trust and respect for our sheriff department.'

The Pasquotank County Sheriff's Officer didn't return DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The officer, seen to the left of the center structure on Elizabeth City, North Carolina city councilman Gabriel Adkins' funeral home, appears to be urinating, which Adkins said is 'in retaliation' for his criticism of police's fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. on April 21

The officer appears in the Ring video, posted to Facebook by Adkins, is seen on the left returning to his police car

Andrew Brown Jr., 42, was shot by Pasquotank County, North Carolina deputies on April 21

Adkins, a black city councilman, has been an outspoken critic against the sheriff's office since deputies fatally shot Andrew Brown Jr., 42, on April 21 outside Brown's Elizabeth City home while serving him drug-related search and arrest warrants.

Midday Tuesday, North Carolina prosecutors announced they will not bring any charges against the deputies, saying officers' actions were justified.

A North Carolina city councilman Gabriel Adkins said cops peed on his business 'in retaliation' for leading the charge for police to release the surveillance of a deputy's fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr.

District Attorney Andrew Womble said during a news conference that a probe by the State Bureau of Investigation found that the deputies' use of force against Brown - who was accused of selling crack cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin - was reasonable.

He said Brown ignored deputies' commands to stop and began to drive his car directly at one of the officers before he was shot.

'Mr Brown's death, while tragic, was justified, because Mr. Brown's actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others,' he said.

Parts of the bodycam were shown to the press during the DA's announcement Tuesday.

In the weeks leading up to the district attorney's announcement, Adkins led a charge for police to release surveillance footage.

Brown's lawyer, Chance Lynch, said the bodycam video shows Brown Jr. did not drive into the deputies who shot him, contradicting the DA.

Despite Womble's announcement, Brown Jr.'s family maintains it was an 'execution,' and Lynch said his death was a 'massacre by a firing squad.'

The DA on Tuesday released body-camera video of the deputies confronting Brown before he was shot five times

The video showed an officer moving out of the way to avoid being hit by Brown's car

Adkins said his Elizabeth City funeral home was peed on twice by members of the Pasquotank County, North Carolina, Sheriff's Office

Brown Jr. had a decades-long history of violent confrontations with police, including a 2016 incident during which he fought officers and was tasered, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.

He had a rap sheet dating back to his teens and spent at least eight stints behind bars.

Court documents seen by DailyMail.com reveal he faced more than 100 charges over three decades, ranging from misdemeanors for breaking and entering, making threats and assault with a deadly weapon, to six felony drug convictions.
But Italy, India, Kuwait and South Africa viewed as worst destinations for expats with many not feeling at home in the countries

Mexico and Costa Rica ranked second and third as best places to live and work

Taiwan topped the Expat Inside 2021 Survey for the third years in a row, with expats praising their job security and the state of the local economy

Taiwan, Mexico, Costa Rica and Portugal have been ranked as the best places to live in the world for expats based on their cost of living, quality of life and ease of settling in.

Meanwhile India, Italy, and South Africa are viewed as the worst destinations for living and working with many expats not feeling at home in the countries while others are dissatisfied with their financial situation, according to a new survey.

Taiwan topped the Expat Insider 2021 Survey for the third year in a row, with expats praising their job security and the state of the local economy.

A staggering 96 per cent of the 12,420 expats surveyed by InterNations, a Munich-based expat network, commended the medical care they receive in Taiwan and a further 94 per cent said they were satisfied with its affordability.

Taiwan topped the Expat Insider 2021 Survey for the third year in a row, with expats praising their job security and the state of the local economy. Pictured: Taroko gorge in Taiwan

An expat from Chile said: 'The Taiwanese healthcare system truly considers people as human beings instead of mere numbers.'

Meanwhile, 96 per cent of expats described the Taiwanese population as friendly towards foreign residents, compared with 67 per cent globally.

Mexico and Costa Rica ranked second and third as the best place to live and work, with both countries being praised for being east to settle in to.

Expats said they found it easy to settle down and make friends in the two nations - a feat which can be intimidating for those relocating their lives.

Meanwhile Portugal ranked fifth as the best place to live and work in the world - just after Malaysia - with expats loving the climate and weather as well as the local leisure options.

Mexico and Costa Rica ranked second and third as the best place to live and work, with both countries being praised for being east to settle in to. Pictured: Medano beach, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Expats said they found it easy to settle down and make friends in the Mexico and Costa Rica - a feat which can be intimidating for those relocating their lives. Pictured: Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica

The Covid-19 pandemic was of particular concern for expats this year, with 45 per cent of respondents saying the virus had an impact on their time abroad or plans to relocate abroad.

But InterNations said the pandemic-related findings had not impacted countries' overall rankings in the survey.

For Kuwait, the survey results couldn't have been worse as it was ranked the worst destination for expats to live and work for the seventh time in eight years.

Expats in the Middle Eastern county were unhappy with their overall quality of life and 58 per cent were unhappy with the poor local leisure options.

The country came last in terms of the ease of settling in as 47 per cent of expats did not feel at home in the culture and 45 per cent found it difficult to settle down in Kuwait.

It also ranked last for friendliness and 31 per cent said they were dissatisfied with their job.

For Kuwait, the survey results couldn't have been worse as it was ranked the worst destination for expats to live and work for the seventh time in eight years. Pictured: Kuwait City, Kuwait

Italy was ranked as the second worst place for expats to live with workers particularly frustrated with their poor financial situation. One in three expats said their disposable household income is not enough to cover their expenses, compared to 23 per cent globally.

A staggering 56 per cent of the expats said the local career opportunities were poor in Italy. 'Finding a job is not easy for foreigners, not even for the well-educated ones,' an Iranian expat said.

India, which is grappling with a second wave of coronavirus, ranked in the bottom ten countries in the survey.

Despite a high 82 per cent of expats saying they are happy with their financial situation, the quality of life in the country pulls it down. Expats said the air quality, water and sanitation infrastructure makes them unhappy.

South Africa came 57 out of 59 destinations, with expats saying they do not ahve enough disposable income to cover all of their expenses and less than a third said they are happy with the state of the local economy.

Expats also viewed the country as unsafe, with just 24 per cent feeling safe. 'You are not able to walk around safely,' said one Ethiopian expat.
A farmer died in front of his horrified cousin as he was buried alive inside a hole in the ground which had been dug in a bid to rescue his dog, an inquest has been told.

Gary Davies, 36, had asked to be photographed inside the 6ft hole in fields in Rhayader, Mid Wales, just moments before the newly-dug earth around him collapsed, the inquest heard.

On Tuesday, the coroner's court in Pontypridd heard Mr Davies was walking his small terrier in fields with his cousin and a group of friends around midday on January 13 this year when the dog ran down a bank and into small tunnel created by an animal.

Cousin Claire Burns said in a statement that Mr Davies' dog appeared to be stuck 'deep underground', and so they called for help from local farmer Raymond Rees to bring his JCB to the scene.

Farmer Gary Davies, 36, (pictured with his wife Emma) died after being buried alive in Rhayader, Mid Wales, after trying to dig down into a hole to rescue his trapped terrier

Mr Rees used the vehicle to enlarge the tunnel into a 'big hole' in an attempt to make it easier to reach the animal.

Ms Burns said: 'Gary then jumped in to get the dog out. He was trying to reach down the tunnel for the dog and, as he did, this tunnel collapsed.'

Emergency services rescued him from the hole but he died in hospital five days later on January 16

She said Mr Davies had asked her to take a photo of him standing in the hole moments before he lay face down in it to try to reach for his dog.

She said the earth then collapsed on his head before the hole enclosed on top of him, leaving him stuck beneath the soil for around 20 minutes.

Farmer Mr Rees described the consistency of the soil as 'sandy and easily dug out', and said about 'thee or four wheelbarrows-full' collapsed onto Mr Davies.

'I don't think he saw it drop on top of him,' Mr Rees said.

The group alerted emergency services and eventually managed to dig out an unconscious Mr Davies, who was given CPR by his friends before being airlifted by an ambulance crew to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

Sergeant Vicky Lloyd, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said she and colleagues along with ambulance and fire crews attended the scene where they found a 'large hole in ground around 6ft deep and was partially filled'.

The father-of-three (pictured with his wife Emma) died five days after the incident when his family agreed to withdraw treatment 'due to futility'. They were allowed at his bedside when he died on January 16

She said while waiting for Mr Davies to be airlifted to hospital his small terrier appeared from the hole, and that the animal 'appeared to have blood on its nose but no other injuries'.

Dr Ravi Hebballi, an intensive care unit consultant, said Mr Davies suffered a collapse of his right lung as well as a 'severe' hypoxic brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen.

With no neurological improvement over his three days in hospital, Mr Davies' family agreed to withdraw treatment 'due to futility', and were allowed at his bedside when he died on January 16.

His wife, Emma Davies, told the court the couple were married in 2011 and lived with their three children in Temple Bar, St Harmon, Rhayader.

She said her husband was a 'quiet and shy man' who worked with his father and brother on their farm were they kept livestock including cattle and sheep.

She said he is 'missed by all'.

Assistant coroner Rachel Knight recorded Mr Davies' death as accident/misadventure.
As claims of Bill Gates' pursuit of female employees surface, explosive allegations buried in a Microsoft discrimination lawsuit expose how women were 'abused and degraded' with men 'groping' and 'spanking' their female co-workers.

According to a bombshell discrimination case filed in 2015, Microsoft is a company where women were 'ignored, abused, or degraded' and male bosses ran a 'good ol' boy culture' that 'accepts and tolerates abuse and toxic behavior, especially towards females.'

Employees code-named a project 'Wrecking Ball' in honor of Miley Cyrus' raunchy music video and wrote an email called 'Working Backwards' filled with stereotypes about women,' the case claimed.

The lawsuit was made public at the time, but an investigation by DailyMail.com uncovered new internal complaints that are deeply unflattering to the tech giant and its newly-single boss.

A bombshell discrimination case claims Microsoft is a place where women are 'ignored, abused, or degraded,' DailyMail.com can reveal This comes as reports of married Bill Gates' pursuit of female employees surface

The 2015 case claims that male bosses ran a 'good ol' boy culture' that 'accepts and tolerates abuse and toxic behavior, especially towards females'

Employees were called 'p****' and c***' and former chief executive Steve Ballmer was referred to as 'our limp d*** CEO,' the suit claims.

One woman complained about being asked by a male co-worker why she was 'dressed like a wh**e' while another man bombarded a woman with messages offering to 'spank' her.

Among the litany of incidents was a man who groped four women in a single night at a work function yet an internal investigation found he didn't breach anti-harassment rules, writing it off as 'poor interpersonal awareness'.

The lawsuit claimed: 'The flagrant and repeated incidents of sexual misconduct toward women at Microsoft reflects the corporate culture in which women are undervalued and underpaid'.

The allegations in the case, which was dismissed only last November, will add to the discomfort of Microsoft executives who are reeling about the claims that Gates had a years-long affair with a Microsoft employee starting in 2000.

Reports this week have said that during his time at Microsoft, Gates 'pursued' several female employees even though he was married to his estranged wife Melinda French Gates.

Gates also allegedly had 'men's club' style meetings with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and would vent to him about his 'toxic' marriage to French Gates, who filed for divorce earlier this month.

The lawsuit against Microsoft was filed in 2015 alleging a 'policy, pattern and practice of sex discrimination against female employees'

Women were allegedly paid less than men, were promoted less frequently and retaliated against by male managers when they complained, all due to Microsoft's 'lack of proper accountability to ensure fairness'.

The first plaintiff was Katherine Moussouris, a computer security researcher who worked at the company from 2007 to 2014.

She was later joined by two other Microsoft employees, Holly Muenchow and Dana Piermarini.

Moussouris told DailyMail.com: 'It was a culture of testing women poorly with impunity and I think these revelations (about Gates) have shown that to the world.

'Not only did he choose his wife from his employees he chose to target several other women to fulfil himself with no consequences.

'It felt like this culture flowed from the top and it was a culture of paying lip service to diversity and inclusion and not really supporting women in sexual assault claims or their career progression'.

Moussouris said she dropped the lawsuit after Microsoft tried to settle with her but she refused as she would have to sign a gagging order stopping her from speaking about it.

The lawsuit was made public at the time, but an investigation by DailyMail.com uncovered explosive internal complaints

The women claimed that between 2010 and 2016 women at the company filed 238 complaints with the Microsoft HR department, of which 108 were about sexual harassment and 118 were gender discrimination.

Just one of the 118 gender discrimination allegations was found to be proven.

The individual accounts ranged from inappropriate touching to at least three women who alleged rape and sexual assault.

Employees were called 'p****' and c***' and former chief executive Steve Ballmer (pictured) was referred to as 'our limp d*** CEO'

According to employee complaint logs included in the court documents, male employees got away with it because the Microsoft 'culture accepts and tolerates abuse and toxic behavior, especially towards females'.

One woman wrote to a female superior: 'In an engineering role, I am surrounded by men and only men in most of my meetings...the good ol boy culture and way of behaving at meetings is alive and well'.

Another complaint log said: 'It is hard to believe behavior like this, especially by a (redacted) would be tolerated at Microsoft...the behavior I am referring to ranges from a development project code named 'Wrecking Ball' after Miley Cyrus' provocative video, to a hostile t-shirt graphic depicting (redacted), an email titled 'Working Backwards' that stereotypes and degrades women, employees being called p****, c***, and Steve Ballmer being referred to as our limp d*** CEO.

'This cultural backdrop has had a real effect on me. I consider myself to be a strong person. I have a strong track record of performance over a long tenure. I should not feel powerless. But I do. Completely. Powerless'.

Another woman called it a 'bro culture' that was 'not easy or natural for women to fit into this'.

One woman only identified as 'Andrews' alleged that a male colleague touched her inappropriately and repeatedly at work events during 2012.

The man made 'unprovoked comments about her boyfriend's penis size' and asked how it compared to her prior boyfriend's penis size.

The man denied making such statements when questioned by the Microsoft internal. investigation team, known as ERIT.

He claimed that the woman was 'very flirty and crosses the line first'.

The woman also claimed that at another company event the man said that she looked like a 'naughty nurse' and put his hand on her bare thigh.

The woman claimed that the man told her several times not to talk to HR.

Another time during a party the man tried to grab the woman's arm repeatedly to get her to go to the bar with him.

The report appears to state that a second woman reported similar behavior from the same man and that he pointed to her and said: 'You have such nice' referring to her breasts and buttocks.

The first plaintiff was Katherine Moussouris, a computer security researcher who worked at the company from 2007 to 2014. Moussouris told DailyMail.com: 'It was a culture of testing women poorly with impunity and I think these revelations (about Gates) have shown that to the world'

Moussouris was later joined by two other Microsoft employees, Holly Muenchow (left) and Dana Piermarini (right)

The man then touched her buttocks even though she told him she was married.

ERIT found that the man breached the company's rules and the matter was referred to HR.

The most serious incidents in the lawsuit were the three alleged rapes and sexual assaults.

They included a female Microsoft intern raped by a male Microsoft intern who reported the incident to her supervisor and HR.

Despite this she had to continue to work alongside her alleged rapist and when she told her boss she was considering a restraining order she was told she would be moved off the team if she did so.

The rapist was offered a full time job at Microsoft, the documents state.

A letter from the woman's lawyers to Microsoft stated that the rape happened after a night out drinking when she was unable to make it home on her own so stayed at the man's house.

The man allegedly 'kept buying her drinks, despite her clear intoxication'.

The man and his best friend walked the woman home and she went to sleep in the basement.

In the middle of the night the woman 'undressed her and forcibly penetrated her while she was sleeping', it was claimed.

The next morning she woke up naked, went to the ER and had a rape exam which revealed damage from being sexually assaulted.

Other claims shed light on creepy behavior by male employees that was more unsettling than potentially criminal.

One female employee complained to HR about a manager and a peer of her manager who 'grabbed her buttocks in an unwelcome manner in front of the group'.

Witnesses saw the woman 'jump' with shock when the man groped her and that she appeared

In a separate allegation, a male employee was seen 'taking off his wedding ring and showing it to (a female coworker) and dangling the ring in front of her trying to send the message 'anything goes'.

One complaint from a woman employee stated that in 2008 a male coworker sent her inappropriate IMs (instant messages) on an 'almost daily basis'.

These messages were sexually suggestive or had a sexual undertone such as commenting that she had a 'great body'.

The man said one time he would 'love to know what she and her girlfriends do to one another in a creepy, leering tone', it was claimed.

In 2009 the man moved to the woman's team and they became peers but the messages continued, such as saying it was a 'requirement' that they get pizza and beer and go see a movie.

When she tried to rebuff him he messaged her: 'Don't make me come over there and spank you'.

She replied: 'Don't worry, I won't. He responded: 'Good because then you will enjoy it and you will start misbehaving all the time. I can help but you have to do your part'.

Another complaint log said: 'It is hard to believe behavior like this, especially by a (redacted) would be tolerated at Microsoft...the behavior I am referring to ranges from a development project code named 'Wrecking Ball' after Miley Cyrus' provocative video'

In another IM conversation, the man said the woman 'owed' him for help he had given her with her job, it was claimed.

Another female employee said she got similar messages from the man which were also sexually suggestive and she found them 'shocking'.

The first woman claimed that after raising her concerns with HR and ERIT, her manager began to scrutinize her whereabouts and her performance in a way he didn't before.

The internal investigation concluded that the man did breach its rules about harassment.

ERIT however cleared another man who was accused of groping four women in a single night at a work party in 2013.

According to the incident summary, the first woman said that early in the night she felt a 'brush on her right arm, from the shoulder down to her elbow'.

As she talked to the man he put his left hand on her left waist and squeezed her, leaving her feeling 'shocked'.

The second woman was groped around 9pm when the man 'placed his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him'.

The summary said that the man 'moved his hand up and down over her bra strap', leaving her feeling 'very uncomfortable'.

The third incident happened around 15 minutes later as the man chatted to a woman at the bar. and put his left hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She felt it lasted 'far longer than usual and made her feel uncomfortable'.

The fourth and final woman met the man at the bar around 9.30pm and put his right hand around her waist before moving it up and down her back.

She also felt 'very uncomfortable'.

The man claimed he was 'shocked' because it was the 'first feedback he had received that his behavior was inappropriate'.

He said he felt 'terrible' and it was 'not something I intended to do' and wanted to apologize.

Gates reportedly had a years-long affair with a Microsoft employee starting in 2000 while married to Melinda

ERIT concluded that the man made the women feel 'uncomfortable' but did not breach its rules due to the 'isolated nature of these incidents and the nature and extent of the touching'.

The man exercised 'poor judgement and poor interpersonal awareness', the report said.

During yet another incident from 2016 a woman complained that one time when she was wearing a dress, a male coworker asked her: 'Why are you dressed like a wh**e?'

The man claimed she was 'flaunting her body and her breasts', before asking: 'Is that how you want to dress in the office?'

On another occasion when the woman told the man she was going to be in a Microsoft photo shoot, he replied: 'Because of your boobies?' (breasts)

The same woman claimed to have been harassed by three other men at work, including one who was married and once leaned over and pretended to kiss her, even though she had a boyfriend.

One email in the ERIT case file says that these allegations 'may be a reflection of a larger issue in the (redacted) community'.

The lawsuit against Microsoft was dismissed with prejudice in November last year after a judge ruled that it was not a class action matter.

The plaintiffs appealed that decision but lost.

Moussouris said in an interview at the time she stopped fighting the case to focus on the Pay Equity Now Pledge, which she founded to try and put all genders on the same footing in the workplace.

She said: 'I have dropped my lawsuit because my funds are better put towards solutions that help to implement both real change and demonstrate strong commitment to pay equity in our lifetime for women around the world, leaving behind organizations like Microsoft that pantomime pay equity, while resisting any real commitment to change'.

Gates' affair with a subordinate came to light to Microsoft in 2019 and board members found that the relationship was inappropriate.

The board hired an outside law firm to investigate and, in the wake of the MeToo movement, felt they did not want Gates to serve any more.

In 2020, just three months after he had been re-elected to his seat, Gates stepped down from the board.

Microsoft has denied his decision had anything to do with the affair.

DailyMail.com has previously reported that during his early days at Microsoft, Gates hired strippers to come to his home in Seattle and swim naked with his friends.

Journalist James Wallace wrote two books on the Microsoft founder in the 1990s and said: 'He wasn't a choir boy back then, he wasn't just this little computer nerd'.

DailyMail.com has contacted Microsoft for comment.

In a 23-page response to the complaint filed during the case the company denied that it was discriminatory.

In a statement given to the media before the case was dismissed, the company said that it has a 'fair and robust system in place to investigate employee concerns and take appropriate action when necessary'.

A spokesman said: 'Diversity and inclusion are critically important to Microsoft.

'We want employees to speak up if they have concerns and we strive to make it easy for them to do so'.
A pub campaigner who took the Government to court over easing lockdown restrictions has revealed an unexpected prize after being attacked by two thugs  a 3,000 Breitling watch.

Hospitality adviser Sacha Lord said he was set upon by two men - believed to be in their 50s - who began punching him at a venue in Manchester on Saturday night.

But in the melee one of the men lost his watch, which Mr Lord pocketed and then discovered was a valuable Swiss timepiece.

He then taunted his attackers on social media by saying he will sell it and treat himself with the proceeds.

Mr Lord, 49, who is the area's Night Time Economy Adviser, said: 'So last night around 9pm 2 50+ old men started punching me for no reason.

'When I was protecting my head, I noticed one of their watches came off.

Manchester hospitality boss Sacha Lord was set upon by two attackers who began punching him due to his views on the reopening pubs

Mr Lord appears to have had the last laugh over his attackers - after revealing that one of the men, said to be in their 50s, dropped a Breitling watch during the assault

'As the venue threw them out, I put the watch in my pocket. I've just had a look and it's a 3,000-plus Breitling.

'First thing tomorrow I'm going to sell it and treat myself. Whoever you are...I hope you're following me. Thanks!!'

Despite his tongue-in-cheek taunt on social media, Mr Lord's team say the watch is now in the hands of the police - who are said to be investigating the attack.

'The incident which occurred on Saturday, May 15 is now a police matter,' his spokesperson told MailOnline.

It comes as Mr Lord earlier took to Twitter to reveal the attack on Saturday.

'Sadly, tonight I was punched and attacked regarding my views on re-opening. I'm fine, but Demi (my partner) is beside herself. What sort of a world are we living in?'

Greater Manchester Police refused to comment on the investigation when asked by MailOnline.

Mr Lord, who is the co-creator of the Parklife festival and The Warehouse Project, has been a vocal critic of the Government's messaging on hospitality.

He and Punch Taverns founder Hugh Osmond last month teamed up to bring a legal challenge against the Department of Health over its easing of lockdown.

The pair called on the Government to reopen indoor hospitality at the same time as outdoor hospitality on April 12.

They presented evidence which they said showed the risk of Covid transmission was higher in shops than it was for indoor hospitality areas.

However the challenge was thrown out earlier this month by a High Court judge. Indoor hospitality areas opened on May 17 - as the Government had earlier planned.

But Mr Lord, and other hospitality chiefs, have called for a definitive date to lift remaining restrictions on pubs and restaurants - such as mandatory table service and capacity caps.

He and Punch Taverns founder Hugh Osmond last month teamed up to bring a legal challenge against the Government over its easing of lockdown. Pictured: Pubs and bars were allowed to reopen indoor areas yesterday

Punters flooded back into pubs across the country, including at The Practitioner pub in Hertford

Industry chiefs say many pubs and bars will not be able to turn a profit until the measures are lifted.

Under the current roadmap, such restrictions are due to be lifted in June, though the Government has not officially confirmed this.

And today Mr Lord told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that the industry needed more than 'rumours'.

He told the programme: 'We need absolute assurances. We have been told about this review date of June 14 - one week isn't enough to get hospitality running again.'

'It is going to take at least three years for businesses to return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of getting rid of loans, the debt, the rent arrears and the VAT holidays.'

He said even with yesterday's easing of some restrictions 'businesses were operating at 50%' as they had to provide a range of safety measures including one-way systems and table service.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday came out against legislation to create a commission to report on the Jan. 6th riot that his own appointed negotiator helped forge because it doesn't look at 'interrelated forms of political violence.'

McCarthy said Tuesday he opposes a proposal to form an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, almost certainly eroding GOP support ahead of a vote.

He did so amid speculation that his own angry phone call with former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6th could feature in the commission's line of inquiry.

The move comes days after Trump loyalist Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) replaced critic Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in GOP leadership.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks with reporters, joined by newly-elected House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Capitol Hill Friday, May 14, 2021, in Washington

McCarthy said he wanted the new panel to look beyond the violent uprising by supporters loyal to Donald Trump, who were trying to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election.

He pushed to have the new commission also investigate other groups, namely the Black Lives Matter groups that protested police violence in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee who drafted the proposal rejected that approach.

'it's disappointing but not surprising that the cowardice on the part of some on the Republican side not to want to find the truth,'

Pelosi ripped McCarthy when asked about his latest posture.

'I'm very pleased that we have a bipartisan bill to come to the floor, and it's disappointing but not surprising that the cowardice on the part of some on the Republican side not to want to find the truth,' she told reporters in the Capitol.

Asked if she anticipated getting GOP support for the commission  which has gotten unequivocal backing from Cheney  Pelosi responded: ''We'll see.'

McCarthy said that given the 'shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation.'

The GOP leader's opposition all but ensures this week's vote will have less Republican support in the House, and dims its chances in the evenly divided Senate.

McCarthy's comments come despite his own appointed negotiator, Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) reaching agreement with Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi on the commission.

Language to create the commission gives subpoena power  and either the majority or minority could exercise it.

Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, is seen at the Capital riots. On January 9, Chansley was arrested on federal charges of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds"Trump supporters clashed with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021

Representative John Katko (R-NY) helped hammer out the bipartisan deal on the commission

His comments come after Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota predicted the commission would pass the Senate 'in some form,' and predicted it would pass the House by a wide margin. Thune called for it to be 'principally focused on what happened on the sixth'  the day of the riot.

But in the latest sign of Republican lawmakers struggling to position themselves around Trump, Sen. John Cornyn said Monday: 'I don't know why you would tie their hands if they want to pursue some other connection,' CNN reported. 'I mean, I'd be surprised if anything they find out about January 6th fully developed on that day. So I would not tie their hands.'

'Why can't they just follow the evidence where it leads?' he added.

One added hang-up for McCarthy: he may be required to testify to the commission owing to his Jan. 6th phone call with Trump where he reportedly yelled for the president to send the MAGA mob home.

There were multiple reports in the aftermath of the riot on an angry phone call between McCarthy and Trump, with McCarthy telling Trump: 'Who the f--k do you think you are talking to?'

Lawmakers say Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.'

Trump repeatedly referred to McCarthy, who aims to be speaker if Republicans take over the House, as 'My Kevin.' The two met at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House to discuss strategy.

Pelosi came out initially for a panel where Democrats would hold ultimate control, but the final deal is split evenly, with McCarthy and other leaders all getting an even hand in appointing commissioners.

McCarthy said Pelosi 'wasted time playing political games,' which allowed other agencies to 'pick up the slack.'

The Biden administration on Tuesday came out with its official statement backing the commission.

'The attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on our democracy, an effort to undo the will of the American people and threaten the peaceful transition of power,' according to the statement.

'While the Federal Government has already begun taking action to improve the safety and security of the U.S. Capitol, the Administration supports the proposed bipartisan, independent National Commission to study and investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The Nation deserves such a full and fair accounting to prevent future violence and strengthen the security and resilience of our democratic institutions.'
Antwainese Square, 39, had set out on a morning power walk in Dallas's Mountain Creek neighborhood Saturday when she discovered Cash Gernon's lifeless body on the street

The female passerby who discovered the body of four-year-old Cash Gernon in Dallas on Saturday, has recalled finding the boy lying in a pool of blood with 'ants crawling all over his little bare feet' shortly after he was kidnapped, stabbed to death, and dumped on the street.

Antwainese Square, 39, said she had been on a power walk around the city's Mountain Creek neighborhood around 6:45am when she suddenly stumbled upon what she initially believed was the body of an animal.

'At first I thought what I saw was a dog, but as I got closer I started noticing things, like a hand. And I just started screaming,' Square told DailyMail.com.

Less than two hours earlier, police say Cash had been snatched from his bedroom in a nearby house by 18-year-old Darriynn Brown who allegedly stabbed the toddler to death with an 'edged weapon.'

Brown, who was already wearing an ankle monitor from a prior offense, was arrested charged hours later with kidnapping and theft. He is expected to face additional charges pending the results of a forensic analysis.

Square, a mother of three, spoke of her anguish at finding the boy shortly after Cash's caretaker broke down sobbing at the makeshift shrine where he was found.

Darriynn Brown, 18, (pictured left in his booking photo) is accused of snatching the boy from his room in the early hours of Saturday, stabbing him to death, and dumping his body. He is reportedly known to the family who was taking care of Cash, but it is unclear why he allegedly targeted him

Monica Sherrod (pictured in blue) who identified herself as Cash's guardian, broke down in tears as she visited a makeshift memorial near where the toddler was found

'I'll never forget the ants crawling all over his little bare feet,' she said.

'I turned into the street and thought I saw a dog lying there. We have a lot of loose dogs around here.

'I called my mom, because the only thing I could see at first was the hair. I said, "Mom, it's weird, it's not moving. So I started to walk slow and the closer I got I started noticing things.

'I said, "Mom, I see a hand, I think I see a body. I think I actually see a body." And I got close, and I said, "Mom, it's a child. It is a child." And I just started screaming.'

Square hung up and called 911. Paramedics did their best to calm her down and asked her to check for any signs of life.

'They asked me to walk right up to the body in case the little boy was still alive. And if he was, for me to try to save his life,' she said.

'I saw ants crawling all over his bare feet and he had blood over his face. He had no shoes, no socks, no shirt, none of that.

'He was only wearing a pair of bottoms, shorts. I just keep remembering those ants at the bottom of that baby's feet.

Square told DailyMail.com she originally believed the boy's body was a dog, until she noticed his 'arm and leg'.

According to reports, Cash (pictured) and his twin brother Carter had been in the care of Monica Sherrod, the ex-girlfriend of his biological father whose whereabouts are unknown

'He was on his back in the roadway. I remember one arm and one leg out. And the reason why I remember the arm and leg is because when I was walking up from afar, that was the determination of me knowing, OK this is a human. This is not a dog, this is a human being.

'And when I noticed it was a kid I just freaked out. My initial thought was, one of these loose dogs has gotten to this baby because of the blood on his face. And then I thought, maybe somebody ran over him like a hit and run.'

Square, an educator, said she remembers setting off on her morning walk and activating the steps counter on her phone at exactly 6.40am. Five minutes later, she was confronted by the scene of horror.

She continued: 'I stayed with him until the police came, there was no way in the world I was going to leave that baby on his own.

'Whether he was dead or alive, I just wasn't going to leave him. My fear was somebody was going to accidentally run over him.

'In fact there was an SUV coming out of the driveway near where he was and I stopped it. Because I wanted the driver to see what had happened, I didn't want anybody running over him.

'I was like standing guard on him. I just wanted to help him, to do what I could do to help him get the peace that he needed. Even though I knew that he was dead.'

Square, who has daughters aged three and 12, plus a 17-year-old son, went on: 'I ultimately realized Cash was deceased when I saw the ants on his feet.

Brown, who was wearing an ankle monitor stemming from a prior charge for evading arrest in late April, was not known to Cash

Investigators roped off the crime scene on Saturday morning before Brown's arrest

Cops are seen on the 7500 block of Saddleridge Road where Cash's body was found

'At first it was the mouth, open. I was like, is he sleeping? Even though I saw the blood on his face you don't want to believe that this child is gone. But when I saw ants, in my mind it was like he's gone. I'll never forget that.'

'I've thought, why him? Why couldn't I have seen this earlier? The feeling I have is why did I have to come after the fact. Why couldn't I have maybe helped him? It's traumatizing. As a mother I was particularly anguished.

'Today I had to leave work. I had a trigger, I saw a woman walking with her son and her son looked like about the age of that little boy. I realized, you know, I might need help.'

Earlier, Monica Sherrod - who was looking after Cash and his twin brother Carter when he was kidnapped - broke down in uncontrollable sobs while visiting the place he was found for the first time.

Sherrod is the ex-girlfriend of Cash's unnamed father, who she says left the children in her care after he vanished in March.

She told Dailymail.com: 'We were all asleep when it happened. Cash usually wakes me up but he didn't wake me.

'When I got up I noticed he was gone. I called 911. I didn't even know somebody had taken him.

'I thought he might have gone outside. That was until I watched my surveillance camera, which showed someone taking him out.'

A police report reveals Sherrod called 911 at 11am. The footage reveals Cash was taken at 5am.

Sherrod said: 'I know Darrilyn. He is the brother of a friend of my other older sons.'

She arrived at the makeshift shrine with her mother, Lezlee Pinkerton, an unidentified man, and her two teenage boys.

Surveillance camera footage from the home shows Cash was kidnapped around 5am Saturday

The group clung to each other sobbing at the scene after putting a large dinosaur toy belonging to Cash with other tributes that were already there.

'This is the first time Monica and us have been to where Cash was found,' the man, who was not named, told DailyMail.com.

'Monica was talking care of the children, Cash, and his brother, by herself because their dad left them. He just left them behind. He was her former boyfriend.'

Police have not named Cash's father. Meanwhile, his biological mother, Melinda Seagroves was reported to have 'been conducting an extensive search for her sons for an extended amount of time,' police said.

She and Carter have since been reunited and are in Houston.

Brown was alleged to be in the surveillance footage from Sherrod's home, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

He was arrested at his home and remains in behind bars on kidnapping and burglary charges in lieu of $1.5million bail.

Brown had been wearing an ankle monitor from a prior charge for evading arrest in late April, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Assistant police chief Albert Martinez said: 'We are shocked, we are very angry about what has happened to this small child.'
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Two pilots ejected from their F-15 Tuesday morning on the runway at MidAmerica St Louis airport in Mascoutah, Illinois.

It is not clear if their ejection seats malfunctioned or if the pilots punched out. The plane was on the ground when the incident took place and it came to rest off the runway on the grass.

The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries and were hospitalized, The St Louis Post Dispatch reports. The jet ran into trouble after landing at MidAmerica.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene at 7:30am local time.

The aircraft is an F-15QA, one of 36 that are being built for the Qatar Emiri Air Force by Boeing under a $6.2bn contract.

It 'was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales program. The incident is currently under investigation,' the U.S. Air Force said in its statement.

Emergency crews on the scene where two pilots ejected from a F-15 fighter aircraft at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Tuesday

Photo of the F-15 on the runway at St Louis airport shows it missing its canopy after the pilots ejected.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene at 7:30 a.m local time

The plane was on the ground when the pilots ejected, Fox2 reports=

In February Scott Air Force Base said the new F-15QA planes would be used in training exercises from MidAmerica.

The F-15QA has more wing hardpoints so that it can carry an increased weapons payload, advanced radar, a helmet that projects information on to the pilot's visor and more powerful engines.

It is unclear what the unit cost of an F-15QA is, hoverer the cost of the almost identical F-15EX has been placed at $87.7million by Air Force Magazine.

Scott Air Force tweeted earlier this year: 'Formal training and instruction will be given to the pilots of this new aircraft over the next several months.'

Boeing operate from the companys plant at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. But they also have facilities at MidAmerica.

One pilot is injured, The St Louis Post Dispatch reports
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had been given more information about Israel's attack on a Gaza building that housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera but refused to offer any more details on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden expressed his concerns for press freedom on Saturday after an Israeli airstrike destroyed the 12-story building, claiming it housed Hamas military intelligence.

AP's leadership said it had yet to see any evidence and has demanded an independent investigation.

As Israel and the Palestinian territories braced for a day of protests and strikes, Blinken said Washington had asked for an explanation.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had received information from Israel on the destruction of a building in Gaza used by media organizations, but offered no further details

The al-Jalaa building housing Associated Press and Al Jazeera media offices is hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, May 15, triggering urgent demands that press freedom is protected

Smoke rises as the 12-story building, that housed media organizations, collapses

'We did seek further information from Israel on this question,' he said during a news conference with Iceland's foreign minister in Reykjavik.

'It's my understanding that we've received some further information through intelligence channels, and it's not something I can comment on.'

A day earlier, President Joe Biden shifted his public stance from defending Israel's right to protect itself to calling for a ceasefire during a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin.

Although Monday night passed without rockets being fired from Gaza, the Israeli Defense Force claimed it hit 65 Hamas targets.

And Palestinian militants resumed their attacks later in the day, firing rockets into Israel, triggering warning sirens in cities in the south of the country.

Heavy fighting broke out May 10 when Gaza's militant Hamas rulers fired long-range rockets towards Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israel's heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 212 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, since the conflict started last Monday.

Explosions light-up the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shell the Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Tuesday

Palestinian firefighters inspect the remains of a destroyed residential building targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday

Palestinians sit among the rubble of their home that was destroyed during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Tuesday

Ten Israeli civilians, including a child, have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza.

Israeli officials have repeatedly defended the strike on the al-Jalaa building, claiming they had evidence that the militant group Hamas was using it.

Ron Dermer, former Israeli ambassador to Washington and an adviser to Netanyahu, told CNN: 'The evidence has already been provided, as I understand it, to U.S. intelligence officials.

'And that was a site where you had Hamas intelligence in that building, and they were engaged in activity that actually would have, as far as I understand, would have undermined our ability to actually target effectively and also undermined our ability to intercept incoming rockets.'

Meanwhile, Israeli police said two Thai workers inside Israel have been killed in a strike launched from the Gaza Strip.

Another seven people were wounded in that attack Tuesday afternoon that hit a packaging plant in southern Israel, authorities said.

The military said it also shot down a drone 'approaching the Israeli border' in the north-east, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but it is possible the drone came from Syria.
A heated feud has torn one of Australia's wealthiest families apart as the late patriarch's widow and children launch a legal battle over how to manage his assets.

Mining billionaire Ken Talbot died in a light plane when it crashed in the Congo in 2010, leaving behind his wife Amanda, her daughters Claudia, 18, and Alexandra, 21, and his children from his first marriage, race-car driver Liam, 38, and Courtney, 35.

In his will the Queensland businessman requested that a third of his estate be given to charity through a single-run family foundation writing: 'I sincerely ask that all beneficiaries are sensible and do not argue.'

But his dying wish will not come to fruition after a Supreme Court judge ordered two foundations be set up to manage his fortune because his widow and children 'would not be able to work together as a group', the Courier Mail reports.

The family of late mining billionaire Ken Talbot (pictured with Amanda Talbot) are stuck in a legal battle over how to administrate his estate

Amanda (centre), Liam (left), Courtney (far right) and Alexandra and Claudia at Mr Talbot's funeral in Brisbane in 2010

Amanda, Claudia and Alexandra and their half-sister Courtney called on the court to permit a two-foundation model, citing past and 'likely future' conflict, disputes and 'differences' within the family.

The court heard Amanda, Claudia and Alexandra were unwilling to work with Liam or Courtney, and Courtney said she could not work with the three women, while her brother argued a single-foundation should be launched with an independent board.

Liam married Hi-5 star Charli Robinson in 2016 and the couple share two daughters Kensington Claire Talbot and Theadora Elle Talbot.

Justice John Bond ruled each party will run a foundation, with one managing 60 per cent of the $36million so far allocated towards the project.

The other will manage the remaining 40 per cent of the money.

It's not known at this stage which party will be handed the larger sum of money to look after and what each foundation's name will be.

Additional monthly payments will be injected into both foundations from each of the five beneficiaries, to make a total of $200,000 each per year.

The entire board of the Western Australian mining company Sundance Resources and Mr Talbot died when their plane crashed in the Congo in June 2010. They had been on route to visit a mine site.

At the time, Mr Talbot, aged 59, had an estate worth about $1.1 billion, which includes a $12million villa in Italy's Lake Como, an $8.5million home in Brisbane's Bulimba, a $5.3million Shanghai apartment and a $50million Learjet.

Liam, who hoped to unite the family, married Hi-5 star Charli Robinson (pictured) in 2016. The couple share two daughters Kensington Claire Talbot and Theadora Elle Talbot

The court heard Liam (pictured) argued for a single-run foundation with an independent board, while the other beneficiaries asked for a two-foundation model

However, previous court hearings have heard his estate has plunged since 2010 due to delays sharing his investments and shares in mining companies.

More than a decade on the management of his fortune, which skyrocketed when the entrepreneur sold his business Macarthur Coal for $860million in 2008, is yet to be settled and has been plagued by legal fights initiated by Mrs Talbot.

According to his will, the remaining 70 per cent of his estate is to be divided among family, with Liam and Courtney to receive 24 per cent, with the remainder split between Mrs Talbot and her two daughters.

He also requested the charitable foundation to make donations to a maximum of $1m per year, with the beneficiaries meet every six months to discuss and organise payments.

Courtney was listed to receive his three metre punt boat, while Liam was noted to be given 'all other boats, jet skis and associated trailers'.

The case is due to return to court on June 18.

The entire board of the Western Australian mining company Sundance Resources and Mr Talbot (pictured) died when their plane crashed in the Congo in June 2010
It's full steam ahead for a new gas-fired power plant in the NSW Hunter Valley which the federal government says will keep energy prices low while ensuring the lights stay on.

Government-owned Snowy Hydro Limited has been given up to $600million to construct a 660MW open cycle gas turbine at Kurri Kurri, on the site of an old aluminium smelter.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the project would create up to 600 new jobs during peak construction and 1200 indirect jobs across NSW.

It's full steam ahead for a new gas-fired power plant in the NSW Hunter Valley which the federal government says will keep energy prices low while ensuring the lights stay on

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the project would create up to 600 new jobs during peak construction and 1200 indirect jobs across NSW. However it will require only 10 jobs when operating

However it will require only 10 jobs when operating.

Along with EnergyAustralia's 316MW Tallawarra B open cycle gas plant, it is expected to be generating power in time for summer 2023-24 when AGL's Liddell plant closes.

Mr Taylor said the government had given the private sector 'every opportunity' to fill the gap.

'We were very clear from the start - we will not stand by and watch prices go up and the lights go off,' he said.

'This project will deliver flexible gas generation to replace Liddell and maintain reliable power alongside Australia's world-leading investment in renewables.'

The plant has been declared a 'critical state significant infrastructure project' under NSW environmental planning laws, giving it a smoother path to approval.

Environmentalists have already panned the idea, saying gas should no longer have a place in the energy grid as Australia sought to cut its emissions.

An environmental impact statement released last week said a new gas pipeline may not be ready in time for the plant to start operating in 2023, which meant it could initially require diesel fuel.
Tucker Carlson has claimed the US military is not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enough.

The Fox News host hit out at military leaders on his show Monday night after new footage surfaced appearing to show UFO sightings off the coast of America.

Last week, a video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019.

Retired Navy officials have warned the technology seen is up to 1,000 years ahead of that used by the US while others have revealed they spotted unidentified objects in the skies every day during military postings.

Carlson questioned whether the Pentagon is taking this 'threat' to the US's national security seriously, accusing the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs.

He fumed the military is too busy 'hiring more pregnant air force pilots' and being 'obsessed with political purity' to defend America from potential adversaries.

Carlson pointed to the US Army's new recruitment ad which features an LGBTQ+ protest as well as the recent ousting of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier from the Space Force over his comments branding its diversity programs 'Marxist'.

'This is your country, please defend it. It is becoming clear they have no interest in defending it,' said Carlson.

Tucker Carlson has claimed the US military is not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enough

Newly leaked Navy footage (pictured) confirmed as real by the Pentagon appears to show a UFO buzz a United States stealth ship before diving under the water in 2019

Carlson aired footage from CBS 60 Minutes Sunday night showing an unidentified flying object spotted by a Navy aircrew off the US Atlantic coast in 2015.

Journalist Bill Whitaker narrates the footage saying that 'the Pentagon admits it doesn't know what in the world this isor thisor this'

Carlson said this admission from the Pentagon is a 'very big problem.'

'Oh, UFOs, they're spooky and kinda funny. Crazy people believe in them. Up until you get to the line, 'The Pentagon admits it doesn't know what in the world this is.' That's all you need to know,' he said.

'From a national security perspective, that's a very big problem. How big a problem is it?

'One Navy pilot said military observed unidentified objects maneuvering in restricted airspace off the coast of Virginia 'every day' for two years.'

Carlson cuts to another clip from the CBS show where Whitaker says the Pentagon 'can't identity' what the objects are and speaks to Lt Ryan Graves who says the sightings were regular occurrences.

'Every day. Every day for at least a couple years,' Graves says.

In another clip, Lue Elizondo, the former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, tells Whitaker 'it's real' and reveals the technology 'can defy the natural effects of Earth's gravity.'

'Imagine a technology that can do 600 to 700 G-forces, that can fly 13,000 miles an hour, that, that can evade radar and can fly through air and water and possibly space, and oh, by the way, has no obvious signs of propulsion, no wings, no control surfaces and yet still can defy the natural effects of Earth's gravity,' he says.

'That's precisely what we're seeing.'

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Last week, the video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019

Carlson hit out at the Pentagon questioning why the military has not acted on the sightings and 'did nothing after two full years of daily incursions.'

'Sound like a potential threat? You think? So what has the Pentagon done about it? Well, we don't know the full story as of tonight,' he said.

'But we don't know that they've done anything about it, and then cover the fact they ignored it by declaring the whole subject classified for decades, then spending the rest of the day thinking about how to bomb Syria again and rid the marine corps of people who voted for Donald Trump.'

Carlson suggested the Space Force division is well-equipped to handle this matter but claimed resources are instead being wasted on 'political purges.'

'They're busy conducting political purges of their own ranks, as all the branches of the military are. Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commanded a Space Force unit until the White House decided his politics were unacceptable,' he said.

Lohmeier was fired from his post after calling diversity and inclusion training in the military 'critical race theory rooted in Marxism.'

Carlson likened the US Army's 'purging' of its ranks to the Soviet Army's focus on 'political purity' back in 1938.

'So, every day for two years, unidentified flying objects behaving in ways that seemed to contradict what we know about physics, and the US military is spending its time purging its ranks,' he said.

'What does this remind you of? Maybe the Soviet army 1938: A clear and present threat appears on the horizon, but the people in charge are so obsessed with political purity and loyalty to the Party, they can't respond, because they're absorbed in attacking their own organization.

Carlson accused the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (above) of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs

'When they say that all revolutions are the same, they're right.'

He added: 'Most of the generals we see quoted in the press seem more committed to meeting some counterproductive diversity goal  hiring more pregnant air force pilots, assembling the world's first transgender SEAL team  than on defending the United States.'

Carlson specifically took aim at Defense Secretary Austin, likening his appointment to 'handing control of the entire US military to the editorial page of the New York Times' and branding his Senior Adviser Bishop Garrison 'a lunatic.'

Austin, he said, has 'declared a hot war on global warming.'

Carlson aired footage of the defense secretary calling the climate crisis an 'existential' threat to the nation.

'Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential,' says Austin.

'The climate crisis does deserve to be called existential.'

Carlson also shared a clip he said shows Austin 'explaining that the scariest risk our soldiers face is the possibility they might serve alongside Americans who didn't vote for Joe Biden.'

Carlson pointed to the US Army's new recruitment ad which featured an LGBTQ+ protest

The Army's new recruitment ad chronicling the life of Corporal Emma Malonelord features an animated depiction of a gay rights march (pictured)

Pentagon will trawl military personnel's social media accounts for undefined 'extremist and concerning behavior' The Pentagon is planning to 'continuously' trawl the social media accounts of military personnel for extremist behavior and views - and will use a private security company to shield itself from concerns that it's violating First Amendment rights. The pilot program, part of the Biden administration's plan to crack down on domestic extremism, will result in the ongoing monitoring of military personnel for 'concerning behaviors', according to sources and internal documents seen by The Intercept. The so-called 'concerning behaviors' haven't been explicitly identified, leading to concerns that social media commissars could squash protected free speech - just as 'Big Tech' has in some cases shut down opinion that is out of the mainstream - such as when Facebook locked former Donald Trump's accounts. The program is being spearheaded by Bishop Garrison, a senior advisor to President Biden's Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has previously said Trump and his supporters are racist and is an advocate for Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project, which teaches that America is an inherently racist nation founded on slavery. It has already sparked backlash over concerns about free speech and fears military members could be targeted for 'lack of wokeness'. The Department of Defense has not commented about Garrison's program but a House Armed Services Committee spokesperson said they believed the social media screening would be in addition to background checks, and not ongoing surveillance. The program will likely use keyword searches on social media to identify military personnel with extremist political views or behaviors. Furious critics have been quick to slam news of the potential program, saying the keyword search strategy is flawed because it is an invasion of privacy. They also argue it will return 'false positives' and will undermine morale if military personnel are constantly second guessing what they post on social media. US Rep. Lauren Boebert argued: 'We should not be removing military members for lack of wokeness. Will the next step be pledging loyalty to the Democrat Party to fight for our country.' A Pentagon official with knowledge of the program said it had already proven challenging to create a list of keywords that would help identify extremists but not infringe on free speech. Officials say the program will use the services of a private surveillance company to try and circumvent or avoid any criticism regarding First Amendment protections. Babel Street, a private company in Washington DC that sells social media monitoring software, is the front runner to carry out the surveillance, according to Pentagon officials. Advertisement

In the footage from January 19, Austin testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would root out enemies that 'lie within our own ranks.'

'And if confirmed, I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists,' he says in the footage.

'The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies. But we can't do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.'

Austin was speaking weeks after the January 6 riot where a Donald Trump inspired mob stormed the Capitol in a violent insurrection that left five dead.

Carlson took aim at 'activist type' Garrison who is advising Austin on the Pentagon's diversity and inclusion efforts.

Garrison is also leading the Pentagon's extremism steering committee which has now launched a social media screening pilot program, which will monitor the accounts of military personnel for 'concerning' and extremist behaviors.

'Spend five minutes Googling Bishop Garrison. Treat yourself. He's a lunatic. A few years ago, he announced that anyone who supports Donald Trump  tens of millions of American citizens, many of whom have served in the military  is a white supremacist,' said Carlson.

'And he said 'there is no room for nuance' on that question.'

Carlson also took issue with the US Army's latest recruitment ad that features an animated lesbian wedding and an LGBTQ+ pride parade.

The campaign features five cartoon shorts telling the stories of five diverse soldiers and an LGBTQ+ family.

One two-minute recruitment video centers on Corporal Emma Malonelord and her upbringing as she is raised by two moms.

The ad is part of a recruitment effort to appeal to more diverse groups as LGBTQ+, ethnic minority groups, and women are still largely underrepresented in the army - even more so in high ranking positions.

General Mark Milley has called for more diversity saying the forces need 'diverse talent in order for us to remain strong.'

Carlson played part of the ad where the cartoon corporal says she 'marched for equality.'

'"I also marched for equality." Oh, shut up. Who cares?' the Fox host mocked.

'Please stop talking about yourself for once. It is boring and irrelevant and insulting. This is not just your country, it belongs to all of us. Your job is to defend it, please do so.'

Carlson claimed the 'same fighting force that for generations we have been so proud of' has been 'captured by people who seem like rejects from the Google HR department.'

The Fox host argued that UFOS 'are real' and are 'a prima facie challenge to the United States military' that he urged the Pentagon to turn its attention to.

'What are these things? Why are they buzzing our skies? Why do they seem attracted to our U.S. military? And above all, why isn't the Pentagon more focused on this? It seems like a threat if there ever was one,' he said.

Carlson's comments come as retired Navy officers issued a chilling warning that UFO sightings possess technology that far surpasses that owned by the US.

Commenting on the video released last week, Sean Cahil - a retired US Navy Chief Master-at-Arms - told CNN's Chris Cuomo the technology on display is 100 to 1000 years ahead of that possessed by the United States.

Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier was fired from the Space Force after he branded its diversity programs 'Marxist' as examples

Carlson's comments come as retired Navy officers issued a chilling warning that UFO sightings possess technology that far surpasses that owned by the US. Sean Cahil (left) - a retired US Navy Chief Master-at-Arms told CNN about the UFOs

'The technology that we witnessed with the Tic-Tac was something we would not have been able to defend our forces against at the time,' said Cahil.

'What we saw in the Tic-Tac [...] is the five observables. [These] indicate a technology that outstrips our arsenal by at least 100 to 1000 years at the moment.'

Last April, the infamous 'Tic Tac' incident was one of three videos released by the Pentagon which showed footage of 'unexplained aerial phenomena' taken by US Navy pilots.

At least six pilots encountered the mysterious object as it flew at speed over the Pacific near Mexico on November 14, 2004.

The way it moved has led to speculation that it was a UFO and it has become a key piece of evidence for those who believe in extraterrestrials.

The comments and the release of the video comes ahead of the delivery of unclassified reports by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other agencies about unidentified aerial phenomena sightings by military personnel to Congress next month.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now formally shutting down their UK-based Sussex Royal company in another sign that they are severing ties with Britain.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have appointed a voluntary liquidator to wind up the London-based charity, which they renamed MWX Trading in August last year.

Documents filed with Companies House today show that the couple, who now live in a 11million mansion in Montecito, California, have requested to wind up MWX.

They have never revealed what MWX stands for, although suggestions include Markle Windsor or Mountbatten Windsor, referring to their son Archie's name.

On August 5, 2020, the couple officially changed the charity's name from 'Sussex Royal The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex' to MWX Foundation.

Harry and Meghan in London in January last year before they stepped down as senior royals

This came after Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, agreed to stop using their Sussex Royal brand after officially stepping down as senior royals on April 1 last year.

The couple established the company MWX Trading Ltd in August 2019, naming their now-former lawyer Gerrard Tyrrell of Harbottle and Lewis as its secretary.

Last July, Harry and Meghan performed a big U-turn within just nine minutes by withdrawing a formal notice to change the name of the charitable foundation.

Paperwork for a formal winding-up order stated that the directors, including Harry and Meghan, would be changing it to MWX while it was being dissolved.

A formal document to make the name change official  called a Change of Name Notice  was then filed within hours of the details becoming public.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appointed a voluntary liquidator to wind up MWX Trading

But just nine minutes later at 11.46am, a notification was sent by Companies House, saying that the same document had been withdrawn.

Documents also revealed that Meghan and five other directors of the foundation had stepped down from their positions, leaving Harry as the sole director.

Talks with royal aides over Megxit last year ended with the agreement that the Sussexes would be unable to use the word 'royal' as part of any of new branding.

The Sussex Royal Foundation had been launched on July 1, 2019 after Harry and Meghan split from a foundation shared with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Harry and Meghan married during a glittering ceremony on May 19, 2018 and are likely to mark their third wedding anniversary this year at their US home.

The Sussex Royal Foundation had been launched on July 1, 2019 after Harry and Meghan split from a foundation shared with Prince William and Kate Middleton (together, in February 2018)

Some 18 months after exchanging their vows they travelled to North America with their son Archie and have never permanently returned to their UK home.

A YouGov poll carried out yesterday found 44 per cent of 4,567 adults questioned thought the couple should no longer be a duke and duchess.

The past few months have been a tumultuous period for the couple following their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey which first aired on CBS on March 7.

Meghan and Harry laid bare their brief life as a working royal couple, alleging a member of the family made a racist comment about their son.

They also told the US chat show queen that the Duchess had suicidal thoughts but her approaches to the monarchy for help were turned down.

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last month briefly brought Harry back into the fold, and he was seen after the ceremony looking at ease and chatting with William.

A few days after their wedding anniversary Harry and Meghan, who is expecting a daughter in the summer, will appear in the first episode of the duke's mental health documentary series with Oprah Winfrey.

In the Apple TV+ series that begins on Friday, Harry says in conversation with Winfrey: 'To make that decision to receive help is not a sign of weakness. In today's world, more than ever, it is a sign of strength.'

Oprah Winfrey speaks to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in an interview first aired on March 7

Footage of a young Harry during the funeral procession for his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, featured in a trailer for The Me You Can't See.

In separate interview Harry appeared to suggest that his father and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had failed as parents.

Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, the duke said he wanted to 'break the cycle' of 'genetic pain and suffering' for the sake of his own children.

He said of Charles: 'He's treated me the way he was treated, so how can I change that for my own kids?'
Former President Donald Trump has taken $65,600 in pension payments since leaving office, after donating at least $1.3 million of his presidential salary back to the government during his four years in office.

Business Insider received confirmation Monday from the General Services Administration that Trump was taking pension dollars.

He has $221,400 available to him in 2021, as ex-presidents are entitled pensions under the Former Presidents Act, with Trump's pay equal to that of a cabinet secretary.

Former President Donald Trump, captured in New York City last week, is taking funds from his government pension, Business Insider first reported Monday

For 14 quarters, the White House announced where President Donald Trump was donating his salary dollars

Trump sometimes used salary donations to make political points, such as when he donated $100,000 to go toward monument restoration after last summer's Black Lives Matter protests

WHERE DID TRUMP'S MONEY GO? 2017 Q1: The National Park Service for battlefield updates Q2: The Department of Education to send 30 girls to space camp Q3: The Department of Health and Human Services for an opioid PSA campaign Q4: The Department of Transportation for infrastructure improvements 2018 Q1: The Veterans Administration for caregiver support Q2: The Small Business Administration for training programs for veteran entrepreneurs Q3: The National Institutes of Healths National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Q4: The Department of Homeland Security 2019 Q1: Department of Agriculture Q2: Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Surgeon General Q3: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health to be used for 'the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis' Q4: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health to 'confront, contain, and combat #Coronavirus' 2020 Q1: HHS to 'develop new therapies for treating and preventing COVID-19 so that we can safely reopen' Q2: The National Park Service to repair damaged monuments Advertisement

The act was passed in 1958 in response to former President Harry Truman's post-White House financial troubles.

The law allowed former presidents to 'maintain the dignity' of the office they once held.

Forbes estimates that Trump is worth $2.4 billion.

However, he's lost money since becoming president, with Bloomberg's Billionaire Index estimating Trump's wealth fell by $700 million during his four years in Washington.

During Trump's one term, the White House would make a to-do about where he was donating his salary each quarter.

For his first donation, he gave $78,333.32 to the National Park Service, which was to go toward improving historic battlefields, specifically the Newcomer House on the Antietam battlefield that needed new fencing.

His first check back to the government, from the first fiscal quarter of 2017, was under $100,000 likely due to a payout of taxes on his salary - and he started work on January 20 not the 1st.

Every other donation was for a full $100,000.

Trump sometimes used the donations to make a political point.

During the second quarter of 2020, Trump gave his $100,000 to the National Park Service to repair damaged monuments in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests over George Floyd's death.

As part of his re-election campaign, which leaned heavily on culture war issues, Trump slammed protesters for damaging monuments, while pushing to keep up Confederate statues and names on military bases.

'I promised YOU I would not take a dime of salary as your President. I donate the entire $400,000! It is my honor to give $100,000 to @NatlParkService to help repair and restore our GREAT National Monuments.'

'So important to our American History! Thank You!!' he added.

He also gave two quarters of his salary to the Health and Human Services department to go toward combating the coronavirus.

It's unclear if Trump donated his last two quarterly paychecks to any government entities.

Trump is also using federal dollars to keep some key staff employed.

Under the Presidential Transition Act Trump continues to pay advisers Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino, Business Insider also reported.

Documents also revealed expenses Trump billed back to the government, including printer toner, Comcast service, stamps, stationary and a mat for the ex-president's office chair.

Trump has collected pension payments in the past, including $77,808 from the Screen Actors Guild and $8,724 from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 2019, Hollywood Reporter said.

Trump started participating in the SAG pension plan in 1992, after he made a cameo in the movie 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,' Hollywood Reporter said.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem's Old City today, and two soldiers were shot in the West Bank, as widespread demonstrations turned into violent confrontations in Israel and the occupied territories.

The eight day of violence in the region followed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissal of Joe Biden's calls for a cease fire and continued air strike on the Gaza strip.

Elsewhere, tear gas was fired at demonstrators at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's old city, around half a mile from Temple Mount where clashes last Monday at Al-Aqsa Mosque - Islam's third holiest site - provoked a barrage of missiles from Hamas in Gaza.

A water cannon and mounted police were deployed as Palestinians were sent running from the flash of stun grenades close to the Old City.

Meanwhile two Israeli Defence Forces soldiers were shot and wounded around ten miles north near the West Bank settlement of Beit El as hundreds of Palestinians rioted at the entrance to the nearby city of Ramallah.

One of the soldiers was said to be moderately injured, while the other was only mildly hurt, according to local reports. They were shot in their legs.

The army were also deployed to the West Bank city of Hebron as rioters lit burning barricades in the street and used slingshots to fire projectiles at officers.

The unrest came as Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israel's 21 percent Arab minority staged a general strike in solidarity with Gaza where the death toll on Tuesday rose to 212 - including 61 children.

Ten Israeli civilians, including a child, have been killed in rocket fire from the Strip.

Benjamin Netanyahu earlier defied Joe Biden's calls for ceasefire as he vowed to 'continue striking the terrorists' following air strikes last night on 65 Hamas targets inside Gaza.

Footage emerged of a precision strike on a Hamas 'suicide submarine' in northern Gaza on Monday, showing the explosive-laden vessel being obliterated shortly after it was launched into the Mediterranean by militants.

Pro-Palestinian protesters flee from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli security forces inside Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday

Israeli forces intervene Palestinians who gather in front of Jerusalem's Damascus Gate, in East Jerusalem on Tuesday

Protesters run for cover as tear gas is fired close to Damascus Gate near Jerusalem's Old City

Pro-Palestinian protesters square up to police at Damascus Gate about a half mile away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday

A female Israeli security forces soldier grapples with a protester during a demonstration held by Palestinians to show their solidarity amid Israel-Gaza fighting, at Damascus Gate just outside Jerusalem's Old City

People react to a stun grenade fired by Israeli police officers during a demonstration held by Palestinians to show their solidarity amid Israel-Gaza fighting, at Jerusalem's Old City, May 18

Protesters close to the Damascus Gate flee from tear gas as security forces move in on Tuesday

A Palestinian man is arrested by the Israeli security forces on Tuesday

Palestinian demonstrators clash with Israeli security forces on horseback during protests against Israel's occupation and its air campaign on the Gaza strip, at Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem on Tuesday

Israeli troops take up positions against Palestinian protesters in the West Bank city of Hebron

A Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag during clashes with Israeli troops at the city center of the West Bank city of Hebron

Palestinian protesters take cover during clashes with Israeli troops at the city center of the West Bank city of Hebron

A Palestinian protester uses his slingshot to throw stones during clashes with Israeli troops at the city center of the West Bank city of Hebron

Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops at the city center of the West Bank city of Hebron

Palestinian protesters take cover during clashes with Israeli troops at the city center of the West Bank city of Hebron

Air strike sinks Hamas 'suicide submarine' The Israeli Air Force has destroyed a 'suicide submarine' which was being launched into the Mediterranean in northern Gaza. The autonomous submersible was still close to the shore when the missile rained down and sank it on Monday. Moments later a second 'ninja' missile was dropped on the car of militants who were seen driving away after launching the vessel. The submarines, capable of carrying up to 70 pounds of explosives and guided by GPS technology, are suspected of attempted attacks on Israeli oil rigs and naval assets. Video footage released by the IDF showed both the strike on the submarine in the water and the assassination of the militants in their car shortly afterwards. The IDF did not specify what the drone submarine was targeting but simply said it was aimed towards the State of Israel's maritime territory.' Israel's naval vessels have been targeted by Hamas rocket fire in the past, as well as the Tamar oil rig which was drained of fuel last week as a precaution. Tamar is just 14 miles off the coast of the southern city of Ashkelon which has been pummelled by Hamas rocket fire. The Israeli Navy says it has been successful in thwarting any attempts by Hamas to attack them in the water. 'The most significant thing, as in all of the IDF, is denying [the enemy] capabilities and establishing a strong defence. Therefore, we have attacked bases, vessels, weapons warehouses, infrastructure and operatives. We have acted so that the naval arms of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas would be depressed,' the head of the Israeli Navy Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit told reporters on Sunday. Advertisement

Another piece of aerial footage then shows a car being tracked by overhead cross hairs before it is rocked by a blast which brings it to a swift and fiery halt. The IDF said the militants inside had launched the autonomous submarine.

Photographs of the car later showed its roof ripped open in a pattern which suggests a six-bladed 'ninja' missile was fired. The missiles are designed to cut through cars, killing targets with minimal collateral damage.

The Israeli Defence Forces did not specify what Hamas were planning to target with their explosive-laden submarine but they have previously fired rockets at naval vessels and oil rigs in the Mediterranean.

The vessels can be armed with up to 70 pounds of explosives and GPS tracking is used to direct them towards targets.

'The submarine that was attacked was launched from the shore in Gaza,' the military said. 'It went a few meters deep and was directed at a target, which could have been an Israeli beach or Israel Navy boats.'

The IDF last night said it blasted through more of 'The Metro', the militants' underground network of tunnels and bunkers which are used as hideouts and for shipping weapons underneath the densely populated city.

Meanwhile Hamas fired 70 rockets - most of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.

At least two Israelis were killed and several more were seriously injured on Tuesday after a rocket from Gaza struck a factory in southern Israel - following several hours of relative calm this morning.

The two dead are both foreign men in their 30s who worked at the factory that was hit, Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service said, while seven others were hurt - some of them seriously.

The factory was hit during a late-afternoon rocket salvo fired from Gaza that came after a six-hour lull in the bombardment. Another building in Ashdod was hit, though it was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt.

Israel responded by launching airstrikes on rocket launchers in northern Gaza which it said had been used in the attack. It is unclear if anyone was killed in those attacks.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz today repeated his vow to 'bring about complete and long-term calm' in Gaza, saying the IDF has 'thousands' more targets to strike and 'no person, area or neighborhood in Gaza is immune.'

It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu last-night defied Joe Biden's calls for a ceasefire, saying that Israel will 'continue striking at the terrorist targets'.

But despite their breakthroughs against Hamas, Israel faces a growing crisis on three fronts, with an internal battle to quell unrest among Palestinians in the West Bank, and to prevent rocket attacks by terrorists in neighbouring Lebanon.

Rocket fire from the northern border has increased in recent days amid resentment for the air strikes on Hamas.

Terror groups in Lebanon such as Hezbollah back Hamas' efforts against Israel.

A Palestinian demonstrator appears to be unconscious as Israeli police officers carry him away from the demonstration at Damascus Gate today

Israeli security force members detain a Palestinian woman during a demonstration held by Palestinians to show their solidarity amid Israel-Gaza fighting, at Damascus Gate just outside Jerusalem's Old City

Israeli security forces fire teargas against Palestinian demonstrators during protests against Israel's occupation and its air campaign on the Gaza strip, at Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem

Armed Israeli police during clashes with Palestinians at Damascus gate of the old city of Jerusalem

Israeli police intervene in Palestinian demonstrators using a water cannon to disperse the crowd

An injured Palestinian boy covers his head during clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at Damascus gate of the Old City

Palestinian protesters at Damascus gate of the old city of Jerusalem during a protest following the general strike in east Jerusalem

Israeli security force members detain a Palestinian protester during a demonstration held by Palestinians to show their solidarity amid Israel-Gaza fighting, in Jerusalem's Old City

Israeli police spray Palestinian demonstrators with a water cannon in the Muslim Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood

A man is detained during pro-Gaza demonstrations at the Damascus Gate on Tuesday

Six rockets were fired from Lebanon late last night but fell short of the border fence, according to the IDF. The military said they responded with an artillery barrage.

The rockets triggered warning sirens and residents near the northern border were warned to stay inside bomb shelters. No injuries were reported.

Airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza today toppled a six-story building that housed libraries and educational centres belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of concrete slabs. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.

Israel warned the building's residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness, and there were no reports of casualties. Israel typically says such buildings also house militant infrastructure.

'The whole street started running, then destruction, an earthquake,' said Jamal Herzallah, a resident of the area. 'This whole area was shaking.'

Late Monday, strikes had knocked out Gaza's only Covid-19 testing laboratory and damaged the office of the Qatari Red Crescent.

The rate of positive coronavirus tests in Gaza has been among the highest in the world, at 28 percent.

Hospitals in the poverty-stricken territory, which has been under Israeli blockade for almost 15 years, have been overwhelmed by patients.

Video taken from the air by Israeli aircraft shows two missiles smashing into the vessel in quick succession as a huge explosion erupts in shallow waters close to a tower block in northern Gaza

Footage shows smoke billowing beside the Mediterranean after the missile strike

Another piece of aerial footage then shows a car being tracked by overhead cross hairs before it is rocked by a blast which brings it to a swift and fiery halt. The IDF said the militants inside had launched the autonomous submarine

Photographs of the car later showed its roof ripped open in a pattern which suggests a six-bladed 'ninja' missile was fired. The missiles are designed to cut through cars, killing targets with minimal collateral damage

Palestinian firefighters douse a huge fire at the Foamco mattress factory following an Israeli airstrike, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip

Explosions light-up the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shell the Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Tuesday

A Palestinian woman stands next to an unexploded bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 warplane on Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood

Palestinians sit among the rubble of their home that was destroyed during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Tuesday

Palestinian firefighters inspect the remains of a destroyed residential building targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday

Palestinians carry the body of Obaida Jawabreh, killed a day earlier during clashes with Israeli soldiers, at his funeral in al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron city in the the occupied West Bank

Smoke and flames are seen following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City on Tuesday

Rockets are launched towards Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on Monday evening. The IDF said that 70 were fired last night

Gaza resident Roba Abu al-Awf, 20, said she expected a rough night.

'We have nothing to do but sit at home,' she said. 'Death could come at any moment - the bombing is crazy and indiscriminate.'

Israeli fire on Gaza has cratered roads and battered crucial infrastructure, causing blackouts and prompting the electricity authority to warn yesterday it only had enough fuel left to provide power for another two to three days.

The conflict risks precipitating a humanitarian disaster, with the UN saying nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced and 2,500 have lost their homes.

Palestinian militants have fired around 3,350 rockets toward Israel in the heaviest exchange of fire in years.

Hamas has threatened more rocket strikes on Tel Aviv if bombing of residential areas does not stop.

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled.

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a house destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike on Tuesday

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building which was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City

A block of flats destroyed during an Israeli air strike in the early hours of Tuesday

Palestinian demonstrators burn tires during a protest against the tension in Jerusalem and the Israeli-Gaza fighting, on May 17, 2021 in the occupied West Bank, near the settlement of Beit El next to Ramallah

Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has so far vowed to press on.

With no end in sight to the fighting, Palestinians in Israel, east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank observed a general strike on Tuesday.

It was a rare show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 per cent its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state of their own. Life had already ground to a halt in Gaza when the fighting began.

The strike was intended to protest the Gaza war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians the rights afforded to Jews.

Israel rejects that characterisation, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence across the region.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike, and protests were expected.

Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organisers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a 'collective position' against Israel's 'aggression' in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the 'brutal repression' by police across Israel.

People look at an unexploded missile thrown by Israel in al-Rimal neighborhood as Israeli warplanes continue to carry out airstrikes

Palestinian workers clean up the rubble and attempt to repair infrastructures damaged in Israeli air raids in Gaza City on Tuesday

Smoke and flames are seen following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City May 18

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City on Tuesday

Thick black smoke rises from an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it fired at 65 militant targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters and the homes of Hamas commanders that the army said were being used for military purposes. It said more than 60 fighter jets took part in the operation.

The military said it also shot down a drone 'approaching the Israeli border' in the northeast, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but it's possible the drone came from Syria.

The military said Palestinian militants fired 90 rockets, 20 of which fell short into Gaza. Israel says its missile defences have intercepted about 90 per cent the rockets.

Israel's strikes have brought down several buildings and caused widespread damage in the narrow coastal territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

The attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and entirely destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organisation said in a new report. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

It said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered the movement of ambulances and supply vehicles.

Over 41,000 displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in U.N. schools in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak. Gaza is also running low on fuel for its electricity supply and water.

Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signalled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

'We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with top security officials on Monday .

The Hezbollah and Palestinian flags are flown at the Israeli border as an Israel flag is burned during a protest in Maroun Al-Ras village, near the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon

Palestinian firefighters attempt to put out a blaze at a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday

Flames rip through a warehouse belonging to a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip early on Monday

Israel has defied international calls for a ceasefire and continues to bombard targets within Gaza today

Palestinians inspect damaged building after airstrikes by Israeli army hit buildings in Gaza City

The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticise Israel's part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region.

On Monday, the United States again blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to 'the crisis related to Gaza' and the protection of civilians, especially children.

Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas' militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israel.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 160 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were 'eliminated.'

Israel's airstrikes have levelled a number of Gaza City's tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting that.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated the organisation's call for an independent investigation into the attack.

'As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike,' he said in a statement. 'We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know.'

Does Israel have its own 'ninja missiles'? Precision strike that killed Hamas 'terrorist' but left his car largely intact sparks speculation that IDF has weapon similar to six-bladed US rocket

By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline

A bombed-out car in the Gaza Strip has sparked speculation that Israel has developed its own version of America's six-bladed 'ninja missiles'.

The car - a while Citroen Xsara - was blown up in a strike by the Israeli air force on Tuesday to the west of Gaza City in an attack the IDF said targeted operatives of a Hamas 'suicide submarine'.

Video of the strike, released by the IDF, shows the driver's side of the car being struck by a missile which blows out the windows and doors but otherwise leaves the vehicle intact as it rolls to a stop on a nearby roundabout.

The pattern of damage is similar, though not identical to, damage caused by R9X 'ninja missiles' - dud Hellfire rockets that use a combination of sheer force and six long blades to shred targets and have been used by the US in Lybia, Syria and Iraq.

That has raised questions over whether the Israeli military, with its strong ties to the US, has been able to develop its own version of the missile.

A precision strike on what the IDF described as a Hamas terrorist involved in a 'suicide submarine' attack killed the man, but left his car largely intact

The pattern of damage, similar to that seen in CIA and Pentagon strikes using 'ninja missiles', has sparked speculation that the IDF has developed a similar weapon

The strike blew out the car's windows, doors and roof, but without destroying the vehicle and left two cars parked nearby with only moderate damage

'Ninja missile' strikes - often against vehicles - are distinctive because the car typically remains intact with only a small hole or holes caused by the missile.

The hole itself is often star shaped because the uses six blades that extend from the sides of the rocket to slice through its target - hence its nickname.

Because the missile's warhead is inert - meaning non-explosive - targeted vehicles usually do not show signs of blast damage, such as blown-out windows or doors.

That is not the case with the strike in Gaza, since the car's roof, front doors and boot have clearly been bent outwards by a small explosion.

Two parked vehicles that were close to the strike also had their windows either fully or partially blown out with the force, with shrapnel damage visible across their bodywork and tyres blown out.

IDF footage also shows a small explosion partially destroying the vehicle.

But the damage is far less extensive than would be expected from a strike using a conventional missile, which has caused speculation online.

IDF footage of the strike shows the car drive off down the street before the missile strikes, after which it rolls to a stop at a roundabout

Footage captured by Palestinian media showed people rushing to help the car's occupant after the blast, though it is thought the sole occupant was killed

Kyle Glen, an open-source intelligence analyst and co-founder of the Twitter feed Conflict News, wrote: '1 killed after an airstrike targeted a car in Western Gaza. Impressive precision.

'Reminds me of the R9X strikes in Syria but as far as I know, Israel do not possess them.'

Coupsure, another open-source intelligence Twitter feed in French, added to the speculation, writing: 'It is interesting to note that there is very little damage in the surroundings.

'I think they used a missile similar to the R9X or a missile with a very small explosive charge.'

MailOnline has reached out to the Israeli defence ministry but had not received a response prior to publication.

The R9X, a modified version of the better-known Hellfire missile, was developed during Obama's presidency amid concerns over the number of civilians being killed in drone strike campaigns in the Middle East.

The R9X is a modified version of the precision Hellfire missile which carries a non-explosive warhead filled with 45kg of metal and six ejecting blades designed to shred its target

Strikes using ninja missiles are distinctive because they leave vehicles intact with star-shaped damage marks caused by the blades (pictured, a 'ninja missile' attack in Syria in 2020)

The first known attack using a R9X missile was to kill deputy leader of Al-Qaeda Abu Khayr al-Masri in February 2017 (above)

It was also developed in response to tactics by terrorists who took to hiding among women and children in the hopes they would not be targeted.

The weapon consists of a typical Hellfire missile with its laser targeting system, but with the explosive warhead replaced by 45kg of metal designed to crush the target.

Six blades are also hidden in the missile's fuselage which extend moments before it strikes the target, allowing it to shred through vehicles.

Under development since 2011, the first known use of the missile was in 2017 to kill the deputy leader of Al-Qaeda, Abu Khayr al-Masri in Syria.

It was used in a number of other strikes that year across Libya, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, and again in 2019 in Afghanistan.

The aim of the weapon - also known as the 'Flying Ginsu' after a famous brand of knives - is to be able to kill a terrorist target in a car without harming the driver, or to kill someone at the dinner table without harming others sitting with them.

Obama had reportedly considered using an R9X to kill Osama Bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011 - though he eventually decided to send in a Navy SEAL team instead.
The campaigner against Confederate monuments who claimed to be descended from Robert E. Lee's brother actually has no family ties to the Confederate general, according to a new investigation.

Rev. Robert W. Lee IV is actually descended from a family of Lees in Alabama who arrived in America separately from, and have no known ties to, Robert E. Lee's Virginia dynasty, according to the top factchecker at the Washington Post.

Robert W. Lee, also known as Rob, had claimed to be the fourth great-nephew of Robert E. Lee in speeches, a book and a lawsuit seeking the removal of a Confederate monument in Iredell County, North Carolina.

In statements after the publication of the Post article, Rob Lee said he would withdraw as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, and apologized 'for distraction and de-centering voices of color.'

'If you feel this discredits me or breaks trust, I'm sorry,' said Rob Lee, adding that he stands by his family lore and noting that 'family dynamics are at play.''

Rev. Robert W. Lee IV, also known as Rob, has claimed to be the fourth great-nephew of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, but records cast serious doubt on the claim

Rob Lee has said that he is related to Robert E. Lee (left) as a direct descendant of the Confederate general's elder brother, Charles Carter Lee (right)

Rob Lee repeated the claims in court filings as a plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to have this Confederate monument removed from Iredell County, North Carolina

Since at least 2016, Rob Lee, a pastor in North Carolina, has touted his alleged family history in what many regard as a noble crusade, campaigning to have Confederate monuments removed from public spaces.

He appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2017 declaring his support for Black Lives Matter, and last June appeared alongside Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to announce that a statue of Robert E. Lee would be removed from the state capital.

'My uncle Robert E. Lee, so many greats removed of course,' Rob Lee remarked as the governor stood by his side.

Rob Lee has also appeared on The View, NPR, and delivered a prayer at President Joe Biden's virtual Inaugural Prayer Service on January 21.

He even reiterated his ancestry claims in columns in 2016 and last year for the Washington Post, which has now debunked them.

Rob Lee's claim appears to rest on the assertion that he is a direct descendant of Lee's older brother, Charles Carter Lee.

He wrote in his 2019 book that his family referred to Robert E. Lee as 'Uncle Bob,' telling how his grandmother kept a portrait of the Confederate general on the wall of her den.

He wrote that his 'Nana' kept a 'thick, leather-bound book' with family records, and once pointed to the portrait of Robert E. Lee and said: 'You are related to him, a nephew separated by many generations.'

Last June Rob Lee appeared alongside Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to announce that a statue of Robert E. Lee would be removed from the state capital

Robert E. Lee's family tree is seen above. An extensive search could find no family ties between Rob Lee and the Confederate general

However, an extensive review of genealogical records showed no family ties between Rob Lee and Charles Carter Lee, or any of Robert E. Lee's other brothers or immediate family.

Instead, Rob Lee's ancestry appears to trace back to William Lee, who seems to have born in England in the 1700s, at least 100 years after Robert E. Lee's earliest ancestor arrived in Virginia.

William Lee appears to have been a manager at a plantation in Georgia, where he posted a notice seeking a runaway slave in 1810, before buying land in Alabama.

William Lee's son, Robert S. Lee, was a farmer and carpenter who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

Already 39 when the war broke out, Robert S. Lee was too old for active service, but served as a 'home guard' in Alabama, records show.

When Robert S. Lee died in 1916, his obituary said he was regarded as the oldest native Alabamian, and noted that 'nearly all his friends throughout the county' called him 'Uncle Bob.'

Records show that Robert S. Lee appears to be the great-great-great grandfather of Rob Lee, according to the Post.

Rob Lee's apparent great-great-great grandfather Robert S. Lee was a Confederate soldier, but not a general. His 1916 obituary (above) shows that he was known as 'Uncle Bob'

Rather than General Robert E. Lee, Rob Lee appears to be related to another Confederate fighter with a similar name, whose 'Uncle Bob' nickname might have inspired the family lore.

Robert E. Lee does have a bona fide surviving direct descendant, great-great grandson Robert E. Lee V, who works at a private school in McLean, Virginia.

Robert E. Lee V rarely speaks publicly on the subject of Confederate monuments, but has indicated he supports community decisions to move them to museums with full historical context.

Rob Lee did not respond to the Post's repeated inquiries about his dubious ancestry claims, but responded with a series of statements after the article's publication.

'There is an article in the Washington Post about me being not related to Robert E. Lee. I have chosen not to engage because I am currently on a regiment of medication that has made it difficult to keep my head up,' he said in a tweet.

'There are also family dynamics that make this difficult,' added Rob Lee. 'Why the Post is so focused on my heritage and lineage while not focusing on the issues of the statue at hand is beyond me.'

Rev. Robert W. Lee IV speaks to demonstrators in front of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on June 4, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia

Rob Lee did not respond to the Post's repeated inquiries about his dubious ancestry claims, but responded with a series of statements after the article's publication

'As they mixed up even the most basic facts, I have removed my name from the lawsuit as not to detract from the community of Statesville that I love,' he said, referring to the Iredell County seat with the statue he is seeking to remove in a lawsuit.

In a statement on Sunday, he added: 'I stand by the records I have seen and worked with. They are not mine to share. Family dynamics are at play, and after a column in 2016 and 2020 in the Washington Post we believed we had provided enough verification.'

'My mission and ministry has been confronting white supremacy as a sin. Regardless of whether you believe me or the article, the fact remains that either lineage participated and profited from racism and slavery. That ends with me,' he added.

'If you feel I have sought fortune for this I can assure you that was never the case,' said Rob Lee, adding that he would 'be taking some time away.'
Leonardo DiCaprio is contributing to a $43million (30.2million) fund towards vast conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands.

On Monday, the actor announced that his social media accounts would be taken over by experts on rewilding efforts on the islands, which are among the most biodiverse places on Earth.

The initiative is in partnership with Re:wild, a conservation charity that DiCaprio recently co-founded, and will be based on decades of local conservation efforts, Ecuador's Ministry of Environment and Water said.

Leonardo DiCaprio has contributed to a vast conservation effort in the Galapagos Islands [Stock image]

The plan will see efforts undertaken to preserve the endangered wildlife and environment of the islands, as well as those of all Latin American Pacific archipelagos.

Mr DiCaprio announced the initiative, which has a large number of additional supporting and implementing partners from a range of philanthropic and environmental organizations.

DiCaprio has been outspoken on environmental issues [File photo]

The money will fund operations to restore Floreana Island, which is home to 54 threatened species.

It will help to reintroduce 13 locally extinct species, including the Floreana mockingbird, the first mockingbird described by Charles Darwin during his 1835 visit to the Galapagos.

The funds will also create a captive breeding programme and other methods to save the pink iguana from extinction.

Measures will also be introduced to help to protect the island from the impact of ecotourism.

'Re:wild begins with a $43m commitment to rewild the Galapagos, to bring the Pink Iguana, the Floreana Giant Tortoise and the Floreana Mockingbird back from the brink of extinction, and to ensure the people of the Galapagos thrive with the wild,' DiCaprio said in a Twitter post.

The actor also praised the work of Paula A Castano of Island Conservation, a wildlife NGO that protects native species:

'More than half of Earth's remaining wild areas could disappear in the next few decades if we don't decisively act,' DiCaprio said.

The plan will see efforts undertaken to preserve the endangered wildlife and environment of the islands, as well as those of all Latin American Pacific archipelagos [Stock image]

Measures will also be introduced to help to protect the island from the impact of ecotourism on the islands [Stock image]

'This is why today I am excited to launch Re:wild - to help protect what's still wild and restore the rest,' he said on Monday, before announcing the pledge for the Galapagos.

In an Instagram post on Monday, DiCaprio warned of the negative impact humans have had on the planet.

'We have degraded three quarters of all wild places and pushed more than 1 million species to the brink of extinction,' he wrote.

'When I travelled to the Galapagos Islands, I met with Paula A Castano from Island Conservation... who works day in and day out to help save one of the most irreplaceable places on the planet,' DiCaprio said.

Island Conservation will work with the Galapagos National Park Directorate and local communities to enact the programmes.

Castano said that 'so many' species were 'running out of time'.

'Especially in islands where their small populations are vulnerable and they are endangered.

Darwin's Arch collapses A famous rock formation off the Galapagos Islands named after Charles Darwin collapsed on Monday. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment announced the collapse of Darwin's Arch in a Facebook post, saying it had been caused by 'natural erosion'. Images showed the arch missing its central part, with only the two stone supporting columns remaining. Advertisement

'We know how to prevent these extinctions and restore functional and prosperous ecosystems, we have done it, but we need to replicate these successes, [we need] to innovate and escalate,' she said.

Marcelo Mata Guerrero, Ecuador's minister of environment and water, praised the initiative in a statement.

'These kinds of partnerships that leverage technical, social and financial innovations, are exactly what we need around the world to restore the health of our planet.

'With Ecuador, as one of the 17 most biodiverse countries on the planet, we have an opportunity here to demonstrate what a truly effective model looks like for the protection and restoration of our shared wildlife and wild lands  the immune system of our planet, protecting all life on Earth, including people, from the effects of climate change and emerging disease.'

Henry Cobos, mayor of San Cristobal island, the easternmost island in the Galapagos archipelago, said:

'This initiative is a great opportunity for the Galapagos to become a world leader in reconstruction, protection and restoration of our natural resources not only for the people of Ecuador, but for the people of the world.

'We hope that this initiative will also inspire the international community, including philanthropists, world leaders and individuals from all over the world to help in our effort to reconstruct the cradle of the planet's evolution.'

DiCaprio has been outspoken on environmental issues and has donated more than $100million (70.4million) to a number of projects.

In 2014, he addressed the United Nations on the dangers of climate change. Part of that address appeared in the 2016 climate documentary Before the Flood.
The widow of a Court of Appeal judge who is accused of historic sex offences against a boy would have hidden her abusive behaviour from her friends, a court heard today.

Jurors were told Lady Lavinia Nourse, 77, hid 'dark secrets' about her life while she and her husband wined and dined high profile friends including Lord Archer and Sir Malcom Rifkind.

Dame Mary Archer appeared as a character witness at her trial last week, describing Lady Lavinia as 'kind hearted' and 'generous', a keen flower arranger and hostess who doted on her grandchildren.

Lady Archer explained how she and her husband got to know the Nourses when they were all living in Grantchester, near Cambridge, and had gone on two 'wonderful' yachting trips together.

Lady Lavinia, from Newmarket, Suffolk, is on trial at Peterborough's Nightingale court accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s.

She denies five counts of indecently assaulting a boy and 12 counts of indecency with a child.

Lady Lavinia (pictured outside court today), is on trial at Peterborough's Nightingale court accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s

Jurors were told Lady Lavinia Nourse (seen outside court today), 77, hid 'dark secrets' about her life while she and her husband wined and dined high profile friends including Lord Archer and Sir Malcom Rifkind

A court had earlier heard how her husband Sir Martin Nourse, who died in 2017, 'may have known' his wife was sexually abusing a young boy, but 'looked the other way'.

Summing up the case today, prosecutor Jennifer Knight QC said: 'You have heard evidence from a number of Lady Nourse's friends who have come to court to share their experience of her character.

'They say she is a generous, kind friend, an intelligent, talented, highly sociable lady who is great fun to be with and loyal to the people she likes.

'No doubt she is all of those things - to be the life and soul of the party when entertaining, to be good company, and nice and kind to adult friends. These are all traits from a particular side of one's character.

'We all have a best part of ourselves. But we all to a greater or lesser extent have a public and a private face.'

Lady Lavinia denies five counts of indecently assaulting a boy and 12 counts of indecency with a child

Dame Mary Archer appeared as a character witness last week, describing Lady Lavinia as 'kind hearted' and 'generous', a keen flower arranger and hostess who doted on her grandchildren

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcom Rifkind (above) yesterday described Lady Lavinia as 'very gregarious' and 'sociable' while giving evidence on her behalf in Peterborough

Ms Knight said she was sure that Lady Lavinia and her husband Sir Martin were 'wonderful people to go on holiday with.'

But she described another side to her character, alleging she was prone to 'terrifying rages'.

She said: 'I am sure she was a generous host, but none of these witnesses can say anything about how she behaved behind closed doors.

'Their evidence gave a glimpse into the social world that the Nourses moved in. Sometimes friends and acquaintances have dark secrets. The examples are legion.'

The trial previously heard evidence from a woman who claimed she twice saw Lady Lavinia abusing the complainant, and had told Sir Martin what she had seen.

She alleged that he told her on each occasion that he would 'deal with it'.

Ms Knight said Sir Martin, who died aged 85 in November 2017, may have thought the abuse had only happened twice and 'had no idea what the full scale of it was over the years'.

Journalist and historian Simon Heffer also appeared as a character witness, saying he had known Lady Lavinia and her husband for 25 years

She said: 'The witnesses spoke of him having the highest standards of personal integrity with a cast iron belief in right and justice, a great judge and a fine man, and no doubt he was all of these things.

'So the defence may say, how can it possibly be that this man - a High Court judge, a vice president of the Court of Appeal - can possibly allow this to happen?

'He no doubt loved her (his wife). She could be a star, intelligent and amusing, but he would have seen her rages.

'Had he known the full extent of what was going on, he could have been driven to do more, but keeping the peace with his vivacious, but difficult wife was all important.'

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcom Rifkind yesterday described Lady Lavinia as 'very gregarious' and 'sociable' while giving evidence on her behalf in Peterborough.

The court heard that Sir Malcolm, 74, and his late wife had gotten to know the Nourses some time between 1997 and 1999.

The friendship was struck after Sir Malcolm served as a Cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, before going on to serve as defence secretary from 1992 to 1995, and foreign secretary between 1995 and 1997.

'We met them socially and we enjoyed each other's company,' he told the court.

Lady Lavinia, from Newmarket, Suffolk, was married to Sir Martin Nourse (pictured), who died in 2017 aged 85

'When my late wife and I were driving to Scotland or on the way back we would quite often stay with them. Our home was outside Edinburgh and they would often stop over on their way back from holidays in Scotland.

'We saw them three or four times a year. It varied from year to year and according to other factors.'

Sir Malcom, a barrister at the Scottish bar, said he spoke more with Sir Martin, a former Lord Justice of Appeal, when staying with the couple, but said that he found Lady Nourse to be 'very sociable' and 'very gregarious'.

Journalist and historian Simon Heffer, a former deputy editor of the Spectator and Daily Telegraph, also appeared as a character witness, saying he had known Lady Lavinia and her husband for 25 years.

He said he would meet up with the couple 'at least half a dozen times a year' which included shooting days with Sir Martin.

Professor Heffer added: 'We have seen more of Lady Nourse since her husband's death. She was utterly stricken by his death. She was quite often distraught.

'I remember at his funeral she was not far off prostrate with grief. She was in a hell of a state after being widowed after a long and happy marriage.'

He added: 'She is a person I regard of being of complete integrity and probity who is very loyal to her friends. That is why I wanted to come here today.

'Sir Martin was one of the most upright people I have met in my life. He took his responsibilities as a very senior judge very seriously. He had a cast iron belief in justice. He absolutely believed in the rule of law and in doing things properly.'

Lady Lavinia has denied abusing the boy or being attracted to children, describing the claims as 'completely repulsive'.

She alleged the evidence of a female witnesses who claimed she saw the abuse happen twice as 'an impossible scenario' and 'just not true.'

Speaking of her accuser while being cross-examined, she said: 'He is most definitely lying'.

The trial continues.
Staff at Perth Children's Hospital are being 'thrown under the bus' by the West Australian government over the death of Aishwarya Aswath, the Australian Medical Association says.

A report by WA's Child and Adolescent Health Service has found emergency department staff missed a 'cascade' of opportunities to escalate the seven-year-old's care as she succumbed to a fatal infection on Easter Saturday.

Aishwarya's parents, who have accused staff of lacking compassion, had sought help on five separate occasions while in the waiting room.

Aishwarya Aswath died after being made to wait for two hours for treatment in the Perth Children's Hospital emergency room, her parents claim

Aishwarya's parents, (pictured) who have accused staff of lacking compassion, had sought help on five separate occasions while in the waiting room

The McGowan government insists the hospital was adequately staffed.

But AMA WA president Andrew Miller has hit back, saying inexperienced staff had been left to run an 'overheated' emergency department without adequate support.

'The AMA's not going to stand by and allow the most junior staff in the system, who do the most difficult job ... to be thrown under the bus by powerful managers, by the (director-general) or by the minister for health,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

Dr Miller said staff had repeatedly called for more support and education and for the inclusion of a dedicated triage support nurse.

AMA WA president Andrew Miller (pictured) has hit back, saying inexperienced staff had been left to run an 'overheated' emergency department without adequate support

Staff at Perth Children's Hospital (pictured) are being 'thrown under the bus' by the West Australian government over the death of Aishwarya Aswath,

'To now try and blame these people for everything that's going on is completely unreasonable,' he said.

Within 20 minutes of arriving, Aishwarya's hands were cold, her eyes were discoloured and her respiratory rate and heart rate were significantly elevated.

But the severity of her condition wasn't recognised until an hour and 17 minutes later, when a doctor noticed she had cold peripheries and slurred speech.

She entered a resuscitation bay but was pronounced dead within two hours.

The report highlights a 30-minute period where it was left to one nurse to watch over eight waiting room cubicles as Aishwarya continued to deteriorate.

Within 20 minutes of arriving, Aishwarya's hands were cold, her eyes were discoloured and her respiratory rate and heart rate were significantly elevated.

The report found a 30-minute period where it was left to one nurse to watch over eight waiting room cubicles as Aishwarya continued to deteriorate (pictured: parents of Aishwarya Aswath)

In meetings with hospital executives dating back to October last year, emergency department staff raised concerns around the safety of children in the waiting room.

Plans for the new hospital to have a triage support nurse who would check patients' vital signs did not progress after it opened in 2018.

Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said Health Minister Roger Cook had overseen a 'monumental failure' in the system.

'The health minister needs to stop deflecting the blame and explain how this has been allowed to happen on his watch,' she said.

The report found that while the total staff-to-patient ratio on the night was adequate, the handovers between staff were incomplete and uncovered sick leave had impeded the capacity for nurses to escalate parental concerns.

Two of the nurses involved in Aishwarya's care have taken leave.

The CAHS panel raised concerns about a culture of staff 'not engaging' with waiting families after interviewing staff and reviewing CCTV footage.

'(This is) most obviously evidenced on the footage by avoidance of eye contact with families and patients when walking through the waiting room,' it said.

Premier Mark McGowan said the claim needed to be examined by a planned independent inquiry into the PCH emergency department.

Aishwarya Aswath spent two hours waiting at Perth Children's Hospital after presenting with a fever during the Easter weekend (pictured: Aishwarya's parents at a press conference)

'I think that concerns us all,' he said.

The premier, who has rejected calls for Mr Cook's resignation, said a coronial inquest into Aishwarya's death would be held as soon as possible.

CAHS chair Debbie Karasinski resigned last week but chief executive Aresh Anwar was asked to remain.

Australian Nursing Federation secretary Mark Olson said the hospital's executives had ignored nurses' concerns and should be sacked.
Australia will be shut off from the rest off the world until mid-2022 under the government's 'zero covid' strategy, despite fury from businesses and families who are being split by the country's strict border policies.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison today defended his plans to close the country off from the rest of the world until Summer next year, even as other highly-vaccinated countries such as the US and UK start to open their borders.

Mr Morrison said it is still not safe to allow fully-vaccinated residents to travel overseas, despite anger from separated families and businesses hit hard by the pandemic.

Australia is pursing a strict zero covid strategy which is focused on eliminating the virus by requiring all inbound travellers to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel and imposing strict lockdowns if cases make it to the community.

But critics say that the strategy is unsustainable for a developed democratic country in the long-term, and has stranded tens of thousands of Australians abroad.

They also point out that Australia's vaccination strategy is lagging behind much of the developed world, and the country relies on importing doses.

Australian commentators warn that the Prime Minister's 'Fortress Australia' Covid-19 restrictions will create a 'hermit nation'.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison today defended his plans to close the country off from the rest of the world until Summer next year, even as other highly-vaccinated countries such as the US and UK start to open their borders

Australia will be shut off from the rest off the world until mid-2022 under the government's 'zero covid' strategy, despite fury from businesses and families who are being split by the country's strict border policies. Pictured: A passenger wearing a face mask at Sydney International airport in March 2020

'I understand that everyone is keen to get back to a time we once knew,' the conservative leader in the face of growing calls for international borders to reopen.

'The reality is we're living this year in a pandemic that's worse than last year.'

Mr Morrison said any plans to relax border rules for vaccinated travellers could be implemented 'only when it is safe to do so'.

It comes after Austalian public health physician Nathan Grills and epidemiologist Tony Blakely in February warned that if 'zero Covid-19 is the endgame, then international travel is years away', adding that having no Covid-19 cases is a 'pipedream'.

Australia plans to only reopen borders to the rest of the world from the middle of 2022 even as the federal budget unveiled last week hopes to fully vaccinate its near 26 million population by the end of this year.

Last March, Australia took the unprecedented step of closing its borders to foreign visitors and banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving.

That prompted the first population decline since World War I, stranded tens of thousands of Australian citizens overseas and separated hundreds of thousands of residents from family members.

Australia's border closure, combined with snap lockdowns when a Covid-19 case emerges, swift contact tracing and public health compliance has ranked its control measures among the world's most effective.

Infections total about 29,700, with 910 deaths and the country has almost no community transmission.

Yet the government is planning to keep their borders closed for another year, sparking a fierce debate among medics, industry leaders and academics.

Mr Morrison said any plans to relax border rules for vaccinated travellers could be implemented 'only when it is safe to do so'

The government is planning to keep their borders closed for another year, sparking a fierce debate among medics, industry leaders and academics. Pictured: Travellers arriving at Sydney Airport

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid on Tuesday warned: 'Australia cannot keep its international borders closed indefinitely.'

He called for improved quarantine facilities and vaccination efforts to permit borders to slowly open.

'At some point, it will not be possible to justify the maintenance of border closures given their impact on lives and livelihoods,' he said.

A University of Sydney task force examining how Australia can safely reopen this week went further, warning the country 'cannot continue to lock itself off from the world as a hermit nation indefinitely'.

Panel member Professor Marc Stears said the initial snap measures to keep the pandemic at bay were understandable.

'You have to remember there really was terror,' he said. 'At the start of the pandemic the Australian public were inundated with images from Italy and New York.'

'There were strong demands for strong action, so the government took the decision to close the border. I don't think anyone really knew how effective a policy that would turn out to be.'

But, Stears said, as much of the world tentatively reopens, the costs of isolation are mounting.

'Not only have you got immediate economic and social costs, but you have the character of the country in question here. There is a fork in the road moment for openness versus closedness.'

The economic impact of border closures has been blunted by massive stimulus spending, but a growing number of business leaders from hard-hit industries are also speaking out.

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka led the charge on Monday, arguing Australia needs to accept that Covid-19 will not be eradicated and borders should gradually reopen.

'We can't keep (COVID-19) out forever... It will make us sick but won't put us into hospital. Some people may die but it will be way smaller than the flu,' Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka was quoted as saying in Australian media.

Mr Morrison called the comments 'somewhat insensitive', insisting he would maintain the tight border regime as long as necessary.

'I'm not going to take risks with Australians' lives,' he said.

Earlier this week, Mr Morrison insisted that any decisions they make will be guided by medical expertise.

'All the way through we will be guided by the medical advice,' Mr Morrison said at a televised briefing. 'We will be guided by the economic advice.'

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had earlier told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) that the medical advice to keep the borders closed had 'served us very well through this crisis'.

The border closures appear to have widespread public support. A recent Newspoll survey showed 73 per cent of Australians want travel banned until at least mid-2022.

Leaders in Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia who made a virtue of banning travellers from other Australian states in response to outbreaks, have won re-election at a canter.

Slowly, officials are starting to link reopening borders to vaccine targets.

So far only three million doses have been delivered in a country of 25 million people.

The premier of Australia's most populous state New South Wales on Tuesday indicated a target of around 80 per cent of adults fully vaccinated before considering quarantine-free entry.

'I don't want us to be closed off from the world longer than we need to,' said premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Slowly, officials are starting to link reopening borders to vaccine targets. Pictured: A woman received a dose of the AstaZeneca vaccine in Melbourne on 14 May

Australia closed its international borders in March 2020, mostly to non-citizens and permanent residents, helping keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low at just under 30,000 cases and 910 deaths.

Though the national immunisation drive missed its initial dosage targets, officials have ramped up the vaccination programme administering one million doses in the last 17 days.

So far, more than 3.1 million total vaccine shots have been administered, far short of the 4 million pledged by the end of March.

On Saturday, the first repatriation flight from New Delhi following Australia's controversial ban on travel from India arrived half-empty in the northern city of Darwin, as many who had planned to travel were denied boarding after testing positive for the virus.

Morrison defended the testing requirements.

'I have seen the suggestions from others who seem to think that we can put people who have tested COVID-positive on planes and bring them into Australia,' he told reporters.

'That just doesn't make any sense.'

In February, public health physician Nathan Grills and epidemiologist Tony Blakely from Australia's University of Melbourne warned that the country must shift to 'harm minimisation approach' if it is to reopen borders.

'If zero Covid-19 is this endgame, then international travel is years away,' Mr Grills and Mr Blakely wrote in the Australian Financial Review.

'The vaccine could help achieve eradication, but zero Covid-19 remains a pipe dream in the medium term. It's dependent on numerous external variables, mostly outside our control, including viral mutation and co-operation between 195 countries.'

'We need to balance use of the most effective vaccines with "getting on with it,"' Grills and Blakely wrote.
Podcast host Joe Rogan warned in a recent interview of giving in too much to the demands of 'woke' culture.

The host was responding to scrutiny he's received since penning a $100 million deal last May with Spotify for exclusive rights to his show, which draws around 11 million listeners to each episode - far outstripping the audiences of live TV hosts on both sides of the political aisle.

He's taken criticism for comments he's made about transgender issues and race-related topics and most recently about vaccines - but he says he's not going to bend to the thought police.

'If you keep going further and further down the line and if you get the point where you capitulate where you agree to all these demands, it'll eventually get to straight white men are not allowed to talk,' Rogan told guest host Joe List.

Popular podcaster Joe Rogan warned of the dangers of giving in too much to woke culture in the May 13 episode (pictured above) of his show The Joe Rogan Experience

'I'm not joking. It really will get there,' he said. 'It's that crazy.'

Rogan did not dismiss those seeking greater representation, noting that 'people of color have been silenced throughout history.'

But he accused woke warriors of not always being sincere.

Rogan made his comments to guest host Joe List. Rogan has hosted a variety of figures on his show, which is the most popular podcast on the streaming service Spotify

He said he believed the demands of the 'woke' could become endless, and warned of those manipulating the conversation around race and privilege.

'There's a lot of people who are taking advantage of this weirdness in this culture, and that becomes their thing,' he said on his show last week.

'Their thing is calling people out for their privilege, calling people out for their position.'

Ultimately, Rogan said it was an issue of mutual respect.

'We just gotta be nice to each other man,' he said.

The comments elicited a mixture of opinions on social media.

Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren tweeted, 'Well @JoeRogan is right, it's open season on straight white men and y'all need to stop bowing to the mob. Stop apologizing for being straight white men!'

Paul Joseph Watson of the Spectator wrote in agreement: 'Podcast giant Joe Rogan has warned that the logical conclusion of 'woke' cancel culture is that all straight white men will be forbidden from talking or even leaving their own houses.'

Rogan's comments elicited a mixed reaction on social media, with some high-profile commentators voicing their support

'I see a lot of non straight white males angry about this,' Mike Loftus tweeted in response reactions about Rogan's comment

'If you're not a straight white male then you have no first hand experience of what he's saying. Maybe you're the exact 'woke mob' he is talking about.'

Also responding to reaction to the episode Marc Gaumont tweeted, 'By the whole internet blowing up about this, does this not prove his point? In the next week there will be a canceljoe hashtag lol.'

Others were more critical of the popular podcast host.

'Joe Rogan says that if the Woke Mob wins, straight white men won't be allowed to talk. Straight white men  victims since [checks every history book] absolutely never,' tweeted user JRehling.

Rogan has been known for his outspokenness on a variety of issues.

The former Fear Factor host, for example, said on an April episode of The Joe Rogan Experience - that young adults should not get the coronavirus vaccine.

Rogan has earned an enormous following - and fortune - in part for being unafraid to share controversial views on topics like politics, transgender rights, and COVID-19

His podcasts, previously mainstays at the top of the Apple podcast charts, have disappeared from the platform, but he is now easily the most popular podcast host on Spotify.

In a previous statement when Rogan has drawn controversy before, the company has said it was important to have 'diverse voices' on its platform.

Rogan cultivated an enormous following for his longform, free-flowing interview style on The Joe Rogan Experience, with episodes often lasting more than three hours.

He is also a stand-up comedian and MMA commentator.

He's smoked marijuana with Elon Musk on-air, discussed the origins of the universe with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and welcomed all manner of scientists, philosophers, sporting greats such as Mike Tyson and politicians like Bernie Sanders.

He walked back his most recent comments questioning whether young people should take vaccines. He drew sharp criticism from Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Rogan last month conceded he is 'not a respected source of information' and branded himself a 'f**king moron' after backtracking on comments telling young people not to get a COVID vaccine.

The broadcaster, whose The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, said at the end of April: 'I'm not an anti-vaxx person. I said I believe they're safe and I encourage many people to take them.

'My parents were vaccinated. I just said that if you're a young, healthy person that you don't need it. Their argument was, you need it for other people ... But that's a different argument. That's a different conversation.

'I'm not a doctor, I'm a f**king moron, and I'm a cage-fighting commentator who is a dirty stand-up comedian. I'm drunk most of the time, and I do testosterone and I smoke a lot of weed...

'I'm not a respected source of information, even for me ... But I at least try to be honest about what I'm saying,' Rogan added.
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Britain today recorded 65 per cent fewer coronavirus deaths than last week as seven more victims were recorded and another 2,412 positive tests were announced, down 2.5 per cent on last Tuesday.

The latest data shows more than 36.8million Britons have now received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine, and 20.5million have had two doses. There were 106,733 first shots dished out yesterday, and 259,049 second inoculations.

Matt Hancock today urged Britons to keep turning up for their jabs as the roll-out was expanded to 36 and 37-year-olds, with 35-year-olds expecting to get a call by the end of the week. He said: 'The vaccine is saving lives so when it's your turn, come forward and get the jab.'

Separate figures revealed today the B.1.617.2 strain had already spread to 40 per cent of areas in England, and now makes up at least one in five new infections across the country.

Boris Johnson desperately tried to play down rising fears the June 21 'freedom day' could be ditched because of surging cases of the strain, stressing his roadmap out of lockdown was currently unchanged.

But he appeared to shift his language slightly by saying there is not yet 'conclusive' evidence that the exit strategy will need to be altered, and said things would be clearer 'in a few days'.

'We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map,' he said.

'But we've got to be cautious and we are keeping everything under very close observation. We'll know a lot more in a few days' time.'

Wellcome Sanger Institute data suggested the strain had already become dominant in 23 parts of the country last week, after cases almost doubled in seven days. Matt Hancock says there are 2,323 confirmed cases of the variant - four times the 520 reported ten days ago.

England eased Covid restrictions yesterday to again allow pubs and restaurants to serve indoors, and people to welcome up to six friends and family members into their homes.

Department of Health data showed another seven Covid deaths were recorded today, down by 65 per cent from last Tuesday when 20 were recorded. This was far below the darkest days of January when more than 1,000 people died a day

Britain also confirmed another 2,412 Covid infections, down two per cent on the same time last week

Positive test figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute  which cover only lab-analysed cases in the two weeks between April 25 and May 8  reveal the mutant Indian strain made up 50 per cent or more of all samples in 23 parts of the country by last week. Bolton and Blackburn in the North West remain the worst-hit areas with almost 600 cases between them and the variant making up 81 per cent of infections

The growing red sections on graphs represent Indian variant cases surging in local authorities where it could be taking off. In these places it can already be seen edging out the Kent strain (orange) and scientists fear this suggests it is more infectious and could take over as the number one type of the virus in the UK. Note: Some areas, such as Stevenage, Broxbourne and Oadby are recording very few cases of the virus so changes may not constitute a trend

The Indian variant also appears to be edging out the Kent strain in various parts of London, where it already accounts for half of cases or more, but low numbers of infections mean this may an effect caused by small clusters of cases

BORIS GATHERS CABINET AMID RISING VARIANT CASES Boris Johnson is gathering his Cabinet for crunch talks today amid grim claims there is a 'close to nil' chance of June 21 lockdown easing going ahead as hoped. The PM and his senior ministers are meeting with anxiety over the fast-spreading Indian variant of coronavirus running high. Ministers are preparing emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots, or even the next stage of the roadmap delayed. In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat. There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown can be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month. One Government source told ITV News that some of the loosening that took effect this week - including 'Rule of Six' socialising indoors and in bars and restaurants - might have to be rolled back. 'It is clear some social distancing will have to be retained, not everything we've set out for 21 June is likely to happen,' they said. 'But it is also possible some of the easing we've done today will have to be reversed.' Any backtracking would be a huge blow to Mr Johnson after he vowed a 'cautious but irreversible' exit from lockdown. Tory ministers and MPs have been warning the PM against changing course, complaining that curbs must not be extended to protect people who are refusing vaccines - which are believed to be effective against the Indian variant. One Cabinet minister warned that missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline. 'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.' Advertisement

As the coronavirus crisis took more twists and turns today:

Australian scientists develop breakthrough antiviral injection that kills 99.9% of the virus in the lungs of mice;

More than 96% of Britons develop Covid antibodies after one dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine;

Nurse who cared for Boris Johnson while he battled Covid breaks silence to reveal how he was 'very, very unwell' and 'all around him people were dying';

MPs are told Heathrow could become Covid 'super spreader' due to arrivals from 'red list' nations mixing with passengers from safer countries;

Britons soak up the sun on Algarve beach 24 hours after being among first to jet off to 'Green list' Portugal;

Covid behind just one in 60 deaths in England and Wales as the number of victims falls more than a third in a week.

Department of Health data showed Bolton was battling against the biggest outbreak of Covid in the country today after recording 814 cases over the last seven days - an infection rate of 283.1 cases per 100,000 residents. Data suggests it is a hotspot for the troublesome Indian variant.

Bedford and Blackburn with Darwen - which are also hotspots for the strain - had the second and third biggest outbreaks in the country with rates of 122.9 and 114.9 per 100,000 respectively.

Cabinet ministers met today to try to thrash out a strategy to curb the new variant, with emergency plans that could see local restrictions used to combat hotspots while the rest of the country relaxes.

In an echo of the tiers system brought in last summer, people in the worst-hit areas could be told to stay at home and restaurants and shops forced to close - with stricken businesses handed more grants to keep them afloat.

Mr Johnson today tried to dampen concerns that vaccine hesitancy could prevent the next round of easings going ahead, pointing out that levels of uptake in the UK were very high by international standards. On a visit to a vaccine centre in London, he urged people to 'get your jab' when invited by the health service.

But Manchester's mayor and the hospitality industry reacted with anger at the idea, insisting it had not worked last time and would cripple thousands of businesses.

There are also growing doubts about whether lockdown will be lifted across England on June 21. Just a week ago Mr Johnson was holding out the prospect of a broad lifting of legal constraints and social distancing, but it now appears that a review of the rules is unlikely to report this month.

Labour and local leaders have been demanding vaccines are rushed through for younger people in areas where the strain is taking hold - something that has so far been rejected.

One government source told ITV News that some of the loosening that took effect this week - including 'Rule of Six' socialising indoors and in bars and restaurants - might have to be rolled back.

'It is clear some social distancing will have to be retained, not everything we've set out for 21 June is likely to happen,' they said. But it is also possible some of the easing we've done today will have to be reversed.'

Any backtracking would be a huge blow to Mr Johnson after he vowed a 'cautious but irreversible' exit from lockdown.

Tory ministers and MPs have been warning the PM against changing course, complaining that curbs must not be extended to protect people who are refusing vaccines - which are believed to be effective against the Indian variant.

One Cabinet minister said missing the June 21 milestone could become Mr Johnson's 'Theresa May moment'  a reference to her failed Brexit deadline.

'This freedom date is burned on people's brains in the same way as her date for leaving the EU,' the source said. 'When she missed it, she was finished.'

The source said No 10 had 'overreacted to panicked warnings from the usual suspects' in parts of the health establishment.

London and the North West are experiencing the largest outbreaks of B.1.617.2, the data suggest, although it is being spotted in many other areas. Some 40 local authorities recorded just one case.

Sefton, in Merseyside, had the highest proportion of infections down to the variant with nine in ten of all cases (99 out of 110 cases checked) in the week to May 8. This was a four-fold spike on the previous week.

In Bolton 85 per cent of cases were due to the variant (289 out of 337), while in Blackburn with Darwen it was 83 per cent (110 of 132) and Bedford 81 per cent (69 of 85). South Northamptonshire had 75 per cent of cases due to the variant (24 of 32). Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen and Bedford saw their cases more than double in a week.

Environment Secretary George Eustice (above) caused further confusion over foreign holidays after saying Britons could go to an 'amber list' country to see their friends and relatives

How coronavirus case rates have changed in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Britain

MORE THAN 96% OF BRITONS DEVELOP COVID ANTIBODIES AFTER ONE DOSE More than 96 per cent of Britons develop Covid antibodies after one Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine, real world data suggests. A study of 8,517 people in England and Wales found 96.42 per cent of adults developed the virus-fighting proteins 28 to 34 days after their first dose. It rose to more than 99 per cent seven to 14 days after a second dose of either jab, the University College London (UCL) research found. The real world study looked at 13,232 antibody samples from people with an average of 65, to reflect the older age groups first given a vaccine. The fact every participant had antibodies suggests they had some immunity to the virus, but the proteins are only one part of the immune response to Covid. Antibody rates rose slightly more quickly in people who had the Pfizer than the AstraZeneca jab, though both levelled out after four weeks. It comes as Brits were told making the decision to take their vaccine today could ensure the June 21 date for the final stage of lockdown easing is met. There are fears that the highly infectious Indian variant could cause an uptick in hospitalisations and deaths because almost 30million people are still unvaccinated. SAGE adviser Steven Riley, a professor of infectious disease dynamics at Imperial College London, said there was still enough time to curb the Indian variant wave if people got jabbed now. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'If people decide this week to get a vaccine their antibodies are going to grow pretty strongly over the next two or three weeks and that would be the same period of time, if there is an increase in the number of infections, that their risk increases. 'If you look two or three weeks down the road, the decisions that people make today about choosing to have a vaccine will directly affect them.' Dr Maddie Shrotri, lead author of the UCL paper currently under peer review, hailed the findings as 'remarkable' given how quickly the vaccines were developed. She told the Guardian: 'This is one of the earliest real-world vaccine studies in the UK and it is fantastic news. 'Over nine out of 10 adults in the UK who had either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine produced antibodies against the virus within a month of their first shot. 'How well these vaccines work is remarkable, especially given the speed at which they've been developed. It's a real feat of science in the face of the most devastating pandemic in a century.' Advertisement

More than eight in ten cases were also found to be the Indian strain in Chelmsford (85 per cent or 11 of 13) and Croydon (82 per cent or 14 of 17), which both saw infections rise by around 150 per cent in a week.

In Nottingham it was responsible for more than seven in 10 cases (74 per cent, or 47 out of 63). Across London, a fifth of boroughs had more than 50 per cent of cases due to the Indian variant.

Croydon had the highest proportion, followed by Hounslow (72 per cent, or 21 of 29), Hillingdon (69 per cent or 9 of 13), Greenwich (64 per cent, or 9 of 14), Camden (62 per cent, or 5 of 8), Bromley (54 per cent, or 6 of 11) and Brent (50 per cent, or 12 in 24).

Fewer than 10 cases of the variant were sequenced in hotspots West Lancashire (60 per cent, or 3 of 5), Stevenage (2 cases), Oadby and Wigston (2 cases), Broxbourne (3 cases), Dartford (4 cases), Sevenoaks (67 per cent or 2 of 3), Canterbury (50 per cent, or 4 of 8), Rushmoor (83 per cent, or 5 of 6) and Hart (75 per cent or 3 of 4).

The director of public health for Sheffield, Greg Fell, told the Financial Times local health chiefs would be fools to think they would not see cases of the variant.

'What we are seeing is generalised community spread from a number of initial "seeds" [made easier] by very closely connected, hyperlocal communities with densely packed housing,' he told the publication.

SAGE scientists say they are fairly sure the variant is faster spreading than older strains and some suggested it could be by as much as 50 per cent on top of the Kent variant.

But some scientists dispute this figure. They point out it may be based on a large number of cases being imported from India before the country was put on the government's red list, which has made it seem better at spreading.

It came as the Prime Minister slapped down one of his senior ministers after he insisted Britons can still go to an 'amber list' country to see their friends and relatives.

The Prime Minister stressed that the medium-risk category in the government's traffic light system was not for 'holidays' after George Eustice sparked more confusion about the rules.

Passengers have been flocking heading to amber list countries since the travel ban was eased and swingeing fines for non-essential travel were axed. There were 120 flights to such destinations from Heathrow yesterday - compared with just 19 to green, quarantine-free countries.

At London Gatwick it was 31 and six respectively, despite Downing Street saying people should not be travelling to any places on the amber list unless it is essential.

The cost of flights to Spain, France, Italy and Greece have falled to as little as 18 return.

But Environment Secretary Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'The reason we have the amber list is there will be reasons why people feel they need to travel  either to visit family or indeed to visit friends.

'They can travel to those countries but they then have to observe quarantine when they return and have two tests after returning. So people can travel to those areas, yes, but they will then have to subject themselves to quarantine on their return.'

However, on a visit to a vaccination centre in London later the PM moved to stamp out that idea that visiting friends is a good enough reason.

Mr Johnson said of the 'amber' list: 'It is not somewhere you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that.'

He said: 'If people do go to an amber list country  if they absolutely have to for some pressing family or urgent business reason  if they have to go to an amber list country, then please bear in mind that you will have to self isolate, you will have to take tests and do a passenger locator form and all the rest of it but you'll also have to self isolate for 10 days when you get back and that period of self-isolation, that period of quarantine, will be enforced with fines of up to 10,000.

'So I think it's important for people to understand what an amber list country is.'

Airlines are hoping for a further surge of UK tourists if countries on the amber list are moved to the green list when it is first reviewed on June 7 and then on June 28.

And return flights for a four-day trip to Madrid from London will cost just 18 next month, while Rome is 22 and Athens is 26  all with Ryanair from London Stansted.

These prices are significantly down on what is available this week - with returns to Rome at 204, Madrid at 155 and Athens at 238, according to Google Flights.
A former police and community support officer has admitted making an explosive substance and importing prohibited weapons.

Zoe Ashley Watts, who was most recently a staff member at Lincolnshire Police, was arrested in October after police searched her semi-detached house in Lincoln.

It followed concerns raised by the Border Force who had intercepted packages containing two butterfly knives a month earlier.

The 35-year-old today appeared at Lincoln Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to making an explosive substance, namely an improvised explosive device, between 1 January and 4 October 2020.

Zoe Ashley Watts, 35, today admitted making an improvised explosive device and possessing prohibited weapons at Lincoln Crown Court

The trial of the former PCSO (pictured with a collection of bats) l was due to start at the city's crown court on Tuesday

Watts, who was most recently a staff member at Lincolnshire Police, was arrested in October after police searched her semi-detached house in Lincoln

On Monday Watts (pictured smashing a watermelon) pleaded to five charges relating to other items found in her home and two butterfly knives which were intercepted by the Border Force in September last year

Her trial was due to start at the city's crown court on Tuesday.

She previously pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing prohibited weapons on October 4 and two charges of inappropriately importing goods, namely butterfly knives on September 5.

The facts of the case were not opened at the hearing and Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight adjourned sentence until June 29.

Andrew Peat, representing the prosecution, said the Crown accepted Watts' account for why she had the device and other items, and would not pursue a trial on the matter.

Mr Peat told the court: 'Unlike similar cases there is no evidence any of these items were possessed with an ideology in mind, anything political.'

When Watts was arrested Lincolnshire Police said officers discovered a quantity of chemicals and a number of weapons.

Nearby residents were evacuated for a number of hours and a bomb disposal team (pictured at the scene), was called out to carry out safety checks before the all clear was given.

Watts, who has worked for Lincolnshire Police for nine years, had moved to a civilian role by the time of her arrest, Lincoln Crown Court heard

Former PCSO admits making explosives and importing weapons after raid on her house Watts' guilty pleas were to the following charges: Making an explosive substance, namely an improvised explosive device, between 1 January and 4 October 2020.

On 4 October 2020 had in her possession a prohibted weapon adapted for discharge of a noxious liquid, gas or other thing, namely an electric fly swat.

On 4 October 2020 had in her possession a prohibited weapon, namely stun gun.

On 4 October 2020 had in her possession a prohibted weapon, namely a taser stun device.

On 5 September improperly imported goods, a prohibited weapon, namely a butterfly knife.

On 5 September improperly imported goods, a prohibited weapon, namely a butterfly knife. Advertisement

Nearby residents were evacuated for a number of hours and a bomb disposal team was called out to carry out safety checks before the all clear was given.

Watts, who previously was a member of the Bracebridge Lowfields Community Police Team working in the south of Lincoln, has been suspended by the force pending the outcome of criminal proceedings and an investigation.

She was also a trade union activist serving as the equalities officer for the Lincolnshire Police UNISON.

Watts, who has worked for Lincolnshire Police for nine years, had moved to a civilian role by the time of her arrest.

On Monday Watts pleaded to five charges relating to other items found in her home and two butterfly knives which were intercepted by the Border Force in September last year.

Nick Fooks, defending Watts, told the court she was anxious to be sentenced straight away.

Mr Fooks said: 'She is a woman of previous good characher.

'This defendant has already served somewhere in the region of eight months in custody.'

But Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight rejected the application, stating: 'It is a very odd set of offences.'

The judge told Watts: 'I am going to adjourn your case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report which will address all options, including the risk you pose to others.'

Watts will be sentenced on 29 June and was remanded back into custody.
Nicola Sturgeon fired a pro-independence warning shot at Boris Johnson today as she was re-elected as First Minister.

The SNP leader insisted that 'Scotland's future must be Scotland's choice' as MSPs overwhelmingly returned her to the top post following the nationalist victory in Holyrood elections two weeks ago.

Setting out her priorities in the Scottish Parliament today she said she wanted to lead the country 'to brighter and better times' with recovery from the coronavirus pandemic her 'driving priority'.

'If re-nominated today, I will continue to do so as we do implement a programme to kickstart recovery,' she told MPS ahead of voting this afternoon.

'That will be a programme with the NHS, the economy and jobs at its heart, and we will take an inclusive approach to the debate that all countries must have about how we can build the best possible post-pandemic future.

'And, in that endeavour, everyone in Scotland deserves to have an equal say; Scotland's future must be Scotland's choice.'

The SNP leader insisted that 'Scotland's future must be Scotland's choice' as MSPs overwhelmingly returned her to the top post following the nationalist victory in Holyrood elections two weeks ago.

New Tory leader Douglas Ross attacked the SNP's record in power for the past 14 years over education, drugs deaths, crime and an economy that had 'stagnated'

Ms Sturgeon and the SNP fell one seat short of an overall Holyrood majority following the 'Super Thursday' elections

Ms Sturgeon acknowledged opinion on independence was 'evenly balanced' and said that while nationalist views should not be ignored, pro-union Scots 'mustn't feel as if you are being bludgeoned towards an outcome you have not been persuaded of'.

She continued: 'Our economic prospects depend on us attracting more people to live and work here in Scotland and yet on Thursday, in Kenmure Street in my constituency, immigration officials tried to forcibly remove two individuals against the wishes of their community.

'With independence, the decisions that shape our future will lie with us.'

Ms Sturgeon defeated both Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, who each put themselves forward as alternative candidates to be First Minister.

She won 64 votes, ahead of Mr Ross on 31, four for Willie Rennie and 28 MSPs abstained.

Mr Ross, the former Westminster minister turned Scottish Tory leader, won a seat for the Highlands and Islands a fortnight ago to allow him to sit in Holyrood.

After Ms Sturgeon was re-elected as First Minister he attacked the SNP's record in power for the past 14 years over education, drugs deaths, crime and an economy that had 'stagnated'.

In a thinly veiled attack on her separatist ambitions he added: 'We have to take Scotland forward. A Parliament of delivery. A Parliament of purpose.

''A Parliament that unites this country and leads it in a national mission to get us all through this.

'If that is the task that the SNP Government applies itself to 100 per cent then it will find support from these benches.

'But if they deviate from that task, if they put political priorities ahead of Scotland's interests; if they waste time in this chamber on old arguments instead of constructive delivery then we will fight them every step of the way.'

Ms Sturgeon and the SNP fell one seat short of winning an overall majority in Holyrood at the 'Super Thursday' elections. But thanks to the support of the Green Party's eight MSPs, she is able to retain control of the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned Ms Sturgeon not to act as 'a campaigner leading a movement for half the country'.

But she has made clear she still intends to push for a re-run of the 2014 border poll to split from the rest of the UK.

She discussed her plans with Mr Johnson in a phone call after the vote as she said she will 'ensure that the people of Scotland can choose our own future when the [coronavirus] crisis is over'.

But Mr Johnson has repeatedly poured cold water on the idea of holding another vote, arguing the 2014 edition was supposed to be a once in a generation event.

An official border poll can only take place if Mr Johnson agrees to it, although Ms Sturgeon could take the UK Government to court to challenge the PM's authority on the matter.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned Ms Sturgeon not to act as 'a campaigner leading a movement for half the country'.

'The national recovery can't just be a slogan; it must be our Parliament's collective national mission on behalf of the people we are all elected to represent,' he told Holyrood.

'So, over the coming years, let's be inspired by the future we can build; not the arguments of the past.

'Let's demonstrate the best of Scotland and let's focus on what unites us; not what divides us.'
A suspected Capitol rioter pounded his chest in a letter sent from his Washington D.C. jail saying, 'If overthrow was the quest, it would have no doubt been overthrown'.

'Jan. 6th was nothing short of a satirical way to overthrow a government,' Guy Reffitt wrote in the letter. 'Ask the Capitol Police for [their] opinion of how it could have been. They are grateful it wasn't a real insurrection complete with mind, body and soul.'

Reffitt, 48, made headlines in late January following his arrested after he was accused of threatening to kill his teenage son for calling police and saying he'll 'put a bullet' through his daughter's phone if she betrayed him.

He wrote the letter that was first exclusively obtained by ProPublica, and has since been added to the court filings in the criminal case against the Texas man.

It was signed by 'the 1/6ers' without including any names, and describes the D.C. jail where he - and dozens of other suspected Capitol rioters are being held - as an over-the-top patriotic atmosphere where Capitol riot suspects are forming bonds out of anger.

Images, like this one, from Jan. 6 show Guy Reffitt wearing a helmet with a camera fastened to the front of it while he allegedly stormed the Capitol

.He's also seen in the images wearing a blue jacket and what appears to be a bulletproof vest

According to an affidavit obtained by Dallas News, Reffitt told his family that he went to Washington, D.C., to 'to protect the country,' that he brought a gun with him, and that he 'stormed the Capitol'

Reffitt, 48, made headlines in late January following his arrest after he was accused of threatening to kill his teenage son, Jackson (pictured), for calling police

They recite the Pledge of Allegiance inside the jail and sing the national anthem 'all in unison, loud and proud most everyday', Reffitt said in the letter.

The '1/6ers' are 'not organized' and that there are 'no leaders,' according to Reffitt; just 'people chatting about things' because they are 'stuck here together'.

Reffitt blamed the violence on 'isolated overly emotional individuals' who wanted to put the country on notice, according to ProPublica, who was able to briefly speak to Reffitt through text messages with his wife.

'The people clearly are not happy,' Reffitt said in response to questions sent through his wife, ProPublica reported

Reffitt worked most of his life on oil rigs, but when work dried up during the coronavirus pandemic he intensified his political activity.

He focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, 'which he viewed as destructive' , and intently followed the false narrative that the election was stolen.

'Let it ring in your heart, the real reason that clock struck the hour. We all heard the hunderous ticking in our ears,' Reffitt said in the letter. 'It couldn't be ignored.

'I hope that was the only day in American history we would without doubt, feel the need to notify our government they have transgressed much too far.'

Page 1 of 4 of Reffitt's letter

Page 2 of 4 of Reffitt's letter

Page 3 of 4 of Reffitt's letter

Page 4 of 4 of Reffitt's letter

What is the Three Percenters movement? The Three Percenters are a loosely organized movement that formed in 2008, according to the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish civil rights organization that tracks extremist groups. On its website, the right-wing group says it isnt an anti-government militia but 'we will defend ourselves when necessary.' The Three Percenters derives its name from the belief that just 3% of the colonists rose up to fight the British. They have vowed to resist any government that infringes on the U.S. Constitution. The Oregon Three Percenters joined an armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016. Dozens of people occupied the remote refuge for more than a month to protest federal control of Western lands. The group also took part in a violent right-wing rally in Portland last year. Advertisement

His family told ProPublic Reffitt became more and more involved with the Three Percenters, a decentralized antigovernmental movement that takes its name from the myth that only three per cent fought the British in the American Revolution.

After Donald Trump lost the election, Reffitt's family told ProPublica he became infatuated with Trump's December 19 tweet: 'Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!'

Reffitt told his family that he went to Washington, D.C., to 'to protect the country', and that he brought a gun with him and 'stormed the Capitol,' according to an affidavit.

Images from that day show Reffitt wearing a helmet with a camera fastened to the front of it. He's also seen in the images wearing a blue jacket and what appears to be a bulletproof vest.

FBI agents found an AR-15 rifle and a pistol during their search of Reffitt's home, according to the affidavit.

The top charge he faces is obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and waits for trial to begin. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges he faces.

In text messages he sent last month to his wife, Reffitt said he was resigning from the Texas Three Percenters.

In their most recent filing, prosecutors added new evidence to their case against Reffitt. They obtained a recording of a January 10 Zoom meeting involving Reffitt and two other Three Percenters.

In it, Reffitt allegedly said he helped lead the charge on the Capitol with a .40-caliber pistol at his side, at one point telling a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was firing nonlethal rounds at him, 'Sorry, darling. You better get a bigger damn gun,' according to ProPublica.
A retired British Army major hanged himself in his garage after suffering from PTSD triggered by the trauma of serving in Bosnia, an inquest heard today.

Major Michael Tinsley, 57, struggled with mental health issues after witnessing 'a number of distressing incidents' in the Balkans war during the 1990s.

He had also served in Northern Ireland during his time with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and had been on track to become a top officer before 'his mental health robbed him of his career', the inquest heard.

He left the Army due to his struggles with PTSD and was found deceased by his wife Sarah Tinsley in the garage of their home in Warminster, Wiltshire, last year.

Today Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court heard that Maj Tinsley's service in the Army left him with declining mental health and he was seeking treatment for PTSD and depression.

Major Michael Tinsley, 57, struggled with mental health issues after witnessing 'a number of distressing incidents' in the Balkan wars during the 1990s, heard Wiltshire and Swindon Coroners Court (file photo pictured above)

In a statement read out by Area Coroner Ian Singleton, Mrs Tinsley said: 'Michael and I met 20 years ago; we got married after 13 years of being together.

'It was apparent from the start that he had mental health problems. He had bipolar and suspected PTSD, although this was not diagnosed.

'Before we met, Michael had been in the Army in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, where he was on track to become a high ranking officer, but he felt his mental health robbed him of his career.

'There was a turning point for Michael when he was stationed in Bosnia and it was at this point he felt his mental health decline and he knew he couldn't do the job anymore.

'He chose redundancy because he was aware of his mental health but didn't want to tell anyone about it. He had already left the Army for about five years before we met.'

Mrs Tinsley said her husband started working for her company because he was 'terrified' of working for another company 'because he didn't want to tell them about his mental health'.

She said he was 'kind, sincere, very intelligent, extremely helpful'. She added that his mental health declined after his father died in 2017.

The inquest heard that, when Mrs Tinsley's business got into financial difficulty, Maj Tinsley decided to leave because 'the pressure got too much' so he spent a lot of time at home.

She added: 'He seemed to deteriorate and just sat on the sofa a lot. He was really struggling in himself with depression, self motivation and low self esteem.'

The court heard he engaged with the charity Combat Stress and mental health services and had showed signs of improvement but the financial effects of coronavirus caused him increased stress.

Mrs Tinsley found her husband in their garage on the evening of October 26 last year.

Ian Tinsley, his brother, said in a statement that 'Michael was clever at hiding his struggles' but from phone calls with his brother he 'detected a clear deterioration in his condition in last year of his life'.

He said that some therapy sessions his brother had 'took him to some very dark places' and that he told his family he found the sessions 'deeply troubling' before he took his own life a week short of their mother's 90th birthday.

The inquest heard that Maj Tinsley had booked 16 sessions with a clinical psychiatrist but only completed six of these before his death.

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death as hanging and the coroner concluded that he committed suicide.

Mr Singleton said: 'For a number of years, following service in the armed forces where he witnessed a number of distressing incidents, Michael Tinsley suffered from PTSD and depression, for which he sought help from his GP and the mental health team.

'Although medication and involvement with the mental health team on a regular basis appeared to lead to an improvement in Michael's condition from 2019 into 2020, the financial effects and the restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic led to increased anxiety.'

Anyone seeking help can call Samaritans free on 116 123 or visit Samaritans.org
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President Joe Biden held an intense, eight-minute conversation with Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib on the tarmac in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday, after she accused him 'taking orders' from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian-American Tlaib has been critical of Biden's handling of the violence between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.

On Twitter on Monday night she blasted Biden's support of Netanyahu who 'commits war crimes and openly violates international law.'

Biden has called for a cease fire in the region as the battle between Israel and Hamas enters day nine. The pair met after president touched down in Air Force One ahead of a trip to visit a Ford electric truck plant and tout his $2.3billion infrastructure plan.

While he has been pushing his big government spending spree, his administration has been dealing with the conflict in the Middle East, which has killed over 200 people and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Biden shook the hand of Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of Congress who has family in the region, and the two engaged in a long conversation - out of earshot of cameras and with staff looking on. At one point Biden put his face mask on as he prepared to get into the presidential motorcade and then continued to speak to Tlaib.

During his remarks later in the day, Biden praised the congresswoman and shared his concerns for her relatives - including her 90-year-old grandmother and uncle - living in the small West Bank village of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa.

'I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, I admire your compassion and I admire your concern for so many other people,' Biden said. 'I pray that your grandmom and family are well on the West Bank,' he added. 'You're a fighter.'

President Joe Biden held an intense, nearly eight-minute long conversation with Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib on the tarmac when he arrived in Dearborn, Mich.; Rep. Debbie Dingell is with them

President Biden, with his arm around Rep. Debbie Dingell, spoke with Rep. Rashida Tlaib upon his arrival in Michigan to visit a Ford auto factory as he pushes his infrastructure deal

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Rep. Rashida Tlaib as he arrives in Michigan

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, seen with Rep. Debbie Dingell, declined to say what she and President Biden spoke about in their conversation

President Biden puts on his face mask as he prepares to get into the motorcade

Rep. Rashida Tlaib has been critical of President Joe Biden's support for Israel; Rep. Debbie Dingell told reporters on the ground the three spoke of a lot of things

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell was also there and told reporters on the ground the group talked about 'a lot of things.' Tlaib, a member of a progressive group of Democratic lawmakers known as 'The Squad,' didn't say anything.

Biden later toured the factory in Dearborn and got the chance to test drive Ford's new F-150 Lightning electric truck. He said: 'This sucker's quick' and said he would crank up the speed to 80mph.

On Monday, Tlaib told MSNBC that Biden's administration and other Democrats were 'taking orders from Netanyahu, who is on corruption charges from stealing from his own people, the people he's supposed to be representing.'

'Enough, President Biden,' Tlaib said. 'You will not do this on our watch. You have to speak out against this violence in a very aggressive way that holds Netanyahu and his leadership accountable.'

Dingell is the widow of the late Rep. John Dingell, who was a close friend of Biden's. She garnered a hug from the president.

On Monday night, Biden called for a cease fire in the Middle East but the bombardment continues.

Meanwhile, in a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One, Jen Psaki slammed Donald Trump's handling of situation in the Middle East and called his Abraham Accords, for which Trump and Jared Kushner were nominated for a Noble Peace Prize, 'dead on arrival.'

'We are not following the same tactics of the prior administration,' the White House press secretary said when asked repeatedly about the administration's role in the conflict.

'We felt there not a constructive action by the prior administration, aside from putting forward a peace proposal that was dead on arrival,' Psaki said. 'We don't think they did anything constructive really to bring it into the long standing conflict in the Middle East.'

A total of 212 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, since the conflict started last Monday. The IDF says that figure includes 120 members of Hamas and 25 members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

RASHIDA TLAIB'S PALESTINIAN ROOTS - AND THE GRANDMOTHER THAT SPEAKS TO HER THOUGH IPAD Rashida Harbi Tlaib, born in Detroit, is the oldest of 14 children in a family of working class Palestinian immigrants. She was raised in the US, with members of her father working on the assembly line in the Ford plant. Tlaib helped take care of her siblings while her parents worked. But she still married a man from her ancestral village Beit Ur Al-Fauqa, where around one-third of the 900 residents are members of her extended family. Her parents left the West Bank in 1975, the year before she was born and eight years after it was occupied in Israel, and settled in Michigan. Her maternal grandmother Muftiya Tlaib, who is believed to be in her 90s, is still a resident of the sleepy community outside of Ramallah and 15 miles from Jerusalem. Relatives live in a small, single-story home with a nearby olive grove and fig trees, that also falls in the shadow of an Israeli military checkpoint. Her maternal grandmother Muftiya Tlaib, who is believed to be in her 90s, is still a resident of the sleepy community outside of Ramallah and 15 miles from Jerusalem An Israeli highway cuts through the middle. When she was elected to Congress in 2018 as the first representative of Palestinian descent, her family celebrated and hoped it would show they aren't all terrorists. Her uncle Bassam Abdualla Tlaib told NBC News: 'This is going to change the American view about Arabs and Muslims. Now someone is going to change this point of view.' In 2019 her family became the center of a global news frenzy when Donald Trump called Israel to block Rep. Tlaib from visiting her ailing grandmother because of her support for Palestinians. Muftia Tlaib, the maternal grandmother of Rashida, and her uncle Bassam outside their single-story home in the village of Beit Ur al-Fauqa, in the occupied West Bank in August 2019 They had planned a feast of sheep for the family when she arrived. 'I'm happy that Rashida may come,' her grandmother told the New York Times at the time. 'But I hear they won't let her.' Her family told The Times she had last visited a decade earlier, but would keep in touch through video calls on an iPad and would catch her on TV. In response to Trump's comments, she decided against the visit. She said: 'In my attempt to visit Palestine, I've experienced the same racist treatment that many Palestinian-Americans endure when encountering the Israeli government. 'In preparation for my visit, my grandmother was deciding which fig tree we would pick from together, while Palestinians and Israelis who are against the illegal military occupation were looking forward to Members of Congress finally listening to and seeing them for the first time. 'The Israeli government used my love and desire to see my grandmother to silence me and made my ability to do so contingent upon my signing a letter  reflecting just how undemocratic and afraid they are of the truth my trip would reveal about what is happening in the State of Israel and to Palestinians living under occupation with United States support. When she was elected to Congress in 2018 as the first representative of Palestinian descent, her uncle Bassam celebrated and hoped it would show they aren't all terrorists 'I have therefore decided to not travel to Palestine and Israel at this time. Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother's heart. Silencing me with treatment to make me feel less-than is not what she wants for me  it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice. 'This type of oppression is painful for all humanity, but it is especially painful for me personally every time I hear my loving family members cry out for the freedom to live and the right to feel human. Tlaib poses with Nancy Pelosi and members of her family as she is sworn into Congress in 2019 Advertisement

President Joe Biden removes his face mask for his trip to Michigan, where he'll talk infrastructure and electric cars

As President Biden touts his infrastructure plan, his administration is dealing with day nine of the Israel-Hamas conflict

Ten Israeli civilians, including a child, have been killed in rocket fire.

'The President's objective is clear,' Psaki said, 'which is that he wants to see an end to the violence on the ground.'

She refused to delve into detail about what the administration is doing to help end the conflict.

'He's been doing this long enough to know that the best way to end an international conflict is typically not to debate it in public,' she said of Biden, 'so we will continue to remain closely engaged behind the scenes.'

Meanwhile, Arab American advocates are planning three protests in Dearborn, Mich., when Biden is on the ground there, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Biden has proposed a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan that includes $174 billion in funding for electric vehicles, charging stations, and incentives for consumer purchases.

'The President is a longtime fan of cars,' Psaki said. 'His dad was a car dealer for many years.'

She added the president thinks 'we should do everything we can from the United States government to support this industry, the backbone of many communities including Michigan and our country. The future of the industry is electric.'

He also wants to make the government's fleet of vehicles electric.

Psaki was asked about Biden taking a fleet of gasoline guzzling SUVs to his visit to the plant. The motorcade that runs from the airport to the factory would have at least 20 vehicles in it, including the presidential ride know as 'The Beast.'

'That is certainly our objective,' Psaki said when asked if 'The Beast' would ever be electric but noted it would take time.

'I think it's going to take some time to continue to grow the electric vehicle industry in our country. That's why the president believes there needs to be a historic investment and certainly he's talked about what we can do from the federal fleet as well,' she said.

Blinken says Israel has sent 'new intelligence' about airstrike on Gaza media building 'that housed Hamas' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had received information from Israel on the destruction of a building in Gaza used by media organizations, but offered no further details U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had been given more information about Israel's attack on a Gaza building that housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera but refused to offer any more details on Tuesday. President Joe Biden expressed his concerns for press freedom on Saturday after an Israeli airstrike destroyed the 12-story building, claiming it housed Hamas military intelligence. AP's leadership said it had yet to see any evidence and has demanded an independent investigation. As Israel and the Palestinian territories braced for a day of protests and strikes, Blinken said Washington had asked for an explanation. 'We did seek further information from Israel on this question,' he said during a news conference with Iceland's foreign minister in Reykjavik. 'It's my understanding that we've received some further information through intelligence channels, and it's not something I can comment on.' A day earlier, President Joe Biden shifted his public stance from defending Israel's right to protect itself to calling for a ceasefire during a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin. Although Monday night passed without rockets being fired from Gaza, the Israeli Defense Force claimed it hit 65 Hamas targets. Advertisement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony at the White House after they signed Abraham Accords on Sept. 15, 2020

Firefighters try to extinguish fire broke out Israeli warplanes hit paint warehouse in Rafah, Gaza
Dozens of people have been quarantined inside an apartment block in Germany for the last two days after one person tested positive for the Indian variant of Covid.

All 189 residents of two tower blocks in Velbert, near Dortmund, have been locked up since the infection was first detected there during a routine test on Sunday.

Everyone has now been swabbed as part of a surge testing effort, with 19 people from four households found to be Covid positive with more results due today.

However, it is not yet clear whether any of those people are infected with the Indian variant since genetic sequencing - which is used to detect variants - takes up to a week to complete.

189 people living in these two tower blocks in Germany have been locked down since Sunday after a single case of the Indian Covid variant was found there

Work is also underway to trace the contacts of all those living in the tower blocks. Health officials have so-far refused to say how long the quarantine might last.

In the meantime, guards have been placed outside the blocks to ensure nobody leaves while red cross workers are doing people's shopping and taking their dogs for walks, local station WDR reports.

It is not clear how the initial case was caused, though it is not the first time the variant has been found in Germany - with around 260 cases identified so far.

Germany currently bans all travel to or from countries with 'variants of concern', including India, with the only exemption being for returning German citizens.

Even then, citizens have to go straight home from the airport and quarantine for 14 days with no exceptions.

But the apartment quarantine does come amid fresh fears over the Indian variant's spread after cases increased rapidly in the UK - which has now identified 3,700 cases - putting the country's lockdown easing plans at risk.

While Covid cases in the UK are still falling overall due largely to the success of the vaccine roll-out, cases of the Indian variant have quadrupled in a fortnight.

In multiple areas, the new variant appears to be 'out-competing' the previous Kent strain, meaning it is likely more-infectious.

That has led the WHO to declare the strain a 'variant of concern', putting other nations including on high alert.

Aside from Germany and the UK, the Indian strain has been detected in other European nations including Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Spain - albeit at low levels.

It is not yet known whether vaccines will be able to stop the spread of the variant, though UK officials are confident current jabs will largely prevent serious infections and deaths from it.

It is not the first time that the variant has been detected in Germany, but it does come amid increased fears about the virus after it began spreading rapidly in the UK (pictured, areas where the variant is now the dominant strain)

As a result, the country is pressing ahead with reopening its economy with indoor socialising and foreign holidays permitted from this week, while cinemas and theatres have been allowed to reopen.

The UK remains far ahead of its European counterparts in terms of vaccination, though the continent is catching up - with EU countries crossing the threshold 200million vaccines administered today.

Off the back of that news, German health minister Jens Spahn announced that everyone aged over 18 will be welcome to come for a jab from June 7.

Mr Spahn said the current system of prioritization in which the most vulnerable groups are to be vaccinated first will no longer be valid then.

'This does not mean that everyone will get an appointment within days, but ... everyone who wants to get vaccinated will get an offer,' he said.

Spahn said that the vaccination campaign has picked up speed in recent weeks and that by the end of May about 40 per cent of all people in Germany will have received at least one shot.

He said 70 per cent of those above the age of 60 have received one shot, about one-quarter of them are fully vaccinated.

All in all, 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been given and around nine million people are fully vaccinated, in this country of 83 million.

After months of lockdown, the infection rate has been dropping in Germany and some states are slowly starting to open up outdoor dining and various shopping possibilities.

Meanwhile the Czech government has announced a new wave of easing coronavirus restrictions amid falling numbers of infected people.

Starting May 24, all hotels are allowed to return to business. The guests will need to present a negative coronavirus test or be vaccinated or recover from COVID-19. If they want to stay longer than seven days, an additional test will be required.

At the same time, all elementary schools and high schools will fully reopen. Schoolchildren and students will be tested once a week.

The same applies for universities where, however, the spring term in many cases ends next week.

It will be also possible for up to 1,000 people to attend outdoor cultural events, while up to 500 are allowed at such events indoor.

Germany is planning to open up its vaccine drive to everyone over the age of 18 in the coming weeks as it attempts to catch up with the UK, which has vaccinated the fastest in Europe

Monday's announcement comes on the day when Czech bars and restaurants are reopening for outdoor dining.

The number of people infected per 100,000 inhabitants in last seven days has dropped to 71 in the Czech Republic.

At least 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been given in the European Union as of Tuesday, according to AFP data tallying up official figures given by member states' health services.

The milestone indicates that the EU should be on track to meet its goal of fully vaccinating 70 percent of adults - meaning roughly 255 million people out of its total 448 million population - by late July.

As of 0830 GMT, at least 200 million doses have been administered in the EU, according to the AFP data.

At least 52.9 million people have been completely vaccinated, with two doses in the case of the vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, or one dose for those inoculated with the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

That figure amounts to 11.8 percent of the EU population.

The data showed that Malta was leading the EU table, with 32.5 percent of its small population fully vaccinated, while Bulgaria was trailing badly, with just 6.1 percent inoculated.

Of the big EU countries, Germany has 11.1 percent fully vaccinated, France has 13.5 percent, Italy has 14.6 percent and Spain has 15.4 percent.

Globally, the AFP data showed that 1.5 billion doses have been administered.

By way of comparison with other wealthy territories, Israel has 59 percent of its population inoculated with two doses, while the United States has 35 percent fully vaccinated, and Britain has 30 percent done.

The European Commission, contacted by AFP, did not immediately respond with comment about the vaccination milestone.

It did however say that its vaccine export authorisation mechanism had, between January 30 and May 11, approved 941 export requests from pharmaceutical companies producing Covid-19 vaccines in the EU and rejected one - a March shipment of 250,000 AstraZeneca doses meant for Australia.

The vaccines exports went to 45 countries and territories, it said, including the United States, Britain, Israel, India, Australia, Canada and Brazil.
A JetBlue flight traveling from New York to San Francisco was forced to divert to Minneapolis after a passenger snorted a white substance, touched a female passenger and refused to wear a mask.

That troublemaker - named by police as Mark Anthony Scerbo, 42 - was arrested by Minneapolis St Paul Airport Police after Sunday's incident, which also allegedly saw him make a stabbing motion while threatening passengers.

A male steward explained was filmed explaining what had happened to other passengers after they landed unexpectedly in Minneapolis.

The unnamed attendant said: 'There was...unwanted touching. Possibly inadvertent, maybe intentional, unknown.

'Multiple trips to the bathroom. we were able to move that passenger so she felt more comfortable

'After several more put on your mask, put on your mask, put on your mask (requests), bathroom trips, started antagonizing other passengers and had the knife gesturing, stabbing motions towards the other passenger.'

The attendant added: '(He) was also observed, erratic behavior, and snorting a white substance.'

Passengers could be heard laughing nervously and exclaiming with shock as the man's behavior was outlined, and burst into applause when the attendant said the troublemaker had been booted from the flight.

It remains unclear what substance Scerbo was snorting.

A JetBlue spokesman said afterwards: 'The flight was met by law enforcement, the customer was removed and the flight continued on to San Francisco.

'Safety is JetBlues first priority, and we appreciate our crewmembers response and our customers patience during this incident.'

An attendant (pictured) told passengers that due to Scerbo's alleged erratic behavior the flight would have to land at MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport

After the attendant (pictured) filled in passengers about the details of Scerbo's erratic behavior, passengers clapped in support

The incident went down on JetBlue flight 915, headed to San Francisco after departing from New Yorks JFK Airport on Sunday

The attendant added that after crew members followed Scerbo into the bathroom after his many trips, they discovered a bag with a white substance inside.

After his bag of substance was found he was told to calm down but continued to make threats, the attendant told passengers.

'It was collectively decided that our four flight attendants felt uncomfortable with what was going on, there was a child there, other passengers felt uncomfortable' he explained as he told passengers they would be landing at the nearest airport.

Passengers clapped in support of the decision.

Kawashima, a 30-year-old implementation manager, told DailyMail.com that when the plane landed in Minneapolis he saw Scerbo be taken by police and FBI.

He said the plane was only on the ground for an hour before heading towards San Francisco.

Kawashima says that other passengers heard Scerbo make racist statements before even getting on the plane.

'I didnt personally see him doing anything  he was sitting in first class and I was in economy,' Kawashima told DailyMail.com 'I heard from other passengers that he smelled bad and was getting up often. The passenger sitting in front of me said that he was making some racist comments at the boarding gate before we took off.'

Scerbo was arrested for possession of a controlled substance by Minneapolis Airport police. He remains in custody in Hennepin County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.

Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Patrick Hogan told DailyMail.com that Scerbo faces felony drug possession charges and added that pending an investigation, the FBI may file federal charges against him separately.
Apple data is being processed by Chinese state workers with the tech giant wiping tens of thousands of apps at the request of the government there so that te tech giant can do business in the country, according to a new report.

The state employees are said to manage servers at its data center in Guiyang and another in the Inner Mongolia region, The New York Times reports. That means the government is able to access personal data of millions of Chinese residents.

The encryption technology used by Apple elsewhere has also been banned by China, according to the report.

Apps said to have disappeared include foreign news sites and gay dating services.

And topics banned are said to include Tiananmen Square and independence for Tibet and Taiwan, according to Phillip Shoemaker, who previously ran Apples App Store.

This is all despite Tim Cook's vow to protect civil liberties which saw the release of a controversial new privacy controls in April that requires iPhone users to give permission for apps to track their activity for advertising purposes.

It comes in stark contrast to the approach in the US where Apple has rebuffed attempts by the DoJ to give investigators access to its phones.

The allegation that Apple has removed gay dating sites is particularly stinging for Apple CEO who is gay.

The Chinese government is not thought to have gained access to the data, The Times reports. But documents seen by the paper suggest Apple has made concessions to make it easier for them to do so.

Tim Cook has vow to protect civil liberties by releasing controversial new privacy controls that requires iPhone users to give permission for apps to track their activity. That's despite Apple data being processed by Chinese state workers and the tech giant wiping tens of thousands of apps at the request of the government there, according to a new report

The Apple data center in Guiyang as seen in a satellite image. The state employees are said to manage servers at its data center in Guiyang and another in the Inner Mongolia region. That means the government is able to access personal data of millions of Chinese residents

The Silicon Valley company now makes most of its products in China. It's 'Designed by Apple in California' slogan has gone from designs at the request of Chinese workers.

In April Apple's sales in the greater China region during the fiscal second quarter, which included the busy Lunar New Year shopping season, were up 87.5% to $17.7 billion, compared with a 57% rise in the previous quarter.

A fifth of its revenue come from the China region.

Cook has also made numerous trips to the country meeting with its leader Xi Jinping.

But Nicholas Bequelin, Asia director for Amnesty International, the human rights group, told the Times: 'Apple has become a cog in the censorship machine that presents a government-controlled version of the internet.

'If you look at the behavior of the Chinese government, you dont see any resistance from Apple  no history of standing up for the principles that Apple claims to be so attached to.'

Matthew D. Green, a cryptography professor at Johns Hopkins University, added: 'Chinese intelligence has physical control over your hardware  thats basically a threat level you cant let it get to.'

Cook has also made numerous trips to China, meeting with its leader Xi Jinping

Apple store in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China; In April Apple's sales in the greater China region during the fiscal second quarter, which included the busy Lunar New Year shopping season, were up 87.5% to $17.7 billion, compared with a 57% rise in the previous quarter

A spokesperson for Apple told DailyMail.com: 'We have never compromised the security of our users or their data in China or anywhere we operate.

'Many of the assertions in this report are based on incomplete, outdated and inaccurate information.

'In China, the law stipulates that iCloud data belonging to its nationals must remain in the country. We comply with the law, but we make no compromises on user security.

'We retain control of the encryption keys for our users data, and every new data center we build affords us the opportunity to useApples most cutting-edge hardware and security technologies to protect those keys.'

On removing apps it added: 'These decisions are not always easy, and we may not agree with the laws that shape them. But our priority remains creating the best user experience without violating the rules we are obligated to follow.'

A worker in a cloud service datacenter of the China Mobile in Nanjing city in east China's Jiangsu province

Employees line up for row call before their shift starts at a Pegatron Corp. factory in Shanghai, China, on Friday, April 15, 2016. This is the realm in which the world's most profitable smartphones are made, part of Apple Inc.'s closely guarded supply chain

Government owned Guizhou-Cloud Big Data now has legal ownership of Apple customer data. Terms and conditions include signed by Chinese customers read: 'Apple and GCBD will have access to all data that you store on this service.'

Chinese exile Guo Wengui is also said to be banned on the App Store in China.

It was reported Monday that Wengui is behind a fake news network peddling lies about COVID vaccines, the election and QAnon.

Research by network analysis firm Graphika and first shown to The Washington Post indicates news websites, social media, local action groups and non profits linked to Wengui work together to spread the disinformation.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and others say Apple's moves to release privacy controls are self-serving and will help cement its dominance in the mobile space, while hammering their profits.

Cook has repeatedly defended the update, part of Apple's iOS14 operating system, arguing it is necessary because targeted advertising is 'manipulating' people and being served to their devices without their explicit permission.
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New airport statistics have revealed the boom in air travel in the UK today after hundreds of commercial flights took to the skies as jetsetters set off on their 'amber holidays'.

Live tracking data recorded more than 120 flights today from the UK to Greece, Italy, Spain and France - four of the country's most popular amber holiday destinations.

Statistics from four of the UK's biggest airports shows passengers flocking to sun soaked beaches and clear blue skies today as Covid-19 restrictions eased this week.

Flight Radar data from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester airports showed most tourists were flying to Spain, with 50 flights today alone, followed by 32 to Greece, 29 to France and 10 heading to Italy.

The surge in tourist numbers comes despite those returning from amber countries being required to self-isolate at home for ten days.

The number of commercial flights taking off today, 76,000, remains considerably higher than figures from last year, when the number of planes in the skies dipped below 30,000.

But Environment Secretary George Eustice caused further confusion over foreign holidays today after saying Britons could go to an 'amber list' country to see their friends and relatives - in direct contrast to the advice of the Prime Minister.

 Slide me  Flight track software shows far more flights in Britain today (left) compared to March 25 (right)

How the cost of flights between UK and amber list countries has fallen since announcement The cheapest return from London to a European destination is shown. The prices were checked on Skyscanner for flying out in ten days' time and returning a week later. Prices for May 17 to May 24 were taken on May 7, one hour before Government announced the new green list. Prices for May 28 to June 4 were taken today (May 18), also ten days in advance. Madrid (Spain)  DOWN 56% May 28 to June 4 -- 41 return with Ryanair from Stansted

May 17 to May 24 -- 93 return with Iberia from Heathrow Athens (Greece)  DOWN 41% May 28 to June 4  87 return with Ryanair from Stansted

May 17 to May 24 -- 148 return with easyjet from Gatwick Paris (France)  DOWN 15% May 28 to June 4 -- 104 return with easyJet from Gatwick

May 17 to May 24 -- 123 return with British Airways from Heathrow Larnaca (Cyprus)  DOWN 26% May 28 to June 4 -- 143 return with British Airways from Heathrow

May 17 to May 24 -- 194 return with British Airways from Heathrow Advertisement

The Government made it legal to visit countries on the amber list yesterday but said people should not travel to them unless they had an 'absolutely compelling reason'.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'Our advice is that no one should be travelling to amber countries, that's in the interests of public health.

'There may be unavoidable, essential reasons for which people still have to travel to amber list countries, that's why the rules are there.'

Despite these warnings, Brits a plenty packed their bags and boarded planes to holiday hotspots today.

At London Heathrow Airport, there were 65 flights to the four most popular 'amber' nations.

In the Midlands, 21 flights took off from Birmingham Airport to the European hospots, while at London Gatwick, there were 19 respectively.

Finally, at Manchester Airport, there were 16 flights in total today.

Most tourists were heading to Spain with 50 flights, and the second most popular destination was Greece, with 32 trips from the UK today.

These were followed by France, 29, and Italy, 10 as Brits raced to enjoy some of the last Spring sunshine in European hot spots.

Tracking data from Flight Radar show the levels of air travel are remaining slightly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with 2021 seeing around 35,000 fewer commercial flights than in 2019.

Compared to March 25 alone, timelapse footage from the flight tracking website shows hundreds more planes taking to the skies today.

Promisingly for the airlines and jetsetters, these statistics are significantly higher than 2020 - where just 36,000 commercial journeys took place according to the real time flight tracker map.

The new figures come as the cost of flights to amber list countries have plummeted since the Government's announcement of which countries would be designated green, amber and red.

Airlines are hoping for a further surge of UK tourists if 'amber' countries are upgraded to the green list when it is first reviewed on June 7 and then on June 28.

And return flights for a four-day trip to Madrid from London will cost just 18 next month, while Rome is 22 and Athens is 26  all with Ryanair from London Stansted.

These prices are significantly down on what is available this week - with returns to Rome at 204, Madrid at 155 and Athens at 238, according to Google Flights.

The prices for Paris are yet not dropping to such low levels, with most returns in June around the 90 mark - and only three days below 70, with the cheapest at 56.

Passengers returning from amber list countries must stay at home for ten days and take a PCR test on days two and eight - as well as a lateral flow test before the return flight.

They can also pay for 'Test to Release' on day five to end self-isolation early.

Boris Johnson today brutally slapped down one of his senior ministers after he insisted Britons can go to an 'amber list' country to see their friends and relatives.

The PM stressed that the medium-risk category in the government's traffic light system was not for 'holidays' after George Eustice sparked more confusion about the rules.

Passengers have been heading to amber list countries since the travel ban was eased and swingeing fines for non-essential travel were axed.

There were 120 flights to such destinations from Heathrow yesterday - compared with just 19 to green, quarantine-free countries.

At London Gatwick it was 31 and six respectively, despite Downing Street saying people should not be travelling to any places on the amber list unless it is essential.

Meanwhile, the cost of flights to Spain, France, Italy and Greece have fallen to as little as 18 return.

PARIS: Flights from London to the French capital will not fall below 87 mark until mid-June

ROME: Return flights for a four-day trip to Rome from London will cost just 22 next month

ATHENS: Those hoping to visit Greece can get a bargain if they travel on selected dates in June

MADRID: A return to the Spanish city will be just 18 next month and only rises slightly in July

But Environment Secretary Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'The reason we have the amber list is there will be reasons why people feel they need to travel  either to visit family or indeed to visit friends.

'They can travel to those countries but they then have to observe quarantine when they return and have two tests after returning. So people can travel to those areas, yes, but they will then have to subject themselves to quarantine on their return.'

However, on a visit to a vaccination centre in London later the PM moved to stamp out that idea that visiting friends is a good enough reason.

Mr Johnson said of the 'amber' list: 'It is not somewhere you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that.'

He said: 'If people do go to an amber list country  if they absolutely have to for some pressing family or urgent business reason  if they have to go to an amber list country, then please bear in mind that you will have to self isolate, you will have to take tests and do a passenger locator form and all the rest of it but you'll also have to self isolate for 10 days when you get back and that period of self-isolation, that period of quarantine, will be enforced with fines of up to 10,000.

'So I think it's important for people to understand what an amber list country is.'

It comes as a change to the NHS app has allowed people to prove whether they have had the Covid jab  effectively making it a vaccine passport.

A passenger arriving from 'red list' India (left) and another arriving from New York in 'amber list' US (right) arrive at the same time at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 this morning

Passengers queue up for check-in in the departures hall at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 this morning

A woman pushes luggage through the arrivals hall at Heathrow Terminal 2 today as people arrive in Britain from abroad

Passengers arrive at London Heathrow Terminal 2 today, one day after the new travel 'traffic light' system came into force

Tourism and airline chiefs have been left exasperated as the Government's mixed messaging on holidays overshadowed the resumption of foreign travel.

As the ban on non-essential travel was lifted, Downing Street doubled down and insisted people should only be holidaying in the 12 countries on the green list.

MPs have also faced fresh calls to tighten up procedures for incoming passengers, as fears that UK airports could become 'super spreader' sites continues to grow.

Environment Secretary George Eustice (above) caused further confusion over foreign holidays after saying Britons could go to an 'amber list' country to see their friends and relatives

Those arriving at London Heathrow Airport faced queues of up to three hours today as calls mounted to ensure arrivals from 'red list' countries such as India were separated from those coming in from other nations.

All arrivals are currently going into the same queues at the border, which has raised concerns over social distancing and people from amber or green list countries coming into contact with those from red list nations.

Downing Street has insisted that it is down to airports to make sure border queues happen in a Covid-secure way, and that the Government is 'doing everything possible to make this process as efficient as possible'.

Asked whether amber and red arrivals should be separated at airports, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that 'all arrivals should be managed in a way that is as Covid-secure as possible.'
President Joe Biden's administration plans to release three Guantanamo Bay inmates who have been held for nearly 20 years without being charged.

The prison's oldest inmate, 73-year-old Saifullah Paracha of Pakistan, was cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Paracha's lawyer Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented him at his hearing in November.

Authorities alleged he was an al-Qaida 'facilitator' who helped two of the conspirators in the Sept. 11 plot with a financial transaction. He says he didnt know they were al-Qaida and denies any involvement in terrorism.

The two other individuals were identified as 54-year-old Abdul Rabbani of Pakistan and Uthman Abdul Rahim Mohammed Uthman, a 40-year-old from Yemen.

Uthman was suspected of being part of Osama bin Ladens bodyguard corps.

President Joe Biden's administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the detention center, a process that former President Donald Trump halted.

Guantanamo prisoner Saifullah Paracha. A lawyer for the oldest prisoner at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says authorities have approved his release after more than 16 years in custody

Uthman Abdul Rahim Mohammed Uthman (left) and Abdul Rabbani (right) are also among those set to be released from the Cuban detention center

People walk past the guard tower outside the fencing at Camp 5 at the U.S. military's prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Paracha's attorney said she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months.

It does not mean his release his imminent. But it is a crucial step before the U.S. government negotiates a repatriation agreement with Pakistan for his return.

As is customary, the notification did not provide detailed reasoning for the decision and concluded only that Paracha is 'not a continuing threat' to the U.S., Sullivan-Bennis said.

'The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return,' she said.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment.

The prisoner review board also informed Uthman, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, was also notified that he had been cleared, according to his attorney, Beth Jacob, who spoke to him by phone.

'He was happy, relieved and hopeful that this will actually lead to his release,' Jacob said.

Paracha, who lived in the U.S. and owned property in New York City, was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan.

The U.S., which captured Paracha in Thailand in 2003 and has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004, has long asserted that it can hold detainees indefinitely without charge under the international laws of war.

In November, Paracha, who suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes and a heart condition, made his eighth appearance before the review board, which was established under President Barack Obama to try to prevent the release of prisoners who authorities believed might engage in anti-U.S. hostilities upon their release from Guantanamo.

At the time, his attorney said he was more optimistic about his prospects because of Biden's election, his ill health and developments in a legal case involving his son, Uzair.

Uzair Paracha was convicted in 2005 in federal court in New York of providing support to terrorism, based in part on testimony from the same witnesses held at Guantanamo whom the U.S. relied on to justify holding the father.

In March 2020, after a judge threw out those witness accounts and the government decided not to seek a new trial, Uzair Paracha was released and sent back to Pakistan.

Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700 in 2003.

With this latest review board decision, there are now about nine men held at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, including one who has been approved since 2010.

Under Obama, the U.S. would not return men to Yemen because of the civil war there and often struggled to find third countries to accept former prisoners.

Given that history, Jacob was only cautiously optimistic about her client's release.

'I'm just hoping that in 11 years he's not just still sitting there with his clearance still at Guantanamo,' she said.

There are 10 facing trial by military commission and two who have been convicted, including one awaiting sentencing.

Proceedings in the tribunals have been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A London secondary school headteacher whose policies sparked a race row has quit.

Daniel Smith will 'step down' as headmaster of Pimlico Academy before the end of half term. He thanked staff for their 'ongoing commitment to our students' in an email to the faculty today.

'Disciplinarian' Mr Smith introduced a 'back to basics' uniform policy after starting at the school in September 2020.

This included banning hairstyles that 'block people's view' and hijabs that are 'too colourful'.

Critics claimed this was discriminatory against Muslims and people with Afro hairstyles at the school - where three quarters of children are from ethnic minorities - and a mass protest was staged by students and staff on March 31.

The outcry had also extended to include other policies claimed to be 'discriminatory', including changes to the history curriculum to make it more chronological, which protesters said emphasised white kings and queens over BAME figures.

Daniel Smith (pictured) will 'step down' as headmaster of Pimlico Academy before the end of half term

'Disciplinarian' Mr Smith (pictured in April) introduced a 'back to basics' uniform policy after starting at the school in September 2020

Hateful graffiti appeared on the walls of Pimlico Academy in April calling for the expulsion of Mr Smith

The messages, which read 'they want to expel the students for speaking out' and 'expel the racist headteacher' have since been covered over by Pimlico Academy

Mr Smith caved to the protesters in April by removing the Union Flag - after protesters chanted 'Ain't no black in the Union Jack - and agreeing to revise the uniform policy.

But senior management are said to have since taken a hardline approach by threatening to expel students who mutinied.

In April, the school was vandalised with hateful graffiti reading 'expel the racist headmaster' as pupils returned to class after the Easter holidays.

Earlier today, Mr Smith sent an email to staff at the school informing them that he was quitting his post.

The message, seen by MailOnline, read: 'I informed the trust earlier this term of my intention to step down from my position as Principal of Pimlico Academy.

'The Trust have agreed to this and I will leave the Academy at the end of this half term.

The Union Flag that usually flies outside the school all year round was still up before the protests

But the Union Flag was no longer flying at Pimlico Academy in London on April 1, the day after a revolt by pupils

Protesting pupils' list of demands presented to the head - and what he has already agreed to A statement purporting to be from the pupil protesters breaks down their 'demands'. An extract from this document is shown below, with changes that headteacher Daniel Smith has agreed to marked by an asterisk and italics. DISCRIMINATION We believe the school has unfairly targeted groups of students. The school should protect marginalised races, religions and other groups instead of target them. *CHANGE, UNION FLAG - Mr Smith has agreed to take down the Union Flag pending a review. Protesters at the school, where three-quarters of pupils are from ethnic minorities - had claimed it was 'antagonistic' and did not represent them. RACISM The academy placed new rules that would punish students with Afro hairstyles, clearly discriminating against Black students. *CHANGE, HAIR POLICY - The new wording still demands that hairstyles are 'conventional' but no longer includes the term 'understated' or references to styles that 'block the view of others'. Students were outraged that there was no recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement or Black History Month. *CHANGE, PSHE CURRICULUM - Mr Smith said the school will change the PSHE syllabus to include a discussion of 'current affairs' - a likely reference to BLM. ISLAMOPHOBIA The academy has faced further accusations of discrimination for saying hijabs must be black but other clothing can be any colour. This challenges young Muslim girls' identity. The new uniform policy includes that 'if students choose to wear a headscarf, it must completely cover the hair'. This is harmful and insensitive towards girls who have just started to wear the hijab or are struggling with it. It is a personal choice which shouldn't be decided by authorities who haven't experienced this. *CHANGE, HEADSCARVES: References to headscarves being 'conventional and understated in style' are removed  although the school reinforced its policy that hijabs must be black or blue, in keeping with the school's colours. TRANSPHOBIA We believe the idea of gendered uniform for all students is a ridiculous, backwards ideal. This ostracises non-binary and gender non-conforming students, or those who are struggling with their gender identity. Advertisement

'I am pleased to announce that Mr Tony Oulton will take up the post of Acting Principal from the start of next term.

'I will be working with Tony to ensure a smooth transition in the coming weeks.

'I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing commitment to our students in what has been the most challenging of times.'

The National Education Union - which supported the March 31 demonstration shortly before the Easter holidays - said 32 members of staff have handed in their notices since September.

Changes brought in by Mr Smith were overseen by the school's parent academy chain Future Academies, which is chaired by Conservative peer Lord Nash, 72.

On April 13, Lord Nash told parents: 'Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students' education.

'We all need to work together to ensure that this does not happen again and learn the lessons from it.

'We must particularly ensure that our students, your children, understand the consequences of any future disobedience, which will undoubtedly result in disciplinary action.'

A letter on April 15 sent by Mr Smith thundered: 'Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students' education.

'I need to be very clear that if any students take part in a repeat of such actions, they will undoubtedly face disciplinary consequences.'

He also wrote to some parents saying they would need to attend a disciplinary meeting with their child on April 19 - ahead of students' return to school after the Easter holidays.

According to the Guardian, it said: 'Following [child's name] disruptive behaviour on the last day of term, she is required to attend a disciplinary meeting  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the nature of [child's name] disruptive behaviour on the last day of term and to give [child's name] the opportunity to reflect on their actions.

'You should be aware that if [child's name] is found to have committed a serious breach of the academy's behaviour policy and if it is deemed that [child's name] remaining in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of others, consideration will be given to permanently excluding [child's name] from the academy.'

MailOnline previously revealed that headmaster Mr Smith is a 'disciplinarian' who once had portraits of the Queen and Margaret Thatcher as well as a Union Flag above his desk, according to a former colleague.

Mr Smith was vice head of Ebbsfleet Academy in Swanscombe, Kent, from 2013 to 2017.

One ex-colleague, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline: 'He is very strict, a head who stands for no-nonsense, but he gets very good results. He had a little man syndrome in his approach.'

During his time at Ebbsfleet, Mr Smith insisted that all shoes should be black, and no labels, coloured stitching or laces would be allowed. 'Anyone who'd inadvertently bought shoes such as Kickers before the new term had to cut off the labels and colour in the stitching with a felt-tip pen,' said the source.

'There was absolutely no leeway and anyone who transgressed was internally excluded and sent home for the day.'

The former colleague said Mr Smith ordered that lines of adhesive tape be stuck along the centre of the school corridors to make them 'one-way' and pupils were banned from speaking to one another during class changes.

Students packed out the school playground for the protest on March 31. Many filmed it on their phones

The sign outside the school, which was defaced with stickers during the protest, was cleaned up the next day

Parents and police waited outside the gates of Pimlico Academy on March 31 as school children demonstrated in the playground

'It was very militant, but didn't really take into account the kind of children who were at the school,' said the colleague.

'There weren't really issues around race at Ebbsfleet, as it's a predominately white working class area, but Mr Smith didn't show much interest in the family backgrounds of his pupils, he was only interested in discipline and exam results.'

The source did acknowledge that results improved 'markedly' during Mr Smith's tenure, and the same uniform rules are in force there today, according to Ebbsfleet's website.

Tory peer Lord Nash angrily hit back at claims the school is racist. He told MailOnline: 'You cannot accuse Pimlico of being racist. It is the most non-racist school. It is so lovely there when you see mixed friendships groups.'

Asked about changes to the uniform policy that some pupils had claimed was racist, he said: 'I don't want to comment on these types of details. A lot of this has been blown up out of proportion.'

During his time at Ebbsfleet, Mr Smith (left) insisted that all shoes should be black, and no labels, coloured stitching or laces would be allowed. Pictured right: A poster for the March 31 protest

A sit-down protest was held at the school against changes introduced by Mr Smith since he arrived in September

Officers stood outside the gates of the school on the morning of March 31 during the demonstration

He said he had worked to support people from ethnic minorities including the setting up of a school in the inner London area of Brixton.

'It has taken ten years, but we are very pleased to have opened a school in Brixton.'

Another slogan used by the protesters in March was: 'Ain't no black in the Union Jack'.

This has historically been used by National Front racists to suggest that people from ethnic minorities are not truly British.

The rebellion was a significant challenge to traditional Conservative education reforms emphasising discipline and academic rigour similar to those promoted by Michael Gove when he was Education Secretary.

Students chanted 'we want change' as they protested against their headteacher's policy banning Afro hair and 'colourful' hijabs

Mr Smith marked his arrival with a punchy open letter to parents, in which he repeated the phrase 'it is your responsibility' three times in one paragraph while discussing the need for parents to ensure their children complete homework, dress properly and support the academy leadership

Several demonstrators specifically credited the Black Lives Matter movement for inspiring the protest, and some of the hundreds of pupils and parents who gathered outside the school carried BLM banners amid chants of 'we want change'.

Commenting on Mr Smith stepping down, Pimlico Academy said in a statement: 'Mr Daniel Smith has informed the Trust of his intention to step down from his position as Principal of Pimlico Academy.

'Mr Smith will leave this role on the 31st May 2021.

'We thank Mr Smith for his unwavering commitment during this time which has been very difficult due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

'We are pleased to announce that following his secondment as Senior Vice Principal, Mr Anthony Oulton, will take up the post of Acting Principal from the start of next half term.

'Mr Oulton, who is well known to staff and students at the academy, will be working with Mr Smith to ensure a smooth transition in the coming weeks.'
America's restaurant apocalypse was less catastrophic than predicted, with fewer restaurants permanently shuttering and sales returning to almost pre-pandemic levels last month.

New data from the National Restaurant Association reveals 14 percent of eating and drinking establishments remain completely closed either permanently or long-term from the pandemic.

This works out at around 90,000 of the nation's 660,000 restaurants, marking a major downsize from the 110,000 still shuttered back in December - although still far greater than the 50,000 closures of a typical year.

It's also a far less dismal fatality rate than was predicted last summer when experts warned the US could wave goodbye to around a third - 231,000 - of all eateries.

Restaurants were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, enduring long lockdowns and a slow return to indoor dining in many major cities.

In March, Joe Biden set aside $28.6 billion for small restaurants as part of his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, offering relief grants for eateries across the country.

US Census Bureau data shows restaurant and bar sales reached $65 billion in April - just $1.3 billion shy of the $66.2 billion in February 2020 before COVID-19 ravaged the industry

Last March, chef and activist Tom Colicchio warned 75 percent of restaurants wouldn't survive the pandemic, according to the Washington Post.

Restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen & Associates told Bloomberg News their estimate was one in three would never return.

But, the industry appears to be getting back on its feet with 20,000 restaurants on the brink of permanent closure in December now back up and running.

Restaurant and bar sales are also on their way to pre-pandemic levels, reaching almost $65 billion in April, according to US Census Bureau data.

This is just $1.3 billion shy of the $66.2 billion sales recorded back in February 2020 - one month before the pandemic ground the industry and the nation to a halt.

This is also an increase of around 3 percent and almost $2 billion from the $63 billion in sales recorded in March.

Sales plunged to their lowest level of just $29.9 billion last April but have been on a general upward climb since then.

And restaurant owners are only expecting this to get better, according to the Association's COVID-19 operator survey, which polled 2,500 restaurants from April 1 to April 14 2021.

The poll found that 44 percent of operators are expecting their average sales from April to June to be higher than this March.

A bartender at Carmines Ybor Italian restaurant in Florida last June. New data from the National Restaurant Association reveals 14 percent of eating and drinking establishments remain completely closed either permanently or long-term from the pandemic

Diners enjoy outdoor dining in the summer in California last year. Outdoor dining initiatives and government relief helped cushion the blow on the industry

Disaster seems to have been avoided thanks in part to the rollout of outdoor dining initiatives as well as government relief.

The US Paycheck Protection Program was set up by the federal government last year to help small businesses keep paying their workers and bills.

Restaurants were then given additional help from the Biden administration this March when the Senate passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, including $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Cities and states launched outdoor dining plans including New York's Open Streets, which shut down dozens of streets over the summer specifically to create outdoor dining spaces for restaurants and bars.

It's not all good news however.

With around 50,000 restaurants closing in a typical year across America, the National Restaurant Association's figures show the pandemic still killed off almost double the usual number.

Profitability is also down from pre-pandemic levels and costs are up, the association said, and 65 percent said their total sales volume in March was lower than pre-COVID-19 times.

Restaurant sales are still down $290 billion from expected pre-pandemic levels and more than 1.7 million jobs remain lost.

New Yorkers dine in Manhattan's outdoor dining areas in April. Restaurants were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, enduring long lockdowns and a slow return to indoor dining

New Yorkers enjoy an evening out in Greenwich Village. Staffing shortages are persisting in the industry

Overall staffing levels also remain well below the industry standard with 84 percent of restaurant operators saying their current level has still not returned to what it was before the pandemic.

In New York City - known for its bar and restaurant scene - the industry was crippled by months of closures and curfews.

Restaurants were shuttered for months with indoor dining only reopening on September at 25 percent before closing again in December.

They then reopened at limited capacity in February, with capacity increasing and curfews easing since.

Around 5,000 of the city's 24,000 restaurants remain closed and there are about 140,000 fewer jobs, reported Bloomberg.

Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President, Research & Knowledge Group at the National Restaurant Association said the findings give a mixed picture of the industry's recovery.

'We continue to see positive growth in sales as consumer confidence grows,' said. Riehle.

In March, Joe Biden (seen Tuesday) set aside $28.6 billion for small restaurants as part of his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, offering relief grants for eateries across the country

'However, it is important to note that 90 percent of operators say recruiting and retaining employees will likely be more difficult after the pandemic is over than it was before it began.'

Riehle said staffing issues will in turn impact a restaurant's ability to return to welcome diners back at full capacity.

'This is a large contributor to why more than half of fullservice operators and 42% of limited-service operators polled are unable to open at the maximum-allowed capacity and grow back their business - they do not have enough employees to staff the restaurant,' he said.

Riehle told Bloomberg July and August are likely to be the industry's biggest months and should be buoyed further when the nation welcomes tourists from currently banned nations - such as the UK and Europe - back into the US.
A police officer lifted the skirt of a female colleague during a drunken works party, a court was told.

PC Steven Lodge, 39, approached the woman with his mobile phone torch lit as she stood with colleague on a balcony at the party.

With the torch function lit, the court was told Lodge then reached down and lifted the officer's skirt exposing her underwear.

The stunned constable screamed in horror and immediately fled the balcony to escape her colleague and later broke down in tears.

PC Steven Lodge, who is based at Hastings Police Station in East Sussex (pictured), is on trial accused of lifting a female colleagues skirt up while they were both attending a work night out

Today PC Lodge is on trial at Chichester charged with two counts of sexual touching and one count of voyeurism.

The officer, who is based in Hastings, East Sussex, denies all the charges.

The female officer wept yesterday as she described the moment her works night out turned into a nightmare.

Chichester Crown Court officers from Hastings had gone out drinking prior to a birthday party in June 2019.

They had started drinking at Wetherspoon's at around 4.30pm before moving on to Bexhill and Hastings Rugby Club for the 30th birthday party of a colleague which began at 7.30pm.

Officers drank and danced the night away but as the event was coming to a close around midnight some officers went out onto the clubhouse balcony.

The female officer was standing on the balcony talking to another colleague when she saw PC Lodge approaching her with his mobile phone torch lit up.

She told the court: 'As we were standing on the balcony some of the other people who were at the party came outside and I was aware that Steve Lodge had also come out onto the balcony.

PC Steven Lodge is accused of two counts of sexual touching and one count of voyeurism which he denies and is standing trial at Chichester Crown Court. He has denied all charges

'He was carrying his mobile phone in his hand and I could see that the torch feature was lit

'He came up behind me and I felt my skirt being lifted up and I was aware that my underwear was on show because I could feel my skin exposed.'

She said she pushed down her skirt with her right hand and immediately spun away from him.

The officer said: 'I spun towards my right and I remember making a scream or squeal noise as a reaction to what had happened.'

She went into the clubhouse and sat down but was approached by Lodge who then draped his arm across her shoulder.

She said: 'He came over. I was sat down. I was not crying but I was shocked at what had happened.'

She said he put his right arm over her right shoulder and said: 'Come and talk with me outside.

'I said no. Almost instantly I stood up and walked away to go down to the toilets as I knew I was going to cry.'

Asked by defence counsel, Richard Cherrill, if she had overreacted to an accidental lifting of her skirt she said: 'I do not agree it was an overreaction.'

Fellow officer, PC Georgia Wilson, said her colleague came in and sat at a table looking upset.

'She said Lodge had just lifted her skirt up. Lodge started laughing to which she stood up and walked off crying. Lodge was laughing as if he found it amusing.'

PC Nick Crowe said the female officer came in off the balcony and sat next to him in the clubhouse.

He said: 'She was visibly upset. She said Lodgy thinks it's okay to lift my skirt over my head.'

The case continues.
THIS is the first picture of the man police have arrested over the murder of a British mother in Athens.

The 43-year-old Georgian national was stopped on the Greek border with Bulgaria on Friday and immediately linked to Caroline Crouchs brutal death.

Miss Crouch was tortured and killed in front of her 11-month-old daughter Lydia while her husband, helicopter pilot Charalambos Anagnostopoulos, 33, lay bound and gagged at their home in an affluent suburb in the Greek capital.

Mr Anagnostopoulos came face to face with the suspect at a police station yesterday to try to determine whether he was one of the three men who broke into his home.

It is not known if he was able to identify the Georgian, but the suspect fits the description of the ringleader of the gang the pilot saw during the raid through a gap in his blindfold.

A Georgian man suspected of savagely killing a British mother Caroline Crouch, 20, during a burglary at her home in Greece has been seen attending court to answer charges relating to another burglary 20 minutes from where Ms Crouch lived

Briton Caroline Crouch (left) was strangled to death in front of her daughter during a horror break-in which husband Babis Anagnostopoulos (right) survived

Photos taken today show him covered in a dark hoodie being led into an Athens courthouse to answer a charge of robbery for the incident two months ago

Police arrested the unidentified 43-year-old last week as he tried to flee the country on a false passport because he had previously been linked to a similar burglary to the one in which Ms Crouch was killed

Wearing a black tracksuit with a hoodie wrapped around his face and his hands cuffed behind his back, the suspect was later marched into a courthouse by two police officers for a short hearing closed to the public.

He has been charged with carrying out a violent burglary in March that bears striking similarities to the horrifying break-in at Miss Crouchs home in Glyka Nera last Tuesday.

He is accused of being one of five robbers who tied up an elderly couple and their cleaning lady in the brutal raid on a home in Pikermi.

The house is a 20-minute drive from Glyka Nera, where the three men killed Miss Crouch, 20, and strangled the family dog before making off with 10,000 euros in cash and 20,000 worth of jewellery.

The Athens-Macedonia news agency reported: The Georgian criminal told police he had nothing to do with the break-in and Carolines murder.

He has been very apathetic and aloof in the way he speaks to the police about the crimes and about Carolines murder.

A police source said that even if the Georgian wasnt one of the robbers who broke into Miss Crouchs home, he is thought to be part of the same network of criminal gangs.

Meanwhile, it was reported last night that Greek police were hunting an Albanian recently released from prison in connection with Miss Crouchs death.

Caroline was killed at her home in Athens, Greece, that she shared with husband Babis Anagnostopoulos and their infant daughter Lydia

Police say the man matches a description that Babis gave of one of three men who broke into his house near Athens (pictured) and stole 10,000 in cash before killing his wife

Greek police said they were investigating whether the robbers had been tipped off about their victims plans to buy a 100,000-euro plot of land in Drafi, a short drive from Glyka Nera.

Detectives think the thugs believed the cash was in the house, not realising the money had already changed hands.

Investigators believe this theory is consistent with the burglars demands for money even after Mr Anagnostopoulos had directed them to a 10,000-euro stash in a Monopoly box.

Ms Crouch's husband had been tied up and left after the robbery. He had only been able to raise the alarm after using his nose to dial the police on his phone.

The pilot eventually managed to phone police, and officers arrived to find baby Lydia crying and instinctively patting her mother's lifeless body in an apparent attempt to rouse her.

The baby was unhurt but their dog, Bruno, had been strangled to death.

The Georgian suspect was arrested in the Evros region of north-east Greece on Friday. His car was stopped close to the Bulgarian border for a routine check and he was found to have a fake passport, a police source said.

Athens Police said in a statement on Saturday: 'A 43-year-old foreigner was arrested by police officers of the Property Prosecution Department of the Attica Security Directorate, against whom a case had been filed for robbery in collaboration and an Arrest Warrant had been issued.

'He is accused that on 5-3-2021, together with four unknown accomplices, having their full face features covered, entered a house in Pikermi, Attica, immobilized an elderly couple and the domestic worker and deducted money and jewelry.

Babis shared a tribute to his wife Caroline Crouch on Sunday. Under the photo taken on their wedding day he writes: 'Together forever. Have a nice trip my love'

'It is noted that the 43-year-old, at noon on 14-5-2021, in order to leave the country, went to the Border Crossing Point at Evros area, where he was arrested by police officers of the EvrosPassport Control Department, for possession and use of a forged travel document, forgery and of illegal exit from the country.'

Police spokesman George Kalliakmanis said the tactics used by the burglars in March were almost identical to the brutal techniques used by thugs who killed Miss Crouch.

'In that burglary they tied up the old couple and forced them to say where they kept their money,' he said. 'Even after they had found the money they continued to demand where the rest of the couple's valuables were.'

The suspect's court appearance came after Ms Crouch's heartbroken husband shared a picture of their wedding day, telling his wife they would be 'together for ever'.

Ms Crouch, a statistics student at the University of Piraeus, moved to the island of Alonissos with her Filipino mother Susan Dela Cuesta and British father David Crouch, 78, when she was eight. She met her husband on the island four years ago.
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A 50-year-old woman suffered a heart attack after three burglars broke into her home in central Argentina and tied her up before ransacking the residence.

Surveillance video footage shows the suspects entering through the garage door of the residence in the city of Cordoba on May 11, shocking the mother-of-three who was organizing her kitchen.

The unnamed woman's horrified face and screams of fear were evident in harrowing footage of the crime being committed.

She subsequently reached for the glass door and tried to shut it, but was overpowered by the men.

The mom was then wrestled to the floor by her attackers, who bound their victim's hands and legs to stop her from moving.

Security camera captures the moment a woman in Argentina tries to shut close a glass door before her home was burglarized by three men May 11. The mother-of-three suffered a heart attack and remains hospitalized

A mother-of-three is assaulted by one of three burglars who invaded her home in Cordoba, Argentina, on May 11. The married woman was tied up and hours later suffered a heart attack. She remains hospitalized

A suspect (dressed in the red and blue sweatshirt) struggles with the home owner moments after she tried to stop him and his two accomplice from entering the house

According to network tv El Doce, her sons locked themselves in a bedroom located in the second floor of the family home and alerted their father.

While the two men pinned her to the ground, the third suspect went through the home and took a PlayStation, a computer and cash.

The police were called to the house and engaged the burglars in a shootout, wounding and arresting one of the men while his two accomplices fled.

The distraught woman went into cardiac arrest several hours after incident and was rushed to a local medical facility, where she spent two days under intensive care.

Robbery suspects pin down a mother-of-three to the floor inside her home in Cordoba, Argentina. One of the suspects was shot and arrested during a gunfight with the police. Two others are still on-the-run

The victim's husband Fernando Vicente says he blames himself for the home invasion and the heart attack that the woman suffered.

He said that he forgot to properly close the gate after he finished a family lunch and returned to his work office.

Vicente saw at least two of the suspects walking along the sidewalk as he drove off in his vehicle and was not concerned with their presence.

'It is irreparable damage, because of that anguish, that feeling, we will never get over it,' Vicente said.

The two suspects who have not been apprehended by police remain at-large.
A 17 year-old Asian-American girl burned to death inside her Colorado home in 2017 may have been the victim of a hate crime, the FBI have said.

Maggie Long, 17, was purposely set on fire and burned alive in her familys home in Park County in 2017, with Bureau agents revealing a possible new motive Tuesday.

A spokesman told CBS4 they were probing Maggie's unsolved murder as a 'hate crime matter.'

'A Hate Crime is a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by the individual's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity/national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity,' The FBI said in their statement to CBS 4 Denver, which did not offer any further information.

A Bureau spokesman told DailyMail.com that further information about the new line of enquiry would be released on Tuesday evening.

Longs death was ruled a homicide, and authorities later released composite sketches of at least three men they believed were involved in her death, the Associated Press reported.

No-one has ever been arrested for the horrific killing, which rocked the quiet community where Long lived.

Maggie Long, 17, (pictured) was purposely set on fire and burned alive in her family Colorado mountain community home in 2017

Long was killed after leaving school to collect water and cookies for an evening concert she had helped organize.

She was murdered after making it back to her home, with investigators initially believing she had fallen victim to a crime of opportunity.

At least three men - but possibly four - broke in to Long's home and stole jade figurines, as well as two guns, and 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

Worried neighbors reported hearing an argument coming from the Longs' home before it was set alight.

On December 1, 2017 deputies from the Park County Sheriff's Office reported to a house fire at Long's family home in Bailey, Colorado.

After the fire was put out, Long's body was discovered by firefighters.

Investigators believe that a physical altercation took place between Long and her attackers before the fire started, FBI officials said.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said that Long was 'purposely set on fire and burned alive,' AP reported.

A Beretta handgun, an AK-47-style rifle, 2,000 rounds of ammunition, a safe and jade figurines were stolen from the home, leading investigators to consider Long's homicide a 'crime of opportunity' but now the investigations focus has shifted to a potentially bias-motivated crime, CBS 4 Denver reported.

Composite sketches of three of the suspects were released, but no-one has ever been brought to justice over the killing.

Maggie Long was burned alive in her family home (pictured) in 2017. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said that Long was 'purposely set on fire and burned alive,' AP reported

Longs death was ruled a homicide, and authorities released composite sketches of at least three men (pictured) they believed were involved in her death

Three and a half years after Maggie Long's (pictured) death, the FBI told CBS 4 Denver in a statement that they were looking into Long's death as a 'hate crime matter'

Longs sisters, Lynna and Connie Long, said they did not notice any overt Asian discrimination when they lived in the community and found the possibility of her sister being a victim of a hate crime surprising.

'So to have this be a possibility is a little surprising, but at the same time, in some ways it makes sense,' Connie said.

Long's sister Lyanna says she hopes that the new angle in the investigation would help jog locals' memories for any possible anti-Asian American incidents they witnessed around the time of Maggie's murder.

'This is an angle that wasnt looked into in the past, and at this point, it is no stone left unturned. Looking at the extent of violence in this crime, that is certainly an angle to look more closely into,' she said.

DailyMail.com has contacted Long's family for further comment.

The FBIs hate crime investigation into Longs death comes as a series of attacks have targeted Asian Americans nationwide since coronavirus took hold in the U.S. after surfacing in China.

In April, the senate passed a bipartisan anti-discrimination bill to address the rise in hate crimes against Asians in the U.S.

In total, Anti-Asian hate crimes surged 145% in America's largest cities in 2020, while overall hate crimes dropped six percent, the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism reported.

The report indicated that the current rise in anti-Asian crimes is attributed to 'a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic.'

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly called COVID-19 the 'Chinese virus,' and was accused of stoking hatred towards Asian-American people.
Said not having vaccine equity around world was also a risk to health security

Offering the Covid vaccine to children in wealthy countries when high-risk groups in poorer nations remain unvaccinated is 'morally wrong', the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group has said.

Professor Andrew Pollard said it felt 'completely wrong' that vaccines were being rolled out to children who had a 'near-to-zero' risk of severe disease or death from Covid-19 ahead of priority groups from poorer countries.

The scientist, who helped develop the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, went on to say the 'inequity' in the global vaccine rollout was 'absolutely plain to see at this moment in a very troubling way'.

His comments came as it emerged that the UK had secured enough Pfizer vaccines to inoculate children aged 12 and older if it is clinically approved.

Professor Andrew Pollard said it felt 'completely wrong' that vaccines were being rolled out to children who had a 'near-to-zero' risk of severe disease or death from Covid-19 ahead of high-risk groups from poorer nations

Prof Pollard told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus: 'When you look at the overall aim of a global vaccination programme in a pandemic, it's to stop people dying.

'And we know who those people are - that's the over-50s, it's those who've got health conditions and to some extent also healthcare workers and so those are the priority groups.

'We are in a situation at the moment where there are many unvaccinated people in the world but not enough doses for everyone yet.

'But there are many unvaccinated people in the world, whilst people whose risk is extremely low are being vaccinated, including children, who have near-to-zero the risk of severe disease or death.

'That inequity is absolutely plain to see at this moment in a very troubling way as we see the images from South Asia on our televisions of the awful circumstances now - colleagues that are just facing the most appalling circumstances, they're not working in a situation where there's an NHS to support them.

'And it feels completely wrong to be in a situation morally where we were allowing that to happen, whilst in many countries vaccines are being rolled out to younger and younger populations at very, very low risk.'

He added that not having vaccine equity around the world was also a risk to health security, adding: 'If we have better distribution of vaccines, there is some downward pressure on variants of concern.'

The University of Oxford and AstraZeneca committed previously to providing their Covid-19 vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for the duration of the pandemic across the world, and in perpetuity to low and middle-income countries.

On Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK had secured enough of the Pfizer vaccine to offer it to those over the age of 12 if the jab was licensed for use among children in the UK.

The jab has already been approved for use among those over the age of 12 in the US.

Professor Kate O'Brien, from the WHO, said there was an 'enormous gap in equity' between vaccine distribution and access in high-income countries compared to low-income countries.

She told parliamentarians: 'Some countries, including the UK, are advancing well beyond that highest priority group.

'Some countries (are) considering immunisation of children, which is really about a transmission objective.

'We have this really substantial gap between what some countries are achieving in terms of access and immunisation, while at the same time other countries are at the beginning of covering those highest priority groups.

'It poses risks for every country for variants of concern.

Pictured: A nurse administers the coronavirus vaccine to a patient at the Haxby and Wigginton Group Medical Practice in Haxby

Britain confirmed another 2,412 Covid infections, down two per cent on the same time last week

Department of Health data showed another seven Covid deaths were recorded today, down by 65 per cent from last Tuesday when 20 were recorded

'And from an economic perspective, we are so interconnected around the world that the recovery of the economy domestically is dependent on a recovery globally as well.'

Professor Gavin Yamey, director of the Centre for Policy Impact in Global Health at Duke University in the US, said he was worried that richer countries would hoard vaccines for potential booster shots needed in the future.

'I really think we need to acknowledge that it's fine to continue donating, but there has to be a long-term vision - this pandemic could be with us for years, is it really just going to be charity, you know, drip, drip, drip of a few doses from rich countries? That's not a long-term vision,' he said.

Prof O'Brien added that more action could be taken by high-income countries and manufacturers to release vaccines quickly.

This could include countries who had secured early access deals, and manufacturers, to release doses to the vaccine-sharing facility Covax.

'Firstly, it really is about countries allowing manufacturers to put Covax first in the line,' she said.

'Secondly, releasing doses that they already have access to. Third is raw material release as well. And finally, fully funding Covax.'

Earlier today, positive test data revealed the Indian variant had already overtaken the Kent strain in 23 English local authorities and had spread to 40 per cent of the country.

Analysis of samples from people infected with Covid revealed that by the week ending May 8, the variant accounted for eight in 10 cases in hotspots Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen, Sefton and Bedford, as well as in Chelmsford in Essex and Croydon in London.

Data suggested it was also dominant - accounting for more than half of all positive tests - in Nottingham, West Lancashire, Stevenage, Oadby and Wigston, South Northamptonshire, Broxbourne, Hillingdon, Brent, Camden, Hounslow, Greenwich, Bromley, Dartford, Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Rushmoor and Hart.

Despite the worrying development, the Prime Minister stressed that the roadmap out of lockdown was currently unchanged with the government sifting through emerging data about the fast-spreading strain.

But he appeared to shift his language slightly by saying there was not yet 'conclusive' evidence that the roadmap would need to be altered and said things would be clearer in a 'few days'.
Mr John's family paid tribute to father-of-two who was at 'adored by everyone'

The collision happened on A478 near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire, west Wales

The collision happened on A478 near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire, west Wales

Chris John, 31, died at scene after his car crashed into the school bus on Monday

Chris John, 31, died at scene after his car crashed into the school bus on Monday

Tributes have been paid to a 'beloved' father-of-two who was 'adored by everyone' after he was killed in a collision with a school bus which injured 17 children.

Chris John, 31, died at the scene after his car crashed into the bus on the A478 near the village of Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, at around 8.30am on Monday.

Police, fire crews, ambulance personnel and an air ambulance helicopter were called to the scene following the crash on the A478.

Seventeen children on the bus suffered minor injuries, with two needing to be taken to hospital, following the incident.

The bus had been taking pupils to Ysgol y Preseli, a secondary school in the village of Crymych, when it was involved in the collision.

Tributes have been paid Chris John, 31, who died after his car crashed into a school bus on the A478 near the village of Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, at around 8.30am on Monday

Emergency tams arrive to the scene on the A478 near the village of Llandissilio following the fatal crash

Mr John, who was from the nearby village of Clynderwen, west Wales, died at the scene.

In a statement, Mr John's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the sudden loss of the father-of-two who was 'adored by everyone'.

They said: 'Our whole family has been left devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Chris, a beloved father, husband, son and brother.

'Chris adored and was adored by everyone whose lives he touched, especially his two young daughters.

'While family was always his first passion, we are immensely proud of his sporting success, representing his country at short mat bowls alongside his father and younger brother.

'Our family have been moved by the support of his and our many friends, both in Llanboidy where he grew up and his home of Clynderwen. We would now like time to grieve and would ask to be given privacy in which to do so.'

Mr John's family said they had been left 'devastated' by the sudden loss of the father-of-two who was 'adored by everyone'

Emergency services on the A478 near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire after the crash

Dyfed-Powys Police said on Monday that 'a number of children' had been taken to hospital with 'minor injuries'.

Following the crash yesterday a Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at approximately 8.39am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision involving a bus and car near Efailwen.

'We responded with four emergency ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and our emergency medical retrieval and transfer service in the Wales Air Ambulance.

'Three patients were conveyed to hospital - two to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and one to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.'

A Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service are currently in attendance of a road traffic collision on the A478 near Llandissilio, Clunderwen.

'Joint fire control received the first call at 8.40am today. The incident is currently ongoing.'

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: 'We are at the scene of a serious collision on the A478 near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire.

'The incident was reported to police at 8.35am, and the ambulance and fire services are also in attendance. The collision involved a motorcar and a bus carrying school children.

'A number of children received minor injuries with two taken to hospital by ambulance with what are described as minor injuries. The road is currently closed and officers remain at the scene.'

And a spokesman for Pembrokeshire Council said: 'The A478 in Pembrokeshire has been closed this morning following a serious collision involving a school bus and another vehicle.

'The collision happened at around 8.30am as the bus was taking pupils to Ysgol y Preseli. Emergency services are at the scene and the road remains closed whilst the emergency services deal with the incident.

'Parents and guardians of the young people travelling on the bus have been contacted to collect their children.'
A group of Republicans operative has founded an organization called Unsilenced Majority to fight the left's cancel culture by encouraging everyday Americans to boycott politicians and corporations that go 'woke'.

The group is being spearheaded by Mike Davis, a former staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Sen. Chuck Grassley, who says he'll give liberals a 'taste of their own medicine' by subjecting them to the same rules they hold conservatives to.

He has also recruited Andy Surabian, a Steve Bannon associate who was an adviser to Donald Trump Jr., and Will Prior, who worked in the Department of Justice as a spokesperson during Trump's presidency.

Their mission is to take on corporations that 'go woke' by encouraging every say Americans to boycott them and they list their core principles as free expression, corporate wokeism, worker firings and cancel culture in education.

They also plan to take on Silicon Valley and its censorship of voices tit disagrees with in the media and among individuals.

In their mission statement, they say on their website: 'We strongly believe that corporate censorship, thought-policing and politically motivated blacklists and boycotts are having a corrosive effect on our country and will ultimately lead to a less free world.

The group is being spearheaded by Mike Davis, a former staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Sen. Chuck Grassley.

'We also believe that freedom of speech and diversity of thought are fundamental bedrocks of a free society and should always be protected and celebrated.

'Unsilenced Majority speaks for an emboldened majority of Americans who recognize the imminent threat that cancel culture poses to our nation.'

Among the type of firings they say they'll combat is that of Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was was fired for calling Critical Race Theory Marxist.

Lohmeier had been the commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, when he spoke about the rise of Marxism and Critical Race Theory in the armed forces on an episode of the 'Information Operation' podcast.

He said the comments were not meant to be partisan, but were instead meant to call out extremism in the armed forces.

In a statement about his firing, Davis said: 'Lt. Col. Lohmeiers firing is a pretext to silencing disfavored views within the Biden administration rather than a legitimate response to a patriotic officer exercising his First Amendment rights.

'Lt. Col. Lohmeier was informed that his book did not require preapproval  so why would his free speech otherwise require approval? The Pentagons top brass showed their hand by labeling anti-Marxism as partisan politics.'

Over the last year, liberal issues and ideologies have swept through America and the rest of the world and are now dominating school curriculum, social media and corporate governance.

Mike Davis, who used to work for Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, is the head of the organizaton but Republican operative Andy Surabian is also involved. Surabian is a long-time associate of Steve Bannon and was an adviser of Donald Trump Jr

Will Chamberlain, the group's lawyer (left) and Ian Prior (right), the spokesperson, who held a position in The Department of Justice during Trump's presidency

Many parents of children in private schools have pulled them out of them in protest over them.

Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier was fired for calling CRT Marxist. His case is the type that the organization says they'll fight

While people on the left say that many are just being held accountable, others - namely Republicans - say it's going too far but they are fearful of speaking out in case they are canceled.

The group is asking for donations from the public.

It's unclear how it will function - if they will go to bat for people who have been 'canceled', or they will solely take down people and organizations who 'go woke'.

One way they'll tackle cancel culture is by fighting Silicon Valley and its censorship over all voices it doesn't agree with.

'Cancel culture has become so pervasive that many Americans often find themselves self-censoring for fear of what might happen to them if they express an unpopular opinion or even express skepticism of a woke truism.

'If the American citizenry cannot freely express itself without fear of retribution, the premise of our American democratic republic begins to crumble,' the group says on its website.
A lawyer for the QAnon Shaman who claims his client was following President Trump's invitation when he stormed the US Capitol says a lot of the MAGA rioters are 'retarded' and on the 'goddamn spectrum'.

Jacob Chansley, the self-described QAnon Shaman who was pictured inside the US Capitol wearing a horned hat, is among those awaiting potential prison sentences after being charged over the January 6 riots.

In an expletive-laden interview with Talking Points Memo, Chansley's attorney Albert Watkins suggested that his 33-year-old client's mental state and Trump's so-called 'propaganda' would play a role in his case.

'A lot of these defendants - and I'm going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully - but they're all f***ing short-bus people,' Watkins said.

'These are people with brain damage, they're f***ing retarded, they're on the goddamn spectrum.

Jacob Chansley, the self-described QAnon Shaman who was pictured inside the US Capitol wearing a horned hat, is among those awaiting potential prison sentences after being charged over the January 6 riots

'But they're our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our coworkers - they're part of our country. These aren't bad people, they don't have prior criminal history.

'F**k, they were subjected to four-plus years of goddamn propaganda the likes of which the world has not seen since f**ing Hitler.'

In an expletive-laden interview with Talking Points Memo , Chansley's attorney Albert Watkins suggested that his 33-year-old client's mental state and Trump's so-called 'propaganda' would play a role in his case

Watkins noted that his client, who remains jailed on charges of civil disorder and five other counts, has Asperger's syndrome.

The attorney had previously tried to argue that Trump was to blame for Chansley's actions the day he stormed the Capitol carrying a spear draped with an American flag.

He told the judge during a pre-trial hearing in March that Chansley had gone to the Capitol 'like Forrest Gump' at Trump's invitation.

'We're not dealing with a man of violence,' Watkins said.

'They genuinely believed in the truth of what was being asserted by the highest hired hand in the land, the president.'

He had claimed that Trump had drawn Chansley into a web of lies.

Watkins had argued that Chansley believed police were allowing him and other protesters to enter the Capitol building, which his client later repeated in an interview with 60 Minutes from jail.

Watkins noted that his client, who remains jailed on charges of civil disorder and five other counts, has Asperger's syndrome

The attorney had previously tried to argue that Trump was to blame for Chansley's actions because he'd dragged him into a web of lies. Trump is pictured at the Save America Rally before rioters stormed the Capitol

The judge later branded Chansley a liar after footage submitted by the prosecution showed him standing atop scaffolding while rioters clashed with police officers below.

He was later filmed walking through a doorway into the Capitol after rioters broke windows.

'The government's video shows that defendant blatantly lied during his interview with 60 Minutes+ when he said that police officers waved him into the building,' the judge wrote.

'Further, this video confirms that defendant did not, as defense counsel claims, enter the building' contemporaneously with the exiting by Capitol Police.' [] Nor did he enter, as defence counsel represents, in the 'third wave' of the breach. To the contrary, he quite literally spearheaded it.'

The attorney for another Capitol rioter, Anthony Antonio, has previously blamed 'Foxitis' for his client's role because he spent hours after home during the COVID-19 pandemic watching Fox News and Trump's claims of a stolen election.

Joe Hurley told Talking Points that his prior Foxitis remarks were not a defense but rather 'pointing the finger of accusation where it belongs: to the slithery snake', referring to Trump.

'I want to separate him out from that herd of thugs that belong behind bars to set an example for the rest of the thugs that are out there,' Hurley said.
Colonial Pipeline is having network issues preventing shippers from planning upcoming shipments of fuel, just after the nation's biggest fuel pipeline reopened after a week-long ransomware attack.

The disruption was caused by efforts by the company to harden its system as it restores service following the cyberattack, and was not the result of a reinfection of its network, Colonial said Tuesday.

The company did not say when the issue would be fixed, but said it was still delivering products that had already been scheduled by shippers.

Colonial said in a statement that its network was experiencing 'intermittent disruptions' but that 'these issues were not related to the ransomware or any type of reinfection.'

An Exxon station in DC is seen out of gas after a cyberattack crippled the biggest fuel pipeline in the country. On Tuesday, 70% of DC gas stations were still dry

The company blamed 'the hardening efforts that are ongoing and part of our restoration process.'

Last week's closure of the 5,500-mile pipeline system was the most disruptive cyberattack on record, preventing millions of barrels of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from flowing to the East Coast from the Gulf Coast.

As of Tuesday, around 10,000 filling stations were still without fuel, according to tracking firm GasBuddy, down from more than 16,000 at the peak last week.

A staggering nearly 70 percent of gas stations in Washington DC were still without fuel, down from 90 percent over the weekend, as were nearly half in North Carolina, according to GasBuddy.

In South Carolina, 40.3 percent of gas stations were dry, followed by 37.5 percent in Georgia and 25.2 percent in Virginia.

'The number of stations without gasoline is likely to drop under 10,000 today,' said GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan on Tuesday.

Colonial restored flow to its network last week, but experienced new disruptions on Tuesday

A bagged nozzle at a pump in North Carolina notifies motorists that it no longer has fuel on May 12 after a cyberattack crippled the biggest fuel pipeline in the country

The national average price of gas dropped slightly on Tuesday to $3.043, after breaking $3 for the first time since 2014, according to the AAA Gas Price Index.

As shippers race to catch up with demand, Colonial has been using its shipper nomination system to schedule batches of fuel deliveries to bring flows back to normal.

A prolonged network outage could prevent shippers from adding to or making changes to deliveries - which would hamper delivery across the U.S. southeast and east coasts just after the line reopened.

After the ransomware attack forced Colonial to shut its entire network, thousands of gas stations across the U.S. southeast ran out of fuel. Motorists fearing prolonged shortages raced to fill up their cars.

Colonial's shipping nomination system is operated by a third party, privately-held Transport4, or T4, which handles similar logistics for other pipeline companies.

T4 could not say when the issue would be fixed, and did not comment on whether its systems for other pipelines were affected.

An Exxon gas station in Washington, DC that still has gas shows high prices on Monday

Colonial Pipeline was taken offline on May 7, in a ransomware attack that the FBI attributed to the Russia-linked hacking gang DarkSide.

The company reportedly paid a $5 million ransom to the hackers for a decryption key to restore access to its servers, but the disruption persisted for nearly a week.

The ransom payment drew harsh criticism from cybersecurity experts, who said that it would encourage further ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure.

Last Friday, DarkSide's servers were apparently seized by unknown actors.

US cyber security firm Recorded Future said that Darkside had admitted in a web post that it lost access to certain servers used for its blog and for ransom payments.

Recorded Future threat intelligence analyst Dmitry Smilyanets said he found a Russian language comment on a ransomware website ostensibly from 'Darksupp', described as the operator of Darkside.

'A few hours ago, we lost access to the public part of our infrastructure, namely: Blog. Payment server. DOS servers,' Darksupp wrote.

Accessed via TOR on the dark web, the Darkside site address showed a notice saying it could not be found.
A university has apologised for cancelling a lecture by a visiting professor after her views on transgender people were attacked by students and staff.

Open University criminology professor Jo Phoenix was booked to give a lecture entitled 'Trans rights and justice: complicated contours in contemporary sex, gender and sexualities politics when thinking about issues of justice and punishment' at the University of Essex in 2019.

It was set to explore tensions around placing transgender women - who were born men - in female prisons in Britain.

But the Centre for Criminology cancelled the event a few hours ahead of it taking place, citing concerns that the 'open debate and discussion might be obstructed'.

Vice chancellor of Essex University Anthony Forster yesterday published the findings of a review into the lecture being cancelled, and issued four separate apologies to Prof Phoenix.

Last week, the Queen's Speech unveiled a new bill threatening institutions and student unions in England and Wales with fines of 500,000 if they bar controversial guests.

Universities have been dogged in the past few years by 'no-platforming' campaigns which saw well-known and highly respected speakers blocked from giving talks over views deemed too 'controversial'.

Open University criminology professor Jo Phoenix was set to give a lecture entitled 'Trans rights and justice: complicated contours in contemporary sex, gender and sexualities politics when thinking about issues of justice and punishment' at the University of Essex

Students branded Prof Phoenix a 'transphobe' on social media after the contents of her talk was revealed in 2019.

A flyer was circulated around campus which featured an image of a gun pointed at the reader and the words 'shut the f*** up TERF'.

The term stands for trans exclusionary radical feminist.

Prof Phoenix had successfully given the lecture at the University of Newfoundland in Canada a month earlier to an audience that included transgender scholars without any controversy.

An Essex University staff member had warned Prof Phoenix that some LGBT faculty and students had claimed they would not feel safe if the talk went ahead.

By the afternoon, the university revealed its decision to cancel the talk, claiming disruption from students was inevitable.

But the Centre for Criminology at the University of Essex (pictured) cancelled the event a few hours ahead of it taking place, citing concerns that the 'open debate and discussion might be obstructed'

It also claimed it was unlikely any proper academic discussion could come from it.

At the time Prof Phoenix said: 'I was furious - it was very clear to me that those agitating were fundamentally anti-academic because they condemned me and my research without hearing what I had to say.'

Prof Phoenix insists she is not transphobic.

She said all transgender scholars at the University of Newfoundland 'liked' the talk, and claimed 'there is something unique about what is going on in the UK'.

In December, vice chancellor of Essex University Prof Forster launched a review into what happened.

He yesterday issued a public apology to Prof Phoenix for the 'distress caused by the cancellation of the Centre For Criminology seminar on Trans Rights, Imprisonment and the Criminal Jusrice system which was to have taken place on December 5, 2019'.

Vice chancellor of Essex University Anthony Forster (pictured) today published the findings of a review into the lecture being cancelled, and issued four separate apologies to Prof Phoenix

He added: 'A review has now been concluded which included consideration of the circumstances resulting in and arising from the cancellation of the seminar.

'After meetings today to consider the report, we will be taking immediate action in relation to all of the recommendations.

Prof Forster said Prof Phoenix would be invited back to campus to present her seminar.

He said: 'On behalf of the University I accept and apologise for the fact that we failed to plan adequately for the seminar resulting in the event being cancelled at the last minute because of a risk of disruption.

'We failed to take immediate action about a flyer that was circulating containing violent and profane imagery which was was targeted at you.

'We inappropriately asked you to provide a copy of your seminar for vetting and we infringed on your freedom of speech with justification by rescinding the invitation to present a seminar and not to invite you to present a future seminar in the Department of Sociology.'

Responding on Twitter Prof Phoenix said: 'LONG TIME COMING ESSEX but thank you to the vice chancellor and the exec for undertaking this review and publishing it.

'It's findings and recommendations are an important counterbalance to the attacks on gender critical views and gender critical research.

'I welcome that apology and welcome the approach taken - even if it took eighteen months to complete.

'The report is very clear about a number of things: The fact that dis-inviting a speaker is out with current legislative framework and that the university failed to take immediate action regarding a violent and profane flyer that was targeted at me with SHUT THE F**K UP TERF text, a visual of a gun pointed at the reader and a list of examples of my alleged transphobia.

'That I was inappropriately asked to supply a copy of my seminar presentation for vetting and that they 'infringed [my] freedom of speech without justification by deciding on 11 December 2019: (a) to rescind the invitation to present a seminar; and (b) not to invite me to present a future seminar in the Department of Sociology.'
Former Vice President Mike Pence assigned blame to President Joe Biden for the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying that 'weakness arouses evil.'

On Tuesday, Pence - a likely Republican 2024 presidential candidate - was out with a new video message and an op-ed for National Review touting the Trump-Pence administration's 'unrivaled' commitment to Israel.

'But from the moment President Biden took office, all that changed, and the results have reignited violence,' Pence said in the video, adding that Biden has lost 'four years of progress toward peace.'

Former Vice Presidnet Mike Pence was out with a video message Tuesday blasting President Joe Biden's 'weakness' on Isreal

Pence said Biden (pictured) shouldn't have started giving U.S. dollars to the Palestinian Authority and indicated interest in rejoining the Iran nuclear deal

Palestinian protesters confront Israeli troops at the Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday

'Instead of seeking peace through strength, President Biden has offered weakness and ambivalence and, tragically, our friends in Israel are paying a terrible price,' Pence also said.

Pence said the Biden administration was making a 'false equivalency' between Isreal and Hamas.

'One is a sovereign nation with a legitimate government, and a trusted ally. The other, an internationally recognized terrorist organization that has now fired more than 3,000 rockets at Jewish families and business in the past week alone,' Pence said. 'There is no moral equivalency between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.'

Pence outlined a number of Biden policies he believed contributed to the fresh conflict.

He blasted Biden for restoring U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority and indicating a willingness to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2018.

That deal had been negotiated by President Barack Obama's administration, while Biden was serving as vice president.

He promoted the last administration's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and pointed to the Abraham Accords, peace deals between Israel and United Arab Emirates and also Bahrain, which were negotiated during Trump's term in office.

Pence hit Biden and Congressional Democrats - some of whom have been extremely critical of Israel's response to Hamas' rocket attacks - saying they 'abandoned unambiguous support for our ally Israel, emboldened our enemies, and turned their back on the policy that yielded historic peace deals in the Middle East.'

'Apparently, Biden learned nothing from the tragic foreign-policy blunders made during his time as vice president. President Obama's thin "red line" in Syria, his decision to "lead from behind" in Libya, and his slipshod withdrawal from Iraq each created power vacuums that were quickly filled by Americas enemies,' Pence wrote in National Review.

'Now Biden is repeating those grave errors by creating a power vacuum of his own. He has replaced strength with weakness, moral clarity with confusion, and loyalty with betrayal,' Pence continued. 'Biden's void, too, is being filled by America's enemies - and Israelis are paying the price in blood.'

'Americans should pray for the peace of Jerusalem and stand without apology for our most cherished ally, Israel, until the violence is quelled and Israels security is restored,' the former vice president added.

During the Trump years, the now former president put his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of coming up with a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

It was rejected, in part, because it was too biased in favor of Israel.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki pointed to Kushner's plan when asked Tuesday if the Biden administration believed the thinking behind the Abraham Accords should be reconsidered.

'I would say that we are not following the same tactics of the prior administration. We - the president has reinstated humanitarian assistance and security assistance to the Palestinians. That's something that was stopped back in 2018 and we felt was not a constructive action by the prior administration,' Psaki said.

'Aside from putting forward a peace proposal that was dead on arrival, we don't think they did anything constructive, really, to bring an end to the longstanding conflict in the Middle East,' the press secretary added.
Childcare shortages are not a factor in keeping parents from returning to the pandemic-crippled economy, according to a new study by one of President Barack Obama's top economic advisers.

The findings suggest President Joe Biden's proposals to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on childcare will make little difference to easing the country's staffing crisis as businesses complain they cannot fill jobs.

And conservatives immediately said it was evidence of a president sneaking through a radical agenda under cover of COVID-19 recovery efforts.

In fact, the study led by Jason Furman, a Harvard academic and chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under Obama, found that employment rates of parents with young children declined by less (4.5%) than people without children (5.2%).

Jason Furman served under President Obama from 2013 to 2017. He said his analysis other factors than childcare - such as generous unemployment benefits - might be to blame for keeping people from taking up jobs

Analysis by Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Obama, found that parents with young children suffered shallower employment declines during the pandemic than people without children. Although mothers encountered more difficulties, their impact on the economy was less than that of fathers, who fared better than other groups

The latest jobs report showed that far fewer jobs returned in April than were forecast, sending shockwaves through the Biden administration's recovery efforts

'As recently as a week and a half ago I was citing childcare and parenting as one of the reasons for the slow return of labor supply,' he told DailyMail.com.

'And then I realized I should figure out how big a reason.

'So I started to quantify it. And the first answer I came up with was basically zero.'

He crunched the numbers again and again - as befits an economist once nicknamed 'the wonkiest wonk in the White House' by the Washington Post - but kept coming up with the same result.

Furman said he crunched the numbers dozens of times but kept coming up with the same result - that there was no difference in employment declines between people with children and people without

His findings have been published as a blog post by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

He and his team found that although women with young children left the workforce at a slightly higher rate than women without, their numbers were more than made up for by men for whom the opposite was true.

When he factored in education, age, job sector and other details, even that small gender difference was reduced away.

That did not mean it was not important to spend money on childcare or pre-school education, he added, but that it might not change problems in the labor market where vacancies have reached record highs of more than 8 million and employers say they cannot find workers to fill them.

Instead, he said economists would have to look for other reasons why workers are staying home.

We have to look for other suspects and explanations,' he said.

'For me it raises, indirectly perhaps, the odds that unemployment insurance is playing a role in labor supply and I'd want to scour that.'

Furman said there were good reasons for expanding childcare but that tying it to the pandemic might be a rhetorical device rather than the key reason for spending

His findings will be a blow to the White House.

It has taken pains to defend keeping a $300-a-week unemployment subsidy which conservatives say makes minimum wage jobs undesirable.

At the same time, officials have been selling ambitious childcare plans as part of an effort to rebuild the economy.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said it was time the left stopped using the pandemic as a political weapon.

'The Democrat Party's playbook has always been to use the pandemic to push forth their radical agenda and take control of the American people's lives,' he said.

'Bidenomics is proof that more government doesn't work and expanding government dependence will only stagnate the economy and those in the middle and lower class.'

Tomas Philipson, who was chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Trump, said it emphasized the Biden administration's mismanagement.

'We currently have a simultaneous excess supply of workers, unemployment, at the same time we have excess demand for them,' he said.

'This is due to bad government policies such as paying people more not to work than working and forcing home schooling.'

Officials have been buffeted by recent jobs numbers that suggest a stalling recovery. They have repeatedly cited childcare shortages as a factor.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said parents were struggling to juggle responsibilities as she explained poor jobs growth in April, when payrolls increased by 266,000 - far less than the almost one million forecast.

'So caregiving responsibilities and absence of childcare are still important reasons why people are unable to return to work,' she told reporters at the White House.

Subsequent data showed that employers were struggling to find people to fill vacancies. Job openings hit a record 8.1 million at the end of March, the highest since records began.

The sector has already benefited from Biden's spending. His $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan included some $40 billion for childcare.

President Biden traveled to Michigan on Tuesday to highlight his plans to rebuild American infrastructure and kickstart the economy. However, his claims that childcare problems are keeping workers at home faces challenge from one of Barack Obama's top economists

Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal record highs for job vacancies at more than 8million on last day of March as businesses struggle to recruit staff

And the $1.8 trillion of spending increases and tax credits of his American Families Plan includes $225 billion to be invested in childcare providers and to help parents meet costs.

Biden has frequently said the money will help families overcome barriers to return to work.

'We're going to provide real help for people struggling with the challenge of childcare, which is making it hard for many parents who need to work  especially women  to get back to work,' he said last week.

But the pandemic has already delivered improvements for working parents, said Rachel Greszler, research fellow at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, such as remote working and increased flexibility.

While women suffered disproportionately early in the pandemic, she said, they have bounced back on to an equal footing since suggesting daycare closures were not now the main factor.

'I don't think it makes sense to enact permanent government programs in the name of a temporary problem that no longer exists, and where we are already on an upward trajectory and a more positive outlook for women,' she said.

'I think a lot of the policies they are proposing are actually going to create new barriers.'

An administration official defended its spending plans, saying the report agreed women with children faced burdens as they balanced work and care for children.

'And, importantly, mothers' participation rates began rising again after November 2020, aligning with school re-openings and aggressive vaccine distribution, and, as the paper shows, have almost re-converged with women without children,' said the official.

'In other words, the paper's key result provides another piece of evidence that the president's leadership and the Rescue Plan are helping families with kids get to the other side of this crisis.'
Police arrested North Portland man Shane Finnell, 25, Sunday morning and charged him with second-degree murder in the killing of his sister in law, Alexandra Arb-Bloodgood, 29. Police say he shot her in the back of the head after he got into an argument with his brother over laundry

An Oregon man allegedly shot his sister-in-law Sunday morning after an argument he had with his brother over laundry, police reported.

Officers arrived at the scene of the shooting at 8:34 a.m. to find Alexandra Arb-Bloodgood, 29, dead in her suburban North Portland home from a gunshot wound to the head, according to court documents.

Police arrested, Shane Finnell, 25, on the scene and charged him with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the killing.

When he encountered the officers on the front lawn of the house, Finnell reportedly told them, 'I did a horrible thing,' before he was taken into custody.

Finnell's brother, Jordan Arb, reportedly told police that the shooting took place after the two got into an argument over laundry, during which Finnell threw a houseplant at Arb.

After the argument, Finnell allegedly walked up behind Arb-Bloodgood with a chrome-plated revolver and shot her in the back of the head as she sat in a chair on the rear patio of her home.

Court records from a dismissed, month-old speeding ticket suggest that the three lived together in the home, The Oregonian reported. Details on Finnell's employment status weren't clear.

Upstairs neighbor Jacob Chow told police that he heard a single gunshot before looking outside to see Finnell standing across the street appearing upset and 'flailing' his arms.

Family described Arb-Bloodgood as 'a great person.' A dismissed speeding ticket suggests that Finnell lived with her and her husband, Jordan Arb

When Chow asked Finnell what happened, he reportedly told him that he had shot 'Alex,' referring to his brother's wife.

Matt Bloodgood, Arb-Bloodgood's brother, told Fox 12 that he was still in shock and that the killing was, 'Something that should never happen to anyone.'

'She was just a great person,' he said, describing her as 'very feisty,' and adding 'Word's cant even describe what kind of person she really was.'

'If you ever have anyone that expresses any desire to hurt themselves or others don't hesitate to try and do something about it,' he said.

'I guess that's the biggest thing we can pull out of it.'

The Portland Police Bureau reported that this was the 32nd homicide in the city this year.

According to the city's crime statistics there had been four homicides at the same time last year, and three the year before that.
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President Joe Biden got to test drive Ford's first electric truck during a stop in Michigan on Tuesday to tout his infrastructure plan, saying 'this sucker's quick.'

He capped his visit to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn with a surprise stop to speed his way around the test track.

During his factory tour, he got an advance look at the forthcoming electric version of the Ford F150 Lighting truck. He bragged he got to sit in and said during his remarks he wished he could take it for a spin.

'I'd sure like to drive it,' Biden, 78, said. 'I wonder whether or not I can lose the Secret Service and go out to the track.'

He didn't ditch the Secret Service but he did make a stop at the testing track and get to drive a grey-ish version of the vehicle.

He sped by, later saying he took the truck up 80, and then stopped the truck to speak with the reporters traveling with him.

Biden stuck his head out of the window, wearing his signature aviator sunglasses, and said: 'This sucker's quick.'

He said he'd buy one if he could. The truck goes on sale Wednesday and will compete against the GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck and Lordstown Endurance full-size electric pickups.

'I'm just gonna step on it. I'll come off at 80 miles an hour,' Biden said.

One reporter asked the president if she could ask him about Israel.

'No, you can't,' he responded. 'Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. I'm only teasing.'

The president said the truck goes 0-60 in about 4.4 seconds. He then floored it with a Secret Service agent sitting beside him. The president eventually turned around and honked as he drove by the reporters.

President Joe Biden paused to talk to reporters during his test drive of the new Ford F-150 Lighting, its first electric truck

President Biden took the truck for a spin on the test tracking, saying 'this sucker's quick'

President Biden said he would buy one of the electric trucks if he could

President Biden visited the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, to tout electric cars as the future of the auto industry, in his remarks he joked he hoped he got to take one for a test drive

President Biden said the truck goes 0-60 in about 4.4 seconds

Biden spoke at the Ford factory in Dearborn with one of the new electric trucks behind him (third truck from right); the Ford F-150 Lighting comes out on Wednesday

Biden is a longtime auto connoisseur.

He ran to the podium to make his remarks and introduced himself as: 'My name is Joe Biden and I'm a car guy.'

He used his speech to blast Donald Trump, saying his predecessor did nothing on infrastructure.

Biden mocked Trump for talking about infrastructure week without passing any legislation on the issue.

'They announced infrastructure week and they announced it and announced it and announced it and announced it. Every week for four years and didn't do a damn thing,' he said at the Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan.

Infrastructure became something of a running joke in the Trump years with Trump and his officials touting it as an area they could work with Democrats on - yet no progress was made on the matter.

Biden has yet to make any progress either. The president announced a $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan with a heavy focus on infrastructure but Republicans denounced its high price tag and its focus on other items, such as money for schools and the climate.

In his remarks, he outlined the future he envisions for the United States, with his infrastructure plan as a way to tackle climate change and create jobs.

'If we act to save the planet we can create millions good paying jobs, generate significant economic growth opportunity to raise the standard for people not only here, but around the world,' Biden said.

He argued the future of autos is electric and said the United States can't let China beat them in the new future of the industry.

'Right now, China is leading in this race,' he said.

China is one of the fastest growing markets for electric vehicles. Chinese manufacturers have started selling them in Europe.

'They will not win this race. We will not let them,' he said.

'Folks, the rest of the world is moving fast, or moving ahead, they're not waiting for the United States of America. Government, labor and industry working together have to step up and we have a playbook that will work,' Biden added.

Ford will release their F150 Lighting truck on Wednesday

He said he'd reverse the Trump administration's roll back of vehicle emissions. His infrastructure plan includes $174 billion in funding for electric vehicles, charging stations, and incentives for consumer purchases.

He noted his meetings with Republicans on infrastructure and expressed optimism both sides could come together on a deal.

'We believe we can find a bipartisan deal and infrastructure. And we look forward to hearing more details of their proposal and submit counterproposal either later today or tomorrow, but we make one thing clear. We'll compromise, but doing nothing is not an option, doing nothing is not an option,' he said.

But Biden wants to pay for his plan with a new tax on corporations, which Republicans call a non starter. The president wants to raise the corporate income tax from 21% to 28%.

Republicans proposed a smaller, more scaled back plan that focuses on traditional infrastructure. They would pay for it with a combination of user fees, including for electric vehicles, and on redirecting unspent federal dollars.

Biden argues all the elements in his plan pertain to the national infrastructure.

He has said he'd like to see progress by Memorial Day.

'In terms of where we will be right before or around Memorial Day, our hope is that we will have a better sense on the path forward and what the opportunity is looking ahead,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in her briefing at the White House on Monday.

Biden's father worked at auto dealerships in Delaware, where Biden grew up. Biden touted his father's work and his long time to auto unions during his time in Dearborn.

'Jobs, jobs, union jobs. I'm a union president. Make no bones about it,' he told workers during a tour of the factory.

In his remarks, President Biden blasted Donald Trump as he touted his infrastructure plan, saying his predecessor did nothing on the matter

President Biden is a longtime auto connoisseur. He ran to the podium to make his remarks and introduced himself as: 'My name is Joe Biden and I'm a car guy'

President Biden toured the factory and spoke with auto workers

Outside the factory, protesters slammed Biden's support of Israel

And, after his remarks, he put on his face mask and ran over to greet some workers who were waiting to speak to him.

'The President is a longtime fan of cars,' Psaki said on Air Force One during the flight to Michigan. 'His dad was a car dealer for many years.'

She added the president thinks 'we should do everything we can from the United States government to support this industry, the backbone of many communities including Michigan and our country. The future of the industry is electric.'

He also wants to make the government's fleet of vehicles electric.

Psaki was asked about Biden taking a fleet of gasoline guzzling SUVs to his visit to the plant. The motorcade that runs from the airport to the factory would have at least 20 vehicles in it, including the presidential ride know as 'The Beast.'

'That is certainly our objective,' Psaki said when asked if 'The Beast' would ever be electric but noted it would take time.

'I think it's going to take some time to continue to grow the electric vehicle industry in our country. That's why the president believes there needs to be a historic investment and certainly he's talked about what we can do from the federal fleet as well,' she said.
A repeat sex offender who is suspected of kidnapping and shooting to death his son's 10-year-old half-sister in Iowa had been granted an early release from prison just months before the girl's brutal killing, newly released documents state.

The Iowa Board of Parole granted Henry Dinkins parole from a Davenport minimum-security residential facility in March 2020, determining he was 'able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law abiding citizen.'

'There is a reasonable probability that you can be released without detriment to the community or yourself,' according to the parole order signed by the board's chair, Helen Miller, that The Associated Press obtained on Tuesday under the open records law.

Henry Dinkins, 48 (left), faces murder and kidnapping charges for the July 2020 shooting death of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell (right). Four months prior, he had been granted parole

Less than four months after his parole, Dinkins, a registered sex offender with a history of violent and reckless behavior, allegedly kidnapped Breasia Terrell from a Davenport apartment complex, shot her to death and hid her body in rural eastern Iowa.

At the time he was granted parole, Dinkins, 48, was awaiting trial on felony charges in Illinois of possession of methamphetamine and amphetamine with intent to deliver stemming from an April 2019 traffic stop. It's unclear whether Iowa authorities took that into consideration.

Breasia was the half sister of Dinkins son, and investigators say both children were staying the night with him at an apartment where he was living with a girlfriend.

The girl's July disappearance prompted a months-long search that ended in March when two people fishing near DeWitt discovered her remains in a pond.

Dinkins is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping, each of which carry a possible life term. He is scheduled to be arraigned next month.

Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski In April confirmed that the remains that were found in a pond in March were those of Breasia

Iowa Board of Parole records detail Dinkins' criminal history and some leniency he received along the way, even as he committed crime after crime.

He had been in and out of prison and correctional programs since 1990, when he was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse of a child when he was 17 and required to register as a sex offender.

He had been arrested and cited dozens of times, on charges that include violating sex offender registry requirements, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, domestic violence, drug possession, theft and eluding. A 2009 murder charge was dropped after police said he was a witness, not the killer.

Dinkins, pictured in this November 2020, mugshot, had been in and out of prison since 1990, when he was convicted of sexually assaulting a child

His most recent return to prison stemmed from a March 2019 arrest, in which he was allegedly high on crack and crashed into a Davenport yard while trying to flee from police. It was at least his fifth arrest for operating while intoxicated since 2007.

In 2014, officers used a stun gun and pepper spray to subdue him after he crashed his car while on cocaine. In 2011, he allegedly caused an accident involving multiple semi-trailers and cars when he drove the wrong way on Interstate 80 while intoxicated.

In another incident that year, he drove 90 mph while high through a residential area where children were playing, with his SUV's engine later exploding.

Days after the March 2019 OWI, he was arrested while allegedly in possession of more than 900 grams of meth and 200 grams of amphetamine in Bureau County, Illinois. He was released from jail after posting a $100,000 bond.

Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Dinkins to up to five years in prison in October 2019 for the OWI and barred him from driving for six years. Records show Dinkins served 60 days before he was transferred to the minimum-security Davenport Residential Facility.

There, he completed a four-month substance abuse treatment program and 'secured fulltime employment,' records show. A probation officer recommended he be released by April 6, 2020, then moved up his release date to March 19. Miller approved both requests, ending a sentence that had been projected to last until January 2022.

Waylyn McCulloh, director of the 7th Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Davenport, said the handling of his sentence was 'standard process' for repeat OWI offenders and that the coronavirus pandemic didn't appear to have an impact on the release decision. But he said the case was complicated by the Illinois charges, which have not yet been resolved.

Records show Dinkins appeared in an Illinois courtroom on July 8, 2020, for a conference ahead of a July 27 trial date. Breasia disappeared two days later.

'It's a horrible situation and a horrific crime,' McCulloh said. 'But of course we have to keep in mind that he has yet to be convicted.'
The DarkSide hackers that closed the Colonial Pipeline have bagged more than $90 million in Bitcoin ransom payments from 47 victims and have infected at least 99 companies in the last year.

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said DarkSide's Bitcoin wallet received millions of dollars worth of ransom payments in the nine months between October last year and last week when the wallet shut down.

Roughly half of all organizations targeted by the cybercriminal gang paid ransom money with the average payment being around $1.9 million, Elliptic said.

Dark web intelligence firm DarkTracer has identified 99 organizations that were infected with Darkside including fashion label Guess and car firm Toshiba. It is not clear which companies paid the hackers ransom money.

Colonial Pipeline was the target of a huge cyber attack earlier this month which halted 2.5 million barrels per day of fuel shipments along the line running from Texas to New Jersey.

Officials labeled it the most disruptive cyberattack on US energy infrastructure in history.

The issues continue to rumble on, with the company admitting network issues are now preventing shippers planning upcoming shipments of fuel even after the pipeline resumed service.

The FBI named DarkSide as being behind the attack and Colonial reportedly bowed to the hacker's demands, paying a $5 million ransom in exchange for a decryption key to restore access to its servers.

The DarkSide hackers that closed the Colonial Pipeline have bagged more than $90 million in Bitcoin ransom payments from 47 victims and have infected at least 99 companies in the last year including Guess and Toshiba

Elliptic said on Friday it had identified the Bitcoin wallet used by DarkSide to collect ransom payments from victims of its cyber attacks and that it showed a 75 Bitcoin payment had been made by Colonial Pipeline on May 8.

The company said in a blog post Tuesday that it had used blockchain analysis to examine all wallets used by the cybercriminal gang over the past nine months.

It found 47 payments made by separate wallets to those used by the hackers.

DarkSide bagged the most ransom money in February when it got more than $20 million in payments from 11 victims.

May was set to be another record month, Elliptic said, with around 7 payments totaling almost $15 million before the gang reportedly shut down its operations on May 13 and its wallet was emptied.

DarkTracer identified dozens of organizations infected with Darkside malware prior to the attack on Colonial.

The dark web intelligence firm published its intelligence report on ransomware gangs on Twitter this week, showing a list of 2,203 victims attacked by 34 different gangs.

A total of 99 of these companies fell foul to DarkSide attacks.

This indicates that almost half - 47 percent - of victims paid a ransom to DarkSide and the average payment was $1.9 million.

Companies hacked by DarkSide in the last year include fashion brand Guess and car giant Toshiba France, according to DarkTracer's database.

Guess was targeted in February 2021 and Toshiba in May, according to the database.

Toshiba's French subsidiary announced last week its Toshiba Tec Corp unit - which makes barcode printers and is valued at $2.3 billion - had been hacked by DarkSide.

Of the more than $90 million identified, $15.5 million went to DarkSides developer and the remaining $74.7 million went to its affiliates, Elliptic said

DailyMail.com contacted Guess and Toshiba for comment.

The company said only a minimal amount of work data had been lost.

DarkTracer's database also shows that the hackers targeted companies across a range of industries and sectors including car rental company Discountcar.com, plastic supplier Piedmont Plastics, California-based finance company Oak Valley Community Bank and Guernsey-based ferry company Condor Ferries.

It is not clear which organizations paid ransom money to DarkSide. There is no indication any of these companies did so.

Elliptic said the total ransom money accrued by DarkSide could be even larger as there may be other payments its analysis has not yet uncovered.

Of the more than $90 million identified, $15.5 million went to DarkSides developer and the remaining $74.7 million went to its affiliates, Elliptic said.

This is because DarkSide operates what is called a 'Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) business model.

RaaS means there is a ransomware developer who creates the harmful malware and then sells it to others known as ransomware affiliates.

The ransomware affiliates then use the malware to carry out the attacks on the target systems.

Dark web intelligence firm DarkTracer found companies including fashion brand Guess and car giant Toshiba France were victims of DarkSide in recent months

Guess was targeted in February 2021 and Toshiba in May, according to the database

The affiliates also deal with negotiating the ransom payment with the victim.

This hacking model benefits both parties. The affiliate is able to cash in on hacking without having the technical expertise to create the malware in the first place.

Meanwhile, the developer is able to take a hands off approach with the hacking of the target but still get a cut of the ransom money.

Under this arrangement, the affiliate takes a much larger chunk than the developer.

DarkSide's developer was taking 25 percent for ransoms less than $500,000, reducing to 10 percent of the money when the ransom was greater than $5 million, Elliptic reported.

Based on this, the reported $5 million ransom money paid by Colonial Pipeline was split with the developer taking $500,000 and the affiliate or affiliates bagging the other $4.5 million.

Most ransom money paid to DarkSide was then sent to cryptoasset exchanges, reported Elliptic.

This is where the cryptocurrency can be swapped for standard currencies such as US dollars.

While many cryptoasset exchanges are legal and comply with regulations around money laundering, Elliptic found that most of DarkSide's payments were sent to exchanges where regulations are not enforced.

Colonial Pipeline had been condemned by national security experts and members of Congress for reportedly paying $5 million ransom to DarkSide last week

An Exxon station in DC is seen out of gas after the cyberattack crippled the biggest fuel pipeline in the country. On Tuesday, 70% of DC gas stations were still dry

Elliptic said DarkSide's bitcoin wallet contained $5.3 million worth of Bitcoin last week before its wallet was emptied and it ceased operations.

It is not clear if the hackers drained the funds or if it was seized by the US government.

US cyber security firm Recorded Future said that Darkside had admitted in a web post that it lost access to certain servers used for its blog and for ransom payments.

Colonial Pipeline had been condemned by national security experts and members of Congress for reportedly paying $5 million ransom to DarkSide last week.

The FBI discourages companies and individuals from meeting criminal ransom demands, saying that it encourages further attacks.

The White House refused to comment on whether or not a ransom was paid.

DarkSide, which is believed to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe with ties to Russia, has not directly taken credit for the attack.

Biden last week said the criminal hacking gang was believed to be based in Russia but said the FBI does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved.

Meanwhile, the trouble isn't yet over for Colonial Pipeline.

On Tuesday the organization said it was having network issues preventing shippers from planning upcoming shipments of fuel.

The disruption was caused by efforts by the company to harden its system as it restores service following the cyberattack, and was not the result of a reinfection of its network, Colonial said Tuesday.

Colonial restored flow to its network last week, but experienced new disruptions on Tuesday

The company did not say when the issue would be fixed, but said it was still delivering products that had already been scheduled by shippers.

The company blamed 'the hardening efforts that are ongoing and part of our restoration process.'

Colonial Pipeline was taken offline on May 7, in a ransomware attack that forced the carrier of 45 percent of fuel to the East Coast to shut its entire network.

The hack sparked concerns of a national fuel crisis with thousands of gas stations running out of fuel and motorists racing to fill up their cars.

As of Tuesday, more than 10,600 filling stations were still without fuel, according to tracking firm GasBuddy, down from more than 16,000 at the peak last week.

A staggering 70 percent of gas stations in Washington DC were still without fuel, down from 90 percent over the weekend, as were nearly half in North Carolina, according to GasBuddy.

In South Carolina, 43 percent of gas stations were dry, followed by 38 percent in Georgia and 27 percent in Virginia.

The national average price of gas dropped slightly on Tuesday to $3.043, after breaking $3 for the first time since 2014, according to the AAA Gas Price Index.

Joe Biden has vowed to put in measures to strengthen the US's cybersecurity defenses following the record attack.
An alleged rape victim of That 70s Show star Danny Masterson burst into tears today as she told a court how he plied her with a 'fruity drink', threw her in a jacuzzi, then carried her to his bed and had sex with her as she tried to fight him off.

And afterward, the Scientologist actor held up a gun and told her, 'Don't say a f***ng word. You're not going to tell anybody,' 46 year-old Jennifer B - whose full name is being withheld - told a criminal court in downtown Los Angeles.

When Jennifer - who was also a Scientologist at the time of the alleged rape in April 2003 - asked permission from the Church of Scientology to report the alleged rape to the police, church officials said no and threatened the since Masterson was 'member in good standing,' to talk about the incident with outsiders could mean she would be cut off and shunned by the church, her family and friends.

Masterson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped three women in separate incidents at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. The actor showed up at a criminal court in downtown Los Angeles today for a preliminary hearing on the three charges of rape he is facing.

He posted a photo of himself in the passenger seat as his wife Bijou Phillips drove, with the caption, 'Had the most beautiful Uber driver drop me off at school today. #uberwife #bijouphillips,' and the location 'Court House'.

Danny Masterson posted a photo of himself in the passenger seat as his wife Bijou Phillips drove, with the caption, 'Had the most beautiful Uber driver drop me off at school today. #uberwife #bijouphillips,' and the location 'Court House'

That '70s Show star Danny Masterson appeared in criminal court in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. The Scientologist actor - wearing a light blue suit, tie and white shirt - is charged with three counts of rape

One of Masterson's alleged victims - 46-year-old Jennifer (seen in a court sketch) - said Masterson once 'took off his pants and pulled out his penis' and said he brutally raped her

The Scientologist actor - wearing a light blue suit, tie and white shirt - sat at the front with his attorneys, Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, in Judge Charlaine Oledo's courtroom.

The preliminary hearing - which will decide whether Masterson will stand trial on the rape charges - is expected to last four days.

Masterson's twin brother Christopher and half-sister Alanna were in court today to support their sibling.

Jennifer told the court today that while at Masterson's house in the early hours of April 25 2003, the actor made her a vodka drink with 'fruity tasting' sweet red liquid in it.

After she started to sip the drink, Masterson announced that Jennifer was 'going in the jacuzzi' at his home and despite her protests, he picked her up and dumped her in the hot water with some of her clothes still on.

While she was in the jacuzzi she started to feel 'blurry' and disoriented, she told the court. 'I kept saying, ''something's wrong.my vision was not good.'''

Another friend who was there, Luke Watson, helped Jennifer out of the jacuzzi because she said, 'I couldn't walk or stand. I was swaying. I couldn't see anything.It was really hard to breathe.'

When she said she wanted to vomit, Masterson stepped in to take her to the bathroom - even though Watson objected and said he would look after her.

Masterson told Watson, 'Oh no. She's my homey. I would never..,' the court heard.

Jennifer said Masterson ignored her when she yelled 'No, put me down,' and he carried her upstairs to the bathroom where she was sick.

He helped her into the shower to get cleaned up, she said, telling her 'You're disgusting. There's vomit all over. You need a shower.'

Fighting back tears, Jennifer told how she was drifting in and out of consciousness when she realized her top was off and Masterson was 'soaping my breasts.'

'I punched him in the chest because I could not believe that he was touching my breasts,' she said.

The star picked her up and carried her from the shower to his nearby bed, where, Jennifer told the court, 'I passed out.'

Masterson is seen in a court sketch from Tuesday's hearing listening to prosecutors present evidence to a judge as they attempt to show he should stand trial for the alleged rapes of three women

Masterson is seen sitting with his attorney Tommy Mesereau in these court sketches as he listens to prosecutors presenting evidence to a judge

'When I came to he was on top of me and inside me. I think I was completely naked at that point. I can recall grabbing his hair to pull him off and I also recall taking a pillow and pushing it toward his face because I could not get him off me. I couldn't breathe and I felt myself going unconscious again,' she said.

When she woke up again, 'He was still inside meI grabbed his throat. He put his hand on my throat and squeezed. With the other hand he was holding my wrists. He was saying, ''You're not going to f***ing tell anybody.''

When there was the sound of a man's voice outside the bedroom door, said Jennifer 'He told me, don't f***ing move. Don't say a word.'' And he reached for his nightstand draw, took out a pistol, held it up and said, ''Don't move. Don't f***ing move,'' before putting the gun back, she added.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last four days and will decide whether Masterson will stand trial on the rape charges. Masterson pictured in court in September 2020

When Masterson left the room, Jennifer said that though she was still barely conscious, she managed to crawl cross the floor and hide in a closet, curled up in a fetal position behind some clothes. She recalled that when she woke up freezing the next morning, the tried to talk to the friend Luke Watson - also a Scientologist - who didn't want to listen to her and said, 'You are going straight to the president's office', meaning a high official at the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Center in Hollywood.

Instead, Jennifer went to home of her parents, also Scientologists, because it was her father's birthday and the family was heading to Florida for a celebration.

In the meantime, Jennifer tearfully told the court, 'I felt like I had been stabbed repeatedly in my vagina. I was bruised and I had a lot of pain in my anus. I kept checking for blood.'

She said she had bruises on her neck, hips, thighs and wrists. 'I told my parents I had fallen down.I had never heard of anyone in Scientology to report rape.'

When a church official, Julian Schwartz, talked to her after her return from Florida, she told the court, he told her, 'If you are going to use the word rape, don't. We don't use that word here.'

She added that Schwartz gave her several Scientology textbooks which outlined that if she went against the church strict policies, she could be excommunicated by the church and branded a 'suppressive person.'

'My parents would have to disown me, everyone who had been my friend would view me as an enemy. I could be lied to, cheated on, destroyed'

It was fear of those reprisals that she didn't got to the police to report the alleged rape till June 2004, she said.

Asked by assistant deputy district attorney Reinhold Mueller if she had asked the Church of Scientology for permission to report the alleged rape to cops, she was told she 'could not go to the police because Danny is a member in good standing with the church.'

'If I were to report a member in good standing for rape, I would be declared a suppressive person.'

But what finally made her go to the police she told the court, was 'I heard he did this to another girl.'

Jennifer told the court that after Masterson's longtime girlfriend, Chrissie, broke up with him, the star started drinking more and acting obnoxiously.

'I saw him intoxicated more frequently,' dark-haired Jennifer - who at the time in 2003 was a fellow Scientologist and part of Masterson's circle of friends. 'He could be extremely vulgar.

'He once physically lashed out at me. He made obscene gestures.'

Jennifer - dressed in a white flowered dress, white cardigan and white slippers - told of one incident where, in front of other people, Masterson 'took off his pants and pulled out his penis.'

One of Danny Mastersons alleged rape victims received a payoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars after the alleged crimes, she confessed at Los Angels criminal court today.

And Jenny B - whose last name has not been disclosed - also admitted to having sex with Masterson at his home in September 2002, nine months before the alleged rape.

In her June 2004 police report to LA cops about the alleged rape, Jenny told police that the previous incident of sex with the actor was consensual.

But Mastersons attorney, Tom Mesereau, told the court today that when Jenny B recently brought a civil suit against Masterson over the alleged rape, she changed her story and said the first episode was consensual.

Chrissie Bixler dated Masterson for several years and claims he would forcefully have sex with her and became violent when she refused. She says her dog mysteriously died after she reported him (pictured together in 2000). Jennifer told the court that after Masterson's longtime girlfriend, Chrissie, broke up with him, the star started drinking more and acting obnoxiously

Earlier in today's hearing, Masterson's attorney, Tom Mesereau (right), accused prosecutors of 'blatant religious bias' against the Church of Scientology and asked the judge to ban witnesses from mentioning Scientology during testimony. Pictured in September 2020

Earlier in today's hearing, Masterson's attorney, Tom Mesereau, accused prosecutors of 'blatant religious bias' against the Church of Scientology and asked the judge to ban witnesses from mentioning Scientology during testimony.

But judge Olmedo denied Mesereau's request.

At a hearing last month, Mesereau accused TV actress and fervent anti-Scientologist Leah Remini 'of using 'scandalous' tactics to persuade Masterson's alleged rape victims to file police reports against him.

Some of the women Masterson is accused of raping were interviewed by Remini for her TV documentary Scientology and the Aftermath, about the controversial church the actress quit in 2013 and has been crusading against ever since.

And, blasted Mesereau, 'Leah Remini, an anti-Scientologist, interviewed the alleged victims and told them, 'If you don't file a police report, you won't be on my show.' That is scandalous.'

He has thrown a slew of accusations at the prosecution in the Masterson case, including withholding evidence, a secret 'double agent' LAPD detective who was working a second job as security for Remini, and a 2004 police file in the cases that mysteriously went 'missing.'

And he described as 'worthless' many of the polices reports and witness statements the district attorney has handed over to the defense as discovery because they are so heavily redacted.

Mesereau also addressed claims that the Church of Scientology had 'harassed and stalked' the alleged rape victims and he insisted that Masterson 'had nothing to do with' the alleged harassment.

Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller has denied Mesereau's claims, calling them 'a fishing expedition.'

Mesereau, has tried several times to get the case tossed before it even reached the preliminary hearing stage, filing motions to dismiss the rape charges, saying they were 'politically motivated' and beyond the statute of limitations. These motions were denied.

The veteran attorney - who defended Michael Jackson when he was charged with child molestation - has also repeatedly tried to have the press banned from court hearings, accusing law enforcement of 'leaking' information to media about the rape charges. He argued that publicity about the case would prejudice the jury at Masterson's future trial.

At a hearing last month, Mesereau accused TV actress and fervent anti-Scientologist Leah Remini 'of using 'scandalous' tactics to persuade Masterson's alleged rape victims to file police reports against him

Each time, a judge denied Mesereau's efforts

Mesereau did win one small victory for his client when Judge Olmedo denied a prosecution request to have Masterson surrender his passport.

Judge Olmedo ruled that the $3.3 million bail the star has been free on since his arrest last June, 'is sufficient to ensure Mr. Masterson's appearance in the future.'

Masterson - who has been married to actress and model Bijou Phillips since 2011 - stands charged with raping a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001, raping a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and raping another 23 year-old woman between October and December 2003.

He was also accused of sexual assault in two other cases but the DA's office said they declined to file charges on those, one for insufficient evidence and the other based on the statute of limitations.

In 2019, four women - including the three alleged victims in the criminal case - filed a civil lawsuit against Masterson, claiming he drugged, raped and sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s.

The lawsuit also named the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige as defendants, claiming the women were stalked in a 'conspiracy to cover up that Daniel Masterson sexually assaulted four young women'.

Bobette Riales and Masterson dated from 2002-2004, in which time Masterson allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her. She claims she was stalked by the church after she came forward with allegation (pictured together in 2003)

Two of the women named in the suit were Masterson's ex-girlfriends - Chrissie Bixler and Bobette Riales - while the other two are listed as Jane Does.

Bixler is being lent support by Remini, the former Scientologist who is now one of the church's harshest critics. Remini was at Masterson's criminal court hearing last October.

In the civil lawsuit, the alleged victims' lawyer said, 'When those women came forward to report Masterson's crimes the Defendants (The Church of Scientology) conspired to and systematically stalked, harassed, invaded their and their family's privacy, and intentionally caused them emotional distress to silence and intimidate them.'

Masterson - who played wise-cracking Steven Hyde on That '70s Show from 1998 to 2006 - called the lawsuit against him and the Church of Scientology a 'shameful money grab'.

In statement to DailyMail.com, the Church of Scientology branded the lawsuit 'baseless' and the claims 'ludicrous and a sham'. 'It's a dishonest and hallucinatory publicity stunt. Leah Remini is taking advantage of these people as pawns in her moneymaking scam.'
Bill Gates has given Melinda Gates $850 million worth of shares in Deere & Co, as one of the world's wealthiest couples divides up their fortune.

The transfer of 2.25 million shares in the company, which makes the iconic John Deere tractors, was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Friday with the Securities Exchange Commission.

The filing said that Bill received 'no consideration' for the transfer of shares to Melinda, which represented about 7 percent of his total stake in Deere & Co.

Since the couple announced their divorce on May 3, Bill has disclosed stock transfers to Melina worth roughly $3 billion, including shares of AutoNation and Canadian National Railway.

Bill Gates has given Melinda Gates $850 million worth of shares in Deere & Co, as one of the world's wealthiest couples divides up their fortune

Gates still owns a roughly 9% stake in the Illinois-based company, which makes the iconic John Deere Tractors

Bill and Melinda, who are splitting after 27 years of marriage, reportedly have no prenuptial agreement, but reached a separation settlement before making their split public.

Bill's stock transfers to Melinda Canadian National Railway: 1.9% stake worth $1.55 billion Deere & Co: 0.7% stake valued at $850 million AutoNation: 3.7% stake worth $307 million Coca-Cola Femsa SAB: 4.9% stake worth about $121 million Grupo Televisa SA: 4.9% stake worth about $121 million Advertisement

With a fortune valued at $144 billion on Monday, Bill is the forth richest man in the world, after Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, according to Bloomberg.

Over the weekend, reports emerged that Bill Gates had inappropriately pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and his namesake philanthropic foundation while he was married.

The reports from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal detailed Gates' alleged behavior toward women, ranging from a full-blown affair at Microsoft to asking out women who felt uncomfortable with his advances at both institutions.

Scrutiny has also been growing over his close relationship with sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, from whom he allegedly sought marital advice.

Microsoft said it hired a law firm in late 2019 to conduct an investigation after a Microsoft engineer alleged in a letter that she had a sexual relationship with Gates over several years.

Gates' private office spokesperson called it 'an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably.'

Microsoft in March 2020 announced Gates was leaving the board to 'dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities' but would continue to serve as a technology adviser to CEO Satya Nadella and other Microsoft leaders.

Gates' spokesperson said the investigation did not force him off the board and that he had for years planned to spend more time on his philanthropy.

'It is extremely disappointing that there have been so many untruths published about the cause, the circumstances and the timeline of Bill Gates divorce,' the spokesperson told the Times.

The divorce petition Melinda filed on May 3, the same day she and Bill publicly announced their split, called the marriage 'irretrievably broken.'

The petition indicated that the couple had reached a 'separation contract' outlining how they planned to divide their estate - which includes properties in five states, a private jet, an astonishing art collection and a fleet of luxury cars.

Melinda did not ask for any spousal support but requested a trial date in April 2022. However, it is likely the divorce will be settled without a trial.

Since the split was announced, Bill has publicly disclosed large transfers of stock worth about $3 billion.

They included a stake in Canadian National Railway valued at $1.55 billion, and $307 million worth of AutoNation shares.

Melinda is also now one of the largest individual shareholders in two Mexican companies, bottler Coca-Cola Femsa SAB and and cable company Grupo Televisa SA.

Bill has already sold off or donated most of his stock in Microsoft, which he co-founded, but still owns at 1.3 percent stake valued at about $25 billion.

His investments in other companies are managed though his investment firm Cascade LLC, which disclosed the transfers to Melinda in regulatory filings.

Federal regulations require investors to disclose significant changes in holdings if they own at least 5 percent of a company.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the Trump administration didn't do 'anything constructive' to bring peace to the Middle East.

'Aside from putting forward a peace proposal that was dead on arrival, we don't think they did anything constructive, really, to bring an end to the longstanding conflict in the Middle East,' Psaki told reporters on board Air Force One on Tuesday.

The plan she was referring to was the one put together by former President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and introduced in January 2020, which was embraced by Israel but considered a non-starter by the Palestinians, who felt it too biased in favor of the Jewish state.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, photographed Monday, said Tuesday that the Trump administration didn't do 'anything constructive' to help peace in the Middle East, saying the Trump peace proposal was 'dead on arrival'

Psaki was critical of a Middle East peace plan created by Jared Kushner (left) and rolled out in January 2020 that was considered to be too biased toward Israel. Kushner was photographed in East Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) in August 2017

President Donald Trump (left) is photographed in the Oval Office in August 2020 with son-in-law and White House aide Jared Kushner (right). Kushner and his aide Avi Berkowitz helped negotiate the Abraham Accords in the final month's of Trump's one term in office

Smoke is seen rising after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on Tuesday. A total of 213 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, since the conflict started last Monday, with President Joe Biden saying he supported a ceasefire

Psaki gaggled with reporters as President Joe Biden traveled to a Ford plant in Michigan and was asked if it might be 'time to rethink the thinking behind the Abraham Accords.'

The Abraham Accords, which were negotiated during Trump's final months in office, were peace deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and then Israel and Bahrain.

The accords normalized relations between Israel and the two Arab nations.

They were negotiated with the help of Kushner and his aide, Avi Berkowitz.

A month after President Joe Biden came into office, in February 2021, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the accords were 'not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.'

'We hope that Israel and other countries in the region join together in a common effort to build bridges and ... contribute to tangible progress towards the goal of advancing a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians,' Price said.

The reporter mentioned to Psaki that the Abraham Accords seemed to say, 'Forget the Palestinian, they're not a problem. We're just going to move on.'

'I would say that we are not following the same tactics of the prior administration,' Psaki answered. 'We - the president has reinstated humanitarian assistance and security assistance to the Palestinians.'

'That's something that was stopped back in 2018 and we felt was not a constructive action by the prior administration,' Psaki added.

Biden has called for a cease fire in the region as the battle between Israel and Hamas enters day nine and has caused over 200 deaths and a humanitarian crisis in the region.

A total of 213 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, since the conflict started last Monday.

The IDF says that figure includes 120 members of Hamas and 25 members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

'So, obviously, we're dealing with a conflict that is happening as we speak. Right? It is happening on the ground. People's lives are being lost. There's ongoing violence. We're going to work to resolve that,' Psaki continued.

'But our view continues to be that providing that humanitarian and security assistance to the Palestinians while still maintaining our longstanding security relationship with Israel is in the interest of the United States, and a two-state solution - which both parties would have to get together to agree on - is the only way to have a long-term outcome that's peaceful and lasting,' she said.

Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the crisis.

Pence came out swinging Tuesday with a video and an op-ed blaming Biden's 'weakness' of not standing up for Israel for the uptick in violence.

'Instead of seeking peace through strength, President Biden has offered weakness and ambivalence and, tragically, our friends in Israel are paying a terrible price,' Pence said.

Some progressive Democrats have been critical of Biden too, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who the president met with during Tuesday's Michigan trip, saying on MSNBC that the Biden administration was 'taking orders from [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, who is on corruption charges from stealing from his own people, the people he's supposed to be representing.'

Tlaib is the only Palestinian member of Congress and has family in the region.

'Enough, President Biden,' Tlaib said. 'You will not do this on our watch. You have to speak out against this violence in a very aggressive way that holds Netanyahu and his leadership accountable.'
Police in Arkansas say a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot and killed an 87-year-old woman and could have gone on a rampage through the rest of an apartment complex until he was shot and killed by another man who stepped in.

Fort Smith police were called an apartment building on Saturday morning where they found the victim, Lois Hicks, dead in her apartment from multiple gunshot wounds.

Her alleged killer, 26-year-old Zachary Arnold, was also found dead outside the complex.

Police said that after shooting Hicks, Arnold had opened fire on neighboring apartments before another neighbor, who police haven't identified, grabbed his own hunting rifle, and shot and killed him.

Neighbors at the complex credited the man with stopping further bloodshed.

Fort Hill police say that 26-year-old Zachary Arnold (right) opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle in his apartment complex Saturday morning killing his 87-year-old neighbor Lois Hicks (left) before he himself was shot dead by another neighbor. Police have yet to release a motive in the killing

Residents at the complex said Arnold was yelling for them to come out of their apartments and to lie down on the ground before he opened fire.

'Had it not been for the person that took [Arnold] out, I'm pretty sure it could have been 10 times worse,' Jessica Sherrill a resident at the complex told 4029 news.

Arnold had been yelling for others to come out of their apartments and to lie down on the ground in front of him, Robert Osburn, another neighbor at the complex said.

'He was saying people were going to die today,' he recounted.

Family said Arnold was a veteran and suffered from PTSD

Sherrill said she was convinced that if they had complied, Arnold would have killed them, 'execution style.'

Amber Lane, who also lives in the apartments, described the entire encounter in detail, and said that when Arnold started yelling, Hicks and another neighbor who lived in the same building as Arnold came out to console him.

When they saw he was armed, Lane told 5 News that they ran back in, but Hicks was unable to close the door to her apartment in time, and that Arnold, 'walked in and did what he did.'

After, she said he began firing indiscriminately into neighboring apartments, and she too credited the unnamed neighbor with preventing further bloodshed.

'If he didnt do that, who knows how much worse it could have gotten,' Lane said.

Family told 5 News that Arnold had been a veteran and suffered from PTSD.

He was also an avid hunter, they said, and that he had used the rifle on trips.

Arkansas changed its law in March on use of deadly force when it comes to self-defense, reports the Fort Smith Times Record.

The Sebastian County Prosecutor would decide whether to pursue any potential charges against the man who shot and killed Arnold, Fort Smith police said, who noted the case was still under investigation.
A disgraced gynecologist who carried out unnecessary hysterectomies on unsuspecting patients to pay for cars, art work and fur coats was jailed for 59 years.

Dr. Javaid Perwaiz, 71, will almost certainly die behind bars, and must also repay $18.5 million to insurance companies who funded his fraudulent procedures, a judge said Tuesday.

According to 13News Now, those payments will either be paid monthly or with 25 percent of Perwaiz's net income, per the federal judge's orders.

The former doctor, from Chesapeake in Virginia, had faced a maximum possible sentence of 475 years for his offenses.

Perwaiz was found guilty on 52 counts of fraud in November.

Dr. Javaid Perwaiz, pictued, was sentence to 59 years in prison on Tuesday

Prosecutors argued during his trial that the longtime doctor performed unneeded medical procedures to earn more money for a 'lavish lifestyle,' according to news outlets.

At the time he was found guilty, U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi told the jury that the gynecologist was greedy.

Yusi told the jury that Dr. Perwaiz was trying to support a lavish lifestyle, which included expensive cars, fur coats and $800,000 in shopping bills, according to WTKR.

Perwaiz owns five luxury automobiles, including one Bentley and four Mercedes-Benz vehicles - and claimed on a 2016 loan application that he has $200,000 in 'Gold/Art' in his home, prosecutors said during his trial.

Authorities said Perwaiz billed private and governmental insurers millions of dollars for irreversible hysterectomies and other procedures that were not medically necessary.

He also falsified sterilization consent forms, estimated delivery dates, patient symptoms, and patient statements, according to prosecutors.

Perwaiz sometimes would falsely tell his patients they needed the surgeries to avoid cancer, they said.

'You are showing no remorse at all,' U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith said during the sentencing hearing. 'You acted and blamed everyone but yourself for this. It seems like it was for your financial gain and lavish lifestyle. You were a profession of trust. Greed cannot overcome your professional ethics.'

Pictured: Perwaiz's office. He was also ordered to pay insurance companies $18.5 million

Pictured: Perwaiz's office. Perwaiz was allegedly trying to support a lavish lifestyle, which included expensive cars, fur coats and $800,000 in shopping bills

He also billed insurers hundreds of thousands of dollars for diagnostic procedures he never performed, they added.

More than 50 witnesses testified, including Perwaiz's former employees and patients, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

Several of the women who underwent procedures said they still suffer from complications.

Many of them were low-income earners and on Medicaid, according to the newspaper.

Some are now in therapy, being treated for depression, while others are scared of meeting new medical providers.

Perwaiz does have a history of disciplinary problems.

In 1982, he lost his privileges at Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth because of 'poor clinical judgment' and for performing unnecessary surgeries.

He was previously investigated by the Virginia Board of Medicine for performing surgeries  mainly hysterectomies  'without appropriate medical indications and contrary to sound medical judgment,' an affidavit states. He was censured for poor record-keeping.

In 1996, Perwaiz also pleaded guilty to tax evasion. His medical license was temporarily revoked but was reinstated in 1998.

Perwaiz did not speaking during his sentencing on Tuesday

According to WTKR, Perwaiz did not speaking during his sentencing on Tuesday.

'Motivated by his insatiable and reprehensible greed, Perwaiz used an arsenal of horrifying tactics to manipulate and deceive patients into undergoing invasive, unnecessary, and devastating medical procedures,' acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Raj Parekh said after the sentencing.

'These fraudulent and destructive surgeries caused irreversible damage to the victims. In many instances, the defendant shattered their ability to have children by using fear to remove organs from their bodies that he had no right to take.

'Despite having to endure immeasurable physical and emotional pain, the victims showed resilience, strength, and courage by speaking out and sharing their stories to hold the defendant accountable for his heinous crimes,' Parekh continued.

'While no prosecution can undo the lifelong trauma that Perwaiz cruelly inflicted on his patients, todays sentence ensures that the victims and their families have the last word,' Parekh concluded.
A New Hampshire man has been charged after a blast from a gender reveal that used 80lbs of explosives sparked fears of an earthquake when it shook towns across state lines.

Anthony Spinelli was charged on Monday with disorderly conduct following the gender reveal party for a baby boy in Kingston, a town not far from the Massachusetts border, last month.

Police in Kingston had received a flurry of 911 calls from terrified homeowners following the loud explosion on April 20.

They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found a family who acknowledged holding a gender reveal party with 80lbs of the explosive Tannerite.

Anthony Spinelli was charged on Monday with disorderly conduct following the gender reveal party for a baby boy at a quarry in Kingston, New Hampshire on April 20

The explosive is sold over the counter for use in firearms practice.

Police said at the time that the person responsible for buying and setting off the explosives had turned themselves into police.

Spinelli, whose name was not released at the time, has now been charged with causing public alarm under New Hampshire's disorderly conduct law.

It was not immediately clear if Spinelli is the father-to-be.

Police said the family believed the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the material and were said to have had permission from the quarry owners to be there.

No injuries were reported as part of the gender reveal.

The force of the explosion, which was felt in towns as far off as Massachusetts, led some to speculate that the rumblings had been caused by an earthquake.

The force of the explosion, which was felt in towns as far off as Massachusetts, led some to speculate that the rumblings had been caused by an earthquake. Video footage from a smart doorbell (above) showed the visible shaking as a result of the blast

Video footage from a smart doorbell showed the visible shaking as a result of the blast.

Residents had complained that the foundations to their homes were damaged after the shockwaves rattled properties within a 20-mile radius of the Torromeo quarry.

'We heard this god-awful blast,' Sara Taglieri, who lives in a home that abuts the quarry, told NBC News at the time.

'It knocked pictures off our walls  I'm all up for silliness and whatnot, but that was extreme.'

Taglieri's husband, Matt, told outlet that neighbors reported cracks in the foundation of their homes.

Others complained that the blast had damaged their water pipes and turned their drinking water brown.

Tara Taglieri, who lives in a home that is near the quarry, told NBC News at the time: 'We heard this god-awful blast'
NRL player Jamil Hopoate faces a lengthy stint in jail if found guilty over his alleged involvement in a large drug importation ring in Sydney.

The off-contract star spent Tuesday night behind bars after he was arrested and charged with supply large commercial quantity of cocaine and using a vehicle to avoid apprehension.

Hopoate, 26, is accused of being part of a trio now charged over the massive haul of cocaine from the UK.

The son of notorious NRL bad boy John Hopoate and brother of Canterbury Bulldogs player Will was arrested on Tuesday morning after a foot pursuit through the streets in Sydney's south which sparked numerous calls to Triple-0.

Strike Force Coact detectives arrested two men - aged 26 and 28 - and a 33-year-old woman

NRL player Jamil Hopoate (pictured with father John in 2014) has been charged with supply large commercial quantity of cocaine and using a vehicle to avoid apprehension

The 514kg of cocaine has an estimated potential street value of $154.2 million

Police will allege Hopoate, 26, was seen accessing a truck linked to a haul of cocaine at Port Botany before getting into a car with a woman, 33, which left the area.

When police attempted to intercept the car, Hopoate allegedly ran off and led officers on a pursuit through the streets of Botany.

Hopoate, from Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches is also accused of throwing away a backpack which police will allege contained illicit drugs.

He was taken to hospital for treatment to a minor leg injury following his arrest before taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with supplying half a tonne of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $155 million.

Police say Australian Border Force officers found 514kg of cocaine hidden in a consignment of toolboxes which arrived in Sydney on Saturday

Jamil Hopoate (pictured) will appear in Sydney's Central Local Court on Wednesday

Hoapate's alleged female accomplice, 33, was also arrested and charged with commercial drug supply and using an offensive weapon in company to prevent detention.

The pair will refused bail to appear in Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Detectives later arrested a 28-year-old Minto man and charged him with supplying a large commercial quantity of cocaine.

Police will allege in court that the man collected the consignment from Matraville and delivered it to Pagewood, before leaving the area.

He was also refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday.

Hopoate was released by the Brisbane Broncos late last year and is yet to sign a new deal.

He has played 12 NRL games after making his debut for the Broncos in round one of 2020.

He was a talented junior sacked by Parramatta and Manly for off-field issues prior to making his NRL debut.
After being given a pasting for getting Tory donors to pay for gold wallpaper in his Downing Street flat, Boris Johnson faced fresh embarrassment last night  it keeps falling down.

The Prime Minister has had to call in specialist decorators to rehang parts of the 840 per roll 'hand-crafted' wallpaper, No 10 sources say.

The latest twist in the 'Wallpapergate' affair came as a photograph emerged of upmarket interior designer Lulu Lytle visiting Downing Street. The Daily Mail can also reveal some of the fabrics Miss Lytle's Soane Britain company used in the refit of Mr Johnson and fiancee Carrie Symonds's 11 Downing Street apartment.

The sofa is upholstered with ruby and emerald material called Damascus Stripe. Miss Lytle says it is 'based on a 19th century Syrian original pattern woven from cotton and silk'.

The Prime Minister has had to call in specialist decorators to rehang parts of the 840 per roll 'hand-crafted' wallpaper, No 10 sources say

Plotting a makeover: Miss Lytle was spotted outside the flat in October

Dazzling choice of colours: The couples sofa is in Soane Britains Damascus Stripe

The curtains are thought to be Soane Britain's Tendril Vine pattern, also in emerald. Appropriately for passionate eco campaigner Miss Symonds, who oversaw the revamp, the window frames and other parts of the woodwork are painted in a matching pastel green.

An enchanting photograph of Miss Symonds with Wilfred  her one-year-old son with Mr Johnson  was released by Downing Street at Christmas. At the time no one realised it had been taken in the No 11 flat  and the dispute over new decor for the apartment and how it was paid for did not erupt until it was revealed by this newspaper in February.

Mr Johnson's newly appointed independent adviser on ministers' interests, Lord Geidt, is carrying out an investigation into the way that the Tories tried to disguise a 58,000 payment for the refit from Conservative Party funds.

The problem with the wallpaper is thought to derive from the heavyweight paper used by Miss Lytle, who does not employ the production-line methods used for most domestic wallpapers.

The sofa is upholstered with ruby and emerald material called Damascus Stripe. Miss Lytle says it is 'based on a 19th century Syrian original pattern woven from cotton and silk'

Going green: Emerald and white curtains are thought to be the firms Tendril Vine

Her website proclaims that her wallpapers are 'made in British mills and workshops, employing traditional methods such as block screen printing'. She says it is worth it to 'create high-quality modern wallpapers that capture the atmosphere of hand-crafted products'. Hanging heavy duty wallpaper is much more difficult than cheaper, lighter mass produced versions sold in most high street furnishing stores. As the cost of the makeover soared last year, the Prime Minister was heard railing that Miss Symonds was 'buying gold wallpaper... I can't afford it'.

Only now has it emerged that it was not another of Mr Johnson's colourful euphemisms  the wallpaper actually is gold coloured.

Miss Lytle markets two such heavyweight patterned wallpapers, Old Gold and Yellow Gold. The vivid Damascus Stripe fabric used on the sofa  where Miss Symonds posed cradling Wilfred  is one of Miss Lytle's most popular designs. Miss Lytle says her use of colours such as 'raspberry and emerald is largely drawn from the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa'.

They are inspired by 'myriad sources, whether an oriental painting or overseas expedition' and intended to be 'joyful and uplifting'.

Tendril Vine is made of stone linen and described on the Soane Britain website as the company's 'first botanical print, a simplified interpretation of the incredibly intricate pattern on an early 19th century English fabric'.

Soane Britain recommends a similar Osmunda Frond green fabric as a 'complementary piece' to the Damascus Stripe. Miss Lytle defends her use of a fusion of exotic colours and styles, saying: 'As a child I was exposed to lots of pattern  all our bedrooms were wallpapered  and colour.

'My mother once remarked, 'Raspberry's just a neutral' and used many deep pinks around the home.' Miss Lytle added she was 'dazzled by the glorious jewel colours' at markets in Egypt.

Lord Geidt, former private secretary to the Queen, the Prime Minister's independent adviser on ministerial ethics, plans to release the long overdue register of ministerial interests by the end of this month. He has said he expects Mr Johnson's entry covering the renovation of his No 11 apartment, and his own advice on the issue, would be released as part of it.

In addition, the Electoral Commission announced three weeks ago that it is carrying out a formal investigation into the matter. The watchdog said it was 'satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred'.

The Commission has sweeping powers to demand documents and interview witnesses under caution. Failure to declare donations is an offence under electoral law, punishable by fines of up to 20,000.

Home comfort: Carrie with Wilfred in the revamped flat

Failure to comply or tell the truth is a criminal offence. The Commission can pass on investigations to the police if it uncovers evidence of criminal offences or believes its efforts are being frustrated.

Downing Street says Mr Johnson is co-operating fully with the inquiry, which could demand to see relevant emails and WhatsApp messages. No serving prime minister has ever been interviewed under caution in relation to an alleged breach of the law. Miss Symonds, who reportedly commissioned Miss Lytle to get rid of the 'John Lewis nightmare' decor left by former prime minister Theresa May, could also face questions.

The inquiries follow a string of revelations in the Mail of how Tory donor Lord Brownlow paid 58,000 in an apparent attempt to gloss over the fact that the redecoration bill was met by Conservative HQ in the first instance. Mr Johnson has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Last night Downing Street declined to comment.
George Eustice suggested trips to amber countries to see family are acceptable

The traffic light policy for foreign holidays descended into farce tonight with ministers accused of sowing 'mass confusion'.

On a chaotic day, George Eustice first suggested trips to 'amber' countries to see friends and family were acceptable.

Yet hours later Boris Johnson over-ruled his Environment Secretary by insisting such travel was off limits.

That was followed by health minister Lord Bethell claiming holidays anywhere abroad were 'dangerous' with foreign trips 'not for this year'.

The peer even failed to rebuff the idea that returning holidaymakers should be electronically tagged in quarantine.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart further heightened the confusion last night by saying 'some people might think a holiday is essential' and they should use their 'common sense'.

The contradictory messages left beleaguered travel chiefs begging for clarity. Hundreds of flights to amber countries have already left the UK and demand for foreign breaks has gone through the roof. Conservative MPs demanded an end to the shambles.

The traffic light policy for foreign holidays descended into farce tonight with ministers accused of sowing 'mass confusion'. On a chaotic day, George Eustice (pictured) first suggested trips to 'amber' countries to see friends and family were acceptable

Yet hours later Boris Johnson over-ruled his Environment Secretary by insisting such travel was off limits

Hundreds of flights to amber countries have already left the UK and demand for foreign breaks has gone through the roof. Conservative MPs demanded an end to the shambles. Pictured: Departures at Heathrow Airport

Huw Merriman, chairman of the Commons transport committee, said: 'I'm afraid it's a case of confusion reigns. What's the point in bringing in a traffic light mechanism, labelling amber countries as "moderate risk" and then, by implication, shading them red by telling passengers they shouldn't go?'

Another senior Tory described Lord Bethell's comments as 'idiotic', adding: 'If the Government is saying all travel is dangerous, then why has it just introduced a green list? The confusion around the amber list is bad enough without adding to it.'

On Monday the outright ban on foreign travel was replaced by a green, amber and red traffic light system grading different countries by their Covid risk level. But amid concern over foreign variants, ministers then announced that no one should holiday in an amber country even if they quarantined on their return.

To add to the uncertainty, the EU is expected to announce today that its member states will welcome fully-vaccinated Britons this summer without the need for virus tests or quarantine.

And in another twist last night it emerged that more than 100 direct flights have arrived from India since the country was placed on a banned list last month. This means that up to 8,000 travellers have flown in from the sub-continent despite concern over an Indian Covid variant that threatens to undermine the easing of lockdown.

As Downing Street sources said policing of ten-day home quarantine for amber trips would be stepped up:

Spanish and Greek tourism chiefs called for their island regions to be treated separately to the mainland;

The Army will seek to discipline soldiers who refuse to have a coronavirus jab;

Virus deaths hit their lowest level in more than eight months, with twice as many people now dying from flu;

The figures raised hopes that Mr Johnson could soon declare that lockdown curbs will end in June;

However the number of areas detecting the Indian variant has surged 44 per cent in a week;

Job vacancies hit their highest level since the start of the pandemic;

Dominic Cummings launched a fresh attack on the Government's handling of the pandemic;

A nurse singled out by Mr Johnson for saving his life from Covid has quit over the Government's 'lack of respect' for the profession.

The mayhem began yesterday morning when Mr Eustice said there might be 'reasons' for going abroad, such as visiting family and friends  and people could travel as long as they observed quarantine rules on their return.

Asked why, despite the travel advice, more than 150 aircraft left the UK yesterday for amber countries, he told Today on BBC Radio 4: 'We don't want to stop travel altogether and the reason ... that we have the amber list is there will be reasons why people feel they need to travel either to visit family or indeed to visit friends.'

Within hours, he appeared to have been over-ruled by the Prime Minister, who insisted amber countries were off limits for holidays.

'It's very important for people to grasp what an amber-list country is: it is not somewhere where you should be going on holiday,' Mr Johnson said.

Britain also confirmed another 2,412 Covid infections, down two per cent on the same time last week

Department of Health data showed another seven Covid deaths were recorded today, down by 65 per cent from last Tuesday when 20 were recorded. This was far below the darkest days of January when more than 1,000 people died a day

Positive test figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute  which cover only lab-analysed cases in the two weeks between April 25 and May 8  reveal the mutant Indian strain made up 50 per cent or more of all samples in 23 parts of the country by last week. Bolton and Blackburn in the North West remain the worst-hit areas with almost 600 cases between them and the variant making up 81 per cent of infections

'And if people do go to an amber-list country  they absolutely have to for some pressing family or urgent business reason.

'You will have to self-isolate, you'll have to take tests and do your passenger locator form and all the rest of it, but you also have to self-isolate for ten days when you get back. And that period of self-isolation, that period of quarantine, will be enforced with fines of up to 10,000, so I think it's important for you to understand what an amber-list country is.'

Then in the most forthright statement so far Lord Bethell told fellow peers: 'Travelling is dangerous. That is not news to us or to the people who get on those planes in the first place. Please stay in this country.'

When Baroness Watkins of Tavistock called for consideration of the use of electronic quarantine tagging  as has been used in South Korea  the health minister said he was grateful for the suggestion.

Labour's Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, said the fiasco showed ministers 'haven't got a proper grip'.

EasyJet chief Johan Lundgren said: 'Having set up a framework for international travel the Government seems to be single-handedly dismantling it and causing mass confusion with mixed messages and complex testing requirements.

To add to the confusion, health minister Lord Bethell has claimed holidays anywhere abroad were 'dangerous' with foreign trips 'not for this year'

'Let's face it  in this version of a traffic light system  green doesn't mean green with all its testing restrictions and now amber, according to some ministers, actually means red. No wonder the British public is confused.

'And in the meantime Europe moves forward with sensible travel frameworks which enable people to safely travel again while the UK tries to close down travel to all but a couple of countries.'

Tim Alderslade of the trade body Airlines UK said: 'The messaging around amber is a total mess. It's ridiculous for ministers to now come out and needlessly cause confusion by advising against travel.'

The Prime Minister's spokesman yesterday said people 'should not travel' to amber countries for holidays. The EU's plan for jab passports would mean vaccinated holidaymakers on the Continent could sidestep all testing and quarantine requirements when travelling within Europe. Low-risk countries, such as the UK, are expected to be included.

It will increase calls for the Government to ease restrictions for vaccinated Britons who return to the UK after a holiday and to relax the advice not to travel.

Analysis by the Mail found 151 flights took off from eight major UK airports to amber countries yesterday. Of these, 95 were to European countries ranked amber, including 21 to Spain and 7 to Greece.

TIMETABLE OF TRAVEL TURMOIL March 16, 2020: PM's call to stay at home Boris Johnson declares: 'Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel' Mar 17: Non-essential international travel BANned for 30 days Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says advice reflects 'pace at which other countries are either closing borders or implementing restrictive measures' May 22: Quarantine after arriving in uk Those coming to Britain are ordered to self-isolate for 14 days, starting from June 8. Anyone who flouts the rules faces a fine of up to 1,000 Apr 4: Non-essential travel ban extended INDEFINITELY Jun 27: The dawn of travel corridors The chance of quarantine-free travel is announced, beginning from July 10. The news prompts an explosion in summer holiday bookings Jul 3: Quarantine-free destinations unveiled Travel corridors established with some 75 countries, including Spain and France Jul 25: Spain travel corridor closed Quarantine brought back for travellers from Spain after it sees a spike in Covid cases Aug 13: France and netherlands travel corridors closed Sep 4: Airport covid tests ruled out by pm Mr Johnson said screening passengers would give a 'false sense of security' and only catch 7 per cent of cases. Nov 5: Non-essential travel banned (again) Second national lockdown begins. Britons are once again banned from going on holiday. Dec 2: Travel resumes (except for tier 4) New tier system introduced in UK. Travel resumes for most  but those in Tier 4 need a 'legally permitted reason to leave home'. Jan 6, 2021: Third ban on non-essential travel Third lockdown begins Jan 15: Get tested before coming to uk Those coming to Britain are required to take a PCR test before reaching the UK. They must then self-isolate for ten days to combat the spread of new Covid variants Feb 15: Enforced hotel quarantine for some Travellers from countries on the Government's list of banned countries now face ten days of quarantine in approved hotels, at a cost of 1,750 May 17: Holiday ban lifted  and traffic light system begins Those flying in from 'red' countries still face hotel quarantine  but Britons are now legally free to travel to nations on the 'amber' and 'green' lists. Trips to the 12 green destinations, such as Portugal, are quarantine-free, but going to an amber country means you must self-isolate afterwards. May 17 (yes, the same day): PM warns against holidays to amber countries Downing Street spokesman says Britons should only take breaks in 'green' nations  prompting fury from travel industry (and exasperated holidaymakers, too) Advertisement

Spanish and Greek tourism bosses want their islands on the UK's green list

ByDavid Churchill and Gerard Couzens For The Daily Mail

Spanish and Greek tourism chiefs yesterday urged the UK to move their islands on to the green list for travel.

Fourteen-day infection rates in the Balearics have dropped below 50 cases per 100,000, the second lowest level among Spain's 17 regions. Majorca has an infection rate of 42.74 per 100,000, Ibiza 25.69 and Formentera 16.51. Menorca's is 76.02.

However the islands are lumped in with 'amber' mainland Spain where rates are higher. Portugal, which is on the green list, has a rate of around 49 per 100,000, according to the data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Spanish and Greek tourism chiefs yesterday urged the UK to move their islands on to the green list for travel. Majorca (pictured) has an infection rate of 42.74 per 100,000, Ibiza 25.69 and Formentera 16.51. Menorca's is 76.02

Iago Negueruela, tourism minister for the Balearic Islands, urged UK ministers to 'regionalise' its green list to reopen quarantine-free holidays.

'The Spanish government shares our strategy that the islands are considered separately,' he said.

'We're asking for it because we've maintained controls at ports and airports for our national travellers. The UK can have the tranquillity that we are controlling the access of those travellers when they enter the Balearic Islands.

'That means for instance that someone coming from Andalusia would need to show a negative PCR test to come to Majorca.

'With such a low accumulated incidence of coronavirus, the fact we've retained control over ports and airports, and our ability to detect and control new strains, the security is much higher than many of the countries that have received a green light rating.'

Ministers have pledged to review the travel green list every three weeks and have not ruled out treating islands separately.

Officials in Greece say infection rates on their islands have been falling while vaccination rates have ramped up. On Kos, Crete and Mykonos more than a third of inhabitants have received at least one dose.

Vicky Loizou, the Greek government's tourism chief, said she believed UK ministers 'will change their decision' not to treat the islands separately. She said British tourists were important to her country.
Suzanne Morphew's sister revealed that the missing mother-of-two shared fears for her safety shortly before she was allegedly murdered by her husband Barry.

Melinda Moorman called into local Colorado station Heart of the Rockies Radio on Saturday and recalled how her missing sibling had sent a series of 'telling' texts shortly before her disappearance in May 2020.

'She definitely made implications that she had concerns about her safety and the condition of their relationship had, I think, deteriorated quite a bit over the last several years.' she said in reference to Suzanne's relationship with her husband Barry.

Suzanne Morphew's sister Melinda Moorman (pictured) recalled how her missing sibling had sent a series of 'telling' texts shortly before her disappearance in May 2020

Colorado mother of two, Suzanne Morphew (pictured) went missing May 10, 2020 and has not been seen since

Moorman lives in Sevierville, Tennessee, while Suzanne's home was in Salida, Colorado.

Moorman explained that while she and Suzanne were not the kind of sisters who spoke on a daily or even weekly basis, the siblings had a 'very intuitive and a very close relationship and we were very connected.'

She added: 'And when we did speak, it was unspoken many things but we shared many similarities on our own journeys personally, martially, and she relied on my counsel.'

Moorman said that just before her May 10, 2020 disappearance, her sister sent her a 'very profound' text message, although she does not elaborate on what was said.

'She was transparent with me, particularly the Friday before she went missing, she revealed a very telling text to me it was very profound, very transparent and it showed the state of her mind on that Friday she disappeared.' she told the radio host.

Earlier this month, Moorman claimed the Morphews had been experiencing money problems before Suzanne's disappearance, and had been 'living beyond their means.'

They lived in a large, $1.6 million home in Salida, which was sold a few months after Suzanne disappeared. Barry had moved into a smaller condo in the area before his arrest.

While Suzanne's body has not been found, police charged her husband Barry Morphew 52, with first-degree homicide on May 5 this year.

That charge came almost a year after the 49-year-old mom of two vanished without a trace on after reportedly setting off on a Mother's Day bike ride from the home she shared with Barry near Salida, in Chaffee County.

Morphew sent her final texts to Moorman on the final day she was seen alive, May 8 2020.

She was reported missing by her two daughters when they returned home from a camping trip two days later on Mother's Day, and could not find their mom.

Police have still not located Morphew's body and Moorman shared her agony at not having a body to bury, as the hunt for Suzanne's remains continues.

'It still weighs heavy on us, it is a very difficult complex grief that we are enduring and without her remains it is a devastating heartbreaking place to live.

'And we do hope and we pray that our remains will be found and that the person responsible will come clean and reveal the truth about where she is, so that we can give her a proper burial and love her the way she needed to be loved.' she said.

Moorman also insisted she takes 'no joy' in her brother-in-law's arrest.

'As Suzanne's family we take no joy in what has happened to Suzanne or Barry or our beautiful nieces, or Barry's family. we are broken hearted at every level and we find no delight even in his arrest,' she said. 'It is a tragedy for all of us. the ripple effect is profound, our lives will never be the same.'

Moorman added that 'it is just beyond me' when asked about claims her sister's alleged killer husband Barry Morphew used her sister's ID to fraudulently vote for Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential election.

When questioned by an FBI agent in April over the ballot, Morphew said he submitted it because he 'wanted Trump to win'.

'I know she (Suzanne) was going to vote for Trump anyways,' he allegedly told the agent.

Barry Morphew 52, (pictured) was charged with first-degree homicide in connection to his wife Suzanne's May 2020 disappearance

Suzanne was said to have been last seen by he husband Barry, (pictured together) on the morning of Mother's Day 2020

Barry and Suzanne Morphew (pictured together) in happier times. Barry was charged with first-degree homicide in Suzanne's May 2020 disappearance

Police searched the Colorado home (pictured) of missing mother Suzanne Morphew, 49, as they investigated her disappearance

Suzanne was said to have been last seen by Barry, on the morning of Mother's Day, May 10.

Barry claimed he left their home early and traveled to Denver for a landscaping job.

Officials were told Suzanne set out on a bike ride some time after his departure, but no eyewitnesses saw her out and police have never been able to confirm whether or not she went on a bike ride that day.

Suzanne was reported missing by a neighbor after her daughters Mallory and Macy were unable to contact her by phone when they were returning from an out-of-state camping trip.

Her bike was discovered abandoned on a rural track a short distance from her home later that day.

Barry said he drove back to their home later that day before the job had begun when he learned his wife was missing.

The mom-of-two - who previously worked as a middle-school teacher in Indiana - was last active on social media the day before her disappearance when she posted a picture to Facebook with her two daughters.

A huge search was launched to find Suzanne, involving over 100 law enforcement officials, multiple tracker dogs and dive teams combing through the land and waters near to the Morphews' home.

But the hunt yielded no clues as to Suzanne's whereabouts.

Barry pledged a $100,000 reward for any information that led to her safe return, which was matched by a family friend, bringing the reward total to $200,000.

Colorado police then revealed they had found a 'personal item', believed to be a bicycle helmet,belonging to the missing mom around 500 meters from her home.

Later the same month, investigators carried out their first search on the home she shared with Barry. They were seen carrying evidence bags and equipment out of the property.

A three-day search was also carried out a residential building site in Salida, around 12 miles from the couple's home, where Barry had been paid to lay dirt.

In July, investigators carried out a second search of the Morphew's $1.5 million home. The couple are said to have had money worries, with Barry Morphew selling the luxurious home shortly afterwards.

DailyMail.com then exclusively revealed in September that Barry had spent the night before Suzanne was reported missing at a Holiday Inn hotel in Denver for a landscaping job  and left the room reeking of chlorine.

Barry's co-worker Jeff Puckett told DailyMail.com he took over the hotel room on May 10 and found it scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine.

Puckett said he was ordered to Denver by Barry that morning but didn't see him because he had already left 'due to a family emergency'.

'I got there Sunday night and the room smelled like chlorine real bad,' he said.

'It was his room and he'd taken a shower  his towels were all over the floor.'

The hotel confirmed to DailyMail.com that they do not use chlorine to clean guest rooms and had handed security footage from the weekend of May 9 to police.

An unnamed friend friend of the 53-year-old told The Sun on Monday that Morphew, 'knows the woods and Colorado better than anybody out there,' and 'there's no way in the world' police would find his wife, Suzanne's, body.

'If he is guilty, I doubt anybody would ever find the body,' said the friend, whom The Sun did not name. 'He knows those woods and Colorado better than anybody out there  he hunted and fished every day of his life.'

He added that police would not be able to 'cover that much ground,' and said he would be shocked if the police found Suzanne Morphew's body without someone coming forward and saying 'Hey, this is where it is.'
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for corporations to pay their 'fair share' by funding President Joe Biden's infrastructure plans  and called his plan to roll back 2017 cuts a return to 'historical norms.'

Yellen made the remarks in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global forum on Economic Recovery, where she said U.S. infrastructure was in pressing need of modernization.

'We believe the corporate sector can contribute to this effort by bearing its fair share: We propose simply to return the corporate tax toward historical norms,' said Yellen.

CASH-BACKED: Treasury Sec. Yanet Yellen told the Chamber President Biden's jobs plan would 'enhance the net profitability of our corporations'

Biden has called for hiking the corporate tax rate from 21 per cent  where it was brought down under the Trump tax cuts  up to 28 per cent. But he and his team have also floated a 25 per cent figure in ongoing negotiations with Senate Republicans over his $2.3 trillion plan.

Trump signed legislation lowering the rate from 35 per cent in 2017.

The administration also wants to negotiate with other countries over a global minimum corporate tax.

'We are confident that the investments and tax proposals in the Jobs Plan, taken as a package, will enhance the net profitability of our corporations and improve their global competitiveness,' she said.

President Joe Biden touted his jobs plan at the Ford Rouge EV Center in Dearborn, Mich.

'We hope that business leaders will see it this way and support the Jobs Plan,' she said  acknowledging criticism.

GOP leaders have bashed the plan for spending outside of 'traditional' infrastructure, with funds going to broadband and other programs.

The Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event, pushed back, with President and CEO Suzanne Clark casting the proposed hike as inhibiting a fragile recovery.

She took over as CEO of the Chamber in March, succeeding longtime head Tom Donoghue.

'Now is certainly not the time to erect new barriers to economic recovery. The administration is right to champion infrastructure, and we want to be there with them to do that, but there are other ways to finance it,' she said.

Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark

The Chamber has gotten behind past infrastructure proposals. In this year's talks, some Republicans have floated user fees, which Democrats are ruling out as regressive or not forcing companies to pay their 'fair share.'

She said the hike would 'greatly disadvantage' the U.S. in the global marketplace.

Yellen said the plan would be an economic win, on a day President Biden test drove a new electric Ford F-150 truck. 'The transition to a greener economy will provide a multi-decade boost to the economy, creating jobs along the way as the private sector participates in the development of new technologies, new investments, and the new products that will drive the global economic transformation,' she said.

The separate American Families plan will push out federal funds to assist the workforce with childcare, pre-K, and community college aid.

Those elements would be paid for by a proposed hike in the top income tax rate and nearly doubling the tax rate for long-held capital gains for those earning more than $1 million a year.

Yellen when the plan was first rolled out warned of a 'raced to the bottom' in corporate taxation, with U.S. tax levels at their lowest level in years and below many industrial countries.
Rudy Giuliani's lawyers say his call for 'trial by combat' at a rally before the Capitol riot were not meant literally as they tried to dismiss a civil suit blaming him for the violence, along with former President Donald Trump and others.

They moved to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell with their latest filing.

In it, they say no one could have concluded that Giuliani's 'allegorical' comments about 'trial by combat' incited listeners to launch a violent attack.

'The statement is clearly hyperbolic and not literal and, even if it were to be perceived literally, Giuliani is clearly referring to an event in the future after evidence of alleged election fraud is collected,' they wrote.

Lawyers for former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani moved to dismiss Rep. Eric Swalwell's lawsuit, saying their client's words were 'allegorical' when he called for a 'trial by combat' at a rally on Jan. 6

Giuliani was central to Trump's efforts to overturn the results of last year's election.

And he was one of the speakers at the Stop the Steal rally of Trump supporters on Jan. 6.

'Over the next 10 days, we get to see the machines that are crooked, the ballots that are fraudulent, and if we're wrong, we will be made fools of, he said.

'But if we're right, a lot of them will go to jail.

'So, let's have trial by combat.'

That amounted to 'incitement to violence,' according to Swalwell's suit.

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021.

Protesters clashed with police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in this file phote

But Giuliani's lawyers insist that it was clear he was talking about court challenges.

'No reasonable reader or listener would have perceived Giuliani's speech as an instruction to march to the Capitol, violently breach the perimeter and enter the Capitol building, and then violently terrorize Congress into not engaging in the electoral certification,' they write.

Swalwell's lawsuit also targets Donald Trump Jr and Republican Rep. Mo Brooks.

He accuses them of aiding and betting violent rioters and of and causing emotional distress to members of Congress.

However, Giuliani's lawyers say extremist groups within the crowd came prepared for violence, and so were not set on their course of action by their client's speech.

'There is no evidence that any defendant has been investigated for, let alone charged with, any crime related to the Capitol Riot or involvement with these extremist groups,' they say.
Barack Obama has confirmed the existence of UFOs with greater maneuverability and speed than anything in the US military exist - and say they must be taken seriously.

Speaking on The Late Late Show with James Cordon Monday night, Obama said he had viewed footage of UFOs harassing US military targets which had gone viral recently.

'What is true... is that there's footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are.

'We can't explain how they moved, their trajectory they did not have an easily explainable pattern,' he said.

'So I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is. But I have nothing to report to you today.'

Obama revealed he had been curious about the US Government's research programs into alien lifeforms when he was elected President in 2008.

The 44th President laughed off rumors of a Roswell-style secret lab where alien specimens were kept.

He teased host James Cordon that he knew more than he was letting on.

'When it comes to aliens, there are some things I just can't tell you on air,' Obama said.

'Look, the truth is that when I came into office I asked. I was like, 'All right, is there the lab somewhere where we're keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?'

'They did a little bit of research. and the answer was 'No,'' he quipped.

Former President Barack Obama says he has seen footage of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) that defy rational explanation during an appearance on The Late Late Show Monday

The 44th President laughed off rumors of a Roswell-style secret lab where alien specimens were kept, and teased host James Cordon that he knew more than he was letting on. 'When it comes to aliens, there are some things I just can't tell you on air,' Obama said

Last week, the video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019

Obama's comments came days after a video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019.

Former US Navy Lieutenant Ryan Graves, who flew an F/A-18 fighter off the Virginia coast between 2015 and 2017, said his fighter squadron spotted the 'maneuverable' spherical objects flying in restricted airspace near Virginia Beach almost every day from 2015 to 2017.

'I am worried, frankly. You know, if these were tactical jets from another country that were hanging out up there, it would be a massive issue,' Graves told 60 Minutes.

'But because it looks slightly different, we're not willing to actually look at the problem in the face. We're happy to just ignore the fact that these are out there, watching us every day.'

On his Fox News show on Monday, Tucker Carlson said the US military was not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enough.

Carlson questioned whether the Pentagon is taking this 'threat' to the US's national security seriously, accusing the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs.

He fumed the military is too busy 'hiring more pregnant air force pilots' and being 'obsessed with political purity' to defend America from potential adversaries.

Carlson pointed to the US Army's new recruitment ad which features an LGBTQ+ protest as well as the recent ousting of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier from the Space Force over his comments branding its diversity programs 'Marxist'.

'This is your country, please defend it. It is becoming clear they have no interest in defending it,' said Carlson.

He said the fact the Pentagon - and now Obama - had admitted not knowing where the footage came from was a 'very big problem.'

'Oh, UFOs, they're spooky and kinda funny. Crazy people believe in them. Up until you get to the line, 'The Pentagon admits it doesn't know what in the world this is.' That's all you need to know,' he said.

'From a national security perspective, that's a very big problem. How big a problem is it?'

Tucker Carlson has claimed the US military is not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enough

Carlson accused the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (above) of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs

The Department of Defense is due to release a report into unidentified aerial phenomena sightings by military personnel next month.

Sen. Marco Rubio, who as acting head of the Senate Intelligence Committee called for Pentagon reports into the unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) to be declassified, also believes lawmakers are not taking the threat seriously enough.

'Some of my colleagues are very interested in this topic and some kinda, you know, giggle when you bring it up,' he told 60 Minutes.

But I don't think we can allow the stigma to keep us from having an answer to a very fundamental question.'

Footage released last week confirmed as real by the Pentagon appeared to show a UFO buzz a United States stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water.

Retired Navy officials have warned the technology seen is up to 1,000 years ahead of that used by the US while others have revealed they spotted unidentified objects in the skies every day during military postings.

Commenting on the video, an ex-navy officer said that the technology on display is 100 to 1000 years ahead of that possessed by the United States.

'The technology that we witnessed with the Tic-Tac was something we would not have been able to defend our forces against at the time,' Sean Cahil - a retired US Navy Chief Master-at-Arms - told CNN's Chris Cuomo.

'What we saw in the Tic-Tac [...] is the five observables. [These] indicate a technology that outstrips our arsenal by at least 100 to 1000 years at the moment.'

Last April, the infamous Tic Tac incident was one of three videos released by the Pentagon which showed footage of unexplained aerial phenomena taken by US Navy pilots.

At least six pilots encountered the mysterious object as it flew at speed over the Pacific near Mexico on November 14, 2004. The way it moved has led to speculation that it was a UFO and it has become a key piece of evidence for those who believe in extraterrestrials.

Obama said he wanted to know whether aliens existed when he was elected president. 'Look, the truth is that when I came into office I asked. I was like, 'All right, is there the lab somewhere where we're keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?'
Boris Johnson could declare as soon as next week that Britain is back on track to lift the lockdown, after new figures showed Covid cases are still falling despite the Indian variant.

The Prime Minister warned last week there was a real risk of disruption to the roadmap out of lockdown because of the emergence of the fast-spreading strain.

Yesterday he said the wall of defences built up by the vaccination programme appeared to be limiting the impact of the variant, while warning that a few more days of data were needed to be sure.

But optimism among ministers was rising last night, buoyed by the sight of people queuing for jabs in hotspot areas such as Bolton, and official data showing that the epidemic is continuing to shrink.

Figures revealed that average daily cases are down by 2.6 per cent on the previous week. Daily hospital admissions in England fell to just 70.

Boris Johnson, pictured at a vaccination centre today, could declare as soon as next week that Britain is back on track to lift the lockdown as figures showed Covid cases are still falling

And the total number of Covid patients in hospital in England now stands at just 798, the lowest figure since the middle of September.

Senior Tories also believe the blaze of publicity about the Indian variant is boosting vaccine take-up among hard-to-reach groups.

A government source last night played down reports that the PM is considering a return to local lockdowns.

While ministers have refused to rule out the idea in public, the source said: No one wants local lockdowns  I dont think that is a realistic option.

There would have to be a very strong case to go down that road again  the Indian variant would have to be severely more transmissible, you would need evidence the vaccine is not working and you would have to be seeing a big impact on hospitalisation.

We do still need a bit more data, but that is not how it is looking at the moment.

At the weekend, ministers suggested there would be no update on the next stage of unlocking until mid-June.

But a Downing Street source last night said it could come as soon as next week. One Cabinet source said: There has been a wobble but it feels like we are heading in the right direction again.

Mr Johnson said data from hotspots including Bolton, Blackburn, Bedford and Sefton were being examined to find out more about the impact of the variant.

Asked whether local lockdowns could be used, he said: At the moment we dont see anything conclusive that makes us think we have to deviate from the roadmap.

Tory MPs yesterday urged ministers not to return to the controversial Covid tiers that applied across much of England last autumn.

A member of staff steps off a bus administering vaccinations at the ESSA Academy in Bolton

People queue to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at the ESSA Academy in Bolton earlier today

It came after reports suggested ministers were considering contingency plans that would see Tier Four measures imposed in areas where the new variant is spreading fast. This would involve the closure of non-essential shops and hospitality.

Former Tory minister Jake Berry, chairman of the Northern Research Group of MPs, said there was no appetite for a return to tiers, which kept large swathes of the North locked down for months.

He added: We certainly should not be bringing in a tiers system or delaying the lifting of lockdown because some people are refusing the vaccine.

Localised lockdowns were very divisive last time  and proved about as much use as a one-legged man in an a***-kicking contest.

Mark Logan, Tory MP for Bolton North East, said: Bolton has had it tougher than most of the rest of the country and we dont want to go back to that. For us, its all about vaccines and testing.

It came as campaigners warned that 10,000 pubs will call last orders by the end of the year if social distancing rules were not lifted.

Although customers are now allowed inside pubs and bars, social distancing is still in place and campaigners warned 10,000 pubs could close by the end of the year if they are not lifted

They said Covid-19 had created the biggest crisis the industrys ever seen which may wipe out a fifth of the countrys 50,000 pubs.

The grim warning by the Forum of British Pubs said many landlords cannot afford to reopen until all restrictions are lifted.

Spokesman Dave Mountford said: Many pubs were already on their knees before Covid.

The pandemic has created a toxic combination of reduced income and increased debts. Thousands will be lost for ever.
A Brooklyn mom was shot to death while attending a memorial service for her friend who had been executed hours earlier after accidentally stepping on a gang member's foot, it has been reported.

Shalimar Birkett, 32, was shot in the head Monday night as residents in the Brownsville neighborhood gathered for a vigil for Miles Bobbsemple, 31, the New York Daily News reported. The suspected gangbanger's name was not revealed.

Birkett, a mother of two young boys, was attending Bobbsemple's vigil around 11pm when the gunman hopped out of a car that had stopped down the block and opened fire, the outlet reported. Birkett was rushed to a local hospital where she died.

The suspected gunman reportedly believed that rival gang members were at the vigil and did not intend on shooting Birkett, cops told the Daily News.

Cops reportedly believe the man who fatally shot Birkett is the same shooter who killed Bobbsemple around 12.30am on Monday at a nearby house party when he accidentally stepped on a gang member's foot.

Shalimar Birkett, 32, (left) was shot in the head and died on Monday night as residents in the Brownsville neighborhood gathered for a vigil for Miles Bobbsemple (right)

Videos from WABC show the scene where Birkett had been shot and killed while attending a vigil for her friend

Bobbsemple had been dropped off at a local hospital by a driver who took off before he died, initially leaving cops uncertain of what had led to his shooting.

However, cops believe Bobbsemple had been shot at the same party where a third victim, 30, was also shot in both legs and in the shoulder. That victim, who was not named, was taken to another area hospital in stable condition.

The New York Post reported that it was that victim who had allegedly stepped on the gang member's footing - prompting the deadly violence.

Birkett's mother, Patricia Hamilton, called the shooting death a 'nightmare' in an interview with the Daily News. She said her daughter lived with her and that was Bobbsemple was 'a friend, but not a close friend' of Birkett.

'She was an outgoing, fun person, loved by everyone  all her friends and family,' Hamilton said.

'Why? Why you had to come shoot and kill my daughter? She was just there.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Hamilton for more information and additional comment.

Bobbsemple had no criminal record while Birkett had one previous arrest - which is sealed, WABC reported.

Birkett had just landed a job at a Famous Footwear before her death and Hamilton told the Daily News that it remains unclear if her two boys, ages 11 and 10, have been told that their mother had been murdered.

'She always takes them out to eat, shopping. They go to waterparks and stuff during the summertime. They do fun things together, her and the aunts and the cousins,' Hamilton said.

She told the Daily News that Birkett leaves behind six brothers and five sisters - while another of her siblings preceded her in death when he was also the victim of gun violence.

It remains unclear if Birkett's two boys, ages 11 and 10, have been told that their mother had been murdered

One friend, who posted to Facebook to remember Birkett, said she 'didn't bother a soul.'

'I hope the person that pulled that trigger last night KNOWS that he took away a MOTHER of TWO YOUNG KINGS, A daughter from a mother who lost her son also & a friend of MANY! SMH. SLEEP PEACEFULLY Shelly Birkett,' friend Cesia Sade wrote

Bobbsemple, left, is pictured in a photo posted to his Facebook

Bobbsemple, pictured, and Birkett were friends before their shooting deaths this week

Neyon Hamilton, 25, was an aspiring carpenter before he was shot to death in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn in July 2018, the outlet reported.

One friend, who posted to Facebook to remember Birkett, said she 'didn't bother a soul.'

'I hope the person that pulled that trigger last night KNOWS that he took away a MOTHER of TWO YOUNG KINGS, A daughter from a mother who lost her son also & a friend of MANY! SMH. SLEEP PEACEFULLY Shelly Birkett,' friend Cesia Sade wrote.

The shooting deaths come amid a rise in gun violence in New York City this year.

NYPD data shows that for the week of May 5 to May 9, there were nine murders in New York City  compared to two in 2020, marking a 350% increase year-over-year.

There have been a total of 146 murders in New York City in 2021 as of May 9 compared to 115 by the same date in 2020, a 27% increase.

The data shows that there have been a whopping 43 shooting victims that week compared to 16 that same week in 2020, marking a 168% increase.

Those 43 victims last week were shot in a total of 36 shooting incidents, indicating an uptick in mass shootings versus individual shootings. Last year, there were 16 shooting victims at 15 shooting incidents, the data shows.

There have been a total of 505 shooting victims in New York City as of May 9, nearly double the number of 275 by the same date in 2020.
The House passed an anti-discrimination bill to address the rise in hate crimes against Asians on Tuesday afternoon, with a bipartisan vote of 364 for the bill and 62 against.

With the Senate passing the bill last month with just one down vote, from Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, the legislation now heads to President Joe Biden's desk, where he's expected to sign it by the end of the week.

More than just a statement against anti-Asian hate, the bill directs the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to issue new guidance on the rise in violence against Asians amid the coronavirus pandemic.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a 'momentous day,' as her Democratic caucus voted for the legislation en masse.

The votes against the bill came from 62 House Republicans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a 'momentous day.' She and Democratic leaders gathered for a 'Stop Asian Hate' press conference Tuesday before the vote

House Speaker wore a facemask that read #StopAsianHate to a press conference in advance of passage of the bill Tuesday afternoon

The House passed the anti-Asian hate crime bill with a bipartisan vote of 364-62 Tuesday afternoon

Rep. Judy Chu speaks during a press conference Tuesday in advance of the passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which is supposed to crack down on anti-Asian hate crimes

Sen. Josh Hawley was the only no vote when the Senate passed the bill. On Tuesday, he was joined by 62 House Republicans

The bill expedites the DOJ's review of anti-Asian hate crimes. It also assigns an official to be in charge of the task.

The House's vote is the latest move the federal government has made to reverse what President Joe Biden considers to be the misdeeds of the last administration, placing some blame on former President Donald Trump for labeling COVID-19 the 'China virus' and 'Kung flu.'

'It's the coronavirus. Full stop,' Biden said last month when giving a speech in Atlanta after meeting with Asian-American community leaders in the wake of the series of spa shootings where Asian women were predominantly targeted.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has also pointed a finger at the former occupant.

'I think there's no question that some of the damaging rhetoric that we saw during the prior administration blaming - calling COVID the Wuhan virus or other things, led to perceptions of the Asian-American community that are inaccurate, unfair, have raised threatening, has elevated threats against Asian-Americans and we're seeing that around the country,' Psaki said in a March briefing.

Trump has continued to use the term 'China virus' in statements since leaving office.

Biden made moves just days after his sweaing-in to stop usage of those terms by signing an executive order titled 'Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States' on day No. 6 of his presidency.

'The Federal Government must recognize that it has played a role in furthering these xenophobic sentiments through the actions of political leaders, including references to the COVID-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin,' the order said.

'Such statements have stoked unfounded fears and perpetuated stigma about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and have contributed to increasing rates of bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI persons,' it continued.

In late March, Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a review of how the Justice Department can best deploy its resources to combat hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

At the same time, the Biden administration said $49.5 million from COVID-19 relief funds would go toward community programs to help victims.

Last month, Japanse Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga made the surge of hate crimes in the U.S. an international concern, telling reporters that he had brought up the issue with Biden during their in-person bilateral meeting.

'President Biden's comment [that] discriminations or violences cannot [be] allowed and that he firmly opposes was extremely encouraging for me and I have renewed my confidence in American democracy once again,' the Japanese leader added, through his English translator.

The group Stop AAPI Hate - the acronym that stand for Asian-American and Pacific Islander - released a report in March that said there were 3,795 incidents reported to the group between March 19, 2020 and the end of February 2021.

One concern is that hate crimes are actually underreported.

A piece of the bill is that the DOJ will coordinate with local law enforcement and community groups and share information about hate crime reporting.
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Pictured: A kirpan, traditionally carried by baptised Sikhs

A legal loophole means students in several states are still allowed to bring knives to school, despite horrifying scenes in Sydney where a teenage boy was allegedly stabbed with a Sikh kirpan.

The New South Wales government banned kirpans from schools on Tuesday after a 14-year-old boy allegedly used a ceremonial dagger to stab a 16-year-old male student at Glenwood High School in Sydney's north-west on May 6.

According to the state's education department, the boy was allowed to carry it on school grounds because it was classified as a 'religious weapon' - before the rules were reversed.

But this week it was also revealed that children in Victoria and Western Australia can be given exemption to carry knives on school grounds for the 'purposes of wearing a kirpan'.

Baptised Sikhs are culturally required to wear the kirpan, which looks like miniature sword and is generally kept in a holster, to remind them of their duty to 'uphold and defend the truth courageously'.

Under laws in Tasmania and South Australia, baptised Sikhs are permitted to have kirpans in public but it is unclear whether the rules apply to school grounds.

Queensland laws say the kirpan cannot be worn on school grounds for any reason, although they are allowed in public places.

Parents concerned about the regulations at their child's school should contact the school.

Sikhs are culturally required to carry kirpans, small daggers, at all times to remind them of their duty to 'uphold and defend the truth courageously'

ARE CHILDREN ALLOWED TO BRING KIRPANS TO SCHOOL IN YOUR STATE? New South Wales: No Victoria: Yes Queensland: No South Australia: Kirpans can be carried in public, but unclear whether they are allowed in schools. Tasmania: Kirpans can be carried in public, but unclear whether they are allowed in schools. Western Australia: Yes ACT: No Northern Territory: No Advertisement

Victorian opposition education spokesman David Hodgett told the Herald Sun on Wednesday that the state government should consult with the local Sikh community about outlawing the daggers on school grounds.

'First and foremost our schools need to be kept as a safe place. As such, any knife that can be used as a weapon in a threatening or dangerous way should not be permitted in our schools,' he said.

Mr Hodgett also praised NSW for dealing with the situation quickly and 'sensibly'.

But Turbans 4 Australia president Amar Singh said baptised Sihks are being targeted 'based on one event' and that kirpans should not be banned during school hours.

'Sikhs have been carrying kirpans for over 50 years in Australia without any issues at all,' he told the publication.

'The laws shouldn't change in Victoria, we are speaking to religious leaders, to work out what we can do.'

He said the community is exploring options to make the dagger safe, including incorporating a mechanical lock so it can't be removed from its sheath.

A Department of Education and Training spokesperson said the health and safety of Victorian students is a priority.

'As has always been the case, if a principal has a concern with a student the principal has the right to ban an item from being brought onto school premises,' he said.

It looks like a miniature steel or iron sword and is generally kept in a holster on a person's body, giving them easy access to the weapon should they need it

Poll Should any religious weapons be allowed on school grounds? Yes No Should any religious weapons be allowed on school grounds? Yes 98 votes

No 1396 votes Now share your opinion





Following the alleged school stabbing on May 6, the alleged 16-year-old victim was rushed to hospital.

The other student, 14, was charged with two counts of wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He is on bail and is due back in court in July. Meanwhile, his alleged victim was only released to hospital on Monday, 11 days after the attack.

The kirpan was specifically named as being one which is exempt from the NSW Education Department's ban on knifes as school.

The policy stated that students caught with other types of knifes face suspensions of up to 20 days and even being expelled.

A boy, 14, was arrested at Glenwood High School in Sydney's north-west and has since been charged with two counts of wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm

A boy allegedly stabbed at Glenwood High School on May 6 is yet to return to school. Pictured are police at the scene

Before the kirpan was banned in NSW, a fiery debate erupted on the Today show on Tuesday morning about whether children should be able to take religious weapons to school.

Host Karl Stefanovic admitted it was a 'difficult one' to debate as it was 'school safety versus religious freedom'.

Broadcaster Chris Smith said: 'I don't think it's hard, it's not 1621, it's 2021, it is Australia, it is modern day. You don't put knives in the hands of immature human beings.'

'What sort of backward religious belief is this in the modern day? It's dangerous.'

Former opposition leader Bill Shorten, who was also appearing on the show on Tuesday morning, then interjected urging for caution.

The principal of Glenwood High School (pictured) told parents that a student being in possession of a knife for genuine religious reasons is specified as a reasonable excuse

'I'd be careful about saying the Sikh's have got a backward religious belief,' he said.

'It's not an easy issue but we've got to be careful because it's a different religion to what we are used to.'

The kirpan is considered one of the 'five k's' of Sikhism.

The others are maintaining Kesh through uncut hair, wearing a Kara (steel bracelet), carrying a Kanga (a wooden comb) and wearing Kacchaera (cotton underwear).

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was shocked to learn the knives could students could take knives to school and said it didn't pass the 'common sense test'.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she and Attorney-General Mark Speakman were urgently reviewing the operation of laws relating to children carrying knives for genuine religious reasons.

'Student and staff safety has to come first, and that's why I have asked for advice and I think we have to look at that exemption, and if there is more we need to do,' Ms Mitchell said.

Glenwood High School principal Sonja Anderson addressed the alleged incident in a letter sent home to parents last Friday, which was obtained by 2GB.

Karl Stefanovic on Tuesday admitted it was a 'difficult one' to debate as it was 'school safety versus religious freedom'

Ms Anderson acknowledged the use of knives 'used as a weapon in a dangerous, violent or threatening way is never acceptable'.

But she added possession of a knife for genuine religious reasons is specified as a reasonable excuse under the The NSW Summary Offences Act.

'We are currently working with community representatives to discuss how best to enable students to meet aspects of their religious faith and, at the same time, ensure our schools remain a safe place for students and staff,' the letter states.

'Once we have discussed this issue further with the community representatives we will provide further guidance to NSW public schools.'

The principal addressed the alleged incident in a letter (pictured) sent to parents on Friday

The injured student is said to be progressing well and will be offered additional support before reintegrating into school.

The NSW Department of Education's previous position on religious knives had sparked outrage among 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham and his listeners.

'I'm sorry but knives don't belong in schools,' he told listeners on Monday.

'I don't care what your religion is. And the NSW Police and Department of Education should make this crystal clear.'

The maximum penalty for carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse is a $5,500 fine or two years imprisonment.

A parent who knowingly authorises their child to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse also faces a $550 fine.

Possessing a knife for self defence purposes is not considered a 'reasonable excuse'.
A ten-year-old pupil in Florida has delivered an impassioned plea to his local school board to lift their face mask mandate, describing the headaches and claustrophobia the masks induced and saying they gave him anxiety.

The fourth grader at Felix A. Williams Elementary in the town of Stuart, 40 miles north of West Palm Beach, spoke before the Martin County school board on May 12.

Known only as John, the little boy said that he was 'surprised by the rules'.

'A lot of them didn't make any sense to me like the fact that we're not allowed to play on the playground or have student council or turn to face each other at lunch.

'And we also have to wear masks outside at P.E. and on track.'

John, aged 10, addressed the Martin County officials during a board meeting to discuss masks

Under the district's current policy, students are required to wear masks on school campuses and school buses, with the only exceptions being when they're eating and drinking or during recess and physical education - suggesting John's school was going beyond the recommendations.

The state of Florida removed its mask mandate on May 3.

Ron DeSantis, the governor, had already removed statewide restaurant capacity restrictions in September 2020 - although many businesses imposed or held onto restrictions since then.

The 10-year-old said wearing a face mask gave him headaches and made him anxious

School districts have been free to make their own decisions.

Okeechobee County school district has made face masks optional, but recommended, while Indian River County school district is keeping their mask mandate for now.

John begged Martin County to remove the mask mandate in his school.

'I miss seeing people's faces,' he said.

'I miss the way things used to be. I'm scared they'll never go back to normal.

'Breathing freely doesn't seem like something we should have to ask any other people for permission for.

He said that he often saw his teachers flouting the rules, and yet he and his fellow students had their names taken if they were not wearing their masks correctly. One teacher berated students for lowering their masks to sip water.

'It seems unfair that teachers take their masks off while they yell at us kids, and we need to pull ours up,' he complained.

'I asked my mom if there's a word for this and she said there is - hypocrisy.'

Felix A. Williams Elementary School in Stuart, Florida - where John is a student

Protesters in Tampa, Florida, protest against face masks in school on Tuesday

People protest against the school mask mandate in Tampa on Tuesday

Parents on Tuesday are seen awaiting Hillsborough County School Board meeting in Tampa

John told the group during the session - which lasted for several hours, with parents, teachers and health experts all giving their views - that wearing a mask in class made him ill.

He said he had allergies, and felt it was unfair that his asthmatic teacher was given permission not to wear her mask.

She did not even recognize him when they met outside school, he said.

'Wearing a mask all day makes me feel really tired and gives me really bad headaches. Sometimes I'm at school and I need to lay low in the dark until they're gone,' he said.

'My mask also sticks to my face when it's hot and it makes it hard to breathe. I feel like I can't catch my breath and that makes me feel claustrophobic and anxious. It's really stressful.'

The wearing of face masks in classrooms has become a source of debate among many

Parents in Los Angeles protest on March 1 against the closure of their children's schools

Rachel Meier, who has children within the district, told TCPalm that the decision should be left to parents.

'We're out here trying to be heard in saying we don't want our kids masked anymore,' she said.

'It's our right as a parent to decide what to do with our child when it comes to their health.'

The chair of the board, Marsha Powers, said the decision was not about individual students but rather the school district community, which includes teachers, custodians and bus drivers.

'I'm tired of masks, too, but I wear my mask out of respect for those who are fearful,' she said.

'As a School Board member, we have to look out for the entirety of the people that we serve.'

Dr Cheryl Jordan, chairman of medicine at Cleveland Clinic spoke in favor of keeping the mask mandate until the end of term.

'Facts are, masks do slow down the transmission,' she said.

'The risk does raise linearly with the age and grade of the child.'

The school board ultimately voted 4-1 to keep the mask mandate in place until June 1, when term ends.

The following day, on May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revoked its recommendations for wearing face masks indoors and out.

Face masks in schools have become a flashpoint for communities across the country - in addition to the broader issue of home schooling.

Parents are seen protesting on March 1 at an 'Open Schools Now!' demonstration in LA

Almost all students have had remote learning at some point over the past year, but different states have taken dramatically different approaches to reopening classrooms.

Parents have been frequently begging schools to reopen, given the challenges of juggling work with home schooling, and the mental health impact for their children of being isolated.

On Monday the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, announced that New Jersey schools will be required to reopen this fall on a full-time in-person basis - without remote learning as an option.

Some other states are considering whether to continue to offer remote learning, a spokesperson at the National Association of State Boards of Education said.

In Connecticut, the state has informed school districts that they won't be required to offer remote learning, but didn't bar them from offering it.

Many school districts are currently bouncing between remote and in-person, owing to COVID outbreaks closing classrooms.

And in the past week alone, parents from Alabama to Iowa and Wisconsin have staged protests, calling for the repeal of mask mandates.

Among the most bitter rows have been those in San Francisco, where schools are still operating remotely.

Parents have reacted in fury to the school board, and called for their resignation.

Fewer than half the district's students are currently back in classrooms, and the district has pledged to reopen full time for all students in the fall, but labor and facilities issues could prevent that.

They are now searching for a consultant to help guide schools with the return to classrooms.

Meanwhile, the district's enrollment has dropped, with frustrated families moving outside the city or to private schools.

Officials are worried about losing more families  which would further hurt the budget  without a robust fall plan.
A heroic beachgoer has opened up on a surfer's tragic last moments after he found the man in a pool of blood in the ocean following a shark attack on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

The surfer, 59, believed to be from Sydney's Northern Beaches, was bitten on his upper right thigh at Tuncurry Beach near Forster at 11.20am on Tuesday.

He was pulled from the water and paramedics performed CPR at the scene, before transporting him to a local dog park with the intention of airlifting him to John Hunter Hospital. He died at 12.40pm before he could be taken to hospital.

Fisherman Michael Guest, who was on a jet ski at the time of the attack, appeared on Today on Wednesday morning, recalling the moment he was alerted to the struggling surfer.

The man, 59, died after he was bitten by a shark on the upper leg while surfing at Tuncurry Beach on the New South Wales mid-north coast

'People just started pointing and yelling at me. I zipped over to just around the corner of the break wall to see what was going on,' he told host Karl Stefanovic.

'I didn't know if somebody was drowning. Then this gentleman said, ''There's a guy getting attacked by the shark over there''. Hearing those words straightaway, I just... flattened the throttle on the jet ski.'

Mr Guest said he was then 'confronted' by a 'huge' amount of blood in the water.

'It wasn't a nice thing to see to be perfectly honest. I couldn't believe that it was so much blood in the water,' he said.

The fishermen said there were three other men in the water who pulled the critically injured surfer out.

'They pulled the gentleman up, lifted him up around water level. I could see the horrific injuries that had occurred,' he said.

Fisherman Michael Guest, who was on a jet ski at the time of the attack, appeared on Today on Wednesday morning, recalling the moment he was alerted to the struggling surfer

The attack was at Tuncurry Beach near Forster on the mid-north coast of New South Wales

On the shore, the surfer was desperately given CPR.

'They were working flat out to revive the gentleman,' Mr Guest said.

'Great to see how humans react in those situations. Such a horrific thing.'

The fisherman said he couldn't see the shark as the water was 'really discoloured'.

'Even though it's a big animal, I don't know where it was, it was obviously just there somewhere. I didn't see the shark but the damage was done.'

Police said the surfer, who was believed to be on a holiday with friends, was calling out to warn others that the 4.5 metre white pointer was in the water when it latched onto his leg.

'When the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try and warn others,' Superintendent Christopher Schilt told reporters.

Locals said the monster that attacked him was likely a large great white shark they call Bruce.

The Sydney man died from a great white shark bite on Tuesday before he could be taken to hospital

'Bruce has been swimming around there for years now finally big enough to attack someone. RIP old mate,' one person said, referring to fears among residents the shark would be culled.

'Probs the local white,' one person commented.

Another agreed saying they were 'pretty sure it was Brucey'.

Two great whites - one measuring about four metres - were spotted not far from the site of the attack on Tuesday afternoon.

The area is a known breeding ground for great white sharks. In 2018, 64 great whites were caught off Foster and Tuncurry during a six month period.

Police said they are working with the Department of Primary Industries to identify the species responsible for the fatality.
Over one in three people on

But islands are stuck with 'amber' mainland where cases are still too high

Balearics' infection rates below 50 cases per 100,000, second lowest in Spain

Spanish and Greek tourism chiefs yesterday urged the UK to move their islands on to the green list for travel.

Fourteen-day infection rates in the Balearics have dropped below 50 cases per 100,000, the second lowest level among Spain's 17 regions.

Majorca has an infection rate of 42.74 per 100,000, Ibiza 25.69 and Formentera 16.51. Menorca's is 76.02.

However the islands are lumped in with 'amber' mainland Spain where rates are higher.

Spanish and Greek tourism chiefs yesterday urged the UK to move their islands on to the green list for travel. Majorca (pictured) has an infection rate of 42.74 per 100,000, Ibiza 25.69 and Formentera 16.51. Menorca's is 76.02

Portugal, which is on the green list, has a rate of around 49 per 100,000, according to the data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Iago Negueruela, tourism minister for the Balearic Islands, urged UK ministers to 'regionalise' its green list to reopen quarantine-free holidays.

'The Spanish government shares our strategy that the islands are considered separately,' he said.

'We're asking for it because we've maintained controls at ports and airports for our national travellers. The UK can have the tranquillity that we are controlling the access of those travellers when they enter the Balearic Islands.

Officials in Greece say infection rates on their islands have been falling while vaccination rates have ramped up. On Kos, Crete (pictured) and Mykonos more than a third of inhabitants have received at least one dose

'That means for instance that someone coming from Andalusia would need to show a negative PCR test to come to Majorca.

'With such a low accumulated incidence of coronavirus, the fact we've retained control over ports and airports, and our ability to detect and control new strains, the security is much higher than many of the countries that have received a green light rating.'

Ministers have pledged to review the travel green list every three weeks and have not ruled out treating islands separately.

Officials in Greece say infection rates on their islands have been falling while vaccination rates have ramped up. On Kos, Crete and Mykonos more than a third of inhabitants have received at least one dose.

Vicky Loizou, the Greek government's tourism chief, said she believed UK ministers 'will change their decision' not to treat the islands separately. She said British tourists were important to her country.
Former Post Office bosses could be hauled to give evidence to an inquiry after it was promised new powers yesterday.

The probe into the postmasters scandal is to be upgraded to a statutory footing, meaning witnesses face imprisonment if they fail to appear.

It could mean Post Office chiefs who presided over the UKs biggest miscarriage of justice finally being compelled to take the witness stand.

Innocent postmasters, often the pillars of their village communities, were sacked, jailed or made bankrupt over mysterious shortfalls in their branch accounts  when in fact a computer glitch in the Horizon IT system was to blame.

Former Post Office bosses including CEO Paula Vennells (pictured) could be hauled to give evidence to an inquiry into the postmasters scandal after it was promised new powers yesterday

During a cynical 15-year cover-up by the Post Office, hundreds of lives were ruined.

So far, 45 have had their convictions overturned after being wrongly accused of stealing from their own branches.

The Post Office is now paving the way for 640 others to have their convictions quashed too.

After years of disingenuous denials, the publicly owned service has finally acknowledged its failure to fairly investigate and disclose problems in its bug-ridden Horizon system.

Now ministers are to hand over powers so the inquiry can get to the truth. The probe, chaired by retired High Court judge Sir Wyn Williams, will be able to compel witnesses to give evidence and hand over documents.

So far, 45 have had their convictions overturned after being wrongly accused of stealing from their own branches. The Post Office is now paving the way for 640 others to have their convictions quashed too

A Whitehall source told the Daily Mail: The impact the Horizon scandal has had on affected postmasters is truly unconscionable  and ministers are determined to uncover the truth about what happened.

Sir Wyn had himself asked Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to make the inquiry statutory. One insider said witnesses were cooperating, but as the probe deepened, it was necessary to ensure compliance.

Former boss Paula Vennells is among those likely to be called, along with ex-staff at computer software firm Fujitsu, which manages the Horizon contract.

Mrs Vennells, 62, is accused of covering up the scandal and forcing hundreds of postmasters into a costly High Court battle.

She joined the Post Office as network director in 2007 before becoming chief executive in 2012. On her watch there was a pervasive failure to investigate complaints about Horizon, the Court of Appeal ruled.

Mrs Vennellss Post Office continued to maintain the IT system was safe and robust until after she left, despite the mounting body of evidence to the contrary.

On leaving the Post Office, having banked 3.7million in pay and bonuses, she was awarded a CBE for her service. She recently said she was truly sorry for the suffering caused.

A progress report on Sir Wyns probe is expected this summer.

Labours Chi Onwurah called on the Government to extend the limited remit of the inquiry, which does not cover compensation or the accountability of managers in this scandal.

A Department for Business spokesman said: We continue to engage with relevant parties on all options available to ensure we get to the bottom of where mistakes were made.
Detectives have charged three people as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged importation of a half a tonne of cocaine with a street value of nearly $155 million.

Acting on intelligence information, officers from Australian Border Force intercepted a shipment of toolboxes which arrived in Sydney from the United Kingdom at 7pm on May 15.

It was found to contain 514kg of cocaine hidden in the steel boxes, which has an estimated potential street value of $154million.

Following extensive investigations, detectives stopped a van on Banksia Street, Botany, about 10.50am on Tuesday.

Acting on intelligence information, officers from Australian Border Force intercepted a shipment of toolboxes which arrived in Sydney from the United Kingdom (stock image)

As officers approached the van, the female driver allegedly reversed the vehicle at speed before the male passenger ran from the vehicle and threw a backpack into a nearby yard.

Police gave chase on foot and arrested the 26-year-old man a short distance away.

The 33-year-old woman was arrested before officers retrieved the backpack, which was searched along with their vehicle and an unattended truck parked at Pagewood.

The Collaroy woman was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with large commercial drug supply and use offensive weapon in company to prevent detention.

The Dee Why man was taken to hospital for treatment to a minor leg injury, before being taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with large commercial drug supply.

The pair was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Following further inquiries, Strike Force Coact detectives arrested a 28-year-old man during a vehicle stop on Williamson Drive, Macquarie Fields, about 5pm.

A short time later, investigators also executed a search warrant at a home at Minto.

The Minto man was taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where he was charged with large commercial drug supply.

Police will allege in court that the man collected the consignment from Matraville and delivered it to Pagewood, before leaving the area.

He was also refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court today.

Investigations under Strike Force Coact are continuing.
Just days before a critical by-election in NSW a new poll shows Premier Gladys Berejiklian is the preferred premier among 57 per cent of voters, with just 17 per cent choosing Labor leader Jodi McKay.

The Resolve Political Monitor poll published on Wednesday in the Sydney Morning Herald found that even Labor voters prefer Ms Berejiklian, with NSW Labor's primary vote slumping to 28 per cent.

Despite a string of scandals that have left the Berejiklian government in minority, the poll found the opposition's vote has dropped five percentage points since the 2019 state election.

Last week a fourth government MP - Kiama MP Gareth Ward - moved to the crossbench amid allegations of sexual violence, which he denies.

Even Labor voters prefer Ms Berejiklian (pictured), with NSW Labor's primary vote slumping to 28 per cent

Saturday's by-election in the Upper Hunter was sparked by Nationals MP Michael Johnsen's resignation after he was accused of raping a sex worker in 2019. He's denied the allegations and has not been charged with any crime.

However, the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic appears to have swung voters toward the status quo with the coalition's primary vote climbing two percentage points since 2019 to 44 per cent.

Resolve founder Jim Reed told the Herald the polling of 1228 voters between mid-April and May suggested the recent scandals hadn't hurt the government.

'The Berejiklian government is being rewarded for a positive performance during COVID .... little else matters at the moment and ... many voters are not seeing a choice in Labor anyway,' he said.

Polling conducted in the Upper Hunter last week found the Nationals would struggle to hold the previously safe seat, meaning preference flows will be critical.

The YouGov poll of 400 people found 25 per cent support for Nationals candidate Dave Layzell while Labor's Jeff Drayton is sitting on 23 per cent.
France has pushed for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Zhang Jun, Beijing's ambassador to the UN, told reporters his team had heard the proposal and 'for China, definitely, we are supportive' of efforts to end the crisis and secure peace in the Middle East.

Following talks between Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah, the French presidency said in a statement: 'Overall, the 3 countries agreed on 3 simple elements: the shooting must stop, the time has come for a ceasefire, the U.N. Security Council must take up the subject and we have also called for a vote on a resolution on the subject.'

The 15-member Security Council on Tuesday held its third private meeting in a week on the worst violence between Israel and the Palestinians in years.

France has pushed for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Above, French President Emmanuel Macron is pictured on Tuesday

The council also met publicly on Sunday, but has been unable to agree a press statement, which needs consensus support, due to the objection of the United States.

'We have not been silent and neither have you,' Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Tuesday, according to a U.N. diplomat familiar with her remarks.

'With regard to further Security Council action, we must assess if any given action or statement will advance prospects for ending the violence,' she said. 'We do not judge that a public pronouncement right now will help de-escalate.'

During the same meeting, diplomats said France raised the possibility of a Security Council resolution on the conflict. The French presidency then confirmed it was calling for such for a move. Diplomats said no draft text has been put forward.

'The U.N. Security Council must take up the subject and we have also called for a vote on a resolution on the subject,' the presidency said after talks between Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah.

The council also met publicly on Sunday, but has been unable to agree a press statement, which needs consensus support, due to the objection of the United States. Above, supporters of Palestine hold a protest in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC on Tuesday

Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington's focus would continue to be intensive diplomacy to try and end the violence, noting there had so far been 60 high-level calls by senior U.S. officials, President Joe Biden.

She added: 'President Biden expressed support for a ceasefire.'

French diplomats said they believe that a U.N. Security Council resolution could raise pressure on the parties to end hostilities, adding that any action in New York would complement other diplomatic initiatives and they think there is a way to make the United States 'evolve'.

Israel unleashed an offensive on militants in Gaza after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Gaza health officials said the Palestinian death toll so far was at least 212, including 61 children. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.
Troubled former NRL player Jamil Hopoate has been charged with supplying half a tonne of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $155 million.

Hopoate, 26, is accused of being part of a trio now charged over the massive haul of cocaine from the UK.

Hopoate, the son of former Manly winger John Hopoate, was a talented junior, who was sacked by Parramatta and Manly before he could make his NRL debut for off-field issues.

Police say Australian Border Force officers found 514kg of cocaine hidden in a consignment of toolboxes which arrived in Sydney on Saturday.

Troubled former NRL player Jamil Hopoate (left at a court appearance in 2014) has been charged with supplying half a tonne of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $155 million

Police say when detectives stopped a van at Botany on Tuesday morning the woman driver reversed at speed before the male passenger - allegedly Hopoate - ran off and threw a backpack into a nearby yard.

Police gave chase on foot and arrested him a short distance away.

The 33-year-old northern beaches woman was arrested before officers retrieved the backpack.

The woman was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with commercial drug supply and using an offensive weapon in company to prevent detention.

Hopoate, from Dee Why, was taken to hospital for treatment to a minor leg injury, before being charged at Mascot Police Station with supplying a large commercial quantity of cocaine.

The pair was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Detectives later arrested a 28-year-old Minto man and charged him with supplying a large commercial quantity of cocaine.

Police will allege in court that the man collected the consignment from Matraville and delivered it to Pagewood, before leaving the area.

He was also refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday.

Hopoate played 12 NRL matches in Brisbane's nightmare 2020 season and is now without a contract.
A hilarious video from 1984 demonstrating the now retro-looking  but then cutting-edge  technology used to check emails when travelling overseas has resurfaced.

Posted on Twitter by news anchor Jon Erlichman, the British TV clip features one of the first-ever notebook-style computers and an acoustic coupler-style modem.

In it, the presenter undertakes two attempts to demonstrate how the now unusual looking modem works by plugging a telephone handset directly into it.

However, the first effort  undertaken on a moving train  is thwarted by a lack of coins for the payphone.

How to check your email in 1984: pic.twitter.com/P2tzx8TB47  Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) May 16, 2021

Posted on Twitter by TV anchor Jon Erlichman, the two-minute clip features one of the first-ever notebook-style computers and an acoustic coupler-style modem (like pictured)

Pictured: Thames TV's Tony Bastable

The clip is an excerpt from an episode of Thames TV's computing-themed series, 'Database' which aired on June 07, 1984.

In it, presenter Tony Bastable  who is perhaps better known his role on the ITV children's programme 'Magpie'  endeavours to demonstrate how to send and receive emails via a public pay phone while travelling across Japan on board a train.

'For the businessman on the move, one of the most significant developments over the last couple of years or so has been in the introduction of pieces of kit like this  the truly portable computer,' Mr Bastable explained in the video.

The computer in question is TRS-80 Model 100. First sold in Japan in 1983, one year before the clip was broadcast, the battery-powered, notebook-style machine sported a built-in keyboard and a liquid crystal display.

Originally manufactured by the Kyocera Corporation (and sold in Japan as the 'Kyotronic 85'), the computer's design was eventually sold to Tandy, who sold the machines via Radio Shack in the US and Canada and affiliated dealers elsewhere.

In total, some 6 million units of the TRS-80 Model 100 were sold, retailing for the equivalent today of 1,986 (for the 8 KB version) or 2,529 (for the 32 KB model.)

'You can work it anywhere, whether in train seat or aircraft seat,' Mr Bastable said in the video, demonstrating some of the computer's functions.

'Here, I can do a bit of programming and work out my daily schedule, I can look at a file I might have been preparing for a company report, I can keep up to date with my address list, do all sorts of things.

'But, if information technology is really about the convergence of computers with telecommunications, then obviously the big advantage of a piece of technology like this is to be able to couple it up back to my home base over the telephone line.'

TRS-80 MODEL 100 VS iPHONE 12 How does the TRS-80 MODEL 100 compare to a smartphone of today? Developer: Kyocera, later Tandy Release year: 1983 Dimensions: 11.8'' x 8.5'' x 2.0'' Weight: 3.1 lbs w. batteries Keyboard: Integrated Display: Eight-line, liquid crystal Graphics: 240 x 64 pixels CPU: 2.4 MHz Intel 80C85 Memory: 8 or 32 KB Power: Four AA cells, or 6V adapter Units sold: 6 million Cost: $1,0991,399 Developer: Apple Inc. Release year: 2020 Dimensions: 5.78'' x 2.82'' x 0.29'' Weight: 5.7 ounces Keyboard: On-screen Display: 6.1-inch display Graphics: 25321170 pixels CPU: Hexa-core ARM big.LITTLE Memory: 4 GB Power: 3.83 V 10.78 Wh Li-ion Units sold: Expected 220 million Cost: $799 Advertisement

The computer demonstrated in the video is TRS-80 Model 100 (pictured). First sold in Japan in 1983, the battery-powered, notebook-style machine sported a built-in keyboard and a liquid crystal display. In total, some 6 million units of the TRS-80 Model 100 were sold, retailing for the equivalent today of 1,986 (for the 8 KB version) or 2,529 (for the 32 KB model)

Alas, Mr Bastable and his production team's efforts to demonstrate the modem connection on board the train is thwarted, in part because of a lack of the change needed to dial out to Britain using the public payphone.

'Added to which, when we did test it, the line is too noisy for this particular modem. Still, you can't win 'em all!' Mr Bastable quipped.

More success is had in the second half of the clip, where the team retreat to a hotel room and link up a connection to the computer overseas using the room's rotary-dial telephone, and download email onto the computer to read.

'And of course, I could perform the whole process in reverse,' Mr Bastable said.

'I could sit here and send messages from my computer to the computer in London to be picked up by the electronic mailbox in the Database office  if only I could think of something to say!' he joked.

The clip received mixed reactions on Twitter. Pictured, a reference to the 1983 film 'War Games', which prominently featured an acoustic coupler early on in the movie

'This is honestly cooler than email today. Way less convenient, but definitely cooler,' tweeted one Marshal Hayes

Meanwhile, @RedQuasar42 tweeted: 'Oh my goodness it's like stepping into a time vortex. Very obscure. Did people used to do this before mobile telephone devices?'

The clip received mixed reactions on Twitter.

'This is honestly cooler than email today. Way less convenient, but definitely cooler,' tweeted one Marshal Hayes.

Meanwhile, @RedQuasar42 tweeted: 'Oh my goodness it's like stepping into a time vortex. Very obscure. Did people used to do this before mobile telephone devices?'
Jupiter's fourth largest moon Europa may have pockets of water within its ice covered surface that could support life, according to the team behind a new study.

A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US used satellite images of features on the surface of the frozen moon and modelled their age and size.

The authors predict that these features are pockets of liquid water housed within the 15 mile thick ice crust that last for a few thousand years before re-freezing.

These water pockets could be habitable and contain current microbial life that the NASA Europa clipper, launching in 2024, may be able to detect, they confirmed.

Jupiter's fourth largest moon Europa may have pockets of water within its ice covered surface that could support life, according to the team behind a new study

A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US used satellite images of features on the surface of the frozen moon and modelled their age and size

POCKETS OF WATER IN THE EUROPA ICE Jupiter's fourth largest moon Europa has pockets of ice a mile beneath the surface of its frozen outer shell. These pockets were spotted by NASA scientists reviewing images captured by the Galileo spacecraft in the 1990s. There are several pockets with dark spots that are thought to be saline solutions that slow the freezing. There is evidence that these pockets of liquid water last 10,000 years and could house microbial life. Advertisement

Europa is the fourth largest moon of the gas giant Jupiter, and is thought to have a massive 100 mile deep liquid water ocean beneath its frozen surface.

There is evidence of recent geological formations within the 15 mile thick frozen crust, including small, dark and dome-like features about a mile below the surface.

Using numerical simulations, the team found that these features contain shallow water that is relatively shortlived and currently present in the ice shell.

These watery pockets within the wider shell of ice could be habitable for microbial life, the team explained, although haven't detected any life to date.

Chase Chivers and colleagues modelled the pockets in images from NASAs Galileo spacecraft that explored the Jupiter system in the 1990s and 2000s.

The spacecraft, launched in 1989, spotted pits and markings that were dubbed 'lenticulae' spattered across the Europan surface.

It was thought that the dark patches in some pockets were linked to salt in the subsurface that keeps the water liquid and slows the freezing process.

Chivers predicts that there could be hundreds of these liquid water pockets across the surface of the moon today.

'We think there is still shallow water under some of these features,' Chivers told New Scientist, adding that they may explain plumes erupting on to the surface of the moon that were previously thought to have come from the ocean.

Mark Fox-Powell, from the Open University in the UK, not part of this study, told New Scientist that if the pockets exist they could be habitats for life.

Europa is the fourth largest moon of the gas giant Jupiter, and is thought to have a massive 100 mile deep liquid water ocean beneath its frozen surface

There is evidence of recent geological formations within the 15 mile thick frozen crust, including small, dark and dome-like features about a mile below the surface

'If there is life in the subsurface ocean, and it gets incorporated into the ice shell and later re-melted, that could kick-start a community,' he explained, but added the would be a 'doomed community' as eventually the pocket would refreeze.

It is hoped that the NASA Europa Clipper, due to launch in 2024, will be able to detect pockets closest to the surface of the moon.

This spacecraft will arrive at the moon in 2030 and use radar to look beneath the surface and an analyser to study dust coming from the world in plumes.

If these plumes are generated from these pockets, as predicted by the team, it may detect evidence of microbial life within the dust.

The findings have been published in the journal JGR Planets.
NASA has advanced researchers grant money to figure out how to get a mission to Saturn's moon Titan and bring back any extraterrestrial life it discovers.

The return journey of the probe, which aims to bring back 'organic compounds' for further study, would be fueled by the celestial satellite's vast methane lakes.

The space agency recently presented a $125,000 grant from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) to the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Oh. to figure out whether such a mission could be possible.

In addition to the liquid ocean that many scientists believe could be home to life, there is a class of chemical compounds on its surface and in its atmosphere, known as tholins, that are not found on Earth.

These compounds, which the mission is proposing to bring back, could benefit from analysis on Earth's labs.

NASA said tholins could also be 'some of the building blocks of the solar system that could help us understand the origin of life on our own planet.'

A sample return mission would require a rocket powered by resources on Titan to lift off for the return trip back to Earth as seen in this artist rendering

Unlike the 'seven minutes of terror' that space agencies have experienced when trying to land on Mars, Titan's atmospheric pressure would make landing spacecraft on its surface significantly easier.

'We expect landing on Titan to be relatively easy,' Steven Oleson, head of the Compass Lab at Glenn, which conducts conceptual spacecraft design for NASA, said in a statement. 'Titan has a thick atmosphere of nitrogen  1.5 times the atmospheric pressure of Earth  which can slow the lander's velocity with an aeroshell and a parachute for a soft landing, just like astronauts returning to Earth.'

The NIAC funds ideas that are in the early stages of development and not yet an official mission, the agency said in the release.

'NIAC is one way the agency fosters 'wild' ideas that require a decade or more of development but could eventually lead to revolutionary innovations that contribute to new and exciting missions,' Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate, added. 'The missions of today were 'wild' ideas years ago.'

Titan, the second largest moon in the Solar System, second only behind Jupiter's Ganymede, is covered by a global ocean comprised entirely of liquid methane, according to NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn.

Cassini, which intentionally plunged itself into Saturn's planet's atmosphere in September 2017 after a 13-year-long flyby, also spotted dust storms on Titan.

In addition to its massive ocean, Titan has extreme weather patterns, with a surface temperature of -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-179 degrees Celsius), something that has intrigued scientists for years.

'Titan is an amazing world,' Geoffrey Landis, the science lead investigator for Compass, explained. 'It is covered in organic compounds protected with a thick nitrogen atmosphere and has liquid natural gas seas the size and depth of Earth's Great Lakes on its surface. And beneath its crust, Titan is an ocean world, with a second ocean of liquid water hidden deep below the surface.'

The team will move on to figuring out how to create the liquid oxygen for the possible mission. Titan's rocks are comprised of water ice which could be melted using heat from a nuclear source and then electrolyzed, NASA added.

'Producing rocket fuel on Titan wouldn't require chemical processingyou just need a pipe and a pump,' explained Oleson. 'The methane is already in a liquid state, so it's ready to go.

NASA's Cassini mission ended in 2017 after 13 years of flying by Saturn, snapping hundreds of pictures and observing the gas giant and some of its satellites.

NASA hopes to send a mission to Titan in 2027 and find out whether it is home to life, as many scientists have suggested

'Our aim is to design a cost-effective modern mission concept that could find and use resources at the destination,' Landis said.

In June 2019, NASA unveiled a new mission to Titan, known as Dragonfly, that would fly more than 100 miles around the celestial satellite.

It was originally set to launch in 2026, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the launch date to 2027.
The Greenland ice sheet, the second largest on the planet, is close to reaching the tipping point of no return with 'accelerated melting,' a new study has found.

Experts at the University of Copenhagen and the Arctic University of Norway analyzed the Jakobshavn basin, located in the Central-Western part, one of the five largest in Greenland.

If the troubling signs in this region were to happen to the entire ice sheet, causing it to melt completely, it could eventually raise global sea levels by 23ft (7m).

At this point, researchers are not yet clear if the ice sheet has reached the proverbial tipping point, or if it's decades away, but it's likely that a sea level rise of a few feet is unavoidable.

'We might be seeing the beginning of a large-scale destabilization, but at the moment, we cannot tell, unfortunately,' the study's lead author, University of Copenhagen professor Dr. Niklas Boers, said in a statement. 'So far, the signals we see are only regional, but that might simply be due to the scarcity of accurate and long-term data for other parts of the ice sheet.'

The Jakobshavn basin is located in the Central-Western part of the ice sheet and is one of the five largest in Greenland.

The researchers analyzed the Jakobshavn basin is located in the Central-Western part of the ice sheet to come up with their conclusion

The Greenland ice sheet is experiencing accelerated melt. Researchers are starting to wonder whether it's at the 'tipping point of no return'

The researchers found that the height of the ice sheet is not as high as it once was, due to warming temperatures

If the entire ice sheet melted, global sea levels could rise 23ft (7m)

In their analysis, they believe the ice sheet, which has been recorded and analyzed for the past 140 years, is suffering from reduced height of the ice sheet caused by melting, which is then exposed to warmer air.

A continuous loop might be happening, with greater melting caused by warmer temperatures, the researchers warn.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Boers with a request for comment.

One thing is clear from the research, however: the ice sheet is experiencing further destabilization.

The researchers looked at more than 140 years worth of data, including temperature records, height changes and melting rates

'We show that the melt-elevation feedback is likely to be responsible for the observed destabilization,' the researchers wrote in the study's abstract. 'Our results suggest substantially enhanced melting in the near future.'

'We're at the brink, and every year with CO2 emissions continuing as usual exponentially increases the probability of crossing the tipping point,' Boers said in an interview with The Guardian.

It's likely that it will take centuries for sea levels to rise between three and six feet (1-2m) and the whole ice sheet would take around 1,000 years for it to be completely gone, Boers told the news outlet.

Boers and his co-author Martin Rypdal used a variety of inputs, including melting rates since 1880, height changes, temperature records and simulated modeling to conduct their research.

To accurately assess the entire ice sheet, further research is needed, Boers said in the release.

'We need to monitor also the other parts of the Greenland ice sheet more closely, and we urgently need to better understand how different positive and negative feedbacks might balance each other, to get a better idea of the future evolution of the ice sheet.'

The study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In August 2020, experts from Germany found that the ice sheet lost 532 gigatons of mass, the largest ever recorded.

Separately that month, some researchers said that it had already past the 'point of no return.'l

In September 2020, a chunk larger than the city of Paris broke off due to a rapidly changing climate.

Earlier this year, plants were discovered nearly a mile below the ice sheet that suggested the area was ice-free within the past 1 million years.
On July 16, 1945, the US Army tested the first nuclear bomb at Trinity Site in New Mexico unbeknownst they would leave behind something that would one day help scientific research.

Decades later this hidden treasure has been uncovered - a quasicrystal, which is new form of matter that breaks the rules of classical crystalline materials.

The reddish material was found in a mineral forged by extreme heat and pressure from the atomic bomb detonation, which fused sand into glass and included traces of the melted tower and transmission wires.

This type of quasicrystal has only been observed in the in the Khatyrka meteorite that dates back at least hundreds of millions of years, which means the one unearthed in New Mexico is the oldest of its kind made by humans.

Scientists believe the newly discovered material will help them better understand illicit nuclear explosions and curb nuclear proliferation.

This quasicrystal is magnificent in its complexitybut nobody can yet tell us why it was formed in this way, said Terry Wallace, director emeritus of Los Alamos National Laboratory.

But someday, a scientist or engineer is going to figure that out and the scales will be lifted from our eyes and we will have a thermodynamic explanation for its creation.

Then, I hope, we can use that knowledge to better understand nuclear explosions and ultimately lead to a more complete picture of what a nuclear test represents.

Scroll down for video

The reddish material was found in a mineral forged by extreme heat and pressure from the atomic bomb detonation that fused sand into glass, which included traces of the melted tower and transmission wires

The bomb, packed with 13 pounds of plutonium obliterated everything in sight with its awe-inspiring explosion equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT.

The tower the bomb was mounted on, copper from transmission wires and other testing devices instantly melted from the detonation- all of which formed into the newly discovered mineral called trinitite.

These minerals are typically green, but the one found in the New Mexico dessert has shades of red ranging from bright to deep.

Scientists suggest the rare color may be a result of copper oxide from the transmission wires that fused into the mineral.

The bomb, packed with 13 pounds of plutonium obliterated everything in sight with its awe-inspiring explosion equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT

Normal crystals include sugar, salt and quarts, all of which are known as periodic order  their atoms are ordered in a repeating pattern.

Quasicrystals, first discovered in the 1980s, contain an atomic structure as traditional crystals, but do not align in a repeating pattern.

Quasicrystals are formed in extreme environments that rarely exist on Earth,' said Wallace, who co-authored the paper.

They require a traumatic event with extreme shock, temperature, and pressure. We don't typically see that, except in something as dramatic as a nuclear explosion.

A further analysis showed the quasicrystal included elements like silicon, copper, calcium and iron, all of which has yet to be synthesized in the laboratory. It is a sample of red trinitite, with a regular 20-sided solid known as an icosahedron, which is a symbol for the element of water

On July 16, 1945, the US Army tested the first nuclear bomb at Trinity Site in New Mexico unbeknownst they would leave behind something that would one day help scientific research

A further analysis showed the quasicrystal included elements like silicon, copper, calcium and iron, all of which has yet to be synthesized in the laboratory.

It is a sample of red trinitite, with a regular 20-sided solid known as an icosahedron, which is a symbol for the element of water.

The conditions in which the quasicrystal formed are similar to what has been observed in the Khatyrka meteorite, which is some hundreds of millions of years old.

Experts even suggest the space rock dates back to the beginning of the solar system.

An aerial view of ground zero 28 hours after the Trinity Test on July 16, 1945. The nuclear blast created a newly discovered quasicrystal that was formed in the fusion of surrounding sand, the test tower and copper transmission lines

Engineers and Army personnel meet in in the New Mexico desert in the pre-dawn hours of July 16, 1945 for a top secret operation, code name: Trinity. The goal of the mission was to detonate the world's the world's first nuclear bomb (pictured)

After an hour delay, officials detonated the giant bomb at 5:29am, which was followed by an intense flash of light and heat waves that spread across the barren landscape

Engineers and Army personnel meet in in the New Mexico desert in the pre-dawn hours of July 16, 1945 for a top secret operation, code name: Trinity.

The goal of the mission was to detonate the world's the world's first nuclear bomb.

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the 'father of the atomic bomb;' Edward Teller, 'the real Dr. Strangelove;' and Enrico Fermi, creator of the first nuclear reactor, waged bets on whether the blast would incinerate the entire planet or be a total dud.

After an hour delay, officials detonated the giant bomb at 5:29am, which was followed by an intense flash of light and heat waves that spread across the barren landscape.

An enormous fireball tore through the night sky accompanied by a booming sound that echoed throughout the valley of Jornada del Muerto, or 'Dead Man's Journey.'

'Trinity' not only led to a quick end to the war in the Pacific but also ushered the world into the atomic age.

As Oppenheimer watched the staggering explosion, he was reminded of a chilling line from Hindu scripture: 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'
Our Milky Way had already formed a 'significant fraction' of its stars by 10 billion years ago, when it collided with the Gaia Sausage galaxy, a study has found.

Researchers led from the Ohio State University used new techniques to more precisely date some 100 red giant stars in the Milky Way and discover its history.

They found that our galaxy's native stars and the ones it captured from the Sausage galaxy are similar in age, but they move differently and have different compositions.

Our Milky Way had already formed a 'significant fraction' of its stars by 10 billion years ago, when it collided with the Gaia Sausage galaxy (as depicted above), a study has found

THE SAUSAGE GALAXY The Gaia Sausage galaxy which collided with the Milky was more than 10 billion times the mass of our sun. When the Sausage crashed into the young Milky Way, its piercing trajectory caused a lot of mayhem. The Milky Way's disk was probably puffed up or even fractured following the impact and would have needed time to regrow afterwards. And the debris from the Sausage collision was scattered all around the inner parts of the Milky Way, creating the 'bulge' at the galaxy's centre and the surrounding 'stellar halo'. Advertisement

'Our evidence suggests that when the merger occurred, the Milky Way had already formed a large population of its own stars,' said paper author and astronomer Fiorenzo Vincenzo of the Ohio State University.

According to Dr Vincenzo and colleagues, many of these 'homemade' stars ended up in the thick disc in the middle of the galaxy, while those from the Gaia Sausage have ended up in the Milky Way's outer halo.

'The merging event with Gaia-Enceladus is thought to be one of the most important in the Milky Way's history,' said lead author and astronomer Josefina Montalban of the University of Birmingham.

In fact, she added, the collision 'shaped how we observe it today.'

In their study, the researchers turned to a field called asteroseismology.

Just like regular seismologists can use earthquakes to plumb the interior of our planet, asteroseismologists study oscillations in stars to determine their internal structures  from which their ages can be estimated.

'That allows us to get very precise ages for the stars, which are important in determining the chronology of when events happened in the early Milky Way,' said paper author and astronomer Mathieu Vrard, also of Ohio State.

The team also factored in data from the APOGEE spectrographic survey  conducted from the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico  which can provide information on the chemical composition of stars, which can be used as an aid when determining stellar ages.

By calculating the age of the Milky Way's stars, the researchers determined, for the first time, that those thought to have been captured from the Gaia Sausage collision are similar or slightly younger in age than most of our galaxy's native stars.

According to Dr Vincenzo, violent mergers between galaxies inherently shake things up, with the merger having acted to make the orbits of the stars already in our galaxy more eccentric than they had been previously.

He added that the movement of the stars was akin to a dance, one in which those from the Gaia Sausage galaxy move differently to those forged in the Milky Way  and also, he noted, sport different chemical compositions.

By calculating the age of the stars in the Milky Way (pictured), the researchers were able to determine, for the first time, that those thought to have been captured from the Gaia Sausage collision are similar or slightly younger in age than our galaxy's native stars

With their initial study complete, the researchers are now planning to take their analyses further.

'We now intend to apply this approach to larger samples of stars, and to include even more subtle features of the frequency spectra,' Dr Vincenzo said.

'This will eventually lead to a much sharper view of the Milky Way's assembly history and evolution, creating a timeline of how our galaxy developed.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
NASA has officially named first-astronaut Kayla Barron to be the fourth and final member of its upcoming SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), slated to launch in mid-October.

Barron, 33, who entered astronaut candidate school in 2017, will join fellow NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn on the flight.

The three NASA astronauts will head up to the floating space laboratory alongside the European Space Agency's (ESA) Matthias Maurer.

Both Barron and Maurer will serve as mission specialists, while Chari and Mashburn will be commander and pilot, respectively.

Kayla Barron will be a mission specialist on the SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station

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In a post to Instagram, Barron said that she was 'honored and excited' to join the team, adding that she could not 'ask for a better team or a more incredible adventure.'

Barron was born in Pocatello, Idaho but considers Richland, Washington her hometown.

Prior to being an astronaut, she earned a bachelor's degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge.

She also earned a submarine warfare officer qualification and was deployed three times on the USS Maine.

Barron, 33, had previously received a master's degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge

This will be the first spaceflight for Barron, Chari and Maurer, but the third for Marshburn.

Marshburn 'previously served as a crew member of the space shuttle STS-127 mission in 2009 and Expedition 34/35 aboard the space station, which concluded in 2013,' NASA said in a statement.

The four astronauts will join the expedition crew members on the orbiting laboratory with a target launch as soon as Oct. 23 for a six-month mission.

Chari, Marshburn and Maurer were all previously named to the mission in December 2020.

Chari will be heading to space for the first time next year, just three years after becoming a NASA astronaut.

He was born in Milwaukee, but considers Cedar Falls, Iowa, his hometown.

NASAs Raja Chari (pictured) will serve as commander of the six-month mission. He was previously a colonel in the US Air Force

Before becoming an astronaut, Chari served in the US Air Force as a colonel and completed more than 2,500 hours of light throughout his career.

Chair was also chosen to be member of the Artemis Team and could soar to the moon in 2024.

Marshburn was born in Statesville, North Carolina and became a NASA astronaut in 2004.

But before joining the American space agency, Marshburn served as flight surgeon at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Marshburn was born in Statesville, North Carolina and became a NASA astronaut in 2004. But before joining the American space agency, Marshburn served as flight surgeon at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston

He was also the medical operations lead for the International Space Station, making the 2021 mission his third visit to the station and his second long-duration mission.

Marshburn previously served as a crew member of STS-127 in 2009 and Expedition 34/35, which concluded in 2013.

ESA astronaut Mauer is from Sankt Wendel, in the German state of Saarland and will also be traveling to space for the first time with the Crew-3 mission.

Prior to a career as an astronaut, Maurer held a number of engineering and research roles, both in a university setting and at ESA.

ESA astronaut Mauer is from Sankt Wendel, in the German state of Saarland and will also be traveling to space for the first time with the Crew-3 mission. Prior to a career as an astronaut, Maurer held a number of engineering and research roles, both in a university setting and at ESA

SpaceX Crew-3 follows two previous successful missions to the ISS, with the most crucial being Demo-2 that pioneered the path for their predecessors. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (right) and Doug Hurley (left) took off from Kennedy Space on May 30

In 2016, Maurer spent 16 days on an undersea mission as part of a NASAs Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, space analog.

SpaceX Crew-3 follows two previous successful missions to the ISS, with the most crucial being Demo-2 that pioneered the path for their predecessors.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off from Kennedy Space on May 30, 2020  the first time in nearly a decade an American rocket took off for the ISS from US soil.

The goal of NASAs Commercial Crew Program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective crew access to the space station and low-Earth orbit in partnership with American aerospace industry.

NASA and SpaceX have a contract to perform a total of six crew missions to the ISS using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.
Horses reintroduced to North America by settlers in the 1500s were descendants of those that went extinct 11,000 years ago, a study has found.

Analysis of ancient bones and teeth has found similar DNA in horses that died out at the end of the last ice age in North America and those in Eurasia that were later taken to North America by Europeans.

This was as a result of movement through the Bering Strait Land Bridge, according to the scientists from the University of California.

Alisa Vershinina, a postdoctoral scholar working in Shapiro's Paleogenomics Laboratory at UC Santa Cruz, said: 'Horses persisted in North America for a long time, and they occupied an ecological niche here.

'They died out about 11,000 years ago, but that's not much time in evolutionary terms. Present-day wild North American horses could be considered reintroduced, rather than invasive.'

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This was as a result of movement through the Bering Strait Land Bridge, according to the scientists from the University of California

Horses went locally extinct in North America during the last Ice Age and were reintroduced by Hernan Cortes in 1519.

History has suggested that the horse brought across the Atlantic Ocean were invasive animals when released in North American.

However, the recent findings from the University of California shows the horse brought by Spain had traces of those once native to the continent.

Because the ancient horses had DNA from both North American and Eurasia, scientists say they used the Bering Strait Land Bridge to freely travel between the continents.

Analysis of ancient bones and teeth has found similar DNA in horses that died out at the end of the last ice age in North America and those in Eurasia that were later taken to North America by Europeans

The Bering Strait Land Bridge, also known as Beringia, formed toward the end of the Ice Age when sea levels began to drop and slowly exposed flat, grassy land hiding beneath.

The land connected Asia to North America, stretching more than one thousand miles from north to south, and became a vital path of transportation between Asia and North America for early American settlers.

However, the recent study shows it was also used as a passage way by ancient horses.

The team collected 262 horse bones and teeth samples from Eurasia and North America.

The analysis showed two periods of dispersal between the continents, both coinciding with periods when the Bering Land Bridge would have been open: the Middle Pleistocene and the Late Pleistocene.

During these events, scientists found genomes of North American horses had segments of Eurasian DNA and vice versa.

'This is the first comprehensive look at the genetics of ancient horse populations across both continents,' said Vershinina.

'With data from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, we were able to see that horses were not only dispersing between the continents, but they were also interbreeding and exchanging genes.'

The researchers sequenced 78 new mitochondrial genomes from ancient horses found across Eurasia and North America.

The analysis showed two periods of dispersal between the continents, both coinciding with periods when the Bering Land Bridge would have been open: the Middle Pleistocene and the Late Pleistocene

Combining those with 112 previously published mitochondrial genomes, the researchers reconstructed a phylogenetic tree, a branching diagram showing how all the samples were related.

With a location and an approximate date for each genome, they could track the movements of different lineages of ancient horses.

During the Middle Pleistocene, which was 875,000 years ago, horses only moved from North America into Eurasia, but in the Late Pleistocene movement flowed both directions.

The team also sequenced two new nuclear genomes from well-preserved horse fossils recovered in Yukon Territory, Canada.

These were combined with seven previously published nuclear genomes, enabling the researchers to quantify the amount of gene flow between the Eurasian and North American populations.

Horses reintroduced to North America by settlers in the 1500s were descendants of those that went extinct 11,000 years ago. Pictured is a Equus ferus ferus, also known as Eurasian wild horse, was a subspecies of wild horse that made its way back to North America

Coauthor Ross MacPhee, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, said: 'The usual view in the past was that horses differentiated into separate species as soon as they were in Asia, but these results show there was continuity between the populations.

'They were able to interbreed freely, and we see the results of that in the genomes of fossils from either side of the divide.'

Coauthor Grant Zazula, a paleontologist with the Government of Yukon, said the new findings help reframe the question of why horses disappeared from North America.

'It was a regional population loss rather than an extinction,' he said.

'We still don't know why, but it tells us that conditions in North America were dramatically different at the end of the last ice age. If horses hadn't crossed over to Asia, we would have lost them all globally.'
British Olympic Association chairman Sir Hugh Robertson has called on the Government to decide whether athletes can receive vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games.

Pfizer have offered fast-track vaccinations for all Olympic and Paralympic athletes, but the Government are cautious about giving preferential treatment to fit, young athletes, even though the vaccines have been donated.

The BOA remain hopeful that all members of Team GB will be vaccinated before flying to Yokohama and Kawasaki for their pre-Games training camps at the start of July, but are increasingly concerned about running out of time.

The BOA remain hopeful that athletes will be vaccinated before pre-Games training camps

We are hopeful of getting all athletes vaccinated, Robertson told Sportsmail.

It is important for this to happen soon to assure our hosts in Tokyo that we are doing all we can to keep their population safe.
Gemma Collins has played down her romance with her ex-fiance Rami Hawash claiming the relationship 'isn't serious'.

It comes weeks after the former TOWIE star, 40, was spotted packing on the PDA while enjoying a romantic dinner date with her former flame.

Gemma was engaged to Rami, 45, before they split in 2014, but she reconnected with the businessman this year and has been seeing him in secret for over six months.

'I'm just having fun': Gemma Collins, 40, said she and her ex-fiance Rami Hawash's relationship is nothing serious after it was reported they had started dating again

Opening up about the romance, Gemma told The Sun: 'Me and Rami is nothing serious. He is a lovely guy and I am just having some fun.

'Were not properly dating, were not getting married. Were just friends and we occasionally go out for dinner. It isnt serious, its fun.'

The GC admitted her ex has been a support for her during tough times but explained they are simply enjoying their time together.

In late April Gemma and Rami were seen snuggling up to each other as they enjoyed a meal outside a restaurant after reconnecting earlier in the year after her split from James Argent.

Packing on the PDA: The TOWIE star's words come weeks after she was spotted snuggling up with Rami while enjoying a romantic dinner date

Since 2013, when he proposed to Gemma by hiding a diamond ring in a Christmas pudding, Rami has become a father to three-year-old son, Tristan.

A source told MailOnline: 'Gemma has been seeing Rami again in secret for the last six months.

'The pair have enjoyed spending time together and getting reacquainted during date nights in London and Essex.

'Gemma suffered a lot of stress and trauma during her relationship with Arg, which has been on and off for years  but she's finally putting herself first and moving forward with her life.'

The GC previously gave her romance with Rami a second chance in 2017 after she was spotted wearing the engagement ring he proposed with.

Sources at the time said Gemma hoped to start a family with Rami and have the baby she's always dreamed of.

Ex-fiance: The GC admitted her ex (pictured together in 2013) has been a support for her during tough times but explained they are simply enjoying their time together

A spokesman for Gemma declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The reality TV star, who rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and has since starred in her own series Diva Forever, supported ex-boyfriend James, 33, throughout his battle with cocaine addiction.

She recently spoke on her BBC podcast about how the illness 'ripped through her family' and 'destroyed lives.'

Gemma said: 'I've been where you are, you want to help and you believe them but once cocaine and addiction grabs hold of someone, you are powerless to do it.

'You are not the professional, I've been there myself and it's going to really break your heart.

'I've seen it, I've been there, I've got the T-shirt and I found it too distressing and impacting on my own life.

'I have been in this position myself, it will destroy lives, it will rip through your family, it will rip through your friendship groups, it is a really awful situation.

Previous relationship: Gemma and Rami are said to have reconnected earlier in the year after the television personality split from James Argent (pictured together in 2018)

'I look back now and I did it from love but it really can break your heart in the end.'

James, who recently underwent gastric band surgery, said this week he was finally ready to 'reclaim his life' and 'start a new chapter physically and mentally.'

The former couple endured a devastating loss when Gemma miscarried their baby last year, resulting in her therapist diagnosing her with PTSD.

During an interview on Loose Women, Gemma spoke about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a condition she suffers with that affects fertility and causes weight gain.

In August last year, she said: 'I did suffer a miscarriage, which was really sad, during the lockdown period. Behind the smiles, there's been a lot of pain.'

To increase her chances of falling pregnant, Gemma has focussed this year on being healthy and losing weight, after doctors advised her to shed 2 stone.

Gemma previously said she 'prays every night' to one day conceive a baby naturally and be in a happy relationship.
Dennis Quaid reprised his Great Balls of Fire antics at the piano on Sunday during a benefit concert at Nashville's famed venue The Grand Ole Opry.

The veteran actor, 67, who portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis in the 1989 movie, was seen performing at the piano and using his feet on the keys at the concert, which was a tribute to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.

The Houston-born actor was clad in an olive coat with an ash grey T-shirt and blue jeans at the concert, as he collaborated with Gibbons on covers of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Great Balls of Fire, according to Tasteofcountry.

The latest: Dennis Quaid, 67, reprised his Great Balls of Fire antics at the piano on Sunday during a benefit concert at Nashville's famed venue The Grand Ole Opry honoring ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons

The entertainer was one in a number of names appearing at the show, a promotion from America Salutes You and aimed at benefitting organizations for first responders, active military and veterans, as well as the First Responders Childrens Foundation and USO.

Also on the bill were Eric Church, Lucinda Williams, Tim Montana and Larkin Poe.

The concert coincided with the lifting of a number of coronavirus-related restrictions in Music City, as the venue said that masks were welcome, but not required, on signs, according to the outlet.

The Hollywood stalwart played the role of Lewis in the film, which hit theaters in June of 1989. The cast also included Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and the late Steve Allen.

Stylish: The Houston-born actor was clad in an olive coat with an ash grey T-shirt and blue jeans at the concert as he stood onstage with Gibbons

The veteran actor, who portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis in the 1989 movie, was seen performing at the piano, and using his feet on the keys at the concert

Flashback: The Hollywood stalwart played the role of Lewis in the film, which hit theaters in June of 1989

The cast of the movie also included Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and the late Steve Allen

Quaid is gearing up to star in another biopic, Reagan, in the lead role of 40th President Ronald Reagan. He will be joined in the cast by Mena Suvari, Jon Voight, Penelope Ann Miller and Kevin Dillon.

Quaid last year tied the knot with PhD student Laura Savoie. The actor was past in three marriages, to Kimberly Buffington between 2004 and 2018, to Meg Ryan from 1991-2001 and to P.J. Soles from 1978 until 1983.

He's father to son Jack, 29, with his Innerspace costar Ryan; and twins Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, 13, with Buggington.

Classics: Quaid collaborated with Gibbons on covers of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Great Balls of Fire

Re-opening: The concert coincided with the lifting of a number of coronavirus-related restrictions in Music City, as the venue said that masks were welcome but not required on signs
Chinese envoy urges efforts to oppose technological hegemony

Xinhua) 10:23, May 18, 2021

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and president of the UN Security Council for May, on Monday called for efforts to oppose technological hegemony and to give special attention to the use of emerging technologies in armed conflicts.

"Unilateralism, protectionism and technological hegemony should be firmly opposed. We need to uphold international fairness and justice, promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, and avoid blockades and barriers to technology," Zhang told an Arria-formula meeting on "the Impact of Emerging Technologies on International Peace and Security," co-hosted by the permanent UN missions of China, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

"We need to promote innovation-driven development, and comprehensively improve the development and application of science and technology in all countries to narrow the digital divide," said Zhang, who chaired the meeting, which was the first ever Arria-formula meeting on emerging technologies.

"All countries must be fully engaged in the process of global technological development, to ensure that the advances in science and technology benefit all, especially the developing countries. We need to strengthen capacity building through the application of emerging technologies to raise all countries' capability to fight the pandemic, tackle climate change, and maintain food, energy and data security," said Zhang.

"We need to create favorable conditions to encourage healthy competition and prevent the monopoly on technology. All countries should pursue open development, and meet the challenges in the process of development," the ambassador added.

Zhang called for efforts to strengthen global governance to better regulate the development and application of emerging technologies. "We should practice multilateralism, encourage active participation of multiple stakeholders, and increase dialogue and cooperation to jointly formulate international norms and rules on emerging technologies."

The envoy urged efforts to fully recognize the potential risks and challenges of emerging technologies to better maintain international peace and security.

"We must prevent emerging technologies from falling into the hands of terrorist groups or being used to spread disinformation and hate speech. It is necessary to strengthen the use of emerging technologies in UN peacekeeping operations," he said.

He voiced hope for strengthened coordination to support the central role of the UN.

"The UN should pay more attention to emerging technologies, and further study and explore the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and inclusive framework for international cooperation and governance from the perspectives of peace, development and security," he added.

Arria-formula meeting is a flexible and informal mechanism for Security Council members to exchange views with UN member states and interested parties on issues of common concern.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Amelia Gray Hamlin made an incredible transformation into her mom Lisa Rinna as a Mother's Day gift, which was in turn published for Paper Magazine.

The 19-year-old model girlfriend of Scott Disick, 37, channeled her Real Housewives mom as she rocked her iconic shag haircut and recreated famed looks of Lisa's from the nineties.

One particular photo featured Amelia in an Alaia dress that had been gifted to her by her mom, and in another she slipped into Lisa's Vera Wang wedding gown, with Lisa telling the publication she 'was just blown away,' by the shoot.

Transformation: Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19, transforms into her mom Lisa Rinna, 57, as she slips into her iconic shag haircut and recreates looks of hers from the nineties for Paper Magazine

'Spitting image': As Amelia confessed that she and her mom were 'spitting images of each other,' the shoot only required some hair and wardrobe changes to capture her mom's various eras

Amelia went all out for the artful series which she shot as a Mother's Day present, joking that she wanted to do something 'so unique and cool,' that it would make Rinna, 57, forget about holiday mishaps in years past.

And in trying to capture many of Lisa's 'iconic eras and phases,' Amelia went through her mom's archived dresses that were conveniently located in the garage and went to a wig shop to get the hair just right.

The whole shoot however was made easier by Amelia being a 'spitting image,' of her mom, she said. 'I feel like people don't really realize it, but my mom and I are spitting images of each other. We look like twins, but different.'

At home series: Amelia was lucky enough to have access to her mom's various couture gowns saying that she only spent $200 on the shoot as a whole

Details: The girlfriend of Disick also raided her mom's collection of vintage jewelry including a cross pendant with pearls

The inspiration: Lisa's Alaia dress was repurposed for the shoot and Amelia had revealed she had actually been gifted the dress by her mom which she wore on various red carpets throughout the years

But she did have to get a little crafty in the hair department so she went to a wig shop to find two wigs she could style properly to get the shots she envisioned.

'All I was thinking about was, "I need to get my a** to a wig shop." The budget I spent on this was probably $200. I bought one Lisa Rinna-looking wig and then I got one long black wig and cut it and curled it.

'They were all synthetic, so it was hard but I made it work. I messed and played with it until I finally resembled the absolute perfect look of her in the Alaia dress. I don't even know how it came together, but it did. All I did for the shoot was buy two wigs and then I went into her bathroom and stole some jewelry,' she shared.

And Amelia also confessed that though she used her mom's photos as inspiration she wanted to breathe new life into the shoot and capture more imagined intimate moments of her getting ready at home before a night out.

'Iconic': 'My mom has had so many iconic eras and phases. I feel like she's in one now. When you think of my mom, you think of the crazy dances and the lips, but I wanted to go more old Rinna vintage high-fashion,' the model shared

Wedding visions: In the interview Amelia called slipping on her mom's custom wedding dress 'weird' but 'surreal,' and shared that when she eventually gets married she'll either wear her mom's dress or ideally one from Wang

Blushing bride: Rinna married actor Harry Hamlin in 1997 with whom she shares Amelia and her older sister Delilah Belle

For another shot she slipped into her mom's custom Vera Wang wedding dress which she confessed was the 'weirdest thing ever to put on,' but also 'the most surreal feeling.'

Amelia also noted that she will wear the same dress Lisa wore for her 1997 marriage to Harry Hamlin  which 'fits perfectly'  when she walks down the aisle, or hopes for a custom gown like her mom's.

'I'm not talking about a wedding any time soon, but you've inspired me. Ever since I was a little girl and walking down that hallway with the Vera sketches, I knew that I'm going to get a dress from Vera or I'm going to wear your dress. That was my dream: to either get a new Vera or to wear yours.

'Putting it on was the most it was the most surreal feeling. And by the way, I put it on in your bathroom and had a moment to myself. I literally almost started to tear up because I was also wearing your veil,' she shared.

Like a glove: Despite the dresses being from 30 years ago they fit Amelia 'perfectly'

Preparation: The model confessed to having to curl and style one of the wigs she bought to get the perfect recreation for her at-home shoot

Though she said she wasn't interested in getting married any time soon, she continues to be in an increasingly serious relationship with the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star who is nearly 20 years her senior.

Rinna had her reservations about the relationship initially, saying he was 'so old,' in a teaser clip for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

But Amelia and Scott's relationship has continued to grow, with her even revealing she has a nickname for he and Kourtney Kardashian's daughter Penelope, and gushing that the Talentless designer is her 'dream man.'

The pair first stepped out together publicly in October 2020 and continue to spend time jetsetting to Miami and ringing in milestone holidays including New Year's and Valentine's Day  going Instagram official days before.

Rising star: The influencer models for brands like Alo Yoga and boohoo and her stardom has only continued to grow due to her increasingly 'serious' relationship with Disick

Family first: The tight knit family's antics continue to play out on the Real Housewives, with both Amelia and Delilah rising to fame on the show before making a name as models

Many of her Instagram photos are taken from the comfort of the pool and bathroom at his Hidden Hills mansion, and a source said that this relationship is 'different,' from that of his with Sofia Richie in that he is spending more time with Amelia than Kourtney  who he said would always be a 'priority.'

A source recently told ET that Scott is Amelia's 'first serious boyfriend,' and that she is 'really into him.'

It was also noted that the pair have plans to move in with Scott  who was said to be temporarily relocating to Miami.

'Amelia is planning on moving in with him. Scott was lonely when he and Sofia broke up, which is one of the reasons he and Amelia got together so quickly. They've been getting a bit more serious for now,' the insider said.
The Bachelor's Emily Ghougassian welcomed her second daughter, Aisha Celine, six weeks before her due date.

And on Monday, the 37-year-old reality star finally took her baby girl home, two weeks after giving birth.

Emily shared several photos to Instagram of herself carrying her daughter after they left the hospital.

Going home: The Bachelor star Emily Ghougassian took her daughter home from hospital on Monday, two weeks after giving birth and experiencing serious complications

She wrote: 'After a very long, painful, tiring and emotional six weeks or so in hospital, I can't express how good it feels to all be home and all be well.'

In one heart-melting picture, Emily held her baby girl, who was wrapped in a pink blanket, close to her chest.

She shared another photo of herself carrying Aisha right after leaving the hospital.

'I can't express how good it feels to all be home': Emily shared several photos to Instagram of herself carrying her daughter after they left the hospital

Emily, who had experienced pregnancy complications that required hospitalisation, gave birth to her daughter six weeks early on May 2.

At the time, she shared photos to Instagram of herself cradling her newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit, and revealed her little girl was 'doing really well' despite being more than a month premature.

'She entered the world on 02/05/21, at 10:32pm, weighing 1.94 kg, six weeks earlier than was intended. She is in the NICU, doing really well, and hopefully moving to the SCN [special care nursery] very soon,' the proud mother wrote.

Emily described Aisha Celine as 'our second little premmie princess', and told fans 'our little family is complete'.

New addition: Emily, who had experienced pregnancy complications that required hospitalisation, gave birth to her daughter six weeks early on May 2

She and her husband, Pierre Ghougassian, are already parents to one-year-old daughter Laila, who was also born premature at 33 weeks in July 2019.

The makeup artist had been forced to seek medical treatment for preeclampsia during her first pregnancy two years ago.

She experienced the same problem while pregnant with Aisha.

Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure.

Family: She and her husband, Pierre Ghougassian, are already parents to one-year-old daughter Laila, who was also born premature at 33 weeks in July 2019

Emily first made a name for herself on Sam Wood's season of The Bachelor in 2015.

Following her stint on the Channel 10 dating show, she tied the knot with Pierre in August 2018, one year after they first met.

The couple exchanged vows at the Melbourne Town Hall, followed by a reception at The George Ballroom in St Kilda.
Married At First Sight may be over, but Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson are as loved up as ever.

On Monday, the controversial couple proved they aren't letting the haters get them down as they hit back at Instagram trolls.

Uploading a series of selfies to his Instagram story, Bryce, 32, revealed that he and his TV bride were celebrating their eight month anniversary together.

Smitten: Married At First Sight's Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, both 32, have sent a message to their haters as they celebrate eight months together

'8 months and stronger than ever,' he wrote alongside a double-heart emoji.

In the photo, the former Canberra radio presenter showed off his new pearly white veneers while Melisa cheekily poked her tongue out at him.

The second, Melissa can be seen pouting her lips, while Bryce smiled behind her.

Still going strong! Uploading a series of selfies to his Instagram story, Bryce, revealed that he and his TV bride were celebrating their eight month anniversary together

It comes just weeks after the Melbourne-based workplace trainer admitted that receiving death threats on Instagram has made her reconsider having a child.

'We are living in a very different world to a world I grew up in when I was in my early teens,' she said on her joint podcast with Bryce, What Happens After.

'Social media wasn't that big back then, but now it's a completely different environment.'

Broken: Earlier this month, Melissa said she was 'terrified' to have children due to the trolling she's received on social media

Bryce then revealed that he and Melissa had already had conversations around their concerns of raising a child in the age of Instagram.

'I'm terrified and it's been such a concern because I've experienced what it's like to be harassed, bullied.

'The death threats that we've been getting online... I won't even begin to highlight how disgusting that is,' she continued.

'To bring a child into the world, giving them access to social media at a young age ... I couldn't fathom a child having to deal with such disgusting, hurtful, bullying, body shaming comments.

'I'm so terrified to think that if we were to have kids one day, I would just want to shield them from that.'

'I'm terrified and it's been such a concern because I've experienced what it's like to be harassed, bullied,' she said

Despite Melissa's sheer terror over online trolls, Bryce said that the majority of comments he's been receiving on his Instagram page are positive.

'80 percent of people are actually very nice and friendly and can see through everything that happened on the show,' he stated.

Melissa recently revealed that she's been on a social media break to take care of her mental health.
Her legal credentials have been questioned numerous times since she made her reality TV debut on Married At First Sight last year.

And Stacey Hampton, 27, has hit back at her critics once again by showing off her qualifications on social media, alongside the sarcastic hashtag #fakelawyer.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the single mother of two shared a letter to the Judges of the Supreme Court of South Australia, dated April 30, 2019, which clearly states she can legally practise law.

Proving the haters wrong: Former Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton has shared her legal qualifications on social media after being branded a 'fake lawyer'

She captioned the image, '#fakelawyer xoxo, Gossip Girl', in a nod to the U.S. teen drama which thrived on revealing secrets and exposing lies.

It's not the first time her law degree has come into question.

In March last year, when her season of MAFS was airing on TV, Stacey offered proof she was a qualified lawyer by publishing her law degree and diploma on Instagram.

Proof: Taking to Instagram on Monday, Stacey shared this letter to the Judges of the Supreme Court of South Australia, dated April 30, 2019, which states she can legally practise law

Busy woman: In March last year, when her season of MAFS was airing on TV, Stacey offered proof she was a qualified lawyer by publishing her law degree and diploma on Instagram

After fellow bride Hayley Vernon questioned her legal credentials at the girls' night, she decided to upload photos of her qualifications to settle the debate.

Stacey was first awarded a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Australia in August 2017, after five years of studying while raising two children.

She went on to receive a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from The College of Law in April 2019.

A month later, she was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of South Australia.

Shortly after the show aired, Stacey admitted she was having trouble finding a job in her field because she has two children at home.

'If I did five days a week then I feel like I'm not being fair on my children and I'm not there for them,' she explained in a YouTube video.

Achievement: Stacey was awarded a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Australia in August 2017, after five years of studying while raising two children

Diploma: She went on to receive a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from The College of Law in April 2019

Stacey said that being a single mother had impacted both her career and dating life because her sons, Kosta and Kruz, always come first.

'A lot of people ask why I'm not using my law degree, but not many law firms like to take on people who only want three days a week,' she said.

'If I did five days a week then I feel like I'm not being fair on my children and I'm not there for them and I'm not helping them with their schooling and stuff like that.

'Being a single parent has impacted me quite a lot, but I'm also so blessed and wouldn't have my life any other way.'
Netflix's controversial new series Byron Baes is set to air soon.

And now the guys behind The Inspired Unemployed have released a hilarious spoof trailer for the show.

The pair dress up and pretend to be influencers as they parody the program, which has several locals up in arms.

Watch the (un)official trailer for Byron Baes: The guys behind The Inspired Unemployed take on the upcoming Netflix show in a hilarious mock video

'Just when you thought the world couldn't be anymore f***ed after covid-19 and TikTok, here comes Byron Baes,' a voiceover starts in the clip.

Fans are then introduced to surfer James from Dubbo, who 'can't actually surf'.

Other fake characters include TikTokers Matt and Jack, personal trainer Kevin, and a store owner called Indi who has her own expensive fashion label.

'Just when you thought the world couldn't be anymore f***ed after covid-19 and TikTok, here comes Byron Baes,' a voiceover says in the clip. Pictured is influencer Stacey

Hilarious: In the clip, fans are introduced to surfer James from Dubbo, who 'can't actually surf.' Other fake characters include TikTokers Matt and Jack and personal trainer Kevin, and a store owner called Indi who has her own expensive fashion label

But the influencer who stands out the most is Stacey, who sports oversized filled lips and enjoys dining at upscale Raes on Wategos.

'Influencer Stacey has half a million followers but gets 21 likes on a photo,' the voiceover hilariously says.

'Stacey' is then seen sipping a cocktail and says, 'can I get this for free if I give you a shout out?'

Jack Steele, 27, and Matt Ford, 26, are the guys behind The Inspired Unemployed.

The duo hail from the NSW South Coast and have become a social media sensation, with their Instagram page boasting 1.1million followers.

Deciding to take advantage of their new celebrity status, Steele and Ford quit their day jobs working as a plasterer and carpenter.

Since then the comedians have starred on a cover for GQ, modelled for Fendi and Louis Vuitton and scored a deal with THE ICONIC.

Meanwhile earlier this month, the glamorous cast of the controversial Netflix show was revealed after weeks of speculation. Joining the cast are former reality stars Nathan Favro, who rose to fame on The Bachelorette, and Elias Chigros (pictured), who appeared on Love Island

Earlier this month, the glamorous cast of the controversial Netflix show was finally revealed after weeks of speculation.

Joining the cast are former reality stars Nathan Favro, who rose to fame on The Bachelorette, and Elias Chigros, who appeared on Love Island.

Co-creative director of local boutique BISQUE Hannah Brauer will also appear, alongside Byron Bay couple Dave Frim and Saskia Wotton.

New star: Co-creative director of local boutique BISQUE Hannah Brauer will also appear, alongside Byron Bay couple Dave Frim and Saskia Wotton (pictured)

Others in the cast include influencer Jade Kevin Foster and spiritualistic therapist Simba Ali.

Rounding out the gang is Kyle Sandilands' former assistant-turned-manager Alex Reid, fashion designer Jess Bell and her model sister Lauren.

The unveiling of the cast comes after Netflix were recently forced to apologise to the stars of the show for painting them as 'influencers' and 'hot Instagrammers'.

Netflix's Director of Originals in Australia Que Minh Luu confirmed that the cast 'hated' a recent PR post describing the upcoming series.
Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm went Instagram official with her new boyfriend on Monday.

The 28-year-old debuted her latest romance by posting a photo of herself and her handsome beau while on a date night.

The gold medallist and her boyfriend, whom she did not name, looked smitten as they smiled from ear to ear.

New flame! Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm went Instagram official with her new boyfriend on Monday. She debuted her latest romance by posting this photo of herself and her handsome beau while on a date night, adding the caption: 'A piece of my heart in Sydney'

'A piece of my heart in Sydney,' Emily wrote in the caption, suggesting either that her new partner is from Sydney or they recently visited there together.

Her mother, Karen Seebohm, also gave her tick of approval, commenting a red-heart emoji below the post.

Fellow swimmer Georgia Bohl wrote: 'The teeth on you both I can't.'

Meanwhile, fans of the champion swimmer left comments such as 'beautiful picture' and 'so adorable'.

Family approval: Emily's mother, Karen Seebohm, also gave her tick of approval, commenting a red-heart emoji below the post

Thumbs up! Fellow swimmer Georgia Bohl wrote, 'The teeth on you both I can't'

Support: Fans of the swimmer left comments such as 'beautiful picture' and 'so adorable'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Emily Seebohm for comment.

The swimmer's new romance comes after her split from Brisbane radio host David 'Luttsy' Lutteral earlier this year.

According to a report by The Courier Mail in March, the couple's 'differing lifestyles' were to blame for the split.

Over: Emily's new romance comes after her split from Brisbane radio host David 'Luttsy' Lutteral (left) earlier this year

The pair first confirmed their relationship in late 2019.

Emily and Luttsy, 44, are believed to have split sometime in February.

The couple were last seen together in December, and the sportswoman has since removed all photos of her ex from her Instagram page.

Split: Emily and Luttsy, 44, are believed to have split sometime in February

Before dating Luttsy, Emily was in a long-term relationship with fellow Olympic swimmer Mitch Larkin.

The high-profile couple split in 2018 amid allegations he cheated on her.

Emily and Mitch had been together for nearly three years before their acrimonious split.
She recently returned to the UK from Dubai after an extended stay in the UAE city for work.

And Gabby Allen looked effortlessly chic as she enjoyed post-lockdown freedom in Knightsbridge with friends on Monday.

The Love Island star looked incredible in a baby blue silk blouse, wine skirt and brown suede knee-high boots.

Stunning: Gabby Allen looked effortlessly chic as she enjoyed post-lockdown freedom in Knightsbridge with friends on Monday

The stars shirt was embellished with a greyhound pattern and she carried her cream leather jacket in her hand.

The reality star wore her blonde locks in her straight signature style and her make-up enhanced her naturally pretty features.

Gabby's friend Jayli also looked incredible in a beige suit, white boots and a cream crop top.

She paired her outfit with a quilted black chain strap bag and layered gold necklaces.

Style: The Love Island star looked incredible in a baby blue silk shirt, wine skirt and brown suede knee-high boots

Gabby jetted to Dubai in the first week of December last year and stated she was staying 'for the foreseeable' for work reasons.

Over the past few months, Gabby has been sharing stunning sun-soaked snaps on social media from her getaway.

While more recently, she's also shared a plethora of envy-inducing bikini snaps from their holiday in the Maldives.

In January, the fitness fanatic had to defend her reasons for being in Dubai, telling her fans that her boyfriend Brandon's business is based in the city and that she would also be working there for the 'foreseeable.'

Travel: Gabby jetted to Dubai in the first week of December last year and stated she was staying 'for the foreseeable' for work reasons

Beautiful: Over the past few months, Gabby has been sharing stunning sun-soaked snaps on social media from her getaway

The TV personality wrote: 'Hey guys, just to let you know, we made the decision to fly out to Dubai as my boyfriends business is based here & luckily allows us to travel.

'We were both fit to travel with negative PCR tests [for COVID-19]. I wanted to come on here and acknowledge this to my followers as it was a difficult decision for me.

I really hope you can understand that it was an opportunity I had to take.

'I will be working over here for the foreseeable until we decide what to do next. Sending so much love to you all. Gabby x.'

Their trip came at a time when reality stars and influencers were greatly criticised by the public after jetting off to sunnier climes such as Dubai while the country was in another lockdown.

Reason: In January, the fitness fanatic had to defend her reasons for being in Dubai, telling her fans that her boyfriend Brandon's business is based in the city
Riverdale star Lili Reinhart reflected on her 'exhausting battle' with depression, which began with her suffering panic attacks at age 13.

'Some days I feel really defeated by my depression,' the 24-year-old actress - who boasts 34.5M social media followers - admitted via Instastory on Sunday.

'It's an exhausting battle that I've been fighting for 11 years. Some days, like today, it can feel intolerable.'

'Some days I feel really defeated by my depression': Riverdale star Lili Reinhart (pictured Monday) reflected on her 'exhausting battle' with depression, which began with her suffering panic attacks at age 13

Lili - who also lives with OCD - reminded her 'fellow warriors' that it's okay to have days where you don't want to fight.

'You don't need to justify your mental health to anyone. Prioritize yourself when needed, take time to rest. Surround yourself with good people and high vibrations,' Reinhart advised.

'But remember you are always worth fighting for. And tomorrow could be such a beautiful day.'

The Ohio-born blonde's mental conditions are worsened by her 'feeling like a prisoner' shooting the fifth season of The CW soap in Vancouver through October.

The 24-year-old actress admitted via Instastory on Sunday: 'It's an exhausting battle that I've been fighting for 11 years. Some days, like today, it can feel intolerable'

'Tomorrow could be such a beautiful day': Lili - who also lives with OCD - reminded her 'fellow warriors' that it's okay to have days where you don't want to fight

Stuck in Canada: The Ohio-born blonde's mental conditions are worsened by her 'feeling like a prisoner' shooting the fifth season of The CW soap in Vancouver through October

Equally 'emotional' for Lili - who portrays FBI trainee Betty Cooper - was filming Riverdale's musical episode of the Archie Comics-inspired series.

Head of the Class alum Robin Givens directed the musical episode #15 of season five, which resumes airing on August 11.

Madchen Amick revealed Wednesday that her character Alice Cooper cries in the musical episode, which left Reinhart gushing: 'And you deserve all the praise and awards for your performance.'

'Just going to say...': Equally 'emotional' for Lili - who portrays FBI trainee Betty Cooper - was filming Riverdale's musical episode of the Archie Comics-inspired series

'#directorslife': Head of the Class alum Robin Givens (R, pictured April 12) directed the musical episode #15 of season five, which resumes airing on August 11

Madchen Amick revealed Wednesday that her character Alice Cooper cries in the musical episode, which left Reinhart gushing: 'And you deserve all the praise and awards for your performance'

Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa announced Thursday that the Pussycats (minus Josie) will make their triumphant return for the episode titled 'Chapter 91: The Return of the Pussycats.'

Asha Bromfield - who plays drummer Melody Valentine - wrote the same day: 'Cat's out the bag. The Pussycats are headed back to #Riverdale! Y'all ready?'

The last time audiences saw Asha, Ashleigh Murray, and Hayley Law they recruited Veronica (Camila Mendes) to sing in their band in episode 11 of the second season in 2018.

'Chapter 91: The Return of the Pussycats': Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa announced Thursday that the Pussycats (minus Josie) will make their triumphant return

Asha Bromfield (R) - who plays drummer Melody Valentine - wrote the same day: 'Cat's out the bag. The Pussycats are headed back to #Riverdale! Y'all ready?'
Olivia Newton-John is currently battling stage-four metastatic breast cancer.

So when the 72-year-old began trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning, fans assumed the worst.

Panic swirled on social media as fans realised Olivia hadn't posted to Instagram or Twitter in three days.

'I almost had a heart attack!' Fans assumed the worst when cancer-stricken Olivia Newton-John, 72, trended on Twitter on Tuesday morning. Pictured on October 29, 2019, in California

Thankfully, the reason why Olivia was trending had nothing to do with her health.

In fact, the Grease star is actually celebrating the 43rd anniversary of her first American TV special with Swedish pop group ABBA.

One relieved fan tweeted: 'Saw that Olivia Newton John was trending. My god, I almost had a heart attack. She's supposed to live forever.'

Phew! In fact, the Grease star is actually celebrating the 43rd anniversary of her first American TV special with Swedish pop group ABBA (pictured)

'I literally saw Olivia Newton-John trending and almost burst into tears thinking the worst! Thank goodness she's trending because she's fabulous!' another wrote, while a third fan tweeted: 'Don't scare me like that!'

Olivia has had breast cancer three times, having battled the disease previously in 1992 and 2013.

In January, the singer told The One Show she was feeling healthier than ever after treating her condition with plant medicine and medical cannabis.

The Xanadu star is receiving conventional therapies as well, including radiation.

'Don't scare me like that!' Twitter users shared their relief after discovering the reason why Olivia was trending had nothing to do with her health

'I feel great': In January, the superstar told The One Show she was feeling healthier than ever after treating her condition with plant medicine and medical cannabis

'I'm fine. I've been dealing with metastatic cancer for seven years - and every day is a gift,' she said.

'I feel great. I use plant medicine and medicinal cannabis my husband grows for me and I feel wonderful!'

In December last year, Olivia and her husband, John Easterling, launched the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund to support research into plant medicine for cancer.
The intense rivalry between Big Brother housemates Daniel Hayes and Katie Williams was a major storyline before she was sent home last week.

And on Monday, Daniel revealed why the pair didn't get along in the house.

The Geelong-based real estate agent, 48, told Daily Mail Australia: 'This isn't a physical experiment. This is a social game and she was outplayed.'

Ouch! Big Brother mastermind Daniel Hayes (pictured) has taken a swipe at 'self-absorbed' Katie Williams, after he helped orchestrate her exit from the Channel Seven show

He added: 'The reality is that a lot of people are too self-absorbed and too consumed with themselves to be themselves.'

Daniel went on to say: 'Katie only cared about how she was going to be portrayed. The cameras don't lie; I think it's either a good edit or a bad edit.

'It's just editing: what you see is who people are, so you can either take it on board or you can whinge about it and get your sour grapes.'

Rivals: 'This isn't a physical experiment; this is a social game and she was outplayed,' the Geelong-based real estate agent, 48, told Daily Mail Australia. Katie is pictured on Big Brother

Speaking of his feud with Katie, Daniel continued: 'The reason me and Katie didn't get along is because I'm all about being fair.

'Katie and Jess [Trend] would whisper who to vote. As soon as someone had won a challenge they would grab them and tell them who not to vote for.'

Daniel said he and the other housemates were sick of hearing it, and just wanted her out of the competition.

Preoccupied with her edit: Daniel added, 'Katie only cared about how she was going to be portrayed. The cameras don't lie'

Daniel went on to defend his decision to put the fitness blogger up for nomination, which ultimately sent her home.

'Let's be clear, I didn't vote Katie out,' he said. 'I loaded the gun; her own alliance took the shots, not me. So that's something for her to reflect on post eviction.'

Big Brother continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Seven
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka 'Tiny' Harris over claims that they sexually assaulted and drugged a woman they met in a nightclub in 2005.

The woman, who is only identified as 'Jane Doe' in court documents, met with detectives virtually last month, after her attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, sent a letter to local authorities calling for an investigation into her claims, according to The Daily Beast.

She claimed in court documents that she was first introduced to the couple b a man handing out flyers at a local mall, and she was invited to a club where they would be the following night.

She said she only had two drinks before she accepted a shot of Tiny's Patron drink, and was quickly invited back to the couple's hotel room with some other women.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka 'Tiny' Harris over claims that they sexually assaulted and drugged a woman they met in a nightclub in 2005

Steve Sadow, a lawyer for the rapper T.I. (left) and his wife Tameka (right), told DailyMail.com on Monday: 'The Harrises continue to deny in the strongest possible terms these groundless and unjustified allegations

Eventually, it was just T.I., Tiny and the woman left in the room when T.I. allegedly suggested they all go to the bathroom to 'freshen up.'

'Once in the bathroom Tiny took off all of victim's clothing,' the court documents say, and T.I. told the victim that she looked better naked.

The victim also claims Tiny, who was also naked, began to wash her.

T.I., meanwhile, allegedly turned on a pornographic television show, handed the victim a bottle of baby oil once she was out of the bathroom and told her to rub his back.

At that point, the court documents say, Tiny started sliding up and down the victim's back while they were both naked.

T.I. allegedly stuck his toes into her vagina, and she allegedly told T.I. 'no' before rushing to the bathroom to throw up.

She said her last memory was sitting down on the couch before waking up the next morning with 'her vagina very sore and had a burning/itching sensation.'

T.I. and Tiny has been accused of sexually assaulting and abusing a total of 14 women, all of which they categorically deny.

Spotted: T.I. and his wife Tiny were seen for the first time on Monday, March 15 since they were accused of sexually assaulting and abusing a total of 14 women

Parenthood: The couple, who have been married for over a decade, were joined by their four-year-old daughter Heiress Diana as they grabbed dinner at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood

They are accused of abusing eight women who say they were drugged, kidnapped and forced into sex with the pair or someone in their circle. They deny those allegations, and claims from three men who also say the couple made 'terrorist threats' against them.

On Monday, The Daily Beast revealed that the attorney representing those eight women and three men had heard from six additional accusers.

They include a stripper, a member of the military, and a high school student who once interned at one of the rapper's studios.

The women claim that T.I. and Tiny, whose real names are Clifford and Tameka, that the pair or someone in their circle date raped them then sexually abused them. No criminal charges have been brought against the pair.

The claims started in January on social media. Multiple women claimed to have been abused by the pair in some way, which prompted them to deny the allegations in a statement.

Then, lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn approached some of the women to hear their stories. He then went to the authorities in Georgia and California, asking them to launch an investigation.

The women claim that T.I. and Tiny, whose real names are Clifford and Tameka, that the pair or someone in their circle date raped them then sexually abused them. They have previously denied similar allegations but haven't yet addressed these

At the time, he said he had claims from 11 different people; the original eight women and three men.

Now, Blackburn says he has heard from an additional six women who have similar allegations.

He has written again to the authorities in Georgia and California, demanding that a criminal investigation be launched.

'If I was a prosecutor, Id have brought charges already.

'These women are unaware of each other, and without any leading on my part, they recount eerily similar events of sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment, the letter from Blackburn states.

'It concludes by imploring law enforcement officials to tackle and end the stream depravity being committed by the celebrity couple,' he told the Beast on Monday.

'These women have come forward because theres a void that has been left in their lives and the people that created the void are Clifford and Tameka Harris.

'Granted, the void can never be fully filled, but at least it can be put back together if these cases are handled with care, are thoroughly investigated, indictments are executed, and the Harrises are prosecuted,' he said, adding that the women are not seeking money.

Their allegations include claims from a 22-year-old who once worked as an intern at one of the rapper's studios when she was in high school.

She described an alleged incident when she was 17 and working for the couple, on T.I.'s tour bus, when she claims his wife gave her a drink and two pills that made her 'hot and and sweaty [and she] began hallucinating and felt like she was floating.'

She claims that Tiny took her to the back of the tour bus to 'cool off' and that T.I. came over next and started commenting on her appearance.

She says she then blacked out and woke up 'naked on a bed bleeding from her vagina. She also felt discomfort in her anus.'

The next day, she claims she was taken home by one of the couple's employees who said 'she needs to learn to keep her mouth shut' and 'if she did not that bad things could happen to her and her family.'

She claims that she started losing control of her bowels in her sleep and was taken to the hospital where she was told she'd suffered 'trauma to her anal cavity due to intense anal penetration.'

The member of the military said she was 22 in 2005 when she met the pair in a club in L.A.

She described going back to a hotel with them but said she started feeling 'dizzy and light-headed' after taking just one sip of Tiny's drink.

She claims that three of them got into the shower where Tiny washed both her and T.I. Afterwards, she said Tiny tried to give her a 'back butt massage'.

The woman, who was in the US Air Force, said T.I. then told her he wanted to put his vagina in her foot.

The woman said no but then apparently passed out and woke up 'with a very sore vagina and a towel covering her.'

Steve Sadow, a lawyer for the pair, told DailyMail.com on Monday: 'The Harrises continue to deny in the strongest possible terms these groundless and unjustified allegations.

'When Blackburn finally exposes his anonymous accusers to the light of day by revealing their names, we will be in a position to confront his allegations. Hiding their identities makes it impossible for me to do so now.

'We fully expect if the claims are fairly investigated, no charges will be brought.'

The couple previously sparked controversy when T.I. admitted to going to the gynecologist with his teenage daughter to ensure she was still a virgin.

'Not only have we had the conversation. We have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen.

'So well go and sit down and the doctor will come and talk, and the doctors maintaining a high level of professionalism.

'Hes like, 'Well, you know, sir, I have to, in order to share information'  Im like, 'Deyjah, they want you to sign this, so we can share information. Is there anything you would not want me to know? Oh OK. See, doc? Ain't no problem,'" he said during a podcast interview.

Lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn is making the allegations public in the hopes that police will investigate

The couple made its first public appearance since these allegations surfaced on May 17.

They were joined by their four-year-old daughter Heiress Diana as they grabbed dinner at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

The 40-year-old rapper carried the couple's youngest child in his arms, while strolling down the sidewalk with his 45-year-old wife in tow.

T.I., born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., had on a white hoodie, black pants, and a pair of reflective Nike sneakers.

Mirroring her husband's casual vibe, Tiny slipped her 4foot11inch frame into a pair of tie dyed leggings and a grey hooded sweatshirt.

Heiress Diana, who the couple welcomed into the world in 2016, looked sweet in a pale blue tracksuit, while carrying her father's Las Vegas Raiders cap in hand.
She's well known for portraying ditzy Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale, a role she's played on and off for over 20 years.

But before finding fame in the Dales, actress Samantha Giles worked as a nude life model for 5 per hour after struggling financially in her younger years.

In a new interview, Samantha, 49, opened up about her past job, recalling how she was 'really desperate for money', but was quick to insist that she's 'not ashamed' of what she did.

In the past: Before finding fame in the Dales, actress Samantha Giles worked as a nude life model for 5 per hour after struggling financially in her younger years (pictured in 2019)

Samantha detailed how she got the job when she was in her 20s as she detailed how things were so difficult financially that at times she couldn't to eat.

She explained to The Mirror: 'I was really desperate for money. Im not ashamed of it, I wasnt doing anything terrible. It paid 5 an hour, which is nothing, but Id get 15 for an evening, which seemed quite good.

'I did it at a college in North London which had a lot of young people, which was a bit daunting. I was only 23, but Ive never liked my body, so the only way I found I could do it was by not looking down at myself when I dropped the sarong. I never looked at their work either.'

The TV star recalled how she had to stand or sit and hold her pose for an hour, telling how once particular session left her 'uncomfortable' as she stood with her back to the artists and had to 'stick my bottom out' - adding it was a feature she 'hated'.

Work: In a new interview, Samantha, 49, opened up about her past job, recalling how she was 'really desperate for money', but was quick to insist that she's 'not ashamed' of what she did

During the interview, Samantha spoke about a 'nasty' comment she received from one painter, who upon hearing she was an actress, told her she wouldn't 'make it' in the industry, leaving her devastated.

She said: 'This man came up during the break and asked what I did. I said I was an actress and he said: "I dont think youre going to make it. You might get the odd job, but youll never be a household name". I remember feeling so devastated that I never said anything back.'

The TV personality added that those types of remarks can make a person 'stronger' and added that she never contemplated 'giving up' her acting dream.

Samantha went on to prove the naysayer wrong, earning a small part in Coronation Street, a film with Rob Lowe before eventually landing the part of barmaid Bernice in Emmerdale back in 1998.

Tough times: 'I was really desperate for money. Im not ashamed of it, I wasnt doing anything terrible. It paid 5 an hour, which is nothing, but Id get 15 for an evening, which seemed quite good'

But the road to success wasn't easy, with Samantha remembering how a fellow actor shared his food with her after she was too poor to eat during filming for Midnight Man in Luxembourg.

She told how he saved her embarrassment by pretending he was too full to finish his meal and offered it to her in a bid to ensure she ate, with Samantha adding that it was a 'really tough time'.

Samantha's words comes weeks after it was revealed that she's set to make her grand return as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale.

Getting by: 'I did it at a college in North London which had a lot of young people, which was a bit daunting. I was only 23'

Role: Samantha went on to prove the naysayer wrong, earning a small part in Coronation Street, a film with Rob Lowe before eventually landing the part of barmaid Bernice in Emmerdale back in 1998 (pictured in her first Emmerdale appearance in 1998)

The ex-girlfriend of Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), Bernice hasn't been seen in the Yorkshire Dales since 2019, when she dumped Liam the night before their wedding and disappeared.

Liam has since moved on with Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi), but just as Liam and Leyla's romance is finally back on track with a wedding on the way, Bernice returns to the village.

Bernice left hurriedly for Australia to look after her former husband, Charlie, who had been involved in an accident.

But now she's back, and will no doubt make life complicated for Liam and Leyla.

Opening up about her decision to return to the Yorkshire Dales, Samantha said: 'As an actress leaving a role that you love is always a hard decision and I'd been lucky to work so consistently for so long which is rare in our business.'

She's back! Samantha's words comes weeks after it was revealed that she's set to make her grand return as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale

She continued: 'So I knew the time had come to be brave and take the leap back in 2019 to pursue my other passion of writing and focus on getting my first book published.

'I'm a big believer in fate so when Emmerdale offered me the chance to return as Bernice I took it as a sign that it was meant to be.'

Samantha concluded: 'I'm delighted to be returning to play out Bernice's future storylines which I'm sure are going to keep the audience entertained.

'She certainly arrives back with a bang that's all I'm allowed to say right now and I'm looking forward to releasing my next two books whilst juggling her hectic onscreen life!'
She announced her new alcohol brand was in the works earlier this year.

And Kendall Jenner proved that despite her fame as she was a hand-on boss as she greeted a slew of fans at a pop-up trick to celebrate the launch of her 818 tequila in Los Angeles on Monday.

The 25-year-old supermodel's appearance came after she faced accusations of cultural appropriation for naming her spirit after the Calabasas area code and appearing overlook tequila's deep-rooted Mexican legacy.

Out and about: Kendall Jenner proved to be a hands-on boss as she greeted a slew of fans at the launch of 818 tequila in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon

Kendall wore a loose white long-sleeve top with straight leg jeans and a navy blue 818 vest with a 'Kenny' patch as she made an appearance at the launch in the Mel and Rose liquor store.

She stayed comfortable with a classic pair of black Converse trainers and blocked her eyes from the bright sun with rectangular frames.

Enthusiastic fans were treated to 818 merchandise (including hats and shirts) thrown by Jenner into the crowds from the bright green truck, with the model getting behind the wheel to celebrate her drink's launch.

Jovial: The model was surrounded by crowds of fans as she jumped behind the wheel of the truck to celebrate the launch of the tequila brand

Boss: Kendall sported an all-white ensemble complete with an 818 vest to reveal her new line at Mel and Rose liquor store

She's here! She wore a loose white long-sleeve top with straight leg jeans and a navy blue 818 vest with a 'Kenny' patch

Ready to go: She looked comfortable behind the wheel as she posed for a few selfies while holding a lavender iPhone case

She looked comfortable behind the wheel as she posed for a few selfies while holding a lavender iPhone case.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star then made her way to BevMo where her bottles were proudly displayed.

Her new line includes an Anejo, Blanco and Reposado from agave plants grown in Jalisco, Mexico.

Kendall announced on Monday morning that her line would officially be available in California, with states soon to follow for a fully-stocked summer.

Safety first! Kendall made sure to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic by wearing a black face mask as she strolled through the groups of fans to head to the truck

Merch! Enthusiastic fans were treated to 818 merchandise (including hats and shirts) thrown by Jenner into the crowds from a bright green truck

Hard at work: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star then made her way to BevMo where her bottles were proudly displayed

She roamed through fields of agave on horseback and sipped her spirits in a moody Instagram video where she also turned off commenting capabilities to her 164million followers.

'@818tequila has launched in California... we will be rolling out to the rest of the US all summer long, keep a look out!!!'

Almost immediately after announcing her latest venture earlier this year, Kendall faced intense scrutiny for the name of her brand and the attempt to diminish tequila's cultural significance in the Latinx community.

'There was just a lack of respect to the culture and the importance of tequila to Mexico,' bartender Lucas Assis told Yahoo Life in February. 'She didn't even know how to properly drink tequila.'

He went on to explain how agave takes up to nine years to fully mature before being able to harvest, a questionable time frame since Kendall noted that she had only spent four years perfecting her new brand.

'The plant is embedded in the country's history and culture. Celebrities need to understand the detrimental effect their brands can have on the tequila industry but even most importantly on the agriculture of the agave plant,' he said.

'Using Mexico's culture and history for nothing other than capital gain is culture appropriation. Not to mention leaving the family-owned small distilleries, who have been doing this for generations, struggling to keep up with the sky rocketing prices of the agave, due to farmers simply not being able to keep up with the demand.'
The Pact

Rating:

Innocent

Rating:

Thriller writers call it high concept  a plot with a barbed hook that reels you in and will not let you go.

High concept stories rely less on character, more on one big idea that can be summed up in a few words . . . forcing you to wonder: What if that happened to me?

Its a storytelling style more common for supermarket bestsellers than TV serials. Stephen King is a master of the technique: what if a bullied schoolgirl had supernatural powers? Dean Koontz is another: what if blackmailers gave you 24 hours to find 1 million  or theyll kill someone you love?

The Pact (BBC1) boasts an uncompromising plot. Four female friends at a factory, all with good reason to resent their arrogant, boorish boss, play a drunken prank on him  one that leaves him dead

Done well, it can make for gripping telly drama. But when the big question at the heart of the plot becomes too improbable, high concept can tip over into hokum.

The Pact (BBC1) boasts an uncompromising plot. Four female friends at a factory, all with good reason to resent their arrogant, boorish boss, play a drunken prank on him  one that leaves him dead. They dare not confess to the police. But someone knows their secret and wants money to keep quiet.

What would you do? Lets hope you wouldnt get yourself in this pickle in the first place. Bundling your employer into the boot of a hatchback after a works party, dragging him into the woods and photographing him with his trousers round his ankles is not a prank. Its kidnap and sexual assault.

Leaving him comatose and then acting surprised when hes found dead the next day doesnt make the practical joke any better.

Brewery director Jack (Aneurin Barnard) was a contemptible bit of work, insulting his staff and groping a woman who applied for promotion. But if youre in any doubt about the ethics of the situation, think of your reaction if the boss was a woman  and the pranksters were all men.

So far, the four women who abandoned Jack half-naked in the wilds have held on to our sympathy, because theyre looking after each other. The question is, how long will they stick together?

The main focus is on mother-of-two Anna (Laura Fraser), whose husband happens to be a detective on the case. We dont know exactly why Jack died. It might have been a heart attack brought on by drugs and drink . . . or one of the women might have gone back and murdered him.

Anna is the only one who couldnt have done it. Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh), who was last to leave the woods, is looking very suspect  but so is Jacks father, played by Eddie Marsan in a typically subtle and creepy performance.

Innocent (ITV) is a different type of crime drama. It cant be summed up in a sentence. Instead, itll take all four episodes this week before we can untangle all the threads

What would I do? The answer to that is obvious. Ill tune in to the second episode, tonight.

Innocent (ITV) is a different type of crime drama. It cant be summed up in a sentence. Instead, itll take all four episodes this week before we can untangle all the threads.

Teacher Sally (Katherine Kelly, who was Becky McDonald in Coronation Street) is released from prison on appeal, five years after she was jailed for the murder of a pupil. In the Lake District town where she worked, everyone despises her. Angry looks and worse are flung at her in the street.

Her ex-husband is living with his new girlfriend, and the police have reopened the investigation.

Written by Chris Lang, the power behind smash-hit police serial Unforgotten, this is a layered and complex psychological puzzle.

It has flaws: the original evidence that earned Sally a life sentence looks so flimsy, its weightless.

There are many secrets just below the surface here.

This isnt high concept, but it is deep waters.
Netflix's upcoming reality show Byron Baes has sparked more controversy, this time for not consulting local Indigenous groups or the Byron Council before filming.

According to independent newspaper Echo, the Byron Council 'passed an urgency motion' that would require producers to get permission before any further filming.

Speaking to the paper, independent Councillor Cate Coorey said: 'We need to stand up for our community.'

Backlash: Netflix's upcoming reality show Byron Baes has sparked more controversy, this time for not consulting local Indigenous groups or the Byron Council before filming

'They havent sought clearances, they havent considered the relevant stakeholders, and so far weve seen no consultation, and yet filming has gone ahead,' she added.

Producers may now be forced to seek permission before any further filming can take place, which includes filming on both private property or public spaces.

Not mincing words, Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said: 'This corporation, Netflix, has basically come in and s**t on us.'

While the Council have kicked up a fuss, the Byron Baes production could fall into the Ultra Low Impact category as outlined in the Local Government Filming Protocol.

Ultra Low Impact means there are ten or less people in the cast and crew. If Byron Baes meets this requirement, then they would not require filming permits from the Council.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Byron Baes' production company Eureka Productions for comment.

Not mincing words, Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said: 'This corporation, Netflix, has basically come in and shat on us.' (Pictured: Influencers Ruby Tuesday Matthews and Saskia Wotton)

A potential Byron Baes cast member recently slammed the Netflix show just days after a rumoured cast list was leaked, saying he 'felt embarrassed' to be associated with the program.

Billy Otto confirmed on Instagram that he had nothing to do with the 'docu-soap series' which outraged locals before filming even began.

The musician shared a photo of himself at the beach holding an anti-Byron Baes poster, and explained in the caption why he'd decided to pull out.

Billy, whose name appeared in The Daily Telegraph's leaked cast list, said he did not believe the show would be a 'true representation of the soul of Byron'.

In addition to saying the Netflix production 'doesn't align' with his personal values, he also claimed it did not receive blessing from the local Indigenous Elders.

'Yep, I feel embarrassed to have been associated with this show,' he said.

'Yep, I feel embarrassed': Billy Otto confirmed on Instagram that he had nothing to do with the 'docu-soap series' which outraged locals before filming even began.

Billy explained he'd initially agreed to join the show after a casting producer had expressed an interest in his music and advocacy for men's mental health.

Billy claims it wasn't until later that he learned what the show was really about.

'I began to understand later the true nature of the program, and it became clear to me that I didn't align with the ethos of the show... I don't believe that the world needs a show like this right now,' he said.

He said he wanted to help preserve the ecology of the Bryon region and didn't support the 'hyper-gentrification' of the area.

Uncovered: Billy's powerful message to Netflix comes after the Byron Baes cast members were revealed by The Daily Telegraph earlier this week. Pictured: Elias Chigros

Billy suggested that Netflix ditch their show about 'influencers' and instead make a more thoughtful series 'working alongside Bundjalung Elders and capturing the dreamers, creatives and custodians that help make this place special'.

Billy's powerful message to Netflix comes after the Byron Baes cast members were revealed by The Daily Telegraph earlier this week.

Joining the cast are former reality stars Nathan Favro, from The Bachelorette, and Elias Chigros, from Love Island Australia.

Coming soon: The controversial new series will feature a variety of local influencers, including Elle Watson

Co-creative director of local boutique BISQUE Hannah Brauer will also appear, alongside Byron Bay 'It couple' Dave Frim and Saskia Wotton.

Others in the cast include investment company employee Elle Watson, influencer Jade Kevin Foster and spiritualistic therapist Simba Ali.

Rounding out the cast is Kyle Sandilands' former assistant-turned-manager Alex Reid, fashion designer Jess Bell and her model sister Lauren.

Claim to fame: Joining the cast are former reality stars Nathan Favro (pictured), from The Bachelorette, and Elias Chigros, from Love Island Australia

The unveiling of the cast comes after a handful of so-called Byron locals recently paddled out into the ocean to protest the show, while others stood by with placards that read 'give Netflix the flick' and 'consult traditional owners'.

Ben Gordon, owner of The Byron Bay General Store, led calls to snub production - and is asking other local businesses to do the same.

'They've simply turned up unannounced and they are proposing to drag our name through the mud, and make millions of dollars without offering anything back to the community,' he told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon.

Making a name for herself: Co-creative director of local boutique BISQUE Hannah Brauer (pictured) will also appear, alongside Byron Bay couple Dave Frim and Saskia Wotton

Mr Gordon said the prospective reality series is 'a complete misrepresentation of who we are as a community'.

'Today, what we've seen, is the real Byron, the community coming together for issues that we believe in,' he said.

Nick O'Donnell, Netflix's director of public policy, recently travelled to the NSW town 'for crisis talks with stakeholders' as the backlash continues to grow.
Once upon a time they were the sweet couple who won the hearts of the world during their time on popular Netflix series Too Hot to Handle.

But 11 months after splitting from his girlfriend Francesca Farrago, Harry Jowsey, 23, has revealed the pathetic reason he opted to end his relationship with the bikini designer.

During an Instagram Q&A, the Australian reality TV star shocked his followers when he revealed why he broke up with Francesca, 27.

Not funny: Too Hot to Handle's Harry Jowsey offered a pathetic response when asked why he broke up with Francesca Farrago during an Instagram Q&A this week

'She has a stinky breath', he wrote.

He also followed up his post by confirming he is still very much 'as single as it gets'.

The couple, who were known for their outrageous antics on the show, became engaged via Zoom during a reunion episode in May, before spitting in June.

After their breakup, Harry said that he believed the fallout from their split damaged his 'brand'.

Rude: He said that the model had 'stinky breath'

Still single: He also followed up his post by confirming he is still very much 'as single as it gets'

'I can't believe it, it's damaging my brand. I've been nothing but nice to her and regarding the reason why we broke up, because of stuff she did,' he told The Courier Mail.

At the time, he claimed that he lost 200,000 Instagram followers in the weeks after their relationship ended.

In particular, Harry took issue with Francesca's various social media posts addressing their relationship and break-up.

'She made a big YouTube video and has been doing a whole bunch of TikToks and crazy stuff and I haven't done anything,' the Australian hunk said at the time.

'We've been broken up for months, a long time before we announced it, and we were on good terms and I don't know what happened,' he added.

Harry claimed that his family had also been affected by Francesca's allegations.

'My mum has been getting hate and all my friends and I'm like, "Why are you doing this? You are ruining our great memories." So yeah, now it has to go to the courts,' he said.

The exes announced their split in June, when Harry posted an emotional YouTube video titled 'I broke up with her' explaining their decision to part ways.

During a chat on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast, Harry said that he fell out of love with his ex because she didn't support him during 'the worst week' of his life.

Numbers game: The 22-year-old claims he has lost 200,000 Instagram followers in the weeks after their relationship ended

'I just finished filming the show... My mum fell off a horse and broke her knee and ribs, so I had to fly back to Australia,' he said.

He explained that within a week, he was rocked by two further setbacks, including a death in his family and a close friend's suicide attempt.

'I was asking my girlfriend, "I need you to be here for me,"' he said.

Heartbreaking: Last year, Harry revealed on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast that he fell out of love with the bikini designer, 26, because she didn't support him during 'the worst week' of his life

Harry alleged that Francesca was enjoying a 'crazy trip' to Las Vegas with an ex at the time, and didn't want to leave to be with him.

'She said to me, "You're saying this to ruin my trip,"' he claimed.

After being left 'heartbroken', Harry said their relationship was never the same.

Harry also believed he helped make Francesca famous by dating her.

'She wouldn't be anywhere near as big without me,' he said.

Francesca now has 5.1 million followers on the social media platform, making her significantly more popular than her ex-boyfriend who has a following of 3.6million.
He will be turning 38 years old next week and is currently dating a girl almost 20 years his junior.

Scott Disick looked every inch the famous star on Monday, when he was seen behind the wheel of a vintage 1960s green Cobra Mustang convertible in Calabasas, California.

The reality star, 37, sported his bleached blonde faux-hawk look, along with a black T-shirt and bright multicolored tie-dye pants.

Nice ride: Scott Disick looked every inch the famous star on Monday, when he was seen behind the wheel of a vintage 1960s green Cobra Mustang convertible in Calabasas

Scott arrived in the flashy car at the Mulholland Harley Davidson dealership on Ventura Boulevard, where he was seen browsing the motorcycles on hand.

Disick also wore a vape pen around his neck, which he was seen taking puffs from while talking to the manager of the shop.

His fancy new car featured flood lights on a crossbar and a spare tire sitting directly on the trunk.

Vape pen necklace: The reality star, 37, sported his bleached blonde faux-hawk look, along with a black T-shirt and bright multicolored tie-dye pants

Scott is the famous ex-partner of Kourtney Kardashian, with whom he shares three children: sons Mason, 11, and Reign Aston, six, and daughter Penelope Scotland, eight.

He is in a relationship with the daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19.

The pair were first linked in October 2020, soon after the Talentless founders split from model Sofia Richie, now 22.

Great wheels: His fancy new car featured flood lights on a crossbar, and a spare tire sitting directly on the trunk

Browsing: He arrived in the flashy car at the Mulholland Harley Davidson dealership on Ventura Boulevard, where he was seen browsing the motorcycles on hand

On his Instagram stories on Monday afternoon, Scott also posted a selfie dressed head-to-toe in a beige paisley pattern, courtesy of clothing store Avenue C.

'Paisley all daisley,' he captioned the snap cheekily.

Scott also wore a pair of wayfarer sunglasses in the photo.

On his Instagram stories on Monday afternoon: Scott also posted a selfie dressed head-to-toe in a beige paisley pattern, courtesy of clothing store Avenue C
He's a familiar face in Melbourne thanks to his popular KIIS FM breakfast show.

But Jase Hawkins certainly didn't expect to come face to face with a fan at a fertility clinic as he was awkwardly delivering a 'party bag' of his own semen to the doctor.

Speaking on Jase & PJ on Tuesday, the father of two explained that he and his wife, Louise, had booked an appointment to get his sperm count checked, in case they ever wanted more children in the future.

Awkward! Radio host Jase Hawkins didn't expect to come face to face with a fan at a fertility clinic as he was awkwardly delivering a 'party bag' of his own semen to the doctor

'I knew I was going to be nervous doing it there, so Lou rang and asked if I could do it at home,' he said, referring to gathering a sperm sample.

Jase then joked he felt 'like an ambulance driver' as he rushed to the clinic to deliver his semen within a specified time limit.

'I finally got there, walked in and the waiting room was packed,' he said. 'I kept my back to everyone and I'm waiting at the window holding my brown paper bag.'

Putting his head in his hands, Jase continued: 'The only bag we had in the house was an old party gift bag, so I'm sitting there with a bag of little stars and balloons.'

Distraught: After discreetly handing the bag of semen to a nurse, Jase was confronted by someone else in the waiting room just as he was about to make his exit

After discreetly handing the bag to a nurse, Jase was confronted by someone else in the waiting room just as he was about to make his exit.

He said: 'It was just at that point I turned around, I put my hand on the door to leave and one guy leans on his door and says, "Hey, big fan, love the show."'

Jase then burst into fits of laughter, while his stunned colleagues giggled with him.

This bizarre admission comes after Jase's co-host, Polly 'PJ' Harding, recently quit the show live on air.

Announcement: In March, Jase's co-host, Polly 'PJ' Harding (pictured), broke down in tears on air as she told listeners that resigning was 'one of the hardest decisions' she'd ever made

In March, PJ broke down in tears on air as she told listeners that resigning was 'one of the hardest decisions' she'd ever made.

She is returning to her native New Zealand after a 'challenging' year which saw her 'priorities change' after getting engaged. She will be leaving in June.

She explained that being separated from her family and fiance in New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic last year had taken a toll.

Weekend Today host Lauren Phillips is currently the favourite to take over as co-host next month.
Hollywood heavyweight Sigourney Weaver is the latest movie star to head Down Under to film a project amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 71-year-old Golden Globe winner will fly to Sydney later this year to shoot Amazon Prime original drama, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

The seven-part series is based on the international best-selling book by Australian author Holly Ringland.

American actress Sigourney Weaver, 71, (pictured) is the latest Hollywood star set to head Down Under to film Amazon Prime series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Weaver is best known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart tells the enchanting and compelling story of a young girl, Alice Hart, whose violent childhood casts a dark shadow over her adult life.

The series will be produced by Australian hit-maker and Emmy winner Bruna Papandrea (Penguin Bloom).

Breakout: The iconic actress is best known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the 1979 Alien franchise (pictured)

She also played Dr. Grace Augustine alongside Sam Worthington in 2009

Some of the world's renowned actors - including film royalty George Clooney and Julia Roberts - are making the move to capitalise on generous Government grants designed to boost Australia's fledgling film industry.

Clooney and Roberts' rom-com Ticket to Paradise will transform Queensland's Whitsunday Islands into Bali, while other locations in the state will be transformed into the US.

Back in March, Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell were set to film Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives in Queensland.

Soon! Julia Roberts (pictured) and George Clooney are expected to film a new political thriller in Sydney, with Julia arriving last month

Currently in production in Sydney is the new Thor: Love and Thunder film, starring Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Matt Damon and Russell Crowe.

Zac Efron recently wrapped up filming Stan original movie Gold.

It also comes on the back of news that new instalment to the Max Max franchise will also be filmed in New South Wales.

Stan's original movie Gold will be available on the platform later this year.
Married At First Sight's Beck Zemek has sparked rumours she may join OnlyFans after sharing a series of sexually suggestive Instagram posts.

The 27-year-old influencer uploaded a topless shower selfie on Tuesday afternoon, prompting some followers to question her next career move.

She was completely naked except for a white G-string, and covered her chest with a thin layer of pink Booby Tape firming lotion.

'OnlyFans is weeks away': Married At First Sight's Beck Zemek had her Instagram followers questioning her next career move after sharing a topless shower selfie on Tuesday afternoon

Despite applying the lotion to her chest, Beck's nipples were still clearly visible behind the partially steamed-up shower screen.

Because of this her post likely violated Instagram's rules on female nudity, meaning she runs the risk of having her account permanently deleted.

Meanwhile, her followers were quick to react to the image, with one commenting: 'OF [OnlyFans] is only weeks away. I can feel it in me waters.'

Speculation: Beck's followers were quick to react to the image, with one commenting: 'OF [OnlyFans] is only weeks away. I can feel it in me waters'

Hitting back: However, Beck seemingly took offence to the suggestion she was about to join the subscription-based adult website and deleted the comment

However, Beck seemingly took offence to the suggestion she was about to join the subscription-based adult website and deleted the comment.

When a female fan said 'I can see what market you are aiming for here,' Beck again refuted any suggestion she was venturing into the adult industry.

She said her nude posts were actually about female empowerment, not titillation.

Not having it; When a female fan said 'I can see what market you are aiming for here,' Beck again refuted any suggestion she was venturing into the adult industry

'Ninety per cent of my audience is females': The influencer, 27, said her nude posts were actually about female empowerment, not titillation

'Ninety per cent of my audience is females and I want everyone to accept themselves,' she responded to the follower.

Beck had shared a similar post on Instagram last Tuesday.

She uploaded two side-by-side photos of herself with the pink firming lotion slathered across her bare chest, and even licked the applicator.

Risque: Beck had shared a similar post on Instagram last Tuesday, uploading two side-by-side photos of herself with pink firming lotion slathered across her bare chest

The look: Several followers thought it was odd for someone so averse to sexual objectification to share such photos, after Beck had infamously scolded her MAFS 'husband' Jake Edwards (left) for looking at her like she was 'sex on a stick' on their wedding day

Response: One follower called the aspiring influencer a 'walking contradiction' after uploading the topless images

Ouch! 'We have all seen more boob on Insta then poor Jake ever did,' another fan commented below the photo, adding two crying-with-laughter emojis

Mixed reaction: A third critic noted that Beck had allowed men to post leering comments on the photo, despite throwing a tantrum when Jake glanced at her lustfully

Several followers thought it was odd for someone so averse to sexual objectification to share such photos, after Beck had infamously scolded her MAFS 'husband' Jake Edwards for looking at her like she was 'sex on a stick' on their wedding day.

'Doesn't remove the comments from the men saying yum but Jake couldn't think the same..?' one critic wrote.

Another follower called the aspiring influencer a 'walking contradiction' after uploading the topless images.

'You're a walking contradiction! Don't want to be objectified. Yet your posts say the opposite,' they commented.
She's one of the most recognisable Australian actresses in Hollywood.

But Ruby Rose, 35, looked different to how she usually appears as she arrived at the premiere of Pink's documentary All I Know So Far in Hollywood on Wednesday.

The strikingly beautiful star debuted a more puffy complexion than usual, while her cheeks, under-eye area and lips appeared more voluminous.

What has she done to her face? Ruby Rose, 35, looked different to how she usually appears as she arrived at the premiere of Pink's documentary All I Know So Far in Hollywood on Wednesday

The age-defying glamazon also sported a slightly tauter-looking complexion than usual, while her eyebrows arched higher than they did in the past.

Ruby also debuted a new white-blonde hairstyle, which she coiffed into gravity-defying spikes.

As for her outfit, Ruby remained true to her famously quirky sense of style, donning an army-style jacket with blue velvet patchwork and a pink-and-red hoodie.

Hmm: The strikingly beautiful star debuted a more puffy complexion than usual, while her cheeks, under-eye area and lips appeared more voluminous. Pictured left in 2019, right on Wednesday

New look: The age-defying glamazon also sported a slightly tauter-looking complexion than usual, while her eyebrows arched higher than they did in the past. Pictured left in 2019, right on Wednesday

Her look was completed with a pair of ripped blue jeans and a trendy top-handle doctor bag emblazoned with the stylised image of a banana.

Ruby's appearance comes weeks after she revealed her skincare secrets to Glamour magazine.

The John Wick: Chapter 2 actress, who suffers from rosacea and melasma, told the publication that she enjoys maintaining a strict beauty regimen.

Her style hasn't changed! As for her outfit, Ruby remained true to her famously quirky sense of style, donning an army-style jacket with blue velvet patchwork and a pink-and-red hoodie

'I very much believe in skin care. I believe it's a great way to keep protecting and feeding your skin. And it makes you feel good to do it,' she said.

Ruby previously admitted she had an entire closet dedicated to skin and haircare products, including expensive moisturisers, cleansers, vitamin sprays and masks.

Speaking to the New York Times in 2017, Ruby said she swears by organic coconut oil as an all-purpose beauty aid.

'I think the oils my skin creates overnight are a good thing and not really dirty. So when I wake up, I just use organic coconut oil on my face in the shower,' she said.

'I work it in as a hair mask, too, and I use it as an eye makeup remover. And I have a spoonful of it once or twice a day,' Ruby added.
He had a very short and unsuccessful romance with Bachelorette star Angie Kent.

But Carlin Sterritt is smitten with his new girlfriend Emily Bradwell.

Carlin called the stunning Digital Creator 'his numero uno' in an Instagram post on Monday.

Picture perfect! Former Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt posted a sweet photo of himself cuddling up to girlfriend Emily Bradwell on Monday

He posted a sweet picture of the pair cuddling up at a lunch in Cronulla.

In the selfie, Carlin put his arm around the blue-eyed beauty as they smiled for the camera.

Carlin and Emily went Instagram official last December and the loved-up couple are going from strength-to-strength.

While celebrating Emily's Birthday in February, Carlin, 31, shared a series of Instagram videos dedicated to his ladylove.

'Happy Birthday, to this incredibly kind-hearted, generous, warm, loving, and caring human being who makes everything bright,' he wrote.

Love: Carlin and Emily went Instagram official last December and the loved-up couple are going from strength-to-strength

'I love you,' he added alongside a close-up image of Emily lying down at the beach grinning from ear-to-ear.

Carlin then appeared to share footage from an intimate day spent with Emily and her loved-ones.

In one video, he was seen cuddling his girlfriend as their friends and family give them a round of applause before she cut her Birthday cake.

All loved-up! While celebrating Emily's Birthday in February, Carlin, 31, shared a series of Instagram videos dedicated to his main woman

During the festive season, Carlin confirmed his relationship with Emily by going Instagram official with his marketing guru girlfriend.

Uploading a loved-up photo to his Instagram page, Carlin and the brunette beauty appeared to be making the most of the sunshine as they enjoyed a day at the beach.

'We saw the weather forecast for the next week, so we and the whole east coast of NSW acted promptly,' Carlin wrote alongside the photo.

Instagram official! Carlin showed off his gym-honed physique while posing with Emily during a beach date in December

Carlin showed off his gym-honed physique opting to go shirtless for the occasion, while Emily showed off her incredible figure in a brown string bikini.

The pair celebrated Christmas at her family home in Sydney's South Western Suburbs.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in December, Carlin confirmed he was 'casually seeing someone', but didn't name her.

Getting serious: Carlin and Emily celebrated the festive season at her family home in Sydney's South Western Suburbs

He chose not to identify the woman he was dating, but disclosed she works in marketing and said their relationship was in 'it's early days'.

Carlin was previously married and announced his breakup from ex-girlfriend Angie Kent in July after just 10 months of dating.

The two chose to part ways due to holding different values.
Michael Caine has revealed he has given up alcohol so he can have as much time with his three grandchildren as he can.

The actor, 88, said being a grandfather has given 'me a new lease of life', and he is 'completely besotted' with twins Miles and Allegra and grandson Taylor.

Back in 2017, Michael lost a staggering two stone and cut back on drinking amid fears that he could have developed cancer.

Tee-total: Michael Caine has revealed he has given up alcohol so he can have as much time with his three grandchildren as he can(pictured 2018)

Now, the Batman star has revealed he has become tee-total and spoke about how his grandchildren are the highlight of his life.

In an interview with Candis magazine, Michael said: 'I've decided to live a bit longer, I've cut down on the drink and got a new outlook on life. I thought I wasn't going to have grandchildren, and suddenly I have three.

'They're my fountain of youth and have given me a new lease of life without any of the worries or troubles. I'm completely besotted and so is my wife.

Good influence: The actor previously spoke about how he used to have 'one bottle of vodka a day' during his early career and how his wife Shakira, 74, 'calmed him down' (pictured 2019)

'I've had some high points in my life, I've won two Academy Awards and been given a knighthood, and I used to think that you couldn't get better than that but then I got my grandchildren, which is better than anything.'

Michael has two daughters; Dominique, 65, from his first marriage to actress Patricia Haines  and Natasha, 48, from his second, Shakira Baksh.

The actor went on to say, despite his legendary 60-year career in the film industry, being a father is his greatest achievement.

Sweet: The actor, 88, pictured with Dame Joan Collins in 2019, used to be one of nightclub Tramp's regular celebrity visitors

Family: Michael has two daughters; Dominique, 65, (right) from his first marriage to actress Patricia Haines  and Natasha (left), 48, from his second, Shakira Baksh

Michael said he loves spending time with his two girls and 'tends to spoil them'.

The Hollywood thespian previously spoke about how he used to have 'one bottle of vodka a day' during his early career and how his wife Shakira, 74, 'calmed him down' after they married in 1973.

He told the Radio Times in 2016: 'Without her I would have been dead long ago. I would have probably drunk myself to death.

'I was a bit of a p**s artist when I was younger, I used to drink a bottle of vodka a day and I was smoking too, several packs a day.

'I wasn't unhappy but it was stress. You know, "Am I going to get another picture? How am I going to do this part? How am I going to remember all those lines? I've got to get up at 6 in the morning and I hope the alarm works".'
Pierce Brosnan was seen enjoying a relaxed outing with his son Dylan on Monday.

The actor, 68, arrived in style at Nobu in Malibu, California, alongside the model, 24, and the former was then seen putting on an animated display at the trendy eatery.

Joking around while walking to the restaurant, Pierce pretended to bow and was seen swinging his arms back and forth.

Joker: Pierce Brosnan put on a VERY animated display by swinging his arms dramatically as he headed out for dinner with son Dylan at Nobu on Monday

Pierce put on a dapper display for the outing as he paired a dark blue suit jacket with an open-collared shirt.

He offset his ensemble by wearing a pair of brown trousers, while he completed his look by stepping out in blue slip-on shoes.

Dylan, meanwhile, opted for double denim as he paired a jacket with matching boot-cut trousers and a black turtleneck top.

Pierce and his son, who he shares with wife Keely Shaye, made sure to keep their face masks on amid the coronavirus crisis.

Outing: The actor, 68, arrived in style at Nobu in Malibu, California, alongside the model, 24

Amusing: Joking around together, Pierce pretended to bow and was seen swinging his arms back and forth while walking to the restaurant

Outing: Pierce and Dylan enjoyed some quality father and son bonding time together

Pierce and his with wife Keely Shaye recently relocated to Hawaii after putting their Malibu beachfront mansion on the market for $100 million.

They were on the island last month, but appear to have returned to the mainland for a while.

The star purchased a cottage on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 2002.

Handsome: Pierce put on a dapper display for the outing as he paired a dark blue suit jacket with an open-collared shirt

Dapper: Pierce offset his ensemble by wearing a pair of brown trousers, while he completed his look by stepping out in blue slip-on shoes

Style: Dylan, meanwhile, opted for double denim as he paired a jacket with matching boot-cut trousers and a black turtleneck top

Shortly after moving permanently to the tropical state, the doting father put his Malibu beachfront mansion, inspired by Tomorrow Never Dies, on the market for $100 million.

In September, it was reported the sale will see the 007 star make a tidy profit after he created the estate by combining two separate plots of land that he purchased for just $5.1 million and $2.25 million in 2000.

Pierce told the Wall Street Journal that when he realised 'Die Another Day' was a hit, he turned to his wife, filmmaker Keely and told her 'go build your dream house. And she did'.

Safety first: Pierce and his son, who he shares with wife Keely Shaye, made sure to keep their face masks on amid the coronavirus crisis

Lockdown locks: Dylan's brunet tresses fell past his shoulders in a sleek style

The house was built in 2010 and has so many solar panels that the new owner will be able to heat the house, outdoor pool and guest cabana and still sell electricity back to the local grid.

The home is exceptionally eco-friendly with all water being recycled on site in a purpose-built plant along with a waste disposal system, custom-built energy-saving lighting and a solar-powered revolving compost heap.

When their dream home was first built, the pair were determined that it would set a new standard in being eco-friendly.
He is back in Los Angeles after spending lockdown in London.

And Jason Statham made the most of his newfound freedom as he headed out for dinner at Matsuhisa with pals on Monday.

The actor, 53, looked casually-cool in a black bomber jacket and khaki cargo trousers.

Boys' night: Jason Statham made the most of his newfound freedom as he headed out for dinner at Matsuhisa with pals in Los Angeles on Monday

Jason layered the jacket atop of a simple white T-shirt and teamed the look with white plimsolls.

The actor was joined by two male pals as they made their way to the restaurant.

It comes after Jason's partner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, talked about what an 'amazing' dad Jason is to their son Jack, three.

Handsome: The actor, 53, looked casually-cool in a black bomber jacket and khaki cargo trousers

Bite to eat: The actor was joined by two male pals as they made their way to the restaurant

Casually-clad: Jason layered the jacket atop of a simple white T-shirt and teamed the look with white plimsolls

Opening up the floor to her Instagram followers in a Q+A earlier in April, Rosie, 33, peeled back the curtain on her family.

When asked her favourite thing about her fiance she gushed: 'He's an amazing hands on Daddy. A supportive and protective partner and he's pretty funny too.'

Rosie also revealed that she adores when Jack hugs her and says 'I love you mama,' and that although she has no plans to appear in the Fast & Furious franchise maybe their 'little guy might!'

Relaxing in style: Jason took tine off parenting duties to catch up with his male pals

Private life: It comes after Jason's partner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, talked about what an 'amazing' dad Jason is to their son Jack, three

Rosie and the Fast & Furious actor have been together since 2010 and got engaged in 2016. They welcomed their son Jack together a year later.

Of their decision to not rush into marriage she had told ET in 2018 that it wasn't a 'huge priority.'

'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy. I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'

And she additionally added that the pair definitely 'want more kids.'
Lindy Rama-Ellis (nee Klim) has used her platform to raise money for a charity dedicated to helping impoverished mothers and children living in Bali.

In a series of video posts on Instagram Stories on Monday, the 44-year-old ex-wife of former Olympic swimmer Michael Klim shared videos promoting the Bali Street Mums & Kids Project.

The confronting videos revealed that many street kids in Bali fall victim to kidnappings, sexual abuse and prostitution.

Helping out: Lindy Rama-Ellis (nee Klim) has used her platform to raise money for a charity dedicated to helping impoverished mothers and children living in Bali

The charity has been able to set up a series of safe houses, which currently houses over 40 children, mothers and babies.

Lindy also included a link to the charity's GoFundMe page, which has so far raised US$3,809.

'The children and single mothers come from extremely poor and in most cases abusive living circumstances and are found begging on the streets in tourist areas in the south, before being rescued by Bali Street Mums and Kids Project,' reads the page's description.

Support: In a series of video posts on Instagram Stories on Monday, the 44-year-old shared videos promoting the Bali Street Mums & Kids Project. Pictured with her family

'Begging is very dangerous and many children are being kidnapped from the streets, trafficked and abused every year in Bali.

'Bali Street Mums and Kids Project rescue children from horrific circumstances and it is these children that live at the Safe House, where they receive care, counselling, schooling and safety.'

Earlier this month, Lindy revealed the heartbreaking reason she chooses to live in Bali, after moving to Indonesia from Australia 10 years ago.

Home sweet home: Earlier this month, Lindy revealed the heartbreaking reason she chooses to live in Bali, after moving to Indonesia from Australia 10 years ago

Hosting a Q&A session with her Instagram followers, Lindy explained why living on the island has a special significance for her and her family.

Lindy is a Balinese princess, whose late father was the prince of Denpasar, Anak Agung Oka Rama.

While she is technically royalty, Lindy confessed she feels like 'a fraud' because she grew up in Hobart and wasn't taught much about her heritage.

Royal roots: Lindy is a Balinese princess, whose late father was the prince of Denpasar, Anak Agung Oka Rama

'My dad was Balinese and unfortunately I didn't get to know him before he died. I feel a greater connection to him living here. I also want my children and I to connect with the Balinese side of us,' she explained.

Lindy is based in Bali with her husband Adam Ellis and her four children, Stella, 15, Rocco, 13, Frankie, nine, and Goldie, three.

She shares Goldie with Adam and her older children with retired Olympian Michael, 43, to whom she was married from 2006 to 2016.
Miles and Julius are cooking breakfast in strange clothing.

Miles is wearing an over-sized jumper that makes him look like he's in a smock dress and Julius has a salmon shirt on with no buttons done up. It's a lot for the opening scene of the episode.

Not only are they wearing offensive breakfast outfits, they are bragging about their crazzzzzy night in the hot tub last night with other people's girlfriends.

It all comes out: Reza and Verity's flame emoji texting scandal caused tension in the house on Monday's Made In Chelsea

Reza is fuming because Ruby was involved in said hot tub situation but before anyone can feel too sorry for him it's revealed he sent Verity flame emojis on Instagram last year while she was still with Tristan.

Miles and Julius are salivating over this development. They seem a little too bothered by it to be honest. Miles, for example, puts his head in his hands. This is something some people don't even do when they back their car into a pole, so Miles' level of distress is actually a bit alarming.

Miles and Julius then float from the kitchen to the barn - like the sisters from The Shining - to confront Reza about the texts that have nothing to do with them.

'We hear you've been texting multiple girls!' Julius says, as if he's the dad and Miles is the mum and Reza is their son who's been caught ringing up a hefty bill on a Babe Station subscription.

Hysterics: Ruby flits around the house trying to work out what's going on with Reza. She confronts Verity and cries

U ok huns? Miles and Julius are salivating over the Reza text scandal. They seem a little too bothered by it to be honest. Miles, for example, puts his head in his hands. This is something some people don't even do when they back their car into a pole

Confrontation! Maeva is fuming that Liv and Emily have made friends so decides to hate Tiff instead

Reza laughs in their face and declares that this is 'old news' - as if it's okay to send sneaky messages behind one's girlfriend's back as long as it happened several months ago. A bit like when penalty points fall off a driver's license after three years.

Miles and Julius then list all the messages to Reza, having apparently memorised the lot of them. Perhaps get another project lads? Like bonsai tree cultivating or butter churning?

Ruby walks in on this and seizes Rez's phone to inspect the messages. She stumbles across one that asks Verity: 'When are you going to dump Tristan?'

Apparently this is because Rez calls Verity - whose surname is Bowditch - 'Bow Ditch A Man' which, presumably, is meant to be funny but sadly no one's laughing. Ever.

Doin' it for themselves: Miles and Julius then float from the kitchen to the barn - like the sisters from The Shining - to confront Reza about the texts that have nothing to do with them

Not having it: Reza declares that this is 'old news' - as if it's okay to send snakey messages behind one's girlfriend's back as long as it happened several months ago. A bit like when penalty points fall off a driver's license after three years

Maeva is fuming that Liv and Emily have made friends so decides to hate Tiff instead.

Liv decides not to turn up to drinks with the three girls, leaving them to have it out. Maeva decides to throw Tristan under the bus by telling Tiff he hates her.

This gets back to Tristan and Liv the next morning, who scold Maeva over it. This altercation takes place on the decking outside a wood cabin which has a locked one-way door - so when Maeva tries to storm off she needs to knock on said door to gain access. WHO opened it from the other side is the question on everyone's lips.

Ruby flits around the house trying to work out what's going on with Reza. She confronts Verity and cries. She chats through it with Fred and looks like she's about to cry. Maybe - just maybe - it might be an idea to chat to Reza about this Ruby.

Give me that! Ruby walks in on this and seizes Rez's phone to inspect the messages

Made In Chelsea (& Westminster): Julius tells Ollie and Gareth that he was the first ever IVF baby in history (or something like that) and that he is a miracle child

Julius tells Ollie and Gareth that he was the first ever IVF baby in history (or something like that) and that he is a miracle child. He also says he was conceived in the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and so was... wait for it... Made In Chelsea! Good one Julius.

Robbie - remember him? No? - announces he's not keen on barbecues. Or 'the B.B.Q. as they say'. Why Robbie? What is so offensive about it? How else would you eat a sausage? Raw perhaps? Pipe down!

Fred tries to advise Reza about his predicament. He explains that he likes them both and has known Reza for a long time, but only known Ruby for a short time. This doesn't compute to be honest because Reza and Ruby have supposedly been together for eight years. Do they not actually do stuff together? Does Ruby hide in the wardrobe when people come to visit?

Deflection rejection: Maeva decides to throw Tristan under the bus by telling Tiff he hates her

Fuming: This gets back to Tristan and Liv the next morning, who scold Maeva over it

Throwing more mud into the Reza/Ruby waters, while arguing with Verity and Habbs, Reza declares he and Ruby weren't together in 2018.

HAVE. YOU. BEEN. TOGETHER. FOR. EIGHT. YEARS. OR. NOT? Someone sort this out, yeah?

Ruby then gets hysterical and starts screaming and crying. Everyone looks over at them awkwardly, including Miles and Julius who are now wearing matching Top Gun jackets (obvs)!

Made In Chelsea continues on Monday at 9PM on E4.

Stream brand new Made In Chelsea now in Australia, only on hayu. Still can't get enough? Stream every episode ever - only on hayu in Australia.
Tamsin Greig has revealed she urged her Friday Night Dinner co-star not to take part in the show's 10th Anniversary Special because of his poor health.

The release date for the special was revealed last week with the one-off show set to air on Friday 28th May, almost two months after Paul tragically died from a brain tumour aged 54.

And the actress, 54, reflected on the loss of her co-star, who played her husband Martin Goodman, and she said in the forthcoming documentary that she'd tried to persuade him to reconsider doing the interview when he was so unwell.

Candid: Tamsin Greig said on Monday she urged late co-star Paul Ritter not to film Friday Night Dinner's special because of his poor health (pictured with Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal)

Tamsin explained: 'Sadly at the time of making the documentary, Paul was pretty unwell and to be honest  and dont tell the producers this  but I did try and persuade him not to do the interview.

'But it is testament to Pauls courage and generosity and dignity and complete lack of vanity that he wanted to participate in the documentary, to do an interview, and to really celebrate this little world that hes been a part of and that hes enjoyed so much over the years.'

She added that Paul would want viewers to 'sit back and laugh' at the show, as she added: 'We all miss him terribly, an incredible actor, a true friend and a lovely human being.'

Advice: Tamsin explained, 'Sadly at the time of making the documentary, Paul was pretty unwell... I did try and persuade him not to do the interview'

Friday Night Dinner, which focused on the middle-class Jewish family The Goodmans while they met for a weekly meal at their home in north London, first debuted on screens in 2011 and has won an army of fans over its six series run.

Much of the show's cast including Paul, Tamsin, Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal are expected to appear in the special documentary.

Friday Night Dinner - 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel will take a look back at some of the show funniest moments, and will no doubt see appearances from the comedy show's most beloved catchphrases.

Coming soon! The air date for the special was revealed last week and it is set to air on Friday 28th May, just over a month after Paul tragically died from a brain tumour aged 54

The show is set feature interviews with the show's cast and crew, as well as the series' creator Robert Popper.

Speaking ahead of the show, Robert said: 'This one-off documentary celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Robert Popper's iconic comedy, Friday Night Dinner, which gave us that infamous catchphrase, as well as the beloved Goodman family and their even more surreal neighbour Jim, who together have become the heart of one of Channel 4's most popular sitcoms of all time.'

The special was first announced back in January after Friday Night Dinner aired its sixth, and supposedly final, series last year.

Loss: Tamsin added Paul would want viewers to 'sit back and laugh' at the special, as she added: 'We all miss him terribly' (pictured in 2019)

Speaking about the exciting announcement, Robert said: 'I'm delighted that the cast and crew's amazing work is being recognised in this documentary - unless, of course, everything in it is entirely negative.'

Kenton Allen, Big Talk CEO: 'For the first time ever Friday Night Dinner Night will reveal the true story of how a tiny idea became a massive hit.

'In these incredibly difficult times, I couldn't be more delighted that Channel 4 have decided to take fans of the show behind the scenes to discover what it really takes to make a lovely bit of squirrel for millions of viewers.'

Funny: Friday Night Dinner - 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel will take a look back at some of the show funniest moments and feature interviews with the show's cast

Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, added: 'Over the past ten years Friday Night Dinner has become a critically-acclaimed, ratings and award-winning smash hit, with viewers loving our dysfunctional family as much as we do.

'We're looking forward to spending an evening giving them the celebration they deserve, so we hope you can virtually gather your Mum, Dad, Auntie Val and your socially awkward (and distanced) neighbour and enjoy a lovely little night with The Goodman's.'

Series six came to an end with main characters Adam (Simon) and Jonny (Tom) discovering their girlfriends, who were portrayed by Rebecca Humphries and Pearl Mackie respectively, were both pregnant, much to the lads' surprise.

Paul, who became known for his catchphrases 's**t on it' and 'that's a lovely bit of squirrel,' passed away at home with wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah at his bedside after battling a brain tumour.

Tribute: Last month a spokesperson for Paul announced his passing, after playing dad Martin Goodman in the sitcom (pictured with Tamsin as his wife Jackie)

Last month, a spokesman for the actor announced his passing and said: 'It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away on Monday night.

'He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.

'Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.'

After Paul's death, Simon paid tribute to his late co-star and shared a touching message via his onscreen sibling Tom's Twitter, writing that he will 'always aspire to be like' Paul and went on to heap praise on him.

Friday Night Dinner - 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel airs on Friday 28 May on Channel 4.
Amelia Hamlin took a stroll in the West Hollywood sunshine on Monday, sure to turn heads with her ab-flashing ensemble.

The model, 19, who is dating Scott Disick, 37, flashed her taut waist in a tiny blue crop-top, going braless underneath.

She added grey sweat pants and trainers to the look.

Act natural: Amelia Hamlin took a stroll in the West Hollywood sunshine on Monday, sure to turn heads with her ab-flashing ensemble

She wore shades as she strutted along, pouting shamelessly.

Amelia wore her brunette tresses loosely, sweeping them back from her lightly made-up features.

The model turned up the heat on the feeds of he 856K followers as she posted a sultry lingerie snap on Monday morning.

Too shy shy: The model, 19, who is dating Scott Disick, 37, flashed her taut waist in a tiny blue crop-top, going braless underneath

Wow factor: Amelia turned up the heat on the feeds of he 856K followers as she posted a sultry lingerie snap on Monday morning

She absolutely scintillated as she showed off her ripped abs in nude-colored sheer bra and panties combination from Boux Avenue.

Amelia strategically placed her hand at her chest to not reveal too much as she sported the Boux lounge mesh triangle bra and thong combination.

The daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin accessorized with multiple chain bracelts in both gold and silver along with a silver pinky ring.

Wow factor: The 19-year-old model absolutely scintillated as she showed off her ripped abs in nude-colored sheer bra and panties combination from Boux Avenue

Keeping it PG: Amelia strategically placed her hand at her chest to not reveal too much as she sported the Boux lounge mesh triangle bra and thong combination

Her ombre locks were worn down in a middle-part as they flowed like waves crashing down her shoulders as she accentuated her stunning looks with complementary make-up topped off with a swipe of shiny lip.

She captioned the image: 'when your friends ask your eta and you say 5 mins... @bouxavenue #myboux #bouxavenue #ad.'

When Amelia is not focused on her modeling aspirations, she is busy spending plenty of quality time with her 37-year-old beau Scott Disick.

The age gap couple were first romantically linked in late October, when they were seen arriving to Kendall Jenner's star-studded birthday party in West Hollywood.

In love: Things are still going strong between her and her much older boyfriend Scott Disick, who she was first romantically linked to last October; the pair pictured in February

Since then, the couple have made their relationship Instagram official and have gone on several lengthy vacations together to Mexico and Miami, Florida.

Scott has also introduced Amelia to his three children, sons Mason and Reign and daughter Penelope, whom he shares with ex Kourtney Kardashian, 42.

Despite being a full fledged relationship with Amelia, Scott's seemingly lingering feelings for Kourtney are being aired out on the current and final season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Living the dream: Since then, the couple have made their relationship Instagram official and have gone on several lengthy vacations together to Mexico and Miami, Florida; Scott and Amelia pictured in February

Meeting the fam: Scott has also introduced Amelia to his three children, sons Mason and Reign and daughter Penelope, whom he shares with ex Kourtney Kardashian, 42; Kourtney and Reign pictured

E! recently reported that Scott is 'uncomfortable' seeing Kourtney in a 'serious relationship' with her new beau Travis Barker, whom she went Instagram official with in mid-February.

'It's uncomfortable for Scott to see Kourtney in a serious relationship, although he knew this day would come,' said the source. 'He is glad she is happy, but it's definitely been hard on him. He doesn't like to bring it up and it's a weird convo for him.'

Additionally the insider added that in turn he has 'really distanced himself' from Kourtney substantially, and that all communication revolves around their three children.

Uncomfortable? E! recently reported that Scott is 'uncomfortable' seeing Kourtney in a 'serious relationship' with her new beau Travis Barker, whom she went Instagram official with in mid-February; Kourtney and Travis pictured in April

Kourtney and Travis' relationship came as a bit of a shock to Disick who has been open about lingering feelings and hopes of rekindling their romance on their reality show.

But as the duo continue to pack on the PDA on social media, with both having said 'I love you,' and Barker even inking her name on his chest, Scott has come to realize that a future romance between them is 'never going to happen.'

'At one point, the family was really encouraging Scott and Kourtney to try the relationship again and it's a bit of an eye opener for him, that it's truly never going to happen,' the insider shared.

Just the two of us: Kourtney and Scott are seen together on Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Manu Feildel broke down in tears during an emotionally raw interview on Tuesday's episode of Anh's Brush With Fame.

The 47-year-old celebrity chef spoke about battling depression after he was forced to close his restaurant in Melbourne shortly after it opened.

Manu opened Le Grand Cirque alongside fellow celebrity chef, George Calombaris, but it closed just four months later in August 2014.

Breaking down: Manu Feildel (left) broke down in tears during an emotionally raw interview on Tuesday's episode of Anh's Brush With Fame. Pictured with host Anh Do (right)

He described the experience as 'really painful', and confessed he 'cried for days like a kid'.

'We had big ideas and we spent big money, and we spent about six months to build that place,' he explained.

'And I was already having sleepless nights because I kept on thinking about the menu and I was exhausted. It was terrible.'

Candid confessions: The 47-year-old celebrity chef spoke about battling depression after he was forced to close his restaurant in Melbourne shortly after it opened

Manu said there was one early review 'that killed me', and admitted 'it was a very personal critique more than a restaurant critique'.

After the damaging review came out, Manu sat down for a meeting with his business partners, who told him the restaurant would have to close.

He said it sent him into a downward spiral at a time in his life when he should have been excited for the future.

Falling on hard times: He described the experience as 'really painful', and confessed he 'cried for days like a kid'

Despite his wife, Clarissa, being pregnant with their daughter at the time, Manu said the closure of his restaurant took a toll and was 'f**king hard'.

'My daughter was born and I was an a**ehole. I wasn't there,' he confessed, wiping away tears from his eyes.

'And I was lucky to have a wife that was strong, was backing me up regardless... I wasn't me and I was angry, and she stuck by me, and then I turned again and restarted my life.'

Distracted: Despite his wife, Clarissa Weerasena (left), being pregnant with their daughter at the time, Manu said the closure of his restaurant took a toll and was 'f**king hard'

Elsewhere in the interview, Manu spoke about missing out on a judging role on MasterChef after being told his French accent was too hard to understand.

Describing the experience as both 'the most exciting part of my life and the most disappointing', Manu said he received the upsetting news the day after his audition.

'I got the call the next day and they said to me, "Manu, we really... Frankly, you've got to understand that you were that close,"' he recounted.

Oh, mon Dieu: Elsewhere in the interview, Manu spoke about missing out on a judging role on MasterChef after being told his French accent was too hard to understand

'"We really love you. We really think that you've got a great character. But there's one little issue that we can't go past - your French accent..."'

He added: 'So, that was... Yeah. That was the reason.'

Manu said he almost missed out on his role as a judge on My Kitchen Rules for the same reason, but was saved after Pete Evans signed on.

Firm friends: Manu said he almost missed out on his role as a judge on My Kitchen Rules for the same reason, but was saved after Pete Evans (left) signed on

Pete, 48, had been Manu's boss when he landed his first job as a chef at Hugo's restaurant in Sydney, and pushed for him to appear on the show.

'My agent calls me back and said, "Well, guess what. You're back on the list. The first executive producers pushed hard to get you in, but also Pete Evans doesn't want to work with anybody else but you,"' he recounted.

Born in Nantes, France, Manu left his home country at the age of 18 and moved to London, where he landed a job in a restaurant.

'My agent calls me back and said, "Well, guess what. You're back on the list. The first executive producers pushed hard to get you in, but also Pete Evans doesn't want to work with anybody else but you,"' he recounted

He later relocated to Australia in 1999, and was offered a job just hours after dropping off his resume at a series of restaurants in Sydney's Bondi.

Manu was then invited to work as the head chef at Bilson's, a modern French restaurant, which won three coveted Chef Hat Awards.

He eventually transitioned into TV, appearing on Ready Steady Cook in 2006, before following it up with a judging role on My Kitchen Rules in 2010.

Claim to fame: He eventually transitioned into TV, appearing on Ready Steady Cook in 2006, before following it up with a judging role on My Kitchen Rules in 2010

In 2009, he opened his own restaurant, Manu at L'Etoile, but it closed in March 2014, after what he described as a 'nightmare year'.

On a personal level, Manu has a 16-year-old son, Jonti, with his former partner, Veronica Morshead, who he split from in 2009.

He later married jewellery store manager Clarissa Weerasena in January 2018, and they share a six-year-old daughter, Charlee.
Example marked his eighth wedding anniversary with his model wife Erin McNaught, 38, on Instagram on Tuesday.

The musician, 38, shared a collage of throwback snaps from the special day to mark the occasion.

Example, whose real name is Elliot John Gleave, looked back at their 'amazing outfits and awful haircuts' over the years and said 'every day together is a celebration' in the gushing post.

Happy anniversary: Example marked his eighth wedding anniversary with his model wife Erin McNaught on Instagram on Tuesday

Example cut a dapper figure in a black suit in the wedding photos while Erin looked ethereal in a gorgeous strapless bridal gown.

He captioned the shot: '8 years married today... we didnt even realise until yesterday. I guess every day together is a celebration.

'(Well be 10 years together in October) Please scroll to see how many amazing outfits Ezzy has had over the years... and how many awful haircuts Ive had. Heres to many more years of outfits and haircuts.

'(why have we still not learnt to smile in pictures ??? Yet we spend all day long giggling like idiots).'

True love: Example said 'every day together is a celebration' in the gushing post

Having fun: Erin also shared a wedding snap and the words: 'Our wedding day - 8 years ago today! Pretty typical interaction for us in this pic right here'

Erin also shared a wedding snap and the words: 'Our wedding day - 8 years ago today! Pretty typical interaction for us in this pic right here... Not a day goes by that we dont have fun.

'We have our very own made up language, can talk under wet cement, are always the biggest kids in the park, and cant stand people who walk slowly (dont even get me started on driving) Thanks for matching my weird with your weird... God knows what well be like in another 8 years but I am here for it, baby Happy anniversary.'

The couple have two sons, Evander, six and Ennio, three.

The couple became engaged in 2012 before tying the knot in Australia the following year. They relocated to Australia with their family in 2019.

In 2020, Example credited Erin with 'saving his life' after pushing life to the extreme with drink and drugs.

Throwback: Example, whose real name is Elliot John Gleave, looked back at their 'amazing outfits and awful haircuts' over the years (pictured 2019)

Erin wrote: 'Thanks for matching my weird with your weird... God knows what well be like in another 8 years but I am here for it, baby Happy anniversary'

He told The Sun: 'I wrote song [Some Nights Last For Days] for Erin three or four years ago on our anniversary.

'I went to the studio with Johnny McDaid, whos a good friend of mine and is in Snow Patrol. Then I came home and played it to Erin and her parents, who were visiting. We were hugging and crying because it was so personal.

He said Erin put him on the straight and narrow after doing 'every drug under the sun' when he first started out.

He said: 'Erin saved me from an early death. I was partying too much back in the day.'

Funny: Example joked: 'Well be 10 years together in October. Please scroll to see how many amazing outfits Ezzy has had over the years... and how many awful haircuts Ive had' (2019)

Saviour: In 2020, Example credited Erin with 'saving his life' after pushing life to the extreme with drink and drugs
She's been busy on the busy on the promotional circuit in recent weeks, as she discusses her new memoir, The Beauty Of Living Twice.

And Sharon Stone stepped out in glamorous style on Monday evening, as she prepared to make an appearance on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

The Basic Instinct star, 63, looked incredible as she emerged from her palatial abode in a champagne pink form-fitting Dolce & Gabbana gown.

Glamorous: Sharon Stone stepped out in glamorous style on Monday evening, as she prepared to make an appearance on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

In a clip posted to Instagram, the actress was seen putting on a sassy strut through her home before blowing a kiss at the camera as she showcased her ensemble.

The Oscar-nominated star's gown of choice featured a scooped neckline and full sleeves, and was teamed with a pair of towering nude heels.

Adding an extra touch of pizzazz with a chunky bracelet and chandelier earrings, the Pennsylvania native wore her golden locks in flattering cropped curls.

Highlighting her famous good looks with a rich palette of makeup, the star credited her glam squad, while also thanking Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Ford Beauty.

Sensational: The Basic Instinct star, 63, looked incredible as she emerged from her palatial abode in a champagne pink form-fitting Dolce & Gabbana gown

Last week, the star recounted on The Late Late Show With James Corden how she almost died in 2001 from a brain aneurysm at the San Francisco mansion she shared with then-husband Phil Bronstein.

The Hollywood icon collapsed at home and then went to the hospital thinking something was very wrong.

'In my case, I had bleeding into my brain for several days before I went to a hospital and I became unconscious when I got there and they put me in a cat scan machine to find out what happened to me,' said the perennial cover girl.

'And when |I came to I was on a table in a very quiet emergency room, no one was in there, just the doctor, no one is doing anything urgently you're like, oh,' and she uses her hand across her neck to signal she was nearly dead.

Stepping out in style: In a clip posted to Instagram, the actress was seen putting on a sassy strut through her home while peering at the camera as she showcased her ensemble

'And the doctor is just looking at me so compassionately and I said, am I dying and I realised it was a bad situation, it's way too quiet and nobody is helping... he stroked my hair and I thought oh yup, yuppers... and he said you are bleeding into your brain,' said the red carpet favourite.

'I called my mom and then he said that they were going to transfer me to a neurological hospital that they didn't have what I needed,' added the star.

Then she detailed her near death experience, saying: 'They put me on this gurney... and all of a sudden that was it and I was just gone. I felt myself kind of so this sweep upwards and there was this tunnel of light.

'I was swooping up through this tunnel of light and at the top of it was kind of this hole and several people that I had been very close to, or I had been their caretakers until they died, were kind of looking down through that open hole at the top.

'And I felt like they were telling me this is all great, this is going to be fine, it's going to be wonderful.'

'And I felt like "Oh I am going to be with you guys" and I was really moving quickly it was like the tunnel was miles and miles long.

'And then all of a sudden I felt like - and I don't know if they defibrillated me - but I felt like I got really kicked in the chest, really really hard and I gasped and sat up.

'I was back in the emergency room on the gurney and someone said, "What's happening?" and the doctor said don't touch her and then asked her what she needed.

Near death: Last week, the star recalled how she almost died in 2001 when she suffered an aneurysm at the San Francisco mansion she shared with husband at the time Phil Bronstein

She said she really had to 'pee'. And the doctor pointed to the bathroom 'and he did not want anyone to touch me and the floor looked very far away, it seemed like I was floating and then they took me to the other hospital'.

'It was very beautiful, it was very strange,' she added.

The screen star went to another hospital and she got an angiogram and they missed her brain bleed.

She bled for another five or six days and she said they thought she was 'faking it' and they wanted to send her home but she told her best friend Mini Craven she was dying.

Mimi threw a 'fit' and they gave her another angiogram and then they realised an artery had ruptured.

A year before her stroke: Stone and then-husband Phil Bronstein attend the 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards in January 2000

She had a seven hour surgery and she survived it but the recovery process was long.

It was 10 days after 9/11 and she said 'the whole world was upside down'. The experience was detailed in her book The Beauty of Living Twice.

Corden said he loved the outpouring of support from the book. She said she was not prepared for people reading the book and she started panicking that people would see it, and she never thought it would be this successful.

Sharon also said she has had many hit songs in other countries, and this year she wrote a song Never Before for Hayley Sales that 'hit' making people aware of her 'side hustle' of making music.

And the song went up to number four on adult contemporary charts.

She also said Robin Thicke came over to her house the other day - stopping to say she was bragging - to pick up some songs for his artist.

And now the Casino actress has a music manager. 'My songs are going out to people and it's really exciting,' she added, which James said was 'incredible.'

This comes after Stone said she thinks women are at their most powerful after 40.

More to say: Stone also talked about her success in the music business with Hayley Sales

The actress has rubbished the idea that women become less powerful with age and she thinks now is the perfect time to release her upcoming memoir, 'The Beauty of Living Twice'.

In People's look at Sharon's Super Soul interview with Oprah Winfrey, she said: 'I think that as we grow older, we have this societal pressure where people start to try to tell us that our worth is diminished.'

However, the Hollywood star revealed she sees the situation totally differently.

She explained: 'I think this is a time in our life when our worth is the most enhanced. I believe that's because it's the first time in your life when your worth becomes so much more. You become the most powerful than you've ever been.'
Amber Turner wasted no time hitting the town on Monday - as restrictions in the UK were eased.

The TOWIE personality, 27, was seen heading to Sexy Fish in London alongside cast pals Chloe Brockett and Courtney Green.

The trio headed to the swish eatery to mark the first day patrons are allowed to eat inside following the UK's lastest Covid lockdown.

Dinner time: Amber Turner wasted no time hitting the town on Monday - as restrictions in the UK were eased

Amber flashed her midriff in a taupe crop-top, which she teamed with nude skinny leather trousers.

She matched this with a salmon pink purse and added a white blazer to the look.

Keeping things glam on top, she added a gold chain to her look, but went for a more casual sporty look with blue and white platform trainers.

She added a peachy palette of make-up to the look and wore her blonde locks in waves around her features.

Snap snap: She was sure to head to the bathroom and document the occasion with a mirror selfie, pouting shamelessly for the camera

Three's company: The TOWIE personality, 27, was seen heading to Sexy Fish in London alongside cast pals Chloe Brockett and Courtney Green

Fashion forward: All three ladies seemed to have compared notes, with Chloe and Courtney in similar neutral top/jacket combos. The two brunettes also both wore matching flared bootleg jeans

She was sure to head to the bathroom and document the occasion with a mirror selfie, pouting shamelessly for the camera.

All three ladies seemed to have compared notes, with Chloe and Courtney in similar neutral top/jacket combos.

The two brunettes also both wore matching flared bootleg jeans.

Amber recently confirmed she hopes to have a child with boyfriend Dan Edgar and said their six month break-up in 2018 strengthened the relationship they are in today.

Amber told New! Magazine: 'Us breaking up for six months was the best thing thats ever happened, Dan and I are really happy, were living together now.'

Future focused: The reality star recently confirmed she hopes to have a child with Dan Edgar and said their six month break-up in 2018 strengthened the relationship they are in today

Going strong: 'Us breaking up for six months was the best thing thats ever happened, Dan and I are really happy, were living together now,' she said

Of the future, she said: 'Dan and I are going to buy a place together. We definitely want to have a baby and get married.'

When the couple split in 2018, Amber was left heartbroken to learn the TOWIE star had a fling with Chloe Sims while the two were filming in Thailand.

But Dan didn't pursue a relationship with Chloe and instead rekindled his flame with Amber.

Speaking about their time apart, Amber said: 'Sometimes relationships need that break for people to really realise whats important.'
Justin Hemmes has another feather in his cap, buying up a $22million Leichhardt venue.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the billionaire publican has purchased Norton's Irish Pub and will take over the venue next month.

'It is such a privilege to be part of Sydney's vibrant inner west,' Hemmes told the paper on Tuesday.

New venue: Justin Hemmes (pictured) has another feather in his cap, buying up a $22million Leichhardt venue

'We're excited to not only expand our inner west pub portfolio, but reopen doors to the 3 Weeds, a beautiful and much-loved local institution, this spring,' he added.

It comes after Hemmes made his first moves in Byron Bay, finalising a $50million deal to take over the Mercato Precinct and adjoining development site.

He is said to be planning a $20million redevelopment of the Mercato to create a 'mega venue' similar to his Ivy and Coogee Pavilion venues in Sydney.

Nice digs: The Daily Telegraph reports that the billionaire publican has purchased Norton's Irish Pub (pictured) and will take over the venue next month

The vacant land spans 4,128sqm and has a flexible B2 Local Centre zoning, allowing for a wide range of mixed-use development including retail, residential and hotels.

His new holding is located directly opposite rival pub The Northern - one of just three major pubs operating in Byron Bay.

However, there has also been a local rebellion, with Byron locals refusing to sell to cashed-up investors, despite big offers.

Buying up: It comes after Hemmes made his first moves in Byron Bay, finalising a $50million deal to take over the Mercato Precinct and adjoining development site

Changes: He is said to be planning a $20million redevelopment of the Mercato to create a 'mega venue' similar to his Ivy and Coogee Pavilion venues in Sydney

In March, neither Justin nor his pub baron rival Stu Laundy could offer enough money to secure the Bangalow Hotel, which is 14km inland from Byron Bay.

The rivals became locked in a bidding war for the 60-year-old pub, which is owned by NRL star Tom Mooney and wife Cathryn.

The top bid reached a staggering $50million.
She unveiled her 'everyday' collaboration with Reebok last month.

And Victoria Beckham proved that even she likes to wear her own pieces as she donned a sweatshirt from her collection to head out in London on Monday.

The designer, 46, opted for form-fitting black sportswear with the oversized cowel neck top and pink trainers as she climbed out of her car while running errands in the capital.

Looking good: Victoria Beckham, 46, cut a casual figure in a black sweatshirt from her own Reebok collection as she headed out in London on Tuesday

Victoria highlighted her trim physique by donning tight black leggings with the matching cowl sweatshirt, a key piece in her newest Reebok range, known by its distinct neckline emblazoned with the brand's logo.

The mother-of-four teamed the relaxed ensemble with bright pink trainers and her signature oversized sunglasses as she climbed out of her car.

Victoria slipped her glossy brunette tresses into a relaxed up-do as she jumped out of her car with her bag in hand.

Laid-back: The designer, 46, opted for form-fitting black sportswear with the oversized 180 cowel neck top and pink trainers as she climbed out of her car while running errands in the capital

Statement: Victoria highlighted her trim physique by donning tight black leggings with the matching cowl sweatshirt

Hard to miss: The top is a key piece in Victoria's newest Reebok range, known by its distinct neckline emblazoned with the brand's logo

Classic: The mother-of-four teamed the relaxed ensemble with bright pink trainers and her signature oversized sunglasses as she climbed out of her car

Last month she joined forces with Reebok for a 'high performance' fitness collection, with items including a pair of socks for 35 and a hoodie for 179.

According to the Reebok website, Victoria's range features a hoodie that has a 'luxe' finish with is 'garment-washed' for a 'super-soft' feel, with a price tag to match at nearly 180.

It also states that the socks, which are priced at 35, 'combine functional design with a contemporary aesthetic.'

The range also boasts a pair of seamless black leggings for 89, 109 trainers and 65 gloves.

Standing out: Victoria slipped her glossy brunette tresses into a relaxed up-do as she jumped out of her car with her bag in hand

New venture: Last month she joined forces with Reebok for a 'high performance' fitness collection, with items including a pair of socks for 35 and a hoodie for 179

It's not the first time Victoria has joined forces with Reebok, as back in August Kim Kardashian praised the former Spice Girl after she was gifted a selection of pieces from her range including a $565 tracksuit.

In February it was revealed that Victoria Beckham Beauty - the cosmetics arm of the fashion designer's brand - launched with 'incredible' success, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mother-of-four started trading Victoria Beckham Beauty in October 2019, releasing a new product every month, featuring the likes of lipstick, mascara and serum.

Fashion choice: According to the Reebok website, Victoria's range features a hoodie that has a 'luxe' finish with is 'garment-washed' for a 'super-soft' feel

Expensive: It also states that the socks, which are priced at 35, 'combine functional design with a contemporary aesthetic'

Big spender: The range also boasts a pair of seamless black leggings for 89, 109 trainers and 65 gloves

Business mogul: It's not the first time Victoria has joined forces with Reebok, as back in August Kim Kardashian praised the Spice Girl after she was gifted a selection of pieces from her range

And within the last quarter of that year, revenue for those three months came to 1.9 million.

A source told MailOnline: 'The launch has been very successful - and there are many sell out products.

'And the launch to profit timeline is actually incredible particularly considering the pandemic. The business has broken even in 2020 too.'

The brand is an extension of the Spice Girl's Victoria Beckham designer clothing range which was launched in 2008 and, in the latest financial year, reduced a string of losses for the first time in seven years, by 500,000.

Cashing in: In February it was revealed that Victoria Beckham Beauty launched with 'incredible' success, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic
She's a fixture on the Sydney social scene as one of the city's most well-known influencers.

But Kiki Morris surprised fans on Tuesday when she let them know she was 'back on the tools' as a makeup artist.

The Bachelor in Paradise star shared a glam photo of herself in a body-hugging navy blue dress with a kit of brushes sitting on her hips.

Makeup artist: The Bachelor's Kiki Morris, 33, revealed a shock new career move on Tuesday

'So excited to be back on the tools tomorrow,' Kiki wrote alongside the image on Instagram.

Kiki then revealed she was starting an account just for her makeup business with her encouraging fans to give her a follow.

She went on to say she would be posting weekly with new looks and products she will be endorsing.

That's one way to prepare! The Bachelor's Kiki Morris underwent a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift just two weeks ago

The star certainly takes her beauty seriously with her showing herself getting a Brazilian butt lift just two-weeks-ago.

She documented the procedure on Instagram Stories, and wrote: 'Even though we're going into lockdown... keeping this booty in check.'

The ex-reality star, who was visiting Beautylicious by Sophie in Marrickville, also had her beauty practitioner focus on her inner thighs.

Optimistic: Kiki shared an optimistic message about the future in an Instagram post in April. She posed while on a boat with a picturesque backdrop of the city

Kiki shared an optimistic message about the future in an Instagram post in April.

'Smooth seas don't make a skilled sailor,' she captioned a photo of herself posing in a denim mini-dress on a boat's deck.

'I have faced some epic storms the past 12 months and finally the blue sky is on the horizon,' she added.

The optimistic message came after her boyfriend Lucas Azzopardi's legal woes when he was convicted of supplying steroids in January.
Hugh Jackman's dog is not happy about his owner getting back to work.

In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the actor, 52, shared two photos of his French Bulldog, Dali, sitting in his luggage.

The dog was nestled right inside what looked like a carry-on gym bag, and apparently refused to move.

Cute! Hugh Jackman's dog is not happy about his owner getting back to work. Pictured with his French Bulldog, Dali, and Allegra, a poodle and terrier mix

'Dali is all too keen for me to go back on tour,' the X Men star joked in his caption alongside the image.

Hugh was last on tour in 2019, for his The Man. The Music. The Show. musical performance.

He will return to the Broadway stage for The Music Man, which begins at the end of the year.

Not happy: In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the actor, 52, shared two photos of Dali, named after artist Salvador Dali, sitting in his monogrammed luggage

Aww! 'Dali is all too keen for me to go back on tour,' the X Men star joked in his caption alongside the image

Hugh is a known dog lover and has two canines - Allegra, a poodle and terrier mix, and Dali, named after artist Salvador Dali.

Last month, Hugh shared a heartwarming tribute to his wife Deborra-Lee Furness to celebrate the couple's 25th wedding anniversary.

The Logan actor shared a series of throwback photos from their wedding to Instagram and wrote: 'Being married to you Deb is as natural as breathing.'

Star power: Hugh was last on tour in 2019, for his The Man. The Music. The Show. musical performance. He will return to the Broadway stage for The Music Man, which begins at the end of the year

'I love you with all my heart!' It comes after Hugh shared a heartwarming tribute to his wife Deborra-Lee Furness (left) to celebrate 25 years of marriage

'From nearly the moment we met... I knew our destiny was to be together. In our 25 years - our love has only grown deeper,' he continued.

He added: 'The fun, excitement and adventure more exhilarating; the learning even greater.'

'I'm forever grateful to share our love, our life - and, our family together. We've only just begun. Deb, I love you with all my heart!'

Hugh and Deborra-Lee got married on April 11, 1996, just one year after meeting.
Victoria's Secret supermodel Kelly Gale is no stranger to a raunchy shoot.

And on Tuesday, fans certainly copped an eyeful when the catwalk queen went topless for a stunning beachside photo.

In a post shared to Instagram, Kelly, 26, is seen laying on the beach with just her arms and hair covering her ample assets.

Raunchy! Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale (pictured) showcased her ample assets when she went topless for a raunchy shoot on Tuesday

Kelly appeared to have just gone for a quick dip in the ocean when she opted to thrill fans with the racy pose.

The model wore a pair of skimpy bikini bottoms and opted to add a number of necklaces.

Kelly has consistently denied getting a breast augmentation in the past. The model once again reiterated she's never gone under the knife in January.

Truth: Kelly addressed surgery rumours in January this year, after speculation she had gone under the knife

Responding to an online fan on social media, who wrote: 'Boob job?' Kelly said: 'False. They're big, they're real.'

Kelly went on to reveal her bra size, with a second questioner asking: 'You're a 34D'.

'False. Not sure what my actual size is but I wear 32C cause that's what I think looks good and feels good.'

Responding to an online fan on social media, who wrote: 'Boob job?' Kelly said: 'False. They're big, they're real'

Kelly has consistently denied getting breast implants, despite being repeatedly asked about it by curious fans.

She was also asked by fans if she had breast implants during a Q&A on Instagram Stories in October last year.

'No [I haven't had breast implant surgery]. The answer right now is no. In the future, that answer's going to change I'm pretty sure,' she said at the time.
Kylie Jenner's fans think she may be launching Kylie Baby soon because a once secret Instagram account called Kylie Baby was verified recently.

The makeup mogul, 23, had the name Kylie Baby trademarked in 2019 with plans to develop a children's clothing line inspired by her daughter Stormi Webster whom she shares with 'on-again' beau Travis Scott.

So far Jenner has not commented on the account which may or may not belong to her.

Could this be hers? Kylie Jenner 's fans think she may be launching Kylie Baby soon because a once secret Instagram account called Kylie Baby was verified recently

For her mini me: The makeup mogul, 23, had the name Kylie Baby trademarked in 2019 with plans to develop a children's clothing line inspired by her daughter Stormi Webster

DailyMail.com has reached out to her rep for comment.

TMZ reported in 2019 that the Kylie Baby trademark includes cribs, bouncers, changing tables and baby walkers.

And she also wanted to expand into skin moisturizers, lotions and creams it was claimed at the time.

Kylie already runs Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin.

On Monday it was reported by TMZ that she has filed legal documents to trademark the brand name Kylie Swim by Kylie Jenner.

Stormi's daddy: She shared the child with 'on-again' beau, rapper Travis Scott

The future: TMZ reported in 2019 that the Kylie Baby trademark includes cribs, bouncers, changing tables and baby walkers. Seen left with pal Yris Palmer, right

If she does become a swimwear designer, this will be her first attempt at designing clothing on her own.

In the past she has overseen a line of clothing with sister Kendall Jenner called Kendall + Kylie. The two have also worked together with Pac Sun for casual clothing.

The only other person in the family who makes clothing is Khloe Kardashian with her Good American brand, which has jeans, tops, workout clothes and shoes, among other items.

More to sell: And she also wanted to expand into skin moisturizers, lotions and creams it was claimed at the time

It was reported on Monday that the youngest Kardashian-Jenner was trademarking her name for a swim line. TMZ broke the news after reportedly discovering the paper work.

The site reported this includes a line of sunglasses, swimming googles, beach bags, cover-ups, and footwear.

Kylie is also said to be preparing to launch headwear, towels and outdoor blankets under the brand.

Claims: It comes after it was recently claimed that Kylie has filed legal documents to trademark the brand name Kylie Swim by Kylie Jenner, yet she happily posed in a vintage two-piece from Dolce And Gabbana's 2006 Spring Summer collection

Also on Monday, Kylie posed in a swimsuit while celebrating her friend Yris Palmer's birthday in Antigua.

The make-up mogul looked incredible as she displayed her jaw-dropping figure in a tiny silver metallic bikini from Dolce And Gabbana's 2006 Spring Summer collection, while posing on a lavish yacht.

In the new Instagram post, Kylie displayed her very ample assets in the tiny triangle bikini top and showcased her washboard abs in matching skimpy bottoms.

The KUWTK star styled her wet raven locks back and she added a touch of glamour with eye-catching silver statement earrings as well as matching body chain from Lili Claspe.

The make-up mogul shared three sizzling snaps of herself in the swimwear, which she captioned: 'Beach you to it.'
Victoria Silvstedt showcased her slender legs in a stunning pink gown on Tuesday as she attended the Monaco Awards ceremony.

The supermodel, 46, boosted her height with nude heels as she worked her best angles at the star-studded event in Milan.

Her eye-catching dress featured a cut-out section and racy thigh-high split, she also rounded off the look with sparkling earrings.

Pretty in pink: Victoria Silvstedt showcased her slender legs in a stunning pink gown on Tuesday as she attended the Monaco Awards ceremony

Victoria added volume to her flaxen tresses with a wavy bouffant hairstyle while enhancing her age-defying beauty with full coverage make-up.

She appeared alone at the event as she posed in front of a stunning floral wall display, clutching a nude pink handbag.

The Swedish model is currently dating a businessman named Maurice Dabbah.

Foot candy: The supermodel, 46, boosted her height with nude heels as she worked her best angles at the star-studded event in Milan

Victoria - who was previously married to Chris Wragge - has been dating Maurice since 2011 and the couple are often seen enjoying vacations on his yacht together.

She has enjoyed a lengthy stint in the spotlight after being chosen to represent her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993.

After her pageant days, the Scandinavian stunner was spotted by Hugh Hefner and went on to become a Playboy Playmate.

Picture perfect: Her eye-catching dress featured a cut-out section and racy thigh-high split, she also rounded off the look with sparkling earrings

Since her career rocketed, Victoria has modelled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino.

Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First.

Victoria said: 'I started very young to model in Paris when I was 18, I remember like starving myself to fit into the clothes and it was an amazing experience but you know I did shows for Valentino, Chanel, so it was really prestigious.'
Alabama Barker isn't ready to patch things up with mom Shanna Moakler just yet.

Travis Barker's 15-year-old daughter hinted on Monday evening that she's 'cut off' her mom amid their feud which saw Alabama claim she rarely sees her mother.

'I cut off family too. They do you the dirtiest.' Alabama captioned a TikTok clip which saw her posing in a PVC corset and running her hands through her hair.

Cut out: Alabama Barker hinted that she's cut off her mom Shanna Moakler amid their social media feud

A quick search on Alabama's follow list shows she no longer follows her mom on Instagram. She does follow her dad, Travis, however.

Shanna, on the other hand, still follows Alabama.

It comes after Alabama and her brother Landon, 17, accused Shanna, 46, of being an absent mom.

'My mom has never completely been in my life. Can you guys stop painting her out to be an amazing mom?' Alabama posted on Instagram after sharing a message, reportedly from Shanna to another Instagram user about Alabama.

'Did your moms ask to see you on Mothers Day [because] mine didnt? Im done keeping it a secret, reality shows.'

'I cut off family too. They do you the dirtiest.' Alabama captioned a TikTok clip which saw her posing in a PVC corset and running her hands through her hair

Hang out: The teen appeared to be surrounded by friends in the clip

Bye: A quick search on Alabama's follow list shows she no longer follows her mom on Instagram. She does follow her dad, Travis

In Shanna's message she claimed that Alabama's social media is controlled by her father Travis, which the teen denied.

The mother-of-three also claimed that her marriage to Alabama's father ended because the Blink-182 drummer had an affair with Kim Kardashian.

The claim is controversial because Travis, 45, has been dating Kim's sister Kourtney since earlier this year.

Alabama also hit out at her mom's romance with her younger model boyfriend Matthew Rondeau.

'Everybody thinks my mother is amazing, Matthew is nothing but awful to her not only that but he cheats on her.' Alabama wrote in her post.

Alabama claimed mom Shanna is an absent mom after she spoke about her daughter on social media and made claims about her marriage to Travis (The musician is pictured here with Alabama)

Matthew has been criticized for never posting photos of the mother-of-three on his social media while Shanna regularly documents their romantic escapades.

In Shanna's message, which appeared to be in response to an unknown person on Instagram, she wrote: 'I divorced Travis because I caught him having an affair with Kim! Now he's in love with her sister...It's all gross...I'm not the bad guy!'

She also claimed that Travis controls Alabama's social media and that she 'gets blamed for [Alabama's] sexualization'.

'How does a father allow her to act like that and do lives at 4am? With men twice her age...' Shanna wrote.

'My mom has never completely been in my life, can you guys stop painting her out to be an amazing mom. Did your mom ask to see you on Mothers Day cause mine didnt? Im done keeping a secret, reality shows.' Alabama said about her mom (pictured)

'Everybody thinks my mother is amazing, Matthew is nothing but awful to her not only that but he cheats on her.' Alabama wrote in her post about her mom's younger man

'Stop painting her out to be amazing': Alabama shared what appeared to be a screenshot of a message from Shanna to someone unknown and shared her thoughts in the caption

It's not just Alabama but Shanna's other child, son Landon, who thinks Shanna could be more involved in her kids' lives.

Responding to a TikTok commentator who implied that he and his sibling were siding with their father, Landon replied: 'Actually, if you werent such a dumbass, you would realize our mom has never been in our lives and isn't in our lives like our dad is.'

And Landon has also made it clear which of his parents' relationships he supports.

On April 16, Landon called Shanna and Matthew the 'most on and off relationship ever' and told his mother, 'You can do so much better.' in comments under one of Shanna's posts featuring her younger beau.

Rumor: Shanna made the claim that she divorced Travis because he cheated on her with Kourtney's sister Kim Kardashian

Doing her own thing: The 15-year-old hit back after Shanna made claims that dad Travis controls her social media and that she gets blamed for daughter's 'sexualization'

'I control my Instagram': Alabama said in response to Shanna's claims

He then commented on a photo of Travis and girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian nearly two weeks later and called the couples romance 'True love' on April 28.

Shanna and Travis were married from October 2004 to 2006 and once had their own reality show, Meet The Barkers, which documented their everyday life with their kids. Shanna also has 22-year-old daughter Atiana with ex partner Oscar De La Hoya.

Travis was known to briefly date Kim's pal Paris Hilton after his divorce but Shanna's claims he dated Kim are unsubstantiated.

In response to Alabama's claims, Shanna was asked why her kids spend more time with their father in an Instagram Q&A.

Making it permanent: Travis is now with Kourtney Kardashian and the couple have been showing off their romance on social media

'Our mom has never been in our lives and isn't in our lives like our dad is.' Alabama's brother Landon also recently commented on his mom's involvement in her kids' lives

'Because he lives behind two gates, has a mega mansion and is cooler than me.' she replied.

'LOL, we have shared custody but our kids are older. We are very close.'



It comes after Shanna spoke to People about Travis' PDA with girlfriend Kourtney.

'I'm very much over my ex,' the actress, 46, told the site. 'It's been a long time. However, do I think some of the PDA that he's doing with her is weird? [Yes].'

Not only that, but Shanna pointed out some similarities between Travis' new romance with Kourtney and their former marriage.

'I'm very much over my ex,' Shanna recently told PEOPLE. 'It's been a long time. However, do I think some of the PDA that he's doing with her is weird? [Yes].' Travis and Kourtney are seen here on a recent trip together

'Because he lives behind two gates, has a mega mansion and is cooler than me.' Shanna replied to a user who asked why Travis spends more time with her kids

'The movie, True Romance, that I feel like they've been bonding over was the theme of our wedding. Our daughter's named after the character in the movie. Flying banners overhead like we did on Meet the Barkers. Stuff like that... I just think it's weird,' Shanna told the site.

Travis got a True Romance inspired tattoo on his leg back in March, and the couple regularly quote the movie in their social media comments. More recently Travis had a plane fly a banner wishing Kourtney a happy birthday.

'My kids seem to really like her and her family, so that's key,' Shanna told People.
Kylie Jenner showed off her killer curves in a series of steamy shots for a new fashion shoot on Tuesday, including one picture where she straddles a motorcycle.

The set of risque portraits were taken by photographer Greg Swales for a new 100-page magazine that is dedicated entirely to herself, and is also said to include never-before-seen childhood snaps of the star.

In the new cover image for the special edition of tmrw magazine, shared by the billionaire makeup mogul to her 233 million followers, Kylie is seen posing in a Tweety Bird-inspired yellow faux fur bodysuit.

It's all about Kylie! Jenner appears on the cover of tmrw magazine, a new 100-page special edition that is dedicated entirely to the 23-year-old billionaire makeup mogul

That bold outfit hails from the new GCDS Fall Winter 2021 collection, first shown at Milan Fashion Week, and is the lead look from a series of 10 new portraits of the 23-year-old star, as well as an accompanying 2000-word interview.

In one futuristic snap Kylie is seen wearing a Tweety Bird hat, and in the interview, the KUTWK talks about how she would struggle to explain to alien life what she actually does for a living.

'I don't think an alien would really understand what I do', Kylie laughed when asked about meeting an extraterrestrial. 'I dont know how youd begin to describe what social media is.'

Talking about being a role model to young fans, the mother of three-year-old Stormi Webster said: 'I'm fully aware of the influence that I have, I try to be a good role model but I mostly just try to be myself.'

Killer curves: The bold outfit hails from the new GCDS Fall Winter 2021 collection, first shown at Milan Fashion Week

I tawt I taw a puddy tat! Kylie completed the look with a Tweety Bird-inspired faux fur hat

However, the social media queen does admit that even she needs to take a break sometime, and will go a week without checking apps like Instagram.

'It's important to disconnect and find that balance,' she explained. 'Sometimes I have moments where it's been a bit much and I delete all my apps, have a week or so to detox. Social media is my job so I have love for it too, but I think it's good for everyone to have a break.'

But Kylie hints that she finds her inner strength and confidence with the help of her famous Kardashian family.

Biker chic: The KUWTK star also showed off her chiseled abs while posing on a motorcycle

Hell for leather: Kylie proudly displayed her abs while striking a series of sultry poses

Daring to bare: The star pulled down her jeans to expose her underwear in another shot

Red alert! In another look, Kylie wore a red gown while posing next to a motorbike

'We are the best support group, we're all genuinely close and are there for each other at all times,' she told the magazine.

'We all know each other very deeply, it's very rare to be in a situation where youre in this with your entire family.'

'I dont think Ive ever had a moment to just stop, be still, and not have work until then,' Kylie said about the past year amid the pandemic.

'It was a difficult time for so many, I feel very lucky that I could take that time to just be with my daughter,' she added.

Going hell for leather: The star mixed a glam look with a gritty setting for the shoot

Tough: In the accompanying interview, Kylie hints that she finds her inner strength and confidence with the help of her famous Kardashian family

The 10 looks from the magazine shoot also include the star showing off her toned abs as she posed on a motorcycle.

Another looks sees Kylie in a busty white corseted swimsuit and sunglasses.

Produced and published by tmrw, this issue is available now in stores and online, shipping worldwide on 100% recycled paper.

Meanwhile, Kylie got her fans thinking on Tuesday, as speculation grew that she may be launching Kylie Baby soon, because a once secret Instagram account called Kylie Baby was verified recently.

Flower power: Kylie models a busty white corseted swimsuit in another shot from the magazine

Style: The makeup mogul has taken over tmrw magazine for a special edition

Styled and stunning: The KUWTK personality added a pair of designer sunglasses to her look

The star had the name Kylie Baby trademarked in 2019 with plans to develop a children's clothing line inspired by her daughter Stormi Webster whom she shares with 'on-again' beau Travis Scott.

So far Kylie has not commented on the account which may or may not belong to her.

If she does become a swimwear designer, this will be her first attempt at designing clothing on her own.

In the past she has overseen a line of clothing with sister Kendall Jenner called Kendall + Kylie. The two have also worked together with Pac Sun for casual clothing.

The only other person in the family who makes clothing is Khloe Kardashian with her Good American brand, which has jeans, tops, workout clothes and shoes, among other items.
Katherine Ryan put on a busty display as she posed for pictures rocking an all-gold look in a new snap before making the most of England's south-west coast on Monday.

The Canadian comedian, 37, looked picture perfect in the up-close selfie which she shared to her Instagram Stories ahead of a day out in Torquay, Devon with husband Bobby Kootstra.

Mother-of-one Katherine shared the beautiful selfie with the caption: 'It's another gorgeous day of being stunning for me.'

Busty display: Katherine Ryan looked picture perfect in an up-close selfie which she shared to her Instagram Stories on Monday

She donned a gold top which appeared to wrap around her waist and had a plunging neckline revealing her cleavage.

She sported a very smooth complexion and showcased her flawless natural-look makeup for the day.

Tying in with the colour of her outfit, the comedian also wore a pair of gold pendant earrings in the selfie.

To finish off the look, Katherine had her blonde tresses pulled back into an up-do and her bangs were curled, framing her face.

Flawless: The comedian sported a very smooth complexion in the selfie and the following day shared her adventures in Devon with husband Bobby for her followers

After sharing the picture, Katherine gave her followers a glimpse into her trip to Devon, where she is filming new ITV dating show Ready To Mingle.

Chatting to her phone Katherine said the couple were on their way to get something to eat.

As they were driving she shared glimpses of the British seaside which Bobby explained is the English Riviera.

The pair began dating as teenagers and reunited after 20 years before tying the knot in 2019. Katherine has an 11-year-old daughter Violet from a previous relationship.

Loved up: The pair began dating as teenagers and reunited after 20 years before tying the knot in 2019. Katherine has an 11-year-old daughter Violet from a previous relationship

Earlier on Friday, Katherine revealed Netflix have decided not to renew her show The Duchess while speaking on Vicky Pattison's The Secret To podcast.

The sitcom, which tells the story of a single mother living in London who considers having another baby with her enemy and the father of her daughter Olive, was axed because 'not enough people watched it'.

She said: 'Netflix didn't want to make any more, not enough people watched it.

'I think something like 10 million people watched it in 28 days and that wasn't enough. But also, I'm not terribly sad about it.

'I feel like it's a whole lot of work, a whole lot of time to make a sitcom. I was so grateful to able to make it, but I think it speaks for itself. I kind of like the way it ended.'

No more: Katherine revealed Netflix have decided not to renew her show The Duchess while speaking on Vicky Pattison's The Secret To podcast (pictured in 2020)

The mother-of-one had previously opened up about how much she is like the show's lead character, revealing that Katherine the character is 'more like her stage persona'.

She said: 'Her name is Katherine Ryan out of pure laziness because I always meant to change her name and then I just thought, "Oh well".

'The character is maybe more like my stage persona than she is like me, because in my real life, what is mirrored is that I do have a very special unique central mother-daughter relationship and it has always been prioritised above any other relationship in my life.

'I know Katherine has a unique world view and a real logical way of solving problems that ends up causing more problems for her, but she never disparages being a mom and that's the same with me.

'I celebrate my relationship with my daughter and I've had other challenges in my life but parenting was never one of them.'
The Broadway musical brought six Tony Awards in 2017 including a win for Ben Platt in the coveted Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

And no doubt Universal Pictures is hoping to recreate that magic on the big screen.

Ben, now 27, reprises his titular role in the Dear Evan Hansen trailer which was released on Tuesday.

He's back: Ben Platt, now 27, reprises his titular role in the Dear Evan Hansen trailer which was released on Tuesday

The actor will be joined by an all-star cast who did not star in the stage production with him including Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, and Amandla Stenberg.

The very emotional trailer features Ben as Evan Hansen, a high school student with social anxiety disorder, who is recommended to write letters to himself as a form of therapy by his psychiatrist.

He totally feels alone and out of place in school when he is confronted by fellow student Connor Murphy (played by Colton Ryan) who aggressively signs the cast on his arm before taking one of the letters.

Sad: The very emotional trailer features Ben as Evan Hansen, a high school student with social anxiety disorder, who is recommended to write letters to himself as a form of therapy by his psychiatrist

Tough times: He totally feels alone and out of place in school

Evan is later taken to the principal's office to meet with Connor's parents Cynthia (Adams) and Larry Murphy (Danny Pino) as he is told that their son had committed suicide as they found the letter and believed they were Connor's final words before taking his life.

Evan tells them that he didn't write it and tries to give the letter back when Cynthia lifts his sleeve to find Connor's name written on the cast as Larry says: 'We didn't think Connor had any friends.'

This leaves the protagonist to continue to live on with the lie and all the wanted and unwanted attention that comes from it.

Interesting: He is confronted by fellow student Connor Murphy (played by Colton Ryan)

Brand: He aggressively signs the cast on his arm

Uh oh: Later on Connor takes one of his letters

The students then put together a memorial service for Connor and Evan is asked by classmate Alana Beck (Stenberg) if he would like to be part of it.

Obviously, Evan cannot turn the invitation down and he is shown hitting the stage as he said: 'Connor showed me that, I wasn't alone. Nobody is.'

Cynthia smiles up at Evan before he breaks out into the hit song from the soundtrack titled You Will Be Found.

Aww: Evan is later taken to the principal's office to meet with Connor's parents Cynthia (Amy Adams; pictured) and Larry Murphy (Danny Pino) as he is told their son had committed suicide as they found the letter and believed they were Connor's final words before taking his life

Explaining himself: Evan tells them that he didn't write it and tries to give the letter back

Cynthia lifts his sleeve to find Connor's name written on the cast as Larry says: 'We didn't think Connor had any friends'

No doubt things get even more complicated as Evan becomes romantically involved with Connor's sister Zoe (Dever) who once apologized to him over her brother's bullying.

At one point Zoe tells him before an embrace: 'You don't know how much you've given my family and me.'

Evan has a hard time carrying the weight of the lie and the effect it has had on people as he says: 'I never meant to make it such a mess, I was trying to help.'

Pickle: The students then put together a memorial service for Connor and Evan is asked by classmate Alana Beck (Amandla Stenberg) if he would like to be part of it

Obviously, Evan cannot turn the invitation down and he is shown hitting the stage as he said: 'Connor showed me that, I wasn't alone. Nobody is.'

Getting deeper: Cynthia smiles up at Evan along with the rest of the family

Iconic: Evan then breaks out into the hit song from the soundtrack titled You Will Be Found

He is then found crying by his mother Heidi (Moore) as he tells her: 'If you knew who I am, just how broken I am.'

Heidi gives him the motherly support she needs as she tells him: 'I already know you and I love you.'

Though much of the plot was revealed in the trailer, there is a cliffhanger at the end as Evan declares: 'I have to tell them.'

Bond: No doubt things get even more complicated as Evan becomes romantically involved with Connor's sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever) who once apologized to him over her brother's bullying

Evan has a hard time carrying the weight of the lie and the effect it has had on people as he says: 'I never meant to make it such a mess, I was trying to help.'

Heidi (Julianne Moore) gives him the motherly support she needs as she tells him: 'I already know you and I love you'

Stephen Chbosky directed the film as Steven Levenson wrote the screenplay which was based on the stage musical with music and lyrics written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the book by Steven Levenson.

Dear Evan Hansen is set for release on September 24 in the US with the UK release following on 22 October.
She's making the most of her time on the East Coast.

And Hailey Bieber flashed her toned and tanned legs while wearing a bright orange dress as she dined out in New York City on Monday night.

The 24-year-old supermodel looked every-inch the catwalk queen as she left Zero Bond in downtown Manhattan wearing a monochrome ensemble.

Orange dream: Hailey Bieber flashed her toned and tanned legs while wearing a bright orange dress as she dined out in New York City on Monday night

Hailey's skin-tight mini hugged her figure and featured a halter neckline with straps wrapped around her neck.

She looked sleek in a knee-length orange wool coat and added inches to her frame with a pair of strappy stilettos.

The daughter of Stephen Baldwin carried a slouchy purse in one hand and accessorized with a pair of square frames.

City slicker: The 24-year-old supermodel looked every-inch the catwalk queen as she left Zero Bond in downtown Manhattan wearing a monochrome ensemble

Dressed to impress: Hailey's skin-tight mini hugged her figure and featured a halter neckline with straps wrapped around her neck

She was spotted earlier in the week wearing a long leather duster with black cargo pants and a matching crop top.

Hailey popped into a few meetings in midtown wearing a professional blazer with laidback sweatpants and a beanie.

While Hailey has proved to be a fashionista, her husband, Justin Bieber, has faced charges of cultural appropriation among some social media users after returning to his dreadlocks.

Busy lady: She was spotted earlier in the week wearing a long leather duster with black cargo pants and a matching crop top

Comfortable: Hailey popped into a few meetings in midtown wearing a professional blazer with laidback sweatpants and a beanie

Controversy: Justin has faced charges of cultural appropriation among some social media users after returning to his dreadlocks

The pop superstar first sported the new hairstyle in an Instagram post on April 25, but he previously debuted the look in the spring of 2016, though they were short-lived.

Plenty of his fans approved of the new look, but it wasn't a hit outside of his regular circles, where many accused him of cultural appropriation.

Although the style has been worn across the globe over hundreds of years, and the earliest documented dreadlocks were found in India, the look is now more commonly associated with protective Black hairstyles.

Jamaican Rastafarians were the first to use the name 'dreadlocks,' and today many people consider white people wearing the hairstyle to be a form of cultural appropriation.
Selena Gomez was spotted for the first time in the new teaser for her upcoming Hulu series Only Murders In The Building with Steve Martin and Martin Short.

The dark comedy follows a trio of true crime-loving neighbors played by Gomez, 28, Martin, 75 and Short, 71, as they work together to solve the murder of another resident in their New York City apartment complex.

It was also mark Selena's return to the small screen following an eight-year hiatus.

Exciting: Selena Gomez was spotted for the first time in the new teaser for her upcoming series Only Murders In The Building with Steve Martin and Martin Short

The trailer opens with a shot of Selena, Martin and Steve crowded together in the elevator of their apartment building.

'A great mystery unpeels itself like an onion,' Steve says in the voiceover as he is seen sitting on his couch and staring at a wall of evidence.

In the next scene, Selena is holding a book which appears to have a letter hidden in in a secret compartment.

Whodunnit: 'A great mystery unpeels itself like an onion,' Steve says in the voiceover as he is seen sitting on his couch and staring a wall of evidence

Mysterious: Selena, Steve and Martin team up to investigate their neighbor's murder

Clues abound: In the one scene, Selena is holding a book which appears to have a letter hidden in in a secret compartment

Threatening: Martin looks through a peephole and opens a note taped to his door. The note reads 'End the podcast or I end you.' In the show, the trio also begin a podcast about their efforts to solve their neighbor's murder

'Secrets are the fun part,' she muses in the voiceover as she glances behind her suspiciously.

'Sometimes it's easier to figure out someone else's secret,' Martin says as he looks through a peephole and opens a note taped to his door. The note reads 'End the podcast or I end you.' In the show, the trio also begin a podcast about their efforts to solve their neighbor's murder.

'Than it is to deal with your own,' he continues in the next scene as he looks up fearfully.

Big name cast: Title cards for each of the three main stars are then introduced along with a series of shots featuring each cast member

Figuring it out: Steve reclines back in a chair, holding a glass of wine in one scene

No one is above suspicion: The three characters are not sure if they can even trust each other

Wary: Martin is seen opening a door in the apartment complex

Comeback: Selena is making her return to the small screen after an eight-year hiatus

Stylish: One scene features Selena strutting down the street rocking a chic furry orange coat and a yellow sweater and beanie with a pair of red headphones

Title cards for each of the three main stars are then introduced along with a series of shots featuring each cast member.

Steve reclines back in a chair, holding a glass of wine in one scene while Martin opens a door in the next.

Then Selena struts down the street rocking a chic furry orange coat and a yellow sweater and beanie with a pair of red headphones.

Armed police officers are then seen running down a hallway. In the next scene, Selena opens her door to find Steve and Martin outside.

Hands up: Armed police officers are seen running down a hallway in the new teaser

Amateur sleuths: Selena opens her door to find Steve and Martin, who ask her to join their investigation

Nothing better to do: Selena says drily, 'Do I want to break into a dead guy's apartment and go through all his sh*t?' 'Sounds like an afternoon,' she finishes with a deadpan expression

'We're going to go down there and look around for clues. Want to come?' Steve asks as he holds a yellow piece of fabric.

Taking the fabric, Selena says drily, 'Do I want to break into a dead guy's apartment and go through all his sh*t?'

'Sounds like an afternoon,' she finishes with a deadpan expression.

The closing title card announced the release date for the show, which will premiere on August 31.

Coming soon: The closing title card announced the release date for the show, which will premiere on August 31

Having some limits: Short said that the three characters 'make a pact: only murders in the building will they solve. Because they can't be bothered to go outside'

Selena shared the teaser on her Instagram page, with the caption, 'Everyone is a suspect. Only Murders In The Building arrives 8/31!

Only Murders in the Building was created and written by Steve and John Hoffman (Grace & Frankie). Steve, John, Selena, and Martin are all serving as executive producers.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Short provided a description of the show's plot. 'It's about three people who live in one of those upscale apartment buildings in New York,' he said. 'They see each on the elevator, they kind of nod, but they never really speak.

'They don't even know each other's names. And then you find out that each one of them goes to their individual apartments and just turns on true crime and obsesses.'

'And then one time they're in the elevator with this fourth person... and they find out that fourth person is killed and they're determined to solve it,' he added.

'But they make a pact: only murders in the building will they solve. Because they can't be bothered to go outside.
She's set to play the wife of a disgraced start-up CEO in the new AppleTV+ limited series, WeCrashed.

But Anne Hathaway was focused on running a few errands as she stepped out in New York City on Monday afternoon.

The 38-year-old actress proudly displayed a COVID-19 vaccinated sticker as she chatted on the phone while on a stroll in Manhattan.

Out and about: Anne Hathaway was focused on running a few errands as she stepped out in New York City on Monday afternoon

The Princess Diaries star looked effortlessly chic wearing a black-and-white striped T-shirt with her sticker positioned on her chest.

She rocked a high-waisted pair of straight leg denim slacks with a pair of white canvas espadrilles.

Anne accessorized with a brown braided leather belt and carried a sturdy black bag across her shoulder.

Despite what appeared to be her vaccinated status, she wore a blue face mask while taking a call.

Casual: The 38-year-old actress proudly displayed a COVID-19 vaccinated sticker as she chatted on the phone while on a stroll in Manhattan

Staying safe: Despite what appeared to be her vaccinated status, she wore a blue face mask while taking a call

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state of New York will follow CDC guidelines and end mandated mask wearing for the fully vaccinated on Wednesday as cases of the coronavirus continue to decline amid statewide vaccine campaigns.

Anne was back to work last week on her latest endeavor as she portrays Rebekah Neumann, the wife of disgraced WeWork CEO Adam Neumann, played by Jared Leto, in the upcoming AppleTV+ limited series WeCrashed.

WeCrashed, based on the podcast of the same name, will document the 'greed-filled rise and inevitable fall of WeWork and the narcissists whose chaotic love made it all possible,' according to Variety.

Her role: Adam's wife Rebekah was named the company's chief brand and impact officer, while also overseeing WeWork's education program WeGrow; Rebekah (LEFT) and Anne (RIGHT)

Along with playing the lead roles, Anne and Jared will also act as executive producers with Lee Eisenberg, who will also take on both showrunner and co-writer titles.

WeWork at its peak had coworking spaces in more than 110 cities in 29 countries with a valuation of $47billion and Rebekah was named the company's chief brand and impact officer, while also overseeing WeWork's education program WeGrow.

At the time, Adam Neumann was put on a par with the likes of Steve Jobs as a Silicon Valley innovator who would change the world, but WeWork's planned flotation on the stock market stalled and investors soured on the company, causing its value to plummet to just $10billion.

Neumann, who served as chief executive, essentially drove the briefly thriving company straight into the ground with his hard partying ways.

In his book, Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Fall of WeWork, Reeves Wiedeman described how ex-employees claimed that Neumann would blast music at party volumes and scream at anyone who asked for it to be turned down.

He also reportedly demanded that cases of Don Julio 1942 tequila were at every office and would 'lose his s***' if they were not there and staffer said that he would schedule meetings for 2am and then be 45 minutes late.

Last October Neumann, 41, agreed to leave the company after its Japanese investors SoftBank bought $1billion of stock from him to get him out.
Her latest album Better Mistakes dropped earlier this month, but unfortunately it seems to be suffering from what is known as the sophomore slump.

And Bebe Rexha readily acknowledged her second albums paltry debut, responding to a Tweet on Monday that announced its placement all the way down at #140 on the Billboard 200 chart.

'Upsetting,' the 31-year-old pop star wrote. 'But I wont give up. My career was built on failures and not following the mold.'

Owning up: Bebe Rexha acknowledged her second albums paltry debut, responding to a Tweet on Monday announcing its placement at #140 on the charts; seen recently on Instagram

New album: Better Mistakes is Bebe's follow up to her 2018 debut studio album Expectations, and it dropped on May 7

'I wont stop. I never have and never will,' she continued in the confessional note. 'I still believe in this album. And I still will push. No matter what.'

Better Mistakes is Bebe's follow up to her 2018 debut studio album Expectations, and it dropped on May 7.

The record features guests including Travis Barker, Ty Dolla Sign, Trevor Daniel, Lil Uzi Vert, Doja Cat, Pink Sweats, Lunay and Rick Ross.

'Upsetting,' the 31-year-old pop star wrote. 'But I wont give up. My career was built on failures and not following the mold'

All star: The record features guests including Travis Barker, Ty Dolla Sign, Trevor Daniel, Lil Uzi Vert, Doja Cat, Pink Sweats, Lunay and Rick Ross

In spite of those buzzy collaborators and singles including Baby, Im Jealous, Sacrifice, Sabotage and Die For A Man, the album has only so far reached the #129 slot on the Rolling Stone album chart.

Nonetheless, Rexha, born Bleta Rexha, is pushing ahead with a livestream event for Better Mistakes later this week.

Also on Monday, she took to Instagram with a selfie from the album, counting down to the livestream with a note specifying 'just three days' until the event.

Nonetheless: Rexha, born Bleta Rexha, is pushing ahead with a livestream event for Better Mistakes later this week

'Seeing your reactions to the album has made me even more excited,' she added in the missive.

Over the weekend, the Say My Name songstress was seen attending the MTV Movie & TV Awards, before showing up at celebrity hotspot Craig's in West Hollywood, California.

She also recently guested on Paris Hilton's podcast, after the unlikely pair visited a 'rage room' in LA where they were seen destroying multiple flatscreen TVs with sledgehammers.

Over the weekend: The Say My Name songstress was seen attending the MTV Movie & TV Awards, before showing up at celebrity hotspot Craig's in West Hollywood
Naomi Campbell announced yesterday that she is the mother to a baby girl by releasing a picture on social media.

The British supermodel, 50, is living in New York and is understood to have a new boyfriend with whom she will raise the child.

Friends yesterday said they believe that Miss Campbell  who never knew her father and was raised largely by her grandmother  used a surrogate.

She wrote: 'A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother.

'So honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you, my angel. There is no greater love.'

Naomi Campbell, 50, announced yesterday that she is the mother to a baby girl by releasing a picture on social media

The British supermodel, 50, wrote: 'A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother'

It comes after Naomi (seen at the Michael Kors show in April) admitted that she would 'think about having children all the time' but wasn't planning to rush herself to start a family

Congratulations poured in from friends including British Vogue editor Edward Enninful and fashion designer Marc Jacobs, who wrote: 'How lucky she is and how lucky you are! What a wonderful mother you will be.'

Valerie Morris-Campbell, who was 19 when she gave birth to Miss Campbell, wrote: 'Congratulations to my daughter Naomi on the birth of her daughter, I'm beyond thrilled as I've waited a long time to be grandmother.'

The model has more than a dozen godchildren, to whom she is close.

One is the son of Kweku Mandela, Nelson Mandela's grandson.

In March last year, she shared pictures of herself bottle feeding him and taking him for a walk in New York.

She was devastated by the drug-related death of her godson Harry Brant in January  he was the son of model Stephanie Seymour. A friend said: 'I know that she was very deeply in grief for him earlier this year.'

She also calls other youngsters whom she mentors her 'children', referring to them as her 'chosen family'.

They include actress Ryan Destiny, whom she calls her daughter, and model Adut Akech, who calls her 'Mama'.

In 2019, she posted a picture of herself cradling a newborn at an orphanage in Lagos and her publicists had to explain that she had not adopted the infant.

Miss Campbell posted a picture of herself cradling a newborn at an orphanage in Lagos in 2019

Friends yesterday said they believe that Miss Campbell  who never knew her father and was raised largely by her grandmother  used a surrogate

Naomi's mother shared that she was 'beyond thrilled' to become a grandmother after the model welcomed her first child

Although fans were left reeling, Naomis celebrity pals were quick to congratulate her on the happy news

HOW DID NAOMI BECOME A MOTHER AT 50 YEARS OLD? Naomi has not revealed the method in which she welcomed her daughter but has previously spoken about her many options for starting a family SURROGACY Some mature mothers choose to have a baby via surrogacy, when someone has a baby for a couple who cannot have a child themselves. Straight surrogacy uses the surrogates own eggs to conceive and can take place at home using artificial insemination, using an insemination kit or via a clinic using IUI or IVF with the surrogate acting a known egg donor. Surrogacy is legal in the UK, but it's illegal to advertise for surrogates. No financial benefit other than reasonable expenses can be paid to the surrogate. Naomi previously hinted at looking into surrogacy when she said: 'I think about having children all the time. But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want.' ADOPTION It is possible to adopt a child if you are over 21, a non-smoker, and have a spare bedroom. You also need to have stopped fertility treatment if youve been trying to get pregnant. People from all backgrounds and nationalities can adopt  whether youre single or married, male or female, a homeowner or renting, straight, lesbian, gay, trans or bisexual, it doesnt matter. Naomi previously said she would 'maybe' adopt and also hinted at wanting to when she said: 'I'll see what the universe brings me. For now, what the universe has delivered is very much in the spirit of a chosen family.' She added in another interview: 'When Im around children, I become a child myself. Thats the little girl I dont ever want to lose.' PREGNANCY More mothers are waiting until later in life to have children, but pregnancy after 50 is still quite rare. A woman's fertility begins to decline in her early 30s. After age 35, her number of viable eggs starts to fall more quickly. However celebrities have made headlines for having kids in their later years, including Janet Jackson who had her son, Eissa Al Mana, at age 50. Naomi said she wanted to welcome a child with a partner, stating: 'I do want a father figure. I think it's important. It's the way I feel today, sitting here talking to you' She also hinted at wanting a traditional family set up when she announced: 'I want the same things as every other woman: the house, the kids, the lot' In another interview she said: 'Id love to have kids. I dont discount anything in life. I love kids and always will.' Advertisement

Miss Campbell has undertaken charitable work in orphanages for more than a decade and was very keen to have children with her long-term boyfriend, Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin, whom she dated from 2008 to 2013, but Doronin was married.

A friend said: 'She was devastated not to have a baby with Doronin and he was her great love, but he didn't want to commit, so in a way this is no surprise.

'She has talked a lot about having children, and feeling very maternal, but did say that it just was not going to happen for her.'

The friend added: 'She has always been very maternal and always cries when she visits orphanages. She has close ties to one in Kenya, where they called a baby Naomi after her.

'But she said at the time, 'I will be in this child's life for ever but I am not going to adopt her'.

'She is a religious person and always said that it wasn't God's will for her and that she accepted that a baby was not in her path. Obviously she has changed her mind.'

Miss Campbell hinted at the joy to come in an interview with i-D magazine this spring.

She said: '2021 is going to be a great year, we've just got a few more bumps to get through first. I believe that this is going to be an amazing year.

'Actually, I don't just believe it will be  I feel it will be.'

Recently she dated rapper Skepta and had a fling with former One Direction star Liam Payne in 2019.

In 2017 she told ES magazine: 'I think about having children all the time. But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want.'

Asked if she would have the child herself rather than adopt, she replied, 'Maybe', but she went on to add: 'I do want a father figure. I think it's important.'

In 2018, she said: 'I'd love to have kids. I don't discount anything in life. I love kids and always will.

'When I'm around children, I become a child myself. That's the little girl I don't ever want to lose.'

Miss Campbell wept as she told Oprah Winfrey in a 2010 television interview that she had felt 'abandoned' by her mother, who worked as a dancer when she was a child.

Her mother apologised to her, saying: 'I just wanted to give her the best life. I wanted the best for her as she is my princess. I do feel that I abandoned her.'

They are good friends now and Miss Campbell says she has found peace at last after drug addiction and convictions for assault.

She was accused of beating her assistant Georgina Galanis in a fit of rage while they were in Toronto to shoot the film Prisoner Of Love in 1998.

A Canadian judge discharged her without a criminal record for the offence, saying she had 'learned her lesson and demonstrated her remorse'.

She went to rehab in 1999 and later explained: 'I took on my s*** and learned from it. I try to move on, but there are certain times when people try to use your past to blackmail you, to benefit them. That s*** I'm not going to allow.'

Another personal assistant, Vanessa Frisbee, came forward in 2000, accusing Miss Campbell of assault, saying she was attacked during an argument. It never came to court.

In 2006, housekeeper Ana Scolavino needed four stitches after being hit in the head by a BlackBerry phone.

Miss Campbell pleaded guilty to assault and was ordered to complete community service and anger management classes.

In 2008, she was ejected from a BA flight following a dispute over baggage.

She pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct and using threatening words or behaviour.

A dalliance with Leonard DiCaprio, four years with Flavio Briatore and THAT Liam Payne fling... a look back at Naomi Campbell's torrid love life as she surprises fans with news she's a mother

Naomi Campbell has surprised her fans with the news that she's become a mother.

The model, 50, who shared a snap of the newborn on Monday, has had her fair share of famous suitors ranging from Hollywood stars to oil tycoons and even a couple of hitmakers.

So as fans mull over the news that Naomi has welcomed her baby despite being thought to be single, here's a look-back at her colourful and illustrious romantic history.

2019: Liam Payne

Naomi was linked to One Direction star Liam Payne, 23 years her junior, following her break-up from Skepta and his break-up from Cheryl.

They are said to have enjoyed a few dates but it was ultimately short-lived.

It began with a seemingly harmless flirtation on Instagram, liking and commenting on one another's steamy posts.

Liam described her as 'perfection in a person', with her branding him 'a beautiful soul'. They were then spotted at the concert of musician Davido at The O2 in London.

There were reports about Liam bragging about the couple's 'mind-blowing' sex, but when Naomi was asked outright about the tryst on The Jonathan Ross Show she said the rumours were 'humorous'. Any romance appeared to end shortly after this.

Short-lived: Naomi was linked to the One Direction star Liam Payne, 23 years her junior, following her break up from Skepta and his break up from Cheryl [pictured 2021]

2018: Skepta

Their raunchy cover of GQ magazine, in only their underwear, sent fans wild.

But rapper Skepta and Naomi's tryst appeared to be done and dusted before too long.

Of the shoot, Naomi said afterwards: 'We basically did that shoot on our own, it wasnt for any publication, and once I saw the pictures I was like no, no, no we should come out..."

'And so then I started making some calls. It wasnt like I was going to wait months for it to come out  its either got to come out in the next few or it aint coming out at all.'

Come out indeed it did, with the duo taking part in a joint interview at the time, playing coy about any romance. To this day it's still unclear, but Skepta seemingly mentioned Naomi on one of his tracks in 2020. They are thought to still be close.

Hot off the press: Rapper Skepta and Naomi's tryst appeared to be done and dusted before too long, shortly after appearing in a joint GQ shoot in their underwear [pictured 2019]

Unfollowed: In August 2018, Naomi unfollowed Skepta after he posted a baby scan on Instagram. He welcomed daughter River the following year and has not disclosed who the mother is

2017: Louis C. Camilleri

It was claimed in 2017 that Naomi was dating Egyptian multimillionaire Louis C. Camilleri, who was 66 at the time.

The supermodel was said to be enjoying a string of London dinners with the businessman, who was worth over 150 million.

Naomi reportedly met Louis through their shared love of Formula One as they frequented the same races and are said to have met and bonded at the events.

Vested interests: Louis Carey Camilleri is pictured at the Monza racetrack, in Monza, Italy in 2018

2016: Hassan Jameel

In July 2016, Naomi was pictured looking cosy with billionaire businessman Hassan Jameel when they attended the British Summer Time Festival together in London - although their romance was never confirmed.

In 2017, it was claimed that the supermodel had fallen out with singer Rihanna after she was spotted putting on a steamy display with Hassan, 32, in Ibiza.

The Sun reported at the time that Naomi was disgruntled that the singer and Hassan, who split in early 2020, had fallen so hard - as she hates feeling 'second best'.

Snapped: In July 2016, Naomi was pictured looking cosy with billionaire businessman Hassan Jameel when they attended the British Summer Time Festival together

2009-2013: Vladislav Doronin

Thought to be her longest relationship, Naomi dated Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin for five years.

They enjoyed lavish trips to the topics together and appeared to have a solid romance, but it ended in 2013.

Long-term love: Thought to be her longest relationship, Naomi dated Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin for five years [pictured 2012]

2008: Marcus Elias

This dalliance was brief, but Naomi and Brazilian equity magnate Marcus Elias were said to be engaged at one point.

Their relationship both began and ended in 2008, however.

Runaway bride: This dalliance was brief, but Naomi and Brazilian equity magnate Marcus Elias were said to be engaged at one point [pictured 2008]

2007: Gerard Butler

Naomi and the Scots action star were rumoured to be an item in 2007 when they were seen hanging out together on multiple occasions.

Seemingly a friendly ex to many, Naomi has since been seen socialising with him at events, despite their alleged romance fizzling out.

Friendly exes: Naomi has been seen socialising with Gerard Butler at events, despite their alleged romance fizzling out in 2007 [pictured 2009]

2005-2006: Badr Jafar

Naomi and oil heir Badr Jafar were reportedly a couple for 10 months.

Apparently, for Naomi's 35th birthday, he hired out eight floors of the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai to throw her a 1 million party. He himself has an estimated worth of 2 billion.

Party hard: Apparently, for Naomi's 35th birthday, Badr Jafar hired out eight floors of the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai to throw her a 1 million party [pictured 2012]

2002: P Diddy

It's still unclear how romantic Naomi and music star P Diddy were, but they were linked in 2002.

Since, they have been very close friends and are thought to consider one another more as siblings.

Close but no cigar: Naomi and music star P Diddy were linked in 2002. Since, they have been very close friends [pictured 2017]

1998-2002: Flavio Briatore

Flavio Briatore - the boss of Benetton - was with Naomi from 1998 until they parted ways in 2002.

The Italian - who is 21 years Naomi's senior and worth 258 million - famously said after their split: 'Shes great but better as a friend than a girlfriend!'

Naomi later told Marie Claire: 'Im not going to be a trophy. If you expect me to be in the kitchen cooking breakfast in high heels, looking as though I just stepped out of a fashion magazine, its not going to happen.'

Flavio of the month: Despite a lengthy dalliance, Naomi and Flavio Briatore split because, according to Naomi, he wanted her as 'a trophy' [pictured 2001]

1995: Leonardo DiCaprio

Known for a revolving door of romances, a penchant for models and being seemingly disinterested in settling down, Leonardo DiCaprio was perhaps a kindred spirit for Naomi when they were linked in 1995.

The couple's dalliance was fleeting, however. They appeared to have remained pally ever since, seen chatting at events on many an occasion since.

Still friends: Naomi and Leonardo Dicaprio are seen chatting at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in Los Angeles in 2007 - 12 years after being romantically linked

While she has never been married, Naomi was previously engaged to U2 bass player Adam Clayton after getting together in 1993 and despite their split in 1994, the stunner has always spoken fondly of the musician.

In a 2015 interview with the Irish Independent, she mused: 'I'm friends with the whole [of U2]. The whole band were great. Their kids are all grown up.

'It's nice to know people for so long and still have a relationship... I only have very positive things to say about him. I am very proud of Adam.'

Nearly beloved: While she has never been married, Naomi was previously engaged to U2 bass player Adam Clayton after getting together in 1993

In the early 90s, Naomi was also briefly linked to Hollywood star Robert De Niro.

But, addressing her dating life at the time, she told WSJ: 'For me, privacy is important to know each other, and I always worry that my job will not allow that.

'But I have ways. I was taught that by Robert De Niro. Being alone doesnt mean you are lonely. I dont have time to be bored, and I dont have time to be lonely.'

Spotted: In the early 90s, Naomi was briefly linked to Hollywood star Robert De Niro

Last year, in an interview with Times Weekend magazine, Naomi said she is on good terms with all her previous ex-boyfriends, but admitted she isn't friends with her 'last' ex.

Discussing who she has dated, she said: 'Why don't you say it the other way round? Surely it was their privilege just as much as mine to be with them? But yes, I had some wild and exciting times until I changed my life aged 29.

'Whatever they say about me, I have remained friends with all my exes... except the last one.'

Asked if she means Skepta, she simply said: 'A lady never discusses the details of her private life.'
LONDON (AP) - For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed this week.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India.

Heres a look at what we know and dont know about the variant:

WHAT IS THIS VARIANT?

The COVID-19 variant first identified in India has been classified as a "variant of concern" by Britain and the World Health Organization, meaning there is some evidence that it spreads more easily between people, causes more severe disease, or might be less responsive to treatments and vaccines.

"The absolute numbers of cases (of the variant) in the U.K. remain quite small, but the growth rate is quite high," said Nick Loman, a professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham.

People queueto receive COVID-19 vaccinations at the ESSA academy in Bolton, England, Tuesday May 18, 2021. For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed across the country on Monday. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

To date, there have been more than 2,300 cases identified in Britain. Figures released by Public Health England show cases of the variant first detected in India have tripled in the past week and experts say it's on track to become the most dominant COVID-19 variant in the country.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs COVID-19 technical lead, said more information was still needed about the variant's spread globally.

"We need more sequencing, targeted sequencing to be done and to be shared in India and elsewhere so that we know how much of this virus is circulating," she said.

HOW TRANSMISSIBLE IS THE VARIANT?

We dont entirely know. But according to the minutes of an expert group advising the government last week, scientists said "it is a realistic possibility that (the variant first seen in India) is as much as 50% more transmissible" than the variant first reported in Britain - whose explosive spread led to the countrys longest lockdown in January.

"There are plausible biological reasons as to why some of the mutations present could make this variant more transmissible," they concluded. If the variant proves to be 40 to 50% more transmissible, the scientists predicted that would "lead to a much larger peak" of cases, hospitalizations and deaths than previous waves of coronavirus - particularly if the government continues with its existing plans to exit lockdown.

Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and one of the scientists advising the government, said it was entirely possible the COVID-19 restrictions relaxed on Monday might need to be reintroduced soon if the variants spread leads to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths.

"A very careful lifting (of restrictions) is reasonable, but we may have to reverse that," Farrar warned. Experts think the next few weeks should provide more details about how quickly the variant identified in India is sickening people and whether that might overwhelm hospitals.

Johnson said any proof the variant identified in India is more dangerous could "pose a serious disruption" to the U.K. governments plans to lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions next month.

DO VACCINES WORK AGAINST THIS VARIANT?

Scientists think so but are still waiting for definitive answers.

At a press briefing last week, Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccines at the European Medicines Agency, said the data appeared "rather reassuring" that vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna would protect against the variant first seen in India.

He said the agency was still gathering more information on the effectiveness of the shots made by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson and was "pretty confident" those vaccines too would afford people enough protection from the variant.

"Urgent experimental data is being generated (for this variant)," said Sharon Peacock of the U.K. COVID-19 Genomics Consortium. She noted that vaccines appear to work against other variants to date but that it is important to determine if one dose is effective or if two are needed.

In the areas of the U.K. worst hit by the variant, Britains health secretary Matt Hancock said most people hospitalized had "chosen not to have the jab."

On Monday, Johnson said people over 50 and those with underlying health conditions would have their wait for a second vaccine dose cut from 12 weeks to eight, over concerns about the variants rapid spread.

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Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

FILE - In this Thursday, April 29, 2021 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks with pupils after taking part in a science lesson, during a visit to King Solomon Academy in London. For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed across the country on Monday. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP, File)

FILE - In this Monday, May 17, 2021 file photo, members of the public sit in a cafe, in Manchester, England. For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed across the country on Monday. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India. (AP Photo Jon Super, File)
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Neel Bhatt, a UW assistant professor of otolaryngology, specializes in treating patients with voice problems. Through his work, he began to realize people did not like the sound of their own voices. With the transition to school over Zoom, many students can relate to the discomfort of hearin
DARIEN  It was a day of discovery  and re-discovery  for hundreds of local families that attended Sellecks Woods Adventure Day on Sunday.

Darien native Kate Dockstader recalls the open space land at the end of Parklands Drive  which includes Sellecks Woods & Dunlap Woods Nature Preserve  in considerable decay and disrepair when she was growing up.

Sellecks Woods looks great, she said, adding she was excited to bring her own children to the space. Thanks to all the volunteers and the people who are here to make it happen.

Jarret Liotta / Hearst Connecticut Media

A previously annual tradition that skipped a COVID beat last year, Adventure Day includes a chance for kids to explore nature and take part in some fun activities, including visits with the Darien Nature Centers animal ambassadors and a zip line.

The event was put on by the Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with Friends of Sellecks Woods and the Darien Land Trust, which is a joint steward of the preserve.

Im thrilled with the partnership with Parks and Rec. and Friends of Sellecks Woods to open up the park, First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said.

In particular, she said, with many new families having come to town in the past year, it was a great opportunity to see the space.

Jarret Liotta / Hearst Connecticut Media

Its really great for the first-timers, to introduce them to this gem in the community, Stevenson said.

But first-timers even included longtime residents, such as Jane Consolini, who has lived in Darien more than two decades and who brought her extended family to Sellecks for the very first time.

It got us out here, she said of the event. And its wonderful that its staffed by all these nature experts.

More than a dozen volunteers helped run things, including a ball toss game where kids were challenged to knock over the four villains of the woods, including Fire Starter Fred, Litter Bug Larry, Motor Biker Morris and Unauthorized Hunter Horrace.

Jarret Liotta / Hearst Connecticut Media

Kids also explored the grounds through an I Spy game that took them throughout the combined 50-acre parcel looking for animal tracks, gnomes and fairies alike.

This used to be an annual event back in the day, and it was very successful, explained Jami Gore, recreation program supervisor. We brought it back in 2019.

She said that registration had maxed out with 500 participants respectively scheduled in morning and afternoon shifts.

We have hundreds on the wait list, she said.

It shows us off at the best time of year, said Chris Filmer, president of Friends of Sellecks Woods, noting the blossoming azaleas.

Its just lovely to see families come here, he said.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Something will be missing when the Minnesota Legislature reconvenes next month to finish its work on a new budget  the fence that has surrounded the Capitol since the unrest last summer following George Floyd's death.

But officials havent yet decided whether the Capitol will reopen to the public in time for the special session, which Gov. Tim Walz is expected to call for June 14 or sooner.

The fence will start coming down June 1, Curt Yoakum, assistant commissioner of the Department of Administration, which runs the Capitol complex, said Tuesday. The Capitol closed in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, but Walz has recently lifted virus restrictions, including the state's mask mandate.

I think all of us want to be as transparent as possible, Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan, who chairs a Capitol oversight board, told reporters Tuesday. The session feels different when theres people not inside the building. And so were in conversations right now with leadership about what is possible there to make sure that Minnesotans can feel seen and heard and valued and able to participate.

The Legislature adjourned its regular session Monday without completing its main task for the year crafting a balanced two-year budget. Leaders said they favor transparent negotiations over the unfinished work but acknowledged thornier disputes would be addressed in private.

Besides deciding how to spend $52 billion, lawmakers also need to determine if there's enough common ground between the House Democratic and Senate Republican majorities to pass police accountability legislation. Democrats want to build on the momentum following the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in Floyd's death.

The halls and hearing rooms of the Capitol complex are typically full of citizens and lobbyists making their voices heard, but the complex was largely empty this year as lawmakers met and voted remotely.

We will be happy to invite the public back into this building." Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, told reporters, noting the unusually high number of lawmakers and journalists present Monday. "To have members of the public here in this building, making lots of noise while were doing our work, is how it is supposed to be.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, of East Gull Lake, said he didn't oppose allowing spectators into the public galleries for the special session.

This is the peoples house, Gazelka told reporters.

The House included several policing measures in its public safety budget bill; the Senate never gave them a hearing. Gazelka acknowledged in his closing speech on the Senate floor that there were strong passions on both sides, but indicated that less controversial measures could make it into the final package.

We are not going to do anything that we perceive as anti-police, but we are going to look at things that are police accountability that would make sense," Gazelka said.

The chambers lead negotiator on the public safety budget, Republican Sen. Warren Limmer, of Maple Grove. told reporters he expects a lot of conversations with his House counterpart, Democratic Rep. Carlos Mariani, of St. Paul, but warned, there's going to be some items that we're not going to agree on.

Limmer said he would have a little trouble swallowing a Democratic proposal to remove the statute of limitations on civil liability for police officers. But he said there are quite a few House proposals he could accept if they can work out the details. He declined to say which ones, but said they fall into the good government category.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent, of Woodbury, urged other leaders to ensure a transparent run-up to the special session. Minnesotans and the media did not have sufficient access during the regular session, but it's important that everyone has confidence in the next budget, she said in a floor speech.

"We will do that better if we actually do that in front of the people of Minnesota, Kent said.
LONDON (AP)  Gary Miller drove a London taxi. Rohit Patel worked behind the till in a supermarket. Barry Bwalya was in customer service.

When the coronavirus tore through their London neighborhoods in early 2020, they all got sick. More than a year later, they are still struggling.

Its like a rollercoaster, said Miller, a previously fit, gym-loving 57-year-old who is coping with leg and joint pain, headaches and breathlessness. There are times that I see light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like Im taking one step forward, and then all of a sudden  bang  Im ill again and I take two steps back.

Even as London looks to life after lockdown, thousands of people are still grappling with long-term physical and mental effects of the virus. Help is coming through long COVID clinics, where medics, patients  and Britains overstretched health system  are confronting the virus's enduring effects.

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Plagues, fires, war  London has survived them all. But it has never had a year like this. The coronavirus has killed more than 15,000 Londoners and shaken the foundations of one of the worlds great cities. Amid a fast-moving mass vaccination campaign, The Associated Press looks at the pandemics impact on Londons people and institutions and asks what the future might hold.

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At King George Hospital in the east London district of Ilford, respiratory consultant Adam Ainley began noticing last summer that some coronavirus patients who had been discharged were not getting better. They had a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, muscle pain, breathlessness, headaches, anxiety and depression.

The hospital serves an area dubbed the COVID triangle, three outer London boroughs that have had some of Britains highest infection rates. Its a multi-ethnic area, home to many Black and South Asian Londoners, groups that saw higher rates of serious COVID-19 illness and death than white Britons.

High rates of poverty, crowded housing and residents in frontline jobs  including medics, taxi drivers and retail workers  all helped the virus spread.

Ainley began drawing on the expertise of colleagues from multiple disciplines to treat what has been labeled long COVID, or long-haul COVID. His clinic was one of the first of 83 set up across England, backed by the state-funded National Health Service.

Ainley said it aims to offer a one-stop approach to a complex problem.

We will try and address all the components of your illness, he said. When you get to the clinic youll see myself, youll see a physiotherapist, the occupational therapist, our clinical psychologist. I have access to other specialty members from cardiology, rheumatology, as I need to, based upon your symptoms.

Some patients have even been given singing lessons as therapy.

There is no universal definition of long COVID, a term applied to a range of persistent post-viral symptoms. While most people recover from coronavirus infections within a few weeks, Britains statistics office says almost 14% still report symptoms 12 weeks later.

Ainleys clinic has seen 700 patients, with another 120 on the waiting list. Their symptoms are often mental as well as physical. Psychologist Marc Kingsley said many experience memory loss and brain fog, as well as loneliness and low moods.

Some of the people Ive spoken to have survivor guilt, Kingsley said. They actually feel guilty about having survived where they saw people in front of them passing away.

A lot of our patients say to us they dont feel that they can just talk to friends and family, he said. They dont want to upset people.

As well as home visits from physiotherapists, Miller gets phone calls from a therapist where he can talk about the frustration he feels.

Its nice to talk to other people and get a load off my chest," he said. "And to find out through her that there are people in the same boat as I am.

The U.K., which has seen almost 128,000 coronavirus-related deaths, has recorded almost 4.5 million infections, so long COVID is likely to be a burden for years to come. But the clinics face competition for resources in a heath service facing a backlog of undiagnosed and untreated cancers and other ailments. Some long COVID sufferers say they can't get referred to one of the specialist clinics.

The NHS has allocated 34 million pounds ($48 million) to the clinics, and chief executive Simon Stevens has promised more funds will be coming.

Britain was relatively quick to devote resources to long COVID, but it was still months before many patients received specialist help. The King George clinic is still treating patients who fell sick in spring 2020. Now it is starting to see those infected during Britains even bigger winter outbreak.

The first wave, I feel gutted for, said physiotherapist Jane Clark. It is lovely to see them improve so quickly and you think, I just wish I was aware of you earlier.

Ainley says theres no gold standard or evidence-based treatment yet for long COVID, but hes encouraged to see many patients getting better.

Ive followed some of their journeys from their first admission, he said. People admitted last April we have now discharged from our clinic because now theyre back to functioning in life. Weve had people attend weddings ... people reunited with their families ... people who were essentially housebound, who are now going out.

Progress can feel agonizingly slow. Bwayla, 66, struggles with his breath and his memory and relies on around-the-clock support from his wife, Barbara.

I never thought I would walk, but now at least I can walk with a stick, he said. But at times I get so frustrated.  I love my granddaughter, but I cant even play with her.

Miller, Bwalya and Patel all know many people  workmates, relatives, friends -- who became ill with COVID-19, and some who died.

Sometimes it makes you wonder, how come I survived and a lot of people couldnt? Patel said.

The 62-year-old supermarket cashier spent three months in King George Hospital with the virus last year, including six weeks in an induced coma.

Almost a year after being discharged, he still is short of breath and suffers from numbness in his feet. But he can make a cup of tea, and hes able to walk slowly around the block. He hopes to return to work next month.

Its been a long haul, but I think Im getting there, Patel said, defiantly optimistic. I am seeing this as a second life.

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Read other installments in the APs London: Beyond the Pandemic series: https://apnews.com/article/london-beyond-the-pandemic-837183578755

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Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  An arson suspect was arrested in connection with a Los Angeles wildfire that forced evacuations in canyons where thick vegetation hasn't burned in more than 60 years, authorities said Monday.

The man detained Sunday near the fire zone was being treated for smoke inhalation, said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas. He did not identify the suspect or offer details about the investigation.

We feel we have the right person, Terrazas said at a news conference.

The wildfire near Topanga State Park was 23% contained by Monday evening. Despite burning in trees and heavy brush, its growth was slowed with the aid of cool, moist weather and its size remained at about 2 square miles (5.4 square kilometers), authorities said.

Air tankers battled the blaze after being unable to fly in the morning because of cloud cover.

No buildings were damaged and no injuries reported in the blaze that broke out late Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains. It grew rapidly Saturday  forcing about 1,000 Topanga Canyon area residents to flee their homes.

Evacuation orders were lifted Monday evening.

An explosive wildfire so early in the year, especially in cool conditions with almost no wind, portends a difficult fire season ahead in a state that has seen very little rainfall, officials said.

We really have to think about brush fires as a year-long challenge, Terrazas said.

The cause of the fire in steep, inaccessible terrain had been deemed suspicious after officials noticed two ignition points about an hour apart, the Fire Department said.

Arson investigators detained and released one person on Saturday and another person was questioned and then arrested on Sunday, the department said.

Topanga Canyon is a remote, wooded community with some ranch homes bordering Malibu, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles.

__

AP journalist Emily Wilder contributed to this report from Phoenix.
NEW YORK (AP)  Attorneys for Rudy Giuliani say a covert warrant that prosecutors obtained for his Apple iCloud account in November 2019 and a raid last month by agents who seized his electronic devices show they are treating him more like a drug kingpin or terrorist than a personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump.

In a letter to a federal judge in Manhattan, the lawyers said that by secretly seizing Giuliani's cloud data files in 2019, investigators had improperly intruded on private communications with the president.

The seized files, they wrote, likely included material relating to the impending impeachment, the welfare of the country, and to national security.

They asked the judge to unseal affidavits in support of the Nov. 4, 2019, search warrant. Reviewing the affidavits, the lawyers said, will help them expand their argument that this unilateral, secret review was illegal" and that any evidence gathered from it should be suppressed.

The letter was sent to a Manhattan federal judge who is considering whether to appoint a special master to protect attorney-client privilege during a review of evidence gathered from raids on Giulianis residence and office in April.

It was initially sent last week. A redacted version was made public Monday.

A spokesperson for prosecutors declined comment.

Federal prosecutors in New York are examining Giulianis interactions with Ukrainian figures and whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities without registering with the U.S. government.

Any warrant issued in 2019 as part of that inquiry, or any other investigation, would have been approved by a neutral judge.

Giuliani, a Republican and former New York City mayor who represented Trump in the special counsel's Russia investigation, has not been charged with a crime.

He has said his activities in Ukraine were conducted on behalf of Trump. At the time, Giuliani was leading a campaign to press Ukraine for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter before the Democrat was elected president.

Some Ukrainians who dealt with Giuliani as he campaigned against the Bidens were also looking for his help with matters of their own, including arranging meetings with U.S. officials or pressuring the Trump administration to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Giulianis lawyers have argued that the early morning April raids on his home and office were not necessary because he had made clear in 2019 that he would answer any questions without restrictions, except for privileged matters, as long as his lawyers knew what subjects would be discussed.

They said prosecutors instead simply chose to treat a distinguished lawyer as if he was the head of a drug cartel or a terrorist, in order to create maximum prejudicial coverage of both Giuliani, and his most well known client  the former President of the United States.

In addition, the lawyers wrote, the original warrant for Giuliani's iCloud account contained a non-disclosure order based on an allegation made to a judge that Giuliani might destroy evidence or intimidate witnesses if he knew the warrant existed.

Such an allegation, on its face, strains credulity. It is not only false, but extremely damaging to Giulianis reputation. It is not supported by any credible facts and is contradicted by Giulianis efforts to provide information to the Government. We should be allowed to question the Government as to what basis it had, if any, to make that assertion, they said.

Giuliani attorney Robert Costello said prosecutors have another week to respond to the letter.

In a separate letter dated last week but filed publicly Monday, lawyers for Victoria Toensing  a Washington lawyer whose phone was seized last month as part of the same investigation  asked a judge to order the Justice Department to return her cell phone as well as information collected from her iCloud and Google accounts from what they described as covert warrants in 2019.

Given the breadth of the warrants, the lawyers wrote, it is virtually certain that the materials the Government received included substantial privileged and confidential information concerning clients and criminal matters that have nothing to do with this investigation, privileged and confidential information concerning unrelated other matters that are actively before the DOJ, and privileged and confidential information that is the subject of the warrants.

The defense lawyers said the government has so far declined to reveal what materials a specialized filter team has acquired, reviewed or turned over to the investigative team.

___

Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker reported from Washington.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Some Mississippi lawmakers say they want Gov. Tate Reeves to call them back to the Capitol for a special session to revive the state's initiative process. Others want a chance to quickly revive discussion of a medical marijuana program.

The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that the medical marijuana initiative is void because Mississippis initiative process is outdated. That effectively killed other initiatives for which people are already petitioning.

We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy, Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday in a statement that did not mention medical marijuana. If the Legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law."

The Mississippi Legislature usually meets from January to April. Lawmakers can reconvene only if the governor calls them back to the Capitol.

A spokeswoman for Reeves said Monday that the Republican governor is still reviewing the case and has not decided about a special session.

At the heart of the ruling is the fact that initiatives need signatures from five congressional districts to get on the ballot, but because of Mississippis stagnant population, the state has only four districts.

The initiative process was added to the Mississippi Constitution in the 1990s as Section 273. It requires petitioners trying to get any initiative on the ballot to gather one-fifth of signatures from each congressional district. Mississippi had five congressional districts at the time that was written. But the state dropped to four after the 2000 census, and language dealing with the initiative process was never updated.

Republican Sen. Jeremy England of Vancleave said Monday that there seems to be a sense of urgency among lawmakers on both passing a medical marijuana program and restoring the ballot initiative process.

However, he said the ballot initiative issue could be a lengthy process. Because it would require a constitutional amendment, it would need two-thirds of support from lawmakers, England said. Then, the issue would need to be put on the ballot in the next statewide election, which is in November 2022.

A priority for a special session should be making sure some form of medical marijuana program is approved before the end of the year, England said.

About 1.3 million people voted in Mississippi in November, and more than 766,000 of them voted in favor of Initiative 65. That's about 10,000 more residents than voted for Donald Trump, who won handily the presidential race in the state.

England said a huge amount of money and time has been spent by business owners and the Mississippi Department of Health to implement a medical marijuana program. The department was instructed in Initiative 65 with starting the program by the middle of this year.

England said he believes the language of Initiative 65 should be our base starting point" for the legislation. However, he said he expects debate and negotiation, especially on issues like taxation.

Republican Sen. Scott DeLano of Biloxi said lawmakers should be prepared and willing to move forward with establishing a medical marijuana program this year that is consistent with the spirit of Initiative 65.

The only way for us to be able to do that before January of 2022 is if the governor calls for a special session, DeLano said Monday. Its what the public wanted; it's what our constituents wanted and what they expected. I believe its my duty to do my part in making sure that the will of the voter is heard.

___

Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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This practice is very much prevalent in rural areas where family members take patients to hospitals in critical stage, and return with them when told there are no beds, oxygen or other facilities. (Representational Image/AFP)

Vijayawada: Several Covid-19 deaths are going unreported, especially at private hospitals as people are taking their loved ones home against medical advice when there were bleak chances of survival and performing last rites after their death in various parts of AP.

This practice is very much prevalent in rural areas where family members take patients to hospitals in critical stage, and return with them when told there are no beds, oxygen or other facilities. Such deaths are not being reported to the government. The families prefer this way as they do not want to miss the chance to bid final farewell and conduct last rites, because they would not be handed over the bodies if deaths were due to Covid-19. Though this practice is also found in urban centres, it is more prevalent in rural areas.

What is worrying is that people are taking back the sick home even if they are found to contract the viral infection, and thus are putting themselves at tirk. In Rajahmundry, a 63-year-old woman was infected with Coronavirus and was admitted in a private hospital. After a few days, as her oxygen levels dropped alarmingly, the hospital advised the family to shift her to any other hospital which has a ventilator. However, losing hope in her recovery, her son hired an ambulance to take her home and on the way, he even purchased a body bag and placed an order for a coffin. She died within a few hours of reaching home. Though it was a Covid-19 death, it went unaccounted for. Her family members buried her body at a burial ground as per their tradition. However, her husband and two sons were infected. Her husband is in critical care at KGH, Visakhapatnam. A distant relative, who was asked to take care of her grandchildren aged 10 years and seven months, was also infected along with the older child. Though the child recovered, he lies in critical condition at KGH. The deceased womans daughter and son-in-law who wore PPE kits during the funeral were, however, not infected.

In another case at Kakinada, a 65-year-old retired employee was infected with the Coronavirus and was taken to the government hospital. His oxygen saturation was down to 80% and also the pulse rate was down. As they could not get a bed, the family made enquiries with some hospitals and called for an ambulance. By the time it arrived, the patient died. The body was taken home and the death went unreported.

A senior government doctor said, If Covid-19 deaths fail to be reported properly, the state government may not be able to assess the gravity of the spread of virus and resultant deaths, and come up with a plan to tackle it. So, a mechanism should be evolved to report all such deaths. Covid-19 infected bodies should never be given to family members as it will result in spread of the virus. Covid-19 test should also be done on those who died due to other reasons to play safe.
ENT specialists urge the government to intervene and make the drug available as soon as possible for all hospitals.  PTI

HYDERABAD: Shortage of medicines to treat black fungus affliction is a major challenge. Different grades of amphotericin drugs are not available in the city.

Ear, nose and throat doctors in private hospitals and pharmacists say they do not understand why such a shortage.

Amphotericin B deoxycholate is a conventional drug that has side-effects affecting kidney but doctors say they can get a kidney specialist to manage the patient and stop the fungus invasion if the medicine is available.

This medicine is cheap but not available in Telangana. It costs about Rs 400, a doctor said.

Private hospital managements have reached out to stockists in Chennai and Bangalore for different grades of amphotericin. ENT specialists have also contacted their colleagues in Mumbai and Delhi. The drug is available in these cities.

An ENT specialist said, "There is need for aggressive intervention by the state government. We are having patients with invasion in the eyes. Surgical removal of fungus is possible by removing the eyeball and cleaning the region from nose to eyes. But, in order to not allow the fungus to regrow, we need amphotericin.

The conventional drug will also do, and we need to urgently save the affected patients from this life-threatening invasion."

At present, doctors are also using antibiotics and alternative drugs but they say this is not helping.

Dr Srinivas Kishore, ENT surgeon at Asian institute of gastroenterology says, "We have 40 patients in the hospital and require 1,000 vials. Till we get the medicine we are managing somehow, but the drug is required for complete recovery."

Doctors are not able to understand why this shortage. Production was always less, though. Since the last one week, there has been constant hue and cry over black fungus. Production should have been scaled up and the drug made available in a matter of a few days, say senior ENT doctors.

The raw materials for different grades of amphotericin are available in the market. A senior pharmacist says, "In my 42 years of practice, there has never been such a steady shortage of medicines. Where have all the stocks gone? There are no old stocks in the market, they say, but this cannot be the case.

Each stockist would have at least 10,000 vials in different centres for antifungal treatment.

The grade of liposomal amphotericin B is an advanced version and it is costly. The price for this medicine ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for 50 mg. This has minimal side-effects on kidney compared to conventional amphotericin. The production of this particular grade was always limited.

Each patient in the present situation requires 100 vials for cure. ENT specialists urge the government to intervene and make the drug available as soon as possible for all hospitals.
During the lockdown, we are getting good money, but many working in the food delivery units are down with the infection.  DC Image

HYDERABAD: Food delivery staff in the city are happy as their earnings have gone up during the lockdown with more of daily business. Yet, worried over the Coronavirus, they are taking all precautions and urging customers to take the delivery at the gate, and not at the doors inside the buildings.

Many cases of Covid-19 are reported from apartments in the second wave and several of their colleagues, they say, have been infected. Delivery boys also request the police not slap them with fine and not seize their bikes during the lockdown period at least.



Swiggy delivery executive Bheravat Santosh Naik said, During the lockdown, we are getting good money, but many working in the food delivery units are down with the infection. Several of those to whom we deliver food could be infected persons. How do we know? Our appeal to the aggregators is to convince the customers living in apartments to take the order from the gate.

Santosh said, In Sainikpuri, there are 600-plus delivery executives just for for Swiggy. We are scared of the infection.

Jhangir, a Zomato delivery executive, said, At the food pick-up points, there is no social distancing during the lockdown. Restaurant owners give us a small passage to wait and pick our deliveries. All the boys form into a crowd, thus, and this is risky. No safety for us, but if we dont work, our families will not be able to live.

In Himayathnagar, there are more than 500 Zomato delivery staff. Since the lockdown, more orders are flowing and the company is hiring more boys. These companies, when they hire, must ask for an RT-PCR test certificate, so the others around will feel safe, he said.

Durgesh Raj, with Zomato for two years, said, We work non-stop for 12 hours. Only then can we can make a decent sum. We are moving on bike, our spines will be taking the extra burden, and many customers behave rudely with us.

Police stop us and ask us to pay for previous challan(s), if one or more are pending, and they seize the vehicles. At least for this period of the lockdown, the police should leave us alone. We all come from humble backgrounds. A thousand rupees is a lot, and not easy to arrange.

The Telangana Gig and Platform Union has given a representation to the aggravators for bringing food delivery boys into the insurance bracket.
The Cabinet which met on May 11 earlier had decided to impose 10-day lockdown in state from May 12 to May 22.  By arrangement

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao has decided to extend the lockdown in the state till May 30. The Chief Minister took the decision after speaking to his Cabinet ministers over phone on Tuesday and eliciting their opinion.

Following this, the Chief Minister has decided to extend the lockdown till May 30, according to a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Tuesday. The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue a government order on the extension of the lockdown.

The relaxation period from 6 am to 10 am every day will be continued as usual till May 30.

As the ministers are busy monitoring the Coronavirus curtailment measures and medical services at the field level, the Chief Minister has cancelled the Cabinet meeting, which was earlier scheduled on May 20 to take a decision on extension of lockdown.

The Cabinet which met on May 11 earlier had decided to impose 10-day lockdown in state from May 12 to May 22. It was also decided to convene Cabinet meeting again on May 20 to take a decision on extension of lockdown.

But that meeting now stands cancelled as the Chief Minister has taken a decision to extend the lockdown till May 30.
The Chief Minister should leave the farm house first and initiate efforts in lifting the paddy, Bharatiya Kisan Morcha president Sridhar said.  PTI

KHAMMAM: Bharatiya Kisan Morcha state president Kondapalli Sridhar Reddy said on Monday that farmers are suffering due to the non-lifting of paddy at Indira Kranthi Patham centres.

Sridhar Reddy, who visited the paddy fields at Patharpadu in Tirumalayapalem mandal, said the government failed to put a plan in place to lift the paddy. The paddy was placed on thrashing floors and the farmers were worried over approaching rain. Paddy stocks for sale in some mandals were hit by unseasonal rain, he said.

The government has no control on millers because it has a hidden deal with them in the lifting of paddy. The millers are cutting the price in the name of tharam (a practice of reducing the price) twice  first in the field and later at the mill, he said.

He said the government is not being mindful of the woes of the farmers who raised paddy for quality rice on the advice of the government. Nobody including millers and other agencies is showing any interest in lifting the stocks.

The Kisan Morcha president urged the government to lift all varieties of paddy. The Chief Minister should leave the farm house first and initiate efforts in lifting the paddy. Farmers told me they will be thrown into the hands of moneylenders if the produce is not lifted on time or went waste due to rain.
The price of petrol is subjected to change daily as petroleum companies such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) alter the fuel prices based on the crude oil prices.  PTI

Hyderabad: The price of petrol in the city rose up to Rs 96.22 on Monday, the highest it has ever seen, say petroleum dealers.

The price of petrol is subjected to change daily as petroleum companies such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) alter the fuel prices based on the crude oil prices.

The pandemic has dampened the entire nations economy. So, even the oil companies are looking to make up for their losses, by raising the price of petrol per litre. It is a known fact that the price of petrol would increase due to fluctuations in the crude oil price per barrel. The only rise that we are witnessing now is due to the oil companies, Rajiv Amaram, joint secretary, Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers, told this newspaper.

While the prices have been increased for the consumer, the dealers are still being given only Rs 4 per litre, by the oil companies, he added.

On March 1, the price per litre was Rs 94.79, against Rs 94.16 on April 1 and Rs 93.99 on May 1.
The present LMO supply from these plants is inadequate and many patients waiting for oxygen beds couldn't be given admissions in the hospitals due to the supply constraints of LMO,  PTI file photo

Nellore: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, who won millions of hearts with his philanthropy during the course of the Coronavirus pandemic, has come forward to set up a Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) plant at the district hospital in the backward Atmakur town of SPSR Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh.

Responding to a detailed letter from district collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu on the alarming situation in the district where the positive rate stands at 37 per cent, Sonu Sood, agreed to provide Rs1.5 crore for the construction of the plant.

The collector, who is an old acquaintance of the actor, explained the daily demand of 40 MTs of oxygen to address the needs of 36 Covid Care Hospitals and 24 private hospitals with a bed strength of 2,848 beds including 1,525 oxygen beds and 310 ICU beds.

In his letter, the collector said, We are receiving 9 MT Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from Inox, Sriperumbudur, 20 MT from Linde, Chennai, and 16 MT on alternative days from RINL, Visakhapatnam.

The present LMO supply from these plants is inadequate and many patients waiting for oxygen beds couldn't be given admissions in the hospitals due to the supply constraints of LMO, he said.

With a sense of personal gratitude for your service to the nation in distressed times, I seek your intervention to bolster the efforts of the district administration in Covid response, Chakradhar Babu requested.

Moved by the situation, Sonu Sood, who was named as an Asian celebrity in the world for his philanthropic efforts, promised to extend financial assistance to a 1.5 MT LMO plant.

Sharing the information to this newspaper, industries minister and legislator of Atmakur, Mekapati Goutham Reddy profoundly thanked Sonu Sood and also commended Chakradhar Babu for his initiative.
The state governments are procuring all these for free treatment for Covid patients at government hospitals as well as for supplying medical kits to the patients under home isolation.  PTI

Hyderabad: The state government will pitch for abolition of GST on medicines, vaccines and equipment used for Covid treatment at the GST Council meeting on May 28.

Finance minister T. Harish Rao will take part in the meeting called by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman via video mode from Delhi. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has asked the minister to raise this issue at the GST meet.

States such as West Bengal and Punjab have already urged the Centre to abolish GST on life-saving drugs and equipment being used for Covid treatment, besides on hand sanitizers, face masks, gloves, PPE kits, temperature check equipment, oximeters, ventilators etc.

State governments are procuring all these for free treatment for Covid patients at government hospitals as well as for supplying medical kits to the patients under home isolation.

The TS government is of the view that imposing GST ranging from 5 per cent to 12 per cent on these items burdened the states as also those undergoing paid treatment in private hospitals.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on May 9 ruled out exempting Covid19 vaccines, medicines and oxygen concentrators from GST, saying such an exemption will make the life-saving items costlier for consumers. Manufacturers will not be able to offset the taxes paid on inputs, and several states are planning to press their demand again at the GST Council meet.

Currently, domestic supplies and commercial imports of vaccines attract a 5 per cent GST, while Covid19 drugs and oxygen concentrators attract a tax of 12 per cent.

Congress working president Sonia Gandhi has also pleaded that all life-saving drugs, equipment and instruments required to treat Covid19 patients must be exempted from GST.
He further deplored that it was unfortunate that the present rulers targeted the temples instead of using schools and function halls that would have all the necessary facilities.  (Representational image: PTI)

VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam has objected to the government move on turning temples into Covid centres. TD state executive secretary Buchi Ram Prasad on Tuesday warned the Jagan Mohan Reddy government not to play with the sentiments of Hindus by continuing its partial attitude towards temples, archakas and devotees in the state.

Ram Prasad deplored pointed out that in the temples, there would be no toilet facilities usually, hence, it would not be possible to provide required facilities to the Covid patients. He further deplored that it was unfortunate that the present rulers targeted the temples instead of using schools and function halls that would have all the necessary facilities. Had this Chief Minister held a review meeting even once to find out and resolve the problems of archakas in the temples? What did he do for their well-being archakas in the past two years? he also asked.

The TD alleged that since the YSRC came to power, there were over 180 attacks on the Hindu temples all over Andhra Pradesh but the YSRC government miserably failed to take any single step. He lamented that now the government was daring to turn the temples into the Covid centres. It may even ask the archakas to do duties at the Covid centres, he worried. He demanded that the government roll back its decision.
Peddireddy Mithun Reddy flayed Naidu for getting nervous over the arrest of the Narsapuram MP and said he was worried that he might be exposed if an inquiry was taken up.  By arrangement

Vijayawada: Alleging political conspiracy by Telugu Desam (TD) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu to destabilise the state government with regard to Narasapur MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Rajus case, YSR Congress (YSRC) MPs demanded a probe to bring the culprits behind it to book.

YSRCP floor leader in the Assembly Peddireddy Mithun Reddy, MPs Vallabhaneni Balasouri and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said Naidu was using the Narsapuram MP as a pawn in his plot against the government.

Addressing the media here on Monday, Balasouri said Raju switched loyalty from one party to the other for five times even before getting elected as an MP, adding that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had honoured him by appointing as chairman of a Parliamentary committee and also chairman of subordinate legislation committee despite being a first-time MP.

He slammed the MP for imitating the way the Chief Minister would speak and for using abusive language against him and party MPs. He said even the senior IAS and IPS officers were not spared by him.

The MP pointed out that though they were keeping quiet, tolerating all such criticism, Raju started to stir up hatred on caste and communal lines among the people. He asked whether Naidu and Jana Sena leaders would tolerate in case their own party leaders criticised them in such a manner. He turned critical on Naidu for writing letters to President Ram Nath Kovind and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Narsapuram MPs issue while keeping quiet during the arrest of TD AP chief K. Atchannaidu and party leader Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar on issues related to ESI and Sangam Dairy irregularities respectively.

Coming down heavily on the TD chief for showing sympathy to Raju, he asked why the opposition leaders had failed to counsel him when he was crossing all limits of decency in criticising others.

Speaking on the occasion, Peddireddy Mithun Reddy flayed Naidu for getting nervous over the arrest of the Narsapuram MP and said he was worried that he might be exposed if an inquiry was taken up.

Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu castigated the opposition leaders for questioning the state government for not taking the Narsapuram MP to Ramesh Hospitals in Guntur and advised them to go through orders from the High Court and the CID special court which asked them to take the MP to government hospital for medical examination.
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A number of events will be held in Derry next week to mark the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd.

Mr Floyd, a 46 -year-old black man, died on May 25 last year while being restrained by a police officer Derek Chauvin.

His death sparked worldwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign.

Chauvin was recently found guilty of second-degree murder and is awaiting sentenced.

The North West Migrants Forum (NWMF) is marking the first anniversary of Mrs Floyd's death with a series of events in Derry.

The event schedule includes the launch of an online book of remembrance and an online memorial service that is taking place on May 25 from 7.30pm to 9pm.

The service will be live-streamed through the NWMF Facebook page.

Confirmed guest speakers for the memorial service include: Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown; Dr Umar Al-Qadir, chair of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council; Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP; and Brian Tierney, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council.

NWMF is also asking members of the public to light a candle at 9.25pm after the online memorial service and display it on their windows in memory of Mr Floyd.

They are then encouraged to share a photo of their candle on social media, tagging the NWMF and using the hashtag #uniteaganistracism.

Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Director of Programmes at the North West Migrants Forum, said: Its hard to believe that it has been a year since the brutal murder of George Floyd in America, a tragedy that should never have happened.

We must continue to work together to stamp out racism and hold accountable the structures and systems that have allowed such heinous acts to continue to occur.

This includes the PSNI and the NI executive just as much as the powers that be in USA. So let us connect, unite and be the change that we want to see within our communities, towns and cities."
Who would have known on the 9th of January 2020 when all the parties in the Assembly signed up for The New Decade New Approach (NDNA) that Covid-19 would strike and dominate all of our lives for 18 months.

There was a lot of great stuff in the NDNA on areas like health, legacy and the Irish language.

We really do need to make progress on them but many people across Ireland and the UK are now reimagining what the future should be like.

We have been locked down and our lives on pause for almost 16 months. During that time, we have seen both the Irish and British government dig deep and find billions to effectively underwrite both economies.

I wrote over a year ago that the failure by the UK Government to intervene and shore up the economy would lead to a total collapse of the economy in the UK and society.

In my opinion both governments had no choice but to dig deep and borrow.

Now before we all get sentimental and fuzzy, they effectively borrowed money which WE will pay back to keep both countries from imploding. We are all effectively covering the loan. It's us on the hook.

This huge intervention however demonstrates how governments when they need to, are willing to intervene.

I'm always reminded of the time Theresa May told a nurse who hadn't had a pay rise in eight years that 'there isnt a magic money tree that we can shake that suddenly provides for everything that people want'.

Well Boris has mysteriously found a forest full of money trees.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reckons the UK has borrowed over 355bn in 2020/21. It will be 234bn in 2021/2022. This is the highest ever seen outside wartime.

In the words of Ted Hastings 'Jesus Mary and Joseph and the Wee Donkey'! That will be 600bn+ in 2 years.

Where have the 'Austerity Brothers' George Osborne and David Cameron gone? Cameron has his own problems but Osborne is still bleating the 'balance the books mantra' from the sidelines. I can't see that anytime soon.

So, post Covid-19 what can we expect?

Well for one thing Covid-19 has hit society in a way not seen since WW2. I am old enough to remember the recession of the 1980s and this is much worse than that.

In the USA, President Biden has come out of the stalls clearly indicating that he wants to pump prime the economy with a major overhaul of decaying infrastructure.

It's been hailed by many as a version of the post Great Depression 'New Deal' delivered by President Franklin D Roosevelt. It really got the US back on its feet.

Many across the island of Ireland are looking for a 'new normal'.

Of course, we all want to get rid of masks and go for a pint etc. but to slide back into a society driven by economic greed isn't as appealing any more. A lot has changed.

The last 16 months has put many sectors in the spotlight. We have all clapped for health workers and carers but prior to all this, their pay and conditions didn't really interest us so much.

This was the same for many of the jobs which during the Covid crisis became 'frontline'.

Delivery drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers, cleaners and the people stocking the shelves of our supermarkets.

Now, most of us appreciate the role they do and their pay and conditions matter more to us than ever. Without these people risking their lives and long term health society would have collapsed.

Most of them didn't have the option to work remotely. They showed up and took care of the sick. They scrubbed down rooms or beds where Covid patients had been.

The point is they showed up and we now have a chance to reset our society and replace the clapping with a better salary.

For me, if it means a bit extra in tax, I'm happy to pay it.

Now when I see 5-6 Deliveroo drivers waiting outside a Take-away for a job I can't help but feel sorry for their plight.

Before I was oblivious to it but now, I see just how unfair society has got. Some person designs an algorithm and sits in California and earns billions while a delivery driver (who does all the work) gets minimum wage.

Many are now calling for a social revolution across society.

I've heard 'build back better' and 'build back stronger' bandied about like snuff at a wake but it makes perfect sense. In Derry, we have saw throughout this crisis a number of community organisations across the city step up and work in partnership with DCSDC and central government.

Their roots are in the community and without their involvement during Covid-19 many more people would have died or slipped deeper into poverty. We really need to build on that.

For me, there needs to be a major rethink at central and local government level on how we deliver the recovery.

A cornerstone for this needs to be a recognition of the important role the community and voluntary sector play.

We must mobilize these communities and connect with them and most importantly invest in them.

If local or central government want to do community planning then invest real money in it and forget these detailed desk based action plans which often have no resources behind them but look great on a PowerPoint.

And when you think about it who is best placed to help young people within some of our most disadvantaged get jobs.

We have had an economic policy for the last 20 years which mixes encouraging and supporting indigenous businesses whilst attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

It's had some success but it hasn't taken Derry off the top of the unemployment league for the North.

There are quite a few other communities it has failed. It's now time to recognise that empowering organisations within these communities and backing them financially is the way to see jobs and a better society.

And how do we do it?

Within the North I would empower the Department of Communities and give it the budget to deliver it.

They could jointly deliver this with Invest NI through the Department for Economy. That would be the best model for delivery.

I would also put social enterprise and its promotion on a par across the island.

There is no reason why more of our young people keen to start a business wouldn't decide on this structure.

All the social enterprises I know make profits. It's what they do with these profits which is different.

They reinvest in the staff and community instead of paying dividends. Many others use profits to provide vital services in their communities.

Many young people are already starting social enterprises and others are seeing a career working in a social enterprise in a different light.

The biggest problem is that most people think social enterprises are confined to a sector. They're not. Its more a way of doing a business rather than a specific sector.

We have one chance to get this right as hopefully Covid is a once in a lifetime event.

Already initiatives like Buy Social from the Department of Finance are recognising social capital in all their tenders.

We need to do more, however. Let's not go back to the old normal because let's face it, things were not so great.

President Harry Truman attempted a 'New Deal' in the USA after WW2. His 21 point plan which included developing a US version of the NHS and many other things failed.

He also wanted to increase minimum wage and tackle some of the civil rights issues still visible in the US.

It failed and most of the 21 objectives where never met.

Let's hope we can learn from Covid and unlike President Harry Truman deliver a 'fair deal' to everyone in society.

Trickledown economics is a myth folks and it's time we value people and work with our communities here to build a fairer society.
For the second week in a row, no Covid-related deaths have been recorded in County Derry's three local government districts.

The Department of Health's Covid-19 dashboard also yesterday indicated there are currently no Covid patients remaining in either Altnagelvin Hospital or Antrim Area Hospital.

Across the Northern Trust, the total number of Covid in-patients has dropped to just nine, with only seven remaining under the care of the Western Trust.

The county recorded a rise in case numbers over the last seven days, with the number identified up 3.4% from 175 to 181, seeing the rate per 100,000 of population rise from 70.5 to 72.7.

Derry City's BT48 postal area did, however, register the highest rate per 100,000 across the North, despite a 12.9% reduction in the number of cases from the previous week.

Neighbouring BT47 currently ranks fifth highest with 72.7, closely followed by Magherafelt's BT45 region in sixth place.

The percentage of people testing positive for the virus has remained around 3% now for four weeks, with the figure for the last week at 3.0% exactly.

Testing figures remained at a similar level to the previous seven days, with just a 2.2% reduction in tests from 6,165 to 6,027.

Portstewart's BT55 area recorded no positive cases from 178 tests, with the county's next lowest rate per 100,000 coming in Maghera's BT46 area (8.8).

It is looking likely Northern Ireland will pass the 1,000,000 first doses mark later today, with current figures showing 997, 605  53% of the population - have received theirs.

A further 559,227 have received a second dose, meaning 30% of the total population are now fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Peter Weir has announced public examinations will return for all CCEA qualifications in the next academic year.

He told the Assembly yesterday that a 'comprehensive package' was now in place for 2022.

I am announcing a roadmap for a return to public examinations for all CCEA Qualifications in 2022. A planned return to public examinations is not, however, a return to business as usual, he said.

I am mindful of the need to consider our young peoples mental health and well-being and the significant disruption to their learning during not one but two academic years.

I have decided that young people will have significantly fewer examinations next year and I am today announcing a package of significant reductions in assessment across the range of CCEA qualifications.
The Bishop's Gate Hotel in Derry has once again made it on to a prestigious 'Top 10' list.

Since opening in 2016, the city centre hotel has received a string of accolades.

It has now been ranked in the top ten on the Best of the Best 2021 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award list for the fifth year in a row.

Other hotels on the prestigious list Claridges of London.

The accolade is another boost for the owners and staff at Bishop's Gate Hotel as it prepares to reopen next Monday, May 24, in the latest phase of the relaxing of the Covid restrictions.

Ciaran O'Neill, Managing Director of Bishops Gate Hotel, said they were honoured to make it on to the Tripadvisor 'Top 10' list.

When you look at the locations and names of the hotels featured on this list, it is a great statement of confidence in the city's hotel offering and an endorsement of the commitment and effort by everyone involved, he said.

This award shines a spotlight on the North Wests premium hospitality industry and will provide a real boost to the international image of the region and a boost to domestic tourism. Derry-Londonderry is a confident, vibrant, forward looking city and district that provides the best of all worlds, offering city, coastal and countryside experiences.

This award is a reflection of our staffs enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment to excellent customer service.

In my opinion, they are simply the best and thats why Bishops Gate has been recognised by the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards five years in a row.

Mr O'Neill said the hotel industry is going through one of the longest periods of lockdown.

Despite being only open for limited periods last year, we continued to trade when permitted to do so.

Undoubtedly, there will be challenges ahead but, what there is no doubt about, is the tenacity and commitment of Bishops Gate Hotel and its team as we move into this next phase.

Everyone is aware of the responsibilities that rest on our collective shoulders to adhere to best practice.

This year, we are confident that staycations will be a popular choice for many wishing to holiday at home.

At Bishops Gate, we work tirelessly to deliver experiences that exceed expectations whilst positioning ourselves as one of Northern Irelands leading destinations.

This award shows we are at the top of our industry and we look forward to continuing to deliver the highest quality standards our guests expect.
A woman was found by the side of a road in Derry on Sunday with a 'large gaping hole' in her head, a court was told today.

A man appeared before Derry Magistrates Court this morning charged with attacking the woman at Glen Road on Sunday afternoon.

Andrew Mully, who is 23 years-old and whose address in court documents was given as Waring Street in Belfast, was also charged with assaulting a police officer and being disorderly in Altnagelvin Hospital on the same day.

A PSNI officer told the court that police received a report from a member of the public at 4pm on Sunday in relation to an incident at Glen Road.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 'highly distressed' woman with blood all over her face and a 'large open wound' to the top of her head.

The officer said there was a man lying behind the woman on a grass bank who was unconscious and who appeared to be 'highly intoxicated'.

Police woke him up but he refused to give any details.

However, officers were able to establish his identity from a bank card and it turned out this man was Mully.

The injured woman, who required nine staples to her head wound, told police that she had met Mully the previous evening.

She said that while walking down Glenbank Road on Sunday she had tried to help him as he was having trouble walking.

She told police that he turned around to her and said 'I am going to knock you out' before headbutting her and punching her a number of times.

Mully was arrested. He told police he had consumed Xanax and, as a result, he was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital.

At the hospital, the officer said, Mully was 'extremely abusive' to hospital staff and also kicked a police officer.

The abuse was so bad that medical staff were unable to treat him.

He was further arrested for disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police officer.

During police interview, Mully said he had travelled to Derry at the weekend to meet the injured party.

He claimed that he could remember being in two houses but had no recollection of the offences of which he is accused.

A bail application was made on Mully's behalf but the police officer said they would object to him being released because of a high risk of him reoffending.

The officer said the defendant had 31 previous convictions and had also breached bail conditions a number of times before.

A defence solicitor said Mully had 'long-standing' problems with addiction and homelessness.

However, the solicitor added that he now had 'some stability' in his life because he had secured accommodation and a job.

He said Waring had 'some online contact' with two women before travelling to Derry to meet them.

The solicitor said the situation 'deteriorated' but that Mully had 'limited recollection' of what happened at the weekend.

Resident Magistrates Barney McElholm said Mully had been given 'ample opportunities' in the past and refused the bail application.

He was remanded in custody to appear before the court again on June 10.
Officers from Derry City and Strabane District Council will feature in a documentary being aired on TG4 this week to mark World Bee Day.

Dr Christine Doherty and Pol O Frighil from the local authority will join experts from across Ireland talking about practical measures being taken to reverse the decline of our bee population as part of the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Last year, Derry City and Strabane became one of the first councils to change the way in which its grass was being cut in order to assist pollinators through the Don't Mow, Let it Grow initiative.

The TG4 documentary will be broadcast on Thursday at 9pm.
Neena Gupta Says She Had Decided To Enjoy Life After Getting Married Until She Realised, 'My Enjoyment Is My Work'

There is nothing else that gives her more pleasure than work, says veteran actor Neena Gupta, who is growing strength to strength in her career spanning almost four decades.

In the last few years, Gupta has become one of the go-to senior performers when it comes to 'unique' characters in films like "Badhaai Ho!", as well as web series "Panchayat" and "Masaba Masaba".



Her latest release "Sardar Ka Grandson", in which she plays Sardar, the 90-year-old grumpy matriarch who wishes to see her home in Lahore one last time, is the latest addition to that list.

"When you are young, you get all sorts of roles. When I heard the story, I loved it. I was jumping. Sometimes when somebody is narrating, you start visualizing it. Also, you don't get a role like this, it is very rare that you get a role like this to play at my age," the National School of Drama graduate told PTI about "Sardar Ka Grandson", which released on Netflix Tuesday.

"I am hungry for good scripts and roles. After many days I got a good offer so I thought let's eat this one," she quipped.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neena Gupta (@neena_gupta)

Reflecting on her life and career, the 62-year-old actor said during her heyday she would work round-the-clock and chose to slow down to enjoy her marital life with Delhi-based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra, only to realise that she loves what she does.

"I worked so much in my life. I had a child to look after that I had no time for myself. So when I got married, I said okay, now I will not work and enjoy family life because I have never enjoyed (it). I was always working... there was no enjoyment," she said.

"But then I realised that my enjoyment is my work. There is nothing else that gives me pleasure than my work. I am a good housewife too, I can cook, can polish shoes, etc. But my work gives me more pleasure and that's why I will work," Gupta added.

The actor, who is currently in Mukteshwar, said she is looking forward to doing good work.

Next up for her is "Goodbye", also starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna, followed by sophomore season of "Masaba Masaba" (Netflix) and "Panchayat" (Amazon Prime Video), and "Dial 100", a film alongside Manoj Bajpayee and Sakshi Tanwar.

Gupta said she has also finished writing her book.

Directed by debutante Kaashvie Nair, "Sardar Ka Grandson" also stars Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Soni Razdan, Kumud Mishra, Kanwaljit Singh, and Divya Seth.
Family Man 2 Release Date Set For June 4, Will See Samantha Akkineni Playing A Suicide Bomber?

The Family Man 2 premiere date has become a bigger mystery than the content of the this Manoj Bajpayee starrer show. While it was earlier announced to release on Amazon Prime Video in February, it was pushed further back and reports were abuzz that the new release date of the show has been set as June 11.

Well, it is now certain that the much anticipated web series will hit the streaming platform in June and the makers have already confirmed that the trailer of the second season of this spy drama will be out on May 19. A Bollywood Hungama, report has a source many exciting details to reveal ahead of the trailer launch along with claims that June 4 has been set as the official release date of the show.

Apart from excitement about Manoj Bajpyees Srikant Tiwari returning, there is also a wild anticipation to see Telugu star Samantha Akkinenis digital debut. The actress is touted to the antagonist in the web series in which Manoj plays an analyst in the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell.

Sharing details of Samanthas character the source said, One of the most crucial characters in the series is that of Samantha Akkineni. She plays the role of a suicide bomber. She belongs to a terrorist organization and the cat and mouse chase between her character and that of Manoj Bajpayee will be something to watch out for.

Well, the trailer tomorrow will hopefully reveal more that can be expected from the series and will finally clear the air on the release date of this Raj & DK helmed web series.
Latin American data centre specialist Odata is to expand into Chile; it plans to build a new facility in Santiago.

The Data Centre Dynamics website reports that, when fully developed, the six-hectare site will house more than 40,000 square metres of data centre buildings totalling 28MW of capacity. The completion date has not been revealed.

The company says it will invest $217 million into the development and will support around 500 jobs during the construction phase and 100 jobs when the data centre is fully operational.

A second project announcement in Santiago is expected soon from Odata to meet growing demand for high-speed internet, low-latency cloud services and for IT services.

Microsoft, Huawei, Oracle, and Google all have cloud regions in development or in operation in Chile, while AWS has an Edge location in the country.

Last month Odata detailed Brazilian expansion plans in Sao Paulo and Rio. Construction on its Queretaro, Mexico, campus began in January 2021. The first phase is due for completion by the start of 2022.

Meanwhile, Google has acquired 30 hectares of land for a data centre in Canelones, Uruguay, though it has yet to confirm when or whether it will build on the land. Google currently has a cloud region in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and another in development in Santiago.
Unitary enterprise A1, the largest private telecom, and content service provider in Belarus, and infrastructure operator beCloud have completed work on expanding the 4G network in the Minsk region.

"Now more than 98% of the region's population will be able to use high-speed Internet using LTE technology, and the area of 4G coverage in the region has increased more than five times: from 17.7 to 89%," said a press release from the second-largest mobile network operator in Belarus.

During the implementation of the project, more than 240 base stations operating in the 800 MHz frequency range were installed in the Minsk region. It provides wide geographical coverage of the network and reliable signal reception in rural areas, including outside settlements, said the release.

In addition, it is planned to include more than 60 base stations within a month to improve the coverage of the territory.

Nesvizhsky (95.6%), Dzerzhinsky (93.4%), Kopylsky (88.7%), Chervensky (84.3%), and Soligorsky (81.6%) regions became the leaders in terms of coverage of the territory with a 4G network in the Minsk region.

"The Minsk region has already become the third region of Belarus, where, within the framework of cooperation between A1 and beCloud, a project has been implemented to expand the coverage of fourth-generation communications," the release said.

In the future, A1 and beCloud are planning to launch an LTE network in the Vitebsk region. By 2023, the 4G coverage area for A1 subscribers will almost equal the current coverage area of the A1 3G network and will reach 97% of the territory of Belarus.
Travellers, employees and retailers at Brazils Sao Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) are now able to access the worlds first at-airport Wi-Fi 6 network using OpenRoaming.

OpenRoaming, says the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives, provides secure, automatic and friction-free access to the Cisco-powered network that is managed by Boingo.

The WBA OpenRoaming service, a roaming federation service enabling an automatic and secure Wi-Fi experience globally, will be available to travellers in GRUs international Terminal 3, using what are described as best-of-breed Samsung Galaxy devices.

Based on 802.11ax and featuring channels up to 160 MHz wide, Wi-Fi 6 can deliver speeds up to three times faster than 802.11 technologies. Designed for use in the 2.4, 5 and new 6 GHz bands, its proponents say that Wi-Fi 6 provides greater reliability, ultra-low latency and higher network efficiency in airports, stadiums and other environments with large numbers of simultaneously connected devices.

The service frees users from the repeat registration and log-in that public Wi-Fi networks often require. When coupled with the Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure, OpenRoaming also helps to provide a carrier-grade Wi-Fi experience, says the WBA.

Boingo, which provides high-speed Wi-Fi and cellular services to airports and other public places, designed, installed and manages the GRU network, which was the worlds first airport Wi-Fi 6 network when it launched in October 2020. Travellers have up to four hours of free access, including from their older generation Wi-Fi devices.

The GRU network features a unified Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure based on Cisco Catalyst access points, controllers and switches. Samsung provided GRU operations employees with ruggedized handsets and other devices enabled with Broadcoms W-Fi 6 chipset. OpenRoaming identities are used to separate automatic access for GRU employees versus guests.
Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore is set to begin on May 28. The play-ins will be followed by the Finals on May 30. Garena had earlier announced that it is rescheduling its upcoming Free Fire World Series tournament (FFWS 2021 SG) keeping in mind the COVID-19 situation around the globe and the health and safety of everyone involved.

The Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore will witness 18 teams from 11 regions across the world. The play-ins that begin from May 28 will see 9 teams fight it out for the top three spots in the Finals. Maintaining the health and safety of all involved continues to be a top priority. The date was shifted to accommodate the global pandemic situation and local public health protocols, Garena said in a media release.

Due to restrictions put in place by the Singapore government, teams from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan will not be able to travel to Singapore to compete.

The Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore starts on May 28 from 6:30 PM IST while the Finals will be held on May 30 from 6:30 PM IST.

The tournaments top 9 teams will win a share from the US $2 Million prize pool which is Free Fires largest ever.

Garena plans two further international tournaments this year. In July, the company plans to host Free Fire All-Stars. This event aims to bring together top influencers and professional players from around the world. It will then pit them against each other to see who is the best. Then in November, the company plans to hold the second edition of the Free Fire World Series. Hopefully, the situation in India and the world will have improved enough to host the event without any issues.
Russia supports China's peaceful rise

(China Daily) 10:52, May 18, 2021

SONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY

As China observes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China this year, let us analyze the country's development in the international context.

Indeed, many see China's economic and social development as a miracle. It is hard to imagine today that only four decades ago, before reform and opening-up were launched, China's per capita income was less than one-third of the average in Sub-Saharan Africa. With a trade-to-GDP ratio of less than 10 percent, China was an inward-looking country.

However, today China is the world's second-largest economy and likely to overtake the United States as the largest economy (in nominal terms) in a few years. Also, the country's share in global industrial production has reached one-fifth of the total from less than 2 percent just a couple of decades ago.

China also has set an example in eliminating poverty by lifting more than 700 million people out of absolute poverty and contributing to 70 percent of global poverty reduction.

An integrated approach to economic, social and political governance is one of the main reasons for China's success. It consists of gradual economic reform, including progressive introduction of market institutions, smart fiscal reforms, and financial sector and exchange rate reforms.

China gradually marketized its economy by transforming the government's role and functions, and strengthening the rule of law while steadily opening up the economy to the outside world and further integrating into the global labor market. These processes were accompanied by the establishment of special economic zones, culminating in China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.

The other factors that have played important roles in this transformation include deep institutionalization, industrialization and urbanization, improvement in the economic structure, and intensified technological transfer. The rise of China on the global stage gave birth to a new pattern of industrial development marked by capital-intensive production with the support of high technology. Other peculiarities of the pattern are State-owned enterprises and partnerships with foreign investors, which in turn helped transform China into the "workshop of the world".

China has achieved unprecedented economic growth owing to such bold and innovative ideas.

While these factors allowed for spectacular socioeconomic development, China has introduced a number of international initiatives that have helped stabilize the global order and promoted innovation.

Equally importantly, adherence to multilateralism, upholding of a fair and equitable global governance system, and respect for international law by China and Russia are the key factors that have prevented the world from plunging into chaos, despite the attempts of some Western countries to undermine the world order.

China and Russia have consistently maintained that Cold War mentality and zero-sum games have no future in today's world, and cultural and political diversity are necessary for peaceful global development.

Both countries believe that ideological and political confrontation will lead us nowhere. This is the basic principle behind China promoting peaceful global development by helping build a community with a shared future for mankind, and Russia upholding the sanctity of international law and sovereign equality of stateswhich is in stark contrast to some Western powers' preference for "totalitarianism over international relations", as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, via video link, at the UN Security Council meeting earlier this month.

China's stance on international development issues is the same as that of Russia, and forms the basis of the strategic partnership and friendship between the two sides.

In his phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia and China share common global interests and have the same views on many issues. Earlier, Putin had said his friendly relations with President Xi has further consolidated the partnership between the two countries.

In order to develop a fairer and more equitable world order, China and Russia have been promoting multilateral organizations such as BRICS, which has become a strong voice of the developing world. Beijing and Moscow also want all countries, regardless of their economic and military might, to be treated as equal partners in the pursuit of global prosperity.

Incidentally, the BRICS New Development Bank was the first global financial institution to offer help to countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and overcome its economic impactand has already disbursed $7 billion among BRICS states to this effect.

Also, China's adherence to international law and multilateralism makes it an ideal partner of choice for other countries to improve global governance.

China and Russia, indeed all the five BRICS states, advocate economic openness, liberalization of global trade and investment, and support the World Trade Organization-centered multilateral trading system, while condemning all forms of protectionism. And to help build a more democratic world order, China and Russia advocate respect for sovereign equality, adherence to the UN Charter, and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries.

In fact, China has succeeded in building a worldwide network of partners because it emphasizes that no country pursue global dominance and instead make efforts to ensure that global development benefits all countries. It is on this principle that China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, which is aimed at improving connectivity across countries and thereby boosting their economic development.

The Belt and Road Initiative, coupled with the Eurasian Economic Union, offers new impetus for global prosperity and sustainable development and could be seen as key elements of the Greater Eurasian Partnership proposed by Putin.

There is an urgent need therefore to establish a closer partnership among the people of China and Russia, Eurasia and the world, and use the centenary of the CPC and 20 years of Russia-China Treaty of Friendship, Neighborliness and Cooperation to seek ways to build a community with a shared future for mankind and offer new innovative ideas for the global public good.

The author is vice-president for International Relations of the Far Eastern Federal University, Scientific Supervisor of the BRICS Expert Council, and adviser to the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Coronado resident and community advocate Kerri Dowling has joined the Coronado Chamber of Commerce as its membership and events manager. Dowling has been a resident for over a decade and she and her husband Michael, retired Navy captain, have two Coronado High School graduates.
Dundalk Institute of Technology will officially launch dConnect, a digital health innovation hub based in DkITs Regional Development Centre next Tuesday.

dConnect is Irelands first dedicated digital health innovation hub and is committed to driving collaboration in the burgeoning sector of digital health.

The new innovation hub which has been funded by Enterprise Ireland and a group of regional partners aims to build a bridge between business, the healthcare sector, universities and society.

Committed to the creation of a robust Irish Digital Health cluster, dConnect will support start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs moving into the healthcare space, support commercialization of research and provide larger businesses and investors with access to innovation.

Aidan McKenna, Regional Director North East and North West Regions, Enterprise Ireland said: dConnect has been supported by Enterprise Ireland through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund which provides funding for innovation and collaborative projects with the aim of sustainable job creation in the regions.

"I congratulate Dundalk Institute of Technology and all the stakeholders in this project on building on research strengths within the Institute and enterprise capabilities within the region to develop this centre.

"As a connected health and wellbeing innovation and learning hub, dConnects activities will provide significant opportunities for businesses operating in the digital health space to accelerate collaborations with academia, innovators, public bodies and industry.

The online event is free and open to the public.

The launch starts at 9am on Tuesday 25th May with an address from the Michael Mulvey, DkIT President, followed by panel discussion with Anita Finnegan, founder of Nova Leah, Lorcan Walsh, lead at Novartis Digital Endpoint Capability Centre, Jim ODonoghue, president of S3 Connected Health and Angela Duffy, Director at dConnect.

Visit https://dconnectevents2021.zohobackstage.eu/dconnectLaunch to book your place at the launch of the dConnect Digital Health Innovation Hub.
Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow - Thunderstorm Warning for nine counties including Louth.

Forecasters have predicted thundery showers with the risk of lightning and local hail for Louth, Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork and Waterford.

The Weather Warning is valid from 2pm to 8pm today, Tuesday May 18th

Wednesday is expected to be a better day and will start with sunny spells early with highest temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees.
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Methuen - Michael V. Finn, a longtime resident of Lawrence, passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on May 25, 2021, at the age of 72 while doing something that he loved, playing golf. Known to many as "Mickey", he was born in Lawrence on April 20, 1949 to James L. and Margaret (Bateman) Fin
An argument preceded a gunshot Friday that left a Portales woman dead, court records show.

Shona Williams, who friends and family identified as Quintasha Harris girlfriend, was arrested Monday for an open count of murder and tampering with evidence in connection with Harris death.

Williams, 34, on Tuesday remained in the Roosevelt County Detention Center on a pretrial detention hold.

According to an affidavit filed in Roosevelt County Magistrate Court, the Portales Police Department received a call at 5:33 p.m. Friday reporting a shooting on the 600 block of W. 17th Lane. They discovered Harris unresponsive and bleeding on the floor, with a shell casing next to her. She was pronounced dead after being transported to Roosevelt General Hospital.

In an interview with police, Shona Willams said she and Harris, 38, had an argument, and that a gun Harris introduced to the struggle discharged accidentally. The affidavit alleged inconsistencies with Williams story, including whether she held the gun at any point and that her clothes had no signs of blood despite the close-range shooting, and that police body cam footage showed Williams at one point moving the weapon by handling it with a pair of boxer shorts.

Erin Woodard, a friend of Harris since high school, told The News she was on a lengthy video call with Harris when the argument with Williams started. The video call continued through the incident, but the phone was not positioned to capture the shooting and Woodard said she didnt realize until hours later Harris had been shot.

Everything got quiet, and all I heard was (Williams) scream, Woodard said, while alleging investigators blew her off in the initial hours following her friends death. I didnt even hear the gun go off. Tasha told the girl to get the (expletive) out of her house, and she wouldnt leave.

Woodard, who said she and Harris bonded in high school, cannot believe her friend is gone. Woodard now lives in Arizona, and said Harris was planning to hang out with Woodard in a few weeks at a youth basketball tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tasha would do anything for anybody, Woodard said. Shed make sure you were straight, then show you how to make your own money.

Woodard said she didnt believe Williams had any intent to harm Harris, and had shown an intent to marry her. But Woodard also said the two had their share of arguments since they began dating in February.

Harris aunt, Francez Williams of Clovis, told The News on Monday afternoon that her niece was involved in a struggle with Shona Williams, and was shot in the struggle. But she did not know who owned the gun or how it entered the argument. Other relatives of Harris declined interview requests from The News.

Williams is the mother of Caya Williams, who died in a Nov. 29 drive-by shooting at the Sedona Village Apartments. She said the family heard of Harris death only hours after celebrating the 23rd birthday of Zahabre Hardmon, Cayas daughter.

People need to put the guns down, Williams said, referencing her familys losses and other recent area homicides. There are too many lives that are being lost. Death is permanent. Thats not something you can go back and correct. You take the life of one person, you are affecting everybody around them.

The region had two other violent incidents over the weekend:

 In Clovis, an unrelated Friday homicide remained under investigation Tuesday. Authorities said the victim in that case was a 16-year-old boy, but they've not released his name. The boy died in a traffic accident connected to reports of gunshots being fired at a car.

 Also in Portales, a shooting reported later Friday evening near the San Juan Village apartment complex, court documents allege, was apparently the result of a drug deal turned robbery attempt. Two were arrested in connection with that incident.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Roosevelt County Magistrate Court, following a traffic stop 18-year-old Luis Ceron was transported to the Roosevelt General Hospital and treated for gunshot wounds to his wrist and shoulder. According to the complaint, Ceron was transported to the Eastern New Mexico University Department of Public Safety office following treatment, and told investigators he set up a marijuana buy with a man he intended to rob; however, that man had a gun of his own and shot Ceron after he brandished his.

Ceron was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A second criminal complaint charged JDon Reyes, 18, with the same crimes, along with tampering with evidence and resisting, evading or obstructing a law enforcement officer for allegedly running from the traffic stop with the gun Ceron used in the robbery attempt.

The man alleged to have shot Ceron had not been charged with a crime as of Tuesday.
Third grade students at Central Elementary School in La Grande take apart a sewing machine during STEM Week, May 8-16, 2021. Students across t
JINYA Chandler owner Daradee Olson, third from left, is flanked by her team. It includes, from left: Lori Eitel, Paul Norris, Daradee Olson, Jordan Ruiz, Stephanie Daniels and Cody Tolbert.
The May 11 groundbreaking of ElectraMeccanica was cheered on by Gov. Doug Ducey and Mayor John Giles.
Just after his first week of official practice, new transfer Jesse Miritello persuaded sever


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One of the most successful direct-to-consumer shopping outlets for China-based vendors outside of China's own Alibaba e-commerce platform is Amazon. This trend has been accelerating for years.

China-based sellers represented 75 percent of new sellers on Amazon in January, according to a report by Marketplace Pulse. This marks a significant increase from 47 percent in the previous year.

This large segment of China-based sellers on Amazon has not yet impacted the gross merchandise volume (GMV) market share. Domestic sellers are responsible for most of the total sales.

Three-quarters of new sellers in the top four core Amazon markets -- U.S., UK, Germany, and Japan -- are based in China. That percentage is the calculated average of the four marketplaces, according to Marketplace Pulse analysis of more than 40,000 sellers that joined those Amazon marketplaces so far in 2021.

Each of those four core marketplaces along with the other three European marketplaces (France, Italy, Spain), and Amazon's other international platforms, exhibit an identical pattern.

Sellers based in China represented 47 percent of new sellers in January 2020 and 41 percent of new sellers in January 2019. The share has more than doubled on Amazon in the U.S. from 28 percent in 2019 to 63 percent in 2021. Since March 2020, more than half of new sellers in the United States are from China.

Amazon is the most efficient direct-to-consumer platform for Chinese brands to reach U.S. and European shoppers. Despite the Universal Postal Union's drastic cut last year in the subsidy for low-cost small package shipping from China, the fast delivery lanes are still wide open to China-based manufacturers.

China's trade through Amazon is not impeded despite the immediate doubling in shipping rates. That is largely due to the ability of Amazon sellers to locally warehouse their inventory through the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. FBA enables vendors to store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, where Amazon workers pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service.

Both pricing and product offerings create a competitive challenge for domestic manufacturers selling on Amazon. For Perch, a commerce company that acquires and operates Amazon FBA businesses with winning products in their categories, Chinese retailers are the chief competitors. Perch acquired over 20 brands since its launch in December 2019.

"They pose our biggest risk," Nate Jackson, vice president of acquisitions at Perch, told the E-Commerce Times.

Competitive Breeding Ground

Perch first looked at this situation about six months ago and found that about 45 percent of the top sellers on Amazon were based in China, according to Jackson. Another 45 percent were based in the U.S. The remaining 10 percent were from everywhere else.

With 75 percent of new Amazon sellers based in China, he sees that trend continuing. It is not a political concern, however. Especially in these pandemic times, retail sales are extremely competitive buy nature.

Those numbers might be partially inflated because some vendors operate with multiple accounts. Amazon allows multiple accounts by the same business as long as each one is a totally different brand or addresses different business needs, he explained.

"So, we see more and more competition from Chinese sellers," Jackson confirmed. To the customer, all that may matter is price and convenience. The location of the seller is not an issue.

Any Chinese seller that is a member of the Fulfilled by Amazon program will get the product to you the same as other U.S.-based shippers to stateside delivery, said Jackson.

The Chinese seller ships a supply of the products to Amazon's distribution center. Amazon handles the sale and delivery of those China-based sellers like any other U.S.-based seller.

Otherwise, if the seller has to actually ship from China, and the consumer failed to notice the lack of Prime availability or actual arrival dates, the wait will be longer.

"The majority of products sold by Chinese sellers are FBA members and are delivered just as fast as products from other sellers," said Jackson.

Buyers Mostly Unaware

The vast majority of Amazon consumers have no idea who is selling the product. Many consumers wrongfully assume that the merchandise comes from established brick and mortar storefronts. In reality, many sellers are a single person or mother-son resellers working out of garages in or basements in far way locations, according to Jackson.

Amazon is starting to increase transparency into that scenario, he added. Right now, European customers can click a link on a third-party seller page and see the seller's information, pictures of the store, etc. Amazon enabled that ability in the U.S. in September as well -- where for some merchants, potential customers can similarly locate seller information, he said.

"Initially, many of those sellers objected because they felt that transparency exposed them. But in many cases, consumers just look at a product picture, read the details, check the price, and read the reviews before clicking on the cart button," said Jackson.

Invariably, the product is sitting in FBA and gets the same treatment as anyone else. It does not matter if the product is made in China or anywhere else. Sometimes, if you are not paying attention to the shipping details, it literally is coming directly from China and will take weeks to arrive, he explained.

Amazon Merchant Primer

Typically, people who shop on Amazon do not understand the retail structure of the digital marketplace. Amazon has several types of sellers in addition to the home-based merchants noted above.

These merchants are resellers. They might buy products from wholesalers at lower bulk prices and resell them on Amazon at higher prices to make a profit.

Also, there are plenty of private label brand merchants. Many of the China-based sellers fill this category, noted Jackson. They are not actually buying the product someplace else but instead trademark some of what they manufacture as a separate brand.

"These sellers started as manufacturers who made the same product for multiple companies and then decided to put their own label on some products and sell them directly on Amazon," he said.

Impact on Amazon's Eco System

Amazon is relentlessly known to be end-customer focused, according to Jackson. For consumers, the customer experience is all about assortment, quality, customer service, and price. For Amazon, increasing the number of sellers who can provide low prices is good for the customer.

"Sadly, there are some negative buyer reactions to China-based shippers. Those comments turn up in product reviews. Some consumers will give a one-star review just because it comes from China without saying anything about the quality of the product of the seller's service," Jackson added.

Some shoppers only want to buy products made domestically. That is the primary way domestic sellers can compete, according to Jackson. They can find ways to establish unique brand identities so that the customer is not just selecting on price.

"For instance, we have some merchants who show photos of their facilities made in the USA. They might have pictures of their production line in an identified state, and things like that. For some customers, that is really going to resonate," he explained.

Overall, the prominence of China-based vendors at the end of the day benefits Amazon's customer base, offered Rohan Thambrahalli, president of UpstartWorks. It provides them with more selections and competition.

"However, it is also a bad change because consumers need to be careful about the type of products they are buying from potentially counterfeit sellers. Proper regulatory approvals could be missing from claims made in listings," he told the E-Commerce Times.

For example, during Covid-19, many sellers are selling counterfeit disinfecting and PPE supplies while illegitimately making kill claims among other things, he explained.

The Cost of Made in China

The continued account openings by China-based sellers have been ongoing for years and are a fact of life for anyone selling on Amazon or other marketplaces, according to Chris Bell, founder & CEO of Perch. He does not think of it in terms of being good or bad for e-commerce.

"It is just the outcome of continued globalization of e-commerce marketplaces," he told the E-Commerce Times. "There are poor quality and fraudulent sellers based in China, the U.S., and anywhere. There are also good, high-quality sellers based in all of these places."

One admitted disadvantage that China-based suppliers bring to Amazon may be a cost advantage over the U.S. or European-based suppliers, he said. But they also have challenges in understanding local preferences, creating product listings that appeal to local customers, and optimizing the platform to compete with other sellers.

"Consumers globally want to confidently buy a great product at a great price, and that is what good brand owners globally can offer their customers," Bell offered.

Perch, despite constantly increasing competition in most of its product categories from China- and US-based sellers alike, has been able to hold or grow market share because the company offers great products, proven with great reviews, at a compelling price point. Those reviews are partially driven by great products and partially by great customer service if there is ever an issue, he added.

Globalization makes it harder to sell a mediocre product at high margins because of perceived scarcity, given a lack of options. Bell thinks this trend towards unlimited options through marketplaces like Amazon and lots of suppliers competing for the customer makes all of us need to constantly raise our game and stay competitive and not get lax in our approach.

"But as long as we continue to serve our customers well and stay sharp on products, cost, merchandising, and customer service, we can continue to win a large portion of consumer spend," he concluded.

Amazon's Quality Control

Sellers based in China are particularly good at bringing products to market at lightning speeds, noted Thambrahalli. Generally speaking, launching a new product in the U.S. can take anywhere from six months to two years, but Chinese sellers can bring a product to market in less than 90 days.

"Because of such quick speed to market, Chinese sellers will continue to impact the Amazon ecosystem solely through the sheer number of products being sold on the platform," he said.

This means Amazon must continue to increase scrutiny of authenticating brands and vetting products to ensure they pass local and federal regulatory requirements.

Amazon must keep customer confidence in products sold on Amazon at a premium, he warned. Also, Amazon will need to work very hard to prove products are safe to use as well.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.


Faye Greenhaw, 88, of Athens, passed away Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at her residence. Mrs. Greenhaw was born on February 26, 1933, to Alvie Lee Leopard and Bobbie Webb Leopard. Mrs. Greenhaw is survived by her sons; David Greenhaw (Charlsa) and Don Greenhaw; daughters, Kathy Robinson and Brenda
Local officials and members of the community attend a focus group on Monday during Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative's Planapalooza event. The five-day event is meant to allow residents of Athens to give feedback while TPUDC works on the city's new comprehensive master plan.
Apple introduced a TV calibration feature with the new Apple TV 4K in April. The color balance option uses the front-facing sensors on an iPhone with Face ID to optimize the output of Apple's streaming box (including the 2017 model). According to Apple, viewers will see much more accurate colors and improved contrast after calibration. But, the analysts at HDTVTest believe the feature doesn't always deliver on its promises. And they know a thing or two about visual quality having poked holes in The Mandalorian's true HDR claims.

In a new video, HDTVTest's Vincent Teoh armed himself with an older Apple TV 4K box and an iPhone 12 Pro to apply Apple's calibration across a trio of 55-inch TV sets: An LG OLED TV, a Samsung QLED and a Sony Bravia LED LCD TV. The AV buff also ran side-by-side comparisons on a Sony LCD mastering monitor with reference class color accuracy.

Across all three TVs, Apple's color balanced result appeared bluer than the original output, Teoh said. On the Sony LCD LED display, which was set to the most accurate out-of-the-box custom preset, Apple's calibration gravitated towards a bluer white point than the D65 standard used within the broadcast industry. In fact, it caused the color accuracy to deteriorate with an increase in delta errors, Teoh noted.

On the Samsung QLED TV in filmmaker mode, Apple's balance also resulted in a bluer image, with Teoh's objective measurements confirming this blue shift. And, on the LG OLED TV set to technicolor expert picture mode, the calibration yielded lower grayscale errors, contributing to improved color accuracy with reduced delta error figures. But, it was still nowhere near the results of a properly conducted calibration using specialized tools and software, according to Teoh.

Another shortcoming is the feature's inability to profile between different display technologies. This doesn't bode well for the broader range of display tech on the market, according to Teoh. Think LED LCDs with a traditional or PFS phosphor backlight, QLED TVs with quantum dot enhancement film and WRGB OLED TVs. While, certain 2021 OLEDs also have a new green-emitting layer.

As Teoh states in the clip, all of these display techs have different spectral power distribution (SPD). So, to achieve an accurate result in terms of luminance and color measurement, a colorimeter needs to be profiled against a spectral radiometer. However, the analyst notes that an iPhone likely won't be profiled to a spectral radiometer, which may explain why color balance produced different results between OLED and LED LCD displays.

Giving Apple the benefit of the doubt, Teoh claims it may be possible for Apple to "identify the TV through the EDID" and apply the necessary EDR offset based on the known spectral response of the display tech. But, that depends on whether the TV manufacturer is providing the correct info and Apple is following that process.

Teoh also admits that Apple's color balance could work well for less accurate TV presets. Yet, even when the image quality was inaccurate, Apple's calibration apparently introduced posterization into the picture. This is when low color bit depth results in defined stepping from one color gradation to another versus a smooth, continuous gradation. Finally, Teoh emphasized that Apple's calibration feature only works for the Apple TV output rather than all of the TV's sources.

The analyst concluded that the feature can't match a proper calibration as that requires overriding a bunch of TV settings, from the video black level to superfluous edge enhancement and noise reduction to optimizing motion interpolation. In a nutshell, simply selecting the most accurate out-of-box picture preset is "more important than running the color balance procedure," Teoh said.
Four years after Google shifted entirely to renewable energy, the company is working towards its next major sustainability goal. At I/O today, CEO Sundar Pichai explained Google's plans to run its data centers and offices entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.

Pichai called the effort a "moonshot," noting that the company will have to source carbon-free energy at all of its locations, which might not be easy for facilities in remote areas. Five data centers currently run at or close to 90 percent carbon-free energy, including the latest location in Denmark. Google built five solar farms to help run that data center, augmenting the abundant wind-based power on the Danish grid.

Last year, Google switched on a carbon-intelligent computing platform, which moves compute tasks to other data centers based on when carbon-free energy sources like solar and wind are more widely available. More of those tasks might be scheduled during daylight hours, for instance. With the latest platform update, Google says it will shift a greater proportion of electricity use to where carbon-free energy sources are available. To begin with, the system will direct multimedia processing efforts (Photos and YouTube videos, for instance) to locations with the cleanest power grids as much as possible. A full list of Google's 2030 commitment is available here.

Alphabet has also explored geothermal energy with Dandelion, a company that emerged from the X innovation lab. In 2020, Google said it had offset all of the carbon emissions it has ever generated.
Googles Sundar Pichai promised I/O 2021 would be full of new announcements and the company delivered. Across two hours, Google talked about upcoming features for most of its consumer-facing products, including Photos, Maps and Search. We also got a look at the next versions of Android and Wear OS, as well as Google's ongoing work in AI. Add to that some surprises and it was a jam-packed event.

AI

Google

Google, as usual, kicked off I/O by talking up its latest advancements in artificial intelligence. It first detailed LaMDA, a new model the company claimed represents a breakthrough in conversational AI. In one of the more unusual demos of the day, Google showed off LaMDA pretending to be Pluto and then a paper airplane in conversations between it and the companys employees. While it wasnt always eloquent or concise, LaMDA was able to answer complicated questions. LaMDA could one day have significant implications for products like Search and Assistant. The company also showed off an AI-assisted dermatology tool that can provide you information about common skin conditions.

Privacy

Google

Google devoted an entire section of its keynote to new privacy features coming to its various products. In Photos, for example, the company is adding a dedicated folder for images and video you want to keep private. Content you add to your Locked Folder wont show up when you scroll through your Photos timeline and access requires inputting a passcode. In your account, meanwhile, theres a new option to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history.

Apps

Google

If theres a Google app you use frequently, theres a good chance the company detailed some substantial updates for it. Some of the highlights include new controls over the Memories feature in Photos, a tool for changing your compromised passwords in Chromes built-in password manager and deeper integrations between all of Googles productivity apps. However, some of the most substantial enhancements are coming to Maps where Google plans to improve Live View, navigation and more detailed street maps.

Android 12

Google

With Android 12, Googles mobile operating system is getting its biggest facelift in years. Building on the companys new Material You design language, the OS will adapt almost every element of the interface, including the notification shade and Quick Settings menu, to the dominant and complementary colors of your wallpaper. Android 12 will also introduce new privacy-related features, including a dashboard where you can see a timeline of all the data the apps on your phone have accessed recently. Other notable additions include remote integration with Android TV OS, a digital car key feature and a more racially inclusive camera. Speaking of cars, the company is also making it easier for developers to build Android Auto and Android Automotive apps. You can download Android 12 public beta today on select devices from 11 different manufacturers, including Google, OnePlus and ASUS.

WearOS

Google

After years of neglect, Wear OS will finally get some love from Google. And its all thanks to Samsung. The two companies are working together on the latest version of Wear OS. While we dont have all the details on the new release, Google promised a redesigned user interface that manufacturers will have more freedom when it comes to customization. The company also said the next version of Wear OS will feature improved health and fitness tracking and better battery performance.

Project Starline

Google

It wouldnt be I/O without Google showing off something almost fantastical. In 2021, Project Starline fit that bill. Resembling something akin to a photo booth, Starline features a special screen that displays a life-sized, 3D image of a person. The effect, according to Google, is such that it feels like that individual is sitting right in front of you, creating a more natural and immersive video chat experience. For now, Starline is something Google is testing at its offices, though it plans to let other companies trial the technology later this year.
After years without a major update, Wear OS is getting some love today at Google's I/O developer conference. The software's latest version is coming, and was developed in collaboration with Samsung. This isn't the deep Fitbit integration some of us might have been expecting since Google completed its acquisition earlier this year, but its still a pretty huge deal.

Wear OS meets Tizen OS

Ive long considered Samsung's Tizen to be the best smartwatch platform for Android users and this partnership demonstrates Google's ability to recognize the Korean company's expertise in this area. Though neither Tizen nor Wear OS measure up to Apples watchOS at the moment, Samsungs software at least offers good built-in health and fitness tracking, along with a navigation system that makes common functions easy to find. Wear OS, meanwhile, is a simple skeleton that relies on cards and Assistant to get most things done, but has much more third-party app support than Tizen.

We dont have all the details on what the new UI will look like yet, but based on some renders Google has provided, it looks like some navigation changes are coming. First, a double tap of a physical button on the watch case will let you switch between your current and previous apps, like a Spotify dashboard and a Strava workout session.

Google is also expanding its existing Tiles feature, which lets you swipe horizontally through a selection of widgets, to third-party apps. It was previously limited to first-party functions like Weather, Fit and Heart Rate. Some third-party examples weve seen so far include a relaxation timer from Calm. Google said you'll be able to customize the carousel of Tiles to make your favorites easier to reach. Hopefully, well see more support from developers since the Tiles alpha was opened up in March. A horizontal carousel of widgets would make Wear OS feel much more similar to Tizen, at least on the surface.

Google

Google also said it learned things from Samsung like how to optimize battery efficiency and run certain processes in the background for a better user experience. In addition to improved performance like apps starting 30 percent faster and having smoother animations and transitions, the two companies also worked on things like the chipsets and platform-level enhancements. This should improve battery life, though don't expect to see longer runtimes just yet. The energy efficiencies are more to enable useful processes without draining too much juice. Things like constant heart rate monitoring or sleep tracking, for example, were possible on previous versions of Wear OS but would sap the battery too much to be really useful.

The new combined platform would be more open, according to director of product management for Wear OS Bjorn Kilburn, and Google would be providing a new reference UI for watch makers. "We're going to enable OEMs the ability to customize that experience much more deeply than they were able to in the past," he said in an interview with Engadget. This means companies like Fossil and Montblanc can tweak the software more deeply than before, which could result in smartwatches from different OEMs being more distinct than ever.

Improved health and fitness tracking

One area where Wear OS fell short of Tizen and Apple's watchOS before was health and fitness tracking. Though Google Fit tracked things like your steps progress and heart health points (gained from cardio activity), Wear OS didn't offer a well integrated exercise-tracking system.

Google

For the new platform, Google has "been working intensely with Fitbit and Samsung to completely rebuild the health and fitness framework on Wear," Kilburn said. He said the team collaborated with Samsung to learn how to run things like constant heart rate tracking without draining too much battery. Google also got input from both companies on how to make use of sensors like accelerometers and heart rate scanners for a comprehensive health-tracking system. At I/O, the company launched a Health Services API alpha that would let developers get familiar with the new features available on the latest Wear OS.

In addition, Fitbit is building an app for the new Wear that will bring in its tools like workout tracking and health and activity monitoring throughout the day and on-screen celebrations. It's not yet clear if Fitbit's capable sleep-tracking function will be coming to Wear OS, but if it does, it'd give Google's platform an edge over Apple. Since Fitbit uses your heart rate to tell what sleep stage you're in throughout the night, it offers more insight than watchOS, which doesn't interpret your cardio data that way yet.

Other upcoming changes

Some other changes include upcoming refreshes of Googles own apps like Pay, Maps and YouTube Music, and the Assistant. Support for offline music playback (via YouTube Music and Spotify) is coming and Maps will also soon offer turn-by-turn navigation on the wrist.

Google

Most of these, like the Fitbit app, YouTube Music and Spotify updates are coming later this year, while the Maps redesign is expected later this month or early next. Similarly, Google Pay support on watches is expanding to 26 new countries later this month or early June, bringing the total number of countries to 37. The Pay redesign is coming later this year, though, while an Assistant revamp is set for early 2022.

Bitmoji is also working on a new watch face that will use your customized avatar as a background and change facial expressions based on your health and fitness progress. There will also be a new tool that will let designers customize watch faces, as well as promised improvements to performance and chipsets thanks to the Samsung partnership. Through that collaboration, the new Wear OS will also support more carriers for LTE connectivity, as well as more countries and languages. These are all expected to arrive later this year.

To make it easier for developers to create apps for the platform, Google is also offering Kotlin support optimized for Wear OS as of this week. Also beginning this week, developers will have access to new APIs for health services and ongoing activity to enable more background processes, making their apps more useful.

Samsung and Fitbit watches with the new Wear OS

While theres no news of actual devices running the next generation of Wear OS yet, Fitbit did say it's working on "premium smartwatches" based on the new software. Meanwhile, Samsung said that its existing smartwatches will continue to run Tizen and itll continue to support the OS for three years. But moving forward, new devices will use this co-engineered Wear OS instead. With the openness that this new platform will bring, Samsung's devices could see an influx of third-party app compatibility that would make its watches more useful.

That marks the end of one era and the beginning of another in the wearable world. Though no other company has said it will be making watches based on the new Wear OS, we wouldnt be surprised if Fossil, whos so far been one of the biggest makers of these smartwatches, jumps in soon.

Will the Google and Samsung team up be the boost the industry has been waiting years for? And will the new Wear OS finally give Android users a smartwatch that rivals Apple? Its still too early to tell. Until we can test devices and the new software out ourselves, all we can do is be cautiously optimistic.
McLaren has been in the business of making ludicrously light and ridiculously fast supercars for nearly 60 years but it wasnt until 2021 that the company put one of its High-Performance Hybrid (HPH) designs into full production. Say hello to the $225,000 Artura.

The Artura is svelte for a supercar, even by McLaren standards. Its the first model from the British automaker to use the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) which reduces the weight of cabling used in the electrical system by 10 percent compared to other McLarens and delivers a curb weight of just 3,303lbs including the 7.4kWh battery pack. McLaren did not specify exactly what sorts of charging systems the Artura will be compatible with but did estimate that the battery pack could be refilled to 80 percent capacity in just 2.5 hours with a standard EVSE cable.

The powertrain is driven by McLarens new twin-turbo V6 ICE outputting 577 HP and 431 lb-ft of torque. Dubbed the M630, this engine manages to save 110 pounds of weight and a few inches of length over the companys conventional V8. Its paired with a 94 HP, 166 lb-ft axial flux E-motor which can propel the Artura up to 19 miles on electric power alone or work in harmony with the V6 engine to notch a 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds, hit 0 - 124mph in 8.3 seconds with a governed top speed of 205 mph. Interestingly, the Arturas twin-clutch gearbox has no Reverse setting. To get the car to backup, the E-Motor simply reverses its rotation on the driveshaft, turning in the opposite direction.

McLaren Automotive

We want you to look at our cars and understand what their objective is, Rob Melville, Design Director of McLaren Automotive, said during Tuesdays press event. Let's say the Senna is a 100 meter sprinter, the Speedtail is the Olympic swimmer and the Artura would be the decathlete  very good at many things.

Melville also discussed some of the the principles of the Arturas design, including the concept of purity. Its not just about purity of line and volume but about purity through the integration of components, he said. And by being able to create a car that integrates components, we're able to save weight, we're able to create a very clean sleek design, and also improve aero, and ultimately improve the craftsmanship and execution.

McLaren Automotive

While the Artura is clearly built for driving enthusiasts, the vehicle does offer a slew of comfort and driver assist features that will ensure you dont only pull it out of the garage for weekends at the track. Its dual-screen infotainment system mirrors Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as offers McLarens traditional Track Telemetry and Variable Drift Control apps (which should absolutely be used at the track), and a revamped navigation map display in the central instrument cluster. And for when you want to tune everything out and just drive, the infotainment system can enter Stealth mode, which minimizes and hides all but the most pertinent vehicle data from your view.

The Artura also offers a host of ADAS features as well, including Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop/Go; Lane-Departure Warning; High-Beam Assist and Road-Sign Recognition, according to the companys press release. More features could be added in the future as the Artura allows for OTA software updates.

Expect to see McLarens production hybrid supercar later this year when they begin rolling out in Q3.
Two years ago reports revealed that Amazon was providing facial recognition software for use by police departments, even as questions arose about the bias, privacy and potentially life-destroying errors that could result. A year ago Amazon announced a one year moratorium on such use of its Rekognition platform, and now Reuters reports that instead of letting the ban expire, Amazon has extended it "until further notice."

In a statement, ACLU deputy director Nathan Wessler said "Face recognition technology fuels the over-policing of Black and Brown communities, and has already led to the false arrests and wrongful incarcerations of multiple Black men. We are glad that Amazon will extend its moratorium on law enforcement use of the companys face recognition technology. Now, the Biden administration and legislatures across the country must further protect communities from the dangers of this technology by ending its use by law enforcement entirely, regardless which company is selling it."

As he cites, facial recognition has already resulted in multiple cases where police arrested the wrong person, while federal lawmakers have proposed regulation without passing any so far.
This content is made possible by our sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Engadget's editorial staff.

Outside an MBA or a professional mentorship, getting access to advanced business insight is extremely difficult. If youre an entrepreneur with the vision and drive to make a small organization successful, skills like raising capital may still be out of reach because there are few affordable places where you can learn them. The Complete CEO Startups Venture Capital Bundle fills the accessibility gap by providing courses designed to guide you to becoming an effective CEP of your own company, and right now lifetime access is on sale for $40.

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2021-05-17

Maeci

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, had a telephone conversation with his Palestinian counterpart, Riad Malki, on 17 May. Minister Di Maio reiterated Italy's call for an immediate cessation of violence and the launch of de-escalation measures. Italy urges all parties to engage in mediation efforts conducted in particular by the Quartet and its members.
2021-05-17

Maeci

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio met with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, on 17 May at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The talks focused on the situation in the Middle East, international security issues (JCPOA) and regional issues. The agenda also included bilateral relations between Italy and Iran and political, cultural and economic cooperation between the two countries. Lastly, there was also a debate on human rights.
2021-05-18

Maeci

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi. The Minister renewed Italy's call for an immediate end to violence, the implementation of de-escalation measures and the return to a process of dialogue, also thanks to the mediation efforts of the Middle East Quartet, in particular.
A general practitioner, wife and mother has recounted her experience with COVID-19 which saw her stay in hospital 150 days and become one of the first patients to be treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), special equipment that completely takes over the function of the lungs and is a last resort option.

The self-written case report, which appears in the journal Anaesthesia Reports (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) is by Dr Anushua Gupta, who works as a general practitioner in Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK. It is thought to be the first patient-written account of ECMO to treat COVID-19 to appear in the medical literature.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was introduced as a centrally commissioned NHS service following the H1N1 influenza pandemic ten years ago, and there are five centres that provide it in England. It involves the removal of deoxygenated venous blood, the addition of oxygen (and removal of carbon dioxide) outside the body and return of the now oxygenated venous blood to the patient. It requires specialist staff, advanced equipment and more space, yet it might provide more time for patients to potentially respond to treatment during the acute phase of their illness.

Dr Gupta explains: "I remained in hospital for 150 days, 34 of which I spent on ECMO. I have no recollection of my time on ECMO, but liberation from it was not the end of my story; I had to overcome numerous physical and mental challenges during recovery and rehabilitation. I hope my story is read by others who are recovering from COVID-19 or critical illness more generally, and that it provides hope that one can return towards a normal way of life and the challenges of rehabilitation can be overcome."

She was infected in the first wave of the pandemic, sometime during March 2020, around 2 weeks after her 40th birthday. On April 1, she was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital, and on April 4 she suddenly deteriorated with severe breathlessness and due to low oxygen levels started to experience "visual hallucinations of a black-winged figure". She was transferred to ICU for tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, requiring a medically-induced coma with no guarantee of survival.

"My worst fears were coming true. I telephoned my husband Ankur, and asked to see our daughter Ariana - just 18 months old at that time - on a videocall, as I thought that I would never get to see her again," she recalls. "I feared that I would never get to fulfil the dream that my husband and I had of living into old age together. However, I had to remain composed for the sake of my husband, who likewise had to be strong for our daughter." She was sedated later that night, not knowing she would remain in a coma for the next two months.

It was sheer coincidence that the hospital where Dr Gupta was admitted is North West England's centre for ECMO, but her case had to be assessed on her chances of survival like any other patient. Doctors decided on April 13 to put her on ECMO, which was required for 34 days. On May 13, just 4 days before being weaned from ECMO, she began to show improvement. She went on to have a tracheostomy to help her breathing on May 23 and her sedatives were gradually reduced.

Dr Gupta then details her long battle to recover from the disease, both for the remaining time in hospital and after being discharged on September 1, 2020. "My daughter has been my driving force, underpinning my determination to get better. My husband, who held the fort when I was not there, has continued to support me in every way," she explains.

She suffered multiple lung complications, swallowing difficulties and completely lost her voice due to the length of time in ICU, which she has gradually recovered from thanks to extensive support from speech and language therapists, although she remains hoarse at times. She also explains that early on after the sedatives were weaned off, "I couldn't sit upright without support, I could not feed myself, brush my teeth or hair, wash myself or even hold a pen; like a baby in its first year of life. I had to be moved by hoist for two months despite being completely awake and alert. In that time, with immense input from the physiotherapy team, I mustered the physical and mental strength to slowly be able to pull myself to stand up using a special device called a rota stand. It took a further few weeks to progress to taking my first few steps. I learned that one can certainly not underestimate the vital role of rehabilitation following critical care."

She also received extensive psychological support to help deal with the anxiety of separation from her daughter and family, and also the trauma of her physical recovery, learning various coping strategies including meditation.

She concludes: "My recovery is by no means complete. I have significant changes to my lungs. It remains unknown whether those changes are reversible. I still get breathless, but this is improving, and my exercise tolerance is getting better too. I was suffering significantly with pains in multiple joints for many months. I feel this may well be what others have described as 'long-COVID'. However, this is also improving, and I am getting fitter and more active. My liver function has improved but is not quite normal. My mental health is much better. I try to keep a very positive outlook on life, and I feel like I have been given a second chance."

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New research published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) shows the huge pressure that anaesthesia and critical care staff in the UK have been under throughout the winter wave of COVID-19, as the number of newly admitted infected patients surged and most planned surgeries, including a substantial number of critical cancer operations, were cancelled.

"These findings have important implications for understanding what has happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, planning recovery and building a system that will better respond to future waves or new epidemics," explains co-author Professor Tim Cook, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK, and Honorary Professor, School of Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.

Between October 2020 and January 2021, the authors conducted three national surveys to track anaesthetic, surgical and critical care activity during the second COVID-19 pandemic wave in the UK - the first round as the November 2020 lockdown was being implemented, the second in December 2020 as restrictions were lifted, and the final survey in February 2021 just after the peak of the new year surge caused by the new Kent (UK) variant of SARS-CoV-2.

They surveyed all NHS hospitals where surgery is undertaken. Response rates, by round, were 64%, 56% and 51%. The surveys showed increasing systemic pressure on anaesthetic and peri-operative services due to the need to support critical care pandemic demands.

There was evidence of significant stress in the system in October and this increased in December 2020 including redeployment of one in six doctors from anaesthesia to critical care, and by December approximately half of critical care units were expanded so much that planned surgery could not be safely undertaken. During this period, almost one in five operating theatres were closed but many hospitals were able to displace surgery to other locations. Overall surgery rates fell by around one quarter compared with similar periods in previous years.

The situation then deteriorated dramatically during the peak of the second surge (January 2021), with responses showing that the system was close to breaking point. Almost half of all operating theatres were closed and those that were open were often running at close to half normal activity. Hospitals were less able to relocate activity to other locations, due to lack of staff.

"The impact on surgery was in part due to a lack of space in which to operate as operating theatres were used as expanded ICUs. But the most important factor was lack of anaesthetists to deliver care as they were redeployed to critical care. In the January peak, almost one in three anaesthetic doctors were unavailable for anaesthetic work as redeployments more than doubled the critical care workforce," explains Prof Cook. "All but a quarter of critical care units were expanded to the extent that planned surgery could not be safely undertaken. As a result, surgical activity fell massively, with all types of surgery affected. There was important regional variation and in hard-pressed regions, paediatric and non-cancer surgery fell to 12-20% of normal activity and even cancer surgery, usually considered an urgent priority, fell to below half of normal activity."

As long as the UK's exit from lockdown restrictions continues and vaccination rates keep COVID-19 infections low, a rapid decompression is likely to occur whereby critical care units quickly decrease their capacity and the rest of the health system resumes elective and other surgical care. However, tackling the surgical backlog requires working at well above normal capacity for several years and even returning to normality is likely to be challenging. Co-author Dr Emira Kursumovic says: "Our data illustrate very clearly that anaesthetists - and in all probability other healthcare providers working in operating theatres - have been central in the critical care response to the pandemic, and that they will have been similarly impacted. These staff have had an increased workload and intensity, decreased leave, and psychological burdens including moral injury. The physical and psychological needs of the workforce must be considered in planning recovery of non-COVID healthcare services."

The authors add: "The surveys illustrate the pressure points in the current system. These include space and, most particularly, staff. The fact that critical care expansion requires redeployment of substantial numbers of anaesthetists is likely to have important implications for at least the next year, as critical care services work flexibly to address fluctuations in demand and expand as necessary. This in turn will have important implications for addressing surgical waiting lists. Expansion of both space and the anaesthetic workforce are likely to be inevitable requirements."

Dr Mike Nathanson, President of the Association of Anaesthetists, said: "These important surveys demonstrate the pressure anaesthetists and anaesthetic departments were under during the pandemic surges. The impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of our colleagues is still being felt. The impact on the health of the nation, in terms of the expanding waiting lists for investigations and surgery, is a huge concern. Workforce shortages and the inability for many of our trainee anaesthetists to progress their careers due to the lack of suitable jobs will accentuate this backlog, even without any further surges."

Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, which funded the surveys, said: "These findings confirm the central role anaesthetists played during the pandemic, treating critically ill patients with and without COVID. It is clear that the success of any recovery will hinge on having the right staff, in the right place, at the right time."

He adds: "In the rush to reduce the backlog, however, we must not forget the enormous physical and psychological toll that working in the pandemic has had on anaesthetists. Any attempt to go too fast risks staff cutting back on hours or leaving the profession altogether, jeopardising the sustainability of the NHS. It is vital that we take onboard the lessons from the past year, so we are able to identify areas for improvement, plan a sustainable NHS recovery and respond more effectively to future pandemics."

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ROCKVILLE, Md. and WILMINGTON, Del. - May 18, 2021 - The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) and the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) commend U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for introducing legislation that would allow molecular pathology professionals to continue advancing and offering high-quality laboratory developed testing procedures (LDPs) for patient care. The Verified Innovative Testing in American Laboratories (VITAL) Act of 2021 would enhance transparency, preserve innovation, and ensure widespread patient access to essential medical services.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, FDA has imposed a regulatory process that has impeded the ability of laboratories, including many academic medical centers, reference laboratories, and community health systems across the country, to rapidly develop, validate, and offer high-quality LDPs for use on their patient populations. The VITAL Act calls attention to the important role that LDPs have played in the current COVID-19 pandemic response and ensures that even in times of public health emergencies, laboratories will be allowed to work within the current regulatory system under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which are administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This legislation would help eliminate the duplicative oversight process by clarifying the federal regulatory authority over LDPs and encouraging the modernization of CLIA. The VITAL Act also correctly differentiates LDPs, which are medical services that are developed, validated, and performed within a laboratory, from the boxed and shipped in vitro diagnostic test kits.

"We are pleased that Senator Paul introduced legislation that will provide clinical laboratories with clarity and predictability in the federal oversight of testing procedures. The current coronavirus pandemic continues to highlight the inappropriateness of FDA medical device regulations for LDPs and underscore the integral role that public health, academic, and community laboratories play in providing patient care and public health surveillance," said Antonia R. Sepulveda, MD, PhD, AMP President and Professor and Chair of the George Washington School of Medicine Department of Pathology. "AMP remains committed to working with all key stakeholders to establish a more efficient regulatory framework that ensures high?quality patient care while continuing to foster the rapid innovation and promise of new diagnostic technologies. Passage of the VITAL Act is an important first step to achieving this goal and protecting patient access to these potentially life-saving procedures."

"This important support by members of Congress for the VITAL Act addresses the serious consequences experienced by our nation when laboratory tests are regulated like medical devices," added Lydia P. Howell, MD, APC President, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. "In the earliest and most frightening days of the pandemic, CLIA-accredited academic clinical laboratories could have used their valuable expertise and resources to expand SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing in their communities, but were unable to do so due to inappropriate FDA restrictions. Priceless weeks were lost, making the urgency to address these issues now even more clear. We greatly appreciate the support from Senator Paul in allowing academic laboratories to use their unique skills to serve patients when they need us most, and to partner with other stakeholders in creating a healthier world through innovation, education, and clinical care."

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ABOUT APC

The Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) is a non-profit society, founded in 1967, to serve and give voice to academic departments of pathology and laboratory medicine in North America. APC provides leadership and advocacy for this dynamic discipline and supports departments in meeting the demands of their three missions - medical education, research, and practice - through networking and professional development. In addition to training residents and educating medical students in pathology and laboratory medicine, APC's members play a critical role in patient care and research in academic medical centers and affiliated hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. APC publishes Academic Pathology - the premier, open access journal for peer-reviewed scholarship in the field. For more information, visit http://www. apcprods. org and follow APC on Twitter: @apcprods.

ABOUT AMP

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) was founded in 1995 to provide structure and leadership to the emerging field of molecular diagnostics. AMP's 2,500+ members practice various disciplines of molecular diagnostics, including bioinformatics, infectious diseases, inherited conditions, and oncology. Our members are pathologists, clinical laboratory directors, basic and translational scientists, technologists, and trainees that practice in a variety of settings, including academic and community medical centers, government, and industry. Through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Committees, Working Groups, and Members, AMP is the primary resource for expertise, education, and collaboration in one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. AMP members influence policy and regulation on the national and international levels, ultimately serving to advance innovation in the field and protect patient access to high quality, appropriate testing. For more information, visit
The first-ever discovery of an extraterrestrial radioactive isotope on Earth has scientists rethinking the origins of the elements on our planet.

The tiny traces of plutonium-244 were found in ocean crust alongside radioactive iron-60. The two isotopes are evidence of violent cosmic events in the vicinity of Earth millions of years ago.

Star explosions, or supernovae create many of the heavy elements in the periodic table, including those vital for human life, such as iron, potassium and iodine.

To form even heavier elements, such as gold, uranium and plutonium it was thought that a more violent event may be needed, such as two neutron stars merging.

However, a study led by Professor Anton Wallner from The Australian National University (ANU) suggests a more complex picture.

"The story is complicated - possibly this plutonium-244 was produced in supernova explosions or it could be left over from a much older, but even more spectacular event such as a neutron star detonation," lead author of the study, Professor Wallner said.

Any plutonium-244 and iron-60 that existed when the Earth formed from interstellar gas and dust over four billion years ago has long since decayed, so current traces of them must have originated from recent cosmic events in space.

The dating of the sample confirms two or more supernova explosions occurred near Earth.

"Our data could be the first evidence that supernovae do indeed produce plutonium-244," Professor Wallner said

"Or perhaps it was already in the interstellar medium before the supernova went off, and it was pushed across the solar system together with the supernova ejecta."

Professor Wallner also holds joint positions at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Technical University Dresden in Germany, and conducted this work with researchers from Australia, Israel, Japan, Switzerland and Germany.

The VEGA accelerator at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, (ANSTO) in Sydney was used to identify the tiny traces of the plutonium-244.

The study has been published in Science.

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Rice farmers in Nepal are chronically falling short of their potential productivity. Poor rice yields are persistent across the Terai--a lowland region lying south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas that extends through southern Nepal into northern India--and existing decision support systems are failing to provide the precision required.

To date, farmers in the area have lacked the knowledge and support they need to properly plan nutrient applications for their crops. Current nutrient recommendation systems only provide "blanket" prescriptions that fail to consider the large variability that occurs across their rice-growing landscapes. Nepal's rice yield gaps--the difference between actual and attainable yields--are widening as soil fertility declines, which represents a major threat to the sustainability of these smallholder farms.

A team of researchers, headed by Dr. Lal Prasad Amgain, Far Western University, Nepal, along with Dr. Jagdish Timsina, Global Evergreening Alliance, Melbourne, Australia, looked at reversing this trend through the implementation of a flexible nutrient recommendation system that can adapt to the unique conditions faced by individual smallholder farmers.

Published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition, the article describes the impact of a 4-year study conducted across the Terai and the central mid-hill regions of Nepal. The basis for study is a broadly field-tested digital tool called Nutrient Expert (NE).

This software-based system leads individual farmers, or farm advisors, through a step-by-step decision-making process that describes how best to apply nutrients to their rice fields. Prior to its introduction into Nepal, NE Rice has been successfully implemented in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, as well as in China. The tool has been proven effective in a variety of smallholder cropping systems.

"Soil nutrient supply often varies greatly between neighboring fields," explains Dr. Sudarshan Dutta, co-author of the study and Scientist at the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI). "This study adds innovation to the process of fertilizer application through the use of a tailored, scientifically robust approach."

During the study, NE-based recommendations increased yields by over 2 t/ha compared to the status quo of farmers applying fertilizer based on either informal knowledge or generalized recommendations.

Given that the size of the yield gap for rice in Nepal is estimated at 3 t/ha, the NE approach shows great potential for contributing to the country's nutrient security goals if adopted on a wider scale. The economics of the approach also proved attractive as NE was capable of doubling rice crop profitability if compared to the generalized recommendations.

"Nutrient Expert gives farmer's the confidence that they are using nutrients in the right way," explains Dr. Kaushik Majumdar, APNI Director General, and co-author of the study. "The tool also provides farmers with a clear plan on how to best match the timing of their applications with the periods of peak nutrient demand, which is a critical step to ensuring fertilizers are used most effectively."

With these positive results in hand, researchers are looking to expand the effort through additional research on rice and other cereals.

"On-farm demonstrations provide the evidence that farmers, farm advisors, and other stakeholders need to pave the way for expanded adoption of the NE-based nutrient recommendations across Nepal," concluded Dr. Dutta.

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The team was comprised of researchers from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences (IAAS), Tribhuvan University, Chitwan, Nepal; Institute for Studies and Development Worldwide, Sydney, Australia; African Plant Nutrition Institute, Benguerir, Morocco; and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir, Morocco. This research was first introduced in Nepal by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and the Non-resident Nepalese Association (NRNA) Australia, and was locally managed by FORWARD-Nepal.
Ants are renowned in the insect world for their complex social structure and behaviors. Workers and foragers support the queen, faithfully carrying out their social roles for the overall health of the colony. This complex "superorganism" ---as scientists have dubbed it --- has become a prime model to explore the genetic and behavioral roots of social organisms.

Remarkably, there are also rare instances of ants not playing well with others and shrugging off their societal duties to become free-loading parasites amongst their free-living relatives.

Now, in a new study published in Nature Communications, an international collaboration of researchers from Europe (the Universities of Munster and Copenhagen), South America (University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay), and the U.S., (led by Arizona State University), teamed up to discover and collect these rare ant social parasites. Together, they have obtained and analyzed the full DNA genome sequences of three rare "social parasite" leaf-cutting ant species (called Acromyrmex inquilines) to better understand the differences between them and their respective host species.

It's the first time several species of socially parasitic ants could have their genomes sequenced.

"Our findings advance our understanding of the genomic consequences of transitioning to a novel, highly specialized life history and provide detailed insights into the molecular evolution of social parasitism in ants," said Christian Rabeling, an associate professor in ASU's School of Life Sciences and a corresponding author of the study. From social to social parasite

The unusual social parasite transition is important to understand because the genomes of ants have evolved for more than 100 million years. A single major transition occurred to introduce the novel "superorganism" level of social organizational structure with queen-worker caste segregation and unconditional altruism. This superorganism was so successful, it produced a biodiversity of 17 subfamilies, 338 genera and more than 13,900 living species.

"It is therefore no surprise that parallel shifts to a highly specialized socially parasitic behavior and lifestyle abandoning this fundamental ancestral condition, usually based on outbreeding and larger effective populations, leave significant genomic footprints," said Rabeling. "The results of our analyses of just three of these species confirm that ant social parasites offer important study systems for identifying hallmarks of cooperative social colony life.

And in doing so, their analyses have confirmed that over a time span of about a million and a half years, these ant species have each found independent, separate ways to evolve and become social parasites. The signatures of genome-wide and trait-specific genetic erosion were found to be most extreme in social parasite ants.

Think of how it would start. A group of queen ants wants to just live in a colony without doing the work. And not work on the nest anymore. Next, the queen ants focus on solely producing new queens and males, and this small population size of social parasites would start frequent inbreeding to survive. This immediately reduces their genomic diversity over time. Then, over a blink in evolutionary time, due to natural selection and an increase in the prevalence of genetic drift, it would enhance the rates by which ancestral traits were lost while also slowing down the rates by which new, more adaptive traits could emerge.

It's almost like a 'snooze and lose it' phenomena occurred within the parasitic ant DNA to trigger the genome erosion.

To prove this effect within the ant genome, the research team investigated the overall genomic structure and the individual genes that may be affected by this genomic decay. First, they found widespread evidence of genomic rearrangements and inversions that are hallmarks of instability and decay. Then, within gene networks, they identified 233 genes that showed evidence of relaxed selection in at least one of the social parasite branches and signatures of intensified selection in 102 genes. "Our analysis showed that gene family evolution at three of the four social parasite nodes is indeed largely characterized by gene losses," said Rabeling.

The genome losses and reductions most affected were in the social parasite ants' sense of smell and to a lesser degree taste. Failing the sniff test

Not only did some of the genes responsible for ant smell become lost over time, but as a result, the ants also showed a reduced size in the olfactory lobes in their brains when microCT scans were performed.

"This is no surprise because ants predominantly communicate via chemical cues and have once been described as chemical factories," explains Rabeling. "So, the loss of olfactory genes is correlated with an extreme transition of extensive morphological and behavioral changes."

This includes the reduction or complete loss of the worker caste system, simplified mouthparts, antennae and integuments, loss of certain hormonal glands, and a nervous system of reduced complexity likely associated with a drastically narrowed behavioral repertoire.

From their comparative analysis, they could also put these changes into the larger perspective of evolutionary time. They were also able to date the origins of social parasitism within the leaf-cutting ant family tree.

Two independent origins of social parasitism occurred in the ant genus Acromyrmex. Within this genus, A. heyeri, a social ant, is the host species of both A. charruanus and P. argentina parasitic species.

First, a South American lineage of social ants (A. heyeri) separated from the last common (thought to be socially parasitic) ancestor of A. charruanus and P. argentina before the two social parasites diverged. Second, a Central American speciation event occurred when A. insinuator diverged from its host A. echinatior.

Both origins of social parasitism are evolutionarily recent, estimated to be about 2.5 million years ago for the divergence between A. heyeri and the last common ancestor of A. charruanus and P. argentina, and about 1 million years ago for the divergence between A. insinuator and A. echinatior.

"We infer that relaxed natural selection accelerated general genome erosion in social parasites and alleviated evolutionary constraints, which facilitated rapid adaptive evolution of specific traits associated with a socially parasitic lifestyle," said Rabeling. Joy of discovery

Why did it take so long to do the genome analysis? It turns out that the easiest part of the study may have been the comparative genome analysis. Finding the ants in the first place proved to be the greatest major hurdle. Why?

Populations of ant social parasites are almost invariably small and patchily distributed. How patchy?

Well, the last time that one of the species, P. argentina was seen in the wild was 1924, a time well before the discovery of DNA as the hereditary chemical unit of life.

Rabeling remembers prior trips to South America that were in vain because they could not find P. argentina. Then, about a decade ago, a phone call from colleague Martin Bollazzi and study co-author changed his life.

"Martin Bollazzi said his wife Leticia just re-discovered P. argentina!!!"

Rabeling hopped on a plane as fast as he could. When he saw P. argentina up close, it was a moment of discovery he'll never forget.

"Leticia's rediscovery of P. argentina was the find of a lifetime. What I especially love is to connect the ant field work and natural history observations with the new technologies like whole genome sequencing, and to have the opportunity to do so was such a joy."

Now, they could make their research dreams a reality by collecting P. argentina and put their field work-based hypotheses to the test by doing the first modern whole genome sequencing of social parasitic ants. Next steps

Their results are not only important to understanding ants, but offer insights into the role of these genomic 'loss-of-function' study systems in other parasites and for identifying hallmarks of cooperative social colony life at both the phenotypic and the genomic levels.

"Social parasites came to exploit the foraging efforts, nursing behavior and colony infrastructure of their hosts," said Rabeling.

Rabeling also points to other species, such as the Mexican blind cave-dwelling fish or other parasites such as tapeworms as examples of organisms that lost important traits over time. In each case, they have developed and exploited novel ecological niches. for their species survival.

From these first 3 social parasite ant species, they have learned a lot. Next, they plan on future genomics studies of these ant social parasites to generate exciting further insights, particularly with long-read sequencing technologies allowing analyses in even greater detail.

But Rabeling and his colleagues are now involved in another race against time----as every year, more and more natural ant habitats are lost to deforestation and development. Now, our understanding of ant evolution depends on people to cooperate to save biodiversity---while we still can.

"We hope such future studies can expand our knowledge on the signatures of the evolution of social behavior in ants, for which few other model systems can offer such species-level sample sizes of several dozens."

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BOSTON - In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced higher rates of heart disease and cerebrovascular disease deaths, relative to the corresponding months the previous year. While a large body of evidence has shown that Black and Hispanic communities have borne a disproportionately high burden of disease and death from COVID-19, little is known about whether the rise in cardiovascular deaths during the pandemic has been disproportionately concentrated among racial and ethnic minority populations.

A new study led by clinician-researchers at the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) characterized heart disease and cerebrovascular deaths by race and ethnicity during the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic and evaluated whether the relative increases in deaths were more pronounced among racial and ethnic minority groups, compared with non-Hispanic white persons. The team found that the year-over-year increase in deaths due to heart disease and cerebrovascular disease was significantly more pronounced among Black, Hispanic and Asian populations in the United States than in the non-Hispanic white population. The study was published today in the journal Circulation.

"Although the direct toll of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups has been substantial, our findings suggest that Black, Hispanic and Asian populations have also been disproportionately impacted by the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," said corresponding author Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, a cardiologist in the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at BIDMC. "Disruptions in access to health care services during the pandemic may have had a larger impact on the health outcomes of Black and Hispanic individuals, as these populations have a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors and disease, due in part to structural and systemic inequities. In addition, social determinants of health associated with cardiovascular risk, such as poverty and stress, have worsened in these communities as a result of the pandemic."

Wadhera and colleagues obtained monthly cause-of-death data from the National Center for Health Statistics from March 2020 -- when many states began to experience a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases -- through August 2020. Next, the team identified deaths caused by heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases during this period as well as for the corresponding months in 2019.

Their analysis revealed that Black, Hispanic and Asian populations each experienced about a 19 percent relative increase in heart disease deaths, and a 13 percent relative increase in cerebrovascular disease deaths in 2020 compared to the previous year. The increase in deaths due to heart disease and cerebrovascular disease was significantly more pronounced among racial and ethnic minority populations compared with the non-Hispanic white population, which experienced a two percent and four percent relative increase in deaths due to each of these causes.

The researchers suggest a number of factors may have played a role in the disproportionate rise in cardiac and cerebrovascular deaths among racial and ethnic minorities, including disruptions in healthcare delivery in minority communities especially hard-hit by COVID-19. Although the use of telemedicine increased during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to bridge gaps in care, Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients have also experienced unequal access to video telemedicine. In addition, avoidance of health care systems may have also played a role. A recent survey by the American Heart Association found that Hispanics and Black Americans were most likely to stay home if experiencing a heart attack or a stroke, to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the hospital.

Racial and ethnic minority groups also disproportionately experience poverty in the United States, a gap that only deepened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent survey, 60 percent of Black and 72 percent of Hispanic households reported serious financial problems during the pandemic, compared with only 36 percent of white households.

Public policies may have also contributed to worse cardiovascular outcomes during the pandemic. In early 2020, the Trump administration revised immigration rules, leaving some documented immigrants in poor health at risk of being denied permanent residency status. As a result, Hispanic and Asian immigrant families may have avoided seeking care for cardiovascular disease.

"The extent to which disruptions in health care delivery, avoidance of care due to fear of contracting COVID-19 and/or immigration policy, and worsening inequities in social determinants of health have contributed to the increase in heart disease and cerebrovascular deaths remains an important area for future research," said Wadhera. "These data highlight that public health and policy strategies are urgently needed to mitigate the short- and long-term adverse effects of the pandemic on the cardiovascular health of minority populations."

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Co-authors included; Michael Liu, AB, Wei Tian, MS, Dhruv S. Kazi, MD, MS, Yang Song MS, and Robert W. Yeh, MD, MSc, of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at BIDMC; Jose F. Figueroa, MD, MPH of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Fatima Rodriguez MD, MPH, of Stanford University; Karen E. Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, of Washington University School of Medicine.

This work was funded by a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the NIH (K23HL148525). Dr. Wadhera receives research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant K23HL148525) at the National Institutes of Health. He serves as a consultant for Abbott, outside the submitted work. Dr. Yeh receives research support from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (R01HL136708) and the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology and receives personal fees from Biosense Webster, grants and personal fees from Abbott Vascular, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work. Please refer to the manuscript for a full list of author disclosures.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www. bidmc. org .

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a new health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,000 physicians and 35,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.
More than a year into the pandemic, the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minorities in the US has been well documented. But a new study by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) reveals that previous research has underestimated the true extent of racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths--as well as the extent to which structural racism contributes to these deaths.

Published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, the paper is the first to quantify the state-level differences in racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality among Black and White populations, using directly standardized, age-adjusted death rates. When comparing these age-adjusted rates, the study found that the Black-White disparity in COVID-19 mortality rates across states was substantially greater than what has previously been reported.

Until now, few studies on COVID-19 deaths have taken the age distribution of different populations into account, or explicitly compared race-specific mortality rates at the state level. But age is perhaps the single most important predictor of COVID-19 mortality, says study lead author Dr. Michael Siegel, professor of community health sciences at BUSPH. Different racial and ethnic groups have different age distributions, and comparing crude COVID death rates instead of age-adjusted rates can be misleading, he says.

"Because of structural racism, chronic diseases are much more common among the Black population compared to the White population, and for this reason, life expectancy for Black people is substantially less than that for White people," says Siegel. The shorter life expectancy means that the Black population of a state is going to be considerably younger than the White population for that state, he says.

"If you ignore this fact, then it is going to appear that the COVID death rate is much higher among the White population because there are so many more older people," Siegel says. "To get an accurate idea of the true disparity in death rates, you need to compare the COVID death risk of Black people and White people in a state at the same age."

The study is also the first paper to measure structural racism at the state level, and model this racism as a direct, quantifiable predictor of racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths across states.

Siegel and a team of researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate both crude and age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rates for non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black populations in 35 states. Then they compared these age-adjusted rates in order to quantify the racial disparity in mortality rates. Using linear regression analyses, they examined the potential relationship between a previously defined structural racism index and the racial disparity in COVID-19 mortality. The team also utilized linear regression analysis to explore potential mediating effects of exposure based on occupation, prevalence of underlying conditions, and disparities in healthcare access. This analysis yielded the following key findings:

For all 35 states, the Black-White disparity in COVID-19 mortality rates was substantially greater when examining age-adjusted rates compared to crude rates. Thus, relying on crude death rates severely underestimates the true magnitude of the Black-White disparity in COVID-19 mortality rates.

A high level of structural racism was a robust predictor of increased racial disparities in COVID deaths. All 35 states showed a pattern of increasing racial disparities as the state structural racism index increased.

The five states with the highest structural racism indices had an average disparity ratio of 2.7, compared to 2.1 for the five states with the lowest racism indices.

Structural racism appears to be a root cause of the Black-White disparity in COVID-19 mortality.

"Even if we could somehow equalize comorbidities between the White and Black populations, our results suggest that the racial disparity in COVID-19 death rates would still persist," says Siegel. "These findings suggest that the only way to fully address the consequences of structural racism is to dismantle structural racism itself."

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The study was coauthored by Isabella Critchfield-Jain, a Boston University student; Matthew Boykin, a BUSPH student; and Alicia Owens, a Natick High School student. About the Boston University School of Public Health

Founded in 1976, the Boston University School of Public Health is one of the top five ranked private schools of public health in the world. It offers master's- and doctoral-level education in public health. The faculty in six departments conduct policy-changing public health research around the world, with the mission of improving the health of populations--especially the disadvantaged, underserved, and vulnerable--locally and globally.

Contact:

Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu

Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu
(Boston)--Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report the formation of human cells containing a green fluorescent protein or GFP (one of the most important proteins in biology and fluorescence imaging) genetically fused with two interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), namely Viperin and ISG15. This new creation makes these cells highly valuable reagents for reporting innate immune responses to viral infections, including those caused by coronaviruses.

These engineered cells, which turn green when treated with interferon, are highly novel because this is the first time a reporter gene (a gene that enables the detection or measurement of gene expression), such as GFP, has been inserted into endogenous loci of ISGs.

Viral infections cause human cells to sound a biochemical alarm via interferon signaling, leading to a high-level expression of ISGs. However, ISGs are very tightly regulated genes, because too much expression and an inability to later tamp down ISG levels can be just as detrimental to cellular health.

This overactive innate immune signaling leads to a 'cytokine storm' (when an infection triggers the immune system to flood your bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines) that distinguishes a mild case of virus infection from fully debilitating symptoms, an outcome all too prevalent in the COVID19 pandemic. "Better research tools for studying ISG regulation are still needed, not just now for coronavirus research but for many other viruses that our society will contend with," explained co-corresponding author Nelson Lau, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at BUSM.

In order to successfully tag human antiviral genes with GFP, the researchers first needed to produce a new methodology for creating a long DNA repair template for more efficient and authentic CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in animal cells. They named his template methodology the BL3SSO (sounds like "blasso") because it sets up the DNA for more accurate repair and for introduction of a fluorescent transgene like GFP into the site cut by Cas-9 during genome editing.

These findings are the result of a collaboration between the Lau lab and the lab of Mohsan Saeed, PhD, both faculty members in BUSM's department of biochemistry and investigators at the BU National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL).

These findings appear online in the journal G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics.

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This work was supported by Brandeis University Sprout Grants, the Leir Foundation, a donation from M.H.Y. Lau, Boston University start-up funds, and the National Institutes of Health via R21HD088792, R01AG052465 and R01GM135215 to NCL. MS was supported by Boston University start-up funds.
People have been not working. People have not had access to things that we normally have access to. People are hurting. People are struggling, and I think that some of the violence that were seeing is a direct relation to the pain in the isolation that we have felt throughout the pandemic, she said. If you look around the state, and even around the country, were seeing these increases in violence, following the same types of patterns. ... I do think that that [the summer] does play a part. I mean, not working, working from home, just having stressors of life, its affecting people in different ways, and I think one way its manifesting is in an increase in violence.
Fossils of land animals from South America have been found in the Antilles, but how did these animals get there? According to scientists from the CNRS, l'Universite des Antilles, l'Universite de Montpellier and d'Universite Cote d'Azur, land emerged in this region and then disappeared beneath the waves for millions of years, explaining how some species were able to migrate to the Antilles. This study will be published in June 2021 issue in Earth-Science Reviews.

Fossils of land animals from the Antilles, including mammals and amphibians, have their closest relatives in South America. The crossing of the Caribbean Sea from South America was therefore possible, but how?

As swimming across the continent must be ruled out, given that several hundred kilometres separate the South American continent from the Antilles, the dispersal of this fauna has been attributed either to natural rafts coming out of the continent's flooded rivers, or to the existence of land bridges that are now submerged.

A scientific project involving geologists, palaeontologists and geophysicists1 is now solving some of the mysteries related to these terrestrial species in the Antilles. The researchers have reconstructed the geography of the northern Lesser Antilles over the last 40 million years and have shown that the movements of the tectonic plates at the junction between the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles and the Aves Ridge (an underwater mountain), have several times given birth to archipelagos and islands quite close to each other, which were then swallowed up in the course of time.

In addition to tectonic movements, the glacial-interglacial cycles for 1.5 million years (Quaternary) have favoured the appearance and disappearance of archipelagos. Indeed, during these cycles, the sea level decreases or increases according to the storage of water in the ice caps or their melting (the duration of these cycles is about 100,000 years). The formation of these archipelagos could thus have favoured terrestrial connections between the Aves Ridge, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles.

Scientists will now extend their studies southward, between Guadeloupe and South America, to reconstruct the past geography of the entire Caribbean Plate, in order to define more precisely the nature of the terrestrial species' dispersal paths between the Americas.

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China's Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO)--one of the country's key national science and technology infrastructure facilities--has found a dozen ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic accelerators within the Milky Way. It has also detected photons with energies exceeding 1 peta-electron-volt (quadrillion electron-volts or PeV), including one at 1.4 PeV. The latter is the highest energy photon ever observed.

These findings overturn the traditional understanding of the Milky Way and open up an era of UHE gamma astronomy. These observations will prompt people to rethink the mechanism by which high-energy particles are generated and propagated in the Milky Way, and will encourage people to explore more deeply violent celestial phenomena and their physical processes as well as test basic physical laws under extreme conditions.

These discoveries are published in the journal Nature on May 17. The LHAASO International Collaboration, which is led by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, completed this study.

The LHAASO Observatory is still under construction. The cosmic accelerators--known as PeVatrons since they accelerate particles to the PeV range--and PeV photons were discovered using the first half of the detection array, which was finished at the end of 2019 and operated for 11 months in 2020.

Photons with energies exceeding 1 PeV were detected in a very active star-forming region in the constellation Cygnus. LHAASO also detected 12 stable gamma ray sources with energies up to about 1 PeV and significances of the photon signals seven standard deviations greater than the surrounding background. These sources are located at positions in our galaxy that can be measured with an accuracy better than 0.3. They are the brightest Milky Way gamma ray sources in LHAASO's field of view.

Although the accumulated data from the first 11 months of operation only allowed people to observe those sources, all of them emit so-called UHE photons, i.e., gamma rays above 0.1 PeV. The results show that the Milky Way is full of PeVatrons, while the largest accelerator on Earth (LHC at CERN) can only accelerate particles to 0.01 PeV. Scientists have already determined that cosmic ray accelerators in the Milky Way have an energy limit. Until now, the predicted limit was around 0.1 PeV, thus leading to a natural cut-off of the gamma-ray spectrum above that.

But LHAASO's discovery has increased this "limit," since the spectra of most sources are not truncated. These findings launch an era for UHE gamma astronomic observation. They show that non-thermal radiation celestials, such as young massive star clusters, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulas and so on--represented by Cygnus star-forming regions and the Crab nebula--are the best candidates for finding UHE cosmic rays in the Milky Way.

Through UHE gamma astronomy, a century-old mystery---the origin of cosmic rays--may soon be solved. LHAASO will prompt scientists to rethink the mechanisms of high energy cosmic ray acceleration and propagation in the Milky Way. It will also allow scientists to explore extreme astrophysical phenomena and their corresponding processes, thus enabling examination of the basic laws of physics under extreme conditions.

Extended Materials:

LHAASO and Its Core Scientific Goals

LHAASO is a major national scientific and technological infrastructure facility focusing on cosmic ray observation and research. It is located 4,410 meters above sea level on Mt. Haizi in Daocheng County, Sichuan Province. When construction is completed in 2021, LHAASO's particle detector arrays will comprise 5,195 electromagnetic particle detectors and 1,188 Muon detectors located in the square-kilometer complex array (KM2A), a 78,000 m2 water Cherenkov detector array (WCDA), and 18 wide-field-of-view Cherenkov telescopes (WFCTA). Using these four detection techniques, LHAASO will be able to measure cosmic rays omnidirectionally with multiple variables simultaneously. The arrays will cover an area of about 1.36 km2.

LHAASO's core scientific goal is to explore the origin of high-energy cosmic rays and study related physics such as the evolution of the universe, the motion and interaction of high-energy astronomical celestials, and the nature of dark matter. LHAASO will extensively survey the universe (especially the Milky Way) for gamma ray sources. It will precisely measure their energy spectra over a broad range--from less than 1 TeV (trillion electron-volts or tera-electron-volts) to more than 1 PeV. It will also measure the components of diffused cosmic rays and their spectra at even higher energies, thus revealing the laws of the generation, acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays, as part of the exploration of new physics frontiers.

PeVatrons and PeV Photons

The signal of UHE photons around PeVatrons is so weak that just one or two photons at PeV energy can be detected using 1 km2 of detectors per year even when focusing on the Crab Nebula, known as the "standard candle for gamma astronomy." What's worse, those one or two photons are submerged in tens of thousands of ordinary cosmic rays. The 1,188 muon detectors in LHAASO's KM2A are designed to select photon-like signals, making LHAASO the most sensitive UHE gamma ray detector in the world. With its unprecedented sensitivity, in just 11 months, the half-sized KM2A detected one photon around 1 PeV from the Crab Nebula. In addition, KM2A found 12 similar sources in the Milky Way, all of which emit UHE photons and extend their spectra continuously into the vicinity of 1 PeV. Even more important, KM2A has detected a photon with energy of 1.4 PeV--the highest ever recorded. It is clear that LHAASO's scientific discoveries represent a milestone in identifying the origin of cosmic rays. To be specific, LHAASO's scientific breakthroughs fall into the following three areas:

1) Revealing the ubiquity of cosmic accelerators capable of accelerating particles to energies exceeding 1 PeV in the Milky Way. All the gamma ray sources that LHAASO has effectively observed radiate photons in the UHE range above 0.1 PeV, indicating that the energy of the parent particles radiating these gamma rays must exceed 1 PeV. As a matter of convention, these sources must have significances of photon signals five standard deviations greater than the surrounding background. The observed energy spectrum of these gamma rays has not truncated above 0.1 peV, demonstrating that there is no acceleration limit below PeV in the galactic accelerators.

This observation violates the prevailing theoretical model. According to current theory, cosmic rays with energies in the PeV range can produce gamma rays of 0.1 PeV by interacting with surrounding gases in the accelerating region. Detecting gamma rays with energies greater than 0.1 PeV is an important way to find and verify PeV cosmic ray sources. Since previous international mainstream detectors work below this energy level, the existence of PeV cosmic ray accelerators had not been solidly confirmed before. But now LHAASO has revealed a large number of PeV cosmic acceleration sources in the Milky Way, all of which are candidates for being UHE cosmic ray generators. This is a crucial step toward determining the origin of cosmic rays.

2) Beginning an era of "UHE gamma astronomy." In 1989, an experimental group at the Whipple Observatory in Arizona successfully discovered the first object emitting gamma radiation above 0.1 TeV, marking the onset of the era of "very-high-energy" gamma astronomy. Over the next 30 years, more than 200 "very-high-energy" gamma ray sources were discovered. However, the first object emitting UHE gamma radiation was not detected until 2019. Surprisingly, by using a partly complete array for less than a year, LHAASO has already boosted the number of UHE gamma ray sources to 12.

With the completion of LHAASO and the continuous accumulation of data, we can anticipate to find an unexplored "UHE universe" full of surprising phenomena. It is well known that background radiation from the Big Bang is so pervasive it can absorb gamma rays with energies greater than 1 PeV. Even if gamma rays were produced beyond the Milky Way, we wouldn't be able to detect them. This makes LHAASO's observational window so special.

3) Photons with energies greater than 1 PeV were first detected from the Cygnus region and the Crab Nebula. The detection of PeV photons is a milestone in gamma astronomy. It fulfills the dream of the gamma astronomy community and has long been a strong driving force in the development of research instruments in the field. In fact, one of the main reasons for the explosion of gamma astronomy in the 1980s was the challenge of the PeV photon limit. The star-forming region in the direction of Cygnus is the brightest area in the northern territory of the Milky Way, with a large number of massive star clusters. Massive stars live only on the order of one million years, so the clusters contain enormous stars in the process of birth and death, with a complex strong shock environment. They are ideal "particle astrophysics laboratories," i.e., places for accelerating cosmic rays.

The first PeV photons found by LHAASO were from the star-forming region of the constellation Cygnus, making this area the best candidate for exploring the origin of UHE cosmic rays. Therefore, much attention has turned to LHAASO and multi-wavelength observation of this region, which could offer a potential breakthrough in solving the "mystery of the century."

Extensive observational studies of the Crab Nebula over the years have made the celestial body almost the only standard gamma ray source with a clear emission mechanism. Indeed, precise spectrum measurements across 22 orders of magnitude clearly reveal the signature of an electron accelerator. However, the UHE spectra measured by LHAASO, especially photons at PeV energy, seriously challenge this "standard model" of high-energy astrophysics and even the more fundamental theory of electron acceleration.

Technology Innovations

LHAASO has developed and/or improved: 1) clock synchronization technology over long distances that ensures timing synchronization accuracy to the sub-nanosecond level for each detector in the array; 2) multiple parallel event trigger algorithms and their realization, with the help of high-speed front-end signal digitization, high-speed data transmission and large on-site computing clusters; and advanced detection technologies include 3) silicon photo multipliers (SiPM) and 4) ultra-large photocathode micro-channel plate photomultiplier tubes (MCP-PMT). They are being employed at LHAASO on a large scale for the first time. They have greatly improved the spatial resolution of photon measurements and lowered the detection energy threshold. These features allow detectors to achieve unprecedented sensitivity in exploring the deep universe at a wide energy range. LHAASO provides an attractive experimental platform for conducting interdisciplinary research in frontier sciences such as atmosphere, high-altitude environment and space weather. It will also serve as a base for international cooperation on high-level scientific research projects.

History of Cosmic Ray Research in China

Cosmic ray research in China has experienced three stages. LHAASO represents the third generation of high-altitude cosmic ray observatories. High-altitude experiments are a means of making full use of the atmosphere as a detector medium. In this way, scientists can observe cosmic rays on the ground, where the size of the detector can be much larger than in a space-borne detector outside the atmosphere. This is the only way to observe cosmic rays at very high energy.

In 1954, China's first cosmic ray laboratory was built on Mt. Luoxue in Dongchuan, Yunnan Province, at 3,180 meters above sea level. In 1989, the Sino-Japanese cosmic ray experiment ASg was built at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level at Yangbajing, Tibet Autonomous Region.

In 2006, the joint Sino-Italian ARGO-YBJ experiment was built at the same site.

In 2009, at the Xiangshan Science Forum in Beijing, Professor CAO Zhen proposed to build a large-scale composite detection array (i.e., LHAASO) in a high-altitude area. The LHAASO project was approved in 2015 and construction began in 2017. By April 2019, construction was 25% complete and scientific operation had begun. By January 2020, an additional 25% had been completed and put into operation. In December of the same year, 75% of the facility had been completed. The entire facility will be completed in 2021. LHAASO has already become one of the world's leading UHE gamma detection facilities, and will operate for a long time. With it, scientists will be able to study the origin of cosmic rays from many aspects.

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ITHACA, N.Y. - Wines and table grapes exist thanks to a genetic exchange so rare that it's only happened twice in nature in the last 6 million years. And since the domestication of the grapevine 8,000 years ago, breeding has continued to be a gamble.

When today's growers cultivate new varieties - trying to produce better-tasting and more disease-resistant grapes - it takes two to four years for breeders to learn whether they have the genetic ingredients for the perfect flower.

Females set fruit, but produce sterile pollen. Males have stamens for pollen, but lack fruit. The perfect flower, however, carries both sex genes and can self-pollinate. These hermaphroditic varieties generally yield bigger and better-tasting berry clusters, and they're the ones researchers use for additional cross-breeding.

Now, Cornell University scientists have worked with the University of California, Davis, to identify the DNA markers that determine grape flower sex. In the process, they also pinpointed the genetic origins of the perfect flower. Their paper, "Multiple Independent Recombinations Led to Hermaphroditism in Grapevine," published April 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"This is the first genomic evidence that grapevine flower sex has multiple independent origins," said Jason Londo, corresponding author on the paper and a research geneticist in the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Grape Genetics Unit, located at Cornell AgriTech. Londo is also an adjunct associate professor of horticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS), part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

"This study is important to breeding and production because we designed genetic markers to tell you what exact flower sex signature every vine has," Londo said, "so breeders can choose to keep only the combinations they want for the future."

Today, most cultivated grapevines are hermaphroditic, whereas all wild members of the Vitis genus have only male or female flowers. As breeders try to incorporate disease-resistance genes from wild species into new breeding lines, the ability to screen seedlings for flower sex has become increasingly important. And since grape sex can't be determined from seeds alone, breeders spend a lot of time and resources raising vines, only to discard them several years down the line upon learning they're single-sex varieties.

In the study, the team examined the DNA sequences of hundreds of wild and domesticated grapevine genomes to identify the unique sex-determining regions for male, female and hermaphroditic species. They traced the existing hermaphroditic DNA back to two separate recombination events, occurring somewhere between 6 million and 8,000 years ago.

Londo theorizes that ancient viticulturists stumbled upon these high yielding vines and collected seeds or cuttings for their own needs - freezing the hermaphroditic flower trait in domesticated grapevines that are used today.

Many wine grapes can be traced back to either the first or second event gene pool. Cultivars such as cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Thompson seedless are all from the first gene pool. The pinot family, sauvignon blanc and gamay noir originate from the second gene pool.

What makes chardonnay and riesling unique is that they carry genes from both events. Londo said this indicates that ancient viticulturalists crossed grapes between the two gene pools, which created some of today's most important cultivars.

Documenting the genetic markers for identifying male, female and perfect flower types will ultimately help speed cultivar development and reduce the costs of breeding programs.

"The more grape DNA markers are identified, the more breeders can advance the wine and grape industry," said Bruce Reisch, co-author and professor in both the Horticulture and the Plant Breeding and Genetics sections of SIPS. "Modern genetic sequencing technologies and multi-institutional research collaborations are key to making better grapes available to growers."

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Funding for this study was provided by a Specialty Crop Research Initiative Competitive Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Co-authors on the paper also include Cheng Zou and Qi Sun at the Cornell Institute of Biotechnology; Melanie Massonnet, Andrea Minio and Dario Cantu at UC Davis; Lance Cadle-Davidson at the USDA-ARS Grape Genetics Unit; Victor Llaca at Corteva Agriscience; Avinash Karn and Fred Gouker in the Horticulture Section of SIPS; and Sagar Patel and Anne Fennell of South Dakota State University.
Vaccines are turning the tide of the pandemic, but the risk of infection is still present in some situations. If you want to visit a friend, get on a plane, or go see a movie, there is no highly accurate, instant test that can tell you right then and there whether or not you have a SARS-CoV-2 infection. But new research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) could help get reliable instant tests on the market.

A study led by Michal Hammel and Curtis D. Hodge suggests that a highly sensitive lateral flow assay - the same type of device used in home pregnancy tests - could be developed using pairs of rigid antibodies that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Such a test would only require a small drop of mucus or saliva, could give results in 15 minutes, and could detect a COVID-19 infection one day before the onset of symptoms. Their work was published in the journal mABs.

The current gold standard tests for COVID-19 use a form of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid (RNA) rather than a viral protein. They are quite accurate, with false negative rates ranging less then 5% (depending primarily on the sampling site, sample type, and stage of infection). However, PCR tests must be sent away for analysis at an accredited lab.

Rapid antigen tests use antibodies to detect specific parts of the viral particle itself. Current antigen tests have a very low rate of false positives, but are plagued by high false negative rates, and therefore can't replace PCR tests for definitive COVID-19 diagnosis. If a more accurate antigen test was brought to market, it could serve as a helpful initial screening tool similar to how home pregnancy tests work. In the case of a positive result, the user would need to begin appropriate precautionary measures (isolation and other transmission-prevention behaviors) and then have the diagnosis confirmed by an official test at a health clinic.

"As we move toward gaining normalcy and reopening economies worldwide, there is continued demand for rapid, low-cost tests that can be self-administered without the need for a trained professional," said Hammel, a biophysicist in Berkeley Lab's Biosciences Area. "Currently used COVID-19 PCR tests are expensive, at about $100 per test, and on average, U.S. labs are performing one million tests per day. An accurate rapid antigen test could cost $1 each and eliminate the wait time."

Hammel, Hodge, and their colleagues used small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) performed at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS) to examine about 20 antibody-antigen interactions. Their data showed that a particular pair of monoclonal antibodies bound to the nucleocapsid protein very strongly and stably, in part due to the antibodies' rigidity. All antibodies vary in their degree of rigidity based on the amino acid sequence of their "arms," which are the part of the Y-shaped molecules that bind to antigens. "The combination of the two rigid antibodies was also observed to increase networking - a process in which multiple antibodies bound to the same antigen at different sites form larger clumps or 'networks,'" explained Hodge, a postdoctoral researcher and first author on the study.

Antibody networking and high binding stability are known to improve the sensitivity of lateral flow assays, and researchers have long speculated that antibody flexibility plays a role in both properties. But studying the physical dynamics of antibody-antigen pairs to find the most effective antibodies is very difficult with traditional imaging techniques, which require the molecules to be stabilized or crystallized. The SAXS technique developed by Hammel and his colleagues allows scientists to examine antibodies and antigens in their natural state, i.e. when moving freely in a liquid.

"We showed that we can rapidly identify new antibody-antigen pairs that result in a more sensitive detection assay," said Hammel. "This technique could be applied to hundreds of antibodies in a short amount of time to identify the most suitable antibodies to achieve as-of-yet unattained sensitivity of antibody-based diagnostics, which are key for early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 as well as other pathogens."

The team is now investigating methods of improving test sensitivity even further.

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This work was funded through the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL), a consortium of DOE National laboratories with core capabilities relevant to the threats posed by COVID-19, and funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The ALS is an Office of Science User Facility.

Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 14 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
BOSTON - Prompted by a recent alarming rise in cases of colorectal cancer in people younger than 50, an independent expert panel has recommended that individuals of average risk for the disease begin screening exams at 45 years of age instead of the traditional 50.

The guideline changes by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), published in the current issue of JAMA, updates its 2016 recommendations and aligns them with those of the American Cancer Society, which lowered the age for initiation of screening to 45 years in 2018.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most preventable malignancies, owing to its long natural history of progression and the availability of screening tests that can intercept and detect the disease early. Overall incidence of CRC in individuals 50 years of age and older has declined steadily since the mid-1980s, largely because of increased screening and changing patterns of modifiable risk factors.

"A concerning increase in colorectal cancer incidence among younger individuals (ie, younger than 50 years; defined as young-onset colorectal cancer) has been documented since the mid-1990s, with 11% of colon cancers and 15% of rectal cancers in 2020 occurring among patients younger than 50 years, compared with 5% and 9%, respectively, in 2010," said Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, first author of an editorial in JAMA accompanying the article about the guideline change of the USPSTF. Ng is the director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The causes of the increase in young-onset CRC aren't currently known.

Lowering the recommended age to initiate screening "will make colorectal cancer screening, which is so important, available to millions more people in the United States, and hopefully many more lives will be saved by catching colorectal cancer earlier, as well as by preventing colorectal cancer," said Ng.

The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness of preventive services and develops recommendations. American health insurance groups are required to cover, at no charge to the patient, any service that the USPSTF recommends with a grade A or B level of evidence, regardless of how much it costs.

The task force recommendation means that insurers will be required to cover preventive procedures such as colonoscopies and stool tests designed to detect colon cancer in early stages.

The task force selected age 45 based on research showing that initiating screening at that age averted more early deaths than starting at age 50, with a relatively small increase in the number of colonoscopy complications. There is no change to the USPSTF 2016 recommendation to only selectively screen individuals aged 76 to 85, as research shows only small increases in life-years gained.

The accompanying JAMA editorial asked rhetorically whether the age of screening should be lowered even younger than age 45. While the majority of young-onset CRC diagnoses and deaths occurs in persons 45 to 49, the rate of increase in young-onset CRC is actually steepest in the very youngest patients. Colon cancer incidence is increasing by 2% per year in 20 to 29-year-olds, compared with 1.3% in 40 to 49-year-olds. Rectal cancer incidence is increasing by 3.2% per year in 20 to 29-year-olds and 30 to 39-year-olds, versus 2.3% in 40 to 49-year-olds.

"We are now seeing patients even younger than 45 - in their 20s and 30s - who are being diagnosed with this cancer and often at very late stages," said Ng. "Clearly the USPSTF recommendation to start screening at age 45 will not be enough to catch those young people who are being diagnosed."

Ultimately, optimal prevention and early detection of CRC in people younger than 45 will require further research into the underlying causes and risk factors of young-onset CRC, which have thus far remained elusive, said the editorial authors.

The authors also called for "bold steps" to translate the lowered age of beginning screening into meaningful decreases in CRC incidence and mortality, noting that despite the preventive benefits of colorectal cancer screening, only 68.8 percent of eligible individuals in the United States undergo screening. The rate is lower among the uninsured and underinsured, those with low incomes, and racial and ethnic minorities. Barriers include lack of knowledge of the importance of screening, concerns about the invasive nature of colonoscopy, and lack of access to and provider recommendations for screening.

The editorial lists examples including public awareness campaigns, including those aimed at gaps in CRC incidence and mortality between Black and white Americans, and specific actions. Employers could provide 45-year-old employees with a paid "wellness day" to undergo CRC screening, or offer day care or transportation vouchers to overcome the logistical hurdles of colonoscopies. Health systems could offer weekend or after-hours appointments for colonoscopies.

The new recommendation "represents an important policy change," the authors wrote, "to drive progress toward reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality."

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The co-authors of the JAMA editorial are Folsade P. May, PhD, MPhil, and Deborah Schrag, MD, MPH.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's leading centers of cancer research and care. Dana-Farber's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. The Institute provides the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 6 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 therapeutic and non-therapeutic clinical trials.
Date, May 18th, 2021. Today, Deep Longevity (wholly owned by Regent Pacific Group Limited Hong Kong Stock Code: 00575) a leading provider of deep biomarkers of aging and longevity, LifeHub, and LifeClinic announced a collaboration to deploy an extensive range of AI-powered aging clocks to explore the effectiveness of longevity interventions including lifestyle choices and drug regimens.

Based in Hong Kong, LifeHub and LifeClinic are possibly the largest Functional Medicine-based Medical Wellness and Medical Clinic facilities in the region. They take a science-based approach to Health Optimization and Longevity by addressing their clients' physiological imbalances that could stem from nutritional deficiencies or other factors like hormonal imbalances or the effects of environmental pollutants.

As part of the partnership, LifeHub and LifeClinic medical professionals are being engaged in advanced research with Deep Longevity and trained in deep aging clocks to provide their clients with biological age reports to customize their clients' wellness journeys.

Deep Longevity aging clocks are supported by a number of academic publications that are summarized in a recent review titled "BioHorology and biomarkers of aging: Current state-of-the-art, challenges, and opportunities".

Biological Aging clocks are a new holistic biomarker of health and wellbeing that reflect the biological age of the person, and not their passport age. These markers are usually much more predictive of mortality and can be used for early disease diagnosis, prevention, clinical trial management and in insurance applications. Deep Longevity is the original inventor of deep aging clocks - biomarkers of aging using deep learning and has granted patents on the technology.

"I am delighted that we will be able to use Deep Longevity's most advanced aging clocks to assess and improve LifeHub and LifeClinic's various youth extension products and services", said Dr Jonathan Seah, Chairman of LifeHub and LifeClinic.

"The traditional approach to preventative medicine is focused on preventing disease by diagnosing the symptoms early or reducing the risks of disease. AI-guided longevity medicine goes much further than that by focusing on tracking the person's rates of aging at many levels, on the identification of longevity bottlenecks, and on utilizing the latest advances in science and technology to slow down or potentially even reverse biological and psychological aging. We are very happy to have both LifeHub and LifeClinic join the rapidly growing network of our research and clinical partners focused on providing customers with extra years of productive and happy life", said Dr Alex Zhavoronkov, Chief Longevity Officer of Deep Longevity Inc.

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About Regent Pacific (SEHK:0575.HK)

Regent Pacific is a diversified investment group based in Hong Kong currently holding various corporate and strategic investments focusing on the healthcare, wellness and life sciences sectors. The Group has a strong track record of investments and has returned approximately US$298 million to shareholders in the 21 years of financial reporting since its initial public offering.

https:/ / www. regentpac. com/

About Deep Longevity

Deep Longevity is wholly owned by Regent Pacific (SEHK:0575.HK), whose shares are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Deep Longevity is developing explainable artificial intelligence systems to track the rate of aging at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, physiological, and psychological levels. It is also developing systems for the emerging field of longevity medicine enabling physicians to make better decisions on the interventions that may slow down, or reverse the aging processes. Deep Longevity developed Longevity as a Service (LaaS) solution to integrate multiple deep biomarkers of aging dubbed "deep aging clocks" to provide a universal multifactorial measure of human biological age. Originally incubated by Insilico Medicine, Deep Longevity started its independent journey in 2020 after securing a round of funding from the most credible venture capitalists specializing in biotechnology, longevity, and artificial intelligence. ETP Ventures, Human Longevity and Performance Impact Venture Fund, BOLD Capital Partners, Longevity Vision Fund, LongeVC, co-founder of Oculus, Michael Antonov, and other expert AI and biotechnology investors supported the company. Deep Longevity established a research partnership with one of the most prominent longevity organizations, Human Longevity, Inc. to provide a range of aging clocks to the network of advanced physicians and researchers.

https:/ / deeplongevity. com/

About LifeHub & LifeClinic

LifeClinic is a leading Medical Anti-Aging clinic in Hong Kong that uses Functional Medicine and Swiss Biological Medicine to help its clients to work and play better and to reduce illness by optimizing health and extending biological youth. LifeClinic's team of medical doctors and other healthcare practitioners create customized programs for diet and micronutrient optimization, the reduction of environmental pollutants and other toxins, hormone balancing, and other innovative therapies, to help with healthy aging issues like chronic fatigue or problems with sleep, memory, weight, digestion, and sex, and also chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. LifeClinic also provides aesthetic medicine services including laser and other minimally-invasive treatments. ( https:/ / lifeclinic. com. hk )
RICHLAND, Wash.--A deceptively simple sensor system developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory can prevent dangerous conditions from developing in outdoor battery cabinets.

Supported by DOE's Office of Electricity, IntelliVent is designed to be installed in cabinet-style battery enclosures, which are becoming common for stationary grid energy storage. IntelliVent responds to smoke, heat, or gas alarms in the battery enclosure and automatically opens cabinet doors to prevent buildup of flammable gases. The technology reduces the risk of explosions at battery installations, which can damage property or endanger lives. Firefighters and utility personnel are at particularly high risk in these hazardous situations.

When a lithium-ion battery reaches a critical temperature, the liquid electrolyte inside the battery can vaporize and release toxic, flammable gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and propylene. This process is called thermal runaway.

"Depending on the size of the cell, these gases can come out at very high volume, very quickly, and can lead to fire or even an explosion," said Matthew Paiss, technical advisor for energy storage safety at PNNL and one of the inventors of IntelliVent.

Watch a video about IntelliVent here: https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v= Eb3O3iD3JeA

"Protecting our critical workforce is a high priority," said Imre Gyuk, director of the Office of Electricity's Energy Storage Program. "The IntelliVent project works to address an important safety concern continuing to inhibit widespread adoption of energy storage for the grid. PNNL's expertise in grid energy storage, fire safety and emergency response, and safety codes and standards position the team to bring this technology to fruition."

Recent fires at battery storage facilities in Surprise, Arizona, and Liverpool, England, shined a light on the dangers these kinds of fires can present. The April 2019 incident in Arizona at an energy storage facility left four firefighters injured, two seriously. In September 2020, fire crews in Liverpool, England, were called to a 20 MW battery storage plant after an explosion had occurred to find a large grid battery system container on fire.

This safety technology is a welcome addition for firefighters and utility personnel.

"This is absolutely in the right direction, said Bobby Ruiz, the fire chief in Peoria, Arizona, whose firefighters were injured in the Surprise, Arizona, explosion. "Getting all doors open early before gas buildup will make the incident safer. It will also increase situational awareness by being able to see if the batteries are smoking or are on fire. And, if extinguishment is needed, we can direct the water right at the modules from a safe distance."

"There are many similar battery enclosures operating today that could experience the exact same kind of failure," added Paiss.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District's new Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Center, in Everett, Washington, will be the first to install the safety technology when it retrofits a 1.2 MW battery with the IntelliVent system.

"No one likes the idea of being the first one to open the door on a suspicious battery," said Scott Gibson, energy storage project manager for Snohomish PUD, who expects the new safety system to be installed this summer. "This is where IntelliVent comes in."

The Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Center project, which is partially funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce's Clean Energy Fund, will showcase the promise of grid-level energy storage.

"We want to demonstrate everything that can be done with energy storage and also understand how to get value from it," said Gibson. "We know renewable energy is part of our future, but since renewable energy isn't always available, we need a way to store it."

Gibson calls it a "solar-plus-storage emergency generator with a day job." During normal operating conditions the battery discharges power from the solar array to the grid. But during a natural disaster, the battery and solar array will disconnect from the main power grid to supply emergency power to the Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Center. The microgrid will keep a backup data center and support office running in case of an outage.

IntelliVent designers developed the versatile system to work with a variety of sensors. Further, its simple operation provides an early warning system for pushing the gases out. It is intended to reduce the risk of explosion, but due to limitations of the product standard, is not designed to NFPA-69 (Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems).

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IntelliVent is available for low-cost, nonexclusive licensing as PNNL pursues broad and rapid adoption of this important safety technology.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE's Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
This is the main finding of a study.The authors analyzed blood samples collected in a town in the Brazilian Amazon before and after the first wave of the pandemic to detect the presence of antibodies against dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2.

A study published this May in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that people who have had dengue in the past are twice as likely to develop symptoms of COVID-19 if they are infected by the novel coronavirus.

The findings of the study were based on an analysis of blood samples from 1,285 inhabitants of Mancio Lima, a small town in the state of Acre, part of Brazils Amazon region. The principal investigator was Marcelo Urbano Ferreira, a professor at the University of Sao Paulos Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil. The study was supported by FAPESP.

Our results show that the populations most exposed to dengue, possibly owing to socio-demographic factors, are precisely those that most risk falling very sick if theyre infected by SARS-CoV-2. This is an example of what has been called a syndemic [synergic interaction between two epidemic diseases so that one exacerbates the effects of the other]. On one hand, COVID-19 has hindered efforts to control dengue. On the other, the latter appears to increase the risk for those who contract the former, Ferreira told Agencia FAPESP.

For seven years Ferreira has been conducting research in Mancio Lima with the aim of combating malaria. In 2018 he began work on a project involving a survey of 20% of the towns population every six months. His team call on homes, apply questionnaires, and collect blood samples. In early 2020 the project received additional funding from FAPESP so that part of the research effort could be redirected to the monitoring and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in the region (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/34728).

In September 2020, a study by another group was published suggesting that areas with many cases of dengue were relatively little affected by COVID-19. Because we already had blood samples collected from inhabitants of Mancio Lima before and after the first wave of the pandemic, we decided to use the material to test the hypothesis that prior infection by dengue virus conferred some degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2. What we found was exactly the opposite, Ferreira said.

Methodology

The blood samples analyzed had been collected in November 2019 and November 2020. They were submitted to tests capable of detecting antibodies against all four dengue serotypes and against SARS-CoV-2.

The results showed that 37% of the cohort studied had contracted dengue before November 2019 and 35% had been infected by the novel coronavirus before November 2020. Clinical data (symptoms and outcomes) of the volunteers diagnosed with COVID-19 were also analyzed.

We deployed statistical analysis to conclude that prior infection by dengue virus doesnt alter the risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, our study also shows that people who have had dengue are more likely to have symptoms if theyre infected by SARS-CoV-2, said Vanessa Nicolete, first author of the article. Nicolete is a researcher with a postdoctoral fellowship at ICB-USP.

The causes of the phenomenon described in the article are unclear. There may be a biological basis for it, in the sense that antibodies against dengue virus somehow exacerbate COVID-19, or it may simply be due to socio-demographic factors that make certain population groups more vulnerable to both diseases for various reasons.

The results evidence the importance of reinforcing both the social distancing measures introduced to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and efforts to control the dengue vector, as the two epidemics are occurring at the same time and affecting the same vulnerable population. This should be getting more attention from the federal government, Ferreira said.

The article Interacting epidemics in Amazonian Brazil: prior dengue infection associated with increased COVID-19 risk in a population-based cohort study by Vanessa C. Nicolete, Priscila T. Rodrigues, Igor C. Johansen, Rodrigo M. Corder, Juliana Tonini, Marly A. Cardoso, Jaqueline G. de Jesus, Ingra M. Claro, Nuno R. Faria, Ester C. Sabino, Marcia C. Castro and Marcelo U. Ferreira is at: academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab410/6270997.
Scientists led by Dr. Salvador Aznar-Benitah, head of the Stem Cells and Cancer laboratory at IRB Barcelona, have described the alterations that occur during mammary gland formation when heterochromatin (the part of DNA that does not actively produce proteins) is poorly regulated. The results, which have been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, indicate that incorrect DNA packaging makes retrotransposons (a type of transposable element originated in ancestral fragments of viruses integrated into the cell genome) more accessible.

As these fragments are more accessible, they can be "read" and copied by the cellular machinery. The cell reacts to the presence of these viral fragments as if it was undergoing infection and it triggers an immune response through a cellular program called pyroptosis. As a result, the interactions between different cells are altered within the breast, leading to complete failure to performs its primary function of milk secretion.

"In many types of cancer, such as triple-negative breast cancer, we observe that there are regions of the genome that are unexpectedly unfolded and we need to understand the implications. The inflammatory response and the alterations that arise could play a key role in the ability of these cells to colonise other organs, causing what is known as metastasis," explains Dr. Aznar-Benitah, ICREA researcher at IRB Barcelona.

The importance of DNA folding

The main function of the DNA in our cells is to coordinate the production of proteins responsible for executing cellular functions. However, some parts of the genome are tightly condensed and thus are not used for this purpose. This study and others published by the scientific community report that proper regulation of chromatin condensation is also key for the correct development of tissues.

The non-coding DNA of animals contains transposable elements, which are ancestral viruses that integrated into the genome a long time ago. If these elements are "read" and copied by the cellular machinery, it is detrimental for the cell. Therefore the cell has evolved mechanisms to protect itself. One of the mechanisms that prevents retroviral copying in healthy cells is chromatin compaction. In their recent work, Dr. Aznar-Benitah and colleagues demonstrated that disrupting this compaction and releasing these ancestral viruses is not only detrimental to the individual cell but has repercussions on the function of the whole tissue (and maybe even the organism).

Bringing research closer to clinical practice

Dr. Alexandra Avgustinova, first author of the article and IRB Barcelona Alumna, has now set up her own laboratory in the Paediatric Cancer programme at the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu (IRSD). Her group addresses the regulation of the genome at the onset of paediatric cancer and, in this context, will study the influence of transposable elements like retrotransposons in the responsiveness of paediatric cancers to immunotherapy.

"I learnt a lot during my years at IRB Barcelona and had the opportunity to meet outstanding scientists with whom I would like to collaborate in the future. Working with Salva has taught me to "think big" and really pursue the questions that intrigue me, which will be very important when it comes to heading your own group!" says Dr. Avgustinova.

Techniques developed and future lines of study

To carry out this research, scientists from IRB Barcelona's Stem Cell and Cancer laboratory have had to develop a very complex study model: They employed computational tools capable of identifying the transposable elements that are being copied within a cell, in combination with a mouse model in which they could assess the functional consequences of disrupting chromatin compaction.

This study demonstrates that disrupting chromatin compaction can have repercussions that reach beyond the affected cell, and it paves the way for research into the metastatic processes of tumours with altered chromatin compaction and thus deregulation of transposable elements.

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The laboratories of Dr. Juan M. Vaquerizas (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster) and Dr. Holger Heyn (CNAG-CRG, Barcelona); and scientists from other laboratories, such as Dr. Alexandra Van Keymeulen (Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles), participated in the work. The IRB Barcelona's Histopathology Facility, led by Dr. Neus Prats, also collaborated.

This research project has been possible thanks to funding from the European Research Council (ERC), the Government of Catalonia, the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain, La Marato/TV3 Foundation and the Worldwide Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF). The researchers also received support from the European Commission within the framework of Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), the Max Planck Society, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft programme, and the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom.
An international research team headed by Michal Hocek of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) and Charles University and Ciara K. O'Sullivan of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Spain have developed a novel method for labeling DNA, which in the future can be used for sequencing DNA by means of electrochemical detection. The researchers presented their results in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A DNA molecule comprises four basic building blocks, nucleotides. The genetic information carried within the molecule is determined by the order of the nucleotides. Knowledge of the order of these building blocks, which is known as the DNA sequence, is necessary for disease diagnostics and forensic DNA analysis, for example. Despite the great progress in recent years, the current DNA sequencing methods, typically based on fluorescent labelling, are still time-consuming and relatively expensive techniques, which have some limitations. Therefore, scientists are intensively searching for new approaches to simplify and accelerate sequencing.

One promising approach is the use of electrochemical detection and so-called redox labels, which are compounds that can be oxidized or reduced on electrodes. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from IOCB Prague, URV, the Faculty of Science of Charles University, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, with students David Kodr and Cansu Pinar Yenice as first authors, has now succeeded in designing and synthesizing artificial nucleotides with special attached redox labels that can be oxidized on a gold or carbon electrode at a specific potential to produce a measurable and analytically useful signal. These labels are carboranes, cage structures composed of boron and carbon atoms, into which other metal atoms can be incorporated, such as iron or cobalt, affecting their resulting electrochemical properties.

The modified nucleotides have been engineered so that the enzyme DNA polymerase, which uses available nucleotide building blocks to build DNA within a cell, can incorporate them into a newly synthesized DNA strand. Thus, the researchers have succeeded in preparing a strand of DNA comprising modified nucleotides. At the same time, each of the four types of nucleotide carries its own unique label allowing for its subsequent identification. And therein lay the primary pitfall of the project; until now, researchers had always only managed to label and measure one, at most two, types of redox-labelled nucleotides in a single strand of DNA.

Because each of the modified nucleotides carries its own label, which during electrochemical detection gives a specific oxidation signal at varying potentials, the individual types of nucleotides can be distinguished. Moreover, the size of each signal is dependent on the number of copies of the given nucleotide in the DNA, which then makes it possible to quickly determine the relative representation of individual nucleotides in the measured DNA.

The newly developed electrochemical coding of DNA bases offers a range of advantages, such as simpler and more affordable instrumentation and faster analysis. The method holds promise for DNA sequencing and diagnostic applications as well as for development of new DNA chips.

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Theres a debate going on inside that building behind me, its a debate involving two very different perspectives. One is the view that Connecticuts economy is like a wound-spring, its going to bounce back very soon and well be back to where we were. For too many families in the state, being back to where they were, has never been that good, Fonfara said.
Climate change induced yield reductions can be compensated by cultivar adaptation and global production can even be increased.

Global agriculture both is one of the major drivers of climate change and strongly affected by it. Rising temperatures are among the main reasons for yield reductions. Therefore, the agricultural sector is faced with the major challenge of adapting to climate change in order to ensure food security in the future. According to a new study carried out by international researchers, the use of locally adapted cultivars can significantly contribute to achieve this goal. The study was led by LMU geographer Dr. Florian Zabel.

For four different climate scenarios, he and his colleagues simulated the impacts of climate change on the global production of maize, rice, soy and wheat and investigated how locally adapted cultivars would affect crop yields. Thereby, the scenarios represent different socio-economic pathways that result in temperature increases ranging between 1.4 and 3.9C in global average.

"Our results show that, at least under moderate warming, we could generally adapt well to climate change and even increase global yields by almost 20% until the end of the century. Thereby, the increase of atmospheric CO2 partly attributes to the yield increase for some crops, due to positive effects on the efficiency of photosynthesis." says Zabel.

Strong warming threatens adaptation

If global warming can be restricted to below 1.5C, as specified in the Paris Agreements, the simulations suggest that 85% of the global cropland area can be optimally cultivated with already available cultivars.

The stronger the warming, the more new cultivars will be needed and the higher the risk that a required locally adapted cultivars that can cope with the changed local conditions will not be available.

"In the worst-case scenario, almost 40% of global cropland could require new cultivars, of which some would need to have traits that currently do not exist," says Zabel. Thereby, a critical point is that this even affects globally important production regions, such as North America's Corn Belt, the world's most important region for maize production.

"In addition, there are some regions where cultivar adaptation will not be possible, for instance due to a change in future precipitation and possible droughts," says Zabel. The simulations consider local and regional effects of climate change, and therefore allow identifying regions where locally adapted cultivars could be particularly beneficial for yields. These include large areas of Europe, China and Russia. However, in other parts of the world - including Turkey, Northeastern Brazil, Texas, Kenya and parts of India - adapted cultivars are predicted to have little or no effect on yields, due to a reduction of available water for crops.

Innovative and more efficient breeding methods offer a possible solution. "Conventional breeding approaches often take years," Zabel points out. "New methods such as CRISPR-Cas could help to develop required cultivars that are specifically adapted to local conditions more quickly and in a more targeted way," Zabel adds.

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The study appears in the journal Global Change Biology. In addition to the authors based at LMU, researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, at Columbia University in the City of New York (USA), the University of Chicago (USA), the Universite de Liege (Belgium), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Austria), China Agricultural University in Beijing, the University of Birmingham (UK) and Lund University (Sweden).
AUGUSTA, Ga. (May 18, 2021) - Looking to improve organ transplant success, researchers are working to learn more about how an immune molecule, which also protects a fetus, helps protect some transplanted kidneys, and to develop a synthetic version of that molecule that could help more patients.

They also are working from the other direction with a "humanized" mouse model that could better select the optimal organ donor and reduce rejection risk.

The molecule is HLA-G and it's part of the usual checks and balances that keep our immune system focused on invaders like cancer or a virus and not attacking our own tissue.

Medical College of Georgia investigators, led by Dr. Anatolij Horuzsko, an immunologist in the MCG Department of Medicine and Georgia Cancer Center and a leader in the study of HLA-G, have shown that in the lab and in transplant patients a key difference between many who have long success with a new kidney and those who reject is inexplicably high levels of HLA-G. In this case, it's a particularly potent version called HLA-G dimer, which is essentially two of the immune molecules bound together.

"We are very interested in the impact of this molecule in the challenge of controlling the immune response to a transplanted organ and in prolongation of graft survival," says Horuzsko, principal investigator on a $750,000 grant from the Georgia-based Carlos and Marguerite Mason Trust that is enabling pursuit of those interests.

Current projects with longtime colleague and coinvestigator Dr. Laura Mulloy, chief of the Division of Nephrology in the MCG Department of Medicine, include fine-tuning a synthetic version of the super-duper HLA-G they are finding in patients, Horuzsko says. They expect their synthetic HLA-G dimer will one day be added to a patient's antirejection regimen, possibly even started before the transplant, to provide a more welcoming environment for the new organ, Mulloy says. They also suspect it will enable dose reduction of standard immunosuppressive drugs that generally suppress the immune response and can leave patients vulnerable for other medical problems and infections.

Horuzsko and Mulloy anticipate being ready to move forward with first-in-human trials of the powerful, stable, synthetic HLA-G by the conclusion of the three-year term of their new grant. "Unfortunately it won't be an immediate answer, but it will be an exciting one," Mulloy says.

Their pursuits include important details such as whether HLA-G dimer therapy would be needed lifelong, like current transplant drugs, or shorter term. Part of that means seeing how long their synthetic HLA-dimer lasts. The natural version probably lasts for a couple of weeks but people who are good, natural producers of it appear to keep making it, Horuzsko notes.

He also is doing parallel studies to learn more about how the body produces HLA-G to see if production could be induced. They know HLA-G can be induced in some scenarios, for example the fetus apparently spontaneously expresses the molecule to help avoid being targeted by the mother's immune system because of its "foreign" DNA from the father. They are not certain why it's naturally high -- or when it gets higher -- in some transplant patients.

However HLA-G happens, they also want to know more about how it works to protect transplanted organs from rejection.

Horuzsko's team has shown one way is by inhibiting the activation and destruction of killer T cells. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells are important for attacking viruses and bacteria, but also can attack and destroy transplanted organs, particularly when the match is not ideal. They've found patients with naturally high levels of HLA-G dimer tend to have significantly lower levels of granzymes A and B and perforin, all substances used by these killer cells. Perforin essentially makes pores in the cells so granzyme A and B can get in, and they ultimately prompt cell suicide, called apoptosis.

Now they are looking further at how HLA-G dimer interrupts this natural destructive pathway with genomic, molecular and cellular analyses of immune cells from patients as well as mice expressing a human receptor for HLA-G -- the most successful transplant patients also tend to have higher levels of HLA-G receptors -- and those taking their synthetic HLA-G dimer. They also are looking at gene targets, and have already plotted 17 genes upregulated and 18 downregulated with HLA-G treatment in a humanized model by using the blood of healthy volunteers. "We need to better understand how HLA-G is working," Horuzsko says.

To further reduce the immune response, they want to fine tune the donor-recipient match with a "humanized" mouse model that has a patient's immune system to see more directly how it responds to the blood of potential living donors.

The researchers call this new approach an "immunobiological algorithm" and hope that one day all patients and potential donors will have this as part of their frontline evaluation.

As part of the new grant, they have now begun a small trial that compares results from this new approach with the standard evaluation. "We are ready to do this," Horuzsko says. As part of these early evaluations, a number of "avatar" mice are made for each recipient to enable testing of the blood of multiple potential living donors -- a common scenario -- and the best combination of immunosuppressive drugs to help them avoid rejection.

Current donor evaluation includes looking to see if there are antigens in the recipient's blood against proteins on the donor's blood cells, Mulloy says. HLA, or human leukocyte antigen, which determines what the immune system sees as friend or foe, is examined as part of the donor selection process and only identical twins are likely to have an identical HLA match.

The researchers say their humanized mouse model is more sensitive than even the most sophisticated testing done today called mixed lymphocyte reaction, in which immune cells from two people are combined to see if it prompts activation of T cells, which are drivers of the immune response. It's also in keeping with trends toward more personalized medicine.

The years of work leading to the new approach include developing a mouse without its own immune system but with growth factors to support human immune cells so a patient's immune system could be transferred and settle in. Immune cells from the patient needing the new kidney amplify within two or three weeks and the mouse is ready for testing, Horuzsko says, likening the mouse to "an incubator for human immune cells."

He notes that the humanized mouse model likely cannot be used to better select cadaver donors because of the time it takes for cell amplification and the fact that currently cadaver kidneys typically must be transplanted within 48 hours. Currently about two-thirds of kidney transplants result from cadaver donors, in which a single donor can typically help two patients, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Research indicates that a living donor generally yields the best transplant survival rates.

Kidney rejection rates already are lower now than they have ever been, with one-year survival rates above 95%, but rejection still happens, Mulloy says. Months to years later, recipients can develop chronic rejection, which means their immune system is regularly making cytotoxic killer cells and antibodies against proteins on the donor kidney and eventually the kidney dies.

Even the drugs themselves can directly damage and scar the donor organ, Mulloy says, all good reasons to find the best match and give the minimum drugs necessary.

Cytotoxic cells and antibodies in the blood are often a first sign of trouble. Physicians preemptively look at antibody levels in the blood and for signs of kidney distress like protein in the urine.

Horuzsko and his colleagues first published six years ago evidence from 50 patients with no sign of rejection and 17 with chronic rejection, that those who did well had naturally high levels of HLA-G, a reality that has continued to stand. In 2019, they showed those findings held in 90 patients with a functioning transplanted kidney and 40 individuals who rejected their new organ.

They have also seen that high levels of HLA-G dimer don't correlate with other common demographics like age, race or gender, rather only with those who do and don't reject their transplanted organ.

The Mason Trust's mission is to improve the process of organ transplantation for needy Georgia residents. To date they have given $15.7 million to MCG and Augusta University Health System in support of initiatives like Horuzsko's. This includes $1.45 million to help fund construction of the Carlos and Marguerite Mason Solid Organ Transplant Center, which opened in April 2017. And, most recently a $215,000 gift in support of telehealth initiatives to enable remote care of patients at the Health System's Savannah and Albany transplant clinics.

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HAMILTON, ON May 18, 2021 -- Five years after the disastrous wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, researchers are warning that the complex role of peatlands, a factor critical to projecting the risk and behaviour of future fires, is missing from the forecasting model.

The Fort McMurray fire burned out of control from May 1 to July 5, 2016, though it continued to smoulder until it was finally declared extinguished Aug. 2, 2017.

Peat deposits - which are prevalent across Canada, especially in Alberta - are complex threats that can complicate and magnify the risk of severe, long-lasting fires and heavy smoke, but they are not yet part of the standard assessment tools that fire managers use.

It's a critical gap that should be addressed urgently, say the authors of a new paper published today in the International Journal of Wildland Fire, who have completed the first scientific assessment of peatland smouldering fire potential.

"Our understanding of this risk is advancing quickly because it needs to. Year on year, wildfires are becoming more severe and having greater impact," says researcher Sophie Wilkinson, lead author of the paper. "We need tools to understand this at every level of management and governance."

Wilkinson, a post-doctoral research fellow in McMaster's School of Earth, Environment and Society, authored the paper with McMaster colleagues Professor James Michael Waddington and Alex Furukawa, and Professor Mike Wotton of the University of Toronto.

The team looked most closely at peat deposits that are home to black spruce trees. The trees can burn quickly, throwing flaming embers into the air and across the landscape, while the peat, once lit, can smoulder for months and even move underground before re-emerging.

The compacted layers of dead Sphagnum moss and other vegetation, steeped in groundwater and topped by living moss and sometimes black spruce, are huge vaults of carbon.

Once viewed as benign wetland firebreaks, these complex ecosystems are not necessarily resistant to fire and can extend and accelerate wildfires. When climate change and human activity accelerate the drying of such wetlands, stored peat becomes even more dangerous fuel for smoky, stubborn and potentially devastating fires.

"I think the Fort McMurray fire really highlighted the lack of understanding of ecosystems in that area and the interplay between them," Wilkinson says. "It's concerning from a public health and safety perspective, and in terms of its feedback with climate change."

The researchers were able to perform a detailed study in Alberta because peatlands there are more thoroughly mapped, but they believe similar risks exist throughout the boreal peatlands of Canada.

The risk of peat fire is shaped by the type and depth of a peat deposit, the geological structure beneath it, and the presence of trees on its surface, all influenced by rain, wind and temperature - collectively known as "fire weather".

Sometimes fire moves swiftly over peatlands, while other times it digs in. Often, the researchers find, the potential for the worst peat fires is in the smallest, shallowest deposits, which are common in the more populated southern areas of the Boreal Plains.

"It's challenging because there are so many counterintuitive elements at play. These are wetlands that are burning," Wilkinson says.

"A good understanding of how fire is likely to behave in relation to these variables is not yet available to fire managers. I think awareness is growing, and peat fires are getting onto the radar of the public and policymakers more, but the actual scale of the carbon stored in peatlands and the potential to release it through fire is not well understood by the public."

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Postpartum psychosis is a devastating, but rare, mental health problem that affects women in the first few weeks after giving birth. Symptoms vary widely, and can include high mood (mania), depression, confusion, hallucinations and delusions.

Although the disorder affects only one in every 1,000 women who have a baby, it is much more common in mothers with a history of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder (a condition which has symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), or women who have suffered a previous episode of postpartum psychosis.

There are currently no biological markers that help to identify women who could go on to develop postpartum psychosis, and the role of brain connectivity - how different areas of the brain talk to each other, measured using brain scans - is yet to be fully explored.

Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, and the University of Padova in Italy, found that compared with healthy women, women at risk of postpartum psychosis show altered connectivity in brain networks associated with 'goal-directed behaviour' - i.e. areas of the brain involved in planning, organising and completing short and long-term tasks.

Their study also offers the first evidence that increased connectivity within the brain's executive network (responsible for attention, working memory and decision-making) could represent a marker of resilience to postpartum psychosis relapse.

32 women 'at risk' of postpartum psychosis, and 27 healthy women, were followed up from pregnancy through to eight weeks after giving birth. They were considered 'at risk' of postpartum psychosis if they had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder, or if they had suffered a previous episode of postpartum psychosis. In the first four weeks after delivery, 15 women became unwell with symptoms indicating postpartum psychosis.

Eight weeks after giving birth, the women had brain scans while resting, followed by further scans during an emotional processing task, to study how different brain areas were activated, and the interplay between them. For the task, participants looked at images of faces expressing different emotions and had to identify that emotion (for example, a face showing a fearful expression). The researchers measured how long it took for them to successfully identify these emotions and analysed how different networks of the brain were activated.

All women at risk of postpartum psychosis, and particularly those who later became unwell, struggled more with understanding and decoding negative emotions, compared to the healthy women. This was indicated by reduced connectivity between certain brain networks during the task, and longer reaction times to the negative emotional images.

While similar connectivity changes have also been revealed in patients with other psychiatric disorders, the King's study found that these changes were more marked specifically in women who become unwell, potentially reflecting the emotional instability women experience during the course of the disorder.

Paola Dazzan, Professor of Neurobiology of Psychosis at King's College London, said: "Although rare, postpartum psychosis is a very serious mental health problem that can be really frightening for new mothers, their partners, friends and family.

"Previously, it's been difficult to spot women at risk of postpartum psychosis or explain why some are more vulnerable than others, as we really haven't known enough about the neurobiology of the illness. Our study is the first step towards a better understanding of brain connectivity as a marker of vulnerability to postpartum psychosis."

Professor Dazzan added: "We recently published another paper looking at the role of stress in postpartum psychosis, which found that higher levels of cortisol (the main stress hormone) in the third trimester of pregnancy predicted postpartum psychosis relapse. If subtle alterations in the brain's executive network, and its interaction with other brain areas, were also detectable in pregnancy, these could offer vital clues to the development of postpartum psychosis. Potentially, this could enable us to intervene earlier, allowing clinicians to provide the best possible support for new mothers, before the onset of symptoms."

The researchers are now planning to study how these brain scan changes are related to the interaction between the mothers and their babies, and also how the babies develop during their first years of life.

###

This research was funded by the Medical Research Foundation, with additional support from the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London.

Professor Paola Dazzan's postpartum psychosis research is funded by a gift in Will to the Medical Research Foundation, received in memory of a donor's sister.

Notes to editors

For further media information or a copy of the embargoed research paper, please contact Jack Stonebridge, Senior Communications Manager at the Medical Research Foundation, on jack.stonebridge@medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk or 07892762074.

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Climate change-induced ice melting in the Arctic has led to contradictions in the assessment of Russia's rights in the region. As ice cover diminishes, Russia may be losing its influence on the territories that it has historically developed. This is partially due to the changing width of territorial waters by low-water lines. However, there are alternative legally valid ways to establish fair borders, which are described by researchers of the HSE Institute of Ecology in their paper 'Prospects for the evolution of the system of baselines in the Arctic' https:/ / www. mdpi. com/ 2073-4441/ 13/ 8/ 1082/ htm .

Baselines are one of the key factors shaping international maritime law. From these lines the breadth of a territorial sea is measured, over which the sovereignty of a coastal state extends. The outer boundary of a territorial sea is its maritime boundary. Baselines are also used to measure the width of exclusive economic zones and continental shelfs, where the coastal state has broad sovereign rights or jurisdiction. 'The issue of optimal baseline outlining is very important for ensuring the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and national security of any coastal state,' said Boris Morgunov https:/ / www. hse. ru/ en/ org/ persons/ 156593647 , Director of the HSE Institute of Ecology https:/ / eco. hse. ru/ en/ .

According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, there are two types of baselines for measuring the width of territorial sea: normal baselines and straight baselines. A normal baseline is the maximum low-water line along the coast, which is outlined on large-scale sea maps that are officially recognized by the coastal state. This means that if the coastal line is very long, an extremely high volume of hydrographical and cartographical work is required to adjust the maps. Speaking of which, Russia has the longest coastline in the Arctic Ocean.

Meanwhile, the same UN Convention says that 'in localities where the coastline is deeply indented and cut into, or if there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity, the method of straight baselines joining appropriate points may be employed in drawing the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured'. Straight baselines are also drawn in localities where the coastline is highly unstable, such as river deltas. In addition, 'economic interests peculiar to the region concerned' may be taken into account, if their 'reality and importance are clearly evidenced by long usage'.

The system of baselines that is currently used in Russia was established by the Order of the USSR Council of Ministers of January 15, 1985, which stipulates the 'List of Geographical Coordinates of Points that Determine the Position of Baselines to Measure the Width of Territorial Waters, Economic Zones and the Continental Shelf of the USSR'. This system uses a combination of straight and normal baselines. However, due to decreasing areas of perennial ice in the Arctic Ocean and natural processes that bring the sea closer to the coast in Russia's Arctic seas, the configuration of the Russian coastline has considerably changed since 1985. For example, in the Laptev Sea, the rate of coastal erosion can reach 30-55 meters annually, which has led to the extinction of three islands within several decades. It is expected that climate change will accelerate these processes many times.

The paper authors say that the Russian scientific community has long raised the issue about the need to review the 1985 List. International law does not limit the ability of coastal states to amend previously approved baselines. Many states have executed this right, including Arctic ones, such as Norway and Denmark, which delineated their coasts with straight baselines, thereby receiving a number of advantages.

Another way to reinforce Russia's position in the Arctic could be granting the Russian territorial waters historic water status. The concept of 'historic waters' is used in international practice, although it is not clearly enough formulated in legal terms. Such a status can be granted in case of permanent and long-term use of these waters. This is possible if the other states do not object or pose obstacles to the process.

Researchers from the HSE Institute of Ecology believe that Russia has basis to consider granting historic water status to some additional Arctic water zones. Russia has developed the Arctic coast and adjacent sea areas for a long time (several centuries). In the 16th-17th centuries, the north of Siberia was developed by the Cossacks. Since the 18th century, state expeditions explored Russia's northern borders and the adjacent sea areas. The Great Northern Expedition (1733-1743), which consisted of several parties, played a particular role in these explorations.

In the 19th-20th centuries, Russian researchers carried out multiple scientific expeditions, which discovered new islands and straits, created new maps, and went on outstanding boat trips on Arctic routes. Particularly, in 1913, an expedition led by Boris Vilkitsky discovered Severnaya Zemlya archipelago -- the last big part of land discovered on our planet.

Since the 16th century, Russia has confirmed its legal claims on the Northern lands and seas on the state level. Tsar Ivan the Terrible officially denied England's application to provide an exceptional right for trade in the mouths of the Northern rivers, emphasizing that 'those areas are in our land... of three thousand versts' (a verst was a Russian unit of distance equal to 1.067 km). Particularly justifying Russia's rights on areas in the Arctic Ocean is the Circular Note of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of September 20, 1916, in which the Government of the Russian Empire informed foreign states that it includes the lands discovered by Russian Polar expeditions in the Arctic in its territory.

The authors emphasize that the sea areas adjacent to Russia's Arctic coast have never been used for economic development by foreign states or for international navigation. On the contrary, they served as an important source of marine biological resources for coastal communities, primarily small indigenous populations, as well as for the entire population of the country. In the 20th century, economic development of Russia's Arctic areas got a big boost. The economy of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is inextricably connected with the Northern Sea Route. The scale and growth rates of maritime shipping on the Northern Sea Route are confirmed by the following figures: the total volume of shipped cargo was about 1.6 million tons in 2000 and 26 million tons in 2019. By 2024, it is forecasted to reach 80 million tons.

'The new geographical coordinates of the baselines of contemporary Russia's Arctic coast should not be an "adjusted" version of the 1985 List,' said Boris Morgunov. 'This specification should be innovative and clearly reflect the current balance of reviewed sea borders at all levels, and it should be consistent with the practices of other Arctic states that draw straight baselines in the Arctic. We should also consider the long history of scientific and economic developments in the Russian Arctic.'

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - With pandemic lockdowns still in place last summer, The Ohio State University couldn't host its in-person Summer Success Program to help preschoolers from low-income families prepare for kindergarten.

Staff and teachers quickly pivoted to a fully virtual program, but they were worried: Could this really work with 4- and 5-year-olds who had no previous experience with preschool?

A new study suggested it did.

Researchers found that the reimagined Summer Success at Home program was feasible to operate, was popular with teachers and parents, and had at least modest success in helping the children learn literacy skills, early math skills and emotion understanding.

"The promising evidence is that a virtual problem like this can succeed, despite the challenges," said Rebecca Dore, lead author of the study and senior research associate at Ohio State's Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy.

"We weren't sure at the beginning how well it would work. We never met the families and children in person, and we made everything run remotely."

The study was published online recently in the journal Early Education and Development.

The Schoenbaum Family Center, part of Ohio State's College of Education and Human Ecology, had run the Summer Success Program in person since 2016. It offered four-week sessions for children entering kindergarten in the fall, mostly from low-income families who did not have access to preschool programs.

Previous research had shown that children who participated in these in-person programs made significant gains in their kindergarten readiness skills.

For 2020, the teaching staff and leadership came up with a different type of four-week program. Each of the 91 families enrolled was given storybooks and a computer tablet preloaded with educational videos for parents or caregivers to read and watch with their child.

The program included one or two individualized teacher-child video chats each week and a weekly video or phone meeting between the teacher and parent or caregiver.

Parents were given instructions about how to watch the videos and read the books with their children, including questions to ask them before, during and after reading the books or watching the videos.

The study showed that a virtual program like this was feasible, Dore said. They had no trouble recruiting families to participate and 77% of the families that were recruited finished the program.

One concern was whether 4- and 5-year-olds would be able to participate in video lessons - and the answer was yes.

Teachers rated children's engagement in activities as 2.4 on a scale of 0 to 3 and in 90% of sessions, found the child was engaged for more than half the lesson. In half the sessions, teachers rated the child as being engaged for the whole lesson.

Parents and caregivers gave the program high marks, with average ratings of 4.7 on a 5-point scale.

"The most common comment we got from caregivers was that they wished the program was longer," Dore said.

Children were tested on a variety of measures before and after the program. Results showed there was an upward trend on all the measures, including social-emotional skills, counting, alphabet knowledge and emergent literacy.

Some of the improvements were small, Dore said, and since there was no control group it is not possible to prove the program was responsible for the gains.

"This was a preliminary assessment, and we will need more research," she said.

But the results are especially encouraging because the gains were achieved with much less direct instruction than children would receive during the in-person program, said study co-author Laura Justice, professor of educational studies at Ohio State and executive director of The Crane Center. "Our results suggest virtual intervention may be successful in promoting kindergarten readiness skills even when children cannot be in preschool or in an in-person summer program," Justice said.

While this program was developed in response to the pandemic, the promising results suggest it may be useful for other circumstances, Dore said.

For example, virtual interventions could be used in rural areas where it is difficult for families to participate in in-person programs or for seriously ill children who are unable to attend in person.

###

Other co-authors of the study, all from The Crane Center, were Abigail Mills, Mistu Narui and Kari Welch.

The research was supported by a grant from the city of Columbus.

Contact: Rebecca Dore, Dore.13@osu.edu Laura Justice, Justice.57@osu.edu

Written by Jeff Grabmeier, 614-292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu
Cool AMI EU is a phase II Randomized Clinical Trial evaluating systemic mild hypothermia as an adjunctive therapy to primary PCI in patients with anterior STEMI.

Results of the interim analyses performed after 12 months in the first 111 patients enrolled in phase II Cool AMI trial evaluating safety and effectiveness of systemic therapeutic hypothermia as an adjunctive therapy in anterior STEMI undergoing PCI as compared to PCI only. Analyses showed significant differences among treatment groups, including longer randomization-to-balloon time and total ischemic time in treatment arm, justifying premature trial discontinuation.

Therapeutic mild systemic hypothermia, when achieved before reperfusion of the infarct related vessel, has shown to limit infarct size in experimental animal models. Despite encouraging initial in vivo results, several prior RCTs reported overall neutral effects. A potential advantage of hypothermia was detected in early presenters with anterior STEMI cooled prior to reperfusion.

Safety of this approach in anterior STEMI patients was initially tested in the COOL AMI EU pilot phase I trial, which results were previously presented at EUROPCR 2017 and published in Eurointervention.

The COOL AMI EU pivotal trial, is an industry initiated, multicenter, prospective, interventional, randomized-controlled phase II trial with a 1:1 randomization protocol comparing systemic therapeutic hypothermia in patients with recent onset anterior STEMI (< 4.5 h from symptoms onset) cooled before and after primary PCI as compared to primary PCI only. Mild therapeutic hypothermia has been achieved with ZOLL Proteus Intra Vascular Temperature Management system via fast injection of up to 1 litre cold saline through a catheter inserted via the femoral vein into the inferior vena cava reaching a mean body temperature of 33 C during treatment.

Primary efficacy endpoint was set as a relative reduction of 20% in mean anterior myocardial infarct size (as % left ventricular mass) determined by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 4-6 days post-infarct in the cooling + PCI arm as compared to the PCI only arm.

The secondary safety endpoint was defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction and clinically-indicated target lesion revascularization at 30 day follow-up. According to the statistical analysis plan, 500 patients were expected to be enrolled to detect a relative reduction of 20% in mean infarct size in the treatment group. Interim analyses were pre-specified as per protocol.

During the LBT sessions of the upcoming EUROPCR 2021 congress, results of the interim analyses performed at 12 months after enrolment of 111 patients (58 treatment arm, 52 controls) were presented by Dr. M Noc (Ljubljana, Slovenia). The interim analysis led to premature, sponsor promoted, trial discontinuation.

Trialists observed significant differences among treatment groups, including longer randomization-to-balloon time (6121 vs 3218 minutes, p<0,001) and total ischemic time (23263 vs 18864 minutes, p<0.001) in treatment arm, with comparable onset-to-randomization delays. Those delays could be associated with potential impact on outcomes. Delays were considered not to be related to cooling manoeuvres.

No significant differences were observed for the primary endpoint (infarct size as a % of LV mass at MRI at 4-6 days 21.312.2% in the treatment group vs 20.012.2% in the control group, p=0.540). A numerically greater, statistically non-significant increase in the incidence of the secondary endpoint was also observed in the cooling arm (MACE at 30 days n=5 (8.6%) vs n=1 (1,9%), p=0.117). Incidence of two per protocol specified serious adverse events (cardiogenic shock: n=6 (10.3%) vs n=0 (0%), p=0.028 and new onset paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: n=25 (43.1%) vs 2 (3.8%), p<0.001), were also significantly increased in the treatment arm.

Early interruption of the trial clearly limits the statistical power of the trial not allowing to definitely assess its safety and efficacy in anterior STEMI patients. While the experience acquired with COOL AMI EU pivotal trial will be of help in designing future trials assessing the effects of systemic hypothermia, additional evidence will be required to support its adoption.

###

NOTES TO EDITORS

Key information

* COOL AMI EU pivotal trial - Noc Marko

* Embargo will be lifted on Tuesday 18 May - 9:00 Paris time

* Available on the Video on Demand Section - http://www. europcr. com

About EuroPCR 2021

The World-Leading Course in interventional cardiovascular medicine and the official annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) will take place from 18 to 20 May 2021 online, http://www. europcr. com and in different hubs (depending on the sanitary situation).

The detailed Course Programme is available on: https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR .

About PCR

The mission of PCR is to serve the needs of each individual patient by helping the cardiovascular community to share knowledge, experience and practice. PCR offers a large range of many other educational meetings and resources for the continuing education of the interventional cardiovascular community. These include major annual Courses across the globe, e-Learning with high-profile PCR Webinars, Courses specifically dedicated to valvular heart disease, tailor-made PCR Seminars on specific topics, online resources and medical publications such as EuroIntervention, the official journal of the EAPCI.

Gateways to all PCR activities are available on http://www. pcronline. com .

For further information, please contact Celia Vila: cvila@europa-group.com.

HELP FOR JOURNALISTS TO COVER EUROPCR 2021

Register and attend EuroPCR 2021 as a journalist

Open to accredited journalists, free of charge. Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press, go to https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR/ Press .

EuroPCR press releases can be found at

https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ News/ PCR-Press-Releases .

For any press-related enquiries, please contact EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli: iuzielli@europcr.com
The European Bifurcation Club Left Main (EBC MAIN) trial addressed the issue of provisional single stent versus upfront double stenting in 467 patients with true bifurcation distal left main disease.

So far, only one other randomized trial, DKCRUSH-V (n=482), has addressed the same research question, showing better outcomes with an upfront two-stent strategy, more specifically the double-kissing crush (DK CRUSH) technique.

In terms of methodology, two aspects need to be considered for the correct interpretation of the EBC MAIN trial results. First, both LAD and CX ostia were affected by significant disease on angiography in all included patients. Second, it being a strategy trial, the EBC MAIN did not compare the implantation of one versus two stents, but it rather compared a provisional single stent strategy, which could entail extension to two stents under prespecified procedural conditions, with an upfront assignment to use a two-stent technique.

What is new?

The primary message is that no difference in terms of the studied clinical outcomes was noted between the planned single stenting and the upfront use of two-stent techniques. Of note, 22% of patients randomized to a planned single-stent strategy were ultimately treated with two stents.

The primary composite endpoint of one-year death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization occurred at the rate of 14.7% in the provisional vs. 17.7% in the upfront two-stent group (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.5 - 1.3). Furthermore, no significant difference was detected for any of the individual components of the primary endpoint. The rates of stent thrombosis were similar, 1.7% in the provisional arm and 1.3% in patients treated with upfront double stenting.

What will change?

Given the overall neutral trial results, it is important to understand how EBC MAIN could be perceived as practice-changing. This comes on the backdrop of the 2018 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on myocardial revascularization recommendation to preferably use double-kissing crush (an upfront two-stent technique) over a planned single-stent strategy (provisional) in true left main bifurcations (Class of recommendation IIb, Level of evidence B).

The described recommendation was largely based on the results of a single randomized study, the DKCRUSH-V trial. In this respect, the EBC MAIN trial, presented on May 19 at EuroPCR 2021, adds important new data that deviate from the hitherto available randomized evidence on this topic.

Importantly and as highlighted by the authors, neutral findings of the EBC MAIN may provide support for the notion that even in true left main bifurcations the initial strategy of single stenting is not penalized by worse one-year outcomes as compared with upfront two-stent techniques.

The clinical value of these findings is compounded by prior evidence from a pooled analysis of the BBC ONE and NORDIC trials, which associated upfront two-stent techniques with a higher long-term mortality risk, as compared with an initial single-stent strategy.

###

NOTES TO EDITORS

Key information

EBC MAIN - the European Bifurcation Club left main coronary bifurcation study - David Hildick-Smith

Embargo will be lifted on Tuesday 18 May - 9:00 Paris time

Available on the Video on Demand Section - http://www. europcr. com

Livestream presentation on 19 May - 10:25 - Main Arena Channel

About EuroPCR 2021

The World-Leading Course in interventional cardiovascular medicine and the official annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) will take place from 18 to 20 May 2021 online, http://www. europcr. com and in different hubs (depending on the sanitary situation).

The detailed Course Programme is available on: https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR .

About PCR

The mission of PCR is to serve the needs of each individual patient by helping the cardiovascular community to share knowledge, experience and practice. PCR offers a large range of many other educational meetings and resources for the continuing education of the interventional cardiovascular community. These include major annual Courses across the globe, e-Learning with high-profile PCR Webinars, Courses specifically dedicated to valvular heart disease, tailor-made PCR Seminars on specific topics, online resources and medical publications such as EuroIntervention, the official journal of the EAPCI.

Gateways to all PCR activities are available on http://www. pcronline. com .

For further information, please contact Ce?lia Vila?: cvila@europa-group.com.

HELP FOR JOURNALISTS TO COVER EUROPCR 2021

Register and attend EuroPCR 2021 as a journalist

Open to accredited journalists, free of charge. Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press, go to

https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR/ Press .

EuroPCR press releases can be found at

https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ News/ PCR-Press-Releases .

For any press-related enquiries, please contact

EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli: iuzielli@europcr.com.
A decade already passed from the first use of bioresorbable vascular scaffold in percutaneous coronary interventions. The first studies - by using surrogate endpoints - showed some superiority of BRS vs. metallic drug-eluting stent in terms of the so-called vascular restoration therapy with recovery of vasomotion and vascular pulsatility when the scaffold was absorbed.

Nevertheless, after these first promising findings, larger and randomized clinical trials and subsequent meta-analyses, powered to hard clinical endpoints, showed that bioresorbable vascular scaffolds, made of poly-lactic polymer, exhibit a higher rate of target lesion revascularization, with in particular a higher rate of scaffold thrombosis as compared with metallic drug-eluting stent. Interestingly, the implantation technique was related to these events rates, as these first generation bioresorbable scaffolds were characterized by a thick strut (150 micron), which made it similar to first generation metallic DES and therefore very much dependent by a very precise implantation technique.

At light of these findings, BRS made of polylactic acid were withdrawn from the market and only metallic BRS based on a magnesium platform are still used, restricted to a very specific subset of patients included in controlled studies.

Although BRS use is very limited nowadays, the need of a bioresorbable scaffold for treating coronary lesions, leaving nothing behind and allowing the so-called vascular restoration therapy, is still very much alive.

The FUTURE-II trial is a randomized trial comparing a new, thin-strut bioresorbable scaffold - the FIRESORB -poly-L-lactic acid-based sirolimus-eluting vs. everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent (EES). The FIRESORB scaffold may be defined as a second generation bioresorbable scaffold: it is made of poly-lactic polymer, but with a strut thickness of only 100-125 micron, which made it close to second generation drug-eluting metallic stents. The trial wanted to demonstrate non-inferiority of the FIRESORB vs. EES, with a primary surrogate endpoint of late lumen loss at 1-year, which is known to be associated with clinical event rates. Major secondary endpoint is 1-year proportion of covered struts by OCT, which was evaluated in a subgroup of patients.

The trial succeeded to show non-inferiority of FIRESORB vs. EES in terms of 1-year angiographic late lumen loss (0.17  0.27 vs. 0.19  0.37 mm, p for non-inferiority < 0.001). Of note implantation technique was almost perfect in both groups, with a high rate of pre-dilatation and post-dilatation. Non-inferiority was shown also in the secondary OCT endpoints, with a similar proportion of covered struts in both groups; of note a less incomplete strut apposition was found in Firesorb vs. EES group at 1-year, which may be the result of scaffold resorption.

Eventually, no difference was found in terms of target lesion failure between groups with very low rate of events (1.9% vs. 3.3%, p=0.37) and no definite probable device thromboses.

For all these reasons, the results of this trial may revitalize the concept of bioresorbable scaffold or may even stimulate the design of new pivotal studies with this new device. A proper implantation technique together with a device with improved physical and mechanical properties may give the opportunity to have a PLLA-based BRS back in our daily practice in a foreseeable FUTURE.

###

NOTES TO EDITORS

Key information

* A randomised trial of thinner-strut sirolimus-eluting BRS in de novo lesions: one-year results from the FUTURE-II trial - Bo Xu

* Embargo will be lifted on Tuesday 18 May - 9:00 Paris time

* Available on the Video on Demand Section - http://www. europcr. com

* Livestream presentation on 19 May - 11:40 - Coronary Channel

About EuroPCR 2021

The World-Leading Course in interventional cardiovascular medicine and the official annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) will take place from 18 to 20 May 2021 online, http://www. europcr. com and in different hubs (depending on the sanitary situation).

The detailed Course Programme is available on: https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR .

About PCR

The mission of PCR is to serve the needs of each individual patient by helping the cardiovascular community to share knowledge, experience and practice. PCR offers a large range of many other educational meetings and resources for the continuing education of the interventional cardiovascular community. These include major annual Courses across the globe, e-Learning with high-profile PCR Webinars, Courses specifically dedicated to valvular heart disease, tailor-made PCR Seminars on specific topics, online resources and medical publications such as EuroIntervention, the official journal of the EAPCI.

Gateways to all PCR activities are available on http://www. pcronline. com .

For further information, please contact Ce?lia Vila?: cvila@europa-group.com.

HELP FOR JOURNALISTS TO COVER EUROPCR 2021

Register and attend EuroPCR 2021 as a journalist

Open to accredited journalists, free of charge. Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press, go to https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ Courses/ EuroPCR/ Press .

EuroPCR press releases can be found at

https:/ / www. pcronline. com/ News/ PCR-Press-Releases .

For any press-related enquiries, please contact

EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli: iuzielli@europcr.com.
HERSHEY, Pa. -- According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer affecting women worldwide, and those in developing countries face a higher risk of dying from it. If detected early, cervical cancer responds well to treatment, however not everyone receives cancer screenings.

A team of researchers, including those from Penn State College of Medicine, took a closer look at cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to determine the prevalence and key factors that influence cancer screenings. The group found that despite high mortality rates, cancer screenings are substantially low, and there are multiple reasons why.

In a new study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, the researchers reviewed demographic and health surveys from nearly 30,000 women, ages 21 to 49, living in the Ivory Coast, Benin, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe. According to the findings, 19% of women underwent cervical cancer screenings from 2011 to 2018. However, the rates varied greatly by country, ranging from less than 1% in Benin to nearly 46% in Namibia.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few comprehensive studies, and perhaps the largest to date, to examine the prevalence and determinants of cervical cancer across multiple SSA countries," said Djibril Ba, lead author and epidemiology doctoral student. "The low prevalence of cervical-cancer screening among childbearing-aged women is concerning and suggests that there is a large group of women who remain unscreened with an increased risk of cervical cancer."

According to the researchers, there were several key determinants to accessing cancer screenings in SSA. Women who visited health care facilities within the past year were more likely to undergo procedures. The researchers found that older women and individuals with health insurance, higher socioeconomic status and a higher level of education were more likely to have cancer screenings. They suggest that increasing screenings across the region may be beneficial and lifesaving.

"Interventions aimed at increasing cancer screenings are needed in countries that traditionally prioritize infectious conditions over chronic conditions," said Edeanya Agbese, coauthor and research project manager from the Department of Public Health Sciences. "The resulting variation of screening presented in this study, coupled with the increased cancer burden in SSA, highlights the importance of such interventions, which can lead to early treatment options."

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Paddy Ssentongo of Penn State College of Medicine; Jonah Musa of University of Jos in Nigeria; Brehima Diakite and Cheick Bougadari Traore of the University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, in Mali; Steve Wang of Mobile Imaging Innovations; and Mamoudou Maiga of Northwestern University also contributed to this research. The researchers declare no conflict of interest.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Fogarty International Center. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIH or Fogarty International Center.
We think back to 2020, we did a combination of what I would call offense and defense, he said at the gathering, the first organized by parent company Raytheon Technologies Corp. since it was created in a merger last year with United Technologies. The company took some very, very difficult headcount action. No one wants to have to do that.
SAN DIEGO (May TK, 2021) - Compared to most other bear species, very little is known about how female Andean bears choose where they give birth to cubs. As a critical component of the reproductive cycle, birthing dens are essential to the survival of South America's only bear species, listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

A new study led by Russ Van Horn, Ph.D., published April in the journal Ursus, takes the most detailed look yet at the dens of this species. Van Horn, a population sustainability scientist, leads San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Andean bear conservation program. He was joined by colleagues from the University of British Columbia's Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society. The study's findings may aid conservation planners in locating den sites or guiding management for suitable bear habitat.

"The characteristics that seemed to influence the use of sites for dens can be measured and modeled by spatial ecologists, facilitating plans to manage human activities where females may choose to give birth," said Van Horn.

The scientists examined eight dens used by female bears between 2008 and 2013 in the equatorial dry forest of Cerro Venado (pronounced Ser-o Ven-ah-doe) in Northwest Peru. Prior to this study, just two Andean bear birthing dens had been formally described. The team accounted for a range of factors affecting the dens, such as how easy they might be for predators to enter, and characteristics of the surrounding environment, including the steepness of surrounding slopes, the proximity of human activities and the availability of food and water.

Though not conclusive, the data suggest some similarities among the dens. All were preexisting cavities shaped in the ground by rocks that were less than 16.4 feet (5 meters) from a cliff and on relatively steep terrain. Simply stated, the dens were generally located in steep, rugged spots that would be difficult for humans or other terrestrial mammals to access.

"Challenging topography makes these dens hard to find and study," Van Horn said. "But it also makes it less likely that humans will disturb Andean bear females with young cubs, providing them with a baseline level of protection."

Access to food and water, interior space and entrance size appeared not to be as important. Andean bears live in a wide variety of habitats and due to unique characteristics of the georgraphic region assessed in this study females' den choice may differ in other areas of their range.

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About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a nonprofit international conservation leader, committed to inspiring a passion for nature and creating a world where all life thrives. The Alliance empowers people from around the globe to support their mission to conserve wildlife through innovation and partnerships. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports cutting-edge conservation and brings the stories of their work back to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park--giving millions of guests, in person and virtually, the opportunity to experience conservation in action. The work of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance extends from San Diego to strategic and regional conservation "hubs" across the globe, where their strengths--via their "Conservation Toolbox," including the renowned Wildlife Biodiversity Bank--are able to effectively align with hundreds of regional partners to improve outcomes for wildlife in more coordinated efforts. By leveraging these tools in wildlife care and conservation science, and through collaboration with hundreds of partners, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has reintroduced more than 44 endangered species to native habitats. Each year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's work reaches over 1 billion people in 150 countries via news media, social media, their websites, educational resources and the San Diego Zoo Kids channel, which is in children's hospitals in 13 countries. Success is made possible by the support of members, donors and guests to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, who are Wildlife Allies committed to ensuring All Life Thrives.
Researchers analyzed current conservation strategies and recommended changes to how and where declining milkweed (an essential food source for butterfly larvae) can be restored

Simon Fraser University researchers are playing a key role in guiding conservation efforts to protect a declining butterfly population. The eastern monarch butterfly, an important pollinating species known for its distinct yellow-orange and black colour, is diminishing due to the loss of the milkweed plant--its primary food source.

Researchers analyzed current conservation strategies and recommended changes to how and where declining milkweed can be restored, based on assessments of climate and butterfly migration. Their study is published today in Frontiers in Environmental Science.

SFU PhD student Rodrigo Solis-Sosa and professor Sean Cox, from the School of Resource and Environmental Management, led the study with biological sciences professor Arne Mooers. The trio collaborated with Christina Semeniuk, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) and study co-writer Maxim Larrivee, director of the Insectarium de Montreal, one of the five Montreal's Space for Life museums.

Solis-Sosa says researchers hope to prevent the eastern monarch butterfly from the same fate as the western population, which typically migrated from the Okanagan to California each winter. This year's measurements of western monarch butterfly colonies found "zero overwintering populations, putting them at an all-time low and closer to extinction," he explains.

Eastern monarch butterflies overwinter in Mexico from November to March then migrate and reproduce across the U.S. before reaching eastern Canada in late August.

Milkweed has declined across the U.S. due to clearing land for agricultural use, GMO crops, herbicides and climate change. While identifying the U.S. midwest as the best place to focus on restoration efforts, given optimal weather and milkweed availability when the monarch butterfly arrives, the team also found that the southern U.S. has a paramount yet somewhat neglected role.

"While increasing the number of milkweed stems in the South wasn't as effective as in the Midwest, decreasing their number in the South was catastrophic," says Solis-Sosa. "While the South may not play a huge role in increasing the eastern monarch butterfly population, it acts as a safety net."

Researchers also found that recommended estimates of between 1.2 and 1.6 billion milkweed stems falls short of supporting butterfly populations-- by 50 to 90 percent. Existing conservation models don't factor in the effects of drought, changes in temperature and the stem's effective usability by the monarch butterflies.

"Monarchs may need at least three billion stems to reach a safe minimum threshold population of six overwintering hectares," says Solis-Sosa. The population once covered the equivalent of 18 hectares over its wintering territory nearly 25 years ago, but that hasn't risen above six over the past decade. The latest measure has dwindled to just 2.3 overwintering hectares.

Communities in Mexico also depend on monarch butterfly ecotourism as an essential part of their livelihoods. "Monarch butterflies also hold a special significance in traditional Mexican culture," says Solis-Sosa. "They arrive in Mexico by November 2--the Day of the Dead--and symbolize the dead souls of loved ones arriving to comfort them through the dark and cold winter season. Losing the monarch butterfly would represent a cultural loss to the Mexican people."

Solis-Sosa says their research will help policymakers across North America update conservation strategies and has already led to discussions with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The CEC supports cooperation between North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners to address environmental issues of continental concern.

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DALLAS (SMU) - Krista Lynne Smith, an assistant professor of physics at SMU, has received a grant from NASA to study one of the most extreme objects in the universe - Active Galactic Nuclei.

These objects, called AGN for short, are galaxies with a central supermassive black hole feeding on gas from what's called an accretion disk.

The two-year grant of $215,000 will allow Smith to analyze data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to answer a variety of questions about Active Galactic Nuclei and the gas that fuels them.

Learning more about these extreme objects could shed light on the behavior of matter in the deeply warped spacetime around black holes and the processes by which black holes emit powerful jets into their host galaxies.

TESS is an optical telescope that collects light curves on everything in its field of view, every half hour, in an attempt to find new planets outside of our solar system. Light curves are a graph of the light intensity of a celestial object or region as a function of time.

With the NASA grant, Smith will collect data on high-precision optical light curves of thousands of AGN with different black hole masses, accretion rates (the rate at which an object loses energy and momentum as it spirals inward), and host galaxy properties.

Smith has already used TESS data to study other high-energy objects in space. For instance, the light curve data helped Smith and her team spot a gamma-ray burst, one of the brightest explosions in the universe.

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About SMU

SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU's alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.
Mutations associated with autism can inhibit the release of the bonding hormone oxytocin and cause abnormal social behavior in mice

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition involving impaired social abilities, and this makes it a fascinating subject for neuroscientists like Prof. Teiichi Furuichi of the Tokyo University of Science who study the neuroscience of social behavior. Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues have previously worked on developing mouse models of autism to unravel the condition's neurochemical mechanisms, and in a paper recently published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience, they provide evidence that a genetic mutation associated with autism can impair the release of a peptide called oxytocin that plays an important role in regulating social behavior. This finding promises to broaden our understanding of the neurobiology of social behavior.

The gene that Prof. Furuichi's team chose to study is Caps2, which encodes a protein called Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CAPS2) that regulates the release of brain chemicals (or "neurotransmitters"). Previous studies have shown that CAPS2 deficiencies in mice cause behavioral impairments such as reduced sociality, increased anxiety, and disrupted circadian rhythms. Furthermore, a study of Japanese patients with autism spectrum disorder revealed that some of them had Caps2 mutations that adversely affect the CAPS2 protein's functions. Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues had previously discovered that the CAPS2 protein is expressed in neurons in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that release the neuropeptide oxytocin. This information formed the basis of their recent study. As Prof. Furuichi explains, "We hypothesized that CAPS2 deficiencies in mice should alter oxytocin release, which should in turn result in impaired social behavior."

To test this hypothesis, researchers Shuhei Fujima, Graduate Student at Tokyo University of Science; Yoshitake Sano, Junior Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Science; Yo Shinoda, Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences; Tetsushi Sadakata, Associate Professor in Gunma University; Manabu Abe, Associate Professor at Niigata University; and Kenji Sakimura, a Fellow of Niigata University, among others, led by Prof. Furuichi conducted a series of experiments involving mice that carried genetic alterations that prevented them from expressing the CAPS2 protein. These mice had lower-than-normal oxytocin levels in their blood but higher-than-normal oxytocin levels in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The researchers interpreted this finding as evidence that CAPS2 deficiencies impede the normal release of oxytocin from these brain regions into the bloodstream.

Unsurprisingly, the reduced bloodstream levels of oxytocin had clear behavioral effects. When placed inside a rectangular box, the oxytocin neuron-specific CAPS2-deficient mice were unwilling to spend much time in the center of the box, and the researchers interpreted this as evidence of increased anxiety about the risk of a predator attacking them. The CAPS2-deficient mice also exhibited diminished willingness to engage in social interactions when introduced to unfamiliar mice. Interestingly, spraying an oxytocin solution into the noses of the CAPS2-deficient mice acted to restore their willingness to socially interact with unfamiliar mice.

Based on these findings, Prof. Furuichi and his colleagues conclude that the CAPS2 protein plays a critical role in facilitating the release of peripheral oxytocin into the bloodstream. They similarly suggest that CAPS2 is also involved in the release of central oxytocin into the brain regions relating to the control of sociality. Given the key role that oxytocin plays in regulating social behaviors, this could help to explain how mutations in the Caps2 gene could lead to atypical patterns of social behavior in persons with autism spectrum disorder. When asked about the social significance of his team's work, Prof. Furuichi remarks, "We believe that this research, although basic, is an important achievement that will contribute to the development of tools for the early molecular diagnosis and effective treatment of autism spectrum disorder."

Given the relatively high prevalence of autism and how extremely disabling severe cases can be, the development of effective treatments would have major benefits for people with autism and the society as a whole.

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About The Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https:/ / www. tus. ac. jp/ en/ mediarelations/

About Professor Teiichi Furuichi from Tokyo University of Science

Teiichi Furuichi, PhD, has served as a Professor at the Tokyo University of Science since 2011. He has previously worked at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama University, Hiroshima University, the University of Tokyo, Japan's National Institute for Basic Biology, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His research interests include the molecular mechanisms of brain development and the transcriptomic basis of postnatal development of the mouse cerebellum. He has authored over 150 original articles.

Funding information

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and the NOVARTIS Foundation (Japan) for the Promotion of Science.
New findings show connections between the ancient horse populations in North America, where horses evolved, and Eurasia, where they were domesticated

A new study of ancient DNA from horse fossils found in North America and Eurasia shows that horse populations on the two continents remained connected through the Bering Land Bridge, moving back and forth and interbreeding multiple times over hundreds of thousands of years.

The new findings demonstrate the genetic continuity between the horses that died out in North America at the end of the last ice age and the horses that were eventually domesticated in Eurasia and later reintroduced to North America by Europeans. The study has been accepted for publication in the journal Molecular Ecology and is currently available online.

"The results of this paper show that DNA flowed readily between Asia and North America during the ice ages, maintaining physical and evolutionary connectivity between horse populations across the Northern Hemisphere," said corresponding author Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

The study highlights the importance of the Bering Land Bridge as an ecological corridor for the movement of large animals between the continents during the Pleistocene, when massive ice sheets formed during glacial periods. Dramatically lower sea levels uncovered a vast land area known as Beringia, extending from the Lena River in Russia to the MacKenzie River in Canada, with extensive grasslands supporting populations of horses, mammoths, bison, and other Pleistocene fauna.

Paleontologists have long known that horses evolved and diversified in North America. One lineage of horses, known as the caballine horses (which includes domestic horses) dispersed into Eurasia over the Bering Land Bridge about 1 million years ago, and the Eurasian population then began to diverge genetically from the horses that remained in North America.

The new study shows that after the split, there were at least two periods when horses moved back and forth between the continents and interbred, so that the genomes of North American horses acquired segments of Eurasian DNA and vice versa.

"This is the first comprehensive look at the genetics of ancient horse populations across both continents," said first author Alisa Vershinina, a postdoctoral scholar working in Shapiro's Paleogenomics Laboratory at UC Santa Cruz. "With data from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, we were able to see that horses were not only dispersing between the continents, but they were also interbreeding and exchanging genes."

Mitochondrial DNA, inherited only from the mother, is useful for studying evolutionary relationships because it accumulates mutations at a steady rate. It is also easier to recover from fossils because it is a small genome and there are many copies in every cell. The nuclear genome carried by the chromosomes, however, is a much richer source of evolutionary information.

The researchers sequenced 78 new mitochondrial genomes from ancient horses found across Eurasia and North America. Combining those with 112 previously published mitochondrial genomes, the researchers reconstructed a phylogenetic tree, a branching diagram showing how all the samples were related. With a location and an approximate date for each genome, they could track the movements of different lineages of ancient horses.

"We found Eurasian horse lineages here in North America and vice versa, suggesting cross-continental population movements. With dated mitochondrial genomes we can see when that shift in location happened," Vershinina explained.

The analysis showed two periods of dispersal between the continents, both coinciding with periods when the Bering Land Bridge would have been open. In the Middle Pleistocene, shortly after the two lineages diverged, the movement was mostly east to west. A second period in the Late Pleistocene saw movement in both directions, but mostly west to east. Due to limited sampling in some periods, the data may fail to capture other dispersal events, the researchers said.

The team also sequenced two new nuclear genomes from well-preserved horse fossils recovered in Yukon Territory, Canada. These were combined with 7 previously published nuclear genomes, enabling the researchers to quantify the amount of gene flow between the Eurasian and North American populations.

"The usual view in the past was that horses differentiated into separate species as soon as they were in Asia, but these results show there was continuity between the populations," said coauthor Ross MacPhee, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History. "They were able to interbreed freely, and we see the results of that in the genomes of fossils from either side of the divide."

The new findings are sure to fuel the ongoing controversy over the management of wild horses in the United States, descendants of domestic horses brought over by Europeans. Many people regard those wild horses as an invasive species, while others consider them to be part of the native fauna of North America.

"Horses persisted in North America for a long time, and they occupied an ecological niche here," Vershinina said. "They died out about 11,000 years ago, but that's not much time in evolutionary terms. Present-day wild North American horses could be considered reintroduced, rather than invasive."

Coauthor Grant Zazula, a paleontologist with the Government of Yukon, said the new findings help reframe the question of why horses disappeared from North America. "It was a regional population loss rather than an extinction," he said. "We still don't know why, but it tells us that conditions in North America were dramatically different at the end of the last ice age. If horses hadn't crossed over to Asia, we would have lost them all globally."

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This project was a large international collaborative effort involving researchers at multiple institutions working together to obtain DNA from fossils of ancient horses over a wide range of sites in Eurasia and North America. The coauthors include researchers from the University of Toulouse, France, the Arctic University of Norway, and other institutions in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Russia, and China. This work was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, and the American Wild Horse Campaign.
University of California scientists have discovered genetic data that will help food crops like tomatoes and rice survive longer, more intense periods of drought on our warming planet.

Over the course of the last decade, the research team sought to create a molecular atlas of crop roots, where plants first detect the effects of drought and other environmental threats. In so doing, they uncovered genes that scientists can use to protect the plants from these stresses.

Their work, published today in the journal Cell, achieved a high degree of understanding of the root functions because it combined genetic data from different cells of tomato roots grown both indoors and outside.

"Frequently, researchers do lab and greenhouse experiments, but farmers grow things in the field, and this data looks at field samples too," said Neelima Sinha, a UC Davis professor of plant biology and the paper's co-author.

The data yielded information about genes that tell the plant to make three key things.

Xylem are hollow, pipe-like vessels that transport water and nutrients from the roots all the way up to the shoots. Without transport in xylem, the plant cannot create its own food via photosynthesis.

"Xylem are very important to shore up plants against drought as well as salt and other stresses," said lead study author Siobhan Brady, a professor of plant biology at UC Davis.

In turn, without plant mineral transport in xylem, humans and other animals would have fewer vitamins and nutrients essential for our survival. In addition to some typical players needed to form the xylem, new and surprising genes were found.

The second key set of genes are those that direct an outer layer of the root to produce lignin and suberin. Suberin is the key substance in cork and it surrounds plant cells in a thick layer, holding in water during drought.

Crops like tomatoes and rice have suberin in the roots. Apple fruits have suberin surrounding their outer cells. Anywhere it occurs, it prevents the plant from losing water. Lignin also waterproofs cells and provides mechanical support.

"Suberin and lignin are natural forms of drought protection, and now that the genes that encode for them in this very specific layer of cells have been identified, these compounds can be enhanced," said study co-author Julia Bailey-Serres, a UC Riverside professor of genetics.

"I'm excited we've learned so much about the genes regulating this moisture barrier layer. It is so important for being able to improve drought tolerance for crops," she said.

Genes that encode for a plant's root meristem also turned out to be remarkably similar between tomato, rice, and Arabidopsis, a weed-like model plant. The meristem is the growing tip of each root, and it's the source of all the cells that make up the root.

"It's the region that's going to make the rest of the root, and serves as its stem cell niche," said Bailey-Serres. "It dictates the properties of the roots themselves, such as how big they get. Having knowledge of it can help us develop better root systems."

Brady explained that when farmers are interested in a particular crop, they select plants that have features they can see, such as bigger, more attractive fruits. Much more difficult is for breeders to select plants with properties below ground they can't see.

"The 'hidden half' of a plant, below ground, is critical for breeders to consider if they want to grow a plant successfully," Brady said. "Being able to modify the meristem of a plant's roots will help us engineer crops with more desirable properties."

Though this study analyzed only three plants, the team believes the findings can be applied more broadly.

"Tomato and rice are separated by more than 125 million years of evolution, yet we still see similarities between the genes that control key characteristics," said Bailey-Serres. "It's likely these similarities hold true for other crops too."

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AURORA, Colo. (May 6, 2021) - Scientists examining the remains of 36 bubonic plague victims from a 16th century mass grave in Germany have found the first evidence that evolutionary adaptive processes, driven by the disease, may have conferred immunity on later generations of people from the region.

"We found that innate immune markers increased in frequency in modern people from the town compared to plague victims," said the study's joint-senior author Paul Norman, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Personalized Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "This suggests these markers might have evolved to resist the plague."

The study, done in conjunction with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, was published online Thursday in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

The researchers collected DNA samples from the inner ear bones of individuals in a mass grave in the southern German city of Ellwangen which experienced bubonic plague outbreaks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Then they took DNA samples from 50 current residents of the town.

They compared their frequency spectra - the distribution of gene variants in a given sample - for a large panel of immunity-related genes.

Among the current inhabitants, the team found evidence that a pathogen, likely Yersinia pestis which causes bubonic plague, prompted changes in the allele distribution for two innate pattern-recognition receptors and four Human Leukocyte Antigen molecules, which help initiate and direct immune response to infection. An allele is a variant form of a gene.

"We propose that these frequency changes could have resulted from Y.pestis plague exposure during the 16th century," Norman said.

The findings are the first evidence that evolutionary processes, prompted by Y. pestis, may have been shaping certain human immunity-relevant genes in Ellwangen and possibly throughout Europe for generations.

And since the plague tormented Europe for nearly 5,000 years, the study suggests that these immunity genes may have been pre-selected in the population long ago but recently became selected through epidemic events.

"Although the lethality of the plague is very high without treatment it remains likely that specific individuals are protected from, or more susceptible to, severe disease through polymorphism in the determinants of natural immunity," the study said. "In this case, any change in allele frequencies that occurred during a given epidemic crisis could be evident as genetic adaptation and detectable in modern day individuals."

Later simulations showed that natural selection likely drove these allele frequency changes.

"I think this study shows that we can focus on these same families of genes in looking at immunity in modern pandemics," Norman said. "We know these genes were heavily involved in driving resistance to infections."

The study also demonstrates that, so far, no matter how deadly the pandemic there are always survivors.

"It sheds light on our own evolution," Norman said. "There will always be people who have some resistance. They just don't get sick and die and the human population bounces back."

Still, he doesn't want people to get the wrong message, especially in the era of Covid-19.

"I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from taking a vaccine for the current pandemic," Norman said. "It's a much safer bet than counting on your genes to save you."

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About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
A new study published in Nature Communications provides an important new basis for comparing the effectiveness of different tuberculosis treatments.

Tuberculosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is typically the leading infectious cause of death globally, killing 1.2 million people each year. The availability of a new way to evaluate treatments can save lives.

In the study, faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus partnered with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Tuberculosis and the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories at Colorado State University to provide a new perspective on assessing the effectiveness of tuberculosis drugs.

"A key roadblock that holds back new tuberculosis treatments is our current inability to accurately measure how effectively different treatments shorten the time needed to cure tuberculosis," said lead author Nicholas Walter, MD, PhD, associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "Without improved tools to measure and compare the effectiveness of drug treatments, the evaluation and roll-out of new combination drug treatments will continue to proceed slowly."

"In the past, the effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment has been judged by estimating the burden of the pathogen M. tuberculosis as enumerated via culture based approaches. This historical method correlates poorly with what we care about most, which is whether tuberculosis patients are durably cured," adds co-first author Gregory Robertson, PhD, assistant professor at Colorado State University.

In this study, the researchers measured the degree to which drugs interrupt the synthesis of ribosomal RNA, required for the protein-making machinery of the bacterium. The researchers discovered that drugs and drug regimens that shorten tuberculosis treatment duration inhibit Mtb rRNA synthesis more than less potent drugs and regimens. Their new measure, called the rRNA synthesis (RS) Ratio provides an urgently needed molecular metric of drug activity based on a key microbial physiologic property rather than recapitulation of bacterial burden.

"The RS Ratio gives us a readout of drug effect that opens a new era in understanding antibiotics. Measuring a key physiologic property of pathogens provides an innovative way of thinking beyond conventional measures of bacterial burden," said senior author Martin Voskuil, PhD, associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

"The RS Ratio can enable more intelligent design and evaluation of candidate drug combination regimens, accelerating the development of treatments that can cure tuberculosis faster. This has crucial implications for combatting the global tuberculosis epidemic," adds co-author Payam Nahid, MD, MPH, professor and director of the UCSF Center for Tuberculosis.

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This research is the product of a unique translational collaboration called the Consortium for Applied Microbial Metrics led by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado State University and University of California San Francisco. The Consortium combines insights from in vitro, animal and human studies to identify better tuberculosis treatments.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Counselling sessions improve long term mental health in primary-school aged children, according to a new study. The research has implications for reversing declining mental health in young people in a COVID-19 era.

Counselling sessions improve long term mental health in primary-school aged children, according to a new study. The research has implications for reversing declining mental health in young people in a COVID-19 era.

A team from the University of Exeter and the University of Cambridge worked in partnership with Place2Be to assess the longer-term impact of its school-based service.

The study assessed the impact of Place2Be's programme, in which trained counsellors operated in 171 schools nationwide in the academic year 2015/16. Under the scheme, children could self-refer to the counsellors for any reason, or be referred by parents or teachers.

Researchers analysed data on 740 children who took up one-to-one counselling, collected before the counselling started, after the sessions finished, and approximately one year after this. The children did not have to have mental health disorders to take up the counselling, however a comparison with children who were being seen by NHS mental health services indicated that they had similar levels of poor mental health.

The research, published in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, used data from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by teachers and parents. One year later, this data showed that the children who spoke to counsellors had considerably better mental health than a comparative group of children who had poor mental health yet had not seen a counsellor.

Lead author Dr Katie Finning, of the University of Exeter, said: "We know that children's mental health is deteriorating, while access to child and adolescent mental health services is decreasing. Our research indicates that children who have access to a counsellor at primary school see benefits to their mental health over the longer term compared to children who don't. School-based counselling could help address the urgent need to support children's mental health, and could help reduce pressure on oversubscribed child mental health services."

Previously published research has concluded that Place2Be's counselling intervention has economic benefits resulting from higher employment output and lower spending on public services, amounting to over 5,700 per child. However, this amount was based on the intervention having short-term benefits that faded more quickly than the new research suggests. So the savings per child are likely to be an under-estimate, given the new finding that benefits are longer-term.

Professor Tamsin Ford, from the University of Cambridge, who supervised the research, said: "We've previously found that children's mental health has worsened during the pandemic. We need to prioritise the provision of evidence-based mental health support in schools. Early intervention at this young age, before mental health problems become entrenched in adolescence and young adulthood, may help to prevent the long-term impacts of childhood mental health problems."

Catherine Roche, Chief Executive of Place2Be, said: "This study reinforces our evidence that high quality school-based mental health support not only helps children to get the most out of their education, but can also prevent problems from growing over time - impacting children's life chances. Schools are on the frontline and have the opportunity to make mental health services easily accessible for families. But school leaders and teachers cannot do this alone, they need quality training, easy referral routes and timely access to specialist mental health services - only when all parts of the system work together will children get the help they deserve."

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The paper is entitled 'Longer-term effects of school-based counselling in UK primary schools', published in in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The research was funded by Place2Be with additional funding from Research England.
Combining natural salt marsh habitats with conventional dikes may provide a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative for fully engineered flood protection. Researchers of the University of Groningen (UG) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) studied how salt marsh nature management can be optimized for coastal defence purposes. They found that grazing by both cattle and small herbivores such as geese and hare and artificial mowing can reduce salt marsh erosion, therefore contributing to nature-based coastal defence.

People around the world live in coastal areas that are prone to flooding. Dikes provide traditional flood protection for coastal defence purposes. In addition, salt marshes bordering these traditional barriers may strongly contribute to coastal protection by reducing wave forces on dikes.

Cost-effective

Hence, combining natural salt marsh habitats with conventional dikes may provide a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative for fully engineered flood protection. However, to safeguard this nature-based coastal defence, long-term salt marsh width and stability needs to be assured.

Researchers of the UG and NIOZ, therefore, studied how salt marsh nature management can be optimized for coastal defence purposes. They found that grazing by both cattle and small herbivores such as geese and hare and artificial mowing can reduce salt marsh erosion, therefore contributing to nature-based coastal defence. The results of this study have been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Soil erosion

For this study, 78 soil samples were collected at different sites on the salt marsh of Schiermonnikoog, a barrier island in the Dutch Wadden Sea. At these locations, long-term exclosures were present to exclude grazing by either cows or smaller herbivores such as hare and geese.

Samples from grazed areas were compared with samples from the exclosures and artificially mowed sites. Soil cores were transported to the lab and exposed to artificial waves in controlled tanks. Researchers then measured soil erosion for a total of 38 hours.

Erosion resistance

The main author of the paper, Beatriz Marin-Diaz, explains: 'The sandiest cores eroded most heavily, whereas soils with more clay were more erosion resistant. Cow grazing enhanced this erosion resistance by compacting the soil by trampling. Surprisingly, small herbivores contributed to less erosion by changing the vegetation to plants with high root densities that bind the soil together.' In addition, the researchers found that artificial mowing also contributed to erosion resistance by excluding burying animals from the soil that destabilize the sediment.

Coastal protection

Overall, grazing and artificial mowing can reduce the erosion of fine?grained soils, making salt marshes more resilient to erosion. However, soil compaction by cattle simultaneously lowers the elevation of a marsh. This may impair their ability to keep up with sea-level rise.

Hence, to effectively manage salt marshes for coastal protection, the study recommends moderate or rotational livestock grazing, avoiding high-intensity grazing in sediment?poor systems sensitive to sea?level rise as well as investigating measures to preserve small grazers. This way, salt marshes can be managed effectively to enhance their coastal protection function.

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Reference: Beatriz Marin-Diaz, Laura L. Govers, Daphne van der Wal, Han Olff and Tjeerd J. Bouma: How grazing management can maximize erosion resistance of salt marshes. Journal of Applied Ecology, first online 20 April 2021.
Family, friends and community members gather in prayer outside of the family church Pitts Chapel Unified Will Baptist Church Saturday, May 15, 2021, in New Haven, praying for the recovery of Lt. Samod "Nuke" Rankins and to memorialize the loss of Ricardo Rico Torres Jr., after the two men were caught in a blaze they were fighting early Wednesday morning. As of Saturday, Rankins was off the ventilator and making remarkable strides, according to his cousin Sean W. Hardy. "We have to pray for the community at a large because there is a lot happening right now," Hardy said. "And we just have to keep the faith, persevere, and keep trusting in God that everything will work itself out." Visionary and organizer Lorise Brown said that, "The Bible says where there is two or three gathered in one accord that He would be in the midst."
The research team, led by Academician GUO Guangcan from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with LI Bo from Shangrao Normal University and CHEN Jingling from Nankai University, achieved the masking of optical quantum information. The researchers concealed quantum information into non-local quantum entangled states. The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Quantum information masking as one of the new information processing protocol transfers quantum information from a single quantum carrier to the quantum entangled state between multiple carriers avoiding the information decode from single quantum carrier. Not all the kind of quantum states can achieve masking, but the variety of that helps people to select.

The quantum information masking can be used in a wide situation, not only in actual quantum information tasks such as quantum secret sharing but also the further understanding in the conservation of quantum information.

In this research, the team realized quantum information masking for the first time based on the linear optics research platform.

Compared with the theoretical value, the fidelity of the entangled state can be 97.7%, meaning that the secure transmission of simple images can be complete for the three-party quantum secret sharing based on quantum information masking.

This study has great significance for theoretical research and practical application of secure quantum communication. Based on it, the feasibility of quantum information masking as a brand-new quantum information processing protocol is improved.

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A research group led by Prof. LUO Tianzhi from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with Prof. WANG Zhengzhi's team from Wuhan University, explored the natural defenses in the tail spike of mantis shrimps and left chela of hermit crabs.

They revealed the chemical gradients from nanometer to centimeter and the correlation between micro-structure and mechanical properties. Also, they confirmed toughening mechanism and optimized structure principles through a 3D printing technique and finite-element analysis. The results were published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and Acta Biomaterialia, respectively.

Nature endows many animals with hierarchical structural "tools" for defense and attack, which also inspires the researchers and engineers to design and fabricate bio-mimetic materials and structures with superior properties.

In these studies, the researchers found that the exoskeleton of mantis shrimps embraces four different layers, in which there are distinctive micro-structure and chemical characteristics.

The local mechanical properties of these layers correlate well with the micro-structures and chemical compositions, a combination of which effectively restricts the crack propagation while maximizing the release of strain energy during deformation. As a result, the whole toughness and strength is improved.

Besides, the researchers fabricated many bio-mimetic structures of the tail spike by 3D printing, and verified that the combination of Bounligand structure with radially oriented parallel sheets greatly improves the toughness and strength during compression tests. This case guides high-performance composites fabrication towards a new path.

In the similar way, the left chela of hermit crabs is also naturally endowed with the optimized mechanical properties in against the compression and attack, which provides new ideas to sharpen the design in anti-attack structures.

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Manufactured in a new process based on crystalline materials, these low-loss mirrors promise to open up completely new application areas, for example in optical respiratory gas analysis for early cancer detection or the detection of greenhouse gases. This work will be published in the current issue of the journal Optica.

In 2016 researchers at the LIGO laser interferometer succeeded in the first direct observation of gravitational waves, which had originally been predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916. A significant contribution to the observation of this wave-like propagation of disturbances in space-time, which was rewarded with the Nobel Prize a year later, was provided by the laser mirrors of the kilometer-long interferometer assembly. Optimization of these mirrors for extremely low optical absorption losses was a key advancement in realizing the sensitivity necessary to make such measurements. "Low-loss mirrors are a key technology for many different research fields," explains Oliver H. Heckl, head of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Mid-IR Spectroscopy and Semiconductor Optics, "They are the link for such diverse research fields as cancer diagnosis and gravitational wave detection."

In fact, comparable mirror properties are also promising technological breakthroughs for significantly more practical applications. This includes, among other things, sensitive molecular spectroscopy, i.e. the detection of the smallest amounts of substances in gas mixtures - a research focus of the Christian Doppler Laboratory (CDL). Examples can be found in the early detection of cancer through the detection of the smallest concentrations of marker molecules in the breath of patients, or in the precise detection of methane leaks in large-scale natural gas production systems in order to limit the contribution of such greenhouse gases to climate change.

Unlike the experiments at LIGO, however, such investigations are conducted much further outside the visible light spectrum, in the mid-infrared range. In this wavelength region, also known as the "fingerprint region", many structurally similar molecules are clearly distinguishable on the basis of their characteristic absorption lines. Therefore, it is a longstanding wish of the photonics community, to realize similarly low loss levels in this technically challenging wavelength range.

This is exactly what the team led by Oliver H. Heckl has now achieved in an international cooperation. In this case, low loss means that the new type of mirror absorbs less than 10 out of a million photons. For comparison: A commercially available bathroom mirror "destroys" around ten thousand times more photons, and even the mirrors used in top research have ten to a hundred times higher losses.

This drastic improvement was made possible through the use of a completely new optical coating technology: First, single-crystal stacks of high-purity semiconductor materials are deposited via an epitaxial growth process. These monocrystalline multilayers are then transferred via a proprietary bonding process onto curved silicon optical substrates, completing the mirrors that were tested at both the CDL and NIST. This unique "crystalline coating" technology was developed and carried out by the industrial partner of the Christian Doppler Laboratory, Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions. This company was originally founded under the name Crystalline Mirror Solutions (CMS) in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Vienna by Garrett Cole and Markus Aspelmeyer. CMS was acquired by Thorlabs Inc. in December 2019. This industry collaboration was made possible, with the support of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs, via the internationally unique model of the Christian Doppler Research Association (CDG) to promote application-oriented basic research. A research group led by Adam Fleisher from the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland (USA), which is renowned for precision measurements, also played a key role in this success. Georg Winkler, co-author of the current study expresses his enthusiasm: "Precise measurement technology is much more than just pedantry. Wherever you can take a closer look by an order of magnitude, you usually discover completely new phenomena, just think of the invention of the microscope and telescope!"

In fact, this assessment has already proven true in the detailed characterization of the new mirrors themselves, when a previously unknown effect of polarization-dependent absorption was discovered in the semiconductor layers and theoretically explored by collaborator Prof. Hartwin Peelaers at the University of Kansas. "These results open up great opportunities regarding further refinement of these mirrors ", co-author Lukas Perner is delighted: "Thanks to the extremely low losses can we now further optimize the bandwidth and reflectivity."

With this in mind, the project partners are already working on a further improvement of the technology: Expansion of the optical bandwidth of the mirrors will allow them to be used efficiently with so-called optical frequency combs. This will enable the analysis of particularly complex gas mixtures with unprecedented accuracy.

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Publication in Optica: "Mid-infrared interference coatings with excess optical loss below 10 ppm", G. Winkler, L. W. Perner, G.-W. Truong, G. Zhao, D. Bachmann, A. S. Mayer, J. Fellinger, D. Follman, P. Heu, C. Deutsch, D. M. Bailey, H. Peelaers, S. Puchegger, A. J. Fleisher, G. D. Cole and O. H. Heckl, Optica, May 2021; DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.405938
You can do a lot in four years: go from white to black belt in taekwondo, plant a dwarf apple tree and pick its fruit, see your grandchild off to college and attend her graduation or get your own degree. But the most severe complications of diabetes--from stroke to neuropathy to amputation--can make activities like these difficult or impossible for some people.

In a new study, West Virginia University School of Public Health researchers found that taking part in a year-long diabetes-prevention program supports the addition of 4.4 quality-adjusted life-years to participants' average lifespan.

"Fatalism can play a major role in community health--like, 'Oh, yeah, my family has diabetes. I'm going to get it eventually,'" said Adam Baus, a research assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, who led the study. "But that doesn't have to be the case. Not at all."

The results appear in Perspectives in Health Information Management.

Quality-adjusted life-years--or QALYS--don't just take lifespan into account. They also factor in physical, mental, social and functional health. QALYS help to measure disease burden, and show how the quality and quantity of life lived is impacted by taking part in interventions.

Baus and his colleagues analyzed data from West Virginia Health Connection, a new online network of clinical and community-based partners working together to prevent and control chronic diseases--like diabetes--in the state.

West Virginia Health Connection is a collaborative effort between the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health's Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease and the WVU School of Public Health's Office of Health Services Research.

The data encompassed 320 individuals who had completed the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Diabetes Impact Tool, the researchers analyzed the data for demographic information; weight, height and BMI; and return-on-investment indicators, including diabetes incidence, medical costs and QALYS.

They found that participating in the program caused an increase of 0.2 QALYS after one year, with projected increases of 1.1 QALYS after three years and 4.4 QALYS after 10 years.

At the start of programming, 80.3% of participants were obese, 19.4% were overweight and only 0.3% had a normal weight. By the end of programming, participants had lost 13.6 pounds--or 6.3% of their total body weight--on average. Projecting three years out, this represents a 32.4 percent overall risk reduction for developing diabetes.

"It's really important for our community partners to be able to have a good, reliable analytic system that they can use to document the programming that they're providing and to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of their program," said Baus, who directs the WVU Office of Health Services Research. "That's challenging for a lot of people in the community who might not be accustomed to tracking data. They need a good, secure way of doing that and some backbone support so that they can analyze their data and show their program's impact. It's really important for the longevity of their program."

Baus and his colleagues discovered that the program was associated with a $120 decrease in annual medical costs per participant. After three years of participation, annual savings amount to $341 per person. After 10 years? $989.

By year three, the net cost to run the program falls to $50 per person. Projecting 10 years out, the programming generates enough healthcare savings that it more than offsets the cost of running the program itself.

"There's some frustration historically among providers who know their patients could benefit from extra support through prevention programs like this but do not have an easy mechanism to make the referrals, know that patients are attending classes and know what the outcomes are over time," Baus said.

West Virginia Health Connection addresses this need by essentially putting all diabetes-prevention programming in the state under one roof, connecting primary care physicians and specialists to community-based health leaders providing this needed programming.

"It's a secure registry for health information to be collected and analyzed so that clinicians can document the care that they're providing and get reports on those data," Baus said. "It's really important for our community partners to be able to have a good, reliable analytics system that they can use to document the programming that they're providing and demonstrate the effectiveness of their efforts."

And it's especially important in West Virginia, which has the nation's second-highest rate of diabetes among adults, at 15%. As of 2018, another 11% of adults were diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and still more remain undiagnosed.

"Our state has significant public health burden with prediabetes and diabetes, but we also have amazing, committed partners working to reverse that trend," Baus said. "Working together, we can do this."

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West Virginia Health Connection is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease. The initiative is also supported by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the Health Policy Research Consortium. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC, WVBPH, the Benedum Foundation, or HPRC.

Citation

Title: Informatics-supported diabetes prevention programming in West Virginia
Combating corruption and kleptocracy has traditionally been an afterthought in U.S. foreign policy: a goal that most policymakers considered laudable but hardly a priority. That attitude is no longer acceptable. In recent years, countries such as China and Russia have weaponized corruption, as Philip Zelikow, Eric Edelman, Kristofer Harrison, and Celeste Ward Gventer argued in these pages last year. For the ruling regimes in those countries, they wrote, bribery and graft have become core instruments of national strategy through which authoritarian rulers seek to exploit the relative openness and freedom of democratic countries [that] make them particularly vulnerable to this kind of malign influence.

Strikingly, one particular form of financial aggressioncovert foreign money funneled directly into the political processes of democracieshas increased by a factor of ten since 2014. Over roughly the same period of time, American voters have become highly receptive to narratives about corruption, and politicians across the ideological spectrum now routinely allege that the economy is rigged and deride their opponents as crooked and corrupt. Thus, the needs of U.S. foreign policy and domestic politics have neatly aligned to offer a historic opportunity for a sweeping anticorruption campaign that would institutionalize transparency, resilience, and accountability throughout the United States and in the international financial, diplomatic, and legal systems.

President Joe Biden, his closest foreign policy advisers, and an increasingly active cohort of lawmakers are intent on carrying out precisely that kind of effort. But there is one big problem: leaders in the Treasury Department and some of the officials running international economic policy in the Biden administration are not fully on board. Their reluctance to focus on corruption could severely hinder the mission, because they control the most powerful tools that Washington can bring to the fight.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

No American political figure has done more to frame corruption as a national security issue than Biden. As vice president, he led the U.S. fight against graft abroad and publicly warned in 2015 that, for authoritarian states, corruption is the new tool of foreign policy. Writing as a presidential candidate in these pages, Biden promised to issue a policy directive enshrining anticorruption as a core national security interest and pledged to lead efforts internationally to bring transparency to the global financial system and to go after illicit tax havens. Fighting corruption will be a major focus of the Summit for Democracy that Biden pledged to host in his first year in office.

The foreign policy specialists who have spent years working with Biden are all in sync on this issue. In his first major speech as secretary of state, Antony Blinken prioritized fighting corruption in the contexts of both economic inclusivity and democratic renewal. Blinken has already bestowed honorary awards on anticorruption activists and banned the most powerful oligarch in Ukraine from entering the United States due to corruption; he is now considering naming an anticorruption special envoy.

Samantha Power, who heads the United States Agency for International Development, recently wrote that fighting corruption is crucial to restoring U.S. leadership and pledged that doing so would be a huge priority at the agency under her leadership. In his first interview after being named the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan said that combating corruption and kleptocracy is one of his highest goals, and the administrations interim national security strategic guidance mentions corruption half a dozen times.

The leadership at the Treasury Department, however, does not seem nearly as focused on the issue, taking few specific steps to start fighting corruption in the first 100 days of the administration. Until recently, the word corruption never appeared in any Treasury speeches, tweets, readouts of calls with foreign officials, or press releases (except for mostly stock language in a few sanctions announcements). In late April, Treasury did release an expression of support for a British anticorruption initiative. But according to one administration official, the White House instructed Treasury to make that statement.

When Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen separately addressed international standards against dirty money, rather than calling for a focus on corruption, she emphasized two other priorities: the role of virtual assets such as cryptocurrencies and the financing that enables the proliferation of weapons. At first, Yellens inattention to corruption seemed entirely understandable, because she was focused on the public health and economic crises caused by the pandemic. But when she laid out her international agenda in a February letter to the G-20 and in a major speech in April, she did not describe combating corruption and kleptocracy as a priority. Correcting these omissions in a clear and public way should be a top priority for Treasurys second 100 days.

DIRTY MONEY, DISMAL SCIENCE

Mobilizing financial regulations and international diplomacy to wage war on corruption and kleptocracy might not come naturally to economists, even accomplished ones such as Yellen and her staffers, because economics has come to be seen as an academic discipline independent of the realities of state power. That is partly because, during the Cold War, Washingtons strategic goals and its economic interests generally converged: in an ideological competition against communism, the spread of free trade and free markets also naturally advanced the geopolitical campaign to win support for liberal democratic capitalism. Hence there was little need for American economists to pay close attention to strategic considerations, because there was not much tension between purely economic interests and U.S. grand strategy.

Since then, however, the nature of authoritarian regimes has evolved, with strategic implications for U.S. policy. Instead of trying to win over the hearts and minds of the masses with communist ideology, the countries that threaten U.S. power today are organized as kleptocracies, stealing from their own people to buy the loyalty of cronies. They hide their ill-gotten gains in Western markets, which presents an Achilles heel if financial authorities can manage to find their dirty money.

Unfortunately, this new reality has not yet been taken on board by most economists. In many cases, their views have been shaped by a neoliberal consensus that fails to account for the ways in which deregulation and globalization opened pathways to subvert American democracy and reinforce the power of kleptocracies. Meanwhile, policymakers hoping to shift away from neoliberal dogma have generally not included anticorruption as an element of economic policy. The Biden administrations vision of a foreign policy for the middle class, for example, leaves out fighting corruption. Elsewhere, the administration has cast anticorruption efforts as part of its campaign to revitalize democracy rather than as part of its agenda to set international economic policies that can serve all Americans. And when Yellen has described the costs of corruption, she has focused on its negative effects on growth and poverty in other countries rather than the threat it poses to U.S. national security.

ALL ABOARD

If Biden wants to make progress against corruption, he needs to push his Treasury Department to get with the program. A good first step would be to start preparing a National Corruption Risk Assessment that would expose the financial networks used by oligarchs and kleptocrats. Next month, the department will publish guidance for banks regarding antimoney laundering priorities, and it should use that occasion to emphasize the risks of corruption. And for a broader public audience, a top Treasury official should give a major speech launching a war on corruption, perhaps at the first-ever United Nations session dedicated to corruption, which is scheduled for early June.

Treasury should also develop strong regulations for implementing a law that Congress enacted in January that outlaws anonymous shell companies. According to a number of anticorruption experts who maintain contacts in the administration and who have been imploring senior Treasury officials to prioritize this issue, the department was initially reluctant to designate a senior official to serve as a point person for these regulations. Eventually, public pressure from outside critics and private urging from security and economic officials in the White House led to an appointment. Citing funding constraints, however, Treasury has still not hired outside experts to advise it on enforcing the new law, such as civil society advocates who know which regulations to prioritize, what lobbying pushback to expect, and how to close loopholes through seemingly mundane steps such as updating standard forms.

Fortunately, lawmakers are ramping up pressure on Treasury to get serious about prioritizing anticorruption. On May 3, Representative Tom Malinowski, Democrat from New Jersey, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat from Rhode Island, wrote a letter to Yellen to underscore the crucial role of Treasury in combatting international corruption and kleptocracy and to urge you to take early steps to confront this key national security threat. Malinowski and Whitehouse argued that the top policy priority in the fight against dirty money should now become the expansion of [antimoney laundering] obligations to cover financial facilitators and professional service providers that can enable corruption.

They recommended first regulating private equity firms and hedge funds before moving on to real estate companies, lawyers, accountants, and others who sometimes enable bribery and graft. They also suggested that Treasury should lead a landmark international agreement to end offshore financial secrecy and illicit tax havens once and for all . . . backed up by concrete commitments around an array of reporting mechanisms. Malinowski and Whitehouse also called on Yellen to develop a medium-term anti-kleptocracy plan and appoint anticorruption specialists at Treasury. Meanwhile, the Helsinki Commissionan interagency body created by Congress in 1975 to coordinate security policy with Europeplans to launch a new counter-kleptocracy caucus in June to share perspectives and coordinate efforts across political parties and congressional committees.

Congressional attention to this issue is good news. But to live up to Bidens ambitious vision for fighting corruption, his entire administration needs to match Capitol Hills energy. And that means making sure that every departmentincluding Treasurydevotes itself to the effort.

Josh Rudolph

: foreignaffairs.com
On the outskirts of this city in a poor, mountainous province in southwestern China, men in hard hats recently put the finishing touches on a white building a quarter-mile long with few windows and a tall surrounding wall. There was little sign of its purpose, apart from the flags of Apple and China flying out front, side by side.

Inside, Apple was preparing to store the personal data of its Chinese customers on computer servers run by a state-owned Chinese firm. Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, has said the data is safe. But at the data center in Guiyang, which Apple hoped would be completed by next month, and another in the Inner Mongolia region, Apple has largely ceded control to the Chinese government. Chinese state employees physically manage the computers. Apple abandoned the encryption technology it used elsewhere after China would not allow it. And the digital keys that unlock information on those computers are stored in the data centers theyre meant to secure.

Internal Apple documents reviewed by The New York Times, interviews with 17 current and former Apple employees and four security experts, and new filings made in a court case in the United States last week provide rare insight into the compromises Mr. Cook has made to do business in China. They offer an extensive inside look  many aspects of which have never been reported before  at how Apple has given in to escalating demands from the Chinese authorities. Two decades ago, as Apples operations chief, Mr. Cook spearheaded the companys entrance into China, a move that helped make Apple the most valuable company in the world and made him the heir apparent to Steve Jobs. Apple now assembles nearly all of its products and earns a fifth of its revenue in the China region. But just as Mr. Cook figured out how to make China work for Apple, China is making Apple work for the Chinese government.

Mr. Cook often talks about Apples commitment to civil liberties and privacy. But to stay on the right side of Chinese regulators, his company has put the data of its Chinese customers at risk and has aided government censorship in the Chinese version of its App Store. After Chinese employees complained, it even dropped the Designed by Apple in California slogan from the backs of iPhones. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, is increasing his demands on Western companies, and Mr. Cook has resisted those demands on a number of occasions. But he ultimately approved the plans to store customer data on Chinese servers and to aggressively censor apps, according to interviews with current and former Apple employees.

Apple has become a cog in the censorship machine that presents a government-controlled version of the internet, said Nicholas Bequelin, Asia director for Amnesty International, the human rights group. If you look at the behavior of the Chinese government, you dont see any resistance from Apple  no history of standing up for the principles that Apple claims to be so attached to.

While both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken a tougher line toward China, Apples courtship of the Chinese government shows a disconnect between politicians in Washington and Americas wealthiest company. Mr. Cook has been on a charm offensive in China, making frequent, statesmanlike visits and meeting with top leaders. On one trip in 2019, he toured the Forbidden City, met with a start-up and posted about the trip on the Chinese social platform Weibo.

Behind the scenes, Apple has constructed a bureaucracy that has become a powerful tool in Chinas vast censorship operation. It proactively censors its Chinese App Store, relying on software and employees to flag and block apps that Apple managers worry could run afoul of Chinese officials, according to interviews and court documents. A Times analysis found that tens of thousands of apps have disappeared from Apples Chinese App Store over the past several years, more than previously known, including foreign news outlets, gay dating services and encrypted messaging apps. It also blocked tools for organizing pro-democracy protests and skirting internet restrictions, as well as apps about the Dalai Lama.

And in its data centers, Apples compromises have made it nearly impossible for the company to stop the Chinese government from gaining access to the emails, photos, documents, contacts and locations of millions of Chinese residents, according to the security experts and Apple engineers. The company said in a statement that it followed the laws in China and did everything it could to keep the data of customers safe. We have never compromised the security of our users or their data in China or anywhere we operate, the company said.

An Apple spokesman said that the company still controlled the keys that protect the data of its Chinese customers and that Apple used its most advanced encryption technology in China  more advanced than what it used in other countries. Apple added that it removed apps only to comply with Chinese laws. These decisions are not always easy, and we may not agree with the laws that shape them, the company said. But our priority remains creating the best user experience without violating the rules we are obligated to follow.

Mr. Cook declined an interview for this article. In public appearances, he has said that while he often disagrees with Chinas laws, the world is better off with Apple in China. Your choice is: Do you participate? Or do you stand on the sideline and yell at how things should be? he said at a conference in China in 2017. My own view very strongly is: You show up and you participate. You get in the arena, because nothing ever changes from the sideline.

No Plan B

In 2014, Apple hired Doug Guthrie, the departing dean of the George Washington University business school, to help the company navigate China, a country he had spent decades studying. One of his first research projects was Apples Chinese supply chain, which involved millions of workers, thousands of plants and hundreds of suppliers. The Chinese government made that operation possible by spending billions of dollars to pave roads, recruit workers, and construct factories, power plants and employee housing.

Mr. Guthrie concluded that no other country could offer the scale, skills, infrastructure and government assistance that Apple required. Chinese workers assemble nearly every iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple brings in $55 billion a year from the region, far more than any other American company makes in China. This business model only really fits and works in China, Mr. Guthrie said in an interview. But then youre married to China.

The Chinese government was starting to pass laws that gave the country greater leverage over Apple, and Mr. Guthrie said he believed Mr. Xi would soon start seeking concessions. Apple, he realized, had no Plan B. For Chinese authorities, this is no longer about, How much money are you pouring into China? This is about, What are you giving back? Mr. Guthrie said. Mr. Guthrie delivered his warning to Mr. Cooks top deputies, including Phil Schiller, a longtime marketing chief; Eddy Cue, head of internet software and services; Lisa Jackson, the companys government affairs chief; and Jeff Williams, its operations chief, who is widely viewed as Mr. Cooks right-hand man.

As Mr. Guthrie was delivering his warnings, Apple set about keeping the Chinese government happy. Part of that effort was new research and development centers in China. But those R&D centers complicated Apples image as a California company. At a summit for its new Chinese engineers and designers, Apple showed a video that ended with a phrase that Apple had been inscribing on the backs of iPhones for years: Designed by Apple in California. The Chinese employees were angered, according to Mr. Guthrie and another person in the room. If the products were designed in California, they shouted, then what were they doing in China? The statement was deeply offensive to them, said Mr. Guthrie, who left Apple in 2019 to return to his home in Michigan. They were just furious. The next iPhone didnt include the phrase.

Golden Gate

In November 2016, China approved a law requiring that all personal information and important data that is collected in China be kept in China. It was bad news for Apple, which had staked its reputation on keeping customers data safe. While Apple regularly responded to court orders for access to customer data, Mr. Cook had rebuffed the F.B.I. after it demanded Apples help breaking into an iPhone belonging to a terrorist involved in the killing of 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif. Now the Chinese government had an even broader request. Other companies faced a similar dilemma in China, but Apple was uniquely exposed because of its high profile and acute dependence on the country.

Apples iCloud service allows customers to store some of their most sensitive data  things like personal contacts, photos and emails  in the companys data centers. The service can back up everything stored on an iPhone or Mac computer, and can reveal the current location of a users Apple devices. Most of that data for Chinese customers was stored on servers outside China. Apples China team warned Mr. Cook that China could shut down iCloud in the country if it did not comply with the new cybersecurity law. So Mr. Cook agreed to move the personal data of his Chinese customers to the servers of a Chinese state-owned company. That led to a project known inside Apple as Golden Gate. Apple encrypts customers private data in its iCloud service. But for most of that information, Apple also has the digital keys to unlock that encryption.

The location of the keys to the data of Chinese customers was a sticking point in talks between Apple and Chinese officials, two people close to the deliberations said. Apple wanted to keep them in the United States; the Chinese officials wanted them in China. The cybersecurity law went into effect in June 2017. In an initial agreement between Apple and Chinese officials, the location of the keys was left intentionally vague, one person said. But eight months later, the encryption keys were headed to China. That surprised at least two Apple executives who worked on the initial negotiations and who said the move could jeopardize customers data. It is unclear what led to the change.

Documents reviewed by The Times do not show that the Chinese government has gained access to the data. They only indicate that Apple has made compromises that make it easier for the government to do so.

An unusual arrangement With the keys in China, the government has two avenues to the data, security experts said: demand it  or take it without asking. The Chinese government regularly demands data from Chinese companies, often for law-enforcement investigations. Chinese law requires the companies to comply. U.S. law has long prohibited American companies from turning over data to Chinese law enforcement. But Apple and the Chinese government have made an unusual arrangement to get around American laws. In China, Apple has ceded legal ownership of its customers data to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data, or GCBD, a company owned by the government of Guizhou Province, whose capital is Guiyang. Apple recently required its Chinese customers to accept new iCloud terms and conditions that list GCBD as the service provider and Apple as an additional party. Apple told customers the change was to improve iCloud services in China mainland and comply with Chinese regulations.

The terms and conditions included a new provision that does not appear in other countries: Apple and GCBD will have access to all data that you store on this service and can share that data between each other under applicable law. Under the new setup, Chinese authorities ask GCBD  not Apple  for Apple customers data, Apple said. Apple believes that gives it a legal shield from American law, according to a person who helped create the arrangement. GCBD declined to answer questions about its Apple partnership. In the three years before Chinas cybersecurity law went into effect, Apple never provided the contents of a users iCloud account to the Chinese authorities and challenged 42 Chinese government requests for such data, according to statistics released by the company. Apple said it challenged those requests because they were illegal under U.S. law.

In the three years after the law kicked in, Apple said it provided the contents of an undisclosed number of iCloud accounts to the government in nine cases and challenged just three government requests. Apple still appears to provide far more data to U.S. law enforcement. Over that same period, from 2013 through June 2020, Apple said it turned over the contents of iCloud accounts to U.S. authorities in 10,781 separate cases.

Chinese officials say their cybersecurity law is intended to protect Chinese residents data from foreign governments. People close to Apple suggested that the Chinese authorities often dont need Apples data, and thus demand it less often, because they already surveil their citizens in myriad other ways.

But the iCloud data in China is vulnerable to the Chinese government because Apple made a series of compromises to meet the authorities demands, according to dozens of pages of internal Apple documents on the planned design and security of the Chinese iCloud system, which were reviewed for The Times by an Apple engineer and four independent security researchers. The documents show that GCBD employees would have physical control over the servers, while Apple employees would largely monitor the operation from outside the country. The security experts said that arrangement alone represented a threat that no engineer could solve. Chinese intelligence has physical control over your hardware  thats basically a threat level you cant let it get to, said Matthew D. Green, a cryptography professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Apple said it designed the iCloud security in such a way that only Apple has control of the encryption keys. The documents also show that Apple is using different encryption technology in China than elsewhere in the world, contradicting what Mr. Cook suggested in a 2018 interview. The digital keys that can decrypt iCloud data are usually stored on specialized devices, called hardware security modules, that are made by Thales, a French technology company. But China would not approve the use of the Thales devices, according to two employees. So Apple created new devices to store the keys in China.

The documents, from early 2020, indicated that Apple had planned to base the new devices on an older version of iOS, the software underpinning iPhones, which is among the most targeted systems by hackers. Apple also planned to use low-cost hardware originally designed for the Apple TV. That alarmed the security researchers. But Apple said that the documents included outdated information and that its Chinese data centers feature our very latest and most sophisticated protections, which would eventually be used in other countries.

The Chinese government must approve any encryption technology that Apple uses in China, according to two current Apple employees. The Chinese are serial iPhone breakers, said Ross J. Anderson, a University of Cambridge cybersecurity researcher who reviewed the documents. Im convinced that they will have the ability to break into the servers.

Apple has tried to isolate the Chinese servers from the rest of its iCloud network, according to the documents. The Chinese network would be established, managed, and monitored separately from all other networks, with no means of traversing to other networks out of country. Two Apple engineers said the measure was to prevent security breaches in China from spreading to the rest of Apples data centers.

Apple said that it sequestered the Chinese data centers because they are, in effect, owned by the Chinese government, and Apple keeps all third parties disconnected from its internal network. In Cupertino, Calif., Apple engineers have been racing to finish designs for the new Chinese iCloud. In a presentation to some engineers last year, according to slides viewed by The Times, managers made clear that the stakes were high. There will be immense pressure to get it done. We agreed to this timeline three years ago, said one slide. Important people put their reputations on the line. iCloud needs influential friends in China. The documents showed that Apples deadline to start storing data in the new Chinese data centers was June 2021.

China hide process

In early 2018, Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire, was spending much of his time in Manhattan trying to broadcast his claims of corruption inside the Communist Party. His latest effort was an iPhone app in China that delivered those claims. Before his app even became available on iPhones, the Chinese government was trying to block it. Shortly after Mr. Guo applied to the App Store, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the governments internet regulator, told Apple it wanted the app rejected. It was unclear how the officials knew about it.

Those events and the chain reaction they set off inside Apple were laid out in court documents last week in a wrongful-termination case against the company. The documents and interviews shine a light on a bureaucracy inside Apple designed to censor and block apps, often proactively, to appease the Chinese government. On Feb. 4, 2018, shortly after the Chinese authorities demanded that Mr. Guos app be rejected, an Apple manager emailed a colleague with a question: Did Mr. Guo belong on Apples China sensitivities list, along with the likes of Falun Gong  the Chinese spiritual movement  and the Dalai Lama?

The colleague replied that Mr. Guo probably should be on the list, given that he had been spreading unverifiable defamatory stories about Chinese officials. She suggested that the question be elevated to Apples executive review board, a group of executives who decide the trickiest App Store issues, including top deputies to Mr. Cook.

Two weeks later, the board said Mr. Guo belonged on Apples China blacklist. Apple employees added his name to the companys internal Chinese App Store Removal wiki page, according to the documents, as well as a software program that would automatically tag any apps that mentioned him. Six months later, Mr. Guo submitted his app again, with changes to elude Apples software. Trieu Pham, an app reviewer in Cupertino, was assigned the app. He didnt find anything that violated Apples rules. On Aug. 2, he approved it.

Three weeks later, Trystan Kosmynka, Apples app review chief, sent an email to several managers at 2:32 a.m. The subject line was Hot: Guo. The Chinese government had spotted Mr. Guos new app, and Mr. Kosmynka wanted to know how it had gotten published. This app and any Guo Wengui app cannot be on the China store, he wrote, according to the emails filed in the court case. Can we put the necessary pieces in place to prevent that ASAP.

Apple pulled the app and began investigating. A resulting report said the app was published because the China hide process was not followed, according to court documents. It said that Mr. Pham, the app reviewer, should have sent the app to Apples Chinese language specialists, who had been trained on which topics to block in the Chinese App Store, including Mr. Guo. When Apple managers questioned Mr. Pham, he told them the app didnt violate any policies. The managers responded that the app criticized the Chinese government, Mr. Pham said in court documents, and that this was enough for rejection. Six months later, Apple fired Mr. Pham. In response, he sued the company, accusing it of pushing him out to appease the Chinese government.

Apple said it removed Mr. Guos app in China because it had determined it was illegal there. Apple said it fired Mr. Pham because of poor performance. Mr. Guos media outlets have a history of peddling misinformation. The exact nature of the apps in the 2018 case was unclear, though court documents said they discussed Chinese Communist Party corruption.

Phillip Shoemaker, who ran Apples App Store from 2009 to 2016, said in an interview that Apple lawyers in China gave his team a list of topics that couldnt appear in apps in the country, including Tiananmen Square and independence for Tibet and Taiwan. He said Apples policy was matter-of-fact: If the lawyers believed a topic was off-limits in China, then Apple would remove it there. On Chinese iPhones, Apple forbids apps about the Dalai Lama while hosting those from the Chinese paramilitary group accused of detaining and abusing Uyghurs, an ethnic minority group in China.

The company has also helped China spread its view of the world. Chinese iPhones censor the emoji of the Taiwanese flag, and their maps suggest Taiwan is part of China. For a time, simply typing the word Taiwan could make an iPhone crash, according to Patrick Wardle, a former hacker at the National Security Agency. Sometimes, Mr. Shoemaker said, he was awakened in the middle of the night with demands from the Chinese government to remove an app. If the app appeared to mention the banned topics, he would remove it, but he would send more complicated cases to senior executives, including Mr. Cue and Mr. Schiller.

Apple resisted an order from the Chinese government in 2012 to remove The Timess apps. But five years later, it ultimately did. Mr. Cook approved the decision, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Apple recently began disclosing how often governments demand that it remove apps. In the two years ending June 2020, the most recent data available, Apple said it approved 91 percent of the Chinese governments app-takedown requests, removing 1,217 apps.

In every other country combined over that period, Apple approved 40 percent of requests, removing 253 apps. Apple said that most of the apps it removed for the Chinese government were related to gambling or pornography or were operating without a government license, such as loan services and livestreaming apps. Yet a Times analysis of Chinese app data suggests those disclosures represent a fraction of the apps that Apple has blocked in China. Since 2017, roughly 55,000 active apps have disappeared from Apples App Store in China, according to a Times analysis of data compiled by Sensor Tower, an app data firm. Most of those apps have remained available in other countries.

More than 35,000 of those apps were games, which in China must get approval from regulators. The remaining 20,000 cut across a wide range of categories. Apps that mapped users runs, edited selfies or taught sexual positions were removed. So were apps that allowed users to message privately, share documents and browse websites the Chinese government had blocked. More than 600 news apps also disappeared.

Apple disputed those figures, saying that some developers remove their own apps from China. Apple said that since 2017, it had taken down 70 news apps in response to Chinese government demands. The discrepancy between Apples disclosures and the Times analysis is in part because Apple is removing apps before Chinas internet censors even complain. Apple does not disclose such takedowns in its statistics.

Mr. Shoemaker said he and his team rationalized removing apps by framing them as simply enforcing a countrys laws. Similar steps were taken in places like Saudi Arabia and Russia, he said. At the same time, we didnt want to get hauled up in front of the Senate to talk about why were quote censoring apps in China, he said. It was a tightrope we had to walk.

Jack Nicas, Raymond Zhong, Daisuke Wakabayashi

: nytimes.com
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano Aponte on Twitter said that "Intelligence information indicates that in alleged clashes that occurred yesterday in Venezuela, alias "Santrich" and other criminals were killed. Information in verification. If this fact is confirmed, it is verified that drug criminals take refuge in Venezuela".

During his period on the colombian congress, he was accused of narcotraffic; because of thar he scapes to Venezuela an integrate to the Farc dissidents. His real name was Seuxis Paucis Hernandez Solarte a/k/a Jesus Santrich.





The US DOJ has a Indictment charges on FARC Members And Associates Charged With Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States. According to DOJ "During the course of their cocaine trafficking, Hernandez Solarte, Marlon Marin , Armando Gomez, and Fabio Younes Arboleda represented that they had access to laboratories to supply the cocaine and to U.S.-registered airplanes to transport the drugs within and through Colombia. The defendants also supplied kilograms of cocaine to others as, among other things, a demonstration of their access to ton quantities of cocaine".





Recently, from his hiding place in Venezuela, Santrich had threatened to kill Colombian President Ivan Duque.

The delinquent Jesus Santrich was killed in Venezuela, during combats between narco groups in venezuela territories. The colombian magazine Semana confirms the information.Santirch was a member of the former colombian guerrilla Farc, but when the peace process was signed he became a congress man as result of the peace accords.
The latest UK labour-market data continued to underpin confidence in the UK economic rebound with a lower than expected unemployment rate and increase in vacancies.

UK Unemployment Rate Declines to 4.8%, Payrolls Increase

The UK unemployment rate edged lower to 4.8% in the three months to March and below consensus forecasts of 4.9%, although higher than the 4.0% rate last year.

The ONS estimated that the number of people on payrolls increased 97,000 for April, but there was still a decline of 257,000 compared with April 2020, a decline of 0.9%. The number of employees on payrolls was also 772,000 lower than the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020.

Above: UK payrolls chart

The universal credit claimant count declined 15,100 for April compared with expectations of a 25,000 increase.

The redundancy rate also declined sharply to 5.5% from highs above 13% earlier this year.

In the first quarter of 2021, the number of hours worked declined to 956,000 from close to 960,000 the previous quarter.

Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG, warned that the unemployment rate would still increase as job-support measures are scaled back.

The expected pickup in unemployment is likely to come as a delayed response to employees exiting the Job Retention Scheme, with the HMRC data suggesting that furlough peaked in January this year.

The employment rate increased to 75.2% in January-March from 75.0%, the first increase since February 2020, although the economic inactivity rate also increased to 21.0% from 20.2%.

Vacancies Continue to Recover

The number of job vacancies increased 48,400 to 657,000 for the quarter, but was still 128,000 below the pre-pandemic peak in January 2020.

Jon Hudson, fund manager at Premier Miton, noted a tight market in some sectors; Job vacancy levels are returning to more normal levels and we are already hearing about labour shortages in certain sectors such as hospitality. An almost unimaginable prospect one year ago.

Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors noted; We are likely to see the number of vacancies mounting further. Some firms may even be unable to find and on-board staff as quickly as they need to.

According to ING; a rebound in job adverts in some of the hardest-hit sectors suggests the increase in the jobless rate may be fairly short-lived.

BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, commented; The decline in the unemployment rate and the rise in payroll employment is further confirmation that the UK jobs market is now more resilient to the ongoing restrictions.

He added; UK unemployment remains on track to peak at a much lower level than in recent recessions. However, the squeeze on business cash flow from any marked delay to the planned full reopening of the economy may trigger renewed job losses, particularly when furlough becomes less generous over the summer.

ING added; there is little doubt that we will see a rise in the jobless rate when the furlough scheme ends in September, though the peak is likely to be significantly lower than feared a few months ago.

The Pound Sterling held a firm tone after the data, although the main impetus came from wider US dollar losses in global currency markets.

The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate posted 12-week highs close to 1.4200 while the Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate posted a limited net advance to 1.1640.
According to the Resolution report, the 2020s is set to be the decisive decade during which the UK will need to renew its approach to achieving economic success.

The country faces the huge challenges of covid recovery, ageing population, technological change and de-carbonising the economy.

The challenge is intensified by the need for a clear post-Brexit policy.

If the UK can manage this transformation successfully, it can narrow the gap with Germany that has opened up over the past 10 years. If it fails, the UK is likely to lose further ground globally and risks moving closer to Italy in overall performance terms.

The report adds; If we fail the test of this decade, then we will enter the 2030s diminished and divided.

There will be important exchange rate implications with the Pound Sterling set for a further grind lower over the medium term if the UK cannot strengthen its performance. In contrast, a stronger outlook could set the stage for a long-term currency appreciation.

Strong Criticism of the Recent Record

According to Resolution, a notable shift is needed to reverse a sustained period of under-performance.

The UKs recent past has been marked by stagnant living standards, weak productivity, low investment and high inequality. This makes a new economic approach desirable. What makes it essential is the scale of coming challenges.

The report highlights that this is happening at a time when the country lacks any shared view about what those routes to change should be.

The report does not shy away from the scale of the challenge; The economic turbulence that people, places and firms face as we recover from Covid-19, exit the EU, and see decarbonisation reach into citizens lives, goes beyond anything seen in a generation.

Realism will also need to be a key ingredient.

A clear-eyed understanding of this legacy should avoid falling into the twin traps of one-sided pessimism or an unrealistic prospectus for change that assumes that the UK can be transformed overnight into a country with Nordic levels of inequality and US levels of productivity.

Underlying Weaknesses Offset Potential Advantages

The report indicates that there are important underlying vulnerabilities which have been exposed; With first the financial crisis and then Covid-19, the country has now had two once in a generation events in a decade.

The UK does have important advantages including universities, language, and fast technological adoption among consumers.

There are, however, important vulnerabilities with the report criticising the lack of a long-term framework to govern industrial strategy.

It adds; The UKs track record of managing rapid economic adjustment has been weak, providing good grounds for challenging complacency today. Economic dynamism  far from accelerating  has been flat, or declining in the 21st century.

Brexit Debate Unhelpful

The report strongly criticises the debate surrounding Brexit, especially as the debate highlights the UK weaknesses over the past few years; Brexit proponents have downplayed the scale of the change, while opponents have focused on the aggregate economic costs that leaving the EU entails.

Policymakers will need a coherent approach to drive policy in the years ahead.

There is strong criticism of the current political approach; They pretend choices about the UKs competitive strengths can ignore the reality of a world economy being shaped by China, the EU and the US.

According to the report, Brexit will require UK policy makers to decide how to use the new policy tools on trade policy, competition and migration  and come to a more clear-sighted view of how the UK will successfully compete globally.

Challenges and Opportunities Surrounding Net Zero

The report also notes that the climate-change agenda will be a key focus over the next few years, especially given the impact on the wider economic performance.

Alongside adapting to a post-Covid-19 and post-EU world, the UK needs urgently to accelerate an unprecedented process of decarbonisation if it is to meet its Net Zero commitments in 2035 and 2050.

The UK does have key advantages with the natural resources of wind and tidal power as well as strength in innovation.

There are, however, major hurdles in turning these positives into a coherent policy.

The provision of transport, domestic heating and food choices must swiftly change, but we know far too little about the policy, and political economy, of doing so successfully.

In particular, there will need to be very heavy investment. According to the report, gross annual UK low-carbon investment needs to increase from 7 billion in 2020 to around 50 billion by 2030 (and remain elevated at near this level until 2050).

Losing Ground against Germany

According to Resolution, GDP per capita in the UK was just 6 per cent lower than in Germany in 2007, but after a large downturn and slower recovery this gap had risen to 12 per cent by 2019.

The report adds; If this relative decline continues at the same pace in the 2020s (and Germany and Italys relative positions remain unchanged) then the UK will end this decade closer to Italy than Germany when it comes to economic performance.
Pisces people play a unique role in the Age Of Aquarius: carry the best of the past while creating magic in communications.

"Astrologer Anne," Chicago-based astrologer Anne Nordhaus-Bike, has published her 2021 horoscope for everyone born under the sign of Pisces as part of her "Cosmic Love Letter" series, offering horoscopes for each of the 12 zodiac signs.

The Shift Of The Ages

According to Nordhaus-Bike, in 2020 humanity moved from the Age Of Pisces into the Age Of Aquarius predicted in the 1960s.

Some of the best attributes of the Piscean Age were "figuring out how to be more compassionate, sensitive, and spiritual," she said. "We built societies that reflected Pisces values; cultures that created otherworldly beauty, particularly in the arts and houses of worship; and methods for helping and healing our sisters and brothers. We connected through music, poetry, film, and photography."

Shifting from the Age Of Pisces to Age Of Aquarius, Nordhaus-Bike said, requires people to be more altruistic, humanitarian, futuristic, and idealistic.

For those born under the sign of Pisces, "you have the most unusual and pivotal role to play," Nordhaus-Bike said. "Your role in the new age is a blend of old and new. From now on, you're the keeper of Pisces Age wisdom and experience at the same time that you're the key player behind the scenes who fuels the Age Of Aquarius with spiritual service."

In 2021, Nordhaus-Bike advises Pisceans to look for opportunities for "joining with siblings to raise money for a cause, organizing neighborhood arts activities, or opening an eco business."

Communication "will be the key," she emphasized. "Everything from writing and editing to journaling and public speaking to languagescomputer code, evenand hand gestures. You may start a blog or write a book, or invent some new way to communicate. You'll have a magical ability to express yourself nonverbally through dance, music, film, or poetry. Whatever you do, you'll communicate with angelic flair and loving feelings."

For Pisces's 2021 horoscope, go to https://astrologeranne.com/69470/horoscope-2021-pisces-horoscope-new-year-2021/.
Successful start of dark energy spectroscopic instrument follows record-setting trial run

A five-year quest to map the universe and unravel the mysteries of "dark energy" is beginning officially today, May 17, at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. To complete its quest, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will capture and study the light from tens of millions of galaxies and other distant objects in the universe.

DESI is an international science collaboration managed by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with primary funding for construction and operations from DOE's Office of Science.

By gathering light from some 30 million galaxies, project scientists say DESI will help them construct a 3D map of the universe with unprecedented detail. The data will help them better understand the repulsive force associated with "dark energy" that drives the acceleration of the expansion of the universe across vast cosmic distances.

Jim Siegrist, Associate Director for High Energy Physics at DOE, said "We are excited to see the start of DESI, the first next-generation dark energy project to begin its science survey. We also congratulate Berkeley Lab, which continues to enhance our capabilities for studying the nature of dark energy, since leading the initial discovery in 1999. DOE's Berkeley Lab successfully led the 13-nation DESI team, including U.S. government, private and international contributions, in the design, fabrication, and commissioning of the world's premier multi-object spectrograph. The strong interagency collaboration with NSF has enabled DOE to install and operate DESI on their Mayall telescope, which is required to carry out this amazing experiment. Along with its primary mission of dark energy studies, the data set will be of use by the wider scientific community for a multitude of astrophysics studies."

What sets DESI apart from previous sky surveys? The project director, Berkeley Lab's Michael Levi, said, "We will measure 10 times more galaxy spectra than ever obtained. These spectra get us a third dimension." Instead of two-dimensional images of galaxies, quasars, and other distant objects, he explained, the instrument collects light, or spectra, from the cosmos such that it "becomes a time machine where we place those objects on a timeline that reaches as far back as 11 billion years ago."

"DESI is the most ambitious of a new generation of instruments aimed at better understanding the cosmos - in particular, its dark energy component," said project co-spokesperson Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille, a cosmologist at France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). She said the scientific program - including her own interest in quasars - will allow researchers to address with precision two primary questions: what is dark energy; and the degree to which gravity follows the laws of general relativity, which form the basis of our understanding of the cosmos.

"It's been a long journey from the first steps that we took almost a decade ago to design the survey, then to decide which targets to observe, and now to have the instruments so that we can achieve those science goals," Palanque-Delabrouille, said. "It's very exciting to see where we stand today."

The formal start of DESI's five-year survey follows a four-month trial run of its custom instrumentation that captured four million spectra of galaxies - more than the combined output of all previous spectroscopic surveys.

The DESI instrument was installed on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Kitt Peak National Observatory is a program of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) NOIRLab, which has allowed the Department of Energy to operate the Mayall Telescope for the DESI survey. The instrument includes new optics that increase the field of view of the telescope and includes 5,000 robotically controlled optical fibers to gather spectroscopic data from an equal number of objects in the telescope's field of view.

"We're not using the biggest telescopes," said Berkeley Lab's David Schlegel, who is DESI project scientist. "It's that the instruments are better and very highly multiplexed, meaning that we can capture the light from many different objects at once."

In fact, the telescope "is literally pointing at 5,000 different galaxies simultaneously," Schlegel said. On any given night, he explains, as the telescope is moved into a target position, the optical fibers align to collect light from galaxies as it is reflected off the telescope mirror. From there, the light is fed into a bank of spectrographs and CCD cameras for further processing and study.

"It's really a factory that we have - a spectra factory," said survey validation lead, Christophe Yeche, also a cosmologist at CEA. "We can collect 5,000 spectra every 20 minutes. In a good night, we collect spectra from some 150,000 objects."

"But it's not just the instrument hardware that got us to this point - it's also the instrument software, DESI's central nervous system," said Klaus Honscheid, a professor of physics at Ohio State University who directed the design of the DESI instrument control and monitoring systems. He credits scores of people in his group and around the world who have built and tested thousands of DESI's component parts, most of which are unique to the instrument.

Spectra collected by DESI are the components of light corresponding to the colors of the rainbow. Their characteristics, including wavelength, reveal information such as the chemical composition of objects being observed as well as information about their relative distance and velocity.

As the universe expands, galaxies move away from each other, and their light is shifted to longer, redder wavelengths. The more distant the galaxy, the greater its "redshift." By measuring galaxy redshifts, DESI researchers will create a 3D map of the universe. The detailed distribution of galaxies in the map is expected to yield new insights on the influence and nature of dark energy.

"Dark energy is one of the key science drivers for DESI," said project co-spokesperson Kyle Dawson, a professor of physics and astronomy at University of Utah. "The goal is not so much to find out how much there is - we know that about 70% of the energy in the universe today is dark energy - but to study its properties."

The universe is expanding at a rate determined by its total energy contents, Dawson explains. As the DESI instrument looks out in space and time, he says, "we can literally take snapshots today, yesterday, 1 billion years ago, 2 billion years ago - as far back in time as possible. We can then figure out the energy content in these snapshots and see how it is evolving."

DESI is supported by the DOE Office of Science and by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. Additional support for DESI is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Science and Technologies Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, the Ministry of Economy of Spain, and by the DESI member institutions.

The DESI collaboration is honored to be permitted to conduct scientific research on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak), a mountain with particular significance to the Tohono O'odham Nation.

###

Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 14 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Beijing couple teach ballet to underprivileged kids in mountainous areas of SW China's Yunnan

People's Daily Online) 11:03, May 18, 2021

Over the past five years, a compassionate couple from Beijing have been devoting themselves to a noble cause -- teaching ballet to children from mountainous areas in southwest China's Yunnan province, bringing them life-changing opportunities through the art.

Local children practice dancing in a tent. (Photo provided by the interviewees)

The two teachers are Guan Yu, a Beijing native and a ballet teacher from the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy, and his wife, Zhang Ping, who used to be a freelance choreographer. Zhang came up with the idea of teaching ballet to underprivileged children in Yunnan in 2016 when she saw a photo of several kids dressed in the Yi ethnic group's costumes standing barefoot beside a broken wall.

Zhang was touched by the sight of these kids with their big bright eyes and disheveled hair in the remote village of Naduo, which in the Yi language means paddy fields hidden behind mountains, in Yanshan county. When Zhang, who was born in the county, visited the once poverty-stricken village, she found that many kids were not being taken care of. Some were left-behind children while others were orphans.

Later, Zhang and her husband decided to launch a welfare program to help poor children in mountainous areas change their lives through ballet.

Photo shows four girls from the Yi ethnic group as ballet beginners in Naduo village, Yanshan county, southwest Chinas Yunnan province in 2016. (Photo provided by the interviewees)

Every summer and winter vacation, they returned to Naduo village to teach children for free, and also invited local teachers and volunteers to receive free instruction.

In January 2017, Zhang and her husband brought 12 children to take part in a cultural training activity held in Beijing and visit well-known institutions of higher education including Tsinghua University. It was the first time the kids had visited a big city.

Later, the couple started to make more plans for the children - they hoped that these underprivileged children could pursue more professional further education in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, and find their own career paths.

Photo shows a dance teacher helping a student practice. (Photo/The Beijing News)

Seven months later, the couple sent four students from Naduo village to Kunming Art School, the only public secondary professional art school in the city, opening up a new option for these rural children.

In June 2019, Zhang quit her job in Beijing and set up a public welfare center in the village. "I have to stay here for the sake of the local children's development and the sustainability of the welfare program," she noted.

Children from nearby villages also attended ballet classes offered by the couple and other courses provided by volunteers at the center, walking for more than an hour to reach it.

"At first, the center was big enough for seven or eight local children to practice and have meals. However, there wasnt enough space at the center for more than 20 children, including those from nearby villages," Zhang explained.

Photo shows Guan Yu dancing along with a girl from the Yi ethnic group in Naduo village, Yanshan county, southwest Chinas Yunnan province. (Photo provided by the interviewees)

While Zhang was worried about the restrictions on teaching conditions, she was actually more concerned about the children's employment prospects after graduation.

In August 2020, the couple established the Caiyi art training school in Yanshan county, which served as an ideal solution. "Graduates from art schools can teach children how to dance back at their hometown, she said.

Zhang further explained that they would charge students from the county seat some tuition fees and use the money to provide more assistance for rural children, while children from the public welfare center in Naduo village would study at Caiyi art training school, which provides them with free accommodation.

"Our welfare program aims to offer a new possibility and option for these children," Guan added.

Photo shows Zhang Ping and Guan Yu posing for a picture along with their students in Naduo village, Yanshan county, southwest Chinas Yunnan province. (Photo provided by the interviewees)

As of 2020, the welfare program had helped 62 children, most of whom were from ethnic minority groups, get recruited by art schools such as the affiliated art school of Yunnan Arts University and the Kunming Art School. The couple also found ways to cover their tuition fees and living expenses.

Today, an increasing number of local children want to learn dance at Caiyi art training school, which will soon exceed its maximum capacity. "We may set up new schools in other villages and continue to teach children how to dance ballet," Zhang said while revealing her plan.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The department has also come under criticism for allegedly racially profiling minorities during traffic stops and for its use of hidden cameras in the womens locker room in an effort to determine if someone was stealing female officers belongings. Cetran has said that the officers were aware of the plan to use the cameras, but were not told when or where they would be in use.
Artist Adan Hernandezs work was collected by Hollywood heavyweights, including Cheech Marin and Helen Mirren, but many knew it best from the paintings he made for the 1993 movie Blood In Blood Out.

Before Blood In Blood Out, Hernandez was a struggling artist. After the movie came out, the monetary value of his work surged, and two of his paintings were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its collection. One of his paintings from the film is in the San Antonio Museum of Art collection.

All my dreams came true in an avalanche, he said in the interview with video producer Dan Segovia posted last year to Chased by Hounds, a Facebook page devoted to the movie.

Hernandez died Saturday of heart failure. He was 69.

Marin posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram Monday, writing, There is no purer voice from the barrio than Adan Hernandez. He was the artistic soul of Chicano noir.

Some of Hernandezs work was included in Chicano Visions, a touring exhibition drawn from Marins collection that opened at the San Antonio Museum of Art in 2002.

As news of the artists death reached Hollywood, his family received condolence calls from some of the people who worked on Blood In Blood Out, his younger brother Armando said, including director Taylor Hackford and costar Benjamin Bratt.

The 1993 film follows three young gang members in East Los Angeles whose lives follow divergent paths as adults one goes to prison (Damian Chapa), one becomes a cop (Bratt) and one becomes an artist (Jesse Borrego).

Hernandez was hired for the project after a production designer happened to see some of his work in a gallery window in San Antonio, where the crew had considered shooting the film. Hackford asked Hernandez to create more than 30 paintings ascribed to Borregos character. He often completed a painting a day to meet the tight deadline. In interviews, he recalled that he was working so fast and so long that his hands cramped and his vision was impaired.

In addition to providing the paintings for the movie, he appeared in a brief scene. And he taught Borrego how to mix paint and how to hold a paintbrush. Borrego, a fellow San Antonian, also spent a lot of time time in Hernandezs studio, watching him work and folding details from those hours into his performance.

They became close friends. And they had hoped to one day open a Chicano art museum on the West Side. Borrego still hopes to make that happen, with works by Hernandez as a centerpiece.

But its going to be sad, looking at all his work thats going to be past work, not the stuff he still wanted to paint, he said. His work will live on after him, and I think its going to be significant for art history one day.

Independent curator Joseph Bravo, who was friends with Hernandez for more than 20 years, sees the late artist as one of the biggies of Chicano art, putting him on the same level as Mel Casas, Jesse Trevino and Cesar Martinez.

The movie is what catapulted him into that tier, Bravo said.

Those paintings were tremendously important in the Chicano imagination because where were you going to see paintings in the barrio? There were no museums, no retail art galleries, he said.

Courtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

The film sent the message that being an artist is a possibility for Latinos, he said. And Hernandezs paintings for the film captured hopeful images.

Yes, they dressed the way they dressed, they looked like cholos, Bravo said. But he humanized them, and they werent just caricatures any longer.

Later, Hernandezs work shifted to Chicano noir, darker, denser, more violent paintings. In a similar vein, he wrote and illustrated Los Vryosos: A Tale From the Varrio, a crime novel published in 2006.

Cesar Martinez, who lived next door to Hernandez, said he was taken with his work the first time he saw it, and the two artists struck up a friendship.

Like me, he tended to be very private and needed privacy to do his work, but was affable in person and very easy to hang out with, Martinez said via email. His passing leaves a void.

Hernandez spent the early years of his life in Robstown, where he and his family worked in the cotton fields. When he was 9, they moved to San Antonios West Side. He discovered an affinity for art at Edgewood High School and studied at San Antonio College for a while. But he was put off by the emphasis on classical Greco-Roman forms  he didnt see much of a connection between that and the Chicano experiences that he wanted to capture in his work  so he dropped out. After that, he was largely self-taught.

He encouraged up-and-coming artists along the way and inspired many of them.

My brother and I grew up idolizing three San Antonio artists as kids: Cesar Martinez, Jesse Trevino and Adan Hernandez, the holy trinity of San Anto Art in the 80s and early 90s, Rigoberto Luna, an artist and curator of Presa House Gallery, wrote in an email. I was fortunate to meet Adan through the late Manuel Castillo. My brother and my first gallery show was at Adans gallery El Otro Ojo. He was an original, a groundbreaker, and a torchbearer for Chicano art.

Artist Gerardo Quetzatl Garcia remembered introducing himself as a teenager to Hernandez, nervous about meeting the artist who had created the Blood In Blood Out paintings.

Never one to belittle or condescend, his enormous talent seemed to have little influence on how he treated others, and I feel thats one of the many things that will be missed by his passing, Garcia said.

Hernandez inspired Eddie Salinas, his second cousin, to pursue a career in music.

He was an amazing artist and activist for the Chicano culture, and hes influenced thousands, if not millions of Latino artists, myself being living proof that his art and stance in the culture has inspired many to strive for life outside of the barrios that a lot of us struggle to get out of, Salinas said. He opened the door and showed that its possible to pursue passions, especially within the art realm.

And he was always game to talk about Blood In Blood Out. When Segovia reached out to him via Facebook about five years ago and asked if he could interview him about the movie, Hernandez responded right away, inviting him to film their chat in his studio.

Jesse Borrego

That is not an uncommon story, Segovia said. If you talk to almost anybody who was a big fan of his work, he extended an invitation. Thats the type of man he was. He was very open to the community, very willing to share his story.

Segovia said many comments on the Chased by Hounds page have to do with Hernandezs work.

Its wild to see people tattooing his art on their bodies, he said. Thats what those images mean to people.

As important as the film is to many, including Borrego, Hernandezs influence goes beyond it, the actor said.

His work is very significant and prolific beyond the cult status of Blood In Blood Out, he said. We lost a good one.

He is survived by his children, Adam Hernandez, James Hernandez, Cory Hernandez, Italia Lane and Clayton Hernandez, and by his siblings, Gloria Trevino, Robert Hernandez, David Hernandez, Ruben Hernandez, Armando Hernandez and Bert Hernandez.

Memorial arrangements are pending.

Editors note: This story has been updated to correctly identify Adan Hernandezs surviving siblings.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
MCALLEN, Texas (AP)  Domingo Antonio Zeledon traveled for nearly three weeks from his hometown in Nicaragua, leaving behind his wife and three youngest children to come to the United States with his 17-year-old son.

The 39-year-old couldn't support his family on earnings equivalent to $5 a day. Even after crossing the border in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and receiving a COVID-19 test while detained, he didn't think he would be allowed to stay in the U.S. to seek asylum. Other migrants assured him he would not.

I dont know why I was not expelled like others, Zeledon said at a shelter in McAllen, Texas, last week as he prepared to leave for Wisconsin to join a friend and work construction.

As migrants face uncertainty about who is allowed to stay and who isn't, the Biden administration is reshaping how it's using pandemic-related powers known as Title 42, named for a section of an obscure 1944 law that former President Donald Trump tapped to effectively end asylum while health officials sought to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday confirmed it was taking steps to ease more than a year of asylum restrictions that have led border authorities to rapidly expel single adults and many migrant families with older children from the country. Unlike Trump, President Joe Biden has exempted unaccompanied children.

An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday that the changes were a result of negotiations to settle a lawsuit that the organization filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.

The Biden administration has agreed to eventually let about 250 people a day through southern border crossings to seek refuge in the United States. Homeland Security said it was working to streamline a system for identifying and lawfully processing particularly vulnerable individuals who warrant exceptions for humanitarian reasons under the Title 42 order. They will be allowed to seek humanitarian protection through a consortium of nongovernmental organizations after being tested for COVID-19.

About 2,000 people have already been exempted from expulsion and allowed to enter the country to pursue asylum or other forms of protection in the United States, said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt.

While these concessions will hopefully save lives, they are not a substitute for eliminating Title 42 and restoring asylum processing fully, Gelernt said.

The government also has stopped flying migrant families from the Rio Grande Valley, the nation's busiest corridor for illegal crossings, to El Paso and San Diego to be expelled to Mexico. The U.S. can resume flights if it deems the circumstances warrant, both sides said.

Homeland Security said in a statement that flights were initially halted based on operational needs and that negotiations resulted in continued suspension.

Biden has faced criticism from progressives for keeping asylum off-limits to many and creating policies that encourage parents to send children across the border alone. Enforcement-minded critics say exempting unaccompanied children from expulsion led to record numbers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and that further lifting restrictions will invite many more people to come.

Immigration advocates have ratcheted up pressure to end expulsions entirely, arguing that they cannot be defended solely on the grounds of protecting public health. Migrants are typically expelled to Mexico within two hours of getting picked up by Border Patrol agents.

Administration officials have insisted that the pandemic powers are in place for public health reasons but have been vague on the humane asylum system that Biden promised during his campaign. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers last week that improvements are needed.

It has been a yearslong challenge preceding the Trump administration, preceding the Obama administration, that the time of adjudication of asylum claims is too long, Mayorkas said. We need to shorten that, but not at the expense of permitting individuals to develop their legitimate claims through the recovery from the trauma that they might have suffered, and so many, in fact, have suffered.

Melissa Crow, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said people on informal waiting lists to seek asylum at official border crossings with Mexico should be allowed to enter the United States. The Strauss Center at the University of Texas, Austin, issued a report Tuesday that estimates nearly 19,000 migrants were on such waiting lists in eight Mexican border cities this month, a 15% increase from February.

As asylum-seekers, these individuals are inherently vulnerable and should be covered by the consortium process," said Crow, who represents migrants on waiting lists in a federal lawsuit in San Diego. But due to the lack of any concerted outreach to such individuals by either the government or the consortium organizations, most of them have no idea that the consortium process exists or that they might be eligible for it.

The Border Patrols more than 173,000 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in April were the highest level since April 2000, though the numbers arent directly comparable because more than six of 10 last month had been expelled. Being expelled carries no legal consequences, so many people try to cross multiple times.

Authorities encountered 17,171 children traveling alone in April, the highest number since an all-time high of 18,960 in March.

There were about 50,000 people encountered in families in April. About one of every three families was expelled to Mexico. The rest were allowed to remain in the United States to seek asylum.

___

Spagat reported from San Diego.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Las Vegas will fully reopen to vaccinated diners, dancers, business owners and bodybuilders beginning June 1, after county lawmakers on Tuesday followed new federal guidelines and dropped plans to tie business occupancy limits to public vaccination rates.

Clark County will delete its plan in entirety, Marilyn Kirkpatrick, chairwoman of the commission with jurisdiction over the Las Vegas Strip, said ahead of a vote to lift local mask mandates and personal distancing restrictions  and in her words, send everybody back to pre-pandemic guidelines.

The unanimous vote came after public speakers expressed anger and frustration with pandemic restrictions  especially the effects on children.

Commissioner Jim Gibson observed that county rules became meaningless after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, on Friday aligned state requirements with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations issued a day earlier.

It doesnt make sense for us to impose something that we really cant enforce, Gibson said.

The County Commission previously tied a goal of fully opening businesses without social distancing rules to 60% of the eligible population receiving at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. The number on Tuesday was 45%, after the eligible population grew to include children ages 12 and older.

Pressure grew to drop rules after the CDC said Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can stop person-to-person distancing and mask-wearing outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

Unvaccinated people should still wear masks, according to the guidelines, and the CDC said everyone  fully vaccinated or not  should still use masks in crowded indoor locations such as airplanes, buses, hospitals and prisons.

Most resorts in Las Vegas have already returned to 100% casino occupancy, with approval from regulators at the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The county move Tuesday affects non-gambling businesses from swimming pools to wedding chapels to nightclubs. Businesses still can set their own rules.

Kirkpatrick said fully vaccinated people wont have to wear masks or separate themselves from others except where ... federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws and regulations say otherwise.

People are allowed to be more strict than CDC guidelines, the commission chairwoman added. But that is a personal choice.

Many other states lifted mask requirements last week, following the new CDC guidelines, although Nevadas largest neighbor state did not do so.

California's chief health officer said Monday that people there should keep wearing masks and distancing indoors until June 15, to allow time to adjust rules and vaccinate more people.

In Las Vegas, the regions top health officer, Dr. Fermin Leguen, said test positivity, a measure of the number of people who take coronavirus tests that come back positive, was 4.8%. The World Health Organization goal is 5% or below to relax restrictions.

State health officials on Tuesday reported 287 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths. The Department of Health and Human Services has reported more than 321,000 cases since the pandemic began and 5,540 deaths.

The Las Vegas area, with 2.3 million of Nevadas 3.1 million residents, has tallied more than 249,000 of those COVID-19 cases and 4,366 deaths  almost 79% of the statewide total.

Leguen, head of the Southern Nevada Health District, characterized hospitalization rates, which peaked at near-capacity in January because of spikes in COVID-19 cases, as back to pre-pandemic levels of admissions and demand for resources.

Although Kirkpatrick told the commission audience the county lawmakers had no jurisdiction over mask mandates for schoolchildren, almost a dozen speakers implored them to signal to the Clark County School District that facial coverings could be removed.

Bonnie Taylor, a self-described mental health professional, characterized children as pawns in political theater and said they were harmed physically and emotionally by being told they posed a threat to themselves and others.

Jodi Harris of Sight & Sound Events in Las Vegas said coronavirus restrictions have devastated her business.

She said meeting and wedding attendees should be able to dance at events, and she cast mask-wearing customers as confused to leave casino banquet halls only to enter a free for all, a party in casinos with no mask or personal distance requirements.

We are the wedding capital of the world, the event capital of the world," Harris said. We just want to get back to normal.
In the spring of 2020, high school seniors saw their year unravel. Proms, graduations, college visits and other traditions went out the window.

For most in the class of 2021, the coronavirus pandemic pushed all or part of an entire academic year online, out of school and away from teachers, classmates and the systems that keep them on track to graduate, with or without the traditions.

And many fell off that track, with absences, poor grades or requirements left undone.

I honestly thought I wasnt going to graduate at all, so I just left it there, said Maximiliano Quintana, a senior at Lanier High School. Sometimes I dont understand the work, and I just dont do it because I dont have anyone to tell me in person; its just virtual.

Quintana, 17, knew he could do better if he went back to campus, but he was able to get a job in construction, help out with home expenses and attend classes from home. In April, he became one of about 50 Lanier seniors who had fallen off the radar and stopped logging on.

Other high schools have the same problem. San Antonio Independent School District teachers this month have been placing students in specialized programs to recover course credits, involving after-school or weekend classes and additional tutoring, instead of waiting for the end of the semester.

The district has teams reaching out to seniors who still have a chance to graduate, visiting their homes and knocking on doors. They found Quintana on Thursday.

The teen thought there was no way he could graduate with his class this year until Norma Rodriguez, a retention specialist at Lanier, showed up on his doorstep with Kadie Kappler, a juvenile court case manager with the city of San Antonio.

You know why we are here, right? Rodriguez said. Quintana immediately nodded and told them he had been working.

As with every visit, Rodriguez came prepared to show Quintana his grades, credits and attendance record  and his options, such as a schedule for Saturday school and a phone number to call his counselor to get on a graduation plan.

You are so close, Max, you are so close, Rodriguez said. What is keeping you, besides work?

Rodriguez and Kappler talked to the teen for about 15 minutes, until he agreed to contact the school and create a plan that same day. Rodriguez warned him she would follow up to make sure he did so.

About 70 percent of SAISD students chose to learn at home rather than return to classrooms, encouraged to do so by a cautious district policy through the worst months of the pandemic. The goal of keeping students, teachers and staff safe carried a downside, increasing the risk of losing students. Online learnings grasp is tenuous, and the sudden freedom in scheduling allowed seniors, especially, to take on other responsibilities, officials said.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

There are a lot of things competing for the kids time, said Patti Salzmann, deputy superintendent at SAISD. Lack of consistency of coming to school every day is not good for some kids. So, just the routine of coming in and completing their work for all of the classes they take has been challenging.

Those who are learning in classrooms now make up about 50 percent of the districts enrollment, but high school students have returned at lower rates, reaching only 31 percent as of May 10.

The two specialists who talked to Quintana have visited hundreds of homes throughout the school year, looking for high school seniors who had gone radio silent. They left word with relatives, or envelopes on their doors, urging students to call their schools.

The message is simple: Its not too late to do it, and, Theyll work with you to do whatever it takes.

Of the 50 (seniors), I would say that more than half have already come back, Rodriguez said of her April count. We have juvenile probation officers and case managers who partner with us to also make visits. And its not meant to be punitive, but its meant to fill in those gaps. They may need clothing, food  resources we may not have.

The district encouraged classroom learning for more students starting last month, communicating with the families of those identified as needing it more than others, Salzmann said. Some were very responsive, she added, but others were not as easily convinced or even reachable.

SAISD was far from alone. Districts across the city revamped communication efforts to keep students and families informed and accounted for. Some joined conversations with other districts in the city and state to figure out the best approaches.

The collaboration that Ive seen in the schools, and then among the schools and among districts, was just off the charts, said Jerry Woods, Northside ISDs assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. We all came together, struggling with the same circumstances.  We were not in the same boat, but we were in the same storm.

At Northside, about 60 percent of students have returned to in-person classes, Woods said, but at the high school level, its only 40 percent. And while teachers were doing their best to keep track and reach out, it was evident new methods were needed.

Seniors are definitely the lesser amount, Woods said of the proportion of high school returnees. Theres quite a sense of urgency now that graduation is right around the corner.

At Lanier High School, a school whose students are more than 95 percent Hispanic and economically disadvantaged, the pandemic added pressure for some students to take on the role of a provider at home, either helping out financially or helping take care of family members  a parent, grandparent or younger siblings.

This pandemic has really hit the urban core because we have the majority, if not 99 percent, of our families are working families that deal with major (employment) areas that have been shut down, said Moses Ortiz, principal at Lanier. So our kids have in many instances become the primary breadwinners for the family.

At the campus level, teachers and administrators have seen it all, Ortiz said, from students who have had to step up because of job loss or illness, to those who have lost one or both parents to the pandemic.

Our role has been, How do we ameliorate those? with the understanding that we still have multiple responsibilities to the state, to the student themselves, Ortiz said. Its been challenging for us. Our teachers are tired, theyre frustrated, they are hopeful. Its all of it.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

Campus leadership had to support teachers efforts by adapting to nontraditional ways to communicate, said Kevin Hilliard, associate principal at Lanier.

Calls were paired with home visits by Rodriguez and a city liaison, and all announcements are now delivered via text, email, social media posts, videos and Zoom meetings. The nontraditional avenues also extended to tutoring hours and credit systems, Salzmann said.

Teachers and students received additional tutoring support when the district started using Tutor.com, Salzmann said. The online platform is available to students 24/7.

Many of our high school students dont even log into the system to get help until after midnight, but many have been successfully completing their classwork, Salzmann said.

All these options make Rodriguezs daily trek through San Antonio neighborhoods a lot easier. The teams are not out there to bring bad news, she said. They want families to know they have support and options.

Its definitely been challenging, but I think that it just showed us that we can adapt to these changes, Rodriguez said. And if theres anything weve seen, its that our students are resilient and our families are resilient. And sometimes we have to make those changes to be successful.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
San Antonio College was awarded the Aspen Prize on Tuesday and named the top community college in the country, a testament to its demonstrated success in supporting a diverse student body, officials said.

What this says is that our faculty, staff and students are best in class in the United States, and that San Antonio, Bexar County and our region have the best community college in our nation, said Mike Flores, chancellor of the Alamo Colleges District.

Awarded by the Aspen Institute every two years since 2011, the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence is considered the top distinction of its kind. President Barack Obama once called the competition basically the Oscars for great community colleges, according to the Institute.

On ExpressNews.com: Alamo Colleges see overall enrollment gains despite pandemic, recession

A panel of education, business and nonprofit leaders selected SAC from a group of 10 finalists  out of about 1,000 community colleges in total  after several rounds of data analyses, interviews and campus tours over the course of a year and a half.

Courtesy San Antonio College /

More than two-thirds of its 35,000 students are people of color. About 81 percent of students are enrolled part-time  often holding jobs or parenting while working toward their degree or certificate  and approximately 40 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, not including the high schoolers enrolled in the colleges dual-credit programs.

None of that is an obstacle at San Antonio College, said Linda Perlstein, a director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. Theyre serving the students they have and serving them well with compassion and understanding and commitment.

Robert Vela, president of San Antonio College, said the national recognition was breathtaking and surreal.

When I met with the committee, it felt like I was in a dream, said Vela, who has led SAC for almost seven years. When I first began this journey, I never would have imagined that we would be in a position now where we could make our community so proud.

The Aspen Institue judges community colleges on their performance in six categories: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, student transfers to four-year institutions to attain a bachelors degree, workforce success, equity for students of color and low-income households, and leadership and institutional culture.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

The best institutions dont just teach  they empower, they meet students where they are and help them to get to where they want to go, Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States and a community college professor in Virginia, said during a livestream of Tuesdays announcement.

Thats what the Aspen Prize is all about, Biden added. Recognizing the schools that are leading the way, showing us that all students can learn, achieve and thrive if only they have the opportunities and support they need.

In the past four years, the SAC graduation and transfer rate has jumped nearly 20 percentage points to 48 percent, putting it above the national average despite having a more socioeconomically disadvantaged student body than many other community colleges, officials said.

Its graduation and transfer rate for students of color, its transfer rate to four-year institutions and its six-year bachelors completion rate among transfer students are all well above national averages, officials said.

Its a validation point for us that what weve been doing over the past few years, focused on student success and student achievement, has really worked, Vela said.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio College stood out to the judges for these improvements and for its commitment to supporting students through adversity in and out of the classroom, Perlstein said.

We heard in our interviews with students again and again stories of (faculty and staff) standing by their side, saying that whatever they needed to stay in school, the college was going to connect them, she said. The importance of having clarity and not wasting your time, not wasting your credits, not wasting your money is really heightened at an institution like San Antonio College.

SAC is one of five colleges in the Alamo Colleges District. It traces its roots to 1925, when it opened under the University of Texas. After a year it was run by the San Antonio Independent School District until the community college district was created in 1945. SAC has been at its current location on San Pedro Avenue since 1951.

Vela said the Alamo Colleges wraparound support services  including food, rent and utilities assistance, childcare options, and counseling  have made higher education more accessible here, and students more successful.

San Antonio College will receive a $600,000 prize. Two of the four other Aspen finalists are in Texas, and each will get $100,000. They are Broward College in Florida, San Jacinto College in Houston, West Kentucky Community and Technical College and Amarillo College, which received the Aspen Institutes Rising Star Award.

This year was the first time San Antonio College had been named a finalist for the Aspen Prize. Palo Alto College on the South Side was awarded the Rising Star Award in 2019, designating it one of the top five community colleges in the country.

The Alamo Colleges District won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2018 for excellence in leadership, organization and innovation.

andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon
What was statistically Texas best day of the pandemic was followed by a sobering number one day later.

On Sunday, the states Department of State Health Services reported its first day without recording a COVID-19 death since March 21, 2020.

The good news was dampened less than 20 hours later, when DSHS reported 23 new COVID deaths Monday  the highest Monday count in nearly two months.

Public health experts said the day-to-day discrepancy is likely due to the method of reporting COVID deaths, which usually requires an autopsy and other steps that can cause gaps between the time of death and when it is actually reported to the state.

We all want to be on the other side of the pandemic, said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist. And its OK to feel excitement about changes in mask mandates, or about decreasing case numbers and mortality.

But its important to remember how we got here, Long continued. A lot of the benefits were seeing now are largely driven by vaccines and compliance with safety measures such as masking and social distancing.

On HoustonChronicle.com: A half-million Texans are overdue for their second COVID-19 shot. Why?

Still, its clear the state has turned a corner: Last week, the state had a record low seven-day positivity rate of 3.9 percent, and cases and hospitalizations were at their lowest marks since last summer.

That change was welcomed at one Houston funeral home.

Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home owner Tripp Carter said they havent had a COVID-related service since early March, which she credited in part to Houstonians abiding by precautionary measures.

We are right in the heart of the city, and so its just great that we havent seen any more cases, Carter said. Houstonians, or at least certainly in the inner loop, were very conscious about following CDC guidelines.

Public health officials agreed with that sentiment, but said now is not the time for complacency.

While one in three Texas adults are expected to be fully vaccinated by later this week, many who are considered high-risk are still unvaccinated, said Dr. David Persse, Houstons assistant medical director.

He said people should be mindful of that when they read numbers or reports about the states outlook.

The numbers are getting better, but they are going to fluctuate, Persse said. They are trending downward, but not trending downward steeply enough.

Roughly 4,000 people have died in the county since the beginning of the pandemic.

Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease expert and epidemiologist at the University of Texas School of Public Health, said deaths will continue because of stronger and more contagious mutations of the virus that are already present in Texas.

Because of that, she said, its crucial for people to get vaccinated and practice safety measures around those who are not innoculated, including children.

Theres always a possibility that a new variant thats much more infectious or pathogenic will arrive, she said. Its good news that things are looking good right now, but its still too soon to declare victory.

Jordan Rubio contributed to this report.

robert.downen@chron.com
Bexar County commissioners committed $25 million to help build the long-sought Alamo museum.

The county now is part of the Alamo project, led by the city of San Antonio, Texas General Land Office and nonprofit Alamo Trust. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff noted the countys involvement is limited to the planned 100,000-square-foot Alamo museum and visitor center, not the full $450 million public-private project that will completely makeover Alamo Plaza.

I really believe this is a turning point in trying to tell the whole story, of the most visited historic site in Texas, Wolff said. He added about 1.6 million people visit the Alamo annually.

County leaders have emphasized the need to get involved with the project and include the good and the bad of the forts history. Theyve also pushed to offer unbiased depictions of Native Americans and people of color at the time.

At the end of an emotional 25-minute address Tuesday, Commissioner Tommy Calvert made the motion to direct County Manager David Smith to identify funding to support the museum.

Calvert was elected in November 2014 as Bexar Countys first Black commissioner. He noted the history of slavery in Texas and his familys complicated past. On his mothers side, one white ancestor owned slaves, fought in the Confederacy and had a son with one of his slaves. That son married a Caddo Indian. Over time, the white side and black side of the family reconciled to live no differently than the Golden Rule demanded us.

On his fathers side, Calvert described racial tension between Hispanic and Black family members. He regretted never getting to know the Latino side of my family history.

As honest as I am about my story, so can the Alamo be honest about their story, he said. There is only one race  thats the human race.

Calvert paused to regain his composure at one point, saying he wanted the story of freedom in Texas to extend beyond the battle. He said figures like early 1900s female suffragist Eleanor Brackenridge and the Rev. Claude Black, a civil rights activist, are an inspiration to others  even a young man like me  born on Martin Luther King Boulevard on the East Side.

I want us to learn that many different Texans struggled for freedom, Calvert said.

Although the history of Texas is complex and has been mythologized in books and movies, Calvert said he opted to act out of hope and love, rather than fear, and support a museum that tells fact-based stories, including Black, Hispanic and Native American perspectives vetted by subject matter experts.

Its never too late for us to learn about the history we dont know, Calvert said. Our lives are so much more enriched by getting to know one another.

On ExpressNews.com: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vows to get money to complete Alamo project

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News

Commissioners Trish DeBerry and Rebeca Clay-Flores will serve as the countys liaisons on the museum project.

Appearing separately before commissioners by remote video conference, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Land Commissioner George P. Bush encouraged the county to support the museum. The Texas General Land Office serves as custodian of the state-owned Alamo grounds, and Bush said theres an unprecedented level of cooperation between state and local leaders to develop and complete a very ambitious project that will honor and preserve the historic site for our children and grandchildren.

Patrick said hes working on a $50 million appropriation for the museum to keep the planning and development moving forward, at least until the 2023 legislative session. The Alamo Trust also plans to privately raise funds for the museum, set to open in 2025.

This is really such a great time for the future of the Alamo and the future of San Antonio, Patrick said from his Alamo Room, which is filled with artifacts and memorabilia related to the 1836 battle.

While the museum will highlight the battle and Texas Revolution, were going to tell the whole story as well, Patrick said.

We need to get started and finish the project, he said.

Alamo Trust officials gave a presentation revealing a preliminary concept of a museum to be housed in three state-owned buildings that would be repurposed on the west end of the plaza. The five-level facility would direct visitors up from the ground floor, using video, multimedia and interactive displays and exhibits to engage and inform. Tours would end on a rooftop observation area where people could see the mission-era church, Convento/Long Barrack and the plaza that once was the center of activity of the mission and fort.

Visitors would then be directed to the plaza to see representations of the Alamos main south gate, southwest corner cannon station and other historic features.

DeBerry said the museum will be a critical part of creating an indelible impression that the Alamo experience currently does not offer visitors, with new and updated exhibits and galleries encouraging repeat tours. The project will generate jobs and restore the local tourism economy to a higher level than before the pandemic, she said.

This will be an educational experience. It will not just be a one and done, DeBerry said.

Wolff and Commissioner Justin Rodriguez noted the project has the support of both Republicans and Democrats as a means to inform Texans and visitors about the Alamo and Texas history while connecting it to people who have ancestral ties to that history  some without knowing it.

The Alamo belongs to all of us, and I think we all have stories that are just unfolding, said Rodriguez, who has traced his family history to a woman believed to have been in the Alamo fort during the siege.

The funding pledge is for $25 million over the next five years, and it will cover about one-tenth of the cost of the museum. Wolff and DeBerry have said money from the American Recovery Act, the countys annual budget and the American Jobs Act, now pending in Congress, could be used to direct $5 million annually for the facility.

While state and local leaders have been at odds on how to depict the history of the Alamo, founded as a mission in 1724, theres been general agreement that the 1836 siege and battle for Texas independence is the sites most recognized event that attracts visitors. The 30-member Alamo Citizens Advisory Committee is working on an interpretive plan and will hold seven topic-specific panel discussions this summer, starting June 1.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County wants Alamo story to include good and the bad

In other business Tuesday, commissioners took action to hire energy consultants Roland Pablos and Becky Klein to conduct an $80,000 study to provide a profound understanding of the current state of public electric service impacting Bexar County, particularly suburban cities and unincorporated areas outside of San Antonio. Findings from the study will be presented in October.

Commissioners also:

Accepted a $10,000 donation from the Hot Wells Conservancy to continue construction of rainwater control features and environmentally friendly landscaping at Hot Wells of Bexar County, a park built around the historic ruins of an early 1900s resort and silent film studio field headquarters on the San Antonio River Mission Reach. The county opened the park two years ago.

Appointed Family Violence Prevention Services, a local nonprofit, as the countys designated authority to oversee the work of the Adult Fatality Review Team, composed of law enforcement and health officials and experts on domestic violence, to compile data and present a community report. The team has met several times and will resume its mission to decrease the incidence of preventable adult deaths.

Approved a $13.8 million budget for emergency rental, utility and household assistance and authorized negotiation with the city of San Antonio to run a $5.5 million rental aid program to assist families in unincorporated areas and suburban cities. Federal funds will be dispersed to help families affected by the pandemic.

shuddleston@express-news.net
With almost 1 million San Antonians vaccinated with at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the number of hospitalized patients on Monday fell to the lowest level in nearly a year.

Hospitals across San Antonio were caring for 171 COVID-19 patients, the lowest volume since the coronavirus surged uncontrollably last summer and 148 patients were hospitalized on June 13, according to Metro Health data.

At the most dangerous point of the pandemic in January, area hospitals cared for more than 1,500 people sick with the virus.

Continue to get your vaccines, and we will continue to put this pandemic behind us, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

Even after Texas lifted mask mandates, celebrated Spring Break and opened businesses to full capacity, all measures used to gauge the pandemics spread have continued moving in the right direction as health providers have continued getting shots into arms.

City officials reported no new deaths Monday for the fifth day in a row, which came a day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the state went without recording a new COVID-19 death for the first time in 14 months. The state on Monday, however, recorded 23 new deaths.

The number of Bexar County residents who have gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine is now more than four times greater than the number who have tested positive for the virus.

Officials reported 231 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the countys total since the pandemic began to 221,178. Meanwhile, 969,499 people have received at least one dose of vaccine, of whom 749,957 are fully vaccinated, according to the city.

The federal government last week gave the green light to administer Pfizers vaccine to children as young as 12, which means San Antonios health providers are now ramping up efforts to get younger teens protected against the virus.

Now that we've expanded vaccine eligibility even to 12 (year-olds), the more people we can get vaccinated, the less likely COVID is to spread, said Colleen Bridger, an assistant city manager who is overseeing the pandemic response. So highly, highly recommend it.

More than 5,600 adolescents between 12 and 15 are now vaccinated in Bexar County, according to state data. On Friday and Saturday, nearly 700 of them were vaccinated at the Alamodome.

After months of scarce vaccine supply, enough San Antonians have been vaccinated that demand for the shots is easing. Starting next week, the mass vaccination site at the Wonderland Mall of the Americas will reduce its hours to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, said County Judge Nelson Wolff.

The Alamodomes drive-thru clinic, meanwhile, will change its operating hours beginning May 24 to noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

marina.riker@express-news.net
Middle school can be awkward and difficult, but for LGBTQ kids, those years can be beyond challenging  even life-threatening. And thats without the discriminatory laws our representatives are trying to enact.

In Texas, 30 anti-LGBTQ bills this session aim to limit health care or activities, up from 19 bills last session. They are part of more than 100 anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in more than 30 states across America. Many take aim at trans kids.

Trans kids are in the midst of a relentless culture war tangled in politics, hate and fear, one they didnt ask to be part of. Trans kids are kids. They are human. They matter. Let transgender kids play sports. Let transgender kids live their lives. They are trying to navigate life, and that is harder than most of us can imagine.

Transgender kids struggle. When I was a teacher, my middle school students were among the most vulnerable. They often cried, they had anxiety attacks, and some were hospitalized for threatening to harm or kill themselves. I worried about them  and I still do.

Everyone who values basic human rights hates these bills. In a recent Express-News commentary, the Rev. Andries Coetzee, a pastor at University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, called the bills cruel and exploitative to Gods children.

The American Civil Liberties Union has been fighting the bills. The Human Rights Campaign has been sharing videos from transgender kids and their parents. In one video, Libby shares: I told my mom and dad that if this law passes, I want to disappear.

Health and psychological experts beg us to support and protect transgender children. In an April 26 letter to the National Governors Association, the American Medical Association cited evidence that trans and nonbinary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression, and forgoing gender-affirming care can have tragic health consequences, both mental and physical. They share science-based facts weve seen over and over from multiple experts and organizations.

Mental health impacts and suicide ideation are well documented for LGBTQ people. They are up to three times more likely than the general population to report or be diagnosed with mental health disorders. They get bullied.

But whats the solution? Experts say transgender children, like all children, have the best chance to thrive when they are supported and can obtain the health care they need.

Research shows transgender kids are at greatest risk of suicide compared to their nontransgender peers because of rejection, bullying and other victimization. For some, family support can be the difference between life and death.

Trans kids feel disappointment and discrimination at a much more intense level than others. When they receive support from the adults and peers in their lives, they do better.

For me, to know trans kids is to love them. Whats not to love? They are brave. Many of my transgender students over the years asked me to call them by a different name and pronoun. Sometimes they asked verbally, but often they would write it out in a letter. I honored it.

Because I was the journalism and yearbook teacher, transgender students I didnt know would introduce themselves with an alternative name and ask for it to be changed in the yearbook. The unofficial policy at my school was to do this only with parental approval. The problem is, many students havent come out to their parents. And even when they do, not all get support.

Republicans are so forceful about their anti-trans rhetoric, they try to fold it into other legislation, and that could still happen this session, even if the original bills fail. A student identification card nearly included a listing for gender because of an amendment Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, attempted May 13 on the House floor. It didnt pass, thanks to Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas. Dont make this identification card about trans kids, he said.

No one should make this culture war about trans kids. They want nothing more than to be loved and accepted, and they deserve it from everyone, including lawmakers.

Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net
Lying in her hospital bed in Kabul, Afghanistan, having survived an extremist groups bombing that killed more than 80 students at her school, a 17-year-old named Arifa was as determined as she was frightened.

I will continue my education, even if Im afraid, Arifa, who hopes to become a doctor, vowed to Richard Engel of NBC News.

Afghan girls and boys may lack books, pens and laptops, but in their thirst for education, they have plenty to teach the world. Indeed, one of the few things the extremists and the students seem to agree on is the transformational power of education, especially girls education.

In some hideous way, perhaps it was rational for fundamentalists to blow up the school, because girls education poses an existential threat to extremism. Thats why the Pakistani Taliban shot Malala Yousafzai in the head. Its why the Afghan Taliban threw acid in girls faces.

In the long run, a girl with a book is a greater threat to extremism than a drone overhead.

The way to long-term change is education, said Sakena Yacoobi, a hero of mine who has devoted her life to educating her fellow Afghans. A nation is not built on temporary jobs and mining rights, contractors and political favors. A nation is built on culture and shared history, shared reality and community well-being. We pass these down with education.

Since 9/11, we Americans have sought to defeat terrorism and extremism with the military toolbox. As we pull our forces out of Kabul and Kandahar, this is a moment to reflect on the limits of military power and the reasons to invest in more cost-effective tools to change the world, like schooling.

After almost 20 years and $2 trillion, the mightiest army in the history of the world couldnt remake Afghanistan. Some Americans are critical of President Joe Biden for withdrawing from Afghanistan, but I think he made the right decision. Ive long argued that we were losing ground and that the war was unsustainable.

I reached that conclusion after Afghan contractors in Kabul who supplied U.S. forces told me that for every $1,000 America paid them, they gave $600 to the Taliban in bribes to pass through checkpoints. To support a single U.S. soldier in Helmand province, contractors paid the Taliban enough in bribes to hire 10 men to fight against that American.

Yet while Americas longest war is unsustainable, we must remember our obligations. We should greatly accelerate visas for the roughly 17,000 Afghan translators, aides and others who have worked with the United States and will be in danger when our forces are gone. Otherwise, their blood will be on our hands.

So with a heightened appreciation of the limits of military power, lets try to chip away at extremism with tools like education. Its also much cheaper. For the cost of deploying a single soldier in Afghanistan for one year, we can establish and pay expenses of 20 rudimentary schools.

Theres a misperception that the Taliban will not allow girls to be educated. Its not easy, but it can be done. The Taliban tolerates many girls schools, particularly primary schools and those with female teachers, but aid groups must negotiate with communities and win support. It doesnt work to have a sign saying its donated by America.

Most aid groups have been able to operate successfully on both sides of Taliban front lines, noted Paul Barker, who has spent many years in the region as an aid worker.

Girls education is not a magic wand. Schools were built in all corners of Afghanistan over the last 20 years, yet this was not enough to stymie the Taliban.

Its not that you go to school and suddenly are empowered, a young Afghan woman told me. Lets be honest: Nothing works as well as we would like to overcome extremism.

Yet this young woman is an example of whats at stake. She studied on her own in the Taliban heartland and then was able to come to the United States  where she is now doing research on quantum algorithms.

Education is an imperfect weapon against extremism, but it helps. It works through some combination of opening minds, building a middle class, giving women a greater voice in society and reducing population growth and thus a destabilizing youth bulge in the population.

So I hope that as we, chastened, pull military forces from Afghanistan, we will learn something from extremists and their victims alike: Promoting girls education isnt about mushy idealism, but about employing an inexpensive tool that is frustratingly slow  but sometimes the best tool weve got.

There is no other way to build a nation, Yacoobi told me. Maybe someday we will melt down some of these guns and trade them in for medicines and new Homeric epics. If we wish to get there, we must always start with education.
Three bills in the Texas Legislature look helpful for the judicial system, but there is a hint of the poisoned apple in each one:

Senate Bill 1529 creates a new statewide court for cases involving the governor or attorney general.

House Bill 1875 creates a statewide court system for big business cases.

Senate Bill 11 would crunch the states 14 appeals courts into seven.

At first glance, each bill looks smart. Less administration. More expertise. But these bills are power grabs that corrode the peoples access to justice before fair and disinterested judges.

Take SB 1529. Its new statewide appeals court would review trials of anybody fighting a state agency.

What if anybody is you? What if you are wrongfully ticketed for not posting labor laws at your business? Or the state claims your company spilled chemicals, but it was someone else? What if bureaucrats take your land for a road but wont pay what it is worth? What if a trooper seizes your truck by mistake?

Now, imagine something goes wrong, and you lose at trial. Or you win and the state appeals.

Your local but disinterested justices cannot review your case. Those jurists would say the state loses if it breaks the law. SB 1529 swaps them for justices who campaign for this job or later are appointed to it. These new openings will attract people keen on state power because this is the focus of that court. The justices will have auditioned for their seats by proving they will protect the official who appoints them  even from a person who is hurt by official mistake or malice.

This new Bureaucrats Court in Austin would have influence. It would declare ever more state officers immune from lawsuits.

Opinions from specialized courts gain influence in other courts because even judges can confuse mere expertise with wisdom and justice. As the new court offers more reasons to excuse official misconduct or mistakes, the law as a whole will begin to accept some of these reasons. The doors of the courthouses will slowly creak close on citizen grievances, no matter how sound.

HB 1875 promises big business its own court system: a business-friendly trial court and a corporate-leaning appeals court, near the nice hotels in Austin.

Is your small business one of several hurt by a big business? Were you stung in a stock fraud case? Was your ranch hit by a toxic spill? Does your truck paint keep peeling? Were your crops burned by pesticides? You can be in Brownsville or El Paso, Amarillo or Texarkana. No matter. If your case involves big business, youre off to Austin for your trial and your appeal.

Forget the price of travel, rooms and Austin lawyers. The real cost is that you, like many Davids in Texas, must fight the Goliaths of big business before Goliaths former lawyers. They are now your judges.

Big business judges are business lawyers handpicked by the governor, not elected by Texas voters like the rest of our judges. They will deliver the goods for big donor companies or be fired at the end of their two-year term.

How fair can judges be knowing they will be fired if their rulings dont sit well with the governors donors? How impartial can a judge be in a suit against Company X after decades working for Companies Y and Z?

Theres more. SB 11 halves the number, but doubles the size, of the states 14 intermediate appeals courts. It jams rural courts into city courts to make mega-courts with huge districts.

Appeals just north of San Antonio would go to El Paso. Cases from Dallas would go to Austin. Cases just out of Austin would head to Houston. Cases in Corpus Christi would go to San Antonio, and those in Texarkana to Fort Worth.

This is all supposed to simplify the courts case management. Maybe, but it costs the litigants time and money. Partly, this is the math of consolidation: Half the state is now twice the distance from its courthouses. Partly, it reflects the challenge of finding lawyers who do appeals, and not many do, who are spread over more cities, and who would need more time to understand the people and business of the towns their cases come from.

And in a big step backward, this bill tries to solve problems from an ever-larger population by giving it fewer courts that are farther away. So, the state grows, but the people are less connected with the judges.

People who know less about an institution will trust that institution less. They will care about it less and vote for it less.

Truly, the courts need help. More judges, better training and careful evaluation of their needs would be good.

But not this.

Stephen Sheppard is dean emeritus and Charles E. Cantu distinguished professor of law emeritus at St. Marys University School of Law.
Despite popular sentiment, the pandemic is not over, and we have entered a confusing time about masking and best practices.

The thought of a 100-percent-capacity Fiesta, just a month away, should make many locals smile. But should that smile be behind a mask? Only for the unvaccinated, say local leaders. This follows a shift in national guidance  a shift we find confusing for families with children who cant yet be vaccinated and potentially burdensome for businesses.

Albeit abrupt, last weeks change of direction coupled with new promising data from federal and local leaders are some of many welcome signs of what could be the slow beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

When President Joe Biden announced the May 13 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Americans who are fully vaccinated can go without masks or physical distancing in many cases, even when they are indoors or in large groups, many, including top health experts, were surprised.

Biden later tweeted, The rule is simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. The choice is yours.

The problem, of course, is that its not so simple. Masks are still required on planes, trains, buses and in hospitals. Many Americans and Texans still are not vaccinated. Some people will refuse to get vaccinated but wont wear masks; and children younger than 12 cant get vaccinated.

Bexar County Commissioner Trish DeBerry called the lifting of COVID-19 mandates for vaccinated Americans a watershed day during the local Friday COVID briefing. Woohoo! Its a day of celebration, she said.

We get that sentiment  and there is much to celebrate in the metrics.

Gov. Greg Abbott reported Sunday that for the first time in 14 months, Texas went a day without recording a single COVID-19 death.

On Monday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff reported nearly 1 million San Antonians had received at least the first dose of a vaccine, and the number of hospitalized patients on Monday fell to the lowest level in nearly a year.

Our concern is about easing public health guidance when not all Americans are eligible for vaccines. For example, children younger than 12 dont have the same choice as adults  yet Abbott has banned mask mandates in school districts effective June 4.

The new guidance came after the CDC announced providers could begin vaccinating children ages 12-15 with the Pfizer vaccine. Its also difficult for Americans to trust an honor system that asks only those who are unvaccinated to wear their masks.

Some businesses have announced they wont require masks or social distancing for vaccinated customers, but others are still requiring masks. Consider some scenarios: Customers with or without masks, but employees with masks. Vaccinated parents not wearing masks but telling their unvaccinated children to mask up. Confusing.

We also have concerns about political pressure with this decision.

On Monday, Biden defended the new guidance, providing more details in a press conference, calling the vaccination effort historical and touting how in less than four months, roughly 60 percent of Americans now have at least one COVID-19 vaccine.

Abrupt shift or not, confusing for families with young kids or not, heres the bottom line: People should get vaccinated. As Assistant San Antonio City Manager Colleen Bridger said Monday, those most at risk are the unvaccinated. If you cant be vaccinated, wear a mask, she said.

And we would add, if you can get vaccinated, do it.

Once again, the pandemic is not over. On Monday, Wolff and Nirenberg reported 171 COVID hospitalizations, the lowest level in nearly a year. Thats reason for optimism, but the work is not yet done.
Gov. Greg Abbott is forbidding local governments and public school districts from instituting their own mask mandates.

Abbott issued an executive order on Tuesday barring counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities and other government officials from requiring Texans to wear masks. The change will take effect on Friday, except in public schools, where mask rules can remain in place until June 4.

Local officials who attempt to issue mandates can be fined up to $1,000, the governor said.

Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities, Abbott said in a release. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans liberty to choose whether or not they mask up.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Only a few agencies are exempt from the new rule: state-supported living centers, government-operated hospitals, facilities run by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and county and municipal jails, according to the governors office.

Abbott rescinded the statewide mask mandate in March, about 10 months after requiring them near the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Texas. In explaining the rollback, the governor pointed to declining COVID case counts and the increasing availability of vaccines.

People and businesses dont need the state telling them how to operate, Abbott said at the time, while adding that COVID had not suddenly disappeared, and Texans should still take health and safety precautions.

Still, some local officials said they would continue to require masks, including in the city of Austin. State Attorney General Ken Paxton promptly sued local officials for that move, though Austins mandate was later upheld by a judge.

In his Tuesday executive order, Abbott said those local governments have caused confusion by continuing to implement local rules despite his decision to roll back the statewide mask mandate in March.

Texas follows Florida, South Carolina

Tuesdays announcement, however, will have the most impact on Texas school districts, where many students are not yet eligible for the vaccine. Children under age 12 cannot yet receive any vaccine, but the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for those in the 12 to 17 age group.

At least two other states, both led by Republican governors, have similarly barred public schools and local governments from instituting mask mandates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made the move two weeks ago, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster banned the practice last week.

For some Texas Republicans, the change was long overdue. Former state Sen. Don Huffines, who is running against Abbott from the right in the GOP primary, said Tuesday that Texas never should have implemented a mask mandate in the first place.

In response to an Abbott tweet announcing the executive order, Huffines quipped: Glad to see you finally admit that you trampled on Texans liberty for over a year.

As of Sunday, about 270,000 Texans under 18 had received at least one dose of the vaccine, roughly 50,000 of whom were below age 16, according to state health officials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to the younger group last week.

New COVID guidance for schools coming

The Texas Education Agency is expected to release new COVID guidance ahead of the June 4 deadline, which will include an update on whether school districts can require students to take COVID tests or quarantine before coming to class, a spokesman said. Some school districts will still be in session after that date.

In a statement, the Texas State Teachers Association called Abbotts move premature, saying he should have waited until the CDC issues mask guidelines for the 2021-22 school year before making any changes to existing policy.

We know some school districts already have ended their mask mandates, and we believe that also is ill-advised, said TSTA President Ovidia Molina, adding that most students wont be fully vaccinated until the summer. The health and safety of our students, educators and communities must remain our first priority as we attempt to emerge from this pandemic.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its own mask recommendations, saying vaccinated people could stop wearing face coverings indoors. Nearly half of Texans age 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, state data show.

Health experts still strongly encourage people to wear masks, social distance and wash their hands frequently to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

cayla.harris@express-news.net
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Approving a variety of candidates for Irans presidential election could help boost turnout for a vote that authorities already worry may see little enthusiasm, a spokesman for the panel that examines them said Tuesday.

Abbas Ali Kadkhodaeis comments came after more than 590 people registered to run during a five-day span last week  far less than the 1,630 people who registered in 2017.

Kadkhodaei, spokesman for the Guardian Council, talked to The Associated Press as the state-owned polling center ISPA has warned of the possibility of a turnout as low as 39%  the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

As Irans theocracy partially bases its legitimacy on turnout numbers, officials likely will try to pique the interest of a public worn down by the raging pandemic and an ailing economy ground down by American sanctions.

The presence of candidates with diverse orientations can possibly add to the participation, Kadkhodaei said.

The 12-member Guardian Council, a body of senior clerics and legal experts, vets candidates for office as well as legislation passed by the Iranian parliament. Though only half the members are appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the panel approves candidates under the 82-year-old cleric's watch.

Within Iran, candidates exist on a political spectrum that broadly includes hard-liners who want to expand Irans nuclear program, moderates who hold onto the status quo and reformists who want to change the theocracy from within.

Those calling for radical change find themselves blocked from even running for office by the Guardian Council. That's even though Kadkhodaei stressed the council's members wouldn't be swayed by fiery remarks of the candidates.

"The Guardian Council will never assess the qualifications based on mere statements containing criticism and protest, especially verbal criticisms, he said.

That comment appeared aimed at the hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has threatened to launch a boycott effort of the vote if the Guardian Council disqualified him. The council rejected Ahmadinejad in 2017 after the former president ignored Khamenei's warning to him not to run. This time, however, Khamenei hasn't directly commented on his run.

More than 590 people registered during a five-day span last week, all seeking to replace the relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who is term limited from running again. That's compared to some 1,630 hopefuls who registered in 2017.

Among the top candidates is Irans hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, a cleric who unsuccessfully ran against Rouhani in 2017. The public has widely grown disenchanted with Rouhanis administration after 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear deal.

Kadkhodaei said some 40 women registered last week, but that there's been no particular change in the process. That suggests the women will again be barred from running as the Iranian constitution uses the Farsi word rajol, or man, to describe who can run. Activists have argued one of the word's other meanings, statesman, could be applied to both men and women.

Irans 2020 parliamentary vote saw only a 42.5% turnout, the lowest ever since 1979. Irans 2017 presidential election saw a 73% turnout. Government statistics suggest 59.3 million people will be eligible to vote in June 18 election.

The public, social and political expectations always desire a high turnout, Kadkhodaei said. Nevertheless, from the legal and lawful point of view, low turnout does not bring about any legal problems with the election's credibility.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mounted and pressure grew on Biden to move more forcefully to stop the fighting.

Top Biden administration officials underscored to the Israelis on Monday and Tuesday that time is not on their side in terms of international objections to nine days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets, and that it is in their interest to wind down the operations soon, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the private talks and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The account shows Biden administration officials going further privately in messaging to Netanyahu than they have previously revealed. A White House readout of a Biden call to Netanyahu on Monday said Biden had expressed support for a cease-fire, but said nothing about the U.S. urging Israel to bring fighting to a close.

The fighting has killed at least 213 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel, and tested both Biden's reluctance to publicly criticize Israel and his administration's determination not to bog down its foreign policy focus in Middle East hot spots.

The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday challenged the Biden administration to show any results from what it is calling its quiet diplomacy to stop the new Israeli-Hamas battles. Ambassador Riyad Mansour pointed to the U.S. repeatedly blocking a U.N. Security Council action on the conflict, and he urged the Biden administration to do more.

If the Biden administration can exert all of their pressure to bring an end to the aggression against our people, nobody is going to stand in their way, Mansour said.

France, in consultation with Egypt and Jordan, on Tuesday was preparing a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire, Zhang Jun, China's U.N. ambassador, and other diplomats told reporters. The move to put the U.N.'s most powerful body behind a demand for Israel and Hamas to stop hostilities came after the U.S. repeatedly blocked what would have been a unanimous Security Council statement expressing concern about the fighting.

The White House has so far resisted the calls for ramping up public pressure on Netanyahu. It has made the calculation that Israelis will not respond to international resolutions or public demands by the U.S. and that its greatest leverage is behind-the-scenes pressure, according to the person familiar with the administrations discussions.

The person said that the Israelis have signaled that it is possible their military campaign could end in a matter of days.

The effort to press U.S. ally Israel to find an endgame to the military campaign in Gaza came amid a split this week among House Democrats on whether to step up pressure for a cease-fire and call for more forceful U.S. diplomacy to end the fighting.

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee weighed  but on Tuesday shelved  writing Biden to demand that he delay a pending $735 million sale of precision-guided missiles to Israel.

Dozens of progressive and mainstream Democratic lawmakers already have called for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militants, and some Democrats are demanding Biden push harder for an end to fighting.

Committee member Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was among the Democrats seeking a harder line, saying he has serious concerns about the timing of this weapons sale, the message it will send to Israel and the world about the urgency of a cease fire. He said late Monday that the Biden administration must use every diplomatic tool to de-escalate this conflict and bring about peace.

Committee chair Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. said the lawmakers expect an administration briefing Wednesday on the crisis. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday acknowledged the difference between a growing number of progressive Democrats and the Biden administration on the U.S. approach to the conflict, but played it down.

Every Democrat, and I think every Republican, wants to minimize the exposure of both sides in Gaza and in Israel, Hoyer told reporters. Theres a difference about how that can be done.

Biden did not join in the calls by some of his party's lawmakers and by many foreign governments to demand a cease-fire, however.

In talks with the Israelis, administration officials have pointed to Hezbollahs stature rising in the region after their 34-day war with Israel in 2006 to make the case for limiting the time of the military action. But Israeli officials have argued to the administration that a slightly prolonged campaign to degrade Hamas military capabilities is necessary and in their interest, according to the person familiar with the talks. Hamas operates in the crowded Gaza Strip, a 25-by-6-mile (40-by-10-kilometer) territory crowded with more than 2 million people.

Hamas has sought to portray their rocket barrages as a defense of Jerusalem. The Israelis have made the case to Biden administration officials that that message is losing resonance as mob violence against Arabs in mixed Israeli cities, including Lod, has been tamped down.

Administration officials are defending Biden's decision to avoid ratcheting up public pressure on Israel for its role in the fighting. The U.S. this week killed a proposed U.N. Security Council statement that would have expressed concern for civilian deaths and raised the issue of a cease-fire.

The president has been doing this long enough ... to know sometimes diplomacy has to happen behind the scenes, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday.

She spoke as Biden headed to a Ford electric vehicle site in Michigan to promote a green infrastructure plan.

Pressure on the White House to do more in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dogged the trip, with protesters in communities with large populations of Arab Americans shouting condemnation of Biden.

___

Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Edith Lederer contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Republicans are signaling that they will try to block  or at least slow down  a Democratic effort to create a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, threatening the chances of a deeper, independent look at the siege and how it could be prevented from happening again.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he is pushing the pause button, on the legislation to form the commission, which is expected to pass the House this week despite the opposition of House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. That means the bill is likely to have a more difficult path when it reaches the Senate, where majority Democrats will need at least 10 GOP votes to pass it.

McConnell told reporters that his caucus is undecided but willing to listen to the arguments about whether such a commission is needed. He questioned whether the panel's work would interfere with the hundreds of criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6 attack and whether the fine print of the bill would ensure that both parties on the commission have an equal say.

He also questioned a separate, $1.9 billion spending bill that the House is expected to pass this week for security upgrades. We're not sure what to spend the money on yet, McConnell said.

McCarthy's opposition and McConnell's hesitancy will almost certainly mean fewer Republicans will support the commission in both chambers. Most in the party are still loath to upset former President Donald Trump, who had encouraged his supporters to head to Capitol Hill that day to stop the counting of the electoral votes and overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump released a statement Tuesday night urging Republicans against approving what he called a Democrat trap.

The commission will also expose divisions in the party, as some Republicans have said they think an independent review is necessary. In private GOP caucus meetings across the Capitol on Tuesday, members argued for and against the idea.

Several Republican lawmakers joined McCarthy in speaking against the commission early Tuesday during a meeting of House Republicans, according to one Republican familiar with the private session who was granted anonymity to discuss it. The Republican who negotiated the bill with Democrats, New York Rep. John Katko, argued in favor.

I recognize there are differing views on this issue, which is an inherent part of the legislative process and not something I take personally, Katko said in a statement. However, as the Republican Leader of the Homeland Security Committee, I feel a deep obligation to get the answers U.S. Capitol Police and Americans deserve and ensure an attack on the heart of our democracy never happens again.

McConnell said his caucus had a good discussion in their closed-door lunch.

Some Republicans, such as Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, recommended that his colleagues oppose the commission. Blunt, the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee, is working on a bipartisan report with his Democratic colleagues that will include some recommendations for security upgrades. He said an independent investigation would take too long and frankly, I dont think there are that many gaps to be filled in on what happened on January 6th, as it relates to building security.

Other Senate Republicans have signaled support for the commission. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said earlier Tuesday that given the violent attack, we should understand what mistakes were made and how we could prevent them from happening again.

Modeled after the investigation into the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the bill would establish an independent 10-member commission that would make recommendations for securing the Capitol and preventing another insurrection. The panel would have to issue a final report by Dec. 31.

The debate over the commission comes at a time when some Republicans have begun to downplay the severity of the Jan. 6 attack. And many Republicans say the commission should only be established if it can investigate other violent acts, including protests last summer in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. McConnell declined to answer a question about whether he agreed with that, saying only that Republicans were evaluating what is appropriate.

Some have suggested that McCarthy himself could be subpoenaed by the panel because he talked to Trump as the Capitol was breached. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who was booted out of GOP leadership last week for her criticism of Trumps false claims of a stolen election, suggested as much in an interview with ABC News, saying she wouldnt be surprised if McCarthy was questioned in the investigation. Cheney has backed the commission.

Cheney and Katko are two of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the insurrection for telling his supporters that day to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. The Senate later acquitted him.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called McCarthy's opposition to the commission cowardice and said he doesn't want to find the truth. She released a February letter from the GOP leader in which he asked for an even split of Democrats and Republican commissioners, equal subpoena power and no predetermined findings or conclusions listed in the legislation. The bipartisan legislation accommodates all three of those requests, she said.

Leader McCarthy wont take yes for an answer, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to bring the House measure for a vote. Republicans can let their constituents know: Are they on the side for truth or are they going to cover up? Schumer said.

He questioned why Republicans even negotiate with Democrats if the Republican leaders are just going to throw their lead negotiators under the bus.

The Biden administration said it supports the legislation and that the American people deserve such a full and fair accounting to prevent future violence and strengthen the security and resilience of our democratic institutions.

___

Associated Press writer Steven Sloan contributed to this report.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Abortion rights groups asked a federal judge on Tuesday to block a new Indiana law that would require doctors to tell women undergoing drug-induced abortions about a disputed treatment for potentially stopping the abortion process.

The lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis argues that the requirement would confuse patients and increase the stigma associated with obtaining an abortion, while also forcing doctors to give what they regard as dubious medical information. The groups want a judge to block the new so-called abortion reversal law from taking effect as scheduled in July.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb last month signed the bill, which GOP legislators argued would ensure that a woman had information about halting a medication-induced abortion if she changes her mind after taking the first of the two drugs used in the procedure and takes another drug instead.

The lawsuit maintains the requirement wrongly singles out doctors providing abortion drugs and their patients.

No other healthcare providers are required to inform their patients about experimental medical interventions, the safety and efficacy of which are wholly unsupported by reliable scientific evidence, and no other patients are required to receive such information as a condition of treatment, the lawsuit said.

Six states already have similar requirements in place, while such laws in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee have been blocked by legal challenges, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

The Indiana lawsuit also challenges a new state law banning doctors from providing abortion services by virtual visits with patients.

Republican state Attorney General Todd Rokita said his office would seek to have the law take effect.

Protecting the God-given right to life, especially for the unborn who cant protect themselves, is my highest priority, Rokita said in a statement.

Medication abortions accounted for 44% of the roughly 7,600 abortions performed in Indiana in 2019, according to the state health departments most recent statistics.

The Indiana law is part of a wave of legislation being pushed in several Republican-led states to further restrict medication abortion and ban telemedicine abortions.

Indianas Republican-dominated Legislature has adopted numerous abortion restrictions over the past decade, with several of them later blocked by challenges in federal court.

Among those challenges, a federal judge in 2019 ruled against the states ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure that the legislation called dismemberment abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 also rejected Indianas appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the states ban on abortion based on gender, race or disability. However, it upheld a portion of the 2016 law signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains after an abortion.

Republican state Rep. Peggy Mayfield of Martinsville, who sponsored this years bill said she wasnt concerned about the potential cost of a lawsuit.

I think the priority is on saving babies and not whether or not someone wants to take us to court, because we win some and we lose some, Mayfield said during a committee hearing.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  Attorneys on Tuesday completed selection of a jury for the first-degree murder trial of the farm laborer charged with fatally stabbing a University of Iowa student while she was out running three years ago.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera is accused in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018. Opening statements are scheduled Wednesday morning at the Scott County Courthouse. The trial is expected to last through next week.

A prosecutor and Bahena Riveras defense lawyer chose the eight women and seven men  12 jurors and three alternates  from a pool of 183 prospective jurors after questioning them on their knowledge of the case, their opinions of his guilt and other subjects.

Bahena Rivera, who may have entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally a decade ago, is accused of fatally stabbing Tibbetts while she ran through her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, and hiding her body in a cornfield.

The disappearance of Tibbetts, who was studying to become a child psychologist, prompted a massive search involving hundreds of officers and volunteers.

Detectives said they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle. During a lengthy interrogation, he confessed to approaching Tibbetts and killing her in a panic after she threatened to call police, detectives said. He allegedly led police to her body, and an autopsy found she died of sharp force injuries from stabbing.

Prosecutor Scott Brown warned prospective jurors Monday that the trial isn't going to be pleasant, saying it will feature graphic photos and evidence about the violent death.

Bahena Rivera's arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration, with then-President Donald Trump calling him a killer who exploited lax immigration laws and Iowas governor calling him a predator. The case also deepened anxieties about random violence against women.

The trial was moved roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Poweshiek County to Scott County after defense lawyers said residents around Brooklyn, population 1,700, had strong opinions about their client's guilt. The town has been decorated with turquoise ribbons this week in Tibbetts' memory.

Defense lawyer Chad Frese only briefly addressed his client's immigration status and race during jury selection, saying Bahena Rivera enjoys the same rights as U.S. citizens and that his lack of English language skills could not be held against him. He suggested Monday that he will argue the confession was coerced and false, and that he will cast suspicion on others for the death.

___

This story has been corrected to show the jury is eight women and seven men, not eight men and seven women.
PHOENIX  Ramon Angel Carrasco and his girlfriend were driving home from a Scottsdale bakery in a white BMW in August 2019 when Robert J. Foster pulled up next to them in a light blue Lamborghini.

According to a witness account provided to police, Carrasco and Foster revved their engines at a red light on Hayden Road before heading north, and within seconds they were traveling more than 100 mph.

Meanwhile, Cynthia Ann Fisher was driving south on the same stretch of Hayden. The 68-year-old hairdresser had just left the grocery store and was planning to make breakfast the next morning for a new roommate, said Leah Stenzel, her friend and boss.

Fisher was turning left onto Williams Drive when Carrascos BMW struck the passenger side of her black Camry, propelling her car 160 feet from the impact, according to police records. Fisher, who was a minute from her home, was declared dead at the scene.

Carrasco and his girlfriend, Jaymi Lynn Chagolla, suffered minor injuries. Carrasco told police he had nothing to do with the Lamborghini and refused to speak further without an attorney present, but Chagolla confirmed what multiple witnesses who called police had reported.

Yes, we did a pull against a Lamborghini, she said when police asked whether the cars were racing.

For days, Stenzel didnt know her friend had been killed. After Fisher missed three consecutive shifts at the salon and medspa, Stenzel went to her house and learned the news from Fishers neighbors. She left behind two sons and a granddaughter.

Carrasco, now 24, and Foster, now 61, face murder and other felony charges in the crash, but despite witness statements and Chagollas confirmation to police, neither driver faces charges for street racing. Chagolla was not charged with any crime.

Fisher is among at least five people in the Phoenix area killed in street racing accidents since 2019, according to analysis of law enforcement documents from Valley agencies.

In February 2020, Felix Cardoza, 18, died when he struck a concrete retaining wall on State Route 51. In November, Nicholas Meath, 21, raced against Cameron Groom, now 28, before his car collided with a pillar at a resort in Scottsdale. Meath died at the scene. And in January 2021, Alejandro Bautista, 20, was racing another vehicle in Phoenix before he hit a pedestrian, Cesar Santos, 31, who died from the impact. Earlier this month, Andrew David Friedlander, 34, was charged with manslaughter after a suspected street racing incident which ended when his vehicle crashed into a Jeep driven by Charissa Coleman, 28, who was killed.

Despite the danger, some drivers say illegal street racing is a part of their lives theyre not willing to give up.

Eric Rodriguezs eyes light up when he talks about his car and how street racing is a release like no other.

For some people, it really is an adrenaline rush, the Phoenix resident said. And thats what gets people addicted. Thats what got me addicted.

City and state officials have responded by forming special task forces and increasing penalties for street racing, including higher fines and lengthier vehicle impounds. However, a review of incident reports and court records shows law enforcement agencies in Maricopa and Pima counties handle this deadly crime differently, which may undercut their efforts to combat it.

A statewide priority

Law enforcement officials say street racing is not a new phenomenon. But in 2019, something changed. Phoenix police determined the problem had size and organization, said Sgt. Joseph Mills, who leads the departments street racing task force.

Officers in west Phoenix started receiving public complaints about side-by-side racing, particularly near 39th Avenue and Indian School Road.

Investigation led police to discover gatherings where hundreds of cars would take over private parking lots, warehouses and intersections, Mills said.

Phoenix police set up its task force in November 2019 and sought additional funding from the state.

Thats when the Arizona Governors Office of Highway Safety realized the problem was statewide. Over the past year, Director Alberto Gutier said, his office has given enforcement agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars to disrupt street racing activity and enforce state laws.

Highway safety office documents show Phoenix police received grants for more than $200,000 to combat street racing from January 2020 to January 2021. This year, Scottsdale police got $110,000, and Tucson police received $30,000, according to officials and statements from each agency. The departments used most of that money to pay for officer overtime associated with the efforts.

In Phoenix alone, police last year received more than 1,000 911 calls related to street racing and made more than 160 arrests, according to police data.

Although Mills said street racing in Phoenix has been rising for several years, police in Scottsdale and Tucson said the COVID-19 pandemic might have helped racing incidents proliferate, attributing the rise to boredom and less traffic. In Tucson, police received significantly more public complaints in 2020 about street racing than in any previous year, Lt. Robert Garza said.

Different approaches to deterrence

Combating the problem is complicated by inconsistent enforcement across the Valley, and penalties may not necessarily deter racers.

State law defines street racing as a race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance or exhibition of speed or acceleration or for the purpose of making a speed record on a street or highway. Its a misdemeanor, with fines beginning at $250 and sentences of up to six months in jail for the first offense and rising to $500  and more jail time  for subsequent offenses. If a second offense comes within two years of the first, the charge is a class 6 felony. The more common charge, criminal speed, is a lesser misdemeanor and can lead to a sentence of up to 30 days in jail.

Scottsdale police Lt. Chris DiPiazza said officers use their discretion and often ticket racers for speeding because the racing statute can be hard to prove.

Excessive speed is pretty simple, he said. If you have them on radar visual that theyre doing 100 miles an hour, its a lot easier to prove that case. It takes less resources.

In the crash that killed Foster, Carrasco and Foster were charged with multiple felonies, including second degree murder and aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument. Foster also is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. But neither was cited for violating the street racing statute. Melvin McDonald, Fosters attorney, said misdemeanors such as street racing usually arent a factor when felony charges are involved.

Daniel South, chief criminal deputy at the Pima County Attorneys Office, said its difficult to determine how many lives have been lost to street racing when law enforcement agencies dont recommend misdemeanor charges as part of fatal collision prosecutions.

The Pima County Sheriffs Department takes a different approach, leaning on language in the state statute that allows law enforcement to cite not just drivers, but passengers, too.

In January, Pima County sheriffs deputies spotted a large gathering on Swan and Los Reales roads, a known location for street racing in Tucson. Officers in a plane monitored activity until deputies could arrive. Swan Road was blocked, cars were stopped and 34 arrests for street racing were made. Both drivers and passengers were cited.

Some cities are looking at strengthening their ordinances and lengthening the amount of time they impound vehicles for those charged with street racing. City attorneys are reviewing Tucsons ordinance to specify how long law enforcement can impound vehicles.

In March, Phoenix approved an ordinance that imposes a $600 fine and allows police to impound or immobilize for 30 days any vehicle found in violation of the street racing or reckless driving statutes.

This ordinance shows street safety is a top concern of this council and we will continue to take steps to keeping our residents safe, said Betty Guardado, who represents District 5 on the City Council.

Police also are encouraging drivers to race legally, at such tracks as Tucson Dragway, which closed to the general public because of the pandemic but has reopened in the past few months as restrictions have begun to ease.

Were trying to partner with (the dragway), not necessarily to promote the business by any means, but just to let people know that there are legal ways and legal avenues that you can go so that doesnt put the community at risk, Garza said.

Karlie Tuttle, 16, grew up in the racing scene in the Phoenix area and competes as part of her familys racing organization, 6Sixty Race Family. In March, she beat her friend Christian Paulauskis in her second race at the legal raceway Tucson Dragway.

Some (racers) just dont come to the track because they feel like its fake, she said. Its still the same type of racing, but its in a better environment.

Sgt. Donald Hess of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office is among those who believe tougher penalties, such as extended vehicle impounds, would help bring the numbers down.

You take their pride and possession, their vehicle, that theyre doing this with and impound it, Hess said. Thats a start, you know. You put them out of business while you got their car impounded.

Garza agreed that losing their car for a long period of time could deter racers. Many dont necessarily care about getting a citation, even a criminal citation, for that matter, he said, but losing their car is another matter.

At the state level, state Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, proposed a bill this year to increase penalties for street racing. Senate Bill 1533, which would impose higher fines and a statewide seven day impoundment for vehicles, is awaiting passage in the House.

If its your vehicle and youre committing this dangerous criminal act, then I do think there has to be consequences, Boyer said.

Gutier, with the highway safety office, said he hopes Boyers bill becomes law.

We need to do something thats more drastic, he said, so people understand the dangers of street racing.

After failing to reach a plea deal, Carrasco is awaiting trial. Police located Foster 12 days after the accident, near his home. He told police he was in the area of the accident that night but said he had turned off Hayden Road before the collision. Each driver has pleaded not guilty, according to court records.

Stenzel, Fishers friend and employer, said she encountered two cars racing earlier this year, weaving in and out of traffic at speeds significantly higher than the limit, while her 18-year-old daughter sat in the passenger seat of her car.

It gave me the greatest anxiety, and I was so pissed because, you know, you remember how Cindi died and its just so senseless, Stenzel said, referring to Fisher by her nickname. I just dont understand it.

This article was produced by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, an initiative of the Scripps Howard Foundation in honor of the late news industry executive and pioneer Roy W. Howard.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike, he said in a statement. We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know.
Beef and dairy farmers are joining forces to raise money for testicular cancer while also improving their herd genetics as part of 'Bulls Out for Cancer'.

Running throughout May and June, the campaign, spearheaded by the livestock app Breedr, aims to raise 5,000 for the OddBalls Foundation.

And at the same time, the industry initiative wants to help beef and dairy producers improve their breeding and performance.

For every bull logged in the app in May and June, Breedr will donate 10 to the charity, with an extra 10p added for each bulling activity or artificial insemination added.

Farmers who share their photos or video on Twitter with the hashtag #BullsOutForCancer will earn another 1 for the charity.

Around 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year, according to the Foundation.

Suzy Wheal, co-founder of Breedr, said the cancer charity wanted to raise awareness for men to check themselves regularly.

She added: Healthy balls are vital to farmers, whether thats their own or their bulls  theyre clearly a vital part of any breeding system!

Since its launch in 2019, Breedr helps farmers to monitor and predict growth rates, keep track of medicine usage, and maximise productivity based on real-time data.

It recently launched a live trading platform for farmers to buy and sell cattle as well as the worlds first smart, minimum-priced beef contract.

By collating information on fertility performance, bloodlines, calving ease, birth weights and growth rates, farmers can easily see which animals perform best, Ms Wheal added.

Selecting superior parents for breeding will lead to cumulative and permanent gains in the herd productivity, efficiency and profitability.
Farmers in Wales have welcomed news that free Bovine Viral Diarrhoea testing for cattle producers has been extended until 31 December 2022.

The testing, which is provided through Gwaredu BVD, supports both youngstock testing and the hunt for persistently infected (PI) animals.

The programme helps Welsh farmers eliminate the disease in their herds and achieve BVD free status.

Over 8,600, or 80 percent, of Welsh herds have been screened for BVD since its launch in 2017.

From the 8,600 herds already screened, approximately 2,446 - 26.1 percent - have tested positive.

The programme now aims to continue working with farmers and their vets to identify the PI animals.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has called on farmers to participate in Gwaredu BVD.

We know that BVD is costly," said Ian Lloyd, the union's animal health and welfare committee chairman.

"Estimates suggest that this disease can cost 4,500 per year for the average beef herd, and 15,000 for dairy herds through associated issues such as lowered milk yields, poor fertility, diarrhoea and respiratory problems.

We encourage members to participate in Gwaredu BVD and urge them to take advantage of this additional funding in order to determine the status of their herd.

The Gwaredu BVD programme is available to all 11,000 Welsh cattle farms, and is managed by Coleg Sir Gars Agriculture Research Centre in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College.
Farm leaders have urged the government to stand up for British farmers as trade talks with Australia and New Zealand reach an advanced stage.

The UK and Australia negotiators say they have agreed 'the vast majority' of a post-Brexit free trade deal, and it could be sealed by June.

"Both countries are confident the remaining issues will be resolved, and will now enter a sprint to agree the outstanding details with the aim of reaching agreement in principle," a joint statement said.

According to a report by the Financial Times, the Cabinet are worried about any potential backlash from the agriculture sector if the UK grants both countries tariff-free access to farming produce.

Two people with knowledge of internal discussions told the paper that ministers were divided over whether to grant tariff-free access to Australian farmers,

The UK Farming Roundtable, consisting of 19 industry bodies across a range of sectors, have since issued a statement urging government to uphold British farmers' high standards.

It comes as the government has repeatedly issued commitments to safeguard the country's own standards and to not undercut UK farmers.

In the Queen's Speech earlier this month, it pledged to promote the 'highest standards of animal welfare'.

But the groups warn that government must also recognise the 'specific sensitivities' of some UK farming sectors, such as beef and sheep, in the current negotiations.

Government should also balance improved access and lower tariffs for agricultural imports with quotas and other safeguards to 'avoid irreversible damage' to UK farming.

The Roundtable say that any trade deal should be 'genuinely reciprocal', and that the benefits 'properly reflect' how valuable UK market access is for foreign exporters.

Following a meeting of the roundtable on Monday 17 May, NFU President Minette Batters said agriculture was 'almost always the last chapter to be finalised' in any trade deal.

"We know that if were to open up the opportunities of new markets overseas for UK farmers, we will have to offer greater access to our own markets in return," she said.

However, this trade-off needs to be balanced, and we need to make sure concessions to our hugely valuable home market are not given away lightly.

"There is a very real risk that, if we get it wrong, UK farming will suffer irreversible damage rather than flourish in the way we all desire."

Mrs Batters said deals with Australia and New Zealand should 'showcase' British farmers' credentials as leaders in animal welfare standards and environmental protection.

She warned that opening up zero tariff trade on all imports such as beef and lamb would mean that British farming would 'struggle to compete'.

Does government lower standards here, which it says it wont and a million people who signed our petition dont want to see, or will it watch family farms go out of business when they are unable to compete?

Negotiators must also be mindful of the cumulative impact of our free trade agreements, which the government has said will be concluded in a matter of weeks."

Members of the UK Farming Roundtable include the NFU, the National Pig Association, NFU Scotland and the National Beef Association, among others.

The National Sheep Association, also a member of the Roundtable, recently warned its sector must not become the 'sacrificial lamb' in future trade deals with Australia and New Zealand.

Trade deals with New Zealand and Australia presented the 'biggest risks' for the UK sheep farming industry, the group warned.

"These two countries along with the UK are the worlds three biggest players in sheepmeat exports  so there are similarities," NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker said.

"But the difference is that of the three nations, due to the size of our population, the UK is the only one that also imports significant volumes of sheepmeat  a free trade deal with either of these countries for sheepmeat simply means one-way trade."
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If all the families in a family child care home or center are utilizing Care 4 Kids, the program needs to either cut back on costs that can impact quality or charge a higher rate than what Care 4 Kids provides, and then ask families to pay the difference, Miller explained. But if your income is low enough to qualify, this is probably not possible.
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Neena Gupta is set to appear next in Sardar Ka Grandson where she portrays the role of Arjun Kapoor's 90-year-old grandmother. The 62-year-old actress recently revealed her husband, Vivek Mehra's reaction to her look in the movie. Neena says that she initially rejected the movie but agreed to hear the narration on the insistence of her manager. Once she had heard the script, the actress changed her mind. She then went on to show a picture of herself from the movie to her husband who was surprised by her appearance.

"I had forgotten that I am playing an older (role). My husband once said, 'arre,' I showed him the picture, he said, 'Arre, kya ho gaya teri shakal ko? (What happened to your face?)' Maine kaha (I said), 'Well, I'm an actor,'" Neena told a news channel. Neena Gupta and Vivek Mehra got married in 2008 and have spent the lockdown together in their holiday home in Mukteshwar. "I didnt think of 90 or 60, I just asked her one thingwhy dont you take an older person for this role? She (director Kaashvie Nair) said that a real 90-year-old person wouldnt be able to shoot for long hours. We used to shoot 15-16 hours in cold weather," Neena also said.
critic's rating: 3.0/5

The Partition is a sordid blood-drenched chapter in the history of Indian subcontinent. Thousands lost their lives in the riots that flared up after India and Pakistan became free of the British yoke. The afterbirth of independence was even more painful than the struggle that led to it. Such were the conditions that the masses had to flee sometimes with just the clothes on their backs across the border. The most precious possession they carried perhaps was the memory of their former homes. Old folks, who had to migrate from Pakistan, still retain those memories. They long to see their old houses once before they die. Sardar Ka Grandson is said to be inspired by one such true story. Director Kaashvie Nair came upon the story of a man who waited for 70 years to catch a glimpse of his house in Pakistan. She was touched by the poignant tale and chose to weave a film around it.

The film is the story of Sardar Kaur, who is played by Neena Gupta (90 year old self) and Aditi Rao Hydari (20 year old version). Sardar loved Gursher Singh (John Abraham), an expert bicycle mechanic who longed to start his own cycle company in Lahore. They got married in 1946 and soon had a son. But destiny turned their dreams to ashes as Gursher was killed defending his family during the Partition riots. Sardar had to flee to India, carrying her newborn son and one of the bicycles crafted by her husband across the border. We are told that she got married again and her second husband -- who isn't shown in the film, maybe she's a widow twice over -- helped her establish a cycle company. The company is now managed by her grandson from her second marriage, while her favourite grandson, the child of the son she brought to India, Amreek Singh (Arjun Kapoor), runs a transport company in America with the help of his fiancee and partner Radha (Rakul Preet Singh). While Amreek is high on ideas, hes clumsy as hell and that often leads to complications. Things take a turn for the worse between them and Radha, fed up with his unwillingness to grow up, breaks up with him. Sardar, who is suffering from cancer, hasnt got long to live and Amreeks father Gurkeerat Singh (Kanwaljit Singh) asks him to come back home. Amreek wants to fulfil his grandmothers dying wish of visiting Lahore. When she doesnt get the visa, he comes up with the audacious plan of transporting her old house in Pakistan to India. How he manages to do that forms the crux of the story.

The films central idea may seem improbable indeed but its heart certainly is in the right place. Leave aside the fantastic premise and what you have is a film about a grandson who has grown upon hearing tales of his grandmothers tragic romance and wanting to give her closure before she passes away. And, in doing so, probably learning to grow up and set things right in his own life in the process. The film doesnt take the Bajrangi Bhaijaan route, where the hero illegally enters Pakistan to reunite a young girl with her family. Here, you see every formality being rigorously followed. The bureaucracy, on both sides of the border, are shown to be sympathetic to Amreeks cause, even as they struggle with the practicality of it. Like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the media turns the whole thing into a giant PR exercise and politicians are shown to cash-in on it for the sake of their own ratings. And similarly like the Salman Khan starrer, its the common people in Pakistan who are shown to have a big heart and help out the hero in his quest. Radha also realises that tantrums aside, Amreek certainly possesses a heart of gold and not only forgives him but also helps him out.

Sardar Ka Grandson is a feel-good wish fulfillment film for thousands of people affected by Partition. But one should ask -- does a house actually mean anything without the people living in it? Why does Sardar not have an equal, if not greater, regard for her second husband, the man who actually turned her dream of owning a cycle company into reality. Why is the second husband absent from the scene altogether -- we dont even see a photo of him in the household. Why isnt she as close to her second son and his family as shes to the first? A part of her life ended in Pakistan. But her real struggle, real journey towards rebuilding what she had lost, her life as a successful entrepreneur was set in India. We see no glimpses of that either. Wouldnt that have been a more inspiring story. You feel as if youre watching just a small aspect of Sardars story while the best parts have been hidden from view. A mention was made earlier of a rift between Amreek and his family but later everything is shown to be hunky dory. And Radha too is shown to be easily forgiving.

The production design is spot on and so is the costume design. Care has been taken to recreate Lahore on the sets. People, for once, are shown speaking Punjabi and not textbook Urdu. Though one must add that barring Aditi Rao Hydari, who has made sure her diction and accent, no other actor has really cared about maintaining singularity while speaking Punjabi. John Abraham wisely chooses to speak Hindi. Kanwaljit Singh, Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan too fluctuate between Punjabi and Hindi and Arjun Kapoor doesnt even speak in Punjabi while in Lahore. Both John and Aditi are competent in their short and sweet roles.

Kumud Mishra is the villain of the piece and like always, has done a dependable job, relying on his eyes and body language, rather than over-the-top histrionics, to send across the menace. Neena Gupta is having the time of her life in her 60s, getting better author-backed roles than what she got in her prime. She plays the eccentric grandmother to the hilt. One of her best scenes is perhaps where she mouths reams of dialogue saying sorry to her dog. Shes shown to be someone stuck in the past and makes one sympathise with that aspect. Kanwaljit and Soni Razdan, her dutiful son and daughter-in-law, too look like a long-married couple who know each others trigger points. One would have loved to know more about them. The romance between Rakul Preet Singh and Arjun Kapoor is relegated to the opening credits. Why so? The couple dynamics between them dont get fleshed out. Shes absent from a large part of the film. Rakuls shown to be a level-headed girl and does whats required of her character. The film revolves around Sardar and her grandson. Neena Gupta and Arjun Kapoor share a genuine rapport on screen. Shes his best friend and hes her favourite grandchild. Arjun Kapoor is the pillar of sincerity in the film. He isnt playing a hero bashing away 20 goons but someone who genuinely cares for relationships. Its an all-heart performance indeed from the actor. He makes you believe in his character, despite the improbability of the task set before him...

Trailer : Sardar Ka Grandson
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 17, 2021) - Railtown Capital Corp. (TSXV: RLT.P) ("Railtown" or the "Company") announced today that the previously announced non-binding letter of intent dated February 19, 2021 (the "LOI") between Railtown and Sparx Technology Inc. ("Sparx"), has been terminated by mutual consent.

Railtown will immediately resume its efforts to Identify other opportunities to complete a Qualifying Transaction in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Railtown

Railtown is publicly listed on the TSXV under the symbol RLT.P. Railtown was formed as a Capital Pool Company in accordance with policies of the TSXV in order to identify and evaluate businesses and assets for acquisition and financing.

The address of the Company's registered and records office is 2200 - 885 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3E8.

For further information, please contact:

Cameron White, Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 604-765-2601

Email: railtowncapital@gmail.com

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84382
Expects to file its 2020 Annual Financial Statements on or before May 31, 2021

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 17, 2021) - Matica Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMJ) (FSE: 39N) (OTC: MMJFF) ("Matica" or the "Company") announces today that further to our news releases of May 3, 2021, the filing of the Company's audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, including the related management discussion and analysis, and CEO and CFO certifications (collectively, the "Annual Financial Statements") remain outstanding. As part of the Company's biweekly status report, Matica expects that the Annual Financial Statements together with the auditor's report thereon should be finalized within fourteen days and filed, together with Matica's annual management's discussion and analysis for the 2020 fiscal year, by the next business day.

The Company reports that since its original announcement on May 3, 2021, in respect of the Management Cease Trade Order issued in connection herewith, there has not been any material changes to the information provided in the Notice other than as described herein nor any failure by the Company in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the alternative information guidelines required pursuant to National Policy 12-203 ("NP 12-203"). In addition, there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203, nor are any anticipated and there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

The Company confirms that it will continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203 for so long as it remains in default as a result of the late filing of the 2020 Annual Financial Statements. During the period of default, Matica will continue to issue bi-weekly default status reports in the form of further press releases, which will also be filed on SEDAR. today announced that, as a result of the COVID 19 Pandemic measures, it was not able to file its audited annual financial statements, the related management's discussion and analysis and the related CEO and CFO certificates (the "Annual Filings") before the required deadline of April 30, 2021 (the "Specified Requirements").

Matica applied for and has been granted by the Ontario Securities Commission (its principal regulator), a management cease trade order ("MCTO") under National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203") over the duration of the default. The MCTO will generally not affect the ability of persons who have not been directors, officers or insiders of Matica to trade in their securities.

The Company is working closely with its auditor and expects to file the Annual Filings on or before May 31, 2021 and will issue a news release announcing completion of such filings at such time. The Company does anticipate a delay in filing its interim financial statements, management's discussion and analysis, and the related officer certifications for the financial period ended March 31, 2021.

The Company is providing this press release in accordance with National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). Until the Company files the Annual Filings, it will comply with the alternative information guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Order for issuers who have failed to comply with a specified continuous disclosure requirement within the times prescribed by applicable securities laws. The guidelines, among other things, require the Company to issue bi-weekly default status reports by way of a news release so long as the Annual Filings have not been filed. The Company confirms as of the date of this news release that there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

For more information on Matica Enterprises please visit the website at: www.maticaenterprises.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

MATICA ENTERPRISES INC.

Boris Ziger

Boris Ziger, CEO & Chairman

The Company's public filings are available for review at www.sedar.com and www.thecse.com.

For further information, please contact Boris Ziger, at:

Telephone: 416-304-9935

E-mail: info@maticaenterprises.com

Website: www.maticaenterprises.com , www.maticammj.com

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Corporation assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Corporation. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Corporation's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

This news release contains statements about the Company's information that may be made available on the S&P Capital IQ Corporation Records Listing Program and the business of Matica that are forward-looking in nature and as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. We seek Safe Harbor.

This news release is not for distribution or dissemination in the United States of America

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84381
Almonty Industries Inc. ("Almonty" or the "Company") (TSX: AII OTCQX: ALMTF Frankfurt: 1MR) today announced the filing of its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Unless otherwise indicated, all currency amounts contained in this news release are expressed in Canadian dollars.

The following financial information is for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:

Three months ended Three months ended 31-Mar-21 31-Mar-20 $'000 $'000 Gross Revenue 3,858 6,391 Mine production costs 3,947 5,728 Care and maintenance 200 598 Depreciation and amortization 571 709 Loss from mining operations (860 (644 General and administrative costs 1,543 1,620 Non-cash compensation costs 522 207 Loss before the under noted items (2,925 (2,471 Interest expense 786 664 (Gain) Loss on debt settlement (1,619 Loss on valuation of embedded derivative liabilities 191 Foreign exchange (gain) loss (826 2,544 Tax provision 9 Net loss for the period (3,085 (4,060 Income (loss) per share basic ($0.02 ($0.02 Income (loss) per share diluted ($0.02 ($0.02 Dividends Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities (2,815 (1,257 Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities (1,632 (1,074 Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities 4,402 4,336

The following financial information is as at March 31, 2021 and 2020:

31-Mar-21 31-Dec-20 $'000 $'000 Cash 2,296 2,372 Total assets 149,985 151,063 Long-term debt 61,959 61,524 Shareholders' equity 28,960 29,169 Other Outstanding shares ('000) 189,344 183,464 Weighted average outstanding shares ('000) Basic 187,676 181,493 Fully diluted 187,676 181,493 Closing share price $1.01 $0.65

Lewis Black, Chief Executive Officer of Almonty commented: "The first quarter of fiscal 2021 was in line with the Company's expectations. Production will continue to run at our Panasqueira mine at a break-even level until such time as the COVID-19 restrictions we have in place at the site are removed. We hope that as Europe begins to open borders and continue to vaccinate populations, those restrictions will be removed shortly. The go-forward care and maintenance costs at Los Santos continue to decline to negligible levels. As we added to our team in Korea, we saw a slight impact with some non-cash compensation costs and G&A cost increases in Korea as construction is now underway. The Company's focus going forward is now to control costs at our existing sites and then see the go-forward costs in Korea be absorbed into the project financing after financial close. In the meantime, work continues at the Sandong site and an update will be coming shortly."

About Almonty

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north-western Spain. Further information about Almonty's activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty's profile at www.sedar.com.

Legal Notice

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. These statements and information are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almonty's current expectations.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate ("APT") from which the sale price of Almonty's tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almonty's operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty's business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty's shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almonty's tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almonty's mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almonty's mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almonty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210517005980/en/

Contacts:

Lewis Black

Chairman, President and CEO

Telephone: +1 647 438-9766

Email: info@almonty.com
LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unless renewed by Congress, the US Immigrant Investor Program, known as the EB-5 visa programme, is set to expire on June 30th. The EB-5 allows foreign investors to infuse the country's economy with fresh capital and be rewarded with access to the US through Green Cards and permanent residency. The US Congress instituted the EB-5 over 30 years ago, and the initiative has generated more than $41 billion in capital investment, saving and creating more than 820,000 jobs.

According to London-based citizenship advisory CS Global Partners, the programme costs close to a million USD, takes months in processing times and has an applicant cap of 10,000 visas per fiscal year. The advisory's CEO Micha Emmett said that international investors are now looking to other similar programmes like Citizenship by Investment, which, unlike the EB-5, let vetted investors gain citizenship and later a passport of their host country.

"A lot of investors are coming to terms with a new reality and are looking for a more sound-proof Plan B now," said Emmett. "With the way the world watched the US handle the pandemic followed by a rough shift in political power, families want a more stable and safer option. Right now, for wealthy investors, an appealing option is Citizenship by Investment."

The concept of citizenship by investment originated in St Kitts and Nevis, a sunny and sandy destination in the Caribbean. The country has warmly welcomed investor migrants for decades, running the longest and one of the best-managed Citizenship by Investment Programmes in the world since 1984. Their program is recognised as the "platinum standard" in the global marketplace of citizenship by investment programmes. Investors are walked through the online application process that enables the granting of full citizenship within 60 to 90 days in most cases, a feat ranked the fastest by the Financial Times' CBI Index.

After applicants invest in the popular Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) option, they unlock a wealth of benefits like visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to nearly 150 countries and territories and the lifelong ability to live and work in the nation. Most importantly, investors and their families gain citizenship that can be passed down for generations to come.

"We are living in a time where more Americans are opting for second citizenship and renouncing their US passports because of rising taxes, ongoing travel limitations, and an overwhelmed healthcare system. Foreign investors see this and are looking to be ahead of the curve," Emmett added.

Investors interested in becoming economic citizens of St Kitts and Nevis can take advantage of the limited-time offer under the SGF, which enables families of four to obtain citizenship for US$150,000 rather than $195,000.

pr@csglobalpartners.com

www.csglobalpartners.com
Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 17, 2021) - Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) (TSX: NCM) (PNGX: NCM) is pleased to announce its new goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This goal relates to its operational (Scope 1 and Scope 2) emissions, though Newcrest will also continue to work across its value chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions.

Newcrest's recently announced Company Purpose "To create a brighter future for people through safe and responsible mining" underpins its commitment to take on the challenge of climate change and reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Newcrest Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Biswas, said, "Given our experience with identifying and applying innovative technologies, Newcrest has the potential to be at the forefront of meeting the challenge of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. As an industry more broadly, we have the ingenuity, technology and capability to take on this challenge and reduce our carbon footprint. We are seeing the rapid evolution of a range of new technologies that will help reduce emissions going forward and Newcrest is well positioned to leverage this technology as the world moves towards a zero-carbon future."

In June 2019, Newcrest released its Climate Change Policy which outlined its commitment to the sustainable discovery, development and production of gold and copper, together with plans to identify, assess and report its responses to climate change challenges. This Policy continues to guide the Company in building a sustainable, resilient business which will thrive in a low carbon future.

Newcrest also set a target in June 2019 to reduce its GHG emissions intensity by 30% by 2030(1) with significant progress to date including:

GHG Management Plans developed for each operating site to understand the abatement opportunities

Achievement of the actions detailed in these plans directly linked to senior executive incentive payments

GHG emissions now measured across Newcrest's full value chain

Securing renewable sources of energy, in this case wind, for more than 40% of the projected energy requirements at Cadia from 2024 once this wind farm has been built

Assessment of the impact on Newcrest's business of the transition under selected climate change scenarios, in line with the Paris Agreement goals, is well advanced

Newcrest's energy and emissions performance is reported in its Sustainability Reports and we support the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) recommendations for reporting climate change risks and opportunities.

Authorised by the Newcrest Board of Directors

For further information please contact

Investor Enquiries

Tom Dixon

+61 3 9522 5570

+61 450 541 389

Tom.Dixon@newcrest.com.au

Ben Lovick

+61 3 9522 5334

+61 407 269 478

Ben.Lovick@newcrest.com.au

North American Investor Enquiries

Ryan Skaleskog

+1 866 396 0242

+61 403 435 222

Ryan.Skaleskog@newcrest.com.au

Media Enquiries

Tom Dixon

+61 3 9522 5570

+61 450 541 389

Tom.Dixon@newcrest.com.au

Annie Lawson

+61 3 9522 5750

+61 409 869 986

Annie.Lawson@newcrest.com.au

This information is available on our website at www.newcrest.com

Forward Looking Statements

This document includes forward looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of securities laws of applicable jurisdictions. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "objectives", "targets", "outlook" and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding estimated reserves and resources, certain plans, strategies, aspirations and objectives of management, anticipated production, study or construction dates, expected costs, cash flow or production outputs and anticipated productive lives of projects and mines. Newcrest continues to distinguish between outlook and guidance. Guidance statements relate to the current financial year. Outlook statements relate to years subsequent to the current financial year.

These forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Newcrest's actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements, or industry results, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which Newcrest operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation. For further information as to the risks which may impact on Newcrest's results and performance, please see the risk factors included in the Annual Information Form dated 13 October 2020 lodged with ASX and SEDAR.

Forward looking statements are based on Newcrest's good faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect Newcrest's business and operations in the future. Newcrest does not give any assurance that the assumptions will prove to be correct. There may be other factors that could cause actual results or events not to be as anticipated, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of Newcrest. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, particularly in the current economic climate with the significant volatility, uncertainty and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward looking statements in this document speak only at the date of issue. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Newcrest does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward looking statements or to advise of any change in assumptions on which any such statement is based.

(1) Per tonne of ore treated and compared to a baseline of FY18 emissions.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84392
There would be no greater birthday present than for them to work this out,' Ritter said last Wednesday on his 39th birthday. I know yesterday seemed like they had hit a bad spot, but Im optimistic. As long as the parties keep talking today and tomorrow, Im optimistic they can get there. Hope springs eternal, but my understanding is theyre still talking and communicating, which is good.'
Company Announced it Would Refile Quarterlies April 19, 2021; Restated Quarterly Results Consistent with 2020 Year-end Filing

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 17, 2021) - UGE International Ltd. (TSXV: UGE) (OTCQB: UGEIF) (the "Company" or "UGE"), a leader in the commercial and community solar sector, announces it has filed amended and restated unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 (the "Restated Statements") and the related management's discussions and analyses (the "Restated MD&As" and together with the Restated Statements the "Restated Documents").

As part of a review of its financial statements in connection with 2020 fiscal year-end activities, the Company determined that its originally issued interim financial statements for the above-mentioned periods contained material accounting errors. On April 19, 2021, the Company announced its intention to refile Restated Documents. On May 10, 2021, the Company reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020, which included the 2020 audited consolidated financial statements and the related management discussion and analysis. The effect of the adjustments described below were fully reflected in those documents as filed on SEDAR.

The material accounting errors in the originally issued interim financial statements resulted in a net decrease in net income of $235,428 in Q3 2020 and $307,722 in Q2 2020, as well as a net increase in total assets of $488,306, a net increase in total liabilities of $887,921 and a net increase in shareholders' deficit of $399,615 at September 30, 2020.

The key adjustments to the Restated Statements include:

revenue and cost of goods sold were inappropriately recognized due to computational errors; with revenue being overstated by $266,984 in Q3 2020 and $241,272 in Q2 2020, with cost of goods sold being understated by $52,783 in Q3 2020 and $11,597 in Q2 2020;





other income was overstated by $57,828 in Q2 2020, due to the recognition of a government grant in other income rather than as a reduction in the solar facility carrying value;





financing expenses was overstated by $28,377 in Q3 2020 and $34,707 in Q2 2020 for borrowing costs that were not capitalized to the solar facility carrying value;





share based compensation was understated by $64,684 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020;





loan forgiveness of $99,967 was not recognized in income in Q3 2020 relating to COVID-19 debt;





a loss of $46,041 associated with conversion of debt to equity was not recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2020;





under accrual of general and administrative expenses of $168,103 in the nine months ended September 30, 2020;





property, plant and equipment being overstated by $382,072 primarily due to computational errors related to the overstatement of revenue described above;





property, plant and equipment being understated due to right-of-use assets of $1,003,634 not being recognized; largely offset by lease liabilities being understated by $1,020,449 at September 30, 2020;





current debt was understated by $1,106,819 and non-current debt was overstated by the same amount at September 30, 2020.

In addition to the items described above, the Company also corrected the classification of certain balances and transactions to conform with IFRS and the Company's accounting policies, and updated note disclosures for both related party transactions and updated accounting policies as required.

The changes as discussed above are described in Note 16 of each of the Restated Statements, as filed on SEDAR.

About UGE

UGE develops, owns, and operates commercial and community solar projects in the US and strategic markets abroad. Our distributed energy solutions deliver cheaper, cleaner energy to businesses and consumers with no upfront cost. With over 400MW of global experience, we work daily to power a more sustainable world. Visit us at www.ugei.com.

For more information, contact UGE at:

+1 917 720 5685

investors@ugei.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84391
TOKYO, May 18, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Rakuten Mobile, Inc. and Fujitsu Limited today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), deepening collaboration on joint efforts to develop Open RAN solutions for the global market.Under the MoU, Rakuten Mobile and Fujitsu will collaborate to jointly develop 4G and 5G Open RAN solutions, promoting the creation of market-leading innovation. Fujitsu will develop new O-RAN based 4G and 5G radio units that Rakuten Mobile will integrate into its Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP) offering, with an eye toward expansion into the global market."As we start introducing Rakuten Communications Platform to telco operators, governments and enterprises around the world, we are seeing strong demand for high-performance, cost-effective and high-quality radios for 4G LTE and 5G New Radio (NR) based on open and virtualized RAN," commented Tareq Amin, Representative Director, Executive Vice President and CTO of Rakuten Mobile. "With Japanese quality and a highly competitive cost structure as major differentiators, our joint efforts with Fujitsu are on track to bring significant incremental value to our customers and partners around the world.""We are confident that Fujitsu's capabilities in advanced wireless technologies and open architecture integration will play an active role in the global expansion of the Rakuten Communications Platform. We look forward to maximizing the synergy between our two companies to further accelerate the global development of Fujitsu's Open RAN solutions," said Shingo Mizuno, Corporate Executive Officer, Vice Head of System Platform Business (in charge of Network Business).The MoU will allow the two companies to define joint global go-to-market plans to address the current and future needs of 4G and 5G Open RAN customers around the world, delivering new value with flexible, cost-effective solutions leveraging Rakuten and Fujitsu's respective strengths and expertise.RCP is Rakuten's cloud-native, software-centric, and Open RAN based platform that helps telcos accelerate their migration towards 5G and Open RAN leveraging the power of the cloud, virtualization and openness. Through its collaboration with Fujitsu, Rakuten Mobile will expand the RAN portfolio of RCP with high quality 4G and 5G RUs.Fujitsu is already contributing to the quality assurance of the Rakuten Communications Platform by providing services for Rakuten Mobile's mobile network in Japan, including evaluation tests for interconnection verification in a multi-vendor environment and hardware quality verification tests. This agreement will further strengthen collaboration on these existing initiatives.About Rakuten MobileRakuten Mobile, Inc. is a Rakuten Group company responsible for mobile communications, including mobile network operator (MNO) and mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) businesses, as well as ICT and energy. Through continuous innovation and the deployment of advanced technology, Rakuten Mobile aims to redefine expectations in the mobile communications industry in order to provide appealing and convenient services that respond to diverse customer needs.About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSXV: MN) (FSE: 9SC2) (OTCQB: MNXXF) ("Manganese X", "MN" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Disruptive Battery Corp. ("DBC"), in conjunction with its US JV Partner, PureBiotic AIR, Inc. ("PureBiotic"), has received additional positive preliminary results from its ongoing research study with Virginia State University (VSU). Early results indicate that PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions can potentially be effective in causing the deconstruction of biofilm, calculated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be responsible for 80% of all infections, thereby reducing the risk of infection from pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 virus, cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manganese X Energy Corp. CEO Martin Kepman said, "There were some delays caused by the COVID-19 restrictions in accessing VSU testing facilities, as well as staff availability. We have now been notified that testing will resume on a regular basis with their staff as long as there are no additional COVID-19 interruptions."

The initial VSU testing also included the successful production of the biofilm growth required to advance its research and testing of DBC's PureBiotic AIR HVAC Delivery System for the mitigation of infection risks, including COVID-19 and other contaminants. Applications of the PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions are currently being tested on the biofilm grown from specific pathogens selected from the common human environment. The company's ultimate goal is to create a product for FDA certification.

With test results now indicating the possibility that the PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions can be effective in causing the deconstruction of the biofilm, the VSU research team will continue its study to document the reduction in infection risk. This component of the research will cover a wide range of infection types, addressing some of the current concerns due to the COVID pandemic and its variants, as well as that of the extensive range of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI's).

Background Information on PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions

This research studies the possibility of utilizing an easy and safe removal of biofilm at the microscopic level by testing many other types of infections which may currently be eclipsed by COVID. These infections cause millions of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths as well as costing hundreds of billions of dollars annually around the world. Utilizing the PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions both on surfaces and in the air, could potentially help reduce the viability of COVID-19 transmission and of other infections by deconstructing the microscopic biofilm that is present on all surfaces.

A number of previous studies from universities and hospitals have documented the significant ability of PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions to control a very wide range of pathogens, as well as the ability to safely deconstruct Biofilm. Biofilm, which is found on almost every possible surface, as well as on and in all life forms, is the defensive environment grown as protective housing by microorganisms.

One of the other significant advantages PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions have over chemical solutions in cleaners and disinfectants, is that it is basically organically suspended in purified water. The mist has been proven time and again to be totally safe and beneficial to all life forms (and has been certified by a number of Organic Organizations as approved for use on Certified-Organic animals). Applications of PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions should provide ongoing continuous protection long after the initial application. The PureBiotic AIR Mist Solution also is extremely environmentally friendly and its formulation has met all the major certifications for being Green Seal Certified, as well as NFS and other certifications.

Another important additional benefit of PureBiotic AIR Mist Solutions, is that it is not like other disinfectants which are basically poisons with toxic ingredients that normally stop working as soon as they are dry. This leaves untold billions of dead microscopic life forms impossible to remove from the cleaned surfaces and these become a continuous "Free Lunch" for the first opportunistic organism (like the extremely ubiquitous staphylococcus) that lands on that "cleaned" surface. But, even far more important, is that chemical disinfectants kill everything, including the protective good bacteria that are needed, so "all the competition is gone" resulting in Staph Colonies that can happily have huge growth spikes. However, PureBiotic Air Mist Solutions keep working after drying for days after each application which potentially protects and removes contaminants 24/7.

The company is not making any express or implied claim that it has developed a COVID-19 air management solution at this time.

About Manganese X Energy Corp.

Manganese X's mission is to advance its Battery Hill project into production, with the intent of supplying value-added materials to the lithium-ion battery and other alternative energy industries, The Company is also striving to achieve new carbon-friendly more efficient methodologies, while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost. The company is the only manganese company in North America moving toward commercialization of a manganese deposit.

Subsidiary Disruptive Battery Corp.'s mission is to develop an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) air purification delivery system for cleaner and healthier air, aiming to mitigate COVID-19 and other contaminants on surfaces and in the air. For more information visit the website at www.manganesexenergycorp.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

MANGANESE X ENERGY CORP.

Martin Kepman

CEO and Director

Email: martin@kepman.com

Tel: 1-514-802-1814

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including statements with respect to the future exploration performance of the Company. This forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Company's filing on SEDAR, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Forward-looking information contained herein is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation, other than as required by law, to update any forward-looking information for any reason. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. We seek safe harbor.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84376
With the European CE certification, the 'Morning Walk S200' can be sold in 32 countries in the EU, EFTA member countries, and EU candidate countries.

'Morning Walk' has proven its enhanced stability and usefulness in walking rehabilitation for cerebral stroke, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, peripheral nerve disease, and artificial knee joint patients compared to the control group.

SEOUL, South Korea, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 17th, the medical robot specialist company CUREXO (060280) announced that their next-gen walking rehabilitation robot, the 'Morning Walk S200', acquired CE certification. This is the 3rd certificate that the 'Morning Walk S200' has acquired, followed by MFDS (Korea) and FDA (US) certificates this February.

By acquiring the European CE certificate, the company can now advance to 28 EU countries, 3 EFTA countries, EU candidate countries and neutral countries. Also, after acquiring the MDFS (Korea), the company has recently won 2 national project contracts and has also been supplying its solution to the rehabilitation hospitals in the Gyeongbuk region.

Many research papers prove the stability and usefulness of the 'Morning Walk' for cerebral stroke, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, peripheral nerve disease, and artificial knee joint patients.

According to the article, 'Effects of robot-(Morning Walk ) assisted gait training for patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial' in the SCI Journal 'Clinical Rehabilitation, 2019, Vol.33' In a randomized control trial with 58 cerebral stroke patients to assess the rehabilitation performance of 'Morning Walk,' the 'Motricity Index' that indicates the strength of lower extremity and the 'Berg Balance Scale' that evaluates the patients' balancing ability have shown statistically significant improvements compared to the control group. 'Montricity Index' has improved approximately 69.8% and 'Berg Balance Scale' has improved approximately 49.0% compared to the control groups.

According to the article 'Five-day rehabilitation of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty using an end-effector gait robot as a neuromodulation blending tool for deafferentation, weight offloading and stereotyped movement: Interim analysis' published in the medical journal 'PLOS ONE, 2020 Vol.15', During 5 days of randomized control trials, the 'Morning Walk' and other medical walkers were used by artificial joint surgery patients. Based on the electrophysiological evaluation and biomechanical measuring technique, the patients who used 'Morning Walk' showed 2.65 times higher strength growth rate than the control group.

According to the article, 'Feasibility of Robot-Assisted Gait Training with an End-Effector Type Device for Various Neurologic Disorders,' published in neurorehabilitation journal 'Brain & NeuroRehabilitation, 2020 Vol.13,' the control experiment with 100 brain injury patients, 40 spinal cord injury patients, 8 Parkinson's disease patients, 9 peripheral nerve disease patients, 22 pediatric patients (total 189) showed a significant improvement in both Medical Research Council (MRC) that evaluates the strength and Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC) that indicate walking ability.

CEO Jae-Joon Lee stated "I am glad that the 'Morning Walk S200' has acquired European CE certification allowing us to expand our market to the European medical rehabilitation market, followed by Korea and the US." He also said that "Many research papers have confirmed that the rehabilitation utilizing 'Morning Walk' significantly improves stability and effectiveness compared to the control group. This demonstrates that the 'Morning Walk' has a wide range of applications. For the past years, we have listened to the feedback of our patients and medical staff who used 'Morning Walk' and continuously improved our solution. As a result, the 'Morning Walk' is now being supplied to 16 rehabilitation hospitals in Korea and is going to be sold overseas. As we have obtained the permits in the US and Europe, we plan to expand our business in the advanced medical market.

Media Contact

Hoyong Lee, hylee@curexo.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512381/The__Morning_Walk__CUREXO_a_walking_rehabilitation_robot_children_adults.jpg
Similar antibody response in adults and in the elderly after two doses

Neutralizing antibody responses were 10 times higher than people recovering from COVID-19

No related severe adverse events reported

Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are pleased to report positive interim Phase 2 clinical trial safety and immunogenicity data for Medicago's plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which has been tested in combination with GSK's pandemic adjuvant. These results are part of the ongoing Phase 2/3 study and reiterate the promising profile observed during Phase 1 testing. Immunogenicity, as measured by the neutralizing antibody titer, was high about 10 times higher than those in a panel of sera from patients recovering from COVID-19. No related severe adverse events were reported and reactogenicity was generally mild to moderate and short in duration.

"We are very excited to see such positive results from the Phase 2 data. After two doses, the adjuvanted vaccine candidate induced robust neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in all subjects, irrespectively of age," said Nathalie Landry, Executive Vice President, Scientific and Medical Affairs at Medicago. "These results give us confidence as we continue to move forward with our Phase 3 clinical trial. We hope to add another tool in the global fight against COVID-19, particularly as cross-protection emerges as an important consideration in vaccination efforts worldwide."

Thomas Breuer, Chief Medical Officer, GSK Vaccines said, "We are delighted to see that the results suggest a very strong immune response. Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, combined with GSK's pandemic adjuvant, was also well tolerated, reinforcing its potential benefits. We now look forward to the outcome of the ongoing Phase 3 trial of the refrigerator-stable vaccine candidate as the next step forward in our contribution to the global response to the pandemic."

The Phase 3 trial of the vaccine candidate launched on March 16, 2021. Trial sites are currently enrolling subjects in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, with additional sites expected to be added in the coming weeks. The vaccine candidate has received Fast Track designation by the FDA in the United States, and Health Canada has initiated a review of Medicago's COVID-19 rolling submission under the Interim Order.

About Phase 2: Results Summary

The interim data from the Phase 2 trial in adults and in the elderly have been published on an online preprint server at MedRxiv.

This publication focuses on presenting safety and tolerability results, and immunogenicity, as measured by neutralizing antibody (NAb) and cell mediated immunity (IFN-? and IL-4 ELISpot) responses, in Adults aged 18-64 (Adults) and Older Adults aged 65+ (Older Adults).

Medicago's vaccine candidate with GSK's pandemic adjuvant exhibited an acceptable safety profile and adverse events (AE) were primarily mild or moderate and of transient duration.

AEs in Older Adults were more limited than those observed in the Adult population.

Medicago's vaccine candidate with GSK's pandemic adjuvant induced a significant humoral immune response of similar strength in both age cohorts after two doses.

The vaccine candidate induced a greater humoral response in Adults than Older Adults after a single dose but after the second dose both age cohorts responded with NAb titers that were about 10 times higher than those in a panel of sera from patients recovering from COVID-19.

About the Phase 2/3 study

The Phase 2/3 study is a multi-portion design to confirm that the chosen formulation and dosing regimen of CoVLP (two doses of 3.75 g CoVLP combined with GSK's pandemic adjuvant given 21 days apart) has an acceptable immunogenicity and safety profile in healthy adults 18-64 years of age, elderly subjects aged 65 and over and adults with comorbidities.

The Phase 2 portion of the trial was a randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 plant-derived vaccine candidate in subjects aged 18 and above. It was conducted in multiples sites in Canada and the United States on a population composed of healthy adults (18-64y), elderly adults (over 65y) and adults with comorbidities. Each age group enrolled up to 306 subjects randomized 5:1 to receive the adjuvanted CoVLP vaccine candidate: placebo and with 2:1 stratification in older adults (65-74 and =75). All subjects will be followed for a period of 12 months after the last vaccination for the assessment of safety and durability of the immune responses to the vaccine candidate which will be the final analysis.

The Phase 3 portion is an event-driven, randomized, observer-blinded, crossover placebo-controlled design that will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the CoVLP formulation, compared to placebo, in up to 30,000 subjects in North America, Latin America and Europe and within the same population.

About Medicago

Medicago is on a mission to improve global public health using the power of plants. Founded in 1999 with the belief that innovative approaches and rigorous research would bring new solutions in healthcare, Medicago is a pioneer in plant-derived therapeutics. We are proudly rooted in Quebec, with manufacturing capacity in both Canada and the US. Our passionate and curious team of over 500 scientific experts and employees are dedicated to using our technology to provide rapid responses to emerging global health challenges, and to advancing therapeutics against life-threatening diseases worldwide.

For more information: www.medicago.com

About GSK and its commitment to tackling COVID-19

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com/about-us.

GSK is collaborating with companies and research groups across the world working on promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates through the use of our innovative vaccine adjuvant technology. The use of an adjuvant is of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it may reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose, allowing more vaccine doses to be produced and therefore contributing to protecting more people. GSK does not expect to profit from COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic phase and will invest any short-term profit in coronavirus related research and long-term pandemic preparedness, either through GSK internal investments or with external partners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210517006031/en/

Contacts:

Medicago media contact (English):

Alissa Von Bargen (North America)

+1 647 234 5975 (Toronto)

medicago.media@gcicanada.com

Gabby Koumis (UK/Global)

+44 (0) 78 3328 6784 (London)

gabby.koumis@gcihealth.com

GSK enquiries:

Media enquiries:

Simon Steel +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)

Simon Moore +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)

Kathleen Quinn +1 202 603 5003 (Washington DC)

Analyst/Investor enquiries:

Sarah Elton-Farr +44 (0) 20 8047 5194 (London)

James Dodwell +44 (0) 20 8047 2406 (London)

Jeff McLaughlin +1 215 751 7002 (Philadelphia)
eureKARE launcheswith $60 million to build and financenext generationbiotech companies in Europe

$60 million Series A capital to finance and build disruptive European biotechnology companies in two cutting-edge fields of research: the microbiome and synthetic biology

Biotech start-up studio model to select and nurture high quality European innovation with revolutionary potential to maximise opportunities for investors and scientists for the benefit of patients

eureKARE is guided by influential founder, Alexandre Mouradian, accompanied by a highly skilled team and an internationalScientific Advisory Board of renowned experts

Paris, France - 18 May 2021: eureKARE ("the Company"), a pioneering new company focused on financing and building next generation biotechnology companies in the disruptive fields of the microbiome and synthetic biology, today announces its launch with a $60 million Series A financing. The financing was supported by high-net worth investors and family offices.

eureKARE is focused on two emerging and cutting-edge fields of research that have the potential to disrupt and revolutionize the life sciences industry: the microbiome and synthetic biology. Up to 90% of all diseases can be linked to the dysfunction and imbalance of the microbiome with the field forecast to reach $1.6 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 21%. Synthetic biology, which comprises gene and cell therapy and industrial applications such as data storage and bioproduction, has seen huge advances in recent years and is expected to have far-reaching implications on the life sciences and other industries and for patients. It is forecast to reach $57 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 25% per year. Gene therapies alone already generate c.$4 billion revenues with huge potential in gene editing, siRNA, mRNA, and is forecast to reach c.$10 billion by 2028.

Europe's scientists are at the forefront of microbiome and synthetic biology research due to the innovative work and thought leadership taking place at prestigious universities and research centers. eureKARE believes there is a tremendous opportunity to industrialize this translational research by building bridges between academia and industry.

Rodolphe Besserve, Chief Executive Officer of eureKARE, commented:"European science remains under exploited compared to countries like the US, with the gap between academia and big pharma widening over the years. eureKARE aims to build bridges between these two bodies to create and support new ventures. eureKARE has assembled an expert team and, together with our top-notch Scientific Advisory Board, we want to create a unique ecosystem of ideation and cross-fertilization of expertise to build successful companies."

eureKARE has a two-step investment approach to deliver long-term value creation built around the two major inflection points in pharmaceutical development. The Company supports translational research by creating and financing new companies out of high value European science through its biotech start-up studios eureKABIOME (Microbiome) and eureKASYNBIO (Synthetic biology). These studios are designed to select and nurture high quality European science and create a unique ecosystem, putting resources and expertise behind scientists and concepts to create new companies. The Company also intends to invest in more mature biotech companies (Series B or after) and will systematically propose to offer some liquidity to early investors, thereby addressing a critical need in the European biotech field.

eureKARE will create 3-5 new ventures a year and invest in 3-5 existing companies. This perfect mix of early-stage ventures with high growth potential and more mature de-risked companies mitigates risk for shareholders.

eureKARE has a rapidly growing portfolio comprising three exciting ventures to date: Stellate Therapeutics in the gut-brain axis field, the XNA technology company Omne Possibile and NovoBiome, a discovery platform dedicated to the gut-liver axis.

"Each of these companies has the potential to offer disruptive solutions in its chosen domain. These are perfect examples of what eureKARE wants to do. Thinking outside the box is in our DNA. The rapid COVID-19 vaccine development has shown the power of human ingenuity and this model will be a core inspiration for us as we progress," added Rodolphe Besserve.

eureKARE is guided by influential founder, Alexandre Mouradian, along with a pan-European team led by renowned biotech expert Rodolphe Besserve. eureKARE's Scientific Advisory Board is composed of eight international leading lights in their respected knowledge base, who will support the company in all of its strategic and investment decisions.

Commenting on the launch, Alexandre Mouradian, Founder & Chairman of eureKARE, said: "Europe is at the forefront of microbiome and synthetic biology research and it is vital to find innovative new investment approaches to support the next wave of life science entrepreneurs. Through eureKARE's pioneering approach, we are poised to identify, select and nurture the very best European science to create exciting new companies with the potential to disrupt and revolutionize the life sciences industry for the benefit of patients, while delivering shareholder value."

-End-

About eureKARE

eureKARE is a pioneering new company focused on financing and building next generation biotechnology companies in the cutting-edge fields of the microbiome and synthetic biology. eureKARE has a two-step investment approach to deliver long-term value creation. The Company supports translational research by creating and financing new companies out of high value European science through its biotech start-up studios eureKABIOME (Microbiome) and eureKASYNBIO (Synthetic biology). The Company also intends to invest in more mature biotech companies and will systematically propose to offer some liquidity to early investors, thereby addressing a critical need in the European biotech field. Guided by its influential founder, Alexandre Mouradian, and a pan-European team, eureKARE has a rapidly growing portfolio of companies that have the potential to disrupt the life sciences industry.

eureKARE is headquartered in Luxembourg, with a presence in France & Belgium. For more information visit: https://eurekare.eu/

About NovoBiome

NovoBiome is a drug discovery company focused on the critical nexus of liver, intestinal diseases and the gut microbiome. It is developing breakthrough Live Biotherapeutics Products (LBPs), a novel and emerging class of drugs containing living micro-organisms that have a positive influence on the health and physiology of the host. NovoBiome's first LBP drug candidate, ADC-001, targets potential first-in-class therapies for hepatic conditions such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis (NASH). The Company is developing an ex-vivo research and discovery platform, NovoSift, designed to mimic human intestinal physiology that will unlock new insights into disease pathophysiology, novel drug targets, compounds and LBP drug candidates.

NovoBiome is headquartered in France. For more information, please visit: www.novobiome.eu



About OmnePossibile

Omne Possibile is a pioneering, global technological leader in XNA, creating customizable structures to outperform current DNA and RNA technologies. Its goal is to harness the transformative power of XNA in areas including healthcare, information technology and smart materials. The Company's initial focus is on development of XNA polymers for information storage and XNA building blocks for improved messenger therapeutics. Omne Possibile has R&D hubs in Leuven, Belgium, and Basel, Switzerland. It was founded by leading European synthetic biologists and is supported by a world class scientific advisory board.

For more information, please visit www.omnepossibile.com



About Stellate Therapeutics

Stellate Therapeutics is a private global biotechnology company that develops small molecules produced by the microbiome into first-in-class therapies for neurological diseases (Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases). Stellate is also evaluating a portfolio of new drug candidates in other conditions, with capabilities across discovery, screening, production and diagnostic development.

For more information, visit www.stellate-tx.com.

Contact



eureKARE SA

Marina Shapochnik, Head Investor Relations

marina.shapochnik@eurekare.eu

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Jonathan Birt, Melissa Gardiner, Carina Jurs

+44
Elliptic Labs (EuroNext Growth: ELABS.OL), a global AI software company and the world leader in Virtual Smart Sensors, announced today that it has signed a third contract for a proof-of-concept (PoC) project with one of the top three laptop/PC manufacturers. This agreement features Elliptic's AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform on the OEM's line of Small and Medium Business (SMB) laptops. This PoC project will highlight Elliptic's AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform, offering the AI Virtual Presence Sensor to enable the laptop to detect human presence and the AI Virtual Gestures Sensor, enabling the laptop touchless 3D gesture detection.

"Adding more PoCs with this laptop OEM shows the solid progress Elliptic Labs is making in entering new verticals and market response to new products," said Laila Danielsen, CEO of Elliptic Labs. "Being a software-only solution, Elliptic Labs' AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform mitigates ongoing concerns about the tight global supply chain for hardware components and sensors. The AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform empowers OEMs to offer multiple AI Virtual Sensors in their devices without introducing hardware sensors, giving end-users more for less. Consequently, the interest in engaging with Elliptic Labs from both partners and customers has increased."

About Elliptic Labs

Elliptic Labs is headquartered in Norway with presence in the USA, China, South-Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Founded in 2006 as a research spin-off from Norway's Oslo University, Elliptic Labs filed its IPO with the Euronext Growth Market in October, 2020. Elliptic Labs is now a global enterprise targeting the smartphone, laptop, IoT, and automotive markets. The Company's patented AI software combines ultrasound and sensor-fusion algorithms to deliver intuitive 3D gesture, proximity, and presence sensing experiences. Its scalable AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform creates software-only sensors that are sustainable, eco-friendly, and already deployed in over 150 million devices. Elliptic Labs is the only software company in the market that has delivered detection capabilities using AI software, ultrasound and sensor-fusion deployed at scale. Elliptic Labs' technology and IP are developed in Norway and solely owned by the Company.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210517006038/en/

Contacts:

PR Contacts:

Patrick Tsui

pr@ellipticlabs.com

Investor Relations:

Thor A. Talhaug

talhaug@ellipticlabs.com
DUBLIN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally, 2020 saw rapid and unprecedented changes in the banking sector. Lockdowns, calls for social distancing, and a demand for online banking solutions forced banks and financial services to quickly adapt and restructure their offerings to meet changing customer behaviour and needs, putting the focus on more robust and efficient self-service banking options.

A steep growth in digital banking has also created a more digitally savvy customer who expects more from their ATM than simple cash deposits and withdrawals. A growing number of African banks are recognising this, offering a more advanced set of services and transactions at self-service terminals.

The Power of the ATM

The acceleration of digital innovations across all aspects of life means customers have quickly become accustomed to fast, intuitive experiences, and now expect the same from their banks and financial institutions, especially in the self-service space like online, mobile banking and ATMs.

While previously the services offered to customers at ATMs was siloed, today's smarter ATMs serve as an entry point to a range of digital experiences related to all aspects of their finances, including remote personal service. Customers can also engage with the ATM in a variety of ways, beyond inserting a card and tapping in a pin.

Absa Bank Ghana's recently deployed 50 Intelligent ATMs which are equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, allowing contactless withdrawals. "[This] ensures our customers get easy access to cash and many other banking services at the ATM, especially during this period," says the bank's Retail Banking Director, Charles Addo.

Similarly, in Nigeria, FirstBank has introduced FastTrack ATMs, which are completely touch-less. Customers use their mobile phones to conduct transactions, using the bank's quick codes or mobile banking app before visiting the machine, and then complete the transaction at the machine by tapping an NFC card on the ATM screen.

In a fiercely competitive market, it is imperative that banks and financial institutions recognise the importance of installing smart ATM software that will allow for continued upgrades for future innovations.

Lean Branches

As part of its transformation into "The Bank of the Future", Egypt's Commercial International Bank (CIB) acknowledges the need for the rationalisation of branches and has launched a digital transformation programme, moving many traditional branch banking services to digital channels, including ATMs.

This is in keeping with the global trend of creating "lean branches", effectively reducing the number of tellers required to assist customers and carry out services. Lean branches allow banks to optimise service, respond to health concerns for more low and no-touch banking experiences than physical face-to-face interaction with a teller, while also reducing cost, mainly through the installation of self-service teller machines, including VTMs (Video Teller Machines). Installed within the branch, these VTMs allow customers to perform a full range of self-service transactions, including the ability to interact with customer service personnel via live video, maintaining the option for human engagement.

In Africa, where many bank branches are in remote locations, the reduced cost of video banking means branches can stay open and maintain financial inclusion; no matter where customers are located, they can have access to specialist advice and information related to their specific needs.

While VTMs had a small foothold in Africa pre-COVID, there is already a larger uptake, a trend that is likely to continue. Absa Bank recently launched in-branch personal digital bankers, facilitating banking transactions and queries within the branch that are powered by artificial intelligence combining face recognition and voice activation to help customers swiftly check balances, pay bills, transfer funds and more. Similarly Access Bank, the largest retail bank in Africa with more than 40 million customers and the largest ATM network in Nigeria, launched FacePay, the first of its kind face recognition payment solution in Africa. "This novel solution digitally automates in-branch transactions and allows customers to carry out transactions within banking halls as a self-service function," says Access Bank's CEO Herbert Wigwe.

Market Ready

CR2 (www.cr2.com) , a leading provider of Digital, Self-Service and Payment software solutions is helping banks to respond to these dynamics, with the ability to offer ATM services safely, minimising the need to touch the physical ATM, with features such as contactless ATM access over NFC, QR Code access and e-receipts.

CR2 assist with the migration of more advanced transactions from the teller to self-service terminals and offer a rich set of capabilities such as those mentioned above, but also:



Account opening and onboarding

Cash lodgement

Bill payment

Card Issuing

Foreign exchange

Cheque scan deposit

Digital wallet load and unload

Remittances/payments

Loan origination/Instant loan

Card self-service features

Registration for mobile banking

Social security disbursement

New product application

Similarly, CR2 is seeing demand from banks wishing to provide a more effective and efficient management of their ATM fleet during COVID-19, through use of tools and technologies such as:

Remote Key Loading (RKL)

Remote web administration

More effective cash management with a dashboard

Outlook

There is no doubt that the demand for digital and self-service banking will continue to grow, and in many markets ATMs will play a key transformational role in drives for financial and digital inclusion. The recent initiative by the Central Bank of Egypt to help increase the number of ATMs throughout the country by a further 20,000 machines is an example of this trend, with Egypt's award-winning QNB Alahli, already increasing its number of ATMs to provide improved access to its more than 1.2 million customers.

Taking all of the above into account, it is imperative that financial institutions ensure ATMs are adapted to deliver an array of safe and efficient banking services and transactions to customers that go beyond cash withdrawals.

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More information:

www.CR2.com

Contact:

Nigel Sutton

nige@seventeen59pr.com

+353 1 4339100

info@cr2.com
18 May 2021

Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc

("Conroy Gold" or "the Company")

DRILLING AT CLONTIBRET GOLD TARGET

2021 drilling programme has commenced with two drill holes currently being drilled at Clontibret

The first drill holes of the programme will form part of the ongoing work programme planning and due diligence for the Company's proposed joint venture partnership with Demir Export A.S.

Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc (AIM: CGNR), the gold exploration and development company focused on Ireland and Finland, is pleased to announce that its 2021 drilling programme has commenced with the first holes being drilled on its gold target at Clontibret in County Monaghan.

The Clontibret gold target is one of a series of potentially multimillion ounce gold targets located along the 65km (40 mile) new district scale gold trend which the Company has discovered in the Longford-Down Massif in Ireland. A (JORC 2012) gold resource of 517,000 Oz Au has been estimated on part of the Clontibret gold target.

As announced by the Company on 25 February 2021, Conroy Gold has signed a Letter of Intent with Demir Export for a proposed joint venture on an earn-in-basis over the twelve licences held by Conroy Gold in the Longford-Down Massif. Further details on the proposed joint venture are contained in the announcement released by the Company on 25 February 2021.

The primary focus of the joint venture project (Project Inis) is the development of the gold deposit at Clontibret to construction ready status and bringing it into operation as a gold mine.

The joint venture with Demir Export remains subject, inter alia, to the completion of due diligence and entering into of definitive documentation including the final joint venture agreement.

Some of the current drilling programme at Clontibret will form part of the technical due diligence process and assist with the planning of the proposed joint venture work programme. In this context, Demir Export has appointed consultants to facilitate carrying out work on the ground in Ireland bearing in mind the travel and other restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic which are in place both in Ireland and Turkey.

Demir Export is a long established mining company with interests in iron, coal, gold and base metals, including zinc and copper, and has a strong in-house technical team with mining and exploration expertise. It brings over 60 years of mine operating experience to bear on the project and places a strong emphasis on the adoption of international environmental, and health and safety management standards.

Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman, commented:

"I am delighted that drilling has commenced at Clontibret. My colleagues and I are very pleased to work with the Demir Export team on the proposed joint venture partnership-Project Inis. Notwithstanding the COVID-19 restrictions progress is being made on progressing the joint venture partnership.

We believe that Demir Export has the mining expertise and the financial resources not only to bring the Clontibret gold deposit to construction ready status and into operation as a mine, but also to advance the significant gold potential of the other licences along the gold trend to the same status."

For further information please contact :

Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc Tel: +353-1-479-6180 Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman Allenby Capital Limited(Nomad) Tel: +44-20-3328-5656 Nick Athanas/Nick Harriss First Equity Limited (Broker) Tel: +44-20-7330-1883 Jason Robertson Lothbury Financial Services Tel: +44-20-3290-0707 Michael Padley Hall Communications Tel: +353-1-660-9377 Don Hall
India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies, an entity under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has said that domestic manufacturers have provided sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation into the alleged dumping of solar cells.From pv magazine India India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), an entity under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched an anti-dumping probe into solar cells from China, Thailand and Vietnam, based on a request by domestic manufacturers. The application was filed by Mundra Solar PV, Jupiter Solar Power and Jupiter International, ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
It is not about gun safety. It is not about taking guns away, said Sen. Marilyn Moore, a Bridgeport Democrat. The impetus for me was the 3-year-old who was killed in Hartford when he was in the car with his mother and a 16-year-old who was killed nearby. ... This is a major problem. There are a lot of good organizations on the ground, but theyve never been coordinated.
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Oxford Biomedicaupgrades financial guidance forsupply agreement with AstraZenecafor manufacture of COVID-19 Vaccine



Oxford, UK - 18May, 2021: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) ("Oxford Biomedica" or "the Group"), a leading gene and cell therapy group, announced today an update on the 18 month supply agreement signed with AstraZeneca UK Ltd ("AstraZeneca") in September 2020.

Following successful manufacture of large-scale batches of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine, AstraZeneca has today committed to an increase in the number of batches required from Oxford Biomedica in the second half of 2021. As a result of this, the Group is raising revenue guidance for expected cumulative revenues from AstraZeneca by the end of 2021 from in excess of 50 million to in excess of 100 million, and as a result expects significant growth in Group Operating EBITDA in the year ending 2021.

As previously guided, Oxford Biomedica does not expect the commitment to AstraZeneca for vaccine production to have any impact on the Group's current partnerships or ability to secure and support additional new partnerships in the cell and gene therapy field.

Background to the agreement with AstraZeneca

Oxford Biomedica announced an 18 month supply agreement in September 2020 under a three year Master Supply and Development Agreement).

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Biomedica, said:"Everyone involved with production of the COVID-19 Vaccine can be truly proud of their achievement in manufacturing batches of vaccine from our Oxboxmanufacturing facility. We are delighted to be a key supplier of the vaccineandthe Group is proud to be part of thisworld-leading vaccination project that is saving many lives."

-Ends-

Enquiries:

Oxford Biomedica plc

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer T: +44 (0)1865 783 000

Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer T: +44 (0)1865 783 000

Catherine Isted, Head of Corporate Development & IR T: +44 (0)1865 954 161 / E: ir@oxb.com

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott / Matthew Neal T: +44 (0)20 3709 5700

About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica

The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of Oxford Biomedica plc was John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer.
WALLIX signs a contract with Arrow Electronics, a FORTUNE 110 company.

Arrow works with thousands of value-added resellers and system integrators, who support hundreds of thousands of customers across all industry sectors.

This agreement will increase the distribution of WALLIX solutions in the United States, to offer American companies all its expertise in identity and access security.



Paris, May 18th, 2021 - WALLIX, (Euronext ALLIX) an European publisher of cybersecurity software and expert in Identity and Access Security solutions, announces the signature of an agreement with Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 110 value-added distributor.

This agreement will increase the reach of WALLIX solutions in the United States, offering more U.S. companies its expertise in identity and access security. Arrow aggregates world's leading technologies and services to enable its global IT channel ecosystem. Arrow's North American footprint makes it ideal to support WALLIX clients on large-scale projects.

Companies need to be more agile and flexible, enabling external access to IT infrastructure securely. Remote connections and telecommuting have become standard, and thus organizations' IT systems as well as industrial networks are open by necessity, and hyper solicited. Organizations are therefore faced with the dual challenge of increasing remote access while ensuring that it is more secure, in order to maintain business continuity, protect data, and comply with IT risk management regulations. Through this agreement with Arrow, WALLIX provides enterprises with a portfolio of easy-to-implement solutions to regain control of IT access on desktops, servers, cloud applications, and industrial networks.



Arrow is now part of the WALLIX Business Partner Program. Program participants benefit from a rich set of tools empowering them to increase their knowledge of WALLIX solutions (WALLIX Academy, document library, Partner Portal), to maximize their visibility through joint marketing activities, and to receive 24/7 support. The Business Partner Program is a pillar of WALLIX's international development, representing 739 certified individuals and 1300 customers, all over the world.



"Our partner-based sales system is one of the pillars of our global strategy. Signing a distribution agreement with Arrow Electronics is an important step to increasing availability of our cybersecurity solutions. This joint commitment also marks the acceleration of WALLIX's development on the North American continent." comments Didier Lesteven, EVP of Sales & Marketing Operations at WALLIX.

"Cyber-attacks are a major risk to business continuity. IT directors and security managers need to regain control of IT access wherever they are, in an increasingly digital context. With an interconnected ecosystem, corporate IT networks can't risk interruption. This agreement with Arrow, one of the major value-added distributors in the American market, is designed to expand WALLIX' sales network in the United States to reach more users and customers who have significant needs for ready-to-implement cybersecurity solutions to protect their access and identities. This agreement is a milestone in WALLIX's international development." adds Jean-Noel de Galzain, founder and CEO of WALLIX.



ABOUT WALLIX

A software company providing cybersecurity solutions, WALLIX is the European specialist in Identity and Access Security Solutions. WALLIX's unified solutions portfolio enables companies to respond to today's data protection challenges. WALLIX solutions guarantee detection of and resilience to cyberattacks, which enables business continuity. The solutions also ensure compliance with regulatory requirements regarding access to IT infrastructures and critical data. The portfolio of unified solutions is distributed through a network of more than 180 resellers and integrators worldwide. Listed on the Euronext (ALLIX), WALLIX supports more than 1,200 organizations in securing their digital transformation. WALLIX is a founding member of the HEXATRUST group and has been included in the Futur40, the first ranking of growth companies on the stock exchange published by Forbes France, and is part of the Tech 40 index.

WALLIX affirms its digital responsibility and is committed to contributing to the construction of a trusted European digital space, guaranteeing the security and confidentiality of data for organizations as well as for individuals concerned about the protection of their digital identity and privacy. Digital technology, whether for professional or personal use, must be ethical and responsible in order to pursue a secure societal digital transformation that respects individual freedoms.

www.wallix.com | info@wallix.com

PRESS CONTACT

LEWIS

Maxence Godefroy / Gregory Alleaume

+33 (0)6 48 43 41 27 / +33 (0)7 77 00 56 52 / wallixfrance@teamlewis.com



FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION CONTACTS

ACTUS Finance & Communication

Investor Relations - Olivier LAMBERT

Tel. +33 (0)1 53 67 36 33 / wallix@actus.fr

Press Relations - Nicolas BOUCHEZ

Tel. +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74 / nbouchez@actus.fr

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LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Bunzl plc (BNZL.L) said it agreed to acquire Obex Medical Holdings, a medical distribution business serving hospitals and other healthcare providers in New Zealand, with revenue in 2020 of about NZD 51 million. Obex Medical Holdings supplies a broad range of healthcare equipment and devices, and it is headquartered in Auckland. The acquisition is expected to be completed at the beginning of June. Frank van Zanten, Chief Executive Officer of Bunzl, said, 'I am pleased to be able to announce our fourth acquisition of 2021. Obex Medical Holdings is a strong business with an experienced management team that will complement and enhance Bunzl's healthcare capabilities in Australasia. The Group's acquisition pipeline remains active and a number of discussions are ongoing.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TAIPEI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495), the industry-leading enterprise storage provider, developed EonStor CS scale-out NAS to perfectly suit medical PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) by satisfying its requirements of high file OPS and high throughput for random read requests of medical images as well as by providing highly expandable capacity to store continuously increasing patients' data.

The giant amounts of high-resolution digital image data produced in medical diagnostics require a storage solution able to provide fast access to patients' data and safely store expanding medical archives. Thus, a reliable, high-performance and easily managed storage system is essential in medical institutions. Infortrend's EonStor CS storage caters to such demand, especially for the growing medical data management of medical PACS.

EonStor CS (CS) scale-out NAS can linearly increase performance and expand capacity up to 100+PB by adding more nodes. Deploying CS solution allows hospitals to address the sheer volumes of ever-growing medical data. With high file access performance, CS lets doctors find and open required medical images almost instantaneously. Moreover, CS system provides complete data protection and high availability to ensure integrity of medical data and prevent PACS downtime from hard disk or storage system failures. For easy system management, CS comes with a centralized management software EonOne, which allows users to monitor and manage the entire cluster via web-browser.

"For modern medical organizations, CS is an ideal basis for deploying PACS with I/O-intensive workloads, as it provides exceptional read performance for medical file access, simple management, and high storage capacity, helping doctors provide high-quality medical services for their patients," said Frank Lee, Senior Director of Product Planning.

Learn more about EonStor CS

Learn more aboutStorage for Healthcare

About Infortrend

Infortrend (TWSE: 2495) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993. With a strong emphasis on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing, Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards, user friendly data services, personal after-sales support, and unrivaled value. For more information, please visit www.infortrend.com

Infortrend and EonStor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Infortrend Technology, Inc.; other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HAARLEM and GRONINGEN, Netherlands, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurofins Cyber Security, a global leader in end-to-end cyber security and testing services, announced today that its operation in the Netherlands 'Qbit' will be known as Eurofins Cyber Security the Netherlands.

Qbit has been a part of Eurofins Cyber Security (itself a division of Eurofins Digital Testing) since early 2018, but continued to trade under the Qbit name, particularly in its home territory. Over the past three years it has built an enviable reputation in delivering a broad portfolio of cyber security services both within the Netherlands and internationally. The name change brings the operation in line with Eurofins Cyber Security operations in Europe, Asia and the US and puts it in an excellent position to expand its operations globally.

Eurofins Cyber Security was established to help organizations to conduct risk and vulnerability assessments; meet compliance obligations; develop effective security programs; train employees; and test applications and devices for vulnerability via audits and ethical hacking programs.

Even though an organization with a global footprint, it has a strong belief that the personal and local support & advisory services makes the difference to customers.

Think global, Act local

Eurofins Cyber Security is part of Eurofins Scientific, which has more than 800 laboratories in 45 countries and around 50,000 colleagues worldwide. Founded in 1987, Eurofins is highly regarded in testing, with a level of expertise that makes it the first call for businesses around the world.

With digital testing & cyber security offices spread all over Europe, UK, the US and Asia, we think globally but act locally. Close to our customers and colleagues, we are a global company with local roots.

Kamiel Vanderlinden, MD of Eurofins Cyber Security and Digital Testing BeNeLux, is keen to emphasise that this rebranding confirms our ambition in becoming the leader in the BeNeLux for Quality Assurance and Cyber Security by helping our customers build reliable and safe digital systems. One organization for the BeNeLux creates great development opportunities for our colleagues as we offer them a wider network to become experts in their field.

More information about Eurofins Cyber Security can be found at: http://www.eurofins-cybersecurity.com/.
LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global business collective, The Valuable 500, announces it has reached its goal of 500 international organisations committing to put disability inclusion on their board agenda, making it the world's biggest CEO collective for disability inclusion.

Since The Valuable 500 was launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos in 2019, some of the most recognisable businesses from across the world have joined the campaign, including Allianz, Apple, BBC, BP, The Coca-Cola Company, Daimler, Deloitte, EY, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Nestle, P&G, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Prada, Shell, Sky, Sony, Twitter, Unilever, Virgin Media, Verizon and Vodafone.

The membership includes 36 of the FTSE 100 companies, 46 of the Fortune 500 and 28 of the Nikkei. The organisations supporting The Valuable 500 have a combined revenue of over $8 trillion and over 20 million employees across 36 countries, demonstrating the weight of the campaign's reach and influence.

This comes as new research from The Valuable 500 and Tortoise Media reveals that there are no executives or senior managers who have disclosed a disability in company reporting by the FTSE 100, while only 12% report on the total number of their employees who are disclosed as disabled.

While the new research shows stark findings on disability inclusion across the FTSE 100, it also indicates that this is set to change, with 16 out of the 100 companies having set credible targets related to representation of people with disabilities, and more set to put these in place.

All members of The Valuable 500 have made a public commitment to advancing disability inclusion within their organisations and positive change is already in action. Today The Valuable 500 has launched phase 2 of the campaign, which will activate the 500 major organisations to work together to make change happen for disability inclusion in business.

As part of this, 13 Iconic Leaders across The Valuable 500 will co-fund, co-build and co-test the programmes and solutions, using their industry experience to catalyse progress for the entire community. These leaders are Allianz, BBC, Deloitte, EY, Google, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., LSEG, Omnicom, P&G, Salesforce, Sony, Sky and Verizon. Joining these today as the 500th company, Apple has become the Iconic partner for Inclusive Design, helping to drive the highest levels of inclusive design within and beyond the community.
-- Johnson Controls is one of only 300 companies selected from more than 4000

-- Company has reduced emissions intensity more than 70 percent since 2002, equivalent to carbon sequestered by 17,000 acres of forest

-- Johnson Controls helps customers save more than 30.6 million metric tons CO2 and $6.6 billion through guaranteed energy and operational savings

-- OpenBlue digital platform has a crucial role in decarbonizing Europe's building stock

CORK, Ireland, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, today announced that it has been named to the inaugural FT Climate Leaders in Europe list.

Europe's Climate Leaders 2021 is a list of companies across Europe that have shown the highest reduction of their emission intensity, i.e., core greenhouse gas emissions in relation to revenues, between 2014 and 2019. Johnson Controls was one of only 300 companies selected from 4000 across Europe.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized by the Financial Times as a European climate leader," said George Oliver, chairman and CEO, Johnson Controls. "Sustainability has long been at the heart of everything we do and it is an honor to be included on this prestigious list. With COP26 approaching at this critical moment in the battle against climate change, it is important that companies continue to play their part in cutting emissions and delivering clean, sustainable solutions across the entire value chain."

Companies on the list compiled by research firm Statista, were invited to submit emissions reported following the emission categories of the greenhouse gas protocol (scope 1, 2 and 3). In addition, Statista scrutinized publicly available data, mainly from financial and non-financial reports as well as from CDP (formerly the "Carbon Disclosure Project").

Although Johnson Controls reports all three emissions scopes, the ranking only considers scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, since not all companies publish their scope 3 emissions. Since 2002 Johnson Controls has reduced its emissions intensity by more than 70 percent - equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 17,000 acres of forest. The company has also helped its customers save more than 30.6 million tonnes of CO2 globally and $6.6 million through guaranteed operational savings.

At the European level, Johnson Controls has been effectively supporting the EU's world-leading ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050. The European Commission recently committed to at least 55 percent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels) by 2030 under the European Green Deal. Decarbonizing Europe's building stock through the European Commission's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has a crucial role to play in this effort.

"The European Climate law is historic and an important step in Europe's pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. We also applaud the Commission on its leadership in the EU buildings renovation wave and its clear focus on energy performance in buildings. We're eager to drive harder and faster to cut the 40 percent of greenhouse gases that come from buildings," said Tomas Brannemo, vice president and president, Building Solutions Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America at Johnson Controls. "Digitalization has been recognized as a key enabler for the EU's renovation wave and we have the tools and services such as OpenBlue to cut building emissions by 50% and more."

Johnson Controls' OpenBlue platform for optimizing buildings sustainability is not only drastically improving the company's own environmental impact, it is also helping its customers and future generations to consume less energy, conserve resources, and identify pathways to achieving healthy, net zero carbon communities - ultimately creating an environment for healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet.

Johnson Controls is also helping meet the growing demand for energy efficient technologies in the European markets and beyond. It has provided heat pump solutions for more than a dozen district heating and cooling applications in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and Norway.

Heat pumps have an important role to play in decarbonizing both buildings and industry. They have long been in the DNA of industrial refrigeration - utilised in food and beverage, dairy and other process industries for reclaiming low temperature waste heat and turning it into low-cost, high-temperature heat. The breadth of the Johnson Controls portfolio - in terms of size, efficiency and temperature range - is world-class, and continues to help customers reduce their carbon emissions.

As part of its environmental and sustainability commitments, Johnson Controls has committed to achieving net zero carbon before 2040, and announced science-based targets for 2030. It aims to slash its operational emissions by 55 percent and reduce customers' emissions by 16 percent in absolute terms before 2030. These ambitious reduction targets, which have been independently approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

As a leader in the buildings space for more than 135 years, Johnson Controls has been a pioneer in sustainability. It is ranked in the top 12 percent of climate leadership companies globally by CDP and was recently named again to the World's Most Ethical Companies Honoree List and one of Corporate Knights' global 100 most Sustainable Companies.

To read more about Johnson Controls commitment to sustainability, please visit:

https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/corporate-sustainability/environment

About Johnson Controls:

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world's largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

INVESTOR CONTACTS: MEDIA CONTACTS:



Antonella Franzen Chaz Bickers Direct: 609.720.4665 Direct: 224.307.0655 Email: antonella.franzen@jci.com Email: charles.norman.bickers@jci.com



Ryan Edelman Michael Isaac Direct: 609.720.4545 Direct: +41 52 6330374 Email: ryan.edelman@jci.com Email: michael.isaac@jci.com

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Recent financial statements from the big module manufacturers indicate that higher prices for polysilicon and PV glass since the third quarter of 2020 have dealt a severe blow to profits in the module business. Module manufacturers have gradually scaled down capacity utilization since the Lunar New Year, as demand has been weaker than expected, given the absence of China's usual June 30 installation rush, as in past years. In April, Tier-1 module makers further cut utilization rates to 55-70%. PV InfoLink's Corrine Lin examines the price trends that are developing in 2021.From pv magazine 05/2021 ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Oxford Biomedica plc (OXB.L), a gene and cell therapy group, announced Tuesday that it has raised fiscal 2021 outlook for expected cumulative revenues from its Covid-19 vaccine supply agreement with AstraZeneca UK Ltd (AZN, AZN.L). The company noted that AstraZeneca agreed to an increase in the number of batches required from Oxford Biomedica in the second half of 2021 following successful manufacture of large-scale batches of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine. Oxford Biomedica's expected cumulative revenues from AstraZeneca by the end of 2021 is now in excess of 100 million pounds, higher than previously expected above 50 million pounds. The company also expects significant growth in Group Operating EBITDA in 2021. It was in September 2020 that the company signed an 18 month supply agreement signed with AstraZeneca UK Ltd for manufacture of COVID-19 Vaccine. The company said it does not expect the commitment to AstraZeneca for vaccine production to have any impact on its current partnerships or ability to secure and support additional new partnerships in the cell and gene therapy field. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
22 May - Specialized Masters Open Day

MILAN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On 22 May, SDA Bocconi School of Management will host its first Specialized Masters Open Day, with hundreds of expected candidates, both Italian and International. A highly innovative digital platform will offer unique and immersive experiences, including the possibility of meeting School reps and customizing participants' journey through each Master's opportunities: meetings, chats, orientation room, visits, presentations, etc.

The School offers a wide array of Specialized Masters, both Full-Time for younger candidates and Executive for more experienced professionals. The Master Programs range from Arts and Cultural Management to Fashion & Design, Food & Beverage and Luxury Management, to Marketing, Strategy, Finance, Healthcare and Public Administration.

Education is facing today complex challenges, and this is particularly true of business education: new competitive paradigms and flexible formats, digital learning technologies and their impact, sustainability, and the need for continuous learning.

To address the challenges of contemporariness, the key driver behind SDA Bocconi's, and Bocconi University's, strategy is Life Long Learning, generating relevant knowledge to nurture continuous learning.

The Open Day Schedule includes the Dean's Welcome Message followed by Master Directors' Presentations:

10:30 - 11:30 CEST (in Italian)

MISA - Master in Imprenditorialita e Strategia Aziendale

MIMS - Master in Management per la Sanita

EMMAS - Executive Master in Management delle Aziende Sanitarie e Socio-Assistenziali

EMMAP - Executive Master in Management delle Amministrazioni Pubbliche

EMF - Executive Master in Finance

11:45 - 12:45 CEST (in English)

MAFED - Master in Fashion, Experience & Design Management

MAMA - Master in Arts Management and Administration

MFB - Master of Management in Food & Beverage

MCF - Master in Corporate Finance

MIHMEP - Master of International Healthcare Management, Economics and Policy

EMILUX - Executive Master in Luxury Management

EMMS - Executive Master in Marketing & Sales

During the day, it will also be possible to book individual meetings with the Directors to explore the contents of your Master Program.

More info and details: https://www.sdabocconi.it/en/event/specialized-masters-open-day-online-20210522

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xan_vRBHPvY

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511542/SDA_Bocconi_School_of_Management_Logo.jpg
Families need activities and normalcy in their lives, said Rep. Toni E. Walker, D-New Haven, co-chairwoman of the appropriations panel. We want to make Connecticut better, we want to continually grow and improve by focusing on those segments of Connecticut most hurt since the coronavirus first tore into the state in March 2020.
- Eficode reinforces its position as the preferred Atlassian and DevOps partner in German-speaking markets

HELSINKI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eficode, Europe's leading DevOps company, announces the acquisition of Beecom AG, a market leader in Atlassian software and Atlassian consulting in Switzerland.

German-speaking market is adopting software as a key competitive advantage in all industries. This has fuelled the need for both Atlassian software and related professional services. With the acquisition of Beecom AG, Eficode reinforces its ability to serve growing demand of Atlassian software, cloud migrations, and the adoption of agile and DevOps practices and tools.

"Eficode sees Beecom as the strong player in the Atlassian community in Switzerland. Beecom has established strong relationships with number of Swiss customers including major players from the finance, insurance and public sectors, and has become the leading expert on Atlassian consulting for the entire German-speaking market. By acquiring Beecom, we can confidently serve its customers with an even broader set of services.", says Ilari Nurmi, CEO of Eficode.

After the acquisition of Beecom, German-speaking markets represent approximately one fifth of Eficode's business. Eficode continues to expand market share inside the Atlassian partner community, and further accelerates Atlassian sales and transition to the cloud. This acquisition offers the possibility to satisfy ever-broadening customer needs, including DevOps consulting, software design and development, and application management. It also enables accelerated growth of Eficode ROOT DevOps platform, a managed service for DevOps tools from over 40 technology providers. In addition to becoming the leading DevOps company in Europe, Eficode also expands its Atlassian solution offering more broadly into areas like enterprise agile planning tools with Jira Align, IT service management (ITSM), and agile processes for wider user groups including marketing, human resources, and legal.

"We are delighted to join Eficode. Beecom has strong relatioships in Switzerland, and we are focused on serving them on a long term. This opportunity helps our customers with broader set of skills and products to solve their broader challenges in becoming better software development teams. The power of strong DevOps, ITSM, agile methods, and Atlassian competence gives us an excellent foundation for the future together with Eficode.", says Michele Warmbrodt, CEO at Beecom.

Beecom has over 200 customers in Switzerland from industries such as banking, automotive, business services and security. Beecom's revenue was 11 million CHF (10 million euros) in the last financial year.

Media contacts:

Ilari Nurmi, Chief Executive Officer at Eficode, ilari.nurmi@eficode.com, +358 40 577 5084

Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer at Eficode, lauri.palokangas@eficode.com, +358 50 486 4918

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eficode-oy/r/eficode-acquires-beecom-ag-to-enter-to-switzerland,c3347958

The following files are available for download:
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - ScreenPro Security Inc. (CSE: SCRN) ("ScreenPro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") on May 11, 2021, to acquire the assets of CENTRED Ventures, LLC ("CENTRED"), a US based travel wellness medical technology company, an arm's length privately held company, incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington Articles of Incorporation.

Centred connects travelers to leading and emerging wellness brands in over 200 cities worldwide, utilizing a vertically integrated platform with an app, website, physical locations, e-commerce, health and wellness, and loyalty programs. In addition to this, Centred has established relationships with the airport authorities in the UAE where all travelers to the region will be sent the Centred App to upload their proof of a negative Covid-19 test before boarding the flight. ScreenPro sees tremendous opportunities to cross sell its covid tests and services to the over 200 cities that Centred has relationships with.

Subject to the completion of satisfactory mutual due diligence within thirty (30) days from the date of the LOI by ScreenPro and CENTRED, respectively, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the LOI, ScreenPro and the CENTRED will enter into the Definitive Agreement (the "Definitive Agreement").

"As businesses and countries continue to open and global travel expands, we believe that adding this travel wellness technology component to our existing medical security business will drive significant value for all shareholders. Brian and his team have built a great integrated technology that is easy to use for travelers with an added bonus of the loyalty component with some very big value add brands," said Andrew Ryu, CEO of the Company.

The Transaction

It is anticipated that the Transaction will be structured as an Asset Acquisition (the "Acquisition"). ScreenPro will acquire all of the assets of CENTRED. It is anticipated that the Definitive Agreement will be signed on or before June 31st, 2021 (the "Closing Date") or such other date as mutually agreed to by the parties.

Closing of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to the following:

The Corporation will acquire the CENTRED assets for an aggregate purchase price of CAD $13 million (the "Purchase Price"). The Purchase Price shall be satisfied through the issuance of common shares (the "Consideration Shares") of the Corporation at a deemed price of CAD $0.10 (the "Issue Price") or higher based on 10 day VWAP.

The Consideration Shares shall be issued in stages based on defined milestones. One of the most significant being $3,000,000 that will be issued if fiscal 2022 net revenue is at least US$10,000,000.

Issuance of the Consideration Shares and its underlying securities shall be subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals including, without limitation, the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the " CSE ") and other conditions and will be subject to statutory hold periods under applicable Canadian and US securities legislation; and

") and other conditions and will be subject to statutory hold periods under applicable Canadian and US securities legislation; and The Board of Directors and shareholders of CENTRED approving the Definitive Agreement and the transfer of the CENTRED shares to the Company in exchange for the payment of the Purchase Price; and

The Company and the CENTRED completing and being satisfied with the results of its due diligence investigations; and

The Transaction closing on or before June 31, 2021; and

The Agreement may be terminated upon mutual consent of the parties hereto or by the Company or the CENTRED if the Acquisition is not completed by the Closing Date, unless the parties mutually agree to an extension of the same.

On closing of the Transaction:

CENTRED assets will be placed in a a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Newco" ); and

); and Brian Chappon shall be appointed President of the subsidiary.

The proposed acquisition is not expected to constitute a fundamental change or result in a change of business for the Company, nor is it expected to result in a change of control of the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE.

About CENTRED

Centred connects travelers to leading and emerging wellness brands in over 200 cities worldwide. The company utilizes a vertically integrated platform with an app, website, physical locations, e-commerce, health and wellness, and loyalty programs. Centred members can prioritize their health and wellness like never before with instant access to handpicked, trusted services and experiences. Centred has an agreement in place with the UAE airports where travelers are sent the Centred App and asked to upload their proof of a negative Covid 19 test within 48 hours of flying to the UAE. CENTRED is the must-have travel and wellness app dedicated to bringing peace of mind to global travelers.

Through Centred's partnerships with global credit cards, brands, and aggregators, they have access to over 57 million affluent members worldwide. Their passion lies in driving volume to small businesses while setting a new global standard for wellness. Working with global B2B partners in travel, healthcare, fitness, and beauty tech, Centred is uniquely positioned for when the world opens up in a post COVID-19 environment.

CENTRED was created by nomads, entrepreneurs, travelers and earth-loving dreamers who came together to change travel by giving our community the ability to curate their experiences, while putting health and wellness at the centre of their journey.

From home to airport to destination and back, CENTRED gives you the peace of mind to travel comfortably and safely in a post-pandemic age. CENTRED provides carefully handpicked offerings with some of the world's most unique brands in fitness, beauty, wellness, health care, culinary and hotels to overcome the ravages of travel.

For additional information on CENTRED and other corporate information, please visit the website at centred-wellness.com

About ScreenPro

ScreenPro is a Medical Screening Technology company. ScreenPro provides turnkey screening solutions with alerting software, GoStop. ScreenPro's unique access to multiple manufacturers of high quality test kits and its strategic partnership with Labs in Vancouver and Ontario allows ScreenPro to be a nationwide provider of a full-service testing solutions across Canada. In addition, ScreenPro has its own nursing professionals, and access to high quality PPEs to ensure that its clients are protected in all aspects of their testing needs. GoStop's passport was developed with a privacy preserving approach that will enable individuals to use the alerting software and downloadable app with authentication certificates. The alerts can be scheduled on an on-demand, daily, weekly, or monthly basis and can be used also for vaccine scheduling.

For additional information on ScreenPro and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.screenprosecurity.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information please contact:

Jamie Hyland, Director

Email: info@screenprosecurity.com

P. (604) 442-2425

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements relating to expectations regarding the future development of ScreenPro's business. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The actual results of ScreenPro could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which ScreenPro operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to ScreenPro's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ScreenPro. Management of ScreenPro believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents ScreenPro's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. ScreenPro disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84361
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Graph Blockchain Inc. (CSE: GBLC) (OTC Pink: REGRF) ("Graph" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the cryptocurrency Cardano and the Company's position in Cardano's native token ("ADA").

The Company is pleased to announce that ADA has set new all-time highs repeatedly since the Company's first acquisition of ADA, on March 29, 2021. ADA has reached as high as US$2.33 last week and as one of the leading decentralized projects in the space Graph is confident that this trend is likely to continue. At that price, Graph had gain of almost 80% on it's initial investment.

"We believe strongly in Cardano and its token, ADA, their developers and community. The Proof of Stake approach that Cardano has implemented is the future of the crypto ecosystem and solves a number of problems with Proof of Work consensus algorithms, including the environmental issues that have received so much attention as of late. Cardano will no doubt be a long-term contributor to the crypto space and this new all time high is well deserved. We are proud to have Cardano on the list of projects that we own and support," said Paul Haber, CEO of Graph Blockchain.

ADA's price appreciation is due to its impressive community support, rooted firmly in its core values aligning perfectly with the crypto community. These values range from Cardano's focus on increasing social mobility in Africa to its dedication to decentralization and transparency. Demonstrated by Cardano's becoming the most decentralized blockchain network in the world overtaking the total value staked in Polkadot, earlier this year. And Cardano's recent partnership with the Ethiopian government create a blockchain-based system to track student performance in 3,500 Ethiopian schools designed to in part open higher education and employment opportunities for the 81% of Ethiopia's population living in rural regions.1

As outlined in previous news releases Graph believes that in 2021 there is the potential for smart contract platforms to implement solutions to facilitate mass adoption on decentralized blockchains. Given the numerous advancements in the past year, including those mentioned above, it is obvious why Cardano is widely believed to be just the project to accomplish this goal.

About Graph Blockchain Inc.

The Company is a Proof of Stake ("POS") miner that focuses on altcoins, alternative cryptocurrencies to Bitcoin and Ethereum. Graph is the first publicly tradable altcoin miner and generates revenue through exposure to several top digital assets by market capitalization. Graph through its wholly owned subsidiary Babbage Mining Corp., can provide investors with exposure to the vast emerging market of cryptocurrencies with the significant technological disruption and potential gains that altcoins represent.

Additional information on the Company is available at www.graphblockchain.com and www.babbagemining.com

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Hyland

Phone :604.442.2425

Email: jamie@graphblockchain.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events, or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

###

1 Source: Cardano in Africa: Inside IOHK's Ethiopia Blockchain Deal online: https://www.coindesk.com/from-paper-to-cardano-blockchain-iohk-in-ethiopia - Accessed May 16, 2021.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84388
18 May 2021

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

("Ananda" or the "Company")

Grant of Home Office Licence

The Directors of Ananda announce the following progress regarding Ananda's vision to become a significant participant in the emerging medicinal cannabis sector:

HIGHLIGHTS

DJT Plants Limited ("DJT Plants") has been granted a licence to grow >0.2% THC cannabis for research activities by the UK Government Home Office (the "Licence").

The build out of DJT Plants' research facility to breed and stabilise 65 strains of cannabis will commence immediately, utilising the funds raised by the Company in March 2021 .

. DJT Plants is a wholly owned subsidiary of DJT Group Limited ("DJT Group"), which is owned as to 50% by Ananda's wholly owned subsidiary, Tiamat Agriculture Limited, and as to 50% by Anglia Salads Limited ("Anglia Salads").

Background

On 14 October 2019, DJT Plants submitted its application for a licence to grow >0.2% THC cannabis for research purposes pursuant to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Following submission of the application, DJT Plants and its advisers have been in a dialogue with the Home Office, local police and the MHRA, amongst others. The regulations around COVID-19 caused a year's delay in Home Office representatives being able to visit the proposed site of the research activities. When regulations allowed, representatives of the Home Office made a visit to proposed locations on 17 March 2021. DJT Plants received its Licence on 17 May 2021.

Anglia Salads and DJT Plants both held UK Home Office licences to grow >0.2% THC cannabis between 2014 and 2017. They successfully grew up to five hectares of cannabis for GW Pharmaceuticals, in multi-chappelle structures in natural season without any artificial heat or light.

The October 2019 licence application included DJT Plants' phased strategy to become a significant participant in the emerging medicinal cannabis sector. Phase One is the research phase for which the Licence has been granted. Phase Two, which will be subject to further UK Home Office licensing, is to build out commercial growing and extraction facilities, for some 40 hectares, at the same location.

The Licence received on 17 May 2021 is to develop a broad range of cannabis genotypes through a genetic stabilisation and field trials programme, with the goal of growing these genotypes in the UK.

DJT Plants will produce a line of 65 stable genotypes through back crossing six generations from a varied portfolio of 13 seeds that exhibit a range of THC/CBD and other cannabinoid, terpene and flavonoid profiles. Those genotypes with metabolic profiles relevant to various health indications which have shown to be receptive to treatment with medical cannabis and for which NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) has called for further research, will also be filtered for agronomical traits such as yield and resistance to pathogens, moulds etc. This will give DJT Plants a number of stable genotypes with a range of metabolic profiles, containing high and low levels of THC and CBD, together with a varied range of other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.

With a focus on neuropathic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease and systemic sclerosis and with reference to the scientific literature, DJT Plants will analyse the metabolic profiles of the stable genotypes (including reference to their non-stable origin - via plants grown from first generation hybrid) including analysis of minor cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes. This analysis will be carried out in Israel under procedures and techniques developed by Professor Dedi Meiri of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. Professor Meiri has established an approach for comprehensive metabolic profiling of phytochemicals in cannabis.

The understanding gained from the analysis and studies as described above, together with insight gained from the scientific literature, will assist in the selection of genotypes that could be grown in Phase 2, subject to further licensing from the Home Office, then manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) with a view to becoming available for prescription by doctors on the General Medical Council list of Specialists.

As part of DJT Plants' research approach, it will also look to establish extraction, distillation and isolation facilities to manufacture "full spectrum" cannabis products and less than full spectrum products according to the specific combinations of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids identified as being efficacious for particular indications.

Following the research phase, and conditional on UK Home Office licensing, the Directors believe a UK source of high quality consistent medicinal cannabis, such as DJT Plants intends to grow and produce, will be well received, given the growing market for medicinal cannabis and the concerns around consistency and quality expressed by prescribing doctors and patients.

Advantages of growing medicinal cannabis in the UK

Anglia Salads and DJT Plants successfully cultivated medicinal cannabis for GW Pharmaceuticals from 2014 to 2017 in UK natural light and heat conditions. Unlike the high capital and operating cost facilities built in some other jurisdictions, DJT Plants will grow cannabis in multi-chappelle structures with the required light, humidity and heat metrics via 100% natural means. By doing this for GW Pharmaceuticals, DJT Plants achieved one natural growth cycle per annum, with consistent quality and a yield of 700g/m2. DJT Plants' direct experience growing medical cannabis is that one natural cycle per year achieves better economics and is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than 'pushing' the plants to achieve two to three crops per year with the associated high costs.

Build Out of Research Facility

On 15 February 2021, Ananda announced that it had raised 300,000 for the build out of its research facility at the Licence location. As reported to shareholders at the time, these funds were set aside for the build out. DJT Plants will therefore immediately commence the build out and commissioning of the research facility.

Issue of Contingent Consideration Shares

Pursuant to the agreement whereby Ananda acquired Tiamat Agriculture Limited, announced on 24 May 2019 and approved by Ananda's shareholders on 10 June 2019, Melissa Sturgess and Charles Morgan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, are entitled to be issued 100 million ordinary shares of 0.2p each in Ananda when the Licence is granted. These shares will be issued as soon as practicable, and a further announcement will be made at that time.

Ananda CEO Melissa Sturgess said: "Ananda is extremely excited to achieve this important milestone which allows us to grow and stabilise 65 strains of cannabis and conduct field trials. We also maintain our focus on the future when we hope to legally produce premium UK grown medicinal cannabis for patients who need it."

-Ends-

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

Chief Executive Officer

Melissa Sturgess



Investor Relations

Jeremy Sturgess-Smith +44 (0)7463 686 497

ir@anandadevelopments.com PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMITED

Corporate Finance

Mark Anwyl

Allie Feuerlein



Corporate Broking

Lucy Williams

Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
SURREY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSXV:GUG)(OTC PINK:ASWRF) ("Gungnir" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that diamond drilling in Sweden is expected to commence during the week of May 24, 2021. Planned drilling will initially focus on the Company's key gold target at Knaften where all permits and approvals have been received.

Drilling will test structural extensions of the Knaften 300 Gold Zone "Knaften 300". Drill results at Knaften 300 include shallow intersections of high-grade gold including 59.6 g/t Au over 1.00 metre in hole KN19-06 and numerous wide zones of gold mineralization including 2.92 g/t Au over 13.00 metres in hole 200707. Additionally, up to 50 line-kilometres of Induced Polarization (IP) geophysics is planned this summer to outline potential new targets on the recently acquired Knaften nr 600 permit which expanded the Knaften property by over 75% (see news release dated January 12, 2021).

Following work at Knaften, the Company plans to drill at its nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE (platinum, palladium and gold) projects, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget, located in the same general area as Knaften. Drilling is planned to test for grade and distribution of PGEs and deposit extensions.

Approximately 2,500 metres of diamond drilling has initially been planned, split about equally on gold and nickel-copper-cobalt-PGEs targets.

Knaften Gold Target:

The target is the bedrock source(s) of the large Knaften gold-in-till anomaly ("Knaften anomaly"), one of the largest in Sweden. The bedrock source is believed to be partially identified at Knaften 300, but based on the sheer size of the Knaften anomaly it is reasonable to expect more gold to be found in situ. Other gold-in-till anomalies in the region cover either current and past-producing gold mines or known gold resources, including the Barsele intrusive-hosted gold deposit with more than 2 million ounces of gold (1) and the Boliden/Bjorkdal gold deposit area with more than 5 million ounces of gold produced (2).

Drilling highlights at Knaften 300 from Gungnir and previous operators include:

14.07 g/t Au over 4.25 m (from 138.75 to 143.00 m) in hole KN19-06 Includes 59.6 g/t Au over 1.00 m

5.39 g/t Au over 2.00 m (from 98.00 to 100.00 m) in hole KN19-09

3.45 g/t Au over 10.75 m (from 67.05 to 77.80 m) in hole 96009

3.20 g/t Au over 10.00 m (from 83.50 to 93.50 m) in hole 200707

2.92 g/t Au over 13.00 m (from 81.5 to 94.50 m) in re-sample 200707

3.11 g/t Au over 8.00 m (from 135.80 to 143.80 m) in hole 200714

2.13 g/t Au over 14.45 m (from 55.00 to 69.45 m) in hole KNA01001

2.01 g/t Au over 6.70 m (from 190.50 to 197.20 m) in hole 200710

2.89 g/t Au over 5.00 m (from 118.80 to 123.80 m) in hole 200715

Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGE Projects:

The Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget nickel deposits collectively contain a newly expanded NI43-101 resource which outlined 177 million pounds of nickel in the inferred resources category (see news release dated November 25, 2020). At Lappvattnet, there is potential for significant PGEs as demonstrated by Gungnir's sampling including 50.91 g/t PGEs (39.0 g/t platinum, 11.8 g/t palladium, 0.11 g/t gold) with 2.13% nickel over 0.45 metres (see news release dated March 30, 2020). Also, there is potential to improve nickel grades with assaying of un-sampled drill core within the Rormyrberget resource and to expand higher-grade zones including 2.33% nickel over 12.50 metres (see news release dated July 14, 2020).

The Company is currently awaiting a decision from Sweden's Inspector of Mines to approve extension applications for existing licenses covering both deposits and is also awaiting terrain driving permits. Up to 10,000 metres of drilling collectively for Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget between June 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022 have been approved by stakeholders (landowners and other right holders).

2020 Resources (3):

Rormyrberget: Inferred Resource of 36,800,000 tonnes grading 0.19% nickel for 154 million lbs of nickel.

Lappvattnet: Inferred Resource of 780,000 tonnes grading 1.35% nickel for 23.1 million lbs of nickel.

Notes: (1) Barsele Minerals, February 21, 2019 Technical Report. Combined Pit and Underground Resources: Indicated 324,000 ozs Au @ 1.81 g/t Au + Inferred 2,086,000 ozs Au @ 2.54 g/t Au (based on 349 drill holes). (2) Swedish Geological Survey (SGU) and Mandalay Resources website site and Technical Report. (3) The 2020 Technical Report for the Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget deposits was prepared by John Reddick, M.Sc., P.Geo., of Reddick Consulting Inc. (RCI) and Thomas Lindholm, Senior Mining Engineer of Geovista AB.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Jari Paakki, P.Geo., CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Paakki is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Gungnir Resources

Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V) with gold and base metal permits in northern Sweden. Gungnir's key project, Knaften, which hosts a developing intrusion-hosted gold system, and VMS (zinc-copper) and copper-nickel targets, all of which are open for expansion and further discovery. East of Knaften, the Company holds two nickel-copper-cobalt deposits, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Jari Paakki, CEO and Director

For further information contact:

Head Office/Investor Relations

Phone: +1-604-683-0484

Jari Paakki, CEO

Email: jpaakki@eastlink.ca

Chris Robbins, CFO

Email: robbinscr@shaw.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (also known as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or industry results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "feel", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "subject to", "will", "would", and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Some of the specific forward-looking information in this news releases includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: planned drilling activities and Induced Polarization geophysics, and the expected timing thereof; the belief of the bedrock source is partially identified at Knaften 300 and the expectation of more gold to be found in situ; potential for significant PGEs and improvement of nickel grades and Gungnir's plan for development of its properties and the timing thereof.

Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by Gungnir, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian and global economy and Gungnir's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect Gungnir's business; there will be a demand for Gungnir's services and products in the future; Gungnir will be able to operate its business as planned; and Gungnir's plans for future exploration and development of its properties is reasonable and will be possible within the anticipated timelines. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Gungnir believes to be reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information.

Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: no certainty that any economically viable mineral deposit will be located on Gungnir's properties; that Gungnir may not be able to complete its planned drilling and Induced Polarization geophysics as anticipated or at all; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; ability to access capital markets; environmental matters; changes in legislation or regulations; receipt of required licenses, permits and approvals; and resource estimates may not be accurate and may differ significantly from actual mineral resources. Management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information contained herein are based upon reasonable assumptions and information currently available; however, management can give no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Gungnir. The forward-looking information is stated as of the date of this news release and Gungnir assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Gungnir Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647848/Gungnir-Set-to-Begin-Drilling-at-Knaften-Gold-Target-in-Sweden
LFSPS Will Be Able to Help Fight Ember Attacks, Reducing the Chance of a Home Catching on Fire from Wildfires

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / John Olin and Ron Calonica from the Link Corporation company are pleased to announce the upcoming launch of their Firestad smart Link Fire Safety Protection Systems (LFSPS), a system that can help to fight ember attacks and ultimately save homes during wildfires.

To learn more about the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems (LFSPS) and how it works, please visit https://linkfireprotectionsystems.com/.

As a company spokesperson noted, Olin and Calonica are concerned about the many wildfires that break out across the United States every year, destroying many homes in the process. They also know that indoor sprinkler systems will not protect homeowners from an external fire.

This knowledge inspired Olin to create the Link Fire Safety Protection Systems (LFSPS), which will protect homes, possessions and lives by putting out fires before they can start. Calonica was brought on board to help market the system and help figuratively bring it to life.

"Link Corporation's smart LFSPS is a very efficient fire suppression system," the spokesperson noted, adding that the smart link activated fire protection system is integrated into any water supply and is powered by a 300-PSI water pump to ensure adequate water pressure.

"When activated by your smart device, a high-pressure water stream will run through the LFSPS water dispersion system, discharging a heavy water stream and spray, covering all exterior surface areas and thus soaking and protecting your structure."

The LFSPS, which is currently the focus of a fundraiser on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo, will not only help to reduce the likelihood of fire outbreaks, it will also add a layer of safety to homes while possibly lowering insurance premiums.

The installation of Link Fire Safety Protection Systems has been shown to lower the chance of a homeowner's structure burning down by 96 percent, the spokesperson noted. LFSPS will also assist in keeping firefighters safe by helping them to avoid inhaling toxic smoke and aerosols emitted from burning homes.

Link Corporation will offer five different options for the LFSPS, including a solar powered system, one powered by a generator and a surrounding perimeter sprinkler system. As a bonus, while wind will impact the way other exterior sprinkler systems work, the spokesperson noted the discharge spray from the LFSPS will not be disturbed by the wind.

About the Firestad smart Link Fire Safety Protection Systems:

Firestad smart Link Fire Safety Protection Systems was created to help people protect their homes from wildfires. For more information, please visit https://linkfireprotectionsystems.com/.

Contact:

Mary Kay

marykaypr1@gmail.com

(213) 972-9089

SOURCE: Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647924/Announcing-the-Upcoming-Launch-of-the-Firestad-Smart-Link-Fire-Safety-Protection-Systems-LFSPS
The event is scheduled for 4 p.m. (GMT+8), May 20

XUZHOU, China, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Chinese construction machinery manufacturer XCMG (SHE:000425) is scheduled to host its third International Customer Festival (the "Festival") on May 20 in Xuzhou, China. The event will be livestreamed to global customers and viewers on Facebook, highlighting XCMG's latest products, technological innovations and intelligent manufacturing factories.

"As a result of the ongoing pandemic, the third Festival will be once again hosted in the form of livestreaming, taking global customers on tours through the lens across XCMG's modern production lines to experience the cutting-edge innovations, craftsmanship and outstanding performance of our products, as well as the charms of construction machinery equipment from a world-class brand," said Wang Min, chairman and CEO of XCMG.

XCMG will introduce 16 of its latest products at the Festival, especially highlighting:

Crawler excavator XE370CA : a new self-developed crawler hydraulic excavator adopting advanced design techniques, the excavator highlights safety, environmental performance and high production efficiency, and is a powerful model for a full range of applications.

: a new self-developed crawler hydraulic excavator adopting advanced design techniques, the excavator highlights safety, environmental performance and high production efficiency, and is a powerful model for a full range of applications. Mining excavator XE1250 : high-end configurations with crucial components and parts from globally advanced brands, high working efficiency with stronger digging force and lower fuel consumption, plus a human-centered design for more convenient maintenance and lower operation costs. The FOPS cab is equipped with a guardrail, an emergency shutdown switch, alarm lamp and camera to guarantee a high level of safety.

: high-end configurations with crucial components and parts from globally advanced brands, high working efficiency with stronger digging force and lower fuel consumption, plus a human-centered design for more convenient maintenance and lower operation costs. The FOPS cab is equipped with a guardrail, an emergency shutdown switch, alarm lamp and camera to guarantee a high level of safety. Articulated dump truckXDA40: adopts an imported genuine engine, transmission box and axles to achieve robust power, low fuel consumption and high working efficiency. Its pump controlling hydraulic system and load-sensitive steering system enhance system stability and speedy troubleshooting. The driver's cab is equipped with ROPS and FOPS that meet ISO standards, securing the driver's safety and driving comfort.

Global viewers can join the livestreaming at https://live.global-ce.com/xcmg210520, starting from 4 p.m. (Beijing time) on May 20.

About XCMG

XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 78 years. It currently ranks third in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 187 countries and regions around the world.

For more information, please visit: www.xcmg.com, or XCMG pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512549/image.jpg
- New agreement marks another significant milestone in StoreDot's mission to commercialize its '5-Minute charge' EV battery technology

- Samples of StoreDot's silicon-dominant extreme fast charging EV battery will be available for testing this year, ahead of a planned move to mass production in 2024

HERZELIYA, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- StoreDot, the pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs), today announces a new framework agreement with its strategic battery manufacturing partner EVE Energy Co., Ltd (EVE) to support the commercialization of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC FlashBattery for EVs. The first samples will be available later this year, with a plan for mass production via conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines in 2024.

EVE, which is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is one of the top tier suppliers of EV and electricity storage system (ESS) batteries in China. The scope of the new framework agreement includes scale-up activities of StoreDot's XFC technology, followed by the production of engineering samples targeted at showcasing the technology to EV clients. The framework agreement also covers the intention to set up a joint venture for mass production.

The new deal builds on the existing framework agreement signed by StoreDot and EVE Energy in 2018 to collaborate on a small form factor of StoreDot's XFC technology. In 2019, this XFC battery was used to demonstrate the world's first full live charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes (see video). In January 2021, another major milestone was reached when StoreDot released the first engineering samples of the small form factor produced at EVE Energy's facility in China.

Dr. Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot's CEO, comments: "Securing sufficient production capability is one of the biggest challenges facing any introduction of a new battery technology to market. However, from day one EVE Energy has shared our vision that XFC is fundamental to accelerate EV adoption and eventually achieve a full transition to electric mobility. EVE's expert technical knowledge has been instrumental in helping us to reach a number of important milestones including, most recently, the launch of the small form factor XFC samples produced on standard lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines. Importantly, this removed a major barrier to achieving full commercialization of XFC technology by eliminating the need to invest in costly bespoke manufacturing equipment for mass production."

Myersdorf continues: "Our silicon-dominant anode battery in large form factor represents the next crucial stage of our journey by bringing the charging speed, cost and range of XFC batteries in-line with the goals of the EV industry. These capabilities will be demonstrated later this year via our EV samples produced with EVE Energy."

Dr. Liu Jincheng, EVE's Chairman of the Board, says: "We are delighted to continue our long-term partnership with StoreDot. XFC technology is absolutely critical to accelerating the adoption of petrol- and diesel-free vehicles by eliminating the barrier of EV range and charging anxiety. StoreDot's progress in this area together with our scale up and manufacturing capabilities provide unique synergy to EV clients. The potential of the XFC battery is tremendous and we look forward to continuing to work together to make this technology a commercial reality."

StoreDot's revolutionary XFC FlashBattery technology redefines the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries, taking EV charging times from hours to minutes. This breakthrough is achieved primarily by replacing graphite in the cell's anode with metalloid nano-particles, such as silicon, to overcome major issues in safety, cycle life and cell swelling during the charging process.

About StoreDot:

StoreDot is a pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) batteries that overcome the critical barrier to mainstream EV adoption - range and charging anxiety. The company has revolutionized the Li-ion battery by designing and synthesizing proprietary organic and inorganic compounds, making it possible to fully charge an EV in just five minutes - the same time it takes to refuel a conventional combustion engine vehicle. StoreDot's battery technology is optimized for best driver experience with XFC in Li-ion batteries, as well as future solid state generations delivering extreme energy density (XED).

StoreDot's strategic investors include BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures and TDK. In 2019, the company achieved a world first by demonstrating the live full charge of a two-wheeled EV in just five minutes. Moving XFC battery technology from the lab to a commercially viable product for the first time, StoreDot has launched engineering samples of its small form factor batteries with EVE, designed to be manufactured at scale on conventional Li-lion production lines.

For more information see: www.store-dot.com.

Photo 1: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511874/Doron_Myersdorf__CEO__StoreDot.jpg

Photo 2: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511875/StoreDot_XFC_Technology.jpg
Experienced hire will secure new business, nurture existing EMEA-based accounts, and drive agency and client growth

LONDON, UK, May 18, 2021. The global live brand storytelling agency has appointed Peter Clarke as Director of Business Development. Clarke joins from Smyle Creative, where he held the role of Client Relationships Manager for six years, and prior to that, was the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Pumphouse Productions.

Throughout his 30-year career Clarke has successfully developed and maintained meaningful relationships with brands including BT, EE, Diageo, Thomas Cook TUI, and Rolls Royce. This is thanks to his strategic and pro-active approach, which ensures the delivery of personalised, results-driven campaigns for clients across a range of sectors.

With 11 years' specialist experience in the event and experiential industries across EMEA, Clarke brings an in-depth understanding of - and passion for - the ever-evolving hybrid, virtual and in-person event landscape to the role. He has helped clients achieve their goals across large-scale in-person conferences, exclusive VIP experiences, award-winning virtual events, and more.

Based in the UK, Clarke's remit spans the entire EMEA region, and he will form an important part of the agency's fast-growing global sales team.

This latest appointment - and INVNT's continued growth - has been prompted by the success of recent projects - which have been recognised at awards such as the Virtual Events Institute's- and ongoing work with brands including Samsung, SAP, PepsiCo, Merck MSD, Microsoft and Pfizer.

Claudia Stephenson, Managing Director, INVNT EMEA said: "Given the momentum we've experienced in EMEA in recent months, it's evident that brands here are interested in our unique thinking and approach. They know that boundary pushing creativity and a commitment to challenging the status quo are essential to engaging virtually fatigued viewers, and we're perfectly placed to develop strategic solutions that help them create meaningful connections with their audiences.

"Now as we emerge from the pandemic, Peter will play a pivotal role in ensuring we continue to deliver on clients' expectations in a post-pandemic world. Leaning on his combined business development and strategic marketing experience, he will challenge clients to re-think and re-position their brand and offering, connect them with their most important audiences, and drive ROI. We're so excited to have him on board!"

Scott Kerr, Chief Sales Officer of INVNT's parent company, [INVNT GROUP]explained: "With more and more brands seeking interconnected global campaign solutions, Peter will help us to create seamless synergies for our clients across borders, while also ensuring regional executions account for the unique nuances of local markets.

"Peter's extensive knowledge of not only events but the wider marketing sector makes him perfectly equipped to share our GROUP portfolio offering - which includes brand strategy, culture consulting, and branded content - with clients, resulting in greater ROI for their businesses. Our global sales team has experienced immense growth over the last 12 months, and we're looking forward to having Peter join us on our continued journey to success."

Clarke added: "I'm thrilled to be joining INVNT EMEA and their global sales team during this rapid phase of growth for the agency both in the region and around the world, as we enter a promising new era for the events industry. We're all aware of the power and potency of face-to-face experiences, and I'm looking forward to working with the company's creative minds to develop hyper-personalised hybrid and in-person event and marketing campaigns for brands and organisations in the region."



###

About INVNT

Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT uses the craft of live brand storytelling to create and produce live experiences that excite and unite physical and virtual audiences, globally. The company's 'challenge everything' positioning statement helps clients including General Motors, Grant Thornton, Merck, PepsiCo and Samsung share their stories with every audience that matters. Part of [INVNT GROUP], THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT, INVNT's offices are strategically located in New York - where its INVNT Higher Ed division is also based - London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Stockholm and Singapore. For more information visit www.invnt.com

Attachment
OSLO (dpa-AFX) - Norway's trade balance swung to surplus in April from a year ago, amid a rise in exports and imports, data from Statistics Norway showed on Tuesday. The trade balance registered a surplus of NOK 17.0 billion in April versus a deficit of NOK 3.857 billion in the same month last year. In March, the trade surplus was NOK 24.992 billion. Exports accelerated 59.0 percent year-on-year in April and decreased 16.8 percent from a month ago. Imports grew 17.3 percent annually in April and declined 11.6 percent from the previous month. The mainland trade deficit increased to NOK 25.0 billion in April from NOK 22.37 billion in the previous month. In the same month last year, the trade deficit was NOK 20.385 billion. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Frog Provides Unique Solution by Empowering Local Operators with Turnkey Shared Mobility

ATLANTA and DUBLIN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Early-stage investment and concept incubation firm EFO Ventures announces today that it has acquired the assets of shared mobility company Frog Mobility (Frog). EFO Ventures (EFOV) works directly with companies in the mobility, sustainability, and tech-enabled services industries, investing both financially and through dedicated development and support. This newest acquisition allows EFOV, founded by Sean Flood and David Touwsma, to combine its executive team's experience in the shared mobility industry with Frog's global brand and team. Through the acquisition, EFOV aims to build a different kind of mobility company based on opportunities they have identified through their years of experience in the industry.

"I am proud of the hard work and steady growth the Frog team has accomplished around product development and our global footprint." said Pedro Guedes, VP of global expansion and operations at Frog. "Our history has established us as a dominant provider in shared mobility, and I am thrilled to add the support and experience from EFOV to propel us to the next level."

Frog is an environmentally friendly first and last-mile solution that helps communities and their residents rethink modes of transportation. With the goal of shaping the future of micro-mobility by utilizing fleets of 100% electric vehicles, Frog developed the first ever commercial grade fleet of products including their stand-up scooter, seated scooter, and electric bike manufactured specifically to meet today's high demand rideshare use. Frog's model is unique because they provide a turnkey business platform to local owner-operators who then deliver sustainability-driven transportation solutions for municipalities, universities, corporate campuses, and hospitality venues that are customized specifically for their community's needs.

"After 12 years of working in the shared mobility space, we have seen a real shift in the acceptance and expanded use case for multiple forms of shared devices," said Sean Flood, managing partner at EFOV. "There are companies who have done a great job launching these services, but we feel there is a significant gap by not having operations performed by locally owned enterprises. While shared mobility systems have grown exponentially over the past three years, EFOV sees substantial growth opportunities throughout both the US and Europe. There are many markets who need and want local operating partners."

Additionally, EFOV is excited to bring industry-first technology partnerships to the Frog platform and will be making subsequent announcements over the coming weeks. These strategic partnerships will drive more efficient operations, create better unit economics, and deliver superior consumer and host location experiences.

"There is not a one size fits all solution for first and last-mile mobility," said David Touwsma, managing partner at EFOV. "The needs of each local market and entrepreneur are different, and we see the opportunity in being able to provide the individualized tools and support each may need to scale successful, profitable systems for their communities. Frog can provide all the tools including hardware, software and operational support that allow the partner to customize the solution that is right for their market. We also understand the importance of profitability for local operators and the need to offer multiple electric modes to help communities be less car centric and more people centric."

About EFO Ventures:

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and Dublin, Ireland, EFO Ventures is an early-stage investment and concept incubation firm focused on developing innovative ideas in the mobility, sustainability, tech-enabled services, health & wellness, and industrial & business services industries. Created by founders who built and scaled successful businesses themselves, EFO Ventures invests both financially in their portfolio companies, but also through dedicated development and support. For more information, visit: www.efoventures.com.

For information about EFO Ventures, contact:

Shawn O'Neill

Soffritto PR

shawn@soffrittopr.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512614/Frog_Mobility.jpg
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks were moving higher on Tuesday amid optimism over the reopening of the U.S. and European economies. France's bars, restaurants and cafes will finally be allowed to reopen on Wednesday after six months of closure. The government is moving forward with its plans to almost completely end coronavirus restrictions by June 30. The benchmark CAC 40 inched up 18 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,385 after declining 0.3 percent in the previous session. Cyclicals were in favor, with automaker Renault climbing 1.5 percent. Lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale gained more than 1 percent on expectations that elevated U.S. bond yields would help boost their future investment returns. Utility Engie surged 4 percent after backing its 2021 financial guidance and reaffirming its dividend policy. Bouygues shares fell 1.5 percent. Groupe TF1, Groupe M6, Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group said that they have signed agreements to enter into exclusive negotiations to merge the activities of Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 and create a major French media group. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HELSINKI, Finland, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CITYCON CORPORATION Press release 18 May 2021 at 12:20 hrs

Citycon is among Europe's Climate Leader companies according to the list drafted by Financial Times and German research company Statista, which surveyed European companies that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions most in relation to their revenues. Citycon is the only Finnish real estate company included in the list and was in the top quarter of all European companies regardless of the sector.

Financial Times and German research company Statista published today a list of companies across Europe that have shown the highest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in relation to their revenues in the period 2014-2019. The results will also be introduced in a special report to be published in Financial Times on 27 May. More than 4,000 companies with revenue of at least MEUR 40 in 2019 were surveyed.

Citycon is the only Finnish real estate company included in the list and is among the five top Finnish companies. The company was in the top quarter of all the European companies regardless of the sector. According to Chief Operating Officer Henrica Ginstrom, this ranking reinforces Citycon's commitment to a sustainable future.

"We are extremely happy to have been selected as one of the Europe's Climate Leaders. Our inclusion in the top quarter in Europe is an acknowledgement of our long-term sustainability work, which encourages us to strive for our goal of carbon neutrality by 2030," says Henrica Ginstrom.

Sustainable business equals good business

Citycon has worked with great determination to reduce carbon dioxide emissions for several years. Last year, all electricity bought by Citycon was 100% green, and the company signed the international Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment to strive towards using only green energy at its properties by 2030. The goal of reducing energy consumption by 15% per square metre when compared to consumption in 2014 was also achieved in 2020. Climate impacts have been reduced in every respect in terms of both absolute numerical data as well as specific consumption.

Sustainability also plays a major role in all of Citycon's development projects - ongoing development projects are located close to excellent public transport connections and environmental certification is obtained for all projects. One example of a compact urban centre for retail and services located close to public transport connections is the Lippulaiva shopping centre, which will open its doors in the spring of 2022.

Lippulaiva will connect eight residential towers with a shopping centre housing both everyday necessities as well as public services. The centre also houses a metro and bus station and, due to its advanced energy solutions, Lippulaiva will be carbon neutral from the day it opens.

The largest geothermal heating and cooling facility for a commercial building in Europe has been built under Lippulaiva, and it will generate carbon-free energy to meet almost the entire heating and cooling needs of the building. Solar panels will also be installed in the centre to generate electricity to be used, for example, for the illumination of the centre, and Lippulaiva's energy flows are smartly controlled with new, energy-saving control methods.

"Profitability and sustainability go hand in hand. Energy-efficient and environmentally certified buildings are high-quality buildings with low operating expenses," says Henrica Ginstrom.

Further information:

Henrica Ginstrom

Chief Operating Officer

Tel. +358 50 554 4296

henrica.ginstrom@citycon.com

Citycon is the leading owner, developer and manager of multipurpose urban centres. Our centres in key urban areas combine retail, office premises and housing with well-functioning traffic connections. We are committed to sustainable property maintenance, and the total value of the property portfolio in the Nordic Countries managed by Citycon is approximately EUR 4.4 billion. Our centres offer daily consumer goods, health care services as well as other services to meet the daily needs of our customers.

www.citycon.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/citycon-oyj/r/citycon-among-europe-s-top-climate-leader-companies-according-to-financial-times-report,c3348675

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BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks eked out modest gains on Tuesday, with optimism around the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and a strong reading on the U.K. labor market helping underpin investor sentiment. Britain's unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked lower in the first quarter despite the national lockdown, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The jobless rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 4.8 percent in the first quarter. This was also below economists' forecast of 4.9 percent. At the same time, the employment rate was estimated at 75.2 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. The benchmark FTSE 100 rose 30 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,063 after closing 0.2 percent lower on Monday. Commodity-related stocks were moving higher, with miners Anglo American and Glencore both rising about 2 percent. Oil firm BP Plc added 1.8 percent and Royal Dutch Shell was up 1.3 percent. Vodafone slumped 6.5 percent after the mobile operator missed market expectations with a 1.2 percent in full-year adjusted earnings. Soft drinks maker Britvic rallied 3.3 percent. The company reinstated its dividend, despite reporting a decline in first-half profit and revenue. Software company Micro Focus jumped 4.7 percent. The company said its first-half performance was set to be ahead of market views. Real estate investment trust Land Securities fell about 1 percent after reporting a wider loss for full year. Tobacco company Imperial Brands advanced 1.4 percent after it reported a modest rise in first-half revenue and backed annual outlook. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DGAP-News: ADM Energy PLC / Key word(s): Agreement

ADM Energy PLC - Further re: ADM cooperation agreement with Dubai Bridge Investments



18.05.2021 / 12:05

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



18 May 2021



ADM Energy PLC

("ADM" or the "Company")



Further re: ADM cooperation agreement with Dubai Bridge Investments



ADM Energy PLC (AIM: ADME; BER and FSE: P4JC), a natural resources investing company, notes comments made in the press in respect of Dubai Bridge Investments LLC ("DBI") and provides further information on DBI and the collaboration agreement announced on 14 October 2020.



DBI was incorporated in 2013 by Zubair Abdur-Razzaq Al Zubair and describes itself as a sector agnostic, Dubai-based investment vehicle. Mr Al Zubair was formerly a Partner and CEO of AWGAL Investments, the Dubai-based private investment vehicle of Mr Abdulwahab Galdari, where he oversaw a number of investments in the leisure, hospitality and property sectors. Since his time at AWGAL Investments, Mr Al Zubair has been involved with financing opportunities in the natural resources and energy sectors.



Mr Al Zubair is not connected to the Al Zubair family in Oman and is a US citizen with business interests in the United Arab Emirates and the US. The Company has been advised that the use of the title His Excellency by Mr Al Zubair relates to social and cultural adoption rather than it having been awarded in connection with a senior governmental, or such other, position.



ADM's intention is to continue to target undervalued producing or proven but undeveloped investment opportunities principally in sub-Saharan Africa. In this regard, DBI has expressed an interest in introducing funds into several projects considered by ADM. It is likely that any funds introduced would be at a project level and, in the event that ADM and DBI were to proceed with an investment opportunity, this would be subject to separate agreement, satisfactory conclusion of due diligence and confirmation of funding at the time. No funds have been introduced by DBI to date and no charges have been paid to DBI by the Company.



There is no certainty that any funds will be provided or introduced by DBI for investment opportunities that ADM is considering.



Enquiries: ADM Energy plc +44 20 7459 4718 Osamede Okhomina, CEO www.admenergyplc.com Cairn Financial Advisers LLP +44 20 7213 0880 (Nominated Adviser) Jo Turner, James Caithie Arden Partners plc +44 20 7614 5900 (Lead Broker) Paul Shackleton, Daniel Gee-Summons Hybridan LLP +44 20 3764 2341 (Joint Broker) Claire Louise Noyce ODDO BHF Corporates & Markets AG +49 69 920540 (Designated Sponsor) Michael B. Thiriot Luther Pendragon +44 20 7618 9100 (Financial PR) Harry Chathli, Alexis Gore, Joe Quinlan This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

18.05.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


VILNIUS, LITHUANIA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Trend Innovations Holding Inc. (OTC PINK:TREN), a company engaged in information technology based on AI, presents a new release of Thy News app with improved design of news feeds.

Trend Innovations Holding Inc. Board strives to make Thy News app as user-friendly and informative as possible. The team constantly works on the development of functional improvements and is pleased to provide the release of a new Thy News app version.

Thy News is a news aggregator that allows users to follow news from around the world through a variety of sources. Every time, thanks to real-time updates, users receive only the latest news from the sources of their interest.

In the updated version of the application, users have access to previewing news from a source and new designs for news feeds.

The new function of previewing news from sources makes it even more convenient for users to fill their news feeds with content. Now they do not need to subscribe to see the content. It is enough to click on the source to open the scroll-feed and see a selection of published news in real time.

All the news must integrate quickly. Therefore, fast content delivery from the server is a must-have for Thy News.

Also, in this update, content display and design are manageable, and the interface is even more intuitive and user-friendly. Users can choose the most suitable design of personal news feeds themselves.

The updated services will be useful because it has become easier and more convenient to discover new sources of information and customize the design to suit users' preferences.

Everybody can already get acquainted with the new functions by downloading or updating the application in the AppStore or PlayMarket.

About Trend Innovations Holding Inc.

Trend Innovations Holding Inc. (OTC Markets:TREN) is an expert in the field of information technology based on artificial intelligence. Thy News application is one of the key projects of the company. Thy News is a worldwide application for processing news from multiple sources. It is created for users who value their time and desire to keep up with the latest world news. The app provides the user with the opportunity to create their own news feeds, only from those sources that are of interest to him, as well as to make several such feeds by dividing them into topics.

All the company's news:

https://trendinnovationsholding.com/news/

The company's website:

https://trendinnovationsholding.com

Forward-Looking Disclaimer

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Trend Innovations Holding, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

CONTACT:

Mikhail Bukshpan

Trend Innovations Holding Inc.

+15404950016

news@trendinnovationsholding.com

SOURCE: Trend Innovations Holding Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647821/Trend-Innovations-Holding-Inc-Presents-a-New-Release-of-Thy-News-App-with-Improved-Design-of-News-Feeds


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks advanced on Tuesday in light of easing of various pandemic-related restrictions.



Germany has decided to allow vaccinated travelers or people who have recovered from the virus to skip testing and quarantine.



The French government is moving forward with its plans to almost completely end coronavirus restrictions by June 30.



Britain's unemployment rate unexpectedly fell again, reinforcing market expectations that the economy will bounce back strongly, helped by its fast pace of vaccine rollout and plans to ease lockdown measures.



The pan European Stoxx 600 rose 0.4 percent to 443.85 after ending flat with a negative bias on Monday. The German DAX, France's CAC 40 index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were up between 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent.



Switzerland-based hearing aids maker Sonova Holding jumped 9 percent. The company expects strong growth in 2021, thanks to a market recovery after the coronavirus pandemic.



Italy's top insurer Generali gained 1.2 percent after its Q1 profit beat expectations.



German leasing business Grenke jumped more than 17 percent. The company announced it has received unqualified audit opinion for the annual and consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020.



French utility Engie surged 4.2 percent after backing its 2021 financial guidance and reaffirming its dividend policy.



Bouygues shares fell 1.3 percent. Groupe TF1, Groupe M6, Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group said that they have signed agreements to enter into exclusive negotiations to merge the activities of Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 and create a major French media group.



Commodity-related stocks were moving higher in London, with miners Anglo American and Glencore both rising about 2 percent. Oil firm BP Plc added 1.8 percent and Royal Dutch Shell was up 1.3 percent.



Vodafone slumped 6.5 percent after the mobile operator missed market expectations with a 1.2 percent in full-year adjusted earnings.



Soft drinks maker Britvic rallied 3.3 percent. The company reinstated its dividend, despite reporting a decline in first-half profit and revenue.



Software company Micro Focus jumped 4.7 percent. The company said its first-half performance was set to be ahead of market views.



Real estate investment trust Land Securities fell about 1 percent after reporting a wider loss for full year.



Tobacco company Imperial Brands advanced 1.4 percent after it reported a modest rise in first-half revenue and backed annual outlook.



In economic releases, the euro zone economy shrank by 0.6 percent sequentially in the three months to March of 2021, the second estimate showed - matching expectations. Year-on-year, the bloc's GDP dropped by 1.8 percent in the first quarter.



Separately, the region's employment fell by 0.3 percent and 2.1 percent on sequential and annual basis, respectively in the first quarter of 2021.



Britain's unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked lower in the first quarter despite the national lockdown, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.



The jobless rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 4.8 percent in the first quarter. This was also below economists' forecast of 4.9 percent.



At the same time, the employment rate was estimated at 75.2 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Cranbrook, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - DLP Resources Inc. (TSXV: DLP) ("DLP" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a letter of intent with SMRL Parobamba II ("SP II") whereby DLP can acquire a 100% interest (the "Option") in the Aurora porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit (the "Aurora Project").

DLP is interested in copper prospects not only in southeastern BC, but other known copper belts where it has expertise. DLP will continue to evaluate its BC opportunities as well as other copper projects of merit in the Andean Belt of South America.

DLP President, Ian Gendall, lived and worked in South America and has significant geological experience in the known porphyry copper belts of western South America. Mr. Gendall has evaluated, and been involved, and credited with the discovery of significant porphyry copper deposits in the Jurassic Copper Belt of SE Ecuador in the mid to late 1990's during his time working with Gencor-Billiton.

Mr. Gendall commented: "We are excited to have reached an agreement with SP II, to explore the Aurora porphyry copper-molybdenum project. The project is drill ready and our goal is to acquire drill permits as soon as possible so we can delineate a large porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit, in a proven mining justification like Peru."

Mr. Gendall first visited this project in 2013 and describes the Aurora Project as an advanced stage porphyry copper-molybdenum exploration project in the Province of Calca, SE Peru. The Aurora Project was previously permitted for 40 drill holes in 2015 but was never executed. Thirteen historical drill holes, drilled in 2001 and 2005 totaling 3,900m were drilled over an area of approximately 1000m by 800m, cut significant intervals of copper and molybdenum mineralization. From logging of the only three remaining holes DDA-01, DDA-3A and DDA-3 and data now available, Mr. Gendall believes only three of the thirteen holes tested the copper-molybdenum potential at depth.

Geochemical Intervals - Historical Data for Holes DDA-01, DDA-03, DDA-3A and ABC-6

Hole Year Drilled Depth

(m) From

(m) To

(m) Interval

(m) Cu % Mo % Geology DDA-01 2005 604.0 216.0 406.0 190.0 0.57 0.008 Porphyry Including 266.0 286.0 20.0 1.01 0.006 406.0 604.0 198.0 0.13 0.022 Porphyry DDA-03 2005 159.8 18.0 159.8 141.8 0.50 0.004 Hornfels Including 88.0 138.02 50.0 0.75 0.004 Slate and Hornfels DDA-03A 2005 297.7 82.0 297.7 215.7 0.36 0.005 Slate and Hornfels Including 226.0 297.7 71.7 0.70 0.007 ABC 6 2001 303.9 1.5 303.9 302.4 0.23 0.082 Porphyry Including 94.0 158.0 64.0 0.49 0.087 Including 90.0 216.0 126.0 0.37 0.087

Salient drill hole data of the Aurora Project are:

190m @ 0.57% Cu, 0.008% Mo in DDA-1 with a high-grade intercept of 20m @ 1.01% Cu related to a supergene enrichment zone of secondary chalcocite;

142m @ 0.5% Cu, 0.004% Mo in DDA-3;

71.7m @ 0.7% Cu, 0.007% Mo inDDA-3A (see historical Focus Ventures Ltd. news release July 11, 2012); and

One of the historical holes ABC-6 drilled on the edge of the system intersected 64m @ 0.49% Cu and 0.087ppm Mo.

A review of the historical drilling indicates that the majority of the thirteen holes were drilled in the leached and partially leached zones of the porphyry system. Ten of the thirteen holes never fully tested the oxide and secondary enrichment zone and/or the primary copper zone at depth encountered in DDA-01. Copper-molybdenum mineralization is hosted by quartz-feldspar porphyries intruded into slates-hornfels and pelitic sandstones belonging to the Ordovician (439 - 463 ma) Sandia Formation.

QA/QC

The drill assays quoted above are historical in nature and have not been independently verified by DLP.

The sampling and assaying are however considered to have been undertaken using standard industry practice and QA/QC procedures.

The Aurora Agreement

In order to earn an undivided 100% ownership interest in the Aurora Project in accordance with the Option, DLP must make the following cash payments to SP II (all of which include all applicable taxes) and incur exploration expenditures on the Aurora Project as follows:

Event Cash Payments

(Cumulative) Property Work Commitment

(Cumulative) Execution of letter of intent US$5,000 Nil Signing of option agreement US$75,000 Nil The latest of 6 months from the date of execution of the option agreement, or the date on which the last of the permits required for drilling the Aurora Project is approved and issued (the "Effective Date") US$150,000 Nil Within 12 months of the Effective Date US$225,000 US$400,000 Within 18 months of the Effective Date US$300,000 Within 24 months of the Effective Date US$400,000 US$950,000 Within 30 months of the Effective Date US$475,000 Within 36 months of the Effective Date US$675.000 US$1,750,000 Within 42 months of the Effective Date US$750,000 Within 48 months of the Effective Date US$3,000,000 US$3,000,000 TOTAL $3,000,000 $3,000,000

Upon DLP's exercise of the Option and acquisition of a 100% interest in the Aurora Project, SP II will retain a 1.5 % net smelter returns royalty (the "Royalty"). DLP will have the right to purchase two thirds (1%) of the Royalty from SP II for US$1,000,000 and the remaining third (0.5%) of the Royalty for $500,000. These payments include all applicable taxes.

This press release was prepared by Ian Gendall, Pr. Sci. Nat., a qualified person in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

David L. Pighin, consulting geologist and co-founder of DLP, is the qualified person of DLP as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Pighin has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

Private Placement

DLP is also pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement offering up to 6,666,667 units ("Units") at a price of $0.30 per Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 (the "Private Placement"). Each Unit will consist of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant").

Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.40 per Share for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of closing. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause in the event the trading price of the Shares equals or exceeds $0.50 per Share for a period of ten (10) consecutive days.

DLP intends to pay finder's fees in connection with the Private Placement to certain eligible finders in the form of: (i) a cash commission of 7.0% of the gross proceeds raised under the Private Placement from investors introduced to DLP by the finder; and (ii) the issuance of such number of common shares of DLP (the "Finder's Shares") equal to 7.0% of the Shares issued under the Private Placement from investors introduced to DLP by the finder.

The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund cash payments and exploration costs related to the Aurora Project.

About DLP Resources Inc.

DLP Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company operating in Southeastern British Columbia, exploring for Base Metals and Cobalt. DLP is listed on the TSX-V, trading symbol DLP. Please refer to our web site www.dlpresourcesinc.com for additional information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: DLP Resources Inc.

Ian Gendall, President

Jim Stypula, Chief Executive Officer

Robin Sudo, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

Telephone: 250-426-7808

Email: iangendall@dlpresourcesinc.com

Email: jimstypula@dlpresourcesinc.com

Email: robinsudo@dlpresourcesinc.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the signing of a definite agreement in respect of the Option; the anticipated proceeds to be raised under the Private Placement; the use of any proceeds raised under the Private Placement; and finder's fees to be paid in connection with the Private Placement.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: failure to sign a definitive agreement in respect of the Option; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required regulatory approvals for the Private Placement; market uncertainty; and the inability of the Company to raise the anticipated proceeds under the Private Placement.

In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that: the Company will sign a definitive agreement in respect of the Option; the Company will obtain the required regulatory approvals for the Private Placement; the Company will be able to raise the anticipated proceeds under the Private Placement; and the Company will use the proceeds of the Private Placement as currently anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forwardlooking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forwardlooking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84402
Currently the event industry is facing big challenges due to the corona measures. While some venues and event agencies have already been forced to close doors, other companies are even able to expand despite tougher conditions. One of these companies is the Dusseldorf-based SLS Partnering GmbH, organizing the DxPx Industry Investor Conference www.dxpx-conference.com every year parallel to MEDICA. The DxPx is Europe's largest partnering conference for companies in the Diagnostic, Precision Medicine and Life Science Research Tool Industry. With its unique concept, it attracts a global audience of executives and founders. The conference offers startups and growth companies the optimal setting to negotiate with established companies and investors about cooperation and funding.

With strong partners such as one of the leading investment banks Brown Gibbons Lang Company LLC and the international law firm McDermott Will Emery LLP, the event expands to the US for the first time. The five-day US partnering conference will take place virtually from July 27th 31st, 2021 at Chicago time to enable international guests to participate despite travel restrictions. The conference offers discussion forums and a virtual exhibition of well-known partners and innovative companies. In addition, individually planned business meetings can be arranged effectively using the dedicated partnering tool. "As organizers, we're convinced that innovation and exchange are a perfect way to evolve, especially during and despite of challenging times", said initiator Dr. Mirko Stange, looking forward to another successful DxPx Conference.

Already last year, SLS Partnering recorded growth for its flagship conference in November. As a reaction to the Corona measures, the DxPx was organized completely digitally for the first time. Over 500 participants from over 30 different countries connected and with more than 1,300 booked meetings, the number has doubled compared to the previous year. The conference was able to convince the industry experts with an attractive program: Interesting panel discussions, a pitch award for startups and contributions from well-known speakers, generated more than 1,600 views on the live stream.

SLS Partnering hopes to hold this year's Flagship Conference in Dusseldorf again with the recommended hygiene and protective measures from November 16th 20th, 2021.

About SLS Partnering GmbH

SLS Partnering GmbH is an event and media agency focusing on life sciences and organizes the world's only international investor partnering conference for players in the fields of diagnostics, precision medicine and research tools the DxPx Conference. SLS Partnering is taking on the existing challenge of an increasing number of companies seeking capital and ensures a more effective partnering process for both sides. SLS Partnering also offers their additional services in media creation and marketing as life science media and event partner.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005557/en/

Contacts:

Wordstatt GmbH

Dagmar Metzger

+49-89-3577579-0

info@wordstatt.de
Our communitys purpose and the board of trustees purpose was to (give) the direct help to the people, Shah said when explaining the temples decision to allocate funds to nonprofits in India. Sometimes if you donate somewhere, the actual needs (arent satisfied.)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to report results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 ("Q1-2021"). The Company's filings for the quarter are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov, and on EMX's website at www.EMXroyalty.com. Financial results were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR Q1-2021

Financial Update

All dollar amounts in this news release are Canadian dollars (CDN) unless otherwise noted.

EMX ended the three-month period at March 31, 2021 with a balance sheet including cash and cash equivalents of $49,200,000, investments, strategic investments, receivables, and loans receivable valued at $24,197,000, and no debt.

EMX had revenue of $1,298,000 which includes royalty income, other property income including income from the sale or option of property interests and management fees, and interest and dividends earned on cash and investment balances. Included in revenues was royalty income of $392,000 and $398,000 for the fair value of equity positions received on the sale and option of property interests. Revenues for Q1-2021 increased compared to Q1-2020 with an increase in option and other property income, and dividend income offset by a decrease in interest income.

Royalty generation costs totaled $4,027,000 of which the Company recovered $2,740,000 from partners.

General and administrative expenses totaled $1,851,000 which includes $985,000 in salaries and consultants, $274,000 in administrative costs, $213,000 in professional fees, $187,000 in transfer agent and filing fees, $20,000 in travel, and $172,000 in investor relations costs. General and administrative costs can fluctuate from period to period depending on activity and timing of comparable costs.

For the quarter, the Company had a net loss from operations of $2,648,000 including $255,000 in depletion and depreciation costs, and $542,000 in share-based compensation. Other items affecting net loss and financial results in Q1-2021 include a realized gain of $441,000 on the sale of marketable securities, the Company's share of income in an associated entity of $221,000, a fair value loss on investments of $1,321,000, and a foreign exchange adjustment of $1,117,000. The foreign exchange adjustment was a direct result of holding USD cash and net assets denominated in USD.

Operational Update

EMX's royalty and mineral property portfolio totals over 200 projects on five continents. The following discussion summarizes the work conducted in Q1-2021, as well as subsequent events, by the Company and its partners.

In North America, EMX received provisional payments of approximately US$210,000 from the sale of 120 gold ounces produced at the Leeville royalty property in Nevada's Northern Carlin Trend. At the Gold Bar South royalty property in Nevada, operator McEwen Mining disclosed first time open pit constrained reserves as part its Gold Bar Mine feasibility study. On the royalty generation front, EMX optioned one gold project in Idaho, and six copper projects in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. As partnered properties were advanced, the Company's royalty generation programs added new gold and copper projects to the portfolio by staking open ground.



EMX's royalty and mineral asset portfolio in key mining districts of Ontario and Quebec, including the Red Lake camp, generated $168,000 in cash and fair value equity payments.

EMX filed a Technical Report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report - Timok Copper-Gold Project Royalty, Serbia" authored by Mineral Resource Management LLC on SEDAR in Q1-2021. Timok operator Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd. continued on pace with development of the Upper Zone copper-gold project which is covered by an EMX 0.5% NSR royalty.

In Fennoscandia, the Company optioned six precious and battery metals projects for share equity, advance royalty payments, and NSR royalty interests to EMX's benefit. The Company also executed a definitive agreement with Gold Line Resources and Agnico Eagle, by which Gold Line can acquire a 100% interest in Agnico's Oijarvi gold project in Finland and the Solvik gold project in Sweden for staged cash payments as well as shares of Gold Line and shares of EMX. Agnico will retain a 2% NSR royalty on the projects, 1% (half) of which may be purchased by EMX for US$1,000,000, with EMX receiving additional share and cash payments from Gold Line as reimbursement for the EMX shares issued to Agnico. As these new deals were consummated, partner companies continued to advance EMX's royalty properties, which included encouraging results from Norden's drill programs at the Gumsberg VMS project in Sweden's Bergslagen mining district.



EMX is a leading explorer and holder of mineral rights in Fennoscandia, and in Q1-2021 further bolstered the portfolio by adding 37,500 hectares of mineral exploration permits covering the zinc-lead-copper-silver-gold occurrences and historical mines of the Mo-i-Rana district in central Norway.

In Australia, the Company received the grant of an exploration permit in the Mt Steadman region, and subsequently expanded the land positions at the Yarrol and Mt Steadman gold projects through the acquisition of additional permits from a third party which cover multiple historical drill defined zones of mineralization. Both projects are located in the goldfields of central-Queensland and are available for partnership.

In Turkey, EMX was advised by the operator of the Balya lead-zinc-silver royalty property that ongoing development and resource delineation programs are expected to generate initial production royalties later in 2021.

During Q1-2021, the Company increased its equity interest to 24.97% in Rawhide Acquisition Holding LLC ("RAH") by making an additional investment of US$1.25 million. RAH is a privately-held Delaware company that owns the Rawhide gold-silver mining operation in Nevada. RAH advised EMX that 5,829 ounces of gold and 51,330 ounces of silver were sold during the quarter at average prices of US$1,830/oz gold and US$26.58/oz silver. This yielded US$12.0 million in total revenue, which after costs and deductions, resulted in a net loss before tax to RAH. A portion of EMX's recent investment is being utilized to conduct a) cost efficient drill programs to delineate additional gold-silver mineralization, b) field work to identify district scale exploration opportunities, and c) drilling, sampling, and metallurgical test programs to characterize historical open pit back fill material as potential sources of mineralized material for processing.

Corporate Update

EMX is diligently monitoring developments regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic ("COVID-19"), with a focus on the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. EMX has implemented COVID-19 prevention, monitoring and response plans following the guidelines of international agencies and the governments and regulatory agencies of each country in which it operates.

EMX's priority is to safeguard the health and safety of its personnel and host communities, support government actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and assess and mitigate the risks to business continuity. Although restrictions remain in place for many jurisdictions where the Company operates (e.g., travel restrictions, etc.), EMX's field programs are up-and-running with in-country based staff.

OUTLOOK

EMX ended Q1-2021 with $49.2 million in cash, $13.2 million in tradable securities, $5.9 million in private company equity, and $4.3 million in strategic investments. The Company is off to a great start this year with four new partners, optioning six nickel-copper-PGE-cobalt projects in Scandinavia, two Arizona copper projects and one Idaho gold project, and one copper project in Utah, to privately held companies. These transactions provide EMX with unique upside opportunities. Besides the immediate benefit to EMX of cash payments and equity stakes in our partners, there is the optionality of exploration discoveries and retained royalty interests, as well as the commercial upside if any one of these partners proceed with an IPO founded upon a core of assets provided by EMX. Success cases of this approach include Ridgeline Minerals with the Swift and Selena Carlin-type deposits in Nevada, which are now EMX royalty properties, and Gold Line Resources with a portfolio of gold projects in Sweden covered by EMX royalty interests.

Our recent cooperation with Gold Line on the Oijarvi and Solvik transaction with Agnico further highlights the excellent working relationships EMX strives to foster with its partners. In this case, EMX identified the Agnico opportunities, brought them to Gold Line, and facilitated a deal whereby Gold Line will acquire the two gold properties with EMX receiving additional equity interest in GLDL and cash payments, as well as retaining the option to acquire a royalty interest in the projects. This is a win-win-win outcome for the three parties involved.

Also in Q1-2021, three copper projects (two in Arizona and one in New Mexico) were optioned to our long standing RSA partner South32. South32 has been a solid and supportive partner, and the recent renewal of the copper RSA covering exploration for the years 2021-2022 is a strong vote of confidence. EMX is well positioned for a copper discovery in the southwestern U.S. with backing from an industry major, and programs focused on innovative exploration approaches, field work, and drill testing.

As projects are being partnered, the Company's royalty generation teams continue to organically grow the portfolio by acquiring new precious, base, and battery metals properties in Fennoscandia, the western U.S., and Australia. As a subsequent event, the Company's quick actions to seize an opportunity led to the acquisition of a 37,500 hectare position covering the historical mines, deposits, and prospects of the Mo-i-Rana polymetallic district in central Norway. In Australia, EMX expanded its property positions in the goldfields of Queensland at the Yarrol and Mt Steadman projects to cover historical mining operations and drill defined gold deposits. EMX's new royalty generation properties provide fresh opportunities to an industry eager for quality projects during a rising bull market in commodities.

Yet success in exploration, development, and mining is a long game, and prudently building a royalty portfolio is a process that takes time. But EMX is in a position to ultimately realize the returns from more than 17 years of staying power. The Timok royalty property, which is on schedule to commence initial production mid-2021, and the Balya royalty property, which is advancing to production later this year, are examples of long held royalty assets that are poised to pay off for the Company. Meanwhile Leeville continues to pay a royalty 'dividend' to EMX as Nevada Gold Mines invests in and advances the property's exploration and development potential.

EMX's Q1-2021 progress and achievements are a testament to the hard work and perseverance of our first class team of professionals. We are optimistic of our opportunities in 2021, and enthusiastic to earn our way to success over the course of the year.

QUALIFIED PERSONS

Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on the United States, Canada, South America, and Strategic Investments. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on Serbia, Fennoscandia, Turkey, and Australia.

About EMX. EMX is a precious, base, and battery metals royalty company. EMX's investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company's common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMX. See www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (303) 979-6666

Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Scott Close

Director of Investor Relations

Phone: (303) 973-8585

SClose@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger

Investor Relations (Europe)

Phone: +49 178 4909039

IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form ("AIF") for the year ended December 31, 2020, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84396
Rye Brook, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Here to Serve Holding Corp. (OTC PINK: HTSC) (the "Company") announced net income of $3,532,127, or $0.06 per basic share and $0.03 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2021, as compared to net income of $254,538, or $0.01 per basic share and $0.00 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

The Company continues to excel in its acquisition of undervalued assets. The market value of its investments as of March 31, 2021 was $4,737,150, an increase of $4,252,075 since its fiscal year-end value of $485,075 as of September 30, 2020. The Company also owns 177 mineral claims in the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada, that typically hosts world-class nickel sulfide deposits. The value of these assets are recorded at their historical cost of $364,347, but activity in the Timmons region suggests a significantly higher market value.

The company reported total liabilities of $163,601 and shareholders' equity of $4,996,212 at the end of the March 31, 2021 quarter.

The Company's quarterly report has been uploaded to OTC Markets. Please refer to the filings and disclosures for second quarter results for fiscal year 2021.

About Here to Serve Holding Corp.

Here to Serve Holding Corp. is a holding company that hunts for undervalued assets in the mining, real estate, and securities industries. Run by an experienced team of professionals with diverse backgrounds, the Company recently formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Fortune Nickel and Gold Inc. Fortune is dedicated to the global acquisition, exploration, and development of mining properties in prolific jurisdictions. Fortune recently acquired mining projects known as the Gowan and Beck- Ottaway properties located in the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada. The Timmins mining camp lies at the heart of the Abitibi greenstone belt, which contains some of the world's largest deposits of gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum-group metals, and industrial minerals such as talc. Fortune believes its projects have substantial gold and nickel potential. For further details of our exploration projects, please visit our web sites at www.heretoserve.tech and www.fortunenickelandgold.com.

Please call Investor Relations with any questions at 855-4NICKEL (855-464-2535) extension 1.

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84401
Defence Sector is a Net-New Market Vertical for Legend

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Legend Power Systems (TSXV:LPS) and (OTCQB:LPSIF), a global leader in commercial electrical system solutions, today announced that in a joint project with one of its ESCO partners it will provide SmartGATE Insights services and project scoping for select defence installations in the eastern U.S. This particular eastern region segment of defence facilities includes approximately 1200 buildings. The Department of Defence (DoD) manages nearly 300,000 buildings many of which are subject to Federal energy management requirements including energy efficiency targets, renewable energy use goals, and fossil fuel reductions1. In FY 2006, the DoD used almost 30,000 gigawatt hours (GWH) of electricity, at a cost of almost $2.2 billion1.

As producers of large volumes of greenhouse gases (GHGs), the Department of Defence is committed to understand the impact their facilities could have on climate change. In FY2017, the Army alone, awarded $289.3 million in Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Utility Energy Service Contracts estimated to save 1,132 billion Btu annually1. Legend and its ESCO partner are working with the DoD and its Energy and Environmental Sustainability managers to monitor, report, and introduce solutions to reduce its GHG emissions.

"DoD facilities are extremely energy intensive facilities and are a critical component of U.S. national security," said Michael Cioce, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Legend Power Systems. "The need for electrical reliability and resiliency is fundamental to these facilities along with the opportunity to increase efficiency. SmartGATE addresses these core challenges and SmartGATE Insights is the first step in quantifying and understanding the unseen impacts of the grid on commercial buildings. Our ESCO Partners have deep experience in Performance Contract with the DoD and other Federal entities in general. Combining our SmartGATE and Insights solutions with the ESCO's capabilities is a very powerful approach for all parties involved,"

Legend's SmartGATE Insights and Power Impact Report are valuable tools that demonstrate the financial impact the power grid has on buildings and how SmartGATE solutions can solve these issues, improving buildings' financial performance and environmental footprint. This allows building owners to make more decisions faster than ever before based on the real-time data for each property.

1 https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R45832.pdf

About SmartGATE

SmartGATE is an industry-leading, turnkey solution which identifies and fixes underperformance and waste in the electrical system of a commercial building. These performance issues often impact key areas of commercial real estate metrics including occupant safety and satisfaction as well as financial performance. This waste can also lead to higher operating costs, lower net operating income and other potential financial risks to the building owner, including adverse tenant experiences.

About Legend Power Systems Inc.

Legend Power Systems Inc. (www.legendpower.com) provides an intelligent energy management platform that analyzes and improves building energy challenges, significantly impacting asset management and corporate performance. Legend's proven solutions support proactive executive decision-making in a complex and volatile business and energy environment.

For further information, please contact:

Steve Vanry, CFO

+ 1 604 671 9522

svanry@legendpower.com

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

+ 1 647 503 1054

sean@sophiccapital.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Legend Power Systems Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647865/Legend-Power-Partners-with-ESCO-in-SmartGATE-Insights-Engagement-for-Department-of-Defence-Facilities
HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV:SLVR)(OTCQX:SLVTF) ("Silver Tiger" or the "Corporation") has intersected 1.3 meters grading 3,000.7 g/t silver equivalent within 14.8 meters grading 462.6 g/t silver equivalent in the Benjamin Vein (northern extension of the Sooy Vein) in Drill Hole ET-21-208A. This hole was collared on the Drill Hole ET-21-208 set up to test for improved drill core recoveries across the mineralized zone.

Highlights from Drill Hole ET-21-208A on the Benjamin Vein as well as Drill Hole ET-21-221 which intersected the Sooy Vein include the following:

Hole ET 21-208A: 1.3 meters grading 3,000.7 g/t silver equivalent from 118.1 meters to 119.4 meters, consisting of 2,451.4 g/t silver, 0.13 g/t gold, 1.12% copper, 4.36% lead and 9.53% zinc within 14.8 meters grading 462.6 g/t silver equivalent from 106.8 meters to 121.6 meters, consisting of 381.9 g/t silver, 0.06 g/t gold, 0.17% copper, 0.76% lead and 1.22% zinc.

from 118.1 meters to 119.4 meters, consisting of 2,451.4 g/t silver, 0.13 g/t gold, 1.12% copper, 4.36% lead and 9.53% zinc from 106.8 meters to 121.6 meters, consisting of 381.9 g/t silver, 0.06 g/t gold, 0.17% copper, 0.76% lead and 1.22% zinc. Hole ET-21-221: 1.5 meters grading 799.8 g/t silver equivalent from 239.5 meters to 241.0 meters consisting of 465.7 g/t silver, 4.22 g/t gold, 0.07% copper, 0.20% lead and 0.21% zinc located 330 meters south of the Discovery Hole ET-20-202.

Additional results are presented in the Drill Hole Results table below along with the details for the calculation of the silver equivalent grades.

See attached El Tigre Cross Section 6075N detailing drill hole ET-21-208A as well as the previously released drill hole ET-21-206. A Plan Map of El Tigre Veins and Drill Holes is also attached.

Silver Tiger's CEO, Glenn Jessome, stated, "We have stepped out 55 meters to the south from our initial discovery hole on the Benjamin Vein and the super high grade silver within wide mineralized zones continues to hold. It is apparent that the Benjamin is the northern extension of the Sooy Vein. We will continue to step out south to connect with the main Sooy Vein approximately 900 meters to the south. Also, step out in-fill drill holes 221, 223, 225 and 227, which are located between 330 and 1,085 meters south of Discovery Hole 202 on the Sooy Vein, continue to intersect significant silver results. Further southern step out and in-fill drilling continues on the Sooy Vein."

The discovery of the Benjamin Vein was press released on January 21, 2021 with drill hole ET-20-193 intersecting 3.0 meters of 1,310.1 g/t silver equivalent. Drill hole ET-20-193 is located approximately 900 meters north of the historic El Tigre mine workings. Drill hole ET-21-208A is located approximately 55 meters to the south of drill hole ET-20-193.

As previously reported, Discovery Drill Hole ET-20-202 intersected 11.75 meters grading 667.9 g/t silver equivalent within 22.2 meters grading 381.9 g/t silver equivalent approximately 12 meters beyond the footwall of the Sooy Vein. Drill Hole 202 was drilled to test the down dip potential of the Sooy Vein targeting just under the lowest mine level approximately 150 meters from surface where mining ceased abruptly with the onset of the Great Depression in 1930. Drill Hole 202 passed through mine workings on the Sooy Vein as it was not targeted deep enough below the workings. The technical team opted to continue drilling beyond the footwall of the Sooy Vein and discovered a new style of wide high grade mineralization in the Flat Formation that is not the traditional quartz vein ore that had been previously mined at El Tigre (refer to Silver Tiger press release dated February 2, 2021).

Drill Hole Results Table

Hole ID Comment From To Length(1) Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc AgEq Total (2) m m m g/t g/t % % % g/t ET-21-208A Benjamin Vein 106.8 121.6 14.8 0.06 381.9 0.17 0.76 1.22 462.6 including 110.6 119.4 8.8 0.06 614.5 0.27 1.20 1.92 735.2 including 118.1 119.4 1.3 0.13 2,451.4 1.12 4.36 9.53 3,000.7 ET-21-221 Sooy Vein 239.5 241.0 1.5 4.22 465.7 0.07 0.20 0.21 799.8 and 297.4 297.9 0.5 0.35 79.6 0.02 0.22 0.51 129.3 and 322.1 323.3 1.2 0.2 197.1 0.07 0.12 0.02 222.3 ET-21-223 Sooy Vein 159.4 161.0 1.6 0.05 166.6 0.08 0.71 0.25 202.7 ET-21-225 Sooy Vein 273.1 284.5 11.4 0.04 34.6 0.04 0.13 0.15 49.5 including 283.5 284.5 1.0 0.12 213.0 0.22 0.57 1.00 289.6 and 335.9 341.6 5.7 0.10 297.9 0.08 0.62 0.82 354.5 including 338.3 341.6 3.3 0.13 448.0 0.11 0.78 1.00 520.3 EET-21-227 Sooy Vein 189.1 193.4 4.3 0.14 110.1 0.02 0.00 0.01 123.1 including 191.7 192.9 1.2 0.22 290.0 0.06 0.01 0.02 313.6

Notes:

Not true width. Silver Equivalent ("EqAg") ratios are based on a silver to gold price ratio of 75:1 (Au:Ag). Copper, lead and zinc are converted using $3.66/lb copper, $0.90/lb lead, $1.26/lb zinc at 100% metal recoveries based on a silver price of $26.00/oz.

Drill Hole Location Table

Hole ID Section Easting Northing Elevation Az Dip Length ET-21-208A 6075N 670403 3386069 1920 90 -55 125.1 ET-21-221 4570N 670697 3384574 1935 93 -57 329.4 ET-21-223 4500N 670705 3354500 1942 85 -62 341.6 ET-21-225 4500N 670705 3384500 1942 85 -58 390.4 ET-21-227 3815N 670911 3383816 1832 60 -38 344.7

El Tigre Cross Section 6075N

Plan Map of the El Tigre Veins and Drill Holes

El Tigre Resource Estimate

After acquiring El Tigre, Silver Tiger drilled 12,500 meters to define the wide halo of near surface gold mineralization around the mined high-grade veins of the historic El Tigre Mine. This allowed Silver Tiger to deliver a maiden resource estimate for the El Tigre Property to a depth of 150 meters containing indicated resources of 661,000 gold equivalent ounces at 0.77 g/t (21 g/t silver and 0.51 g/t gold) and inferred resources of 341,000 gold equivalent ounces at 1.59 g/t (88 g/t silver and 0.52 g/t gold). The National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate on the El Tigre Project, Sonora, Mexico" effective as of September 7, 2017 and dated October 26, 2017 prepared by David Burga, P.Geo., Yungang Wu, P.Geo., Fred Brown, P.Geo., Jarita Barry, P.Geo., Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, Alfred Hayden, P.Eng. and Richard H. Sutcliffe, Ph.D., P.Geo. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. is available on the Corporation's website at www.silvertigermetals.com and on www.sedar.com under the Corporation's profile.

About the El Tigre Historic Mine District

Silver Tiger Metals Inc. is a Canadian company whose management has more than 25 years' experience discovering, financing and building large hydrothermal silver projects in Mexico. Silver Tiger's 100% owned 28,414 hectare Historic El Tigre Mining District is located in Sonora, Mexico. Principled environmental, social and governance practices are core priorities at Silver Tiger.

The El Tigre historic mine district is located in Sonora, Mexico and lies at the northern end of the Sierra Madre silver and gold belt which hosts many epithermal silver and gold deposits, including Dolores, Santa Elena and Las Chispas at the northern end. In 1896, gold was first discovered on the property in the Gold Hill area and mining started with the Brown Shaft in 1903. The focus soon changed to mining high-grade silver veins in the area with production coming from 3 parallel veins the El Tigre Vein, the Seitz Kelley Vein and the Sooy Vein. Underground mining on the middle El Tigre vein extended 1,450 meters along strike and was mined on 14 levels to a depth of approximately 450 meters. The Seitz Kelley Vein was mined along strike for 1 kilometer to a depth of approximately 200 meters. The Sooy Vein was only mined along strike for 250 meters to a depth of approximately 150 meters. Mining abruptly stopped on all 3 of these veins when the price of silver collapsed to less than 20 per ounce with the onset of the Great Depression. By the time the mine closed in 1930, it is reported to have produced a total of 353,000 ounces of gold and 67.4 million ounces of silver from 1.87 million tons (Craig, 2012). The average grade mined during this period was over 2 kilograms silver equivalent per ton.

The El Tigre silver and gold deposit is related to a series of high-grade epithermal veins controlled by a north-south trending structure cutting across the andesitic and rhyolitic tuffs of the Sierra Madre Volcanic Complex within a broad silver and gold mineralized prophylitic alteration zone developed in the El Tigre Formation that can be up to 150 meters wide. The veins dip steeply to the west and are typically 0.5 meter wide but locally can be up to 5 meters in width. The veins, structures and mineralized zones outcrop on surface and have been traced for 5.3 kilometers along strike in our brownfield exploration area. Historical mining and exploration activities focused on a 1.5 kilometer portion of the southern end of the deposits, principally on the El Tigre, Seitz Kelly and Sooy veins. The under explored Caleigh, Benjamin, Protectora and the Fundadora exposed veins continue north for more than 3 kilometers. Silver Tiger has delivered its maiden 43-101 compliant resource estimate and is currently drilling to update its resource estimate and publish a PEA.

VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation - Silver Tiger's El Tigre Project

VRIFY is a platform being used by companies to communicate with investors using 360 virtual tours of remote mining assets, 3D models and interactive presentations. VRIFY can be accessed by website and with the VRIFY iOS and Android apps.

Access the Silver Tiger Metals Inc. Company Profile on VRIFY at: https://vrify.com

The VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation for Silver Tiger Metals Inc. can be viewed at: https://vrify.com/explore/decks/492 and on the Company's website at: www.silvertigermetals.com.

Procedure, Quality Assurance / Quality Control and Data Verification

The diamond drill core (HQ size) is geologically logged, photographed and marked for sampling. When the sample lengths are determined, the full core is sawn with a diamond blade core saw with one half of the core being bagged and tagged for assay. The remaining half portion is returned to the core trays for storage and/or for metallurgical test work.

The sealed and tagged sample bags are transported to the Bureau Veritas facility in Hermosillo, Mexico. Bureau Veritas crushes the samples (Code PRP70-250) and prepares 200-300 gram pulp samples with ninety percent passing Tyler 200 mesh (Code PUL85). The pulps are assayed for gold using a 30-gram charge by fire assay (Code FA630) and over limits greater than 10 grams per tonne are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (Code FA530). Silver and multi-element analysis is completed using total digestion (Code MA200 Total Digestion ICP). Over limits greater than 100 grams per tonne silver are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (Code FA530).

Quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") procedures monitor the chain-of-custody of the samples and includes the systematic insertion and monitoring of appropriate reference materials (certified standards, blanks and duplicates) into the sample strings. The results of the assaying of the QA/QC material included in each batch are tracked to ensure the integrity of the assay data. All results stated in this announcement have passed Silver Tiger's QA/QC protocols.

Qualified Person

David R. Duncan, P. Geo., V.P. Exploration of the Corporation, is the Qualified Person for Silver Tiger as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Duncan has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.

For further information, please contact:

Glenn Jessome

President and CEO

902 492 0298

jessome@silvertigermetals.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, resources and reserves, the ability to convert inferred resources to indicated resources, the ability to complete future drilling programs and infill sampling, the ability to extend resource blocks, the similarity of mineralization at El Tigre to Delores, Santa Elena and Chispas, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Silver Tiger, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "may", "is expected to", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans", "projection", "could", "vision", "goals", "objective" and "outlook" and other similar words. Although Silver Tiger believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Silver Tiger's expectations include risks and uncertainties related to exploration, development, operations, commodity prices and global financial volatility, risk and uncertainties of operating in a foreign jurisdiction as well as additional risks described from time to time in the filings made by Silver Tiger with securities regulators.

SOURCE: Silver Tiger Metals Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647892/Silver-Tiger-Intersects-13-meters-Grading-30007-gt-AgEq-within-148-meters-of-4626-gt-AgEq-in-the-Benjamin-Vein
VANCOUVER, BC, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Willow Biosciences Inc. ("Willow" or the "Company") (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQX: CANSF), a Canadian biotechnology company that manufactures ultra-pure, sustainably produced cannabinoids via yeast-based biosynthesis, announced today that it has been added to "the Cannabis ETF" (NYSE: THCX) ("THCX"), an exchange traded fund trading on NYSE Arca.

"As the only publicly traded, pure-play company that is biosynthetically producing cannabinoids, inclusion in THCX will allow us to reach a much broader group of investors looking to capture the large, global, total addressable market Willow is targeting," said Trevor Peters, Willow's President & Chief Executive Officer. "As we have just commenced the commercialization stage of our first cannabinoid, cannabigerol ("CBG"), this milestone comes at the perfect time as we are transitioning into a revenue generating company."

Listed on NYSE Arca, THCX tracks the Innovation Labs Cannabis Index, a portfolio of 33 stocks that are expected to benefit from the growth of the legal global marijuana, cannabidiol ("CBD") and hemp industries. Willow's inclusion in the index is part of THCX's expansion to include various cannabis industry sub-themes, which now includes Willow's industry leading platform manufacturing capabilities which results in ultra-pure, sustainably produced cannabinoids that are created with a fraction of the environmental footprint that traditional plant cultivation yields. Willow's technology is intended to appeal to investors looking to participate in the next generation of cannabinoid manufacturing.

About Willow Biosciences Inc.

Willow is a Canadian biotechnology company that develops and produces high-purity, plant derived ingredients for consumer care, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical products. Willow's manufacturing process creates a consistent, scalable and sustainable product that benefits industry and consumers. Willow's team has a proven track record of developing and commercializing bio-based manufacturing processes and products for both the consumer and pharmaceutical industries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements including opinions, assumptions, estimates and the Company's assessment of future plans and operations, and, more particularly, statements concerning: Willow's ability to reach a broader group of investors through its inclusion in THCX; Willow's milestone projections, including the timing of commercialization and revenue generation; and the business plan of the Company, generally, including cannabinoid research and production. When used in this news release, the words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by the Company which include, but are not limited to: the success of Willow's strategic partnerships, including the development of future strategic partnerships; the financial strength of the Company; the ability of the Company to fund its business plan using cash on hand and existing resources; the market for Willow's products; the ability of the Company to obtain and retain applicable licences; the ability of the Company to obtain suitable manufacturing partners and other strategic relationships; and the successful implementation of Willow's production strategy, generally. Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although the Company believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, risks associated with: the cannabinoid industry in general; the success of the Company's research and development strategies; infringement on intellectual property; failure to benefit from partnerships or successfully integrate acquisitions; actions and initiatives of federal and provincial governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies; import/export and research restrictions for cannabinoid-based operations; the size of the medical-use and adult-use cannabinoid market; competition from other industry participants; adverse U.S., Canadian and global economic conditions; adverse global events and public-health crises, including the current COVID-19 outbreak; failure to comply with certain regulations; departure of key management personnel or inability to attract and retain talent; and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities. Please refer to the AIF and the MD&A for additional risk factors relating to Willow, which can be accessed either on Willow's website at www.willowbio.com or under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE Willow Biosciences Inc.

Related Links

https://www.willowbio.com/


NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / AdvanceTC Limited, (NSX:A88) (OTCQB:ATCLF) the premier technology company specializing in the design and development of mobile telecommunication and computing devices is pleased to announce the recent submission of the application for StarzChat, the Multimode Communications App as a trademark () through its appointed trademark lawyer.

Below is the design submitted for the trademark registration which shall be utilised in all future communications, whether through documents or online, in relations to its StarzChat Multimode Communication App.

"This trademark allowance will be not only another important milestone in protecting the commercial potential of StarzChat, but along with other recent allowances, demonstrates our strong overall commitment to protecting the innovation and commercial opportunity of our entire product portfolio," said CP Loi, Chief Executive Office of AdvanceTC Ltd.

The application has been submitted for the international class 9 of application software for mobile telephones/smartphones.

About StarzChat

StarzChat is an app that combines multiple modes of communication including direct messaging, creating group channels, video calling, Push-To-Talk, live video broadcasting and emergency location sharing. The StarzChat platform is equally suitable for public facing communication or for secure private networks. The Company is targeting to release of the app to the general public by August 2021, upon the completion of the trial. For more information and features available on StarzChat Multimode Communication app, please click here:

https://advancetc.com/index.php/our-products/starzchat/

About AdvanceTC Limited

AdvanceTC is a premier company specializing in the design, development and commercialization of high tech mobile wireless computing and telecommunication devices since 2005. AdvanceTC W3, a full Windows OS microcomputer integrated with cellular telephony capabilities and the Xplore X7 the world first android smartphone with satellite messaging and emergency service, fully designed and developed using its own patented proprietary technology and engineering innovation.

Follow us on our social media accounts:

https://twitter.com/advancetc_ltd

https://www.instagram.com/advancetc_ltd/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/advancetc/

https://www.facebook.com/advancetcltd/

For further information please contact:

Contact:

Name: CP Loi/ Chief Executive Officer

Email: loicp@advancetc.com

Website: www.advancetc.us

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward looking statements relating to the Proposed Transaction, and the future potential of AdvanceTC. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "intends", "anticipates", "expects", "plans" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risk that the Proposed Transaction will not be completed due to, among other things, failure to execute definitive documentation, failure to complete satisfactory due diligence, failure to receive the approval of the NSX and the risk that AdvanceTC will not be successful due to, among other things, general risks relating to the mobile application industry, failure of AdvanceTC to gain market acceptance and potential challenges to the intellectual property utilized in AdvanceTC. There can be no assurance that any forward looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

The Company cannot guarantee that any forward looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will only update or revise publicly any of the included forward looking statements as expressly required by Australian securities laws.

SOURCE: AdvanceTC Ltd

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647930/AdvanceTC-Submits-Trademark-Application-for-its-New-Mobile-Application
Drill highlights at Rozino include:

Drill hole RDD-219; 52.9m grading 0.60 g/t gold, including 16.0m grading 0.95 g/t gold

Drill hole RDD-223; 42.0m grading 0.73 g/t gold, including 4.0m grading 3.48 g/t gold

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: VLC) ("Velocity" or the "Company") provides an update on positive drilling results from the Rozino gold project located in southeastern Bulgaria. Drilling at Rozino continues to discover significant gold mineralization hosted in basement rocks adjacent to and underlying the deposit. Basement-hosted gold mineralization was not included within the Company's current NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate at Rozino ("Current Resource").

Following the discovery of significant gold intercepts within the basement at Rozino (news release NR-21-07, April 27, 2021), results have been received for an additional 7 drill holes. All drill holes contain significant intersects (Table 1) with highlights outside of the Current Resource including RDD-219; 52.9m grading 0.60 g/t gold from 5.9m depth (including 16.0m grading 0.95 g/t gold) and RDD-223; 42.0m grading 0.73 g/t gold from 3.5m depth (including 4.0m grading 3.48 g/t gold) (Figures 1 and 2).

The mineralization remains open to the north and east and drilling is ongoing.

Figure 1: Drill section 2aNW showing significant intersections at the Rozino deposit. Drill results are pending for additional drill holes and drilling is ongoing.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4368/84342_fa558c37540a2b06_002full.jpg



Figure 2: Rozino map showing the location of drill holes targeting Basement, planned drill holes, and highlighting open areas where potential for additional mineralization has not been tested by previous drilling.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4368/84342_fa558c37540a2b06_003full.jpg

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

The work program is designed and supervised by Stuart A. Mills, CGeol, the Company's Vice-President Exploration, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the projects rigorously collect and track samples which are then security sealed and shipped to ALS Global laboratory in Romania. Samples used for the results described herein are prepared and analyzed by fire assay using a 30-gram charge in compliance with industry standards at ALS' Romanian laboratory. A sample split of the milled material from the Rozino Basement-hosted drill program is shipped to ALS' Irish laboratory for multi-element analysis using an inductively coupled mass spectrometer. Field duplicate samples, blanks and independent controlled reference material (standards) are added to each batch of samples. All drill intersections in this news release are calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold trigger, a minimum 0.5 g/t gold composite, and a maximum of 3 metres consecutive waste.

Drill Hold ID

From (m)

To (m)

Interval (m)

Gold (g/t)

RDD-217 66.30 77.40 11.10 0.59 RDD-217 103.40 109.60 6.20 0.51 RDD-218 6.10 11.00 4.90 2.90 RDD-218 73.00 84.00 11.00 0.57 RDD-218 99.00 101.00 2.00 2.00 RDD-219 5.90 58.80 52.90 0.60 including 34.80 50.80 16.00 0.95 RDD-220 114.50 117.50 3.00 0.63 RDD-220 121.50 125.50 4.00 0.51 RDD-221 46.20 49.20 3.00 0.63 RDD-221 86.00 92.90 6.90 0.55 RDD-221 132.00 141.00 9.00 0.83 RDD-222 93.90 101.90 8.00 0.94 RDD-223 3.50 45.50 42.00 0.73 including 31.50 35.50 4.00 3.48

Table 1: Significant intercepts from new drill holes at the Rozino deposit.

The drill intersections disclosed here have not yet been included in a resource model and true thickness of mineralization has not yet been determined. Drill holes are designed to intersect mineralization perpendicular or close to perpendicular. Drill intersections in Table 1 are calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold trigger, a minimum 0.5 g/t gold composite, and a maximum of 3 metres consecutive waste.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this release has been approved for disclosure by Stuart A. Mills, BSc, MSc, CGeol, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the Company's Vice President Exploration. Mr. Mills is not independent of the Company.

About Velocity Minerals Ltd.

Velocity is a gold exploration and development company focused on southeastern Bulgaria. Velocity's strategy is to develop a low cost centralized "Hub and Spoke" operation whereby multiple projects within this emerging gold district produce gold concentrates for trucking to a central processing plant for production of dore. The Company envisions staged open pit mining of satellite deposits and processing in an existing processing plant. Velocity has a 70% interest in the Tintyava prospecting licence, which includes the Rozino gold project, has entered into option agreements to earn a 70% interest in the Obichnik and Makedontsi gold projects, and holds a 100% interest in the Iglika project. Velocity's management and board includes mining industry professionals with combined experience spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas as employees of major mining companies as well as founders and senior executives of junior to mid-tier public companies. The team's experience includes all aspects of mineral exploration, resource definition, feasibility, finance, mine construction and mine operation as well as a track record in managing publicly listed companies.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Keith Henderson"

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Keith Henderson

Phone: +1-604-484-1233

E-mail: info@velocityminerals.com

Web: www.velocityminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: future exploration and testing carried out on the Project; use of funds; and the future business and operations of the Company. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities for the Project, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling programs for the Project, actual results of exploration activities, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital to fund the Company's business plan, future prices of precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading. "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

- 30 -

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84342
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Killi Ltd. (TSXV: MYID) (OTCQB: MYIDF) (OTCQB: MYIDD) ("Killi" or the "Company"), a supplier of compliant consumer data to brands & agencies, platforms and data companies, announces the filing of its information circular dated May 18, 2021 (the "Circular) and related meeting materials in connection with the Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") scheduled to take place virtually on June 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time). The Company's board of directors (the "Board") has set May 11, 2021 (the "Record Date") as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice and vote at the Meeting.

After taking into account Provincial and Federal guidance regarding public gatherings and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has elected to hold the Meeting virtually, allowing its shareholders to attend and participate at the Meeting by dialing into the Meeting via telephone or by joining the live webcast. The Company and its management believe that holding the Meeting virtually will proactively protect the health and wellbeing of the Company's shareholders, management, directors and service partners, while permitting and encouraging shareholder participation at the Meeting. Further details concerning the virtual Meeting are included in the Circular.

In addition to the required annual shareholder approvals regarding the: (i) election of the board of directors of the Company; (ii) re-appointment of the Company's auditor for the ensuing year; and (iii) ratification of the Company's rolling stock option plan (the "Option Plan"), Killi will seek shareholder approval for the following matters which require the approval by at least two-thirds (66.6%) of the votes cast by shareholders present by person (virtually) or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting, all as more particularly described in the Circular:

Fixing the number of directors at (5). Empowering the Board to determine the number of directors of the Company from time to time, by resolution of the Board, in accordance with subsection 125(3) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). Authorizing the Board, in its sole discretion, if deemed in the best interests of the Company, to implement, within one year from the Meeting date, a consolidation of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") on the basis of a consolidation ratio to be selected by the Board within a range between two (2) and ten (10) pre-consolidation Common Shares for every one (1) post-consolidation Common Share (the "Consolidation").

While the Board has no immediate intention to implement a Consolidation and there is no assurance that a Consolidation will be completed, it believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to have the authority to implement a Consolidation for a period of one year from the Meeting date, for the reasons set out in the Circular. In addition to shareholder approval, the Company is required to obtain the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") prior to implementing a Consolidation.

The Company has elected to use the notice-and-access ("Notice-and-Access") provisions under National Instrument 54-101 Communications with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer and National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations to distribute Meeting materials to shareholders. Notice-and-Access is a set of rules that allow issuers to post electronic versions of proxy-related materials on SEDAR and on one additional website, rather than mailing paper copies to shareholders. Shareholders have the right to request hard copies of any proxy related materials posted online by the Company under Notice-and-Access.

Meeting materials, including the Circular, will be available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and also at https://investors.killi.io/corporate-governance/investor-materials/ by May 18, 2021. The Company will provide to any shareholder, upon request to Computershare Trust Company of Canada ("Computershare"), the Company's transfer agent, a paper copy of the Circular and the audited financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 or management's discussion and analysis of the Company filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities during the past year. In order to allow reasonable time for requesting shareholders to receive and review a paper copy of the Circular or other document prior to the proxy deadline (as specified below), any shareholder who wishes to receive paper copies of any of the Meeting materials should submit their written request to Computershare by June 13, 2021.

The deadline for returning proxies for the Meeting is Monday, June 21, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time). Voting results for the Meeting will be announced after the Meeting and posted on SEDAR.

This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or a proxy.

About Killi Ltd

Killi Ltd. (TSXV: MYID) (OTCQB: MYIDF) (OTCQB: MYIDD) is a company driven by the evolution of consumer data and privacy. Offering compliant consumer data to brands & agencies, platforms and data companies, Killi allows consumers to opt-in to share specific pieces of data with brands in exchange for compensation from the use of their personal data, democratizing data for both consumers and brands. Killi offers 1st party data that is global in nature and it is CCPA compliant.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Frostad, CFO

1-855-908-DATA

E: investorrelations@killi.io

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the TSX Venture Exchange policies) accept responsibility for this news release's adequacy or accuracy.

Forward-Looking and Other Cautionary Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "is expected," "budget," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates," or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information includes, among other things, information regarding: expectations regarding the approval of a Consolidation; if approved, the effect that a Consolidation will have on the business and operations of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the Company's shareholders may not approve and the TSXV may not grant approval of a Consolidation or the Option Plan; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of a Consolidation on relationships with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; and changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets caused by COVID-19. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and market conditions. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including but not limited to, the Company's audited financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84354
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - General Gold Resources Inc. (CSE: GGLD) (formerly, CellStop Systems Inc.) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received all drilling permits needed to commence its current Clark's Brook exploration program. The Clark's Brook property is comprised of 31 claim units in central Newfoundland and surrounded on three sides by the Queensway Project (see map below), currently being explored and drilled by New Found Gold Corp.

"Here at General Gold we are excited to continue to explore Clark's Brook, especially given all of the positive activity currently underway near us in Newfoundland. Our current program is fully funded and will follow up on the successes of the previous drill campaigns undertaken in 2017-2019. There has never been a better time to be exploring in Newfoundland. The Fraser Institute clearly agrees, recently naming Newfoundland and Labrador among the top ten worldwide mining jurisdictions," said President, Michelle Gahagan.

The Clark's Brook property consists of claims originally staked in 2016, covering two auriferous showings first discovered in 2003.

As part of the earlier geological mapping and prospecting program, discoveries were made at both the Clark's Brook East ("CBE") and West ("CBW") zones. On the CBE gold zone, seven representative grab samples were attained, each comprised of material from several mineralized boulders that assayed between 2.98g/t and 24.5g/t gold with an average of 7.93g/t gold. The CBW gold zone discovery was first made in mineralized boulders returning 8.9g/t and 9.28g/t gold.

The gold mineralization on the CBE area occurs in moderately to strongly silicified siltstones brecciated by a network of thin, commonly vuggy quartz veins. Boulders at the site, ranging from 0.5 to 2m3 in size, host 15-25% vein material with trace to minor pyrite and arsenopyrite. Grab samples range between 0.25g/t and 24.5g/t, with elevated silver, molybdenum, arsenic and antimony. The underlying bedrock contains less mineralization and silicification with smaller and less concentrated vein material but still carries gold mineralization to 1.3g/t gold. At the CBW zone, grab samples of outcrop and boulders returned assays ranging from anomalous to 9.28g/t gold with anomalous values in silver, lead, zinc and cadmium.

Garry Clark, P. Geo., of Clark Exploration Consulting, is the "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical content in this press release.





Clark's Brook Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7631/84403_generalgold1.jpg

About General Gold Resources Inc.

General Gold Resources Inc. is an independent mineral exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that is engaged in the business of exploring for and evaluating mineral properties. General Gold is currently exploring the 770 hectare Clark's Brook Property in central Newfoundland. The property has been the subject to previous exploration which resulted in gold samples of up to 19.25 g/t with a gold average of 4.08 g/t.

For further information, please contact:

General Gold Resources Inc.

Michelle Gahagan, President

T: (604) 639-4452

E: mgahagan@intrepidfinancial.co.uk

Reader Advisory

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the grant of incentive stock options. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; volatility in market prices for commodities; and the other factors described in our public filings available at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transactions and neither has approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84403
Nortons decision raised questions about publishers ethical obligations to respond to controversies that extend beyond the contents of the books they publish, and it prompted criticism from some free-speech and authors advocacy groups, including PEN America, the Authors Guild and the National Coalition Against Censorship. Books must be judged on their content. Many of literatures celebrated authors led troubled  and troubling  lives, the National Coalition Against Censorship said in a statement last month. The reading public must be allowed to make their own decisions about what to read.
Proposed merger between Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 to create the French media group with the broadest TV, radio, digital, content production and technology offering to the benefit of all viewers and the French audiovisual industry.

Acceleration of the development of a French streaming champion combining a catch-up and live streaming offer (based on MyTF1 6play) and a SVOD service.

Building upon the know-how and complementarity of the two groups with strong commitment to creativity, diversity and pluralism of opinion, promoting French and European culture.

Consolidated 2020 Pro Forma financials of the merged company: 3.4bn revenues and Current operating profit of 461M 1

Value creation for all shareholders of both groups through annual synergies (EBITA impact) estimated at 250M to 350M, within three years after completion of the transaction. The combined group will aim to distribute 90 per cent of its free cash flow in dividends.

Long-term support from Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group, holding respectively 30% and 16% of the new group, following the acquisition of an 11% stake by Groupe Bouygues from RTL Group, for a consideration of 641M. Groupe Bouygues would have exclusive control over the merged company, acting in concert with RTL Group as a strategic shareholder.

Transaction terms: special cash dividend payment of 1.50 per share to Groupe M6 shareholders; overall economic exchange ratio of 2.10 Groupe TF1 shares for 1 Groupe M6 share 2

Proposed merger between Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1 offering the highest value creation to all shareholders.

Project unanimously approved by the Boards of Groupe TF1, Groupe Bouygues, RTL Group and Groupe M6.

Completion of the transaction by year-end 2022, after consultation with employees' representatives, regulatory approvals (antitrust and CSA) and shareholder meetings of both companies.

Regulatory News:

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005616/en/

Pro Forma ownership structure (Photo: Business Wire)

Groupe TF1, Groupe M6 (Paris:MMT), Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group today announce that they have signed agreements to enter into exclusive negotiations to merge the activities of Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 and create a major French media group. The new group would be well positioned to master the challenges arising from the accelerating competition with global platforms, active on the French advertising market and in the production of quality audiovisual content. The merger project has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Groupe Bouygues, RTL Group, Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6.

Regulated information: disclosure of inside information in accordance with article 17 of MAR

A French media group ready to master the new challenges of the total video market

Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 are active in a growing total video market where increasingly rich, original and exclusive content is driving long term audience growth.

This market, where linear TV remains a powerful media, is undergoing a structural transformation, with a strong shift towards on-demand consumption.

The combination of these two players, of the know-how of their employees and of their strong brands, would allow the new group to invest more and to step-up innovation. The proposed merger is critical to ensure the long-term independence of French content creation and to continue to offer diversified and premium local content to the benefit of all viewers.

Ambitious industrial project

The merged group would pursue an ambitious industrial project focused on five key priorities:

Strengthen the supply of French quality content leveraging a portfolio of strong brands and ambitious investment levels.

leveraging a portfolio of strong brands and ambitious investment levels. Continue to guarantee the independence, reliability and quality of information on television, radio and digital, while respecting pluralism and preserving each channel's identity.

on television, radio and digital, while respecting pluralism and preserving each channel's identity. Further develop a production hub for local and international content across all media segments, with the ambition to grow international content sales.

across all media segments, with the ambition to grow international content sales. Accelerate the development of a French streaming champion combining a catch-up and live streaming offering (based on MyTF1 6play) and a SVOD service.

combining a catch-up and live streaming offering (based on MyTF1 6play) and a SVOD service. Develop cutting-edge technology in streaming (notably leveraging Groupe TF1's assets and the Bedrock platform, jointly owned with RTL Group) and in addressable TV advertising to meet the needs of viewers and customers.

Gilles Pelisson, Chairman CEO of Groupe TF1, said: "The merger between Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 is a great opportunity to create a French total video champion that will guarantee independence, quality of content, and pluralism values that have long been shared by our two groups. It will be an asset in promoting French culture. Groupe TF1 now approaches a new stage in its development, consistent with the strategic vision developed in the past 5 years."

Nicolas de Tavernost, CEO of Groupe M6, said: "The consolidation of the French television and audiovisual markets is an absolute necessity if the French audience and the industry as a whole are to continue to play a predominant role in the face of exacerbated international competition, which is accelerating rapidly. The combination of the two groups' know-how will allow for an ambitious French response. Furthermore, this proposed merger of Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1 is the only transaction offering value creation for all Groupe M6 shareholders."

Olivier Roussat, CEO of Groupe Bouygues, said: "The audiovisual market benefits from long term growth. In this context, Groupe Bouygues is pleased to contribute to the creation of a major French media group able to compete with the GAFANs. We are pleased with this major development and partnership which confirm Groupe Bouygues's commitment to the media since 1987. As shareholders with exclusive control over the new group, we will continue to provide it with our full support."

Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group, said: "The proposed merger of Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 would be a major step in implementing our strategy to create national media champions across our European footprint. It demonstrates how in-country consolidation creates significant value. As a strategic investor we will be long-term industrial partners of Groupe Bouygues."

Strong value creation potential for all shareholders

The merged company would have 2020 Pro Forma revenue of 3.4bn and Current operating profit of 461M. The shareholders of Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1 would benefit from significant value creation.

The synergies potential (EBITA run-rate impact) is estimated at 250M to 350M per year within three years from closing of the transaction.

The financial policy of the combined group would allow attractive shareholder remuneration and significant investments in content and technology. The combined group would aim to distribute 90% of its free cash flow in dividends.

Transaction terms

The transaction would be implemented based on an overall economic exchange ratio of 2.10 Groupe TF1 shares for each Groupe M6 share (after distribution of a special dividend of 1.50 per share for Groupe M6 shareholders and distribution of ordinary dividends of 1.00 per Groupe M6 share and 0.45 per Groupe TF1 share in 20223) and based on the following steps:

Carve-out of the activities of Groupe M6 non-related to the broadcasting authorizations of the M6 channel granted by the CSA within a new entity ("M6 Services").

Activities related to the broadcasting authorizations granted to the M6 channel would remain in the existing Groupe M6 legal entity which would remain listed and be renamed "M6 Edition" and would benefit from service agreements with "M6 Services".

Distribution by Groupe M6 to its shareholders of: Shares in "M6 Services" A special dividend of 1.50 per share

Merger of "M6 Services" into Groupe TF1 based on a merger parity reflecting the overall economic exchange ratio of 2.10, adjusted for the value of the share received in "M6 Edition" retained by Groupe M6 shareholders.

Contribution by RTL Group of its 48.3% stake in "M6 Edition" to the merged entity, the remainder being owned by Groupe M6 current free float in line with French media regulation.

Acquisition by Groupe Bouygues of 11% of the merged entity from RTL Group for a consideration of 641M (based on a price per Groupe M6 share of 26.30 after payment of ordinary and special dividends of 1.00 and 1.50 respectively).

Groupe M6 shareholders would hence receive for each of their existing shares:

An ordinary dividend of 1.00 per share A special dividend of 1.50 per share 1 share in "M6 Edition" A number of shares in the merged entity reflecting the overall economic exchange ratio of 2.10 adjusted for the value of the share retained in "M6 Edition"

Following these steps, Groupe Bouygues would own approximately 30% of the merged entity, which it would have exclusive control over, as part of a shareholder agreement with RTL Group, second largest shareholder with approximatively 16%. Free float would own approximately 54% of the new group of which approximately 29% for the existing float of Groupe M6 and approximately 25% for the existing float of Groupe TF1.

Governance and management

The Board of Directors of the merged group would consist of 12 members, including 4 directors designated by Groupe Bouygues, 2 directors designated by RTL Group, 3 independent directors, 2 directors representing the employees and 1 director representing the employee shareholders.

At the day the operation is finalized, the management of the combined group would include members of the current management teams of Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1. Nicolas de Tavernost will be proposed as Chairman and CEO of the merged entity. Gilles Pelisson will be nominated as Deputy CEO of Groupe Bouygues in charge of media and development.

A new name reflecting the diversity and the strength of its assets will be given to the merged company. It would remain based in France and listed on Euronext Paris.

A shareholder agreement will be entered into by Groupe Bouygues and RTL Group with customary statements made to the French AMF as appropriate. Double voting rights will also be granted to shareholders of the new group who will register their shares with the merged company, as customary.

The agreement will provide for representation of the parties within governance bodies, an obligation of consultation between the parties and rights to protect minority shareholders for the benefit of RTL Group, ensuring the predominance of Groupe Bouygues.

The pact will also provide for a number of customary restrictions with regards to the transfer of shares as well as a right of first offer for the benefit of Groupe Bouygues on 5% of the capital of the combined entity, exercisable upon the first sale of shares by RTL Group.

Conditions and timetable

In compliance with French legislation, Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 will initiate information and consultation procedures with the employee representatives.

The completion of the transaction remains subject to the approval of the extraordinary general meetings of Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1 which would follow the receipt of the transaction appraisal documentation from the Commissaire la fusion et aux apports to be designated as part of the transaction.

Completion of the transaction is also subject to customary condition precedents in particular the approvals from the antitrust authorities (Autorite de la Concurrence) and media regulator (Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel). The transaction would also give rise to a request for exemptions from the compulsory filing of a public offer project (in particular on the basis of the provisions of article 234-9, 4 of the general regulations Combination of a contribution or of a merger submitted to the general meeting of shareholders with the conclusion of an agreement constituting a concerted action between the shareholders of the companies concerned) it being specified that article 39 V of the 1986 law on freedom of communication provides that crossing a mandatory tender offer threshold requires the filing of a tender-offer only for the amount of shares required to reach the regulatory limit of 49% of the share capital and voting rights.

The transaction is aimed to close by the end of 2022.

Advisors

RTL Group: J.P. Morgan acting as exclusive financial advisor and White Case LLP as legal advisor.

Groupe Bouygues and Groupe TF1: Rothschild Co acting as exclusive financial advisor and Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, Vogel Vogel and Flichy Grange as legal advisors.

Groupe M6: Lazard acting as financial advisor and Bredin Prat, Allen Overy, Arsene-Taxand and Deprez Guignot (DDG) as legal advisors.

About Groupe TF1

Groupe TF1 is a global player in the production, editing and distribution of content

Through its content, its ambition is to positively inspire society

Groupe TF1 organizes its activities into several complementary poles:

The Broadcast division with 5 free-to-air channels (TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 series films, LCI), 4 thematic channels (Ushuaia TV, Histoire TV, TV Breizh, Serie Club), 2 on-demand content platforms (MYTF1, TFOU MAX), and the TF1 PUB agency.

The Production division with Newen, which brings together 9 studios in France and internationally.

The Digital division with Unify, which brings together the Group's native web activities and the most powerful digital communities (including aufeminin, Marmiton, Doctissimo, My Little Paris).

The Music division with Muzeek One, which brings together the Group's musical activities and shows.

Present in 10 countries, the TF1 Group has nearly 3,700 employees. In 2020, it achieved a turnover of 2,081.7M (Euronext Paris: ISIN FR0000054900).

About Groupe M6

Created in 1987 around the M6 channel, Groupe M6 is a diversified media group based on three pillars: television with 13 channels (including M6, 2nd commercial channel on the market), radio with 3 stations (including RTL, 1st private radio in France) and digital with more than 30 media on the internet.

On the strength of its brands and its content, Groupe M6 has gradually extended its activities through targeted diversification (production and acquisition of content, cinema, digital marketing, music, shows, etc.) and innovative offers such as 6play or Bedrock.

About Groupe Bouygues

Groupe Bouygues is a diversified service group present in more than 80 countries and with 129,000 employees working for human progress in everyday life. Promising growth, its activities meet essential and constantly changing needs: construction activities (Bouygues Construction, Bouygues Immobilier, Colas); media (Groupe TF1) and telecoms (Bouygues Telecom) (Euronext Paris, compartment A: ISIN: FR0000120503)

About RTL Group

RTL Group is a leader across broadcast, content and digital, with interests in 67 television channels, ten streaming platforms and 38 radio stations. RTL Group also produces content throughout the world and owns a digital video network. The television portfolio of Europe's largest broadcaster includes RTL Television in Germany, M6 in France, the RTL channels in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia, Hungary and Antena 3 in Spain. RTL Group's families of TV channels are either the number one or number two in eight European countries. The Group's flagship radio station is RTL in France, and it also owns or has interests in other stations in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg. RTL Group's content business, Fremantle, is one of the world's largest creators, producers and distributors of scripted and unscripted content. Fremantle has an international network of production teams, companies and labels in over 30 countries, producing over 12,000 hours of original programming and distributing over 30,000 hours of content worldwide. Combining the streaming-services of its broadcasters (such as TV Now, 6play, Salto, Videoland), the digital video network Divimove, and Fremantle's more than 360 YouTube channels, RTL Group has become the leading European media company in digital video. RTL Group also owns the ad-tech businesses Smartclip and Yospace, as well as the streaming-tech company Bedrock. RTL AdConnect is RTL Group's international advertising sales house. Bertelsmann is the majority shareholder of RTL Group, which is listed on the Luxembourg and Frankfurt stock exchanges and in the SDAX stock index.

DISCLAIMER

This press release includes certain projections and forward-looking statements with respect to the anticipated future performance of the combined group.

Such information is sometimes identified by the use of the future tense, the conditional mode and forward-looking terms such as "estimates," "targets," "forecasts," "intends," "should," "has the ambition to," "considers," "believes," "could" and other similar expressions. This information is based on data, assumptions or estimates that Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 believe are reasonable. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected or forecast in the forward-looking statements, in particular due to the uncertainties as to whether the synergies and value creation from the transaction will be realized in the expected time frame, the risk that the businesses will not be successfully integrated, the possibility that the transaction will not receive the necessary approvals, that the anticipated timing of such approvals will be delayed or will require actions that will adversely affect the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and the possibility that the transaction will not be completed.

All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this disclaimer. Each forward-looking statement speaks only at the date of this press release. Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 make no undertaking to update or revise any information or the objectives, outlook and forward-looking statements contained in this press release or that Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 otherwise may make, except pursuant to any statutory or regulatory obligations applicable to Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6.

No statement in this press release is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any period. Persons receiving this press release should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer or invitation to exchange or sell, or solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, or an invitation to exchange, purchase or subscribe for, any securities, any part of the business or assets described herein, or any other interests or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise. This press release should not be construed as a recommendation to any reader of this press release.

The press release is neither a is not a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other offering document for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended from time to time and implemented in each member state of the European Economic Area and in accordance with French laws and regulations.

1 Corresponding to the sum of the current operating profits published by the 2 Groups

2 Detailed transaction terms on page 3

3 Dividends for 2021 fiscal year subject to board approvals and shareholder votes

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005616/en/

Contacts:

Press contacts and Investor Relations

Groupe TF1

INVESTOR RELATIONS

comfi@tf1.fr

PRESS

Maylis Carcabal +33 6 63 59 87 05 mcarcabal@tf1.fr

Groupe M6

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Guillaume Couturie +33 1 41 92 28 03 guillaume.couturie@m6.fr

PRESS

Paul Mennesson +33 1 41 92 61 36 paul.mennesson@m6.fr

Groupe Bouygues

INVESTOR RELATIONS

investors@bouygues.com +33 1 44 20 10 79

PRESS

Pierre Auberger +33 1 44 20 12 01 pab@bouygues.com

Image Sept Anne Meaux +33 6 89 87 61 76 ameaux@image7.fr

RTL Group

INVESTOR RELATIONS PRESS

Oliver Fahlbusch +49 173 284 7873 +352 621 265 649 oliver.fahlbusch@rtlgroup.com
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

SANRIA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. (CSE:ACT) (the "Company" or "Aduro Clean Technologies"), today announced that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered unit offering (the "Offering") to identified strategic investors for net proceeds of $2,099,277.

The Company issued an aggregate of 3,816,869 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.55 per Unit, with each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant being exercisable to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.80 per Common Share for a term of 24 months from the date of issuance following the closing of the Offering (the "Closing").

The Warrants are also subject to an acceleration right held by the Company if the Common Shares have a closing price of over $1.00 per Common Share for a period of ten (10) trading days on the Canadian Securities Exchange (or such other exchange on which the Common Shares may be traded at such time) for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days at any time from the date that is four months and one day after the Closing. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to applicable resale restrictions, including a four month hold from the date of issuance.

The Company paid cash finder's fees of $76,674.26 and issued 126,681 share purchase warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to certain finders in connection with the Offering. Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.80 per Common Share for a period of two years after the Closing.

"We thank our investors for their trust in management and are very pleased with the Closing of this Offering and its expanded size," said Ofer Vicus, CEO of Aduro Clean Technologies. "The support from these strategic investors and the proceeds will be crucial in advancing our chemical conversion technology platform that targets some key global environmental challenges. This includes the chemical conversion of the low value plastics that are overwhelming our lands and waters with particular attention on circularity, and the need for a lower impact approach to improving the quality and properties of low value bitumen."

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for advancement of commercialization of the Company's Hydrochemolytic cleantech platform, patent management, and general working capital purposes.

None of the securities sold in connection with the Offering will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Aduro Clean Technologies

Aduro Clean Technologies is based in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The Company has developed a novel chemical conversion process to transform waste plastics and low-grade renewable oils into renewable fuels and specialty chemicals. The Company believes its green technology is also poised to make bitumen upgrading more environmentally responsible and cost effective. Additional information on Aduro Clean Technologies is available on the company's website at www.adurocleantech.com.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Parr, Director

cparr@adurocleantech.com

604-362-7011

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding: the proposed use of funds raised in the Offering and that the Company's Hydrochemolytic cleantech platform has potential for commercialization. The forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the funds raised in the Offering may not be used as anticipated and that the Company's project, despite promise, may not achieve commercialization as anticipated or at all; general market conditions may impact the business of the Company; factors related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may impact the business of the Company; and other factors beyond the control of the parties. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

SOURCE: Aduro Clean Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647869/Aduro-Clean-Technologies-Inc-Announces-Closing-of-Oversubscribed-Strategic-Private-Placement-of-Units
Today, Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE: BERY) announced investment in renewable energy through the use of a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) aligned to provide the equivalent electricity requirements of the Company's Spanish operations. In its Impact 2025 sustainability strategy, Berry commits to minimizing its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 25 percent by 2025 vs. a 2019 baseline. This target was validated as being in line with the Paris Agreement and limiting warming to 1.5C by the Science Based Targets initiative earlier this year. Agreements in renewable energy are a prioritized strategy to support its operational goals while additionally investing in reducing overall energy demand. The VPPA investment will support the construction of a solar park in Guadalajara, which will greatly reduce the Company's carbon footprint in Spain with a reduction of approximately 20,000 tons per year.

Sites benefitting from the agreement include Tarragona, Madrid, Pamplona, La Caniza, and two in Barcelona. Tarragona is the primary site, with 70 percent of Berry's energy consumption for the country. Achieving this broader impact comes with partnership across the value chain, including Berry's chosen VPPA partnership with renewable energy leader Axpo Iberia.

"This agreement of the production of renewable energy is one of many steps Berry Global is taking to lower the carbon emissions of our operations," said Rodgers Greenawalt, Executive Vice President Operations at Berry. "By taking strides to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, we in turn reduce our customers' Scope 3 emissions."

Berry's commitment to renewable energy in Spain will contribute to additionality, enabling the addition of new renewable energy to the grid as part of one of the largest European solar park projects. Berry recognizes that in order to succeed in its quest to limit global warming, it must also help lay the groundwork for its communities and peers. Through this investment, Berry is strengthening the local infrastructure for renewable energy sources with the installment of 50 MW of new capacity, belonging to Trillo project, the largest PV plant in Europe with 626 MW.

Berry continues to be aggressive in its progress, solidifying its promise of limiting global warming to 1.5C and in support of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 with its recent announcement of Science-Based Targets. Find more information on Berry Global's sustainability commitments and progress in the Company's Impact Report 2020.

About Berry

At Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE:BERY), we create innovative packaging and engineered products that we believe make life better for people and the planet. We do this every day by leveraging our unmatched global capabilities, sustainability leadership, and deep innovation expertise to serve customers of all sizes around the world. Harnessing the strength in our diversity and industry leading talent of 47,000 global employees across more than 295 locations, we partner with customers to develop, design, and manufacture innovative products with an eye toward the circular economy. The challenges we solve and the innovations we pioneer benefit our customers at every stage of their journey. For more information, visit our website at berryglobal.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About Axpo:

Axpo is the largest producer of renewable energy in Switzerland and an international leader in the trading and marketing of solar and wind energy. With a workforce of 5,000 employees and operations in more than 30 countries in Europe and the United States, it develops innovative solutions by combining more than 100 years of experience with its capacity for innovation for a sustainable energy future.

Axpo Iberia has been managing for 20 years the main independent portfolio of renewable plants on the peninsula and offers products and services in Spain and Portugal that range from electricity and gas supply, to energy efficiency and trading of electricity, gas, biomass and CO2.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005632/en/

Contacts:

Berry Media Contact:

Amy Waterman

+1 812 306 2435

amywaterman@berryglobal.com
Thunder Bay Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (OTCQB: MCREF) (FSE: M1C1) (the "Company" or Metals Creek) is pleased to announce that the company has been advised by its option partner General Gold Resources Inc. (C-GGLD) (General Gold) (formerly, CellStop Systems Inc.) (CSE: GGLD) that it has received all drilling permits needed to commence its current Clark's Brook exploration program. The Clark's Brook property is comprised of 31 claim units in central Newfoundland and surrounded on three sides by the Queensway Project (see map below), currently being explored and drilled by New Found Gold Corp.

The Clarks' Brook property is under option from Metals Creek. In order to maintain the Option Agreement in good standing, General Gold must issue an aggregate of 1,500,000 common shares of General Gold (200,000 received) and make cash payments totaling $225,000 ($50,000 received) over a three-year period. If General Gold does not make any or all of the cash payments or issue any or all of the common shares, it will be in default under the Option Agreement and all right and title to the Clark's Brook Property shall remain with MEK. If the option is exercised in accordance with the terms of the Option Agreement, General Gold will reserve to MEK a 2% net smelter royalty (the "NSR") on the mineral claims, provided, however, that General Gold shall have the right at any time to purchase from MEK 1% of the NSR in consideration for a one-time payment of the sum of $1,000,000.

"Here at General Gold, we are excited to continue to explore Clark's Brook, especially given all of the positive activity currently underway near us in Newfoundland. Our current program is fully funded and will follow up on the successes of the previous drill campaigns undertaken in 2017-2019. There has never been a better time to be exploring in Newfoundland. The Fraser Institute clearly agrees, recently naming Newfoundland and Labrador among the top ten worldwide mining jurisdictions," said President, Michelle Gahagan.

The Clark's Brook property consists of claims originally staked in 2016, covering two auriferous showings first discovered in 2003.

As part of the earlier geological mapping and prospecting program, discoveries were made at both the Clark's Brook East ("CBE") and West ("CBW") zones. On the CBE gold zone, seven representative grab samples were attained, each comprised of material from several mineralized boulders that assayed between 2.98g/t and 24.5g/t gold with an average of 7.93g/t gold. The CBW gold zone discovery was first made in mineralized boulders returning 8.9g/t and 9.28g/t gold.

The gold mineralization on the CBE area occurs in moderately to strongly silicified siltstones brecciated by a network of thin, commonly vuggy quartz veins. Boulders at the site, ranging from 0.5 to 2m3 in size, host 15-25% vein material with trace to minor pyrite and arsenopyrite. Grab samples range between 0.25g/t and 24.5g/t, with elevated silver, molybdenum, arsenic and antimony. The underlying bedrock contains less mineralization and silicification with smaller and less concentrated vein material but still carries gold mineralization to 1.3g/t gold. At the CBW zone, grab samples of outcrop and boulders returned assays ranging from anomalous to 9.28g/t gold with anomalous values in silver, lead, zinc and cadmium.

Garry Clark, P. Geo., of Clark Exploration Consulting, is the "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical content in this press release.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/943/84417_0069e10fb4e1f9aa_002full.jpg

MEK has current option agreements on a number of its projects including: Squid (Yukon) to Manning Ventures Inc., Flint Lake (Ontario) to Manning Ventures Inc, Clarks Brook (NL) to General Gold and Yellow Fox/Careless Cove (NL) to Quadro Resources.

About Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the TSX-V Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont Corporation, which covers an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF) and includes the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario. In addition, Metals Creek has signed an agreement with Newmont Corporation, whereby Metals Creek can earn a 100% interest in the past producing Dona Lake Gold Project in the Pickle Lake Mining District of Ontario.

Metals Creek also has multiple quality projects available for option in Ontario and Newfoundland which can be viewed on the Company's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Company at the number below.

Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO

Metals Creek Resources Corp

Telephone: (709)-256-6060

Fax: (709)-256-6061

Email: astares@metalscreek.com

MetalsCreek.com

Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes

Facebook.com/MetalsCreek

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84417
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Contact Gold Corp. (TSXV: C) (OTCQB: CGOL) (the "Company" or "Contact Gold") is pleased to announce drill results from the first 6 holes of the 2021 drill program at its Green Springs gold project in White Pine County, Nevada. The 2021 program started in late February, focused on the northern end of the 3 km long Mine Trend at Green Springs.

Drill Highlights:

1.45 g/t Au over 47.24 metres in hole GS21-05 from a downhole depth of 50.29 metres at the Mine Trend (82% gold recovery in Cyanide assays)



Interval includes 1.68 g/t Au over 38.1 metres (83% gold recovery in Cyanide assays)



Extends gold mineralization along a key east-west striking cross structure, which was originally identified in drill hole GSC20-05 which returned 2.34 g/t over 33.53 metres (81% gold recovery in Cyanide assays) (see February 23, 2021 news release)



These results represent the successful implementation of advanced modeling efforts that are being incorporated into our 2021 drill program to intersect thicker and high-grade portions of the Green Springs gold system





in hole GS21-05 from a downhole depth of 50.29 metres at the Mine Trend (82% gold recovery in Cyanide assays) 0.89 g/t Au over 12.19 metres in hole GS-02 from a downhole depth of 24.38 metres at the Mine Trend (65% gold recovery in Cyanide assays)



Continued to demonstrate near surface, oxide gold mineralization at the northern portion of the Mine Trend with offsets of GS20-25 that intersected 10.7 g/t over 4.57 meters ( see January 26, 2021 news release)





in hole GS-02 from a downhole depth of 24.38 metres at the Mine Trend (65% gold recovery in Cyanide assays) 47 drill holes have been completed in the 2021 program to date for a total of 5,856 metres





Drill results are expected to continue to be received throughout the summer from Green Springs

"These initial results from our 2021 drill program are a great start for our exploration activities at Green Springs," stated Matt Lennox-King, CEO of Contact Gold. "Last year's drill program continued to deliver thick intervals of high-grade, oxide gold mineralization along the Mine Trend's 3 km length. Our team's geology modeling efforts refined our understanding of structural controls to mineralization allowing us to target thick and high-grade portions of the Green Springs gold system."

Vice President of Exploration, Vance Spalding, commented, "In addition to the Mine Trend drilling, and thanks to having a Plan of Operations permit in hand to construct the necessary roads and drill pads, we are excited to be drilling the newly identified Tango target. Tango is an excellent opportunity to discover a new Carlin-Type gold zone. We have drilled 19 holes into Tango in this phase of the program. Our focus is on rapidly expanding the footprint of gold mineralization along the Mine Trend, and at the un-drilled frontier targets as we continue to reinforce the high-quality nature of the Green Springs oxide gold project."

The Mine Trend:

The Mine Trend is a north-south corridor of gold mineralization extending from three past producing open pits and encompasses the Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Zulu sub-zones. Drilling in 2020 expanded the Mine Trend from 2km to 3km through new discoveries at the north and south ends of the trend.

The 2021 Green Springs program is designed to follow up on a successful 2020 program that intersected wide intervals of oxide gold mineralization above 2 g/t Au that were originally discovered at Echo in 2019 (5.05 g/t Au over 39.6m) (see October 2, 2019 news release) and have been expanded by Contact Gold in each successive drill program. Drilling in 2020 also delivered the highest grades from Bravo (10.7 g/t Au over 4.57m) (see January 26, 2021 news release) and Charlie (2.34 g/t Au over 33.5m) (see February 23, 2021 news release). Outside of the Mine Trend, the Alpha Zone also returned similar gold grades and widths with 2.1 g/t Au over 21.3m (see February 9, 2021 news release) providing another potential zone to extend the Mine Trend.

2021 Green Springs drill hole results from this news release:

Drill Hole Mine Trend sub-Zone From (m) To

(m) Interval (m) Grade (Au g/t) Oxidation GS21-01 Bravo 28.96 36.58 7.62 0.70 Oxide (67% CN Recovery) including 28.96 32.00 3.05 1.37 Oxide (74% CN Recovery) GS21-02 Bravo 25.91 38.10 12.19 0.89 Oxide (65% CN Recovery) including 27.43 30.48 3.05 1.21 Oxide (52% CN Recovery) including 32.00 36.58 4.57 1.19 Oxide (81% CN Recovery) GS21-03 Bravo 24.38 30.48 6.10 1.11 Oxide (59% CN Recovery) including 25.91 28.96 3.05 2.02 Oxide (81% CN Recovery) 53.34 57.91 4.57 0.68 Oxide (66% CN Recovery) GS21-04 Bravo no reportable intercepts GS21-05 Charlie 50.29 97.54 47.24 1.45 Oxide (82% CN Recovery) including 51.82 89.92 38.10 1.68 Oxide (83% CN Recovery) GS21-06 Charlie no reportable intercepts

For a detailed plan map of the northern Mine Trend, please click:

http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/GS-20210518-Plan.jpg

For a long section of the results, please click:

http://www.contactgold.com/_resources/news/Mine-Trend-Charlie-Area.png

About the Green Springs Project:

Green Springs is located near the southern end of the Cortez Trend of Carlin-type gold deposits in White Pine County, Nevada, east of Fiore Gold's Pan Mine and Gold Rock Project and south of Waterton's Mount Hamilton deposit. The Green Springs property is 18.5 km2 encompassing 3 shallow past producing open pits and numerous targets that were not mined.

Contact Gold signed a purchase option agreement with Ely Gold Royalties ("Ely Gold") to acquire an undivided 100% interest in Green Springs in July 2019. Green Springs is an early-stage exploration property and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource estimate at Green Springs. Additional information about Green Springs is summarized in the NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Green Springs Project, White Pine County, Nevada, USA" prepared for Contact Gold, with an effective date of June 12, 2020, and dated August 5, 2020, as prepared by John J. Read, C.P.G; an independent consultant and qualified person under NI 43-101, and can be viewed under Contact Gold's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Vance Spalding, CPG, VP Exploration, Contact Gold, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. Drill intercepts were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 0.14 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of material averaging less than 0.14 ppm gold for low grade intervals and higher-grade intervals were calculated using a minimum thickness of 3.05 metres averaging 1.00 ppm gold and allowing inclusion of up to 4.57 metres of assays averaging less than 1.00 ppm gold. Gravimetric assays are used for all Fire Assays above 4.00 ppm gold. Cyanide solubility assays are completed on all Fire Assays greater than 0.1 g/t. True width of drilled mineralization is unknown, but owing to the apparent flat lying nature of mineralization, is estimated to generally be at least 70% of drilled thickness. The Cyanide recovery percentages are equally averaged by interval, and are not weighted by gold content per interval. Quality Assurance / Quality Control consists of regular insertion of certified reference standards, blanks, and duplicates. All failures are followed up and resolved whenever possible with additional investigation whenever such an event occurs. All assays are completed at Paragon; an ISO 17025:2005 accredited lab. Check assays are completed at a second, reputable assay lab after the program is complete.

About Contact Gold Corp.

Contact Gold is an exploration company focused on making district scale gold discoveries in Nevada. Contact Gold's extensive land holdings are on the prolific Carlin and Cortez gold trends which host numerous gold deposits and mines. Contact Gold's land position comprises approximately 140 km2 of target rich mineral tenure hosting numerous known gold occurrences, ranging from early- to advanced-exploration and resource definition stage.

Additional information about the Company is available at www.contactgold.com.

For more information, please contact: +1 (604) 449-3361

John Glanville - Director Investor Relations

Chris Pennimpede - VP, Corporate Development

E-mail: info@ContactGold.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the anticipated exploration activities of the Company on the Green Springs property.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84375
New data from all cohorts of Phase 1 Single Ascending Dose clinical trial accepted for oral presentation at e-ECE 2021

LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amolyt Pharma, a global pharmaceutical company specializing in developing therapeutic peptides for rare endocrine and metabolic diseases, today announced that it will be presenting four abstracts at the 23rd European Congress of Endocrinology (e-ECE) 2021 to be held virtually from May 22-26, 2021 as well as an abstract at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 2021 to be held virtually from May 17-20, 2021.



At e-ECE 2021, Amolyt Pharma will present new data from all cohorts from its Phase 1 Single Ascending Dose clinical trial evaluating AZP-3601, a parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog specifically designed for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism. In addition, Amolyt will present two retrospective Natural History Study methods to identify patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism. Finally, Amolyt will present preclinical data for AZP-3404, a peptide with a new and unique potential mechanism of action on fat and glucose metabolism. At ISPOR 2021, Amolyt will present proposed methods to identify patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism using claims data in the United States (US). Details of the abstracts are as follows:

ISPOR 2021 Poster Presentation

Title: Methods to Identify Patients with Chronic Hypoparathyroidism in the United States (US) Using Claims Data

Session: Virtual Poster Discussion Session 3, Rare & Orphan Diseases, Methodological & Statistical Research

Session Date/Time: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 from 11:30 AM - 1:45 PM EDT

e-ECE 2021 Oral Presentations

Title: Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacodynamics of AZP-3601, a Novel Long-Acting PTH Analog, in Healthy Adults: Data From a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study

Session: Channel 1, Oral Communications 6: Calcium and Bone

Session Date/Time: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 from 14:30 - 15:30 CET

Title: Improved Glucose Metabolism and Decreased Weight Gain in Leptin-Resistant, IGFBP2-Deficient, db/db Mice Induced by AZP-3404, a 9-Amino Acid Analog of IGFBP2

Session: Channel 2, Oral Communications 12: Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition

Session Date/Time: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 from 14:30 - 15:30 CET

e-ECE 2021 Poster Presentations

Title: Assessment of Clinical Burden and Practice Patterns in Patients with Chronic Hypoparathyroidism in the United States (US): A Claims Data Analysis Using Diagnosis-Based Criteria

Session: Thyroid (non cancer)

Title: Assessment of Clinical Burden and Practice Patterns in Patients with Chronic Hypoparathyroidism in the United States (US): A Claims Data Analysis Using a Surgery-Based Approach

Session: Thyroid (non cancer)

Additional details can be found on the ISPORand e-ECEwebsites and copies of the presentations and abstracts will be available on the Amolyt website once the presentations conclude.

About Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is defined by a deficiency of parathyroid hormone (PTH) that may result in decreased calcium and elevated phosphorus levels in the blood. Clinical manifestations of hypoparathyroidism vary and impact a large number of tissues and organ systems, including the muscles, brain, heart, and kidneys. Despite available treatments, patients frequently experience persistent, life-altering symptoms and reduced quality of life. In addition, they often develop kidney disease and have abnormal bone architecture. There are approximately 80,000 and 110,000 people with hypoparathyroidism in the U.S. and E.U., respectively, of which about 80% are women. More than two-thirds of women with hypoparathyroidism are peri- and menopausal women who are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. It is estimated that about 25% of people with hypoparathyroidism have chronic kidney disease or kidney failure, highlighting the importance of reducing urinary calcium excretion as a key treatment goal.

About AZP-3601

AZP-3601 is an investigational therapeutic peptide designed to target a specific conformation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor in order to safely produce sustained levels of calcium in the blood and thereby manage the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism. AZP-3601 is designed to be selectively active through this distinct conformation of the PTH receptor and to limit urine calcium excretion by restoring calcium reabsorption by the kidney, with the goal of consequently preventing chronic kidney disease. In addition, AZP-3601 is designed to have unique receptor profile and short half life, which would have the potential to preserve bone integrity, an important potential benefit since the majority of patients with hypoparathyroidism are middle-aged women often at increased risk of osteoporosis.

About AZP-3404

AZP-3404 is believed to be the first investigational therapeutic peptide designed to leverage the biology of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2), a key mediator of the beneficial effects of leptin on fat and glucose metabolism. The metabolic-regulating activity of IGFBP-2 resides in a small peptide sequence located within its structure. AZP-3404 is a stabilized peptide analog of this sequence and is the first drug candidate designed to utilize and to reproduce the unique biology of IGFBP-2. We are currently conducting pre-investigational new drug activities and exploring target indications for AZP-3404, especially rare metabolic diseases characterized by insulin resistance and/or obesity.

About Amolyt Pharma

Amolyt Pharma is building on its team's established expertise in therapeutic peptides to deliver life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare endocrine and metabolic diseases. Its portfolio includes AZP-3601 as a potential treatment for patients with hypoparathyroidism, AZP-3800, a small peptide series under evaluation to select a development candidate for the treatment of patients with acromegaly and AZP-3404, which is undergoing indication prioritization work. Amolyt Pharma aims to further expand and develop its portfolio by leveraging its global network in the field of endocrinology and with support from a strong syndicate of international investors. To learn more, visit www.amolytpharma.com or follow us on Twitter at @AmolytPharma.

Media:

Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D.

LifeSci Communications

ccecchini@lifescicomms.com

+1.646.876.5196

Investors:

Ashley Robinson

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

arr@lifesciadvisors.com

+1.617.430.7577
MONTREAL, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier (TSX: BBD.B) (the "Corporation") today announced that it has completed the issuance and sale to an institutional accredited investor (the "Investor") of US$260,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Bombardier's 7.45% Senior Notes due 2034 (the "Additional Notes") at a purchase price of par. The Additional Notes are additional notes of the same series, and are on the same terms and conditions, as the 7.45% Senior Notes due 2034 (the "2034 Notes") currently outstanding under the indenture, originally dated as of April 21, 2004, governing the 2034 Notes (the "2034 Indenture"). Following this private placement, the aggregate principal amount outstanding under the 2034 Notes is US$510,000,000. The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds from this private placement for the repayment of a portion of the Corporation's outstanding indebtedness.



The Corporation also today announced that it has amended and supplemented the terms of the consent solicitations in respect of its 2034 Notes and its 7.35% Debentures due 2026 ("Canadian Notes"), as set forth in the Corporation's Notice of Extension and Amendment dated May 18, 2021 ("Notice of Amendment") to the Consent Solicitation Statement dated May 3, 2021 (as amended by the press releases dated May 12, 2021 and May 14, 2021, the "Consent Solicitation Statement" and, together with the Notice of Amendment, the "Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement").

2034 Notes

In respect of the 2034 Notes, the Consent Solicitation (as defined in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement) has been amended and supplemented in order to (i) remove the record date for participation in the 2034 Notes Consent Solicitation and (ii) extend the expiration date of the 2034 Notes Consent Solicitation to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 21, 2021 (the "Extended Expiration Date").

The Company has obtained the Investor's consent in respect of the proposed amendments to the 2034 Indenture described in the Consent Solicitation Statement. The Investor, which is the beneficial owner of a majority of the principal amount of the 2034 Notes, has further agreed to give its affirmative consent in the 2034 Notes Consent Solicitation.

ALL CONSENTS PREVIOUSLY GIVEN IN THE CONSENT SOLICITATION WITH RESPECT TO THE 2034 NOTES ARE NO LONGER EFFECTIVE, AND ANY HOLDER OF 2034 NOTES WHO WISHES TO PROVIDE ITS CONSENT IN THIS CONSENT SOLICITATION MUST VALIDLY GIVE THEIR CONSENT ON OR AFTER MAY 18, 2021 AND ON OR PRIOR TO THE EXTENDED EXPIRATION DATE. For the avoidance of doubt, any holder of 2034 Notes who has previously consented to the Consent Solicitation with respect to the 2034 Notes must validly deliver their consent again in order to receive the Consent Payment (as defined in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement). Consents may not be revoked once given, including during any extension of the Consent Solicitation period, except as provided in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

Canadian Notes

Consent Solicitation in respect of the Canadian Notes has been extended such that the expiration date of the Consent Solicitation is the Extended Expiration Date (being 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 21, 2021).

All holders of the 2034 Notes or Canadian Notes whose consents are properly made and not revoked on or prior to the Extended Expiration Date will be entitled to receive the Consent Payment, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

Except as set forth in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement with respect to the removal of the record date in respect of the Consent Solicitation for the 2034 Notes and the extension of the expiration dates of the Consent Solicitations for the 2034 Notes and the Canadian Notes, the terms and conditions of the Consent Solicitations remain the same as set forth and described in the original Consent Solicitation Statement dated May 3, 2021 (as amended and extended). The Corporation reserves the absolute right, subject to applicable laws, to further amend, waive or modify the terms of the Consent Solicitations in any manner. For a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the Consent Solicitations, holders are encouraged to read the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold any of the notes as to when such intermediary needs to receive instructions from a holder in order for that holder to be able to participate in, or (in the circumstances in which revocation is permitted) revoke their instruction to participate in, the Consent Solicitations, before the deadlines specified herein and in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement. The deadlines set by each clearing system for the submission and withdrawal of instructions will also be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified herein and in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.You should check with such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to determine whether they will charge you a fee for delivering your consent on your behalf.

For additional information regarding the terms of the Consent Solicitations, or to obtain additional copies of the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement, please contact Global Bondholder Services Corporation at, or, in respect of the Canadian Notes, Kingsdale Partners LP at 1-888-518-6824 or by email at corpaction@kingsdaleadvisors.com. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Consent Solicitations.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and UBS Securities LLC are acting as the Solicitation Agents for the Consent Solicitations. Questions concerning the terms of the Consent Solicitations should be directed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (212) 723-6106 (collect) or (800) 558-3745 (toll-free) or UBS Securities LLC at (203) 719-4210 (collect) or (888) 719-4210 (toll-free).

None of the Corporation, the trustees for the notes, the agents under the respective indentures for the notes, the information agents, any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates or any of its or their respective directors, officers, employees or representatives makes any recommendation to holders as to whether or not to deliver their consent pursuant to any of the Consent Solicitations, and none of the foregoing has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders must decide whether to provide their consent.

This notice does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to purchase, or any solicitation of any offer to sell, the notes or any other securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this notice nor any part of it, nor the fact of its release, shall form the basis of, or be relied on or in connection with, any contract therefor. The Consent Solicitations are made only by and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement and the information in this notice is qualified by reference to the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, sale or purchase of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation, sale or purchase would be unlawful.

The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any state securities laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or in a transaction exempt from or not subject to such registration requirements. The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for distribution to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the securities in Canada must be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws.

Holders are requested to read and consider carefully the information contained in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement and to deliver their consent in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, creating innovative and game-changing planes. Our products and services provide world-class experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier is present in more than 12 countries including its production/engineering sites and its customer support network. The Corporation supports a worldwide fleet of more than 4,900 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments and private individuals.

News and information is available at bombardier.comor follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Consent Solicitations to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Consent Solicitations will be deemed to be made by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to the Corporation's ability to complete the Consent Solicitations, are based on estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions that Bombardier believes are reasonable but are not guarantees of future events and results.

Forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. For additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Supplemental Consent Solicitation Statement.

For information
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSXV:YGT)(Frankfurt:TX0)(OTCQX:YGTFF) ("Gold Terra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results for two drill holes from the Company's Phase 1 drilling program at the Company's optioned property from Newmont Ventures Limited and Miramar Northern Mining Limited (the "Newmont Option") adjacent to its Yellowknife City Gold Project ("YCG"), NWT. The latest drill results extend the Kam Point North zone 200 metres deeper, confirming down dip continuity. Kam Point North is situated approximately 1 kilometre south of the high-grade Yellorex zone reported previously (see figure 2). Drill results continue to confirm the strike continuity of gold mineralization for over two kilometres in the Campbell Shear structure from which the former Con Mine produced 5 million ounces of gold.

President and CEO David Suda stated, "We have successfully intersected new gold mineralized lenses and the presence of gold mineralization below 350 metres vertical depth in the southern part of the Newmont Option. These latest results confirm the continuity of gold mineralization below the Kam Point North zone that are comparable to the same high-grade mineralization style mined at the Con Mine. We have now identified vectors to the higher-grade lenses within the broader Campbell Shear structure. Using these vectors we will further test and build on our success this coming July with our 10,000 metre Phase 2 drilling program along the Campbell shear structure, which remains open at depth and along strike in both directions."

Figure 1 -Drill hole locations and extent of mineralization in Campbell Shear

Drilling Highlights

Results for holes GTCM21-010 and GTCM21-011 totaling 1,372.42 metres are as follows and are shown in figure 2:

Hole GTCM21-010 intersected 1.80 g/t Au over 3.07 metres within the Campbell Shear structure. This gold-bearing zone consists of a strong and pervasive sericite alteration with smoky quartz veins, pyrite and arsenopyrite needles. The Campbell Shear intersected by hole GTCM21-010 is 210 metres wide, including a 26 metre-wide undeformed "horse". Areas that were historically described as "horses" by Con Mine geologists were significant for localizing gold mineralization in the pressure shadows they create.

intersected within the Campbell Shear structure. This gold-bearing zone consists of a strong and pervasive sericite alteration with smoky quartz veins, pyrite and arsenopyrite needles. The Campbell Shear intersected by hole GTCM21-010 is 210 metres wide, including a 26 metre-wide undeformed "horse". Areas that were historically described as "horses" by Con Mine geologists were significant for localizing gold mineralization in the pressure shadows they create. Hole GTCM21-011 intersected 1.32 g/t Au over 9.20 metres including 5.99 g/t Au over 1.45 metres within the Campbell Shear structure. The Campbell Shear intersected by this hole is 157 metres wide and is anastomosed, separated by several undeformed "horses" between strong shear zones. The whole structure is 157m-wide including these "horses".

Gold mineralization in both these holes is associated with thick smoky quartz veins rich in arsenopyrite needles within a strongly sericitized alteration envelope hosted in a highly sheared mafic volcanic rock. This is very similar to the same high-grade mineralization style mined at the Con Mine. These two holes were drilled to follow-up alteration zones intersected by holes GTCM21-006 (see April 6, 2021 press release) and GTCM21-007 (see April 27, 2021 press release). Based on the geological model for the Campbell Shear at the Con Mine, a sericite alteration halo surrounds high-grade gold mineralization. Hole GTCM21-010 successfully intersected new gold mineralized lenses based on alteration halos identified by previous drilling. The hole confirms the presence of gold mineralization at depth (below 350 metres vertical depth). Hole GTCM21-011 tested the continuity of the gold mineralized lenses intersected by hole GTCM21-007 (1.14 g/t Au over 11.05 metres) confirming zone continuity of at least 200 metres downdip (see figure 3). Intersecting a gold envelope in the order of 1g/t Au over a width of 10m is highly indicative of an area that requires additional drilling.

Figure 2 - Longitudinal Section showing drill holes GTCM21-010 and GTCM21-011.

Figure 3 - Cross-section showing hole GTCM21-011.

The Phase 1 winter drilling objective was to systematically intersect the Campbell Shear structure and to define its internal gold structures. It is important to identify the corridors that hold gold mineralization as Gold Terra's compilation of level plans at the Con Mine show that low-grade gold transitions into high-grade gold lenses and that the transition can occur over a very short distance. The Con Mine is a 5 Moz. deposit that consists of such lenses with anomalous gold envelopes where the higher gold mineralization often varies from a single narrow high-grade vein/shear to several withing the same envelope.

The Company completed its Phase 1 drilling program with 13 holes totalling 7,242 metres last winter, with assays pending for the last two holes.

Technical Appendix

This news release reports the assay results from two (2) drill holes totaling 1,372 metres from which 430 core samples were assayed. Assays results range from non-detectable gold to the highest assay of 6.60 g/t Au. The best intersections are listed in Table 1. The Company inserts certified standards and blanks into the sample stream as a check on laboratory Quality Control (QC). Drill core samples are cut by diamond saw at Gold Terra's core facilities in Yellowknife. A halved core sample is left in the core box. The other half core is sampled and transported by Gold Terra personnel in securely sealed bags to ALS (ALS) preparation laboratory in Yellowknife. After sample preparation, samples are shipped to ALS's Vancouver facility for gold analysis. Gold assays of >3 g/t are re-assayed on a 30 g split by fire assay with gravimetric finish. Samples with visible gold are additionally assayed using a screen metallic method. ALS is a certified and accredited laboratory service. ALS routinely inserts certified gold standards, blanks and pulp duplicates, and results of all QC samples are reported.

Drill holes were drilled at right angles to the structure hosting the mineralization and dip angles of holes were designed to intersect the zones as close to normal as possible. Zones reported here are interpreted to be 80 to 90 percent true thickness.

Table 1:Campbell Shear DDH intersections

Drill Hole Azimuth Dip Easting

(UTM, NAD83, Z11) Northing

(UTM, NAD83, Z11) From

(m) To

(m) Lengt

(m) Au (g/t) GTCM21-010 087 -50 635407 6921758.5 458.40 459.45 1.05 1.75 GTCM21-010 485.65 488.72 3.07 1.80 GTCM21-011 088.5 -50 635590 6921342.3 247.90 249.70 1.80 1.59 GTCM21-011 262.00 271.20 9.20 1.32 Including 269.75 271.2 1.45 5.99

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Joseph Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Gold Terra's Yellowknife City Gold Project

The YCG project encompasses 800 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometres of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople.

The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that host the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com.

For more information, please contact:

David Suda, President and CEO

Phone: 604-928-3101 | Toll-Free: 1-855-737-2684

dsuda@goldterracorp.com

Mara Strazdins, Manager of Investor Relations

Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102

Strazdins@goldterracorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear on the Newmont Option potentially adding high grade ounces to the Company's current YCG mineral resource, future planned drilling on the Newmont Option area and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647878/Gold-Terra-intersects-599-gt-Au-over-145-metres-in-the-Campbell-Shear-confirming-200-m-down-dip-continuity-of-Kam-Point-North-zone-Newmont-Option-NWT
Aerospace leader continues support of American-crewed lunar and deep space flights for Artemis program

Cobham Mission Systems, the U.S.-based world leader in space life support systems, announced today it has been awarded a follow-on contract from Thales Alenia Space Italia for regulators and latch valves to be used on the European Service Modules for NASA's American-crewed Orion spacecraft. The ESM provides essential support functions for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which will be launched on the Space Launch System under the Artemis program to take astronauts to the moon and eventually to Mars.

"Our team is thrilled to continue its role in the Artemis Orion mission and ESM program through the advancement of our critical life support system hardware," said Michael O'Donnell, vice president of Business Development and Sales at Cobham Mission Systems. "We are proud of our historical legacy of supporting NASA space missions, and passionate about developing the most advanced and effective life support technologies that assist the next generation of manned space missions. Our industry partnerships are critical to our goal of driving continued innovation and successful component deliveries. We are committed to supporting our long-standing partnership with Thales Alenia Space to ensure the continued success of future missions."

Cobham Mission Systems' components, used in the ESM's crew life support consumable gas and water delivery system, will provide water, oxygen, and nitrogen needed to create a life-sustaining environment for the crew onboard the vehicle. Components, including oxygen and nitrogen regulators, and water and gas on/off valves, will be delivered annually and designated for use on ESM 4 through 6, scheduled to launch in the 2026-2027 timeframe. Final Orion program approval by the European Union Ministerial Council for ESM 5 and 6 is expected to take place end of 2022.

"This is our first multi-year production order for ESM hardware extending beyond what we have already been contracted to deliver for ESM 1 through 3," said Craig Ryan, integrated product team director for Space Systems at Cobham Mission Systems. "Safely extending the reach of astronauts has been the priority for our space programs since NASA's first earth orbital flight. It is incredibly rewarding to continue advancing this goal in our work for the lunar Artemis missions and deep space exploration."

In addition to these critical life support components, Cobham Mission Systems' broader product offering in satellite electric propulsion includes mechanical regulators, proportional flow valves, composite propellant tanks and complete feed systems. The company's design expertise in all these elements allows the globally recognized Cobham Mission Systems team to create custom, integrated solutions to meet the most challenging performance, budget or production requirements of its broad range of aerospace customers.

For more information on Cobham Mission Systems space life support and propulsion products, visit www.cobhammissionsystems.com or contact Ryan at craig.ryan@cobham.com or (716) 667-6468.

About Cobham Mission Systems

As the world's leading supplier of critical control solutions, Cobham Mission Systems helps customers increase the safety and mission capabilities of personnel and equipment in extreme environments. Proven and trusted solutions include air-to-air refueling, fuel tank inerting, life support, space propulsion, weapons carriage and missile actuation that enable customers to achieve mission success. www.cobhammissionsystems.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005344/en/

Contacts:

Media:

On behalf of Cobham

Joyce Bosc

(301) 717-9529

JBosc@Boscobel.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) -Edison Cobalt Corp. (TSXV: EDDY) ("Edison" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Roger Dahn, P Geo, to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Dahn has over 40 years experience in the mining and exploration industry. His experience includes over 16 years with Noranda and Hemlo Gold Mines Inc., Exploration Manager of Eastern Canada for Battle Mountain Gold Company, Vice President Exploration with Olympus Pacific Minerals Inc., and most recently Tri-Star Resources plc. Mr. Dahn is currently Chairman of the Board at Manganese X Energy Corp. Roger brings extensive mineral exploration experience to the Company, a registered professional geologist and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Nathan Rotstein, chief executive officer of Edison, commented: "The Dahn family name is well known in eastern Canada. Roger has valuable skillsets in exploration and mining, he is the brother of Jeff Dahn, who is recognized as one of the pioneering developers of the lithium-ion battery, thru the development partnership Tesla has with Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia." Mr Rotstein continues: "On behalf of the board and management, we all look forward to working with Roger and leveraging his significant relationships in the energy metals sector."

Finally, the Company announces Mr. Jeffrey Cocks has resigned as an Director of the Company. Edison thanks Mr. Cocks for all of his contributions to the Company and wishes him well in future endeavours.

About Edison Cobalt Corp.

Edison Cobalt Corp. is a Canadian-based junior mining exploration company focused on the procurement, exploration and development of cobalt, lithium and other energy metals. Edison Cobalt Corp.'s acquisition strategy focuses on acquiring affordable, cost-effective and highly regarded mineral properties in areas with proven geological potential. The Company is looking to build a portfolio of quality assets capable of supplying critical materials to the battery industry. The Company intends to capitalize on and have its shareholders benefit from the renewed interest in the battery metals space.

On behalf of the Board of Directors: For more information please contact:

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

"Nathan Rotstein"

Nathan Rotstein

Chief Executive Officer, Director

For more information please contact:

Tel: (416) 526-3217

Email: info@edisoncobalt.com

Website: www.edisoncobalt.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84334
From Trumps all-out support for Israel to Bidens no concrete action, the US has undeniable responsibility for todays conflict

(Global Times) 11:04, May 18, 2021

Photo taken on May 13, 2021 shows explosions following Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

When a Palestinian girl wept out her tears in the ruins of her bombed home, asking "why do we deserve this? What did we do for this? They just don't like us because we are Muslims," the US continued to obstruct the UN Security Council (UNSC) to issue a statement on the Israel-Palestine conflict, ignoring the human rights of civilians in Palestine and the international community's call for a ceasefire.

Chinese observers said US not just fanned the flames of conflict, but also displayed to the world how selfish and hypocritical it is in terms of respecting human rights and shouldering its responsibilities as a major power.

The US is facing mounting calls for greater involvement in solving the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict with hostilities entering a second week. Chinese observers believed the US has an undeniable responsibility for the fiercest fighting since 2014 due to its one-sided Middle East policy serving Israel.

China urges the US to shoulder its due responsibility, take a fair position and support the UNSC's role in easing the Palestine-Israel situation, rebuilding trust and achieving a political settlement with the international community, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at Monday's routine media briefing.

As the large majority of the international community is calling to stop civilian bloodshed, the US has not made any statement in support of an immediate ceasefire, criticized Israel's offensives or sent a top diplomat to the region.

In sharp contrast, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the conflict as "utterly appalling," calling for an immediate end to it.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on Sunday for an immediate halt to what it described as Israel's barbaric attacks on Gaza and blamed "systematic crimes" against the Palestinians for hostilities, Reuters reported Monday.

And even the US' European allies have been calling on the US to take practical actions. French Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Clement Beaune said on French television that the US must involve itself more effectively. "It's clear that they are the ones who still have the main diplomatic command," Beaune remarked.

What's worse, US President Joe Biden has been under stronger criticism domestically. Adam Schiff, Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, urged Biden on Sunday to step up pressure on both sides to end the current fighting and revive talks to resolve Israel's conflicts and flashpoints with the Palestinians, AP reported on Monday.

The US bore an undeniable responsibility for the Israel-Palestine conflict, and its policy in the Middle East has long been kidnapped by its Jewish community that serves the interest of Israel, Tian Wenlin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday.

Former US president Donald Trump announced in 2017 that the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This overturned decades-old official US policy. And then in 2018, Trump decided to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Palestine has been very dissatisfied with these US moves.

Chinese observers said that what Trump did in the past years has sowed the seeds for the current conflicts and bloodshed.

While Biden has not taken any concrete moves in reversing Trump's pro-Israel policy, a "spoilt" Israel had taken its chances which lead to the conflict, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Chinese observers said that Biden is unlikely to make any concrete moves in de-escalating the confrontation, at most making certain gestures in diplomatic language that do not mean anything, Tian said.

As the biggest influencer to the Israel, the US is pulling out of the region to avoid being involved in affairs other than in the Asia-Pacific so that it can focus on dealing with China and Russia, observers said.

The Palestinian issue is actually a "mirror" reflecting the US' hypocrisy on human rights, Chinese observers said, noting that the US is indulging Israel in the killing and oppression of Palestinian Muslims while criticizing China's treatment regarding Muslims in Xinjiang, Tian said.

The US has been pressuring Arab countries on Xinjiang-related issues to force them follow the US in criticizing China's human rights and sabotaging the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, while ignoring its own human rights issues and the civilian bloodshed in Palestine, observers said.

And the US' pressure on Middle Eastern countries has not and will not succeed, as many developing countries in the region know that the views of human rights held by the US don't represent those of the international community, and only human rights views of developing countries such as China should be more listened to, observers said.

During this year's session of the UN Human Rights Council, many developing countries, including the 21 Arab countries, voiced their solidarity with China, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in March.

China's role

Wang Yi said that China reiterates its invitation to peacemakers from Palestine and Israel to come to China for dialogue, and welcomes negotiators from Palestine and Israel to hold direct talks in China when he chaired the UNSC open debate via video link on Sunday regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The conflict in the Gaza Strip has seen 198 Palestinians killed, including 58 children and 35 women, on Monday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

China, as the rotating president of the UNSC for May, has pushed the council to hold two rounds of urgent closed-door consultations on the Palestine-Israel conflict and drafted a UNSC press statement.

As for Wang's remarks, Zhao Lijian said on Monday that China has been promoting peace talks and staying in communication with all parties concerned to implement State Councilor Wang Yi's initiative to advance the Palestine-Israel peace talks and push for an early and just settlement of the Palestinian issue.

China has been supporting the resolution of differences between Palestine and Israel through peace talks for years and this time Wang specifically emphasized welcoming negotiators from Palestine and Israel to hold direct talks in China, indicating that China is willing to deepen its involvement in solving the long-standing issue, Tian said.

China, as a responsible major country, has offered help in solving the ongoing confrontation and would like to provide a platform for the ultimate way out of the Palestinian issue, Liu said.

But both Tian and Liu said that China's role remains limited, and resolving the conflict depends on the two parties involved.

In the past few years, China has become more involved in the Palestine-Israel issue, showing an increased willingness to help solve the conflict through dialogue and the two-state solution and strengthening friendly relationships with countries in the Middle East, Chinese observers said.

China had successfully invited both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to visit China in 2013 to work with the international community and play a positive and constructive role in the settlement of the Palestinian issue.

In March 2021, Wang visited six Middle Eastern countries in seven days including Saudi Arabia and Iran, setting a record for the Chinese foreign minister visiting the most Middle Eastern countries in one single trip.

In 2020, trade between China and Arab countries reached nearly $240 billion, making China the largest trading partner of Arab countries, and China imported 250 million tons of crude oil from Arab countries, accounting for half of China's total imports in the same period.

Compared with the US, Tian said, China's biggest advantage in solving the conflict lies in that it supports justice and fairness and has maintained friendly relations with both parties.

China does not set any preconditions in its efforts to promote peace talks, and China's participation in Middle Eastern affairs is not for the purpose of obtaining economic dividends as a peaceful Middle East benefits the whole world, Liu said.

"It's also worth mentioning that China's role in helping resolve the hostilities is limited, and whether China's invitation will end up having good results is not reliant on China, but at the center of the conflict concerning Palestine and Israel," Liu said.

"But what China has been doing in pushing for peace talks in the region is not to act as a challenger to the US in the Middle East, but to play a constructive role and shoulder the responsibility of a major power as well as the rotating presidency of the UNSC for May," Liu said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
He detained him there and was able to hold him there for a brief second  seconds, I should say  as officers made it up the embankment, Drew said.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) ("Getchell" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that due to the high demand, the Company has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement oversubscribed by $1.1 million. The Company issued 6,022,500 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.45 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,710,125 (the "Private Placement").

The proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for exploration and development of the Company's Nevada properties and general working capital. The proceeds will primarily be directed towards the forthcoming drill programs at the Fondaway Canyon Gold and the Star Copper-Gold-Silver projects. The technical team is making final preparations and is planning to mobilize to site next week, the week of May 24th. The 2021 drill campaign will be initiated at Fondaway and after a series of holes are completed, will mobilize for the maiden drill program at the Star Copper-Gold-Silver project. The Company will provide notification upon the commencement of drilling and intends to provide further details of the Fondaway Phase 1 drill program at that time. The Company will also provide updates, especially in relation to the sequence of drilling, as the program progresses.

Each Unit consists of one common share and one-half of one warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price of $0.65 per share for a period of two years from the date of closing.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company has agreed to pay finder's fees consisting of an aggregate of $86,875 in cash, 100,000 common shares and 293,055 non-transferable finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants"). Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share at a price of $0.65 per share for a period of two years from the date of closing.

The securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory four month hold period expiring on September 15, 2021, in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

About Getchell Gold Corp.

The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the (CSE: GTCH) and (OTCQB: GGLDF). Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a significant in-the-ground historic resource estimate. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource, and two earlier stage exploration projects, Star and Hot Springs Peak. Getchell has the option to acquire 100% of the Fondaway Canyon and Dixie Comstock properties, Churchill County, Nevada.

The Company reiterates that its near-term strategy to advance its assets is not impacted by the COVID-19 Corona virus. The Company continues to monitor the situation and is in compliance with all government guidelines.

For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company at info@getchellgold.com.

Mr. William Wagener, Chairman & CEO

Getchell Gold Corp.

+1 303 517 8764

info@getchellgold.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States.

Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the use of proceeds. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, use of proceeds from the financing, capital expenditures and other costs, and financing and additional capital requirements. Although management of Getchell have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84394
Val-d'Or, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Abitibi Royalties Inc. (TSXV: RZZ) (OTC: ATBYF) ("Abitibi Royalties" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it continues to build its royalty presence throughout the Malartic mining region in Quebec. The Company has entered into two agreements with Eagle Ridge Mining Ltd. ("Eagle Ridge", formerly Tamarack Gold Resources Inc.) involving royalties located south of the Canadian Malartic Mine (the "Malartic South Property") (Fig. 1 and 2). The first agreement amends a previous royalty, increasing Abitibi Royalties' interest in the Malartic South Property from a 2% to 3% NSR ("Net Smelter Royalties") on certain claims (see press release dated May 28, 2020). The second agreement expands Abitibi Royalties' NSR to the south with a new 2.5% royalty and 15% of any gross proceeds (cash and shares) should the property be sold or joint ventured. The purchase price paid by the Company totals CDN$26,500, which will be paid in cash.

The Malartic South Property is owned and operated by Eagle Ridge, a private company. The royalties were acquired due to the project's location, favourable geology and the increasing exploration activity in the area. The Company believes that the Malartic region, even with its long history of mining, represents one of the most exciting areas in Canada for exploration due to the discoveries being made at the Odyssey Underground Project.

Eagle Ridge is planning to conduct field-sampling programs and complete a technical report during 2021. The project is believed to have gold and base metal potential based on historical data from the area.

Eagle Ridge is actively looking for partners in order to advance the Malartic South Property. Parties that might be interested in purchasing or optioning the Malartic South Property should contact Eagle Ridge at (416) 303-6684.

About Abitibi Royalties

Abitibi Royalties owns various royalties at the Canadian Malartic Mine near Val-d'Or, Quebec. In addition, the Company is building a portfolio of royalties on early-stage properties near producing mines and generating mineral projects for option or sale. The Company is unique among its peers due to its strong treasury, no debt, monthly dividend, share buyback program and limited number of shares.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Glenn Mullan, Chairman, is the Qualified Person (as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) who has reviewed and approved this news release.

For additional information, please contact:

Shanda Kilborn - Director, Corporate Development

2864 chemin Sullivan

Val-d'Or, Quebec J9P 0B9

Tel.: 1-888-392-3857

Email: info@abitibiroyalties.com

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.







Figure 1. New Royalties South of Canadian Malartic Mine

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3322/84398_9b94fec3844f8a7c_002full.jpg

Figure 2. Aerial View from the Malartic South Property

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3322/84398_9b94fec3844f8a7c_003full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84398
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV:RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") announces that due to professional commitments, Peter Mullens has stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Directors and resigned from the Company and that Liz Wall has moved from the position of Executive Director Sustainability to that of Non-Executive Chair.

"I was a co-founder of Royal Road and feel proud to have assisted the Company as it seized some compelling opportunities, navigated some significant challenges and flourished into the promising, well-regarded and dynamic organization it now is." Said Peter Mullens, "I would like to thank Tim and his entire team, our shareholders and our financial services teams for their confidence, perseverance and dedication. I now have some significant professional commitments in the Australian time zone and so, it is with regret that I must tender my resignation. I am confident that Liz will more than fulfil the requirements of the role and I look forward to sharing in the company's success as it advances its exciting projects in Colombia and Nicaragua."

Liz Wall joined the Company as a Non-Executive Director in May of 2019 and took on the role of Executive Director - Sustainability in August 2020. Liz has more than twenty years of global experience assessing and addressing social and environmental risks and impacts associated with extractive sector investments in developing countries. Liz has a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining, a Masters of Science and a Masters of Philosophy (Oxford). Originally trained as a mining engineer, a Rhodes Scholarship allowed Liz to pursue further studies in poverty reduction and environmental management. She has worked in more than forty countries, commencing her career with Rio Tinto in both project and corporate roles, focusing on health, environment and community aspects, before moving to the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) as a social development and environmental specialist. Liz has established a successful consulting business (Shared Resources Pty Ltd), has held several board-appointed roles and is regularly in the position of advising major mining companies on significant investment decisions. Underlining her commitment to effective corporate governance, she recently completed the renowned Insead International Directors Programme. Recognizing the evolving expectations of social and environmental performance, Liz retains close connections to fellow practitioners, delivers training courses on key topics, and authors books and papers on topics in this area.

"We are thankful for Pete's invaluable insight and advice over the many years he has been with the Company and we are sad to see him go. We wish him the very best for his future endeavors" said Tim Coughlin, Royal Road's President and CEO. "Liz is very much a known and highly-respected member of the Company and of the wider exploration and mining community. We welcome her to the position of Chair, look forward to her guidance and feel that her appointment is testament to the Company's commitment to innovation in the role of sustainability and responsible exploration and mining."

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including statements relating to the proposed sale transaction described herein and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the transaction, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Transaction, the Company and the Company's exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the proposed sale transaction and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.



For further information please contact:

Dr. Timothy Coughlin

President and Chief Executive Officer

+44 (0)1534 887166

+44 (0)7797 819539

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84410


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Government has promised to donate 80 million COVID-19 vaccines by the end of June to help countries battling the coronavirus pandemic.



The donation will include 60 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines previously announced and an additional 20 million doses of other U.S. authorized vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, after the U.S takes delivery of enough of vaccines to protect everyone in that country.



That represents 13 percent of the vaccines produced by the United States by the end of June.



This amounts to five times more than what Russia and China together have donated - 15 million doses - for global use.



The U.S. will continue to donate from the excess supply of vaccines as they are delivered to the Government, President Joe Biden said.



Announcing the U.S. initiative, the President said, 'Just as in World War II, America was the arsenal of democracy, in this battle against COVID-19 pandemic, our nation will be the arsenal of vaccines.'



Biden said that while 'there's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines,' the United States will not use its vaccines to secure favors from other countries.



He vowed that Washington will work with COVAX - an international initiative set up to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines - and other partners to ensure that the vaccines are delivered in a way that is equitable and that follows the science and the public health data.



Biden said that over the coming weeks, the U.S. will use its leadership working with its G7 partners, the EU, COVAX, and others to coordinate a multilateral effort focused on ending the pandemic. He expects to announce progress in this area at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom in June.



'What we need to do is lead an entirely new effort that involves working with the pharmaceutical companies and others and partner nations to vastly increase supply, to create the kind of capacity that can beat this pandemic worldwide in a way that creates jobs here at home and saves lives abroad,' he told reporters.



AstraZeneca vaccine is not authorized for use in the United States yet, and they will be sending it to other countries once the FDA certifies its safety.



In March, the U.S. had shared more than 4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with Canada and Mexico.



Separately, the White House said the Department of Treasury is working with the management of the International Monetary Fund and other members toward a $650 billion general allocation of Special Drawing Rights to IMF member countries to support the global recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.



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CHICAGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Microcapsule Market by Technology (Spray, Emulsion and Dripping), End-user Industry (Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Food, Household & Personal Care, Textiles, Agrochemicals), Shell Material, Core Material & Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Microcapsule Market is projected to grow from USD 8.4 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 13.4 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 9.8% from 2021 to 2026. The increasing demand of microcapsule from the pharmaceuticals & healthcare industry is one of the major factors contributing to the high growth of this market.

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By shell material, carbohydrates is estimated to record the fastest growth in the microcapsule market during the forecast period of 2021 to 2026.

There are various types of shell materials available for producing microcapsule, which include melamine formaldehyde, carbohydrates, gums & resins, other polymers, lipids and proteins. Among all these materials, carbohydrates segment is estimated to record highest growth in the microcapsule market during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the growing use of carbohydrates shell material in the food industry.

By end-user industry, pharmaceuticals & healthcare segment dominates the market during the forecast period

Based on end-user industry, the pharmaceuticals & healthcare segment dominates the market during the forecast period. The growing use of microcapsules in the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry for various applications such as controlled release of drugs and taste masking boosts growth of this segment. Food segment is projected to be the second-largest industry in the microcapsule market in 2021.

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North America is the largest region in the microcapsule market

North America accounted for the largest share of the microcapsule market in 2020, followed by Europe. Fast-paced lifestyle of the consumers contributing to high demand for functional and fortified food products in North America and Europe. This, in turn, contributes to the high demand for microcapsules in these regions, mainly in the food industry.

The key market players in this market are BASF SE (Germany), International Flavors& Fragrances (US), Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Netherlands), Symrise AG (Germany), Givaudan S.A. (Switzerland), Sensient Technologies Corporation (US), Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. (Netherlands), Syngenta Crop Protection AG (Switzerland), Lycored Corp. (Israel), Koehler Innovative Solutions (Germany), Balchem Corporation (US), Capsul SAS (France), TasteTech Ltd. (UK), MicroCapsules Technologies (MCT) (France), INSILICO Co. Ltd. (South Korea), Matsumoto Yushi Seiyaku Co., Ltd. (Japan), Encapsys (US), Arcade Beauty (US), Reed Pacific (Australia), Firmenich SA (Switzerland), Ronald T. Dodge Company (US), Microtek Laboratories, Inc. (US), INNOBIO (China), GAT Microencapsulation GmbH (Austria), BRACE GmbH (Germany), and Tagra Biotechnologies Ltd. (Israel). These players have adopted expansions, acquisitions, product launches, investments, partnerships, joint ventures, mergers, collaborations, agreements, and divestments as their growth strategies. Asia Pacific and South America are expected to offer growth opportunities for the microcapsule market.

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ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - Credit Suisse said that it plans to hire more than 1,000 IT employees in India this year. The hires will comprise of developers and engineers who have capabilities in emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Cloud, API Development, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence that are anchored in Agile and DevOps delivery methods, to support the bank's digital aspirations. As part of its recruitment program, the bank hires from premier engineering and management colleges in India, with a focus on entry level talent who have up to one year of experience. Credit Suisse also offers an intensive Technical Analyst (TA) Program, a career starter program that targets the best applicants from top tier technology schools. With over 40% women, the program also serves as a launch pad for high quality female technology talent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Kaya Holdings, Inc., ("KAYS" or the "Company") (OTCQB:KAYS), announced today that it will be participating in a webinar co-sponsored by the international law firm Duane Morris on Cannabis in Greece on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:30 pm.

"Cannabis Investment: How Greece is Embracing the Opportunity and Leading the EU Market" to be co-hosted by Duane Morris's Cannabis Group, the Consulate General of Greece's New York Trade Office and Enterprise Greece.

RSVP to attend the webinar here:

https://sites-duanemorris.vuturevx.com/164/2422/landing-pages/rsvp-self-register.asp'sid=39e7415e-aa5c-4c3a-9b54-6f578874895b

"We are delighted to participate in this webinar and share with participants the distinctive advantages that led us to commit to developing a cannabis cultivation and processing facility in Greece. Both I and our Greek Partner Panos Kininis are looking forward to sharing our experiences and promoting Greece as the prospective cannabis production center of the EU", commented KAYS CEO Craig Frank.

Subject to receipt of financing and final licensing, the Kaya Kannabis Greece Facility will be configured to produce more than 85 tonnes of GMP Certified, Premium, Medical-Grade Cannabis annually for potential export to the European Union and elsewhere.

About Duane Morris' LLP Cannabis Industry Group

(https://www.duanemorris.com/practices/cannabis_law.html)

Duane Morris attorneys in offices throughout the U.S. and internationally have extensive experience with the wide array of issues attendant to legal cannabis business activities, including licensing for cultivation, processing and dispensing; litigation; banking and finance; raising and deploying capital; mergers and acquisitions; protecting intellectual property; real estate development; public company representation and SEC filings; land use and zoning; healthcare and research; taxation; and cross-border transactions. In addition to advising participants in the medical and adult-use cannabis and hemp/CBD industries, as the industry has grown, Duane Morris attorneys experienced in cannabis-related issues frequently advise clients in other sectors whose businesses intersect with the expanding regulated cannabis sector.

About Kaya Holdings, Inc. ( https://www.kayaholdings.com)

Kaya Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:KAYS) is an industry veteran, touch-the-plant, vertically integrated legal cannabis company operating a number of majority-owned subsidiaries that retail, cultivate, produce and distribute premium medical and recreational cannabis products, including flower, concentrates, oils and extracts, cannabis-infused foods and beverages, topicals and cannaceuticals. KAYS is a fully reporting, US-based publicly traded company, listed for trading on the OTCQB Tier of the over-the-counter market under the symbol OTCQB:KAYS.

Summary of Operations

KAYS corporate structure includes the following three majority-owned subsidiaries, each responding to various demands and opportunities in the cannabis industry:

Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc. owns the Kaya Shack brand of licensed medical and recreational marijuana stores (www.kayashack.com) and the Kaya Farms brand of cannabis production and processing operations that operate in the United States.

Kaya Brands USA, Inc. owns a wide range of proprietary brands of cannabis extracts, oils, pre-rolls, topicals, food and beverages, cannaceuticals and related accessories.

Kaya Brands International, Inc., was founded to serve as the vehicle for the Company's non-U.S. operations including retail franchising in Canada and cultivation activities in Greece and Israel.

Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc.- U.S. Cannabis Operations

Kaya Shack Retail Cannabis Stores

In 2014, KAYS became the first United States publicly-traded company to own and operate a Medical Marijuana Dispensary. KAYS presently operates two Kaya Shack OLCC licensed marijuana retail stores to service the legal medical and recreational marijuana market in Oregon and is in the process of relocating a third retail cannabis license to serve as a delivery hub for the Eugene and Southern Oregon Cannabis Market.

Kaya Farms

Eugene, Oregon Indoor Grow, Processing & Cannaceutical Facility: The Company owns a 12,000 square foot Kaya Farms indoor grow and manufacturing facility in Eugene, Oregon, which serves as the Company's center for cultivation trials, method experiments, genetic research and cannabis infused product development. The Company is presently conducting limited operations at this location under a Management Agreement with Sunstone Farms, the current licensee. Pending the successful acquisition and transfer of other existing OLCC Marijuana Production and Processing licenses, KAYS intends to build out the facility and ramp up to full production.

Lebanon, Oregon Farm & Greenhouse Facility: KAYS owns a 26-acre parcel in Lebanon, Linn County, Oregon which it intends to construct an 85,000-square-foot Kaya Farms greenhouse cultivation and production facility. To date KAYS has received Linn County Zoning approvals and upon issuance of OLCC Licensing it will begin construction. The farm is intended for immediate development and provides the Company with a potential additional capacity of more than 100,000 pounds annually, to be expanded once export from Oregon to other U.S. States and foreign countries where cannabis use is legal is permitted. Kaya Farms operates in accordance with a Grow Operations manual, as well as manuals for compliance, employment matters and safety.

Kaya Brands USA, Inc.- Brand and Product Development

The Company maintains a genetics library of over 30 strains of cannabis and owns a number of proprietary brands in traditional and innovative cannabis categories including Kaya Buddies pre-rolls, Really Happy Glass cannabis accessories, and Kaya Gear, company-related and cannabis-centric fashion. These brands are currently available at Kaya Shack stores.

The Company has made advances in the development of its Kumba Extracts, Syzygy Extracts, Pakalolo Juice Company Soothe Topicals, Tony Giggles Pleasure Foods (frozen infused Italian entrees), Uptown Shaman (cannaceuticals), and Kaya Yums (chocolates, gummies, power bars) brands. Pending approval of our production and processing license, KAYS intends to begin a multi-state rollout planned in 2020 to the extent permitted by U.S. legal infrastructure. These brands are intended for all Kaya Shack stores, both corporate-owned and franchised.

Kaya Brands International, Inc.- Foreign Cannabis Operations

After over six years of conducting "touch the plant" U.S. cannabis operations inside the strict regulatory confines of a public company, KAYS has formed a subsidiary, Kaya Brands International, Inc. ("KBI") to leverage its experience and expand into worldwide cannabis markets. KBI's current operations and initiatives include:

Kaya Kannabis- Kaya Farms Greece S.A. ("Kaya Farms Greece," a Greek Corporation) is a majority owned subsidiary of KBI. earlier this year the Company acquired a 50% interest in Greekkannabis, PC, an Athens, Greece based cannabis company which has received its license for the construction of a facility encompassing approximately 500,000 square feet of buildings on 15 acres of land outside of Athens, Greece to grow, process and export medical grade cannabis from Greece to the European Union and elsewhere.

Kaya Farms Israel- Kaya Shalvah LTD ("Kaya Farms Israel," an Israeli Corporation) is a majority owned subsidiary of KBI. Kaya Farms Israel is in the process of applying to various Israeli Government Agencies for a license to grow, process and export medical grade cannabis from Israel. Upon submission of the initial application to the Israeli Cannabis Authority, Kaya Shalvah intends to submit a bid to acquire 100 Dunams (approximately 25 acres) of land in Israel that is part of Greenegev, an Israeli Government backed Cannabinoid Ecosystem in Yerucham, Israel that is envisioned to become the Silicon Valley of Medical Cannabis Production and Research.

These two facilities, as currently envisioned (and after obtaining successful financing, completing construction and obtaining final requisite licensing), are configured to produce approximately 600,000 pounds of GMP Certified, Premium Medical Grade, Cannabis annually for potential export to the European Union and elsewhere.

Canadian Franchising: KAYS has targeted Canada (the only G7 country that has legalized both medical and recreational cannabis production, sale and use on a national level) for its first international sale and operation of Kaya Shack cannabis store franchises, with a goal of 75-100 Kaya Shack Cannabis Retail locations throughout Canada through a multi-year structured rollout, subject to licensing and market conditions. KAYS has retained Toronto, Canada based law firm of Garfinkle Biderman, LLP to prepare the Franchise Disclosure Documents and related items for the sale of Kaya Shack cannabis store franchises in Canada. KAYS plans to ultimately expand its franchise operations to the U.S., as regulations and laws permit.

Important Disclosure

KAYS is planning execution of its stated business objectives in accordance with current understanding of state and local laws and federal enforcement policies and priorities as it relates to marijuana. Potential investors and shareholders are cautioned that KAYS and MJAI will obtain advice of counsel prior to actualizing any portion of their business plan (including but not limited to license applications for the cultivation, distribution or sale of marijuana products, engaging in said activities or acquiring existing cannabis production/sales operations). Advice of counsel with regard to specific activities of KAYS, federal, state or local legal action or changes in federal government policy and/or state and local laws may adversely affect business operations and shareholder value.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, acceptance of the Company's current and future products and services in the marketplace, the ability of the Company to develop effective new products and receive regulatory approvals of such products, competitive factors, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

For more information contact Investor Relations: info@kayaholdings.com or 561-210-7664

SOURCE: Kaya Holdings

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647875/Cannabis-Company-Kaya-Holdings-Incs-Management-to-be-Featured-Speakers-for-Duane-Morris-Co-sponsored-Webinar-on-Cannabis-in-Greece
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) ("Minaurum") is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing exploration activities. During the first five months of 2021, Minaurum has focused on preparing its flagship Alamos Silver project for the resumption of Phase II drilling while continuing to advance both the Santa Marta copper-gold volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") project and the Aurifero silver-gold project to the drill stage.

Due to the increasing demand for both precious- and base-metal projects, Minaurum has determined that outside of the aforementioned projects and the Aurena gold-copper project, it will pursue the monetization of its remaining district-scale projects in exchange for a combination of royalties, carried interests, and significant share positions. Having already signed two Option Agreements this year, Minaurum is in active discussions to complete several more.

PROJECT PORTFOLIO UPDATE

Alamos Silver Project

The Alamos silver project is located in southern Sonora state in the historical Alamos Mining District that produced approximately 200 Moz of silver from three separate mines. Alamos hosts a wide, high-grade epithermal vein system where Minaurum has completed a total of 30,000 m of drilling and discovered 26 separate vein zones, demonstrating that Alamos is developing into a significant district-scale silver vein system. Phase II drilling is focused on systematically expanding silver shoots discovered in Phase I as well as continuing with aggressive exploration drilling focusing on new discoveries at unmined veins.

After pausing its drill program in late 2020 due to the impact of COVID in the region, Minaurum is working with its contractors to resume operations. Minaurum plans to resume its Phase II drilling shortly. Minaurum's technical committee has taken advantage of this pause to review the initial Phase II drill results and has approved the continuation of step out drilling on the Europa-Guadalupe and San Jose vein zones, as well as following up on the Alessandra, Ana, Tigre, Pulpito-Cotera, and Minas Nuevas vein zones. At Promontorio, the second largest historical mine in the district, Minaurum has begun the process of dewatering the 1,200 m long Promontorio adit and will conduct underground mapping and sampling in order to further define the geologic model and aid in drill targeting.

Alamos Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/alamos/

Santa Marta Project

The Santa Marta project hosts a major copper-gold VMS exploration target in the south eastern state of Oaxaca. The area currently being permitted for drilling is a 900 metre-long massive gossan exposure that has been demonstrated by rock-chip and soil sampling to be mineralized in base metals for its entire length. Historical and Minaurum sampling has yielded copper values ranging from 1.0 to 3.7% copper and gold values as high as 2 g/t gold. Minaurum previously consulted with VMS expert Dr. Jim. Franklin, a geologist with over 35 years of experience in the study of mineral deposits and regional metallogeny. In Dr. Franklin's words, "Santa Marta appears to have all of the classic features of highly productive VMS systems, such as the semi-continuous deposit set at Flin Flon comprised of the Main Mine, Calinan, and Triple 7." (see news release dated June 19, 2013).

Recently acquired regional mapping and sampling data indicate the likely presence of additional nearby VMS exploration targets that lie within Minaurum's property holdings. Minaurum has designed an initial drill program and submitted a drill permit for environmental approval.

Santa Marta Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/santa-marta/

Aurifero Project

The Aurifero gold project is located 35 km northwest of the Alamos silver project, and contains a swarm of gold- and silver-bearing epithermal veins within a zone measuring 3 km long and more than 400 m wide. A large number of high-grade gold results from shallow historical drilling indicate the potential top of a deeper gold system. Historical results include: 58 m of 3.65 g/t Au in Hole CI-09, 24.5 m of 3.12 g/t Au in Hole 07-MN-10 and 3.1 m of 18.37 g/t Au in Hole DMDDH-01 (see news release dated January 29, 2020). Under the option agreement, local artisanal miners are allowed to continue mining to a depth of 100 m or until such time that the option agreement is exercised.

Minaurum has completed compilation of historical exploration data at Aurifero and has re-logged some of the available drill core from the project. Minaurum will design a drill program and apply for necessary permits in the second half of 2021.

Aurifero Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/aurifero

Aurena Project

Aurena is a gold skarn/VMS discovery that Minaurum drilled in 2011 which outlined two principal zones of gold mineralization along a strike length of 1.8 km. Both zones remain partially to wholly open. The largest zone of mineralization discovered by drilling occurs along a steeply north-dipping contact between metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. The second zone hosts significant gold mineralization directly on surface. High-grade gold drilling intersections from its Phase I program include: 29.05 m of 1.99 g/t gold (Hole AURC-11-005); 43.50 m of 1.01 g/t gold (Hole AURC-11-006); and 20.50 m of 1.01 g/t gold (Hole AURC-11-001); (see news release May 9 and June 14, 2011).

Aurena has the ability to host a significant gold system directly on surface. Minaurum intends to continue holding and ultimately conducting a Phase II drill program, most efficiently in conjunction with an initial drill program at the nearby Santa Marta project.

Aurena Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/aurena

Biricu and Vuelcos del Destino Projects

Biricu and Vuelcos del Destino are located in the heart of the multimillion-ounce Guerrero Gold Belt ("GGB"). With three separate top tier gold mines operating within 20 km of the projects and surrounded by Equinox Gold, Agnico-Eagle, Torex Gold, and Osisko Development Corp., Biricu and Vuelcos del Destino represent the last remaining projects held by a junior in the belt. Biricu and Vuelcos exhibit typical GGB host rocks cut by intrusive rocks identical to those seen in the neighbouring Los Filos Mine and nearby Media Luna deposit. Vuelcos del Destino hosts the largest single untested intrusive complex measuring 12 sq km left in the GGB. At Biricu, drilling focused on 3 principal target areas, where one hole intercepted 26.98 m grading 1.07 g/t Au (Hole GV2014-011) (see news release dated January 20, 2021). Minaurum is in Joint Venture discussions with interested third parties.

Biricu and Vuelcos del Destino Project website pages:

https://minaurum.com/projects/vuelcos-del-destino/

https://minaurum.com/projects/biricu/

Additional Projects

Over the last five months, Minaurum has been cost-effectively reviewing a number of new high-grade gold and silver projects, several of which have been acquired primarily through staking. It is anticipated that the majority of these projects will be monetized in exchange for carried interests and/or royalties.

JOINT VENTURES

Taviche Silver-Gold Project Option Agreement with Fortuna Silver Corp.

Located directly adjacent to Fortuna Silver's San Jose Mine, Taviche hosts an epithermal silver district that saw both considerable historical production and drilling that returned wide zones of silver mineralization. Minaurum recently optioned the project to Fortuna (see news release dated January 7, 2021). Fortuna can acquire an 80% interest by making cash payments totaling $1,450,000 and incurring US$4M in work expenditures over three years. Minaurum's interest is carried until such time that Fortuna completes an initial 43-101 resource, a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") and has made a positive production decision.

A Fortuna senior project geologist has begun relogging core, conducting surface mapping and sampling, and designing a drill program. Drilling is expected to commence in late 2021 or early 2022. In addition, a surface-access agreement was also recently signed with the primary community at the project.

Taviche Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/taviche/

Adelita Copper-Gold Project Option Agreement with Infinitum Copper Corp.

Adelita is a high-grade copper-silver skarn porphyry system that Minaurum optioned to ASR Resources Corp ("ASR") earlier this year (see news release dated March 9, 2021). As part of the option, Minaurum will be issued 16% of the post-IPO shares outstanding in addition to retaining a 20% carried interest through to the completion of a PEA, an initial 43-101 resource and $4.75M in work expenditures.

ASR recently changed its name to Infinitum Copper Corp. ("Infinitum") reflecting its focus on being a pure-play copper company and assembled a strong management team including Douglas Kirwin (former Executive VP of Ivanhoe Mines Limited). Infinitum is currently in the pre-listing process and will be submitting the necessary documents including an independent NI 43-101 Technical Report within the next 2-3 weeks, in order to list on the TSX Venture Exchange within the next 2-3 months. More information for investors can be found at their newly launched website www.infinitumcopper.com.

In addition, further to the News Release dated March 9, 2021, Minaurum has issued 200,000 common shares to Minera Coplau S.A. de C.V. ("Minera Coplau") to eliminate the underlying commercial production payment obligation payable to Mineral Coplau, pursuant to an amendment agreement dated February 27, 2021 (the "Amendment Agreement") between the parties, in connection with a letter agreement dated April 23, 2010, as amended from time to time. All common shares issued pursuant to the Amendment Agreement are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws expiring on August 9, 2021.

Adelita Project website page: https://minaurum.com/projects/adelita/

UPCOMING MARKETING INITIATIVES

To enhance Minaurum's market presence amongst retail and institutional investors, and to maximize news catalysts, a comprehensive marketing plan has been developed incorporating several tools that include the following:

For its retail outreach, Minaurum will expand its online digital presence. Digital257 (see news release dated April 7, 2021) a digital marketing firm specializing in investor audience growth will assist with online communications with the goal of increasing market awareness.

Native Ads Inc. (see news release dated July 15, 2020) a digital advertising firm, will assist with content creation, web development, media buying and distribution, advertising development, and campaign reporting and optimization.

Minaurum will continue creating and posting content such as project overviews and updates, technical webinar videos, interviews with mining experts and commentators, and relevant articles and news for its YouTube channel, Twitter feed, and LinkedIn account.

Minaurum will continue attending virtual conferences and will present at the Virtual Beaver Creek Conference on September 8-11, 2021.

In addition to retaining analyst coverage with Agentis Capital, Minaurum plans to expand its institutional analyst coverage.

Follow us and stay updated:

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/MinaurumGold

Twitter: @minaurumgold

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/minaurum-gold-inc

Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (FSE: 78M) is a Mexico-focused explorer concentrating on the high-grade Alamos silver project in southern Sonora. With a property portfolio encompassing multiple additional district-scale projects, Minaurum is managed by one of the strongest technical and finance teams in Mexico. Minaurum's goal is to continue its founders' legacy of creating shareholder value by making district-scale mineral discoveries and executing accretive mining transactions. For more information, please visit our website at www.minaurum.com and our YouTube Minaurum Video Channel.



ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Darrell A. Rader"

Darrell A. Rader

President and CEO

For more information, please contact:

Sunny Pannu - Investor Relations and Corporate Development Manager

(778) 330 0994 or via email at pannu@minaurum.com

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

2710 - 200 Granville Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4

Telephone 778 330-0994

www.minaurum.com

info@minaurum.com

Stephen R. Maynard, Vice President of Exploration of Minaurum and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and verified the assay data, and has approved the disclosure in this News Release. Historical data reported in this news release has not been verified.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

In making the forward-looking information in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Minaurum does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84374
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") is pleased to welcome Mac Jackson as a technical advisor to the Company. Mr. Jackson is an AIPG certified professional geologist who in a distinguished 25-year career brings a proven track record of discovery to the Ridgeline team. As a senior exploration geologist at Newmont Corporation and most recently Vice President, Exploration for Gold Standard Ventures Corp., Mac led exploration teams that contributed to several multi-million-ounce Carlin-Type gold discoveries in Nevada including the Leeville (Newmont), Fiberline (Newmont) and North Dark Star (Gold Standard Ventures) deposits. Mac obtained his Master of Science degree from the University of Nevada-Reno and Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and has published and presented several technical papers on Carlin-Type gold deposits throughout his career.

Chad Peters, Ridgeline's President, CEO & Director, commented, "we welcome Mac to our team at a pivotal time in the company's growth. As we head into a highly anticipated drill program at our Carlin-East project in June, we will utilize Mac's experience in the discovery of the multi-million-ounce Leeville deposit to test similar gold targets at Carlin-East, located directly on-strike of and to the north of the high-grade Leeville gold mine."





Figure 1: Plan view map showing Ridgeline's 125km property portfolio of four projects.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7298/84377_2678117b64782b16_002full.jpg

About Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

Ridgeline is a discovery focused gold and silver explorer with a proven management team and a 125 km exploration portfolio across four projects in the highly prospective Carlin and Battle Mountain - Eureka Trends in Nevada, USA. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.RidgelineMinerals.com.

On behalf of the Board

"Chad Peters"

President & CEO

Further Information:

Chad Peters, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

1-866-RDG-NVAU (734-6828) - toll free

info@ridgelineminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated timing for release of additional drill results, plans to drill test prospective targets in 2021 and the potential advancement of mineral exploration, exploration drilling, development, and/or operating programs. The words "potential," "anticipate," "significant," "discovery," "forecast," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "may," "will," "project," "plan", "historical", "historic" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that the current objectives concerning its mineral projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; risk related to historical data that has not been verified by the company; as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84377
Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) (FSE: CGK1) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased report that it has received the final batch of assay results from the remaining 15 reverse circulation ("RC") drill holes from its January-February 2021 drilling program (28 drill holes totalling 3,226 m) (Table 1). The Company previously announced results from 13 drill holes (see Company news releases 23 March 2021 and 8 April 2021). All drill holes from the current program targeted the area of the historical Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit ("Okohongo"). The 95% owned Taranis Copper-Silver Project (the "Project" or "Property"), which includes the historical Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit, is located in northwestern Namibia and is defined by Exclusive Prospecting Licence ("EPL") 7071, covering about 19,850 hectares.

Michael Stares, President & CEO of the Company stated, "We see again that the RC drill holes from Okohongo are confirming the historical results and we look forward to completing a current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate and technical report very soon. Strong copper and silver prices have given this project a robust valuation and we look forward to receiving our Property renewal in the coming months. We will be working aggressively to maximise the value of our Namibian copper projects, while maintaining our focus on our flagship property, the Tower Stock Gold Property, located in northwestern Ontario, Canada."

Table 1. Summary of all drill holes completed in Phase 1 RC drilling program.

Drill Hole No. Samples *UTM_X *UTM_Y *Elev. (m) Az Dip Length (m) Section OK20-P01 31 378051.664 7941471.357 1602.130 270 -65 53.00 1450 OK20-P02 40 378242.969 7941461.932 1606.870 270 -65 111.00 1450 OK20-P03 23 378474.104 7941466.053 1615.420 270 -60 201.00 1450 OK20-P04 31 378370.290 7941465.475 1624.669 270 -65 180.00 1450 OK20-P05 47 378047.821 7941552.193 1602.493 270 -65 89.00 1550 OK20-P06 12 378148.684 7941548.958 1607.783 270 -70 100.00 1550 OK20-P07 15 378423.230 7941555.137 1612.192 270 -80 197.00 1550 OK20-P08 9 378274.993 7941560.460 1609.976 270 -70 115.00 1550 OK20-P09 0 377947.871 7941547.662 1600.070 270 -70 100.00 1550 OK20-P10 0 378128.181 7941644.238 1606.108 270 -70 38.00 1650 OK20-P011 7 378218.374 7941657.274 1612.069 270 -70 120.00 1650 OK20-P012 34 378002.120 7941648.965 1619.098 270 -80 95.00 1650 OK20-P013 26 378317.677 7941645.360 1614.443 270 -70 160.00 1650 OK20-P014 5 378115.797 7941756.740 1610.638 270 -70 119.00 1750 OK20-P015 0 378221.077 7941758.902 1621.247 270 -70 95.00 1750 OK20-P016 0 378482.096 7941364.785 1618.086 270 -70 199.00 1350 OK20-P017 20 378055.934 7941350.870 1623.923 270 -65 70.00 1350 OK20-P018 47 378348.414 7941349.796 1637.169 270 -65 171.00 1350 OK20-P019 35 378221.057 7941349.919 1610.698 270 -70 109.00 1350 OK20-P020 40 378165.287 7941350.504 1607.957 270 -69 80.00 1350 OK20-P022 33 378363.972 7941245.554 1642.715 270 -70 172.00 1250 OK20-P023 14 378059.842 7941251.587 1632.337 270 -70 66.00 1250 OK20-P024 35 378215.194 7941247.782 1613.410 270 -70 100.00 1250 OK20-P025 30 378154.588 7941457.803 1604.565 270 -70 75.00 1450 OK20-P026 6 378361.575 7941144.705 1645.809 270 -70 135.00 1150 OK20-P027 47 378223.803 7941158.224 1618.148 270 -70 103.00 1150 OK20-P028 6 378101.417 7941155.752 1635.271 270 -70 65.00 1150 OK20-P029 28 378127.567 7941637.621 1605.923 270 -70 108.00 1650 28 621

3,226.00



*determined by DGPS survey (WGS84 UTM Zone 33S)

The recently completed RC drilling program (OK20-P series holes) on the Property was aimed at twinning, as close as possible and as reflected in Table 2, many of the RC drill holes that were used to calculate the 2011 historical mineral resource estimate, but did include some newly located holes.

Table 2. Selected intercepts from the final batch of RC drill holes.

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Int. (m) Ag (ppm) Cu (ppm) Pb (ppm) Zn (ppm) Cu (%) Historical Drill Hole OK20-P04 138.00 142.00 4.00 2.4 1602 3443 111 0.16 New Hole and 145.00 171.00 26.00 45.2 15962 326 115 1.60

incl. 151.00 157.00 6.00 151.8 54733 426 124 5.47

incl. 153.00 154.00 1.00 137.0 124000 71 105 12.40

OK20-P017 40.00 41.00 1.00 2.6 12500 20 65 1.25 New Hole and 57.00 63.00 6.00 31.6 21823 526 99 2.18

OK20-P019 68.00 101.00 33.00 14.1 9198 955 101 0.92 INVR-012 incl. 75.00 92.00 17.00 19.2 11775 1694 106 1.18

OK20-P020 28.00 31.00 3.00 1.7 1642 13 66 0.16 INVR-011 and 39.00 48.00 9.00 13.1 10453 26 76 1.05

incl. 44.00 46.00 2.00 41.3 28800 16 117 2.88

and 56.00 70.00 14.00 15.4 6956 1024 106 0.70

incl. 63.00 66.00 3.00 17.0 13533 959 119 1.35

OK20-P024 43.00 47.00 4.00 8.3 12330 119 94 1.23 INVR-013 incl. 43.00 45.00 2.00 13.5 20300 211 75 2.03

and 73.00 94.00 21.00 28.2 17734 145 97 1.77

incl. 79.00 91.00 12.00 44.2 28465 142 93 2.85

incl. 79.00 87.00 8.00 60.6 39488 193 98 3.95

OK20-P025 36.00 38.00 2.00 3.1 5575 149 67 0.56 INVR-001 and 47.00 70.00 23.00 46.3 23130 1108 110 2.31

incl. 57.00 61.00 4.00 65.1 47425 2113 98 4.74

OK20-P026 123.00 126.00 3.00 32.3 24212 100 94 2.42 INVR-066 OK20-P027 40.00 47.00 7.00 2.9 1875 104 135 0.19 INVR-014 and 55.00 60.00 5.00 1.2 1450 21 30 0.15

and 63.00 70.00 7.00 2.9 2670 19 62 0.27

and 74.00 98.00 24.00 16.6 11134 19 101 1.11

incl. 81.00 90.00 9.00 32.8 20890 22 110 2.09

OK20-P028 45.00 48.00 3.00 5.0 4420 48 33 0.44 INVR-018 OK20-P029 22.00 30.00 8.00 4.5 2737 55 86 0.27 INVR-008 and 88.00 104.00 16.00 18.7 12500 21 140 1.25

incl. 99.00 102.00 3.00 73.0 49567 17 122 4.96



There were no significant intersections in drill hole OK20-P013 and drill holes OK20-P09, -010, -015, and -016 did not intersect visible copper mineralization and were therefore not sampled. Intervals shown in Table 2 are not true widths but rather, refer to the RC chip sample intervals that were assayed.

Now that the Company has received all the results from the recently completed drilling program it will begin the process of updating the historical mineral resources from the Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit to a current National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") mineral resource estimate and technical report.

The historical Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit has been outlined by historical and current drilling which shows that it extends for 600+ metres in strike length, 400 metres down-dip, and is open in all directions (see INV Metals news release dated August 3, 2011). The Okohongo, situated within the Kaoko Belt of northwest Namibia about 700 km northwest of Windhoek, is hosted by metasedimentary stratigraphy and is considered to be analogous with the stratiform sediment-hosted Central African Copperbelt deposits of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This deposit contains historical Inferred Mineral Resources of 10.2 million tonnes grading 1.12% Cu and 17.75 g/t Ag, using a 0.3% Cu cut-off (Table 3; INV Metals Inc. NI 43-101 Technical Report, Effective Date March 31, 2011).

Table 3. Cut-off sensitivity for historical mineral resources (2011), Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit, Namibia.

Cut-off Specific Gravity Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Cu (tonnes) Ag (ounces) Category 0.0 2.45 11,691,539 1.01 15.85 117,645 5,957,874 Inferred 0.1 2.45 11,682,796 1.01 15.86 117,640 5,957,640 Inferred 0.2 2.45 11,453,414 1.02 16.13 117,219 5,940,047 Inferred 0.3 2.45 10,196,456 1.12 17.75 114,046 5,818,534 Inferred 0.4 2.45 9,535,538 1.17 18.66 111,731 5,719,226 Inferred 0.5 2.45 8,705,239 1.24 19.73 107,993 5,522,454 Inferred 0.6 2.45 8,142,684 1.29 20.50 104,877 5,366,572 Inferred 0.7 2.45 7,366,110 1.35 21.61 99,810 5,116,714 Inferred 0.8 2.45 6,379,793 1.45 23.16 92,402 4,750,190 Inferred

source: NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Okohongo Copper-Silver Property in Northwest Namibia, INV Metals Inc.; Prepared By: Caracle Creek International Consulting (Pty) Ltd., South Africa, Effective March 31, 2011.

The Company is treating the tonnages and grades reported in Table 3 as historical mineral resources. The Inferred mineral resource estimate reported in Table 3 for the Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit was prepared by qualified authors in 2011, conforming to CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as outlined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects at the time of disclosure. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the Property. The Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates or other information contained in this news release nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. The Company believes that this historical estimate and other information contained in this news release are relevant to continuing exploration on the Property.

Sample Analysis

RC chip samples were sent to the Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs") preparation lab in Windhoek, Namibia and once prepared were sent to Actlabs in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada for analyses. The samples were first analysed with 4-Acid "Near Total" Digestion (1F2) with ICP-OES finish for Ag, Cu and a suite of 33 other elements. Subsequently, samples with Ag greater than 100 ppm (above Ag upper detection limit) were analysed with Fire Assay Gravimetric (8-Ag) and Cu greater than 10,000 ppm (above Cu upper detection limit) were analysed with sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-OES finish (8-Peroxide ICP). A Quality Control/Quality Assurance ("QA/QC") program consisting of the regular insertion of Certified Reference Material copper-silver standards and blanks into the sample stream by the Company was in place as was the industry standard internal QA/QC practices used by Actlabs.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the NI 43-101.

About White Metal Resources Corp:

White Metal Resources Corp is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada and southern Africa. For more information about the Company please visit www.whitemetalres.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Michael Stares"

President & CEO

For further information contact:

Michael Stares

President & CEO

White Metal Resources Corp.

Phone: +1 (807) 358-2420

Nancy Massicotte

Investor Relations

IR Pro Communications Inc.

Phone: +1 (604) 507-3377

TF: +1 (866) 503-3377

nancy@irprocommunications.com

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84379
The deputy holding the door handle was pulled against the hood of the car as Brown backed up. Brown then went forward and turned left off the driveway to the vacant lot. Officers were able back away without difficulty and avoid getting struck by the car. They commanded him to stop as he drove away, leaving tire marks in the grass. They fired shots as he left.
Dr. Fang has authored 15 published papers including two on axonal transport and several on protein aggregation

Berwyn, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE American: ANVS), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Cheng Fang, Ph.D., as its new Vice President of Research.

"I am excited to welcome Dr. Fang to Annovis Bio. Her knowledge of research in our field, as well as in general, is excellent," commented Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D., CEO of Annovis Bio. "She will be instrumental in furthering our work on the mechanism of action of our drug and on the behavior of the brain after acute and chronic injury. Dr. Fang will be a great asset as we prepare to move into our first pivotal trials in the coming quarters."





Dr. Cheng Fang, VP of Research



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Dr. Fang is an experienced neuroscientist with more than a decade of experience in neurodegenerative diseases, with broad scientific knowledge and hands-on experience. Prior to joining Annovis, she was a scientific solution consultant with Clarivate Analytics where she worked on cutting-edge scientific projects with top-50 pharma clients. Previously, Dr. Fang was business development manager for Coriell Institute for Medical Research and an assistant professor at Boston University, where she designed and supervised projects focused on prion diseases and AD as a research team leader.

About Annovis Bio

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (DS-AD). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and DS-AD that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We expect our treatment to improve memory loss and dementia associated with AD and DS-AD, as well as body and brain function in PD. We have two ongoing Phase 2a studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. For more information on Annovis, please visit the company's website: www.annovisbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness and anticipated results of ANVS401 clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate, including that clinical trials may be delayed. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations:

Dave Gentry, CEO

RedChip Companies Inc.

407-491-4498

Dave@redchip.com

SOURCE: Annovis Bio, Inc.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84416
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Black Iron Inc. ("Black Iron" or the "Company") (TSX:BKI) (OTC PINK:BKIRF) (FWB:BIN) is pleased to announce the addition of Zenon Potoczny to its Board of Directors, Stefan Gueorguiev as Project Director and retirement of Les Kwasik after nearly 51 years in industry.

Zenon Potoczny is currently the president-elect of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, VP Operations for the Ukrainian World Congress and Director of Sweden publicly listed Zhoda Investments. Zenon has successfully built and operated several companies in Ukraine ranging from oil and gas projects through to hotels. He has extensive relationships with senior members of Ukraine's government and is typically involved in all major diplomatic visits between Canada and Ukraine.

Stefan Gueorguiev has over 25 years' experience in the engineering, project management and construction industry. Most recently, Stefan was VP Projects & Capital Construction for Polyus where he was responsible for the construction of several Russian based gold mines valued at over US$800 million per year. Stefan is very familiar with Black Iron's Shymanivske project as he led both the 2013 and further optimized 2014 feasibility studies.

Les Kwasik is retiring after an amazing career during which he has been involved in the design, construction and operation of mines in located in seven countries. Les started his career in Canada at Inco's Copper Cliff mine where he quickly rose to the position of Pit Superintendent and then took off to see the world. Through his esteemed career, Les took on various roles ranging from Project Director through to Chief Operating officer in countries with vastly different cultures, language, food, weather including Columbia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, USA and Ukraine. Les has agreed to remain available to Black Iron in a causal consulting capacity as he transitions to enjoying retirement in Panama with his wife.

Black Iron's CEO Matt Simpson stated "It has been a pleasure working with Les for several years as he has extensive knowledge and is great at forging relationships. It is very rare for someone to achieve 50 years professional work experience and this is a testament to Les' love for the mining sector. I would like to welcome Zenon and Stefan to Black Iron's team. The addition of Zenon to Black Iron's board will strengthen our relationships in Ukraine during this critical time of project execution. Stefan is an exceptional Project Director that I have had the pleasure of working with previously and is coming back to Black Iron to finish what we started together, being to build the Shymanivske iron ore mine."

About Black Iron

Black Iron is an iron ore exploration and development company, advancing its 100% owned Shymanivske project located in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine. The Shymanivske project contains a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimated to be 646 Mt Measured and Indicated mineral resources, consisting of 355 Mt Measured mineral resources grading 32.0% total iron and 19.5% magnetic iron, and Indicated mineral resources of 290 Mt grading 31.1% total iron and 17.9% magnetic iron, using a cut-off grade of 10% magnetic iron. Additionally, the Shymanivske project contains 188 Mt of Inferred mineral resources grading 30.1% total iron and 18.4% magnetic iron. Full mineral resource details can be found in the NI 43-101 compliant technical report entitled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit" effective November 21, 2017 (the "PEA") under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Shymanivske project is surrounded by five other operating mines, including ArcelorMittal's iron ore complex. The PEA is preliminary in nature, and it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please visit the Company's website at www.blackiron.com for more information.

For more information, please contact:

Matt Simpson

Chief Executive Officer

Black Iron Inc.

info@blackiron.com

Tel: +1 (416) 309-2138

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, opinions and estimates of the date such statements are made based on information available to them at that time. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the appointment of directors and officers and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the annual information form of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company notes that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

SOURCE: Black Iron Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647779/Black-Iron-Strengthens-Board-Operations-Team
Major Industry Experts, Issuers and Verifies Come Together To Provide a Real-World View of How Individuals, Commercial and Government Organizations Are Assessing New Opportunities

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. (CSE:LQID)(OTC PINK:TRWRF)(FRA:4T51) ("Liquid Avatar Technologies" or the "Company"), a global blockchain, digital identity and fintech solutions company is presenting a major online event to provide an easy to understand and digestible overview of digital identity, wallets and verifiable credentials and how they are changing the way we work, play and live online on today at 12 pm Eastern Time (GMT -5).

The event entitled, Digital Wallets & Verifiable Credentials - The Future of Online Identity will be a combination of fireside chat and panelist discussion formats. Participants include leading identity experts from industry and technology, among others. Attendees will also have opportunities to ask questions of the participants. This interactive event will be broadcast via Zoom and is free to attend; however, seats are limited. Please register at: https://hello.liquidavatar.com/digital-id-webinar

RJ Reiser, Chief Business Development Officer of Liquid Avatar, will host the event and will center the discussion around the value of digital identity and the verifiable credentials landscape. Key discussion topics will include how digital identity is addressable to 100% of today's global Internet users and how the future of both digital identities and credentials will shape our activities online and in our everyday lives.

Discussions will also include government and its role in accelerating and harnessing the digital shift through new legislative, regulatory, policy and program development. For instance, the Province of Ontario has already indicated that it would be issuing a new, electronic government-issued ID by the end of this calendar year. In addition, the government of Canada, in their recent Budget, proposed to increase funding for the Standards Council of Canada so that it can continue its work to advance industry-wide data governance standards. In other countries, like Australia, consultations have already begun for the introduction of digital birth certificates, with the State of New South Wales (NSW) fronting the campaign for the new digital ID which is being developed under a cross-jurisdictional consideration.

Liquid Avatar has announced several upcoming programs and exciting projects with industry leading partners. A complete list of registered speakers and presenters will continuously be updated on the Liquid Avatar website at www.liquidavatartechnologies.com.

The Company has closed a Non-Brokered Private Placement of units ("Units") with a single strategic business consultant for gross proceeds of approximately $360,000. A total of 1,800,000 Units were purchased at a purchase price of $0.20 per Unit, with each Unit comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half of a Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.30 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months from the closing. The Units will have a hold period of four months and one day from the applicable closing. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the US Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

The Company has reserved and allotted for issuance to a Member of the Company's Industry Advisory Committee, an aggregate of 100,000 common share purchase options at a price of $0.175 with an expiry date of 18 months, subject to the adjustments and to the terms of the Company's stock option plan.

If you would like to join our mailing list and receive updates from the Company, please click here

About Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. - www.liquidavatartechnologies.com

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Liquid Avatar Operations Inc. focuses on the verification, management and monetization of Self Sovereign Identity, empowering users to control and benefit from the use of their online identity.

The Liquid Avatar Mobile App, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play is a verified Self Sovereign Identity platform that empowers users to create high quality digital icons representing their online personas. These icons allow users to manage and control their digital identity and Verifiable Access and Identity Credentials, and to use Liquid Avatars to share public and permission based private data when they want and with whom they want. www.liquidavatar.com

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. has a suite of revenue generating programs that support the Liquid Avatar program, including KABN KASH a cash back and reward program that has over 400 leading online merchants and coming soon, an integrated offering engine. In Canada, the Company also has the KABN Visa Card, a "challenger banking" platform that allows users to manage and control a range of financial services for traditional and digital currencies. The Company is currently exploring expansion of the KABN Visa program to other geographic regions, including the USA.

Oasis Digital Studios is a creative and development agency that supports a wide range of artists, talent, brands, and enterprises with Non-Fungible Token (NFT) solutions.

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. is publicly listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol "LQID" (CSE:LQID).

The Company also trades in the US under the symbol "TRWRF" and in Frankfurt under the symbol "4T51".

If you have not already joined our mailing list and would like to receive updates on Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., please click here to join!

For more information, please visit www.liquidavatartechnologies.com

For further information, please contact:

David Lucatch

Chief Executive Officer

647-725-7742 Ext. 701

ir@liquidavatar.com

US and Canadian Media Contact:

Nicole Rodrigues

NRPR Group

nicole@nrprgroup.com

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All websites referred to are expressly not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the timing for the launch of Liquid Avatar apps, the plans for future features of the Liquid Avatar apps, expected geographic expansion, the ability of the Company to generate revenues, roll out new programs and to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: failure to obtain necessary approvals in a timely manner or at all; lack of sufficient capital to expand the Company's geographic footprint or to add new features to the Company's offerings; changes in general economic, business, and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.

SOURCE: Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647844/Liquid-Avatar-Presents-Digital-Wallets-Verifiable-Credentials--The-Future-of-Online-Identity-Live-Online-Webinar-Today-at-12pm-EST
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Lifestyle and housing solutions firm Assurant, Inc. (AIZ) announced Tuesday that President and CEO Alan Colberg plans to retire at the end of 2021 after leading the company for the last seven years. Keith Demmings has been appointed President of Assurant, effective immediately, and has been named to succeed Colberg as CEO and Director in January 2022. Since 2016, Demmings currently leads Assurant's largest business segment, Global Lifestyle, which includes the company's global operations. As President, Demmings will have oversight for all of Assurant's Housing and Lifestyle businesses, which will report directly to him. Demmings joined Assurant as a sales intern in Toronto in 1997 and progressed to eventually became the president of the Assurant's Canadian business in 2005. Over his 24 years with the company, Demmings has assumed increasing levels of responsibility across Assurant's global enterprise, including President, Assurant Canada, leadership of the company's international business and overseeing Global Lifestyle. Before joining Assurant in March 2011, Colberg was a consultant for Bain & Co., Inc., for 22 years, serving as an advisor to Assurant during much of this time. Colberg also served on the board of directors for CarMax (KMX) from 2015-2018. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
New platform and latest product portfolio drive intelligent automation of the future at scale

LONDON and AUSTIN, Texas, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Prism (AIM: PRSM) announced today the launch of its new intelligent automation platform; radically changing the way human workers, digital workers and business systems work together to resolve complex challenges, regardless of infrastructure. This announcement was made at Blue Prism World, a world leading robotic process automation (RPA) event.

Intelligent automation is the enabler of true digital transformation and of facilitating a rework of core strategic business initiatives. Blue Prism's future vision is focused on helping organizations respond faster and work smarter by orchestrating the work of human employees seamlessly alongside software robots to increase productivity, employee engagement, growth and competitive edge. With Version 7, Blue Prism has re-architected its platform. These changes support enterprises of the future as they achieve success and help to create businesses that can rely on the speed and agility offered by automation as well as the creativity, innovation and one-to-one attention of human employees.

"As we continue to refine Blue Prism offerings and define a new tier of intelligent enterprise automation technology, we have prioritized investment in product development. The release of eight new products followed by the major platform release of Version 7, takes us towards programmable infrastructure, with enhanced cloud offerings and enterprise strategic automation at the core. Multi-tasking software robots that automatically scale and carry out end-to-end complex process automations move us away from current RPA definitions towards a greatly enhanced model of robot productivity. This, along with strategic business outputs and support for broader digitization and automation capabilities, is the path forward," says Chairman & CEO Jason Kingdon, Blue Prism.

Easier application building and modelling capabilities in Blue Prism Version 7 give greater visibility and control, making automatic scaling of an end-to-end digital workforce faster than ever. As companies look to the future, the following competencies will give them the scope to orchestrate a future workforce that is agile and productive, able to navigate ever changing market conditions:

Greater Scalability: A new secure server-based digital worker architecture with faster Control Room performance, giving data at a glance, will make it easier to expand and orchestrate the digital workforce across end-to-end strategic automations.

A new secure server-based digital worker architecture with faster Control Room performance, giving data at a glance, will make it easier to expand and orchestrate the digital workforce across end-to-end strategic automations. Greater Extensibility: An expanded API framework allows organizations to extend digital worker capabilities with artificial intelligence, with direct plug-ins into the wider ecosystem and a vast choice of best-of-breed applications and technologies, making it easier to build complementary technology on top of Blue Prism.

An expanded API framework allows organizations to extend digital worker capabilities with artificial intelligence, with direct plug-ins into the wider ecosystem and a vast choice of best-of-breed applications and technologies, making it easier to build complementary technology on top of Blue Prism. Greater Usability: The new browser-based Control Room provides always-on, real-time visibility into a company's digital workforce from any device, anytime, anywhere. Operators can access intuitive dashboards and data views that give them valuable insights into digital worker performance, to address any issues immediately.

Version 7 comes as part of a significant investment in Blue Prism's product portfolio, seeing the launch of eight new products including:

Blue Prism's Decipher - quickly and accurately extracts and organizes structured and semi-structured data from business documents.

- quickly and accurately extracts and organizes structured and semi-structured data from business documents. Blue Prism's Interact - simplifies and enhances customer communication by saving time and providing seamless human to digital workflows.

- simplifies and enhances customer communication by saving time and providing seamless human to digital workflows. Blue Prism's Capture - autogenerates all key components necessary to form a process definition document (PDD), giving instant access to Blue Prism process outlines and significantly reducing time to automate by up to 25%.

With these product innovations, Blue Prism has made a commitment to help its customers achieve fast, scalable intelligent automations, enabling them to achieve true enterprise-wide digital transformation. An all-inclusive license means also that Blue Prism digital workers can be upgraded with further capabilities, adding significantly more value over time, at no extra cost. Now companies can easily double their digital worker capacity while delivering greater business agility, lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and faster path to value.

"As RPA platforms extend capabilities, the use cases become far more expansive," says Maureen Fleming, program vice president for IDC's intelligent process automation research. "Pricing models that encourage all features to be exercised and all workers to build their own automation, allow organizations to get the full benefits of an RPA portfolio without worrying about the complicated cost nuances of what capabilities they're adopting and who is doing the development."

Blue Prism Version 7 is available today for all Blue Prism customers.

Notes to editors:

Blue Prism is a global leader in enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent automation, transforming the way work is done. We have over 2,000 customers in over 170 countries and 70 industry verticals, 30% in the Forbes Global 2,000, creating value with new ways of working by unlocking efficiencies and returning millions of hours of work back into their businesses. Our enterprise digital robots offer high-scale automation that is secure, smart, accessible to all, enabling centrally managed human and digital workforces of the future and freeing up humans to re-imagine work. To learn more visit www.blueprism.com and follow us on Twitter @blue_prism and on LinkedIn

 2021 Blue Prism Limited. "Blue Prism", the "Blue Prism" logo and Prism device are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Blue Prism Limited and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512692/version7.jpg
STOCKHOLM, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the annual general meeting of 2021 was held in SciBase Holding AB (publ) (the "Company" or "SciBase"). Below follows a summary of the resolutions passed at the annual general meeting.

The annual general meeting resolved:

to adopt the profit and loss statement and the balance sheet and the group profit and loss statement and the group balance sheet for the financial year 2020;

that SEK 175,081,224 shall be carried forward in new account and that no dividend shall be paid;

shall be carried forward in new account and that no dividend shall be paid; to grant the board members and the CEO discharge from liability for the financial year 2020;

that the board of directors shall consist of four ordinary members without deputy members and that a registered accounting firm shall be elected as auditor;

that the fees payable to the board of directors for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting shall be SEK 200,000 for the chairman of the board and SEK 150,000 to each of the other ordinary board members (who are not employed by a larger shareholder in the Company)and that fees payable to the auditor is to be paid in accordance with approved invoices;

for the chairman of the board and to each of the other ordinary board members (who are not employed by a larger shareholder in the Company)and that fees payable to the auditor is to be paid in accordance with approved invoices; for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting, to re-elect Diana Ferro , Thomas Taapken and Tord Lendau and to new-elect Dr. Matt Leavitt as board members, to re-elect Tord Lendau as chairman of the board of directors and to re-elect the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers AB (PwC) as auditor for the Company, with Magnus Lagerberg as auditor-in-charge;

, and Tord Lendau and to new-elect Dr. as board members, to re-elect Tord Lendau as chairman of the board of directors and to re-elect the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers AB (PwC) as auditor for the Company, with as auditor-in-charge; to adopt principles for the appointment of a nomination committee (same principles as previous year); and

to authorize the board of directors to increase the share capital through issuance of new shares, warrants and/or convertible debentures through which the Company's share capital may be increased by an amount corresponding to not more than 20 per cent of the share capital after such issue(s);

For more information, please contact:

Simon Grant, CEO SciBase

Tel: +46 72 887 43 99

Email: simon.grant@scibase.com

Certified Advisor (CA):

Avanza

Tel: +46 8 409 421 20

Email: corp@avanza.se

The information was submitted, through the agency of the contact person set out above, for publication at the time stated by Scibase's news distributor Cision upon publication of this press release.

About SciBase and Nevisense

SciBase AB is a Swedish medical technology company, headquartered in Stockholm that has developed and sells a unique point-of-care device for evaluation of skin disorders such as skin cancer and atopic dermatitis. Its first product, Nevisense, helps doctors to detect malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Further development has led to Nevisense also being used as a tool to assess the skin barrier and inflammation. SciBase was founded by Stig Ollmar, Associate Professor at The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Nevisense is based on substantial research and has achieved excellent results in the largest clinical study ever conducted on the detection of malignant melanoma. Nevisense is CE marked in Europe, has TGA approval in Australia and an FDA approval (PMA) in the United States. Nevisense is based on a method called Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), which uses the varying electrical properties of human tissue to categorize cellular structures and thereby detect malignancies and abnormalities. SciBase is listed on First North Growth Market ("SCIB"). Further information is available at www.scibase.com .

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/scibase/r/annual-general-meeting-has-been-held-in-scibase-holding-ab--publ-,c3348691

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World's longest operating CA stands the test of time while innovating for the future

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Leading identity solutions provider GlobalSign is celebrating a significant milestone: 25 years as a Certificate Authority (CA). Since GlobalSign began operating in 1996 out of a small office in Belgium, the company has grown from just a few employees to becoming one of the world's top CAs. It has expanded from that office to nine worldwide, with more than 550 employees in more than a dozen countries. Despite many shifts in the industry throughout the years, GlobalSign is now the world's longest-operating CA, and a respected leader in identity verification and Certificate Lifecycle Management.

Originally established as BelSign, the company's genesis can be traced to when the first "root" was created in 1996, limited to 512-bit RSA keys, using the CryptWare Server as a signing engine. Within two years the company had developed its own engine ('Phoenix'), changed roots and developed into the GlobalSign network as part of its international expansion strategy in August 1998, with a strong European basis. GlobalSign was able to embed the "GlobalSign Root CA" in both Netscape and Microsoft Windows 2000, giving full ubiquity to the roots, allowing the company to begin selling SSL certificates. In 2007, GlobalSign began to offer document signing certificates under the Adobe CDS (now AATL) program. In that year GlobalSign was acquired by GMO Group in Tokyo, where the company is headquartered today.

In 2012, the company began adapting to new industry regulations such as NAESB in the U.S. wholesale electric market, and later in 2020 by becoming a Trust Service Provider capable of issuing a number of qualified certificate types including Qualified Web Authentication, QTSA, electronic signatures and seal certificates.

"Since our company's initial founding, there has been sweeping change in the overall security industry. Through it all, BelSign and then GlobalSign - which is founded on Public Key Infrastructure -- has enabled tens of thousands of companies to protect identity, websites, ecommerce transactions, code and more," said Lila Kee, General Manager, North and South America, GlobalSign. "We've also now built a powerful cloud that is capable of securing a billion endpoints. We have proven that it is robust enough to produce results of this magnitude."

Through the years GlobalSign has reached numerous significant milestones, including:

The first CA to improve revocation checking for HTTPS pages through the use of a CDN

The first CA to offer IPv6 compliant revocation services

One of the first global CA's to become a Trust Service Provider

Issuing 50 million digital signatures via our Digital Signing Service

"Looking to the future, we will see an increased adoption of our certificates protecting the identity of IoT devices, our digital signatures will help secure remote workers to keep business moving and SMIME encryption will continue to keep email safe to prevent phishing. And by year's end we could very well meet our goal of securing a billion endpoints."

Please visit GlobalSign's new interactive 25th anniversary webpage where you will discover a GlobalSign timeline infographic, employee interviews, as well as noteworthy technology and cybersecurity facts spanning the last 25 years.

About GMO GlobalSign

As one of the world's most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers, and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale PKI and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people, and things comprising the IoT. A subsidiary of Japan-based GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K and GMO Internet Group, GMO GlobalSign has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com.

Media Relations Contact:

Amy Krigman

Public Relations Manager

Phone: 603-570-7060

Email: amy.krigman@globalsign.com

SOURCE: GlobalSign

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647731/GlobalSign-Celebrates-25-Years-as-a-Leader-in-the-Certificate-Authority-Industry-With-An-Eye-on-Securing-One-Billion-Endpoints
AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / SmallCapVoice.com Inc. ("SCV") announces the availability of a new interview with management at Eco Innovation Group Inc. (OTC PINK:ECOX) ("ECOX" or the "Company"), an innovative company aggregating investments in new technologies that promote environmental and social well-being and the advancement of green energy solutions. Eco Innovation CEO Julia Otey-Raudes is joined by advisor Patrick Laurie to review the Company's pipeline of technology and market expansion strategy.

Eco Innovation works with inventors to help drive innovation through the full lifecycle of a technology. The Company utilizes a nine-step process to identify and advance the technology assets in its portfolio to disrupt established markets and optimize eco-innovation.

Speaking with SCV's Stuart Smith, Otey-Raudes first provided an update on Eco Innovation's uplisting process and touted Canada as the strategic location for the Company's soon-to-launch wholly owned subsidiary, EcoIG Canada.

Established as the exclusive distribution arm for Eco Innovation's technology in the Canadian market, EcoIG will also be privy to the research, development and manufacturing of technology as it applies specifically to the Canadian market, added Patrick.

As interim CEO of the new subsidiary, Patrick will head EcoIG Canada's operations, taking advantage of the country's eco-friendly government grant and incentive programs and leveraging his expertise in corporate strategies, project implementation, business development and green energy diversity.

"With my path and previous history of managing large-scale projects and looking after manufacturing over several years, it will give us the ability to manage all facets of building the company, evolving, and then controlling all of our costs and efficiencies, which will streamline our full process, build our structure. Then, we can evolve from there," he stated.

Patrick will also provide critical support to advance Eco Innovation's leading projects - the PoolCooled energy consumption technology and the supercritical non-CO2 extraction device for the cannabis industry - which Otey-Raudes said she expects to bring to market in the near future.

"I am moving in a pace that a lot of people may think should be going much faster, but when you're dealing with new technologies and inventors and making sure that the technologies are patented, it takes time to get there," she explained. "We intend to bring on other inventors once we hit certain phases with the technologies we have on the table."

Otey-Raudes concluded the interview by describing Eco Innovation's collaboration with Marijuana Company of America (OTC; MCOA), a share exchange agreement under which the companies can identify and accelerate the development and global distribution of new varieties of hemp-based products and continue its expansion.

The full interview can be heard at: https://www.smallcapvoice.com/may-interview-eco-innovation-group-ecox/

About Eco Innovation Group

Eco Innovation Group was founded by Inventors and Business Professionals to help nurture and catalyze the most innovative and impactful products and services, and to deliver those innovations to the world, improving the quality of life in our communities and the world around us, while delivering value to our shareholders. At ECOX, we are dedicated to developing and commercializing successful products. But we will never lose sight of the fact that we exist, first and foremost, to help people and improve life on the planet we all share. We take our Social Responsibility Contract seriously in all our endeavors. It is not only what we do. It is who we are. For more information, visit www.ecoig.com .

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements also may be included in other publicly available documents issued by the Company and in oral statements made by our officers and representatives from time to time. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management's current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. They can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "would," "could," "will" and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flows, results of operations, uses of cash and other measures of financial performance.

Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others such as, but not limited to economic conditions, changes in the laws or regulations, demand for products and services of the company, the effects of competition and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or represented in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking information provided in this release should be considered with these factors in mind. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this report.

About SmallCapVoice.com

SmallCapVoice.com, Inc. is a recognized corporate investor relations firm, with clients nationwide, known for its ability to help emerging growth companies, small cap and micro-cap stocks build a following among retail and institutional investors. SmallCapVoice.com utilizes its stock newsletter to feature its daily stock picks, podcasts, as well as its clients' financial news releases. SmallCapVoice.com also offers individual investors all the tools they need to make informed decisions about the stocks in which they are interested. Tools like stock charts, stock alerts, and Company Information Sheets can assist with investing in stocks that are traded on the OTCMarkets. To learn more about SmallCapVoice.com and its services, please visit https://www.smallcapvoice.com/small-cap-stock-otc-investor-relations-financial-public-relations/.

Socialize with SmallCapVoice and their clients at

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallCapVoice/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallcapvoice

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallcapvoice/

Contact Information:

Corporate Contact:

Eco Innovation Group, Inc.

Julia.Otey@ecoig.com

www.EcoIG.com

Public Relations:

EDM Media, LLC

https://edm.media

(800) 301-7883

SmallCapVoice.com

Stuart T. Smith

512-267-2430

Info@SmallCapVoice.com

SOURCE: SmallCapVoice.com

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647854/Eco-Innovation-Highlights-Key-Growth-Initiatives-in-Audio-Interview-with-SmallCapVoicecom
Continued Ramping of Prominent Insurance Distributors Leads to Growth

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Novus Acquisition and Development, Corp. (OTC PINK:NDEV), through its wholly-owned subsidiary WCIG Insurance Services, LLC., is a hybrid health insurance entity and, the nation's first carrier offering cannabis health plans to recreation and medicinal users, today reported, its financial and operational results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Novus' CEO, Frank Labrozzi, stated, "As we expand our partner base that includes Third Party Administrators who have distribution contracts with major health carriers, we are seeing more interest to include Novus Cannabis MedPlan as a tool to persuade consumers to specific insurance carriers. Our associates are in varying stages of onboarding, and we are motivated to ramp up with each and bring on additional ones who could assist us as we scale up our distribution network".

First Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights :

Revenue increased $4,404 or 7.5% to $63,481 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020

Demonstrated a 34% profit margin pricing structure in its business model for the three months ended March 31, 2021

Net income increased $1,118 or 5.5% to $21,426 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020

Shareholder equity increased to $1,478,786 on March 31, 2021, from $1,468,783 at December 31, 2020

Cash and Cash Equivalents increased to $160,020 at March 31, 2021, from $156,422 at December 31, 2020

Alignment With Insurance Distribution

Pram: Focusing on proprietary prescription drug benefits PRAM identifies a unique need for pharmacy cost containment in the marketplace. They have a sizeable client base in the group markets and a distribution base with carriers. Unique Insurance Concepts UIC : A consortia of health insurance agents that focus on group policies, Medicare supplements, dental and critical illness with over 5,000 corporate clients. Go Enroll / Elevate Wellness : One of the nation's top InsureTech platforms targeted for large groups with over 92,000 clients. This platform allows employees to integrate cannabis with Dental, Vision, GAP, and Medical Plans. The Elevate Wellness Plans cover over 4,500 employers where their employees are allowed to choose alternative treatment options that may not be available through their traditional healthcare providers. Oneshare : A medical cost-sharing provider an ACA-exempt path to healthcare. Its health-based sharing membership plan focuses on Catastrophic Plans and Complete Health. Essential Benefits : Is Minimal Essential Care (MEC) is a plan that meets the Affordable Care Act requirement for getting health coverage. Some of these programs under MEC include marketplace plans, job-based plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. Mainly focused on covering routine preventative illness plans. Wellness 360 : This is an employee-based wellness platform that offers plans, program guides, online educational resources, a white label wellness program, and many other customizable options for workplace wellness. Back 9 Insurance : Is InsureTech platform that sells annuities, life, long-term care, disability, and annuities. Their platform makes it easy for agents to display side-by-side comparisons with of over 50 carriers and offer Novus' plans in a cross-sell. National Life : Contracted through Novus provider Compass Health this is one of the oldest life insurance carriers in the country. Medova Healthcare: Novus has executed an agreement with Medova Healthcare that offers Bridgewell Health, which are six guaranteed issued plans that offer preventive and wellness plans with robust medical benefits designed for employee group health benefits.

Research Novus Now:

Financial Filings: Click Here

Click Here Quote: Click Here

Click Here Website: Click Here

Investor's Page: Click Here

How Insurance Companies are Valued: Click Here

About Novus

Novus Acquisition & Development Corp. (NDEV), through its subsidiary WCIG Insurance, provides health insurance and related insurance solutions within the wellness and medical marijuana industries in states where legal programs exist. Novus has developed its infrastructure within many lines of the insurance business such as health, property & casualty, life, accident, and fixed annuities.

Novus' medical cannabis benefits package will work as outside developers and will not cultivate, handle, transport grow, extract, dispense, put up for sale, put on the market, vend, deliver, supply, circulate, or trade cannabis or any substances that violate the United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future and will continue to follow state and federal laws. The statements made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on these press releases or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Once a push notification is completed the transaction is solely between the state-licensed dispensary and the registered patient.

The state laws are in conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act. The current administration has effectively stated that it is not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state-designated laws, allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. However, there is no guarantee that the current administration, nor any future administration, will not change this policy and decide to enforce the federal laws strongly. Any such change in the federal government's enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant financial changes to Novus Medical Group. While we do not intend to harvest, distribute or sell cannabis or cannabis related products, we may be harmed by a change in enforcement by federal or state governments.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflect management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, includes codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. Novus disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Contact Information

855-228-7355

Email: info@getnovusnow.com

SOURCE: Novus Acquisition and Development Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647832/Novus-Reports-First-Quarter-2021-Results
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / ProDeal, the award-winning company behind the only deal-closing platform developed specifically for the real estate industry, today announced its acceptance into the exclusive 2021 REACH Commercial scale-up program.

The REACH program is the number one accelerator in real estate. Operated by Second Century Ventures in five major international markets and backed by the National Association of REALTORS, REACH Commercial focuses on advancing promising new technology companies within and beyond the commercial real estate sector.

"We are thrilled to welcome ProDeal to the 2021 REACH Commercial program," said Bob Gillespie, Executive Director of REACH Commercial. "Their rapid, seamless deal platform keeps everyone on the same page and delivers speed to close, saving everyone time and money. We are big believers in the team at ProDeal and look forward to helping them grow."

As one of only nine organizations accepted into REACH Commercial's latest cohort, ProDeal has already begun activities that will further advance its position in the global real estate ecosystem. Through this esteemed program, ProDeal will gain essential industry insights, mentorship and exposure to the CRE community.

This announcement comes on the heels of ProDeal's appointment of Andrew Damico to the role of CEO in February 2020. Known for leading IntraLinks - a global SaaS technology provider with over $200 million in revenue - to a successful NYSE IPO, Damico is a seasoned 30-year veteran of the software and banking industries. Since joining ProDeal, Damico has been instrumental in navigating the company through the fluctuations of the real estate market amidst a global pandemic.

Marty Burger, CEO of Silverstein Properties, had this to say: "We've been working with ProDeal since 2019, and their software very quickly became our standard deal-closing platform. For fast and accurate tracking, reporting, and real-time communication, ProDeal is absolutely second to none. It's been amazing to witness their growth and we're delighted to see them achieve this latest milestone."

ProDeal's latest success comes at a time where real estate technology - also known as property technology, or "proptech" for short - is emerging as one of the hottest technology trends. The rapid digital transformation of the property industry and meteoric rise of proptech inspired the inaugural 2021 PropTech in Canada Report .

And ProDeal has already carved out a name for itself as a leader of the proptech pack.

"This is a fantastic win for ProDeal," said Damico. "It's both exciting and a privilege to be recognized in this way, and we know our participation in the REACH program will help take ProDeal to the next level. Looking towards the next stage in our growth and to the exciting trends happening in proptech, I can confidently say there's no end in sight to our success in changing the way the commercial real estate community closes deals."

About ProDeal

ProDeal is a New York-based team of technology, finance, and legal experts offering the only deal-closing software built specifically for real estate. The award-winning ProDeal platform has changed the landscape of real estate by streamlining due diligence tracking and deal closing into a single intuitive, lightning-fast document and workflow management software. Since its inception in 2017, ProDeal has transacted over $50 billion in deals across 1,200 organizations. For more information about ProDeal, visit www.prodeal360.com .

Contact: press@prodeal360.com

SOURCE: ProDeal

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647873/Accelerating-the-Future-of-Real-Estate-Tech-ProDeal-Joins-Selective-REACH-Scale-Up-Program
After surviving an Indian attack in 1622, Bagwell moved to the Eastern Shore, where it was perceived to be safer. There, he soon became a prominent citizen in the emerging society of the Eastern Shore. In 1629, he became one of the four burgesses from the Shore and was part of the General Assembly that, in 1632, formed the monthly court in Accomack, she wrote.
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / We welcome you to OM Holdings International, Inc. (OTC PINK:OMHI). Our company began with the purchase of a public company, Portage Resources, Inc. (Portage), which was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada in 2006. In July 2020, as part of a restructuring, all the assets and liabilities of Portage were sold off. We then acquired K-Mark Foods, the holding company for One Mart, a 35-year-old grocery and merchandise store founded by Mark Vanterpool in 1986. In 2020, the company entered into an agreement to complete a reverse merger, and Mr. Vanterpool was appointed a director and CEO of the new company, OM Holdings International, Inc.

One Mart is the second largest grocery and merchandise store in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The store offers its many customers groceries, home goods, electronics, furniture and some buildings supplies; it also sells wholesale products to restaurants and hospitality venues and caters to small businesses, similar to Costco and Sam's Club stores. The store has been profitable for 35 years and has grown nearly every year since it was founded. One Mart revenue for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020 was $28.2 million, with $1.6 million in operating profit, versus revenue of $27.2 million and $598,000 in operating profit in 2019.

To date, our company has outperformed profitable industry metrics: stores like One Mart in the USA have an average profit margin between 2.12 percent and 2.49 percent, while One Mart has yielded more than 6.6 percent. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we enjoyed a 5.5 percent profit margin.

Over the last several months our management team and board of directors have put a five-year growth plan in motion, and we expect to build and open additional stores, not only in the BVI, but throughout the Caribbean. The locations we are considering are all located in densely populated areas, and we expect some of the new stores to be much larger than our first store. These retail centers will also serve as logistic hubs throughout the Caribbean. These logistics hubs will help to reduce consumer prices for the 42.7 million residents of the Caribbean. We are currently building a new store, and we are drafting plans for at least two more stores to be built within the next 12 months. We anticipate we will have news to communicate with you as these new stores are opened and new sites negotiations reach a fruitful conclusion.

We are also exploring the possibility of expanding into building materials to give our retail and commercial customers additional products and services. Our philosophy is that store sales are driven by empowering people to access products of all kinds through physical purchases and technology. Our product mix in our first store provides our customers with affordable and accessible goods and services essential to their livelihoods.

Our management team, based in the Caribbean and in the United States, comprises professionals who have spent on average 20 years in the business and know how to build stores from first shovel to opening, on time and within budget, and their expertise in buying in greater volumes and high quality consistently satisfies our customers. This will also add value to our company's bottom line.

We also anticipate transforming our business with technology. Covid-19 has accelerated worldwide demand for contactless payments, and over the next 12 months we expect to combine contactless logistics technology with our retail business to vertically integrate a LOCAL ON-DEMAND ECONOMY (LODETECH) within the Caribbean and other underserved markets. Our customers will be able to open our app on any mobile device, place an order for pick up or delivery. The convenience factor is a major marketing tool - we are excited about what this service will mean for busy families and retail organizations in the region. We will take charge of the supply chain, manage all logistics and associated costs to bring lower cost goods to island nations in the Caribbean. We envision LODETECH as a single platform for the provision of a comprehensive and ever-expanding range of direct services.

We are extremely excited about what is coming for our company, particularly as the expansion of our offering brings greater convenience and improved quality of life to customers throughout the Caribbean, where we expect to be at the vanguard of the intersection of retail and technology.

We'd like to close by sharing with you our mission statement: "OM Holdings International intends to become the leading provider of essential goods and services to the Caribbean basin over the next five years. This will be done by empowering the people of the Caribbean with access to a wide range of goods and services that are essential to their livelihood. The company will make goods and services affordable and available to all levels of communities. The company's corporate citizenship will be clearly demonstrated by giving back to these communities, propelling a high standard of living with better employment, higher levels of education and investment in entrepreneurship."

We intend to achieve this mission every quarter while bringing real value to our shareholders. We are thrilled at the prospect of what we believe we can accomplish.

DISCLOSURES

"Safe Harbor" This press release contains forward-looking statements including statements regarding the timing of the revenue from the partnership and the partnership's success. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include consumer reaction to our products and new regulations which affect the distribution of these products. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the OTC Markets. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT:

Michael Porter, Director of Investor Relations

Phone: 973-865-9357

Email: mporter@omholdingsinc.com

SOURCE: OM Holdings International, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647819/OMHI--OM-Holdings-International-Completes-Reverse-Merger-and-Becomes-Profitable-with-Acquisition-of-Second-Largest-Grocery-and-Merchandise-Store-in-BVI
SMS gross margin is expected to improve by approximately 30% compared to last year.

Top-up revenue could increase by as much as 1000% from the current quarter's revenues.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / FingerMotion, Inc. (OTCQX:FNGR), a mobile data and services company, is pleased to announce that it has successfully entered into a volume-based contract with China Mobile Fujian. Management believes this contract will result in an approximate 30% improvement in gross margin on the Company's SMS business. The contract negotiations results from years of collaboration between the two parties and FingerMotion's subsidiary, JiuGe, plans to continue to strengthen that collaboration by providing high-quality service to the end users. China Mobile Fujian currently has approximately 30 million or more online subscribers, which is about 70% of the market share in the province of Fujian (source: China Mobile, https://www.10086.cn/aboutus/culture/intro/province_culture_intro/fj/).

As a result of JiuGe's strong performance on the cooperation agreement with China Mobile, it expects to continue to secure new contracts with China Mobile. This agreement was the result of the Company putting significant effort into continuously enhancing their platform, resulting in positive customer response rates and distinguishing the Company from other competitors. In addition, the telecom products being marketed have the backing of China Mobile and are expected to add steady incremental revenue.

JiuGe's solid performance in the SMS business has enabled the Company to secure a larger supply of prepaid SMS in April 2021, which is expected to grow the SMS revenue by 20% to 30% in 2021. The Company is focused on increasing margins, and management expects gross margins for SMS to improve by up to 30% in the current year. With this volume-based pricing program now in place with China Mobile Fujian, the Company expects a significant increase in SMS sales.

The e-commerce top-up business is also strengthening its links to operators and are working to improve the reliability of their services, which should further increase customer loyalty to the platform. If this trend continues in 2021, the annual top-up revenues could increase by as much as 1000%, with an expected jump of 850% in quarter-over-quarter revenue for the period ended August 31, 2021 compared to the same period in the prior year.

With the introduction of 5G in the China marketplace, the mobile information service industry is set to take off. Key operators like Zhejiang Mobile, Zhejiang Unicom and other large provincial operators are provisioning resources to take advantage of this burgeoning market and may look to JiuGe for guidance and assistance.

"Our focus over the past year was on improving margins," said Martin Shen CEO of FingerMotion Inc. "This volume-based agreement is expected to increase our margins from 6.1% to approximately 30% and is a testament to our incredibly talented team that continues to impress our business partners. With SMS demand remaining strong, we are able to meet the new pressures through operational efficiencies but continue to be limited by the capital required to adequately fund operations. In addition to this expected increase in gross margin, we also expect the top-up revenue growth to dramatically accelerate in the next quarter and through the rest of our fiscal year ended February 28, 2022. With the forthcoming arrival of two exciting new business segments in insuretech and 5G, and their corresponding revenues, we want to assure our shareholders that are working diligently towards positive earnings this year."

About FingerMotion, Inc.

FingerMotion is an evolving technology company with a core competency in mobile payment and recharge platform solutions in China. As the user base of its primary business continues to grow, the Company is developing additional value-added technologies to market to its users. The vision of the Company is to rapidly grow the user base through organic means and have this growth develop into an ecosystem of users with high engagement rates utilizing its innovative applications. Developing a highly engaged ecosystem of users would strategically position the Company to onboard larger customer bases. FingerMotion eventually hopes to serve over 1 billion users in the China market and eventually expand the model to other regional markets.

For further information e-mail: info@fingermotion.com

718-269-3366

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements" including statements regarding: the continued growth of the e-commerce market and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that market; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "predicts," "should," "will" or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: FingerMotion

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647920/FingerMotion-Successfully-Negotiates-Volume-Based-Contract-withChina-Mobile-Fujian
Ping Identity's flexible solutions improve customer experience and help achieve compliance

Ping Identity (NYSE: PING), the Intelligent Identity solution for the enterprise, has partnered with ProofID to successfully simplify identity security for Tesco Bank, the banking division of the UK's largest supermarket retailer, to enable a more secure and customer-centric banking experience.

Since its formation in 1997, the more than five million customer identities managed by Tesco Bank had become siloed across its products and services, adding unwanted friction to the customer experience. The bank also needed to meet robust compliance requirements to adhere to the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), a European electronic services regulation requiring strong customer authentication. These needs were hindered by an inflexible security posture that was adding cost and time to the launch of new applications and features.

"We needed a customer security platform that could extend across all our channels," explains Tesco Bank security architect, David McConchie, "and ultimately allow us to consolidate disparate identity data, laying the foundation for a common customer identity."

The goal was to select the best solution to break down identity silos and bring it into one simplified identity layer. With ProofID as the implementation partner, Tesco Bank configured its new PingAccess and PingFederate cluster to secure key applications in just 12 weeks. This included building a single-factor login journey and deploying it across their private AWS cloud. The result is a common identity provider with self-service features across banking, credit cards and general insurance, which allows customers to more easily manage their money and have an overall better experience. The self-service features also removed a major security burden from developers, helping them deliver new services much faster and more cost effectively.

"We saw how we could use PingAccess and PingFederate to work across web, mobile and API. The ease with which we could deploy across channels was a critical factor, along with the data governance capabilities," explains McConchie. "Ping Identity gives us the flexible authorization capabilities we need to minimize friction and deliver a customer-centric experience."

"Modern enterprises require increased business agility, and banks are no exception," said Emma Maslen, VP and general manager of Ping Identity, EMEA APAC, "Financial institutions are faced with unforgiving customers and uniquely robust compliance requirements. This amplifies the need for a partner that not only understands their complexities but can deliver flexible security solutions that deliver an integrated customer experience to achieve business goals."

For more on how Ping Identity simplified Identity Security for Tesco Bank read the case study.

About Ping Identity

Ping Identity is the Intelligent Identity solution for the enterprise. We enable companies to achieve Zero Trust identity-defined security and more personalized, streamlined user experiences. The Ping Intelligent Identity platform provides customers, workforce, and partners with access to cloud, mobile, SaaS and on-premises applications across the hybrid enterprise. Over half of the Fortune 100 choose us for our identity expertise, open standards, and partnerships with companies including Microsoft and Amazon. We provide flexible identity solutions that accelerate digital business initiatives, delight customers, and secure the enterprise through multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, access management, intelligent API security, directory, and data governance capabilities. For more information, please visit www.pingidentity.com.

About ProofID

ProofID is a global identity security partner, integrator and service provider. Proven specialists in IAM, ProofID is committed to delivering pain-free, secure and seamless access and authentication experiences. Trusted by Tier 1 enterprises around the world to design, deliver and manage IAM services, ProofID has successfully deployed their technology into regulated financial institutions with dynamic workforce needs, high street retailers that require seamless customer engagement, leading universities and worldwide charities. Their highly skilled team has been awarded more technical accreditations than any other Ping partner and earned Ping's Delivery Partner of the Year Award in 2018 and 2019 and ideiio Partner of the Year 2019. For more information, please visit www.proofid.com.

Follow Us on Twitter: @PingIdentity

Join us on LinkedIn: Ping Identity

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: PingIdentityTV

Like Us on Facebook: PingIdentityPage

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005171/en/

Contacts:

Ping Identity Media Relations

Kristin Miller

press@pingidentity.com

720.728.1033
BAE Systems, Inc. has received a $325.5 million contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for advanced Military Code (M-Code) Global Positioning System (GPS) modules that will provide reliable and secure positioning, navigation, and timing data with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities. The modules will help warfighters conduct operations in contested electronic warfare environments.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005418/en/

BAE Systems has received a $325.5M contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for advanced M-Code GPS modules that will provide positioning, navigation, and timing data with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities. Photo credit: BAE Systems

"Our state-of-the-art GPS technology works with the advanced military M-Code signal to provide reliable information to the warfighters who depend on it," said Greg Wild, director of Navigation and Sensor Systems at BAE Systems. "This contract will ensure the availability of M-Code module inventory to build advanced, next-generation GPS receivers."

Under the multi-year contract, BAE Systems will deliver Modernized GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 1 Common GPS Modules (CGMs) compatible with the advanced M-Code signal to support the U.S. Department of Defense and international allies through 2030. BAE Systems will manufacture the modules, manage their inventory on behalf of the Defense Logistics Agency, and use them to build military-grade GPS receivers for ground and precision-guided munitions.

BAE Systems' portfolio of M-Code GPS receivers provides flexible, efficient, and reliable navigation and guidance solutions for airborne systems, precision munitions, handheld receivers, and embedded applications. The company's Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine M-Code (MPETM-M) the smallest M-Code solution on the market and the NavStrikeTM-M GPS receiver for precision-guided munitions are both available today. Additional receivers from the company's military GPS family are in development for transition to M-Code.

For more information about the company's military GPS products, visit: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/gps-products.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005418/en/

Contacts:

Mark Daly, BAE Systems

Mobile: 603-233-7636

mark.g.daly@baesystems.com

www.baesystems.com/US

@BAESystemsInc
A full-featured Layer 2/3 switch, tuned for low latency using FPGA programmability

Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) today announced SwitchApp for Arista 7130, a new ultra-low latency switch that cuts latency to less than a third of existing Arista solutions. SwitchApp is based on the latest programmable FPGA technology and is fully integrated with Arista EOS (Extensible Operating System). The combination of these technologies allows customers to access financial markets with extraordinary speed, leveraging the flexibility of a full-featured Layer 2/3 switch and the latency of a highly tuned solution.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005430/en/

SwitchApp for Arista 7130, a new ultra-low latency switch that cuts latency to less than a third of existing Arista solutions. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Trading and Financial Services firms depend on the agility and performance of their networks to respond to new market conditions. Arista SwitchApp is a full-featured 1/10/40G Layer 2/3 switching application that runs on Arista's 7130 line of programmable FPGA switches. It offers ultra-low latency of under 100ns with Layer 2 switching. FPGAs are extremely flexible off-the-shelf devices which have the benefit of software configurability at a gate level.

"ASX has been an Arista client for many years using successive generations of low latency switches, 7130 hardware, FPGA applications, EOS and the CloudVision software. We're excited about this latest innovation, which brings all of the technologies together, allowing us to unify our network management and monitoring. This adds up to greater efficiency for us and a better outcome for our customers," says David Glavin, GM Technology Infrastructure at ASX (Australian Stock Exchange).

"This is a significant step for switch technology. SwitchApp is not only Arista's lowest latency L2/3 switch but offers clients the feature-richness of EOS's routing stack and operational model. We've brought ultra-low latency and programmable FPGAs to EOS, allowing clients to benefit from the simplicity of a single operating system running across their entire estate," says Martin Hull, VP Systems Engineering and Platforms at Arista.

Ultra-low latency combined with programmability

Arista has fully exploited re-programmability to allow customers to tune their system for new requirements. Thanks to the FPGA programmability, Arista engineers can add innovative features normally reserved for hardware updates to the heart of the switching pipeline through software updates or configuration options for financial services and low latency applications which rely on the highest levels of performance.

Extending single image consistency to ultra-low-latency environments

Customers can now run EOS across their entire network, including running their ultra-low latency FPGA-based devices on the same operating system which manages the network core. The Arista 7130 Series are also integrated into Arista's CloudVision software, which provides a network-wide model for provisioning, orchestration and telemetry, acting as a unified control point for third-party overlay controllers, orchestration systems, and security platforms. By using EOS to manage their ultra-low latency and FPGA devices, customers gain significant operational advantages from monitoring to configuration management while maintaining consistency and a familiar configuration experience and feature set. The same EOS software runs across Arista's entire range of products, so those with certification requirements need only certify a single software release.

The availability of EOS for the 7130 Series and Arista SwitchApp democratizes ultra-low latency, hybrid L1/2/3 switching and FPGA programmability, making these advanced technologies practical for a wider market. These foundational releases mark the beginning of a new era of innovation in this space, and demonstrates a long-term commitment to both financial services and innovative FPGA-based applications from Arista and third parties (via Arista's FPGA developer's kit).

7130 SwitchApp Application Use Cases

SwitchApp's ultra-low latency L2/3 features, support multiple deployment scenarios:

Exchange-facing with multiple exchange connections, L1 tapping, routing and redundancy

- Multi-layer MLAG-based leaf-spine including redundant connections

- Multicast publish and subscribe trading networks

Enabling 7130 Series capabilities in EOS opens up L1 technology for use cases, including network tapping and monitoring, media conversion and remote cable management.

The combination of Layer 1, 2 and 3 in the same device allows a hyper-converged high-performance infrastructure within minimal overhead for cabling and maximizing data center flexibility.

Product Availability

Arista SwitchApp is available for customers testing today, with a generally available release in Q2, 2021.

Register here to learn about Arista's new low-latency switch at our webinar on June 3rd, 2021.

Read more about this announcement on Anshul Sadana's blog here.

About Arista Networks

Arista Networks is an industry leader in cognitive cloud networking solutions for large data center and campus environments. Arista's award-winning platforms deliver availability, agility, automation analytics, and security through CloudVision and Arista EOS, an advanced network operating system. For more information, visit www.arista.com.

ARISTA, CloudVision and EOS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of Arista Networks, Inc. in jurisdictions worldwide. Other company names or product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Additional information and resources can be found at www.arista.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding performance and capabilities. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including rapid technological and market change, customer requirements and industry standards, as well as other risks stated in our filings with the SEC available on Arista's website at www.arista.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Arista disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005430/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact

Amanda Jaramillo

Corporate Communications

Tel: (408) 547-5798

amanda@arista.com

Investor Contact

Charles Yager

Product and Investor Development

Tel: (408) 547-5892

cyager@arista.com
-- Provides automated sample preparation and data analysis workflow for single EV imaging at very high resolution

ONI, a rapidly growing company redefining the boundaries of microscopy with its Nanoimager platform that enables imaging of individual molecules in living cells, today announced the early release of its new, single imaging, extracellular vesicle (EV) comsumable kit, during the virtual 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV2021) taking place May 18-21, 2021.

The new comsumable kit isan automated sample preparation solution using integrated microfluidics and dedicated reagent-filled cartridges to enable EV imaging at 20nm resolution. Powered by the Nanoimager and in combination with CODI, researchers can visualize and count thousands of EVs as well as quantify differences in biomarker distribution across EV populations with high confidence. The Nanoimager is a desktop-sized, single-molecule microscopy platform capable of visualizing, tracking, and imaging individual molecules in living cells.

"Using the Nanoimager's super-resolution microscopy combined with CODI, researchers can directly visualize single EVs, their surface biomarkers and cargo to standardize EV characterization. This provides a deeper understanding of how EVs function in cell signalling pathways and further insights into the phenotypic consequences of their activity at target sites," said Bo Jing, CEO of ONI. "At ISEV2021, we are highlighting early access to our first consumable product, a plug-and-play solution that can be easily integrated into the workflow for single-molecule characterization of EVs. We look forward to the full launch of the product in the coming weeks."

ONI's single EV imaging kit includes early access to ONI's Collaborative Discovery (CODI) platform, a novel web-based analysis solution that allows researchers to share single-molecule localization microscopy Nanoimager results using powerful algorithms to quantify single molecule localization data. CODI incorporates a wide range of advanced image analysis tools to assist in the study of EVs and address the challenges associated with their characterization. CODI users can count thousands of EVs from each super-resolution image, assess their morphology with 20 nm resolution and visualize multiple biomarkers with single-molecule sensitivity.

Visit ONI at booth B03 for additional details on the company and its products, including registration for exclusive early bird access to its new EV characterization product. Alternatively register interest via pages.oni.bio/ev-product.

Presentation Details

Title: The Nanoimager: EV Characterization made simple

Day/time: 21st May 2.25 pm (WEST)

Presenter: James Felce

About ONI

ONI is a rapidly growing company developing microscopy solutions to help accelerate human discovery and fight disease by enabling everyone to see and understand the microscopic details of life. ONI's first product, the Nanoimager, is a desktop-sized, single molecule microscopy platform capable of visualizing, tracking and imaging individual molecules in living cells. The Nanoimager has been adopted by more than 100 customers in 25 countries. ONI was founded in 2016 as a spin-out of Oxford University and has its headquarters in San Diego. For more information, visit oni.bio and follow ONI on Twitter @oniHQ and LinkedIn @ONI.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005726/en/

Contacts:

ONI

Jeremy Gillespie

+44 7960 610744

jgillespie@oni.bio



Halsin Partners

Mike Sinclair

+44 (0)7968 022075

msinclair@halsin.com
Engineering leaders from GitHub, Netflix, and Honeycomb join the Dev Interrupted community event on May 20 to discuss Continuous Improvement

LOS ANGELES and TEL-AVIV, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LinearB, the team behind Software Delivery Intelligence, has launched the "Dev Interrupted" community, which consists of a Discord community, podcast, newsletter, and events ( https://www.DevInterrupted.com ). As an engineering leadership community with over 1,000 discord members, Dev Interrupted brings the most forward thinking minds together to establish the future of daily continuous improvement for software development teams.

Dev Interrupted presents new ideas by the world's most innovative engineering leaders at community events each month. On May 20 at 12noon PT, Dana Lawson, VP of Engineering at GitHub, Kathryn Koehler, Director of Productivity Engineering at Netflix, and Charity Majors, CTO of Honeycomb, join the Dev Interrupted community for a livestream watch party focused on creating daily improvement in engineering organizations.

Sign-up for the event at https://linearb.io/continuous-improvement-leaders/

"Dev Interrupted is a place to promote organic, forward-thinking ideas from the new faces of software engineering leadership." said Dan Lines, co-founder of LinearB and host of the Dev Interrupted podcast. "It is not just a LinearB user community. We believe in creating a space that engineering leaders can come together, share ideas, have a bit of fun and have something tangible to take back and share with their teams."

Dev Interrupted is led by community moderators that facilitate daily interactions in Discord. Discord is an anonymous chat-based community that allows openness, vulnerability and honesty between leadership peers. These unfiltered, organic discussions are valuable to the community for creating relationships and pushing new ideas forward. The Dev Interrupted Discord is a place where engineering leaders from around the world can connect on topics ranging from team culture, hiring, leadership and metrics.

Join Dev Interrupted Discord at https://discord.com/invite/AMdYuhxkJV

Dev Interrupted uses community-driven conversation as the focus of their podcasts, articles, and discussions. Several members from the Discord community also join Dan Lines on the popular Dev Interrupted podcast. Recent guests include:

Eric Johnson , CTO at GitLab

, CTO at GitLab Ian Nowland , SVP of Core Engineering at Datadog

, SVP of Core Engineering at Datadog John Willis , Senior Director Global Transformation Office at Red Hat

, Senior Director Global Transformation Office at Red Hat Cate Huston, Engineering Director at DuckDuckGo

Anders Wallgren , VP of Technology Strategy at Cloudbees

, VP of Technology Strategy at Cloudbees Spiros Xanthos , VP of Product Management, Observability & IT Ops at Splunk

Subscribe and listen to the Dev Interrupted Podcast on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/7icMkauSvLflWCpQrfafIv

About LinearB

Metrics alone don't improve dev teams. Software Delivery Intelligence (SDI) helps dev teams continuously improve by turning insight into action. Unlike top-down engineering metrics tools which become shelf-ware, LinearB is a dev-first platform and provides value to every member of the team. Development organizations using LinearB's SDI cut their Cycle Time in half after only 90 days. The result for developers is less bureaucracy, fewer interruptions and more time to build. The result for teams is fewer process bottlenecks and accelerated delivery. Activate Software Delivery Intelligence for your dev team in 5 minutes at linearb.io.

Media Contact:

Jeremy Douglas

Catapult PR-IR

303-589-1941

jdouglas@catapultpr-ir.com

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DGAP-News: Fyber N.V. / Key word(s): AGM/EGM

Fyber N.V.: Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Fyber N.V. to be held on 29 June 2021



18.05.2021 / 15:06

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

of Fyber N.V. to be held on 29 June 2021

Fyber N.V. (the Company) invites its shareholders to its annual General Meeting of shareholders (General Meeting) to be held at the offices of Stibbe N.V. Beethovenplein 10, 1077 WM Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 29 June 2021, at 2:30 pm CEST. The language of the meeting shall be English.

The agenda items of the General Meeting will be as follows:

Agenda

1) Opening and announcements

2) Annual Accounts 2020

(a) Report by the Management Board regarding the financial year 2020 (discussion)

(b) Advisory vote on the 2020 remuneration report for the financial year 2020 (vote)

(c) Proposal to adopt the 2020 annual accounts and appropriation of losses (vote)

(d) Proposal to discharge the Management Board members from liability (vote)

(e) Proposal to discharge the Supervisory Board members from liability (vote)

3) Any other business and close of the meeting

***

Meeting documents

The agenda above and the explanatory notes thereto (including the Annual Accounts 2020) are available free of charge on the Company's website: https://investors.fyber.com/

Record Date

The Management Board has determined that for this meeting the persons who will be considered as entitled to attend the General Meeting, are those holders of shares who on 1 June 2021, after close of trading on the regulated market segment (regulierter Markt) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Frankfurter Wertpapierborse) (the Record Date), hold those rights and are registered as such in the administrations of their banks and brokers.

Registration to Vote

Each shareholder is entitled to vote on the total number of shares that he/she holds at the close of trading on the Record Date, provided he/she has registered his/her shares timely.

A confirmation by the custodian bank in whose administration the shares of the relevant shareholder are registered must be submitted to the Company, stating that such shares were registered in his/her name at the Record Date. The confirmation must include the full address details, including e-mail address, of the relevant shareholder in order to enable the Company to verify the shareholding on the Record Date in an efficient manner.

The confirmation must be sent by the shareholder's bank to the Company, not later than 22 June 2021 at 5:30 pm CET. A copy of the confirmation may be sent by e-mail to agm@fyber.com. Please send the original confirmation to the address of the Company listed below. The Company will send an email confirmation to the shareholder of the registration for the General Meeting.

Voting by Proxy

Notwithstanding the obligation to register for the meeting, the right to attend and to vote at the meeting may be exercised by a holder of a written proxy. A form of a written proxy is available on the Company's website. The written proxy must be received by the Company no later than on 22 June 2021, 5:30 pm CET. The proxy to represent a shareholder may (but needs not) be granted to Ms Manon Cremers, civil law notary with Stibbe or her substitute, by sending an email with proxy and voting instructions to agm@fyber.com no later than 22 June 2021 at 5:30 pm CET. Please send the original proxy to the Company's address listed below. A copy of the written proxy must be shown at the registration prior to the start of the meeting.

If you intend to instruct your custodian bank for any of the above, please be aware that applicable deadlines could be a number of days before those mentioned above. Please check with the individual institutions as to their cut-off dates.

Registration and identification at the meeting

Registration for admission to the meeting will take place from 2:00 pm CET until the commencement of the meeting at 2:30 pm CET. After this time registration is no longer possible. Persons entitled to attend the meeting may be asked for identification prior to being admitted by means of a valid official identity document, such as a passport.

As of 18 May 2021, the issued share capital of the Company amounts to EUR 55,218,928.60 divided into 552,189,286 ordinary shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.10 each. A total of 1,854,806 shares is held by the Company itself.

For further information, please see the Company's website https://investors.fyber.com/.

All communications to the Company or the Management Board in connection with the foregoing must be addressed to the Company as follows:

Fyber N.V.

attn.: Governance Department

Wallstrae 9-13, 10179 Berlin, Germany

Email: agm@fyber.com

The Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Fyber N.V.

Berlin, Germany on 18 May 2021
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Lomiko Metals Inc. (OTCQB: LMRMF) ("the Company"), a company that has discovered high-grade graphite at its La Loutre Property in Quebec and is now working towards a Pre-Economic Assessment. CEO of the Company, A. Paul Gill, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly.

Jolly began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. Gill elaborated on his experience in the battery metals space, including a successful copper project. "In 2009, we introduced Lomiko as a company focused on the green economy," shared Gill. "Our goal was to explore for lithium and graphite. Now we are at the point where we are developing a graphite mine and have also optioned a lithium property."

"Could you provide an update on the La Loutre project?", asked Jolly. "We have been exploring that since 2016 and have drilled over 150 drill holes in an effort to define an economic deposit," said Gill. "2020 was a tough year with COVID, but we did end up getting funding towards the end of the year," he continued, adding that the Company has had metallurgic testing completed on the site. "Now we're marching towards a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), which is an important document for mining companies because it tells us what the potential valuation of the company is at that time," said Gill. "That will de-risk the project and give us a clear runway towards production."

"Why is graphite so important right now?", asked Jolly. "It is vitally important because this is a material that goes into electric vehicle batteries," explained Gill. "The cathodes of Lithium-ion batteries are made out of lithium, cobalt, and nickel, but what is not known is that the entire anode of the battery is actually graphite," said Gill. "Demand is up and when demand is up prices will follow as well."

"Is that one of the reasons behind the Bourier Lithium project?", asked Jolly. "We want to have both sides of that battery under potential development," said Gill, adding that the early-stage project may also include nickel targets. "The most exciting thing is that it is a volcanic massive sulfide (VMS) system which is over fifteen miles long."

"The Bourier project is located in the James Bay region of Quebec," continued Gill. "It happens to be a very prospective area in which we call the Lithium Triangle North, so there are a number of projects that already have feasibility studies on them," he shared. "It's a really exciting area to be in."

Jolly then asked about the Company's technology company, Promethieus. "Promethieus ecompasses several prospective technology developments ," said Gill. "Lomiko will retain a 20% ownership of Promethieus which will add value to Lomiko's bottom line," he added. "Prometheus will become a technology incubator and be able to fund technology companies and watch them grow to IPO and get a return on investment."

"How does your company's balance sheet look going forward?", asked Jolly. "We just put out our second quarter results," said Gill. "We have $3.5 million Canadian in the till right now. If we see warrant exercises, we could see another $5 million coming in over the next year," he shared. "We're really happy with the situation. We've done well, and part of that will pay for our Pre-Economic Assessment (PEA)."

To close the interview, Gill encouraged listeners and shareholders to consider the potential of the electric vehicle (EV) market as it continues to revolutionize the transportation and technology industries. "It is an opportunity happening now. We want people to watch what we are doing and participate if they can," closed Gill.

To hear A. Paul Gill's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7868799-lomiko-metals-inc-discusses-progress-of-la-loutre-graphite-project-and-bourier-lithium-project-w.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/.

About Lomiko Metals Inc.

Lomiko Metals Inc. discovered high-grade graphite at its La Loutre Property in Quebec and is now working towards a Pre-Economic Assessment that will increase its current indicated resource of 4.1 Mt of 6.5% Cg.

For more information on Lomiko Metals, review the website at www.lomiko.com, contact A. Paul Gill at 604-729-5312 or email: info@lomiko.com.

On Behalf of the Board,

"A. Paul Gill"

Chief Executive Officer

We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210304005334/en/

Contacts

Lomiko Metals

A. Paul Gill, 604-729-5312

Email: info@lomiko.com

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84419
Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Micromem Technologies Inc. (CSE: MRM) (OTCQB: MMTIF) ("Micromem") ("the Company") has been advised by Romgaz representatives that the University of Ploiesti, Romania (Universitatea Petrol-Gaze Din Ploiesti) ("the University") completed a report reviewing the need for tracer monitoring technologies by Romgaz. The University's review resulted in the recommendation to move forward with Micromem's tracer monitoring technologies. The Company has requested a copy of the report for its files.

Romgaz has also advised the Company that funding for the entire project has been approved. Micromem will provide further updates as they become available.

About Micromem.

Micromem Technologies Inc. and its subsidiaries, a publicly traded (OTCQB: MMTIF) (CSE: MRM) company analyzes specific industry sectors to create intelligent game-changing applications that address unmet market needs. By leveraging its expertise and experience with sophisticated sensor applications, the Company successfully powers the development and implementation of innovative solutions for oil & gas, utilities, automotive, healthcare, government, information technology, manufacturing and other industries. Visit www.micromeminc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. In particular, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include: our inability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms; risk that our products and services will not gain widespread market acceptance; continued consumer adoption of digital technology; inability to compete with others who provide comparable products; the failure of our technology; the infringement of our technology with proprietary rights of third parties; inability to respond to consumer and technological demands; inability to replace significant customers; seasonal nature of our business; and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "potential," and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements.

The CSE or any other securities regulatory authority has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release that has been prepared by management.

###

Listing: NASD OTC-QB - Symbol: MMTIF

CSE - Symbol: MRM

Shares issued 425,362,993

SEC File No: 0-26005

Investor Contact: info@micromeminc.com; Tel. 416-364-2023 Subscribe to receive News Releases by Email on our website's home page. www.micromeminc.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84332
As of 2020, Hamas continues to be regarded as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel. However, Batterman notes, the dire circumstances within the Gaza Strip required immediate action to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. Therefore, it has become imperative to analyze whether or not, Hamas has moderated since their election in 2006 in order for U.S. policymakers to understand how to approach future negotiations.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Spey Resources Corp. (CSE: SPEY) (OTCQB: SPEYF) (the "Company" or "SPEY") is pleased to announce that it has begun exploration activities in the Salar de Incahuasi (the "Incahuasi Project" or "Incahuasi") in the Province of Salta, located approximately 45 kilometers from the township of Tolar Grande, Argentina.

A Transient Electro Magnetic ("TEM") geophysics study is being prepared by Quantec Geoscience Argentina S.A. to cover the newly acquired concession over a 5 day period commencing on May 20, 2021. The lines will be done at 200m spacing.

Fig 1: Road to Tolar Grande is in yellow, concession boundary in blue and TEM lines in red.



To view an enhanced version of Fig 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6150/84390_picture1resized.jpg

SPEY has planned an intensive exploration program of sampling, mapping, geophysics and drilling for the period May 2021 - Dec 2021 and plans to complete a NI 43-101 compliant study in the third quarter of 2021. The TEM work is expected to be defined over 3 survey profiles, including 50 TEM stations in total, with 200m station intervals.

Adjacent to SPEY's 300 Ha Incahuasi Salar concession, which was optioned from AIS Resources Ltd, other explorers have found 325ppm lithium and 13,200ppm potassium. Two major companies that share concessions on SPEY's Incahuasi Salar are Gangfeng Lithium Co Ltd (Shenzhen Stock Exchange: 002460) and Orocobre Limited. SPEY has engaged the AIS Resources' team whose key personnel have significant experience in exploration and production of lithium carbonate.

AIS Resources' geologists began exploration work on Incahuasi on May 17, 2021 to take samples, create an isobar map and have the sample brines assayed at SGS (www.sgs.com) in Salta, Argentina. Also, 200L samples will be collected for shipping to Melbourne, Australia, to be tested by Ekosolve to produce lithium chloride and lithium carbonate using their state of the art lithium solvent exchange SX Ekosolve system.

CEO of Spey Resources, Nader Vatanchi commented, "We look forward to the sampling and geophysics results. By engaging AIS Resources to manage our exploration program, we have immediate access to an established company registered for tax and mining in Argentina. We are fortunate to have Phillip's exceptional management experience and access to his team which has operational history in Argentina and has saved us almost a full year in delays."

Qualified Person

Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, FAusIMM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is independent of the Company but discloses that he is a shareholder of SPEY.

About Spey Resources Corp.

Spey Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company which holds an option to acquire 100% interest in the Candela II lithium brine project located in the Incahuasi Salar, Salta Province, Argentina. Spey also holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Silver Basin Project located in the Revelstoke Mining Division of British Columbia as well as an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Kaslo Silver project, west of Kaslo British Columbia.

For more information, please visit the Company's public disclosure at www.sedar.com and www.speyresources.ca.

Contact:

Nader Vatanchi

CEO, Director

778-881-4631

nader@speyresources.ca

www.speyresources.ca

###

The Canadian Securities Exchange accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to them, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the potential of the Company's mineral properties; the estimation of capital requirements; the estimation of operating costs; the timing and amount of future business expenditures; and the availability of necessary financing. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. Such factors include but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and exploration or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward- looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84390
Fathom has obtained final receipt for its non-offering prospectus.

Its Common Shares are expected to begin trading on the CSE on or about Tuesday May 25, 2021, under the ticker symbol "FNI".

The Special Warrants, issued in its oversubscribed private placement for gross proceeds of $11,150,000, will automatically convert into Common Shares prior to listing.

Staking of an additional 55,732 Ha, bringing the total property size at its Albert Lake Project to 90,127 Ha.

Completion of Q1 2021 Exploration Program consisting of nine drill holes, totalling 1,232 meters drilled, borehole EM surveys (BHEM) on 2021 drill holes plus historical drill holes and a Gravity survey (results pending).

Completion of property wide heliborne Gradient Magnetic (MAG) survey amounting to 9,595 line-km.

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Fathom Nickel Inc. (CSE: FNI) (the "Company" or "Fathom"), today announced that it obtained final receipt for its non-offering prospectus on May 13, 2021. Fathom also announced that it has received conditional approval to list the Company's Class A common shares (the "Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The Common Shares are expected to begin trading on the CSE at the opening of the market on or about Tuesday, May 25, 2021, under the ticker symbol "FNI".

"The Fathom team is very excited to achieve this significant milestone. Our recently completed go-public financing positions the Company to aggressively advance the exploration program at our Albert Lake Project. By completing a direct listing onto the CSE we are entering the public markets in an efficient manner that both positions Fathom as a very well funded junior explorer and preserves value for our shareholders," commented Brad Van Den Bussche, President & CEO. "We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders for their continued support and trust in our ability to execute on our vision. Fathom's advancement from a privately held company to a publicly-traded company on the CSE represents the next chapter of our growth, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead of us," he added.

In connection with the Company's direct listing on the CSE, the Company raised gross proceeds of $11,150,000 (the "Offering") through an upsized, private placement financing of flow-through special warrants (the "FT Special Warrants") and non flow-through special warrants of the Company (the "NFT Special Warrants"). On May 20, 2021, the FT Special Warrants and NFT Special Warrants will be automatically exercised, and holders of the FT Special Warrants will be issued one Common Share of the Company for each FT Special Warrant held and holders of the NFT Special Warrants will be issued a unit of the Company consisting of one Common Share of the Company and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant ("Purchase Warrant") for each NFT Special Warrant held. Each whole Purchase Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $1.00 until March 15, 2023.

Albert Lake Project Update

Since the beginning of 2021 Fathom has successfully achieved several milestones in advancing the exploration program at its Albert Lake project in north-central Saskatchewan (the "Albert Lake Project").

Increased Land Package of Highly Prospective Land Around the Historic Rottenstone Mine

Fathom has staked an additional 55,732 Ha of mineral claims at the Albert Lake Project (previously named the Rottenstone Project), bringing the total exploration land package to over 90,127 Ha. The increased land package provides the Company with over 80,000 Ha of relatively unexplored potential within the same geological trend which hosted the historic Rottenstone Mine. Its exploration permit has also been expanded to include these newly acquired lands. Completion of the Q1 2021 Exploration Program

The Company recently completed its Q1 2021 Exploration Program consisting of nine drill holes for 1,232 meters drilled (the "Q1 2021 Drill Program"). The Q1 2021 Drill Program consisted of drill holes designed to extend known Rottenstone-like mineralization south of the historic Rottenstone mine. Drilling also tested the continuation to depth and along strike Rottenstone-like mineralization at the Island Showing approximately 600m north-northwest of the historic Rottenstone mine, and to test the continuation of an off-hole BHEM anomaly occurring in Rottenstone-like host rock 400m west of the historic mine. Results from the Q1 2021 Drill Program are expected to be announced within the coming weeks. Full Platinum Group Element ("PGE") Analyses on Select 2021 Drill holes and 2017 Bulk Sample

The historic Rottenstone mine produced very significant palladium and platinum credits. Fathom recognizes the historical Rottenstone deposit also contained significant amounts of rhodium, osmium, ruthenium and iridium. Full suite PGE analyses has been performed on some Q1 2021 drill holes, as well as on samples of coarse reject material of Rottenstone mineralization originally submitted by Fathom in 2017 for a preliminary metallurgical study. Results are expected in the coming weeks. Gradient MAG Survey Over the Property

Fathom secured the services of BECI exploration consulting and has completed a property-wide, high resolution, 9,595 line-km heliborne gradient MAG survey. Results are in hand and Fathom, with support of its geophysical consultants is interpreting the data and formulating target areas for 2021 ground follow-up. Extensive 2021 Exploration Program Planned

Commencing June 2021, Fathom will initiate additional exploration at the Albert Lake Property. The program will consist of mapping, prospecting and soil geochemistry in areas where the Company has thus far defined through compilation of historic data and recent BHEM data compilation, areas to host other Rottenstone-like deposits. In addition, high priority areas for follow-up exploration will come from interpretation of the recently completed heliborne gradient MAG survey. The program will last into the fall with diamond drilling anticipated to commence in late August/early September.

The Company is well funded to carry out its planned exploration programs at Albert Lake through the end of 2022 under its current plans. Ian Fraser, VP Exploration, stated, "Fathom will be enhancing its geologic model and focusing exploration on the discovery of additional deposits with Rottenstone-type mineralization throughout its extensive land package. In addition, we will be extending areas of known mineralization working towards defining a resource base."

About Fathom Nickel Inc.

Fathom Nickel Inc. is a resource development and exploration company that is targeting high-grade nickel sulfide discoveries for use in the rapidly growing global electric vehicle market.

The Company is accelerating exploration on its flagship Albert Lake Project, host to the historic Rottenstone mine, which is recognized as one of the highest-grade (Nickel, Copper, PGE) deposits of its type ever mined in Canada. The Albert Lake Project consists of 90,127 Ha of mineral claims located in Saskatchewan, Canada.

For Further Information Please Contact:

Brad Van Den Bussche, Chief Executive Officer, Director

bvanden@fathomnickel.com

Manish Grigo, Director of Corporate Development

mgrigo@fathomnickel.com

+1 (416) 569-3292

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "seek", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the trading date of the Common Shares on the CSE, timing for the results of the Company's Q1 2021 Drill Program and PGE analysis on select Q1 2021 drill holes and 2017 bulk samples, the funding of the Company's exploration program through until the end of 2022, the enhancement of the Company's geologic model and extending the areas of know mineralization, the Company's work towards defining a resource base and the automatic conversion of the NFT and FT Special Warrants. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to, the results of exploration activities; the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84393
Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary

PALM BEACH, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The medical and recreational marijuana markets have shown significant growth over the past few years and is projected to continue for the next several years. One of the major factors fueling the market growth is the expanding demand for legal marijuana owing to the growing number of legal cannabis countries. Owing to the recent legalizations in different countries, the use of medical marijuana for various aliments is gaining momentum worldwide. Patients suffering from chronic illnesses, such as Parkinson's, cancer, Alzheimer's, and many neurological disorders, are administered medical marijuana. The demand for cannabis oil is increasing rapidly, especially among countries with legalized medical marijuana. Recent novel food ruling in Europe will further strengthen the growth of CBD isolates in the coming years. Moreover, children consuming cannabis are being prescribed with oil only, as it has shown tremendous benefits for the treatment of disorders, like epilepsy. In Feb 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills for the legalization of recreational cannabis for adults 21 years and older in New Jersey, the U.S. This is further expected to boost the market potential in the coming few months. A recent report from Grand View Research predicted that the global legal marijuana market size was valued at USD $24.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% from 2021 to 2028. Active Companies active today in the cannabis related markets include:Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) (CSE: CURA), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX: GTBIF) (CSE: GTII), Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (OTCQX: HRVSF) (CSE: HARV), Jushi Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: JUSHF) (CSE: JUSH).

The Grand View Research report said: "The demand for legal marijuana is expected to surge rapidly due to changes in government policies. Several new startups are venturing into R&D, cannabis testing, and manufacturing. In Canada, many provinces are looking forward to the privatization of cannabis retail stores. Many provinces that chose a single supplier are now inviting applications from multiple suppliers. These factors are anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period. There has been a significant increase in the number of cannabis cultivators in the U.S. as the government is now accepting more applications for cannabis cultivators. In addition, the number of applications for which cannabis is prescribed is increasing. This is expected to increase cannabis sales, and thereby open new revenue channels for market players. Furthermore, the anticipated federal-level legalization of medical marijuana in the U.S. will only help this market to witness high growth opportunities in legal medical consumption."

Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) BREAKING NEWS:Item 9 Labs Achieves Profitability for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2021, Marking 6 Consecutive Quarters of Revenue Growth - Company reaches quarterly sales of $6.1 million, up 228% year over year and up 101% sequentially - Item 9 Labs Corp. ("Item 9 Labs," or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchisor and operator that produces premium products, today reported operating and financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company's second quarter for fiscal year 2021 ("Q2 FY2021"). The Company will be hosting an earnings call on May 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific time).

Key Financial Highlights for Q2 FY2021 (compared with Q2 FY2020)

Revenue increased 228% to $6.1 million

Gross profit increased 403% to $3.0 million

Gross margin increased to 49% from 32%

Operating income of $0.5 million (compared with operating loss of $0.9 million )

(compared with operating loss of ) Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue declined to 40% from 80%

Net income of $49,020 (compared with net loss of $1.6 million )

(compared with net loss of ) Adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 million (compared with adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.9 million )

Key Business Highlights during and subsequent to Q2 FY2021

Completed the acquisition of ONE Cannabis Group (OCG Inc.), parent company of leading U.S. cannabis dispensary franchisor Unity Rd., differentiating the Company by combining its premium products with a strong retail franchise and a national distribution platform

Unity Rd. signed agreements with three entrepreneurial groups for dispensary franchise expansion into New Jersey , in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in Michigan and Ohio

, in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in and Launched Orion 710 pod system, an innovative vaporization device for medical and adult-use consumers, featuring swappable one-gram pods filled with live resin blends and a USB-C rechargeable battery

Management Commentary: With the successful passage of Proposition 207 for adult use in Arizona, the state started transitioning from a medical-only into a far-larger adult-use marijuana market on January 22, 2021. Industry analysts expect the state's total legal marijuana market will near $1.5 billion in the next three years.

"We're seeing the impact of the strong market demand with record-breaking revenues for our premium products, reporting $6.1 million during the quarter. That's more than double our revenues from last quarter and 228% higher than the same quarter last year," commented Item 9 Labs Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bowden. "This quarter represents a milestone for us as it also marks our first quarter of profitability. Across the company, our team continues to execute more efficiently and manage our costs while increasing production to meet product demand."

"We completed our acquisition of OCG Inc. during the quarter, giving us unique capabilities in franchising and positioning us for rapid scalability at reduced capital requirements, as dispensaries will be owned and operated by local franchise partners. Franchising facilitates the expansion of our national retail footprint through Unity Rd. while also serving as a distribution platform for our in-house production, enabling us to capture additional market share," Bowden said. "We also plan to develop or partner with cultivation facilities in states where Unity Rd. franchise partners open cannabis retail shops. Already, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 10 entrepreneurial groups who are developing the brand across at least seven states. We are seeing growth in our franchise pipeline as lead flows and interest increase with the easing regulatory environment and state-level legalization."

"Our planned cultivation site expansion, the first phase of which is expected to break ground soon, along with our cannabis franchising offering and the favorable regulatory climate are the catalysts that we believe will propel Item 9 Labs' revenue and market share growth going forward," added Bowden. CONTINUED.Read this full Press Release and more for INLB at:https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-inlb

In other active company news in the markets this week:

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) (CSE: CURA), a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, recently signed definitive documents to acquire the Los Suenos Farms and its related entities ("Los Suenos"), the largest outdoor grow in Colorado. This will significantly expand Curaleaf's Coloradopresence, vertically integrating in the state with large-scale outdoor cannabis cultivation. The proposed transaction includes three Pueblo, Colorado outdoor cannabis grow facilities covering 66 acres of cultivation capacity, including land, equipment and licensed operating entities, an 1,800 plant indoor grow and two retail cannabis dispensary locations serving adult use customers.

Total base consideration for the proposed acquisition is approximately $49 million for the Los Suenos operating companies and $18 million for the real estate and farm assets. Total consideration of $67 million to be paid 61% in Curaleaf subordinate voting shares, 29% in cash at closing, and 10% in assumed debt maturing in five years. Additional contingent consideration of up to $8 million in stock will be paid based upon operating cash flow-based targets for 2022.

Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, recently announced the grand opening of COOKIES on the Strip (formerly Essence on the Strip), in Las Vegas on May 14. The company previously announced an exclusive partnership with COOKIES, an international cannabis brand, making this the first COOKIES store in Nevada. The retail location will sell the acclaimed portfolio of Cookies, Lemonnade, Runtz, Minntz, Powerzzzup Genetics, Collins Ave, Run The Jewels and Grandiflora products in the brand's signature blue retail environment.

Based in the Bay Area, COOKIES was founded by prolific rapper and entrepreneur Berner, along with his partner Jai, a highly respected cannabis cultivator and breeder. With the opening of COOKIESS' first location in Nevada, on the iconic Strip, this adds to the growing international footprint of COOKIES locations. Berner will be onsite for the grand opening, along with Rick Ross, the official COOKIES bus and other appearances by special guests.

Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (OTCQX: HRVSF) (CSE: HARV) and Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTC: TCNNF) recently announced they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which Trulieve will acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of Harvest. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders of Harvest will receive 0.1170 of a subordinate voting share of Trulieve for each Harvest subordinate voting share (or equivalent) held, representing total consideration of approximately $2.1 billion based on the closing price of the Trulieve Shares on May 7, 2021.

Jushi Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: JUSHF) (CSE: JUSH), a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, recently reported it has closed the previously announced acquisition of a 93,000 sq. ft. facility (the "Facility"), operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary and Virginia-based pharmaceutical processor, Dalitso LLC ("Dalitso"), together with approximately nine acres of surrounding land in Prince William County, Virginia, for approximately $22 million (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition, together with Dalitso's planned buildout of the Facility, enables Dalitso to efficiently produce a consistent supply of medical cannabis products as patient access improves and the medical cannabis program continues to mature and expand.

"We are thrilled to complete this acquisition and solidify our position in Virginia's medical cannabis market ahead of the introduction of adult-use sales," said Jim Cacioppo, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Founder of Jushi. "The Virginia cannabis market remains an area of strategic focus for Jushi and we will work diligently to ensure Dalitso appropriately scales up its cultivation and processing capacity to meet the anticipated patient and future consumer demand of a growing program. We believe that by combining great cultivation and processing with our industry leading retail experience and high-quality brands, we have assembled the right assets to lead in this important Mid-Atlantic market."

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third- party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM was compensated forty six hundred dollars for news coverage of current press release issued by Item 9 Labs Corp. by the company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Crecolto Inc. proudly releases its NFT Digital Assets Trading Platform MOI (MOI: MyOwnItem.com). MOI is a NFT (Non-fungible Token) digital asset business platform which is gaining attention from all around the world lately. MOI is not limited to the digital asset trading like the other platforms, but it covers the larger concept of assets such as physical artwork, sound source, and limited edition of all kinds by minting an NFT out of the assets to maximize the synergy between a physical and digital world and activate substantial digital asset trading business.

The biggest issue among the 4th industry such as Blockchain, IT, art, culture, and finance is, indubitably, the rapid growth of NFT grafting onto industrial businesses. From an famous art works of Banksy and Beeple to the first tweet of Jack Dorsey and an art piece made by an AI Robot 'Sophia', digital asset trading beyond imagination are made and the following platform business is growing its size with the spotlight of the mass communication worldwide.

It is mainly because of the digital assets that are impossible to manipulate or reduce to a property loss drawing people's attention with actual transaction is made day by day. However, a falsification of a digital property and counterfeiting issue and its counterpart is not all new to the table. Also, a pessimistic point of view warns that NFT is nothing but a digital fraud and an over-speculation with Blockchain technology.

The most important point that needs to be observed is if MOI could break through the current issues of all NFT platforms and take the lead of a virtuous digital asset trading business ecosystem through participation-oriented content and value making with fair profit sharing.

Lee, SeungPyo the CEO of Crecolto quoted "The future of NFT is more of the right and responsibility of every content maker that shifts the paradigm than just a few famous artists and Blockchain developers. The ultimate goal of MOI platform is to create an ecosystem where everyone from everywhere could easily participate on the system and create profit from it."

Crecolto is also launching the world's first Blockchain based hyperlocal sharing economy platform in Australia.

Media Contact

Company: Crecolto Inc.

Contact: Seung-Pyo LEE

Email: kanoledo@crecolto.com

Telephone: +82 70 7437 0050

Website: http://crecolto.com

SOURCE: Crecolto Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647941/Crecolto-Inc-Announces-the-Launching-of-MyOwnItem-MOI-the-NFT-Digital-Assets-Trading-Platform-Service
Board International, the #1 SaaS Decision-Making-Platform vendor, announces today that Marco Limena will join the Board of Directors of the company as Non-Executive Director and Senior Advisor.

Mr. Limena has held senior executive positions in leading technology corporations, including Microsoft, where he was based in Redmond, and at HP, based in Palo Alto. He has extensive experience working with leading Private Equity firms in multiple CEO assignments for B2B growth-oriented software businesses, and as Board Director in both private and publicly listed companies, and industry associations.

Based in London, Marco Limena is CEO of TOMIA, a global provider of software solutions designed to accelerate the transformation and monetization of carriers' connectivity business, with Data, Financial Clearing and BI solutions. Previously at Microsoft, Mr. Limena was Vice President of Hosting Cloud, responsible for B2B commercial operations of the company's cloud and infrastructure services business. Prior to Microsoft, Marco Limena spent 14 years at HP during which time he held roles as General Manager and Vice President of HP's telecom solutions business. He was CEO of Sylantro Systems and Telarix, before joining TOMIA. Marco holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Padua and also studied at INSEAD (Fontainebleau, France) and MIT Sloan School of Management.

"Marco brings extensive knowledge and experience in growing and transforming software and SaaS businesses, having worked in a range of highly successful businesses throughout his career," said Maurizio Carli, Chairman of Board International

"Marco's combined experience of leading technology corporations and growth-oriented software and SaaS businesses is highly relevant for Board International's delivery of accelerated growth and expansion of global operations to address the growing customer demand for cloud and SaaS BI, Performance Management and Advanced Analytics," continued Maurizio Carli, Chairman of Board International.

About Board

Board is the #1 Decision-Making Platform. Board's solutions enable people to have a transformative impact on their business, helping them to intuitively explore and leverage their data in a flexible, all-in-one decision-making platform. By unifying business Intelligence, planning, and predictive analytics, the Board platform allows companies to produce a single, accurate, and complete view of business information, gain actionable insights, and achieve full control of performance across the entire organization. Thanks to Board, more than 3,000 organizations worldwide, including Coca-Cola, Ricoh, KPMG, Puma, Siemens, and ZF Group, have deployed end-to-end decision-making applications at a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional solutions. www.board.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005785/en/

Contacts:

Giulia Biondi

Head of Communications

gbiondi@board.com
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling program is underway on its Dankran Project in Ghana. Two hundred twenty-five (225) meters have been drilled with three holes completed so far. This RC drilling program will serve as a first pass test of multiple targets identified over the past several months, with a focus on the most prospective soil anomalies at the northern end of the Dankran Project.

Highlights of the Dankran Target Development and RC Drilling Program:

Initial testing of five of the most compelling targets with 2,700 meters ("m") of RC drilling planned along six fences of drill holes with 225 meters drilled to date;

Soil sampling completed from December 2020 to March 2021 delineated a number of gold- in-soil anomalous trends which will be drill tested. The interpreted extension of a trend of artisanal underground workings on the neighbouring Small Scale Mining Permit area extending from the historic Obuom Mine to the northern boundary of Dankran will also be tested;

Concurrently, soil sampling, mapping and prospecting programs continue to advance targets further to the southwest to generate a pipeline of targets for future drill testing.

Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO commented, "We are delighted to have commenced our first drill test of targets on our Dankran Project in the highly prolific Ashanti Belt of southern Ghana. Our work at Dankran has advanced quickly from acquisition in November of 2020 with soil sampling and prospecting programs during December 2020 through March of 2021, identifying a number of compelling targets which will see initial testing in this RC drilling program. The current drill program will focus on the most prospective targets at the northern end of the property, while ongoing soil sampling and prospecting continue to develop targets elsewhere on the property. We look forward to the outcome of the current program and the development of additional targets for testing at Dankran."

Details of the Dankran Exploration Project

The Dankran property is a 34.65 square kilometer ("km") Prospecting License optioned by Pelangio Exploration from BNT Resources Ghana Ltd. in November 2020 and is contiguous to the northeastern corner of Pelangio's Obuasi Project. The Dankran Property is adjacent to and on strike with the historic Obuom Mine which produced 29,000 ounces of gold ("Au") at an average grade of 16 g/t Au from underground workings in the 1930's. The property covers nearly seven km of strike of highly prospective geology and regional structures along the western flank of the Ashanti Belt, which hosts AngloGold Ashanti's giant Obuasi Mine 20 km to the southwest. Refer to Figure 1.

In December 2020, an initial soil sampling program was completed on the Dankran property consisting of 1,126 samples. This program delivered 10 significant gold-in-soil anomalies as reported by Pelangio Exploration on January 28, 2021. In order to better define these soil anomalies for drill testing, programs of infill and extensional soil sampling were conducted during January through March 2021 with an additional 843 soil samples collected. Four strike extensive trends of gold in soil anomalism have now been identified at Dankran. The recent programs focused on the northern end of the Dankran property, closest to the historic Obuom Mine, where gold in soil anomalism is strongest, with multiple soil samples returning greater than 1 g/t Au. The current drilling program will focus on testing this area. The southwestern extensions of the soil anomalism are presently undergoing further infill soil sampling and prospecting and are expected to generate additional targets for testing in subsequent drilling programs.

While conducting the follow up soil sampling programs over the past several months, mapping and prospecting efforts have traced the possible extension of the Obuom Mine structure to the northern edge of the Dankran Property through the identification of a series of active artisanal underground workings on the Small-Scale Mining Permit Area immediately to the north of Dankran. The interpreted extension of this trend into the Dankran Property appears to define the eastern margin of soil anomalism on the northern end of Dankran, with considerable gold in soil anomalism flanking the structure to the west, and weak soil values returned from an extension of the soil sampling coverage to the east of the interpreted Obuom structure. Refer to Figure 2.

Current Drilling Program

The current exploration drilling program will consist of 2,700 meters of RC drilling on six fences of drill holes, each hole being 80 meters long and inclined towards the southeast, to test the most prospective gold in soil anomalies at the northern end of the Dankran Property. Drilling will also test the interpreted strike extension of the Obuom structure into the Dankran property. The drill program is expected to run for three to four weeks. Favourable results from the current program will be followed up in subsequent drilling programs, which will also test targets developed along the southwestern extensions of the soil anomalous trends currently undergoing continued infill soil sampling and prospecting.

Qualified Person

Mr. Kevin Thomson, P.Geo. (Ontario), is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Thomson approved the technical data disclosed in this release.

About Pelangio

Pelangio acquires and explores world-class land packages on strategic gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is exploring its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of seven near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located four km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as its Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario on its Grenfell property, located 10 km from Kirkland Lake, at its Dome West property, situated some 800 meters from the Dome Mine in Timmins and is advancing its Hailstone property in Saskatchewan. See www.pelangio.com for further detail.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact:

Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO

Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@pelangio.com

Figure 1: Dankran Project Location and Area of Drilling

Figure 2: Dankran Soil Au Geochemistry and Planned RC Drilling

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Company's strategy of acquiring large land packages in areas of sizeable gold mineralization, and the Company's ability to complete the planned exploration programs. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, and Canada, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration, including the risk that favourable exploration results may not be obtained, delays due to COVID-19 safety protocols, and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward- looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647938/Drilling-Underway-At-Pelangios-Dankran-Project-Ghana
Liverpool, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Supurva Healthcare Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: SPRV) remains poised to expand its portfolio of medical office buildings ("MOBs"). The Company has signed four Letters of Intent to acquire two medical office buildings in Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina, and two medical office buildings in Southwest Florida.

John D. Murphy, Jr., the Company's CEO, stated: "Both South Carolina and Florida are experiencing exponential growth in the number of people and businesses relocating to these states. Favorable tax conditions, housing costs, and lower cost of living will be driving thousands of people from the Northeast burdened with skyrocketing state and local tax bills. The COVID-19 pandemic has also spurred a significant increase in relocations to South Carolina and Florida. This population growth fuels demand for medical service providers and medical office space."

Mr. Murphy continued: "We have established strict underwriting guidelines for any acquisition to include, but not be limited to, the tenant's financial strength, type of medical practice, terms and conditions of the existing leases to be assumed, building location and age, health system affiliation, population, and market trends."

The four MOBs subject to Letters of Intent range from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet. Each MOB is fully leased to financially strong health systems. Tenants are subject to long-term, triple-net-term leases with rent escalation clauses.

Mr. Murphy concluded: "While the Letters of Intent are subject to certain customary conditions that must be satisfied prior to closing, we remain confident that both the Company and the sellers will meet these conditions, and we will be able to close the first of these transactions within the next four months."

Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimers

This release may include "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") Future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Information that is based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, the company's management as well as estimates and assumptions made by the company's management are forward looking statements. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. When used in this press release the words "estimate," "expect," intend," believe," plan," "anticipate," "projected" and other words or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the company or the company's management identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the company with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors relating to the company's industry, its operations and results of operations and any businesses that may be acquired by the company. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the company cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, the company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

For additional information

(888) 448-3877

Email: investor@medicalsouthern.com

Website: https://sprvcorp.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sprvcorp

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84409
DataForce, TransPerfect's AI data solutions division, today announced that it has acquired Skilltelligence, a provider of precise, on-demand, real-time market information. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Skilltelligence uses a vetted, high-quality community of data contributors and annotators to deliver information to clients through its proprietary data-gathering platform. The company has historically delivered trade metrics that help organizations assess their retail presence. More recently, they began providing non-trade information, such as videos, images, questionnaires, and lifestyle inputs, some of which was collected in collaboration with DataForce.

DataForce manages a community of over one million people around the world who collect, annotate, and improve data to maximize the capabilities and performance of AI. DataForce clients range from Big Tech, automotive, and healthcare companies to startups and small- to medium-sized businesses who use AI in their operations or products. The acquisition of Skilltelligence will bring additional community management expertise and cutting-edge data collection technology to DataForce's services.

Skilltelligence co-founders Radoslaw Jez and Lukasz Glowacz will join the DataForce management team.

Radoslaw Jez, CEO and co-founder of Skilltelligence, commented, "Joining a global organization like TransPerfect is a tremendous opportunity for our team to diversify internationally and to contribute to exciting developments in crowdsourcing for AI. We are thrilled to apply our knowledge and technology on a larger scale and also to make the TransPerfect DataForce community available to our current clients."

TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe added, "The demand for AI data solutions is growing rapidly as the value of data increases. In welcoming the Skilltelligence team and technology to the TransPerfect family, we are bringing additional capabilities that will benefit our clients."

About Skilltelligence

Skilltelligence was established in 2015 in Warsaw, Poland. Its founders, who have broad experience in FMCG and consulting businesses, saw an attractive opportunity in utilizing crowdsourcing to gather relevant business information for marketers and sales managers operating in the traditional brick and mortar environment. Skilltelligence became the leading provider of such information in Poland and now boasts a broad portfolio of clients for whom it performed close to 400 research projects with use of its six thousands strong community of crowdsourced researchers across Poland.

About TransPerfect

TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language, data, and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 250+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink technology to simplify management of multilingual content and AI data. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005755/en/

Contacts:

Ryan Simper +1 212.689.5555

mediainquiry@transperfect.com
Growing application of magnesium oxide in soil remediation and emission treatment is driving the magnesium oxide market

DUBAI, U.A.E, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global magnesium oxide market is forecast to grow at 5% CAGR throughout the forecast period from 2021 to 2031. Increasing research and development activities conducted to study application of dead burned magnesia and fused magnesia is one of the key factors driving the market, finds ESOMAR-certified consulting firm Future Market Insights in this study. Surging government investment in agricultural and industrial sector will boost the market. Rising demand of magnesium oxide in development of refractory linings of furnace in iron and steel industry will positively influence the market growth.

According to the European Commission (EC), the European Union (EU), 1.3% to the EU-27's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was contributed by agriculture. With soaring industrialization and development in the field of agriculture, high growth in magnesium oxide market is on the card.

"High acid neutralizing capabilities of magnesium oxide has made it popular as lime alternative in waste treatment facilities, thus elevating the magnesium market growth", remarks the FMI analyst.

Request a report sample with 200 pages to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1622

Key Takeaways

The U.S. is the dominant market for magnesium oxide in North America . Growth in the U.S. will be driven by rising adoption of magnesium oxide in biomedical applications and rapid advancement in manufacturing sector and industrial infrastructure.

. Growth in the U.S. will be driven by rising adoption of magnesium oxide in biomedical applications and rapid advancement in manufacturing sector and industrial infrastructure. Europe is expected to showcase positive growth trajectory during the forecast period. Surging demand from agricultural sector and consistently evolving industrial domain will create growth opportunities.

is expected to showcase positive growth trajectory during the forecast period. Surging demand from agricultural sector and consistently evolving industrial domain will create growth opportunities. China dominates the magnesium oxide market in the Asia pacific on the back of booming industrial sector and soaring demand for dead burned magnesia.

dominates the magnesium oxide market in the pacific on the back of booming industrial sector and soaring demand for dead burned magnesia. India is offering lucrative growth opportunities for magnesium oxide market. With establishment of modern industries and manufacturing units coupled with increasing use of magnesium oxide in refractories and agricultural sector, market sales are expected to skyrocket during the forecast period.

is offering lucrative growth opportunities for magnesium oxide market. With establishment of modern industries and manufacturing units coupled with increasing use of magnesium oxide in refractories and agricultural sector, market sales are expected to skyrocket during the forecast period. Rising demand of magnesium oxide for filtration of heavy metals in wastewater treatment drives the market growth.

Prominent Drivers

Increasing use of magnesium oxide in fertilizer manufacturing and other agro-based applications is driving the magnesium oxide market sales.

Introduction of magnesium oxide in waste water management process is further fuelling the market demand.

Surging use of magnesium oxide in manufacturing aluminum-magnesium alloys for various aerospace and automotive based applications will magnify the market growth.

Key Restraints

Processing of magnesium oxide is a tedious, complex and costly affair restricting the market growth.

Magnesium oxide production requires special set of expensive lab equipments and highly skilled operator for handling purposes. High cost of lab set-up and lack of skilled operator restricts the market growth.

Stringent environmental rules and regulations imposed due to toxic nature of magnesium oxide fumes restrain the market growth.

Discover more about the magnesium oxide market with figures and data tables, along with the table of contents. You will also find detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/magnesium-oxide-market

Competitive Landscape

Leading players profiled by FMI operating in magnesium oxide market include Grecian Magnesite S.A., Ube Industries Ltd., Magnezit Group Europe GmbH, Kuma, Xinyang Mineral Group, Israel Chemical Ltd, Manyezit Sanayi A., MagnesitaRefratarios S.A., Robert Half International AG, Premier Magnesia LLC, Martin Marietta Inc.

According to FMI, leading players are emphasizing on developing new products using modern technologies to survive in the competitive market. For instance, a whole new range of Caustic Calcined Magnesia, Magnesium Carbonate, Dunite, was launched by Grecian Magnesite S.A.in recent years. Recently new variety of Magnesium Oxysulphate Whisker, MOS-HIGE was launched by Ube Industries Ltd.

More Insights on FMI's Magnesium market

The latest market study on global magnesium market by Future Market Insights gives a detailed segmentation for the forecast period of 2021-2031. In order to gain a better perspective of the global market potential, its growth, trends, and opportunities, the market is segmented on the basis of product type (Dead Burned Magnesia, Caustic Calcined Magnesia, Fused Magnesia), Application (Industrial, Refractories, Agricultural, Others ) and across major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia and Oceania, and Middle East & Africa).

Contact Sales for Further Assistance in Purchasing this Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1622

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage on Chemicals and materials Domain

Lauryl Dimethyl Amine oxide market: The global lauryl dimethyl amine oxide market report by FMI gives an in-depth insight on the future expansion prospects, trends and challenges that market is likely to face in the upcoming decade. Key statistics regarding key segments have been presented across prominent geographies, along with a detailed assessment of the market's competitive landscape.

Bismuth oxide market: The bismuth oxide market study published by FMI offers a comprehensive analysis and focused views on major trends expected to provide shape to future growth prospects. The report provides detailed analysis of the significant drivers, trends, challenges and opportunities prevailing for the forthcoming decade across key geographies along with competitive landscape of the upcoming decade.

Calcium oxide market: Future Market Insights gives a detailed segmentation on the global calcium oxide market with upcoming market trends, challenges and future growth dynamics across key geographies and prominent segments. The report provides a holistic approach, mapping the competitive landscape with detailed analysis on established players, new entrants, and opportunities likely to prevail across the 2021-2031 decade.

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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Award announced of a lifelong financial stipend for the 18 surviving Ukrainians classified as "Righteous Among the Nations"

Ceremony at Babyn Yar's new symbolic synagogue marked Ukraine's first annual Remembrance Day for Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II

KYIV, Ukraine, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At a ceremony hosted by the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (BYHMC), Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, the Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrii Yermak and Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko honored Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Holocaust and announced that those still alive will receive a lifelong monthly state stipend, in recognition of their heroism.

The ceremony marked the first Remembrance Day for Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II. Earlier this year, Ukraine's parliament passed a resolution designating 14 May as an annual commemoration to honor their actions.

Following World War II, a total of 2,659 Ukrainians were awarded the prestigious title of "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Of all countries, Ukraine has the fourth largest number of "Righteous Among the Nations." However, it is believed that a far greater number of Ukrainians risked their lives and those of their families to save Jews from the Nazis. BYHMC is working to uncover many of these unknown stories.

At the ceremony, it was announced that the 18 Ukrainian "Righteous Among the Nations" who remain alive today, will each be recognized by the state for their bravery with a monthly state stipend for the remainder of their lives.

Prime Minister of UkraineDenys Shmygal said, "This landmark event is a clear indication that the Ukrainian public consciousness affirms high ideals of respect for human life and recognition of responsibility and memory, which contribute to the construction of a free, democratic societyOn the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Second World War, we honor the feat of these courageous people who have become and remain for us an example of humanity and self-sacrifice."

Head of the Presidential Office of UkraineAndrii Yermak commented, "Babyn Yar became a terrible symbol of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe because of the massacre of World War II. In just two days, almost 34,000 Jews from Kyiv were killed. Today, it is important to honor the memory of these people and praise those who saved them at the risk of their own lives. Express gratitude for the hope they have given back to the world. And I hope that future generations will remember this feat for centuries."

Minister of Culture and Information Policy of UkraineOleksandr Tkachenko emphasized the importance to "honor the memory of tens of thousands of Jews from Kyiv who died in Babyn Yar during the terrible Holocaust," adding "it is very symbolic that we are doing this on the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who risked their lives to save Jews. Today we also honor the feat of all these courageous people."

Chief Strategist and Head of the Academic Council at BYHMC, Father Patrick Desbois, said, "Babyn Yar, a discreet ravine, where one thousand German people came to assassinate almost 34,000 Jews, including children and women in broad daylight, in front of everybody. It is a place of mass murder, from where we have to teach the younger generation all over the planet not to engage in mass shootings, in mass crimes today. Unfortunately, until now, every day, on every continent, mass shootings are devastating the world - In Kabul, in Iraq, in S?ria and elsewhere. Babyn Yar must be an international center to prevent mass crimes."

The ceremony took place at the new symbolic synagogue at Babyn Yar and was attended by state officials, diplomats, religious leaders, cultural and community figures. The symbolic synagogue is the first construction to be completed in the planned Babyn Yar memorial complex, which will stretch over an area of 150 hectares, making it one of the world's largest Holocaust memorial centers. A dozen buildings will eventually be erected as part of the complex.

33,771 Jewish victims were shot at Babyn Yar by the Nazis during just two days, 29 and 30 September 1941. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, Roma, mentally ill and others were shot thereafter at Babyn Yar throughout the Nazi occupation of Kyiv. The estimated number of victims murdered at Babyn Yar is around 100,000, making it Europe's largest mass grave. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre and commemorations will culminate in an international event including global leaders in September - October 2021.

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Its a place to reset your soul, like something out of a Hallmark movie, Lyons relates. My daughter can run, play with animals and just be a free spirit. My busy son can just relax. We all like to sneak away and breathe some fresh air. Lemonade and ice cream are favorite family treats: Theres just a hint of lavender. Mainly it all just tastes really fresh.
NEW YORK and WARSAW, Poland, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DataForce, TransPerfect's AI data solutions division, today announced that it has acquired Skilltelligence, a provider of precise, on-demand, real-time market information. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Skilltelligence uses a vetted, high-quality community of data contributors and annotators to deliver information to clients through its proprietary data-gathering platform. The company has historically delivered trade metrics that help organizations assess their retail presence. More recently, they began providing non-trade information, such as videos, images, questionnaires, and lifestyle inputs, some of which was collected in collaboration with DataForce.

DataForce manages a community of over one million people around the world who collect, annotate, and improve data to maximize the capabilities and performance of AI. DataForce clients range from Big Tech, automotive, and healthcare companies to startups and small- to medium-sized businesses who use AI in their operations or products. The acquisition of Skilltelligence will bring additional community management expertise and cutting-edge data collection technology to DataForce's services.

Skilltelligence co-founders Radoslaw Jez and Lukasz Glowacz will join the DataForce management team.

Radoslaw Jez, CEO and co-founder of Skilltelligence, commented, "Joining a global organization like TransPerfect is a tremendous opportunity for our team to diversify internationally and to contribute to exciting developments in crowdsourcing for AI. We are thrilled to apply our knowledge and technology on a larger scale and also to make the TransPerfect DataForce community available to our current clients."

TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe added, "The demand for AI data solutions is growing rapidly as the value of data increases. In welcoming the Skilltelligence team and technology to the TransPerfect family, we are bringing additional capabilities that will benefit our clients."

About Skilltelligence

Skilltelligence was established in 2015 in Warsaw, Poland. Its founders, who have broad experience in FMCG and consulting businesses, saw an attractive opportunity in utilizing crowdsourcing to gather relevant business information for marketers and sales managers operating in the traditional brick and mortar environment. Skilltelligence became the leading provider of such information in Poland and now boasts a broad portfolio of clients for whom it performed close to 400 research projects with use of its six thousands strong community of crowdsourced researchers across Poland.

About TransPerfect

TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language, data, and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 250+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink technology to simplify management of multilingual content and AI data. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Southern California estate planning firm, The Law Offices of Tony J. Tyre, Esq., APC, examines the new estate tax law changes and what people need to know moving forward.

As detailed recently on their website, estate taxes are being discussed much more these days with a possible upcoming change in the estate tax exemption. Estate tax, also known as "inheritance tax," is a value-based tax, meaning your estate only pays estate tax if your estate is worth more than the estate tax exemption. Currently, the exemption is $11.7 million per person.

"Due to having this high exemption, estate planning attorneys have been able to draft more simplified living trusts than what we drafted when the limit was significantly lower," said Attorney Tyre. "However, President Biden has proposed lowering the exemption from $11.7 million to $3.5 million. If you are married, then these amounts double since each spouse receives an exemption."

If the new law takes effect, those with lower value estates will not need to worry about the change and there is hope that even if there is a change, the drop won't be as dramatic as $3.5 million. However, if you are higher net worth, speak with an estate planning attorney to see what you can do ahead of a change.

It is important to note that even if someone is not high net worth, there are a myriad of items people should cross off their to-do list, such as drafting a living trust which directs the disposition of assets after death, as well as an advance healthcare directive and durable power of attorney, which apply while someone is living but incapacitated. Estate planning attorneys can help make something that is vital but sometimes overwhelming, a simple process. For more information, please visit www.tyrelawgroup.com.

About Tony J. Tyre, Law Offices of Tony J. Tyre, Esq., APC.

Tony J. Tyre is a highly respected estate planning attorney throughout California. He is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. The Law Offices of Tony J. Tyre, Esq., APC is dedicated to fulfilling all of the estate planning drafting, probate, and trust administration needs of its clients. For more information, call (626) 858-9378, or visit http://www.tyrelawgroup.com. The law offices are located at 100 S Citrus Ave., Suite 101, Covina, CA 91723 and 5703 Temple City Blvd., Temple City, CA 91780.

SOURCE: Law Offices of Tony J. Tyre, Esq., APC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647733/California-Attorney-Tony-J-Tyre-Discusses-Estate-Tax-Law-Changes-How-Will-These-Changes-Affect-You
Qumba Kombucha Powders offer a convenient on-the-go alternative to traditional ready-to-drink kombucha products

VALENCIA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Qumba Kombucha, a wellness brand created to empower people with nutrition that is convenient for their on-the-go lifestyle, is pleased to announce the launch of its Qumba Hibiscus Blood Orange Kombucha Powder and Qumba Gingerberry Kombucha Powder. Qumba Kombucha Powder is a portable dehydrated format of kombucha fermented tea which can be simply mixed with water, requires no refrigeration, and comes in a convenient, sustainable resealable bag.

Qumba Kombucha Powder contains probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes, and other ingredients known for their anti-inflammatory benefits and to help support healthy digestion and immune systems.* Unlike traditional ready-to-drink kombucha, Qumba Kombucha Powder has no vinegar aftertaste or carbonation and does not require refrigeration, offering convenient on-the-go access to the benefits of kombucha. Qumba Kombucha is shelf-stable, GMO-Free, Vegan, and Gluten-Free, and uses natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, or dyes.



Qumba Hibiscus Blood Orange Kombucha Powder and Qumba Gingerberry Kombucha Powder

"As many people have become increasingly focused on health and wellness while managing their busy lives, when we created our Qumba Kombucha Powders our goal was to take the renowned benefits of kombucha and redefine it to accommodate the on-the-go lifestyle," said Steffi Neth, Marketing Director of Qumba Kombucha. "Our efforts have resulted in a kombucha powder that retains all of the same benefits as traditional kombucha, but is more convenient, shelf-stable, and great tasting."

Qumba's Hibiscus Blood Orange Kombucha Powder's flavor profile is fruity, moderately sweet, and lightly floral, while Qumba's Gingerberry Kombucha Powder flavor is fruity, slightly sweet, with peppery notes. Get 25% OFF** your purchase for a limited time on www.qumbakombucha.com when you use code: SPRING25.

About Qumba Kombucha

Qumba Kombucha's mission is to benefit people that want to take their health into their own hands. Our products are designed to empower people with nutrition that is convenient for their lifestyle. In addition to Qumba's health benefits, sustainable packaging is used to reduce our carbon footprint. Qumba's packaging is made of Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) film. Qumba contains natural ingredients and is naturally sweetened. Qumba contains no artificial colors, dyes, or flavors. For more information regarding Qumba, please visit qumbakombucha.com.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

**Promo code offer expires June 15, 2021 at 11:59pm MST.

For Media Inquiries, please contact:

Cathy Loos

Loos & Co. Communications

+1-347-334-4135

cloos@looscomm.com

SOURCE: Qumba Kombucha

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/647850/Qumba-Kombucha-Launches-Hibiscus-Blood-Orange-and-Gingerberry-Kombucha-Powders
Today Square, the globally trusted software, payments, and hardware solution for businesses of all sizes, launches in Ireland. Following a successful Early Access Programme, now all merchants and enterprises across Ireland can access Square's innovative ecosystem with the tools they need to start, run, grow, and adapt their businesses.

Brian Nolan from Gerard's Deli Mingles Ice Cream, said: "We've been using Square's suite of products across channels for two of our locations and are now looking to roll this out for all 10 of our businesses in Ireland. Having a point-of-sale system with integrated payments and omnichannel solutions has revolutionised the way we're able to run our multi-location business, making it an easy and seamless process. We're pleased we were able to switch to Square during lockdown and feel much more confident in our ability to grow, ensuring we never miss a sale, as we look towards the future."

Ireland marks the first time Square has launched with a full stack of integrated business tools in a new market. Square's suite of products are designed to seamlessly work with each other to save businesses time and money, reduce inefficiencies from managing multiple systems, and help sellers grow their businesses in the future. Additionally, Square offers fair, transparent, and merchant-friendly pricing for business software and payment processing without requiring long-term contracts or extra fees. Square takes care of fraud prevention, dispute management, security, and compliance at no additional cost. Businesses can access their funds as soon as the next working day and only pay a transaction fee when they accept a card or mobile payment.

Irish businesses can now sell online, in-person, or both with Square's integrated suite of products, including:

Point of sale software and hardware to suit any business: Square launches with two point of sale software products and three versatile hardware devices in Ireland offering both mobile and brick mortar businesses fully integrated POS software, reliable and secure payments acceptance, and one transparent processing rate of 1.75% for all card-present transactions. Square Point of Sale is the trusted solution used by business owners around the world to process payments, sell anywhere, and manage their customer base. With no long-term contracts or monthly fees, the system is designed for you and your employees to get started quickly. With fast checkout flows, built-in customer management, and intuitive sales reporting, Square Point of Sale makes it easy to run a business customers love. Square for Restaurants extends Square's core solution by offering industry-specific tools and POS for food and beverage merchants that would ordinarily require multiple vendors, all under one umbrella. Square Terminal, Square Stand, and Square Reader are versatile, easy-to-set-up devices. For a limited time, Square Terminal will be priced at 99 (usually 169), Square Stand will be 79 (usually 99), and Square Reader will be completely free (usually 19) all available on Square Shop.

Square launches with two point of sale software products and three versatile hardware devices in Ireland offering both mobile and brick mortar businesses fully integrated POS software, reliable and secure payments acceptance, and one transparent processing rate of 1.75% for all card-present transactions. Square Online: Square's fully integrated e-commerce platform that automatically syncs inventory and orders with any Square Point of Sale makes it seamless for any business to expand through omnichannel selling. Square Online enables sellers across a variety of verticals, from a click-and-collect approach in food and groceries, to a QR code dining platform, to a full e-commerce website for complex retail. Square Online offers a feature-rich free plan (as well as a variety of paid subscription plans) and payment processing is competitively priced at 1.4% 25c per transaction for EU cards.

Square's fully integrated e-commerce platform that automatically syncs inventory and orders with any Square Point of Sale makes it seamless for any business to expand through omnichannel selling. Square Online enables sellers across a variety of verticals, from a click-and-collect approach in food and groceries, to a QR code dining platform, to a full e-commerce website for complex retail. Square Online offers a feature-rich free plan (as well as a variety of paid subscription plans) and payment processing is competitively priced at 1.4% 25c per transaction for EU cards. Robust business tools to power operations: Square manages the behind-the-scenes details, giving time back to merchants to focus on running their business. Tools include: Invoices, to save you time and help you get paid faster Online Checkout, to quickly sell online via buy buttons and payment links Virtual Terminal, to use your computer to take payments over the phone Team Management, to streamline timecards and staffing Kitchen Display System, to expedite your kitchen operations including delivery orders eGift Cards, to provide an additional way to reach customers

Square manages the behind-the-scenes details, giving time back to merchants to focus on running their business. Tools include: Partner platform and APIs to unlock even more functionality: Square integrates with business tools like Wix, FreshBooks, and Deliverect to enable businesses to use Square seamlessly with third-party software that caters to their specific needs.

"At Square, our growth is directly tied to our customers' growth we all succeed together," said Alyssa Henry, Executive Vice President, Square. "We are thrilled to expand Square's solutions into Ireland, helping merchants to run their entire business end-to-end with integrated software, hardware, and data analytics, while making it easier for them to take card payments."

"Independent businesses are the backbone of Ireland's economy, and deserve the same tools and resources as big enterprises," said Jason Lalor, Executive Director for Square Europe. "Irish businesses can trust Square to be a fair, transparent, and innovative partner they can rely on to help them run their business in times of uncertainty, and beyond."

Damien English TD, Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, in welcoming the launch of Square in Ireland, said:

"I know that a long-term goal for many in retail prior to the pandemic was to scale up online offerings to complement their physical stores. This goal has been accelerated due to the pandemic and many have now adopted new digital transformative models to ensure the strong relationships they have built with their customers can continue into the future. I want to see the retail sector develop and become one of our most innovative and resilient sectors in Ireland. It is the largest private sector employer in the country, and supports jobs in every city, town and village."

Businesses interested in learning more about getting started with Square can visit https://squareup.com/ie/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005197/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact

press@squareup.com
Burlington, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Hydro Power Technologies, Inc. (OTC Pink: PYBX) (the "Company" or "HPT"), provides a corporate update and announces its agreement with Zuc Energy SRL, a European Leader in Modular Solar Panel Systems based in Verona, Italy.

ZUC Energy SRL



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On April 5, 2021, the Company completed the change of its Transfer Agent to Pacific Stock Transfer Company of Las Vegas, Nevada . Pacific Stock Transfer is a subsidiary of Pacific Services Group Ltd., which is also the parent company of Capital Transfer Agency of Toronto, Ontario. As one of the largest transfer agency groups in the USA, representing over 2,300 publicly traded and private issuers, Pacific Stock Transfer is a premier professional services firm that prides itself on providing the highest-quality service in the industry. Pacific Stock Transfer and Capital Transfer Agency are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are members of the Securities Transfer Association (STA) and Securities Transfer Association of Canada (STAC).

On March 5, 2021 HPT completed negotiation to acquire 50% of ZUC Energy SRL. ZUC Energy was formed in 2020 as an "Innovative Startup" in Italy, which, according to European Union regulation, qualifies ZUC Energy for special grants and financial support for its projects. ZUC Energy was formed by a pool of engineering specialists, who have very significant experience in photovoltaic activities, gained mainly from their many years in the research and development, which led to the development of the ZUC-SOLAR ORC module and the Riverclack Roof System.

In its early life, ZUC Energy has already achieved important results in the photovoltaic sector, with its know-how, patents, systems and order portfolio, allowing it to focus on its ambitious goals. It is projecting 2021 gross revenue of 5 million euros, with EBITDA of 16.5%. In addition, the company is planning to achieve year-over-year growth of 9% over the next five years.

HPT President, Michael Shamber, states, "We are pleased to announce the first of three agreements that we have been negotiating over the past ten weeks. This first agreement between ZUC Energy and HPT is based on a private equity investment of up to Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars for continued development and deployment of the ZUC Energy green energy solutions, which, when added to the possible European Union "Innovative Start Up" grants, for up to 2.5 million euros, could greatly enhance the Company's ability to achieve its financial projections for the next five years. HPT is pleased to incorporate ZUC Energy and its technologies into our Green Energy group."





ZUC ENERGY - Milan Fair -Italy

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About Hydro Power Technologies, Inc. (OTC Pink: PYBX)

HPT's mission is to provide and to continue to develop new innovative green hydropower technology options that are grid ready, safe, reliable and cost effective for utility providers worldwide. HPT has developed a system to increase the power output of an impact turbine hydro generation system. The first generation of products from the HPT system known as "Hammer1", utilizes hydraulic water phenomena to produce rapid fire, high speed, long water projectiles that have a velocity 1.25 to 1.30 times greater velocity than the traditional "Free Flow" turbines in operation today. The additional velocity increases the rotational torque of the impact turbine runner, thus increasing the power generation much more efficiently than today's installed power generation plants.

Contact Information:

Michael Shamber

Hydro Power Technologies, Inc.

888-993-0989

info@hydropowertechnologies.com

https://twitter.com/HydroPowerTech

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements and factors that may cause such differences include, without limitation inability to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to the proposed transaction or to complete the transactions contemplated by the non-binding term sheet, matters discovered by the parties as they complete their respective due diligence investigation of the other. Other factors include the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including due to the failure to receive required security holder approvals, or the failure of other closing conditions. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84420
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Giga Metals Corp. (TSXV: GIGA) (OTCQB: HNCKF) (FSE: BRR2), a Canadian junior mining company with 100% ownership of a significant nickel sulphide project, is presenting at The Northern Miner Q2 Global Mining Symposium on Wednesday, May 19th at 1:55 AM EDT / 10:55 AM PDT.

Registration for the two-day event is free. Join Giga Metals' CEO, Mark Jarvis for a live investor presentation where he will provide an update on the Turnagain project and the upcoming summer drill program.

Click the link to register for free: https://events.northernminer.com/

About Giga Metals

Giga Metals Corporation is focused on metals critical to modern batteries, especially those used in Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage. The Company's core asset is the Turnagain Project, located in northern British Columbia, which contains one of the few significant undeveloped sulphide nickel and cobalt resources in the world.

Giga is also exploring for copper, another critical battery metal, in Brazil.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Mark Jarvis"



MARK JARVIS, CEO

GIGA METALS CORPORATION

Tel - 604 681 2300

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84438
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Homburg Partner, a strategic management consulting firm with deep specialization in commercial strategy, sales, and pricing. Homburg Partner's team of 73 professionals have joined Accenture's Customer, Sales Service team. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005895/en/

Homburg Partner is now part of Accenture (Photo: Business Wire)

Headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, Homburg Partner has a proven track record of increasing sales, market share and profitability with in-depth industry knowledge primarily for clients in the industrial goods, healthcare, and chemical industries. Through their strategic consulting expertise, Homburg Partner helps clients attain measurable market success, achieve growth targets, and drive greater value from their sales and price management strategies.

"The pandemic accelerated the shift for organizations to adopt new digital standards for customer experience and engagement," said Edwin van der Ouderaa, global lead of Customer, Sales Service at Accenture. "The addition of Homburg Partners expands our ability to shape growth and efficiency strategies across the enterprise and will increase our clients' focus on growing their sales and profits, as they pivot to their next generation customer engagement."

Frank Riemensperger, market unit lead for Accenture in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Russia, said: "Acquiring Homburg Partner reinforces our strategy and process capabilities, especially with commercial strategy, sales and pricing methods and knowledge so crucial for the digital economy. When we combine our implementation skills, global reach, and digital expertise with Homburg Partner's strengths, we'll be able to create value for clients in new ways."

For the past 20 years, Homburg Partner has worked with large to mid-sized companies on projects ranging from developing go-to-market strategies, optimizing sales processes and organizations to implementing leading pricing methodologies. Numerous distinctions such as "WirtschaftsWoche Best of Consulting 2020" and "BrandEins Beste Berater 2021" recognize Homburg Partner as one of the leading commercial strategy, sales, and pricing consultancies in Germany. Additionally, through its renowned founder Christian Homburg, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult., Homburg Partner is well connected to the University of Mannheim, its alumni network and to leading academia globally.

"Homburg Partner stands for excellent and practicable consulting services at the highest level which always keep the market in sight. Accenture's scale and market share will enable us to extend our value proposition to customers across industries and geographies," said Prof. Christian Homburg, founder, and chairman of Homburg Partner's scientific advisory board.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 537,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture's Customer, Sales Service team brings together new experience strategies, new ways of working and transformative technologies to help companies navigate change, accelerate growth, and optimize cost by activating exceptional experiences and humanized engagement at scale across the entirety of the business.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations.

Copyright 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005895/en/

Contacts:

Diana Buchner

Accenture

+06173 94 69081

diana.buechner@accenture.com
EP Global Opportunities Trust Plc (the "Company")

Director changes

The Company is pleased to announce the appointments of Ms Hazel Cameron and Mr Charles (Cahal) Dowds as independent non-executive Directors of the Company and as members of the Audit and Management Engagement Committee with immediate effect. Shareholders will be asked to approve their appointments at the next Annual General Meeting.

The Company further announces that with effect from the end of the Board meeting to be held on 9 June 2021, Teddy Tulloch will retire as a non-executive Director of the Company. Mr Tulloch has been a non-executive Director and Chairman of the Company since its launch in 2003.

Following Mr Tulloch's retirement, Mr Cahal Dowds will succeed Mr Tulloch as Chairman of the Company.

Hazel Cameron qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen, moving from there into corporate finance and then into private equity investing, initially with 3i in 1993. She was UK head of San Francisco-based technology investment fund, Bowman Capital Management LP before performing the same role for Cross Atlantic Capital Partners LLP, a US technology venture capital company. She is currently Network Director (a part-time role) at Growth Capital Partners LLP, an independent private equity company. As an independent adviser she is Head of Portfolio Talent for Gresham House plc, a specialist asset management group listed on AIM. She is also a non-executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Parsley Box Group plc, an AIM-listed meals delivery business.

Hazel Cameron currently does not have an interest in any shares in the Company and there is no other information required to be disclosed pursuant to LR 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules in relation to her appointment.

Cahal Dowds is a Director of Drumack Limited and a non-executive Director and Interim Chairman of MarktoMarket Limited, a data and analytics platform for corporate finance. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Touche Ross in Edinburgh, and co-founded Rutherford Manson Dowds (RMD) in 1986, advising on a significant number of large, complex transactions, in the UK and internationally. RMD went on to become the largest independent professional services business in Scotland and was acquired by Deloitte in 1999. Cahal led Deloitte's UK Advisory Corporate Finance business from 2005, as Chairman from 2014 when he was also appointed Vice Chairman of Deloitte UK until his retirement in 2018. He is a past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Cahal Dowds currently does not have an interest in any shares in the Company and there is no other information required to be disclosed pursuant to LR 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules in relation to his appointment.

Mr Tulloch said, "In my statement in the Company's most recent annual report I stated that the Board was aware of the need to refresh and add diversification to its membership. I am delighted we have been able to recruit two such experienced and talented Directors as Hazel and Cahal to the Board, replacing David Hough, who retired in March 2021, and myself. I wish them both well in their roles. The refreshed Board will have an excellent opportunity to look at the strategic position of the Company against an economic and financial background that is very different from when the Company was founded."

On behalf of the Board, David Ross, Director and Chairman of the Audit and Management Engagement Committee, said, "The Board wishes to thank Teddy Tulloch for his contribution and commitment to the Company since its launch in 2003. His many years of investment experience and understanding of investment trusts have been of immense value to the Board and we have greatly valued his input and advice over the years. The Board also welcomes Hazel Cameron as a Director and Cahal Dowds as Director and Chairman-elect and we look forward to working together on behalf of Shareholders."

18 May 2021

Legal Entity Identifier: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58

Enquiries:

Kenneth J Greig

Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited

Tel: 0131 270 3800

The Company's registered office address is:

27-31 Melville Street

Edinburgh

EH3 7JF
All resolutions were adopted at today's Combined General Meeting

Strengthening of the new entity's governance

Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Paris:ALIMP) (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, informs its shareholders that its Combined General Meeting was held in closed session on Tuesday May 18 at 2 pm CEST at the Company's head offices in Martillac, just outside Bordeaux.

The number of shares held by the shareholders present or represented was 1,734,493, giving a quorum of 22.98%.

All of the resolutions tabled at this Combined General Meeting were passed, and notably those pertaining to the acquisition of Orthopaedic Spine Development ("OSD"), endorsing the immediate implementation of its planned integration within Implanet. The appointment of OSD's founders, Nicolas Papillon and Benjamin Letienne, as Members of the Board of Directors was also approved.

Ludovic Lastennet, Implanet's CEO, said: "I would like to thank all of our shareholders who were present, were represented or voted online or by post for their commitment and participation. Their contribution enabled us to complete the acquisition of OSD, thus strengthening Implanet's positioning as a new heavyweight in spine surgery in France. This merger opens the way for numerous value-creating synergies and will contribute to the new entity achieving its strategic targets, i.e. continue innovating to enhance our implant range, continue expanding our certifications and approvals and strengthen the sales organization. I am delighted to welcome, as members of our Board of Directors, the CEO and the Managing Director of OSD to further strengthen the Group's governance

The minutes of the Combined General Meeting and a replay of the webinar will be made available on the Company's website within the statutory timeframe.

Upcoming financial events:

H1 2021 revenue, July 6, 2021 after market

H1 2021 results, September 21, 2021 after market

About Implanet

Founded in 2007, Implanet is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around two product ranges, the latest generation JAZZ implant, designed to improve the treatment of spinal pathologies requiring vertebral fusion surgery, and the MADISON implant designed for first-line prosthetic knee surgery. Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on product traceability. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ and MADISON have obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark as well as the ANVISA authorization in Brazil. Implanet employs 29 staff and recorded 2020 sales of 6.0 million. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, Implanet established a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. Implanet is listed on Euronext Growth market in Paris.

The Company would like to remind that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, OCAPI, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding, is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005922/en/

Contacts:

IMPLANET

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO

David Dieumegard, CFO

Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55

investors@Implanet.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Mathilde Bohin

Nicolas Fossiez

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Implanet@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Implanet@newcap.eu
While the southern portion of the intersection is under construction, crews will temporarily close a portion of the road at the entrance of the Windsor Forest neighborhood entrance, between Longhill Road and Wetherburn Lane, beginning as early as Wednesday. A signed detour will be in place to direct traffic to Berkshire and Buford Roads. The detour is expected to take place through early July.
TRIP, leading CBD drinks and oils brand in Europe, announces its launch into the U.S.with a $5M fundraise and exclusive partnership with Soho House Group. Strategic investors include Depop CEO Maria Raga and serial entrepreneur and investor Christian Angermayer.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005196/en/

TRIP CBD infused drinks in Lemon Basil, Peach Ginger and Elderflower Mint (L-R). (Photo: Business Wire)

"We assessed CBD brands globally to find the best partner for Soho House. TRIP is a great brand that creates the best CBD products we've ever tasted, that fit exactly into the Soho House lifestyle," says Soho House Beverage Director, Tom Kerr.

Founded by husband-and-wife Daniel Khoury and Olivia Ferdi, TRIP has been dubbed the "Glossier of CBD". With over a third of consumers returning monthly DTC, TRIP has a cult following and is driving conversations around mental wellbeing. The raise signals the growing market for alcohol alternatives. In a post-covid world, TRIP's consumer touch points across functional beverage, beauty and supplements speaks to the new attitudes around everyday wellbeing.

TRIP became renowned as the "Queen's CBD", following a viral story of the brand receiving the "royal seal of approval" when the range sold out "flying off the shelves" of the Queen's Windsor shop.

"TRIP has created a stand out brand that has made it easy for millions of consumers to try CBD for the first time. I'm really excited to be part of the journey with this fantastic team." Christian Angermeyer, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor.

"TRIP understands the power of connection and community having built a cult of loyal fans. Gen-Z's attitudes to lifestyle and wellbeing are changing the landscape and TRIP is positioned to continue to drive connection in this space, set to become a global leader in next generation wellness." Maria Raga (CEO Depop).

About TRIP:

Daniel and Olivia explored CBD as newlyweds, following an injury Daniel suffered. CBD, then unavailable in the UK, helped him heal quickly; they became passionate about creating a range of great-tasting CBD products, launching TRIP in 2019. TRIP flavors: Peach Ginger, Lemon Basil, Elderflower Mint. Drinks are 21kcals or under, powered by natural botanicals, with 15MG of CBD. TRIP oil flavors: Wild Mint, Orange Blossom. Oils are blended with chamomile, purchasable in recyclable 15ml bottles, of either 500mg CBD or 1500mg CBD strengths. us.drink-trip.com @trip.drinks

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005196/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact:

Mallory Johnston

mallory@autumncommunications.com
Relationship will support the development of global standards of practice and certification for CHIVA technique

ROCKVILLE, Md. and WASHINGTON and SHANGHAI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inteleos and Shanghai Dr. Smile Medical Technologies Co. Ltd. (Dr. Smile Medical Group) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form the long-term strategic partnership and initiate a pilot program of global CHIVA standards and certification development. On May 14, over 100 people around the globe gathered to launch the long-term strategic partnership and initiate a pilot program of global CHIVA standards and certification development. The audience represented experts from: France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Romania, Spain, China, and the United States.

CHIVA is the French acronym for "Cure conservatrice et Hemodynamique de l'Insuffisance Veineuse en Ambulatoire" (Conservative and Hemodynamic treatment of Venous Insufficiency in outpatients). CHIVA was first described by Claude Franceschi in 1988 and is an alternative to common procedures for varicose veins. The aim of the technique is to lower transmural pressure in the superficial venous system and avoid destruction of veins while decreasing pain, cost, and nerve damage.

"Innovation in healthcare is advancing at an unprecedented speed, while many other fields are also changing and facing challenges. In such an ever-changing environment, we believe that medical innovation must go further, but stay closer to our heart and aligned with our mission," said ZHANG Qiang, MD, Founder and Chairman, Dr. Smile Medical Group. "I believe that the global CHIVA certification program is just the beginning of our long-term collaboration. In the future, with the rising digital health, a digital revolution taking on traditional healthcare, we, healthcare professionals, around the globe, will have to unite and take the initiative to embrace this digital transformation."

The MOU marks the beginning of the long-term collaborating journey between Inteleos and Dr. Smile Medical Group in building the quality healthcare standard, certification and related programs together to save lives, restore health, treat and prevent diseases.

"Healthcare has no borders," said Dale R. Cyr, CEO and Executive Director, Inteleos. "We are proud to partner with Dr. Smile Medical Group to establish a formal and long-term strategic alliance to ensure that quality healthcare standards, certification programs, education and training programs, and risk mitigation strategies will be developed for physicians, relevant healthcare communities globally and most importantly for the safety of patients".

About Shanghai Dr. Smile Medical Technologies Co. Ltd.

Shanghai Dr. Smile Medical Technologies Co. Ltd. (Dr. Smile Medical Group) is a leading medical organization focusing on vascular clinical practices and venous disease diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Smile Medical Group owns health service institutions, medical education platforms, medical technology, and medical devices R&D centers.

About Inteleos

Inteleos is a global non-profit medical certification organization that manages the following Councils and Foundation: American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), the Alliance for Physician Certification & Advancement (APCA), the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, and Inteleos Foundation. Over the past 40+ years, more than 158,000 sonographers, physicians and other medical imaging professionals from 70 countries have been certified by ARDMS, APCA and the POCUS Certification Academy.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512897/Inteleos_MOU_showing.jpg
Media Release

Basel, May 18, 2021

Changes in Dufry's Global Executive Committee

Roger Fordyce is stepping down from his position as Chief Executive Officer North America and member of the Global Executive Committee (GEC) on June 30, 2021. Sarah Branquinho has been appointed to the Global Executive Committee (GEC) as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer (CDIO) effective July 1, 2021.

Roger Fordyce will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer North America and member of the Global Executive Committee on June 30, 2021, and will take on an advisory role for the company in North America. Roger Fordyce has been part of our North American organization since 1988, when he joined Hudson as District Manager and held several management positions before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer North America and member of the Global Executive Committee in 2019.

New Chief Executive Officer North America

Jordi Martin-Consuegra will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer North America as of July 1, 2021 and will report to Eugenio Andrades, Chief Executive Officer Operations. Mr. Martin-Consuegra joined Dufry Group in 2005, where he served in several management functions such as, among others, IT and Corporate Resources Director as well as Chief Resources Officer until 2017 and was appointed Chief Administrative Officer & Deputy CEO North America in January 2018.

Sarah Branquinho appointed Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Sarah Branquinho has been appointed Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and member of the Global Executive Committee, effective July 1, 2021 and will be reporting to the Group CEO Julian Diaz. In her role, Sarah Branquinho will foster and further develop the group-wide implementation of the Dufry Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. Sarah Branquinho worked for Dufry in different roles since 2015, is currently president of the Duty Free World Council (DFWC), is the World Business Partner observer on the board of directors of ACI-Europe (Airports Council International Europe) and has held several other management and board positions in industry organizations such as the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC).

Julian Diaz, CEO of Dufry Group, commented: "Dufry's Board of Directors and the management team of Dufry would like to thank Roger Fordyce for his long-lasting career and dedication to the development of our Group. With his experience and deep knowledge of the North American travel retail market, he has made an important contribution to expand our footprint in this key market. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Roger's valuable support in his advisory role.

I am pleased that Jordi Martin-Consuegra will be leading our North American business as Chief Executive Officer, thus continuing his valuable contribution in developing Dufry and driving our growth in North America. Jordi has an in-depth understanding of our company strategy, organization and business model and has gained valuable experience of the specificities of the North American market in the past years.

Our management team is glad to welcome Sarah Branquinho to the Global Executive Committee as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, where she will contribute her wealth of experience and best practices in our industry to further evolve our diversity & inclusion strategy. Being present in 64 countries and employing people from a wide variety of nationalities, ethnicities, genders and cultures, diversity & inclusion is a success factor of growing importance.

I wish both Sarah Branquinho and Jordi Martin-Consuegra all the best and lots of success in their new roles."

For further information, please contact:

Renzo Radice Dr. Kristin Kohler Global Head Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Global Head Investor Relations Phone: +41 61 266 44 19 Phone: +41 61 266 44 22 Mobile: +41 79 461 23 34 Mobile: +41 79 563 18 09 renzo.radice@dufry.com kristin.koehler@dufry.com

Dufry Group - A leading global travel retailer



Dufry AG (SIX: DUFN) is the leading global travel retailer operating over 2,300 duty-free and duty-paid shops in airports, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations and downtown tourist areas, in more than 430 locations in 64 countries across all six continents.

The Company, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is offering customers a first-class shopping experience, global brands, a unique market access and landlords a reliable, value-enhancing partnership. To learn more about Dufry, please visit www.dufry.com.

Social Responsibility

Dufry cares for children and supports social projects from SOS Kinderdorf in Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico, Morocco and Ivory Coast. SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-political and non-demonstrational organization established for orphaned and destitute children all over the world.
The Glaucoma market size shall enlarge due to the launch of upcoming therapies, advanced antiglaucoma medications, and patient-friendly dosage regimes

LAS VEGAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's " Glaucoma Market " report provides a thorough comprehension of the Glaucoma, historical and forecasted epidemiology, and the Glaucoma market trends in the 7MM [the United States, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) and Japan]. The Glaucoma market report also proffers an analysis of the current Glaucoma treatment algorithm/practice, market drivers, market barriers, and unmet medical needs.

Some of the imperative takeaways of the Glaucoma Market Research Report

The approved therapies for Glaucoma include Rocklatan, Rhopressa, Xelpros, EYBELIS Ophthalmic Solution, VYZULTA, TAPCOM/DE-111, GLANATEC, Simbrinza, ZIOPTAN, DuoTrav, TRAVATAN Z, LUMIGAN, Durysta, AILAMIDE, and Aibeta .

. Various pharmaceutical companies such as Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC), Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V., Perrigo Company, Santen Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Nicox Ophthalmics, Sylentis, Envisia Therapeutics, Ocuphire Pharma, Kowa Company, D.Western Therapeutics Institute, Peregrine Ophthalmic , and others have started working towards the development of novel products for this indication.

, and others have started working towards the development of novel products for this indication. The Glaucoma pipeline possesses potential drugs such as PDP-716, PRO-122, Brinzolamide Ophthalmic Suspension 1%, DE-130A (Catioprost), Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054), NCX 470, Bamosiran (SYL040012), ENV515 (Travoprost XR), Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate), Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232), POLAT-001, and others. Some of these products have completed the late clinical stages of development, while others are in ongoing late clinical development stages.

and others. Some of these products have completed the late clinical stages of development, while others are in ongoing late clinical development stages. Among the recently approved therapies, Rocklatan (Aerie Pharma) acquired the highest share in the market in 2019. Another product, by Aerie Pharma, namely Rhopressa, attained the second position, in terms of revenue generation, in its launch year (2018).

acquired the highest share in the market in 2019. Another product, by Aerie Pharma, namely Rhopressa, attained the second position, in terms of revenue generation, in its launch year (2018). Two potential emerging candidates are expected to enter the EU-5 therapeutic market in 2023 and 2025, respectively, namely DE-117 (Santen Pharmaceutical) and NCX 470 (Nicox Ophthalmics).

and respectively, namely and DURYSTA/bimatoprost implant, developed by Allergan, which was recently launched in March 2020 in the US, is the first implant to be approved to treat Glaucoma.

For further information on Market Impact by Therapies, visit: Glaucoma Drug Market Analysis

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye's optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of the eye. That extra fluid raises the pressure in the eye, damaging the optic nerve. There are two major types of Glaucoma- Primary open-angle Glaucoma (POAG) and Angle-closure/Glaucoma closed-angle Glaucoma/narrow-angle Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. As per DelveInsight's estimates, the total diagnosed Glaucoma prevalent population in the 7MM was estimated as 10,104,188 cases in 2020, which is expected to increase in the forecast period (2021-2030). A higher percentage of diagnosed Glaucoma prevalence was observed for females than males in all the 7MM countries.

The Glaucoma Market Report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiological analysis segmented into:

Total Diagnosed Glaucoma Prevalence

Type-specific Diagnosed Prevalent Population of Glaucoma

Age-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Glaucoma

Gender-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Glaucoma

Type-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Open-Angle Glaucoma

Get a complete epidemiological segmentation @ Glaucoma Epidemiological Analysis

Glaucoma Therapeutics Market

Prostaglandin analogues, Beta-blockers, Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, Miotics, Alpha-2-selective adrenergic agonists, and other treatment regimens remain the mainstay of the Glaucoma therapeutic market. Prostaglandin analogues in the 7MM countries occupy the majority of the current Glaucoma market. However, the medical treatment of Glaucoma has associated side effects, complications, and costs. These treatments have not benefited all patients.

Before the entry of prostaglandins into the Glaucoma market, Beta-blockers were quite famous and popular for the management of Glaucoma. Ocular hypotensive agents other than beta-blockers, such as the alpha2 agonist brimonidine, maybe a more appropriate first-line therapy for ocular hypertension and Glaucoma patients concurrently taking systemic beta-blockers.

Besides the pharmacological treatment measurements, incisional surgery, laser surgery, and supportive medication are also preferred.

A wide variety of topical effective antilaucoma drugs are available today, and a few others in the development stage, represent a significant advancement in ocular therapeutics. Though these topical ophthalmic preparations have reduced the risk of systemic toxicity to quite an extent, their long-term use causes systemic as well as ocular toxicity. Ideal drug candidates for Glaucoma therapy will offer better intraocular pressure (IOP), lower efficacy with fewer side effects, and provide additional means of vision sparing through the direct protection of the optic nerve. Despite new advances and techniques, it is observed that there is medically uncontrolled intraocular pressure. The ideal medication for this is not yet available.

Research on more advanced antiglaucoma medications continues and promises new directions to appear to be the Rho-kinase inhibitors. Several pharmaceutical companies have taken the initiative to develop such drugs. Aerie pharmaceutical is one of the established companies, which is rigorously working towards developing the potent drug candidate. Two of its lead candidates (Rhopressa and Rocklatan) are approved for the management of Glaucoma and results of Phase III clinical trials of both of its product has shown better safety and efficacy.

Since glaucoma is one of the significant causes of blindness, there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the pharmacology of the disease, causing the Glaucoma pharmaceutical market to evolve. In the past few years, many drugs have been approved for glaucoma or open-angle glaucoma. Apart from that, numerous pipeline products are under development for Glaucoma. Products such as Vyzulta, Rhopressa/Rhokiinsa, Rocklatan/Roclanda, Xelpros, and DURYSTA (bimatoprost implant) are some of the potential latest approved products. Vyzulta, Rhopressa/Rhokiinsa, and Rocklatan/Roclanda are all ophthalmic solutions, whereas DURYSTA is the first dissolvable implant approved for glaucoma. The therapies with a novel mechanism of action are expected to enter the Glaucoma market. With their estimated approval, the market is expected to increase.

Glaucoma Emerging Therapies Along with Key Players

PDP-716: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC)

PRO-122: Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V.

DE-130A (Catioprost): Santen Pharmaceutical

Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054): Santen Inc./Ono Pharmaceutical

NCX 470: Nicox Ophthalmics

Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate): Ocuphire Pharma

Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232): Kowa Company/D.Western Therapeutics Institute

And several others.

Scope of the Glaucoma Market Insight Report

Geography Covered: The United States , EU5 ( Germany , France , Italy , Spain , and the United Kingdom ), and Japan.

, EU5 ( , , , , and the ), and Japan. Study Period: 3-year historical and 10-year forecasted analysis (2018-2030).

Glaucoma Markets Segmentation: By Geographies and By Glaucoma Therapies (Historical and Forecasted, Current and Upcoming)

Dominant Market Companies investigating its candidates for Glaucoma: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC), Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V., Perrigo Company, Santen Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Nicox Ophthalmics, Sylentis, Envisia Therapeutics, Ocuphire Pharma, Kowa Company, D.Western Therapeutics Institute, Peregrine Ophthalmic, and several others.

Analysis: Comparative and conjoint analysis of emerging therapies.

Case Studies

KOL's Views

Analyst's View

Request for a Webex demo of the report @ Glaucoma Treatment Market Size

Table of Contents

1 Glaucoma Key Insights 2 Glaucoma Report Introduction 3 Glaucoma Market Overview at a Glance 4 Executive Summary of Glaucoma 5 Glaucoma Disease Background and Overview 6 Treatment Algorithm for Open-Angle Glaucoma 7 Treatment for Glaucoma 8 Glaucoma Epidemiology and Patient Population 8.1 The United States 8.2 EU5 Countries 8.2.1 Germany 8.2.2 France 8.2.3 Italy 8.2.4 Spain 8.2.5 The United Kingdom 8.3 Japan 9 Organizations contributing towards Open-Angle Glaucoma (OAG) 10 Glaucoma Patient Journey 11 Case Reports 12 Glaucoma Marketed Drugs 12.1 Rocklatan: Aerie Pharmaceuticals 12.2 Rhopressa: Aerie Pharmaceuticals 12.3 Xelpros (latanoprost ophthalmic emulsion) 0.005%: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited 12.4 Eybelis Ophthalmic Solution 0.002% (DE-117, Omidenepag isopropyl): Santen Pharmaceutical/Ube Industries 12.5 Vyzulta: Bausch and Lomb 12.6 Tapcom/DE-111 (Tafluprost/timolol maleate): Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 12.7 Glanatec: D.Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI)/Kowa LTD. 12.8 Simbrinza (brinzolamide/brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic suspension) 1%/0.2%: Alcon Research 12.9 Zioptan (tafluprost): Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. 12.10 DuoTrav PQ (travoprost/timolol): Novartis/Alcon Research 12.11 Travatan Z (travoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.004%: Alcon Research, a Novartis company 12.12 Lumigan 0.01% (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution): Allergan 12.13 Durysta (Bimatoprost SR): Allergan 12.14 AILAMIDE: Senju Pharmaceuticals 12.15 Aibeta: Senju Pharmaceuticals 13 Glaucoma Emerging Therapies 13.1 PDP-716: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC) 13.2 PRO-122: Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V. 13.3 Brinzolamide Ophthalmic Suspension 1%: Perrigo Company 13.4 DE-130A (Catioprost): Santen Pharmaceutical 13.5 Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054): Santen Inc./Ono Pharmaceutical 13.6 NCX 470: Nicox Ophthalmics 13.7 Bamosiran (SYL040012): Sylentis 13.8 ENV515 (Travoprost XR): Envisia Therapeutics 13.9 Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate): Ocuphire Pharma 13.10 Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232): Kowa Company/D.Western Therapeutics Institute 13.11 POLAT-001: Peregrine Ophthalmic 14 7MM Glaucoma Market Analysis 14.1 The United States Glaucoma Market Size 14.2 EU-5 Glaucoma Market Size 14.2.1 Germany Market Size 14.2.2 France Market Size 14.2.3 Italy Market Size 14.2.4 Spain Market Size 14.2.5 The United Kingdom Market Size 14.3 Japan Glaucoma Market Size 15 KOL Views 16 Glaucoma Market Drivers 17 Glaucoma Market Barriers 18 Glaucoma SWOT Analysis 19 Unmet Needs 20 Reimbursement 21 DelveInsight Capabilities 22 Disclaimer 23 About DelveInsight

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world's largest provider of HIV/AIDS care globally, calls on the G7 to spearhead the process of drafting a new pandemic treaty. Plans to initiate this process at the World Health Assembly (WHA) next week should be postponed until the G7 summit on June 11 13.

Due to World Health Organization's (WHO) numerous failures in responding to COVID-19, a global treaty must not be rooted in the World Health Assembly (WHA) governance framework. WHA decision-making power is diffused among 194 Member States, which often results in impasse or resolutions so watered-down by consensus that they have little practical authority in emergencies like a pandemic.

"The G7 and G20 are better positioned to formulate a global public health convention with enough political will and financial resources behind it to make a real difference. We cannot leave the WHO at the center of a global plan to fight and prevent future pandemics, based on their poor performance up until now," said AHF President Michael Weinstein. "Transparency, accountability, and coordination vital principles that should be the cornerstone of any pandemic response have been sorely absent under the leadership of the WHO. The world will keep repeating history with infectious disease outbreaks unless the structure of global public health is reformed. The G7 has the power to be the catalyst for that change we urge its leaders to initiate the process of creating a new pandemic treaty that works collectively for all nations. These efforts can then pave the way toward further dialogue and negotiations at the G20 summit in Italy at the end of October."

Twenty-one global public health thinkers recently co-authored a paper in The Lancet Public Health journal, titled "A global public health convention for the 21st century", which describes major gaps in the current global public health system, and offers recommendations on the way forward beyond the WHO.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.5 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006058/en/

Contacts:

Denys Nazarov,

Director of Global Policy

Communications, AHF

+1.323.308.1829

denys.nazarov@ahf.org



Ged Kenslea,

Senior Director,

Communications, AHF

+1.323.791.5526 cell

ged.kenslea@ahf.org


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Casa Minerals Inc. (TSXV: CASA) (OTC Pink: CASXF) (FSE: 0CM) (the "Company" or "Casa") is arranging a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement) for $2,500,000 at $0.125 per unit (a "Unit"). Each Unit will consist of one share and one share purchase warrant, with each warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional share at a price of $0.30 per share for one year. The expiry date of the warrants may be accelerated at the option of the Company if the average closing price is greater than $0.45 per share for a period of 10 trading days. The private placement is subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

On Behalf of Board of Directors



Farshad Shirvani, M.Sc. Geology

President and CEO

For more information, please contact:

Casa Minerals Inc.

Farshad Shirvani, President & CEO

Phone: (604) 678-9587

Email: contact@casaminerals.com

https://www.casaminerals.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84458
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures settled lower on Tuesday, weighed down by reports saying there are signs of progress in the Iran nuclear talks. Traders were also weighing global energy demand prospects amid the continued surge in coronavirus cases in Asian countries, including India, Japan and China. Expectations of increased gasoline demand in the U.S. helped limit oil's downside. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for June ended lower by $0.78 or about 1.2% at $65.49 a barrel. Brent crude futures were down $0.72 or 1.02% at $68.74 a barrel a little while ago. According to reports, Russian ambassador to the UN Mikhail Ulyanov is quoted as saying that significant progress had been made in talks between the U.S. and Iran with regard to reviving a deal restricting Iran's nuclear weapons development. Meanwhile, New York State will no longer require masks in most public spaces for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19. New Jersey is also fully lifting its pandemic-related travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. In Europe, Germany has decided to allow vaccinated travelers or people who have recovered from the virus to skip testing and quarantine, while the French government is set to go ahead with its plans to almost completely end coronavirus restrictions by June 30. Traders also looked ahead to weekly inventory reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Energy Information Administration (EIA). While API's report is due later today, the EIA will release its inventory data Wednesday morning. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Uplift Education excited to unveil a new name of our long-standing East Dallas Prek-12th grade school. Uplift Peak Preparatory will now be known as Uplift Atlas Preparatory. Many of us as individuals and organizations , have more deeply reflected on our role in creating more racial equity in our communities. Throughout the country we have seen buildings and streets renamed to more appropriately honor and recognize those who have been positive contributors to our history.

As Uplift has been doing its own equity work this summer, we learned Peak Street was named for Junius' father, Jefferson Peak, who was a Dallas pioneering landowner. Junius Street is named for Junius. Many streets in the Peak neighborhood are named for Jefferson Peak's kids or relatives. Junius Peak was in the Confederate Army, was a Texas Ranger, and is alleged to be the founding member of the Dallas KKK.

When Uplift Peak was opened in 2004 as the second campus in our network, the school was named to honor the historic district in East Dallas. The name "Peak" also aligned to our goal for our scholars to reach new heights as part of the school community.

As a network, we aspire for each of our schools to be inclusive, respectful, and caring communities. We do not believe Junius Peak for whom the Peak historic district was named aligns to our values at Uplift or our school community at Uplift Peak.

Hence, Uplift network and Uplift Peak school leadership believe it is in the best interest of our school community to change the name of our beloved and well-known school to Uplift Atlas Preparatory. While this was an easy decision in many ways, we also have heavy hearts because Uplift Peak has been a part of our identity for so many years as a school community and as a network. However, we know that a name does not define one of our schools, their staff, or our scholars who go there. What has made Uplift Peak an amazing school for educators, families, and scholars for so many years is the deep sense of community, pride in striving for excellence, and compassion for one another. These things will not change when Uplift Peak changes its name starting with the upcoming 2021-22 school year.

The Uplift Peak leadership team has shared this news with their families, scholars, and staff. Uplift is grateful for the support of our longest-tenured staff at Uplift Peak who believe the name change is the right course of action.

For those who remember their Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who was forced to hold up the world/ heaven for eternity. Atlas also means a book of maps and speaks to the global nature of our IB framework. We are a stronger network because of all the perspectives and backgrounds that we are made of.

Uplift Education

Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teachers, families, and, most importantly, students. With a network of 43 college preparatory, public charter schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Uplift offers students of any background the powerful chance to study within a multidisciplinary curriculum and prepare for the college career they deserve. Uplift is the largest International Baccalaureate district in Texas and the #2 IB district in the nation because of the number of holistic extracurricular and educational programs. The incredible educators in the Uplift network guide and teach nearly 20,000 students in Pre-K- 12th?grades, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information Uplift's mission and their blind lottery selection system, visit?uplifteducation.org?or?facebook.com/uplifteducation.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Deekay Fox

Senior Marketing and Communications Director

dfox@uplifteducation.org

661-378-2353

SOURCE: Uplift Education

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/648046/Uplift-Education-Announces-That-Uplift-Peak-Will-Now-Be-Named-Uplift-Atlas
Frontline Ltd. (NYSE and OSE: FRO) ("Frontline" or the "Company") today announces that it has entered into an agreement for the acquisition through resale of six latest generation ECO-type VLCC newbuilding contracts.

The six VLCCs are currently under construction at the Hyundai Heavy Industries ("HHI") shipyard in South Korea and are being acquired for an aggregate purchase price of $565.8 million, including an estimated $25.7 million in additions and upgrades to the standard specifications. The vessels are designed to operate on different fuels, including Biofuel, have the potential to be converted or retrofitted to consume fuel like LNG or Ammonia and consequently there is an ability to cut CO2 emissions to zero when technology, logistics and the regulatory framework allows for it. The newbuildings will also be fitted with Exhaust Gas Scrubber technology, high-end Anti Fouling systems, equipped with Digital Energy Performance solutions as well as compliant with specific Exxon Mobile lightering requirements to allow for maximum trading flexibility.

The delivery schedule is very attractive with five vessels delivering during 2022 starting in Q1 and the last vessel in Q1 2023.

The payment profile for this transaction means that the largest portion of the instalments on each vessel will be made on delivery of each vessel. Frontline will meet the financing of this acquisition with existing borrowing facilities and will establish long term financing closer to delivery of the vessels.

Lars H. Barstad, Interim CEO of Frontline Management AS said:

"This transaction is consistent with our core company goals to increase exposure to the VLCC market without adding to existing vessel supply. It further cements Frontline's position in respect of owning a modern, high quality, fuel efficient fleet. The delivery schedule for these vessels is particularly attractive, in a timing window regarded closed for new orders. With this acquisition Frontline is tangibly moving on our journey towards lower carbon emissions."

May 18, 2021

The Board of Directors

Frontline Ltd.

Hamilton, Bermuda

Questions should be directed to:

Lars H. Barstad: Interim Chief Executive Officer, Frontline Management AS

+47 23 11 40 37

Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer, Frontline Management AS

+47 23 11 40 76

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. Words, such as, but not limited to "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although Frontline believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the control of Frontline, Frontline cannot assure you that they will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and Frontline disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

The information included in this announcement is defined as inside information pursuant to article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation and is publicly disclosed in accordance with article 17 of the Market Abuse Regulation and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The announcement is made by the contact person.


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G) (OTC Pink: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") announces that subject to the Exchange's approval, it intends to grant 700,000 five-year incentive stock options to directors and officers. The options are granted in accordance with the terms of the Company's stock option plan. They are exercisable at a price of $0.20 per share and vest over a period of 18 months.

About Dynasty Gold Corp.

Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects located in greenstone belts in Ontario and the Midas gold camp in Nevada. Currently, the 70% owned Hatu Qi2 gold mine in the Tien Shan Gold belt, Xinjiang, China, is in legal dispute with Xinjiang Non-Ferrous Industrial Metals Group and its subsidiary Western Region Gold Co. Ltd. For more information, please visit Company's website www.dynastygoldcorp.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP.

"Ivy Chong"

_________________________________

Ivy Chong, President & CEO

For additional information please contact:

Vancouver Office:

Ivy Chong

Phone: 604.633.2100. Email: ichong@dynastygoldcorp.com

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84462
An amount of Rs 10 lakh would be remitted as fixed deposit for each child and they can draw the interest on this for 25 years to meet their financial needs.  Twitter

VIJAYAWADA: Coming to the rescue of children orphaned by the death of both parents due to Coronavirus infection, the Andhra Pradesh government would remit Rs 10 lakh for each such children in bank fixed deposit. They can draw the interest on this for 25 years to meet their financial needs.

Health principal secretary Anil Kumar Singhal told the media here on Monday that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken the decision. After 25 years, when these children mature, they can use the money as per their will.

An order to this effect would be issued in a day or two.

He also said those who are infected with black fungus disease could get medical treatment under Aarogyasri scheme. The CM has issued a direction to all medical college hospitals. This is not a killer disease. Those suffering from high blood sugar are more vulnerable to getting infected with this. By proper medication, the disease could be cured, he said.

On the state level fever survey, the health official said so far 91,000 persons were found suffering from fever. After necessary medical tests, they were provided with home isolation kits. District collectors were asked to admit those with high fever to hospitals and also arrange ambulance service where needed.

On the extension of curfew in the state up to May 31, he sounded confident that the number of Coronavirus infections would come down. There already was a slump in the cases in some districts following clamp of curfew in recent days.

More doctors and other health personnel are being recruited on the lines of last year to attend to Covid duty in the state, he said.
HOUSTON,TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / Cub Energy Inc. ("Cub" or the "Company") (TSXV:KUB) announces the results of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held on May 18, 2021. At the meeting the following management nominees were re-elected as directors of the Company: Frank Mermoud, Patrick McGrath and Eugene Chaban. In addition, Dr. Timothy Marchant was nominated and elected as a new director in place of John Booth who did not stand for reelection.

Dr. Marchant is an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Energy Geopolitics at the Haskayne School of Business of the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta Canada. He has extensive international E&P experience with various small, medium and major E & P companies over his 30+ year career, including living and working in Egypt, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Marchant is a director of Vermilion Energy Inc., Transglobe Energy Corporation, Chairman of Valeura Energy Inc. and was a director of Cub Energy from May 2013 to April 2020.

In addition to the election of directors, shareholders approved the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as the Company's auditors, and ratified the Company's stock option plan.

About Cub Energy Inc.

Cub Energy Inc. (TSXV:KUB) is a power and upstream oil and gas company. The Company's strategy is to implement western technology and capital, combined with local expertise and ownership, to increase value in its undeveloped land base, creating and further building a portfolio of producing power and oil and gas assets within a high pricing environment.

For further information please contact us or visit our website: www.cubenergyinc.com

Patrick McGrath

Interim Chief Executive Officer

(713) 577-1948

patrick.mcgrath@cubenergyinc.com

Reader Advisory

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Cub Energy Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/648048/Cub-Energy-Announces-Results-From-the-Annual-Meeting-of-Shareholders
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Information Technology major Accenture Plc (ACN) said on Tuesday that it had acquired strategic management consulting firm Homburg & Partner. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Following the acquisition, Homburg & Partner's team of 73 professionals have joined Accenture's Customer, Sales & Service team. Mannheim, Germany-based Homburg & Partner mainly works with clients in the industrial goods, healthcare and chemical industries, helping them raise sales, market shares and profitability. With their consulting expertise, Homburg & Partner brings to clients' measurable market success and help them reach growth targets. Commenting on the acquisition, Edwin van der Ouderaa, global lead of Customer, Sales & Service at Accenture, said, 'The addition of Homburg & Partners expands our ability to shape growth and efficiency strategies across the enterprise and will increase our clients' focus on growing their sales and profits, as they pivot to their next generation customer engagement.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc. (TSXV: ELY) (OTCQX: ELYGF) (FSE: I4U) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") has announced that the May 20, 2021 Town Hall Meeting (announced May 18, 2021) has been postponed and will be rescheduled the week of May 24, 2021.



About Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

Ely Gold Royalties Inc. is a Nevada focused gold royalty company. Its current portfolio includes royalties at Jerritt Canyon, Goldstrike and Marigold, three of Nevada's largest gold mines, as well as the Fenelon mine in Quebec, operated by Wallbridge Mining. The Company continues to actively seek opportunities to purchase producing or near-term producing royalties. Ely Gold also generates development royalties through property sales on projects that are located at or near producing mines. Management believes that due to the Company's ability to locate and purchase third-party royalties, its strategy of organically creating royalties and its gold focus, Ely Gold offers shareholders a favourable leverage to gold prices and low-cost access to long-term gold royalties in safe mining jurisdictions.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Signed "Trey Wasser"

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

trey@elygoldinc.com

972-803-3087

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

jjobin@elygoldinc.com

647 964 0292

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84470
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Brand X Lifestyle Corp. (CSE: BXXX) ("Brand X" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of name change from Brand X Lifestyle Corp. to Canadian Nexus Team Ventures Corp. pursuant to a directors' resolution. It is anticipated that the Company's common shares will commence trading on Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") under the new ticker symbol "CSE: TEAM" upon the opening of the markets on May 21, 2021.

The CUSIP number assigned to the Company's shares following the name change is 13640F105 (ISIN: CA13640F1053). No action is required by stockholders and outstanding stock certificates are not affected by the name change and will not need to be exchanged.

About Brand X Lifestyle Corp.

Brand X (CSE: BXXX) is an investment issuer that actively invests in a diversified portfolio of early-stage to mid-level companies and projects. Brand X leverages its extensive network of operators and global thought leaders to provide investors with a unique multi opportunity portfolio.

Contact:

Arni Johannson

604-960-1878

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements the timing, consideration, and completion of the joint venture are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the completion of the Acquisition, the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Acquisition, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the Company's operations and the Company's limited operating history.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this presentation or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84471
Tampa, FL (33646)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low around 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
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Google has announced the launch of a new initiative in India called Google News Showcase for the Google News app. Through the initiative, Google is aiming to provide news organizations with a new way of interacting and engaging with readers in India.

Google News Showcase is a new online experience and licensing program, which will allow news organizations to curate high-quality news content and display them on the Google News app. The aim behind this initiative is to create a better connection between readers and news publications. These curated news content will appear as panels on both the Googles News and Discover platforms.

Google will also paying participating news organizations to give readers access to a limited amount of paywalled content, with the hopes of encouraging readers to subscribe to that particular news publication.

At launch, Google News Showcase will show curated content from 30 news publishers including national, regional and local news organizations such as The Hindu Group, HT Digital Streams Ltd, Indian Express Group, ABP LIVE, India TV, NDTV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Telegraph India, IANS (Indo Asian News Service) and ANI.

The feature will first rollout with support for content in English and Hindi languages. Google is planning to bring support for more Indian languages soon.
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Until June 15, when California plans to fully reopen the economy, the state will keep its existing guidance around masks in place, according to California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. This means that in indoor settings outside of one's home, masks will continue to be required regardless of vaccination status.
The National AEFI Committee has said that bleeding and clotting cases following the vaccine shots in India were minuscule and in line with the expected number of diagnoses of these conditions in the country. AFP

New Delhi: The number of daily fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday was below the 3 lakh-mark for the first time since April 21 in the country. Delhi too, for the first time since April 5, recorded 4, 524 fresh cases and the citys case positivity rate dropped to 8.42 per cent. However, However, since testing is usually low on Sundays, the figures in the next couple of days will be important to watch.

The Centre of Monday said it has identified only 26 potential cases of bleeding and blood clotting in India due to the administration of the Covishield vaccine as Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI).

In a report submitted to the ministry of health and family welfare, the National AEFI Committee has said that bleeding and clotting cases following the vaccine shots in India were minuscule and in line with the expected number of diagnoses of these conditions in the country,

The report comes after alerts were raised in some countries on post-vaccination embolic and thrombotic events on March 11, 2021, particularly with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, Covishield, in India.

Since the Covid-19 vaccination drive was initiated, more than 23,000 adverse events have been reported through the CoWin platform from 684 districts of the country. Of these, 700 cases (@ 9.3 cases/million doses administered) were reported to be serious and severe, the health ministry said.

The AEFI Committee has completed an in-depth case review of 498 serious and severe events, of which 26 cases have been reported to be potential thromboembolic (formation of a clot in a blood vessel that might also break loose and carried by the blood stream to plug another vessel) events following the administration of Covishield vaccine  with a reporting rate of 0.61 cases/ million doses, the report said. It added there were no potential thromboembolic event following administration of Covaxin vaccine.

AEFI data in India showed that there is a very miniscule but definitive risk of thromboembolic events. The reporting rate of these events in India is around 0.61/million doses, which is much lower than the 4 cases/million reported by UKs regulator Medical and Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Germany has reported 10 events per million doses, the report said.

The health ministry is separately issuing advisories to healthcare workers and vaccine beneficiaries to encourage people to be aware of suspected thromboembolic symptoms occurring within 20 days after receiving any Covid-19 vaccine (particularly Covishield) and report preferably to the health facility where the vaccine was administered. People have to watch out for breathlessness, pain in the chest, pain in limbs/pain on pressing limbs or swelling in limbs (arm or calf), multiple, pinhead size red spots or bruising of skin in an area beyond the injection site, persistent abdominal pain with or without vomiting, seizures in the absence of previous history of seizures with or without vomiting, severe and persistent headache with or without, weakness/paralysis of limbs or any particular side or part of the body, persistent vomiting without any obvious reason, blurred vision or pain in eyes or having double vision, change in mental status or having confusion or depressed level of consciousness, any other symptom or health condition which is of concern to the recipient or the family.

However, in the absence of a proper reporting mechanism as most of the helplines are not responding, and awareness among people to report to AEFI, the study may not be reflecting the true picture and magnitude of AEFI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with a group of doctors to discuss the Covid situation. He said home-based care of patients must be SOP driven and it was imperative to expand telemedicine services in all tehsils and districts of the country besides giving psychological care as well as physical care importance. The PM urged doctors to include oxygen audit in their daily efforts and discussed the challenge of Mucormycosis. He said doctors may need to put in extra effort towards spreading awareness about it.

Meanwhile, the first batch of anti-Covid drug 2DG developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was launched on Monday. The medicine will be supplied directly to hospitals from June. The indigenous anti Covid drug is expected to reduce average recovery time by 2.5 days and oxygen demand by 40 per cent. Apollo Hospitals and Dr Reddy's have also announced the vaccination programme with Sputnik V.
T4 / SXE Parts List

***DISCLAIMER***

***DISCLAIMER***

includes installation write-up

I do not and did not give or receive any sponsorship and/or donations from any of the parts suppliers on my list. Each part was purchased by me and only by me. I am posting my parts list that I generated and used during the ordering process due to the requests I have received to share the list. I am not sponsoring or advertising for these suppliers, I am merely letting my suppliers for the parts be known for others to use as a reference or to purchase from. The prices indicated on the list are the prices that I paid at the time of purchase in May - June of 2018. The links at the time of purchase were valid and each supplier in the parts list was trustworthy and sent exactly what I ordered.I have preferred suppliers like RiffRaff, Diesel-O-Rings and Amazon backed sellers, but am no way affiliated with anything or anyone on a commercial basis.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original thread detailing decision process and reasoning located here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...been-made.html Solidified thoughts on the T4/SXE performance during 1500 mile trip located here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post18641067 Several other thoughts on the performance of the T4/SXE located beyond post #844 in the thread linked in the previous 2 lines.My parts list was generated with the help of several other FTE'rs that had traveled this road before me. I took their advice to heart and was able to make informed decisions based on my personal goals for the truck and specific equipment needs for the truck. The "Optional Parts" section of list is just that, parts that I felt I wanted and/or needed to get the job done correctly and in a fashion I would be happy with. For example, the wrenches were something just to make life a bit easier and who doesn't like more tools... I could have done the job just fine without them, but I like to have tools readily available if/when they are needed. Dan V mentioned that he used some shorty wrenches he had on hand. The MAP fitting was required in my situatino because I have an ISSPRO EV2 boost gauge and felt this was the best option for me. It may not be for others... CCV o-rings, I wanted to replace them and clean the screen under the CCV dog house last year, but never got around to it. This was a great opportunity to get that done for a couple of dollars.As you can see, the "Optional Parts List" is very subjective and would not apply to everyone, or most for that matter.I have omitted the funds recouped from selling take off parts because each truck and each owner is different. If the money recouped list is something you would like to see, please go to 1:11 in the video toward the bottom of this post.The entire parts list is also attached to this post as an Excel document which can be downloaded and viewed. If you do not have Microsoft Office available to you, I believe Google Docs or Google Sheets is available for free as an online service that should be able to open the document.Quick view image of parts list is below. Updated 4-6-2020Below is an image of what I sold my take off parts for and the total that went toward recouping some of the T4/SXE cost.T4/SXE installation video:T4/SXE results videoAdditional threads for reference:FTE'r RacinJasonWV ()- https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post19273513 FTE'r SRBF150 - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...onversion.html FTE'r Brandon_oma#692 - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...364-5-sxe.html FTE'r Markus Luukko - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...el-t4-kit.html FTE'r Dan V - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...tall-tale.html FTE'r Ridedan2 (E99) - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-journey.html FTE'r LimatW50 - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-install.html FTE'r FordTruckNoob - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post19350743 FTE'r JT250 - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post19378032 FTE'r ESwift - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post19461845 FTE'r Slowsure - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...4-install.html FTE'r Brokestroke 363 shootout - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-shootout.html FTE'r Sous A Tale of Two Turbos - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-problems.html Many other FTE'rs have installed the T4/SXE, but they don't have an "install" thread to link here (that I could find).
Paxton, IL (60957)

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(CNN) -- A surfer has died after a suspected shark attack at a popular beach in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

The man in his 50s suffered critical injuries to his upper thigh while surfing Tuesday morning, according to NSW Police.

Emergency services were called to Tuncurry Beach, Forster, around 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Sydney, at about 11.20 a.m. local time (9.20 p.m. Monday ET), police said.

The man actually spotted the shark early and tried to warn his friends, police superintendent Christopher Schilt told reporters at the scene.

CNN affiliate 9News reported that the man's three friends swam over to him and pulled him to shore. He went into cardiac arrest due to blood loss, 9News added.

Bystanders and paramedics worked together to save the victim, said the NSW Ambulance in a tweet Tuesday.

Officers from the Manning Great Lakes Police District tried to resuscitate him but he died at the scene, the force added.

The shark in question is believed to be around 4.5 meters (nearly 15 feet) long, said the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), a government agency responsible for fisheries and agriculture.

Alongside police, the DPI is monitoring the area with drones and about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of beach has been closed off to the public for at least 24 hours.

SharkSmart, a NSW government service which live tweets shark sightings, reported several tagged white sharks at Forster Main Beach in the hours after the attack.

Eight fatal shark attacks, two of which were in NSW, were recorded in Australia in 2020, according to the Taronga Conservation Society.
Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda along with K Gopalaiah inaugurates a new COVID-19 care centre, in Bengaluru on May 15, 2021. (PTI)

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to consider setting up Covid Care Centers in the state with the help of the Ministry of Defence or Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

In a a letter to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said the Department of Defence has a large land bank in Bengaluru and Belagavi, which is suitable for the said cause.

Referring to DRDO's initiative in setting up exclusive COVID hospitals and medical centers in Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad, he said due to a surge in coronavirus cases in Karnataka, hospitals here are facing tremendous pressure and overloaded.

Setting up of such covid treatment centers in Bengaluru and Belagavi will not only help patients in the region but will further ease the pressure on existing hospitals and medical professionals, Savadi noted and requested the Defence Minister to kindly consider it on priority basis.

Karnataka on Monday registered 38,603 new cases of COVID-19 and 476 fatalities, taking the total infection count to 22.42 lakh and the toll to 22,313.

Out of the 38,603 fresh cases reported, 13,338 were from Bengaluru Urban alone.
With minutes to spare, a Hahnville High School teacher in Boutte, Louisiana, traded shoes with a senior so he could walk at his graduation after allegedly violating the dress code.
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KAKINADA: Some private schools have come forward to render help to their students and their parents, if they are infected with Covid-19. The institutions are providing medicines, toolkits and are even arranging oxygen beds. In case students come from BPL families, the schools are bearing the medical expenses also.

The Private School Management Association (PSMA) has given a call to its members to join in the noble endeavour and many schools have come forward for the purpose.

We felt it is our responsibility to render medical help to students, parents and staff. Many private school managements have agreed to this proposal and are working on the concept said PSMA East Godavari district president M. Srivijay.

He said that he has so far helped 39 students or their parents by rendering medical facilities. He said that there is a difficulty in getting oxygen beds and ventilator facilities. However, he has been making use of his personal contacts with hospitals, MLAs and other political leaders and garnering their support. He also said that some school correspondents are also struggling for their livelihood due to the lockdown because of non-collection of fees and have tested positive. The Association is also helping such correspondents.

A private school correspondent Y. Suresh said that he had contacted doctors, including pulmonologists, seeking medical help. Students or their parents who are infected are being sent to those doctors for treatment. Around 60 persons have benefited because of those doctors, who have risen to the occasion, he said.

Suresh said that he is providing medical kits and herbal powders, priced at Rs. 250, to patients and staff members. He said that he is making use of his contacts with laboratories for CT scan.

Another correspondent T.S.V. Narayana said that he was keeping track of those with Covid cases and sending food packets and medicines to them.

M. Sujnan Kumar, correspondent of another school, said that he was counseling families of patients, providing medical help and facilities.

Meanwhile, former MLC, N. Seshareddy, said that he had ordered nearly 80 oxygen concentrators, which could be used even by the general public.
The Defense Department has made strides toward ensuring that service members and t




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William Weber West, 93 of Gainesville, Texas passed away on June 2, 2021. He was born on April 7, 1928 in Atchison, Kansas to Lee West and Elizabeth (Weber) West. He married Mary Ellen Peyrot on May 17, 1951 in Gainesville, Texas. William enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 5, 1951 in Gaine
Galveston, TX (77553)

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The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announced Andrew Williams will be the organizations first director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Taiwan DPP authorities use epidemic to serve political goal, cause vaccine predicament

Global Times) 11:07, May 18, 2021

A Taiwan compatriot receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Shanghai Guanghua Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in east China's Shanghai, April 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

While the island of Taiwan, which proclaimed itself as an "excellent student" in combating the COVID-19 epidemic, is stuck in a new outbreak that entered into the stage of community transmissions, experts from both the Chinese mainland and the island criticized the Taiwan authority for its incompetence and arrogance, and they said the key problem is that the Taiwan authority has politicized the pandemic to serve its secessionist purpose.

The newly increased cases in Taiwan on Sunday and Monday are 207 and 335, according to Taiwan public health authority, and some pro-reunification political parties and organizations in the island urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, with anti-mainland, anti-China and secessionist ideology, to import vaccines made by the mainland, according to the media in the island.

Despite the DPP authorities' discrimination propaganda and extremely hostile policies against the mainland from the very beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in Wuhan, the mainland this time also showed its kindness based on humanitarian principles and the family-style affection between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a statement on Monday that the Chinese mainland expresses deep concerns over the worsening epidemic situation that Taiwan compatriots are facing. "We would like to pay the greatest efforts to assist Taiwan compatriots to overcome the epidemic situation as soon as possible."

Zhu said the priority at this moment is to remove a "man-made political barrier" in the island that obstructs vaccine imports from the mainland to the island.

Shortage of vaccines

Taiwan's vaccination rate was lower than 1 percent as of May 12. The only vaccines available on the island are from AstraZeneca numbering 300,000 doses, media reported. On Saturday, Taiwan suspended individual vaccination appointments amid surging cases.

Previously, the island did have the chance to import the mainland-made vaccines, which are broadly used worldwide and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), but due to the DPP authorities' politicization over the issue, the island has refused to accept the mainland-made vaccines and caused its embarrassing shortage.

Cheng Po-yu, 33, secretary general of the Cross-Straits Youth Exchange Association, a Taiwan businessman based in Beijing, told the Global Times that "not so many Taiwan people want to have AstraZeneca vaccines because they are worried about the safety. People like me who live and work in the mainland and can apply for the mainland-made vaccines are so lucky."

The Chinese mainland launched a vaccination campaign on April 14 for Taiwan compatriots on the mainland. A week later, according to incomplete statistics, more than 11,000 Taiwan compatriots had been vaccinated in Beijing and Shanghai and in the East China provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian.

The worsening situation also changed the twisted stereotype held by some Taiwan residents toward the mainland. Cheng said "some Taiwan people who used to firmly support the DPP and deeply believe the stigmatization against the mainland are now asking me the question: Can we go to the mainland to receive vaccines?"

"To be honest, I was laughing when I saw his question. He deeply believed the mainland's vaccines were actually 'normal saline' due to the anti-mainland propaganda in the island. These people have spread hatred against the mainland, and use the lie of 'excellent student in the school' on fighting COVID-19 to please themselves, and now they are expecting the mainland to save them with kindness. So ridiculous and pathetic," he said.

However, analysts warned that although the mainland should show its kindness of offering help to the people on the island, the DPP will not appreciate and won't accept the mainland's help.

"We should not hold any illusion over the DPP authorities. When we tried to offer them vaccines, they said we are using Taiwan people to test the vaccines or use the vaccines to launch a psychological warfare against them. They are truly unreasonable, unless when the situation is truly getting out of control and they have realized the mainland is the only one able to help them," said a Beijing-based expert on Taiwan affairs who requested anonymity.

Cheng said those Taiwan secessionists "will only compromise and become reasonable when they feel the real pain."

Using virus for 'diplomacy'

When Taiwan had only a small number of infected cases at the earlier stage of the epidemic, the DPP authorities purchased quite a number of vaccines, and could have used these vaccines to make the island a real "excellent student" in fighting the COVID-19. But unfortunately, the vaccines were used to serve some other purposes.

The only vaccines available on the island of 23 million residents are the imported AstraZeneca doses. However, facing the 0.83 percent local vaccination rate, the DPP focuses on confronting the mainland in the field of diplomacy and seeking support for its secessionism worldwide.

On April 24, the DPP authorities said they would offer financial support for its Latin American ally Paraguay to buy vaccines from India amid Paraguay's perceived tilt toward the Chinese mainland.

While attacking WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the island has never given up colluding with its Western allies in the request to participate in the WHA as an observer, which was canceled in 2017 as the pro-secessionist DPP took power in 2016 and gave up the one-China principle.

The DPP authorities are still expecting the US to offer them the vaccines and even expecting the Biden administration to accept the idea of exchanging vaccines with Taiwan-made electronic chips. But the US has never shown any positive response.

"The US would help Taiwan only when Taiwan can make trouble for the mainland. Offering vaccines bring nothing good to Washington, but the US would not like to see the recovery of the cross-Straits ties, so the DPP might use the mainland's offer of vaccines to ask the US to make compromises on the same issue," Cheng said.

Criticism within island

The failed handling of the epidemic has brought heavy criticism to the DPP authorities within the island. Opposition parties are also criticizing DPP authorities for rejecting vaccines from the mainland, especially when the mainland has repeatedly expressed willingness to help the island while some media on the island are still using hostile terms like "Wuhan virus."

Ting Shou-chung, a former Kuomintang legislator, on Wednesday called on the DPP authorities to introduce the WHO-approved mainland vaccines, saying that human lives are at stake and politics should not be involved in epidemic prevention.

Chang Ya-chung, a Taipei-based political scientist and a member of Kuomintang, the major opposition party in the island, told the Global Times on Monday that the DPP authorities had clearly flunked combating the epidemic with the lack of deployment, including universal screening and vaccination.

Taiwan should have begun to do universal screening, which is common sense, said Chang, noting that Taiwan's screening rate remains very low, and the cost of self-paid screening is outrageously expensive.

The mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office disclosed in January that the cost of COVID-19 nucleic acid testing in Taiwan is 21 times higher than that in the mainland.

The fee for single testing in the mainland is 80 to 120 yuan ($12-18) in Beijing. Taiwan media said the testing fee on the island is generally NT $7,000 ($250), while the average monthly income in Taiwan is NT $38,000 in Taiwan.

It's a shame that Taiwan doesn't even have universal testing at the airport and the customs such epidemic prevention concept is distressing, Chang said.

Chang noted that some Taiwan officials have reached a consensus to purchase BNT and Pfizer vaccines, but was rejected by Taiwan's health authority only because it was through the general agent in the mainland.

"What a childish and ridiculous behavior of preventing vaccine availability for the Taiwan people, ignoring their safety. Such a person, such a government Is there any consciousness in such an authority?" said Chang, urging the DPP and its leader Tsai Ing-wen to apologize, and the resignation of Taiwan's health chief.

The worsening epidemic situation that the "excellent student" is facing shows that Taiwan was actually fooled or hypnotized by the lie created by some Western countries, especially the US, to crow about the island as a "successful example of Western democracy" in fighting COVID-19, and now the island is suffering the consequences, said analysts.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Confronted with an unprecedented international media focus and global criticism from several governments as well as global health experts, state governments, analysts, reputed medical journals, and the international and national media, the Central government and the ruling partys parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have jointly begun a positivity drive, in effect weaving a positive bias narrative both for itself and for the people at large. While one has the potential of a soothing impact on the audience, the other seeks to be politically self-serving. So have we indeed been communicating negativity in a crisis? Or have the Central government and the BJP been seeing it all wrong?

Earlier, in his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a powerful positivity message needs to go out. Soon afterwards, the Covid Response Team chipped in with a five-day lecture series called Positivity Unlimited, starting May 11. The stated intent was to instil confidence in a society struck by hopelessness and despair. Speakers included spiritual leaders, artistes, writers,philanthropists and RSS leaders.

Meanwhile, the BJP machinery was hard at work with characteristic gusto, producing and reproducing messages of how hard Mr Modi and the government machinery were working. On May 12, health minister Harsh Vardhans address repeatedly included santoshjanakbaathai, yeh khushikibaathai (it is a matter of delight) and other positive connectors to the vaccination drives.The governments obsession with image management could fall on deaf ears as even its own ambassadors are finding it increasingly hard to put a positive spin.

Positivity sounds a good thing. But has the government given itself enough positive developments to be articulate about? Given the overwhelming amount of heart-rending news day after day, and news of the governments repeated attempts to thwart social media criticism, a positive perception is hard to justify.

Inconvenient truths

Rahul Gandhi has reacted to the positivity drive, calling it a false assurance. The Congress has said positivity wont help people to breathe. Earlier, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Prime Minister Modi, listing five specific points on which the government could work. Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders regularly tweet or talk critically of the governments handling. Expert after expert in television debates has been critiquing the governments handling of the situation. The media, which has finally reached the villages, routinely interviews ordinary citizens from a cross-section, most of whom place the blame on the government for the dire situation. All this has systematically been ridiculed by various ministers at the Centre, but in fact responsible criticism in general is also accompanied by recommendations, roadmaps and suggestions. In response, BJP chief J.P. Nadda shot off a strong repartee, telling Mrs Sonia Gandhi that she has been misleading people with negative messages. In his response to the former PM, the health ministers letter ridiculed the Congress.

To their credit, Mr Modi and others in the government have often tackled criticism with facts and numbers. To continued complaints from state governments about the acute shortage of oxygen, the government has been claiming the nation does not have a shortage -- the bottleneck lies in logistics. More recently, Mr Modi pointed out that the supply of oxygen was now more than three times of what it was during the peak of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the peak of the first wave in September 2020, the number of infections stood at less than one lakh a day. This time, that number is in excess of four lakhs. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), while 41.5 per cent patients required oxygen last year, that figure for secondwave patients is 54.5 per cent. So Mr Modis statement is a fair identification of where the problem lies, but does not provide any solution. The government is, after all, responsible for logistics management too.

Unacceptable interpretation

Positivity studies indicate that based on their belief system, people with a positivity bias will tend to hold positive views, report positively using those views, and filter in positive information. One way that organisations and governments seek to achieve popularity is through positivity effect, nudging people to see a situation positively when the desired results arent achieved, and obtaining a positive feedback. Positivity bias can shroud reality and create false euphoria, which dangerous in a pandemic situation.

Rather than viewing criticism negatively, this criticism-averse government can also help transform public perceptions by responding more positively. For example, a recent newspaper editorial pointed out that in contrast to last years total lockdown, which had devastating impacts on the economy, this years lockdown in several states had struck a balance between the management of health and economic activity. This should be relatively good news. But if the Centre reacts to it as a criticism of its decisions, it will be seen as protecting its narrow political image-mongering interests, not the larger national interest.

Similarly, it is unfair to expect the media to run only positive stories. This government already enjoys the backing of a largely pliant media: it is well-documented that a significant section of the Indian media over the past seven years has held a pro-government bias. Television channels are often eager to politicise issues. For example, on May 12, leaders of 12 Opposition parties wrote to the Prime Minister demanding immediate action, funds for oxygen and free vaccination. Some TV news channels were quick to focus on which Opposition parties had not signed that petition. When BJP MP Tejasvi Surya purportedly made a surprise visit to an agency running a hospital bed allotment scam in Bengaluru, it was initially well-received by the the media -- until a video surfaced which revealed he and his colleagues had turned it into a communally objectionable exercise. With all its failings, we can expect legitimate media platforms and fair-minded people to compulsively turn to a fairness-for-all approach at some point.

Positivity studies on communications patterns show that people use more positive than negative language, both written and spoken. Given that, the governments expectation of what constitutes acceptable criticism is either unclear or unrealistic. Indeed, it is the governments interpretation of criticism that is negative. Well-meaning critiques should lend themselves to the positive inference that there is scope for improvement in implementing decisions, not as an indicator of an existential crisis. Above all, tackle the reality -- and the perception and its articulation will take care of itself.
Galveston, TX (77553)

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The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutras community.

The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

Finding Acceptance:

May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The date bears significance as it is the day in 1990 that the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. This is only 31 years ago. This happened in my lifetime.

The LGBTQ+ community is still fighting against stigmas and for basic human rights. States and countries continue trying to make laws against the best interests of members of the LGBTQ+ community, like the recent bills introduced in 20 states to ban transgender youth from receiving medical treatment.

This got me thinking about the word phobia and what it means and implies. A phobia is defined by Britannica as an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. This suggests to me that homophobia is something one has no control over. However, the definition of homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Are people actually afraid of members of the LGBT community? Is it more appropriate to label this behavior or aversion as intolerance? In 1993, a second definition for phobia was added: an aversion toward, dislike of, or disrespect for a thing, idea, person, or group. Is it ignorance of people other than oneself? Even if we buy into the supposition that this is a true phobia or irrational and automatic fear, there are effective self-help therapies against phobias. In order to overcome a phobia, people must understand it. The more we come to know those we perceive as other than ourselves, the more compassion and empathy we can build as humans.

We often hear about and highlight the trauma and the injustice perpetuated on the LGBTQ+ Community. I decided rather than asking co-workers to relive those painful memories, they share moments of acceptance and community, instead.

My own journey of acceptance is still ongoing. I have felt othered in so many aspects of my life, not limited to my gender expression nor sexuality. It took me a long time not to cover amongst various groups because my truth felt inconvenient for them. I found myself in many instances where others denied my truth out of what I perceive was their desire to be supportive. It took me a long time not to care if I would be judged for being gender-full or fluid and in being fine at correcting peoples assumptions.

Holly: I've been very fortunate to feel a lot of acceptance in my lifeI've definitely felt more acceptance working at IG and my last employer because I finally just started outing myself in the interview process. Typically, I don't talk much about my personal life in an interview so.., especially when I had longer hair, there was this whole process of having to come out again. It's not that I hide who I am, but with some employers there was or maybe still is a heteronormative bias in place... Typically that meant a few weeks of me correcting someone when they asked about my boyfriend or husband.

Claire: When I was coming to terms with my gender identity, I was, for some reason, so terrified to "come out" (I dont enjoy this phrase but have no other phrase at my disposal) to my two best friends from high school. They are the longest and steadiest relationships I have had in my life and I knew that nothing could change the love we have for one another, but still, there was this lump in the back of my throat that I couldn't swallow.

The three of us have a group chat, a hotline, that we have had since we started college that we have used for all major life announcements. First kisses, break ups, family drama, anything you can imagine. So, one night, I sat and composed my message to share my new discoveries about myself with them. I sat with the message waiting to be sent for hours before I finally slammed the send button and quickly exited the chat. I had to put my phone down and walk away to get my mind on other things.

Of course, when I finally returned to my phone, there was celebration and joy and a lot of heart emojis. I cried out of sheer relief and had to laugh at myself for having been so afraid. After that everything felt easier. Their overwhelming love and acceptance reminded me that I am enough.

Mary: The first person I ever really felt accepted by in terms of gender and sexuality was my partner through high school & most of college. They're pretty much the only person I ever told about my gender feelings (which I mean, at the time were very repressed) but my first time trying on a dress was in their room. We both ended up being trans and are still good friends, so it's been fun recently discussing some of this stuff I'd just totally forgotten.

Holly: In terms of a story of community, I've been throwing parties for pride for years now whether it be as a volunteer of the Savannah Pride Festival which I helped start in Georgia or for corporate affinity groups to celebrate pride month. I love coming together with others from the team and celebrating our community of diverse people from diverse backgrounds. It's one of my favorite things to do. Typically, there is a lot of love, joy, and gratitude in the planning and celebrating. It's simple but it's an awesome and often restorative feeling for me personally. I know pride month isn't perfect and we shouldn't just have a month but I will say that there has been something magical about the annual pride celebrations for me throughout the years.

Claire : When I was figuring myself out a few years ago I was able to see friends and acquaintances I hadn't seen since I moved to Chicago. I reconnected with a close college friend who invited me to a game night with his friends. It turned out that most of the people at this gathering were alumni of my college that I just never spent time with for one reason or another. It was the first time in a VERY long time that I found myself truly surrounded by other queer people. Some of these people I had never met before and the group welcomed me in with open arms. I realized then that I had a serious lack of queer humans in my life. That night, surrounded by strangers, I had never felt more at home.

Mary: A little while after moving to Chicago with transition in mind, I found the group Gender Queer Chicago. This was my first experience being in community with other trans people. That group was really a huge help for me accepting myself. They helped me get through enough of my remaining doubt that I was able to share with them when I'd started HRT and share my 1-year HRT anniversary. I'm really fond of the memories of going out to get food with some of the group after and feeling completely safe in just being myself. I'm glad to still be friends with some of the people I met there.

For me, a moment of acceptance happened at brunch a few years ago. I often used to go to breakfast on my own to get a little me time for the week. On one of these mornings, I met two people who had just had to cancel their trip to Amsterdam suddenly. We struck up a conversation and I eventually became friends with one of them. During that encounter and through that friendship, I never felt like the person made any assumptions about my sexuality nor questioned my gender identity. Discussions around these topics were incredibly thoughtful and open. It might seem small, but I'd never had an experience like that before.



(Some names have been changed at the request of the individuals)
NELLORE: Noted physician and Jana Vignana Vedika executive member Dr M.V. Ramanaiah has demanded that administering of free eye drops as Covid cure at Krishnapatnam village in Nellore district be stopped forthwith. The doctor feared that people may otherwise lose their eyesight in case these drops are being made in unhygienic conditions.

Likewise, retired senior medical officer of Ayush department, Dr V. Ramakrishna Reddy of Ongole has called for extreme care while producing and administering eye drops.

Dr Ramanaiah underlined that there is no scientific evidence about the efficacy of medicines or eye drops being offered in Krishnapatnam by local Ayurveda doctor Bonigi Anandaiah to thousands of patients making a beeline to the village every day.

The doctor acknowledged that Anandaiah has been offering Ayurveda treatment to patients affected by brain stroke and victims of snake and scorpion bites.

However, he expressed surprise that he is now offering treatment for Coronavirus too free of cost.

Though there is no danger with oral medicines, eye drops can damage the entire nervous system, Dr. Ramanaiah cautioned.

He and retired senior Ayush medical officer, however, opined that government can examine the effectiveness of Anandaiahs medicines by allowing him to treat 20 critically ill patients who are on ventilators after taking consent from the kin of ailing.

Dr. Ramakrishna Reddy pointed out that administering Ayurvedic medicines through eyes, nose, under tongue and through anus is an age-old practice. He said any medicine applied through these four paths gives immediate results, explaining the reason behind critical Covid patients responding to eye drops at Krishnapatnam with sudden improvement in their oxygen levels.

The retired senior Ayush medical officer explained, Applying medicine through eyes is known as Nethranjanam in Ayurveda. Medicines, such as Ananda Bhairavi, Muthyunjaya Rasam, Seethansa Rasam, and Prabhakaravati, are applied to eyes in the form of paste like Katuka (kajal). Such medicine would reach the brain in seconds and help people come out of even coma, unconsciousness and very high fever, he explained.

Dr Ramakrishna Reddy said ingredients used by Anandaiah in his oral medicines are harmless. He, however, maintained that the state government should validate these medicines through lab tests before they are administered to general population.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has disclosed that he was paid a $3.1 million advance to write his COVID-19 leadership book last year and under his publishing contract will make another $2 million on the memoir over the next two years
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
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TOPEKA [mdash] Lydia N. Hostetler, 89, of Topeka, died at 4:25 a.m. on Tuesday, June 8 at her residence. She was born on April 8, 1932, in LaGrange County, to Noah J. and Amanda Mae (Bontrager) Raber. On April 23, 1953, in Honeyville, she married Ervin D. Hostetler. He died June 3, 2017. Sur
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Tuesday 18 May 2021

His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland, was in Cairns today to present 9 Far North Queensland residents with Australian Honours and Awards:

Sergeant Cary Ellen Coolican - AUSTRALIAN POLICE MEDAL



For dedicated and exemplary service to the Queensland Police Service and to the community through front-line duties and as the Officer in Charge of the Cairns District Crime Prevention Unit, and as a leader in the area of community policing and crime prevention especially through the MyPoliceBlog in the Far North District.

Mrs Christine Susan Fairbrother - MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

For service to children and to the community as a Registered Foster Carer for over 100 children, as Committee Member of Nepali Family Incorporated, duty Chaplain at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, and as coordinator of the Volunteer Support Group Far North Queensland Region, and the Angel Tree Program, which provides Christmas gifts for children of prisoners.

Ms Cheryl-Lee Fitzgerald - EMERGENCY SERVICES MEDAL



For exemplary leadership and dedication to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and to the community as Far Northern Region Executive Manager of Emergency Management, working across 21 Local Government Areas and 14 remote Indigenous communities during disasters, leading a multi-disciplinary team, and ensuring the safety of Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Shannon Lee Gibbs - PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL

For outstanding public service to local government in Queensland through financial management roles for the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council including as Director of Finance, implementing sound financial management, reducing reliance on grants, introducing sustainable operations, and greater accountability; increasing employment and training opportunities in the Hope Vale Shire and through sharing skills and experience with Hope Vale locals and councils around the Cape York Peninsula.



Senior Constable John William Dijkstra - COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT

Senior Constable John Dijkstra is commended for brave conduct for his actions during the rescue of a man from a submerged vehicle in Cairns in Queensland on 23 September 2018.

At 6.45pm Senior Constable Dijkstra was driving with two other officers near Smiths Creek when he saw a tourist bus and trailer drive into the creek. He immediately drove to where the bus was and saw it quickly filling with water.

Despite the creek being a known habitat of crocodiles, and with the other two officers keeping an eye out for any crocodiles, he quickly entered the water and made his way to the bus, which by now was nearly completely submerged. He saw the driver's head bob up and the man call for help before disappearing under the water. After several attempts Senior Constable Dijkstra managed to grab hold of the driver and pull him out through the broken windscreen.

He then dragged the driver through mangroves and onto the bank and placed him in the recovery position. Queensland Ambulance Services officers arrived on scene and took the driver to hospital.



Commander Matthew Scott Richardson - CONSPICUOUS SERVICE MEDAL

For meritorious achievement and leadership, as Chief of Staff of the Patrol Boat Group headquarters, demonstrating outstanding technical, operational and interpersonal skills, and being pivotal in the delivery of fully mission capable Navy resources, in support of Operation RESOLUTE while also assisting in preparations for the delivery of the Arafura Class Offshore Patrol vessel, enabling optimal operational outcomes and enhancing the operational capability of the Patrol Boat Group.

Mr Robert David Slater - MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

For service to the community of Herberton in a variety of roles, including as member and President of the Atherton-Herberton Historic Railway; as founding member and President of Herberton Men's Shed; and as member and President of Herberton Lions Club; and as Committee member of the Associations of Tourist Railways Queensland.



Mr Alo Tapim - MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA



For service to the Indigenous community of the Torres Strait as an Elder and Leader; including through multiple roles in the Torres Strait Regional Authority, as Cultural and Native Title Advisor and Consultant with Queensland Health and in representative roles with the Torres Strait Eastern Island Cluster, as founding member of the Torres Shire Council Torres Straits' Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival, and as a representative on the Consumer Advisory Committee, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service; and through a variety of leadership roles in Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area District Health Council.



Mr William Brett Moller - BRAVERY MEDAL



Mr William Brett Moller displayed considerable bravery during the rescue of woman from a vehicle submerged in flood waters at Aloomba in Queensland on 29 December 2018.

Mr Moller was at home with his wife and daughters when they heard a noise outside. At the time the area was experiencing torrential rain. On venturing outside he saw the headlights of a car bobbing up and down in a nearby flooded creek and could hear a woman yelling for help. The woman had driven the car into the swollen creek and it began to float downstream. With the car filling with water the woman climbed onto the roof and managed to grab onto an overhanging tree branch when the vehicle struck a tree.

Without hesitation, Mr Moller instructed his family to get torches and ropes and he entered the muddy, fast flowing water and, despite the strong current, managed to make his way to where the woman was clinging onto the branch, to which he also grabbed.

He reassured the frightened woman and encouraged her to follow his lead and release her hold of the branch. The pair dropped into the fast-flowing water and began swimming with the current towards the bank. After approximately 30 metres they were able to grab hold of some partially submerged tree branches. They worked their way closer to the bank, swimming from tree branch to tree branch until the woman gained her footing.

Mr Moller's daughters were then able to pull the woman to safety. Mr Moller and his family comforted the woman until emergency services arrived.
Track limits have become a notorious concept for Max Verstappen as well as the Formula 1 viewing public. Not only did the Dutchman lose his fastest race lap, but a pole position will also slip out of his hands due to exceeding track limits. Both Verstappen and Helmut Marko have been critical of the situation, and now AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost comes out in support of the two.

Asked for his advice on the 2020 track limits debacle, Tost replied as follows: "I would ignore it." He does this in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport.

The team boss explains, advocating that the FIA waive penalties for track limit violations: "If someone gains an advantage because they overtake off-track, that is unacceptable. Otherwise, I would refrain from these penalties. It happens more often that someone exceeds the track limits, loses time, wins nothing."

According to Tost, the benefit gained for the driver is often minimal, and in no way outweighs the frustration it can cause the public. "That irritates the audience in front of the TV. I have some friends who call me and say: 'Stop it, nobody can see through it anymore, that bothers you", the Austrian said.

Gravel bed not always the solution

While some drivers and team bosses point to the gravel beds as the solution, Tost also sees problems in them: "Bringing back a gravel bed is not easy. If you take circuits like Bahrain or Portimao: no driver has achieved these advantages that justify making such an effort."
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After AlphaTauri seemed to have a strong car in Bahrain and Imola, its performance seems to have weakened in more recent races. Pierre Gasly knows that the team needs to "optimize everything" to compete with the teams in the midfield.

Battle in the midfield

So far in every Grand Prix, points have been scored by AlphaTauri, two by rookie Yuki Tsunoda and eight by Gasly. But the team has yet to see a race in which both drivers score. Gasly knows the gaps in the midfield are small.

"We know we really have to optimise everything to be in the mid-field fight," the Grand Prix winner revealed at the preview from his team. Gasly drew strength from his last stint in Spain, where he rose from fifteenth to tenth position.

Gasly happy to return from Monaco

Gasly is happy to return to Monaco, where the corona pandemic meant there was no racing in 2020. "The street circuit presents several unique challenges, starting with a lack of grip, so I hope we will get to understand how our car behaves as quickly as possible, working out what we need to do to be quick and to continue our run of points finishes," he revealed.

Monaco is known for being difficult to overtake, something that is familiar to Gasly. "You give it everything on Saturday afternoon because we know that Qualifying is 95% of the race result," he concludes.
Education

featured

Spring Lake High School

SL graduates encouraged to grab every opportunity

Tribune photo / Becky Vargo Spring Lake High School graduates and siblings River and Sadie McKee pose with family following graduation ceremonies Sunday at Grabinski Field. Also pictured are parents Matt and Sarah McKee, sister Addison, and grandmother Tammy Anderson. Tribune photo / Alli Rusco Spring Lake High School Class President May Fuller addresses her classmates during Sundays graduation ceremony. Tribune photo / Alli Rusco The Lakers Class of 2021 toss their caps into the air Sunday. Tribune photo/Becky Vargo Addison McKee waves flowers at her sister, Sadie, after Sadie and their brother, River, graduated from Spring Lake High School on Sunday. Tribune photo/Becky Vargo Kathy Smant and Nicole, Kevin and Cheyanne Barth wave at Chelsea Barth as she marches into the stadium for graduation ceremonies on Sunday. Tribune photo/Becky Vargo Sadie McKee poses with her grandmother Tammy Anderson following SLHS graduation ceremonies on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Tribune photo/Becky Vargo Graduate Chelsea Barth poses with parents Nicole and Kevin and sister Cheyanne.

SPRING LAKE  May Fuller, the Class of 2021 president, urged her Spring Lake High School classmates to take everything that life throws at you.

And the graduating class had a lot thrown at them as they weathered more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic and still got to graduate in front of family Sunday afternoon at the Spring Lake school districts Grabinski Field.

Kay Mumby said that was a relief as she and her husband, Troy, prepared to watch their youngest daughter (of four), Alicia, participate in her last Laker event.

Were appreciative that Spring Lake went and accommodated us in spite of everything, Kay said.

Kevin and Nicole Barth sat in the stands with their daughter, Cheyanne, and Nicoles mother, Kathy Smant.

Were happy to be here for once and not have to wear masks, Nicole said, as she waited to watch daughter, Chelsea, walk onto the football field.

Cheyanne, who graduated six years earlier, said she had been prepared to watch graduation from outside the fence as families were originally supposed to have only two tickets. But with state mandates relaxed because of the higher numbers of vaccinated people, families were able to have four people attend Sundays commencement.

Birds chirped merrily as senior scholar Kyle Wakerley urged his fellow graduates to stop worrying about the little things.

The temperature, after a colder than average spring, was finally up to almost 70 degrees and the sun peeked out from crowds while dandelion seedlings floated across the bleachers and swans floated by on the nearby Grand River. Airplanes flying overhead and boats motoring up and down the river added to the almost summer-like feel.

Senior scholar Amelia Thalhammer advised her classmates to take advantage of every opportunity they could, no matter how uncomfortable or small.

Executive Student Council President Katie Glasgow congratulated her classmates and told them to have captivating confidence in yourself.

Spring Lake High School Principal Mike Gilchrist told a story about boiling carrots, eggs and coffee beans, and how each item responded differently to the adverse situation.

Change the situation around you instead of letting it change you, he said.

Gilchrist proudly announced that more than $6.9 million in scholarships had been offered to the 218 graduates. Seventeen of those students had a 4.0 grade point average and 16 of them scored over 1,400 on the SAT. The overall class grade point average was 3.55, he said.

Sadie McKee, who graduated with her brother, River, spent some moments accepting flowers and hugging her family after the graduation ceremony.

Were so happy, said her mother, Sarah. Were so proud.

Sadie will use a competitive cheerleading scholarship to attend Rochester University, north of Detroit.

River said he planned to take a breather and work first.

Thats before maybe going to trade school, his mother added.
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The California Energy Commission (CEC) announced that $17.5 million is available to expand public electric vehicle (EV) charging in 13 rural counties. Incentives available through the new Inland Communities Incentive Project will cover up to 75% of EV charging equipment costs. More than a third of the funding is dedicated to installations in under-resourced communities.

Eligible counties include Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare and Yolo.

The effort is one of 10 regional initiatives established under California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) which provides incentive funds for new charging stations at local businesses, shopping centers, gas stations, public facilities, multifamily housing and other community locations throughout the state.

Funding comes from the CECs Clean Transportation Program, which invests up to $100 million annually to support California communities, increase access to EV charging infrastructure, support innovation and accelerate the deployment of advanced transportation and fuel technologies.

A minimum of 35% of funding will be invested in disadvantaged or low-income communities in all counties, with a minimum of 25% reserved for installations in unincorporated communities in Placer, Solano, Stanislaus and Yolo counties.





A list of counties receiving CALeVIP funding

Since December 2017, CALeVIP has issued more than $138.4 million for EV charging installations across 10 regional incentive projects to support state goals to get 5 million electric vehicles on California roads by 2030 and to install 250,000 vehicle charging stations to service those vehicles.

Currently, the majority of Californias public EV charging stations are located in urban and suburban population centers, according to EV infrastructure experts at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), administrators of CALeVIP.

Applicants for the Inland Communities Incentive Project can receive $3,500 to $6,000 per connector for a commercial-grade Level 2 EV charger and $30,000 to $80,000 for a high-powered DC fast charger. The higher amounts for both charger types are available for installations in disadvantaged or low-income communities and for Level 2 chargers at multifamily housing located anywhere in the participating counties.

Rebate funds can cover the purchase and installation of charging equipment, electrical infrastructure, utility costs, network agreements and other related costs.

Typical Level 2 chargers deliver 15 to 35 miles of electric driving range per hour of charging and are suited for locations where drivers are parked for a few hours. DC fast chargers can provide more than 150 miles of driving range per hour of charging, which is ideal for major destination areas and along travel corridors.

Property owners and managers interested in installing EV chargers can apply for funding online at the website CALeVIP.org. Applicants can qualify for multiple charger rebates at a location. The website CALeVIP Connects provides information on electric vehicle installers and service providers.
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  In hours of often tearful testimony, a woman told a judge Tuesday that she was slipping in and out of consciousness on a night 18 years ago when she said she found actor Danny Masterson raping her.

When I came to, he was on top of me, said the woman, identifying herself on the witness stand only as Jen B. The first thing I recall is grabbing his hair to pull him off.

She testified at a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, where a judge is deciding whether there is probable cause to order a trial for the That '70s Show actor, who is accused of raping three women. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they were victims of sexual abuse.

Masterson has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, has said he would prove his client's innocence.

Jen B. testified that she and Masterson were part of the same group of friends who were tied to the Church of Scientology in the late 1990s and early 2000s and that she had gone to Masterson's house to pick up a set of keys on April 25, 2003, and got stuck there.

She said Masterson had given her a drink with vodka in it at her request  her first of the night  but said she was blurry, weak and queasy about 20 minutes later and had no strength to resist as Masterson threw her in his jacuzzi.

She said when she got out she couldn't even sit up. A mutual friend, Luke Watson, tried to help her.

I couldnt walk or stand, so he put me on the tile on the ground, said Jen B., who began crying but remained composed throughout her testimony. I said, Luke I cant see,' and he said, Open your eyes, and I didnt know my eyes were closed. I couldnt open my eyelids. I felt really, really sick.

She testified that Masterson carried her upstairs, where she vomited, then put her in his shower. She said she began losing consciousness but was awake to find Masterson soaping her bare breasts. She said she tried to punch him in the face but was too weak and only landed lightly on his chest.

She testified that he put her on the bed and raped her and has only flashes of memory in the minutes that followed. She said that after she failed to get Masterson off her by pulling his hair, she put a pillow in his face, but he pushed it back on her.

She said he pulled a gun out of his nightstand drawer to threaten her.

During cross-examination, Mesereau challenged her over why the gun made no appearance in a police report she filed the following year.

Do you think that the police just forgot to put it in? Mesereau said. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo forbade the question after a prosecution objection.

Mesereau repeatedly asked Jen B. about inconsistencies between her 2004 police report and a 2003 knowledge report" she filled out about the incident for the church as it tried to mediate between her and Masterson. She acknowledged there were differences but said she tried to be truthful in every case.

Jen B. testified that in the following days, bruises appeared on her wrists and neck area and that she had incredible pain in her genitalia.

She said the leadership of the Church of Scientology, of which her parents and all her friends were members, strongly discouraged her from going to the police, pointing out that by policy she would be declared a suppressive person if she made a report against a member in good standing like Masterson.

I would lose my family and everyone I knew," she said, though in June 2004 she decided to go to the police anyway.

Mesereau said she had mischaracterized the Scientology response.

Before the hearing began, Mesereau argued that references to the church or harassment of women by officials and members should not be allowed. He alleged that the prosecution and lead detective in the case had shown religious bias in the most blatant form.

The judge declined to issue a blanket ban, but she said she would allow the witnesses to discuss the church as it affected their state of mind.

In a lawsuit that the women filed against the church and Masterson, the church denied ever engaging in any harassment.

In Tuesday's testimony, Jen B. acknowledged prosecutors told her in 2004 that her case had been rejected in part because there were too many witnesses against her. She returns to the stand Wednesday for the hearing that is expected to last four days.

Masterson, 45, occasionally took notes in court and had no clear response to the testimony. He has been charged in Los Angeles with three counts of rape by force or fear over attacks women said occurred in 2001 and 2003.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
GREENWICH  A compromise has been reached between the town and those looking to preserve a tree on Greenwich Avenue but it doesnt satisfy a leading advocate for the disabled in town.

As part of intersection improvements at Greenwich Avenue and Elm Street, the town planned to remove a pin oak tree located at 235 Greenwich Ave. in front of TD Bank to install an accessible parking space with a ramp. Members of the community and business owners objected, however, to the trees removal.

The compromise: The tree stays and the accessible parking space will be moved to the opposite side of the street, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works James Michel said Monday.

Michel said putting the space on the southeast side avoids the location of the tree but comes with an additional cost to the town of $12,000, which will come from the existing Department of Public Works budget.

This was the location that that was able to meet the required slopes while minimizing the amount of replacement of the pavement. We wanted the project to be completed in a timely manner, Michel said.

The plan to remove the tree had been challenged twice. First by neighbors and business owners who requested a hearing before town Tree Warden Gregory Kramer. Then, after Kramer upheld the trees removal with conditions in place, a group challenged that in Stamford Superior Court.

The March court filing was spearheaded by a group made up of Peter and Isabel Malkin, who live close to the trees location; William Lewis, another nearby resident; Terry Betteridge, owner of Betteridge Jewelers, which is within 50 feet of the tree; JRCL Greenwich, LLC, which holds title to 235 Greenwich Ave.; and Charles Grannick, owner of Grannicks Pharmacy, which is also located close to the tree.

What we have done has saved the tree and it in no way interferes with putting in (an accessible parking spot and) ramp, said Malkin, chair of the Greenwich Tree Conservancys board of directors.

On Monday Assistant Town Attorney Aamina Ahmad said the case is still technically pending in Stamford Superior Court but there has been a proposed agreement and they were just waiting for all the needed signatures from the plaintiffs. She said the compromise agreement was reached at the end of April and she hoped to have it wrapped up soon.

But the compromise was blasted on Monday by Alan Gunzburg, chair of the First Selectmans Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities.

At the committees meeting on Monday, Gunzburg called the protest against removing the tree unconscionable as far as he was concerned and afterward said it was an issue that should never even have been before the tree warden because it involves the civil rights of people with disabilities, which are protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

The law says that I have civil rights that include access to parking and access to venues and access to seating, particularly under Title II of the ADA, Gunzburg told Greenwich Time on Monday. Elm Street belongs to everybody. When DPW wants to make Elm Street more accessible to the disabled they are following Title II of the ADA, which are my civil rights. By even bringing this matter into question with the tree warden, my civil rights were abridged. There should have been dispersed, accessible parking on that corner.

With a similar challenge now being sought to trees being cut down as part of Greenwich High School seeking to build more accessible bleachers, Gunzburg said he has spoken to the federal Department of Justice and the attorney generals office for civil rights in New Haven.

Gunzburg said the original design for Greenwich Avenue was the better option and it had been out in the public for months without anyone objecting until the last minute due to the tree being removed. He said the accessible spots are now closer together instead of being spread out, which he said does not benefit people with disabilities, and is not right.

This compromise only supports the tree, not the people, Gunzburg said, adding that the attempts to block the tree being removed were an ableist move.

Malkin rejected that idea and said all of this could have been avoided with better planning on the towns part. He said it is possible to address issues with accessibility and still preserve trees but no one is taking the time to do it.

This is an example of people designing something without involving the tree warden in the beginning of the project, Malkin said. Thats the stupidity of the whole thing. The DPW did it on Greenwich Avenue and now the Board of Education is doing at the high school. If they had simply consulted in advance with the tree warden, they would have had only a slightly different plan that would have saved a large number of the trees.

Stephanie Cowie, vice chair of the advisory committee, had spoken publicly about the need for an accessible parking space with a ramp several times. A paraplegic who requires a wheelchair, Cowie said it is difficult to safely get out of her car and to the sidewalk on Greenwich Avenue without the space and ramp, and on Monday she said she, too, was disappointed with the process because the objection was for a tree that is believed to be in bad health and will need to be replaced in less than 10 years.

At the time of the initial tree hearing on Feb. 25, the town tree warden said the pin oak was in declining health with an uncertain life expectancy but not in imminent danger.

Cowie said she agreed with Gunzburg that this is an area where a tree warden may not have jurisdiction because of the ADA and called the process flawed.

We are not against trees, the tree warden or the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, Cowie said. We are in favor of the federal ADA law requiring equal accessibility for all to take providence over these hearings and lawsuits (and keep them) from even taking place.

On Monday, Kramer said he didnt have any comment without consulting with an attorney who understands federal law mandates.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
GREENWICH  The Board of Education will make its return to regular, in-person business meetings this Thursday for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school board has met in-person on a number of occasions since the pandemic.

On March 5, 2020, the board hosted an in-person professional development meeting. At three fall meetings  Oct. 6 and 22 and Nov. 5  when cases were low in Greenwich and in the school district, some members of the board and district administrators convened in-person. And last week the board met in executive session to review Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones.

But Thursday marks a return to  somewhat  normalcy. Going forward, the school board expects to meet regularly in-person.

According to board Chair Peter Bernstein, the plan in the short term is to continue making meetings available virtually to those unable to attend in person.

The return to in-person gatherings comes as the state and nation are beginning to emerge from the pandemic. In Connecticut, all restrictions on businesses end Wednesday. And as of last week, children between 12 and 15 are now eligible to receive vaccines.

Cases in Greenwich Schools have been at year-long lows in recent weeks. And other town bodies, too, are taking steps toward resuming in-person meetings. The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) announced recently it would host its first partial in-person meeting this month.

Bernstein noted that Thursdays meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., would be hosted at Central Middle School, which has room enough to allow those in attendance to social distance.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Authorities blocked a popular news site in Belarus that extensively covered months of protests against the country's authoritarian president, and they also raided the site's office and the homes of some of its journalists.

Belarusian authorities maintained that Tut.by violated media laws by publishing content on behalf of BYSOL, a foundation that helps victims of political repression. They said the foundation lacked proper state registration. Officials also accused Tut.by of tax evasion and launched a criminal probe of the site's top staff members, who could face charges that carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

The authorities raided Tut.bys offices in Minsk and other regions, and the homes of its journalists and employees on Tuesday, breaking the door leading to the apartment of Maryna Zolatava, the sites chief editor. At least six Tut.by employees  including Zolatava and Tut.by journalist Alena Talkachova, whose apartment was also searched  were taken in for questioning, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

According to Tut.by, at least 12 of the site's employees have been detained, and the whereabouts of several journalists from other media outlets who went to the news site's office in the morning to cover the raid remained unknown. Tut.by said in its account on the Telegram messaging app that law enforcement officers also visited Yuliya Charnyauskaya, widow of the sites founder, Yury Zisser, and she was hospitalized after suffering an episode of hypertension.

The U.S. Embassy in Minsk condemned the actions targeting the news site. These efforts to stamp out independent thinking reflect the worst inclinations of the last century, the embassy said in a statement.

Independent media in Belarus came under pressure in the wake of mass protests triggered by President Alexander Lukashenkos disputed reelection. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, won his sixth term in office in an August election. Opposition supporters and some poll workers said the election was riddled with fraud, and the opposition rejected the results.

Lukashenko also unleashed a harsh crackdown on the demonstrations, the largest of which drew up to 200,000 people. More than 34,000 people have been arrested since August, and thousands were brutally beaten.

The authorities have also targeted independent media outlets, detaining journalists covering the protests and leveling criminal charges against some of them. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, 16 reporters are currently behind bars awaiting trial or serving sentences.

The U.S. Embassy called Tuesdays raids the latest in a series of punitive actions directed against a media outlet whose primary crime appears to be its objective reporting on peaceful protests resulting from the fraudulent 2020 elections and the regimes violent and cruel actions in response.

Last year, the Belarusian government stripped Tut.by of its media credentials. It continued to operate regardless, but two of its journalists remain in prison. Katsiaryna Barysevich was sentenced to six months over her investigation into a protester's death, and Lyubov Kasperovich was sentenced to 15 days in jail Monday after covering a trial related to the protests.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists issued a statement Tuesday urging the Belarusian government to stop impeding the work of the media.

The actions against the biggest and the most popular news site of the country are part of a deliberate government policy to restrict uncensored information in the country, the statement said. After the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, dozens of socio-political and media sites were blocked in Belarus, and a number of print outlets were forced to stop publishing."

The European Union delegation to Belarus also condemned the crackdown on Tut.by in a Facebook statement.

Tut.by has been the flagship of Belarusian journalism for the past 20 years, read and appreciated by most internet users in the country and many beyond it, as well as by diplomats working with Belarus. Freedom of the media must be upheld, the statement said.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran against Lukashenko in the August presidential election, called the actions of authorities Tuesday a deliberate murder of the media and the independent site Tut.by."

The crowd of people who hold power in Belarus is a real occupation regime: They're killing the media, they're killing parties and communities, they're killing us  in the streets and in prisons," Tsikhanouskaya, who left Belarus under pressure from authorities and is currently in exile in Lithuania, said in a statement.

She added that she and her team were in touch with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, demanding an immediate reaction from the EU.
Residents in southern Louisiana were bracing for more rain Tuesday after heavy downpours flooded homes, swamped cars, and closed a major interstate.

Lake Charles was hammered once again by natures fury in a coastal zone still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes last fall and a deep freeze in February.

The National Weather Service said south Lake Charles in western Louisiana saw 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rain in a 12-hour period Monday, while elsewhere in the parish as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) fell.

As the storm moved east, as much as 13 inches (33 centimeters) of rain fell overnight in Louisiana's capital city of Baton Rouge, according to East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

By Tuesday the waters had largely receded, but more rain is expected across the region this week.

It is mind-boggling, said Lake Charles resident Patrick King. He was at a car rental office Tuesday after his truck was flooded Monday. He still hadn't moved back into his house after it flooded during October's Hurricane Delta but had recently had new furniture delivered to the home. Then it flooded again.

King spent Tuesday morning mopping the house and preparing for further rains.

I picked up everything I could get off the floor and got it elevated," he said.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter estimated that 400 to 500 structures flooded during Mondays downpours. Hunter was mayor last year when the city was hit by Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27 and then six weeks later by Delta. Then in February, a deep freeze settled over the region, freezing pipes and causing widespread drinking water problems. Layered on top of all those disasters has been the coronavirus pandemic.

We are a very resilient people. We are a very strong population. But, you know, eventually you do kind of get to a point where you ask Mother Nature: What more can you do to us? Hunter said Tuesday.

Some parents in Lake Charles picked up their children from school in kayaks Monday because the roads were impassable, and other residents reported on social media taking winding trips through town to avoid flooded roads.

Lake Charles resident Don Dixon said there was intense rainfall for about 12 hours Monday. He lives on Lake Street but he said it was more like a raging river.

Water came up about 6 inches from going into my house," he said. It got pretty close. I was very, very lucky."

The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to more than 300 calls overnight of people either trapped in cars or in homes that were starting to flood, The Advocate reported.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference that there were two weather-related deaths. The body of 33-year-old Justin Blaine Thompson was found in a vehicle submerged in water under a Baton Rouge overpass, the coroners office said. Across the Mississippi River near Port Allen, 40-year-old Alvarado Morentes Hermelindo died and another person was missing after their car crashed into a canal Monday evening, Louisiana State Police said.

Unfortunately, more rain is on the way," Edwards said and pointed out that the ground is already saturated. "While we hope that the worst of this rainfall is behind us, we cant be sure of that.

Officials in the Baton Rouge area didnt yet have estimates of how many homes took on water and were asking people to report their damage. The downpours come five years after similar rains swamped large swaths of the capital region for days. Broome acknowledged the heightened sense of anxiety residents were feeling.

Our community has had more than our fair share of severe rain events, she said. But she tried to calm residents: We are not under the same threat as we were in 2016.

Schools and universities in the parish were closed Tuesday to try to keep people off roads, and the parish was working to clear streets where flooded vehicles blocked passage.

Between the hurricanes, the freeze and the coronavirus pandemic, Lake Charles has been part of four federally declared disasters over the course of a year, the mayor said. He said hed talked with federal disaster officials who said they could not think of another city that has been subject to as many federal disasters in a similar time period.

Hunter said the city is still waiting for a supplemental disaster relief package from Washington to help the region recover from Hurricane Laura, whose 150 mph (240 km/h) winds scoured western Louisiana in what state officials said was the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the state.

The plight of the average homeowner in Lake Charles is unthinkable at this moment. You have people that are possibly ripping out Sheetrock and renovating a home for now the third time," he said. The financial capability of this of this city, the human capital that we have here, is finite.

Edwards has requested $3 billion in federal aid to help Louisiana with its ongoing recovery from the 2020 hurricanes.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Alvarado Morentes Hermelindo's car crashed near Port Allen, not in Port Allen.
Google Photos is testing a new feature that should make finding images and videos easier. While searching for images of a specific person within Google Photos, users will be able to refine the search by choosing whether to show results including: favorites, videos, selfies, collages, animations, movies, creations, screenshots, archived, and motion photos.

As Android Police reports, the new Google filtering feature seems to be in testing, as it is not possible to see the filtering option from any device. The filters also appear to not be specific to a particular version of Google Photos, suggesting that it may be being tested on the server-side with some accounts.



Source: Android Police

As Android Police points out, you could always filter search results when performing a search of a person on Google Photos by typing out the query within the Google Photos search box. For example: Selfies of David Garcia would present the same results as searching for David Garcia and then filtering out selfies.

Source
Like its spinoff brand Realme, Oppo is also unveiling an Android 12 beta of its own today, following Google's announcement of its upcoming OS reaching this phase. Unlike Realme, Oppo's build should be out in the next few hours.

The beta is headed to Pixels today as well, but don't confuse the build they're getting for what Oppo has in store for the Find X3 Pro - the level of polish is likely to be very different. In fact, Oppo cautions normal users not to install this on their daily drivers. It's more of a developer preview that's being called a beta to be in line with what Google's doing, if that makes sense.

You also shouldn't expect all (or even any) of the ColorOS features to be baked in at this stage. Like in previous years when third party OEMs released new Android version betas on the day of Google IO, it's likely to be a rough around the edges showcase of what's to come.

Hopefully there will be subsequent beta builds with more features and more polish coming soon, and we'll report on those when they arrive. For now, know that Oppo is hard at work optimizing Android 12 for its devices. We're gonna have to wait and see if that translates to quicker updates than last year, but if not and the timeline repeats itself, expect a polished ColorOS 12 beta based on Android 12 to hit the Find X3 Pro in the fall when Google releases the final build to the Pixels.

If you're a developer in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, or China, and are interested in testing the Android 12 build on the Find X3 Pro, you should be able to get a hold of it through the Oppo Open platform at some point in the next few hours.
Realme announced the Narzo 30A and Narzo 30 Pro 5G in February, and after a week of teasing, the company today added the vanilla 30 to the lineup.

The Realme Narzo 30 is built around a 6.5" FullHD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 580 nits. It also has a punch hole in the upper-left corner for the selfie camera, which uses a 16MP Sony IMX471 sensor.

The phone's rear panel features a racetrack-inspired chevron stripe, which houses a triple camera setup comprising a 48MP primary, 2MP portrait, and 2MP macro units. The smartphone also comes with the UIS Video Stabilization, with the front and rear cameras supporting Super Nightscape Mode.

Under the hood, the Realme Narzo 30 has a Helio G95 SoC with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The smartphone boots Android 11-based Realme UI 2.0 and has a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion.

The Realme Narzo 30 also has an NFC chip on board, features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for password-less unlocking, and packs a 5,000 mAh battery that draws power through a USB-C port at up to 30W. Realme claims the battery goes from flat to 100% in 65 minutes, and there's also support for reverse wired charging.

The Realme Narzo 30 is offered in Racing Blue and Racing Silver colors and will go on sale in Malaysia starting May 20 through online retailer Shoppee. It's priced at RM799 ($195/160), but early birds can get it for RM100 ($24/20) less.



Realme Narzo 30

Source 1, Source 2
Google I/O will kick off virtually tomorrow, May 18 where Google will announce various updates and changes to its existing software products and perhaps some new ones. One of the major changes expected to be announced at Google I/O this year is the long-overdue update to Googles Wear OS.

The time has come for #GoogleIO.



Join us tomorrow for a look at whats new on Wear OS. pic.twitter.com/ylGiIevTc4  Wear OS by Google (@WearOSbyGoogle) May 17, 2021

Ever since Google acquired fitness tracking wearable company Fitbit, its been long rumored that Google would eventually incorporate new elements from FitBits operating system into Wear OS, as well as produce Google-branded wearables. With tomorrows announcements, we hope to hear more about the future of wearables from Google.

Its been rumored that Samsung is going to ditch its own Tizen operating system for Wear OS with One UI in its new smartwatches. The advantage that Wear OS has over Tizen is superior support for third-party apps within the Wear OS Play Store. Check out the latest story about Samsungs Wear OS watches here.

Via Twitter
China to help Afghanistan strengthen counter-terrorism capacities

(CGTN) 11:17, May 18, 2021

The site of a fuel tanker explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 2, 2021. /Xinhua

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China is willing to deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and help the country strengthen its anti-terrorism capacities.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Monday.

Wang said China will continue to support the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country's peace and reconciliation process. China calls on all parties to support and implement relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions for a smooth transition in Afghanistan to avoid a resurgence of terrorism, he added.

The international community, particularly countries in the region, should help the Afghan people maintain and consolidate the fruits of peace and reconstruction in the country, he said.

During another phone call on Monday with Hamdullah Mohib, national security advisor to Afghan president, Wang stressed that China endorses the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle and supports all parties in Afghanistan in finding a broad and inclusive political arrangement through peaceful means.

Although the U.S.'s unilateral withdrawal of troops at a crucial stage of the domestic reconciliation process has brought uncertainty to the evolution of the Afghan situation, peace is the trend of the times, which fully complies with the fundamental and long-term interests of the Afghan people, and also the common expectations of the international community, Wang said.

In this process, all parties should maintain patience and goodwill, strive to stop violence and cease fire, and create a favorable environment for peace talks, he added.

Wang also hopes that Afghanistan's future leadership will pursue a moderate Muslim policy, promote a foreign policy of peace, maintain friendship with neighboring countries and firmly combat all forms of terrorism.

Atmar, for his part, said Afghanistan is firmly committed to strengthening its relations with China and hopes to conduct strategic dialogue and communication with China on deepening bilateral, pragmatic and anti-terrorism cooperation as well as advancing regional cooperation.

Atmar appreciated China for its strong support as well as humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan.

The Afghan side highly appreciates China's continuous positive role in supporting peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and is willing to cooperate closely with China in bilateral and multilateral coordination to safeguard peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, Atmar said.

Mohib said Afghanistan thanks China's firm support for the peace process and looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in this regard, both bilaterally and within the framework of the UNSC.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)




Haiti - 218th Flag Day : Message from Lesly Conde





As part of the celebration of the 218th anniversary of our national bicolor, Lesly Conde, Ex-Consul General of Haiti in Chicago (August 26, 2004 - May 25, 2018), delivered as every year a message to all Haitians that we invite you to read and share.



Message from Lesly Conde :



"Dear compatriots and friends everywhere,



Here we are at the time to commemorate the 218th anniversary of the creation of the Haitian flag. May 18 of each year is a date dear to all Haitians. This date, which represents our proud identity, is also a moment of great importance in the universal history of freedom. We will not stop paying homage to the courage of our ancestors. It takes extraordinary bravery to dare to venture down a path that no one has ever had the audacity to take. When you are Haitian, you have a heritage that the whole world should be proud of and a flag that represents the victory of freedom.



This year, we need to look, in a special way, on the importance of the symbolism of our bicolor. In its most difficult moments, a Nation always retreats to the most glorious aspects of its past. The story of this flag is so eloquent that we would like to tell it to the world. There is so much symbolism in these two colors. Today, we Haitians have a duty to look proudly on this symbol of our identity, this two-tone which also belongs to the heritage of humanity. The story of the creation of the Haitian flag speaks not only of the bravery and determination of our ancestors, but also of their pragmatism. The French slavers had cleverly exacerbated the conflicts which existed between blacks and mulattoes, slaves and freedmen. This is the kind of division that slavery thrives on. However, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and our other ancestors understood that it was necessary to unite to defeat the common enemy. The birth of our flag on May 18, 1803 in Arcahaie, sealed this historic union.



Indeed, on May 18, 1803, what happened in Arcahaie, was going to alter the course of the history of the human race because, all astonished, the world would, shortly, witness the birth of the first black State of the Americas. We should pay tribute to the bravery and pragmatism of our ancestors who managed to come together despite their disagreements, and defying the wrath of the most powerful slavers of the moment.



What makes the creators of our flag and the flag itself more worthy of admiration is the element of mistrust. By irreverently snatching the white from the tricolor of tyranny and uniting blue and red to symbolize a liberating alliance, our ancestors challenged the world order of the moment in the name of universal freedom.



Today, this bicolor calls out to us desperately. We need the pragmatism of our ancestors. Let us unite so that tomorrow, our two-tone floats proudly under the sky of the country which saw the birth of freedom.



Thank you for your attention, and wish you a happy Flag Day.



Lesly Conde."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Protest by the Embassy of Haiti in Paris against M6





Following the broadcast of a report entitled "Haiti: the law of gangs" (Haiti : la loi des gangs) broadcasted Sunday, May 16 on the French television channel M6 as part of the program "Enquete exclusive", the Embassy of Haiti in Paris expresses in a note of his strong protests at some of the false allegations contained in this report.



Protest note from the Haitian Embassy in Paris :



"[...] The Embassy wishes to firmly deny any connivance of the authorities with bandits wanted by the Police, as the report seems to suggest. The Embassy regrets that the report presents as verified information a rumor that the Haitian State had to buy back an armored vehicle briefly detained by bandits for $80,000, without supporting it with evidence, as the ethics would require in matter.



The Embassy protests that the report has oversimplified the situation in the country. It is regrettable that the magazine failed to present the facts which show that the current situation is essentially the result of an enterprise of political destabilization orchestrated against the President in office and not of initiatives of the Haitian authorities. The facts also demonstrate this fallacious construction : the Haitian authorities have no interest, both nationally and internationally, in allowing this unacceptable security situation to continue.



For example, the weapons of war held by armed groups, widely exhibited in the report, were neither imported nor distributed by the authorities. They are the work of oligarchs and former elected officials with a non-democratic project, with the clear intention of creating a 'situation of chaos' favorable to the pursuit of their prebends on public resources.



This is how Father Briand, recently released from the yoke of a group of criminals in Haiti hhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33612-haiti-flash-all-religious-hostages-have-been-released.html explained to him that they had created their gang thanks to the funding of former elected officials, corroborates the facts by specifying : 'When these deputies and senators lost their power, they let go of these gangs who found themselves without income.'



To sum up, the insecurity observed in the capital region is largely fueled and used for political ends by a few oligarchs opposed to the ongoing reforms.



Finally, the Embassy is surprised that the report presents the situation of public tranquility that reigns in Jacmel as exceptional, even though it is the daily life of most of the country's large cities such as Cap-Haitien, Port-de- Peace, Hinche, Les Cayes or Jeremie. To suggest, as the report does, that the whole country would be under the influence of gangs is an unacceptable untruth.



The Embassy asks the M6 channel to revise its report to include the factual elements expressed in this note and hopes that measures will be taken in the face of this latent disinformation.



Paris, May 17, 2021 "



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Radical opposition in the streets

This Tuesday, May 18, the radical opposition is preparing to win the streets on the occasion of the flag festival and the University, in order to continue to demand the departure of Jovenel Moise from power and to say no to the referendum of the June 27, which they consider illegal and unconstitutional.



Judo : Silver medal for Haiti

At the Lima Open (Peru 15-16 May) in Judo, Haitian judoka Philippe Metellus (cat. -73kg) won the silver medal. Haiti is 5th in the medal ranking.



Shipwreck latest report

Following the sinking on Saturday May 15, 2021 in the evening, of the boat "Etwal Briyan" (Etoile Brillante) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33739-haiti-flash-shipwreck-between-carries-and-la-gonave-2-dead-8-survivors-9-missing.html The Haitian Coast Guard, assisted by the US Coast Guard, continues search operations despite difficult weather conditions in the unlikely hope of finding other survivors. The latest report shows 11 survivors, 3 dead and 5 missing.



Construction of the Passe Barque bridge

Monday, May 17, Nader Joiseus, the Minister of Public Works, signed with the firm ECCOMAR the construction contract for the Pont de Passe Barque (Colonial Bridge) which will be thrown over the Artibonite River, in the commune of Petite Riviere de l 'Artibonite.



Traffic control operation

On Sunday May 16, during a control operation carried out by the National Police of Haiti (PNH) 108 vehicles were rubbed off, 100 tickets were handed over to offenders and 24 motorcycles were confiscated.



COVID : Taiwan closes its borders for a month

With the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, Taiwan (Republic of China) announces the closure of its borders from Wednesday, May 19 until June 18, 2021 to all arrivals and travelers in transit, except citizens and residents. Exceptions will only be made in emergencies or for humanitarian reasons. Separately, Taiwan this week also reported two new cases imported, one from the Philippines and the other from Haiti.



HL / HaitiLibre


















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Hannibal, MO (63401)

Today

Sunny along with a few clouds. Hot. High around 95F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing overnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
A Senate panel voted Wednesday to give themselves and their colleagues a big increase in their allowance  and do it as soon as possible.

You voted:
Henderson, NC (27536)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High near 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
(The Center Square)  Many Americans are wary of President Joe Bidens trillions of dollars in new spending proposals, according to the latest polling data.

The newly released Yahoo News/YouGov poll asked Americans about a range of issues related to Bidens spending plans and the economic impact of the growing federal budget.

When asked about the recent rise in unemployment numbers, 44% of Americans  a plurality  blamed supplemental government payments, saying they are making it too easy for unemployed Americans to not work, while 41% of Americans say unemployment has risen because the pandemic is making it hard for unemployed Americans to find work.

Employers across the country have reported difficulty hiring workers, in part because of a $300 weekly unemployment benefit provided by the federal government on top of state benefits.

The poll comes after a spike in unemployment in April that concerned economists. Experts predicted the economy would create 1 million new jobs last month, but data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed only 266,000 new jobs and a spike in unemployment to 6.1%.

Though polling data showed a slight public opinion advantage for the benefits of Bidens newly proposed spending packages, the survey also found Americans are less enthusiastic about increased federal spending, even to help Americans recovering from COVID-related economic hardship.

Notably, a plurality of 43% of Americans said the federal government should discontinue the $300 federal unemployment payments that began as a result of a surge in unemployment during the pandemic while 41% said they should continue.

Recently, Republicans in red states and in Congress have called for an end to the payments. Several Republican senators introduced the Get Americans Back to Work Act last week to repeal the payments, citing employers difficulty in finding workers even as the unemployment rate rises.

The White House has rebuffed claims that the payments are the root cause of unemployment.

"We're going to make it clear that anyone collecting unemployment who was offered a suitable job must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits," Biden said last week. "We don't see much evidence of that."

Republicans in red states, though, see rising unemployment as a direct result of federal unemployment benefits, saying when the payments are added to state benefits, staying home becomes more attractive than heading back to work.

More than a dozen states have announced they will no longer accept the $300 payments, saying they are doing more harm than good.

Texas became the latest state to turn away the federal payments. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to the Texas Workforce Commission, which says roughly 45% of job postings offer wages over $15.50 per hour and about 76% pay over $11.50 per hour, well above the minimum wage.

The Texas economy is booming and employers are hiring in communities throughout the state, Abbott said. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the number of job openings in Texas is almost identical to the number of Texans who are receiving unemployment benefits. That assessment does not include the voluminous jobs that typically are not listed, like construction and restaurant jobs. In fact, there are nearly 60 percent more jobs open (and listed) in Texas today than there was in February 2020, the month before the Pandemic hit Texas.

The polling data and Republican response to federal help mark a mindset shift as the economy poises to fully reopen amidst rising vaccinations.

"At this stage of opening the state 100%, the focus must be on helping unemployed Texans connect with the more than a million job openings, rather than paying unemployment benefits to remain off the employment rolls," Abbott said.

Pollsters interviewed 1,561 Americans last week across all demographics. The poll has a 2.6% margin of error.
Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening with some fog possible late. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
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Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced he would not throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers' home opening game and would boycott any other Major League Baseball events, citing the league's decision to pull its All-Star Game from Georgia in response to new voting restrictions there.
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PART-TIME POSITION available in our packaging area.

Job responsibilities include putting inserts into the newspaper. Must have a positive attitude and be a team player. Applicants must be able to: lift up to 20-lbs; stand for long periods of time; be available to work Sunday thru Friday, late evening to early morning hours; pass drug screen.
James Edward Wygal, 69, of Emory, passed away May 30, 2021, at home. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 8, 2021, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date at his home, which was his sanctuary and his favorite place. Mr. Wygal was
Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning followed by occasional showers this afternoon. High 73F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
05/17/2021





The unusual 2020-2021 school year is drawing to a close and, whether they have gone to school in-person or online, kids have earned the right to a fun-filled summer break. Placed on hold last summer due to the pandemic, several JSU programs are relaunching their youth summer camps this summer. Get the kids off the couch and on campus this summer!

Continuing Education and Outreach

JSU Continuing Education and Outreach is offering two half-day camp programs for youth ages 10 and older on June 21-24 at JSU McClellan Center, Room 2102. Take one or both, as follows:

Internet of Things Camp : Held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., students will learn to combine hardware with software to design and create do-it-yourself tech gadgets such as a night light, clapper, hungry robot and color-changing LED.

: Held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., students will learn to combine hardware with software to design and create do-it-yourself tech gadgets such as a night light, clapper, hungry robot and color-changing LED. Video Game Development Camp: Held from 12:30-4 p.m., students will work in teams to create their own original 2D video games.

The registration fee for each is $199, or $396 for both programs. Those who participate in both camps must bring a sacked lunch. Register online.

Gamecock Arts Summer Program (GASP)

The School of Arts and Humanities is hosting a summer day camp program geared towards creative high school students on June 21-25. Teens ages 14-18 will get the opportunity to experience college-level workshops and activities in the arts and humanities including film, visual arts, drama, and creative writing. The camp will be held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The registration fee is $250 for in-person participants or, for those who wish to participate in a virtual creative writing program only, $100. Register online by May 20.

Rec Center

The Recreation and Fitness Center (UREC) is offering eight weeks of camp this summer for children ages 5-12. The full-day program will keep kids active with fun, games and swimming. Activities will be centered around a weekly theme, such as superheroes or wacky science. The camp day runs 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with dropoff from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and pickup from 4-5 p.m. Registration is $140/week for members or $165/week for non-members. Only a few spots are still available - learn more and register online.
Experimental artist Park Hyun-ki climbs over stones scattered on the floor during a live performance at Su Gallery in Daegu in 1983. Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai



By Park Han-sol



Park Hyun-ki (1942-2000) was a pioneering video and conceptual artist of the latter half of the 20th century in Korea, alongside towering figure Nam June Paik. However, beyond his well-known identity as a video artist, lies a vast body of creative work spanning nearly three decades, notably involving the use of stones as a symbol of the spiritual in nature.



Gallery Hyundai's exhibition, "I'm Not a Stone," is the third part in its retrospective series on the trailblazing artist, preceded by "The Pioneer of Korean Video Art" and "Visible, Invisible," which focused on his minimalist video work and his oil stick drawings, respectively.



Among the ten works on display, some are being shown to the public for the first time since the artist's passing, after being carefully reproduced under the auspices of Park's family members, critics and video engineers who personally worked with the artist.





Park's "Untitled," (1978) reproduced in 2015 / Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai



Immediately upon entering the gallery's basement floor, visitors are met with three small towers, made up of flat stones of varying sizes stacked on top of each other. The knee-high installation is reminiscent of holy, totemic stone towers that used to guard the entrance of Korea's villages in mountain areas, preventing evil from entering the community and bringing good fortune.



What catches gallery-goers' eyes is the juxtaposition of natural and manmade stones. The striking contrast between the coarse, weathered texture of the natural rocks and the colorful resins brings forth the relationship between nature and humans, the sacred and the secular.



The mounds of stones Park as a child witnessed on his way during the mass exodus from the invading North Korean army during the Korean War (1950-1953) became forever ingrained in his memory.



"As we were marching forward, people at the front of the line began to give signals to those in the back to pick up the pebbles, and soon enough, we were throwing at and passing by new heaps of rocks, both big and small," he once wrote in an artist's note. "I remember the piles as peculiar places beyond imagination, as they looked like the home of the gods as well as their graves."



This otherworldly experience  witnessing people praying to stones  influenced his decision to employ stones as his main artistic material and carrier of philosophical meaning throughout his life.



Behind the three small stone towers, rocks of different sizes and shapes are scattered all over the gallery floor to evoke the scene of Park's performance at Su Gallery in Daegu in 1983.



By moving rocks from the riverside directly into the gallery space, the artist transformed elements of the natural landscape into an artwork. The connection between the environment and the human is further highlighted as the street sounds Park recorded in Daegu in the winter of 1983 are played and amplified by a microphone hanging from the ceiling. These sounds then combine with gallery visitors' footsteps from the spring of 2021.



In a corner of the room, the archival photos of Park's performance are presented in a slide show. With "I'm not a stone" written on his back, and "Stone and so forth" on his chest and stomach, the artist is seen walking and running naked amongst the stones. Sometimes, he picks them up, crouches down next to one or leans back against them. His physically intimate interaction with the rocks presents him as a mediator between sacred nature and secular human civilization.





Park's "Untitled," or "TV Stone Tower," (1988) reproduced in 2021 / Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai
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In a recently published article in The New York Post, footage of the collapsed bleacher was captured at a synagogue in West Bank. The report said that the video showed people falling and sliding down the bleacher.

Video Captured the Collapse of Bleachers

Moshe Tubolsky told the news outlet Jerusalem Post that there was a commotion when he arrived at the synagogue. He also shared that people shouted, ran everywhere, and he was told that dozens of people were still inside the collapsed synagogue.

Tubolsky added, "A number of lightly wounded people were near the entrance and civilians led me to a severely wounded man who was lying on the floor nearby, unconscious and suffering from a head injury."

Read Also: Militant Group Launches Rocket at Jerusalem, Israel Says They Will Respond With Great Force

Authorities Say the Construction is Not DoneYet

According to a published article in U.S. News Chant, local authorities found out that the synagogue was held in the building even though the construction was not finished yet. The owners of the building do not also have the permits.

A spokesman for the Israel Fire and Rescue service told a local TV station, "This building is not finished. It doesn't even have a permit for occupancy and therefore let alone holding events in it." Further, the investigation continued to find out who will be held accountable for the said incident.

The bleachers' collapse in the West Bank happened just three weeks after a stampede at a holy festival in Israel ended in a dozen deaths, and more than 100 were injured. On the other hand, the deadly collapsed in West Bank led to the death of two persons, including a 12-year-old boy and a man in his 50's.

Who Should Be Blamed in the Deadly Collapsed at the Synagogue?

On Sunday morning, the Givat Ze'ev local council's fire and rescue services sent an email to the appropriate parties, clarifying that the proposed Shavuot case at the synagogue had not obtained permission due to continuing development of the site.

Doron Turjeman, the Jerusalem district police commissioner, said, "Once again we arrive at an event that involves negligence and irresponsible conduct. The station commander informed the head of the council that this structure is forbidden for prayers and large gatherings."

He added that the local council should be blamed for the incident. They are supposed to stop the event considering that it had no permit and the construction is not yet finished. He asserted that the local council has all the power under its turf to deal with it.

Moreover, On Sunday evening, police released a document sent from the Lev HaBira station in Jerusalem to the president of the council, which reported that "the incident is not approved according to safety regulations. The local authority must send inspectors and ensure that the incident does not take place."

Related Article: Israel Crush: Dozens Dead, Hundreds Injured at Lag B'Omer Religious Festival

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If the Big Cat Public Safety Act becomes law, there would be no repeat of what happened last week wherein a Bengal tiger was discovered roaming a Houston front yard, reported CNN via MSN.

Keeping big cats will not be allowed anymore, and anyone wanting lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, cougars, and jaguars in the House as pets will be disappointed, according to Awion Online.

No more Tigers for Pets

Some exemptions will be observed, as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries will still keep the animals mentioned above. Anyone who has any of these large felines should register their animals.

According to an April statement by the Animal Welfare Institute, "Having public petting, playing with, eating, and photo ops with cubs will also be discouraged under the law."

All the revenue made from allowing people to hold and interact with cubs is the main factor of surplus tigers increasing the exotic animal trade in the United States, culminating in the trauma and abuse of an unknown number of animals mentioned by the Institute.

CNN reported the Institute as saying, "Breeders often separate mother cats from their cubs immediately after birth. This interrupts the mother-cub bonding process and taxes cubs."

The Big Cat Public Safety Act

In December, the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 272-114. Nevertheless, the bill was not considered by the Senate well before the end of the congressional session.

Read also: Mountain Lion Viciously Attacks 6-Year Old Girl in Park, Saved by Man With Hard Punch in Ribs

The bill has been brought back in the Senate, where Democrats currently hold a slim majority. To prevent tigers from becoming dangerous house pets in the future, animal welfare and public safety activists urge the lower House to pass the act this year.

Carole Baskin, the founder of Big Cat Rescue and star of the Netflix series Tiger King, said that keeping Tigers is more common in Texas.

She added, "Since tigers are predisposed to roam hundreds of square miles, no cage would be sufficient for them. The only reason folks see tigers as pets is to display to other people."

A missing Bengal tiger called India

When a 9-month-old Bengal tiger named India was spotted wandering through a Houston residential neighborhood last May 9, she encouraged senators, particularly those from Texas, to endorse the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

Soon after, a man placed the Tiger in an SUV and went somewhere with the big cat; authorities had no idea where the animal was.

The Tiger was turned in to authorities last Saturday, about six days after India went missing, said the Houston Police. Both the Tiger and the general public were extremely fortunate in this instance.

Houston Police wrote in a Tweet, "They are thrilled to confirm that the missing tiger who was seen in a Houston neighborhood last week has been rescued and appears to be in good condition,"

Ron Barza, the Houston Police Commander stated, India weighed 175 pounds and was "highly heavy" even though it wasn't fully grown.

India was transferred to Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, last Sunday. The Humane Society of the United States owns and runs the animal shelter. That will take care of the Tiger from here on.

The Big Cat Public Safety Act should get passed to prevent having these large felines become dangerous pets.

Related article: Chicago Sets Loose 1,000 Feral Cats to Control Increasing Rat Infestation

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President Joe Biden said Monday that the US would provide at least 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries by the end of June. He added that Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson will be responsible for the 20 million doses.

60 million of COVID-19 vaccine doses will be from AstraZeneca

Biden recently shared that up to 60 million doses will be AstraZeneca's vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration has not approved for emergency use in the United States. Biden said, "We're taking another step to help the world. It's the proper course of action. It's the smart thing to do," USA Today reported.

The announcements come as the United States and other developed countries come under increasing pressure for monopolizing vaccinations as the developing world suffers. In recent weeks, demand in the US has peaked, and vaccine "hesitancy" is being blamed for a slow decrease in vaccinations.

The global vaccine campaign will be led by Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, per Biden. The United States will cooperate with COVAX, a global program aimed at ensuring equal access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Last weekend, the rate of new coronavirus infections dropped below the September 12 low, the day before the fall surge began and transformed into a devastating winter. In the week ending September 12, the nation recorded 241,099 cases, a few thousands more than the 232,489 cases reported the week before.

Daily infections are only less than half of what they were a month earlier, just a small piece of what they were in January. Although, the United States continues to record about 600 deaths per day, almost one-fifth of the rate seen in January.

In his remarks, Biden took jabs at Russia and China. He stated that the United States would contribute a total of 80 million doses to the world, adding that this figure is far higher than Russia's or China's promises of 15 million doses.

"There's a lot of talk now about Russia and China using vaccines to influence the world," Biden said. "With our values, we want to lead the world," as per US News.

The doses will be shipped by the end of June, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who also acknowledged that the total number of doses the US will export, 80 million, is the most doses donated by any nation in the world by five times.

Though highlighting vaccine milestones in the United States, Biden has faced criticism to do more for other countries facing deadly outbreaks, such as India. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased masking guidelines for fully vaccinated people last week, citing decreased coronavirus cases, increased vaccine demand, and new vaccine performance results.

Read Also: CDC's New Masks Guidance Leaves States, Businesses Scrambling; Agency Claims Decision Is Based on Science

Biden warns states with low vaccination rates

Per CNBC, President Joe Biden advised on Monday that coronavirus case numbers in states with low COVID-19 vaccination rates could increase again. COVID-19 outbreaks are down in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic started over a year ago, Biden announced at a White House press conference on the nation's success in fighting the coronavirus.

He believes that this progress could be reversed, especially in states where vaccination rates are poor. Biden's remarks were also the latest in his campaign to have Americans vaccinated as soon as possible.

By July 4, the Biden administration expects to see 70 percent of adults vaccinated and 160 million adults fully vaccinated, a date that Biden hopes would represent a turning point in the pandemic. According to data collected by the CDC, more than 154 million American adults, or 59.7 percent of all adults in the country, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday.

According to the CDC, almost 121 million Americans, or 47.1 percent of the adult population, are fully vaccinated. The CDC data showed Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Maine, and Massachusetts have the largest number of doses administered per 100,000 people.

Having a COVID-19 vaccine is "as easy as ever," with several vaccination centers across the country accepting walk-ins, the President said. The CDC reported on Thursday that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most spaces, whether outside or indoors, per the new public health guidelines. Many public health experts saw the move as the administration's latest attempt to get them to get vaccinated.

Related Article: Joe Biden's COVID Relief Bill: Cities To Get Their Billions, How Will They Spend It

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India has experienced the second wave of COVID-19, and thousands of infections and deaths are reported every day. Experts in the country believed that the actual number of cases and deaths is bigger than what is told to the media.

Black Market Activities in India

In a recently published article in Yahoo News, there were many reported cases of illegal activities across the country. It includes selling fake canisters, drugs to combat COVID-19, and even beds in hospitals.

The activity alarmed the police because many illegal activities like the selling of fake drugs happened on social media. According to a published article in The Economic Times, the operandi is that a seller will offer drugs like remdesivir for a price five times more than its original price.

Read Also: Countries Help India Amid Devastating COVID-19 Disaster, Here's How You Can Help Too

Different Arrests and Illegal Activities in India Related to Black Market

One doctor's accusations in Madhya Pradesh have gone viral. Dr. Sanjeev Kumrawat said he tried to stop a local activist for India's ruling party from selling access to beds in the government hospital where he works.

In a recently published article in Business Standard, Police officers in the Uttar Pradesh city of Noida arrested two men on Wednesday, accusing them of selling plasma for up to $1,000 per device. According to the police, one of the men used social media to solicit plasma donors for his own needs, then sold the plasma through a middleman.

Helly Malviya, a university student, flagged a Twitter post promoting tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory medication often used to treat COVID-19 patients with pneumonia but is difficult to find in India. The seller demanded $2,000 upfront. Malviya reported the post as a potential scam and got a flood of messages, but they were from people desperate for the drug.

Aside from drugs, scammers also sell fake oxygen canisters. According to the police, the dealer, a Varsha Engineering company, a scrapyard, is repainting fire extinguishers and selling them as oxygen canisters. The results could be fatal because if loaded with high-pressure oxygen, the less-sturdy fire extinguishers could explode.

According to Rohit Shukla, a graduate student in New Delhi, after his grandmother died in a neighboring state in late April, an ambulance driver requested $70 for the three-mile ride from the hospital to the cremation site, ten times more than the usual amount. A staff also asked $70 for firewood that should have cost just $7 when the family arrived.

Some scammers attempt to circumvent certain protections. During a bust this month in the western state of Gujarat, police found thousands of vials of bogus remdesivir. A tip led them to a warehouse, where they seized 3,371 vials containing glucose, water, and salt.

Some of the products are fake, while others are potentially dangerous. Last week, police in Uttar Pradesh accused a gang of stealing used funeral shrouds from bodies and selling them as fresh. The day before, officers in the same state discovered more than 100 fake vials of remdesivir, an antiviral medication that many doctors in India prescribe amid concerns about its efficacy.

Related Article: India's Coronavirus Deaths More Than 200,000 During Surge

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"Circulation" (2020) by Kwon Chi-gyu / Courtesy of PLAS



By Park Han-sol



With a recent surge in interest in the art market and an influx of new, young collectors, local art fairs have been enjoying a rare boom this year. Against this backdrop, the Plastic Art Seoul (PLAS) fair is currently being held at COEX in Gangnam District.



Founded in 2016, the country's largest sculpture-focused art fair kicked off Sunday and will be open to the public until Wednesday under the theme, "New Generation." The event aims to serve as a platform for rising and established artists of sculptures and installation art, fields that have been considered relatively non-mainstream in painting-focused, local art fairs.



On the first day of its run, PLAS saw its number of visitors double to nearly 10,000, and generated more than a billion won in sales, continuing the success of local art fairs held earlier this year.



Both the 39th Galleries Art Fair, the oldest art fair in the country, held in March, and the 10th Busan Annual Market of Art (BAMA), held in April, saw record sales. Last week's Art Busan quickly followed suit, with even bigger success. It experienced the best turnout, of more than 80,000 visitors, and generated total sales of 35 billion won ($31 million), the highest figures in Korea's art fair history, during its four-day run.





Kim Byung-kyu's "Play  Her" (2021), left, and Park Chan-girl's "DAVID" (2021) / Courtesy of PLAS
Up to 10,000 Connecticut residents who are deemed long-term unemployed will be eligible to sign up for a scheme that offers a $1,000 "signing bonus" after they complete eight weeks of full-time work, according to Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. To be considered for the payment, would-be employers must have made an unemployment claim for the week of May 24, worked for eight weeks in a row before the end of the year, and not been laid off during that period.

Connecticut has 65,000 job opportunities

In the first three months of this year, Connecticut gained 17,000 jobs. Still, Lamont told reporters that there are 65,000 job opportunities in the state on Monday as more coronavirus-related bans on bars and other companies were removed. Effective Wednesday, Connecticut will join New York and New Jersey in lifting capacity, social distancing, and most masking criteria for fully vaccinated people.

Per NY Post, Lamont said in a statement, "This is the latest tool in our toolbox to maximize our state's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic." Job search criteria for unemployment claimants, as well as pre-pandemic guidance on what constitutes appropriate work, will be restored at the end of the month, state officials said.

On the other hand, Connecticut is not getting out of the federal government's $300-per-week unemployment incentive scheme due to expire in September. In March, Lamont unveiled plans to use $50 million in federal coronavirus recovery funding for two years to expand child care through the state's "Care4Kids" initiative, which will assist parents who lost jobs after the pandemic and allow childcare as they pursue new employment.

Lamont's $1,000 bonus, paid for by federal stimulus funds, was opposed by House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford. He encouraged the governor to withdraw the $300 weekly unemployment program, which he claims has contributed to employers' failure to fill job openings. "It's a bit like a dog chasing its tail," he said of persuading people to give up one government incentive in exchange for another, as per the AP News.

Read Also: Georgia Among First US States To Provide COVID-19 Vaccine to Children Ages Below 16

Business restrictions in Connecticut will be lifted on May 19

The new program's rules, according to Lamont, will be announced in about a day. He said long-term unemployment would last anywhere from eight to 12 weeks.

The governor said that on June 1, Connecticut would mandate individuals seeking unemployment benefits to report their work searches to the Department of Labor regularly. During the pandemic, this provision has been suspended.

On Wednesday, May 19, the majority of the remaining business restrictions will be lifted. In most cases, this means no more masks for completely vaccinated people. There will be no more business curfews and other factors. Governor Lamont revealed a new bonus arriving next Monday, while the remaining company constraints are set to expire on Wednesday. Up to 10,000 people who have been unemployed for a long time will get a $1,000 signing bonus a few months after returning to work.

WTNH asked the governor if it opens up more ways for the state to get creative and create additional ways to incentivize the people who have been reluctant to get their shots and get people back working.

"We'll see. Let's start with the $1,000 signing bonus to see how it works, but I believe the timing is good. We've got the drinks on us, and the restaurants are free. This is a moment where people are looking for work. I want to make sure that everybody is fully motivated and that getting back to work is as simple as possible," Gov. Ned Lamont said.

According to Lamont, they are off to a decent start in vaccinating the 12-15 year-olds. In the first four days, 13 percent of people had already had their first vaccine.

Related Article: 3 States To Stop Giving Unemployment Benefits; Biden Said He Might Cut It Down



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United States President Joe Biden supported a cease-fire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the president fell short of openly calling for a truce and end the violence.

Israel-Gaza Conflict killed More Than 200 Civilians

Eight days of Hamas rocket barrages and Israeli airstrikes have killed over 200 people, mostly Palestinians. According to Biden's meticulously-worded statement, in a White House readout of his second call to Netanyahu in three days as chaos ensued, the administration is under pressure to respond forcefully, notwithstanding its determination to drive away from the US foreign policy focal point in the Middle East conflicts.

The shift transpired following 29 Democratic and independent senators filing a joint statement regarding the siege on Monday. According to the group spearheaded by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., "To prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, we urge an immediate cease-fire," reported USA Today.

Dozens of Palestinian children have died. Biden reiterated that Israel had a right to defend itself. However, he stopped short of publicly calling on the country to alter its approach notwithstanding increasing international denouncement, reported The Indian Express.

Airstrikes in the Gaza strip recently targeted a tunnel network used by Hamas in the midst of growing civilian casualties in the war. The president's support for a ceasing in hostilities on top of pressure from progressives in his party came as Israel and Gaza continued to trade fire following the death of 42 Palestinians on Sunday. Sunday was the most fatal day of the current escalation, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Read Also: Israel to Hold 4th Snap Election Two Years After Parliament Got Dissolved

The US leader also prompted Israel to strive to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, as indicated in a White House readout. As the worst Israeli-Palestinian war since 2014 raged, Biden had earlier limited its public criticisms to Hamas and refused to send a top-level representative to the region or urge Israel publicly and directly to ease its most recent military operation in the Gaza Strip, a 10km-by-40km territory that is home to over two million citizens.

Calls for a cease-fire have been amplified in Washington. This involved Democrats in Congress who are avid supporters of Israel and several Republicans. Israel warplanes pounded Monday in Gaza City as the conflict between Israel and Hamas entered its second week.

Biden said to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States is working with Egypt and other nations in halting the violence. However, the US again barred a United Nations Security Council statement calling for cease of hostilities.

Biden also discussed the engagement of the US with Egypt and other partners. According to Jeremy Issacharoff, Israel's ambassador to Germany, Hamas initiated the current fatal exchange between Gaza and Israel and pleaded to stop firing rockets. He remarked Israel would not halt airstrikes until Hamas halts rocket fire into Israel.

Related Article: Countries With Ongoing Conflicts Increase Military Confrontations

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The GOP Party announced that former Pres. Donald Trump will be speaking in North Carolina during the annual convention of the party.

In a recently published article in the U.S. News , the former president will appear in person at the Greenville Convention Dinner on June 5. Trump narrowly won North Carolina in 2020 and organized a number of events there at the end of his campaign.

Donald Trump has maintained a low public profile since leaving office. His most recent important public speech was delivered in February at the CPAC convention. He is currently barred from using Twitter and Facebook, and his public remarks have often taken the form of written statements and criticism of right-wing news outlets.

According to a published article in MSN News, Trump's speech will be private and be closed to the media, and journalists will not be able to view it via Livestream or other means, according to Livy Polen, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Republican Party.

Read Also: Donald Trump Claims America Is Turning Into a Communist After Facebook, Twitter Remove Interview With Lara

Will Trump Endorse North Carolina's Senatorial Candidates in 2022 Elections?

In a recently published article in Channel 3000, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump has not officially ruled out running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina in 2022, but she has shown interest in the race. Trump has not supported any of the three Republicans who are currently running for the seat vacated by Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

North Carolina U.S. Rep. Ted Budd and former Rep. Mark Walker, who are running for the party's 2022 U.S. Senate nomination, as well as U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn and four other members of the state's congressional delegation, are expected to attend the convention. Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota, will be the guest speaker.

Meanwhile, Trump has expressed interest in running for president again in 2024, but he has not made a decision. The state party is hoping that Trump will assist Republicans in regaining control of the U.S. House in the forthcoming midterm elections. NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley, a Trump supporter who was one of the former president's 13 North Carolina electors in 2020, wants Trump to be more active in North Carolina politics.

Trump Expected to Boost the GOP Candidates Again in Midterm Election

Whatley said in a news release that "Trump delivered real results for North Carolina by rebuilding the military, standing strong against China and unleashing the American Economy. "

Former Pres. Donald Trump's presence in North Carolina is expected to boost the candidates in the state during the midterm elections. Trump has influenced and dominated North Carolina during the previous U.S. Presidential elections.

Many members of the party are hoping that Former Pres. Trump can still give a significant impact as he speaks during the annual GOP Convention. On the other hand, Trump is not expected to publicly announce his future political plans.

Related Article: Former Pres. Donald Trump Reportedly Moving Operations From Florida to New Jersey



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Miss Universe is regarded as the world's largest and most prestigious pageant. Most netizens were swift to catch any sidelights from the 69th Miss Universe, like the eyes of an eagle.

Miss Universe was celebrated on Sunday after a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many contestants wore their costumes to honor their homelands or to bring attention to social or political issues. Miss Myanmar and Miss Singapore used their outfits to emphasize key messages. Let's take a look at this list of exciting happenings shared on a variety of social media sites, especially Twitter, as per LionHeartTV on MSN:

Olivia Culpo was noticed for her vibe

Olivia Culpo, Miss Universe 2012, became a trending subject on Twitter after netizens mocked her lack of enthusiasm for co-hosting the pageant with American actor Mario Lopez. Culpo's on-stage vibe inspired internet users to create funny memes.

Im so sorry Miss Mexico but Olivia Culpo is the real winner for tonight. Best in reaction from start to end, meme worthy! #MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/HtBBTuR9xL  Zeke (@zekemartinx) May 17, 2021

Aside from her apparent lack of focus, netizens caught a glimpse of her reaction as she checked the results. After Peruvian delegate Janick Maceta was revealed as this year's Miss Universe second-runner up, Culpo's shocked reaction was caught on tape, and it seems that she was doing a double-check.

Mexico and Ms. Brazil were standing far away from each other

After the pandemic onset, people have been urged to maintain proper social distance to prevent the virus from spreading. The last two finalists, Andrea Meza of Mexico and Julia Gama of Brazil, stood well apart during the announcement of the winners for this year's Miss Universe.

The two have their hands held out in front of them instead of holding hands as is customary. However, as soon as Meza was crowned, the pageant's delegates ran over to give her a group hug. The delegates seemed to forget about the virus.

Read Also: 'Friends: The Reunion' Trailer, Premiere Date: Guests Stars Include Kit Harington, BTS, and More Big Names

Ms. Philippines doing her supposed-to-be walk in the finals

A Filipino Twitter user posted a video clip of Ms. Philippines Rabiya Mateo's walk during the pageant's final rehearsals. Mateo walked gracefully in the video clip. Many netizens who were able to see the video clip said that seeing her was heartbreaking.

look at rabiya doing her walk one last time on the miss universe stage after the pageant  it shows how determined she was and how badly she wanted to get the crown for us  this is so sad im crying#MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/2VsWodYxOw  ton (@INTOKTTPS) May 17, 2021

Andrea Meza, a Latina queen, won the "Power of Unity" crown over 73 other women. Julia Gama of Brazil, Janick Maceta of Peru, Adline Castelino of India, and Kimberly Perez of the Dominican Republic are among her runners-up. Mateo and Obdam were also unable to make it to the top 5 in the final cut. Mateo finished the Top 21 of the Miss Universe competition, while Obdam made it to the Top 10.

Grasping exposure

As Nadia Sayers of Ireland glanced out from behind Access Hollywood's Mario Lopez, netizens found it funny. Lopez was obstructing Sayers' exposure of the camera unintentionally. Rabiya Mateo of the Philippines joined the fray. Miss Spain was in front of her, and Mateo's view seemed to be obscured as well. She then shifted her position to her right, allowing the camera to catch her.

Candidates tackle mental health, COVID-19, and violence

Per Newsweek, the Miss Universe contestants discussed tough topics such as domestic violence and mental health during their final questions and speeches. Miss Mexico, who would win Miss Universe, spoke about improving beauty standards, while Miss Brazil, the runner-up, spoke about women's leadership and mental health. Miss India tackled COVID-19 while Miss Peru shared a message of hope for victims of domestic violence.

Miss Universe Fans say 'bring back Steve Harvey'

Viewers were still wary of Steve Harvey's absence as host of the Miss Universe pageant this year. Olivia Culpo, a former pageant winner, was unable to win hearts with her emceeing. Many critics said she lacked energy. Culpo, who won Miss USA and Miss Universe in 2012, co-hosted this year's pageant with Mario Lopez. He previously hosted the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.

This year, Lopez took over for Harvey, who had hosted Miss Universe for the previous few years. The Daytime Emmy Award-winning show host, Steve Harvey, took to Twitter to express his feelings following the report, as per MEAWW. "I'll miss you guys," Harvey teased, "so I'll see you for the 70th!"

Read Article: Miss Universe National Costumes Call for End of Asian Hate, Violence, Racism; Myanmar Asks To Pray for Her Country

No issue with the hosts, but Miss U doesnt feel the same without Steve Harvey pic.twitter.com/ShLpkEinmP     (@Jiminiiito) May 17, 2021

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United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released their tax returns for 2020 on May 17. They divulged the incomes for themselves and their spouses for 2020 before their inauguration. The disclosure was made on Tax Day, which is the individual tax filing deadline for most Americans.

The president and vice president resumed a decades-long tradition by those sitting in the offices. Biden's swift release of his tax returns is in stark contrast with former President Donald Trump, who did not release his.

Biden, Harris Tax Returns

What in other years would possibly not be huge news is making headlines this 2021. According to the White House, "Today, the President released his 2020 federal income tax return, continuing an almost uninterrupted tradition," reported NPR.

Biden and the and presidential first lady Jill Biden have earnings of just over $600,000. They have an effective federal income tax rate of 25.9%, and 5% were allocated to charitable donations.

The previous president fought prosecutors in the courts to attempt and stop them from acquiring his financial and tax records. However, the Supreme Court ruled in February that NYC prosecutors could implement a subpoena to obtain them, reported Axios.

Former Vice President Mike Pence also broke with precedent and did not divulge his returns at any time of his tenure. Biden and the first lady reported paying $157,414 in federal income taxes, having an effective tax rate of 25.9 percent, reported The Hill.

Bidens' Earnings Down

The president and his wife's earnings went down from $985,223 in 2019. This was when they essentially earned money from speeches, book sales, and positions at the Northern Virginia Community College and University of Pennsylvania. Such income opportunities decreased due to the campaign.

Read Also: Child Tax Credit: Families to Start Receiving Monthly Checks on July 15

Part of Biden's diminishing income could be attributed to earning less money in pass-through businesses. Following his stint as vice president during former President Barack Obama's tenure, it was where he routed book income. This enabled him to save major sums on self-employment taxes, a method touted as the Gingrich-Edwards loophole for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former presidential candidate John Edwards. They used similar non-corporate businesses to keep down their self-employment tax payments.

According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki at Monday's press briefing, she would expect they will continue to release Biden's tax returns as should be expected by all presidents of the US. The average income tax rate for all US citizens is 14.6%.

The Bidens reportedly donated $30,704 or around 5.1 percent of their total income to 10 charity organizations. The most massive reported gift to charity was $10,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation. This is a public charity committed to ensuring that all children are free from physical harm.

The deadline to file federal taxes was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But under the 2017 tax law, they were merely allowed to knock the maximum $10,000 from their federal gross income.

Related Article: Last Day to File Taxes 2021: Three Ways to File Extension

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The China Covid-19 outbreaks have gotten worse, with officials getting backlash from the Chinese Communist Party for their failed attempts to control the virus. Affected were three clinics and doctors working there, relieved on May 16 to May 17.

China Covid-19 outbreaks have not eased up

Last May 17, an alarm was raised in northeastern China's Liaoning Province and eastern China's Anhui Province were considered a "medium" risk of contracting the CCP virus, which triggers COVID-19, reported Epoch Times.

Concerned about the spike in official case cases, records showed a 13.95 million uptick in vaccine doses given on May 16-the highest number for a single day after the regime started monitoring daily vaccines on March 24, noted Archive.

Reports say the new outbreaks are associated with infections that first exhibited signs during early May and the five-day Labor Day holiday period in China. A maximum of 230 million passenger journeys was confirmed.

Anhui officials diverted responsibility for their local clusters by stating that their first patient became infected in Liaoning. At the same time, the Liaoning provincial government argued that two travelers from Anhui are responsible for their breakouts.

On May 17, Chinese netizens uploaded videos on social media depicting the government limiting people's movement in whole residential buildings by welding iron gates, attaching paper seals, or locking the doors with iron padlocks from the outside, mentioned Newzealand News.

Other respondents from Anhui and Liaoning stated they are in a desperate scenario; China Covid-19 outbreaks are not abating. They complained that they do not know the actual condition of the Epidemic owing to the information control but lost their freedom, leaving everyone fearful that they're unable to escape in a crisis.

Read also: WHO Team in Wuhan Finds New Data, Thinks Coronavirus Might Have Escaped from Lab

The Central government has kept silent about the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is criticized for using oppressive controls on people. Over the recent months, respondents from various Chinese regions have informed The Epoch Times that friends and families have died because they cannot leave their locked-down residences to get treatment if they are sick.

Spiraling Epidemic: fired officials and closed clinics

On May 3, a COVID-19 patient with the surname Lv went to a hospital in Yingkou, Liaoning, for a sore throat. Several individuals were screened over the national holiday at Liu'an Shi'an Hospital and Xiangling'an Community Clinic in Anhui. Still, they were diagnosed with common fever, and the cases also weren't registered to the local government medical departments.

Liaoning kicked out three Yingkou local politicians and warned nine others by mentioning another severe failure on their official resumes. Three more officials were punished. The Yu'an district health committee's leaders were fired on May 16, and the district party boss and mayor confessed in front of the city's party boss and mayor.

Three clinics located in Liaoning and Anhui diagnosed patients over the May festival are forced to close, and their business licenses were withdrawn. The physicians were also shot on communist party orders and prohibited from practicing medicine for at least a year.

Still, Beijing has no idea how the cases in Liaoning and Anhui started; China Covid-19 outbreaks are not still under control, as the virus surges.

Related article: Chinese Residents in Virus Lockdown Assaults Pandemic Control Volunteer with Fatal Results

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Russian Intelligence Chief Naryshkin slammed accusations that it spearheaded the Solar Winds hack that breached US security months ago. He said that Joe Biden or his UK counterpart has no proof.

Russian Intelligence Chief Naryshkin slams accusations of involvement

According to the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service (SVR), who said calling Russian hackers responsible for breaching the Solar Winds firewall that got useful info on US agencies and companies, never happened according to Business Insider.

Last January, President Joe Biden's administration imposed new sanctions on Russia in April, alleging the cyberattack as a pretext. The Kremlin denies any role in the intrusion.

A twist to the narrative

SVR leader Sergei Naryshkin repeated the refusal to the BBC, arguing, "These claims are like a bad crime novel."

But this time, the SVR leader mentioned a bombshell that alleged the assault might have been carried out by the US-UK alliance, not Russian hackers. He added that the 2013 reports of leaks made by the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Computer Weekly published details of secret documents that year documenting how the National Security Agency (NSA) and its British partner, GCHQ, collaborated with tech firms to integrate hidden bugs into encryption technology. This document enabled them to break most of the encryption used for private information such as emails and online transactions.

It was reported that the announcement sparked international condemnation, prompting then-President Barack Obama to assert that the NSA was not "trawling through" ordinary people's documents. Russian Intelligence Chief Naryshkin slammed accusations based on this possible allegation.

Read Also: US Government Agencies Under Cyber Attack: Russia, China Main Suspects

Naryshkin spoke to the BBC about the Solar Winds hack, saying, "I'm not suggesting this cybercrime was conducted by the US government agency, but the tactics are identical."

His thoughts were not further elaborated but established that the US may have a hand in attacking its computer networks.

The spy chief remarked any of the charges made targeting Russian intelligence services - "cyber threats, poisonings, hackings, election interference" - is "absurd" and "pathetic."

An attempted 2018 poisoning of former agent Sergei Skripal while in England to attempts to manipulate the 2016 US presidential election, Russia has been implicated in many intelligence-led attacks on foreign soil in recent times.

Saying what most Russian officials state as a denial that many of the accusations and other allegations are not valid. There was never any involvement by Kremlin, to begin with.

Exposing possible collusion of the US and UK

Business Insider said that the Solar Winds hack is still under investigation but will never be fully opened if the Russians were framed based on Naryshkin's viewpoint. Someone else did the online intrusion for speculative reasons.

Hackers penetrated the software firm used by hundreds of companies and governments and injected malicious software into its networks. Around March and June, any client who updated their software acquired a backdoor into their system, which hackers can abuse.

In a declaration released in January, the FBI, NSA, Cybersecurity, and Infrastructure Protection Agency, and the Director of National Intelligence said the breach was probably intelligence gathering and pointed fingers at Russia, mentioned CISA.

The Russian Intelligence Chief Naryshkin slammed accusations that soviet hackers did it; it might be that the US and UK are not so innocent.

Related Article: Senator Wyden: Dozens of Emails Hacked at the US Treasury Department

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In this photo from May 2019, President Moon Jae-in consoles the bereaved mother of a victim of the 1980 May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement at the National Cemetery there. Moon paid his respects at the cemetery after participating in a memorial ceremony marking the 39th anniversary of the movement. Yonhap



A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday described a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in South Korea as a "historic event" in the anti-fascism movement, highlighting people's fearless fight in the face of a bloody crackdown.



On Tuesday, South Korea marks the 41st anniversary of the May 18 uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju quelled ruthlessly by the military junta led by then Gen. Chun Doo-hwan. The crackdown left more than 200 people killed and 1,800 others wounded.



"The Gwangju people's uprising is a historic event that shines in the history of South Korean people's anti-fascism struggle," DPRK Today, one of the North's propaganda websites, said. "It is the first and biggest ever in the modern history of struggle in eastern countries."



The website said that a large number of people, including children and students, were killed and wounded in their fearless fight against a bloody crackdown despite food and water running out and electricity being cut off.




Peter Bartholomew sits in the courtyard of his hanok home in northeastern Seoul, Sept. 15, 2016. Courtesy of Jon Dunbar



By Robert Neff



Sometime in the middle of the night of May 11 or 12, Peter Bartholomew's 53-year-long sojourn in Korea ended with his sudden, unexpected death. Known for his passionate defense of traditional Korean houses, or hanok, his deep appreciation for Korean history and culture, his relationship with Korea's royal family and his business success, he often appeared on television , in newspapers, magazines and online articles, and guided friends, colleagues and peers to the hidden and vanishing treasures of Korea's past. He was often long-winded but surprisingly we know little about him.



Peter Bartholomew was born in New York in 1945 and received a BA in French Literature at Hamilton College. He later admitted to Tom Coyner  a long-time friend and fellow Peace Corps volunteer  that he had chosen French literature because he saw it as an easy degree; he already spoke French having spent some of his childhood living in Quebec.



In late 1967, he joined the Peace Corps and arrived in Seoul in January 1968. It is unclear if he volunteered for Korea or was sent here by the luck of the draw but he was assigned to a teaching position in Gangwon Province  a mountainous region that is extremely cold in the winter and miserably hot in the summer.



Bartholomew "used to love recounting his brief 'military' experience on the East Coast  when the North Korean guerillas came ashore in 1968," said Ken Kaliher. Apparently it was a student from his school who alerted the police to the presence of the North Koreans. Hank Morris  Bartholomew's friend of 49 years  added that the student became somewhat of a local hero and equally insufferable. Bartholomew was, according to Kaliher, "issued a rifle and ammunition in case the invaders should appear in his area." Fortunately, they didn't.



He spent five years with Peace Corps Korea  a rather long period considering the usual tour of duty was only two years but could be extended for another year. Several years ago, when asked why he stayed so long, he evaded the question, but some of his peers and friends have speculated that he stayed where "it was safe" because his draft number was very low and his chances of being sent to Vietnam were very high. The U.S. economy probably had some influence on his decision to remain as there were no jobs back home. Whether he was here by default or choice is unclear but whatever it was, he truly did come to appreciate his host country.



In 1973, Bartholomew moved to Seoul where, for the most part, he remained until his death, a quiet witness to the political turmoil of the peninsula. He seemingly knew everyone but was careful to never become the nail sticking up so as not to be hammered down by those in power.



There was, however, one exception. A lobbying scandal in the United States in 1976/77, known as Koreagate, resulted in him being, as he later described it, anywhere but in the United States or Korea while it was being investigated. His role  if any  was apparently insignificant and through his mother's political savviness he was able to weather the political storm relatively unscathed and return to Korea.



Soon, he and some partners formed their own successful company involved in consulting and shipbuilding. Business was, of course, an important part of his life but it paled in comparison to his passion for Korean history  particularly that of the late 19th century, the royal family and old buildings. "Joseon was his great love," declared Brother Anthony, friend and former president of Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea .



Living in the past



Much of Bartholomew's knowledge of the Korean language, heritage and architecture can be possibly traced back to one serendipitous encounter. While teaching in Gangwon, he liked to explore the surrounding countryside on his old bike. One day he noticed a large compound of traditional buildings that was much different from his own baser accommodations. Curious, he walked in and within a short period of time his charm and personality won over the owner of the residence  an elderly woman who was a member of the old dynasty. He was eventually allowed to live in the compound  and, judging from how much he talked about his time there, it became one of the defining points of his life in Korea.



Much of his present fame is due to his stubborn determination to protect traditional architecture. Lately he has been christened "Guardian of the Hanok," and he was sought out for his knowledge on maintaining the houses. He even helped Michael Spavor, the famous North Korea engager now imprisoned in China, to fix up the oldest hanok in Bukahyeon-dong where Spavor lived before moving away. But Bartholomew was not the only "guardian." Robert Fouser, Philippe Tirault and David Kilburn (who passed in 2019) also fiercely battled  sometimes physically  to defend the hanok in their neighborhoods from progress and modernization. To some people, they are seen as heroes while others see them as meddling foreigners trying to save things that should be allowed to disappear.





Peter Bartholomew's hanok home in northeastern Seoul / Courtesy of Tom Coyner



Some hanok had a past that many might want to forget. In the early 1970s, Peace Corps volunteers Gary Mintier and his wife Mary Ann lived in Seoul in a small building on a large compound. Bartholomew visited frequently and told them that the main building "was a hanok in style but had been built by the Japanese for one of the Koreans who had betrayed Korea to the Japanese."



Bartholomew's residence is a juxtaposition of the past and present. In 1974, he acquired his hanok  said to have been built in the early 1920s  and faithfully restored it, at great cost, using traditional methods and materials, but he also modernized part of it for his own comfort. Hanok are often perceived as being uncomfortable, high-maintenance and difficult to protect from natural and criminal elements. In a 2011 interview, Bartholomew explained: "Once you modernize the heating, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry facilities there is no real discomfort. It is a different style of living from a concrete apartment, but not necessarily less comfortable. A lot of the so-called inconveniences are exactly the same for any single-family residence, be it hanok, brick, concrete or wooden Western-style."





The interior of Peter Bartholomew's hanok home in northeastern Seoul / Courtesy of Tom Coyner



Due to his business and personal interests, he was away from home frequently for long stretches of time and so he allowed several young men, who had completed their service with the Korean Navy, to live in his residence  free of charge  while they attended school in Seoul. In exchange, they did odd jobs around the house and helped protect the property. According to RAS Korea President Steve Shields, over 100 of them stayed at Peter's hanok over 30 years.



Bartholomew's house breathed history. Scattered here and there were remnants of the past; items that at the time he acquired them were not really valued by anyone except him. The tales they might have told are now forgotten, but would undoubtedly be welcomed additions to any museum.





Peter Bartholomew hosts visitors at his hanok home in northeastern Seoul, Sept. 15, 2016. Courtesy of Jon Dunbar



However, one item can still tell its tale. According to Bartholomew, he rescued a diary of a young Korean prince from the late 1970s or early 1980s that had been left behind as trash. Apparently it contained the type of entries that one would expect from a typical lonely teenage boy  except they were, perhaps, written in a more elegant prose.



Interestingly, a number of years ago, Bartholomew attached a wooden fertility symbol to the ceiling of his living room. The phallic-shaped symbol became a conversation piece for his and his young naval housemates' guests but it may have served another purpose.



According to legend, in the late 1920s a Korean maiden hanged herself from one of the ceiling beams. Bartholomew claimed that up until the late 1990s, the maiden's ghost made itself known by stomping around the house, flinging papers about and generally frightening his guests. The presence of the virile young men may have aggravated the situation. When asked about it in 2005, Bartholomew only shook his head and implied the spirit had been appeased.





A window of Peter Bartholomew's hanok home in northeastern Seoul / Courtesy of Tom Coyner



Palaces



Her spirit may have been appeased but his wasn't. He was active in RAS Korea, serving on the council for decades and as president from 2008 to 2010, and frequently led tours through the palaces and historical sites of Seoul, as well as other cities, regaling his audience with amusing (and, at times, overly long) tales of the past. It was his story-telling manner and the amount of information he conveyed that endeared him to his listeners. His Joseon Seoul tour took a full day, starting at 9 a.m. and visiting four palaces, ending around 6 p.m. Each year he did the tour, he would revisit sites only to find them destroyed or renovated beyond recognition, and he exasperatedly pointed out errors and inconsistencies in reconstruction of palace buildings and some of their features.





Peter Bartholomew leads a tour of Deoksu Palace, Oct. 25, 2015. Courtesy of Jon Dunbar



Bartholomew was not a patient or understanding man when it came to restoration. In his eyes, the destruction of the palace buildings  as well as many other historical sites  was due to the Japanese occupation, and the errors in reconstruction and repair to the corruption and indifference by Korea's modern society.



Bartholomew's interest in palaces isn't that surprising. He knew some of the Korean royal family and visited them while they lived at Changdeok Palace. His first home in Seoul had been in Unhyeon Palace, but he moved out very soon, finding it difficult to live with the elderly female courtiers. In the mid-1980s, he helped "rediscover" the palace at Suwon which subsequently resulted in its conservation and repair. Dr. Tony Michell, a friend of nearly four decades, recalled Bartholomew's great excitement as he explained how he came to discover the lost palace by using an old photograph. Photographs remained one of his favorite tools of research. Shields said Bartholomew "was ever surfing the internet for old photos dealing with Changdeok Palace and the royal family."





Peter Bartholomew sits at Unhyeon Palace, Oct. 25, 2015, where he claimed he lived briefly in the early 1970s. Courtesy of Jon Dunbar
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Laura Lane

The Herald-Times

A two-day trial in Monroe Circuit Court last week, the first since the pandemic began more than a year ago, could be called The Case of the Mistaken Turkey.

Gosport resident Michael L. Nanny was accused of recklessly using his New England-brand .12 gauge- shotgun while turkey hunting just before dawn on April 29, 2018. A conservation officers report filed in the case described it as a hunting accident where two turkey hunters were shot as a result of a hunter miss-identifying them as a turkey.

Jurors on Friday found 63-year-old Nanny innocent of two felony counts of criminal recklessness that alleged his actions created a substantial risk of bodily injury to the other two hunters. Nanny was convicted of a third count, use of private land without consent. Its a misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine not to exceed $500.

According to court documents, cousins David Dayhuff and Eric Strunk had permission to be on the property. They were hunting about 6:30 a.m. when Nanny shot in their direction as they huddled in the brush at the base of a tree about 10 feet away.

One hunter had buckshot injuries to his neck, ear, mouth and cheek. The other was shot in the left hand. They were dressed in camouflage clothing and one man had removed his glove to take a selfie of the two.

Based off the victims statements, along with the evidence, is my belief that Mr. Nanny missidentified the left hand of David Dayhuff as the head of the turkey, the DNR officers report states.

From Officer Brent Bohbrinks report:

Mr. Strunk stated he and his cousin were sitting a thick wooded area at the base of around 6:30 a.m. when they heard several gobbles from a turkey. Mr. Strunk stated he used a turkey call and responded back with some hen putts draw the turkey closer.

He indicated it was only moments later when his ears started ringing, he felt heat on his face and blood coming out. He then turned around and yelled out that he was not a turkey. The individual who shot stated he thought he looked like a turkey sitting the brush.

With the criminal proceedings wrapped up except for the sentencing, the case continues in Monroe Circuit Courts civil division, where a lawsuit filed by Kenn Nunns law office on behalf of Strunk and Dayhuff seeks reimbursement for medical expenses, lost wages and other costs.

A mediation session did not result in an agreement, court records show. A Nov. 8 trial is set in the case.
Now Open

18 May 2021

Los Angeles-based Palisociety has announced the opening of itsnewest property in the Pacific Northwest, Hotel Grand Stark, now welcoming guests to the city's CentralEastside neighborhood.

Sitting across the river from the city's downtown core, Hotel Grand Stark is a 57-room historic propertythat has been carefully and thoughtfully designed and reimagined back to its hospitality roots. The 1908building is a four-story structure that was originally built as a hotel (nee Hotel Chamberlain in 1924) andhoused a legendary local furniture manufacturer for the past 80 years. Today, its classic facade sits at thecorner of SE Grand Ave. and SE Stark St with signage that takes inspiration from the furniture store'soriginal sign that marked the intersection for decades

Known for its locally inspired and neighborhood-centric approach to independent hospitality, Palisocietyhas partnered with Portland-based North 45 Projects on the design of the hotel's common areas andwith locally revered Submarine Hospitality for the carefully developed food & beverage program and twodistinct culinary concepts on-property, open to both locals and hotel guests alike.Hotel Grand Stark is envisioned as a communal, inclusive public space featuring a gallery-inspired centrallobby that connects the public spaces upon entry with a neutral backdrop punctuated by a carefullycollected art installation featuring local artists and makers, custom furnishings and vintage piecesthroughout. Guests are welcomed into the spacious lobby where original hardwood floors, white-washedand art-adorned walls and an abundance of natural light flood the space. Modernist archways line bothsides of the primary lobby space and tall ceilings are highlighted with a mixed assortment of vintage andindustrial-style lighting. Through the length of the lobby, clusters of lounge style seating fill the spacewith mixed and matched contemporary furniture - marble tables, leather chairs, wood side tables - anda central skylight adds even more natural light to the space. To the right from the entry, a front desk areaawaits with a stunning dark green centerpiece desk that sits before a wall of Breccia Pernice marble in aterracotta tone. Behind the front desk, guests will find the Study Hall, a bright, separate space designedto be a community work and meeting space that can also be used as a private dining room for intimatespecial events

The hotel's 57 Guest Rooms sit on three floors and feature a bright and airy aesthetic with a combinationof light blue walls paired with light wood floors original to the building. A playful mix of millwork, textilesand patterns are layered throughout, combining florals, tartans and wovens to create dimension andpersonality in the space, while vintage rugs and custom lighting add a residential-inspired element ofcomfort and style. The mix of king, queen and double-bedded guest rooms all feature fine Italian linens,bathrooms with luxe rain showers and Diptyque bath amenities, signature Palisociety stocked mini barswith gourmet snacks, SMEG mini refrigerators, and more. Select guest rooms offer views of downtownPortland as well as a dedicated workspace and cozy seating area.Hotel Grand Stark is part of Palisociety's expanding independent collection portfolio, sitting alongsideits signature Palihouse and Palihotel branded properties with a moniker of its own. In addition to itsrecent acquisition of the ARRIVE brand, Hotel Grand Stark is the brand's second new 2021 opening,following Palihouse Santa Barbara, which debuted in March., and is the brand's second hotel in the PacificNorthwest, alongside Palihotel Seattle.Hotel Grand Stark is located at 509 SE Grand Ave in Portland and is now open. For more information,please visit www.palisociety.com or follow @hotelgrandstark
Pipeline

18 May 2021

The 'Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony' was held to commemorate the commencement of construction on the much anticipated 'Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station' property. Signed in 2019, this is a joint venture between Cross Hotels & Resorts, and Italmar (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Despite the challenges that the pandemic has prompted in the hospitality world, Cross Hotels & Resorts has earned the trust of both new and existing owners, including Italmar (Thailand) Co., Ltd., who owns an existing Cross Vibe property - Cross Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit, which is currently one of the best performing properties in Bangkok.

As its name suggests, Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station is located only steps away from the Udomsuk BTS Skytrain station which will become the interchange station of the Light Rail Train system's Bangna - Suvarnabhumi Airport line.

Udomsuk is being coined 'The new Thonglor' in terms of lifestyle, residential facilities and convenience. Udomsuk is a hub for digital nomads and a new breed of travelers and has a number of extremely popular restaurants including the first Michelin Guide restaurant - Bib Gourmand's 'Somtum Khun Kan'.

Udomsuk is also renowned for its street food and also touts a community mall that starts from the beginning of Udomsuk road and runs all the way up to Srinakarin junction. The area is easily accessible by public transportation; the BTS Green Line, the Monorail Yellow Line and the Airport Light Blue Line. Getting there by car is also a breeze, with nearby expressway access and interconnecting avenues linking up with many popular districts in the vicinity. Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station will certainly be a new landmark for the bustling and thriving Udomsuk neighbourhood.

The 102-key Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station offers not only a place to rest, but also abundant space and the freedom to work the way you like, with a connection area, co-working space, trendy business center with all the trimmings, lifestyle cafe, fitness center and rooftop pool.

Cross Vibe Bangkok Udomsuk Station is slated to open in Q4 2022.
Rebranding

18 May 2021

Absolute Hotel Services India has announced the signing of a Management Agreement with Rivergate Resort India Limited and has added to its portfolio, U Rivergate Karjat. The project encompasses 42 rooms and 100+ individual gated Villa Scheme. Target to open in late 2021.

Karjat is an appealing tourist destination encompassing the Bhor Ghat in its milieu along with blossoming green vegetation. It is amongst Maharashtra's fastest upcoming getaway destination, quiet and aesthetically enriched. Popular exploration options include the astonishing view from the Kothaligad Fort, antiquated rock-cut Kondana Caves, architectural JainTemple, ancient Hemadpanthi styled Kondeshwar Temple of Lord Shiva, and the adventure-seeking trek trail at the Bahiri Caves, amongst others.

A convenient two-hour drive from Mumbai and Pune, U Rivergate Karjat is nestled amidst an expanse of 60 acres of lush green landscape, along the banks of River Pej, a pristine free-flowing river. The existing rooms at the resort will undergo a detailed transformation, supplemented with robust systems and procedures along with facility upgrade to an international level, thus stirring the entire stay experience to a new level. Facilities will include, an all-day dining restaurant, lounge bar, open-air restaurant, banquets, lawn, gym, spa, games room, kids play area and adventure zone. The confluence of a flowing river, expansive landscape, limitless space, scenic boulevards and serene surroundings create a magical mood for a quick getaway to relax or celebrate, be it individuals, families or groups.
Appointment

18 May 2021

Zleep Hotels has hired a new Hotel Manager at the chain's large airport hotel in Billund. The choice has fallen on Martin Ebmark who with his 25 years of experience from the hotel and travel industry, hope to boost the operation of the popular family and airport hotel.

Zleep Hotel Billund Airport holds 163 rooms, a large lounge with a connecting breakfast restaurant as well as a fitness room. Martin Ebmark himself looks forward to establishing good partnerships in the local area and to exploiting the hotel's great potential:

In addition, Martin Ebmark has solid experience within management and has previously held positions such as Consultant, Director and Sales Manager. Most recently he ran a large hotel, Mellieha Holiday Center, on Malta. Martin Ebmark took up the position of Hotel Manager at Zleep Hotels on April 19th, 2021.
A health worker at an early COVID19 testing center near Seoul Station on Tuesday guides visitors to fill out a form before they take the test. Yonhap



South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 600 on Tuesday on fewer tests over the weekend, but health authorities remained alert over a potential hike amid continued cluster inflections and spreading variant cases.



The country reported 528 more COVID-19 cases, including 506 local infections, raising the total caseload to 132,818, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.



There was one additional virus death, raising the total to 1,904.



The country has been raising its guard against sporadic cluster infections across the nation amid the rising number of travelers enjoying warm weather.



Authorities are keeping a watchful eye on untraceable cases as well. Over the past week, around 30 percent of newly added patients had unknown transmission routes.



The reproduction rate also currently hovers around one, indicating that a virus patient may infect at least one person.






Appointment

18 May 2021

SuitePad has brought in Alex Fong to head up its engineering arm, as it seeks to progress to a true global leader. As VP of Engineering, Alex will be tasked with managing and expanding the firm's team of engineers, while also overseeing strategic product development. SuitePad's offering is built on a service-orientated architecture that powers tens of thousands of devices throughout hotels across the world, and Alex will be responsible not only for maintaining its efficiency, but also projecting its far-reaching growth.

In his role, Alex will work closely with SuitePad's founders, helping to ensure the firm is delivering cutting edge technology that stays true to its core principles. A University of Edinburgh graduate, Alex has years of software engineering experience, having worked in the Netherlands and in Germany as a software developer and engineer for brands that include fromAtoB, Bidmath, Zaypay and the Dutch Central Bank, DNB.

More information on SuitePad's press page.
Appointment

18 May 2021

The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel is delighted to announce the appointment of new Executive Chef, Chris Hill. Within his new role, Hill will oversee operations at Adam Handling Chelsea restaurant and bar, Cadogan's by Adam Handling and the hotel's private and in-room dining.

The new Executive Chef boasts a rich and diverse culinary background, including both classic cooking and modern techniques and has the expertise to deliver a luxury experience in all food and beverage departments of the hotel. With an impressive CV spanning 18 years of experience within the industry, Hill has worked in some of the most celebrated kitchens and hotels across the UK and Europe. Prior to joining The Cadogan, Hill's experience includes working for The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Chrsitian Jurgens 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Germany.

Having achieved the Master of Culinary Arts Award and being named amongst the UK's national selection for the Bocuse d'Or in 2017, Hill went on to spend 5 years at Whatley Manor, where he worked his way up to Sous Chef. It was in this role where he played a vital part in the team achieving two Michelin stars, following which he joined The Ritz, where he worked for two years as Premier Sous Chef.
Press Release

18 May 2021

At FITUR: The International Spanish Tourism Trade Fair (Madrid, 19-23 May 2021), UNWTO will ensure sustainability, innovation and responsibility are a central part of the conversation. FITUR was the last global in-person trade fair to take place before the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first one to return, sending a clear message of the resolve of the tourism sector for a safe and responsible restart.

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This years trade fair will continue the long-standing partnership between UNWTO and FITUR, with the United Nations specialized agency for tourism addressing the most pressing challenges currently facing the sector while also looking to the future and supporting the tourism talent of tomorrow.

Sustainable development takes the lead

The week kicks off with the 25 winners of the UNWTO SDG Global Startup Competition meeting for a special workshop on winning investment for scaling up. On Tuesday 18 May, the top entrepreneurs and innovators will be celebrated at the Royal Theatre in Spain. The hybrid event will celebrate the diversity of the award-winning ideas for advancing the sustainable development goals and the people behind them. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commended UNWTOs leadership in promoting innovation and will send a message to the winners.

Tourism for all

With FITUR officially opening on Wednesday 19 May, UNWTO hosts an expert meeting on Accessible Tourism featuring good practice in accessibility with a particular focus on tourism in rural and natural areas. Sustainability will be the focus of the UNWTO Affiliate Members meeting on Friday 21 May, giving its members - from the private sector, local and regional governments and academia - the opportunity to present their work, and to network both in-person and virtually.

Investment and innovation for development

The 12th edition of the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR) will be held virtually on Thursday 20 May. The gathering of public and private sector tourism leaders will focus on the development of effective strategic partnerships, and on assessing possible travel and tourism trends post-pandemic.

On the same day, UNWTO will also feature in FITUR Talent, highlighting the increasingly important role innovation can play in delivering tourism education and training for all. Similarly exploring the potential of technology to create opportunities, this time for destinations, the Round Table on Tourism and Cinema, will see UNWTO and Netflix come together to assess the role TV and film can play in promoting locations and experience.
Press Release

17 May 2021

As vaccine programs continue across the world and we see warming attitudes toward travel alongside increased accommodation bookings, it is important to take stock and assess how the pandemic, and its resultant impact on consumer behavior, may leave an indelible mark on hospitality.

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COVID-19 has forced us to see the world differently. Previously the hustle and bustle of busy destinations sparked excitement for many travelers, but during the crisis, personal safety concerns and social distancing led to radically different perceptions of these types of destinations and experiences. The extent to which traveler perceptions and behavior will return to pre-pandemic levels remains unknown and continues to be a fascinating subplot of the recovery.

In this blog, based on research we conducted in February 2021, we look at the experiences of travelers this year and examine attitudes about the future of hospitality.

Location, price and cancellation policy

Photo: STR

Traditional determinants of location and value for money continue to be key reasons influencing accommodation choice. This is an encouraging finding, which provides reassurance that what was relevant before COVID-19 continues to be relevant during recovery and perhaps beyond.

However, reflecting the volatile and unpredictable nature of travel in recent months, cancellation policies have become much more important than before COVID-19. Some 30% of respondents in our research stated that the accommodation providers cancellation policy was a main factor that influenced the booking. This was much higher than recorded in similar research we conducted in 2020. Whilst there is an expectation that travel plans will be less prone to change as we move through the recovery, increased flexibility is likely to continue to appeal to consumers going forward.

Scrambling for breakfast

One of the many ways that COVID-19 has upended hospitality is by impacting food & beverage service. For most hotel operators, buffet breakfasts have been replaced with grab-and-go or a la carte services to minimize infection risks. But, how do consumers feel about this change?

As we see below, there is weak overall support for a completely contactless food service in hotels where guests order and pay without interacting with servers or touching shared public services.

Among North Americans, the concept has slightly higher appeal. This is likely due to a greater prevalence of limited interactions when it comes to eating and drinking among these travelers already. Increased convenience is a trend, which in recent years has contributed to the growth in morning snacks from a broader consumer perspective. So, whilst COVID-19 has forced many operators to reduce their food service offerings, it may be that for some travelers, contactless food service was already preferable before the pandemic.

Photo: STR

Do not disturb

Housekeeping is another department of hospitality that has been fundamentally impacted by the pandemic. Pre-COVID-19, there was an expectation of regular and attentive room cleaning services, but concerns around infections have swayed views on the importance and necessity of fastidious housekeeping.

There is little evidence of strong support for minimal housekeeping. Around 40% of travelers agreed that they expected minimal housekeeping in the current situation. However, signaling polarized views among travelers, 30% disagreed with the statement and the remainder (31%) did not express a preference one way or the other.

Photo: STR

Whats next?

Housekeeping and food services are just a few of many hotel operations that have been heavily influenced by COVID-19. In the current environment, some travelers seek and expect services that reduce risk and offer increased personal safety. As vaccination progress continues, it remains to be seen how hardened these expectations remain. However, there is a sense that hotel services, which require guest and staff interactions, will continue to be fundamental to hospitality experiences going forward.

If you would like to find out more about how STR can help you get closer to your customers during these volatile and uncertain times, please click here.

We were excited to share more in-depth findings during our recent Hotel Data Conference: Global Edition, which was a 13-hour event that covered APAC, Middle East & Africa, Europe, Central & South America, and North America. Purchase access to the Attendee Hub to watch more than 50 sessions and view PDFs of the presentations here. All recordings will be available through 23 June 2021.
Press Release

18 May 2021

A directive from Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) mandates that all hotels comply with the Sustainability Requirements for Hotel Establishments by the deadline of July 1, 2021, as set by Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST), an initiative to further enhance Dubais position as one of the worlds leading sustainable tourism destinations.

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Under the directive, hotels must also resume monthly submission of carbon emission drivers. The system has the long-term objective of advancing sustainability performance across the sector. Back in 2019 Dubai Tourism led by DST trained 528 hotels on the implementation of these sustainability standards and currently inviting hotels for a refresher webinar ahead of July 2021.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline was extended for an additional 12 months, a decision that Dubai Tourism took to strengthen the foundations for recovery of the hospitality sector. The progress on implementation of the mandatory standards will be tracked by hotels and audited by DST.

Yousuf Lootah, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sustainable Tourism, said: Over the past year, the strength of the citys tourism industry is reflected in the safe and successful reopening of Dubai to domestic and international visitors. In alignment with the citys wider carbon reduction strategy, we know that tourism can also be an area where Dubai truly sets the benchmark at a global level with forward-thinking sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices. We strongly encourage hotels to comply with the 19 Sustainability Requirements set by Dubai Tourism and provide Carbon Calculator submissions by July 1. We know that with the ongoing support of the relevant government bodies these hotel establishments can play a huge part in achieving the overall carbon emission reduction target over the next year and beyond.

The 19 Sustainability Requirements include sustainable management approaches, performance metrics, energy, food and water management plans, guest education, employee training initiatives, the presence of sustainability committees within hotel establishments and corporate social responsibility programmes for local communities. Through improving internal sustainability operations, hotel establishments in turn will enhance the competitiveness of Dubais tourism-linked economy. These requirements support Dubais Carbon Abatement Strategy 2021 target to reduce the carbon emissions by 16% by 2021, overall.

Since its inception in January 2017, the Carbon Calculator  part of the Tourism Dirham Platform, is a tool that has been measuring the carbon footprint within Dubais hospitality sector. On a monthly basis, hotels submit their consumption of 11 carbon emission sources, including: electricity, district cooling, water, waste, fuel for transportation, fuel for generators, fire extinguishers, and liquefied petroleum gas for analysis. This information is aggregated and analysed to provide valuable industry insights on the sectors collective carbon footprint. In addition, by formulating a baseline along with consistent tracking, this information enables hotels to understand their energy, water and waste consumption and further identify successful cost-saving opportunities.

DST will be hosting virtual information sessions for all hotels between May 23  27, 2021 on the Sustainability Requirements. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Press Release

18 May 2021

This week, Hiltons Lifestyle Brands announced more than 10 new global property signings across both Motto by Hilton and Tempo by Hilton, two of the latest brands in the expanding Lifestyle category.

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Here, Phil Cordell, global category head, Hilton Lifestyle Brands, shares his insights on the lifestyle sector, provides details on Hiltons three lifestyle brands and explains how he connects with local communities when traveling. Cordell has more than three decades of travel industry experience, launching iconic Hilton brands such as Hampton, Home2 Suites and Tru. He now oversees the strategic growth and development of Hiltons Lifestyle category, which includes Canopy by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, and Tempo by Hilton.

Can you give us some history on the lifestyle concept and explain Hiltons take on the category?

PC: When it started, lifestyle hotels represented more of the cool kids club. They had dramatic lighting, loud music and were considered by many people to be unapproachable. At Hilton, we wanted to make lifestyle approachable but still aspirational, design-driven and culturally relevant. Our target audience doesnt want a cookie-cutter approach. They want a great vibe and an authentic experience. So, we created properties that are comfortable yet also have that unique Instagrammable factor.

How is staying at a Hilton lifestyle hotel different than a traditional hotel experience?

PC: Certain hotels have a very distinct feel. Its as if everything came from a catalog. The furniture is almost overly curated and matching, and the space is very segmented. At our lifestyle hotels, there is a managed inconsistency. There's a sense of familiarity, but there's also a sense of novelty.

We use this idea of 60-30-10. Sixty percent of the experience delivers enough familiarity that a customer will feel comfortable. The next 30% makes someone think, That's more than I expected. And the final 10% is the wow factor. For example, a craft cocktail from the bar would be slightly different than what you would expect, but not so unusual that you don't want to try it.

At our lifestyle hotels, guests can expect somebody at the front desk who's plugged into the local neighborhood, who knows the fun spaces to check out and can be a resource throughout the stay. The hotels are intimate and approachable and have public spaces that invite you in. You can be casual and comfortable, yet still feel a bit pampered.

Can you describe the different brand personalities of Motto, Tempo, and Canopy?

PC: Motto is targeted to the urban explorer and for those who want to be in the city center. The rooms have a smaller, more efficient footprint, yet also provide flexible layouts and the ability to connect up to nine rooms for larger group travel. Our hotels provide a launchpad to the local scene, not the tourist attractions. Motto is for someone who is more cost-conscious yet wants to enjoy quality, locally driven food and drinks. Its designed to be a community hub in the heart of up-and-coming urban areas.

Tempo targets a bit of a broader guest demographic, providing an elevated yet approachable experience that meets both professional and personal travel needs. Youll find more consistency here, but there will be some unique touches at each property, whether through design or food and drink offerings. Tempo hotels, which will be in suburban-urban areas, have a more contemporary design and uplifting atmosphere.

Finally, Canopy is all about experiencing a destination like a local. Its a vibrant, boutique hotel brand for those who want to explore but also prefer a more elevated and upscale experience. Each property feels like an extension of the neighborhood, with locally inspired design elements and Team Members who are experts on the newest hot spots in town. Canopy provides a sophisticated yet comfortable reprieve.

How do you foster innovation and creative thinking among your Hilton team?

PC: I view our lifestyle space as an area where we have license to play around, test, learn and innovate. We are thoughtful and directional but not prescriptive. We give ourselves permission to try a lot of things. If you allow your team to think differently and encourage that type of thinking, cool stuff will happen.

We find inspiration everywhere. For example, one of our colleagues was walking in New York, looking down at her phone, and some guy said to her, Do you ever take a minute to look up? When she shared that story, it resonated with us. We thought about how to incorporate the look up ethos into our brands. It fit perfectly with the motivated, driven mindset of Tempos target audience. So, we now incorporate look up moments into the guest experiencewhether through a unique piece of art on the ceiling or a front desk interaction where our Team Members will always look up and make eye contact with a guest.

Youre a seasoned traveler who has spent most of your adult life at far-flung locations. Whats your personal travel style like?

PC: There are a few travel habits Ive acquired over the years. For one, unless it's an extremely long trip, I never check a bag. I also reuse the plastic dry cleaner bags, layering them in to keep my packed clothes from getting wrinkled. On a more meaningful level, on every trip I take, I do at least one thing that connects me to the local community. It could be going across the street to a new local coffee place or visiting a cool little donut shop that just opened. It makes every trip a learning experience and a bit of an adventure.
Press Release

18 May 2021

Continuing the tradition for the 24th successive year, Rotana is showcasing its developing and dynamic portfolio of superlative hospitality offerings at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021.

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Commenting on the importance of the event, Rotana President and CEO Guy Hutchinson, said: ATM plays a significant role in the growth of the travel and tourism industry and this year, it has an even more important role to play, as key figures from the sector will deliberate on critical factors for a strong, fast-paced and sustainable recovery, which will also be pivotal for overall economic growth. The global event provides an excellent platform for us to explore further growth opportunities and put in place building blocks for future development added Hutchinson.

The COVID-19 crisis has been one of the toughest experiences on record to date, creating a unique inflection point for the global hospitality business, and this years ATM will play a major role in reuniting the travel and trade industries. The keynote centers on Tourism for a brighter future and will discuss how swift, sustainable growth is vital for the industrys recovery.

Makram El Zyr, Rotanas Corporate Vice President for Development stated: Rotana currently operates 68 hotels in 24 cities across 14 countries, including an impressive 10,012 keys across 36 hotels in the UAE. The groups pipeline consists of 40 upcoming projects including 10 that will deliver in the next three years more than 3,000 keys to the market. This is a testament to the competencies of the homegrown brand and its expansion strategy to operate hotels in key locations in high growth markets.

The new property signings represent another major milestone in Rotana's burgeoning development strategy and it remains firmly on course for international expansion. The hospitality group, which currently operates seven hotels in KSA and has a further 5 properties under development, is adding two new properties in Al Baha and Jubail under the Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana brand to its pipeline in KSA. Rotana will be opening the five-star Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts in Jubail in Q1 2022 and the four-star mountain resort project in 2024.

In Manama, Rotana is looking to capitalise on the growing demand for the long-stay segment and has signed an agreement under Residences by Rotana. Set to open in 2022, the property will feature 483 keys and provide an extended stay-focused brand to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Furthermore, Rotana is keen to provide its guests with a holistic living experience by offering a home-away-from-home setting within the city, introducing a 220-key Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana, which is scheduled to open in 2023.

Two new projects are upcoming in Qatar; the group recently took over the management of the 250-key Sedra Arjaan by Rotana, located in the heart of Doha, The Pearl Island, and signed a hotel management agreement under the Centro Hotels brand, with a stylish 350-key property set to add a new dimension to Dohas vibrant hospitality scene by 2023.

Rotana is on course to launch two new properties on the European side of Istanbul: Bomonti Arjaan by Rotana and Bomonti Residences by Rotana offering 650 units that are set to open doors to guests in 2022. Furthermore, the group has taken over a third property in the city, located at the center of Istanbul's new business district. Currently under refurbishment, the 5-star property is set to open its doors to guests in Q2 2022.

While a key focus is placed on international markets, Rotana continues to strengthen its footprint in the UAE to meet the predicted growing demand for hotel rooms in the upscale segment in 2021 and beyond. This is reflected in the recent signing of a hotel management agreement under the Rotana Hotels & Resorts master brand. Expected to open in 2023, the property, which is located in Dubai, will boost the groups number of residential and hospitality units in the country by 295 keys.

Rotana already has a significant presence in Dubai, and strengthening our portfolio with additional properties will allow us to further contribute to and capitalize on the UAEs ever-expanding tourism and hospitality sector. Our upcoming properties will go a long way towards meeting the pent-up demand anticipated during and beyond Expo 2020 this year, and will help ramp up overall room capacity which is crucial in achieving the citys ambitious tourism vision, concluded Guy Hutchinson, Rotana President and CEO.

The regions hospitality sector is marching ahead and showcasing solid growth trajectory, supported by the ambitious economic diversification roadmaps outlined by governments, including the UAEs Vision 2021 and the Saudi Vision 2030. Rotanas expansion plan is in line with the governments vision to strengthen the UAE as a global tourism hub and position the emirates as the number one tourism destination worldwide.
Press Release

18 May 2021

Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DTC) has reported its Q1 2021 results, with total revenue of THB 1.311 billion, a 3.9% YoY increase from THB 1.262 billion, and net profit of THB 74 million, increase from the net loss of THB 82 million reported last year.

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While DTCs core business in Thailand was impacted in 1Q21 by the second wave of COVID-19, which began in late December 2020, the companys prudent financial management and strategy for concentric diversification contributed to revenue recognition during this time.

Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, DTC, said that the company is making every effort to maintain positive business momentum while waiting for its core business to pick up following the rollout of vaccination programmes and gradual easing of travel restrictions worldwide.

Achieving profitability in such a volatile, uncertain and complex business environment is a huge challenge for everyone in the hospitality industry, especially where borders remained closed to international travel, said Ms Suthumpun. Our favourable 1Q21 results mainly come from our resilient financial structure; the gain on sales of investment in an associated company under Dusit Central Park; and revenue generated by our diversified investments in food and property businesses. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began last year, we have continued to hone our financial, business, and organisational models to meet the demands of the situation and ensure we are ready to thrive in the post-pandemic world.

For financial management, DTC has focused on prudent asset rationalisation and optimisation, as well as the implementation of stringent cost-containment measures to reduce expenditure and enhance financial resilience.

For its business model, the company has responded to the challenges facing its domestic hotel business by adjusting its operations to drive non-room revenue. This has included creating and promoting on-demand housekeeping, pop-up eateries, and food delivery services. Where possible, the company is also driving core hotel revenue by offering a Work from Anywhere package, offering an attractive alternative to working from home.

Moreover, DTC has undergone organisational transformation by streamlining its processes to become leaner and more agile. The introduction of a cluster model, for example, has enabled greater sharing of organisational resources by allowing employees to perform multiple roles more effectively, saving costs and other expenses in the process.

Our global expansion strategy also contributed to our favourable results in 1Q21, with Dusit Hotels and Resorts in destinations with widespread vaccination programmes in place  such as China, the Middle East, the USA, and the Maldives  performing satisfactorily, said Ms Suthumpun. While these are certainly positive signs, it must be noted that we foresee that our overall Q2 and Q3 performance will be heavily impacted by the third wave of COVID-19, which is currently sweeping through Thailand and bringing travel to a halt here.

There is no doubt that a high vaccination rate is crucial to the recovery of the global tourism industry overall, and as we wait for these numbers to rise in Thailand, we will continue to maintain prudent liquidity management and ensure our personnel are ready to conduct business safely and effectively in these challenging times.
Press Release

18 May 2021

A new era of hotels opening in Melbourne will drive the revival of city tourism prior to the re-opening of international travel, predicts Simon McGrath, Chief Executive Officer Accor Pacific, Australias largest hotel operator.

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Whilst corporate, meetings and non-leisure travel to Melbourne has dipped over the past year, impacted by the closure of local and international borders, and is likely to remain subdued for the next 12 months, Mr McGrath forecasts that leisure travel will see a V shaped recovery.

Melbourne is one of the worlds greatest cities and, over the next two years, we are bringing eight hotels and 1,583 rooms to the city, which is an investment of over $700 million by a variety of owners. This will create around 600 jobs, whilst boosting the appeal of the city and the quality of accommodation available, said Mr McGrath.

As well as the new Movenpick hotel, which will open in June, we will be opening new hotels which include SO/, 25hours, Mercure and Peppers - before the end of 2023. These new properties will complement our current portfolio of 43 hotels in Melbourne, offering even greater choice for travellers.

Mr McGrath continued, People love to visit Melbourne for its world-leading events calendar  for its sport, arts and culture. Sporting events such as the Australian Open, the AFL and Formula One are also tourism events, attracting thousands into the city. Even without international travel, events can contribute to the city making a serious tourism comeback.

Accor is Australias leading operator of hotels, and is set to unveil the second of its Movenpick branded hotels in Australia next month, in a prime location in the Melbourne central business district. Movenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer follows the debut of the brand in Hobart earlier this year and brings to the Victorian capital a design-focussed hotel that captures the vibrancy of Melbournes dining and fashion district.

The Movenpick opening follows the addition in 2019 of the lifestyle-focused Hotel Chadstone, part of Accors MGallery collection. The Melbourne hotel was developed adjacent to the countrys largest luxury retail precinct, and boasts a wide variety of restaurants and leisure facilities, including the Holism Retreat Day Spa.

The development of its lifestyle and luxury hotel portfolio has been at the heart of Accor's expansion strategy in recent years. Through organic growth of its well-established MGallery and Mama Shelter brands, and acquisition of internationally-renowned brands such as SO/, 25hours, Hyde and Mondrian as well as the locally developed Tribe brand, Accor has seen exponential growth.

Accor Pacific CEO, Simon McGrath, said that personality and great service were the key success factors of a hotel, and the new Movenpick in Melbourne would offer both.

"Travellers, whether they are leisure or corporate, want hotels that offer authentic style and outstanding guest service," said Mr McGrath.

"We are no longer travelling, consuming or working the way we did before the health crisis, and people want experiences, authenticity, meaning and emotion. We are investing and growing our exciting new hotel portfolio in city centres and in leisure locations. We expect these hotels to contribute significantly to the revival of the travel sector in the next two years, until corporate, conference and international travel returns to pre-pandemic levels."

Accor operates a complete range of hotel brands in Australia, from luxury to economy, with more than 340 hotels, resorts and apartment hotels under brands such as Sofitel, MGallery, Art Series, Pullman, Swissotel, Movenpick, Grand Mercure, Peppers, The Sebel, Mantra, Novotel, Mercure, Tribe, BreakFree, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis Budget.

Proposed hotel opening schedule
Press Release

18 May 2021

London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) successfully and safely staged the worlds first major live international business conference in the COVID-19 era in Cancun, Mexico, last month.

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WTTCs annual Global Summit was successfully held following months of meticulous planning and implemented with rigorous health and safety protocols and measures to ensure the safety of all attendees  which included almost 1,500 PCR and Antigen tests being undertaken during the event.

More than 600 delegates from over 40 countries attended the Global Summit, and COVID-19 tests were taken by delegates upon arrival, during, and upon departure from the hugely successful event.

Of those attending, 99.8% returned with a negative result, with only two individuals testing positive on arrival and declined admittance within the summit bubble. Just one individual tested positive prior to departure, but due to enhanced health and safety protocols, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, no further positive cases were reported.

To deliver the worlds first international event safely, the WTTC Health & Safety committee reviewed the global requirements and recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the UK Government, and the Government of Quintana Roo.

The global tourism body also worked closely with Global Rescue, a WTTC Member and Strategic Sponsor, and a global expert in travel risk and crisis management.

Virginia Messina, WTTC Senior Vice President, said: After months of meticulous planning, we are delighted to have delivered a safe and successful Global Summit with more than 600 delegates from over 40 countries.

The event was a platform for the recovery of the Travel & Tourism sector which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We truly believe we have shown the world how international events, and indeed international travel, can take place by observing the latest health and safety protocols.

For many months, we have been calling on governments around the world to implement a comprehensive rapid testing regime, which can get restore international travel safely.

Our Global Summit was proof that testing, along with enhanced health and hygiene measures, and mandatory mask wearing  complimented by the global vaccine rollout  is the key to safely reopening international travel.

Download the Summit report.

Download the press release.
China proposes solutions to develop and govern emerging technologies

Xinhua) 11:20, May 18, 2021

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. (Photo by Xinhua)

China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun chaired an Arria-Formula Meeting on "the Impact of Emerging Technologies on International Peace and Security" on Monday. Over 40 representatives from Member States, including Security Council members, attended this meeting and agreed to share benefits of the emerging technologies, prevent digital gap and better control risks through multilateral cooperation.

To help find better ways to develop, use and govern emerging technologies, Zhang Jun said China has proposed the following:

First, we need to promote innovation-driven development, and comprehensively improve the development and application of science and technology in all countries to narrow the digital divide. All countries must be fully engaged in the process of global technological development, to ensure that the advances in science and technology benefit all, especially developing countries. We need to strengthen capacity building through the application of emerging technologies to raise all countries' capability to fight the pandemic, tackle climate change, and maintain food, energy and data security.

Second, we need to create favorable conditions to encourage healthy competition and prevent the monopoly on technology. All countries should pursue open development, and meet the challenges in the process of development. Unilateralism, protectionism and technological hegemony should be firmly opposed. We need to uphold international fairness and justice, promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, and avoid blockades and barriers to technology.

Third, we need to strengthen global governance to better regulate the development and application of emerging technologies. More efforts should be made to formulate relevant international instruments to fill the gaps in rules, norms and order. State governments should consult together, contribute together and share benefits together. We should practise multilateralism, encourage active participation of multiple stakeholders, and increase dialogue and cooperation to jointly formulate international norms and rules on emerging technologies.

Fourth, we need to fully recognize the potential risks and challenges of emerging technologies to better maintain international peace and security. We need to ensure that technological innovation complies with the law and universally-recognized international norms. We must ensure emerging technologies are of the people, by the people and for the people. Special attention should be paid to the use of emerging technologies in armed conflicts. We must prevent emerging technologies from falling into the hands of terrorist groups or being used to spread disinformation and hate speech. It is necessary to strengthen the use of emerging technologies in UN peacekeeping operations.

Fifth, we need to strengthen coordination to support the central role of the UN. The UN should pay more attention to emerging technologies, and further study and explore the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and inclusive framework for international cooperation and governance from the perspectives of peace, development and security. UN agencies should strengthen coordination to better seize the opportunities and tackle the risks and challenges brought by emerging technologies.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Korean nationals from India arrive at Incheon International Airport on May 7 via a chartered flight after the Korean government had encouraged them to return from the country suffering from an exceptionally high risk of coronavirus infection. Yonhap



A total of 38 South Koreans who arrived from India this month on special flights tested positive for the new coronavirus, health authorities said Tuesday.



Of 1,039 Koreans brought home from the pandemic-ravaged country, 3.2 percent were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



Of the patients, 15 Koreans were screened at the airport and the reminder tested positive while being placed under quarantine at state-designated facilities, the KDCA said.



South Korea has airlifted South Koreans from India six times via special flights since May 4, as the South Asian country has become a virus hotspot in recent months amid the fast spread of the Indian variant.




Press Release

18 May 2021

U.S. hotel revenue per available room, a key industry performance metric, inched closer to 2019 levels during the week ending May 8, despite hotel occupancy falling to an eight-week low, partially due to more hotels reopening after temporary closures.

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The weekly Market Recovery Monitor by STR, CoStars hospitality analytics firm, shows that U.S. hotel RevPAR for the week ending May 8 was 67% of the level reached during the same week in 2019, which for the purposes of measuring the recovery is considered pre-pandemic, normal hotel performance.

That RevPAR index to 2019 was up nearly two percentage points from the prior week, indicating that the recovery continues to move in the right direction.

Photo: STR

Ninety-one of 166 U.S. hotel markets (55%) posted RevPAR for the week that was 80% or more of the level achieved during the same week in 2019.

Twenty-five markets posted peak performance for the week with RevPAR higher than 2019 levels, though that number was down from the previous four weeks. Among those markets, the Florida Keys had the highest RevPAR index to 2019  reaching 142% of the 2019 level  followed closely behind by Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Sarasota, Florida.

Photo: STR

Occupancy Doldrums

The week-over-week decline in hotel occupancy, however, represents a challenge to the pace of recovery.

For the week ending May 8, only 56.7% of U.S. hotel rooms were occupied. Accounting for temporarily closed hotels, using STRs total room inventory methodology, that number was 54.1%. U.S. hotel occupancy hasnt been that low since the week of March 20.

Photo: STR

However, room demand increased slightly during the week as the industry again sold more than 21 million rooms, continuing a trend that began in mid-March. That indicates that the drop in occupancy is not a result of fewer people in hotel rooms as it is more hotel rooms serving a similar number of guests.

U.S. hotel room supply increased 0.8% week over week, adding more than 284,000 rooms over the previous week  the largest weekly gain since the summer of 2020.

The largest hotel supply gains were in the New Jersey Shore market, where 28,000 rooms came online ahead of the summer season, and in Alaska. Among the top 25 U.S. markets by size, Washington, D.C., led with the addition of 14,000 rooms, followed by New York City. A number of hotel rooms also opened in the Chicago and San Francisco markets during the week.

Compared to 2019, large hotels have fewer rooms online  only 93% of the rooms available in 2019 are open today. Hotels in the other size categories have slightly more hotel rooms online than they did in 2019.

While supply gains played a role in this weeks overall occupancy softness, there is also seasonality at play. Weekend demand was 96% of the level achieved during the same weekend in 2019.

Fewer hotels had occupancy above 60% for the week  51% this week versus 52% in the previous two weeks. There was also a slight rise in the number of hotels with occupancy below 30%. The 3,039 hotels with under 30% occupancy was the highest of the past three weeks but far better than the 14,000 in that category at the beginning of the year.

U.S. hotel average daily rate advanced for a third straight week and by the largest amount in some time  up 1.1% to $110, which was also the highest level since early April.

Rates increased more on weekdays than weekends, but weekends continued to command higher ADR overall, reaching $125  the best level since January 2020. Weekday ADR increased to $102 and has been above $100 in seven of the past eight weeks. Hotels in the top 25 markets advanced ADR slightly better than the U.S. hotel industry at large, with rates nearly 2% higher on weekdays.

Demand Shifts

The slight increase in room demand for the week was driven by weekday guests. The weekly increase in rooms sold on weekdays was the highest its been over the past month, as more than 70% of all U.S. markets reported gains. Weekday occupancy increased to 52% for the week  or 50% factoring in temporarily closed hotels.

This trend held in the top 25 markets, which posted 50% hotel occupancy  46% including temporarily closed hotels  after four weeks straight of declining weekday occupancy. Business hotels in urban markets also showed progress, with occupancy increasing to 43% after a decline the previous week.

However, weekend demand for hotel rooms fell week over week, with occupancy of 68%  the lowest of the past five weeks. Weekend occupancy had been at or above 70% since early April.

Photo: STR

Indexed against 2019, demand for the week was at its highest level of the past three weeks, with U.S. hotels selling 83.7% of the rooms sold during the same week in 2019. However, the index for weekday demand fell to its lowest level since mid-March  selling only 78.3% of the rooms sold on weekdays during the same week in 2019. This indicates that the lack of business demand remains an issue for the industry.

Isaac Collazo is VP Analytics at STR.

This article represents an interpretation of data collected by CoStar's hospitality analytics firm, STR. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concerns. For more analysis of STR data, visit the data insights blog on STR.com.
Opinion Article

18 May 2021

Global healthcare has evolved immensely over the last centuries, through the vast advancements of technology and groundbreaking pharmaceutical discoveries. With COVID-19 concerns still rife, the spotlight has shone on the global healthcare sector  yet counterintuitively, the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) expects a 1.1% decline in healthcare spending across the worlds 60 largest economies, due to a sharp fall in non-urgent care spending.

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Nonetheless, the pandemic has made it evident that healthcare is one of the most essential sectors of the world, with global healthcare spending previously having been expected to reach USD 8.7 trillion in 2020. Although the impact of COVID-19 on hospitality versus healthcare appears to have been polar opposites, there are many similarities to be drawn between the two sectors  after all, both rely on the human touch and offer care and respite to their guests.

In a webinar with EHL, Patrik Bruhlmann, CEO & Board Director of Pacific Healthcare Group of Companies, drew comparisons between the hospitality and healthcare industries, and offered insights into the future developments of the healthcare sector.

Hospitality vs. Healthcare

Were going to be comparing hospitality and healthcare quite a bit today. In a previous conversation weve had, you mentioned a common root of the term of hospitality and hotels and hospitals, right? But hotels and hospitals are so different now.

PB: Yes, I think its always good to see where the word always comes from  the word (hospital) comes from Latin (hospes) and gives you a quick overview of what it actually means  to provide a safe place to sleep, which is associated with shelter and friendliness. With hotels, we clearly know that this is how they must be; otherwise, they wont attract customers. But in a hospital environment, people sometimes forget that this is a big part of recovery as well: how well the patient feels, how properly looked after they are  not only in terms of the doctors or a prescription or diagnosis, but also in terms of care, which means it also involves the nursing and cleaning staff.

[With that in mind,] I really would hope that hospitals recruit proper F&B and rooms division people, because its so simple to provide what is a normal offering in any hotel in the world. And there are good one-star and two-star hotels, its not just about five-star hotels  its really about providing what a patient wants to pay or can pay for.

You mentioned that one of the bigger differences between hotels and hospitals is who pays for what  and that changes the buying pattern as well.

PB: Thats correct. My father always used to say, The one who pays is the one who says whats going to happen. And hotels obviously see that immediately  if Im not happy, I walk out of the door and theres another three or four two-star hotels around the corner. And whether I pay $50, $100, or $200, I can change it every day; I can also do that in the restaurant business, the airline business etc. In the hospital, that is also true if Im a self-pay patient. [But even then,] how can I rate a doctor or hospital? Theres no TripAdvisor for hospitals where I can say, The appendix was very well-removed, and the food was good in the hospital. If you are lucky enough to have a very expensive private insurance, then you can go to any hospital, request any doctor, change hospitals, and look at different options. But your insurance may just give you a chain of hospitals that you can go to, with no free doctor choices. And in the government hospitals, you usually get in the queue and see whichever doctor is available at that time. A lot of countries have universal healthcare, where basically everyone gets good healthcare provided by government hospitals, and thats also a big difference. So yes, I think one of the biggest differences is who pays in the hospital and healthcare sector.

Revenues and costs in healthcare

What are the revenue streams of a hospital compared to a hotel? Do you think that hospitals carry out efficient revenue management with the time of doctors?

PB: I think the revenue streams of a hotel are classic F&B, rooms, and whatever you can generate in the space of hotels. Hospitals have a similar simple structure. On one hand is rooms or inpatient care, and that is inclusive of F&B and the bed and whats needed there. In hotels, you may measure revenue per available room (RevPAR). Similarly, in hospitals, you have revenue per doctor, and they have commission structures in terms of what they produce. You also have the utilization rate of operating theatres  how many hours of an operating theatre are used? How many hours is an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner used? A machine that only operates 12 hours, whether its an X-ray machine, and MRI scanner, or an ultrasound machine, is lost money. So, hospitals try to extend hours  for example, you do lab tests and all diagnostics before or after hours so that when the doctor works, all of that becomes revenue-generating for the doctor.

Its also about square meterage  how many square meters can you utilize for treatment rooms, the operating theatre, the outpatient clinic etc. Back-of-house in hospitals are also usually kept to a minimum. Very few hospitals have a swimming pool or gym, because its usually not revenue-generating. No insurance will pay for you to have a bit of a swim in the rehab, except in a rehab clinic  thats another business again but usually, those non-revenue-generating areas are minimized.

What about fixed versus flexible costs?

PB: Thats a very important aspect of any business: what is a fixed cost and what is a variable cost? That shows you the flexibility of the business and especially now, during COVID times, [it is very important to know] how much you can cut off your costs to bring down your break-even points. And hospitals are terrible at this because almost everything is a fixed cost. Doctors and nurses are usually a scarce resource, so you have difficulties in recruiting and retraining them and they become almost a fixed cost  thats the bad thing about fixed costs. But the good thing about fixed costs, as we all know in the airline and hotel business, is that as soon as you go over the break-even point, its cash into your pocket right away, and the more throughput you have in the hospital the better.

Screengrab from EHLs Hospital(ity) in Healthcare Webinar. Presentation courtesy of Pacific Healthcare Group of Companies  Photo: EHL

Developments in the healthcare sector

Whats your view on e-healthcare? For example, if we can do the diagnosis or basic treatments at home, then theres no need to go to hospitals or for infrastructure; so perhaps the cost of healthcare could be reduced.

PB: I was just looking at that business model and theres a large company in India who provides even ICU (intensive care unit) care at home  they provide all the machines [at the patients home]. Unfortunately, they dont make money, and because of scarcity of talent, it has its limitations. Which doctor wants to go to your home? A doctor sells time  so would a doctor want to spend one hour driving to your home, look at you for five minutes and drive another hour to the next patient? Probably not, because he only charges for the five minutes where he sees the patient. From an economical point of view, its much better if a doctor sees you at the hospital.

[Regarding e-healthcare,] during COVID, we have seen an increase of patients seeking a doctors opinion [via video call] on a computer. But [you still have to do] lab tests; you need to take blood, take urine, you need to press  does it hurt here? You need to go through diagnostics tests and again, the machine that gives you the diagnostic ability is in the hospital. In order for a doctor to make an informed decision of what treatment is good, [it needs to be done in person]  unless its a simple fever and he says, Go to the pharmacy and buy ibuprofen of paracetamol. This is again a reality check of where and how revenue is generated, and how an e-model can be sustained. But definitely, the diagnostics business will become a much bigger part of the hospital or healthcare system.

What do you think about luxury senior living? Do you think those industries will grow faster than traditional hospitals?

PB: Thats an interesting business model and you have different models there. Does it make money? thats the basic question everyone usually asks. Aged care is very expensive and the problem with aged care is also who is paying for it  is it the person him/herself, the family, insurance, or the government? There are some interesting aged care models in Australia, where you basically have a tiered approach: First, you buy into an aged cared facility like youre buying an apartment, and you stay there until, for example, you cannot walk or have an underlying sickness. You then move into a room where you have a nurse and if that is not enough, youre transferred gain into a higher care environment. And when you die, the apartment or share that you bought in that senior living environment goes back into the pool, so that gives them the ability to re-sell space. And you can do a little research on these companies and see their financials  theyre not great. Because again, its about people  who is taking care of the elderly; where do you recruit them and what is their cost? Unfortunately, I have not seen a huge financial attraction from retirement villages. I think that can come, but when is the time? Its difficult. As you know, timing is everything. If youve invested too early, youll go bust. If you invest tomorrow and there are already 20 operators, youre too late.

Screengrab of example tiered options at Weary Dunlop Retirement Village in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne by Ryman Healthcare.  Ryman Healthcare

I think that will be an interesting space to watch and  for example, just thinking out loud: during this COVID time, with so many empty hotels, which hotel operator would have the guts to say, Its going to be empty for the rest of its life, why dont I transform this operation into a new operation that has a different life cycle? There are, of course, many hotels who operate as COVID quarantine wards  but do they have the guts to say, No. COVID will go away, and then there will be something else coming; I will cater for the elderly and do that in cooperation with hospitals, where doctors come and visit etc.  would such a business model be more viable now [than before COVID]?

Career advice  From hospitality to healthcare

What would you suggest if a hospitality student would be interested in pursuing healthcare management after graduation? What positions would be available in the industry?

PB: I think good private hospitals should recruit directly into their system. But nevertheless, I think to go via a service provider, whether theyre F&B or a provider of beds [could also work]  and I think [working via these areas] also gives you a bit more credibility with hospitals when you say, I know this industry. I know this area. Because theres also some kind of snobbism that one has to deal with [in hospitals]  the doctors and healthcare providers are very untouchable and if you dont use a certain vocabulary when speaking in a hospital environment, people will think, Why dont you know those 10 words that you should use in a hospital? So, I think it may be easier to go via annex industries like I did.

I dont think theres any university degree per se or full four-year course that you could do. But there are definitely annex courses, particularly in the US, where big private hospital chains are operating, that will allow you to dive a bit deeper into both the vocabulary and the running of hospitals and what is needed there.
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The historic February freeze delivered a gigantic windfall to some energy companies while others took a major hit, underscoring the scale of the storms economic impact to the energy industry.

Pipeline companies, such as Energy Transfer of Dallas and Kinder Morgan of Houston, made at least $1 billion each after they successfully transported and sold natural gas at high prices during the storm to power plants and other industrial customers. On the other hand, merchant power companies such as Vistra Energy of Irving and NRG of Houston lost upwards of $1 billion each as natural gas-fired power plants were charged exorbitant prices for natural gas to generate electricity.

Oil producers and refineries also suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from repairs and lost production.

In one week alone, Vistra spent more than twice the amount on natural gas than what we usually spend in one full year to power our Texas generation fleet, CEO Curtis Morgan said. We never would have imagined that the gas infrastructure system in Texas would face power outages, freeze-offs and operational issues, and that gas fuel supply  not operational challenges  would have been a significant driver of our financial loss.

A clearer picture of the energy industrys winners and losers has emerged in the months after the February winter storm caused one of the largest power grid failures in U.S. history, killing nearly 200 Texans and causing billions of dollars in property damage. Companies reporting first-quarter financial results disclosed billions of dollars in gains and losses from the winter storm, which forced one of the largest exchanges of capital in the energy market.

Winners

Losers

Vistra (power generator): $1.6 billion

NRG (retail power): $967 million

Exxon Mobil (oil major): $600 million

Chevron (oil major): $300 million

Oncor (utility): $102 million

Westlake Chemical (petrochemical): $100 million

Occidental Petroleum (oil independent): $83 million

Pioneer Natural Resources (oil producer): $80 million

Huntsman (petrochemical): $25 million

Pipeline companies saw the biggest gains during the winter storm, particularly companies that invested in protecting their equipment from extreme weather.

Energy Transfer said it made $2.4 billion during the storm after its investments in weatherizing its equipment and facilities paid off, allowing its pipeline operators to store, transport and sell natural gas at high prices when supplies were short.

Similarly, Kinder Morgan said it generated $1 billion from the big freeze after investing in its equipment and facilities, weatherizing them against the possibility of freezes.

Kinder Morgan also took advantage of high electricity prices during the storm by reducing its enhanced oil recovery operation, which pumps carbon dioxide into oil fields to boost production, and receiving part of the profits after its power provider sold the power for those operations into wholesale markets. This resulted in a $116 million gain, the company disclosed.

Enterprise Products Partners said it saw a $250 million gain from the storm after transporting and selling natural gas at high prices to utilities, industrial customers and power generators during the storm. The Houston pipeline company purchased additional natural gas during the storm, which it also sold at high prices.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Power losses

Power companies reported billions of dollars in losses after natural gas prices skyrocketed as freezing temperatures and power outages caused gas production to fall by nearly half during the storm. Power executives said natural gas power plants, which generate about half of Texas electricity, received inadequate gas deliveries during the storm and were forced to buy natural gas at astronomical rates.

Vistra, the largest power company in Texas, reported a $1.6 billion financial loss from the winter storm. The company said it was forced to spend $1.1 billion on natural gas in the spot market at a price of $700 per million British thermal units during the storm. Its typical contract price is about $3 per million British thermal units.

NRG, the Houston retail electricity provider, said it took a $967 million hit from the winter storm, after the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, under an emergency order from state regulators, left power pricing at the state maximum of $9,000 per megawatt hour for days, forcing its retail power subsidiaries to purchase wholesale electricity at those high prices.

Dallas-based Oncor, the largest utility in Texas, said it took a $102 million hit, mostly from operation and maintenance restoration costs.

The San Antonio municipal utility CPS Energy estimated it shelled out almost $1 billion for electricity and natural gas to distribute to its customers during the storm. CPS Energy has sued gas pipeline operators and the states grid manager ERCOT over the cost of its natural gas bill.

Energy Transfers egregious natural gas price gouging during the disastrous Winter Storm Uri and their resulting report of record-breaking $2.4 billion quarterly profits are now on full display for the world to see, CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams said in a statement. Energy Transfer made a choice to prioritize profits over people. That company took advantage of many citizens in Texas by selling natural gas at historically unprecedented levels and taking in sky high profits.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Regulators knew of freeze risk to Texas' natural gas system. It still crippled power generation.

Energy Transfers co-CEOs Tom Long and Mackie McCrea fired back, arguing it transparently negotiated with CPS over the pricing of its natural gas during the storm.

It is now very clear that CPS, unlike many other cities and municipalities, did not properly prepare in advance of the storm to be able to provide electricity to its captive customers throughout the duration of the storm, Long and McCrea said in a statement. Now, they are diverting the spotlight from their reckless and incompetent actions in order to avoid paying their bills. CPS is trying to play politics and place blame on others.

Mixed impact

The winter storm had mixed effects on the oil and gas industry.

The Texas oil major Exxon Mobil said it took a $600 million financial hit while its California rival Chevron said it took a $300 million hit from the winter storm because of lower oil and refinery production, and repairs to facilities.

U.S. shale giants Occidental Petroleum and Pioneer Natural Resources said they took a financial hit of $83 million and $80 million, respectively, due to repairs to well facilities and loss of production.

BP, on the other hand, said it had an exceptional trading week during the storm as the British oil major serves as one of the largest trading hubs for natural gas in North America. Although the company did not disclose its trading numbers, Citigroup analyst Alastair Syme estimated BP easily made more than $1 billion from its trading business during the storm, contributing heavily to the $2.6 billion in first quarter profits reported by the company.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Days ahead of Texas deadly blackouts, warning signs were there

Although not mentioned by name, we think positioning around the February storm in Texas, Storm Uri, has been the biggest driver of these gains, Syme said in a research note to clients.

While the companys trading business benefited from the high prices, CEO Bernard Looney said thousands of BP employees in Texas endured days without power and water, as well as damage to their homes. The company paid to house some of its 4,000 Houston-area employees in hotels.

The winter storm also dealt a heavy blow to refineries and petrochemical plants, which suffered broken and damaged equipment, a shortage of crude and a lengthy restart. When the freeze knocked out power, it forced most refineries, such as Exxons Baytown refinery or Motiva Enterprises refinery in Port Arthur, to shut down or slow operations, threatening supply chains.

Houston-based petrochemical giants Westlake Chemical and Huntsman Corp. reported costs of $100 million and $25 million, respectively, from the winter storm due to equipment repairs.

marcy.deluna@chron.com

paul.takahashi@chron.com
WASHINGTON - The International Energy Agency, the body that advises governments on energy and is widely respected among politicians of all stripes, warned Tuesday that nations need to halt oil and gas development this year if they are to meet their target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and avoid catastrophic climate change.

In a new report, the IEA advises nations to shift their economies to run largely on electricity, with 90 percent of that energy coming from renewables such as wind and solar energy. In the meantime, oil and gas systems should shift their focus, "entirely to output  and emissions reductions  from the operation of existing assets."

Such a shift would likely prove devastating to the economies of Texas and other fossil fuel producing states and nations, for which the oil, coal, and natural gas beneath them represent trillions of dollars in annual revenue The halting of new development would be especially harmful to Texass oil and gas industry, which relies on shale wells that produce large volumes of oil and gas in the early years but drop off in production quickly thereafter.

The IEA has no authority to stop nations from drilling new oil and gas wells, but it will likely give energy customers and investors further pause as they contemplate the future of the industry in a net-zero carbon emissions world, said Michael Webber, a professor at the University of Texas.

The IEA gives them a report to hang on to and say were not going to invest in fossil fuels anymore, Webber said. It will be influential, even though (IEA) doesnt have authority.

The IEA, established by the United States, Europe and other wealthy nations in response to the oil crisis of the early 1970s, acknowledged that shifting from fossil fuels in less than 30 years represents a daunting challenge for national governments, requiring them to overhaul energy systems in a fraction of the time of past energy transitions, such as the move from wood to coal and then coal to oil. The IEA recommended that governments end subsidies for fossil fuels and put a price on greenhouse gas emissions to provide the economic incentives to make the shift to clean energy.

RELATED: IEA warns developing nations are a blind spot for climate action

The agency also recommended that technologies producing large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as internal combustion engines, gas-powered furnaces and coal plants, be quickly phased out and clean energy investment triple over the next decade to $4 trillion a year.

"The scale and speed of the efforts demanded by this critical and formidable goal  our best chance of tackling climate change and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees (Celsius)  make this perhaps the greatest challenge humankind has ever faced, said Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director.

Scientists say that allowing global temperatures to rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by mid-century would invite environmental disaster.

Different tone

Oil companies were largely quiet Tuesday, but Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Production and Exploration Council, which represents companies including Apache Corp. and EOG Resources, warned government officials against "canceling the fuels our world needs to thrive.

"The world can meet growing demand for energy while continuing to reduce emissions by working with the U.S. oil and natural gas industry to develop and deploy the innovative technologies needed to reach net-zero," she said in a statement.

The tone of Tuesdays report represented a sharp shift from previous IEA statements on the future of energy, which had downplayed the ability of the clean energy sector to scale up to meet the worlds enormous energy demands.

Its huge to have the worlds most influential energy modelers bolstering the global call to stop licensing and financing new fossil fuel extraction," said Kelly Trout, an interim director at the activist group Oil Change International. "Governments, banks, and big oil and gas companies can no longer use the IEA as a shield to claim that their support for fossil fuel expansion is consistent with the Paris Agreement."

Houston, home to one of the worlds greatest concentration of oil and gas companies, has made efforts to transition to a low-carbon world, but so far with mixed success. A recent study by the Brookings Institute found venture capital firms invested $1.9 billion in Houston startups between 2011 and 2016, a fraction of the $13 billion they invested in San Francisco and Silicon Valley over that same period.

RELATED: Greentown Labs opening marks clean energy milestone for Houston

But large oil and gas companies are investing heavily in researching and developing clean energy technology, setting the region up well for the future, said Bobby Tudor, chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership's Energy Transition initiative.

If nothing else, (the IEA report) confirms why we think the opportunity is so fantastic for Houston, said Tudor, chairman of the Houston energy investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Being close to the big industrial customers and players in the legacy (oil and gas) business is going to be very helpful and important piece of solving this puzzle.

Time wasted

But such efforts and those worldwide are not advancing fast enough, IEA said.

Since the United Nations' agreement on climate change was signed in 1992, global carbon emissions from energy and industry have increased 60 percent. During that period, climate scientists have repeatedly warned that if action wasnt taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, governments would need to employ more severe strategies.

This is the IEA making good on that promise, saying weve wasted the last decade and a half, Webber said. We need to start deploying clean energy technology on a large scale now. We cant sit around waiting another 30 years for the technology.
Howard Hughes Corp. announced builders in Prairieland Village, the third of four planned villages in the 11,500-acre Bridgeland community in Cypress, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Presales have begun in Prairieland Village, which is planned for 7,000 homes and will open in spring of 2022.

The first four sections of Prairieland Village, named Mourning Cloak, after the butterfly, will offer homes by eight builders. The houses will be built on 40-, 45-, 50- and 55-foot lots and in September, 60-foot lots and larger will be available.
Pickles are popular all around the world, from the lacto-fermented cabbage known as sauerkraut introduced by Eastern Europeans to the tiny, spiced cornichons the French adore. The word pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel or northern German pokel, meaning salt or brine, two very important steps in the pickling process.

Pickles have been around since 2000 B.C. when cucumbers, which originated in India somewhere between the Bay of Bengal and the northern Himalayas, were pickled in the Tigris valley. Throughout history, pickling was a necessity as it helped preserve food for a long time.

When a heavy influx of Jewish immigrants arrived in the United States during the late 1800s to early 1900s, they introduced kosher dill pickles to Americans. Cucumbers were washed then piled into big wooden barrels along with dill, garlic, kosher salt and clean water. They were left to ferment for a few weeks to several months then sold on pushcarts in the immigrant tenement district of New York.

The pickles I grew up with in India were different. Salted green mango was sun-dried and pickled in a coriander fenugreek masala and preserved in mustard oil; lemons were pickled with sugar and chile; and when vegetables such as carrots or cauliflower were fermented in a brine, it was always with the addition of spices including turmeric and mustard.

With eggplants just appearing this spring, this pickle masala makes for a spicy coating  refrigerate it for up to three weeks. Enjoy it in small portions alongside meals or on top of toast with eggs or cheese.

PICKLED EGGPLANT

1 pound small eggplants

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped or grated jaggery

2 teaspoons minced garlic



MASALA

 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

 teaspoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

5 to 6 whole red arbol chiles

Instructions: Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, sprinkle salt on the cut surface and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Heat the olive oil and sear the eggplants with the cut side down on medium heat for a few minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Flip over and cook a few more minutes if needed to finish.

Heat the vinegar, jaggery and garlic together separately until the jaggery has melted and mixed through.

To make the masala: On medium heat, in a small frying pan lightly dry-toast the fenugreek and coriander seeds, cloves and peppercorns for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the chiles at the end, saute for another minute, then turn the heat off. Let the masala cool for a few minutes then grind until smooth and stir with the cooked eggplant along with vinegar mix. There should be enough masala and olive oil to coat all the eggplant.



Notes and variations

 Jaggery is a raw palm sugar sold in blocks at most Indian grocers  feel free to substitute with 3 tablespoons sugar (jaggery is more concentrated than sugar).

 This masala can be used for other vegetables, such as cooked carrots or cauliflower.

Makes 2 cups

Anita Jaisinghani is the chef-owner of Pondicheri restaurant in Houston. Her website is india1948.com. Contact her at anita@pondicheri.com.
At 90, Maria Esther Estrada Campos knows the walk across the stage to receive her diploma may be a little much, even with a new pair of Reebok sneakers, a gift from her twin granddaughters.

But Campos, whether she walks or rides in a wheelchair, will be at University of Houstons Fertitta Center on Tuesday to receive an honorary doctorate, 55 years after she started the doctorate program.

I was a daughter, wife, mother and a student. So when it came to making choices, my family was the most important and school was always something in progress. Ive been in progress for 55 years, she said Sunday during a a virtual graduation celebration with family at her East End home.

Campos was just 25  married to her late husband Jesse Campos, with four young children  when she enrolled in UHs College of Education in 1959. She earned a bachelors degree in English and a masters in Spanish, and was one of the first bilingual education teachers in Houston Independent School District. She later worked as a counselor and an assistant principal.

She could have easily stopped her education then, but having a doctorate degree, Campos believed, would help her to do more to educate and empower Latino children. Her dissertation examined the correlation of the success of Mexican American middle-school age children with their teachers cultural understanding and awareness. Basically, a teacher who didnt understand the culture of a child couldnt teach the child effectively. Thats still relevant today, she said.

MORE FROM JOY SEWING: Houston's Asian designers amplify their voices in fashion show

It was a difficult time when schools were being integrated. You had Hispanic children in mostly white schools, and teachers had no understanding of how to teach them culturally, Campos said. I felt a responsibility to help our children.

Campos also wanted to prove wrong a college program adviser who told her it would be impossible to obtain a doctorate degree as a young working woman with small children. But with many personal challenges, she shelved the doctorate dream and went on to become a HISD school board trustee in 1993, serving for a decade. Campos pushed for cultural training for teachers to help Latino students with language and cultural barriers. She also served on the board of Harris County Childrens Protective Services, was a founding member of Tejano Democrats and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

For her 90th birthday last October, Campos wanted a party. She had spent the early part of 2020 in the hospital with a respiratory infection and was happy to be healthy again.

She also wanted to vote in a new president and get a COVID shot.

Finishing her doctorate wasnt on her birthday wish list, but her daughter Olga Campos Benz, a retired TV anchor in Austin, wanted her mother to have the degree she had worked so hard for.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

Benz learned about UHs honorary degree, which has been awarded to fewer than 90 people since the university was founded in 1927. The doctorate of humane letters, honoris causa, is given for exemplary service to the university or the community and is the highest honor the school can bestow.

In three weeks, Benz compiled letters of support from some of the states most noted Hispanic leaders, including Dr. Laura Murillo, president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber, and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, who acknowledged Campos on the House floor last week, calling her a trailblazer in education and a public servant and a champion for civil rights.

In Houston, if people were organizing for the betterment of the Latino community, Esther Campos was there, Garcia said.

During the recent virtual celebration, Murillo said Campos had influenced her to pursue and earn a doctorate degree from UH, as well.

You are an inspiration, Murillo told Campos. You represent less than 2 percent of Latinos in the United States with doctorate degrees.

MORE FROM JOY SEWING: This Mother's Day, celebrate two refugee moms for whom every day in America is a triumph

At the Campos home, family photos fill nearly every wall, along with her quilts. Shes made nearly 150 of them and has bequeathed them to be sold to benefit Texas Childrens Hospital.

At her bedside are photos of her four grown children. She also has seven grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.

Campos is also one of five members of her family to attend University of Houston.

We have to help motivate our children so that they stay with their goals, so we dont go backwards. Its also important to carry on your traditions and be proud of who you are, she said.

joy.sewing@chron.com
I figured the first pair of sneakers I bought at the beginning of the pandemic would last until I returned to the office.

I figured wrong, it turns out. Youre only supposed to put about 500 miles on a pair of shoes, and Im now on my fourth set since the Chronicle sent us home last March.

Sneaking little walks into my day has been the silver lining in a stressful, surreal year.

It started last March, during a daily phone call with a writer on my team. I heard birds in the background of her phone and asked where she was. Walking, she said.

So I started walking, too. Now every meeting I take that doesnt necessitate my face showing up inside a little Zoom box on my colleagues screens is taken with my headphones on, along the sidewalks of my neighborhood. On a typical weke, these phone meetings tally up to somewhere between six and 10 hours of walk-and-talks.

A hundred or so miles a month.

More Information Editor's note: This is the third installment of an eight-week series geared toward helping Renew readers prepare their bodies and minds to return to normal life this summer, as the pandemic wanes. See More Collapse

MORE HEALTH NEWS: Texas COVID rates are down. But is this herd immunity?

And who cares if my hair frizzes out afterward? Or if I break a sweat while working in my dri-fit shirts and runner shorts? The politics of office beauty and hygiene dont really exist at the moment.

But theyre about to, as Americans return to work en masse in the coming wekes and months. So for those of us whove found a way to eke out a little work-workout balance during this strange societal pause, the question now is: How can we keep these healthy habits even as we return to the office?

A lot of us have learned how to do these things intermittently in our workday because our workday was 8:30 to 5, or was it 8:30 to 9? says Jill Chapman, a senior performance consultant for Houston-based human resources provider Insperity.

If you took an hour or so to exercise at 3 oclock each day this year, Chapman asks, who cares? We have a lot of people who have to change their routines now.

Or, maybe we just need to change the way we equip ourselves for the routines.

Were in Houston and were already sweating  and if were not sweating, theres an 80 percent chance we will be by the end of the month, says Amanda Cotler, director of operations at Accel Lifestyle, a Houston-based athleisure brand. The problem with sweating through your shirt is you have a lasting impact for the rest of the day.

This hasnt mattered so much at home; a recent study out of England found that 17 percent of British people have done away with daily showers during the pandemic. But while thats one thing on your couch, the effects are totally different if you have to cram into a conference room later in the day.

Thats where the fabric of your clothes could help, says Cotler.

We smell because the bacteria is clinging to moisture that creates the odor, she says. Bacteria loves polyester, synthetic fabrics. Theyll cling to them.

Natural fibers  like supima cotton, and even bamboo  are much more breathable and can allow you to sweat for a few minutes midday without living with the consequences until 5 oclock.

For many women  and some men  midday workouts can also wreak havoc on your hair.

COVID Q&A: Texas A&M's Dr. Ben says COVID 'is using and abusing' our blood proteins to make itself deadlier

Im so glad scrunchies are back, says Nicole De La Garza, owner of DLG Styles Hair at MY SALON Suite in West University Place.

For years, women turned to thin, unforgiving elastics to tie their hair back during a workout  a problematic practice that damages strands and leaves creases in your coif for the rest of the workday.

My favorite hair tie is a satin or silk scrunchie, she says.

Then theres the Invisibobbles, which look like the old telephone wires. Ive noticed a lot of clients who work out in the middle of the day using those, she says. Theyre very reliable and theyre not as easy to break. Between those and the satin and silk scrunchies that are making a comeback, you get to be fashion forward without having to worry about a crease.

Dont tie a tight ponytail at the crown of your head, which can lead to loads of breakage, she says. Instead, she suggests a loose braid, tied at the bottom, which will both limit creasing and damage toward the top of your strands.

If you break a strong enough sweat, pack a blow dryer and add another couple minutes to your routine before returning to your desk.

I always tell people, hit yourself with a cold blow dryer at the roots where you think you might have sweat, and then hit it with dry shampoo, she says. This can help you avoid excess heat, while also nixing the need for a full hair wash.

Even by skipping a post-sweat shower, not everyone can squeeze a walk or workout into a typical workday.

Walking for phone calls is great, says Melissa Markofski, an assistant professor in the department of health and human performance at the University of Houston. But were heading into summer here. Or say you work downtown; with traffic, you cant hear anything.

MORE THE GREAT COMEBACK: Building a home gym has plenty of benefits. Here's how to do it.

She suggests tiny tweaks throughout the workday if you cant truly leave your office. Every time you have to get on the phone, take the call standing, she says. Instead of emailing a colleague a document or a question, walk to their desk to ask them.

The guidelines recently were revised. They used to say you need to have at least a 10-minute block of movement at a time to see positive health outcomes, but now its changed to say whatever amount is good, she says. Even if its taking the stairs instead of the elevator, which is only a minute.

Go to the bathroom on a different floor than your desk, or ask to hold meetings on those different floors as well, she suggests. These little moments add up.

We wont be able to do 250 steps every hour and then do a 5K, she says. But something is better than nothing.

maggie.gordon@chron.com
courtesy of the Montgomery County Police Reporter

The man who died early Saturday morning in a crash on U.S. 59 outside Porter has been identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Around 4:14 a.m., a northbound 2007 Jeep Laredo veered off the roadway and struck a light pole one mile south of Porter, according to a preliminary investigation by DPS.
People line up to an early COVID-19 testing center at Yongsan District Office in Seoul, May 13. Yonhap



South Korea has confirmed 247 more cases of major variants of the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload to over 1,000, amid concerns that the country's fight against the pandemic may be stressed by more transmissible strains of the virus.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said of the newly identified variant cases from May 9 to 15, 195 were local infections, while 52 were imported cases, bringing the total variant cases the country has confirmed since October last year to 1,113.



Of the newly identified major variant cases, 199 were the Britain-originated strain, followed by 29 Indian variant cases, 18 South African variant cases, and one Brazilian variant case.



Health authorities said they also identified 581 other emerging variant cases, including 552 that originated from California.






In 2019, the most recent year compiled, the FBI reported more than 8,559 hate crimes occurred in the United States. Hate crimes were reported against people and property, with more than 64.4 percent reported against individuals.

In a diverse area like Fort Bend County, keeping hate crimes under control is of tantamount importance. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Fort Bend Countys diversity includes 31.9 percent white residents, 24.9 percent Hispanic, 21.3 percent Black and 20.9 percent Asian.

This past weekend, Fort Bend County elected officials and community leaders came together for a Unity Against Hate Rally at the Fort Bend County Justice Center. The purpose of the rally was a condemn violence across the country targeted mainly at members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

This lady said, I am scared to go outside because somebody is going to say something about my look because she is originally from China. But at the end of the day I always say this, I am an American of Indian descent, not an Indian American, said County Judge KP George. Thats the way we all feel, and dont look at me and say that I am less of an American and dont feel that way because I choose to be here, collectively we make our country a better place.

At the rally, George commended Community Against Hate, leadership in Fort Bend County, the city of Houston, and other anti-hate organizations that have stood against discrimination and advocated for unity during this time of crisis.

The rally comes as the county enjoys growth that outpaces much of the United States.

According to Fort Bend County, it has recorded the sixth-largest population rise in the country, adding more than 255,000 new residents from 2010 to 2020  a growth rate of about 43.5 percent, and the 13th-highest in the country. Additionally, more than 18,000 Americans moved to Fort Bend County between 2019 and 2020, the seventh-highest increase in the country.

State Rep. Jacey Jetton, whose 26th District includes most of Sugar Land as well as a large portion of Fort Bend County, was also at the rally and spoke of the importance of condemning hate and intentionally loving everyone in the diverse state of Texas.

Fort Bend County is the most diverse county in the country and sets the example for the rest of the state to follow, Rep. Jetton said. Hatred is easy, anger is addictive. This is why we must condemn hatred and very intentionally love and care for our neighbors across this great state. Here in Fort Bend County, we have dealt with multiple flooding events, tropical storms, winter storms, and the pandemic. In every instance, we have united and cared for our neighbors, without consideration for race, religion, or party affiliation. We may not be perfect, but we have shown how a diverse county can unite for one another.

Rally leaders recognized Jetton for his efforts this session to address concerns in criminal justice and to include Eid as an optional state holiday. Jetton reportedly stood with the state Legislature on Friday for a House Committee Resolution to recognize Tejano Day and condemn hate, especially hate against Asian and Pacific Islanders.

As a seventh generation Texan and the son of a immigrant from South Korea, I have a unique perspective, Jetton said. In the United States of America and in Texas, our roots are diverse and our heritage should be celebrated. It should also unite us as fellow Americans and Texans.

rkent@hcnonline.com
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  The North Dakota Department of Health on Monday issued new guidance on wearing coronavirus masks.

State health officer Nizar Wehbi says the department is aligning with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask indoors and outdoors.

"COVID-19 vaccines have a very high level of effectiveness. This is encouraging news. North Dakotans are slowing and can stop the spread of COVID-19 by continued and expanded participation in vaccination efforts, said the department's chief of disease control, Kirby Kruger.

The risk of being infected or spreading COVID-19 once fully vaccinated is very low, and therefore wearing a mask if you are fully vaccinated is no longer a recommendation, the health department said in a statement.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

A recommendation remains that everyone wears masks when they are in a health care setting, when they are traveling on public transportation, including airplanes, and when they are in a business or employer that require masks, health officials said.

North Dakotans have come together throughout this pandemic to keep our communities safe, first through mitigation and now through vaccination, said Wehbi. More than 50% of adults in the state have already been vaccinated and this number continues to grow. We are grateful for all the hard work and sacrifices made to get us to this point.
Houston-area public schools will not be allowed to require masks during summer school or, in several districts, the final days of the 2020-21 school year, according to an executive order issued Tuesday by Gov. Greg Abbott.

While nearly all Houston-area districts still require masks on school grounds, Abbotts order removes their authority to mandate face coverings as of June 5. Many districts will be done with the 2020-21 school year by then, but several districts will remain in session during the week of June 7 to 11.

Those still holding classes that week include Houston, Galena Park, Channelview and Sheldon ISDs; Goose Creek CISD; Stafford MSD; KIPP Texas Public Schools; and YES Prep Public Schools.

Some districts planned to make masks optional during in-person summer school, including Cy-Fair, Katy, Klein and Humble ISDs. Others planned to keep requirements in place to start the summer, including Fort Bend, Aldine and Pasadena ISDs.

Under current guidance that remains in effect through June 4, most Texas public schoolchildren and all staff must wear a face covering while on school grounds, with limited exceptions. Each districts school board can vote to opt out of the requirement, though few have done so in recent weeks.

Abbott allowed mask requirements as part of the states effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. Federal guidance issued last week says vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in many public settings.

Texas school employees and students over the age of 16 have been eligible for COVID vaccines since at least March. However, children between the ages of 12 and 15 only became eligible for shots last week, and federal officials have not authorized vaccine use for those younger than 12.

Children are at minimal risk for severe health complications from COVID-19. People under the age of 20 account for 52 of the states 49,835 COVID-related deaths. Some of those cases involved children with pre-existing medical conditions that would have made attending in-person classes significantly more dangerous. State officials do not report hospitalization data by age group.

However, children can spread the virus to more vulnerable adults, putting unvaccinated family members at potentially greater risk. In addition, Houston-area health officials have reported minimal on-campus coronavirus spread in schools following public health protocols, including widespread usage of masks.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com
Before schools out for summer, some Houston-area education leaders are taking on one last assignment: getting their students vaccinated.

Several local school districts have started taking a hands-on role in delivering COVID-19 shots to students arms this month, with some even bringing in medical staff to administer vaccines during class hours. The effort follows increased availability of COVID vaccine doses and last weeks federal authorization allowing children between the ages of 12 and 15 to receive the inoculations.

We just felt like its best to do it where its most convenient for the parents, which is on the campuses, said Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Jennifer Blaine, whose district starting giving COVID vaccines at high schools Tuesday. The vaccine has proven really successful, weve been reading and hearing about that across the nation, and our families are asking for it.

Texas vaccine rollout does not include statewide plans for using public and private schools to inoculate children, leaving decisions to local education leaders about how to engage with families. To date, Houston-area school districts have taken various approaches to help ramp up vaccinations.

A few districts have taken a more direct route, offering shots in the middle of the school day to students whose parents consent to the vaccinations.

Cy-Fair ISD, the regions second-largest district, provided shots at all 12 of its high schools earlier this month. Spring ISD, the areas 13th-largest district, also teamed with Harris County Public Health to vaccinate about 380 students, staff and family members during four school days in early May. Both districts only offered shots to students age 16 and older.

The response has been encouraging and we hope to offer more vaccine clinics at our campuses if we have the opportunity to partner with a provider, Spring ISD officials said in an email.

Spring Branch said about 550 students aged 12 and up had signed up for a jab as of Tuesday, with potentially thousands more expected to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and second doses scheduled at schools early in the summer break. Spring Branch serves about 33,300 students, making it the 14th-largest district in the Houston area.

Several other districts said they plan to offer vaccines at select campuses, though some have not solidified plans or committed to serving students during the school day.

Alvin ISD, the areas 15th-largest district, planned to use the Alvin High School gym from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for vaccines, with a similar schedule in place Thursday at Shadow Creek High School. The regions third-largest district, Katy ISD, will tap its Agriculture Science Center for student vaccines from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday

In Pearland ISD, the areas 18th-biggest district, administrators said they have submitted a form to Harris County expressing interest in vaccinating eligible students at schools.

Once we hear back from Harris County (or any other potential provider) regarding the possibility of providing vaccines on campus, we will work through the logistics of doing so, Pearland Executive Director of Communications Kim Hocott said in an email.

Medical experts widely agree that children are at low risk of severe health complications from COVID-19. People under the age of 20 account for 52 of the states 49,835 COVID-related deaths. State officials do not report hospitalization data by age group.

Still, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone 12 and older get vaccinated to prevent infection and limit the spread of the virus. Children can transmit the virus to more vulnerable adults, though some studies suggest they are not as likely as older people to spread it.

Blaine said she has heard from two or three strident vaccine opponents who argue that Spring Branch should not be promoting inoculations. However, reaction to the districts effort generally has been positive, she said.

My response to them has been that this is a voluntary opportunity, Blaine said. Were simply making this available.

Houston-area health officials have reported minimal coronavirus spread in schools following mask, social distancing and other public health protocols.

Yet, as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths decline, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday banning school districts from mandating that students and staff wear face coverings while on campus.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday formally moved the county from the highest to second-highest COVID-19 threat level, citing improving virus metrics and widespread availability of vaccines.

Weve reached a great milestone in our fight against COVID-19, and it is because of the actions you, the people of Harris County, have taken, Hidalgo said.

The Level Orange guidelines, which are voluntary, urge residents to avoid large gatherings and businesses with poor safety procedures. They apply primarily to the 68 percent of county residents who are not yet fully vaccinated.

The federal Centers for Disease Control announced last week that vaccinated Americans can ditch masks in almost all circumstances and largely resume their pre-pandemic lives.

For the previous 47 weeks, Harris County had been at Level Red, which urged residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact with others.

Since peaking most recently in January, all of the COVID-19 metrics had improved significantly. The countys positivity rate of 9 percent was too high to move to Level Orange, which calls for a rate below 5 percent.

Hidalgo said since so few residents currently are being tested, the measured rate likely is artificially high. She said positivity rate and daily case counts will be a secondary factor going forward as the county hopes to downgrade to the yellow, and finally green, threat levels.

The county judge also announced government buildings would reopen to 50 percent capacity, while occupants still would be required to wear masks. Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday morning said local governments and school districts no longer could mandate mask wearing; Hidalgo said she had yet to review the governors order.

zach.despart@chron.com
A rally is scheduled to be held Tuesday evening at the Consulate General of Israel in Houston to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian uprising.

The event will be among many across the world, including many cities in the United States, in response to a call from Palestinians in Jerusalem to support the latest moment of resistance, said Dina Hamadi, of the Palestinian Youth Movement. A flyer for the rally shows it will start at 6 p.m. at the consulate generals address, in Greenway Plaza.

It has been organized in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have killed hundreds over the last week and amid escalating violence from Israeli police against Palestinian protesters, according to news reports. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children, in rocket attacks launched from Gaza.

All of this has really built up across a number of days and weeks. Its not just like this past week, Hamadi said. This is a peoples movement. This is about humans rights; it is about doing what is just.

As of Monday afternoon, the rally was expected to occur rain or shine. A flash flood watch issued by weather officials will remain in place for southeast Texas until Thursday morning.

The Consul General of Israel to the southwest, Gilad Katz, is scheduled to provide an important update regarding the violence at the same time at Gulf Meadows Church at 8012 Fuqua Street, according to a news release. Katz is expected to be joined by faith leaders. The details of the briefing were not elaborated.

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Meanwhile overseas, the Associated Press reported Monday that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 200 Palestinians  including 59 children and 35 women  and injured an estimated 1,300 people, according to information from the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israeli officials have indicated they will continue the attacks targeting Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, according to the AP report.

Tuesdays rally will mark the latest demonstration in the Houston area to show support for Palestine. Thousands reportedly gathered Saturday for a march from Discovery Green to City Hall. And Hamadi said, another action may be planned for this weekend.

When were in school and were reading about different genocides, different atrocities that happened in history, we always think about what we would do if we were there, Hamadi said. This is your chance to decide what youre going to do. Its either you stand up and speak against these atrocities and be on the right side of history. Or you are on the wrong side of history and you just watch an ethnic cleansing and a genocide of the people while youre silent.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
Houston Police Department

Three men were killed Monday in a shooting at a west Houston apartment complex, according to police.

The men have not been identified, and at least two suspects remain at large, police said.
Texans will soon be asking ourselves the familiar questions as spring inches toward summer: How long can we put off turning on the air conditioner before our homes become insufferable?

But for tens of thousands of Texans serving time in scores of state prisons, the cool breath of centralized air is the stuff of fantasy, no matter how hot it gets. For them, theres but one option as the mercury rises into triple digits: Sweat it out.

People ask me what its like to live inside a prison cell or dorm with no air conditioning, former inmate Jennifer Toon told the board Monday. I tell them to think of their car parked in the sun. Now imagine living in it, 24 hours a day, with the windows up - or maybe down just a crack for the tiniest breeze. Thats what its like.

In about 70 percent of Texas nearly 100 state prisons, there is no AC in the living units. Inmates wake, sleep and often work in unbearably hot environments, every day. It also means that thousands of prison guards also suffer through the same sweaty conditions.

This inhumane reality is no accident. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has been fighting hard, and for years, to keep air conditioning out of the units. Its been so committed to the notion that inmates be forced to endure Texas sweltering summers that it has spent millions in tax dollars just to fight off litigation demanding an end to what activists call cruel and unusual punishment.

Why? Officials say it will cost too much to add air conditioners, though as the Texas Tribune reports, their estimates have been proven repeatedly to be inflated. If cost were the real reason for opposing cooler conditions, then it would have fizzled months ago when Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, introduced his bill to air-condition all prisons within seven years  but only if the Legislature provides money to pay for it.

Canales bill overwhelmingly passed the full House Thursday. A similar bill has lain dormant in the Senate without so much as a hearing, a fate that all previous versions of the bill seemed to share as well. But none of them were contingent on funding, and that apparently has made all the difference.

Whats needed next is for the Senate to pick up where the House left off. Time is running out, but good news came late Monday, when the bill was officially referred to the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate should advance the bill  and then get busy finding money to pay for it. After all, the funding caveat may have made the bill more palatable, but it wont mean anything, even if it passes, until the Legislature agrees to pay for it.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison of Houston has repeatedly faulted TDCJ officials for refusing to comply even with court orders stemming from long-running litigation over the lack of AC in Texas prisons. Each summer, including this one, plaintiffs face a substantial risk of serious harm from the sweltering Texas heat, and defendants have been deliberately indifferent in responding to this risk, he wrote in a scathing, 101-page order in 2017. More recently, he praised officials for agreeing to a settlement with plaintiffs, only to later accuse the department of backtracking.

Prison officials say theyve managed to make conditions more humane following the settlement. A few facilities have been cooled in recent years, and in some others, policy requires ice water be made available regularly to help inmates stay, if not comfortable, at least healthy.

Thats not enough.

The policy sounds good on paper, Toon says. But whos going to enforce that at the facility level? Thats where it always breaks down. The guards are overworked, underpaid, hot, tired  and some are going to be conscientious and some just arent.

Toon recently finished her last day of parole, about two years after she ended nearly 20 years behind bars, first on a murder charge from when she was 15. Her first stint, about 10 years, was without air conditioning  and while she recalled it as brutal, she said she was so young her body soon adapted to even the boiling temperatures.

She went back to jail for burglary when she was about 30, and says her prayers were answered when she found herself in one of the relatively few air conditioned prisons. But just months before she was released, she got sent back to a facility without AC to complete a class as part of her parole process.

It was so, so much hotter  a thousand times hotter  than I remembered it from when I was 18, 19, she said.

To be sure, the heat is harder on older folks and those with underlying health conditions  be they inmates or guards, who are made to endure the suffocating heat in uniform. No wonder the state has trouble retaining them.

The Senate should do the humane thing and ease those conditions. TCDJ should welcome those efforts and speed them along.

Most people in prison deserve to be there, and no one ever said it should be a country club. But living in a hot, windowless cell in the middle of a Texas summer isnt mere punishment. It borders on torture, and it should end.
Protest for Palestinians

Regarding Protests erupt in U.S., globally in support of Palestinians (A4, May 16): The article framed the demonstrations on Saturday as in support of Palestinians in Gaza, but these demonstrations were in support of Palestinians in general. The media focus on Gaza takes attention away from the wider struggle of Palestinians. A more accurate reporting of the protests on Saturday would have been to report them as Nakba Day demonstrations, that is, commemorating 73 years of ongoing displacement of Palestinians that has been given international legitimacy as the state of Israel.

The article did not accurately report how widespread the demonstrations in the United States were. Besides the demonstration in Boston and other small protests  in Hartford and Pittsburgh, which were reported, there were Nakba Day demonstrations in 46 other cities in the United States, including Houston, where over a thousandpeople gathered at Discovery Green and marched to City Hall. I was surprised that there was no coverage of this demonstration in the Houston Chronicle, especially since the paper found room for a report on the 40 cyclists who participated in the Wellness on Wheels ride and on the 100 or so people who gathered with Gov. Greg Abbott in Sugar Land for his Asian Unity rally. The paper managed a photo of the Stop the Violence Community March in Third Ward, but somehow couldnt do the same for the Nakba Day demonstration, which appears to have been the largest rally or march in the Houston area on Saturday.

Bridget Lois Jensen, Houston

Approved art

Regarding The 1836 Project is an incomplete history, (A17, May 16): The article put me in mind of an exhibit I happened to see some years ago when touring the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. It was of German art during the 1930s. The paintings reflected only Greco-Roman styles, with gladiator-style Germans in heroic settings. The Nazis were known for their disapproval of modernist art, finding it degenerate and not depicting the glorious history of Germany in an approved manner. A review of the 1938 German Art Exhibition discusses the criteria for submissions: Exhibition pieces  had to be produced by a German artist and approved by the Nazi government. In their calls for artists, the exhibitions organizers rejected the modernism of the early twentieth century in favor of pure German art.

.

Will the nine politically appointed members of the 1836 committee know what approved Texas history should be? And will we want to read it in years to come?

Barbara Schuster, Round Rock
Vials of Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines are seen in this illustration picture, on March 19. Reuters-Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



A recent decision by the U.S. administration to share its COVID-19 vaccines with other countries is expected to accelerate ongoing talks between South Korea and the U.S. on a "vaccine swap," especially in this week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S.



President Joe Biden. Biden announced Monday that his administration will send ab additional 20 million doses of domestically approved vaccines  Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson  overseas by the end of June, in addition to the 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine he had already authorized to share with other countries.



"We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that's raging globally is under control," Biden said recently, noting that the U.S. had committed to sharing five times more vaccine than any other country had donated.



Although the U.S. president did not disclose which countries they would be, Seoul and Washington are likely to boost discussions on vaccine cooperation such as swap deals considering the announcement came a few days ahead of the Moon-Biden summit scheduled for Friday.



Although Korea has so far "secured" enough vaccines to inoculate 99 million people, or nearly double its population, the country is facing a temporary supply shortage as most of the doses purchased are expected to arrive during the latter half of the year.






Houston, MO (65483)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Hot. High 91F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
In this Jan. 27 photo, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delivers the State of the State address as Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, right, listens in Jefferson City, Missouri. Parson recently rescinded the states commitment to expand Medicaid.
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From left to right: German journalist Jurgen Hinzpeter and his assistant Henning Rumohr, and Peace Corps Volunteers Judi Chamberlin, Tim Warnberg, Paul Courtright, and David Dolinger / Courtesy of Paul Courtright



By Paul Courtright



May 18, 1980, started like most Sundays with the peal of church bells dominating the clucks of thousands of chickens enriching my village with their prolific egg production. As with four other of my Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) colleagues who ended up in Gwangju during the May 18 democratic uprising (referred to as 5.18), the quiet start to the day did not prepare me for the upheaval that was to come.



Every person, Korean or foreigner, who ended up part of 5.18 has their own story to tell; each is unique. I can only tell my story, not the stories of my four PCV colleagues. The book " Witnessing Gwangju " was my effort to capture my story  for foreigners and Koreans interested in an American's on-the-ground experience during this seminal moment in Korean history. Relating the comprehensive story of Peace Corps and 5.18 would require contributions of many others, both Korean and foreign.





The cover of Paul Courtright's book "Witnessing Gwangju" / Courtesy of Paul Courtright

The five of us (Tim Warnberg, Judi Chamberlin, Dave Dolinger, Julie Pickering and I) cannot be lumped into one group  three men and two women, three doing leprosy work and two doing TB, two nearing the end of their two-year service, two in the middle and one just starting. Three lived in Gwangju and two outside. Sometimes we agreed, sometimes not. That said, I venture to conclude that of all of us, Tim stands out. His Korean language skill was the best, he had an incredible network of Korean friends and colleagues in Gwangju and he witnessed events on May 18. Sadly, Tim died in 1993 and with his death, we lost an important voice and perspective.



Could the uprising occur in today's connected environment? Certainly not. If the rest of Korea had started to be bombarded with mobile phone images of the massacre inflicted by the military, Chun Doo-hwan would likely have been removed within the day. Globally, PCVs are now provided mobile phones and the events on May 18 would have sent them pinging madly. Instead, in 1980 the military severed phone lines; the city and parts of the surrounding region were physically cut off from the rest of the country. The absence of communication generated confusion. Confusion was even more acute for me simply because my Korean language skills were inadequate to pick up many details or nuances.





Paul Courtright in Hohyewon, Naju / Courtesy of Paul Courtright



With no ability to communicate with Seoul and trapped by the military in Gwangju, the choice was: hunker down or go out and try to understand what was going on. I chose the latter. Walking the streets of Gwangju and surrounding areas from May 19 and then turning on the TV each evening or catching leaflets dropped by Chun's government caused whiplash  we could see that the events on the ground were not reflected in the media reports. Messages were crafted by Chun in Seoul and beamed south  nothing was beamed north. It infuriated me; it was shameful how they portrayed Gwangju citizens. Gwangju was our town, its residents our friends. There was no doubt as to the focus of our sympathy.



Since the establishment of Peace Corps in the early 1960s, PCVs were instructed not to get involved in local politics. Given political repression in Korea during the entire 16 years of Peace Corps' time in Korea (1966-81), it was imperative to avoid discussion or engagement in political issues. Although I wanted to cheer the busloads of students with fluttering "Get rid of Chun Doo-hwan" banners, I kept quiet. A couple of my PCV colleagues and I discussed the importance of not declaring our support for the citizens of Gwangju as we knew it would threaten both our time in Korea and Peace Corps Korea's continued existence.



Unbeknownst to us, while Gwangju was in turmoil, the Peace Corps Korea director and deputy director were in Thailand at a regional Peace Corps meeting. Staff in Seoul drafted cables asking them to return immediately but those messages were not sent on to them by the U.S. Embassy. The director remained unaware of 5.18 and the PCVs in Gwangju until returning to Seoul on May 25.



When the demand came from the U.S. Embassy on May 23 to evacuate Gwangju, we were put in an untenable position. I had tried to leave Gwangju earlier that day but was turned back by the military. The facts on the ground did not match the embassy's demand and we felt that the embassy was poorly informed. Still, we had been given orders: evacuate Gwangju.





Politicians see parallels to Gwangju in Myanmar uprising Activists demand removal of ex-President Chun's monument in Incheon Moon recalls 1980 Gwangju uprising, hopes for breakthrough in Myanmar North Korean propaganda website calls 1980 pro-democracy movement 'historic event' in anti-fascism movement A cable from the U.S. Embassy to the State Department suggested what was in store for us, given our refusal to leave Gwangju:



Text of telegram 80State 138557 (May 25, 1980)

4. C American citizens: Initial conclusions are, however, that there is no way to extract the remaining Americans safely and that there is somewhat greater safely no (sic) in their lying low in place. Those remaining (25-30 persons, including five Peace Corps Volunteers, missionaries, and academics) had unwisely disregarded strong warning from the American Ambassador urging them repeatedly to leave Kwangju in the last few days when this was feasible to do. The five Peace Corps volunteers defied a direct order to leave. Once out of Kwangju, they will be sent home.



The idea of abandoning Gwangju was unacceptable. If we, as Americans, slipped away we would be saying to our colleagues and friends: "you don't matter." Worse still, it would have suggested that U.S. talk of human rights was meaningless. We did not regret our decision. We could not abandon Gwangju. Only later did we learn that Chun had floated the idea of bombing the town.



Up until May 23, there was little we could do except to be foreign faces in the crowd, witnessing daily events. It was frustrating. That changed when a few foreign reporters and photographers arrived; they asked if we would help by being their interpreters. Why us? Unlike today, few Koreans spoke English and the few who did were not keen to be seen interpreting for foreign reporters. Quite understandable  who wants a bullseye painted on their back?



Does the act of interpreting constitute inappropriate involvement in the political situation? We debated that question and reached a consensus: we would only interpret questions asked and responses given and not offer our opinions. One exception: Tim, as the primary witness to the massacre on May 18, would give an anonymous interview for German TV about what he saw. His face was to be hidden and he was not to be identified as Peace Corps. Interpreting was not easy  my focus was on interpreting the description of events  what happened when, where and how. I was not prepared to interpret what the citizens' committee was debating; Tim did that.



Throughout the week of being trapped in Gwangju it seemed that there were two Koreas on display  one was Chun's version of a militarized Korea: soldiers backed up with tanks ready and willing to harm their own countrymen. The other Korea was resolute and cooperative but willing, at any given moment, to make sure that we, as foreigners, were treated well. I felt safe in Gwangju.



We knew that Chun would not allow the insurrection in Gwangju to continue and I hiked out, over the hills, on May 25 with the goal of reaching the U.S. Embassy to tell them what we had seen in Gwangju. I reached Seoul the evening of May 26, met the Peace Corps director at the U.S. Embassy but, for reasons that were never explained, no one met me to hear my story.



The military retook Gwangju on the morning of May 27 and on the following day the Peace Corps deputy director and I traveled to Gwangju to bring my four colleagues to Seoul. We all wrote statements about what had happened and why we chose to stay in Gwangju, in defiance of the U.S. Embassy order. One PCV, for actions that were deemed to be political in nature, was expelled by Peace Corps and returned to the U.S. The Peace Corps director and, from what we learned later, the U.S. ambassador, accepted our decision for remaining in Gwangju and four of us stayed in Korea.



For several weeks afterwards the military government required that I report my whereabouts and who I met every day. We heard later that Chun's government wanted us expelled but the Peace Corps Korea director refused. We all finished our Peace Corps service and some of us stayed in Korea, either for work or study.



Paul Courtright in April 2016 / Courtesy of Paul Courtright

A cable from the U.S. Embassy to Washington, D.C., on June 16, 1980, included a report by a Gwangju-based American missionary. I only saw this cable in 2019.



It is the spontaneous and unanimous opinion of the missionary community living together here that the Peace Corps volunteers have won the lasting gratitude of great numbers of the citizens of Kwangju for the United States. Sharing the life of the people whom they came to serve, even when it meant sharing serious, perhaps mortal, danger. They made everybody who saw them realize that Americans (and America) really care. They identified themselves with the people notsoy (sic) shared animosities but by shared trouble. Missionaries stay as a matter of course, in obedience to a master and in a bond of love which leaves no choice: but the Peace Corps volunteers were, if anything, disobedient to their own master in not leaving the city. It is my personal opinion that if their headquarters had been able to see the situation from the ground as we saw it, headquarters would have hoped that they would stay and do almost exactly what they did. As Americans, we are very proud of our Peace Corps friends.




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A map of the fire shows how far it expanded from Friday night over the weekend. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services midday Tuesday confirmed that the brush fire that started Friday on East Mountain did not expand overnight on Monday. "They are continuing to transition, as they hoped to, into mop up and control, patrolling the perimeter, as they continue to make progress," Jennifer Mieth said. Mieth said it is her understanding that an estimated 947 acres burned in the fire, which moved progressively south and east across Pine Cobble and into Clarksburg State Forest. Late Tuesday morning, no smoke was visible in the ridgeline from the North Adams water treatment plant on Pattison Road, which had been used as a site for a command center on Sunday and Monday, in part because of its elevation and the view it afforded of the fire. At the close of yesterday's operations, the fire was estimated to be about 75 percent contained, Mieth said. Mieth did not immediately know how many fire personnel are currently in the woods participating in the mop-up activities. This story will be updated. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  More than 120 firefighters from 19 departments are now battling the wildland fire that's spread over 800 acres on East Mountain and in Clarksburg State Forest

Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini and State Fire Warden David Celino explained at a press conference Monday afternoon what they are doing to knock down such a large fire in difficult terrain.

"Wildland fires are complex especially in terrain like this," Celino said.

The fire started Friday night off Henderson Road in Williamstown and moved over East Mountain and Pine Cobble. By Saturday, the blaze covered about 222 acres on an east/west axis along the ridge. By late Sunday it had spread south and west and nearly quadrupled in size to 790 acres Monday morning. Fire officials expected that acreage to grow at the end of the day Monday even though the fire was about 75 percent contained.

A small army of firefighters from Berkshire County and Southern Vermont spent the weekend with rakes working to control the fire.

Celino presented a map using geographic information system, or GIS, that outlined different perimeters they have been able to create over the weekend.

He said fire "loves" inclines and this particular fire made its way up the Pine Cobble Summit, from where it then moved north into a "bowl" like terrain.

The fire is fueled by dry surface materials such as twigs and leaves. Firefighters have to create fire lines, or gaps, by raking and pulling back the vegetation to prevent spread. They have to flank the blaze and clear an 18-24 inch perimeter around the fire's edge. With no material to consume, the fire should fall back into itself and stop spreading.

Celino said this is not easy work and the difficult terrain is difficult to maneuver.

"It is steep and it is pretty rugged. It is not accessible by an engine and you have to go up by foot or take a UTV," he said, referring to the utility terrain vehicles that have been used to access the woodland interior since Friday night.

Celino said these fire lines become can be compromised by wind events. If wind blows the material back into the fire or an ember jumps the fire line, firefighters can lose control of their perimeter

In North Adams, firefighters were entering the woods via the top of Wood Street. Throughout the day firefighters from various departments were making their way up and down the path. Muster centers have been set up at several sites, including East Mountain Sportsmen's Club on Henderson Road, Blackinton mill on Massachusetts Avenue, and the former Price Chopper on State Road.

Incident command set up at the city's water treatment plant on Pattison Road using a state Fire Services command vehicle. Pedercini said fire officials had availed themselves of the same site during the stubborn Clarksburg State Forest event in 2015. The high location provides a view of East Mountain and allows for good communications services on both sides of the ridge.

This is the largest fire by acreage the state has seen since 1999, said Celino, the largest fire the state has seen this year. It hasn't caused the most damage because no structures have been involved.

"We've had a number of wildfires this year already that were small that threatened, damaged and destroyed buildings and damaged homes," he said.

Last year's drought conditions pushed the fire season into November and and the dry ground detritus helped fuel more than 800 wildland fires.

"In springtime fire season we don't typically see that. It's still very moist underneath the leaf litter," Celino said. "The fire is not burning deep. What we are seeing is that the fuel on the surface, all those dead sticks, and debris and leaf litter ... the sticks and the logs up to 6 inches are abnormally dry for springtime and we think that's residual effect from the drought of 2020. And we're seeing that across New England especially in Southern New England."

He said there is some concern when there are trends of low precipitation, low humidity and drying winds  as it has been this week  about fire events and behavior. Fires that burn deep can be difficult to put out, like one in Leverett last year that burned for 30 days.

This fire is similar to the 2015 fire, he said. "The fire has now burned into the imprint of that fire about five years ago. We are seeing a lot of the same characteristics."

Celino said there is still some moisture under the leaves in some areas. This thankfully is causing the fire some pause, he said, and this was also the case in 2015.

Pedercini said firefighters have been taking the nights off. The fire is currently not a threat to any structures or populations so there is no reason to risk firefighter safety.

He said the challenging terrain becomes far more dangerous at night when visibility is low.

"You can't see what you are walking into," he said. "You have burning snags and dead trees that create a real hazard at night."

He added that the air support provided by the State Police and National Guard has been a huge help and has allowed firefighters to really make some ground on the fire.

He also praised the volunteer firefighters, many of whom have taken the day out of work to continue the fight.

Pedercini added that the community has also really stepped up with food and water donations. He said they are actually hesitant to accept any more food because their supply is so abundant.

"I think all we need right now is everyone's well wishes everyone has been very supportive," he said.

Once the fire is more under control, firefighters will switch to "control and security" and "mop up" the perimeter, Pedercini said, and that the fire will likely smolder for days after it is extinguished.
North Adams Sets June 1 for City Hall, Library Reopening

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  City Hall and other public buildings are set to reopen on June 1, more than a year after the building was closed for pandemic precautions.

Mayor Thomas Bernard said the administration had been making plans to loosen restrictions and was ready when the state's new guidance was announced on Monday by Gov. Charlie Baker.

Baker said the state will be lifting all capacity limits as of May 29, with some exceptions for continued face covering indoors, and has targeted June 15 for ending the state of emergency.

The state Department of Public Health will issue a public health advisory effective May 29 that advises all unvaccinated residents to continue to wear face-coverings in indoor settings and when they can't socially distance. The advisory will also recommend fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face covering or social distance indoors or outdoors except for in certain situations. Residents are asked to continue to comply with private and organizational requests for masking and social distancing as a level of comfort and respect.

Bernard said the city will follow the state and U.S. Centers of Disease Control mask guidance: unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear face-coverings in indoor settings including all city buildings and when they can't socially distance. Following reopening, anyone who has concerns about their personal health should feel welcome and supported in continuing to wear a mask when interacting with the public or with city staff, he said.

"Like many people in our community I have mixed emotions about this lifting of restrictions and return to standard operations. I still will be watching public health data carefully and working with the Health Department and Board of Health to review operations and make adjustments in response to local conditions," the mayor said. "Overall, though, my overwhelming response is one of immense gratitude for the team working in City Hall, and throughout the city, and for all the members of our community who have played a part in our public health response, including first responders and our professional educators and school employees."

City Hall will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 to 1 on Friday through Sept. 3.

Following public reopening of City Hall, staff remain available to the public by phone and email, and members of the public are encouraged to continue scheduling appointments to minimize wait times and delays. For convenience and safety, payments will continue to be accepted by mail, online at www.northadams-ma.gov or may be dropped off in the secure drop boxes installed at each entrance to City Hall. For questions regarding payments, contact the Treasurer's Office at 413-662-3000, Ext. 3044, or bcooper@northadams-ma.gov

The central office for North Adams Public Schools, located on the second floor of City Hall, will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday until June 11. After this date, the central office will be open for summer hours from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 8 to 1 on Fridays until Sept. 1.

The North Adams Public Library also will reopen with regular hours on June 1. Appointments will no longer be required for in-person browsing, borrowing, and timed computer use. Group meetings and gatherings and other uses, including extended visitation, still will not be permitted for the time being.

The Mary Spitzer Senior Center will continue to offer limited hours and programming by appointment and reservation, with plans to reopen fully later in the summer following the completion of planned renovations to the senior center building.

"These past 15 months have been incredibly challenging. I thank you all for rising to the many challenges we have faced together, and I look forward to seeing members of our community around the city as we carefully and cautiously return to the rhythms and routines of summer in North Adams and the Northern Berkshires," Bernard said "Finally, if you have not already been vaccinated , I encourage you to do so."
Henri Zuber's illustration of Ganghwa Island during the French 1866 invasion, showing French cannons aimed at a Korean village and fortress wall / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize



By Steven L. Shields



Northwest of Seoul, Ganghwa Island occupies a strategic place in the Han River estuary. For centuries, the island has been a haven for the royals of both the Goryeo and Joseon kingdoms, to which they would retreat in times of war. A Goryeo palace was built in the 1200s, where the king lived in self-exile for several decades. In modern times, Ganghwa Island has been an idyllic, country getaway for city dwellers and a pastoral bread basket for the local farmers.



Ganghwa offers the weekend traveler a host of historic and scenic sites. Habitation of the island began millennia ago, as attested by the dolmen (ancient stone structures). Archaeologists continue to debate the purpose of these dolmen  do they mark burials, were they used for sky burials, or were they altars for worship? At Mount Mani, an altar is said to have been used for ancestral worship by Korea's legendary founder Dangun.



Historic and picturesque Buddhist temples dot the island, as do early 20th-century Anglican church buildings. Two of these buildings, built to house the large population of believers there, are more than 100 years old. The cathedral-like Ganghwa church, high on a hill above the town, is a spectacular example of religious architecture and is still used for regular worship. The bell is located not in a tower but in a pavilion outside. This Korean-style bell calls the faithful to worship. Among the temples, Cheondeung Temple is a must-see.





Ganghwa Church blends Christianity and traditional Korean architecture. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields



During the 1392-1910 Joseon era, Ganghwa Island was fortified and became the first line of defense against invasions from the sea. As the Han River was navigable by most ships of the era, protecting that waterway was of utmost importance. The military garrison on the island suffered attacks from the Japanese, the Americans and the French in the late 1860s.





Henri Zuber's illustration of the 1866 French invasion of Ganghwa Island / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize



The French invasion of Ganghwa was in retaliation to the execution of several French Catholic priests who had entered Joseon illegally to conduct missionary work. At the time, the infamous Daewongun of Korea had tried to keep the kingdom closed from all outside contact. His defense of the policy was ferocious.





Henri Zuber's illustration of French troops marching on Ganghwa Island during the 1866 invasion. / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize



When the French sailed into the Han River estuary in 1866, a 25-year-old midshipman, Jean Henri Zuber, was on one of the ships. Zuber, a prolific writer and artist, kept a detailed account of the expedition and drew a series of illustrations published in France the following year. His depictions of Korean life and scenes of the island were turned into engravings that are as exquisite in their detail as any photograph could be. He later became a professional artist. His day-by-day account of the invasion and the battles that were fought is descriptive and detailed. Zuber's record, previously unpublished in either French or English, was translated into English by Br. Anthony of Taize (president emeritus of RAS Korea), and was published in RAS Korea's 2015 issue of Transactions (vol. 90, pp. 71-94) . The journal can be freely accessed at raskb.com . Historical treasures, including important government records, were carried off by the French and remain a much-debated diplomatic issue today.





Henri Zuber's illustration of a town on Ganghwa Island during the French 1866 invasion / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize



Five years after the French invasion, the Americans showed up with warships. Due to an unfortunate miscommunication and misunderstanding, the Americans attacked several fortified outposts and finally the main fortress of the island. A short few-days-long battle and a month-long occupation of the island by the Americans resulted in the destruction of five Korean fortresses and the deaths of almost 300 Korean defenders, including General Eo Jae-yon, commander of the island's defense. His flag was taken by the Americans and was only recently returned to Korea due mainly to Thomas Duvernay, a long-time resident of Korea and a leading expert on the Americans' 1871 invasion.





Ganghwa Fortress today / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
Berkshire County Emergency Medical Service Providers Earn Statewide Honor

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Four Berkshire County emergency medical services providers are being recognized Tuesday as Massachusetts Stars of Life by the Massachusetts Ambulance Association.

The MAA will hosts its second annual Convoy of Champions ambulance parade from Worcester's University of Massachusetts Medical Science Park to the the Boston MedFlight hangar in Bedford for a Stars of Life Medallion and Pin Ceremony at 1:10 on Tuesday afternoon.

Twenty-two professionals are being honored statewide. Among them are Chris Bargmann and George Beckwith of Northern Berkshire EMS and Erica Bulshey and Shannon Regan of County Ambulance.

Bargmann, a paramedic, joined North Adams-based Northern Berkshire EMS last year after a four-year career in the field in Massachusetts. His service has included time with Action Ambulance, the Hadley Fire Department and the Northampton Fire Department.

Beckwith has been with Northern Berkshire EMS, formerly North Adams Ambulance, since 1989 as an emergency medical technician. "The war stories George has accumulated over the years are unmatched," according to a testimonial on the MAA's Facebook page. "You can always find him in the bay sharing a tale from back in the day when paramedics didn't exist and you had to improvise with what you had on the rig."

Bulshey came to Pittsfield's County Ambulance as an EMT in 2008 after serving as volunteer first-responder with the Florida Fire Department since 2001. In 2011, she earned certification as an advanced EMT. "She was one of the original members of the County Ambulance COVID response team," her testimonial reads. "Erica has taken a lead role on the team helping coordinate the many testing operations and most recently assisting with our vaccination site efforts."

Regan, a paramedic and field training officer at County Ambulance, began her career with the service in 2009 as a basic EMT. "Shannon is tenacious in her review and knowledge of the statewide treatment protocols and company policies," according to her testimonial. "She is known for clinical excellence and ability to keep teamwork at the forefront when dealing with complicated calls."

The Massachusetts Ambulance Association includes more than 30 ambulance service providers with 6,000 employees.

Tuesday's parade and ceremony are being held in conjunction with the 46th annual National EMS Week.
Ventfort Hall Executive Director Steps Down

LENOX, Mass.  Beverly N. Rainey retired April 15 as executive director of Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum, returning to her home in Gaffney, S.C.

In her position at the museum, Rainey reported to the board of directors, headed staff and volunteers, as well as oversaw the museum's operations, restoration projects and community outreach.

Board President Kelly Blau acknowledges Rainey's successful leadership role: Beverly brought her business talent and her diplomatic nature to Ventfort Hall just when we needed to begin a new series of restoration projects and public programs, and she's leaving us well-positioned to begin the next phase of renewal," Board President Kelly Blau said. "We will all miss her enthusiasm and humor."

Rainey joined Ventfort Hall in 2009 as a Front Desk Associate and Museum Shop Manager, assuming the duties of Operations Manager in 2013. She became Executive Director in 2015.

A Pittsfield native, Rainey began her business career in the human resources departments of Berkshire Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company in Boston and subsequently with Milliken & Company in Spartanburg, S.C. Before returning to the Berkshires in 2007, she had entered into retail management and buying in that city, as well as co-owning a gift shop.

Blau has announced that a Search Committee of the Board has been formed to start the process of finding a successor. Meantime, Board Member Karen Spies has been appointed Interim Director. She joined the board in 2016 as a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

Professionally she was a business systems analyst at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, business analyst at Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, retail systems manager at Crane & Co. Papermakers and business systems manager at KB Toys. With Bachelor and Master's degrees in Business Administration, Karen was also an adjunct instructor at Berkshire Community College and Community College of Vermont.
Council President Paul Hopkins with former City Clerk Deborah Pedercini after being sworn in in 2020. Within months, the council would switch to virtual meetings because of the pandemic.

North Adams Council President Hopkins Tenders Resignation

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The president of the City Council has submitted his resignation effective Friday.

Paul Hopkins, in is second term, said he is leaving the council for personal and professional reasons. Hopkins has had his home for sale for some months and had not intended to run for re-election this year.

"Things came together faster than I sort of had in my head," he said on Tuesday. "The time is now and I'm excited about a new direction."

Hopkins said he had informed Mayor Thomas Bernard and copied his council colleagues on his brief letter of resignation to the city clerk. It would be up to the council to determine whether to fill his seat or wait for the new government next January, he said.

"I thought about this quite a lot whether I should stay on the council until I had moved out of town," he said. "But I'm setting up a household in a different place and need to find a new career ... I would not be able to devote the mental energy to being a city councilor and that is not the right thing to do."

The former radio announcer has been a well-known figure in the community for more than 40 years and has served on a number of civic and community boards, including as vice chair of the Planning Board and chairman of the Redevelopment Authority. He's also served on the boards of the Louison House and Northern Berkshire Community Coalition.

Born in Wisconsin, the family followed his father to Belgrade, in what was then Yugoslavia, where he worked for the Voice of America and Hopkins attended the International School and American High School. He earned his degree at Middlebury College in Vermont, where, he said, "I decided that I was actually a New Englander." Fate brought him to WNAW Radio (formerly WMNB), and, he's said, he fell in love with the area and raised his four children here.

He also was director of community relations at the former Northern Berkshire Healthcare  calling it one of the best jobs he ever had  and later communications coordinator at Berkshire Health System's nursing home division.

Reflecting on his two terms on the council, including the last term as president, Hopkins said elected service is very different from being appointed or serving on organizational boards.

"I think you walk into an election asking people to vote for you because you thought you had the answers," he said. "You find out very quickly you don't have the answers."

Hopkins had initially considered not running in 2019 and, on Tuesday, said he felt it was time to step aside anyway for others to run, joking he was looking like so many of the portraits of past councils  older, white and male.

"I'm encouraged by some of the people I see running for office now and I'm sure there will be more," he said. "There is a very diverse group of people who look like they want to serve."

Though he has no immediate family in the area, one of his children is considering moving back so Hopkins said he may be returning more often to see his many good friends.

As of last week, 10 people have taken out nomination papers for City Council: Emily Daunis, Roger Eurbin, Raymond Moore, Barbara Murray, Heidi Shartrand-Newell, Michael Obasohan, Jesse Lee Egan Poirier, Bryan Sapienza, Ashley Shade and incumbent Jessica Sweeney.

Three have taken out papers for mayor: Aprilyn Carsno, Rachel Branch and Joshua Vallieres. Carsno and Vallieres have both returned papers.

David Sookey and incumbent Heather Boulger have taken out papers for School Committee and incumbent Gary Rivers has taken out papers for representative to the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School Committee.
Pittsfield Adds Juneteenth To Municipal Holidays

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The City of Pittsfield has added a holiday, Juneteenth, to its roster of municipal holidays. As Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, falls on a Saturday this year, city offices will be closed on Friday, June 18.

Juneteenth commemorates the ending of legalized slavery in the United States. It reflects the day, June 19, 1865, when Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and shared the news of freedom with enslaved African-Americans  nearly two and half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In a communication to city personnel shared on Friday, May 14, Mayor Linda Tyer noted the past and present significance of the holiday.

"The announcement delivered on June 19, marked a time of liberation, hope, and promise for the future. Juneteenth serves as a poignant reminder for all Americans that the journey to freedom and liberty has looked, and felt, very different for some of us in this country," the mayor said. "I'm proud to know that our organization is committed to growing and taking active steps toward ensuring a wide and welcoming pathway for diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, in local government."
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The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to suggest that the government offer subsidies to foreign national kindergarteners as part of efforts to guarantee equal educational opportunities for all children regardless of their nationality. gettyimagesbank



By Jun Ji-hye



The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will ask the Ministry of Education to provide kindergarteners who have foreign nationalities with government subsidies that are currently provided only to children who are Korean citizens.



The office said Monday that it will make the proposal to the government on behalf of a council consisting of the superintendents of regional education offices nationwide, after the council decided on the proposal in its meeting held May 13.



The council calls for revising the relevant rules so that government subsidies can be offered to kindergarteners of foreign nationalities aged three to five.



Currently, children of Korean nationality aged three to five, who attend public kindergartens, are offered up to 130,000 won ($115) in government subsidies per month, while those who attend private kindergartens are offered 330,000 won.



But foreign kindergarteners are excluded from this welfare benefit, which is in contrast to the fact that there are no fees for elementary, middle and high schools here regardless of the students' nationality.



The number of kindergartners of foreign nationality was tallied at 4,211 nationwide, including 667 in Seoul, as of March last year, the Seoul education office said, noting that extending government subsidies to them would require an additional 10.52 billion won ($9.2 million) in the budget annually.



The office said that the decision to make such a proposal came as excluding foreign kindergarteners from the welfare benefit can be discrimination against them.



"We call on the government to take a forward-looking approach in dealing with the issue so that all children can be guaranteed opportunities for education," Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said.



Regarding the issue, an official from the education ministry said that the government will need to review education guidelines as well as relevant laws comprehensively and cautiously, arguing that elementary, middle and high school are compulsory education but kindergarten is not.




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Students arrive at an elementary school in Seoul, Monday. While schools currently offer both in-person and online classes that follow the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing guidelines, the education ministry aims to resume in-person classes fully starting from the second semester. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



Parents and educators are showing mixed responses to the education ministry's plan to resume fully in-person classes at schools in the second semester.



Supporters of the plan say the quality of education has deteriorated and that a learning gap between children has widened due to online classes conducted over the past year, while opponents say that the full-fledged resumption of in-person classes should be decided carefully as there is still a risk of virus transmissions inside classrooms.



Under the current COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, schools have a cap on in-person attendance, from one-third to two-thirds of the total students, according to different levels of social distancing in each region. In Seoul, all students  other than first- and second-graders of elementary schools and high school seniors  usually have in-person classes two to three days a week, and study remotely for the rest of the days.





Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae speaks during a meeting with quarantine measure experts, Monday, at the Korean Teachers' Credit Union building in Yeouido, Seoul. Yonhap
Over the last month, Indonesias president Joko Widodo initiated a military crackdown in West Papua targeting journalists and human rights activists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Indonesia (AJI) condemns the cycle of violence against journalists that occurs in Papua countries, as was seen by Victor Mambors case.

A motorcade on April 26, 2021 transporting the body of general I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, who headed Papua's intelligence, after he was killed the day before in a shootout. Credit: Sevianto Pakiding / AFP

In response to escalated tensions escalating in West Papua throughout the last month Indonesias president Joko Widodo has increased military presence. In a press briefing held by Widodo on April 26 relating to the death of a senior Indonesian police chief in a shootout with the West Papua National Liberation Army on April 25, Widodo said to chase and arrest all rebels. Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of the Peoples Consultative Assembly added in his statement We will discuss human rights matters later.

Reports coming out of West Papua note the increase in internet shutdowns and intimidation and attacks on media who do not follow the government line when reporting on the area.

According to IFJs affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Indonesia, Victor Mambor a journalist from the West Papua daily, Tabloid Jubi has faced a number of attacks, doxing and threats suspected to be related to his reporting on the political situation and conflict in West Papua. The most recent attack against Mambor was on Wednesday, April 21, in a suspected terrorist attack where his car was vandalised and attacked between 12:00am and 2:00am. The cars windshield and windows were shattered with graffiti on the doors.

The Journalists Safety Committee in Indonesia, of which AJI is a member, condemned the terrorist attack against Victor Mambor, and urged police to arrest the terrorists. The committee also requested the Press Council to form an anti-violence task force to investigate the attack and monitor violence against journalists.

The AJI said: "The Victor Mambor case shows that the cycle of violence that occurs in Papua continues. AJI recorded that in the last 20 years, there were 114 instances of violence against journalists in Papua. The Indonesian government must stop all impunity for violence against journalists."

The IFJ said: Recent tensions and conflict in West Papua highlights the ongoing need for journalism and independent reporting in West Papua to ensure civilians safety and government accountability. The IFJ urges the Indonesian government to respect human rights and the ability of journalists to report independently without interference or intimidation.
Min Nyo, a reporter at Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) was sentenced to three years in jail under Section 505A of Myanmar's Penal Code on May 12. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges Myanmars military to release Min Nyo immediately.

Security forces prepare to search for protesters, who had been taking part in a demonstration against the military coup, in Yangon on May 7, 2021. Credit: STR / AFP

Nyo was arrested on March 3 while covering anti-military demonstrations in the town of Pyay. He was then taken into custody and brutally beaten by police according to a statement from DVB.

He is the first journalist to be sentenced under section 505A of Myanmars Penal Code, a new provision that has been created since the military coup began. The provision makes it a crime to publish a statement rumour or report with intent to cause, any officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such.

IFJ reporting can reveal that from the start of military coup began on February 1, 86 journalists have been arrested, 44 have been detained and 44 have been prosecuted. At least eight of these prosecutions have been made under Section 505A of the Penal Code. Only one out of 86 journalists has been released.

Journalists are facing an existential threat in Myanmar as they are required to hide their identities or be attacked by Myanmars military. This comes at a time when ASEAN is facing increasing pressure to quell the humanitarian and democratic crisis erupting in Myanmar.

The IFJ said: We call upon Myanmars military to release Min Nyo immediately. The repressive Section 505(a) of the Penal Code must be repealed and journalists must be allowed to operate and move freely within Myanmar. Press freedom is paramount in Myanmar as the world needs to know what is happening on the ground.
Over the last week, the Israeli military bombed more than a dozen media offices in Gaza. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South East Asia Journalists Unions (SEAJU) stand in solidarity with their colleagues whose offices have been destroyed in bombings in Gaza over the last week.

Journalists stand next to the rubble of Al-Jalaa Tower, which housed international press offices, following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on May 15, 2021. Credit: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP

SEAJU said, even as we struggle for press freedom and media workers' welfare in our countries and in the region, we cannot, as journalists, ignore the targeted bombings of media outlets that the International Federation of Journalists has called "a shameful attempt by the Israeli military to silence media reporting of its violence in the Gaza strip" and a violation of international law.

Aside from the bombing of the Al-Jalaa building that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, airstrikes also targeted the Al-Shorouk Tower on May 13 and the Al-Jawhara tower on May 11. More than a dozen media outfits and NGOs held office in those buildings.

SEAJU also views with concern reports of arrests and attacks on journalists covering the escalating violence in the region.

SEAJU said: As journalists who also face attacks and arrest over our reporting, we call for an end to the violence against our colleagues and accountability for these attacks on press freedom and the working press.

"The impunity which those who deliberately attack journalists enjoy means media workers face an imminent further threat of being targeted," IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger warned in a statement on May 14.

The IFJ Asia-Pacific said: We stand in solidarity with Palestinian and foreign journalists and who are persevering through these difficult times and continuing to defend press freedom despite systematic violence and targeting of media outlets. It is clear the targeted airstrikes on buildings that house the offices of media outlets is an attempt to stifle freedom of expression and information coming out of Gaza.
Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say it's safe for vaccinated people to go without masks in most settings. Shortly after, a number of major retailers including Walmart, Costco, and Starbucks lifted mask requirements for customers and employees who are fully vaccinated. The retailers will rely on an unspoken honor system in which they trust that unmasked employees and customers have received a jab.

The CDC's decisions over the past year have encountered plenty of backlash for causing mass confusion for individuals and businesses. But one thing has been made clear with this last set of guidelines: It's OK to ignore them.

That's not to say throw all your health protocols out the window. Generally, the CDC's guidelines on protecting workplaces are sound. They encourage public health safety. But the latest changes also contain an important caveat: They leave it up to individuals, vaccinated or not, to decide if they want to ditch their masks--and you really can't be sure that they're telling the truth unless you check vaccine cards.

That means switching your company policies suddenly in response to the most recent announcement could put employees and customers who have yet to get vaccinated at risk of infection. While you may be desperate to get back to business as usual, the timing is not right if you're putting the health of employees and others at risk. That's why it's crucial in this time of particular uncertainty to remember that guidance is just that, guidance--it's more important to stick to local and state guidelines and do what's best for your community first.

Think local first.

State and local guidelines should be first priority because safety largely depends on location, culture, and potential rate of spread in your area. In many towns, it may be acceptable to walk around maskless because the risk of spread is small. In densely populated places hit hard by Covid-19, such as New York City, more people are clinging to masks, and customers may feel more comfortable to seeing a "masks required" sign in a window, even as mandates lift.

"There is no mandate to take it off. What we're saying is, now this is safe," CDC director Rochelle Walensky said on Fox News Sunday. "Work at your own speed, work with your own family and your own businesses to remove them when necessary."

Many states, such as Texas and Arizona, no longer require masks in public while others, including Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, said they will adjust their rules to follow the agency's new guidance. Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California are among those keeping mandates--for the time being.

So take your time figuring out what policies work best for you and your community; don't feel pressured to change policies suddenly because of the CDC's guidance. The CDC keeps records of how many people per state and county have received vaccines. Before deciding on a policy, see how many of your employees have received both vaccines. You can also check local guidelines and vaccination rates to see how many people in your community have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to help with decision making, and share that information with employees.

Employees could be at risk.

Sticking to an honor system could put unvaccinated employees in danger. While many vaccine passports are under development, there's no easy way for businesses to determine who is fully vaccinated. Allowing anyone to enter an establishment without wearing a mask and without temperature checks, vaccine checks, or any other kind of health screening sends a message to employees that they're responsible for their own health and safety, and leaves people without the jab vulnerable. This is especially true for businesses that haven't provided incentives or time off for people to get a vaccine. Additionally, not everyone is willing or able to get inoculated, such as those who are medically exempt or have sincerely held religious beliefs.

It potentially puts frontline workers in greater danger, say employee advocates. The latest "CDC guidance is confusing and fails to consider how it will impact essential workers who face frequent exposure to individuals who are not vaccinated and refuse to wear masks," Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, a labor union representing workers in industries including retail, meatpacking, food processing, and manufacturing, said in a statement last week Thursday, the day the CDC changed its masking guidance for vaccinated individuals. "Essential workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local Covid safety measures."

We still have a long way to go.

Some public health experts expressed concerns that the CDC's change in guidance, while based on evolving science, has come too soon, and may put many people at risk. The nation's largest union of registered nurses condemned the CDC for the change, saying it would jeopardize the health of frontline workers and the general public and would disproportionately harm people of color.

About 123 million people, or 37 percent of the total U.S. population, are fully vaccinated. That means about one in three people walking into a business is fully vaccinated. In some places that number is much smaller. In Mississippi, for example, only 26 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, in Alabama it's 27 percent, and in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Arizona it's closer to 29 percent. In other words, we still have a long way to go until we're officially safe from another super spreader event and can return to normal without hesitancy.
Update: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state's social media deplatforming bill into law on May 24, 2021.

Florida's attempted crackdown on big tech is making waves across the country--and raising the hackles of business and First Amendment advocates alike.

Republican governor Ron DeSantis is poised to sign into law a bill banning social media companies from "deplatforming" political candidates or media outlets. Under the bill, which passed the state legislature nearly along party lines on April 29, companies face fines of $250,000 per day for kicking candidates for statewide office off their platforms, and $25,000 per day for local candidates. The move from Florida's Republican-led legislature, which will likely face near-immediate legal challenges, is seen as a reaction to Facebook and Twitter banning ex-president Donald Trump from their platforms in January following the siege of the U.S. Capitol, and Amazon Web Services' web-hosting suspension of conservative social network platform Parler the same month.

The fines are significant, and apply to companies based anywhere--not just in Florida. So if you're a small-business owner who hosts any kind of online community, you're probably asking yourself: Should I be concerned?

For now, not unless you run a large platform. As written, the law currently applies only to social media companies with an annual gross revenue of at least $100 million, or at least 100 million monthly users, globally. It also protects political candidates only in Florida. So, if you permanently suspend a candidate for statewide and local elected offices in the state--but not federal offices like the U.S. Congress and the presidency--you could get dinged.

"This is really red-state Florida versus liberal Silicon Valley, California," says Clay Calvert, a law professor at the University of Florida's Levin College of Law and College of Journalism and Communications. "There's a lot of political symbolism in adopting this."

However, this doesn't mean it won't set a precedent for other states, nor does it mean entrepreneurs outside of Florida should ignore the bill, should it become law. Right now, if you run a large social media platform and any of your users log in from Florida, this law would definitely be your problem. You'd need to adjust your suspension policies--temporary suspensions of up to 14 days would still be allowed under the law, as would deleting individual posts violating your terms of service. Also, you'd want to consider setting aside a predetermined budget for paying out fines.

The law could also present systemic issues if it catches on in other states, as it's expected to do. First, the language of the law itself could change, in Florida or elsewhere, to include smaller companies. The revenue and user floors could be lowered with little fanfare, opening smaller social media platforms--or any website with a public messaging function, like online forums or even blogs with comment sections--to liability. As written in the Florida bill, those floors are arbitrary parameters simply meant to prove that that these digital spaces are popular enough to function as a "public town square." That's a key part of the legislation, Calvert says: Business advocates claim the law is an overreach into the affairs of private companies, so the town-square argument could help it more easily pass constitutional muster. However, most public town squares have a much smaller capacity than 100 million, so it's unclear exactly where that floor could ultimately land for websites.

If the law is allowed to stand, other Republican-led states could be far more likely to adopt their own version of the law. Businesses would then face a patchwork of varying standards across the country. Functionally, they'd be forced to adopt the standards of whichever state ends up having the strictest legislation.

In that hypothetical future, it would make sense for businesses to lobby for new federal legislation to supersede state laws--if for no other reason than to simplify the regulatory process, Calvert says.

Legal challenges would come first, of course. The Internet Association, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group representing tech companies including Facebook, Amazon, and Google, issued a statement, shortly after the bill passed Florida's legislature: "The Florida Legislature has decided to put politics over policy with the passage of SB 7072. The bill is unconstitutional, arbitrarily exempts large Florida-based corporations, and will hurt the citizens of the state."
A London resident who was shot dead in Pakistan had reportedly rejected two mens marriage proposals prior to her death.

The uncle of Mayra Zulfiqar - who was found dead in her apartment earlier this week - said she had been warned of dire consequences after turning both down.

Police have launched a manhunt for two men after the 24-year-old Belgian national, who was of Pakistani origin and lived with family in the UK, was shot dead in the city of Lahore.

A murder investigation has also been opened.

Citing an initial post-mortem report, Sidra Khan from Punjab Police told local media Zulfiqar had been shot and bled to death.

She had a gunshot wound to her neck and another to her arm, the superintendent told English-language newspaper Dawn.

Bruises were also found on her right hand and left foot.

A police report said Zulfiqars uncle, Lahore resident Mohammad Nazeer, found his nieces body after receiving a phone call from her father in London to say she had been killed.

Mr Nazeer said his niece had told him she had been involved in a dispute with two male friends after she had rejected their marriage proposals, and that they had threatened her with "dire consequences".

Sayyed Ali, an operations superintendent at Punjab Police, told Dawn an unidentified caller had alerted the force about the murder and Zulfiqar was found lying in a pool of blood in her room with her mobile phone near her body.

Zulfiqar had moved to Pakistan from the UK - where her family lives - two months earlier, according to the newspaper.

She had initially gone to the country for a wedding and was staying at a rented home with her friend.

The 24-year-old was found dead in her flat after four men - including the two chief suspects - were believed to have broken in early on Monday.

Earlier this week, police detained two Pakistani men for questioning to determine whether they had any involvement in the killing.

The UK Foreign Office said it was referring the familys inquiries to Belgian consular services.

Additional reporting by agencies

This article was amended on 18 May, 2021. It was initially thought that Zulfiqar was a British citizen, however she was a Belgian national, resident in the UK, and we have amended the article to reflect this.
We all know the rhyme about King Henry VIIIs wives: Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Chances are, thats probably all you know about these six historical women. Back in 2017, determined to look beyond the refrain and educate the world about the wives backstories, writers Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow created the feminist pop musical Six. As the shows tagline reads, these women were instead divorced, beheaded, live in concert!

Six is a true musical for the digital age, with an army of fans on social media and nearly one million monthly listeners on Spotify. Its ability to tap into that youth audience is surely helped by the fact that its creators Moss, 27, and Marlow, 26, were in their early twenties when they wrote the show. Theatre has a reputation for being stuffy and outdated, but the duo are lively and energetic as we speak over Zoom, with Moss at one point getting distracted as a man passes the window on a skateboard pulled by his dog. They are also, understandably, ecstatic about the reopening of venues this week and the prospect of seeing so much goddamn theatre again.

Sixs premise is simple: what if Henry VIIIs wives performed in a girl band? The members (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, Catherine Parr) compete among themselves to decide who suffered the most at the Tudor kings hands, telling their stories through a wide spectrum of pop songs. Theres a German techno/oompah band mash-up about the Haus of Holbein, while Anne Boleyns Lily Allen-esque Dont Lose Ur Head features phenomenal lines such as: The rules were so outdated/Us two wanted to get X-rated/Soon, ex-communicated/Everybody chill, its totes Gods will.
President Moon Jae-in's Facebook message on the commemoration of May 18 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. Moon expressed support for anti-military junta protests in Myanmar. Yonhap



Rival parties rush to Gwangju for commemoration of pro-democracy movement



By Kang Seung-woo



On the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, Tuesday, politicians, including President Moon Jae-in, showed support for the citizens of Myanmar in their continued fight against a military junta to restore democracy and freedom.



The Gwangju uprising against the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan, who seized control of the country in a Dec. 12, 1979, coup, began in the southwestern city, May 18, 1980. Over 10 days, more than 200 civilians were killed in a bloody military crackdown that included attacks by helicopter gunships



Watching the Myanmarese people staging protests against the military, which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup, Koreans have seen that the unrest, including a nationwide crackdown and the shooting of protesters, bears similarities to what happened in Gwangju more than four decades ago.



"We are seeing yesterday's Gwangju in today's Myanmar," Moon said on Facebook, referring to the military's use of violence against pro-democracy protesters back in 1980.



Recalling Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist who filmed what happened in Gwangju and helped the outside world learn about the tragic incident, the President added, "I eagerly hope that Gwangju and Hinzpeter's journalist spirit will offer hope to Myanmar."



Moon, who attended a commemorative ceremony last year, did not participate in this year's event.



In March, the president also condemned the violent crackdown on protests in the Southeastern Asian country and called for the release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the onset of the coup.



Recently appointed Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, presiding over his first Cabinet meeting that was held at Gwangju City Hall, also expressed hopes for a victory for Myanmar citizens against military rule.




If nothing else David, now Lord, Frost seems a prime example of nominative determinism. In recent weeks, relations between the UK and the EU have indeed grown decidedly nippy, and the temperature continues to drop. Frosty the No Man, as some call him, has taken to the pages of the Eurosceptic press to complain about EU intransigence over trade via Northern Ireland, the short-lived threat to stop vaccines entering the province, and fishing. And, of course, there was that Lilliputian re-enactment of the Battle of Trafalgar just off Jersey. He hasnt quite got around to asking President Macron who do you think you are, Napoleon?, but it cannot be far off.

Appearing before the warm hearth of a Lords Select Committee, Lord Frost offered a seemingly attractive answer to the problem of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is to just pretend it doesnt exist. The Protocol was negotiated by Lord Frost, agreed by Boris Johnson, backed by parliament and then, to all intents and purposes, endorsed by the British people at the general election of 2019. The text, part of the Withdrawal Agreement and the overall Brexit deal, was in the public domain and provoked some discussion.

Though few will have read it through (possibly including Mr Johnson), its implications were debated and well remarked upon. The Democratic Unionists, who regard it as a betrayal, voted against it and complained loudly. It was clear, as it was ever since Michel Barnier suggested it years ago, that it would mean an economic border down the Irish Sea and within the United Kingdom, and thus adding some checks to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In October and again at the turn of next year, further grace periods on GB-NI trade will expire, and the frictions at the border at the port of Larne  bureaucratic and political  will intensify.
A misplaced comment can make a lot of mischief. Elon Musk is now claiming his company has not sold its Bitcoin holdings  days after he caused huge market turbulence by hinting that he had ditched the cryptocurrency. Downing Street mischief maker David Frost has everyone on edge at the moment, after warning of turbulence ahead in Northern Ireland. The Brexit minister has hinted Boris Johnsons government is ready to ditch protocol arrangements. Is Frost playing hardball again, or could No 10 suspend parts of the UK agreement with the EU?

Inside the bubble

Chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:
Paramedics were called to a pub in Chorley, Lancashire, on Saturday night after an 80-person brawl broke out, according to police.

Three people were seriously assaulted with glassware during the altercation at The Talbot on Balshaw Lane in Euxton, which police say began at around 10:30pm.

Why the fight broke out is not currently publicly known. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward and are seeking footage from anyone who might have filmed the brawl.

Photos of The Talbot taken after the incident show police vans and ambulances parked outside.

A spokesperson for the force told LancsLive: At approximately 22:30hrs on Saturday 15th May 2021 an altercation occurred involving around 80 people at The Talbot on Balshaw Lane in Euxton. During this incident, 3 people were seriously assaulted with glassware.

If you have any information or mobile phone footage etc. that could help identify the offenders please contact us by dialling 101 and quoting log number LC-20210515-1610.

The incident occurred just days before the UK moved into the third stage of the prime ministers roadmap out of lockdown.

From today, customers may sit inside pubs, restaurants and other establishments as long as they adhere to the rule of six, or are members of two households.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Times Radio that people should drink in moderation to avoid endangering other people as Covid restrictions ease.

Common sense means being balanced and trying to act cautiously without, you know, huge crowds, drinking in moderation, socialising I suppose in a friendly way, without endangering people, he told the radio station.

Mr Kwarteng later told Sky News that people shouldnt be getting too exuberant because the virus is still circulating across the country.

I think theres got to be a degree of common sense, a bit of caution and people shouldnt be running away getting too exuberant. I think we just need to be measured and cautious, he said.
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after a clash between protesters and a car during pro-Palestine demonstrations in Nottingham.

The 51-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, officers said, and he remains in police custody.

Videos circulating on social media during the protest on Saturday in Fisher Gate in the centre of Nottingham appear to show a car being driven through crowds of protesters on the streets.

Although the details of the incident have not been confirmed by police, a man suffered leg injuries as a result.

Assistant Chief Constable Gerard Milano, of Nottinghamshire Police, said on Sunday: Weve arrested a man as part of a live investigation into an incident that happened in Fisher Gate at around 3pm yesterday.

"As a result of our ongoing enquiries, we are questioning a 51-year-old man on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving. He remains in police custody."

The incident took place during large demonstrations in Nottingham city centre throughout Saturday afternoon.

Protests were held both against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which many activists argue will limit freedoms to hold demonstrations, and in support of Palestine.

Hundreds of locals descended into the city centre, waving flags and placards, to protest Israels continued bombardment of Gaza, which began in response to the militant group Hamas firing rockets over the border at Israeli towns.
The case of a suspected stolen dog in Boston came to an unlikely conclusion over the weekend after a TV reporter covering the story spotted and rescued the missing pet live on air.

Juliana Mazza of 7News had been giving a TV report of the alleged theft of a 13-month-old German shorthaired pointer named Titus when she saw something strange from the corner of her eye.

Speaking from the parking lot in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the alleged crime took place, Mazza recognised a dog walking through the lot as Titus, Inside Edition reported.

She called the dog walker over and engaged him in conversation as the camera continued rolling.

The first thing I did was I asked if I could pet the dog because I wanted to get down to the nametag to be able to confirm that the name matched the name of the missing dog, the anchor explained.

Mazza spoke to the man suspected of taking the dog on camera, asking why he didnt think to call the number on his tag.

The reporter calls for the police and the man remains in the parking lot, dog in hand before police quickly arrive and arrest him.

The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Kyle Gariepy and according to Insider Edition, he has since been charged with larceny and breaking into a motor vehicle.

The man insisted that the incident was a misunderstanding on the day, 7News reported, saying that he thought it was supposed to be a dog I was dog walking.

Im really sorry that happened, Mr Gariepy said outside the courtroom after facing a judge on Monday, the outlet reported.

He added: The dog was treated very well and Im just sorry that it ended this way. I am. And I feel really bad.

Speaking of the bizarre incident, Mazza said: Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I would be the one to find the dog.

Titus was reunited with his owner, Greg Siesczkiewicz, who got emotional discussing his furry friends return.

Im thrilled to have Titus back, I think hes glad to have me back, he said.
Wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning has compared lockdown to coming out of solitary confinement and warned that some people never recover from the latter.

Ms Manning spent seven years in a military prison after leaking thousands of classified government documents to WikiLeaks before Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017.

The now 33-year-old was recalled to jail in 2019 for refusing to testify against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and was released in March last year, when the global pandemic was beginning to cause widespread lockdowns.

Speaking on Monday with the Bad Faith Podcast hosted by former Bernie Sanders press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, and Virgil Texas, Ms Manning, who spent 11 months in solitary confinement, said she had been blown away by how much lockdown has psychologically affected her friends and family and how she had spotted a lot of similarities.

She said: I think that us coming out of quarantine. Im so starkly reminded of watching people who spent significant times, six or eight months, in maximum security coming back in a general population.

So, people who are in solitary confinement or like heavily restricted, and people who are in those conditions, it takes time for them to come back to be social again. And Im just blown away by the responses Ive had with friends and family and seeing them go through the same process. And its really stark. Im like, oh wow, like, people need time to recover and to heal and to figure out how to be social and to be interactive and human again.

She added: Whereas, like, me, Ive gone through this process a couple times. So for once I actually have the mechanisms to help me get through this. I spent 11 months continuously in solitary confinement and the first time ever I was terrified of leaving my cell and I actually asked the guard, I was just like: Am I allowed to go leave and like use the shower and go watch the TV there? And theyre like: Yeah.

Ms Manning added that she believed the long-term effects would be felt for years and that not everyone would recover.

People are going to take years to recover from this, she said. Ive also seen people who never fully recovered. Like they just went in and came out totally different people.

In 2013, Ms Manning was charged with several offences following a leak of military and diplomatic documents, including videos of bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison after her conviction.

As a low-level intelligence analyst in the army with access to a classified computer system, Ms Manning retrieved thousands of documents spanning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, exposing abuses of detainees and attacks  including the Collateral Murder video in which two journalists are killed by a helicopter strike  in addition to sensitive conversations among intelligence officials.

Her role in Cablegate revealed thousands of diplomatic cables across several decades.
Dallas police have recovered a weapon that was potentially used in the murder of four-year-old, Cash Gernon, local affiliate CBS 11 News reported.

Police arrested 18-year-old Darriynn Brown in connection with the murder on Saturday evening and charged him with kidnapping and theft. Additional charges could be added depending on the investigation and forensic analysis results.

Now investigators are working to build a case against Mr Brown that included searching his home eight blocks away from the childs house, which was where Cash was last seen alive.

At the home, investigators found a tissue paper in a bathroom that had blood drops on it. A small pocket knife was also located and seized, CBS 11 News reports.

Cashs family confirmed that the young boy was the victim in the horrifying attack that has rocked the suburban neighbourhood in Dallas, Texas.

The boy was sleeping when the alleged kidnapper broke into the house and grabbed him around 5am local time on Saturday morning, his mother revealed.

An arrest affidavit said the incident was recorded on a video baby monitor in the bedroom, and it showed an intruder carrying the sleeping child out of his bed.

Police said the boy suffered from wounds made by an edged weapon in a violent death on Saturday morning. Cashs body was found shoeless and partially clothed in the Mountain Creek neighbourhood by a jogger around 6:45am, just hours after he was taken from his home.

The mom told a local news organisation that she has no idea why the alleged kidnapper targeted her son and said she did not believe that the alleged killer knew her child.

But Mr Browns mom said the teenage suspect had mental health issues, and she did not think he was capable of committing a violent act.

I think that four-year-old boy was killed at them [sic] peoples home and I believe someone had transportation, like a car or truck, and transported his body to the body site, she told CBS 11 News.

Mr Brown was being held at the Dallas County Jail with a $750,000 bond.

Residents have created a memorial for Cash in the Dallas neighbourhood where his body was found over the weekend.
The biggest fuel pipeline in the US that was shut down by hackers causing widespread chaos, is reportedly still suffering network outages two weeks on.

The Colonial Pipeline system runs from the Gulf Coast and supplies nearly half of the East Coasts gasoline and diesel.

It was subject to a ransomware attack on 12 May and has been slow to resume normal service, with multiple gas stations across the US running low on fuel.

In a statement on Tuesday the company announced that some customers are still unable to access their shipments due to network issues impacting customers ability to enter and update nominations, as reported by Bloomberg.

Unnamed shippers reportedly told Bloomberg that the system that allows customers to reserve orders, alter them or receive updates, went down on Tuesday morning.

Following the attack the FBI launched an investigation into the cyberattack and believes that DarkSide, a hacker group based in Eastern Europe, is responsible.

Research from the firm Elliptic reveals that DarkSide has received $90 million in bitcoin payments from victims over the past nine months.

Colonial Pipeline initially said that it would not pay a ransom. Bloomberg subsequently reported that the company paid out $5 million in cryptocurrency.

The pipeline shutdown last week caused widespread panic-buying and hoarding in parts of the US.

The Colonial Pipeline carries 100m gallons of fuel every day to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is responsible for 45 per cent of the fuel that is delivered on the East Coast.

The shutdown caused gas shortages with prices reaching $6.99 per gallon in Virginia.

President Joe Biden declined to comment on the companys alleged ransom payment but warned gas companies not to attempt to price gouge in the face of a shortage.

He said last week: Do not try to take advantage of consumers during this time. Nobody should be using this situation for financial gain. Thats what the hackers were trying to do. Thats what they are. Not us. Thats not who we are.

Reports of price gouging circulated in the Southeast, where drivers were most impacted by the closure of the 5,500-mile pipeline. President Biden encouraged residents who experienced price gouging at the pump to report the gas station to state and federal agencies.
Elizabeth City council member Gabriel Adkins has said that police urinated on his property twice after he spoke out concerning the police killing of Black man Andrew Brown Jr.

Mr Brown, 42, was shot dead by police as they executed an arrest warrant on drug charges in the coastal North Carolina town on 21 April.

A district attorney in North Carolina said the shooting was justified. District Attorney Andrew Womble made the judgement on Tuesday after reviewing the results of a probe carried out by the states Bureau of Investigation.

Prosecutors said the shooting was justified because Mr Brown hit officers with his vehicle before he was shot. But Mr Browns family and legal team said a snippet of body camera footage depicted an execution.

An autopsy initiated by the family showed that Mr Brown was shot five times, once in the back of the head. Three officers have been suspended as an investigation is conducted.

Hours after the shooting, Mr Adkins said: As a Black man sitting here tonight, Im afraid. Im afraid that I may be the next one, you know.

After joining in with protests demanding that footage of the killing be released, Mr Adkins said security footage from a funeral home he owns shows an officer in uniform urinating on his property twice last week.

Im completely furious that any member of the sheriff department would think these acts are acceptable, Mr Adkins told The Washington Post. This is a funeral home. A place where we house familys loved ones. I have lost all trust and respect for our sheriff department.

News of the video was first reported by the Raleigh News & Observer.

Mr Adkins, a second-term councilman, owns a funeral home, a catering firm, and a business involved in tax and financial services.

He has both organized and attended protests demanding that all footage of the incident be released by the sheriffs office.

Mr Adkins now argues that his activism has led to reprisals from the police. According to The Post, an unreleased video from Friday shows an officer urinating on his funeral home property.

The video Mr Adkins has publicised is from Saturday. It shows a police vehicle with blinking lights parking in front of a shed and a garage that Mr Adkins said he uses to house his hearses.

A man in a police uniform can be seen in the footage walking between the shed and garage, then appears to urinate with his back to the camera.

Since this case with Andrew Brown, Ive been out protesting, Mr Adkins told the News & Observer. I really feel like they are retaliating back against me. Maybe they didnt know I had surveillance, but its a funeral home.

He told the paper that the police department has previously contributed escorts to his funeral business, but now hasnt responded to two of his requests since the death of Mr Brown. He said he plans to take legal action.

Im just getting real worried I might be the next target, or theyre trying to set me up, Mr Adkins told the News & Observer. On top of it being a crime.

The Independent has reached out to the Pasquotank County Sheriffs Office for comment.
Confirmed cases of Covid-19 have declined in all 50 states for the first time since of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, President Joe Biden announced on Monday, as the White House prepares to send millions of vaccine doses outside the US within the next six weeks.

There will be advances and setbacks as more people are vaccinated in the US, Mr Biden said, acknowledging fluctuating rates of infections.

But if the unvaccinated get vaccinated, they will protect themselves and other unvaccinated people around them. If they do not, states with low vaccination rates may ... see that progress reversed, he said. Only those who are not vaccinated will end up paying the price.

He added: Given that the vaccinations are free and convenient, it would be a tragedy  and a needless one  to see Covid cases among those who do not get vaccinated go up. Were not done fighting this virus. We still have tens of millions to get vaccinated.

More than 43 per cent of the US has received at least one dose of two-shot vaccines Pfizer and Moderna or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines. More than 37 per cent of the US is fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr Biden announced that the US will distribute 20m doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines overseas by the end of June, in addition to the previously announced global distribution of 60m AstraZeneca vaccines.

He said the distribution aims to reflect the nations demonstration of our ingenuity and fundamental decency of the American people.

Mr Biden reversed the US position on sharing vaccine patents with other countries, urging the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property provisions to speed up the manufacturing of vaccines in poor countries that have not accessed doses from pharmaceutical companies that have held effective monopolies on their production.

The announcement also follows updated CDC guidance for fully vaccinated Americans, which the government says do not need to wear masks in most indoor and outdoor situations, as states begin to relax restrictions amid declining numbers of confirmed infections, hospitalisations and deaths from the coronavirus.

The landmark change in guidance was a surprise to epidemiologists and public health experts who have argued that voluntarily wearing face coverings function as an effective, unobtrusive measure to drastically reduce infection rates, and that removing the guidelines under an honour system could prompt unvaccinated people to stop wearing them altogether.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the move on Monday.

There is going to be a determination about implementation and there are going to be populations and communities where they take a different approach to implementation, because a lot of it is going to be based on the level of vaccination, the level in each community, she told reporters at the White House. We certainly respect and value that, but it is still our view is that science is the North Star.

National Nurses United, one of the nations largest health unions, has called on the CDC to revise its guidelines.

Mr Biden urged Americans to be kind and respectful to people who choose to continue to wear face coverings.

Above all, lets work together though to meet the target of 70 per cent of adult Americans to get at least one vaccine dose by July 4, a goal-setting date Mr Biden has set as a nationwide beginning to the gradual return to normalcy from the public health crisis.
By Shlomo Ben-Ami





TEL AVIV  The sudden eruption of war outside and inside Israel's borders has shocked a complacent nation. Throughout Binyamin Netanyahu's 12-year premiership, the Palestinian problem was buried and forgotten. The recent Abraham Accords, establishing diplomatic relations with four Arab states, seemed to weaken the Palestinian cause further. Now it has reemerged with a vengeance.







Wars can be triggered by an isolated incident, but their cause is always deeper. In this case, the trigger, the eviction of Palestinians in favor of Israeli nationalists in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, touched all the sensitive nerves of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, its humiliating control of access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, the ever-present memory of the 1948 Nakba (the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians when Israel was founded), and the grievances of Israel's Arab minority are all fueling the current flare-up.







It may be true that the contested real estate in Sheikh Jarrah did belong to a Jewish family before 1948. But Palestinians saw the incident as part of Israel's unrelenting drive to "Judaize" Jerusalem, and a striking injustice, because the state of Israel was built partly on the abandoned properties of Palestinian refugees. While Jews are entitled to reclaim property they owned before Israel's founding, Palestinians may not. Those facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah cannot recover the homes in Jaffa and Haifa that they once owned.







On the face of it, the latest escalation of violence is following the template of all inter-ethnic wars. Muslims observing Ramadan shouted nationalist slogans and clashed with Israeli right-wing groups chanting "Death to the Arabs." The Israelis haughtily marched with their national flag on Jerusalem Day, marking Israel's capture in 1967 of East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the site of the biblical Second Temple, and of Al-Aqsa, completed in the year 705. Battles in and around the Al-Aqsa compound erupted, with worshipers inside throwing stones at the Israeli police, who responded by firing rubber-tipped bullets and other projectiles, wounding hundreds.







But the young Arab protesters could claim victory, for they forced the postponement of an Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah. They also forced the police to change the route of the Jerusalem Day march away from the Muslim Quarter in the Old City.







The flare-up spilled over into pre-1967 Israel, where Islamist groups incited young Israeli Arabs. Mixed Jewish-Arab cities that were supposed to be exemplars of coexistence, such as Acre, Ramla, Jaffa, and Lod, erupted in an orgy of violence and vandalism. Lod was practically taken over by gangs of young Arabs. This was a pogrom, said Jewish residents. An old Jewish woman spoke of memories of Kristallnacht. The mayor of Lod drew the same comparison.







But Jerusalem has emerged as the crucible of conflict. It offered Hamas a golden opportunity to assert its predominance over Israel's collaborators in the West Bank's Palestinian Authority and sweep away PA President Mahmoud Abbas's moribund leadership. Under Israeli pressure, Abbas had just canceled legislative elections for fear that Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2006, would win and extend its control to the West Bank.







Abbas framed his decision as a protest against Israel's refusal to allow the Palestinians in East Jerusalem to participate in the elections. But the truth is that the PA's presence in East Jerusalem had practically vanished, with the vacuum filled by a mostly secular young Palestinian generation that turned the Temple Mount (Haram Al-Sharif to Muslims) into the symbol of their resistance to Israeli occupation.







In the current eruption of violence, Hamas connected all the dots needed to gain primacy in the Palestinian national movement. It positioned itself as the protector of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, as the spearhead of the Palestinians' national and religious struggle against the Israeli-Jewish occupier, and also as the voice of the Arab minority in Israel proper.







Israelis and their complacent government were caught off guard. Hamas conducted an unprecedentedly massive missile attack on Israeli cities. They even launched salvos at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, sending half the country's population to shelters. Israelis were left to wonder how their vulnerable home front could withstand a war with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia across the border in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has an arsenal of 150,000 missiles many times more lethal than Hamas's.







To make its case, Hamas was willing to pay a high price. Israel's punitive airstrikes on Gaza have been devastating, targeting Hamas military commanders with brutal efficiency. But Hamas knows that in the asymmetric wars of this era, a militia hidden among two million civilians in one of the world's most densely populated areas has practical immunity from defeat. Hamas also knows that the war's reverberation throughout the region will force neighbors like Egypt and Hamas's patron, Qatar, to mediate a ceasefire.







From the debris of Gaza, Hamas will then claim victory, not necessarily on the battlefield, but in the minds of its people. At that point, Hamas will have achieved its main objectives: an utterly discredited PA and heightened prestige as the ultimate protector of Islam's holy shrines in Jerusalem.







Paradoxically, Netanyahu has no interest in destroying Hamas. Quite the contrary: He has struck an unwritten deal with it against Abbas's PA, which his governments have consistently done all they could to weaken and humiliate. A Hamas Islamic state in Gaza offers Netanyahu the ideal pretext to reject peace negotiations and a two-state solution. Netanyahu even allowed Qatar to keep Gaza functioning by paying the salaries of Hamas's functionaries.







Israel certainly cannot claim victory. The fragile coexistence between Jews and Arabs within its borders has been shaken. The prevailing consensus among Israelis that Palestinian nationalism had been defeated  and thus that a political solution to the conflict was no longer necessary  lies in tatters. And even as the violence escalates, it has become clear to both sides that the era of glorious wars and victories is over.









Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister, is vice president of the Toledo International Center for Peace. He is the author of "Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy." This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (

).




During remarks at a Ford electric vehicle facility in Michigan, President Joe Biden told Detroit-area US Rep Rashida Tlaib that he is praying for her family in the West Bank.

The Democratic congresswoman, the only Palestinian member and one of two Muslim women in Congress, has criticised the administrations response to Israels attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, and has called for conditioning aid to Israel on its compliance with international human rights agreements.

I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people, the president told her in his remarks from Dearborn on Tuesday.

And from my heart, I pray that your grandma and family are well, he said. I promise you Ill do everything to see that they are, on the West Bank. Youre a fighter, and God thank you for being a fighter.

Dearborn is 47 per cent Arab American with one of the largest Muslim populations in the US.

On Tuesday, as the president toured the facility to promote his infrastructure agenda, Arab American groups held three protests across the city to demonstrate against Israels actions in Gaza and the forced removal of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem.

The actions on Tuesday follow widespread protests across the US over the last week, including in Dearborn, calling on the US to pressure Israel to end its military strikes.

At least 212 people have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children, with hundreds of others wounded over the last week. At least 20 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank.

Hamas has fired more than 3,300 rockets toward Israeli cities and towns, killing at least 10 people, according to the Israeli Air Force.

Rep Tlaib confronted the president upon his arrival in Michigan urging him to do more to support Palestinian human rights, echoing her statements on the House floor and on social media in recent days as violence has persisted.

The congresswoman has joined progressive Democrats in criticising the administrations response to the crisis and unconditional US support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government.

She has urged US support for Palestinian human rights, saying in an emotional address to the House of Representatives on Thursday that she weeps for all the lives lost under the unbearable status quo, every single one, no matter their faith, their background.

We all deserve freedom, liberty, peace and justice, and it should never be denied because of our faith or ethnic background, she said. No child, Palestinian or Israeli, whoever they are, should ever have to worry that death will rain from the sky.

Progressive Democrats also have sought to block a $735m arms deal with Israel without any strings attached in the wake of escalating violence and attacks on civilians, said US Rep Ilhan Omar. If this goes through this will be seen as a green light for continued escalation and will undercut any attempts at brokering a ceasefire.

During an appearance on MSNBC on Monday, Rep Tlaib told host Joy Reid that the political crisis and discourse has obscured the human toll on so many of the families and children who live there.

Its shocking, the hypocrisy of us saying that we need to be stewards of human rights, except for Palestinians, she said. Theyre taking orders from Netanyahu who is on corruption charges from stealing from his own people, the people hes supposed to be representing.

She added that she hopes that the president speaks up and speaks truth about what exactly is happening, because I know they know.

Many of the people that live there, including some of the Israeli citizens, have come out and opposed Netanyahu very forcefully  Enough with this kind of discrimination and racism. These are our neighbours. These are children that were raising our children with.

On Monday, she demanded the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken get out of the way of the United Nations Security Council for a ceasefire after the US blocked a statement calling for an end to the violence.

Apartheid-in-chief Netanyahu will not listen to anyone asking nicely. He commits war crimes and openly violates international law, she said on Twitter.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the presidents objective is clear, which is that he wants to see an end to the violence on the ground, an end to the suffering of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.

As Ive noted in the past, our focus and our strategy here is to work through quiet, intensive diplomacy, she said. And hes been doing this long enough to know that the best way to end an international conflict is typically not to debate it in public, so we will continue to remain closely engaged behind the scenes.
The US House of Representatives has passed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act to help combat violent crimes against Asian Americans, incidences of which have spiked during the pandemic.

A two-thirds majority was needed in the lower chamber of Congress for the bill to move forward, which was easily met with a final vote tally of 364 to 62. All those opposed were Republicans.

Among those who voted against the bill were representatives Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, and Madison Cawthorn.

The bill condemns the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16th and reaffirms the Houses commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the AAPI community.

The Senate passed the bill by a 94-1 vote in April, in a rare moment of bipartisanship, and it will now be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

In the Senate, the one dissenting vote was Josh Hawley of Missouri.

The bill was introduced by Representative Grace Meng of New York and Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii following the surge in anti-Asian crimes and the Atlanta-area spa shootings that saw eight killed, including six women of Asian descent.

Modest measures laid out in the bill will help law enforcement better deal with the rise in attacks against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that have seen a sharp increase since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

One benefit of the bill pointed out by cosponsor Don Beyer of Virginia is that it will lead to better data collection as hate crimes are believed to be largely underreported making them difficult to tackle.

A central point person at the Department of Justice will expedite the review of Covid-19-related hate crimes, and provide support for law enforcement agencies to respond to hate crimes.

That person will also facilitate coordination between local and state partners to curb discriminatory language used to describe the pandemic.

Democrats accuse former president Donald Trump of stoking anti-Asian hate with racist rhetoric including referring to Covid-19 as the China virus.

The passage of the bill comes during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that the president is pleased to see the House pass the bill and looks forward to signing it into law at the White House later this week.
Lawyers representing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani  who also worked as Donald Trump's personal attorney  are arguing that he did not literally call for "trial by combat" on the day of the Capitol riot, despite using those exact words.

The attorneys made the argument in response to Congressman Eric Swalwell's lawsuit aimed at holding Mr Giuliani, Mr Trump, and other high profile Republicans accountable for inciting the insurrection on 6 January.

In a court filing on Monday, the former mayor wrote that his words were meant to be "hyperbolic," and placed the blame for the violent riot at the feet of pro-Trump extremist groups with which he had no involvement.

"Plaintiff would have the Court believe that what the FBI has been unable to do  tie Defendants to a vast conspiracy to mastermind the attack on the Capitol  Plaintiff will accomplish through this litigation. This is simply too far-fetched and outlandish to pass the plausibility standard of the law," Mr Giuliani's court filing said.

Mr Giuliani was one of the most vocal boosters of Mr Trump's Big Lie that the 2020 election was rife with voter fraud, and helped spread unfounded conspiracy theories that voting technology, like Dominion Voting Systems' software, had been manufactured specifically to steal the election for Joe Biden.

Ahead of the Capitol insurrection, Mr Giuliani repeated those conspiracy theories and made the comments that would later make him a target for Mr Swalwell's lawsuit.

"Over the next 10 days, we get to see the machines that are crooked, the ballots that are fraudulent, and if we're wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we're right, a lot of them will go to jail," he said hours before the riot. "So, let's have trial by combat."

Shortly after making the comments Mr Giuliani said he was referencing Game of Thrones  which he referred to as a documentary despite it featuring magic and dragons  and a scene in which a character invokes trial by combat to settle a dispute.

Mr Swalwell's lawsuit cites a civil rights law that was intended to be used to stop the Ku Klux Klan from intimidating elected officials.

The lawsuit also claims that Mr Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr, Mr Giuliani and Congressman Mo Brooks broke anti-terrorism laws as well as the laws of Washington DC by inciting the riot and aiding and abetting the rioters. It also claims they caused emotional distress to members of Congress.

Mr Swalwell's lawsuit is far from Mr Giuliani's only legal woe; he is facing ramifications from multiple divorces, a $1.3bn defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, a lawsuit from Congressman Bennie Thompson alleging he conspired with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and a federal investigation into whether or not he pressured Ukrainian government officials into spying on the Biden family in exchange for US military aid.
Far-right US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined GOP opposition to a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection.

In a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, the congresswoman asked a series of what about questions to deflect from an investigation into the attack, fuelled by former President Donald Trumps false stolen election narrative and amplified by his GOP allies like Ms Greene.

She said: The question that comes to mind is this: What about all the riots that happened during the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd? What about the damage caused to federal buildings, churches, peoples businesses and innocent people that were killed? ... Is that not an insurrection?

She also claimed that Capitol rioters have been abused in jail and held for 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.

She also called for justice for the killing of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a US Capitol Police officer as a mob attempted to break through the House chamber doors on 6 January.

And lastly, when will the witch hunt of Donald J Trump come to an end and all of those who support him? she said.

Her defence on Tuesday follows a statement from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to oppose an effort led by a Republican congressman and Democrats to form a bipartisan commission to investigate the deadly assault on the Capitol.

He claimed that the renewed focus by Democrats to now stand up an additional commission ignores the political violence that has struck American cities in 2020.

The House Republican leader also accused Nancy Pelosi of refusing to negotiate in good faith on basic parameters for the committee, despite the House Speaker agreeing to all GOP demands, including equal representation and shared subpoena power among both parties.

Four months after the assault, Republican lawmakers have aligned behind efforts to deflect responsibility by alleging Democrat complicity in protest violence in the wake of antiracist uprisings.

Republicans have sought to downplay the attack, which saw 150 injured police officers, and two officers who assisted in the response died by suicide in the days that followed. One officer died after suffering two strokes and injuries from the riot.

US Rep Paul Gosar  who supported Stop the Steal campaigns that preceded the riot  claimed during a congressional hearing on 12 May that outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law abiding US citizens, especially Trump voters.

Mr Gosar described rioters as peaceful patriots and Ms Babbitt as a veteran wrapped in the American flag and executed.

You would think it was a normal tourist visit, Republican US Rep Andrew Clyde said at the hearing. There was no insurrection. To call it an insurrection is a bold-faced lie.

The real insurrection, he claimed, was the FBIs investigation into Russia, Russia, Russia following the 2016 elections.

For the life of me I dont know why this is at all controversial, said House Rules Committee chair Jim McGovern during a committee hearing on formation of a riot commission on Tuesday.

This is not a game, he said. I was here on January 6. We saw what happened ... This cant be politics as usual, business as usual, or delay, delay, delay or Donald Trump is having a temper tantrum and doesnt want us to talk about these issues. Thats unacceptable. Thats an abdication of our responsibility as members of Congress.

In a statement, Speaker Pelosi said it is disappointing but not surprising that there is cowardice on the part of some on the Republican side to oppose the commission.
The new Slovakian government formed after a secret deal to buy Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine triggered a political crisis won a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament on Tuesday.

Lawmakers voted 89-55 to endorse the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

President Zuzana Caputova appointed the new Cabinet on April 1 after the government of populist Prime Minister Igor Matovic resigned, becoming the first European government to collapse due to its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new Cabinet kept the same four-party coalition in power and avoided the possibility of an early election.

Matovic orchestrated a deal to acquire 2 million doses of the Russia -made Sputnik V vaccine despite disagreement among his coalition partners. The secret deal came to light in early March.

Two parties, Freedom and Solidarity and For People, demanded the prime minister's resignation to keep the coalition  which holds a comfortable parliamentary majority  alive.

The crisis paralyzed the government in Slovakia at a time when the country was one of the European Union members hardest hit by the virus. The nation of 5.4 million has reported 11,855 virus-related deaths.

Heger, who is a close ally of Matovic's and deputy head of his Ordinary People party, served as the finance minister and deputy prime minister in the previous government. Matovic assumed those posts in the new government.

After winning the parliamentary election on an anti-corruption ticket, Matovic struck a deal a year ago to govern with the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party; the conservative For People, and We Are Family, a populist right-wing group that is allied with Frances far-right National Rally party.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
US senator Tom Cotton drew criticism for suggesting the Associated Press (AP) was acting in collusion with Hamas, after an Israeli strike on a building that housed news organisations offices in Gaza.

After the 12-story building was blown-up by Israel on Saturday, the countrys intelligence agencies alleged that the AP building was actually a base for Hamas  a Palestinian terrorist group.

It follows the UN issuing a warning of full-scale war between Israel and Hamas, after days of fighting in and around Gaza.

Speaking on the Senate floor on Monday, Mr Cotton asked: "Why is the AP sharing a building with Hamas? Surely these intrepid reporters knew who their neighbours were."

"Did they knowingly allow themselves to be used as human shields by a US-designated terrorist organisation? the senator continued, accusing the AP of refusing to report on Hamas for years.

Mr Cotton also attacked "whiny reporters" from AP and Al-Jazeera, also based in the offices before Saturday, following international condemnation of Israel for the airstrike.

Footage of the building falling to bits on Saturday was shared widely on social media, with Mostefa Soug, the acting director general of Al-Jazeera, accusing Israel of a "war crime.

AP president and CEO Gary Pruitt added that "the world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today", and called for further evidence from Israel.

"We have called on the Israeli government to put forward the evidence, wrote Mr Pruitt in a statement. APs bureau has been in this building for 15 years.

We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building. This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk."

Anthony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said on Monday there was not any evidence of Israeli intelligence that he had seen, as reported by AP and Axios.

On Twitter, critics of Mr Cotton offered criticism of the allegations, with a user, D Lowther writing: This is clinically insane ranting, even as measured by Tom Cotton's usual standards.

I think Tom Cotton has some uncomfortable questions to answer, including why he is making such an monumental ass of himself, another Twitter user, Bruce Coffman added. Blinken has said that he has seen no evidence that there was any Hamas presence in that building. They bombed it to shut down press coverage of their dirt.

The Independent has reached out to AP for comment on Mr Cottons remarks.
Tucker Carlson says the US military is more interested in hiring pregnant pilots than investigating the threat of flying saucers.

During his Tucker Carlson Tonight monologue on Monday, the Fox News host said the Pentagon was too busy prioritizing diversity and inclusion initiatives over a "clear and present threat" like unidentified flying objects.

"Oh, UFOs, theyre spooky and kinda funny. Crazy people believe in them. Up until you get to the line, The Pentagon admits it doesnt know what in the world this is. Thats all you need to know, he said, quoting Sunday nights 60 Minutes story on UFOs spotted by the Navy in 2015.

From a national security perspective, thats a very big problem."

He said that the Space Force would be equipped to do something about "daily incursions" of UFOs, but instead, the newest branch of the military was wasting resources on "political purges".

Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohemier was fired after criticizing the governments diversity and inclusion programs as an extension of Marxist ideology that would eventually divide the country, rather than unite it.

Mr Carlson likened it to the Soviet armys purging of ranks during 1938 blinding them to clear and present threats on the horizon.

"When they say that all revolutions are the same, theyre right," Mr Carlson said, adding: "Most of the generals we see quoted in the press seem more committed to meeting some counterproductive diversity goal  hiring more pregnant air force pilots, assembling the worlds first transgender SEAL team  than on defending the United States."

Mr Carlson pointed to Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin for the militarys obsession with political purity, calling his leadership like handing control of the military to the editorial page of The New York Times.

Playing clips of Mr Austin calling the climate crisis an "existential" threat, Mr Carlson mocked the defence secretarys focus on the weather instead of sightings of unknown aircraft well beyond the United States capabilities.

"Imagine a technology that can do 600 to 700 G-forces, that can fly 13,000 miles an hour, that, that can evade radar and can fly through air and water and possibly space, and oh, by the way, has no obvious signs of propulsion, no wings, no control surfaces and yet still can defy the natural effects of Earths gravity," Mr Carlson said, quoting. former Navy pilots description of an unidentified aircraft sighting.

"Sound like a potential threat? You think? So what has the Pentagon done about it? Well, we dont know the full story as of tonight. But we dont know that theyve done anything about it, and then cover the fact they ignored it by declaring the whole subject classified for decades, then spending the rest of the day thinking about how to bomb Syria again and rid the Marine corps of people who voted for Donald Trump."

Mr Carlson also called Mr Austins senior adviser, Bishop Garrison, "a lunatic" for saying all Trump supporters were white supremacists, while also overseeing the Pentagons woke agenda.

The segment aired footage from the US militarys animated recruitment ads focusing on gay marriage, lesbian mums, and LGBTQ pride parades aimed at encouraging more women to join the ranks.

I also marched for equality. Oh, shut up. Who cares? Mr Carlson mocked.

"Please stop talking about yourself for once. It is boring and irrelevant and insulting. This is not just your country, it belongs to all of us. Your job is to defend it, please do so."
Over a week in and the conflict between Israel and Gaza shows no signs of abating, in spite of international efforts to keep the peace.

Lawlessness and violence have taken hold across the West Bank as well as across mixed Arab-Jewish cities in Israel. Meanwhile, there have been clashes between Palestinians, Jewish-Israelis and the security forces.

The Independents Middle East Correspondent, Bel Trew, has been on the ground in both Israel and Palestine over the past week covering the ongoing situation.

On Monday Bel held an Ask Me Anything event and answered your questions live about the current situation, the history to the conflict and what the future holds for the region. Here is a breakdown of some of the areas covered during the session:

World response to the conflict

Q: Do you think that Bidens response to the current situation is adequate? What difference could the US make here?

DolphinVacation

A: President Joe Biden has faced backlash internally and abroad for his muted response to the crisis unfolding here, particularly as the death toll is rising. People look to the US, Israels closest ally, as not necessarily an interlocutor with Hamas (which it has designated as a terrorist organisation so cannot have direct contact with) but as a powerful actor that could put pressure on Israel to come to the negotiating table.

Many also say the US bears some responsibility - and wields considerable power - given the States provides Israel with billions of dollar of military aid every year.

And so there has been mounting criticising as he and his administration have so far declined to publicly criticise Israels part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region.

In my opinion, one of the biggest issues is that neither Biden nor his top officials have been vocal or clear enough about the urgent need for a ceasefire.

In a weak statement on Wednesday Biden said My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later.

In a readout of a phone call he had with Netanyahu on the 15th the words ceasefire, truce, secession of hostilities, peace were not present at all.

Secretary of State Blinken, said today, that the US would support initiatives to stop the fighting, but added: Ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire, he said.

The US also rejected moves by China, Norway and Tunisia in the Security Council for a strongly worded statement, including a call for the cessation of hostilities.

Biden has faced backlash back home with progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders and AOC, saying that Biden really only talks about Israels right to defend itself despite mounting concerns. I would agree.

Q: If Israel is unwilling to occupy Gaza following the removal of Hamas, cant Egypt or a member of the Quartet (UN, USA, EU, Russia) step in to help keep the peace so Gaza can rebuild, but not be a threat to Israel?

WorldSimpizen

A: I will start off by saying that according to the UN, Gaza is still occupied by Israel - see this from OCHA:

 By international consensus, Israel remains the occupying power in Gaza. Although it demolished its settlements and removed its settlements in 2005, Israel has maintained a comprehensive land, air and sea blockade on Gaza for the past 13 years, and it controls virtually everything and everybody that enters or leaves the Strip.

I assume you asked if Israel can remove Hamas from Gaza?

Ultimately - although Hamas has been fully or partially designated a terrorist organisation by several countries in the world - its political wing was voted into office during the last elections 15 years ago and it was the favourite to win the coming elections that were cancelled. I think it would be tricky (is that the right word?) for Israel to unilaterally remove a party of another population, Im not even sure what that would look like?

But that aside, the problems Gaza faces are not just because of Hamass actions, or indiscriminate rocket f on Israel.

In order for Gaza to properly rebuild and flourish it would need to have sovereignty - control over its borders, its airspace, its natural resources etc, which it doesnt have right now. Although Israel says a lot of that is because of security concerns due to Hamas, there are similar restrictions in play the occupied West Bank which is run by Fatah.

Impact of the conflict

Q: Have you any thoughts on what the long term impact of these clashes may be on all those concerned plus the International community?

ONEOLOVER

A: The rising death tolls particularly in Gaza, where 61 children are among those killed in the bombardment, will have a lasting devastating impact on the families left behind. Families will also have to contend with the devastating impact on mental health of all those under airstrikes and rocket fire. Gaza in particular suffers from trauma among children and youth.

But also there is an unknown cost of the physical damage from the fighting - which will most gravely impact the tiny 40km long Strip. The UN says over 38,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes and more than 2,500 people have been made homeless because their houses were destroyed. The question is who will pay to build these new homes and how long will it take? How will enough building material get into the strip?

The UN also said 41 education facilities have been damaged in Gaza - while health officials, said parts of hospitals and clinics have been put out of action because indirect hits.

There has been massive damage to infrastructure like roads but also to electricity lines into Israel impacting the provision of health care and other basic services, including water, hygiene and sanitation.

Right now Gaza is limping through with 4 hours of power a day. Outside of Gaza, is the violence that has rocked Israels mixed Arab-Jewish cities, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

The regions has not felt so on edge and violently divided for years - the levels of hatred and distrust on all sides have reached peak levels.

Even if the rockets and the airstrikes cease, the secondary conflict, which was only stoked by the fighting between Israel and Gaza, will simmer on.

The future looks pretty bleak.

Q: Hi Bel, do you think that this violence will increase the popularity of Netanyahu with Israelis? Is part of the motivation to hold on to power?

Anise01

A: The short answer is I think its too early to tell. Netanyahu was in trouble before this erupted. Israel had staggered through its 4th inconclusive election in under two years. Under a week before the Gaza- Israel conflict erupted Netanyahu, missed a deadline to form a coalition government, and the task was handed to his rival centrist Yair Lapid.

Campaigning under the shadow of corruption trials has impacted Netanyahus popularity: he has failed over the last 4 elections to win a knife edge 61 seat majority of the 120 seat parliament. Although, in my opinion he still remains the most popular figure for PM compared to others he doesnt have the support of enough of the country. All the elections have been seen as a referendum on Bibi and time and time again, the answer is the country is split.

Many have speculated this conflict with Gaza and the internal strife between Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish-Israelis, plays to Netanyahus favour, as chaos makes it harder for Lapid to try to form a government. As multiple cities were on fire Naftali Bennett - right wing politician dubbed the kingmaker - called Lapid to say he wouldnt be joining the anti-Bibi change coalition and went back to Netanyahu. Netanyahu still doesnt have enough seats to push him over, but it certainly makes Lapids chances much more bleak. A 5th round of elections is on the horizon. That said speaking to Israelis this week - across the political spectrum - most are horrified at the wave of unrest and violence both inside Israel - and with Gaza - and are furious with Netanyahu who is still PM for not diffusing the situation (or in the case of the far right cracking down hard enough).

Its early days how this will level out but it might backfire against him.

Movement between Gaza and Israel

Q: Does Israel really stop family members from Gaza and West Bank from reuniting? If so, is this a human rights violation?

DakB

A: There are tight restrictions on movement between Gaza, a blockaded enclave home to nearly 2 million Palestinians, and occupied East Jerusalem & West Bank, where millions of Palestinians also live and is geographically separated by Israel.

In order for people to move between the two territories they have to apply for permissions from the Israeli authorities, which rights groups say are rarely issued. To quote Israeli NGO Gisha Israel controls Gaza residents freedom of movement through dozens of procedures and protocols, violating their rights to family life, health, religious worship and more.

The Israeli authorities say the restrictions are necessary to ensure the security of its citizens and many Israelis would agree with that. But getting those permits are very hard, and are rarely permitted in for the specific instances like  work, medical care and family visits. (There are stories of patients unable to get live-saving treatment because they cant leave Gaza).

According to Geisha, today - out of millions of Palestinians - only a few thousand people are able to travel between Gaza and the West Bank each month. They said over the last year in the pandemic, movement through the Gaza crossing was down to just 6% of what it was in the beginning of 2020.

Rights groups conclude the discrimination effected by the permit system is a violation of international human rights law. Israel denies this.

HRW in a recent report went as far as saying the sweeping restrictions on movement was one of the elements of the crime of apartheid they concluded that Israel is committing. (Israel also vehemently denies this). Just to add - the crossing between Gaza and Egypt is regularly closed or restricted as well, and was last year during the pandemic.

Reporting on the conflict

Q: Much of the publics perception of the issue is determined by media reporting and the language used - a euphemistic rendering which neutralises criticism of Israel. Please comment.

7 Turns

A: I am not entirely sure what you mean but I will say there is probably no conflict in the world where words and syntax are more closely scrutinised than the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

In fact, even in the above sentence, many groups would slam me for calling it the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and not using the word struggle.

Even grammar is explosive - the media is regularly (often correctly) criticised for constantly using the passive tense, over the active when it comes to who killed who, or who was killed by who.

As a reporter I spend a good chunk of my day agonising over terminology and language I use and updating my internal style guide.

We have regular discussions over phrases like Arab Israeli over Palestinian citizen of Israel, or the accuracy of words like clashes when one side may be a heavily armed with the weight of power and the other not.

In short I think the media often gets it wrong and we can be part of the process of erasing the reality on the ground. For example most news outlets will not write occupied East Jerusalem or occupied West Bank or occupied Gaza probably because it comes across as unwieldily or partisan even though according to UN those are the correct terms.

The Israelis regularly question why news outlets dont automatically and consistently describe Hamas as terrorist organisation given it has been designated so by several countries including the US.

I think the media can fall over ourselves trying to be objective and balanced when in many instances it isnt an equal fight and so sitting on the fence, actually does the opposite of what we are trying to do.

Its a learning process and I hope we all get better at it.
During the Israeli bombardment of Beirut in August 1982, President Ronald Reagan phoned Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to express his shock and outrage at Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire on the Lebanese capital, demanding that they be stopped immediately. He said that Israeli actions were causing needless destruction and bloodshed and had halted US-led negotiations to bring about an end to the crisis.

Reagan made his call from the Oval Office with his senior cabinet members nearby and reportedly shouted at Begin when he at first failed to promise to bring an end to the bombing and shelling. In the prime ministers office in Israel, Begin is said to have quailed at Reagans fury and agreed that the attacks would cease immediately.

Compare Reagans anger and demand for immediate action with President Bidens timid request for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire during the latest of his three telephone conversations with Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu. He did not even ask for an immediate halt to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have left 200 dead, the great majority Palestinians.

At the same time, the US for the third time in a week blocked the adoption of a joint UN Security Council statement calling for an end to the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Biden has refused to say that Israel is overreacting.

Biden and his Secretary of State Tony Blinken are doing very little compared to the proactive role of Washington in 1982 in bringing an end to the fighting. This reflects the degree to which the political balance of power has changed in favour of Israel over the past four decades.

During that period, it became hardwired into the minds of American politicians that automatic support for Israel would do them no harm and even tentative support for the Palestinian security and rights would do them no good.

Yet this calculation is not quite as true today, during the present crisis over Gaza, as it was in 2014 when some 2,000 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed in a war over 67 days. Today there is significantly more criticism of Israeli actions from within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and from powerful liberal-inclined media organisations like the New York Times and CNN.

The criticism is of two types. One takes the shape of a generalised revulsion against the violence and a feeling that the US should do more to stop it. More than 25 Democratic senators, led by newly elected Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, has released a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Israel and the Palestinian territories to "prevent further loss of life and further escalation of violence."

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defence extinguish a fire in a paint warehouse that was hit by an Israeli artillery shell on eastern Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip (AFP via Getty Images)

New and more significant in the present conflict is the emergence of a generation of progressive Democrat politicians who focus on the rights and security of Palestinians in Gaza, Israel, West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Mark Pocas, a Democrat Congressman from Wisconsin, who organised for the issue to be brought to the floor of the House, said: Today, my colleagues and I stood up because no one should suffer the loss of life, liberty, or dignity that the Palestinian people have suffered. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley from Boston took up another theme that has seldom previously got an airing in Congress, saying: We cant stand idly by when the United States government sends $3.8 billion of military aid to Israel that is used to demolish Palestinian homes, imprison Palestinian children and displace Palestinian families.

There are several factors in play here that have produced political voices speaking not just against the bombing, but equating civil equality for Palestinians with the Black Lives Matter movement in the US. Secondly, the traumatic divisions created by President Donald Trump means that many anti-Trump Americans feel instant hostility to his close allies such as Netanyahu.

It is not merely that progressive Democrats are criticising Israel, but that they are getting plenty of sympathetic airtime and press coverage in a way that did not happen in the past.

Will any of this make any difference to Netanyahus calculations about how long he should continue the bombardment of Gaza? The likelihood is that it will be a factor, because it was his expertise in dealing with American public opinion that started his political career when he was a diplomat at the Israeli embassy in Washington between 1982 and 1984. His acted as spokesman for Israel during the invasion of Lebanon and eloquently defended air attacks like the ones that so enraged Reagan and his administration.

From the Israeli point of view air and artillery attacks in Gaza today, as in Beirut in 1982, bring contradictory political returns. They are a powerful assertion of raw Israeli military superiority and the inability of the other side to strike back effectively. They are invariably justified by the excuse that they are aimed with pinpoint accuracy at the military facilities of the Palestinians (the targets in both 1982 and 2021 and many times in between).

A Palestinian man reacts as he looks at an unexploded bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 warplane on Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood (AFP via Getty Images)

Yet Hamas are not a regular army, but an ill-equipped paramilitary force that is not much weakened by such bombardments.

These are more in the nature of a collective punishment of the population under attack. Usually, graphic pictures of civilians killed far from any military objective creates a wave of international revulsion. In southern Lebanon, this happened twice in Qana within the space of ten years with 116 Lebanese civilians killed at a UN base in 1996 and 28 killed, including 16 children, in 2006.

Biden may not be as resolute as Reagan, and he is absorbed by his domestic agenda, but he cannot afford in the long run to be shown up as ineffectual and for his call for a ceasefire to be ignored.
The town of Medina, sittting on a peninsula on the edge of Lake Washington, often starts the morning partly obscured by mist or fog. As the day proceeds and the weather shifts, the mist lifts or is burned off by the sun. The town has fewer than 3,000 residents, many of them wealthy; two of them  Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos  spectacularly so.

For many years, Gates and Bezos, both in long marriages, were perceived in sharply different ways: Gates the nerdy do-gooder who was seeking to fix the worlds most pressing challenges such as the climate crisis and global health, and Bezos an expansion-obsessed tycoon who wanted to fly to Mars but did not appear to care too much about Planet Earth.

Yet one uniting factor has caused both of them to be reassessed in the eyes of the public. In the past two years, first Bezos and now Gates announced that those long marriages were coming to an end. The divorces have thrown a little light inside the lives of these fabulously rich men, as well as their spouses, Mackenzie Scott Bezos and Melinda French Gates. A little of the mist has lifted.

This week, Gates, 65, the founder of Microsoft and said to be worth $130bn, has been fighting off multiple assertions  that he discussed his toxic marriage with Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier accused of sex trafficking or celebrities; that he had an affair with a Microsoft employee 20 years ago; and that his wife was angry about the way he handled a sexual assault claim. All of these were factors in Melinda Gatess decision to end the marriage, it was reported, and she had been consulting with a divorce lawyer since 2019, according to the Wall Street Journal.

When the Gateses announced their plan to go their separate ways, saying neither believed they could grow as part of the marriage, it reverberated through the worlds of philanthropy and global health. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that holds close to $50bn in assets, funds work in at least 135 countries. There was a relief when both said they planned to continue their duties with the foundation, based in Seattle.

One former senior member of staff told The Independent they were not in the least surprised when the Gateses announced their divorce.

There were rumours in Seattle, going back four of five years, that they were each living in different wings of the mansion, said the former employee, who asked not to be named.

The ex-employee added that Gates had a reputation for being very socially awkward, that he found it difficult to make conversation with his staff, and that he appeared to show little interest in them: Before I briefed him for the first time, I was told not to shake hands and not to give him my name, because he was not interested in that. You were just supposed to give him the information you had for him, and then get out.

In some respects, said the former staff member, the foundation already operated in two distinct parts, with Melinda Gates more focussed on the health of newborn babies around the world, which makes up a large part of the foundations focus, and Bill Gates intrigued more by technical solutions to challenges, such as the use of vaccines.

News of the Gates divorce announcement came as the United States appeared to be turning the corner on the pandemic, with at least 37 per of the population fully vaccinated, and with enough vaccine for those willing to have it. Gates, who was falsely denounced by some anti-vaxxer conspiracists as wishing to force people to be vaccinated, spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help develop a drug to combat Covid-19. Under normal circumstances, he might have been celebrating the success of the various vaccines and the subsequent success of the rollout programme. Instead, he is now busy denying allegations about his association with Epstein, who took his own life in the summer of 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Over the weekend, the Daily Beastalleged Gates had complained to Epstein about his toxic marriage on a number of occasions between 2011 and 2014 at the late financiers home in New York. It added they discussed Epstein becoming involved with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The foundation did not respond questions on Monday, but a spokesperson denied the claims in a statement to the Daily Beast. Your characterisation of his meetings with Epstein and others about philanthropy is inaccurate, including who participated, the spokesperson said. Similarly, any claim that Gates spoke of his marriage or Melinda in a disparaging manner is false.

The spokesperson added: Bill never received or solicited personal advice of any kind from Epstein  on marriage or anything else. Bill never complained about Melinda or his marriage to Epstein.

When the 57-year-old Bezos announced he was getting divorced, many Amazon employees were surprised. They were even more startled when he claimed he was being blackmailed by the National Enquirer in a scheme that supposedly involved Saudi Arabia. The tabloid and Saudi authorities have denied any connection to such blackmail.

The pandemic boosted the fortunes of Bezos and Amazon, which has also spearheaded carbon neutral initiatives to help confront climate change. He is now worth close to $200bn. Earlier this year, it was announced that his ex-wife planned to marry a high school chemistry teacher, Dan Jewett. The writer is worth $63bn herself after the divorce.

Gates dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft with schoolfriend Paul Allen in 1975. Last year, he stepped down from the helm of the company to focus on philanthropy. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Bezos said he was stepping down as CEO of Amazon, to be replaced by Andy Jassy.

Whats really going on in Medina? What will we find when the mist lifts entirely? As the information floodgates open and rumors swirl, it seems that the answer will end up being: far more than we had ever previously assumed.




South Korea's ICT ministry said Tuesday the country has launched an industry alliance to bolster the development of "metaverse" technology and ecosystems.







The metaverse refers to a shared virtual space, in which users interact with each other through digital avatars and experience a virtual reality (VR) world.







The new alliance is composed of 17 companies, including major wireless carrier SK Telecom Co, as well as auto giant Hyundai Motor Co., and eight industry groups, such as the Korea Mobile Internet Business Association, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.







The companies and industry groups will work together to share metaverse trends and technology, and form a consultative group for ethical and cultural issues related to the metaverse market. The alliance will also undertake joint metaverse development projects.







The ministry said it will provide support to the alliance, especially in helping companies establish an open metaverse platform.







The technology remains in the early stages of development in South Korea, with SK Telecom currently operating its Jump VR app, which allows users to interact with others in a virtual space.







In March, the mobile carrier held a welcoming ceremony for new students at Soon Chun Hyang University on its VR platform. (Yonhap)


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Compassion cannot be taught but all of us should take some tips from Delhi Police constable Kuldeep Singh. He believes that helping people out is important and carries out good deeds while doing his job.

Since he stays away from home, he thinks that the people he gets to help are part of his family.

"We stay away from our homes. We see our family in people who are in distress," said Singh after helping an 82-year-old woman with her COVID-19 vaccination, as reported by ANI.



ANI

Shaila D'Souza is an 82-year-old spinster and retired English teacher who presently lives with an attendant. She wanted to get herself vaccinated and expressed the same to the constable.

Posted in Kashmere Gate Police Station, Singh helped her in getting registered. He then carried her in his arms to the vaccination centre since she was unable to walk.

Constable Kuldeep Singh told ANI, "She is a senior citizen of my beat area. I often visit her to keep a check on her well-being. She expressed her desire of getting COVID vaccination. I spoke to my SHO and he helped her in registration and vaccination."

ANI

"She couldn't walk for the past two years and the stretcher or wheelchair could not go upstairs to the vaccination centre. So I had to carried her from the second floor, took her to the hospital, got her vaccinated and dropped her back home", he added.

Singh also said, "This is our duty to help people. We stay away from home so we found a family or kin in such people and care for them. I would like to say to the people to help the needy, only then can we pass through this pandemic".

ANI

What a kind man!
A South Asian woman was left shocked after her neighbour accused her of force-feeding her son 'ethnic food.'

The heated argument broke out after the mother, who has been given the pseudonym 'Linda', asked the woman to look after her seven-year-old boy while she attended an important meeting.

Representational Image/Wikimedia Commons

Linda handed her neighbour a packed lunch containing a sandwich and orange juice as she dropped off her child. As reported by Indy 100, Linda also informed the woman that her son was allergic to almonds and asked her not to give her child any sweets.



However, when the woman prepared her own lunch of roti and brinjal sabzi, a type of aubergine curry, the boy asked if he could take a bite.

He ended up loving it and ate two rotis, she explained in a Reddit post, adding: I was happy to see him gulp all that up but unfortunately, he was full from the rotis so he barely ate his sandwich.



Also read: Family Falls Sick After Eating 'Ganja Sabzi' As Vegetable Seller Sold Weed As Methi As A 'Joke'

thekawaiipisces/Reddit

Linda arrived to pick up her son and everything seemed fine. However, Linda returned appearing to be furious after she discovered that her son had eaten food made by the babysitter.



The mother said that her neighbour had "no right to feed her son ethnic food", before adding: "God knows whats in it."

Also read: Coronavirus Video: Man Finds 'Novel' Way To Sell Face Masks Like They Were Sabzi

Representational Image/iStock

She said that she was trying to transition her son into the vegan lifestyle, and accused the woman of sabotaging it from giving him food she has never even heard of.



"I tried explaining her that what he ate is completely vegan-friendly and is very healthy  and needless to say yummy  or else Ben wouldnt have [eaten] it all by himself but she was in no mood to listen", the woman said on Reddit.

"She was saying something about how my food would have been so spicy that it could cause her son to fall sick. I am worried now."

Also read: In This Lucknow Sabzi Mandi, The Names Of All Vegetables Are Written In Sanskrit. Here's Why
President Joe Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, gives an update on his administrations COVID-19 response and vaccination program in the East Room of the White House on May 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. Biden announced that the U.S. will send 20 million doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines abroad on top of the 60 million AstraZeneca doses already planned for export, a move welcomed by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A family member visits a Covid-19 coronavirus patient in a hospital in Mahua on May 18, 2021, after Cyclone Tauktae hit the west coast of India with powerful winds and rain. The Indian American-founded Wadhwani Foundation announced a donation of $1 million for Covid relief in India. (Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images)
Forney, TX (75126)

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Sun and a few passing clouds. Hot. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

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Video: We Are China

Navy vessels perform replenishment-at-sea training

China Military Online) 13:19, May 18, 2021

Vessels attached to a naval base under the PLA Southern Theater Command perform underway astern replenishment during a replenishment-at-sea training exercise in mid-April, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xue Chengqing)

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Park Sung-woo, S-Oil's head of legal & compliance HQ, left, shakes hands with Hwang Eun-ju, president of Korea Management Registrar, after receiving the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 37301 certification at S-Oil headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. S-Oil has become the world's first to receive ISO 37301 certification for its compliance management system. Courtesy of S-Oil
A bitter and bruising Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney comes to a close Tuesday.

Incumbent DA Larry Krasner has spent his first term pushing to reform what he calls an unjust system, focusing on exonerating people wrongly convicted and reducing mass incarceration.

Challenger Carlos Vega, a longtime homicide prosecutor whom Krasner fired in 2018, has promised to continue reforms while returning to a more traditional approach to prosecution and collaboration with police. Vega and his allies in the local police union blame Krasner for surging homicides and gun crimes, which are roughly in line with national trends during the pandemic.

In heavily Democratic Philadelphia, Tuesdays winner is all but certain to win the November general election against lawyer Chuck Peruto, the only Republican candidate. Krasner is seen as the favorite to win the primary, but political watchers credit Vega with making it a competitive race.

 READ MORE: The voters who will choose Phillys next DA arent the people with the most at stake

With voters heading to the polls  if they havent already cast ballots by mail  here are some factors that will help determine the winner.

How many people will actually vote?

Races for district attorney take place in off-year elections, which typically attract far fewer voters than contests for mayor, governor, Congress, or president.

So while the rhetoric has been fiery, the voters tuning into it likely make up a very small fraction of the electorate. Turnout in DAs races has been light in the past three decades, sometimes not even cracking 10%. Krasner prevailed in 2017 with 38% of the vote in a seven-candidate primary, but just under 20% of the citys Democrats cast a ballot.

In the 2017 primary, there were slightly more than 155,000 Democratic votes cast for district attorney. Its hard to predict what turnout will be this year following the expansion of mail voting  roughly half of Philadelphias votes were cast by mail last year. But registered Democrats had returned about 47,000 mail ballots in the city as of Monday morning, which suggests extremely low turnout.

 READ MORE: Philly elected Larry Krasner district attorney to reform the system. Heres what he did.

Campaign advertising, which can help mobilize voters, has also been notably light this year, especially considering the stakes. In 2017, a political action committee funded by billionaire George Soros spent almost $1.7 million to help Krasner win.

Krasner has been the biggest spender in this years race, shelling out almost $160,000 in television and radio ads, according to the advertising tracking firm AdImpact. Protect Our Police PAC, an anti-Krasner group founded last summer by retired cops, has spent almost $134,000 on TV ads. A related Soros group spent $90,000 in radio ads backing Krasner.

Vega put $30,000 into a last-minute radio ad touting his endorsement from former Gov. Ed Rendell, who served two terms as district attorney. He spent $366,000 mailing campaign literature to voters. But he did not air TV ads during the campaign.

Did the FOP really get Republicans to switch parties to vote for Vega?

The FOP encouraged Republican voters in the city to register as Democrats to support Vega in the primary. City data shows 6,252 Republicans switched over this year. Three out of every five party-flippers live in 14 wards in Northeast Philadelphia, where the FOP is based, and where Vega hopes to perform strongly.

But voters change parties for plenty of reasons. The city has more than one million voters, with 77% Democrats, 11% Republicans, and 12% independents or members of smaller political parties.

Krasner has been happy to highlight the FOPs opposition to his reelection. He frequently links Vega to the FOP, which had a friendly relationship with former President Donald Trump and connections to the Proud Boys, a self-described Western chauvinist organization designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. The FOP represents about 14,000 active and retired officers, although many no longer live in Philadelphia.

 READ MORE: Carlos Vegas campaign to be Philly DA started in his moms bodega

Vega, in a radio debate with Krasner last week, predicted he will be at odds with the FOP many times if elected because he will push for reforms in city policing.

I am not owned by the FOP, he said.

But Krasner was still at it Friday as he accepted the endorsement of the Guardians Civic League, which represents 1,500 active and retired Black police officers. He criticized the FOP leadership, saying they cater to retired white officers who long for the days of Police Commissioner-turned Mayor Frank Rizzo.

They are a very diverse group of people, Krasner said of police. And many of them want what we all want, which is the system that is balanced and fair and just and that is not racist.

Results from far Northeast Philadelphia, the Delaware River Wards, and Girard Estates will show whether the FOPs efforts translated into votes.

With Trump gone, can progressives stay engaged?

Krasners promises of reforms in 2017 helped mobilize progressive voters still smarting from Pennsylvanias role in helping to elect Trump. With Trump now out of office, will that enthusiasm wane?

Progressive groups such as Reclaim Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Working Families Party say they are all in to defend Krasner, whose first victory was a watershed moment for their movement. But theres concern on the left that Trumps absence and the difficulty of generating enthusiasm for an incumbent with a complicated record will dampen their impact.

 READ MORE: Larry Krasner has progressives in a new position: Defending a controversial incumbent

Even Reclaims endorsement of Krasner highlighted frustration with the pace of reform, praising the incumbents efforts to hold police accountable but saying he has failed to implement the transformative change needed to dismantle a fundamentally unjust and unequal system.

Krasner got some 11th-hour help from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who endorsed Krasner in early May and sent out an email blast on Monday encouraging supporters to have his back when it matters most, to make sure he can continue our collective struggle for justice from the DAs office.

Turnout and Krasners margin of victory in neighborhoods such as Fishtown, Cedar Park, Center City, and parts of South Philadelphia east of Broad Street will show whether the progressive movement held its ground.
Voters across Pennsylvania will head to the polls today, and that may have you wondering  wheres my polling place?

You can find out by plugging your address into a website maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Here are the instructions: The Polling Place Search tool will help you locate a polling place for Election day.

 READ MORE: Follow our reporters for live updates on the 2021 Pennsylvania primary, including the race for Philadelphia District Attorney

Begin by typing the county of residence and city in the dropdown menus below. Then enter the street name, the house number, and zip code.

If the polling place is not found, please make sure the information is correct. Click Search again. If the polling place is still not found you may contact the county election office.

 READ MORE: Use our voter guide to get up to speed on the races and candidates before casting your ballot.

Find contact information for your County Election Officials here.
Woodbridge, VA (22192)

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Woodbridge, VA (22192)

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Woodbridge, VA (22192)

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Rain, heavy at times early. High near 70F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

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Local Twin Cities artists Enzyrose, Eyenga Bokamba, Noah Lawrence-Holder, LeShon Lee, and Meadow Gillispie, talk about their reaction to the murder of George Floyd, the trial of Derek Chauvin, and life as a black artist during this time.
Lockton Hires Haraden as President of Boston Operations

Lockton has hired Patrick J. Haraden as president of its Boston, Massachusetts, operations.

In his new role, Haraden will lead a team of property/casualty insurance and employee benefits experts who serve commercial clients nationally and globally.

Before he joined Lockton, Haraden served as area president in New England and the Northeast regional director of Gallaghers public sector practice. He began his career as an underwriter for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

He parlayed that experience into senior consultant roles at Fidelity, Hewitt Associates and Watson Wyatt Worldwide. He then became a partner at Longfellow Benefits, which was acquired by Gallagher in 2013.

Source: Lockton Companies

MLMIC Insurance Company Announces Schoppmann as CEO, Vice Chair

MLMIC Insurance Company, a medical professional liability insurer in New York, has named Michael J. Schoppmann as CEO and vice chair, effective May 12, 2021.

Schoppmann previously served as MLMICs president and chief operating officer and has a history of representing healthcare providers in New York and nationally.

Also effective May 12, Edward J. Amsler, MLMICs immediate past CEO, has become Chairman of the board and will work with Schoppmann on strategic planning. Timothy Krieg has become chief operating officer and will oversee the daily operations of MLMIC.

Before joining MLMIC in 2016, Schoppmanns legal career spanned 30 years and his tenure representing healthcare professionals earned him national regard. He was the managing principal partner in the law firm Kern, Augustine, Conroy & Schoppmann, where he dedicated more than two decades of his career to providing counsel to physicians, dentists and other healthcare providers.

Source: MLMIC Insurance Company

Topics Lockton
Denis Kessler, SCORs chairman and chief executive officer, has decided to step down, for personal reasons, from his role as CEO at the end of his current term of office, which will expire at the reinsurers general meeting on June 30, 2021. He will stay with the company as chairman.

The board of directors of Paris-based SCOR previously decided to separate the roles of chairman of the board and CEO but now this will happen one year earlier than originally planned.

Succeeding Kessler as CEO will be Laurent Rousseau, deputy CEO of SCOR Global P&C, chairman of SCOR Europe and member of the group executive committee. Rousseau has held senior positions within the group for the past 11 years and has had 20 years of experience in the re/insurance sector in London and Paris.

In December 2020, SCOR announced that Benoit Ribadeau-Dumas would succeed Kessler as CEO in 2022. He joined the company as deputy CEO in January 2021 to prepare for the transition. However, the company is abandoning that original succession plan.

While recognizing and commending his strong commitment and successful integration during his first few months at SCOR, the board of directors has come to the conclusion that the conditions are not met for Benoit Ribadeau-Dumas, who had not worked in the insurance or reinsurance sector before joining the group, to take up the position of chief executive officer of SCOR in June 2021, said SCOR in a statement.

The boards appointment of Kessler as non-executive chairman following the June 30 general meeting will help to ensure the continuity of the groups strategy and to perpetuate its values, the company said.

For 19 years, I have devoted my life to reinsurance in general, and to SCOR in particular. This is a fascinating and demanding industry, extremely sophisticated and underpinned by science. SCOR has become a global Tier 1 company that is profitable, has a high level of solvency, and is growing continuously, commented Kessler.

The succession announced in December 2020 by the board on the recommendation of the Nomination Committee, cannot take place as planned. I would like to thank Benoit Ribadeau-Dumas for all the effort he has made to integrate into the company and the sector, he continued.

I have every confidence in Laurent Rousseau, a seasoned and recognized re/insurance professional with whom I have worked for more than 11 years, to ensure SCORs success and to guarantee its long-term development, with the two-fold target of profitability and solvency, Kessler said.

Laurent will stay true to the principles and values that make up the groups DNA, while giving it new momentum in the current health and economic crisis. All the members of the executive committee, highly experienced reinsurance professionals, along with the groups 3,000 employees throughout the world, will be united in helping him to take SCOR to the next level. Laurent can count on my full support as chairman of the board, he said.

Rousseaus Biography

Rousseau, 42, a French citizen, is a graduate of HEC (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales). He started his career in 2001 as an equity analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston in London covering European insurers and reinsurers. In 2005, he joined J.P. Morgan in the insurance investment banking team, executing M&A, capital raising and restructuring transactions for European insurers and reinsurers. He joined SCOR in 2010 as adviser to the chairman and became head of SCOR Global P&Cs Strategy and Business Development in 2012. In July 2015, he became chief underwriting officer of SCOR Global P&Cs treaty business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In April 2018, he was promoted to deputy chief executive officer of SCOR Global P&C and member of the groups executive committee. He is married and has four children.

Source: SCOR
HX, the data, digital and analytics division of Howden Group Holdings, announced it has established HX Asia, which enables it to deploy its data, analytics and technology capabilities directly to clients and carriers in the Asian market.

HX Asia will be based at the groups regional headquarters in Singapore.

HX comprises four areas of expertise: HX Data, HX Markets, HX Analytics and xTrade Digital Marketplace.

Edward Howland Jackson has been recruited from Marsh as managing director to lead HX Markets, Asia. Hamish Barcroft and Rahul Patil also are joining the team.

HX Markets, Asia, will work with Howden Groups businesses in the region to enhance carrier relationships through advice-led, data-driven solutions.

Our businesses across Asia have experienced tremendous growth over recent years. We have reached a scale where it is vital to have a market-leading engagement and distribution strategy, said Goh Chye Huat, CEO of Howden Asia.

Paul ONeill, CEO Howden Specialty, Asia Pacific, commented: The arrival of Ed and his team is very timely as Howden cements its position as the challenger broker in the Asia-Pacific region, offering clients specialist local service with international reach and access to deep global specialty expertise. The capabilities of HX, combined with the strategic intent of Howden Specialty, will provide our clients with optimal solutions to respond to the current challenging environment.

HX was formed in 2019 with the aim of digitally transforming and accelerating the growth of Howden, using data, analytics and technology to respond to client and market needs. In just two years, HX has expanded its headcount to more than 150 employees in the groups London headquarters.

The appointment of a team in Asia marks a significant step in bringing the HX offering closer to its clients and partners across the globe, said the company in a statement.

Source: HX
In this file photo taken on March 11, a man wearing a facemask and face shield walks past Pfizer headquarters in New York, one year after the pandemic was officially declared. AFP-Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



A day after U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration plans to send an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines abroad by the end of June, a senior Korean government official said the United States will send a "substantial amount of vaccines" to South Korea.



"South Korea is a preferred negotiator for the United States' vaccine-sharing program, and that means the country will be a top recipient in terms of receiving a substantial amount of COVID vaccines," the official told The Korea Times by telephone, Tuesday.



Regarding the specifics of this "substantial amount of vaccines," the official said details would be announced during a scheduled joint press conference after President Moon Jae-in's bilateral summit with Biden at the White House. Some sources said South Korea was hoping to get at least half of the 20 million doses.






Thick black smoke billowed into the air on May 16 after a train derailed in northwest Iowa, prompting authorities to evacuate part of a small, nearby town.

The fiery derailment happened early in the afternoon on the southwest edge of Sibley, which is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 200 miles (321.87 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines. There were no immediate reports of injuries related to the derailment.

Photos and video of the derailment posted online show about 30 train cars piled up along the tracks with flames and a large plume of smoke coming from one end of the pile of cars. Local media reports say authorities evacuated an area within 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) of the derailment.

Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls told KIWA radio the train was hauling fertilizer and ammonium nitrate.

Nate Minten of Sibley told the Des Moines Register that smoke was still visible around 4:30 p.m. Sunday from his mothers home.

I could see smoke filling up a couple hundred feet at least, said Minten who posted aerial drone video of the derailment online, We didnt hear any bangs or anything.

An emergency text message Minten received about the derailment said the western end of Sibley west of Second Avenue was being evacuated.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Iowa
Nearly 800 residents of French Island plan to sue the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, stemming from contamination of private drinking water wells from chemicals known as PFAS, a move that could expose the city to up to more than $39 million in claims.

Attorney Tim Jacobson served the city notice on May 14 of its intention to file a lawsuit on behalf of 787 residents of French Island. Jacobson filed a similar document on behalf of 125 residents in February. The filing is the first step that must be taken under the law before pursuing a complaint against the city.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources last year launched an investigation that includes the city of La Crosse regarding contamination on the island stemming from the La Crosse Regional Airport. The DNR flagged two city wells for the presence of PFAS, which have since been taken out of service, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.

The city used these chemicals for decades. The city was alerted that PFAS was getting in city wells as early as 2014, Jacobson said. But, it wasnt until late 2020 that the public started to learn that their wells may be impacted and the residents of French Island have been drinking polluted water for years.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds said he had not yet seen the filing and couldnt comment on any pending legal action.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Wisconsin
The North Dakota Supreme Court has ordered a new civil trial for a driver who caused a Bismarck expressway crash that killed two women, injured a third and produced a jury award of more than $1 billion in damages.

The 2015 crash killed 21-year-old Taylor Goven, of Mandan, and 22-year-old Abby Renschler, of Lincoln, and caused a traumatic brain injury to 21-year-old Shayna Monson, of Dickinson.

Jordan Morsette, 28, who had a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal limit, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular injury.

A civil court jury in November 2019 awarded punitive and compensatory damages to Monson and the families of Renschler and Goven that topped $1 billion. The district court later reduced the total damage award to about $690 million, according to Supreme Court documents.

Morsette appealed to the Supreme Court after a district judge last June denied his request for a new civil trial. Morsettes attorney, Kay Nord Hunt, in February argued that the district judge was wrong to admit evidence of Morsettes intoxication because he had already admitted liability for the crash, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

Nord Hunt also argued the judge should not have allowed a plaintiffs motion to add punitive damages and erred in instructions to the jury. She also maintained the jurys verdict was excessive.

The Supreme Court justices concluded that evidence of Morsettes intoxication was irrelevant, that the district court did err in its instructions to the jury, and that it abused its discretion by allowing the claim for punitive damages.

There was no evidence indicating that Morsette acted with ill will or wrongful motive and intended to injure Monson, Goven, Renschler, or any other person, the justices wrote. Although Morsettes conduct while intoxicated can be characterized as grossly negligent or extremely reckless, there are no special circumstances, such as an intent to injure or personal ill will toward the Plaintiffs, to support a finding of actual malice.

The new trial will be on compensatory damages only, according to the Supreme Court order.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Here is what AM Best, Fitch Ratings and CyberCube think about the recent ransomware attack that shut down Colonial Pipeline:

AM Best: Spotlight on Cyber Insurance

The ransomware attack on one of the largest pipelines in the United States highlights the interconnectedness of cyber risk and the importance of cyber security to all business operations, according to a new AM Best commentary.

In its Bests Commentary, Colonial Pipeline Attack Throws Spotlight on Cyber Insurance Market, AM Best notes that premiums for standalone cyber policies grew more than 28% in 2020, reflecting price increases and a move by the insurance industry to get more clarity on their cyber underwriting factors.

While premiums in the $2.7 billion U.S. cyber insurance market have seen healthy growth in recent years, an even greater increase in claims has overshadowed market growth. From 2017 to 2020, according to the commentary, annual premium grew at an average of 19%; however, claims grew by 38%, reflecting a steady increase in the sophistication of criminals ability to penetrate and disable networks.

The Colonial Pipeline attack, which shut down 5,500 miles of pipeline between Texas and New Jersey, is a manifestation of this growing sophistication and many insurers are now realizing the significant risks inherent in this line of business, according to the rating agency.

As the Colonial Pipeline attack has shown, cyber is a very complex risk, with far-reaching impacts to clients and insurers alike, said Sridhar Manyem, director of industry research and analytics.

The classifications of these events as terrorism, criminal activity or acts of war have different implications for insurance, and will require guidance from government entities as clients and insurers navigate these cases.

AM Best said the escalation in ransomware attacks also has forced insurers to re-think globally, as evidenced by the decision of AXA Insurance in France to halt ransomware crime reimbursements.

Insurers that lack the appropriate expertise, ability and controls for cyber insurance risks could be subject to losses outside of risk tolerance that may have ratings implications, the. commentary concluded.

Fitch Ratings: Ransomware Attacks a Growing Global Threat

The recent proliferation of ransomware attacks underscores how cyber risk is cutting across sectors and becoming a growing global security and financial threat, Fitch Ratings says. The volume, size and sophistication of ransomware attacks are expected to increase, as the risk of criminal prosecution remains low and profit incentives remain high. Fitch views the increase in attacks and severity as a credit negative; however, every incident will be evaluated within the context of each issuers credit profile.

Ransomware attacks increased 485% in 2020 globally, according to Bitfdefender, accounting for nearly one-quarter of all cyber incidents, with total global costs estimated at $20 billion, per Purple Sec. Ransomware attacks that threatened to release stolen data are rising and were 77% of total attacks in 1Q21.This has helped drive up the cost of ransomware attacks, with the average ransom payment in 1Q21 of $220,298, up 43% from 4Q19, according to Coveware.

Fitch says recent incidents may spur internationally coordinated public and private efforts to help prepare for and mitigate against ransomware attacks. The Institute for Security and Technology recently issued a Ransomware Taskforce report indicating that combating ransomware should be a global priority. The U.S. Justice Department has established a ransomware taskforce with the FBI and federal prosecutors to increase coordination with the private sector and other agencies.

Issuers with less sophisticated networks, security systems and IT departments may be most vulnerable to attack, but downside risk potential is higher at larger and more strategically important entities, according to Fitch.

Ransomware targets every sector and geography, but certain sectors have proved more attractive targets than others. Professional services firms, such as small law and financial services firms, are popular targets of ransomware attacks as they typically possess valuable personal identifiable information, payment data, or intellectual property. Cyber attacks against schools, local government healthcare providers more than doubled to 2,354 in 2020 from 966 in 2019, according to Emsisoft.

CyberCube: Pipeline Attack Is Wake-Up Call for Insurers over Risk Accumulation

The cyber attack on a major U.S. fuel pipeline is a wake-up call to insurers about the potential for cyber risk to accumulate around vital infrastructure or technology systems that affect large numbers of connected organisations, according to cyber risk analytics firm CyberCube in its analysis.

The Colonial Pipeline is connected to 30 oil refineries and nearly 300 fuel distribution terminals throughout the United States. In addition, thousands of gas stations, consumers and hundreds of companies including mass-transit hubs such as airports, rely on Colonial to deliver fuel.

According to CyberCube, the Colonial attack demonstrates the vulnerability of so-called Single Points of Failure (SPoF) to cyber criminals. SPoFs are components or entire companies  physical or electronic  whose failure will shut down an entire system and affect many end-users.

Colonial is a taste of what is to come. Both criminal ransomware operators and nation-state sponsored threat actors are increasingly turning their attention toward attacking SPoF, William Altman, cyber security consultant at CyberCube, said. By going after SPoF criminal attackers will create maximum leverage to convince their victims to pay a ransom, and nation-state actors will use SPoF as a jump-off point into adjacent systems for conducting espionage and other information operations. While we have yet to see a true accumulation catastrophe event in cybersecurity, the writing is on the wall. Recent attacks on SPoF like SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, and Colonial Pipeline indicate clearly the direction the industry is headed.

It should now be abundantly clear to the insurance industry that cyber attacks with catastrophic scope  and the potential for catastrophic losses  are no longer just science-fiction. In 2021, it will be widely acknowledged that a rigorous and structured approach to cyber risk accumulation management is now a prerequisite and a necessity for all (re)insurers.

Colonial discovered its IT systems had been hacked on 7 May. Prior to that date, CyberCube said, its underwriting tool Account Manager had already flagged several high-risk signals for the Colonial Pipeline including malware infections and the potential for a remote user to gain access to Colonials network through an Open RDP Port, which is one of the most common ransomware attack vectors.

The attack underscores the rising need for underwriters to assess basic cyber hygiene alongside threat-specific risks such as ransomware for organisations of all sizes across industries, said Yvette Essen, head of Content for CyberCube.

According to CyberCube, the attack was perpetrated by a group of organised criminals that likely have tacit approval but not operational support from the Russian government. The group, DarkSide, reportedly took nearly 100 gigabytes of data out of Colonials network in just two hours before encrypting the companys data and leaving a ransom note threatening to release the companys data if no payment was made. This is known as a double-extortion ransomware attack and provides an example of the rapidly evolving nature of the cyber criminal playbook.

DarkSide inadvertently took down 5,500 miles of critical US oil pipeline infrastructure, causing one week of downtime before a $5 million ransom payment was made.

Topics Cyber
Digital pay-per-mile auto insurer Metromile has hired a Capital One marketing veteran to help shepherd national growth.

Troy Dye, who was with the credit card giant for 20 years, will have the title of senior vice president, Growth, once he begins in late May. Dye will oversee a team of growth, acquisition, brand and marketing professionals, and hell be responsible for bringing the companys pay-per-mile auto insurance to more drivers.

Metromile has said it will begin expanding nationwide in the second half of 2021.

Dye was most recently managing vice president and head of Card Marketing, Engagement and Insights for Capital Ones domestic consumer credit card business. Previously, he held executive roles leading marketing for Capital Ones small business credit card and partnerships divisions and the brand strategy for the U.S. credit card business and the marketing team in Canada.

He was also a practice manager for the small business practice at Corporate Executive Board, helping Fortune 500 companies market to small business owners.

The company chose a veteran of the credit card industry rather than insurance for a specific reason, according to Metromile spokesperson Rick Chen.

We see a lot of similarities between Metromile and Capital One. There is a shared discipline of focused growth and profitability. Like us, Capital One understands that not all growth is created equal, and disciplined growth is inherent in their marketing and scale, Chen said.

Spinnaker Insurance Names USAA Risk Veteran Ostergaard as CEO

Spinnaker Insurance Co., a property/casualty insurer wholly owned by home insurer Hippo Enterprises Inc., has appointed Torben Ostergaard as its new president and chief executive officer.

Ostergaard joins Spinnaker after more than a decade in C-suite roles at insurance and financial services firm USAA.

Dave Ingrey, who previously held the CEO position, will transition to chief operating officer and continue to play a role in shaping Spinnakers future.

Ostergaard brings 25 years experience as a risk officer. At USAA, he served as executive vice president, chief risk officer and a member of the executive council that manages the day-to-day operations of the company, including property/casualty insurance, banking and life insurance. Prior to USAA, he was chief credit officer at HSBC Financial in Canada. He is currently serving on Opendoors risk advisory board.

After three years with Spinnaker as its leading fronting carrier partner, Hippo acquired Spinnaker in August 2020. Spinnaker-backed Hippo products are currently available to consumers in 34 states.

TigerRisk Appoints Snyder as Head of Insurtech Origination and Financial Advisory

TigerRisk Partners, a risk, capital and strategic advisor to the insurance and reinsurance industries, has appointed Jack Snyder as head of Insurtech Origination and head of Financial Advisory.

Snyder joins from Guy Carpenter, where for the past 16 years, he was managing director, head of the Strategic Ratings Advisory Unit. Prior to that, he was chief marketing officer at Munich American Reassurance Co. He also previously worked as chief ratings officer at AM Best.

Based in New Jersey, Snyder will be leading the companys ratings agency advisory team and will also focus on the insurtech sector.

Head of Analytics Nathan Schwartz explained that Snyder will guide clients as they evaluate rating impacts of business strategies and new opportunities. He said Snyders experience working with insurance company start-ups makes him a natural choice to lead the insurtech practice.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away Ubers bid to avoid a lawsuit over whether drivers for the ride-hailing companys limousine platform UberBLACK are employees and not independent contractors as the company claims.

The justices left in place a lower courts 2020 ruling that revived the lawsuit filed by Ali Razak, Kenan Sabani and Khaldoun Cherdoud, who worked as drivers for UberBLACK in Pennsylvania.

Razak, Sabani and Cherdoud accused Uber of violating federal minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, arguing that they should be classified as employees due certain benefits and protections denied to contractors.

The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Philadelphia that the drivers were independent contractors under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The legal classification of workers has been a major issue for gig economy companies including Uber that rely on independent contractors rather than employees who often receive a range of benefits such as medical insurance and have certain taxes withheld from wages paid. Uber, in particular, has been hit with dozens of lawsuits in recent years claiming that its drivers are employees and are entitled to protections not afforded to contractors.

The case will now return to the 3rd U.S. Circuit for further litigation.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)

Topics Lawsuits Personal Auto Sharing Economy Ridesharing Uber
State offices in the Louisiana parishes of Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge and Iberville were ordered closed Tuesday, May 18, due to extreme flooding, the governors office reported.

A day earlier, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing severe weather impacting Southwest Louisiana. The National Weather Service has issued numerous flash flood warnings and tornado warnings for the area. Additional rains are expected across the state for the next several days.

Lake Charles, Louisiana, received more than 12.41 inches of rain on Monday, according to Accuweather, which reported that amount is the third-highest single-day rainfall total in Lake Charles history.

Water rescues and other emergency actions have been necessary this afternoon as heavy rainfall fell across Southwest Louisiana, Gov. Edwards said in a media release. The Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) stands ready to support our local partners with any emergency resources needed beyond their capabilities. We are only a few weeks away from the start of hurricane season, but this threat is the latest in a string of recent weather threats that remind us of the importance of preparedness and staying informed. And as the weather threat continues this week, I implore Louisianans to monitor their local weather forecasts and follow all instructions from local leaders.

A state of emergency is an administrative step that authorizes the use of state resources to aid in storm response efforts.

According to the NWS, a moderate risk of excessive rainfall remains through Thursday for the Central Gulf Coast to the Southern Plains.

The showers and thunderstorms will produce heavy rain over the region producing numerous areas of flash flooding. Additionally, the heavy rain may cause many streams and possibly larger rivers to flood, the NWS said.

The flood warning for the Lake Charles area has been extended until further notice, the NWS said.

Topics Louisiana
The right to protest in America is a fundamental right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects both the freedom of speech and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The right to protest is, however, limited  peaceable being the operative word.

In response to recent demonstrations across the United States, Florida Governor DeSantis signed the Combatting Public Disorder Act on April 19, 2021. The most reported result of the new law is the creation of new criminal offenses and the enhancement of criminal penalties for applicable existing offenses. The potential chilling of First Amendment rights has already resulted in a judicial challenge.

Far less reported, however, is the potential impact of a separate provision in the Act that could have a significant financial effect on local governments and the insurance companies that insure them: namely, the waiver of sovereign immunity and establishment of a new cause of action for unlimited damages against local governments by any person who is killed, injured or suffers property damage as a result of the local governments failure to provide reasonable law enforcement protection during a riot or unlawful assembly.

Specifically, the Act creates a duty on municipalities to allow its municipal law enforcement agency to respond appropriately to protect persons and property during a riot or an unlawful assembly based on the availability of adequate equipment to its municipal law enforcement officers. If the governing body of a municipality or a person authorized by the governing body of the municipality breaches that duty, the municipality is civilly liable for any damages, including damages arising from personal injury, wrongful death or property damage proximately caused by the municipalitys breach of duty.

Sovereign immunity for the municipality is specifically waived  the damages recoverable under the Act by a person who is killed, injured or suffers property damage is not barred by sovereign immunity, nor is any recovery limited by sovereign immunity caps of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident contained in Florida Law (Section 768.28).

And, as discussed below, there is a possibility these types of losses may be limited and/or excluded by insurance policies.

This new cause of action represents a major expansion of potential liability for municipalities. Historically, municipal decisions as to how to allocate police resources could not be challenged and second-guessed by courts.

The leading precedent on the issue is the 1970 decision of the Florida Supreme Court in Wong v. City of Miami. In that case, several merchants sued the City of Miami claiming that they had suffered over $100,000 in property damage because the city decided to withdraw police officers that had been stationed in their vicinity during public protests at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach.

The Court rejected the claim, saying, The sovereign authorities ought to be left free to exercise their discretion and choose the tactics deemed appropriate without worry over possible allegations of negligence. Here officials thought it best to withdraw their officers. Who can say whether or not the damage sustained by petitioners would have been more widespread if the officers had stayed, and because of a resulting confrontation, the situation had escalated with greater violence than could have been controlled with the resources immediately at hand?

As the result of the passage of the Combatting Public Disorder Act, such decisions during stressful times will potentially expose municipalities to unlimited liability. What may seem reasonable to the local decision makers may be interpreted differently by plaintiffs seeking recompense for their damages. Even worse, because the Act became effective immediately, an affected municipality may in the short-term face potentially uninsured liabilities due to limitations and exclusions (such as riot or intentional act exclusions) in its existing insurance policies.

Just as the portions of the Act regarding criminal penalties potentially violates the U.S. Constitution, this aspect of the Act creating a new unlimited cause of action against municipalities may violate multiple sections of the Florida Constitution.

Article VII, Section 18 of the Florida Constitution generally provides that any law that requires a local government to expend funds must contain a specific legislative finding that the law fulfills an important state interest. The Florida Legislature must either provide sufficient funds or the legislation must be approved by two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Act did not contain the legislative finding of an important state interest and did not obtain a two-thirds vote in either the House of Representatives (76 of the 120 voting yes) or the Senate (23 of the 40 voting yes). Instead, the staff analysis of the bill merely concluded that it does not appear to require cities and counties to expend funds. IT later conceded that it may have an indeterminate impact on municipalities.

It is, of course, difficult to determine the cost of this measure to municipalities because it is not known how many protests will take place in a given municipality, whether they will be peaceful and whether anyone will be injured or killed. However, given the new risk, municipalities that self-insure will need to set aside more funds to cover potential impacts, and those that purchase insurance could pay higher liability insurance premiums (or excess insurance). Municipalities would also incur additional training costs to implement the Act. Thus, a strong argument can be made that the enactment of the Act violated Article VII, Section 19 of the Florida Constitution.

In addition, Florida municipalities have historically been protected by governmental function immunity for planning level decisions, such as deciding how to allocate police resources. This immunity is premised upon the Separation of Powers provision of the Florida Constitution (Article II, Section 3), because, without it, the courts would be second guessing the police power and political decisions of other branches of the government. Given the constitutional foundation of governmental function immunity, municipalities could contend that it cannot be waived by the Florida Legislature and governor and thus the Acts new cause of action is invalid.

Municipalities and insurance companies that insure local governments should carefully review the details of the new law and plan for the potential financial consequences of this new cause of action.

Insurance companies will need to evaluate the new risk in underwriting policies for local governments, and local government will need to either ensure that they have adequate coverage or otherwise budget accordingly.

Topics Carriers Florida
The Southern California city of Fullerton has agreed to pay $350,000 and take back its accusations of criminal computer hacking to settle a lawsuit against two local bloggers, a newspaper reported.

The agreement was approved by the City Council last Wednesday, ending a contentious fight over censorship and freedom of speech, the Orange County Register said.

The lawsuit accused Joshua Ferguson and David Curlee from the website Friends for Fullertons Future of stealing digital personnel files from a shared drive to which the city had mistakenly given them access. Some of the files were later published online, including those of a rogue Fullerton police official who was allowed to resign in a way that would keep her records from being released to the public.

Attorney Kelly Aviles, representing the bloggers, said she was pleased with the settlement, but the litigation could have been avoided.

The city shouldnt have tried to blame their mistakes on journalists trying to cover the city, Aviles said.

Fullertons attorney, Kimberly Hall Barlow, said the city acted in good faith when it filed its lawsuit in 2019.

Im glad were getting our documents back, Barlow said. That was the entire goal of the litigation.

Under the terms of the deal, the city must publish a public apology on the home page of its website, Aviles said. While no formal charges were brought against the bloggers, the citys accusations of criminal conduct were traumatic to them, she said.

In turn, the bloggers must return the remaining confidential records, which they dont plan on publishing anyway, Aviles said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits California
Burma Civilian Fighters in Chin State Capital Kill Five Myanmar Junta Troops

The downtown of Chin State's capital Hakha.

Five junta soldiers were killed during a shootout with civilian resistance forces in the Chin State capital Hakha on Monday evening.

At about 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Chinland Defense Force-Hakha fighters launched an offensive against more than 20 military soldiers near the Kyawboke security checkpoint on the Hakha-Matupi Highway in the southern part of the capital.

The clash lasted for about three hours. The civilian resistance fighters came under artillery fire from the headquarters of the militarys Battalion 266 in the town. No casualties were reported among the resistance fighters, but five junta soldiers were killed during the fighting.

A member of Chinland Defense Force-Hakha told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that they attacked the military troops as retribution for war crimes committed against civilians in Mindat, 265 km to the south in Chin State.

On Sunday, Chinland Defense Force-Hakha fighters ambushed around 60 regime troops traveling on the Hakha-Falam Highway in the northern part of Hakha. The soldiers were in four vehicles and heading to Hakha to reinforce troops there. Six junta soldiers and a civilian resistance fighter were killed, and more than 10 military troops were injured.

We condemn the cruelty of the military regime against the civilians in Mindat. We regard the acts of the regime as war crimes. The junta troops opened fire even on a child, a member of Chinland Defense Force-Hakha said.

He added that the defense force would try to stop the military regimes violence in Chin State, saying the juntas terrorism against the civilians of Mindat was totally unacceptable.

Clashes between Mindats Defense Forces and junta troops resumed last Wednesday after a ceasefire agreed in late April broke down.

During several days of prolonged fighting in the mountainside town the military regime used heavy explosives, artillery, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons, while reinforcements were flown into Mindat on helicopters.

In contrast, Mindats civilian defense fighters were armed with old-fashioned homemade hunting rifles.

During the shootouts in Mindat, nine civilian fighters of Mindats Defense Force have been killed and about 20 people including residents have been injured.

Due to the shootouts, around 5,000 residents had to flee their homes and thousands have been trapped in the town, according to local residents.

After imposing martial law in Mindat, the junta used artillery to bombard the town and regime soldiers conducted raids on Saturday, using 18 arrested civilians as human shields while entering the town.

Since then, military troops deployed across the town have been opening fire randomly, according to local residents.

They said junta troops have also destroyed houses and looted residents belongings.

A 10-year-old girl was seriously injured in Mindat on Monday after being shot in the neck while she was hiding in her house when junta troops opened fire randomly. The girl had been unable to receive proper medical treatment for the whole day because of the presence of regime soldiers in the town.

On Tuesday morning, the injured girl was sent to a hospital in Mandalay for treatment.

After seizing the town, the junta cut off the water supply to residents of Mindat on Tuesday morning, a member of the Mindats People Administration told The Irrawaddy.

The US Embassy and UNICEF in Myanmar have issued statements demanding the military regime end all violence in Mindat.

UNICEF also urged that all people, particularly children and young people, remaining in the area be allowed to access medical care and critical humanitarian services.

The safety of children must be guaranteed. Their right to protection [must be] upheld and international humanitarian law adhered to in all cases, without exception said UNICEF in Myanmar.

On May 15, Myanmars civilian National Unity Government urged the international community to take immediate action to end all violence by the military regime and protect Mindats residents.



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Union members of Hyundai Motor take to the streets to join a strike in Ulsan in this file photo taken in 2016. Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



The union of Hyundai Motor, the flagship unit of Hyundai Motor Group, is against the conglomerate's plan for massive investments into the United States, raising concerns over the carmaker's production which has already been affected by the global chip shortage.



In a statement released Monday, the union said that the conglomerate made a "unilateral" decision to invest 8.4 trillion won ($7.4 billion) in the U.S. by 2025 to produce electric vehicles (EVs), upgrade production facilities and increase its presence in the smart mobility solutions area.



The union argued that management should instead focus on enhancing domestic plants by helping them produce high-value goods, as well as increasing spending on new businesses related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



The union of Kia, another Hyundai affiliate, separately asked the group to concentrate on improving the production environment of domestic plants as well as to better ensure job stability.



The investment plan, which was announced last week, was viewed as "politically-motivated," as it came ahead of the scheduled summit on Friday between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden. Amid various initiatives to rebuild American manufacturing, the Biden administration has been asking allies to invest more in key industries there.



Hyundai said that it will work with the U.S. government and business partners to expand the U.S. hydrogen energy ecosystem.



Taking these decisions into account, the Hyundai Motor labor union said that the firm should be criticized "more harshly" if the investment plan has been prepared as "a gift for the U.S. on the occasion of the summit." The country's top automotive group has been operating two U.S. plants: one run by Hyundai Motor in Alabama and one by Kia in Georgia.



The union went on to say that this number of plants "is good enough," adding that overseas plant operations are facing a global supply shortage and many other problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.





Hyundai Motor's Palisade SUVs are parked prepared for overseas shipment at a port in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, May 15. Yonhap
Burma Kachin State Militia Recruits for Myanmars Junta: Villagers

Khaunglanhpu Township. / The Irrawaddy

The Rawang peoples militia, which is based in Kachin State near the Chinese border and allied to Myanmars military, has reportedly been recruiting villagers to fight the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the shadow governments Peoples Defence Force (PDF).

Putao, Nawngmun and Khaunglanhpu townships in Putao District are difficult to access with limited telecommunications. They are controlled by Myanmars military and its Rawang militia allies.

He is also a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a military proxy party formed by ex-generals.

Members of the militia have reportedly been visiting villages, persuading civilians to undergo military training.

They asked us to gather, saying they would hand out masks and soap donated by [the United Nations childrens charity] Unicef to prevent COVID-19. Then they said we had to undergo military training to attack the KIA and the National League for Democracy. They came to Nawngmun around two weeks ago and mobilized every village, said a resident.

The NLD has been mobilizing citizens into its newly formed PDF to receive military training.

The militia said villagers will be trained with modern weapons in two weeks and afterward be given rifles.

USDP members were among those who came to mobilize villagers. They said they are suspicious that a Kachin group [the KIA] might be hiding weapons in churches, said a resident.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach Tanggung Dang for a comment.

The militias distributed notices in Nawngmun saying junta forces are planning to carry out large-scale attacks on the KIA, warning its members to leave the armed group to remain safe.

Though it seems peaceful, fighting is looming. [The Rawang militias] are recruiting and those who do not join are told to undergo military training. We dont feel safe. Some do not want to fight and many oppose the military regime, said Ah Sai of Khaunglanhpu.

Putao residents have opposed military rule with some young activists being forced into hiding.

On April 22, six young Rawang residents were detained by the peoples militias when they returned from Putao Township. They were accused of having received military training from the KIA and handed to Myanmars military. Five were released but one remains in detention.

Tanggung Dang was one of the leaders of the New Democratic Army  Kachin, a splinter group of the KIA. He later left the splinter group and established his Rebellion Resistance Force and allied himself with Myanmars military.

When ethnic armed groups were obliged to become peoples militias in 2009, under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, Tanggung Dangs group became the Khaunglanhpu peoples militia or the Rawang peoples militia.

The militias are commanded by Myanmars military and are used to gather intelligence and help fight ethnic armed organizations. They also have the authority to arrest.

Militias control logging, resource extraction and other controversial industries.



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Burma KIA Attacks Seven Tankers Supplying Aviation Fuel for Regime

A tanker truck on fire on the Kutkai-Hseni road. / CJ

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has attacked seven tanker trucks in northern Shan State with artillery on suspicion that they were carrying aviation fuel for Myanmars junta.

The trucks were attacked on the Union Highway and Kutkai-Hseni road, transporting fuel from China through Muse.

KIA information officer Colonel Naw Bu said the armed group attacked five tanker trucks on the Union Highway, two in separate attacks on the Kutkai-Hseni road on Monday and Tuesday.

People told us that the fuel is not for public use but for the military council, so we opened fire, said Col. Naw Bu.

There was no fighting with the military in northern Shan State, apart from the attacks, he said.

Myanmars military has been using jet fighters to retake control of the strategic hilltop Alaw Bum base on the Chinese border in Kachin States Momauk Township, which was seized by the ethnic armed group in late March.

The outpost allows the KIA to control the road between Kachin States capital, Myitkyina, and Bhamo, also in Kachin State. The armed group has also attacked the Myitkyina airbase and Bhamo Airport with artillery, reportedly forcing Myanmars air force to fly from Shan States Lashio, Mandalay and Meiktila in Mandalay Region to attack Momauk.

The KIA had reason to believe the tanker trucks were providing jet fuel to bomb Momauk, Col. Naw Bu said.

They attacked with two jet fighters yesterday in Momauk, he told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

The military regime has not commented on the attacks and The Irrawaddy was unable to find out what had happened to the drivers.

All we know is two tankers, one today and one yesterday, have burned down between Kutkai and Hseni. We dont go out when we hear gunfire, said a resident.

The National Energy Puma Aviation Services Co Ltd, a joint venture between Singapore-based Puma Energy Co and the government-owned Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise, is Myanmars major supplier of aviation fuel. But Puma Energy suspended imports following the military coup in February, disrupting supplies.

The regime has since reportedly been importing Chinese aviation fuel.

The KIA was negotiating a ceasefire agreement with Myanmars military before the Feb. 1 coup but clashes broke out on March 11 after the security forces shot dead peaceful anti-regime protesters in Myitkyina.

The KIA has launched attacks on military and police outposts in Kachin State.



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Local Official of Myanmar Regime Shot Dead in Downtown Yangon
Burma Local Official of Myanmar Regime Shot Dead in Downtown Yangon

The body of No. 3 Ward administrator U Myo Lwin lies in the street after he was shot dead.

A regime-appointed local administrator in Yangons Lanmadaw Township was shot dead by an unknown attacker on Tuesday morning after a blast at the ward office. It is the latest in a series of deadly assaults on local officials who form the basic elements of the juntas rule at the ward and village levels.

U Myo Lwin, the administrator of Ward No. 3, was shot in the head on 8th Street in the township in downtown Yangon early in the morning. Shortly before his death, a blast was reported at the administrators office, local people said. He was killed on his way to the office upon learning of the explosion.

Following the attacks, the area was cordoned off by soldiers and police.

Since the February coup, the regime has been trying to resume local administrative functions by opening the offices. The attempts have been largely opposed by the people, as the regime-appointed administrators are merely police informants who tip off authorities on anyone in the neighborhood who is involved in anti-regime activism. The junta has also tried to reinstate the previously abolished overnight guest list registration system to monitor the arrival of strangers in local areas.

In Myanmars administrative system, ward- and village-level offices are the most basic units. They compile demographic data as well as information on voters and criminalsamong othersin their areas.

Prior to the Tuesday attacks, at least five administrators had already been killed in Yangon, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Karen State.

Early this month, a ward administrator of Hlaing Tharyar Township on the outskirts of Yangon was stabbed to death.

In Karen States Than Taunggyi Township, a village administrator was shot dead last week.

At the same time, dozens of ward offices across the country have come under arson or bomb attacks, signaling that the regime is struggling to restore the rule of law.

The regime has said rioters, a military euphemism for protesters, were behind the attacks. However, no one has claimed responsibility for the assaults and The Irrawaddy cannot independently verify the regimes claim.



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Burma Myanmar Regime Reorganizes Committees to Press Ahead With BRI Projects

The towns of Muse, Myanmar (foreground) and Ruili, China (background), as seen from Muse in Shan State. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars military regime has reorganized three crucial committees as it pushes ahead with plans to implement giant infrastructure projects that are a key part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), despite the political crisis caused by the juntas coup and protests against China over its suspected support for the regime.

Anti-China sentiment has risen sharply in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup. Pro-democracy protesters have called for people to oppose all Chinese projects and to boycott Chinese products, after China and Russia blocked efforts by the United Nations Security Council to condemn the military takeover.

But with international investors shunning the military regime, China is one of the few countries willing to do business with the coup leaders and invest heavily in the country.

The latest official gazettes reveal that the junta ousted all civilian government members of the China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) Joint Committee in March and replaced them with its own appointees. The committee plays a crucial role in engaging with Beijing on the implementation of BRI-related bilateral economic development projects, including determining key projects, signing Memorandum of Understanding and conducting government to government negotiations.

Beijing signed an agreement on CMEC in 2018 with the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government. The estimated 1,700-kilometer-long CMEC is a crucial part of the BRI and will connect Kunming, the capital of Yunnan in southwest China, with Myanmars major economic hubs  first to Mandalay in central Myanmar, then east to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State.

The CMEC Joint Committee now includes not only key economic ministers appointed by the coup leaders, but also members of its governing State Administrative Council in the states and regions  Magwe, Mandalay, Rakhine, Yangon, Shan and Ayeyarwady  that the CMEC will pass through. The regime has also removed the clause that encourages the participation of Myanmar people in the establishment of CEMC, one of the main functions of the committee under the NLD government.

Moreover, the junta has also reorganized the members of the central committee for the implementation of the Myanmar-China Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zones (CBECZ). The committee is set to play a major role in drawing up implementation policies, in the management of the zones and in pushing to gear up the projects. Under the CMEC agreement, the Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zones are planned to be constructed in Shan and Kachin states, along Myanmars border with China.

The CBECZ is one of the projects that Chinas President Xi Jinping has branded as a crucial pillar of the CMEC that is needed to deepen result-oriented BRI cooperation.

Now, the junta has also restructured the working group committee of CBECZ with its own members. They will work jointly with their counterparts from China to discuss implementation of the projects on the ground, including negotiations for detailed projects, working on field investigations and drawing up the framework agreement to construct the project.

During Xis visit to Myanmar last year, Beijing and the then NLD government agreed to speed up CMEC projects, including the Kyaukphyu SEZ, New Yangon City in Myanmars commercial capital and CBECZ in Shan and Kachin states.

The Kyaukphyu deep seaport is a planned trade hub that would give China direct access to the Indian Ocean and allow its oil imports to bypass the Strait of Malacca, between peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The multi-billion dollar New Yangon City project is also part of the CMEC plan, although the NLD government decided to reduce the size and cost of the schemes first phase.

Despite the agreements signed during Xis trip to Myanmar, none of the projects that are most important to China had moved to the actual implementation phase under the NLD government. The civilian government said it was carefully reviewing all the projects, especially their commercial viability and whether they were in line with the national development plan.

In April, a report by the UK-based think tank Chatham House warned that Chinas refusal to condemn the military regime endangers its interests in Myanmar as anti-Chinese sentiment grows, despite the juntas efforts to implement the BRI projects.

Senior research fellow Dr. Gareth Price said Chinas laissez-faire attitude so far puts them under threat, as some Chinese factories have been burned down and protesters have threatened to blow up pipelines.

Beijing has called for dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Myanmar, while labelling the coup an internal affair and saying that the international community should not interfere. China has also failed to demonstrate sympathy towards the innocent civilians killed by the regimes security forces during their deadly crackdowns, prompting many Myanmar people to believe that Beijing is supporting the junta.



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Burma US Slaps Sanctions on More Myanmar Junta Members, Ruling Body

The military regimes SAC and cabinet members, central bank governor and UEC chairman.

In its latest effort to put pressure on the military regime, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the juntas governing body and key figures of its administration, including those in charge of economic and monetary policy.

The US has added Myanmars State Administration Council (SAC) to a list of its targeted sanctions. The body was created by coup leaders to support its unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government, the US said.

Thirteen of the individuals sanctioned are key members of the military regime, which the US said is violently repressing the pro-democracy movement in the country and is responsible for ongoing violent and lethal attacks against the Myanmar people, including the killing of children.

The other three individuals are the adult children of senior military officials General Maung Maung Kyaw and Admiral Tin Aung San. Both of them are members of the SAC and were blacklisted by the US in February.

Among those sanctioned is U Than Nyein, who was appointed by the regime as governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar following the military takeover.

Another two figures are Dr. Pwint San, the minister for commerce, and U Win Shein, the minister for planning, finance and industry, who are currently playing key roles in managing the countrys economy under the regime.

U Ko Ko Hlaing, the minister for international cooperation, has been sanctioned as well. The US also added Dr. Thet Khaing Win, minister for health and sports, and U Khin Maung Yi, the minister for natural resources and environmental conservation, to the targeted sanctions list.

Another key figure is U Thein Soe, the chairman of the military-appointed Union Election Commission, who claimed the results of the 2020 general election, which brought a landslide victory to the National League for Democracy (NLD), were invalid.

Four SAC members are included on the sanctions lists. All of them were blacklisted by the EU in April.

Mahn Nyein Maung, a former Karen National Union leader and ex-political prisoner, ran unsuccessfully for the Lower House in Ayeyarwady Regions Pantanaw Township for the Karen Peoples Party in the Nov. 8 general election.

New National Democracy Party Chairman U Thein Nyunt and National Democratic Force Chairman U Khin Maung Swe are also on the sanctions list. Both are former NLD members who quit to take part in the military-organized 2010 general election and served as MPs until 2015.

Ethnic Shan politician and SAC member U Sai Lone Hseng is also included in the sanctions list. He was a Shan State speaker representing the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party.

Burmas military continues to commit human rights abuses and oppress the people of Burma. Todays action demonstrates the United States commitment to work with our international partners to press the Burmese military and promote accountability for those responsible for the coup and ongoing violence, said Andrea Gacki, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an agency of the US Treasury Department.

At least 802 civilians have been killed and 5,210 arrested by the regimes forces since the military coup on Feb. 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Key SAC cabinet members who have so far evaded US sanctions include U Wunna Maung Lwin, minister for foreign affairs; U Aung Naing Oo, minister for investment and foreign economic relations; and Daw Thet Thet Khaing, minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement.



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MiHoYo's latest character release is a stunning success, as the internet meets Eula. She is the newest five-star hero since the release of Hu Tao. Also, Eula's debut means new in-game content and an exciting revelation in the "Genshin Impact" storyline.

Eula has two video teasers posted on the "Genshin Impact" official YouTube channel. On May 11, a Midnight Encounter at the Tavern revealed her as a rebellious descendant of the old aristocracy of the fallen Mondstadt. Her character description from the Official Website says, "As the outstanding Spindrift Knight, she hunts down Mondstadt's enemies in the wild to exact her unique "vengeance."

The second video is a character demo for Eula's skills. This video rapidly went viral, earning 1.2 million views in nine hours after it was posted online. Unlike the "Demon" Xiao, who would quote themes on pain, death, and destruction, Eula is simplistic and straightforward, with her penchant for dancing. The whole clip featured alluring dance moves and ended with a fun twist where Eula asked Amber for a dance.



Eula Skills and Dancing Battle Style

A closer analysis of the video showed that Eula's combat style might be based on her dance moves. However, Eula is a Cryo Claymore user, and her combat kit is a lot more complicated than you think. Forbes reported on her combat moves:

Icetide Vortex (Press) - Basic Slash deals Cryo DMG. Each slash gives Eula "Grimheart" stack. Grimheart stacks increase Eula's DEF and RES.

Icetide Vortex (Hold) - Eula consumes Grimheart stacks. Opponents will have Physical RES and Cryo RES decreased. Grimheart stacks would be converted to Icewhirl Brand debuff that inflicts nearby enemies with Cryo DMG.

Glacial Illumination - Eula deals AOE Cryo DMG to nearby enemies. A Lightfall Sword would be generated and follows her around for a certain duration. Eula's Normal Attacks, Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst will charge the Lightfall Sword, causing it to explode and violently after the duration period.

Read Also: 'Genshin Impact' 1.6 Rumors Reveal Japanese-Themed Enemies in Inazuma Region-Incomplete Map Also Leaked!

'Genshin Impact' Eula Banner and Ascension Materials

If you think Eula is an excellent addition to your team, then it's better to get started on farming some ascension materials for her. Dualshockers noted that Eula's Character Ascension Materials need a lot of Shivada Jade Sliver, Dandelion Seed, Damaged and Ominous Mask and more to get her to Level 80.

Here are the exact requirements for her ascension:

Level 20: 1 Shivada Jade Sliver, 3 Dandelion Seed, 3 Damaged Mask, and 20,000 Mora

Level 40: 3 Shivada Jade Fragment, 2 Crystalline Bloom, 10 Dandelion Seed, 15 Damaged Mask, and 40,000 Mora

Level 50: 6 Shivada Jade Fragment, 4 Crystalline Bloom, 20 Dandelion Seed, 12 Stained Mask, and 60,000 Mora

Level 60: 3 Shivada Jade Chunk, 8 Crystalline Bloom, 30 Dandelion Seed, 18 Stained Mask, and 80,000 Mora

Level 70: 6 Shivada Jade Chunk, 12 Crystalline Bloom, 45 Dandelion Seed, 12 Ominous Mask, and 100,000 Mora

Level 80: 6 Shivada Jade Gemstone, 20 Crystalline Bloom, 60 Dandelion Seed, 24 Ominous Mask, and 120,000 Mora

Also, Eula's talent ascension materials would require several Stained Mask and Mora to get to Level 10. Here are the full details:

Level 2: 3 Teaching of Resistance, 6 Damaged Mask, and 12,500 Mora

Level 3: 2 Guide to Resistance, 3 Stained Mask, and 17,500 Mora

Level 4: 4 Guide to Resistance, 4 Stained Mask, and 25,000 Mora

Level 5: 6 Guide to Resistance, 6 Stained Mask, and 30,000 Mora

Level 6: 9 Guide to Resistance, 9 Stained Mask, and 37,500 Mora

Level 7: 4 Philosophies of Resistance, 4 Ominous Mask, 1 Dragon Lord's Crown, and 120,000 Mora

Level 8: 6 Philosophies of Resistance, 6 Ominous Mask, 1 Dragon Lord's Crown, and 260,000 Mora

Level 9: 12 Philosophies of Resistance, 9 Ominous Mask, 2 Dragon Lord's Crown, and 450,000 Mora

Level 10: 16 Philosophies of Resistance, 12 Ominous Mask, 3 Dragon Lord's Crown, 1 Crown of Insight, and 700,000 Mora

Players get ready because Eula will make her debut in the US on May 18, 6 PM ET!

Related Article: 'Genshin Impact' Redeem Codes: Free Primogems on 1.5 Update and How to Claim Them
On Friday, officials with the Walker County Hospital District board announced that they have finalized a $7.8 million purchase of Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Do you feel like this is a good use of tax dollars, and is this the right direction for the struggling health care facility?

You voted:
Were working to cover how COVID-19 is affecting our region. Tell us your story.

Have you or someone close to you been monitored, quarantined or tested  and can you share about the process? Are you a medical professional dealing with this who wants to share your experience and needs at this time? Are you a student or worker affected by closures? Are there questions you have about the coronavirus and COVID-19 response that havent been answered? We want to hear about your experience.

We understand this is a sensitive and private issue and we are willing to protect your identity if you request it.
The University of Oxford harnesses the technological prowess of Oracle to deliver Covid-19 analyses on an international scale. With this data, scientists can study the data and the potential impact of Covid-19 variants on vaccines and treatment effectiveness.

As more infectious variants of the Covid-19 virus emerge and threaten to slow the global recovery and potentially thwart current vaccine immunity, governments and medical communities are joining forces together to come up with a cure for these variants and act on them faster.

As a response, University of Oxford and Oracle have created a Global Pathogen Analysis System (GPAS) incorporating Oxfords Scalable Pathogen Pipeline Platform (SP3) and powered by the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This initiative is supported by a Wellcome Trust-funded consortium including Public Health Wales, the University of Cardiff, and Public Health England.

Derrick Crook, professor of Microbiology in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at University of Oxford, says: This powerful new tool will enable public health scientists in research establishments, public health agencies, healthcare services, and diagnostic companies around the world to help further understanding of infectious diseases, starting with the coronavirus.

Crook adds: The Global Pathogen Analysis System will help to establish a global common standard for assembling and analysing this new virus, as well as other microbial threats to public health. This adds a new dimension in our ability to process pathogen data. We are excited to partner with Oracle to further our research using this cutting-edge technology platform.

First used for tuberculosis, SP3 has been repurposed to unify, standardise, analyse, and compare sequence data of Sars-CoV-2, yielding annotated genomic sequences and identifying new variants and those of concern.

SP3s processing capability has been enhanced by Oracle, enabling high performance and security plus 24/7 worldwide availability of the SP3 system in the Oracle Cloud. The SP3 system will now deliver comprehensive and standardised results of Covid-19 analyses within minutes of submission on an international scale. The results will be shared with countries around the globe in a secure environment.

John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at University of Oxford notes: The opportunity of applying systematic examination for genetic variants in a range of pathogens will have major benefits for global public health. This program, with Oracle as a partner, takes us a step closer to this goal.

Capitalising on the machine learning capabilities of the Oracle Cloud, collaborating scientists, researchers, and governments worldwide can process, analyse, visualise, and act on a wide collection of Covid-19 pathogen data for the first time. This includes identifying variants of interest and their potential impact on vaccine and treatment effectiveness.

For example, analytics dashboards in the system will show which specific strains are spreading more quickly than others and whether genetic features contribute to increased transmissibility and vaccine escape. Already, Oxford has processed half the world's Sars-CoV-2 sequences, more than 500,000 in total.

There is a critical need for global cooperation on genomic sequencing and examination of Covid-19 and other pathogens, claims Larry Ellison, Oracle chairman and CTO. The enhanced SP3 system will establish a global standard for pathogen data gathering and analysis, thus enabling medical researchers to better understand the Covid-19 virus and other microbial threats to public health.

Were told: The next step will be to extend this service to all pathogens while simultaneously collaborating with scientists from research establishments, public health agencies, and private companies to ensure this work can inform decision making on pandemic response strategies worldwide.

The platform, says Oracle, will be free for researchers and non-profits to use worldwide.



What the healthcare community is saying:

The SP3 platform was a collaboration of engagement, design, and testing activities that have been running over the past several years through close collaboration between researchers at Cardiff University and the University of Oxford, Public Health England and the European Bioinformatics Institute, along with other stakeholders from public health in the UK, recalls Thomas Connor, professor at School of Bioscience at Cardiff University.

This new Global Pathogen Analysis System will enable collaborating scientists to analyse a pool of worldwide data in new ways, providing better intelligence on virus variants of concern and their potential for spread, he adds.

Dr Isabel Oliver, director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England notes, This donation is a welcome boost to the ability to share genomic sequencing data with colleagues all across the world. Not only are strong genomic examination and widely-available data crucial to our collective efforts to combat the current pandemic, but they will have ongoing benefits to the response to other pathogens in the future.

She concludes: This could potentially have a far-reaching positive impact on international public health and global health security. As new variants of Sars-CoV-2 emerge around the world, it requires a cooperative global effort to respond effectively. Partnerships like this one are absolutely vital to ensuring that we can mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the worlds population, and that we can continue to strengthen our ability to confront emerging threats in the years to come.
E-mart's discount store in Go Vap, Vietnam / Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun



E-mart said it will sell its retail store business in Vietnam to a local firm there after facing repeated obstacles to expanding its operations in the Southeast Asian country. Korea's largest retailer will receive royalty payments from the Vietnamese buyer instead.



E-mart revealed through a public disclosure on Monday that its board of directors has decided to sell off a 100 percent stake in E-mart Vietnam Co. to Truong Hai Auto Corporation (THACO) Group. THACO Group is one of the leading car manufacturers in Vietnam and the fourth-largest firm in the country.



Through the deal, E-mart will no longer operate its brand discount store in Vietnam. The discount store will be run as franchises managed by THACO, which will pay royalty fees to E-mart.



The retail giant entered the Vietnamese market in December 2015 and opened its first discount store in Ho Chi Minh City. However, it was unable to open additional stores there, due to the local government's delays in approving construction plans.



Last year, E-mart decided to sell the business to THACO Group, which is also engaged in the real estate business and runs several shopping malls in Vietnam.



E-mart expects THACO to open over 10 discount stores in the Southeast Asian country by 2025.



"Our strategic alliance with THACO will not only pay us royalties for using the E-mart brand in Vietnam, but also give us the opportunity to export our private brand products," an E-mart employee said.



Vietnam has a population of around 100 million, a large proportion of which is people in their 20s and 30s. Private spending in Vietnam has been growing every year, boosting the country's appeal to retailers around the world, especially for those running supermarkets or discount stores. Big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have over 8 million people residing there.



After more franchise stores open in Vietnam, E-mart said it will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Korea export their products to the Southeast Asian country.



The number of Korean products sold at E-mart's store in the Go Vap district of Ho Chi Minh City increased from 170 in 2015 to 1,000 in 2019 and 1,200 in 2020. About 85 percent of the products carry E-mart's proprietary "No Brand" label.



Also, 70 percent of No Brand products are made by SMEs in Korea.


Royal Philips Future Health Index 2021 reports that Australian healthcare leaders are investing in digital health technology to be prepared for the future.

Royal Philips publishes its Future Health Index (FHI) 2021 Australian report: A Resilient Future: Healthcare leaders look beyond the crisis, now in its sixth year. The report is based on proprietary research on 14 countries, representing the largest global survey to analyse the current and future priorities of healthcare leaders worldwide.

Feedback from Australian healthcare leadersincluding executive officers, financial officers, technology and information officers, and operations officersexplores the challenges they have faced since the pandemic and where their current and future priorities lie, revealing a new vision for the future of healthcare.

With a focus on patient-centred healthcare enabled by smart technology, their vision is shaped by a fresh emphasis on partnerships, sustainability, and new models of care delivery, both inside and outside the hospital.

Matt Moran, managing director of Philips Australia and New Zealand, says the effects of Covid-19 have taken a toll on the global health care sector. He notes: Through it all, and as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic in Australia, we remain one of the few industrialised nations to have implemented an effective national response.

The Future Health Index 2021 Australian report highlights how Australias healthcare leaders have not only effectively managed the pandemic, but how the decisions made over the last year will inform the sectors ability to strengthen health system resilience and deliver future proof care, Moran continues.

Healthcares approach to digital transformation is shifting

Australias further adoption of digital care delivery models during the pandemic saw the demand for future investments in digital health technologies. Between 13 March 2020 and 21 April 2021, over 56 million Covid-19 telehealth services were delivered to 13.6 million patients, as a result of national policy changes and extension of Medicare benefits.

According to the index report, in Australia, nearly two in three (63%) healthcare leaders say telehealth is currently the top digital health technology their hospital or healthcare facility is investing inabove Singapore (42%) and China (47%). Looking forward, investment in telehealth will make way for further adoption of new digital solutions, with a focus on predictive technologies.

Almost one-third (29%) of healthcare leaders say their hospital or healthcare facility needs to invest most in implementing predictive healthcare technologies in three years time to be prepared for the future. 77% say AI is one of the digital health technologies they would most like to invest in.

Healthcare leaders will shift current AI investment priorities to further support:

Optimising operational efficiency (from 26% to 35%)

Integrating diagnostic systems (from 13% to 32%)

Clinical decision making (from 3% to 25%) and,

Predicting healthcare outcomes (from 2% to 29%)

These priorities reflect recommendations from the recent Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) report, Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience, referening improved point-of-care diagnostics as well as preventative and precision medicine solutions, enabled by advanced digital technologies, as opportunities to support health system recovery.

To meet these digitalisation goals, almost half (45%) of Australian healthcare leaders want to collaborate with health informatics companies to help drive their digital transformation agenda.

However, these bold ambitions face multiple challenges ahead of being realised.

Moran describes the support of digitalisation goals as encouraging.

Telehealth services provided Australians and healthcare professionals with a safe and reliable method for patient treatment during Covid-19 and demonstrated to practitioners the effectiveness of remote care solutions. This has paved the way for more advanced virtual care solutions to be adopted by both the public and private healthcare sectors nationally, Moran says.

Australias challenges to modernisation

More than one-third (43%) of Australian healthcare leaders noted their staffs lack of experience with new technologies as an internal barrier impeding their ability to plan for the future.

Despite this, only around a third (30%) of healthcare leaders in Australia consider staff training necessary to implement digital health technologies successfully. Additional barriers to the adoption of digital health technology include lack of data interoperability or data standards across technological systems and platforms (33%), as well as financial & budgetary constraints (30%).

Meanwhile, supply chain issues (32%) and staff shortages (29%)both of which have been heightened by the pandemicare among the further internal barriers impeding their ability to plan for the future.



A prevailing optimism, despite challenges

The vast majority (81%) of Australian healthcare leaders feel that Australias healthcare system has shown resilience in how it has coped with the challenges of Covid-19.

While the global pandemic had a severe impact on global health systems, about four in five (84%) healthcare leaders say they are confident in the ability of Australias healthcare system to deliver quality care as they look toward the future.

While about two-thirds (67%) of healthcare leaders believe that current healthcare policies in Australia have contributed to system resilience, post-pandemic policies focusing on the social determinants of population health, breaking down departmental silos, and improved data sharing can reflect lessons learned from the pandemic as similarly noted by the Australian Hospitals and Healthcare Association.

Increased focus on sustainable care models

The Future Health Index 2021 report found that within the next three years, nearly a quarter (24%) of routine care delivery on average is expected to take place outside of hospital walls. This represents a moderate increase from the 21% on average delivered currently.

Only 4% of Australian healthcare leaders consider embedding sustainable practices in their hospital or healthcare facility a current priority. With Australias healthcare sector responsible for 7% of the nations carbon footprint, the Future Health Index report found that implementing environmentally sustainable practices will be a priority for 38% of Australian healthcare leaders over the next three years.
Organisations in Australia are forecast to spend about A$5.1 billion on information security and risk management in 2021, about 7.3% more than in 2020, the technology analyst firm Gartner says, adding that global spend is likely to be about US$150.4 billion, a rise of 12.4%.

The company said in a statement that Australia's expenditure would be mainly on security services, including consulting, hardware support, implementation and outsourced services, at almost A$3.2 billion.

The smallest but fastest growing market segment was cloud security, forecast to reach A$20 million, an increase of 38% from 2020.

Gartner said security and risk management spending had increased by 6.4% globally in 2020, with the continuing growth reflecting the growing number of people working from home and cloud security.

Organisations continue to grapple with the security and regulatory demands of public cloud and software as a service, said Lawrence Pingree, managing research vice-president at Gartner.

Looking ahead, were seeing early market signals of growing automation and further adoption of machine learning technologies in support of AI security.

"To combat attacks, organisations will extend and standardise threat detection and response activities.

While CIOs had said cyber security was their new spending priority, with 61% of 2000 surveyed tiling this way, Gartner said security services, including consulting, hardware support, implementation and outsourced services would eat up most of the spending in 2021, at almost $72.5 billion worldwide.

Cloud security, particularly cloud access security brokers, was the smallest item on the security budget for 2021.

The pace of client inquiry indicates that CASB is a popular choice for cloud-using organisations, said Pingree.

This is due to the growing popularity of using non-PC devices for interacting with core business processes, which creates security risks that can be mitigated effectively with a CASB. CASBs also enable safer interaction between SaaS applications and unmanaged devices.

Gartner said integrated risk management technology was also seeing double-digit growth after risks came to light during the pandemic.

Areas of significant risk driving near-term demand include the advent of new digital products and services and the related health and safety uses, as well as third-party risks such as customer data breaches or supply chain attacks, Gartner senior research director John Wheeler said.
Company News: Dubber Corporation Limited (ASX: DUB) (Dubber), today announced 12 new products and solutions, more than tripling its industry-leading voice intelligence offerings for service and solution providers, business and government. The new solutions are available today directly from Dubber on eligible networks and solutions. Dubbers existing solutions, CallDub and DubAI continue to be offered across all networks.

Unified Call Recording is critical to achieving the compliance, revenue, and customer insights demanded by business and government today, said James Slaney, COO, Dubber. More than 80% of crucial conversations with customers and employees take place using voice. Not having access to accurate, compliant records in real-time puts leaders at a serious disadvantage. Dubber addresses that by unlocking the insights in every conversation.

Dubber continues to transform the economics of call recording and voice data, said Matthew Townend, Executive Director, Cavell - a leading industry analyst firm. The benefits of voice intelligence as a service are clear - both to the service providers that will build differentiation through offering it and to businesses and governments that will deploy it to address critical business needs.

Three new core Dubber solutions

At the heart of todays announcement are three new core solutions. They give business and government customers flexible, affordable options so that users or teams can capture and use voice intelligence - from recordings to transcriptions to sentiment analysis.

Dubber You delivers Unified Call Recording where individuals need to record, store and review crucial conversations. Dubber You automates the recording of calls, meetings and video without the need for hardware or software and comes with unlimited lifetime storage. Plans start at USD $14.95 per month per recording endpoint.

delivers Unified Call Recording where individuals need to record, store and review crucial conversations. Dubber You automates the recording of calls, meetings and video without the need for hardware or software and comes with unlimited lifetime storage. Plans start at USD $14.95 per month per recording endpoint. Dubber Teams is ideal for managers and leaders needing central review and control over 100% accurate and enforced recordings and data for sales, service, and customer insights. Plans start at USD $19.95 per month per recording endpoint.

is ideal for managers and leaders needing central review and control over 100% accurate and enforced recordings and data for sales, service, and customer insights. Plans start at USD $19.95 per month per recording endpoint. Dubber Premier unlocks all Dubber functionality delivering AI-enriched insights. Beautiful transcriptions, alerts and notifications and the ability to easily integrate Dubber with business intelligence and CRM applications. Plans start at USD $49.95 per month per recording endpoint.

All Dubber solutions include critical features such as unlimited storage, easy-to-use application for iOS, Android and Web, concierge set-up and training, data download and export and 24x7 online global support.

Our new solutions make Unified Call Recording more flexible and available to businesses and teams of any size, said Slaney. We founded Dubber to eliminate the cost and complexity of capturing any conversation. For too many, the value of that conversation is lost the moment it ends. Were making it simpler and easier than ever to end not knowing and comply.

Users can easily expand any package with a simple to deploy add-ons including:

UCR Service Add-on Pack - easily add services with a click - review and manage recordings, transcriptions and data in one place

Dubber API - easily connect Dubber recordings and data to applications, storage and dashboards

Dubber Call Recording Archive - redundant and secure storage of all call recordings and data with Dubber Storage. Back up your valuable voice data in the Dubber Voice Intelligence Cloud, including recordings and data from other sources

Dubber for Salesforce - add your Dubber recordings, metadata, transcriptions and sentiment insights to Salesforce records

Native to the worlds networks and communications solutions

Dubber is native to the worlds leading communications solutions, including Cisco, Microsoft, and Zoom. Its partners span more than 140+ of the worlds leading networks, including AT&T, Verizon, Telstra and Cox Communications.

With Dubbers unique reach and Unified Call Recording (UCR), specifically for compliance, companies can capture recordings immediately in one location from all their voice, video and text services. Conversations, once automatically captured, are stored in Dubber Cloud Storage and then processed in the Dubber Voice Intelligence Cloud - where AI creates real-time insights, alerts, and more.

This reach and the new solutions for compliance, make Dubber the worlds leading and most flexible recording option for compliance.

Transforming how conversations are captured and used

Dubber solutions support continuous compliance and voice intelligence with critical features including:

Collect and integrate recordings and data in the manner required to meet compliance obligations appropriate to regional regulations

Real-time search of interactions based on communication-related metadata or conversational content. Common examples include:

 Metadata - participants, time, direction, dialled number, origin number, custom business data

 Content  transcription, sentiment, phonetics, related interactions

Analyse and interact with collected communications, including the ability to monitor interactions as they are being collected

Ensure security of collected communications and prevent tampering at all stages

Retention policies support to retain and delete actions; and, legal hold and discovery on historical and real-time data

Dubber also announced today a full suite of solutions designed specifically for the demanding needs of compliance, legal, security, risk and audit teams.

Call Dub and Dub AI, Dubbers existing solutions, will continue to be provided by partners and service and solution providers globally for the foreseeable future.

Resources

About Dubber:

Dubber is unlocking the potential of voice data from any call or conversation. Dubber is the worlds most scalable Unified Call Recording service and Voice Intelligence Cloud adopted as core network infrastructure by multiple global leading telecommunications carriers in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Dubber allows service providers to offer call recording for compliance, business intelligence, sentiment analysis, AI and more on any phone. Dubber is a disruptive innovator in the multi-billion-dollar call recording industry, its Software as a Service offering removes the need for on-premises hardware, applications, or costly and limited storage.
Android malware, which has been given the name Flubot, has spread across a number of unspecified European countries, the Slovakian security firm ESET says, adding that once infected, the entire device is open to the malware.

In a blog post, ESET researcher Tony Anscombe said the malware was installed via a SMS message that impersonated a well-known delivery brand like FedEx, DHL or Correos, the last-named being in Spain.

Once the malware gained access to a device, it was able to steal credit card numbers and access credentials to online banking services.

It also neutered the protections built into the Android system and stopped many third-party anti-malware packages from being installed.

Flubot also had spyware functions, and would send contact lists to servers under the control of the attacker.

The malware disabled Google Play Protect to avoid being detected, and since it required extensive permissions to be installed, it was able to block other software from being installed.

ESET released a short video showing how Flubot could be removed. The company said another malware app, TeaBot, also used similar tactics to Flubot.

Said Anscombe: "If you receive an unknown or unexpected SMS message with a clickable link, refrain from clicking the link and instead remove the message.

"In the unfortunate scenario that the malware was installed on a device and banking or other activity has taken place since the installation took place, then contact the organisations concerned immediately to block access and where necessary change passwords, remembering to make them unique and strong.

"Whether this malware makes it to North America in any significant number or not, the functionality and the devastation already caused in Europe should heighten the call to action for all Android users to watch out for suspicious messages and to install security software in order to prevent such extremely malicious apps from ever getting on their devices."
The Verizon Business 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (2021 DBIR) examines more breaches than ever before, and sheds light on how the most common forms of cyber-attacks affected the international security landscape during the global pandemic.

Cybercrime thrives during pandemic, phishing, ransomware and web app attacks on the rise: Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report. This years incredibly detailed 119-page report, now in its 14th edition, is freely downloadable here.

It analysed 29,207 security incidents, of which 5,258 were confirmed breaches - a significant increase on the 3,950 breaches analysed in last years report. Data was collected from 83 contributors, with victims spanning 88 countries; 12 industries, and 3 world regions.

With an unprecedented number of people working remotely, Verizons research has uncovered phishing and ransomware attacks increased by 11% and 6% respectively, with instances of Misrepresentation increasing by 15 times compared to last year.

Additionally, breach data showed that 61% of breaches involved credential data (95% of organisations suffering credential stuffing attacks had between 637 and 3.3 billion malicious login attempts through the year).

The report also highlighted the challenges facing businesses as they move more of their business functions to the cloud  with attacks on web applications representing 39% of all breaches.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on many of the security challenges organisations are currently facing, said Tami Erwin, CEO, Verizon Business.

As the number of companies switching business-critical functions to the cloud increases, the potential threat to their operations may become more pronounced, as malicious actors look to exploit human vulnerabilities and leverage an increased dependency on digital infrastructures.

This year, the Incident Classification Patterns the DBIR report team uses to classify security threats have also been improved and refreshed. The updated report patterns explain 95.8% of analysed breaches and 99.7% of analysed incidents over all time, and should provide customers with a better understanding of the threats that exist, and how their organisations can best avoid them.

Industries under the spotlight

The 2021 DBIR includes detailed analysis of 12 industries, and shows that, while security remains a challenge across the board, there are significant differences across verticals. For example, in Financial and Insurance industries, 83% of data compromised in breaches was personal data, whilst in Professional, Scientific and Technical services only 49% was personal. Further highlights include:

Financial and Insurance  Misdelivery represented 55% of Financial sector errors. The Financial sector frequently faces credential and Ransomware attacks from External actors.

Misdelivery represented 55% of Financial sector errors. The Financial sector frequently faces credential and Ransomware attacks from External actors. Healthcare - Basic human error continues to beset this industry as it has for the past several years. The most common Error continues to be Misdelivery (36%), whether electronic or of paper documents.

Basic human error continues to beset this industry as it has for the past several years. The most common Error continues to be Misdelivery (36%), whether electronic or of paper documents. Public Administration - By far the biggest threat in this industry is the social engineer. Actors who can craft a credible phishing email are absconding with Credentials data at an alarming rate in this sector.

By far the biggest threat in this industry is the social engineer. Actors who can craft a credible phishing email are absconding with Credentials data at an alarming rate in this sector. Retail Trade - The Retail industry continues to be a target for Financially motivated criminals looking to cash in on the combination of Payment cards and Personal information this sector is known for. Social tactics include Pretexting and Phishing, with the former commonly resulting in fraudulent money transfers.

Regional trends

The 83 contributors involved with the 2021 DBIR have provided the report with specific insights into regional cyber-trends highlighting key similarities and differences between them.

Asia Pacific (APAC) - Many of breaches that took place in APAC were caused by Financially motivated attackers Phishing employees for creds, and then using those stolen creds to gain access to mail accounts and web application servers.

Many of breaches that took place in APAC were caused by Financially motivated attackers Phishing employees for creds, and then using those stolen creds to gain access to mail accounts and web application servers. Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) - EMEA continues to be beset by Basic Web Application Attacks, System Intrusion, and Social Engineering.

EMEA continues to be beset by Basic Web Application Attacks, System Intrusion, and Social Engineering. Northern America (NA)  NA is often the target of Financially motivated actors searching for money or easily monetisable data. Social Engineering, Hacking and Malware continue to be the favoured tools utilised by actors in this region.

Alex Pinto, Lead Author of the DBIR, comments, When you read the contents of the report, it is tempting to think that a vast array of threats demands a sweeping and revolutionary solution. However, the reality is far more straightforward. The truth is that, whilst organisations should prepare to deal with exceptional circumstances, the foundation of their defences should be built on strong fundamentals  addressing and mitigating the threats most pertinent to them.

Below is a replay of the Cybercrime and the pandemic virtual event, which launched the DBIR 2021 report. The report can be downloaded in full here.

It is a virtual fireside chat with Nasrin Rezai (Chief Information Security Officer, Verizon), Sampath Sowmyanarayan (Chief Revenue Officer, Verizon) and Chris Novak (Director Professional Services, Verizon), and they discussed the security challenges heightened by the pandemic and the cybercrime trends that will continue to shape business security.
The chief technology officer of New Zealand-headquartered Emsisoft, a firm well known for its efforts in helping ransomware victims, has poked fun at the "new 'innovative' ways people will claim to be the next big fix for ransomware".

"One of these eight-year-old running gags kinda turned into a real recommendation recently: Changing your keyboard layout to Russian," Fabian Wosar wrote in a tweet.

He appeared to be taking a dig at former Washington Post employee Brian Krebs who posted an article on his blog titled "Try This One Weird Trick Russian Hackers Hate" on 17 May US time.

I really hope people aren't taking this 'install Russian keyboard' vaccine seriously. DarkSide, for example, checks for default UI language and not available keyboards. So unless you plan to use Windows in Cyrillic, let's invest in a better strategy.  J. A. Guerrero-Saade (@juanandres_gs) May 18, 2021

Krebs wrote that "virtually all ransomware strains have a built-in failsafe designed to cover the backsides of the malware purveyors: They simply will not install on a Microsoft Windows computer that already has one of many types of virtual keyboards installed  such as Russian or Ukrainian".

Wosar said the gag about the keyboard appeared to be an obvious one. "Ransomware TAs [threat actors] often blacklist certain countries from being targeted," he wrote.

"That is mostly due to the fact that some CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States, formerly part of the Soviet Union] countries will not extradite their citizens to foreign countries so TAs think that by avoiding breaking laws in their own country they are safe."

Ransomware TAs will know everything about your company. They will know whether you are a real Russian company or not. After all, company registers are a thing and most likely your company name and website will be plastered all over your network. They'll simply change the config.  Fabian Wosar (@fwosar) May 18, 2021

He said while most ransomware included checks for keyboard layout of default language, most checked the active or default configuration, not some registry key.

Krebs had also quoted Allison Nixon, chief research officer at New York City-based cyber investigations firm Unit221B, as saying: "Installing a Cyrillic keyboard, or changing a specific registry entry to say RU, and so forth, might be enough to convince malware that you are Russian and off limits. This can technically be used as a vaccine against Russian malware.

But Wosar said unless one actually wanted to use a system in Russian with a Russian keyboard, one would suffer a hit.

"...even if you do that, you will still get hit. Because what nobody tells you is that these checks are often optional and can be disabled with a simple config switch," he explained. "This is true for DarkSide, whose recent popularity sparked the conversation, and many of the others out there.

"Ransomware TAs will know everything about your company. They will know whether you are a real Russian company or not. After all, company registers are a thing and most likely your company name and website will be plastered all over your network. They'll simply change the config.

"So, instead of mass deploying a Russian keyboard layout to all your network, how about rolling out MFA [multi-factor authentication] and making sure your VPN appliances and Internet-facing systems are updated in a timely manner? You know, things that will actually improve your security posture."
Hospitals that come under New Zealand's Waikato District Health Board have suffered a "cyber security incident" which has caused a complete outage of its information services.

A notice posted by the WDHB on its website at 11.45am New Zealand time (9.45am AEDT) said external assistance had been sought to address the incident.

"We are at the early stages of identifying what has happened, and are unable to provide further detail at this stage while we investigate the incident," the statement said.

"The appropriate government authorities have been advised of the situation.

"We are uncertain how long it will take to resolve this situation, but we are working hard to get our services back online."

The New Zealand website Stuff reported that hospitals in Waikato, Thames, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui had all been affected to different degrees.




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Protesters hold the Myanmar Student Union flag during a demonstration against the military coup in Mandalay, May 17. AFP-Yonhap



The U.S. placed more members of Myanmar's ruling military junta on a financial blacklist Monday for the deadly attacks against civilians following the February coup in the southeast Asian nation.



The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed financial sanctions on 16 people and the newly created State Administration Council. The designation freezes any assets they have within a U.S. jurisdiction and bars anyone within a U.S. jurisdiction from conducting any financial transactions with them.



Thirteen of the people are senior members of Myanmar's military, which seized control of the country in February and has killed hundreds of people, including children, to suppress opposition.



The other three are adult children of three senior military officials who were previously designated for U.S. sanctions.



Treasury said in a statement announcing the new sanctions that the Myanmar military is responsible for deadly attacks on civilians and the State Administration Council was created by the armed forces ''to support the unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government.''



It designated four members of the council as well as senior members of the military junta, including the governor of the central bank, the minister of international cooperation and the commerce minister.



The military on Feb. 1 arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 polls and should have secured a second five-year term in office.



The U.S. has imposed several rounds of sanctions in response.



The military, which ran the country also known as Burma for more than 50 years until 2015, then prevented elected lawmakers from convening a new session of Parliament and declared a state of emergency and said it would run the country until new elections were held. Security forces have killed hundreds of people, including bystanders, as it attempts to suppress protests and opposition. (AP)


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Award-winning vocalist and songwriter, Mbuso Khoza is billed to perform a riveting rendition of the historic Battle of Isandlwana in a captivating monologue at the Soweto theatre later this month.







Khozas performance promises to relay the riotous events that led to one of the continents most brutal wars between Zulu worries and British soldiers, in which the former surprisingly triumphed against steeped odds.

A heritage and cultural doyenne, Khoza will host the 3rd installment of this much-publicised show in the Soweto suburb of Jabulani from Thursday, 27 until Sunday, 30 May. It will be streamed live on digital platforms.

According to BritishBattles.com (https://www.britishbattles.com/), an international website that archives all military conflict since the 1700s, the battle of Isandlwana stunned the world when Zulus wiped out a large battalion of British troops in an aggressive turf war that began in early January 1879.

The website records that until then, it was unthinkable that a native army armed substantially with spears and other stabbing weapons could defeat troops of a western power armed with modern rifles and artillery, let alone wipe it out.

BlackPast.org (https://www.blackpast.org/), which references the history of people of African ancestry, documents that about 1 800 British troops invaded Zululand ahead of the war, but were maneuvered by King Cetshwayos warriors. By the end of the war, about 52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were dead, while only 2 000 Zulu worries succumbed to death out of a large army of 20 000 warriors.

Khozas publicist says the show at the Soweto Theatre, which blends spiritual and melodic Zulu psalms (Amahubo) as well as animated dance routines, embodies a crucial historic battle where a spear overcame a bullet.

The Battle of Isandlwana is a story of pride not only for the Zulu nation of South Africa but for the continent as well, as it marked a new era for Black people and their former colonisers, explains the musical artist.

Khoza will be joined on stage by the African Heritage Ensemble to perform a thrilling interpretation of Amahubo, which are classic Zulu culture, religious and political songs.

He says these historically rich traditional melodies represent a marriage between the past and present, with some perceptions about the future. The performance will showcase how Amahubo and other songs that were sung during the liberation struggle, interrelate.

We continue to draw inspiration from our roots as we redefine our identity using the body of work bequeathed to us by our forebears in the arts, culture and intellectual disciplines, he adds.

Khozas performance  which also commemorates Africa Day  will include a webinar to encourage the audience to engage with its content.

As an artist, my job is to mirror the views and feelings of my people. Using the universal language of music, we want to contribute towards strengthening our role in society, he adds.

Observed annually on 25 May, Africa Day honours the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, which was later renamed the African Union.

Over five and a half decades ago, Africa came out to exhibit its determination to free itself from foreign exploitation and domination. We thought it to be an opportune time to bring the biggest African victory to the stage of festivities and have our Isandlwana presentation during this month, he says.

Africa Day was first adopted as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the vibrancy and dynamism of the continents history, heritage, and culture and to promote social cohesion and anti-xenophobia. Khoza, who hails from the rolling hills of Eshowe in the heart of Kwazulu Natal says art is an influential societal system of communication, which makes heritage events memorable. An accomplished songwriter and vocalist, he is scheduled to perform a profound mixture of traditional Zulu music infused with jazz elements.

The Battle of Isandlwana runs at the Soweto Theatre from Thursday, 27 to Sunday, 30 May from 6:30 pm. Tickets cost R150 per person. Visit www.sowetotheatre.co.za or telephone 0861 670 670 to book your seat.













Written by Gontse GeE Hlophe



18/05/2021


In the early 1990s, when I was planning director for the Port of Long Beach, I went on an inspection tour with port engineers into the bowels of the Queen Mary. This was a few years after Disney gained control of the Queen Mary leasehold through its two-phased purchase of the Wrather Corporation in 1987 and 1988. To be clear, Disneys primary interest in the Wrather Corporation purchase was to gain control of the Wrather-owned Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, not the Queen Mary.

Disney was not pleased with the condition of the ship. The Port of Long Beach maintained a cathodic protection system on the exterior of the ship to prevent corrosion of the exterior of the hull. In the years before Disney took over, though, water from leaky pipes, sewer pipes, and air conditioners collected in the bottom of the ship and was left there as ballast. Debris from projects undertaken inside the ship either fell or was intentionally discarded into the water, resulting in a corrosive soup in the bottom of the ship. The ship was rusting from the inside out.

It was at this time that I went with the engineers to inspect the inside of the hull. I cant remember exactly where I was but we were just inside the bottom of the hull, possibly down by the propeller shaft, and I leaned my arm on a piece of the structure that was perpendicular to the hull. The metal broke and fell to the bottom of the ship. We were below the water line  I couldnt wait to escape. The port engineers, with the help of a naval architectural firm, Rados International, produced a report detailing the necessary repairs. The inspection report called for $6 million in immediate repairs with approximately $30 million in additional repairs that would be needed over time.

Disney made a valiant effort to arrest corrosion  pumping out the water, cleaning out the debris, and reballasting the ship with drilling muds in the hope that would arrest the corrosion. The major concern was the removal of the watertight bulkheads  any flood or fire inside the ship would quickly spread. On Sunday, Sept. 30, 1992, Disney shut down the Queen Mary Hotel, laid off the employees and turned the keys for the ship back to the port. With financial participation from the port, the city selected Ehrenkrantz and Eckstet to develop plans for revitalizing the waterfront on both sides of Queensway Bay. Recognizing the challenging location of the Queen Mary as a visitor attraction, one proposal would have moved the Queen Mary to the city side of the bay.

At the same time, the port sought and received numerous proposals for the ship. The most financially attractive was a $20 million offer to purchase the ship from Hong Kong interests. That proposer would be responsible for the expense of repairing the watertight bulkheads to make the ship seaworthy for a tow across the Pacific. But by now it was 1992. Many of our city leaders saw the loss of the Queen Mary as another big negative to a city that was reeling from the news that the Long Beach Naval Station would be shuttered. Losing the Queen Mary would mean losing the citys icon.

The city wanted to keep the ship; the port wanted to sell it. The issue was resolved by the port transferring Pier H, the recreational corridor along the west side of the river, to the city's control along with the $6 million that was to be used for the most urgent repairs. The revenue from the leasehold in Pier H (hotels and restaurants) would hopefully help the city deal with the more long-term repairs.

Making the Queen Mary work financially for a private developer was always a challenge. Developers have been lured in by the prospect of reusing the property adjacent to the ship  not the ship  but the continued challenge of ship maintenance soon snuffs out the desire or ability to make a serious investment, and today the waterfront property remains woefully underutilized.

It has been 30 years since I took my trip down into the bowels of the Queen Mary. The January 2017 marine survey indicates that what we feared in the early 1990 has happened again  the area inside the ships hull is flooded. According to this study, if the ship continues to corrode internally at the current rate, the ship will become structurally unsafe in 5 to 10 years. It is now seven months and counting.

Operators have been losing money for decades. Do we really expect the future to be any different? The real decision facing the city is not which department manages the leasehold; it is deciding what to do with the ship as the once-perceived asset is becoming a financial and environmental liability. Some tough decisions need to be made quickly. If the Board of Harbor Commissioners has to make them, so be it. But then we need to give them the full authority to make those decisions. Kicking this can back and forth across the Queensway Bay is not the solution to the citys problem

Geraldine Knatz is the former director of the Port of Los Angeles and prior to that was managing director at the Port of Long Beach.
Explosions light-up the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shell the Palestinian enclave, early May 18. AFP-Yonhap



Israeli jets kept up a barrage of air strikes against the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Monday evening, as a week of violence that has killed more than 200 people pushed world leaders to step up mediation.



Air strikes sent dust clouds billowing into the skyline, as the Hamas militant group that controls the besieged and densely populated coastal strip threatened more rocket strikes on Tel Aviv if bombing of residential areas does not stop.



In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday night, US President Joe Biden said he backed a ceasefire, shortly after diplomats said Washington had blocked a third draft of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the violence.



Gaza resident Roba Abu al-Awf, 20, said she was bracing for a rough night.



"We have nothing to do but sit at home," she said. "Death could come at any moment  the bombing is crazy and indiscriminate."



Palestinian militants have for their part fired around 3,350 rockets toward Israel since the conflict escalated on May 10 in the heaviest exchange of fire in years, sparked by unrest in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.



The Qatari Red Crescent said an air strike damaged its offices in Gaza Monday, while the health ministry said one of its buildings and a clinic were also hit.



Israel's army said Monday it had hit the homes of nine "high-ranking" Hamas commanders overnight, a day after bombing the house of Yahya Sinwar, head of the group's political wing. It gave no details of any casualties.



Thousands homeless



Fighter jets also hit what the Israeli army calls the "Metro", its term for Hamas' underground tunnels, which Israel has previously acknowledged run in part through civilian areas.



The strikes come a day after 42 Palestinians in Gaza  including at least eight children and two doctors, according to the health ministry  were killed in the worst daily death toll in the enclave since the bombardments began.



Local authorities say a total of 212 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 61 children, and more than 1,400 wounded since Israel launched its air campaign against Hamas in response to rocket fire.



Israel says 10 people, including one child, have been killed and more than 300 wounded by the rocket fire that has been the most intense to ever rain down on the Jewish state.



Israeli bombardment of Gaza has displaced 38,000 people and made 2,500 homeless, the United Nations says.



It has also battered crucial infrastructure, with the electricity authority Monday warning it only had enough fuel left to provide power for another two to three days.



On Saturday, Israel gave journalists from Al Jazeera and AP news agency an hour to evacuate their offices before launching air strikes, turning their tower block into a pile of smoking rubble.



Netanyahu on Sunday claimed the building also hosted a Palestinian "terrorist" intelligence office.



US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Monday he had requested "details" and a "justification" for the strike.



The violence between Hamas and Israel is the worst since 2014, when Israel launched a military operation on the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of ending rocket fire and destroying tunnels used for smuggling.



That war left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, mostly civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.



UN Security Council talks that opened Sunday resulted in little progress, with Washington on Monday blocking for the third time a draft resolution calling for a halt to the violence.



The UNSC will hold a new emergency closed-door meeting on the crisis on Tuesday, the Norwegian diplomatic mission announced.



Biden's administration says it is working behind the scenes, and that a Security Council statement could backfire.



But the White House said late Monday that "the president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end" with Netanyahu.



Biden had so far resisted joining other world leaders and much of his own Democratic party in calling for an immediate ceasefire.



Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan said he had spoken to his Israeli counterpart and the Egyptian government  a key intermediary  on Monday, saying that Washington was engaged in "quiet, intensive diplomacy".





Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City, May 17. Reuters-Yonhap
Joplin, MO (64801)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Joplin, MO (64801)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially overnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Joplin, MO (64801)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
In this file photo taken on March 11, a man wearing facemask and shield walks past the Pfizer headquarters in New York one year after the pandemic was officially declared. AFP-Yonhap



U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled plans to provide 20 million doses of domestically approved COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by the end of next month, reiterating his pledge to turn his country into an "arsenal" of vaccines for the entire world.



It is the first time that the U.S. has agreed to send coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the U.S. to other countries. So far, the FDA has approved COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson for use in the United States.



"This means over the next six weeks, the United States of America will send 80 million doses overseas. That represents 13 percent of the vaccine produced by the United States by the end of June," Biden said.



The U.S. earlier committed to providing 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries, pending the outcome of a still-ongoing safety evaluation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



"This will be more vaccines than any country has actually shared today  five times more than any other country. More than Russia and China, which have donated 15 million doses," said the president.



Biden said the U.S. will work with international organizations such as COVAX to ensure "equitable" delivery of U.S. vaccines to other countries.



"We'll share these vaccines in the service of ending the pandemic everywhere. And we will not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries," he said.



"Just as in World War II America was the arsenal of democracy, in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic our nation is going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world," added the president.





Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap
Town Reporter

Olivia covers East Hartford & South Windsor. She joined the JI in March 2019. She graduated from the University of Kansas, and she enjoys running & hanging out with her Manchester terrier, Sophie. Olivia loves journalism because it can change the world.
Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pauses, during a meeting with Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap



On a trip overshadowed by the crisis in the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday touted the Biden administration's abrupt shift in its predecessor's climate policies as he visited Iceland for talks with senior officials from the world's Arctic nations.



In Reykjavik for a meeting of foreign ministers of the eight members of the Arctic Council, Blinken heralded President Joe Biden's return to the Paris climate accord and determination to combat climate change.



Yet the worsening violence between Israel and the Palestinians hung over the discussions. A small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holding banners and flags protested outside the conference center where Blinken met Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson.



''We are very focused on reinvigorating our closest alliances and partnerships, and also our engagement in multilateral institutions, and being here really represents both aspects of that effort,'' Blinken told the foreign minister. He lauded Iceland for its strong support for human rights, climate change mitigation and the role it plays in NATO.



The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world and has been particularly hard hit by rising sea levels from melting sea ice and glaciers. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had alienated Arctic countries and others with his dismissal of the phenomenon and his withdrawal from the 2015 Paris agreement.



Trump's former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, also stunned many in the environmental community at an Arctic Council meeting two years ago in Finland with a call for countries to embrace and harness climate change, particularly the opening of new sea lanes due to melting ice, for commercial gain.



Blinken will tour several Icelandic geo-thermal energy sites later Tuesday before holding a series of bilateral meetings with other Arctic Council foreign ministers on Wednesday. Among them will be Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in what will be the highest-level face-to-face talks between the two countries since Biden took office.



Blinken will see Lavrov amid a sharp deterioration in ties between Washington and Moscow sparked by Russia's build-up of troops along the border with Ukraine, cyberattacks and allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. presidential elections in 2016 and 2020. The two nations are also at odds over influence in the Arctic, with Russia insisting its large Arctic landmass makes it the pre-eminent power in the region.



Moscow and Washington are also embroiled in a bitter dispute over the status of their respective embassies and consulates after tit-for-tat expulsions this year. Russia has given the U.S. until Aug. 1 to get rid of all non-American staff at its diplomatic missions, something the U.S. says will make it nearly impossible for its facilities to function.



Blinken and Lavrov's talks will also serve as a preview for an expected summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin next month.



Senior officials say Biden is interested in testing the proposition that the U.S. and Russia can work collaboratively on certain issues, like climate change, the Mideast, Iran and North Korea, despite bitter disagreements on others. (AP)




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Under the terms of a letter of intent, Iceland Seafood International said it would pay 8.8 times Ahumados Dominguezs EBITDA for the shareholding. In 2020, Ahumados Dominguezs generated EBITDA of EUR1.7m (US$2.1m), pre-tax profits of EUR1.2m and sales of EUR19.3m.

The remaining 20% of Ahumados Dominguez would be held by Pedro Mestanza, the Spanish firms managing director, who would continue to lead the company after the deal is completed.

Iceland Seafood International described Ahumados Dominguez as a retail-oriented company with a strong brand and consumer recognition in the smoked salmon sector in Spain. The deal will see Iceland Seafood International enter Spains salmon market. Salmon is one of the two leading seafood specie in Spain, alongside hake, the company added.

The proposed acquisition will strengthen Iceland Seafoods proposition in the Spanish retail market, as well as creating opportunities to utilise the platform Ahumados Dominguez has for selling high-quality cod products from Iceland, Iceland Seafood International said. By leveraging both the untapped opportunities Ahumados Dominguez has as a standalone company, and the opportunities that a partnership with Iceland Seafood creates, the aim will be to significantly grow sales and profitability in the coming years.

The companies hope to finalise the deal in mid-July.



Alongside news of the potential acquisition, Iceland Seafood International reported a set of first-quarter financial results that included a rise in net profit from EUR1.9m a year earlier to EUR2.7m but a 1% dip in sales to EUR104.4m. Iceland Seafood International pointed to the impact of lockdown restrictions on the foodservice market. The deal for Ahumados Dominguez, it noted, could improve [the] balance between its foodservice and retail sales in Spain.

In November 2019, Iceland Seafood International announced the acquisition of Spanish seafood business Elba.

Last year, the company snapped up Ireland-based Carr & Sons Seafood from Swedens Mondi Group.
The International Criminal Court on Monday warned mercenaries and foreign troops in war-torn Libya that they could face prosecution, demanding an end to the use of detention centers to commit a variety of serious crimes.

The office has received concerning information about the activities of mercenaries and foreign fighters in Libya, said chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council on Libya.

Crimes committed by mercenaries and foreign fighters on Libyan territory may fall under the jurisdiction of the court, no matter the nationality of the persons involved, she said.

According to the United Nations, more than 20,000 mercenaries and foreign troops are still deployed in Libya. That number includes Turkish soldiers as well as mercenaries from Russia, Sudan and Chad.

Bensouda said the court was receiving information about crimes against detainees ranging from disappearances and arbitrary detention to murder, torture and sexual and gender-based violence.

We have collected credible information and evidence on serious crimes, allegedly committed in official and unofficial detention facilities in Libya, the Gambian prosecutor said.

The UN estimated that 8,850 people have been detained without due process in 28 official Libyan prisons while another 10,000 people, including women and children, are being held in other facilities controlled by armed factions.

I urge all parties to the conflict in Libya to immediately put an end to the use of detention facilities to mistreat and commit crimes against civilians, said the prosecutor, who in mid-June will leave her position and be replaced by British lawyer Karim Khan.
Hong Kongs newly appointed Catholic bishop on Tuesday said he would need to tread carefully with Beijing as it cracks down on dissent  but vowed to plead with authorities to defend religious freedoms.

The Vatican announced Monday that Stephen Chow, 62, would be the southern Chinese citys new bishop, filling a role that had remained vacant at a tumultuous time for religious congregations.

Chinas leaders have brought their brand of authoritarian rule to the semi-autonomous Hong Kong after huge and often violent democracy protests rocked the financial hub in 2019.

It has blanketed the city in a broad security law that criminalises much dissent and vowed to ensure non-patriots are weeded out of public life.

In mainland China, organised religions are strictly controlled by authorities and many congregations in Hong Kong fear the citys position as a bastion of free faith under threat.

Chow, the head of the Vaticans Jesuit order in the China region, was peppered with questions about how he plans to handle relations with local and mainland authorities at his first press appearance since his appointment.

Religious freedom is a basic right. We hope in our talks to the government to remind it that it doesnt forget that, he told reporters.

But he also trod carefully on questions about Chinas treatment of religions and the destruction of churches in the mainland.

I dont think its right for me to comment on matters like China that I dont quite understand, I dont have enough knowledge about, He said.

Not that I am afraid. But I believe that prudence is also a virtue.

Chows appointment comes at a sensitive time from relations between the Holy See and Beijing.

In 2018, the Vatican reached a landmark agreement with Beijing over the appointment of bishops in mainland China.

It allows the Chinese government a say in naming bishops, something critics believe sells out the underground church in China that has long been persecuted.

The deal also came despite Beijing launching a mass internment and re-education programme against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, a campaign that rights groups and researchers say amount to crimes against humanity and potentially genocide.

Hong Kongs Catholic Church is also bitterly divided by the citys own polarised politics.

Many Catholics have been staunchly supportive of the democracy movement such as Cardinal Joseph Zen and jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Others are committed Beijing loyalists including Hong Kongs unpopular appointed leader Carrie Lam.

Chow said he was aware of the frictions inside within his congregation, including at the schools he has taught at.

Unity is not the same as uniformity, he said. One thing I have always mentioned (is) unity in plurality to respect plurality is something we all have to learn.
On the evening of April 16, 2021, in the midst of commemorations of the 1994 Tutsi genocide, the Rwandan press was crowding the Kigali international airport. Were they waiting for a distinguished guest? No, it was a woman in a tracksuit who disembarked from the plane: Beatrice Munyenyezi, extraditedfrom the United States to face Rwandan justice for her alleged role in the genocide. The mother of three children  the first woman to be sent back to Kigali by the US, after being convicted for having lied to immigration authorities to obtain first asylum and then US citizenship  is the daughter-in-law of Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, the only woman to have been indicted, tried and convicted by the former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), along with her son Arsene Shalom Ntahobali (editors note: some write Ntahobari).

Loyalty to President Habyarimana

Nyiramasuhuko was born in 1946 to a peasant family in the commune of Ndora, in the former prefecture of Butare, southern Rwanda. Her childhood was marked by an event in her familys history: a migration due to lack of food or famine. Her father had to go into exile in Tanzania at the end of the Second World War in search of a livelihood. In 1959, at a time when parents were reluctant to send their daughters to a white school, Pauline entered the Karubanda Social School where she rubbed shoulders with the future wives of post-independence leaders. Ministers, MPs and army officers rivalled each other for one of these girl graduates, preferring them by far to teachers or nurses. The number of study courses open to girls was very limited.

After Karubanda, she began a long career in the field of social affairs. In 1986, in her forties, Nyiramasuhuko went back to school and joined the National University of Rwanda (UNR) in Butare, where she studied law and graduated with a degree in 1990. A year later, President Juvenal Habyarimana, under the double pressure of domestic opinion and the rebellion of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), legalized the multiparty system. Many intellectuals from the south joined the opposition. But the very loyal Nyiramasuhuko remained in the ranks of the ruling National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND). At the time, however, she was little known, even though her husband, Maurice Ntahobali, also from Butare, was rector of the National University of Rwanda, after having been a minister and president of the National Assembly.

Minister of Womens Affairs

It was in April 1992 that Pauline Nyiramasuhukos name entered the political history of contemporary Rwanda: she was appointed, to everyones surprise, Minister of Family and Womens Promotion in the first multiparty government. Two other women were part of this ministerial team: the Minister of Trade, Agnes Ntamabyaliro, and the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Agathe Uwilingiyimana.

Uwilingiyimana, a member of the main opposition party, the Mouvement democratique republicain (MDR), later became Prime Minister before being assassinated on April 7, 1994 in the early hours of the genocide. For her part, Agnes Ntamabyaliro is now imprisoned in Rwanda after being convicted of genocide. Before the three of them, only one woman had served as a minister in this small country: Madeleine Ayinkamiye, who was briefly Minister of Social Affairs in 1964.

According to numerous Rwanda experts, including French sociologist Andre Guichaoua, Nyiramasuhuko owed her promotion to her friendship with President Habyarimanas wife, Agathe Kanziga, herself a former student at the Karubanda school. Nyiramasuhuko denies this, saying it was based on her merit. Her post was renewed in 1993, and again in 1994, during the genocide. After the military victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the former minister took refuge in Bukavu, in the east of the former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was then that international human rights organizations began to raise questions about her.

The report When Women become Killers published in 1995 by African Rights is damning. She began organizing the massacres (in Butare) even before the dismissal and murder of the (Tutsi) prefect Jean-Baptiste Habyarimana, who had managed to prevent the massacres during the first two weeks of the genocide, the organization reported. In an interview with the BBC, she protested strongly: If someone says that a woman, that a mother killed, then I am ready to be confronted. The RPF has put the names of all Hutu intellectuals on its list, the minister declared.

Mother and son in jail in Dakar

In 1997, she was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, and transferred to the ICTR for trial. In what was to be the longest trial of the tribunal, she appeared with her son Arsene Shalom Ntahobali, who went down in history as the youngest of the ICTRs convicts. Now imprisoned, like his mother, in Dakar, under an agreement on sentence execution between Senegal and the United Nations, Ntahobali junior was born in 1970 in Israel, hence his Hebrew name. His mother was a participant in an African womens seminar there when she gave birth.

Almost everyone in the small university campus in Butare knew Shalom, the son of Minister Nyiramasuhuko and Rector Ntahobali. As a student at the university, he had a social status that was naturally envied by his colleagues. Witnesses at the ICTR described him as a mediocre student, even a failure and an ill-bred child, but his mother and sisters denied this. In their testimony, they denied that he had played any role in the genocide.

Incitement to rape on roadblocks

Just as their names were beginning to be forgotten, the family is back on the radar with the extradition of Beatrice Munyenyezi. Shalom Ntahobalis 51-year-old wife comes from a farming family in the Byumba prefecture on the other side of Rwanda. She entered the big league by marrying him in 1993. According to the Rwandan prosecutors office, the following year she played a leading role in the genocide in Butare. She is said to have been present at roadblocks, galvanizing the Interahamwe militiamen, urging them, among other things, to rape Tutsi women and girls. All of this is a lie, she claimed during her court appearance on May 5 in Kigali. I was new in Butare and physically weak because I was pregnant. And I also had two twin babies to take care of. The Rwandan justice system has not started the substance of the trial. In the United States, on the other hand, a decision was handed down in 2013. Munyenyezi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and stripped of her US citizenship for having hidden her role in the genocide. Initially a refugee in Kenya with her mother-in-law and husband, she managed, after their arrest, to settle in the United States, with her three children.

Pauline, Shalom and Beatrices reputation for brutality has overshadowed the father of the family, Maurice Ntahobali, who was a minister and then president of the National Assembly before being appointed rector of the National University in 1989. Although some sources in Rwanda accuse him of having had some of his Tutsi professors killed in 1994, his name is not mentioned as often as those of these other three members of the family. The mathematician now lives in Belgium.
British police on Tuesday arrested a 42-year-old man as part of an investigation into allegations of war crimes between 1994 and 2000 during the civil war in Sierra Leone.

A statement from London Metropolitan Police said the man had been arrested Tuesday at an address in Leeds, in the north of England, under the terms of the International Criminal Court Act.

Officers searched the property and took the man into custody before later releasing him under investigation.

The 1991-2002 war, financed largely by so-called blood diamonds, left 120,000 people dead and tens of thousands mutilated.

Charles Taylor, once Liberias most feared rebel fighter, who served as president from 1997 to 2003, is serving a 50-year sentence in a British jail for his role in fuelling the conflict in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he would make his first visit to Rwanda at the end of this month, a possible breakthrough in relations overshadowed by Frances role during the 1994 genocide.

I confirm I am going to Rwanda at the end of the month. The visit will be one of politics and remembrance but also economic, Macron said at the end of an Africa summit in Paris.

He added he had agreed with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, whom he met on the sidelines of a summit meeting on Monday, to write a new page in relations.

His visit will be the first trip by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy visited the country in 2010.

Kagame told journalists from the France 24 television channel and RFI radio Monday that Rwanda and France have a good basis to create a relationship after a landmark report acknowledged France bore overwhelming responsibilities over the 1994 genocide.

We are in the process of normalisation, he added.

Macron moved to repair ties with Rwanda by commissioning a report by historians into the role of French troops in the genocide, in which around 800,000 people were killed.

It concluded in March that France had been blind to preparations for the massacres of members of the Tutsi ethnic group by the Hutu regime, which was backed by France.

Kagame has in the past accused France of participating in the genocide, but he said he accepted the findings of the French commission that Paris was not complicit in the killings.

Its not up to me to conclude that this is what they should have said, Kagame said. It is something that I can accomodate.
On Monday, a powerful cyclone in the Arabian Sea made landfall on the western coast of India. Within hours, the authorities evacuated thousands of people and suspended COVID-19 vaccination in one state.

The Bureau of Meteorology of India said that Hurricane Tauktae was the strongest storm to hit the area in more than two decades. It landed in Gujarat State, with heavy rain, violent storm surges and sustained wind speeds of up to 165 kilometers per hour.

Forecasters warned that high winds, heavy rains and flooding in low-lying areas could cause widespread damage.

According to reports, twelve people died and hundreds of thousands were evacuated before the storm hit the land, a process complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

While India is battling the destructive coronavirus surge, a huge storm has occurred-both the storm and the virus may exacerbate each others influence. The storm has caused some vaccinations to be suspended, and the risk of virus transmission in crowded shelters is greater.

Squally Tauktae and downpour overwhelmed a bus. Authorities raced to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people before the storm and suspended Gujurats COVID-19 vaccination. (Rafiq Mabbur/Associated Press)

COVID-19 vaccine has been suspended

In Gujarat, vaccination was suspended for two days, and the authorities tried to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to temporary shelters. The states chief minister Vijay Rupani (Vijay Rupani) asked officials to ensure that the hospitals oxygen supply is not interrupted.

The News Agency of India reported that six people were killed in Maharashtra. The states capital, Mumbai, was hit by heavy rain and strong winds, forcing the authorities to suspend operations at the citys main airport.

Fishing boats off the coast of the two states returned to ports, and thousands of rescue and rescue teams, boats and aircraft were deployed for recovery operations.

Fishermen tried to move a fishing boat to safety off the Arabian Sea in Mumbai before Hurricane Taucht on Tuesday. (Rafiq Mabbur/Associated Press)

Before the weekend, the storm killed six people in Kerala, Karnataka and Goa before moving along the western coastline.

At the same time, virus lock-in measures may slow down rescue efforts after the storm, and the damage caused by the storm may destroy roads and cut off important supply lines of vaccines and medical supplies needed by virus patients. This kind of damage may also hurt the poor in particular, because the economic impact of the virus has made the poor suffer to the limit.

Udaya Regmi, head of South Asia for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the hurricane was a terrible double blow to families already hit by COVID-19 infection and death.

Remy said: As this huge storm threatens Gujarat, the potential impact of the Tauktae cyclone is frightening. Every effort must be made to protect people from this dangerous storm and the raging pandemic.

Indias west coast is no stranger to devastating hurricanes, but changing climate patterns make them more intense, not more frequent.

In May 2020, Hurricane Amphan was Indias most violent storm hitting eastern India in more than a decade. It swept through the area and left millions of people without electricity. Nearly 100 people died thereafter.




More than 50 people were missing Tuesday when their boat sank after leaving Libya heading to Europe, Tunisia's defense ministry said, with some 30 others rescued.







Defense ministry spokesman Mohamed Zikri said the survivors of the shipwreck were picked up after clinging to an oil platform off the southern coast of Tunisia.







Libya is a key gateway for Europe-bound migrants, who usually board makeshift vessels for the dangerous crossing. (AFP)






US President Joe Biden continued to urge Israel and Hamas, which controls the Palestinian territories of Gaza, to agree to a ceasefire in Israel in response to rocket attacks. After a week of violent conflict, the ceasefire has killed more than 200 people.

Lebanese security sources said Israel fired 22 artillery shells at Lebanon. Israeli security forces say that six rockets have been launched in southern Lebanon.

Since the violence broke out a week ago, at least 212 people have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children. About 1,500 Palestinians were injured.

Israel reported 10 deaths, including two children.

As Biden continued his efforts to ensure a ceasefire, he held a third telephone conversation with Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The White House stated that Biden encouraged Israel to do everything possible to ensure the protection of innocent civilians and that the leaders of the two countries discussed the progress of Israels military operations against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Since the most recent violence a week ago, at least 212 people have been killed in Gaza, including 61 children. About 1,500 Palestinians were also injured.

The following are the latest updates:

11 minutes ago (00:59 GMT)

Amnesty condemns U.S. approval of arms sales to Israel

Human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the U.S. plan to sell weapons worth $735 million to Israel in the latest conflict with Palestinian armed groups, saying that ratifying the resolution undermined the U.S. commitment to safeguard human rights in the world.

By providing weapons that can be used to commit war crimes, the U.S. government runs the risk of intensifying attacks on civilians and sees more people killed or injured by U.S. military weapons, Amnesty International U.S. Middle East Advocacy Director Philip Nassif ( Philippe Nassif) and North Africa said in a statement that they urged Biden to reconsider this decision.

53 minutes ago (00:17 GMT)

After the rocket failed, Israel shelled southern Lebanon

The Israeli military said it fired six shells from Lebanon into northern Israel on Monday, but did not cross the border.

It stated that in response, shells were fired at Lebanons launch source.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said it found rockets around Rashaya Al Foukhar and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

On Monday, May 17, at 1130 p.m., UNIFIL detected rocket launches from the entire area of ??Rashaya Al Foukhar in the northern part of South Kafaruba. The Lebanese parties also notified us immediately.

The Israel Defense Forces fired artillery at the location of the rocket launch. -UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) May 17, 2021

2 hours ago (23:27 GMT)

Law professor says Gaza image suggests Israel has committed war crimes

Ardi Imseis, a law professor at Queens University in Ontario, Canada, said that Israels disproportionate use of force in the Gaza Strip resulted in possible war crimes.

Imseis told Al Jazeera: We have reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law are committed mainly due to the lack of respect for distinction, proportionality and the principles of prudence.

Imseis said that these infringements appear to be mainly from Israel, but not the only ones.

3 hours ago (22:21 GMT)

The US delay in support of the ceasefire has led to the massacre of children: Ilhan Omar (Ilhan Omar)

U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said that U.S. President Joe Bidens failure to express support for the ceasefire has led to the killing of children and the destruction of lives.

Biden posted this tweet after telling Israel Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for the ceasefire on the phone.

At last! ! Our delay in supporting the ceasefire has resulted in the killing of children and the destruction of lives. Now, Biden must end the occupation. https://t.co/pfgDoIfpK0 -Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 17, 2021

Since the rocket attack in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli attack on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, at least 61 children have been killed since the Israeli bombing began on May 10. Two Israeli children also died.

4 hours ago (21:39 GMT)

Biden said he supports a ceasefire and reiterated his support for Israel

According to what the White House said, US President Joe Biden expressed his support for the ceasefire during a dialogue with Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon.

Biden also welcomes efforts to resolve inter-ethnic violence and calm Jerusalem and encourage Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

Israel has been criticized for civilian casualties in air strikes.

The announcement stated that Biden still remains firmly supported Israels right to defend itself from indiscriminate rocket attacks.

For all updates on Monday, May 17, click Here.
After being arrested for participating in a large gathering over the weekend, a controversial Calgary mayor candidate with a history of racist commentary and a local missionary have been released, allegedly in violation of a judges order to comply with COVID-19 Sanitary restrictions.

Pastor Tim Stephens of the Splendid Baptist Church in southeast Calgary was arrested on Sunday after months of encouraging compliance persons to violate public health rules related to the pandemic.

One day ago, mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston was detained by the police. Johnston was accused of attending three large gatherings, including a meet-and-greet in the parking lot of the local CFL Stadium, a gathering in Princes Island Park and church services.

This service is held in the churches of Artur and Dawid Pawlowski.Brothers Arrested last weekend He was also accused of violating the same court order that Johnston and Stephens were imprisoned.

Johnston broadcasted each event live to his Facebook and Instagram pages.

Johnston and Stephens were released on condition that they must comply with Alberta Health Services (AHS) public health restrictions, including mask and physical evacuation requirements and party restrictions.

Johnston was unhappy when he learned that he was going to wear a mask.

He told the court: I cant wear a mask at all. I sweat and Im very annoying.

On June 16, the two will go to Queens Court Justice Adam Germain for a civil temp audiovisual hearing.

Johnston must also comply with the AHS restraining order

Johnston must also obey the conditions of another court order: On Friday, AHS was granted a restraining order against Johnston to prevent him from obstructing or interfering with AHS and its employees.

In the past few weeks, Johnston has posted videos in which he threatened to arm himself and arrest health workers if he wanted to be elected mayor.

He specifically posted a photo of an AHS employee and threatened to stun her and others. Doxxing is a practice of posting personal information online that often violates personal wishes.

Johnston is currently facing a charge of assault in British Columbia and a hate crime charge in Ontario.

As a candidate for mayor, Johnston may soon get a list of access permissions, which includes the name, address and phone number of every Calgarian who is eligible to vote.

Calgary police have expressed concern about possible disclosure, and the City of Calgary said it is exploring legal options regarding voter lists.

The last resort to arrest the priest: the police

Stephens had previously been fined and fined for violating public health regulations for holding surplus gatherings, failing to enforce mask use or distancing requirements.

Despite receiving a copy of the judges order, Stephens held a service on Sunday before being arrested.

Currently, churches in Alberta can hold up to 15 people.

The police said that in the past few weeks, AHS has been working hard to work with the church to solve the ongoing public health problems at the scene, and the execution of orders and the arrest of Stephens are the last resort.
In the past 24 hours, the total number of coronaviruses in India has exceeded the 25 million mark, adding 263,533 new infections, and the number of deaths from COVID-19 has risen by a record 4,329.

India became the second largest country in the world after the United States, surpassing this grim milestone. According to data from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, the countrys current total number of cases is 25.23 million and the death toll is 278,719.

The official daily number of cases has fallen since last week. The number of new infections on Monday was 281,386. This is the first time since April 21 that it has fallen below 300,000.

Experts say that even if the infection rate has declined in the past few days, it is impossible to be sure that the infection rate has reached its peak, and that the vigilance of the new and more infectious B.1.617 variant is becoming higher and higher at home and abroad.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization, said in the India: Many parts of the country have not yet experienced the peak period and are still rising.

Swaminathan pointed out that the national positive rate is worryingly high, accounting for about 20% of the tests conducted, which suggests that the situation may be worse.

In many states, testing is still insufficient. And when you see a high positive rate of testing, obviously we are under-testing. So when the absolute numbers are only taken by themselves, they dont actually mean anything The test must be conducted in the context of how many tests have been completed and the positive rate of tests.

The hospital had to shut out the patient, and the room and crematorium could not handle the accumulation of bodies.

Photographs and TV images of burning firewood in the parking lot, as well as corpses looted on the banks of the Ganges, made the government even more impatient with the crisis.

Official figures seriously underestimate the actual impact of the epidemic, which is widely accepted. Some experts say that the actual number of infections and deaths may be 5 to 10 times higher.

The first wave of pandemics in India peaked in September and was mainly concentrated in urban areas where testing was conducted faster, while the second wave of pandemics that broke out in February is spreading in rural areas, about two-thirds. There are 1.35 billion people living in the country, and testing in these places is very scarce.

The decline in the number of confirmed COVID cases in the United States is just an illusion, S Vincent Rajkumar, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, said on Twitter.

First, the total number of cases is greatly underestimated due to limited testing. Second, confirmed cases will only occur if you can confirm: urban areas. Rural areas are not counted.

Although the lockdown has helped limit cases in parts of the country that were hit by the initial surge in infections in February and April, such as Maharashtra and Delhi, rural areas and some states are responding to new cases. There is a surge in infections.

Al Jazeeras Pavni Mittal reported in New Delhi that a court in northern Uttar Pradesh (the most populous court in India) has reverberated with a small number of coronavirus cases and has a strong impact on the medical infrastructure in rural areas. The facility made some stern observations. There is only one bed for every 10,000 people.

Mittal said the court instructed the state government to increase testing in rural areas.

The federal government issued detailed guidelines on Sunday to monitor COVID-19 cases from the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health requires villages to find people with flu-like illnesses and test them for COVID-19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Narendra Modi) came under fire for sending a message to the public, deciding to leave key decisions to the states, and slowly launching an immunization campaign among the worlds largest vaccine manufacturers.

India has provided full vaccination for more than 40.4 million people, or 2.9% of the population.

A top virologist resigned on Sunday from the governments scientific advisory forum, which was established by the government to detect variants of the coronavirus.

Shahid Jameel, chairman of the forums scientific advisory panel, declined to disclose the reason for his resignation, but he said he was concerned that the authorities did not pay enough attention to the evidence when formulating policies.
Archives  On Monday, May 17, 2021, a group of immigrants from Honduras and Nicaragua are on the road after crossing the US-Mexico border in La Jolla, Texas, waiting on the road in a file photo. Lawyers prosecuting the federal government said that the Biden administration has agreed to release up to 250 people seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border crossing each day. Immigrants have the right to apply for asylum. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, file)

San Diego (Associated Press)-The Biden administration has agreed to allow approximately 250 people to seek asylum in the U.S. through the border crossing with Mexico every day as part of a lawsuit that resolves pandemic powers that deny immigrants the right to apply for immigration applications The asylum lawyer said Monday.

The American Civil Liberties Unions attorney Lee Gaelent said the government also said it would stop flying immigrant families from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to El Paso, Texas. Santiago, then deported to Mexico with the power of a pandemic. In the federal court in Washington, DC, the government reserves the right to resume flights if deemed necessary.

The governments concessions will greatly reshape the title of exercising power, title No. 42, which is named after part of an obscure law in 1944 that former President Donald Trump used to get the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Effectively terminate the asylum at the border, and at the same time strive to prevent this from happening. Coronavirus does not spread.

Biden exempts unaccompanied children from Title 42, but reserves it for single adults and many families. He was criticized by progressives because they prohibited many people from sheltering and encouraged some parents to send their children out of the border alone. Law enforcement-conscious critics say that exempting children from traveling alone has resulted in a record number of crossings, and that more restrictions will attract more people.

Gellert said the government and the American Civil Liberties Union agreed to simplify and evaluate the procedures for exemption requests from certain vulnerable families and other individuals. Once fully operational, it is estimated that 250 particularly vulnerable people will be allowed to seek humanitarian protection through a consortium of non-governmental organizations every day. They must test for COVID-19 before entering the country.

Gellert said that about 2,000 people have been allowed to enter the country, and while in the United States, they are exempted from pandemic-related asylum or other forms of protection.

Gellert said: Although these concessions have the potential to save lives, they are not a substitute for eliminating the title of Article 42 and fully restoring the asylum procedure.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday night.

Immigration advocates have increased the pressure to completely remove powers related to pandemic diseases, arguing that they cannot be defended solely for reasons of protecting public health. Usually, border patrol agents deport the immigrants to Mexico within two hours after receiving the immigrants.

While insisting that power was established for public health reasons, government officials have repeatedly stated that they need more time to develop the humane asylum system Biden promised during the campaign.

Since the authorities in the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico have substantially restricted the number of Central American families that will be repossessed, the Biden administration has been flying daily from Brownsville, Texas to El Paso and San Diego. 135 people and citing the impact of a Mexican law on the detention of migrant children in January. Families were expelled from the border cities of El Paso and San Diego. The Mexican authorities are busier than the Rio Grande Valley in Texas because it is the busiest Illegal transit corridor.

The Border Patrol encountered more than 173,000 migrants on the Mexican border in April, the highest level since April 2000, although these numbers cannot be directly compared because more than six out of ten are related to the pandemic Expelled under power. There are no legal consequences for being expelled, so many people try to cross it.

The authorities had 17,171 children travelling alone in April, a drop from the record high of 18,960 in March.

There were about 50,000 people in the household in April. Approximately one-third of the family members were deported to Mexico. The rest are allowed to stay in the United States and seek asylum.
At the virtual climate summit organized by US President Joe Biden on April 22, Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez has made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Obrador (AMLO) defended the countrys continued use of fossil fuels.

He shared that Mexico had discovered three large hydrocarbon deposits, but tried to describe it as a joy, rather than frightening summit participants.

The President said: Although we have discovered the three largest hydrocarbon reserves, the oil we discovered will basically be destined to meet the fuel demand of the domestic market and will end the practice of crude oil export. By doing so, he added:  We will help avoid excessive use of fossil fuels.

Although AMLOs speech at the summit caused widespread criticism from many people, but many viewed it as a declaration against clean energy, the Mexican leaders stance on fossil fuels is more than just a flagrant disregard of climate emergencies.

Advocating Energy Sovereignty

At home and abroad, AMLO has long attributed Mexicos dependence on large amounts of oil and gas to a crisis of energy sovereignty. In response to this crisis, he strengthened state-owned companies in the power generation and fossil fuel industries, and also prioritized the use of fossil fuels. These reforms are part of AMLOs active efforts to (re)nationalize the countrys energy and fossil fuels since 2019.

The idea of ??energy sovereignty has its own source In Mexicos anti-colonial struggle, the country expelled American and British exploiting companies and nationalized its fossil fuel industry to maintain its sovereignty over resources.

By the beginning of the 20th century, American and British companies had begun to exploit oil reserves in Mexico. Although these companies had expanded Mexicos oil production to second only to the United States by 1921, the wealth gained from the oil extraction flowed back to the United States and the United Kingdom, and it had little effect on improving Mexicos economic conditions. This is a typical colonial relationship in Mexico. Development.

The key positions in these foreign companies are only British and American nationals. In addition, a Mexican worker received half the salary and poor housing for doing the same job as a foreign worker.

Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 gave the Mexican government the right to deprive oil and other resources. However, due to strong resistance from oil companies supported by the US State Department, the implementation of this article proved impossible.

The presidency of Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940) marked a major shift: he oversaw large-scale land redistribution and supported workers right to strike. Regarding the oil issue, the Mexican authorities under his management supported the striking Mexican workers and demanded that the oil companies raise wages and benefits, but the oil companies refused to comply.

In response, Cardenas used Article 27 and nationalized foreign oil companies in Mexico on March 18, 1938, which led to the establishment of the state-owned PEMEX, which monopolized fossil fuels. Around this time, Cardenas also created a state-owned CFE, responsible for the generation and distribution of electrical energy.

The move triggered large-scale celebrations throughout Mexico, including a six-hour parade in Mexico City. Although the United States considered military intervention in nationalization, it chose not to intervene because World War II had already begun and the United States needed allies.

In Mexico, the nationalization of foreign energy companies is a notable event not only for the country, but also for the history of global colonization: Mexico is about to become part of the third world group, the country has withstood imperialism Ruled and won. Similar claims for sovereignty elsewhere have very different results. The Iranian coup planned by the United States in 1953 changed the countrys development trajectory forever after the Iranian government nationalized Anglo American.

Despite all the successes achieved through nationalization, the successive presidents of Mexico in recent decades have gradually opened up the energy sector. This has led Mexico to rely on the United States and other countries to import energy despite having its own fossil fuel reserves.

Pena Nieto, the immediate predecessor of AMLO, completed the liberalization of the energy sector and invited foreign companies to exploit Mexicos oil reserves. The reason he called for doing this is to make the department more efficient and solve the large-scale corruption in PEMEX.

However, Nietos actions did not help to resolve corruption-officials of his government, such as Emilio Lozoya (Emilio Lozoya) defendant Bribery from private companies bidding on energy contracts.

In addition, many Mexicans, including AMLO, believe that the liberalization of the energy sector is a return to the destructive mining of the pre-1938 era.

In this case, it is easy to see the reasons behind AMLOs remarks on energy sovereignty and insist on ending the countrys dependence on energy at all costs. Nevertheless, in the face of an increasingly urgent global climate emergency, the Mexican Presidents commitment to the use of fossil fuels should still be strictly evaluated.

Turn a blind eye to climate emergencies

Western governments criticism of AMLOs recent actions Official, Lobby group especially Western media  Has been intense and follows two themes. The first is market orientation. For example, the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC), which is committed to maintaining the neoliberal order, expressed concern that AMLOs energy policy may undermine the confidence of foreign investors and prevent Mexico from obtaining the investment it desperately needs. In addition, it raises concerns that such policies will lead to unfair monopolies-perhaps because in this case, the monopoly will not be controlled by the USCC.

The second type of criticism is environmentally oriented, so AMLO has been criticized for its fixed fossil fuels. This criticism is reasonable, but outside of Mexico, especially in Western countries, this criticism completely ignores the goal that AMLO is trying to achieve by supporting fossil fuels: energy sovereignty.

When analyzing and criticizing AMLOs energy policy, Western media and government officials refused to recognize Mexicos long history of colonial exploitation, which reflects the historical forgetfulness and hypocrisy of the West.

However, there are also clear signs that AMLO is trying to classify his actions as anti-neoliberalism and anti-colonialism by invoking energy sovereignty, but he has not taken the climate crisis seriously, and his policies have not helped to establish neoliberalism. Alternative. .

While copying the unsustainable, capitalist way of resource extraction in the West by burning fossil fuels, how can AMLO be anti-colonial or anti-neo-colonial?

AMLOs energy policy is clearly oil-oriented, and there is no sign of integrating renewable energy. The 2020-2024 National Energy Plan states that to achieve sustainable energy self-sufficiency, it is necessary to increase hydrocarbon exploration, infrastructure and processing capabilities. It envisages the realization of energy sovereignty through hydrocarbons and clean energy, which includes natural gas and nuclear energy.

However, the energy sovereignty achieved through hydrocarbon exploration and investment can only last until the end of the fossil fuel storage period.

Mexicos known oil and gas reserves will last only 9.3 years, while world reserves are estimated to last 40 to 50 years. Therefore, the energy sovereign life of AMLO may be as short as ten years.

In addition, from the perspective of AMLOs overall environmental policy, it is hard to say that his government has not denied the climate crisis. Among the latest commitments to the Paris Agreement submitted in 2020, Mexico has completely abandoned its 2015 commitments and will obtain 35% of its energy needs from clean energy by 2024, and use 43% of it by 2030. energy. Changed three times in two years. After the former secretary Victor Toledo (Victor Toledo) was found resigned, he was found to have said in the leaked audio that the AMLO government had no clear goals, full of contradictions and different interests in terms of environmental policy. The departments budget has been cut, and the federal budget has increased funding for oil refineries and environmentally hazardous tourism projects such as Tren Maya. In addition, according to the Climate Transparency group (PDF format), about 73% of the countrys climate change budget is used to transport natural gas.

Finally, AMLO associates corruption in the energy sector with early government privatization and neoliberal policies.

Although this accusation has many advantages, AMLO is strengthening PEMEX and CFE. It seems that these institutions have not been flooded with corruption, and it seems that there is no need to take strict measures to deal with this corruption.

Anti-corruption in AMLOs administration is more about words than actions. For example, Carlos Romero Deschamps, the former leader of the PEMEX union, voluntarily agreed to stop working, and despite being under investigation into corruption, left with a staggering pension in March. Similarly, Manuel Bartlett, the general manager of CFE, was accused of illegally obtaining property worth more than $42 million and hiding it in public records. He received the full support of AMLO and was eventually acquitted. .

All in all, although the fate of the Mexicans and the entire human race is in the balance due to the climate crisis, we have seen the arrogance of Western (new) imperialism on the one hand, and they dont mind admitting, let alone apologizing for  they are to Mexico Of exploitation. On the other hand, we have post-colonial heads of state such as AMLO whose anti-colonial and anti-neolberal rhetoric does not match the climate policy and the urgent needs of the people.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.
The latest report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) stated that state and local attorneys across the United States are increasingly filing criminal charges against employers who violate their workers rights by stealing wages or providing unsafe working conditions. .

This is happening largely because worker organizations (such as trade unions and advocacy groups) are working hard for this in many cases. EPI and reportThe author told Al Jazeera.

Gerstein said that prosecutors are also rethinking their roles and thinking about how to pursue prosecutorial powers by prosecuting bosses who violate the law in order to seek economic and social justice.

Gersteins paper is the second in EPIs New Enforcer series, which focuses on state and local participants who are committed to safeguarding and promoting employee rights.This First The report released last year was also written by Gerstein, which advocates increasing state and local enforcement of workers rights.

The cases filed by state and local attorneys mainly target workplace crimes, including wage theft, classification of workers as independent contractors, wage fraud, labor trafficking, workplace sexual assault and unsafe working conditions.

Not everyone agrees that adding local and state prosecutors to deal with more workplace violations will ultimately benefit workers.

[EPI] I try to put together with other things that everyone I know considers to be a serious crime. In my opinion, these things should not be classified as a crime, or sometimes it is not clear enough to define whether you commit a crime, Walter Olson, a senior researcher at the Cato Institute, a liberal think tank, told Al Jazeera.

Olsen agreed with the reports premise that wage theft, workers compensation insurance fraud and workplace sexual assault are serious crimes. But he said that in some cases, certain employers may misclassify workers as independent contractors because they cannot figure out what the law requires.

He said: Many of these things are out of touch with the so-called threshold of the criminal law tradition, that is, you know this is wrong, anyway you did it.

Accountability system: transfer to state and local

Theft of wages (an employers refusal to pay the wages owed) is a multi-billion dollar crime.

According to the ten most populous states in the United States, 2.4 million workers lose 8 billion U.S. dollars per year due to violations of minimum wage regulations, or 3,300 U.S. dollars each year-nearly a quarter of their wages. 2017 EPI report.

Gerstein also said that in the past few decades, wage theft and other crimes against workers have not been part of the traditional practice of prosecutors. He is also responsible for the state and local law enforcement programs of the Harvard Law School Labor and Work Life Program. people.

She added that traditional methods are insufficient to address such violations of workers through government agencies with insufficient funds and resources.

Workers repair the streets in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

In the past 40 years, the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hourly Workers Division, which is responsible for enforcing federal wage and hour laws, has cut resources. In 1978, there was one investigator for every 69,000 workers in the department. According to EPI data, by 2018, its labor force investigators will be for every 175,000 workers.

Gerstein said: The economy has grown significantly, but the ability to strengthen institutions has not. There are many people who cannot get remedies because of serious violations of the law at work.

She went on to say that the decline in union density in the United States has also contributed to the high rate of violations we see today.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1983 was the first year that union data was obtained, and the union membership rate was 20.1%. By 2020, the proportion of workers joining the union is only 10.8%.

The United States (at the federal and state levels) has expanded a range of worker protections, including paid wages and working hours, and workplace safety hazards. It also guarantees economic safety in the event of injury, unemployment, discrimination or sexual harassment.

But according to EPI, employers have also become shrewd in using mandatory arbitration clauses, which deprive workers of the right to take their bosses to court. Compulsory arbitration is an agreement signed between an employee and an employer, which promises that even if a dispute occurs, the employee will not file a lawsuit.

According to the 2018 EPI, more than half of all private sector non-union workers or 56.2% of employers require their employers to sign a mandatory arbitration agreement report.
The foreign ministers of EU countries called for a ceasefire to end the violence in Palestine, but failed to reach an agreement, which may allow the EU to play a role in peacemaking.

Hungary, Israels closest ally in the group, refused to join 26 other foreign ministers in calling for a ceasefire during a video call convened by Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy.

After presiding over the meeting, Borrell said that the ministers generally reached a consensus that the priority is to immediately stop all violence and implement a ceasefire.

Borrell admitted that Hungary is the only one of the 27 member states and did not approve of his remarks. The EUs traditional differences in policies towards Israel and the Palestinians were broadcast unusually and publicly on Tuesday. He did not provide details.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later told AFP: I have general doubts about these European declarations on Israel These declarations are usually unilateral. These declarations are not helpful, especially in the current situation. Down, when the tensions intensify, so high.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that if a ceasefire agreement is not reached, the conflict could spread throughout the region. He also said that he hoped that Israel would not initiate ground operations in Gaza.

Le Drian told reporters during the break of the meeting: Every day there are greater risks: the risk of conflict spreading to the West Bank, the risk of violence within Israel, and the risk of conflict becoming a regional conflict.

Nonetheless, other ministers pledged that the EU will restart the peace process with the United States, Russia and the United Nations.

Maltas Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo told Reuters News: At a minimum, we can try to reach a ceasefire, then provide humanitarian assistance, and then see what we can do to restart the Middle East peace process to address the root causes of violence. mechanism.

He said: We cannot allow extremists on both sides to learn from each others strengths and set an agenda.

Since the attack began earlier this month, at least 217 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed in Gaza.

About 1,500 Palestinians were injured. In Israel, 12 people were killed, including two children, and at least 300 others were injured.

The situation on the ground is very worrying. The number of casualties is heavy. Israeli and Palestinian families are mourning. The imagery is so bad that no one can be indifferent. Waiting is not an option, Le Drian said.

He also said: One of the reasons for todays serious situation is that there is no prospect of a political process. What we need to do is to find a way to the political process, but first, we must ensure that the hostilities are ended.

Quartet

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also stated that weapons must be silent in the end.

Maas emphasized the role of the diplomatic Quartet. The European Union is represented by its new Middle East peace envoy Sven Koopmans and said that we support the further expansion of his mediation efforts.

The other three members of the Quartet are the United Nations, the United States and Russia.

Mas added: We must use our relationship with both parties to encourage confidence-building steps to calm the situation within Israel and the West Bank.

Only in this way can it be possible to talk about a lasting solution to the Middle East conflict again.
Although Benjamin Netanyahu is still in power to this day, allegations of corruption and his repeated failure to establish a stable and reliable coalition government seem to herald the end of his rule.

However, analysts say that the new outbreak of conflict with the Palestinians may open another path for Netanyahu and his quest to continue as Israels longest serving prime minister.

The Israeli leader and its Likud party failed to form a ruling coalition, and President Rouven Rivlin took on the task Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yair Lapid) Form your own government

Micheline Ishay, director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Denver, said that even before the election, Netanyahu lost the support of the Israeli people for various reasons.

Netanyahus popularity has declined, and the people are tired of the uncertainty of the election. The number of seats in the Likud Group will be reduced from 36 in March 2020 to 30 in March 2021. Netanyahus tireless efforts to avoid prosecution, the division of right-wing parties and the ongoing epidemic have led to widespread divisions.

She added that the conflict with the Palestinians has reduced public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu.

Due to the escalation of the situation in Gaza, his reputation will undoubtedly rise among some citizens. In the fires and wars, people tend to gather in the current government, worrying about rockets and internal threats. In this sense, the current The crisis is strengthening Netanyahus political design.

Planned Forfeiture

Despite this, Yishai said that despite the obvious connection to violence against the Palestinians, she does not believe that Netanyahu supports the conflict out of political considerations.

Netanyahu incites domestic provocations by even allowing domestic provocations. Cahanists In Jerusalem, planned confiscation of Arab property Sheikh Jarrah, The fence of Damascus Gate during Ramadan and Aksa Police Operation.

However, it is not clear whether he will anticipate Hamas response, let alone hope. Regardless of the intentions, the war will benefit Hamas and the Likud region at least in the short term.

But its not just the public that believes that in the past few days, the conflict may have shifted to Netanyahus preference.

First, as Yesh Atid hoped, the broad coalition against Netanyahu has become more uncertain than ever Naftali Bennett Said that his Arminian party would stop the talks with Rapide and instead seek a broader unified government with Netanyahu and Likud. Bennett believes that this is in the countrys interest in times of crisis.

The sudden reconciliation between Netanyahu and Bennett may be surprising, but it makes sense politically.

Yishai said, after all, both Netanyahu and Bennett have an ideology. They both advocate the unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank, but its influence is beneficial to the prime minister.

Ishay said: By prioritizing his own awareness of the threat of a country with political differences with Netanyahu, Bennett can revive the Likud alliance and greatly weaken any anti-Netanyahu group.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu attends a special cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on May 9 [Amit Shabi via Reuters]

However, Bennett is also aware of the impact of the current crisis on the negotiations, and the negotiations have developed to such an extent that the ministerial position is already in Replacement group.

In order to obtain the necessary majority, the coalition needs to include the votes of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Knesset. In view of the turmoil between Israeli Jews and Israeli Palestinian citizens, this situation is unthinkable. Both Arab parties are in a position where they cannot support the Israeli government, which includes right-wing forces.

The main example is Mansour AbbasThe leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAL), he agreed to support the Lapid and Bennett governments. However, considering the armed conflict in Gaza, UAL withdrew from the joint negotiations.

Yishai pointed out that Bennetts call for the deployment of Israeli troops in areas where Palestinians live in Israel prevented the United Arab List (also known as Ram) from supporting this policy.

Bennet clearly suggested that the Israeli Defense Forces actions in the Gaza Strip and police enforcement of the Palestinian unrest cannot be guided by governments including the United Arab List. This shows that Arab Israelis can never become a government unless in peacetime. Part of it, she said.

Strategic Importance

Ian Lustick, dean of the Department of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, told Al Jazeera that Bennetts move could become a key issue for Netanyahus progress.

Although it is possible to envisage a Likud-Bennet government supported by Ram, I think this is extremely unlikely. However, the strategic importance of Arab parties in the alliance negotiations still exists.

Although Netanyahu may want to directly elect the prime minister, depending on how the election is organized, it may also give the joint list and Lahm the bargaining power over whether to run for prime minister or unite as one group.

Lustick said that at the same time, Bennetts decision to resume talks with Netanyahu may help Likud move forward, and it may come at a price for Bennett.

This opens up the possibility for Likud to absorb elements from Bennetts Yamina, and these elements are ready to abandon him if he insists on Rapide. Even if Bennett is in the future Netanyahu government In a prestigious position, his political reputation for independence and integrity will also be severely hit.

At the same time, Lapid was unwilling to succumb to desperate situations.

Bennett was wrong, said Rapide, who promised to turn all the stones into a government without Netanyahu. He added that it is not worthwhile to cooperate with those responsible for the current situation. But his determination is unlikely to make a difference.

The fragile unity is destroyed

Lucek said that for Netanyahu, the conflict in Gaza provided him with another opportunity.

Netanyahu is on the verge of losing his position as prime minister by an unlikely coalition. However, this crisis was partly caused by Israels deliberate and highly provocative actions in Jerusalem, which undermined the fragile unity of the alliance. 

Although Netanyahu does not have his own majority in Bennett, and at least does not have an Arab political party, in fact, Bennetts betrayal has led to a situation where it is impossible to establish a government against the current prime minister. Lustic said this makes it more likely that the fifth election will be held in the fall.

Although Bennett betrayed Netanyahu and could not produce a new Likud-led government, it may lead to new elections.

During an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, smoke and flames rose above the buildings [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Indeed, both Ishay and Lustick agreed to the idea of ??holding the fifth election in two and a half years.

At this juncture, the fifth election is still inevitable. The Likud may form a short-term alliance, but after this round of violence, their political power will eventually decrease.

On the other hand, the anti-Netanyahu group has no other issues in common except for the removal of the current leader to maintain the new alliance. It can only hope that the flu pandemic, repeated elections and the current war will ultimately promote peace negotiations. A government that is willing to seriously resolve the Palestinian issue will have greater endurance.

Dynamic Situation

Lustick shared this assessment.

If Lapid fails, then the Knesset itself will have a chance to form a government. That will almost certainly fail.

However, he also admitted that the situation has become more unpredictable.

The question is what kind of elections will be held: Knesset elections, prime minister elections, or both? The uncertainties and complex calculations associated with the dynamic situation we are entering, and the relative Arab participation in coalition negotiations Newer phenomena offer interesting and unpredictable possibilities for the consequences of these elections, Lustick said.

However, the impact of the conflict is more far-reaching. Whether they vote or not, the Palestinians from the river to the sea are part of the Israeli political system.

He said: Whether it is through voting, joint bargaining, political mobilization, protest or violence, their impact on the system will become greater and greater.

Whether Netanyahu is willing to achieve his goals, whether he likes it or not, must take this dynamic into consideration.

Analysts say that at the same time, whether it is now or in the fifth election that a new coalition can be promoted, the prospects for Netanyahu as prime minister are definitely increasing.
San Diego  When it was implemented in mid-June, some local companies were working to figure out how and whether to implement the new state and local blocking rules.

The county plans to follow California guidelines, Wait until June 15 to lift the request A mask suitable for indoor and crowded outdoor environments, suitable for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If the current positive trend continues, state officials are expected to lift most virus-related restrictions on the same day.

However, the ever-changing guidelines present new challenges for companies, namely knowing which customers have been vaccinated and what they can even ask.

According to FOX 5 legal expert Wendy Patrick, it creates some gray areas for certain areas.

Patrick said: At present, they have made mistakes in caution. They dont want to invade anyones private business, so what they are doing is relying on the honor system. They dont want to say,No shoes, no shots, no services. , and worried that if they start to pry open and ask questions, there may be consequences. 

According to the current regulations, there is no need to cover the face outdoors except in crowded activities and when it is impossible to maintain physical distance (for people who have not been vaccinated). In indoor environments outside the home (including public transportation and schools), it is still necessary to cover the face regardless of the vaccination status.

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines, stating that in most indoor and outdoor situations, people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can largely stop wearing masks.

The statement did not immediately reverse the existing mask wearing requirements in San Diego County or the entire State of California.

San Diego County requirements allow fully vaccinated residents to wear masks indoors with other fully vaccinated people. However, the mask regulations still apply to everyone who works or patronizes in a grocery or retail store.

All of these may change in the next month, which may cause new headaches in some places.

Although some companies are aware of privacy laws, Patrick said that there has never been a privacy law for vaccines and that no one wants to be a test case when implementing the latest guidelines. It may establish a dichotomy, in which some companies abide by the honor system, while others try to enforce the new mask rules more strictly.

Patrick said that so far, there is no case law related to the pandemic for reference, but she expects there will be in the future. She expects the mask guidelines may stimulate more people.

She said: Only through litigation, we can formulate future legislation, which will actually provide business owners with answers to these difficult questions to solve the problems they are legally allowed to raise.
After Meghan Markles ex-boyfriend claimed that racism has existed in the royal family for hundreds of years, the Lorraine audience expressed indignation today.

Joshua Silverstein said the company has a historic of racism and he praises the transatlantic slave trade. Duchess of Sussex Speak up against it.

? Read our Meghan and Harry live blog About the latest update

3 Joshua Silverstein praises his former Meghan Markle for opposing royal racism Credit: Rex

The three fathers dated Megan, when she was 13 years old, and she said that she was honest and transparent in the blockbuster interview. Oprah Winfrey, Which talked about the companys racial prejudice against unborn sons.

He told Lorraine: She went to Oprah and was very frank and frank about the royal familys experience.

Im sure there is a history of racism in the royal family, which can be traced back to the transatlantic slave trade.

So its great for Megan to be on TV and talk boldly about this fact.

But Lorraines audience quickly fought back, tweeting: Why do you only allow someone on the show to say that the British royal family is an institutional racist without asking him to provide factual evidence?

Another wrote: Why an unknown person told us about racism in Britain. Lorraine just agreed. There is no balance.

3 Twitter users fought back in an interview this morning Credit: ITV

Someone added: I cant believe the interview with Megans first boyfriend. What is Lorraine playing?

She allowed him to accuse the royal family of being a racist Meghan told the truth in an interview with OW. She didnt correct him once.

But Joshua told Lorraine that this recoil is typical as long as people of color speak.

He said: Whenever people of color talk about oppression and racism, generally the public, there will be great opposition. In fact, she got up and talked about it might cause a lot of distraction between her and her family Pressure, I think that surprised her.

He added that change will not happen unless people are willing to engage in dialogue.

I think more and more people start to be honest about their role in oppression and privilege, and then we can move forward.

3 Meghan and Harry talked about racism in the royal family in an interview with Oprah

I think the unfortunate role of human beings is that we want to pretend that things are great. More and more people can comfortably talk about pain and trauma, and then they can begin to recover.

In an interview with Oprah in March, Harry and Meghan revealed the pressures they face as senior royals.

The Duchess of Sussex claimed to have had a conversation with Harry and a member of the family about their unborn son Archie and the color of his skin, and what does it mean or look like.

When asked if she was worried that her child would be over-brown, which would be a problem, Megan said: If this is your assumption, it will be a very safe assumption.

Buckingham Palace later issued a statement saying that although some memories may be different, issues related to race are related.

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The statement read: The whole family is full of sadness to understand the challenges to Harry and Meghan in the past few years.

The issues raised, especially ethnic issues, are worrying. Although some memories may be different, we will take them very seriously and will be resolved privately by the family.

Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be beloved family members.
Explosions are seen following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, May 18. Xinhua-Yonhap



Israeli police say two Thai workers inside Israel have been killed in a strike launched from the Gaza Strip



A strike launched from Gaza on Tuesday wounded 10 people in southern Israel, four of them seriously, Israeli medics reported, as Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers continued to trade attacks.



The projectile attack Tuesday afternoon hit a region in southern Israel, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service. It came as Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective action against Israel's policies.



With the war in Gaza showing no sign of abating and truce efforts apparently stalled, the general strike and expected protests could again widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.



Israel's airstrikes toppled a six-story building that housed bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.



Israel warned the building's residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness, and there were no reports of casualties. Israel said it was targeting militants, their tunnels and rocket launchers across the territory.



"The whole street started running, then destruction, an earthquake,'' said Jamal Herzallah, a resident of the area. "This whole area was shaking."



Heavy fighting broke out May 10 when Gaza's militant Hamas rulers fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israel's heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.



At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in heavy airstrikes since, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. As the fighting drags on, medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza. Ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel.



The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled. Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has so far vowed to press on.



With no end in sight to the fighting, Palestinians in Israel, east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank observed a general strike on Tuesday. It was a rare show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state of their own. Life had already ground to a halt in Gaza when the fighting began.



The strike was intended to protest the Gaza war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians the rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence across the region.



Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike, and protests were expected.



Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organizers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a "collective position" against Israel's "aggression" in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the "brutal repression" by police across Israel.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces.



The Israeli military said Tuesday it fired at 65 militant targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters and the homes of Hamas commanders that the army said were being used for military purposes. It said more than 60 fighter jets took part in the operation.



The military said it also shot down a drone "approaching the Israeli border" in the northeast, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but it's possible the drone came from Syria.



The military said Palestinian militants fired 90 rockets, 20 of which fell short into Gaza. Israel says its missile defenses have intercepted about 90% of the rockets.



Israel's strikes have brought down several buildings and caused widespread damage in the narrow coastal territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.



The attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and entirely destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said in a new report. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.



It said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered the movement of ambulances and supply vehicles. Over 41,000 displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in U.N. schools in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak. Gaza is also running low on fuel for its electricity supply and water.



Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.



"We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with top security officials on Monday.



The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticize Israel's part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region. On Monday, the United States again blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to ''the crisis related to Gaza'' and the protection of civilians, especially children.



Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas' militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israel.



Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 160 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were "eliminated."



Israel's airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza City's tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.



Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting that.



AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated the organization's call for an independent investigation into the attack.



"As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike," he said in a statement. "We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know." (AP)




The small boat carrying 90 people left Libya on Sunday and sank off the coast of Tunisia the next day.

On Monday, a ship from northern Libya sank. At least 57 migrants and refugees drowned off the coast of Tunisia. Another 33 people were rescued by workers on an oil platform.

Mohamed Zekri, a spokesman for the Tunisian Ministry of Defense, said on Tuesday that the ship capsized in Sfax on the southeast coast of Tunisia.

He said personnel on the oil platform alerted the authorities when they saw the ship was going down, and naval units were also sent in to search the water for missing passengers.

33 Bangladeshis rescued [and] Red Crescent official Mongi Slim told Reuters on Tuesday that another 57 people were drowning on a ship from Libya to Europe, which was carrying about 90 migrants.

The nationality of the deceased is not yet known.

Tunisias official TAP news agency reported that naval units rescued another 113 migrants from Bangladesh, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa on Monday afternoon as their ships were leaving Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia.

Libya is a place where immigrants leaving Europe often travel through the dangerous Mediterranean by boat.

Mondays incident is at least the fifth deadly ship that Tunisia has sunk in recent months, involving migrants fleeing conflict or poor living conditions.

At the beginning of this month, after their ship sank off the coast of Tunisia, 17 migrants were drowned and two were rescued.

In recent weeks, more than 60 migrants and refugees have died in similar incidents off the coast of Tunisia.

United Nations estimates At least 685 people Has died or disappeared on the Mediterranean coast this year.
New data shows that the number of deaths caused by Covid-19 has dropped by at least 98% in the 1960s.

The lockdown restrictions and the introduction of vaccines have helped reduce infections and hospitalizations, and ministers urged the British to continue jabs against the new variants.

? Read our Coronavirus Live Blog About the latest update

2 pcs The graph above shows the number of deaths involving Covid-19 recorded by age group (England and Wales) between December 28, 2019 and May 7, 2021. Credit: us

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (ONS) today show that the number of Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales has dropped by 99% from the peak of the second wave of the virus in January.

Those who specialize in different age groups, as well as those aged 75-79 and over 80, have dropped by 99%.

For people aged 60-64, 65-69 and 70-74, the drop was 98%.

In the week ending April 30, there were 125 deaths, and Covid-19 was recorded on the death certificate.

By the peak of the second wave, the peak of the second wave of more than 1,000 deaths per day, this number was 99% less than the 8,979 deaths in the week of January 22.

The Pfizer/BioNTech felting needles will be launched in the UK on December 8.

In early January, Oxford/AstraZenenca was added to the deployment.

An expert today praised the data from the National Bureau of Statistics, but said that it would not consider the deaths caused by the Indian variant.

2 pcs The two charts above show the number of deaths related to Covid and flu that occur each week, and the green line shows the five-year average. Credit: United States

So far, in the UK, deaths caused by 4 Indian variants have been recorded, and surge tests have been conducted in hot spots such as Bolton, Blackburn and Darwin.

People are urged to keep getting their coronavirus vaccines-hotspot locations have extended opening hours to allow people to be stabbed more quickly.

Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said that due to bank holidays, the death toll has also been greatly reduced because the registry is closed.

He said: In general, it continues the good news we have seen for several weeks.

The number of registered deaths due to various causes has decreased compared with the previous week. In England, Wales, most of the UK regions and most of the age groups, respectively.

Since mid-March, the total number of registered deaths each week has been lower than the 2015-2019 five-year average.

He added that the newly released ONS cannot tell us the impact of the Indian variant on death.

However, other data from the NHS indicates that the number of patients in Covid-19 hospitals in England has fallen to its lowest level in eight months.

At 8 am on May 17, a total of 798 patients were hospitalized-this is the lowest number since 691 cases on September 13, 2020.

Matt Hancock, speaking on the commons yesterday, said that vaccines help prevent deaths and hospitalizations caused by the virus.

Mr. Hancock praised the people in Blackburn and Bolton, who then lined up for the jab on the weekend.

An expert urged people to come forward because it will help them in the coming weeks.

Professor Kevin Fenton, Regional Director of Public Health in London, United Kingdom, said that the prick will help boost immunity and clarified the measures needed to control the spread of infection.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4s Today program, he said: In the near future, we need to test, surge testing, contact (track) and support people to isolate. If we vaccinate them now, it means we can enhance their adaptation. Ability. The next two to three weeks.

He added that there are many reasons why people may not get the jab, and said that as society opens up again, testing and vaccination are both key.

Live blog on hold The Indian variant means that the lock level system may cause a lockdown system strike, and it will be cancelled on June 21 break in testing time 17 students found a bug to conduct a Covid surge test on the Manchester University campus Level Coronavirus UK-Minister considers contingency plan for local lockdown Shock Mother thought the symptoms were an anxiety disorder and died of a blood clot-know the signs Key points Experts really worried about the new hot spot of the Covidi Indian Southern variant Hot spot India variant infections soar, 5 places where Covid cases are rising fastest

ONS data is based on experts at University College London finding that 96% of Britons have antibodies after only one dose of Pfier/BioNTech or Oxford AstraZeneca jabs.

To date, in the UK, more than 36.7 million people have received a single injection, of which 20.2 million have received a second injection.

The study found that among 8,517 people in England and Wales, as many as 96.42 people had antibodies after 34 days.

After the second dose, this proportion rose to 99%.
Prince Charles praises young workers

The Prince of Wales praised young workers for their inspiring efforts to achieve reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

As part of the two-day tour, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall met with many young workers at the Education Bureau headquarters in central Belfast.

I cant tell you how inspiring it is to hear the tireless work being done by young workers from all walks of life in the community, I just want to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to your dedication and commitment to the cause of peaceful coexistence, he said. Belfast Telegraph.

We must not underestimate the risks of adhering to a peaceful approach. Of course, we must also underestimate the cost and the amount of determination and courage that must be made.

Everyone I met here today and many more colleagues in your community demonstrated these qualities in the most challenging situations.

We owe you a deep gratitude, and the most important thing is admiration.
DeversiFi, a Second-tier trading platform Supported by StarkWares scalable technology, it announced today that it has completed a $5 million strategic financing led by ParaFi, with Defiance Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Blockchain.com Ventures, Delphi Ventures and others participating in the project.

Funds raised from this round will be used to launch DeversiFis 2-tier AMM pool, liquidity mining, and a series of other tools designed to make Ethereum-based DeFi more convenient.

DeversiFi launched a dedicated Governance The token DVF was released in March this year, and its overall token distribution is largely aimed at building a strong community to reward its platform users.

ETH has soared to a record high recently, but the problem of excessive oil bills still exists. Need to provide more layer 2 solutions and make them easily accessible.

Layer 2 scaling is critical to Ethereums roadmap. We are creating a hub to invest, exchange, send and lend tokens without the friction and cost of the first layer. As more users We believe that integration with centralized switches is essential to reduce barriers to access to L2 DeFi, said Will Harborne, co-founder of DeversiFi.

DeversiFis round of financing also attracted participation from Fenbushi Capital, OKEx, StarkWare, Longhash Ventures, and well-known DeFi founders (such as Kain Warwick of Synthetix, Stani Kulechov of Aave, Mona El Isa of Enzyme, etc.).

The participation and involvement of Lightspeed Venture Partners, one of the worlds top venture capital companies, is known for their investments in consumer technology companies such as Snapchat and Nest, which shows that interest in the field of decentralization is becoming more and more mainstream.

DeversiFi has a strong team, first-mover advantage of adopting scaling solutions, and a unique goal to promote DeFi to a wider audience. We are happy to work with them and continue to invest in DeFi. said Amy Wu, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners .
Turkeys ERDOGAN announces a one-time payment for pandemic commercial click fees

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that a one-time payment totaling 4.6 billion lire will be paid to multiple industries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, including cafes, restaurants and musician.

After the cabinet meeting, Erdogan said in his speech that cafes, wedding venues and theme parks and other businesses affected by the pandemic will receive a one-time payment of 5,000 lire.

He said restaurants, taxi drivers, barbers, musicians, car washes and other activities will receive 3,000 lire.

Erdogan also announced additional support for the agricultural sector.

Turkey got rid of a comprehensive lock-up period that lasted for nearly three weeks on Monday, during which many companies were closed. The daily curfew and weekend no-sales period will last until June.
Long working hours can cause a variety of adverse health effects, but new evidence of long-term work on mortality shows that overwork is one of the deadliest risk factors associated with work.

recent World Health Organization Research Studies have found that compared with working 30 to 40 hours a week, working long hours (for example, 55 hours a week) increases the risk of stroke by 35%, while the risk of death from ischemic heart disease increases by 17%.

In 2016 alone, the number of deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease was 745,000, a 29% increase from the death rate in 2000.

This study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organization stated that the pandemic may put more pressure on workers who have already exceeded 40 hours a week.

Remote work has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the line between home and work. WHO Director-General Said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease. The government, employers and workers need to work together to reach a consensus on the limits to protect the health of workers.

The WHO conducted a global analysis of deaths caused by working long hours with the ILO and found clear health trends.

In 2016, after working 55 hours a week, nearly 400,000 people died of stroke and another 347,000 died of heart disease. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of heart disease-related deaths caused by long hours of work increased by 42%. Stroke increased by 19%.

Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, added: Working 55 hours or more a week can seriously endanger health. Now is the time for all of us, the government, employers and employees. All realize that working long hours can lead to premature death. 

Two main factors drive these numbers. First of all, the psychological stress caused by long hours of work can cause physiological reactions, especially in the inner lining of the heart tissue.

Secondly, people who go to work late are more likely to have unhealthy behaviors, which increase the risk of heart disease, such as insufficient sleep, smoking, drinking, unhealthy and unhealthy eating.

These trends are more common among men. Men accounted for 72% of the deaths analyzed in the study. According to the report, men work an average of 48 minutes more per day than women. The US Time Use Survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

People living in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, as well as middle-aged or older workers, are also more likely to suffer adverse health effects. Workers between the ages of 60 and 79 have worked more than 55 hours a week since they were in their 40s, which is the vast majority of recorded deaths.

This study shows that working long hours poses a serious threat to long-term health and is the risk factor with the greatest impact on work.

This is because more and more people are working longer hours. Currently, 9% of the global population work more than 55 hours, According to research.

The World Health Organization says that the government and workers can take actions such as prohibiting forced overtime and establish collective bargaining agreements between employers and workers associations to make working hours more flexible.
Viking Cruises/Valletta Malta

Within the past week, Viking Cruises announced they are spotlighting a collection of new ocean voyages for travelers ready to return to the world of cruisingand especially for guests who wish to return to the familiar comfort of small Viking ships. The voyages are called Welcome Back Voyages, and are exclusively available for vaccinated guests, in accordance with local entry rules of many destinations.

The Welcome Back Voyages are sailing in and around three unique destinations, with more destinations being added as appropriate.

Viking Cruises - Valletta Harbor, Malta.

Malta, A Unique Island Destination:

With its capital, Valletta. Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It's a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, as well as the French and British. The Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Byzantines, all left their traces on the Islands. In 60 A.D. St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island while on his way to Rome and brought Christianity to Malta. It has numerous fortresses, megalithic temples and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C.

The artistic and cultural lives of the Maltese Islands have been historically injected with the presence of artists such as Caravaggio, Mattia Preti, and Favray who were commissioned by the Knights to embellish churches, palaces, and small inns.

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte took over Malta from the Knights on his way to Egypt. The French presence on the islands was short lived, as the English, who were requested by the Maltese to help them against the French, blockaded the islands in 1800. Modern Malta became a Republic in 1974. Malta joined the European Union in May 2004 and the Eurozone in January of 2008.

But Malta is just one destination of the Welcome Back Voyages that Viking will be sailing beginning in July of 2021. Other destinations on the voyages to Malta are Kalamata, Athens, Greece, Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini.

Shutterstock - Iceland Village

Iceland: A unique destination of the Welcome Back Voyages.

The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers and the people they enslaved from the east, particularly Norway and the British Isles, in the late ninth century

The land was settled quickly, mainly by Norwegians, and toward the end of the tenth century, Christianity came to Iceland through the influence of the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason.

Iceland is remote, therefore has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed by Denmark. Iceland's history has also been marked by a number of natural disasters. Geologically, it is also a relatively young island, being formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but it is still growing from fresh volcanic eruptions.

The Welcome Back Voyage takes guests from Reykjavik and back, stopping in multiple towns and cities on the island, among them are Isafjordur, and the small enclave of Bolungarvik, one of the nations oldest fishing villages and home to the Osvor Maritime Museum. The guests may also see the Dynjandi waterfall. Akureyri, Icelands second largest city, nicknamed the Capital of the North. Seydisfjordur -- The tiny town has a thriving scene of local arts and a history dating back to early Viking settlements. If the Viking guests wish, they may follow a walking path from the town center along the banks of the Fjardara River. They may also visit the Westman Islands (Heimaey), Iceland. Heimaey is the only populated island in the Westman Islands. The scenery includes volcanic landscapes, moss-covered clifftops and homes with brightly colored rooftops. Each summer, millions of puffins pay a visit also.

Viking - Fort St. Catherine's Bermuda

Bermuda: The popular destination of the Welcome Back Voyages.

Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for the infant English colony of Virginia. The first industry on the islands was fruit and vegetable cultivation to supply these early American colonies. The American Civil War and American Prohibition both added considerably to the island's wealth with Bermuda forming an important focal point in running the blockades in both cases.

Now, many travel to Bermuda to escape North American winters. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has surpassed it in recent years, turning Bermuda into a highly successful offshore financial hub. The Viking ship travels to Hamilton, Bermuda's capital, St. Georges, the second town and former capital of Bermuda. St. Georges is described as the oldest, continually inhabited English settlement in the new world. It was founded in 1612 and served as the capital of Bermuda until eclipsed by Hamilton in 1815. Kings Wharf, is also a historic area that is visited.

In a note to all the Viking travelers both past and potential, Torstein Hagen, President and CEO of Viking, wisely said that the long winter of COVID is finally coming to an end, as Viking looks forward to a new year of travel, returning or arriving at new destinations. With these new voyages, travelers can continue their lifes journeys some for the first time, some again, but all with a sense of renewal and excitement.

www.vikingcruises.com
WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced airports in 16 parishes will receive $9,843,973 in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for taxiway construction, pavement rehabilitation, hangar construction, and more. Airports in Shreveport, Morehouse, Concordia, Acadia, Avoyelles, Jefferson Davis, Jackson, Sabine, Natchitoches, Calcasieu, Webster, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Caddo, and De Soto Parishes will benefit directly from these grants.

Louisianas infrastructure is in need of repair  especially our airports, said Dr. Cassidy. These projects rebuild and improve regional airports across Louisiana to better serve rural communities.

Grant Awarded - Recipient - Project Description

$4,440,007.00 - Shreveport Airport Authority - This grant will provide federal funding for the Shreveport Regional Airport associated with Shreveport, Louisiana. This project also rehabilitates 3,000 feet of the existing Taxiway B pavement that requires rehabilitation to ensure safe airfield operations.

$1,144,444.00 - City of Natchitoches - This project reconstructs 1,200 feet of the existing Taxiway B1 pavement that has reached the end of its useful Life, at Natchitoches Regional Airport.

$1,089,200.00 - Southland Aviation - This project expands the existing general aviation apron to 9,000 square yards to meet Federal Aviation Administration design standards.

$714,883.00 - Town of Many - This project rehabilitates 1,000 feet of Runway 12/30 pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement.

$570,000.00 - City of Eunice - This project performs sealing and joint filling to 5,000 feet of the existing Runway 16/34 surface to extend the pavement's useful life at Eunice Airport.

$550,000.00 - De Soto Parish Police Jury - This project rehabilitates 12,700 square yards of the existing north apron to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement.

$500,000.00 - City of Springhill - This project constructs a new 7,500 square foot 6-unit T-Hangar for aircraft storage, maintenance, or service to assist the airport to be as self-sustaining as possible by generating revenue. The sponsor has adequately financed the airside needs of the airport.

$298,000.00 - Town of Vivian - This project constructs 560 foot and 900 foot taxiway turnarounds on the Runway 9/27 ends to eliminate the need for aircraft to back-taxi on the runway.

$166,666.00 - St. Tammany Parish Government - This project rehabilitates 2,999 feet of Runway 18/36 to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.

$111,111.00 - Town of Jonesboro - This project rehabilitates 6,300 square yards of the existing apron to maintain the structural integrity of the Pavement, at Jonesboro Airport.

$94,500 - City of Bastrop - This project rehabilitates 4,002 feet of the existing parallel Taxiway A pavement that requires rehabilitation to ensure safe airfield operations and rehabilitates 4,002 feet of Runway 16/34 to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris at Morehouse Memorial Airport.

$91,162.00 - City of Hammond - This grant provides economic relief funds for costs related to operations, personnel, and cleaning to the Hammond Northshore Regional Airport associated with Hammond, Louisiana.

$50,000.00 - Concordia Parish Airport Authority - This project rehabilitates 9,150 square yards of the existing north apron to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.

$13,000 - City of Abbeville - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial Airport associated with Abbeville, Louisiana.

$13,000 - Jefferson Davis Airport Commission District Number 1 - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Jennings Airport associated with Jennings, Louisiana.

$13,000 - Town of Many - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Hart Airport associated with Many, Louisiana.

$13,000 - Avoyelles Parish Airport Authority - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Marksville Municipal Airport associated with Marksville, Louisiana.

$13,000 - City of Minden - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Minden Airport associated with Minden, Louisiana.

$9,000 - City of Springhill - This grant provides federal funding for economic relief to the Springhill Airport associated with Springhill, Louisiana.
New Iberia  The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations was requested by the New Iberia Police Department (NIPD) to investigate a shooting incident involving their officers on May 18, 2021.

The preliminary investigation revealed that shortly after 1:15 p.m., NIPD was contacted about a vehicle stopped in the roadway near the intersection of Center Street (LA Hwy 14) and Dale Street with the driver sleeping in the drivers seat. New Iberia officers responded to the area. Upon arrival, officers encountered a subject sitting in the drivers seat of the vehicle. An officer on scene began knocking on the drivers side window in an attempt to awaken the driver. The subject woke up as another officer was positioning their marked patrol unit in front of the vehicle.

Both officers gave verbal commands to the person to put the vehicle in park and to exit the vehicle. The person refused to comply and fled the scene in the vehicle, at which point officers discharged their firearms. The person then led officers on a short pursuit which ended near the intersection of Center Street and Weeks Island Road (LA Hwy 83). The person exited the vehicle and fled on foot for a short distance before being apprehended. The suspect sustained a small abrasion on the back of the neck but, refused medical treatment at the scene. No officers were injured.

The investigation is active and ongoing and no further information is available at this time.
After a rained out Commencement weekend, graduates are invited back for a combined ceremony with the Class of 2020
China urges Australia to treat Chinese companies fairly

Xinhua) 13:51, May 18, 2021

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China urges Australia to treat Chinese enterprises fairly and stop interfering with the investment and trade cooperation between the two countries, the country's top economic planner said Tuesday.

The Australian side has unreasonably restricted and suppressed projects and existing achievements of bilateral investment and trade cooperation, damaging mutual trust between the two countries and seriously affecting the confidence of enterprises, said Jin Xiandong, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Jin made the remarks in response to a previous NDRC decision to indefinitely suspend all activities under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

"China has to make a necessary and legitimate response, and Australia must bear full responsibility for this," said Jin.

He urged the Australian side to cease its interference and take actions to promote the healthy development of China-Australia relations.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
According to an exclusive report, GFRIEND is on the brink of disbandment due to failure to agree on contract renewals.

Keep on reading for more details.

Is GFRIEND Disbanding? Group Fails to Agree with Company Regarding Contract Renewals

According to an exclusive report released by Tenasia, GFRIEND is on the brink of disbandment. The members are said to be going their separate ways as their failure to renew their contract with their current label, Source Music.

According to reports, the terms of the contract were not agreed upon, leading to a failure in resigning the members. All the members will reportedly leave the company.

No additional information was given by Tenasia. Source Music has yet to issue an official statement concerning the matter.

GFRIEND's Debut, Breakthrough, and Recent Activities

GFRIEND debuted on Jan. 15, 2015, under Source Music. The group debuted with the mini-album "Seasons of Glass," which contains their debut song "Glass Bead."

Despite coming from a small and unknown company, "Seasons of Glass" debuted at number 12 on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart.

That same month, the music video for "Glass Bead" ranked at number nine on YouTube's most-viewed K-pop music videos around the world in Jan. 2015. Billboard named the girl group as one of the top five K-pop artists to watch that year.

GFRIEND achieved the breakthrough success that same year, in Sept. 2015. Back in Jul. 2015, they released the song "Me Gustas Tu" from their second mini-album, "Flower Bud." While it received some attention, the song garnered international attention after a fan-taken video of the GFRIEND members slipping during a performance on a slippery stage went viral. The group was praised for their professionalism.

ALSO READ: Dispatch Selects the 9 Female Idols Who Slay Crop Tops

They entered the mainstream market in 2016, with the release of their third mini-album, "Snowflake," and its lead single, "Rough." The girls received their first music show win with the song and subsequently won fourteen awards on music shows, including triple crowns on "M! Countdown," "Music Bank," "Show Champion," "Inkigayo." With a total of fifteen weeks, they are the girl group with the second most music show awards.

GFRIEND's last comeback was on Nov. 9, 2020, with their third full-length studio album, "Walpurgis Night," and its lead single, "Mago." The song debuted at number 17 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart and peaked at number 16.

On the K-Pop Hot 100 chart, "Mago" debuted at number 46. In South Korea, "Mago" debuted at number 42 on the Gaon Digital Chart and at number three on the Download Chart.

ALSO READ: Dispatch Selects the Top 7 Female Idols Who Best Suit Blonde Hair

"Walpurgis Night" peaked at number three on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart and at number nineteen on the Gaon Monthly Album Chart.

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Alexa Lewis
A Shawnee man is in the hospital following a boating accident that killed two of his children and their mother.
A 5-year-old boy hit by a car in KCK has died. Officers say he was playing at Kensington Park when he wandered away and crossed state avenue. The driver didn't stop in time. Officers say it doesn't appear they were speeding.
Kim Hye Jun, who masterfully played the annoying and scary Queen at the same time in the famed Korean zombie series, "Kingdom," is reportedly in talks to join a new suspense thriller. The project entitled "A Wonderful Sight" was announced back in January, wherein talks of the lead protagonist role being offered to Lee Young Ae emerged.

A follow-up report later confirmed Lee Young Ae agreed.

Kim Hye Jun: From Evil Queen to an Assassin?

According to a tweet, Kim Hye Jun is in talks to join the upcoming thriller series, "A Wonderful Sight." The actress, who has been on a hiatus since "Kingdom 2" ended (with her character the annoying queen turning into a zombie and ultimately dying), is deemed fit to be one of the lead roles in this series.

#KimHyeJun is considering to star as one of the leads in upcoming drama 'A Wonderful Sight' along with Lee Young Ae. pic.twitter.com/m7SSuOKvMh  K-Drama News! (@kdrama_news) May 17, 2021

While the news is scarce as to what role she will exactly play, it can be deduced that she'll play the main villain who is sassy, wise, and classy.

Below is a tweet of the two main roles that the series will have. The detective role was already given to Lee Young Ae, which leaves the role of the complicated serial character to Kim Hye Jun.

#KimHyeJun is reportedly joining #LeeYoungAe's

female centered action chase thriller drama #WonderfulSight follows the encounter of a female detective in her 40s, a former police officer & now insurance investigator & a female college student serial killer. pic.twitter.com/WZ945SIZm8  kdrama tweets (@iconickdramas) May 17, 2021

In case she is indeed to play the character of a serial killer, her performance in both "Kingdom 1" and "Kingdom 2" as the queen who faked her own pregnancy and had countless women killed just to get a baby boy to pass off her as her own, is enough proof to say she can do this.

Everything to Know About 'A Wonderful Sight'

As said, if Kim Hye Jun should accept the role that she is in talks to take on, she will act opposite Lee Young Ae.

Even if Lee Young Ae often takes big gaps in between projects, nobody can really forget her since she became a household name for her lead role in "A Jewel in the Palace." Some would argue that this drama was the series that made Kdrama popular in many parts of the world.

"A Wonderful Sight" is said to be the Asian version of the highly-watched BBC series, "Killing Eve," a British black comedy-drama spy thriller television series that starred Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer.

It's not exactly a copy of the "Killing Eve," though. It will certainly have its unique twists and turns.

It was earlier reported that the series would center around former police officer Koo Kyung Yi (Lee Young Ae's role), who turned her back to the world after the demise of her husband.

Since then, she became an insurance investigator who dives into a case involving murder. There were perfectly good reasons to assume that the murder was made to look like an accident so that the insurance money can be released.

From this, Koo Kyung Yi will be entering into a cat-and-mouse game with a female serial killer, who is wise and cannot be underestimated.

In Case You Missed It: Park Bo Young Impresses Viewers with Her Acting in Her Comeback Drama 'Doom at Your Service'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Annie Dee.
Seo In Guk and Park Bo Young shared new warm moments in "Doom at Your Service" Episode 3.

Myul Mang Meets Tak Dong Kyung's Younger Brother

Since they decided to live together, Tak Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young) was surprised to see more of Myul Mang's (Seo In Guk) power. She was able to see her place connected to his own.

Meanwhile, Tak Sun Kyung (Da Won), Tak Don Kyung's younger brother, confronted his sister and asked about where Myul Mang went. He started checking their rooms expecting that his sister was just hiding him inside their house.

Surprisingly, he found Myul Mang comfortable lying on the bed of his sister and even called her Honey. Even the lady was shocked to see him inside the room.

To know him more, Tak Sun Kyung decided to have a one on one drinking session with their guest.

In the middle of their conversation, there were times when Tak Sun Kyung paused and spoke silently with just his mind. He was amazed when Myul Mang knew what he had been thinking about.

But because of this, he gave his blessing to the male deity to continue pursuing his sister.

Myul Mang also became the new CEO of the publishing company that Tak Dong Kyung works at.

Cha Joo Ik and Na Jin Na's First Encounter

Originally, Tak Dong Kyung should meet her friend Na Ji Na (Shin Do Hyun) and one of their company's writers. But due to an unexpected event inside their office, she asked Cha Joo Ik (Lee Soo Hyuk) to fill in her place and he should be the one to meet the writer instead.

Na Ji Na wasat the coffee shop where she was about to meet her friend and editor, Tak Dong Kyung. While enjoying her stay, she received a text message that Lee Hyun Kyu (Kang Tae Oh), her ex-boyfriend, is in Seoul and opened his own coffee shop.

She became paranoid and looked around her being anxious of seeing her past lover. But when she turned on another corner, she saw a man sitting on a couch and busy reading the article "101 ways to Fall in Love."

A short flashback from her dreams appeared on her mind after seeing the handsome face of the young web editor.

Na Ji Na found out that it was the web editor Cha Joo Ik. He glanced at her and confirmed that she is the writer he is scheduled to meet. The male web editor started talking about her work and the problems she encountered the most.

The lady writer just continued listening to his words until he found out that the pen name "Lee Hyun" that she uses is also the person whom she based all her stories in.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Soo Hyuk and Shin Do Hyun Share Their First Kiss in 'Doom at Your Service' New Stills

Tak Dong Kyung Will Do Everything to Make Myul Mang Stay

Meanwhile, Tak Dong Kyung will do anything to make Myul Mang stay by her side and continue to help her survive. She has seen the male deity in her dreams and from the flashback years ago during the funeral of her parents.

Myul Mang already told her that he is not a human. He doesn't have feelings and doesn't do what normal people do. But Tak Dong Kyung continued to convince him that he has feelings since she saw him crying in her dreams.

After knowing some of the previous events that had happened to him, Myul Mang started to think clearly and decided to walk away from Tak Dong Kyung. But this also means that she will have to suffer from her brain tumor.

Myul Mang has become her life savior for the past few days, and she can't just let him go. Tak Dong Kyung went on to throw herself from the rooftop but Myul Mang immediately grabbed her hand, and this gave her a signal to make another plan in order to make him stay.

Since he is not human and doesn't have any feelings, she decided to love him as her next step towards saving her life.

Will this next plan fulfill their individual desires or become a curse that they didn't yet see coming?

Have you watched "Doom at Your Service'' Episode 3? How's the story so far? Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins
Another good drama is about to end, but before we all say our final goodbyes, let us all look at the possible ending of the mystery-thriller series "Mouse."

tvN's Wednesday and Thursday drama "Mouse" will be airing its last episode on May 19 and the avid viewers of the series are already looking forward to its ending.

The main leads of "Mouse" namely Lee Seung Gi, Lee Hee Joon, Park Ju Hyun, and Kyung Soo Jin will still have lots of explosive revelations in the last chapter of the story.

Will Jung Ba Reum Finally Surrender to the Police?

Police officer Jung Ba Reum (Lee Seung Gi) who was known for being a hero of the community for his good will turned out to be the man behind the murders in the city. After all the chaotic and never-ending investigation to know who the real psychopath is, Jung Ba Reum is having a dilemma whether to just take his life or surrender himself to the authorities.

What would be his last choice in order to serve justice to those people who need it and a peace of mind for his stable and healthy mentality. Audiences are also looking forward to the reunion of Jung Ba Reum and his father Han Seo Joon (Ahn Jae Wook).

Will Go Mu Chi Find Out the Answers to All His Questions?

Detective Go Mu Chi (Lee Hee Joon) is a man of justice. He wants to punish the criminals, but when he found out that Jung Ba Reum is a murderer, Go Mu Chi was confused on what to do because the police officer was already like a brother to him.

He was ready to put Jung Ba Reum in jail but the police officer asked a favor for one last time. When he finally catch the culprit who killed his friend Na Chi Kook (Lee Seo Jun), Jung Ba Reum will immediately surrender himself to the police.Surprisingly, Go Mu Chi agreed to what Jung Ba Reum asked.

Will Go Mu Chi finally get revenge for the death of his brother? Let's all find out in the last episode of the series!

Will Oh Bong Yi Have a Change of Heart Towards Jung Ba Reum?

After she confirmed that Sung Yo Han (Kwon Hwa Woon) is the man who saved her from death before, Oh Bong Yi (Park Ju Hyun) began to trust her instinct and look for evidence to know who is the real culprit behind the death of her grandmother. When she finally sees the mark she made to the man who attacked Go Mu Chi's brother inside the church, she was surprised to see it on Jung Ba Reum's arm.

Viewers are anticipating whether Oh Bong Yi Is ready to let go of her true feelings for Jung Ba Reum and punish him for killing her grandmother. Will their love story have a happy ending?

Is Choi Hong Ju Ready to Meet Her Family and Get Chance to Prove that Sung Yo Han is Innocent?

When she finally found out from Doctor Lee (Jo Jae Yun) about the real identity of Jung Ba Reum, Choi Hong Ju (Kyung Soo Jin) became more persistent and competent in knowing more facts to prove that her beloved boyfriend, Sung Yo Han is innocent.

The lady documentary producer continues to collect information from the people involved in the previous cases.

These four main characters will have their last mission and are ready to face the consequences of their wrongdoings before.

In Case You Missed It: 'Mouse' Episode 19: Lee Seung Gi is Ahn Jae Wook's Real Son

What are you most excited to know in the finale episode of "Mouse"? Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins.
SALEM, Ore. (AP)  The first court test of whether local governments can ban police from enforcing certain gun laws is playing out in a rural Oregon county.

It's one of a wave of U.S. counties declaring itself a Second Amendment sanctuary. The measure Columbia County voters narrowly approved last year prohibits local officials from enforcing most federal and state gun laws.

Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions have been adopted by some 1,200 local governments in states like Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida.

The group Everytown for Gun Safety is among those urging a judge to invalidate the ordinance that's been divisive in the county outside Portland.
JACKSON COUNTY, Ore.--- Jackson County businesses have until May 20th at midnight to apply for Southern Oregon Cares (SOCARES) grants funds.

The state of Oregon has released funds to the 15 counties that were in the extreme risk category just a few weeks ago. These funds will be going to local businesses that were financially impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Jackson County has received $1.4 million for the SOCARES grant.

Southern Oregon Regional Economy Development Inc. (SOREDI) says if not all of the funds are used, then the money will be returned to the state.

"It is our highest imperative to get all the funds out to businesses. and that's why we want to make sure that we have sufficient applications received by May 20th," Collen Padilla, executive director of SOREDI said.

Applications need to be fully completed to be considered and businesses need to be able to show proof. The applications will go through the Jackson County Commissioners for approval.

"Jackson county commissioners have elected to award up to $2,500 per full-time equivalent. That's going to be based on those quarterly payroll reports," Padilla said.

The original date for Jackson County business to apply for this grant was today-- but, with the time frame to do so being so short and with Tax Day, officials have decided to extend it to help as many local businesses as possible.
While he was running this store on Pandosy Street, Kelowna businessman James Shawn Nelson was also selling fentanyl and carfentanil to people around the world through the darkweb. He was sentenced last year to 11 years in prison and on Monday lost his appeal for a lighter sentence.
Less: Just look at London, Ont.

Same: We hear more bad news.

More: Canada is on the right path.

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The current COVID-19 vaccines have been developed with unprecedented efficiency and speed. Years of research, development, production, and regulatory approvals have been compressed into months. But accelerating the science is only half the puzzle. If we want to save lives right now, we need to improve the messy, inequitable implementation process of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

As newly minted (and gratefully vaccinated) physicians who have had the privilege of contributing to our health systems operational response to the pandemic, we have had front-row seats to how this gap between scientific advancement and implementation has disproportionately impacted historically underserved populations. Nearly a fifth of seniors  the group prioritized from the start  remain unvaccinated. Vaccination rates in people of color lag behind those in white people. Instead of learning from the costly, ineffective launch of Healthcare.gov in 2013, we launched clunky websites for vaccine sign-ups. When they didnt crash, we still ignored the technological aptitude required to navigate the sites and that a digital divide still exists, with well-documented implications for underserved populations. We prioritized people with existing health comorbidities and disabilities, but disregarded their challenges in access, scheduling, and mobility while forcing them to wait in long lines in close proximity to each other while we worked out the operational kinks. We neglected language translation services and perpetuated challenges to health care access levied every day by health systems.

Problems posed by global pandemics are not new. Soon after the anthrax scares and deadly influenza season of 2003-2004, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed protocols for mass vaccination that quickly informed emergency preparedness training for several states. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has run several pandemic operational simulations that routinely inform Congress and the executive branch. Unfortunately, challenges of staff, space, systems, and supplies derailed even the best-laid plans. But clever, creative solutions are everywhere and deserve our attention.

Weve seen innovative repurposing of space to provide testing, clinical care, and now shots. From the use of stadiums and Central Park to a military ship and the Javits Center, we have learned that our spatial constraints can be reimagined for higher capacity and throughput. Emergency departments (EDs) are ramping up efforts to offer vaccines to their patients before being discharged.

Vaccination capacity is limited by staffing constraints. From librarians to persons who lost jobs because of this pandemic, many could help with registration, logistics, scheduling, and managing lines. Akin to the unprecedented number of individuals who worked as poll workers in last Novembers election, a similar model could quickly amass staff from the general public. A large segment of our population is already trained but underutilized to assist with vaccine administration. Medical students volunteered across the nation, and former health care workers would gladly come out of retirement to contribute if simply asked. Community health workers or emergency medical personnel can meet people where they are, especially people with limited access or time. The military could easily be trained to administer vaccines from door to door, with a comprehensive approach similar to that of the US Census.

Existing systems, or lack thereof, are vital. Having hospitals and clinics own vaccine distribution accompanies the trade-off that they continue to miss the populations in greatest need. We need targeted outreach for underserved communities through partnerships with community leaders and organizations. In the absence of plans built with and for underserved communities, we build first-come, first-serve systems that are inherently inequitable. Out of frustration with the difficulty of finding vaccination appointments, a New York software developer created a website that automatically pulls all available appointments. Get Out The Vaccine leverages political campaign strategies to ensure equitable vaccine distribution. Employers are giving incentives to get vaccinated. Taking this a step further to incentivize the public to get vaccinated will go a long way to saving lives and health care costs. Integrated systems for sharing operational data have been lacking, but may hold the key to a more equitable response.

Our existing supply chains have been wholly unprepared for this pandemics demands for PPE and now vaccines. Public-private partnerships are essential to this discussion. At their worst, such partnerships can resemble what happened in Philadelphia, where Philly Fighting COVID was given control over distribution. They lacked the digital infrastructure and operational expertise necessary, leaving older and disabled people waiting in the cold while giving shots to friends of the start-ups leadership. The national guard has since taken over the response. At their best, however, public-private partnerships may hold the key to addressing implementation challenges. Like the Cheesecake Factorys relevance to health care, large supply chain and operations leaders (i.e., McDonalds) could assist in designing throughput and distribution. Perhaps Coca-Cola, as a global corporation that can get a cold coke anywhere on the face of the Earth, could share their expertise or a portion of their cold chain delivery systems. As done in the past, multinational corporations partnerships may even allow us to shift to a global approach, helping struggling nations such as India. Equity does not exist in a vacuum; this global pandemic has shown us how one nations action or inaction impacts others. Perhaps corporations can think beyond meals for health care workers, instead developing sustained partnerships and systems in support of public health infrastructure.

We are now vaccinating approximately 2.87 million people each day. This is a remarkable testament to shared resilience and collaboration over the past year. None of this commentary is meant to detract from the efforts of those tired, committed people operating our countrys pandemic response. We have ourselves been part of this group and applaud those making todays vaccinations a reality. Still, one must consider how many more could be vaccinated, and how it could have occurred more equitably. Political barriers and unclear designation of leadership will exist and persist, but implementation and health equity must be priorities, not afterthoughts. Scaling creative solutions and effective community, public, and private partnerships, could save lives in this pandemic and prepare us for the next one.

Charles Sanky is an emergency medicine resident. Usnish Majumdar is an internal medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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As members of the health care workforce, we must recognize the crucial role we play in influencing vaccine uptake. With the death toll over rising in the U.S., the stakes could not be higher as the final death count will hinge on how quickly we can translate the vaccines efficacy into real-world effectiveness through optimizing uptake. We should aim to increase vaccine uptake at warp speed. Now is the time to harness the power of social media to combat disinformation. Now is the time to use creative content to put an end to this pandemic. This is our lane. Will you join us in this fight?

Emmanuel Ohuabunwa is an emergency medicine resident.

He shares his story and discusses the KevinMD article, COVID-19 vaccine and disinformation: How health care providers can leverage social media to combat this trend.

Did you enjoy todays episode?

Please click here to leave a review for The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out!

Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to anyone who wants to hear health care stories filled with information, insight, and inspiration.

Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from.


Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation seeks Design Engineer II in Gaffney, SC, responsible for supporting the development & design of complex vehicle components & systems from concept through production, among other duties. Requires Bachs in Mech. Eng., Manufacturing Eng., or a related Eng. field. Position also requires 36 months of exp. in the job offered or related position. Must have exp with: Siemens NX 3D modeling, assembly; chassis eng. validation; basic eng. processes such as FEA (finite element analysis) and DVP&R (design validation plan and report); working knowledge of chassis frame & its attachments design. Email resumes to Anthony Long at tony.long@daimler.com; reference job number DAI0000ECS.

recblid u8fj72cpggzi42ph7dwvnz0tlsjd4n






SPRINGFIELD, Ore.  Firefighters responded to a small electric fire at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center on Monday.

An area of the hospital off of G Street was evacuated while firefighters looked for the source of smoke in the attic.

Jana Waterman of McKenzie-Willamette said some employees were sent home, while the rest of the hospital continued to operate normally. Employees in hospital administration, IT, human resources and accounting were sent home. The wound care facility was also evacuated and some of its patients were sent home.

Firefighters discovered that the source of the smoke was a mechanical malfunction in a pump in the attic. The pump was turned off and will be replaced.

The HVAC system was turned back on to rid the hospital of smoke and to get fresh air back into the building. They also opened all the vents in the attic to increase air flow, as well as interior and exterior doors in that part of the building.

The fire at the hospital at 1460 G Street was called in just before 1 p.m.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Concerns have been raised regarding the current 4J school board election after district officials told KEZI political messaging was sent out Thursday to classified district staff in support of three school board candidates. The email list is composed of half of the staff in the district.

Sheila Waggoner, who sent the messages, is the president of a local classified union -- Oregon School Employees Association Eugene Chapter 1. Eugene School District 4J asked Waggoner to retract her email and to send an apology, and she did.

Her email reads: It appears I may have sent the previous email to the wrong list and I apologize for the error, Waggoner wrote. Public employees should avoid using public email systems for any election-related communications and I'll be more careful about that in the future.

Chief of Staff Kerry Delf said the emails were sent during the work day using the districts email addresses.

Public employees may not participate in political activity on work time or using public resources, Delf said. That is a standard. That is the law. It's the district's policy, and it's something that staff are reminded of periodically.

According to the district, this was reported to the secretary of state offices Elections Division.

We want to make sure that people are engaging in political activity only on their own time, using their own resources -- and not using public time, resources and access to the email system, Delf said. So that's something that should not be done, and we expect to see that not happen again.

The email expressed support for three board candidates -- Laural ORourke who is running against Harry Sanger, Maya Rabasa who is running against Dakota James Boulette and Tom Di Liberto who is running against Judy Newman and Bryan Costa.

KEZI reached out to Waggoner but has not heard back.

Election Day is tomorrow, and ballots are due by 8 p.m. Stay with KEZI 9 News for the latest.
EUGENE, Ore. -- As many large corporations announce an end to mask mandates at their stores, the rules remain unclear in Oregon.

KEZI checked in at several stores throughout the state to inquire about whether or not fully vaccinated shoppers still need to wear masks. The overwhelming majority told KEZI they don't. That includes both the Walmart and Home Depot on Green Acres Road in Eugene.

Targets corporate offices announced this morning that customers who are fully vaccinated may shop without a mask. However, at the location on Gateway Street in Springfield, an employee confirmed that customers are still required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status due to the states guidelines. That same employee said the policy may be different at other locations around the state.

Many shoppers who said they were fully vaccinated were thrilled about being able to walk around indoors without a mask.

"To be able to smile and see people smile, it's nice to be able to see humanity again," Cindy Downing said.

But others said its too soon to lift mandates and said they dont trust that everyone whos shopping maskless is fully vaccinated.

"I don't get out that much, but you know, if I'm going into Walmart, I think I'm going to be wearing a mask because I don't know if half of the people in there who aren't wearing masks are fully vaccinated," Rex Meisenheimer said.

Oregons mask mandate for indoor public spaces went into effect July 1, 2020, and is still in effect now for those who are not fully vaccinated.

The Oregon Health Authority has yet to release updated guidelines for businesses to follow at this time. For now, a spokesperson referred KEZI to the governor's most recent social media posts about the matter which reads:

"While @OHAOregon updates guidance, everyone should follow posted mask and physical distancing requirements in businesses this weekend. Thank you for looking out for the health and safety of your fellow Oregonians."
By Ritah Kemigisa

The outgoing minister for foreign affairs Okello Oryem has defended President Museveni over remarks relating to development partners.

In his speech after inauguration for his 6thelective term, President Museveni took a swipe at foreign actors whom he accused of lacking credentials to lecture Uganda about democracy.

His remarks have been termed as harsh and degrading by some stakeholders.

Speaking on the KFM hot seat last night, Oryem said the president is only opposed to the values, cultures and methods of democracy the west wants to impose on Africa.

Oryem argues that there is no uniformed democracy adding every country has its own kind of democracy further giving an example of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been elected four times without complaints.

Oryem meanwhile says the call by the president for Africa to unite and build capacity and, where necessary, confront the Wests meddling and aggression on the continent militarily is possible.
By Damali Mukhaye

More students are set to graduate today as Makerere Universitys 71st graduation ceremony enters day two.

Those to graduate today, are students from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and College of Education and External Studies.

However, just like yesterday, only students with Masters degrees, PhDs and undergraduate students with first class degrees will attend the ceremony physically.

During yesterdays graduation, the university Chancellor, Prof Ezra Suruma urged graduands to have a transformative impact on the future of Uganda and the East African region.

He also asked graduands to share the little they will have with those in need and desist from being selfish.


(Part time - 4 positions) The City of Dubuque invites applications for the part time position of Library Clerk. This posting will be used to fill four positions: 2 in Youth Services, 1 in Technical/Adult Services and 1 in Circulation. All positions may include evening and weekend hours: Youth Services - 10 to 15 hours/week; Technical/Adult Services - 15 hours/week; Circulation Services - up to 20 hours/week. The successful candidate will check in and sort materials, receive library materials such as books, DVDs, serials, and periodicals, microfilm, and assist in processing new materials; locate library materials for interlibrary loan and re-shelve returned materials according to identification number and title; recycle newspapers; perform limited mail responsibilities; and other duties as assigned. Possession of a high school diploma or its equivalent; experience in the use of computers for data entry and Excel; or any equivalent combination of experience and education is required. Selection for hire is dependent upon successful completion of a library shelving or processing exercise. The successful candidate will possess the ability to follow a management philosophy that is input oriented and values equity, problem solving and the development of partnerships; and the desire to be part of an organization that values service, people, integrity, responsibility, innovation and teamwork. The City offers an hourly wage range of $10.14 - $10.44. The City of Dubuque is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

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By Patience Ahimbisibwe

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) top organ has asked its party members interested in contesting for Parliaments Speaker and Deputy Speakers seats to express their interest in writing to the partys electoral commission.

This came from yesterdays Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting held at State House Entebbe.

Sources who attended the meeting but requested for anonymity said they did not want to limit any person with the partys interest and thinks has the potential to lead the 11thparliament.

It is from those who will have submitted their interest by May 21 that CEC will sit again a day later to pick the best candidate for each of the positions to be presented before the caucus that plans to meet on May 23rd.

The race for speakership has so far pitted Rebecca Kadaga against her deputy Jacob Oulanya.

Parliament officially sits on Monday May 24th to elect a Speaker and deputy.
By Prossy Kisakye

Workers MPs sworn in for the 11th parliament yesterday, Abdul Byakatonda and Rwakajara Alinaitwe say their fast task will be to convince President Museveni to assent to the NSSF amendment Bill of 2020 so that workers can access part of their hard earned savings.

Byakatonda has also promised to ensure that workers savings under the National Social Security Fund are safe.

Rwakajara on the other hand says they are planning to meet the President over their push for a minimum wage for workers.

President Museveni earlier this month asked workers and policy makers to further discuss the issue of National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Amendment Bill 2020 which allowed savers to have midterm access to their money.

He said he needed to be sure that allowing access to 20 per cent of accumulated savings and interest by NSSF savers will not affect the percentages of interest that the body offers savers.

The Bill that Parliament passed recently and is before him for signing, provides, among others, that savers, who clock 45 years and have saved for at least 10 years, access 20 percent of their savings.
In the last year we've lost thousands of family members, friends and co-workers to COVID-19. We'd like to give you a chance to honor their memory.

Share a Memory
A 37-year-old man accused of murdering his wife and two young children at their south Dublin home will go on trial at the Central Criminal Court in June next year.

Sameer Syed of Grosvenor Lodge, Rathmines, Dublin 6 is charged with murdering his wife Seema Banu (37), his daughter Asfira Riza (11) and son Faizan Syed (6) at Llewellyn Court, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 on October 28 last year.

Ms Banu, who was from India, lived in a house in Llewellyn Court with her two children. Their bodies were found after residents in the estate became concerned when the family hadn't been seen in several days and alerted the gardai.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions Brendan Grehan SC on Monday told Mr Justice Michael White at the Central Criminal Court that the matter had just been returned for trial and said the accused was charged with the murder of his wife and two children.

Mr Grehan said that the District Court had made certain orders in light of a Court of Appeal ruling but those orders no longer applied due to the change in the law. "There is no impediment to them being named," he added.

Mr Justice White said in that case he did not need to make any order.

When Mr Syed was charged with three counts of murder at Dun Laoghaire District Court on November 30 last, arresting officer Detective Sergeant John White told Judge Ann Watkin that reporting restrictions under Section 252 of the Children Act applied because two of the deceased were juveniles. Judge Watkin reminded the media at the same court sitting that reporting restrictions applied and a subsequent attempt by the media to have them lifted was unsuccessful.

Defence counsel Roisin Lacey SC told Mr Justice White today that there was a considerable amount of material in the case.

Mr Grehan said that other material could become available from abroad, which might lengthen the trial.

Mr Justice White set a trial date for June 15, 2022. The case is expected to last five weeks.

Mr Syed appeared via video-link for today's brief hearing and he was remanded in custody until that date.

On April 28, Mr Syed was sent forward for the trial to the Central Criminal Court after being served with the book of evidence. Free legal aid was also granted and there was no State objection.

The Children (Amendment) Act 2021 was signed into law by President Michael D Higgins last month after passing in the Dail and the Seanad and came into force two weeks ago.

This means that, following the controversial Court of Appeal ruling in October last year, the law has now been changed to remove the restriction on naming deceased children except in certain exceptional circumstances. In cases where specific orders remain, applications have to be made to the courts by media organisations or relatives in each case to lift those orders.

The Court of Appeal found that Section 252 of the Children Act, 2001 prohibited the identification of child victims and made it an offence to publish anything that could identify a child who is an alleged victim of an offence, including a deceased child.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D., has welcomed the return of buyers to the rings of livestock marts all over the country while adhering to public health guidelines.

Online trading will continue to be facilitated, alongside the return of in-ring buying.

Speaking to farmers and mart staff in Carndonagh Mart, Co Donegal today, Minister McConalogue paid tribute to their efforts in keeping mart sales going while online.

This is a great day for our network of marts across the country. Mart managers, their staff as well buyers and sellers of livestock have shown tremendous resilience, agility and resourcefulness over the past 12-months in dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 while continuing to trade so seamlessly, said Minister McConalogue.

Im convinced the efforts of farmers and marts in recent months, adhering to the COIVD-19 measures, has undoubtedly played a role in minimising and reducing the threat of COVID-19 in our communities, the Minister added.

Cattle throughput from 1st January to 14th March 2021 was at 94% of the comparable period in 2020. Sheep throughput in the same period was at 100% of the comparable period for 2020.

Buyers may attend the sales ring and view stock in pens. However, this must be done by prior appointment with the livestock mart. Buyers who wish to be present at ringside must wear face coverings and adhere to strict 2m social distancing. Marts must also prevent the congregation of members of the public in the mart car park or at entry ways into mart buildings.

Marts must operate according to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) which have been approved by their Regional Veterinary Office.

Minister McConalogue said he is encouraging farmers and buyers to continue to use online platforms as a way of trading livestock.

He states, Livestock mart sales will continue to be a blend of both online and ringside as we move forward. This blended approach, with a strong online element, has proved to be an excellent way of trading cattle and sheep.

I am urging farmers, buyers and marts to pay particular attention to the public health guidelines as we move forward. We all have our role to play in keeping each other safe and this is as important at the mart as anywhere else, the Minister concluded.
Bernice Burnside <bernice@mediaconsult.ie>

13:37 (3 hours ago)



Almost 500 dairy farmers in Kilkenny are missing out on savings of up to 6,400 per year by failing to switch electricity providers, a new survey has revealed.

Energy switching company, WeSwitchU.ie, also warned of the pitfalls farmers need to look out for when seeking a better deal.

Farmers with 200 cows can benefit most by trading in their current supplier for a new one, according to the WeSwitchU.ie Index.

It reveals a 6,400 gap between the cheapest and most expensive electricity plans on the market.

For a farmer with 150 cows, the index reveals savings of 4,220 for electricity customers 10,058 versus 5,838 per annum), and 2,215 for a farmer with 100 cows (5,635 versus 3,420 per annum).

On dairy farms, the amount of electricity used depends chiefly on milk cooling equipment and the amount of hot water used, which are in turn dictated by the number of milking units in the parlour and the level of automation in the milking machine, said Brendan Halpin, CEO of WeSwitchU.ie.

Based on average consumption, the index clearly shows that thousands of dairy farmers can potentially slice up to 6,400 off their bills from a premium annual cost of 14,655 to a net cost of 8,255 with the cheapest provider.

There is huge inertia out there when it comes to switching providers but when you remove the obstacles and the perceived hassle, it can make for massive savings.

Halpin also warns of the different pitfalls to avoid when switching providers.

Wed always advise to stay away from tariffs with surcharges applied above 3,000kWh for day usage and 2,000kWh for night usage.

Decline commercial tariffs over residential ones as they work out more expensive over a 12 month period. Group deals are also best avoided with the discounted unit rates offered to members lower due to sales commission.

Research from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) shows that half of Irish people have never switched energy supplier.

With approximately 1000 dairy farmers in Kilkenny, that means 500 are potentially losing out.

Based on the maximum potential savings per year, farmers have the power to put 533 every month back in their farms, said Mr Halpin.

Those who make the switch themselves benefit from the savings in their first year but need to look at the market again after that time to keep up the momentum.

Once you sign up with WeSwitchU.ie, you do not have to search year-in, year-out for better deals as we continue to pursue savings on an annual basis and do the switching for you.

When your contract expires, we provide a breakdown of the best deals for your needs and switch providers on your behalf.

By removing the main barriers to switching  hassle and time  you are guaranteed to always be on the best rates.

More information can be found at www.WeSwitchU.ie/Farmers


COMMUNITY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR Adams County Integrated Health Care Services has an opening for a Community Public Health Director. Under the general direction of the Adams County Health Officer and directly responsible to the Administrator for performing supervisory, administrative, professional and clinical Public Health work within Adams County. The Community Public Health Director plans, organizes, directs and evaluates the operation and programs that address public health related issues of Adams County citizens. This position will provide professional advice, consultation and services to other departments and the public. This position works with the administrator and health officer in the development and management of programs and procedures to accomplish local, state and federal public health goals and policies. Minimum qualifications include a Bachelors degree in nursing (BSN) and 5 years experience as a public health nurse and a current license to practice in Washington State. Three years of supervisory experience is desirable. This position is a full-time, benefited position with a starting monthly salary between $5,514.83 - $5,790.57 DOE. A full job description is available upon request. Equal Opportunity Employer.

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One of Kilkennys food suppliers has won a new contract to supply Aldis 145 stores through its Grow with Aldi Supplier Development Programme.

The Fig Tree Restaurant will have two of its salad dressings on the supermarket shelves.

The Fig Tree Dressing- Original House Style (200ml) 2.95 and The Fig Tree Dressing- Honey & Cayenne (200ml) 2.95.

Thomas Clarke from The Fig Tree said: To have our Fig Tree Original and Honey and Cayenne Dressings being stocked by Aldi in all their stores nationwide is fantastic for our brand. The Grow with Aldi programme provides huge exposure for us and lets us reach more shoppers than ever before. The support and mentoring offered by the programme has already benefitted our business immensely. Thank you Aldi.

This year, the Grow with Aldi message also focused on sustainability, and entrants were encouraged to demonstrate how their product/company is focusing on sustainability within their business. In the last four years, almost 800 Irish suppliers have entered the Grow with Aldi programme with the programme receiving the highest number of entrants ever in 2021.

108 exciting Irish-made products from the 57 suppliers will now go on sale nationwide as part of an Aldi Specialbuys event, kicking off on Sunday, 6th June for two weeks only.

A diverse range of products have been selected for 2021, including books, cheese, a makeup brush cleaner, chocolate, tea and dog food! The new additions will complement Aldis existing portfolio of Irish products. Aldi already works with over 330 Irish suppliers and will sell over 1billion worth of Irish goods this year.

Developed in partnership with Bord Bia, Grow with Aldi supports small and medium Irish suppliers in listing with a national retailer. Suppliers receive tailored mentoring, workshops from the Aldi Buying Team and Bord Bia technical experts, teaching them the skills to help grow and develop their product, brand and business.

Five of the Grow with Aldi suppliers will then be given a further opportunity, winning a contract for their product to be sold in Aldis Irish stores year-round.

Commenting, John Curtin, Aldi Group Buying Director, said: The first three years of the programme were very successful for everyone involved, and Aldi forged new links with fantastic Irish suppliers from around the country. During Covid-19, we were also in a position to help even more small Irish suppliers listing on our shelves as part of the Grow with Aldi programme, and we know that the quality of food and drink produced in Ireland is outstanding. This year, we asked suppliers to include products that highlight their work on sustainability, and theyve certainly answered our call  were very much looking forward to seeing them all on shelf!

Commenting on the programme, Tara McCarthy, Bord Bia CEO said: As we enter another challenging period for the food industry, its hugely important we continue to support our local Irish food and drink producers. The Grow with Aldi programme plays an important role in showcasing the distinctive, innovative and delicious products small and medium Irish suppliers are working hard to create. The programme also supports participants as they develop essential business skills and capabilities through workshops and tailored mentoring which is key to building a resilient and thriving indigenous food and drink sector for the years ahead. Congratulations to the suppliers that have made it this far.
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - A Clear Lake woman is facing charges of eluding and OWI after fleeing from authorities early Tuesday morning.

Halie Downs, 35, was booked into the Cerro Gordo County jail at 6:40 a.m. after authorities said she was reported being aggressive toward employees at multiple Clear Lake hotels and may have been under the influence.

Downs was located at US Highway 18 and N. 8th St. and refused to stop for authorities. Police said she was weaving between the lines and stuck her middle finger out the window for the remainder of her time eluding.

Throughout the pursuit, Downs was speeding at more than 10 miles per over the posted speed limit.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Something will be missing when the Minnesota Legislature reconvenes to finish its work on a new budget  the fence that has surrounded the Capitol since the unrest last summer following George Floyd's death.

But it hasnt been decided whether the Capitol itself will reopen to the public in time for the special session, which Governor Tim Walz is expected to call for mid-June. The fence will start coming down June 1.

The Capitol closed in March 2020 as the pandemic took hold. Open government has been a casualty. But Walz has been lifting the states restrictions, including its mask mandate.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A plea deal over some stolen rings means a jail sentence for a North Iowa man.

Tylor Christopher Anderson, 31 of Forest City, was arrested in October 2020 after law enforcement said he brought three stolen rings to EZ Pawn in Mason City. The rings, valued at over $1,500, were taken in a residential burglary.

Anderson was initially charged with second-degree theft but pleaded guilty in Cerro Gordo County District Court to fourth-degree theft. Hes been sentenced to 30 days in jail and must pay a $430 fine and $400 in damages.
BREMER COUNTY, Iowa  A Louisiana man is arrested in Iowa for stealing a pickup truck in Minnesota.

Around 4 pm Sunday, the Bremer County Sheriffs Office pulled over Joseph Bellvie, 58 of New Orleans, LA, in the 1900 block of Highway 63. Authorities say Bellvie was driving a pickup that had been reported stolen from Brooklyn Center, MN, on May 2.

The Sheriffs Office says Bellvie was taken into custody without incident is faces charges of first-degree theft, drug possession, and driving with a suspended license.

The Denver Police Department assisted with this arrest.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  A jury has been selected for the first-degree murder trial of the farm laborer charged with killing a University of Iowa student while she was out running in July 2018.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera is accused in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in July 2018.

Opening statements are scheduled Wednesday morning at the Scott County Courthouse.

The trial is expected to last through next week.

A prosecutor and Bahena Riveras defense lawyer chose the eight men and seven women from a pool of 183 prospective jurors after questioning them on their knowledge of the case, their opinions of his guilt and other subjects.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Health plans to improve COVID-19 vaccine equity by partnering with the Department of Human Services and several private health plans. Officials say meeting people where they are when it comes to getting the COVID-19 vaccine is just one step forward to closing health disparities in Minnesota.

Beginning this week, health officials across the state are partnering with community organizations to help connect people living in at-risk places with COVID-19 vaccine opportunities. The President and CEO of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Lucas Nesse, said limited health care access isn't anything new for Minnesotans. "This was a partnership that was intentionally formed prior to the pandemic," he explained. "It has been kind of highlighted and focused on within the pandemic. But it's something that's going to be ongoing and a purposeful priority for everyone involved."

Nesse explained it's been proven that when there's targeted outreach to underserved communities, it works. There are several barriers preventing people from getting vaccinated - things like hesitancy, transportation, appointment availability and even trust. Their goal is to offer mobile vaccination clinics and partner with community outreach organizations.

Nesse said this is their way of making sure those communities can rebuild that trust and help mitigate further inequities. "It will be some good lessons learned. Obviously, the vaccine results, while accelerating, have been kind of disappointing in that it's been not very equitable," he explained. "So, we have to ask ourselves why not, what can we do differently and how can we apply these lessons to not just vaccines, but to health care in general."

More than 60% of Minnesota's population has at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of threatening an apartment complex manager with a knife is pleading not guilty.

Jamahl Gene Southall, 50 of Rochester, is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Rochester police say Southall was found highly intoxicated and holding 40-ounce beers in each hand on March 1 in the lobby of an apartment complex in the 400 block of 6th Avenue NW.

Investigators say when the manager tried to escort him out of the building, Southall pulled out a pocketknife and said he was going to cut the managers head off. Court documents state Southall continued to make threats until officers arrived.

Police say a breath test at the jail found Southall with .23 blood alcohol content, almost three times the legal limit.

No trial date has been set.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of trying to attack a pizza delivery vehicle and law enforcement is pleading not guilty.

Jessy Dian Dominguez, 30 of Rochester, is charged with first-degree attempted burglary and fourth-degree assault of a peace officer.

Rochester Police say they got a report on April 12 of someone trying to break into an apartment in the 1600 block of Marion Road. A pizza delivery man also said someone approached him and tried to hit his car with a wrench. Dominguez was identified as a suspect and allegedly tried to crash his bicycle into a police car and wrestle with an officer before being arrested.

No trial date has been set.
MANKATO, Minn.  A plea deal over the death of her 16-month-old son is sending a southern Minnesota woman to prison.

Chelsea Rae Olinger, 28 of Mankato, was charged with second and third-degree murder, first-degree assault, and malicious punishment of a child. She eventually entered an Alford plea to first-degree manslaughter was ordered Tuesday to spend seven years and six months behind bars, with credit for 461 days already served.

Olinger was arrested in February 2020 after bringing her child to the hospital in Mankato. The boy was then transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester with a brain injury, compression fractures of two vertebrae, seven broken ribs, a laceration of the liver, and numerous bruises. The child was declared dead two days later.

Olinger told investigators her son had fallen down a flight of stairs but Mayo doctors said the injuries were not like what you would see in a fall.

An Alford plea means Olinger is not admitting guilt but concedes she could be convicted and will accept sentencing.


Status: Full-time regular Salary Range: $25.36 - $28.91 Benefits: Qualifies for full benefits package date of hire Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM 4:30 PM Location: Eden Prairie City Center (8080 Mitchell Road) Reporting Relationship: Reports to Facilities Manager Facilities Division The Facilities Division is responsible for the daily operations, preventive maintenance, remodeling and long term maintenance programs of the 30 major facilities owned by the City and spaces leased by the City. Total square footage of these facilities is about 1 million square feet. The major facilities include the City Center, Community Center, Senior Center, Water Plant, Utilities Garage, Maintenance Facility, 4 Fire Stations, Building 51, the Den Road Liquor Store, the Outdoor Center, 12 Park Shelters and 5 Historical Buildings. The leased spaces include 2 of the 3 Liquor Stores and the Housing and Community Services space at the Eden Prairie Mall. Position Responsibilities The Facilities Coordinator provides a variety of duties to support the Facilities division including administrative and project support, customer service, file/data management and technical service coordination. The primary position responsibilities and areas of impact for the Facilities Coordinator are: Creates and monitors Facilities Work Orders and Service Requests; assesses type of response required and personally handles request when feasible. Contacts numerous and varied service contractors with service requests and/or reports of problems. Develops and maintains positive partnerships with employees, contractors, vendors, and tenants; provides excellent customer service by responding to individuals, businesses and government organizations in a polite, timely and professional manner. Creates an exceptional brand experience to the public and co-workers; provides administrative and project planning support for various internal and external events, projects and meetings; coordinates trainings including space and equipment needs; manages invoicing and accounts payable for rental space. Coordinates directly with consultants, vendors, and technical services for small projects. Ensures effective City-wide communication by creating and distributing weekly Facility Use and Set-Up Reports to various departments and staff, creating and posting weekly Daily Events schedules for display on TV monitor, and taking and distributing notes during bi-weekly Facilities staff meetings. Supports division staff by preparing correspondence, creating and posting monthly on-call calendars, updating staff and vendor contact information, coordinating meetings and training events, ordering supplies, delivering mail, and organizing and maintaining division records. Ensures effective budget management by coding invoices weekly and forwarding to the division Supervisors/Manager for approval. Sets weekly door lock schedule (using Security Management software system) for various City Center doors. While these areas are the primary focus of this position, we believe strongly in teamwork and employees will be called upon to perform a variety of duties as a part of their role with the City. City of Eden Prairie Values We are a service organization. We take pride in what we do. We cultivate a supportive, encouraging and productive culture with a strong customer focus. We promote wellness and plan work/life balance into our goals. We value differences and foster inclusion. We achieve success by exhibiting our core values: collaboration, innovation, integrity, performance and relationships. Position Requirements Education: Associates degree required. Work Experience: Minimum of three years office administrative experience required; up to two years of experience in a facilities or property management related role is preferred. Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access) required; strong organizational skills; extensive experience in Microsoft Office applications preferred. Physical Requirements: Physical efforts are strictly an office environment. The office environment includes some minor lifting, walking, operating office equipment, presentation equipment, and extended use of a keyboard. Working Conditions: Most office work involves extensive use of computers and occasion travel to meetings or errands outside the office. Position Specific Expectations Accountability: Follows through on commitments; focuses on appropriate tasks throughout the shift; takes responsibilities for actions both as an individual and on behalf of the organization; actions and words are in sync; follows all policies and procedures; maintains confidentiality; is prepared and punctual to all scheduled shifts. Communication: Able to convey a message to get a point across; communicates in a clear and concise manner; able to write clearly and succinctly; tailors message to a variety of communication settings and styles. Composure: Exhibits self-confidence and asserts self appropriately in several different situations; maintains professionalism while under pressure; can handle stress; energized by tough challenges. Attention to Detail: Able to find errors in work and solve problems; anticipates issues and performs at a high level of accuracy; sets up systems to ensure errors are not repeated. Organization: Ability to coordinate several activities, responsibilities, and tasks simultaneously in a polite and professional manner; prioritizes what needs to get done; keeps things neat and orderly; utilizes tools for efficiency; factors several considerations when planning; establishes methods to ensure routine tasks are completed. City of Eden Prairie Pre-employment Process The City of Eden Prairie conducts the following pre-employment checks for this position: Professional Reference Checks

Criminal History Check All final candidates must successfully complete and pass the Citys evaluation of the pre-employment process before their first day of employment. Recruitment Timeline Post Date: May 17th, 2021 Application Deadline: June 2nd, 2021 at 4:00 PM First Round Interviews (Virtual): June 9th and 10th Second Round Interviews (In- Person): June 22nd, 2021 Pre-Employment Processes: June July 2021 Anticipated Start Date: August 9th, 2021

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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. High 87F. S winds shifting to W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms before midnight. Low 63F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KMOV.com) - Illinois has dropped its mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated, aligning with new CDC guidelines that were released Friday.

Illinois loosening COVID-19 restrictions today Speaking at a press conference Thursday, the governor said restrictions will be loosened May 14, which includes allowing businesses to increase capacity limits to 60%. Those changes are considered to be the bridge phase before fully opening the state, which currently is scheduled for June 11.

Under the new rules released Monday, people who are fully vaccinated do not have to wear a mask or socially distance in most settings. Masks are still required in healthcare settings, transit, schools and among big crowds.

Friday, Illinois officially entered the "bridge phase" of re-opening, which includes allowing businesses to increase capacity limits to 60 percent. The current plans calls for a full re-opening on June 11.

"I firmly believe in following the science and will revise my executive orders in line with @CDCgov guidelines lifting additional mitigations for vaccinated people," Pritzker tweeted Thursday. "The scientists message is clear: if you are vaccinated, you can safely do much more."

According to the Illinois Department of Health, around 4.6 million Illinois residents are fully vaccinated, or 58 percent of residents 16 and older.
It was like the storming of the Bastille, the gate came down and a large crowd of angry, aggressive people poured through, Mark McCloskey said. I was terrified that wed be murdered within seconds. Our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed."


Job Description Provide nursing care for allergy patients at the ENT & Allergy Center of Missouri, to include administering allergy shots, preparing of the allergens and support of the allergy testing process.



Allergen administration, observation and documentation of reactions from shots, comply with allergy clinic protocols, maintenance of allergen room fridge, supplies and charts.



Provide allergy testing according to the practice protocols.



Mix allergy vials for both SLIT and SCIT patients.



Assist in either allergy lab or clinical floor as deemed necessary per supervisor. Salary Salary Range: $16.96-$23.50/hour Grade: PAT-LPN University Title: Licensed Practical Nurse Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR. Shift Monday  Friday 8:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m. Minimum Qualifications Missouri Board of Nursing LPN or Nurse Licensure Compact multi-state LPN, or within GPN graduate practice period as a

condition of continued employment in this job. When primary state of residency changes, compact state LPNs must apply

under new state of residency within thirty (30) days. Application Materials In addition to the Online Application, please provide a current Resume. Benefit Eligibility This position is eligible for University benefits. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, and educational fee discounts. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at http://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits Diversity Commitment The University of Missouri is fully committed to achieving the goal of a diverse and inclusive academic community of faculty, staff and students. We seek individuals who are committed to this goal and our core campus values of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence. Equal Employment Opportunity

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(KMOV.com) - The Evans family is visiting St. Louis from Indiana, from the Arch grounds to Union Station, they were surprised to see a lack of masked faces.

We went to the Aquarium, no one had their mask on, no one was social distanced, said Kevin Evans.

The Aquarium is one of several St. Louis attractions to tell vaccinated visitors and children they can remove their masks. They are asking unvaccinated adults to keep their masks on, but its all based on an honor system.

Mask policy of St. Louis-area attractions, businesses New health orders issued by St. Louis City and County mean fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks in most settings.

You get quite a lot of people that dont get vaccinated or theyre not wearing a mask and not vaccinated, which does put people with disabilities or kids at risk, said Evans.

Dr. Jason Newland, an infection disease expert and pediatrician with St. Louis Childrens Hospital, says there are several things parents need to consider.

Number one, outdoors is great, be outdoors, because ventilation is at its best, said Dr. Newland.

But what about inside with vaccinated family members?

I would say for the most part, you dont necessarily have to do masks. What I think you need to think about on that is if one of your loved ones is immunocompromised, he says. He adds its all about evaluating risks. And the risk is greatest in a crowded place like a grocery store or attraction.

We have learned masks are super effective. When you take them off and you go into settings and you dont know if people are vaccinated or unvaccinated, there is a risk of getting COVID-19, he explained.

The risk for children of getting serious cases of COVID-19 is lower, but its not zero. In Missouri around 55,000 kids under the age of 17 have contracted COVID-19. There have been zero deaths in children 0-9, but there have been four deaths of children ages 10-17.
A 14-year-old male was arrested on Friday with charges of kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery and tampering with evidence.
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Administrative Assistant/Clerical

SERCOM

Fort Collins, CO

Full Time Position  Looking for a person that has excellent communication skills, strong typist, good with computers, ability to multi-task, organized and detail-oriented. Pay depends on experience.

Job Description: Typing/preparing and collating reports. Dispatch and arrange appointments. Research fares/hotel/car rentals and purchase; make alternative arrangements if changes arise. Answer call and take messages. Update status in program/computer.

Apply through this job posting to email your resume.

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Rep. Grace Meng, speaking, is joined by Rep. Mark Takano and Rep. Judy Chu during a Capitol Hill press conference May 18 in Washington. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
North Korea experts from South Korea and the United States participate in an online seminar, Tuesday, held by the Seoul-based think tank Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to mark the publication of a special joint report titled "The Future of Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. Alliance." Captured from the online seminar



By Jung Da-min



North Korea watchers from South Korea and the United States have stressed the need to provide "economic incentives" to Pyongyang to encourage the reclusive country to take actions for denuclearization, Tuesday.



But they added that until steps are taken by the North, international sanctions should remain in place.



The Seoul-based think tank the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) co-organized a webinar Tuesday to mark the publication of a special joint report titled "The Future of Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. Alliance."



Discussing the prospects of the security situation in Northeast Asia and on the Korean Peninsula, the participants said a comprehensive approach was needed regarding the matter of North Korea's denuclearization.



They stressed the importance of strong military deterrence and implementing sanctions against the North, but said these should come with engagement policies such as proposing economic development projects to Pyongyang on the condition of the implementation of denuclearization measures.



"We are seeking to tie sanctions with positive economic incentives," Sue Mi Terry, senior fellow with CSIS Korea, said during the online event.



Kim Byung-yeon, an economics professor at Seoul National University, said he presumes North Korea's GDP has declined by about 20 percent since 2017 to last year and, considering this situation, President Joe Biden's administration should take a practical approach to engaging the reclusive regime in the denuclearization process.





North Korea experts from South Korea participate in an online webinar, Tuesday, held both in Seoul and Washington, D.C., to mark the publication of a special report titled "The Future of Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. Alliance," co-organized by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Captured from the online webinar
At Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication Chung Man-ho debriefs about a schedule regarding President Moon Jae-in's visit to the U.S. on May 21 to meet American President Joe Biden. Yonhap



South Korean President Moon Jae-in will make a five-day trip to the United States this week for his first face-to-face summit talks with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday.



Their summit will be held at the White House on Friday afternoon (local time) followed by a joint press conference, according to Chung Man-ho, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication.



Moon plans to leave for the U.S. capital on Wednesday afternoon.



He is scheduled to begin his official activity there on Thursday morning with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. He is to pay tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.



In the afternoon, Moon is to visit Capitol Hill for a meeting with Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and other leaders of the chamber.



The following day, Moon will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of summit talks with Biden.



"Right after the summit talks, (the two leaders) plans to hold a joint press conference," Chung said.





Korea leans toward partially joining Quad Seoul wants Washington to reaffirm Singapore agreement during summit Expectations grow on Korea-US summit High on the agenda at their summit is cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the supply of vaccines.



"Various methods will be discussed in connection with vaccine cooperation between the two countries," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters later on condition of anonymity.



South Korean President Moon Jae-in takes off mask before speaking to his aides and secretaries during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, May 17. Yonhap

He stopped short of elaborating, saying consultations are still under way on specific agenda items.



North Korea is another key issue to be discussed. The Biden administration said it has completed a related policy review. Moon is hoping for a breakthrough in efforts to reactivate the Korea peace process.



The Cheong Wa Dae official pointed out Washington's recent statement that it is prepared to consider incentives if North Korea takes meaningful denuclearization steps. He described it as a "very practical and flexible" approach.



Biden may raise the sensitive issue of whether South Korea needs to join a regional security forum, known as Quad and widely viewed as directed against China. The U.S. is reportedly moving to expand the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which currently has three other member states  Japan, India and Australia.



During his stay in Washington, meanwhile, Moon will also attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial.



He is slated to meet Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., on Saturday afternoon.



He is pushing to make a stopover in Atlanta on his way back home to visit a factory of SK Innovation, South Korea's largest energy company, Chung said.




Korea, US should strengthen bilateral alliance



President Moon Jae-in will leave for Washington, D.C., Wednesday for a five-day visit to the United States during which he is scheduled to have his first face-to-face summit with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, Friday. Both sides need to work closely to promote mutual interests and prosperity.



Most of all, the two leaders should focus on how to strengthen the bilateral alliance. South Korea is one of America's strongest allies, along with Japan, in Asia. The country is regarded as a linchpin in ensuring peace and stability in the region. However, the alliance had been undermined by former President Donald Trump's "America first" policy.



The Moon-Biden meeting is raising expectations that Seoul and Washington will broaden their security alliance and partnership to step up cooperation to jointly deal with common issues such as the global economic woes, cybersecurity, climate change and public health. The summit will provide a rare opportunity for both countries to redefine the alliance for a better future.



For starters, South Korea and the U.S. can expand their cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. For this, Biden needs to accept Korea's request for a vaccine partnership. Seoul is seeking to sign a swap deal with Washington to address the shortage of coronavirus vaccines here. If such a deal emerges from the summit, it will help the country speed up its inoculation program to meet the goal of achieving herd immunity by November. It will also set a new example of bilateral collaboration in the field of healthcare.



The two countries can also work together in the mass production of vaccines by combining U.S. knowhow and technology with Korea's manufacturing capacity. Samsung Biologics, Korea's largest biosimilar company, is reportedly in negotiations to produce Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine here. A deal between the two firms could turn Korea into a global production base for vaccines and other drugs.



Cooperation in semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries is likely to be high on the agenda during the summit. President Biden is trying hard to create America's own supply chains for the two strategic industrial items in order to stay ahead of China. He has already asked Samsung Electronics and other South Korean companies to invest more in the U.S. to produce chips and EV batteries. Executives of Korea's major conglomerates, including Samsung, SK and LG, will accompany President Moon, heightening hopes for cooperation in technology and investment with the U.S.



Moon and Biden are also likely to discuss the issue of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as the Quad, comprised of the U.S, Japan, Australia and India. Washington apparently wants Seoul to participate in the Quad, which is aimed at containing the rise of China in the Asia-Pacific region. Biden needs to understand Korea's reluctance to join the group due to a feared backlash from China, the country's largest trading partner. Yet, Korea can still take part in the Quad's working groups dealing with vaccines, technology and climate change.



More than anything else, the two leaders will discuss the North Korea nuclear issue. They need to map out a joint strategy to resume stalled talks with Pyongyang following the completion of Biden's North Korea policy review. Moon and Biden should work more closely to realize their common goal  the North's complete denuclearization.






Job Title: Specialist, Systems Administrator



Office: Office of Data Systems and Strategy



Date Posted: 5/17/2021



Salary Range: 1-5 / $82,007 - $92,534



NTE Date: 9/30/2023



Position Overview The mission of the Office of Data Systems and Strategy is to support schools and the district as a whole to use technology and data effectively to accelerate student achievement. The Office includes the following teams: The Information Technology team provides DCPS students and staff, in every school, with the infrastructure, systems, and support to use technology effectively to accelerate student achievement.

team provides DCPS students and staff, in every school, with the infrastructure, systems, and support to use technology effectively to accelerate student achievement. The Assessments team leads and supports schools in the administration of summative assessments and surveys and ensures test integrity is maintained during assessments.

team leads and supports schools in the administration of summative assessments and surveys and ensures test integrity is maintained during assessments. The Data team ensures stakeholders at all levels of the organization have access to accurate, timely, and relevant data by organizing, validating, and reporting on student data and by conducting analysis and research to inform decision-making.

team ensures stakeholders at all levels of the organization have access to accurate, timely, and relevant data by organizing, validating, and reporting on student data and by conducting analysis and research to inform decision-making. The School Data & Performance team supports and builds school-based capacity to use data tools to inform school planning and decision-making. The Information Technology team provides DCPS students and staff, in every school, with the infrastructure, systems, and support to use technology effectively to accelerate student achievement The Specialist, Systems Administrator will play a significant role in the administration and end user support of the instructional and business-critical operational/productivity systems. Serving as an escalation point from the service desk, the Specialist, Systems Administrator will apply their advanced skillset and troubleshooting experience to identify the root cause and resolve issues in a timely fashion. Proficiency in core business and educational platforms, including Microsoft Office 365, Active Directory, Azure and Exchange Online, is critical to the success of this position. The Specialist, Systems Administrator will report to the Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations. Essential Duties and Responsibilities The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned. Provides level 2 in-person and virtual business and education platforms support to DCPS staff and students by serving as an escalation point from the service desk (level 1).

Documents incidents, problems, and service requests through the district's ITSM.

Follows strict service level agreements to ensure timely service.

Supports the configuration of business and education platforms to ensure requirements are implemented with fidelity.

Performs ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting of instructional platforms and applications to ensure their ongoing availability, stability, and compliance with established standards and security requirements, including but not limited to setting up users, roles, security, and internal system notifications.

Works closely with various senior-level system administrators and business application owners on SSO, data, and systems integrations.

Develops secure automated solutions for administrative and domain management tasks.

Maintains, administers, and supports Office 365, Azure, Teams, and Exchange.

Assists in administering mission critical instructional platforms such as Clever, Canvas, Gaggle, and Adobe.

Interfaces with Microsoft and other solution providers for any tier 3 support requirements.

Develops concise and accurate engineering and knowledgebase documentation, including design plans, implementation guides, knowledge guides, and standard operating procedures.

Identifies risks and problems and conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis to generate and evaluate alternatives and to make recommendations.

Works closely with the academic and education technology teams to gather requirements and implement solutions to meet desired outcomes.

Follows organizational change management processes and standard operating procedures to plan for and implement continuous improvements of the environment. Qualifications Bachelor's degree and three to five years of related work experience,including a minimum of three years of enterprise level Azure/AD/Office 365 Administration experience.

Master's degree preferred.

Previous exposure to or experience in the education sector a plus.

Microsoft Azure and Office 365 certifications.

High degree of system-specific knowledge and a background in the various technologies and practices required by DCPS, including: Azure AD, VDI platform, Office 365 Suite, Canvas and Clever.

Excellent understanding and working knowledge of PowerShell and the ability to create and maintain scripts for effective use with exchange/Office 365 and Azure environments.

Experience with the integration of Office 365 with third party security and application tools.

Strong communication skills and experience partnering with senior IT and program leadership.

Must be able to expresses key ideas and obtain tangible feedback from cross-functional team members and stakeholders.

Works well with clients and other vendors in achieving mission success and is committed to providing quality products and services.

Obsessive attention to detail and accuracy of information.

Must be available after hours and on weekends to respond to urgent requests and emergencies as needed.

DCPS Values STUDENTS FIRST : We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.

: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do. COURAGE : We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success.

: We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success. EQUITY : We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.

: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds. EXCELLENCE : We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.

: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions. TEAMWORK : We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.

: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically. JOY: We enjoy our collective work and will enthusiastically celebrate our success and each other.


PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) - The Oregon Health Authority announced Tuesday new guidance for masks following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's update last week.

OHA says "people who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear a mask indoors, in most public settings where vaccination status is checked." Masks will still be required in public places where vaccination status is not checked.

Businesses and venue owners will be able to establish their own, more restrictive policies about mask usage, according to OHA.

Masks requirements will no longer apply to people who are outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. However, OHA recommends that people continue to wear a mask or face coverings in crowded areas and large gatherings, such as sporting events.

CDC says fully-vaccinated people can ditch masks indoors in most instances In a striking move to send the country back toward pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places.

The new guidance was issued after the CDC announced last week that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could stop wearing masks and stop physical distancing in most public spaces.

"Masks continue to save lives and protect people who are not vaccinated. However, last weeks announcement from the CDC emphasizes the point that safe and effective vaccines are the very best way to protect people from getting and spreading COVID. OHA Director Patrick Allen said. "Thats why its safer for life to look more like normal for people who are fully vaccinated. And why people who havent had a chance to get vaccinated should do so as soon as they can."

According to OHA, the new guidance for Oregonians is as follows:

Individuals in Oregon are no longer required to wear a face mask or physically distance, whether indoors or outdoors, two weeks after their final COVID-19 vaccination dose. A fully vaccinated individual is a person who has received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or one dose of a single-dose vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since the individuals final dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

However, fully vaccinated individuals are required to continue wearing a mask and observe physical distancing on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, youth and adult correctional facilities and long-term care facilities.

Businesses, employers and faith institutions can choose to no longer require masks and physical distancing for fully vaccinated individuals or continue to require masks and physical distancing in their locations for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.

If a business, employer or faith institution chooses to no longer require masks and physical distancing, the business, employer or faith institution must require visitors to show proof of vaccination and review the proof of vaccination. In that case, a business would need to have a policy for checking the vaccination status of customers and employees if they are not wearing masks. Fully vaccinated individuals would need to provide proof theyd been vaccinated if they want to remove face coverings and not observe physical distancing guidelines.

OHA says the new guidance does not apply to:

Child care

K-12 schools (This guidance DOES apply to K-12 sports) (K-12 schools must comply with the Ready School, Safe Learners (RSSL) guidance face covering requirements).

Areas within workplaces where employees live together for periods of time, such as fire-stations

Licensed health care facilities

Health care offices

Shelters and transitional housing

Adult jails and correctional facilities

Youth detention and correctional facilities

Private residences

Any other sector that has more specific guidance issued by the Oregon Health Authority or another state agency that contains requirements and recommendations on masks, face coverings and face shields.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,961,954 first and second doses of Pfizer,1,476,963 first and second doses of Moderna and 122,119 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of Monday, 1,591,802 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 2,061,640 who have had at least one dose.

For more information about vaccination in Oregon, visit covidvaccine.oregon.gov.
BEAVERTON, OR (KPTV)  Some Oregon business owners are putting the new CDC mask guidance into practice.

On Thursday, the agency announced fully vaccinated people don't have to wear a mask in most situations. Gov. Kate Brown then adopted these guidelines and said further guidance for businesses was forthcoming. After four days, though, it's still not here, which is confusing and difficult to manage for business owners.

"Every night, having to check the news or to check our phones in the morning to see where things are at and where they're going to go next," said Terry Smoke, owner of the Troutdale General Store.

Smoke told FOX 12 he and his wife began allowing fully vaccinated customers to go maskless in their store on Friday.

"We were ecstatic because I'm 65-years-old, I've been wearing a mask now for so long, andit takes my breath away all day long, wearing it," he said. "It's so hard to get by every day."

Smoke said business ran smoothly all weekend, but only because he didn't have to ask for physical verification.

"I'm not going to be the mask police. I am going to trust that people tell me the truth," said Smoke. "I would feel an invasion on people to ask them at the door to show me that identification or show me the proof. I just don't think that's my job."

Meanwhile, Lori Carroll, the owner of Jan's, a bookstore in Beaverton, said the new guidance hasn't changed her policies. Masking and distancing will likely stay as they are in her store, she said.

"For us, more than the mask, it's staying away from each other. We have very tight spaces here," she said. "If it really does become that it's okay not to wear your mask, that's fine. You can not. I'm still going to keep everybody really separated. And if you want to wear a mask, go for it. And I will probably continue to wear one for the foreseeable future because I don't want to get a flu or a cold."

FOX 12 asked the Oregon Health Authority and the governor's office when business guidance will come. They didn't have a clear answer. A spokesperson for the governor said businesses must continue operating under masking and distancing guidelines until then. When asked if they were planning on enforcing that, FOX 12 didn't hear back as of Monday evening.
Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Sun and a few passing clouds. Hot and humid. High 93F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
Timeline: Spiraling conflict between Israel, Palestinians

Xinhua) 14:04, May 18, 2021

A member of Israeli security forces inspects a building hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israeli city of Ashdod, on May 17, 2021. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua)

Timeline of the current spiraling conflict between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave

GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Fighting between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip continued on Monday for the eighth day in a row as both sides kept trading artilleries and civilian casualties continued to grow.

Here is a timeline of the current spiraling conflict between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave:

May 17:

-- At least four Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Monday in a series of fresh intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Till Monday, 204 Palestinians, including 59 children and 35 women, have been killed and 1,305 others wounded in the ongoing fighting between Gaza and Israel.

-- Israel fired artillery into southern Lebanon on Monday night after six rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel but fell short within Lebanese territory.

-- Israel will temporarily reopen Gaza's main cargo crossing Kerem Shalom on Tuesday to allow the transfer of the humanitarian aid of gas, food and medicine to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Palestinian children inspect the debris of houses destroyed during an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 16, 2021. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

May 16:

-- The death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to nearly 200 and at least 1,225 others were injured, officials said.

-- Israel's military said on Sunday it bombed overnight the home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, as Hamas militants fired rocket barrages at Tel Aviv. It said in a statement that some 2,900 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory, of which about 450 failed launches fell in the Gaza Strip and 1,150 were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome Air Defense System.

-- Israeli strikes killed at least 42 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Sunday, the worst daily death toll yet in the almost week-long clashes, according to media reports.

May 15:

-- Violence between Hamas and Israel showed no signs of stopping, as homes and apartments in the Gaza Strip were bombed and destroyed on Saturday night after Israel slammed the region with airstrikes. Meanwhile, dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza towards central and southern Israel.

-- Israel deployed more tanks and ground forces on the borders with the Gaza Strip, after Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordered a redeployment of more reinforcements to the border areas.

-- Israeli war jets bombed and demolished Jala Tower, which housed offices of Al-Jazeera TV and Associated Press as well as residential apartments. Israeli military claimed that the building contained assets of Hamas intelligence agency.

Palestinian people, who fled their homes due to Israeli air and artillery strikes, take refuge at a school in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 17, 2021. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

May 14:

-- On Friday, Israel's main international airport is closed for landings amid rising tensions.

-- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to immediately cease the fighting in Gaza and Israel, said his spokesman.

-- Three rockets were fired from Syria toward northern Israel, and Israel bombarded a bank that belongs to Hamas in Gaza on Friday evening, the Israeli military and Hamas said.

May 13:

-- An 87-year-old Israeli woman died in a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, bringing to eight the death toll of Israelis killed in the conflict.

-- The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip climbed to 103, included 27 children and 11 women, said the Hamas-run health ministry.

-- Three rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Thursday night, the Israeli army said.

May 12:

-- Two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in two separate incidents in the West Bank, medics said.

-- A Hamas official said that Hamas' conditions for any ceasefire with Israel are that Israel "completely stops violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem."

May 11:

-- More than five people in central and southern Israel were killed in a Gaza rocket attack, and at least 24 people, including nine children, were killed in the Gaza Strip as Israel launched new airstrikes against the enclave, according to Israeli authorities and the Hamas-run health ministry.

-- Israeli military chief Aviv Kochavi decided to extend Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip "with no time limit" amid the tensions.

-- Barrages of rockets from Gaza hit Israel's Tel Aviv at night, Israeli security officials said.

-- Guterres voiced grave concern over the serious escalations in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, including the latest escalation in Gaza, which added to the heightened tensions and violence in occupied East Jerusalem, said his spokesman.

A Palestinian man mourns his relatives who were killed during Israeli airstrikes at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, May 15, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

May 10:

-- Israeli tanks struck military posts of Hamas early morning in response to rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, and hundreds of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police in East Jerusalem, Palestinian sources and Israeli army said.

-- Israel said it has shut down the Erez Crossing, the only pedestrian passage between the Gaza Strip and Israel, after Gaza militants fired more rockets.

-- Israel carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 20 people. Rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave continued through the night.

May 9:

-- At least 10 Palestinians were injured in fresh clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound after the end of the morning prayer early Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

-- Militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at southern Israel at night, said Israeli military.

May 8:

-- Overnight on Saturday, at least 90 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli police near the Old City's Damascus Gate and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, both located in East Jerusalem, according to a Red Crescent statement.

May 7:

-- A total of 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli police officers were injured in clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound on Friday night, following a ruling that forced Palestinians to leave their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

-- Elsewhere in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and injured a third after the three opened fire on a military base in the West Bank.

-- The Israeli military boosted its forces in the West Bank with additional combat troops and added anti-rocket Iron Dome batteries in the area near Gaza.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
UPDATE: MAY 18 AT 7:31 A.M.

HELENA, Mont - The Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Phillip James Pierre Jr. has been cancelled Tuesday, according to the Montana Department of Justice.

The DOJ said the Missoula Police Department found Pierre and he is safe.

HELENA, Mont. -- Helena police are searching for 59-year-old Phillip James Pierre Jr. after he went missing late last week.

Pierre is a 59-year-old Native American male, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair. There is no description of the clothing he was wearing when he went missing, but Pierre has numerous tattoos on his arms, legs and chest, according to Helena PD.

His tattoos include two feathers with a heart and rose on his right forearm, a tiger with skulls also on his right arm, and a heart with rose and spade tattooed on his left calf. He also has roses, a tribal design, and a heart tattoo on his chest, per a press release.

He was last heard from on Thursday, May 13th around 5:30 p.m. in Helena. At the time of last contact, he had just traveled from Missoula to Helena but left all of his medication and personal belongings in Missoula.

Pierre suffers from several medical conditions and without those medications, police say there is concern for his well-being. If you have any information, please call the Helena Police Department at 406-442-3233 or dial 911.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - With the demand for school nurses increasing even more throughout the pandemic, Montana is welcoming a new initiative, bringing more resources to rural school districts.

To help improve student health in underserved Montana districts the state is now welcoming the Nurse Act, which will help students gain access to the care they need.

The act focuses on helping rural schools hire more nurses, by authorizing a grant program administered through the Department of Education to help schools cover the cost of hiring any additional nurses.

Schools will be able to apply for these additional resources based on the number of students that qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.

Montana only has four counties meeting the recommended nurse-to-student ratio, and in order to give students the best education, some believe this new act is just what Montana needs.

Montana State Director of the National Associations of School Nurses Karen Graf said, "The primary goal of schools is to educate students, but learning becomes more difficult for students in poor health."

Any school or district will be able to apply, but the act will be prioritized based on the applicant's high percentage of low-income students, and districts with no nurses.
ROME, MAY 18 - President Sergio Mattarella said at Brescia university Tuesday that "this is the time to relaunch...this is the time of common relaunch. We depend on each other, everyone must play their part. This calls on our sense of solidarity, everyone must play their part". He went on: "this is the character of this historical moment, that is the recovery, what is called the restart in the search for new equilibria of normality, of a more aware normality that may make possible a new speedy growth of our country". Mattarella said he had been "impressed" with the spirit he had seen at the northern university. He visited a vaccination hub there. (ANSA).
COMO, MAY 18 - A 25-year-old Italian man on Tuesday admitted raping and killing his former girlfriend's 18-month-old daughter near Como in January. "Yes, I abused her and then I beat her until I killed her," Gabriel Robert Marincat reportedly told prosecutors. He has been charged with murder aggravated by sexual violence against a child. The little girl was found dead in an apartment at Cabiate. Marincat was arrested shortly after the incident but had until Tuesday refused to admit his guilt. (ANSA).
Our View: Another push in Oregon government for more secrecy
Beautiful turn-key 4-bedroom 3 bath Lake Front home including dock located in Osage Beach on Mile Marker 28 with the most breathtaking million-dollar views on every level! This exquisite home was carefully decorated with new high-end furniture and decor. Enjoy cooler evening downstairs with a new Scandinavian gas stove or sunny days out on your choice of three decks! This home has room for large family gatherings and is just minutes from shopping, restaurants, and the hospital. The community also offers a community pool and community dock. This home boasts many new updates: New roof in 2016, exterior paint in 2020, Dock inspected in 2019, composite decking on top level, newer interior lighting , solid Hardwood floors/not veneered, custom oak column in the lower level designed to match the hardwood flooring, whole house humidifier, and so much more! This home is a one of a kind and it is a must-have!
Gold Watch Out as Price May Be Staging New Momentum Base In Preparation For A Big Move Upwards

Although Gold has continued to drift downward after reaching a peak near $2089.20 in early August 2020, our Custom Gold Inverse Trending Index suggests this weakness has actually built a very strong momentum base  preparing for a big move higher.

The relationship of Gold to the US Dollar is a fairly widely known correlation. When the US Dollar is weaker, Gold tends to rally. When the US Dollar is stronger, Gold tends to be weaker. Yet the combination of EURUSD and JPYUSD (plotted in INVERSE) in combination to the trend of the US Dollar related to Gold is difficult to ignore. Lets explore this unique correlation a bit deeper.

Exploring Currency/Gold Correlations  Are We Starting A New 7 Year Gold Rally?

The Weekly Gold vs Currencies Chart, below, may seem a bit complicated, so let me try to explain what Im trying to illustrate. First, the CYAN colored line is the US Dollar Index. What I want to share with you is the US Dollar enters periods of strength or weakness for extended periods of time. You can see the US Dollar Index weakening near the left edge of this chart near 2006-07, then strengthening again after a moderate bottom near 2013~14, then starting to weaken again after the recent peak in March 2020. These roughly 7-year cycles act as major US Dollar Index bias trends. We are current within a weakening US Dollar Index bias based on our research.

Second, the 85 to 86 level on the US Dollar appears to be a moderately critical support level. When the US Dollar falls below this level, entering a period of broad overall weakness, Gold tends to react to US Dollar strength more aggressively than when the US Dollar stays above the 85~86 level. A good example of this can be seen by the 2019 to 2020 rally in Gold while the US Dollar Index traded moderately higher while above the 86 level.

Next, when the EURUSD and JPYUSD move into a position of strength compared to the US Dollar, Gold tends to trend generally higher as the US Dollar weakness is persistent in driving traders/investors into safe-havens. The 0.65 level, the BLUE line, on this chart highlights the combined threshold for the US Dollar Index and the EURUSD/JPYUSD trend bias.

Lastly, we want to highlight how Gold reacted to US Dollar bottoming rotations in different bias trends. Weve highlighted a number of US Dollar bottoms with MAGENTA arcing arrows. Notice how stronger upside moves in the US Dollar Index while trading below the 85~86 level prompted fairly deep downside price trends in Gold. You can see this happen over and over again in 2008, 2010, and 2011. Now, compare the US Dollar rallies/bottoms in 2014, 2016, and 2018 to how Gold reacted while the US Dollar Index had transitioned into a bullish bias (moving above the 85~86 level, or trending towards this bias).

The deep low in the US Dollar Index in 2011 prompted a very big change of trend for Gold  prompting a -20% decline followed by a deeper -38% decline before starting to bottom in 2015. The US Dollar bottom in 2015 prompted another-20% decline in Gold prices, yet the transition of the US Dollar moving to levels above 85~86 while the EURUSD/JPYUSD fell below 0.65 prompted a shift in how Gold started reacting to US Dollar weakness. The US Dollar bottom in 2016 actually prompted some moderate strength in upside trending in Gold and continued a new bullish bias for Gold over the past 6+ years.

Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report!

Now, with Gold rallying off the current US Dollar weakness while trading quite strongly above $1800, we are starting to see a transitional shift in the US Dollar Index and the EURUSD/JPYUSD correlation. Just like in 2006-07, if the US Dollar continues to weaken and trail below the 85~86 level, the current bullish trending in Gold will likely continue to strengthen. At that time, reactions to US Dollar bottoms may prompt some Gold volatility and rotation, yet the bias of the trending appears to be starting a new 7-year bullish Gold trending phase (just like what happened between 2007 and 2014). All we need to see happen is for the US Dollar to continue to weaken to levels below 85~86 (or continue to drift lower) while the EURUSD/JPYUSD correlation continues to strengthen.

Comparing Inverse EURUSD/JPYUSD to Gold Trends

Our research team decided to try to use the EURUSD/JPYUSD correlation and attempt to align it to the price of Gold. In order to do this, because of the inverse price relationship between the two, we had to invert the EURUSD/JPYUSD price structure.

The Japanese Candlesticks on the chart, below, are reflective of our EURUSD/JPYUSD correlation to Gold. The GOLD line on the chart, below, is the real Gold Futures price level.

We are starting to see an upward price correlation between these two symbols as well as a potential technical correlation setting up over the next few weeks. If the US Dollar continues to weaken, pushing the EURUSD/JPYUSD higher, well likely see an RSI bullish breakout confirm the price trigger that has just broken the downward price channel on this chart (the MAGENTA line).

It appears the recent weakness in Gold translates into the building of a new momentum base for precious metals near $1700. Are you ready for what may come next?

Although it may be difficult for you to see and understand these broad market bias phases and cycle trends, there are two key elements I hope you to conclude from our research:

It appears a, roughly, 7-year currency/gold cycle phase takes place where the US Dollar becomes decidedly weaker while the EURUSD/JPYUSD becomes decidedly stronger  then these two switch directions/strengths. When the US Dollar is weaker throughout this 7 year cycle phase, Gold tends to become a bit more reactive to US Dollar strength, yet Gold continues to trend higher showing a very defined bullish trend bias. The transitional process of this cycle phase appears to be shifting into US Dollar weakness right now. The recent downward price trend in Gold appears to be a new Momentum Base in price near, or above $1700. If our research is correct and the proposed current transition takes place in the near future (the new cycle phase), we may see Gold enter a very defined bullish trend bias lasting more than 4~5+ years.

If you believe in the power of trading on relative strength, market cycles, and momentum but dont have the time to do the research every day then my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service does all the work for you with daily pre-market reports, proprietary research, and trade alerts. More frequent or experienced traders have been killing it trading options, ETFs, and stocks using my BAN Hotlist ranking the hottest ETFs, which is updated daily for my premium subscribers. Sign up today!

In Part II of this article, I will explore longer term charts and how this currency correlation may be confirming a big upward price trend in Gold and what it means for traders/investors. I will also explore how this new potential rally phase in gold translated into proper positioning of assets and preparations for broad market volatility.

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

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An arrest has been made in a 36-year-old cold-case murder At Lake Of The Ozarks. Larry Gene Hicks, 78, was taken into custody at 2:36 pm, May 17, in Franklin, LA.

Hicks is accused of bludgeoning to death Diane Lukosius in 1984 in Camdenton, Mo.

In an interview with detectives he allegedly stated its very possible he assaulted Lukosius. Statements from witnesses made just after the murder indicate he had scratches on his face and blood on his clothes the night of the murder.

The arrest in Louisiana is the first step for the prosecutor's office to get Hicks extradited to Missouri. By the end of July in Louisiana court, Hicks will have the option to either waive extradition or have an extradition hearing.

The extradition is just a matter of are you the person the warrant is seeking? Its just a matter of that they arrested the right person. said Camden County Prosecutor Caleb Cunningham.

The prosecutors office asked for a no-bond warrant for Hicks but the judge granted bond of $100,000 with monitoring conditions and Hicks has since posted bond.

The next step after the extradition hearing will be an arraignment hearing, when Hicks will enter his plea and then a preliminary hearing will be scheduled.

Were very excited. The sheriff and I are all honored to be a part of this and are looking forward to the rest of the journey, Cunningham said.
SELMA, Ala. (AP)  Police in Alabama have issued an arrest warrant for a man in connection with the bizarre theft of a Confederate monument that was taken from an Alabama cemetery and found in Louisiana.

Selma police charged Jason Warnick with theft in connection with the mysterious disappearance of the chair-shaped monument, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said Monday.

Warnick was already facing charges of possession of stolen property after police said the monument ended up in his New Orleans tattoo shop.

An attorney for Warnick said he denied being involved with the theft, which sparked national news stories before the monument was recovered.

This knowledge is very new, but we are in contact with the Selma Police Department and will be making plans over the next few days, attorney Michael Kennedy wrote in an email. "That being said, Mr. Warnick categorically denies any involvement with the theft of this memorial art installation and intends to defend himself and his reputation vigorously."

Warnick and two other people were previously charged with possession of the chair after it went missing.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto lost his bid for re-election Tuesday to Ed Gainey, a five-term state representative, as the city took a big step toward electing its first Black chief executive.

Peduto, a Democrat, had been seeking a third term against three primary challengers but instead called to congratulate Gainey, Wishing him well in a tweet late Tuesday.

Gainey was all but assured a victory in November in the heavily Democratic city. He had consistently made the campaign about equality for Black and poor residents, and accused Peduto of failing to ensure equity in policing, housing and other areas. At one point, he called Pittsburgh a tale of two cities.

One person can't change a city. A city is changed when we all come together to improve the quality of life for everybody, Gainey told supporters late Tuesday.

Statewide, Pennsylvania voters were given the opportunity to limit a governor's emergency authority  more than a year after Gov. Tom Wolf's pandemic restrictions drew fierce backlash among legislative Republicans  in an otherwise quiet off-year primary election that also included balloting for an open seat on the state's highest court.
Mr. President,

Since this is the first time my delegation takes the floor during your presidency, the delegation of Sri Lanka extends greetings and convey sincere good wishes for every success. The delegation of Sri Lanka assures you of its fullest support and cooperation. Our thanks are extended to the distinguished panelists for their contribution to this discussion

While we regret that the Conference fails yet again to reach consensus on a programme of work due to apparent lack of political will, we consider this thematic debate an important opportunity to reiterate our principled position on agenda item 1 on cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament. This agenda item is of particular significance given the importance of the upcoming NPT review conference.

Mr. President,

Nuclear Disarmament remains our highest priority within the work of the CD. As acknowledged by all CD member states including those who possess nuclear weapons, nuclear armament is a direct and constant threat to the very survival of humanity. The danger is real and unimaginable. Perhaps it is important to recall the first paragraph of the SSOD I adopted by consensus in 1978 which provides, I quote

 the accumulation of weapons, particularly nuclear weapons, today constitutes much more a threat than a protection for the future of mankind. The time has therefore come to put an end to this situation, to abandon the use of force in international relations and to seek security in disarmament, that is to say, through a gradual but effective process beginning with a reduction in the present level of armaments. 

Mr. President, these words declared back in 1978, unfortunately has a continuing direct relevance to all member states sitting in this august body today, in 2021. In our view, the main focus of this debate therefore should be on the implementation of the already agreed disarmament commitments under the NPT regime including pursuance of effective measures through effective verification means in relation to Art. VI of the NPT.

While we do acknowledge the legitimate security concerns of all states and the need to address them in a transparent and comprehensive manner, expansion of existing nuclear arsenals is an approach that raises clear questions of credibility, particularly under the NPT regime. Nuclear deterrence is used as a justification to legitimize the continuing existence of nuclear weapons, by some states. It is evident that nuclear deterrence does not reduce the risk of accidents, the weapon falling into hands of terrorists and the definite mass destruction of its use. The absence of detonation as evidenced by history is mostly due to sheer luck.

We consider that total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only guarantee against their use or threat of use and that an irreversible, transparent and credible verification regime is an important cornerstone of the disarmament architecture. However, disarmament verification shouldnt be an end in itself. It is important that NWS and NNWS work together to develop shared understanding on irreversible multilateral nuclear disarmament. We are pleased to note the extension of the NEW START between the United States and the Russian Federation and notice positive developments on bilateral disarmament negotiations. Sri Lanka encourages Nuclear Weapon States to engage in genuine dialogue among each other with a view to disarm their nuclear weapons as early as possible based on irreversible, verifiable and transparent verification mechanisms.

We urge all responsible member states not to reverse the hard earned achievements on disarmament and non-proliferation of the past. We simply have no time to waste. Sri Lanka stands ready contribute to all efforts on disarmament and nonproliferation within the work of the CD through a balanced and comprehensive programme of work.

Thank you

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From the top of his rolling freight car, Enrique sees a figure of Christ.

In the fields of Veracruz state, among farmers and their donkeys piled with sugar cane, rises a mountain. It towers over the train he is riding. At the summit stands a statue of Jesus. It is 60 feet tall, dressed in white, with a pink tunic.

The statue stretches out both arms. They reach toward Enrique and his fellow wayfarers on top of their rolling freight cars.

Some stare silently. Others whisper a prayer.

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FOR THE RECORD

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002: Enriques Journey -- Chapter 4 of the six-part series, published Friday in Section A, described Teotihuacan in Mexico as an Aztec metropolis. The Aztecs adopted the site as a ceremonial ground and gave it its modern name, but it originated and peaked as a metropolis during the pre-Aztec period.

------------

It is early April 2000, and they have made it nearly a third of the way up the length of Mexico, a handful of immigrants, riding on boxcars, tank cars and hoppers. Enrique is 17. He is one of an estimated 48,000 Central American and Mexican children who go to the United States alone every year. Many are searching for their mothers, who have left for El Norte to find work and never come back.

Many credit religious faith for their progress. They pray on top of the train cars. At stops, they kneel along the tracks, asking God for help and guidance. They ask him to keep them alive until they reach El Norte. They ask him to protect them against bandits, who rob and beat them; police, who shake them down; and la migra, the Mexican immigration authorities, who deport them.

Many carry small Bibles, wrapped in plastic bags to keep them dry. On the pages, in the margins, they scrawl the names and addresses of the people who help them. The police often check the bindings for money to steal, the migrants say, but usually hand the Bibles back.

Some pages are particularly worn. The one that offers the 23rd Psalm, for instance: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

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Or the 91st Psalm: There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Some migrants rely on a special prayer, La Oracion a las Tres Divinas Personas"--a prayer to the Holy Trinity. It has seven sentences--short enough to recite in a moment of danger. If they rush the words, God will not mind.

That night, Enrique climbs to the top of a boxcar. In the starlight, he sees a man on his knees, bending over his Bible, praying.

Enrique climbs back down.

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He does not turn to God for help. With all the sins he has committed, he thinks he has no right to ask God for anything.

::

Small bundles

What he receives are gifts.

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Enrique expects the worst. Riding trains through the state of Chiapas, which immigrants call the beast, has taught him that any upraised hand might hurl a stone. But here in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, he discovers that people are friendly. Its just the way we are, says Jorge Zarif Zetuna Curioca, a legislator from Ixtepec.

Perhaps not everyone is that way, but there is a widespread generosity of spirit. Many residents say it is rooted in the Zapotec and Mixtec indigenous cultures. Besides, some say, giving is a good way to protest Mexicos policies against illegal immigration.

Not long after seeing the statue of Jesus, Enrique is alone on a hopper. Night has fallen, and as the train passes through a tiny town, it blows its soulful horn. He looks over the side. More than a dozen people, mostly women and children, are rushing out of their houses along the tracks, clutching small bundles.

Some of the migrants grow afraid. Will these people throw rocks? They lie low on top of the train. Enrique sees a woman and a boy run up alongside his hopper.

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Orale, chavo! Here, boy! they shout.

They toss up a roll of crackers. It is the first gift.

Enrique reaches out. He grabs with one hand, but holds tightly to the hopper with the other. The roll of crackers flies several feet away, bounces off the car and thumps to the ground.

Now women and children on both sides of the tracks are throwing bundles to the immigrants on the tops of the cars. They run quickly and aim carefully, mostly in silence, trying hard not to miss.

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Alli va uno! Theres one!

Enrique looks down. There are the same woman and boy. They are heaving a blue plastic bag. This time the bundle lands squarely in his arms.

Gracias! Adios! he says into the darkness. He isnt sure the strangers, who pass by in a flash, even heard him.

He opens the bag. Inside are half a dozen rolls of bread.

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Enrique is stunned by the generosity. In many places where the train slows in Veracruz, at a curve or to pass through a village, people give. Sometimes 20 or 30 people stream out of their homes along the rails and toward the train. They smile, then shout and throw food.

The towns of Encinar, Fortin de las Flores, Cuichapa and Presidio are particularly known for their kindness. These are unlikely places for people to be giving food to strangers. A World Bank study in 2000 found that 42.5% of Mexicos 100 million people live on $2 or less a day. Here, in rural areas, 30% of children 5 and younger eat so little that their growth is stunted, and the people who live in humble houses along the rails are often the poorest.

Families throw sweaters, tortillas, bread and plastic bottles filled with lemonade. A baker, his hands coated with flour, throws his extra loaves. A seamstress throws bags filled with sandwiches. A teenager throws bananas. A store owner throws animal crackers, day-old pastries and half-liter bottles of water.

A young man, Leovardo Santiago Flores, throws oranges in November, when they are plentiful, and watermelons and pineapples in July. A stooped woman, Maria Luisa Mora Martin, more than 100 years old, who was reduced to eating the bark of her plantain tree during the Mexican Revolution, forces her knotted hands to fill bags with tortillas, beans and salsa so her daughter, Soledad Vasquez, 70, can run down a rocky slope and heave them onto a train.

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If I have one tortilla, I give half away, one of the food throwers says. I know God will bring me more.

Another: I dont like to feel that I have eaten and they havent.

Still others: When you see these people, it moves you. It moves you. Can you imagine how far theyve come?

God says, when I saw you naked, I clothed you. When I saw you hungry, I gave you food. That is what God teaches.

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It feels good to give something that they need so badly.

I figure when I die, I cant take anything with me. So why not give?

What if someday something bad happens to us? Maybe someone will extend a hand to us.

::

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New cargo

Enrique is hungry, but he fears that the half-dozen rolls from the food throwers might be all there is to his good fortune, so he stashes them for later.

In little more than an hour, the train nears a town: Cordoba.

The cargo is beginning to change. It is valuable and more easily damaged--Volkswagens, Fords and Chryslers. Security guards check the freight cars, catch every rider they can and hand them over to authorities. More important, says Cuauhtemoc Gonzalez Flores, an official of the Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana railroad, if a migrant falls and is injured or killed, it costs $8 a minute to stop the train, often for hours, until investigators arrive.

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A sewage stream appears by the tracks. Cordoba is getting close. The immigrants finish their water, because it is hard to run fast holding bottles. They tie sweaters or extra shirts around their waists. Enrique grabs his bag of bread. About 10 p.m., he smells a familiar cue: a coffee-roasting factory next to the red brick station. As the train slows, he leaps and flees.

He sits on a sidewalk one block north of the station. Two police officers approach.

His odds are better if he does not bolt. He tucks his bread into a crevice. He swallows his fright and tries to look unconcerned.

The officers, in navy blue uniforms, walk straight up to him.

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He does not move, even flinch. Cops can sense fear. They can tell if someone is illegal. You have to be calm, he says to himself. You cant look afraid or hide. You have to look right at them.

Unlike food throwers, the police do not bear gifts. They pull out pistols.

If you run, Ill shoot you, one says, aiming at Enriques chest.

They take him and two younger boys, sitting nearby, to a cavernous railroad shed, where seven other officers are holding 20 migrants.

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It is a full-scale sweep.

They line up the immigrants against a wall. Take everything out of your pockets.

Only a bribe, Enrique knows, will keep him from being deported back to Central America. He has 30 pesos, about $3, that he earned lifting rocks and sweeping near the tracks in Tierra Blanca. He prays it will be enough.

One officer pats him down and says to empty his pockets.

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Enrique drops his belt, a Raiders cap and the 30 pesos. He glances at his fellow migrants. Each is standing behind a little pile of belongings.

Salganse! Vayanse, ya! Get out! Leave!

He will not be deported. But he pauses. He screws up his courage. Can I get my things back, my money?

What money? the officer replies. Forget about it, unless you want to have your trip stop here.

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Enrique turns his back and walks away.

Even in Veracruz, where strangers can be so kind, the authorities cannot be trusted. The chief of state police in nearby Fortin de las Flores will not comment on the incident.

Exhausted, Enrique retrieves his bag of bread, climbs onto a flatbed truck and sleeps. At dawn, he hears a train. He trots alongside a freight car and clambers aboard, holding his bread.

::

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The mountains

The tracks, smoother now, begin to climb. It grows cooler. The train passes 60-foot stalks of bamboo. It rolls through putrid white smoke from a Kimberly-Clark factory that turns sugar cane pulp into Kleenex and toilet paper.

In Orizaba, the train changes crews. Enrique asks a man standing near the tracks, Can you give me one peso to buy some food? The man inquires about his scars. They are from a beating little more than a week ago on top of a train. He gives Enrique 15 pesos, about $1.50.

Enrique runs to buy soda and cheese to go with his bread. He looks north and sees snow-covered Pico de Orizaba, the highest summit in Mexico. Now it will turn icy cold, especially at night, much different from the steamy lowlands. Enrique begs two sweaters. Before the train pulls out, he runs from car to car, looking into the hollows at the ends of the hoppers, where riders occasionally discard clothing. In one, he finds a blanket.

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As the train starts, Enrique shares his cheese, soda and rolls with two other boys, also headed for the United States. One is 13. The other is 17. Silently, Enrique thanks the food throwers again for the bread.

He relishes the camaraderie: how riders take care of one another, pass along what they know, divide what they have. Camaraderie often means survival. I could get to the north faster alone, he figures, but I might not make it.

The mountains close in. Enrique invites the two boys to share his blanket. Together they will be warmer. The three jam themselves between a grate and an opening on top of a hopper. Enrique stuffs rags under his head for a pillow. The car sways, and its wheels click-clack quietly. They sleep.

The train enters a tunnel, the first of 32 in the Cumbres de Acultzingo, or the Peaks of Acultzingo. Outside is bright sun. Inside is darkness so black that riders cannot see their hands. They shout, Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! and listen for the echo. Enrique and his friends sleep on. Back in the daylight, the train hugs a hillside. Below, a valley is filled with fields of corn, radishes and lettuce, each a different hue of green.

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El Mexicano is the longest tunnel. For eight minutes, the train vanishes inside. Black diesel smoke hugs the tops of the cars. It burns the lungs and stings the eyes. Enriques eyes are closed, but his face and arms turn gray. His nose runs black soot. Engineers fear El Mexicano. If a locomotive overheats, they must stop. Riders spring for the arched exits, gasping for clean air.

Back outside, ice forms on the cars. Riders ache and shiver. Their lips crack, and their eyes grow dull. They hug themselves. They pull their shirts over their mouths to warm themselves with their breath. When the train slows, they jog alongside to ward off the cold. As night falls, some of the older immigrants drink whiskey. Too much and they tumble off. Others gather old clothing and trash and build fires on the ledges over the wheels of the hoppers. Some stand in the warm plumes of diesel smoke.

At dawn, the tracks straighten and level out. At 1 1/2 miles above sea level, the train accelerates to 35 mph. Enrique awakens. He sees cultivated cactus on both sides. Directly in front rise two huge pyramids, the Aztec metropolis of Teotihuacan.

Then he sees switches and semaphores. Housing developments. A billboard for Paradise Spa. A sewage ditch. Taxis.

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The train slows for the station at Lecheria. Enrique gets ready to run.

He is in Mexico City.

::

Suspicion

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The Veracruz hospitality has vanished.

One woman wrinkles her nose when she talks about migrants. She is hesitant to slide the deadbolt on the metal door of her tall stucco fence. Im afraid of them. They talk funny. They are dirty.

Enrique starts knocking on doors. He begs for food. In Mexico City, where crime is rampant, people are often hostile. We dont have anything, they say at house after house, usually through locked doors.

Finally, at one house, another gift: A woman offers him tortillas, beans and lemonade.

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Now he must hide from the state police, who guard the depot at Lecheria, a gritty industrial neighborhood on the northwestern outskirts of Mexico City. He crawls into a 3-foot-wide concrete culvert.

At 10:30 p.m., a northbound train arrives. From Mexico City onward, the rail system is more modern, and trains run so fast that few immigrants ride on top. Enrique and his two friends pick an open boxcar. If they are caught inside, it will be hard to escape, but they count on the scarcity of migra checkpoints in northern Mexico. The boys load cardboard to lie on and stay clean.

Enrique notices a blanket on a nearby hopper. He climbs a ladder to get it and hears a loud buzz from overhead. Live wires carry electricity above the trains for 143 miles north. Once used for locomotives that no longer operate, the wires still carry 25,000 volts to prevent vandalism. Signs warn: Danger--High Voltage. But many of the migrants cannot read.

They do not even need to touch the lines to be killed. The electricity arcs up to 20 inches. Only 36 inches separate the wires from the tallest freight cars, the auto carriers. In railroad offices in Mexico City, computers plot train routes with blue and green lines, and at least once every six months the screens flicker, then black out. An immigrant has crawled on top of a car, been hit by electricity and short-circuited the system. When the computers reboot, the screens flash red where it happened.

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Enrique climbs the hopper car. Carefully, he snatches a corner of the blanket and yanks it down. Then he scrambles back to his boxcar and settles into a bed that he and his friends have fashioned out of straw they found inside.

The boys share a bottle of water and one of juice. They plow through a heavy fog, and Enrique sleeps soundly--too soundly.

He does not sense when police stop their train in the middle of the central Mexican desert. Officers dressed in black find the boys curled under their blanket in the straw. They take them to their jefe, who is cooking a pot of stew over a campfire. He pats them down to check for drugs. Then, instead of arresting them, he gives all three tortillas and water--and toothpaste to clean up.

Enrique is astonished. The jefe lets them re-board the boxcar and tells them to get off the train before San Luis Potosi, where 64 railroad security officers guard the station. At midmorning, Enrique sees two flashing red antennas. The boys jump off the train half a mile south of town.

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Until now, Enrique has opted to keep moving. But here the countryside is too desolate to live off the land, and begging is too chancy. He needs to work if he is going to survive. Besides, he does not want to reach the border penniless. He has heard that U.S. ranchers shoot immigrants who come to beg.

He trudges up a hill to the small home of a brick maker. Politely, Enrique asks for food. The brick maker offers yet another kindness: If Enrique will work, he will get both food and a place to sleep.

Happily, Enrique accepts.

Some migrants say Mexicans exploit illegals for a fraction of the going wage, which is 50 pesos, or about $5, a day. But the brick maker does better than that: 80 pesos. And he gives Enrique shoes and clothing.

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For a day and a half, Enrique works at the brickyard, one of 300 that straddle the tracks on the northern edge of San Luis Potosi. Workers pour clay, water and dried cow manure into large pits. They roll up their pants and stomp on the sloppy concoction, as if pressing grapes to make wine. When the slop becomes a firm brown paste, they slap it into wooden molds. Then they empty the molds on flat ground and let the bricks dry.

The bricks are stacked into pyramids inside ovens as big as rooms. Under the ovens, the fires are stoked with sawdust. Each batch of bricks bakes for 15 hours, sending clouds of black smoke into the sky.

Enriques job is to shovel the clay. At night, he sleeps in a shed on a dirt floor he shares with one of his friends from the train.

I have to get to the border, Enrique tells him.

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Should he take another train? Freight cars have brought him 990 miles from Tapachula near Guatemala. Is he pushing his luck?

His employer says he should ride a Volkswagen van called a combi through a checkpoint about 40 minutes north of town. The authorities wont stop a combi, the brick maker says. Then he should take a bus to Matehuala, and he might be able to get a ride on a truck all the way to Nuevo Laredo on the Rio Grande.

::

The trucker

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Enrique collects his pay, 120 pesos. He spends a few on a toothbrush.

He hails a combi. It breezes through the checkpoint. He pays 83 pesos to board a bus to Matehuala. Outside the bus station, he sees a kindly looking man.

Can you help me? Enrique asks.

The man gives him a place to sleep. The next morning, Enrique walks to a truck stop.

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I dont have any money, he tells every driver he sees. Can you give me a ride however far north you are going?

One after another, they turn him down. If they said yes, police might accuse them of smuggling. Drivers say it is enough to worry about officers planting drugs on their trucks and demanding bribes. Moreover, some of the truckers fear that immigrants might assault them.

Finally, at 10 a.m., one driver takes the risk.

Enrique pulls himself up into the cab of an 18-wheeler hauling beer.

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Where are you from? the driver asks.

Honduras.

Where are you going? The driver has seen boys like Enrique before. Do you have a mom or dad in the United States?

Enrique tells him about his mother.

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A sign at Los Pocitos says, Checkpoint in 100 Meters. The truck idles in line. Then it inches forward. Judicial police officers ask the driver what he is carrying. They want his papers. They peer at Enrique.

The driver is ready: My assistant.

But the officers do not ask.

A few feet farther on, soldiers stop each vehicle to search for drugs and guns. Two fresh-faced recruits wave them through.

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Oblivious to chatter on the truckers two-way radio, Enrique falls asleep. The driver clears two more checkpoints. As he nears the Rio Grande, he stops to eat. He buys Enrique a plate of eggs and refried beans and a soda, another gift.

Riding a truck, Enrique figures, is a dream.

Sixteen miles before the border, he sees a sign: Reduce Your Speed. Nuevo Laredo Customs.

Dont worry, the driver says, la migra check only the buses.

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A sign says, Bienvenidos a Nuevo Laredo. Welcome to Nuevo Laredo.

The driver drops him off. With 30 pesos he has left, he takes a bus that winds into the city.

He has one more piece of good fortune. At the Plaza Hidalgo, in the heart of Nuevo Laredo, Enrique sees a man from Honduras whom he has met on a train. The man takes him to an encampment along the Rio Grande. Enrique likes it. He decides to stay until he can cross.

That night, as the sun sets, Enrique stares across the Rio Grande and gazes at the United States. It looms as a mystery.

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Somewhere over there lives his mother. She has become a mystery too. He was so young when she left that he can barely remember what she looks like: curly hair; eyes like chocolate. Her voice is a distant sound on the phone.

Enrique has spent 47 days bent on nothing but surviving. Now, as he thinks about her, he is overwhelmed.

Next: Chapter Five: A Milky Green River Between Him and His Dream
Los Angeles officials announced that they have apprehended the suspect who they believed started the Palisades fire in the western part of the city. NBC News reported that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas made the announcement on Monday morning during a news conference.

It can be remembered that the brush fire prompted at least 1,000 evacuations in the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles and endangered at least 500 homes in the community. The livestock in the area was also transferred to an emergency animal shelter built in Pierce College.

READ NEXT: California Wildfire Allegedly Started to Cover Up Murder

Palisades Suspect Arrested

The arson suspect was arrested on Sunday around 2:30 in the afternoon near the fire zone after the fire zone after another person was detained but released, said Fire Chief Terrazas in the news conference. Terrazas also underscore that they feel they have the "right person," adding that an investigation is still ongoing.

Authorities noted that the suspect is treated for smoke inhalation on Monday. Los Angeles officials did not further any details about the suspect, such as the identity and what specifically led to the apprehension.

Officials highlighted that the Palisades fire is the result of at least two different fires that might have been started by an arsonist near Santa Ynez Falls around 10 in the evening on Friday before another flame was kindled nearby.

"There wasn't enough wind for embers. Under normal conditions you would consider that [spreading of fire]," said Chief Terrazas emphasizing that multiple points of origins of the fire will make people think what happened was natural.

Regardless of what caused the Palisades fire, USA Today noted that the officials and residents of California are bracing themselves for the fire season this year. This is because the state underwent two consecutive winters of below-average rainfall that made most of the state in drought condition. Due to the phenomenon, millions of acres and terrains in the state are ready to burn.

What Happened in the Palisades Fire?

As of late Monday morning, the fire has burned at least 1,325 acres. Authorities also noted that the fire was still in zero percent containment by late Monday morning. However, USA Today noted that the tally for both is expected to grow.

Firefighters have relied on aircraft that drop water due to the rugged and steep terrain the fire is ignited to. The approach was limited to the helicopters overnight and airplanes with fire retardant were dangerous in the morning because of the foggy conditions. About 540 firefighters from agencies in Southern California responded over the weekend and on Monday.

"We're putting everything we can on this," said Mayor Garcetti.

Terrazas said that the size of the Palisades Fire does not usually occur in Los Angeles during May. The fire chief also acknowledged that they have to "think of brush fire" as a challenge all year round. In 2020, fire season set records of burning 4.25 million acres with nearly 10,000 blazes.

READ MORE: California Wildfire Burns Through Nearly 2,000 Acres, Firefighters Gain Ground

WATCH: Officials Suspect Arson In The Pacific Palisades Fire - from CBS Los Angeles
Border patrol rescued at least 23 illegal immigrants on board a suspected smuggling boat on the San Diego coast on Monday. A border patrol spokesman confirmed with Fox News that an agent from their department that operates a vehicle-based video surveillance system noticed a "panga type vessel" around 2:50 a.m.

Illegal Immigrants Rescued by Border Patrol

Onboard the panga style boat that was intercepted early Monday morning were 20 men and three women and was brought to the San Diego lifeguard headquarters. Border patrol agents determined that all 23 individuals were illegal immigrants. Border Patrol Supervisory Agent Jeffrey Stephenson confirmed that the 23 illegal immigrants were composed of 20 men from Mexico and three women from Guatemala.

As enforcements were heightened in borders, The San Deigo Union-Tribune noted there is an increase in illegal migrants turning to the sea to cross the U.S. border. A spokesman confirmed with Fox News that there is a 32 percent increase in maritime arrests during the Fiscal year 2020. The spokesman also underscored an increase in narcotics seizures through maritime smuggling events.

READ NEXT: One of Two Migrants Dies After Border Patrol Vehicle Ran Over Them in Texas Border

How was the Suspected Smuggling Boat Discovered?

At around 2:50 a.m., a border patrol agent spotted the panga-style boat near the rocks off Sunset Cliffs Boulevard near Osprey Street. In response, the coastguard deployed a small boat and tried to get in contact with the suspect's smuggling boat. However, the operator of the vehicle did not respond and ignored their commands to stop.

It was reported that the panga style boat's engine stopped, and it drifted closer to the shore and was stuck in the surf line. Officials feared that the boat would capsize just like the boat earlier in May that resulted in the death of at least three immigrants. San Diego lifeguard and San Diego Police then arrived and pulled the panga-style boat ashore and removed the illegal immigrants inside the boat.

The panga-style boat was taken by the border patrol agents and an investigation is ongoing. Authorities did not further out the details about the operator of the panga-style boat that carried 23 illegal migrants on the coast of San Diego.

Smuggling Boat

The interception of the boat happened weeks after another smuggling boat was spotted in the San Diego Coast earlier in May, leaving three dead and 27 injured illegal migrants after it hit a reef near Point Loma, causing the passengers to jump off the boat.

The San Diego Union-Tribune emphasized that the passengers on the said boat paid around $15,000 - $18,000 for the trip. The boat captain, Antonio Hurtado, was identified as a U.S. citizen and is charged with attempting to bring undocumented immigrants into the United States at a place other than a port of entry and assault of a federal officer.

READ MORE: Border Apprehensions Slightly Rise in April as Unaccompanied Minors Drop - CBP

WATCH: Border Patrol intercepts boat off San Diego coast carrying 23 illegal - from News Pilot
Returned migrants, who were barred from entering the United States, are the latest target of violence and abuse in Mexico.

The migrants are being returned to Reynosa, which is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico. Several Central American women said that thousands of dollars they paid to ensure passage to the U.S. border had disappeared upon arrival, NBC News reported.

The Biden administration has returned them to Mexico in a matter of hours under Title 42, which seeks to block the entry of migrants to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.

These returned migrants continue to apply to single adults and most migrant families. The U.S. had encountered almost 112,000 expulsions in April alone.

One of the returned migrants, Maribel, 47, said she has already been a victim of abuses and violence upon her return.

In her hotel room in Reynosa, she detailed how she and her teenage son were kidnapped for five days, and the suspects took their phones and money.

Maribel said the kidnappers, via the coyote who had helped them reached north, had contacted her family in El Salvador. They asked for a $3,000 ransom to release them directly into the river that separates Mexico from the U.S.

She said they then threw them into the river "for nothing" as the U.S. immigration sent them back. Maribel now shares a tent in Reynosa's main square with her son and 10 other people.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Plans to Demote the Second Top U.S. Customs and Border Protection Official: Report

Abuses Against Returned Migrants

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that asylum seekers sent to Mexico had suffered violence and extortion by Mexican police, immigration agents, and criminal groups.

The U.S. has effectively closed its southern border to asylum seekers since January 2019. Former president Donald Trump has imposed Remain in Mexico program, and more than 71,000 asylum seekers have been sent back to Mexico to wait for their asylum hearings, HRW reported.

The U.S. has also started expelling migrants more than 400,000 times since March 2020 under travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at HRW, said the U.S. and Mexican governments had abandoned migrant families to suffer extortion and violence in Mexico.

President Joe Biden had suspended new enrollments for asylum seekers under the Remain in Mexico policy when he took office. He then allowed the 25,000 asylum seekers to begin signing up to receive a date to enter the U.S.

Remain in Mexico Program

In February, a United Nations (UN) official said that a group of 25 asylum seekers was allowed into the U.S. It started the efforts to undo the Trump administration's most restrictive immigration policy, which had forced many migrants to wait in Mexico.

The U.S. government had earlier expressed interest in funding flights that would bring back certain people blocked by Trump policy, Reuters reported.

During his campaign, Biden has vowed to end the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the Remain in Mexico program, which is a policy that denied entry to more than 65,000 who are mostly Central American asylum seekers.

Dana Graber Ladek, chief of mission for the UN's International Organization for Migration in Mexico, said in February that the U.S. and the UN are reviewing the locations of migrants and costs related to possible flights and land transportation within Mexico.

READ MORE: Appeals Court Lifts Block on Trump Policy Expelling Migrant Children Without Court Hearings

WATCH: Migrants Returned to Mexico Describe Harsh Treatment by U.S. - From Doctors Without Borders / MSF-USA




Developed by Elon Musk's electric car company, a Tesla car in autopilot mode crashed into a Snohomish County's patrol car in Washington, causing significant damage.

The incident happened in 103rd Avenue NE on Saturday after an officer parked the patrol car. Apart from the significant damage in front of the patrol car, there were no casualties or injuries reported in connection to the incident.

READ NEXT: Bill Gates Faces Sexual Misconduct Claims After Divorce

The Accident Involving a Tesla Car in Autopilot Mode

Q13 Fox reported that the deputy, who was driving the patrol car, responded to a call that a vehicle had hit a power pole and sheared it in half.

The deputy has parked his vehicle on the side of the road with his emergency lights flashing. About 30 seconds after he had gotten out of the patrol car to speak with firefighters, a Tesla in autopilot mode crashed on the deputy's vehicle, Associated Press reported.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the patrol car got significant damage on its driver's side. Q13 Fox cited a Facebook post from Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, saying that autopilot "cannot be relied upon to" when trying to get safely to a destination.

More Recorded Accidents Involving Tesla Cars

This is not the first time that a Tesla autopilot crashed and prompted accidents. Earlier in May, a Tesla car reported to be in autopilot mode was caught in a fatal crash in Fontana, a city 50 miles from Los Angeles, The Guardian reported.

A 35-year-old victim identified as Steven Michael Hendrickson died when his Tesla Model 3 struck an overturned truck on a freeway.

An Instagram video in Hendrickson's account, which was already deleted, showed that the 35-year-old man was sitting in the driver's seat without his hands on the wheel and foot on the pedal as his Tesla car drove the freeway traffic.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) underscored that their preliminary investigations revealed that Tesla's partially automated system was engaged. However, the CHP backpedaled on their statement, saying it was still determining what driving mode the Tesla was in or if it was a contributing factor to the crash.

Elon Musk Says Tesla Autopilot Not to Blame

In April, Elon Musk tweeted that the autopilot mode of Tesla should not be blamed for the fatal crashes. Elon Musk's tweet comes as two men were killed in Texas after their Tesla crashed into a tree and caught fire.

Your research as a private individual is better than professionals @WSJ!



Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD.



Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2021

Elon Musk argued that data logs on the Texas incident in April indicated that the Tesla autopilot was not turned on. Elon Musk added that the standard autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which the Texas street, where the said accident happened, did not have.

The autopilot in Tesla vehicles, which is now standard, does not always perfectly identify lane markers. Reports said it could confuse sealed road cracks and bike lanes with other lane markers.

READ MORE: Colonial Pipeline Attack Hackers Got Nearly $5 Million in Ransom

WATCH: TESLA AUTOPILOT FAILS and Crashes - From Stan Lettink
An alleged Capitol rioter from Colorado is now facing house arrest after shooting a mountain lion. Identified as Patrick Montgomery, New York Post reported that the Capitol rioter faced a possible house arrest because he was not supposed to have a gun in the first place.

Patrick Montgomery has received a 10-count indictment for his role in the Capitol riot last January 6. Authorities then released him on the condition that banned him from owning a gun.

READ NEXT: Alaska Woman Claims Feds Searched her Home for Nancy Pelosi's Laptop

When Was the Mountain Lion Shot?

CBS Local reported that court documents showed that Patrick Montgomery, 48, shot a mountain lion at a Denver park in Colorado on March 31.

The Washington Post noted that Montgomery allegedly posed with the 170-pound cat with his arms wrapped around the corpse after shooting the animal. The Capitol rioter reportedly used a handgun to kill the animal.

Montgomery followed the state's rules in harvesting mountain lions, such as getting permits and reporting the kill for officials to inspect.

However, the Colorado man violated the state law when he allegedly pursued a bobcat on January 25 for more than 11 miles with his hunting dogs. Washington Post underscored that the state does not permit using a slingshot or dogs to kill a "furbearer."

The Consequences that the Capitol Rioter Faces After Shooting the Mountain Lion

Patrick Montgomery violated the condition of his pre-trial release on February 2, as he used a handgun to shoot the mountain lion.

Because of this, the federal prosecutors have filed a motion to revoke his pretrial release and asked the judge to place him under house arrest with a GPS monitor. Aside from the house arrest, the Colorado man can also face new state charges.

"Montgomery has flagrantly violated the law and has shown by his actions that he is unlikely to abide by Court order," the prosecutors said in the motion filed against the Capitol rioter. The government was notified on May 6 that Montgomery was in possession of an illegal firearm, specifically "a .357" magnum handgun, on March 31.

Capitol Rioter and His Records

Apart from being banned from owning any firearm, Patrick Montgomery was reported to be previously convicted for three counts of robbery in New Mexico in 1996. New York Post reported that during that time, the Colorado man spent six years behind bars.

When asked by the Colorado Parks and Wildfire about his robbery charge, Montgomery claimed that he was allowed to carry firearms for hunting purposes. However, officials could not find any provision in the court documents that allowed him to carry firearms.

Apart from the recent mountain lion that he killed, officials from Colorado underscored that the Capitol rioter was a "prolific hunter" who claimed to trap at least 100 mountain lions in the past five years, including 20 in the last hunting season.

READ MORE: House GOP Questions Pelosi on Capitol Riot Security Failures

WATCH: Alleged U.S. Capitol Rioter Patrick Montgomery Faces Arrest After Hunting Mountain Lion - From CBS Denver
Are Apple, Tesla, and Bitcoin Entering Market Technical Excess Top Phase?

In the first part of this research series, I highlighted the broad market cycles and what technical analysts call the Excess Phase Top process, which usually takes place after the markets peak and set up a downward price trend. There are a number of technical setups that take place throughout this process. Today, I will be exploring the charts of Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), and Bitcoin (BTC) to see where they are in the process.

The suggestion I am making by highlighting these market trends and setups is that a Cash Position is a viable allocation of capital away from risks and losses. Many traders dont view a cash position as a properly allocated use of capital. We believe taking a cash position at the right times can and does provide very clear benefits, including:

Eliminating risks of further losses/drawdowns. Setting up a process of protecting cash and waiting for a confirmed re-entry trigger. Avoiding the failure of buying into a declining market  which is one of the biggest faults of active traders. Using the Cash position as a hedge against shifting currency/market valuations.

Remember, in many cases, broad market downtrends are often associated with bigger trends in currencies and global market sectors. Chasing these trends can lead to further risks if you are not careful and skilled in your trading decisions. Keeping your capital in a Cash Allocation/Position is often the easiest and safest way for you to ride out volatile downside price trends and allows you to re-deploy your cash into new trades when the time is right.

Understanding Broad Market Cycles & Trends

Before we get started, we are going to share the broader market cycles chart with you to refresh your memory (or if you missed the first part of this research article).

Before looking at the charts, please bear in mind that these patterns often take place over many months. Usually, the initial topping (#1) phase and flagging formation (#2) take place over a 60 to 90+ day span of time. Yes, sometimes these setups can take place over shorter spans of time, but usually, they last over 60+ days.

Additionally, the breakdown of the Flag formation (#2), which leads to the setup of intermediate support (#3), can often take many months to complete as well. My research team and I have seen the Flagging setup last well over 30 days at times and after the immediate support level is reached, markets sometimes attempt to move sideways for many weeks/months before attempting to break below that support level.

APPLE Continues To Flag Out  Watch for potential breakdown below $115

The Weekly AAPL chart below highlights the rally from $35 to over $140 over the past 2.5 years (notice the price split that happened in 2020). This rally reached a peak near January 25, 2021 (#1) and has fallen nearly 20% from the peak levels before starting a sideways Flag formation (#2). This type of setup completes the first two processes of the Excess Phase Top setup and aligns with the broader market cycles to suggest we may have entered the Complacency phase of price trending.

The sideways Flagging pattern (#2) on this chart suggests AAPL may continue to move within this price channel before attempting to either recover, by moving to new highs or to break below the $115 level (#3), which would confirm the next phase of the Excess Phase Top pattern. \

If we see any continued breakdown in price, traders need to prepare for the markets to attempt to move downward, targeting historical support levels, where we expect price to consolidate for many weeks/months. I have drawn a YELLOW line near a very clear support level for AAPL near $80 as a potential downside price target. If this Excess Phase Top pattern fails, we will likely see AAPL rally back above $145 and attempt to break into a new bullish trending phase.

Tesla Breaks Below Flag Channels  Whats Next?

The following Weekly TSLA chart highlights the rally from $73 to over $900 over the past year (note the price split that happened in 2020). This rally also reached a peak near January 25, 2021 (#1) and has fallen nearly 40% from the peak levels before starting a sideways Flag formation (#2). At this phase of price action, we can see TSLA has recently broken below the lower Flag price channel and may be attempting to start a downward price trend where price will seek out intermediate support.

I have drawn a YELLOW line near a very clear support level for TSLA near $430 as a potential downside price target for this next phase of the Excess Phase Top pattern (#3). From a technical standpoint, if the support level near recent lows, near $540, holds, and price is unable to move below this level, then we may see a technical failure of the Excess Phase Top pattern.

Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report!

The move to the intermediate support level, which must be lower than the lows of the Flag formation, is critical in confirming the move into Complacency and the transition into Anxiety on the Broad Market Cycle example. Without this subsequent breakdown in price happening, we would consider the Excess Phase Top pattern potentially invalid (or failed) and start to watch for any new upside price trending  eventually targeting recent highs near $780. At this point, the $540 lows have become the new critical price level for TSLA and we are expecting price to continue to move lower, possibly breaching the $540 level.

Bitcoin Gaps Lower After Peak & Breaks Flag Lows  Whats Next?

This last chart for Daily BTC Futures highlights the rally from $10,200 to over $65,500 over the past 7.5 months. This rally reached a peak near April 14, 2021 (#1) and Gapped lower on April 19, 2021. The recent downside price move from that peak totaled nearly -27% before starting a sideways Flag formation (#2). In order to confirm the next phase of this Excess Phase Top pattern, we would watch for price to break lower, breaking the Flag formation channels, and attempt to break below the recent support level near $47,440. If we see a strong breakdown in price where closing price levels break below $47,440, I would expect price to move quickly below $40,000 and attempt to seek out critical support.

I have drawn a YELLOW line near a very clear support level for BTC near $34,250 as a potential downside price target for this next phase of the Excess Phase Top pattern (#3).

Recently, Bitcoin broke below the Flag formation lower channel and briefly traded below support near $47,440. If we continue to see downward price trending where price closes below this level, I would consider this technical confirmation of the Excess Phase Top pattern, suggesting price will attempt to continue moving lower while trying to seek out intermediate support (near the YELLOW line possibly).

At this point, Bitcoin is showing moderate weakness and has already attempted to break recent support. Any confirmation of further downward trending could push us out of the Complacency phase and into the Anxiety phase of the broad market cycles. Are you ready for whats next?

The question of Should You Be In Cash right now is a very valid concern for many traders/investors. Learning how to identify and understand risks and technical patterns/setups in the markets is critical to understanding how to protect and grow your wealth. Additionally, learning to use the Cash Position, and proper position sizing, as a valid type of trading allocation is essential, in our thinking, to protect your assets throughout volatile market trends. The next 12 to 24 months are almost certain to include much higher price volatility and big price rotations/trends, which will translate into incredible opportunities for traders/investors. You can learn more about how I identify and trade Gold, Silver, and the markets by watching my FREE step-by-step guide to finding and trading the best sectors.

For those who believe in the power of trading on relative strength, market cycles, and momentum but dont have the time to do the research every day then my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service does all the work for you with daily pre-market reports, proprietary research, and trade alerts. More frequent or experienced traders have been killing it trading options, ETFs, and stocks using my BAN Hotlist ranking the hottest ETFs, which is updated daily for my premium subscribers. Sign up today!

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




An Arizona mom was charged with murder for allegedly killing her two children with a meat cleaver. Suspect Yui Inoue, 40, was arrested on two counts of first-degree murder, police in Tempe, Arizona said on Saturday.

Spokesperson Sergeant Steve Carbajal said the two victims, aged 7 and 9, had experienced extreme physical trauma before they died, Law and Crime reported.

Carbajal added that several pieces of information and evidence led detectives to believe that the meat cleaver was the weapon used during the crime.

Yui Inoue made her first court appearance on Monday over the loss of life of her two children. The Arizona mom reportedly contacted the police first. She flagged down officers at a police substation on East Apache Boulevard early Saturday morning.

Police said that Yui Inoue was primarily speaking Japanese and told cops that voices in her head told her to kill her children.

READ NEXT: Couple Commits Suicide Pact With 5-Month-Old Infant After Dad Was Diagnosed With Incurable Cancer

The Incident Involving the Arizona Mom

Authorities had called Yui Inoue's husband. They then found out that the two had filed for divorce in April and had fought the night before over money, ABC News Go reported.

Inoue had reportedly wanted to move to Japan. Inoue's husband told investigators that he slept in his car in a parking lot on Friday night after arguing about money. He said that he did not think that the Arizona mom would harm their children. According to her husband, she tried to stab him, so he left at around 12:30 a.m.

Police had been called to their apartment earlier Saturday morning due to a domestic dispute involving the couple. But police at the time had seen no reason to contact child welfare authorities then.

Investigators had arrested the Arizona mom after they noticed that she had what appeared to be blood on her heel, as well as several small cuts on her fingers.

Tempe police had also found the meat clever with a six-inch blade from the suspect's car. The meat cleaver was inside a bag containing clothes with bloodstains. Carbajal further noted that there were bloodstains in her vehicle, according to an Independent report.

Police questioned the Arizona mom through a Japanese interpreter. Inoue said that she had no memory that she had killed her children.

When she woke up, she found out that she had blood on her hands and arms. She said she took a bath before heading to the police station.

A different set of officers had discovered the mutilated bodies of Yui Inoue's 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son when they followed up and visited their apartment at Tempe in Phoenix, Arizona.

Carbajal said it was different when the victims were as young as seven and nine.

Yui Inoue's Court Appearance

Prosecutor Jay Rademacher asked that Inoue be held on a $2 million cash bond. Rademacher said that the victims were helpless and did everything they could to fight their mother.

The Arizona mom had put her head down on the podium when she heard the prosecutor describing her children's injuries.

The commissioner ordered that she be held on the requested bond, surrender her passport, and wear an electronic monitoring device.

The commissioner had also ordered the Arizona mom a court-appointed defense attorney. However, it was not immediately known if one had already been assigned. Yui Inoue's next court appearance is on May 25.

READ MORE: Psychologist Mom Killed Twin Daughters Before Committing Suicide

WATCH: Mother Facing Murder Charges After Two Children Were Found Dead in Tempe Apartment - From ABC15 Arizona




Three people wanted for the murder of a Georgia mom were arrested in Mexico over the weekend. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said they had arrested three of the five suspects wanted in the April murder of Rossana Delgado.

The bureau identified them as Oscar Manuel Garcia, 26; Juan Antonio Vega, 25; and Megan Colone, 30, WSBTV reported. They were arrested with the help of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta, HSI Harlingen, Texas and Attache Matamoros, Mexico.

Rossana Delgado, a Hispanic who lives in Barrow County, disappeared last April 16 from the DeKalb County area. Four days after being reported missing, the body of the 37-year-old mom of two was found in a cabin in Gilmer County.

The husband of the victim, Johnny Castro, said that his wife was finishing a fare driving for taxi service when she vanished.

READ NEXT: Killer Dad Chris Watts Spends 36th Birthday Alone in Prison: 'He's an Outcast,' Says Source

What Happened to Rossana Delgado?

Johnny Castro said that his wife was at Plaza Fiesta off Buford Highway when he talked to her last. The Georgia mom mentioned that she was about 30 minutes away from her client's house.

However, Castro said that Rossana Delgado did not come home that night. That's why he tried to track her through her cellphone and found out that her last location was in a home near Decatur. Castro said they found a mask with some blood at that location, prompting them to call the police immediately.

As the investigation continues, police have yet to reveal the suspects' motive or how the Georgia mom was killed. But investigators handling the case had released the name of four suspects but had not identified Vega, who is the fifth suspect, until recently.

On April 30, or the 10th day after the body was discovered, police recovered the red Ford Focus of Rossana Delgado and two vehicles that belonged to two of the suspects wanted in her murder.

Authorities arrested Calvin Harvard, 28, and charged him with tampering with evidence and theft by receiving stolen property. Police said Harvard has the Georgia mom's car, which had been reported stolen.

Meanwhile, the three arrested suspects were all returned to the U.S. and currently in Texas jail facilities before being extradited to Georgia to face the murder charges against them, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Investigators said that Colone was traveling with her children, who have been safely returned to the U.S.

The Search Continues for the Other Suspects

Despite the progress on the case, the threat in public remains as there are still two suspects remaining at large. Investigators said they are still looking for Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez, 29; and Juan Ayala-Rodriguez, 35.

Authorities asked the public to call the GBI Tipline at 1-800-597-8477 if anyone has information regarding the suspects' whereabouts. But they also reminded the public not to approach the wanted suspects and just call 911 immediately, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

READ MORE: New Mexico Man Tied to Aryan Brotherhood; Faces Charges After Junking Car With 3 Dead Bodies Inside

WATCH: 3 Arrested in Connection With Rossana Delgado's Death - From 11Alive
A North Dakota man committed suicide inside a federal courtroom after he was served with a guilty verdict, according to officials.

A U.S. Marshal said that the man was on trial at the Fargo courthouse. The Kansas City Star reported that when the jury served the guilty verdict, the man had produced an edged weapon and cut his throat in front of the judge.

The judge, courtroom staff, and others had witnessed the suicide act. Meanwhile, the jury had already left the room.

Security officers and deputy marshals tried to save the man's life. However, he was pronounced dead on the scene due to his injuries.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Kevin Smith said that they have questions regarding the incident, such as how the sharp object gets into the courtroom and what people saw him do.

North Dakota US Marshal Dallas Carlson affirmed that the North Dakota man had procured a sharp object and slashed his throat.

Meanwhile, the FBI spokesperson did not know which charge the man had been convicted, according to an ABC News Go report.

READ MORE: Kansas Rep. Mark Samsel Charged for Kneeing Student in Groin Gets Back to Work

North Dakota Man

The North Dakota man had been charged with reckless endangerment and assault for allegedly running someone over with a Jeep, according to court documents.

The man was also facing terrorizing charge after he reportedly brandished a weapon.

Smith said that the FBI had officially opened an investigation on the case, saying that they need to document the incident officially.

The presiding judge at the time was U.S. District Judge Peter Welte, according to a Fox News report.

Suicide Rates U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health report.

The suicide rates decreased from 12.5 in 1990 to 10.4 suicides per 100,000 in 2000.

However, the rate has once again increased. Around 121 Americans die every day by suicide. This translates to one person killing themselves every 12 minutes.

In 2015, there were 1,104,825 attempted suicide across the country. Around one person attempts suicide every 31 seconds during this period, according to a WMICH report.

Psychological studies stated that more than 90 percent of completed suicides had one or more mental disorders, particularly depressive disorder.

Males represent 77.9 percent of all suicides. They take their own lives four times the rate of females.

Meanwhile, females are more likely than males to have suicidal thoughts.

When it comes to males, firearms are the most commonly used method of suicide, with 56.9 percent.

For females, poisoning is the most common method of suicide, with 34.8 percent.

Regarding ethnic group comparison, Whites of all ages was the second-highest rate and higher than the overall U.S. rate of 13.8.

The highest rate in the White population, 51.75 per 100,000 was found among adult males 85 and older.

Meanwhile, suicide was the 16th leading cause of death for Blacks of all ages and the third leading cause of death for young Black males ages 15-24.

READ NEXT: Texas Brothers Kill Entire Family in a Murder-Suicide Pact

WATCH: Fargo man commits suicide in court after 'bad news' from the judge -from News Pilot




The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously that police illegally seized the firearms of a Rhode Island man, violating his Fourth Amendment rights.

The SCOTUS decision overturned a ruling by the 1st Circuit Court, which stated that police officers handling the case were well within their right to confiscate the man's firearms, Daily Wire reported.

The court decision is related to a domestic violence call in 2015 that the police responded to.

Fourth Amendment Violation

According to court documents, police officers responded to a call from the wife of Edward Caniglia. The wife believes that his husband was suicidal after he brought out a handgun, put it on the table, and instructed her to "shoot him and get it over with."

That night, she left the house but eventually sought the help of the police to conduct a welfare check after she was not able to reach him.

Police arrived at the residence and found Canaglia sitting on the porch. They were able to convince him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Caniglia agreed, but under one condition: the police will not seize his firearms.

However, when Caniglia was taken to the hospital for evaluation, police still entered his home and confiscated Caniglia's two firearms even without a warrant. The police justified their actions, saying Caniglia was considered to be a "threat to himself and to others."

This prompted Caniglia to sue the police, arguing a Fourth Amendment violation. The federal court and the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals both stated that the police were within their rights to confiscate Caniglia's weapons.

Cady Case is "Irrelevant"

Both courts argued "community caretaking exception," as established in the Cady v Dombrowski case. However, the Supreme Court said the Cady case cannot be applied to Caniglia's.

As Justice Clarence Thomas explained, the Cady case "is not an open-ended license to perform [the community caretaking functions] anywhere."

ALSO READ: 3 Wanted for Murder of Missing Georgia Mom Arrested in Mexico

Justice Thomas furthered the court's view that warrantless searches and seizures in the home are not justifiable. However, he clarified that the warrantless search of an impounded vehicle for an unsecured firearm in the Cady case did not violate the Fourth Amendment.

Justice Thomas also emphasized that the very core of the Fourth Amendment's guarantee is the right of a person to retreat into his or her home and "there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion."

The American Civil Liberties Union, the Cato Institute, and the American Conservative Union filed a joint amicus curiae brief in the case. They argue that the Cady case should not be applied in Caniglia's complaint.

Other organizations also filed amicus curiae briefs include the Institute for Justice, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Association of Suicidology, Firearms Police Coalition, The Rutherford Institute, Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Pacific Legal Foundation, and the Constitutional Accountability Center, SCOTUS Blog reported.

RELATED ARTICLE: Elon Musk Tesla on Autopilot Crashes Into a Patrol Car in Washington

WATCH: Supreme Court rules against police in warrantless search of RI man's home FROM-Stream News


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More than 11.23 million vaccinations have been administered to 6.75 million Pennsylvanians, according to combined data from the state and Philadelphia health departments, accounting for 60.9% of the states 12-and-older population who have gotten at least one shot. There are 4.88 million people  44% of those eligible  who are fully immunized against COVID-19, with an additional 1.87 million people waiting for their second shot.
Seven South Main Street residents are displaced after a fire broke out Sunday evening in Hot Plate Southern Kitchen restaurant.

Firefighters were called out about 8:04 p.m. Sunday for a fire in the rear of 163-165 S. Main St., Phillipsburg fire Chief Richard A. Hay said in a news release. The restaurant, which was closed Sunday night, is on the first floor and there are apartments on the upper two floors.

All residents were safely evacuated from the building by the Phillisburg Police Department and firefighters rescued numerous animals. Five neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution, but they were not damaged by the fire.

A fire broke out Sunday, May 16, 2021, in the rear of Hot Plate Southern Kitchen, 163-165 S. Main St. in Phillipsburg.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

The fire was contained to the rear of the restaurant and the basement, the news release states. It took firefighters about 25 minutes to put out the blaze, which left the restaurant with smoke, water and fire damage. The upper level apartments sustained extensive smoke damage. The building is uninhabitable, Hay, who did not have an estimate on the total damage, said.

An investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is being conducted by the police department and the Warren County fire marshal.

The seven displaced residents are being assisted by the Morris County chapter of the American Red Cross. About 55 firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire. No residents or emergency responders were injured.

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Q. I have worked in New Jersey for a few years and I am now collecting New Jersey unemployment. Can I continue to collect when my pension from New York City begins? Do I need to report the pension to unemployment? Is the pension considered a wage?

 Jobless

A. Were sorry to hear you lost your job, but its great that you will have a pension.

The specifics of the pension are whats important here.

Assuming you continue to meet all of the eligibility criteria for collecting New Jersey unemployment benefits, you would generally be permitted to collect unemployment benefits while you are collecting a pension, said Charles Pawlik, a certified financial planner and chartered financial analyst with Beacon Trust in Morristown.

As per the Department of Labor website, to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in 2021, you need to have earned a minimum of $220 per week during 20 or more weeks in covered employment during the base year period, or have earned at least $11,000 in total covered employment during the base year period, he said.

The base year period consists of the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file an initial claim, he said.

In order to continue receiving benefits, you are also required to be able to work, be actively seeking work, and be available for and not refuse an offer of suitable work, though those rules were relaxed during the pandemic.

Generally speaking, Pawlik said, not all pensions affect unemployment claims, however income from pensions may affect the amount of unemployment benefits you are eligible to receive.

Your unemployment benefits could be reduced if you are receiving a pension from an employer whom your claim is based on, Pawlik said. Under that circumstance, the potential impact to your unemployment benefits of collecting a pension would depend on whether or not you contributed towards the pension.

If contributions to the pension were made solely by your base year period employer, then New Jersey requires that your unemployment benefit be reduced by 100% of the value of your weekly pension payment, he said. If both you and your base year period employer contributed towards your pension, then your unemployment benefit may be reduced by 50% of the value of your weekly pension payment, he said.

And there would be no reduction in your unemployment benefits if your employer made no contributions towards the pension.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
By BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press

After an unprecedented 14-month recess in the murder trial of multimillionaire Robert Durst, the judge in the case welcomed back jurors and asked: Where did we leave off?

The laughter that followed may have reflected that memories from six days at trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court before the case was adjourned in March last year had dimmed in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.

Whatever they may have forgotten about Durst  from the cloud of suspicion that has dogged him for decades to his claims of innocently being trailed by bad luck  they will be reminded Tuesday in a new round of opening arguments. Durst is an alumnus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

The unusual move is just one of several made to get the trial back on track without having to go through the painstaking process of picking a new jury.

Judge Mark Windham moved the case to a larger courtroom in Inglewood to accommodate the distancing needed to resume. Lawyers are spaced out in jury boxes on both sides of the courtroom, Plexiglas separates participants, and the 21 jurors in the case, including nine alternates, are seated several seats and rows apart in the gallery. Only one journalist and one member of the public are allowed in the courtroom.

Durst, 78, an heir to a New York commercial real estate empire, is jin in the slaying of his best friend, Susan Berman. She was shot in the back of the head at her Los Angeles home in December 2000.

In 2001 when Durst was a fugitive and being sought for Bermans murder, he was captured when he tried to steal a hoagie, a Band-Aid and a newspaper from the Wegmans in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Durst had $500 in his pocket when he was arrested. The items he tried to steal cost less than $10.

Durst has pleaded not guilty to Bermans murder. His lawyer said Durst didnt kill her and doesnt know who did, though he conceded at opening statements last year that Durst found her body, putting him at the crime scene for the first time.

Durst, who is frail and sickly, did not appear in court Monday.

Bailiffs reported that he refused to leave the Los Angeles County jail cell, Windham said. But defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin questioned that account, saying jailers previously failed to get Durst and inaccurately reported he was willfully absent.

Windham denied a defense request to suspend the case further because Durst has bladder cancer, among myriad other health problems that require hospitalization.

The question isnt whether he can endure the rigors of the trial, DeGuerin said. Its whether he can survive at all.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin scoffed at claims Durst needed to be released to a hospital for treatment, saying he was getting high-quality care at the jail.

Its a get out of jail free card, Lewin said. The goal here is simply to have this trial go away.

The two sides have often gotten into heated arguments. Tensions exploded Monday afternoon into hollering and mutual accusations of lying over an evidence issue.

As Windham tried to regain control of the courtroom, he pointed at Lewin and DeGuerin with both hands and said, Sit down! No speaking. Sit down. ... We are going to be silent now.

The judge, who chimes a gong when adjourning for the day, took a brief meditative moment and then let DeGuerin speak.

Dursts lawyers have repeatedly  and unsuccessfully  sought a mistrial. They said the unprecedented delay would harm Dursts ability to get a fair trial because jurors preoccupied with their own health and safety wouldnt be able to pick up where they left off.

Windham denied each of those motions, saying he would bring the jury back to court when it was safe to do so.

I do not want to go with another jury selection process, he said at a hearing in June. If we have to wait, well wait.

After waiting 430 days, Windham, wearing a black mask, stepped off the bench Monday, approached the jurors and addressed the pandemics toll.

Youve likely had losses or like me know people that have lost loved ones, he said.

He asked jurors to write in their notepads if they had seen stories about the Durst case or discussed it with anyone during the break and if they had any health concerns or hardships that would prevent them from serving another four to five months.

After speaking with nine jurors in his chambers, he dismissed one.

Durst is only on trial in the killing of Berman, the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster whom he became friends with in college, but prosecutors are using the disappearance of his wife and the killing of an elderly neighbor in Texas to bolster their case.

He was arrested in New Orleans in 2015 on the eve of the final episode of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, an HBO documentary probing the three cases.

Berman served as Dursts spokeswoman when his wife, Kathie, vanished in New York in 1982 and she helped him cover his tracks, prosecutors said.

Durst has long been suspected of killing his wife, whose body was never found, though hes denied any role in her disappearance.

Prosecutors in Westchester County, New York, said Monday they were reviewing the killing of Kathie Durst as one of several unsolved homicides.

When news broke in the fall of 2000 that the Westchester district attorney had reopened the case, Durst went into hiding in Texas and knocked off Berman before she could tell police she helped him cover up the killing, prosecutors claim.

Nine months later, he fatally shot his neighbor, Morris Black, in the Galveston, Texas, boarding house where they lived. He was acquitted in the case after he testified he shot the man in self-defense and then in a panic cut up the mans body and tossed it out to sea.

Los Angeles prosecutors said he killed Black because the older man had discovered his identity.

Dursts lawyers have said he will testify again in this trial, a rare and risky move for a defendant.

Lewin, who has had loud and testy exchanges with DeGuerin and other members of the defense team, said Monday that he was savoring the chance to cross-examine Durst.

Get your popcorn and candy and a lounge chair because its going to be a while, Lewin said.

Associated Press reporter Karen Matthews contributed to this story from New York.
A 26-year-old Monroe County man fought off five people -- shooting two of them; killing one and seriously wounding the other -- who entered his home late Monday afternoon to rob him, Pennsylvania State Police report.

The incident was reported at 5:45 p.m. in the 900 block of Mckinley Way in Smithfield Township, police said.

Resident Tyheem Downs, who was not charged, was injured but did not require treatment, police said. He was targeted in the isolated incident and there is no threat to the general public, police said.

A 23-year-old New Jersey man died, police said. The county coroner will decide the cause and manner of the mans death and notify his family.

Unique K. Rainey, 23, of Scranton, was arraigned Tuesday morning before District Judge Daniel Kresge on charges of burglary, robbery, theft, aggravated assault and related counts, court papers say. He was held in the county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled 9 a.m.May 26 in District Judge Brian Germanos court, records say. Court papers did not list an attorney for him.

Three people fled, police said.

In addition to the New Jersey man and Rainey, others involved were a 21-year-old woman from Scranton, a 19-year-old from East Stroudsburg, and a man with no age given from Scranton, the news release says. They are known to police, the news release says.

The investigation is continuing, police said.

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Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
A Phillipsburg man is accused of pulling a gun on a woman who agreed to give him a ride to Wawa and then stealing her car.

Dennie J. Vella, 44, of Hudson Street in Phillipsburg, is in Northampton County Prison pending extradition to New Jersey to face charges of first degree robbery and carjack and second degree possession of a weapon, according to a press release from Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer.

On May 11, Vella asked the woman for a ride to Wawa and as she was driving near South Main Street he pulled a gun from his waistband and demanded she give him the car, according to authorities. The woman allowed Vella to take the car. It is not clear if they knew each other.

Vella was arrested Monday on the charges in the 100 block of Northampton Street in Easton. First degree crimes are punishable by up to 20 years in New Jersey state prison, while second degree crimes carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

The Phillipsburg Police Department, prosecutors office, New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force all took part in the investigation and arrest.

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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
Moravian College is about to be no more, after the state approved the Bethlehem schools request to become Moravian University.

The college announced in a news release on Monday that the Pennsylvania Department of Education has granted it approval to now operate as a university. The college expects the transition to occur July 1.

Moravian announced the change in the fall of 2020 and said it was a natural next step. The school offers both masters and doctoral programs, a mark of a university, while most colleges typically focus on solely undergraduate education.

This is one of the biggest moments in Moravians 279 year history, signifying a historic shift in how we serve our students, alumni and the Lehigh Valley community, said Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian College. Now all the hard work begins in earnest to complete the transition to Moravian University, which we expect to officially take place on July 1, 2021.

Founded in 1742, Moravian is the nations sixth-oldest college. It initially included girls and boys schools and seminaries. The womens and mens institutions merged in 1954 to form the Lehigh Valleys first coeducational higher education institution.

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A West Easton man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 to 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting two children, according to the Northampton County District Attorneys Office.

Richard Repsher, 62, was sentenced by Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli on Tuesday after pleading guilty in February to two counts of aggravated indecent assault, according to a news release from the district attorneys office.

He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Each child was under age 13 when charges were filed, authorities said.

The two children last July told their mother that Repsher had hurt them at the address where a female takes care of them while their mother works, police said. Pennsylvania State Police said Repsher lived in the same Main Street building where the two children received child care.

Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Tatum Wilson prosecuted the case. Defense attorney Christopher Shipman represents Repsher. Shipman didnt immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
A 40-year-old Long Island man was arrested Saturday night after speeding away from an attempted traffic stop and crashing on Route 33 South in the Slate Belt, Pennsylvania State Police report.

Brent A. Shelley was clocked at 88 mph just before 9 p.m. at mile marker 15.8 in Plainfield Township, state police said in court papers.

The trooper pulled out to stop Shelley, but the Westhampton man sped up despite the trooper turning on the emergency lights and siren, police said.

Shelly eventually lost control of the black 2010 BMW 328iS and hit a guiderail off the right side of the highway, police said. But he returned to the road and tried to drive south before pulling over, police said.

Shelley was swaying, extremely lethargic and slurring after being taken into custody, police said. He admitted to smoking marijuana two to three hours earlier in a vape, police said.

A records check indicated Sheley had active warrants that would lead to extradition to other states, police said. The former Arkansas resident had a drug conviction in that state and had violated terms of his supervised release, records show.

Shelley was taken to a local DUI center for a blood draw, police said.

He was arraigned early Sunday morning before District Judge Jacqueline Taschner on charges of fleeing an officer, DUI, exceeding the speed limit by 33 mph, careless driving and a lane violation, records show.

He was held in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail, records show.

His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. May 28 before District Judge Douglas Schlegel, records show.

Court papers dont show an attorney for Shelley.

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Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
Adversity in the face of Covid-19 has united businesses in Portlaoise with a surge in firms joining the Downtown Portlaoise traders group as the Laois town gets back in business after lockdown.

But the group wants as many companies on board as possible to help drive the town's success. So much so that its Chairperson PJ Kavanagh has, on behalf of the committee, invited companies that are not in yet to join as new associate members.

"With retail and hospitality set to reopen after months of lockdown, we at Downtown Portlaoise have been blown away by the level of support we have received in the past few weeks," he said.

"We are delighted to say that we have almost doubled our membership with businesses from all around Portlaoise pulling together to make our town centre one that we are all proud to work and live in. We are delighted to welcome all the new businesses that have opened during this pandemic and we are delighted to say they have all joined Downtown Portlaoise.

"Our group aims to promote local retail and hospitality groups and we want to offer value for money to all members. We are delighted to see businesses and groups wanting to join Downtown Portlaoise to support local businesses and our community. We understand we cannot offer some of these groups very much in return, so with that in mind, we are now introducing a new Associate Membership.

"Associate Membership is 100 per annum. This is aimed towards other representative groups, media outlets and individuals who would like to support the work of Downtown Portlaoise," said Mr Kavanagh.

Portlaoise Downtown looks after lots of events and features in town including the Christmas Market, Christmas lights, art and music Installations, street banners, welcoming signs.

They also partnering with groups to secure funding for various other town enhancements and lots more.

Mr Kavanagh says that any business that would like to become an associate member of Downtown Portlaoise Payment can pay the membership fee to: IBAN Paper form: IE09 BOFI 9018 8893 0374 50 Branch: Laois  Portlaoise Sort Code: 90-18-88 Account Number: 93037450 Account Name Portlaoise Town Centre Association
There was no higher career calling card than to work with Woody Allen, Barrymore said. Then I had children, and it changed me because I realized that I was one of the people who was basically gaslit into not looking at a narrative beyond what I was being told. And I see whats happening in the industry now and that is because of you making that brave choice. So thank you for that.
Volunteers from a range of organisations in Laois gathered this week to help launch the new Laois Volunteer Centre.

Award-winning volunteers were among those who gathered at Fitzmaurice Place in Portlaoises Old Fort Quarter with Laois County Council Cathaoirleach Catherine Fitzgerald to help get the new service off the ground.

The launch of the independent service took place during what is National Volunteering Week which runs this week from May 18-23.

The Laois Volunteer Centre, fronted by Laois woman, Caitriona Ryan from Ballyfin, will help people who want to volunteer in their community to find suitable volunteer roles and will help local non-profit organisations to recruit volunteers.

Ms Ryan was recently appointed as the new manager of Laois Volunteer Centre and is looking forward to the Centre becoming a one-stop-shop for volunteerism in Laois. MORE BELOW PICTURE

David Farrell (Laois Civil Defence), Caitriona Ryan (Manager, Laois Volunteer Centre) and Liam Preston (Officer, Laois Civil Defence)

Ms Ryan has extensive experience in the voluntary, charity and community sector having previously worked as Community Employment Supervisor & Manager of Clonaslee Community Centre as well as Community Employment Supervisor in the Michael Garry House for the Homeless in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

She has also assisted low-income rural people to access employment and/or training whilst working as a Training Development & Employment Officer with Laois Rural Employment Partnership Ltd. Caitriona holds qualifications in Social Care and Community Development & Leadership and is undergoing a masters degree in Adult Education & Development at NUI Galway.

I am so delighted to be the Manager of this new Laois Volunteer Centre, commented Ms Ryan.

This is a very exciting time for Laois and I greatly look forward to working with people and organisations who want to volunteer in Laois and connecting them to volunteering opportunities for the benefit of the individual and their communities.

I would urge people and community groups to get in touch with our centre by logging onto any of our social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram or at www.volunteerlaois.ie, she said.

Ms Ryan said that work to get the Centre, which has charitable status, full operational has been delayed by Covid-19 restrictions but significant progress is now being made.

She said a Laois Volunteer Centre office will open and additional staff are being recruited to place volunteers with local organisations.

She added that the Centre will in time provide advice, training, and consultancy to local organisations on a range of issues relating to best practice in volunteer management and delivers a Garda Vetting service for local non-profits.

Garrett Culliton (Laois IWA) with Caitriona Ryan at the launch

The aims of Laois Volunteer Centre are:

- to promote the value of volunteering and civic responsibility and to increase the range and quality of volunteering;

- to increase access to volunteering by offering a support service to the public and volunteering involving organisations (VIOs);

- and to carry on these charitable purposes for the benefit of the inhabitants of Co Laois and its environs.

To fulfil these aims and in turn enrich the Laois community, Caitriona Ryan has already begun engaging with organisations to discuss volunteering opportunities which will be of benefit to both them and to their volunteers.

A volunteer application portal and database for Laois known as I-Vol has now been established and therefore provides the following services to organisations:

Advertisement of organisations volunteering vacancies on Laois Volunteer Centres database (I-Vol) of volunteering roles

Free volunteer referral service.

Free volunteer referral service. Training for organisations on issues such as volunteer management.

Consultancy and advice around policy issues and governance in relation to your volunteer programmes.

Garda Vetting service for organisations.

Caitriona Ryan with UN vets at the launch in Portlaoise

Conor Ganly is the Chairperson of the new Laois Volunteer Centre Board and commented that its great to see the months of work preparing for the set-up of this Centre coming to fruition.

Great work has been done in relation to volunteering in Laois. This was in no small way thanks to the late Anne Goodwin and the work done by Laois Partnership and local volunteer organisations such as Tidy Towns.

However, with this new dedicated volunteer centre, headed up by manager Caitriona Ryan, we will have a dedicated space with the staff resources to focus on making volunteerism a success here in Laois. Having a dedicated centre will help to develop an environment and set of support structures that facilitates the highest standards in Laois, said Mr Ganly.

Mr Ganly said the new centre has been made possible thanks to the invaluable funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development under an initiative spearheaded by Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development Joe OBrien.

He also played tribute to the vital contribution of Volunteer Ireland and in particular its Volunteer Centre Development Manager Zse Varga for their assistance.

Mr Ganly also thanked the board members for their work. They are: Allan Boyle, Secretary, Catherine Corbett, Treasurer, Pauline Flanagan, Director and Georgina Ireland, Director.

The Laois centre is one of seven being set up this year, joining a network of 30 Volunteer Centres located across the country which fulfil a critical role in the community promoting and enhancing volunteering and invigorating communities by building connections between volunteers and local organisations that involve volunteers across the county.

Caitriona Ryan and Laois Volunteer Centre board chairperson, Conor Ganly at the launch at Fitzmaurice Place in Portlaoise.

For local organisations that involve volunteers, Laois Volunteer Centre will advertise their volunteering vacancies and provide a free volunteer referral service.

If you are a volunteer or are an organisation who would like to register with Laois Volunteer Centre, please either download the I-Vol app on your phone or visit www.volunteerlaois.ie or check out Volunteer Laois on facebook and instagram to sign up today.

Pictured below at the launch of Laois Volunteer Centre at Fitzmaurice Place in the Old Fort Quarter, Portlaoise were: Caitriona Ryan (Manager, Laois Volunteer Centre) and Conor Ganly (Chairperson, Laois Volunteer Centre ). Also pictured: Mick Gorman (Down Syndrome -Laois Branch), David Farrell (Laois Civil Defence), Alice Culliton (Concern Volunteer Award Winner ), Gerry Browne (Portlaoise Tidy Towns), Rosey Kunene (Laois Integration Network), Dan Bergin (Laos PPN, Resource Worker), Julie Bolton (Volunteer Ireland Award Winner) UN Veterans - Paddy Canning, Tony Flanagan and Dermot Conlon, Garrett Culliton (Laois IWA), Liam Preston (Laois Civil Defence). Photos: Michael Scully
County councillors in Laois are set to get a substantial pay rise following confirmation that the Cabinet is set to approve an 8,000-a-year pay increase for the countrys 947 local politicians.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet table sign off on the rise which was included in the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Green Party programme for Government.

It's the biggest change affecting local councillors since hundreds of public representatives were cut by the previous Government under a public spending austerity drive.

The increase was given the green light following proposals presented by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, Minister of State, Peter Burke TD and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD based on recommendations from the Moorhead Report.

At present councillors receive a basic salary of 17,359 a year, along with an expenses allowance worth up to 5,335, and committee memberships worth up to 6,000 extra.

They can also claim vouched expenses for mobile phone bills, broadband, office costs, training and mileage for attending conferences. Mayors or county council chairpersons get an allowance of 30,000 for the year.

The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) is a national representative body that represents and says it supports the role of our elected councillors. It welcomed what it described as 'the long-awaited increase'.

AILG President Cllr Mary Hoade spoke on behalf of members of the body in Laois and other counties.

The decision by Cabinet today is a really welcome step in recognising the value and important role of our 949 Elected Members. It is imperative that councillors are provided with a proper salary, at a realistic level, which is vital to not only to attract and sustain new councillors but to also retain existing councillors to serve at Local Authority level.

This announcement has been the result of an extensive campaign by AILG and others, over the last number of years, to ensure that our members have an appropriate salary reflective of the important work and time commitment that they dedicate to their role as a local councillor, she said.

"The independent Moorhead report was published in June 2020 which reviewed the role and remuneration of Local Authority Elected Members. Ms. Moorhead was unequivocal in her report when she stated that she has no hesitation in recommending an increase in remuneration for councillors and her acceptance that our members workload has increased significantly since 2014, concluded the public representative.

Cabinet has also approved a 12 month implementation period starting from July 1.

Its the most significant announcement affecting councillors since former minister Phil Hogan axed hundreds of councillor as part of an austerity cut by the Fine Gael and Labour government which saw many town councils abolished.

In Laois, the number of county councillor was reduced from 25 to 19 while the Mountmellick and Portlaoise town councils were dissolved.
The death has occurred of Elizabeth (Betty) Flynn

Woodside Park, Kildare Town, Kildare



Passed away, peacefully, on Monday, the 17th of May, surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of the late John. Dearly missed by her daughters Rosemary, Annette, Edel, Deirdre, Siobhan and Carol, her sons John, Jerry, David and Alan, grandchildren, sons in law, daughters-in-law, special friend Lilibeth, extended family, neighbours and friends.

May Betty Rest In Peace

Due to current government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place, with a maximum of 50 people to attend the church. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below.

Removal on Wednesday to arrive at the Carmelite Church, Kildare Town, for Requiem Mass at 11.30am. Burial afterwards in St. Conleth's Cemetery, Kildare Town. Betty's Funeral Mass can be viewed at The Carmelite's Church, Kildare Town Facebook page.

The death has occurred of Richard Falkiner

Rodanstown, Kilcock, Meath / Kilcock, Kildare



Peacefully in the loving care of Dunboyne Nursing Home. Richard, predeceased by his father Thomas (Derry). Loving son of Elizabeth (Lil). Deeply regretted by his brother Tom, sisters May and Clare and brother-in-law Kieran. Sadly missed by Derry, Jeannette and Michael, special friends Ger and Freya, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

May He Rest In Peace.

Richard's funeral cortege will travel from his home on Wednesday evening May 19th at 7pm via Mulhussey and Pagestown en route to the Church of St. Oliver Plunkett Kilcloon arriving at 7:30pm. Friends and neighbours are very welcome to line that route in a safe and socially distanced manner as a mark of respect.

Due to government advice regarding public gatherings a private funeral Mass will take place for family on Thursday morning at 11am followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Those who would have liked to attend, but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for Richard's family in the 'Condolences' section below. House Private Please.

The death has occurred of Andrzej LEKACZ

Kildare



Lekacz (Rzeszow, Poland)  May 17, 2021, (passed away peacefully), surrounded by his loving family, at St. Brigids Hospice, The Curragh, Andrzej, beloved husband of Iwona and dear father of Michal and Bartlomiej; Sadly missed by his loving wife, sons, sister Ela, daughters-in-law Ciara and Beata, brothers-in-law Maciek and Jakub, grandchildren Megan and Ben, family and friends.

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a Private Funeral will take place. Those who would like to join the private funeral service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/newslands-cross-cemetery-crematorium on Thursday at 11am. Those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book below.

Reunited in Christ with his Dad

The death has occurred of Mary Mullins (nee Glennon)

Langton Park, Newbridge, Kildare / Kilkenny



Formerly of The Curragh Camp and Barrack Street, Co. Kilkenny. Wife of the late Frank and mother of the late Frankie and Carmel. Sadly missed by her loving sons Michael, Christy and Peter, daughters-in-law Siobhan and Adrienne, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great great grandchildren, nephews, nieces, extended relatives and friends.

Mary Mary Rest in Peace

Due to current government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below.

Removal on Tuesday morning to arrive at St. Brigid's Church, The Curragh, for Requiem Mass at 11 o'clock. Burial afterwards in St. Conleth's Cemetery, Newbridge. Funeral Mass will be live streamed on the St. Brigid's Church, The Curragh, Facebook page.

The death has occurred of Elizabeth (Betty) Cusack (nee Aldridge)

2 Forest Park, Athy, Kildare



Passed away peacefully on Saturday 15th May at St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy. Dearly missed by her husband Paul, daughters Christine and Anita, son Paul, son-in-law Sean, daughter-in-law Katrina, sister-in-law Irene, brother-in-law Jimmy, grandchildren Josie, Patrick, Daragh, Rian, Finn and Milo, nieces, nephews, and much loved by her close friends and neighbours.

Requiem Mass will take place at 11am on Wednesday morning (19th May) in St. Michael's Parish Church, Athy, limited to 50 people. The Mass will be livestreamed, see www.parishofathy.ie.

A private family cremation will take place afterwards in Mount Jerome Crematorium.

Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions may leave a message in the 'Condolences' section below.
Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow - Thunderstorm Warning for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Waterford.

The alert is likely to also affect Kildare.

Forecasters have predicted thundery showers with the risk of lightning and local hail.

The Weather Warning is valid from 2pm to 8pm today.

Wednesday is expected to be a better day and will start with sunny spells early with highest temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees.
Kildare County Council is planning to lease well over 100 new homes from a development company that has not built a creche in a nearby estate.

The council is proposing to lease 125 houses and apartments at the newly named Whitewell, Naas.

This scheme is currently under construction by Ardstone Homes Limited just off Kilcullen Road.

Read more County Kildare news

In a response to the Leader, the council says it has received support from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) to enter into a lease arrangement.

KCC also says it is tasked with delivering social housing in accordance with the Governments Rebuilding Ireland programme and, in tandem with our construction programme, we will consider opportunities to lease properties; the council has been set a target by the DHLGH to deliver 153 leased units in 2021.

To date the council has delivered 99 leased units, which is a combination of one-off units and schemes in their entirety.

Three weeks ago the Leader reported that residents at Castle Farm, Jigginstown, which is a short distance from the Kilcullen Road, have not yet been provided with a creche, which formed part of the planning permission for that development.

Ardstone, which is a significant player in residential construction in County Kildare, built the homes at Castle Farm.

Resident Barry MacNeill said residents feel let down because the creche has not been built.

The first families began moving in there some three years ago.

However the developer says the creche will be built and the company has been in communication with a service provider.

There is a general feeling that people have been deceived because the creche has not been provided. A lot of young families live here and many people commute to Dublin to work, said Mr MacNeill.

The Kilcullen Road is a strategic housing development initiative - a controversial mechanism which allows developers to bypass county councils and seek permission from the planning appeals board - where residential developments exceed 100 homes.

The idea behind the initiative is to speed up the planning process.
Kildare people have been asked to 'consider their care options' and only attend Naas Hospital's Emergency Department in the case of an emergency, due to the ongoing cyber attack on HSE systems.

All routine outpatient radiology and phlebotomy (blood tests) appointments have been cancelled at the hospital until further notice. In a statement this afternoon, the hospital said cannot make contact with these patients directly. "If you have an appointment, please do not attend. We regret any inconvenience and appointments will be rescheduled asap. Our emergency department is very busy and reporting delays for patients requiring non urgent care. For any queries please phone 045 849910 between 8.30am - 5pm."

IT systems across the health service have been temporarily shut down for security reasons, while cyber experts work to rectify problems caused by the criminal ransomeware attack. However, this means that shut down systems are having an impact on some health services. The HSE warned that disruption is likely to go well into this week.

Apart from those appointments cancelled by the hospital - such as outpatient radiology and phlebotomy at Naas Hospital - all patients should attend their appointments as scheduled unless they hear otherwise from the hospital where the appointment is scheduled. Patients can expect some delays due to the ongoing issue. The HSE asks patients who are attending appointments this week to bring previous appointments letters or patient numbers if available.

"We would ask that patients who do have scheduled appointment for next week pay attention to updates on services as hospitals may not be able to access information in order to call and cancel appointments," the HSE advised.

Patients are also asked to check the HSE service disruptions website and hospital social media for further information.

Current available information on other Hospital Disruptions below:

Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise: Emergency services continue. Our emergency department is very busy and reporting significant delays for patients requiring non urgent care. Outpatient radiology appointments are cancelled. Some elective inpatient procedures have been cancelled. Patients are being contacted by the hospital. We ask that patients who are attending our hospital bring with them their most recent hospital letter. Patients attending for antenatal or maternity should also bring their combined antenatal card or patient number. We regret any inconvenience and appointments will be rescheduled asap. You can contact the hospital at 057 8696771 or 057 8696340 if you have any query (9am- 5pm Monday - Friday)



Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore: Routine OPD radiology (plain X-rays, ultrasound, MRI, CT) are cancelled. Vascular outpatients (Doppler tests) are cancelled. Cardiac Investigations (stress/echo tests) are cancelled. Elective inpatient & daycase procedures are continuing. If you are attending for an appointment, bring your most recent hospital letter. Our emergency department is very busy and reporting significant delays for patients requiring non urgent care. You can contact the Hospital at 057 9359527 (9am-5pm Monday-Friday)

Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital: Outpatient appointments and services are going ahead as scheduled but there may be some delays.

Bring your most recent appointment letter or appointment card with you.

If you have an appointment on Wednesday 19 May, Thursday (20) or Friday (21), phone the service the day before you attend to reduce delays:

Maternity services - 01 408 5463or 01 408 5464

Gynaecology service - 01 408 5562 or 01 408 5417 or 01 408 5780

Radiology services - 01 408 5577

See the Coombe website for further advice.



St Lukes Radiation Oncology Network: All outpatient appointments continue to be cancelled until further notice at St Lukes Hospital and the two centers on the Beaumont and St James hospital campuses. We are continuing to treat emergency radiation patients in the private sector. At present we have some but not all of our radiation machines available for patient treatment. We are prioritising time dependent patients and paediatric patients for treatment in SLRON this week. Patients will be contacted directly by our staff about their appointments. To reassure patients routine radiation treatments can be temporarily interrupted safely without negatively impacting on their outcome. If you feel unwell or have symptoms, please contact the hospital at 01 406 5000.

Tallaght University Hospital: Please only attend the ED if you require urgent care. Our emergency department is very busy and reporting significant delays for patients requiring non urgent care. All routine Radiology outpatient appointments cancelled. We ask that patients who are attending our hospital to bring with them their most recent hospital letter. We regret any inconvenience and appointments will be rescheduled asap.

St Jamess Hospital: The Hospital are advising all patients to attend their scheduled appointments as normal. If necessary, any updates will be posted on their twitter and website; stjames.ie.
The decade long problem with one-off planning in Leitrim is an emotive issue.



When Chairman of Ballinaglera GAA Padraig Loughlin penned his open letter issuing a stark warning about the future of rural GAA clubs, he wasnt just speaking for his own community. As we know 87% of the soil in Leitrim fails to meet the accepted percolation test required by the EPA.



Our feature last week which declared No end in sight for one-off planning woes hit people hard, especially those still holding out hope to build a family home on their own farm.

But the story which called to extend Leitrims towns and villages to allow for more houses is the one that got people talking.

Some people called for derelict houses to be renovated, but many took issue with the idea of pushing people into towns and villages.



Alan Gilroy on Facebook said houses should be built as a 3 story to accommodate three generations of families, grandparents on the bottom, parents second floor and younger family on top. He said this model would help save space, he also said people need room to grow their own vegetables.

Helen Harte agreed with the plan and commented Our county is under populated our towns and villages all could easily accommodate 20%.



But for the majority of others who penned their opinion, the idea of extending towns and villages did not solve the one-off housing issue.

Many noted that the EPA issue seemed to only arise in Leitrim despite the region being of similar soil type.

Karina Mc Mahon said the 2040 vision for Ireland is essentially a ban on building one-off houses.

Geri Dunne said Leitrim Co Council were encouraging people to come live and work in Leitrim. Problem is there are so few houses for sale or rent.

Noel MacLochlainn said the EPA should give Leitrim a special needs status.



Overall the need remains for one-off rural houses, Leitrim people want to live on their land and raise families on farms.

Also read: No end in sight for one-off planning woes in Leitrim
Three of Leitrims food, drink and non-food suppliers have won a new contract to supply Aldis 145 stores through its Grow with Aldi Supplier Development Programme.

Balkes Alway Organic will sell two types of organic coffee in Aldi stores.

John Brennan, Blakes Always Organic

Dromod Boxty panckaes will sell in nationwide Aldi stores.

Aine Faughnan, Dromod Boxty

And Drumshanbo's Jinny's Bakery will sell bread stout mix and bread oat mix in Aldi stores.

Sinead and Pascal Gillard, Jinny's Bakery

This year, the Grow with Aldi message also focused on sustainability, and entrants were encouraged to demonstrate how their product/company is focusing on sustainability within their business. In the last 4 years, almost 800 Irish suppliers have entered the Grow with Aldi programme with the programme receiving the highest number of entrants ever in 2021.

108 exciting Irish-made products from the 57 suppliers will now go on sale nationwide as part of an Aldi Specialbuys event, kicking off on Sunday, 6th June for two weeks only.

Commenting, John Brennan of Blakes Always Organic said: To have our Blakes Culture Blend and Purely Arabica coffees recognised by a global retailer like Aldi is fantastic. Grow with Aldi provides huge exposure for our brand and lets us reach more shoppers than ever before. The support and mentoring offered by the programme has already benefitted our business immensely.

Also read: County Councillors set for pay increase in July
NUI Galway, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and St Angelas College Sligo are delighted to announce the foundation of the Western Institute for Studies in Education, which will support collaboration among the three institutions to enhance and promote teacher education in the Western Region.

The Western Institute for Studies in Education will enable the three institutions, leaders nationally and internationally in teacher education, to bring together their diverse but complementary expertise.

The ambition is to develop courses, research and public engagement in teacher education. In this way, the Western Institute for Studies in Education will significantly help to consolidate and raise the profile of teacher education in the region. The Institute will provide an innovative virtual platform to support collaboration and nurture engagement with a range of stakeholders involved in teacher education in the region and will be formally launched in September 2021.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley T.D. said: This new institute is a very welcome development that will consolidate this centre of excellence for initial teacher education in the West/North-West region.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris T.D., said: This is a really exciting partnership between three of our colleges. WISE aims to create a Centre of Excellence that will serve to strengthen the collective expertise of three teacher education providers in NUI Galway, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and St. Angelas College Sligo. The establishment of the Institute will aim to future proof teacher education provision, including in the context of the potential emergence of a technological university in the West/ North West such as is proposed by the Connacht Ulster Alliance of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT, by bringing together the teacher education providers in the region. I want to offer my congratulations to all involved.

Welcoming the establishment, Amanda McCloat, President of St Angelas College, said: This Institute builds on the excellent national and international reputation and close working relationship of NUI Galway, St Angelas College and GMIT and collectively will serve to enhance teacher education provision and research.

Also read: Vaccine portal for 45 to 49 year olds to open tomorrow
CRUISES Street in the city centre is expected to be covered with a canopy as part of multi-million euro plans to develop the city centre.

Limerick City and County Council has secured 2.65m to install a covering on the street, with councillors hoping outdoor dining could reverse the fortunes of the thoroughfare, which has seen a spate of businesses closing in recent years.

In total, the authority has received 6.3m for a citizen collaboration project under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.

As well as a canopy, the funding will be used for the installation of infrastructure to support public events, for example stages and street furniture.

The lighting of signature buildings will also be considered, as well as the creation of a food hub through the Milk Market.

At the economic committee meeting, councillors Daniel Butler and Olivia OSullivan were told the canopy would most likely be used in Cruises Street.

Cllr Butler says he hopes it will lead to the creation of a food trail between Cruises Street and the Milk Market, which will benefit to the tune of 2m from the food hub proposal.

I think the long term vision on what has been spoken about is that it is well suited to food type outlets which can spill out onto the street. As part of that, if you have a canopy along the street, it would make it that bit more inviting and support that type of a business which could develop there. That could then continue down on somewhat of a food trail to the Milk Market, he said.

Cllr OSullivan added: It makes loads of sense to focus on Cruises Street and try and do something there.

At the moment, Cruises Street is all retail. We have to address the mix there so that after 5pm, there is something happening on that street. We need to address a retail and hospitality mix, something that would give it a bit of life after 5pm, said the City North member.

She recalled the fact Bewleys Coffee was once at the heart of Cruises Street, and its that kind of dining experience which should return.

We need to make sure Cruises Street is safer and there is a better retail mix. Then we can get people to spend time there and turn it into a destination street, she added.

Cruises Street was built in 1992 to replace the hotel of the same name. In recent years, it has suffered a number of closures, with Argos, Thorntons and Ann Summers among the shops to cease trading.
I am bringing this home to the employees who work at Bitty & Beaus because they are my heroes, Amy said in accepting the award. And most of all to my two youngest children, Bitty and Beau, who are my inspiration. I want you to know, because I know you are home watching tonight, that I would not change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.
A MAJOR garda operation took place in the early hours of this morning as liquidators attempted to recover stock from Limericks former Debenhams store.

More than 50 gardai were present, including members of the public order unit, with checkpoints blocking off entry to the former stores delivery gate at Honans Quay.

Former workers were present in high numbers at the scene in a move which saw the operation halted.

Just after midnight, gardai arrived at the former OConnell Street store to assist in the enforcement of a court order to allow the liquidator access to building.

But following an alert among former staff, they formed a wall of defence at delivery gate in Honan's Quay, a move which led to them being removed by officers.

After the final former staff member had been moved from the entry point to the site, they then sat on Liddy Street to block entry to the liquidators truck to prevent it gaining access to recover the stock.

Absolutely incredible scenes in Liddy Street in the middle of #Limerick as workers lay on the tarmac to block the access of the liquidator's truck to the old Debenhams store. pic.twitter.com/XXEnGvzOd0  Nick Rabbitts (@Nick468official) May 18, 2021

After a couple of runs at it, they're here now, pulling workers away from the gates https://t.co/XM498o5Fl9 pic.twitter.com/Cuvjx7DM9N  Niamh Ni Nuallain (@NiamhNolan8) May 17, 2021

It now appears the operation has been cancelled. Gardai are packing up the crowd control barriers and the truck which was to collect the stock from Debenhams has disappeared. Sense of joy among workforce. pic.twitter.com/1upePYmQ7R May 18, 2021

Just before 2am, the liquidators van left the scene and gardai removed crowd control barriers it had erected in preparation.

For the last year, former Debenhams retail workers have staged round-the-clock pickets outside the stores in Limerick and around the country.

They feel by restricting access to the building, they are playing their final bargaining chip in their bid to get what they feel is a fair redundancy settlement.

In a move which cost 110 jobs in Limerick, Debenhams British firm  itself now closed  pulled support for its Irish stores.

Only former stores in both Limerick and Cork remain with stock in them, after operations across the country to remove the last remaining goods from other branches.

KPMG has been contacted for comment, as have the gardai.
The N24 Limerick to Tippeary is closed due to a collision, reports AA Roadwatch.

The incident occurred around 9.30am. It happened at Barronstown Cross, situated on the Tipperary Town side of Limerick Junction. Traffic is very busy both ways on approach.

The number of vehicles involved or injuries, if any, is not known at this time.
MORE than 100 staff at Shannon Airport are facing redundancy with Aer Lingus set to permanently close its base there.

The flag-carrier airline confirmed the news in a statement, released this afternoon, with the move set to lead to the redundancy of cabin crew and ground staff.

It will put increasing pressure on Shannon Airport, which since the start of Covid-19 has seen its passenger numbers decimated.

Some 81 cabin crew work for Aer Lingus and are attached to Shannon, with 45 more based on the ground.

Aer Lingus has confirmed the ground staff will be laid off, with the option for some cabin crew in Shannon transferring to Dublin should they wish to.

The firm has warned the level of lay-off may by subject to further extension or change based upon work requirements.

It's unclear is what the move will mean for routes from the base.

Pre-pandemic, Aer Lingus operated a number of services to Europe and North America.

Its key service linked Shannon to London Heathrow Airport. All of these have been grounded since March 2020.

Through the pandemic, it continued its operations out of Cork and Dublin airports.

The letter suggests its base in Shannon has been inefficient and out of line for some time, with the firm suggesting it will open a voluntary redundancy package which could see Shannon Airport staff redeployed to Dublin.

In a statement, an Aer Lingus spokesperson said: "Structural change will also be required across the business. The required structural changes will be specific to each business area but will focus primarily on the areas where there is off-market pay, terms, conditions and work practices."

Aer Lingus confirmed to staff that the airline will emerge smaller from the pandemic and there will be a requirement for redundancies.

"Aer Lingus has commenced discussions with Unions representing employees in Aer Lingus regarding both the immediate and structural changes that need to be implemented," the firm's statement added.

The Forsa union is seeking immediate talks with Aer Lingus, with Ashley Connolly, who heads its services and enterprises division saying: "Since Covid struck, we have fought hard to maintain links between staff and their employer so that Aer Lingus and other airlines are ready to bounce back once international travel starts to resume. The Government needs to decide if the crisis in this vital industry is to be permanent or temporary. Only the State has the power and resources to preserve Irelands vital international connectivity  the connectivity that supports thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs  over the coming months, and possibly years."

Aer Lingus has also announced a continued temporary base closure at Cork Airport.
THE LIMERICK student radio station Wired FM, in association with Craol, have curated a summer broadcasting course aimed at the Travelling Community.

The new course, called Minceir Media, has been created specifically for members of the Travelling Community who are interested in radio and podcasts.

The course will run online for the two months of June and July. It aims to teach 12 lucky members skills like media literacy, storytelling, advocacy, radio and podcast production. There is no previous experience required to take part.

The courses main goal is to give members of the travelling community the ability to broadcast and share their story and experiences, The course offers participants a fun, interactive and meaningful way to make a difference in their community, described a spokesperson for WiredFM

Participants will learn the art of journalism from classes in Vox pops, panel discussions, interviews and editing skills.

There will also be no end of course exams. Assessment will be carried out through a portfolio each participant will fill from their time on the course.

Most of the work will be carried out through class time with easy to use templates and a trainer available to give advice.

There will be an introductory class on May 21 and all participants must be over 18. If you are interested you can contact the manager of Wired FM, Ray, by emailing manager@wiredfm.ie or martin@wiredfm.ie.
THE Peter McVerry Trust has announced construction work will commence shortly on two new housing projects at Delmege Park, Moyross and at Donoghmore Crescent, O'Malley Park, Southill.

The projects, delivered in partnership with Limerick City and County Council are being funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Rebuilding Ireland programme.

Sod-turning ceremonies will take place at both locations later this Tuesday.

A total of 38 new homes will be delivered as part of the project, of which 22 are two-bedroom homes and 16 are three-bedroom houses.

The new units will be factory built and assembled on-site and form part of the wider major regeneration and development of Moyross and Southill by Limerick City and County Council.

Commenting on the announcement, Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said: We are absolutely delighted to be delivering this hugely important project in Moyross and Southill in partnership with Limerick City and County Council. We have a long-established relationship with these communities even before we opened our first regional office in Limerick in 2016.

Mr Doyle says the new homes are in keeping with the charity's specialisation as an organisation as most of the homes it delivers are linked to urban regeneration. "This project could not have happened without the support of Limerick City and County Council, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The programme of works will commence in May 2021 and is scheduled for completion by December 2021.

The Peter McVerry Trust says as part of its ongoing supports and management of the new homes, all the new tenants will receive ongoing supports from its team based in its Limerick office.

"All the people housed in these new homes will be coming from the local authority housing list and become tenants of Peter McVerry Trust," said Mr Doyle.

Mayor of the city and county of Limerick, Cllr Michael Collins said: This is a very positive project across our Regeneration areas and will not only bring with it much-needed homes but also training and job opportunities for people in Limerick. The timing of the project on-site gives a much-needed lift to our communities as we emerge from lockdown restrictions and move to accelerate our economic recovery.

Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Dr. Pat Daly added: I want to pay tribute to the efforts of the team in working with the Peter McVerry Trust and Department Officials to deliver this modular build housing project as part of our Regeneration programme in Limerick. The key innovation here comes from the fact that the delivery of housing is being directly linked with the creation of employment opportunities in Limerick - this is a real win-win for all concerned.

Aoife Duke, Director of Housing Development at Limerick City and County Council has welcomed the progression of the plans. We are delighted to see this project progress on-site for a number of reasons - the homes will be high quality and energy efficient for the householder; the homes will fill out certain sites thereby knitting together existing housing in both areas. In addition to the new housing, the project is an off-site modular build, minimising disruption to the existing communities."

The company delivering the homes is based at the Galvone Industrial Estate, Southill.
LONDON : A consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) on Tuesday moved a step closer in their attempt to recover debt from loans paid out to Vijay Mallyas now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the High Court in London upheld an application to amend their bankruptcy petition, in favour of waiving their security over the businessmans assets in India.

Chief Insolvencies and Companies Court (ICC) Judge Michael Briggs handed down his judgment in favour of the banks to declare there is no public policy that prevents a waiver of security rights, as argued by Mallyas lawyers.

At a virtual hearing, July 26 was set as the date for final arguments for and against granting a bankruptcy order against Mallya after the banks accused him of trying to kick matters into the long grass" and called on the bankruptcy petition to be brought to its inevitable end".

I order that permission be given to amend the petition to read as follows: The Petitioners (banks) having the right to enforce any security held are willing, in the event of a bankruptcy order being made, to give up any such security for the benefit of all the bankrupts creditors," Justice Briggs judgment reads.

There is nothing in the statutory provisions that prevent the Petitioners from giving up security," he notes.

Mallyas barrister, Philip Marshall, had referenced witness statements of retired Indian judges in previous hearings to reiterate that there is public interest under Indian law" by virtue of the banks being nationalised.

However, Justice Briggs found no impediment to the creditors relinquishing their security under Indian law because of the engagement of a principle concerning public interest" and favoured the submissions made by retired Indian Supreme Court judge Gopala Gowda at a hearing in December 2020 in this regard.

In my judgment the simple stance taken by Justice Gowda that Section 47 PIA 1920 is evidence of the ability of a secured creditor to relinquish the creditors security is to be preferred," the ruling notes.

The Indian banks, represented by the law firm TLT LLP and barrister Marcia Shekerdemian, were also granted costs in totality for the petition hearings, as the overall successful" party in the case.

Dr Mallya should have been extradited by now. He was refused permission to go to the Supreme Court in May last year," Shekerdemian pointed out, in reference to one of Mallyas defence planks that the cases against him are politically motivated".

The 65-year-old businessman remains on bail in the UK while a confidential" legal matter, believed to be related to an asylum application, is resolved in connection with the unrelated extradition proceedings.

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BEIJING : China will tread carefully in relaxing its birth policies for fear of harming social stability, even as the latest census highlights the urgency to address the country's declining birth trends and ageing population, policy sources said.

Expectations for birth policy reforms are rising after the 2020 census last week showed China's population grew at its slowest in the last decade since the 1950s as births declined and ageing accelerated.

A fertility rate of 1.3 children per woman in 2020, on par with ageing societies like Japan and Italy, underscores the risk for China: the world's second-biggest economy may already be in irreversible population decline without having first accumulated the household wealth of G7 nations.

Top leaders are working out a broader plan to cope with demographic challenges, the sources said, including more effective ways to encourage childbearing by easing financial burdens on couples, rather than simply removing birth curbs.

Raising the retirement age, which Beijing has said will be done gradually, will help slow a decline in the workforce and eventually ease pressures on the under-funded pension system, they said.

China introduced a controversial "one-child policy" in the late 1970s but relaxed restrictions in 2016 to allow all couples to have two children as it tried to rebalance its rapidly-ageing population. The change, however, failed to halt declining births.

The sources said they expect Beijing to encourage more childbearing under the current policy framework, before fully lifting birth restrictions over the next 3-5 years.

Removing birth restrictions could have unintended consequences: a limited impact on city dwellers, who are reluctant to have more children due to high costs, while rural families could expand faster, adding to poverty and employment pressures, the sources said.

"If we free up policy, people in the countryside could be more willing to give birth than those in the cities, and there could be other problems," said a policy source who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The sources are involved in policy discussions but not the final decision-making process.

The State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

China aims to create at least 10 million new urban jobs a year, even as the working age population shrinks.

Liu Huan, an adviser to the Chinese cabinet, said China's main population challenge is not size but ageing, which will put heavy pressure on government finances.

"It's hard to resolve the birth problem given high housing, medical and education costs," he told Reuters. "So we should have comprehensive policies."

Calls for change

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has in recent weeks become more vocal about the sensitive population issue.

In April, the PBOC said in a working paper that China should "fully liberalise and vigorously encourage childbirth" to offset the economic impact, saying China should draw lessons from Japan's "lost 20 years".

The demographic shifts could lead to economic stagnation, a falling savings rate and asset price deflation, while the current pension system is ill-prepared for the ageing trajectory, it said.

The proportion of people aged 65 and above hit 13.5% in 2020, up from 8.87% in 2010.

But changes to the present policy will likely be gradual.

"Major policy decisions will come only when the pressure is big enough. Whether we change policy depends on assessments of the impact on social stability," said a government adviser, who also declined to be named.

Talent dividend

Deepening rivalry with the United States has raised the urgency for China to build a more innovation-driven economy. Under President Xi Jinping's "dual circulation" strategy, China aims to ease dependence on overseas markets and technology.

"We should make a transition from population dividend to talent dividend," the first policy source said.

The census showed improved education over the last decade. The proportion of people with university education rose to 15.5% from 8.9%, and average years of schooling for people aged 15 or above edged up to 9.9 years from 9.1 years.

Rob Subbaraman, chief economist at Nomura, said "reducing demographic headwinds" will be a rising priority for China as it seeks to avoid the so-called middle income trap.

"The experiences of other Asian countries show that it is challenging to encourage society to increase the fertility rate, but all efforts should be tried to increase the labour force and make it more productive."





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Albert Einstein stands with a student, circa 1945. The theoretical physicist was known to correspond with random people who wrote to him, according to researchers of a new study describing a letter he wrote to an engineer in the British Royal Navy.

In a newly discovered letter written by Albert Einstein , the renowned physicist suggested there could be a link between the migrations of birds and "unknown" physical processes  many decades before researchers realized that birds might use quantum physics to navigate over long distances.

The typewritten letter by Einstein, then at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton in New Jersey, was addressed to a former radar engineer in the British Royal Navy who lived in Bournemouth, England; its contents show both Einstein's extraordinary perception and his willingness to engage with the public about his work, said Adrian Dyer, a vision scientist at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

"It was clear that Einstein received a good number of letters from the general public, and that he very frequently took the time to write back," Dyer told Live Science. "This is one of the elite researchers of the 20th century, but he was very much into open research  that you have to share your knowledge and talk to people."

Related: The 18 biggest unsolved mysteries in physics

Dyer and his colleagues detailed their research on the previously unknown letter in an open access study published May 10 in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A .

The researchers first became aware of the existence of the letter after publishing research in 2019 in the journal Science Advances that suggests bees are capable of elementary mathematics, including addition and subtraction.

A member of the public in the United Kingdom, retiree Judith Davys, heard a story about their research on the radio and found an article about it online . She then contacted the researchers to explain that Einstein had written to her husband in 1949 expressing similar ideas, Dyer said.

Einstein letter

Dyer and his colleagues were astonished to learn about the 72-year-old Einstein letter and asked to see it. Researchers at the Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where Einstein bequeathed his notes, letters and records after his death, then authenticated the letter.

The typewritten letter from Einstein to Judith Davys' now-deceased husband Glyn Davys is relatively short  only a few sentences  but it shows Einstein's thinking about how some types of animal behavior could be caused by unknown physical processes.

Dyer said the original letter from Davys to Einstein  which appears to be lost  seems to have raised the issues of echolocation by bats and the perception of polarized light by bees. Glyn Davys' ideas may have been inspired by scientific articles at that time on research into the perception of bees by scientist Karl von Fritsch, who was personally known to Einstein, Dyer said.

Davys had worked on early radar systems in the Royal Navy during World War II, and seems to have expressed the idea that some animals could use similar methods to navigate.

"We presume Glyn Davys was a pretty smart engineer, and that he wrote to Einstein in that context, asking about animal senses and navigation," Dyer said. "That letter is lost, so we had to reverse engineer from the evidence what was plausible."

Famed scientist

Much of Einstein's work underpins the fundamental technologies of the 21st century, including his theory of general relativity that enables corrections for the GPS system used on smartphones and also governs the large-scale structure of the universe.

Related: 8 ways you can see Einstein's theory of relativity in real life

He was also an early proponent of the concepts of quantum physics , but he was uncomfortable with its implications. "God does not throw dice," he once famously wrote in 1926 to express his dissatisfaction with ideas of quantum mechanical randomness.

Einstein, who was Jewish, left Germany in 1933 after the rise of the Nazi party there; he worked for a time in an office in the mathematics department of Princeton University and in 1939 moved to the Insitute of Advanced Studies.

His letter to Davys suggests the possibility that studies of the navigational abilities of some birds during long-distance migrations could "one day lead to the understanding of some physical process which is not known."

Dyer notes that scientists have only recently suggested  for instance in 2005 in the journal Genome Biology  that a magnetic sense in birds that seems to enable them to navigate during migrations might be based on quantum physical processes in proteins called cryptochromes  many decades after Einstein's letter to Davys.

Although Einstein couldn't have known then that bird migrations might exploit quantum physical processes, his letter to Davys shows traces of the exceptional perception of ideas that he was famous for, Dyer said.

Originally published on Live Science.
The string of mysterious illnesses were first reported among employees at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba.

A mysterious neurological ailment first reported by U.S. personnel in Havana, Cuba, may be more widespread among diplomats, soldiers and spies than previously thought.

More than 60 people have reported sudden episodes of nausea, dizziness and headaches from incidents overseas, The New York Times reported . In at least a few cases, the symptoms have been persistent, with ongoing problems such as vertigo and pain reported by personnel.

The Biden administration is moving aggressively to investigate the reports, according to the Times. A 2020 report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) suggested that the ailment could be caused by a directed pulse of radio-frequency energy . (Radio-frequency energy includes radio waves and microwaves .)

Related: Spooky! Top 10 unexplained phenomena

"Studies published in the open literature more than a half-century ago and over the subsequent decades by Western and Soviet sources provide circumstantial support for this possible mechanism," NAS Committee Chairman Dr. David Relman wrote in the report . "Other mechanisms may play reinforcing or additive effects, producing some of the nonspecific, chronic signs and symptoms, such as persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, a functional vestibular disorder, and psychological conditions."

Reports of the neurological symptoms first began in 2016 with a series of cases among people working at the U.S. embassy in Havana. Since then, according to the Times, there have been reports in Russia, China, and other countries in Asia and Europe. In one case in Russia, a military officer reported pulling his car into an intersection and suddenly being hit with a wave of nausea and a painful headache. His 2-year-old, strapped in the backseat, started crying. When the officer pulled away from the intersection, the symptoms subsided and the child stopped crying, the Times reported.

Some officials suspect Russia's military intelligence agency is behind the incidents, but the U.S. government is not ready to assign blame, according to the Times.

"As of now, we have no definitive information about the cause of these incidents, and it is premature and irresponsible to speculate," Amanda J. Schoch, the spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, told the newspaper.

Officials are also investigating two incidents that occurred near the White House shortly after the presidential election of 2020, according to CNN . Two members of the National Security Council reported symptoms that struck suddenly near entrances to the grounds. The events happened several weeks apart and at different gates.

Many of the episodes remain classified, making the task of uncovering potential causes of the ailment more difficult for scientists, the researchers wrote in the NAS report. Making matters more complicated, some sufferers reported sudden and transient symptoms, while others reported slow-developing, chronic problems. It was impossible to rule out different causes for different cases, Relman wrote.

Within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has not disclosed the number of personnel affected, Deputy Director David Cohen has been assigned to meet with victims and brief Congress regularly, according to the Times. The agency has also assigned more medical personnel to manage the cases among CIA staff. An increasing sense of urgency is driving the governmental response, according to the Times: The latest report of a possible attack occurred within the past two weeks.

Originally published on Live Science.
The tsantsa was preserved resting under a plastic bell jar secured to a wooden base with adhesive. It had a darkened skin color and smooth cheeks, and its lips were stitched with plant fiber.

A shrunken head from Ecuador that was brought to the United States in the 1940s (and in 1979 was loaned as a prop to the film "Wise Blood") has been authenticated and repatriated to its country of origin.

In 1942, James Ostelle Harrison  a faculty member at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, now deceased  acquired the object, known as a "tsantsa," during his travels in Ecuador. Harrison donated the head to the university, where it was displayed in campus museums for decades. Then, in the 1980s, the university placed the tsantsa in storage.

Such tsantsas were crafted from human heads  typically belonging to a slain enemy  and were made and used in rituals in Ecuador until the middle of the 20th century by men in the Amazonian Shuar, Achuar, Awajun/Aguaruna, Wampis/Huambisa and Candoshi-Shampra populations, known collectively as the SAAWC culture groups, according to a new study about the artifact.

In the 19th century, Western and European interest in tsantsas as "keepsakes and curios" created a commercial demand for the objects, according to the study. Some tsantsas that were crafted for export were, indeed, human, but weren't intended for Indigenous rituals, and many of the exported shrunken heads were made from the corpses of animals such as monkeys or sloths, or from synthetic materials. In the study, scientists confirmed that the Mercer tsantsa was not only genuine, but also that it was created specifically for ceremonial use more than 80 years ago, using techniques that were practiced by Indigenous people in the Ecuadorian Amazon , university representatives said in a statement .

Related: Photos: The amazing mummies of Peru and Egypt

In 2018, the completion of a new science facility at Mercer brought the tsantsa to the attention of lead study author Craig Byron, a Mercer biology professor. In preparation for the move into the new building, Byron was overseeing the cataloging and relocation of Georgia bird and mammal taxidermy specimens, which were collected during the middle of the 20th century and were once used for teaching, he told Live Science in an email.

Among those specimens was the tsantsa, which the researchers identified as potential human remains and an important cultural artifact, Byron said. The head measured about 5 inches (12 centimeters) high, and while it was known to have come from Ecuador, there was no documentation verifying its authenticity, as it was collected prior to the establishment of regulations and protocols that now safeguard against trafficking in cultural artifacts and human remains, Byron said in the email.

The scientists contacted the Ecuadorian Embassy, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the National Cultural Heritage Institute; they agreed to authenticate the artifact and produce a report for the Ecuador's National Cultural Heritage Institute (Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural, INPC), to determine if the tsantsa should be repatriated.

CT scans revealed key anatomical features in the Ecuadorian tsantsa. (Image credit: Adam Kiefe/Anthony Fratino and Todd Anderson/Joanna Thomas)

Creating a traditional tsantsa begins with the removal of the head from a dead adversary's body, "as close to the shoulders as possible," the researchers wrote in the study, published May 11 in the journal Heritage Science . Skin layers are stripped from the skull, and then molded back into a 3D "head" shape, preserved through stages of soaking, simmering, dry heating with hot sand and "ironing" with hot stones, followed by smoking. The eyes and lips and a seam at the back of the new, smaller head are stitched together with plant fibers.

By the end of this process, the head is "no larger than a clenched adult human fist," according to the study. Heads that are ritually prepared in this way were thought to retain the abilities of a slain enemy; these powers could then be transferred in a ceremony to the household of the head's new owner, the scientists reported.

Preserving the past

In February 2019, the scientists scanned the head using computed X-ray tomography (CT) and built 3D digital models  with and without hair. To verify that the Mercer tsantsa was both human and ceremonial, the researchers consulted a checklist of 33 criteria from prior studies of these objects. The list described features such as the color, density and texture of the skin; the structure of facial features and anatomy; and signs of traditional fabrication, including stitching style, charcoal traces in the head cavity, and a hole in the top of the head for attaching a cord.

Morphology of the ears, mouth and nose, as well as human head lice eggs in the hair, confirmed that the tsantsa was human. Attributes such as the mouth-stitching technique, overall skin texture and a hole at the top  a detail only visible on the CT scans, and something that is usually absent in synthetic or commercial tsantsas  showed that the tsantsa was made traditionally by hand and not commercially produced, Byron said. There were also visible marks in the skin made by the hands that shaped the head, he added.

Craig Byron of Mercer University examines the tsantsa, which had been in storage at the university for decades prior to its repatriation. (Image credit: Adam Kiefer)

"You can even see where fingers and thumbs would have been used to hold and 'work' the skin during the shrinking process," he said. "Also, the skin had the polishing we expected [in a traditionally prepared head] by studying other observations in the peer-reviewed science literature."

The head met 30 of the 33 criteria for authenticity, and was repatriated to the General Consulate of Ecuador in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 12, 2019, according to the study. Objects like the tsantsa represent the world's diminishing cultural diversity, which "is rapidly shrinking with each passing month," Byron said.

Repatriating cultural objects and human remains to their countries of origin  and collaborating with those nations to do so  will be an important part of preserving this legacy, and is an opportunity for cultural institutions to address the presence of objects in their collections that were acquired through colonialism, the study authors wrote.

Originally published on Live Science.
Among some of the key races being decided are primaries for Allentown and Bethlehem mayor, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County commissioner, and Southern Lehigh and Whitehall-Coplay school boards. The nominees will square off in the general election Nov. 2.
Image 1 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute) Europa Europa is Jupiter's fourth-largest moon, and the smoothest of all the celestial bodies. There are almost no craters, and despite a dense network of cracks and ridges covering this moon, none are higher or deeper than a few thousand feet. This suggests that Europa's surface is geologically young and possibly floating on a liquid mantle. The Hubble Space Telescope has also spotted plumes of water vapor spewing 125 miles (200 kilometers) into the air from the south pole. This lends weight to the idea that Europa has a subsurface saltwater ocean with a layer of ice that may be just a few miles thick in places, according to NASA. Tidal flexing and friction from the gravitational interaction with Jupiter generates enough heat to keep the interior ocean liquid, but because it is so far from the sun, the surface remains frozen. Europa also has a very thin oxygen atmosphere, generated when radiation splits water molecules in the surface ice. A tiny fraction of this could become trapped within the ice, and eventually would be carried down to the subsurface ocean by tectonic subduction. A 2007 study published in the journal Astrobiology calculated that it was possible for the oxygen levels in Europa's ocean to equal that of Earth's own deep seas, which further bolsters the moon's chances of harboring life.

Image 2 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL) Ganymede Ganymede , Jupiter's largest moon, is 8% larger than Mercury, but only half of its mass. Such a low density suggests that it should be made of equal parts rock and water. In the 1990s, the Galileo spacecraft found that Ganymede has its own magnetic field, which means that it must have a molten iron core. The heat from this core would be enough to melt the ice and create an enormous subterranean ocean. This ocean could be a 62-mile-thick (100 km) layer, sandwiched between an icy crust on the surface and another layer of ice below, which is held solid by the enormous pressures. Other models have suggested that there might be several different oceans, arranged in concentric rings like an onion, with different phases of solid ice separating them. Ganymede's ocean is trapped a long way underground, so we don't see any water plumes spewing at the surface like on other moons, but there are other observations that provide direct evidence of its ocean. As Ganymede completes its orbit around Jupiter, the parent planet's massive magnetic field creates polar aurorae in Ganymede's thin atmosphere. But the salt in Ganymede's seawater makes it electrically conductive, and this creates magnetic drag, which reduces the amount that the aurorae oscillate around Ganymede's poles. The Hubble Space Telescope has observed Ganymede's auroras, and discovered that the oscillations are damped in exactly the way that an underground ocean would predict, the BBC reported.

Image 3 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL) Callisto Callisto is Jupiter's second-largest moon. It is almost as large as Mercury, but one-third as massive, which means it is about 50% water. The strange thing about Callisto is that the surface is completely saturated with craters, with no breaks or smooth plains caused by geological processes below. Not only is Callisto geologically dead today, it probably always has been. Gravity measurements from the Galileo spacecraft show that the internal structure hasn't fully separated out into a rock core with a pure water/ice mantle. This means that the ice never fully melted during Callisto's formation, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Despite this, we know that Callisto does have a liquid ocean near the surface. Measurements of its interaction with Jupiter's magnetic field show that it must have an electrically conducting layer at least 6 miles (10 km) thick just below the surface. Callisto orbits too far away from Jupiter to receive any significant tidal heating, so for this ocean to remain liquid, it must contain something besides water to act as antifreeze  a 5% mixture of ammonia would be enough, for example. Callisto lies outside Jupiter's main radiation belt and has ample water ice on the surface, which makes it a good candidate for a future human base. But conditions within its underground ocean are much less hospitable. As well as being very cold, the liquid water is sandwiched between two layers of ice, so there is no influx of minerals, and only very slow heat transfer from the core.

Image 4 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) Pluto Pluto is too small to have retained enough heat to keep its core molten. Radioactive heating under the surface only provides one-50th of the energy that radiates upwards on Earth. But that's still enough to melt the lighter elements and allow the heavier silicate minerals to sink. The result is a rocky core 1,050 miles (1,700 km) across, surrounded by a layer of water and ice 60-110 miles (100-180 km) thick. Pluto's surface is so cold that it is blanketed by snow made of solid nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide, but spectrometry data from New Horizons suggests the bedrock is water ice, according to NASA . Deep in the mantle, the heat from the core could be keeping this a mixture of slush and water. The heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio is in an area absent of craters, suggesting the surface is geologically active. The western half, Sputnik Planitia , lies close to Pluto's equator, keeping it at a stable temperature. For millions of years, the nitrogen ice on the surface has been slowly circulating on convection currents driven by the subterranean ocean. This provides a clue that the water inside Pluto behaves like the molten magma in Earth's mantle, according to a study at Purdue University .

Image 5 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA) Ceres Ceres is the largest object in the Asteroid Belt , and the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system. It was originally formed as a mixture of porous rock with about 10% ice. Early in Ceres' formation, heating from the radioactive decay of the heavier elements melted the ice, which caused most of the rock to sink down towards the core. The heating wouldn't have been enough to melt all the way to the surface  the outer 6 miles (10 km) or so stayed frozen  but as the subterranean ocean warmed, it expanded and forced cracks in the surface. Over billions of years, convection currents carried away the heat from the core, and enabled the interior to mostly freeze solid again, but Ceres still seems to have some liquid water beneath the surface. The Herschel Space Telescope observed plumes that are ejecting water vapor into space at a rate of 13.2 lbs. (6 kilograms) per second. The total amount of water in Ceres' icy mantle is more than all the fresh water on Earth, but it's difficult to tell how much of this is liquid. Because Ceres doesn't have a large gas giant parent to generate significant tidal heating, all of its core energy comes from radioactive decay, and the proportion of radioactive isotopes in the core is currently unknown.

Image 6 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS) Triton Triton is the largest moon of Neptune. It is slightly larger than Pluto, and has almost the same composition. It's likely that they were both formed in the Kuiper Belt , and later fell deeper into the solar system as a result of the gravitational pull of Neptune and Uranus. Neptune gravitationally captured Triton, but unusually, the moon has a retrograde orbit  it orbits in the opposite direction to Neptune's own spin. When it was first captured, its initial orbit was very eccentric, and this generated a lot of tidal heating as Triton flexed and relaxed with each orbit. This heat was enough to melt the interior and cause it to separate into a dense core with a liquid water mantle and a solid crust of water and nitrogen ice. Once the crust was isolated from the core by this liquid layer, it was free to flex, which increased the effect of tidal heating and helped to stop the ocean refreezing as Triton's orbit decayed. Eventually, after a billion years, Triton's orbit became circular enough to lose most of its tidal heating, but it still receives energy from the core's radioactive elements. Computer models show it would only take a small amount of dissolved impurities in the water, such as ammonia, to lower the freezing point and keep Triton's ocean liquid.

Image 7 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute) Mimas Saturn's moon, Mimas , may mostly be composed of water ice with a smattering of rock  like a gritty snowball. It is only just large enough to be pulled into a rounded shape by its own gravity (it's actually slightly ovoid). Unlike its slightly larger cousin, Enceladus , there are no visible plumes or geysers, and its surface is very heavily cratered, which suggests that the crust has remained frozen for billions of years, according to NASA , and doesn't get recycled into the moon's interior. This is odd, because Mimas orbits closer to Saturn and in a more eccentric orbit, so it should receive much more tidal heating. However, recent analysis of images from Cassini found that Mimas does wobble slightly in its orbit, according to a report from Cornell University , and there are only two theoretical models that explain this. Either Mimas has a dense, elongated core that throws it off balance, or it has a liquid ocean under the crust that lets the core move around inside. If Mimas does have a liquid ocean, it must be capped with a very thick, strong crust to prevent any cracking or geysers. That doesn't fit in with observations of other moons and dwarf planets around the solar system. But then, current models of moon formation also can't explain why Enceladus has a liquid mantle and Mimas doesn't.

Image 8 of 10 (Image credit: JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute) Enceladus In 2005, NASA's Cassini probe observed plumes of water vapor erupting near the south pole of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. Because the gravity on Enceladus is only 1% of Earth's, the ice crystals are easily flung into orbit, and we now know they are responsible for most of the material in Saturn's E Ring, according to NASA . Enceladus has a rocky core around 230 miles (370 km) across, surrounded by a 6-mile-deep (10 km) ocean under an icy crust, according to NASA. Initially, scientists thought the ocean was only present as an underground lake at the south pole, as that's where the plumes have all been seen. But measurements of Enceladus' slight wobble, or libration, show that the rocky core is likely completely detached from the crust. This means that the ocean envelopes the moon and probably accounts for 40% of its volume. The reason that the plumes only occur at the south pole is that the surface ice is believed to be much thinner  just 3 miles (5 km) thick, compared with 12-28 miles (20-45 km) thick surface across the rest of Enceladus. If this view of the moon was correct, Saturn's tidal heating wouldn't be enough to explain its liquid ocean. Instead, there may be more geothermal heat coming from the core than was previously thought. This might help to generate hydrothermal upwellings of nutrients and organic molecules, offering hope that life evolved there.

Image 9 of 10 (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute) Dione Saturn's moon Dione could be 50% water with a heavier rocky core. Dione is twice as large as Enceladus, but it has a much less eccentric orbit, so it receives less heat from tidal stress. This gives it a much thicker frozen crust  some 62 miles (100 kilometers) thick. By analyzing the variations in the trajectory of Cassini as it made several flybys of Dione between 2011 and 2015, one group of scientists at NASA concluded that this crust could be floating on a liquid ocean 22-59 miles (35-95 km) deep. Dione is heavily cratered and doesn't have any geysers, but one hemisphere is covered with huge cliffs of ice that are many hundreds of feet high and hundreds of miles long. These are probably scars left over from early in Dione's life when the surface was still geologically active. An important feature of Dione is that its ocean may be liquid all the way down to the bedrock, rather than sandwiched between two layers of ice, according to a study at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, Space.com reported .
The silver shilling coin portrays Charles I, who was the King of England at the time when it was struck in the 1630s

An almost 400-year-old silver coin found in a field in Maryland suggests that the remains of a nearby fort are all that's left of one of the earliest English colonial settlements in the Americas, archaeologists said.

The coin is a silver shilling  worth the equivalent of maybe $8 in the 17th century  that portrays a likeness of the English king Charles I. Research shows it must have been minted in London in about 1633  more than a decade before Charles was executed by his Parliamentarian enemies in 1649, during the English Civil War.

Related: Family ties: 8 truly dysfunctional royal families

The coin indicates the underground remains of the structure where it was found are from the very first colonial fort built in 1634, said archaeologist Travis Parno, the director of research and collections at Historic St. Mary's City, an archaeological and historical museum funded by the state of Maryland.

Over the last three years, archaeologists have unearthed several artifacts  such as fragments of distinctive stoneware called "Rhenish" pottery from France and Germany, ceramics from Surrey in England and lead shot for muskets  that show the site was inhabited by early European colonists.

But the silver shilling finally verifies the age of the site and the fort, Parno told Live Science.

"It's a key dating tool that suggests this is a very early 17th-century site," he said. "We've got a lot of artifacts that are really pointing us to an early 17th-century date, so finding a coin that nails that down to a very early period is really helpful."

First fort

The fort at St Mary's City was built by colonists in 1633; it was the first fort in Maryland and one of the earliest English forts in the Americas. (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City)

St. Mary's City, near the southern tip of Maryland and about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Baltimore, was established by English colonists in 1633.

It was one of the earliest colonial settlements established in New England, after Jamestown in 1607, Plymouth in 1620 and Massachusetts Bay in 1630.

Archaeologists have searched since the 1980s for the site of the original colonial fort at St. Mary's City, and a few years ago a geophysical survey indicated a large palisaded structure had once been built at Mill Field near the southern edge of the modern town.

But it also revealed the structure had a rectangular palisade with a single corner "bastion"  an outwork of a fort that allowed defenders to fire on anyone attacking the walls  and not a square palisade with a bastion at each of its corners, which was a written description of the fort from the time, Parno said.

Related: Photos: Roman-era silver jewelry and coins discovered in Scotland

Excavations of the site started in 2019 but it wasn't until November 2020 that archaeologists unearthed the silver shilling and verified that Mill Field was truly the location of the fort, he said.

The coin has a distinctive "maker's mark" in the shape of a portcullis  a heavy grating that can be lowered to block the gateway of a castle  that shows it was minted in the Tower of London in either 1633 or 1634, he said.

By the time later forts were built, the currency of the colony for almost all transactions had become pounds of tobacco  a valuable crop  and so the discovery of the silver shilling strongly suggested the site was that of the original fort, Parno said.

Image 1 of 5 Among other artifacts unearthed at site, archaeologists have found a large quantity of lead shot for muskets. (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City) Image 2 of 5 Archaeologists have searched for the site of the first fort at St Mary's City since the 1980s, but the silver shilling was only found in excavations last year. (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City) Image 3 of 5 The tiny depiction of a portcullis that can be seen at the top of the reverse of the coin is a "maker's mark" showing it was minted in the Tower of London in 1633 or 1634. (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City) Image 4 of 5 The silver shilling coin portrays Charles I, who was the King of England at the time when it was struck in the 1630s (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City) Image 5 of 5 The fort at St Mary's City was built by colonists in 1633; it was the first fort in Maryland and one of the earliest English forts in the Americas. (Image credit: Historic St. Marys City)

English Civil War

Parno thinks the silver shilling was probably lost more than 380 years ago where it was found in what seems to be a storage cellar of the fort.

The coin may even have arrived at St. Mary's City on one of two famous ships, the Ark and the Dove, which arrived in March 1634 with about 150 colonists on board. "It certainly could have been struck in 1633 and brought over in someone's pocket," Parno said. "But it's equally likely that it came over a year or two after that, because there were continuous waves of colonists coming here."

In the next stage of the excavations, the archaeologists hope to reveal more of the underground cellar, which was aligned to the palisade and so was probably built at the same time, he said.

Just why the fort is so different from the description written at the time remains a lingering question. That description was written by the first governor of the colony, Leonard Calvert, who must have seen the real fort; and so perhaps Calvert knew of a plan that was never completed, or the description could be "a little bit of embellishment," Parno said.

The archaeological team has also found very early artifacts, including fragments of stone tools and stone projectile points, that date from the time when the area was inhabited by Native Americans  many thousands of years before the first fort was built on land the colonists had purchased from the Indigenous people.

"This area of Maryland has been home to people for upwards of 13[,000] to 14,000 years, and so we see evidence of that," Parno said; he and his team are now collaborating with Native American groups on a project to investigate the long history of human habitation of the region.

Originally published on Live Science.
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In 2019, when I took the stage with director Rayka Zehtabchi to accept the Academy Award for documentary short subject for Period. End of Sentence, I held the Oscar high and declared a period should end a sentence, not a girls education. Nearly 26.9 million viewers in 225 countries heard the rallying cry for menstrual justice. As dizzying as that number is, it represents only a small fraction of the 800 million people on earth who are menstruating at any given time.

Until we have policies that recognize that menstrual health is a biological process fundamental to our physical, emotional, and economic well-being, gender equity can never be achieved.

Set in India, Period. End of Sentence. chronicles how attitudes toward menstruation change when women run a pad-manufacturing enterprise in their village. As the executive director of the Pad Project (the non-profit behind the Netflix doc), I am proud the film sparked a worldwide conversation about the taboo topic of menstruation. I am also fearful that too many people believe that period poverty is something that only happens out there in low-income countries. In fact, the U.S. lags behind many low-income countries when it comes to addressing period poverty.

Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, to clean and safe toilets, to hand-washing facilities and waste disposal, and to education about reproductive biology. The non-profit Period Equity reports that many in the U.S. are forced to make a terrible choice between buying food or menstrual products. A 2019 study in St. Louis found that two-thirds of respondents had not been able to afford products at least once in the last year, and 21% faced this issue monthly. The organization I Support The Girls reports a 35% increase in requests for products since the start of the pandemic. The morning after the Oscars, I woke to an email from a Californian teen telling me she stuffed her underwear with old socks because she couldnt afford pads.

Studies show one in four teenagers in the U.S. miss class due to the lack of access to menstrual products at school, and one in five has struggled to afford products. Currently, only seven states require high schools to provide free products to students: California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, and Virginia. A Good Morning America report states that 1 in 10 U.S. college students experience period poverty, with Black and Latina women [experiencing] the highest levels of period poverty in the last year along with immigrant and first-generation students.

The taxation of menstrual products compounds the challenge of access and affordability. Menstruators in the U.S. spend approximately $6,360 over the course of their reproductive lives on period products. A substantial amount of this expense is in taxes. In addition to sales tax, menstrual products may be subject to a luxury tax levied on items deemed unnecessary. Missouri taxes tampons but not bingo supplies. Wisconsin taxes tampons but not gun club memberships. And so on. Thirty of 50 states make tampons subject to sales tax. The taxation of the estimated 61 million Americans who use period products enforces gender discrimination. States reap an estimated annual profit of $130 million from periods.

When it comes to policies that allow for  rather than punish  people who have periods, other countries outpace the U.S. In 2018, India exempted pads of the Goods and Services Tax. Similarly, Kenya, Mauritania, South Africa, Tanzania, and most recently, Namibia, did away with the Value Added Tax on sanitary products. Last year, Scotland was the first nation to make period products free for anyone who needs them. This year, Irelands supermarket chain Lidl will offer free period products in its stores across the country, and New Zealand passed an initiative that requires all schools to offer free products to students. The Kenyan government has distributed free pads in schools since 2011.

If you are among the 20% of American women who suffer from debilitating periods, you cannot expect period leave in the workplace. Japan, however, has had period leave for more than 70 years. In 2019, the Swedish government granted funds to the non-profit Mensen to create period-friendly workplaces, and in 2020, the Indian food service Zomato allowed employees up to ten days of period leave per year. Countries that mandate some amount of menstrual leave include China, Indonesia, Taiwan and Zambia. Just last month, South Korea, a country that has offered paid period leave since 1953, opened a store dedicated to fighting the long-held stigma around periods. The Period Shop, which opened near Daebang Station in Seoul, boasts a window display of Diva Cups that are as colorful as confections.

I cannot imagine passing such a storefront on the streets of Los Angeles. For all our bravado, Americans are still squeamish about blood. Period blood, that is. A quick scan of Oscar winners for Best Picture turns up such battle-bloodied victors as Platoon, Braveheart and Gladiator, to name only a few. But when Period. End of Sentence. won the Oscar, it marked the first time the coveted gold was bestowed upon a film about blood let in the name of life, rather than death. Yet, save for a fleeting image of a stained rag discarded in a field, there is not a drop of blood shown throughout the 26-minute documentary. That would have been, as one venerated member of the Directors Branch of The Academy put it in the Hollywood Reporter: Too icky.

Melissa Berton is executive director of the Pad Project. She wrote the forward for the new book Period. End of Sentence, written by Anita Diamant, looking at issues surrounding menstruation around the globe.

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Barcelona production-distribution outfit Filmax is at this years L.A. Virtual Screenings with its most recent TV acquisition, Basque drama Mouths of Sand (Hondar ahoak) from leading regional film production company Txintxua Films, its first foray into TV production.

Originally commissioned by local Basque public TV broadcaster ETB, the series global rights were scooped by Filmax after episode one was buzzed up by critics and viewers on social media in its local market. The series fits nicely within the framework of high-end regional content coming from the northern Spanish community, which has had a large success in film production. Representative of that shift, Mouths of Sand is directed by Koldo Almandoz, winner of the Best Basque Film award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2018 with his debut feature The Deer.

In Deer and earlier short films, Almandoz developed a personal, poetic universe of ghost ships, wildlife and marshes, and immigrants and other people living on the big city margins. In Mouths of Sand, he mixes that world with the tropes of Nordic Noir, translated to an often spectacular and atmospheric Basque Country.

Mouths of Sand, in title and in theme, is based on an old seafaring legend which says that whoever tells the secrets of the sea on land will have his mouth filled with sand, because the words brought to land always leave traces. In the series, Inspector Nerea Garcia, played by Nagore Aranburu (Flowers, Caronte), is ordered to a small fishing village where she must investigate the disappearance of Josu, a boat captain, and the son-in-law of one of the towns most powerful businessmen. There she is partnered with Alex, a local assistant played by rising Basque star Eneko Sagardoy (Giant, Patria). What starts out as a cut and dry case quickly turns sinister as secrets are uncovered and faceless forces work against the investigation.

The Basque Countrys seemingly omnipresent blanket of fog, dense forests and miles of coast overlooking the Bay of Biscay all give the series a distinct local Noir feeling that heightens the anxiety of the missing persons case and offer possible outcomes only limited by ones imagination.

To best capture the surrounding countryside, Mouths of Sand recruited Javier Aguirre, one of the Basque County and Spains most decorated and hardest working cinematographers. In the last four years he has received three Spanish Academy Award nominations, winning one for his work on 2018s San Sebastian Jury Prize and best Basque film winner Giant.

This is Txintxua Films first foray into the fictional series format, and weve been able to tackle the challenge head-on, thanks to an outstanding cast and crew, said Txintxua Films producer Marian Fernandez. The fantastic reception from both viewers and critics alike after the premiere in the Basque Country confirms that we have fulfilled our objective of producing a series that the audience connects with and that is hugely satisfying.

The backing that EITB [Euskal Irrati Telebista  Basque Radio-Television] has given fiction has been most relevantly displayed in the series Mouths of Sand, in which the know-how of a movie producer has come together with an experienced director and the platform that EITB offers. What the critics have dubbed the new Basque noir, is the start of a collaboration that EITB hopes will be long-lasting. Both teams are currently working on developing a second series, said Eduardo Barinaga, director at ETB.

For his part, Ivan Diaz, head of international at Filmax, added: We loved this series from the first moment we saw it. It is reminiscent of some of the best independent police thrillers that have been made in recent years. Much care has been taken over the style and aesthetic and we are sure that it has great potential to travel to other countries.

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Indian actor Huma Qureshi has forayed into Hollywood with a featured role in Netflixs Army of the Dead.

In Zack Snyders zombie epic, described by Variety critic Owen Gleiberman as packed-to-the-gills video-game-meets-21st-century-Western-meets-day-of-the-living-dead fun in his review, Qureshi plays single mom Geeta, resident of a quarantine camp outside a post-zombie-war Las Vegas. Without spoilers, Geetas arc in the film is one of the major plot pivots.

I picked the role because I always look for how does each character take the story forward?, Qureshi tells Variety. I was very aware that this is a very big ensemble film, but Ive never been afraid of doing ensembles. Qureshi debuted in Anurag Kashyaps sprawling two-part ensemble epic Gangs of Wasseypur in 2012.

I feel like as long as you you believe in the larger story, you believe in what the director and the writer are trying to say when your character is sort of incidental to the plot and moving that forward, I think thats what people remember the most, says Qureshi. And of course, the fact that I got to be directed by Zack Snyder, whos arguably one of the biggest directors in the world. It was just exciting for me to be part of that cinematic experience.

Should Army of the Dead get a sequel, Qureshi is keen to be part of it. Itll be quite fun to see Geeta in the second edition of this, says Qureshi. And I would love to make her stronger this time and [be in] a bit more control of her situation.

Qureshis agents CAA put her up for Army of the Dead when she was in the U.S. meeting people for a television series, which she describes as a brown girl superhero story and as a passion project that she has been working on. No further details on the project are forthcoming at the moment. The Army of the Dead casting team was familiar with Qureshi from her lead role in Netflix series Leila, and after the reading she was cast in a matter of days.

The shooting for Army of the Dead was completed in 2019, before coronavirus devastated the world. Qureshis ADR was done remotely during one of Indias lockdowns.

Most of India is again under lockdown as a deadly second wave of the virus has engulfed the country. Qureshi has teamed with non-profit organization Save the Children India to set up a 100-bed temporary hospital facility along with an oxygen plant in Delhi, as thousands of infected people in the Indian capital region gasp for breath.
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Sony Music Entertainment (SME) said Monday that it has signed both a new direct China digital distribution deal with NetEase Cloud Music and a multi-year extension of its existing agreement with Tencent Music Entertainment (TME).

Sonys NetEase deal is the latest to shift power away from TME in Chinas streaming industry and make the space slightly more competitive. It comes amidst a government antitrust probe of TME and its parent company Tencent Group. TME announced its quarterly results on Monday and acknowledged that regulators are taking a growing interest in its business.

For years, TME elbowed out competitors with exclusive digital distribution contracts with the three major labels, Universal, Warner and Sony. It would then sub-license those catalogues out to competitors like NetEase  often for double or triple the original price.

The arrangement provoked a 2018 antitrust investigation of Tencent, which resulted in a commitment from the firm to drop some of its exclusive contracts at the end of their three-year duration. The probe was suspended in 2019.

Last May, NetEase signed a strategic partnership with Warner Chappell Music to access the lyrics to the latters catalogue of songs. Last August, NetEase managed to sign a direct licensing agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), signaling the first shake-up of the major labels previous one-and-done approach to the Chinese market.

TMEs only other serious music streaming rival, Xiami Music, shuttered in February.

The new antitrust investigation of Tencent currently underway hones in on TME in particular, Reuters said, and will likely result in a fine of at least $1.54 billion (RMB10 billion). TME may be forced to give up even more of its exclusive music rights contracts, and potentially sell off its music apps Kuwo and Kugou.

China is one of the most dynamic music markets in the world, said Dennis Kooker, president of SMEs Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, stating that Sony is seeking to maximize the reach its artists in the vitally important territory.

With the two deals, Sony hopes to develop innovative approaches for [talent] to connect with fans locally in the mainland and increase [its] level of global investment in its artists, he added.

On the China side, TME executive chairman Cussion Pang said that extending our cooperation with SME was a natural next-step for us. In March, TME renewed its multi-year licensing deal with Warner Music.

Tencent hopes to explore new music marketing tactics and work with Sony to deepen our reach to Japanese pop culture fans in China, in particular.

SME music is currently available via TMEs platforms such as top streamers QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and online Karaoke platform WeSing. Additionally, it will now be available on certain connected devices such as smart speakers, TVS and in-car audio systems.

Looking ahead, we hope to boost the digital consumption of music in China through the connected IoT device market while exploring more possibilities for music marketing, explained T.C. Pan, TMEs vice president of content cooperation.

On Monday, TME beat quarterly profit estimates, thanks mostly to a rise in subscription revenues and ad sales on its music streaming platforms. Paying subscribers to is online music services grew 42.6% year-on-year to 60.9 million.

Meanwhile, SME and NetEase will engage in in-depth cooperation in areas such as music distribution, music streaming services, online karaoke, and music vlogs.

Ding Bo, Vice President of NetEase Cloud Music, said that the deal will enrich his platforms expanding library of titles and propel Chinas online music ecosystem forward.

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A woman caught in an alleged human smuggling attempt said she wanted to give migrants a ride because they are human beings in need, states the arrest affidavit.

Alejandra Denise Ramirez was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport migrants who had crossed the border illegally.

At about 2:04 p.m. May 11, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol with a traffic stop near the intersection of U.S. 83 and FM 2687. The trooper stated he had pulled over the vehicle because the driver and passenger were not wearing seatbelts.

The trooper also noticed people on the back seat laying on their backs with only their torsos visible. It appeared that their legs extended into the trunk area, according to court documents. DPS had identified the driver as Ramirez. Border Patrol determined that she was a U.S. citizen while her five passengers were migrants from Mexico and Honduras.

In a post-arrest statement, Ramirez stated that she was at a car wash when the five individuals approached her asking her for a ride to Zapata.

She stated she didnt see them as undocumented (migrants) but as human beings in need. Ramirez claimed she was going to drop them off at the entrance of Zapata, Texas. Ramirez stated she was not getting paid to transport them, states the affidavit.

A migrant held as a material witness stated that he walked to an abandoned house where Ramirez arrived to provide food for him and others in the house. He stated that Ramirez was going to take them to Zapata. He added that Ramirez told him to get in the vehicle, act normal and not get nervous since he was the front passenger.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  If Richard Moore is executed, he will have some say in how he goes  the electric chair or the firing squad.

Moore is one of three prisoners on South Carolina's death row who have run out of appeals in the past six months and could be among the first to face the grim choice under a new state law. But his supporters  including the state's former prisons chief  say he deserves better.

The state Supreme Court set and then stayed the prisoners' executions after the Corrections Department said it didnt have the drugs needed to carry out lethal injections. Now, Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a law requiring the condemned to choose to die by gunshot or electrocution if lethal injection drugs arent available.

South Carolina once had one of the nations most prolific death chambers, but a shortage of the drugs has caused a decadelong lull in executions. The state is one of only nine to still use the electric chair and the fourth to allow a firing squad.

Moore, 56, has lived on death row for two decades after being convicted in 2001 for the fatal shooting of convenience store clerk James Mahoney. The Spartanburg man hasn't made a choice, said his attorney Lindsey Vann, because he is focused on a current petition to the state Supreme Court.

As his lawyers continue to mount court challenges, they're also preparing a case for clemency. Among his supporters is the former director of South Carolina's Department of Corrections, Jon Ozmint, who asserts Moore is a reformed man who deserves life without parole instead of death.

Circumstances took place inside the store that certainly made him guilty of killing another man, but in most counties in this state, I doubt you could even find a jury to recommend the death penalty on those facts, said Ozmint, a self-described supporter of the death penalty who helmed the department between 2003 and 2012  one of the death chambers busier periods.

Moore's lawyers argued in front of the state Supreme Court this month that Moores crime simply doesnt rise to the level of heinousness in other death penalty cases.

Inmates most recently executed in the state include a man who strangled his cellmate while serving time for a double murder and a man who secretly took out life insurance policies on his wife and son before killing them and burning their bodies.

Richard's case just wasnt like theirs, Ozmint told The Associated Press.

No one contests that Moore killed Mahoney, who was working at Nikkis Speedy Mart in Spartanburg County on Sept. 16, 1999. During the 2001 trial, prosecutors said Moore entered the store looking for money to support his cocaine habit and got into a dispute with Mahoney, who drew a pistol that Moore wrestled away from him.

Mahoney pulled a second gun, and a gunfight ensued. Mahoney shot Moore in the arm, and Moore shot Mahoney in the chest. Prosecutors said Moore left a trail of blood through the store as he looked for cash, stepping twice over Mahoney.

At the time, Moore claimed that he acted in self-defense after Mahoney drew the first gun. His appeals lawyers have said that because Moore didn't bring a gun into store, he couldn't have intended to kill someone when he walked in.

Lawyers for the attorney general's office argued this month that Moore was trying to turn the court's attention away from the damning evidence presented against him and toward generalities, innuendo and speculation."

Mahoneys relatives havent spoken publicly on the case in recent years. At the sentencing, family members described the 42-year-old clerk as a beloved uncle and friend who loved NASCAR and dutifully worked the third shift at the store, according to The Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

Were pleased with the verdict, and exceptionally pleased with the manner in which the case was prosecuted, Mahoney's father, James Mahoney, said at the time.

Moore, who is Black, is the last person to enter death row with a trial where the state struck all potential African American jurors, according to Justice 360, the nonprofit that represents Moore and many others on South Carolina's death row.

During Moore's trial, the jury learned of his rap sheet, ranging from weapons charges to burglary and assault convictions. But in prison, Moore has grown into a man remorseful for his crimes who's built up relationships with his family and his Christian faith, supporters say. In his two decades on death row, he has received just two minor infractions.

His life in the Department of Corrections has been exemplary. Hes a giver, not a taker," Ozmint said.

Even with the new law, Moores fate remains a waiting game for all involved.

Theres never anything definite, and it leaves your mind wondering: Whens the last time Im going to talk to him? Whens the next time I can see him, because of the pandemic? Is this going to go in his favor or not?" said Moore's daughter, Alexandria Moore. It definitely makes you get stuck in your own head, thinking about the hypotheticals.

Retired state Rep. Gary Clary, who as a state judge presided over Moore's case, says it's inevitable that lawsuits will follow the bill's signing. On the House floor, he argued against similar legislation, noting it would continue costing the state more money in court.

When a jury convicted Richard Bernard Moore, I think I set his execution ... 90 days later. We all knew when those arbitrary dates were established, it wasnt going to happen anytime soon," Clary said. "And here we are, 20 years later.

___

Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Lancaster County company, which sells natural gas in 45 Pennsylvania counties, said customers facing billing problems should consider its program that spreads the bills over 12 months. Customers can call UGI at 800-276-2722 for more information on the program and the pending rate hikes.
Wharf plaques



We were saddened to learn that the name plaques on the Warkworth Wharf are to be removed during the renovations and stored for safe keeping (MM May 5). The names will be listed in a kiosk on the wharf for future reference, whatever that means. Our late parents names are on two of the plaques, and we like to share a quiet time with them occasionally in a peaceful setting. Standing outside a kiosk is hardly the same. What will be the eventual fate of the plaques and why can they not be reinstalled on the renovated wharf? Is it penny-pinching? Has a woke objection been discovered? Or has some bureaucrat decided that there is nothing wrong with a snub to the people of Warkworth?

Naa & John Northcott, Warkworth



Auckland Councils Community facilities head Paul Amaral responds: The old plaques will not be reattached to the wharfs new decking, which is partly due to the condition of some plaques and the different widths of the new decking timber. Community facilities staff have been working with the Riverbank Enhancement Group to find a more sustainable solution for the plaques to ensure the communitys contribution to the old wharfs construction continues to be acknowledged. After careful consideration, the groups intention is to display the contributors names in the wharf kiosk next to the wharf and if possible also on the rolling digital screen in the kiosk. Anyone who would like their plaque returned to them should contact the project manager, Aaron Pickering, on 09 301 0101.

Think again, Greg



Thank you for adding the accurate information from Mayor Goff at the end of your report on local roads funding (MM April 21). And for pointing out to the apparently unaware Councillor Sayers, that an $878 million world class motorway has recently been built through his constituency directly connecting it to the largest urban economy in the country.

I understand it is difficult for councillors to play a meaningful role in the Supercity, after all minimising democratic participation in the operation of Auckland Council was a core intention of the then Local Government Minister Rodney Hide. Today, councillors across the city continue to struggle to represent their constituents effectively. However, regurgitating the old chestnut of local roads and raising the dead horse of the Hill Street roundabout probably dont qualify as burning issues in comparison with the Council paying a private contractor $90 million of ratepayers money to build speed bumps around Auckland. Or why a developer at Te Arai has been awarded a water right, which is destroying the environment of Lake Tomarata, or why Council continues to ignore the Rodney communitys effort to stop the Dome Valley tip. These examples of Auckland Council pandering to private business interests and misspending public money are surely symptoms of a failed local government administration worthy of everyones attention. Incidentally, as someone who travels the Rodney rural roads constantly, one thing I can congratulate Council for is the significant improvement in their condition since it began managing them. I suggest the councillor takes a look for himself sometime  he may be pleasantly surprised.

Brent Morrissey, Wellsford.

Fair return needed



Im not in favour of my rates increasing if there is no guarantee of local roading infrastructure equally increasing (MM April 21). The Mayor is asking if we favour a 3.5 per cent or a five per cent rate increase. Correct me if Im wrong, but from what I have read there seems to be a manipulation that we get nothing at 3.5 per cent and a little bit for a five per cent rates increase. If we get a fairer return back, I might feel differently.



J Williams, Warkworth

Corrections on sailing



Thank you for the coverage of the NZ Team Sailing national competition in Algies Bay last month (MM May 5). However, I was mistakenly quoted as saying that the event would have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for the local economy. The more realistic figure is likely to have been around $120,000 (had the sailors not been exhausted by five full days of sailing, with early starts and late finishes, there may have been more money spent locally). I had also particularly wanted to mention those who gave their time, services, boats and houses to accommodate the young sailors (the list is long), and this too was missing from the article. Without these generous folk, the event is not possible, let alone affordable, and collectively they contribute enormously to the events success. The event was held at the Sandspit Yacht Club facilities located at Algies Bay. Mention was made of the Sandspit Yacht Squadron donating a scholarship to Waimea College last year. This was not the case. The New Zealand Team Sailing Association (NZTSA) was offered a scholarship by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to send one up-and-coming team to Kawau for a training weekend. South Islands Waimea College team was the worthy recipient of this scholarship, which no doubt contributed to their success as they came third in the Gold Fleet at this event. The competition is the largest schools sailing regatta in the country where all the boats and equipment are supplied by NZTSA and run by volunteers. It is held every year, sometimes alternating between the North and South Islands, but Algies Bay has time and again offered all the right ingredients for highly successful regattas, and South Islanders are its biggest fan.



Ross Sutherland, event coordinator, NZTSA

Bothersome bias

In reply to Neil Andersons letter Biased survey, (MM April 21), Councillor Greg Sayers put up this survey to gather local opinions on the abysmal treatment Rodney gets from Auckland Councils rates spend. This had options for people to choose their answers. On the other hand, a few weeks ago Phelan Pirrie and Beth Houlbrooke, of the Rodney Local Board, put out a quick guide to this issue, but in this they had marked the answers They wanted! So Mr Anderson, who is actually being biased here?

Shannon James, Matakana

Wrong about race

The article and comment by the race relations commissioner Meng Foon (MM March 31) are disappointing and arguably not the whole or true story. The majority of New Zealanders who have lived for a few decades can and should question much of the information that is recorded before coming to the conclusion that the impacts of racism in New Zealand are extensive in migrant communities. Mr Foon states that only about half of New Zealanders hold positive views on migrants, but does not provide any evidence why that might be, or if it is even true. All New Zealanders have experienced difficulties in life, as well as good times, so depending on the way the questions were asked, it might slant the answers to the way you want it to look. Mr Foon quoted comments from the Indian Focus Group the Muslim Focus Group and the Filipino Focus Group, and also comments from Chinese elderly people. This mix would cause me to question. Are we talking about race or is it cultural concerns people are dealing with? When I was a boy on our farm in Tauhoa in the 1940s, the communitys only local store was owned by an Indian family. The children came to our school, and the whole district valued that family and what they provided. One of the boys came to our wedding when that time came. It seems that race is a current trendy term but much more divisive  and political foolishness results. We have little to no control over our birthed race, but we do have control over how we live out our culture. If I am looking to employ a driver for my valuable truck, I might have a look at the applicants car to measure the care for aspect. If I am looking to rent my property, it will be much less about the race and much more about how the culture is going to value it. Most times absolutely nothing to do with race, but are we getting on with the honest dealings of sharing our cultures? Remember we can, if we choose, blend cultural standards and choose to be one people. So to sum up, I am disappointed with our race relations commissioner. He is highlighting race and making it a political matter, instead of what it is  a human behaviour matter.

Maurie Hooper, Snells Beach
We asked our Facebook followers if they will travel to the Cook Islands under the new travel bubble. Heres what they thought:

Tayla Perivolaris Yes I will, but not until later in the year when the bubble has been going a while. The Islands rely on our tourism.

Suz Phillips Love the Cook Islands, especially Aitutaki for its friendly locals and beautiful lagoon. Wonderful holiday destination, but no, not this year. Alice Springs is on the to-do list before a return to the Cooks.

Linda Forbes I would if I could afford to go.

See Mahurangi Matters Facebook for more comments and debate.
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A crane brought down from Whangarei hoisted the Daring. Photo, Daryl Hepple.



Those in the know got to take a look at the schooner before it was stored away.



Jim Wintle and John Street.

The 150-year-old Daring schooner was met by an unofficial gathering at the Mangawhai Museum at dawn this month, and heralded by a lone bagpiper.

The vessel was hoisted by crane on to a steel platform, which formed the foundation of temporary housing completed at the end of last week.

The Daring Trust has three years to raise $4 million for a purpose-built facility before its lease expires at the museum.

Chair Jim Wintle says the exhibit will involve the work of expert conservators and the building will be temperature controlled and feature educational tools like holograms.

Its going to be a pretty good shed.

He says there will be community fundraising, applications for government grants and possibly corporate sponsorship in the form of naming rights.

Its not just a New Zealand thing or a Mangawhai thing  its of global significance. It is the only ship of its kind left in the world.

The public is not allowed to enter the Darings temporary housing, but Jim thinks there will be opportunities to open the doors for a peek inside for fundraisers.

The Daring was transported to the museum in the early hours of the morning by truck from a yard in Hobsonville, but its journey was considerably longer than that.

It was built in 1863 in Mangawhai by Nova Scotian shipbuilders at the McInnes Shipyard.

The owner of the vessel when it was wrecked was Onehunga businessman David Kirkwood.

It was on its way to Manukau when it became the victim of gale-force winds, which threatened to wreck it on the Kaipara Bar.

The crew managed to pull it clear of the bar, but it was nudged ashore some 12km further south at Muriwai, where it would remain for more than 150 years.

In 2018, a series of unusually elevated tides unearthed the vessel, which was found to be remarkably preserved.

The Daring Rescue Trust, supported financially by maritime enthusiast John Street, delicately removed it from the sand before it could be picked apart by scavengers.

It was agreed the Daring should be returned to Mangawhai, and after nearly three years of organisation, the Trust was able to secure a lease from the Kaipara District Council last month.
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Following Hibiscus Matters March 17 story about the state of DOyly Reserve wetland in Stanmore Bay, and ongoing complaints from residents, Auckland Council has acknowledged that the area has been neglected.

Council says this is partly due to financial constraints caused by the Covid-19 lockdown last year.

The wetland was created in the reserve, also known as Ardens Park, three years ago by Council, at a cost of $1.5 million.

The project was partly funded by $1.1 million from the developers of 20 Link Crescent, McConnell Property but because this was not enough to cover the cost of the work, Councils Healthy Waters (stormwater) department stepped in to finish the wetland. Healthy Waters is also responsible for maintenance of the area, along with Councils Community Facilities team.

Recently Councils project engineer, Peter Brooks, said he accepts that the site is overgrown, unkempt and appears unloved.

We are working to remedy this, he said. The maintenance of DOyly Reserve was affected by Covid-19 and the resulting Emergency Budget which affected many projects.

However, he says that has now been remedied and in the 2021/22 financial year $55,500 has been approved for maintenance work  weed control and planting  at the wetland.

Spraying, clearing and replanting work is to start this month and be complete in June or July.

A schedule has been drawn up that shows maintenance work taking place four times per year over the next five years.

Pest control will continue to be undertaken by the volunteers of Pest Free Hibiscus Coast, supported by Council.
When two-year-old German shepherd Koda went missing on Anzac Day, his owner, Blake Richardson of Manly, began the search.

He never imagined the enormous community support that would follow, which included a dedicated Facebook page with 6500 followers, people searching all day, and offers of food and other items.

The 20-year-old builder put up a $1000 reward for the dogs return, but says that is not the main reason why people across Rodney and the Hibiscus Coast reached out to help. Key to the search has been the Facebook page, Find Koda the German Shepherd, started by Leanne Coste of Helensville, who lives near where Koda disappeared. So many complete strangers have been part of this, its incredible, Blake says.

The search first focused on Riverhead Forest, but Blake says he believes his dog may have left there now, hoping to get home to Manly or Kaukapakapa, where Blakes parents live. Its been a couple of weeks, but Im still very hopeful hell be found, Blake says. He has enough strength to get through it.

As Mahurangi Matters went to print, Koda was still missing. If you see a lost German shepherd that could be Koda, call 021 262 7059, take a photo, note your location and try to keep eyes on him. Pictured is Blake with Koda.


John Collyer likes the fact Sheepworld is educational and entertaining at the same time.



The 11.3ha property can be purchased either with vacant possession or as a going concern.

A desire to spend more time with his elderly parents in the United Kingdom has prompted the owner of Sheepworld to put his tourist hotspot on the market.

But John Collyer believes the iconic attraction north of Warkworth has a bright future for any new owner wanting to take it on, despite the devastation wrought on tourism businesses due to Covid-19.

Mr Collyer says around 40 per cent of Sheepworld visitors were Kiwis, meaning that the business could still function despite the abrupt loss of overseas visitors.

We were a lot luckier than a lot of tourism businesses, where 90 per cent plus of the business relies on international visitors. They had nothing to work with, he says.

By contrast, Sheepworld could at least kick along by scaling back operations and reducing staff while waiting for things to pick up.

Mr Collyer believes the soon-to-be-completed Puhoi to Warkworth motorway will be another shot in the arm for Sheepworld for two reasons.

Firstly, it will make Sheepworld much more accessible to visitors from Auckland. Secondly, with

Sheepworld being only about a kilometre north of the Warkworth motorway intersection, it will be the first place to visit after leaving the motorway heading north, or the last place to stop before entering the motorway heading south.

The pulling-off-the-road factor to visit Sheepworld is going to be pretty high, he says.

Mr Collyer says when he first bought the business almost 20 years ago, the motorway only went as far as Orewa, but things improved enormously when it was extended as far as Puhoi via the Johnstones Hill tunnels, making Sheepworld more accessible.

Mr Collyer, who previously ran his own educational tourism business in the UK, came to New Zealand in 2000 on a visit that was supposed to last two years. He liked the place so much that he decided to stay, and bought Sheepworld in 2003.

He says the multi-faceted nature of the business appealed to him  in addition to the sheep show attraction there was also a retail component and a cafe.

He also liked the fact that it was educational and entertaining at the same time.

When I bought it I had two small children and I know how much I enjoyed seeing them there, he says.

The existing Sheepworld business includes a farmyard park/petting zoo, a nature walk through native bush, and a retail shop selling sheepskin and other wool-related products. The cafe is currently leased to a separate operator.

Visitors can learn all about sheep and wool production in New Zealand through a live show where sheep are rounded up by dogs, sorted and shorn.

The 11.3 hectare property can be purchased either with vacant possession or as a going concern with the existing business included.

Buildings on site include numerous farm-related facilities, out-buildings, animal shelters, offices and workspaces.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 80F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 60F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

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Edgeworthstown pet food company C&D Foods has shaken hands on a 40m contract with a Donegal firm which will see the latter become the strategic supplier of packaging for the Longford firm in Ireland and across Europe.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and The Marine Mr Charlie McConalogue TD announced the placement of a new multi-year, contract by C&D Foods, the pet food division of ABP in Donegal-based packaging company ProAmpac.

The contract will see the Donegal ProAmpac facility becoming the strategic supplier of pet food flexible packaging for C&D Foods operations not just in Ireland but across its European operations.

C&D Foods is headquartered in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford and is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in Europe. The company also has production facilities in seven other European countries. C&D Foods employs 452 people in Ireland and a further 1148 across Europe.

The contract is expected to facilitate site production expansion and further job creation which will significantly contribute to making Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore) a global centre of pet food and sustainable ready-to-eat packaging manufacturing.

ProAmpac Donegal (which merged with the former Rapid Action Packaging) is a private US company and an Udaras na Gaeltachta client company. It employs 200 people locally in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore) and has 5,200 employees working across 41 operations globally.

Commenting on the announcement, Minister McConalogue said: As a Minister and TD for Co. Donegal, I am delighted to assist in announcing this new venture with a great Donegal company like ProAmpac.

"A key component of our Programme for Government is a balanced regional economic development and seeing a project of this nature is great news for Donegal and the North West region as a whole. Donegal is a great county for employment with a highly skilled, motivated and educated workforce. I commend ProAmpac for this investment and I look forward to seeing the fruits of this great partnership.

We are delighted to welcome Minister Charlie McConalogue to the announcement of this ground-breaking contract with ProAmpac for the purchase of packaging for our pet food products across our European markets, and are grateful for his attendance, said Colm Dore, Managing Director, C&D Foods.

ProAmpac is innovative and forward looking in its approach, and the development of sustainable packaging is fully aligned with C&Ds strategic objectives. We look forward to working with them for many years to come.

ProAmpacs partnership with C&D Foods showcases our joint commitment to sustainable practices in flexible packaging. Were looking forward to the launch of additional products, and excited to be a strategic supplier to provide superior pet food packaging in the region, said Greg Tucker, ProAmpac Founder and CEO.

Vince Musacchio, President ProAmpac Europe stated, The foundation of our companies continues to grow, and we look forward to continuing to supply C&D Foods with sustainable alternatives to their growing product line.

A key element of the contract will be the development of an innovative more sustainable pet food pouch.

The new sustainable packaging, which is currently being trialled by C&D Foods, will be a pivotal event for the pet food sector, as it will enable pouches to be fully recycled when new advanced recyclable solutions are introduced into many European markets. Preparation work and trials on the new packaging are now underway with a market launch expected later in2021.
Heartfelt tributes and best wishes resonated throughout Longford District Court this morning as solicitors, gardai and court officials wished well-respected Superintendent Jim Delaney well with his upcoming retirement.

Supt Delaney has served in the Longford District for almost five years as superintendent following a lengthy and successful career with An Garda Siochana.

State Solicitor Mark Connellan this morning revealed that today was Supt Delaney's last official day in court, announcing that the Garda chief will retire in June.

"I just want to express my thanks to Supt Delaney for his service in Longford. He has been extremely diligent, competent and conscientious during his time here," said Mr Connellan.

That tribute triggered a series of well wishes from those within the courtroom with local solicitor John Quinn endorsing those comments on behalf of the solicitors present.

"I'd like to wish Supt Delaney the very best. I'd like to endorse fully what Mr Connellan has said. Supt Delaney has always operated with the utmost cooperation. He has been very cooperative and easy to deal with," said Mr Quinn.

On behalf of An Garda Siochana and in particular those members who have worked under Supt Delaney, Inspector Frank Finn commended the professionalism with which Supt Delaney conducted himself.

"Supt Delaney came to Longford in August 2016 and he has been in the district almost five years but he was very familiar with the area as a Detective Sergeant of the divisional drugs unit prior to that," he said.

"He always sought ways to include the community wherever he could," he added, noting the cooperation between An Garda Siochana and a number of local groups throughout Supt Delaney's time in Longford.

"Personally, I'd like to thank him for his service," said Inspector Finn.

Court Registrar Maggie Curley, on behalf of all the court staff said that Supt Delaney was of great service to the court over the last five years.

"On behalf of the court staff I wish you the very best. Thank you for all your help," she told Supt Delaney.

Judge Seamus Hughes also wished the retiring Garda chief the very best with his retirement, paying special tribute to the support that An Garda Siochana has offered the court under Supt Delaney's watch.

"I didn't actually know he was retiring until today. I thought he'd be here many years after I retired," Judge Hughes quipped.

"I don't know what he's doing next but whatever he does, I wish him well.

"I'd like to thank you personally for your support," Judge Hughes continued.

"Our interactions would not be very frequent but he has always sent the very best of men to represent him in court.

"I'd also like to thank him for his support and assistance at the door outside," he added, noting the importance of a strong Garda presence both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We wouldn't be able to manage without his help in providing extra support during what has been a very difficult time with Covid-19," said Judge Hughes.

"The court could not have functioned without the help of Supt Delaney and An Garda Siochana.

"I'm aware from the local newspaper that he is regarded with the utmost respect in the community.

"He's been kept on his toes these last five years. He has ensured that An Garda Siochana have carried out their duties. They have gained the confidence of the people of Longford, which can only be done if the people at the top are conscientious and professional.

"Supt Delaney is held in great regard by all in Longford. Nobody likes to see a person retire, especially a young person. I wish you every health and happiness," he concluded.

Responding to those touching tributes this morning, Supt Delaney expressed his sincere thanks to all who had wished him well.

"I'm actually the one who should be thanking all of you for your help. I came here in 2016 and it was a bit like a homecoming for me," he said.

He added that "from the very outset" he had made it "quite clear" that he wanted to work closely with all agencies, such as the Joint Policing Committee and other community groups noting the success of those cooperations over the years.

"I've had five very challenging but productive years and it wouldn't have been possible without them," he said.

Speaking to Judge Hughes directly, Supt Delaney said, "I'd like to thank you personally for the support you have given. At times when the thin blue line was threatened and lives were threatened, you stood up and took account.

"Policing is an infinite cause. You don't own the position, you rent it. I'm only a tenant in this position for the last five years. I believe the very least you can do is leave it as well as you found it and I hope that I have done that," he concluded.
Skin color decides the destiny of Americans

16:11, May 18, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Although 245 years have passed since these sentences were incorporated in the preamble of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the "self-evident truths" are still not reality in the U.S.

Demonstrators take part in a "Black Lives Matter" protest commemorating Juneteenth in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, June 19, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

A few weeks ago, the high-profile George Floyd case finally got a judgment. The judge presiding over the trial announced that former white U.S. police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts of murder and manslaughter over the death of African American man George Floyd. The overdue judgment was waited by people longing for racial justice for nearly 11 months.

The death of George Floyd showed the world that systemic racism is a "stain on our nation's soul", U.S. President Joe Biden said in a televised address to the nation on the night of April 20 following Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict.

Why is Americas original sin of racism so hard to eradicate? Why is the struggle of the ethnic minority groups in the U.S. for racial equality and justice always solitary and hopeless like a cry in a lonesome wilderness? The U.S. society needs to seek answers to these questions.

Ethnic minority groups in the U.S. have long lived in misery since the colonial period of the American history, which is mirrored in the well-known novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. As Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote in the preface of her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, The scenes of this story, as its title indicates, lie among a race hitherto ignored by the associations of polite and refined society; an exotic race, whose ancestors, born beneath a tropic sun, brought with them, and perpetuated to their descendants, a character so essentially unlike the hard and dominant Anglo-Saxon race, as for many years to have won from it only misunderstanding and contempt.

Since the colonial period, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, with their dominant position in such fields as politics and society, had systematically implemented racist policies based on white supremacy on the American soil, and conducted long-term slaughter, exploitation, persecution, discrimination, and attacks against Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and people of other ethnic minority groups.

It was after the mid-20th century that racial segregation against African descendants was gradually abolished. The Chinese Exclusion Act, which was passed in 1882 in the U.S. to prohibit all immigration of Chinese laborers, had not been abolished until November 1943. It was in 2012 that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to formally apologize for the act.

Nevertheless, racism still lingers in the U.S. in the 21st century, and its existence has been increasingly proven comprehensive, systemic, and persistent.

Americans of color generally experience discrimination not just as the actions of individual whites in one social arena, but rather as the everyday, recurring actions of white actors across many of life's arenas-actions backed by a multifaceted and powerful system of institutionalized white power and privilege, pointed out American scholar Joe R. Feagin.

"From prison rates to segregation to wealth disparities to educational inequality, the numbers show that (people of color) continue to suffer disproportionately across most social metrics," with racism at the root, said a critique published on the U.S. News & World Report.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama said in a message sent in response to the tragic killing of George Floyd that "for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly 'normal'."

Over the past one year or so, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a stark racial divide that determines life and death created by racial inequality in the U.S.

According to official data from the U.S., since the outbreak of the COVID-19, African American adults have had a much higher unemployment rate than white Americans, and the mortality rate of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans among the COVID-19 patients in the U.S. has been nearly three times that of white Americans.

Moreover, the country has witnessed constantly escalating racial discrimination and hate crimes against Asian Americans because of stigmatizing tricks played by certain U.S. politicians.

Anti-Asian hate crime in 16 of America's largest cities increased 149 percent in 2020 from 2019, and such crime reported to police in 15 of the country's largest cities rose 169 percent in the first quarter of 2021 in comparison to the same period in 2020, according to analyses of official preliminary police data by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

The frequent relapses of the severe and lingering illness of racism in the U.S. run counter to the conscience of humanity as well as the international commitments the U.S. has made.

Last year, the U.S. was severely criticized by representatives of many countries for racial discrimination during the sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

During this year's regular sessions of the UNHRC, representatives of 116 countries and relevant international organizations called on the U.S. again to make solid efforts to solve its problems including racism and racial discrimination when discussing and assessing the country's human rights issues and situation.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of the United Nations (UN) issued a statement to urge the U.S. government to fully obey the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination approved by it in 1994.

The reality in the U.S. has already made people around the world disappointed with the governance capability of the U.S. government.

As pointed out by E. Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, for black people in the U.S., the domestic legal system has utterly failed to acknowledge and confront the racial injustice and discrimination that are so deeply entrenched in law enforcement.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." It has been nearly 58 years since the well-known remarks of the famed African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., and yet the American society is still like the old one as skin color determines people's destiny and ethnic minority groups are trapped in the nightmare of racial discrimination.

Is American democracy capable of nothing but keeping Americans calling for racial justice generation after generation? If people are truly the owner of the country, why are their wishes always so hard to be carried out?

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The award was given to 161 students across the county, including two other Pennsylvanians. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Education. Just 20 career and technical scholars are chosen each year.
A man who conned hundreds of thousands of euro out of two elderly women  including the life-savings of one  by telling them a series of sob stories has been jailed for five years.

Gerry O'Brien (41) convinced his victims that he was due to receive a substantial pay-out from an insurance claim before he stole 107,286 and 27,254 from them over a number of months.

His wife, Joanne O'Brien (39), stole a total of 900 from one of the women on two occasions. She was given a suspended nine month sentence.

Gerry O'Brien told the women various stories to convince them to hand over money in the form of cheques and cash, including that he needed a deposit for a house, needed medical care, needed to drill holes in his walls for an oxygen machine and had been evicted.

He convinced his victims that he would pay them back with the fictitious pay-out.

At one point, O'Brien paid a young fella to pose as a solicitor and phone the women to confirm this tale, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard previously.

Gerry O'Brien, of Belmont Close, Ballyguile, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to one count of stealing 107,286 in cash and cheques by deception from a 77-year-old Dublin woman between July 2017 and November 2018.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of stealing 27,254 in cash and cheques by deception from a 73-year-old Dublin woman between August and November 2018.

Joanne O'Brien, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from the first complainant on December 23, 2017 and July 12, 2018.

Sentencing the pair on Monday, Judge Pauline Codd said Gerry O'Brien had left the woman financially insecure in their twilight years.

This is a particularly despicable and mean offence against two pensioners, which involved significant preying upon two elderly ladies, the judge said.

She noted Gerry O'Brien had engaged in the psychological manipulation of his victims and used other people to help him in his deception.

She noted he took a substantial amount of money from his victims and frittered it away on his own addictions. Their trust and security is gone, she said, as she handed down a five year jail term.

In relation to Joanne O'Brien, Judge Codd accepted it was a very different case and that, while Joanne O'Brien aided her husband's lies, she stole on two occasions only and spent the money on rent and her children.

She handed down a nine month sentence and suspended it on a number of conditions.

Detective Garda Paul Kane previously told the court that Gerry O'Brien first called to the 77-year-old woman's door in July 2017 and told her a sob story about being put out of his house.

He told her he was a Traveller from Wicklow with a number of children. The woman gave him 100 in cash and he returned a few days later looking for more money.

Over the following 16 months, she regularly gave him cash and cheques for a range of fictitious reasons. She also gave Joanne O'Brien money on two occasions when she called to the house.

In relation to the second woman, the court heard Gerry O'Brien called to her house and told her he was the son of a Traveller woman who she used to help 25 years ago. She was also persuaded to give him money on a number of occasions.

On one occasion, the fake solicitor who rang both women about the insurance claim also told one of them that O'Brien had been kidnapped up the mountains and needed ransom money. The woman replied that she had already given O'Brien all her money.

The offences in relation to the first complainant came to light in November 2018 when a bank worker became suspicious about the activity on her account and gardai were contacted.

Coincidentally around the same time, the second complainant confided in her son about O'Brien and he also contacted gardai.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the first complainant's daughter said her mother was a hard-working and kind woman, who had always given generously to charity and taught her children to do the same.

She said the O'Briens exploited her mother's kindness with their sob stories and asked her for more and more money. She was subjected to a barrage of intimidating and begging phone calls and had no peace in her own house.

At one point, she said her mother went without heating oil in winter as she was short of money as a result of the offence. Her children only discovered the thefts when the gardai became involved.

Gerry and Joanne conned mum out of most of her life savings, her daughter said.

In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecution counsel, the second complainant said she had been left distraught by the thefts. She said she had only one question for Gerry O'Brien: Have you no conscience?

The court heard Gerry O'Brien, who is in custody, has 68 previous convictions, including theft, fraud and assault.

Joanne O'Brien has 28 previous convictions, almost entirely for road traffic offences. The couple have four children.

Seoirse O Dunlaing BL, defending Gerry O'Brien, said his client was extremely remorseful for his actions. A psychological report and a letter of remorse were handed into court.

Judge Pauline Codd said the letter contained no remorse to the two ladies whose kindness he exploited. This letter is just about his woes, she said.

Marc Murphy BL, defending Joanne O'Brien, said his client had repaid the 900 she stole.
No mask mandate in La Porte, but City Hall will still require masks
(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers on AIM in London on Tuesday.







AIM - WINNERS







CyanConnode Holdings PLC, up 18% at 7.95 pence, 12-month range 1.37p-9.5p. The narrowband radio frequency smart mesh networks firm signs global strategic alliance agreement with California-headquartered energy and water cloud platform provider Smart Energy Water. Under the pact, the two will promote and be authorised the sell each other's products and services, as well as refer potential customers to each other. This will expand both their geographic reaches. "I am pleased to announce this Partnership with SEW, which will maximise sales potential in existing as well as new territories while widening the Company's global distribution channels," says Executive Chair John Cronin.







Tertiary Minerals PLC, up 12% at 0.36p, 12-month range 0.19p-0.64p. The mineral exploration and development company is forming a Zambian subsidiary, Luangwa Minerals Ltd, to target copper exploration and development opportunities in the country. Company retains Marcel Nally who is expected to be appointed Luangwa's exploration manager in due course, and he will hold 3% of the subsidiary. Company also retains Shangwa Chime as Luangwa's government liaison officer, and he will hold 1% of the unit. Tertiary will own remaining 96% of Luangwa. "Copper is increasingly a focus for the company and with Zambia one of the world's top 10 copper producing countries, producing nearly 900,000 tonnes of copper in 2020, we expect Luangwa to be a valuable addition to the Tertiary asset portfolio," says Executive Chair Patrick Cheetham.







AIM - LOSERS







Simec Atlantis Energy Ltd, down 20% at 5.65p, 12-month range 5.22p-33p. The energy generation company and technology developer receives correspondence in relation to the purported appointment of receivers over all of the shares of its major shareholder, SIMEC UK Energy Holdings Ltd, a GFG Alliance member, which owns around 43% of Simec Atlantis. "The GFG Alliance has informed SAE that it intends to challenge the validity of the appointment and is seeking appropriate advice. For the avoidance of doubt, SAE wishes to make clear that the above process relates to its major shareholder, SUEH and not to SAE itself," it says. The appointment of receivers does not extend to the rest of the Simec group or other members of the GFG Alliance, GFG Alliance says. Last week, the UK Serious Fraud Office said it was looking into suspected fraudulent trading and money laundering at companies in Liberty Steel owner Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance.







TomCo Energy PLC, down 13% at 0.43p, 12-month range 0.38p-2.3p. The US operating oil development group says Utah's Division of Oil, Gas & Mining issued a cessation order last week in respect of operations at the Temple Mountain Mine on Permit Number M/47/0089 being operated by Greenfield. Greenfield Energy LLC is the company's 50-50 joint venture with Valkor LLC. "The CO alleges that the previously approved operational mining plan is not being followed, specifically stating that the facility is processing material from an off-site source and staging waste products from off-site sources. Greenfield strongly refutes the basis for the issuance of the CO and believes that it has been conducting operations in line with the site's existing permit held by Petroteq and the approved operational plan," Tomco says.







Accrol Group Holdings PLC, down 13% at 53.95p, 12-month range 38.94p-75.1p. The toilet roll, kitchen roll and facial tissue products manufacturer says substantial progress made on gross margins in financial year ended April 30, ahead of market expectations, though adjusted earnings to be in line with expectations. Sales rose less-than-expected in the year, with sales across the industry depressed in recent months as consumer stockpiling unwound. Firm views the future with confidence, but notes: "The group expects volumes across the UK tissue sector to normalise in H1 22 and that its main market, the discounters, will grow strongly, as the UK returns to pre-pandemic shopping patterns."







First Derivatives PLC, down 12% at 2,223.00p, 12-month range 2,165p-3,625p. Revenue for financial year to February 28 flat at GBP237.9 million but pretax profit drops 39% to GBP11.1 million. No dividend for year, after 8.5p paid for 2020 financial year. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation GBP40.5 million, down 11% on the year before, and company guides to further fall in year ahead. Revenue for 2022 financial year seen between GBP255 million to GBP260 million, but adjusted Ebitda in range of GBP31 million to GBP33 million. Guidance reflects "reflects the improved momentum across our business units, as well as the cost impact of the accelerated growth".







By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Food delivery firm Deliveroo PLC on Tuesday lost a dispute with one of its riders in Australia, as a government body said he had been the victim of "unfair dismissal" for riding too slowly.

By classifying him as an employee, the decision could have knock-on effects for all of the group's delivery riders, who it currently classifies as independent workers with fewer rights than full-time staff.

In the judgement published Tuesday, the Fair Work Commission said that Diego Franco "was an employee of Deliveroo, and he was dismissed unfairly".

"Orders for his reinstatement, continuity of service, and to restore lost pay shall be made," the commission added.

Franco had requested an injunction and compensation from the commission in May 2020 after being fired at the end of April.

The Australian decision is the latest setback for Deliveroo, whose London stock market debut was marred as investors shied away from its model employing riders as independent workers, which is under legal threat in many countries.

Spain's left-wing government last week agreed reforms to the country's labour code to give all food delivery workers for applications like UberEats and Deliveroo employee status.

Deliveroo makes half of its revenue in Britain and Ireland, but is also present in other countries including France, Spain, Australia and Singapore.

source: AFP

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of share dealings by London-listed company directors and managers announced on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







Vodafone Group PLC - Newbury, England-based telecommunications - Chair Jean-Francois van Boxmeer buys 305,000 shares at GBP1.35, worth GBP411,750, on Tuesday. Vodafone reported annual results on Tuesday, showing a 2.6% decline in revenue and 3.3% fall in adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Vodafone shares were down 8.2% at 130.12 pence on Tuesday afternoon.







Croda International PLC - East Yorkshire-based speciality chemicals - Nick Challoner, president of Asia, sells 10,070 shares at GBP65.85, worth GBP663,063, on Tuesday.







Virgin Money UK PLC - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England-based lender - Chief Financial Officer Clifford Abrahams buys 50,000 shares at GBP1.99 and GBP2.01, worth GBP100,134, on Friday last week and Monday. Abrahams joined as CFO early in March, having been CFO at ABN Amro Bank and Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd.







Derwent London PLC - property developer and landlord focused on central London - Chair Mark Breuer buys 3,000 shares at GBP33.78, worth GBP101,340, on Tuesday.







Kosmos Energy Ltd - oil and gas exploration and production along Atlantic Margins - Richard Clark, senior vice president & president of Gulf of Mexico business unit, sells 25,000 shares at USD2.78, worth USD69,500 on Friday last week.







CRH PLC - Dublin-based building materials - Non-Executive Director Caroline Dowling buys 1,000 shares at EUR41.90, worth EUR41,900, on Monday. Dowling joined the CRH board in March.







John Lewis of Hungerford PLC - Oxfordshire-based kitchen, bedrooms and furniture manufacturer and retailer - Non-Executive Director Alan Charlton buys 5.0 million shares at 0.8p, worth GBP40,000, on Friday. Now has 14.4 million shares, a 7.4% stake.







TP ICAP Ltd - London-based interdealer broker - Non-Executive Director Kath Cates buys 8,959 shares at GBP2.23, worth GBP19,996, on Friday.







Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd - oil producer in Iraq - Head of Finance Nadzeya Kernoha sells 70,183 shares at GBP1.65, worth about GBP115,800, on Friday. Kernoha had exercised nil-cost options for 148,801 shares and then sold some for tax purposes, retaining 78,618.







By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Take a few minutes and scroll through some of the local news from the past week:
Bonnie Platte of St. Clair Shores, who works at Ascension St. John earned her associate's degree in science and nursing from MCC and went on to become a registered nurse through the online program at WGU. Now she's working on her second master's degree. Photo courtesy of Ascension St. John.
Visitors to Lake St. Clair Metropark in Harrison Township one day in August 2020 due to the Ford Fireworks being shot off from the site. The same thing will take place on June 28 this year, according to event organizers.

MACOMB DAILY FILE PHOTO
In the early going, voting was at a trickle in many spots. One hour in, only 30 people had turned out to the Agri-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds, home to five polling sites. The number had risen to about 100 by 10 a.m. A little more than 80 voters had cast ballots at Bethlehem City Hall by noon.
The sentencing of an Eastpointe restaurant owner who pleaded to second-degree murder for the shooting death of his wife was pushed back to next month in hopes it can be held in person and the defendant can hug his father in court.

Joseph Pelleschi, 55, pleaded guilty last month in Macomb County Circuit Court for the shooting death of his wife, Karen Barr Palleschi, 53, last January in their Clinton Township home.

Judge James Maceroni last month scheduled the sentencing for Tuesday but May 4 agreed to postpone it on the likelihood it will be held in person.

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Palleschi's attorney, Randy Rodnick, said Palleschi wants to be able to "hug his dad and say goodbye.

Rodnick said he doesnt know if Maceroni and/or sheriffs officials will allow it.

I dont know if it will happen, he said.

In-person hearings have been restricted for most of the past 14 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though some have been held and the court last week moved back into phase 2 of the state court guidelines that allows in-person hearings.

Court officials are hoping that trials will be resumed in June.

At the June 15 sentencing, Maceroni will decide whether to follow a tentative agreement to sentence Palleschi to 12 years in prison, the bottom of the sentencing guideline range, in addition to two years for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Palleschi was a co-owner of the popular Villa Restaurant on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe.

Mrs. Palleschi was found dead of a single gunshot wound to her head about 2:40 a.m. Jan. 16 in an area between the couples kitchen and garage in their two-story home on Vincenzia Drive at Monticello, in the Terra Bella subdivision near 18 Mile and Garfield roads, according to authorities. Prosecutors allege Mr. Palleschi shot his wife with a handgun.

Police said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the incident.

At the April 6 plea hearing, Maceroni denied Rodnicks request to lower Palleschis bond from $500,000 cash surety for a possible release in which he would wear a tether so he can get his family affairs and business affairs in order.

Mrs. Palleschi graduated from Regina High School, worked for Mary Kay skin care products and formerly was employed by Medical Weight Loss Clinic.

+2 Request to lower Eastpointe restaurant owner's bond denied A judge on Tuesday refused to lower the bond of the owner of an Eastpointe restaurant accused of murdering his wife.
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ROSEVILLE

Planner is first Black resident to serve on City Council

Roseville planner is first Black resident to serve on City Council
Mary Brown, a Visiting Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Latin at Saint Josephs University, is President of the Board of The Childrens School at Saint Johns in Bala Cynwyd and a Board Member of the Coalition For Youth Of Lower Merion and Narberth.
Lower Merion Police Officer James Black, third from right, receives the Police Officer of the Year plaque from Police Superintendent Michael McGrath as Captain Frank Thomas, Captain Gene Pasternak, Township Commissioner Scott Zelov and Lieutenant John String look on.
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Catherine Mayhew is a former restaurant critic for The Charlotte Observer, cookbook author and master BBQ judge. Follow her @thesouthinmymouth on Instagram to see what shes eating and email her at food@mainstreetmediatn.com with suggestions on your favorite restaurants and food trucks.
Guys, what took you so long? Paul Garrett asked Metro Nashville police detectives Mike Roland and Pat Postiglione.

It was 2011, and Garrett had been imprisoned for 10 years for a murder many say he didnt commit.

Now, 20 years after he was arrested, the conviction of Garrett, who was released in 2011 after serving his sentence, may finally be vacated.

Last week the district attorneys office filed a notice of intent with a Davidson County criminal court. This notice is filed to show that prosecutors lack confidence in the conviction or have clear and convincing evidence of innocence.

The next day, Garretts attorneys with the Tennessee Innocence Project filed a petition for his conviction to be vacated.

Garrett was arrested in 2001 in connection with the 2000 murder of Velma Tharpe, who died of blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation, according to the autopsy.

The arrest warrant said Garrett admitted that he killed Tharpe. Yet in his two recorded interviews before his arrest, Garrett maintained his innocence, the documents say.

Unable to make bail, Garrett stayed in a county jail for 22 months before entering a guilty plea.

Garrett told Roland and Postiglione that his lawyer said that he would most likely be sentenced to life in prison if he took the case to trial.

Claims of innocence,

fabricated statements

Before the guilty plea, Garrett participated in six recorded interviews. (One interview and a lie detector test were not recorded.)

In these interviews, Roy Dunaway and other detectives got Garrett to admit that he may have interacted with Tharpe before, but he maintained that she was alive after the fact.

In these interviews, Garrett always claimed his innocence. However, detectives told him multiple times that he had admitted to the murder.

In sum, during the six recorded statements, Mr. Garrett never admits to murdering Ms. Tharpe, Garretts attorneys at the Tennessee Innocence Project wrote. They go on to say that he denied committing the murder almost 50 times.

Yet, when testifying before the court, Dunaway fabricated statements by Garrett, according to the documents.

For example, Dunaway told the court that Garrett told his wife he was present when the victim died and then made a choking gesture.

This conversation was secretly recorded, and the video recording contradicts this testimony, according to the documents. Garrett also denied the murder to his wife during the recording.

Dunaway also said Garrett told him, Roy, Ive got a problem. ... I like to choke girls. Yet this statement does not appear in any recording or supplemental notes.

Dunaway did not reply to a request for comment on his social media account.

DNA excluded from samples

Perhaps the most convincing evidence of Garretts innocence shown in the court documents are the DNA samples.

Less than a month after the arrest, Dunaway was notified that Garrett was excluded as a contributor to some of the DNA samples. The next year, before his guilty plea, Garretts DNA was also excluded from the other samples.

In 2004, another individual was found to be a match for all the DNA samples collected from the victim. There was no mixing; Garrett was a match for none of them.

The TBI alerted Dunaway and the district attorneys office and requested a sample from the individual in question. However, no one followed up.

In 2011, the MNPD Cold Case Unit was looking into murders of sex workers in 1999 and 2000. Roland, one of the detectives on the assignment, began looking at other cases from that time to double-check any DNA hits.

Roland came across the Garrett case and learned that the DNA standard sample for the other individual was never sent in. He began reinvestigating the case.

Roland and Postiglione shared their findings with the DAs office in 2011.

Contrary to what the homicide warrant reads, I did not hear Paul Garrett admit to killing anyone, Postiglione wrote.

In 2012, Garretts attorneys filed for coram nobis, meaning that the court could go back and correct a mistaken judgment. However, the DAs office opposed the petition, and it was denied by the court.

The court documents say that Garretts attorneys and the DAs office may not have been provided with all of the video recordings of the interview in 2012.

In October 2020, Roland requested that the Conviction Review Unit of the DAs office investigate the case. The CRU was established in 2016.

Now, the State of Tennessee has to file a response to Garretts petition, and a judge will determine whether to hear the case or to vacate it. If Garretts conviction is vacated, it can later be expunged from his record.

The individual implicated in the DNA evidence has not yet been publicly mentioned by the DAs office or MNPD as the subject of an investigation.

There is no statute of limitations for first-degree murder in Tennessee; however, there is a 15-year statute of limitations for second-degree murder.

First-degree murder is premeditated murder or murder committed in the course of certain felonies, such as arson, robbery and rape. Second-degree murder is knowing but not intentional.

The DAs office and Garretts attorney could not answer questions about the case because the litigation process has already started.

We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Davidson County District Attorney Generals Office to reveal the truth and right a wrongful conviction, Garretts attorneys said in a statement from the Tennessee Innocence Project, a nonprofit law firm launched in February 2019 as the first full-time innocence organization in the state.

To date, more than 2,700 people have lost nearly 25,000 years due to wrongful convictions across the United States.
Jefferson, GA (30549)

Today

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High near 85F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
The debate over the commission comes at a time when some Republicans have begun to downplay the severity of the Jan. 6 attack. And many Republicans say the commission should only be established if it can investigate other violent acts, including protests last summer in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. McConnell declined to answer a question about whether he agreed with that, saying only that Republicans were evaluating what is appropriate.
Brian Plakke,age 59 passed away May 23rd, 2021 at Hillcrest after a long battle with cancer. Brian was born to Donald and Marlene Plakke.( Howard True stepfather.) He graduated from Mankato West and journied to Alaska with friends,where he enjoyed fishing and traveling throughout the state. 
Two men have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Joseph Pauline in New Bedford, authorities said Tuesday morning.

Pauline, of New Bedford, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot at the Richdale Food Market on Brock Avenue on Friday evening. He was rushed to Saint Lukes Hospital in New Bedford, where he was pronounced dead at 7:44 p.m. Friday, according to the office of Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.

Over the weekend, Christopher Boyer, 19, and Anthony Rosario, 20, both of New Bedford, were located at a Super 8 Motel in Brockton. They were taken back to New Bedford for police questioning, Quinns office said in a statement.

Both men were arraigned late Monday afternoon on charges in connection with the shooting.

Boyer is charged with accessory to murder after the fact. He was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail though Assistant District Attorney Matthew Lopes had requested $25,000 cash bail. Boyer is expected back in court on June 11, the statement said.

Rosario is charged with assault and battery to collect a loan. He was ordered held without bail pending the results of a dangerousness hearing, which is scheduled for May 24 at 2 p.m., officials said.

The district attorneys office said more information about the cases could not be released because of the ongoing investigation.

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I got concerned because we have a lot of pine needles in the yard, Dan Columbo said. There was this big orange glow up above the treetops and a lot of smoke, and it was concerning. The wind is picking up now and thats something to watch, too.
A Boston man was delivered a package late Monday with an unknown chemical inside, causing a Level 3 hazmat incident and the decontamination of residents as well as firefighters, authorities said.

Police officers responded around 5:45 p.m. to the Boston fire station at 945 Canterbury St. in Roslindale after the man dropped off the box containing the chemical. The package was originally delivered to his house on Brook Street, according to Boston Police Sgt. Detective John Boyle.

He never ordered anything and promptly became alarmed, Boyle told MassLive He didnt recognize it, naturally realized he didnt order anything and brought it down to the fire station.

Hazmat units from both the Boston Police and Fire Department responded to the fire station and the mans house, according to Boyle.

Authorities decontaminated the man and three of his family members, including at least one child, Boyle said. Two firefighters and a police cruiser were also decontaminated, according to officials.

It was deemed a Level 3 incident due to readings performed by hazmat, Boyle noted Its currently under investigation by the district detectives.

No illnesses were reported. All six individuals who were decontaminated were taken to the hospital by Boston EMS as a precautionary measure, according to the citys fire department.

Deputy Michael Doherty briefs the media on the Level 3 Hazmat . 4 residents & 2 FFs had to be decon because of a unknown chemical that a resident brought to the firehouse. No illnesses all were taken by @BOSTON_EMS for precautionary measures.The scene is safe & cleared pic.twitter.com/wfkYl0FeKE  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) May 18, 2021

The package stayed outside and was never brought into the station, the fire department said.

Authorities didnt say what the chemical was. No further details were released Tuesday morning.
The Boston Beer Company, aka Sam Adams, is experimenting with cannabis, but it isnt inhaling.

The type of weed that the company is researching will be quaffed.

The craft brewing giant is creating a subsidiary in Canada to develop potential nonalcoholic cannabis-based beverages as legislation evolves.

Our mission since day one has been to offer drinkers the highest quality, best tasting products, and they continue to seek new options, Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said in a statement. Innovation is core to what we do, beginning with craft beer, then hard cider, hard iced tea, and now Truly Hard Seltzer. We believe non-alcoholic cannabis beverages could represent a new frontier of innovation and want to be ready for future opportunities in the US.

Boston Beer has hired industry veteran Paul Weaver to lead a new cannabis beverage research hub in the federally regulated market of Canada.

Boston Beers reputation for quality is unrivaled, and the same sensibilities that drive development in beer ring true in cannabis beverages. Quality ingredients and craftsmanship make quality products, and our success begins with respecting the plant and respecting the growers, Weaver said.

Canada, which legalized marijuana in 2018, is a few steps ahead of the U.S. when it comes to cannabis. But according to research from a cannabis analytics company named Headset in Seattle, sales of cannabis-infused beverages increased 40.3% from 2019 to 2020 in states where recreational cannabis is legal, so the U.S. market seems ripe.

This is just the beginning of our journey and, like any craft, requires a continuous commitment to learning. We know cannabis is new for many of our drinkers and they deserve the best, which is why were taking the time to do this right, Weaver said.

Founded in 1984, the Boston Beer Company is the fourth largest brewery in the U.S.

The company introduced Twisted Tea in 2000. It launched its Angry Orchard line of hard ciders in 2012 and four years later marketed hard seltzers under the moniker Truly Spiked & Sparkling.
SPRINGFIELD  Friends for years, two Springfield residents said Tuesday they look forward to negotiations with the city in pursuing plans to become the first cannabis delivery business in the city.

The company, Tree N Brick, which is a woman led social equity applicant, was recently selected by a city review committee and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to enter into negotiations to open recreational cannabis facilities.

Gyasi Sellers and Taylor Shubrick, the co-founders and friends. are proposing to open the delivery business at The Republican property, 1860 Main St. The first floor site already has an approved retail cannabis business under construction that will be operated by 6 Bricks LLC, owned by Shubrick and her family.

Sellers is founder of Treevit, a provisionally licensed retail delivery company in Athol. Shubrick is CEO and co-founder of Tree N Brick.

Gyasi and I have been working together for years, as friends, planning and moving forward with our respective companies and always looking forward to a day when we could formally pursue the delivery business together, Shubrick said in a prepared release. WE are so excited to have worked hard and earned an opportunity to forge a Host Community Agreement with our beloved hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts. Weve done a lot of research to get to this day.

Sarno announced this month that Tree N Brick was among nine companies selected to negotiate home community agreements in the second round of recreational marijuana business applications.

Tree N Brick is the only company seeking a courier business for delivery.

Under that category it will be able to purchase products directly from wholesalers. sort them based on the specific needs of the customers, and then then deliver the products as ordered, Sellers said.

We are so excited to be able to do this from our location at 1860 Main Street, Sellers said. It is the crossroads of the region with on and off ramps for Interstate 91 and Interstate 291 right at the location as well as immediate access to Interstate 391 and the Massachusetts Turnpike just minutes from our door.

6 Bricks LLC plans to announce the open date for its retail business in coming months, Shubrick said.

Sellers praised Sarno and other city officials for including and ensuring that qualified business people of color, have opportunity here in our city.

The cannabis industry elsewhere continues to be dominated by multi-state corporations, out-of-state owners and very wealthy, non-minority entrepreneurs, Sellers said. Springfield is setting a standard as intended by the State Legislature and Massachusetts Cannabis Commission to be inclusive.
The federal governments $300 weekly unemployment boost  extended to Sept. 6 by President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan  will stop in June or July for at least 3.7 million workers in nearly 20 states where Republican leaders say the benefits are contributing to labor shortages.

Massachusetts isnt one of those states, with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker recently citing the states high housing costs and rising food costs during the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons against cutting off the supplemental jobless aid, which is topped onto weekly payments provided by the state.

Massachusetts, as I think we all know, is a very high-cost state and the vast majority of the people who were most profoundly impacted by the pandemic and by some of the rules that we put in place are what I would refer to as working people, Baker said in a news conference.

The governor emphasized the importance of the vaccines as the state aggressively reopens the economy. On Monday, the state announced that all COVID-19 restrictions and capacity limits at businesses will end on May 29.

According to The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, cutting off the benefits early could have impacted more than half a million Massachusetts residents and forced them to forego a combined total of more than $2 billion in pandemic-related federal unemployment aid.

According to CNN, Texas, Indiana and Oklahoma over the weekend announced an early end to the $300 boost coming this summer. They joined at least Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming in stopping the benefits in June or July. The move will leave more than $22 billion in federal benefits unspent, according to the Century Foundation.

Several governors said the additional $300 benefit was no longer necessary; they argued it was worsening economies that are already reopening and looking for workers.

The amount of job openings in Texas is far greater than the number of Texans looking for employment, making these unemployment benefits no longer necessary, Gov. Greg Abbott wrote to Marty Walsh, the Secretary of Labor. For this reason, the State of Texas will continue to focus its efforts on connecting Texans with these job opportunities so they can find meaningful employment to provide for their families.

The average American collecting unemployment benefits from their states receives about $350 every week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

But the early cutoff to supplemental aid in several states will mean no more Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to several workers that were specifically targeted for relief thats typically unavailable to them, such as long-term unemployed people, gig workers, and self-employed workers, contractors and freelancers, according to CNBC.

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Firefighters have contained about 75% of the largest wildfire the state has seen in 22 years, which has been burning across about 800 acres of woodlands in Williamstown, North Adams and Clarksburg since Friday night.

The more than 120 firefighters from 19 different agencies who have been battling the blaze are being pulled out for the night and are expected to return in the morning, said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshals Office.

The fire is burning in steep, wooded terrain that is difficult to access, she said. Since no structures or people are in danger, it would be too dangerous for firefighters to continue working in the dark. They will need some rest and rehabilitation from this physically-taxing work.

One firefighter was taken to the hospital over the weekend from the site of the fire. Mieth did not reveal why but said he has been admitted and is in good condition.

Sunday and Monday firefighters received assistance from the Massachusetts National Guard and the Massachusetts State Police Airwing which have been making water drops on targeted areas of the fire, she said.

Firefighters are also being assisted by the conditions in the woodlands, she said.

The fire is burning leaf litter and forest debris. The soil itself is fairly moist so it is not burning very deeply and brooks and streams are serving as natural barriers, Mieth said.

Fire officials believe firefighters will mostly have the flames contained and extinguished over the next several days and will be able to transition to a patrol operation where they will be putting out small hot spots, she said.

The fire was first spotted Friday night burning off Henderson Road in Williamston. The flames spread to a remote area of East Mountain and expanded dramatically over the weekend, including spreading into the 368-acre Clarksburg State Forest, Mieth said.

Officials have not released any information about the possible cause of the fire yet.

Hikers are warned the Appalachian Trail is impacted by the fire and are told to stay clear of the area for the next few days for their own health and safety and to avoid hampering firefighters efforts, she said.

This is the largest wildland fire in the state since April 9, 1999, when 1,100 acres of land was burned on Tekoa Mountain in Russell. Russell Deputy Fire Chief John Murphy died of an apparent heart attack while fighting that fire.

The firefighters battling the blaze include those from departments in Charlemont, Clarksburg, Florida, Hinsdale, North Adams, Rowe, Richmond, Savoy and Williamstown. Vermont Departments include those from Pownal, Shaftsbury, Stamford, Bennington and Bennington Rural Fire Department. Also assisting are Adams Forest Wardens and the Franklin County Hand Crew, she said.

The state Bureau of Fire Control, the State Fire Marshals Office, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Park Service are all assisting in the firefighting operation, she said.

The announcement was made by Williamstown Fire Chief Craig A. Pedercini, State Fire Warden David Celino and North Adams Mayor Thomas W. Bernard, Mieth said.

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Firefighters have contained about 90% of the states largest wildfire in two decades and are now switching to mop up operations to ensure it does not spread farther.

The fire has burned about 947 acres of remote woods stretching across Williamstown, Clarksburg and North Adams, making it the largest in the state since 1999 when about 1,100 acres of land was scorched on Takoa Mountain in Russell, said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshals office.

More than 120 firefighters from 19 different departments and agencies spent four days battling the blaze with the assistance of National Guard and Massachusetts State Police helicopters that dumped buckets of water on the flames. They called off efforts Monday night with 75% of the fire under control. The fire did not grow overnight and is now mostly contained, she said.

Ten firefightersresumed operations (Tuesday) patrolling the perimeter of the East Mountain Fire and putting out hot spots, Mieth said.

The firefighters, who are from the state Department of Recreations Bureau of Forest Fire Control, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, will continue to monitor the fire daily until there is significant rain to completely douse the flames. They ended the efforts before dark but will return Wednesday morning, she said.

Officials have not released any information about the possible cause of the fire yet.

The fire was first spotted Friday night burning off Henderson Road in Williamston. The flames spread to a remote area of East Mountain and expanded dramatically over the weekend, including spreading into the 368-acre Clarksburg State Forest, Mieth said.

Hikers are warned the Appalachian Trail is impacted by the fire and are told to stay clear of the area for the next few days for their own health and safety, she said.

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SPRINGFIELD  When Helen Blake came north this spring from Florida, she brought with her a box loaded with cards and letters she received following the death of her husband of 38 years, S. Prestley Blake.

So many cards. All telling me what an impact he had on their lives, she said. He was always doing. And he was always honest and direct. So many people benefited from that.

Pres Blake, co-founder with his late brother Curtis of Friendlys restaurants and ice cream, died in February at a Florida hospital at the age of 106. The family has planned what Helen calls a celebration of life from 4-7 p.m. May 24 at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, 21 Edwards St.

The Museum of Springfield History is a fitting place, Helen Blake said. Pres and Curtis opened their first Friendlys shop just a few blocks up State Street in the citys Pine Point neighborhood in 1935. Their mother feared they would not be able to get summer jobs in the depths of the Depression.

The brothers built their business from a single shop in Springfields Pine Point neighborhood to more than 800 locations up and down the East Coast. They sold the business in the 1970s. Pres Blake took great interest in the management of Friendlys in the decades that followed.

Pres Blake was a benefactor to the Museum of Springfield History and even hosted events there after writing his autobiography, A Friendly Life. The museum has an extensive collection of Friendlys memorabilia, including an ice cream-making machine once used by the brothers and the sign for their first restaurant, which Pres made by hand. In 2008, he gave the museum his Springfield-made Rolls-Royce, the 1925 Silver Ghost.

Helen Blake said the celebration of life will include a short program. Speakers will include Pres Blakes son Benson P. Blake and his friend and fellow museum benefactor Lyman Wood. Also set to speak are officials from Trinity Health Of New England  the S. Prestley and Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center at the Johnson Memorial Hospital Enfield Campus is still under construction  and headmasters from both the Northfield Mount Hermon School and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

The family had a memorial this winter in Florida, at another museum the Blakes supported, which also has a car from his once-extensive collection.

I have so many former Friendly employees who are not going to miss this, Helen Blake said.

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HOLYOKE  As Holyoke High School plans to add new algebra courses for ninth graders in the 2021-2022 academic year testing results for math remain dismal.

Acting School Superintendent Anthony Soto provided an update during Mondays School Committee meeting.

The district will offer two additional math courses for the ninth grade. Before, the high schools provided an Algebra I course taught over an academic year.

The new sequence includes Algebra-IA and IB, a two-year progression. The one-year Algebra I option will remain in place. After completing Algebra-IA, students can test out of the next course.

This is driven by the equity commitment that we ensure students and families who need the most get the most, Soto said. The latest testing results are not great, he added, with 56% of eighth through 10th grade requiring a math intervention.

On the 2017-18 MCAS math exam, only 8% of eighth graders met or exceeded expectations. For the 2018-19 academic year, 11% of eighth graders met or exceeded expectations.

During the same period, 49% of 10th graders scored proficient or higher on the MCAS math portion, while 17% met or exceeded expectations in the 2018-19 school year.

Of the Class of 2018 graduates, 56% had to enroll in remedial math courses when entering college. That number rose to 79% for the Class of 2019.

Thats huge, thats money. Its financial aid students are using on remedial courses. The reality is that what weve been doing is not preparing them for the math courses theyre taking in college, Soto said.

School Committee Member Erin Brunelle said the new sequence appeared to dumb down the ninth-grade algebra. She proposed the district should bolster the math programs for grades 7 and 8. It appears the failure is in middle school and not necessarily in freshman year, she said.

Soto agreed that more is needed at the middle school level. Starting next year, all students will have access to Math and English Language Arts Intervention teachers. We have to do a better job getting our students prepared for high school, he said.

Valerie Annear, the districts Chief Instructional Officer, said middle schools implemented a more rigorous math curriculum two years ago, including teacher training and the intervention teams. Well be able to accelerate students learning, she said.

Annear disagreed the new ninth-grade algebra courses are dumbing down and that students would receive 100% course-level standards while having the acceleration option. Therell be multiple pathways in and out of that particular support class, she said.

Over half of Holyokes public school students returned to the classroom as the state eases COVID-19 restrictions. In October 2020, only 6% of Holyoke students attended in-person learning compared to 56.3%, as of this week.

Holyoke School North and Dean Campuses welcomed back students Monday. Families were also given the option of full-time remote learning.

The high schools return plan went grade-by-grade last week after the state lifted COVID-19 restrictions. Around 49% of high schoolers are back in the classroom.

The return to classroom figure is higher for PreK to 5 and 6 to 8, hovering around 61.3% and 50.5%.

It was great phasing it in because there were a lot of lessons to be learned in the earlier grades that we could apply to middle school and high school, Soto said. I wish we were able to have all of our students in-person.

The district surveyed parents the last few months about the return plan, which showed a need to keep the remote model in place. With such little time left in the school year, there are parents who feel more comfortable waiting until more people are vaccinated, and health metrics improve, Soto said.

He noted no community spread of COVID-19 since students reentered the classroom.
The Massachusetts House overwhelmingly approved a $600 million bond bill Tuesday, pushing the effort to build a new Soldiers Home in Holyoke one step forward.

All 160 members present voted to support the bill. It now will go to the Senate for a vote on Thursday. If it passes, it will head to Gov. Charlie Baker for final approval.

The House and Senate on Monday adopted compromise legislation that provides for a new $400 million Soldiers Home, as well as $200 million for additional veterans services across the state.

It was a good day, said state Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, who spoke just before the vote about the tragedy that left 77 veterans dead when COVID-19 swept through the home for elderly and infirm veterans last year.

The design of the 1950s building  which had veterans living in tight quarters with shared bedrooms and restrooms  contributed to the spread of the virus that infected about 75% of the original 210 residents and at least 80 staff members.

A study commissioned by Baker also determined baffling decisions by management, combining infected and healthy residents to deal with staff shortages after many employees fell sick with COVID-19, was a critical fault.

Former superintendent Bennett Walsh and medical director Dr. David Clinton were ousted over the fiasco and later criminally indicted. They have pleaded not guilty to 10 neglect counts each, and argue they were scapegoated by state officials.

It was unspeakable and all you can do is try to create change and try to make things better, Wagner said. Words cannot and do not adequately define or measure such an unimaginable loss of so many lives.

The bill came out of conference committee on Friday with all four Democrats on the panel signing it. The two Republican members, Sen. Ryan Fattman and Rep. Donald Berthiaume, did not endorse it, but Berthiaume voted in favor of the bill on Tuesday.

Wagner said the sticking point for them was the project labor agreement language, which called for union wages to be paid to construction workers building the new home, and a plus clause that favors minority and female contractors.

Berthiaume did not immediately return a request for comment.

Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, who has been at the forefront of advocating for change at the Soldiers Home since the outbreak, said he is confident the Senate will easily pass the bond bill.

Today we are one step closer to honoring the 77 veterans who lost their lives; one step closer to honoring the families of those who lost their lives and one step closer to fulfilling the sacred and moral obligation we have to our veterans, he said.

When this bill passes the Senate on Thursday and goes to the Governors desk, we can finally tell our veterans: Thank you for having our backs, now its time for us to have yours, Velis said.

Baker, who has been urging lawmakers to move the bill forward, is expected to sign it, but could return it to legislators with amendments.

There is an Aug. 1 deadline for the state to secure up to $260 million in federal reimbursement for the Soldiers Home project.

The additional $200 million in the bond bill for regional equity projects is not subject to the same deadline, Wagner said.

One of the things Wagner said he likes about the compromise bill is it calls for a change and modernization of veterans services at the Holyoke Soldiers Home and across the state.

It is a holistic approach that is at the forefront of elder care. Im excited about it and Im excited about all of it, he said.

One of the modernizations is the addition of an adult day care center for veterans, a part of the plan Wagner said often has been overlooked in the whirlwind of trying to get the bond bill passed.

He said adult day care is a game-changer for many veterans, as the overall trend in elder care is to provide services to people so they can remain at home. A day program gives them a place where they can socialize, receive assistance with medications, be served healthy meals and receive other help to take some burden off family members or friends who are helping veterans at their homes.

The bills passage in the House is a solid victory in the work to built a new Holyoke Soldiers Home, Wagner said, but efforts to improve the facility and ensure a tragedy like this one is not repeated will continue.

There is still a lot of work to be done over governance issues and oversight at the state level, Wagner said.

Rep. Danielle Gregoire, D-Marlborough, also spoke in favor of the bill, saying that of 305,000 veterans across the state, 160,000 are 65 or older, and they deserve a state-of-the-art facility with world-class care.

Last years tragedy at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke resulted in the loss of nearly 80 Massachusetts veterans. While the pandemic certainly exposed long-standing issues with both the building itself and the governance and the oversight thereof it did not create it, she said.

In the upcoming weeks lawmakers will bring forth additional legislation to ensure appropriate management and controls in place to prevent another tragedy from occurring, she said.

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SPRINGFIELD  Worcester-based Masis Staffing Solutions, which does business in 18 states, has purchased United Personnel Services of Springfield.

United Personnels President Patricia Canavan and Chief Financial Officer Dave Mazzucco will join the Masis executive team, the companies said Tuesday.

Canavan, daughter of founders Mary Ellen Scott and the late Jay Canavan, said United has been collaborating with Masis. Theyve helped United recruit for a large client in Chelmsford, and United has helped Masis recruit in Western Massachusetts and in Connecticut.

As weve worked together weve come to realize synergies between the two management teams and the two companies, she said. We werent looking for this kind of partnership, but the more that we got to know them and vice versa, we saw that we could be stronger together.

Founded in 1984, United will keep its offices in Springfield and Northampton and will keep its name, but will be billed as a division of Masis.

Masis is also looking at additional office locations, Canavan said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

United Personnel now has about 600 people placed in jobs around the region. In a normal year, that number would be 1,000 or more and the application pool is down 60% compared with pre-pandemic days.

I think there are a lot of reasons why that is, she said. But I think we really need to pay attention to the labor force participation rate.

Some employers have blamed enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 a week that last through September. But workers have also struggled to find child care with schools and centers closed or having cut back on admissions. Workers also have health concerns, as many people are not yet vaccinated, Canavan said.

United hires seasonal temporary workers and assigns them to companies, but also helps companies recruit for IT, light industrial and management roles.

United Personnel is a highly respected organization in the staffing industry, Matthew Vaccaro, president of Masis Staffing Solutions, said in a written statement. We share the same core values, and Tricias leadership and professionalism align with our vision for the future.

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Such an allegation, on its face, strains credulity. It is not only false, but extremely damaging to Giulianis reputation. It is not supported by any credible facts and is contradicted by Giulianis efforts to provide information to the Government. We should be allowed to question the Government as to what basis it had, if any, to make that assertion, they said.
LUDLOW - A fire Monday night at a Highland Avenue dwelling caused serious damage to the two-story apartment building and left 15 residents in need of shelter, according to Fire Chief Ryan M. Pease.

No injuries were reported in the fire at 83 Highland Ave., but the rear porch and back third of the building sustained damaged. The fire also spread to a detached garage, he said.

Firefighters were able to control the fire quickly and keep it from spreading to any of the neighboring homes, Pease said.

The fire was reported at 8:52 pm. and the first firefighters arrived on scene within 5 minutes, he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Ludlow Police and Fire investigators and the state Fire Marshals office.

The Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the displaced residents.

Ludlow firefighters were assisted at the scene under mutual aid by the Wilbraham Fire Department and the Westover Air Reserve Base fire department in Chicopee. The Chicopee Fire Department also provided station coverage.

Highland Avenue is off East Street.

The property, according to town assessors records is owned by Jean Marc Roc of Wyandanch, New York and has a total valuation of $270,000.
The city of Northampton is making moves on a historic new municipal department proposed earlier this month that aims to shift some responsibilities away from police by hiring trained civilians to respond to certain emergencies without firearms.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz on Monday unveiled the first draft of his fiscal year 2022 budget, which calls for $423,955 for the proposed Department of Community Care. The entire FY operational budget calls for $121,705,839, marking a 4.82% increase from last years budget.

The 2021 FY budget was significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The overall economic uncertainty of the early months of the public health crisis combined with significantly reduced local revenue and the decision to delay the implementation of the Proposition two-and-a-half override forced the city to make difficult budgetary choices, including the elimination of the equivalent of 22 full-time jobs across nine municipal departments, Narkewicz wrote in the introduction of this years budget.

The budget I am proposing for FY 2022 is one of cautious optimism and active recovery as our city and the nation continue to bring the deadly COVID-19 pandemic under control with infection and mortality rates in decline and millions of Americans now vaccinated against the deadly virus, Narkewicz noted in the budget, which is dated May 17. As this message goes to print, 67% of Northampton residents have had at least one dose of the vaccine and 49% are now fully vaccinated.

In the mayors newly submitted budget, he laid out how the new community care department would be housed under the Health and Human Services Division. His goal is to put in place the initial staffing and resources needed to fully develop the proposed agency and provide the next mayor a recommended blueprint for operating the agency that can be codified through both an administrative order and ultimately their first city budget for FY 2023.

The three-term chief city executive announced in January he wont be seeking reelection after serving roughly 10 years as mayor.

The idea for the community care department was proposed by the Northampton Policing Review Commission (NPRC), a 15-member, civilian-led body formed by the mayor and Northampton City Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra in the wake of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement last summer.

Propelled by Floyds death and the police killings of other Black Americans that sparked national protest and put a spotlight on the historic inequities and systemic racism in law enforcement and society at large, Narkewicz and Sciarra said, hundreds of Northampton residents called on their elected leaders to rethink the citys approach to policing and whether certain public safety services could be delivered by others.

The creation of the NPRC was viewed as Northampton public officials response to community members demands that elected leaders rethink the citys approach to policing and reimagine law enforcement structures moving forward.

The NPRC was tasked with conducting a sweeping policy review about policing, studying an array of complex law enforcement issues and releasing a final report by March that recommends how the city can change the face of public safety for the better in the years to come.

After months of study and deliberation, dozens of meetings and multiple hours-long public hearings, the commission released its 58-page final report, titled, Reimagining Safety. Chief among the documents recommendations is the call for the Department of Community Care.

Other proposals in the final report include recommendations that the city expand emergency response options, promote houseless individuals safety, reduce the risk of substance use, transition certain police responsibilities to peer and co-responder models while continuing to provide law enforcement responses for some 911 calls, improve complaint processes for the Northampton Police Department and establish a strategic plan for the agency.

As outlined by the commission, the community care department would be staffed 24/7, be made up of individuals historically marginalized by law enforcement structures in the United States and provide multiple types of civilian responders to community needs, including peer response to mental health and substance use crises as an alternative to police response.

The final report called for the mayors office to fund the new department in FY 2022 and make it fully operational by FY 2023.

The nearly $425,000 allocated for the proposed agency in Narkewiczs newly unveiled fiscal year operational budget includes funding for the hiring of a senior-level project coordinator to assemble the community care department. That individual would be tasked with developing staffing, organizational structure, job descriptions, operating policies and training and licensure requirements as well as coordinating with other city departments, forming an implementation advisory committee and pursuing emerging state and federal grants for their work.

Theres also funding set aside for a part-time administrative assistant to support the work of the project coordinator with additional resources, including $300,000 allotted for more data analysis, a recommended community needs assessment and other outside consulting support and studies as needed.

Twenty-five years ago next month, the city embarked on a process to move emergency 911 dispatching duties away from sworn police officers and firefighters to civilian dispatchers based on the report of an appointed mayoral study committee made up of city residents, municipal staff and city councilors, Narkewicz explained in his budget. Despite successful models for unified civilian dispatch in many other locales, there were significant concerns expressed at the time by both residents and police and fire personnel that civilians would not have the necessary training or experience to manage these critical, life-or-death calls or that it would be duplicative and cost-inefficient to create a new, separate city agency.

What began with initial budget funding, state grants and an administrator hired to plan and implement the concept, the mayor said, is now a 24/7 Public Safety Communications Center led and staffed by trained civilian dispatchers who are integrated in the citys organizational structure.

As Northampton embarks on a similar path toward creating a civilian response to mental health and drug use crises, houselessness and other issues needing community care  as well as working on the other, longer-term recommendations of the NPRC  I am hopeful that we can do so with a spirit of shared purpose and collaboration among all stakeholders and across all city departments, including Chief Kasper and the dedicated women and men of the Northampton Police Department, Narkewicz added.

In an interview with MassLive, Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper said shes excited to learn more about and study the proposed community care department, noting how shes been an advocate for more trained individuals in the city being able to respond to mental health emergency.

The Department of Community Care is something that certainly should be explored, Kasper said last week prior to the submission of Narkewiczs budget. I have been a strong proponent and supporter of mental health resources in our community. Having clinicians go to the scene to help someone in a mental health crisis is crucial.

Im a firm supporter of clinical responders going to scenes, and we go to a large number of scenes where people would be best served by a mental health specialist, she added.

Kasper noted how creating the community care department doesnt necessarily mean the agency should be funded using money from the Northampton Police Department. Her stance diverges from calls from many community members and activists that money cut from the Police Departments budget last year be used to fund the community care agency and that law enforcement continue to be defunded in the city.

Just because theres overlap in the people we serve, doesnt mean the money should come from the police department, Kasper said. Its not going to reduce our crime calls. Of the roughly 30,000 calls we handle each year, many are crimes, victims calling for the police to come.

The proposed funds for the new community care department fall several hundred-thousand dollars short of the nearly $883,000 that activists and the Policing Review Commission called for. The amount represents how much the Police Departments initially proposed FY 2021 budget was cut by.

In its final report, the NPRC recommended the Department of Community Care be established by reinvesting the funds cut from the Police Department in 2020 at a minimum.

We believe that the city should carefully evaluate the services and supports it believes as important, and should make sure the department is fully funded to respond and carry out those responsibilities, the commission wrote in its report. Funding allocations could also come from revenue generated by current policing practices including detail work. This money could be allocated specifically towards alternatives to policing, community care and programs and services which are proven to reduce crime.

Last week, the City Council voted to endorse the recommendations of the Policing Review Commission. However, the legislative body didnt specify how much money should be used to set up the community care department, only that it be funded with a meaningful investment that would assure viability this coming fiscal year.

During the councils meeting earlier this month, Daniel Cannity, the chair of the commission, spoke as a resident concerned about public safety in the community.

Northampton needs a well-funded Department of Community Care so they can begin to respond to crises and shift responsibilities away from police as soon as possible. This is something dozens of cities across the U.S. have done. Every time responsibilities are taken away from police, they result in better outcomes for all individuals concerned, Cannity said.

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Family members of Mark Brunelle, the 59-year-old man from Bellingham who has been missing since February, said authorities discovered his body in Uxbridge over the weekend.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Nicole Yvonne Brunelle, said her family was notified that the body of Brunelle, her father, had been found in Uxbridge over the weekend.

The Worcester District Attorneys office confirmed that a body was discovered in the Blackstone River in Uxbridge on Saturday but did not provide an identity.

The pain and sadness we all feel is indescribable, but we are so grateful to be given the gift of closure, Yvonne said in the post. There are still many obstacles ahead, but at least our father is home where he belongs. We find peace knowing that he was greeted at heavens gates by his loving son & that they are together again.

Brunelle was last seen at his one-bedroom apartment at 60 South Main St. around 2 p.m. on Feb. 23, authorities said in March. Police said he may have been in Woonsocket, Rhode Island a day after he went missing.

Brunelles car was eventually discovered parked at his self-storage unit in Woonsocket. The mans cellphone was found in the vehicle, police said.

His two daughters hired private detectives to assist in the case.

Since Brunelle was reported missing, his daughter has posted more than 50 times on Facebook searching for information or help in finding her father. Events were organized, a GoFundMe page was created, and red white and blue bracelets were made to find Brunnelle.

It is with profound sadness that we announce that after 82 days missing, we finally have the answer we have been yearning for, his daughter said on Facebook. While it is the outcome we have been prepared for, we deep down hoped that our guts were wrong & that he would turn up alive and well.
Cleaning and construction crews worked for more than 12 hours on Monday to ensure B.T.s Smokehouse in Sturbridge was ready to reopen on Tuesday.

A small fire forced the restaurant to close on Sunday. One of the most popular eateries in Central Massachusetts, B.T.s is normally closed on Mondays and made the most of the off day.

B.T.S Smokehouse said N.M. Construction worked on repairs caused by the fire for at least 12 hours. The company was assisted by Fine Lines Custom Cabinetry and Furniture and M&M Cleaning Solutions from Worcester.

On Sunday, firefighters in Sturbridge responded to the restaurant on Main Street for a smoldering fire in the wall with smoke, authorities said. Firefighters cleared the second floor, contained the flames and ventilated the building.

Photos posted by the Sturbridge Fire Department show what appears to be scorched kitchen equipment as well as charred walls. Some of the walls, the photos show, were cut into by firefighters.

No injuries were reported.

The restaurant opened a second location, B.T.s Fried Chicken and BBQ, in Worcester last year. B.T.s Smokehouse also represented one of the several local restaurants that have vendor stands in Polar Park.

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Were having a gin festival at Master of Malt this week so on the blog were highlighting five great gins that show the sheer diversity that can be found in those three simple letters, g, i and n.

This week its gin festival time over on the Master of Malt website. Gins beauty is in its versatility. All it needs to be is a spirit flavoured with juniper and you can go from there. You might favour a classic London dry gin, or something flavoured with sweet oranges, or aged in oak.

It is made all over the world so to celebrate the wondrous diversity of gin, weve chosen three very different interpretations of juniper from England, South Africa, Venezuela, Scotland and Cornwall. Plus weve included some tips on the best ways to enjoy them.

When you have a vision for the kind of gin you want, you could spend thousands on a distillery and spend years learning how to be a gin master. Or you could go to the best. Like Charles Maxwell master distiller at Thames Distillers in South London. Maxwell is the source behind dozens of gin brands and probably knows more than anyone alive about turning someones gin dreams into juniper-scented reality.

Ford, an industry stalwart who was involved with bars such as Koba in Brighton before a stint as brand ambassador at Pernod Ricard, wanted to create a gin for all seasons. He explained: I wanted to take elements from all of my favourite gins and put them into one, well-rounded gin. To create that weighty profile, Maxwell steeped the nine botanicals for 15 hours to soften them and get them to release their oils before distilling in two John Dore stills, Tom Thumb and Thumbelina.

The profile is juniper dominated, supported by other flavours including jasmine, cassia and grapefruit. The result is a weighty thick gin with a classic profile, bottled at a useful 45% ABV. Its a great all-rounder but that viscosity makes it an obvious choice for a Martini.

Ford doesnt just make gin, his business the 86 Co. (since 2019 part of Brown Forman) also makes Cana Brava rum, Tequila Cabeza, and Aylesbury Duck Vodka.

How to drink it

Ford suggests something called a freezer door Martini. Remove 200ml from your bottle, add 100ml of dry vermouth, and 100ml of filtered water. Shake, put in your freezer and itll always be ready when you want an instant Martini.

This distillery was founded in 2007 by mother and son duo, Lorna and Rohan Scott. Their secret weapons are native South African plants called fynbos native to the Capes wine growing region. These are colourful shrubs and bushes that grow wild in a special area known as the Cape Floral Kingdom.

The Scotts work with local botanists to preserve fynbos and harvest them sustainably. To make the gin they use between 20 and 30 different varieties of fynbos alongside more usually botanicals including of course juniper.

These are distilled in a tiny 1.7 litre copper pot still known as Mini Meg using vapour distillation so the botanicals sit above the sugar cane spirit. This is how the Scotts produce their classic gin but they also make two others which are the result of post-distillation infusion.

The Verdant is infused with late summer blooms, fynbos from mountainous areas, while the Amber gets its gorgeous colour from coastal fynbos. The result is a gin with a woody spice character with tobacco leaf and a nutty texture. Its bottled at 43%ABV.

How to drink it

That texture and woodiness makes it a great sipper but it also adds a whole new layer of complexity to a Negroni: just add one part Amber Gin, one part Campari and one part sweet vermouth to an ice filled tumbler, stir thoroughly, and express an orange twist over and drop in.

And finally a gin all the way from Venezuela. Its called Canaima and its the creation of bartender Simon Carporale who wanted to do something to help preserve the Amazons rainforests fragile ecology.

These plans came to fruition when he met the founder of Diplomatico rum and the two came up with the idea to make a gin with a difference. For a start, the botanical mix is quite something with over 19 involved. 10 of them are sustainably-sourced Amazonian botanicals harvested by indigenous people. This includes acai berries (a purple fruit known for its regenerative qualities), uve de palma (red fruit harvested from a palm tree), copoazu (related to the cacao tree), tupiro (an orange fruit known for its pleasant taste), merey (a kidney-shaped fruit that produces just one cashew nut), seje (a palm fruit that has oily flesh and a very delicate, chocolate-like flavour) and semeruco (a fruit foraged from the Andean foothills where Canaimas distillery is based).

Alongside native botanicals, the team at Diplomatico also use more traditional botanicals such as juniper, grapefruit, and orange. They distill each one separately in a 500 litre copper pot still before they blend them into the final gin.

Canaima doesnt just taste good, it does good too. It provides over 250 jobs for indigenous Amazonian people at its distillery. 10% of the sales go to Saving the Amazon charity and Tierra Viva, a foundation that helps preserve native crafts such as

woven baskets and coasters used by the brand.

How to drink it

The brand recommends something called a G&G which consists of 40ml Canaima Gin, 150ml grapefruit soda and two lime wedges. Squeeze the lime wedges and drop them into a Highball glass, add ice, gin and grapefruit soda, give it a stir and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Hendricks Lunar

Hendricks really shook up the gin category when William Grant & Sons launched it back in 1999. Thats ten years BS (before Sipsmith) in gin terminology, ie. centuries in gin years which are longer than even dog years.

Anway, it was created by distiller Lesley Gracie at the Girvan distillery in Scotland. Hendricks was unusual for a number of reasons. Gin was not fashionable in 1999, yet here was a new brand in distinctive medicine bottle packaging and then there was the taste! With its cucumber and rose petal profile, it didnt taste like any other gin around at the time. It had some gin traditionalists harrumphing into their G&Ts. But quickly, a Hendricks and Tonic became a thing, always with a slice of cucumber rather than citrus fruit.

Hendricks Lunar is a little bit different from the classic bottling. Gracie was inspired by moonlit evenings tending botanicals in her hothouse. Its a citrus-led gin with subtle peppery and floral notes to it, and its proved quite a hit with Master of Malt customers with lots of five star reviews.

How to drink it

Its a nice one to sip neat but also makes a splendid Lunar and Tonic with a slice of cucumber, naturally, and also a grind of black pepper.

Elemental Cornish Gin

And finally, from Cornwall, a part of England thats not really English, we have Elemental Cornish Gin. It was one of the very first Cornish gins, founded back in 2013. Only eight years ago, but, as we mentioned above, a long time in gin years.

There seems to be some sort of connection between the pandemic and distilling as our very own Ian Buxton noted recently, and thats certainly the case here with Cornish Gin. In early 2020, Nick and Joe Woolley moved to Cornwall with their toddler and took over the distillery, just before the entire country was locked down. Not great timing, but they have survived and thrived, turning out lots of high quality gin.

Their classic Cornish Gin is made in a copper pot still from 12 botanicals including lemon and orange peel, chamomile, cassia, cassia, cinnamon, cardamom and, of course, juniper. Its diluted with spring water from Bodmin moor before bottling at 42% ABV.

How to drink it

Elemental recommends a Martini or a G&T, but we cant help thinking with those citrus notes it would make a cracking French 75, a blend of lemon juice, Champagne, gin and bitters (full recipe here.)
Sherry Hassler, 55, of Lindsay, died Sunday, June 6, in Oklahoma City. The family will welcome friends at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home in Hartshorne for viewing and visitation on Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Memorial services will be held on Friday, June 11, at 10:00 a.m. at Brumley-Mills F
The judge moved the case to a larger courtroom in Inglewood to accommodate the distancing needed to resume. Lawyers are spaced out in jury boxes on both sides of the courtroom, Plexiglas separates participants, and the 20 jurors, including eight alternates, are seated several seats and rows apart in the gallery. Only one journalist and one member of the public are allowed in the courtroom.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has asked for help identifying and finding a woman believed to be the last person to interact with Bethleh
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This footage was filmed and produced 16 May 2021. Thousands of supporters in Chicago gathered at a rally on Sunday, May 16, 2021, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Peeple took to the streets to protest waving Palestinian flags and donning kaffiyehs, Pal
The program is expected to raise wholesale power prices by between 1% and 4% through 2030. For an average residential electric customer, that would mean paying between $0.84 and $2.70 more a month, depending on whether they use electricity for heat. Those estimates do not include the drop in electricity prices expected to come when money from the program is invested in energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses.
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Look at our calendars, and theres not a lot of weekends left, said Bea Briggs, owner of Bridgeton House. People havent gone away [on vacation] in a year, and they are willing to spend the extra money to get the double hot tub and the river view.
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State police say Tyheem Downs fought off five intruders at 5:45 p.m. Monday at his home in the 900 block of McKinley Way, near East Stroudsburg. A 23-year-old New Jersey man was fatally shot and another man was badly injured.
The response from Japanese prisoners was that they were fighting for the emperor, Hirohito. German prisons when ask the question, stated that they were fighting for the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler.
New China-Europe freight train service launched

Xinhua) 16:19, May 18, 2021

LANZHOU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A new China-Europe freight train service was launched on Monday, linking Wuwei City in northwest China's Gansu Province with Duisburg in Germany.

A freight train loaded with 50 cargo containers departed from Wuwei South Station on Monday, heading west to Duisburg.

The journey of more than 9,000 km takes 18 days. Compared with offshore shipping, it saves about 30 days in transportation time, according to the China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd., based in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu.

The service operator said that exporters had sent the outbound cargo from Tianjin Municipality and the provinces of Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong to a bonded logistics zone in Wuwei, where the goods were packed onto the freight train for export.

The first batch of exports weighed a total of 739 tonnes, with a value of approximately 22 million yuan (3.4 million U.S. dollars). The goods included automation machinery, industrial parts, stainless steel kitchenware, office supplies and small household appliances.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
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A live-in relationship was an unimaginable concept in India years ago, however, times have changed and so has the mentality of a lot of people.

But what's acceptable for us, isn't justifiable under the law, apparently.

Recently, an order dated May 12 2021, came from the Punjab and Haryana high court who claimed that live-in-relationships as 'morally and socially' unacceptable.

 iStock

 iStock

This came after a couple, who were in a live-in-relationship but were scared of the threats coming from the girl's family, asked for protection from the court.



Petitioners Gulza Kumari (19) and Gurwinder Singh (22), in the petition, mentioned that they were living together and had plans to get married in a short while.

Justice H S Madaan mentioned in his order, "As a matter of fact, the petitioners in the garb of filing the present petition are seeking seal of approval on their live-in-relationship, which is morally and socially not acceptable and no protection order in the petition can be passed. The petition stands dismissed accordingly."

 iStock

The court also observed, "If such protection as claimed is granted, the entire social fabric of the society would get disturbed.



As per the petitioner's counsel, the couple is staying together in Tarn Taran district. He added that Kumari's parents didn't approve of the concept of a live-in-relationship.

 iStock

Even though live-in relationships are an acceptable custom by the Supreme court in Indian society, Punjab and Haryana's High Court orders are a major step down to our progressive society.



It's basically holding the rights of the couple who wish to live together.

The apex court doesn't consider such relationships a crime and has accepted it fully, without any penal action. The court also said that people shouldn't get involved in personal matters.

Even Odisha high court allows live-in-relationship of same-sex partners as well.

 iStock

In June 2018, even the Kerala High Court allowed a young couple to live together. As per the court, the girl at the age of 19 was old enough to take the decision of being in a live-in with a boy younger than her. The court held that both the people are adults. and once the boy reaches a marriageable age, the couple can continue to live freely or marry as well.



The court noted, "The constitutional court is bound to respect the unfettered right of a major to have a live-in relationship even though the same may not be palatable to the orthodox section of the society,"

Accepting a practice like live-in-relationships is crucial in today's time. Hence, the Punjab and Haryana's HC not allowing couples to be in live-in relationships has disappointed many.

Here's how the people on Twitter reacted to this development:

But they are constitutionally acceptable and that is the only thing that matters . Sad , constitutional judges doing everything other than following constitution.  Vivek (@Vivek60251703) May 18, 2021

Its bad enough that there are so many moral polices in the society, now the court, that should protect citizens 'RIGHTS', itself is becoming a moral police.  Tom Scaria Thomas (@ubiquitous_user) May 18, 2021

Morally and socially not acceptable? What about individual rights?  Sarveshwar (@iSarveshwar) May 18, 2021

They should appeal to the Supreme Court. Im sure it will protect their rights.  Dimpi (@avsdgbm) May 18, 2021
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In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
This could bring massive changes to the operational landscape of the copper mining sector in Peru, the world's second copper producer. The proposed royalties would be similar to a proposal lately approved by the lower congress of Chile , the biggest global copper producer.

Rates could rise to 75% when copper prices exceed $4 per lb under the Chilean proposal, which could put half of Chilean copper mines at risk of shutting down if finalized, according to the head...
MDHHS pilots enhanced Maternal Infant Health Program, seeks to provide enhanced home visiting service for Michigan families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2021

Contact: MDDHS, Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is slated to begin piloting an alternate payment model for providers of the Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP), the state's largest evidence-based home visiting program in May. This important effort to provide enhanced home visiting service for pregnant and parenting families is the result of Governor Whitmer's Healthy Moms Healthy Babies initiative.

The goal of this pilot is to provide participating MIHP agencies with additional tools to help connect families to community-based resources. Evaluating the effectiveness of this payment system will be an important step towards ensuring that families receive home visiting services at a degree that corresponds to their level of need, and to improving the overall health and well-being of infants and families in Michigan.

"MDHHS is committed to investing in home visiting services tailored to the needs identified by the families we serve," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "Piloting MIHP payment enhancements is an important step forward for this Michigan created home visiting program."

MDHHS and the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab have identified social determinants of health, such as housing stability, food security, educational opportunity, employment, transportation, treatment for mental health challenges and parenting support, as key outcomes for this pilot project.

Michigan's home visiting programs provide valuable services to families in Michigan and leverage federal funding. For families struggling with substance use, MDHHS can create new home visiting slots in the following programs: Parents as Teachers, Healthy Families America and Nurse-Family Partnership. By directing families to these proven programs, MDHHS can improve family outcomes while leveraging available federal IV-E matching funds. In addition, home visiting can help partner these families with recovery programs to ensure that they have the necessary supportive services.

The Maternal Infant Health Program is a home visiting program that provides support and care coordination for pregnant individuals and infants covered by Medicaid, through a statewide network of public and private agencies. Services are provided by registered nurses, licensed social workers and other health professionals as needed, and are intended to supplement regular prenatal/infant care. This statewide program serves more than 15,000 Medicaid-eligible pregnant individuals and 20,000 infants annually.

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New EGLE office helps to sustain communities along the Great Lakes through the lens of Environmental Justice

New EGLE office helps to sustain communities along the Great Lakes through the lens of Environmental Justice

As EGLE's three-day Environmental Justice Conference kicks off today, MI Environment looks at environmental justice efforts in Great Lakes communities in this article by Regina Strong, Environmental Justice Public Advocate, that appeared in the recently-released State of the Great Lakes report.

The connection between Michigan and other Great Lakes communities is based not only on the region's abundant natural resources and interdependent economies, but also on the impact of those connections on the wellbeing of the area's residents.

As a region with a longstanding industrial past, its residents, particularly those in vulnerable and Environmental Justice communities, have dealt with legacy challenges for decades. Recognizing the resulting complexities, ranging from access to drinking water to residents affected by pollution, the state took action to address impacts on people across the state. In early 2019, Governor Whitmer created the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate and the role of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate.

The Executive Order that created the office also created an Interagency Environmental Justice Response Team, bringing several state agencies together to develop statewide strategies. The office works collaboratively across state agencies to proactively engage with the communities to address Environmental Justice issues and complaints. Efforts focus on ensuring that low-income residents and communities of color are equitably represented in various actions. The office also works closely with 12 federally- recognized tribes in Michigan on a wide range of Great Lakes and environmental issues.

Earlier this year, Governor Whitmer stressed the importance of including the voices of people affected by environmental issues: "We must ensure that the implementation and enforcement of environmental protections, regulations and policies in Michigan will be fair and meaningful to all Michiganders, regardless of geography, race, color, origin or income." Michigan has the unique distinction of serving as the heart of the automotive industry, along with industrial sites and businesses on the shores of the Great Lakes.

From historic logging operations to industries that compromised the ecosystem of the lakes, the work of the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate addresses impacts on communities that are economically disadvantaged and continue to be disproportionally affected by cumulative effects of past environmental degradation. The office takes a holistic approach in considering how these communities are affected by decision making and looks for ways to improve policies and public engagement. The goal is to ensure that the state's residents have opportunities for meaningful access and equitable participation in the development and implementation of environmental laws and regulations.

With significant investments under way in Great Lakes restoration, work continues to address challenges presented by Michigan's industrial past, as well as new emerging issues such as the contaminant PFAS. These efforts ensure that Michigan creates an equitable and vibrant quality of life in communities across the state, while protecting residents and preserving the state's resources.

Last year, the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate and the Interagency Environmental Justice Response Team launched the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice. The council serves as an advisory voice for the state on Environmental Justice issues and includes representation from front-line community members, community organizations, local governments, tribes and labor, as well as business and industry.

To hear directly from communities, the Response Team is also planning virtual regional roundtables around the state in 2021 to ensure that people throughout Michigan are at the table on environmental issues.

The Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate is currently developing a Michigan-specific EJ Screening Tool to better identify Environmental Justice communities. Other efforts under way include work toward integrating Environmental Justice into EGLE's work through training and implementation.

Michigan is moving aggressively to address climate change on numerous fronts, with a focus on ensuring that low-income residents and communities of color are equitably represented in the actions. We are thinking not only about the adaptation and stress issues caused by climate, but also equity and ensuring that low-income residents and communities of color are provided with the tools so both can adapt to climate effects.

Photo caption: Steel plant in Detroit in the distance.

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Michigan Opioids Task Force Releases Annual Report

Michigan Opioids Task Force Releases Annual Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2021

CONTACT: 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Opioids Task Force and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) have released the 2020 annual report that highlights the state's efforts to respond to the opioid crisis.

Highlighted initiatives include launching a statewide naloxone portal that has distributed over 100,000 kits containing the lifesaving overdose reversal medication. Another is starting a public media campaign focused on elevating the voices of Michiganders who have lived experiences to share the effect of opioids and increase awareness of harm reduction services. That campaign has gained national attention.

MDHHS also worked closely with the Michigan Opioid Partnership in 2020 to launch programs based in 17 hospital emergency departments to treat opioid use disorder with plans to expand statewide in 2021.

The 2020 Michigan Opioids Task Force Annual Report, which can be found on the Michigan Opioids Resource website, outlines progress by the group, which was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as part of a goal to reduce opioid overdose deaths in Michigan in half from 2020 to 2025.

"The Opioids Task Force has been working tirelessly to address the impacts of opioid use disorder, which has devastated the lives of so many Michiganders and harmed millions nationwide," Gov. Whitmer said. "We will not rest until we dramatically reduce opioid use disorder and overdose deaths and work to provide those suffering with the support they need. I appreciate everything that the task force has accomplished, and their annual report shows the progress we made by putting in place programs to combat the opioid epidemic. We still have a lot of work to do, but I know that our state-level efforts are making a meaningful difference in people's lives."

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and MDHHS chief deputy director for health, is chairing the task force. "As a practicing emergency department physician, I have seen first-hand the impact of opioid use disorders in our communities," Khaldun said. "I am proud of the work of the task force that has continued to move forward even in the middle of a pandemic. The seven-pillar strategy adopted by the task force emphasizes prevention, treatment and equity and will help save lives."

MDHHS is working closely with the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel on litigation expected to help support Michigan's efforts to combat the opioid crisis over the next decade. In 2021, Michigan is slated to receive a $4 million dollar settlement from a multistate lawsuit brought against a maker of a common medication to treat opioid use disorder. The task force report includes key recommendations for long-term investments in the state of Michigan.

"While we've made progress in holding drug companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, there's still more work to be done," Nessel said. "My office remains dedicated to helping Michigan families overcome the damage done by this ongoing crisis and I affirm our commitment to this important task force."

In 2018 and 2019, Michigan saw a moderate decline in the number of opioid-related overdoses. In 2019, total drug overdose deaths - which includes opioids and unspecified substances - decreased by 9.4 percent and opioid-related deaths fell by 13.2 percent. In 2020, the challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic, such as increased social isolation and decreased access to treatment services, exacerbated the already deadly drug overdose epidemic. Provisional 2020 data shows an increase in total drug overdose deaths in Michigan.

The Michigan Opioids Task Force will continue its work in 2021 to further improve interagency coordination in the fight against the opioid epidemic, including a specific focus on reducing racial disparities.

For more information and resources, visit Michigan.gov/Opioids.

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A potential career path may have been the most important thing Dennis Pilaske learned in college.

Pilaske  a 1989 Port Hope High School graduate  ventured to Central Michigan University with an initial plan to become a history teacher, but soon learned a way to combine his adorations for history and nature.

I was uncertain what my path would be when I moved, and once I got to CMU, I thought Id be a history teacher to work with youth and teach history, Pilaske said. Then I was in one of my history classes and a professor mentioned there are other things you can do. One of those is museum work. It really changed my path.

That path led to an eventual career at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland and now an award from his alma mater.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration for CMUs Museum of Cultural and Natural History, Pilaske was recently given the first Museum Studies Alumni Leadership Award for his efforts that landed him in the role of executive director for the Chippewa Nature Center.

Pilaske completed his undergraduate and graduate programs at CMU in 1996, though a summer gig confirmed the career advice received from his history professor.

I spent a summer working at a youth camp in northern Michigan and thats when I realized you could teach outdoors, he said. I didnt realize it was something you could do. There was the museum side of things and the opportunity to teach outdoors, which really fit me well.

Pilaske began work at the Chippewa Nature Center in 1997 as a curator of collections and exhibits, remaining in that position for six years before becoming director of interpretation. In 2017, he became executive director and assumed a more pivotal role in the strategic vision of the organization.

Ive realized why these cultural museums exist and the role they play in the community, he said. The nature center gets tremendous support from individual donors, local businesses and others. Thats important because its always a challenge to fund the goals of the organization.

Surprisingly, the pandemic that has challenged the planet has been more of an opportunity for the CNC. Pilaske said altered life in the pandemic has given a boost to such centers that heavily involve nature in their daily operations, particularly for the CNC and its extensive nature trail system.

With the pandemic, one thing thats happened industry-wide is that organizations like ours have seen incredible increase in use, he said. Its one of those activities people are encouraged to do. We have 19 miles of trails on site and people have seen this as a place for exercise with the added benefit that nature helps us deal with stress while learning about nature.

Thats been exciting over the past year  that individuals in the community are rediscovering us.

Pilaske now lives in Sanford with his wife Michelle and their two children.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP)  Top diplomats from the United States and Russia are set to square off this week in Iceland for their first face-to-face encounter that comes as ties between the nations have deteriorated sharply in recent months.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russias longtime Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plan to talk Wednesday on the sidelines of an Arctic Council meeting in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, a city with deep history in U.S.-Russian relations.

Even before the talks  that are ostensibly to prepare for a summit between President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin next month  the two diplomats laid down near diametrically opposed positions for the meeting, previewing what is likely to be a difficult and contentious exchange.

This follows a spate of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions as U.S.-Russian relations threaten a return to Cold War lows. The nuclear powers are at odds on myriad issues including Ukraine, the Arctic, Russia's treatment of opposition figure Alexey Navalny and accusations of cybermalfeasance, including claims that Russia-based hackers were responsible for a ransomware attack on a key U.S. pipeline.

"It would be our preference to have a more stable and more predictable relationship with Russia, Blinken said on Tuesday. At the same time, weve been very clear that if Russia chooses to take reckless or aggressive actions that target our interests or those of our allies and partners, well respond. Not for purposes of seeking conflict or escalating but because such challenges cannot be allowed to go forward with impunity.

Blinken also tweeted Tuesday U.S. condemnation of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. We condemn Russias abuses in Crimea, especially on May 18 as we reflect on the 77th anniversary of Stalins deportation of countless Crimean Tatars from their native peninsula, he posted.

Perhaps anticipating Blinken's position, Lavrov had offered a prebuttal at a news conference Monday in Moscow.

Apparently, a (U.S.) decision was made to promote stable, predictable relations with Russia," he said. However, if this includes constant and predictable sanctions, thats not what we need. Our attitude toward the U.S. includes the hope that normalized relations will be based on specific actions rather than words of which we have heard too many.

Blinken said his meeting with Lavrov would be an important opportunity to test the proposition that the U.S. and Russia can work collaboratively on certain issues, like climate change, the Mideast, Iran and North Korea, despite bitter disagreements on others. The meeting comes as much of the world is focused on the Israel-Palestinian war.

Blinken noted that despite the vitriol, the U.S. and Russia had agreed early in the Biden administration to a five-year extension of a key arms control pact that President Donald Trump had declined to renew before he left office. Trump left a decidedly mixed legacy on Russia that included a personal friendly relationship with Putin, while his administration still imposed sanctions and other punitive measures.

Lavrov said Moscow would determine its own red lines and emphasized that in the sphere of strategic stability, its going to insist on putting both offensive and defensive, nuclear and non-nuclear weapons on the negotiation table.

Another, more immediate area of disagreement in Reykjavik, the site of the famous 1986 summit between President Ronald Reagan and Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev, is the Arctic, where Russia has been expanding its military presence and pursuing policies to expand its influence to the alarm of the Americans.

Blinken rejected Russian calls to resume a military component of the Arctic Council and expressed concerns about Russias increasing military activity in the region known as the high North.

We have concerns about some of the recent military activities in the Arctic, he said. That Increases the dangers of accidents and miscalculations and undermines the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region. So we have to be vigilant about that.

Blinken also took Russia to task for proposing new navigational regulations for the region and decried Lavrov for comments in which he dismissed such criticism because the Arctic is our territory, our land.

We have to proceed all of us, including Russia, based on the rules, based on norms, based on the commitments that weve each made and also avoid statements that undercut those, Blinken said.

In his comments Monday, Lavrov noted the grievances about Russia's military activities in the Arctic. It has long been common knowledge that this is our territory, our land. We are in charge of keeping the Arctic coast safe. Everything Russia is doing there is absolutely legal, he said.

Moscow and Washington are also embroiled in a bitter dispute over the status of their respective embassies and consulates after the diplomatic expulsions. Russia has given the U.S. until Aug. 1 to get rid of all non-American staff at its diplomatic missions, something the U.S. says will make it nearly impossible for its facilities to function.

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Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this story.
The Caseville City Council introduced preliminary fiscal year 2022 budgets for both the city and Downtown Development Authority at its recent monthly meeting, and also set public hearings for them.

The preliminary budget would have $1.535 million in expenditures, a decrease of $70,000 from the budgeted amount for fiscal year 2020-21. City expenditures include the city parks, the district library, public works, and the different government offices.

The preliminary budget would have $1.535 million in expenditures, a decrease of $70,000 from the budgeted amount for FY 2020-21. This is due to not spending $50,000 on recreation grant expenses for the Breakwall Point park and around $15,400 less in funding for recreation and culture items.

City expenditures include the city parks, the district library, public works, and the different government offices.

The 2021-22 budget estimates the city will raise $1.569 million in revenues, an increase of more than $450,000 from the 2020-21 budgeted amount. The increase is due to the potential of nearly $300,000 in grant revenue coming in for the Riverside Park project and around $200,000 transferred into the citys recreation account.

The proposed budget also includes $580,904 in taxes, the same amount budgeted as the year before.

The downtown development authority fund budget will have a proposed general operation millage of 1.4326 mills and is estimated to raise $111,225 in taxes for the 2021-22 year, an increase short of $10,000 from the 2020-21 budget.

Public hearings for both of these budgets have been set for the June meeting starting at 5:15 p.m. on June 14.

The council also applied for a Michigan Department of Transportation grant that would fund new asphalt for State Street, Prospect Street, Pine Street, Huron Street, and Farmer Street during the fall of 2021.

The grant would be to cover $166,000 of the project, which the city would cover $249,000 to match, or 60% of the project costs.

City Clerk Jamie Learman said the type of grant the city applied for, the Transportation Economic Development Fund Category B Program, is highly competitive, with the most recent round awarding only eight out of 115 applications. The city will know in the middle of June if it is awarded the grant.

In other news, the city council made four appointments to the downtown development authority.

Jon Bibby was appointed to a term ending in April 2023, Lauren Formicola was appointed to a term ending in April 2024, and Kevin Stachowiak and Amy Redwantz were appointed to terms ending in April 2025.

The council also reappointed Deanna Prutchick to the Oakwood Housing Commission for a term ending in June 2026.
BANGKOK (AP)  Last Novembers election results in Myanmar were by and large, representative of the will of the people, an independent election monitoring organization said Monday, rejecting the militarys allegations of massive fraud that served as its reason for seizing power.

While there were flaws in the election process, there were a number of procedural safeguards implemented throughout the polling process, which ... was found to be transparent and reliable, the Asian Network for Free Elections said in a report.

It noted, however, that Myanmars electoral process is fundamentally undemocratic because its 2008 constitution, written during army rule, grants the military an automatic 25% share of all parliamentary seats, enough to block constitutional changes. Large sectors of the population, most notably the Muslim Rohingya minority, are deprived of citizenship rights, including the right to vote.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 polls, which should have secured it a second five-year term in office. Its 2015 victory moved Myanmar along a path toward democracy after more than five decades of direct and indirect military rule.

But on Feb. 1, the military arrested Suu Kyi and dozens of other top officials. It prevented elected lawmakers from convening a new session of Parliament, declared a state of emergency and said it would run the country until new elections were held in a year -- a deadline it later indicated could be delayed an additional year.

Security forces have used lethal force in an attempt to suppress huge popular opposition to the military coup. Hundreds of protesters and bystanders have been killed in the crackdown.

The report by ANFREL, a non-partisan international group working for fair elections in Asia, noted that junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the military took over because there was terrible fraud in the voter lists. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, which suffered unexpectedly heavy losses in the election, made similar allegations.

Since the coup, the state-controlled media have released data down to the township level purporting to show that voter lists could not be reconciled with the election results.

ANFREL said it lacked sufficient information to independently verify the allegations of voter list fraud because the election law did not allow it access to voting lists, but that it had not seen any credible evidence of any massive irregularities.

The report said there was merit to several complaints about the election made not just by the Union Solidarity and Development Party  the main opposition party  but also by independent observers.

The biggest issue was the cancellation of voting for security reasons in several areas where insurgent groups had been active. ANFREL criticized the cancellations by the Union Election Commission for being conducted in an opaque, arbitrary, and inconsistent manner and noted that they were seen by critics as aimed at limiting the seats that might be won by ethnic political parties that were rivals of Suu Kyis party.

Other areas in which the election fell short included discriminatory citizenship laws that were used to reject some candidates, especially Muslims, and the dissolution of one group, the United Democratic Party, just three weeks ahead of election day. Disqualifying the party, which had fielded the second highest number of candidates, disenfranchised advance voters who had already cast their ballots for its candidates, ANFREL said.

Nevertheless, it is ANFRELs informed opinion that the results of the 2020 general elections were, by and large, representative of the will of the people of Myanmar. Despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic, 27.5 million people voted thanks to the hard work of polling staff and election or health officials; their voices cannot be silenced, the report said.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's lawsuit against the federal government over a July Fourth fireworks display she wants to put on at Mount Rushmore has reignited legal tensions between her and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

The tribe last week sought to join the lawsuit in opposition to Noem, who is asking a federal judge to order the National Park Service to allow the fireworks display. The Republican governor sued the Department of Interior last month after the Park Service denied the state's application for the event, citing safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes.

The tribal lawsuit touches on a century-old dispute over ownership and control of the Black Hills, which include Mount Rushmore. The Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the land was taken from tribes in violation of treaty agreements and offered them a monetary payment.

In the lawsuit over fireworks at Mount Rushmore, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Steve Vance, the tribe's historic preservation officer, argue that they should be allowed to take part in the lawsuit because the land on which Mount Rushmore sits is our most sacred site  the Heart of Everything That Is.

The fact that this event could be forced upon us in our sacred lands despite our clear opposition to the event traumatizes us as a people and inflicts grief upon us. To us, allowing this event to occur again is a colonial attack on one of our most sacred places, the tribe and Vance argue in court documents.

Noem, in a document filed Sunday, opposed the tribe's request to join the lawsuit, arguing that the tribe doesn't have standing in what is a state-federal dispute. Her lawyers argue that the fireworks display wouldn't hinder the tribe's religious or free speech rights.

When she filed the lawsuit, Noem included patriotic arguments on why the fireworks should be allowed and argued that the permit's denial was an arbitrary and capricious decision based on politics.

Chief Judge Roberto Lange of the federal district court of South Dakota hasn't ruled on whether the tribe can join the suit. He indicated that he'll decide by June 2 whether to issue a preliminary injunction to force the Park Service to allow the fireworks this summer. The governor's daughter, who worked as a federal liaison for her mother for last July's event, said in a court filing that the governor's office had invited tribal leaders to provide their perspective on it.

Noem wrote to President Joe Biden last month that the tribes were consulted before the event last year. But in a statement Tuesday, the tribe denied that was the case.

The office of the Chairman has no record of any consultations with the State of South Dakota or the federal government regarding fireworks in the sacred Black Hills, the tribe said.

Noem and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe have had a tense relationship that deteriorated last year when she threatened to sue it over coronavirus checkpoints the tribe set up to keep unnecessary visitors off its reservation during the pandemic. Noem backed away from her threat, but the tribe sued then-President Donald Trump's administration for attempting to coerce it into removing its checkpoints. That case hasn't been settled and it isn't clear if the tribe will persist with it under Biden's administration.

South Dakota also sued the tribe and its chairman, Harold Frazier, for changing speed limit signs on a state highway that runs through the reservation.

Noem has also clashed with other tribes in the state. But on Monday, she announced she would host an event called the Governor's Round Dance in Pierre this week. Out of nine tribes in the state, the elected leaders of two tribes  the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe  said they would attend, according to Noem's office.
Uber, the company that started out as a ride-sharing service and later expanded into the home delivery of meals, has gotten into the business of delivering many prescription medicines and is expanding into Fairfield and New Haven counties.

Company officials announced the expansion into Connecticut this week after having completed a successful pilot program in three Texas cities. Uber had also launched the service in six cities around the country as well as in Orange County, California.

Individuals in Fairfield and New Haven counties can request prescription delivery directly from the Uber Eats app. The prescription delivery service is a joint effort between Uber and NimbleRx, a Redwood City, Ca. prescription delivery service.

Prescriptions paid for, either in whole or in part, by any government healthcare program such as Medicare or Medicaid are ineligible for the delivery service.

Todays launch of prescription delivery in Connecticut... brings Uber Eats one step closer to becoming your go-to destination for much more than food, said Marta Anadon Rosinach, Uber Eats General Manager for New England. Its no surprise that people are looking for ways to safely and conveniently get the things they need every day, but especially now, and were proud to partner with Nimble to bring prescriptions right to their doorstep.

But the company is keeping details about the prescription delivery service tightly guarded.

Harry Hartfield, an Uber spokesman, said that not every pharmacy in the two Connecticut counties is participating in the program. If your pharmacy is not taking part, Uber will not deliver your medicines.

There are dozens of pharmacies available on the app across New Haven and Fairfield County, Hartfield said. But when asked repeatedly by Hearst Connecticut media to provide a list of the participating pharmacies, he did not respond.

Hartfield said information about pharmacies taking part in the program and other restrictions is available once consumers download and create an account on the app.

The Uber delivery program also does not include all prescription drugs, Hartfield said. One example is oxycodone, but a list of other drugs the companys drivers will not deliver was not provided by the company.

The charges associated with the prescription delivery programs are based on a variety of factors, including how far someone is from the pharmacy, Hartfield said.

But customers see all costs up front before they order, he said.

Hartfield said in addition to having on-demand delivery service, those who use the Uber Eats application for prescription drug delivery can also transfer existing prescriptions  or fulfill new ones  from neighborhood pharmacies right from their app.

Talha Sattar, Nimbles chief executive officer and founder, said that when it comes to the pharmacy experience, consumers have always had to choose between convenience and local loyalty. But these should not be mutually exclusive. Our partnership with Uber Eats allows us to both help Connecticut pharmacies stay competitive, and offer millions of residents access to on-demand prescription delivery at a time when they need it most.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  A journalist in Bangladesh known for her strong reporting on official corruption was arrested on charges of violating a colonial-era official secrets act which carries a possible death penalty, authorities said Tuesday.

Rozina Islam, a senior reporter for the leading Prothom Alo newspaper, allegedly used her cellphone without permission to photograph documents related to government negotiations to buy coronavirus vaccines while she waited in the room of an official involved in the process, according to case documents seen by The Associated Press.

Islam is known for reporting on corruption involving the Ministry of Health and others. Several of her recent stories have drawn attention to the millions of dollars spent procuring health equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

She was held for more than five hours late Monday in the room of a personal assistant of the secretary of the Ministry of Health, said her sister, Sabina Parvin. Her family said she was physically and mentally harassed while being held.

Islam was then handed over to police and faces charges under the Penal Code and Official Secrets Act for alleged theft and photographing of sensitive state documents, said Harun-or-Rashid, an additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The charges carry a possible death penalty, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.

Maidul Islam Prodhan, a spokesman for the health ministry, said Islam took photos of important documents.

She was also taking away some documents. An additional secretary and a policeman challenged her at the time. Later, the policewomen were called in, he said.

On Tuesday, she appeared in court, where police sought to hold her for interrogation for five days and defense lawyers sought her release on bail. The magistrate rejected both appeals and sent her to jail until her next court appearance on Thursday, defense lawyer Ehsanul Haque Shomaji said.

Journalists groups in Bangladesh and the CPJ demanded her release.

We are deeply alarmed that Bangladesh officials detained a journalist and filed a complaint under a draconian colonial-era law that carries ridiculously harsh penalties, said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJs senior Asia researcher.

Bangladesh police and authorities should recognize that Rozina Islam is a journalist whose work is a public service and should immediately drop the case against her and allow her to go free.

Earlier this month, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch said Bangladeshi journalists are risking arbitrary arrest, torture and harassment under a widely used Digital Security Act.

It said at least 247 journalists were reportedly subjected to attacks, harassment and intimidation by state officials and others affiliated with the government in 2020. More than 900 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act, with nearly 1,000 people charged and 353 detained, many of them journalists, it said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In Georgia, school bus-maker Blue Bird has visions of going from selling a few hundred electric buses annually to 15,000. In Michigan, Ford plans to produce an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup truck.

Both companies are looking to President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal to help transform the automotive sector as electric vehicles shift from a luxury niche to mainstream America. The plan reflects an effort by Biden to accelerate certain sectors of the economy with the belief they'll become the engines for growth in the decades to come.

You need someone to give you a real jumpstart, Blue Bird CEO Phil Horlock said. This is actually changing the landscape.

Biden will visit Ford's electric vehicle plant in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday, returning to an industrial state that contributed to his election victory and is the center of an auto sector that'll likely need some government help to move away from gas guzzlers.

The Democratic president wants the government to accept the risk of investing in a series of industries such as electric vehicles and semiconductors that he believes will become the backbone of the U.S. economy. It's a sharp philosophical divide from Republican lawmakers who would rather the federal government focus more on the steel, concrete and asphalt of conventional infrastructure projects.

He has an industrial policy -- which weve always had but never admitted, said Brett Smith, director of technology at the Center for Automotive Research. Our industrial policy had been that low-cost energy wins. Hes shifting that to carbon-free energy is the industrial policy.

Biden said in a speech last week that his proposed new tranche of government spending is required to keep the U.S. economy competitive and fair on top of the coronavirus relief that's already flowing. Besides infrastructure, Biden is asking for another $1.8 trillion  putting the combined total spending at roughly $4 trillion  to devote to education and families.

Biden said his infrastructure plan is an eight-year investment strategy to make sure working people of this country get to share in the benefits of a rising economy and to put us in a position to win the competition with China and the rest of the world for the 21st century."

The infrastructure package would be paid for by higher corporate taxes. Leading business groups such as the Business Roundtable and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have opposed raising the corporate rate from 21% to 28%. But some of the companies that could benefit directly from the spending appear willing to make that trade, and that complicates the politics of the moment because there are clear winners and clear losers, such as the fossil fuel sector.

Biden is openly saying government dollars should seed new opportunities for businesses. It's an effort to steer where private investors direct their money and a response to other nations like China that have backed favored industries such as electrical vehicles and semiconductors that could threaten America's own preeminence.

A White House official said that some businesses briefed on the infrastructure proposal have also seen it as having the qualities of an industrial policy in which government works in concert with companies.

One element of Biden's plan that draws companies' attention is the $50 billion proposed for the Commerce Department to monitor U.S. manufacturing capacity and fund investments to support production of critical goods. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal discussions, said companies interpret it as a new way of thinking about supply chains when supplies of computer chips, lumber and other goods are squeezed.

But the risks are that industrial policies can misspend dollars that would be better directed by the private sector. That can come at the expense of jobs as the initiatives often go through a political prism instead of an economic one.

The problem with industrial policy is that it quickly becomes highly political," said Thomas Duesterberg, a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute. The administration's focus on promoting green technology is important but will result in a substantial net loss of manufacturing jobs by reducing production of domestic oil and gas, and in turn chemicals, while subsidizing wind and solar products whose production is dominated by Chinese and European manufacturers."

Some businesses insist the types of government investment in Biden's plan are necessary.

The major hurdle for moving U.S. drivers away from internal combustion engines is the lack of charging stations. Biden proposes $174 billion for electric vehicles, including funds to construct 500,000 charging stations by 2030. Their presence would help to overcome drivers' fears of being stranded in a powerless car, one of the challenges confronting Ford and General Motors as they seek to go electric.

The Center for Automotive Research's Smith stressed that automakers would like to command the same premium on their stock that Tesla  a pioneer of electric vehicles  enjoys. But doing so requires the government to shoulder some of the risk to transition to a new infrastructure for powering vehicles.

You dont sell the cars without the charging stations at this point, Smith said. "It makes or breaks the technology.

Presidents have long relied on businesses to push their messages to voters. Biden's predecessors Donald Trump and Barack Obama touted an Intel chip factory in Arizona as proof of economic gains, yet the U.S. semiconductor industry declined relative to the rest of the world. Biden proposes a $50 billion investment in semiconductor manufacturing and research, one of the publicly bipartisan pieces of his infrastructure package.

Intel's chief government affairs officer, Jeff Rittener, said the company supports the investment, though it still wants to know more details about the potential increases in corporate taxes. He warned that without the government investment the country would lose out to other global competitors on what has become a building block of the modern economy.

Only 12% of worldwide semiconductor manufacturing is done in the U.S., whereas if you go back a number of years it used to be greater than 35%," he said. We anticipate, and studies have shown, that if nothing is done this percentage is going to drop further.
NEW YORK (AP)  A leg injury may keep Robert De Niro from celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival. The accident happened last week in Oklahoma while on location for the upcoming Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

The two-time Oscar-winner immediately flew back to New York to get it checked out.

My leg is fine  I ripped a ligament I guess in my quad, so I have to have it reattached to my knee. Buts its OK, De Niro said Saturday during an interview promoting this year's Tribeca events. Its all manageable. Thats all. All good.

The accident happened at his on-location home, and the actor was not due to shoot additional scenes for several weeks.

While his scenes for the film can be pushed back further to accommodate his recovery, he may not have the same luxury when the Tribeca Film Festival kicks off on June 9. De Niro co-founded the event with producer Jane Rosenthal.

Yeah, I dont know because I have (surgery on) my leg, I got the whole thing. Im not sure well have to figure that out," De Niro said. Well figure that out once we get closer.

Based on David Granns non-fiction novel, Scorsese's film tells the story of the 1920s investigation into the Osage Indian murders by the newly former Federal Bureau of Investigation.

De Niro stars as William Hale, a powerful Oklahoma rancher. Killers of the Flower Moon marks the 10th feature film collaboration between De Niro and Scorsese. The film also stars another Scorsese regular, Leonardo DiCaprio, as Ernest Burkhart, one of the key figures in the murders.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union on Monday decided to temporarily suspend some measures at the heart of a steel tariff dispute with the United States that is seen as one of the major trade issues dividing the two sides.

With the decision, we are walking the talk in our efforts to reboot the trans-Atlantic relationship, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said when announcing the 27-nation bloc would not automatically increase some tariffs targeting U.S products. The trans-Atlantic fight has affected anything from steel production to Kentucky bourbon sales.

The temporary suspension was underscoring a commitment that both sides want to have talks to address global steel and aluminum excess capacity.

"We are creating the space to resolve these issues before the end of the year, Dombrovskis said.

In a joint statement, both sides said that to ensure the most constructive environment for these joint efforts, they agreed to avoid changes on these issues that negatively affect bilateral trade.

It was the second palpable step to get back to better trade relations under President Joe Biden after both sides in March decided on a four-month suspension of tariffs used in the longstanding Airbus-Boeing dispute.

As early as December 2020, the EU reached out to the Biden administration with a plan for a renewed EU-U.S. agenda, and we are pleased to see this approach bearing fruit, Dombrovskis said.

The decision comes in time for the visit of Biden to EU headquarters in mid-June to discuss a new relationship after the blocs difficult relationship with his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The issue goes back to the 2018 tariffs that Trump slapped on EU steel and aluminum, which enraged European and other allies by calling their metals a threat to U.S. national security. The Article 232 proceeding both hurts European producers and has raised the cost of steel for American companies.

The EU is not a national security threat to the U.S. But the distortions created by global excess capacity  driven largely by third parties  pose a serious threat to the market-oriented EU and U.S., Dombrovskis said.

Together, the EU and U.S. would be better positioned to deal with major steel producer China, which is seen as partly responsible for the glut.

When Trump imposed the tariffs, Europe retaliated by raising tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.

The U.S. spirits industry was elated.

This news couldnt come soon enough. Distillers across the United States are breathing a huge sigh of relief after bracing for a 50% tariff on American whiskeys in just a matter of days," said Chris Swonger, president of the Distilled Spirits Council. He said more tariffs would have forced many craft distillers out of the EU market, one of the most lucrative markets in the world.

Even big companies would have been affected, like the producer of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey. We are encouraged by todays agreement between the U.S. and the EU to avoid the doubling of tariffs on American whiskey, the Louisville, Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corp. said in a statement.

Even if U.S. whiskey remains subject to 25% retaliatory tariffs, we remain hopeful that the negotiators will build on the progress thats been made and ultimately secure a removal of tariffs, it said.

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Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide a major abortion case that could dramatically alter decades of rulings on abortion rights and eventually lead to dramatic restrictions on abortion access.

It's been nearly 50 years since the court announced in its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that women have a constitutional right to abortion.

Here are some questions and answers about the case:

COULD THIS BE THE CASE THAT OVERTURNS ROE V. WADE?

The case is an appeal from Mississippi in which the state is asking to be allowed to ban most abortions at the 15th week of pregnancy. The state is not asking the court to overrule Roe v. Wade, or later cases that reaffirmed it.

But many supporters of abortion rights are alarmed and many opponents of abortion are elated that the justices could undermine their earlier abortion rulings. If the court upholds Mississippi's law, it would be its first ratification of an abortion ban before the point of viability, when a fetus can survive outside the womb. Such a ruling could lay the groundwork for allowing even more restrictions on abortion. That includes state bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks.

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WHAT HAPPENS IF MISSISSIPPI WINS?

If Mississippi wins, it gets to enforce its 15-week ban, which lower courts have so far prohibited. In addition, other conservative states would certainly look to copy Mississippi's law. A decision that states can limit previability abortions would also embolden states to pass more restrictions, which some states have already done and which are already wrapped up in legal challenges. Challenges to those limits would continue.

That said, the immediate practical impact of a win for Mississippi could be muted. That's because more than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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THE COURT IS CONSERVATIVE. IS THERE A LIKELY OUTCOME?

Mississippi would seem to have the upper hand, both because the justices agreed to hear the case in the first place and because of the makeup of the court. After the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September and her replacement by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, conservatives hold six of the court's nine seats.

Barrett, one of former President Donald Trump's three appointees to the court, is the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades. Trump's other two appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, voted in dissent last year to allow Louisiana to enforce restrictions on doctors that could have closed two of the states three abortion clinics.

Justice Samuel Alito would also be expected to be a vote for Mississippi, while Justice Clarence Thomas is on record in support of overturning Roe v. Wade.

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WHEN WILL THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT THE COURT DOES?

The court has finished its calendar of scheduled oral arguments for now and is issuing decisions before taking a break for the summer. The court will resume hearing arguments in October, and this case will probably be argued in the fall. A decision would likely come in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections.

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WHERE ARE AMERICANS ON THE ISSUE OF ABORTION?

An April poll from the Pew Research Center found that 59% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while 39% think it should be illegal in most or all cases. Eighty percent of Democrats said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with just 35% of Republicans.
GREENWICH  Cindy Boucard has been named assistant principal at Parkway School, effective July 1, the district announced Monday.

Boucard has been interim assistant principal at Parkway and will take on the position permanently following the retirement of Jeffrey Libby. She will support supervision and evaluation of staff, facilitation of the special education process, maintain a safe and welcoming school climate, and advocate on behalf of all students, according to a district statement.

We are thrilled that Cindy will be joining the Parkway School community permanently, Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said. Given her background in special education and her leadership roles both in our Central Office and at our schools, coupled with the relationships and connections that she has already forged at Parkway, we know she will continue to be a great leader for the school.

Boucard has previously served as interim assistant principal at New Lebanon School from February to April 2018 and again from March to May 2019. She was a maternity leave replacement for a special education coordinator at Central Office and also worked in the the districts summer school program both as a teacher and as a site coordinator.

Before joining Greenwich Schools in 2012 as a special education teacher at New Lebanon School, Boucard taught special education in Bridgeport.

I am honored and excited to be permanently joining the Parkway School community, Boucard said. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with our students, faculty, and families over the past year and feel that Parkway has truly become my home. I will continue to support the great work that has been accomplished at Parkway for the remainder of this year and in future years to come.

Boucard holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a concentration in mental health from Albertus Magnus College; a Master of Arts in teaching with a concentration in autism special education, and an Intermediate Administration and Supervision Certification from Sacred Heart University.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A 73-year-old from Pakistan who is the oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center was notified on Monday that he has been approved for release after more than 16 years in custody at the U.S. base in Cuba, his lawyer said.

Saifullah Paracha, who has been held on suspicion of ties to al-Qaida but never charged with a crime, was cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented him at his hearing in November.

As is customary, the notification did not provide detailed reasoning for the decision and concluded only that Paracha is not a continuing threat to the U.S., Sullivan-Bennis said.

It does not mean his release his imminent. But it is a crucial step before the U.S. government negotiates a repatriation agreement with Pakistan for his return. President Joe Biden's administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the detention center, a process that former President Donald Trump halted.

Paracha's attorney said she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months.

The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return, she said.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment.

The prisoner review board also informed Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, was also notified that he had been cleared, according to his attorney, Beth Jacob, who spoke to him by phone.

He was happy, relieved and hopeful that this will actually lead to his release, Jacob said.

Paracha, who lived in the U.S. and owned property in New York City, was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan. Authorities alleged he was an al-Qaida facilitator who helped two of the conspirators in the Sept. 11 plot with a financial transaction. He says he didnt know they were al-Qaida and denies any involvement in terrorism.

The U.S., which captured Paracha in Thailand in 2003 and has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004, has long asserted that it can hold detainees indefinitely without charge under the international laws of war.

In November, Paracha, who suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes and a heart condition, made his eighth appearance before the review board, which was established under President Barack Obama to try to prevent the release of prisoners who authorities believed might engage in anti-U.S. hostilities upon their release from Guantanamo.

At the time, his attorney said he was more optimistic about his prospects because of Biden's election, his ill health and developments in a legal case involving his son, Uzair.

Uzair Paracha was convicted in 2005 in federal court in New York of providing support to terrorism, based in part on testimony from the same witnesses held at Guantanamo whom the U.S. relied on to justify holding the father.

In March 2020, after a judge threw out those witness accounts and the government decided not to seek a new trial, Uzair Paracha was released and sent back to Pakistan.

Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700 in 2003.

With this latest review board decision, there are now about nine men held at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, including one who has been approved since 2010. Under Obama, the U.S. would not return men to Yemen because of the civil war there and often struggled to find third countries to accept former prisoners.

Given that history, Jacob was only cautiously optimistic about her client's release. Im just hoping that in 11 years hes not just still sitting there with his clearance still at Guantanamo," she said.

There are 10 facing trial by military commission and two who have been convicted, including one awaiting sentencing. Proceedings in the tribunals have been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Oklahoma will end a $300-a-week supplemental unemployment benefit next month, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Monday.

To incentivize unemployed people to return to the work, Stitt said the state will offer a $1,200 stipend for the first 20,000 workers who get off unemployment and work at least 32 hours per week at a qualifying job. Claimants can begin applying on June 28.

As Ronald Reagan once said, the best social program is a job," Stitt said at a trucking company in Oklahoma City, flanked by several employers who said they are having a hard time finding workers to fill jobs. These Oklahoma companies are open for business and ready to grow."

The additional $300-a-week federal supplement, along with pandemic unemployment assistance for gig workers and contractors, will end June 26, Stitt said. About 90,000 Oklahomans currently receive the additional benefit, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Oklahoma is just the latest state to end the extra benefits.

Chad Warmington, the head of The State Chamber, an association of businesses and industries in Oklahoma, said many of his members complain that some unemployed workers are making more in unemployment benefits than they would at a job.

We need the government to get out of the way and stop disincentivizing work," Warmington said.

The announcement was bad news for Gilbert Cruz and his wife, Marrissa Enloe-Cruz, whose graphic design company in Tulsa has essentially been shuttered since business tanked after the pandemic. The two, who both receive the extra $300 benefit, said they're not sure what they're going to do, especially since they're uneasy about sending their 7-year-old son back to school before being vaccinated.

It's going to mean picking and choosing what bills to pay, or getting behind on things," Enloe-Cruz said. It will mean whether or not we're able to put food on the table."

Democrats in the Oklahoma Legislature quickly panned Stitt's idea, which comes on the heels of an announcement by Stitt and Republican legislative leaders that they plan to reduce the state's corporate and top individual income tax rate.

This reality has made it clear that the number one priority of the GOP is to remove money and benefits from working Oklahomans and increase the profitability of corporations and their out-of-state shareholders," House Minority Leader Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said in a statement.
NEW YORK (AP)  Dr. Anthony Fauci, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Riz Ahmed, Dua Lipa, Andra Day and Dwayne The Rock Johnson all won honors Tuesday at the Webby Awards, which recognize the best internet content and creators.

The Webby Person of the Year went to Fauci for using digital and social media to reach the masses with credible and factual COVID-19 information. DuVernay won the Film and Video Person of the Year trophy for her efforts creating a database to diversify Hollywood.

This year marks the 25th anniversary Webby Awards, selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. It was hosted by actor and activist Jameela Jamil, with appearances from Naomi Watts, Padma Lakshmi and Gayle King, among others.

Its a unique year for the internet. Its that one thing that has kept us connected all year, said Claire Graves, president of The Webby Awards. Our winners are a testament to that, really. Theyve kept us connected in so many different ways. Theyve informed us  like Dr. Fauci  uplifted us and helped us spark global movements as well.

The awards started in 1996 by recognizing websites. It has grown to embrace new technologies, from apps and software to social media and games. This year, organizers added virtual and remote experiences.

Ahmed and Day won acting awards for Sound of Metal and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, respectively. Johnson's use of social media earned him a special achievement award, as did chef Jose Andres, who was recognized for tackling food insecurity.

Other winners include Oprahs Book Club, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition, We Are George Floyd and the podcasts Pod Save America, The Motherly Podcast by Kristen Bell and Jemele Hill is Unbothered.

Dua Lipa earned two video awards for Hallucinate and Dua Lipa Has New Rules for COVID Dating. Color of Changes #JusticeForFloyd Campaign won the Webby Award for public service and activism. Neil deGrasse Tyson won a Webby for his science and education podcast. Chef Gordon Ramsay, the band BTS and actor Jennifer Garner were among Webby winners voted on by the public.

This year also marks the inaugural special achievement award  the Webby Anthem Award  which was awarded to Pharrell Williams for his work towards racial equity in education and entrepreneurship. The Anthem Awards, launching in June 2021, will celebrate the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. Another new award is the Webby Advocate of the Year, which went to black-ish and grown-ish star to Yara Shahidi for her social justice advocacy and her turn-out-the-vote efforts.

The Webby Social Movement of the Year Winner was Stop AAPI Hate for using the Internet to effectively track and respond to incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The academy also announced Comedy Central as the Webby Media Company of the Year after earning the most honors across all Webby categories and 14 wins overall.

The way that people have used the Internet has accelerated so much this year that it will be interesting to see how people continue to use the new technology, Graves said. The internet is not stopping. It's going to continue to grow and develop.

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Online: https://www.webbyawards.com

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Connecticut is on the back end of the COVID pandemic, but with mixed signals from federal and state officials on mask requirements, residents are balancing their own judgments on public health and face-covering etiquette.

Ellen Guion said shes glad the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its guidance on mask wearing last week. Shes been fully vaccinated since February, but still intends to wear a mask inside for the foreseeable future.

I'm not in any store for that long and I believe its better to be safe than sorry, the Stratford resident said.

The CDC said last week that masks are no longer necessary if youve been fully vaccinated, a guidance Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the state would be following as of Wednesday, when restaurants expand capacity and bars reopen for the first time in 14 months.

Guion is not alone. Many residents say theyll continue to wear masks, at least indoors, even if theyve been inoculated, even after most restrictions end on Wednesday.

I'm fully vaccinated but plan to continue wearing a mask in public places indoors  supermarkets and other retail stores, said Reddings Brian Sharlach. Last week, Gov. Ned Lamont, said that starting the 19th, vaccinated people dont need to wear masks inside, although the unvaccinated should wear face coverings.

And of course, consistent eith Lamonts philospphy throughout the pandemic, Connecticut is on the honor system to determine whos vaccinated. Schools will continue to maintain masking, as most students have not been vaccinated.

Gordon Kirkman, who called Old Saybrook home for 25 years, said hes received both Moderna shots but will continue to mask in all indoor spaces and also in crowded outdoor spaces. Kirkman suspects a motive behind the abrupt announcement from the CDC on May 13 that vaccinated people could remove their masks indoors.

I do posit that perhaps this abrupt reversal of common sense was politically concocted to scare people into getting vaccinated, he said.

Lamont, during a news conference from the State Capitol on Monday, admitted surprise to last weeks announcement lifting mask recommendations.

If youre in a big group, a crowd, I would probably wear my mask a little bit longer, Lamont said of outdoor gatherings. Indoors, youve got to wear a mask if you are unvaccinated. Thats the rule. If youre vaccinated, if youre able to keep your distance, youre not worried about it. Thats okay. Businesses, state and local government, universities, restaurants, theyre going to make up their own mind, a little bit, based on what their customers are telling them. What makes them feel comfortable. What makes their employees feel comfortable.

Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of the small family owned chain of landmark supermarkets in Norwalk, Newington, Danbury and Yonkers, N.Y. said about half his employees are comfortable removing masks, but he wants to see how the Memorial Day holiday weekend goes before possible changing store policy.

Lamont, who invited Leonard to his virtual news conference on Monday, said individual owners will respond to conditions.

I think Stew is handling it right, Lamont said. Lets try it out to Memorial Day, see where people feel comfortable. I think than me dictating it, though, Id like to leave it up to smart people like Stew Leonard.

The state Department of Public Health on Monday reported 21 new fatalities over the weekend, bringing the statewide total in the pandemic to 8,194. There was a net reduction of 28 hospitalized patients, for a total of 170. The infection rate was 1.3 percent, and 1.4 percent over seven days, which Lamont was happy with.

Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer at Yale New Haven Hospital, believes the CDCs goal was to Hang a carrot out there for those who are not yet vaccinated.

Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told FOX News Sunday that the decision to revise the national mask mandate was based on medical data.

Im delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals. And it evolved, she said. I deliver it as soon as I can when we have that information available.

According to Balcezak, the decision to revise the mandate, and using science as a basis, is not always straightforward.

We are struggling as a country and as a world to try to get the science right and try and get the timing right, he said. This is a very difficult thing to do and the decisions we need to make are hard decisions.

Masks will still be required in some locations. Only vaccinated adults can remove their masks according to the CDC guidance, and people in schools, public transportation and medical facilities, including nursing homes must continue to wear masks.

When asked if a simpler message would have been more effective, Balcezak said that was not necessarily true.

We can always message things better, he said. Even with a clearer message it will still be politicized. None of us have experienced a global pandemic with a respiratory virus like this.

Not every Connecticut resident will continue to wear a mask. Some, like, Guion, will feel free to go unmasked in small groups, outdoors.

Visiting a friend whose entire family has been vaccinated and sitting in their yard -- no, I don't think a mask would be necessary there, she said.

Gail Wiggin of Darien said she and her husband will be ditching their masks as soon as possible.

Hubby and I are fully vaccinated and do not plan to wear masks unless it is required, she said. End of story.

Schools will require students to remain masked, particularly those too young to become vaccinated.

The mask mandate remains in effect indoors for the remainder of the school year, wrote Bridgeport School Superintendent Michael J. Testani on the systems website. With only four weeks left in school, and the vast majority of students statewide not yet vaccinated, it is not anticipated that the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut state Department of Education (DOE) will change the mask mandate for this school year.

Peter Yazbak, spokesperson for the DOE, said Friday that the agency is working closely with the DPH, especially as the CDC updates its guidance, such as the recent approval of inoculating 12-to-15-year-olds.

At this time, Connecticuts 2020-21 back to school guidance requires universal mask wearing and is binding/required in light of the Governors Executive Orders, Yazbak said.

We are working one-on-one with school and local health leaders to share materials (in multiple languages) that will help with their outreach; additionally, we are encouraging more tailored outreach tactics, Yazbak said. We know from experience with the 16-18 age group that school-run efforts can be very effective, particularly when held on-site at a school. This helps to reduce logistical barriers for students.

Vaccinations are not mandatory, although private institutions such as The Taft School in Watertown, are requiring their students to take the COVID vaccine.

Staff writer Cayla Bamberger contributed to this report.
Madison, Conn. native Bill Carbone felt a gravitational pull towards New York City since he was a child. College took him to Boston, and graduate school brought him to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., where he and his wife Amy Tate owned a house and started their family.

But when Carbone got a job in 2016 writing curriculum at the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation in New York, he and his wife took this crazy plunge and moved into New York.

Carbone and his family moved into the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, and five years later, Carbone is the executive director of the foundation. He and his family rode out the pandemic in Brooklyn and were pretty comfortable doing so. But with a pivot to a hybrid remote work schedule and an eye on the future, Carbone said he started thinking about moving his family back to their home state.

More than anything, living in New York is breathtakingly expensive, he said. There's a voice in the back of my head that I have to be more thoughtful about thatMy kids are getting older. More than anything, I want to make sure that I can help them the way my parents did  to always know that if something bad happens, I have a safety net  and I want to do that for them.

Wanting their kids to finish the school year in New York, Carbone said once he and his wife decided on their move back to Connecticut, they began house hunting in February 2021. After one false start in the process of purchasing a home, Carbone said it took several months before they purchased their kind of funky and unique home in Guilford. He saw it via FaceTime while Amy toured it.

While he and his family are ready to make the move, Carbone said he has mixed feelings about leaving behind the city he has always loved.

We're really excited to have our own space where we can make our decisions about it, he said. But were also nervous, because it's a big change. We live in a city community in which we walk outside and see our neighbors right awayWe live in this culture of people making the best of being right on top of each other, which I love. So I'm worried about what it's going to feel like to  have true distance from other people.

One thing making the move easier is the network of family and friends they will be returning to, which includes Carbones Connecticut band, Max Creek.

As a musician, I am going to get back to Connecticut and have lots of people to play with, he said. My wife teaches a course at Wesleyan and already picked up a course in Quinnipiac. We're returning to this place where theres great stuff waiting for us, and we're super excited.
Two local residents have been immortalized with their portraits printed on newly-released forever postage stamps. And they are not who you might expect.

The U.S. Postal Service has made a local turkey and a rare breed donkey famous, featuring them as part of the Heritage Breed Forever Stamps, released Monday, May 17.

These residents are Sharpy, an American Mammoth Jackstock donkey from Guilfords Tripledale Farm and Ganny Boy, a Narragansett turkey, who formerly lived at Madisons Field House Farm  that is, before last Thanksgiving.

The animals join nine other breeds that are featured in the stamp collection, including the Golden Laced Wyandotte chicken, American Milking Devon cow, Cotton Patch goose, San Clemente Island goat, American Cream draft horse, Cayuga duck, Mulefoot hog and Barbados Blackbelly sheep.

Most of these animals are from the northeast and mid-Atlantic region.

The Livestock Conservancy, headquartered in Pittsboro, N.C., worked with the post office to determine which heritage breeds would be featured on the stamps.

Theyre not just pretty pictures, said Jeannette Beranger, senior program manager at The Livestock Conservancy.

Theres a reason we have a conservancy and its because these breeds represent bio-diversity for agriculture and thats a really, really important thing that not too many think about on a daily basis, she added.

Beranger explains that what makes a heritage breed is that theyre a true genetic breed, theyre not a hybrid. They can thrive outdoors and on pasture and raise their own young.

She added that the conservancy works with about 150 breeds that have been around since before WWII.

The animals we work with are ones that, if they were to disappear tomorrow, theres no recreating them genetically, she added.

Sharpy has resided in Guilford for some 11 years. He lives with three other American Mammoth Jackstock donkeys on Tripledale Farm.

Owner Kimberly Brockett said her donkeys participate in different forms of agritainment, such as petting zoos, donkey rides, Christmas pageants, nativity scenes and educational events.

We use those events to educate the public, entertain the public, tell them about the donkeys and mules and dispel the myths about them, she said.

Most people think donkeys are mean and stubborn and they really are the opposite, she added. Theyre like big puppy dogs.

Brockett is excited that Sharpy was asked to participate in the program.

Its a great thing for the breed, she said. Its wonderful to have our animal singled out to be the representative of the breed, but it really is educating the public and promoting the breed because it is a critically endangered breed.

Brockett noted that there are less than 2,500 American Mammoth Jackstock in the world. And, it has quite a pedigree as the breed was developed by George Washington.

He knew that he needed mules for the military and the establishment of arms in the country, Brockett explained. You make a mule with a male donkey and a female horse. He had smaller donkeys and he wanted to get larger donkeys so that he could produce large and stronger mules.

He was able to get the King of Spain to send him some of his larger donkeys and from that stock he was able to breed them bigger and stronger and heavier and he ultimately created the American Mammoth Jackstock, she added.

Ganny Boy was a resident at Madisons Field House Farm until he was served for Thanksgiving dinner a few years back.

Farmer Stephanie Lesnik is thrilled to be able to share the importance of heritage breeds with the public.

I love any way that we are able to showcase not only what we do, but what small farms everywhere are doing, said Lesnik.

Theres so much mass production of your meat and produce that its really fun to have animals and products that are interesting that have stood the test of time, she added. Its a hallmark to the longevity to that species, which were all about.

Lesnik explains that while Ganny Boy was raised to be consumed, a mother and a father always reside on the farm for future generations.

Stamp artist Aliza Eliazarov talks about the art of doing studio portraits of animals, which she has been concentrating on for some 10 years.

This freelance photographer talks about transforming barns, stables, stalls and sheds into photography studios for on-location shots.

When the animals get onto the set, I try to stay very quiet and still and give the animals a chance to get used to the set and their surroundings, she said. The length of the photo shoot completely depends on the animal, so it could be 10 seconds or 20 minutes.

All of the heritage breeds included on the stamps are included in her book, On the Farm, Heritage and Heralded Animal Breeds in Portrait and Stories, published by Ten Speed Press in November 2020.

While Eliazarov lives in Maine she often visits Guilford where her mother and stepfather currently reside.

She fondly remembers both local shoots.

Tripledale was a great fit because they have their donkeys around people all the time, at events or educational things, she said.

So, theyre very docile animals, very used to being handled, she added.

At Field House Farm, she needed a couple extra hands to get just the right shot.

She talked about Lesnik and her farm.

Shes a dynamo of a women, Eliazarov said. She has four kids; she runs a farm camp in the summer with kids. So, there are kids everywhere, touching all the animals all the time, so theyre very docile.

She did recall that the Lesnik children, Mahdahlia, Ally, Kasmir and Aniella, all assisted with the shoot.

Her kids helped me, they were holding up their boogie boards to help keep the turkey from leaving the set, said Eliazarov.

For Beranger, the release of the Heritage Breed Forever Stamps is very exciting for The Livestock Conservancy.

We have our own stamps, she said. Its really cool.
Pricing, Processing, Audit Tools; Forbearance Numbers Improve; SPAC Mania!

The guy I was talking to yesterday asked about my background. I gave him a detailed history of my upbringing, my education, work experience, and why I get up at 4AM six days a week. Turns out he only wanted to know what was behind me on our Zoom call...

Seeing other mortgage folks in person in recent weeks has been very nice, and nearly everyone admits being more and more Zoomed out as the months have passed. JPMorgan Chase told U.S. employees they are expected back to the office on a rotating basis by July. Chase is headquartered in Manhattan, but then we have this story from earlier in May about how NY Municipal employees are not happy about returning to office work. Period. (What exactly does make city workers happy?)

Lenders and vendors around the nation are weighing options: no one wants anyone to become ill, whether or not requiring them to return to the office. And no one wants to be the defendant of a workplace lawsuit. (Today's audio version of the commentary is available here; this week's is sponsored by loanDepot Wholesale, and today's podcast features an interview with Mike Klotz, SVP of Sales, on how LDW is helping brokers, shortening cycle times, and injecting youth into the mortgage industry.)



Lender products and services

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, waning refi volume paired with competitive pricing are driving down mortgage profit margins. In the coming years, lenders would be wise to remember that differentiating one's organization on price doesn't produce sustainable gains. But customer retention does! Homeowners 62+ hold $8.05 trillion in home equity and take out 1.5 million new mortgage loans each year. If you are not offering Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) to your database of older clients, then you probably don't have all the facts about reverse mortgage lending. ReverseVision invites you to test your HECM knowledge with this 10 question quiz to identify your knowledge gaps and while you're at it, download the Top Reverse Mortgage Myths explained.

Free eBook: The Complete Guide to Entering the Residential Mortgage Business. With mortgage originations forecasts predicting near-record highs through this year and beyond, residential lending represents a tremendous opportunity for financial institutions. Whether you're a first-time entrant or have previously had a mortgage operation, the latest eBook from Promontory MortgagePath will help you navigate the early planning stages of launching, or relaunching, a compliant, profitable, tech-driven mortgage division in today's market. Get the eBook here.

ACES Quality Management launches ACES CONNECTTM and Expanded Vendor Network. ACES CONNECT was designed to give senior management at mortgage lenders and third-party providers on-demand access to key reporting data and the ability to self-remediate audit findings, review audit documents, and manage corrective action plans in coordination with their organization's risk department. "ACES CONNECT not only provides lenders and financial institutions with a critical viewing window into exactly what's going on in their respective businesses from a quality and compliance standpoint, but it also creates a centralized access point for quick and easy defect identification, remediation and resolution tracking to effectively mitigate risk and maintain quality," said ACES CEO, Trevor Gauthier. In addition, the company also significantly expanded its integrated vendor network, allowing users to order, track and receive re-verification documents and data directly within ACES' core platform. Learn more!

The Mortgage Origination Checklist Manifesto could have been the name of a best-selling industry book. Perhaps it still needs to be written. From LOs and LOAs to Processors and Underwriters, everyone uses checklists to make sure things gets done right. Checklists are easy to create, easy to understand, and easy to use. However, they are often created for one person's needs and do little to enable the whole origination team to work together more efficiently. Now imagine an online, ultra-productive, collaborative checklist that coordinates every step of the process for every origination team member and integrates with your CRM+POS+LOS? That's what this division of American Pacific Mortgage did with TeamworkIQ. The results? After a quick implementation, efficiency jumped so much that 4x the loans got closed and revenues grew 280%. See the case study and test-drive a customized, actionable, online, collaborative lead-to-loan checklist for free.

QuickPricer Compare & Share, the latest feature from digital mortgage platform Maxwell, is a powerful addition for users of Optimal Blue's product and pricing engine. QuickPricer Compare & Share allows loan officers working borrower leads to quickly create and send multiple pricing scenarios. Unlike competitor pricing tools, which require the loan officer to manually create side-by-side comparisons for the borrower, Compare & Share seamlessly integrates with Maxwell for both the lender and the borrower. Its user-friendly interface saves the loan officer time and educates the borrower, driving them into the loan application. To find out more about QuickPricer Compare & Share and the other powerful benefits of Maxwell's point-of-sale, request a demo or start exploring here.



Company sponsored training & events this week

Are you ready to continue your digital lending momentum? At Forward, Blend's virtual summit taking place May 18-20, you can gather with innovators and industry leaders to learn about the technology trends shaping the future of lending. You'll hear from expert speakers, discover Blend success stories, and even have the opportunity to become a Digital Lending Platform expert with post-conference training. Join today's sessions.

Just because we've heard something doesn't make it true. Unfortunately, this applies to the belief that most borrowers who have a great mortgage experience will use their lender again. In actuality, only 18% of borrowers return to their original lender. And because they haven't invested in borrower retention, many lenders don't even know when or why they've lost so many customers. Luckily, it doesn't have to be this way. Join Kristin Messerli, Experience.com, Alex Kutsishin, CEO, Sales Boomerang, and Malcolm Hollensteiner, Head of Mortgage Production, Sandy Spring Bank, on May 19 at 2 pm ET to learn the truth about earning higher customer satisfaction and borrower retention.

Leaders, it's not too late to register for XINNIX's exclusive executive event happening this Thursday, May 20 at 2 PM ET. Hosted by XINNIX Founder & CEO, Casey Cunningham, "GRIT: Leading Through the Unimaginable" will feature special guest speaker, Paul J. Voss, PhD. Dr. Voss is a gifted speaker, intellectual historian, award-winning professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta and the rarest of thought leaders on leadership and change. Dr. Voss has expertly helped leaders and organizations across the country think about not just surviving but thriving through the worst of circumstances. This not-to-be-missed session is being offered free of charge as part of XINNIX's Quarterly Leadership Lessons Series. What's more, it includes bonus one-on-one time at the end for live question and answer with Dr Voss. Reserve your seat today!



Company soundbites

SPAC mania! Not only is Jay-Z's Pot Co. investing $50M in a marijuana-focused SPAC, but Social Finance, Inc. (aka, "SoFi") and which does home loans, has entered into a definitive agreement providing for a business combination with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. V (NYSE: IPOE), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Upon the Merger closing, which, if all the conditions are met and the shareholders approve, SCH will be renamed SoFi Technologies, Inc.

Redwood Trust published a new slide deck which quantified the potential upside from the company's earnings call strategy. Management reiterated that roughly $600 million of loans backed by securitizations could become callable over the next 12 months, which could provide significant earnings per share upside. There is also upside from existing discounts on the underlying bonds which are pulled to par when the securitization is unwound. Through April 2021, RWT has exercised three Sequoia call options, purchasing $75 million of seasoned loans onto its balance sheet at par. Redwood has roughly $350 million of discounts on its bonds, meaning strong credit performance and elevated prepayment speeds should provide the company with opportunities to realize this value sooner.

Remember that Redwood controls the call rights on certain securities in its investment portfolio, which include RWT-sponsored Sequoia securitizations, CoreVest-sponsored SFR securitizations, and certain Freddie Mac-sponsored RPL securitizations. The call rights are exercisable at par once the underlying portfolios pay down to a predetermined size. In addition to the embedded discount in these securities, the underlying loans can be sold or re-securitized at a premium to current values given the current market conditions.



Capital markets

Yesterday in the markets, aside from Fed Vice Chairman Clarida and Atlanta Fed President Bostic saying that it is too early to talk about tapering asset purchases which have totaled more than $2 trillion in the last 14 months, there is nothing to talk about. So, I won't waste your time. But the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance decreased by 14 bps to 4.22 percent of servicers' portfolio volume in the prior week as of May 9. According to MBA's estimate, 2.1 million homeowners are in forbearance plans.

Yes, lumber and copper prices are grabbing the headlines, but we have reached a point in this economic recovery where the data is being influenced by many variables, making it more difficult for economists to predict how the reports will shake out. Retail sales were flat in April after their big jump in March, which was not what economists were expecting, but still maintained their stimulus driven gains and were 18 percent above their pre-pandemic high in February 2020. Big ticket items remain difficult to acquire as ongoing supply and labor shortages create backlogs which are likely to continue in the near-term.

We also learned last week that industrial production increased by 0.7 percent in April although it would have likely been a bit higher if not for the headwinds facing the global supply chain as demand for finished goods is still very strong. The gap between labor supply and demand was highlighted by the fact that the job openings rate was a record 5.3 percent in March while the hiring rate was 4.2 percent. In a move to encourage more potential workers to return to work, nine states have moved to reduce the enhanced unemployment benefits enacted during the pandemic.

Glancing at today's economic calendar we've had April housing starts and building permits (1.569 and 1.76 million, respectively; starts were -9.5 percent!). Later today, markets will receive more remarks from Atlanta Fed President Bostic and Dallas Fed President Kaplan. The NY Fed will be in for a modest $4.5 billion maximum MBS purchases across UMBS15 1.5 percent and 2.0 percent and UMBS30 2.0 percent and 2.5 percent. We begin the day with Agency MBS prices are roughly unchanged but the 10-year is unchanged at 1.64 percent.

At what point can we just start using 2020 as profanity? As in: "That's a load of 2020." Or "What in the 2020." Or "abso-2020-lutely."



Jobs & transitions

"Homeward is a fast-growing fintech that helps top real estate agents turn their clients into cash buyers. Backed by top-tier venture investors, Homeward has integrated its mortgage, title, and real estate businesses to create a seamless product experience that helps its clients overcome the shortcomings of traditional mortgage products in a highly competitive market. Homeward Mortgage is our affiliate mortgage provider that drives consumer financial innovation at the core of our cash offer products and has recently transitioned from broker to direct lender. We're seeking to make several additions to our mortgage leadership team including a Director of Mortgage Sales, who will lead our rapidly growing team of licensed loan originators, and a VP of Capital Markets that will own the development and execution of our secondary market strategy. Positions are fully remote. To apply or get more information, visit the job description links above or email careers@homeward.com."

Synergy One Lending Welcomes Top Producers Blair Katz and Brooke Cisneros! Synergy One Lending is proud to announce the launch of a new branch in Houston, TX! Under the direction of top-producing co-managers Blair Katz and Brooke Cisneros, the team joins a rapidly growing Texas region, and they are off to an amazing start! Asked about the onboarding and technology, Katz said, "The S1L transition team is A++, and the interaction between the different systems is incredible!" "Getting the chance to work with Brooke, Blair, their entire team, has been a blast and we're pumped to support their continued growth in such an important market for us!" said Synergy One's President, Aaron Nemec. Synergy One Lending is based in San Diego, CA, is currently licensed in 39 states and has Operational HUBS in Boise, ID, Denver, CO and Dallas, TX. To learn more about Synergy One Lending, reach out to Aaron Nemec or Ben Green.

"Assurance Financial is continuing to grow production, add retail branch offices, and expand its production reach into the midwestern U.S., particularly the Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, and New Mexico markets. We are searching for an established Regional Production Manager to help create and develop mortgage origination branches in the new midwestern territory - someone who is an outstanding talent and proven retail sales leader with a demonstrated track record of hiring and managing multiple production offices across several states. We are a profitable and well-capitalized full-service mortgage banker offering an entrepreneurial, customer-focused sales support environment, FNMA/FHLMC/GNMA direct status, and well-positioned to compete for more growth with state-of-the-art operations/support technology. This new Regional Production Manager position will report to the CEO. If you are interested in joining a dynamic group of mortgage bankers and building a dynamic production team, please contact Paul Peters, CMB or visit AssuranceMortgageLO.com to learn more."

Here's your chance to sign on with the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Office of Single-Family Housing as a Housing Program Policy Specialist and 150,000 bones a year.

The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) elected its leadership team. Rich Froehlich, First EVP and COO of the New York City Housing Development Corp. will continue on as President, and other officers elected to a one year-term were VP Dawn Arnold, EVP and COO, Invest Atlanta, Treasurer Damon Burns, President and CEO, The Finance Authority of New Orleans, and Secretary Cheree Gulley, Executive Director, Miami-Dade County Housing Finance Authority.
EAST HADDAM  Forget camping in a dingy cabin with no running water or electricity  soon, lovers of the great outdoors can camp in style in a pastoral setting in the Moodus area of town.

The former Middlesex 4H Camp, at 298 East Haddam-Moodus Road, closed in 2019. It is now being developed by Getaway House, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company that allows those looking to escape from their everyday lives a chance to enter nature and relax in style.

The 85-acre land is being turned into a 47-unit, micro-cabin, RV year-round outpost. Each cabin will have its own individual bathroom and kitchenette, and is hooked up to onsite utilities, including water, septic and electricity.

Getaway is on a mission to make space in the world for free time, said Stephen Maulden, vice president of real estate and construction for the company. The camp is within driving distance of Boston and New York, he added. It will boast dozens of tiny cabins nestled in nature for guests to escape and disconnect, he added.

Cabins have air conditioning, heat, an AM/FM radio and wireless speakers and a queen bed with linens and pillows. Four-person cabins have two queen-sized beds that are lofted to create a bunk bed feel, the company said on its website.

The kitchenette in each unit has pots and pans, kettles, cutting boards and more. Each cabin includes a fire pit, grilling grate and outdoor picnic table and chairs. The bathroom is supplied with towels and organic shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Each campsite also has an onsite manager.

During a December meeting with East Haddams Planning and Zoning Commission, Maulden explained the company has strict rental rules, and large groups and loud crowds are not allowed. Cabins are made for two to four guests only, with the average stay lasting 11/2 nights.

East Haddams Inland Wetland Waterland Commission approved Getaways application Dec. 8, 2020. The PZC also approved the companys plan, and construction has been underway since.

Theyre renovating what used to be the kitchen and dining hall into their apartment and laundry facility, said Jim Ventres, East Haddams land use administrator. Theyre in the process of removing, and having taken offsite or demoing, all of the structures, pool and pool house.

Getaway House has been able to hit the ground running construction-wise, because the company met with the commission about the approval process, and was able to have bids for the site out and prepped prior to approval, Ventres said.

Not a single member on the PZC opposed this project, he added.

It was one resort camp to another, so it was natural, Ventres said. Theres just questions that come up  hours of operation, and how do you control the noise at night  but the good thing about it is that their staff was able to talk about the other sites in the United States.

An opening date has not been set, although Getaway originally planned one by summer.

We recognize the rich history of the former Middlesex County Camp property and the surrounding area, and are excited to soon be a part of that community, Maulden said.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Dozens more men are suing Ohio State over the universitys failure to stop sexual abuse and misconduct decades ago by team doctor Richard Strauss.

They echo claims filed previously by over 400 men, many of whom allege they were groped during required medical exams or while seeking treatment for unrelated ailments. New claims from at least 41 plaintiffs were filed in two federal lawsuits on Friday and one on Monday, which marked two years since a report from a law firm investigation concluded university employees were aware of concerns about Strauss as early as 1979 but didnt stop him.

With this suit, plaintiffs seek to hold OSU accountable for its failures, and to ensure that something like this can never happen again, lawyers wrote in one of the new cases.

Strauss, who died in 2005, has been accused of abusing young men throughout his two decades at the school.

The university has publicly apologized, promised a monetary resolution for survivors and already reached nearly $47 million in settlements for 185 plaintiffs. It also recently announced an individual settlement program that could help resolve more claims from five of the remaining lawsuits.

No one has publicly defended Strauss since alumni began stepping forward in 2018 with allegations about the doctors misconduct.

Until then, and even until results of the law firms investigation made national headlines in 2019, many of the men thought their experiences were isolated, didnt recognize those as sexual assault, or didn't know that school officials had been aware of concerns during the doctor's tenure, the newest plaintiffs said in their court filings.

Among them is an Ohio man who alleges he was repeatedly fondled by Strauss during exams when the plaintiff was a high schooler and his coach brought him to the university campus to practice as a prospective athlete for its swimming team. The alleged abuse occurred between 1978 and 1981, in the doctors earliest years at the school, according to the complaint.

The newest plaintiffs, most of whom filed anonymously, also include former athletes in football, basketball, wrestling, ice hockey, track and field, lacrosse, baseball, volleyball, gymnastics, swimming and diving, as well as a former student who was treated by Strauss at the health center in 1996.

Asked whether the school had comment on the new cases, a spokesperson referred back to its previous statements.

___

Find Franko on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kantele10.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  One of two candidates running against longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad is casting himself as the first opposition representative to vie for the countrys top post.

Mohamoud Marei said Tuesday that as a critic of the government who remained in Syria, he may have the keys to solving the ruinous 10-year conflict.

But Marei, a lawyer who heads a small government-sanctioned opposition group, has virtually no chance of waging real competition in next weeks election to the incumbent. Assad has held power since 2000, when he took over after the death of his father who ran the country for 30 years.

Despite the war, which seemed at one point to threaten his rule, Assad remained in power, supported by regional powerhouse Iran and Russia, which sent in military advisers and air power to push back the armed opposition.

Competition with Assad is largely symbolic and seen by the opposition and Western countries as a sham aimed at giving the incumbent president a veneer of legitimacy. Assad is certain to win a fourth seven-year term in next weeks vote.

I am a real contender, Marei, 67, said. Whether I make it or not this is up to the Syrian people, he told The Associated Press in an interview in Damascus.

Marei is not recognized by most of the Syrian opposition  largely based in exile  as their representative in Thursdays election. It is Syrias second since civil war broke out in 2011. Syrians abroad will vote on Thursday.

He is part of an umbrella group known as the Democratic National Opposition Front formed in 2018 in Damascus. It was formed to include a group of activists approved and allowed to operate by the Assad government and powerful security agencies.

But the elections are not taking place in at least four provinces because they are under the control of the opposition and Kurdish forces, depriving nearly 8 million Syrians of a vote. Many refugees are also unlikely to vote in elections organized in Syrian embassies.

Marei said the elections could not be postponed until all Syrian territories were liberated, echoing the government line.

If elected, he said he would call for a domestic national conference for the Syrian opposition to include only nationalist groups, not those who receive support and finance from foreign countries.

We need a new political life in Syria, he said.

Marei spoke to The Associated Press in a coffee shop in Damascus, where the power was out as Syria grapples with dwindling resources and worsening economic conditions.

His solution to the countrys economic problems is to reclaim parts of Syria under Turkish or American control and restore the central governments control over oil and agriculture resources. Marei said he would work to end Western sanctions imposed against Assad and his supporters for what are considered war crimes committed during the conflict. He did not say how he planned to do that.

Marei said he recognized how critical the issue of Syrian detainees is and plans to release them with a press of a button. Rights groups estimate there are tens of thousands of Syrians detained and forcibly disappeared since the war began.

Marei said he has been detained for a total of nearly six years for criticizing the one-party system. He said he was also barred from traveling for five years until 2011. After initially participating in the peaceful rallies that erupted in March 2011, Marei said he stopped backing them when the opposition took up arms.

I want to change the structure of the regime from a totalitarian dictatorship to a democratic system, he said. He said his election campaign is financed by donations from friends and businessmen.

According to the U.N. resolution for a political resolution of the Syrian conflict, a new constitution should be drafted and approved in a public referendum before U.N.-monitored presidential elections take place. But little progress has been made on the drafting committee.

___

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb contributed from Beirut.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas schools are stepping up efforts to administer COVID-19 vaccines to newly eligible 12-to 15-year-olds as more districts relax mask rules or face pressure to do so.

Hundreds of students from public and private schools gathered Monday to get immunized at Topeka High School, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports.

We were surprised that so many people were here, said Richard Bolejack, as he took his daughter, a freshman at nearby Shawnee Heights High School, to the vaccine clinic. We were like Wow because we didnt think that would be the case.

The students were joined by Gov. Laura Kelly, who touted the effort as the state aims to increase its vaccination rate. School districts from Manhattan to Olathe are conducting similar clinics, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas National Guard are chipping in support as needed.

But the governor pointed to a statewide drop in demand for the shots, stressing that the next frontier would be making the shots available at doctors offices throughout Kansas.

We thought it very important to take the vaccines to the people, rather than expecting them to come to something like this, Kelly said. They made it very clear that wasnt going to happen anymore.

The push comes as more districts nationwide relax mask requirements. Manhattan-Ogden Unified School District 383 announced Monday, for instance, that fully vaccinated individuals would not need to wear masks on school grounds.

The Shawnee Mission school district, meanwhile, decided Monday to continue to require students and staff members to wear masks in school until the end of the year despite protests, KSHB-TV reports.

Kristin Butler, who has two children in the school district, was among about two dozen parents who held signs demonstrating against the mask policy before the decision was made.

I am fighting for my childrens right to breathe in school, she said.

Parent Julia Garrard, however, argued that the mask requirement should remain in place, noting that children like her 11-year-old son Oskar aren't yet eligible to be vaccinated.

Seems like its a no-brainer, Garrard said.

The school district will likely reevaluate its policies ahead of the upcoming school year after seeking guidance from health officials, said spokesperson David Smith.

Were hopeful maybe this summer, younger kids will be eligible, Smith said. Clearly the way to move past the pandemic is to get more and more people vaccinated, including younger children, so we just have to work to get through that.
The end of the war in Afghanistan will spark a new era of opportunities for U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, to prepare for the future, Army Gen. Richard Clarke said Tuesday.

During his keynote address at the virtual 2021 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Clarke, the commanding general of SOCOM, said that the command must adjust to changing threats now that the nation's longest war is coming to a close.

"SOCOM were the first forces [into Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago], and we'll be the last forces out," he said. "I don't necessarily see this as the end of an era but, instead, as part of a new one that is full of opportunities for all of us."

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Clarke reminisced about his own first deployment to Afghanistan in 2002, as part of the 82nd Airborne Division. He noted that special operations is now "hardly recognizable" as the force it was at the beginning of the war, partly due to technological advances.

"The necessity in the wars in Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq and Syria, has been the mother of all invention," he said. "We had urgent needs then, and we'll have urgent needs in the future."

Threats are continuing to evolve, including Russian disinformation campaigns, Chinese activities across the globe, and cyberwarfare such as the Colonial Pipeline hack, which snarled fuel distribution across the U.S. for days.

SOCOM must modernize to meet these threats, Clarke said.

Its four main missions will continue to be crisis response, counterterrorism, competition and -- when necessary -- conflict to support joint forces and allow them to win, he added.

Clarke described competition as "winning without fighting," or taking actions below the level of outright conflict. It will not be bound to a fixed time period where one side wins and the other side loses, he added.

"In the future of competition, there won't be a victory parade," Clarke said. "Instead, our competition will endure and, sometimes, it may be infinite. And because there's no precise end, there's not necessarily a winner. Just nations seeking competitive advantage, and that advantage can ebb and flow."

This kind of competition is not new, Clarke said, but advanced tools and technology have given adversaries new ways to compete against the United States, including in cyberspace and the "information space." Fighting disinformation will affect all forces in all missions, he said.

"Info space will continue to grow," Clarke explained. "It is a battle in the cognitive space. It takes place on the internet, but not always. This is purely distinct from cyber, from the ones and the zeros in the pipeline attack. But it is in the cognitive space that we must prevail."

Some of SOCOM's most challenging achievements in the last decade, such as the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, may end up looking easy compared to the challenges it will face in the future, Clarke said.

The 2019 raid to kill Islamic State founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northwest Syria, on the other hand, was a much more complicated operation, he said. The forces executing that mission had to dodge near-peer air defenses, proxy armies and cyber threats, he explained.

"That's the type of future of contested [warfare], and that was a small microcosm of what was happening, and what would happen in the future," Clarke said. "So the threats have evolved significantly in the years in between [the bin Laden and al-Baghadi] operations."

Adversaries' drone capabilities are also going to continue to improve, he said, as will their electronic, cyber and information warfare capabilities.

"A sophisticated adversary has a wealth of capabilities to jam, intercept or detect us," Clarke said. "All of [SOCOM's] tools, none of them matter if we can't get from point A to point B. So how do we move our SOF personnel while maintaining the element of surprise, particularly when an adversary is looking?"

Clarke said SOCOM also must figure out how to "push our data to the tactical edge, giving our operators the same advantage to make decisions even in a fight."

SOCOM will have to innovate to meet future threats, by investing in both its people and new crucial technologies, he said.

As part of that effort, more than 300 mid- and senior-grade SOCOM leaders are wrapping up a six-week virtual course on artificial intelligence with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he said.

-- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey.

Related: Aircraft Competing to Be the New SpecOps 'Armed Overwatch' Plane Now Face a Tough Series of Tests
Air Force officials told Congress on Tuesday to expect a big ask for military construction in the service's fiscal 2022 budget request -- funding they say is necessary after deferring projects for years.

Brig. Gen. William Kale, the Air Force's director of civil engineers, told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the service has struggled over the last several years to manage any military construction projects that weren't related to rebuilding Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, which were struck by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

But, he added, the service has made "great strides in improving our processes ... increasing the likelihood of successful project awards and execution" to address a $30 billion backlog in maintenance and repairs.

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"I expect our fiscal year 2022 [military construction] requests to be a significant improvement from fiscal year 2021 and return to a level consistent with recent requests," Kale told the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction and related agencies.

That request should be included in President Joe Biden's fiscal 2022 budget proposal, expected to be published May 27.

Kale said the service has built databases to track facility conditions and is implementing a plan developed in 2019 -- its infrastructure investment strategy, or I2S -- that calls for establishing a "stable funding platform" of 2% of replacement value, with an ultimate goal of 2.3%.

He added that the service is working to consolidate and shed facilities to reduce its footprint and looking at "innovative solutions" for maintaining infrastructure and making improvements.

"We had a huge dip in our [military construction] investment because our program was not in a place where we were able to execute projects in a timely manner," Kale said. "I will tell you compared to [fiscal] '21, [fiscal] '22, there is a significant change you'll see coming."

Twenty years of neglect at Air Force installations across the globe have left a backlog of repairs to buildings, runways, heating and air conditioning systems, and other infrastructure needed to support airmen, according to officials.

Kale said the service is grateful for the funding it received to rebuild Tyndall and Offutt and is doubling down to harden its installations to the effects of climate change.

It is designing new buildings at all facilities to withstand sustained winds of 165 miles per hour -- higher than those of Hurricane Michael, which destroyed Tyndall -- and designing facilities to be 14 to 19 feet above today's mean sea level.

"Last year, we published a severe weather and climate hazard screening and risk assessments playbook, which gives installation planners a consistent framework to screen for severe weather and climate hazards and assess current and future risks," explained Jennifer Miller, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy.

"We've completed initial assessments at all major installations, and we'll be incorporating results into our installation development plans over the next several years," she said.

The Air Force's military construction budget request was $1.4 billion in fiscal 2021, down from the $2.3 billion it asked for the previous year (the service received a total of $5.3 billion in funding from Congress for military construction to address the destruction at Tyndall and Offutt and fund other related projects).

Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., described conditions at bases she has visited as "atrocious" and told the service it must address its infrastructure problems, to include rebuilding child development centers or expanding child care options in order to provide airmen the stability they need to do their jobs.

"Your service members have shown us and the committee on our travels -- where you have airplane hangars being held together with duct tape and coat hangers, doors that are about to fall off -- conditions of many of these facilities really being dangerous," Wasserman Schultz said.

Joining in the scolding was Rep. John Carter of Texas, the subcommittee's ranking Republican, who told the Air Force officials that if "they don't ask," they don't get" the necessary funding to make improvements.

"We're not magicians," he told Kale and Miller. "Why aren't you asking to fix it? If this isn't important to the Air Force, maybe we'll [do a Base Realignment and Closure] to save some money."

Kale assured that panel that the service is "trying to do our best with the resources we have to get after these things."

"Ultimately, we want to get to a place where we can be more proactive in the maintenance of these facilities. But that's going to take time," he said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: Repairs to Tyndall, Offutt May Delay Funding for Air Force Base Upgrades
U.S. Special Operations Command, plans to put five prototype aircraft through a rigorous battery of tests as it decides which to select for missions including surveilling extremist organizations and patrolling austere parts of the globe.

In a round table with reporters Monday at the virtual 2021 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, SOCOM acquisition executive James Smith said tests to select an Armed Overwatch platform will run from about June 14 to July 23 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida -- weather permitting.

SOCOM announced Friday that it had awarded $19.2 million in contracts to five vendors producing prototype aircraft for Armed Overwatch: The Bronco II from Leidos Inc.; MC-208 Guardian from MAG Aerospace; AT-6E Wolverine from Textron Aviation Defense; AT-802U Sky Warden from L-3 Communications Integrated Systems; and MC-145B Wily Coyote from Sierra Nevada Corp.

Read Next: Two Navy T-45 Trainer Aircraft Collide in Texas; One Pilot Treated for Minor Injuries

The Armed Overwatch program wants to field about 75 flexible, fixed-wing aircraft that could be deployed to austere regions and need only a light logistical footprint to operate. Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, told reporters these planes could help keep pressure on violent extremist organizations operating in remote places with uncontested airspace, such as parts of Africa.

When the vendors gather at Eglin next month, each of the aircraft will conduct five flights.

The first three flights will test how well each aircraft handles the most important capabilities an Armed Overwatch plane needs.

SOCOM wants to see whether the plane can take off and land on an austere runway, Smith said, and if it has the necessary range and endurance. SOCOM will also have the planes test their weapons on a firing range. He added that they must demonstrate their communications capabilities, both line-of-sight and beyond the line of sight, such as when the signal is obscured by terrain or other obstacles. And SOCOM will evaluate the planes' cockpit configurations, full-motion video capabilities, autopilot capabilities and oxygen systems, he said.

After those capabilities are evaluated over the first three flights, Smith said SOCOM will allow a fourth flight as a "makeup" opportunity if the first flights come up short.

The fifth and final flight will put a member of Air Force Special Operations Command in the "back seat" of the plane to assess its maneuverability and handling, he said. The airman will not be flying the aircraft.

Smith said the key questions SOCOM wants to answer as it observes the planes is whether they can "shoot, move, communicate."

"The austere takeoff and landing: Can it operate the airfields that we intend to operate it from?" Smith said. "The range of endurance: Does it have the legs to cover SOF operations from those airfields? Can it employ weapons? That's an important one. And then the communications, and tied to the communications to the weapons employment is the full motion video."

Smith said SOCOM has not changed its program requirements since its first industry day in March 2020. But in the future, SOCOM could look at adding other capabilities, such as teaming the aircraft with smaller drones, he said.

"This whole idea of collaborative autonomy, sensors -- whether they're ground, aerial, maritime etc. -- working together to aid the maneuver of our small units will absolutely be part of our future," Smith said. "But just so I don't strike fear in the heart of our industry partners, that's a future requirement."

The planes are intended to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as close-air support and precision strike missions to support ground troops.

Smith said the Armed Overwatch aircraft, whichever ends up being chosen, will help SOCOM conduct counterterrorism operations in permissive environments.

SOCOM has taken a very agile approach to the acquisition process for Armed Overwatch, Smith said. And though he said he doesn't see a significant cybersecurity threat to the plane, the command will require programs to take a more "deliberate approach" to things such as supply chain, data and cybersecurity as it prepares for a potential conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary in the future.

-- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey.

Related: These Are the 5 Planes Vying to Be AFSOC's New Armed Overwatch Aircraft
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  A rocket launched from Gaza killed two Thai workers in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory that housed bookstores and educational centers. With the war showing no sign of abating, Palestinians in the region staged a general strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies.

Violence erupted at protests in the occupied West Bank, including in the city of Ramallah. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas canisters at the crowd, and protesters picked up some of them and threw them back.

One protester was killed and more than 70 wounded  including 16 by live fire  in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state. It threatened to further widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the West Bank last week.

Strike organizer Muhammad Barakeh said Palestinians are taking a position against Israeli aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the brutal repression by police. Israel blames the war on Hamas and accuses it of inciting the violence.

Related Video:

Since the fighting began last week between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

The latest attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory. In addition to the two people killed, Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded in Erez attack.

Israel continued its airstrikes into Gaza, leaving behind a large pile of rubble in its attack on the six-story building with centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris.

Israel warned the buildings residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness. There were no reports of casualties.

The whole street started running, then destruction, an earthquake, said resident Jamal Herzallah. This whole area was shaking.

Since 2012, Hamed al-Ijla had run a training center in the building, teaching first aid, hospital management and other skills.

When the war is over, I will set up a tent across the street and resume work, he said.

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes since, including 61 children, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 160.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have stalled so far. Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has vowed to press on.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings.

As the fighting drags on, medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

Essential supplies and aid have only trickled in during the fighting, some from Egypt through the Rafah crossing it controls and some from Israel when it briefly opened the territorys main commercial crossing Tuesday before the attack forced it shut.

The WHO said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered ambulances and supply vehicles in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak.

The United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bombardments had set the Palestinian militants back many years.

I am sure that all our enemies around us see the price we have levied for the aggression against us, he said, speaking in front of an F-16 fighter jet at an air force base in a video released by his office Tuesday.

The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticize Israels part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region, and it has blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to the crisis.

Among the buildings that Israeli airstrikes have leveled was the one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing. Blinken declined to characterize the material, and Israel has not publicly provided any evidence of its claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated the organization's call for an independent investigation of the attack.

As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike, he said in a statement. We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know.

Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.

This article was written by FARES AKRAM and JOSEPH KRAUSS from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins is president and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America. He served as a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours in fighter aircraft. During his career, he flew as a demonstration pilot for the European A-10 Demonstration Team and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. He retired from the Air Force as commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Command; commander, 11th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and commander, Alaskan North American Defense Region.

In the wide web of Defense Department budget debates and priorities, it's rare to hear about a longstanding issue faced by many young military families -- the simple need to keep food on the table.

Food insecurity affected 29% of junior enlisted personnel who responded to a recent Blue Star Families survey. These members must deal with this financial burden as they navigate the early stages of their military careers, and they must do so in many cases without the support offered to their civilian counterparts. Because the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) factors in the military's housing allowance as income, many in uniform don't qualify for SNAP benefits.

And like many problems faced by the force, the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic uncertainty have made things worse. This is especially true in the area of spouse employment: Almost half of working military spouses lost their job during the pandemic, leading to greater income uncertainty for many young military families. School and day care closures triggered by COVID-19 have created even more problems. Food banks near military installations are feeling the strain.

In nearly all cases, these families do not need substantial, permanent assistance. Most will see their financial situations improve as service members rise through the ranks. But there can be long-term, cascading effects. For some service members, it will mean a late start to contributing to their retirement fund. Some will seek savings by moving to cheap, and often unsafe, housing off post. Others will find themselves falling into the trap of payday loans and end up in a spiral of debt and discipline from their command.

Without help in the early stages of these careers, the military risks losing the investment it makes in these members. They'll seek other ways to feed their families and separate at the earliest opportunity, or they'll suffer on the job from the stress of their situation or from a simple lack of nutrition, putting their family's needs ahead of their own.

The Military Officers Association of America, or MOAA, and The Military Coalition have joined several advocacy organizations in tackling this issue -- most notably MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which has compiled a comprehensive, must-read report on the topic. One way to help that's within reach: The creation of a Basic Needs Allowance, which would be available to military members at or near the poverty line and would be scalable based on income. The average recipient would get about $400 a month, with the overall program cost estimated at $44 million a year.

Bipartisan legislation supporting this fix has been introduced in the House and Senate. Influential senators have asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to address the issue. As relief efforts continue for several sectors of society dealing with pandemic fallout, it's important that other lawmakers join this cause and ensure those who've signed up to defend our nation aren't left out.

Join MOAA and our allies in asking your members of Congress to act on behalf of these young military families.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
According to recent studies, a large portion of the Greenland ice cap is on the verge of a turning point, beyond which rapid melting would be unavoidable even if global warming was stopped.

Greenland's ice has now poured into the ocean in trillions of tons due to rising temperatures triggered by the climate crisis. The melting of its ice cap would result in a 7-meter rise in global sea level.

In a 140-year record of ice-sheet height and melting speeds in the Jakobshavn basin, one of Greenland's five largest and fastest-melting basins, the latest study discovered warning signs of a tipping point. A vicious cycle in which melting cuts the height of the ice cap, exposing it to the colder weather found at lower altitudes, which induces further melting, is the leading suspect for an increase in melting.

Destabilizing Ice Sheets

This ice sheet is destabilizing, according to the report. Uncertainties in the study suggested that it might have already crossed the point of no return or be on the verge of doing so in the coming decades, per the scientists. Even if the tipping point was reached, they said, it didn't mean the whole ice sheet was doomed because a smaller ice sheet might still exist in a stable state.

"We're on the verge of reaching the turning point, and every year the CO2 emissions continue as they have," said Niklas Boers of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Studies in Germany. The latter co-authored the study with Martin Rypdal of the Arctic University of Norway. "It's possible [the boiling point] has been reached, but it's unclear. However, our findings indicate that melting will be significantly increased in the near future, which is concerning."

Melting Ice

According to Boers, ice equal to 1-2 meters of sea-level rise was likely already destined to melt, but it would take years and a lifetime to melt the entire ice sheet. "To get back to the initial height of the Greenland ice cap, we will actually have to drive temperatures back below pre-industrial levels," he added.

The new study just looked at one region of Greenland. Still, Boers said there was no explanation why it shouldn't be the same in other areas of the ice sheet: "We may be finding this that is occurring in certain parts of Greenland, but we just don't know for sure because we don't have the high-quality evidence for other parts."

Related Article: Satellite Imaging Shows Glaciers Melting at Alarming Rate!



Point of No Return

The Greenland ice sheet has already reached the point of no return, according to media reports in August 2020, but scientists said this was a misinterpretation of science. Scientists warned in 2019 that the earth has already passed through several temperature tipping points.

Temperature data, ice cores, and modeling were used in a recent analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America to recreate the ice sheet's elevation and melting rates since 1880. A close analysis of the magnitude and length of shifts over time showed warning signs of an impending breaking point, demonstrating that the ice sheet's potential to regenerate from melting is rapidly dwindling.

The feedback loop caused by falling ice-sheet height appears to be the largest factor, but other feedbacks may play a role in destabilizing it. These include the thinning of coastal glaciers, allowing more ice to slip into the sea, and reduced falls of fresh white snow exposing the darker surface of the ice sheet, which then absorbs more heat from the sun. But warmer temperatures may also result in damper air and more snowfall, counteracting some ice losses.

Dire Need of More Data

Boers said the Greenland ice sheet dynamics were very complex and that using today's incomplete knowledge to estimate a precise date when a tipping point is passed would give a false sense of certainty.

Beyond rising sea levels, large-scale melting of the Greenland ice sheets will have long-term environmental implications. It can stop the Gulf Stream ocean current, with ramifications for the Amazon rainforest and tropical monsoons.

Also Read: Atlantic Ocean Weakest Drop: Is it Too Late to Save 'Achilles Heel' of Climate Change?

For the recent climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Were living longer than ever before, and doing so in better health. So what can you do when you retire and want to keep your mind sharp or need to gain additional skills to stay competitive at work?

For many, the answer is to go back to school. But tuition can be prohibitively expensive.

At the same time, schools want their classrooms to be full of engaged students, regardless of age. In the interest of continuing education, many colleges and universities offer reduced or free college tuition to senior citizens, including older veterans. That typically means adults 60 and up, although the rules vary.

In fact, we found at least one option in every state and the District of Columbia.

Free (or Cheap) College for Seniors in Every State

While some institutions only allow senior students to audit classes, many offer the chance to earn credits toward a degree at a reduced -- or completely waived -- tuition rate.

Does your state have a continuing education you can use in your golden years? Find out below!

1. Alabama

Alabama seniors can attend any two-year institution within the state tuition free.

Adults 60 and older should contact the financial aid office at any community college for admission and eligibility details.

2. Alaska

The University of Alaska waives tuition for senior-citizen residents who receive full Social Security benefits. Seniors must wait until the first day of classes to enroll to ensure that theres space remaining; they also must complete a tuition-waiver form.

Additional costs such as student activity, health center and lab fees are not covered; the student must pay them directly.

3. Arizona

All 10 campuses of Maricopa Community College allow senior citizens to take classes for credit at 50% of the full tuition cost.

Students 65 and older must register between the first- and second-class sessions of the semester to ensure space is available.

4. Arkansas

Arkansas waives tuition for anyone 60 and over who wants to work toward an undergraduate or graduate degree at state institutions.

Student fees may apply, and senior citizens may register only for classes with space available.

5. California

California State University waives all tuition and dramatically reduces campus fees for residents age 60 or older.

6. Colorado

Students age 55 and older may attend class on a space-available basis at Colorado State University. There is no tuition fee, but visitors dont get credit for attending class. It is up to the instructor how participation and grading of assignments and tests are handled.

At the University of Colorado Denver, persons ages 60 and above may enroll on a no-credit basis to attend up to two classes per semester as auditors when space is available. (Courses with a lab component are excluded, as are computer courses.)

Note: This lifelong learner program has been suspended for the spring of 2021.

7. Connecticut

Residents 62 and up may attend state colleges, including community colleges, for free on a space-available basis.

At Central Connecticut State University, for example, tuition is waived for any resident over the age of 62 who applies for full- or part-time admission for a degree-granting program.

Senior students also may take non-credit courses on a space-available basis and have tuition waived. All students must pay all other fees.

8. Delaware

The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and Delaware Technical Community College permit state residents ages 60 or older to audit or take classes for credit for free.

At the University of Delaware, students wishing to use the program must apply for admission on a space-available basis. Some graduate degrees may be eligible, as well.

Participants must pay all related student fees and buy their own textbooks.

9. District of Columbia

Senior citizens 65 and up may audit undergraduate courses from Georgetown Universitys School of Continuing Studies. These students pay a fee of $50 per course.

In order to audit a course, there must be available space and the instructor of record must approve the enrollment.

10. Florida

The Florida college system waives application, tuition and student fees for those ages 60 and above, but colleges will award no credit and will grant admission on a space-available basis.

Fun fact: Florida Atlantic Universitys Lifelong Learning Society has the largest adult continuing education program in the U.S. It even has its own auditorium on campus to help serve FAUs 30,000 new registrants each year.

11. Georgia

Georgia residents ages 62 and above may take classes on a space-available basis for free at the states public colleges.

Seniors may choose to take classes for credit or continuing education, but they must apply through the regular admissions process at their school of choice.

12. Hawaii

The Senior Citizen Visitor Program at the University of Hawaii and state community colleges allows senior residents ages 60 and up to attend courses free of charge. Currently, only online courses are available due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools will not award credit, nor will they keep permanent records of students class history.

13. Idaho

Programs in Idaho vary based on institution, but some schools offer good deals. The College of Southern Idaho offers free tuition for lower division courses and a gold card for students ages 60 years and older, in addition to other benefits.

At Boise State University, Idaho residents who are at least 65 can audit classes on a space-available basis for free, except for applicable special course fees.

14. Illinois

Upon admission, any senior citizen ages 65 and up who meet income requirements can attend regular credit courses at Illinois public institutions for free. Lab, student and other fees still apply.

15. Indiana

Purdue University and Indiana University offer programs that allow retired residents ages 60 and to take up to nine credit hours per semester and pay 50% of in-state tuition fees.

16. Iowa

Private institution Simpson College in Indianola allows people 65 and older to take one non-credit class for free per semester. Courses are open on a space-available basis and do not include lab courses.

17. Kansas

Kansas residents 60 and older can audit courses at state institutions on a space-available basis without paying tuition.

The registration process varies: The University of Kansas and Wichita State University, for example, require senior auditors to apply for admission.

18. Kentucky

Tuition and fees are waived for students ages 65 and older taking classes on a space-available basis. Residents must be admitted to a state-supported school to take advantage of this discount.

19. Louisiana

Students ages 55 and up attending Louisiana state schools receive free tuition and 50% off books and materials at the campus student bookstore.

20. Maine

Senior citizens 65 and up may attend undergraduate classes as degree-seeking or audit students in the University of Maine system for free, subject to space availability.

21. Maryland

Any student in the University of Maryland system who is retired and over the age of 60 may have tuition waived, even for degree-granting programs.

22. Massachusetts

Residents age 60 or older can take at least three credits per semester at any state-supported school in Massachusetts and receive free tuition.

23. Michigan

Opportunities for seniors in Michigan vary by institution.

At Michigan Tech, for example, students 60 and older can have tuition waived for up to two courses per semester. Seniors must apply through the admissions office.

Western Michigan University invites seniors 62 and older to register for one class per semester tuition free.

At Wayne State University in Detroit, seniors 60 and up receive a 75% discount on tuition, but must pay registration and related fees.

24. Minnesota

Minnesota waives tuition for senior citizens 62 and older, but fees may vary by school. At the University of Minnesota, seniors pay a $10 fee per credit but can audit for free.

25. Mississippi

Theres no statewide benefit in Mississippi, but some schools have programs for seniors.

Mississippi State University provides a waiver to residents age 60 or older for classes offered on the Starkville or Meridian campuses or by the Center for Distance Education. Seniors are limited to six semester hours per semester and a maximum of 18 credit hours per calendar year, where space is available.

University of Mississippis Office of Professional Development and Lifelong Learning allows seniors 65 and older to take one class per semester (up to four hours) at any UM campus.

26. Missouri

Missouri residents age 65 and older are exempt from paying tuition at state-supported institutions for classes attended on a non-credit basis. Schools may limit the number of students who receive the tuition benefit based on space availability.

27. Montana

The Montana University system offers a tuition waiver for in-state residents 65 years of age or older. Campus and registration fees are not waived.

28. Nebraska

Several Nebraska colleges offer waivers to senior citizens. Chadron State College allows adults 65 and up to audit one course per semester for free.

At Mid-Plains Community College, seniors 62 and older who are in-state or residents of border states Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming pay $34 per credit hour. Senior citizens who are residents of other states pay $44 per credit hour.

29. Nevada

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas allows seniors 62 and up to take autumn and spring courses free of charge. They pay 50% tuition for summer classes. Lab and other course fees are not covered.

30. New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire offers residents 65 and older free tuition for two credit-bearing classes per academic year on a space-available basis, so long as theyre not enrolled in a degree program.

31. New Jersey

Rutgers University allows retired New Jersey residents 62 and older to audit courses for free in the spring and fall semesters at its Camden, New Brunswick and Newark campuses, space permitting. Current guidelines only allow senior citizens to audit virtual classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

32. New Mexico

New Mexico offers reduced tuition of $5 per credit hour to state residents 65 and older.

For-credit classes are eligible as well as auditing; senior citizens can take no more than six credit hours per semester. The program is offered on a space-available basis, and students are responsible for paying any additional course fees.

33. New York

Many schools offer free or reduced tuition for senior citizens. Queens College allows residents 60 and up to audit any course on a space-available basis after completing a Senior Citizen Auditor Application and paying $80 per semester.

At SUNY Purchase, New York state residents 60 and older can enroll tuition free in a maximum of two credit-bearing, on-campus courses in which space is available. They pay a $50 audit fee, $20 ID processing fee and any course fees.

34. North Carolina

Tuition and registration fees are waived for residents ages 65 or older attending North Carolina community colleges. Audit options may be available at other schools.

At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, for example, senior citizens may audit classes for free after getting the instructors permission and submitting an application. Lab, studio, performance, distance education, independent study, internship and special topic courses are excluded.

35. North Dakota

Programs vary by institution in North Dakota. At Bismarck State, for example, senior citizens 65 and older can audit one course tuition free per semester on a space-available basis. Theyre still responsible for other course fees.

36. Ohio

Ohio residents at least 60 years old may attend class at any state college for free. Senior-citizen students do not receive credit and only can register on a space-available basis. They are still responsible for special assessments, such as lab fees, that may apply.

37. Oklahoma

Oklahoma state colleges and universities waive tuition and fees for senior citizens 65+ who wish to audit classes on a space-available basis.

38. Oregon

Oregon State University allows senior citizens at least 65 years old to audit classes for free.

The University of Oregon also waives fees for seniors 65 and older auditing classes on a space-available basis.

39. Pennsylvania

Clarion University offers a tuition waiver for residents 62 and up to audit classes. At Bloomsburg University, you only need to be 60 to take tuition-free classes on a space-available basis.

There can be additional benefits at the community college level: Bucks County Community College, for example, waives for-credit course tuition for seniors 65 and up so long as they register after students who are paying full tuition.

40. Rhode Island

Senior citizens over 60 may request a tuition waiver at the Community College of Rhode Island to attend classes with space available.

Interested persons must submit a Senior Citizen Means Test to verify they are of limited income. A FAFSA is required for all degree-seeking senior students.

41. South Carolina

Residents 60 and above can attend classes at state schools on a credit or noncredit basis, pending space available, for free. The school must grant admission via its normal procedures.

Technology, lab and other fees are the responsibility of the student.

42. South Dakota

Residents 65 and older can attend public universities in South Dakota at 55% of the normal cost of tuition for undergraduate or graduate in-person courses on a main university campus.

Interested adults should apply through the regular admissions system, and the school automatically will grant the discount upon admission. Student fees are not waived.

43. Tennessee

Tennessee residents 65 and older may enroll in tuition-free courses for credit at state schools and community colleges.

Students still will pay application and course fees.

44. Texas

A senior citizen ages 65 or older can take up to six tuition-free credit hours at the University of Texas at Austin.

At the University of Texas at Dallas and Lone Star College, undergrad students 65 and older must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA to receive a tuition waiver for up to six credit hours per semester.

45. Utah

Residents ages 62 and up may enroll tuition free at a state institution, space permitting; a quarterly registration fee is required.

At the University of Utah, for example, seniors can audit most classes on a space-available basis and only have to pay a fee of $25 per semester.

46. Vermont

Vermonters over the age of 65 can audit one class per semester tuition-free on a space-available basis in the Vermont State College system. Students can take additional classes at a 50% discount of the tuition rate

Theyll still have to pay administration and course fees for all classes.

47. Virginia

Under the amended terms of the Senior Citizens Higher Education Act of 1974, Virginia residents over 60 years old who earn a taxable income of less than $23,850 annually can audit up to three courses per term for free on a space-available basis at any public institution.

48. Washington

Institutions in Washington are required to partially or fully waive tuition fees for residents ages 60 or older who are enrolled for credit on a space-available basis. Nominal fees may apply to students auditing courses.

Some schools limit senior citizens to a certain number of classes or credits; for example, Washington State University caps the waiver at six credits for the fall and spring semesters.

49. West Virginia

Although senior students at West Virginia University applying for credit must use the regular admissions form, those wishing to be non-degree students pay just $5 to apply.

50. Wisconsin

Adults 60 and up may audit classes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for free, where space is available.

51. Wyoming

Upon admission to the University of Wyoming, senior citizens 65 and up may attend class on a space-available basis for free.

Another Continuing Education Option

More than 100 colleges and universities around the country offer another continuing education program for senior citizens: enrichment courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI).

Prices vary depending upon the institution. Duke University, for example, has a $45 annual membership fee, then charges $25 to $150 per class.

OLLI classes dont count toward a degree, but if youre looking for personal development opportunities among older adults, these courses can provide opportunities that mix in the campus experience, too.

This article was originally published by The Penny Hoarder.
NOVI, MI - Michigans biggest annual pop culture event is now a go for 2021. After being forced to cancel its 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have just scheduled Motor City Comic Con for later this year.

Tens of thousands of people come to this event each year from around the country. Usually it happens right after Mothers Day in May with the last MCCC taking place in 2019. Around 70,000 attended that event.

This year, organizers are planning to hold a somewhat scaled back version at its usual venue, the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Instead of three days, it will be two, on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17.

Related: How Grand Rapids Comic Con organizers plan to pull event off amid COVID with Boba Fett reunion

We were planning it on a smaller scale and picked these dates out a couple months ago but have been waiting to see where things were going with vaccinations, Miriam Kruger, Executive Director of Motor City Comic Con told MLive. Our biggest thing was that we didnt want to schedule and reschedule and keep rescheduling.

RELATED: Our favorite celebrity encounters from Motor City Comic Con 2019

The 31st annual Motor City Comic Con had been set to take place in May 2020. Scheduled celebrity guests included Kiefer Sutherland, Alice Cooper, Mario Lopez, Creed Bratton, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jamie Farr, Karl Urban, Meat Loaf and Lou Diamond Phillips. Kruger says she hopes to get some of those guests back, if not for October, for the main event next May.

We are planning on 15 celebrity guests and around a dozen comic guests. I have a feeling as capacities increase, we can increase the guest list. I can tell you that trying to plan a 15 person guest list is really hard. Who do you leave out? Were trying to keep it simple. I have a feeling were going to start this out as a smaller show and it may not end up that way.

Kruger says she has already reached out to all of the vendors and says it was important to do things the right way amid all of the uncertainty due to the pandemic.

We reached out to dealers from 2020 when we had to cancel. We were sold out and we gave everyone back their money. We said wed give all of those vendors first dibs to repurchase their space. Right now, were organizing who is coming back before possibly opening up new spaces for other vendors.

Kruger says tickets should go on sale in the next few weeks as organization of the event ramps up. She says the website also needs an overhaul as things are basically being started from scratch to put together this mammoth event.

We still have a lot of updates and changes to make and we have a lot to catch up on. Its like were learning to ride a bike again.

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Its that time.

Time to vote for Michigans Best Inland Lake.

Overall we had 142 nominations across the state, including 13 in Pinckney, Hell, Howell and others in the Ann Arbor area.

READ: See the 142 nominations for Michigan Best Inland Lake

Now its up to you, MLive readers, to select your favorite lake in each of our nine regional polls.

As in other Michigans Best polls, you can vote once per email address, every three hours. You can also vote in all of our regions. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 21.

Scroll to the bottom of this poll to see links to other regions.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite spots. Once the voting is complete, our Michigans Best team of John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman will be sharing stories about inland lakes over the next few weeks.

If you have questions, feel free to email us.

Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com

John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com

Want to vote in other regions?

Upper Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Northern Lower Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Ann Arbor area - VOTE HERE

Jackson area - VOTE HERE

Grand Rapids area - VOTE HERE

Muskegon & Lakeshore - VOTE HERE

Kalamazoo & SW Michigan - VOTE HERE

Detroit area - VOTE HERE

Flint/Fenton area - VOTE HERE

Michigan's Best Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez visit Ann Arbor's The Earle on their search for Michigan's Most Iconic restaurant on Monday, May 14, 2019. The Earle, inside a former hotel's basement, serves provincial French and Italian style dishes with over 1,000 wines available. Michigan's Best Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez visited the Ann Arbor restaurant on their search for Michigan's Most Iconic restaurant on Monday, May 14, 2019. Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com

Follow along on our Michigans Best adventures

@mlivemibest on Twitter

@mlivemibest on Instagram

Facebook at MLiveMIBest.

Join in by using the hashtag #mibest. Our most recent search was for Michigans Best Vacation Spot.

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

There is much to do in these suburbs of Detroit, including a stop by Guernsey Farms Dairy for freshly made ice cream and other treats.MLive.com

MORE MIICHIGANS BEST

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in Novi and Northville

Michigans Best Podcast: We share our favorite inland lakes

The 2021 guide to Michigans Best Vacation Spots

Cheeseburgers for the win at this Michigans Best Vacation Spot

This southern beachfront gem is a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

Gorgeous waterfront makes Mackinaw City a Best Vacation Spot winner

Keweenaw Peninsula is a magical place, wins Michigans Best Vacation Spot for the Western U.P.

Mackinac Island edges out other destinations as Michigans Best Vacation Spots in Eastern U.P.

Towering bluffs, crystal clear water make Sleeping Bear Dunes a Michigan Best Vacation Spot winner

Soft sand beaches make Muskegon a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

44 must-visit waterfront restaurants in Michigan

Michigans Best Waterfront Restaurant is The Cove

These are the 10 best waterfront restaurants in Michigan

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in St. Joseph

Three great places for waterfront dining in South Haven
Its that time.

Time to vote for Michigans Best Inland Lake.

Overall we had 142 nominations across the state, including five in the Detroit Metro area.

READ: See the 142 nominations for Michigan Best Inland Lake

Now its up to you, MLive readers, to select your favorite lake in each of our nine regional polls.

As in other Michigans Best polls, you can vote once per email address, every three hours. You can also vote in all of our regions. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 21.

Scroll to the bottom of this poll to see links to other regions.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite spots. Once the voting is complete, our Michigans Best team of John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman will be sharing stories about inland lakes over the next few weeks.

If you have questions, feel free to email us.

Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com

John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com

Want to vote in other regions?

Upper Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Northern Lower Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Ann Arbor area - VOTE HERE

Jackson area - VOTE HERE

Grand Rapids area - VOTE HERE

Muskegon & Lakeshore - VOTE HERE

Kalamazoo & SW Michigan - VOTE HERE

Detroit area - VOTE HERE

Flint/Fenton area - VOTE HERE

Gonzo and Amy stopped by Drafting Table on their search for Michigan's Best New Brewery in 2016.

Follow along on our Michigans Best adventures

@mlivemibest on Twitter

@mlivemibest on Instagram

Facebook at MLiveMIBest.

Join in by using the hashtag #mibest. Our most recent search was for Michigans Best Vacation Spot.

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

Follow John and Amy on their Michigan's Best adventures.MLive.com

MORE MIICHIGANS BEST

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in Novi and Northville

Michigans Best Podcast: We share our favorite inland lakes

The 2021 guide to Michigans Best Vacation Spots

Cheeseburgers for the win at this Michigans Best Vacation Spot

This southern beachfront gem is a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

Gorgeous waterfront makes Mackinaw City a Best Vacation Spot winner

Keweenaw Peninsula is a magical place, wins Michigans Best Vacation Spot for the Western U.P.

Mackinac Island edges out other destinations as Michigans Best Vacation Spots in Eastern U.P.

Towering bluffs, crystal clear water make Sleeping Bear Dunes a Michigan Best Vacation Spot winner

Soft sand beaches make Muskegon a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

44 must-visit waterfront restaurants in Michigan

Michigans Best Waterfront Restaurant is The Cove

These are the 10 best waterfront restaurants in Michigan

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in St. Joseph

Three great places for waterfront dining in South Haven
Its that time.

Time to vote for Michigans Best Inland Lake.

Overall we had 142 nominations across the state, including five in the Flint and the Fenton area.

READ: See the 142 nominations for Michigan Best Inland Lake

Now its up to you, MLive readers, to select your favorite lake in each of our nine regional polls.

As in other Michigans Best polls, you can vote once per email address, every three hours. You can also vote in all of our regions. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 21.

Scroll to the bottom of this poll to see links to other regions.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite spots. Once the voting is complete, our Michigans Best team of John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman will be sharing stories about inland lakes over the next few weeks.

If you have questions, feel free to email us.

Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com

John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com

Want to vote in other regions?

Upper Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Northern Lower Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Ann Arbor area - VOTE HERE

Jackson area - VOTE HERE

Grand Rapids area - VOTE HERE

Muskegon & Lakeshore - VOTE HERE

Kalamazoo & SW Michigan - VOTE HERE

Detroit area - VOTE HERE

Flint/Fenton area - VOTE HERE

MLive's Michigan's Best team of Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez prepare to race go-karts in Novi on their shoot for Michigan's Best Day.MLive.com

Follow along on our Michigans Best adventures

@mlivemibest on Twitter

@mlivemibest on Instagram

Facebook at MLiveMIBest.

Join in by using the hashtag #mibest. Our most recent search was for Michigans Best Vacation Spot.

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

Not only can you get an incredible ice cream cone at Guersney Farm Dairy, you can also enjoy lunch, and a beer, or a boozy handmade milkshake.MLive.com

MORE MIICHIGANS BEST

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in Novi and Northville

Michigans Best Podcast: We share our favorite inland lakes

The 2021 guide to Michigans Best Vacation Spots

Cheeseburgers for the win at this Michigans Best Vacation Spot

This southern beachfront gem is a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

Gorgeous waterfront makes Mackinaw City a Best Vacation Spot winner

Keweenaw Peninsula is a magical place, wins Michigans Best Vacation Spot for the Western U.P.

Mackinac Island edges out other destinations as Michigans Best Vacation Spots in Eastern U.P.

Towering bluffs, crystal clear water make Sleeping Bear Dunes a Michigan Best Vacation Spot winner

Soft sand beaches make Muskegon a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

44 must-visit waterfront restaurants in Michigan

Michigans Best Waterfront Restaurant is The Cove

These are the 10 best waterfront restaurants in Michigan

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in St. Joseph

Three great places for waterfront dining in South Haven
Its that time.

Time to vote for Michigans Best Inland Lake.

Overall we had 142 nominations across the state, including six in the Muskegon and Lakeshore area.

READ: See the 142 nominations for Michigan Best Inland Lake

Now its up to you, MLive readers, to select your favorite lake in each of our nine regional polls.

As in other Michigans Best polls, you can vote once per email address, every three hours. You can also vote in all of our regions. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 21.

Scroll to the bottom of this poll to see links to other regions.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite spots. Once the voting is complete, our Michigans Best team of John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman will be sharing stories about inland lakes over the next few weeks.

If you have questions, feel free to email us.

Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com

John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com

Want to vote in other regions?

Upper Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Northern Lower Peninsula - VOTE HERE

Ann Arbor area - VOTE HERE

Jackson area - VOTE HERE

Grand Rapids area - VOTE HERE

Muskegon & Lakeshore - VOTE HERE

Kalamazoo & SW Michigan - VOTE HERE

Detroit area - VOTE HERE

Flint/Fenton area - VOTE HERE

MLive's Amy Sherman laughs as she hold up a classic cheeseburger for a photo at Hamburger Mikey, 1125 3rd St, Muskegon, Michigan on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The restaurant was a Top 10 pick for Michigan's Best Burger in 2020.Alison Zywicki | azywicki

Follow along on our Michigans Best adventures

@mlivemibest on Twitter

@mlivemibest on Instagram

Facebook at MLiveMIBest.

Join in by using the hashtag #mibest. Our most recent search was for Michigans Best Vacation Spot.

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

Historic Mill Race Village is a must visit in Northville.MLive.com

MORE MIICHIGANS BEST

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in Novi and Northville

Michigans Best Podcast: We share our favorite inland lakes

The 2021 guide to Michigans Best Vacation Spots

Cheeseburgers for the win at this Michigans Best Vacation Spot

This southern beachfront gem is a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

Gorgeous waterfront makes Mackinaw City a Best Vacation Spot winner

Keweenaw Peninsula is a magical place, wins Michigans Best Vacation Spot for the Western U.P.

Mackinac Island edges out other destinations as Michigans Best Vacation Spots in Eastern U.P.

Towering bluffs, crystal clear water make Sleeping Bear Dunes a Michigan Best Vacation Spot winner

Soft sand beaches make Muskegon a Michigans Best Vacation Spot

44 must-visit waterfront restaurants in Michigan

Michigans Best Waterfront Restaurant is The Cove

These are the 10 best waterfront restaurants in Michigan

How to spend a Michigans Best Day in St. Joseph

Three great places for waterfront dining in South Haven
EMPIRE, MICH. -- When it comes to quintessential spots for making Michigan summer memories, its tough to beat Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This 71,000-acre park in Northwest Lower Michigan has all the necessary ingredients for the perfect family vacation: beaches, trails, sweet small towns, and no shortage of activities and interests for every age.

But if knowing where, exactly, to start your family trip planning has you stumped, were here for you. We asked Tom Ulrich, the parks deputy superintendent and a father of two, to clue us in to a few of the National Lakeshores most kid-approved highlights. The following tips are timeless, and are just a hint at what the park has to offer young visitors. Read on to see what he shared, and be sure to check out our ultimate Sleeping Bear guide, Sleeping Bear Dunes vacation: 50 unforgettable things to see and do.

A panoramic view of North Bar Lake and Lake Michigan at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (Garret Ellison | MLive.com)

Swim at North Bar Lake: This beach spot is popular because it gives you options: It sits adjacent to Lake Michigan, offering warmer, calmer waters for littler tykes to swim, while also being in close proximity to bigger waves and water if stronger swimmers are along for the ride. Its just a fabulous place to go set up with the kids, and you have options, Ulrich says. Located just north of Empire. Details here

Hike the Cottonwood Trail: If your kids arent thrilled with the popular Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, stop the car for a jaunt on this sandy, 1.4-mile loop, which includes a self-guided tour describing the unique plant life and geology of the dunes. Kids love that trail, Ulrich says. Its a short trail, so thats good. Details here

Run up and down the Dune Climb: Clambering up and then tumbling down the face of the iconic Dune Climb is a perennial Sleeping Bear must-do for kids of all ages  and a great way to burn off any been-in-the-car-too-long energy. (Be sure to come back sometime in the winter, when it turns into the best sledding hill ever.) Details here

The Empire Bluff trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Explore Empire Bluff and Pyramid Point: Ulrich had some insight for all the parents hoping to check off the parks scenic stops: Kids dont care about scenery  they want to do, they dont want to look, he says. But he makes an exception for these two spots in particular, which offer jaw-dropping scenery in tandem with short hikes to keep kids engaged. Empire Bluff Trail is an easy 1.5-mile out-and-back; Pyramid Point is a 2.7-mile loop, though the overlook is a spur thats just 0.6 miles from the trailhead. Read more about Empire Bluff here.

Float the Platte and Crystal Rivers: Kayaking, canoeing or tubing Sleeping Bears two rivers, the Platte and the Crystal, is a guaranteed good time for all ages. The Platte and Crystal Rivers are so user friendly, Ulrich says. They get warm before the Big Lake does, so you can float those rivers and theres so many place you can pull off and splash around a little bit. The Platte River is located in the southern part of the park, while the Crystal is farther north; both offer easy excursions through beautiful stretches of parkland, with plenty of wildlife watching and picnic spots along the way. Several outfitters offer rentals; try Crystal River Outfitters and Riverside Canoes for the Platte.

Bike the Heritage Trail: This 22-mile non-motorized, multi-use trail winds past park attractions and plenty of scenery, eventually passing through the town of Glen Arbor (a great spot to stop for lunch or little shopping). Ulrich recommends using the trail as an activity unto itself, or as a novel route to bookend a day at the lakeshore, stopping at the Dune Climb or enjoying a beach day at Glen Haven along the way. Details here

Check out a ranger program/help a kid become a Junior Ranger: While live group programming and demonstrations are currently suspended due to COVID-19, Ulrich recommends people keep an eye on Sleeping Bears calendar for updated information on when these popular programs may return. For the time being, however, the parks Junior Ranger program is always open, combining exploration, service work and games to help kids learn about the park. Earn a Junior Ranger certificate and patch or badge by finishing an activity book, available in person at the Visitors Venter, Dune Climb Book Store or Glen Haven General Store. More details here

Find more information to help you plan your trip at https://www.nps.gov/slbe.

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TRAVERSE CITY, MI  A pair of teenage fishermen rescued three people after their kayak overturned in a Northern Michigan lake, fire officials said.

According to Long Lake Township Fire Chief Andrew Down, the teens, Gabe Olivier and Ethan Morgan, didnt hesitate when they heard calls for help in Grand Traverse Countys Taylor Park at 3:47 p.m. on Monday.

The teens responded to the scene in their fishing boat and found three people struggling in the water. One of the victims was a young child in a life jacket, Down said, but the other two were not wearing life jackets.

The teens quickly assisted the child and helped the two other victims out of the water and into their fishing boat. Although very cold, the victims appeared to be uninjured, Down said.

The teens were also able to secure the overturned kayak and return everyone to shore where Long Lake Fire Rescue personnel were awaiting to evaluate the victims.

Down said that the quick actions by the teens mitigated a potentially dangerous situation. He is also using the incident as a reminder about the importance of wearing life vests when on the water.

We urge everyone to prioritize safety precautions when venturing out on the water, he said This includes letting others know where you are going on the water and when you expect to return.
ROSEVILLE, MI -- Details are limited but police say a woman is listed in critical condition after a T-bone crash Monday night by a man fleeing from undercover police. According to WDIV-Detroit, the accident occurred on 12 Mile and Hayes roads.

Police say a male suspect was being pursued by undercover Warren police officers along westbound 12 Mile Road when the man hit the womans car. The male was also hospitalized with minor injuries, but is expected recover.

The identities of the injured woman and the male suspect were not released by police.

READ MORE:

Family crushed: Police investigate death after victim suffers falls

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Kalamazoo homeowner fatally shot man trying to break in, police say
YPSILANTI, MI  Local artists, activists and community members will paint Black Lives Matter murals on two different streets in downtown Ypsilanti on June 5-6.

The Ypsilanti City Council unanimously approved a proposal for the murals at its Feb. 16 meeting, and organizers have since raised more than $10,000 for support and supplies, according to Trische Duckworth, executive director of the community organization Survivors Speak and an organizer of the event, along with Trevor Stone, community builder at Nonprofit Enterprise at Work.

One mural is being painted on South Washington Street off Michigan Avenue, and the other is on the riverside entry driveway off Cross Street, Duckworth said.

We wanted to make sure that it was something downtown and visible, and a place where we can do programming, Duckworth said. We dont want this to be a cosmetic thing where people just come to look at it. We want this to start conversations, and we want this to be a way that we can leverage and build racial equity from this.

So far, two individuals have covered the cost of the paint that was needed, and Ace Hardware has donated supplies, Duckworth said. However, the roads on which the murals are being painted are not in the best shape, Duckworth said, and organizers are hoping to use some of the money raised for re-paving or smoothing out the roads.

Black Lives Matter murals have become popular across the nation since the police killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. In Michigan, murals have been painted in Ann Arbor, Jackson, Flint and Kalamazoo, where local artists hope to bring support and awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement.

30-foot Black Lives Matter mural painted in Ann Arbors Graffiti Alley

The painting of the murals will come just two weeks before a Juneteenth celebration in Ypsilanti on June 19. In April, Ypsilanti City Council passed a resolution to recognize the holiday each year, which commemorates June 19, 1865, when a group of Black Americans in Texas learned about the Emancipation Proclamation that had set them free earlier in the Civil War.

Ypsilanti declares Juneteenth a city holiday

The community support around the Black Lives Matter movement is special to Duckworth and other activists, who say the mural is part of the way to acknowledge the value of Black lives.

People say, Its just a mural. Its so much bigger than that for us. Looking at it, it means solidarity. It means that people are recognizing the value of Black lives and wanting to amplify that, and it means people are ready to do the work, and the work comes in many different forms, and its continuous, Duckworth said.

READ MORE:

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Zimbabwes fractured opposition have been urged to resolve their differences and come together in order to defeat the ruling Zanu PF party in the 2023 election.

The call was made by former Deputy Prime Minister in the inclusive government, Arthur Mutambara, last Thursday during a virtual public discussion hosted by the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (Sapes) Trust under the topic The stampede towards 2023 Elections: Is history about to repeat itself again in Zimbabwe?

Mutambara said the most important part of unity was its mobilising effect. When you are divided, you provide plausible rationale for rigging. Dont give the regime plausible rationale for rigging. Unity is more than just adding the votes of your supporters, he said.

In his analysis of the 2008 presidential election results, where the late former President Robert Mugabe garnered 43,2%, the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai got 47,9%, and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawns Simba Makoni got 8%, Mutambara said Makonis votes could have guaranteed Tsvangirai outright victory.

He said the divided opposition played host to a plausible rational for a rigged outcome, adding that the difference between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe was the violent politics exhibited by Mnangagwa, who is quick to employ excessive force when confronted by a situation.

The former Deputy Prime Minister said this was evident after six civilians were shot dead on August 1, 2018, during post-election protests and another 17 civilians shot during the January 2019 fuel riots, according to human rights organisations.

Mnangagwa believes in violence using falsified military intelligence and they are using the same strategy against the opposition. Mnangagwa is a man of limited ability and talents in every respect with profound insecurity, he said.

He is a President who used to be a violent hatchet man for Mugabe and now he is a hatchet man for himself who is an unimaginative, primitive tribalist steeped in clansman politics.

Mutambara said the opposition should push for effective electoral reforms to guarantee free and fair polls.

Former Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo said Zimbabwean elections since 1980 always had a disputed outcome.

He said the November 2017 military coup would have an impact in the 2023 elections.

There has been a very systematic programme by the securocrats to shift politics from everyday engagement and contestation to a security-driven process, where fear grips the nation. The State does not want citizens to engage in political life, Moyo said. Newsday
ANN ARBOR, MI -- STEM exploration is back as the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum announces its reopening this weekend.

In order to maintain a restricted capacity, residents can begin visiting on Saturday, May 22, by pre-registering tickets online through the website.

Now is the time to safely reopen as COVID-19 guidelines begin to change, said Susan Westhoff, the museums chief operating officer.

Weve been following the science and following what is advised by local health departments, state health departments and the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on what is best for an organization like ours to do, Westhoff said.

The museum received a donation from a local foundation that wishes to remain anonymous to allow the museum to offset the costs of tickets for now, Westhoff said.

The tickets, which were originally $16 for adults and children, have now been reduced to $12.50 per person, $6.25 for ACM or ASTC members and $3 for EBT or WIC cardholders. Members receive free admission.

The purpose of the museum at 220 E. Ann St. is to spark curiosity in children of all ages and to create fun, exciting, educational opportunities for people to engage with STEM, Westhoff said.

We have over 200 hands-on exhibits at the museum, Westhoff said. Theres exhibits that teach about alternative energy, wind energy, solar. Theres exhibits that teach about pulleys and levers, all sorts of physics and engineering for preschoolers all the way up through adults.

The museum closed its doors to the public last year due to COVID-19 and took a huge financial hit, Westhoff said.

We went to completely virtual programs and outdoor programs over at our sister organization, the Leslie Science and Nature Center, Westhoff said. But the museum itself stayed closed. We had a few members-only days this fall, and then in December of 2020 we started opening for pods.

Pod rentals are offered as a way for small groups of up to 25 people to safely explore the museum by themselves, Westhoff said.

Weve had a lot of folks whove come through with pods who have verbally and then also in writing sent us a message that they really truly appreciated that we were being very thoughtful about how to reopen and thinking of the safety of not just our staff and volunteers, but the community as a whole, Westhoff said.

The museum survived by using saved funds and by limiting staff, Westhoff said.

We for the last 15 years have had a positive fiscal year, a positive budget, and weve been able to put away a rainy-day fund, Westhoff said. Then we put our staff back by two thirds, which was devastating for all of us. We had an amazing team and we still do, its just much smaller.

Since entry is based on pre-registration, the museum is currently not operating during typical business hours, Westhoff said. More information and reservation details can be found here.

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More faculty and staff are expected to return to work in-person for the fall semester at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

Leaders at both schools said unit and department leaders will have more details in the coming weeks about who will need to return to in-person positions.

MSU employees who have been working remotely should continue to do so until they are told otherwise by their supervisor, and unit leaders will have the flexibility to determine how their teams work best  in person, remotely or in a hybrid format, MSU President Samuel Stanley said.

Unit leaders are required by the state to complete a Return to Work plan, which must be approved before employees return to campus, Stanley said.

The expectation at MSU is that people who have student-, faculty- or public-facing roles will return to in-person positions in some capacity, Stanley said. Returning locations will be phased in to minimize the impact on the workloads of support staff, Stanley said.

At UM, staff and faculty who are working from home will continue to do so, but employees should look to their supervisor or department leader for specific requirements, officials said. Expectations around in-person and hybrid work will focus on the nature of the work and how it can fulfill the universitys mission, UM President Mark Schlissel said.

Generally, but not always, we would expect there will be more opportunity for work that is partially remote and partially on campus in the future, Schlissel said. More hybrid work where it is possible also helps the university meet several goals of our institution, including a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality, reduce costs related to campus facilities and parking, enhanced work-life balance and increased job satisfaction for employees.

UMs goals for a return to campus include enhancing the ways the university accomplishes its teaching, research and service missions; increasing efficiencies and reducing costs by reducing space needs; reducing the environmental impact; and enhancing the universitys position as an employer of choice with particular attention to employee satisfaction, officials said.

UM plans to offer most classes in-person for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 30, with residence halls open at nearly 80% capacity, university officials announced in March. The university is also requiring students living on campus or in university housing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

MSU plans to have a more typical fall semester, with 75% of undergraduate classes offered in-person. While MSU has not instituted a vaccine mandate for students, officials said about 80% of students surveyed said they want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

READ MORE:

Petition for COVID-19 vaccine mandates gaining steam at Michigans public universities

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ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor Public Schools decision to discontinue before- and after-school child care will cause financial and professional disruptions for families, according to a petition being circulated by those asking the program be reinstated.

AAPS Superintendent Jeanice Swift announced the districts plan to discontinue school-aged child care for the 2021-22 school year during the Ann Arbor School Boards May 12 meeting. COVID-19-related complications of offering the program, in addition to issues with providing enough staffing in recent years, is the reason, Swift said.

In a message to families, Swift said AAPS has used a large-group model for child care in the past, with students congregating in a cafeteria or gym both before and after school. That is not a COVID safe model with elementary students not expected to be fully vaccinated by this fall, Swift said.

The district will use the 2021-22 school year to improve the program in a stronger alignment with its equity and rec and ed missions, Swift said.

Other COVID-related complications, such as cases and quarantine issues, present further challenges to the current, large-group school child care model, Swift said.

Although we appreciate the outreach and offer of support from volunteers, and we have used volunteers in the past, school child care is regulated and volunteers cannot take the place of the required, certificated staff, Swift said. Staffing such a large program has presented a challenge for several years, now exacerbated by COVID.

Working parents rely on the districts before- and after-school care, and eliminating it for the upcoming school year is not a decision based on equity, AAPS parent Liz Lin, who started the petition with Andrea Huang, said.

The absence of before- and after-school care will disproportionately impact families of color, who are less likely than white families to have a stay-at-home parent, flexible work schedules or work-from-home options, Lin said.

For many parents, our work - and thus our financial stability - is possible only because of before- and after-care, the petition reads. The districts decision to not to provide this care after returning to full-time in-person education will cause serious financial and professional disruptions to countless families in our community.

The petition, which has collected nearly 900 signatures from parents, asks AAPS to resume before- and after-school care for the 2021-22 school year, while providing potential recommendations for staffing the program.

Some suggestions include providing incentives and bonuses for recruiting staff, contracting with an outside organization to run the care programs or partnering with education programs at the University of Michigan or Eastern Michigan University for after-school care.

If necessary, the petition suggests limiting before- and after-school care to children who need it most, including young fives through third-graders and students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Before- and after-school care was essential to her after moving to the area when her two oldest children were in the early elementary grades, AAPS parent Sara Soderstrom said.

While she said shes now more established in the community and can piece something together for her youngest son, who will be in kindergarten this fall, she wonders why a decision has been made so quickly with so many families in the community willing to help address staffing shortages.

On the one hand, I recognize after this year giving parents a heads up on things, Soderstrom said. But, I feel like they made a decision, and now are looking for a rationale for why they made that decision, instead of having made a decision based on data and analysis that support that decision.

For me, the changing rationale from equity to COVID safety to, we cant hire people, signals that theres not strong rationale for the decision and leaves me feeling like we should be spending these three months in trying to solve it.

Lin said she also was caught off guard by the districts decision and was informed by Community Day Care, Inc. that before- and after-school care would be discontinued for the coming year. Lin is on the board for Community Day Care and noted two of AAPS elementary schools - Burns Park and Lawton - rent space within those schools to provide before- and after-school care.

Lin said she wonders why the service is not being offered without engaging with families, noting that her questions for AAPS board members have raised more questions about who was involved in the decision-making process.

Communications Lin shared with MLive/The Ann Arbor News show at least one AAPS board member was stunned to hear of the districts decision a few hours before the board meeting last week, while noting that announcing it as a final decision seems premature given that there are four months before the start of the next school year.

We live in a time in a community where most women work, and thats only possible because of having child care, Lin said. Ann Arbor Public Schools talks so much about valuing equity and inclusion - its actually a huge reason why my family and I decided to move here. So, for them to say that they are cutting off this essential service, it just felt completely out of line with the values that they claim to espouse.

Swift said the district plans to eventually offer enrichment programming after school and will engage with parents, staff and students to see how best to redesign that program.

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FLINT, MI -- The City Council has voted to subpoena a dozen city officials, including Mayor Sheldon Neeley, after a failed effort to quickly adopt his proposed $71-million budget.

A divided council approved the issuing of the subpoenas by a 5-4 vote in a committee meeting Monday, May 17, after members voted down the initial adoption of the spending plan and after some council members accused the Neeley administration of stonewalling efforts to amend the budget.

It was unclear Tuesday, May 18, whether any of the city officials targeted for subpoenas would appear at a special investigative hearing council scheduled for Thursday, May 20.

The targeted officials include Neeley, City Administrator Clyde Edwards, Chief Financial Officer Shelbi Frayer, Department of Planning and Development Director Suzanne Wilcox, Transportation Director John Daly, Treasurer Amanda Trujillo, and six members of the council -- Eric Mays, Herbert Winfrey, Eva Worthing, Kate Fields, Santino Guerra, and Allan Griggs.

What Im hearing from the administration ... is unacceptable, said 7th Ward Councilwoman Monica Galloway. The council has the (right) to get any questions answered ... (Department heads and appointed officials) are here to answer our questions.

Galloways comments came after a failed attempt to give Neeleys budget initial approval Monday and after Edwards and Frayer said the mayors representatives were at the meeting only to listen rather than answer specific questions.

The budget must be adopted before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1.

The budget drama came during a meeting in which some members of the council said they planned to request records of emails and text messages from other council members because of suspicions that they were using city-funded phones and email accounts to communicate with each other before votes.

Councils meeting was adjourned Monday after six hours and after City Attorney Angela Wheeler said it would be difficult to issue subpoenas and force the appearance of city officials in time for an investigative hearing Thursday.

3rd Ward Councilman Santino Guerra called Mondays meeting heartbreaking as council members accused each other of improprieties throughout it.

Im ashamed ... I literally am at a loss for words, said Guerra, who is not seeking re-election later this year.

Neeleys proposed $71-million budget for the coming fiscal year is balanced, doesnt forecast layoffs, and includes $33 million in pension contributions. It uses a one-time revenue boost from an internal service fund and forecasts a shrinking fund balance and the potential for having to fill a deficit hole of more than $17 million in two years.

Fields sought to have the budget approved as submitted by the mayor -- without an expected $94.7 million the city was awarded as part of the American Recovery Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this year.

Flint officials have said the city budget can be adjusted after at least a portion of those funds are deposited and spending priorities set.

Mays accused Fields of being in conspiracy and cahoots with Neeley in an effort to block changes to the proposed budget by the council. He called the effort to give the budget approval now a gangster move.

Fields said Mays was wasting the citys time and money by voting to subpoena 12 city officials, each of whom are entitled to be represented by a taxpayer-funded attorney, Wheeler said.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Grand Rapids Community College trustee Kathy Crosby is stepping down from the board of trustees to focus on her health and family.

Her resignation, effective May 21, was announced at the Monday, May 17 board meeting.

My decision to serve was not lightly made, and it is therefore hard to step away from, Crosby wrote in a letter board chair David Koetje read Monday that was submitted to him.

However, life and health situations change. Often, they can be unpredictable. In this case, those changes have pushed me to reprioritize time. Going forward, it must belong to my family.

The board will have 30 days to fill the open seat, starting Friday, May 21. The person selected to fill the vacancy will serve on the board until the next election, when voters will choose a candidate to fill the remainder of Crosbys term.

Crosby, of Grandville, was elected in 2018, and her term ends Dec. 31, 2024. She retired in 2018 from her job as CEO and president of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, which provides job training and placement services.

Koetje said the resignation left an unfortunate hole on the board, and thanked Crosby for her service to GRCC.

For decades this board has had seven individuals sitting around its table, Koetje said. Very few of those trustees have matched the richness of your experience, the depth of your perspective, and the personal charm that you have blessed us with in these few years that you have been with us.

Crosby has served in numerous community leadership roles throughout her career. She started her career in 1980 at Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit, and retired as CEO Emeritus in 2018, according to her GRCC bio.

Crosby helped champion diversity at Goodwill. In 2018, she was awarded the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award by Goodwill Industries International. Under her leadership, Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids received the Visionary in Diversity and Inclusion award in March 2015 from the Chamber of Commerce.

She also previously served as chair of the board of the directors of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, as well as the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigans Board of Directors.

Crosby serves on the CEO Leadership Council of Talent 2025, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerces Regional Issues Council, and the YMCAs Board of Directors. Shes also a mentor for the Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program and the Cook Leadership Program at Grand Valley State Universitys Hauenstein Center, according to her bio.

GRCC Trustee Kenyatta Brame said Crosbys connections within the Grand Rapids business and nonprofit communities have been a huge asset to the college and the board.

Sometimes its hard to find someone with her business and nonprofit experience, she truly understands our community and she has been a great advocate for this community, Brame said during the meeting.

Trustee Sheryl Siegel echoed those sentiments.

When Kathy and I ran for this position, I was awed that she knew everybody in the city, and even more awed that shes beloved by everybody in the city, Siegel said.

Brame will take over Crosbys role as the boards vice chair, and Siegel was tapped to replace Brame as treasurer.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids elected leaders closed out their second-to-last deliberation on the citys proposed spending plan with talk of income tax uncertainty, better public safety outcomes and making sure residents feel heard.

Grand Rapids city commissioners, however, proposed no changes Tuesday morning, May 18, to the preliminary $546 million spending plan for fiscal year 2022, which begins July 1 and is slated to be adopted Thursday.

During the meeting, City Manager Mark Washington gave city leaders another high-level overview and update of spending areas, staffing levels over time and the ongoing income tax shortfall.

The next to last deliberation comes before the official public hearing on the budget Tuesday evening, around 7 p.m., that is gearing up to be yet another battle of opinions on whether city leaders should shift dollars away from the police department or continue their financial support at or above the current level of funding.

There has been little support among commissioners to cut large chunks of the departments budget.

Related: Grand Rapids proposes slight increase to police budget, dollars for affordable housing in spending plan

The public hearing on the budget will happen near the end of the city commissions meeting Tuesday, which begins at 7 p.m. People can tune in on the citys Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as Comcast channel 26. People can call 311 or 616-456-3000 to provide public comment during the hearing.

The topic of police funding and changing how policing and public safety is done was discussed by some commissioners Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Jon OConnor said police funding has been at the forefront of everybodys conversation and that its important to afford the departments strategic plan to reimagine policing the time and staffing funds needed to see it through.

I think its important that we continue to allow that plan to play out with fidelity and that we give the chief and his team an opportunity to transform themselves in the fashion in which weve asked them to, OConnor said.

I appreciate the fact that we have continued dollars available for the staffing so that we can have the officers in neighborhoods, as has been presented, and that we can fund things like the (Homeless Outreach Team), which I think are new ways to look at doing something different to provide better outcomes.

Commissioner Kurt Reppart agreed the departments strategic plan needs time to play out and welcomed investing differently to achieve better public safety outcomes, such as proposed items like Cure Violence, a co-response of mental health workers to specific 911 calls and other community investments.

Were clearly trying to invest in people in a different way and in the community in a different way, Commissioner Kurt Reppart said. I see the investments around public safety shifting, and Im encouraged by that and Im hopeful that we can continue to, as they play out, see the impact that theyre going to have in our community.

Since widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice began nearly a year ago, activists and community members have routinely called on city leaders to defund the police departments share of the budget to the charter-mandated minimum of 32% and shift those dollars cut to social supports and community-based violence prevention.

The police departments share of the general fund budget is proposed to decrease from what was approved last year at 38.6% to about 35.8%, although commissioners noted the share is probably even lower if other proposed items like $5 million to support affordable housing were included in the general fund.

However, the departments actual spending amount would increase by about $670,000, to $55.81 million. Largely, the reason its share went down is because overall general fund spending increased at a greater rate than spending by the department.

The fiscal year 2022 spending plan comes as the city faces an estimated $36 million income tax shortfall this fiscal year and next. The slow return of income taxes to previously-budgeted levels is estimated to result in a $60 million total shortfall by December 2024.

If not for an influx of $92.3 million coming from the federal governments American Rescue Plan Act to help plug the spending gap, the city likely would have presented a budget with cuts and service reductions.

Generally, the shortfall is caused by non-city residents who normally work in Grand Rapids but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are working from home and can withhold a portion of their income taxes from the city for that period.

Related: Grand Rapids avoids potential layoffs, service cuts thanks to $94 million from the feds

Commissioner Joe Jones said he remains hopeful state lawmakers will come up with a solution that involves the city capturing some lost income tax dollars from people now working from home.

Im believing there has to be some sort of middle ground, because I think we should expect that the new norm is going to be an option for most employees to either work from home or work in the office, Jones said.

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss replied that the city has organized meetings with the mayors and managers of the 23 other cities in Michigan that have an income tax to talk through the issue and advocate for legislative solutions at the state level.

One of the key issues is not just our current shortfall but how do we really create sustainable funding for cities in the future that is less volatile, Bliss said. Please know that thats a priority and hopefully well be able to work collectively with the other 23 income tax cities to drive some change in Lansing.

Commissioner Senita Lenear said she was looking forward to public feedback on the budget Tuesday evening and reiterated that the city should be clear on what theyre expecting from residents when officials ask for input.

I think its really challenging when the public is speaking out for such a long time and feeling unheard, and I think its certainly something that we should continue to talk about, Lenear said.

Bliss said she thinks that will be an important topic of conversation as the city looks at how to spend a portion of the unallocated federal dollars in the upcoming months.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A host of improvements throughout downtown Grand Rapids, from the renovation of Lyon Square to enhanced pedestrian street crossings, are included in the citys $14.9 million downtown development authority budget.

Heres a look at several projects included in the budget, which were approved this month.

Restoring the Grand River: $4.6 million

One major component of the improvements planned for the Grand River include the restoration of Lyon Square, a riverfront park located between Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place convention center on Lyon Street NW.

Planned improvements include landscaping, walkways, new lighting and more. The project is a partnership between the DDA, the city of Grand Rapids, and adjacent property owners, including the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, Amway Hotel Corporation, The Windquest Group and SIBSCO.

The overall cost of the project has not been finalized, but the DDA has budgeted $2.6 million for its fiscal year 2022.

Its a priority project right on the river, said Tim Kelly, president and CEO of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), which manages the DDAs funding. Were all working to make it happen.

Also included in the pot of money are repairs to trails along the Grand River in downtown, including sections at Fish Ladder Park and the base of the Blue Bridge. Kelly said the improvements are expected to cost roughly $1.3 million.

Having a quality and safe trail network along the Grand River is important because it provides recreational opportunities and aids in economic development, Kelly said.

What weve seen locally and nationally is people want to be near trails, he said. They want to be near natural elements. And so for us, the river itself and the trail network are a focal point.

Developing a true Downtown neighborhood home to a diverse population: $1.7 million

Funding in this pot of money is used in a host of areas, including DGRIs Development Support Program. Dollars from that program help promote economic growth and development by funding eligible expenses in new construction projects with over $5 million in new investment and rehabilitation projects with over $1 million in new investment.

It also includes DGRIs Downtown Enhancement Grant. That grant reimburses downtown business owners for eligible expenses such as the installation of street furniture, snowmelt, and other public realm improvements, according to DGRI. Last June, DGRI opened the funds to businesses owners whose property was damaged during rioting following the death of George Floyd.

Implementing a 21st-century mobility strategy: $2.3 million

A host of improvements designed to make downtown streets more friendly for bicyclists and pedestrians was included in this pot of money. Some of those include rapid flashing beacons at Weston Street at Market Avenue, Cherry Street at U.S.-131and Crescent Street at Division Avenue.

Also included is the DDAs share of the resurfacing of a stretch of Ottawa Avenue that runs through downtown. The DDA is contributing $581,800 to the estimated $2.25 million project. In addition to resurfacing the road, the project includes decorative streetlights, trees, landscaping, and infrastructure for future traffic signals. The signals would be needed to accommodate the goal of eventually opening Ottawa, which is now a one-way street, to two-way traffic.

Growing more and better jobs and ensuring the continued vitality of the local economy: $535,000

This pool of money is used to fund programs such as DGRIs retail innovation and incubation grant, which provides funding to small retailers looking to open in downtown. The idea is to activate vacant retail space in downtown Grand Rapids and expand the number of women- and minority-owned businesses.

Past awards have went to GR Noir, a wine and jazz bar at 35 S. Division Ave., Mosbys Popcorn, 15 Ionia Ave. SW, and Ambiance GR Kitchen and Lounge.

Reinvesting in public space, culture and inclusive programming: $3.8 million

This investment includes planting trees downtown, renovations on property in and around Van Andel Arena, the installation of a public toilet on Ionia Street near the arena, as well as the DDAs share of the reconstruction of the Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle, a $2.8 million project.

The project is a partnership between the city of Grand Rapids and the DDA, which is contributing $550,000. The Ecliptic is the concrete gathering area/sculpture located within Rosa Parks Circle.

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JACKSON, MI - Graduation will look and feel a little bit more traditional for Jackson High School students this spring.

Jackson Public Schools has finalized plans for a single outdoor commencement ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Withington Stadium. There is an alternative date of Saturday, May 29, in the event of inclement weather.

Adjustments have been made as outdoor capacity restrictions have been loosened to allow more family members to attend the ceremony, Jackson High Assistant Principal Willie Lewis said. Capacity has been raised from around 300 to an expected capacity of 1,500, Lewis said.

That allows graduates to participate in a single ceremony, rather than multiple group ceremonies, Lewis said. Each graduate will receive six tickets each for family members and friends to attend.

A separate ceremony for Pathways and South Central Michigan Virtual students is set for 1 p.m. May 28 at Withington Staidum.

Our students will have an opportunity with our families to celebrate together in something that looks like more of what they were expecting, so were excited about that, Lewis said.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed Jackson High Schools commencement to August in 2020, allowing the district to host four separate ceremonies for 257 graduating seniors at Withington Stadium.

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GRAND HAVEN, MI  A 58-year-old mans body was recovered Tuesday, May 18, in Lake Michigan.

Rescuers had responded to a 2:48 a.m. report of a man in the water near the south pier.

Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, Ottawa County Sheriffs Department and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the man throughout the morning. Sheriffs divers found the victims body around 8:30 a.m.

Police did not release his name. He is from out of state, Grand Haven police said.

His body will be taken to Holland Hospital for an autopsy. Police will continue to investigate.

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Update 5/18: This story was updated to include comment from AG Dana Nessels office.

MIDLAND, MI - An attorney representing victims of the 2020 Edenville dam collapse flooding said he believes the state owes residents billions in related damages at a news conference Monday, May 17.

Ven Johnson represents nearly 300 residents in a mass tort lawsuit against the state of Michigan alleging it did not take sufficient action to prevent the Edenville dam collapse, which led to the breach of the Sanford Dam and the temporary displacement of about 10,000 residents in May 2020.

The flooding was declared a state and federal disaster, causing more than $209 million in damages. On Wednesday, May 19, it will have been a year since the dam collapsed.

Johnson initially targeted the former owner of the dam, Boyce Hydro, but the company is no longer liable after it was granted bankruptcy in April, Johnson said. The lawsuit brought against the state claims it failed to regulate or enforce the law against Boyce, which was ignoring the obvious safety hazards of the aging dams, according to a news release.

We should have been all over this and we blew it, Johnson said. Thats why we believe the state of Michigan... needs to step up and take responsibility for what happened.

When asked to put a dollar amount on what hed like to see the state pay in the network of lawsuits filed by residents, Johnson said he believes there are billions of dollars in losses.

These folks are rebuilding from next to nothing, Johnson said. With over 10,000 property losses and ongoing (damages), we believe billions would be (appropriate).

Johnson believes the judge considering the states motion to dismiss the lawsuit will reject it, but the state will appeal. Going through the legal process, the earliest the suit could go to trial would be in 2024, he said.

Johnson called on concerned observers to contact their representatives and ask them to help expedite the litigation against the state. Comparing the situation to the Flint water crisis settlement and Johnson said flooding victims should be part of the solution and not lost in legislation.

Its insane for us to repeat the same mistake again and do the same thing to these folks here in Midland, Johnson said. They dont need it six-and-a-half years from now, they need that money now.

In a statement to MLive, Lynsey Mukomel, press secretary for the Office of Public Information & Education in the department of the attorney general, said the Edenville Dam failure was a terrible tragedy and the state is looking to enforce action against Boyce Hydro co-owner Lee Mueller and others to hold them accountable.

The lawsuits that have been filed against state agencies are based on incorrect information about the state agencies actionsas explained in the detailed briefs submitted in response, Mukomel said. Our duty is to hold accountable those truly responsible for the failure. The parties currently await a ruling on whether those suits can proceed.

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JUSTICE minister Ziyambi Ziyambi faces arrest on contempt of court charges after his shocking weekend outburst following the landmark ruling by three High Court judges trashing President Emmerson Mnangagwas move to extend Chief Justice Luke Malabas retirement age by five years.

The ruling did not sit well with Ziyambi, who threatened the judges, accusing them of being captured by hostile foreign governments. His remarks courted the ire of human rights lawyers who are demanding that the minister be arraigned before the court on contempt of court charges.

Ziyambi, who was a litigant in the matter, said the ruling was a typical case of overreach and as government we cannot accept that.

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika, who challenged the extension of Malabas term, yesterday wrote to Judge President George Chiweshe, Registrar of the High Court and the three judges who heard the matter demanding action against Ziyambi.

Through his lawyer Thabani Mpofu, Kika said Ziyambi should be charged for his utterances viewed as undermining the bench.

Part of the letter read: On May 15, 2021, the High Court issued an abridged judgment in a matter involving our client, Musa Kika versus the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and 18 other respondents. In response to the judgment, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs issued the statement attached thereto.

We believe that the statement scandalises the court and that accordingly, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is in contempt of court. We request that you place this letter before the Judge President as well as the honourable judges who heard the matter.

Kika asked the Judge President to constitute a court to hear the matter.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) said Ziyambi should prove his claims that Western countries are sponsoring local non-governmental organisations to interfere with government activities.

The LSZ also said Ziyambis utterances were unacceptable.

We have carefully considered the statement and we are of the view that on the face of it, it was contemptuous of the court that dealt with this matter. A litigant aggrieved by a court decision has a right of appeal and such displeasure must be addressed through an appeal filed at court. A public statement attacking a court of law has the effect of ridiculing the Judiciary, thereby, diminishing public confidence in the institution.

The LSZ described Ziyambis attacks on the judges as unfair, unwarranted and unnecessary, especially coming from a minister responsible for justice, who is also a lawyer.

The statement threatens judicial independence and undermines the principle of separation of powers which are fundamental tenets of the rule of law. The Law Society has accordingly formally asked the minister to avail the information which was curiously withheld by his counsel and which he has also withheld in his statement.

Advocate Lewis Uriri said, while government had a right to disagree with the judgment handed down by the High Court judges, it was, however, not right to scandalise the integrity of the courts.

The route is to appeal. In doing so, the integrity of the court must not be scandalised. We must all respect the court, whether or not we agree with its judgment. While I desist from expressing any views on the correctness of the judgment for the reasons given above, I can and I will comment on its effect.

It is its effect on the conduct of the President. Its effect is to effectively set aside the Presidents conduct regardless of the fact that the President was not a party to the litigation. It is this effect of setting aside the conduct of the President that I address. This is not the subject of existing litigation and I can express my views on this effect.

The High Court was not asked to make an interim protective order. It did not make any such order.

Its judgment, to the extent that it effectively holds that the conduct of the President in extending the Chief Justices term is constitutionally invalid, has no effect until confirmed by the Constitutional Court, Uriri said.

He said the pronouncement that Malaba ceased to be a judge when he turned 70 has no constitutional effect until it is confirmed by the Constitutional Court.

It is best that the Deputy Chief Justice acts as Chief Justice in the interim, he said. Meanwhile, renowned academic Ibbo Mandaza said: One would have thought, or are we asking for too much here, that my younger brother Malaba would simply resign, walk away into retirement and leave the power mongers in the Zimbabwean State to their internecine conflict?

On the other hand, political analyst Eldred Masunungure said the removal of Malaba would not change much as long as Mnangagwa had the prerogative to handpick judges of his choice.

The issue has been about Malaba because he is the first beneficiary of the amendment. The implementation of the clause has put Malaba at the centre of attention from the side of government and those who are anti-government. He finds himself in the middle. Even if Malaba goes the clause will remain giving Mnangagwa power and that will cause havoc in the future. Newsday
BAY CITY, MI  Months after an Alpena County gun shop was burglarized and 49 of its guns stolen, a federal grand jury has indicted two men on related charges.

The grand jury on April 7 indicted Tyler B. Miller, 19, and a 20-year-old man on one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The indictment states that in November, Miller, his codefendant, and a 16-year-old male used the internet to research Full Bore Firearms, 1109 Crittenden Court in Alpena. On the afternoon of Nov. 21, the 20-year-old defendant drove Miller and the minor to a wooded area near the business and parked in a secluded area.

Miller and the minor tossed a rock through a glass front window to gain entry. Wearing masks, gloves, and hooded sweatshirts, the two entered Full Bore and stole 49 guns, the indictment states.

Afterward, the trio used carbide cutters to grind serial numbers off the guns, the indictment states.

The 20-year-old defendant hid most of the guns in the woods near his Alpena home and tried selling them, prosecutors allege. On Nov. 24, Miller had three of the stolen guns, the indictment states.

State and federal investigators followed up on leads, developed the trio as suspects, and executed search warrants on multiple residences, they previously said.

Miller on May 7 appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Kimberly G. Altman for his arraignment. Altman freed Miller, who resides in both Sault Ste. Marie and Naples, Florida, on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Millers adult codefendant is not being named as he has not had his first appearance in court.

Miller is to appear for a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. on May 24.

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SAGINAW, MI  Speaking slowly and fighting tears, a Saginaw mother told the man who killed her pregnant daughter that she forgives him, saying holding on to hate only continues an epidemic of violence.

Helping put resentment aside, the grieving mother said, was hearing her deceased daughters voice encouraging her to move on.

Im not gonna hate, said Tamara Tucker, mother of MoeNeisha M. Simmons-Ross. I dont have room in my heart to hate. If we hate, then we will never get to a solution of love.

Tucker offered these emotional statements during the Tuesday, May 18, sentencing for 30-year-old Patrick A. Martin Jr. A jury deliberated for about 35 minutes on April 1 before finding Martin guilty of all seven counts he faced: first-degree felony murder, assaulting a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, felon in possession of a firearm, witness intimidation, and three counts of felony firearm.

The charges relate to the March 1, 2019, death of 26-year-old Simmons-Ross. While inside Simmons-Ross second-story apartment at 2725 Weiss St., Martin shot her once in her head with a handgun she had legally purchased a few days prior.

This is one of the hardest things that Ive ever had to do in life, besides raise my children, Tucker said. Every day, I say my prayers  and as Im getting to the part where Im asking God to forgive me, I also have to ask God to forgive you. And in doing so, every day, thats given me my strength to continue to go on and raise her son, you guys child, who is now without two parents. He will never know the love his mother. He will never know the hug of his mother.

Simmons-Ross was 10 to 12 weeks pregnant with Martins son when she died. She was already the mother of three sons, the youngest of whom Martin had fathered.

Those three boys will grow up, for the rest of their lives, without their mother, Tucker said. Theyre three Black males that the odds have already been stacked against. Theyre three Black males who have to go through this world wondering why you did what you did.

Tucker said her daughter was charitable and loved, helping feed and shower those in need.

Defendant Patrick A. Martin Jr., 27, sits and listens to testimonies during a preliminary hearing at The Saginaw County Courthouse in Judge Randall Juries courtroom on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. The case is regarding charges brought against Martin for the murder of Moeneisha M. Ross, 26, who was pregnant when she passed away in March of 2019.Rachel Ellis | MLive.com

She went on to say that in December, she begged and pleaded for God to let her hear from her deceased daughter.

I thought I was going crazy, she said. He let me hear her voice and her saying, Mama, Im all right. I need you to be all right. When He let me hear that, it gave me strength to go on, to carry on because she had done what she came on this earth to do. Her life meant so much, so much.

Tucker went on to say her brother and sister were also slain by gun violence, the former in Saginaw in 1990 and the latter in West Tampa, Florida, in October 2019.

Unfortunately, this is an epidemic, she said. Not just domestic violence, but the killings, they have to stop. The senseless killings

Simmons-Ross sister, Kathryn Simmons, echoed her mothers sentiments.

I do miss my sister and Im going to continue to help raise these boys, she said. I dont wish bad karma on anyone. I got to forgive you just for me to continue to move on with my life. If you continue to sit in hate and keep hate in your heart, youre not going to get nowhere. I forgive you for the mishap and the murder of my sister.

Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III sentenced Martin to life without the possibility of parole, as well as six shorter terms.

This case is unbearably sad to me, especially after having sat through the entire trial and now having listened to both Mrs. Tucker and Ms. Simmons, Trice said. Im sure that its unbearably sad to others as well for many different reasons. I truly hope Ms. Tucker and Ms. Simmons that you can fully heal from what happened to Ms. Ross and Im positive that you will. You will.

Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Blair N. Stevenson did not give additional commentary, saying Tuckers and Simmons heartfelt statements conveyed more than anything he could say.

Tamara Tucker poses for a photograph with images of her daughter and grandchildren outside of CAN (Child Abuse and Neglect) Council Great Lakes Bay Region in Saginaw on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Tucker is reviving the Saginaw chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, or POMC, after she lost her daughter, MoeNeisha M. Simmons-Ross, to gun violence. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com

Defense attorney William D. White and Martin gave short statements when Trice allowed them to speak.

Judge, my client had a jury trial. The jury has spoken. I wish Mr. Martin well. Thats all, White said.

I would like to apologize to the family and to the courts, added Martin.

Martins father and namesake, 50-year-old Patrick A. Martin Sr., is currently imprisoned for the rest of his life for two unrelated murders. The first is the 2002 killing of Kevin Amos Jr., 19, in Saginaw County and the second is the 2009 killing of Debra K. Kukla in Bay City.

The elder Martin is incarcerated at the Kinross Correctional Facility in the Upper Peninsula. Chris Gautz, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said it is automatic for immediate family members not to be housed at the same facility.

Tucker recently announced she is reviving the Saginaw chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, a national nonprofit.

Nobody wants to be a part of this type of organization, but its a necessary and needed organization in our community, Tucker told MLive in April. Gun violence is We cant get around it, so we have to deal with it.

The support group will feature volunteers providing a compassionate ear and services for those whose children have been killed. For instance, in the aftermath of a tragedy, volunteers may bring food to the grief-stricken, assist them with general upkeep, or provide a shoulder to lean on, Tucker said.

We go past the bereavement process of getting through the funeral, Tucker again said in April. Call someone if you need to talk. Theres going to be days when youre happy, theres going to be days when youre sad. If you need to talk to somebody, thats what were there for.

The chapter has established Newer Dimensions Fellowship Ministries at 3430 Jefferson St. in Carrollton Township as a meeting place. Those interested in volunteering or getting help can call 989-332-8864.

Read more:

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MIDLAND, MI  An airplane crash in rural Midland County has resulted in one mans death.

At 1:22 p.m. on Monday, May 17, Midland County sheriffs deputies responded to a reported plane crash in the area of South Geneva and West Ball roads in Jasper Township. A passerby had called 911 on seeing a plane on fire in a field, said Sheriff Myron Greene.

St. Louis firefighters also responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze. Emergency personnel found the planes deceased pilot in its cockpit.

The 23-year-old Gratiot County man was the crafts lone occupant. Deputies have not released his name due to pending next-of-kin notification.

The plane appeared to have been a single-engine Cessna 182H model, Greene said. The cause of the crash remains unknown.

Deputies are turning the investigation over to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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UPDATE: As of 4:08 p.m., police have reopened all lanes of northbound Interstate 75 on the Zilwaukee Bridge.

SAGINAW, MI  Police are on and under the Zilwaukee Bridge looking for a suspect in a potential homicide.

At 12:26 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, Saginaw Township police responded to a report of a woman found deceased inside a unit at Camelot Place Apartments, said Chief Donald F. Pussehl Jr. The deceased, a 29-year-old woman, appeared to have been the victim of a homicide, Pussehl added.

The death was reported by a relative. The suspect had left the scene in a box-type van before police arrived, Pussehl said.

About 1 p.m., Saginaw County Sheriffs deputies were notified of an unattended van matching the suspect vehicles description on top of the Zilwaukee Bridge.

The vans drivers side door was open when deputies arrived. Deputies backed off to await backup from the Michigan State Police, who were to open the vans box to see if the suspect was inside, Federspiel said.

Were trying to secure a vehicle on the bridge and were not sure why its there, he said. When theres a parked vehicle on the bridge, lot of the time its because someone jumped. I cant say with certainty right now thats what happened, but well find out shortly.

Shortly before 3 p.m., MSP troopers opened the van, finding the suspect was not inside, Federspiel said.

The sheriff added boats and dive teams from his agency and the Bay County Sheriffs Office are scouring the Saginaw River under the bridge to see if anyone had leaped into it.

Police as of 2:48 p.m. had all northbound lanes closed on Interstate 75 near the M-13 exit/entrance ramps at the bridge. Police are detouring traffic down and then back up through the M-13 ramp, according to Michigan Department of Transportation representative Jocelyn Hall.

Police reopened all lanes of northbound I-75 as of 4:08 p.m., Hall said.

The victims name and cause of death have not been disclosed by police.

Police area asking anyone who has additional information to call 911 or the Saginaw Township Police Department at 989-793-2310.

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SAGINAW, MI  A federal lawsuit has been filed against the City of Saginaw and two of its police officers, alleging they violated a residents civil rights by unjustly entering his home and arresting him.

David W. Little, through attorney Solomon M. Radner of Detroits Ven Johnson Law PLC, on May 13 filed his suit against the city and Saginaw Police Department officers Steven Lautner and Jordan Ladouce.

The lawsuit states Little was in his apartment in the 600 block of Holden Street on Jan. 5, 2020, when the two officers knocked on his door.

Mr. Little, having never been arrested before and under the belief that these officers could be trusted to do the right thing, allowed them to enter, the lawsuit states. Little did Mr. Little know, these officers were there to arrest him on trumped up charges with no evidence that Mr. Little had committed any crime.

Elsewhere in the lawsuit, its alleged Lautner explicitly lied in his subsequent report by writing that Little gave consent for the officers to enter. MLive was unable to contact Radner for comment on these discrepancies.

The officers arrived at Littles door by tracking a set of footprints from the Surgical Disciplines Building at 912 S. Washington Ave., where someone had thrown a rock through a window, the lawsuit states. The distance between the building and Littles apartment is approximately three-tents of a mile, according to Google Maps.

The officers handcuffed Little inside his home and found a set of shoes they alleged matched the tracks they had followed, the lawsuit states. The officers arrested Little on a charge of malicious destruction of property.

Little was in jail until he bonded out on Jan. 10, having been arraigned on two misdemeanor vandalism charges. More than a year later, on April 20, prosecutors dismissed their case against Little on the grounds that proper identification of the defendant could not be produced, court records state.

The dismissal came during a bench trial in Littles case. At least one witness had been sworn-in before the dismissal was issued, meaning jeopardy was attached and Little cannot be recharged.

The lawsuit alleges witnesses to the vandalism described the perpetrator as Black, while Little is white.

The lawsuit contains four counts, two of which allege the officers violated Littles Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful entry and seizure and unlawful arrest and prosecution. The latter two counts allege unlawful imprisonment and violation of civil rights by the city.

The lawsuit also alleges Lautner and Ladouce did not have their body-worn cameras activated throughout the duration of their interaction with Little. The officers were not disciplined for this, the lawsuit alleges.

Saginaw Police Chief Robert M. Ruth declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuits next court date is pending.

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SAGINAW, MI  A Tawas man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in Saginaw then fled to Kentucky is to spend the next few years in prison.

Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson on Tuesday, May 18, sentenced 25-year-old Traymond E. Baldwin to 42 months  or 3.5 years  to 15 years in prison. Jackson gave Baldwin credit for 433 days already served in the county jail.

The judge also ordered Baldwin to pay $358 in court costs and fines. Baldwin must also register as a sex offender.

I am sincerely sorry for what I have done, Baldwin told the judge. It was a mistake that wont happen again. I just want to get this behind me and do better about my life and be a better person and go get my career so I can start what I want to do in life. Thats all I want.

Jackson replied, Alright, well, I hope when youre released from prison you follow through on that and turn your life around.

Baldwin in January pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15. The charge involves penetration and is a 15-year felony.

When he pleaded, Baldwin said that on July 1, 2019, he was at a Saginaw residence when a 13-year-old girl visited him. He said the girl told him she was 16 and they engaged in sexual activity.

Baldwin later found out the girl was not 16, the age of consent for sexual activity in Michigan.

In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dismissed three counts of first- and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, with one of each degree having the additional description of the victim being younger than 13.

Prosecutors previously said the mother of the girl in question contacted police in October 2019 on learning her daughter was accusing Baldwin of sexual assault.

Authorities issued a warrant for Baldwin on Feb. 26, 2020, around the time Baldwin left Michigan for Kentucky. Police in Radcliff, Kentucky, on March 8, 2020, received a call of suspected drug activity outside a business, said Police Chief Jeffrey A. Cross. Officers responded to the area and encountered Baldwin. On running his name, police learned he was wanted on an outstanding warrant in Michigan, Cross said.

Baldwin was extradited from Kentucky and arraigned in Saginaw County in April 2020.

Read more:

Tawas man pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl in Saginaw

Tawas man extradited from Kentucky to face rape charges

Man gets up to 90 years in prison for vicious, despicable attack on woman in downtown Saginaw office
Train trips between Detroit and Chicago will be a little faster starting May 25, as the Amtrak trains will speed up from 79 mph to 110 mph between Kalamazoo and Albion.

It joins the stretch of track from Porter, Indiana to Kalamazoo thats already been sped up to 110 mph. This will become the longest stretch of track at 110 mph in the United States outside of the northeast, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari.

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation received federal approval to speed up the trains in this section after making infrastructure improvements and doing testing.

While the trains will go faster for a 45-mile stretch, Amtrak isnt changing its schedule yet to reflect a shorter trip time.

We need to get some operating experience to see if time can be taken out, Magliari said. But eventually, we plan to take out time as we expand more of this 110 mph territory.

The company plans to increase speeds next between Albion and Dearborn.

Its worth noting that 110 mph is the maximum speed. Trains wont be going that pace the entire stretch because of curves, stops and other factors, Magliari said.

Theoretically, a 41 mph increase in speed over 45 miles would speed up the trip time by about 10 minutes.

Other ongoing Amtrak improvements include new stations, new locomotives, new passenger railcars, track enhancements, new grade crossings and other safety upgrades, per MDOT.

Second train to Chicago to return

Pre-pandemic, Amtrak had three trains leave from Pontiac and Chicago each day traveling between each other. The service has since been limited to one train per day  but a second trip on the Wolverine line will return July 19.

The extra train comes back online as Amtrak sees a return in demand for train travel, per an MDOT news release.

Schedules will change around once the second round trip restarts. Until July 19, Pontiac-bound trains will leave from Chicago at 1:25 p.m., while Chicago-bound trains will leave from Pontiac at 5:43 a.m.

Starting July 19, trains will depart Chicago at 7:20 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. and depart Pontiac at 5:43 a.m. and 5:35 p.m.  all times local.

The Wolverine line makes stops along the way throughout southern Michigan and northwest Indiana, including Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Detroit.
After touring Fords Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, President Joe Biden jumped on stage with a message for the audience.

My names Joe Biden and Im a car guy! Biden said, amid applause.

Biden got a sneak peak of Fords new electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, on Tuesday, May 18. The new truck wasnt supposed to be unveiled until Wednesday  and officials covered the gray truck back up after Bidens remarks. Ford will officially unveil the truck at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The president spoke of his American Jobs Plan, which would devote $2.3 trillion to rebuilding infrastructure  including $174 billion for electric vehicles. The idea is to save families money and reduce pollution.

The future of the auto industry is electric, Biden said. Theres no turning back.

His plan would pay incentives to customers buying electric vehicles, offer tax credits for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, provide money for electric transit and school buses, offer tax credits for electric vehicle manufacturing and spend $15 billion to boost the United States to 500,000 public electric vehicle charging stations.

The U.S. had about 100,000 charging stations in 2020, compared to 800,000 in China, per the White House.

Right now, China is leading in this race  make no bones about it, its a fact, Biden said. They think theyre going to win. But Ive got news for them  they will not win this race.

President Joe Biden listens during a tour of the Ford Rouge EV Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford thanked Biden for his support, offering him a spin in the F-150 Lightning.

I know the secret service may not let you drive yourself, Ford said. But if you can win them over, youre always welcome to take the F-150 Lightning for a spin. And I promise you its going to give your Corvette a run for its money.

It turns out, Biden took him up on the offer. He drove the truck at Fords test track after the event, rolling up to the media pool, rolling down the window and saying with a smile, This suckers quick.

After taking a question or two, he floored it and sped away.

Ford says its investing $22 billion into vehicle connection and electrification through 2025, and plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Biden spoke of supporting unions and not leaving Americans behind. About 90% of the jobs created in his American Jobs Plan wouldnt require a bachelors degree, he said.

The bottom line: The American Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America, Biden said.

The president also mentioned the semiconductor chip shortage  which has been slowing production for auto manufacturers. The chips power everything from engines to navigation systems to windows in vehicles.

RELATED: Chip shortage leaves car shoppers in Tickle Me Elmo scenario

Biden said the U.S. needs to invest in research and development of these chips to make sure the issue never arises again.

Attendees in the audience included workers from the plant, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and many other Democratic lawmakers. Biden praised Whitmer, calling her a friend who has a backbone like a ramrod.

President Joe Biden fist bumps with a worker after speaking at the Ford Rouge EV Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP

Republicans were critical of Bidens event and his American Jobs Plan.

Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer are too busy championing a plan that will be a wrecking ball to Michigans economy, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. Instead of destroying good paying union jobs, decimating Detroits world-class auto industry and creating a fuel crisis, Whitmer and Biden should pay attention to the crumbling roads around them.

Biden criticized former President Donald Trump during the speech  although not by name  saying hell reverse Trumps rollbacks on vehicle efficiency and emissions standards.

Biden also hit Trump on infrastructure, saying Trump claimed change was coming, but in four years didnt do a damn thing about it.

President Joe Biden arrives to speak after a tour of the Ford Rouge EV Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP

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For months, the federal Centers for Disease Control had been warning Americans to adhere to COVID-19 mitigation strategies such as wearing a mask indoors even if they are fully vaccinated against the virus.

But in a head-spinning announcement last week, the CDC announced the vaccines are effective enough that fully immunized Americans can ditch their masks in most circumstances and return to pre-pandemic life such as indoor dining in restaurants.

Wait. What???

Its a huge sudden leap of faith, and a giant bomb dropped that all of a sudden, said Dr. Joel Fishbain, a Grosse Pointe infectious disease specialist with Beaumont Health. It caught people by surprise.

A big part of the surprise is that, with only a third of the Americans fully vaccinated, Michigan and the rest of the country appear to be moving to the honor system in regards to masks.

Thats led to fears that those against both masking and vaccines will see the new guidelines as a giant loophole they will happily exploit. So maybe we shouldnt put away our masks after all, some vaccinated people are saying.

Can we trust this new guidance? How safe are fully vaccinated people without a mask?

Pretty darn safe, said Dr. Mark Hamed, the medical director for Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, Tuscola, Alcona, Iosco, Ogemaw and Oscoda counties. The data has become so compelling that the CDC now feels free to say, you dont have to wear a mask indoors. ... People should feel confident about the vaccines.

Dine indoors in a restaurant? Go for it, Hamed said.

We should take the CDC at their word, said Dr. Frank Rosenblat, an Oakland County infectious disease specialist with McLaren Health.

If youre fully vaccinated and youre not immunocompromised, you can drop the mask, Rosenblat said.

Aggregating the studies all together, it does appear the vaccines are very effective, he said. The risk of developing severe illness after vaccination or even symptomatic illness is pretty low.

Michigans surge put COVID-19 vaccines to the test. They passed with flying colors.

How low? At this point, it appears that a fully immunized Michigander is much more likely to get injured in a car accident than be hospitalized for COVID-19.

Moreover, its becoming more clear that fully vaccinated people are at low risk of spreading the disease, something that was an open question as the federal vaccine program began.

Many experts feared that while vaccinated persons might not get sick themselves, they might retain the capability of infecting others at the same rates as unvaccinated people, an issue unaddressed in the clinical trials. Those fears have been put to rest by new studies coming out of the United Kingdom and Israel as well as the United States, CDC officials said, prompting the change in guidelines.

That means people who are fully immunized -- which is two weeks beyond their final dose of vaccine -- are well-protected against the virus themselves and dont pose a danger of spreading it to others. That eliminates the rationales for masking.

There are some caveats, experts note. Universal masking is still urged for some venues, such as hospitals, planes and public transportation; private businesses can set their own standards, and the CDC guidelines dont supersede local and state public-health orders.

Also, there are some fully vaccinated people who should continue to mask and practice social distance, including those with seriously compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and those who have undergone organ transplants. Elderly persons should recognize that they are at higher risk of failing to develop sufficient antibodies despite being vaccinated, which means they may want to continue to mask. And families with children under 12 who cant be vaccinated need to stick with masking and social distancing on indoor activities that involve the kids.

Plus, doctors say theres nothing wrong with anybody who opts for a better-safe-than-sorry approach, and choses to continue masking and limiting indoor activities.

Its a cultural shift, Hamed said. Weve been told for the past year to wear a mask, that (COVID-19) is very contagious and it still is contagious. But its safer now than it was last year because we have these very safe, very effective vaccines.

As for the potential that people who downplay the pandemic will exploit that to go without masks, doctors acknowledge that is likely to happen.

But they also warn that individuals do that at their own peril, especially with variants that have made COVID-19 even more contagious.

They will be hurting themselves, Rosenblat said. People who dont get vaccinated and dont wear a mask, I dont believe they realize what a tremendous risk they are taking.

Rosenblat said hes probably treated as many COVID-19 patients as any doctor in Michigan over the past year, and hes seen too people who ignored health guidelines about the pandemic only to end up severely ill.

Ive had patients who told me that they didnt think this was a big deal and they ended up dying, he said. I think all of us infectious disease physicians have a story, or several stories like that -- a patient who didnt take it seriously until it was too late.

Rosenblat added that people should realize that once a COVID-19 patient is hospitalized, the opportunity to do anything limited. The drugs we have available, in all honesty, are not that great. They have marginal to suboptimal benefit. ... Sometimes the only thing we can do is wish back to a month ago when they could have had a vaccine and prevented this all.

Fishbain said hes also concerned that if enough people go unvaccinated, that could result in variants that are resistant to the vaccines.

If we continue to have infection and spread, there is the possibility that were going to get a mutant strain in which the current vaccines are not effective, he said.

The major takeaway from the CDC announcement last week should be the importance of vaccinations, Fishbain added.

Vaccines work, vaccines are safe and vaccinated patients dont seem to be a significant risk for spreading COVID-19, he said. So get your damn vaccine. Thats what the message is. And if you want to return to normal, tell all the people around you to get vaccinated, too.

More on MLive:

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Michigans surge put COVID-19 vaccines to the test. They passed with flying colors.

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Republican members of Michigans congressional delegation have joined a call to end federal supplemental unemployment benefits in an attempt to revitalize the workforce.

Michigans seven GOP congressional representatives wrote to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday, May 17, advising she end Michigans participation in federal supplemental unemployment insurance benefits programs.

The letter points to the nationwide labor shortage, noting that last month, only 266,000 new jobs were added, compared to the estimated one million jobs forecasted to be added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At least four states already decided to stop accepting federal unemployment benefits in mid-to-late June  Montana, South Carolina, North Dakota and Iowa.

Last week, the Michigan chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business also called on Michigan to join the list of states dropping out.

Related: Cancel extra $300, federal unemployment programs, Michigan business group urges

Michigan currently offers up to $662 per week to unemployed workers, including $300 in federally funded benefits from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The extra $300 and the federal unemployment programs  including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program  dont expire until September.

Michigan only offers 20 weeks of state unemployment. The federal programs offer dozens of weeks of benefits for people who no longer qualify for state unemployment.

Canceling the PUA and PEUC programs would toss more than a half-million Michiganders off unemployment. For the week of April 10, Michigan had about 860,000 people on federal unemployment and about 100,000 getting state unemployment.

Unfortunately, these benefits remain so robust that employees are more incentivized to stay home and collect unemployment than to go back to work, Republicans wrote to Whitmer on Monday.

The letter addresses Michigans rising vaccination rate and declining COVID-19 case rate. The letter cites both metrics as reasons for ending the supplemental unemployment.

We all agree that the federal supplemental benefits served a purpose when businesses were forced to close in response to the public health crisis, but now, as the seven-day average of positive cases continues a three-week decline and hospitalization rates remain low, businesses both can and want to reopen, and employees can and should return to work, Republicans wrote.

In response Whitmers office issued the following statement:

As we make our way out of the pandemic, our administration is continuing to focus on meeting the needs of Michigan families and small businesses. The governor does not support taking unemployment benefits away from people who have lost a job through no fault of their own during a pandemic. Instead, we will deploy the critical federal aid weve received through President Bidens American Rescue Plan to set up our state for success and ensure that Michigans families, businesses, and communities emerge stronger than ever from this pandemic.

Last week, the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency announced it would be reinstating the work search requirement for unemployment recipients for both state and federal programs.

The requirement was halted in March 2020 when the pandemic started but will be enforced by the end of the month, according to the UIA.

President Joe Biden last week also highlighted the importance of work search requirements.

Were going to make it clear that anyone collecting unemployment, who is offered a suitable job must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits, Biden said. There are a few COVID-19-related exceptions, so that people arent forced to choose between their basic safety and a paycheck. But, otherwise, thats the law.

The president also noted last week that fair wages are a component to addressing the worker shortage.

My expectation is that, as our economy comes back, these companies will provide fair wages and safe work environments, Biden said. And if they do, theyll find plenty of workers and were all going to come out of this together better than before.

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Long hours, health risks and ghost applicants lead to desperate staffing situations at Michigan restaurants

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Cancel extra $300, federal unemployment programs, Michigan business group urges

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Researchers call for bias-free artificial intelligence

Clinicians and surgeons are increasingly using medical devices based on artificial intelligence. These AI devices, which rely on data-driven algorithms to inform health care decisions, presently aid in diagnosing cancers, heart conditions and diseases of the eye, with many more applications on the way.

Given this surge in AI, two Stanford University faculty members are calling for efforts to ensure that this technology does not exacerbate existing heath care disparities.

In a new perspective paper, Stanford faculty discuss sex, gender and race bias in medicine and how these biases could be perpetuated by AI devices. The authors suggest several short- and long-term approaches to prevent AI-related bias, such as changing policies at medical funding agencies and scientific publications to ensure the data collected for studies are diverse, and incorporating more social, cultural and ethical awareness into university curricula.

"The white body and the male body have long been the norm in medicine guiding drug discovery, treatment and standards of care, so it's important that we do not let AI devices fall into that historical pattern," said Londa Schiebinger, the John L. Hinds Professor in the History of Science in the School of Humanities and Sciences and senior author of the paper published May 4 in the journal EBioMedicine.

"As we're developing AI technologies for health care, we want to make sure these technologies have broad benefits for diverse demographics and populations," said James Zou, assistant professor of biomedical data science and, by courtesy, of computer science and of electrical engineering at Stanford and co-author of the study.

The matter of bias will only become more important as personalized, precision medicine grows in the coming years, said the researchers. Personalized medicine, which is tailored to each patient based on factors such as their demographics and genetics, is vulnerable to inequity if AI medical devices cannot adequately account for individuals' differences.

"We're hoping to engage the AI biomedical community in preventing bias and creating equity in the initial design of research, rather than having to fix things after the fact," said Schiebinger.

Constructive - if constructed appropriately

In the medical field, AI encompasses a suite of technologies that can help diagnose patients' ailments, improve health care delivery and enhance basic research. The technologies involve algorithms, or instructions, run by software. These algorithms can act like an extra set of eyes perusing lab tests and radiological images; for instance, by parsing CT scans for particular shapes and color densities that could indicate disease or injury.

Problems of bias can emerge, however, at various stages of these devices' development and deployment, Zou explained. One major factor is that the data for forming models used by algorithms as baselines can come from nonrepresentative patient datasets.

By failing to properly take race, sex and socioeconomic status into account, these models can be poor predictors for certain groups. To make matters worse, clinicians might lack any awareness of AI medical devices potentially producing skewed results.

As an illustrative example of potential bias, Schiebinger and Zou discuss pulse oximeters in their study. First patented around 50 years ago, pulse oximeters can quickly and noninvasively report oxygen levels in a patient's blood. The devices have proven critically important in treating COVID-19, where patients with low oxygen levels should immediately receive supplemental oxygen to prevent organ damage and failure.

Pulse oximeters work by shining a light through a patient's skin to register light absorption by oxygenated and deoxygenated red blood cells. Melanin, the primary pigment that gives skin its color, also absorbs light, however, potentially scrambling readings in people with highly pigmented skin. It's no surprise, then, that studies have shown today's industry-standard oximeters are three times more likely to incorrectly report blood gas levels in Black patients compared to white patients. Oximeters additionally have a sex bias, tending to misstate levels in women more often than men. These oximeter biases mean that dark-skinned individuals, especially females, are at risk of not receiving emergency supplemental oxygen.

"The pulse oximeter is an instructive example of how developing a medical technology without varied demographic data collection can lead to biased measurements and thus poorer patient outcomes," said Zou.

This issue extends to the evaluation of devices after approval for clinical use. In another recent study, published in Nature Medicine and cited in the EBioMedicine paper, Zou and colleagues at Stanford reviewed the 130 medical AI devices approved at the time by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The researchers found that 126 out of the 130 devices were evaluated using only previously collected data, meaning that no one gauged how well the AI algorithms work on patients in combination with active human clinician input. Moreover, less than 13 percent of the publicly available summaries of approved device performances reported sex, gender or race/ethnicity.

Zou said these problems of needing more diverse data collection and monitoring of AI technologies in medical contexts "are among the lowest hanging fruit in addressing bias."

Addressing bias at the macro level

Over the longer term, the study explores how structural changes to the broader biomedical infrastructure can help overcome the challenges posed by AI inequities.

A starting point is funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health. Some progress has been made in recent years, Schiebinger said, pointing to how in 2016, the NIH started requiring funding applicants to include sex as a biological variable in their research, if relevant. Schiebinger anticipates the NIH instituting a similar policy for gender, as well as race and ethnicity. Her group at Stanford, meanwhile, is developing gender as a sociocultural variable during clinical trials, as reported in a February study in Biology of Sex Differences.

"We want to start with policy up front in funding agencies to set the direction of research," said Schiebinger. "These agencies have a great role to play because they are distributing taxpayer money, which means that the funded research must benefit all people across the whole of society."

Another opportunity area centers on biomedical publications, including journals and conference reports. The Stanford study authors suggest that publications set policies to require sex and gender analyses where appropriate, along with ethical considerations and societal consequences.

For medical schools, the authors suggest enhancing curricula to increase awareness of how AI might reinforce social inequities. Stanford and other universities are already making strides toward this goal by embedding of ethical reasoning into computer science courses.

Another example of using an interdisciplinary approach to reduce bias is the ongoing collaboration between Schiebinger, who has taught at Stanford for 17 years and is a leading international authority on gender and science, and Zou, an expert in computer science and biomedical AI.

"Bringing together a humanist and a technologist is something Stanford is good at and should do more of," said Schiebinger. "We're proud to be in the forefront of the efforts to debias AI in medicine, all the more important considering the many other facets of human life that AI will eventually impact."

###

James Zou's work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Key NATO allies twice as likely to die in Afghanistan as US forces: report

(CGTN) 16:21, May 18, 2021

Photo taken on Jan 23, 2018 shows a Black Hawk helicopter during a handover ceremony between the US forces and the Afghan air force in Kandahar Province, south Afghanistan. [Photo/Xinhua]

Troops from the United Kingdom and Canada are twice as likely to be killed in Afghanistan as compared to their US counterparts, while the UK has also provided more economic and humanitarian assistance to the country than the US, the Guardian reported on a study published on Wednesday.

According to the study published by the Costs of War project at Brown University, the US losses were 2.3 percent of its vast military presence, and the percentage stood respectively at 4.7 percent and 5.4 percent for the UK and Canada.

"Americans do not fully understand, do not acknowledge, the sacrifices that allies made in Afghanistan," Jason Davidson, the author of the report and professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, was quoted by the Guardian as saying.

Suggesting the UK losses haven't received enough attention, Davidson told the Guardian, "I would like to see more American policymaker acknowledgment and discussion with the public of the costs that America's allies have incurred in these wars."

The finding of UK soldiers' deaths echoed a study in December by the UK-based group Action on Armed Violence, which found British soldiers were 12 percent more likely to have been killed than their American counterparts in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Besides, the report also found that the UK spent slightly more on foreign aid to Afghanistan as a percentage of GDP (0.16 percent) than the US (0.15 percent).

"It is clear that Afghanistan proved to be a significant burden for UK troops," Iain Overton, the editor of the report, told the Guardian, adding, "The UK military suffered almost three-quarters of its total deaths there in the last two decades."

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
If you suffer from low back pain (LBP), you're not alone. Studies reveal that LBP is the second most common reason Americans visit doctors.

Nowadays, many people are avoiding medication. They prefer alternative therapy to manage their back or neck pain. It's why the demand for chiropractic treatment is growing.

According to statistics provided by the American Chiropractic Association, there are over 70,000 chiropractors in the United States.

What Is Chiropractic Treatment?

The idea behind chiropractic care is that your body can heal itself, and specific hands-on manipulations help realign your joints, leading to pain relief.

According to Activa Clinics, to produce lasting results, chiropractors will identify the underlying causes of your affliction and correct them at their source.

The adjustment must be performed by qualified professionals as it usually involves applying controlled, sudden pressure to a spinal joint. The purpose of this procedure is to correct the motion of your spine and improve your body's physical function.

Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Here are key benefits that this form of alternative medicine offers:

Improves Neck Pain

Neck ache is a common complaint of many people. The condition results from sitting for long hours during the day, poor posture, and frequent use of your phone.

What a chiropractor will do to ease the pain is realign your spine to reduce the tension in your neck muscles.

According to studies, spinal manipulation over 12 weeks was more effective than treatment involving medication.

Eases Back Pain

People with chronic low back pain are encouraged to seek alternative treatments before taking medication to manage their condition. Some of the options recommended by the American College of Physicians include:

spinal manipulation

physical exercise

yoga

acupuncture

tai chi

meditation

Chiropractic treatment is an excellent substitute for procedures like surgery in treating short-term back pain.

Pexels

Reduces Consumption of Opioid Pain Relievers

Doctors often prescribe drugs to patients to manage their chronic pain. Studies show that chiropractic treatment may lower the need for pharmaceuticals, which is a good thing if you want to avoid being reliant on medication.

In a 2020 study, those treated by a chiropractor and doctor were less likely to get opioid pain relief prescriptions than those who only visited their physician.

Reduces Scoliosis Symptoms

Research shows chiropractic treatments may help improve the Cobb angle of people who have scoliosis, which is a sideways curvature of the spine.

In a group of children with the same condition, the reading improved after eight weeks of therapy.

Slows Down Arthritis Progression

Degeneration of joint cartilage causes your bones to rub against each other. This condition can lead to osteoarthritis pain. There are multiple chiropractic treatments that align your joints and reduce the extent of the friction.

At the moment, there isn't enough research to support the effectiveness of the therapy on arthritis. However, animal studies show that improving the condition of the cartilage, bone, and joint capsule can slow down the progression of the disease.

Helps Improve Posture

If you have poor posture caused by too much sitting, it could lead to headaches, neck, and back pain.

More research needs to be done, but one study reports that after 30 chiropractic treatments, the posture of a sufferer improved significantly, and she found pain relief in her neck and head.

Conclusion

Besides the health benefits, the cost of chiropractic care may also be cheaper than conventional treatment for chronic low back pain.

Researchers found that people who went through alternative therapy spent less than those who received standard medical care for their condition. The duration of the former was also shorter than the latter.
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National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has emphasized that the party cannot be blamed for the current challenges in the health sector following accusations from ace broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah.

Amidst the FixTheCountry campaign, the experienced journalist with GHOne TV in a post on his Twitter page on Sunday claims the country wouldnt be in this state if provisions were made in the health sector when the NDC was in power.

Having taken notice of the post, Sammy Gyamfi has in a write-up on his Facebook disagreed with Nana Aba Anamoah.

According to the NDC Communicator, the records show that his party under the leadership of ex-President John Dramani Mahama did more for the health sector in the history of the country than any other government.

He explains that although the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has had access to a total resource envelope of over GHc350 billion in the time they have been in office, they have still not managed to match the achievements of the erstwhile government.

.in all fairness, you [Nana Aba Anamoah] cannot blame the current challenges in our health sector on the NDC that left power about five (5) years ago. Have a nice day and continue doing a great job you are doing for mother Ghana, part of the post on Sammy Gyamfis Facebook page reads.

Read the full write-up from Sammy Gyamfi below:
In a symbolic gesture to embrace sexual and gender minorities, the city of Paris marked International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia by announcing it will declare itself an "LGBTQI+ freedom zone". It also hosted the Global Conference on the rights and inclusion of LGBTI+ youth.

Paris city hall said on Monday that it wanted to show "its strong international support for [LGBTQI+] people under threat" and would present a motion to declare the entire capital a "LGBTQI+ freedom zone" at the next Paris council meeting in early June.

The initiative follows in the footsteps of the European Parliament which adopted a similar resolution in March in reaction to the "LGBT ideology-free zones" declared by a hundred local authorities in Poland.

In addition to this symbolic declaration, the project includes "concrete measures for the protection and support of LGBTQI+ people" as well as training programmes for officers of the future Paris municipal police.

City hall also reaffirmed its support for "equal sexual and reproductive rights for LGBTQI+ people, in particular universal and free medically-assisted procreation (MAP) for female couples, as well as its position in favour of banning conversion therapies in France".

It unveiled a commemorative plaque in tribute to Jean Diot and Bruno Lenoir, "the last two Frenchmen known to have been sentenced to death for homosexual practice".

Anti-LGBT acts down by 15% in 2020

According to the latest official figures published by the interior ministry, anti-LGBT incidents officially went down by 15 percent in 2020, for the first time since 2016.

Some 1,590 victims of homophobic or transphobic crime were recorded in France in 2020, compared to 1,870 in 2019.

Between 2018 and 2019, the number of recorded incidents had shot up by 36 percent (1,870 complaints lodged).

The drop in 2020 was largely due to the series of lockdowns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and which limited human interaction.

But also because fewer people registered complaints.

The ministry itself warned that the figures were misleading because they are based on the number of complaints registered and victims rarely register complaints".

The circulation of Covid-19 has deterred people from moving around and getting together, Matthieu Gatipon-Bachette, spokesperson for the Inter-LGBT association, told France 24.

More victims in family setting

If the overall number of anti-LGBT attacks has officially decreased, anti-LGBT hatred and violence within families or collective housing has gone up.

There have never been so many domestic violence situations to deal with, Gatipon-Bachette said.

Associations supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have been under increased pressure to find accomodation for young people thrown out on the street because of their sexual orientation.

For some young people, their coming-out to their family has gone very badly, Gatipon-Bachette added.

They usually have a support network in their school and from their friends. But with the various lockdowns, they found themselves alone and some were confronted with violent reactions when they came out. Others were even thrown out of their homes by their families.

Police training needed

Another concern is that "police don't always record the homophobic nature of attacks," Gatipon-Bachette explained.

This is despite measures included in a three-year plan which the government unveiled last year aimed at further developing training for LGBT referents within police stations and gendarmerie brigades to improve the way victims are treated.

Tired with waiting, grassroots associations have come up with their own initiatives. The LGBT+ group Flag has developped an app to help victims anonymously report violence. Once reported they are guided towards public bodies or aid groups for help.
Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray region is facing a horrifying situation with people dying of hunger, health services destroyed and rape "rampant", the WHO chief, himself from the region, said Monday.

"The situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, is, if I use one word, horrific. Very horrific," World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in November after accusing the once-dominant regional ruling party of orchestrating attacks on federal army camps.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy declared victory later that month when the army entered the regional capital Mekele.

But fighting continues and the six-month conflict has sparked allegations of massacres and rape by Ethiopian forces and troops from neighbouring Eritrea.

The WHO chief, himself from the Tigray region, condemned the conflict's indiscriminate killings and widespread sexual violence. By Christopher Black (World Health Organization/AFP/File)

Tedros pointed out that some five million people in the region are now in need of humanitarian aid, and especially food aid.

"Many people have started dying actually because of hunger, and severe and acute malnutrition is becoming rampant," he said.

In addition, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes with over 60,000 fleeing into Sudan.

At the same time, health services have been looted and destroyed, he said, adding that "the majority of them are not functioning".

Aid access key

The WHO chief also condemned indiscriminate killings and the widespread use of sexual violence in the conflict.

"Rape is rampant. I don't think there was that scale anywhere else in the world actually," he said.

Asked about the Covid-19 situation in his home region, Tedros said there were no services to rein in the disease, but said it is not a priority given the other crises.

"For the most part, we're not even in a position to discuss about Covid, to be honest, because there are more pressing issues."

One of the most urgent problems to address is getting full access for humanitarian workers and for aid.

World leaders and aid agencies have repeatedly called for full humanitarian access to the crisis-wracked areas as fears grow of impending disaster.

On Friday, the European Union condemned the ongoing blocking of aid to the region, denouncing "the use of humanitarian aid as a weapon of war".

WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan warned Monday that "access to victims in Tigray remains highly unpredictable".

This, he said, was creating "a huge barrier to access to the populations that need our help".

With most health facilities destroyed, the UN health agency was concerned about rising risks of cholera, measles and other outbreaks, he said.

"We have also issues of continuing to get (cholera) vaccines in," he pointed out, stressing the need to "get those doses in there" and to plan immunisation campaigns "to avert a cholera disaster".
At least 2,700 migrants, some 1,000 of them minors, reached Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Monday, Spanish officials said, a record in a single day.

A spokesman for the Spanish government delegation in Ceuta said the numbers arriving Monday were unprecedented, adding that the migrants had reached the enclave by swimming or walking at low tide from beaches in neighbouring Morocco.

None of the migrants have been hospitalised and "they are doing well", he added.

During the morning, the delegation put the number at 100 arrivals, saying they were mostly young men but also included children and some women who had used inflatable swimming rings and rubber dinghies.

Others were able to almost walk there when the tide went out, the spokesman told AFP, with the numbers climbing rapidly throughout the day. The influx appeared to have stopped by 1800 GMT, he said.

Spanish Civil guards help a migrant after he arrived swimming to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco on May 17, 2021. By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

After being checked by the Red Cross, the migrants were taken to a migrant reception centre, with authorities set to meet to discuss how to handle the situation given the record arrivals.

During the last weekend of April, around 100 migrants swam to Ceuta in groups of 20 to 30. Most were deported back to Morocco.

Ceuta, together with Melilla -- Spain's other North African enclave -- have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

Migrants try to reach the enclaves either by swimming along the coast or climbing the tall border fences that separate them from Morocco.

Figures published by Spain's interior ministry show that between January 1 and May 15, 475 migrants reached Ceuta by land or sea, more than double the 203 that arrived in the same period last year.

Migrants swim to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco on May 17, 2021. By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

The wave of arrivals comes at a point of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat after it emerged that Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali arrived in northern Spain in mid-April and is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco, and analysts have warned the spat could threaten bilateral cooperation between Madrid and Rabat in the fight against illegal immigration.
Long before the Portuguese-speaking countries wrapped up their first business summit in Simpopo, Equatorial Guinea that gathered approximately 250 government officials and corporate business leaders from Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and Principe, Portugal, Brazil and Mozambique, it was described as a step directed at bringing sustained business development.

Some argued that the gathering historically provided the chance for immense business networking opportunities and building strategies. It additionally offers an important impetus for strengthening future corporate business collaboration among the countries.

According to the organisers, the primary goal was to explore ways to attract investments to the countries in bloc, as well as strengthening economic ties between member states and improving the business environment.

Opening the two-day summit, promoted by the Confederation of Businesspeople of the Community of Portuguese-language Countries (CPLP), President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang, said frequent militant attacks in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, should be of concern to the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

The Republic of Mozambique is the scene of aggressions perpetrated, planned and financed from outside its borders, claiming human lives, displacing populations, destroying personal and public property, and sowing terror in the north of the country, he said.

Obiang believes that the CPLP should not remain oblivious to this tragedy, which goes beyond the dimensions of a simple internal conflict. It is an aggression.

He characterised it as an opportunity to identify the challenges the bloc faces and seek ways to facilitate trade between CPLP countries as well as attracting more investment. Our wish is that the business community takes this opportunity to form a common front when it comes to facing the challenges that affect its activity. It should also make the most of its respective advantages to participate actively in promoting economic cooperation among the CPLP countries, always having as priority the member countries of our community, the Equatorial Guinea president said.

President of Cape Verde, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, who participated in the summit virtually, advocated for the creation of customs facilities for CPLP countries within the bloc. There is an urgent need to create joint solutions for the reciprocal protection of investments, reducing, or even eliminating, where possible, double taxation, and facilitating the circulation of public documents within our community without excessive authentication and notarisation burdens, he urged.

President of Sao Tome and Principe, Evaristo Carvalho, spoke of the need for investments in the CPLP countries to be sustainable, especially in Equatorial Guinea, which was experiencing a boom in mineral resources. Our appeal is to look at the country with confidence, stripped of a culture of short-termism. With thought for the countrys development, lets seek sustainable solutions and invest in the medium and long term, he advised.

While various issues were discussed during the two days, there was particular interest in mineral exploitation, oil and gas development within the bloc. The panel session spent time analyzing widely the various dimensions and aspects of the sector.

Equatorial Guineas Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons has called for a common project of the Portuguese-language countries for gas exploration, stressing the need for a longer energy transition in some African countries. Hydrocarbon producing countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mozambique or Brazil and Portugal, as a major consumer, it is very important that we can work on a coordinated project at the CPLP level to be able to exploit the gas for use in our economies, Gabriel Obiang Lima said.

It will be increasingly difficult to get funding to develop our [oil] products because worldwide there is a great motivation to carry out the energy transition from hydrocarbons to renewable energy, he noted.

Despite this, he said, in countries such as Equatorial Guinea and others in Africa, this transition will have to take at least another 20 years. Only then will we be at the level of developed countries, he said.

The Equatorial Guinean Minister was speaking at a panel with government officials from Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and Principe, as well as representatives from Portugal, Brazil and Mozambique on the role of governments in attracting foreign investment.

Speaking at the panel session, Luis Moreira Testa from the Portugals Socialist Party in Parliament, explained that in the new advent of renewable energy, Portugal has the potential to move from energy consumer to producer. Hydrocarbons will serve in the coming decades as transition fuels. Portugal is a major consumer of natural gas, mainly from Algeria, and the new generation of natural gas consumption in Europe foresees the mandatory inclusion of green hydrogen, he said.

According Luis Testa, the pipelines that bring gas from Algeria may soon take the gas produced in Equatorial Guinea or Mozambique cut with green hydrogen produced in Portugal. This could be a great opportunity for energy communion in the CPLP, he said.

Cabo Verdes Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Alexandre Dias Monteiro, considered mobility within the Portuguese-speaking community as a critical factor for creating a favourable framework for business and foreign investment. Mobility is a critical factor for contacts and exchanges between companies and businesspeople, he said, stressing the progress made in this area in recent years, which should make it possible to sign a mobility agreement at the next summit of heads of state and government, in July in Luanda.

Guinea-Bissaus Economy Minister, Victor Mandinga, advocated the creation of an investment promotion agency at the community level to link up with agencies in each of the countries. This mechanism is essential to make legislation on investment more homogenous and the distribution of investment opportunities between countries more harmonised, he said, adding that businesspeople lacked transversal information about the CPLP as a whole.

Sao Tomes Foreign Minister, Edite Ten Jua, noted the importance of creating a climate of trust for attracting investment, particularly in terms of legal protection and tax justice, as well as simplifying administrative procedures, along with the existence of infrastructure and means of transport and communications.

President of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries Business Confederation Salimo Abdula, speaking during the opening, urged the governments of member countries to speed up the process of creating the CPLP Community Development Bank to facilitate financing for bloc projects.

The bank will be a tool which will support projects of small, medium or large size, thus overcoming the difficulty of access to financing, which often has a high cost in CPLP countries, making projects unfeasible, Abdula argued.

Abdula further proposed the creation of a CPLP arbitration court, because, despite being united by the same language and economic interests, conflicts between stakeholders from different member states could arise.

This court would make it easier to settle disputes between businesspeople in the community. At this moment, this project (the CPLP Arbitration Court) is at a very advanced stage. A team was formed that is working hard on the subject and has already produced several document proposals and prepared a questionnaire aimed at defining an ideal model for the construction of such an arbitration court, Abdula told the gathering.

The opening of the summit coincided with World Portuguese Language Day. According to Radio Mocambique, monitored by Eurasia Review, there is an estimated 300 million speakers spread across four continents. The first CPLP Business Confederation business summit held under the motto, Together We Are Stronger and Move the World Forward in Simpopo, Equatorial Guinea.
Is Ghana not having her share of the punishment resulting from human insensitivity towards mother Earth?

Haven't every Ghanaian this year experienced the harsh weather conditions?

Haven't Ghanaians had a share of water drought this year? Wells are drying up.

But what do we still see?

1. still the cruel attitude towards our Forest.

2. Our refusal to stop destroying the land.

3. Our indiscriminate attitude towards our water bodies.

4. The release of fumes into the atmosphere.

5. Galamsey

6. It can go on and on and on ....

Humanity have been very cruel towards his own. We thought we were maltreating mother Earth only for us to realise that we were actually pinching our own body with the same poisonous arrow. What have we not done against nature? What pain have we not caused mother Earth? The pain we have brought upon the earth has affected us too. Indeed, the ball which we threw against the wall could not get stuck-up there but has landed in front of us.

Ghana as a country has had it feel of the result of this wickedness towards mother Earth. Archbishop Palmer Buckle, was right and for saw the future of Ghana when during one national programme, in his speech, outlined that the attitude of many Ghanaians towards our land areas will cause the country some few days ahead. He added by saying that Ghana today imports tomatoes from Baurkina Faso and will soon import water.

Are we not in the train traveling to Baurkina Faso to buy water? He was right when he added to the voice of the Holy Father, Pope Francis that the cry of the poor is the cry of the earth. That we should fight till justice is given. When they saw the future of the world today, we only see today as the future.

What man cares about is his immediate gratification. This sensitive part of us is what has cuased our doom. Everything is now based on desires than on reason. We have forgotten that we are rational beings too. We have allowed our sense of riches to control us. Remember, even animals which live in the forest, having that as their natural habitat, where they end a living, havent finished the forest on the basis of hunger. They learn to share the little they have in their natural home with us humans. They, care about ulwe humans but we the least. Yet, we only care about destroying our environment.

What is the way forward? We can do better. We can live in harmony with mother Earth. The Earth is not at war with us. We all have to stop this our cruel attitude towards mother Earth.

The campaign to save mother Earth will still go on till it gets into the ears of the last person.

Authored by Emmanuel Graham Nyameke.
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Even though most of the issues discussed in this paper have been on my heart for several years now, the immediate impetus for writing this paper came from my personal reflection on the issues that were raised or/and discussed at the 42nd Synod of the Sunyani Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana. As the norm has been, the Annual Synod is a time to take both retrospective and prospective reflections on the activities of the Church.

In the process, national issues are raised and discussed. Prior to this years Synod, many people had called on the government and leaders of Ghana to fix the country. The expression fix the country had become a household expression and the fix the country campaign had received huge public attention.

When people say fix the country they mean something should be done to stop the pollution of our water bodies; they are saying something should be done to stop dumsor; they are demanding that something should be done to address the socio-economic challenges the country is facing; they are lamenting over domestic violence, ritual killings, abuses in contemporary Christian ministry and others.

The nation will be considered fixed when (among other things) people get portable water to drink, people are provided with social amenities, there is justice in our judiciary service, and when mismanagement and misapplication of state funds are checked.

Different people have shared their views about the issue and two main opinion seem prominent. One group hold that it is the responsibility of the government to fix the country. They argue that it is the government who has been entrusted with the nations wealth; therefore, the government has the (sole) responsibility of making the country a better place for the citizenry.

On the other hand, another group argue that the individuals calling the government to fix the country should fix themselves first. Their point is that unless people fix themselves there is nothing the government can do to fix the country. People must do the right thing wherever they find themselves (whether private or public). The individual efforts towards fixing themselves with translate into fixing the entire nation. In the view of the writer both the government and the citizenry have key roles to play in fixing the country. There is the need for both the government and the individuals living in the country to play their parts to make the fixing of the country reality.

This years Synod had a number of political, traditional and church leaders addressing the participants. I do not intend to state what every speaker said. The summary I offer below serves to provide a sort of socio-politico-theological framework for my discussions. It is interesting to note that each of the speakers touched directly or indirectly on the issue of fixing the nation.

The main title of this paper, Tete w bi ka, Tete w bi kyer; Asre nso w bi y, was the concluding statement of the Bono Regional Minister, Hon. Justina Owusu-Banahene, who in her address to the Synod stressed the role of culture (and for that matter the state) and the Church in addressing Ghanas problems. Before her address, the Diocesan Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana, The Rt. Rev. Daniel Kwasi Tannor, had drawn attention to a number of socio-economic project that the Church had embarked on in her attempt to contribute to national development.

The Bishop also outlined how the Church could use the teaching ministry to affect the lives of Christians who in turn would impact the society positively. The Presiding Bishops address, which I will later turn to, also has a lot to offer toward fixing the country. The Abesimhene, Barima Kumi Acheaw II asked the question: Are you a Christian or a Church goer? which kept me thinking throughout the day. On his part, the Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, Hon. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh also encouraged believers to live in accordance with what they preach. The State of Gods Work in the diocese was delivered by Rev. Dr. Isaac Ishmael Arthur with a focus on the issue of LGBTQI+.

In what follows I raise two key issues for national development based on the various addresses at the Synod.

Tete w bi ka, Tete w bi kyer (Sankfa tradition)

The proverb, Tete w bi ka, Tete w bi kyer (which roughly translates as Our Past has something to say, Our Past has lessons to teach) highlights the fact that our cultural heritage has many contributions to make toward national development. This proverb underlines the thought expressed in the Sankfa Adinkra symbol (shown below). Sankfa (lit. Go back and get it) is the short form of the Akan proverb, S wo wer firi na wosan kfa a ynkyiri (It is not taboo to go back and get/take something after you have forgotten it).

Therefore, Tete w bi ka, Tete w bi kyer within the context of this paper suggests that established Ghanaian conventions and traditions of dealing with socio-economic challenges which have been ignored by the present generation should be revisited to enhance the nations efforts at fixing its problems. The Sankfa symbol not only teaches the wisdom in learning from the past to help improve the future of humanity but also teaches people to cherish and value their culture heritage and avoid its negative adulteration. In this section, I use traditional wisdom on innovation and creativity to explain this point.

Innovation and Creativity

One of the key national heritage that we need to kfa (go back and take) as we aim at fixing the nation is Ghanaian innovation and creativity. In the past, before our encounter with foreigners, Ghanaians/Africans had our own ways of solving our problems. For example, herbal medicine was used for healing before orthodox medicine came into the system. With the introduction of orthodox medicine the development and promotion of our herbal medicine has not seen much success.

The establishment of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and other department dedicated to the development and promotion of herbal medicine need to be commended. There are many herbal medical practitioners but only few of their medicines are prescribed by our doctors in our hospitals. I belief that if we had continued developing herbal medicine as if we had no alternative medicine, we would have gone very far by now. The reason is that people become very creative when they are in need. That is not to say we should reject orthodox medicine in totality; the point is that we should promote our own traditional wisdom and practices related to healing without neglecting alternative approaches entirely.

That creativity is enhanced by necessity is expressed by Ghanaian highlife musician Moses Kwaku Oppong, the founder of the Kakaaku Band, in a song entitled Ohia ma adwendwene. The song depicts two animal characters, a tortoise and a mona monkey, as two close friends. The monkeys mother died and it asked the vulture to inform the tortoise about the bereavement.

Upon hearing the news, the tortoise told the vulture to express the tortoises condolences to the monkey and tell the monkey that tortoise will be there to mourn with the monkey on the day of the funeral. The vulture mocked the tortoise since the tortoise had no wings to fly to the top of the tree where the funeral was to take place. After a while, the tortoise told the vulture that on the day of the funeral the vulture should come to the house and pick up a sack and place at a given location and take it to the monkey, informing the monkey that the tortoise was on the way.

On the day of the funeral celebration the vulture came and picked up the sack, carried it to the monkey and told the monkey what the tortoise had said. The monkey wondered how the tortoise could attend the funeral. After opening the sack, the monkey found the tortoise in it. Clearly the tortoises lack of wings to fly made it invent a way to get to the destination. This story perfectly illustrates the Cameroonian proverb, Knowledge is better than riches.

Kakaakus song depicts an African ideology of nation building in that it draws attention to the need to be creative in the midst of our poor state. African creativity came to bare in many regards in the heat of the COVID-19. For example, when Ghana needed nose mask and could not get them from outside because of the closure of the nations borders, indigenes began to manufacture her own nose mask.

With the closure of our border, the other people will provide, so let us wait for them mentality was discarded and the country made progress with our local industries. If this pandemic had not come, who knows how long it would have taken us to know that we could manufacture our own nose masks! What happened goes to authenticate the assertion that Poverty makes one think (creatively), or causes one to be creative.

Certainly poverty does not take away a persons ability plan or think. We may be poor socio-economically but rich intellectually. By putting our intellectual capacity into appropriate use in accordance with Gods ill and purpose, we are bound to overcome our material poverty. Africas attitude of comfortably relying on other continents for virtually every manufactured good must be a thing of the past.

Ghana must, for example, stop importing toothpick, something made from bamboo plant which is abundant in Ghana. The attitude of other people will provide, so let us wait for them (which correspond to The Grasshopper mentality of Numbers 13:33) is a key main reason why Africa continues to import things which could easily be manufactured on the continent. To fix the nation we need to shelve our Grasshopper mentality. We need to make use of what we have to solve our own problems. In addition, our traditions regarding wealth creation and its use, dressing, marriage and others must be promoted to enhance national development.

Asre nso w bi y (Teaching-and-action theological approach)

The expression Asre nso w bi y (The Church also has a role to play) in fixing the nation is a charge to the Church to play its part in addressing the countrys challenges. Considering the fact that majority of Ghanaians profess to be Christians one wonders why there are so much social evil in the country. In this regard, the 2021 connexional theme for the Methodist Church Ghana, Discipleship: Teaching Everyone to live like Jesus Christ is very appropriate.

Here, four key points that the Sunyani diocesan bishop raised come to mind. According to Bishop Tannor (address to 2021 synod), the teaching ministry of the Church is expected to (among others) help Christians: To discover what Scripture says; to know what Scripture means; to know how to apply Scripture and to respond appropriately to Gods word.

In his address to synod, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, the Most Rev. Dr. Paul K. Boafo lamented the high level of nominalism in the country despite the proliferation of Christian churches (Representative agenda, p. 17). In the view of the Presiding Bishop, the teaching ministry of the Church must have spiritual and social ramifications wherever Christians find themselves (Representative agenda, p. 17).

The Church as the cosnscience of the nation, must live up to its mandate of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We must rise to the challenge to call for interventions to avert further occurrences [of sad and gruesome incidents of spousal killings, armed robbery, and carnage on our roads, among others] in the future (Representative agenda, p. 17). The teaching ministry of the church of the church must lead to chatting a new path of hard work, integrity, and the desire for genuine acquisition of wealth as a nation (Representative agenda, p. 18). Peoples source of wealth must be brought under scrutiny.

Christian spirituality should not undermine the need for hard work. Hard work must be promoted and laziness discouraged. Genuine spirituality, says Nihinlola is a holistic concept, a balance of good relationship with God and meaningful co-existence with fellow humans (Nihinlola 2013, p. 143). What the Church needs at the moment is a balance between worship (prayer) and work, a balance between time spent at worship centers and time spent on work. As Nihinlola adds, Church vigil becomes false spirituality when it is not combined with or if it hinders practical work (Nihinlola 2013, p. 143).

A churchgoing contractor who executes a government contract poorly is not spiritual. A church leader who evades tax or import expired goods is not spiritual; neither is a church member who cheats in an examination. A churchgoing civil servant with a lackadaisical attitude towards work lacks spirituality. By developing true Christian spirituality African countries can be freed from bribery, corruption, and mismanagement of state funds, which hinder the continents socioeconomic progress. Such unspiritual attitude which is the result of the dichotomization of Church and society into spiritual and secular realms respectively, cannot fix the country.

In addition to teaching believers, the Church must also be involved in social interventions. The fact that Christ is the Lord of both the Church and the world in which we evangelize supports Christian involvement in social responsibility. As the Creator, God owns belongs and has absolute control over everything (Ps. 24:1). The redemptive purpose of Christ will culminate in the unity and subjection of all things under Christs control through the church (Col. 1:15-20, Eph. 1:9-10). As the Lord of all things (Phil. 2:9), Christ must be the Lord of both the Church and the world. Against that backdrop, the Christians are expected to care for and be involved in all spheres of life (including social concerns) in order to make all things conform to the will of God.

Conclusion

This paper advocates for church-state partnership. This is important because even though Christians are not of this world, they live in it and are also affected by the social, political and economic conditions in their societies. A lot could have been said, but time and space limitations only allowed for the discussion of two main points, namely, the sankfa ideology and the teaching-and-action theological approach. Everyone who has the nation at heart should do something toward improving the society. The nation cannot be fixed unless we do the right thing at the right time in the right way in accordance to Gods will and purpose. Government must not only create a congenial atmosphere for the citizenry to contribute their quota but must also channel the state resources toward improving the society in which we live.

References

Nihinlola, Emiola (2013). Theology under the Mango Tree: A Handbook for African Christian Theology. Lagos: Fine Print & Manufacturing .

Sunyani Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana (2021), 42nd Annual Synod Representative Agenda. Sunyani: Cobby Designs.
Sustainability is picking up steam as an imperative for doing business in today's world, bedevilled by climate crisis.

That being the case-emerging markets (developing economies) are beginning to embrace and innovate towards a more sustainable corporate culture. Among all the emerging markets, the South-Asian country, India- is the front-runner showing a growing concern for sustainability reporting.

In a recent poll to gauge the growing interest in sustainability reporting across the globe by GlobalData, a data analytics and consulting firm headquartered in London, indicated a preference for contemporary sustainability frameworks in emerging economies.

Per GlobalData's first quarter (Q1 2021) verdict survey: "India had the highest of respondents (93%) favouring contemporary frameworks, while the US had the least at 58%. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions, with 88% and 86% of the respondents in favour of contemporary frameworks, respectively.

All respondents from Central and South America regions were in favour of contemporary sustainability frameworks.

74% of respondents voted in favour of public companies using objective and contemporary sustainabilty frameworks.

In contrast, only 76% of the respondents in Europe, and 59% of the respondents in North America, favoured contemporary frameworks."

Some of the widely adopted contemporary sustainability frameworks in emerging economies according to Globaldata are: "The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG), " to name but a few.

Sourish Chatterjee, Principal ESG Analyst at GlobalData noted in a news release on May, 12 that: "The value of sustainability reporting is multifold. The surge in adoption of such contemporary frameworks is likely due to investors being hungry for information on how ESG impacts a companys financial performance. At the outset, it facilitates consideration of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) impact across products, services and operations while also enhancing transparency around ESG risks and opportunities."

Emerging markets must comprehend and leverage competitive advantages that can be derived from effective sustainability strategies. Most companies in developed markets have traditionally used the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the adoption of SASB and TCFD is a growing trend in these markets."

Sustainability reporting seeks to help companies to disclose their economic, social and governance (ESG) performance (non-financial performance), as well as, their financial performance. This comes with benefits including: Improvement in consumer confidence, increased innovation, improvement of risk management and improved corporate reputation.

Summing up, sustainability frameworks such as: SASB, GRI, TCFD, etc., unlike traditional financial reporting are latter-day corporate reporting tools used to increase transparency and accountability, aiming to re-direct the interest of business organizations from profit to sustainability.

www.delreport.com
Former Ghanaian High Commissioner to Canada, Honourable Ayikoi Otoo, is confident that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) would be key in unlocking Africas brimming economic potentials.

He made this assertion during the Fireside Chat Series, organised by the Institute for International Affairs, Ghana (GhIIA.org).

In addressing the role of international trade in Ghanas development, the respected diplomat asserted that African countries must be smart to take their destinies into their own hands if they are to achieve global competitiveness in international trade.

This, he notes, would resolve perennial challenges that bedevil African countries attempts to thrive in the global market.

The nature of the world economic order is such that, finished products of African countries face tariff and non-tariff barriers in accessing Western markets. Even if such products are able to surmount tariff barriers, they then face the steep walls of certification and patronage, he stated.

With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, African countries have a unique opportunity to transform themselves from producers of raw materials in the world economy, into major hubs of manufacturing. The former Attorney General argued that, Africas large populations would afford a vibrant market for Africas finished products, thereby making the continent independent.

He however indicated that, for Africa, particularly the West African sub-region, to properly integrate and take advantage of these opportunities, linguistic barriers would have to be overcome.

He, therefore, stressed the need for Ghana to take French seriously, as a matter of He asserted that French can be best assimilated when started from an early age.

He charged policymakers, parents, and all stakeholders to make French a core experience of the education of the Ghanaian child. policy.

Meanwhile, Honourable Esther Ofori, Former Ghanaian Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, and a guest at the event added her voice to calls to give French more importance.

One thing we can observe is that, unlike most Francophone countries whose citizens could speak a considerable amount of English, it appears Ghanaians can speak very little French, she observed. This could limit career opportunities for Ghanaians in global institutions, she added, stressing the need for French to assume more importance in Ghanas education curriculum.

The GhIIA Fireside Chat Series is a platform that provides key players in Ghanas International Affairs landscape an opportunity to share their experiences and reflections on their storied careers with the members of the GhIIA. The latest episode was moderated by Mr. Cherk Klutse, Head of Programs and Outreach at the GhIIA.

About GhIIA.org

The GhIIA.org is an Accra-based, independent non-partisan think tank, with a core focus on Ghanaian and ECOWAS International Relations analysis. Its core thematic areas of research include International Trade and Economics, Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Practice, Diaspora Affairs, Strategic Studies.
The legislation would require the Justice Department to create a new position tasked with expediting and expanding federal investigation into hate crimes stemming from the false belief that people of Asian descent are responsible for COVID-19. It also seeks to free up grants to help local law enforcement agencies improve their investigation, identification and reporting of violent crimes motivated by racial bias, which are statistically underreported.
As the French and Egyptian presidents call for a ceasefire, the UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and armed Palestinian groups that have left over 200 dead.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Monday that Israel would "continue striking at the terrorist targets".

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas urged Washington to act against "Israel's aggression".

Israel launched its air campaign on the Gaza Strip on 10 May, after the enclave's rulers, the Islamist group Hamas, fired rockets towards the Jewish state, an escalation sparked by unrest in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

In total 212 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 61 children, and more than 1,400 injured -- whilst in Israel, ten people have died, including one child, with hundreds injured, according to officials on both sides.

Tuesday's emergency UN Security Council session -- the fourth since the conflict escalated -- was called after the United States, a key Israel ally, again blocked the adoption of a joint statement calling for a halt to the violence on Monday.

Macron, Sisi push for ceasefire deal

French and Egyptian presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, are pushing for a ceasefire deal and aim to get the backing of Jordan. Another negotiating channel has been opened, via the UN, with the help of Qatar and Egypt.

European Union foreign ministers will also hold urgent talks Tuesday on the violence, announced by EU top diplomat Josep Borrell who has been conducting "intense" diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the fighting.

US President Joe Biden, having refused to join other world leaders and much of his own Democratic party in calling for an immediate end to hostilities, told Netanyahu on Monday night that Washington backs a ceasefire, but the US leader stopped short of demanding a truce.

Israel continued its barrage of Gaza overnight, setting the dark sky ablaze over the crowded, coastal enclave as multiple strikes crashed into buildings in Gaza City shortly after midnight.
The Managing Director of Accra Digital Center, Mr. Ofosu Nkansah has urged Ministers of State to frequently engage the media to inform the public about government policies and progress of implementation.

According to him, when ministers speak to the media their explanations help people to have a clear understanding of a lot of issues.

Mr. Nkansah noted that the media engagements by Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh last Sunday and the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutsum on May 17 have help explained address a lot of issues related to their respective sectors.

"Dear Ministers of State, please be doing a lot more of the media engagements. Having Energy Minister speak yesterday and Education Minister on Peace today has helped explain a lot of issues," Mr. Nkansah wrote in a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Kofi Tonto, another government appointee who works in Ghana's embassy in the United States as Head of Information has also advised his fellow government appointees to use the media to tell the masses about the outcomes of their work.

According to him, engaging the media is part of the responsibilities of government appointees as it is the only way through which they [government appointees] can inform and gather feedback.

"If you are a Minister or CEO, kindly make time and visit radio and TV stations and inform Ghanaians about the work you are doing. Part of your duty includes informing the masses and gathering feedback," Mr. Tonto stated on social media.

Source: GhanaVanguard.co m // contributor on modernghana
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Former Deputy Communications Minister under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu is of the opinion that any investigations into the alleged maltreatment of Citi FM/TV broadcast journalist Caleb Kudah will yield no results.

The National Security Ministry last week said it has launched investigations into the alleged brutalization of the journalist who was arrested by national security operatives after he was found to be filming within the precinct of the National Security Secretariat.

But for Mr. Kwakye, the said investigation is to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.

He believes nothing fruitful will be the outcome of the investigation.

"Absolutely nothing will come out of the so called investigations into the Caleb Kudah assault matter," he wrote on social media.

He added that under the current administration, wrongdoers are not punished even if investigations confirm that they [wrongdoers] have actually committed a crime.

"I am surprised that people still retain any hope that any wrongdoer under President Akufo-Addos administration will ever be punished after all we have witnessed in the last five years or so," he claimed.

Meanwhile, Civil Society Organizations including such as GIBA (Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association), Occupy Ghana and OneGhana Movement have called for an independent investigative body to be set up to probe the matter.

For Occupy Ghana, the National Security Ministry cannot be trusted to carry out a truthful investigation into the alleged assault.

Source: GhanaVanguard.co m // contributor on Modernghana.com
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has asking angry residents of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) to invoke the jurisdiction of Parliament to probe circumstances that led to their exclusion from the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The residents of SALL voted in the 2020 presidential elections but did not take part in the parliamentary election with the expected creation of the Guan constituency.

Currently, SALL has no representative in Parliament.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the enclave, the Speaker entreated them to petition Parliament.

We will create an opportunity for you to put it across the whole house. We want you to come through a petition because this is well known, and the facts are not hidden. We will direct you as to how to come through a petition.

The residents of SALL had filed a case at a Ho High Court challenging the legitimacy of John Peter Amewu's election as the Member of Parliament for Hohoe.

Their case was based on the fact that their respective areas did not vote in the parliamentary elections hence their rights had been breached.

The Court in hearing the case granted an injunction against the gazetting of Mr. Amewu as MP.

But the then-Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, filed an application at the Supreme Court urging it to restrain the Ho High Court from hearing the matter.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled that the alleged breach of the rights of SALL residents was not caused by Mr. Amewu and therefore any such challenge must be done through an election petition and not a human rights action at the High Court.

The plaintiffs after the ruling filed for review but the court affirmed its earlier decision.

---citinewsroom
A top Indian virologist quit as head of a forum tasked with tracking coronavirus strains, days after saying scientists faced stubborn resistance from the government. Shahid Jameel resigned as India's Covid cases hit 25 million with 275,000 deaths on Tuesday.

64-year-old Shahid Jameel declined to give reasons for walking out from the scientific body called INSACOG, set up to track various strains in 10 laboratories across India.

But the specialist quit days after he criticized the government in an article he wrote for the New York Times.

Scientists were facing stubborn resistance to evidence-based policy-making, the virologist said, referring to an appeal made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by over 800 Indian scientists on 30 April seeking access to data needed to predict the virus.

Decision-making based on data is yet another casualty, he said.

The coronavirus surge continues to kill thousands of people in India each day according to government statistics.

The government has so far not commented on Jameel's allegations but professor Gautam Menon, a colleague of the virologist at the Ashoka University, said the problem was much bigger.

It is not whether the government pays attention or not to what it has been told in terms of data. Our attitude to data and its collection itself must change, he told a TV debate on Monday night.

He said scant respect for data was the issue.

The controversy surfaced even as the highly-contagious B.1.617 strain seeped into rural areas, where 70 percent of Indians live.

Pictures of hand-dug graves, bodies bobbing in rivers and scavengers tearing at human flesh have revealed the true horror in the countryside.

Dipping cases, rising dispute

Questions were also asked as India reported a decline in new infections for the fifth straight day on Monday, praising it as an achievement of the government.

But experts argued daily infections dropping below 300,000 for the first time since 21 April was because of low testing in the villages, which have less than nine doctors for every 10,000 people and health data is scarce.

S. Vincent Rajkumar, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in the US, said the decline was an illusion.

"Cases are truly decreasing in the cities and probably in urban areas in the north but we are not counting cases in the rural areas, Rajkumar told NDTV and added testing was declining in villages.

On Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research said it had so far tested 316 million samples and added 1.5 million people were screened on Sunday itself.

World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that was not enough.

"When you see high test positivity rates, clearly we are not testing enough, Swaminathan said.

The national positivity rate, around 20 percent, is very high, she argued.

PM Modi orders action

The government is facing criticism for its response to the deadly virus surge and has stepped up its reaction to the complaints.

Narendra Modi called for door-to-door testing in rural India and sought plans for oxygen supply in the country's estimated 650,000 villages.

The prime minister instructed that testing needs to be scaled up further especially in areas with high test positivity rates, the government added.

But public health expert Poonam Muttreja said reluctance to testing in the countryside could put India's vast rural population at some risk.

India's vaccination drive also hit a wall after Delhi offered shots to all adults from 1 May but without having stock in hand.

The number of jabs dropped by almost half from 4.2 million per day on 2 April to around two million last week.
The Volta Diaspora Caucus group is calling for the end of ethnic profiling in the country while stressing that it is dangerous to target a particular tribe.

According to the group, the age-old trend which has political undertones and has especially heightened under the Akufo Addo government witnessed the unprecedented deployment of a combined team of Military/Police/Immigration/political party thugs into the Volta Region during the 2020 voter registration exercise.

Accusing the government of also targeting Ewes with a plotted demolition exercise in Ewe communities in some constituencies in the months to the 2020 elections voter ID card registration exercise, the Volta Diaspora Caucus says things have gotten worst especially after the revelation by Citi FM/TV Journalist Caleb Kudah when he was arrested by National Security.

Perhaps the last straw to have broken the Camel's back, necessitating this press release is the physical abuse of Citi FM/Citi TV's reporter, Caleb Kudah, who per his own narration which we do not have any course to doubt, was going to suffer more physical abuse at the hands of operatives of National Security if he had revealed his Ewe ethnic background, part of a press release from the Volta Diaspora Caucus reads.

It continues, What crime did the Ewes or the people of the Volta region commit and against whom for which we are continually treated this way?

In the foregoing, the Volta Diaspora Caucus wants all ethnic profiling of Ewes to stop to foster unity in the country.

The Volta Diaspora Caucus is appalled by the stereotypical tendencies and ethnic profiling consistently targeted at indigenes of the Volta Region and Ewes in particular.

Such a conduct in itself is derogatory, backward and does not bode well for Ghana's unity and wellbeing and must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians, admonishing the perpetrators to immediately eschew same, part of a statement from the group reads.

Below is the full press release from the Volta Diaspora Caucus:
Moroccan security forces intervened Tuesday after a record 6,000 migrants crossed largely unimpeded into a Spanish North African enclave amid diplomatic tensions between Rabat and Madrid.

Reinforcements deployed at Morocco's Fnideq border crossing with the enclave of Ceuta and fired tear gas to disperse a large crowd of would-be migrants who had gathered in the hope of seizing a rare opportunity to slip across, an AFP correspondent reported.

The surge in numbers came after some migrants were able to cross into the tiny Spanish territory of some 84,000 people virtually unimpeded by Moroccan border guards.

The Moroccan government has been angered by Spain's decision provide medical treatment for the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement who has been seriously ill with Covid-19.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called off a planned trip to Paris to oversee his government's response while the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, urged Morocco to take action to stop the "worrying" increase in the number of migrants crossing illegally.

Spain sent back around a quarter of the 6,000 or so migrants, mostly Moroccans, who entered the Ceuta enclave in the past 36 hours and was preparing further repatriations, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told public television.

Map locating the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco, and the town of Fnideq in Morocco.. By (AFP)

Monday's arrival figures were the highest ever for a single day, authorities in Ceuta said.

Early Tuesday, another 300 migrants, said to be from sub-Saharan Africa, attempted to cross into Spain's other North African enclave of Melilla by scaling a high barrier.

Authorities in Melilla said "85 men and one woman succeeded in entering".

'I'll try again'

Amal, 18, said he had hurried to the Ceuta border with his brother and two friends in the hope of slipping into Spanish territory.

"Many of our friends managed to get across. We came later when we heard about it," he said.

Moroccan migrants climb a rocky cliffside as a policeman watches in the northern town of Fnideq as they attempt to cross the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on May 18, 2021.At least 5,000 migrants, an unprecedented influx at a time of high tension between Madrid and Rabat, slipped into Ceuta on May 17, a record for a single day, Spanish authorities said. They reached the enclave by swimming or by walking at low tide from beaches a few kilometres to the south, some using inflatable swimming rings and rubber dinghies.. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

"We tried to climb over the mountain but the police blocked us".

The migrants reached Ceuta by swimming or by walking at low tide from Moroccan beaches a few kilometres to the south. Some used inflatable swimming rings and rubber dinghies.

In the early hours of Tuesday, hundreds more men and women of all ages flocked to the border to try their luck.

They walked down a path to the beach in their dozens, before running towards Ceuta along the coastline, as a handful of Moroccan policemen watched on without intervening.

"I saw on Facebook that it was possible to cross the border, so I took a taxi here with my friend as I can't feed my family anymore," 26-year-old Ouarda, from the neighbouring town of Tetouan, told AFP.

"I'm not scared -- I'll either die or I'll cross," the unemployed, divorced mother-of-two said.

One migrant drowned as hundreds attempted to swim or wade along the coast to reach Spanish soil in Ceuta. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

One man drowned trying to swim across, Spanish officials said on Monday.

Videos posted on social media showed dozens of migrants -- some wearing just beachwear but others clad in normal outdoor clothes -- setting off from rocky beachheads.

"They stopped me from getting through, but I'm going to try again," said one 26-year-old job-seeker.

Western Sahara spat

The Spanish interior ministry said "immediate reinforcements of the civil guard presence and national police" would be sent to Ceuta, totalling 200 additional officers.

During the last weekend of April, around 100 migrants swam to Ceuta in groups of 20 to 30. Most were deported back to Morocco.

Ceuta and Melilla have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

Would-be migrants gather in the Moroccan town of Fnideq waiting for their opportunity to slip across into the Spanish enclave. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

Mohamed Benaissa, the head of the North Observatory for Human Rights in the Fnideq, said the bulk of those making it to the Spanish side were "minors, youths but also families, all of them Moroccan".

The wave of arrivals comes at a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat, after it emerged that Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali arrived in northern Spain in mid-April and is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that is mainly under Moroccan control.

Analysts had warned the spat could threaten cooperation between Madrid and Rabat in the fight against illegal immigration.

Benaissa said Monday's influx "could be linked to the diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain".

But Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said Rabiat had "assured" Madrid the huge influx was "not the result of the disagreement" with Rabat over the presence of Ghali at a Spanish hospital.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called off a trip to Paris planned for Tuesday due to the surge in migrant arrivals in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta. Sanchez will not attend the Africa financing summit in the French capital and will instead address the nation following a cabinet meeting.

As many as 6,000 migrants, about a thousand of them minors, reached Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Monday from neighbouring Morocco, Spanish officials said, a record number of arrivals in a single day.

A spokesman for the Spanish government delegation in Ceuta said the scale of the influx, which comes at a time of high tension between Madrid and Rabat, was unprecedented and could yet rise.

The migrants reached the enclave by swimming or walking at low tide from beaches a few kilometres to the south. One man drowned on the journey.

On Monday morning, the delegation put the number of arrivals at 100, with the numbers climbing rapidly throughout the day.

Spain sends police reinforcements

Videos posted on social media showed the stream of migrants -- some wearing just beachwear but others clad in normal outdoor clothes -- setting off from rocky beachheads.

Initially, Moroccan police looked on, before moving to push back a gathering crowd of onlookers.

Spain's interior ministry said in a statement on Monday evening that "immediate reinforcements of the civil guard presence and national police" would be sent to Ceuta, totalling 200 officers.

It added that "Spanish and Moroccan authorities have recently reached an agreement concerning the return to their home country of Moroccan citizens arriving on the beach" at Ceuta, and that authorities from the two sides were in "permanent" contact.

Spain has already returned to Morocco 1,500 migrants out of the roughly 6,000 who entered Ceuta yesterday.

Diplomatic crisis over Western Sahara

Ceuta, together with Melilla -- Spain's other north African enclave -- have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

Migrants try to reach the enclaves either by swimming along the coast or climbing the border fences that separate them from Morocco.

Figures published by Spain's interior ministry show that between 1 January and 15 May, 475 migrants reached Ceuta by land or sea -- already more than double the 203 that arrived in the same period last year.

Mohamed Benaissa, president of a local human rights group, said the bulk of those making it to the Spanish side were "minors, youths but also families, all of them Moroccan".

The wave of arrivals comes at a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat after it emerged that Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali arrived in northern Spain in mid-April and is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco, and analysts have warned the spat could threaten bilateral cooperation between Madrid and Rabat in the fight against illegal immigration.

Benaissa said Monday's influx "could be linked to the diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain".
A set of leg irons that once chained slaves by the ankles for punishment. A pair of Rembrandt portraits of a rich Dutch couple dressed in slavery-funded finery.

Dozens of objects like these go on show on Tuesday at the Dutch national Rijksmuseum as it opens a landmark exhibition on slavery highlighting the Netherlands' dark colonial past.

Focusing on the stories of 10 people ranging from enslaved people to slave owners, the show covers 250 years of Dutch involvement in slavery in Suriname, Brazil, the Caribbean, Asia and South Africa.

Curators at the museum in Amsterdam say they want to start a "better conversation" in a country still reckoning with its role in colonialism, and with questions raised by the Black Lives Matter movement last year.

"This is national history, not just for a small group but for every one of us," Valika Smeulders, head of the Rijksmuseum history department, told AFP during a preview.

"It was timely, as it was not done before, to present on exhibition on slavery," said Valika Smeulders. By Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD (AFP)

"The colonial past is an important element in our national history. So it was timely, as it was not done before, to present an exhibition on slavery."

In a sign of the changing times, Dutch King Willem-Alexander will formally open the exhibition Tuesday. It will open to the public as soon as coronavirus measures are lifted for museums, but be viewable immediately online and for school parties.

Burned to death

Called simply "Slavery", the exhibit traces the 10 individual stories using both objects from the Rijksmuseum's collection -- some never seen before -- and from other museums.

But it also uses songs and oral sources, which visitors listen to on an audio tour, to fill the gaps where no records exist.

"They tell about people who had to leave their children behind, or they feel they're treated as tools and not human beings," said Eveline Sint Nicolaas, senior curator in the history department.

The "Slavery" exhibit focuses on the stories of 10 people and covers 250 years of Dutch involvement in slavery. By Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD (AFP)

One story is that of Wally, a slave on the Palmeneribo plantation in Suriname, who took part in a slave revolt in 1707 and escaped but was then recaptured and burned to death.

Paintings of slaves on the plantation sit alongside a manuscript detailing Wally's interrogation by slave owners.

Like the other stories in the exhibition, his tale is told in the audiotour by someone with a connection -- in his case Dutch former world champion kickboxer Remy Bonjasky, whose ancestors are believed to have fled the same plantation.

Elsewhere sit the austere portraits of affluent Amsterdammer Oopjen Coppit and her husband Marten Soolmans, which they commissioned legendary artist Rembrandt to paint in 1634.

Soolmans' family made a fortune from a sugar refinery supplied by slave plantations in Brazil. After he died, Oopjen remarried to a man who had once kept slaves in Brazil.

"We know Oopjen had several links with slavery and that's also very interesting," said Sint Nicolaas. "It really affected Dutch society in many ways, it wasn't history that just happened far away in the colonies."

'Very important subject'

The entire exhibition, previewed by AFP, features jarring contrasts of art and atrocity, brushstrokes and branding irons.

What was long thought to be a gilt dog collar in the museum's collection may actually have been a neck ring for a slave. Closer inspection of Dutch family portraits reveals slaves in the shadows.

The entire exhibition features jarring contrasts of art and atrocity, brushstrokes and branding irons. By Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD (AFP)

Similarly, while the Netherlands' history of colonialism under the Dutch East India Company and Dutch West India company remains widely known, Dutch links to slavery have themselves also remained hidden away.

"The history of slavery is something that people in school have not been taught a lot about, and at the same time you see that in the public debate it is a very important subject," said Smeulders.

The Rijksmuseum is itself also confronting the role of slavery in the "Golden Age" of Dutch art that it houses, adding extra information to 80 objects in its permanent collection to highlight "hidden links to slavery", it said.

A branding iron with the letters "GWC" that is part of the Rijksmuseum's "Slavery" exhibition. By Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD (AFP)

The Netherlands has never formally apologised for its role in the slave trade.

But Prime Minister Mark Rutte admitted last year in the wave of the Black Lives Matter protests that racism remained a problem in the Netherlands.

The time is now right for the Rijksmuseum to address the issue, said Smeulders.

"Yes, you could even say that we should have done this earlier. But when we decided to do this, we wanted to do it well," she said.
DR Congo's army said Tuesday its troops have killed 22 rebels since May 6 when it launched an offensive against the notorious ADF militia in the restive east of the country.

A historically Ugandan Islamist group, the Allied Democratic Forces is the bloodiest of scores of armed militias that roam the mineral-rich zone, many of them a legacy of two regional wars from 1996 to 2003.

The army has also seized eight AK47 machine guns, regional army spokesman Antony Mualushayi told AFP.

He said the army arrested 60 ADF collaborators including about a dozen foreigners, mainly Ugandans.

The ADF -- which the United States brands a "terrorist" organisation" affiliated to Islamic State group -- has been accused of murdering more than 1,000 civilians since November 2019 in and around the major city of Beni in North Kivu province.

"We have the support of the people, a population that is sick of the lack of security and wants peace to return," Lieutenant Mualushayi said.

The government of DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi placed North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province under a 30-day "state of siege" on May 6.

The move is allowed under the former Belgian colony's constitution "if severe circumstances immediately threaten the independence or integrity of the national territory, or if they interrupt the regular functioning of institutions".

The army of the vast central African country has conducted operations against the ADF since October 2019, but has been unable to put a stop to the massacres.

The army itself is regularly accused of excesses including exactions against civilians.
Fauci said more medical studies are coming out daily that suggest all the vaccines are likely to be quite effective  including the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine, which was shown to be very effective in preventing serious illness in South Africa, where another variant is dominant.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has arrived in Paris for the Summit on Financing African Economies, which is being convened by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The summit, which will bring together several African and European leaders, and heads of international financial institutions, will devise strategies that will boost strong, inclusive recovery in Africa, grounded in a dynamic private sector, help foster sustainable progress and prosperity, and accelerate the green and digital transition in line with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

It is expected that a financial package would be devised to enable African countries to overcome the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Participants are expected to agree on critical pro-growth reforms that are needed to enhance the private sector in Africa, and tap its growth potential with the help of local and international financial support, including through risk-sharing instruments dedicated to African entrepreneurs and SMEs, as well as appropriate technical assistance.

The summit will hopefully further agree on key common rules and enforcement mechanisms that will contribute to securing strong, sustainable growth in Africa.

While in Paris, the President is scheduled to have bilateral discussions with the President of the World Bank, and the Managing Director of the IMF, who will both be attending the Summit.
The Senior Staff Association of Public Universities of Ghana has embarked on an indefinite strike to push for improved service conditions.

It has thus called for a complete withdrawal of services by members nationwide.

The Association is among other things demanding the payment of Tier 2 pension arrears of members, award of market premium and non-basic allowance as well as the finalization of negotiations of their conditions of service.

Some members of the Association from public universities across the country who converged on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus, say they will comply with the directive by the leadership.

The National Chairman of the Association, Zakaria Mohammed, has warned that members who flout the directive would be duly sanctioned.

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The Electoral Commission (EC), has absolved itself of blame for the electoral violence that resulted in the death of some persons in the 2020 general elections.

Many have criticized the EC for superintending over an election that led to the demise of some voters, something that has never happened under the 4th Republic.

Speaking at an IPAC review workshop on the 2020 polls, the Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa, while condemning the violence and the deaths, indicated that security is not part of the responsibilities of her outfit.

An exceedingly disturbing challenge is the violence which led to the death of citizens of our country. And we say never again. Never again should we go to an election and have anybody lose their lives. Here also, there is a tendency for fingers to be pointed at the EC when security is not the core mandate of the EC.

I have read the constitution and security is not part of our core mandate. I use this occasion to clarify that the EC is not responsible for election security, although the entire election and its success rest on the shoulders of the Commission. Our mandate as entrenched in the Constitution does not include security.

This is one of the few times the Electoral Commission chair has spoken strongly to condemn the violence and the subsequent deaths recorded in the election.

The Commission had initially heaped praises on itself for the way the election was conducted, regardless of the deaths and the many disagreements that eventually led to an election petition by the opposition NDCs Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, to challenge the Presidential results at the Supreme Court.

Some parliamentary election results, notably that of Techiman South, is currently being contested in court between the NDC and the NPP candidates.

There were 61 recorded cases of electoral and post-electoral violence across the country, according to the police.

Six members of the Minority have already tabled a private members' motion in the House seeking a full-scale probe into acts of violence that occurred in the 2020 general elections.

The MPs; Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka Mubarak, Mahama Ayariga, Alhassan Suhuyini, and James Agalga want the scope of the probe to take a look at the inappropriate interferences by state security in the elections, and violence against citizens, leading to the loss of lives.

They insist the IGP and other security agencies reneged on a promise to Parliament and Ghanaians to protect lives.

Many have criticized the government for doing little about the violence and the deaths through an investigation to bring the perpetrators to book.

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The construction of a mosque has been approved for Muslims in Dabala Junction by some Turkish friends of Hon. Kobena Mensah Woyome, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Tongu.

The construction of this mosque, according to the MP, is to start very soon.

He said the Turkish friends of his have already begun a similar project in some sister constituencies in the Volta Region and would soon be the turn of Dabala Junction.

The lawmaker noted that the mosque will come with a purified water system which he believes will somehow minimize the water crisis in the area.

On Thursday, 13th May 2021, Hon. Kobena Mensah Woyome marked another Eid-Ul-Fitr by donating food items to Muslim communities in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.

It was during the donation at Dabala Junction that he revealed this plan.

Hon. Woyome donated five bags of Copa Jasmine rice and 2 cartons of cooking oil to them.
A retired Police officer, COP Bright Oduro has said it is not the mandate of National Security operatives to arrest offenders no matter the crime.

Speaking to Kwabena Bobie Ansah on Accra100.5FMs Citizen Show on Monday, 17 May 2021, COP Oduro condemned the gestapo style of arrest exhibited by National Security operatives recently.

All these internal security issues is the work of police officers so if someone is not adhering to law and must be dealt with, it is the Police's duty.

The duty to arrest has always been with the security services such as the military, police, customs, fire service and immigration etc and they have to do whatever falls within their mandate, he noted.

This follows recent reports of the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo (rtd), being assaulted by some alleged members of the vigilante group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP)- Delta Force who, according to the security capo, are now part of the National Security apparatus, attempted to forcefully throw him out of his office.

The operatives claimed that his appointment had been terminated.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, 11 May 2021 at about 5pm.

COP Bright Oduro (rtd) further questioned the qualification of the National Security operatives and what competencies they have to effect arrests.

He, therefore, described their actions as unprofessional.

According to him, if an offense is identified by National Security operatives, the right thing to do is to hand the culprits to the police.

In my over 30-year career as a police officer until my retirement, I never heard or saw that National Security Operatives arrest anyone. If someone has committed a punishable offence, the Police is there to handle it, he stated.

COP Bright Oduro (rtd) also roundly condemned recent attacks on Citi FM journalists, Caleb Kudah and Zoe Abu Baidoo by some National Security operatives.
Spain's prime minister vowed to "restore order" in the North African enclave of Ceuta on Tuesday after a record 6,000 migrants reached its beaches from Morocco, raising diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat.

With the authorities in the tiny peninsula overwhelmed, Spain moved quickly to send them back, with 2,700 returned to Morocco by midday, the government said.

"We will restore order in the city and in our borders as soon as possible," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, adding that he would visit Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other north African enclave, later on Tuesday.

Most crossed into Ceuta largely unimpeded by Moroccan border guards on Monday, but by Tuesday morning, Rabat had deployed reinforcements at the Fnideq border crossing who fired tear gas to disperse the crowds eyeing a rare opportunity to slip across, an AFP correspondent reported.

The Moroccan government has been angered by Spain's decision to provide medical treatment for the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement who has been seriously ill with Covid-19.

Spain's premier warned that the situation was a "serious crisis for Spain but also for Europe". By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

Sanchez warned that the situation was a "serious crisis for Spain but also for Europe," which is a destination of choice for people fleeing poverty and war in Africa.

It also prompted Sanchez to cancel a Tuesday trip to Paris where he was to attend an Africa financing summit.

The EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, urged Morocco to take action to stop the "worrying" increase, while European Council chief Charles Michel voiced solidarity with Madrid, tweeting "Spain's borders are the European Union's borders."

By mid Tuesday, Spain quickly deployed another 200 police and Civil Guard officers to the scene.

"The situation is much calmer. The Moroccan authorities are blocking their nationals from coming along the beach," a source at the Spanish government delegation in Ceuta told AFP, saying by midday (1000 GMT) the arrivals had stopped.

Moroccan migrants climb a rocky cliffside as a policeman watches in the northern town of Fnideq as they attempt to cross the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on May 18, 2021.At least 5,000 migrants, an unprecedented influx at a time of high tension between Madrid and Rabat, slipped into Ceuta on May 17, a record for a single day, Spanish authorities said. They reached the enclave by swimming or by walking at low tide from beaches a few kilometres to the south, some using inflatable swimming rings and rubber dinghies.. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

Monday's figures were the highest ever for a single day, authorities in Ceuta said.

Early Tuesday, another 300 migrants tried to cross into Spain's other North African enclave of Melilla by scaling a high barrier, with 86 making it through.

'I'll try again'

Amal, 18, said he had hurried to the Ceuta border with his brother and two friends in the hope of slipping into Spanish territory.

"Many of our friends managed to get across. We came later when we heard about it," he said.

"We tried to climb over the mountain but the police blocked us."

The migrants reached Ceuta by swimming or by walking at low tide from Moroccan beaches a few kilometres to the south. Some used inflatable swimming rings and rubber dinghies.

One migrant drowned as hundreds attempted to swim or wade along the coast to reach Spanish soil in Ceuta. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

In the early hours of Tuesday, hundreds more men and women of all ages flocked to the border to try their luck.

"I saw on Facebook that it was possible to cross the border, so I took a taxi here with my friend as I can't feed my family anymore," 26-year-old Ouarda, from the neighbouring town of Tetouan, told AFP.

"I'm not scared -- I'll either die or I'll cross," the unemployed, divorced mother-of-two said.

One man drowned trying to swim across, Spanish officials said on Monday.

Videos posted on social media showed dozens of migrants -- some wearing just beachwear but others clad in normal outdoor clothes -- setting off from rocky beachheads.

Western Sahara spat

Map locating the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco, and the town of Fnideq in Morocco.. By (AFP)

Ceuta and Melilla have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

Mohamed Benaissa, the head of the North Observatory for Human Rights in the Fnideq, said the bulk of those making it to the Spanish side were "minors, youths but also families, all of them Moroccan".

The wave of arrivals comes at a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat, after it emerged that Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali arrived in northern Spain in mid-April and is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that is mainly under Moroccan control.

Analysts had warned the spat could threaten cooperation between Madrid and Rabat in the fight against illegal immigration.

Benaissa said Monday's influx "could be linked to the diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain".

But Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said Rabat had "assured" Madrid the huge influx was "not the result of the disagreement."

burs-yad/dl
NPP National Communication Team Member, Nana Kwame Osei Adade, has called on institutions and the government to have the courage to deal with politicians who are involved in illegal mining (galamsey).

His comments come on the back of criticisms by many who believe there are politicians playing a massive role in illegal mining.

Nana Kwame Osei Adade said it's about time institution act swiftly to deal with some politicians alleged to be involved.

"We must name, shame and punish people. We should have the courage to deal with politicians who are involved in illegal mining. Government has a role to play. We can't allow illegal mining to thrive in our communities. I can assure the people of Ghana that the president is interested in this matter. We must all come together in order to stop illegal mining. On my part and my team, whatever has to be done to stop this, it will be done. What I'm interested in is a new atmosphere of mining that will support our country," Nana Kwame Osei Adade told Reynold Agyemang on Pae Mu Ka Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7

Recently the President said the fight against illegal mining (Galamsey) must not be based on partisan politics.

The President who spoke at the National Consultative Forum on Small-Scale Mining is hopeful that the policy will be backed by national consensus.
Nigeria has received 4.2 million pounds ($5.9 million) looted by a former governor, who was jailed in Britain for money laundering and fraud, the justice minister said Tuesday.

The money was stolen by James Ibori, the flamboyant governor of the southern oil-rich Delta state between 1999 and 2007.

A landmark corruption case led to a deal in March signed by Nigeria and Britain on repatriating the money.

The deal stipulates that Nigeria will use the funds to finance vital infrastructure projects.

A spokesperson for Justice Minister Abubakar Malami said "the Federal Government of Nigeria has received GBP 4,214,017.66."

"The amount has been credited into the designated Federal Government account with naira equivalent value of the amount as of 10th May, 2021," the spokersperson, Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said in a statement.

Ibori was jailed in April 2012 for fraud amounting to nearly 50 million pounds (at the time $78.6 million or 62 million euros).

The one-time cashier at a chain of British DIY stores used public funds to buy luxury homes, top-of-the-range cars and a private jet.

He fled to Dubai in 2010 but was extradited to Britain, where he was sentenced and served four years of a 13-year jail term. He was released in December 2016.

Scotland Yard said that during his two terms as governor, Ibori "systematically stole funds from the public purse, secreting them in bank accounts across the world."

Anti-corruption campaigners hailed his sentence as a rare victory in the fight against international graft.

Millions of dollars stolen by former military ruler Sani Abacha have also been repatriated to Nigeria from Switzerland and other countries.

Abacha died in June 1998 after reputedly looting some five billion dollars.
After thousands of migrants crossed the border from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, we look at the disputed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony long a bone of contention between Rabat and Madrid.

Tensions have risen again after the leader of the Polisario Front -- the independence movement resisting Moroccan domination of the Western Sahara -- arrived in Spain last month, reportedly to be treated for Covid-19.

Morocco has offered Western Sahara autonomy, but maintains the territory is a sovereign part of the kingdom.

A decades-old ceasefire collapsed in November after Morocco sent troops into a buffer zone to reopen the only road leading from Morocco to Mauritania and the rest of West Africa.

The two sides have since exchanged fire along the demarcation line, though claims are difficult to independently verify in the hard-to-access area.

Desert and ocean

Map of Western Sahara. By (AFP)

Western Sahara sits on the western edge of the vast desert, stretching along about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) of Atlantic coastline.

Its inhospitable terrain supports only around 650,000 people.

As Spain withdrew in 1975, its northern neighbour Morocco moved in, claiming the territory as part of its kingdom.

But it was opposed by the Polisario Front, which took up arms to fight for independence, with the International Court of Justice ruling in favour of self-determination.

In November 1975, 350,000 Moroccans took part in the so-called Green March to the border, to press the kingdom's claim on the territory's large reserves of phosphate and rich offshore fisheries.

The following year, the Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with the support of allies including Cuba and neighbouring Algeria, its most important backer.

Sand wall

Treated for Covid in Spain: Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP/File)

The Polisario initially gained the upper hand, before being pushed back into the interior.

During the 1980s Morocco built a sand wall to keep Polisario fighters out of territory it controlled.

The outermost defensive line runs for 2,700 kilometres, ringing the 80 percent of the Western Sahara now under Moroccan control.

It is fortified with barbed wire and trenches, and is one of the world's largest minefields.

The SADR is a member of the African Union, but controls less than 20 percent of the territory, mostly empty desert.

Troubled region

The United Nations has failed to find a lasting settlement since it brokered a ceasefire on the line of control in 1991.

A referendum it organised over Western Sahara's future in 1992 was aborted when Morocco objected to who was eligible to vote. Rabat refuses to accept any vote in which independence is an option, offering autonomy instead.

The conflict has long poisoned Morocco's relations with neighbouring Algeria.

Their border has been closed since 1994, and between 100,000 and 200,000 Sahrawi refugees live in camps around the Algerian desert town of Tindouf.

Talks fail

Moroccans celebrate in Rabat in December after the US adopted a new official map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

After years of deadlock, former German president and UN special envoy Horst Koehler got the two sides together in Geneva, along with Algeria and Mauritania.

But two rounds of talks faltered in March 2019.

In the meantime, some 20 countries have opened diplomatic offices in the Moroccan-held cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.

Rights abuses

A 2018 UN report on Western Sahara cited "serious human rights violations" committed by Moroccan police against those pushing for self-determination.

Another last year said it had received reports about torture and medical neglect in Moroccan prisons.

The reports also highlighted concerns over rights abuses in the Tindouf camps run by the Polisario and of harassment, and ill-treatment of doctors and nurses tackling Covid-19 there.

Trump's deal

In December, Morocco normalised ties with Israel in a diplomatic quid pro quo that saw Washington back Moroccan rule over Western Sahara, a move that infuriated the Polisario.

Polisario police chief killed

In April, five months after the ceasefire broke down in November, Polisario police chief Addah al-Bendir was killed in a suspected drone strike, it what some see as a possible turning point in the conflict.

Migrant pressure on Spain

Moroccan migrants climb a cliffside on the shore of the northern town of Fnideq as they attempt to cross the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on May 18, 2021. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

In April, Polisario leader Brahim Ghali goes to Spain reportedly for treatment for Covid-19, a move Madrid says was made on humanitarian grounds.

On Monday, thousands of migrants cross into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, in what some see as a ploy by Rabat to put pressure on Madrid.
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The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), says it has taken a keen interest in the alleged physical assault on Citi FM and Citi TV Journalist, Caleb Kudah, and the invasion of the station's premises by National Security operatives.

Last Tuesday, Mr. Kudah was arrested by National Security personnel for filming abandoned vehicles at their premises and was subsequently assaulted during interrogation.

The operatives also raided the premises of Citi FM and Citi TV to pick up a colleague journalist, Zoe Abu Baidoo-Addo, who had received the files captured by Mr. Kudah on her phone.

Management of the media house formally notified the Christian council on the matter after invoking the jurisdiction of the National Media Commission , NMC, to probe the matter.

General Secretary of the Christian Council, Dr. Cyril Fayose, said such actions by security personnel are unacceptable.

We have a very serious interest in this particular case because it affects all of us, and we are going to follow it through. We are also going to make a public statement on it. Wrong is wrong, and right is right. Right must be promoted, not the wrong. So we are in this struggle with Citi FM and Citi TV.

It is a struggle for all of us to do the right thing. Even in advanced countries where the security apparatus still treat some of its citizens very poorly and in a very indecent manner, I think we should do everything within our powers, so it is not replicated in our country. So we are with you and wish you the very best as we engage in this advocacy.

About 15 organizations including civil society organizations and political parties have condemned the incident and backed calls for investigations, whiles calling for reforms in the national security setup.

Citi FM and Citi TV have specifically petitioned the NMC to use its mandate under the constitution that enjoins it to ensure the safety of journalists, to investigate or cause to be investigated the two incidents, and recommend appropriate actions.

Mr. Kudah was arrested at the National Security Ministry on Tuesday for filming abandoned MASLOC vehicles parked at the premises of the Ministry.

He was at the Ministry to verify a claim by an official of MASLOC that all the cars had been given out.

This was after Caleb Kudah had complained about the wastage of public funds on social media.

A team of heavily-armed SWAT police officers subsequently were dispatched to arrest Citi News' Zoe Abu-Baidoo Addo at the premises of Citi FM/Citi TV.

This is because Caleb had forwarded some of the footage he captured to Zoe via WhatsApp.

Mr. Caleb Kudah in an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point Of View on Citi TV indicated that he was slapped several times by the security officers.

He also insisted that he was hit in the groin by one Lieutenant Colonel Agyeman.

The National Security Ministry says it has initiated a probe into the case.

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Its worth a look, for sure, Hizzoner said of the idea, which came from Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan). Were going to look at, as always, different options about whats the best way to reach people.
In a recent open letter to international funders for research and development, we highlighted multiple power imbalances and appealed to the funders to help build a more equitable ecosystem.

In this second letter, we urgently call on our own African political and research leaders to take greater responsibility to streamline research programmes and funding. We emphasise that responsibility for addressing the current gaps in research and development lies with the international community  as well as with African governments and their institutions.

Scientific knowledge is a critical driver for human health and wellbeing, economic development and environmental sustainability. Yet African governments still only marginally fund research and development. Most are still unable to meet the commitments made by the African Union member countries in 2006 of spending 1% of their GDP on research and development. This was four years after they made the commitment. By 2019, Africa's research and development funding was only 0.42% of GDP. The global average stands at 1.7%.

Research and development capacity has increased in recent years. Nevertheless only a handful of countries are close to the 1% target. Kenya , South Africa and Egypt have emerged as major research hubs in the last decade. Kenya invests about 0.8%, South Africa 0.75% and Egypt 0.6% of their GDP.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the dangers of this approach even more. Africa has 14% of the world's population but produces only 0.1% of the world's vaccines . To date, one in four people in high-income countries have been vaccinated, compared to one in 500 people in low-income countries , many in Africa. Throughout the pandemic, African countries have been at the back of the queue for getting adequate test kits and consumables, personal protective equipment and now vaccines.

African countries are therefore dependent on the globally funded COVAX initiative to secure vaccines. The dependency on Western vaccine development and manufacturing has resulted in limited stocks and multiple bottlenecks. As a result many African countries may not attain the desired herd immunity against COVID-19 until 2023.

Nonetheless, this crisis has also presented an excellent opportunity for African governments to support research capacity. The danger that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to countries on the continent  and the ongoing vaccine nationalism  is a timely wake-up call. The African Union and its development agency  New Partnership for Africa's Development  should prioritise working with governments to meet their promises on funding for research and development.

The pandemic is a brutal reminder that African governments need to muscle up their support for research capacity, especially for infectious diseases and vaccine research.

Missed opportunities

There is also a glaring lack of leadership and direction by and from African research and political leaders. The result is evidenced in the chronic lack of government investment  and regard  for science in our countries. As a result, African scientists who have the capacity to identify , sequence and track viruses have missed out, even during a pandemic, in developing life-saving treatments and vaccines .

Beyond COVID-19, the absence of investment spans infectious diseases research, the greatest burden of which is in Africa.

Africa's overreliance on international funding and the impact of underlying biases have contributed to the under-representation of Africans in both local and international research and development scenes.

The impact of this overreliance has recently become all too clear. The UK government announced that UK Research and Innovation, the UK public body that directs research and innovation funding, had confirmed cuts to the overseas aid budget from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%. The result has been a 120 million fall in overseas research programmes managed by the institution in 2021-22.

The decision, which includes immediate cuts to ongoing work, has affected African scientists the most. For example, the 1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund supports cutting edge research collaborations between UK scientists and researchers in various low and middle income countries. South Africa, Kenya and Uganda hold most of the grants for health, climate and sustainable development issues.

These investments are now at risk of incompletion. Scientists from the global north might have numerous alternative funding sources including national research funding programmes. But this isn't the case for African scientists. Most rely on external donor agencies for research grants and fellowships.

The current research funding landscape in Africa is untenable.

What needs to be done

It is time for African governments to strengthen national research programmes and partnerships. They need to do this by working with the local scientists to prioritise domestic programmes for targeted research funding.

It is also critical that we focus on building a new future and lobbying for more South-South partnerships and initiatives focusing on the African bloc. African research and development capacity cannot continue to rely on funding structures that can be withdrawn on a whim, leaving African researchers helpless.

COVID-19 has been a stark reminder that most countries are likely to default to nationalistic policies during a crisis. This can further exacerbate global inequities when nations are faced with a singular threat. African countries therefore need to:

Leverage the power of the collective African bloc. They should do so using existing initiatives such as The Africa Centres of Excellence initiative , the Pan-African University , African Research Universities Alliance, Coalition for African Research and Innovation , Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa and Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa .

Regional institutions should set guidelines for foreign investments and foreign government commitments to see major projects through to the end of agreed timelines despite cuts.

National governments should prioritise science beyond health ministry budgets. They should also prioritise research and development as a pillar of development and national security.

The leadership and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Africa CDC to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity on the continent is a good first step. The initiative needs to broaden its stakeholder base to bring in African universities and research institutes.

African universities and local institutions of higher learning should expand their focus beyond teaching to integrate teaching with scientific research. This would serve as as an initial step to build African research capacity and leapfrog the continent into self-sufficiency.

Africa too must rise and take greater responsibility to streamline research programmes and funding. Ultimately, the responsibility of addressing the current gaps lies with Africans and their institutions. Not with the international community.

Janet Midega, PhD is affiliated with Wellcome Trust, UK and is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute, Washington DC.

Catherine Kyobutungi receives funding from The African Academy of Sciences, Hewlett Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Sida.

Emelda Okiro receives funding from the Wellcome Trust through a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellowship (number 201866) and acknowledges the support of the Wellcome Trust to the Kenya Major Overseas Programme (number 203077).

Fredros Okumu receives funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is affiliated with Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania.

Ifeyinwa Aniebo is affiliated with Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation.

Ngozi Erondu is affiliated with Chatham House, The United Kingdom Royal Institute of International Affairs

By Janet Midega, PhD, Senior Research Advisor, Wellcome Trust, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme And

Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center And

Emelda Okiro, Head of Population Health Unit, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme And

Fredros Okumu, Director of Science, Ifakara Health Institute And

Ifeyinwa Aniebo, Research fellow (Harvard Takemi fellow), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health And

Ngozi Erondu, Senior Scholar with the Global Health Policy & Politics Initiative at the O'Neill Institute, Georgetown University
Morocco has turned a blind eye to thousands of migrants heading to Spain's Ceuta enclave in order to pressure Madrid to recognise its sovereignty over the Western Sahara, analysts said.

Some 6,000 migrants have since Monday swum or used tiny inflatable boats to cross unimpeded into the tiny territory from neighbouring Morocco, sparking a crisis for Madrid.

The surge in arrivals comes after Rabat expressed anger last month over Spain's decision to admit the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, to a Spanish hospital to be treated for Covid-19.

The Algeria-backed Polisario Front has long fought for Western Sahara's independence from Morocco. A desert region the size of Britain, it was a Spanish colony until 1975.

Migrants rally by a border fence in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq in an attempt to cross into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

In a strongly worded statement, Morocco's foreign ministry accused Spain of admitting Ghali under a false identity without informing Rabat and warned of repercussions for ties between the countries.

Moroccan authorities saw the hospitalisation in Spain of Ghali, "the leader of their main enemy," as a "very hostile decision", said Irene Fernandez-Molina, an international relations professor at the University of Exeter.

Rabat is also using the Ghali affair as a "pretext" to pile pressure on Madrid to follow Washington's lead and change its policy on Western Sahara, "which is the top issue always for Moroccan foreign policy," she added.

In December the United States under former president Donald Trump became the first Western country to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara in exchange for Rabat's normalisation of relations with Israel.

'Strong card'

The "expectation of Moroccan authorities since" then has been that other Western nations would do the same, said Feranandez-Molina, an expert on the Western Sahara conflict.

"In the case of Spain, Morocco has a very strong card to play which is migration control," she told AFP.

Map of Western Sahara. By (AFP)

Before the influx of migrants to Ceuta, Spain was already grappling with a surge in migrant arrivals on the Canary Islands off the Moroccan coast.

Last year more than 23,000 migrants reached the archipelago, a figure eight times higher than in 2019, interior ministry figures show.

And this year, the arrivals so far have more than doubled the number for the same period in 2020.

Spain has tried to appear neutral on the Western Sahara issue. It maintains a solution to the issue can only come from an agreement brokered by the United Nations.

Spain's foreign ministry has said it allowed Ghali in for "strictly humanitarian" reasons.

Before the influx of migrants to Ceuta, Spain was already grappling with a surge in migrant arrivals on the Canary Islands. By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

Ignacio Cembrero, a Spanish journalist seen as an expert on the Western Sahara, said Spain's position is important to Morocco because "it is the former colonial power" in Western Sahara.

"And its voice in the United Nations, even if it is not on the Security Council, would always be listened to," he told AFP.

'Very sensitive'

Morocco in March already suspended its repatriation flights of migrants from the Canaries, Cembrero said.

Mohamed Benaissa, the head of the North Observatory for Human Rights in the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, said Monday's influx "could be linked to the diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain" over the Western Sahara.

IsaAas Barrenada, an international relations professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, said Morocco had sent a "strong message" by allowing the migrant surge in Ceuta.

"The message is: 'without Morocco's cooperation in the control of migrants, Spain has a problem so Spain should listen to Morocco's demands'," he told AFP.

"Spain, like any other European nation, is very sensitive to this type of pressure because it has an internal political cost."

After calling off a trip to Paris, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived Tuesday in Ceuta, vowing to "restore order" as soon as possible.

Eduard Soler, a North Africa expert at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, said Morocco has a long history of "using the migration card to exert pressure on Spain".

"It is not as if Morocco does not have the capacity to control its borders. Morocco decides to be more or less strict in the control of its border depending on the status of its relationship" with Spain, he added.
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Abraham Amaliba, one of the lawyers defending the opposition National Democratic Congress embattled Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency in the Central Region, James Gyakye Quayson, in the dual citizenship case, has filed an application to withdraw his services.

Citing comments made by the judge in previous hearings which he believes might constitute bias, Mr. Amaliba, on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, moved for the judge to recuse himself from making further statements in open court which appear to indicate a pre-determined outcome of the substantive case.

Part of his application read That although your lordship refused my prayer to recuse yourself on grounds, inter alia, that you dont remember ever making the alleged comment, I remain of the strong conviction that there is a real likelihood of bias, and my continuous presence in the matter as counsel with such a conviction, will not augur well for the interest of my client and administration of justice.

After the judge ruled against his motion, Amaliba moved to withdraw his services as Mr. Quaysons lawyer, insisting that continuing to act as the defendants lawyer in the case could hurt his clients chances, given the likelihood of bias.

The counsel for the petitioner, Frank Davies, opposed Mr Amalibas motion, arguing that the opposing counsel was only trying to delay the case unceremoniously.

However, when the judge queried him on whether Mr. Amaliba was within his rights to withdraw from the case, Mr. Davies responded in the affirmative.

The Cape Coast High Court 3 subsequently adjourned the case to June 1, 2021.

The Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Tekyi Mensah, in an interview with the media after Tuesdays proceedings, claimed that the move by the lawyers of the respondent is part of attempts to delay the trial.

A motion came from the lawyers of the first respondent, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, who had asked for a stay of proceedings. That application was slated for hearing today [Tuesday], only for us to appear in court to have another application filed by Abraham Amaliba, a lawyer for the respondent saying he wants to withdraw from the case. That application is slated for June 1, 2021.

James Gyakye Quayson, Assin North MP

This is a clear attempt by the first respondent and his legal team to delay the case, but we are confident about the case. No matter what they do, we are of the view that the case will be dealt with expeditiously and the final judgement would be given, he said.

Background

Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of Mr. James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North constituency.

In November last year, a group calling itself 'Concerned Citizens of Assin North' petitioned the Electoral Commission in the Central Region to withdraw the candidature of Mr. Quayson, arguing that he owes allegiance to Canada.

He was challenged for holding dual citizenship contrary to the expressed provision of Article 94 (2) (a) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, which states, A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he or she  (a) owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.

If found guilty by the court, the MP would be removed from Parliament and serve a jail term.

The National Democratic Congress, NDC, had insisted that their MP is a full citizen of Ghana who owes no allegiance whatsoever to any other country. He is a Ghanaian in law and in fact and qualifies to be a Member of Parliament according to the laws of Ghana.

Order Assin North parliamentary election rerun

At an earlier sitting last week, the petitioner, Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, asked the court to order another parliamentary election to be conducted in the constituency.

One of his lawyers, Henry Nana Boakye, in briefing the media after the court hearing indicated that their request is supported with case evidence and that they have already filed their closing addresses.

He was hopeful that the judgement on the matter would be in favour of the petitioner.

One of the reliefs we are seeking is for the court to order for re-election to be conducted in Assin North. We have stated our case forcefully, and we have supported it with case evidence. We have even filed our closing addresses, and we are sure that the respondents will be served. All of these are just delay antics and just to drag the matter behind. But we are forthright and resolute that this matter will be determined, and it will be determined on the merit of the case; and based on the 1992 constitution and the relevant laws regarding the qualification of an aspirant to be a candidate or to be elected as a Member of Parliament, he said.

---citinewsroom
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The Network for Assin Development has expressed worried over the deplorable nature of roads in the Assin Municipality.

The President of Network For Assin Development, Mr Samuel Adobah who expressed this sentiment noted that 90 percent of Assin roads are deplorable.

This he said, successive governments have also turned a blind eye to their plight as if they are not part of Mother Ghana.

According to him, they only see these politicians trooping in during the election time and making empty promises to the electorates.

For some time now, we have been having sleepless nights since ancestors are haunting us simply because we the youth have refused to push for developmental projects.

Our ancestors are therefore pressuring us to stand firm and ask for a fair share of the national cake.

It is sad to say some of our ancestors never set eyes on asphalt roads before they transited to the next world, he lamented.

The road linking to Assin Brofoyedur, Akropong to Akim Oda have been in a deplorable nature since the creation of the world and nothing has been done about till now.

Mr. Samuel Adobah hinted that last year the government awarded a contract to one construction company to commence work on these roads but after elections; they flew away.

This he said, their Member of Parliament Hon Kennedy Agyapon and the MCE is aware of issues on the ground.

It is obvious that politicians have taken the Assin land for granted. They only visit us when they are in need of our votes. This is wickedness.

As a matter of urgency, the Network For Assin Development wants to inform the prominent personalities such as Mr. John Boadu, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Assin North MP, and Assin South MP together with all the MCEs to collaborate and push for developmental projects.

It is shame to turn a blind eye to the plight of people who rallied behind you when you needed their support.

We are also calling on the government agencies especially the Ministry of Roads and Highway to take a critical look at the Assin bad roads before ending of this year.

The Youth of Assin land will not have time to mount any demonstration again but, we shall only hand over these duty bearers into the hands of ours ancestors to deal them mercilessly, stated.
Exhausted and ashen-faced, Moroccan teenager Amal waited all night to join thousands who dream of reaching Europe through a tiny Spanish enclave on North Africa's Mediterranean coast.

"We know it's an adventure but death doesn't scare me. It's dying poor, here, that's what scares me," said the out-of-school and jobless 18-year-old who was turned back by Moroccan guards at dawn.

She had rushed from the nearby village of Martil after reading on Facebook that "people were making it through to (the enclave of) Ceuta without getting arrested" by Moroccan border guards.

In an unprecedented influx Monday, at a time of high tension between Rabat and Madrid, thousands of would-be migrants reached the enclave by swimming or walking at low tide from neighbouring Moroccan beaches.

A Spanish Civil Guard officer holds a migrant who arrived swimming at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

Spanish authorities put their number at 6,000, including about 2,700 minors, almost half of whom have already been sent back.

One man drowned trying to swim across, according to Spanish officials.

After 24 hours of inaction, Moroccan border guards at the Fnideq border crossing on Tuesday fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of hundreds more hoping to take advantage of the rare opportunity to slip across.

But other groups scattered along the border appeared undeterred.

Warda and Khadija, both 26 and from Tetouan, 35 kilometres (20 miles) to the east, said they came to Fnideq because of footage posted on Facebook apparently showing police "allowing" migrants to cross unhindered.

Warda, a mother of two, said she had "nothing to lose".

"The idea of staying here frightens me," said Khadija.

Deepening poverty

Spanish soldiers and Guardia Civil officers stand guard after some 6,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. By Antonio Sempere (AFP)

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the North African country of 36 million people, poverty levels have soared seven-fold, according to Morocco's HCP planning commission.

In the Fnideq region, a crackdown on smuggling and Morocco's more than year-long border closures to contain the spread of Covid-19 have left thousands of locals unemployed.

Early Tuesday, another 300 migrants, said to be mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, attempted to cross into Spain's other North African enclave of Melilla by scaling a high barrier.

Authorities in Melilla said "85 men and one woman succeeded in entering".

Moroccan migrants rally by a border fence in the northern town of Fnideq in an attempt to cross the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. By FADEL SENNA (AFP)

Ceuta and Melilla have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them popular entry points for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

The wave of arrivals comes at a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat, after it emerged that Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali arrived in northern Spain in mid-April and is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that is mainly under Moroccan control.
The High Court in Accra has set Monday, May 24, to hear a motion for an interlocutory injunction filed by Prince Charles Dedjoe to restrain the family of his late wife from burying her in his absence.

Mr. Dedjoe, a business executive, is in custody for the alleged murder of his wife, Lilian Dedjoe.

The suspect has been in custody since March 10, 2021, after he was denied bail by the High Court.

He however insists that his late wife must not be buried in his absence.

The deceased, Lilian Dedjoe, a 43-year-old, was a victim of abuse in her marriage, and according to the victim's daughter, who is the complainant, her mother may have died as a result of the alleged abuses.

Her body was expected to be interred within the first week of May per tentative burial details communicated by the family.

The funeral rites are expected to be performed at the Lashibi Funeral Home followed by a private burial and a Thanksgiving service at Sogakope in the Volta Region.

In the meantime, the deceaseds family has called on authorities to ensure that justice is served.

---citinewsroom
A 23-year-old driver, accused of defiling a 13-year-old girl at Nungua, Accra has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Emmanuel Yamoah pleaded not guilty for the charge of defilement and was admitted to bail in the sum of GH60,000 with three sureties, two of whom are to be public servants earning not less than GH2,000.

The matter has been adjourned to June 2, for Case Management Conference.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, said the complainant was the mother of the victim who together with the accused reside at Teshie.

He said in the afternoon of April 30 this year, the complainant returned from town and was informed by one of her workers that the accused was caught having sex with the victim.

Inspector Atimbire said during interrogation, the victim confirmed the ordeal she had gone through, adding that it was Yamoah who lured her to it.

He said the complainant reported the incident to Nungua Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Police where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek treatment for the victim and full report was later submitted on the victim.

Prosecution said Yamoah was later arrested.

---GNA
Teachers in the Suhum Kraboa Coltar District under the Ghana Education Service (GHS) are appealing to the government and the Ministry of Education to as a matter of urgency support schools in rural areas.

According to the teachers, the absence of water and toilet facilities, inadequate desks, and textbooks, has been a major threat to smooth and quality teaching and learning in remote areas.

Speaking at the 90th-anniversary celebration of the Suhum Kraboa Coltar branch of the Ghana National Teachers Association (GNAT), the Municipal GNAT Chairman, John Onimah Padmore, called on the government to immediately take steps to quickly address these challenges for teachers.

There are a lot of challenges confronting us as teachers in Suhum Kraboa Coltar, and I want to mention a few to the appropriate authorities to take note. The furniture situation in our various schools is very bad, failure to honor deserving teachers; at best teachers awards, is also affecting teaching and learning and demotivating teachers.

Failure to provide water and toilet facilities for schools, especially in the villages, has been a major concern for all teachers posted to these remote areas, and office accommodation for the Ghana Education Service in the two districts is also a problem as the GES continues to operate in a rented apartment, he added.

Mr. Onimah also called on the executives of the Association to be proactive in dealing with challenges confronting members.

We are very disappointed that we have not heard anything meaningful from the government that is the Ministry of Education, and the Ghana Education Service with regard to our salary negotiations and increment. The long delay in supplying laptops to teachers, failure to organize a workshop for teachers on the standard-based curriculum for teachers which is yet to be done, provision of textbooks for the schools, problems with the National Teaching Council and lack of information on the SSNIT pension Tier 2.

Teachers and headteachers in the deprived and remote communities were promised some allowances, but up till now, we are yet to be paid. Suhum Kraboa Coltar is appealing to the leadership of GNAT to be proactive in solving challenges confronting teachers for the betterment of the classroom teacher.

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Suhum, Madam Margaret Darko, who appreciated the efforts of the teachers in the two assemblies, assured them of the governments support and commitment to the education sector.

The President is grateful to all teachers for making the implementation of the free SHS possible. Over the years, we have embarked on some reforms in the education sector, and here in Suhum we have constructed other education facilities including dormitories and classrooms, and have also distributed some mono-desks for schools in the municipality.

I want to assure you that government will continue to improve the education sector, and if I am appointed again as the MCE for the second term, I will make sure the outstanding 12 schools earmarked for construction are completed, the MCE noted.

---citinewsroom
Almost 100 international shipping and maritime companies have called for a coalition to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, where armed kidnappings of seafarers reached record levels last year.

A key shipping route stretching from Senegal to Angola, the Gulf of Guinea has seen pirates, mostly Nigerians, attacking farther out to sea in more sophisticated, violent assaults on commercial ships.

A group of 99 shippers, maritime companies and trade associations signed a declaration Monday calling for more cooperation to curb piracy in the region, which accounted for almost all maritime abductions in 2020.

"The threat that looms for all seafarers going to the region is being kidnapped at gunpoint for ransom," said the declaration, which was developed in online meetings by signatories from Europe, China, Japan, India and Turkey.

"The violence, scope, and sophistication of the attacks on shipping has continued to increase."

Signatories include some of the world's largest shipping companies and associations including industry group BIMCO, Denmark's TORM and Maersk Tankers, Germany's Hapag-Lloyd and Chinese transporter COSCO.

Several EU nations already often have naval vessels in the area, but pirate gangs are increasingly attacking beyond Nigeria's coastal waters, where they know vessels are more vulnerable.

Denmark, a major shipping nation, in March said it will dispatch a naval frigate with dozens of marines onboard to deter pirate attacks on commercial ships there.

Denmark has been pushing for a stronger international naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea, where pirates race in speed boats out of bases hidden in Nigeria's Delta region to snatch crews from vessels.

"We recognise the important steps taken and positive initiatives underway by coastal States in the region," the declaration said, referring to Nigeria and its neighbours.

"We call on all stakeholders to... join together in a coalition to end the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea."

The statement called for more cooperation among local and other naval forces, capacity building and intelligence sharing as well as measures to take on and arrest criminal gangs onshore.

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for more 95 percent of global maritime kidnappings last year -- 130 out of 135 cases, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which monitors security at sea.

In one of the latest incidents this year, 15 crew members kidnapped from a chemical tanker off the coast of Benin were released in April, more than a month after they were snatched.

The crew were taken hostage around 210 nautical miles (390 kilometres) south of Cotonou when pirates attacked the Maltese-registered tanker.
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A 28-year old man has been arrested by some officers of the Ghana Police Service for carrying a substance suspected to be Indian hemp popularly known as marijuana at the VIP Jeoun Transport Company Limited in Accra.

On Tuesday afternoon, some personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT) of the Ghana Police Service stationed at the VIP Jeoun Station arrested suspect, Kobina Ebo who was found in possession of a bag containing 10 and a half parcels and 19 small sachets of the substance; and a piece of charcoal.

Narrating the incident to Daily Guide, the suspect, who claimed to be a bus conductor said he was asked by a colleague called Cartel who asked him [the suspect] to join him in escorting some two friends of his [Cartel] to the VIP station to travel to Kumasi.

On getting to the station, one Police officer stopped them and asked them what they were carrying in the bag of which he answered by saying it was packs of Indomie noodles.

Unsatisfied by the response given, the Police officer then ordered them to open the bag. The three other suspects, sensing danger immediately fled the scene leaving only him, Kobina Ebo who was consequently arrested after he had been coerced to open the bag.

Constable George Owusu, the officer who effected the arrest in his narration to Daily Guide said he had been seeing the suspect around the premises for quite some time and so had marked him.

So upon seeing him in the company of others, he sensed they were up to something cynical and so trailed them to a safe place before stopping them to query them on what the content of the bag was.

He disclosed that the suspect, Kobina Ebo, responded that the content of the bag was Indomie noodles which heightened his suspicion the more and forced him to open the bag only to find parcels of the substance in it.

He quickly hooked and handcuffed him before calling in his colleagues after which they sent him to the office of the Managing Director of the company, Adakabre Frimpong Manso where they reported the incident to him.

On his part, Adakabre Frimpong Manso stressed that his outfit does not countenance any illegality or the transportation or use of banned and/or illegal substances in the country.

He said, as a law abiding organization, they would continue to do their best to support state agencies in clamping down on the use of drugs and would therefore not allow their various stations to be used as conduits for the transportation of drugs or illegal substances in the country; hence they called the media and personnel from the Police headquarters to witness and take up the matter respectively.

---Daily Guide
The report found that 60% of consumer class-action cases brought in 2020 were related to food-related disputes  like whether or not vanilla flavoring comes from real vanilla. The report adds that just a handful of the lawsuits ever make it to trial, with most ending in hefty settlements or outright dismissals.
The initiative by the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (HDMF) to mobilize wheelchairs and other walking aids to support the movement of Persons With Disability (PWDs) across the 16 regions of Ghana, continues to receive applauds from many beneficiaries.

The initiative is massively enhancing our mobility, giving them more accessibility and dignity in society, some of the beneficiaries have said.

The Foundation led by its Executive Director, Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba in the latter part of 2020 launched the initiative to mobilize at least 16,000 wheelchairs (1,000 wheelchairs per each region) in support of PWDs.

On the eve of the just ended Ramadan, the Foundation distributed wheelchairs to some PWDs to empower them to go about their normal activities without much restraint.

Some of the beneficiaries of the wheelchairs included; one Hajia Mariama Adama, a former Principal Nursing Officer at the Mamobi Government Hospital, Philip Amankwa from Oyarifa, Samuel Clottey from Accra Central, Michael Adzoyi from Dodze in Volta Region, Adzoryi Michael and Victoria Obenewa from Akropong among others.

The Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba during the presentation of the items noted that since the launch of the initiative, the Foundation had received several requests from people who really need the wheelchairs either for themselves or their relatives.

She described the 16,000 wheelchair project as a little drop in the ocean since Ghana has over 187,000 persons with physical disability who actually need wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

She bemoaned that the number of PWDs keep increasing by the day due to the high incidence of accidents and other diseases like loss of eyesight, diabetes, stroke and injuries among others.

It is important that we all support this wheelchair campaign because everyone can become a person with disability and can be bedridden through accident or ailment, but with a wheelchair you have mobility.you have access and you can move from one place to another and have a dignified life.

Dr. Otiko Djaba therefore appealed passionately to organisations, agencies, religious bodies, social groups and individuals to donate towards the 16,000 wheelchairs project to better the lives of PWDs in Ghana through MoMo account; 0248510067 or Call the Foundation on 0241235199 or send wheelchairs and walking aids personally to the Foundation at the No.2 Prime Wood Close, Abelemkpe - Accra Ghana.

Some of the recipients of the wheelchairs commended the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation for the kind gesture.

A 64 year old Hajia Mariama Adama, a former Principal Nursing Officer who received a brand new wheelchair and some food items from the Foundation expressed her deepest appreciation to Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba for supporting her with the device free of charge.

She spoke briefly about how she developed her disability. According to her, she retired as a professional nurse in 2016 but unfortunately got involved in a fatal car accident in 2017.

I had a fracture in my ankle joint and was operated upon. The Doctors put a metallic implant in my ankle joint but I developed severe complications because the implant was apparently not properly done. So the leg became swollen and I had to undergo another operation.

According to her, she was quite traumatized to undergo such operations because she is a diabetic.

Hajia Mariama Adama has since not been able to walk again and was given a walking aid.

I am now placed under medical observation with one specialist doctor at the 37 Military Hospital where I go for regular medical checkups with the hope that my diabetes will go down so that the Doctors can operate on my leg again.because as of now, the leg is not straight and I feel so much pain in it.

She bemoans that she always had to go through much difficulty in accessing the facilities at the 37 Military Hospital. The way they built the hospitalit is a storey building and people with disabilities will have to access the facility through a [sloppy] walkway which required the use of a wheelchair. Thats why I applied for the wheelchair from the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation.

Hajia Mariama Adama was extremely happy to see many other PWDs receiving wheelchairs from the Foundation free of charge. Several people with disabilities who really are in need have applied for wheelchairs from different regions of Ghana through WhatsApp, emails and text messages.

One Madam Mildred Boye, a physically challenged woman in clutches who applied for one of the wheelchairs for one Samuel Clottey said she had been seeing the beneficiary in her neighbourhood clawing with both hands and legs in an undignified manner.

She heard of the free wheelchair project by the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation and decided to apply on behalf of the man. Fortunately, I received a quick response from the Executive Director, Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba in less than one week and here am I with a brand new wheelchair for the man. Interestingly he does not know about this arrangement and I think he will be very surprised to get this assistive device from the Foundation.

Madam Mildred Boye therefore called on organisations and rich individuals to support the initiative by the Henry Djaba Foundation so that the hundreds of women, men and children with disabilities on the streets and in the communities can be supported.

Ambrose Adzoryi, a senior brother of one of the beneficiaries, Michael Adzoryi Mawuli said he also applied for his brother, 22 years who is a student and relies on motorbike services to and from school every day  a situation he indicated is having a huge financial burden on their mother.

But with the provision of a free wheelchair from the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, his brothers movement is assured and enhanced. Sometimes he does not go to school if my mother is not able to pay the Okada riders to come and pick him.
Chiefs in Birim North have kicked against the renomination of the District Chief Executive (DCE) Raymond Nana Damptey.

A leaked audio which is alleged to have come from the camp of the DCE which contains threats against chiefs in the area was played in a meeting attended by the chiefs.

A total of 42 Chiefs were gathered and voted for or against the reappointment of the DCE, the YES was for his reappointment and NO was against it.

The YES recorded was just 4 and NO was 37 and one rejected ballot.

Clearly, the Association of Chiefs in the Birim North District by majority decision has voted against any consideration for the reappointment of the DCE.

The Chiefs among many other reasons cited these key concerns against the DCE;

1. Lack of respect for the Chiefs by refusing to attend to their calls anytime an invitation is extended to him.

2. Involvement of the DCE in Chieftaincy disputes and cited Abodom and Ntronang as examples. In most of these disputes, it turned very violent and bloody.

3. The DCE attacked the Chiefs on his Ananse FM station and also attack by the various assigns of the DCE. They cited the attack on the Chiefs and the President of the Republic by one staunch supporter of the DCE by name Ama Abrafi.

4. Refusal of the DCE to recognize the Chiefs in making key decisions affecting the district.

In the light of the above, the Association of Chiefs in Birim North District led by Obrempong Kwasi Amo Tweretwie I has officially written a letter to the Office of the President with copies to the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Local Government Minister and the Eastern Regional Minister to communicate their decision against the DCE.

Moreover, some Constituency Executives have appealed to President HE Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo to appoint their Chairman, Banor.

The letter reads:

We (NPP Abirem Constituency Executives: Constituency Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Deputy Organizer, Youth organizer, Deputy Youth Organizer, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Communication Officer, Nasara Coordinator and Deputy Nasara Coordinator) write to kick against a renomination bid by Hon. Remond Nana Damptey as Birim North District Chief Executive (DCE).

Your Excellency Mr. President, kindly accept our congratulations on your re-election and successful swearing-in for a second term as the President of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Force (GAF) and Vice President, H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

We trust and have no iota of doubt in our minds that you will deliver on your mandate, thus we wish you all the very best.

We emphatically maintain that several reasons make it impossible for the former DCE to be reappointed.

---kasapafm
The Electoral Commission (EC) has proposed that as part of electoral reforms elections would be close at 3pm rather than 5pm in subsequent elections.

The Commission said in 2019, it announced a decision to close polls earlier in the last elections but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety protocols instituted at polling stations, the Commission did not implement that decision.

Mrs Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, made the proposal at the opening of an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) workshop aimed at assessing the processes leading to the 2020 Election.

The workshop brought together stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations and political parties.

However, representatives of the National Democratic Congress did not show up.

Mrs Mensa said the Commission was also proposing to do away with the system of periodic nationwide registration exercises and to institute an all-round system to allow citizens who turn 18 or persons who have not previously registered to do so at any district office with their Ghana Card or passport to register as voters.

She explained that the move would help the Commssion to do away with nationwide registration exercises and reduce the cost of elections.

The EC Chair noted that a proposal was being made for the institution of a year-round exhibition system that would enable citizens' check their registration details on their smart phones and other mobile devices.

On the collation processes, she said the Commission would propose to build further efficiency into our collation process by focusing on data entry only at the Constituency Collation Centre.

The entry point for data capturing into the system would be at the Constituency Collation Centre. The data that is Constituency Collation Results will be made available to all stakeholders at the Regional and National levels.

Flowing from the data captured at the Constituency Collation Centre, the system will generate regional and national reports without further data entry at any of those levels. By adopting this system, the problem of minor inaccuracies with the collation process and unnecessary delays will be reduced significantly, she said.

Except for representatives of the NDC who did not show up, all the political party representatives agreed to the EC's proposal.

---GNA
Mr Maxuel Kofi Zanu, Manager at the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) has called for institutional policies to enhance the use of digital tools in TVET institutions to promote teaching and learning outcomes.

According to him, digital revolution had become the centre of development in the World and as such TVET institutions must respond positively to the clarion call to produce digital citizens.

Mr Zanu made the call during the Second Central Career Convocation organised by the Biriwa Vocational Training Institute on the theme,  Transforming TVET Delivery using Digital Tools .

Vocational Training Institutions from across the country participated in the event which sought to promote digital transformation in education.

Mr Zanu emphasised that contemporary TVET must respond to the climate of using digital tools to enhance teaching and learning systems adding that Ghana needed more people with TVET skills and requisite technologies in order to develop.

Population growth and its attendant demands suggest that we cannot do without artificial intelligence and the peripheral technologies as well as the use of digital tool to produce goods and services to meet these demands. The common language for our development is digital development," he said.

Mr Zanu underscored the importance of TVET and said TVET was indispensable and the master key to sustainable development.

According to him, TVET involved higher order of thinking, learning and creativity, and as such it should not be considered as the last resort or as a preserve for academically weak students.

In that regard, he encouraged TVET students not to look down on themselves but place some value on themselves.

Mr Amegbor Samuel Kwashie, the Institute Manager, explained the rationale behind the Central Career Convocation and said it aimed at integrating technology into TVET delivery and handling on-the-job training as well as employment for TVET graduates.

He noted that digital transformation was impacting heavily in the education industry which had been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic which closed school in many countries in the World.

He underscored the importance of digital transformation in TVET and said the industry where our graduates are preparing to go and work is passionately discussing and implementing industry 4.0 standards.

Mr Elolo Agbleke, an ICT and Computer Hard-wear Tutor at Biriwa-VTRI and the Convenor of the Central Career Convocation recounted the difficulty in promoting the use of digital tools as a teacher and expressed the hope that the narrative would change soon.
The Almanara and Falahiyat primary schools in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region have still not been fixed after a heavy rainstorm damaged and ripped off the roofs on Tuesday April 15, 2021.

A disguised visit to the Almanara primary school on Wednesday May 12, 2021 saw pupils learning in two classrooms with roofs ripped off exposing them to the sun.

A similar visit to the Falahiyat primary school on May 18, also shows no visible sign or activity around the damaged school structure indicating efforts made by authorities to fix the problem.

The unrepentant and lukewarm attitude of authority towards the repair of the roofs has become a worry to pupils and parents, and what might have accounted for the neglect remains a mystery.

The West Gonja Deputy Municipal Coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organization, Mr. Mbonwura Jimah Garlado in a phone interview, disclosed that his outfit was yet to receive relief items from the National headquarters for onward presentation to the said schools but can say on authority that, monies were released to the said schools from the office of the Member of Parliament for the area to help salvage the situation.

But Head Teachers of the said schools refuted claims by the Deputy Municipal NADMO Coordinator that they were given monies to get the situation fixed. They said they are saddened over the situation and were hoping that the schools will get fixed before last two week's school resumption.

The last month's downpour was accompanied by strong winds causing extensive damage to the roofs and walls of the schools and also rendered over 700 hundred residents homeless.

Inhabitants of the affected houses had to run for cover as the rainwater soaked their belongings. A situation the victims described as dangerous and worrying as they were compelled to join others for shelter. Three people according to the Municipal NADMO Coordinator sustained various degrees of injuries in the process and were later treated and discharged.

The impact of the rainstorm caught the attention of the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Abu Jinapor who visited the victims and the structures to appraise himself on the extent of damage caused by the rainstorm.

The victims received relief items such as zincs, mattresses, blankets and soaps, among others from the member of Parliament to mitigate their plight as they await Government's intervention through the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
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Ghanaian-American Yeoman Seaman Pauldaniels Manu assigned to the Naval Oceanography Anti-Submarine Warfare Detachment in Kadena, Japan has received a certificate of appreciation for volunteering for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS), Active Fund Drive.

The certificate of appreciation was handed to the Ghanaian-born soldier in the U.S.Navy, Yeoman Pauldaniels Manu by Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society- Okinawa field office Director, Elizabeth Moore.

A press note from the Navy Office of Community Outreach-Millington, Tennessee (USA) on May 17 noted that: "The annual (NMCRS) Active Fund Drive is a Navy-supported endeavour in which sailors, volunteer to support canvassing commands so that all personnel are aware and given the opportunity to donate.

"The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps: financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programmes."

The Navy Office of Community Outreach in Millington, Tennessee (USA) travels around the globe to collect photos of sailors, to share with their hometown media.
Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has lashed out at the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over his recent comments about SIM card re-registration in Ghana.

Dr. Bawumia, while speaking at the 5th Ghana CEO Summit in Accra, said in June 2021, all mobile phone users in the country would be expected to re-register their SIM cards or risk having their phone numbers deactivated.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, undertaking a SIM re-registration exercise will not solve the issue of Mobile Money fraud as expected by Dr. Bawumia.

He said the Vice President is ill-informed, inept and highly naive, with that assumption.

The solution to the challenges of fraud within the electronic money ecosystem goes beyond SIM registration, he said.

We hold the view that the mandatory re-registration of SIMS provides no substantial benefit in the fight against electronic money fraud, and will face practical challenges such as inbound travellers who require a SIM card without a national ID, he added.

Haruna Iddrisu, in explaining why he believes the plan as announced by Dr. Bawumia is impracticable, said the suggestion that only the Ghana card would be accepted as an identification document for the exercise will mean that many Ghanaians will be left out since they do not have the card, while others who registered for the card are yet to receive them.

The number of issued cards is only a pale shadow of the eligible population. The reality is that there have been only 17 million registrations done of the Ghana Card. This represents 55% of our population. An even smaller proportion of the population has actually received their cards. It needs no saying therefore, that there are practical difficulties associated with the card as it is facing systemic and operational difficulties in its rollout, Haruna Iddrisu said.

Again, he argued that attacks on mobile money vendors are more of a bigger challenge that needs to be addressed and that cannot be tackled by re-registration of SIM.

He also made a case about the poor timing of the exercise especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the government needs to be transparent and ensure full disclosure if the exercise is expected to be undertaken.

If the Vice President really desires simple solutions, he should consider instructing the BoG and the NCA to set key performance indicators for the mobile network operators (MNPs) about electronic money fraud and with consequences for breaches.

The Vice President should urge subtly or overtly the MNOs to invest  proportionate to market share in advanced cybersecurity systems including additional personnel. These have been known to achieve monumental success stories in other jurisdictions with similar ecosystems.

Haruna Iddrisu expressed his conviction that a re-registration exercise will achieve very little and impose unnecessary burden on the citizenry.
Israel-based researchers have found an online market of fake vaccine and test certificates with over 1,200 vendors in the UK and worldwide on dark web and on instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Jabber. The vendors on these platforms sell false documents for 25 pound, the media reported.

Researchers from the cybersecurity firm Check Point found evidence of forgeries of vaccine cards issued by the UK National Health Service and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fake test certificates and products claimed to be Covid vaccines, the Guardian reported on Sunday.

From about 20 dark web vendors in November last year, the number grew to 600 in January and more than 1,200 by March, the researchers found.

The majority of people caught in the UK with fake negative Covid test certificates were from poorer nations, including African, South American and Asian countries, a Border Force official was quoted as saying to the Guardian.

Besides, anti-vaxxers -- individuals who refuse to take the vaccine on the grounds of baseless conspiracy theories and spread dangerous disinformation - also buy the forged certificates, Liad Mizrachi, senior researcher at Check Point, said.

The researchers noted that in the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, darknet produced the masks, the protective equipment, and later drugs were also on sale. Initially the Chinese-made Sinovac and Russian-produced Sputnik jabs were offered, later Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were also offered in the darknet.

"As at March, vendors were supplying from all the countries in Europe -- Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden a (plus) Mexico, Australia," said Oded Vanunu, head of product vulnerability research at Check Point.

"After vaccinations, the next step was the certificates and negative tests," he added.

The researchers said individuals who proudly post images of themselves holding the cards on social media unwittingly provide the source for forgeries. Without an official global database recording individuals' vaccination status, the system will be open to fakes and forgery, Vanunu said.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
There were no police personnel, or nobody even bothered to follow any rules. Bank customers simply jumped onto one another to get into the branch. The entire branch has become a COVID hotspot due to the rush.

No wonder, on Monday, when the bank opened, there was a mad rush. Everyone wanted to get inside the branch to withdraw Rs2,000 received under the PM Kisan scheme.

Meanwhile, prime minister Narendra Modi released eight instalment of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and informed farmers that money had been transferred into their bank accounts under the scheme. The eighth instalment includes transfer of over Rs20,000 crore to more than 9.5 crore beneficiary farmer families.

Take for example, Jitendra Papalkar, district collector of Akola, who, in an order, asked all banks not to attend to any customer for a week. Banks were asked to remain functional only for administration purposes and provide all services to customers only online. This too for customers from the rural areas, who mostly refrain from using online banking or bank mobile apps.

While some district collectors are making waves due to their exemplary work, the mindless action by others in certain rural areas are creating Covid hotspots, especially in banks. Already bankers are being hounded by the police, and when the banks were asked to shut shop for a week, one can only imagine the crowd that would barge into bank branches when it opened after the restriction period was over.

The above incident took place at the Akot branch of Akola District Central Cooperative Bank on 17 May 2021.

The order issued by Mr Papalkar, the collector of Akola had directed all banks, credit societies and post offices to remain closed for citizens between 9th May and 15 May 2021. Since 16th May was a Sunday, all these establishments remained closed. However, when it opened on Monday, there were people everywhere in front of the gates.

Commenting on this, Devidas Tuljapurkar, general secretary of the Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation, says, Government should decide whether banking comes under essential services or not? Of late, with the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on finance, the central government calls them front-line warriors. However, for COVID vaccination or permitting them to travel by local trains in Mumbai, bankers are not treated as front line warriors. The private sector and the cooperative bank employees are still struggling for that.

"Government officials and officials from the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) are insensitive to the ground realities. Government should provide security to regulate entry at the entrance of bank branches. The SLBC of the state should take the initiative in regulating the banking business such as payment of subsidies, and sanctioning of crop loans so as to avoid rush at the counters, he added.

In a letter to Uddhav Thackeray, chief minister, Maharashtra, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU) also appealed for regulation of the rush at bank counters. After the arrival of credits under various government schemes into customers' account, bank branches are facing huge rush at counters, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.

It says, "Bank branches were already burdened with heavy rush as and when it was opened to function after partial or full lockdown restrictions. In addition, branches are also processing crop loans of the farmers. The cumulative effect of all this is posing a great challenge to the bankers."

Citing an incident at Dahanu in Palghar district, UBFU says, when a government official carried out an anti-gen test of bank customers, they found many of the customers COVID positive.

"This reveals that bank branches are becoming coronavirus spreaders and hubs. During the COVID pandemic, till now, more than 10,000 bank employees from Maharashtra alone were found to be positive and over 1000 employees and their family members have lost their lives. The situation is worsening day by day," the Forum says.

As reported by Moneylife, taking cognizance of recent incidents where bank employees were manhandled by police, the union finance ministry has asked chief secretaries of all states and union territories (UTs) to provide adequate safety to bank employees and consider special dispensation for vaccination for them on priority basis. (Read: Finance Ministry Asks States to Provide Safety, Vaccination to Bank Employees on Priority)

Coming back to the order issued by the collector of Akola, who incidentally is not alone to restrict banks from providing services to customers through branch counters, similar orders were issued by collectors of Buldhana and Kolhapur districts.

In an order issued on 12 May 2021, Sitaram Kunte, chief secretary of Maharashtra stated, "Local disaster management authority (DMA) should keep special vigil over rural markets and APMCs and ensure COVID appropriate behaviour and if it finds any such place as difficult to manage and discipline, so as to ensure non-spread of COVID epidemic, local DMA may decide on a case by case basis to shut these or may impose further restrictions."

While this order talks about ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour and shutting down the establishments for non-compliance, the orders issued by the district collectors first kept the banks closed and perhaps, after looking at the rush on Monday, asked them to keep the shops shut for a few more days.

Referring to the order issued by the chief secretary, an advisory issued by the SLBC, Maharashtra, says bank business hours should be restricted to 10am to 2pm for providing minimum essential customer service. This includes cash deposit or withdrawal, clearing of cheques, remittances, and government transactions.

"Bank branches to observe total working hours from 10am to 4pm. This is applicable from 15th May to 31 May 2021 unless extended further. In addition to these guidelines, advisories, standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the central or state government or any other local competent authority, should be strictly adhered to and COVID appropriate behaviour is also to be adhered to by all concerned," the advisory issued by the Committee says.
Back then, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) was a plain board, not yet turned into a distribution company as it is now (MahaDiscom) and would most appropriately expand to Monday to Sunday Electricity Bandh. It was a replay of this old understanding on 17th May, coincidentally a Monday, when consumers were kept in the dark, literally, and figuratively, about no power supply between 8am and past midnight in areas stretching from Kalyan to Ambarnath.

Strangely, power was restored in Lok Dhara around 3pm, but not in the immediately adjacent Lok Gram. Again, at night while the cooperative housing societies (CHSs) remained in darkness, the street lights were glowing. In some areas on the old Mumbai Pune link road, there was reportedly no power supply for over 48 hours.

Citizens kept patience in view of the raging Cyclone Tauktae, as strong winds were blowing accompanied by frequent drizzles. But by 3pm many CHSs had not a single drop of water left in the overhead storage tanks.

There was no communication from MahaDiscom, and all helplines had been disconnected.

Citizens, mostly members of managing committees of housing societies, had no choice but to pour into the nearest office located within the premises, even though this was against the lockdown directives. They were told to go to Tata Power (name of the Kalyan Receiving Station) office, about 2kms away.

There was not a single officer on duty at this office located at Tata Power on Shil Phata road. The ground level workers promised supply within an hour, but when it failed to materialise, around 8pm people again made the trip to the same office, to find that in total defiance of the lockdown protocol, there were crowds of people from all over Kalyan demanding restoration of power supply.

Again, not a single officer was accessible, physically or on phone.

The ground level workers offered some explanation, saying they were about to leave for Khambalpada, on the outskirts of Dombivali, for an investigation. This, 12 hours after the shut down!

Meanwhile, people working from home had lost an entire work day. Apparently, the trouble extended to Ambarnath, and possibly beyond, there is no way of knowing.

Households were plunged into darkness as even the inverters had got discharged and so did the power banks, used for recharging phones in the absence of electric supply.

The next day many areas to not have a drop of water supply. At the time of writing this, power again played truant from about 10am to 1pm.

Finally, the power was restored at 2pm on Tuesday.

MahaDiscom must take responsibility for the outcomes of such sloppy services and make amends.

Worst service of MSEDC.There is No electricity Since 4 days and still no work has been performed.They assist that they don't have workers to work on problem.@MSEDCL @maha_governor @CMOMaharashtra  Shubham (@Shubham41591045) May 20, 2021

The least MahaDiscom can do in such crises is:

1. Activate emergency services immediately when such incidents occur.

2. Keep all communication lines open so that consumers do not have to defy the lockdown protocol and rush physically from one MSEDCO office to another in SOS mode.

3. Find out the names of the persons responsible for this goof up and take disciplinary action against them.

We sent emails to several senior officials of MahaDiscom, including energy minister Dr Nitin Raut. Till writing the story, there was no response. We will include their response as and when we receive it.
Part of why this phrase progressive prosecutor has gotten so confusing  and maybe is even wearing out its welcome  is that the prosecutor part of it sometimes seems to be [lost], she said. When I listen to my colleagues in this race, there are like lots of really good ideas. But I feel like theyre running for a different job.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Built between 1908 and 1910, the original rainbow dam powerhouse was a major contribution to Montana's mining industry.

In 2013, a new facility was built and in 2014, NorthWestern Energy bought the rainbow hydro facility from PPL Montana.

NorthWestern Energy worked with the Cascade County Historical Preservation Old Rainbow Powerhouse Repurposing Committee to look for other uses for the original powerhouse.

"We've worked with the committee for more than a decade to look for alternative uses. NorthWestern Energy provided a $50,000 for a feasibility study to look for some alternative uses," NorthWestern Energy's Public Relation Specialist Jo Dee Black said.

In 2019, a company expressed interest in using the facility as a data-bank center but changed their minds in 2020, which led to the decision to raze the building.

Black says finding alternative uses for the building was a challenge because it's remote and it's an active hydro facility with safety and security restrictions that limit the type of project that can be used in that facility.

However, that doesn't mean the building will be gone forever.

"It's an important part of our history in Montana, of our company's history, and of the history of Great Falls. Some of the equipment and other artifacts from the original powerhouse were removed before any demolition," Black said.

The committee and NorthWestern Energy are storing these items and are working together to find a place where they can display them to the public.

Demolition started this fall and is expected to wrap up either late spring or early summer.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

The demonstrations and ongoing violence came as moves toward a cease-fire appeared to be gaining more traction.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down its bombardment of Gaza. Egyptian negotiators also were working to halt the fighting, and while they have not made progress with Israel, they were optimistic international pressure would force it to the table, according to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing diplomatic efforts.

The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem's usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank.

Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state.

The strike was intended to protest the war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike.

Strike organizer Muhammad Barakeh said Palestinians are standing against Israeli aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as brutal repression by police.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces. Scores have been injured, including a Jewish man who died Monday after being attacked last week by a group of Arabs in the central city of Lod.

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 217 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, including 63 children, with more than 1,500 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in rocket attacks.

Tuesday's rocket attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory, killing two Thai workers. Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded at Erez.

Israeli airstrikes into Gaza demolished a six-story building housing bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris. Israel warned its occupants beforehand, sending them fleeing before dawn. There were no reports of casualties.

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the military was focusing on destroying the tunnels where Hamas fighters hide, move between locations and resupply launchers with rockets to fire at Israel.

The tunnels run under civilian neighborhoods, and Israeli airstrikes have been trying to target roads above them to minimize damage to buildings, Conricus said. One weekend airstrike that Israel said targeted a tunnel caused several buildings to collapse and killed 42 people in the deadliest single attack of the conflict.

The attacks on the tunnels continue, and the assessment is that that effort will be expanded to areas that we so far have not conducted this effort in, and that is to be expected over the coming days, he said.

Medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

The WHO said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered ambulances and supply vehicles in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak.

Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing. Blinken declined to characterize the material, and Israel has not publicly provided evidence of its claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated calls for an independent investigation of the attack.



This story has been updated to correct that the toppled six-story building housed bookstores, not libraries, and educational centers used by the Islamic University, not belonging to it.



Nessman reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.
HARDIN, Mont. - A Hardin fourth grader is headed to the National Youth Leadership Forum in Denver after being nominated by a teacher.

Ten-year-old Vernon Hugs will be learning about medicine, crime scene investigation and engineering while at the forum. It's planned for July 11-15 in Denver, Colorado.

"He loves science.," said Hardin Intermediate School Teacher Lori Flory. "He's an all-around excellent student."

Vernon confirmed that his favorite subject in school is science. He particularly loves dinosaurs, especially the Apatosaurus and Theropods.

"I do like dinosaurs," he said. "I know a lot of them, even ones that a lot of people don't know."

If you want to help with trip expenses for Vernon Hugs, you can go here.
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Four new officers sworn in for duty with the Montrose Police Department
I wish I could tell him that he wasnt put here to take a life, she said. He left me with a big hole in my life by taking my only child. I would tell him that he should have thought about his family and about his mother before doing something like this and that hes taken a beautiful life and now has ruined his whole future.
May 18, 2021

Biden Continues To Support Israel's Warcrimes

Diplomacy is back!

Diplomacy is back: New U.S. envoy takes U.N. role - Feb 25, AP

Thomas-Greenfield aims to restore U.S. place on global stage

Well, it wasn't back for long.

Israel-Palestine: US blocks UN statement for third time in a week - May 17, Al Jazeerah

A third United Nations Security Council emergency meeting in a week  amid the deadly Israeli offensive in Gaza  has again ended with no concrete outcome after the United States blocked a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

But:

Biden administration approves $735 million weapons sale to Israel - May 18, Washington Post

The bulk of the proposed sale to Israel, according to three people based on Capitol Hill familiar with the notification, is of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMS  kits that transform so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided missiles. Israel, which has purchased substantial quantities of JDAMS from the United States in the past, ..

Ceasefire?

Israel and Hamas trade attacks after Biden calls for ceasefire - May 18, CBS

Nah, just fake news. No ceasefire:

Alex Ward @AlexWardVox - 11:49 UTC  May 18, 2021 From @PunchbowlNews this AM:

The White House readout said Biden expressed his support for a cease-fire. But administration officials quickly clarified that Biden didnt call for a cease-fire, just said hed be supportive of one if it happened.

Meanwhile, aside from killing hundreds of people and wounding many more Israel bombed Gaza's powerlines, several highrises, media offices, UNRWA schools, Gaza's biggest library and publishing house and damaged six hospitals and eight clinics including the only Covid-19 laboratory in Gaza.

Posted by b on May 18, 2021 at 15:42 UTC | Permalink

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This image of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant appears on the blueprints filed at the Lorain Department of Building, Housing and Planning. The schematics did not include an exact construction schedule, but the plans are being reviewed by city staff now.
Lorain High School graduate Jocelyn Cook poses for a photo with her family during her virtual graduation ceremony at the school on May 26, 2020. Students walked across the stage of the high school Performing Arts Center to be recorded on video for a commencement that will be published at 7 p.m. June 9.
In March 2021, Colquitt Regional cut the ribbon on its new radiation oncology unit, which was largely funded through tax credit contributions. Colquitt Regional is currently accepting pre-applications for unlimited donations through the rural tax credit program. Pictured are ribbon cutting attendees in the radiation chamber of the new unit.
He was a family man, loved by everybody. He leaves six kids  two girls and four boys. He was a real entrepreneur, said his son Abdul Mosleh. Its too hard to talk right now.... Its too soon. Were waiting on the cops.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  President Joe Bidens efforts to spotlight his big infrastructure plans are suddenly being overshadowed by the escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians, the conflict sparking protests during his visit to a Ford electric vehicle center in Michigan on Tuesday as the White House faced growing pressure to intervene.

Biden, who planned to use the two week-stretch before Memorial Day to build Republican support for his $2.3 trillion package, visited a Ford plant in Dearborn to make his case that his plans could help steer the country toward a bright electric-car future.

But any presidential script is subject to real-world rewrites, and Biden faces rising pressure to weigh in more forcefully to stop the Middle East violence  as, by a scheduling quirk, he visited a city that is almost half Arab American.

In a speech at the plant, Biden made only passing mention of the conflict, warmly addressing Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan as she sat in the audience, saying he would pray that her grandmother and other relatives were well in the West Bank.

I promise you Im going to do everything to see that they are, Biden said.

Biden also met Tlaib and fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell earlier at the Detroit airport, where all three huddled on the tarmac for several minutes in what appeared to be an animated conversation. Tlaib has publicly pressed Biden to get behind a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire  a measure that the U.S. has blocked from moving forward.

He was very compassionate  he listened, Dingell said of Biden. Hes deeply concerned.

The Biden administration has been conducting what it calls quiet diplomacy while declining to press for an immediate cease-fire by close ally Israel and Hamas. But privately, Biden administration officials have encouraged the Israelis to wind down their bombardment of Gaza.

Officials have been told by the Israelis that the operations could conclude in a matter of days.

The White House has made the calculation that the Israelis will not respond to international resolutions or public demands by the U.S. and that the greatest leverage is behind-the-scenes pressure, officials said. At the same time, the White House is mindful that the longer the conflict goes, the greater chance of a very-high-casualty event or other provocative action by either side that could make reaching a cease-fire more difficult.

All the while, Hamas rockets and Israeli airstrikes continued for a ninth day. At least 213 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel have died.

To this point in Biden's young term, foreign policy has taken a back seat. The president has stressed the need to first focus on domestic matters  taming the COVID-19 pandemic and reshaping the economy  to prove that democracies can still compete with global autocracies, namely China.

But the intractable conflict in Gaza has derailed that narrative.

Aboard Air Force One for the flight to Michigan, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was peppered with questions about the administration's response to the violence before she was asked about electric cars. She defended Biden's cautious approach to this point.

Hes been doing this long enough to know that the best way to end an international conflict is typically not to debate it in public," she said.

During his tour of the Dearborn facilities, Biden kept the focus on jobs. The president, a car enthusiast, marveled at the new technology  he even took a truck for a quick test drive  while stressing the importance of his infrastructure plan.

The future of the auto industry is electric. Theres no turning back, Biden said. "The real question is whether well lead or well fall behind in the race to the future.

There were protests outside in Dearborn, which is 47% Arab American, most of them Muslim, the highest percentage among cities in the U.S. Outside the local police department, about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from where Biden spoke, hundreds of people of Arab descent chanted, Free, Free Palestine! and waved Palestine flags. Amer Zahr, leader of a group called New Generation for Palestine, said Biden is not welcome in Dearborn today.

He is funding the murder of our families," Zahr said. "Its ethnic cleansing. Its that simple. This is not very complicated."

Biden wanted to orient his foreign policy around American workers, but the Israel conflict has underscored the challenges of combining his domestic and international agendas. The violence has not just been a disrupter of his messaging but also of his policy foundations.

The Biden White House has prided itself on message control and carefully scripting its approach to legislation. The first two months of his term were focused on passing the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and dramatically increasing the nation's vaccination program.

The pivot was then to Biden's two-part infrastructure and family plan, which totals roughly $4 trillion. The president has set a soft deadline of Memorial Day to gauge whether there is Republican support. Not one GOP lawmaker backed the COVID-19 bill, though it had strong public support. There have been a few, if fleeting, signs of possible Republican support for the infrastructure plan.

Last week, a group of Republican senators met with Biden and were set to again sit down with White House officials and Cabinet members on Tuesday. There are some hopes for bipartisan agreement on hard infrastructure  like highways and broadband  before Democrats push forward their family plan on a party-line vote. At minimum, aides have said, they want to make a show of reaching across the aisle to reassure moderate Democrats leery of pushing through massive spending bills using a legislative strategy that bypasses Republicans entirely.

Biden's plan would help transform the automotive sector by making vehicles more mainstream that don't burn gasoline. He also sees a shift toward electric vehicles as a major part of his plan to fight climate change, and his visit came the day before Ford was expected to release details of an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup truck called the Lightning.

The president also has to overcome a major hurdle before his electric vehicle, zero emission future becomes reality: the lack of stations where people can plug in and juice up their engines. To that end, Biden has proposed $174 billion for electric vehicles. That money includes rebates and incentives for consumer purchases, along with money to build 500,000 charging stations by 2030.

The White House says the U.S. has just a fraction, about one-third, of the electric vehicle market share that China has, and far fewer public charging points  and needs to catch up before it can take the lead.

At Ford, its F-Series pickups  including heavy-duty versions  have been the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 39 straight years. Last year, the company sold more than 787,000 of the trucks, even though it had to close factories for eight weeks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The F-150 Lightning electric truck, due in showrooms in the middle of next year, will come at a time when few Americans have been willing to switch away from gasoline-powered vehicles. Through April of this year, automakers have sold only 107,624 fully electric vehicles in the U.S.

___

Lemire reported from New York; Boak reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Chicago, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Mike Householder in Dearborn, Mich., contributed to this report.
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP)  A prosecutor warned prospective jurors Monday that the trial of a Mexican national charged in the 2018 fatal stabbing of a University of Iowa student will include graphic evidence that will be emotionally difficult to see and hear.

Prosecutor Scott Brown said the first-degree murder trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera will feature photos and testimony about the stab wounds 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts suffered after going for a run.

Were going to talk about the violent death of a young girl, Mollie Tibbetts, said Brown, an assistant Iowa attorney general, said during jury selection at an events center in Davenport, where lawyers began working to whittle down a 183-person pool to 12 jurors and three alternates. Its not going to be pleasant.

Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Rivera, a farm laborer who is suspected of entering the country illegally as a teenager, will be difficult. Riveras arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration, with then- President Donald Trump calling Rivera a killer who exploited lax immigration laws and Iowas governor calling him a predator. The case deepened anxieties about random violence against women, since Tibbetts was attacked while out for exercise in her small town of Brooklyn, Iowa.

Jury selection will continue Tuesday before a two-week trial at the Scott County Courthouse.

Rivera, 26, has been jailed since his August 2018 arrest. He wore a dress shirt and slacks Monday and listened through headphones as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish. Hes likely to face a predominantly white jury in a state that Trump carried in 2020.

Defense lawyer Chad Frese told prospective jurors that his client's immigration status had become an unfortunate flashpoint but said it had nothing to do with the trial. He said Rivera enjoys the same constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen, and that jurors cannot hold his lack of English language skills against him.

The vast majority of about 30 potential jurors questioned Monday said they had heard about the case, and a dozen said they'd formed opinions about it. At least six were excused after being questioned in private about their views.

One prospective female juror said she felt sympathy for Rivera because he's accused of a horrible crime, and for the family of Tibbetts, who she said was so viciously murdered.

I think whoever did this should definitely pay, the woman said, adding that her view would not at all prevent her from serving.

Tibbetts's disappearance in July 2018 triggered a massive search that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage to her hometown of 1,700. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.

Rivera initially denied involvement but federal agents put an immigration detainer on him during a lengthy interrogation after finding blood in the Malibu's trunk. Hours later, investigators say he confessed to approaching Tibbetts, killing her in a panic after she threatened to call police and hiding her body in a cornfield. He allegedly led police to the body, which had been buried underneath leaves.

An autopsy found that she died of sharp force injuries due to stabbing, although investigators have not recovered a murder weapon. Police say that DNA testing on blood found in the trunk of the vehicle showed it was a match for Tibbetts.

Rivera, the father of a young daughter, had no prior criminal history. Frese suggested Monday he will argue his client gave a false confession after hours of questioning, and will cast suspicion on others for the death.

The trial was moved to Scott County  100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Brooklyn  after defense lawyers noted that local residents had very strong opinions about Riveras guilt and Mexican nationality, and that they were nearly all white. Scott Countys population is diverse by Iowa standards but is still roughly 80% white and 7% Hispanic or Latino.

Trump seized on Riveras arrest to argue for strengthening the nations immigration laws, calling him an illegal alien who killed an incredible, beautiful young woman. Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed anger that a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community.

The anti-immigrant backlash was swift. The Republican family who employed and housed Rivera under an alias reported getting death threats. Robocalls linked to a white supremacist group blanketed Iowa calling for mass deportations. Immigrants, even many in the country legally, said they were afraid.

The anger cooled after Tibbetts family members demanded that politicians stop using her killing to promote a racist agenda she would have opposed, and said immigrants should be treated as neighbors, not scapegoats.

My clients tell me that her familys speeches saved lives, that they might have prevented violent reprisals, said Bram Elias, who directs an immigration practice at the University of Iowa law school. In some ways its a sign of how effective they were that today we are thinking about how he can get a fair trial.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Sirens wailed just before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began on Sunday evening, sending Chen Farag and her family once again running for cover as they have dozens of times over the past week since the latest war between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military erupted.

The Farags live in Ashdod, Israels largest port on the Mediterranean coast. The city of about 225,000 people is around 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Gaza Strip. Six adults, two dogs and a parrot huddled in their homes reinforced safe room  a routine precaution for hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the country's south.

After an explosion shook the building, they rushed outside to see cars on fire, including their own. Their home's front door had been blown off, windows were blasted and shrapnel was embedded in walls.

We are in shock. Its a nightmare," said Farag, a 24-year-old cable technician. It's hard to sleep, because we are thinking, what if Gaza tries to hit us again?

The cycle of fighting and cease-fires has repeated itself numerous times in the past 15 years since the first rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The barrages have caused deep frustration for residents, many weary over what they see as the governments failure to change to the situation. Many children who have grown up in the area suffer from trauma-related issues.

Since the latest war erupted last week, Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,200 rockets at Israeli cities. Most were intercepted or fell short, in Gaza, but hundreds made it through.

The Farag home is one of 146 buildings in Israel that were hit by rockets fired from Gaza, according to military statistics. They include homes, apartment blocks, schools, kindergartens and an oil storage tank.

When sirens signal incoming rockets, Israelis can seek shelter in communal shelters or in reinforced rooms in their apartments, a feature of newer buildings. Many have been pinned down indoors, fearing they couldn't reach shelter in time.

So far, 10 people have been killed in Israel, most from rocket fire. This includes a soldier, a 5-year-old boy and two people who died from injuries sustained while running for cover. Paramedics say at least 106 people suffered shrapnel and blast wounds.

In Gaza, at least 212 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Fighting erupted on May 10, when Hamas fired seven rockets at Jerusalem following clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a shrine considered holy to both Jews and Muslims. Since then, Palestinian militants have fired heavy barrages at cities deep inside Israel, and the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

For hundreds of thousands in communities in southern Israel  cities, towns, kibbutzim and farming villages  air raid sirens have been unrelenting as missiles rain down.

There were two difficult days. The rockets didnt stop falling," said Ronit Ifergan, 47, a mother of three from Kfar Aza, a kibbutz just a couple of miles from the Gaza Strip.

Almost everyone left the kibbutz to seek safety elsewhere; Ifergan and her family are staying with relatives in the nearby town of Ofakim. Her children are too scared to use the bathroom, terrified they would get caught in a barrage, she said.

I dont know where to flee to. I am afraid of every place I need to go, she said.

Ifergan and other residents of the area say the past week of fighting has been far more intense than previous rounds, with Hamas firing near-nonstop barrages of rockets indiscriminately into Israel.

This is the fourth Israel-Hamas war since the militants seized the Gaza Strip in 2007, driving out the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous enclaves in the occupied West Bank.

Israel and Egypt have enforced a border blockade of Gaza for the past 14 years, with the aim of preventing Hamas from building up its weapons arsenal. But despite the chokehold, the militants have been able to produce thousands of rockets, even as the blockade caused growing hardships for the tiny territory's 2 million people.

On the Israeli side, Yoash Hagay, 53, said his hometown of Ashkelon  just 11 kilometers (6 miles) from Gaza  has been hit hard, with a couple of rockets making it through Israel's Iron Dome defense system with every barrage.

Every time you hear a couple interceptions by the Iron Dome, and two or three explosions on the ground," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with airstrikes against Gaza militants "as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

Ifergan says southern Israel has seen many years of neglect by the government, exacerbated by what she describes as unfinished military campaigns against Gaza militants. She criticized the government's handling of the past month of mounting tensions in Jerusalem, violence that heralded the Gaza fighting.

We are tired of this, said Farag, whose house was damaged in Ashdod. We always hope that it will end. And it will be just be quiet.

It never happens, she added.
Courtesy of Midland ISD

The Midland ISD board will talk tonight and maybe act on its mask requirements for students and staff, including graduation ceremonies later this month.

The Midland ISD board agenda includes a discussion/action item having to do with COVID-19 Mask Requirements for MISD. A spokesperson stated that the item likely will address when specifically does the mask requirement lift.
Lynda M. Gonzalez/TNS

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas on Monday joined the growing number of states that will stop paying the federally funded $300 in extra pandemic-related weekly unemployment aid as businesses that scaled back or shuttered during the pandemic are reopening.

The extra benefits in Texas will end June 26, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in a letter to the Biden administration. He joins at least a dozen other governors, all Republicans, who are opting out of the additional federal unemployment benefits this summer.
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Flight attendant Katerra Locke becomes children's travel book author

TAYLA COURAGE Flight attendant and childrens book author Katerra Locke (left) and her 6-year-old son Elias (right) show their books and a Blankie The Magic Blanket at Lockes Linebaugh Library book signing recently. Locke said she was inspired to write childrens books to document their travels. Elias said his favorite activities on their travels have been swimming and boogie boarding on their trip to Hawaii. TAYLA COURAGE Flight attendant and childrens book author Katerra Locke thumbs through the pages of her first childrens book Elias and the Magic Blanket Turks & Caicos at her Linebaugh Library book signing on earlier this month. Its the first of two travel books with her son Elias, 6 (right), as the main adventurer. Each story documents their travels together. Its just us, and our magic blanket, said Locke.

Flight attendant and new author Katerra Locke of Murfreesboro turned her travels into childrens books starring her 6-year-old son, Elias, during last years pandemic-induced downtime.

Locke, a former call center trainer, made the career switch to flight attendant for US Airways, now American Airlines, in 2013 when she was living in Atlanta. After being denied a promotion, a coworker suggested becoming a flight attendant to turn Lockes love for travel into a full-time career.

Writing, however, has been in the picture for much longer. As a child, Locke said she would spend time making her own story books with hand-drawn illustrations and fake copyright symbols. Her grandmother, Loraine Jackson, was also a published writer and poet.

It was just something I wanted to do, said Locke, whose childhood book operation became the preface to her journey into self-publishing via Amazon and Ingram last year.

Locke was born in Cookeville, but her family relocated to Murfreesboro when she was in the fifth grade. She graduated from Blackman High School and attended the University of Memphis and Middle Tennessee State University. She lived in Georgia for a bit before returning to the Boro in 2014.

She wrote two childrens travel books documenting her and her sons trips overseas in a series called Elias and the Magic Blanket. Shes told the stories of their vacation to Barcelona in 2017 and their spontaneous trip to Turks and Caicos Islands in 2019 during her time away from work because of the pandemic.

When I initially started, I thought it was going to be an easy process and quick and fast, but its not always like that, said Locke. I wanted to make sure I was doing everything properly. Even though I was doing it myself, I still wanted that guidance.

Locke said Scholastic editor Amy Betz, who worked on The Magic School Bus book series, was a big help in guiding her through the revision process. Illustrator Alana Magdalene transformed some of Lockes family vacation photos into bright, colorful illustrations that draw young readers into each story.

She said her son and his real-life Blankie, a baby blanket given to him at birth, were the inspirations for the storytelling to start.

I mean it goes everywhere with us, said Locke, who thought the blanket would make an excellent, magical travel companion. It goes with us on our trips. He sleeps with it at night, and weve lost it a few times overseas and have had to find it.

Lessons from a trip

She said the Turks and Caicos trip was one she and Elias look back on the most fondly. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision caused by a flat tire and a missed flight to the Dominican Republic that ended up being a lesson in generosity and flexibility.

After pulling over at a gas station, Locke said a couple of strangers helped change her tire before continuing their commute to work.

Just starting off the trip, I thought that was just great. Just showing him the kindness of strangers. It showed him also that things happen, said Locke. Things dont always go your way, but, you know, it may turn out better than you had originally planned.

Those lessons are conveyed on the pages of the books through things as simple as trying new foods like conch fritters, activities like snorkeling, and even interacting with the locals of a different culture.

Locke said her curious little boy will try anything once, and that she encourages him to give things a chance.

Adventures in kindergarten

At the back of each book is a trivia page, listing fun facts for parents and teachers to share with their children and students about each destination in question.

Although Elias will soon wrap up his kindergarten year at the Discovery School in Murfreesboro, Locke said she plans to continue working in travel time on school and holiday breaks.

The books have even made their way into the schools kindergarten classrooms after Locke read the story via Zoom.

Elias kindergarten teacher Teresa McCarthy said that the kids thought it was so cool that their classmate had a book written about his travels.

We loved it so much that we turned it into a project for all of kindergarten titled The Magic Blanket Travels the World. Each student chose a different country and learned about its culture, traditions, holidays, and customs. Then students shared what they learned by creating a visual, costume or work of art, McCarthy wrote in an email.

The project is expected to become an annual tradition for the little ones.

Lockes time off from American Airlines came to an end last month, and shes back on board at her Washington, D.C.-based airline job, which takes her across the United States and the islands in the Caribbean Sea. When shes away on flights, Elias stays with his grandmother, Debbie Locke.

She hopes to continue the series with books on their 2016 trip to Australia and their recent Spring Break getaway to Hawaii. Shed also like to see the series on television as a cartoon adaptation.

I hope that young readers identify themselves with Elias. I hope it encourages them to travel because I think that they can see how much he learns when we do go to these different places, said Locke. I just want kids to travel and get to experience this big, beautiful world that were all a part of.
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Muskogee, OK (74401)

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Meanwhile, Bobbsemple was taken to Kings County Hospital by private means. The driver took off after dumping him there, leaving authorities initially stumped on where the victim had been and how he ended up shot. Bobbsemple died at the hospital a short time later.
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As the demand for COVID-19 testing declines, some health departments will consider changing their testing procedures to maximize resources while still meeting the communitys needs.

The departments in Scott and Morgan counties now offer COVID-19 testing, though changes have been made as demand decreased.

In Scott County, the department still is offering testing, but by appointment rather than in a clinic.

Every once in a while well have a busy day, but weve seen a big decline in our testing, COVID-19 nurse Meghan VanDeVelde said. Its been a steady decrease, but we still have a bit of demand and interest to still offer testing.

The department asks that those who need to be tested call ahead to see if a nurse will be available to perform the test, VanDeVelde said.

We still plan to do testing until our kits expire or we are unable to do it, VanDeVelde said. Being in a remote or rural area, wed hate to have to send (patients) elsewhere.

The Morgan County department has decreased the hours at its drive-through testing site behind the department from three days a week to two, though that also could change.

Dale Bainter, administrator for the Morgan County department, said final decisions on testing through the department havent been made, but its not as in-demand as it once was.

We were once doing 200 tests a day; now were are down to single-digit numbers, Bainter said. We continually assess the needs of our community, how we can meet those needs, while also managing our resources effectively.

The testing sites require personnel to man the stations and perform the tests, preventing them from working in other areas of the department, even on the days when they see only a small number of testing requests, he said.

As the demand declines, we have to scale our response, he said.

If a health department does discontinue testing, those who require a test will need to request one through their primary care physician or another health organization.

Morgan County Health Department also is evaluating demand for the vaccine, Bainter said, noting that when the vaccine was released, clinics were full and seeing 600 or so people within a few hours.

They now are seeing fewer than 100 people a day. With new age groups becoming eligible, interest could climb again, Bainter said.

We have a clinic Wednesday and well evaluate what that demand will be, he said. We have to try to serve as efficiently as possible.
Washington Elementary School could be the next to see a major renovation if the Jacksonville School District 117 board decides during its Wednesday meeting to move forward with its Phase 3 Vision 117 plans.

The district is looking into potential renovation and construction projects that would use sales tax revenue and Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds that have spending deadlines within the next few years.

Superintendent Steve Ptacek said in a video presentation to the community that the district is in a position to use the funds and savings to complete several projects that will benefit the districts schools.

We are in a good position to have substantial money and to talk about renovations or substantial improvements to our buildings  which several of them are extremely old, Ptacek said.

One project would be a complete renovation of Washington Elementary School. The project is expected to cost about $11.1 million, with roughly $3.5 million for HVAC coming from ESSER funds and $7.6 million coming from the general fund.

We had plans for this project because last year, before COVID, it looked like the School Construction Grant might be funded and they were talking about getting a shovel-ready project ready to go, Ptacek said. Given the fact that we had some priority from being in the Fiscal Year 04 list, we were really hoping to get this funded by the grant.

The project would include new construction, including a new gym and administration complex and elevator; updates to electrical, plumbing and HVAC; and a remodel of the current building.

ESSER funds can only be used on projects that improve the health and safety of a school and improve the conditions of the school.

Ptacek said the district is looking into several projects, including about $2.5 million for HVAC updates at North Elementary, $2.8 million for HVAC and walls at Eisenhower Elementary, $3.5 million for HVAC at Washington, and $1.8 million for HVAC at the JHS Bowl.

ESSER funds have to be spent by September 2023 and September 2024.

The district now has between $7 million and $9 million in savings, roughly $12 million in bonding potential, and up to $3.5 million in ESSER funds. The district also is on the priority list for the states School Construction Grant up to $24 million  though Ptacek said he doesnt believe that will be funded and isnt something on which the district can rely.

If the board votes to move forward with renovations at Washington, it will limit other projects the district does, including building a new East Grade School that would have housed Washington students and some South Jacksonville students, Ptacek said.

Since the video has been released there has been a lot of discussion and some concerns raised about decisions regarding Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School.

While options include the possibility of renovations at South Jacksonville Elementary School, establishing a new school near Washington, building a new school in Murrayville or Woodson, and completing several large-scale renovations to the current building, a few of the options would close Murrayville-Woodson.

Nothing will be done to the school until after an in-depth community engagement process, Ptacek said.

I want to put your fears at rest, we are not going to go to a board meeting and all of a sudden make a decision to close a school, Ptacek said.

The board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Office at 211 W. State St.

The meeting can be attended virtually at bit.ly/3frZtUh. Passcode: 204108.
Six west-central Illinois municipalities will share $164,500 in grants meant to assist communities with improving or adding wastewater collection and treatment systems.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is providing $1 million in funding through the Unsewered Communities Planning Grant Program so small and disadvantaged communities can develop project plans that identify solutions to wastewater needs.

The awards were announced Monday as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.

The state has more than 200 unsewered communities that lack wastewater collection or treatment systems. Many of them rely on patchwork systems or decades-old underground pipes that illegally discharge to surface waters, according to Illinois EPA Director John Kim.

Proper wastewater collection and treatment is important for the health and welfare of Illinois communities, Kim said.

Grant recipients are: Beardstown, $26,000; Elsah, $22,500; Modesto, $30,000; New Salem township, $30,000; Browning, $30,000; and Manchester, $26,000.

Communities that use this initial funding to develop a plan to address wastewater needs may be eligible for assistance to build the systems in the future. During the next five years, the state is making $100 million available through the Rebuild Illinois plan for construction of wastewater facilities.

The program will provide disadvantaged communities across Illinois with the needed funds to improve sewer systems and reduce impacts in the environment. These investments are only one piece of the capital plan and we will continue working to improve the financial well-being, health, education and safety of all Illinois residents, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
One passenger said Scerbo oddly said he wanted a white Porsche, while others said he refused to wear a mask and was using a plastic fork as a potential weapon.
Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Toney L. Prather, 24, of 650 S. Prairie St. was arrested at 10:52 a.m. Monday in the 500 block of West State Street on a violation of an order of protection.

VANDALISM

 Glass on a door to the laundry room at Stonebridge Apartments, 1225 Lincoln Ave., was broken between 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Monday.



Pike County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Devan M. Clayton, 19, of Hull was arrested at 9:34 a.m. Friday on a criminal sexual abuse charge.

 Jan K. Gaylord, 58, of Griggsville was arrested at 2:08 p.m. Friday on a petition to revoke.

 Laura J. Coleman, 34, of Baylis was arrested at 7:02 p.m. Thursday on charges of retail theft and possession of methamphetamine.

 Kennard R. Scranton, 36, of Griggsville was arrested at 8:09 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

 Robert D. Massey, 56, of La Belle, Missouri, was arrested at 5:10 p.m. May 11 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

 Tabatha Lee Ann Mulford, 44, of Nebo was arrested at 2:46 p.m. May 11 on a petition to revoke.

 Bobby J. Warner, 37, of Nebo was arrested at 2:36 p.m. Friday on charges of domestic battery and possession of methamphetamine.

 Michael J. Wallace, 55, of Nebo was arrested at 6:24 p.m. Friday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

 David L. Allen, 48, of Pearl was arrested at 4:04 p.m. Friday on a violation of sex offender registration.

 Sheila L. Hawkins, 43, of Versailles was arrested at 1:39 a.m. Saturday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of non-sealed cannabis by a passenger.

 Molly E. Glasscock, 30, of Versailles was arrested at 2:37 a.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of adult-use cannabis.

Pittsfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 William E. Ogrosky, 63, of Pittsfield was arrested at 8:47 p.m. Thursday on a charge of driving under the influence.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
WASHINGTON (AP)  Hes known her for as long as he can remember, once challenging Shel to a heart-pumping zipline race down a rugged mountaintop.

The way she tells it, they actually first met when he came to measure the carpeting for her new house in the 1970s.

The two U.S. senators from West Virginia, Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito, grew up in politically prominent families and now find themselves playing central roles in President Joe Bidens infrastructure plans.

Manchin is a crucial 50th vote for Democrats on Bidens sweeping proposals. Capito is the lead Republican negotiator on an alternative, meeting Tuesday with key Cabinet secretaries and White House officials coming to Capitol Hill.

Both are heirs to the political tradition of the late Senate leader Robert C. Byrd, who funneled so much federal investment back home that hardly a highway or civic structure dots the landscape without his name.

Not only is the state counting on its two senators to deliver, but Manchin and Capito have become indispensable voices whose votes can make or break Biden's big infrastructure agenda. Both senators have been to the White House as the president courts Congress on his top legislative priority.

Suddenly you have this small, poor, mountainous state (that) has not just one but two senators highly involved with infrastructure, said Robert Rupp, a political history professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

If you wrote a script, it couldnt be any better than that, Rupp said.

The two children of political families have been here before. Capito's late father, Arch Moore, was a three-term governor and six-term congressman. Manchin's father and grandfather were mayors of his tiny hometown, Farmington, and an uncle was a state lawmaker and administrator.

Manchin remembers always seeing Capito, a few years younger, at events. She pinpoints their first meeting on another infrastructure project, when she was a newlywed who needed flooring in her home.

Her father knew just whom to call. Manchin's father owned a furniture store and sent his son to measure the carpeting.

Theirs became a working relationship like so many in the state, forged on political ties and common needs, and enduring despite their opposing political parties. Capito served seven terms in the U.S. House before becoming the state's first woman elected to the Senate in 2014. Manchin was the state's two-term governor before winning the special election in 2010 for Byrd's seat.

I think he and I come from a perspective of a state, of wanting to get things done, Capito said in a brief interview.

We talk a lot, we dont always agree, but we respectfully disagree, she said. We both realize that good ideas dont necessarily come from just one party.

With its stubborn poverty and unforgiving hilly terrain, West Virginia has long relied on lawmakers in Washington for investments that would otherwise go unfilled to connect their communities.

Theres a reason travelers drive along Robert C. Byrd roadways, named for the longtime Senate leader whose work became synonymous with the practice of earmarking federal funds for projects back home.

The state powered the nation with a legacy of coal mining, but it now faces pressure to shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources.

Both Biden's plan and the Capito alternative propose hefty investments for broadband, an element of infrastructure that has long been a bipartisan concern in West Virginia.

We depend on infrastructure for every single thing we do, said Mike Clowser, the head of the Contractors Association of West Virginia.

For a population that voted overwhelmingly, twice, for Donald Trump for president, there are vast potential political benefits, but also risks, to the senators' roles in Biden's infrastructure push.

Manchin is unlikely to support the president's ambitious $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan without changes, a key obstacle preventing Democrats from passing Biden's proposals through the evenly split 50-50 Senate on their own, without Republican support.

He opposes Biden's proposal to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% to pay for the infrastructure projects, but suggested a 25% corporate tax rate could be more palatable. As the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he insists measures to help coal miners in West Virginia and other rural states must be part of any final product.

With such centrist political views, Manchin can show voters back home hes a different type of Democrat, said Jason MacDonald, an associate professor of political science at West Virginia University.

For Capito, being able to reach across the aisle to cut a deal with Biden would showcase her skills as seasoned legislator who can deliver for her state, no small accomplishment at a time when Republicans are out of power in Washington.

Capito and other Republican senators are set to meet late Tuesday with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for a round of talks on Capitol Hill.

While Manchin can rankle his Democratic colleagues for being a no-vote that dooms so many of their priorities, Capito is also blazing a path by trying to bridge the partisan divide.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has entrusted Capito to lead the infrastructure negotiations with the White House, a sign of his confidence in her, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private views.

She is one of a handful of GOP senators who are counselors to McConnell, giving her a seat at the leadership table.

As the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, Capito has said the opening offer from Republicans was just that, as she engages in the give and take of negotiations with Biden's team. McConnell has said they are willing to go to $800 billion on a infrastructure package, but raising corporate taxes to pay for it is a red line the GOP won't cross.

The panel's Democratic chairman, Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, who was born in Beckley, West Virginia, said of the two senators, Our shared roots in West Virginia bond us closer together as we work on infrastructure.

Bill Raney, who retired this year as the president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said that "with a rural state, like we have here, the topographical challenges with the mountains and valleys compound the needs. Regarding two senators with such longtime connections, he said, Thats what strikes me about this being so significant.

___

Dil and Raby reported from Charleston, W.Va.
BEARDSTOWN  A fire that ripped through an apartment building Sunday evening left 13 families homeless, injured three firefighters and gutted a structure that had been a Beardstown landmark since 1900.

The cause of the fire most likely will never be known, Beardstown Fire Department officials said.

The structure fire at 601 E. Fourth St. forced all of the buildings residents to be evacuated  one from a second-story window with firefighters help. Three firefighters were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries, and one resident of the building also was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Hager said the firefighters were forced to jump out of a second-story window because the building was fully engulfed.

Its about a 22-foot drop, Hager said. He wasnt sure of the extent of the injuries suffered in the jump but said everything is non-life threatening.

Beardstown Fire Department received multiple calls around 8:38 p.m. Sunday, reporting that fire and smoke were coming from a building that housed 13 apartments and a first-floor business.

Thirteen apartments and 13 tenants, Hager said.

Firefighters had the fire under control shortly after midnight but were on the scene through the night and Monday to ensure there were no flare-ups while crews worked to demolish what remained of the structure.

This is one of the largest fires we have had in a long time, Hager said. We will be out here for a while.

In addition to the resident who was injured, two firefighters  one 23 and one 35  were treated at a hospital and released. The third firefighter, who is 46, suffered more serious injuries and still was being treated.

The city of Beardstown is coordinating relief efforts for residents affected by the fire.

A GoFundMe.com page also has been organized to raise money for those displaced. All money raised will be split evenly among the tenants.

GoFundMe organizer Michelle Miller said on the page that this fund will be used to distribute to each of those 13 fire victims for any needs that they have. They all lost everything they owned and will need to replace many things including government documents, clothing, household items, etc. Some left the building without shoes, without their purses, in their pajamas.

Dan Lenning of Beardstown was on Fourth Street on Sunday evening as firefighters worked to control the fire.

Its a shame because its a big piece of history gone, Lenning said of the building.

City water department employee Kelvin Hults watched the building demolition and recalled that the building was built in 1900 and once served as a hotel.

Its a big loss, Hults said. It has always been here.

A damage amount covering the lost personal items and the demolished building has not been determined, Hager said, noting that arson is unlikely but, otherwise, the cause most likely will never be known.

In addition to Beardstown Fire Department, crews from Arenzville, Jacksonville, Rushville, Virginia, South Jacksonville, Mount Sterling and Meredosia fire departments assisted.
It sounds like a public health miracle. In 2007, nearly one-quarter (23.6%) of cigarette smokers in Massachusetts were 18-24 years old. By 2017, that number had plunged by a whopping 68.6%. Just 7.4% of cigarette users were under age 25  an all-time low.

But then, youth smoking began to rebound, shooting back up to 10% in 2018 before leveling out above the previous lows. A state that had led the way in reducing smoking among young people is suddenly getting left behind as rates in other states continue to fall.

What happened?

Massachusetts launched a war on vaping.

The year 2007, when the Bay States numbers began their decline, is also the year e-cigarettes were first introduced to the U.S. market. But around 2014, Massachusetts municipalities began enacting a patchwork of local flavor bans. In 2019, a statewide ban on flavored vapes took effect, followed in 2020 by a ban on flavored cigarettes  including menthol.

While there are many variables that go into personal choices and purchasing decisions, particularly involving nicotine products, I believe there are some notable numbers in this data. In the years after the e-cigarette market emergence, smoking rates among young adults nationwide fell to all-time lows and in most states, remain there. This is why the Massachusetts numbers are instructive.

More notably, in 46 states and Washington, D.C., smoking rates among 18- to 24-year-old current smokers dropped even more significantly in the decade after e-cigarettes market emergence than in the 10 years after states sued tobacco companies through the Master Settlement Agreement. This is also contrary to the false premise, unfortunately being spread by alleged public health advocates, that youth vaping leads to youth smoking.

In a perfect world where nobody smoked, drank, or used recreational drugs, the goal of ending all nicotine consumption might make sense. This is the prohibition strategy. You can ask Al Capone how that worked out. Thousands of years of human behavior have shown that some people are going to engage in risky behavior no matter what the government says.

Therefore, a more sensible approach to public health, particularly involving young people, might be to raise the bar on very high-risk behavior (like smoking traditional cigarettes) while allowing controlled access to lower-risk products, like vaping and heat-n0t-burn tobacco products. This is known as the harm reduction strategy.

Unfortunately, since then-U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams mistakenly declared a youth vaping epidemic in 2018, tobacco harm reduction has been on the defense. In fact, advocates of safer tobacco alternatives have been constantly fighting against a barrage of misinformation with anti-vapers relying on debunked claims about popcorn lung and formaldehyde.

Studies have found similar results in local flavor bans. For example, in April 2018, San Francisco banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. This would be followed by a total ban on vapor products in 2020. An April 2020 study in Addictive Behavior Reports examined the impact of San Franciscos flavor ban on young adults by surveying a sample of residents aged 18 to 34 years. Although the ban did have an effect in decreasing vaping rates, the authors noted a significant increase in cigarette smoking among participants aged 18 to 24 years old. Worse, smoking rates among youth have actually increased in the wake of the ban.

As for banning vaping because its a gateway to tobacco use, there isnt any real substantial data from the CDCs population surveys to conclude that youth e-cigarette use leads to smoking. In 2017, among U.S. high school students, 42.2% reported ever trying an e-cigarette and only 28.9% reported ever trying a combustible cigarette. In 2018, among current adult smokers in the U.S., only 13.2% were 18 to 24 years old. In 2019, this fell even further to 11.9%.

Despite the rhetoric, it is apparent that the emergence of tobacco harm reduction products such as e-cigarettes has helped to reduce young adult smoking. Its time for policymakers to embrace the role of tobacco harm reduction and actually protect public health rather than spew misinformation.

Lindsey Stroud is a policy analyst with Taxpayers Protection Alliance, manager and creator of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org) and a board director with the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Cloudy early with partial sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 54F. WNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Religious freedom in Xinjiang incomparable in history: Islamic association president

Xinhua) 15:21, May 18, 2021

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The current condition of religious freedom in Xinjiang is incomparable in history, President of the Islamic Association of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Abdureqip Tumulniyaz has said.

Abdureqip Tumulniyaz, also president of the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, made the remarks at a reception in Beijing on Thursday for Eid al-Fitr hosted by the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"The Constitution of the People's Republic of China clearly states that Chinese citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief," he said, adding that the customs and habits of Muslims such as food, festivals, weddings, funerals and etiquette are fully respected, and legal religious activities are carried out completely in accordance with an individual's wishes in Xinjiang.

He pointed out that the government also arranges medical staff to provide medical services in mosques such as handing out masks, taking temperature, distributing medicines among Muslims and regularly carrying out disinfection.

In the face of rumors such as the so-called "forced demolition of mosques" and "clerical personnel being persecuted," Abdureqip Tumulniyaz stressed that Xinjiang has a large number of mosques built in the 1980s and 1990s or even earlier which needed repair.

He said some mosques were originally adobe houses, some were too narrow and shabby, some were too dilapidated for religious activities during windy and rainy days. In addition, the layout of some mosques made it inconvenient for Muslims to carry out religious activities.

"In recent years, in response to the appeals and applications by Muslims, many local governments have addressed the problems well. Conditions of mosques in Xinjiang have generally improved," he said.

Public services such as water, electricity, heating, roads, telecommunications, television and health services have already covered mosques, which has greatly benefited Muslims, Abdureqip Tumulniyaz added.

The history and reality of Xinjiang have clearly shown that any attempt to distort religious facts in Xinjiang is futile, he said, adding that any conspiracy to destabilize Xinjiang, damage religious harmony, and undermine peace and contentment among all ethnic groups is doomed to fail.

Vladimir Norov, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, also made a keynote speech at the reception.

Norov shared his experience of visiting Xinjiang from March 30 to April 2 this year. He visited religious and educational institutions, industrial and infrastructure facilities, learned about Xinjiang's history and talked with local people.

He said the common opinion among the visiting diplomats was that due to the high level of economic development in Xinjiang, the necessary social conditions for decent work and prosperous life for citizens of all ethnic groups were created.

In Urumqi, Aksu and Kashgar, the culture of the ethnic groups is preserved and developed, Norov said, adding that it is certainly clear and convincing that the Chinese central government and the government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are doing everything to preserve the culture of ethnic groups and further promote it.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
On July 30, 2020, Angel Cabrera (front) and Carlos Vazquez (rear) were captured on security footage at a Capital One bank on Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, making cash withdrawals from an ATM. Records from Capital One and KeyBank revealed that they had used two KeyBank debit cards issued in third party names to withdraw almost $2,000. (LElbert/Department of Justice)
T.I., wife Tiny investigated after sexual abuse allegation View Photo

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka Tiny Harris are under investigation by police in Los Angeles after a sexual abuse allegation.

Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Cervantes said Tuesday that an active investigation is underway. The investigation comes after a woman in Los Angeles and another in Las Vegas filed a police report that accused the couple of sexual assault.

A report was taken April 8 for a sexual assault involving the couple that occurred in 2005, Cervantes said. The police did not provide any additional details.

Las Vegas police received a report this month of a sexual assault incident in 2010 involving the couple. But the case was closed because it was reported outside the statute of limitations.

Steve Sadow, the attorney for T.I. and his wife, said his clients steadfastly deny and repudiate all the allegations. He said the couple has not spoken or been contacted by police in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or any other jurisdiction in the country.

The LAPD accuser once again remains anonymous, thereby preventing us from being in a position to disprove or refute her allegations  or even examine them, Sadow said. Meanwhile, although we now have for the first time a name of an accuser, who apparently filed a police report with (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police), we have essentially no specifics about her or her claim, and her attorney has thus far refused to disclose a copy of the report for public scrutiny.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

In March, attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn said more than 30 women contacted him accusing T.I. and his wife of forced drugging, kidnapping, rape and intimidation in at least two states, including California and Georgia. He said the allegations span more than 15 years.

A spokesperson for T.I. and Tiny denied those accusations.

Production for the VH1 reality series T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle was suspended in February amid the sexual abuse allegations.
CAIRO (AP)  Sudan announced the resignation of the countrys chief prosecutor and the firing of the top judge Monday, without giving any reasons for the changes.

The development came amid growing criticism by activists of the justice system for purported delays in trials related to the crackdown on protesters during and after a popular uprising that led to the militarys overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

Sudan has since been on a fragile path to democracy and is ruled by a joint military-civilian government, which includes a sovereign council and an executive Cabinet.

The Sovereign Council accepted the resignation of Public Prosecutor Taj al-Ser Ali al-Hebr and removed Neamat Abdullah Mohamed Kheir from her job as chief of the judiciary, said Mohammed al-Feki Suliman, a spokesman for the council.

Suliman did not give reasons for the changes, nor say whether the changes were related. He said al-Haber had submitted his resignation several times, and this time he insisted on stepping down.

No replacements were announced.

Kheir, a veteran judge, and al-Haber, a lawyer, were appointed to their posts In October 2019, less than two months after the military and the protest movement reached a deal to form a joint transitional government following al-Bashirs ouster. Kheir, who has served in the judiciary since the 1980s, was the first woman to rise to the highest judicial post in Sudans history.

The changes came a week after a protest in Khartoum demanding justice for the dozens killed in a 2019 crackdown on protesters.

In dispersing last weeks protest outside the militarys headquarters, troops killed two people and wounded three dozen. The military handed over around 100 suspects in the killing to prosecutors to investigate.

The June 2019 clearing of the Khartoum protest camp coincided with the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Over 120 people were killed in that dayslong crackdown, according to protest groups.

The government established an independent committee in 2019 to probe the crackdown, but the panel repeatedly missed its deadlines for reporting, angering the victims families and protest groups.

Mondays development came as the countrys leader, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok are in Paris to attend an economic conference on Sudan hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

By SAMY MAGDY

Associated Press
Covid-19 Regional Report Monday View Photo

Tuolumne County  Tuolumne County Public Health reports four new community cases today and five from Saturday. The nine new cases are a girl age 17 or younger, a man age 18 to 29, a woman and a man age 30 to 39, two women age 40 to 49 a woman age 50 to 59, a man age 60 to 69 and a man age 70 to 79. No COVID-positive residents are hospitalized. A total of 13 cases are considered active.

Tuolumne County has a total of 4,148 cases split between 2,731 community cases and 1,417 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases, the California Department of Corrections reports one case remains active. Total community cases released from isolation increased to 2,649 and the total number of tests administered is 95,519. The county reports 18,053 fully vaccinated residents and 4,061 individuals partially vaccinated. As reported here California is allowing children age 12 and older to get the vaccine. More information is below. The newest information about the mask/face covering guidelines says until June 15th California Health and Human Services Agency will keep existing guidance (detailed here) in place.

Calaveras County  The Calaveras public health reports a new COVID-related death. It is the 55th death since the pandemic began last year. There are seven new cases in Calaveras since Friday with the countys total COVID cases at 2,143. Active cases decreased four to eight and recoveries increased ten to 2,080 total. No Calaveras residents are hospitalized. The total number of people over 65 years old identified with COVID remains at 452 since the pandemic began. Calaveras reports 32,954 vaccinations given and 42,099 COVID tests total.

Mariposa County  Mariposa County Public Healths morning report has no new cases. One case is hospitalized and five cases are currently active. There are a total of 450 cases since the pandemic began.

Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne remain in the Orange Tier of the States Blueprint for a safer economy. Tier levels are assessed on Tuesdays.

Testing- The Mother Lode Fairgrounds testing site is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM. The Groveland site is at the Youth Center, 18950 Hwy 120 on Thursdays from 7 AM to 7 PM. Individuals can select the site location when making their appointment at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. More details, including Calaveras testing information, are in our events calendar here.

Vaccines  Tuolumne is holding COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccination clinic on May 19 in the Groveland area. For more details and locations, or to register for an appointment, visit www.myturn.ca.gov. Individuals in Calaveras and Mariposa may also register at www.myturn.ca.gov to schedule appointments. You can also call 833-422-4255 if you dont have an email (Mon to Fri 8AM to 8PM, Sat and Sun 8AM-5PM) for assistance. Due to technical issues, those who live in the 95223 area (Arnold) should enter 95222 as their zip code when searching for a location.

Vaccine eligibility is open to everyone 12+ (Pfizer) and 18+ (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) with photo ID, not currently sick with COVID-19 or had a flu shot within the last 14 days. More information about the local pharmacies and other places offering the vaccine are here.

County/Date

Tier Color Active

Cases New Cases

Total Cases COVID

Deaths Amador 5/14 14 8 1,784 38 Calaveras 5/17 8 7 2,143 55 Mariposa 5/17 5 0 450 7 Mono 5/17 4 0 1,024 4 Stanislaus 5/17 364 57 55,734 1,061 Tuolumne 5/17 15 9 4,148 67 For other county-level statistics view our page here.
Rockets from Gaza rain havoc on Israeli cities in latest war View Photo

JERUSALEM (AP)  Sirens wailed just before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began on Sunday evening, sending Chen Farag and her family once again running for cover as they have dozens of times over the past week since the latest war between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military erupted.

The Farags live in Ashdod, Israels largest port on the Mediterranean coast. The city of about 225,000 people is around 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Gaza Strip. Six adults, two dogs and a parrot huddled in their homes reinforced safe room  a routine precaution for hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the countrys south.

After an explosion shook the building, they rushed outside to see cars on fire, including their own. Their homes front door had been blown off, windows were blasted and shrapnel was embedded in walls.

We are in shock. Its a nightmare, said Farag, a 24-year-old cable technician. Its hard to sleep, because we are thinking, what if Gaza tries to hit us again?

The cycle of fighting and cease-fires has repeated itself numerous times in the past 15 years since the first rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The barrages have caused deep frustration for residents, many weary over what they see as the governments failure to change to the situation. Many children who have grown up in the area suffer from trauma-related issues.

Since the latest war erupted last week, Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,200 rockets at Israeli cities. Most were intercepted or fell short, in Gaza, but hundreds made it through.

The Farag home is one of 146 buildings in Israel that were hit by rockets fired from Gaza, according to military statistics. They include homes, apartment blocks, schools, kindergartens and an oil storage tank.

When sirens signal incoming rockets, Israelis can seek shelter in communal shelters or in reinforced rooms in their apartments, a feature of newer buildings. Many have been pinned down indoors, fearing they couldnt reach shelter in time.

So far, 10 people have been killed in Israel, most from rocket fire. This includes a soldier, a 5-year-old boy and two people who died from injuries sustained while running for cover. Paramedics say at least 106 people suffered shrapnel and blast wounds.

In Gaza, at least 212 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Fighting erupted on May 10, when Hamas fired seven rockets at Jerusalem following clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a shrine considered holy to both Jews and Muslims. Since then, Palestinian militants have fired heavy barrages at cities deep inside Israel, and the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

For hundreds of thousands in communities in southern Israel  cities, towns, kibbutzim and farming villages  air raid sirens have been unrelenting as missiles rain down.

There were two difficult days. The rockets didnt stop falling, said Ronit Ifergan, 47, a mother of three from Kfar Aza, a kibbutz just a couple of miles from the Gaza Strip.

Almost everyone left the kibbutz to seek safety elsewhere; Ifergan and her family are staying with relatives in the nearby town of Ofakim. Her children are too scared to use the bathroom, terrified they would get caught in a barrage, she said.

I dont know where to flee to. I am afraid of every place I need to go, she said.

Ifergan and other residents of the area say the past week of fighting has been far more intense than previous rounds, with Hamas firing near-nonstop barrages of rockets indiscriminately into Israel.

This is the fourth Israel-Hamas war since the militants seized the Gaza Strip in 2007, driving out the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous enclaves in the occupied West Bank.

Israel and Egypt have enforced a border blockade of Gaza for the past 14 years, with the aim of preventing Hamas from building up its weapons arsenal. But despite the chokehold, the militants have been able to produce thousands of rockets, even as the blockade caused growing hardships for the tiny territorys 2 million people.

On the Israeli side, Yoash Hagay, 53, said his hometown of Ashkelon  just 11 kilometers (6 miles) from Gaza  has been hit hard, with a couple of rockets making it through Israels Iron Dome defense system with every barrage.

Every time you hear a couple interceptions by the Iron Dome, and two or three explosions on the ground, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with airstrikes against Gaza militants as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

Ifergan says southern Israel has seen many years of neglect by the government, exacerbated by what she describes as unfinished military campaigns against Gaza militants. She criticized the governments handling of the past month of mounting tensions in Jerusalem, violence that heralded the Gaza fighting.

We are tired of this, said Farag, whose house was damaged in Ashdod. We always hope that it will end. And it will be just be quiet.

It never happens, she added.

By ILAN BEN ZION and LAURIE KELLMAN

Associated Press
Washington governor signs sweeping police reform measures View Photo

SEATTLE (AP)  Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed one of the nations most ambitious packages of police accountability legislation, prompted by last years outcry for racial justice following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people at the hands of police.

The dozen bills Inslee signed include outright bans on police use of chokeholds, neck restraints and no-knock warrants such as the one that helped lead to Taylors killing in Louisville, Kentucky.

They require officers to intervene if their colleagues engage in excessive force  a demand inspired by the officers who stood by while Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee to Floyds neck for more than nine minutes.

The bills also create an independent office to review the use of deadly force by police, make it easier to decertify police for bad acts, and require officers to use reasonable care, including exhausting de-escalation tactics, in carrying out their duties. The use of tear gas and car chases are restricted and its easier to sue officers when they inflict injury.

As of noon today, we will have the best, most comprehensive, most transparent, most effective police accountability laws in the United States, Inslee, a Democrat, said before signing the bills.

Floyds killing last May and the protests that followed prompted a wave of police reforms in dozens of states, from changes in use-of-force policies to greater accountability for officers. But few if any matched the scope of the changes being adopted in Washington.

Inslee convened a task force last year to suggest ways to guarantee independent investigations of police use of deadly force. The move followed community outrage over the death of Manuel Ellis as he was being restrained by Tacoma police and repeatedly saying he couldnt breathe. The Pierce County Sheriffs Office conducted a botched review of the case without disclosing that one of its deputies had been involved.

Prompted partly by Ellis death, Inslee signed the bills at a community center in Tacoma.

Under legislation recommended by the task force, the state will have an independent office that will hire regional teams to review such cases. There are restrictions on hiring police or former police officers as investigators, and eventually the investigations will be conducted by civilians with other areas of expertise  such as behavioral health.

The measures were driven by Democrats, who control both houses in Olympia, and several of the key lawmakers pushing the bills were people of color. They worked closely with families of people killed by police, community activists and police groups themselves in developing some of the other bills, said Rep. Jesse Johnson of Federal Way, who is Black.

This process was deeply collaborative, deeply visionary and deeply intentional about lifting up every voice, from community to law enforcement, he said.

Some of the bills, including one signed earlier by Inslee that reforms the private arbitration system by which officers can appeal discipline, had bipartisan backing.

A coalition of Washington state law enforcement unions, representing more than 14,000 officers, said it could accept some measures, including the arbitration reform and duty-to-intervene bills. But it expressed concern that the decertification bill threatened the due-process rights of officers. The Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, which represents 60% of the states fully commissioned law enforcement officers, opposed the bill restricting police tactics and the measure requiring reasonable care in using force.

Teresa Taylor, the councils executive director, said Tuesday she had concerns about the tenor of the narrative around the legislation but that her organization would work to help implement the laws.

These bills will introduce some changes, but we fully expect our officers will continue to be the professional experts they have always been, Taylor said.

Sen. Jamie Pedersen, the Seattle Democrat who heads the Senate Law and Justice Committee and who sponsored the decertification bill, apologized to community members at the bill signing for taking so long to embrace the cause of police accountability. He likened himself and other white people in power to the officers who stood by as Floyd died.

Where I find myself is feeling a lot of guilt and shame that for so many years as you have spoken out  too many of us, myself included, stood by and did nothing and tolerated a system infused with racism, because it was comfortable and easy, Pedersen said.

The Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance called the signing of the bills a potential sea change in how police in Washington interact with people in communities theyre hired to serve  especially Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. But, the organization said, its up to police, prosecutors, judges, officials and citizens to see that the laws are enforced.

Its a monumental occasion, but its also a sad one for most of us families who are still grieving, still looking for answers and justice for our loved ones, said Katrina Johnson, whose cousin Charleena Lyles was killed by Seattle police after she called them for help in 2017. We celebrate on this bill-signing day, and tomorrow its back to work on implementation.

By GENE JOHNSON

Associated Press
Former jailer seeks clemency for one death row inmate View Photo

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  If Richard Moore is executed, he will have some say in how he goes  the electric chair or the firing squad.

Moore is one of three prisoners on South Carolinas death row who have run out of appeals in the past six months and could be among the first to face the grim choice under a new state law. But his supporters  including the states former prisons chief  say he deserves better.

The state Supreme Court set and then stayed the prisoners executions after the Corrections Department said it didnt have the drugs needed to carry out lethal injections. Now, Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a law requiring the condemned to choose to die by gunshot or electrocution if lethal injection drugs arent available.

South Carolina once had one of the nations most prolific death chambers, but a shortage of the drugs has caused a decadelong lull in executions. The state is one of only nine to still use the electric chair and the fourth to allow a firing squad.

Moore, 56, has lived on death row for two decades after being convicted in 2001 for the fatal shooting of convenience store clerk James Mahoney. The Spartanburg man hasnt made a choice, said his attorney Lindsey Vann, because he is focused on a current petition to the state Supreme Court.

As his lawyers continue to mount court challenges, theyre also preparing a case for clemency. Among his supporters is the former director of South Carolinas Department of Corrections, Jon Ozmint, who asserts Moore is a reformed man who deserves life without parole instead of death.

Circumstances took place inside the store that certainly made him guilty of killing another man, but in most counties in this state, I doubt you could even find a jury to recommend the death penalty on those facts, said Ozmint, a self-described supporter of the death penalty who helmed the department between 2003 and 2012  one of the death chambers busier periods.

Moores lawyers argued in front of the state Supreme Court this month that Moores crime simply doesnt rise to the level of heinousness in other death penalty cases.

Inmates most recently executed in the state include a man who strangled his cellmate while serving time for a double murder and a man who secretly took out life insurance policies on his wife and son before killing them and burning their bodies.

Richards case just wasnt like theirs, Ozmint told The Associated Press.

No one contests that Moore killed Mahoney, who was working at Nikkis Speedy Mart in Spartanburg County on Sept. 16, 1999. During the 2001 trial, prosecutors said Moore entered the store looking for money to support his cocaine habit and got into a dispute with Mahoney, who drew a pistol that Moore wrestled away from him.

Mahoney pulled a second gun, and a gunfight ensued. Mahoney shot Moore in the arm, and Moore shot Mahoney in the chest. Prosecutors said Moore left a trail of blood through the store as he looked for cash, stepping twice over Mahoney.

At the time, Moore claimed that he acted in self-defense after Mahoney drew the first gun. His appeals lawyers have said that because Moore didnt bring a gun into store, he couldnt have intended to kill someone when he walked in.

Lawyers for the attorney generals office argued this month that Moore was trying to turn the courts attention away from the damning evidence presented against him and toward generalities, innuendo and speculation.

Mahoneys relatives havent spoken publicly on the case in recent years. At the sentencing, family members described the 42-year-old clerk as a beloved uncle and friend who loved NASCAR and dutifully worked the third shift at the store, according to The Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

Were pleased with the verdict, and exceptionally pleased with the manner in which the case was prosecuted, Mahoneys father, James Mahoney, said at the time.

Moore, who is Black, is the last person to enter death row with a trial where the state struck all potential African American jurors, according to Justice 360, the nonprofit that represents Moore and many others on South Carolinas death row.

During Moores trial, the jury learned of his rap sheet, ranging from weapons charges to burglary and assault convictions. But in prison, Moore has grown into a man remorseful for his crimes whos built up relationships with his family and his Christian faith, supporters say. In his two decades on death row, he has received just two minor infractions.

His life in the Department of Corrections has been exemplary. Hes a giver, not a taker, Ozmint said.

Even with the new law, Moores fate remains a waiting game for all involved.

Theres never anything definite, and it leaves your mind wondering: Whens the last time Im going to talk to him? Whens the next time I can see him, because of the pandemic? Is this going to go in his favor or not? said Moores daughter, Alexandria Moore. It definitely makes you get stuck in your own head, thinking about the hypotheticals.

Retired state Rep. Gary Clary, who as a state judge presided over Moores case, says its inevitable that lawsuits will follow the bills signing. On the House floor, he argued against similar legislation, noting it would continue costing the state more money in court.

When a jury convicted Richard Bernard Moore, I think I set his execution  90 days later. We all knew when those arbitrary dates were established, it wasnt going to happen anytime soon, Clary said. And here we are, 20 years later.

___

Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

By MICHELLE LIU

Associated Press/Report for America
PHOENIX (AP)  The costs to taxpayers from a racial profiling lawsuit stemming from former Sheriff Joe Arpaios immigration patrols in metro Phoenix a decade ago are expected to reach $202 million by summer 2022.

Officials approved a tentative county budget Monday that provides $31 million for the cost of complying with court orders in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. No one can say exactly when the costs from the 13-year-old lawsuit will start to decline.

The growth in spending is enough to make any of us cry as were trying to be fiscal stewards of the county taxpayer money, Supervisor Clint Hickman said.

Taxpayers in Arizona's most populated county are on the hook for lawyer bills and the costs of complying with massive court-ordered overhauls of the sheriffs office after a 2013 verdict concluded Arpaios officers had profiled Latinos in traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Arpaio, known for a tough-on-crime approach in his 24 years as sheriff that included forcing jail inmates to wear pink underwear and housing them in tents in triple-digit desert heat, targeted illegal immigration and was convicted of criminal contempt for disobeying a court order to stop his immigration patrols. His misdemeanor conviction was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump.

The taxpayer spending is expected to continue until the Maricopa County sheriffs office has fully complied with overhauling its traffic enforcement and internal affairs operations for three straight years.

Although some of the agencys numbers are near or at 100%, the sheriffs office hasnt yet been deemed fully compliant.

Attorneys who pressed the case against the sheriffs office have criticized the agency for traffic-stop studies since the profiling verdict showing deputies often treat drivers who are Hispanic and Black differently than other drivers, though the reports stopped short of saying Latinos were still being profiled.

The lawyers also have asked a judge to hold civil contempt-of-court hearings against Arpaios successor, Sheriff Paul Penzone, over a backlog of more than 1,700 internal affairs cases, each taking an average of 500 days to complete.

Penzone's office said the funding and employees hired as part of the overhaul effort will need to remain in place once the agency is deemed fully compliant.

Effectively, this is the new standard of policing and the majority of this funding will need to remain in the MCSO budget, the sheriff's office said. MCSO is working diligently to come into full compliance with the Court orders.

Raul Pina, who serves on a community advisory board set up to help improve trust in the sheriffs office, said the funding is necessary so the agency can respect the constitutional rights of Hispanic people.

Of course, we are tired of paying, but if you are a Hispanic vehicle operator, you are tired of being racially profiled at the same time  and the agency isnt in a rush to stop that, Pina said.

Arpaios immigration patrols, known as sweeps, involved large numbers of sheriffs deputies converging on an area of metro Phoenix  including some Latino neighborhoods  over the course of several days to stop traffic violators and arrest other offenders.

Arpaio led 20 of the large-scale patrols from January 2008 through October 2011. Under Arpaios leadership, the agency continued doing immigration enforcement in smaller, more routine traffic patrols until spring 2013, leading to his criminal conviction.

On Monday, Arpaio said he doesnt regret carrying out the immigration patrols and contends his crackdowns still helped reduce taxpayer costs for providing education and health care to immigrants in the United States illegally.

As for the financial costs of the profiling lawsuit, Arpaio said the spending on equipment and additional employees was needed anyway to modernize the agency.

Its a one-side type of story they (his critics) want to push out, Arpaio said. Dont blame me for the money being spent.

Over the years, taxpayers have paid a combined $18 million in legal fees to lawyers on both sides of the case and about $20 million for a team of experts that monitors the sheriffs office.

The overwhelming majority of the spending goes toward hiring employees to help meet the courts requirements. Penzone's office said there are 192 positions budgeted for compliance, though 42 of them are vacant.

The court-ordered changes also include new training for deputies on making constitutional traffic stops, establishing a warning system to identify problematic behavior, equipping deputies with body-worn cameras and interventions for deputies flagged for having statistical differences from their peers in how they have treated Latinos.

The sheriffs office was deemed 98% compliant in a first set of requirements for reforming its traffic patrol operations and 79% compliant in meeting a second set of requirements.

The agency is faring better with an overhaul that the judge ordered for its internal affairs operations, which under Arpaio had been criticized for biased decision-making aimed at protecting officials from accountability. It met 100% of a first set of requirements and 92% of a second set.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  Facing a key bankruptcy court hearing and broad objections from attorneys representing child-sex-abuse victims and insurance companies, attorneys for the Boy Scouts of America have submitted a revised reorganization plan with details about the finances of its local councils.

The BSA submitted the latest revisions to its plan and an accompanying disclosure statement late Sunday as attorneys prepare for a Wednesday hearing that could determine whether the organization can meet its goal of emerging from bankruptcy this fall.

The Boy Scouts are seeking approval of the disclosure statement formally explaining its bankruptcy plan to creditors. The judge must approve the disclosure statement before the BSA can begin soliciting votes on its plan, but it has been roundly criticized by other parties for lacking necessary details.

Seeking to address some of the objections, the BSA updated its plan with balance sheet summaries for local councils and appraisals on properties they own.

The Boy Scouts previously said the councils would contribute at least $425 million into a trust for abuse victims and would assign certain insurance rights in return for being released from further liability.

Attorneys for the victims have argued that BSA has yet to provide details on which councils would contribute to the trust, what their financial assets are, and what claims each council faces. Without that information, they contend, abuse victims cannot determine whether the plan is fair. They also note that no council has made a binding commitment to pay anything.

Sundays court filings address some of those questions, but with caveats.

We want to underscore that local councils are legally separate, distinct, and financially independent from the national organization, the BSA said in a statement Monday. Additionally, the data included in these filings is not necessarily indicative of the assets available for contribution to the trust.

According to the court filings, the councils have combined net assets of about $3.3 billion, but that amount includes $1.4 billion in assets that are considered restricted and thus not available to creditors. The filings also include a breakdown of the number and types of claims filed against the councils, although many claims are purportedly barred by the passage of time. Of the 1,550 identified claims against the Michigan Crossroads Council, for example, only 58 are not time-barred, according to the BSA.

Local councils are thoughtfully considering how they can meaningfully contribute to the trust and ensure that Scouting can continue its vital mission in their area into the future, the BSA said.

The Boy Scouts of America, based in Irving, Texas, sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020, seeking to halt hundreds of lawsuits and create a compensation fund for men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders.

Attorneys for abuse victims have said they would go after properties and assets owned by local councils. The councils, which run day-to-day operations for local troops, are considered legally separate entities by the Boy Scouts, even though they share insurance policies and are considered related parties in the bankruptcy.

Attorneys for the Boy Scouts have estimated that between $2.4 billion and $7.1 billion, including insurance rights, might be available for abuse victims. The official tort claimants committee, which is charged with acting as a fiduciary for all abuse victims, estimates the value of some 82,500 sexual abuse claims at about $103 billion.

Meanwhile, the BSA took aim Monday at one of its biggest insurers.

We are deeply disappointed that Century Insurance Group, the insurer to which national BSA and local councils paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of decades, is refusing to contribute its due to the trust or participate in mediation in a meaningful way, the BSA said. Instead of working cooperatively to reach an agreement to compensate survivors, Century appears to be engaging in tactics calculated to slow down the legal process.

Century declined to comment but said in a court filing that Wednesday's hearing should be postponed two weeks so other parties can respond to the revised plan.

Last month, another insurer, The Hartford, agreed to pay $650 million into the victims trust in exchange for being released from any further obligations under policies dating to 1971. But The Hartford would be allowed to pay a lesser amount if the BSA or the settlement trust reaches an agreement with Century and Centurys settlement amount is less than two times The Hartfords, or $1.3 billion.

Century has criticized plaintiffs' attorneys for aggressive marketing efforts to sign up potential claimants and suggested that many of the resulting claims could be invalid.

In addition to the contributions from The Hartford and the councils, the BSA has said it would contribute about $119 million in cash and noninsurance assets to the trust. BSA and local council insurance policies would also be assigned to the trust.

The BSA, its 250-odd local councils and hundreds of sponsoring organizations such as churches and civic groups would be released from further liability in exchange for contributions to the trust.
The 23-year-old victim was getting out of a southbound C train at the Kingston-Throop Aves. station about 6 p.m. when the assailant plunged a sharp object into his back, cops said.
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Charles Grodin  the actor who appeared in movies such as The Heartbreak Kid, Catch-22, Heaven Can Wait, and Beethoven  died on Tuesday in his home in Wilton, Connecticut. He was 86. His son Nicholas stated to the New York Times that the cause of death was bone marrow cancer.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1935, Grodin attended the University of Miami but dropped out to pursue a career in acting. He initially landed roles in small stage plays and television serials, making it onto Broadway in 1962 with the comedy Tchin-Tchin. His first mainstream film role was a small part as an obstetrician in Rosemarys Baby.

Grodin continued to work as an actor and director on Broadway for the next decade and earned rave reviews for his role opposite Ellen Burstyn in the 1975 production of Barnard Slades Same Time, Next Year. At the same time, he secured a supporting role in Mike Nichols Catch-22 (1970) and played the lead man in the Elaine May-directed comedy The Heartbreak Kid (1972), in which he starred as a sporting goods salesman who immediately leaves his newlywed bride (Jeannie Berlin) for another woman (Cybill Shepherd) during their honeymoon.

Grodins other major roles include Warren Beattys Heaven Can Wait (1978); the action-comedy Midnight Run (1988), in which he co-starred opposite Robert De Niro; and the family movie Beethoven (1992), in which he portrayed a workaholic father who learns to change his ways after his family adopts a troublemaking St. Bernard.

In addition to his work as an actor and stage director, Grodin wrote plays and screenplays and earned a writing Emmy for a 1977 television special on Paul Simon. He also briefly hosted his own talk show in the Nineties and was a frequent guest on other talk show programs, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night With David Letterman.

I just really didnt want to be an actor anymore, Grodin said of his decision to transition to television host. [W]hen youre speaking what you think its such a pronounced difference in what your sense of who you are as a person is. Imagine instead of talking to me as you are, you were pretending you were someone else.

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Richard Montanez is speaking out following claims by Frito-Lay that he did not invent Flamin Hot Cheetos.

I was their greatest ambassador, Montanez tells Variety of Frito-Lay. But I will say this, youre going to love your company more than they will ever love you, keep that in perspective.

Montanez, who worked his way up from a janitor at the company to a marketing executive, has a book coming out about his rags-to-riches story, and is the subject of an upcoming Searchlight Pictures biopic directed by Eva Longoria. However, an article on Sunday in the Los Angeles Times disputed Montanezs role in the beloved snacks invention, backed up by statements from Frito-Lay.

None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin Hot test market, Frito-Lay wrote in a statement to the Times. We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved in the test market, and all of them indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity in the test market. That doesnt mean we dont celebrate Richard, but the facts do not support the urban legend.

Instead, the Times article reports that a junior employee at Frito-Lays corporate office in Texas named Lynne Greenfeld was assigned to develop the Flamin Hot brand in 1989. According to the Times, she came up with the name, and helped bring the product to markets all over the U.S. Greenfeld contacted Frito-Lay in 2018 after hearing Montanezs story, triggering an internal investigation that concluded with the allegation that Montanez is not the inventor of Flamin Hot Cheetos.

We value Richards many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin Hot Cheetos or any Flamin Hot products to him, Frito-Lay said in a statement to the Times.

Montanez disputes Frito-Lays statements and the Times article, telling Variety that he has not heard of Greenfeld until now and noting that they worked for different divisions of the company. Representatives for Frito-Lay did not immediately respond to Varietys multiple requests for comment.

In that era, Frito-Lay had five divisions, Montanez says. I dont know what the other parts of the country, the other divisions  I dont know what they were doing. Im not even going to try to dispute that lady, because I dont know. All I can tell you is what I did. All I have is my history, what I did in my kitchen.

Montanez alleges that he began pitching product ideas to Frito-Lay in the late 80s, while working as a janitor for the company.

Frito-Lay had something called the method-improvement program, looking for ideas. That kind of inspired me, so I always had these ideas for different flavors and products, Montanez says. The only difference in what I did, is I made the product, instead of just writing the idea on a piece of paper and sending it. They would forward over those products to the appropriate people and I didnt know, because I was just a frontline worker.

It wasnt until 1991, Montanez says, that he pitched his product ideas in-person to former Frito-Lay executive Al Carey and then-PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico, in two separate meetings. Carey also verified some of Montanezs involvement in the Flamin Hot line to LAT.

But, the Times reports that Enrico did not yet work for the company when the Flamin Hot brand was developed. According to the Times, Enricos move to Frito-Lay was announced in December 1990, and he took over control at the beginning of 1991  nearly six months after Flamin Hots were already out in the test market.

When asked about the test markets, Montanez says that he was largely pushed out of that process. He says that Frito-Lay sent one scientist to help him with his own test market, but by that time, they had already developed their own seasoning.

When we created our seasoning, it wasnt at the plant. It was in my kitchen, in my garage. Then we sent it to headquarters, Montanez says. When headquarters did a new product development, they sent a whole team. With me, they sent one scientist. By this time, they already had seasoning, because theyre not going to use something that made someone sick. We made 2,000 cases. We shipped it to the zones, to the warehouses where they were going to test market. By this time, they had pushed me out.

Montanez says Frito-Lays statement that McCormick had already developed the Flamin Hot seasoning by December 1989 makes sense with the timeline he remembers. As for the discrepancies between his and Frito-Lays stories, Montanez believes that lack of documentation due to his low-tier job is to blame.

Nobody was telling me, This is how executives work. I wasnt a supervisor, I was the least of the least, Montanez says. I think that might be one of the reasons why they dont have any documentation on me. Why would they?

Montanezs representative, Steven Montanez, added: The recipe and the flavors that Richard came up with, of course when they were ready to get mass produced, Frito-Lay tweaked them and did whatever they needed to do to get them market ready. But Richard never got to be part of it because his position had nothing to do with it. He wasnt a marketer, he wasnt in R&D, he wasnt in sales  he was a general utility machine operator, which is a janitor.



As for the upcoming film centered on Montanez, the Times said that its producers were informed of the results of the Frito-Lay investigation in 2019, but decided to move forward. On May 4, the lead cast members of the biopic were announced: Jessie Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.

Montanez says he is not concerned about the movie being affected by Frito-Lays claims. Representatives for Longoria had no comment on the matter, and representatives for Franklin and Searchlight Pictures did not immediately respond to Varietys requests for comment.

I think that [the film is] going to inspire people to do the right thing. Dont make the mistake Montanez made. Document everything, he says. The story isnt really about Hot Cheetos. The story is about overcoming adversity and racial discrimination.

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Cutting off the extra federal payments going to unemployed Kentuckians would hurt the state's economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.

The Democratic governor said he's willing to consider ending the weekly $300 federal unemployment payment eventually but quickly added: That doesn't mean we will. The extra money is set to expire in September.

The Bluegrass State's most powerful Republican, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, criticized the extra federal benefits Monday. He said governors are having to clean up this mess as many businesses struggle to find workers. Meanwhile, two GOP state lawmakers urged Beshear to terminate the supplemental payments, saying the benefit is contributing to a labor shortage.

Beshear said he's trying to thread the needle of maintaining the extra federal payments that pump tens of millions of dollars into the state's economy each week while encouraging people to go back to work as the economy fully reopens.

Much of the extra money is spent at grocery stores and other retail businesses, the governor said.

An immediate termination of those extra benefits would hurt our economy and hurt a lot of groups  restaurants and others -- that have suffered during this pandemic," Beshear said. "It would put a shock through our system and it could threaten the way that our recovery is going.

Governors are being pressed about the extra benefits as businesses report they can't find people to fill the openings they have to keep up with the rapidly strengthening economic rebound. Some states will stop providing the additional federal enhancement.

Many people blame the pandemic-related benefits, including the supplemental federal payment on top of state benefits, for the struggles of businesses to fill jobs. They argue that people make more money staying home than going back to work. The challenge was highlighted recently when employers nationwide added far fewer jobs than expected at a time when job openings soared.

In a Senate speech Monday, McConnell lamented that a record number of small businesses say they have open jobs they cannot fill. He said governors across the country are having to take matters into their own hands and turn off these extra-generous benefits.

The Kentucky Republican blamed congressional Democrats who insisted on continuing to pay people more not to work.

The policies that we needed in March 2020 are not the policies we need in May 2021," McConnell said. That has been obvious to Republicans, economists and the American people.

Critics of ending the federal benefit say workers have multiple reasons why they might not be returning to the workforce, such as women who left jobs during the pandemic to care for children.

Kentucky reported a 5% preliminary unemployment rate for March of this year, down slightly from the previous month and better than the national jobless rate of 6% in March.

Beshear predicted Monday that some of the workforce shortages will work out on its own. Many Kentuckians are just now getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be returning to work, the governor said. Overall, 54% of adult Kentuckians have received at least one dose of vaccine, though the percentages are lower among younger adults, he said.

Two Republican members of the Kentucky House  Reps. Russell Webber and Phillip Pratt  said the federal enhancement is causing new hardships for businesses. Pratt said the extra benefit "leaves unemployed Kentuckians uninspired to head back to work. The two lawmakers said the supplemental payment should be terminated.

The governor said the extra jobless aid shouldn't be turned into a partisan issue.

It seems like everything now falls into red or blue or the politics of it," he said. "The same way we tried to use science to battle this pandemic, we want to be smart about threading the needle the right way on the economy.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  A lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of Native American voting rights organizations and four tribes challenging new laws they say are part of a broader scheme by the Montana Legislature to disenfranchise Native American voters.

The Legislature passed a bill to eliminate Election Day voter registration by closing late registration at noon on the Monday before Election Day. It also approved a bill including a provision to prohibit the paid collection of absentee ballots.

Plaintiffs Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote participate in get-out-the-vote efforts on reservations, including collecting absentee ballots and driving people to polls to register and vote on Election Day.

The Native rights organizations along with the Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Northern Cheyenne Tribe filed the lawsuit in District Court in Billings. It names Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, the state's chief elections officer, as the defendant.

The voters of Montana spoke when they elected a Secretary of State that promised improved election integrity with voter ID and voter registration deadlines, and we will work hard to defend those measures," Jacobsen said.

Jacqueline De Leon, staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, which is representing Western Native Vote and Montana Native Voice, said the laws are an unconstitutional attack on the right of Native Americans to vote.

Theyre part of a pattern of carefully designed laws that make voting more difficult for some voters than others, which the court has already recognized does not serve the state, she said.

Montana and Arizona are among several states controlled politically by Republicans who are tightening election rules. Democrats say the new rules will disproportionately affect minorities and lower-income voters. Florida, Georgia and Iowa already have enacted voting restrictions, and Texas is debating its own set of tighter rules.

The legal challenge in Montana comes after similar concerns were raised in Arizona over voter restrictions passed by Republicans that that they say are designed to strengthen the integrity of elections.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the Arizona changes, which could result in tens of thousands of people being purged from a list of voters who automatically get a ballot by mail, belittle tribes and fail to recognize the unique challenges Native Americans face when casting ballots. That includes driving hours to reach polling places, unreliable mail service and the need for more Native language translators.

In March, President Joe Biden issued an executive order creating a Native American Voting Rights Steering Group. Its tasked with consulting with tribes nationwide to address barriers to voting, among other things

Last year, two judges in Billings, Montana, struck down a voter-passed law that limited people to delivering only six ballots to an elections office and required that person to fill out a form saying whose ballot they had dropped off.

Attorneys argued the law harmed Native Americans who lack adequate mail, transportation and voting services on reservations, all of which make it difficult for them to mail or deliver their own ballots or to vote in person.

This case and the facts presented at trial turn a spotlight to our fellow citizens that still live below the poverty line with limits to health care, government services, mail services and election offices  those citizens are the Native Americans that reside on reservations within Montanas borders, District Judge Jessica Fehr wrote in September.

Despite that ruling, the Legislature passed a similar bill this year, the lawsuit states, calling it nothing short of discriminatory.

Supporters argued that eliminating Election Day registration will allow election clerks to focus on voting on Election Day and noted that people can register and vote on the same day in the 30 days prior to an election.

Opponents said it would deny the right to vote to people who might have an error on their registration or those who have moved and not updated their registration. Election Day registration has been in effect in Montana since 2005.

Lawmakers who sought to prohibit paid ballot collection said they did so to improve election security, although voter fraud has not been an issue in Montana.

The Montana Democratic Party filed a lawsuit last month challenging the ballot collection restrictions along with another law that requires additional proof of residency for people using their student identifications to register or vote.

Montana lawmakers appropriated $100,000 to the Secretary of States Office for election litigation.
WASHINGTON - The Biden administration has approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, raising red flags for some House Democrats who are part of the shifting debate over the U.S. government's support for the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Congress was officially notified of the proposed sale on May 5, according to three people based on Capitol Hill familiar with the notification. That was nearly a week before hostilities intensified between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.

The Biden administration called for a cease-fire on Monday evening after stopping short of doing so earlier in the day. It has said Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas - a position that a majority in Congress has previously supported.

But a new generation of House Democrats more open to questioning Washington's support of Netanyahu is raising some concerns about continuing to provide weaponry to Israel with little oversight and scrutiny. Some lawmakers want to know more about the proposed weapons sale, and its timing, suggesting it be used as leverage for a cease-fire.

"It would be appalling for the Biden Administration to go through with $735 million in precision-guided weaponry to Netanyahu without any strings attached in the wake of escalating violence and attacks on civilians," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday, responding to the The Washington Post's reporting. "If this goes through this will be seen as a green light for continued escalation and will undercut any attempts at brokering a ceasefire."

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, who also sits on the committee, echoed Omar's concerns about the "timing of this weapons sale" and the "message it will send to Israel and the world about the urgency of a cease fire, and the open questions about the legality of Israel's military strikes that have killed civilians in Gaza."

"The United States government must not exacerbate this horrific violence. The American people expect Congress to take a hard look at how military aid and weapon sales are used and ensure that human rights are upheld," Castro said in a statement.

A group of House Democrats is currently weighing how best to raise pressure on the administration over the proposed sale. It's not easy for Congress to block arms sales, and it remains unclear how lawmakers will proceed as the window to muster a joint congressional resolution of disapproval for this sale has closed.

The administration is required to inform Congress of such commercial arms sales. Once the formal notification is made, lawmakers have 15 days to object with a nonbinding resolution of disapproval.

"There are only four days left at this point in the expedited 15-day congressional review window, and any [joint resolution of disapproval] is required to be considered by [a] committee of jurisdiction for 10 days before being eligible for discharge," said a Democratic congressional aide. "So the window for this proposed commercial sale has technically closed."

Congress has never successfully blocked a proposed arms sale through a joint resolution of disapproval, according to the Congressional Research Service, although it has passed them in recent years. Former president Donald Trump vetoed three resolutions passed by Congress in 2019 to stop arms sales benefiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after the House and Senate voted to block the arms deals worth more than $8 billion. The nonbinding resolutions can be passed with a majority vote in either chamber, but need a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto.

The bulk of the proposed sale to Israel, according to three people based on Capitol Hill familiar with the notification, is of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMS -- kits that transform so-called "dumb" bombs into precision-guided missiles. Israel, which has purchased substantial quantities of JDAMS from the U.S. in the past, has said its airstrikes in Gaza are precision guided to avoid hitting civilians. But Israeli officials charge Hamas with using civilians in the heavily populated enclave of Gaza as human shields.

The sale also includes GBU-39 small diameter bombs, which are also used against Palestinians, according to two people who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity to disclose sensitive information.

Congress may have received formal notice on May 5 of the commercial deal in which Boeing will provide the weapons to Israel. But some Foreign Affairs lawmakers were caught off guard over the weekend when they first learned of the sale, according to three congressional sources with knowledge of the private conversations, who added that the lack of transparency around arms sales has been a reoccurring problem under the committee chaired by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.

"There's zero transparency on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and sensitive deals are regularly approved without scrutiny," said a House Democratic aide who works on the committee.

The intraparty backlash against the proposed sale further highlights the growing divide among Democrats on U.S. policy toward Israel.

"There's truth to the notion that there's major shifts in the party about how we rubber stamp Israel writ large," noted a Democratic Senate aide.

But even those who normally defend Israel condemned the country's military actions that occurred over the weekend. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Robert Menendez, D-N.J., released a statement on Saturday after an airstrike targeted and destroyed a building housing the Associated Press and other media outlets in Gaza City.

"I am deeply troubled by reports of Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of innocent civilians in Gaza as well as Israeli targeting of buildings housing international media outlets," Menendez tweeted.

"While recent transactions were not related to current events on the ground, we absolutely should do all that we can to support our ally Israel in the face of ongoing terrorist activities that threaten their security," said ranking Foreign Relations member James Risch, R-Idaho. "Under no circumstance should anyone think what is happening over there is anything but Iranian-supported terrorism against Israel. My support for Israel is unwavering in the face of this terrorist activity. I am disappointed that some of my colleagues in Congress would call this enduring partnership into question."

Israel's military claimed that the building was targeted because it housed "Hamas military intelligence assets," who had been using the presence of civilian journalists as "human shields." No evidence, however, was provided for those claims.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a news conference in Copenhagen on Monday he has not yet seen any evidence from Israel of Hamas operating in the Gaza City office building that hosted media outlets hit by an airstrike over the weekend.

"Shortly after the strike we did request additional details regarding the justification for it," Blinken said, adding he "will leave it to others to characterize if any information has been shared and our assessment that information."
The Fiesta San Antonio Commission announced Monday that this year's parties are cleared to host 100 percent capacities based on guidance from Metro Health.

"Based on the following metrics established by Metro Health, approved by the Mayor and City Manager and supported by Dr. Marty Makary, health expert working with the Fiesta San Antonio Commission (FSAC), the City of San Antonio, Metro Health and the FSAC are happy to announce that based on the current local numbers, Fiesta June 2021 events will be able to operate at 100 percent capacity," the press release says."

RELATED: San Antonio's official 2021 Fiesta poster is here to celebrate 'regeneration'

According to the San Antonio metrics, the criteria for full capacity events is a 7-day moving average of less than 250 cases per say, a weekly positivity rate of less than 5 percent and a vaccinated population of more than 40 percent.

Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger confirmed the city has met the requirements set in place.

We set these metrics several weeks ago and all watched expectantly as San Antonio inched first to the 75 percent occupancy and then to the 100 percent

occupancy marks," she said in a statement. "Because Fiesta takes place largely outdoors, this is a safe way to start our return to normal. We are excited about offering vaccinations as part of many Fiesta events and hope that as more people get vaccinated we can have more community gatherings indoors and out.

READ MORE FROM MADALYN: Former Miss Fiesta queens spill heat-proof beauty secrets ahead of the June party

Guests who are not vaccinated will need to wear masks. Party-goers who are fully immunized will be encouraged to wear masks in densely populated spaces. Events like Night In Old San Antonio are requiring attendees to buy tickets in advance online and will forego coupons for food and drink purchases. Instead, Fiesta fans will load up wristlets with money to use for buying concessions around La Villita.

San Antonio's biggest party was canceled in 2020 and postponed from April to the summer this year.

Fiesta is scheduled from June 17-27. The schedule is missing some headliner events like Oyster Bake and the day and night parades. See the full calendar here.
Gov. Greg Abbott is cracking down on mask enforcement in Texas.

The Texas Governor issued an order Tuesday prohibiting governmental entities in the state  including counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities, or government officials  from requiring or mandating masks.

Public schools may continue to follow current mask guidelines through June 4. However, after June 4, no student, teacher, parent, or other staff member or visitor can be required to wear a mask while on campus, the order states.

READ ALSO: Gov. Greg Abbott ends pandemic-era unemployment benefits for Texans

Beginning May 21, local governments or officials that attempt to impose a mask mandate or impose a limitation inconsistent or conflicting with Abbott's order can be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.

Exempt from the order are state-supported living centers, government-owned or operated hospitals, Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and county and municipal jails.

"The Lone Star State continues to defeat COVID-19 through the use of widely-available vaccines, antibody therapeutic drugs, and safe practices utilized by Texans in our communities," Abbott stated in a news release. "Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up."

The City of San Antonio lifted its required mask mandate for only fully vaccinated residents using its city-owned facilities after the CDC announced its new guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing for people who are fully vaccinated last week.
The U.S. government has the power and the responsibility to prevent corporations from becoming monopolies. According to the government, Facebook Inc. (FB) is becoming a social media monopoly.

In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 46 states sued Facebook, accusing the firm of buying up competitorschiefly WhatsApp and Instagramto liquidate competition in the social media industry. The FTC antitrust lawsuit aims to force Facebook to unwind these two major acquisitions.

Facebook has since requested the lawsuits be dismissed, alleging they were merely part of relentless criticism of the company for matters entirely unrelated to antitrust concerns. The FTC and a group of states in April, however, asked a federal court to deny dropping the lawsuits, showcasing just how serious the government is in holding the Big Tech giant accountable. A ruling on the motion to dismiss the case isnt expected until June.

If the lawsuits are not dismissed then, the governments case against Facebook will take years to work its way through federal court, and any appeal could stretch on even longer. Its not the only major antitrust lawsuit in the headlines: Google parent Alphabet is facing its own FTC action. Plus, with President Joe Bidens nomination of Lina Khan to the FTCsomeone who has been described as an antitrust crusaderit wouldnt be surprising to see these cases, and those of other Big Tech companies, be vigorously pursued by the government.

Whatever the outcome, development in these cases will impact investors, the stock market and above all how we all use social media for years to come.

What Is an Antitrust Lawsuit?

Antitrust laws were created by Congress to preserve competition among businesses and prevent any one business from dominating a single industry and building a monopoly. When businesses compete and monopolies are restricted, companies have strong incentives to operate efficiently, keep prices down and keep quality up, according to the FTC.

Antitrust laws are the pillars that support capitalism in the United States. The first antitrust law, the Sherman Antitrust Act, was passed in 1890. Today, the Sherman Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Clayton Act work together to ensure fair competition across the economy. Heres how antitrust responsibilities are divided between these three laws:

The Sherman Antitrust Act. This law prohibits groups of businesses from working together or merging to create a monopoly to control pricing in a single market.

This law prohibits groups of businesses from working together or merging to create a monopoly to control pricing in a single market. The Federal Trade Commission Act. Passed in 1914, this law created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as an independent government agency tasked with enforcing consumer protection and antitrust laws.

Passed in 1914, this law created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as an independent government agency tasked with enforcing consumer protection and antitrust laws. The Clayton Antitrust Act. Also passed in 1914, the Clayton Act regulates business activities and defines unethical business practices, including monopolies.

When a company is suspected of behavior that infringes on any one of these three laws, the federal government or state governments may file an antitrust lawsuit against the company.

Why Has the FTC Sued Facebook for Antitrust Violations?

The FTC has accused Facebook of breaking antitrust law by gobbling up many smaller social media startups and acquiring several large, well-established competitors, in what amounts to a concerted effort to build a social media monopoly.

There are numerous examples of Facebook buying smaller start-ups. Take Kustomer, which Facebook acquired in November 2020. Kustomer specializes in customer service tools and chatbots. Facebook described Kustomerwhich was valued at over $1 billion in the acquisition, according to Pitchbookas an asset to its social commerce initiative.

Facebook sees the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to expand its position as a shopping platform for small businesses, many of which were forced to close their physical locations due to shelter-in-places orders to stop the spread of the virus.

Kustomer previously worked directly with Facebook to integrate its chatbot capabilities into Facebook Messenger before Facebook purchased the company. Now, under Facebooks increasingly broad umbrella, Kustomer wont blaze its own trail of innovation. It has become just one more feature in Facebooks social commerce behemoth.

Facebook has acquired over a dozen similar companies, including developer app Snaptu for $70 million in 2011; messaging company Beluga in 2011 for approximately $30 million, which became the predecessor for its Facebook Messenger app today; facial recognition company Face.com in 2012 for around $60 million; Onavo, a mobile analytics company in 2013 for $100 to $200 million, amongst others.

In late December 2020, the Washington Post reported that Facebook offered to license its code and user relationships to other companies, so they could create their own branded version of the social network. Regulators denied the offer, stating it didnt do enough to actually address competition concerns.

Whatsapp, Instagram and the Facebook Antitrust Lawsuit

At the heart of the Facebook antitrust lawsuit are the companys two biggest acquisitions: Instagram and Whatsapp. Not only did these deals increase Facebooks size and hold over the social media space, but they also enabled the sharing of data among the largest social media platforms on earth.

Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 after it became clear that the photo-sharing platform would be a major competitor. It purchased Whatsapp in 2014 for $22 billion, the companys largest acquisition to date. The FTC reviewed but did not block these acquisitions at the time.

These two giant acquisitions consolidated Facebooks direct control over a vast portion of the social media landscape. While the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms appear to be separate social media sites to end users, in the background Facebook has established ever-closer data integration between the three platforms. And Facebook has been anything but transparent about how it is making use of the ocean of user data it gathers across the three platforms.

Among other objectives, the FTCs lawsuit asks the court to force Facebook to reverse its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, leaving them as independent businesses that could compete with Facebook.

The Microsoft Antitrust Precedent

Facebook is hardly the first tech giant to be hit with a headline-generating antitrust lawsuit. One of the most notable precedents, the Microsoft antitrust case, shows how long, arduous and sometimes unsuccessful these lawsuits can prove to be.

In 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice and 20 state attorneys general claimed Microsoft was purposefully bundling free software on its dominant operating system that made it very challenging for competitors to succeed in the market. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates testified on Capitol Hill numerous times to defend his company, but federal courts ultimately ruled in April 2000 that Microsoft had violated the Sherman Act and needed to be broken up into two smaller companies.

In 2001, Microsoft won an appeal to the court ruling, which helped keep the company intact, although Microsoft settled certain other charges with the DOJ. The settlement agreement imposed restrictions on the companys business practicesbut did not restrict the features it could include with its operating system.

A recent high-profile antitrust case was more successful for the DOJ. In November 2020, the DOJ sued Visa to block its $5.3 billion acquisition of fintech firm Plaid, an online payments processing startup.

A statement from the DOJ categorized Visa as a monopolist in online debit services, stating it charges consumers and merchants billions of dollars each year to process online payments. The DOJ added that Plaids payment processing platform could challenge Visas monopoly, which is why it sued to block the acquisition. Visa and Plaid dropped their plans to merge after being served the lawsuit.

Google is also facing three antitrust lawsuits filed by the DOJ and three dozen states. The firm stands accused of using anti-competitive tactics, such as making it the default search engine on browsers and smartphonesGoogle pays Apple $12 billion a year to be the default search engine on the Apple iPhoneand dominating the digital advertising space. Google argues that consumers can change their browser settings at any time but prefer to use Google over other search engines.

Some Say Big Tech Is Too Powerful

Though the U.S. government is focusing on Facebooks alleged ability to constrict competition, a broader perspective reveals how Big Tech has essentially become too big. Researchers have been sounding the alarm on the control of the dominant technology companies for years.

Jacques Fontanel, professor emeritus at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, has gone as far as categorizing GAFAMGoogle, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoftas both progress and danger for civilization.

Fontanel argues that these companies have already become quasi-monopolies with a combined financial value of more than $4 trillion. The companies, he says, are uncontrolled leaders at the heart of the new digital economy, with enough political clout to avoid antitrust laws, skip out on corporate taxes by strategically locating key subsidiaries in low-tax countries and pose a threat through manipulation of public opinion, such as with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Theres also a flurry of ethical questions that continuously surround Big Tech companies. Though many of these companies market themselves as free to consumers, their profits depend chiefly on advertising and the collection of data on their users.

Big Techs Data Colonialism

Facebooks advertising business comprised 99%$21.2 billionof its total revenue in the third quarter of 2020. What makes Facebook such a powerful advertising platform for marketers is the collection of user datanearly two billion people use Facebook each month, which makes it a gold mine for marketers seeking brand visibility, lead generation and, ultimately, sales.

But while Facebook reaps enormous revenue from the practice, the users that power its profits dont receive a penny. Some academics define the practice of personal data extraction for profit by big companies as data colonialism.

Data relations enact a new form of data colonialism, normalizing the exploitation of human beings through data, just as historic colonialism appropriated territory and resources and ruled subjects for profit, writes Nick Couldry and Ulises A. Mejias, researchers from The London School of Economics and Political Science and the State University of New York at Oswego. Data colonialism paves the way for a new stage of capitalism whose outlines we only glimpse: the capitalization of life without limit.

Even if such arguments seem inaccessible, overdramatic or unfair, Big Tech executives themselves have voiced unease with the power their own platforms possess over society.

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, publicly stated his concerns of Twitters power as a social platform after deciding to ban former President Donald Trump from the platform after the Jan. 6 domestic terrorist attack at the nations Capitol, due to safety concerns (Facebook also banned Trump from its platform).

Dorsey stated he believed it was the right decision for Twitter but added that it sets a dangerous precedence for individual or corporate power over public conversations.

Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us. They limit the potential for clarification, redemption, and learning. And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.  jack (@jack) January 14, 2021

European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, agreed. Merkel suggested social media companies choosing to remove Trump from their platforms violates his right to free speech, and governments should be regulating these companies, not the companies themselves.

Successful Antitrust Lawsuits: Good for Consumers, Bad for Investors?

When antitrust laws are effectively enforced, the FTC states there are numerous benefits for consumers.

Antitrust laws help cultivate and preserve a competitive marketplace for goods and services. Businesses will continue to fight for customers by keeping their services competitive, which often means pricing at or below a competitors price. A freely competitive market also means each company must struggle to remain relevant by continuously improving their services, providing increased quality for customers.

Its hard to say if the antitrust lawsuits against Facebook and other Big Tech companies will be successful or how long the legal process might take. Its also hard to say how investors would be impacted. Holders of shares of Facebook would likely gain valuable shares in newly public Instagram and WhatsApp, if the FTC prevailed in court.

If the government lost the case, Facebook could still be weakened by the outcome, like Microsoft two decades earlier. When Microsoft lost the initial case and was found to have broken antitrust laws, its stock price dropped 14%and shares of MSFT didnt recover for a decade and a half.

Facebooks stock dropped nearly 2% after the antitrust lawsuits were filed in December. Some analysts point out the company is well-positioned to weather volatility since its portfolio is diversified and includes other emerging technology products, such as virtual reality.

Theres also the ongoing ethical debate about how Big Tech companies acquire, use and profit from your data. That debate wont be settled for years to come. But if the antitrust lawsuit against Facebook proves one thing, its thatunlike Fontanel thinksthe DOJ at least has not given up on its mission of preventing the concentration of monopoly power in any one company.

More From Advisor

This article, What You Need To Know About The Facebook Antitrust Lawsuit, originally appeared on Forbes Advisor.
Montgomery was indicted on 10 charges stemming from the assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump, who continues to insist without evidence that the 2020 election was somehow rigged. Among the charges against Montgomery is the alleged kicking of a police officer, whose baton he is accused of trying to take.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Last Friday, a three-judge panel of the United State Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court upheld a $25 million judgment against Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, the worlds best-selling herbicide, of which glyphosate is the active ingredient.

This decision, Hardeman v. Monsanto, is the second appeal of a glyphosate verdict to be decided thus far and the first to be handed down by a federal appeals court (see the earlier July decision by the Court of Appeal for the State of California here).

From the summary of Hardeman opinion:

The panel affirmed the district courts judgment in favor of Edwin Hardeman in his action alleging that Monsantos pesticide, Roundup, caused his non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Roundup is pesticide with the active ingredient glyphosate. Since 2015, thousands of cancer victims sued Monsanto in state and federal court. This appeal arose out of the first bellwether trial for the federal cases consolidated in a multidistrict litigation. The jury awarded Hardeman $5,267.634.10 in compensatory damages, and $75 million in punitive damages. The district court reduced the punitive damages award to $20 million.

Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion, in what The Wall Street Journal has since described as one of the worst corporate deals in recent memory. Bayer assumed all Monsantos outstanding legal liabilities, including those related to glyphosate litigation. Bayers spectacular miscalculation of the value of such liabilities will be a prime topic for future study in business and law schools.

In June 2020, Bayer agreed to a $10.9 billion settlement (see my earlier post, Bayer Agrees to $10.9 Billion Glyphosate Settlement). Bayer faced liability for about 125,000 lawsuits throughout the United States. The settlement included between $8.8 billion and $9.6 billion set aside to settle claims brought by lawyers representing some 95,000 plaintiffs. For the remaining 30,000 potential glyphosate plaintiffs who had yet to file lawsuits, the original settlement included $1.25 billion to cover their claims, and a controversial provision to allow a specially-created scientific panel to decide whether glyphosate causes cancer and at what levels, thus taking that decision away from future juries. Bayer and other litigants would nonetheless be bound by the panels determination in future proceedings. In July the presiding federal district court judge, Vince Chhabria, disallowed the controversial provision of the settlement, and Bayer withdrew the part of its original settlement proposal that focused on future lawsuits (see my earlier post, Federal Judge Nixes Part of Glyphosate Settlement That Would Allow a Panel of Scientific Experts, Rather Than Juries, to Decide Whether the Chemical is Carcinogenic for Future Claims).

Bayer has since sweetened its settlement offer, setting aside $2 billion for these claims. The plaintiffs agreed to these settlement terms and this proposal is now pending before Judge Chhabria for preliminary approval (see Reply Brief Filed in Support of Motion for Preliminary Approval of Proposed Class Settlement). A hearing on this proposal is scheduled for May 19, according to Agri-Pulse, Roundup verdict of $25M upheld by federal appeals court.

What impact will the latest appellate decision have on the settlement? Some plaintiffs counsel will attempt to make Bayer sweeten the settlement that applies to the 30,000 potential claimants, but any change is unlikely to be significant. The parties were aware of the $25 million Hardeman judgement when they agreed to the settlement, and reached agreement in light of the uncertainty as to whether that judgment would be affirmed. The court is unlikely to pressure Bayer to pay more when the plaintiffs agreed to a settlement they deemed reasonable in light of that uncertainty. In addition, Bayer intends to appeal the Hardeman decision, according to Agri-Pulse:

The company said it will pursue all legal options, including petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review this case. Finally, Bayer said it continues to stand strongly behind the safety of Roundup, a position supported by four decades of extensive science and the assessments of leading health regulators worldwide that support its safe use.

Ninth Circuit Panel Decision

The three-judge panel shot down several of Monsantos arguments. Hardeman had made his failure to warn claim under authority of a California state statute and Monsanto argued that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA preempted such a claim. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  which has authority to allow the use of glyphosate, agreed, and filed an amicus brief in support of this position. Alas for Monsanto, the panel ruled, FIFRA did not impliedly preempt Hardemans state failure-to-warn claim. Again according to the summary:

Specifically, the panel affirmed the district courts conclusion that Hardemans state failure-to-warn claims were equivalent to and fully consistent with FIFRA and therefore not expressly preempted.

This ruling contradicts the legal position of the EPA, which argued that the pesticide registration process pre-empts lawsuits against products whose labels have been approved by the agency, according to Capital Press, Federal law doesnt pre-empt $25 million glyphosate verdict, 9th Circuit rules.

Further, the ruling has wider significance for the U.S. pesticide industry, as per Capital Press:

The pesticide industry, represented by Croplife America, claimed the judgment against Monsanto sets a dangerous precedent well beyond Roundup and glyphosate. The district courts decisions under review raise the fundamental question of whether specific pesticide labeling requirements imposed by EPA in the exercise of expert scientific judgments under FIFRA can be overridden by the verdicts of lay juries under state law across a wide array of regulated pesticides, the organization argued.

Monsanto also challenged the lower courts decision to allow the World Health Organizations 2015 classification of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen into evidence. This decision is significant because the EPA has not classified glyphosate as a carcinogen. From the summary of the panels ruling:

The panel held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the International Agency for Research on Cancers classification of glyphosate as probably carcinogenic and three regulatory rejections of that classification by excluding evidence from other regulatory bodies. The panel held further that even if these evidentiary decisions were erroneous, any error was harmless because it was more probable than not that the admission of the evidence did not affect the jurys verdict.

Finally, Monsanto challenged the size of the punitive damages award. For the last couple of decades, the United States Supreme Court has reined in punitive damages awards on constitutional grounds, in a series of cases holding that excessive such awards violate a defendants due process rights. The rule of thumb that has evolved is that punitive damages should not exceed a single-digit multiplier of compensatory damages, The panel decided that the punitive damages awarded to Hardeman, as slashed by the district court (Judge Chhabria), did not breach this constitutional limit. From the summary:

The panel held that evidence supported a punitive damages award, punitive damages were properly reduced, and the reduced award  while close to the outer limit  was constitutional. Specifically, the panel held that punitive damages were permissible under California law because substantial evidence was presented that Monsanto acted with malice by, among other things, ignoring Roundups carcinogenic risks. The panel held that the jurys $75 million punitive damages award was grossly excessive given the mitigating factors found by the district court. However, considering the evidence of Monsantos reprehensibility, the district courts reduced $20 million punitive damages award (a 3.8 to 1 damages ratio), while at the outer limits of constitutional propriety, ultimately comported with due process.

Wider Problems?

Bayer faces wider glyphosate problems. Several cities, states, and countries have banned Roundup, as Nick Corbishley noted last week in his NC post, Bayer-Monsanto Fails (At First Attempt) to Block Mexicos Phaseout of Glyphosate and Ban on GMO Corn:

[A] growing list of countries, states and cities around the world are banning Roundup. They include Mexico, whose government issued a presidential decree on December 31 phasing out the use of the herbicide glyphosate, Roundups active ingredient, and banning the cultivation and importation of genetically modified (GM) corn. After pulling a few strings, Bayer was able to win a temporary reprieve from the governments planned three-year phase out of the herbicide. But that decision has now been overturned by Mexicos Collegiate Court.

Several environmental groups filed opening briefs in December in 9th Circuit litigation seeking to block EPAs registration for glyphosate, according to Agri-Pulse, EPA faces lawsuits over dicamba, glyphosate and pesticide exclusion zones. As reported by Common Dreams in Reckoning for Roundup Rolls On: Ninth Circuit Court Upholds Verdict in Case Against Monsanto:

Center for Food Safety is currently challenging the federal approval of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as unlawful for a number of reasonsincluding cancer risks to farmers and farmworkers from exposure, said [George Kimbrell, legal director of the Center for Food Safety]. Todays appeals court ruling is another reminder the Biden administration should act and revoke the registration of glyphosate immediately.

As much as I hope otherwise, I think it extremely unlikely at this point that the Biden EPA will take on big Agri and ban glyphosate.

The Bottom Line

In the unlikely event the EPA were to enact a U.S.-wide glyphosate ban, Bayer would undoubtedly step up ongoing efforts to promote use of its herbicide elsewhere. Poorer countries would be obvious targets of such efforts. Note that other countries besides Mexico  including India  are wary of glyphosate (see this account in The Hindu, Government moves to restrict use of glyphosate).

Even an immediate U.S. or worldwide ban would not rectify the damage to the soil and ecosystem from the widespread use of glyphosate.
Yves here. This discussion is overdueand I hope the culpability of the United States finally comes to fore in considering what if anything can be done about the horrific campaign against Palestinians. Israeli claims of proportional responses dont hold up to scrutiny

By Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace, and author of several books, including Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Nicolas J. S. Davies, an independent journalist, a researcher with CODEPINK and the author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq

The U.S. corporate media usually report on Israeli military assaults in occupied Palestine as if the United States is an innocent neutral party to the conflict. In fact, large majorities of Americans have told pollsters for decades that they want the United States to be neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But U.S. media and politicians betray their own lack of neutrality by blaming Palestinians for nearly all the violence and framing flagrantly disproportionate, indiscriminate and therefore illegal Israeli attacks as a justifiable response to Palestinian actions. The classic formulation from U.S. officials and commentators is that Israel has the right to defend itself, never Palestinians have the right to defend themselves, even as the Israelis massacre hundreds of Palestinian civilians, destroy thousands of Palestinian homes and seize ever more Palestinian land.

The disparity in casualties in Israeli assaults on Gaza speaks for itself.

 At the time of writing, the current Israeli assault on Gaza has killed at least 200 people, including 59 children and 35 women, while rockets fired from Gaza have killed 10 people in Israel, including 2 children.

 In the 2008-9 assault on Gaza, Israel killed 1,417 Palestinians , while their meagre efforts to defend themselves killed 9 Israelis.

 In 2014, 2,251 Palestinians and 72 Israelis (mostly soldiers invading Gaza) were killed, as U.S.-built F-16s dropped at least 5,000 bombs and missiles on Gaza and Israeli tanks and artillery fired 49,500 shells, mostly massive 6-inch shells from U.S.-built M-109 howitzers .

 In response to largely peaceful  March of Return  protests at the Israel-Gaza border in 2018, Israeli snipers killed 183 Palestinians and wounded over 6,100, including 122 that required amputations, 21 paralyzed by spinal cord injuries and 9 permanently blinded.

As with the Saudi-led war on Yemen and other serious foreign policy problems, biased and distorted news coverage by U.S. corporate media leaves many Americans not knowing what to think. Many simply give up trying to sort out the rights and wrongs of what is happening and instead blame both sides, and then focus their attention closer to home, where the problems of society impact them more directly and are easier to understand and do something about.

So how should Americans respond to horrific images of bleeding, dying children and homes reduced to rubble in Gaza? The tragic relevance of this crisis for Americans is that, behind the fog of war, propaganda and commercialized, biased media coverage, the United States bears an overwhelming share of responsibility for the carnage taking place in Palestine.

U.S. policy has perpetuated the crisis and atrocities of the Israeli occupation by unconditionally supporting Israel in three distinct ways: militarily, diplomatically and politically.

On the military front, since the creation of the Israeli state, the United States has provided $146 billion in foreign aid, nearly all of it military-related. It currently provides $3.8 billion per year in military aid to Israel.

In addition, the United States is the largest seller of weapons to Israel, whose military arsenal now includes 362 U.S.-built F-16 warplanes and 100 other U.S. military aircraft, including a growing fleet of the new F-35s; at least 45 Apache attack helicopters; 600 M-109 howitzers and 64 M270 rocket-launchers . At this very moment, Israel is using many of these U.S.-supplied weapons in its devastating bombardment of Gaza.

The U.S. military alliance with Israel also involves joint military exercises and joint production of Arrow missiles and other weapons systems. The U.S. and Israeli militaries have collaborated on drone technologies tested by the Israelis in Gaza. In 2004, the United States called on Israeli forces with experience in the Occupied Territories to give tactical training to U.S. Special Operations Forces as they confronted popular resistance to the United States hostile military occupation of Iraq.

The U.S. military also maintains a $1.8 billion stockpile of weapons at six locations in Israel, pre-positioned for use in future U.S. wars in the Middle East. During the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014, even as the U.S. Congress suspended some weapons deliveries to Israel, it approved handing over stocks of 120mm mortar shells and 40mm grenade launcher ammunition from the U.S. stockpile for Israel to use against Palestinians in Gaza.

Diplomatically, the United States has exercised its veto in the UN Security Council 82 times , and 44 of those vetoes have been to shield Israel from accountability for war crimes or human rights violations. In every single case, the United States has been the lone vote against the resolution, although a few other countries have occasionally abstained.

It is only the United States privileged position as a veto-wielding Permanent Member of the Security Council, and its willingness to abuse that privilege to shield its ally Israel, that gives it this unique power to stymie international efforts to hold the Israeli government accountable for its actions under international law.

The result of this unconditional U.S. diplomatic shielding of Israel has been to encourage increasingly barbaric Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. With the United States blocking any accountability in the Security Council, Israel has seized ever more Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, uprooted more and more Palestinians from their homes and responded to the resistance of largely unarmed people with ever-increasing violence, detentions and restrictions on day-to-day life.

Thirdly, on the political front, despite most Americans supporting neutrality in the conflict, AIPAC and other pro-Israel lobbying groups have exercised an extraordinary role in bribing and intimidating U.S. politicians to provide unconditional support for Israel.

The roles of campaign contributors and lobbyists in the corrupt U.S. political system make the United States uniquely vulnerable to this kind of influence peddling and intimidation, whether it is by monopolistic corporations and industry groups like the Military-Industrial Complex and Big Pharma, or well-funded interest groups like the NRA, AIPAC and, in recent years, lobbyists for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

On April 22, just weeks before this latest assault on Gaza, the overwhelming majority of congresspeople, 330 out of 435, signed a letter to the chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee opposing any reduction or conditioning of US monies to Israel. The letter represented a show of force from AIPAC and a repudiation of calls from some progressives in the Democratic Party to condition or otherwise restrict aid to Israel.

President Joe Biden, who has a long history of supporting Israeli crimes, responded to the latest massacre by insisting on Israels right to defend itself and inanely hoping that this will be closing down sooner than later.His UN ambassador also shamefully blocked a call for a ceasefire at the UN Security Council.

The silence and worse from President Biden and most of our representatives in Congress at the massacre of civilians and mass destruction of Gaza is unconscionable. The independent voices speaking out forcefully for Palestinians, including Senator Sanders and Representatives Tlaib, Omar and Ocasio-Cortez, show us what real democracy looks like, as do the massive protests that have filled U.S. streets all over the country.

US policy must be reversed to reflect international law and the shifting US opinion in favor of Palestinian rights. Every Member of Congress must be pushed to sign the bill introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum insisting that US funds to Israel are not used to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.

Congress must also be pressured to quickly enforce the Arms Export Control Act and the Leahy Laws to stop supplying any more U.S. weapons to Israel until it stops using them to attack and kill civilians.

The United States has played a vital and instrumental role in the decades-long catastrophe that has engulfed the people of Palestine. U.S. leaders and politicians must now confront their countrys and, in many cases, their own personal complicity in this catastrophe, and act urgently and decisively to reverse U.S. policy to support full human rights for all Palestinians.
Yves here. We are continuing to ring the changes on the theme of Too much Covid profiteering, time to Do Something. The initial focus was on getting a waiver on vaccine patents so that other countries could make them. It turns out Moderna saying it wouldnt pursue violators of its intellectual property was clever PR; this article explains that its vaccine depends on other licenses that it cant waive.

Another claim was that other countries lacked the technical chops to make such fancy-dancy mRNA vaccines. Our KLG, who has done basic research, says thats false. Im not clear on how much of the actual recipe an independent and qualified lab would need and how much they could reverse-engineer. However, the choke point is the US bought many of the critical inputs as part of Operation Warp Speed. And as Jomo points out, developing countries also face obstacles in getting tests.

And before you defend Big Pharma, let me hoist this from yesterdays Water Cooler:

Intellectual Property: Who owns the covid vaccines? [Cory Doctorow]. Behind every great fortune lies a great crime. The true mRNA vaccines theft isnt entrepreneur-inventors who face robbery by the public sector  rather, those entrepreneurs have enjoyed billions in public subsidies, and now insist they owe nothing in return.. Pharmas claim that it doesnt owe us anything in return makes no sense, even by the companies own logic. They say that markets produce wonders because they reward canny risk-taking with vast fortunes. By that logic, the public  who assumed the majority of the risk in developing vaccines  are the angel investors in this high-tech unicorn, and the pharma companies are the VCs who came in with some late capital to help scale up a sure thing.

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former economics professor, who was United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, and received the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. Originally published at his website

Millions of people are expected to die due to delayed and unaffordable access to COVID-19 tests, treatment, personal protective equipment and vaccines. Urgent cooperation is desperately needed to save lives and livelihoods for all.

Vaccine Apartheid

Thus far, rich countries have bought up most available vaccine supplies. By mid-April, rich countries had received more than 87 percent of the more than 700 million vaccine doses dispensed worldwide, while poor countries had received only 0.2 percent.

A quarter of the formers population had been vaccinated compared to one in 500 of the latters! By mid-May, less than a twelfth of the worlds population had been vaccinated, with ten rich countries getting four-fifths of all vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is mainly reaching the worlds rich.

Despite CEO Alberto Bourlas promise to ensure that poorer countries have the same access as the rest of the world, World Health Organization (WHO) data confirm that Pfizer has actually done little for the worlds poor.

After promising earlier not to profit from the pandemic, Moderna  which has never made a profit after a decade and no other revenue  has decided to profit from its vaccine. Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca have both vowed not to profit from vaccine sales during the pandemic.

Pfizer Profits

According to a article, US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer chose early to profit from COVID-19 vaccines, rejecting rival developers decisions not to profit from them during the pandemic.

In the first quarter of 2021, Pfizer sold vaccines worth US$3.5 billion, its greatest revenue source. Vaccine sales are fast overtaking Pfizers cholesterol medicine, Lipitor, which sold about US$125 billion over the last 15 years.

But profits from vaccine sales have been deliberately obscured. The US pays US$19.50 for each Pfizer dose, while Israel paid over 50% more to accelerate vaccinating its citizens. Last week, the European Union agreed to pay more than before for its vaccines.

Pfizer made US$9.6 billion in profits in 2020, before vaccine revenue was significant. Already highly profitable, Pfizer did not need or take US federal funds under Operation Warp Speed. But its vaccine development partner BioNTech received much support from the German government.

CEO Bourla signed the 2019 Business Roundtable pledge to serve a range of stakeholders, not only shareholders. Pfizer even joined Covax in January 2021. Selling mainly to rich countries, by April, Pfizer had earned around US$900 million in pre-tax profits from vaccine sales.

Pfizer now expects US$26 billion in such revenue vaccine sales this year, instead of its earlier projection of US$15 billion. It now expects a massive revenue stream with COVID-19 becoming endemic, requiring booster shots. The company is changing business strategy accordingly.

What the Pandemic Demands

With the COVID-19 virus rapidly mutating, almost exponentially, this is not only of concern to poor people and nations, left far behind. Containing the pandemic requires vaccinating the whole world as soon as possible.

Several virus mutations are more contagious, with some deadlier than the original, and some more resistant to existing treatments or vaccines. Although mRNA vaccine developers believe they can be quickly modified against new mutations, there is little disagreement over the urgent need to stem the contagion.

Since 1995, patents have been enforced internationally via the WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. TRIPS prevents governments giving compulsory licences allowing someone else to produce a patented product or process without the consent of the patent owner.

But now, most WTO members support a temporary waiver for COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines, diagnostics and other technologies. Although the waiver has become all the more urgent as the pandemic toll rises rapidly, it remains blocked in the WTO.

Technology Transfer Needed

The waiver is legally necessary for progress, but hardly sufficient. Much more is needed to urgently vaccinate the world. Vaccine production has also been constrained by companies refusing to share knowledge and technology.

Even when companies have benefited from government subsidies and public research, private monopolies have little incentive to quickly supply many more vaccines affordably. Enabling and, if needed, requiring knowledge and technology transfer are clearly necessary.

Not a single major vaccine or pharmaceutical company has joined the WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) initiative to share such knowledge. Licences and technical know-how to produce vaccines have been denied to many potential manufacturers, even those with the necessary facilities.

Taxpayer-funded basic and applied research has been essential for COVID-19 vaccine development. For example, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) patented technology is necessary to make mRNA vaccines, with Pfizer using BioNTechs licence.

Noting that the Biden administration has already persuaded Johnson & Johnson to share its technology with Merck to boost domestic production of its single-dose vaccine, Jayati Ghosh suggests that other companies that have benefited from public support could be pressed to do the same.

Moderna has already declared that it will not enforce its patent. But its vaccine uses some knowledge that it has licensed (and paid for) from other companies, which could in turn sue any other producer using the same technology. The TRIPS waiver would eliminate such legal threats, allowing production to be rapidly scaled up.

What the World Needs Now

The current generation of COVID-19 vaccines only mitigates the severity of infections, rather than eradicates the disease, as with polio or smallpox. Thus, our world is now trapped in a seemingly endless spiral of catch-up vaccine development with new boosters to mitigate perceived new threats.

To achieve real progress, the world desperately needs cooperation, not only among researchers working for competing vaccine developers, but also among governments who can  and must  end the protracted genocide and greater catastrophe the world is now in.

Warning that private vaccine producers have little financial incentive to meet current global needs, Ghosh also makes the case for public production in the US and elsewhere.

Citing a health advocacy organisation report, she argues that the US government can build a facility to produce enough mRNA vaccine manufacturing capacity to vaccinate the entire world in one year, with each dose costing only $2.

Sharing knowledge and working together are clearly needed to accelerate innovation. As governments have paid, directly and indirectly, for vaccine development, they can now quickly accelerate further progress needed. Previously, I suggested using the 1980 Bayh-Dole law, but in fact, this is specifically excluded by the US government contract with Moderna.

Instead, Dean Baker has noted that Section 1498 of the US commercial code provides the necessary legal authority. Thus, needed technological expertise, including trade or industrial secrets, can be either bought or otherwise secured by government authorities.
(Natural News) A new study suggests that Mars may be harboring microbial life beneath its surface. Published April 15 in the journal Astrobiology, the study shows that the same chemical reactions that support microbial communities beneath Earths surface can also occur in the Martian underground.

One of those reactions is radiolysis, which occurs when radioactive elements within rocks react with water locked in pore and fracture space. The reaction breaks water down into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The hydrogen molecule is then dissolved in the remaining water while minerals like pyrite (fools gold) absorb the oxygen molecules to form sulfate minerals. Microbes can then use the dissolved hydrogen as fuel and the oxygen preserved in the sulfates to burn that fuel.

On Earth, these sulfate-reducing microbes have been found in places such as Canadas Kidd Creek Mine, where they thrive more than a mile beneath the surface.

For their study, the researchers wished to determine whether Mars harbor the ingredients for radiolysis, namely, sulfide minerals that could be converted into sulfate, radioactive elements like thorium and uranium, and rock units with sufficient pore space to trap water.

To that end, the team examined data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Curiosity rover, as well as other spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet. They also incorporated data on Martian meteorites into their analysis.

They found that all of the ingredients are present in several different types of Martian meteorites in adequate abundance to support Earth-like habitats. Regolith breccias, which are meteorites sourced from crustal rocks that date back to more than 3.6 billion years ago, have the highest potential for supporting life.

The researchers noted that, unlike Earth, Mars lacks a plate tectonics system to continually recycle crustal rocks. This meant that the Red Planets ancient terrains remain largely undisturbed.

Jesse Tarnas, a postdoctoral researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who led the study while completing his doctorate at Brown University, remarked that microbial life might exist in the Martian subsurface wherever there is groundwater. Given that Martian rocks contain the ingredients necessary to fuel radiolysis, Mars might have enough chemical energy to support subsurface microbial life, he explained.

We dont know whether life ever got started beneath the surface of Mars, but if it did, we think there would be ample energy there to sustain it right up to today, Tarnas added.

The researchers recommended exploring the subsurface of Mars when searching for evidence of alien life. As past studies showed, there is reason to believe that groundwater exists to this day. A study published last year, for example, found evidence of four subsurface lakes a mile beneath the Martian south pole. (Related: Scientists find evidence of an underground water system on MARS  could it have supported alien life?)

The subsurface is one of the frontiers in Mars exploration, Jack Mustard, a professor of environmental and planetary science at Brown and one of the studys researchers. Weve investigated the atmosphere, mapped the surface with different wavelengths of light and landed on the surface in half-a-dozen places, and that work continues to tell us so much about the planets past.

But if we want to think about the possibility of present-day life, the subsurface is absolutely going to be where the action is, he went on.

For more studies supporting the presence of Martian life, follow Space.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Nature.com
(Natural News) All over the world, reports of the adverse effects of experimental Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are emerging. A number of these undesirable effects are exclusive to women and include menstrual problems like heavy bleeding, miscarriages and low breastmilk production.

Now, five American doctors have come forward to discuss why many women are experiencing these problems after getting vaccinated, and why coronavirus vaccines are not really vaccines, but rather bioweapons designed to control the population.

In a recent Critically Thinking with Dr. T and Dr. P webinar, hosts Dr. Sherri Tenpenny and Dr. Larry Palevsky were joined by Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Carrie Madej and Dr. Lee Merritt in a truthful discussion about what is going on with these so-called vaccines and how they are affecting women worldwide.

Tenpenny and Palevsky are leading medical voices against vaccination. Palevsky, a former president of the American Holistic Medical Association, is an advocate of holistic health practices for children and adolescents. Tenpenny is the author of four books opposing vaccination. She is also against the use of face masks as a mitigation tool against COVID-19.

Their guests in the webinar are all well-versed in the field of vaccines and how they negatively affect peoples health. Northrup is an expert on womens health and is one of the leading voices warning against the negative effects of coronavirus vaccines on women. Madej is one of the most vocal critics of mRNA vaccines, which she says can change peoples DNA.

Finally, Merritt is a member of Americas Frontline Doctors, a group of medical experts that have been warning the public against allowing the government to coerce them into getting vaccinated. Merritt also advocates against lockdown measures and says their negative effects on mental health may cause more harm than the coronavirus.

In the webinar, the five doctors discussed how the vaccines are not what they say they are and explained why many women are experiencing unpleasant side effects. They pointed out that thousands of women around the world have reported their negative experiences with coronavirus vaccines, but the mainstream media has not reported on these. Instead, the media has focused only on blood clot issues.

The doctors also shared stories from women they know, including their own friends and patients, whove received the vaccine and observed changes in their bodies and their reproductive health. In addition, they drew attention to reports that even unvaccinated women who have been around those vaccinated seem to be experiencing these side effects.

With how these so-called vaccines attack womens reproductive health, the doctors brought up the possibility that these experimental shots are not really vaccines but bioweapons designed to help reduce the worlds population. (Related: EXTERMINATION machine unmasked: Why vaccinated people are making HEALTHY people sick, Pfizer document admits vaccinated people shed infectious particles, the spike protein is the bioweapons.)

You can watch the entire webinar below.

Mainstream media can no longer ignore the side effects experienced by women

Since the vaccine rollout began, the mainstream media has focused only on blood clots as the primary side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. It has largely ignored the vaccines effects on womens reproductive health. But recently, reports of the latter have become so prevalent that theyve become hard for mainstream media to ignore.

In late April, after reporter Kate Larsen asked about it on social media, ABC7News reported being flooded by stories of women experiencing menstrual cycle changes following vaccination. Since then, many women have continued to express concern about long and heavy periods and changes in cycle timing following vaccination.

These reports underscore the fact that, according to data, women are generally experiencing more side effects than men. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study that analyzed safety data based on the first 13.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given to Americans. Despite the fact that only 61.2 percent of the vaccines have been administered to women, a whooping 79.1 percent of the reports about their adverse effects came from women.

In addition, the side effects that women reported experiencing were more severe. These included body aches, chills and fatigue, aside from flu-like symptoms.

But experts at the CDC said that women experiencing these side effects is to be expected. According to Julianne Gee, a medical officer in the CDCs Immunization Office, women have more reactions to a variety of vaccines. These include flu vaccines given to adults and vaccines given to children, such as for hepatitis and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

CDC experts cited a 2013 study that found that four times as many women as men, aged 20 to 59, reported experiencing allergic reactions following inoculation with vaccines for the 2009 flu pandemic. They also point to another study that found that, between 1990 and 2016, women accounted for 80 percent of all adult anaphylactic reactions to vaccines.

That said, the fact that these studies exist and that women are supposedly more susceptible to side effects raises questions. If this was already known, why wasnt more effort made to lessen the side effects on women? Or was this knowledge simply treated as a fact of life so as to normalize extreme side effects on women and their reproductive health any time a new experimental vaccine is released on the market?

For more on how so-called COVID-19 vaccines are actually doing more harm than good, visit VaccineInjuryNews.com.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

ABC7News.com

NYTimes.com
(Natural News) Agricultural pesticides pose a grave threat to organisms that play an important role in maintaining soil health. These are the findings of a study published Tuesday, May 4, in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland in cooperation with two environmental organizations, the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth U.S., is the largest, most comprehensive review of the impact of agricultural pesticides on vital soil organisms.

The researchers compiled data from nearly 400 studies, which showed that pesticides harm many beneficial soil-dwelling invertebrates, such as earthworms, ants, beetles and ground-nesting bees.

Based on their findings, the researchers urged pesticide regulators in the United States to also consider soil organisms when assessing the environmental impact of pesticides.

Pesticides harm soil invertebrates

Soil performs many invaluable functions. It filters water, supports plant growth and helps regulate the planets temperature. However, little is known about the impact of pesticides on crucial soil invertebrates, which help maintain soil health. Regulators and researchers have mostly focused on the impact of pesticides on pollinators.

To understand the danger agricultural pesticides pose to soil organisms, the researchers reviewed roughly 400 studies on the effects of pesticides on non-target invertebrates that live part of their lives in soil. The review covered over 275 species and 284 pesticides, excluding those currently banned in the United States.

Overall, the review included over 2,800 tested parameters, where a specific pesticide was tested on a specific organism for a specific parameter, such as mortality, abundance, behavior, reproduction and biochemical and morphological changes.

When the researchers analyzed the tested parameters, they found that 70.5 percent were negatively affected by pesticide exposure, 28 percent were not significantly affected and only one percent were positively affected.

For example, 84 percent of tested parameters in earthworms, which play a key role in fertilizing soil, were negatively affected by insecticides. Some herbicides and fungicides also harmed earthworms.

Below the surface of fields covered with monoculture crops of corn and soybeans, pesticides are destroying the very foundations of the web of life, said co-author Nathan Donley, a senior scientist in the Center for Biological Diversitys Environmental Health Program.

Numerous studies have shown that the unregulated use of pesticides across millions of acres every year poisons organisms critical to maintaining healthy soil. Yet regulators continue to ignore the harm pesticides cause to these important ecosystems.

For instance, beetles and springtails considerably influence the porosity of soil, which determines water content. Unfortunately, they are among the most affected organisms along with earthworms. Miner bees, which create underground nests, also face great risks nesting in the soil.

And its not just one or two pesticides that are causing harm to these important soil organisms. Study results were consistent across the whole class of chemical poisons. (Related: Experts warn that undisclosed ingredients in weedkillers can kill bees, even without glyphosate.)

Co-author Tara Cornelisse, an insect conservation biologist and senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, also said it was extremely concerning that over 70 percent of cases show pesticides significantly harm soil invertebrates.

Our results add to the evidence that pesticides are contributing to widespread declines of insects, she said in a statement. The troubling findings add to the urgency of reining in pesticide use to save and improve biodiversity, she added.

Matt Shardlow, chief of the nature conservation charity Buglife in the United Kingdom who wasnt involved in the study, said the findings show pesticides assault organisms that live in the soil. If regulatory agencies want to protect healthy soils, they need to take soil organisms into consideration when deciding if a pesticide is safe to use.

Visit Pesticides.news to learn more about how pesticides affect the environment.

Sources include:

EcoWatch.com

FrontiersIn.org

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) A government-run British train company has issued an apology after one of its conductors used the phrase ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls during an announcement, causing a passenger identifying as non-binary to take offence and make a complaint.

(Article by Steve Watson republished from NewsWars.com)

The passenger, who happens to be a LGBT rep for the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, immediately took to Twitter to whine about the incident.

The company, London North Eastern Railway, immediately apologised and said Train Managers should not be using language like this.

A train company has apologised following a complaint from a non-binary passenger after the conductor greeted customers by saying "good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls." pic.twitter.com/E1kmtmMh56  talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) May 13, 2021

Good lord, the horror of the language that was used:

Youd be forgiven for thinking this Train Manager had unleashed a tirade of abuse. should not be using language like this Hed actually said Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls Identify however you like, but can we stop this nonsense? https://t.co/KuA4hLIQ8O  Mark Jenkinson MP (@markjenkinsonmp) May 12, 2021

Stop pandering to this nonsense. Your announcer said nothing wrong. Laurence's complaint is ridiculous. No one was excluded or discriminated against. Just do your job of running trains on time and leave the woke politics to someone else with nothing better to do.  Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) May 12, 2021

Perhaps LNER should decide who its core customer base is before going full woke:

Hi  regular passenger here. I really like it when your staff are human and light hearted like this, and would very much prefer it if you didnt forbid them from doing so or require them to talk like scripted robots. Thanks!  Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) May 13, 2021

I am concerned that you say train managers should not be using language 'like this'. Can you clarify please? Why are you asking the service this person was on? Do you intend telling the train manager that they are not to use normal language that everybody understands?  poppycat (@poppyca28972829) May 12, 2021

And while LNER appears desperate to extend inclusivity to the non-binary, not so much when it comes to the disabled or simply ladies:

I've never received such a grovelling apology, despite as a disabled passenger, repeatedly being treated appallingly by rail services. & neither has my daughter, who as a young woman, was left stranded alone in London last year, after her last train was cancelled. Why is that?  Miki Clem Fandango  (@MikiB007) May 12, 2021

That's because companies like this don't actually care about real inconvenience & hardship. What they care about is the perception of it, and the fleeting recognition they get from pandering to people who are, ultimately, impossible to please. Sorry to hear about your situation.  Jason From Merivale (@FromMerivale) May 14, 2021

It seems the hurt feelings of a spoilt little brat are more important   Joel Newnham (@newjoel) May 14, 2021

Perhaps the Department For Transport and the train company should be focusing more on getting its trains running again after massive disruption caused by severe safety issues, rather than pandering to woke Twitter trolls.

Read more at: NewsWars.com and Wokies.news.
(Natural News) A German scientist has discovered why the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) are causing some recipients to develop deadly blood clots.

According to Prof. Andreas Greinacher, a blood expert from the University of Greifswald, the two viral vector vaccines contain genetically modified (GMO) cold viruses that, upon injection, trigger an autoimmune response.

Stray proteins, Greinacher says, along with a preservative used specifically in the AstraZeneca jab known as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), are directly responsible for causing the blood clots, he says.

Greinacher and his team identified more than 1,000 human-derived cell proteins in the injections that they believe are getting into peoples bloodstreams and clamping onto a blood component known as platelet factor 4, or PF4, where they form complexes that activate the production of antibodies.

This then generates an inflammatory response throughout the body, as the immune system is tricked into believing that it has been infected with bacteria. The immune system then overreacts and goes nuts, essentially, causing deadly bleeding and clotting.

Greinacher compares the way the injections trigger this otherwise dormant immune response to awakening a sleeping dragon. And all for a virus with a 99.9-plus percent survival rate.

Covid vaccines kill, but the establishment still wants you injected

Prof. John Kelton from McMaster University in Canada says he and his team have replicated and confirmed Greinachers findings, though they are unsure if his causal theory is accurate.

Greinacher, meanwhile, is hoping the two respective vaccine makers will cooperate in nailing down whether or not his causal theory is correct.

We strongly support raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of this very rare event, and we are currently exploring a potential collaboration with Dr. Greinacher, a J&J spokesperson is quoted as saying.

Numerous other peer-reviewed studies have likewise confirmed Greinachers findings, reiterating that the type of blood clotting being observed from J&J and AstraZeneca injections is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT.

Most of the science hubs investigating the clotting issue, which was first identified back in March, focus on a similar condition known as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, or HIT, which has near-identical symptoms and outcomes to VITT.

With HIT, The Wall Street Journal reported, the blood-thinning drug heparin causes clots paired with an abnormal decrease in the bloods natural clotting agents.

Other scientists have speculated that the vaccine adenoviruses themselves may be directly triggering the blood clotting, while still others are blaming the genetic predispositions of recipients so as to shift the blame away from Big Pharma.

Prof. Eric van Gorp from Erasmus University in the Netherlands also says that the flu-like symptoms many recipients of the vaccines experience post-injection could also be the result of autoimmune-provoking inflammation.

The reason why none of this has ever been reported in the past is because viral vector vaccine technology has never before been administered at scale. In other words, these shots, just like their mRNA counterparts, are entirely experimental.

The only viral vector vaccine that even comes close is the Ebola injection developed by J&J, which was only given to about 60,000 people as of last July.

Meanwhile, the Journal and other mainstream media outlets are continuing to push the narrative that deadly blood clots are rare, and that people should still rush out and get injected as soon as possible to save lives.

The symptoms are exactly the same as preclinical scurvy, a commenter of ours wrote. Vitamin C is essential to combat this.

To keep up with the latest news about injuries and deaths caused by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) injections, be sure to check out ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Archive.fo

NaturalNews.com
However, current law only allows for a misdemeanor offense to be charged. Every owner of any firearm must be responsible for the safe keeping of their weapons when children are present in the home, particularly inquisitive, young children.
(Natural News) Delta Air Lines has required all of its new employees to get the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, making it one of the first and largest companies in the United States to mandate vaccinations.

Any person joining Delta in the future  future employees  were going to mandate they be vaccinated before they can sign up with the company, said Delta CEO Ed Bastian during an interview.

The company claimed that the vaccine mandate will ensure that the airline can safely operate while at the same time protecting its employees and customers from the coronavirus. (Related: Businesses threaten to push mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for employees.)

A Delta spokesman said that the vaccine requirement will not be imposed on the companys current employees. The spokesman said that around 60 percent of Deltas nearly 75,000 employees have already been vaccinated. Bastian said he expects around 80 percent of the companys entire workforce will get vaccinated.

During the interview, Bastian noted that it would not be fair to his current employees to make vaccination a requirement for them to keep their jobs, especially if theres some philosophical issue they have.

Im not going to mandate and force people if they have some specific reason why they dont want to get vaccinated, but Im going to strongly encourage them and make sure they understand the risks to not getting vaccinated, he said.

Current Delta employees who choose to not get the vaccine will be required to get tested at least once a week for COVID-19 and will likely be prohibited from working on international flights. Bastian said this is because foreign governments might require vaccinations for anybody entering their countries.

It signals confidence that were doing everything we can to keep [employees] safe as well as to keep our customers safe because customers knew Delta employees were being tested all throughout the process, said Bastian of the companys testing and vaccination regulations.

Bastian had his interview at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, near the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airline has loaned this facility to Georgia to turn it into one of the states largest mass COVID-19 vaccination sites. Bastian said the site is administering roughly 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine per day.

More vaccine mandates from the private sector incoming

United Airlines might soon follow Delta in requiring vaccines, but it hasnt ordered workers or customers to show proof of vaccination yet. Back in January, CEO Scott Kirby reportedly told his employees that mandating vaccinations would be the right thing to do.

American Airlines has so far shied away from making it company policy to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but it has incentivized vaccinations by giving employees who get the vaccine an extra day off next year. Vaccinated workers are also eligible to receive $50 from American Airlines employee recognition program.

More companies are willing to mandate vaccinations for their employees.

According to a survey released late in April by the Rockefeller Foundation and Arizona State Universitys College of Health Solutions, business leaders believed getting their employees vaccinated should be their top priority.

Around 88 percent of the 1,339 employers surveyed said they were planning to require or strongly encourage their employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Sixty percent of employers said they will require employees to procure proof of vaccination and 57 percent said they will provide incentives and bribes to get their employees vaccinated.

Much of the private sector is still rightfully recognizing the rights of its workers to not get vaccinated, with the exception of certain sectors such as education. Experts believe many businesses are wondering whether it would be legal to mandate vaccinations.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled late in 2020 that mandating vaccinations for employees would be legal, provided that companies provide reasonable accommodation for employees who are unable to get vaccinated for their religious belief, practice or observance or due to a disability.

Learn more about the incoming vaccine mandates in the private sector by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

USAToday.com

ABC30.com

News.Delta.com

ABCNews.go.com
(Natural News) Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is doubling down on Dr. Anthony Fauci and the gain-of-function coronavirus coverup that was funded by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), where Fauci presides as director.

On a new episode of Fox and Friends, Dr. Paul slammed Fauci for avoiding critical questions about the origins of gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China. Should Fauci be overseeing these large government research grants if he is unwilling to discuss what the money is being used for? This unethical field of research involves gene splicing processes that make viruses more infectious and lethal to humans. This field of research also uses human and rodent chimeras to help scientists understand how to exploit human lung cells. The purpose of creating these bioweapons is to develop vaccines  an experiment that is currently being carried out on the world population.

Faucis perjury and dodgy behavior reek of a criminal coverup

In the Senate hearing, Dr. Fauci repeatedly and adamantly denied that the NIH or the NIAID had any role in the multinational coronavirus experiment. Dr. Paul laid out the facts and exposed the money trail, tying Fauci and the NIAID to at least thirty published studies on coronavirus gain-of-function, which involved EcoHealth Alliance in New York, the University of North Carolina and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

After he was exposed in the May 11 Senate hearing, Fauci went to the media to shore up his image. On an episode of CBS This Morning, Fauci said, You know, Gayle, I just dont want to get into that tit-for-tat. Next, Fauci tried to deflect from the serious matter at hand and imply that Dr. Paul is the one with a problem. I just dont understand what the problem is with him. Im just going to do my job and he can do what he wants to do and well see what happens, said Fauci.

Dr. Paul responded on Fox and Friends by bringing attention to the fact that CBS is merely perpetrating propaganda and not engaging in actual journalism. Paul said, If [Fauci] was being interviewed by a journalist, they would have asked, Did the NIH, did your specific division of the NIH, give money to the Wuhan lab?

Paul continued, Thats incontrovertibly true. What hes arguing is hes parsing his words. He knows his group gave money, but hes saying, Oh, it wasnt for juicing up these superviruses. We gave it for other research.'

Fauci is showing telltale signs of criminal intent

As Fauci arrogantly tries to dissociate himself from the controversial gain-of-function money trail, he appears guilty of much more. Essentially, Fauci is trying to make Dr. Paul prove that the grants were doled out with criminal INTENT. However, when Fauci blatantly lies about the money trail, he essentially shows the world that he does possess criminal INTENT with the capacity to perjure himself into impunity. As Dr. Paul points out, Fauci is trying to evade that he funded it [gain-of-function research] at all.

In one of the science papers published by Dr. Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Dr. Zhengli thanks Dr. Fauci specifically. The aim of her research, was undoubtedly, about making coronaviruses more infectious and lethal to humans. We have this in black and white from a peer-review journal, she said the funding came from Dr. Faucis NIAID, this is Dr. Faucis baby for 40 years, she lists him in the credits, he cant escape this, Paul said. He did the funding.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology had to receive approval from both the U.S. State Department and the NIH in order to receive the funds through EcoHealth Alliance. The $3.4 million grants were paid in six installments over a five-year period. I asked him the general question, Paul iterated. I didnt ask him whether he funded gain of function, I said, Did the NIH fund the Wuhan lab? and he danced around it and answered a different question, said Paul. But there is no question at all that the NIH funded this lab.

Ultimately, heres the rub, Paul said. I dont know whether it came from the lab. Nobody knows whether it came from the lab. But who would be culpable? Dr. Fauci could be culpable for the entire pandemic. So could Dr. Daszak, and so could Dr. Shi. Im not saying that happened; I dont know. But you wouldnt put the people who gave the money to the Wuhan lab in charge of the investigation.

That looks like a cover-up, Paul concluded.

Sources include:

ThePostMillenial.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) We, and others, write about worst case scenarios, about how the time is coming where the world as we once knew it is gone, but a look around the nation right now, compared to a few years ago, makes it crystal clear that the days warned about for so long, are already here.

(Article by Susan Duclos republished from AllNewsPipeline.com)

Recent headlines and the worsening of class, race and political warfare, along with deterioration of supplies, from gas to food, to lumber, to appliances and more, proves the point that normal doesnt exist anymore, and we will never have what was normal just years ago, back again.

ANARACHY AND CHAOS

As certain Americans literally hunt every day for something to complain and whine about (Karens and Kevins), with many groups, such as Antifa and BLM actively looking for reasons to riot throughout the country, burning and looting businesses, vandalizing property, we see dire warnings that the majority of the liberal establishment media ignores to the point of keeping their audience ignorant of actual events.

Take Portland, Oregon for example and the competing headlines, enough to give someone virtual whiplash.

On May 16, 2021, Western Journal reported: Portland Police Union President Reveals City Is on the Precipice of an All-Out Gang War.

As we have documented extensively, Antifa is completely out of control in Portland, Oregon, terrorizing neighborhoods, blocking traffic, harassing and attacking innocent drivers just trying ot get from one place to the next, but we also see from the message by the Portland Police Union, that gang activity is also taking over the streets, mainly due to the defunding of police.

Our elected leaders can no longer turn a blind eye and blame it on the pandemic. The surge in gun violence is directly related to the defunding of policethe Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is catastrophically understaffed, our specialty units have been disbanded, and our response time to calls for service has understandably increased.

It is noteworthy to remind readers that the Mayor, Ted Wheeler, stood side-by-side with rioters, while they attacked a federal building, and was teargassed with those same rioters.

In January 2021, Wheeler admitted to his failure in dealing with Antifa and asked for state and federal help.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler admitted his policies in dealing with Antifa anarchists failed. He called for new enforcement actions and asked for federal and state assistance in dealing with the lawlessness. My good-faith efforts at de-escalation have been met with ongoing violence and even scorn from radical Antifa and anarchists, Wheeler said in a New Years Day press conference. In response, it will be necessary to use additional tools and to push the limits of the tools we already have to bring the criminal destruction and violence to an end. Its time to push back harder against those who are set on destroying our community and to take more risks in fighting lawlessness, the Portland mayor continued.

Then after seeing his town hit the point of no return, decided to make a public plea (for optics it appears) to help stop Antifa goons from destroying the city.

Antifa then published a video doxxing the mayor with his home address, and then making veiled death threats.

Now compare that to a headline from Daily Mail, also dated May 16, 2021: Portland mayor whose city was ransacked by rioters last summer says hes GRATEFUL to Biden for rescinding Trump order that enabled feds to quell violence.

 Portland saw 100 days of often violent protests after George Floyds murder  Executive order directed agents to protect monuments and federal property  Trump said move was vital to counter anarchists but angered local Democrats

The guy is like a Yoyo or ping pong ball for heavens sake.

There are other city. states suffering the same type of failure of leadership, such as Seattle Washington where Antifa goons are constantly rioting while chanting death to America.

The only ones fighting back against this type of anarchy and chaos are conservative leaders.

Readers can decide for themselves why liberal leaders refuse to stand up to America hating terrorists.

PIPELINE ATTACK JUST A PREVIEW OF WHAT IS COMING

Hackers attacked the Colonial Pipeline, which boasts of supplying approximately 45 percent of the East coasts fuel supply, leaving millions scrambling for gas, as signs were posted showing stations were out of gas, as seen above.

With Joe Biden having stopped work on the Keystone Pipeline, which had already cost jobs and sent us backwards from being energy independent in 2019, for the first time since 1957, to gas price hikes for stations that luckily still had some supply left, we have just seen a preview of what it will look like when the hackers, decide to hit all our sources of fuel.

The gas outages were just a preview of what is coming.

More chaos and anarchy is a given should this happen for an extended length of time.

Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com and Collapse.news
(Natural News) Dr. Anthony Fauci not only approved coronavirus gain-of-function research grants to EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, but he also funds current bioweapon research programs for the Chinese military. Despite Faucis unwillingness to come forward with these indisputable facts in a recent Senate hearing, he now faces increased scientific, lawful and public scrutiny. Chinese scientists have infiltrated American institutions and advanced bioweapon research on coronaviruses, dengue viruses and zika viruses, using funds provided by Fauci and the NIAID.

Faucis bloody gain-of-function money trail extends to the Chinese military

In 2007, a Chinese scientist named Pei-Yong Shi became an Honorary Professor at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He was trained by the Peoples Republic of China with funding from Dr. Anthony Fauci and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). Today, Pei-Yong Shi is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. After infiltrating American universities, Pei-Yong Shi collaborated with scientists from the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, garnering patents alongside Cheng Feng Qin and the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology. Of special interest is a U.S. patent that was granted on August 20, 2015 for Novel Attenuated Dengue Virus Strains for vaccine application. In that U.S. patent application, Cheng Feng Qin listed Singapore as his work location, hiding his affiliation with the Peoples Liberation Army. Despite Pei-Yong Shis ties to the Chinese military, Fauci approved another 2021 grant to Shi for $926,569.

A Chinese patent application number 201810076027.7 dated October 26, 2018 and a second Chinese patent, WO2019144874A1, dated January 23, 2019, lists the owner as Pei-Yong Shi and the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army. In the three scientific articles that support the second Chinese patent, there is a list of funding sources. Fauci and the NIAID issued four grants, AI120942, AI127744, AI073755 and AI104972, to fund these bioweapon studies for the Chinese military.

Chinese military is involved in executing the bioweapons research funded by Fauci

Medical researcher and IT specialist, Dr. Lawrence Sellin appeared on a recent episode of Steve Bannons War Room to give further details about the infiltration of the Chinese military into American institutions and government agencies such as the NIAID. Anthony Fauci seems to still be funding gain-of-function research that has occurred within the last two years. And that the Chinese military is involved in the planning and execution of this research, Dr. Selling said. He also revealed that Fauci has approved gain-of-function research for several years, with at least thirty scientific papers written on the matter. The Wuhan Institute of Virologys infamous bat lady, Dr. Shi Zhengli, even thanked Dr. Fauci for funding her coronavirus gain-of-function research projects. Dr. Sellin also pointed to a 2021 study showing how Fauci still approves gain-of-function research to this day, engineering viruses that attack not just the lungs, but the brain and the central nervous system as well.

Let me first just say that theres no question COVID-19 comes from the laboratory. I think the only thing we need to determine now is: How it was released, whether it was an accident or intentional, said Dr. Selling. Fauci and the NIAID provided four grants that funded a project that mutated a benign virus into something more deadly. By the time the world catches up to the crime ring, populations could likely face new bioweapon releases that target other systems of the human body.

After all, these revelations about Faucis gain-of-function money trail come at a time when intelligence officials are bringing forth troves of Chinese military documents on bio-warfare. These documents reveal that Chinese officials have discussed using advanced aerosolized bioweapon research for taking out the enemys medical system.

Zheng Songguo, a former professor at Ohio State University (OSU), was found guilty of lying on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications in order to use $4.1 million in research grants to develop the fields of rheumatology and immunology for China. If Songguo can face 37 months in prison for this perjury, then what kind of prison term will Fauci serve for lying to the American people about the NIAIDs core involvement in advancing bioweapon research for China?

Sources include:

HumansAreFree.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

Nitter.Domain.glass

NaturalNews.com

TheEpochTimes.com
(Natural News) Texas nurse Jennifer Bridges is suing the Houston Methodist Hospital where she works after it mandated all staff members to get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Those who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine risk losing their jobs under the new rule.

Bridges, who was honored by her hospital in 2019 for her dedicated service, said that she would refuse to get the vaccine even if it meant getting fired. Though she understood the need for safety measures, she said she wants to wait until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has gathered enough data to prove the new vaccines are safe.

All were asking is just more time, the healthcare worker told KHOU 11. In the meantime, well wear N-95s, face shields. Well do what the [Centers for Disease and Control Prevention] says is perfectly safe.

The FDA did not fully approve the vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. It only issued an emergency approval. Despite this, Houston Methodist CEO Dr. Marc Boom still ordered all of his 26,000 employees to get vaccinated.

Were never going to make anybody take the vaccine. But at the end of the day if they choose not to take the vaccine, there are many other places they can work, Boom said, adding that around 3,000 workers are still not vaccinated.

The hospital was the first in the United States to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory. Its updated policy states that if an employee is not vaccinated by June 7, he or she will be suspended for two weeks. If an employee remains unvaccinated after the suspension period, the company would initiate the termination process. Only those with a valid medical or religious reason are exempt from the policy.

The CEO acknowledged that it is every Americans right to refuse the vaccine. However, the hospital has an obligation to keep its patients safe. (Related: RFK, Jr. to Rutgers President: COVID vaccine mandate violates federal law.)

Hundreds of employees have reached out to Bridges since she went public. Basically, theyre either going to quit, get fired, and some have reached out to me literally crying, saying theyre going to hold off until the last day and take that shot against their will because they have to feed their family, she shared.

The nurse started a petition to garner support against the policy and launched an online crowdfunding campaign to fund her lawsuit. She wrote on a GoFundMe page that by putting in place a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the hospital showed that it does not value its employees.

Workers fired for refusing coronavirus vaccine

Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, several workers have been terminated from their jobs because they refused to get vaccinated. New York City waitress Bonnie Jacobson was fired last February after telling her employer at Red Hook Tavern that she wanted to wait before getting the vaccine. The Brooklyn resident was trying to get pregnant and feared that the vaccine might cause infertility.

Her manager initially sympathized with her concerns and told her that getting vaccinated was not required. But days later, her workplace changed its policy and informed all employees that vaccination was mandatory. The new policy only exempted those with a valid medical reason.

Last March, Samantha Wise of Arkansas was also fired from her job after refusing to get the vaccine. Her employer, Harvest Cannabis Dispensary, also made vaccination mandatory for all employees.

According to Wise, she was concerned about the vaccines side effects since she has a bad reaction to a lot of medicines. After notifying company executives that she would not get vaccinated, the mother of five was told to turn in her badge and key card.

They actually did it  they really fired me  I didnt think it was really going to happen, she said.

Jobless and with a big family to feed, Wise hoped that employers in the future wouldnt make individuals choose between their career and an unproven vaccine. I wish you all would let people make decisions for themselves instead of making the decision for them, Wise said.

Learn more about the government and Big Businesss campaign to force COVID-19 vaccines on everyone at MedicalTyranny.com.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

KHOU.com

NBCNews.com

FOX59.com
(Natural News) The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is warning employers that they will be held liable for any adverse events resulting from mandatory Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination policies.

If an employee who was forced to be injected with experimental mRNA gene therapy becomes paralyzed or dies, for instance, that injury or death will be considered work-related, meaning the employer will be held responsible.

In the Frequently Asked Questions section of a new OSHA guidance that was issued on April 20, the agency explains that all employers who mandate experimental Chinese Virus shots are required to record any adverse events that result from the injections.

In response to the question, If I require my employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of their employment, are adverse reactions to the vaccine recordable? this is what OSHA says:

If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment (i.e., for work-related reasons), then any adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is work-related. The adverse reaction is recordable if it is a new case under 29 CFR 1904.6 and meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7.

What this means is that employers who try to force their employees to get injected are opening themselves up to lawsuits, workers compensation claims and a negatively impacted safety record. Tread at your own risk, employers.

Vaccine-injured employees are already coming forward with lawsuits

This clarification from OSHA comes as an increasing number of employers seek to mandate Wuhan Flu shots on their employees. Such employers include Houston Methodist Hospital, GCI Communication Corp., the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, JBS USA Holdings Inc., Lastique International Corp., and Delta Airlines.

Some smaller, independently-owned restaurants and boutiques run by woke fascists are also hoping to force the employees, and possibly even their patrons, to get injected. Each one needs to be identified and targeted with lawsuits to prevent this disease of medical fascism from spreading.

The Houston Methodist Hospital network is mandating vaccines for both existing employees and new hires, barring an exemption, announced Chip Cutter from The Wall Street Journal about the scheme. Those who fail to comply will at first be suspended without pay, and later terminated.

Our hope is that Houston Methodist Hospital will be among the first to be held liable for vaccine-injured employees, who will surely be entitled to large financial compensation for their company-caused injuries.

Even though vaccine manufacturers themselves are not being held liable for injuring and killing people with their injections, companies like Houston Medical Hospital that try to force them certainly can, and will, be.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that nearly 200,000 people in the United States have been injured by Chinese Virus injections so far. Nearly 4,000 people have died from the vaccines and nearly 20,000 have suffered what are considered serious injuries.

Forcing Chinese Virus injections on employees may also be a violation of federal law, Americas Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) has warned. Because all of these injections are approved for emergency use only, they legally cannot be mandated by anyone.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations emergency use authorization (EUA) specifically states that individuals must have the free option to accept or refuse these vaccines, LifeSiteNews explains, reiterating that Chinese Virus vaccine mandates are illegal.

Many argue the prospect of being terminated from ones job by refusing such vaccines certainly undermines such necessary freedom.

To learn more about how companies that try to force Wuhan Flu shots on their employees are just asking to be sued, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

Archive.fo

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Twenty-six world scientists have signed on to an open letter calling for a full and unrestricted international forensic investigation into the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

Released on March 4 by The Wall Street Journal and Le Monde, the letter contains a signature from Dr. Richard H. Ebright, a high-level scientist who says the World Health Organization (WHO) is complicit in a massive Chinese Virus coverup and disinformation campaign.

A Board of Governors professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University, as well as laboratory director at the schools Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Ebright has more than 160 publications and more than 40 issued and pending patents. Ebright is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences who has worked on two National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants.

Ebright has many more credentials under his belt that substantiate his allegation that the WHO is lying about the true origins of the Wuhan Flu. The United Nations entity also conducted a phony investigation that did not even include basic standards for credibility, he says.

A credible investigation would have had Terms of Reference that: 1) Acknowledged the possibility of laboratory origin, 2) Ensured access of investigators to records, samples, personnel, and facilities at the Wuhan laboratories that handle bat SARS-related coronaviruses, 3) Enabled collection of evidence, not mere meet-and-greet photo-ops, 4) Authorized an investigation of months, not mere days. And 5) A credible investigation also would have had conflict-of-interest-free investigators, not persons who were subjects of the research and/or closely associated with subjects of the investigation, Ebright explained during a recent interview.

Without these key elements, the WHOs investigation was nothing more than a charade, Ebright added, explaining that some of the investigation teams members were openly enthusiastic about participating in a disinformation campaign meant to shield the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from scrutiny.

Another thing about the WHO investigation that few are aware of is that its Terms of Reference did not even acknowledge the possibility that the Chinese Virus could have come from a laboratory  most likely the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

A real investigation by the WHO would have involved actually investigating communist China

One of the WHOs investigatory team members, EcoHealth Alliance president Peter Daszak, also has conflicts of interest that should have disqualified him from participation, Ebright noted.

Daszak was the contractor who funded the laboratory at WIV that potentially was the source of the virus (with subcontracts from $200 million from the US Department of State and $7 million from the US National Institutes of Health), and he was a collaborator and co-author on research projects at the laboratory, he explained.

Had Ebright been in charge of putting together the forensic team, he would have required that they gain access to records, samples, personnel and facilities at not just WIV but also the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.

It would entail inspection of electronic and paper records, inspection of freezer and refrigerator samples, environmental sampling of facilities, and confidential interviews with personnelincluding previous and current construction, maintenance, janitorial, disposal, security, animal-facility, laboratory, and administrative personnel, Ebright explained.

In Ebrights view, the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) did, in fact, come from WIV. Dr. Steven Quay, another signer of the open letter, agrees. His lab determined that there is a 99.8 percent probability  or roughly the survival rate of the virus itself  that the Chinese Virus originated at WIV.

At this point in time, there is no secure basis to assign relative probabilities to the natural-accident hypothesis and the laboratory-accident hypothesis, Ebright says.

At this point in time, all scientific data related to the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 and the epidemiology of COVID-19 are equally consistent with a natural-accident origin or a laboratory-accident origin.

So while the WHO is demanding more cash to develop Chinese Virus injections, Ebright and others are trying to get the worlds attention that the WHO is not to be trusted since it could not even conduct a legitimate investigation into the true origin of the virus.

Though not a virologist, Ebrights microbiology and molecular biology background fully qualifies him to comment on such matters. He says virology is merely a subset, rather than a superset, of both fields.

It is crucial that any team reviewing the issues include not only research scientists, but also biosafety, biosecurity, and science policy specialists, he says.

Based on the genome sequence of the Wuhan Flu, it would appear as though its progenitor came from either a horseshoe-bat coronavirus RaTG13 or some other closely related bat coronavirus. And it just so happens that RaTG13 was collected by WIV back in 2013 from a horseshoe-bat colony in a Yunnan province mine where miners died from a SARS-like pneumonia in 2012.

The virus was partially sequenced by WIV in the years between 2013 and 2016 before being fully sequenced between 2018 and 2019. In 2020, WIV published the sequence.

Bat coronaviruses are present in nature in multiple parts of China, Ebright says.

The first human infection also could have occurred as a laboratory accident, with a virus accidentally infecting a field collection staffer, a field survey staffer, or a laboratory staffer, followed by transmission from the staffer to the public. There also is clear precedent for this.

At the end of the day, the WHO is lying on behalf of the CCP. What else is the WHO lying about that goes against American interests?

More of the latest news on Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

IndependentScienceNews.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Patients who participated in Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine clinical trials were not told that the injections could worsen disease upon exposure to challenge or circulating viruses, a new study has found.

Researchers from New York University (NYU) and Tulane University looked at available published literature to see whether or not the risks associated with Chinese Virus injection were properly disclosed to patients. They were not, it turns out, and many patients ended up learning the hard way through serious illness or death.

Both preclinical and clinical evidence exists to suggest that Wuhan Flu shots can, in fact, worsen disease upon exposure to the virus and to other viruses within the coronavirus family. These include the common cold, which many are unaware is a type of coronavirus.

Just like how flu shots have been shown to increase coronavirus infection risk, Chinese Virus vaccines damage the immune system, causing it to overreact to viral exposure and potentially induce a deadly cytokine storm.

This is a serious risk, and one that both clinical trial participants and everyday people who are lining up to get injected at the local pharmacy are simply not being told about, the new study suggests.

Wuhan Flu shots, we now know, were designed in such a way as to elicit neutralizing antibodies that end up sensitizing vaccine recipients to more severe disease. In other words, getting injected actually worsens ones risk of developing a serious infection later on down the road.

Worse yet, none of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) jabs currently on the market have ever been formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety or efficacy. Neither have any of the experimental injections for MERS, SARS, or RSV  three other types of coronaviruses  it is important to note.

One of the major reasons for this is that viral-based vaccines simply do not work. These in particular contain fundamental flaws in their mechanistic design that, as previously mentioned, cause the human body to become more prone to illness. This is why we keep saying that this whole thing is one big experiment on human health, the long-term implications of which are yet to unfold.

Chinese Virus injections, the study further explains, may worsen disease risk through what is known as antibody-dependent enhancement, or ADE. This risk, however, is sufficiently obscured in clinical trial protocols  meaning participants are being left in the dark about what could happen to them health-wise.

The consent forms for ongoing Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine trials likewise do not contain any of the appropriate information warning participants that they could become more ill with the Chinese Virus than if they had simply not taken the injection in the first place.

What this all means, of course, is that Chinese Virus injection recipients are nothing more than human guinea pigs being experimented on, at the pleasure of Big Pharma and the medical-industrial complex.

The specific and significant COVID-19 risk of ADE should have been and should be prominently and independently disclosed to research subjects currently in vaccine trials, as well as those being recruited for the trials and future patients after vaccine approval, in order to meet the medical ethics standard of patient comprehension for informed consent, the study concluded.

Covid vaccines are the real pandemic spreading disease

Another thing to keep in mind is that there still is no definitive proof that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) even spreads the way the authorities claim it does. As we have been saying, the injections are the real pandemic.

They function as a pathogenic primer to ripen the body, so to speak, to more easily develop disease. Even if a jab recipient does not immediately suffer adverse effects, he or she likely will later on down the road upon encountering a cold virus, for instance.

Now that the Northern Hemisphere is about to break into summer, vitamin D levels will be up and many vaccinated people will probably do okay for the time being. Once fall rolls around, however, there is no telling what might happen next.

Perhaps this will be the fourth wave  or are we on the fifth wave now?  of the Chinese Virus that fake doctors like Anthony Fauci have been threatening us with if we take our masks off too early.

The biggest elephant in the room is the total lack of informed consent with the governments aggressive vaccination program. The general public is being falsely led to believe that getting injected is completely safe and effective, and most are blissfully unaware of what is being done to their immune systems.

Not only that, but The New York Times was even telling people last year to prepare for the coronavirus by getting a flu shot. So not only did some people do that, increasing their susceptibility to contracting the Chinese Virus but now many of those same folks are lining up to get a Wuhan Flu shot as well.

If you can produce anything, have no responsibility for adverse effects, persuade the government to offer it for free (taxpayer-funded)  or even better, force everyone to have it  and if you dont actually care if it kills or ruins lives, then good job. Youre laughing all the way to the bank, wrote one of our own commenters about the situation at hand.

More related news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A National Pulse review of White House Visitor Logs from November 2014 reveals a meeting in the White House Situation Room, chaired by then-Ebola Czar Ron Klain. The meeting appears to have been coordinated by Dr. Anthony Fauci, and included several high-level U.S. government agency heads.

(Article by Mike McCormick republished from TheNationalPulse.com)

The high profile summit came just weeks after the Obama administration issued a moratorium on the same gain of function experiments that Dr. Fauci now claims were never directly funded by his government agency to take place at the Wuhan lab in China.

Faucis insistence, however, is betrayed by new analysis of the sequence of events and examples of his own staff headlining gain of function events in Wuhan.

President Obama and other senior White House officials  potentially including then-Vice President Joe Biden  may also have been present.

The Situation Room Summit, 2014.

On the morning of November 17th, 2014, Dr. Anthony Fauci made his way to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), otherwise known as the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB). The meeting was confirmed in the White House logs by Department for Homeland Security administrator Drew Cramer.

At 10am, he met with the man who would become known 7 years later as Joe Bidens prime minister, Ron Klain. Four others joined Dr. Fauci, including former Walmart executive-turned-Health and Human Services staffer Leslie Dach.

David J Horowitz, who headed the legal side of the Ebola crisis; the Center for Disease Controls Mitchell Wolfe; and the founding director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Robin Robinson, were all present.

BARDA is described as being responsible for the procurement and development of medical countermeasures, principally against bioterrorism, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as pandemic influenza and emerging diseases.

Included on the roster for the Situation Room were then Centers for Disease Control Director Thomas Frieden and Rear Admiral Stephen Redd of the U.S. Public Health Service. In other words: a top team discussion.

Visiting government officials are, as a matter of routine, noted in the official records. White House employees, including the President and Vice President, are never logged in this manner.

But the summit was clearly an important one, and appears to have prompted a subsequent discussion later that day in the White House Situation Room, suggesting the involvement of President Obama, or at least then-Vice President Joe Biden.

A new appointment was made on November 17th for later that day, as the above graphic reveals.

Infectious Diseases.

Less than a week before the Situation Room summit, President Obama had declared a new vision for the United States and China in the arena of infectious diseases.

A now archived Fact Sheet reads:

The United States expresses appreciation for Chinas approximately $130 million in contributions to the international Ebola response. The United States and China are working together to provide needed equipment, supplies, and treatment facilities in Liberia, and our health personnel are working side-by-side to address the Ebola epidemic at its source. The two sides call on all members of the international community to step up their efforts in support of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. Together, the United States and China are committed to working jointly with partners through the Global Health Security Agenda to develop long-term capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases.

Just ahead of the Obama-Xi agreement, Fauci ushered two additional groups into Rooms 230 and 210 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (OEOB) to meet Klain. The dates of these meetings were November 6th and 10th, 2014.

These details may go some way to helping uncover the truth behind the National Institute for Health (NIH) and its alleged funding of gain-of-function experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The information puts Klain and Obama at the head of the table for the decision to green-light what Fauci has been ferociously denying as of late.

Tony and Ron.

Dr. Fauci and Ron Klain would go on to enjoy a close, working relationship, and these meetings underscore their collaboration on the future of U.S.-CCP collaborative research. Critics may also suggested Dr. Fauci had a political conflict of interest when advising President Trump in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. His own party affiliation and his familys donation history seem to confirm this.

One challenge they faced was to craft a more robust public relations campaign to counter growing media criticism of Obamas lame Ebola response, the worst of it coming as a result of Donald Trumps tweets.

As a political operative, Klain was an unusual pick as Ebola Czar. But he was effective.

A Joe Biden loyalist, he did one thing fabulously well, he made Dr. Fauci a media darling and began reversing the Obama administrations public relations misfortunes on their handling of the matter.

Two days after Klains appointment to the role on October 17, 2014, Fauci appeared on every television networks Sunday show to tamp down criticism of the Klain as an Ebola czar. And it worked well for both men.

For Fauci, multiple meetings with Obama would soon follow, including a high-profile hug-fest in the Oval Office on October 24, 2014, in which Fauci introduced Ebola survivor Nina Pham to Obama. The media was enthralled with the Tony Fauci Healthcare Hero narrative.

A few years later, Pham sued her employer  Texas Health Resources  and slammed a video featuring her and her doctors as a public relations stunt and an invasion of privacy.

Denial over Wuhan.

Fauci and Klain were on the same page in their early assessments of the outbreak in Wuhan.

In a January 21, 2020 interview with Greg Kelly on Newsmax, Fauci said: This is not a major threat to the people of the United States and this is not something that the citizens of the United States should be worried about right now.

This was followed by several more weeks of obfuscations and contradictions.

Coming in behind Faucis bewildering and unhelpful advice was Ron Klains own public statements, such as those made on January 30th 2020, in article in The Atlantic.

The piece by Klain opened with Chinese Communist Party talking points, and went on to parrot Faucis downplaying of the virus while more hawkish types such as Steve Bannon and Dr. Peter Navarro banged the drum for immediate action.

We do not know yet how grave a threat the new coronavirus will turn out to be. On the one hand, scientists have quickly sequenced the virus and are working on a vaccine. China has imposed draconian quarantines to slow the viruss spread, and is rapidly building massive new hospitals to treat its victims. To date, the U.S. has seen only a handful of cases, all of them the product of travel to China, not transmission here. These are causes for concern, but not overwrought fear, Klain wrote.

He added:

Ultimately, the question may never be called on the coronavirus, which could be less of a threat than early indications suggest

His conclusion needs no explainer:

Five presidentsliberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicanshave looked to Tony Fauci for advice; it is not impossible to imagine Trump being the first to angrily dismiss the counsel he offers if it does not fit with his own poor instincts.

Trump, in fact, heeded Fauci  to his and the worlds detriment.

Now the world needs to know what was discussed in these critical 2014 meetings, and how Fauci and Klains relationship progressed through to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raheem Kassam contributed to this article.

Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com
(Natural News) Weve said it before: The woke Marxist left in America has their sight set on destroying the last truly patriotic (and truly nonpartisan) institution in our country: The U.S. military.

And the Biden regimes handlers arent wasting any time.

A few weeks ago, the CIA turned heads and disgusted seasoned veterans and retirees alike when it unveiled a recruitment ad featuring a 36-year-old Latina agent who described herself as an intersectional and cisgender millennial that has actually been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.

#WednesdayWisdom "I am unapologetically me. I want you to be unapologetically you, whoever you are. Whether you work at #CIA, or anywhere else in the world. Command your space. Mija, you are worth it."  CIA (@CIA) April 28, 2021

At one point in the video, the agent says she used to struggle with imposter syndrome. However now, she wont internalize misguided patriarchal ideas of what a woman can or should be.

This, again, is a recruitment adfor the Central Intelligence Agency, which is supposed to be the foremost intelligence service in the world. And they are actively seeking out individuals a) based on gender; b) based on identity politics; and c) who have mental health problems, admittedly.

Get ready for a whole bunch more 911s.

But no worries; if we get attacked again, well simply unleash the power and fury of the U.S. military, right?

Not so fast; it seems like the Army is using the same woke ad agency as the CIA.

Townhall notes:

The Armys new recruitment video takes wokeness to the next level, featuring lesbian moms, a same-sex wedding, equality marches, and more.

Described by leftist outlets as a tear-jerking queer story, the new animated video is part of a series, The Calling, which showcases why five soldiers joined the Army.

One video in the campaign features corporal Emma Malonelord, who operates the Patriot missile defense system.

It begins in California, with a little girl raised by two moms, Malonelord says. Although I had a fairly typical childhood, took ballet, played violin, I also marched for equality.

Our country is so f*cking screwed. pic.twitter.com/x4fgguISoR  The Columbia Bugle  (@ColumbiaBugle) May 13, 2021

I like to think Ive been defending freedom from an early age, she noted further.

After marching in the gay pride parade, Malonelord said one of her mothers got into a tragic accident that left her paralyzed, though she still managed to recover enough where she could walk down the aisle to marry her other mother.

And as her graduation from college drew near, Malonelord said that she began feeling like Ive been handed so much in life, a sorority girl stereotypebut what had I really achieved on my own?

I needed my own adventures, my own challenge, and after meeting with an army recruiter, I found it, she added. A way to prove my inner strength and maybe shatter some stereotypes along the way.

Hence, the Army.

Again, this is a recruitment ad, and while were not trying to insult or degrade anyones personal life or sexual orientation, the fact is the vast majority of the human species, which includes Americans, are not LGBTQ.

Whats more, the U.S. militarys sole purpose is to defend the country, which includes the use of lethal force that often requires not just mental capabilities but physical capabilities.

Shouldnt those two qualities be the most important in terms of recruitment?

The Russian military thinks so. And mind you, one doesnt have to speak Russian to know what this ad is saying.

Should our military be open just to men? Of course not; American women are highly capable and have proven themselves in combat over the years as subsequent White House administrations instructed the Pentagon to open more fields to them.

But again, perception is reality, and the perception among our enemies, based on these recruitment ads, is that suddenly, under the Biden regime, our country isnt really serious about protecting itself anymore.

The perception is we seem to be preoccupied instead with checking off identity boxes rather than recruiting the best and brightest and most capable people we can find to serve and protect our country.

This will have consequences. Count on it.

Sources include:

Townhall.com

MilitaryTech.news
A South Carolina man was arrested Tuesday after he drunkenly tossed a bucket he uses [to] relieve himself with and threw it at his much younger girlfriend early in the morning, according to an incident report the Myrtle Beach Police Department shared with the Daily News.
(Natural News) Now that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) house of cards is crumbling, communist China is frantically trying to scrub all evidence linking Anthony Fauci to the illicit gain of function research that ultimately led to the plandemic.

New reports indicate that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was caught deleting all mentions of Fauci, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and gain of function research from old web pages, beginning in early 2021.

As it started to become clear that there was no salvaging this farce any longer, and that Fauci was in some serious hot water concerning his treason against our country, his buddies over in communist China started working overtime to erase all evidence of his complicity from the internet.

Fauci, as you may know, has repeatedly lied under oath when question about his involvement with gain of function research. Just the other day, in fact, he lied numerous times to Sen. Rand Paul by claiming that the NIH never sent American taxpayer dollars to China to work on gain of function research.

We now know that Fauci is a liar and that he did funnel gobs of taxpayer cash to China, which allowed the communist country to unleash genetically modified (GMO) coronaviruses into the world, leading to lockdowns, mask mandates, and now vaccines.

One of the now-scrubbed webpages contained a research update called, Will SARS Come Back? that described gain of function research being funded by Faucis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). Another listed other U.S.-based partners, including the University of Alabama, EcoHealth Alliance and Harvard University, all of which also contributed to gain of function research in China.

Over time, many of these partners started disappearing from the site until the only one that remained was EcoHealth Alliance, which is run by longstanding Chinese Communist Party (CCP) asset and partner Peter Daszak, who appears to be the impending fall guy for the Wuhan lab debacle.

Fauci committed treason against the United States with his plandemic scheme

Perhaps the most significant omission from WIVs American partner list is the NIH, which heavily funded gain of function research at Faucis command. This revelation puts in the spotlight Faucis recent lies to Sen. Paul, as Fauci desperately tried to squirm his way out of the situation.

It is too late, though, as the world now knows that Fauci was the ringleader behind this whole operation and must now be held accountable.

Beyond establishing a working relationship between the NIH and the Wuhan Institue of Virology, now-deleted posts from the site also detail studies bearing the hallmarks of gain-of-function research conducted with the Wuhan-based lab, The National Pulse reported.

Fauci, however, asserted to Senator Paul that the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.'

Another entity that must be held accountable for its involvement in Faucis plandemic scheme is the University of North Carolina (UNC), where scientists were generating and characterizing a chimeric virus for the purpose of learning how to make it replicate efficiently in primary human airway cells and achieve in vitro titers equivalent to epidemic strains of SARS-CoV.

On the basis of these findings, they synthetically re-derived an infectious full-length SHC014 recombinant virus and demonstrate robust viral replication both in vitro and in vivo, an article on this research reveals.

Dr. Ralph Baric from UNC, who worked on said research, has received some 173 grants from Faucis agency over the years. Fauci, however, lied to Sen. Paul by claiming that Dr. Baric is not doing gain of function research.

More related news on Fauci and his Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com
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Homeowners may avoid writing larger checks for the tax collector next year after the Board of Finance approved a mill rate of 18.164 for fiscal year 2022, the exact same rate as fiscal year 2021.

The budget calls for raising $140.2 million from taxation for fiscal year 2022, an 0.85 percent increase from $138.99 million in 2021.

Everyone works to keep the spending in check, Todd Lavieri, Board of Finance chairman said after the board voted unanimously to approve the mill rate.

"After two years in a row of declining taxes, we have been able to keep the mill flat next year, which is unprecedented," Lavieri said in a press release from the town.

Setting the mill rate is the final action for the 2022 budget process, after Town Council approved a $154.51 million expenditure budget in March, an increase of 0.48 percent over the current fiscal year adjusted budget of $153.77 million.

A mill rate of 18.164 means a tax payment of $18.164 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

CFO Lunda Asmani presented to the board scenarios that showed the mill rate rising slightly.

Board member Michael Chen urged the board to keep it flat. I like saving every penny, Chen said.

Otherwise, its still an increasethats the headline, Secretary Judy Neville said.

The fund balance of nearly $29 million is almost 18 percent of the full budget, while financial experts recommend municipalities should have at least 10 percent, Lavieri said.

A very robust general fund kind of posture, finance board member George Blauvelt said.

Having a generous fund balance allowed us to do things under a crisis that we didnt have to sweat about, Lavieri said.

The finance board approved $1.94 million in special appropriations for COVID-19 related expenses, in 2020-21 fiscal year, which helped the district schools keep their doors open.

We can afford to do anything we want, board member Neil Budnick said.

Moynihan and others have frowned on collecting higher than needed taxes from residents, by underestimating the tax collection rate in the budget.

The town under spends and over collects, Blauvelt said.

The budget assumes the town will collect 98.5 percent of the taxes it levies on residents, even though the town usually collects over 99 percent. New Canaan collected 99.6 percent of billed taxes in 2018, 99.5 percent in 2019 and 99.4 percent in 2020.

The town is expected to receive as much as $5.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, of which nearly $2 million would be sent directly to the town, $2.5 million from the state for New Canaans per capital portion of the amount given to Fairfield County and $1 million for its Board of Education, according to Asmani.

Lavieri warned his fellow board members that they should not count on that money until it was received.

The spending of the American Rescue Plan Act funds would be determined at a future finance board meeting.

Some members said they would like to use that money to reduce future bonding, since the town is expected to give $10 million toward a new library and is expected to spend an unknown amount on a new or renovated police headquarters.

The town assessor reported an increase of 0.85 percent to the 2020 grand list, to $7.8 billion from the 2019 grand list of $7.73 billion.

This increase in the grand list combined with a $5.26 million fund balance draw down resulted in the flat mill rate, according to a press release from Kevin Moynihan.

Maintaining healthy reserves and a stable mill rate remains a priority of the Board of Finance, Moynihan said in the release.

He also thanked the entire board for maintaining a flat mill rate, calling it a tremendous accomplishment in the second difficult budget season during the historic COVID-19 pandemic.

"In fact, the amount raised by taxation for FY 2022 is approximately the same as it was in FY 2019, which makes us unique, Moynihan said. Our strategy has been to have the best schools, a great downtown, and investments in our infrastructure while working to keep our taxes from rising through lean management and cost savings.

Moynihan thanked the Board of Finance, Town Council, the New Canaan school administration, the Board of Education, and the Board of Selectmen for their hard work and guidance."
Wymondham honours Far East prisoners of war Wymondham honours Far East prisoners of war

An ecumenical memorial service at St Thomas of Canterbury in Wymondham heard about the shift of mental furniture of one Far East prisoner of war.

Fr Pat Cleary, parish priest of St Thomas of Canterbury, hosted the service for Far East prisoners of War, which was organised by Peter Wiseman. He was joined by Fr Denis Gallagher and an Anglican guest, Rev Pauline Simpson.



The church had been built in 1952 by Fr Cowin, who was himself a prisoner of war in Thailand, and used to say a daily Mass for those who died in Japanese camps. This practice has turned into an annual service which now takes place on the Sunday closest to May 14, the anniversary of the liberation of Rangoon (now Yangon) in 1945.



The church is unique in being built as a memorial to prisoners of war and civilian internees who suffered in Japanese camps. Around 36,000 names are listed in the books of remembrance which are kept in the church.



Fr Pat read an address written by Michael Ipgrave, the Anglican Bishop of Litchfield, whose father was a prisoner of war captured in Singapore. He was put to hard labour on the railway, wrote the bishop, and experienced terrible conditions of deprivation, overwork and brutality there; he was fortunate enough to survive, but his health was permanently damaged, and I believe that what he went through deeply scarred him. How could it not?



Although Geoff Ipgrave never appeared to harbour resentment towards the Japanese, he did not have warm feelings towards them either. When he was 65, he finally visited Japan. He met with people of his own generation who had experienced in their own country the brutality which he had encountered as a PoW  Anglicans in wartime Japan had been regarded with great suspicion as fifth columnists of the Allies, and the Church and its priests had been persecuted as a result.



The bishop said that he could almost see the mental furniture being shifted around in my fathers mind and he became committed to reconciliation with Japan and the Japanese people.



Although surviving prisoners of war are now too elderly to attend, their relatives from around the country laid a series of wreaths on their behalf.



Towards the end of the service, the East Anglian connected was highlighted by a link to the the Battle of Kohima. It was the 1944 defensive actions at Kohima of the 18th Division, largely East Anglian, which prevented a Japanese advance into India. This was the first time the Japanese had been defeated in battle, and it marked the turning point of the war in south-east Asia. After Jeremy Lightowler had played the Last Post on the bugle, the congregation read the Kohima Epitaph.



Rev Pauline Simpson concluded the service by scattering petals in front of the memorial.



Pictured above are Fr Pat Cleary and Rev Pauline Simpson



You can see a Flickr gallery of pictures from the service by clicking here or on the image below.

Eldred Willey, 18/05/2021
Finnell then walked over to Arb-Bloodgood, who was sitting on a chair on the patio facing away from him, and shot her in the back of the head at close range with a revolver, the affidavit alleged, according to People.
Hampton - Douglas M. LaPorte, 63, of Hampton, passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at his home. He was born in Albany, NY on October 6, 1957 a son of Earl LaPorte and Rosemary (Pomakoy) Snyder. Doug was a volunteer firefighter in NY in his younger years and went on to work for various Walmart
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Chemical maker BASF Group on Tuesday said it is supplying 'molecular sieves' to several companies in the country to augment oxygen generation capacity.

Molecular sieves are integral for enriching atmospheric oxygen from 21 per cent to medical-grade oxygen ranging from 90 to 95 per cent, it said.

The government is helping the company to import this product.

The first shipment of sieves carried by the Indian Air Force arrived from Frankfurt in Mumbai on May 8, it added.

"As a reciprocal gesture, BASF is donating the next batch of 70 tonne of molecular sieves," it said in a statement.

BASF is supplying molecular sieves from its Catalysts division to several companies in India, which are ramping up their oxygen supply by converting their nitrogen generation units to oxygen units or setting up new oxygen units, it added.

Commenting on the initiative, BASF India Managing Director Narayan Krishnamohan said: The need of the hour is to support the demands for medical infrastructure.

BASF has therefore leveraged its global and local network to supply chemistry that enables additional oxygen generation as well as much needed medical equipment".

Proactive and timely support from the government enabled the quick shipment of this product to address the critical medical oxygen need in the country, he said.

BASF is also importing medical oxygen-related equipment to India, including cylinders and concentrators.

In partnership with industry players, BASF has installed three state-of-the-art mobile acute care units in one of the largest COVID-19 care centres in Mumbai.

Each unit with five Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds is supporting several patients each day.

BASF said it will continue to monitor the situation and explore additional ways to support the government's and local organisations' relief efforts in India.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: State-owned CIL on Tuesday announced an investment of Rs 35 crore to install 25 oxygen generation plants, across 22 hospitals, in a bid to augment the supply of the life-saving gas amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.

These O2 generation plants will be set up in Coal India's own hospitals and in district hospitals where four of its subsidiaries operate to support 3,328 beds, the PSU said in a statement.

India is facing shortage of medical oxygen in the wake of rise in COVID-19 cases.

"Coal India Limited (CIL) is pumping Rs 35 crore into installation of 25 oxygen generation plants, across 22 hospitals, to revive increased supply of the life-saving gas," the PSU said in a statement.

While the combined O2 generation capacity of 20 plants is a little above 12,700 litres per minute, four of the plants together generate 750 cubic metres per hour.

One is a refill plant, the maharatna firm said.

Of the 25 plants, five are being installed at CIL's own hospitals at an investment of Rs 4.25 crore covering 332 beds.

Coal India arms -- Northern Coalfields Ltd and Central Coalfields Ltd --will be putting up two plants each, while Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, another subsidiary of CIL, will put up one plant.

The remaining 20 plants will be installed in district hospitals under CIL's corporate social responsibility.

Fully financed by CIL, these plants account for Rs 30.75 crore or 88 per cent of CIL's total Rs 35 crore investment.

CIL spent Rs 264 crore exclusively on COVID relief measures during FY'21, which is 50 per cent of its total CSR spend of Rs 523 crore.

"Responding to the oxygen need and to scale up its availability we are installing O2 plants on a war footing.

All CIL owned five plants will be installed before July, in phase-wise manner, beginning from the first week of June.

Plants supported by CIL at district hospitals are expected to be completed by August," the company said.

CIL has engaged a voluntary organisation to establish oxygen banks at 10 locations of Jharkhand and Bihar at Rs 1.34 crore.

Twenty ventilators at each location will be given at no cost for door-delivery to the afflicted.

Additionally, the company is also contributing Rs 47 lakh towards ventilators to a Kolkata Police Hospital.

At a time when oxygen has become a critical element in COVID treatment, CIL has 2,324 oxygen cylinders and 237 ventilators ready for use at its hospitals.

"With the government declaring COVID measures as the common CSR theme for CPSES in FY'22, we shall further augment our COVID relief measures," the company said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom (DoT) has allowed telcos to make intra-circle roaming arrangement in cyclone Tauktae-hit districts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu for 24 hours, a senior government official said Tuesday.

The DoT has allowed ICR, which allows telecom operators to use each others network, in Gujarat's Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Gir, Somnath, Junagadh, Valsad and Navsari, and also in districts of Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, telecom secretary Anshu Prakash told PTI.

"We have allowed ICR in districts where more than 10 per cent telecom networks have been damaged from the cyclone," Prakash said.

He said that ICR has been allowed in Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra as well as in north and south Goa.

"We will review the situation this evening and decide on further action," Prakash said.

The landfall process of the eye of Tauktae, which hit the Gujarat coast in Saurashtra region between Diu and Una, ended around midnight, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the IMD, Diu reported wind speed of 133 kilometer per hour at 9.30 pm on May 17.

Industry body COAI, whose members include Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea etc, said that its members are working closely with the DoT, infrastructure providers (IPs) and local state authorities to minimize the impact of cyclone Tauktae on telecom networks.

Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) director general SP Kochhar said that intra-circle roaming has been initiated so that mobile phone users can easily switch between telecom operators in case their native service provider is affected.

"Priority Call Routing is helping government officials to coordinate and execute restoration work. We are taking every possible step to mitigate Cyclone Tauktae's impact on the people in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Diu to ensure that the adverse impact of this cyclone is minimal and the disruption in telecommunications and internet services caused by the cyclone is restored at the earliest," Kochhar said.

All telecom operators and equipment companies have deployed extra workforce on the ground to protect and restore telecom infrastructure, he said.

To cater to the disruption in mobile towers, telecom service providers have "deployed additional Cell on Wheels (CoW) to support impacted telecom sites.

In the absence of grid supply, adequate diesel and battery backup at telecom sites is ensuring continuity of services.

Close coordination with the NDMA and their teams in the field is being done", Kochhar said.
Chetana Belagere By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: A study conducted by the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Reseach in Bengaluru, on 140 healthcare workers who had been vaccinated with both doses of Covishield, has shown a good amount of antibodies developing in about 78% of the recipients. We did a study in March second week, exactly after four weeks of the health care workers receiving both shots of the vaccine. Most of our employees showed a good amount of antibodies generated in them, Dr Manjunath C N, Director of the institute, who led the study, said.

We know that Covishield is given in two doses  the first initiates an immune response and the second booster shot strengthens it. The participants chosen for the study took their first jab in January and the second dose in the last week of February. Health care workers comorbidities were also taken into cons iderat ion. A month after their second dose, the antibody test was done on these participants, he explained. We noticed that the antibodies they had developed after a four-week gap had prevented them from even getting reinfected, he said.

Although the gap of four weeks between two doses was as per the initially announced regimen by the Centre, he said it is absolutely scientific and there is evidence to extend the gap to 12 weeks when antibody generation will be even higher.

There are studies with growing evidence to prove that a 12-week gap can also give a larger antibody response than when vaccine doses are taken at four weeks interval. A study to compare this will soon be carried out in the hospital. We intend to do another study soon to check if the antibody levels, when compared to the earlier study, is high or low after a gap of eight weeks in some of the frontline workers who have taken the jab later in February or March, he added.
Sahaya Novinston Lobo By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The city witnessed chaos from 6 am to 10 am on Tuesday as the new sector-wise vehicle restriction came into effect. While senior officers said the system will take some days to bear fruit, a few expressed concern over the prolonged waiting time at checkpoints.

Earlier on Monday, the Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal had ordered the city to be divided into 348 sectors to contain vehicular movements.

The police personnel of the Law and Order division and Traffic division installed over 200 checkpoints. The Greater Chennai Police has 13 police districts and over 20 police stations under each district.

The press statement said that the city has been divided into 348 sectors, based on the police station limits and people traveling from one sector to another must have registered in the online portal. The e-registration is provided for essential purposes and medical emergencies only.

As the new implementation came into effect on Tuesday, thousands of motorists, who thronged the streets, were stopped by cops at checkpoints and vehicles were allowed only after thorough checking. At Anna Salai, GST Road, CTH road and OMR, several vehicles were caught in a traffic block caused by the vehicle checking.

ALSO READ | Chennai residents encounter glitches while applying online for e-pass to travel within city

While a few people questioned the personnel and picked up arguments, the police on duty explained to them about the situation and asked them not to roam around without any reason.

"This is the first day of the implementation and it would take at least two days for people to get used to it. People who roamed today without any reason would not come outside tomorrow seeing the strict enforcement," said a senior police officer.

While several people welcomed the move few expressed concerns. "We appreciate the sector-wise implementation as it restricts people from loitering. Yet there could be another systematic method to avoid chaos," says H Jayashankar, from Ice House, who picked up an argument with the personnel at Anna Salai.

The police have deployed 205 motorbike patrols and 309 four-wheeler patrols across the city to maintain law and order after 10 am.

The people living in containment zones are requested not to step out.

On Monday the city police registered 2,855 cases and seized 3082 vehicles during the vehicle checks. Moreover 3,619 people were booked for not wearing face masks, 392 for not maintaining social distancing and 49 shops were issued challan for violating covid protocols. The city police collected a fine of Rs 8,59,200 on Monday.

The seized vehicles were given back to the people in the evening.

(If the essential workers are denied entry or exit at vehicle checkpoints they can contact the Chennai city police public relations officer at 23452320 and 9498130011)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Hospitals in Delhi have reported a rise in the number of black fungus cases or mucormycosis among people recovering from COVID-19 during the second wave and it could be ascribed to "irrational" use of steroids at home without consulting a doctor, medical experts said on Tuesday.

The fungal infection, which affects the brain, lungs, and sinuses, can be lethal to those suffering from diabetes and having compromised immune systems.

According to Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, Senior Consultant, ENT, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, mucormycosis is more prevalent among people with low immunity due to diabetes, kidney disease, liver disorder, old age, cardiac issues, or those on medication for auto-immune disease like rheumatoid arthritis.

"If such patients are administered steroids, their immunity reduces further, allowing the fungus to thrive," he said.

Dr Naruka said he has been dealing with three to four patients with severe mucormycosis every day as compared to one or two cases a month before COVID-19 began.

COVID-19 kills one or two per cent of the people infected, while black fungus has a mortality rate of 75 per cent, he said.

Drugs used in the treatment of mucormycosis have severe side-effects, and can lead to kidney issues, neurological dysfunction and stroke, the doctor said.

Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman, Department of ENT at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, termed the mucormycosis situation "terrible".

"We have more than 35 cases, of which around 10 are Covid positive. The rest developed the fungal infection post Covid," he said.

Mucormycosis is a serious disease and requires hospital admission.

Maybe, if diagnosed early, it might not require surgical intervention, Dr Swaroop said.

Amphotericin B Liposomal, used for the treatment of the fungal infection, is unavailable at most of the pharmacies, he said.

Dr Sumit Mrig, Head ENT, Max Hospital, Saket, said 15 to 20 cases have been reported at their facility in the last three to four days.

"We have operated on 14-15 patients so far and four to five surgeries are planned for Tuesday. The factors responsible are extensive use of steroids to an extent that people have taken them without doctor's advice at home," he said.

Patients from rural areas are also coming in with mucormycosis, Dr Mrig added. Sugar monitoring is important.

The fasting sugar should be around 100-110 and thereafter, the level should not rise above 140, he said, adding one should seek medical advice if experiencing symptoms such as unilateral headache, facial pain, pain in the eye, decreased sensation on one side of the face, bloody nasal discharge.

Dr Abhinit Kumar, Head of ENT, Aakash Healthcare, said he has been coming across one or two such cases a day for the last 10 days.

Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, the Delhi government's largest healthcare facility, said steroids should be used under medical supervision when oxygen saturation is below 93 per cent.

The hospital said it has four cases of mucormycosis currently.

"All these patients have been referred here from private hospitals and nursing homes, which did not have Amphotericin B for their treatment," he said, adding LNJP has stock of three months.

Before COVID, the drug was not being used much.

Now, the demand has risen, leading to a shortage of it, Dr Kumar said.

Dr Yudhyavir, Assistant Professor (Anaesthesiology and Critical Care), AIIMS, said the drug is not commonly available and is manufactured in lesser quantities.

He said steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs, but also reduce immunity and increase blood sugar levels in both diabetics and non-diabetic Covid patients.

This is leading to an explosion in the number of black fungus cases.

"This time people are aware of a lot of steroids being used in treatment of COVID and are using them without medical supervision. Even some administration officials are promoting use of steroids, which is dangerous, and leading to cases of mucormycosis," the doctor said.

Another official from the central government-run hospital said the healthcare facility has around 30 mucormycosis patients at present.

Dr Mohit Agarwal, Additional Director and Head of Medical Oncology Department, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said people have been self-medicating without consulting a doctor.

"Some patients have been taking medicines that doctors had prescribed to their friends or family members earlier. This is leading to inadvertent use of steroids."

The increase in the number of "black fungus" cases this year can be attributed to the high COVID caseload and more severe cases during the second wave.

"The use of steroids has increased because of limitations of resources," Dr Agarwal said.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a man who was allegedly contracted for killing Dasna Devi temples head priest Swami Yati Narsinghanand terror group Jaise-e-Mohammad (JeM). 24-year-old John Mohammad Dar alias Jehangir, a resident of Pulawa district in Kashmir, was apprehended from a hotel in Paharganj.

Police recovered a pistol and live ammunition as well as saffron clothes, chandan tika, kalawa and mala from him. These clothes were allegedly to be used as a cover to gain entry into the temple situated in Ghaziabad.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR in April against Narsinghanand for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community on a complaint from AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.

The preliminary interrogation has revealed that Dar, who is a carpenter by profession, had met a man named Abid in December last year who had informed him that he was from Pakistan and associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), police said.

They became friends and Abid motivated Dar to work for him. According to the police, Abid assigned him with the task to assassinate Swami Narsinghanand.

He also showed Dar a video of the religious leader.Abid trained Dar on how to use small arms like pistol. He also promised Dar that he would be paid a substantial amount for carrying out the action. He then told the accused that someone named Umar will receive him in Delhi.

On 23rd April accused left for Delhi was in touch with Umar through Telegram. Umar was to arrange his recce and stay in Delhi and also to provide access to Narsinghanand. It was Umar who shifted him to a hotel in Pahargandj. Later, he and Umar received the arms from another person near his hotel, police said.
Police said that the vehicle was traveling eastbound on the I-580 in Oakland on Tuesday around 12:20 a.m. when the first round of shots were fired from a car driving nearby. The bus driver managed to navigate the bus off the highway, but the group of suspects chased after them and unleashed a second hail of bullets, the SF Gate reported.
Kakoli Mukherjee By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The link between smoking and Covid-19 has been debated since the virus made its appearance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that there are currently no peer-reviewed studies that directly estimate the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19 among smokers. However, 27 observational studies found that smokers constituted 1.4-18.5% of hospitalised adults.

In fact, there was a study that claimed that smoking provides protection against the virus. However, it was debunked later by science journals, including Nature. In one of its articles, the journal stated: In France, researchers first suggested that nicotine may play a role in protecting smokers, triggering a run on nicotine products among the general public.

Interestingly, the lead author of this research has been funded by the tobacco industry in the past, and also other researchers who have made similar claims can be linked with the tobacco industry, indicating a possible conflict of interest. Notwithstanding what studies say, a few smokers from the city kicked the cigarette butt during the pandemic.

For some, it was a health concern, and for others, the difficulty in procuring cigarettes during the lockdown served as a death knell to the habit.Navin Pivhal says: The cigarettes were costing a bomb in lockdown. It was too much of a hassle to procure them in the lockdown. So, it was the best option to quit smoking altogether.

Initially, it was a tad difficult in the first week. However, with time, the urge to smoke faded. I used the app Quit Tracker which kept me motivated not to smoke.For Radhika, the fact that Covid-19 affects the lungs was enough to try and quit smoking.

I had been planning to quit for a while. I thought Covid-19 might be a good excuse to tell myself as it affects the lungs. And there were reports that smokers wont have it easy. Quitting was very difficult. I had to stop going out for breaks with my colleagues because I couldnt be around smokers without smoking. I also went cold turkey, so it was harder. But am happy that I finally bid adieu to the addiction.

A few have found that smoking is hurtful after you have contracted the virus. Sneha says: I have always had severe withdrawal symptoms everytime I have tried to quit, which is why I always go back to it. This time though, I couldnt figure out if they were withdrawal or Covid symptoms, because they feel the same. Fever, shivers, body ache, nausea. So, I just rode the wave with the Covid medication. I tried to smoke after I tested negative, got a severe shooting pain in the chest and breathlessness, so stubbed it after the first drag.

Interestingly, a few got rid of the habit to contribute their bit to the greater good of the planet. Abhishek shares: Initially, I was not able to go out of my house and smoke after lockdown started, as I dont have freedom to smoke at home. But the actual reason for quitting was what I learned from a news report. It said that there is a decrease in pollution levels because of less vehicle movement, and some people quitting smoking due to circumstances. I realised that I fell in the latter category and decided to continue the status quo. Currently, we are in a situation where we are buying oxygen, and a lot of people are dying because of that. So at least in future, that should not be the case. Talking about his struggle to quit, he continues: Initially it was difficult, as I used to have the urge to smoke. I tried some board games at home like chess and carom board to divert my mind, and slowly my mind got adjusted to the new normal.Its been more than one that I gave up smoking, and I am happy I made this decision.

What does WHO say?

At the time of this review, the available evidence suggests that smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalized COVID patients. Although likely related to severity, there is no evidence to quantify the risk to smokers of hospitalisation with COVID-19 or of infection by SARS-CoV-2 was found in the peer-reviewed literature

Why so addictive?

Nicotine is a plant-based alkaloid and it is the primary pysychoactive substance present in all tobacco products. Nicotine acts on certain receptors in the brain called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.These receptors are found in parts of the brain that are associated with motivation, attention, concentration, alertness, appetite etc. Through these receptors and an indirect mechanism, nicotine causes a final, common pathway of the brain which is called the reward pathway, wherein there is an increase of a feel-good chemical called dopamine

 Kakoli Mukherjee

kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com

@KakoliMukherje2
Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: While the passing cyclone Tauktae had a devastating impact on the Kerala coast over the past few days, it has left Fort Kochi grappling with a different problem. The high waves have washed ashore a pile of plastic and biowaste.

Though such accumulation is regular in the area during the monsoon season, this time it has been three times the waste seen every year. The authorities are concerned whether the usual procedure of using earthmovers will be enough to clean up the entire beach.

It will take over a week to remove the waste completely, said Antony Kureethara, Fort Kochi counsellor.The sea is still rough and more waste is accumulating daily. As the triple lockdown has affected the movement of people engaged in cleaning, we may require a joint operation involving persons from the Navy, Coast Guard, police and other agencies to complete the cleaning process.

He said the waste dumped in the backwaters and the Vembanad lake washed ashore in large quantities. Besides, there is waste from transit ships and boats.There is a huge pile of thermoplastic dumped by ships and boats. The cleaning of ships takes place in the outer sea, off the Kochi coast. Similarly, there are plastic bottles and coconut shells dumped into the backwaters and the Vembanad lake, he said.

Stormy weather also destroyed walkways close to the Fort Kochi beach.On Friday and Saturday, the sea was too rough for us to even come close to the beach. A major portion of the walkway was already in a dilapidated state and the cyclone damaged it further. A complete makeover is required to make Fort Kochi accessible for tourists, said Sajo Devasia, a local resident.

In 2017, a section of the walkway had caved in to sea erosion. Last month, IIT Madras submitted a report to the tourism department suggesting measures to prevent sea erosion in the area. The tourism department has to hand over the IIT report to the irrigation department to conduct the necessary work. All tourism projects are moving at a snails pace. The Kochi corporation has allocated Rs 50 lakh for the beautification of Fort Kochi so that it remains a favourite spot for tourists coming to Kochi, Antony said.

ALSO WATCH:
Steni Simon By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The triple lockdown that came into effect in the district from Sunday midnight has dealt a major blow to the hotels and restaurants in the city. With home delivery limited between 7am and 7.30pm and no takeaways allowed, hotels and restaurants are having a hard time staying afloat.

We have been providing home delivery through Swiggy and Zomato and our food delivery executives. Compared to previous weeks, the orders have considerably decreased now as customers are scared of catching an infection. We practice no contact delivery and the orders are numbered so that delivery executives can pick them up correctly, said Akbar Ali, owner of Monte Nero, a restaurant in Ulloor.

Akbar had closed the restaurant completely during last years lockdown as no dine-in was allowed. He also faced a staff shortage. However, after we resumed business in January, we thought of focusing more on deliveries so that we can make at least 10 per cent profit, he added. Before the elections, they were getting good business but with the sudden spike in cases, the situation has become grim, he says. Food aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato are charging 32 per cent of the revenue on every order or booking made through their apps. Earlier, the charge was 24 per cent, he adds. Akbar is struggling to pay the rent which comes to over a lakh per month.

This second lockdown happened just when we were starting to feel hopeful about things. Since we are a small food outlet, we cant afford to collaborate with food aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato. Some of our regular customers had been buying parcels but due to the triple lockdown, that has stopped, said another restaurant owner.

BARRICADES PREVENT DELIVERY

Food delivery executives face many difficulties reaching homes inside containment zones. We couldnt deliver in most of the places due to the barricades. Some orders had to be taken back since customers were not allowed to come out and take the parcels. Many of us travel long routes to reach the customers, said Shaheer Salim, a food delivery executive.

The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) members said though a request was made to the authorities to allow parcel service, it was in vain. There are nearly 5,000 hotels and restaurants functioning in the district. Due to the crisis, about 500 have already shut shop. The remaining ones are struggling to survive, said Jayadharan Nair, president of KHRA.
Express News Service

NAGAPATTINAM/VILLUPURAM: The raging pandemic and the steely resolve to fight this battle have encouraged many people, and even children, to part with their savings and pocket money and pour it into the Covid relief fund pool. Their contributions may seem small as compared to the big league of celebrities and industrialists.

Nevertheless, their noble intention has warmed many a heart. In this sea of humanity, three large-hearted couples, two of them newly-wed and the other in their twilight years, rowed with their oars of generosity, taking their boat upstream towards the Chief Ministers Covid donation box.

On a cloudy Monday morning in Nagapattinam, S Sharinraj and V Surya exchanged rings and took their vows in Our Lady of Lourdes Church. After taking the blessings of their parents, they headed straight to the district collectorate in their wedding finery and handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 to the collector Praveen P Nair towards the Chief Ministers Covid-19 Relief Fund. Sharinraj, the groom from Manjakollai in Nagapattinam, said, As we are getting married in the middle of such a global crisis, we thought we should contribute to the relief of patients.

Sharinraj, the groom from Manjakollai, said It is saddening to learn about people suffering due to Covid-19 every day. A few of our friends and relatives are among the survivors.His 25-year-old bride, V Surya, a postgraduate in mathematics from Thiruthuraipoondi, said, Both our families work in the education area. My husband and I were sure about contributing to the cause together. Seeing the couples gesture, 10-year-old B Kularanjan from Kilvelur in Nagapattinam, district also gave his piggy bank, which had his two-year savings of about Rs 2,000 for Chief Ministers Covid-19 Relief Fund. District Collector Praveen P Nair lauded the couple and the boy for their donations on Monday.

He said, The willingness and the charity of the donors matter more than the amount of cash they are donating.Over 188-km away, in a small town of Manampoondi in Villupuram, another newly-married couple tied the knot in a temple the same day. After exchanging garlands and participating in the rituals, they reached out to Higher Education Minister, K Ponmudy, at his residence in Thirukovilur, also in their wedding attire, to hand over Rs 51,000 in cash and sought his blessings, sources said.

When asked, the groom, Haribaskar said, We had planned for a grand wedding, but due to the lockdown, we reduced it to a simple affair. We gave a portion of the money that we had saved for our grand wedding to the Chief Ministers Covid Fund. It was our part in supporting the fight against the pandemic.
By PTI

MUMBAI: As Cyclone Tauktae continues to impact several states on the Western Coast including Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees, the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday informed that the cyclone is continuing to show a weakening trend.

The entire eye of severe Cyclone Tauktae has now crossed the Gujarat coast and lies overland.

"Its eye is disorganising and wall cloud is weakening", as reported by IMD in a tweet.

THE VSCS TAUKTAE LAY CENTRED AT 0330 HRS IST OF 18TH MAY 2021 OVER SAURASHTRA, NEAR LAT. 21.35N AND LONG. 71.20E, ABOUT 80 KM NORTH-NORTHEAST OF DIU AND 25 KM SOUTH OF AMRELI.



THE CYCLONE CONTINUES TO SHOW WEAKENING TREND. EYE IS DISORGANISING, WALL CLOUD IS WEAKENING.  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2021

A very severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour began making landfall on the Gujarat coast Monday night, after dumping heavy rains on Mumbai, forcing the evacuation of over 1.5 lakh people in Gujarat and leaving two barges with 410 people on board adrift in the Arabian Sea.

Tropical storm 'Tauktae' (pronounced as Tau'Te) which had intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm, lies close to the Gujarat coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

"The landfall process of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae has started as forward sector of eye of the storm is entering the Saurashtra coast to the east of Diu," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in Ahmedabad.

Six persons were killed in Maharashtra's Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm and three sailors remained missing after two boats sank in the sea, officials said.

Three persons died in Raigad district, a sailor in Sindhudurg district and two persons were killed in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar in Thane district after trees fell on them.

ALSO READ | Tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea: Why are they increasing?

Major airports in the state shutdown operations till Tuesday as a precautionary measure.

Barring the Rajkot airport, which will remain shut for flights till May 19, other three major airports - Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara - will remain closed for both domestic and international flights till Tuesday, officials said.

The Ahmedabad airport, which suspended its operations on Monday evening, will resume flights after 5 am on Tuesday.

"The Ahmedabad airport is fully prepared for cyclone Tauktae, and as a precautionary measure our operations will remain suspended from 19:30 hrs, 17th May to 05:00 hrs, 18th May 2021," the airport said in a statement.

Both Vadodara and Surat airports suspended take off and landing of flights at 11 am on Monday and will resume operations at 1 pm on Tuesday, the officials said.

The Rajkot airport has announced that its operations, which came to a halt at 4 pm on Monday, will remain suspended till 11:15 hours on May 19.

The tropical storm 'Tauktae' (pronounced as Tau'Te), which had intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm, lies close to the Gujarat coast, the IMD said.

The wind speed at the Union Territory of Diu was 133 kmph when the cyclone started making its landfall at around 9.30 pm, the Met office said.

The ESCS (extremely severe cyclonic storm) TAUKTAE lies close to Gujarat coast.

The landfall process started and will continue during next 02 hours, IMD said in a Twitter post.

"The forward sector of eye is entering into the land. The centre of the cyclone will cross Saurashtra coast to the east of Diu within next 03 hours. Outer cloud band lies over Saurashtra," the IMD said in another tweet.

An IMD official said the eye of the storm is likely to cross the Gujarat coast in about two hours.

"We expect that the eye of the storm will cross the coast in about two hours," said Assistant Director of the Gujarat Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty.

She said Tauktae, potentially the most devastating cyclone to hit Gujarat in almost 23 years, would make a landfall anywhere between the Union Territory of Diu and Mahuva town of Bhavnagar district just near Diu.

Gujarat Chief Minister also confirmed that the process of landfall has started.

He said coastal districts of Amreli, Junagadh, Gir- Somnath and Bhavnagar will face the maximum brunt as the wind speed would go up to 150 kmph when the eye of the storm would make a landfall.

"It is predicted that the landfall would happen after around 2 hours. The effect continues even after the eye of the storm would pass. Thus, the effect of the cyclone will remain till 1 am," Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

Mohanty said the place above which the eye of a cyclone crosses is designated as the "place of landfall".

The Gujarat government has shifted over 2 lakh people from low-lying areas in coastal towns to safer places and mobilised disaster response teams 44 from the NDRF and 10 from the SDRF - officials said.

Two boats with seven sailors on board, anchored in the Anandwadi harbour in Sindhudurg district capsized, an official statement said.

As the cyclone moved past the Maharashtra coast in the morning, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport initially announced the suspension of operations from 11 am to 2 pm and later decided to keep all operations shut till 8 pm.

Over 1.5 lakh people were shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat, while 54 teams of the NDRF and SDRF remained deployed, an official said.

At least 17 COVID-19 patients on ventilator support in the Porbandar Civil Hospital's ICU were shifted to other facilities on Monday as a precautionary measure because of cyclone Tauktae which is heading towards the Gujarat coast, an official said.

The Centre has offered all help to Gujarat to deal with the cyclone and asked the Army, Navy and the Air Force to remain on standby to assist the administration if the need arises, the Gujarat government said.

ALSO READ | Cyclone-induced rains have affected Konkan farmers: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are in touch with the state government and have extended all possible help, said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani after holding a meeting with collectors of coastal districts which are likely to face the maximum brunt of the cyclone.

The PM called up Rupani and enquired about the state government's preparedness to deal with the cyclone, the CMO said.

A major cyclone in Gujarat on June 9, 1998 had brought widespread death and destruction in its wake, particularly in the port town of Kandla.

While official figures had then put the death toll at 1,173, adding 1,774 went missing, media reports, eyewitness and volunteer accounts suggested that this was grossly an understatement.

A leading news magazine had then claimed that at least 4,000 people had died and countless went missing as bodies were washed to the sea.

The Indian Navy on Monday deployed three of its frontline warships after receiving messages to rescue 410 people on board two barges off the Mumbai coast.

The ships deployed to extend assistance to the two barges were INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Talwar.

"On receipt of a request for assistance for a barge 'P305' adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel onboard, INS Kochi was swiftly sailed with a despatch for search and rescue assistance," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

"In response to another SOS received from barge 'GAL Constructor' with 137 people onboard about 8NM from Mumbai, INS Kolkata has been sailed to render assistance," the Navy officer said.

A Navy spokesperson in Mumbai said in the night that the rescue operations on Barge 305 were being undertaken amid extreme weather conditions.

The Indian Coast Guard said it rescued 12 fishermen stranded around 35 nautical miles off the Kochi coast amid rough seas due to the cyclone on the night of May 16.

Gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belts of Maharashtra and Goa as Tauktae hurtled northwards towards Gujarat.

Winds blew at 114 kmph in Mumbai on Monday afternoon as the cyclonic storm passed close to the Mumbai coast, civic officials said.

ALSO READ | Cyclone effect: Orange, yellow alerts declared for heavy rains in 13 districts of Madhya Pradesh

The highest wind speed of 108 km per hour was recorded at the Colaba observatory in the afternoon, said Shubhangi Bhute, senior director, IMD Mumbai.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took stock of the situation in Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of the state in the wake of the cyclonic storm.

As Mumbai and other coastal areas continued to be battered with heavy rains, over 12,000 people were relocated to safer places from the coastal areas.

These include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri and 144 in Sindhudurg districts.

On Monday, Mumbaikars woke up witnessing gusty winds and heavy showers due to the cyclone.

Many Mumbaikars are enjoying the change in weather amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, eight people have lost their lives so far in the Cyclone-hit coastal and surrounding malnad districts of Karnataka, officials said on Monday.

According to a situation report by Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officials, till this evening, 121 villages in seven districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Belagavi have been affected by the cyclone.

Among the 121 villages affected, a maximum of 48 are from Uttara Kannada district.

Among the eight deaths reported, two each are from Dakshina Kannada and Belagavi, and one each from Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga, officials said.

While two deaths have been reported in Dakshina Kannada because of drowning in sea due to a tug being adrift, two died in Belagavi due to house collapse.

A fisherman who went to tie his boat died in Uttara Kannada died as he got hit by another boat, while one person died of electric mishap in Udupi.

One death each were reported in Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga due to house collapse and lightning respectively.

Damage to 387 houses have been reported.

Among them, 57 houses are fully damaged and 330 are partially damaged, the report said.

One animal loss has been reported from Dakshina Kannada.

A total of 711 poles, 153 transformers, 9,203 metres of lines, 56.2 km of road, 57 nets and 116 boats have been damaged, it said, adding that agriculture and horticulture crop losses haave been estimated in about 30 hectares and in about 2.87 hectares, respectively.

The Met department has forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning with light to moderate spells of rain and gusty winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph is likely to affect Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Belagavi, Dharwad, Chamarajanagara, Ramangara, Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Ballari, Chitradurga and Chikkaballapura districts.

Officials on Sunday had said as the cyclone system was moving further north, towards Maharashtra coast, the cyclone's impact was likely to come down from Monday over the State.

Around 1,000 trained personnel from fire force, police, coastal police, home guards, SDRF have been deployed in the three coastal and neighbouring districts for rescue and relief operations, and NDRF teams have also been roped in.

Meanwhile, officials said all 9 crew members stranded on tug 'Coromandel' have been rescued.

Indian Navy's ALH helicopter has rescued four seamen stranded onboard the Tug which had run aground close to the coast of New Mangalore, while 5 of them were rescued by boat, they said, adding that they are being provided medical treatment.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has thanked the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the rescue operation.

Mumbai airport resumes flight operations after 11-hour hiatus

Flight operations at Mumbai airport resumed on Monday night after being suspended for 11 hours due to the cyclone Tauktae.

More than 55 flights, both incoming and outbound, were cancelled at the city's till around 7.30 pm due to the closure.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport had announced suspension of all air services, initially for three hours from 11 am on Monday due to the cyclone.

This was later extended eventually to 10 pm in different phases.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has resumed operations with effect from 2200 hours of May 17," the private airport operator said in a statement.

The airport operator said it has registered the cancellations of 34 arrivals and 22 departures, adding that a few airlines have decided to cancel services to Mumbai.

CSMIA, however, did not provide specific details.

Mumbai airport, which is the second busiest aerodrome in the country, is reportedly handling around 250 flights in a day due to low passenger demand amid the deadly and more virulent second wave of the pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, the airport was handling close to 1,000 aircraft movements per day.

The airport has also so far witnessed seven diversions, it added.

Winds blew at 114 kmph in Mumbai on Monday afternoon, officials said.

Several parts of Mumbai and neighbouring areas witnessed heavy downpour coupled with high speed winds.

The civic body said its automatic weather stations recorded an average 105.44 mm rainfall in the island city till 5 pm, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 61.13 mm and 114.78 mm rainfall, respectively.

The Mumbai Met department recorded 189 mm rainfall at Colaba observatory while a rainfall of 194 mm was recorded at Santacruz till 5.30 pm.

The civic H-East ward in the Western suburbs received the highest 242 mm rainfall during the day.

Chincholi area in Malad and K-East ward that includes Marol and Andheri East areas recorded 236 mm and 231 mm rainfall, respectively.

The Bandra-Worli sea-link was closed for traffic in view of the strong winds and people were asked to take alternate routes, another senior official of the BMC said.

The Colaba area in south Mumbai recorded a wind speed of 102 km per hour around 11 am.

As per the Mumbai IMD, the highest wind speed of 108 km per hour was recorded at the Colaba observatory in the afternoon, said Shubhangi Bhute, senior director, IMD Mumbai.

The wind speed of 114 kmph, the highest during the day, was recorded around 2 pm at the BMC's automatic weather station located at Afghan Church in south Mumbai's Colaba area.

At the same time, the Colaba observatory witnessed the wind speed of 108 kmph, the civic body said.

Local trains services of the Central Railway were disrupted between suburban Ghatkopar and Vikhroli for about half-an-hour as a tree fell on an overhead wire while a train was heading towards neighbouring Thane, a railway spokesperson said.

Services on the harbour line, that provides rail connectivity to Navi Mumbai, were also affected after a vinyl banner fell on an overhead wire between Chunabhatti and Guru Tej Bahadur stations around 11.45 am.

The banner was removed after about half-an-hour and train services were resumed, he said.

Due to the strong winds, some plastic sheets covering the roof of the common passenger area between the suburban and main lines at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) were blown away in the morning, he said.

The area was cordoned off and the railway staff immediately attended to it, he said.

Despite the civic body's claims of drains having been cleaned as part of preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season, there was water-logging in several low-lying areas of the city.

The Mumbai police tweeted about water-logging in six low-lying areas, including the Hindmata junction, Andheri subway and Malad Subway, crucial for the east-west connectivity.

A citizen in a Twitter post claimed a temporary pandal erected for vaccination in Dahisar was partially damaged due to the heavy rain and high velocity winds.

However, civic officials did not confirm it.

As a precautionary measure, the monorail services in the city were suspended for the day, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.

This was a "prompt decision" taken for the safety of commuters, the MMRDA said.

Flight operations at Mumbai airport remained suspended for 11 hours before resuming on Monday night.

More than 55 flights, both incoming and outbound, were cancelled at the city's airport till around 7.30 pm due to the closure.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport had announced suspension of all air services, initially for three hours from 11 am on Monday due to the cyclone.

This was later extended eventually to 10 pm in different phases.

According to civic officials, around 34 incidents of tree fall were reported in Mumbai since Sunday, but there was no report of any injury to anyone.

The civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has deployed officers of its transport and power wings at various locations, including control rooms for disaster management.

According to civic officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Navy were on alert as Cyclone Tauktae intensified to a very severe cyclonic storm and was passing close to Mumbai.

Six flood rescue teams of the Mumbai fire brigade were deployed at chowpatties and five temporary shelters each were kept ready in 24 civic wards of the city to shift citizens there if required, they said.

The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mumbai and suburbs within the next 24 hours and the speed of winds could go up to 120 kmph.

(With inputs from ANI and IMD).
By PTI

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Thirty-seven doctors in Uttar Pradesh hospitals have died in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic so far, the IMA in Delhi said on Tuesday.

According to the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Uttar Pradesh unit, 54 doctors had died due to the viral disease in the first wave.

National vice-president of the IMA and head of COVID-19 task force of the IMA's UP unit, Ashok Rai, said 32 doctors have died in the second wave of the pandemic up to Sunday.

"As per data available till Sunday, doctors who died due to COVID-19 in the second wave in the state include Dr Anand Tandon (Sitapur), Dr SP Mishra (Gonda), Dr Raghvendra Singh (Barabanki), Dr Akhilesh Paswan (Gorakhpur), Dr Alpana Jha (Lucknow), Dr Mohd Ashraf Ali (Rampur), Dr Swati Singh (Saharanpur)," he told PTI.

Rai added that most of these doctors got infected while administering medical treatment to COVID-infected patients, while some senior doctors died at their residence.

The IMA on Tuesday said 270 doctors across the country have succumbed to the coronavirus infection in the second wave of the pandemic so far.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: The leaders and functionaries of the BJPs West Bengal unit have expressed concern about possible backlash after the CBI arrested two Trinamool Congress ministers, one MLA and former mayor of Kolkata on Monday in connection with the Narada sting operation case.

Sources in the saffron camp said they fear the state law enforcement agencies may swing into action against them after Mondays arrests by the Central agency. They are not expecting the TMC-led state government to take the arrests lightly.Since morning, senior TMC leaders have been describing the CBI arrests as part of the BJPs revenge politics. The ruling party will definitely try to engage its machinery against us, a senior state BJP leader said.

TMC party supporters raised slogans against the BJP-led NDA government, and hurled stones at security personnel outside Nizam Palace protesting the arrests. We have nothing to say about todays incidents politically, said Shamik Bhattacharya, spokesperson of BJPs West Bengal unit.

Sources in the police said, there are several cases lodged against BJP functionaries in different police stations across the state. The partys senior leaders are aware of it. Several cases are pending against our state president Dilip Ghosh, MP Arjun Singh, youth wing leader Shanku Panda, and senior functionaries like Sayantan Basu, Suvendu Adhikari, Raju Banerjee. We fear, the state government may swing into action against us, senior state BJP leader said.

According to the police, at least 65 cases are pending against Dilip Ghosh and more than 70 against Arjun Singh. We have 30 to 50 cases pending against other leaders. The cases include restricting public servants from discharging his or her duty, which is non-bailable offence. There are also cases of rioting and causing grievous hurt voluntarily, a police source said.
Sumi Sukanya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amid growing concerns that kids could be particularly vulnerable to the future waves of the Covid pandemic, the government on Tuesday said that evidence, so far, suggested that children are largely asymptomatic carriers but capable of transmission of the disease.

VK Paul, member, (health), Niti Aayog, and chairman of the national Covid task force said in a briefing by the Ministry of Health that the serosurvey by the ICMR in December-January had shown that children above 10 years and adults, having comparable rates of Covid infection.

He, however, added that whether children could be more vulnerable to Covid in the coming times, depended on the mutations in the virus.

ALSO READ | India could get fourth Covid vaccine as Zydus Cadila set to seek nod for ZyCoV-D

Paul also said that soon, clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of Covaxin in children aged 2-18 years will start.

Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India for phase 2/3 clinical trials in the age group of 2 to 18 years. I have been told that trials will begin in the next 10-12 days, he said.

Covaxin had received the DCGI approval to conduct clinical trials in children last week when the regulator accepted the recommendations by the subject expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, which green lighted the trial under specified conditions.

The clinical trials are expected to be conducted in 525 healthy participants at various hospitals.

AIIMS (New Delhi) director Randeep Guleria had earlier said that it is urgently required to carry out some quick data and risk-benefit analysis of the vaccine's use in children.

Many experts have been urging governments all over the world to inoculate children so schools can be safely re-opened.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: As Cyclone Tauktae continues to impact several states on the Western Coast including Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees, the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday informed that the cyclone is continuing to show a weakening trend.

"Extremely severe" Cyclone Tauktae unleashed devastating winds that reached speeds up to 190 kilometres per hour as the storm made landfall in Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees.

In a tweet by the meteorological department, it read, "The Cyclone continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening."

"The very Severe Cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' lay centred at 0230 HRS IST of 18TH MAY 2021 over SAURASHTRA, near LAT. 21.05N AND LONG. 71.15E, about 75 KM north-northeast of Diu and 30 KM south of AMRELI", tweets IMD.

"Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Tauktae' moved north wards with a speed of 15 KMPH during past 06 hours", read another tweet by the department.

Following this, several places near Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are likely to witness rainfall in the next couple of hours.

Hodal, Aurangabad, Meham, Bhiwani, Loharu, Bawal (Haryana), Bayana, Mehndipur, Mahwa, Dausa, Kotputli, Lachmanngarh, Rajgarh, Alwar, Nagaur, Nadbai (Rajasthan) and adjoining areas during the next 2 hours.

"18/05/2021: 03:35 IST; Light to moderate intensity rain would occur over isolated places of Firozabad, Hathras, Narora, Raya, Iglas, Aligarh, Atrauli, Kashganj, Mathura, Sahaswan, Etah, Nandgaon, Barsana, Jahangirabad, Khurja, Pahasu,Tundla, Agra, Jattari, Sikandra Rao, Jajau (U.P)", informed the meteorological department.

In view of Cyclone Taukate, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani last night held a meeting with officials of the coastal districts of Valsad and Gir Somnath at the State Control Room in Gandhinagar

Patients from a COVID care centre in Gujarat's Vadodara were shifted to hospitals, yesterday. Nodal Officer Sheetal Mistry said, "In view of IMD's warning for Cyclone Tauktae, we are shifting COVID-19 patients from various facilities to hospitals."

Also, the road between Gujarat's Somnath district and the Union Territory of Diu (Daman & Diu) which was blocked due to fallen trees, has been cleared by the Army personnel for movement of vehicles.

NDRF team too cleared the road of fallen trees and branches in Dahisar area of Mumbai.

'Extremely' Severe Cyclonic Storm, Tauktae is now weakening into a 'Very' severe cyclonic storm, as per the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday.

A powerful cyclone has battered country's west coast and made landfall in Gujarat on Monday night and the process is likely to continue for three hours, confirmed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as authorities evacuated thousands of people.

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state.

"Spoke to the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state of Goa," said the Goa CM in a tweet.

He further said that the Home Minister inquired about the damage and assured of full support to the state.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting to review the preparedness and assistance being provided by the Armed Forces to civil authorities to tackle the situation arising out of Cyclone Tauktae.

"Indian Air Force has deployed its aircraft to transport personnel and tonnes of a load of NDRF to Ahmedabad. On May 16, IAF had deployed two C-130J and one An-32 aircraft for transportation of 167 personnel and 16.5 tonnes of a load of NDRF from Kolkata to Ahmedabad.

Another C-130J and two An-32 aircraft carried 121 NDRF personnel and 11.6 tonnes of load from Vijayawada to Ahmedabad for the same purpose. Two C-130J aircraft transported 110 personnel and 15 tonnes of cargo for NDRF from Pune to Ahmedabad," it added.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Battling extreme weather, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have so far rescued 317 people on board two barges that went adrift in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai hours before Cyclone Tauktae made landfall on the Gujarat coast, but 390 more remain stranded or missing from offshore facilities, an official said on Tuesday.

Three barges and an oil rig with 707 personnel on board had gone adrift on Monday.

These included accommodation barge P305 with 273 persons, cargo barge GAL Constructor with 137 personnel on board, accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig with 101 personnel on board, a Navy official said.

While all the 137 people on board the cargo barge GAL Constructor have been rescued, 180 of the 273 onboard P305 have been rescued so far, the official said.

"Two Coast Guard Chetak helicopters operating from the Coast Guard Air station in Daman rescued personnel on board the GAL Constructor. One more Chetak helicopter was also pressed into service for the SAR operations," he said.

"Navy ships INS Beas, INS Betwa and INS Teg joined INS Kochi and INS Kolkata for undertaking Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for Barge P-305, which sank 35 nautical miles from Mumbai in the Mumbai Offshore Development Area," the Navy spokesperson said.

SAR has also been augmented with P8I and naval helicopters, who continue to undertake an aerial search in the area.

Since the commencement of the SAR from Monday, 180 survivors have been recovered so far, he said.

"In another operation, a Navy Seaking helicopter was launched to rescue the crew of GAL Constructor, which ran aground north of Mumbai. It rescued 35 crew members," he said.

#CycloneTauktae #NationFirst Update on grounded barge GAL CONSTRUCTOR. Effective coordinated rescue operations resulted in saving of all 137 precious lives from the distressed barge. Rescue mission accomplished. We Protect  : pic.twitter.com/S16FPlr7ly  Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 18, 2021

SAR efforts are also in progress off the coast of Gujarat for three vessels - Support Station 3, Great Ship Aditi and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are 15-20 nautical miles south-east off Gujarat coast (Pipavav), he said.

Pipavav port, an all-weather port located 152 nautical miles from Nhava Sheva port near Mumbai," the official said.

"Navy ship INS Talwar has arrived in the area and taken over the duties of 'On-Scene Coordinator' for coordination of the SAR effort. The Western Naval Command, in coordination with ONGC and DG shipping, has diverted five tugs to render assistance."

"Great Ship Aditi and Support Station 3 have been able to drop anchor. Meanwhile, OSV's Samudra Sevak and SV Cheel are connected to manoeuvre Sagar Bhushan, and the situation at present appears to be stable. The sea continues to be extremely rough with winds of 25-30 knots (approx 35-55 kmph), posing a challenge to the ships and aircraft involved in SAR operations," the Navy official said.

Images circulated by the Navy showed destroyer INS Kolkata picking up two survivors overnight from the barge P305.

The Navy on Tuesday said the barge has sunk.

Dramatic TV visuals also showed personnel on board what looked like a sinking rig being rescued.

There was no confirmation from Navy officials on the vessel's identity.

Navy ships were deployed on Monday after receipt of a request for assistance for barge 'P305' adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel on board.

The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

On Tuesday, a Navy helicopter brought some of the rescuees to INS Shikra (formerly known as INS Kunjali) naval air station at Colaba in south Mumbai.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had on Monday said barge P305 with 261 personnel deployed for offshore drilling got de-anchored and began drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

A barge is a long flat-bottomed boat either under its power or towed by another.

An accommodation barge is of shallow draft (vessel whose keel is not far below the waterline) and is used to accommodate personnel on projects where shore accommodation is not available.

Offshore accommodation barges are fully autonomous and used mainly in the oil and gas industries.

The ONGC had said the barges P305 and GAL Contractor were hired by them and personnel are of the contractor Afcons, owned by the Shapporji Pallonji Group of Cyrus Mistry.

The barges were anchored to safety ahead of the cyclone but got drifted and de-anchored due to the gusty winds that have made the Arabian Sea violent.

"We have two barges deployed at the ONGC rigs. Barge No. P305 has personnel onboard and 137 people on the other. Unfortunately, both were de-anchored by the powerful cyclonic winds. However, with the help of the Navy, both the barges have been steadied and all the 410 personnel are reported safe as of 1530 hours," an Afcons spokesman had said on Monday.

The Navy on Tuesday morning deployed the P-8I long- range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft to join the search and rescue operations, the Navy official said.
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was found dead inside the house, according to the Charles County Sheriffs Office. Officials did not specify if he was shot by police.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In an overnight operation, the Indian Naval Ships rescued 177 of the 410 persons onboard two barges, P305 and Gal Constructor, which were left adrift in Arabian Sea near Mumbai due to Cyclone Tauktae.

Another search and rescue operation has been launched to rescue the remaining 233 persons.

Spokesperson of Indian Navy Commander Vivek Madhwal informed, "The Search and Rescue (SAR) operations continued throughout the night and a total of 177 persons from Barge P305 have been rescued till 6 am on Tuesday, 111 by INS Kochi and INS Kolkata, 17 by Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) Greatship Ahilya and 18 by OSV Ocean Energy whilst operating in extremely challenging sea conditions," the official said.

ALSO READ | Cyclone Tauktae weakens into severe storm as it crosses Gujarat, lies overland

The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

Sixty persons on board the barge were rescued till 11 pm and the remaining overnight, the official said, adding a Navy helicopter brought three rescuees to INS Shikra this morning.

INS Shikra, formerly known as INS Kunjali, is a naval air station located at Colaba in south Mumbai.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had on Monday said barge P305 with 261 personnel deployed for offshore drilling got de-anchored and began drifting because of the cyclonic storm Tauktae.

P305 being an accommodation barge had no engine to power it, and it hit an oil rig in the vicinity and there was ingress of water, sources said.

A barge is a long flat-bottomed boat either under its power or towed by another.

An accommodation barge is of shallow draft (vessel whose keel is not far below the waterline) and is used to accommodate personnel on projects where shore accommodation is not available.

Offshore accommodation barges are fully autonomous and used mainly in the oil and gas industries.

The Navy on Tuesday morning also deployed the P-8I long-range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft to join the search and rescue operations, the official said.

Another barge, the 'Gal Constructor' with 137 persons onboard has run aground about 48 nautical miles north of Colaba Point, he said.

An Emergency Towing Vessel 'Water Lily', two support vessels and CGS Samrat are in the vicinity for rendering assistance and evacuation of crew, he added.

"INS Talwar has proceeded to assist another oil rig Sagar Bhushan with 101 personnel on board and an accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board, both of which are adrift and presently located about 50 NM South East of Pipavav Port," the spokesperson said in a statement.



ALSO WATCH:

These ongoing rescue efforts were augmented on Tuesday morning by an Indian Naval P8I surveillance aircraft. Helicopters of Indian Navy will also be deployed for search and rescue operations based on the weather conditions.



The search and rescue operations efforts will continue through the day with more naval assets ready to augment.

(Inputs from PTI)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Over 500 prominent public health practitioners, doctors, economists, workers unions and human rights groups have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines reach the vulnerable and ramping up manufacturing to address shortages.

The letter signed by organisations from 22 states and union territories has urged Modi to "remove barriers" to vaccine production through modes like a waiver of intellectual property rights to achieve universal coverage.

"We call on you to take action to ensure a peoples' vaccine. For this to happen, a detailed, time-bound and transparent COVID-19 vaccine policy and action plan should be arrived at in consultation with the states and India's experts and citizens at large and ensure transparency in contractual agreements reached by the government with the pharma sector," the letter said.

They urged the government to ensure that the vaccine is purchased at true cost prices and provided free of charge to all, its fair allocation which prioritises at-risk groups, is sensitive to the existence of the digital divide and is able to reach the vulnerable where they are.

They also asked for large-scale vaccine procurement by the central government at regulated prices which do not cripple the finances of India's states or pit them against each other in the quest of scarce lifesaving vaccines.

"Immediately enhance financial outlays to public health and do what it takes to make the above happen through all possible steps including compulsory licensing of vaccines and ramping up public sector vaccine manufacturing capacity, to strengthen the public health system to be better prepared for the potential next wave of the pandemic," they said.

ALSO READ | India could get fourth Covid vaccine as Zydus Cadila set to seek nod for ZyCoV-D

The organisations that signed the letter included Oxfam and Forum for Medical Ethics Society while economists Jean Dreze and Jayati Ghosh were among the citizens who made the appeal.

Meanwhile, more than 1.94 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and Union Territories, while one lakh jabs will be delivered to them within the next three days, the Centre said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Union Health Ministry said more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses have been made available to states and UTs far.

"The government has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses (20,78,04,890) to States/UTs. Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 18,83,47,432 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today)," it said.

ALSO READ | Second jabs effective even at six months, don't worry: Experts on Covishield dose gap

"More than 1.94 crore COVID Vaccine doses (1,94,57,458) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Furthermore, 1 lakh (1,00,000) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next three days," the ministry said.

The ministry further said that in the second quarter of May 2021 (May 18 to May 31, 2021), 1.95 crore doses would be made available free of cost by the government to all States/UTs.

This advance information has already been shared with States/UTs by the Centre, the statement said.

"In addition, 72.40 lakh doses would be available for direct procurement by the States/UTs," it said.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 18.57 crore.

It said 5,14,408 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday and cumulatively 64,60,624 across 36 states and union territories since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive.

The 64,60,624 beneficiaries include 10,10,263 from Rajasthan, 8,67,815 from Bihar, 7,69,590 from Delhi, 6,60,686 from Maharashtra, 6,38,790 from Uttar Pradesh, 5,46,468 from Haryana and 5,12,689 from Gujarat and 3,08,282 from Assam.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 18,57,66,518 according to the 8 pm provisional report, the ministry said.

The total of 18,57,66,518 include 96,73,302 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose, 66,58,820 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,45,65,255 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 82,29,693 FLWs who have taken the second dose and 64,60,624 individuals in the 18-44 years of age group who have received the first dose.

Besides, 5,80,37,874 and 93,49,575 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years have been administered the first and second dose, respectively, while 5,48,13,626 and 1,79,77,749 beneficiaries aged above 60 years have taken the first and the second dose.

As on day 123 of the vaccination drive (May 18), total 12,79,896 vaccine doses were given.

The ministry said 10,96,815 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 1,83,081 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine according to the provisional report till 8 PM.

Final reports would be completed for the day by late night.

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry stressed.
Kumar Vikram By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Several reform committees and the Law Commission recommended in the past that there is a need for more impartiality in the appointment of members of the Election Commission of India.The matter regains importance following a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an independent committee to appoint members of the poll panel. Eight-phase Assembly polls in Bengal amid appeals to club the last two or three together, which went in vain, makes this matter releavnt again.

In 1975, the Justice Tarkunde Committee (appointed by Citizens for Democracy on the suggestion of Sri Jayaprakash Narayan) recommended that the members of ECI should be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.

The Committee on Electoral Reforms, under the chairmanship of Law Minister Dinesh Goswami, appointed by the Central Government, made several recommendations on electoral reforms in 1990. The Goswami Committee recommended effective consultation with neutral authorities like Chief Justice of India and Leader of the Opposition for appointments in the ECI.

This committee said that the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner should be made by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and Leader of the Opposition (in case no Leader of the Opposition is available, leader of the largest opposition group in Lok Sabha should be consulted).

It also said the consultation process should have a statutory backing and appointment of the other two Election Commissioners should be made in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, Leader of the Opposition (in case the Leader of the opposition is not available, the consultation should be with the leader of the largest opposition group in the Lok Sabha) and the Chief Election Commissioner.The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, in its fourth report in January, 2007, recommended a neutral and independent body to recommend names for the ECI.

Plea in SC seeking ECI appointment revision

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) moved Supreme Court on Monday, seeking an independent selection committee to appoint mem-bers of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing ADR, said the present process of appointment by the executive is incompatible with the Constitution. To ensure the purity of the election process it was thought that the responsibility to hold free and fair elections should be entrusted to an independent body insulated from political and/or executive interference.
By PTI

PATNA: A leading cardiologist of Bihar, who was recently airlifted to Hyderabad for treatment of COVID- related complications, on Tuesday breathed his last at a hospital in the southern city, according to information received here.

Condolences came pouring in for Dr Prabhat Kumar, credited with having launched the first angioplasty facility in the city, as the news of his death spread.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union minister and local MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, state health minister Mangal Pandey and leader of opposition in the assembly Tejashwi Yadav were among those who expressed their shock and surprise over the death.

Dr Kumar had tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus in the beginning of the month, admitted to a hospital here and taken to Hyderabad a few weeks later by an air ambulance after his condition deteriorated.

Tejashwi Yadav also alleged on Twitter that Bihar has lost the maximum number of medical practitioners to COVID 19 because the state "failed to provide protective gears. as per standard safety protocols".

He also posted a list titled "state wise doctors martyrs IMA COVID registry" as per which 269 doctors have lost their lives to the deadly coronavirus across the country, out of whom 78 from Bihar followed by Uttar Pradesh (37), Delhi (28) and Andhra Pradesh (22).
By PTI

NEW DELHI: India's reproduction value (R) for COVID-19, which shows how fast the infection is spreading, is below one now which means that the pandemic is shrinking, the government said on Tuesday even as it cautioned that 98 per cent of the population is still vulnerable.

Addressing media, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said in many states the pandemic curve is stabilising.

"Comprehensive efforts at containment and testing are resulting in stabilisation. We still have a few states which continue to be cause of concern. There is a mixed picture but overall there is stabilisation and what we know from scientific analysis is the reproduction number is below 1 now which means the pandemic is shrinking," Paul said.

He said this has happened because there is a huge containment effort in addition to managing the cases in home settings and hospitals.

"We are hoping and keeping the case fatality rate reasonably under control. We have to be very mindful that when we are achieving declining positivity rate it is because of the results of what we are doing and that doing cannot be slackened. We cannot again let this go out of hand," he said .

In 8 states, active #Covid19 cases have come down considerably; only 8 states now reporting over 10,000 daily confirmed cases, from May 11 daily recoveries more than new cases : @MoHFW_INDIA @NewIndianXpress #COVIDEmergency #COVIDSecondWaveInIndia  Sumi Dutta (@SumiSukanya) May 18, 2021

Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary at the Health Ministry, said 1.8 per cent of the total population in India has been affected by COVID so far which means 98 per cent of the population is still susceptible or vulnerable to the infection.

"Despite the high number of cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2 per cent of the population due to continued efforts by the medical fraternity, states and districts," he said.

"This should also make us wary of protecting the still vulnerable/susceptible 98 per cent population. We cannot let our guards down, hence continued focus on containment is critical," Agarwal said.

Giving figures from around the world, he said 10.1 per cent of the population in the US has been infected so far, 7.3 per cent in Brazil, 9 per cent in France and 7.4 per cent in Italy.

#COVID19India snapshot- Case positivity for States



22 States with more than 15% positivity

13 States between 5%- 15% positivity

1 State with less than 5% positivity



Intensive efforts should continue in States with high number of cases



-Joint Secretary, @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/ODs90Cj98D  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 18, 2021

About black fungus, Paul said till now the number is not that high but it cannot be taken for granted.

"We have held discussions with all states on black fungus and there is a push on availability of Amphotericin B and till now the number is not that high but we cannot take it for granted. There are a large number of cases through which we have learnt that when a combination of diabetes, an uncontrolled one, particularly in COVID and steroid use comes up then likelihood of this disease becomes a possibility. So whoever has diabetes should try to keep it in control," he said.

He stressed on rational use of medication.

"We reiterate that proper use of steroids has to be done and we must not take it lightly," he said.

On COVID infection in children, Paul said it was seen that children were affected and they are asymptomatic.

"So response remains the same of what we do, we have to protect ourselves with COVID appropriate behaviour and they have to be encouraged to wear masks and main social distancing. There is a clear cut science-driven protocol already available. If COVID symptoms are seen in children then that should be followed. Severe disease in children is uncommon but we have a protocol for that too," he said.

He said COVAXIN is also conducting a trial and it will begin in 10-12 days.

"Science's attention is on it and children can have asymptomatic infection and they can also spread it. We have reasonable clarity on it," he added.

Giving statistics, Agarwal said a continuous decline in active cases has been noted in the last 15 days.

"From being 17.13 per cent on May 3, active cases now comprise 13.3 per cent of the country's total infections. A positive trend in the recovery has also been noted. The recovery rate which was 81.7 per cent on May 3 has increased to 85.6 per cent now," he said.

"Since May 11, daily recoveries in the country have outnumbered daily cases. India has witnessed a consistent upward trend in weekly tests since mid-February with average daily tests more than 2.5 times in last 14 weeks. After a consistent increase in case positivity for 13 weeks, a decline in case positivity since the last week has been reported," he added.

"Now eight states have more than 1 lakh active COVID-19 cases, while 22 states have more than 15 per cent case positivity which is a cause for us," he said.

Agarwal said a decreasing trend in positivity rate has been observed in 26 states and UTs.

"In Delhi, the weekly positivity has reduced from 25 per cent to 13.6 per cent. In Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat and UP also the weekly positivity has reduced. An increasing trend in weekly positivity is being noted in northeast states mainly in Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Manipur. It is important to strengthen containment measures in these states," he added.

Maharashtra, UP, Delhi, Bihar, MP and Chhattisgarh are among eight states showing a decline in COVID-19 cases and decline in positivity.

Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram showing rise in COVID-19 cases and rise in positivity, he said.

He further said that eight states have more than 1 lakh active COVID-19 cases, 22 states have more than 15 per cent case positivity.

He said there are 199 districts showing a continued decline in cases and positivity since the last two weeks.
By PTI

IMPHAL: The Manipur Police has re- arrested journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem and activist Erendro Leichombam under the National Security Act (NSA) after they had been granted bail for an earlier arrest for their allegedly derisive social media posts on state BJP chief S Tikendra Singh, following his demise due to COVID-19 last week, police sources said.

The duo, both in their 40s, was arrested on Thursday after they took to Facebook to extend their condolences, while also writing that cow dung or cow urine was no cure for COVID-19, in two separate posts.

Several BJP leaders have in the past made claims about the efficacy of cow urine as a preventive to various diseases including COVID-19.

The saffron party's state vice-president Usham Deban Singh and general secretary P Premananda Meetei filed a complaint against Wangkhem and Leichombam, after which the police picked them up from their residences here.

They were granted bail on Monday, but the government subsequently invoked the NSA to re-arrest them.

Th Kirankumar, the district magistrate of Imphal West, said in his order that the two might "resume activities which are prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order on being released on bail".

Earlier, too, Wankhem, associated with news portal 'Frontline Manipur', had faced arrest on two occasions for his criticism of the BJP.

Erendro is the convenor of political outfit Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA).
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former party leader Sovan Chatterjee, who were arrested by the CBI in the Narada sting case, were admitted to a hospital here on Tuesday after medical complaints, officials said.

Another TMC minister Firhad Hakim, who was also apprehended by the central agency in the case, was shifted to a health facility in Presidency Correctional Home after he developed fever in the morning, they said.

Mitra, who is in a post-Covid recovery stage and has several comorbidities like severe diabetes, while Chatterjee, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, besides diabetes, were admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital early on Tuesday as both the politicians developed breathing problems.

Mukherjee was initially taken to the hospital early this morning and brought back to the correctional home after completion of check-up as he did not wish to be admitted there, an official of the medical facility said.

The 76-year-old minister was again taken to the hospital later in the day and admitted to the facility as he too developed breathing problems.

"Chatterjee and Mitra complained of breathlessness at around 3 am, following which they were brought to the hospital. Both have been kept on oxygen support at the Woodburn Block of the SSKM Hospital. They are stable now," the official of the state-run facility told PTI.

Chest X-Rays were conducted on Mitra and Chatterjee while Mukherjee, who is also in the same block, is on nebuliser, he said adding that RT-PCR tests were also conducted on them to ascertain Covid-19 infection.

Following admission of the leaders, the hospital authorities formed a medical board to supervise their health conditions.

"The board comprises senior doctors of the medicine and chest department. They will be keeping a tab on the leaders 24X7," he said.

Following their admission to the hospital, a posse of Kolkata Police personnel has been deployed there.

Family members of the three arrested political leaders went to the hospital to meet them.

The four were apprehended on Monday morning.

The Calcutta High Court had stayed a special CBI court's decision to grant bail to the four who were arrested and charge-sheeted by the agency in the Narada sting tape case.

A division bench said it deemed it appropriate to stay the special court's order and directed that the accused persons shall be "treated to be in judicial custody till further orders".

The sting operation was conducted by Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favours.

The tapes were made public just before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the sting operation in March, 2017.
By PTI

INDORE: The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has sought a report from senior government officials over the incident of rats nibbling a newborn's feet in a state-run hospital in Indore, an official said on Tuesday.

Taking cognisance of media reports about the incident, MPHRC chairman Justice Narendra Kumar Jain directed Indore's divisional commissioner and the joint director of the health department to submit a report within the next 15 days, a commission official said.

The incident of rats gnawing at the feet of a newborn at government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao (MY) hospitals nursery care unit for newborn babies was confirmed by the facility's superintendent Dr Pramendra Thakur on Monday.

Meanwhile, a MY Hospital official told PTI on Tuesday that the 23-day-old baby was kept in a pram where rats nibbled its feet.

"After administering first-aid, the baby is now being treated under the supervision of specialist doctors.The baby's condition is stable now," he said.

The newborn, a premature baby, weiged just 1.3 kg when he was born and therefore being treated in the nursery of the hospital.

Dr Thakur said a three-member committee, comprising two doctors and an administrative official, has been set up for investigation.

A nurse was placed under suspension and services of two employees of a cleaning and security firm were terminated on Tuesday evening.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Four to six weeks, six to eight or eight to 12? The increasing gap between two Covishield doses in India while the UK reduces its window has laypersons confused, but several experts say there is little reason to worry and second jabs anytime before six months can still be effective boosters.

The government last week extended the gap between two doses of the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine to 12-16 weeks, up from the previous maximum of eight weeks, on the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

A day later, UK cut the gap from 12 weeks to eight weeks in view of the spread of the B.1.617 variant that originated in India.

Responding to concerns that India increased the gap primarily because vaccines were in short supply and many states had complained of acute shortage in supplies, immunologist Rath said vaccine dosing is "quite flexible and forgiving".

Once four weeks have passed, the next dose can be taken whenever practicable, until six months.

According to the scientist, vaccine doses will be safe no matter when they are taken but will not provide any great "boosting" if given within less than a month or so of the previous dose.

"So vaccine doses can be taken any time after at least four weeks have passed from either the first dose or after an actual episode of COVID-19," Rath, from New Delhi's National Institute of Immunology (NII), told PTI.

"Secondly, vaccine doses will give perfectly good boosting if given any time up to as much as six months or so after a previous dose.

So a second dose, or the first dose after a COVID-19 episode, does not have to be taken after four weeks," he explained.

The NTAGI, Rath added, is making these new recommendations based on evidence, and trying to provide support for practical steps.

Referring to the UK reducing its Covishield doses gap just as India increased its, immunologist Vineeta Bal said these decisions are taken based on ground realities and "there is no yes or no answer" to whether they will have any consequence on tackling the variant better.

In one country, the increased window will enable more people to be vaccinated, in the other, a decreased gap will accelerate the pace of inoculation.

"If there are enough doses available, the second shot should be given at the optimal time as it will provide the best possible immunity in the present circumstances," Bal, guest faculty at Pune's Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, told PTI.

A vaccine triggered immune response, she admitted, will start declining with time. However, at the end of 12-16 weeks it is unlikely to come to complete baseline level.

"Hence a booster effect can still be obtained after a gap of 12-16 weeks," Bal said.

"There are also data from various clinical trials for Covishield which are suggestive that a booster after 12-16 weeks will be fine," she added.

According to Rath, there is emerging evidence, mostly from the UK for Covishield, that very good protection is seen with a dose gap of 12 odd weeks.

"So I think that the committee is trying to provide evidence-based support for delaying the permissible interval between doses as much as possible to accommodate the realities of vaccine supply shortage," he added.

Bal added it is not a serious cause of concern as long as there is assurance that everyone will get the first and second dose in the near future.

According to a peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet in February, the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is more effective when its second dose is given around three months after the first, instead of six weeks later.

"Vaccine supply is likely to be limited, at least in the short term, and so policy-makers must decide how best to deliver doses to achieve the greatest public health benefit," Prof Andrew Pollard of the University of Oxford said in the study.

"Where there is a limited supply, policies of initially vaccinating more people with a single dose may provide greater immediate population protection than vaccinating half the number of people with 2 doses," he added.

In India, the gap between two Covishield doses was four to six weeks, then increased to six to eight, and is now 12-16.

"Based on the available real-life evidences, particularly from the UK, the COVID-19 Working Group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine.

No change in interval of Covaxin vaccine doses was recommended," the Health Ministry said last week.

The NTAGI has also stated that those having laboratory test proven SARS-CoV-2 illness should defer COVID-19 vaccination for six months after recovery.

According to the Health Ministry's current protocol, the vaccine is to be taken four to eight weeks after recovery from COVID-19.

Rath said the basis for this step seems to be based on the fact that there are good antibody levels in most people who have had COVID-19 and that they last for at least six months.

So they are likely to be well protected for that period, and therefore there is no pressing need to vaccinate them before that," the scientist said.

"This reduces the burden on the stuttering vaccine supply and distribution system. I am not in disagreement with the recommendations based on such a rationale, " he added.

However, the immunologist hoped that the rationale will be clearly explained.

If there is no explanation, it will add to confusion. Most viral infections, Bal noted, generate enough immunity to provide protection for a few months post-recovery.

Based on that knowledge, this recommendation is not unreasonable.

"RT-PCR positive patients post-recovery do not remain as vulnerable as those who are neither vaccinated nor infected," she explained.

"They have enough immunity in them, generally. Just because of this recommendation, the situation is not likely to worsen in India.

Other things like unavailability of vaccine for a large section of people is more of a problem," Bal added.

On NTAGI suggesting no changed in the protocol for Covaxin, the other vaccine being administered in India, Rath said this is likely because the recommendations are based on UK-based evidence with Covishield.

There is no no such evidence for Covaxin.

"I am glad since this suggests that the committee, as I keep saying, is trying very hard to stay carefully on evidence while trying to help with the current unhappy realities," he said.
Fearing that the boat might capsize as it approached the shore and a surf line, San Diego lifeguards and Harbor Police were dispatched to the area while the members of the Coast Guard were able to gain control of the panga and safely remove people from it.
By PTI

KOLKATA: In an unusual protest against alleged lack of concern by those occupying high posts about the worsening coronavirus situation in West Bengal, a social organisation on Tuesday herded a flock of sheep in front of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.

A spokesperson of the Kolkata Nagarik Mancha accompanied shepherds who took the animals near the North Gate of the Governor House.

They remained there for around 5-7 minutes before policemen, who were initially bewildered, drove the agitators and the sheep away from the high-security area.

Incidentally, Tuesday is the birthday of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The Mancha spokesperson said that the organisation resorted to such a mode of protest as gathering of people is not allowed during the pandemic and prohibitory orders are in force in the area.

"There is oxygen scarcity in the state, COVID patients are not getting beds, people are dying. But we have not seen him (Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar) coming in support of people reeling under the coronavirus blow," the spokesperson said.

The governor is flagging other issues but not the "grave CCOVID-19 situation", he claimed.

The Kolkata Nagarik Mancha has no link with any political party, the spokesperson said.

Reacting to the incident, senior BJP leader Anupam Hazra said, "Such distasteful conduct against the first citizen of the state outside Raj Bhavan only showed Bengal in poor light."

Ruling Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the party has no idea who were behind this agitation or what prompted them to resort to such an act.

"We will ask everyone to exercise restraint and keep cool and not do anything which will violate coronavirus safety guidelines," Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, minister Firhad Hakim, arrested in the Narada sting case, is not really bothered about his plight in jail, but his inability to discharge duties for people amid the COVID-19 surge has left him ill at ease, his daughter Shabba Hakim said on Tuesday.

Shabba, a doctor by profession, met Hakim in the Presidency correctional home here during the day.

"Baba is not sad because he is away from us. What concerns him is the work that he was supposed to undertake to alleviate people's pain amid the COVID-19 crisis. He would leave home every morning to attend to the people in need of help," Shabba rued.

She further said that the state transport minister was trying to cope with the sudden turn of events.

"As of now, Baba is okay. We are keeping a tab on his health condition. But we are also worried. The Supreme Court had noted that chances of virus transmission were high in prison," she added.

The CBI on Monday arrested two state ministers - Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee -- MLA Madan Mitra and former party leader Sovan Chatterjee in connection with its probe into the Narada sting operation, which purportedly caught politicians accepting bribes on camera.

They were initially granted interim bail by a special CBI court, but the central probe agency subsequently moved the Calcutta High Court, which stayed the lower court order.

Taking to Twitter, Shabba, the second of Hakim's three daughters, had criticised the CBI on Monday afternoon for not releasing the four leaders, despite the lower court having granted them bail.

"Even after the bail order has come through, CBI is detaining @FirhadHakim, @MLA_Subrata, @madanmitraoff and Sovan Chatterjee illegally. They are disregarding the verdict of the court.#shamecbi," she had tweeted.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and others Tuesday contended in the Delhi High Court that a plea by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy seeking to lead his evidence before the trial court in the National Herald case, is "misconceived and premature".

Swamy has moved the high court against a trial court order of February 11 declining, for now, his plea to lead his evidence to prosecute the Gandhis and the other accused in the case.

Gandhis urged the high court that Swamy was not entitled to any relief and his plea should be dismissed with costs as the trial court order does not go into merits of his plea and it has simply deferred the issue of considering to summon his witnesses and documents till his recording of evidence is completed.

In pursuance to the high court's February 22 order, replies were filed on behalf of Gandhis, AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Young Indian (YI) on Swamy's plea.

They are accused in the National Herald cheating case.

The high court has now listed the matter for hearing final arguments.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait noted that the pleadings are complete in the case and said, "renotify at the end of the board for final arguments on July 30."

The Congress leaders were represented through senior advocate R S Cheema and Tarannum Cheema.

The trial court had said that Swamy's application under section 244 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to lead evidence would be considered after his examination in the case was over.

In their replies to the plea, the Congress leaders said, "the present petition is misconceived and premature."

"The impugned order (of trial court) does not in any manner go into the merits of the application preferred by the petitioner (Swamy) and simply the consideration on the issue of summoning witnesses and documents is deferred till the evidence of the petitioner is concluded."

It said as such the application of Swamy has not been adjudicated upon and the impugned order is in the nature of interim order.

"The applicant has not come to this court by stating all the facts. The opportunity to file an application for summoning witnesses has been provided to the petitioner time and again at the appropriate stage," the replies said.

Swamy told the court that the pleadings are complete and he has also filed his rejoinder.

The high court had on February 22 issued notice on Swamy's plea and had stayed the trial court proceedings in the case till then.

Swamy has sought summoning of certain witnesses, including the secretary general (registry officer) of the Supreme Court, a deputy land and development officer, and a deputy commissioner of Income Tax, and also directions to them to prove certain documents which are part of the case.

In a private criminal complaint in the trial court, the BJP leader had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying only Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd, owner of National Herald, owed to the Congress.

All the seven accused - the Gandhis, AICC treasurer Motilal Vora, AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and YI - had denied the allegations.

Proceedings against Vora abated subsequent to his death, while the others were summoned by the trial court in 2014 for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.
By PTI

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government on Tuesday extended the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 till May 30, an official release said.

The ongoing lockdown which began on May 12 was supposed to end by May 22, according to an earlier official communication.

"Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to extend the lockdown in the State up to May 30. The CM spoke with the Ministers over the phone and elicited their opinion. After receiving the opinion of the Cabinet Ministers, the CM has decided to extend the lockdown till May 30," it said.

The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue an order on the extension of the lockdown.

As the Ministers are busy monitoring COVID-19 pandemic curtailment measures and medical services at the field level, KCR cancelled the cabinet meeting, which is scheduled on May 20, it added.

The state on Tuesday reported 3,982COVID-19 cases taking the tally to over 5.36 lakh while the toll stood at 3,012 with 27 casualties, a senior Public Health Department official said.

G Srinivasa Rao, Director of Public Health, said the state currently has 48,110 active cases and the ongoing lockdown is yielding desired results.

"We are witnessing a decline in the number of cases and infection rate for the past two weeks. Lockdown is yielding desired results," he told reporters in a media briefing.

According to him, as of now 112 government and over 1,100 private hospitals are offering treatment for COVID-19 treatment even as 40 per cent of the total patients in Telangana hospitals are from other states.

Srinivasa Rao said inoculation in the state has been suspended due to paucity of vaccines.

Replying to a query, he said the state government has issued show-cause notices to three private hospitals on various charges including alleged overbilling.

Director of Medical Education Ramesh Reddy said there are approximately 40 to 50 patients suffering from black fungus (mucormycosis) and they are being treated in two designated government hospitals, besides another 40 in private facilities.

Reddy said treatment protocols for the fungus are being developed with the help of experts.

A government bulletin saidGreater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 607, followed by Rangareddy (262) and Khammam (247).

The total number of cumulative cases in the state stood at 5,36,766 while with 5,186being cured, the total recoveries were at 4,85,644.

Cumulatively, over 1.41 crore samples have been tested.

The samples tested per million population was over 3.81 lakh, the bulletin said.

The case fatality rate in the state was 0.56 per cent, while it was 1.1 per cent at the national level.

The recovery rate in Telangana was 90.47 per cent, while it was 85.6 per cent in the country.
Richa Sharma By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A newly-developed multiplex RT-PCR kit has a higher accuracy of detecting Covid across the various mutant strains of the virus.

As the pandemic is going through a second wave with multiple variants, the selection of target genes in multiplex RT-PCR assay is becoming critical for accurate detection of the virus.

Even though coronaviruses make far fewer errors than other RNA viruses, the mutations in S, R, and N genes often interfere with RT-PCR assay. For example, the variant of concern B1.1.7 (also known as the UK variant) has a 69-70del, due to deletion of 6 bases in the RNA, which resulted in S gene drop out from RT-PCR assay.

The new multiplex RT-PCR kit, developed Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, targets two SARS CoV2 genes: RdRp and ORFb-nsp14, and the human RNAse P gene as the internal control to help detect a range of mutant strains.

ALSO READ | Second jabs effective even at six months, don't worry: Experts on Covishield dose gap

Various studies have shown that RdRp and ORF1b-nsp14 genes are more sensitive in detecting Covid. In order to target the multiple variants in the second wave, using two highly accurate confirmatory genes like RdRp and ORF-nsp14, can give precise results. The ORFb-nsp14 is one of the least mutated genes in Covid and currently, there are no kits in the market with ORF-nsp14 as the target.

The new kit is based on multiplex Taqman chemistry, amplifying all three genes in a single reaction. The amplification time for the assay is 45 minutes, apart from the time required for the RNA isolation from nasopharyngeal swab samples. Multiplexing two confirmatory genes will help shortlist possible new variants if one of the genes fails to amplify and can be marked for sequence analysis.

ICMR has validated this kit at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and found that it has 97.3 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity in covid19 detection.

SCTIMST has signed a non-exclusive license MoU with Huwel Lifesciences, Hyderabad, on 14th May 2021 to commercialize the kit.

This unique RT-PCR kit will be a significant weapon in our fight against COVID-19 by a facile detection of SARS-CoV-2 mutations which are becoming increasingly important, said Secretary, DST, Prof Ashutosh Sharma.


By PTI

LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government as to why it was not providing medicine and meals to Covid-19 patients in home-isolation as it was doing during the first wave of the pandemic.

The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court further sought a response of the state government on paramedical staff not being provided lodging facility after duty hours as they risk infecting their own family members if they visit home after taking care of Covid-19 patients.

It also asked the state counsel to obtain instructions from the government on the shortages of vaccines for the 18-44 age group.

A bench of justices Rajan Roy and Saurabh Lavania passed the order on a PIL moved by lawyer HP Gupta.

Hearing the petition through video conferencing, the bench directed the additional chief standing counsel HP Srivastava to seek detailed instructions on the issues.

Earlier, the court kept open the question of maintainability of the PIL at the Lucknow bench because the Allahabad HC has already been hearing issues related to Covid-19 in the state on suo-motu basis.

The bench said, "While we are conscious of the fact that similar issues have taken the attention of this Court at Allahabad in a PIL, there are certain contentions which need to be taken note of, therefore, keeping the question open as to whether this petition should be entertained and proceeded with or the petitioner should be asked to intervene in the proceedings pending at Allahabad, we take note of contentions raised by the counsel for the petitioner Dr V K Singh, here."

ALSO READ | 'If I speak up, I face treason charge': Another BJP MLA questions Yogi government's handling of pandemic

The bench further asked the counsel for the high court administration Gaurav Mehrotra to obtain instructions as to whether there is feasibility of establishing a makeshift Covid-19 hospital on the new campus of the HC at Gomti Nagar for lawyers, judicial staff, employees and their family members.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath dispensation over the alleged low COVID-19 testing in Uttar Pradesh, and asked if the state government was preparing to make way for a third wave and then fight it.

Her attack on the government came a day after the Allahabad High Court said the entire medical system in villages and small cities of Uttar Pradesh is at God's mercy ('Ram bharose').

"Only 800-1,000 RT-PCR tests are being conducted every day for the same 32 lakh population of Bijnor. The honourable high court has said that 4,000-5,000 RT-PCR tests should be done daily in a district like Bijnor or else we are inviting the third wave," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Is the UP government preparing to make way for the third wave and then fight it," the Congress general secretary said, tagging media reports on the high court's observations.

If a self-praising government was not there in Lucknow, it would have tried to look at the reality of COVID-19 in the 'Indira Gramin Kshetra' just 35 km away, Gandhi said in another tweet in Hindi and shared a media report on it.

ALSO READ | Congress accuses UP government of hiding data about COVID deaths amid state's downward trend in fresh infections

"Neither there is testing, nor treatment, nor medical kits, but the government says that everything is fit," she said.

The Allahabad High Court had made the 'Ram Bharose' observation while hearing a PIL over the coronavirus spread and the condition of quarantine centres in the state.

A high court bench of justices Siddharth Verma and Ajit Kumar made the observation while taking into account the death of Santosh Kumar (64), who was admitted to an isolation ward at a Meerut hospital.

Gandhi and other Opposition leaders have hit out at the state government over the handling of the COVID-19 situation, while the UP government has been rejecting all such criticism.
P R Kumaraswamy By

Is Hamas relevant for Indias diplomatic calculations vis-a-vis the Israel-Palestine conflict? And should India change its stance and recognise Hamas? There are no easy answers.

The ongoing Israel-Gaza violence once again indicates where Hamas stands with regard to the peace process. From the very beginning, the militant Palestinian organisation has opposed coexistence with Israel and has been challenging the mainstream Palestinian movement represented by Yasser Arafat. As long as Arafat was at the helm of affairs, Hamas had to settle for a secondary role within the Palestinian national movement, but this did not prevent the organisation from scuttling and eventually burying the Oslo process of reconciliation and accommodation with Israel.

In the post-Arafat scenario, Hamas was on the ascendance and convincingly won the January 2006 Palestinian elections. Fatahs reluctance and refusal to accept the popular verdict led to an irreconcilable divide between the two and reached a boiling point in June 2007, with the Hamas militarily taking over the Gaza Strip. Since then, the Palestinian areas are divided between the Fatah-dominated Palestine National Authority (PNA)-controlled West Bank and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

During this period, there have been very few contacts, exchanges or negotiations between Fatah and Hamas. For example, since elected president in January 2005, Mahmoud Abbas travelled to India five times (2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2017) but did not set foot in Gaza even once. His attempts to visit the other part of Palestine were abandoned due to security concerns and this even forced Arafat to shift his headquarters from Gaza city to Ramallah months before his death in 2004. Countries like Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar unsuccessfully tried to mediate between the warring Palestinian factions. Thus, for over a decade, the expression negotiations meant mediatory efforts between Fatah and Hamas and not Israeli-Palestinian talks.

The Fatah-Hamas differences are rooted in their ideological worldview. Despite claiming historic Palestine that included the whole of Israel, over time, Fatah and the PLO have become pragmatic and recognised the need to come to terms with the state of Israel. The Oslo process was a historic compromise whereby Arafat agreed to give up claims to about 74% of the territories of mandate Palestine. The Hamas, which scuttled Oslo through its campaign of suicide bombings, viewed the Palestine struggle through an immutable Islamic framework; as a waqf property, Palestine, either in full or in parts, cannot be given to non-Islamic sovereignty. The problem for Hamas is not the size or boundaries of Israel but its very existence. Unlike the PLO and other mainstream Arab countries, it was not ready to accept Israel even within the 1967 borders and seeks a Palestinian state that would exist in place of Israel. Its occasional offers of a long-term conditional ceasefire are meant for the Western audience and a euphemism for the eventual destruction of Israel. In short, Hamas is an antithesis to Indias two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

Yet, the recent round of conflict underscores a few uncomfortable realities. President Abbas and the PNA are largely irrelevant. During his 15-year presidency, Abbas could not accomplish any tangible gains towards Palestinian statehood. Despite the growing civil society support for the Palestinians in several Western capitals, including Washington, the PNA has stagnated under his leadership. Other than describing it as a slap of the century, Abbas was unable to respond to the Trump Peace Plan, which galvanised Israels normalisation of relations with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE and growing political contacts with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The willingness of Arab countries to separate the Palestinian question from their narrow national interests did not spur any rethinking within the PNA.

Moreover, the tenure of the Palestinian president and parliament is for five years, but no elections were held for the past 15 years. Parliamentary election slated for May 22 was postponed last week on the plea that Israel refused to allow East Jerusalem Palestinians to vote. Under these circumstances, uncertainty looms large over the fate of the presidential elections scheduled for July 31. Like other despots in the region who were overthrown by the Arab Spring protests, Abbas is unable to offer a vision for the future of Palestinians.

Indeed, Hamas is better placed today than it was in January 2006 and the current round of violence is part of its political campaign. By focusing on Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, it is presenting itself as the true and legitimate defender of the Palestinian cause and is better placed to secure Palestinian rights than others. That its military tactics are causing more Palestinian casualties adds to its stature, and they are martyrs to be cherished for their sacrifice.

Do these make Hamas the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, a position enjoyed by the PLO since 1974? That status enabled the PLO to become an observer in the UN, enjoy international recognition and become a partner in the peace process. Hamas is far from reaching that position, especially as a partner in peace. It is a wrecker of accommodation with Israel, and there are no signs of a fundamental transformation of its end goal.

At the same time, India cannot ignore the growing relevance of Hamas in Palestinian politics. No meaningful developmentwar or peaceis possible without the militant Palestinian organisation. Abbas, the PLO and PNA are moderates and have been friends of India for decades, but Hamas is the most effective player today in Palestinian politics and has overshadowed all the friends of India.

Yet, diplomatic recognition of the militant Palestinian movement is out of the question. Such a move would poison and wreck Indias burgeoning ties with Israel and alienate New Delhi from the Fatah-dominated PLO and several moderate Arab countries. Premature recognition of Hamas would scuttle the prospects of India being an influential player in the Middle East and feed into the militant groups anti-peace agenda.

Without formal diplomatic recognition, is there a midway? India can engage with Hamas through security agencies. Besides providing diplomatic deniability, this approach will lessen the anger and disappointment of Israel and PNA vis-a-vis New Delhi. Yes, away from all glare and publicity, Indias intelligence establishment must reach out to Hamas and forge limited engagement. Hamas is the dominant player in Palestinian politics. Will India recalibrate its policy without unduly affecting its close ties with Israel and the PLO?

P R Kumaraswamy

Professor at JNU. Teaches contemporary Middle East there

(kumaraswamy.pr@gmail.com)
A few days ago, several Covid-19 patients from Andhra Pradesh went through a living nightmare at the border with Telangana. Of them, two unfortunately died. Even though the patients were in a critical stage, the Telangana police did not allow them to continue their journey to Hyderabad for better medical treatment. The police relented only after the High Court, for the second time, rapped the government on its knuckles for its inhuman act. Earlier too, before the lockdown was imposed, the government tried a similar misadventure and burnt its fingers. The stopping of the ambulances throws up several questions of moral, ethical, legal and human dimensions. The High Court rightly asked the government as to who had given it the authority to deny permission to ambulances. The government gave the green signal only late in the night though the HC issued the direction to this effect in the afternoon itself.

But one has to look at the other side of the issue too. Telanganas hospitals are filling up fast. Nearly 40% of the beds have been occupied by patients from other states. The government defended its decision, quoting restrictions imposed by Delhi and Maharashtra on the entry of patients into their respective state/UT. But the court rightfully differentiated between critically ill patients and Covid-19 positive people and insisted that the former should be allowed free passage, no matter which state they hail from. The government argued that they were allowing only those who had e-passes but this did not cut any ice with the court. If patients from Andhra are rushing to Hyderabad, it is because the latter is known for medical tourism. That is why even patients from as far as Tirupati rush to Hyderabad though Chennai is nearer. KCR keeps referring to Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb in Hyderabad, meaning the fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultural ethos in the cosmopolitan city. Though the states argument that it should take care of its subjects first has merit, yet in these days of national calamity, it should strike a delicate balance between attending to people in Telangana and extending a compassionate hand to patients from elsewhere.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: As the Covid-19 situation remains grim, the State Government is exploring the possibility of procuring drugs and other equipment from friendly nations.The need of the hour is to explore possibilities of collaboration in the procurement of drugs, that are needed for critical treatments, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Covid Task Force Chairman Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said while addressing a virtual meeting of Global Innovation Alliance partner countries, on Monday. The meeting was organised by the state Information Technology and Biotechnology Department.

The DyCM said the state government wants to have sophisticated, multi-speciality hospitals across the state and provide ICUs and other necessary healthcare services even in remote areas. This is not possible without active global collaboration and partnerships, he said and added that imposing lockdowns and simultaneously balancing the health, social and economic concerns was a huge challenge.

He explained various measures taken by the government to contain the Covid spread and to treat patients, and emphasised the need for collaboration to fight the pandemic During the interaction, the representatives from Israel, Japan, the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Switzerland, Denmark and other countries spoke about assistance being provided to India to fight the pandemic and shared experiences of Covid management in their countries, said a statement issued by the DyCMs office.

South Korean Consul-General in Chennai Kwon Young-seup said they were establishing vaccine manufacturing units to address concerns of vaccine shortage globally. He asked the state government to help South Korean citizens who are finding it difficult to get hospital beds. While the Australian representative explained that they were providing medical supplies through the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi, the German representative said they were partnering with Rotary Club (Karnataka) to set up beds and other facilities apart from setting up an oxygen plant in Bengaluru. Israel Consul- General Jonathan Zadka said Israel will help to set up three oxygen generation plants in India, of which two will be in Karnataka.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF leadership has decided not to attend the swearing in of the second Pinarayi government. Taking a dig at Chief Minister elect Pinarayi Vijayan's decision to hold a mega event of 500 people attending the swearing in at Central Stadium on Thursday when Thiruvananthapuram district is undergoing a triple lockdown, UDF convener M M Hassan said the Opposition will watch the virtual swearing in from the confines of their homes.

ALSO READ: Pinarayi 2.0: KK Shailaja dropped as CPM picks new faces in cabinet, CM's son-in-law included

Despite getting flak from various quarters, Pinarayi had decided to go ahead with the mega swearing in ceremony programme at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday at 3:30 pm. The General Administration Department is making arrangements to issue 500 passes to the invitees. It was at this juncture that the UDF decided to boycott the mega event. The UDF leadership was of the opinion that the LDF government should have held a simple programme attended by ministers alone. Talking to reporters at Indira Bhavan, Hassan informed that none of the UDF leaders will be attending the swearing in programme.

"We are not boycotting the programme, but abiding by what the Chief Minister elect had requested. He had asked that the swearing in programme should be watched on the television which led us to decide to watch it virtually," said Hassan.

The LDF has decided to invite 140 MLAs, 20 MPs and party workers with a total capacity of 500 invitees. This had drawn flak from a cross section of people including celebrities and the common man when ordinary citizens are confined to their homes due to the triple lockdown enforced in four districts, including Thiruvananthapuram. But on Monday, Pinarayi maintained that 500 is not a large number which triggered further debate on social media.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPM leader and Health Minister KK Shailaja, who shot to international fame with her exceptional handling of Kerala's fight against Nipah and COVID-19, won't be part of the second Pinarayi cabinet.

The CPM sprang a surprise in the formation of the cabinet with all the ministers from the party being freshers, except for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Shailaja, who was almost sure to make it to the cabinet, is the most prominent exclusion.

The CPM state committee, which met here on Tuesday, has gone for a generational shift in the case of ministers and decided not to exempt Shailaja from this decision. The decision is sure to invite criticism from different corners.

ALSO READ: KK Shailaja: Not just a teacher, but a rockstar

Though Shailaja was dropped, two women have found a place in the cabinet - Irinjalakuda MLA Professor R Bindu and Aranmula MLA Veena George. Professor Bindu is the wife of CPM secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan.

Others who found a place in the cabinet are central committee members MV Govindan, K Radhakrishnan, state secretariat members KN Balagopal, P Rajeev in addition to senior leaders VN Vasavan, Saji Cheriyan, V Sivankutty, Mohammed Riyaz and V Abdul Rahman. DYFI national leader Riyaz is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Senior leader and former MP MB Rajesh, who won from Thrithala defeating Congress' young turk VT Balram, will be the new Speaker.

Shailaja has been named as party whip.

Fresh faces find place in CPI list too

The CPI too finalised its four ministers in the second Pinarayi government. Cherthala MLA P Prasad, Ollur MLA K Rajan, Chadayamangalam MLA J Chinjurani and Nedumangad MLA GR Anil are the party's ministerial nominees. Adoor MLA Chittayam Gopakumar has been finalised as party nominee for Deputy Speaker.
Cash and his twin brother were staying at the home of Monica Sherrod, their biological fathers girlfriend, according to the Dallas Police Department. The man had been missing since March 2021 and Sherrod has reportedly not been able to track him down.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: As the Covid-19 situation continues to be grim with alarming rise of infection in rural and interior parts of Odisha, the State Government on Tuesday extended the lockdown for two more weeks till 5 am of June 1.

Making the announcement, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said the decision to extended the lockdown was taken after noticing positive trends in the last 15 days.

While the rate of positivity in the State has remained stagnant during the lockdown, some Covid hotspots western Odisha districts bordering Chhattisgarh are witnessing a declining trend in the spread of infection.

Keeping this changed situation in mind, the State government decided to further extend the lockdown period for two more weeks. The weekend short down will also continue, Mahapatra said.

As the roadside vending zones are getting crowded, the government reduced the period of relaxation for buying essentials from six hours to four hours.

Earlier, the people were allowed from 6 am to 12 pm to get essential commodities from nearby shops and vending zones from Monday to Friday. The revised time to be effective from May 19 is from 7 am to 11 am.

ALSO READ | Less than 2 per cent population affected by COVID-19 in India, 98 per cent still vulnerable: Govt

There will be no restriction on movement of goods and construction materials, but the movement of people will be strictly regulated, he said.

Stating that some strict measures have been taken so far as social gathering at marriage function, thread ceremony, cremation and other rituals after death, the Chief Secretary said the total number in congregation in these functions has been halved from 50 to 25.

Livelihood activities in agriculture and allied sectors and shops dealing with these sectors will be allowed to function normally as earlier. Similarly, construction activities have been kept out of the purview of the lockdown restriction.

While offices of the state government, central government and private sector including banks will function, the staff strength has been reduced to bare minimum. A separate guideline for this will be issued by the state government soon, he said.

The Chief Secretary said that Covid testing and vaccination will continue unhindered as those are essential to check the pandemic.

The main objective of the lockdown is to keep people indoor to break the Covid transmission chain. The people have been cooperating the government in its fight against the coronavirus. I expect similar response from them in the next two weeks so that we can succeed in our battle, the CS added.
By Express News Service

TIRUCHY: A meeting chaired by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi turned into a controversy, after he hosted various officials from district administration at his party office in Tiruchy on Monday.

The issue was flagged by Former MP and AIADMK district secretary of the Tiruchy rural south unit, P Kumar, in a letter to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday morning.

The Public Relation Office of Tiruchy district on Monday issued an official press release of a meeting chaired by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi with representatives of various NGOs including Rotary Club, Lions Club among others.

However, the AIADMK flagged an issue about the meeting as it was held at the DMK's party office in VN Nagar and saw participation of various officials including District Collector S Divyadharshini, City Corporation Commissioner S Sivasubramaniam and Tiruchy City Police Commissioner Arun.

In the letter forwarded to the Governor, P Kumar said, "The School Education Minister hosting an official meeting at a party office is causing damage to the sovereignty of the institutions and acting against democratic practises. The meeting sets a very wrong precedence among the public and should be condemned. The Education MInister should be disqualified for hosting such a meeting."

Following the constrovery, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi issued a clarification on Tuesday evening explaining that the officials were present in the event only because they had arrived at a time when the meeting was underway to discuss the scope of NGOs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in the statement said, "The various officials had arrived at the office to congratulate me for assuming the charge as a cabinet minister in the DMK government. As the meeting with the NGOs were underway at the same moment, they also participated in the meeting and shared their insights to tackle the pandemic. The meeting was not a planned one."
By PTI

WARSAW: Poland is sending vaccines this week to have its diplomats in India immunised against COVID-19.

A Polish diplomat was evacuated Sunday from New Delhi in serious condition, together with his sick pregnant wife and four children, and brought to hospitals in Warsaw.

The government official in charge of the inoculation programme, Michal Dworczyk, said Monday that the plane that went to transport the family brought supplies of oxygen and related equipment to the Polish Embassy in India and that some of these supplies have already been shared with other diplomatic missions in New Delhi, where some diplomats are sick.

He didn't specify the missions.

The evacuated family, which wasn't identified, was placed in two different COVID-19 hospitals in Warsaw.

Officials said Sunday the evacuation was necessary because the diplomat required hospitalisation, which wasn't available in India.

They will all be tested for the variant of the coronavirus that they are infected with.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: A Sri Lankan-origin Canadian national on Monday was sentenced to 32 months in prison on charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants from Sri Lanka into the US for financial gains.

Sri Kajamukam Chelliah, aka Mohan, in his February guilty plea admitted to conspiring with others to facilitate the travel of undocumented immigrants from Sri Lanka through Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas to the United States from on or about July 1, 2019, through on or about October 10, 2019.

Federal prosecutors said during the course of the conspiracy, Chelliah worked with other human smugglers, arranging housing and transport for undocumented immigrants en route to Canada through the United States.

Chelliah arranged for the individuals to be transported from the airport in Port Au Prince, Haiti, to a hotel where he housed and provided them with food.

He then arranged for transportation by boat from Haiti to Turks and Caicos Islands, then to the Bahamas, and then by boat to Miami, Florida.

Chelliah accompanied the individuals, including travelling with them by boat during their journey.

The actions undertaken by Chelliah and co-conspirators in furtherance of their smuggling activities were done in exchange for payment, the US Department of Justice claimed.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: A mob, wielding batons and iron rods, has attacked a police station here in the Pakistani capital in an attempt to lynch a man detained on a charge of blasphemy, according to a media report.

Dozens of villagers attacked the Golra Police Station in Islamabad, asking the officials for the custody of the suspect held for investigation into a complaint lodged against him on a blasphemy charge, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Within minutes of law enforcers bringing the suspect to the police station, scores of people gathered at the station gate.

The mob forced their way in after overpowering the guards.

The crowd started damaging the offices of the 'moharrar' (police cleric), investigating officers and the Station House Officer.

Such incidents in the past have led to the lynching of blasphemy accused persons.

During the attack, the policemen tried to protect themselves as well as the suspect by locking themselves up in the lock-up and other rooms.

They contacted a nearby police contingent for help.

Police reinforcement, including personnel of the counter-terrorism department, anti-terrorist squad and anti-riot unit, reached the spot and rescued their colleagues.

The confrontation between the villagers and the police went on for well over an hour.

It was not confirmed how many policemen were injured in the attack.

While there was a complete blackout in the police station and its vicinity, the police shifted the man suspected of committing blasphemy to an undisclosed location under strict security.

The police cordoned off the locality and various police teams were patrolling the area on foot, while all routes leading to the police station were sealed.

Assistant Inspector General of Police Mohammad Usman Tipu said details on the attack on Golra Police Station would be shared after the situation calms down in the area.

The details on the man accused of blasphemy were not made available.

Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws and their prescribed punishments are considered extremely severe.

People accused of blasphemy are usually deprived of the right to a counsel of their choice as most lawyers refuse to take up such sensitive cases.

The blasphemy laws are colonial-era legislation but they were amended by former dictator General Ziaul Haq which increased the severity of prescribed punishments.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden, in a telephonic call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, supported Israel's "right to defend itself" against indiscriminate rocket attacks and encouraged him to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, the White House has said.

Biden welcomed efforts to address inter-communal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem, the White House said in a readout of the call.

During the phone call on Monday, Biden reiterated his firm support for Israel's 'right to defend itself' against indiscriminate rocket attacks, it said.

He encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, it said.

The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, the White House said.

"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed the US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," said the readout.

Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets over Israel during the past seven days, pushing more than half of Israel's population into shelter houses and Israel has carried out hundreds of devastating retaliatory attacks in Gaza.

More than 200 people have been killed in the recent escalation in the region, including a caregiver from India.

US Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who is travelling right now, also spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and discussed America's efforts to bring an end to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

"Blinken also expressed deep concern at the inter-communal violence. The two discussed the path forward, and the Secretary noted that the United States would remain engaged with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and other regional stakeholders as part of our diplomacy to ease tensions and put an end to the hostilities," Price said.

During her daily news conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that over the weekend, Biden spoke with the leaders of both Israel and Palestine.

"And in those calls, he stressed the need for Hamas to cease firing rockets into Israel and affirmed, again, Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. As I would note from the reports, there have been more than 3,000 rockets that have been shot from Hamas into Israel over the last several days," she said.

Biden also expressed his concern that this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children.

He raised his concern about the safety of journalists, including those who had to leave the building where The Associated Press was based - and reinforced the need to ensure their protection, she said.

The goal of the Biden administration, she said, is to reduce the violence and bring an end to the conflict on the ground.

"There are times, in diplomacy, we'll need to keep those conversations quieter, where we won't read out every component of it. But that is our objective, and that is the prism through which every action and every comment is being made," Psaki added.

Last week, an Israeli airstrike targeted and destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other international media outlets.

AP's president and CEO Gary Pruitt said the agency was "shocked and horrified" at the strike.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The United States will share 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses with other countries, taking the total number of such shots to 80 million, President Joe Biden said on Monday.

"Over the next six weeks, the United States of America will send 80 million doses overseas. That represents 13 per cent of the vaccines produced by the US by the end of June. This will be more vaccine doses than any country has actually shared to date, five times more than any other country. More than Russia and China, which have donated 15 million doses," Biden told reporters at a news conference here.

"There's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with this demonstration of our innovation, ingenuity, and the fundamental decency of the American people. Just as in World War II, America was the arsenal of democracy, in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation is going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world. We'll share these vaccines in the service of ending the pandemic everywhere," he said.

"We will not use our vaccines to secure favours from other countries," Biden said as he announced that in addition to the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines, the US will give another 20 million COVID-19 approved vaccines.

"In March, we shared over four million doses of our AstraZeneca vaccine with Canada and Mexico. At the end of April, we announced that we would provide another 60 million doses of our AstraZeneca vaccine overseas," he said.

AstraZeneca vaccine has not been authorized for use in the US yet, and it is awaiting safely clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"And today, I'm announcing that we'll also share US-authorized vaccines doses of Pfizer and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, as they become available, with the rest of the world as well. These are vaccines that are authorized to be put in the arms of Americans," he said.

"And by the end of June, when we'll have taken delivery of enough of such vaccines to protect everyone in the United States. The US will share at least 20 million doses of those doses -- that extra supply -- with other countries," Biden said.

Biden's announcement was welcomed by US lawmakers and Indian-American community leaders.

"While I'm glad to see the White House committing to sharing an additional 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with the world by the end of next month, this is only one step of the many more we need to take to reduce the threat of new mutant strains emerging from outbreaks abroad and causing another deadly surge here at home," said Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

"The outbreaks we're seeing in India and many other nations are a tragedy for all those facing them, and they're a threat to those in other countries who've already been vaccinated because of the risk they pose of producing vaccine-resistant mutations," he said.

"We need to further expand our support to the nations battling these outbreaks in order to save the millions of lives in danger today, and the millions more across the world, and in the United States, who could be endangered by new forms of the virus if these surges are allowed to fester," Krishnamoorthi said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that a decision on which countries would receive these vaccine doses would be taken in due course.

Indian-American community leader Ajay Bhutoria also welcomed Biden's announcement.

"The President is restoring America's leadership in the world by stepping by being a Leader in fight against COVID-19 and sharing vaccine doses with people around the world," he said.

In a statement, he urged the President that the vaccines be sent to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Brazil and other countries heavily impacted by the pandemic.
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The World Bank in Vietnam has recently announced its updated report on Vietnam Macro Monitoring in May 2021, which states that most of Vietnam's economic indicators in April were good.

However, it warns of several risks to the Vietnamese economy due to the most recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late April.

According to the report, industrial production continued its strong growth momentum last month, increasing by 1.1 percent compared to March, 24.1 percent higher than the same period in 2020.

Revenue from retail sales in April also expanded by 2.3 percent month-on-month, after two consecutive months of decline. The consumer price index in April also recorded an increase of 0.5 percent compared to March, reflecting a recovery in household consumption.

In terms of exports, a double-digit growth rate was recorded in all major export items, with the fastest increase in the export revenue of machinery. This was attributed to the ongoing economic recovery in the US and China.

According to the WB, although foreign direct investment (FDI) decreased in April, reaching only 2.2 billion USD (53 percent lower than the previous month), it was generally stable.

The bank also valued the accelerated progress of vaccinations against COVID-19 in Vietnam with 506,000 doses administered in April compared with about 50,000 doses in late March.

However, it warned that Vietnam is experiencing its fourth COVID-19 outbreak from the end of April 2021, forcing the government to quickly respond by closing schools and applying new restrictive measures on travel. This will affect domestic economic activities, especially tourism, transportation and retail.

Therefore, the World Bank recommended that if it is necessary to maintain or tighten these new restrictive measures on health and travel, the Government of Vietnam should consider a new fiscal stimulus package, including a support package on a larger scale for people and businesses affected by the pandemic./.

VNA
The new iteration did not start without a little bit of fun, as Chris Cuomo handed the reins over in their nightly ritual. But this time there was teasing, as Cuomo wrapped up Cuomo Prime Time by teasing his colleague for freaking out the internet in making what should have been a simple announcement.
Laurie Skrivan/AP

MASCOUTAH, Ill. (AP)  Two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet Tuesday morning when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport, military officials said.

The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries in the 7:30 a.m. incident at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. MidAmerica is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of St. Louis.
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP)  Roads were flooded, water-logged cars abandoned in the street and high water vehicles dispatched to help people as heavy rain fell across southern Louisiana Monday. In some areas of western Louisiana still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes last year more than a foot of rain fell.

The National Weather Service said in a Facebook post Monday that south Lake Charles in western Louisiana saw 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rain in a 12-hour period. But the rainfall wasn't limited to that one area. Numerous areas in Calcasieu Parish where Lake Charles is located saw totals of 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) of rainfall Monday.

The mayor of Lake Charles, Nic Hunter, told The Advocate that they didn't have an exact number of flooded homes but that it would likely be in the hundreds. Hunter was mayor last fall when the city was hit by Hurricane Laura on August 27 and then six weeks later by Hurricane Delta.

We will continue to be resilient through this event. But I will admit it would be nice if Mother Nature would give us a break," Hunter told the newspaper.

Parts of southeastern Texas and western Louisiana were under flash flood warnings on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's Lake Charles office. Several inches (centimeters) of rain also feel on parts of Arkansas.

Tornadoes also were a threat as storms pounded south Louisiana.

In Lafayette, The Daily Advertiser reported that multiple warnings of possible tornadoes prompted shelter-in-place warnings at area schools, where students were held past the usual dismissal time until the danger passed. The National Weather Service in Lake Charles reported that the public reported a possible tornado in the Church Point area of rural Acadia Parish, west of Lafayette. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The Baton Rouge area was also hammered with rain Monday. The National Weather Service's New Orleans branch said on its Twitter feed that according to radar estimates as much as 12 inches of rain may have fallen in parts of East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Iberville parishes.

In Ascension Parish, Parish President Clint Cointment put all employees responsible for drainage issues on alert after the massive amount of rain.

Meanwhile, the sheriff's office for Calcasieu parish was asking residents to stay off the roads and said they had already deployed high water vehicles and boats to assist residents, KPLC reported.

Photos on local media showed water up to the doorsteps in one subdivision of Lake Charles while vehicles sought to navigate flooded streets in another part of town.

The rainy weather is expected to continue in southern Louisiana through the middle of the week.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency late Monday for southwest Louisiana.

Western Louisiana is still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes Laura and then Delta last year. And then, in February, frigid temperatures froze pipes and led to problems getting drinking water to area residents.

The National Weather Services Little Rock office said on their Twitter feed, that parts of central Arkansas also had seen two to more than four inches (5-10 centimeters) of rain as of Monday morning. More rainfall is expected this week, the agency said.
SHERMAN  The Sherman Library has a new show  Old Glory  Wooden Flags by Rich Engel.

Just in time for Memorial Day, Flag Day and July 4 celebrations, Engel uses his craftmanship with wood to create Old Glory in the shapes of stars, hearts, flags and the United States.

The library continues to follow COVID guidelines, but the work can be seen person Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Engel has been a Sherman resident for over 45 years. He taught woodworking for many years in Redding, at John Read Middle School.

He was always watching, always careful as his students used table saws, lathes, and other machinery to create with wood, the announcement said.

One of his students was Ashleigh Blake, executive director of the Sherman Library. As a 12 year old taking Mr. Engels class, I was delighted to use real machines and create real objects. His class was amazing, said Blake.

Retiring from teaching nine years ago, Engel missed creating, so he started making hand crafted flags from wood.

In 1962 at age 17, I joined the Navy and for three years worked on aircraft carriers all over the world. We picked up astronauts like John Glen, went to Spain, participated in the Cuban Crisis and had many exciting adventures. Through the GI bill, I went to college and became a teacher. Creating flags for me is a way to give something back.

All flags are for sale, and a portion benefits the Sherman Library. For more information about the show and to see the show, visit the Sherman Library website at shermanlibrary.org
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Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
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Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
He then proceeded to yell during the flight that he had a bomb and was going to blow up the plane, and that he wanted to kill somebody, the FAA alleged. The plane had to divert to Oklahoma City, where cops plucked him off the flight.
Richard ODell introduces himself as an education futurist when speaking about the recent programs hes designed for SPIRE Academy, one of the
The loss of a husband. The death of a sister. Taking in an elderly mother with dementia.

This has been a year like none other for Dr. Rebecca Elon, who has dedicated her professional life to helping older adults.

This story also ran on The Washington Post. It can be republished for free.

It's taught her what families go through when caring for someone with serious illness as nothing has before. "Reading about caregiving of this kind was one thing. Experiencing it was entirely different," she told me.

Were it not for the challenges she's faced during the coronavirus pandemic, Elon might not have learned firsthand how exhausting end-of-life care can be, physically and emotionally  something she understood only abstractly previously as a geriatrician.

And she might not have been struck by what she called the deepest lesson of this pandemic: that caregiving is a manifestation of love and that love means being present with someone even when suffering seems overwhelming.

All these experiences have been "a gift, in a way: They've truly changed me," said Elon, 66, a part-time associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Elon's uniquely rich perspective on the pandemic is informed by her multiple roles: family caregiver, geriatrician and policy expert specializing in long-term care. "I don't think we, as a nation, are going to make needed improvements [in long-term care] until we take responsibility for our aging mothers and fathers  and do so with love and respect," she told me.

Elon has been acutely aware of prejudice against older adults  and determined to overcome it  since she first expressed interest in geriatrics in the late 1970s. "Why in the world would you want to do that?" she recalled being asked by a department chair at Baylor College of Medicine, where she was a medical student. "What can you possibly do for those [old] people?"

Elon ignored the scorn and became the first geriatrics fellow at Baylor, in Houston, in 1984. She cherished the elderly aunts and uncles she had visited every year during her childhood and was eager to focus on this new specialty, which was just being established in the U.S. "She's an extraordinary advocate for elders and families," said Dr. Kris Kuhn, a retired geriatrician and longtime friend.

In 2007, Elon was named geriatrician of the year by the American Geriatrics Society.

Her life took an unexpected turn in 2013 when she started noticing personality changes and judgment lapses in her husband, Dr. William Henry Adler III, former chief of clinical immunology research at the National Institute on Aging, part of the federal National Institutes of Health. Proud and stubborn, he refused to seek medical attention for several years.

Eventually, however, Adler's decline accelerated and in 2017 a neurologist diagnosed frontotemporal dementia with motor neuron disease, an immobilizing condition. Two years later, Adler could barely swallow or speak and had lost the ability to climb down the stairs in their Severna Park, Maryland, house. "He became a prisoner in our upstairs bedroom," Elon said.

By then, Elon had cut back on work significantly and hired a home health aide to come in several days a week.

In January 2020, Elon enrolled Adler in hospice and began arranging to move him to a nearby assisted living center. Then, the pandemic hit. Hospice staffers stopped coming. The home health aide quit. The assisted living center went on lockdown. Not visiting Adler wasn't imaginable, so Elon kept him at home, remaining responsible for his care.

"I lost 20 pounds in four months," she told me. "It was incredibly demanding work, caring for him."

Meanwhile, another crisis was brewing. In Kankakee, Illinois, Elon's sister, Melissa Davis, was dying of esophageal cancer and no longer able to care for their mother, Betty Davis, 96. The two had lived together for more than a decade and Davis, who has dementia, required significant assistance.

Dr. Rebecca Elon's sister Melissa Davis (right) was the primary caretaker for their mother, Betty Davis, for the past 10 years. But new living arrangements had to be made for their mother when Melissa Davis died of esophageal cancer in May 2020. (Dr. Rebecca Elon)

Elon sprang into action. She and two other sisters moved their mother to an assisted living facility in Kankakee while Elon decided to relocate a few hours away, at a continuing care retirement community in Milwaukee, where she'd spent her childhood. "It was time to leave the East Coast behind and be closer to family," she said.

By the end of May, Elon and her husband were settled in a two-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee with a balcony looking out over Lake Michigan. The facility has a restaurant downstairs that delivered meals, a concierge service, a helpful hospice agency in the area and other amenities that relieved Elon's isolation.

"I finally had help," she told me. "It was like night and day."

Previously bedbound, Adler would transfer to a chair with the help of a lift (one couldn't be installed in their Maryland home) and look contentedly out the window at paragliders and boats sailing by.

"In medicine, we often look at people who are profoundly impaired and ask, 'What kind of quality of life is that?" Elon said. "But even though Bill was so profoundly impaired, he still had a strong will to live and retained the capacity for joy and interaction." If she hadn't been by his side day and night, Elon said, she might not have appreciated this.

Meanwhile, her mother moved to an assisted living center outside Milwaukee to be nearer to Elon and other family members. But things didn't go well. The facility was on lockdown most of the time and staff members weren't especially attentive. Concerned about her mother's well-being, Elon took her out of the facility and brought her to her apartment in late December.

For two months, she tended to her husband's and mother's needs. In mid-February, Adler, then 81, took a sharp turn for the worse. Unable to speak, his face set in a grimace, he pounded the bed with his hands, breathing heavily. With hospice workers' help, Elon began administering morphine to ease his pain and agitation.

"I thought, 'Oh, my God, is this what we ask families to deal with?" she said. Though she had been a hospice medical director, "that didn't prepare me for the emotional exhaustion and the ambivalence of giving morphine to my husband."

Elon's mother was distraught when Adler died 10 days later, asking repeatedly what had happened to him and weeping when she was told. At some point, Elon realized her mother was also grieving all the losses she had endured over the past year: the loss of her home and friends in Kankakee; the loss of Melissa, who'd died in May; and the loss of her independence.

Dr. Rebecca Elon and her mother, Betty Davis, mask up during the pandemic. (Dr. Rebecca Elon)

Betty Davis plays with Peanut at Dr. Rebecca Elon's apartment in Milwaukee over the Christmas 2020 holidays. (Dr. Rebecca Elon)

That, too, was a revelation made possible by being with her every day. "The dogma with people with dementia is you just stop talking about death because they can't process it," Elon said. "But I think that if you repeat what's happened over and over and you put it in context and you give them time, they can grieve and start to recover."

"Mom is doing so much better with Rebecca," said Deborah Bliss, 69, Elon's older sister, who lives in Plano, Texas, and who believes there are benefits for her sister as well. "I think having [Mom] there after Bill died, having someone else to care for, has been a good distraction."

And so, for Elon, as for so many families across the country, a new chapter has begun, born out of harsh necessities. The days pass relatively calmly, as Elon works and she and her mother spend time together.

"Mom will look out at the lake and say, 'Oh, my goodness, these colors are so beautiful,'" Elon said. "When I cook, she'll tell me, 'It's so nice to have a meal with you.' When she goes to bed at night, she'll say, 'Oh, this bed feels so wonderful.' She's happy on a moment-to-moment basis. And I'm very thankful she's with me."
According to body cam footage, Sutherland refused to leave his cell for bond court, at which point two deputies blanketed the cell with pepper spray. Sutherland can be heard coughing and seen wrapping a blanket around his head. About 15 minutes later, another round of pepper spray was deployed, after which the deputies opened the cell door and Tased Sutherland.
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought untold devastation in its wake, with its rapid and asymptomatic spread to hundreds of millions of people the world over. Vaccines have been hailed as the way out of this situation, and a dozen or so are being rolled out in many different countries.

However, pregnancy has remained an exclusion criteria for vaccine trials, despite being a high-risk situation regarding COVID-19. A large part of the reason for this was both the uncertainty regarding the vaccine's ability to induce an immune response in pregnancy, which is an immunotolerant state and its potential adverse effects on the mother and fetus at that time.

A new paper published in the journal JAMA reveals an answer to at least one of these questions.

Lead author Ai-ris Collier said, "Our study supports the use of vaccines in pregnant and lactating individuals. The vaccine-elicited antibodies we detected in both infant cord blood and breast milk suggest that vaccinating pregnant mothers may potentially protect infants from COVID-19 infection."

The background

Symptomatic COVID-19 in pregnancy has been associated with a higher risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation and mortality, compared to age-equivalent non-pregnant women. Preterm birth and stillbirths have also been found to be higher in pregnancies complicated by COVID-19.

The lack of evidence regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety and immunogenicity in pregnancy has led to the matter of vaccination in pregnancy being left to the discretion of individual governments and healthcare organizations. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say pregnant women could take the vaccine if they so wish, in consultation with their healthcare provider.

In fact, once mRNA vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization in the USA, over 11,000 pregnant women underwent vaccination.

The new study, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), combined obstetric and virologic specialists to assess the immunogenicity of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines (either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) in pregnant and lactating women.

Study details

The study was carried out on 103 women aged 18-45 years, all of whom had received one of these vaccines. Of these, 30 were pregnant and 16 lactating. Controls included 57 non-pregnant non-lactating women who had received the vaccine.

In another comparison group, there were 28 women who had been infected, of whom 22 were pregnant.

Immune antibody responses were evaluated with regard to the efficiency of antibody binding to epitopes on the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), neutralization, and functional non-neutralizing antibody production, in all three groups. The T cells' responses to vaccination and infection were also assessed.

The immune responses were evaluated against wildtype virus variant as well as the UK and South African variants of concern (VOCs), B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, respectively. These are known to be more infectious and less susceptible to immune antibodies elicited by natural infection and even by neutralizing antibodies.

High immunogenicity in pregnancy

The results show that with both vaccines, the immune responses elicited were adequate. Both antibodies and T cells were induced by two doses of the vaccines. Moreover, maternal antibodies were transferred efficiently into the fetus, as shown by their presence in both cord blood and breast milk.

Interestingly, both pregnant and non-pregnant women were found to have cross-reactive immunity against other SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Less than one in seven women developed fever post-vaccination compared to almost half of non-pregnant women.

Serum antibodies

The median immunoglobulin G (IgG) RBD-binding antibody titer was ~15,000 in maternal serum, and ~20,000 in cord blood, in vaccinated women, vs. ~1,300 and 635, respectively, in unvaccinated women.

The titer of neutralizing antibodies (NT50) was ~1,000 in maternal serum, and 300 in cord blood, at the time of delivery. Following natural infection, the corresponding titers were 150 and 164, respectively.

Breast milk antibodies

Breast milk samples were also assessed in both cohorts, both RBD-binding and neutralizing antibodies. The same pattern was observed, with serum IgG binding titers showing a median of 25,000 and 1,600 after vaccination and infection, respectively. This corresponded to breast milk median titers of less than 100 and ~200, respectively.

IgA binding antibody titers were 800 and 150 after vaccination and infection, respectively. Similarly, breast milk IgA antibody titers were 25 and ~2,000, respectively.

Overall neutralizing activity was 75 and 150 after vaccination and infection, respectively.

T cell responses

All vaccines elicited comparable T cells responses, considering the percentage of activated CD4 T cells, CD4 central memory T cells, CD8 T cells, and CD8 central memory T cells

What are the implications?

Not only were robust antibody responses seen following vaccination in all women, whether pregnant, non-pregnant or lactating, but the elicited antibody titers were greater than those induced by natural infection as well. This agrees with earlier reports.

Antibody transfer to the fetus via the placenta and to the infant via breast milk was observed to be efficient, underlining the additional benefit of vaccination in pregnancy to the baby as well as the mother. Cross-reactive antibodies were elicited against both VOCs examined.

These findings clearly support the use of these vaccines in all women, irrespective of the presence of pregnancy.

Further large studies should examine the protection conferred by these antibodies, and the durability of the immune response, in pregnant women. Moreover, the timing of the vaccine should be examined to ensure the optimal fetal transfer of antibodies and the protection of infants against perinatal infection.
Wearing masks and quarantining while sick has helped mitigate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). An indirect benefit of these efforts appears to be a decrease in flu cases and other respiratory infections. New research led by Lisa G. Winston of the University of California, San Francisco, confirmed COVID-19 public health interventions helped decrease the number of airborne viruses.

The findings suggest COVID public health guidances like masking are nonpharmaceutical ways to reduce respiratory illness in the future. The researchers note these interventions remained helpful even when people began to congregate more outside.

While our findings add to the evidence regarding effective disease mitigation strategies, it is also notable that the low rate of respiratory virus detection remained low during intermittent months of increased public interaction and movement in the Bay Area, including periods when businesses were allowed to partially reopen, times at which civil protests occurred, and periods of increased summer outdoor recreational activities. This suggests a central role for masking and reduction of enclosed space gathering for the disruption of respiratory viral transmission.

The study Significant and sustained decrease in non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections during COVID-19 public health interventions is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review.

How they did it

The San Francisco Bay area had a shelter-in-place order in effect on March 16, 2020, with a mask mandate implemented on April 17, 2020. The researchers collected information on airborne viruses in the surrounding area from January 2019 to December 2020 to compare the prevalence of respiratory viruses a year before and during the pandemic.

They used a respiratory pathogen panel assay  used to detect infectious respiratory viruses  from the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital clinical laboratory information system to examine 17 viral pathogens and 4 bacterial organisms. The researchers analyzed monthly trends of positive results for non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory pathogens.

Proportion of positive respiratory pathogen tests by month in 2019 compared to 2020. Proportion of tests positive in 2019 and 2020 are shown by month. Respiratory viral illness diagnoses became significantly less frequent from March to April 2020, and from April-December 2020, the proportion of tests positive was consistently lower compared to the corresponding month in 2019. NS, not significant; *, P<0.05; **, P<0.01; ***, P<0.001; ****, p<0.0001. a Shelter-in-Place went into effect on March 16, 2020. b Masking ordinance went into effect on April 17, 2020.

Decreases in non-COVID respiratory infections

The researchers evaluated 1,484 tests in 2019 and 2,037 tests in 2020. The tests ranged from 13.6% to 39.1% positive for a respiratory infection from January 2019 to March 2020.

April to December 2020 represented the period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respiratory infections dropped with a 0 to 11.1% positivity rate for non-SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The proportion of total positive tests was not significantly different for January, February, and March of 2019 versus the same months in 2020. However, the proportion of positive tests was lower for every month April-December 2020 during COVID-19 restrictions compared to 2019, wrote the researchers.

The human rhinoviruses/enteroviruses were the most frequently detected of all the respiratory viruses. About 89.6% of positive test results for respiratory infections came from human rhinoviruses/enteroviruses during the pandemic compared to the 55% observed in 2019.

The San Francisco data showed no influenza cases for 2020 to 2021s flu season.

Study limitations

Certain study limitations could have influenced the results. The research design involved looking at 2-year data from a single healthcare system, which may not be translatable to other neighborhoods with different levels of respiratory infections. There may also be other confounds such as a persons demographic or adherence to masking that could influence the results. Also, changes in indoor policy restrictions in response to rising cases or increased vaccinations might cause considerable variations in monthly respiratory transmission.

People may have also experienced respiratory infections like the flu but were too scared to seek medical care during the pandemic. Despite this, our focus on inpatients tested for respiratory infections, rather than the larger population of outpatients, should decrease variation in testing practices that may occur from workup of mild and undifferentiated illness.

It remains inconclusive which policy or combination of policies were most effective in lowering the number of respiratory infections. Researchers conclude that finding the answer to this question could help shape public health strategies for reducing respiratory droplet transmission at home, in public, or even at work.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Last summer, Anna Ramsey suffered a flare-up of juvenile dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune condition, posing a terrifying prospect for the Los Angeles resident: She might have to undergo chemotherapy, further compromising her immune system during a pandemic.

This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free.

After an agonizing three-day wait, the results of a blood test came back in her online patient portal  but she didn't understand them. As hours passed, Ramsey bit her nails and paced. The next day, she gave in and emailed her doctor, who responded with an explanation and a plan.

For Ramsey, now 24, instant access to her test results had been a mixed blessing. "If there's something I'm really nervous about," she said, "then I want interpretations and answers with the result. Even if it takes a few days longer."

On April 5, a federal rule went into effect that requires health care providers to give patients like Ramsey electronic access to their health information without delay upon request, at no cost. Many patients may now find their doctors' clinical notes, test results and other medical data posted to their electronic portal as soon as they are available.

Advocates herald the rule as a long-awaited opportunity for patients to control their data and health.

"This levels the playing field," said Jan Walker, co-founder of OpenNotes, a group that has pushed for providers to share notes with patients. "A decade ago, the medical record belonged to the physician."

Jan Walker and Dr. Tom Delbanco co-founded OpenNotes, a group that has pushed for providers to share notes with patients. (Edward Brown/AcademyHealth)

But the rollout of the rule has hit bumps, as doctors learn that patients might see information before they do. Like Ramsey, some patients have felt distressed when seeing test results dropped into their portal without a physician's explanation. And doctors' groups say they are confused and concerned about whether the notes of adolescent patients who don't want their parents to see sensitive information can be exempt  or if they will have to breach their patients' trust.

Patients have long had a legal right to their medical records but often have had to pay fees, wait weeks or sift through reams of paper to see them.

The rule aims not only to remove these barriers, but also to enable patients to access their health records through smartphone apps, and prevent health care providers from withholding information from other providers and health IT companies when a patient wants it to be shared. Privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which limit sharing of personal health information outside a clinic, remain in place, although privacy advocates have warned that patients who choose to share their data with consumer apps will put their data at risk.

Studies have shown numerous benefits of note sharing. Patients who read their notes understand more about their health, better remember their treatment plan and are more likely to stick to their medication regimen. Non-white, older or less educated patients report even greater benefits than others.

For Sarah Ford, 34, of Pittsburgh, who has multiple sclerosis, reading her doctor's notes helps her make the most of each visit and feel informed.

"I don't like going into the office and feeling like I don't know what's going to happen," she said. If she wants to try a new medication or treatment, reading previous notes helps her prepare to discuss it with her doctor, she said.

The new rule will have less impact on Ford and the more than 50 million patients in the U.S. whose doctors had already made their notes available to patients before the rule kicked in. However, only about a third of patients with access to secure online health portals were using them.

While most doctors who have shared notes with patients think it's a good idea, the policy has drawbacks. One recent study found that half of doctors reported writing their notes less candidly after they were opened to patients.

Another study, published in February, found that 1 in 10 patients had ever felt offended or judged after reading a note. The study's lead author, Dr. Leonor Fernandez, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said there is a "legacy of certain ways of expressing things in medicine that didn't really take into account how it reads when you're a patient."

"Maybe we can rethink some of these," she said, citing the phrase "patient admits to drinking two glasses of wine a day" as an example. "Why not just write 'two glasses of wine a day'?"

UC San Diego Health started phasing in open notes to patients in 2018 and removed a delay in the release of lab results last year. Overall, said Dr. Brian Clay, chief medical information officer, both have been uneventful. "Most patients are agnostic, some are super-jazzed, and a few are distressed or have lots of questions and are communicating with us a lot," he said.

There are exceptions to the requirement to release patient data, such as psychotherapy notes and notes that could harm a patient or someone else if released.

Dr. David Bell, president of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, believes it's unclear exactly what qualifies as "substantial harm" to a patient  the standard that must be met for doctors to withhold an adolescent patient's notes from a parent. Clarity, he said, is especially important to protect teenagers living in states with less restrictive laws on parental access to medical records.

Most electronic medical records are not equipped to segregate sensitive pieces from other information that might be useful for a parent in managing their child's health, he added.

Some doctors say receiving devastating test results without counseling can traumatize patients. Dr. James Kenealy, an ear, nose and throat doctor in central Massachusetts, said a positive cancer biopsy result for one of his patients was automatically pushed to his portal over the weekend, blindsiding both. "You can give bad news, but if you have a plan and explain, they're much better off," he said.

Such incidents aren't affecting the majority of patients, but they're not rare, said Dr. Jack Resneck Jr., an American Medical Association board trustee. The AMA is advocating for "tweaks" to the rule, he said, like allowing brief delays in releasing results for a few of the highest-stakes tests, like those diagnosing cancer, and more clarity on whether the harm exception applies to adolescent patients who might face emotional distress if their doctor breached their trust by sharing sensitive information with their parents.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the federal agency overseeing the rule, responded in an email that it has heard these concerns, but has also heard from clinicians that patients value receiving this information in a timely fashion, and that patients can decide whether they want to look at results once they receive them or wait until they can review them with their doctor. It added that the rule does not require giving parents access to protected health information if they did not already have that right under HIPAA.

Patient advocate Cynthia Fisher believes there should be no exceptions to immediately releasing results, noting that many patients want and need test results as soon as possible, and that delays can lead to worse health outcomes. Instead of facing long wait times to discuss diagnoses with their doctors, she said, patients can now take their results elsewhere. "We can't assume the consumer is ignorant and unresourceful," she said.

In the meantime, hospitals and doctors are finding ways to adapt, and their tactics could have lasting implications for patient knowledge and physician workload. At Massachusetts General Hospital, a guide for patients on how to interpret medical terminology in radiology reports is being developed, said Dr. William Mehan, a neuroradiologist.

An internal survey run after radiology results became immediately available to patients found that some doctors were monitoring their inbox after hours in case results arrived. "Burnout has come up in this conversation," Mehan said.

Some electronic health records enable doctors to withhold test results at the time they are ordered, said Jodi Daniel, a partner at the law firm Crowell & Moring. Doctors who can do this could ask patients whether they want their results released immediately or if they want their doctor to communicate the result, assuming they meet certain criteria for exceptions under the rule, she said.

Chantal Worzala, a health technology policy consultant, said more is to come. "There will be a lot more conversation about the tools that individuals want and need in order to access and understand their health information," she said.
A study published this May in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that people who have had dengue in the past are twice as likely to develop symptoms of COVID-19 if they are infected by the novel coronavirus.

The findings of the study were based on an analysis of blood samples from 1,285 inhabitants of Mancio Lima, a small town in the state of Acre, part of Brazil's Amazon region. The principal investigator was Marcelo Urbano Ferreira, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo's Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil. The study was supported by FAPESP.

"Our results show that the populations most exposed to dengue, possibly owing to socio-demographic factors, are precisely those that most risk falling very sick if they're infected by SARS-CoV-2. This is an example of what has been called a syndemic [synergic interaction between two epidemic diseases so that one exacerbates the effects of the other]. On one hand, COVID-19 has hindered efforts to control dengue. On the other, the latter appears to increase the risk for those who contract the former," Ferreira told Agencia FAPESP.

For seven years Ferreira has been conducting research in Mancio Lima with the aim of combating malaria. In 2018 he began work on a project involving a survey of 20% of the town's population every six months. His team call on homes, apply questionnaires, and collect blood samples. In early 2020 the project received additional funding from FAPESP so that part of the research effort could be redirected to the monitoring and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in the region.

In September 2020, a study by another group was published suggesting that areas with many cases of dengue were relatively little affected by COVID-19. Because we already had blood samples collected from inhabitants of Mancio Lima before and after the first wave of the pandemic, we decided to use the material to test the hypothesis that prior infection by dengue virus conferred some degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2. What we found was exactly the opposite." Marcelo Urbano Ferreira, Professor, University of Sao Paulo's Biomedical Sciences Institute in Brazil

The study was supported by FAPESP.

Methodology

The blood samples analyzed had been collected in November 2019 and November 2020. They were submitted to tests capable of detecting antibodies against all four dengue serotypes and against SARS-CoV-2.

The results showed that 37% of the cohort studied had contracted dengue before November 2019 and 35% had been infected by the novel coronavirus before November 2020. Clinical data (symptoms and outcomes) of the volunteers diagnosed with COVID-19 were also analyzed.

"We deployed statistical analysis to conclude that prior infection by dengue virus doesn't alter the risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, our study also shows that people who have had dengue are more likely to have symptoms if they're infected by SARS-CoV-2," said Vanessa Nicolete, first author of the article. Nicolete is a researcher with a postdoctoral fellowship at ICB-USP.

The causes of the phenomenon described in the article are unclear. There may be a biological basis for it, in the sense that antibodies against dengue virus somehow exacerbate COVID-19, or it may simply be due to socio-demographic factors that make certain population groups more vulnerable to both diseases for various reasons.

"The results evidence the importance of reinforcing both the social distancing measures introduced to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and efforts to control the dengue vector, as the two epidemics are occurring at the same time and affecting the same vulnerable population. This should be getting more attention from the federal government," Ferreira said.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), or blockages in the arteries outside of the heart, affects more than 200 million people worldwide and 12.5 million people in the United States. Patients with this circulatory disorder may develop severe leg pain or unhealing wounds that require a minimally invasive revascularization procedure to open the blood vessels to improve blood flow.

For nearly a decade, proceduralists and surgeons have depended on devices coated with a drug called paclitaxel -- which reduces the need for another procedure by up to 50 percent -- during procedures to open the arteries of the leg. However, in the wake of a 2018 study that found a potential link between these drug-coated peripheral devices and death after two years post procedure, the FDA restricted the use of these devices for the treatment of PAD out of an abundance of caution.

At the behest of the FDA, cardiologists Eric Secemsky, MD, and Robert Yeh, MD, both of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), designed the Safety Assessment of Femoropopliteal Endovascular Treatment With Paclitaxel-coated Devices (SAFE-PAD) study to provide the information necessary to make scientifically-sound regulatory decisions about the safety of these devices.

Using claims data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the researchers evaluated survival following treatment with these drug-coated devices in more than 160,000 leg artery revascularization procedures conducted between 2015 and 2018.

The team found no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients treated with drug-coated devices and non-drug-coated devices. The report was presented as a late-breaking study at the American College of Cardiology's Scientific Sessions May 16 and published simultaneously in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Our study of Medicare beneficiaries includes more than 160,000 patients, including more than 30,000 patients with survival data extending past four years, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive evaluations of the safety of drug-coated devices to be published since the initial analysis." Secemsky, Director, Vascular Intervention, BIDMC and Assistant Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School

"Although the 2018 findings raised concerns about the safety of these drug-coated devices, there were many issues with that analysis -- including the study's small size and a lack of complete patient follow-up."

Secemsky and colleagues' study included Medicare patients treated with either a drug-coated or non-drug coated peripheral device between 2015-2018 at nearly 3000 hospitals across the United States.

Deaths were evaluated through May 2020, and after accounting for any differences in demographics and co-morbidities between the two groups, the investigators found no evidence that drug-coated devices were associated with higher mortality rates through an average 2.7 years of follow-up, with some patients having follow-up through 5 years.

"We used a number of novel statistical methods to assure these results were accurate, and found consistent results across a number of different patient groups -- including among those of lower overall risk, those with more severe disease, and those treated in outpatient centers," Secemsky said.

"We've provided these results to the FDA to make decisions on whether to continue to restrict these drug-coated devices to only those at high risk of needing another leg procedure, or to return to the previous indications where these were used without restriction."

The current publication is the first report of seven planned biannual reports as part of the SAFE-PAD study, which was designed to continue until all patients in the study had follow-up exceeding 5 years. As such, Secemsky and colleagues will continue to analyze these Medicare beneficiaries and update their findings until this study completes in late 2023.
In unveiling his 2021 legislative agenda in December 2020, Gov. Eric Holcomb revisited many goals promoted by his administration over the last four years, noting every single thing on this agenda is very important to the growth of our state.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 86F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Starting May 17, Krispy Kremes new Island Time collection consist of the Pina Colada Doughnut which has an Original Glazed donut base but is filled with a Pina Colada-flavored Kreme. The decadent treat is also dipped in a pina colada-flavored icing, sprinkled with toasted coconut shreds, and  added emphasis  topped with a candied cherry.
(Newser)  Pharmaceutical executives mocked their customers as hillbillies, disparaging them in rhymes even as the companies poured pills into Appalachia and opioid addiction rates and overdoses rose. One email told of Jed, for example, "a poor mountaineer" who "barely kept his habit fed." Another rhyme referred to Kentucky as "OxyContinville." An email showed a box of breakfast cereal with "smack" placed under the words "OxyContin for kids." A lawyer for one West Virginia county said the mocking showed a culture of contempt for the people being sold the pills. The revelations came in the West Virginia trial of pharmaceutical firms charged with illegally flooding the state with opioids, the Guardian reports. The national distribution companies on trial are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, per the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.

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Chris Zimmerman of AmerisourceBergen wrote one of the emails after Florida moved against pill mills in 2011. "Watch out Georgia and Alabama," he told colleagues, "there will be a max exodus of Pillbillies heading north." It was Zimmerman's job to make sure the company stopped delivering opioids to any pharmacies selling suspiciously large amounts of the drugs. He testified that he regretted the email but described it as "a reflection of the environment at the time," per the Guardian. The county lawyer called it "a pattern of conduct by those people charged with protecting our community." Zimmerman was accused in court of not following company policy by halting deliveries during investigations and not reporting suspicions to the Drug Enforcement Administration. "Were a company, we're not an enforcement agency," Zimmerman answered, "and we're not a regulatory agency." (Read more opioids stories.)
(Newser) 

With the first drawing for Ohios Vax-a-Million lottery system scheduled for May 26, state officials announced a change to the process Monday that will require participants to opt-in. The lottery system unveiled by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine last week will begin next Wednesday and last five weeks, offering a $1 million prize or a full-ride scholarship to a four-year university in the state to a resident each week. Ohio had planned to use state voter registration in addition to an opt-in program to enroll every resident into the drawing but changed it Monday to opt-in only, state Health Director Stephanie McCloud said during a briefing. The change, McCloud said, is an effort to streamline verification and eligibility requirements and allow Ohio residents who dont want to participate to opt out, per the AP

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Beginning Tuesday at 8am ET, Ohio residents can enter into the lottery system by filling out a questionnaire at Ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling the Ohio Department of Health hotline at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. Permanent Ohio residents who are 18 years and older and have received at least one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the one-shot Johnson&Johnson vaccine by the Sunday before the weekly Wednesday drawing are eligible to enter the lottery. The state determines permanent residency using the same requirements that it uses for issuing an Ohio drivers license or eligibility to vote. Permanent Ohio residents who are between 12 and 17 years of age and have received at least one dose are eligible to enter the scholarship lottery.

(Read more Ohio stories.)
(Newser)  A novel that's made its way onto a UK bestseller list has finally found its place in the sun, eight decades after a mostly tepid reaction to its first printing. The Passenger, written by Germany's Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz in 1938, tells the story of Jewish businessman Otto Silbermann trying to escape Nazi Germany with his wife. The book bears similarities to Boschwitz's own life, as he'd fled Germany and the Nazi regime three years before he penned his novel, per the BBC. The Passenger had a limited run in both Britain and the United States in 1939 and 1940, but it didn't capture the public's attention and went out of print. Boschwitz, meanwhile, had made his way to the UK with his motherafter brief stays in Scandinavia, France, Belgium, and Luxembourgbut after the war broke out in 1939, the two were arrested as enemy aliens, and Boschwitz was sent to an internment camp in Australia.

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In 1942, he was finally allowed to come back to England, but a German U-boat torpedoed the ship he was on, killing him and 361 other passengers and crew members, per the Guardian. He was 27. The Times of London notes Boschwitz's original manuscript turned up in an archive in Frankfurt, Germany, a few years ago, and a revised version was created using Boschwitz's own notes. It was published in German in 2018 and has since been printed in 20 other languages, and it's now made the Sunday Times' top 10 list for hardback fiction. "[I] knew that this was an important novel," Peter Graf, an editor who worked on the revision, tells the BBC. "The Passenger is a gripping novel that plunges the reader into the gloom of Nazi Germany as the darkness was descending," the Guardian notes. "It deserved to be read when it was written. It certainly deserves to be read now." (Read more novel stories.)
(Newser)  Joel Greenberg, the former county tax collector at the center of a federal sex trafficking investigation along with Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, took prosecutors' plea deal Monday, admitting to six federal crimes. Changing his pleas from "not guilty" reduced the number of federal counts Greenberg faced from 33, the Hill reports. One of the charges he pleaded guilty to is sex trafficking of a minor. In the agreement he signed Friday, Greenberg admitted that he "introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts" with her. The agreement does not name Gaetz, per WESH, but Greenberg reportedly told investigators that Gaetz was one of the men. Greenberg's acceptance of the plea deal means he could become a witness in the investigation of the Florida congressman. His other guilty pleas Monday were to production of false identification, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, stalking, and conspiracy to commit an offense against the US.

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A spokesperson for Gaetz, who has not been charged with any crimes and has denied all accusations, said Monday that "Joel Greenberg has now confessed to falsely accusing an innocent man of having sex with a minor." The former Seminole County tax collector said little more than "Yes" and "I do" to the judge during the Florida court hearing. Afterward, his lawyer, Fritz Scheller, told reporters: "He's on the path towards rehabilitation and he has a great deal of remorse. I think he's feeling a sense of acceptance." In addition to cooperating with prosecutors by testifying in cases involving the federal investigation, Greenberg has agreed to turn over all documents that could help the case, per CNN. The sex trafficking conviction brings a minimum 10-year sentence, but prosecutors said that could be reduced if Greenberg helps them enough. (Read more Joel Greenberg stories.)
(Newser)  Police in New Mexico are still trying to piece together the details of a triple slaying in Albuquerque, but they're pretty sure there was a gang connection: Three men found shot to death in a vehicle and the man who left the car in a hospital's parking lot have all been identified as Aryan Brotherhood members, the Washington Post reports. Richard Shuyler Kuykendall, 41, faces a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court papers, FBI investigators don't think he killed all three men, but he may have been responsible for the death of one of them, reports NBC. He was identified as a member of the neo-Nazi prison gang through tattoos including an iron cross and a shamrock.

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A criminal complaint filed Friday states that in the Thursday incident, security video shows a car pull up behind Kuykendall, who is shot at as he tries to get in the back seat, the Albuquerque Journal reports. The complaint says he can be seen ducking and moving around the car as shots are fired inside. He then briefly enters the vehicle before going to a dumpster, where police found a pistol. He then "got into the driver's seat, on top of the driver, and drove the vehicle to the Presbyterian Kaseman hospital," court papers state. Investigators say Kuykendall told a hospital security guard there were three men in the vehicle and then fled the scene. Court papers say Kuykendall has an " impressive criminal history," with 35 arrests in New Mexico and Massachusetts. (Read more New Mexico stories.)
(Newser)  The Israeli military unleashed another heavy wave of airstrikes Monday on the Gaza Strip, saying it destroyed militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders. International diplomacy to end the weeklong war that has killed hundreds appeared to make little headway. Israel has said it will press on for now with its attacks against Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire. The latest attacks destroyed the five-story building housing the Hamas-run Religious Affairs Ministry, a building Israel said housed the main operations center of Hamas' internal security forces, the AP reports.

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At least 212 Palestinians have been killed in the week of airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel. President Biden expressed support for a cease-fire in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, though he stopped short of joining the growing demands from Democrats and others for an immediate halt to the fighting, the AP reports. Biden also "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," according to a White House readout.

(Read more Gaza stories.)
(Newser)  The UN Security Council was considering a statement condemning the violence in Gaza, which has left hundreds of Palestinians dead including dozens of women and children, and calling for a ceasefirebut the US blocked it Monday, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to Al Jazeera, that's the third time in a week US opposition to such a statement has prevented one from being released. The council held an emergency virtual meeting to discuss the crisis, and China, which holds the rotating presidency of the council for the month of May, drafted the statement late Sunday. After it was blocked by the US, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters, "We urge the US to shoulder its fair share of responsibilities, take a just stance, and work with the majority of the international community to support the Security Council."

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The permanent members of the councilthe US, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdomhave veto powers over any joint statements, and the US was the only dissenting voice in this case. The Biden administration has given little indication it plans to step down support for Israel, but an increasing number of senators are calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and, per the Times of Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the first US official to call for a ceasefire late Sunday. The draft UN statement, obtained by the Times, "expressed [the councils] grave concern regarding the crisis related to Gaza and the loss of civilian lives and casualties, and called for de-escalation of the situation, cessation of violence and respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, especially children." On Monday afternoon, Israel's defense minister thanked the US for blocking it, the Independent reports. (Read more Gaza stories.)
(Newser)  A 73-year-old from Pakistan who is the oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center was notified on Monday that he has been approved for release after more than 16 years in custody at the US base in Cuba, his lawyer said. Saifullah Paracha, who has been held on suspicion of ties to al-Qaeda but never charged with a crime, was cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented him at his hearing in November. As is customary, the notification did not provide detailed reasoning for the decision and concluded only that Paracha is "not a continuing threat" to the US, Sullivan-Bennis said. It does not mean his release his imminent, the AP reports. But it is a crucial step before the US government negotiates a repatriation agreement with Pakistan for his return.

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Paracha's attorney said she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months. A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment. Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700 in 2003. President Biden's administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the detention center, a process that former President Trump halted. The prisoner review board also informed Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, that he had been cleared. There are now about nine men held at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, including one who has been approved since 2010. There are 10 facing trial by military commission and two who have been convicted, including one awaiting sentencing. Proceedings in the tribunals have been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Read more Guantanamo Bay stories.)
(Newser)  A Minnesota judge has found probable cause to support the second-degree manslaughter charge against former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who's accused of fatally shooting Daunte Wright during an April 11 traffic stop, setting the stage for a December trial. "I think it's to the benefit of everyone to try and expedite this case and try to come to a resolution or trial as quickly as reasonably possible," Judge Regina Chu said during a court hearing on Monday, setting a tentative Dec. 6 trial date, though Hennepin County prosecutor Imran Ali noted that might not provide adequate time for discovery and to wrangle expert witnesses, per the Washington Post. Ali said he would request cameras be allowed in court, while defense attorney Earl Gray said he would oppose the motion, reports NPR. Usually, both sides need to agree on that point, per KARE.

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Potter, 48, is expected to plead not guilty. Police initially said she intended to use a Taser on Wright, who had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court, but instead pulled her gun, firing a bullet into the 20-year-old's chest. Potter had threatened to use a Taser just seconds before firing her service weapon, according to a clip from her body camera. "Holy s---, I shot him," she then said. But an attorney for Wright's family has suggested the shooting wasn't accidental as Potter, a 26-year police veteran who was training officers, ought to have known the difference between a bright yellow Taser situated on her left hip and a black 9mm handgun on her right hip. She'd face a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. However, "under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Potter would probably serve closer to four years, given her lack of criminal history," per the Post. (Read more Daunte Wright stories.)
(Newser)  A surfer was killed by a shark on Tuesday off the east coast of Australia, police said. The man, said to be in his 50s, had been surfing off Forster, 190 miles north of Sydney, when he was attacked late in the morning, a police statement said. Onlookers pulled the man from the water suffering critical injuries to his upper right thigh, reports the AP. "It's believed that when the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try and warn others and, very heroically, his friends were able to bring him back in to shore after he had been attacked," Police Superintendent Christopher Schilt said, per the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The Ambulance Service said the man couldn't be resuscitated despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene. Forster beaches have been closed, and police say they're working with government authorities to identify the species of shark. A bite analysis suggests a 15-foot great white shark was likely involved.

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Brian Wilcox, president of Lower North Coast BranchSurf Life Saving, said a drone search after the attack had spotted two sharks in the area. "It's pretty unprecedented. I can't recall ever having a shark attack in this area," Wilcox told ABC. "We'll ... do drone missions for the next couple of days, within the Tuncurry Beach area, just to make sure there are no sharks hanging around," Wilcox added, referring to the beach where the surfer was attacked. The mans name hasn't been released. It was the first fatal shark attack in Australia since November, when a 55-year-old surfer was mauled near the northwest town of Broome.

(Read more shark attack stories.)
In 2017, Christopher Beckham, 35, of Nashville, harassed two Muslim sisters after they got of their school bus. Beckham yelled Allahu Akbar! and Go back to your country! at the girls, who were wearing hijabs. After their father arrived, Beckham pulled a knife and sliced at the man and punched him. When their girls mother arrived in a car, Beckham chased after the whole family while still waving his knife around.
(Newser)  A Black Lives Matter activist in North Carolina says a person who tried to hit protesters with an SUV is a judgeand she is pressing charges against him. Judge John M. Tyson, who is white, has been summoned to appear in court next month to answer to a charge of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, ABC reports. Activist Myah Warren, 23, says Tyson drove his state-owned vehicle past protesters in Fayetteville once before moving into the inner lane of the traffic circle, which is painted with a Black Lives Matter message and is closed to traffic. She says he sped up and almost hit a group protesting police shootings. "It caused me to literally have to jump out of the way to avoid being hit," Warren tells the News&Observer. "He was going so fast he jumped up on the curb."

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Police say that during the May 7 incident, a 911 caller complained that protesters were blocking the roadway and coming around his car, the Fayetteville Observer reports. Tyson has acknowledged making the call. There is no evidence of protesters blocking traffic in video released by the city. "It's a baldfaced lie," Warren tells the Washington Post. "He needs to be dealt with for making false accusations to 911." Warren, who describes the judge as "a well-known racist," based on some of his rulings, says she was twice told she couldn't press charges before an investigator reviewed footage of the incident and said she could have a case. She says the judge is a powerful local figure, which has made it very difficult to find a lawyer willing to help. (Read more Black Lives Matter stories.)
(Newser)  "No officers will be criminally charged," a North Carolina district attorney announced Tuesday in the case of Andrew Brown Jr., who was shot to death by sheriff's deputies who had gone to his home to arrest him. "The officers' actions were consistent with their training and fully supported under law." Andrew Womble called the death of Brown, a 42-year-old Black man, tragic, NBC reports, but said it was "justified due to his actions." Brown was shot five times at the wheel of his car last month in Elizabeth City; deputies had a warrant for his arrest on felony drug charges. Womble said Tuesday that Brown backed his car up to move away from the officers, hitting one of them, then drove forward toward two others. Deputies then began shooting, he said, per the Wall Street Journal.

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Because the deputies thought the vehicle was in effect being used as a deadly weapon against them, shooting was legal, Womble said. During a press conference, he played body camera video that he said showed deputies didn't shoot until Brown tried to get away. But a family attorney maintains that Pasquotank County deputies shot at Brown first, causing him to try to drive away. The Rev. Al Sharpton called Womble's explanation "bizarre and unconvincing" on Tuesday, per the BBC. He said the case should go to the federal level and a special prosecutor. Protests of police violence followed Brown's death, and the FBI has launched a civil rights investigation. Brown's family has called for Womble to recuse himself in the case over conflicts involving his office and the sheriff's department, per CNN. (Read more Andrew Brown stories.)
(Newser)  An argument between two brothers about laundry on Sunday morning escalated horrifically, say police in Portland, Oregon. Shane Finnell, 25, is accused of killing sister-in-law Alexandra Arb-Bloodgood, People reports. According to court documents seen by the Oregonian, Jordan Arb told investigators that his brother threw a potted plant at him during the argument and then walked over to Arb-Bloodgood, who was sitting in a patio chair facing away from him, and shot her in the back of the head at close range with a handgun.

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Police say Arb-Bloodgood died at the scene. A neighbor told officers that after hearing a gunshot, he saw Finnell flailing his arms and looking upset. Court documents state that the neighbor told police that when he asked what had happened, Finnell told him he had shot "Alex." An arrest affidavit states that moments after his arrest, Finnell told police, "I did a horrible thing." He faces charges of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon, KPTV reports. (Read more Portland, Oregon stories.)
It's raised concerns with how we'd cope with a significant outbreak - like what Taiwan is currently experiencing, with 700 local cases over the past week.

Remember the LSG Sky Chefs worker? She and her family testing positive marked the beginning of the Valentine's Day cluster. It wasn't a big outbreak, but those tracking it struggled.

Do you know more? Send an email in confidence to michaelmorrah@tv3.co.nz

Just three days into the outbreak, as emergency teams shifted to "surge level orange", the Auckland DHB noted there were "limited resources due to vaccination and testing requirements".

"What we're seeing is modest if not mediocre performance in an orange outbreak, which is exhausting the workforce," Auckland University Professor of Medicine Des Gorman told Newshub.

"So I think there's a discrepancy between what we see and what we're being told. My recommendation is always believe what you're seeing."

Official information obtained by Newshub shows by February 19, the extra workload on Auckland Regional Public Health staff left them at "risk of burnout".

By February 23, it was noted "we cannot source staff needed for the weekend" and on the 24th there was a lack of Maori and Pasifika staff available.

The following day, there were "wellbeing concerns" for the leadership team, and on the 26th, "staff are tired, key roles are working extended hours and staff do not get the opportunity to recover".

It's important to note that at this stage, health teams were dealing with just 12 active community cases, and had a daily workload of following up with 218 people.
The Chief Ombudsman says he can't understand why some prisons do so much better than others when it comes to rehabilitating inmates, but suspects it has something to do with their leadership.

Peter Boshier on Tuesday morning announced a year-long investigation into Corrections, including the "treatment and conditions" of prisoners and staff, rehab and education opportunities, how it handles complaints and the use of solitary confinement.

The rare "deep-dive" was started by the Ombudsman himself.

"I don't understand why in some prisons the practise is good," Boshier told The AM Show on Tuesday.

"We look at exemplars of practise and think, 'Gee - of our checklist of what's working well in this prison for the rehabilitation and treatment of prisoners, that's pretty good.' Others time and time again don't seem to be able to move.

"I've said to my team, 'I don't want to just keep doing reports looking at who's done what and who hasn't, and I don't want to keep saying this unless there's going to be traction... That's why we've decided to do a good, hard, deep-dive look."
Brierley was knighted in 1988 for services to business management and the community.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Brierley's knighthood would have been stripped had he not resigned.

"My intention was, if he were not to offer up the knighthood, that it would be removed," Ardern said.

"In notifying him of that process, he has resigned the title as it were. But I am really clear, if he had not done so, it would have been removed."

Brierley pleaded guilty to three charges relating to child sexual abuse material possession in Sydney last month.

A knighthood can be removed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister when it's believed the individual's actions would bring the honours system into disrepute.

Brierley, 83, was arrested at Sydney Airport in 2019 after authorities searched his luggage and found "large amounts of child abuse material" on his devices, according to a statement from New South Wales police at the time.

The multi-millionaire was well-known as a corporate raider and for founding RA Brierley Investments in 1961.
After Monday's promise of an immigration reset, the Prime Minister on Tuesday refused to say whether that means a cap on migration numbers.

"What we're looking for here is a rebalancing," Ardern tells Newshub.

"There's no suggestion here we'd be turning off the tap entirely to temporary workers."

"I think people were expecting some answers, some policies, to give certainty to businesses and certainty to migrants," National's immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says. "And no one got anything out of it."

Net migration is almost zero with the borders shut, but pre-COVID it hit 91,900 migrants.

Labour had previously campaigned to drop it by about 20,000 to 30,000.

"The Government ought to not use dehumanising narratives like 'turning the tap off' or 'low-value immigrants'," Green Party MP Ricardo Menendez March says.

The Government says New Zealand depends too heavily on migrant workers - with roughly 5 percent of our workforce here on temporary visas - arguing that's pushing down wages.

But a 2019 OECD report says immigration doesn't in fact suppress wages or kick New Zealand-born Kiwis out of jobs.

"There's no evidence that I've seen that shows in the New Zealand context bringing in immigration and migrant workers decreases wages - in fact the opposite is actually true," economist Brad Olsen tells Newshub.

We couldn't ask the Immigration Minister for the evidence he's relying on to back up his reset - he's off sick waiting for a COVID-19 test as a cold moves through the Cabinet.

"I don't know that four people having a cold is particularly newsworthy," Ardern defends.

Maybe not newsworthy, but certainly not ideal just two sleeps out from Budget Day.
The 'Immigration Reset: Setting the scene' speech delivered by Stuart Nash on behalf of Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi on Monday night laid out the Government's plan for the sector in a post-COVID-19 world.

It was heavily foreshadowed last week when Jacinda Ardern told an Auckland business community about the Government's desire to "shift the balance away from low-skilled, low-paid work towards attracting high-skilled migrants and addressing genuine skill shortages in order to improve productivity".

That was a key theme of Nash's speech, with the minister noting temporary work visa holders make up almost 5 percent of Aotearoa's labour force, the highest share in the OECD, and high levels of migration have contributed to 30 percent of our total population growth since the early 1990s.

"Temporary work visa reforms are designed to give more flexibility to migrants filling highly skilled roles, and the reforms will strengthen both the minimum employer requirements and labour market test to be met before a migrant can be hired. We may consider further adjustments to these settings in the future."

Nash also said a further objective would be to "ensure that temporary workers are only recruited for genuine job shortages". There will also be a review of the Skilled Migrant category "with more to say on that soon".

However, there was little specific detail in the speech.

"I was at the speech alongside some 60-or-so journos and industry representatives, some of whom had come from Auckland. Yet there was nothing new in the speech, not even an announcement of an announcement," said New Zealand Institute executive director Oliver Hartwich.

"We need to have a conversation about immigration settings. What they're set at, what they're looking to accomplish, and how they impact the labour market. But tonight's speech didn't provide that detail for the future. My conclusion: confusing," said economist Brad Olsen.
Ardern said on Monday she would "stand in defence" of New Zealand's position.

"We take a very firm view here - and we have consistently over the last two years, where of course there's been much debate sparked by the positioning of the United States - we have stood firmly on our view that we need to give Palestinians that security that they will have a consistent home, that they will feel secure in that home, and some of the encroachment, settlements and evictions move us further away from that.

"I've visited the region and the area. It felt to me even at that time, and this was several years ago, that we were very far away from having co-existence between Palestinians and Israelis, and yet it is in everyone's interest that we find a path in order to achieve that.

"What we're seeing at the moment is devastating - absolutely devastating."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) released a statement on Sunday expressing "grave concern" on behalf of New Zealand at the escalation of violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

"Aotearoa New Zealand remains steadfast in its belief that the seemingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be resolved, and that the two-state solution is the only basis to achieve sustainable peace."

It came after Israel destroyed al-Jalaa tower in Gaza, a 12-storey building housing the offices of media outlets including the Associated Press (AP) and broadcaster Al-Jazeera. The Israeli military said the building "contained military assets" of Hamas.

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said last week the launching of rockets towards Israel by Hamas is "unacceptable" and must stop.

"At the same time any response from Israel should be restrained and must avoid civilian casualties. All sides have a responsibility to de-escalate, stop the violence and prevent further suffering and loss of life."

Around 4000 people turned out in 10 centres across New Zealand on Saturday in support of Palestinians. Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa said another protest is planned for this weekend.

The White House has announced that US President Biden called for a ceasefire in Gaza, when speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a phone call.

Biden "reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks" but "welcomed efforts to address inter-communal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem".

Biden will not talk to Hamas because the US has also listed it a terrorist group. Gaza has been governed by Hamas since 2007. The US does not recognise the State of Palestine, but accepts the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, as representing the people.
"It is community driven, and developed with early learning services, schools, hapu and iwi, students and parents in each community," Rose Jamieson, Tumu Te Papa Aronui, deputy secretary, Parent Information and Community Intelligence, told Newshub.

"Communities, including their teachers, will understand how systemic racism plays out in policies and practices, and how inequities might be addressed. Exactly how communities do this will be up to them to determine."

It consists of six key principles - such as Tino Rangatiratanga and Te Hangaitanga - to be applied across different "education system levers", like within communities and the curriculum.

Budget 2019 included $42 million over three years for Te Hurihanganui and is now being implemented in four communities, most recently in Nelson.

One part of the initiative's "blueprint" mentions the need to build critical consciousness, which it says means "recognising white privilege".

"Building critical consciousness means reflecting critically on the imbalance of power and resources in society, and taking anti-oppressive action to do something about it for the better," it says.

"It means recognising white privilege, understanding racism, inequity faced by Maori and disrupting that status quo to strengthen equity."

Collins, the National Party leader, isn't happy with that.

"These people should be sacked. They are disgraceful," she told Magic Talk on Monday. "They are teaching children  little kids  that they should feel either angry at the kids sitting next door to them, because apparently that kids got white privilege, or else the child itself  the white child or Pakeha child  should be feeling guilty because of this white privilege."

Collins believes privilege tends to come from one's socio-economic standing.

"That is actually what makes a difference and thats how we can actually bring people out. We cant change peoples race, we cant change their ethnicity. What we can do is change and get a quality education and not the sort of nonsense that were hearing.

"I mean, it's worst than nonsense, its actually quite evil what theyre doing to kids."

The Ministry of Education didn't comment on Collins' remarks or why recognising white privilege was important.

However, last week, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said the kaupapa was important to driving change.

"The education system hasn't worked for everyone in New Zealand and one of the biggest reasons for this inequity is systemic racism. Te Hurihanganui is how were learning what works in communities to fix that," he said.

"Communities are the heart of Te Hurihanganui - iwi, whanau, akonga, schools and early learning services. When educators and policymakers work in partnership with communities, we can make change happen on the ground as well as across the education system."

Asked if she ever spoke to her husband, who is Chinese-Samoan, about white privilege, Collins said he "took matters into his own hands".

"He got an education, joined the police force, went to university and started a business. So he didnt sit around sitting there saying 'poor me, poor me'.

"He had a mother who was absolutely focused on helping the kids get ahead and what I look at is this pathetic dumbing down of people and saying, because youre a certain colour then you cant do something.

"That is the sort of paternalistic, racist nonsense that I cannot abide. I live my values against racism and I will continue to stand up against the pathetic behaviour thats coming out of places like the Ministry of Education."

The ACT Party first came out against the programme over the weekend.

"The promise of our country is to value each person as we find them and value their human dignity without prejudice," leader David Seymour says. "A policy that asks children to apologise for their colour is the worst form of bigotry. Dressing it up as anti-racism is hypocrisy."

He said while Maori do face worse social and economic outcomes, policies like charter schools, overhauling the delivery of mental health services and requiring rehabilitation in prisons have "the potential to deliver better outcomes for Maori".
The night before Miller was found dead, she was in a physical altercation with two other teenagers, the district attorneys office said. Three more teens were also in the room. Police said they investigated all five and determined none ventured into the woods where Millers body was later found.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ardern said if a case is detected in the Cooks, it "almost certainly" originated in New Zealand. That's because the Cook Islands' borders are closed to almost everyone other than those who have been in New Zealand for 14 full days.

"That's why we've been really cautious in the reopening, because we know ultimately it will be our responsibility to help support the Cooks in any response," she said.

So what would happen if a case pops up in the Cooks?

In the case of New Zealand's trans-Tasman bubble, if a case emerges with an unknown source, flights can be paused, requiring Kiwis to shelter in place. But Ardern says it's different with this new arrangement.

"We'll be needing to provide support to their system, and it's likely the outbreak will be in New Zealand," she said.

"We don't have the same protocols around Australia where we tell people to shelter in place. It may well be the case that we will bring people back to New Zealand in order to not put too much pressure on the system in the Cooks."

Ardern said holiday goers may need to work with their airlines to bring their return-trip arrangements forward.

"But unlike Australia, the situation would be that if there were a case, it would have been because we have a case in New Zealand and all the consequences from that. It doesn't put New Zealand at risk to then bring New Zealanders home."

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown told The AM Show on Tuesday morning the new bubble was really important for the islands' economy.

"We have a GDP of about half a billion dollars a year, we would say 20 percent of that has been knocked off in the last year from the loss of income from tourism," he said.

"So it's a big chunk compared to New Zealand's loss over the same period is about 2 percent. For us the recovery, which is what we are now looking at is critical but it's going to be a long haul - it's going to take two to three years to get back to pre-COVID levels."

For someone to be eligible to travel between New Zealand and the Cooks without quarantine, travellers must have been in either for at least 14 days before travel. That means anyone wanting to travel between Australia and the Cook Islands would need to spend at least 14 days in New Zealand in the middle.

People shouldn't travel if they are unwell, waiting for a COVID-19 test or have been in contact with someone suspected to have COVID-19.
New Zealand could be following Norway's example and helping to broker a ceasefire and mediate wider peace attempts in the region.

But if anything, New Zealand's response to the growing Israeli-Palestinian crisis to date appears to be slower and lower-key than that of its traditional English-speaking partners.

As of Monday morning, Mahuta's public reaction appears to have been largely limited to a Twitter post and - in diplomatic terms - a fairly standard, 180-word written statement.

Mahuta has largely echoed the calls of others calling for de-escalation in the crisis.

Notably, she does not appear to have given any TV or radio interviews about the topic.

For her part, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's first comments on the crisis appear to have been made in a scheduled weekly TV interview on Monday morning - nearly a full week after Israel began launching airstrikes on Gaza, in response to the firing of rockets into Israeli territory by Hamas.

Ardern, who talked of her "despair" at the conflict, seems to have been the last of the Five Eyes leaders to comment on the crisis publicly.

Overall, it appears the Government would prefer not to become involved in a distant conflict that - to many - appears intractable and unsolvable.

Other NZ parliamentarians - with the notable exception of Green MPs, especially Golriz Ghahraman - appear to be taking much the same position. According to Hansard, the conflict did not even rate a mention in the New Zealand Parliament last week - in stark contrast to its Australian, UK and Canadian counterparts, which all debated the issue.

Neither did New Zealand's public statements differ greatly in tone or substance from those made by other Five Eyes countries.

Marise Payne, Australia's Foreign Minister, called for de-escalation at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Thursday. And Canada and the UK have both have issued similar statements at Prime Ministerial and foreign minister levels.
Indonesia set up roadblocks on Monday to screen for COVID-19 among travellers returning from Muslim holidays, as fears rose that mass gatherings and virus variants could trigger a surge of new cases in the world's fourth most populous nation.

Each year millions of Indonesians fan out across the sprawling archipelago after Ramadan to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and visit extended families, in a tradition known as "mudik".

To try and avoid mass transmission of the virus, the authorities banned travel between May 6 and 17, during the Eid period, but government data suggests that at least 1.5 million people left their homes ahead of the ban.

On Monday, police were stopping cars at checkpoints around Jakarta in an attempt to identify and isolate positive cases. They were asking people about their travels, requesting to see test results and instructing some people to undergo tests.

"I don't think these tests and roadblocks can hold down the infection numbers," said returning traveller Trisna Hudaya, 59. "But maybe it can help to control and track."
Scientists in Europe think they've worked out which countries' rivers put the most plastic into the ocean - and there are some surprising entries on the list.

About 8 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste (MPW) a year ends up in the ocean, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, threatening not just marine life but getting into the food system and exacerbating climate change.

Up to 2.7 million of that enters the ocean via rivers, new research suggests, taking plastics from inland areas and dumping them into the ocean. The vast majority of that - about 80 percent - comes from just 1656 of them, "small urban rivers among the most polluting".

According to scientists in the Netherlands and Germany, the world's most polluting river when it comes to plastic is the Pasig River in the Philippines, which runs through the capital of Manila. Only 25km long, its dubious honour comes courtesy of its short length.

"Our results indicate that countries with a relatively small land surface area compared to the length of their coastline and with high precipitation rates are more likely to emit ocean plastics," the study, published this week in journal Science, said.

"Particularly, for areas in the Caribbean such as the Dominican Republic and tropical archipelagos such as Indonesia or the Philippines, this results in a higher ratio of discarded plastic waste leaking into the ocean."
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

One of Bahrains leading educators and chairman of The Asian School Joseph Thomas passed away early this morning due to cardiac arrest.

Mr Thomas, who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, began his career in education in 1970 when he joined as a kindergarten teacher in the state of Nagaland, India.

He then worked as a headmaster at a government middle school in Nagaland. Later he joined as a lecturer of English at a college in Uttar Pradesh.

In 1982 he left for Bahrain along with his ambition to start a school of his own where his vision in the field of education could be put into practice.

When he arrived in Bahrain, he saw potential for this dream to materialize and founded The Asian School on May 11, 1983 with 65 children and three teachers.

It was called The Asian Kindergarten then. It was renamed The Asian School the following year.

He has been running the school since then in the capacity of Principal and Director until July 2009, when he moved to a pure management role.

Mr Thomas was known to all as a dynamic personality who is a born educator and teaching has always been his calling.

He has relentlessly striven through every adverse moment of his life for the cause of education.

He was the guiding force behind the institution who believes in hard work, sincerity, dedication and perseverance which has stood him in good stead and helped him achieve success in his life.

Mr Thomas is survived by wife Elizabeth Joseph, daughter Lovy Joseph and son Timmy Joseph. He was 74.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A 32-year-old Bahraini citizen on board a water scooter was arrested by Qatari Coast Guards on Sunday for allegedly entering its territorial waters illegally.

This was confirmed by the Kingdom of Bahrains Coast Guard Command which said that the Operations Center had received a fax message from the Qatar Coast Guards and Border Security. It stated that a water scooter with a Bahraini plate had been seized for entering the territorial waters of the State of Qatar.

The rider was arrested and he will be referred to the relevant authorities in Qatar, the Qatari notice said. The Coast Guard said it was following the necessary legal procedures.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) board member Sonya Janahi has been elected unopposed as International Labour Organisation (ILO) alternate member to represent West Asian Business Group for a three-year term (2021-2024).

She won the majority of votes of the ILO member states which took part in the election process during the coordination meeting of Arab business owners in West Asian countries, which was held yesterday.

Janahi thus becomes the first Arab businesswoman to feature in the ILO board, reflecting Bahraini womens strides as well as regional and international standing.

It is also a tribute to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) President, for their support.

In a statement, Janahi extended thanks to the SCW, hailing Bahraini women local, regional and international standing. She praised the pivotal role played by HRH Princess Sabeeka to empower Bahraini women across all sectors and allow them to benefit from the national economic strides.

She also commended the BCCI board for supporting her to win the ILO board membership which, she said, reflects Bahrainis determination and potential to hold international leadership positions. BCCI also congratulated Janahi on this international achievement, praising Bahraini womens string of successes.

Holder of a masters degree in strategic marketing from the University of Hull, the United Kingdom, Janahi is ranked among the prominent influential personalities in the Arab and international arenas.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

MP Ibrahim Khalid Al Nafiei has called on the government, Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and banks to lay down a new provision to postpone loan instalments for another six months, in a manner that guarantees the rights of all employees.

He explained that the current economic conditions and the effects caused by the pandemic on the commercial and investment sectors require this.

MP Al Nafiei explained that the previous decision to voluntarily stop the premiums, which will expire at the end of next month, requires an extension, given the repeated and increasing demands of citizens, and many of them were affected by the repercussions of the coronavirus, which changed the lifestyle, increased the cost of living and seriously affected the medium and small sectors.

He added that delaying instalments for another six months will help achieve financial balance, increase purchasing power in the local market, and increase the income of the added tax, which is included in the state treasury.

MP Al Nafiei urged the Central Bank to urgently reassess the continuation of such measures for this year. Easing pressure amid pandemic Last December, CBB ordered all banks and financing companies to extend repayment of loan instalments for six more months, starting in January, as part of the governments measures to ease pressure amid the pandemic.

Licensees must offer their customers six-month instalments deferment options, starting from January 1, 2021.

The said option must entail extending the tenor to take into account the additional profit/interest while keeping the installment amount unchanged, the CBB said its circular to banks.

The Central Bank indicated that the option to postpone instalments must be offered to all customers residing in the Kingdom, whether individuals or companies, except amounts owed on credit cards and loans transferred to the court, unless there is coordination with the court.

Earlier in March last year during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Bahraini nationals were given the option of delaying payment of bank loans by six months.

The waiver at the time also covered credit cards but did not include inter-bank deposits or borrowings.

Bahrain also announced in March a financial package of BD4.3 billion to combat the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, including measures covering electricity and water payments for individuals and companies for three months starting in April.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company (gig Bahrain) and Takaful International announced launching their first Graduate Development Programme on Sunday. The programme designed in strategic partnership with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance will provide fresh graduates with the technical knowledge and competencies to start their career in Insurance.

The talent management programme aims at providing a unique career opportunity to fresh graduates seeking a professional career in Insurance. The programme will run for 9-12 months and aims at delivering a high-end on-the-job learning exposure both in Bahrain and abroad.

It is complemented by professional qualifications in Insurance and Digital Transformation, such as the Award for Certified Insurance Practitioner (ACIP) and the Digital Transformation Essentials for All.

Successful trainees with exceptional performance will qualify for an internal career opportunity within each of the respective companies. BIBF MyClass e-learning platform will deliver the sessions. Commenting, CEO of gig Bahrain, Dr Abdulla Sultan said, Were delighted to partner with the BIBF as a leading authority in Insurance training in the region, to extend our support towards developing the future Bahraini workforce to gain important knowledge and marketable experience in their area of study.

Essam Al Ansari, the CEO of gig Takaful, said they are looking forward to welcoming the students and wish them all the best for joining us.

BIBF Director, Dr Ahmed Al Shaikh, said, The insurance industry is facing one of the most profound disruptions in decades.

Therefore, it is crucial to develop the best talent pool to bridge the digital skills gap and help empower the Kingdoms Insurance sector.

Candidates, who are eligible and interested, can visit the respective Instagram pages and follow the instructions on the GDP post: @gigbh and @takafulbh.
Garland Joseph Nelson, a Northwest Missouri man accused of double murder in state court, now faces a federal charge related to the case.

According to a news release from federal prosecutors, Nelson was indicted by a grand jury for mail fraud.

Nelson's federal charge is similar to his state case, though the news release indicated the federal case is focused on some $215,000 of fraud.

"Nelson allegedly sold, traded, and/or killed many of the Diemelss cattle without remitting the payments to the Diemels," the news release states, referring to Nick and Justin Diemel, two Wisconsin brothers who were allegedly killed by Nelson at his Braymer, Missouri farm.

An attorney for Nelson's state case told News-Press NOW he had not yet seen the indictment. Prosecutors in the murder case are seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutors in the federal case accused Nelson of killing the brothers to cover up the fraud. Both the federal and state cases are predicated on the same supposed fact pattern: That Nelson and the Diemel brothers engaged in a cattle deal, where Nelson would raise the cattle and sell them and then give the profits (minus expenses) to the Diemel family.

However, prosecutors said Nelson mistreated the animals, many of whom died, though Nelson continued to act as if everything was fine.

"Nelson continued to fraudulently bill the Diemels for feed and yardage for cattle that had been sold, traded, or had died," prosecutors said in the news release.

Nelson went so far as to send a check for $215,936 via mail to the Diemels, though Nelson only had 21 cents in his account, prosecutors allege.

Finally in July of 2019, prosecutors for both the federal and state cases allege the Diemels flew to Kansas City to collect the money Nelson allegedly owed but the brothers were killed instead.

Nelson's murder trial is scheduled for June of 2022.
This undated photo provided on Jan. 24, 2020 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows some of over 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of suspected methamphetamine seized after smugglers tried to float it across the border from Nogales, Mexico, by roping together dozens of packages and sending them through an underground drainage tunnel into Arizona, according to federal officials. (AP)
The three districts covered by the Courier-Tribune will hold the course and continue to wear masks for the remainder of the school year.

Dr. Todd Schuetz, superintendent of the Smithville School District, said district leadership continues to evaluate information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Centers for Disease Control provided guidance and the Clay County Public Health Center allowed the emergency order to expire May 14, there was no new guidance for public schools. Schuetz said the health center has not altered any of its recommendations for schools.

We are going to be status quo as far as maintaining the current health guidelines in the schools, he said. We are out with an early release May 27. Thats not that much longer. We have also been evaluating summer school as well. However, no decisions have been made yet.

According to Dallas Ackerman, the Liberty Public Schools spokesman, said the district released a statement at the end of last week. While the district leadership is aware of the expiration of the public health emergency order, the update does not include any changes to the schools.

With only two weeks remaining in the 2020-2021 school year, LPS will join other peer metro school districts and continue with our current mitigation efforts, which include having students wearing masks while in district facilities, according to the statement. This will remain through the last day of school Friday, May 28.

However, the district is not sure how the summer school session will look in June and beyond.

We would then expect to receive additional guidance to be shared later this month, per the statement. As we have shared with you throughout this past school year, we are very appreciative of the patience, grace, and flexibility that our students, staff, and families have shown as we have collectively navigated this unique and challenging school year.

For the Kearney School District, the message is similar. From the beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the district leadership has focused on protecting the health and wellness of students and staff.

Although the county health center and the CDC now allow fully-vaccinated people to resume pre-pandemic activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, the recommendation is that schools continue to use the current COVID-19 prevention strategies for the 2020-2021 school year, according to the CDC.

This means that our face mask mandate will remain in place through the end of the school year Wednesday, May 26, for students, staff and visitors. In addition, the quarantine guidance for unmasked people has not changed. Unmasked students and adults who are not vaccinated will be required to quarantine for 10-14 days if they come in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, from a message to Kearney families sent by Ray Weikal, the districts communications director.

The CDC has indicated that it will update its guidance for schools in the coming weeks. This updated guidance will inform the planning for the upcoming summer school and academic year.

We are awaiting further guidance from the Clay County Public Health Center before making that decision. We will continue to follow the health center's guidance as we have throughout this pandemic. Our goal is always to ensure the health and wellness of our students and staff while providing excellent educational experiences, Weikal said.
Last week, this newspapers online Ping Poll asked if the city of St. Joseph should do more about panhandlers.

More than 80% of respondents said yes, a predictable response. Some find it jarring to see so many panhandlers with homemade signs, a sight that was once associated only with West Coast cities.

Heres one thing to consider in this poll, which is an unscientific survey of popular opinion: We went after some low-hanging fruit and appealed to people on an emotional level. What if the poll had offered a more complex question: Should police resources be diverted from other public safety needs in order to remove panhandlers from city street corners?

Chances are the support wouldnt have climbed north of 80%. On this fictional poll, a person has to think twice before clicking the yes button, because the cost of doing something is more clearly spelled out.

Missouri voters were never asked to consider the long-term costs of Medicaid expansion in 2020. It was seen as a no-brainer, too good to be true. The federal government pays 95% of the cost to expand Medicaid to 275,000 low-income adults. The rest just vanishes as the newly insured get more preventative care and make fewer non-emergency visits to the emergency room.

But there is a cost. Back in January, Gov. Mike Parson proposed $130 million in general revenue to cover the states share of Medicaid expansion, money that the Republican-controlled Legislature struck from the budget because the ballot measure did not come with a funding source, unlike other states that used taxes on cigarettes, HMOs or hospitals. The Missouri Court of Appeals found that the Missouri Legislature retained discretionary authority to fund or not fund Medicaid expansion.

It didnt fund it. Some of this could be attributed to a reflexive opposition to anything associated with the Affordable Care Act. There also was a failure to consider future benefits, like an improved financial position for rural hospitals.

But some of his opposition also stems from an awareness that Missouris Medicaid spending grew from 17% of the state budget to 24% in 2018. It will gobble of a quarter of the state budget in a couple of years, even without expansion.

This is money thats not available for other priorities, namely education but also infrastructure, mental health and corrections. With no long-term commitment of continued federal support at the 95% level, Missouris elected representatives had an obligation to consider the budget ramifications.

This should remain at the top of their minds. Medicaid expansion will wind up in court, creating a scenario similar to Kansas, where judges forced the legislatures hand on funding for education.
Contributed / Putnam County Sheriffs Department

New York officials said a deputy with the Putnam County Sheriffs Department was airlifted to the hospital Monday afternoon following a motor vehicle accident.

The sheriffs department said a member of the patrol division was driving west on Route 301 near Canopus Lake in Fahnestock State Park when his vehicle collided with a truck headed in the opposite direction.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Congress approved legislation Tuesday intended to curtail a striking rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, sending President Joe Biden a bipartisan denunciation of the spate of brutal attacks that have proliferated during coronavirus pandemic.

The bill, which the House passed on a 364-62 vote, will expedite the review of hate crimes at the Justice Department and make grants available to help local law enforcement agencies improve their investigation, identification and reporting of incidents driven by bias, which often go underreported. It previously passed the Senate 94-1 in April after lawmakers reached a compromise. Biden has said he will sign it.

Asian Americans have been screaming out for help, and the House and Senate and President Biden have clearly heard our pleas, said Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., who helped lead efforts to pass the bill in the House.

To many Asian Americans, the pandemic has invigorated deep-seated biases that in some cases date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of more than a century ago. President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to the virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, as the China Virus or the Kung Flu. And as cases of the illness began to rise in the U.S., so too did the attacks, with thousands of violent incidents reported in the past year.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said its painful for many to open up the newspaper everyday and see that yet another Asian American has been assaulted, attacked and even killed.

In February, an 84-year-old man died after he was pushed to the ground near his home in San Francisco. A young family was injured in a Texas grocery store attack last year. And in Georgia, six Asian women were killed in March during during a series of shootings targeting workers at massage parlors. Prosecutors are seeking hate crimes charges. The women who were killed are mentioned in the text of the bill.

You start to think, Well, will I be next? Chu said.

Yet to some activists, including organizations representing gay and transgender Asian Americans, the legislation is misguided. More than 100 groups have signed onto a statement opposing the bill for relying too heavily on law enforcement while providing too little funding to address the underlying issues driving a rise in hate crimes.

We have had hate crimes laws since 1968, its been expanded over and over again, and this new legislation is more of the same, said Jason Wu, who is co-chair of GAPIMNY-Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders. These issues are about bias, but also rooted in inequality, and lack of investment and resources for our communities. Not a shortage of police and jails.

Meng acknowledged some of the concerns raised by the groups, but countered that the widespread underreporting of hate crimes needs to be addressed.

Law enforcement is currently underreporting these kinds of incidents and it makes it easy to ignore hate crimes all together, she said.

Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, suggested that the surge in Asian American violence was tied to efforts backed by some Democrats and other progressives to decrease funding for the police.

This violence, by and large, is happening in Democrat-controlled cities, said Jordan. If money wasnt taken from police and they were allowed to do their jobs, we would probably be in an entirely different position.

Yet the bill also represented a rare moment of bipartisanship in a Congress that has struggled to overcome partisan gridlock, while underscoring an evolution in Republican thought on hate crimes legislation.

Many conservatives have historically dismissed hate crimes laws, arguing they create special protected classes so that victims of similar crimes are treated differently.

Im glad Congress is coming together in a bipartisan way, said Rep. Young Kim, a California Republican who is Korean American. Let's also recognize that we cannot legislate hate out of our people's hearts and minds.

Speaking earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said passage of the bill sends a powerful message of solidarity to those who have suffered discrimination during the pandemic.

Discrimination against Asian Americans is, sadly, not a new phenomenon in our nations history, but the pandemic brought old biases and prejudices back to the foreground, the New York Democrat said. The Senate can be proud it took the lead.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner survived a challenge in the Democratic primary that pit his progressive reforms against growing concern over a rising tide of homicides and gun crimes.

The primary was seen as referendum on whether a wave of prosecutors elected on promises of criminal justice reform  measures like shorter probation and parole and a curtailing of cash bail that disproportionately keeps poor defendants confined before trial  would be blamed for increasing violence.

He beat challenger Carlos Vega, who billed himself as a third option between traditional law-and-order prosecutions and reform.

This was not easy for the (crime) victims especially," Vega said after conceding Tuesday night. "Please remember them. ... I am hopeful that my opponent will take them more seriously during his tenure.

Krasner's allies linked his victory to the movement for racial justice.

Last summer, tens of thousands of young Black people took to the streets to demand we disinvest from our police force and begin investing in Black communities, Councilmember Kendra Brooks said in a statement. The re-election of Larry Krasner is a testament to the movements strength.

Krasner will be seen as the favorite against GOP challenger and well-known local attorney Charles Peruto Jr. in the November general election in a city where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans.

Critics blame Krasner and other progressive prosecutors for the increase in gun crimes. Supporters have pushed back, noting that rising violence during the pandemic  amid reduced social services and economic instability  are hitting cities with both liberal district attorneys and traditional law-and-order prosecutors.

Krasner, a 60-year-old longtime civil rights and defense attorney, won election in 2017 against a crowded field by billing himself as the outsider candidate capable of making radical change.

Our promise fundamentally was that we would focus on serious crime while bringing reform. We said we would do something about mass incarceration. We have cut the future years of incarceration in half, he said Saturday.

The current team of prosecutors also slashed the length of parole and probation supervision by nearly two-thirds compared to the previous administration, Krasner said. Pennsylvania has gotten a lot of attention for being an outlier with the length of probation and parole terms far above the national average.

Krasner strengthened the offices conviction integrity unit, which has helped free nearly 20 wrongfully convicted people, and also touts grant funding used to create the offices first data team that looks at the long-term effect of policies, hiring the offices first criminologist and playing a role in the ending of a 10-year contract that shared data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Trump was trying to deport victims of domestic violence... and we cannot have a world where they are afraid to walk into a courthouse or afraid to seek help, Krasner said.

Vegas plans had included bringing federal law enforcement partners to the table to press what he says are a small number of people responsible for gun crimes. Vega, 64, wanted to create an earn and learn approach to supervision, where each benchmark a person earns would knock time off of his or her probation or parole.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 5 in Philadelphia had sunk more money and effort into unseating Krasner than perhaps any political race in recent memory, said Lodge President John McNesby. The group backed Vega and hammered home messaging that blamed rising homicides and gun violence on Krasner. On a recent sunny afternoon, McNesby handed out soft serve cones after parking a Mr. Softee ice cream truck in front of the district attorneys office with the message that Krasner is soft on crime.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia chapters of the Guardian Civic League and Club Valiants  fraternal organizations representing Black and Latino police and firefighters  had endorsed Krasner for another term. The groups last year had fought with the larger police union and the local firefighters union over endorsements of former President Donald Trump, who they said supported racists and did not represent them.
LAS VEGAS  The Las Vegas Strip and surroundings will fully reopen to vaccinated diners, dancers, shoppers and club-goers beginning June 1.

Clark County lawmakers on Tuesday followed CDC guidelines and dropped plans to tie business occupancy to coronavirus vaccination rates.

The unanimous vote came after public speakers expressed anger and frustration with pandemic restrictions  especially their effects on schoolchildren.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday aligned state requirements with CDC recommendations issued a day earlier. The CDC says fully vaccinated people can stop social distancing and mask-wearing outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

Most Las Vegas casinos have already returned to 100% occupancy and no social distancing under oversight of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 Biden coronavirus adviser says teen son has lingering COVID-19 symptoms, encourages young to get shots

 UAE to offer booster shot to recipients of China's Sinopharm vaccine

 Changed by pandemic, many US workers wont return to old jobs

 India reports record day of virus deaths as cases level off

 Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to dismiss the health minister who has faced criticism for the slow pace of the nations coronavirus vaccination effort.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal held Health Minister Maksym Stepanov responsible for the failure to quickly procure more vaccine. Shmyhal says the nation of 41 million people so far has received only 2.3 million doses, and only 948,3300 Ukrainians had received at least one shot as of Tuesday.

Stepanov argued in his defense that the ex-Soviet nation has faced tough competition as nations try to procure vaccines amid the pandemic. Supplies of the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine were suspended after infections in India surged.

Ukraine has registered more than 2.1 million infections and 48,469 deaths from COVID-19.

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AUSTIN, Texas  Texas governor says public schools must end mask requirements starting in June and is ordering Texas cities and counties to drop nearly all face covering mandates by the end of the week.

Tuesdays announcement from Gov. Greg Abbott does not affect private businesses, which can still require customers or workers to wear masks. But the change is the biggest rollbacks of Texas pandemic safeguards since Abbott ended a statewide mask mandate in March.

Public hospitals, jails and state-supported living centers will still be allowed to require masks.

The move comes as Texas coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths continue to plunge and vaccines are being made available to children as young as 12.

Some Texas school have already ended mask mandates. The Texas State Teachers Association criticized Abbotts decision as premature.

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MEXICO CITY -- Mexico is mounting a final push to get all of the countrys 3 million school teachers vaccinated so it can reopen schools, perhaps by the second half of June.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that getting kids back into classrooms is an urgent necessity, as much for their social development as anything else. He says: School is like a second home, and we need all students at all levels to return to in-person classes..

Officials estimate 2.1 million teachers at private and public schools have already been vaccinated, and hope to inject almost 520,000 this week and a similar number in the last week of May.

Schools in four of Mexicos least-affected states have gone back to in-person classes, but on a very limited scale. The other 28 states have been giving online classes since early last year.

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PORTLAND, Oregon -- Oregon health officials say businesses and churches can choose to no longer require masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated people, but those places must have individuals show proof of vaccination and review it.

Under new rules announced Tuesday, people will still be required to wear masks while on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities.

Oregonians have been required since last summer to wear masks inside public spaces such as grocery stores, shops, gyms and restaurants and outside in situations where people cannot remain six feet apart.

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CONCORD, N.H.  New Hampshire will end its participation in all pandemic-related federal unemployment compensation programs June 19 but will offer signing stipends totaling $10 million to encourage people to find jobs.

The state was among the first to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits when the pandemic first struck. Between March and April 2020, its unemployment rate jumped from 2.7% to over 16%, but as of this month, was back down to 2.8%.

Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday that unemployed workers who find full-time jobs will get $1,000 bonuses after completing eight weeks of work and part-time workers will get $800 until the $10 million bonus fund is depleted.

Connecticut is offering a similar incentive, though it is maintaining the federal $300 supplemental payments for those who remain unemployed.

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LOS ANGELES -- Five more California counties will move to less restrictive pandemic rules because of improving COVID-19 conditions.

The state Department of Public Health said Tuesday that Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange and 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.

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WASHINGTON  A top White House adviser for the coronavirus is encouraging young people to get vaccinated, sharing his sons struggles after acquiring the virus.

Andy Slavitt revealed during a White House briefing Tuesday that one of his sons was diagnosed with the virus late last year and still suffers from lingering side effects.

Hes appealing to younger Americans to roll up their sleeves, even if they feel theyre at less risk than older Americans for serious medical consequences.

Slavitt says his teenage son was young and fit and in the prime of his life. But six months later, he still suffers from tachycardia, shortness of breath, and ongoing and frequent flu-like symptoms. His hands are cold to the touch.

Slavitt adds: Many young people are in this situation, and many, many have it worse. According to the CDC, more than 3 million kids under 17 have contracted COVID-19.

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ATLANTA  A U.S. government report finds rural counties are behind urban counties in their coronavirus vaccination efforts, a gap that could slow the fight against the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that 39% of adults in rural counties had received at least one shot compared to 46% in urban counties as of April 10. The rural lag holds up in women, men and both younger and older adults.

Polling suggests rural Americans are more likely than others to say theyll avoid vaccination. The CDC report says rural Americans may have more trouble traveling to distant vaccination sites.

Early in the pandemic, the coronavirus hit large cities. By September, it spread throughout the country and case rates in rural areas eventually surpassed urban centers. Some research suggests rural Americans may be more vulnerable to serious infection and death from COVID-19.

The CDC says public health departments should work with doctors, pharmacies, faith groups and employers in rural areas to address the gap in coverage.

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WASHINGTON  Federal health officials are releasing $3 billion to help states cope with rising substance abuse and mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The money approved by Congress in President Joe Bidens coronavirus relief bill will be equally divided between the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, roughly tripling the federal commitment to the programs, officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported 90,000 overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending last September, which represents 20,000 additional lives lost compared with the same period a year earlier.

Reported episodes of anxiety and depression were up sharply last year, and more people experienced suicidal thoughts. But there was a drop in the use of mental health and substance abuse treatment. Although people are using mental health services again, it hasnt returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The money will be distributed through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The United Arab Emirates says it will offer booster shots six months after vaccination for those who received the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm shot.

The announcement Tuesday comes after some in the UAE received a third shot amid concerns of a low antibody response from the vaccine.

Last month, Chinas top disease control official, in a rare acknowledgement, said current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus.

China has distributed hundreds of millions of doses of domestically made vaccines abroad and is relying on them for its own mass immunization campaign. The state-owned company has not publicly published peer-reviewed data on the final stage clinical trial research and been criticized for a lack of transparency.

The UAE initially said the vaccine was 86% effective in the first public release of information on the shots efficacy. But in the time since, it has offered no study data to support its figures.

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NEW DELHI  The Serum Institute of India says it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the U.N. backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, which will significantly set back global efforts to immunize people against COVID-19.

In March, Indias Serum Institute, the worlds biggest vaccine maker and the main supplier of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX, said it was postponing all exports of coronavirus vaccines to deal with the explosive surge of cases on the subcontinent. At the time, the World Health Organization and Gavi announced the delay would affect about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but they expected deliveries to resume by June.

SII has delivered more than 200 million doses, the company said in a statement posted to its Twitter account. It says in the past few days, theres been intense discussion on the decision of the Indian government and vaccine manufacturers about the possible export of vaccines.

We continue to scale up and prioritize India, the company says. We also hope to start delivering to COVAX and other countries by the end of the year.

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GENEVA  More than 60 countries want the World Trade Organization member states to temporarily ease protections on the know-how behind vaccines, medicine and tests for the coronavirus.

They are appealing to approximately 140 other members to step forward as soon as possible to flesh out a text for the proposal. The 62 WTO member states -- mostly developing countries -- have rallied around a proposal first made by India and South Africa that garnered some support from the Biden administration when it comes to vaccines.

A joint statement from the countries says theyll soon present a revised proposal on the issue that aims to get coronavirus help to the neediest people -- whether in rich or poor countries.

The 62 states also pledged flexibility on the issue to ensure swift outcomes that would suit a majority of WTO member states. However, the WTO operates by consensus -- meaning any single country could block the proposal. Some have expressed strong opposition.

Wealthy countries with strong pharmaceutical industries say such a temporary intellectual property waiver could have a long-lasting impacting innovation and would take months to carry out -- rendering it ineffective against urgent supply shortages faced in many countries. They say a better solution would be immediate donations of vaccines from rich countries that have extra doses.

Proponents insist capacity to scale up production of vaccines exists, but the protections under WTO rules prevent it.

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NICOSIA, Cyprus  Cyprus health minister says private doctors can administer the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19 to anyone over age 20 to expedite its vaccination program.

Constantinos Ioannou says the governments online vaccination appointment program will re-open for all ages so anyone who missed out the first time around can make the arrangement.

So far, 45.2% of its 875,000 population has received at least one shot and 15.5% have completed their vaccination. Ioannou says the governments target to vaccinate two-thirds of the population by the end of June remains on track.
CASPER, Wyo. (AP)  Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has announced plans to allocate recently received federal coronavirus relief aid toward education, health and social services and economic diversity and development.

The Republican governor has accounted for about $1 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. More than half of the amount was based on unemployment statistics.

Wyoming will also receive $360 million for education and $9 million for community health centers that cannot be reallocated. Unlike the federal relief aid from last year that had to be spent within months, states have more than three years to spend funding from the American Rescue Plan.

The American Rescue Plan provides additional funding specifically for groups such as schools, child care, community health centers and others.

The governor's office said in a statement on Monday that a more detailed plan will be released in June that includes proposals for initiatives or new programs for consideration by the Legislature.

Michael Pearlman, a spokesperson for Gordon, said this announcement is a way to inform the public.

We are going to be laser-focused on addressing Wyomings short and long-term recovery, and on getting people back to work, Gordon said. I want to ensure we use these dollars to thrive in the long-term, because this federal spending is increasing debt on our children and the generations to come.
Watkins had previously asked that his client be freed while awaiting trial because he believed he was following direct orders coming from the president of the United States. A judge determined that even if true, that wouldnt make Chansley  who entered the Capitol with a flag on a spear and wearing bulls horns  less of a threat to society.
Staycations in Connecticut were snapped up quickly for this summer, but one home recently put on the market is like a staycation in and of itself.

Sitting on Bantam Lake, Connecticut's largest natural lake, the a four bedroom, six and a half bathroom home on 10 Evans Passway in Morris was just listed for $4.995 million. Outside the home, there is a rooftop bar, according to the listing, as well as a full outdoor kitchen complete with a pizza oven, a lounge area with a TV, a Gunite infinity pool and spa, a fire pit and a dock with a beach area.

Within the home's 8,700 square feet and 16 rooms, are features that make it "the total party house," according to Brown Harris Stevens associate real estate broker Jill Sloane.

According to the listing, there are two master suites: one upstairs and one on the home's main level. The home also has a movie theater with a high-definition projector, a wine and cigar room and a recreation room with a pool table, the listing notes, as well as a spa with a steam shower, a sauna and an elevator.

For Sloane, the home's decor is also unique.

"One of the things that I think is an amazing feature besides being an adult's Disney World are the hand-painted murals throughout the house," she said. "Not the current owner, but the one prior had someone live at the house for six months to hand paint them."

Take a look inside the home.
KITCHENER, ON, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Across the country, Canadians are feeling the impact of COVID-19, on their families, their livelihoods, and their way of life. Together, Canada and Ontario are working to reduce the impact of the pandemic, ensure health and safety, rebuild businesses, and promote job creation, growth and investment.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canadas Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga; the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontarios Minister of Infrastructure; Mike Harris, Member of Provincial Parliament for KitchenerConestoga; and His Worship Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of the City of Kitchener announced joint funding to support the construction of the Aquatic Centre at RBJ Schlegel Park in Kitchener, Ontario.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $9.7 million in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $8.1 million, while the City of Kitchener is contributing more than $6.5 million toward this project.



Project work for the aquatics centre will include the construction of an eight-lane, 25-meter long pool with a removable floor and ramp access, bleacher seating, community use multi-purpose rooms, public washrooms, and food and beverage services. Once complete, the new aquatic centre will provide greater access to recreational facilities and services for members of the Kitchener community to lead healthy, active lifestyles.



All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when they are needed most.



Quotes

Access to modern, sustainable recreational facilities is an important part of communities where people want to live, work and raise their families. The federal government is investing almost $10 million to build a new, accessible Aquatic Centre at RBJ Schlegel Park that can be enjoyed by Kitchener residents for years to come. As a swimmer and lover of aquatic sports, Im excited to see this project get underway. Canadas infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canada's Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Now more than ever, staying active and healthy is an essential part of our mental and physical wellness. With the construction of the new RBJ Schlegel Aquatic Center, Kitchener residents will have a new facility to swim, play sports, and socialize for many years to come.

Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

With over $8.1 million in provincial funding, the Aquatic Centre at RBJ Schlegel Park in Kitchener is another great example of how we are working to support local communities and residents. Recreational infrastructure projects like these are so important to people and families. From swimming lessons to community events, this will be a wonderful new hub for local residents to enjoy.

The Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure

This announcement is great news for the growing number of families and individuals who are calling Southwest Kitchener home. Soon, they will have access to a brand new pool and community facility right in their neighbourhood. I am pleased that this provincially nominated project is moving forward with support from all levels of government and look forward to seeing local residents enjoy the RBJ Schlegel Aquatics Centre in the near future.

Mike Harris, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and Member of Provincial Parliament for KitchenerConestoga

Southwest Kitchener is the fastest growing area in our region, and is expected to double in population by 2041. Todays funding announcement will support the residents and visitors of this growing community with additional recreational facilities for many years to come. I would like to thank the Government of Canada and Province of Ontario for partnering with the City of Kitchener towards building this wonderful and much needed aquatic centre at RBJ Schlegel Park.

His Worship Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of the City of Kitchener

Quick facts

Through the Investing in Canada plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

plan, the federal government is investing more than over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. Across Ontario , the Government of Canada has invested more than $9.8 billion in over 3,150 infrastructure projects.

, the Government of has invested more than in over 3,150 infrastructure projects. Over the next ten years, the Government of Ontario is investing approximately $320 million across the province, and the federal government is investing approximately $407 million under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (e.g. community centres, libraries), recreational venues (e.g. arenas, recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (e.g. theatres, museums).

is investing approximately $320 million across the province, and the federal government is investing approximately under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (e.g. community centres, libraries), recreational venues (e.g. arenas, recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (e.g. theatres, museums). Ontario is investing over $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community and other priority infrastructure.

Associated links

Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario

https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Ontario Builds Project Map: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario

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Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; Christine Bujold, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, 416-454-1782, [email protected]; Sofia Sousa-Dias, Communications Branch, Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, 437-991-3391, [email protected]; Bethany Rowland, Director of Communications and Marketing, City of Kitchener, 226-752-9038, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca


WINNIPEG, MB, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada's recovery for communities across the country, including those in Manitoba.

Today, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Member of Parliament for Saint BonifaceSaint Vital, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Chief Larson Anderson of the Norway House Cree Nation, and Chief Glen Hudson of the Peguis First Nation, announced details of an approximately $16.6 million investment through the Projects Stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) for the immediate creation of 80 units of affordable homes for First Nations in Manitoba.

80 new homes will be created in the following six Indigenous communities: Hollow Water First Nation (10 units), Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (8 units), Norway House Cree Nation (28 units), Peguis First Nation (18 units), Tataskweyak Cree Nation (10 units) and Little Grand Rapids First Nation (6 units).

Delivered by CMHC, under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable housing by covering costs associated with modular multi-unit rental construction; conversion of non-residential to affordable multi-residential homes; and, rehabilitation of buildings in disrepair and/or abandoned to affordable multi-residential homes. Investments made under the RHI are expected to support thousands of construction-related jobs for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Quotes:

"Our Government is taking steps, right now, to ensure that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. Our investments will go a long way to effectively support those who need it most by quickly providing new affordable housing units to vulnerable individuals and families, while addressing the unique barriers faced by communities such as First Nations in Manitoba. Our Government's plan under the National Housing Strategy continues to provide affordable housing for those who need it most from coast to coast to coast."  The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

"The National Housing Strategy is working to ensure more affordable housing for Indigenous Peoples. This funding is part of our commitment to addressing severe housing needs across the country. It will provide immediate support to create safe and stable housing for Indigenous Peoples across Manitoba, helping those most vulnerable."  The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minster of Nothern Affairs and Member of Parliament for Saint BonifaceSaint Vital

"Improving Indigenous housing outcomes is a priority for the Government of Canada. That is why First Nations are a priority group under our government's National Housing Strategy, and why we are working with Indigenous partners to build rapid housing. Together, we are building new, permanent housing that will make a difference in the lives of many families and communities."  Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

"Historically, First Nation housing shortages and conditions have always been deplorable and a persistent problem. It is important that as First Nation leaders, we work together with our federal government to undertake new and creative initiatives to address this historic problem. The RHI is a positive step forward to addressing the demand for Housing."  Chief Larson Anderson, Norway House Cree Nation

"We look forward to receiving this much needed housing under the Rapid Housing Initiative. This helps addressing our overcrowding and backlog especially during these pandemic times!"  Chief Glen Hudson, Peguis First Nation

"Little Grand Rapids FN is an isolated community in northern Manitoba with an estimated 1200 residents on reserve. Housing, community infrastructure and resources for families continue to be on-going challenges prioritized by leadership. Lgr works closely with Shawenim Abinoojii inc (SAI) and Southeast Child and Family Services to develop and implement strategies for children and families. SAI a unique First Nation non-profit organization providing resources and supports to both on-reserve and in urban centres in Manitoba. In 2020/2021 LGRFN worked in partnership with the above resources towards the development of an on-reserve transitional housing resource for young parents and for youth aging out of CFS. The Rapid Housing Initiative program of CMHC provided financial support in the amount $350,000 towards the construction of a 2400 sq ft six unit transitional housing resource. Additionally, SAI and SECFS invested $650,000 and $200,000 respectively towards this new and innovative resource. Target date for occupancy is June/July 2021."  Jason Whitford, Executive Director, Shawenim Abinoojii inc, Little Grand Rapids First Nation

Quick facts:

The RHI is a $1 billion program to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing.





program to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing. Under the RHI Projects Stream, $500 million was available through an application-based process, which closed on December 31, 2020 . Funding was available to Provinces, Territories, and Municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies and organizations, and non-profit organizations.





million was available through an application-based process, which closed on . Funding was available to Provinces, Territories, and Municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies and organizations, and non-profit organizations. In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada invested an additional $1.5 billion in new funding for the Rapid Housing Initiative in 2021-2022, to address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians by providing them with permanent affordable housing.





invested an additional in new funding for the Rapid Housing Initiative in 2021-2022, to address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians by providing them with permanent affordable housing. At least 25 percent of this new funding will go towards women-focused housing projects. All units will be constructed within 12 months of when funding is provided to applicants.





This investment will more than triple the initial target set under the Rapid Housing Initiative as the program will now help create over 9,200 affordable housing units across the country.





The RHI has received significant interest from Indigenous groups, which resulted in nearly 40% of all units created under the program to be targeted to Indigenous peoples.





The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and others who are among the most vulnerable, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.





Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call homethis includes more than $13 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement.

Associated links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

For further information: Media contacts: Mikaela Harrison, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, [email protected]; Leonard Catling, Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca


First agreement in Canada to reduce the carbon impact of air travel

EDMONTON, AB, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and Air Canada are signing a new partnership to reduce carbon emissions and advance a green and sustainable aviation sector.

The EIA-Air Canada Sustainability Partnership aims to reduce the carbon impact of air travel with both organizations working together to test emerging green technologies at EIA's Airport City Sustainability Campus, an ecosystem that EIA created to foster environmental innovation. The partnership reflects both corporations' pledges to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions to a net-zero future.

The EIA-Air Canada Sustainability Partnership will focus on initiatives that will promote a cleaner environment and include the following:

Electrification of aviation equipment

Hydrogen fuel cell technologies

Green power generation using Airport City Solar, the world's largest airport-based solar farm

Development and usage of sustainable aviation fuels, biofuels and hydrogen

Replacement of single-use plastics with plant-fibre materials

Drones for e-commerce and cargo delivery

Other initiatives in industries such as agriculture and forestry to offset carbon emissions

"Finding good partners who share our core values is critical. Air Canada is passionate about reducing its environmental impact and our partnership shows how airlines and airports can work together to promote a sustainable future. This is only the beginning as we know that there are tremendous opportunities to lead in both an environmentally and economically sustainable way."



- Myron Keehn, Vice President, Air Service and Business Development, Edmonton International Airport



"This partnership with Edmonton Airports is an important step towards our midterm 2030 objectives that roll up into our overall net zero by 2050 emissions goal. We look forward to working together in developing innovative, long term, sustainable airport and ground operations emission reductions that could potentially be scaled at other airports in Canada and internationally."



- Samuel Elfassy, Vice President, Safety at Air Canada

These commitments will create highly skilled jobs, stimulate economic development, and help attract more investment to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as it transitions to a greener economy.

EIA and Air Canada partnered on a 2018 Edmonton to San Francisco flight that used sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), reducing the net emissions from this flight by 20 per cent. Air Canada and EIA will continue to pursue and advocate for the development of sustainable aviation fuels as a critical step to reduce carbon emissions.

As part of its commitment to net zero emissions from all global operations by 2050, Air Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from flights by 20 per cent by 2030 and from ground operations by 30 per cent compared to a 2019 baseline. EIA is the first and only airport in the world to sign The Climate Pledge, cofounded by Amazon committing to be carbon neutral by 2040.

To learn more about EIA's environmental sustainability visit flyeia.com/environment. Air Canada's ESG activities is detailed in the airline's Corporate Sustainability Report, Citizens of the World.

About Edmonton International Airport

Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation whose mandate is to drive economic prosperity for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. EIA is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area. EIA's Airport City Sustainability Campus is a living lab for accelerating the development, testing, implementation, and commercialization of technology. EIA offers non-stop connections to destinations across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. EIA is a major economic driver, with an economic output of over C$3.2 billion, supporting over 26,000 jobs. For more information, please visit: flyeia.com, follow @flyeia on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or Facebook.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline and, in 2020, was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler's Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX's Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.

Internet: aircanada.com/media

Sign up for Air Canada news: aircanada.com

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SOURCE Air Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Darrell Winwood, Corporate and Digital Communications, EIA, c: 587-338-4454, e: [email protected]; Air Canada Contacts: [email protected]

Related Links

www.aircanada.com


GATINEAU, QC, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on Canadian workers with many facing job losses and the need to upgrade or learn new skills to re-join the workforce. The Government of Canada has been there for workers and their families throughout the pandemic and continues to make ground-breaking investments to create jobs and help businesses come roaring back. Making sure that workers can improve or acquire new skills is key to achieving that goal.

Today, during a virtual meeting with stakeholders, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough launched Skills for Success, a new skills training program to help Canadians improve their foundational skills so they can find and keep good jobs. The program will provide training to nearly 90,000 Canadians and help get them back to work.

Skills for Success will fund organizations to provide tools, resources and training to Canadians of all ages and at all skill levels. Developed with the assistance of key stakeholders, it will focus on the nine main skills that Canadians need to adapt and thrive in today's economy:

Reading The ability to find, understand, and use information presented through words, symbols, and images.





The ability to find, understand, and use information presented through words, symbols, and images. Writing  The ability to share information using written words, symbols, and images.





 The ability to share information using written words, symbols, and images. Numeracy  The ability to find, understand, use, and report mathematical information presented through words, numbers, symbols, and graphics.





 The ability to find, understand, use, and report mathematical information presented through words, numbers, symbols, and graphics. Digital  The ability to use digital technology and tools to find, manage, apply, create and share information and content.





 The ability to use digital technology and tools to find, manage, apply, create and share information and content. Problem solving  The ability to identify, analyze, propose solutions, and make decisions. Problem solving helps you to address issues, monitor success, and learn from the experience.





 The ability to identify, analyze, propose solutions, and make decisions. Problem solving helps you to address issues, monitor success, and learn from the experience. Communication  The ability to receive, understand, consider, and share information and ideas through speaking, listening, and interacting with others.





 The ability to receive, understand, consider, and share information and ideas through speaking, listening, and interacting with others. Collaboration  The ability to contribute and support others to achieve a common goal.





 The ability to contribute and support others to achieve a common goal. Creativity and innovation  The ability to imagine, develop, express, encourage, and apply ideas in ways that are novel, unexpected, or challenge existing methods and norms.





 The ability to imagine, develop, express, encourage, and apply ideas in ways that are novel, unexpected, or challenge existing methods and norms. Adaptability  The ability to achieve or adjust goals and behaviours when expected or unexpected change occurs, by planning, staying focused, persisting, and overcoming setbacks.

Later this year, the Government will launch a call for proposals to fund organizations to design and deliver this training. The program will respond to Canada's immediate and long-term training needs, particularly for under-represented groups in the labour market, including Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized Canadians. It will also build the capacity of organizations and employers, and support the work of provinces and territories as the economy recovers.

Budget 2021 committed $298 million over three years, beginning in 2021-22, to support Skills for Success. This new program is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to create 500,000 new training and work opportunities for Canadians. This initiative will give them the tools they need to thrive in this rapidly changing economy and ensure they have the skills they need to adjust when necessary  allowing us to come out of this pandemic stronger and more resilient than ever before.

Quotes

"Never has the ability to adapt been more important than now. Skills for Success will allow more Canadians to improve their skills, find a job and be able to adapt when needed. This modern and innovative approach to essential skills is what Canadian workers need and what our economy needs as we work to recover from this pandemic. Our goal is to leave no one behind and for all Canadians to thrive in the workplace."

 Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

"Skills for Success will make a difference for so many Canadians needing to reskill and upskill in the face of unemployment and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach this new model offers will be a game-changer in strengthening skills upgrading and helping Canadians who face barriers to education and employment succeed post-COVID and well beyond."

 Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada and Member of the Future Skills Council



Quick Facts

Skills for Success are the skills needed to participate, adapt and thrive in learning, work and life. Skills for Success include foundational skills, like writing, reading and numeracy, which are those skills on which all other skills are built, and socio-emotional skills  the human skills required for effective social interaction. These skills can overlap and interact with each other, and with other technical and life skills.

Currently, 45 per cent of Canadians lack the literacy, numeracy, and digital skills that are increasingly necessary to succeed in jobs in the knowledge economy.

According to a 2016 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), adults with higher proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem solving have better labour market outcomes with greater chances of employment and higher wages when employed than those with lower levels of skills.

It is estimated that a 1% increase in average literacy rates in Canada , over time, would increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 3% and productivity by up to 5%. Investments in women and individuals with the lowest literacy levels would have the greatest effect on growth.

, over time, would increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 3% and productivity by up to 5%. Investments in women and individuals with the lowest literacy levels would have the greatest effect on growth. Starting today and for the next ten weeks, a video series to introduce Skills for Success will be unveiled on social media. The series will provide an overview of the new program, and highlight the nine skills that will help Canadians find and keep good jobs. Employers, training providers and all Canadians can learn more by following Employment and Social Development Canada's Facebook and Twitter accounts, or by following the hashtag #SkillsForSuccess.

Related Products

Backgrounder: Federal Training Investments

Government of Canada investments in training and skills development

Training will help workers access the skills, tools and opportunities they need to maximize their labour market potential and provide employers with the skilled workers they need to succeed. The Government of Canada's investments in training will help create opportunities for all Canadians  by tackling the barriers that keep too many Canadians out of the labour force.

In the 2020 Speech from the Throne, the government announced its commitment to create one million jobs and restore employment to pre-pandemic levels. Despite the severe impacts of the pandemic's second and third wave on Canadian workers and businesses, we are on track to create one million jobs by the end of the year. The plan outlined in Budget 2021 will create almost 500,000 new job and training opportunities for workers over coming years.

Empowering all Canadians to train and develop their skills

To equip Canadians with the skills they need to get and keep good jobs in our evolving labour market, Budget 2021 committed $298 million over three years, in a new Skills for Success program. The program will fund organizations to design and deliver training to help all Canadians to enhance foundational skills such as numeracy, as well as soft skills, such as collaboration. Through the program, approximately 90,000 Canadians will be able to improve their foundational and transferable skills to better prepare for, get and keep a job, and adapt and succeed at work.

To further bolster training supports for those hardest hit by the pandemic, including marginalized and racialized women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and newcomers to Canada, the Government invested an additional $274.2 million over two years, as part of the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. This funding will support the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program, the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, and the Women's Employment Readiness pilot project.

Demand-driven employer and community-led workforce strategies

To help small and medium-sized employers create more jobs, Budget 2021 committed $470 million over three years in a new Apprenticeship Service. This initiative will help 55,000 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers. Additional supports will be provided to employers who hire those from underrepresented groups, including women, racialized Canadians, and persons with disabilities to help support a more inclusive skilled trades workforce.

Through the new Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, the Government of Canada will work with sector associations and employers to design and deliver training that is relevant to the needs of businesses. Budget 2021 committed $960 million over three years to connect up to 90,000 Canadians with the training they need to access good jobs in sectors where employers are looking for skilled workers. This includes sectors like health, clean energy, as well as construction. This funding will also help businesses recruit and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce.

To assist communities in determining their economic futures and meet the needs of local employers, Budget 2021 committed $55 million over three years, for a new Community Workforce Development Program. The program will support communities to develop local plans that connect employers with training providers to develop and deliver training and work placements that upskill and reskill jobseekers to fill jobs in demand. This initiative will benefit approximately 2,500 workers, 250 businesses, and 25 communities, by accelerating job creation and the re-employment and deployment of workers to growth areas.

To help prepare Canadian workers for jobs in the growing field of energy efficiency, Natural Resources Canada announced over $200,000 in e-training opportunities in June 2020. The initiatives funded by this investment will support Canada's future energy efficiency needs through targeted training of professionals in this emerging field, helping them develop a strong foundation for long-term workforce readiness. These projects will also help improve the energy efficiency of homes, buildings and industrial sectors by ensuring Canadians have the skills to install and maintain energy-efficient equipment, processes and systems.

To take advantage of opportunities for growth in the artificial intelligence sector, Budget 2021 committed up to $443.8 million over ten years for the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. This investment will provide the necessary funding for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research to renew and enhance its research, training, and knowledge mobilization programs.

Helping workers transition to new jobs

To help Canadians find new jobs, workers need to be able to rapidly adapt and upgrade their transferable skills for newer industries. Budget 2021 committed $250 million over three years for Transitioning Workers to New Jobs, an initiative to scale-up proven industry-led, third-party delivered approaches to upskill and redeploy workers to meet the needs of growing industries. This initiative will help approximately 15,500 Canadians connect with new work opportunities.

Many veterans have faced unique challenges during the pandemic. To improve the quality of life for veterans and their families during this challenging period Budget 2021 committed an additional $15 million over three years to Veterans Affairs Canada to expand and enhance the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund for projects that will support veterans during the post COVID-19 recovery, including addressing homelessness, employment, retraining, and health challenges.

Enhanced training for Canadians through provincial and territorial programming

To support Canadian workers to develop new skills and find good jobs, the 2020 Fall Economic Statement provided an investment of $1.5 billion in the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) with provinces and territories. This investment will help Canadians in underrepresented groups and those in sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic  such as construction, transportation, and hospitality  quickly access supports to re-enter the workforce. Supports could include skills training, on-the-job training, employer-sponsored training, financial assistance and benefits, employment counselling and services, and job opportunities. This funding is in addition to the $3.4 billion provided to provinces and territories in 2020-21 under the WDAs and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs).

Investing in Canada's entrepreneurs

To help all Canadians have an equal chance to succeed and contribute to economic recovery and growth, Budget 2021 committed up to $101.4 million over five years to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Program. This investment will help equity deserving entrepreneurs access funding and capital, mentorship, financial planning services and business training.

To provide affordable financing, increase data, and strengthen capacity within the entrepreneurship ecosystem, Budget 2021 committed up to $146.9 million over four years, starting in 2021-22 to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. This investment will offer women entrepreneurs greater access to financing, mentorship and training. Funding would also further support the Women Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund and the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub.

Budget 2021 also committed $1.4 billion over four years for a new Canada Digital Adoption Program to help more than 160,000 businesses go digital or enhance their online services. This includes support to train approximately 28,000 young Canadians to help businesses achieve this goal.

Associated Links

Skills for Success

Budget Plan

ESDC on Twitter

ESDC on Facebook

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Marielle Hossack, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]

Related Links

www.hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca


OTTAWA, ON, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic and social challenges worldwide. These effects have been particularly damaging for many of Canada's partners in Africa. Canada is one of the leading contributors to the global fight against COVID-19, and we will continue to support this effort as we work to recover from the crisis  because we can't beat the virus at home unless we beat it everywhere.

Addressing the Summit on Financing African Economies, hosted by President of France, Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will accelerate its support for the African Development Bank's (AfDB) Seventh General Capital Increase to maintain its ability to provide valuable financial assistance to its clients. This will help create economic growth and opportunity for people across Africa. In addition to this broader support, Canada will also provide $7 million over five years for the AfDB's Africa Climate Change Fund to help people, and specifically women, across the continent adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The Prime Minister also underlined the commitment in Budget 2021 to provide a $300 million recapitalization to FinDev Canada over three years, starting in 2023-24. This will allow FinDev Canada to support private sector growth to help developing countries reduce poverty, enhance women's economic participation, and mitigate and adapt to climate change, including in Africa. He also announced the creation of 2X Canada: Inclusive Economic Recovery, a new $75.9 million facility in partnership with FinDev Canada to support low-income and underserved people, particularly women and girls, in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

As part of Canada's commitment to economic growth in Africa, Prime Minister Trudeau also announced funding of $15.2 million to the African Trade Policy Centre of the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa. This will support the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, a key milestone in African economic integration that will create jobs and growth across the continent. Canada also recognizes that infrastructure investment is essential to a strong recovery from the pandemic. That's why we will be providing $40 million in funding to GuarantCo to enhance affordable and sustainable infrastructure in low-income countries and fragile states.

Prime Minister Trudeau also announced $5 million to the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Program through the World Bank, to strengthen national and regional capacity for disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness in West Africa, and to provide immediate and effective response in the event of emergencies.

Since the start of this crisis, Canada has helped bring the global community together to propose creative solutions and build a recovery that works for everyone, including by recognizing the specific needs of African nations. As we finish the fight against COVID-19 and build back better, we will continue to support vulnerable countries and create a better future for everyone.

Quote

"We can't defeat this virus and build back better at home unless all countries have the resources to respond to and recover from this global challenge. With some of the fastest growing economies in the world, and with some of the youngest populations on the planet, Africa's success and recovery is key to our shared future. Only together can we lay the foundations of a better world."

 Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

The Summit on Financing African Economies brings together heads of state and government from Africa and around the world to respond to the specific financing needs to support a prompt, green, sustainable and inclusive recovery in Africa .

and around the world to respond to the specific financing needs to support a prompt, green, sustainable and inclusive recovery in . The African Development Bank's overarching objective is to foster sustainable economic growth, support social progress, and contribute to poverty reduction in its African member countries.

The Africa Climate Change Fund is a multi-donor trust fund hosted by the African Development Bank; Canada's support will help address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, particularly as it relates to agriculture.

support will help address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, particularly as it relates to agriculture. FinDev Canada is Canada's Development Finance Institution and subsidiary of Export Development Canada that supports inclusive private sector growth and sustainability in developing markets.

Development Finance Institution and subsidiary of Export Development Canada that supports inclusive private sector growth and sustainability in developing markets. All 2X Canada investments will be qualified for the 2X Challenge on Financing for Women  a global commitment to mobilize capital that will enhance women's economic participation.

investments will be qualified for the 2X Challenge on Financing for Women  a global commitment to mobilize capital that will enhance women's economic participation. GuarantCo is part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group, and mobilises private sector local currency investment for infrastructure projects and supports the development of financial markets in lower income countries across Africa and Asia .

and . On March 17 , Canada announced a contribution of $132.9 million to establish the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund, which aims to enhance women's economic rights and participation in climate action, and to mobilize private capital to fill the climate investment gap in Africa .

, announced a contribution of to establish the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund, which aims to enhance women's economic rights and participation in climate action, and to mobilize private capital to fill the climate investment gap in . Canada is a founding member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), and plays a major role within the Advance Market Commitment initiative.

is a founding member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), and plays a major role within the Advance Market Commitment initiative. On May 7 , Prime Minister Trudeau announced that $375 million proposed in Budget 2021 would be contributed to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to help facilitate the world's poorest countries to access the tools necessary to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that proposed in Budget 2021 would be contributed to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to help facilitate the world's poorest countries to access the tools necessary to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Since the start of this crisis, Canada has committed more than $2.5 billion to support the global COVID-19 response.

Associated Links

This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected]

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Officers were responding on Sunday to a call from a concerned citizen when they discovered the victim outside the Deland Municipal Airport around 9:58 a.m., according to the Orlando Sentinel. Witnesses on the scene told responding officers they watched the man fall from the sky and then slam hard into the ground of the parking lot.
The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) has partnered with CIBC to create the My Money, My Future: Canadian Financial Education Challenge giving high school-aged youth the opportunity to win a $10,000 top prize

TORONTO, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) and its partner, CIBC, today announced the ten finalists in their My Money, My Future: Canadian Financial Education Challenge. Over the past six months, youth across Canada were challenged to use their creativity, skills and passion to create new tools and resources to help young Canadians improve their financial knowledge and capabilities.

The ten finalists will now move on to a National competition where esteemed National Judges will decide who wins the generous prizes.

Prizes for the National Challenge are:

1st Prize: $10,000 towards future education or training  either to winning individual or shared equally among team members 2nd Prize: $5,000 towards future education or training  either to 2nd place individual or shared equally among team members 3rd Prize: $2,500 towards future education or training  either to 3rd place individual or shared equally among team member

The National Judges include:

Judith Robertson , Commissioner, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada , Ottawa, Ontario

, Commissioner, Financial Consumer Agency of , Sylvain Vinet , Eastern Canada Region Head for Retail Distribution, CIBC, Montreal, Quebec

, Eastern Canada Region Head for Retail Distribution, CIBC, Aldea Landry , President, Landal Inc ., Moncton, New Brunswick

, President, ., Malik Shaheed , Executive Director, Youth Stars, Montreal, Quebec

, Executive Director, Youth Stars, Sareena Hopkins , Executive Director, Canadian Career Development Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario

Join us on Thursday, June 3, 2021, at noon ET where the finalists' projects will be showcased and the winners announced. Youth, teachers, parents, media and the general public are welcome to attend the one hour National Showcase that will be broadcast on YouTube and Facebook. Please register at https://mailchi.mp/cfee/mymoneymyfuture.

And the finalists are:

Indiana Bateman - British Columbia

- Kaden VandenBrink - Alberta

- Daniel Tran , Aurora Shi , Amy Shi , Andrew Yeh - Alberta

, , , - Grace Kiefer , Memphis Peters, Josh Auger , Lauren Walcer - Saskatchewan

, Memphis Peters, , - Mia Bestvater , Colin George - Manitoba

, - Danika Hindson , Valentina Mounzer - Ontario

, - Anthony Kessaris , Lorenzo Mignacca , Alexandre Rousseau - Quebec

, , - Hasti Kumkar, Shenyi Lu - New Brunswick

Hannah Daley - Nova Scotia

- Rachael Moores - Newfoundland and Labrador

You can preview them on www.mymoneymyfuturechallenge.ca.

The winning submissions plus many of the regional runner-ups will be showcased on a new Virtual Financial Learning Youth Centre website for use by teachers, parents, and youth to learn about money, develop financial skills, and be better able to build a happy, healthy, financial future.

Quotes

"The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education is delighted to partner with CIBC to provide this extraordinary and creative program  along with incredible prize incentives for participation. The My Money, My Future Challenge will generate a vast number of youth-created resources to help other youth learn about money  and provide teachers and parents with valuable education tools."

Gary Rabbior, President, Canadian Foundation for Economic Education

"We are pleased to partner again with CFEE to help young Canadians improve their financial knowledge," said Carissa Lucreziano, Vice President, Financial and Investment Advice at CIBC. "This innovative competition allows young Canadians to use their creativity to design valuable tools, and we look forward to further helping them achieve their financial ambitions."

About CFEE

CFEE is a federally chartered, non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1974, that works to improve economic and financial literacy and enterprising capability. CFEE works collaboratively with ministries and departments of education along with school boards, schools, educators, and teacher associations. CFEE also engages in activities to support and assist newcomers and past immigrants to Canada, and the general public including print resources, videos, workshops, and online resources. Overall, CFEE aspires to help Canadians of all ages be better prepared to undertake their economic roles, responsibilities, and decisions with confidence and competence.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network, and locations across Canada, in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre.

SOURCE Canadian Foundation for Economic Education

For further information: Joseph F. Clark, Communications Director, Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, [email protected], Tel.: 905-726-3438, Cell: 416-893-8772

Related Links

http://www.cfee.org


OTTAWA, ON, May 17, 2021 /CNW/ - The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today issued the following statement to mark Citizenship Week:

"Today, Canadians celebrate the start of Citizenship Week, a time to express pride in our shared history, our diverse heritage, and our collective achievements. It is also an opportunity to highlight the tremendous contributions of immigrants to their communities and the Canadian economy.

"Canadian citizenship is both highly valued and sought after around the world. Without a doubt, one of our greatest achievements is the shared recognition that Canada is stronger and more prosperous because of its diversity.

"While we are by no means perfect, Canadians share a profound commitment to equality, inclusion, and respect for our differences  this includes our ethnicities, our gender identities and expressions, and our beliefs.

"As Canadian citizens, we all have a responsibility to help others in our communities, and that has never been more important than during the global COVID-19 pandemic we've faced together this past year. We will forever be grateful to the front line workers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and all Canadians who have worked tirelessly to help Canada throughout the pandemic.''

"The hopes, the commitment, and the energy that newcomers and new citizens bring to Canada are expressed in countless positive contributions, and that has never been truer than over the past year."

"As Canadians, we share a profound commitment to be there for one another. It is one of our defining attributes, and time and time again, newcomers and new citizens have embraced this spirit. I encourage all Canadians to take the time to find ways to be active in your communities, to do some volunteer work, and to help welcome new Canadians in your community.

"Throughout Citizenship Week, I encourage all Canadians to reflect on what it means to be Canadian, and the many rights, freedoms, and responsibilities we all share as citizens."

SOURCE Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For further information: (media only), please contact: Alexander Cohen, Minister's Office, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 613-954-1064, [email protected]; Media Relations, Communications Branch, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 613-952-1650, [email protected]c.ca

Related Links

http://www.cic.gc.ca


The vaccine patent waiver plan was extended by India and South Africa last year, so that people in developing countries get access to life-saving vaccines and medicines as soon as possible.

After being globally slammed for its lies on Covid-19 origin, China is now actively pursuing vaccine diplomacy. On Monday, China extended its support to India and South Africas proposal for a temporary waiver of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for coronavirus vaccines and stated that Beijing will support any action that aids developing countries in their fight against the pandemic.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has extended support to the developing nations demand for an IPR waiver for COVID-19 vaccines. Zhao stated that as the worlds largest developing country and a responsible member of the international community, China would do everything it could to help developing countries fight the virus and support all actions that could help developing countries equitably acquiring the vaccines.

He added that China has provided vaccine assistance to more than 80 countries and three international organisations, as well as vaccine exports to more than 50 countries and is also collaborating on technological transfer and cooperative production with over ten developing countries, including Egypt and the UAE, in order to accelerate large-scale vaccine production. With Chinas sudden change of heart, it is quite natural to question what is Xi plotting next?!

Also Read:US, China strengthen their nuclear arsenal amid reports of China developing a second strike capability

India and South Africa called for TRIPS waiver of certain intellectual property provisions of COVID-19 vaccines in a communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in October last year, so that people in developing countries get access to life-saving vaccines and medicines as soon as possible.

The proposal is gathering support even in the US and the European Union. Given the urgency, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on member countries earlier this month to quickly present and negotiate a text that could temporarily ease trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology. More than 100 US lawmakers wrote to US President Joe Biden earlier this month, urging him to support Indias WTO proposal to temporarily lift certain intellectual property barriers and allow countries to manufacture COVID-19 diagnostics and vaccines locally.

On Friday, Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan stated that the proposal had received support from a number of countries.

He added that the move would aid in the production of vaccines and other essential products to combat the coronavirus.

Also Read:Indias Fight Against Covid-19 Continues: NewsXs special salute to doctors & frontline workers
Three months after announcing plans to expand online sales  while behind the scenes facing a complaint filed by their landlord in court  Lillian August is holding an inventory liquidation sale at its flagship home furnishings store in Norwalk.

With a showroom totaling more than 100,000 square feet of space, Lillian August has been a fixture on Knight Street for nearly two decades. In the past several years, it has operated storefronts as well in Westport, Greenwich and New York City, as well as a clearance annex in South Norwalk and a larger warehouse store in Stamfords South End.

The company is run by John and Dan Weiss, who created Lillian August in 1987 in Westport to leverage the brand their mother established for decor design and furnishings. On Monday, Lillian Augusts website stated everything must go from its stock of some $15 million in inventory, describing it as a total liquidation.

Responding on Monday to a Hearst Connecticut Media query, John Weiss said he could not comment on litigation but confirmed the company still plans to open a store at the SoNo Collection mall in South Norwalk. He added the company had already planned to wind down its flagship store in Norwalk, and that it has been paying rent.

COVID has created an impossible situation for our company and many others  totally unforeseen, Weiss said in a brief telephone interview on Monday. The future will include online for us ... We have always traditionally been much more brick-and-mortar, and we still believe in brick-and-mortar.

The leased Lillian August property was put up for sale last year. The property owner is a limited liability company called 32 Knight Street Property managed by principals of the Norwalk real estate firm Stanley M. Seligson Properties.

The LLC sued Lillian August in early March in Norwalk Superior Court, claiming the retailer had failed to keep up with rent payments. No court documents have been posted on the CT judiciary public website since a March notification of papers being served to a Lillian August store manager in Norwalk.

On Monday, Stanley Seligson said that there is no litigation against Lillian August and that he expects the company will vacate the premises within a few months. He expressed interest in proposals to redevelop the site for residential or a mix of uses, while not ruling out leasing the retail building to another tenant in the interim.

Alexander Soule

During the early throes of COVID-19 pandemic a year ago, Lillian August faced a similar action by the owner of its John Street warehouse in Stamford. In March, the buildings New York-based owner alleged it was owed $1.6 million in unpaid and lost rent dating back to February 2020.

In that case, Lillian August cited several defenses in a court document its attorneys filed in March, including the claim its landlord refused to consider subtenants Lillian August proposed for the space; and that interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was an exceptional situation that made it impossible for the furniture retailer to carry on business as usual.

The entirety of the 92,000-square-foot Lillian August warehouse is now available for lease, according to brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield of Connecticut.

The Norwalk properties  including the flagship store, two empty lots and another with a small retail building  total more than six acres of land. Three years ago, the city of Norwalk appraised the properties at $19.4 million, including the value of the store building.

Also listed for sale by Cushman & Wakefield, it is the largest lot of commercial land in Norwalk listed as of May 2021 on major brokerage websites. Wiltons Crossways development site is the only larger lot listed publicly for sale in lower Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, at nearly 10 acres.

Norwalk has seen ample development the past few years, most prominently the SoNo Collection mall in South Norwalk, which continues to list Lillian August as coming soon among a roster of furnishings stores that include Arhaus, EQ3 and the first H&M Home store in North America.

The SoNo Collection reserved for Lillian August a prominent storefront at the corner of the mall fronting Interstate 95, adjacent to an Apple store.

While some retailers struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, many furniture chains rebounded as people outfitted their homes for remote working and schooling, or moved to get more space.

Stamford-based Lovesac was among those to report record sales in the first quarter of this year, and Danbury-based Ethan Allen Interiors saw sales rebound 18 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2020, despite issues with importing materials for its furniture manufacturing facilities in Vermont and North Carolina.

Herman Miller has seen sales rocket on its websites in the past year, including by more than 300 percent for its Design Within Reach brand based in Stamford. In April, Herman Miller reached a $1.8 billion deal in April to acquire Knoll, which sells office furnishings including for in the home.

We saw distributed work coming for a while  we have been working [toward] this, said Herman Miller CEO Andi Owen, during a conference call in late March. The reality of getting back to the office is dawning on every CEO and every facilitys planner, and everyone is engaging in this conversation with urgency now  but also taking a look at their environments, and realizing how they need to be different with how we will all be working in the future.

Includes prior reporting by Paul Schott and Pat Tomlinson.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
A few days after the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd, Connecticut Treasurer Shawn Wooden published an op-ed piece in which he called on corporate America to use its power to help tackle the countrys racial injustices and inequities.

Nearly a year later, Westport-based hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates, insurance powerhouse The Hartford and many other companies are responding to his challenge.

The Corporate Call to Action: Coalition for Equity & Opportunity, a social justice initiative launched last year in response to Woodens piece with a membership that includes Bridgewater, The Hartford and 16 other major financial-services, announced Tuesday several commitments to advance economic and racial equity in financial services and the broader economy.

Those goals include diversifying their suppliers and business partners, investing in underserved communities, building diverse talent pipelines and improving equity and transparency in their workforces. In total, the group is aiming to produce up to $30 billion in economic impact for communities and business owners of color during the next five years.

We have an opportunity in our state and country to translate a lot of pain into a sense of purpose and do something about it and not just let it be a moment, Wooden said in an interview Tuesday. Lets move into making deep structural change that will be lasting.

Coalition objectives include committing a total of $10 billion across financial services to increase spending with businesses owned by people of color, particularly Black-owned businesses. At the same time, the coalition wants to support the financial well-being of more than 30,000 people of color working in service sectors.

The time has come for corporate leaders to step up  it is long overdue. Bridgewaters culture is rooted in equity and rewards based on merit, said Alan Bowser, Bridgewaters chief diversity officer and co-head of the Americas region. Theres a natural alignment between our way of being and the goals of the Corporate Call to Action. We dont claim to have all the answers on the biggest societal questions. But as a founding member of the CCA, we are committed to ongoing improvement and to collective action that increases equity and opportunity.

At the same time, the group has promised to launch or grow programs that both partner with and invest in underserved and undercapitalized communities of color to bolster economic opportunity and equity and create generational wealth.

Building a diverse workforce and nurturing an inclusive culture is a moral imperative, a powerful business requirement  a top priority for The Hartford, said Susan Johnson, the companys head of diversity, equity and inclusion. We are dedicated to continuing to lead the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation in the industry and saw an opportunity to partner with other corporations to advance the dialogue and elevate our efforts. Through the Coalition, we are able to exchange ideas and best practices with other like-minded business leaders. The initiatives put forth by the group address societal and economic inequities impacting the Black and Latinx communities locally in Connecticut and extend across the country.

In workforce development, the coalitions commitments include providing mid-career professionals with the skills needed to launch a high-growth career in financial services. They also intend to support career development for more than 10,000 Black and Latinx students every year through internships, micro-internships and other programs.

I commend these efforts, said Fred McKinney, the Carlton Highsmith chairman for innovation and entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University. But I do think that if you say something like this, there should be some accountability. I think they need to track these commitments. And if they track these commitments and are delivering on these commitments, thats so much more the better. Quite I frankly, I think that we need every major corporation in Connecticut making commitments like this.

To help measure the impact of its initiatives, the coalition vowed to improve transparency related to diversity data. In their first set of commitments in January, the groups members agreed to publicly disclose workforce demographic data being reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

What was critical is that we not just have more statements and more press releases sympathizing or acknowledging pain and tragedy but that we have solutions and that we create those in a manner in which they would be deep, sustainable and measurable, Wooden said.

Building a coalition

Russ Bynum / Associated Press

Wooden said that he started working on his op-ed, which was published in the Hartford Courant, shortly after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was fatally shot in February 2020 while going for a jog in a coastal Georgia community. The three white men charged with his murder are scheduled to go on trial in October.

He finished the piece after the murder of Floyd. Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted last month of murder and manslaughter for pinning the 46-year-old Floyd to the pavement with his knee on Floyds neck.

I never expected that my son, a runner, would ask if it was safe to jog while Black, Wooden wrote in the piece, which noted that he was the only African-American elected state treasurer in the U.S. Sadly, Ahmaud Arberys murder isnt shocking. Neither is the failure of Georgias criminal justice to respond until after a video emerged publicly. In the case of George Floyd, fortunately, his brutal killing by Minneapolis police officers was captured on tape, too.

The nationwide protests last year set off by the killings of Black Americans such Floyd, Arbery and Breonna Taylor and the pandemics disproportionate impact on minority communities prompted many companies to acknowledge that they needed to do much more to support Black Americans, other people of color and other underrepresented groups.

Reflecting that shift within corporate America, Wooden said that he immediately noticed the strong reaction to his piece. Soon after its publication, he talked with a number of the CEOs of the companies that ended up joining the coalition. Those conversations included talks with Bridgewater CEO David McCormick and The Hartford CEO Christopher Swift, according to Wooden.

The state has investments and/or contractual relationships with all of the coalition members except Bridgewater, The Hartford and TIAA, according to the Treasurers Office.

I manage a $42 billion pension system, and Im the issuer of the states debt. So theres lot of intersectionality, which is an incentive, Wooden said. Theyll always return my calls.

Woodens discussions with the CEOs led to the coalitions launch last September. The Treasurers Office partnered with the nonprofit Ford Foundation to create the organization.

In addition to Bridgewater and The Hartford, the coalitions other members include Aberdeen Standard Investments; AllianceBernstein; Bank of America; BlackRock; Citigroup; Franklin Templeton; Goldman Sachs; Invesco; Morgan Stanley; Schroders; State Street Global Advisors; TIAA; T. Rowe Price Group; UBS; Vista Equity Partners; and Wellington Management.

They cumulatively represent more than $27 trillion in assets and 750,000 employees globally.

Wooden said he wants the coalitions work to extend well beyond his time in office. The first-term Democrat will be up for re-election in November 2022.

I do believe we will make significant change in the coming years, Wooden said. What this coalition has been about, from day one, is real solutions and a commitment thats long term.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
Valley Tool and Manufacturing LLC will be consolidating its Orange and Milford locations later this year in a brand new 100,000 square foot facility in Milford.

The new facility for the aerospace company is near the intersection of Plains Road and Shelland Street, just north of the citys Naugatuck Gardens neighborhood. The new building is expected to be ready by the end of this year, according to Jon Angel, a commercial realtor based out of Westport who brokered the deal.

They currently have two locations over seven miles apart from one another, a 37,000 square foot facility in Orange and a 63,000 square foot facility in Milford, Angel said. The new facility will allow them to bring all their manufacturing to one location.

Valley Tool and Manufacturing LLC was founded as a traditional tool and die business in 1984. The Orange location is at 22 Prindle Hill Road, while the existing Milford location is at 500 Bic Drive.

A Wichita, Kansas-based aerospace company, Harlow Aerostructures, acquired Valley Tool & Manufacturing in April 2017 when the local companys corporate parent, Aerospace Holdings, went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Representatives of Valley Tool told the Milford Planning and Zoning Board last August that the consolidation into the new buildings would result in 30 to 50 new positions and would expand operations from one shift to two.

Harlow Aerostructures officials were not available for comment on the consolidation plan or whether Valley Tool would be increasing its workforce as a result. Valley Tool officials were also not available for comment.

James M. Zeoli, Orange first selectman, said he has mixed feelings about the Valley Tool consolidation plan.

I hate to lose a successful company, but at the same time, where they are relocating to is close enough so the people who work there can keep their jobs, Zeoli said.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  On some level, Kevin Dillon, who runs Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, wants to support the expansion that Tweed New Haven Regional Airport has worked for for years. He likes private investment, and repeatedly has said hes not against having a second viable airport to serve southern Connecticut; the two-airport strategy that Tweed long has pushed for.

But hes wary  and said Monday that if Tweed is going to grow, as it now has a chance to, there must be coordination between the two airports.

Weve been talking about coordination in this market for a long time, said Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which last year had talks with the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority about various forms of coordination, which at one point included the possibility of a merger or takeover of Tweed by the CAA.

The merger or takeover didnt happen  with both Dillon and Tweed officials saying that Tweed ultimately didnt want to go there.

But the need for some sort of coordination remains, Dillon said.

And thats even more the case following the May 6 announcement that Tweed soon will play host to a second airline, Avelo Air, and plans to enter a long-term agreement with Avports, the company that manages Tweed, to spend $100 million to improve the airport, including a longer runway and a new 74,000-square-foot terminal on the East Haven side, he said.

Among the many officials attending the May 6 announcement was Gov. Ned Lamont, who hailed the private investment in Tweed.

But Dillon said it has to be done with care.

This is a relatively small aviation market so you have to be careful about how you handle it, Dillon said. ... The development of Tweed needs to be carefully coordinated with the development of Bradley.

There needs to be a mechanism in place that the development of Tweed is coordinated with the development of Bradley, Dillon said.

Without that, you start cannibalizing the market, he said.

The two airports are 56 miles from one another.

Bradley handled 3.23 million enplanements, or people boarding departing flights, in 2019. Tweed had 48,860 enplanements in 2019 and would have the capacity for 500,000 to 750,000 passenger departures a year once all the improvements are in place.

Dillon pointed out that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey runs all of the major airports ringing New York City (the one exception being Westchester County Airport in White Plains, which is owned by the county and managed by Avports.)

Tweed officials, both at the May 6 announcement and in previous meetings and conversations, have gone out of their way to say that they consider any competition Tweed might face to be Connecticut airports versus New York airports that siphon off much of the air traffic from both Bradleys market and Tweeds southern Connecticut primary market, or catchment area.

But while Tweed officials have said theres relatively little overlap between the catchment areas of Bradley and Tweed, Dillon said the 12 percent or so overlap Tweed has claimed actually is much greater.

If looking at a one-hour drive catchment area, its more like a 66 percent overlap, according to Dillons calculations. Thats huge, he said. So you necessarily have a competitive situation. ... What you do at one airport is ... going to impact what you do at another airport.

While Tweed considers its catchment area to be the area of the state south of Meriden and Middletown, Dillon considers Bradleys catchment area to be the almost the entire state plus much of western Massachusetts, although he acknowledged that Bradleys reach into Fairfield County only extends about as far west as Bridgeport.

A study commissioned by Tweed several years ago showed a primary catchment area of about 1.4 million people living south of Middletown and Meriden, east to Old Saybrook and west into Fairfield County.

Sean Scanlon, executive director of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, said coordination with Bradley is something that we are committed to.

But while Connecticut is a small state, they are two separate markets, said Scanlon, also a Democratic state representative for Guilford and Branford and the House chairman of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Carriers make decisions based on financial interests and markets, and if a carrier decides that its in their best interest to serve two separate markets, it should be able to, Scanlon said.

But overall, studies have shown that most people in our market tend to go to New York, not Bradley, Scanlon said.

To compete successfully in that environment, its important for Connecticut to have a two-airport strategy ... and the airlines will decide which airport they want to invest in  and either way is good for Connecticut, he said.

Putting a second airport in Connecticut is all about one thing: choice, Scanlon said. We want to put more choice out for people, he said.

Dillon said that at this point, we do not have the full details of the deal that Tweed struck with Avports. So my commentary on it certainly is limited to whats been published on it.

He said hes hoping that well be provided the details soon.

One thing that worries Dillon is the extent to which Avports might be allowed to call the shots regarding Tweeds ultimate level of air service and growth over the 43-year life of its agreement with the Tweed Authority. That agreement still must be approved by the New Haven Board of Alders.

I dont know what level of restrictions are going to be put on a private company, Dillon said. What is somewhat concerning is that you have now brought in a private company with a for-profit motive.

That said, however, private investment is a good thing, he said, pointing out that Bradley recent convinced the auto rental companies that serve that airport to invest more than $200 million to build Bradleys new Transportation Center.

Airport and Avports officials announced May 6 that Avports will spend its own money  about $70 million to start  to extend Tweeds runway from 5,600 feet to 5,735 feet and build the 74,000-square-foot terminal. Avelo will spend $1.2 million toward renovation costs of the existing terminal in the meantime.

All of that would happen while eliminating the $1.8 million in state and city subsidies that Tweed currently receives, officials said.

Avelo, which expects to begin serving Tweed in the third quarter of this year, has yet to announce where it will fly from New Haven, although CEO Andrew Levy mentioned Florida, Chicago and perhaps Washington, D.C., as possibilities.

Tweeds only service right now is 5-day-a-week American Eagle service to Philadelphia. American currently only is committed to stay at Tweed through September.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
The judge moved the case to a larger courtroom in Inglewood, Calif., to accommodate the distancing needed to resume. Lawyers are spaced out in jury boxes on both sides of the courtroom, Plexiglas separates participants, and the 20 jurors, including eight alternates, are seated several seats and rows apart in the gallery. Only one journalist and one member of the public are allowed in the courtroom.
DENVER (AP)  A Colorado man arrested in the death of his wife who disappeared last year was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and tampering with a human body, as well as other evidence in the case.

According to a complaint filed by prosecutors, Barry Morphew, 53, is accused of killing his wife, Suzanne Morphew, sometime between May 9 and May 10, 2020. The mother of two daughters was reported missing on May 10, which was Mother's Day. Prosecutors say Morphew tampered with her body around that time and tampered with other evidence in the case from last May through early March, about two months before he was arrested.
NEW HAVEN  The city school system is getting less federal stimulus cash than anticipated, but is happy just the same.

Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey told the Board of Education that instead of getting $94 million from the American Rescue Plan, the district is to receive $79.9 million.

This is federal funds and the first iteration was apparently incorrect, Tracey said in an email. Our allocation is $79 million and we are happy to get these funds. We are in the process of planning for the use of funds. We are happy about the support we received from the (state Department of Education).

Why the confusion?

A state Department of Education spokesman said that prior to the release of the latest ARP allocation numbers, many districts had access to a document other than the state one. The source of the incorrect document was unclear.

That document provided estimated ARP ESSER allocation numbers and showed districts receiving more funds than the actual distribution released by us, said Peter Yazbak, a state DOE spokesman. Our calculation was based on the actual federal grant award and I want to emphasize that there was no error in CSDEs calculation.

Connecticut received $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan funding, with 90 percent of those funds allocated to local school districts using federal Title 1 funding as a guideline for distribution.

The focus of this round of funding is to fill in the learning gaps caused by the pandemic, accelerate learning and advance equity. At least 20 percent of the allocation  nearly $16 million  must be used on learning recovery.

New Havens $79.9 million compares to $98.5 million for Hartford, $89.6 million for Waterbury and $100 million for Bridgeport.

This is the third round of funding districts have received to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

New Haven received $8.5 million in the first round of ESSER funding that must be spent by September 2022.

ESSER II is bringing in $37.7 million and must be spent by September 2023.

New Havens new $79.9 million American Rescue Plan Funds must be spent by September 2024. It has fewer strings than the other two grants but remain one-time funds the district cant count on to be sustained going forward. For instance, any programs or salaries created through the grants likely are to be dropped once the money runs out.

Even so, Phillip Penn, the districts outgoing chief financial officer, said some funds will be used to fill a $4.4 million funding gap in the districts 2021-22 budget plan.

Without ARP, we would be looking at something painful, Penn said

In this round of funding, the district also is assigning a portion of the grant to each school to decide how to use to improve teaching and learning. Like the district, they will use focus groups to advise the planning.

New Havens first grant was spent largely on technology, software and curriculum development as the district turned to virtual learning during the pandemic. In addition, it helped pay for personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. About $2 million remains and the district is expected to spend it all within the required time limit.

The $37.7 million ESSER II funds will be used to hire teachers to address learning loss due to the pandemic and provide extra opportunities for high school students.

Six care coordinators will be hired to work with families in need of community supports.

The district also has what it is calling a Summer of Fun, a host of summer camps and activities designed to re-engage students in the learning process.

Summer school will expand from six to 12 sites, and be a daylong rather than half-day program. Programs will be theme-based and, as much as possible, held outdoors.

We want students to have experiences they never had before, said Gemma Joseph Lumplin, chief of youth, family and community engagement for the school district. It is about lifting families and making them excited.

Summer school starts July 1.

For the new $79.9 million grant, Tracey said there is a short turnaround time. A timeline presented this week to the school boards finance committee calls for the plan to be submitted to the state by June 7.

The grant also requires that the district have a plan for the return of full in-person instruction available on its website by June 23.
HARTFORD  Police Chief Jason Thody on Monday said at least three of the shooting incidents reported in the city over the weekend are believed to be accidental.

This was a difficult weekend, with multiple injuries from gunfire Thody said in a statement. It is important to share with the community that we currently believe that three of the shootings were accidental, two of them self inflicted.

The accidental shootings included one on Douglas Street Sunday evening, in which a man was wounded in the leg.

Thody said the shooting involved a legal gun owner who was showing off a new firearm when the shooting happened. He has since been charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm, Thody said.

Police were called to Hartford Hospital around 6:12 p.m. Sunday after the victim arrived with a gunshot wound to the leg. Police said the wound was non-life-threatening.

We can't stress enough the need to be safe when handling a firearm. This could have been much worse and the victim in this case was very lucky, the chief said.

He said police have obtained key evidence in the other three shootings that occurred over the weekend that we believe will lead to arrests of persons responsible.

Two people were shot on Lawrence Street in the citys Frog Hollow neighborhood Saturday afternoon around 2:56 p.m., leaving one of them in critical condition.

Hours later, police responded to a report of a second shooting on Main Street around 7:11 p.m.

There they found male victim in his 30s with a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition, police said.
Richard Chumney / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  The states chief medical examiner said Monday a couple died in a murder-suicide from gunshot wounds in their Chatham Drive home Sunday.

The Norwalk Police Department on Monday identified the couple as Rajneesh Misra, 56, and Divya Misra, 55. Police said they were found in their home after officers responded to reports of gunshots shortly after 4 p.m Sunday.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  Police in Kansas City, Kansas, have identified a man killed last week in a wooded residential area on the northwestern edge of the city.

Officers were called to the area the afternoon of May 11 and found Francisco Herrera-Flores, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas, police said in a news release Monday. Herrera-Flores had been shot, investigators said.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  Laid-off casino and hotel workers picketed at the Nevada statehouse on Tuesday to demand state lawmakers pass a bill to require their former employers bring them back at pre-pandemic wages rather than hire new workers.

Thousands of workers in the tourism and hospitality industry were laid off in the early months of the pandemic, when Nevada's unemployment rate rose to a record 29.5% in April. Now, as tourists return and the Las Vegas economy rebounds to pre-pandemic levels, hospitality and tourism industry workers are back in demand.

Culinary Union Local 226 and other unions that have negotiated wages and benefits for their workers want resorts and casinos to re-hire their members who had worked for at least six months before being laid off under the terms of their old contracts, rather than bring in new workers who can be paid less.

Matthew Seevers, who worked as a bartender at Stations Casino for 15 years before being laid off last spring, said workers who dedicated years to their workplaces deserve to be hired back when businesses need more workers because the circumstances of the pandemic were not their fault.

"The economy has grown again. Why should we not have our jobs back when these places open up?" he said. We put our time in and we were a family. Now they dont care. They just throw us away to the curb.

A proposal to mandate workers be given the right to return and receive priority in the re-hiring process has pitted the powerful labor union against chambers of commerce, casinos and the Nevada Resort Association. Opponents argue that a Right to Return law could bring about unnecessary litigation and make it more difficult to return Nevada's economy to pre-pandemic levels.

The bill would further damage Nevadas recovery efforts by placing an arduous burden on employers through needless, time-consuming and counter-productive requirements that will significantly slow down rehiring and further delay bringing more Nevadans back to work, Nevada Resort Association President Virginia Valentine told the Nevada Current in April.

Phil Jaynes, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 720, told demonstrators Tuesday that union members who had worked in showrooms, theaters and lounges on the Las Vegas Strip before being laid off had years of institutional knowledge and made Las Vegas a premier destination.

"It makes no sense why they wouldnt call these people back," he said. This is right for everybody. Its right for corporations and its right for the workers"

Barry Lieberman, an attorney for South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, testified in April that it was unfair to mandate the re-hiring of former workers and discriminate against prospective workers who didn't work at casinos before the pandemic.

There are many qualified Nevadans who are unemployed and trying to support their families. (The bill) will have the effect of discouraging the hiring of anyone who was not previously employed by the South Point and is a disservice to those people seeking employment to support their families, he wrote to the committee.

The proposal has won backing from powerful Democrats in the statehouse, including Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, who presented it during an April committee hearing and told demonstrators on Tuesday that there were ongoing discussions about the bill and she intended to ensure it moved forward.

It has not been put up for a vote in the state Senate, Assembly or any legislative subcommittees.

___

Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
When can we expect the principalship of the Barack Obama Magnet University School to be posted and the search and screen process to begin?

This was the question asked at the May 10 meeting of the New Haven Board of Education. The question was a moot one, because that very same day the interview process of candidates for that position had begun. Yet, the question deserves an answer.

New Haven operates the largest school construction program in Connecticut. Starting in 1995, the Citywide School Construction Program has addressed 41 school programs with additions, renovation or new construction. New Haven public school buildings are designed to enhance the learning environment for students and staff and provide facilities that can be used year-round by the school and community. By 2016, these projects totaled $1.489 billion in building investment; overall nearly 4 million square feet of school building will be impacted by the program.

Upon examination, the magnet plan with the Connecticut State Department of Education reveals that the Obama school was to be established as a dual language lab school with Southern Connecticut State University.

Thus, the question of when we can expect the principalship of the Barack Obama magnet university school to be posted and the search and screen process began may be moot, but it is certainly not irrelevant or merely academic. How is it that the principalship of a school with a dual language/bilingual mission is not posted, while other schools with similar missions were posted and had successful search and screen processes? What implications and lack of respect is implied in such a decision by the superintendent of schools?

The target population of this dual language school has been dwindling. This is the time at which it is crucial to bring a board and educator who has a strong background in bilingual/dual language education. We need a leader at that school who has a deliberate plan to recruit families and shore up enrollment. Someone who brings the target population to the table at which decisions about recruitment, choice and enrollment are made. Someone who can speak to families in their language and explain the remarkable opportunities for their children if they choose a dual language pathway. Someone who can ensure that recruitment is not blind to the cultural and linguistic needs of students and families, so that enrollment supports sound programming and instruction.

We ask that the New Haven Board of Education, Superintendent Tracey, as well as the entire administration continue to recognize important opportunities to shore up the bilingual educational pipeline in New Haven. As you may know, the Obama school is poised to be a place where teachers can develop the strategies they will need to support the entire districts workforce. Remember that English learners come from all over the world, Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean, Asia minor, the Middle East and Europe, and make up 1 in 5 students in our district and that that proportion is expected to grow.

When many community and district leaders encouraged, strongly, our New Haven alders to include $10 million in our city budget to build the Barack Obama school, it was with the urgent goal to address the educational needs of this population. From the very beginning of this effort the Board of Education and the Board of Alders conceived of the Obama School at Southern Connecticut State Universitys College of Education as the much-needed conduit and environment to address the shortage of bilingual teachers.

Thus, why not open this position publicly to increase the probability of getting the best qualified person to undertake the goals and mission for which the school was funded by the state legislature and by the New Haven Board of Alders?

Instead, the interview process for a new principal is going on currently with little if any public knowledge. In fact, even some members of the Board of Education were not aware of this fact.

Some background is important for understanding the severity of this situation. For the last several years, the New Haven Public Schools has experienced a shortage of teachers, specifically in bilingual and special education. Given that the need for teachers in these areas surpasses the supply, students are being taught by teachers not qualified in these areas, retired teachers, substitute teachers and teachers brought in from outside our state and even outside the country.

One of the goals of the district was to support Southern in the preparation of future local teachers. Therefore the Obama School is so important. It is meant to be a pipeline of NHPS students to Southerns College of Education where they could practice at a school which is, in fact, a microcosm of the New Haven Public Schools.

Thus, the leader of this school needs to be more than proficient in dual language/bilingual education, language acquisition and second-language acquisition. This person must be skillful in navigating the cultural and linguistic needs of the target populations parents and community. This person needs to understand culturally responsive pedagogy that relates to multilingual learners attending dual language schools. This leader needs to understand and foster a culture of continuous improvement through collaboration with staff and with families whose home language may not be English.

Also, we need to remember that this leader, along with the rest of the schools staff, will serve as mentor for SCSUs pre-service teachers and NHPSs future teaching force.

Dual language research demonstrates that students achieve at higher levels when implemented correctly and with fidelity. Thus, it is imperative to:

Post the Obama principalship, broadly, advertising it as the dual language lab school on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, and emphasize that this school is prepared to be a place where teachers can develop the strategies they will need to support the entire districts workforce.

Interview qualified candidates who exhibit the appropriate preparation to lead a bilingual / dual language school, someone who is bilingual and has the language acquisition background necessary to attract families during the choice and enrollment process.

By ensuring that the next leader of the Barack Obama Magnet University School be linguistically and culturally representative of the families who need to be recruited for the school, we would be raising the bar to ensure that the vision and mission of the school, and of the New Haven Public Schools, are fulfilled.

The Rev. Abraham Hernandez and Carlos Torres are associated with the New Haven Latino Council.
Traci Cangiano, seated right, with her daughters Daniella, left, and Kristina of Staten Island, N.Y., organized a Facebook group that swapped homemade recipes during the pandemic and have produced a cookbook "In the Quarantine Kitchen," offering some 120 recipes. (Vinny Cangiano via AP)
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Aisha Yesufu, a rights activist, has reacted to Governor Nasir El-Rufais remarks declaring the National President of the Nigeria Labour C...

Aisha Yesufu, a rights activist, has reacted to Governor Nasir El-Rufais remarks declaring the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba wanted.

El-Rufai had declared Wabba wanted for alleged economic sabotage and attack on public infrastructure under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The governor had appealed to anyone who knows Wabbas whereabouts to inform the state government.

He issued the threat following the declaration of a strike in the state.

Wabba had yesterday declared a five-day strike in the state over the sack of workers and a hike in the tuition fees of the state-owned university.

Reacting, Yesufu, who is the co-convener of BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, in a series of tweets wrote: @elrufai is so full of himself! Small Governor position ooooh!

When it was done on #EndSars protesters NLC looked the other way. Until we realise that injustice to one is an injustice to all, we will keep falling victim.

The government brazenly used thugs to attack protesters and many looked away while others blamed the protesters.
A long-time client of the Roman high jewelry house, the global fashion opinion leader and entrepreneur shares with Bulgari the same joyful, independent, bold and authentic approach which has enchanted millions of followers across the globe. In her new role, Chiara Ferragni will support the brand in communicating its core values to a cross-generational, international audience.



In the images shot in a Milano studio by photographer Giulio Rustichelli, Chiara Ferragni poses wearing some of Bulgaris most iconic jewelry styles, spanning from the signature B.Zero1 collection and the Serpenti and Serpenti Viper range to a stunning Monete high jewelry necklace.

Chiara Ferragni  Bulgari

We are honored to welcome Chiara Ferragni to the Bulgari family as new Global ambassador, says Bulgari chief executive officer Jean-Christophe Babin. I think that Chiara perfectly embodies the most authentic spirit of our company, which is rooted in highly positive values, including joy, creativity, beauty, magnificence, quality, but also grace and generosity. In her new role, Chiara will be an incredible alley to make our messages resonate across also the young generations. She is also for me as CEO an extraordinary sparring partner on fashion and luxury trends concluded Babin.



Im so proud to be part of the Bulgari family because there is a strong bond not only with the brand, but also with Jean-Christophe Babin and Lucia Silvestri, states Chiara Ferragni. The Bulgari legacy is about audacity, boldness and iconic Italian design famous all over the world, all values that we share since ever. This is the reason why we are joining forces to focus on having a social impact with our future activities."
When you got the greatest prosecutor in the history of the Southern District, and youve got the greatest mayor, not this, not just in the history of New York, but in the history of America, youre foolish if you dont use him as an asset, he said. Theres no more effective playbook than the Giuliani playbook.
Two Manchester United legends, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane, have become the latest players to be inducted into the English Premier League, ...

Two Manchester United legends, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane, have become the latest players to be inducted into the English Premier League, EPL, Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame, which was launched last month, is described by the EPLs official website as the highest individual honour awarded to players by the Premier League.

Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer became the first two inductees on April 26, with another six set to be voted in this year.

A shortlist of 23 retired players was released last month, allowing the fans to vote for who they believe should join the Hall of Fame.

Two of the six to join in 2021 have now been announced, with Cantona and Keane being voted in.

Speaking about the honour via the Premier Leagues official Twitter handle on Tuesday, Cantona said: I am very happy and very proud, and at the same time, I am not surprised.

I think you have nearly 30 players who could be elected, but for me, it is different. If you have to elect one, it is me.

The other ones are all great. Me? I am exceptional.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has recommended the death penalty as punishment for banditry, corruption and insurgency. Oluwo in...





The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has recommended the death penalty as punishment for banditry, corruption and insurgency.

Oluwo in Iwo on Tuesday said such crimes form the foundation of Nigerias problems while stressing that killing corrupt people will rid the nation of bad eggs.

Oluwo during the farmer, herder summit which was organised to discuss solutions to Nigerias security challenges said, there must be the death penalty for kidnappers and no Human Rights advocate should kick against that. Government must begin to kill corrupt people irrespective of their ethnicity, be it Fulani Hausa, Yoruba or any tribe.

If the security forces cannot enforce the law, then there would be anarchy, ritualists, corrupt people, kidnappers should be killed henceforth.

The monarch while contributing to solving the herder/farmers crisis, urged the Fulanis who live in Iwo to work with constituted authority and traditional rulers to identify criminals penetrating their ranks.

He said, I want you to work with me to identify criminals penetrating your ranks so that I would not join those who are calling for your expulsion in the Southwest.

You would chase the criminals always by working with the chiefs, and security agencies. I still stand by my words that Fulani should come and stay in Iwo, but I dont want criminals because we cant identify with them.

The monarch also called for the recruitment of more policemen, community policing, granting of constitutional roles to traditional rulers and devolution of powers concentrated at the centre.

Security challenges would be significantly solved if the government gives traditional rulers constitutional power. I also prefer devolution of power, not restructuring. Then we also need State Police.

Government must recruit more policemen. Nigeria must become a police state, Oluwo stated.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit New Jersey and businesses were forced to close last March, the Department of Labor was faced with an unprecedented number of unemployment claims.

In late March and early April, more than 200,000 people filed new claims each week and the extraordinary volume was more than the department was prepared to handle.

Thousands of workers who tried to reach the department said they would call dozens, even hundreds of times a day, to no avail. When they did get through, their calls were often dropped by the overburdened and overwhelmed call system, they said.

To help manage the deluge of calls from people desperate to resolve their unemployment claims, the Department of Labor opened a new call center on June 18.

Over the six months from June through December 2020, the state paid nearly $11.3 million to subcontractor Navient for the call center, according to contracts and invoices obtained by NJ Advance Media as part of an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request.

Records for payments made in 2021 were not yet available.

The states cost each month was based on how many calls were handled, the contracts and invoices show.

Other data obtained through the OPRA request provides a window into how the call center performed from its June launch through early April 2021.

The numbers of calls, and how many were answered, reflects how many unemployed people had trouble with their claims and were desperate to talk to a live person. It also shows that even with the new call center, tens of thousands of people were unable to get through to an agent.

Its important to note that many of the incoming calls were made repeatedly by callers who tried again and again to get through, such as those who told NJ Advance Media they would call dozens or hundreds of times a day without success.

For example, in July, more than 1 million calls were made to the call center from more than 160,297 individual callers, with 115,945 getting through to a representative. Nearly 825,000 of the calls, or 78%, got a busy signal, the data shows. In August, nearly 1.2 million calls were made from 161,294 individual callers, with 112,808 reaching a representative. More than 950,000 of the calls, or 80%, got a busy signal.

Ebonee Harris of Elizabethport said shes one of the frequent callers. The mother of two young children called her experience with the call center horrible, noting that just last week, she called 87 times.

In the summer of 2020 when I first began to have problems, I would call up to 100 times per day for two weeks straight and I never received an answer, Harris said, noting that her payments stopped without explanation. Since this year has started, its gotten a little bit better in the sense that you can speak to someone, but it still takes at least 60-something calls before I can get put on hold.

Navient said it had no comment, but the Labor Department said it will not be satisfied until every claim is resolved.

The contract call center has been a tremendous asset to our claimants during this unprecedented time. It operates seven days a week, and has connected directly with claimants 1.7 million times, spokeswoman Angela Delli Santi said in a statement. On Wednesday, for example, 9,000 calls were answered, and 1,000 additional attempts were made to reach a claimant.

As workers learned, many of the representatives answering the phone were unable to fix claims. Instead, they offered to put workers on an escalation list to get a call back from an agent.

Federal law requires that only certified, experienced claims examiners make changes on claims, Delli Santi said.

We built a tiered triage/escalation system that would allow the maximum number of clients to be served/have their questions answered in a timely fashion while sending the most complex, claim-specific issues to the most experienced agents, she said. Roughly two-thirds of called-in questions can be answered on the spot by call center staff. Complex claim issues are escalated to an agent for review.

Tens of thousands of people made the request to be escalated each month, the data shows.

The Labor Department said it does not have records of how many of the escalated calls were resolved or how many are still outstanding.

But it did provide data on how many outgoing calls were made by the subcontractors.

In July, for example, there were 51,250 requests for a call back. The data shows that subcontractors dialed out nearly 79,000 times as some workers didnt answer the calls, often because they were made from blocked, unfamiliar or out-of-state numbers that were not identified as coming from the Labor Department. In that month, 50,600 calls were eventually successfully made, the data shows.

As the months went on, call center representatives connected with more workers than those who made requests for a callback in a given month, most likely a reflection that representatives were playing catch-up from the backlog in the months before.

Each representative had a heavy caseload as they tried to catch up with the massive call volume. From July 2020 through March 2021, each agent called back well over 1,000 workers per month on average, the data shows.

In February, the heaviest month of callbacks, for example, 122 Navient representatives made an average of 1,524 calls for the month. That breaks down to an average of 12-and-a-half calls made per day.

On Feb. 5, the Department of Labor said it would double staffing at the call centers to help with the volume.

We are very aware its difficult to get through to the call center, Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said at the time. The increased staff would include a mix of call center, unemployment support and agents, he said. The call center staff increased by 48 people the next month, the data shows.

Workers called the call center with a variety of problems, from being told that claims were not payable or they were stuck in claim pending status, to having issues with the $600 expanded unemployment payment or with benefit extensions.

Navient kept track of the reasons unemployed people reached out for help. The majority of calls in most months were regarding what was dubbed a general question, averaging about 50,000 calls per month.

After that, the most common reason to call was because people had trouble with payments or certifications, or because they got a message that claims were not payable, the data shows. These calls were grouped together in one category.

But not every handled call resolved the workers issues, the data shows. Hundreds of thousands were sent to the escalation list.

Of those, the wide majority were people who said they had trouble certifying, problems with payments or their claim said it was not payable, the data shows.

The Labor Department said it doesnt keep records of the numbers of escalated calls that were resolved or continue to need attention.

It also said it does not keep an ongoing count of how many people are currently on the escalation list.

Harris, the unemployed mother, said shes been on the escalation list twice, and she hasnt received a phone call  or benefits  in five months.

The Labor Department said it will continue to contract with the call center for as long as there is a need. As of now, the contract runs through the end of the year.

We are continually monitoring and analyzing results and making adjustments accordingly, Delli Santi said. This is not a stagnant process. We are constantly making changes and fine-tuning our customer service operation, and the call center continues to hire and on-board call center staff.

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NJ Advance Media Research Editor Vinessa Erminio and Enterprise and Investigations Reporter Ted Sherman contributed to this report.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
Many teaching jobs in New Jersey pay more than the national average, but not all of them do.

The median pay for a teacher in New Jersey was $70,815 in 2019-20, according to data provided by the New Jersey Department of Education. But which district a teacher is in can make a huge difference  the lowest paying district has a median salary 2.5 times lower than the highest paying district.

In East Newark Borough, the median salary is $44,258, but in Northern Valley Regional, its $113,869, state data shows.

The reason for the pay differential could be multi-fold, one expert told NJ Advance Media, ranging from these districts having younger teachers, to not retaining teachers well.

Twenty of the lowest paying districts are charter schools, something else that could play a role, Dr. Jennifer Robinson, executive director of the Center of Pedagogy at Montclair State University, told NJ Advance Media. Although charter schools are public districts, they usually consist of just a single school.

Not being able to share resources with other districts can make finances tight and reduce salaries, Robinson said.

And charter schools can be a starting point for early career teachers, some of whom will leave in a few years. More teachers at the bottom of the salary ladder will drive the median down, she said.

(Charter school teachers) may be high-quality teachers, but between the amount of work, above and beyond, planning for your classes, planning for the work that has to happen in those schools, plus your salary, plus wherever it is that you would like to live, that churn is likely to happen, Robinson said.

She said there is no data that she is aware of that draws a correlation between student success and teacher salaries, nor one that correlates success to attending a charter school. But having a balance of new-career and experienced teachers can help make the learning experience richer for all involved, she said.

View the chart below to see the 25 districts with the lowest median salary last school year.

Chart not appearing? Click here.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
The number of school districts that are fully in-person has surpassed the number of districts that are hybrid or remote for the first time since schools reopened during the coronavirus pandemic.

As of May 17, state figures show 371 school districts were in hybrid instruction, nine were remote and 388 were fully in-person  the eighth week in a row the number of in-person districts increased. Forty-three districts have different educational formats for different schools.

During the height of New Jerseys second coronavirus wave in January, 339 districts were totally virtual. This week marks the first time the number of in-person districts has surpassed that number, and the first time there are more districts fully open than using some type of virtual learning.

The number of in-person districts increased by 50, while hybrid and remote districts decreased by 45 and four, respectively. The number of districts using different learning methods for different schools decreased by one.

Although the number of virtual districts has been steadily decreasing, five public schools, two charter schools, and two special service schools remain totally remote.

We know there are myriad reasons why the remaining districts have not taken this step, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference earlier this month when 13 districts remained remote. But the simple fact remains that we cannot leave 43,000 of our students out of their classrooms for an entire year. That is not fair to them, their families, their communities, or their futures.

One of the currently remote districts, Waterford Township School District, had been hybrid until a bout of food poisoning amongst staff forced it to switch to virtual learning for two weeks. The other eight districts have been remote for the entirety of the school year.

Murphy has repeatedly called for all districts to reopen for either hybrid or in-person learning, announcing in March that some schools could relax social distancing measures.

Districts have cited concerns about the viruss spread as the main reason for delaying their returns to the classroom. Of the four public schools that remain remote, only one, Hillside, has a return-to-school date set for general education students this year.

The number of students being offered each educational type does not take into account students who are voluntarily learning virtually, an option all schools must provide. When Newark, the states largest school district, reopened for in-hybrid learning, just 39% of its 36,460 students returned to classrooms.

State officials have said that as of October 2020, the most recently available data, about a quarter of students in a district with open schools were voluntarily learning virtually.

The option to learn virtually will be rescinded in the fall, and reserved only for students and teachers with medical concerns, Murphy said.

We are facing a much different world than one year ago, when we had to begin planning for this school year, the governor said at a press conference this week. We know much more about this virus and how it spreads. We have much more on-the-ground experience in fighting it. And we have a robust vaccination program that now reaches adolescents as young as 12.

There have been 281 outbreaks and 1,263 cases of the coronavirus linked to schools in New Jersey. For cases to qualify as an outbreak, they must be confirmed to have been transmitted in the classroom or during academic activities. All 21 counties have seen an in-school outbreak.

All New Jersey residents 12 and older are currently eligible for the vaccine. Pfizer will likely seek authorization for younger children this fall.

The nine districts that remain remote as of May 17:

Pleasantville Public School District

Englewood on the Palisades Charter School

Waterford Township School District

Gray Charter School

St. Josephs School for the Blind

Passaic City School District

Paterson Public School District

Matheny School and Hospital

Hillside Public School District

Five previously remote districts brought students back into the classroom in person or on a hybrid schedule:

Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School: hybrid

The Village Charter School: hybrid

Trenton Stem-to-Civics Charter School: in-person

Montgomery Academy: in-person

Cresthaven Academy Charter School: hybrid

The 50 districts switched from hybrid or a combination of learning styles to fully in-person this week:

Closter Public School District

Cresskill Public School District

Demarest School District

East Rutherford School District

Elmwood Park School District

Emerson Public School District

Englewood Cliffs School District

Fort Lee School District

Hackensack School District

Ho-Ho-Kus School District

Leonia Public School District

Little Ferry Public School District

Lodi School District

Maywood School District

New Milford Public School District

Norwood Public School District

Oakland Public School District

Park Ridge School District

Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District

Ramsey School District

Ridgewood Public School District

River Dell Regional School District

River Edge School District

Rochelle Park School District

South Hackensack School District

Upper Saddle River School District

Wallington Boro School District

Westwood Regional School District

Woodcliff Lake School District

Wyckoff Township Public School District

Bergen Center for Child Development

Community Elementary School

Community High School

Felician School for Exceptional Children

Holmstead School

Windsor Bergen Academy

Windsor Prep

Mansfield Township School District

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For public school students in Randolph, the October holiday formerly known as Columbus Day now appears as Indigenous Peoples Day on the school calendar.

The Randolph school board has voted 8-0 to rename the holiday, mirroring a shift formalized in recent years by at least seven states and two New Jersey municipalities amid an ongoing, national reassessment of the Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and discovered the New World.

A Randolph resident who immigrated from Italy in 2007 sent an email to the school board immediately following the May 13 meeting, objecting to the swift adoption of a revised, 2021-22 school calendar without any public notice.

Gerlando Termini told NJ Advance Media he views Columbus Day as a tribute to Italian American immigrants, especially those in prior generations who experienced substantial discrimination.

It was a reminder of how people like me, who moved from another country, had to go through a lot of hurdles, said Termini, a parent of two children in the Randolph schools.

The Randolph board voted after an official at last weeks meeting, whose full name was not heard on an audio recording, said that the local Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee had recommended dropping Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Newark and Princeton also celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, which is aimed at honoring the Native Americans who were already present when Columbus arrived and were eventually displaced.

This change would strengthen Randolphs commitment to diversity and inclusion and show our community that we embrace the histories of all people, the official stated.

The Randolph school board went further than the New York City schools, which soon after disclosing on May 4 it had dropped Columbus Day on the calendar clarified that the holiday will be known as Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. Both New York City and New Jersey have large populations of Italian-American residents.

While the controversy over Columbus Day has prompted lengthy debates elsewhere, the Randolph board resolved the matter in under two minutes. The change was not listed on the public agenda of the May 13 meeting.

In May 2019, a proposal to drop Columbus Day in Glen Rock was rejected following a 90-minute debate.

Messages left with the Randolph school superintendent and school board president were returned by the districts director of communications, who said no statement on the meeting has been released.

In his email to the school board, Termini asked the board to respect the original intent of this national holiday, and suggested renaming it  as did the New York City schools  Italian Heritage Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.

As an immigrant, Im quite open in terms of cultural differences and how we should respect each other, but why does that have to come at the expense of our day, Termini said, adding that he had not received a response from the school board.

Columbus Day appears entrenched at the state level in New Jersey, which, along with New York, has the largest population of Italian-Americans in the nation. A bill that would have renamed the holiday was withdrawn from consideration in October 2020.

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
An appellate court ordered a new sentencing hearing for a Jersey City woman serving life in prison for a double-murder, saying the trial judge could not remain impartial.

Latonia Bellamy was convicted of murder, felony murder and other offenses in the 2010 cold-blooded killings of 24-year-old Nia Haqq and 27-year-old Michael Muchioki, who had just arrived home from their engagement party. She was 19 at the time of the murders.

Her cousin, Shiquan Bellamy, was convicted of the murders and is serving a life sentence. A third person involved in the fatal shootings, Darmelia Lawrence, pleaded guilty to armed robberies and is serving a 20-year sentence.

The ruling Monday is 30-year-old Latonia Bellamys second victory in the appellate courts. She received the same life-plus-30-years sentence at her first re-sentencing hearing in 2019, prompting this appeal. A new sentencing date has not been set.

In Mondays 27-page ruling, the appellate panel agreed with Bellamys argument that Hudson County Superior Judge Paul DePascale should not have rejected her request for access to her Division of Child Protection and Permanency records.

The records  which show that Bellamy spent years in the care and/or custody of DCPP, and some years in the care and custody of a family member who sexually abused her  could have been used to argue for a more lenient sentence.

The appellate panel also pointed out that mitigating and aggravated factors used to determine Bellamys sentence were incorrectly applied or ignored; and that the convictions were improperly merged for the purpose of sentencing, leading to a stiffer sentence.

Regarding DePascales impartiality at the sentencings, the panel said in the opinion that With great reluctance, we must agree recusal is appropriate.

Prior to the first sentencing, DePascale said I have never before been exposed to such a deviant and senseless act. This defendant does not possess normal impulse control and is capable of extreme violence and if released, it is highly likely she will offend again.

The panel said the new sentencing judge must consider the person defendant has become as she stands before the court. If presented with the argument, a new judge must at least have the information necessary to assess whether defendants childhood provides context for her criminal conduct.

Even after her conviction, Bellamy maintained that she did not fatally shoot either Haqq or Muchioki. She said she went along with her cousin and Lawrence because she wanted to know what it felt like to fire a gun. With Haqq and Muchioki on the ground, Bellamy has said said she fired the gun into the air and at the ground, but she did not believe she struck either one.
A laundromat worker was robbed at gunpoint, a man was bloodied in a confrontation and a person was shot Monday night in Jersey City, all in the span of roughly one hour.

The armed robbery occurred at about 11:25 p.m. at a business on Communipaw Avenue near Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. The assailant, a man, demanded cash from the register and fled. The robber was chased customer, but he was not apprehended, police said in radio transmissions.

About 40 minutes later, at 12:05 a.m. Tuesday, two men were hospitalized after a fight on Orient Avenue near Martin Luther King Drive, Wallace-Scalcione said.

A 48-year-old suffered lacerations to his face, while the other man, a 33-year-old, attempted to flee the scene when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Both men, who are known to each other, are listed in critical condition, Wallace-Scalcione said.

Then, at 2:15 a.m., police responded to the Jersey City Medical Center after being notified that a shooting victim had arrived at the emergency department, according to police radio transmissions.

The victim told police that he had been shot in the foot at 11 p.m., but its unclear at this time if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, Wallace-Scalcione said. No calls for shots fired were reported and no crime scene was located in the area of 43 Harmon St., where the man claims he was shot.

The investigation is ongoing.
EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a two-day business and networking conference June 8-9, featuring some of the states most prominent industry leaders. Tickets are limited.

As cities and towns around New Jersey continue to roll out ordinances that would prevent cannabis business from opening within their borders, some are taking the cautious route: banning everything until they see how it works in other cities and towns and thinking they might revisit down the road.

Under the marijuana legalization law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, cities and towns have the power to control both medical and legal weed businesses in their towns. They can also levy fines on those who use cannabis in public, and some Jersey Shore towns have already taken those steps. But they cannot stop people from using cannabis on private property or having it delivered to them.

Its up to them what they allow and how they allow it, said Gene Markin, an attorney with Stark and Stark. Theres no restriction on that.

Municipalities have until Aug. 21 to pass ordinances that either ban cannabis businesses, welcome them or set limits for the types of businesses or number of dispensaries. Those that do nothing will lock in a standard set of rules for five years.

But those ordinances might not be as flexible as some think. Sean Mack, an attorney with Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, said theres some confusion around municipalities changing their ordinances past the six-month deadline set in the cannabis legalization law signed earlier this year.

The thought process on how the repeal is going to work is flawed, he said. The towns think, we ban everything now, then we change our minds later, so now we want to allow things. You have to repeal your opt-out ban. Now, youre back in a situation where your town does not have a duly adopted law by Aug. 21 to ban certain cannabis businesses.

Cities and towns that previously banned or allowed medical cannabis will have to make new rules under the legalization law. Maplewood welcomed The Apothecariums grand opening last Friday, but Mayor Frank McGehee did not say if the town will allow it to also sell adult-use cannabis.

I think we will continue to be thoughtful about being a forerunner in cannabis, he said last week.

Brick, Bridgewater and Sea Isle and are among the cities and towns that have banned cannabis sales. Others, like Orange and Toms River, have considered bans but faced pushback from residents.

John Fanburg, an attorney with the cannabis practice at Brach Eichler, said he believes towns will be able to change their minds after opting out by Aug. 21 and pass a new ordinance on the number of dispensaries or cannabis businesses. But the final word on the issue will likely have to come from the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

The commission will be at some point proposing regulations to put meat on the bones of the statute, Fanburg said.

Jeff Brown, executive director of the cannabis commission, has urged cities and towns to wait until they see the regulations before acting. But the commission also has an Aug. 21 deadline to unveil its regulations, colliding with the deadline for municipalities to act.

Toni-Anne Blake, a spokeswoman for the commission, issued the following statement when asked about the ordinance confusion:

The CRC is tasked with setting up broad regulations regarding the cannabis industry and, where appropriate, provide general guidance about implementing the regulations, she said in an email. That said, we cant provide specific legal advice to municipalities about their obligations under statute, what actions to take, or when to take action.

The commission will hold its next meeting June 1, and is seeking comment from municipal representatives about zoning concerns and the best ways to implement regulations.

The New Jersey State League of Municipalities, which has been advising its members on such issues, has its own interpretation of the law.

Our interpretation is that the only time a five-year lock-in period is triggered is when the municipality fails to adopt an ordinance prohibiting a particular license class within 180-days of the passage of the law, Michael Cerra, executive director of the League, said in an email.

Mack said towns might want to take advantage of the time they have now and develop an ordinance that really works for their town. They could designate certain commercial zones where dispensaries would be allowed or put a limit on the total number instead of issuing an outright ban.

Towns should be thinking about this now, he said. Some towns are doing polls of their community. What are peoples concerns? Do they want limits on anything? Taking advantage of the time before [Aug. 21] where youve got very broad authority to adopt restrictions and rules that make sense for your town.

A version of this story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.

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Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
New York State is worst in the nation when it comes to locking people up for parole rule violations, said Judge Jonathan Lippman, former chief judge of the State of New York. New York should be a leader in criminal justice, but we are far behind less progressive states when it comes to paroleincluding places like Louisiana, Missouri, and Alaska that have already reformed parole, reduced recidivism, and saved money. Now its time for New York to catch up.
For Francesca Avitto and Kate Wnek, May 17 is a special day.

Its the day they met eight years ago, and immediately knew the relationship was something special.

We met. We instantly fell in love, Avitto told NJ Advance Media.

Its also the date that, three years ago, the two decided to go into business together. And now, its their wedding anniversary, as well.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora married the two Monday in a brief ceremony on the steps of City Hall, attended by a few close friends. After the pronouncement, as the couple embraced, Wnek affirmed with glee, Were married! to enthusiastic applause.

Monday, May 17, 2021 - Francesca Avitto, right, and Kate Wnek, get married at City Hall in a ceremony performed by Mayor Reed Gusciora, on the 8th anniversary of the day they first met.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora marries Francesca Avitto, left, and Kate Wnek.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The business partners opened a plant-based eatery, Lady and the Shallot, at the Trenton Farmers Market, on May 17, 2018.

Were living our passion and our mission together, said Avitto.

The couple thanked the mayor, a customer of the Farmers Market, for performing the ceremony.

We love that he marries LGBT couples, said Avitto. Were thrilled that you guys do that here because I know its not always open for everyone.

Monday, May 17, 2021 - Francesca Avitto, laft and Kate Wnek, right, pose with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora after being wed on the steps of City Hall.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

After posing for a wedding photo, the newlyweds made their way down the steps of City Hall for a luncheon and then some time off.

Were going to go down the Jersey Shore, Avitto said.

Wnek, who called the Shore, our favorite place, added, Were going to go down to Wildwood, Cape May and just spend our time by the ocean. Just relax a little bit, and then well be back to work.

Monday, May 17, 2021 - Francesca Avitto, left, and Kate Wnek, who run plant-based eatery "Lady and the Shallot" at the Trenton Farmer's Market, leave City Hall after being wed in a ceremony performed by Mayor Reed Gusciora, on the 8th anniversary of the day they first met.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Q. Our son will graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy on May 28, 2021. He attended since June 2017. He did a post-graduate high school year at the Hill School in 2016-2017 to prepare. We paid $33,000 for the Hill School and the school and Naval Academy paid the rest. Can we use his 529 money for the Hill School?

 Mom

A. Congratulations on your sons graduation.

In general, you must reimburse yourself for education expenses from a 529 account in the year the expenses were incurred, said Ken Van Leeuwen, a certified financial planner with Van Leeuwen & Company in Princeton.

Unfortunately, the IRS has not given explicit guidance on how long a person has to reimburse themselves, he said.

But there are a few things to note.

The new tax law, effective Jan. 1, 2018, allows 529 plans to be used to pay for up to $10,000 of tuition at elementary or secondary public, private or parochial schools.

And the SECURE Act of 2019 allows you to use 529 plan money to pay for up to $10,000 in student loans. So if the money you paid is now in the form of a loan, you can explore a partial payoff.

It would make sense to speak to a financial professional who can look at the specifics of your situation to see your options.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
A group of New Jersey lawmakers swiftly approved several prison reforms Tuesday, including a mandate that all officers wear body cameras behind bars and a new criminal penalty for staff who retaliate against prisoners making complaints.

The six bills passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee in less than an hour without a single no vote, including some proposals that had stalled for months.

Many were directed at the states only womens facility, which is likely to soon come under federal oversight and where 10 officers have been charged in a growing criminal probe over alleged beatings.

There seems to be a culture that weve seen where there are coverups rather than ... accountability, said state Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson. We have to send a message that it will be taken seriously.

Each bill will need to pass the full Assembly and Senate in order to head to the governors desk.

One (A5750) requires the establishment of a secure, reliable, and confidential method for prisoners to report abuse, and it would make it a fourth-degree crime to retaliate against someone who files a complaint.

Prisoners can already file grievances electronically or on paper forms, but those forms were missing from two units during an unannounced inspection last month of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility For Women in Hunterdon County.

Inspectors also said a telephone problem blocked some prisoners from calling their attorneys or outside investigators, according to new reports from the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson, an independent watchdog. Many issues flagged were on the Restorative Housing Unit, the same area where several women said they were severely beaten by staff earlier this year.

Prison officials promised to address those and other problems, including an insufficient number of masks, according to the reports.

Those inspections happened the day after a tense public hearing where lawmakers appeared baffled that the office hadnt visited the womens prison more often. Corrections Ombudsman Dan DiBenedetti struggled to explain how hed missed years of well-documented abuse, and his resignation was announced the same day his staff visited.

Other bills advanced Tuesday included two that would expand officer training (A5751 and A5749) and one (A4681) that would make more people eligible to go to halfway houses as they neared the end of their sentences.

The latter would help prisoners transition back to society and reduce the risk they commit more crimes, said Kevin McHugh, executive director of the Reentry Coalition of New Jersey, and Dan Lombardo, president of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. Both testified in support along with Ron Pierce, a fellow with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Pierce spent decades behind bars before his release several years ago, and he said he wished hed been able to take advantage of the services offered in halfway houses.

Lawmakers also amended another proposal (A4785) to demand prison officials do more to help prepare people for release. That would include forcing the corrections department to tell organizations that help prisoners find jobs and housing whos coming out, in the aftermath of a mass prison release last year when many nonprofits said they were blocked from knowing the names of new releases, which hampered their ability to prepare.

While several residents signaled their support for many of the bills, only one person signed up to raise concerns  and he ultimately withdrew his objections.

John Donnadio, executive director of the New Jersey Association of Counties, said he was initially worried there wasnt enough money to pay for some of the proposals. But an updated version of one bill included new funding for a county reentry coordinator and other changes, he said.

The body camera bill (A5039) would cost about $26 million, a prison spokeswoman previously said.

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Last year in New Jersey, 33 very sick men and women chose to end their suffering and take their own lives, painlessly, with the help of a doctors prescription.

Its no cause for celebration, of course. When the Legislature debated the Death with Dignity Act in 2019, families caught in this terrible dilemma shared their suffering, and begged for this small act of mercy.

One middle-aged woman came in a wheelchair, facing a slow death from lung failure, with her husband and son at her side. Its her decision, her son said. Thats the big thing.

A nurse told of her husbands slow death from pancreatic cancer, and her pain at watching him wither away, unable to grant his final wish. He asked me not to let him suffer, she said. He wanted a humane and peaceful death.

We also heard from thoughtful opponents, like Newark Archbishop Joseph Tobin, who said this decision belongs to God, and several disabled witnesses who worried that people like them would face pressure to take their own lives if this taboo were broken.

But in the end, the Legislature decided that this decision was personal, and should not be dictated by the government, that it was a matter of conscience. It built guardrails against abuses, granting this right only to those deemed to be within six months of death, and only after they ask permission three times, on separate occasions, both verbally and in writing. Doctors can write the prescriptions, but it is up to the patient to take the pill.

If 33 people got comfort, thats what this was designed to do, says Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, the chief sponsor. This is never going to be a familys first choice. But I think we got the statute right.

Public opinion on this is overwhelmingly in favor of granting the right to die peacefully with the help of a doctor, but it remains illegal in 40 states, including all the states in this region other than New Jersey. Our law took effect in 2019, when 12 people took their lives under its terms. The number jumped to 33 this year, but thats still a tiny number. In Oregon, with less than half our population, 259 people took their lives with a doctors help last year.

No doubt, the number in New Jersey will rise as more families learn of this option. Burzichelli hopes that the new law, and the debate around it, will prompt more people will discuss end-of-life issues with their doctors and families, no matter what they decide. Thats a gain in itself.

I come to this issue with painful personal baggage, the suicide of my younger sister, Lizzy, in 2018, after a long and agonizing illness. She lived in Connecticut and didnt have the option to get help from a doctor, so she swallowed a handful of opioids one night, after a heartfelt discussion with the family, and waited for death to come. But she survived and was placed in a mental hospital against her will for four days, as if her decision was crazy.

After faking her way out of that, she finally did take her own life, using a plastic bag filled with nitrogen, and pulling it over her head, after consulting with one of the several volunteer groups that help people like her.

Thats not how she wanted to die. She wanted her brothers and sisters by her side. She wanted yellow tulips on her bedside table. She wanted her last moments to be peaceful and reflective.

Im glad those 33 people, and their families, were able to have that. Our Legislature, along with Gov. Phil Murphy, should be proud of themselves for making it possible.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Memorial Day was established as a national holiday to honor the ultimate sacrifice that the men and women who wore our countrys uniform made to ensure our freedom.

Ive been rereading John Soup Campbells book, They Were Ours, Gloucester Countys Loss in Vietnam, which pays tribute to the 44 county men who died serving our country during the Vietnam War. Campbells book devotes a chapter to each man to tell about his upbringing, his family and friends, and how his life ended. The late Bob Shryock, a longtime South Jersey Times columnist, wrote a moving foreword.

Many of my relatives answered the call of duty and fought in World War IIW II. Because they were so much older, my exposure to this war was the Hollywood movie version. The image of a serviceman that always came to mind was a tough, hard-edged, unshaven man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

The biographies and pictures of the Gloucester County veterans in Johns book show a different truth. These men  their average age was 22  werent given enough time to figure out their places in life, yet they made a lasting mark on this world.

After reading each chapter, I said a prayer to thank them and their loved ones. They deserve so much more.

Wouldnt it be a wonderful tribute to these 44 men who died if their local newspaper printed their names and towns in the Memorial Day edition or the weekend issues preceding Memorial Day? Sometimes we need a reminder of those who inspired the parades.

Carol Rhodes, Barnsboro

State permits discrimination in vaccine mandates

A headline in the May 10 South Jersey Times read: Nursing home deaths plunge, despite vaccine concerns. The article beneath it stated that COVID-19 deaths among New Jersey long-term care facility residents have fallen by 80% since February, even though only about 57% of the homes employees had been fully vaccinated.

The drop in the resident death rate was attributed by state officials mainly to an 83.5% vaccination rate of the residents.

The term discrimination is defined as one group of people being treated differently from another group based on age, sex, skin color, etc. So, why is it that some colleges are mandating that in-person students get vaccinated, but not requiring faculty and other staff to do the same? Why havent health-care employees working among a vulnerable population been given a similar mandate?

Arent college presidents who have enacted these mandates only for students guilty of discrimination?

As indicated in the May 10 article, Gov. Phil Murphy may be unequivocally unhappy about the lagging number of nursing home staff who are inoculated compared to residents, yet, he allows these discriminatory polices to proceed.

Joe Ledvina, Turnersville

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The very last thing that someone in a leadership position should be doing at this moment is casting doubt on the efficacy of vaccines.

Last week, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli did that very last thing.

That came at a Senate Budget Committee hearing after state Sen. Declan OScanlon asked Persichilli a question that a lot of New Jerseyans are asking:

Given the fact that anyone at this point who wants the vaccine can get it, what are you waiting for to end it all - the rules, the regulations and the restrictions?

Persichilli mentioned the threat of variants to the virus as a reason to keep mask mandates in place. She then used the example of her own experience, saying, I wear a mask everywhere because I know vaccinations are not 100 percent. So if its 95 percent and theres a five percent chance that I can get a variant, Im going to wear a mask.

That might seem to make sense on the surface. But its nonsense, said OScanlon.

After the hearing he put out a press release calling the commissions misstatement on vaccine efficacy terrifying and destructive to the goal of getting more people vaccinated.

The release went on to state that A 95 percent efficacy of a vaccine doesnt mean, as the Commissioner clearly stated, five percent of people are left vulnerable.

Thats a common misconception, said the senator  and the Lancet. That prestigious British medical journal ran an article in February debunking the misconception that a vaccine with a 95 percent efficacy rate would still leave 5,000 people out of every 100,000 vulnerable to the disease.

In fact, if all 100,000 people took that vaccine, a mere 50 would be exposed, the article stated. Thats simple mathematics, the author said.

Ill take those odds any day. So will the CDC, which advises that If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.

Not if you live in New Jersey. That indoor mask mandate will remain in effect despite the CDC, Persichilli said at the governors COVID press briefing Monday.

But after announcing that, Persichilli went on to correct the record on her statement from last week.

Last week when I was making a point about the need to remain vigilant, I said the vaccines are 95 percent effective, she said. That does not mean you have a five percent chance of getting the disease.

Persichilli went to state that CDC stats show the actual risk seems to be about .02 percent. That means that once you are vaccinated, you have a greater than 99 percent chance of not getting COVID.

OScanlon said he was glad to hear the administration address the true stats, but their policies are still reflexive of their misunderstanding.

In the days before vaccinations became available, mask-wearing and social distancing were necessary for keeping the virus from spreading, he said. But now that the vaccine is widely available, If people decide not to get vaccines then they are only putting themselves at risk. Thats not the governments problem.

But Murphy is making it a problem for businesses, particularly restaurants, because they are expected to enforce mask usage and social distancing, OScanlon said.

OScanlon and his fellow members of the Senate minority argue that its time for the governor to end his practice of one-man rule though emergency declarations. Instead Murphy is relying on increasingly farfetched rationales for maintain one-man rule.

At his Monday presser, Murphy even repeated a cliche that would appall any epidemiologist.

If we can save one life by leading in this place, thats our responsibility, he said.

No, its not, said OScanlon.

We could save hundreds of lives if we banned driving, he said. Or why dont we ban everyone from leaving their homes when theres a lightning storm?

Politicians are elected to make that sort of decision. But Murphy has been ignoring 120 of them for more than a year.

At one of his press conferences more than a year ago, I asked Murphy why he was cutting the Legislature out of the decision-making process.

We welcome the legislative reality in the state and I think weve worked extremely well with the Legislature and communicated at a high level on both sides of the aisle, he replied.

It didnt quite work out that way, said Steve Oroho. The Sussex County Republican put out a release last week calling for Murphy to end the practice of government by emergency order.

The Legislature has been on the sidelines, said Oroho.

But now its time to stop issuing orders and leave it up to the people to decide how to protect themselves, he said.

We spent a year and half of educating people about the risk, he said. Now they know the risk.

Even the health commissioner.
Two people were in critical condition after a multiple shooting in a Paterson park Monday night, authorities said.

At 7:24 p.m. Monday, Paterson Police officers were told that two 18-year-old city residents were taken to Saint Josephs University Medical Center with gunshot wounds, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a statement.

The police investigation led officers to the scene of the shooting on Broadway and McLean Avenue, in Eastside Park, the statement said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, both victims remained in critical condition. It was not released if any suspect was in custody or had been identified.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutors Office tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org. Tipsters can also call the Paterson Police Ceasefire Unit at 973-321-1342.

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Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon.
A transgender supervisor at a water department in Passaic County has filed a lawsuit against the township, claiming she was discriminated against after telling her boss and co-workers she was transitioning.

Tori-Anne Corrado, 59, is a senior plant operator in the Department of Water Pollution Control in Wayne Township. Corrado, who lives in Sussex County, has worked for the township since 1991, according to court documents.

In 2016, Corrado told her supervisor that she had begun transitioning and that she identified as a transgender female. Her supervisor reacted by giggling, according to the suit, filed April 30 in Superior Court of Passaic County.

The following year, Corrado legally changed her name to Tori-Anne, and in 2018 she underwent gender reassignment surgery, according to the lawsuit.

But since her announcement that she was a transgender woman, Corrado claims she has been treated differently than other employees and forced to work in a hostile environment.

Corrado has been repeatedly met with disrespect and hostility by members of upper management as well as by the junior plant operators she supervisors, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit states workers have repeatedly called her sir and alleges that upper management have not taken her complaints about the workers seriously.

Additionally, Corrado claims her boss stated being misgendered is not important, has called her sir, and told Corrado she was making a big deal about male pronouns.

Corrado says a complaint had been filed on her behalf against the townships Division on Civil Rights but it was then withdrawn.

Upon the withdrawal of the DCR complaint, plaintiff was retaliated against with bullying and harassment, and (removed from) job assignments, the suit alleges.

On April 23, Corrados attorneys issued a cease and desist order to the town, which was followed by the filing of the lawsuit a week later.

Corrado alleges Wayne Township violated New Jerseys Law Against Discrimination by failing to post its anti-discrimination policies, by failing to properly train and supervisor employees about such matters and by allowing a hostile work environment. The suit seeks a jury trial, along with compensatory and punitive damages.

Wayne Township officials did not immediately respond Tuesday morning to a request for comment.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com.
Missing those stimulus checks already?

Though there doesnt seem to be much momentum behind a fourth round of federal payments, lower- and middle-class New Jerseyans could have something to look forward to this summer: a $500 tax rebate courtesy of the state government.

The rebates are part of a compromise Gov. Phil Murphy and Democrats who control the Legislature made last year when lawmakers agreed to raise taxes on millionaires. Murphy included more than $300 million for the rebates in his proposed budget. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said last week he expects the plan to pass, though budget negotiations havent begun in earnest.

Its a done deal in my mind, he told NJ Advance Media. In fact, I think it needs to be made permanent, but well have to talk about that going forward. We did this to help the middle class. Well, the middle class needs to be helped all the time, not some of the time.

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The rebate proposal broke a years-long impasse between the governor and Sweeney over Murphys calls to raise the tax rate on high-income earners. The agreement, announced in September, came amid the fallout from the pandemic. Officials framed the deal as necessary to help both the state and its residents during the health and economic crises.

What were hoping is that it takes a little of the pressure off, Sweeney said. Its not the end-all, be-all, obviously, its $500. But its $500 more than they had. And were still in strange times, and Im hoping it helps.

Republicans and business lobbyists immediately panned the proposal as an ill-conceived political gimmick that will drive wealthy taxpayers out of the state.

Others, meanwhile, criticized the programs limitation to only taxpayers with a qualifying dependent child, effectively excluding most senior households.

Heres what we know about the rebates so far:

1. Who is eligible to receive a tax rebate?

Married couples in New Jersey with income below $150,000 and at least one dependent child would qualify for a rebate check. Individuals with less than $75,000 in income and at least one dependent child qualify.

2. Eligibility for the federal stimulus payments was based on adjusted gross income. Will these rebates be, too?

The benefit is based on 2020 gross income, which is your income before taxes and deductions.

3. Are non-residents eligible?

No. Only New Jersey residents would be eligible for the rebate.

4. How many households will qualify?

The administration estimated 764,000 New Jersey households will qualify for a rebate.

5. How much money will you receive?

The maximum rebate is $500.

Unlike the federal stimulus payments, there is no sliding scale based on income here. However, it is a non-refundable tax rebate, which means your state income tax liability has to be at least $500 to receive the full $500 rebate. If your state income tax liability is only $300, you will receive a $300 rebate. If it is $100, youll receive a $100 rebate.

The rebate is the lesser of $500 or an amount equal to the amount of tax after credits on the 2020 gross income tax return, the Treasury Department said.

The more than 716,000 eligible couples filing jointly would receive an average of $425, while the nearly 48,000 single filers would receive an average of $297, according to the Department of Treasury.

6. What if you have more than one dependent child?

Also unlike the federal stimulus payments, this rebate does not take into account how many dependent children you have.

7. When do the checks go out?

The Treasury Department could begin to issue rebates in July, a spokeswoman said.

8. Will this rebate come as a paper check? Or a direct deposit?

The form of the payment is still being worked out, according to the Department of Treasury.

9. Can the rebate be garnished for back taxes or child support?

It will be subject to the Set-Off of Individual Liability, which withholds tax refunds or benefits from anyone who owes federal taxes, child support, traffic fines, or other debts, the Treasury Department said.

10. How much does the rebate program cost?

Treasury officials put the rebates price tag at $319 million. Murphy included funding for the program in his proposed budget but the Legislature has to sign off.

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Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
New Jerseys pension fund for state and local government employees earned a preliminary return of 22.6% in the first 10 months of the fiscal year, state Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio announced Monday.

The pension fund ended April with $90 billion assets, Muoio told the Assembly Budget Committee. Thats up from $85.8 billion at the end of February.

The preliminary return puts the pension fund far ahead of its 7.3% long-term assumed rate of return this year. It was also represent the pension funds best year since 1998, according to the Treasury Department.

The public pension is among the worst-funded in the U.S, with a massive $74.9 billion in unfunded liabilities. Pensions are funded through employer and employee contributions and investment earnings. Between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020  which the states investment director described as a challenging global economic and investment environment  the pension fund generated a 1.2% return.

The low investment return and insufficient funding from the state chipped away at the systems funding ratio, which fell slightly from 58.6% in July 2019 to 58% in July 2020.

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Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
President Biden voiced support for a ceasefire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers on Monday after his administration at first distanced itself from bipartisan and international calls for an immediate end to the increasingly bloody conflict, which has left hundreds of people dead, most of them Palestinians.
Authorities identified the man stabbed to death early Tuesday at his Somerset County home as a 23-year-old Franklin Township resident.

Police responded to a 9-1-1 call shortly after midnight about a man in distress after an altercation at a residence on Holland Drive in the township, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson. At the scene, officers found Jamari Stephenson stabbed numerous times in the home, Robertson said. Despite efforts by police and emergency medical services, Stephenson died at the scene, authorities said.

Investigators have not released a possible motive for the killing and no suspects were immediately identified. A prosecutors office spokesman previously said Stephenson was attacked outside his home and managed to make it back inside.

Anyone with information about the slaying was asked to call the prosecutors office major crimes unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-5533.

Information can also be submitted anonymously through Somerset County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS or using the STOPit app.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
A Somerset County man was stabbed to death Monday night at his home in Franklin Township, authorities said.

The victim was attacked late in the evening outside his residence on Holland Drive.

He managed to get back into his home, where he was found, said Deputy Chief Frank Roman, of the Somerset County Prosecutors Office.

Roman did not release the victims name or say whether a suspect had been charged. The countys Major Crimes Unit and Franklin Township police are investigating, Roman said.

We will be releasing details on the ongoing investigation today, Roman said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Preservation New Jersey announced Tuesday its annual list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey.

The list spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost, according to a news release.

Allen AME Church, Cape May

Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1888, is an important Black landmark in the Cape May Historic District.

The building was the home of a congregation who left the Cape Island Methodist Church and moved into a former church on Franklin Street in 1845 before erecting the current structure. Within two square blocks stand civic institutions, churches, and the center of the historic African American community.

Over the years the AME Church has served as an advocate for education and provides support to members in need.

An accidental fire occurred to the entrance tower in 2018. The tower was removed and a benefactor paid to have the tower opening and roof covered. But the tarp has now failed putting the building at risk. The city has expressed interest in acquiring the building and restoring it as a historic site.

Cape May Point

Located at the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May Point resembles its original roots as the Presbyterian retreat Sea Grove established in 1875.

This borough of 285 residents and 0.3 square miles is a beach community with a diversity of housing, landmarks, irregular street patterns, and historical landscaping. Just over one-third of the buildings were built before 1955. Many of the buildings in Cape May Point have undergone changes without diminishing architectural merit which contributes to the boroughs distinct community character that deserves protection.

The threats to Cape May Point are through beach erosion, demolition and redevelopment. Cape May Point has a historic preservation element in its Master Plan.

Elizabeth

Elizabeths historic resources span the centuries with colonial homes of early citizens, opulent Victorian homes of late-19th Century elite, and Italianate row houses of factory workers. It boasts many historic churches, Greek Revival civic buildings (including a Carnegie Library), Art Deco theaters and commercial buildings, as well as red brick and steel industrial complexes.

The historic fabric is slowly being compromised through unsympathetic renovations, neglect and demolition, according to Preservation New Jersey. In the past year, two prominent buildings were demolished. Lack of protection has also resulted in the loss of architectural features, according to the organization.

James Street Commons Historic District, Newark

The James Street Commons Historic District is a 24-block area containing some 64 acres of land and possesses the largest and finest examples of brownstone and brick structures clustered together anywhere in the city. About 190 buildings out of 425 total in the district have been demolished since 1975.

Residents of the historic district have spoken in opposition to demolition of sites at several community meetings and recently at two meetings before the Historic Sites Council, according to Preservation New Jersey.

Greater is He Ministries (former St. Monicas Episcopal Church), Trenton

St. Monicas Episcopal Church lies in the very center of the Spring Street neighborhood of Trenton, the center of Trentons middle class Black community during the mid-20th century. St. Monicas was the first Black Episcopal congregation in Trenton. The congregation was merged with that of St. Michaels Episcopal on Warren Street around 1960.

The site today is operated by Greater is He Ministries. The primary threat to the site is the expenses associated with critical upkeep, according to a news release.

The Robert Marshall House, Gloucester Township

The Robert Marshall House is a two-story wood-framed structure in Gloucester Township. The original farmhouse section dates to c. 1720, and a significant addition was constructed c. 1810. The Marshall House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 for its local significance as a work of vernacular architecture, containing distinctive examples of Federal period interior features.

The home is currently facing the double threats of development pressure and demolition by neglect, Preservation New Jersey reported.

Shafer Grist Mill, Stillwater

For centuries rural grist mills dotted the waterways of northwestern New Jersey with industry and agriculture working together and creating the communities surrounding them. The Shafer Grist Mill in Stillwater is a 19th century intact example of one of these mills. The 3-and-a-half story, side-gabled building was built in 1844 by the Rev. Casper Schaeffer. In 2009 the mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a significant example of early sustainable technology and masterful craftsmanship.

The mill has sat idle since the 1980s but has not lost its importance to the community. Local residents raised approximately $23,000 in the mid 1990s toward stabilization of the structure. Since being purchased by Green Acres and becoming part of NJDEP Swartswood State Park in 2010, the structure receives little care or maintenance because of minimal funding, according to a news release.

The Shahn House & Studio, Roosevelt

The Shahn House was constructed in 1936 as part of Jersey Homesteads (later renamed Roosevelt), a New Deal project established in response to the Great Depression as an agricultural-industrial cooperative community for Jewish garment workers and farmers.

Architect Alfred Kastner was commissioned for the project, and he hired a young Louis Kahn as assistant architect. Ben and Bernarda Bryson Shahn, both successful artists, moved to Jersey Homesteads in 1938 after Ben painted a mural in the towns public school. George Nakashima, a leading woodworker, architect, and furniture designer of the mid-20th century, and a close personal friend of the Shahns, designed additions and modifications to the house in the 1960s.

The Shahns continued to live in the house throughout the rest of their lives. In 2010, the family decided to sell the home and placed a preservation easement on the property through the New Jersey Historic Trust to protect its significant architectural heritage. The new owners had an interest in Kahn and Nakashimas work and expressed their intent to restore the home, according to Preservation New Jersey. However, due to a work relocation, they were never able to fully occupy the home, and it has suffered from a lack of attention and regular maintenance over the years.

Tomlinson House, Stratford

The Tomlinson House (the Mansion) is a three-story, brick Greek Revival mansion built by Ephraim and Sarah Tomlinson in 1844. The Mansion is a brilliant example of Greek Revival architecture. Stratfords crest features three images: The White Horse Tavern, the Whitman Oak, and the Mansion. Of the three icons featured on the crest, only the Mansion is still in existence.

In August of 2020, the site upon which the Mansion sits was sold to a private developer who plans to develop the site into an assisted living facility for senior citizens. Local preservationists, including the Stratford and Camden County Historical Societies have lobbied to preserve the Mansion.

COVID-19s impact on historic resources

For preservation and history non-profits, COVID has meant a severe reduction in programming and associated revenue.

For historic resources used for commercial purposes like restaurants, performance venues and more, the impact has been great as well, according to Preservation New Jersey. Historic resources will need support, the organization stated. They will need us to visit their sites, support their fundraisers, shop in their stores, dine in their gracious hearthed rooms, and stay in their welcoming inns, according to a news release.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The 2004 SCI report offers a slightly different version of events, though. According to it, Morales said that after receiving the more than $12,000 water bill, she called the DEP to arrange for an inspector to look into it. During her first interview on the matter, she claimed her father dealt with the inspector, who offered to install a meter for between $150 and $300. According to the report, she said her father agreed, that the inspector installed the meter and the initial fine was wiped clean.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High near 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Barbecue aficionados in New Orleans are living in a golden age of the craft here. But is New Orleans really the top city in the United States for barbecue?

One much-ballyhooed barbecue ranking tries to make the case, though it mainly provides more credence to the adage consider the source  or maybe, in this case, consider the sauce.

An international culinary magazine called Chefs Pencil has been promoting a ranking it created of the best cities for barbecue in the United States. The publication said it used an analysis of consumer review ratings of barbecue restaurants from Tripadvisor.

New Orleans got the top spot. For barbecue. In the nation.

That would be eyebrow-raising in its own right.

The growth of a local barbecue restaurant scene is a most welcome trend. But its still a new one compared to the city's own culinary calling cards, and especially in relation to other communities where barbecue is as important to the local identity as Creole cooking is here.

And so, maybe more surprising than seeing New Orleans at No. 1 on this ranking were the places not making the cut anywhere near the top: Memphis, Kansas City, any place in South Carolina, any city in Texas. Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia were all similarly missing.

In fact, the only Texas locales listed at all were ranked among the worst cities for barbecue, including, were supposed to believe, Houston (seventh-worst) and Fort Worth (10th from the bottom).

The findings were so off-kilter that even the responses from groups that mightve been offended were funny. No one could take it seriously.

It prompted the following Twitter post from Texas Monthly, a publication known for its intensive barbecue coverage: Our official statement is LOL.

The tourism group Visit Houston simply posted a string of laughter: hahahahahahahaha. etc.

Tripadvisor itself quickly distanced itself from the Chefs Pencil rankings, telling USA Today it had no association with the study and had concerns about how its data was used and presented.

In explaining its rankings, Chefs Pencil pointed out that New Orleans barbecue restaurants receive high marks on Tripadvisor, with rankings of 4 or above on a 5-point scale. Two it singled out as examples were the Joint, truly one of the bright lights in the city's growing barbecue scene, and B.B. Kings Blues Club, part of a chain, whose French Quarter location is currently shuttered.

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This sheds some light on the process at least. It means the national rankings were essentially set by Tripadvisor users who were mighty pleased with the barbecue they found in New Orleans. Maybe they were surprised. Maybe they had lower expectations for barbecue in New Orleans than, say, anywhere in Texas. Maybe because New Orleans draws a lot of visitors, the restaurants generate a lot of Tripadvisor data.

+13 By the levee in Luling, Gonzos stokes a craving between barbecue and boudin New Orleans has been enjoying a boom time for barbecue. The same is true for boudin. Satisfying a craving for either once required some travel

Tripadvisors own roster of New Orleans barbecue restaurants includes many that are closed (McClures, Black Label Icehouse, Flambeaux Smokehouse, Shortalls BBQ), and at least one that's a head-scratcher in the barbecue category (the Original Italian Pie).

New Orleans has its own barbecue culture, though until very recently it was mostly of the home-based, parade party, DIY type  the kind of barbecue more often found on the back of pickup trucks than in restaurants that can be ranked, rated and data-aggregated online.

The rise of barbecue restaurants working low-and-slow regional styles is a much more recent trend here, and the growing number and quality of smokehouses has been a great boon. Theres a lot to explore and a lot of potential to grow.

Every year, Hogs for the Cause puts this on display with its cookoff teams, and it's back again in June after a pandemic hiatus.

+8 New Orleans pitmaster wins championship honors at top national barbecue competition The smokers at Central City BBQ were puffing and billowing away on a rainy Monday, but to pitmaster James Cruse, everything had the shiny glin

The same week that Chefs Pencil released its ranking, local pitmaster James Cruse, of Central City BBQ, led a competition barbecue team to new heights at the prestigious Memphis in May contest in Tennessee, winning first place for ribs and second place in the grand champion race.

Barbecue restaurants have been booming in the pandemic, and some new players are emerging locally, including Gonzo Smokehouse & BBQ in Luling, where the smoked brisket boudin (and smoked anything, really) can justify a quick cross-parish road trip. In Destrehan, Gerald Vinnett Jr.s catering operation Big Papis Smokehouse just won a grant from Kingsford Charcoals Preserve the Pit program, aimed at elevating Black pitmasters across the country.

But as out-of-touch online analysis goes, the ranking as Americas top barbecue city is a howler. It has to go up there with the infamous Yelp list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. that included zero spots in Louisiana.

National accolades are nice, and they can be valuable for cities that depend on hungry visitors. But if they're going to be worth anything they should come from more meaty source material than online ratings.

If someone were to rank the best cities for gumbo in the U.S. (please dont), and this revealed consistent breathless praise from people for the gumbo they found in New York or Los Angeles, you can imagine the response in New Orleans. It would probably go something like this: LOL.

+3 Hogs for the Cause teams to hold barbecue tailgate before pro rugby game in Metairie Those passionate for pork will have a golden opportunity May 22 when Hogs for the Cause hosts a tailgate event before the NOLA Gold rugby matc

+12 With crawfish and barbecue, the next act for a festival food pro emerges in Gentilly The specialties of NOLA Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue are emblazoned on a wild, colorful mural of crawfish and hogs, citrus and crabs.
Back in the 1970s and 80s, there was a ubiquitous ad for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups in which two people would bump into each other on a sidewalk, whereupon the chocolate one of them was carrying accidentally plunged into the open jar of peanut butter the other held.

They would of course taste the result, and (surprise, surprise) they would love it. Cue the jingle: Two great tastes that taste great together!

Aside from the obvious question  who in the name of George Washington Carver walks around with an open jar of peanut butter?  it was a memorable campaign.

It springs to mind while watching director Zack Snyders action-thriller Army of the Dead. Not unlike old H.B. Reese, Snyder has taken two distinctly different movie genres  the heist movie and the zombie thriller  and mashed them together.

The unlikely result isnt quite as delicious as peanut butter and chocolate, but it still works surprisingly well.

At 2 hours 28 minutes, its longer than it needs to be. And, yes, it fails to cash in on the ripe opportunity for social commentary.

Still, theres an old-school sense of fun to Army of the Dead that recalls the overblown, unapologetically ridiculous action movies of the 1990s. Im thinking movies like Con Air, The Rock and Speed.

ARMY OF THE DEAD 3 stars, out of 4 SNAPSHOT: A motley team of mercenaries comes together to retrieve $200 million from a casino in zombie-infested Las Vegas. CAST: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder. RATED: R, for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout, some sexual content and brief nudity / graphic nudity. RUNNING TIME: 2 hours 28 minutes. WHEN AND WHERE: Arrives on Netflix Friday (May 21).

These arent movies designed to make you think. To the contrary, theyre here to help you disengage your brain, escape life for a bit and scratch a visceral itch.

In the case of Army of the Dead, Snyder  who started his career with the 2004 remake of George A. Romeros Dawn of the Dead  resists his infuriating habit of putting style before story. Whether in 2009s Watchmen, 2011s Sucker Punch or 2013s Man of Steel, that self-indulgent prioritizing of visuals above all else acts like an anchor on his movies, turning them so often into beautiful bores.

Army of the Dead still boasts a certain Snyder-style polish. (In addition to directing, he acted as cinematographer.) But, at least for now, it seems hes finally stopped saying Get a load of me! and instead says, Get a load of THIS!

Even the films very concept, which Snyder conceived, is refreshingly fun, an element often missing from his movies.

The set-up: The zombie hordes have arrived, but theyve been contained in Las Vegas, which federal troops have walled off, leaving the whole sinful city to the undead masses.

Enter the mountainous Scott Ward (played by Dave Bautista, of Guardians of the Galaxy and Spectre). Scott, we learn, is a former zombie hunter who helped clear Vegas of living souls back when there were still living souls there. By the time we meet him, he is a short-order cook who is haunted by his past.

Its that zombie-slaying past, however, that prompts a wealthy former casino owner to approach him with an offer.

As it turns out, in the vault of one of his abandoned Vegas properties is $200 million in cash. If Scott can assemble a team to go in, grab the cash and get out, theyll get to keep a fat chunk of it.

The catch, which also provides the film a ticking-clock element, is that theyve got only a day before the federal government drops a nuke on Vegas to end the zombie plague once and for all.

Scott assembles that team  which includes Mississippis own Tig Notaro  and together they all plunge into the zombie wasteland.

Now, its important to note that the zombies here arent your normal slow, shambling moaners. Theyre fast zombies who can run, who can fight, who know parkour. One of them, the zombie king, even rides a zombie horse and has a pet zombie tiger.

Which is to say, Scott and company have their work cut out for them.

What follows is pretty much what youd expect from an unapologetically brainless zombie heist movie: lots of shooting, lots of blood, lots of tension-relieving one-liners.

For what its worth, theres also an amusing little cameo by Kenner native Donna Brazile, appearing on a news-talk show with former President Donald Trumps former White House spokesperson Sean Spicer.

Aside from the you-got-your-zombie-thriller-in-my-heist-movie element, theres nothing here thats strikingly original, but Army of the Dead is still fun in its overblown, unapologetically violent way.

Like a peanut butter cup, its also a mostly empty-calorie treat, but at least its one that goes down easily.

Mike Scott can be reached at moviegoermike@gmail.com.
Next year. The momentum is there!

Maybe in 3-4 years. There's always some problem.

Not until it's already legal in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi

Somehow, the legislature will criminalize weed for eternity

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Yang accused Adams of breaking the law, saying he shouldnt have gotten matching funds through people with business before the city. He was likely referencing Slate Property Group, which got Adamss green light to build a huge tower in Brooklyn after its co-founder held a fundraiser for him.
The Louisiana House of Representatives killed a bill 47-48 Tuesday that would have taxed recreational cannabis if it were legalized, indicating the legalization effort in the state legislature is likely over this session.

House Bill 434 by Rep. Richard Nelson, a Mandeville Republican, would have applied a 15% tax to retail sales of cannabis. Under the bill, half of that tax would have gone to the state general fund, 30% would have gone to the local government where the sale was made and the rest would have gone to local law enforcement in that area.

Since the bill was a tax measure, it would have needed a two-thirds vote to advance out of the House, but ultimately it fell significantly short of the 70 needed.

Its companion bill, House Bill 699 also by Nelson, would have legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 years or older, as well as the licensed manufacturing and sale of cannabis products. The House did not vote on that bill Tuesday.

Though the taxation measure failed, the fact that it made it to the House floor suggests that attitudes toward cannabis are changing among Louisiana legislators. Previous efforts to allow recreational cannabis in Louisiana have died in committee, but some Republican lawmakers appear to be coming around to the idea.

Last week the House overwhelmingly passed a measure by Rep. Cedric Glover, a Shreveport Democrat, that would reduce penalties  and take away the possibility of jail time  for the possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis.

Still, support among state legislators for legalization is significantly lower than that of their constituents. According to a March survey by polling firm JMC Analytics, 67% of Louisiana residents favor legalizing cannabis for both recreational and medicinal use. The number was up significantly from the 54% who said the same in the firms 2020 survey. Medical cannabis is already legal in the state in several forms.

In 2012, both Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational cannabis. So far, 16 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized it.

A separate bill by Rep. Candace Newell, a New Orleans Democrat, would have removed criminal penalties for possessing or distributing cannabis but only if the legislature developed a regulatory system for selling, distributing and taxing cannabis.

Louisiana House advances bill that would reduce penalties for small amounts of cannabis The Louisiana House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill Tuesday 67-25 that would loosen penalties for possession of up to half an 
The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday warned mariners to keep clear of the Seacor Power lift boat wreckage as efforts continued to salvage the vessel without spilling fuel or other hazardous materials.

Coast Guard spokesperson Nicole Groll said that Donjon Smit Salvage, the company running the salvage operation on behalf of vessel owner Seacor Marine Holdings Inc., has spent a number of days training divers in the delicate procedure to remove fuel and other pollutants from the vessel.

Now, as weather permits, salvage crews are working above and below the water to connect hoses with fuel tanks during a process that will let them drill into the vessel's tanks and drain them. The method, known as "hot tapping," is aimed at making a hose connection without ruining the integrity of the tank or causing pollution, the Coast Guard explained in a prepared statement.

Seacor is in charge of the salvage operation, but the work is being overseen and must be approved by Coast Guard officials.

On Wednesday, the Coast Guard reiterated that private boats need to stay well clear of the area eight miles off the coast where the operations are taking place.

"It's imperative mariners respect the one-mile safety zone" while work continues, the Coast Guard statement said.

The Seacor Power flipped south of Port Fourchon in the Gulf of Mexico during a violent storm on April 13. Six of the crew members were rescued and the bodies of six others were recovered soon after the accident. Seven remain missing.

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The Coast Guard and Seacor Marine abandoned their formal search for the missing on April 19. Volunteers, many of whom worked through the United Cajun Navy, continued to search the Gulf as well as offshore islands and the Louisiana and Texas coast lines, for the next two weeks.

They recovered some debris from the boat but found no signs of the missing crew members. The United Cajun Navy said it ended its search efforts on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a sixth lawsuit was filed Tuesday against Seacor Marine and Talos Energy, the company that had chartered the Seacor Power.

+4 NTSB's first report on Seacor Power expected in late May, but it's the start of a long process The lead agency investigating the capsizing of the Seacor Power lift boat in stormy seas on April 13 said its initial findings are expected to

Gerald Krell, father of Jason Krell, one of the seven crew members whose bodies haven't been recovered, sued the two companies in district court in Harris County, Texas, seeking damages of at least $25 million.

Krell's attorney, Frank Spagnoletti, also is representing the father and fiance, respectively, of two other missing crew members who have sued in Harris County: Scott Daspit, father of Dylan Daspit; and Krista Vercher, fiance of Jay Guevara.

The family of another missing crew member, Christopher Rozands, has sued separately in federal court in New Orleans, as has the widow of the Seacor Power's captain, David Ledet, whose body was recovered after the accident.

The widow and nine children of Ernest Williams, one of the vessel's cooks, also filed a lawsuit in the St. Mary Parish district court.
Orleans Parish Assessor Erroll Williams has requested that commercial property owners provide financial documents showing how well their businesses have fared as part of his work to create accurate valuations, a move that has irked some property owners.

The request, which was made in April, was sent to all owners of hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and other income-generating properties. The letter gave them four weeks to submit income and expenses from 2019 and 2020, either with summary documentation or via federal tax returns, to demonstrate how they were affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic.

The objective, the letter said, is to obtain "the most fair and equitable assessment for the upcoming 2022 tax year."

If property owners did not provide the data by May 15, their taxes would be assessed "from alternative methods" that might mean a big increase in next year's tax bill.

The move, which some owners said sounded like a demand more than a request, was the latest step taken by Williams to try and navigate property values during the pandemic. Last year, Williams made sweeping cuts to commercial property tax assessments in an effort to alleviate the economic hit to businesses  especially hotels, restaurants and bars  caused by the pandemic-related shutdowns.

Williams said he was required by law to make the cuts, a position backed up by a recent ruling from the Louisiana Tax Commission. But there's still been political fallout. City Councilmembers have questioned the move, and Williams was sued in March by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which accused him of favoring out-of-state companies at the expense of local residents, whose tax bills have gone up in recent years.

In the latest twist, Williams is now facing a backlash from some of the commercial property owners whose taxes were lower because of the controversial assessments.

Williams' office typically tries to assess the value of properties based on an educated guess as to what they're worth. However, in the effort to account for lost income to commercial properties when tourism spending dried up and lockdowns kept people at home, he made a guess as to how much their owners' incomes were hit last year when assessing the latest tax.

That resulted, for example, in cuts of 57% for hotels, 45% for restaurants and bars, 31% for small retailers to their 2021 assessments.

Williams has said that he saw those cuts as temporary and he intends to roll them back once the economy emerges from the pandemic.

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But some property owners are now worried about how the documentation will be used. Several said they were concerned about the process, and lodged privacy arguments. None would agree to do so publicly, however, citing a fear of further scrutiny from the assessor's office.

"I don't object to sending them specific information showing how we were affected by COVID," said a lawyer who owns more than a dozen short-stay rental properties in the parish. "But I'm not convinced about how he is going to use the data."

One common worry was that the assessor would use the data not just to bring their taxes back into line but as leverage to slap on even bigger valuation increases.

Michael Sherman, a land use attorney who advised several commercial property owners when the assessor made last year's changes, said that it is "a perfectly reasonable request by the assessor to ask for voluntary income and loss statements." But he said that it is only one piece of a complicated puzzle that involve many different types of leases. Just adding income statements without adding other information could end up further distorting valuations.

The commercial property owners' concerns reflect long-standing gripes about the fairness and transparency of property tax assessments in general. Like residential property owners, commercial property owners have long complained about sudden hikes in property valuations, which result in soaring tax bills from one year to the next.

Williams has been in office for a decade and was the first parish-wide assessor elected. His mandate has been in part to address the chronic undervaluation of a tax which covers 45% of City Hall's annual income to pay for things like police, fire, schools and other amenities.

But like property taxes across the U.S., the Orleans Parish tax fosters widespread resentment because of what is seen as inherent unfairness. The tax is based on a theoretical valuation of an asset, and unlike income tax pays little heed to individual circumstances.

The commercial property owners echo the concerns of some residential owners in that they argue that even with the additional data requested, the assessor would see only and incomplete financial picture of the property.

Williams' spokesperson, Devin Johnson, said the commercial owners are over-thinking the request. He said it is meant to make assessments more accurate, while they will retain the right to appeal any assessment they disagree with.

"We're really just looking for more and better data, that's the long and short of it," Johnson said.
When Andrea Phillips travels Airline Drive to Xavier University, she said she is reminded daily that Terrence King used the same route to evade police before he slammed into her family, killing her sister and three children on their way to church one Sunday morning.

Her sister, Dion James; James' son, Edwin James, 4; a niece, Brittanie Jones, 5; and a nephew, Bobbie Jones, 8, died Aug. 30, 1998, at Airline Drive and South Atlanta Street in Metairie. Four others were injured.

"A part of me is ripped out of my gut when I have to stop at the red light and see the flowers tied to the pole of the crash site," Phillips told Jefferson Parish Judge Clarence McManus. "And to add to that, the burial site is not even a mile away."

King, 16, of New Orleans was convicted in July of four counts of manslaughter. Although he faced as many as years in prison, McManus sentenced him Thursday to 80 years; King will not be eligible for probation or parole .

"This has certainly been a tragedy," McManus said. "A tragedy for everyone involved."

King's punishment came after gut-wrenching pleas from both sides' families. Phillips sought justice. King's mother, Lelia King, wanted mercy.

"I feel as though I have been imprisoned since August 31, 1998," said Phillips, a premedical student at Xavier. "I had to prepare a massive funeral for four of my loved ones. ... How have I been impacted? I am the primary caregiver of Diana James, whose mother did not survive the crash.

"She has a breathing apparatus that must be changed once a week, she has a hole that goes directly to her stomach to eat. Her right leg was nearly severed. I must carry with me an emergency bag just in case she stops breathing. I have to constantly remind this 7-year-old child that her mom and brother will not be coming to the house to play with her."

Phillips' two surviving sisters cried as she read her statement.

Police said that, during the chase, King slowed down and obeyed traffic laws, even stopping at red lights. But after crossing Roosevelt Street, which divides Kenner from Metairie, King sped up and was traveling 63 mph on Airline Drive when he came across the James family car , a Honda Accord, testimony showed. The family members were making a left turn on Airline at North Atlanta Street, under the green arrow at a traffic signal, when King smashed into them at 56 mph.

Survivors of the wreck were: the Honda's driver, Wilmareen James, 58, mother of Dion James and grandmother of the children; Norman James, 15; Breion Jones, 5; and Diana James, 7. The family had left their home in Metairie shortly after 8 a.m. to attend services at New Macedonia Baptist Church.

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"Please keep in mind that we do not hate him," Phillips said. "We do not want revenge. ... We just want him to serve the time for what fits the crime according to the law. May God be with him."

Visibly shaken by Phillips' words, King rolled himself into a ball when his mother took the stand, rocking back and forth in the jury box. As tears streamed down his face, he covered his head with two handcuffed fists.

"I'm a good mama," said Lelia King, her voice rising to hysterical octaves. "I'm a damn good mama! He didn't deliberately mean to do that! My child made the wrong decision! Please don't send my baby away for the rest of his life! He made a mistake!"

Lelia King said the crash was tragic, but an accident. It wasn't like he took a gun and pulled the trigger four times, she said. If Terrence had intentionally meant to kill the four victims, the mother said she would have killed him herself.

Looking and speaking directly to the victims' family, Lelia King said her son had always been a slow child. At the time of the crash, he was a seventh-grader, when he should have been in high school. She said his slight mental retardation might have contributed to his not thinking clearly, driving a stolen car and attempting to evade authorities.

"It's been a year and two months," King said, crying. "I haven't touched my baby."

After sentencing, defense attorney Shelley Vix led Lelia King to her son. As she embraced her son, , Terrence King sobbed.

"I'm sorry, mama. I'm so sorry, mama," he said.

Bailiffs unlocked his handcuffs and let him return her embrace.

Outside the courthouse, James' relatives said they felt justice was served and now were praying for closure and miracles for the two children still healing from the crash.

"There's really no sentence that could replace what we have lost," said Phillips, flanked by sisters Orlando Brown and Chiwana Jones, who lost two children in the crash and whose surviving daughter now is a quadriplegic. "Our hearts will be forever broken. We will always have the emptiness and the loneliness until we see them again in heaven."
Sonya Duhe, the former director of mass communication for Loyola University, is suing the university and its student newspaper for defamation over a series of articles in which several current and former students accused her of racism and bias.

The 51-page petition for unspecified damages was filed Monday afternoon in 24th Judicial District Court in Jefferson Parish. In addition to naming the university and The Maroon, its newspaper, it also names Loyola President Tania Tetlow and Michael Giusti, the Maroon's staff adviser.

The lawsuit says a series of articles, editorials and letters The Maroon and Tetlow published starting in June 2020 amounted to defamation because they "specifically stated or implied that Duhe is a racist, a bigot, prejudiced and a homophobe."

Duhe served as director of Loyolas School of Communication and Design for a decade until she submitted her letter of resignation last May. It was set to become effective over the summer so she could take a position as dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in July, according to multiple publications.

The offer from Arizona State was rescinded in June after the allegations from current and former students were published by the student newspapers of both universities.

In the lawsuit, Duhe said that she had fought to make Loyola's journalism school more racially diverse by creating equity and inclusion plans for students and by lobbying to hire more minority professors. She also said she had saved the university's school of communication and design because it "was one of dysfunction" before she came to fix it.

The university issued a brief statement Tuesday in response to the lawsuit.

"We are just learning of this and have not had a chance to review it yet," said Rachel Hoormann, the chief communications officer for Loyola, in the prepared statement.

According to the lawsuit, controversy began on June 2 when Duhe posted on Twitter about "Black Out Tuesday," a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness of violence against people of color against police, and a former student publicly responded by calling her a racist.

About a dozen students  some current students, some former students  told The Maroon that Duhe had a history of making racist and insensitive remarks for a story The Maroon published June 5 about Duhe being under investigation by Arizona State following that incident. Some Loyola students made similar complaints to Arizona State's student paper.

One former student who is gay allegedly told the ASU paper that Duhe said his voice was too "theatrical" and that he should stick to print journalism.

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Others said Duhe had made inappropriate remarks about the natural hair of women of color in broadcast journalism, saying that during photo shoots African-American students should have their hair "pressed" or "neatly combed," and "not natural," according to the Maroon.

Two Black female students had filed formal racial bias complaints with the university against Duhe in 2014 and 2019, the paper reported.

After ASU rescinded its offer to hire Duhe, Tetlow sent a letter to the campus community, later published in local newspapers, apologizing for how Loyola had handled the past complaints.

"I hear with dismay the expressions of deep pain by students who felt that the implied limits of their opportunities were expressed as fact, without regret or acknowledgement of the deep injustice embedded in those limits. I apologize on behalf of the University that Loyola did not do a better job of fixing this situation that was, in fact, brought to our attention," Tetlow said in the letter.

The lawsuit notes that the articles were republished in news outlets throughout the country.

Duhe said The Maroon's journalists and editors failed to write about the formal outcomes of complaints against her and that they either didn't try to or didn't publish positive experiences reported by Duhe's students.

Duhe's suit claims the university, Tetlow and Giusti are liable for making and publishing "false and defamatory statements" that were intentional and malicious and done with "reckless disregard for the truth."

Duhe, who filed a separate lawsuit against Loyola in August in an effort to get her former job back, seeks damages for past, present and future lost wages and loss of wage-earning capacity, as well as loss of medical and other benefits. Her other lawsuit against Loyola hasn't yet been resolved.

Duhe wasn't able to be reached by phone and her lawyer, Jeremiah Sprague with Falcon Law Firm, didn't immediately return a request for comment.
A 6-year-old Algiers boy who was reported as missing has been found and is safe, New Orleans police said Tuesday.

The child was found Monday and is in good health, New Orleans police said. No other details were available about what happened.

The boy had been missing since Saturday afternoon. The child, with the consent of his guardian, left with the guardian's friend in an SUV.

The guardian talked with their friend on Sunday, but the child was not returned home, police said.

Authorities on Tuesday said no other details were immediately available.
A man was robbed by someone with a rifle Monday morning in the Bayou St. John area, New Orleans police said.

The crime happened at 11 a.m. in the 900 block of North Rendon Street (map), according to preliminary information from NOPD.

The man, 69, told police he got out of his car and had a "bag of money" when a man with a rifle approached him.

The gunman demanded the man's belongings, according to information from police. The man complied. The gunman then stole the man's vehicle and drove off in it, police said. They did not release a description of the vehicle or its license plate.

No other details were immediately available.
Terrence King was 15 when he stole a car and, with Kenner police in pursuit, crashed into another vehicle, killing a woman and three children on their way to church. Four others were critically injured in the horrific crash, which set them on 23-year journeys of unimaginable grief, anger, guilt, recovery and, for some, forgiveness.

Since that day in 1998, the road has been difficult for the James and Jones families. Breion Jones was just 4 when she was paralyzed from the chest down in the crash. At 27, she still battles bitterness and heartbreak from the deaths of her siblings and the loss of a life free of the physical and medical obstacles.

Im angry and upset and heartbroke, Jones said. A part of me feels damaged. He took so much from my family, especially myself.

Other relatives have found peace, or at least acceptance, in the wake of the Louisiana Supreme Court ruling that last week paved the way for King to be released from jail.

On Monday, Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court amended the original 80-year sentence - four 20-year terms that were to run consecutively - that King received after his 1999 conviction on four counts of manslaughter. The Supreme Court ordered that Kings sentences instead run concurrently, which means he has served his time. He was released from custody Monday evening.

Terrence, we forgive you. We forgive you. We forgave you 23 years ago, Andrea James Manuel, 56, sister and aunt of the crash victims, told King, now 38, during the District Court hearing. Our prayer for you is that, when you leave this courthouse, you make the choice to live right, to do good and be a man that loves God more than you love yourself.

Deadly chase

Authorities said King stole a Dodge Neon on Aug. 30, 1998, to visit a girlfriend but fled when police spotted the car. The Neon was traveling 56 mph when King ran a stoplight and slammed into the James' family's Honda Accord at Airline Drive and South Atlanta Street, authorities said.

Killed were Dion James, 32; her son, Edwin James, 4; and her niece and nephew, Brittanie Jones 5, and Bobbie Jones, 8.

Ill never forget what it was like to have four coffins at the same time, Manuel said.

Injured along with Breion Jones were Wilmareen James, then 57, who was Dion James mother and the cars driver; Dion James daughter, Diana James, then 6; and Wilmareen James' grandson, Norman James, then 14.

Charged as an adult, King was convicted by a jury July 15, 1999. Judge Clarence McManus sentenced the sobbing teenager to 20 years for each count of manslaughter and ordered consecutive sentences: 80 years behind bars.

In December 2019, the Louisiana Center for Childrens Rights (LCCR), a nonprofit that provides legal representation for children and adults who were sentenced as children, filed a motion on Kings behalf. Among the arguments was that Kings punishment violated the Eighth Amendment, which makes it illegal for a juvenile to receive a life sentence without parole for any crime other than murder.

Heart-wrenching sentencing hearing: Teen driver gets 80 years in 4 deaths When Andrea Phillips travels Airline Drive to Xavier University, she said she is reminded daily that Terrence King used the same route to evad

Its clear Mr. Kings 80-year sentence also qualifies as an effective life sentence, defense attorney Kristin Wenstrom wrote in one of the motions in the case. No matter what Mr. King does to demonstrate that hes rehabilitated, hell never have an opportunity for release, and his eventual death in prison is nearly a certainty.

The Jefferson Parish district attorneys office essentially agreed, saying it was not the 20-year sentences but the order to run them consecutively that created a functional life sentence for King. Prosecutors suggested concurrent sentences, according to court records.

But when the case came before Brindisi in May 2020, the judge declined. Kings attorneys appealed to the state Supreme Court, which ordered the change.

"Today is a hopeful beginning of a new chapter. The Louisiana Supreme Court recognized the injustice of Terrences continued incarceration and the District Court has finally put an end to its error," said another of King's attorneys, Jill Pasquarella.

Grief and pain

Wilmareen James, now 80, still cannot talk about the crash, according to her daughter, Orlando James, 58. For years she blamed herself, wondering why she didnt take a different route to church.

Orlando James son, the injured Norman James, now 38, has suffered mental illness ever since, she said. Orlando James said she battled clinical depression for a decade before learning to live with her grief. She has come to accept Kings release.

He was a kid [who] did the wrong thing, the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong judgment, she said.

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Her brother-in-law, Henry J.J. Jones, has struggled more with Kings release. The father of Brittanie, Bobbie and Breion Jones, he lost two young children and raised a third who survived as a quadriplegic. Forgiveness has been difficult, he said.

At first, I was good with it, Henry Jones said of Kings release.

But then he heard Breion Jones letter read to the court during a hearing. In it, she described her anguish at not being able to become a cheerleader, her struggle with attractions to boys while worried about whether theyd only see her wheelchair, her disappointment that she would never be a mother.

I never knew how she felt until she wrote that letter, Henry Jones said. It took something out of me. Im not good with him getting out, but I know theres nothing I can do about it because its the law.

Chiwana Jones, Breion Jones mother, said she never had time to hate King; she had to care for the living.

To move forward with my life, I had to just make peace with the whole situation, she said. Him getting out of jail wont bring my kids back.

A flicker of compassion for King began to grow when Chiwana Jones said she received a letter of apology from him a few years after he was sent to prison. He was writing on almost a first-grade level, and that kind of touched me, she said.

Chiwana Jones had already devoted herself as her daughters personal tutor, re-teaching the youngster mathematics and reading to overcome the learnings deficits and missed school time. Receiving Kings letter sealed for her the importance of an education.

Though she was in nursing school at the time of the crash, Chiwana Jones is a now a fourth-grade teacher at St. Alphonsus School in New Orleans.

King "could honor my children by furthering his education, she said.

Healing and living

Breion Jones graduated from L.W. Higgins High School in 2014. In 2019, she received an associate's degree in computer information technology from Delgado Community College. She was working as a ticket taker at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans until the COVID-19 pandemic.

But her passion is makeup, a hobby she picked up as a coping mechanism to battle her depression. She sells lashes and glitter through her business, Be Breezy Cosmetics, and is angling to work as a makeup artist.

Her family recently made adjustments to a chair that allows clients to lay back, putting them in the perfect position for her to reach their faces for makeup applications.

"Im a go-getter, Breion Jones said.

Diana James, now 29, suffered a crushed skull and almost lost a leg in the crash. She wasnt expected to live. But she, too, was a fighter. Andrea Manuel raised her niece after her sister, Dion Jones death.

She graduated from Edna Karr High School in 2012 and obtained a bachelors degree in biology from Dillard University in 2019. Shes enrolled in Louisiana State Universitys School of Allied Health with a goal of becoming a respiratory therapist, inspired by the medical professionals who helped her during her recovery, Manuel said.

While in prison, King's mother and father, as well as his grandparents died. He will be alone in the world, Manuel said.

King will find a home with the Louisiana Parole Project, a nonprofit that supports people after their release from prison.

He did not speak during Mondays court hearing, but in a letter he read to the court last year, he took responsibility for his actions and apologized.

"If would [sic] like to trade my life for theirs, I would do it in a heartbeat because my intention was not to hurt anyone. But all I did, I just cant forgive myself for that, he said.

As Manuel spoke directly to King in the courtroom Monday, his eyes welled with tears and he silently nodded in her direction.

We want you to have a family, she said. We want you to have a wife and children. We want you to live. You are free. You are free. You are free. You have paid your debt to society.
Bottlenose dolphins would become "functionally extinct" in two of four areas of Barataria Bay, and the number of dolphins will drop dramatically in the rest of the bay, within 10 years of the start of operations of the proposed $2 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, according to a new study modeling the effects of the diversion's freshwater flow on the marine mammals.

By the end of the diversion's first 50 years of operation, only the southernmost bay area containing Grand Isle, Grand Terre and other barrier islands will continue to be home to any dolphins, and the number there will have dropped by 85 percent, the study said.

Without the diversion, the study concludes, the number of dolphins will see a steady increase of about 3% a year over the same 50-year period, continuing a slow recovery of the basin's population from the years immediately after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which reduced the bay's dolphin population by half.

Freshwater lesions on dolphins This slide presented during a March meeting of the federal Marine Mammal Commission shows skin lesions caused by exposure to freshwater coveri

The new model results quantify the potential damage to dolphins on a year-by-year basis during its operation. Studies conducted for an environmental impact statement for the project being reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers estimate that dolphin losses would total 36 percent of the approximately 2,000 individual dolphins that called the bay home in 2019, but that estimate was based only on looking at the diversion's effects over a one-year period after being in operation for 10 years.

The new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was prepared by researchers with the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, SMRU Consulting and the National Marine Mammal Foundation at the request of the federal Marine Mammal Commission. The commission will submit the study along with its comments on the diversion project by the June 3 deadline for public comments on the impact statement.

The researchers who developed the new report were also involved in two major studies of the diversion's freshwater effects on dolphins that were prepared in support of the environmental impact statement. The new study basically reruns the results of a NOAA modeling effort using state-developed models to better define the salinity effects from year to year.

The state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority warned Monday that the survivorship results developed by NOAA were themselves a combination of modeling results that "contain significant uncertainty."

The state also warned that the dolphin-loss estimates were only based on salinity changes and fail to compare its predicted losses to a no-diversion scenario that would measure "the permanent, adverse impacts to the dolphin's foraging habitat, prey resources, overall estuarian degradation and other variables that will impact dolphins without the project."

Mid-Barataria diversion map Map of the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion project.

Lori Schwacke, a marine biologist with the National Marine Mammal Foundation and a co-author of the new report, agreed that there are significant uncertainties in the modeling results. Researchers have pointed out that there remains a need for long-term studies of the survival of dolphins in Barataria Bay, as well as in many other locations along the Gulf Coast.

But she said the modeling results were pretty clear in predicting a major reduction in the total number of dolphins surviving even after the diversion's first 10 years of operation.

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However, Schwacke said she doesn't think this single new study will itself block approval of the diversion, since so many other issues are involved in determining whether it will be approved.

Where bottlenose dolphins gather This map shows how many bottlenose dolphins were located in various parts of Barataria Bay during a 2019 survey by biologists with the Nationa

The effects on dolphins will be weighed against the project's positive effects, including the 21 square miles of new wetlands it is supposed to create over 50 years and the hurricane storm-surge reduction effects of that new land.

"What I'm hoping is that this science can be used to do better management, to look at mitigation and minimization of the impacts," she said. "To do that, you really have got to understand where the impacts on the dolphins is going to occur.

"Certainly there are things that can be done. That's something that Louisiana and NOAA are going to have to talk about. What do you do when you start to see a lot of animals showing up with skin lesions? What do you when those animals start to die?" she said. "That's what they need to start looking at."

If built, the diversion would funnel as much as 75,000 cubic feet per second of freshwater into the bay for an average 177 days a year through a channel to be built at Mile Marker 60.7 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish.

That's expected to result in multi-day periods when the salinity level in many parts of the bay are reduced to only 5 parts per thousand or less. At a salinity level that low, dolphins experience skin lesions that can cover much of their body, causing sickness or death.

Researchers attributed low-salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain, Mississippi Sound, along the Alabama coast and in other Louisiana locations for the death of more than 300 dolphins in 2019, when Mississippi River water flowed through the Bonnet Carre Spillway for more than 123 days.

The state's mitigation plan for the diversion includes a $20 million plan for monitoring and adaptive management to minimize the impact on the marine mammals where practical. It also funds an enhanced statewide stranding network aimed at identifying dolphins in trouble and treating them. The network will be run by the Audubon Nature Institute.

The state will spend another $20 millions on "stewardship" strategies, including funding efforts aimed at reducing other stressors on the dolphin population, including fishing gear changes, illegal feeding, addressing noise issues and illegal shooting of the animals.

The state also will use part of those funds to establish a contingency fund to address future dolphin "unusual mortality event" declarations in the basin.

Schwacke pointed out that while the individual groupings of Barataria dolphins are at risk, the common bottlenose dolphin species itself is not categorized as endangered or threatened. But she said dolphins are under threat in several locations along the Gulf Coast and elsewhere, in part because of increased freshwater invading their home territories because of more frequent and more intense rainfall events driven by global warming.
The field appears set at four candidates in the race for the Louisiana state Senate seat vacated by new Congressman Troy Carter, after a Jefferson Parish judge on Tuesday dismissed a residency challenge to the candidacy of Democrat Joanna Cappiello-Leopold.

Cappiello-Leopold, wife of former two-term state Rep. Chris Leopold, is a member of the Plaquemines Parish Board of Election Supervisors. She admitted in sworn testimony, however, that she has voted in the wrong precinct since at least 2007. She switched her voter registration address in March from Port Sulphur to Belle Chasse, where she said shes lived since 2007, then entered the Senate race this month.

+2 Field still in flux to replace new Congressman Troy Carter in Louisiana Senate The special election to replace newly sworn U.S. House Rep. Troy Carter in the Louisiana state Senate is in flux.

The challenge to her candidacy was filed by Rex Mareno Jr., a supporter of Rep. Mack Cormier, who in 2019 halted Chris Leopolds bid for a third term in the statehouse and flipped the seat for Democrats. Cormier is also running for the 7th Senate District seat.

Barring a swift appeal of Tuesday's ruling, the race will include those two as well as Democrat Rep. Gary Carter Jr., who is Troy Carters nephew, and Belle Chasse Republican Patricia McCarty. Rep. Rodney Lyons Sr., also a Democrat, withdrew last week, citing only some personal reasons.

The district covers all of Algiers, as well as portions of Plaquemines Parish and West Jefferson.

+4 Troy Carter wins Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District seat in special election runoff Troy Carter fulfilled a long-held ambition Saturday as voters in the 2nd Congressional District elected him to the U.S. House of Representativ

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The primary is set for June 12, with a July 10 runoff if needed. The winner may assume office within days.

Cappiello-Leopold survived a challenge that touched on a frequent sore spot in election beefs: Louisiana requires legislative candidates to be domiciled in the district where they are running for at least a year before taking office, but courts haven't quite settled on what counts as evidence of a domicile.

One thing that no one disputed at Tuesday's court hearing: Cappiello-Leopold has been voting outside of the 7th Senate District for more than two decades. She acknowledged that her most recent vote as a Port Sulphur resident came in December. She said an official with the registrar of voters had recently alerted her to the need for her to change her precinct.

Shes held a homestead exemption since 2007 on Victoria Drive in Belle Chasse, however. She said she's lived there, within the Senate district, for many years.

The catch: State law requires voters to register in the precinct where they maintain a homestead exemption, if they have one.

Marenos attorney, Dominic Varrecchio, argued that the gaffe - by an elections official no less - disqualified her.

But Judge Nancy Miller of the state's 24th Judicial District found that what mattered in the challenge was what Cappiello-Leopold filled out on her candidate qualifying form this month, and there wasn't the evidence to disqualify her.
May 16, 2021: The News says: Garcia is best choice for next mayor. Kathryn Garcia has the knowledge of city government and the leadership skills needed to be the next mayor. Kathryn Garcia was the top pick for 8% of poll respondents, albeit the survey was held before the editorial boards of the Daily News and the New York Times gave her their respective endorsements. (New York Daily News)
A single-car wreck late Sunday night that claimed the life of two Jefferson Parish women has raised anew questions about whether guardrails should be installed along the parishs 300-plus miles of unprotected canals.

The wreck remains under investigation by the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, but both people in the car, 28-year old Nicole Conforto and 25-year old Kale St. Angelo, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The car plunged into a stretch of canal along eastbound West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie near the Academy Avenue intersection. That section of road does not have a guardrail, though the other side of West Esplanade does after a similar crash several years ago.

This has been an age-old problem, said Jefferson Parish Council member Dominick Impastato, whose east bank district includes the crash site.

In the last several years, it feels like the incidents of vehicles going into the canals are increasing, he added.

But getting guardrails alongside all the parish canals remains an unlikely proposition.

Can unsightly drainage canals be turned into usable space? Jefferson Parish to conduct study to see Jefferson Parish is looking into the feasibility of covering some of its functionally important but aesthetically unappealing drainage canals 

Therein lies the challenge, its sheer economics, Impastato said. The cost is  astronomical.

A study conducted in 2016 found it would take $100 million or more to put guardrails along all of the parishs open canals.

Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, who like Impastato represents an east bank district which has miles and miles of uncovered canals, said constituents were reluctant to support a measure that would have spent that much money.

They werent really supportive, she said. The parish could look at putting guardrails in that spot if its especially dangerous, she said.

If there is some sort of specific problem where that car went into the canal  then that is something we should address, she said.

Others have suggested covering over the canals and developing the created space as a way to recoup some of the costs. But that has also proven too cost-prohibitive.

Sundays wreck was just the latest in a string of crashes -- some of them fatal -- involving cars that have driven into the canals.

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+15 Mother still critical after fatal Metairie canal crash claims baby's life The mother of an infant who died after her sport utility vehicle slid off an icy roadway into a Metairie drainage canal was still in critical 

During one week in April 2015, three people, including a mother and child, were killed in two such accidents.

In January 2018, an infant was killed after his mother lost control on an icy road and the vehicle slid into a canal.

Nicole Conforto's father, Joe Conforto, said Monday evening a guardrail could have made all the difference.

"I'll do anything I can (to push for guardrails)," he said. "No one should have to go through this because of something like that."

Earlier Monday, Joe Conforto had posted a picture of himself with his daughter on his Facebook page Monday, calling her a "bright shining star."

"She was a happy go lucky free spirit," he wrote.

His heartfelt tribute joined dozens of others on social media Monday morning, many expressing shock and sadness over the crash.

Jordan Melancon, a friend of both women, said in an online message that St. Angelo had the biggest heart.

She loved to laugh and be goofy, he said. She didnt hold anything back.

Melancon spent last weekend with Conforto and St. Angelo, who were very close friends, boiling crawfish, singing karaoke, dancing badly lol.

He called them two of the most amazing young women that have ever entered into my life.

They would do anything and everything for anybody if they were your friends no matter what, he wrote in an online message. If they could help they would.
Street flooding is possible Tuesday in metro New Orleans as more storms move through the region. The line of thunderstorms caused flooding in Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge, prompting water rescues and claiming at least one life.

Some roads are closed due to flooding and roof damage has been reported in Kenner.

Metro New Orleans and the rest of southeast Louisiana are under a flash flood watch until noon Wednesday. A watch means flash flooding is possible but not guaranteed. A warning was in effect Tuesday morning, but it has expired.

More rain is expected this week, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Slidell said. About 3 to 6 inches of rain could fall through Wednesday morning, forecasters said, with higher amounts possible in isolated areas. Rain chances stick around through Friday.

Here's what we know about the severe weather threat.

Parking restrictions lifted

Parking restrictions have been lifted in New Orleans until 6 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.

You can park on the neutral ground, but don't block intersections, streetcar tracks or sidewalks.

If your vehicle does get flooded, here's what you should do.

Neutral ground parking restrictions lifted ahead of more heavy rain in New Orleans; see radar City officials lifted the ban on neutral ground parking Monday evening after rain poured down on metro New Orleans and forecasters predicted h

Live radar

See the latest on warnings and track storms in the radar below.

Damage reported in Kenner

A building at the AP Clay Center in Kenner sustained "significant roof damage" early Tuesday morning during severe weather, Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn said.

City crews are still working to determine the extent of the damage, Zahn said.

'Significant roof damage' during storms reported at Kenner's AP Clay Center A building at the AP Clay Center in Kenner sustained "significant roof damage" early Tuesday morning during severe weather, Kenner Mayor Ben Z

The city was under a tornado warning early Tuesday morning, but Zahn said it was not yet clear what caused the damage.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Street flooding and road closures

Some street flooding has been reported in New Orleans, as of 7 a.m.

Here's the list via Streetwise, the city's street closure listing:

2800 Joseph Street

Downman Road at Dwyer Road

The following roads are closed in St. Charles Parish, according to our news partners at WWL-TV:

La-18 in Ama

La-18 in Hahnville

Barton Avenue near La-18

La-3127

Lakewood Drive near Ivy Lane & Lakewood south of East Heather

Boutte Estates & Paul Fredrick Street

La-52 & Bailey Street

Evangeline Rd. in Montz

Apple St.

Carolyn Dr

Riverpoint Dr

Ormond N. of Shadow Lane to Stanton Hall

Parts of Dunleith/Melrose/Stanton Hall

LA 48 @ IMTT

Riverbend Dr.

Ormond Blvd

Thomas Colby

Ducayet

North Beauregard

Watches and warnings

New Orleans is under a flash flood watch until noon Wednesday. A warning means flash flooding is happening or about to happen. A watch means flash flooding is possible but not guaranteed.

A flash flood watch is in effect for much of southeast Louisiana through noon Wednesday. Forecasters said an 4 to 6 inches of rain could fall, with more than 8 inches possible in some places.

The watch includes:

New Orleans

Jefferson

Lafourche

Plaquemines

St. Bernard

Terrebonne

St. Tammany

Tangipahoa

St. Charles

St. James

St. John The Baptist

Flood advisory for St. Tammany Parish

A flood advisory is in effect for St. Tammany Parish until 11:15 a.m. Tuesday.

At 8:13 a.m., radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly, forecasters said. Between 1 to 3 inches of rain have fallen, and an additional 2 to 3 inches are expected.

Slidell, Pearl River, Lacombe and the Slidell airport are expected to experience some flooding, forecasters said.

Read the full watches and warnings.

Staff writer Faimon Roberts contributed to this story.
jeromesmith.jpg

Martin Luther King Charter School sixth grade student Lenece Webb, right, listens as volunteer Emily Ewings videotapes Civil Rights era activist Jerome Smith during an interview session Friday, March 18, 2011 at MLK Charter School in New Orleans. Students got to interview a variety of New Orleans Civil Rights era leaders and participants.

(File photo by Susan Poag for The Times-Picayune)

After getting a divine assignment to return to Egypt, to speak up for his people and free them, Moses thinks God has made a mistake. "I am not eloquent," he says, "but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue." Moses sprang to mind Sunday morning as Jerome "Big Duck" Smith spoke at Christian Unity Baptist Church. Smith, a veteran of New Orleans' sit-in movement and the South's Freedom Rides and the face of the Treme Community Center, is renowned for speaking up. In a 1963 meeting in New York attended by a number of black luminaries aching for freedom, Smith reportedly talked to host Attorney General Bobby Kennedy not like he was a great liberal champion for whom black people had been waiting, but like he and President John F. Kennedy were modern-day pharaohs, as responsible for lingering oppression as anybody.

But Smith began his talk Sunday with a mention of his childhood speech impediment, how in his attempt to talk he'd experience his "words backing up like a car wreck." There are few folks more likely to be disregarded than a stammering black boy born poor in the segregated South, but Smith's account of his upbringing featured patient New Orleans public school teachers who taught him to speak to the beat of the drums he loved so well and a mother who, well before Sam Cooke sang it, knew his change was gonna come. Sympathizing with his struggle to talk, she'd tell him, "One day, son. One day."

Smith was in a meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., he said Sunday, when he made a point so theologically insightful that King guessed he was a student at Fisk or one of the seminaries around Nashville. Smith explained that he had gone to Southern but that the point he'd just made hadn't come from a textbook or a college professor. It had come from his grandmother, a woman who rarely spoke English, he said, because she felt "there's no word in this dictionary that can speak to us." You'll recognize that defiance if you've read Toni Morrison's novel Beloved. Her character Sixo is described as an enslaved man who had "stopped speaking English because there was no future in it."

Besides his political fearlessness and his tenderness around children - He's called "Big Duck" because there's usually a line of children waddling behind him - one of the things that makes Smith remarkable is his vocal appreciation for women. The weekend before his church presentation, my wife and I crossed paths with him in the French Quarter and had a conversation that led to him declaring that the women in the civil rights movement were the absolute toughest. And when he said the word "tough" he shook his head, to convey the awe he still feels more than 50 years later.

He hit on that same theme Sunday, describing a situation in McComb, Miss., that was so racist and violent that "no one in the country would go (there) but the New Orleans CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) members." And most of those members, he said admiringly, were female and around 20 years old.

The drums had done more than untangle Smith's speech. They had also boosted his courage. He told me during our French Quarter conversation that he and his fellow CORE members had taken a phrase with them to McComb: "No um bow," Mardi Gras Indian language for no surrender.

He's in his mid-seventies now, and there's still no surrender in him. He's still speaking up for the little ones, incensed, he said, that young white people are valued as children while their black counterparts are "still seen as cargo."

Our "mission is not civil rights," he said. "We demand that our humanity be respected."

Jarvis DeBerry can be reached at jdeberry@nola.com. Follow him at twitter.com/jarvisdeberry.
Dave Moore, CISSP, has been fixing computers in Oklahoma since 1984. Founder of the non-profit Internet Safety Group Ltd, he also teaches Internet safety community training workshops. He can be reached at 919-9901 or internetsafetygroup.org.
Norman, OK (73070)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. Hot and humid. High 93F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
Staff Writer

Reese Gorman covers elections, local politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Norman Transcript. He started as an intern in May of 2020 and transitioned into his current position as a staff writer in August of 2020.
Montoursville, Pa. - Jordan Tillema got her start sewing when she was a teenager, but her entrance in to the business world is pretty recent.

"I started doing clothing alterations five or six years ago. But as a job, and charging people, literally today," Tillema said on Monday.

"My mom always sewed and I grew up watching and learning from her. Up until she passed away a few years ago, she was still who I always called with questions about unusual fixes or pattern instruction," said Tillema, who lives in Montoursville with her husband and three children.

"I love sewing projects from start to finish, but alterations are where people needed help," Tillema said about her business. "Things like hemming a dress or mending a hole in a sweater are things I began to be asked to do a lot by friends and family."

Tillema said eventually this led her to being involved with costume alterations for Montoursville School District's theater department, which was a lot of work, according to her.

"When I began thinking it was finally a good time for me to begin this as a career, the pandemic definitely complicated it. Customers needing alterations is largely dependent on people having somewhere to go, after all," she said.

After working through government bureaucracy to make her business official, Tillema said she has been working hard since.

"Then registration requirements took exceptionally long to come through from the state because, like weve all experienced in some form, everything takes longer the past year," Tillema explained.

"But I got it done and Im so excited to finally be able to start," she mentioned.

Tillema said customers may visit her office at 55 Pierce Ln., Montoursville, or they can message her Facebook page, or phone (701) 509 4593.




The commission will have 10 members, appointed evenly by Democrats and Republicans. It will have subpoena power and be tasked with producing a report on its findings by Dec. 31, along with recommendations for how to better secure the Capitol in the future.
Montgomery, Pa. - On May 3, 2020 around midnight, about a dozen law enforcement officers from surrounding departments collectively raided the home of Montgomery Borough Council Member Laurel K. Green led by then-Corporal and Montgomery borough officer-in-charge Eric Winters.

In court documents, it is alleged Winters believed that Green was running a methamphetamine lab in the double house in which she resided at the time.

Green claimed that during the raid, Winters held a gun to her 12-year-old daughters face and screamed at her to pick up her 80-pound dog because he wasnt getting bit today. She says that her children have been in counseling since the incident.

Winters was placed on paid leave the day after the raid.

On the day of the raid, according to Green, the boroughs police department did not receive any calls about her, as evidenced by a statement from the boroughs police chief.

Green also claims that cameras were aimed in the direction of her home by now-former mayor Fae Herb, who lived very close to Green. Herb resigned May 7, 2020.

The cameras recorded unusual traffic flow at her home, which Green explained was from collecting donated food for an autistic child at the apex of the coronavirus pandemic. She was working remotely at the time.

You could see a fully-dressed Muncy prison guard drop a bag off on my porch, and then leave, Green said half-jokingly.

I had gone to a lot of the council meetings before I got elected, Green, who was elected in 2019, said. They were talking about regionalization of Montgomery and Muncy police forces. They just kept talking about it and talking about it. Then I got elected. I wanted to know what was going on.

Green believes that Winters was setting himself up to take charge of the new regionalized police force.

He put the whole plan together, Green said about the regionalization efforts headed by Winters at the time. He just kept talking about numbers. I would ask questions because none of it made any sense. He didnt have any true explanation.

Green noticed that police officers who had resigned from Montgomery also worked for Muncy, but was not aware of the reasons behind those departures.

Green went on to accuse Winters of arbitrarily pulling people over and neglecting to file any, or legitimate, charges. Similar claims have been made by other Montgomery borough officials.

The issue spanned beyond the council itself; at a previous meeting, a local business owner who has requested to remain anonymous for personal reasons, went to the borough council and demanded that police officers stay away from his establishment unless he called them.

I honestly believe throwing a wrench in his regionalization plan of the police force is what did it. Next thing I knew, my house was raided. I dont get it, Green, who abstained from the council vote to suspend Winters the following day, said.

A warrant was approved by Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan C. Gardner following allegations that Green was selling or using illegal drugs. Court documents state the only thing found in Greens home was a blue, orange, and yellow glass bowl - marijuana pipe with residue.

First and foremost, no charges were filed because nothing was seized. I carry a medical card. I did nothing wrong, said Green.

On the day of the raid, Green recalls having a picnic with her family through most of the day. Her children were settling in for the night by the time the raid happened.

According to the search warrant affidavit, On Sat., May 2, 2020, Winters had received a call from a resident of Montgomery Borough about drug activity.

However, in a statement to Montgomery borough officials from Montgomerys police chief Mark A. Cassel, During the course of our internal investigation it was learned that there were no prior incidents/contacts in our records management system (RMS) indicating any narcotic use, sales, or general complaints involving either Mr. Andrew Onufrak III or Mrs. Laurel Green.

Furthermore, any and all documentation is currently in the possession of the Lycoming County District Attorneys Office. The Department only has a report in our RMS, the statement from the chief continued.

The affidavit also states, The caller advised that at approx. 7:00 p.m. the caller smelled a strong odor similar to that of spray paint and acetone much like a nail salon.

In an interview, Green clarified that the report of such odors would make sense because her neighbors at the time often made projects using spray paint.

In the supplemental narrative on the search warrant affidavit, Jenny Hull of Broad St., Montgomery, was listed as Winters contact in prior discussions which led to the raid on Green's home while Winters was collaborating with then-mayor Fae Herb to find information on members of borough council.

Hull made it a point that she preferred to work directly with me on this case due to trust issues and potential conflicts. She did reference that other council persons have been seen at Greens residence and she feels they may be involved. She did tell me specifically who she has seen there, Winters amended statement mentioned.

Green said on more than one occasion that she maintains a personal and social friendship with her council colleagues, even purchasing a home from a fellow council member.

While Greens house was raided, Andrew Onufrak III, who previously served on council with Green, did not have the same experience. Despite avoiding a raid, both he and Green were accused of illegal drug activity, but both agreed that police corruption is a real issue in some local communities.

I think it is a genuine abuse of power in a small town. We had spoken to a lot of people about it, Onufrak, who now lives in Michigan, said. It is an abuse of power. Many did not like us new council members coming in as the only ones who wanted to step forward and do something about it.

Onufrak explained the embarrassment he went through because of accusations placed against him by Winters: This is something I had to explain to my grandparents. I've never been investigated. Ive never been arrested. Only by Winters. It is a witch hunt. He [Winters] is trying to muddy the water.

I hope this shows true light on the situation itself, Onufrak said during a phone interview.

According to Green, Winters pulled background checks on the members of the borough council. Not long after, a council member resigned upon the discovery of a felony on her record which made her ineligible to serve on council. She resigned during an emotional Zoom council meeting in 2020.

Montgomery Borough Mayor Ed Alexander agreed with many of the claims made by Green.

When asked if he believed police corruption existed in our communities, the mayor did not hesitate to say, Yes.

I just became mayor when [council] voted [to place Winters on paid leave, following the resignation of mayor Fae Herb]. My main reason to go for mayor was to stop the corruption. I have seen how Winters policed our town and harrased local businesses, Alexander explained.

When I became mayor, the council was already on it. Also makes me wonder why the mayor at the time resigned. There was more than one reason why [Winters] was fired. I will protect the communitys rights and will not allow them to be narrated by dirty police, said Alexander.

Alexander was quick to mention that not all police officers are corrupt, but that the problem of corruption is very real.

The issue spread to other council members as well. A decision by the U.S. Middle District Court of Pa. on Dec 10, 2020, mentioned:

In the aftermath of being denied a raise, Winters stepped into the role of union official to assist other officers with their own grievances. Winters was later asked by the Mayor of Montgomery Borough [Faye Herb] to investigate alleged criminal conduct by certain members of the Montgomery Borough Council. In December 2019 and January 2020, the Mayor instructed Winters to investigate Defendant Clayton Steward for crimes associated with making false statements.

This was a full blown investigation into me, my family, our council members. It was nuts. The case is closed. We were totally exonerated. I am still on council, Steward said regarding the situation.

Steward was accused of residing in a home not within borough boundaries, which would have made him ineligible to serve on the council.

At the time I signed [an affidavit], my address was in the borough. Since then I bought two properties. One of them is half in the borough. Literally, this house is half in the borough and half in Clinton Twp., Steward admitted. Properties falling into multiple boroughs is not uncommon in Lycoming County.

In my pool, you can swim into Clinton township, Steward joked.

Winters was trying to get me removed at all costs possible. We made it clear regionalization was not going to happen. We wanted Montgomery to have our own police department. We would not be affiliated with any other, Steward said.

He lied on police reports. He fabricated them to make things look like Montgomery was filled with crime, Steward said. Steward, notably, is the chair of Montgomery borough councils public safety committee.

Steward claimed that Winters withheld police officers schedules because Winters wanted it to be a surprise for criminals.

Steward emphasized that public safety issues in Montgomery borough run deep and that as a Republican, the decision to fire Winters and downsize the police force was not politically motivated. He was going off the deep end with these theatrics why we shouldn't cut back on police. We had 7 police officers at the time. The tax burden, we couldnt afford it.

I removed Winters title as officer-in-charge. We were getting evidence ready to fire Winters, and he knew that, Steward mentioned before the raid on Greens home. He is a pathological liar."

It is about integrity, Steward concluded.

Montgomery borough council president Susan Andrews is mentioned as a defendant in an ethics complaint on the council which was filed by Winters.

I am not sure how much I can or will be willing to answer, but the ethics complaint is pretty black and white, Andrews said.

Andrews' husband serves in the Montgomery police department.

[Winters] was placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of an investigation/inquiry, Andrews explained. As council president, I generally only vote during roll call votes. The vote to terminate his employment was done by roll call. I abstained from that vote.

Because Andrews abstained from the vote terminating Winters employment, she believes that filing an ethics violation against her would be erroneous.

Since Cpl. Winters departure, Councilwoman Green says the borough has not received any complaints about police enforcement. Mayor Alexander, a Republican, agreed with Green, a Democrat, that Montgomerys police department has greatly improved since Winters departure.

One hundred percent, the mayor said.

In a press release provided by Cpl. Winters from his attorney, Michael J. Zicolello, While, as part of the settlement, neither Montgomery Borough nor the Council Members acknowledge wrongdoing with respect to the incident.

The borough of Montgomery will be releasing their official statement on the situation by or after June 1.
May 18 is the May Primary. Are you prepared to vote?

The 2021 May Primary vote doesn't determine the presidency or other national figures you'll see regularly on T.V. Local leadership, however, is at stake

From borough mayors to school board directors, township supervisors, and law enforcement officials, your local elected officials make decisions that impact you and your family every day.

Related reading:

What local elected officials do

More Information Want to know the contested races in Lycoming County? Check out On the PULSE's Lycoming County Election Guide

Magesterial District Judge

Magisterial district judges issues arrest and search warrants, and also emergency protection orders when the county courthouse is closed. They oversee arraignments, set bail, and hold criminal preliminary hearings.

County Sheriff

The sheriff's office is responsible for carrying out the orders of the Court to enforce Injunctions, serve warrants, the service of Out of County* Protection From Abuse Orders, Writs of Summons and Complaints, Subpoenas, and Writs of Attachment / Garnishments.

City Council

Council members are tasked with representing the interests of their constituents. In addition to proposing, passing, and ratifying laws and ordinances, city councils manage budgets and investigate city agencies when necessary.

School Board Directors

Pennsylvania school boards are required to: Adopt courses of study in consultation with the superintendent. Establish the length of the school term, adopt textbooks, and adopt the annual budget. Elect superintendents and hire necessary employees.

Borough Mayor

The Borough code authorizes the mayor to preserve order, enforce ordinances and resolutions, remove nuisances, exact a faithful performance of the officers appointed, and perform such duties as assigned by law or ordinance. In preserving order, he or she directs the activities of the police department.

Township Supervisor

Townships of the second class are governed by a board of supervisors, elected at large by the electorate of the whole township for overlapping six-year terms. The number of supervisors can be increased to five by referendum. Townships of the first class, by contrast, have a board of commissioners.

Constable

Pennsylvania constables have the right in Pennsylvania to arrest by warrant and to conduct warrantless arrests for felonies and breaches of the peace, including warrantless arrests for felony violations of the drug laws.

Tax Collector

Elected or appointed municipal collectors are typically responsible for collecting county, municipal, and school district property taxes.

Auditor

The auditor examines the accounting records and accounting practices of the organization or agency under review to enable him to give an informed opinion on the balance sheet and the statement of revenues and expenditures prepared from the books and records.

Judges of the Commonwealth Court

Cases heard by the Commonwealth Court are generally determined by what the case is about, and the identity of the parties to the lawsuit. This is a different way of determining the type of case heard by an appellate court than in other states, where the distinction is usually between civil matters and criminal matters.

Judges of the Superior Court

The Superior Court hears appeals in criminal and most civil cases from the Courts of Common Pleas and on matters involving children and families. Although different panels of three judges may sit to hear appeals, there is only one Superior Court.

Justice of the Supreme Court

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Thomas Saylor. The court was established by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly in 1722 as a successor to the Provincial Court established in 1684. It is the oldest appellate court in the United States.

Constitutional amendments

Voters are being asked to approve or deny changes to the commonwealths constitution, addressing issues from a governors emergency powers, to race equality.

Related reading: All Pa. voters eligible to vote on constitutional amendments May 18

All voters, regardless of political affiliation, will be able to vote on four proposed changes to the state constitution, a result of many events from the past year.

This means registered Independents, members of the Green party, Republicans, Democrats; all are able to have their say this election on these questions.

Check back here on Election Day for results!




Marysville, WA (98270)

Today

Showers early becoming a steady light rain later in the day. High 62F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 53F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 86F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely, especially this evening. Low around 70F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Local

High court rejects appeal of 2015 double murder conviction

Jeremy Stewart In this January 2015 file photo, the home at 49 Terhune Road is barely visible from the road through the trees as Floyd County police investigate the death of a man and woman who were found shot in the residence.

The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a Floyd County man found guilty of murdering a couple off Terhune Road in 2015.

Emerson Mack Abbott Jr. was convicted of murdering his elderly neighbors James and Myra Reeves with a shotgun after forcing Myra Reeves to write him a $7,500 check to get his girlfriends car out of hock.

Emerson Mack Abbott Jr.

In 2018, then Superior Court Judge Bryant Durham sentenced Abbot to two consecutive life terms without parole plus five years on murder, robbery and theft charges.

In his appeal, Abbott argued that the judge had allowed a witness under the influence of alcohol to testify. He also contended that prosecutors did not disclose an agreement with Abbots cellmate, who testified against him.

When she showed up to testify, Abbotts former girlfriend Kelly McCleskey had a blood-alcohol content of .03. McCleskey on the stand admitted to being a serious alcoholic but said she had not consumed any alcohol that day. Prosecutors called on other witnesses while she dried out under supervision.

Several hours later, and only after her blood-alcohol content was confirmed to have returned to zero, McCleskey was called to testify, the high court opinion stated.

The order also noted that Abbotts attorney did not object to proceeding with McCleskeys testimony at the trial.

Here, there was no evidence that McCleskey was in any way impaired at the time she testified, the opinion stated.

Another point of contention in the appeal came from evidence allowed at trial concerning the purported theft of McCleskeys four-wheeler. The four wheeler was later found at the home of Abbotts mother.

Prosecutors argued that Abbott, in preparation to commit the murders, had begun spreading word among his neighbors that crimes had been committed in the area.

Abbot began spreading those rumors, prosecutors argued, around the same time he pawned McCleskeys car title without her knowledge and stole thousands of dollars in cash from her.

The theft ... figured into (Abbotts) attempt to deflect blame from himself for the murders, providing evidence of premeditation and showing the set up of the crime, the opinion stated.

Abbott also claimed that prosecutors didnt disclose a deal with one of his cellmates in the Floyd County Jail in exchange for testimony.

During the trial, Abbotts former cellmate Michael Lehr said that, while Abbott never explicitly admitted to committing the murders, he said he was certain the blame would fall on the Reeves son.

Thinking the cops would think he did it for the money, Lehr testified that Abbott said hed thought the police would accuse the son because he was strung out on drugs.

Abbott claimed Lehr received preferential treatment regarding a guilty plea on an aggravated assault charge and that the detective in the case offered to write a letter to the district attorneys office on Lehrs behalf.

At trial Lehr testified he did not receive any special consideration or deal for his testimony, the high court stated.

In light of this evidence, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, (Abbotts) assertion that the state made a deal with Lehr amounts to nothing more than speculation, the opinion stated.
Adams, 60, is seeking to turn his law enforcement experience into an advantage in the closing month of the crowded Democratic primary race. Some progressive opponents have criticized his background, saying an ex-cop is the wrong person to lead the city at a time when police reform is a hot-button issue.
The Republican lawmaker tossed her purse under a table, raced through the metal detector and ignored officers who tried to stop her when she set off the alarm on Thursday, a Capitol Police report said.
Napoleon, OH (43545)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low around 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
The Snapdragon 778G 5G is another mid-range SoC to bolster Qualcomm's already burgeoning portfolio. Qualcomm did publish official specifications for the Snapdragon 778G 5G, but something was clearly amiss as it has pulled the product page.

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The Snapdragon 780G is set to be joined by a less powerful model, the Snapdragon 778G. Officially called the Snapdragon 778G 5G Mobile Platform, the SoC went live on Qualcomm's website earlier today, before being pulled. The product page remains offline at the time of writing, but we expect Qualcomm to relaunch it soon.

Until then, you can pour over the specifications shown below. Currently, the Web Archive is the only way to view the Snapdragon 778G 5G product page, as Google Cache immediately redirects to a 'Sorry, we could not find the page you requested' message.

While Qualcomm is not quite ready to launch the Snapdragon 778G 5G, the Web Archive snapshot confirms practically aspect about the new SoC. For example, Qualcomm has based the Snapdragon 778G 5G on a 6 nm process with a Kryo 670 CPU, an Adreno 642L GPU and a Spectra 570L ISP.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

A steady rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The diplomats also paid tribute to the hard work of LGBTI and other communities in Poland and around the world, as well as the work of all those who seek to ensure human rights for LGBTI and other persons belonging to communities facing similar challenges, and to end discrimination in particular on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
More than one out of every five Northwest Indiana residents lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

While the unemployment rate in the Calumet Region has since descended from the stratosphere, the viral outbreak is expected to have a longer-lasting impact the workforce and job market in the Calumet Region.
Unvaccinated employees must still wear face masks, and Walmart requests that non-vaccinated customers continue to wear face coverings.

Along with a growing list of retailers that includes Trader Joe's and Sam's Club, Target also is dropping its mask mandates for vaccinated customers.

"The health and safety of our guests and team members have been Targets top priority throughout the pandemic, and weve closely and consistently followed the CDCs recommendations over time. Given the CDCs updated guidance last week, Target will no longer require fully vaccinated guests and team members to wear face coverings in our stores, except where its required by local ordinances," a Target spokesperson said. "Face coverings will continue to be strongly recommended for guests and team members who are not fully vaccinated and well continue our increased safety and cleaning measures, including social distancing, throughout our stores. Target is offering COVID-19 vaccine appointments at nearly all CVS at Target locations for guests and team members. Were also providing paid time to U.S. hourly team members when they get their vaccines and free Lyft rides, up to $15 each way, for our team to get to and from their appointments."

Aldi also adjusted its policies as of Tuesday.
To be successful, the bilateral discussions must take into account that, while China is the single largest source of global steel oversupply, subsidies and other market-distorting policies in many countries are contributing to the overcapacity crisis  and that injurious surges in imports have come from every region of the world," Dempsey said. Achieving an agreement that produces real results for our industry will take time and will not be easy. However, I am hopeful that the U.S. government can work with the EU toward substantive solutions to the global overcapacity crisis in steel while maintaining the necessary trade measures to prevent surges in steel imports that could quickly undermine the U.S. industry and our national security."
MERRILLVILLE  Despite the loosening of COVID-19 activity guidelines and restrictions, Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Gary must still wear protective masks at Mass.

In a letter posted Friday to Catholics of the diocese, Bishop Robert J. McClory said that despite revised regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our priority is to help all people feel sale in returning to indoor worship.

The bishops letter continues: As a practical act of prudence and charity toward those who have concerns or have not been vaccinated, we will continue to use masks for the safety of all as we gather indoors. As we continue to assess and respond to changing circumstances, we hope indoor worship will no longer require the wearing of masks.

McClory added, Comprehensive revisions to our liturgical protocols are close to being finalized, but for now social distancing and mask protocols remain the same.

The bishops letter came one day after the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people can resume activity without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidelines."
He copied documents from Sheltons private office, which had a door, but was often unlocked.

The FBI used the information Garbutt provided to raid township offices in March 2014 and seize boxes of records and computers that became the core of the governments evidence against Shelton.

Gambino successfully argued on appeal all that evidence should have been suppressed and never used at trial because it was tainted by Garbutts illegal searches of Sheltons office.

The appeals court stated the Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable police searches of their homes and their business offices.

Garbutt convinced the FBI he had free access to Sheltons office, but the appeals court disagreed.

The judges stated the FBI should have first obtained permission from a court magistrate before unleashing Garbutt on his search because Shelton had a reasonable expectation of privacy against Garbutts FBI-directed intrusions.

Behavior such as Garbutts, where he entered Sheltons private office outside of normal business hours and lingered beyond any legitimate, anticipated or permissible purpose in order to review and copy the papers on top of her desk would be unacceptable in any workplace.

(The FBI) essentially delegated to ... a man who was himself knee deep in unlawful activity and seeking to ingratiate himself to the FBI Agent in order to avoid personal liability for his actions the sensitive task of deciding whether and when he had authority to enter the offices of others in their absence and collect evidence. This was patently unreasonable, the court concluded.

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CROWN POINT  Sentencing was delayed for a fourth time Tuesday for a Hebron woman who pleaded guilty in February to being intoxicated when she caused a near-fatal crash in 2019 that caused a man's life-threatening injuries.

Jessica E. Eversole, 42, previously pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a level 5 felony.

If Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez accepts Eversole's plea agreement, she would receive a three-year sentence. Prosecutors plan to argue she should serve the time in prison, but her attorney can argue for alternative placement.

During the hearing Tuesday, Eversole's attorney, Sonya Scott-Dix, requested more time to receive documents from the federal government.

Scott-Dix told Vasquez she didn't want to speak publicly about the additional information, as it's a "sensitive situation."

The sentencing hearing was rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 22, and Vasquez said next time around, the hearing needs to move forward, with or without the documents.

Vasquez then ordered Eversole to undergo a drug screening Tuesday, stating he received information she could test positive for illegal substances.
This year marks the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and even after 100 years since its inception the Party continues to flourish with vigor. About one-third of the current 91 million CPC members are under the age of 40, and approximately 80 percent of the new Party members who were admitted in 2019 are 35 years old or below. Young people played a pivotal role in propelling the Party's growth after it was founded. The average age of representatives attending the first National Congress of the CPC, convened in 1921, was 28. Even today young Party members are continuing to play a crucial role in the Party, with their firm convictions, as well as "red gene," ensuring that the Party stays in the prime of life. POWER OF ROLE MODEL Wang Xiukun, a postgraduate from Wuhan University, was just 23 when she raised her right fist and took an admission oath in front of the flag of the Party last year. At that time, the COVID-19 epidemic was wreaking havoc in the city of Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. She was accepted as a full member of the Party in the nick of time and became one of the 91 million CPC members. Amid the country's fight against the epidemic, many young doctors, nurses and volunteers her age "led the charge" as they are Party members, Wang said. "Fighting with unflinching courage, unfazed by any risks, like those young CPC members, was my original aspiration in joining the Party," she said. Together with over 1,500 volunteers, Wang helped children of some 640 frontline health workers amid the war against COVID-19, working for 133 days, over 20,000 hours in total. Wang was later recognized as a young leader for her role in inspiring people to change the world by the Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth of the United Nations. REALIZING VALUE OF LIFE Lu Yi, 31, who is a primary-level Party cadre in a small village in east China's Anhui Province, felt duty-bound in another arduous battle of the country -- poverty alleviation. Recommended by local villagers, Lu applied for a Party membership in 2014. Ever since Lu put on the Party emblem, she became more determined to help locals in rural areas vanquish poverty and live a better life. Due to the long trek to poverty-stricken households, Lu's feet swelled to the point where she had to wear a larger-sized pair of shoes. "Those trips, however, were akin to visiting my own relatives because of the hospitality of the locals," Lu said. When China announced a "complete victory" in eradicating absolute poverty, Lu said she broke down and wept in exhilaration. "The great cause of poverty alleviation led by the CPC enables me, and thousands of other young people, to avail ourselves of the opportunities and realize the value of our lives," Lu said. All 82 poverty-stricken households in her village have shaken off poverty, with their average net income last year reaching 12,000 yuan (about 1,864 U.S. dollars), Lu said. "When I pay a return visit to the local households, what makes me happier than anything else is hearing villagers praise our Party and its policies," Lu said. CALL OF TIMES Foreigners are usually surprised at the CPC's ability to rally people, said Fang Yedun, another young Party member. As a co-founder of a social media start-up, Fang works with video creators from more than 30 countries and regions to produce content about China for overseas audiences. "One feature of our Party is that its members come from all walks of life including entrepreneurs, scholars, delivery men, or perhaps a middle-aged woman in your neighborhood," Fang said. From his perspective, excellent Party members are like a spark in their own field and always inspire others to do meaningful things. "The Party emblem on our chest is our faith and spiritual strength," Fang added. Covering topics from zeitgeist to buzzwords of China, Fang's short videos have garnered over 100 million followers from all over the world. The golden age of the young generation to strive for excellence is the same direction and pace as the key period of the Chinese nation's journey toward rejuvenation, Fang said. "When we turn 60, we could still contribute our remaining energy to develop China into a great modern socialist country," Fang said. Enditem


The cars wrapped in Palestinian flags drove through a neighborhood in north London where theres a large Jewish population, according to The Associated Press. The occupants allegedly screamed, F--- their mothers. Rape their daughters. We have to send a message, according to Jewish News. F--- all of them. F--- their mothers, f--- their daughters and show your support for Palestine. Rape their daughters and we have to send a message like that. Please do it for the poor children in Gaza.
CROWN POINT  The Crown Point Community School Corp. plans to have students back in school full-time this fall, Superintendent Todd Terrill said.

In a message to parents and families earlier this month, Terrill said he expects to have in-person learning on a normal schedule five days a week.

"Like everything else this year, changes in COVID could impact this decision, but it is our goal that we will return to a full in-person learning experience for all of our students," he said.

The school leader noted distance learning could be used in the event of inclement weather, "or to meet other educational needs," but will not be implemented every Wednesday, as it has been during the 2020-2021 school year.

Terrill also acknowledged the challenges of this year.

"This year has not been easy for anyone. Navigating COVID and its constant changes has placed a burden on every family, every staff member and teacher, and every student," he said.
HAMMOND  Federal authorities are charging a Gary grocer with illegally trading his customers' food stamp benefits for cash.

The U.S. Attorneys office charged Mohammad Zaiden late last week with wire fraud.

Zaiden has signed a plea agreement to avoid a lengthy prison term.

Government papers allege Zaiden owned the Tarrytown Food Mart, 2075 Clark Road in Gary, which was authorized to provide Hoosiers with benefits under the federal governments Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the food stamp program.

The government alleges Tarrytown defrauded SNAP of more than $5.1 million between December 2015 and last November.

The government said customers of Zaidens Tarrytown store would bring grocery items to the cashiers to be rung up, used food stamps to pay for the items, then asked for cash back, too.

The store would charge the SNAP program for an amount in excess of the groceries price and split that amount, in cash, between the customer and Zaiden.

The U.S. Attorneys office stated in court papers Zaiden could face up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted of the scheme.
Jerry Passmore, pastor of Faith Temple House of God, challenged the clergy to become more effective in the outreach.

Out of 70 churches in Michigan City, Indiana, you mean to tell me us pastors cannot get together and build a unity for these young men and women in this community, and work together to help? Were here to guide these people who are in trouble, he said.

The meeting was called by the Michigan City Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males.

Tracie Tillman, a member of both the commission and City Council, described the surge in gun violence a plague.

We need to come up with solutions before it impacts our community worse than it already has, she said.

According to police, there were 387 calls for service on reports of gunfire last year, compared to 271 in 2019.

The police department recently formed a task force to try and reduce the number of shootings by taking more guns and people carrying firearms illegally off the streets.

LaPorte County Prosecutor John Lake said there have been 124 gun-related charges filed by his office since the beginning of 2020, which is close to double the amount in the four previous years combined.
The Best Western sits just north of the Little Calumet River, near Cline Avenue and Interstate 80/94.

"We're still looking," Kellogg said. "We'll be out here all tonight and again tomorrow morning. We'll be out in the boats again. Our helicopters and drones will be up to. And of course, people will be out."

Anyone interested in volunteering with the search can walk the banks of the Little Calumet River in Hammond and Highland without getting too close to where they would risk falling in, Kellogg said. The turnout of volunteers has been much larger than normal for a missing person search.

"I've got numerous, numerous phone calls from parents of autistic children," he said. "They said they know someone else would come out for me and they know how it is so they want to come out and help. A lot of it is that and a lot of it is a good community here in the Region coming together and saying, 'hey, we're not going to let this happen.'"

Authorities expanded weekend searches to the woods surrounding the hotel, the river and marsh area, an industrial strip along the interstate, some residential areas between Cline and Kennedy avenues and as far south as Ridge Road, and into Hammond's Hessville neighborhood, south of 169th Street.
Carter was described as black, 5-foot-4, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, dark blue shorts with a light blue stripe and no shoes.

Anyone who thinks they have spotted Carter is asked to call 911 immediately and keep an eye on him, but not approach him, until police arrive.

"He is autistic and he's probably very scared," Kellogg previously told The Times. "If you spot him, do not approach him. Maintain visual contact with him and call 911 immediately."

Carter and his immediate family are from Kansas City, Missouri, and were visiting family this weekend, Kellogg said.

His mother, Danielle Duckworth, told NBC 5 Chicago he slipped out the back door during an engagement party. He has always loved the water, she said.

"I just want him to come back home. Everybody he's been talking about is here. I want him to see them," Duckworth said. "I just want him to make it home in one piece. That's all I want."

Anyone interested in volunteering with the search can walk the banks of the Little Calumet River in Hammond and Highland, without getting too close to where they would risk falling in, Kellogg said. The turnout of volunteers has been much larger than normal for a missing person search.
The pending economic development agreement would enable the developer to get money from backers for the work, but the commission wants to see those details before signing off on the project.

It seems like they want us to agree to all these things and they havent done their work, Councilwoman Angie Deuitch said. They need to come to the table with what theyre going to do and flesh it all out before they come here.

Weve been down this road before with other projects in parts of the north end, she said.

Part of the due diligence Sirinek expects from 100 North Washington includes much more improved drawings of the proposed building, especially the side facing away from the lake.

Sirinek suggested giving the developer a 60-day deadline to complete this work and more before its taken to the council for approval of economic development bonds.

This was one of the first meetings I was involved in before the pandemic hit last year, Commission President Chris Chatfield said.

I think there are valid points here. This has been a year and a couple of months, Chatfield said.
"This is not an easy case to decide," the judge said. "Look at the victim's wounds and how they were inflicted. He was shot and beaten, because apparently the shots weren't enough."
But Pichon obtained new public defenders who recently overturned her conviction and sentence earlier this year on grounds she didnt fully understand her rights and therefore didnt properly plead guilty in 2018.

The Lake County prosecutors office, she and her attorneys framed a new guilty plea agreement recently to reimpose her 15-year sentence with one important difference.

In her new plea agreement, her defense attorney asked the court if she could be placed in an alternative drug addiction treatment program going forward.

Pichon, who already has served four years in jail and prison, learns Friday whether she returns to prison for another seven years or is released to less restrictive drug treatment.

Public Defender Aaron Koonce told Boswell that Pichon is severely mentally ill and has had a long-term drug addiction.

She has been held in several psychiatric hospitals and threatened to commit suicide on numerous occasions.

Her most recent crime arose from her and her boyfriend shoplifting a case of beer from an East Chicago supermarket to sell the stolen beer for drugs.
After all, the Catholic Church has always taught that life begins at conception, he said.

One of the reasons Roe v. Wade needs reviewed, is even proponents of abortion recognize it's not a well-written decision, Paprocki said. The court said (at the time) that we need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins, but that is the question. They sidestepped the question and said they're just not going to answer it.

Because of that, he said, it leaves the possibility of regulation open, such as when a fetus is viable. That is widely accepted as during the third trimester, though in practice it has usually been interpreted to allow abortion at any point in the pregnancy.

Where do you draw the line? Paprocki said. The Catholic Church would argue conception (is where to draw it), but even 15 weeks would be an improvement on what we currently have.

In 1992, the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey was decided by the Supreme Court in favor of fewer regulations, not more, Paprocki said, and that was disappointing, but with the current makeup of the court, the possibility exists that some regulation will be instituted.

I am hopeful the court will take a good look at this, he said, but it's a bit of a roll of the dice. You don't know how the justices are going to rule.
Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the boundaries between home and work, Ghebreyesus said. In addition, many businesses have been forced to scale back or shut down operations to save money, and people who are still on the payroll end up working longer hours. No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers and workers need to work together to agree on limits to protect the health of workers.
Employees of the Whitney Museum of American Art are the latest group of museum workers in the city to take steps toward forming a union.

They are also the most recent example of museum employees who have chosen to organize under the wing of a union not everyone would associate with the art world: the United Automobile Workers.

A petition asking for a union vote was filed on Monday with the National Labor Relations Board by the Technical, Office, and Professional Union, Local 2110 UAW.

Maida Rosenstein, the president of Local 2110, said Monday that the proposed bargaining unit at the Whitney included about 180 employees, among them curators, conservators, editors and porters.
Japans economy shrank in the first three months of 2021, continuing a swing between growth and contraction as its plodding vaccination campaign threatened to stall its recovery from the pandemic even as other major economies appeared primed for rapid growth.

In the year or so since the coronavirus emerged, Japans domestic demand has experienced cycles of shrinkage and expansion, as coronavirus cases have risen and consumers have retreated indoors, and as infections have then dropped and businesses have welcomed customers back.

Currently, Japan is suffering a resurgence in virus cases, with much of the country under a state of emergency and deaths climbing, especially in Osaka. The yo-yoing economic pattern, analysts said, is unlikely to stop until the country has vaccinated a significant portion of its population, an effort that has just begun and seems unlikely to speed up significantly in the coming months.

That dynamic could potentially push the country back into recession  defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction  later this year, as it struggles to check the spread of deadlier and more contagious coronavirus variants.
Bob Garfield, a longtime co-host of WNYCs popular program On the Media, has been fired after two separate investigations found he had violated an anti-bullying policy, New York Public Radio, which owns WNYC, said on Monday.

Mr. Garfields employment was terminated as a result of a pattern of behavior that violated N.Y.P.R.s anti-bullying policy, a spokeswoman said in a statement.

This decision was made following a recent investigation conducted by an outside investigator that found that he had violated the policy, she said. He had been disciplined and warned after an investigation in 2020, which also found that he had violated the policy, she added.

In an email on Monday, Mr. Garfield said he was not yet able to speak fully about the circumstances surrounding his firing but defended his behavior as yelling.
But the explosion of fighting in Israel and Palestine in recent days makes clear something that never should have been in doubt: justice for the Palestinians is a precondition for peace. And one reason there has been so little justice for the Palestinians is because of the foreign policy of the United States.

I dont think that theres any way that this occupation and creeping annexation process could have gotten where it is today if the United States had said no, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the liberal Zionist group J-Street.

One can condemn Hamas and its rockets and still recognize that this current conflagration began with Israeli overreach born of a sense of impunity. A major flash point was the campaign led by Israeli settlers to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. There was also an Israeli police raid on the Al Aqsa Mosque on the first night of Ramadan, not to prevent violence, but to cut off its loudspeakers lest prayers drown out a speech by Israels president.

Palestinians fear, not without reason, that Israel is trying to push them out of Jerusalem altogether. That, in turn, has let Hamas position itself as Jerusalems protector. And Israel seems to consider its right to defend itself from Hamas justification for causing obscene numbers of civilian casualties. So much horror has been born of the delusion, on both the Israeli and American right, that when it comes to the Palestinians, the status quo is sustainable.

To be fair, this is not something that began with Trump: America has been enabling Israels occupation and settlement project for decades. Tareq Baconi, a Ramallah-based senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, argued that in some ways the Trump administration was simply more honest than its predecessors about its disregard for the Palestinians. All the same, he said, Trumps foreign policy allowed the Israeli right-wing to understand that they can get away with their most extreme policies.
New York horse racing officials on Monday barred the trainer Bob Baffert not only from entering the Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit in the Belmont Stakes, but also from running any of his horses at Belmont Park or at Saratoga Race Course this summer.

In a statement, David ORourke, chief executive of the New York Racing Association, cited the investigation into Medina Spirits victory on May 1 in the Kentucky Derby. But he also took into account Bafferts failed drug tests in the recent past, resulting in the assessment of penalties against him by thoroughbred racing regulators in Kentucky, California and Arkansas.

Neither Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer with seven Kentucky Derby victories, nor his horses will be allowed on the grounds of those New York racetracks, which will be costly to the trainers horse owners because important and lucrative races are run on them. The ban extends to Bafferts assistants as well.

In order to maintain a successful thoroughbred racing industry in New York, NYRA must protect the integrity of the sport for our fans, the betting public and racing participants, ORourke said. That responsibility demands the action taken today in the best interests of thoroughbred racing.
Mr. Artis later raped and strangled an 18-year-old woman while the brothers were awaiting trial. He was convicted of that crime, and he was eventually investigated in the Buie case, but Joe Freeman Britt, the local district attorney at the time, never told defense lawyers.

With no leads in the Buie case, which was the first murder in Red Springs in four years, the town was desperate for answers, Mr. Abrams said. A white schoolgirl told the police that Mr. McCollum and Mr. Brown, who are Black, were responsible, saying that she suspected them because they acted strangely.

She later recanted, but the accusation led to a five-hour interrogation late at night in which Mr. Allen and Mr. Snead coerced Mr. McCollum into confessing, Mr. Abrams said.

Investigators yelled at Mr. McCollum, who was 19 at the time but had the mental capacity of a 9-year-old, calling him racial slurs and telling him that he would be sent to the gas chamber if he did not admit to the crime, Mr. Abrams said.

At midnight that evening, Mr. McCollums mother went to the police station, taking Mr. Brown, then 15, wondering why her son hadnt come home. But when she stepped outside, Mr. Abrams said, the police took Mr. Brown in to interrogate him as well.

A jury sentenced both to be executed. After the State Supreme Court ordered separate retrials, Mr. McCollum returned to death row and Mr. Brown was sentenced to life in prison.

A lawyer representing Mr. Allen and the estate of Mr. Snead, who died in 2019, did not respond to a request for comment. In his testimony last week, Mr. Allen denied yelling, using racial slurs or coercing the teenagers into confessing to the crime.
WASHINGTON  President Biden, heeding widespread calls to step up his response to the pandemics surge abroad, said on Monday that his administration would send 20 million doses of federally authorized coronavirus vaccine overseas in June  the first time he has pledged to give away doses that could be used in the United States.

The donation is another step toward what Mr. Biden promised would be an entirely new effort to increase vaccine supplies and vastly expand manufacturing capacity, most of it in the United States. He also put Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, in charge of developing a global strategy.

We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic thats raging globally is under control, Mr. Biden said in a brief appearance at the White House. No oceans wide enough, no walls high enough, to keep us safe.

With new cases and deaths plummeting as vaccination rates rise in the United States, the epicenter of the crisis has moved to India and other nations. A growing and bipartisan chorus of diplomats, health experts and business leaders has been pushing the president to do more to end what the AIDS activist Asia Russell calls vaccine apartheid.
When Twitter pressed the Justice Department for an explanation, the filing said, the government said the subpoena was part of a criminal investigation into a possible violation of a federal statute that makes it a felony to use interstate communications to threaten to injure someone. But the government refused to point to any particular tweet that made a threat.

The companys filing asked the judge overseeing the matter to take a searching look at the basis for the Justice Departments motivations in going after the user.

As the custodian entrusted with the private identifying information that the government seeks, Twitter is concerned the subpoena may not be supported by a legitimate law enforcement purpose, and that therefore, there cannot be any need  let alone a compelling need  for the government to unmask the user, a lawyer for Twitter wrote in the court motion.

It continued: As such, Twitter asks that the court engage in a searching analysis of the governments bases for issuing the subpoena in order to determine whether the subpoena violates the First Amendment and should be quashed.

The grand-jury subpoena had been obtained by the office of the United States attorney for the District of Columbia. At the time, the office was run on an acting basis by Michael R. Sherwin, who had been installed by Attorney General William P. Barr.

A spokeswoman for that office did not respond to a request for comment or explanation, including whether the underlying investigation remained open. The text of the subpoena, which was attached to Twitters court filing, suggested that the inquiry was being run by the Capitol Police, which protect members of Congress.

A spokesman for Mr. Nunes did not respond to a request for comment.

The person who operates the @NunesAlt account appeared to be surprised by the filing, writing in a post on Monday afternoon that there was nothing remarkable about me and adding, So then why am I being sued by a US congressman? Why would the DOJ ever target me? Is it the mean tweets and bad memes?
The Biden administration has approved three detainees at Guantanamo Bay for release to countries that agree to impose security conditions on them, including the oldest of the remaining wartime prisoners, lawyers and United States government officials said on Monday.

The approvals raised to nine the number of the 40 detainees currently at the wartime prison who have been approved for transfer to other countries. But it is unclear where the three men will go, or when, in part because the State Department has to make diplomatic and security arrangements with countries to take them.

Some of the other detainees who have been cleared for release over the years have been waiting for a decade for another country to agree to take them. In some instances, countries are asked to continue to jail the detainees or put them on trial. In most cases, they are asked to prevent them from traveling outside the country for at least two years.

Among those who have been granted approval is Saifullah Paracha, 73, of Pakistan, who was captured in Thailand in 2003. In addition to being the oldest of the detainees, he has also been described as among the sickest there, with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
WASHINGTON  President Bidens carefully worded statement on Monday supporting a cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians came amid growing pressure within his own party for the United States to take a more skeptical stance toward one of its closest allies.

Mr. Bidens urging of a halt to the fighting  tucked at the end of a summary of a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel  followed a drumbeat of calls from Democratic lawmakers across the ideological spectrum for his administration to speak out firmly against the escalation of violence. It reflected a different tone than the one members of Congress have sounded during past clashes in the region, when most Democrats have repeated their strong backing for Israels right to defend itself and called for peace, without openly criticizing its actions.

The push is strongest from the energized progressive wing of the party, whose representatives in the House, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have drawn attention in recent days for accusing Israel of gross human rights violations against Palestinians and of operating an apartheid state. But their intensity has obscured a quieter, concerted shift among more mainstream Democrats that could ultimately be more consequential.

Though they have no intention of ending the United States close alliance with Israel, a growing number of Democrats in Washington say they are no longer willing to give the country a pass for its harsh treatment of the Palestinians and the spasms of violence that have defined the conflict for years.
On Monday, the European Medicines Agency said that unopened and thawed vials of the Pfizer vaccine can be kept in the fridge for a month. The previous regulation had the vaccine limited to just five days in cold conditions.
LOS ANGELES  Robert A. Durst has been trailed by the suspicions of investigators in several states over his possible involvement in three deaths that stretch back 40 years.

This week in Los Angeles, the murder trial in one of those cases is set to resume with the same jury despite an extraordinary 14-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Durst  the eccentric 78-year-old real estate scion who became the subject of books, movies and television specials  is accused of the execution-style killing of a close confidante, Susan Berman, at her Beverly Hills, Calif., home in December 2000. His trial had only just begun last year when the pandemic forced the courts to close down.

His lawyers called the 14-month delay the longest adjournment in U.S. history featuring the same jury. They argued that the jurors could have forgotten information from the start of the trial, discussed the case with others or watched television programs about the case. Before the trials suspension, however, it was the defense that asked for an adjournment because of public health concerns.
They could also very clearly see three small children in Wagon 3. They figured out the childrens identities through a process of elimination: The Degens were the only family with three children under the age of 6 on the Bergen-Belsen transport.

The children were separated from their parents at the camp; their mothers were sent to work in salt mines and their fathers were deported to another camp, Sachsenhausen. The fathers both died in 1945; the mothers were sent to Sweden in exchange for German prisoners of war who were being held there.

The toddlers, left behind in the barracks with other orphaned children, were given no food or supervision. A Polish Jewish nurse, Luba Tryszynska, took it upon herself to care for them, scrounging and begging for enough tidbits to keep them from starving, and hiding them under beds, away from the SS. The British liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 14, 1945; all three were eventually reunited with their mothers.

Stella Fertig said she remembers nothing from the war years. People say, Its better that you dont know, she said. But I would like to know a little bit more.

She and Marc Degen were unaware of the film, or their role in it, until the authors contacted them. When Marc saw the footage, he recognized himself and his mother in the right window of the train compartment.

I was overwhelmed to see myself as a little boy being transported with my family, he said. I feel privileged that at 80 years old I feel healthy, in my head and in my body, and that I can talk about this today.
AMERICAN REPUBLICS

A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850

By Alan Taylor

As politically and culturally divided as America is today, there was a time when it was even more so. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln captured the unprecedented peril the nation faced when he quoted Matthew 12:25: A house divided against itself cannot stand. The Civil War, which took 750,000 American lives, was the bloody outcome of the divide over slavery. As tragic as it was, the war had the positive outcome of pointing the nation toward civil rights for Black citizens.



In his stimulating new book, American Republics, the historian Alan Taylor takes us back to the decades before the Civil War, when America was not so much divided as it was fragmented. Covering the period between 1783, when the American Revolution ended, and 1850, when Congress passed compromise bills aimed (futilely) at saving the Union, Taylor describes a nation that was, in his words, built on an unstable foundation of rival regions and an ambiguous Constitution. In this always-imperiled country, as Taylor calls it, it seemed as if civil war could break out at any time between East and West or between North and South. Many histories of this important interregnum period have been written, but none emphasizes the fragility of the American experiment as strongly as Taylors book does.

It was a time when the primary presence of the national government in the everyday lives of Americans was the Postal Service. A general mistrust of federal authority bred passionate loyalty to ones state. A Massachusetts politician declared: Instead of feeling as a nation, a state is our country. We look with indifference, often with hatred, fear and aversion to the other states. The fledgling states, Taylor demonstrates, lacked common bonds. He writes, Carolinians resented Virginians almost as much as New Yorkers despised New Englanders.

Even within individual states or among social groups, hostilities flared. In the 1780s, stringent economic conditions in western Massachusetts gave rise to Shays Rebellion, in which debt-ridden farmers rose up in armed protest against state taxes. The rebellion was a warning sign of potential anarchy that contributed to the calling of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which enhanced the power of the federal government  power that President George Washington put to use in 1794 when he enlisted 15,000 state militiamen to quell the so-called Whiskey Rebellion, in which backcountry farmers from Pennsylvania down to Georgia staged an insurrection in anger over an excise tax on alcohol.
INSIDE MONEY

Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power

By Zachary Karabell

There is a line at the end of Inside Money, a history of a private Wall Street partnership, that it regarded risk management not as a box to be checked but as a first principle. Its a powerful idea, and it explains how Brown Brothers Harriman has survived two full centuries without going bust, or recklessly pursuing growth, or blowing its capital in any of the speculative bubbles from steamships and railroads to real estate and bitcoin that have inflated since the presidency of James Monroe.

The vital ingredient in Brown Brothers success  which Zachary Karabell reminds us of again and again  is that the firm was not acting as an agent for anonymous shareholders. It was investing its own capital, and this all but required that it act with prudence.

Other firms were better known, and frankly, others had more dramatic stories. Yet there is something quietly stirring in the tale of Alexander Brown, a Belfast linen merchant who emigrated (exactly why no one knows) to Baltimore in 1800, and together with his four sons became, first, a major linen importer, then a dealer in cotton, coffee, copper, iron and sugar, then a financier.

Karabell, the author of several books on business and history, uses Brown Brothers as a lens into the nations growth, and especially in the early decades, its an apt device. In 1827, Alexander invested $50,000, a daunting sum, in seed capital for the Baltimore & Ohio, Americas first passenger railroad, a technology so unproven that the directors planned for horse-drawn carriages if steam power failed. Just as consequentially, the firm financed the growing trans-Atlantic trade. Regrettably, it became a major facilitator of slave-picked cotton.
NERVOUS SYSTEM

By Lina Meruane

Translated by Megan McDowell

There are verses in Mahmoud Darwishs Mural, one of the great Palestinian poets late works, that perfectly describe the uncanny disorientation of collective exile and disappearance. To capture the layers of such loss, Darwish nests one verse within another like Russian dolls, so that as the language accumulates it also recedes into eternity:

Theres no one to ask:

where now is my where?

Where is the city of death

Where am I?

In this no-here 

no-time

and nothingness.

The speakers certainty is further diminished in the next verse, which begins, As if I had died already.

In Nervous System, the Chilean author Lina Meruanes second novel to be translated into English (in both cases by Megan McDowell), the narrator, Ella, archives the loss of her unnamed homeland, the country of the past, and her subsequent, confused launch elsewhere, in a nested structure not unlike Darwishs. We begin with a section titled Black Holes, set in the country of the present, where the immigrant narrators ambitions to write a doctoral thesis on the pulverized physical universe are thwarted by years without writing; what emerges in the place of sentences is a desire to get sick. Ellas unfinished thesis on the bottomless holes of the cosmos is supplanted by the novel itself, which speaks the language of the body: illness.
1. Gaza is facing a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

The nine-day battle between Hamas militants and the Israeli military has damaged 17 hospitals and clinics. Destroyed sewage systems sent fetid wastewater through the streets. A desalination plant providing water to 250,000 people is offline. The only laboratory in Gaza that processes coronavirus tests was damaged by an Israeli airstrike.

The Times created a day-by-day reconstruction of the violence with maps, death tolls and satellite images.

There are subtle signs that Israel and Hamas may be edging toward a cease-fire, with Egypt and the U.N. working to restore calm, according to a person involved in the talks. All E.U. member states except Hungary have called for an immediate cease-fire.
A growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

During the second week of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, Gaza is facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe that is touching nearly every one of its two million residents. There is a shortage of clean water, and fetid wastewater from destroyed sewage systems is coursing through the streets.

In one of the most striking examples of the devastation, an Israeli airstrike damaged the only laboratory in Gaza that processes coronavirus tests. Here are the latest updates.

Palestinians in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza went on strike on Tuesday in a rare moment of unity to protest their shared treatment by Israel. And Arabs across the world are using social media to speak out against Israels actions.

Diplomacy at work: There are some signs that Israel and Hamas may be edging toward a cease-fire, with Egypt and the United Nations working to restore calm, according to a person involved in the talks. E.U. foreign ministers have called for an immediate cease-fire.
The whale-like structure will be opposite the existing observatory, which struggled to accommodate the 700,000 visitors it received on average in the years before the pandemic. Rather than remove the old observatory, officials will turn it into a working science lab and ocean conservation education center.

This new center is an investment in our local community, and hopefully well be able to share it with people from around the globe soon, said Lisa Shreeve, chief executive of Busselton Jetty. Theres something here for everyone.

Through strict lockdowns, Australia has managed the pandemic well, with lower Covid-19 infection and death rates than many comparable developing countries, according to a report released in December by McKinsey & Company. Its economic downturn during the pandemic has also been less pronounced than in many comparable economies, the report said.

But that hasnt stopped migration shifts, especially the growing attraction of leaving major cities for coastal enclaves. On the East Coast, both Sydney and Melbourne registered population losses last year as people flocked to coastal and regional towns, seeking solace and space.

Covid has fast-forwarded Australians desire to be closer to the water and the result is that smaller but high-amenity towns are booming, Mr. Coster said.
As a wildfire blazed near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, a photo of a homeless man was posted on Saturday night on an app called Citizen, which alerts members of the public to crimes and hazards around them.

The app had offered $30,000 to anyone who could provide information that led to the arrest of the man. Tips flew in.

The police detained one man  determined he was not a suspect for alleged arson  and then arrested another person, the authorities said on Monday. By Sunday, Citizen had said its identification of the first man, Devin Hilton, was a mistake. His photo had appeared on the app for 15 hours.

In a statement, the company said that it regretted posting the photo without having coordinated with the appropriate agencies. Once we realized this error, we immediately retracted the photo and reward offer, it said. We are actively working to improve our internal processes to ensure this does not occur again. This was a mistake we are taking very seriously.
According to the BBC, preliminary reports from Monday indicated that more than 100 people had gone around the coast of Cueta to the north side of the enclave. More migrants followed that same path but instead reached the south side.
HONG KONG  BlackRock gave it money. So did Goldman Sachs.

Foreign investors had good reason to trust Huarong, the sprawling Chinese financial conglomerate. Even as its executives showed a perilous appetite for risky borrowing and lending, the investors believed they could depend on Beijing to bail out the state-owned company if things ever got too dicey. Thats what China had always done.

Now some of those same foreign investors may need to think twice. Huarong is more than $40 billion in debt to foreign and domestic investors and shows signs of stumbling. The Chinese government, which has stayed quiet about a rescue, is in the early stages of planning a reorganization that will require foreign and Chinese bondholders alike to accept significant losses on their investments, according to two people familiar with the governments plans.

Beijing has spent decades bailing out Chinese companies that got in over their heads, but in recent years has vowed to turn off the tap. While regulators have promised to make an example out of financial institutions that gorged on loans and waited for the government to foot the bill, Huarong is testing the limits of that resolve.

Unlike the handful of small banks and state-owned companies that have been allowed to fall apart, Huarong is a central part of Chinas financial system and, some say, too big to fail. Its vulnerable status has left Chinas leaders with a difficult choice: let it default and pierce investor faith in the government as a lender of last resort, or bail it out and undermine efforts to tame the ballooning debt threatening the wider economy.
The proposition was tantalizing: Handsome returns awaited investors who would be willing to provide an infusion of cryptocurrency to Elon Musk, the billionaire chief executive of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, for a moneymaking venture.

It seemed too good to be true, because it was.

Investors lost $2 million in six months to fraudsters who impersonated Mr. Musk, the Federal Trade Commission said in a report released on Monday that was meant to draw attention to a spike in cryptocurrency scams.

The commission found that nearly 7,000 people lost a reported $80 million over all from October through March as part of various scams targeting investors in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, a nebulous marketplace that Mr. Musk has bullishly promoted on Twitter. The median amount that they lost was $1,900, according to the commission.

The spate of fraud cases  a nearly 1,000 percent increase compared with the same period the previous year, the report said  came as the price of Bitcoin and Dogecoin soared toward record highs.
HOUSTON  When Arab producers barred oil exports to the United States in 1973, creating long gasoline lines, President Richard Nixon pledged an effort that would combine the spirit of the Apollo program and the determination of the Manhattan Project.

By the end of this decade, we will have developed the potential to meet our own energy needs without depending on any foreign energy sources, he said in a televised address.

His timing was off  it took more than 40 years  but the country has come pretty close to energy independence in recent years thanks to a surge in domestic shale oil and natural gas production and the harnessing of solar and wind energy.

That independence, however, is fragile. Last week, cars lined up at gas stations across much of the Southeast after the Colonial Pipeline was paralyzed by a cyberattack by a criminal group seeking a ransom. The electric grid is also coming under greater stress because of climate change. In the last year, a heat wave in California and a deep freeze in Texas forced rolling blackouts as demand for power outstripped supply.
Recent Sale

$2.175 MILLION

407 Adelphi Street (between Fulton Street and Greene Avenue)

Brooklyn

Built in 1901, this three-story 3,520-square-foot townhouse in Fort Greene has three two-bedroom apartments, a basement and a backyard.

Buyer: Gareth Hughes

Buyers Broker: Eric Sidman of Compass

Seller: OAC Adelphi

Sellers Broker: Anand Melwani of ARM Real Estate Group

Image This six-story building in Midtown was designed in 1925 by William Van Alen and has housed a TGI Fridays for 20 years. Credit... Riese Organization

Recent Sale

$45 MILLION

604 Fifth Avenue (between West 48th and West 49th Streets)

Manhattan

Designed in 1925 by William Van Alen, the architect of Chrysler Building, this six-story building in Midtown housed a TGI Fridays for the past 20 years. The Riese Organization, which has owned the property since 1981, sold it to Kemmei Okada, president of the Japanese confectionery chain Minamoto Kitchoan.
The first one, titled Resist, Accept, Direct, aims to help park employees triage species and landscapes. In some cases, that will mean giving up long efforts to save them. The second outlines how to assess risks when relocating species. That may be crucial to saving plants and animals that can no longer survive in their natural habitat.

Those two papers were the basis for the guidance published last month. On the very first page of that document, set over a photo of the charred Santa Monica Mountains after the 2018 Woolsey fire, the authors state that it will not be possible to safeguard all park resources, processes, assets, and values in their current form or context over the long term.

Decisions about what to protect are especially imminent for forests, where changes are leading some researchers to wonder if the age of North American woodlands is coming to an end.

In the United States Southwest, for example, research suggests that, in the event of wildfires, up to 30 percent of forestland might never grow back because global warming favors shrubs or grasslands in their ranges. Joshua trees appear likely to lose all of their habitat in their namesake national park by the end of the century.

The new guidelines essentially ask park managers to think beyond resistance to change and begin considering transformation as the prevailing theme to be greeted and managed. In some isolated cases, resisting ecological change might work for a while. In other cases, losses must be accepted. But just as often, there may be room to shepherd changes in a less calamitous direction.
My husband and I have been married for a short time. Were in our late 40s and are grateful to have found love; we have worked hard to understand each other deeply, especially because we were raised in different cultures: I in the United States; he in India.

The situation in India with Covid-19 is terrifying and heart-wrenching. My husband is now talking to his family once a day, as two generations are sheltering in place in one apartment outside Delhi, a center of the pandemic. His parents are vaccinated, but his sister and her family are not. As bad news pours in via FaceTime about children being orphaned or friends with both parents in the I.C.U., my husband is adamant that if his parents or sister become ill (with Covid or anything else), he will return to India to be with them. Even though my husband and I are both vaccinated, I am terrified each time he says this. In his understandably heightened state, I dont think that he is able to see how incredibly dangerous this journey would be: to himself; to his family, whom he so wants to protect; to me (I have a chronic illness); and to our relationship.

He says that all that wouldnt be a problem  that he would stay in a hotel so as not to add to his familys risk level. But its hard for me to see how he could keep them safe without first quarantining for 10 days after flying and then going to see them, at which point any ill family members may no longer be with us. And then he would have to survive the return journey.

It doesnt help that a friend of his recently flew back to Delhi to care for his dying mother. This friend says that it is absolutely horrible there, but there he is, being the good son and going home in a pandemic. It is no use telling my husband that tens of thousands of people have had to say goodbye via FaceTime  from as close as across the hallway  and that this devastating state of affairs is the safest (if saddest) way.
Can Trumpism become a winning strategy again?

For years, but especially since Mr. Bidens victory, the transformation of the Republican Party into what Ms. Cheney called an anti-democratic Trump cult of personality has fueled predictions of its imminent collapse. But there are more than a few reasons to think Trumpism could once again carry the party to victory and remain in power for a long time.

A realignment in the electorate: Even as the G.O.P.s politics of racial grievance became more overt under Mr. Trump  it was birtherism that catapulted his political career, as the Times columnist Jamelle Bouie reminded readers in January  the American electorate has become less polarized around racial lines. At the same time, it has become more polarized by educational attainment. According to David Shor, the head of data science at OpenLabs, support for Democrats increased from 2016 by seven percentage points among white college graduates in the 2020 election but fell by one to two points among African-Americans, roughly five points among Asian-Americans and by eight to nine points among Hispanic Americans.

Why? One explanation is that college-educated voters are less likely to identify as moderates. As Democrats have traded non-college-educated voters for college-educated ones, white liberals share of voice and clout in the Democratic Party has gone up, Mr. Shor told New York magazine. And since white voters are sorting on ideology more than nonwhite voters, weve ended up in a situation where white liberals are more left wing than Black and Hispanic Democrats on pretty much every issue.

Institutional advantage: Nonwhite and Hispanic voters still vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, but even a small decline in their support may be enough for Republicans to retake control of the government. Thats in part because our representative institutions are tilted in favor of the G.O.P., enabling it to win control of the White House and Congress without winning a majority of votes and insulating the party from popular opinion. The Republican advantage is likely to become even more pronounced after the 2020 census is tabulated and congressional districts are redrawn.

The polluted information environment: According to a CNN poll released this month, 70 percent of Republicans still say Biden did not legitimately win the presidential election. As The Timess Maggie Astor reported, the Republican Partys embrace of Mr. Trumps election lies has played a key role in the push to pass restrictive voting laws around the country. Lawmakers in at least 33 states have cited low public confidence in election integrity in their public comments as a justification for such bills, according to a tally by The New York Times, and in several states the bills have already been signed into law.

Its like a perpetual motion machine  you create the fear of fraud out of vapors and then cut down on peoples votes because of the fog youve created, said Michael Waldman, the president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. Politicians, for partisan purposes, lied to supporters about widespread fraud. The supporters believe the lies, and then that belief creates this rationale for the politicians to say, Well, I know its not really true, but look how worried everybody is.

Unlike gerrymandering or congressional malapportionment, the decline in Republican trust in American elections is a problem with no simple legislative solution. If enough people believe that a government is not elected legitimately, thats a huge problem for democracy, Keith A. Darden, a political science professor at American University in Washington, told The Times last year. Once reality gets degraded, its really hard to get it back.
Vicki L.W. Graff

Harvey J. Graff

Columbus, Ohio

To the Editor:

Re Experts Expected Mandates on Masks to Stand for a Year (news article, May 15):

The new C.D.C. guidelines that permit going without a mask for the fully vaccinated in most day-to-day activities in the United States are both welcome and surprising. According to your survey of hundreds of epidemiologists outside the C.D.C., they are no doubt surprised, too.

All along, this crisis has been a fluid one. And so public policy has labored along in fits and starts, and the country is now ready to try to get things moving.

All along, there have been those who have been less cautious. There will continue to be many who will remain more cautious.

What we are being told, I believe, is that if you are fully vaccinated, you are no longer a serious risk to yourself or others. We should not be afraid to hear good news. We seem to be out of practice.

Bruce Neuman

Water Mill, N.Y.

To the Editor:

The new C.D.C. guidelines regarding masking are misguided. The media often point to Israel as a source of statistics regarding vaccination success. However, in Israel, which has a much higher vaccination rate, all indoor public spaces are required to enforce masking of all workers and patrons regardless of vaccination status. Any other rules are unenforceable and put a large swath of the population at risk.
If parades are celebrations of community and history, the Pride parade is also about the joy of belonging  of being part of a people knitted together by shared identity and survival. It wasnt so long ago that L.G.B.T.Q. people were thrilled to cheer for every out person and ally who would march in the parade, including L.G.B.T.Q. police officers, who often received some of the biggest cheers from onlookers. These police officers were vital in helping make the L.G.B.T.Q. community more visible and varied in a nation slow to overcome old stereotypes and fears. Today, at a time when Republican legislatures are attacking transgender rights across the country, its a strange moment for the L.G.B.T.Q. community to be closing the door on some of its own and missing an opportunity to broaden its coalition.

The New York City Pride organizers decision is part of a worrisome trend in recent years of Pride organizers who have barred uniformed officers from marching in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, or have tried to do so, in places like Sacramento and St. Louis. Officers like Ms. Arboleda should be able to march in the parade and express their solidarity with the L.G.B.T.Q. community, preserving the inclusive spirit of Pride celebrations. Taking a pledge to protect and serve your city should not mean sacrificing the chance to be included in a community celebration of your identity.

Surveys of the L.G.B.T.Q. community demonstrate support for a more inclusive approach to Pride: A 2019 poll by Whitman Insight Strategies and BuzzFeed News found that 79 percent of L.G.B.T.Q. Americans welcomed police participation in Pride.

The ability of reform-minded officers like Ms. Arboleda to participate in Pride was hard won, as part of a 1996 lawsuit that granted the Gay Officers Action League the right to participate fully in New Yorks parade.

New York Citys first Pride celebration 51 years ago was a commemoration of the uprising sparked by a police raid on Greenwich Villages Stonewall Inn one year earlier. Tensions between Pride participants and police officers have remained ever since, sometimes fanned by police misconduct. Last year a confrontation erupted between demonstrators from the Queer Liberation March and the police near Washington Square Park, and protesters said officers used pepper spray.
Studying the site, which abuts the noisy highway and Long Island Rail Road to the north, Mr. Masi noted that the cottage seemed to be pushed into a dark corner of the lot to keep it as far from the traffic as possible. For better light and air, and to expand the usable portion of the yard outside, he proposed putting the new house closer to the center of the lot. Because it was in a flood zone, the land would also have to be built up about six feet higher than it was. To deal with the noise, Mr. Masi wanted to design a house with a thick front wall that would create an acoustical shadow, he said, to shield the interior spaces and the new backyard behind it.

The simplest way to control sound is just with mass, whether its stone or masonry, Mr. Masi said. We looked at stone, concrete, brick, but it was really just out of our budget. Then he found a soundproofing material called mass loaded vinyl, more commonly used on interior floors and walls, and devised a method for building it into the facade by clamping sheets of the material between vertical weathering-steel brackets and covering them with cedar siding.

The resulting 1,762-square-foot house is opaque in front, with no openings except for the front door, which is protected by its own wall of cedar and mass loaded vinyl. When you step inside, outdoor sounds fade away and the house opens up with a view through a 28-foot-long expanse of floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors that connect to a new deck and firepit. A combined kitchen, dining and living space is at the center of the home; the primary suite is on one side, and a guest bedroom and den is on the other.

Together, Mr. Berryman and Mr. Masi developed a minimalist material palette. Interior walls are finished in the same white cedar as the exterior; floors, walls and cabinets are white oak; and the stone in the kitchen and bathrooms is sandblasted Gaja Venus quartzite. Mr. Berryman, a design aficionado who chose all the furniture, didnt want to see many light fixtures, so Mr. Masi recessed light boxes into the ceilings and vertical light slots in the walls.
Lackawaxen, Pa.: For the record (mine), Hamas started attacking civilian targets after a Jewish doctor shot about 150 praying Muslims in a mosque during the early 1990s. The memories of Voicers Bela Fidel and Paul Baumann are that Hamas has started all the conflicts with Israel. They justify the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu, in preserving power, had the bollocks to do what his D.C. Doppel did not (except too late, and when he controlled both rioters and law enforcement). The U.S. cannot withdraw support from Israel if it wishes to maintain influence in the Middle East. However, since we know that our billions in military aid will likely kill thousands of Palestinians, we might try to maintain some dignity by getting Israel to return circumstances to the way they were, once some assurances of their security can be agreed upon. Treating Palestinian civilians as if they deserved to become casualties probably is not a step in the right direction. John A. MacKinnon
In the six days since her defenestration from the leadership ranks of the Republican Party, Liz Cheney  the congresswoman from Wyoming, right-wing Republican, daughter of the former vice president and now leader of the anti-Trump party opposition  has been hard to ignore.

There she was in the halls of the Capitol, in a bright blue dress and matching jacket, pledging before the cameras to do her best to make sure the former president never returns to the Oval Office. Here she was in her office for a Today show sit-down with Savannah Guthrie, her sensible beige pumps crossed at the ankle, reiterating the same. There she was in a Fox News sparring match with Bret Baier, disavowing the Big Lie in a somber black dress and navy jacket. Here she was on CNN with Jake Tapper, once more into the fray, all in black.

She has been, in other words, a more ubiquitous public presence than pretty much any other elected politician from either party. And she says she is just beginning, waging her battle not behind the closed doors of Congress but on the small screen, for all to hear and see.
My Daily Walk

My sister and I werent close growing up. The oldest of seven, Barbara was bookish, while I, the second oldest, couldnt sit still  always playing hopscotch and tag outside our Bronx apartment. When Barbara left for Bennington College, the elder-sibling responsibilities fell on me. To escape, I started visiting her in Vermont. Suddenly in a less diverse environment, Barbara missed me. Thus began our very intimate relationship that spanned 50 years. Cancer took her last April. One thing we loved to do together was walk. Now when I take my daily walk, I feel her presence.  Beverly Abercrombie
For her thesis project she collected pebbles from her favorite beach, north of Boston, and encased them in armatures of silver: small stones of matching size became earrings, larger natural ovals became pendants. A buyer at Barneys promptly wrote an order, which meant that Platner was in business  but she needed a workshop. An ad tacked to a bulletin board at Bubbys, the TriBeCa restaurant co-founded in 1990 by her then boyfriend, led her to Bleecker and Crosby. She remembers climbing the creaking wooden stairs for the first time, noticing the brick hearths in each corner and the chisel marks on the hand-hewn beams  a kind of considered artisanship reflected by her own  and gasping at the light that flooded in from the tall sash windows at either end. She rented one floor of the building and made it her studio, setting workbenches beneath the windows and polishing machines in the middle of the space. Eventually, she expanded into the carriage house, where an anvil takes center stage. Its there that new ideas move from Platners mind and into metal, whether that of the massive steel mobiles hanging from the rafters, or the delicate silver elements of her wearable art: spirals and rings and toggles and clasps filed in a chest of vintage industrial drawers. (I traded jewelry for the chest with an antiques dealer friend a couple of doors down, Platner recalls.) Fabric-draped couches make an unexpected counterpoint to hammers and drills; in fact, though Platner can often be found there wielding a mallet or a jewelers saw, its a place of immense comfort. Ive always felt that the building took care of me, she says. Its a refuge.
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Apple wouldnt be the company it is today without China. Its where Apple manufactures nearly all of its products and sells many of them.

But my colleagues have a disturbing new article about what Apples dependence on China costs the company and Chinas citizens. Reading it left me questioning whether its worth it for Apple and other American companies to operate in China if it means flouting their principles.

Jack Nicas, one of the reporters for the article, spoke to me about their investigation into the compromises that Apple makes to stay in the good graces of the Chinese government.

Shira: Its been clear for a long time that Apple is obeying Chinese laws in ways the company doesnt love. What was new and notable from your reporting?
Still, Fever is a pleasant enough opening, and Benton and Carbajal, directed by Emily Maltby, make it look smooth and easy. Thats pretty much always the case in Breathe, even though the entire show was filmed, at the 92nd Street Y in New York, without scenery or props, and with just a piano accompaniment. The orchestrations were seamlessly backfilled later  or reverse engineered, as Picoult told The New York Times.

The reverse engineering of the second chapter, Aches, is not so successful; its plot, about a quarantining gay couple who completely mistake each others intentions, never rings true. If Theo (Max Clayton) and Max (Matt Doyle) at least seem like a couple, that may be because Clayton and Doyle really are one; they bring internal authenticity to a story motivated by unlikely externalities.

Perhaps the O. Henry-ish twists, including the hoary reading of a crumpled letter, would have worked better if given more room to play out, but all five chapters wind up cannibalizing one another for time. As it is, the plot reversals  Max is expecting a marriage proposal but Theo is planning to break up instead  barely register before another reversal and, soon enough, another chapter come along. Theres little the director, Joe Barros, can do to vary the tone or complicate the pairs few signboarded traits: Max, hyper-romantic and dim; Theo, wolfish and opportunistic.

Im all for opportunism, and even cannibalism, in a musical, but Breathe, most of which was scripted by Picoult and McDonald, seems unwilling to make anyone a villain. Instead of faults, its characters have failings: problems that, unlike Covid itself, are quickly correctable. Perhaps thats why most of the chapters are tied so weakly to their title symptoms  or, for that matter, to the pandemic, which is vaguely blamed in Aches for forcing too much intimacy on a pair that wasnt ready for it.
A North Carolina prosecutor said on Tuesday that sheriffs deputies were justified in the fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. because he used his car as a deadly weapon while trying to evade arrest.

But body camera footage released for the first time by the prosecutor, R. Andrew Womble, is unlikely to quell the intense debate about whether the deputies should be held criminally responsible for the death of Mr. Brown, a Black man. He was killed on the morning of April 21 as they served drug-related arrest warrants at his house in Elizabeth City, N.C.

The video shows Mr. Brown trying to drive away from officers, but the prosecutor said that as soon as Mr. Brown used the vehicle against the orders of the deputies, it became a potentially deadly weapon, and they were justified in using deadly force.

A slow-motion review of the video by The New York Times shows Mr. Brown appearing to clip a deputy as he begins to drive in reverse. Mr. Brown then pulls forward, toward the same deputy, trying to drive away between him and a second deputy.
Good morning.

Six-hundred-dollar checks. Universal prekindergarten. Forgiveness for back rent, traffic tickets, utility bills. Big investments in the electrical grid, broadband, wildfire prevention, drought mitigation. Tax breaks for small business and Hollywood.

Flush with a huge surplus and threatened by a campaign to recall him from office, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week proposed a state budget that was the government equivalent of that time everyone in the studio audience got a Pontiac on Oprah. This week, state legislators took up the $267.8 billion plan.

With a mid-June budget deadline and Newsoms fellow Democrats dominating the Legislature, the broad priorities are unlikely to change much. Still, like all those free cars, its a lot to process. Here are a few things to know:

This budget is about both the recovery and the recall.

Newsom has been in campaign mode for months, since it became clear that the Republican-led recall effort would most likely lead to a special election. Polls show that an increasing majority of voters disapprove of the recall. But hes still in a vulnerable position with lawmakers and lobbyists.

Last weeks budget rollout was a cavalcade of photo ops for big-ticket line items: Rebate checks of up to $1,100 on Monday for middle-income Californians; historic spending on homelessness on Tuesday; an expansion of preschool to all 4-year-olds on Wednesday; a major small-business grant program on Thursday.
I still think when you walk indoors you have to look at every person that youre around, thinking they could have it, she said.

Not everyone is fretting over the new guidance or pondering trust.

Im not that troubled by the honor system, said Tim Lovoy, 62, a retired accountant in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles who said he felt assured by the data.

Mr. Lovoy is fully vaccinated, he said, which offers him strong protection. In his home area of Los Angeles County, new virus cases have dropped to about 3 per 100,000, the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

These days, Mr. Lovoy has assessed his risk of getting Covid-19 to be lower than getting in an accident on the freeway. He is getting ready to return to normalcy, including practicing karate indoors again, and said he is wasting little time worrying about whether other maskless people he encounters are vaccinated.

If people are vaccinated, their risk in taking off their mask is very, very low, and thats their own decision to make, he said. And if people are not vaccinated and dont wear a mask, theyre putting themselves at risk.

Throughout the pandemic, views on the coronavirus have often split along partisan lines, and the new questions about masking  and about other peoples vaccination status  may be no different.

The changes by the C.D.C. are likely to be most jarring to Democrats, who have been more likely than Republicans to see the coronavirus as a major threat, more likely to overstate risks from the virus, and more likely to get vaccinated.
Two sheriffs deputies in South Carolina were fired on Monday for their role in the death of a Black man on whom they used pepper spray and Tasers after he was taken to jail from a mental health facility in January.

The actions of the deputies while they tried to remove the man from a jail cell  shown in graphic video footage that was released last week by the Charleston County Sheriffs Office  touched off protests and prompted calls for changes to how people experiencing mental illness are treated while in custody.

The footage showed one of the deputies placing a knee on the back of the man, Jamal Sutherland, and Mr. Sutherland saying, I cant breathe, which drew comparisons to last years killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

Mr. Sutherland, 31, was declared dead soon after the Jan. 5 encounter.

The deputies, Sgt. Lindsay Fickett and Detention Deputy Brian Houle, had been placed on administrative leave before their firing was announced Monday on Twitter by Kristin Graziano, the Charleston County sheriff.
WASHINGTON  Iran is exporting hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil each day, violating American sanctions even as world powers negotiate to lift the economic penalties and revitalize a nuclear accord that was rendered all but defunct by the Trump administration.

The oil exports have been rising over the past year, according to data and analysts who monitor a collection of monthly statistics and satellite images from around the world. Irans exports sharply increased last winter, the data show, after the November elections.

That has raised questions about the effectiveness of American sanctions when they are imposed unilaterally, as they were during the Trump administration. And it suggests that Iran and its oil buyers may be betting that any penalties they may face are worth the risk as the Biden administration works to rejoin the nuclear deal that Mr. Trump jettisoned in May 2018.

Starting in December, Iran went to the market very boldly, said Fereidun Fesharaki, the founder and chairman of FGE, an energy consulting group.
Starting in 2011, even that Kafkaesque status quo went downhill. Contrary to our criminal courts, which have a standard that guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt, the Office for Civil Rights began to demand that schools use a standard of only 50.01% certainty in their adjudications, and required institutions to allow accusers to appeal if the accused was found not to be responsible or if they thought the punishment was insufficiently severe. In 2013, OCR went still further, announcing that sexual harassment was any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature including verbal conduct (that is, speech). If someone even overheard a students dirty joke or sexual banter and complained, the government now considered the student a sexual harasser.
WASHINGTON  An expansive bill that would pour $120 billion into jump-starting scientific innovation by strengthening research into cutting-edge technologies is barreling through the Senate, amid a rising sense of urgency in Congress to bolster the United States ability to compete with China.

At the heart of the sprawling legislation, known as the Endless Frontier Act, is an investment in the nations research and development into emerging sciences and manufacturing on a scale that its proponents say has not been seen since the Cold War. The Senate voted 86 to 11 on Monday to advance the bill past a procedural hurdle, with Democrats and Republicans united in support, and a vote to approve, along with a tranche of related China bills, is expected this month.

The nearly 600-page bill has moved swiftly through the Senate, powered by intensifying concerns in both parties about Beijings chokehold on critical supply chains. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the risks of Chinas dominance, as health care workers have confronted medical supply shortages and a global semiconductor shortage has shut American automobile factories and slowed shipments of consumer electronics.

The bill, led by Senators Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, and Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, is the spine of a package of legislation Mr. Schumer requested in February from the chairmen of key committees, aimed at recalibrating the nations relationship with China and shoring up American jobs. Taken together, the array of bipartisan bills would amount to the most significant step Congress has seriously considered in years to enhance the nations competitiveness with Beijing.
When the Senate voted in 1994 to confirm Justice Stephen G. Breyer to the Supreme Court, the final tally was 87 to 9. Though hed been nominated by President Bill Clinton, a wide majority of Republicans voted in his favor.

Particularly for members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, much of Justice Breyers appeal came from his work in the late 1970s as a lead counsel to that committee. In those years, just after the civil rights movement and Watergate, the ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans on many issues was hazy at best, and he developed a reputation for being evenhanded.

That kind of bipartisan camaraderie is mostly a thing of the past these days  but Justice Breyer, who at 82 is the oldest member of the Supreme Courts diminished liberal wing, hasnt forgotten about it. And hed like to play some part in bringing it back.

But how, exactly?

Justice Breyer recently raised the hackles of liberal activists who have said he should resign quickly to allow President Biden to replace him. In fact, he said he was ethically opposed to the idea.
In 2000, Stanley Mozee and Dennis Allen were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a Texas pastor who had been stabbed 47 times at a store he owned.

But the two have always maintained their innocence, and after they spent 15 years behind bars, an investigation uncovered evidence that indicated, at the very least, that they had not been granted a fair trial, and they were freed on bond in 2014. Investigations by the Innocence Project, the Innocence Project of Texas and the Dallas County District Attorneys Office continued, unearthing evidence that eventually proved Mr. Mozees and Mr. Allens innocence. Much of the material was in the lead prosecutors files the whole time.

In 2018 their convictions were thrown out, and in 2019  after new DNA testing cast doubt on their involvement  a judge declared Mr. Mozee and Mr. Allen actually innocent.

Now, the former lead prosecutor in the case, Richard E. Jackson, who the State Bar of Texas said had withheld evidence during the trial, has surrendered his law license and effectively been disbarred  a relatively rare consequence in the realm of wrongful convictions.
MIAMI  Representative Val B. Demings, Democrat of Florida, intends to run for the Senate next year, two people with knowledge of her plans and the partys strategy on Senate races said Tuesday. Her entry into the race gives Democrats a high-profile challenger against Senator Marco Rubio, the incumbent Republican.

Ms. Demings is expected to formally announce her candidacy in the coming weeks, according to one of her advisers. Her plans were first reported by Politico.

Her impending campaign comes as Florida Democrats, battered from mounting electoral losses there since 2016 and by former President Donald J. Trumps comfortable win in the state last year, jostle over how to best take on Mr. Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who also faces re-election next year.

Ms. Demings, a former police chief who represents a district in Orlando, had been weighing whether to run for Senate or for governor. Mr. DeSantis is a top target for Democrats because if he wins re-election, he will be considered an early favorite for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election. Early signals suggested Ms. Demings was leaning toward the governor race: When Representative Charlie Crist declared his Democratic candidacy against Mr. DeSantis this month, her team released a polished biographical web video on the same day.
WEED, Calif.  When they see the signs for Weed, carloads of curious travelers veer off the freeway to stop and gawk. They file into gift shops that sell Weed Is So Dope refrigerator magnets and sweatshirts advertising a fictional University of Weed: A Place of Higher Learning.

For decades, the residents of Weed, a California lumber town an hour from the Oregon border, have felt like the butt of jokes, exasperated from the repetition of the Daily Explanation: No, the town is not named for marijuana but a local 19th-century timber baron, Abner Weed. For years, the town rejected proposals to leverage the name and allow the sale of marijuana.

I did not want a bunch of potheads sitting out in front of the store smoking doobies on a bench, said Sue Tavalero, a former hairdresser who is now mayor.
BOGOTA, Colombia  Protests have rocked Colombia for more than a month, with thousands of people pouring into the streets of its major cities, demonstrators blocking major roads and the police responding at times with lethal force. At least 46 people, many of them protesters, have died.

On Sunday, President Ivan Duque announced that he would ask Congress to pass measures aimed at reforming the countrys national police, including the creation of a human rights directorate within the department and the introduction of body cameras for all street-level officers.

Allegations of police abuse have drawn international condemnation since the protests began.

Mr. Duque said such reforms would help the department strengthen the policy of defense, protection and guardianship of human rights.

Interviews and video analysis by The New York Times show that police officers have fired bullets at peaceful protesters, beaten demonstrators in custody and fired tear gas canisters or other forms of less-lethal ammunition at people from close range. At least three officers now face murder charges.
They also face intimidation and violence, with videos circulating of angry family members thrashing medical staff in hospital halls covered in blood, or local strongmen bullying and scolding them.

Everybody who comes is tense, and even a small issue sparks a big fight and the people are not understanding of the situation, Dr. Jayalal said. Unfortunately, health care professionals have been asked to manage all this.

Nothing has underscored their helplessness more than the sometimes avoidable death of their own colleagues in front of their eyes.

Dr. R.K. Himthani, the head of the gastroenterology department at the Batra hospital in New Delhi, became one of 12 victims when the hospital ran out of oxygen for 80 minutes early in May. Dr. Himthani had treated Covid patients for 14 months before he and his wife were infected.

As the oxygen ran out, Dr. Shiv Charan Lal Gupta, the director of the hospital and a friend of Dr. Himthani for three decades, ran up and down the hallways sending messages to government officials, media outlets and anybody who might help.
Despite the severity of her symptoms, officials waited until March 4 to take Ms. Rathnayake to a hospital. A psychiatrist who examined her wrote that her sponsors had told her that being sick would improve her chances of being released, according to a medical record reviewed by The Times and first reported by TBS, a Japanese broadcaster. START denies the allegation.

The cause of Ms. Rathnayakes illness was unclear, the doctor noted. While it was possible that she was faking, he wrote, there would be no harm in granting her request for medical release, adding that if you think about the patients benefit, thats probably best.

Two days later, Ms. Rathnayake was dead.

At the end of April, a group of opposition lawmakers held a video meeting with Ms. Rathnayakes mother and sisters. One after another, they conveyed their deepest apologies and asked what they could do to help assuage the familys grief.

I want to know why they let her suffer, her mother said. Why didnt they take her to the hospital as soon as possible?

For now, the family can only speculate. An interim report on Ms. Rathnayakes death, released by immigration officials last month, is filled with minute detail, like blood pressure and oxygen saturation readings during each checkup, the exact time she was administered medicine for her headaches or chest pain, every bite of food she ate or rejected.

But it omits the most important information: an answer for Ms. Rathnayakes mother.
BRUSSELS  European Union foreign ministers overwhelmingly called for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians in an emergency meeting on Tuesday, according to the blocs foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell Fontelles.

All of the member states except Hungary backed a statement that condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and supported Israels right to self-defense but also cautioned that it had to be done in a proportional manner and respecting international humanitarian law, Mr. Borrell said at a news conference.

He said that the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, including a high number of women and children, was unacceptable. And he said that the European Union, as part of the quartet with the United States, Russia and the United Nations that seeks peace in the Middle East, would push to restart a serious diplomatic process.

The priority is the immediate cessation of all violence and the implementation of a cease-fire, Mr. Borrell said. Foreign policy in the European Union works by unanimity, so Mr. Borrells comments, despite Hungarys opposition, were an effort, he said, to reflect the overall agreement.
NOTTINGHAM, England  Hilary Silvester still recalls the moment she first saw the Broadmarsh Center, a bleak 1970s shopping mall that symbolized Nottinghams modernization in a scorned architectural era but is now being consigned to history.

To be honest, I started to cry, said Ms. Silvester, executive chairwoman of the Nottingham Civic Society, describing how the center created a giant wall across the city, obliterating the familiar skyline behind. I couldnt see one building that I recognized.

Main streets and malls across Europe are in retreat, with retail stores closing right and left, and when it is bulldozed completely, this aging, unloved edifice will become a symbol of that decline. While retailers were already fighting a losing battle against online competition, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend, scuppering any chance of replacing the Broadmarsh with another mall.

So in a preview, perhaps, of what many cities throughout the world may soon face, Nottingham is mulling what to do with this soon-to-be gaping hole at its core. And at the heart of that debate lies an intriguing question: Should the city of the future look more like the past?
This undermines democracy. Society is about navigating collective wants much larger than the available resources, and voting is how we square that difficult circle. Well-meaning activists shortcutting those trade-offs is essentially a way to force climate action at the expense of all other worthy goals. And for well-meaning judges across the rich world to play along is opening a Pandoras box for all sorts of litigation. Why shouldnt thousands of other special interests bypass democracy and appeal directly to the courts to deliver their preferred outcome, from pot-hole-free roads to abundant teachers for children and access to even the most expensive cancer drugs?
Spain deployed troops, military trucks and helicopters in its North African enclave of Ceuta on Tuesday after thousands of people crossed over from Morocco, one of the largest movements of migrants reported in the area in recent years.

More than 8,000 migrants, including nearly 2,000 minors, arrived on the beaches of Ceuta on Monday and Tuesday, mostly swimming or aboard inflatable boats, according to the Spanish authorities, who said that Spain had already sent back 4,000 people.

The sudden arrival of thousands of people in Ceuta  more than had attempted the crossing in all the rest of the year so far  comes amid a deepening diplomatic spat between Spain and Morocco over the hospitalization in Spain of the leader of a rebel group that has fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco.

Videos broadcast on Spanish television on Tuesday appeared to show Moroccan border guards opening fences to the Spanish enclave. While Morocco has warned of consequences for harboring the rebel leader, it was not immediately clear if the spike in migration was linked to the diplomatic dispute.
ISTANBUL  Sliding in opinion polls amid a severe economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is looking unusually embattled these days. And now his administration has been hit by a roiling corruption scandal that some say has a fin de siecle aura about it.

Even as the Israeli bombing of Gaza has filled their television screens over the past week, millions of Turks have been turning to YouTube to hear the latest extraordinary claims of a convicted organized crime boss, Sedat Peker, who is living in exile. In a series of videos over two weeks, Mr. Peker, who was found guilty in 2007 of organized criminal activity and is wanted again by the Turkish police, has flung accusations of rape, drug dealing and suspicious deaths against officials close to Mr. Erdogan.

Mr. Pekers first accusation appeared aimed at the Pelikan group, a clique centered around Berat Albayrak, Mr. Erdogans son-in-law and a former finance minister; and Mehmet Agar, a disgraced former interior minister. But soon, his main target became Suleyman Soylu, the powerful and ambitious interior minister.

Do not doubt, I will teach some tyrants that there is no more dangerous weapon than a man who dares to die, Mr. Peker said on Twitter, advertising the third video. Deep Statists, Pelikanists, you will be defeated by a camera on a tripod, he added.
Sewage systems have been destroyed, sending fetid wastewater into the streets of Gaza City. A critical desalination plant that helped provide fresh water to 250,000 people is offline, and water pipes serving at least 800,000 people have been damaged. Landfills are closed, with trash piling up. And dozens of schools have been either damaged or ordered to close, forcing some 600,000 students to miss classes on Monday.

Even before the loss of the coronavirus testing center, vaccine supplies headed to Gaza had been indefinitely delayed by the fighting, and only a tiny fraction of Gazans had been vaccinated.

All of this is happening in a situation where we know in Gaza, the humanitarian situation even before this latest round of fighting was not good, to say the least, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the United Nations, told reporters on Tuesday at U.N. headquarters in New York. Access to vaccines was very challenging. So, this only makes things worse.An operation to move some emergency relief supplies into Gaza on Tuesday was suspended by what Israeli officials and senior aid workers said was Palestinian mortar fire near Israels Kerem Shalom crossing into the territory. Only five fuel trucks from a 24-truck convoy of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which aids Palestinian refugees, made it through before traffic was halted because of mortar explosions.

I recognize the efforts undertaken today to open Kerem Shalom crossing, allowing UNRWA fuel trucks to enter Gaza, Mark Lowcock, the top United Nations humanitarian aid official, said in a statement. Regrettably, other essential humanitarian cargo was unable to cross.

He called upon all parties to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
GAZA CITY  The nine-day battle between Hamas militants and the Israeli military has damaged 17 hospitals and clinics in Gaza, wrecked its only coronavirus test laboratory, sent fetid wastewater into its streets and broke water pipes serving at least 800,000 people, setting off a humanitarian crisis that is touching nearly every civilian in the crowded enclave of about two million people.

Sewage systems inside Gaza have been destroyed. A desalination plant that helped provide fresh water to 250,000 people in the territory is offline. Dozens of schools have been damaged or closed, forcing some 600,000 students to miss classes. Some 72,000 Gazans have been forced to flee their homes. And at least 213 Palestinians have been killed, including dozens of children.

The level of destruction and loss of life in Gaza has underlined the humanitarian challenge in the enclave, already suffering under the weight of an indefinite blockade by Israel and Egypt even before the latest conflict.
This attack was barbaric, he said. Theres no way to justify it.

The Israeli Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the strike. Since Israel began its bombing campaign in Gaza on May 10, the army has said that its airstrikes aim solely at militants and their infrastructure.

Dr. Dhair said that he believed the equipment inside the lab was unharmed but emphasized that it would take at least a day to clean up the damage and prepare it to process coronavirus tests again. In the meantime, he said, medical teams would stop administering tests.

Rami Abadla, the director of the Gaza ministrys infection control department, said that the lab would also be temporarily unable to process results for other tests related to H.I.V., hepatitis C and other conditions.

Over the past week, the authorities in Gaza have tested an average of 515 Palestinians daily for the virus. Only 1.9 percent of Gazas two million people were fully vaccinated as of Monday, according to official data, compared with 56 percent in Israel.

After a surge in cases in April, blamed mostly on the highly transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in Britain, new infections in Gaza had recently fallen to a manageable level, health experts said. But with Israeli airstrikes destroying buildings, causing widespread damage and leaving more than 200 people dead as of Monday, United Nations officials have warned that coronavirus cases could rise again.
As President Hamilton has often written this year, 2020-2021 will stand apart in NYU's history. Never before have we completed an entire academic year with a hybrid teaching and learning setup, remote work, phyiscal distancing, and a host of safety protocolsfrom masking to testingagainst the backdrop of a pandemic and other national and global crises. And yet, thanks to the dedication of our university community, academic life proceeded uninterrupted: researchers made new discoveries and artists created new work; faculty, students, and staff garnered prestigious honors and top prizes; NYU and its schools moved up in several rankings; and we received a record number of applications while admitting the most diverse new class in NYU's history. As we look forward to having more of us back together on campus again, here's a look back at some other milestones and accomplishments from this challenging year.

September

After months of health and safety planning, the announcement of new testing and quarantining protocols, and a phased, physically distanced move-in to the residence halls, some students and faculty returned to campus for in-person instruction, with many others returning remotely.

Seventeen NYU Tisch alumni received a total of 18 Creative and Primetime Emmy Awards.

Tisch came in at no. 3 on the Hollywood Reporter's 2020 ranking of top film schools.

October

In taking the Cool Food Pledge, NYU committed to a 25 percent reduction of food-related greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030, joining 30 other organizations who serve more than 800 million meals annually. The University is also on its way to reducing emissions 50 percent by 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

The Board of Elections in the City of New York and and NYU established the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts as one of only 16 locations for early voting in Manhattan for the 2020 election. While NYU is consistently a designated polling site on Election Day, this was the first time NYU hosted early voting.

Even with a Broadway season cut short due to the pandemic, NYU faculty and alumni were still nominated for more than 20 Tony Awards.

Fred Moten, a Tisch professor in the Department of Performance Studies, was named a 2020 MacArthur Fellow.

President Hamilton announced the winnersElise Cappella, Jacob William Faber, Leah Lattimore, Marcus R. Pyle, and Lorel E. Burnsof the 2020 Making a Difference Awards, given bienially to faculty, employees, students, and young alumni who have found innovative ways to address some of their communitys most pressing problems.

The Faculty of Arts and Science welcomed award-winning poet Claudia Rankine as a new professor of creative writing.

Ta-Nehisi Coates The Case for Reparations, a 2014 essay in the Atlantic, was named the Top Work of Journalism of the Decade by a panel of judges convened by NYU's Carter Journalism Institute. The complete top 10 for the deacde were announced at a virtual ceremony on October 14.

100 gecs, the groundbreaking pop duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, joined Tisch's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music as artists-in-residence for the 2020-2021 academic year.

November

NYU unveiled a new high-performance computing cluster, Greene, which is now the most powerful supercomputer in the New York metropolitan area, one of the top 10 most powerful supercomputers in higher education, and one of the top 100 greenest supercomputers in the world.

Two NYU Abu Dhabi students, Maitha AlSuwaidi and Hoor Alnuaimi, were selected as 2021 UAE Rhodes Scholars.

Twenty-six NYU faculty members were named to the 2020 Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate Analytics, which recognized social scientists from around the world who have published multiple papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations in their fields over the past decade (2009-2019).

December

NYU Langone received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines and began vaccinating health care workers.

Two Tisch students, Essence Lotus and Sejahari Saulter-Villegas, were selected as 2021 Marshall Scholars.

Jin Kim Montclare, Tandon professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Daniel Sodickson, Tandon professor of biomedical engineering, were named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors.

January

Members of our community became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, and NYU was approved as a vaccination site.

NYU announced that for the first time it had received over 100,000 applications for first-year undergraduate admissiona 20 percent increase over the prevoius year and the 14th consecutive year of record-breaking application numbers.

February

A surgical team from NYU Langone Health performed a face and double hand transplant for a 22-year-old New Jersey resident who had been severely burned in a car crash. The surgery included transplanting both hands and the full face of a single donor, and marked the first successful combination transplant case of its kind.

President Hamilton announced that, due to public health concerns and event and travel restrictions, the 2021 Commencement would be virtual.

Tisch announced the establishment of a new scholarship honoring the talent, legacy, and memory of actor, director, producer, and alumnus Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Two NYU facultyElena Manresa in the Department of Economics and David Schneider in the Center for Neural Sciencewere awarded fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Tisch alumna Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman to win Best Director at the Golden Globes.

President Joe Biden sent a letter to be read at Glucksman Ireland House's virtual gala.

Devonte Hynesalso known as Blood Orangejoined the Clive Davis Institue of Recorded Music as an artist-in-residence for the spring semester.

March

With a $25 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies, NYU Wagner established a competitive new fellowship program for the next generation of diverse public service leadersnamed in honor of Michael R. Bloomberg's daughter, Georgina, and mother, Charlotte, who both earned NYU degrees.

Angie Kamath, University Dean at the City University of New York (CUNY), was named the new dean of NYUs School of Professional Studies, effective July 1, 2021.

NYU alumni and faculty took home five Grammy awards at the 63rd Grammy Awards ceremony. In total, 15 members of the NYU community earned 16 Grammy nominations.

Several NYU schools were ranked in the top 10 on U.S. New and World Report's Best Graduate Schools list, including those for medicine, nursing, and education.

April

Only 12.8 percent of applicants were admitted to the New York campus's Class of 2025a new record for selectivity for NYU. Twenty-nine percent of those accepted were under-represented students, 20 percent are first generation college-goers, 20 percent are Pell-eligible, and 19 percent are international students. Those admitted to the new claiss hail from from 102 countries and all 50 states.

Tisch alumna Chloe Zhao made history when she became the first Asian woman to take home the Academy Award for Best Director for Nomadland, her haunting feature exploring the lives of van-dwelling modern-day nomads in the American West. A woman of color had never before won the Oscar for Best Director and Zhao is only the second woman to do so in the shows 93-year history.

NYU announced it will require all students who plan to be on NYU's New York campus and at other US sites to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to facilitate the resumption of full, in-person campus activity and reduce the risk of infection on campus and within the local community.

Eight NYU faculty members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and three were elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Susan Murray, a professor in Steinhardt's Department of Media, Culture, and Communication, was awarded a 2021 Guggenhim Fellowship.
Ballard Partners picked up DC-based Freedom for All Americans organization, which advocates for full non-discrimination protection for LGBTQ people.

Specifically, Ballard Partners is working to encourage Senators to vote in favor of the Equality Act, which the House passed in February.

The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender.

The US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers support the Equality Act, which some religious groups oppose.

E.g., the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which says the act is well-intentioned but ultimately misguided. The Equality Act discriminates against people of faith, threatens unborn life, and undermines the common good."

Kasey Suffredini is president and national campaign manager at Freedom for All Americans.

His group claims people of faith support non-discrimination protections, including eight in ten Catholics, Mormons, American Jews and six in ten Evangelical Protestants.

Suffredini co-chaired the Freedom for All Massachusetts effort that led to the first statewide popular vote on transgender rights. In 2018, it passed by a 68 percent to 38 percent vote.

Brian Ballard, who was president Trumps top fundraiser in Florida, heads the Ballard Partners team,

Ana Cruz (staffer for Floridas ex-Democratic Senator Bill Nelson) and Trent Morse (Trumps liaison to the Dept of Health and Human Services) also work the Freedom for All Americans push.
In the run-up to the Summit on Financing African economies of 18th of May 2021, we identified three strategic interventions to strengthen Africas sustainable recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Click to read the full paper.



These three actions can help African policy makers mobilise more and better investment to advance their development goals and embark on a more sustainable growth path, as economies recover from the crises linked to the pandemic. The first two actions focus on gathering public and private finances for development, while the third involves accelerating infrastructure projects with dynamic impacts identified by the Priority Action Plan (PAP) for the African Unions (AU) Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). Each action includes two policy recommendations.





I. Increase domestic resource mobilisation through peer learning and exchange of information

Public revenues per person have been trending downwards, but peer learning can help African policy makers find their own solutions to improving collection.





1. Strengthen the Pan-African policy dialogue on taxation, the joint production of up-to-date and comparable statistics on domestic revenue mobilisation, and cross-border tax information sharing.

International co-operation to improve tax data allows governments and tax authorities to improve policies for domestic revenue mobilisation. Recent initiatives bringing African countries together to gather and harmonise data on tax systems include:

the African Tax Outlook (ATAF, 2020), compiling and analysing indicators on African tax administrations, tax policy and tax revenues;

Revenue Statistics in Africa (OECD/AUC/ATAF, 2020), producing detailed and comparable data on levels and structures of tax and non-tax revenues in African countries, also enabling detailed comparison with the other world regions; and

[1] of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, which works to improve transparency and information sharing within African tax administrations, in order to reduce tax evasions and illicit financial flows. It also monitors progress through an annual Tax Transparency in Africa Report[2], jointly published with the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the AU Commission. the Africa Initiativeof the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, which works to improve transparency and information sharing within African tax administrations, in order to reduce tax evasions and illicit financial flows. It also monitors progress through an annual Tax Transparency in Africa Report, jointly published with the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the AU Commission.

2. Support efforts to build tax administration and auditing capacity

An efficient way to improve the performance of tax administrations without engaging in policy changes or administrative reforms is to target the improvement of tax audits. For instance, the joint OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) initiative deploys tax experts into the tax administrations of developing countries. They conduct tax audits with local officials in international tax areas, transferring hands-on knowledge and skills. Additional tax revenues attributable to TIWB programmes in Africa, including anonymised casework conducted during workshops by ATAF, OECD and the World Bank Group (WBG), amount to USD 354.1 million. The programme led to overall increases of tax assessments in excess of USD 1.58 billion up to 2020 (OECD/UNDP, 2020).





II. Strengthen institutions to attract private investment and enhance the effectiveness of public investment and services

For a sustainable recovery, African governments need to increase investment in high-value sectors. Public investment and efficient public institutions have a crucial role to play, including encouraging private investment.

1. Empower national investment promotion agencies, as part of productive transformation strategies

Investment promotion agencies (IPAs) must co-ordinate effectively with governments in the context of national productive transformation agendas. They can encourage foreign investors to transfer knowledge to local companies by employing, training, and subcontracting locally: the Tangier automobile cluster in Morocco is a case in point (AUC/OECD, 2018). By providing financial assistance, market intelligence, branding, investor aftercare, and assisting with overseas expansion, they help develop local business ecosystems. Their action can be supported by policies for industrial clusters and value-chain development.

2. Develop international platforms to identify priorities and co-ordinate investment

The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a new opportunity but calls for greater continental co-ordination. Most African economies are too small to attract significant investment unless they become parts of integrated economic corridors. The AUC-OECD Development Centre Platform on Investment and Productive Transformation can facilitate dialogue between African governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), development partners and the private sector to better attract and co-ordinate investment.





III. Create an African infrastructure ecosystem and grow pipelines of bankable quality infrastructure projects

At the African Union summit in February 2021, leaders agreed to prioritise 69 cross-border projects as part of the PIDA-PAP 2 Process (2021-2030). Although in principle these are aligned with the goals of the AUs Agenda 2063 and selected based on positive prospects for financing and implementation, the AU considers that they need extra nudging to advance past the planning stage (AUC, 2020).

1. Fast-track the application of AUDA-NEPAD's PIDA Quality Label

By providing screening and appraisal tools to fast-track early-stage advisory work, the PIDA Quality Label (PQL) of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) holds the promise of making infrastructure development projects more attractive for private investors. Applied to projects emerging from the PIDA 2021-30 selection process, the PQL can become an internationally recognised African brand for infrastructure projects (OECD/ACET, 2020 [14] ). Expanding the use of the PQL will help align them with AU members strategic development objectives. Global appraisal tools such as the Blue Dot network, SOURCE or the IMFs Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) could support the successful implementation of such African instruments.

2. Develop the African Infrastructure Knowledge and Learning Platform as a base for an expanding community of African infrastructure professionals.

In order to help create a healthy African infrastructure ecosystem, the AUDA-NEPAD, the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) and the OECD launched together an African Infrastructure Knowledge and Learning Platform. By bringing together existing, fragmented initiatives, the Platform aims to facilitate real-time information, knowledge sharing and capacity building at continental level (OECD/ACET, 2020). It can also strengthen data collection and provide infrastructure benchmarking to improve transparency and monitor progress.

Encouraging public-private dialogue can also reduce risk perceptions and unlock additional finance, especially from the private sector. In this context, the Continental Business Network (AUCBN) launched by AUDA-NEPAD in 2015 to crowd-in financing for infrastructure project already facilitates partnerships between the public and private sectors (AU-PIDA, 2015). The AUCBN can assist in achieving the AUDA-NEPADs 5% Agenda, which aims to increase to 5% the contributions of institutional investors and pension funds to infrastructure financing, from its current level of approximately 1.5% (AUDA-NEPAD, 2017).[3]





[1] https://www.oecd.org/tax/transparency/documents/africa-initiative.pdf

[2] https://www.oecd.org/tax/transparency/documents/Tax-Transparency-in-Africa-2020.pdf

[3] Several other instruments exist to mobilise private investment and weather associated risks, such as blended finance mechanisms or credit guarantees. However, a comprehensive analysis goes beyond this papers focus.
The so-called Just Transition programme, whose purpose is to transition the midland counties from their traditional fuel sources to an alternative vision of producing power, has received a lot of criticism over recent months for being badly thought out and failing to take into consideration the habits and culture of local people.

Speaking to the Tribune last week Cllr Peter Ormond said a lot of people are exasperated with Just Transition because it clearly hasn't been properly thought through and seems oblivious of the reality on the ground.

For example, he said, it's all very well getting rid of briquettes but not if you don't fill the void with something else.

We have Derrinlough peat briquette factory near Birr. The 60 people employed there should continue to manufacture briquettes for the people of Ireland. Their briquettes should take precedence over all other briquettes in our shops. They should not be replaced with briquettes from Germany, as we have seen recently happen.

It doesn't make sense to people when they see the government winding down peat production because of a laudable green agenda but then failing to put in place decent alternatives, with the result that briquettes have to be imported from abroad because the shops are not able to meet the market demand.

If our aim is to get rid of peat briquettes then we should replace them with something similar but environmentally friendly.

We also have to ask ourselves is it more carbon friendly to make peat briquettes in Offaly than in Germany?

We also need to introduce incentives for people to introduce new forms of heating system into their homes, such as wood pellet boilers or heat pumps.

The transition to a more green system in the midland counties has been very rushed. It was sped up in the last couple of years and to many people it looks too rushed and badly thought through.

Bord na Mona recently provided a detailed legal briefing to politicians on peat extraction restrictions. The briefing stated that peat extraction operations, on bogs over 30 hectares, requires planning permission; and all peat extraction operations that contravene this ruling are illegal.

The briefing added that the companys own peat harvesting operations were halted this year, and in parallel with this, Bord na Mona has migrated 350 employees from peat harvesting to the Peatlands Climate Action Scheme. The briefing pointed out that fortunately, the vast majority, 1600 people, who have cut turf on Bord na Mona lands are turbary rights holders, and they continue to enjoy the same rights as before. However, it is illegal for the approximately 30 Industrial Peat Contractors to extract peat under licence on Bord na Mona lands as before.

The company is engaging with stakeholders on the particular issues arising from the High Court ruling.

Deputy Brian Stanley stated that the outcome of this briefing regarding domestic turf cutting was very disappointing. He said the meeting included CEO Tom Donnellan and some TDs from Laois/Offaly. The company, remarked Deputy Stanley, was to give feedback on possible options for turf cutters on lands they own. However, only a small number of options to continue turf cutting are being presented. Tom Donellan was adamant that the company cannot give licences to the 30 industrial peat contractors.

One option which I and others have put forward is, for turf cutters to form local cooperatives or associations and lease part of a bog, but this may not be possible, as the company state the land would still have EPA designation.

Mr Donnellan advocated that turf cutters seek representation on the Horticultural Peat Taskforce which is currently trying to find solutions in that sector. He stated any solutions arrived at could also have domestic turf cutting attached to it. However, I believe this may be overly optimistic. I outlined to the company representative what I believe could be realistic options on some of the bogs, these include the following:

Where sections of bog are outside the designated area or where it may not have registered ownership, domestic turf cutting could be facilitated. Also if people moved off turf banks in years gone by to facilitate Bord Na Mona, they could be relocated, even if it included the company assisting with drainage etc.

This should be regardless of whether they had turbary or other established rights such as rent paid or their family having used the bank over an extended period. Tom Donnellan gave a commitment to work with people in these situations to arrive at such localised solutions.

Overall the situation is bleak for householders in Laois/Offaly whose homes depend on solid fuel and turf from Bord Na Mona bogs. There has been no just transition for them.

This now puts an onus on Government to accelerate the retrofitting of homes in the Midlands and I will continue to push for this.
Ask the Costco worker who was berated by former child star Ricky Schroder over the companys mask policy outside a store in Los Angeles, which still has a mask policy in place. Video Schroder posted of the clash went viral, and although he later apologized for giving the guy a hard time, he later justified his rant against medical tyranny.
An Angus Calf and a Weekend Break in Minella Hotel are among the unique prizes up for grabs in a special Banagher College draw in support of the Offaly Hooves4Hospice campaign.

The staff and student community of Banagher College were shocked and upset last April 2020 when their much loved colleague and teacher Breed Hassett was diagnosed with breast cancer.

By September, when the schools returned, Breed had started her chemotherapy.

As Covid had disrupted the normal Transition Year program, the TY coordinating team were looking for ways to keep the students actively engaged.

The Geography teacher, Teresa Cushen, therefore approached Breed and asked her if she would mind if the TY year fundraised for breast cancer. Breed agreed and a plan was formulated.

#milesformissH was the name of the plan. The TY students agreed to walk the total length of the journey from Kinnitty where Breed lives, to St. James Hospital where she was receiving 12 rounds of chemotherapy.

Breed spoke to the TY year, to thank them for undertaking this initiative.

She explained how her mother had died at the age of 41 from cancer but with advancements in medicine and detection, more and more people were beating cancer.

Within a matter of weeks, Banagher College staff, students both past and present, and the wider community got involved. Everyone clocked their miles and donations kept coming in.

The fundraiser had participants not just from Banagher and Kinnitty but as far afield as Spain, Australia, Canada, and the Lebanon. By the time the fundraiser concluded before Christmas 14,500 had been raised for Breast Cancer Research.

Fast forward 5 months to April 2021.

Breed is currently completing the final stages of her cancer treatment.

A local cattle dealer and friend of Breeds, in conversation last November, had promised to sponsor a calf in the Spring for the fundraiser. She had forgotten the conversation until her husband rang one afternoon recently to say that Martin Finnerty was coming out with the calf.

This Angus Calf has now been christened Dandelion.

Breed got on the phone immediately to the TY coordinating team and a new fundraiser was set in motion.

Breed feels that she was very lucky to have caught her breast cancer early, and feels that she will make a full recovery.

Unfortunately, there are many people who are not so lucky. There is no hospice in the Midlands. The TY team, Breed and the Agricultural Science Department decided that this time they would collaborate with the fundraising initiative #Hooves4Hospice in aid of a Level 3 Hospice to provide specialist end of life care for people in the Midlands.

The fundraising drive to create this Hospice currently has over 1,700 worth of prizes. The College has received extraordinarily generous sponsorship locally from Martin Finnerty, Liffey Mills, Banagher Precast Concrete, Grennan Mills, Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone, Grant Farm Machinery, Arrabawn Co-Op and Kilbeggan Organic Foods.

The 1st prize comes from John and Liz Nallen of Hotel Minella Clonmel.

The Nallens recently celebrated the double success of two of their former charges Minella Indo(Cheltenham Gold Cup) and Minella Times (Aintree Grand National). John and Lizs father Jackie Nallen came originally from Banagher and they most generously offered BCCNS Calf Raffle a Minella Double Package. The winners will get three nights for two people in Hotel Minella plus a visit to Minella Racing Stables with complimentary Minella Racing Hats and Jackets and entry to Fethard Horse Museum. The winner will also enjoy complimentary tea/coffee and homemade treats. The winner will also have full access to the Club Minella Leisure Centre.

Tickets for this amazing raffle cost 5 each and can be bought online by simply going to www.banaghercollege.ie and clicking on BCCNS Calf Raffle. Follow the raffle on twitter on @careersbccns and @BanagherCollege or on Instagram bccnsCalfRaffle. The raffle will take place live on Instagram on May 19th @3pm.

All proceeds will go towards getting a hospice in the Midlands and the College is appealing to all Midland Tribune readers to please support them.

The Hooves4Hospice campaign is an ambitious project which wants to fill a glaring omission in medical care in the midlands. People in the midlands are at a disadvantage when it comes to hospice and palliative care services compared to those in other parts of the country. There is excellent palliative homecare available but there is no regional specialist palliative care unit (often called regional hospice) in the midlands.

This means that patients and their families are being denied the full range of services that come with a Level 3 hospice. Research has shown that investment per person on specialist palliative care for people in Offaly, Laois and Westmeath is a fraction of that spent elsewhere. Patients have no choice in their place of care at end of life and have to rely on acute hospitals. In the midlands, 36% of cancer patients who die, die in an acute hospital compared to 25% in the Mid-West. The excellent homecare teams need the support of specialist colleagues in regional hospices so as to be able to offer the best care to patients at end of life.
TULLAMORE'S Sacred Heart School was one of 30 Irish schools selected in September 2020 to participate in the Architects in Schools Programme.

The initiative provides Transition Year students the opportunity to engage with and experience architectural design first-hand.

Art teacher, Ms Deborah Moore says, Not only does the initiative complement many cross curricular links, but it also encourages critical thinking, creativity and other transferable skills needed by a student in the modern workplace.

She continued Much of the programme has taken place online, which was a real advantage this year. Ms Moore comments that, The resilience of our girls makes it possible for the school to do more than just live through the pandemic. At the Sacred Heart School, we thrive.

The students are guided through the programme with the continuous support of an assigned architect, who functions as a mentor throughout the course of the programme. Direct contact with the design professional, architect Emily Power, is made possible through the online student workshops.

Between workshops, the students at the Sacred Heart School engage with a set of themes related to sustainability, functionality, and cultural heritage as a source of inspiration for the architectural designs.

The structure of the programme, a five-stage design process, allows students the possibility to investigate their ideas extensively. The stages, albethey comprehensive, are by no means linear, meaning potential challenges can be revisited and solved at later points in the module. The immersive aspect of the programme similarly offers pupils insight into a somewhat enigmatic profession.

The pupils have learned about the range of skills needed to pursue such a career path too. TY students noted that unlike many other professions, both artistic ability and mathematical proficiency play equal parts in the enjoyment and success of their project work. They explained further that the design elements of the architecture initiative require a level of competency in both the sciences and arts, a matter which the girls say they hadnt realised before this programme.

Having had to adapt, pivot, and adjust under the current health and safety guidelines, students have remained flexible in their approach to the programme.

Handbooks and sketchbooks as well as digital platforms have been used to gather research. The research stage is centred on the creation of vision boards which display the motivation and origin of each pupils idea.

Once students have finished their research, they present their ideas to Ms Power. Following the online presentations, students are advised on future steps of the project by the professional architect.

The feedback is crucial for the development of the project as it forms the basis for students decision making. One key example being the inclusion of orthographic drawings.

The final models and research work will be displayed in an online exhibition in June with the other schools that have participated in the Architects in Schools Programme.

In the meantime, art lovers can take a glimpse at other artwork produced by Sacred Heart School students via their Online 3D Photography exhibition which has taken place in conjunction with the Sacred Heart School Arts Festival 2021. The link is available on the Sacred Heart Schools social media accounts.

Ms Moore concluded It is projects like this that create future artists, architects and designers and for our students, suddenly a whole new world beckon.
A social media campaign hs been created in collaboration with young people from Sligo, Leitrim and South Dublin and in a partnership between Foroige and Children and Young People's Services Committees. In February CYPSC and Foroige launched #TheCOVIDWordOnlineCampaign.

No two Covid-19 lived experiences are the same; we all have to navigate in unchartered emotional terrain - without a compass. In this uncertainty, it helps simply knowing youre not alone.

There is immense power in peer community support - to cope through tough times, and make good times even brighter. While young people need our support, they also possess their own hopeful power and wisdom. As experts in their own lives this campaign uncovers and shares their thoughts and ideas.

Through youth voices, this campaign by young people for young people helps acknowledge and manage losses while recognising personal power to live well through current circumstances and boost individual and collective resilience in 2021.

The messages delivered throughout the campaign and the look and feel of the campaign were developed by Irelands young people during workshops carried out by Foroige youth workers on behalf of South Dublin CYPSC and Sligo Leitrim CYPSC.

The campaign ran for five weeks from 24th February to 24th March on TikTok, Twier, Instagram and Facebook.

Laois Offaly CYPSC in partnership with Offaly County Council and Healthy Offaly arranged for, through the Municipal District offices, the printing and installation of billboard-sized signs which were erected in the towns of Birr, Tullamore and Edenderry.

The billboard type signage contained bilingual keep well messages directed at teenagers and young people and have been very well received in the County.

The Municipal District and the Offaly County Council Cathaoirligh were keen to lend their support to the campaign and were photographed with the signs at their installation.
An Offaly YouTuber and charity activist has been named as one of Ireland's most outstanding young people.

Sean McLoughlin, or JackSepticEye, as he is commonly known, was named alongside the likes of Limerick's Collison brothers and jockey Rachael Blackmore as part of the 'Ten Outstanding Young Persons Awards (TOYP), JCI Irelands Flagship Project.

Sean was chosen in the cultural achievement category. Other categories included academic leadership and/or accomplishment; business, economic and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment; Medical innovation; Political, legal and/or governmental affairs

and scientific and/or technological development.

Sean William McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye) is an Irish YouTuber, best known for his vlogs and comedic Let's Play series. As of May 2021, his channel has over 14.1 billion views and 27 million subscribers, and is the most-subscribed Irish channel. Since 2017, McLoughlin has raised more than $6 million in total in charity livestreams.

The project was launched in March in the presence of Roderic OGorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability,

Integration and Youth, who said that, "JCI Ireland is an organisation filled with young people who are absolutely committed to making a really positive impact in their own communities.

"The different programmes and projects offered by JCI Ireland support young people to take action and make positive change in their society."

The month-long nomination process culminated into the Final Awards ceremony held virtually on May 15, 2021. During the nomination phase, communities across the island were called upon to nominate young people aged 18-40 who have been working for the betterment of society in the 10 different categories.

Speaking at the Award Ceremony, Guest of Honour Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said that he was impressed by the organization of this award as it gave the opportunity to recognise the hard work and achievement from the young people in Ireland.

National President of JCI Ireland, Carol Ho said that, "Immense support from the local communities in Ireland in promoting their local heroes who have been working for the betterment of the society is a sign of a strong sustainable community which is thriving. The generous support from the government Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Huawei Ireland as the National Sponsor for the TOYP awards shows their commitment towards supporting young people and

building sustainable communities in Ireland."



Concluding the award ceremony, National TOYP Project Lead, Anuj Agarwal took the opportunity to thank the project team both at the National and Local level without whose support the project could not have succeeded. Quoting him, "This year the project team worked with immense dedication because of which it was possible to create a new partnership with Huawei as well as several other departments of the government. The awareness about TOYP and JCI Ireland within the country have also reached new heights."
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More than 50% of residents in the tri-state area have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. In my town in New Jersey, about 80% of adults have received their first dose. The majority of teachers are fully vaccinated. We are getting to a point where we will no longer have to worry about our children coming home and infecting their parents or grandparents. We all know that children can and do get COVID, but that their cases are usually mild and very few children have died from the disease. Weve already protected the most vulnerable by allowing them to get vaccinated first.
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to Commonwealth countries, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command although no civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two-thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. These investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.
John Christophersen played a major role among thousands who travelled from the Northern Territory to join the anti-bicentenary march in Sydney in 1988.
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President Biden says he's open to diplomatic talks with North Korea. Former presidents have failed to make any significant progress toward North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.
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But when I sat down to write it I actually wrote a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didnt fit in as the third movie.
The Russian Intelligence Chief Naryshkin slammed accusations that it spearheaded the Solar Winds hack that breached US security months ago. He said that Joe Biden or his UK counterpart has no proof.
I hadnt heard of the grandparent scam when my father called me a few years ago to report that my son was in jail, out of state. My dad had been asked to wire bail money and not tell me. Dad was all but unshakable in his belief that he had actually talked to my son. Alarmed, I called my son, who was safe at his home.

What happened to my father is not uncommon. Fortunately, he did not wire any money.

The grandparent scam exploits loving concern and uses a sense of urgency to get a victim to pay, thinking he or she is helping in an emergency. In a twist, now a courier will come and pick up your cash, due to COVID-19 concerns.

There are a million variations, says Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy for the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, but the common thread is that someone you know has an urgent problem and needs your financial help.

How it works

Youre contacted by someone posing as a panicked family member or friend  or perhaps a lawyer or law enforcement officer calling on their behalf. The claim involves an emergency such as a car accident, arrest or car breakdown. But they need money, quickly. They may beg that the incident be kept secret or claim that there is a gag order.

It used to be that the scammer would start out saying, Grandma? or Grandpa? hoping to elicit an emotional response. Now criminals may check social media sites for names, locations and other information to make the call seem legitimate.

Whatever the situation, youll be asked for money, says Cristina Miranda, a consumer education specialist with the Federal Trade Commission.

Thats when you should break contact, Miranda says. You can say that you need to verify some information or you can simply hang up (or stop responding to email or texts).

If you hand over money, its highly unlikely youll get it back.

The latest twists

While the scam is old, scammers are skilled at changing messages and tactics.

Some recent examples:

The FBI in Buffalo, New York, put out an alert earlier this month about a scam that has cost victims tens of thousands of dollars. Scammers pretend to be lawyers and send a courier  sometimes a ride-share driver  to pick up bail money.

A Virginia grandmother, suspicious because her grandsons voice didnt sound quite right, was assured it was because he broke his nose in a car accident. He said hed been arrested for driving under the influence and knew he could trust her. She lost $6,500.

A 21-year-old assistant manager at a restaurant in Iowa lost $2,000 in April. She thought she was paying bail for a teenage part-time employee who had been charged with a DUI.

What families can do

The best thing to do is to make family members aware, says Grant. Its much easier to resist an emergency plea for help when family members have asked you to be skeptical.

Other tips, suggested by the Consumer Federation of America and FTC:

Do not rely on Caller ID  scammers can make a call look as if its coming from someone you trust.

Consider having a family password or asking a caller a question about a family event that you dont think a criminal could guess or find online.

Verify the story with a friend or family member, regardless of the hour. Scammers will call in the wee hours of the morning to take advantage of people who are less alert and primed to believe that an unexpected call could be an emergency. You can try to verify the story, such as calling the jail to see if your loved one is actually an inmate.

Check privacy settings on social media. You typically can restrict who can see your posts and photos.

Recognize that a request for untraceable payment forms  cash, peer-to-peer payment services , prepaid debit cards, gift cards or wire transfers  is a red flag.

If youre a victim

If you believe you were contacted by a scammer, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or by calling 877-FTC-HELP, Miranda says.

If youve agreed to pay someone whos coming to your home, lock the doors and call the police, she says.

Even if youve already paid, its still worth trying to recoup your money. Its a long shot, but you may be able to undo some transactions if you act quickly.

More From NerdWallet

Bev OShea writes for NerdWallet. Email: boshea@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @BeverlyOShea.

The article Scam Alert: Be Skeptical of That Emergency originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Little-known Vancouver biotech company CytoDyn lost nearly a third of its market value after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no clinical benefit of the firms purported treatment for COVID-19.

Further, the FDA said Monday that data the Vancouver company had published that purported to show a small benefit from CytoDyns Leronlimab drug were statistically insignificant. The agency issued an unusual public statement on the typically confidential results results, citing substantial public interest.

While CytoDyns stock trades over the counter instead of a major exchange, its been eagerly watched by small investors hunting for signs of a breakthrough on COVID-19 treatments, and the Vancouver company has assertively promoted Leronlimabs potential.

CytoDyns shares fell 76 cents, or 27%, Monday after the FDA issued its findings. The stock was down another 9 cents Tuesday morning, to $1.95. Even so, the company still has a market value of $1.2 billion.

CytoDyn had no revenue last year, since its drug was in clinical trials. It reported a loss of $124.4 million.

The company had 19 employees at this time in 2020, when CytoDyn issued its last annual report to securities regulators.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway
The Oregon Health Authority on Monday reported three COVID-19 deaths and 310 coronavirus cases, the lowest daily case tally since April 12.

While case counts are typically the smallest of the week on Mondays, the latest numbers pushed downward Oregons daily average to below 600 over the past week.

Identified cases in Oregon fell by 16% last week, marking the third straight week of declines.

Vaccines: Oregon reported 23,929 newly administered doses, which includes 16,088 Sunday and the remainder from previous days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (1), Benton (7), Clackamas (58), Clatsop (1), Columbia (1), Coos (9), Crook (2), Curry (1), Deschutes (39), Douglas (12), Harney (1), Jackson (6), Jefferson (2), Josephine (3), Lane (27), Lincoln (2), Linn (17), Marion (35), Morrow (2), Multnomah (68), Polk (6), Wasco (3), and Yamhill (7).

Who died: Oregons 2,588th death linked to COVID-19 is a 91-year-old Jackson County woman who tested positive May 5 and died May 14 at Rogue Valley Medical Center.

The 2,589th fatality is a 71-year-old Deschutes County woman who tested positive May 7 and died May 13 at St. Charles Medical Center Bend.

Oregons 2,590th death is a 63-year-old Marion County man who tested positive April 20 and died May 16 at Salem Hospital.

Each person had underlying health conditions.

Hospitalizations: 342 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, up three from Sunday. That includes 81 people in intensive care, down one from Sunday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 195,882 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,590 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported at least 3,562,779 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 1,604,796 people and partially vaccinating 468,931 people.

To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/

-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
A man allegedly shot his sister-in-law in the head Sunday morning at a North Portland house after arguing with his brother over laundry, according to court documents released Monday.

Alexandra Arb-Bloodgood, 29, died at the home in the 8000 block of North Newman Avenue, police said.

Officers arrested Shane Finnell, 25, at the scene, police said. He is being held in jail on accusations of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.

I did a horrible thing, Finnell told officers after he was arrested, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

A neighbor across the street called 911 after hearing a gunshot and seeing Finnell waving his arms and appearing upset, the affidavit said.

Finnells brother, Jordan Arb, told police that he and his brother had been arguing over laundry, according to the affidavit. Arb was married to Arb-Bloodgood.

Finnell threw a potted plant at him during the argument, Arb told police.

Arb said his wife was sitting on a chair on the back patio facing away from Finnell and that Finnell walked over to Arb-Bloodgood and shot her in the back of the head at close range with a revolver, the court document said.

Police didnt specify who lived at the home, but court records from a dismissed speeding citation show Finnell listed a home address in that same block a month ago.

The shooting is the 33rd homicide in Portland since the start of 2021. The number includes a fatal shooting by a Portland police officer of a man in Lents Park in April.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
FBI agents will continue to respond with police to suspected gang-related or retaliatory shootings in Portland and Gresham as the gun violence in the metro area continues at an unprecedented pace, the head of Oregons FBI said Monday.

The FBI had three agents from its Metro Safe Streets Task Force teamed with eight Portland police officers to respond to every shooting call during the past weekend after three homicides in the previous week.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Kieran L. Ramsey said he expects the more immediate response to shootings will help investigators get quicker leads on who may be responsible.

Mayor Ted Wheeler and the City Council, in a statement released late Friday, announced the increased law enforcement presence for the weekend.

The statement also shared what it described as alarming things that city officials had recently learned: Unspecified groups involved in the violence have reportedly issued an order to shoot someone in the next 30 days or be shot for not showing loyalty and that individuals and groups have come here from California and Washington to engage in and advance gun violence.

Portland police and the FBI said that particular information didnt arise from their intelligence.

In an email sent internally to officers Saturday night, Police Chief Chuck Lovell wrote, The information provided, which included unverified intelligence that members of criminal gangs are traveling to Portland to shoot rivals, came from contacts of the Office of Violence Prevention, not PPB sources. Still, its concerning enough that we wanted to do everything possible to minimize the threat.

The information appears to have come from street-level word of mouth and a review of social media posts after several recent homicides, police said.

Obviously if we see people coming in from another state, from out of the area, thats certainly going to give us a federal nexus to arrest them as appropriate, if possible, Ramsey said.

Some of the street-level talk about the out-of-state influence emerged after Jalon Yoakum, 33, the stepson of anti-violence advocate Pastor Matt Hennessee, appeared to have been followed and targeted in a daylight shooting about 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday, according to investigators. Yoakum was shot and killed in the parking lot of a food cart pod near Northeast 118th and Sandy Boulevard.

Only hours later, 25-year-old Danae K. Williams was killed and a man shot in the head about 9 p.m. near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Dekum Street. It appeared to be another targeted killing, investigators said.

Another person was gunned down three days earlier  a 21-year-old killed in the 8500 block of Southeast Harney Street.

Mike Myers, the citys new community safety director, attended a police intelligence briefing Friday morning on the continued violence and said he felt a sense of urgency. He said he asked if the city needed to declare an emergency.

Later Friday, he held a disaster policy council meeting about gun violence attended by the mayor, council President Jo Ann Hardesty and several city bureau representatives. The group agreed the mayor and City Council would issue a public statement on efforts to increase the presence of police and FBI agents through the weekend.

The mayor had shared intelligence with the policy group, which was included in the public statement.

Robert King, the mayors public safety liaison, said, It was important that information be shared so the community could be informed and law enforcement could act to prevent violence.

He added, The good news is the increased presence of the partners on the street, we believe, had a deterring effect.

Police spokesman Lt. Greg Pashley said he didnt know how accurate the information is or was about out-of-state shooters or a directive to carry out 30 shootings for gang loyalty.

North Precinct Sgt. Ken Duilio, a veteran of the bureaus now-disbanded Gun Violence Reduction Team, said police have heard through the years of the potential for people from other states to exact retaliation on someone in Portland, but its not often that weve seen that follow through.

But you never want to completely discredit it because what if? he said.

Royal Harris, whose younger brother Durieul Harris II, 30, was fatally shot outside a Northeast Portland nightclub in 2013, is organizing a March Against Murder starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Peninsula Park.

He said his brothers killing prompted retaliatory shootings and he wonders with the surge in gun violence: Are we creating two or three or four more of these flashpoints right now?

Police have pointed to lingering bad blood between gangs over high-profile shootings as a catalyst for retaliatory violence that can last years.

Harris said he believes city officials are trying to remove a cloak of secrecy about possible plans for future violence by putting out the information, even if its not fully vetted by police.

Its word on the street, whereas law enforcement is held to a different standard of information and accountability, Harris said. The word on the street is a kernel of truth surrounded by a whole bunch of story.

The city recorded its 33rd homicide Sunday morning with the brother-in-law of the woman killed arrested in the shooting death.

The mayor and City Council statement also noted that vigils and funeral of shooting victims are credible targets for future violence and pledged to increase the presence of police and outreach workers at them to tamp down tensions.

On May 7, a man leaving the funeral and burial of Calvin Jackson III was critically shot at Northeast 33rd Avenue and Prescott Street, police said. Jackson was shot and killed outside his mothers home on April 19.

In Gresham last month, a drive-by shooting wounded seven people who were attending a vigil for Alejandro Barajs, 22, who was killed at Southeast 174th Avenue and Stark Street the previous night.

We used to have uniform officers at almost every funeral or vigil to provide protection so families could grieve in peace and so rivals wouldnt show up or cause problems, Duilio said. That was before the City Council eliminated the specialized gun violence reduction team last June over concerns about racial profiling.

While more multi-agency attention is now being paid to shooting investigations, Duilio said whats missing is uniformed, proactive policing to remove guns from people who are on the streets.

Six weeks after the city approved a re-configured uniformed police team to address gun violence, a community oversight committee that is supposed to monitor the team has yet to be formed. The officers also have yet to be selected and trained. Its not expected to be operating until at least July 1.

The reality is unless youre proactive, its going to be really hard to reduce the number of shootings and try to prevent some of these murders, Duilio said.

Ramsey, the FBI special agent, said significant change wont happen overnight.

The greater impact will occur once cases are built, the people responsible are arrested and prosecuted and guns are removed from their hands, Ramsey said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
Police officers from across the city raced to a North Portland hospital late Monday night after a shooting elsewhere sent four victims there and a large, volatile crowd followed.

The shooting occurred after a group of people who had attended a funeral for a recent shooting victim met up at a McDonalds restaurant on Swan Island, according to police.

The shooting was reported at 9:47 p.m. in the 3100 block of North Going St. Ten minutes later, the first of four victims arrived at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center by private car, and within minutes, three more victims came into the emergency department and a large crowd started to gather, police said.

Police called for whats called a Code O at 10:09 p.m.  drawing officers from across the city to the hospitals emergency department to intercede in a reported gang fight, according to police dispatch.

Dozens of police cars filled the parking lot as officers stood blocking the emergency departments entry. All four victims are expected to survive, police said.

The large crowd and emotional response to the shooting interfered with the orderly operation of the emergency department and ambulance bay and created a need for an increased response to restore peace at the hospital, Lt. Greg Pashley, bureau spokesman, said in a release. Individuals were combative with staff and created a disruptive and potentially dangerous scene. Several members of this crowd were reported to be armed.

The officers responded to provide a presence and defuse arguments and fights that sprang up, he said.

About an hour after the police response, officers were sent back to take regular calls, and police cleared from the hospital by 12:23 a.m., Pashley said.

Brian S. Terrett, director of Legacy Healths communications, declined comment on the massive police presence at Legacy Emanuel. It is our practice to refer all media calls to PPB about any law enforcement incidents or issues, Terrett said by email.

Police have not said if any arrests were made or who was involved in the shooting.

Officers found more than 50 cartridge casings - of different calibers - littering the crime scene outside the fast food restaurant.

At least two occupied semi-tractor trailer trucks were struck by bullets, as were other buildings on the island, police said.

The North Portland shooting comes as the city is struggling to respond to a significant spike in gang-related and retaliatory violence. Four people have been killed in separate shootings in the city since a week ago Sunday and the homicide count has reached 33.

Police are investigating whether Monday nights shooting was in retaliation for last weeks brazen killing of 33-year-old Jalon Yoakum at Northeast Sandy Boulevard near 118th Avenue. Yoakum was the son of Twauna Hennessee and stepson of Pastor J.W. Matt Hennessee, an outspoken anti-gun violence activist.

This past weekend, FBI agents paired with Portland police to respond to shooting scenes after a spate of shootings marred recent vigils and funerals for gun violence victims.

FBI agents will continue to respond to suspected gang-related and retaliatory shootings going forward, Kieran L. Ramsey, the FBI special agent in charge in Oregon, said Monday.

Anyone with anyone has information about this case, please reference case 21-133267 and e-mail crimetips@portlandoregon.gov .

-The Oregonian/OregonLive
A Portland man is facing a slew of criminal charges, including attempted murder of an officer, after authorities say he led deputies on a car chase and shootout through Clackamas County earlier this month, then shot at an Oregon City officer, shattering his car window and injuring his eye.

Gerald Barnes II, 48, is facing three counts of attempted aggravated murder, two of first-degree attempted assault and one each of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and attempt to elude.

He is in the Clackamas County Jail and his bail is set at $1 million.

Two sheriffs deputies, Robert Cordova and Jonathan Zacharkiw, fired back at Barnes during the May 8 pursuit, and one bullet struck him in the shoulder. The Sheriffs Office has not specified which deputy fired the shot that struck Barnes. Both are on leave, standard practice after police shootings.

Barnes fired a gun at Officer Christopher Brosseau while the Oregon City officer was putting down spike strips, according to a statement from the Sheriffs Office. A bullet fragment struck Brosseau in the eye, according to a statement from the Sheriffs Office.

According to the Sheriffs Office, a deputy first spotted Barnes in Mulino around 6:45 p.m. Barnes was driving at 51 mph in a 35 mph zone, the Sheriffs Office said.

The deputy followed him and tried to pull him over on Highway 213. Barnes did not stop, but sped north on Highway 213, sheriffs officials said in the statement.

Oregon City police officers set up spike strips on Highway 213 and Redland Road. As Barnes approached, he drove toward Brosseau, who was standing outside his car, according to the statement.

The Sheriffs Office said Barnes then fired several rounds at Brosseau, striking the car and shattering the windows, and a fragment from one of the bullets hit Brosseau in the eye.

Brosseau was hospitalized and had surgery on his eye. He is recovering at home, and its not immediately clear whether he will be able to see out of the injured eye again, sheriffs officials said.

Brosseau has been with Oregon City Police Department for three and a half years.

Barnes kept driving for another eighth of a mile and continued to shoot at Cordova and Zacharkiw, who were following him, according to the statement. Both deputies shot back.

Barnes drove onto the on-ramp of Interstate 205 northbound, where he stopped his car and opened the door, getting out and exchanging fire with the deputies, the Sheriffs Office said. One deputy shot Barnes in the shoulder, Barnes dropped his gun and the deputies arrested him.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
A national academic association has launched an investigation into Linfield Universitys abrupt firing of a tenured English professor after he had publicly advocated on behalf of students and faculty who had complained of sexual harassment by four university board trustees.

In a letter to university President Miles K. Davis, the American Association of University Professors described the summary dismissal, of Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, a tenured English professor who held the Ronni Lacroute Chair in Shakespeare Studies, as a case that appears to implicate principles of academic freedom and as a matter of grave concern.

The association, a nonprofit group of faculty and other academic professionals based in Washington, D.C., will appoint a committee of university professors from outside schools who have had no prior involvement in the case to investigate Pollack-Pelzners firing and report on its findings.

On Monday, the association emailed Davis and other university administrators, informing the school of its plan to pursue a full investigation. Its committee intends to interview Davis, Pollack-Pelzner and other involved people before publicizing a final report, wrote Gregory F. Scholtz, director of the associations Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure and Governance.

An action to dismiss a tenured professor without the administrations having first demonstrated adequacy of cause is in violation of principles and procedures established by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and endorsed by more than two hundred other groups in higher education, the association said in a statement Tuesday.

The association informed the university president of its recommended regulations on academic freedom and tenure for professors, and noted they are incorporated verbatim in Linfield Universitys own faculty handbook. The university president, Davis, has contended the handbook is outdated and did not apply to Pollack-Pelzner.

Davis argued that last months firing had nothing to do with Pollack-Pelzners academic performance or professional competence but said he was terminated as a university employee for cause, contending he spread false statements, engaged in conduct that is harmful to the university, was insubordinate and interfered with the universitys administration of its responsibilities.

But contending that the firing of Pollack-Pelzner had nothing to do with his professional fitness, and was done without affording the professor any due process, is in contravention of a crucial AAUP-recommended dismissal standard, Scholtz wrote to the university on May 4.

The administrations action against Professor Pollack-Pelzner was evidently taken in flagrant violation, not only of AAUP-recommended standards, but of the institutions own regulations, the associations statement said.

The association had sent two previous letters to the university, calling on it to reinstate Pollack-Pelzner.

We would emphasize the Associations receptivity in this case, as in all others, to a resolution that would preclude the necessity for the investigation now authorized, Scholtzs most recent letter said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
Corvallis, OR (97331)

Today

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
The high desert of central Oregon is in the national spotlight today, as Bends own High Desert Museum is honored with a prestigious award.

The High Desert Museum was one of six recipients of the 2021 National Medal of Museum and Library Service, the museum announced Tuesday, the nations highest honor for museums and libraries.

We consider it a core part of our mission to be responsive to our community by providing quality, inspirational experiences, both on our grounds and beyond, said Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the museum. Were honored and thrilled by this national recognition.

Whitelaw said the award is considered the Pulitzer for the museum world, after the High Desert Museum was named as one of 30 finalists in March. It was the second time it was named as a finalist, following a nomination in 2018.

Only three Oregon museums or libraries have ever previously won the National Medal for Museum and Library Science, which dates back to 1994: the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene in 2018, the Multnomah County Library in 2009 and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in 2007.

The nearly 40-year-old High Desert Museum is dedicated to the culture, history and natural environment of central Oregon. With more than 100,000 square feet of museum space and 135 acres of land, the museum educates visitors about Indigenous culture, native wildlife and the modern history of central Oregon, with rotating exhibits and live animal enclosures.

Their efforts to continue serving the public during the coronavirus pandemic  including creating a new program for local elementary school students, offering free memberships to frontline workers and providing technology to students for online education  were specifically recognized by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which hands out the awards.

The High Desert Museum temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, then reopened in June, shut back down in November following Gov. Kate Browns freeze orders, and has been partially reopened since January.

With Deschutes County currently considered by state health officials to be at high risk of spreading COVID-19, the museums indoor section is allowed to operate at 10% capacity or 50 people max. Its outdoor area can operate at 15% capacity, according to state guidelines.

However, the hectic year has come with some big wins for the museum. In February, the Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation pledged to donate $6 million to the High Desert Museum, the largest single donation of its nearly 40-year history. Plans for the money include the addition of a permanent art gallery, an immersive tree canopy experience and a revamp of a 22-year-old permanent exhibit on the Indigenous people of the Columbia Plateau.

The national medal will be awarded to the High Desert Museum in a virtual ceremony in July. A full list of winners can be found at imls.gov.

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB
Nearly a year after defund the police became a racial justice rallying cry in Portland and across the U.S., a vast majority of Portlanders and those living in the metro area reject the call to diminish police presence in the city.

Three-fourths of Portland-area residents say they do not want to see policing in the city dip below its current levels, with a plurality supporting an increase in cops, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Meanwhile, fewer than a quarter of survey participants in Portland  and even less among suburban residents  believe there should be fewer police officers.

The findings come as activists and some civic leaders in Portland continue to demand further reductions to policing and as the mayor and the city council work to re-imagine the citys public safety system. People age 34 and younger were more likely than their elders to favor a decreased police presence, but most still favored maintaining or expanding their ranks, the poll conducted by DHM Research found.

Survey participant Brandon Lane, 61, said it made sense to beef up the citys police force amid a dramatic surge in shootings, a homelessness and addiction crisis and a downtown battered by a pandemic and months of destructive protests.

Im not sure that it needs to be drastically higher, the Northeast Portland resident told The Oregonian/OregonLive. But if we defund or reduce the headcount any further, were likely to be inviting bigger problems.

At the same time, Lane said he believes officers too often respond to situations they are ill-equipped to handle, such as a person in crisis, and favors increases in social services to help those is need.

Thats the compassionate thing to try and do, he said. That would also free the police to do the things theyre supposed to do.

Lanes concerns surrounding further police cuts in Portland mirror those of many of the 600 people in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark counties who took the survey conducted from April 30 to May 6.

People living in Portland were oversampled, with 300 taking the poll, but results were adjusted to reflect the view across the metro area.

Forty-two percent of Portland residents said they wanted to see an increase in police while another 30% said they preferred staffing to remain at their current levels, the poll found. Among suburban residents, those figures were 53% and 22%, respectively.

Just 24% of Portlanders said they wanted to see fewer police in their city, while that number plummeted to 12% across the rest of the metro area, according to the poll.

Overall, 18% of those who identified as a person of color supported decreasing the number of police in Portland while 14% of participants who identified as white did. The polls margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points suggests that may not be a statistically meaningful difference.

Residents want to be safe and protected and they dont have that feeling right now, said Daryl Turner, the executive director of the Portland Police Association, the union that represents the citys rank-and-file officers.

But, he said, with the City Council having trimmed the police budget by $15 million last summer, This message is clearly not being heard by Portlands elected leaders, who only listen to those who talk the loudest.

Ahead of that vote, several hundred people testified to the council over more than five hours, heavily favoring steeper cuts to police. The budget cut also followed amid an eruption of racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a Minneapolis police officer.

The cuts included disbanding police units long criticized for targeting people of color at disproportionate levels, including those that worked in schools, investigated gun violence and patrolled the regional public transit system.

While an attempt to reduce the citys police budget by an additional $18 million failed to garner enough votes in the fall, the City Council has since shown that it wants to buck the public safety status quo.

Last month, it rejected a plan crafted by the police bureau and some longtime Black leaders  and initially supported by Mayor Ted Wheeler  to provide $2 million to bring back a uniformed police team tasked with stopping record shootings in the city. Instead, it opted to give more than $4 million to community organizations focused on those most impacted by gun violence.

Meanwhile, the city is also poised to pour millions of additional dollars into an experimental new program to dispatch a non-police response to people experiencing homelessness or a mental health crisis.

I appreciate this feedback showing that investing in police and the public safety system as a whole continues to be a priority for the community, Wheeler said in a statement Monday in response to the poll results. The issue of accountable policing and public safety can be both controversial and difficult to do it right.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, an outspoken police critic who has championed cuts to the bureau, said in response to the poll findings, It is imperative that all Portlanders voices are heard, even when we disagree.

At the end of the day the city does need to determine appropriate police staffing levels, Hardesty said in a statement. But more importantly we need to decide how to keep Portlanders safe.

In their statements, both Wheeler and Hardesty touted their work on the citys police bureau budget for next year, which the council unanimously passed last week.

Under the plan, the police bureau would accelerate hiring 30 new officers to counterbalance anticipated attrition over the next two years. It would also add 22 community safety officers  unarmed support staff who can respond to low priority calls.

The bureau said it currently has 102 sworn vacancies. It anticipates another 88 members will be eligible for retirement next year.

A pair of amendments added to the budget by Hardesty will prohibit Portland police from spending the $5.2 million earmarked for the new officers on anything other than those hires and require the bureau to evaluate the effectiveness of the community safety officers.

The Police Bureau has the least amount of sworn personnel in modern history, said Lt. Greg Pashley, a Portland police spokesman. While there is a call to re-envision public safety and not have police respond to certain calls for service, until those models are fully operational, most of those calls are still sent to police.

Overall, next years city budget will cut an additional $3 million from the Portland Police Bureau. That would represent a 1.4% decrease in bureau spending compared to its current budget.

Desire Cage, 33, said shed like to see it cut even more.

It all comes down to the way they treat African Americans, said Cage, a Black woman who lives near Northeast Alberta Street and 20th Avenue and participated in the poll.

In an interview, she recalled how a Portland police officer once questioned whether her husband lived in their neighborhood and refused to let him enter the couples apartment after a shooting occurred on their block.

Another time, Cage said, officers stopped her as she walked home from an evening shift at a diner, searched through her bag and then told her she shouldnt be out on the street so late at night. She was still wearing her restaurant uniform.

That kind of stuff happens all the time. Its just terrifying, Cage said, adding that learning about the extent of anti-Black violence by police in the U.S. over the last year has made her even more wary.

If I see a Black person handcuffed on the curb, I now ask, Do I need to start recording? Cage said. You never know whats going to happen to a Black person questioned by police.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632

Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh

Todays report is part of the ongoing series Downtown in Distress.

Listen to business reporters Mike Rogoway and Jamie Goldberg discuss the ongoing series Downtown in Distress on Mondays episode of Beat Check with the Oregonian. Subscribe to Beat Check on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.
On Monday afternoon, Enchanted Forest announced on social media that it would finally be reopening to the public, after the coronavirus pandemic, financial woes and an ice storm all devastated the beloved Oregon amusement park over the last year.

But as word of their reopening plans got out, some fans responded with threats and angry comments, and owners walked back the reopening plan Tuesday morning.

Park co-manager Susan Vaslev said most people seemed to be upset about the requirement to wear face masks inside the park (a state requirement) and Enchanted Forests decision to allow people to go without masks provided they show a vaccination card upon entry.

We weighed it all out and decided that we cannot open safely, Vaslev said. Until we reach the point where we all agree how this transition is going to take place between mask, unmasked, vaccinated, unvaccinated and everybody can be together safely and commingle  that has to happen before we can reopen.

That might be a tall order, judging by the feedback they received.

Vaslev said the park is not releasing specifics about the worst threats that came via email and phone, but their original announcement on Facebook received nearly 1,000 comments, many of which were angry or abusive.

Businesses are legally allowed to ask customers for proof of vaccination if that is a requirement to enter their premises. Some people are falsely claiming that doing so violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (better known as HIPAA), but that law applies only to certain entities like hospitals, doctors offices and others in the health care industry.

Its one of many false claims circulating about COVID-19 and the vaccines that have so far proven to be highly effective against the virus.

That misinformation often goes hand-in-hand with skepticism of the coronavirus in general, and is spread among those who are vocally resistant to local mandates requiring the use of protective face masks in public places.

Oregon officials have not yet released formal guidance for businesses even after lifting the mask mandate for fully vaccinated Oregonians on Friday, with a few exceptions including hospitals, long-term care facilities and prisons. Gov. Kate Brown said that guidance would be announced in the coming days. State epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said businesses would likely be required to inspect COVID-19 vaccination cards before allowing customers to go maskless.

Vaslev said the Enchanted Forest was simply trying to follow those guidelines in its long-awaited plan to reopen to the public. She said the park never intended to quiz every visitor about their vaccination status, they just wanted to give vaccinated people the opportunity to go without masks provided they show proof.

The backlash against that plan  from many people who claim to have recently donated to the parks GoFundMe campaign to stay afloat  has been extremely upsetting, Vaslev said.

Enchanted Forest has not yet announced intentions to reconsider its reopening plan. Anyone who already purchased tickets for this weekend will receive a refund, the park announced Tuesday.

We are desperate to open our park, were at our breaking point, Vaslev said. How to do that and how to move through this is probably the biggest challenge weve faced so far.
A showdown with the state is brewing among at least two Oregon counties that already have or are taking steps to prevent 15-, 16- and 17-year-old residents from getting vaccinated against COVID-19 without their parents or guardians permission.

A state law grants these teenagers the power to make their own medical decisions. The Oregon Health Authority says that includes whether they get vaccinated. The law requires parental consent for anyone 14 or younger.

But last week the Linn County Board of Commissioners directed its local health department to deny shots to any 15- to 17-year-old residents who want them unless they have parental approval. A state lawmaker, Rep. Marty Wilde, a Eugene Democrat whose district also covers part of Linn County, says thats a violation of state law and hes sent a complaint to the Oregon Department of Justice asking it to investigate.

It is neither legal nor ethical to require parental consent for vaccination of minors 15 and up, Wilde wrote in an email to the Association of Oregon Counties, warning it of the movement underfoot.

But proponents of the effort say the law appears to allow medical providers to choose not to administer a vaccination without parental consent, and even the Oregon Health Authority now acknowledges the issue could fall into something of a gray area.

This week, using Linn Countys action as a model, two of the three county commissioners in Yamhill County have voiced enthusiastic support for a possible ordinance requiring 15- to 17-year-olds to get parental permission -- saying they think the vaccines are experimental and unsafe for all age groups, let alone teens, despite public health data showing more than 150 million Americans have been safely vaccinated so far.

Commissioners Lindsay Berschauer and Mary Starrett, both who say they have no plans to ever get inoculated against COVID-19 because of their concerns about the vaccines, plan to discuss the legalities of requiring parental permission at their board meeting Thursday.

Starrett said she already has asked the county health department to stop vaccinations of 15- to 17-year-olds without parental permission as of Monday, and she said director of Yamhill County Health and Human Services Lindsey Manfrin agreed. Manfrin didnt immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

After learning of Wildes opposition to what is happening in Linn County, Berschauer wrote a strongly worded email to Wilde telling him to stay out of our family decisions.

My children are not the property of the State of Oregon, Rep. Wilde, Berschauer wrote. And if you think for a moment that the parents in Yamhill County, especially mothers like myself who went through agonizing labor to birth and bring these children into the world, are going to accept that state bureaucrats can bribe our kids with pizza and iTunes gift cards in order to be injected with an experimental, trial vaccine WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION, you are out of your mind.

Berschauer told The Oregonian/OregonLive that shes the mother of a 14-year-old son and two stepchildren, ages 15 and 17. She said Yamhill Countys lawyers are currently looking into the legal authority the county has to require parental approval for vaccinations for this age group.

Simply put, Oregon law -- ORS 109.640  states: A minor 15 years of age or older may give consent, without the consent of a parent or guardian of the minor, to  hospital care, medical or surgical diagnosis or treatment by various medical providers.

Oregon Health Authority spokesman Robb Cowie, however, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that while it believes the intent of the law is to grant 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds the powers to make their own decisions, the law is vaguer about whether a medical provider can decline to administer the vaccinations.

A state legislative lawyer, however, took a slightly different position, saying that while Linn Countys theory is perhaps plausible, refusing to vaccinate a minor age 15 or older nonetheless appears to contradict the law and legislative intent. Senior Deputy Counsel Marisa James wrote in an email that she read through the health authoritys Frequently Asked Questions web page and found it perplexing and not necessarily an accurate statement of law.

A May 10 memo from one of Linn Countys lawyers, Deputy Counsel Jodi Gollehon, told the commissioners that while the law grants this age group of teens power to make their own medical decisions, the Oregon Health Authority doesnt rule out the possibility that a provider may ask for parental consent for minors. Gollehon then gave commissioners the go-ahead to direct the Linn County health department to start requiring parental approval.

One way around that is that another medical provider -- Samaritan Health  recently held a vaccination clinic at West Albany High School. And because it wasnt under orders from the commissioners because its not the health department, it didnt require 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds to get parental permission before getting their COVID-19 shots.

Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist declined to comment, except to say that the boards intent was to support families.

Were respecting family conversations and family decisions, Nyquist said. Personally, I got vaccinated.

And when it comes to others, Nyquist said he encourages them to talk to their medical providers.

But in Yamhill County, Berschauer and Starrett think the COVID-19 vaccinations are potentially dangerous. So in addition to requiring parental consent for all minors under 18, they also said theyre interested in an idea to require all Yamhill County residents who are about to get vaccinated to receive a copy of all adverse reactions a small percentage of Oregonians might have had to the vaccines.

Starrett, the board chair, also is working on a proposal to ban businesses from verifying the vaccination status of customers before, say, letting them enter a store without wearing a mask.

But as far as the immediate proposal up for discussion at Thursdays board meeting, it has at least one commissioner of the three in opposition.

I oppose it because it appears to be illegal, said Commissioner Casey Kulla.

He added that counties are an agent of the state in much of what we do, and the state makes the rules. If we dont like them, we dont get to just say, Were not going to follow this law.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
Former Portland State Vikings star Charlie Taumoepeau has signed with the Detroit Lions, the team announced Monday.

#Lions have signed the following free agents:



 CB Alex Brown

 S Alijah Holder

 TE Charlie Taumoepeau  Detroit Lions (@Lions) May 17, 2021

Taumoepeau, the former Portland State Vikings star, was invited to as a tryout during the teams rookie minicamp during the past weekend. The tight end impressed the Lions enough to earn contract.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Taumoepeau originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He was released at the teams final cutdown, and he signed with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. He was cut two weeks later before signing to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that people convicted in the past by nonunanimous juries shouldnt have their cases automatically overturned but its unclear what effect the decision will have in Oregon.

The high court first struck down nonunanimous jury convictions last April in a Louisiana case that also ended Oregons decades-long practice of allowing split verdicts to convict felony defendants with the exception of murder cases. It applied to future cases and nonunanimous verdicts under appeal at the time.

The question then became what would happen to split verdict cases that had concluded before the 2020 ruling in Ramos v. Louisiana.

The courts latest opinion said the ruling doesnt apply retroactively on the federal level but that states still have the freedom to retroactively apply the jury unanimity rule as a matter of state law in state post-conviction proceedings.

Hundreds of Oregonians remain in prison with nonunanimous jury convictions, having exhausted all other appeal options. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblums office is currently responding to hundreds of post-conviction relief cases, a type of civil lawsuit in which people with nonunanimous jury convictions can ask for their cases to be overturned.

Rosenblum said she hasnt decided yet how to proceed.

My office remains committed to reviewing every case presented to us that involves a request for a new trial, she said in a statement. We are carefully reviewing the Edwards decision, and will be working expeditiously on a plan for addressing these cases going forward.

She has so far declined to support blanket retroactivity, citing the practical consequences of allowing hundreds, potentially thousands of past cases be retried.

Advocates said they will continue to press Rosenblum to give more people a new day in court.

The attorney generals discretion, power, authority is exactly the same as it was yesterday, said Aliza Kaplan, a Lewis & Clark Law School professor who has been a vocal opponent of nonunanimous jury verdicts.

She still has the ability, the power to stipulate retroactivity or not fight retroactivity for the folks on post-conviction who are merely seeking a fair constitutional trial, Kaplan said.

Nonunanimous juries, which were permitted to convict most felony defendants with a 10-2 vote, have long been criticized as as relic from a racist past that marginalized minority jurors.

The new decision affects prisoners who were convicted in Louisiana and Oregon as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the few places that had allowed criminal convictions based on divided jury votes.

Kaplan said Rosenblum has the power to stop fighting these relief cases in court and simply allow them through, in which case they would automatically be sent back to county courts for prosecutors to decide whether to retry the cases.

Gregory McKelvey, a local Democratic activist and organizer with the Still in Prison campaign, said Mondays ruling opens the door for her (Rosenblum) to act.

International advocacy group Human Rights Watch also has urged Rosenblum to lift her opposition to overturning past nonunanimous jury convictions. Chelsea Clinton, advocate and daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, recently addressed Rosenblum on Twitter about the issue.

Rosenblum said in previous statements that she would wait for a ruling on retroactivity in the Edwards case, which has now been decided, or from Oregon courts  which could take a few years, as the post-conviction relief cases Rosenblum is currently fighting would have to make their way up to the state Supreme Court, according to Kaplan.

[The Edwards ruling] makes it clear now that she is the decision maker on this and if theres gonna be movement, its going to come from her and not the Supreme Court, McKelvey said.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding
The mother of the 26-year-old man killed in January by Tigard police said an officer called her from the scene and wanted her to talk to her son to help calm him down but the line went dead after what seemed like a few minutes.

Maria Macduff never got a chance to speak with her son Jacob.

While she waited for a callback, she said she hoped police had taken her son to the hospital. But two hours later, she said she got a call saying he was dead.

Tigard Officer Gabriel Maldonado shot Jacob Macduff after responding to what police characterized as domestic violence allegations.

Maria Macduff, a family doctor who lives in Santa Barbara, spoke Monday about the shooting during a press conference arranged by her attorney, Scott Levin of Portland.

Jacob Macduff was outside an apartment unit where he lived on Southwest Hall Boulevard and Bonita Road. Police said he had locked himself in a pickup after police arrived and that while trying to arrest him, they found he had a knife.

Macduffs mother said in the days leading up to her sons death he sent her incoherent text messages. She said her son had bipolar disorder.

I knew he was progressing into an acute psychotic state, she said.

An officer had called her that day to say he was responding to a 911 call related to Jacob Macduffs behavior, she said.

The officer, whose name she does not recall, told her that her son had locked himself in his truck, which was registered to Maria Macduff. She said the officer asked if he could break the window and she agreed.

I reminded them that he had a mental illness and to be careful, she said.

She said the same officer asked if she would talk to her son to see if she could encourage him to comply with their commands. She said she waited for the officer to hand over the phone.

I waited and waited and the phone went dead, she said.

More than five months after the shooting, Macduff said she still knows little about what led police to fire on her son.

The investigation by the Washington County Major Crimes Team into the shooting is complete and was turned over last week to the Washington County District Attorneys Office. District Attorney Kevin Barton then took the unusual step of asking the Oregon Department of Justice to review the case.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman Kristina Edmundson could not say how long the agency would take to review the case or whether a grand jury would be convened as part of that process.

-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
Portland will fall back into spring-like weather with a series of cool and wet days lasting through most of the week.

The National Weather Service expects cooler and unsettled weather to continue through Thursday as the result of a low pressure system slowly moving south from British Columbia.

Light rain is falling across the Coast Range and in the Oregon Cascades early Tuesday. Portland will see showers mostly before the lunch hour, then some clearing to partly sunny skies. The high will be 62 degrees, about 20 degrees cooler than Sunday.

Rain is likely to be heavier across Southwest Washington. Forecasters are looking at the possibility of 0.75 inches of rain in some locations north of the Columbia River. Shower activity diminishes as you head south. Its possible portions of Lane County will see very little rain with this system.

Chances of showers continue into Wednesday and include the slight possibility of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Some thunderstorms could include small hail. Skies will be mixed with clouds and sun breaks. The high will be near 62 degrees.

The upper level low pressure system lingers into Thursday and brings more chances of showers. Rain should fall after about 11 a.m. The high will be about 63 degrees.

Snow levels with this system fall into the 3,000- to 4,000-foot range over the next few days. But impacts to travel should be minimal as most of the showers are expected to fall during the daytime and early evening hours when sun breaks would quickly melt sticking snow.

Current long-range forecasts are calling for a short drying trend starting later Friday and into Saturday.
State officials announced Monday they had hired an independent forestry consultant to perform a hasty review of their controversial hazard tree removal program in response to allegations of overcutting and mismanagement.

The Washington-based consultant, Galen Wright, is expected to spend this week visiting fire-damaged swaths of Oregon and deliver his assessment, including any recommendations, by early June.

The scope of the $48,358 contract includes reviewing arborist qualifications and the criteria used to identify hazardous trees as well as a field review in three different fire corridors to assess the compliance of hazard tree identification. But the contract also makes clear Wright is not being paid to make decisions about specific trees, leaving critics concerned about the thoroughness of the review.

So far the state has marked about 77,000 of 140,000 trees it currently estimates it will need to cut down and remove as a result of nine large wildfires last year, most of which ignited Labor Day. Mac Lynde, a deputy administrator at the Oregon Department of Transportation, told lawmakers Monday that the project was about a quarter complete, with about 34,000 trees removed to date, and is expected to stretch late into the fall.

The state moved to hire Wright, who has more than 30 years of forestry experience, after reports from landowners, former employees on the project and other advocates suggested that the contractor hired by the state to monitor the program, Florida-based CDR Maguire, was inexperienced in this type of work and badly mismanaging it.

Their allegations included widespread mismarking and overcutting of non-hazardous trees by unqualified personnel, constantly changing standards for what constitutes a hazard, financial incentives for contractors to cut more, drug use by workers in the field, inadequate safety protocols and alleged instances of fraud over reported work hours and documentation of trees being cut.

The problems, initially reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting and subsequently by The Oregonian/OregonLive, initially led lawmakers to ask the governor to temporarily halt cutting until the allegations made in public hearings could be reviewed. They subsequently backed off that request, but asked the governor to ensure that ODOT and CDR Maguire conducted a review of the allegations, with particular focus on whether the personnel marking trees met the qualifications specified in CDR Maguires contract with the state, and provide findings or recommendations as soon as possible.

Both CDR Maguire and ODOT officials have repeatedly described a meticulously designed program in which trees are being evaluated not once, but three times, including two checks by certified arborists and foresters to ensure they meet the criteria for removal. Those protocols include whether individual trees have a 50% probability of dying in the next three to five years, and whether they pose a risk to motorists or community members if they do fail.

On Monday, Lynde told members of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery those protocols were being applied conservatively on the safety side, but that workers were also doing their best to preserve trees that were questionable for now. He said contractors would have a second pass through some areas to evaluate standing trees that may become distressed in the heat of the summer.

On the other hand, he said, We dont want to be in this situation for years and years to come.

Lynde dismissed the idea, as was suggested in testimony last month, that contractors were cutting optional trees, though he said some trees were identified as safety trees if they would be threatened by taking down an adjacent tree or put contractors in harms way. He also said the company had identified several instances in the last few weeks of people apparently concerned about the project visiting work sites and maliciously removing bar-coded tags from trees and painting over other marking used to identify hazard trees.

The programs conservatism described by Lynde is the most fundamental question, and critics claim the reality on the ground is very different, saying living, green trees are being felled along with others that dont pose a hazard, even if theyre dead. They point to science showing that even trees heavily damaged by wildfire can grow new needles three and four years after the fact. And they suggest that the hazard tree removal after 2017s Eagle Creek fire in the Columbia River Gorge was nowhere near as aggressive as the current program.

The states contract with Wright states in numerous places that the services performed by the contractor does not include making a decision about specific trees. If thats the case, critics worry Wright may not get at the heart of their concerns, but simply determine if contractors are following the protocols, and only for the period hes in the field.

Tony Andersen, an ODOT spokesman, said in an email that part of this will involve revisiting decisions on individual trees and evaluating a level of accuracy based on criteria to then draft findings from.

Former employees, however, have claimed that detailed, scientifically based criteria didnt exist, that those circulated were being misapplied, and what was happening in the field bore little relationship with what bureaucrats and executives at contracting firms had put on paper.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, asked what role Wright was being asked to play. Lynde responded that he had a high degree of confidence that things are going well, but with 1,200 employees on the ground, there were a lot of moving parts. He said Wright, an independent consultant with no connection to the project, was coming in to review the product on the ground.

He wont be looking at every single tree again, Lynde said. But weve asked him to look at a representative sample and determine, before the trees come down, if it matches the expectations of what our program was designed around.

Prozanski pressed Lynde on whether Wright would be speaking with some of the former employees on the project who had raised specific concerns. I think its very important that we provide for that opportunity, he said, adding that the committee was happy to help make that connection.

Lynde said the agency would absolutely make Mr. Wright available to anyone who may want to come forward with some of those concerns.

In addition to hiring Wright, Lynde said the hazard tree program is on the Secretary of States audit plan, and that ODOT plans to follow up with insiders who testified to lawmakers and raised specific allegations of mismanagement.

He also said the state had instituted another level of landowner notification when trees are being marked on private property, and is offering in-person meetings with arborists when landowners express concerns.

Lawmakers also heard from Brian King, director of environmental and vegetation management at PacifiCorp, who addressed questions raised in earlier hearings about utilities role in hazard tree removal from the wildfires, which is unrelated to ODOTs program.

Like in the state tree-removal program, there was a marked contrast between what landowners described taking place in the field and the way the program was designed at headquarters. Some of the questions involved the utilitys authorization to remove trees outside their right of way, its landowner notification process and the experience level of tree removal contractors.

King described a program that was led by experienced contractors following hazard tree guidelines from the U.S. Forest service, and spot checked by qualified arborists. He said the program had removed about 6,000 trees from the perimeter of the Echo Mountain Complex, near Otis along the Oregon Coast, in Pacific Powers service territory.

Some trees were left behind. Others chipped. The total proceeds of trees the utility removed and sold, he said, were only about $25,000. He said the program should be wrapped up this week.

Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, lives within the fire perimeter in Otis and was an invited guest at the Senate committee. He had trees removed from his property, and said a representative stopped by his house to have him sign an authorization to remove trees theyd cut down. He asked for time to review the legal document and was never contacted by the utility about it again. The form included no contact information, though he did later provide verbal authorization to a crew to remove some trees.

He also questioned whether arborists were really qualified, saying some of the personnel showing up to discuss hazard trees with locals were known to them and had been working in restaurants or retail in the weeks before the fire. He also questioned whether contractor crews had local experience, saying the vehicles that had showed up at his house had out-of-state plates, and changed from day to day.

King didnt have answers to numerous questions. He said hed have to get back to them.

-- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
Even before the pandemic, trust in the federal government was near record lows, and 7 in 10 people thought that Americans trust in one another had declined over the past 20 years, according to the Pew Research Center. Still, a majority of Americans had confidence that people could work together in a crisis. About 75% of Americans believed that people would cooperate with one another in a crisis, even if they did not trust one another.
AGENCY [mdash]MaryAnn Wanner, 75, of Agency, died at 4:45 a.m. June 9, 2021 at Ridgewood Specialty Care. She was born February 18, 1946 in Lake City, IA to Lubbert and Erma DeVries. She married Martin Joseph Wanner and he preceded her in death on March 18, 2021. MaryAnn had worked as a beaut
The documentary, "Breached! The Tittabawassee River Disaster," will be broadcast on the one-year anniversary of that event, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, on Delta College Public Media (PBS), Spectrum channels 9/784, Direct TV 35, over the air 19.1.

It's also available for viewing online at www.deltabroadcasting.org.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan legislators gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would exempt high school graduation ceremonies from a state order that restricts crowd sizes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The measure could be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. It passed 22-13 in the Senate, with all Republicans and two Democrats in support.

Outdoor stadiums with enhanced protocols can operate at 20% capacity under the order from the state health department. Up to 1,000 people can be in outdoor arenas with a fixed seating capacity of up to 10,000  1,500 if it is a bigger venue  as long as they do not surpass 50% occupancy. At indoor arenas, the limit is 375, or 750 if the seating capacity is more than 10,000.

The legislation would allow more people to attend high school commencements.

Why shouldn't our schools be able to have safe graduations? said Sen. Jim Runestad, a Republican from White Lake Township in Oakland County Why are we still stuck with another one-size-fits-all approach to our high schools?

Many Democrats have criticized the bill. Whitmer's office did not say if she will sign it.

There is nothing that prohibits in-person graduation ceremonies, and many universities have already shown that its possible to safely hold in-person graduation ceremonies, spokesman Bobby Leddy said. "Our administration continues to encourage families and school districts to find a safe way to honor students incredible achievements.

The state Department of Health and Human Services recommends that high schools host virtual graduations and proms. It says if in-person events take place, they should be held outside and schools must require all unvaccinated students, staff, volunteers and other attendees to test negative within 24 or 72 hours of the event, depending on the type of test. The use of cohorts or pods is encouraged for social events such as proms and year-end parties.

___

Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
A pilot from Gratiot County died Monday in an airplane crash.

Midland County sheriffs deputies responded to the scene at 1:22 p.m. Monday, at the area of South Geneva Road and West Ball Road in Jasper Township.

The crash was called in to Midland County Central Dispatch by a passerby who observed the plane on fire in a field. St. Louis Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. Located within the cockpit was the pilot, who was also the lone occupant.

The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene by Chief Medical Examiner Dennis Wagner and then transported to McLaren Bay Region by Mid-Michigan EMS.

The pilot is a 23-year-old Gratiot County man whose identity will be released at a later time, pending notification of family.

The plane appeared to be a single-engine Cessna 182H model.

The cause of the crash is unknown.

The investigation is being turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Energy experts worked Tuesday to restore full operations at Polands biggest power plant after a network failure switched off 10 of the brown coal-fueled Belchatow plant's 11 units, a disruption felt across Europe's power network.

Poland needed emergency energy imports from Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to fill in for the suddenly missing power supply. It was a second major outage since 2015 at Belchatow, which provides up to 20% of the energy in Poland.

The outage at the lignite-fired station was felt across Europes continent-wide network of power grids. Operators recorded a sudden drop in mains frequency from the standard 50 Hz to about 49.85 Hz just after 14:30 GMT Monday. Other power supply companies had to scramble to compensate for what was a major deviation to prevent consumers from feeling the change.

Officials said the outage was the units' automatic reply to a failure at a nearby power switchboard where 10 of Belchatows units are connected. The 11th unit, the largest one, is connected to a different switchboard and was not affected.

Polands chief energy distributor, state mining and energy giant PGE, said Tuesday that eight of the units had been restored but that restarting them after a total cut was a big challenge.

PGE spokesperson Beata Jarosz-Dziekanowska said the nationwide energy system was working properly and no power shortages were expected.

As the systems operator, we have the required reserves, and we can always use imports, Jarosz-Dziekanowska said.

The outage underscored the need for a diversification of Polands energy sources. The country of some 38 million residents gets 65% of its power from black coal and lignite, mostly from its own deposits.

Environmental groups say Poland is Europes laggard in phasing out polluting fossil fuels and introducing clean energy.

The outage of such a big plant like Belchatow shows that coal is not a reliable source of energy, said Monika Sadkowska of the group WWF.

A government energy plan calls for completely eliminating coal from the country's energy mix no sooner than 2049, a date seen as a concession to Poland's 80,000 coal miners. However, mining has been lreduced since 1990, when Poland had some 400,000 miners.

Last week, a new lignite-powered unit opened in Turow, in southwestern Poland. Like the Belchatow plant, it belongs to PGE. Authorities say the state-of-the art station is vital for ensuring energy during the transition to cleaner sources and produces low CO2 emissions.

The government recently extended the operating license for the Turow lignite mine and power plant until 2044, drawing protests from neighboring Germany and Czech Republic.

Renewable energy currently accounts for some 18% of Poland's generated supply, chiefly solar and wind power. Recent legislation for off-shore wind power is expected to help Poland make progress toward the European Union's 2030 goal of having at least 32% clean energy in the mix.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced plans - but no dates - for developing hydrogen technologies as a step toward a climate-neutral economy.

Defenders of CO2-generating coal-fired power plants say they are still needed to maintain reliable energy supplies as demand rises. They claim that renewable power sources like wind and solar can't do that because they are too linked to changing weather conditions and are still underdeveloped in Poland.

According to energy expert Bartlomiej Sawicki, Poland could have problems with its power supplies after 2025, when some coal-powered units need to be closed due to their age.

Massive imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States, Qatar and other sources are to ensure energy stability during the transition period.

Belchatow, in central Poland, combines Europe's largest lignite mine and Poland's largest power plant. With total power of some 5.3 GW, it supplies energy to some 11.5 million households.

It was previously taken off the grid in 2015, when a massive heat wave and unprecedented demand for cooling power led to a failure of operations.

___

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.

___

To follow all AP stories linked to climate change go to https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system struggled to restore computers and treat patients Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire information technology system in response to a ransomware attack.

Thousands of diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment clinics and surgeries have been canceled or delayed since Friday's cyberattack. Authorities said hundreds of people were assigned to get crippled systems back online, but it could be weeks before the public health service will return to normal.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the attack was a heinous one that targeted patients and the Irish public. The chief clinical officer of Ireland's Health Service Executive, Colm Henry, said the intrusion was having a profound impact on our ability to deliver care and that disruptions would undoubtedly mount in the coming days and weeks.

More than 2,000 patient-facing IT systems were affected, and around 80,000 devices were linked to such systems throughout the health service, Henry told Irish broadcaster RTE. Authorities are prioritizing the recovery of systems involved in patient diagnostics, such as radiology, radiotherapy and maternity and newborn services.

Thats what our experts are focusing on this week, with external help, to ensure those services are not reliant on manual exchange of information, he said.

Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt the information. Irish officials say a ransom was demanded but they will not pay it.

Conti, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, was demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site viewed by The Associated Press. The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon, if it did not receive the money.

The government will not be paying any money, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told RTE. We will not be blackmailed.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine urged people not to turn up at hospital emergency rooms unless they had a genuinely urgent need. The association said electronic ordering of blood tests, X-rays and scans was unavailable and clinicians had no access to previous X-rays or scan results.

Many hospital telephone systems also were not working because they are carried on computer networks, it added. The attack has also shut down the system used to pay health care workers.

Patients have expressed frustration at the attack, describing it as another torment thrown into the already difficult struggle accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eimear Cregg, 38, a primary school teacher who is receiving treatment for breast cancer, had her radiation therapy briefly postponed while doctors sought to restore her records so they could treat her properly.

This is a very cruel thing to do to vulnerable people, Cregg told The Associated Press. Were fighting every day as it is, and this was just another curve ball that wasnt needed.

Ireland's publicly funded health care system, the Health Service Executive, said in a statement late Monday that there were serious concerns about the implications for patient care arising from the very limited access to diagnostics, lab services and historical patient records.

The health service said it was working methodically to assess and restore its computer systems.

The Ireland attack comes as ransomware gangs persist in identifying big game targets in search of lucrative payouts and data that can help them identify new victims - and even determine the amount of cyber-insurance coverage they carry.

Operations of four Asian affiliates of the Paris-based insurance company AXA were hit in recent days by by ransomware attacks: in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The attackers claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data, including medical records, customer IDs and privileged communications with hospitals and doctors.

The hackers threatened to leak documents within 10 days if AXA does not pay an unspecified ransom.

AXA said this month that it would stop writing cyber-insurance policies in France that reimburse customers for extortion payments made to ransomware criminals, saying the practice encourages more such attacks.

In a new case, ransomware took down IT systems across five hospitals south of Auckland, New Zealand, forcing staff to cancel some elective surgeries preventing doctors from accessing clinical records, authorities said.

Ransomware attacks have surged in the past year, though there may be a dip following the worst attack to date on U.S. critical infrastructure. A nearly week-long shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies the east coast with 45% of its petroleum products, led U.S. President Joe Biden to vow retaliation.

That prompted the moderator of one of the most popular darknet criminal forums, XSS, to disavow ransomware syndicates and to ban them from recruiting and conducting other business on the forum. But experts say its typical for criminals to lay low when law enforcement scrutiny gets acute.

Ransomware reached epidemic levels last year as the criminals, who enjoy safe harbor in former Soviet states, increasingly turned to double extortion, stealing sensitive data before activating the encryption software that paralyzes networks  and threatening to dump it online if they dont get paid.

___

Bajak reported from Boston. Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, Jill Lawless in London, Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok, and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
Two Maryland sheriffs deputies were shot and wounded Monday while trying to serve a warrant for a probation violation on an assault charge, a spokeswoman said.

Charles County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson told The Associated Press that deputies responded to a call at around 3:30 p.m. from a home in Waldorf about a man who the caller, identified as a family member, wanted out of the house. Additional deputies were dispatched to the home, Richardson said, because there were concerns about the man's mental condition and the danger he might pose. He was said to be experiencing a mental health episode, she said, citing the caller.
Looking at the agenda and seeing whats supposed to be covered, it took you guys 40 minutes to get to the findings, said Steven Montiero, chairman of the SRO Citizens Advisory Task Force, which dissolved last month after turning over its report. And yet, not one finding has been addressed that the SRO committee actually talked about.
To the editor:

I cannot forget Jan. 6. As Congress prepared to certify the election, a group of self-proclaimed patriots committed unspeakable violence in the attempt to usurp constitutional democracy and install a profane tyranny. On that day, these patriots shattered glass, battered peace officers, and erected a gallows reserved for politicians who intended to preserve democracy.

On that day, these patriots intended to execute our nation for one insignificant man.

This insurrection failed; yet, I am still concerned. Look around Midland to see why: Our citizens still support this profane reprobate by displaying flags emblazoned with his sad name. Some even have the audacity to situate these flags near the American Flag, implying that the two are commensurate. They are not.

True patriots support democracy. They do not lay prostrate at the throne of any man, nor do they attempt to violently overthrow the government.

Such are not the acts of patriots. Such are the acts of terrorists.

I make no distinction between those who engaged in the most horrific attacks on our country since 9/11 and those who fly the flag of their insurrectionist "king." These are one in the same. To espouse the ideals of the former president is to support the actions of the Jan. 6 terrorists, as the latter can only exist because of the former. To fly his flag is to erect the gallows by which you intend to choke our country and its culture. To fly his flag is to side with domestic terrorism  ideals which are anathema to all we hold dear. To fly his flag is shameful.

So, I shake my head with concern whenever I drive around Midland. Seeing our citizens take pride in the flag of terrorism, I wonder if we, as a nation, can move on. I wonder if we, as a country, value the ego of one man over the fragile values of our American society. Make no mistake: One must be obliterated to preserve the other; they cannot simultaneously coexist, and I have lost confidence that we can choose correctly.

Dont believe me? Take a look around Midland.

EDGAR BURROUGHS

Midland
Tennessee Continues Its Crusade Against Trans Children

By James Field | Politics | May 17, 2021 |

Theres a peculiar pleasure to self-righteousness. Weve all felt it. We see a family member, friend, colleague making a terrible decision and theres relief that it wasnt us, along with the satisfaction of having our expectations confirmed. Its an uncharitable feeling, to be sure, but were an uncharitable species. As long as its a momentary and unconscious reaction, its not a big deal. Its when our bespoke sanctimony becomes a group effort that problems arise. In small groups this can range from annoying to murderous, depending on the subject material. On a national or religious scale, it becomes the excuse for everything from missionary work to colonization and pogroms. And since religious fundamentalism has swept aside any Republican dreams of governing on the issues, theyve stepped up the culture war.

Into this wades the great state of Tennessee with a spring in its step and a hymn on its lips. Its got some pretty serious issues. The state has the third-highest crime rate, is 40th in terms of healthcare, and is in the bottom half of educational standards. With all that going on you might think theyve got better things to worry about than a students bathroom choice. Not so much. On Friday, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law that denies trans students access to their preferred bathroom and locker rooms. It requires reasonable accommodations be made for these students, such as single-occupancy changing and restrooms. Apparently separate but equal remains in vogue despite decades of evidence that it doesnt work. It opens up trans students to yet more bullying and ostracization, and though Republican officials and bill sponsors wont say as much, this is part of the goal. Trump may be gone, but cruelty remains the point. Its certainly not about protecting prepubescent children and teens from unwanted sexual attention. It bears repeating that 98% of female survivors and 93% of male survivors of sexual assault were assaulted by cis men. 97% of reported sexual assaults against children and young adolescents are committed by men, and 98% of those offenders identify as heterosexual. 93% of juvenile survivors know their attacker.

Sexual assault is a huge, underreported issue. But with straight men overwhelmingly responsible for reported assaults, and the transgender community facing an assault rate of 47%, its clear where the focus should lie. But this isnt about protecting children, any more than Tennessees March bill forbidding transgender athletes from competing unless their sex matches their birth certificate was about ensuring fairness. Its about righteousness. Its about satisfaction. Its about religious fundamentalists  and TERFs, fundamentalists of a different stripe  dividing us along cultural lines that only exist in the abstract. Its about diverting attention from the actual perpetrators in case someone looks too closely at the root causes of sexual violence, and demands necessary action finally be taken.

Source: CNN

(A personal note: I am a heterosexual cis man who does his best to stay up-to-date on preferred terminology, but Im likely to make mistakes. They come from ignorance rather than animosity, and any clarification from members of the LGBTQ community will be taken with gratitude and, I hope, improved communication on my part in any future pieces.)

 Amber Ruffin Wants You To Know How We Got Here | Reddit Asks the Question: 'What's the Most Random Fact You Know?' 

Image sources (in order of posting): Getty Images, Jared C. Tilson
Then in April of that year, a circuit judge resentenced Smith to death. This was further complicated when the Supreme Court issued rulings in two other cases that called Smiths sentence into question. In November, two new rulings saw the state Supreme Court reject requests to similarly reinstate death sentences for two other convicted men, because earlier court orders required them to receive new hearings.
An informal memorial service for George Alvin Kerschner, 74 of Palestine will be held Friday, June 11, 2021 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Bailey & Foster Chapel. Arrangements have been entrusted to Bailey & Foster Funeral Home. Please feel free to come and go as you please. To view online
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - African Health Ministers have called upon all AU Member States to intensify their efforts for vaccination against COVID-19 as a critical component to prevent, contain and bring the pandemic to an end as quickly as possible
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Heads of state and government of the G5 Sahel held a mini-summit on Monday on prior to the opening of the Paris summit on the financing of African economies on Tuesday
LINCOLN  A 97-year-old U.S. Army veteran was honored with a degree from Lincoln College this month.

William Bill Gossett went to Lincoln in 1941 before transferring to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But it was cut short after Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Gossett joined the United States Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946, during the height of World War II.

I knew I was going to enlist. I signed up in October 1942 and got called to report in February 1943, said Gossett.

After coming home, Gossett took over the family business, Gossetts Cleaners, which operated for 75 years. He started Gossetts Decorator Studio and ran both until retiring in 2001.

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He also served on various community groups, including the Abraham Lincoln Hospital Association, American Legion, Knights Templar, Lincoln Rotary, Lincoln Toastmasters Club, Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce, Masons, Oasis Senior Center, Salvation Army, and the Union Cemetery Association.

In 2019, Mr. Gossett came to me and said he wanted to finish his associates degree at Lincoln College, said Lincoln College President David Gerlach, in a statement. After meeting with the Registrars Office, we determined that Gossett could reenroll as a reverse transfer student with Prior Learning Assessment credits. We were inspired by his desire to obtain a degree 80 years after his education began."

After additional coursework, Gossett completed his Associate of Arts degree in 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, 2020 graduates were given the opportunity to walk in the 2021 ceremony.

There was always a void there but I was busy learning to run a business. Time went by and I finally decided to finish my degree. It was a goal of self-fulfillment, said Gossett.

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BLOOMINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Courts announcement Monday that it would hear a case from Mississippi challenging Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, brought opposite reactions in Illinois.

The Mississippi law, passed in 2018, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Regardless of the Supreme Courts decision, likely in the fall, abortion access is expected to continue uninterrupted in Illinois due to a series of laws enacted in recent years in anticipation of a federal rollback.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019 signed the Reproductive Health Act, which enshrined reproductive health care  including abortion access  as a fundamental right in Illinois.

While its fine that Illinois would have those protections, all those states around us wouldnt necessarily have those protections and it could take a generation to get us in a position where people would have access to care again, Brigid Leahy, senior director of public policy with Planned Parenthood Illinois, told The Pantagraph.

An inquiry to the Bloomington Planned Parenthood was redirected to the state office in Springfield. Planned Parenthood is a common location for anti-abortion protests, but the Bloomington location remained silent Monday.

A group of pro-life McLean County citizens gathered in downtown Bloomington Jan. 22, as they do every year on the anniversary of the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision, for an abortion vigil. Prayers were led by Andy Mitchell, a member of Christ Church in Normal.

Central Catholic High School in Bloomington also sends buses of students to the yearly March for Life in Washington, D.C., held on the same day. The school did not participate this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Messages seeking comment from the church and school Monday were not returned.

Pritzker, asked about the case at an unrelated press conference in Springfield Monday afternoon, reaffirmed his support for abortion rights.

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"I think the Mississippi case, the fact that the Supreme Court has taken this up, is a danger to families all across this nation," Pritzker said. "I know that here in Illinois, we will stand up for a woman's right to choose. I know we also will be vocal in protecting that right for everyone in the nation."

Illinois Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, said it is thrilled that the Supreme Court will take up the case. But in an emailed response to The Pantagraph, Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Amy Gehrke said it is a time for cautious optimism.

While this certainly sets the stage for the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the possibility also exists for the Court to further narrow Roe, allowing states more discretion when it comes to abortion law, simply knock down the statute, or avoid a substantial ruling altogether, Gehrke said.

Illinois Right to Life filed an amicus brief in support of Mississippis case last year and plans to file a second one in the coming weeks.

Leahy pointed out that federal and appellate courts have consistently decided that the Mississippi law runs counter to the 1973 Supreme Court decision, calling the new law a direct attack on Roe v. Wade and on the constitutional right to access abortion.

If the court uses this law to overturn Roe, then suddenly well have a state by state issue, and well have literally millions of Americans who will no longer have this right, Leahy said. If they are able to, they will be forced to travel hundreds of miles to get the care they need.

Gehrke said Justice Amy Coney Barretts confirmation to the Supreme Court last year, which gave the court a 6-3 conservative majority, provided hope for Illinois Right to Life.

We do have reason for hope that Roe will be overturned and the right to life for all innocent human beings will finally be recognized, Gehrke said.

Illinois reproductive health laws have long been the most liberal in the country.

The state is among 14 plus Washington, D.C., that have laws on the books protecting abortion rights in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research organization.

Illinois has become an oasis of sorts for abortion rights in the Midwest, where it is the only state ranked by Planned Parenthood as accessible for the procedure.

The state still has some restrictions in place, such as parental notification and only allowing procedures to be performed at or past viability  when a fetus can survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks  when the mothers life or health are endangered.

But, as in many states where pro-choice lawmakers form a majority, the trend has been toward liberalization of reproductive health laws.

In 2017, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 40, which expanded taxpayer-funded abortions for women covered by Medicaid and state employee insurance plans.

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Since lawmakers last had a full spring session in Springfield in 2019, four one-time state lawmakers have been arrested on corruption charges. Three resigned after being charged, and federal investigators pursued charges on other individuals with close connections to the statehouse and the former House speaker.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle stressed the need for ethics reform following the scandals, yet no legislation that directly addresses the actions of their former colleagues has reached floor debate.

With two weeks left in the 2021 legislative session, Senate Republicans and Democrats are pushing their own ethics reform bills, but it's not clear any will pass both chambers of the legislature by the end of the month.

On Thursday, Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, introduced Senate Bill 1350 as the Republican ethics reform proposal. Senate Bill 4, introduced by Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, is the Democrats' proposal for ethics reform and is still awaiting a vote on the Senate floor, despite passing committee unanimously about a month ago.

Each bill has similar proposals to accomplish the same goals, but there are key differences. Under Curran's bill, the attorney general could convene a grand jury to investigate public corruption. Also, state's attorneys could use wire tapping to investigate corruption, and the legislative inspector general would not need approval from lawmakers before investigating and issuing subpoenas on another lawmaker.

"It just goes several steps further," Curran said. "Our proposal strengthens the measures found in Senate Bill 4. It includes additional provisions that provide the state with the ability to clean up its own mess without having to wait for the federal authorities to come in and do it for us."

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Almost all public corruption cases involving Illinois politicians come from indictments on the federal level. In the case against Commonwealth Edison involving former Speaker of the House Mike Madigan, a federal grand jury has reviewed evidence against the company and individuals and brought charges along the way. Madigan has not been charged. Former State Rep. Luis Arroyo was accused of trying to bribe a former state senator which was detected by an FBI wire, allegedly worn by former Sen. Terry Link.

Curran wants Illinois authorities to have that same power. He cited New York as an example where wiretapping helps nail down corruption cases. According to a February report by the University of Illinois at Chicago, New York and Illinois are in the top five states for most corruption convictions per capita.

The bills by both parties are substantial similarities as well. They each prohibit lawmakers and their immediate family members from becoming lobbyists and prohibit in-person fundraisers in Sangamon County the day before and after session. The Democrat's bill also makes the legislative inspector general a full-time employee and prohibits municipal elected or appointed officials from lobbying for any organization registered to lobby in their municipality.

Democrats are also pushing for a six-month ban on lawmakers becoming lobbyists after they leave the General Assembly. However, Republicans think it should be one year. The Democratic version also says a lawmaker would only have to sit out until their term ends if they resign early, meaning a lawmaker could still resign one day before the end of their term and become a lobbyist the next day.

Most states have some sort of "revolving door" ban, with a year being the most common ban and some states even requiring a two-year "cooling off" period. Curran said one year would be a "giant step forward" for the state and said he hoped that number would be a good median to support the bill.

Curran amended his bill last Thursday and Gillespie said she has not had time to review it so could not comment on specifics of the Republican's proposal.

"I remain committed to passing an ethics package this legislative session and am working with colleagues in both chambers to develop the best package possible," she said. However, time is short for action on any bill with the session set to wrap up May 31. The Republican bill would still need a committee vote before advancing to the floor, and there were promises made to amend the Democrat version before a floor vote.

"We are wasting time. This is not a process that has been transparent. And with just two weeks to go, the matter is now critical. We must pass meaningful ethics reform," Curran said.

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LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system struggled to restore computers and treat patients Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire information technology system in response to a ransomware attack.

Thousands of diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment clinics and surgeries have been canceled or delayed since Friday's cyberattack. Authorities said hundreds of people were assigned to respond to the attack but it could be weeks before the public health service will return to normal.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the attack was a heinous one that targeted patients and the Irish public. The chief clinical officer of Ireland's Health Service Executive, Colm Henry said the intrusion was having a profound impact on our ability to deliver care and that disruptions would undoubtedly mount in the coming days and weeks.

More than 2,000 patient-facing IT systems were affected, and around 80,000 devices were linked to such systems throughout the health service, Henry told Irish broadcaster RTE. Authorities are prioritizing the recovery of systems involved in patient diagnostics, such as radiology, radiotherapy and maternity and newborn services.

Thats what our experts are focusing on this week, with external help, to ensure those services are not reliant on manual exchange of information, he said.

Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt the information. Irish officials say a ransom was demanded but they will not pay it.

Conti, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, was demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site viewed by The Associated Press. The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon, if it did not receive the money.

The government will not be paying any money, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told RTE. We will not be blackmailed.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine urged people not to turn up at hospital emergency rooms unless they had a genuinely urgent need. The association said electronic ordering of blood tests, X-rays and scans was unavailable and clinicians had no access to previous X-rays or scan results.

Many hospital telephone systems also were not working because they are carried on computer networks, it added. The attack has also shut down the system used to pay health care workers.

Patients have expressed frustration at the attack, describing it as another torment thrown into the already difficult struggle accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eimear Cregg, 38, a primary school teacher who is receiving treatment for breast cancer, had her radiation therapy briefly postponed while doctors sought to restore her records so they could treat her properly.

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This is a very cruel thing to do to vulnerable people, Cregg told The Associated Press. Were fighting every day as it is, and this was just another curve ball that wasnt needed.

Ireland's publicly funded health care system, the Health Service Executive, said in a statement late Monday that there were serious concerns about the implications for patient care arising from the very limited access to diagnostics, lab services and historical patient records.

The health service said it was working methodically to assess and restore its computer systems.

The Ireland attack comes as ransomware gangs persist in identifying big game targets in search of lucrative payouts and data that can help them identify new victims - and even determine the amount of cyber-insurance coverage they carry.

Operations of four Asian affiliates of the Paris-based insurance company AXA were hit in recent days by by ransomware attacks: in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The attackers claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data, including medical records, customer IDs and privileged communications with hospitals and doctors.

The hackers threatened to leak documents within 10 days if AXA does not pay an unspecified ransom.

AXA said this month that it would stop writing cyber-insurance policies in France that reimburse customers for extortion payments made to ransomware criminals, saying the practice encourages more such attacks.

In a new case, ransomware took down IT systems across five hospitals south of Auckland, New Zealand, forcing staff to cancel some elective surgeries preventing doctors from accessing clinical records, authorities said.

Ransomware attacks have surged in the past year, though there may be a dip following the worst attack to date on U.S. critical infrastructure. A nearly week-long shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies the east coast with 45% of its petroleum products, led U.S. President Joe Biden to vow retaliation.

That prompted the moderator of one of the most popular darknet criminal forums, XS, to disavow ransomware syndicates and to ban them from recruiting and conducting other business on the forum. But experts say its typical for criminals to lay low when law enforcement scrutiny gets acute.

Ransomware reached epidemic levels last year as the criminals, who enjoy safe harbor in former Soviet states, increasingly turned to double extortion, stealing sensitive data before activating the encryption software that paralyzes networks  and threatening to dump it online if they dont get paid.



Bajak reported from Boston. Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, Jill Lawless in London, Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok, and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Illinois is blessed with the black gold that feeds America: rich, deep soils that make it one of the highest producing regions in the world. Agriculture is the largest economic sector in the state, and Illinois is among the top producers of corn and soybeans in the nation. My family has been part of this proud farming tradition for five generations.

Unfortunately, despite the stewardship of dedicated farmers, erosion is steadily taking its toll on this irreplaceable resource. Weve lost about half of the organic matter that we had when we started plowing.

But theres a proven way to prevent erosion, improve water quality, boost productivity and help farmers stay on the land  a practice that has gained widespread attention lately for its ability to draw carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in the soil.

You might be expecting something high tech, but this winning strategy is the age-old farming practice of planting cover crops.

Farmers use cover crops between growing seasons to hold the soil in place and prevent excess nutrients from entering waterways. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy estimates that planting cover crops can reduce nutrient losses from croplands by at least 30 percent, which would go a long way to preventing toxic algae blooms in local lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. Plus, cover crops save farmers time and money on fertilizers and herbicides. Healthier soils are also more resistant to disturbances like pest outbreaks, disease or extreme weather events.

There are climate benefits as well. Planting cover crops, along with other conservation agriculture practices, has the potential to reduce emissions and sequester millions of metric tons of harmful greenhouse gases in soils. These practices can dramatically cut the agricultural sectors greenhouse gas footprint.

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But as of 2019, cover crops were grown on less than 6% of Illinois cropland.

So why dont more farmers do it? Farming is a business with a lot of overhead and small margins. Its risky to change the way you operate, and it takes a few years to see the payoff. Farmers think of cover crops just like any other farm input. At the end of the day, I make management decisions to improve the profitability of my farming operation. If I dont, there wont be any sixth- or seventh-generation Reynolds farming in Montgomery County.

Thats why the Illinois Department of Agriculture launched the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Cover Crop Premium Discount Program in 2019. The idea was simple: Offer a $5 crop insurance discount for every acre planted in cover crops.

Its working. The Illinois farmland using cover crops has doubled since 2018, to around 1.4 million acres. Now the problem is that we cant keep up. We are turning away almost four times the number of acres as the program has capacity to enroll.

If we want to meet the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategys water quality and soil health goals, now is the time to scale up the Fall Covers program. As lawmakers sit down to make budget decisions over the next few weeks, they should consider increasing the Fall Covers for Spring Savings program to be available for at least 200,000 acres in Illinois.

Other states are excited about the idea of a good stewardship incentive. Iowa started a similar cover crop program before Illinois, and a number of other states, like Wisconsin and Indiana, have plans in the works. We could even see this in the next federal Farm Bill. Farming practices that benefit the soil, water, climate and taxpayer dollars enjoy rare bipartisan support in Washington.

Illinois success can be everyones opportunity.

Kris Reynolds is midwest regional director, American Farmland Trust.

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The men got out of their car, banged on the windows of the car Sanchez was in and demanded she and the driver get out, OCSO Detective Sgt. Joe Covelli said. Sanchezs friend shifted the car into reverse and backed up, hitting the front of the suspects car, and the man on the passenger side of the vehicle fired his gun into Sanchezs car and hit her.
Courageous Adam Kinzinger reported that only a handful of Republicans believe that DLT, the Big Liar, did not lose the 2020 election. DLT, who has never received even 48% of the popular vote, lost fairly in 2020 just as Hillary lost fairly in 2016. Liz Cheney lost her House leadership post for telling the truth.

The claim of a conspiracy is a true fantasy since it implies that the incompetent Democratic Party, loser to George W. Bush in 2004 and DLT in 2016, could accomplish anything in an organized, professional manner.

Most Republicans have chosen their reelection desires over integrity and honor.

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Darin LaHood has joined amoral Ted Cruz, insurrectionist Josh Hawley, Matt Gaetz, Hitler-quoting Mary Miller, QAnon dupe Marjorie Taylor Douglas and others at the top of the bootlicker category.

Rodney Davis has kept conspicuously silent. Davis should either come out in full support of DLT or condemn the big lie and the January 6 insurrection.

Kinzinger and Cheney have true conservatives including the Bush Family, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and Ben Sasse on their side. Spineless Republicans are scorning them for their honesty and integrity.

DLT has never been a conservative but only a narcissistic, corrupt, racist, lying fraud artist. True conservatives should not vote for Republican candidates who lack integrity and are willing to follow a deranged demagogue.

Daniel G. Deneen, Bloomington

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When Bree Runway signed to EMI in 2018, she presented the execs there with a pitch deck. "I showed them exactly who Bree Runway is, because I'm meticulous," she recalls.

That's not an overstatement. In a now-deleted video posted to her Instagram account, the young Londoner was seen strutting into the EMI offices as if she owned the place, draped in a street-style, high fashion concoction, looking the part.

Three years, an acclaimed mixtape and EP later, it's all happening as the deck predicted. Brenda Wireko Mensah has become a star. A Black princess pop star, not a rapper, as she clarified on Twitter last summer and reiterates to me over Zoom. "A pop star is someone who can touch on any genre, a pop star is anyone who can bend, morph and twist into anything they want at any time, that's a pop star," she asserts, paraphrasing from a dictionary definition she's pulled up on her phone. "It's beyond the music, it's a lifestyle."

Sunglasses: General Eyewear, Earrings (left to right) Hugo Kreit and Slim Barrett, Grills: Clova Rae-Smith

Together, we use Rihanna as a case-study. "Rihanna is a pop star," Runway affirms. So is Beyonce. Both women have set the standard for what the next generation of Black women musicians can achieve, despite persistent racial barriers. Runway isn't alone in asking that she be considered a multi-faceted artist. Just last week, Coi Leray tweeted the same request. And given how marked her music is by genre (from reggae to trap to pure pop), lyrical (hear her flow across the subdued 808s on "Designer Hooker") and vocal (she switches from hooks to husky growls with ease) experimentation, Runway has every right to demand better treatment from fans and the press.

Born in Hackney to Ghanaian parents in 1992, Mensah recorded all of her breakout music in a DIY bedroom studio, experimenting with different sounds throughout high school and developing into the multi-armed artist she is today. Her popularity has dovetailed with louder conversations about Black representation in British pop music, as described by Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock, the Sugababes' Keisha Buchanan, and other Black British pop stars in the new BBC Three documentary Race, Pop and Power. And from the start, much of her output dealt head-on with issues of racism and colorism. The EP artwork for 2019's Be Runway literally depicts the artist as half Black, half skin-bleached white. In her music videos, Runway makes a point of prioritizing the representation of darker-skinned Black women, frequently referencing the '90s and early 2000s video-vixen era (Pharrell's "Frontin," Foxy Brown and Total's "I Can't") which, while imperfect, tended to showcase a wider array of skin tones.

"A pop star is someone who can touch on any genre, a pop star is anyone who can bend, morph and twist into anything they want at any time, that's a pop star."

But while she's spoken and written lyrics about her experiences with colorism growing up, when she's working, race never feels like an issue. Mainly because she won't let it be. "To be honest with you, I haven't felt anything [to do with race]," she states. "I feel like I stepped into this with this kind of message, and this kind of strong thought from the beginning. So everyone knows with Bree Runway, that's what you're getting with her. They know that she can't really be molded when it comes to race or the types of women that I choose to represent."

That's not to say she isn't shocked to have this power in the first place: "My position that I have in music right now, according to society, it's not even meant to go this well for me."

Sunglasses: Archive Linda Farrow x Bernhard Wilhelm, Earrings: GCDS, Bra: Ludovic De Saint Sernin, Glove: Rui, Rings: Boucheron, Belt: Archive Zandra Rhodes, Pants: Fanci Club, Shoes: Christian Louboutin

By the time the 20s dawned, Bree Runway had fully mastered her talent for visual symbols. With 2000AND4EVA lead single "APESHIT," she bulldozed into the new decade with a music video that earned her the label "Missy Elliott's daughter" and eventually led to a co-sign and collaboration with the American hip-hop titan on Runway's single "ATM."

"I was obviously channeling her," Runway recalls. "But to have her wish me well? I was like 'What the hell?!'" The call from her A&R came late at night. "He told me to get up because Missy wanted to collaborate. I said, 'Let's send her "ATM"' because if she liked the song, she would be the missing piece to it. She came back instantly and liked the song and the rest is history."

"This project is going to be a lot more honest, I feel like I'm catching up on years that I slept on by myself. I wanna scream and shout about it."

"APESHIT" also marked a turning point for Runway's choreo. She formed a bond with choreographer Kash Powell on set and theirs, like the partnerships of JaQuel Knight and Megan Thee Stallion and Sean Bankhead and Normani, has helped prop up the pandemic musical era, which was at risk of lacking visual stimuli.

"Instead of spending our lunch breaks eating, we would be putting each other onto new dance moves and doing choreography," she recalls. Powell wanted to push her, and she was ready to be pushed, pointing to scars on her feet and legs from her recent shoot with him for "HOT HOT." "He knows that nothing is too hard for Bree," she says. "I had to leave the set for a minute to cry my eyes out, then come back and do the routines better."

Headpiece: Le Roni, Earrings: Givenchy, Rings: Bulgari, Bracelets: Pebble London, Corset: Candy Makeup Artist, Skirt: David Koma, Boots: GCDS

Over email, Powell says that the admiration is mutual. "[Bree Runway] is meticulous with her craft. From the music production, to the fashion choices, to the dedication she puts into learning my movement. I admire the way she strives for perfection in all areas."

Watching her "ATM" performance at Abbey Road Studios, released in January and beyond the theatrics of choreography, there's a translucent, lucid, je ne sais quoi that guides Bree Runway through each and every one of her moves. It's a locomoting display of ease, comfort in her soon-to-be stardom, that convinces audiences of her passion for the craft. Bree instructs me to watch Jackson's 1988 Wembley Stadium performance of "Another Part of Me" to understand what she's trying to do. "Michael Jackson is just too cool in a way that I'm just blown away by the beat that he does his head bop back to. I love performances like that, where the cool factor oozes."

"I don't do things for instant gratification. When I look back at my own work and listen to my own songs, I'm so happy with what I'm doing. I'm my own competition."

A few weeks ago, amidst the easing of COVID restrictions in London, Bree Runway left her home city for Blue Bell Hill Studios in Kent and began cultivating her next era. She's working with old favorites who helped shape her previous mixtapes and LPs, like Liohn, PC Music's Easyfun, Moon Willis and LEVi. She sought out Moon Willis and Liohn early on in her career because she knew they'd worked with Lady Gaga, Elton John and Chris Brown. "The music I like is quite niche," she explains, listing off N.E.R.D. highlights, then jumping to Good Charlotte and System of a Down. "But where I wanna take things, I am going to have to open myself up to trying new types of structures and writing styles. I've had to open myself up and listen to the boys."

Evidence of this transition can be felt across 2000AND4EVA, from "APESHIT," to "GUCCI" and "ROLLS ROYCE," in which Bree attaches herself to seamless, singular concepts, the writing punchy, compact and easy to digest. All the better for the TikTok generation. "It's not everything that I say that's great, but we will refine it and get it to that place," she says of her producer team. "Their honesty has helped me the most."

Headpiece: Dayne Henderson, Necklace and t-shirt: Chanel, Gloves: Gucci, Bracelets: Piaget, Belt: Givenchy, Shorts: R&M Leathers, Boots: Ganor Dominic

A&R veteran Jordan Jay was also instrumental in helping her jump from the EP to album mindset, a difference which she says felt "devastating" at first. "[Creating EP's] was a comfortable place for me. But this feels uncomfortable, because things get serious now."

On a recent episode of Genius's "Verified", Bree Runway spoke about introducing a ditzier character on "ATM" called "Bree Funway," who uses men for fun and cash. But for the upcoming album, she's going to take things more seriously, returning to some of the deeper sentiments shared on somber 2000AND4Eva track "4 NICOLE THEA & BABY REIGN." "I cried during one of the sessions [in Kent]," she discloses. "This project is going to be a lot more honest, I feel like I'm catching up on years that I slept on by myself. I wanna scream and shout about it."

She also sarcastically jokes about a failed romance, which the artist has chosen to spin as a positive. "They've given me more to talk about, more to write about now," she chuckles.

Runway has also enlisted British-Ghanaian super-producer Juls, influential in building the careers of Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Kida Kudz and set to release his own debut album in coming weeks. "Sometimes you can strip a Bree Runway song back and realize, 'Wow that's mad [African],'" she laughs, clapping the beat of what sounds like her percussion-heavy latest single "HOT HOT." "Even some of the melodies I create are very influenced by highlife artists I love." She'll incorporate the euphoric rhythms of Kofi B and Daasebre Gyamenah in songs to come, and she's at pains to get it right. "For someone who lives on highlife, like before this call I was doing my hair to that, it's something that needs to be introduced on the debut album."

Kent isn't the final destination: she'll spend a month in Los Angeles this June. "The aim is to work with the best-of-the-best whilst out there," Runway says, showing the first signs of angst so far on our call. "We're taking Bree Runway international." This has been her vision since the conception of her career, performing Rihanna and 6LACK covers. She's had a steady international build-up over the past year, scoring co-signs from Kim Kardashian, Doja Cat and Cardi B to name a few. And after a flicker of doubt, I see her return to full confidence. The belief that her success, after all this hard work, is inevitable. "I'm exactly where I need to be," she tells me.

Dressed in a turquoise Christian Dior swimsuit (she's quick to show it off halfway through the interview), Bree is pure charisma and charm. She's the embodiment of the young millennial hungry for success on her own terms, tweeting to secure her goals, from the Missy Elliott collaboration to becoming a SavagexFenty ambassador.
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I saw something that ruined my day. It was a video from Vox as to what Chavez Ra
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A new report this morning states that the European Union is pressing ahead with its Apple Inc. probes undistracted by allegations of anti-competitive behavior by the tech giant playing out in a Californian courtroom, according to the blocs antitrust chief.

The investigation into Apple Pay is quite advanced and European regulators need to "do our own thing" regardless of what happens in the U.S. suit against Epic Games Inc., Margrethe Vestager said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

Apple Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook, is slated to testify as soon as this week in the high-stakes trial with Epic Games, which could upend the multibillion-dollar marketplace for apps which run on mobile phones around the world

Were following that very closely, because of the Epic complaint filed in the EU in February and the blocs digital rules that could require phones to allow a rival app store, which Apple does not allow, she said.

The European Commission is building a second antitrust probe into Apple Pay, after it last month escalated an investigation into how Apple requires app developers to use its in-app purchasing system.

We would have to do our own thing no matter the outcome of the U.S. casework, she said, pointing to the differences between EU and U.S. antitrust law and markets.

Apple Pay is the only mobile payment solution that can use the iPhones near-field communications "tap and go" functionality to make contactless payments. British and Dutch competition authorities are also examining Apple Pay.

"The case is in itself is something that were pushing forward," Vestager said. "I think that is quite advanced."

While the EU is weighing potential rules over how phones should grant access to rival payment providers, she sees a need for more urgent action from antitrust enforcers.

"Legislation also takes a long time and a lot can happen in the market in the meantime if we dont investigate," she said. For more, read the full Bloomberg report.
It's being reported this morning that Vietnam has instructed Foxconn Technology Group and Luxshare Precision Industry Co. to temporarily shut their factories amid a virus surge in the northern region, said Le Anh Duong, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Bac Giang Province.

They are implementing our request to temporarily close down entire factories and we will send health officials in to help them reorganize to be able to quickly resume operations and restrain the virus spread at the same time, he said by phone. We hope to resume operations of these factories in two weeks to limit disruptions to the global supply chain.

Representatives of Luxshare and Foxconn did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

Four industrial parks -- Van Trung, Quang Chau, Dinh Tram and Song Khe-Noi Hoang -- were ordered closed starting Tuesday, according to a statement on the provincial governments website."

While the report didn't clarify what Apple products are being made at these plants, a 2020 Reuters report claimed that Apple had shifted production of iPad and MacBook production to Vietnam. For more on this story, read Bloomberg's report.
I was really struck by a phrase that is used in Jill Hicks-Keetons insightful review of Beth Allison Barrs book The Making of Biblical Womanhood. She suggests that evangelical Christianity might be irredeemably patriarchal precisely because of its biblicism. The precise wording of this phrase (typical of Hicks-Keetons remarkable ability of nuancing things with amazing precision and eloquence that eludes most of us scholars) seems to get things precisely right, and to sum up what I consider key points in the review. Christianity is a historical phenomenon, and what it is today is what we make it. As Barr puts it in a piece in Publishers Weekly, Biblical womanhood isnt biblical. It was made in history, which means it can also be unmade. But it depends what one means, and there is a skirting of some important issues that a liberal Christian like myself would wish to emphasize  and yet if Barr had been more direct and explicit about these points, it would have made her case against biblical womanhood less persuasive to those entangled in its worldview. The entire Bible reflects its patriarchal context. As Hicks-Keeton puts it, An archive of ancient literature shaped by political, socio-cultural, and institutional factors, the Bible developed in conjunction with patriarchy. The Bible is a product of its time, made by human hands, an idol if its symphony of human voices is mistaken for the voice of God. Yet the abolitionists, the advocates of ordination of women, and those who stand for inclusivity of people across longstanding divides of ethnicity or sexuality, are not all misguided modernists desperately trying to cram a more enlightened ethics into a text to which it is alien. There is genuinely within the Bible, not merely alongside but woven together with the patriarchy and everything else that troubles us, a variety of principles and slogans that point beyond themselves. Just as all men are created equal could become in the hands of civil rights advocates a call to something at once genuinely American and alien to the thinking of the Founders, so too slogans such as that there is neither Jew nor Greekmale and female have potential that points beyond anything that Paul did with it (to say nothing of those who later wrote in his name).

I wrestled with this so much when writing What Jesus Learned from Women. I was aware of my desire as a Christian that Jesus be progressive, that he be good, that he transcend his time and place and speak not just directly to my time but in a manner that advocates for justice, equity, and inclusivity. I was aware that that desire could lead me to misread the text, with an added pitfall of antisemitism since so many have depicted Jesus as inclusive across national and gender divides as though he stood in stark contrast not merely with patriarchal preferences shared across many cultures and time periods, but with Judaism. Yet I also saw the trajectory that pointed away from patriarchy, ones that were discerned by those approaching with skeptical scholarly tools and questions in mind. One thing that helped me find what I hope is a balance between the two errors that confronted me on either side, was recognizing precisely that Jewish (and Samaritan and Syrophoenician) women played a role in influencing Jesus in this direction. Feedback from an array of academics with perspectives different from my own (in particular Amy-Jill Levine deserves a mention here) helped me see things that were problematic with what I wrote (despite my desire and efforts) and to revise them.

I dont and wont claim that my book hits the perfect balance between the feminist scholarship that sees in Jesus and some of his early followers allies in the fight against patriarchy, and feminist scholarship that sees in Jesus and his movement many things that stand in the way of efforts towards equality. But I will say that it is built on a foundation that recognizes why these divergent and even contradictory interpretations of the evidence are possible, and seeks to walk the tightrope that balances between them, believing that an accurate depiction of the historical Jesus lies along that tightrope, rather than on the ground beneath it in one direction or the other.

Christianity need not be patriarchal, because it need not be biblicist, i.e. it need not adhere rigidly to what the Bible says. In my view, and I believe that of Barr, Evangelical Christianity need not be patriarchal either, since even at its most biblicist moments it is picking and choosing, and there are things that we can choose within scripture that liberate rather than imprison, that elevate rather than denigrate and subjugate. As a liberal Christian, and as a scholar, I agree with Hicks-Keeton that the best approach (for those seeking to be as brutally honest about themselves and the Bible as possible) is to recognize that the Bible is human, historical, and diverse, so that we do not merely substitute one idol made in our image for another, merely treating more progressive texts as what the Bible says instead of those preferred by conservatives. In my opinion, the battles against slavery, against patriarchy, and on and on are made worse when we dont recognize that the problem with appealing to what the Bible says isnt which texts you choose to cite or start with, but the very method itself.

Idolatry is still idolatry even if the idol you have made stands for things that are genuinely praiseworthy and uplifting.

Also related to this topic and more specifically to my book, I have written another guest post that has now appeared on Bart Ehrmans blog:

Coming up on June 11th (mark your calendars!): Ill be talking with Laura Robinson and Jon De Pue on the Apocalypse Here YouTube channel.

Also related to this topic:

And the truth shall set you free

Sarah Stankorb, Why the Greatest Weapon Against Christian Patriarchy Is the Bible

Open access book: Isabelle Cogitore, Anne Bielman Sanchez et Anne Kolb (dir.), Femmes influentes dans le monde hellenistique et a Rome: iiie siecle av. J.-C.-ier siecle apr. J.-C.

Anointing Women

REVELATIONS: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
Palestinian firefighters search urgently for survivors and bodies under the rubble after an intensive civilian bombardment of Gaza City on Sunday. Israel pummelled the Gaza Strip with air strikes, killing 10 members of an extended family and demolishing a building housing international media outlets, as Palestinian militants fired back barrages of rockets.

UN Security Council members failed to agree on a unified position on the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel during an emergency session Sunday. This is the third time that the US blocked the statement. The countries which supported the statement include some US allies.

There are various explanations for why this round of conflict started, but Israel's disproportionate killing of Palestinians has triggered a global outcry, and the US partiality of Israel goes contrary to humanity.

The US attitude cannot explain humanitarianism. The Gaza Strip has around 2 million people. The bombing of Israel has left 197 Palestinians dead, including civilians, hundreds injured, and tens of thousands homeless. Many people are short of food and drinking water. The region has descended into a new humanitarian disaster.

The US administration of Joe Biden is slapping its own face as it shows indifference to the human rights of Palestinians. It holds the banner of "human rights" high as the core of this administration's foreign policy. It maliciously accused China of "genocide" against the Muslims in Xinjiang based on false information and its own values. Nonetheless, it turns a blind eye when the human rights of Palestinians are trampled on. The US can hardly justify its double standards and hypocrisy this time.

The US is a highly selfish superpower. When it has to choose between international morality and political self-interest, it just brazenly chooses the latter and forces the international community to get used to its shamelessness. The US often supports Israel regardless of the consensus of the other UN Security Council member states, which is astonishing to many other big powers.

The world economy is developing, resources are becoming rich and technologies that support globalization are setting up. But many old issues remain and new problems keep coming up. This is the consequence that the US, as the world's sole superpower, acts on its own will, destabilizes world order and sacrifices international fairness and justice.

The Gaza Strip is bleeding, but the UN Security Council remains silent. Isn't it strange? At this critical juncture, the US has no right to paralyze the organization whose responsibility is to maintain peace and eliminate suffering. We can do nothing when the Biden administration violates its various commitments to human rights and international obligations, but it cannot stop the UN from upholding justice. The 21st century should not be an era when humanity publicly tolerates such massacre.

Over the years, the UN Security Council has adopted resolutions more than once to support the two-state solution to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict. The US hasn't truly advanced the implementation of the solution. Defying pressure from the international community, the Trump administration moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which drew further apart from the spirit of the two-state solution. The Biden administration gave tacit consent to what the previous administration did. The US did not provide any positive energy to peace in the Middle East in recent years.

The US focus has completely shifted to major power competition. Obviously, Washington does not like Muslims. Nor does it like China. Nonetheless, it has shown particular interest in the Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. US values have become distorted. Its bellicosity in major power competition dominates its attention and agenda-setting.

In order to focus on China and Russia, Washington is eager to retreat from the Middle East and does not want to invest in new energy and resources for the sake of Palestine-Israel peace. But it wants the situation in the Middle East to remain favorable to the strategic interests of Israel and the US so it can retreat without pain, and lets the Palestinians suffer from the unfinished political chaos in the Middle East and lets time heal injustice. But Washington must be made to know that justice cannot be buried alive.
To many Asian Americans, the pandemic has invigorated deep-seated biases that in some cases date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of more than a century ago. President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to the virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, as the China Virus or the Kung Flu. And as cases of the illness began to rise in the U.S., so too did the attacks, with thousands of violent incidents reported in the past year.
The current graphics card landscape may be a barren wasteland, but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. On Tuesday, Nvidia announced that the mining hash rate limiter introduced alongside the GeForce RTX 3060 will now be rolling out to newly manufactured RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080 as well, via a new Lite Hash Rate series starting in mid-May. (The work hard, play hard GeForce RTX 3090 will not be receiving a nerf, however.) Gaming performance shouldnt be affected.

We believe this additional step will get more GeForce cards at better prices into the hands of gamers everywhere, Nvidias announcement states. We wouldnt be surprised if most if not all new GeForce GPUs produced by Nvidia include these protections going forward. Software drivers are designed to detect specific attributes of the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm, and limit the hash rate, or cryptocurrency mining efficiency, by around 50 percent, Nvidia's Matt Wuebbling said when the technology was first introduced in the RTX 3060.

That sound you hear is a million crypto coin miners gnashing their teeth.

People using GPUs to mine cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin are a big part (but far from the only part) of why graphics cards cost so much right now. The prices of both of those coins are booming right now.

By slicing the rate at which RTX 30-series GPUs mine crypto, Nvidia will take a lot of the luster off these new cards for those looking to make money rather than play gamesthat is, assuming Nvidia doesnt shoot itself in the foot by cracking its own anti-mining protection again.

Nvidia Nvidias anti-crypto crusade started with the RTX 3060.

Of course, you should know if a given graphics card comes with the anti-mining measures in place before you buy it.

Because these GPUs originally launched with a full hash rate, we want to ensure that customers know exactly what theyre getting when they buy GeForce products, Nvidias statement continues. To help with this, our GeForce partners are labeling the GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti cards with a Lite Hash Rate, or LHR, identifier. The identifier will be in retail product listings and on the box. This reduced hash rate only applies to newly manufactured cards with the LHR identifier and not to cards already purchased.

Like we said when the RTX 3060 mining limiter originally launched: Dont expect miracles. A massive amount of pent-up demand for graphics card remains, this halved hash rate only applies to Ethereum, and yes, Nvidia did just ruin its first stab at the RTX 3060s anti-mining tech. This is encouraging news though! Pretty soon, gamers might be able to pick up some of the best graphics cards for the first time in a long time, while dedicated miners will have to turn their attention towards Radeon GPUs, older GPUs without a hashrate limiter, or Nvidias new CMP HX GPUs created for mining alone.

Fingers crossed.

And hey! If you were lucky enough to snag one of the original GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs without the limiter in place, before long you might just be able to sell it to a miner for enough that you could afford an upgrade to a more powerful LHR model. Well see how this goes.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is calling for the restructuring of the global financial architecture so it can respond better to the needs of Africa, as well as the cancellation of debts owed by African countries, in the wake of COVID-19.



Taking his turn to address the Summit on Financing African Economies, in Paris, France, on Tuesday, 18th May 2020, President Akufo-Addo noted that, the Bretton Woods Conference, which took place as World War II drew to a close, created a global financial architecture which, over the last 77 years, has proven to be unfavourable for Africa.



According to the President, the economies of Europe, America, and Asia having grown significantly during that time, whilst those of Africa have not, attributing collateral damage from the Cold War, inequity in the global economic system, an economic relationship built on power and resource grab, as well as leadership and governance issues on the African continent, as issues confronting the continent.



These challenges have resulted in a global economic system that has proven to be incapable of supporting lives and livelihoods, and allocating sufficient long-term resources to support Africa's economic transformation, President Akufo-Addo said.



He noted further that Africa's development finance cost does not reflect its economic fundamentals, credit, or default cost, citing the case of Ghana where the countrys sovereign debt is more expensive than that of the similarly-rated Belarus, which pays some one hundred (100) basis points less than Ghana.



The structural inequities confronting African economies, the President stressed, has been worsened by COVID-19, evidenced by the fact that a mere 2% of the 1.3 billion vaccine doses administered globally, at the end of April, were in Africa.



The pandemic has also ensured that the total fiscal deficit of Africa rose from 4.7% of GDP in 2019 to 8.7% in 2020; overall debt levels are also estimated to have increased from 57% of GDP in 2019 to 70% in 2021. Without the fiscal room to breathe, Africa could truly become the forgotten continent, and that is why there is urgent need for comprehensive debt relief and debt cancellation, President Akufo-Addo stated.



He continued, Just as the Bretton Woods institutions helped to rebuild the post-war global economy, and rekindled international economic cooperation, seventy-seven (77) years ago, there is now a historic opportunity to reset the global financial system's economic rules to give African countries an equal chance at development, in the wake of the pandemic.



The President, thus, proposed two solutions at the conference to help address the situation confronting the continent of Africa.



Beyond the two pillars announced by President Macron, President Akufo-Addo suggested a third pillar, which should focus on the restructuring of the current global financial architecture to provide for access and equity to long-term finance to support economic transformation in Africa.



This should include the establishment of an African Stability Mechanism, akin to the European Stability Mechanism. The African Stability Mechanism will be a permanent firewall for Africa to safeguard and provide instant emergency access to financial assistance for countries in financial difficulty, he added.

The second solution proposed by the President is the bridging of the immediate liquidity and potential insolvency issues confronting the continent and its financial institutions.



I urge the IMF to on-lend twenty-five to thirty percent of new six hundred and fifty billion dollars (US$650 billion) SDRs, to support low and vulnerable middle-income countries before the 2021 annual meetings, increase IDA funding to strengthen the balance sheet of the World Bank, replenish the African Development Bank and Afreximbank to support investment in green investments, facilitate trade, and support the private sector to create jobs and build back better, he added.



With Africa, in 2050, becoming home to a quarter of the world's population, more than half of the global youth population, and, potentially, having a GDP of some twenty-nine trillion United States dollars, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that it is, thus, in our collective interest to create the conditions that will enable such a development to be of benefit to the entire globe.





Source: Office of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo









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Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum has called for equal opportunities for Visual Arts students to pursue any course of their choice at the University.



Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', the Minister wondered why Visual Arts students are most sidelined in schools.



He stated that, contrary to people's perceptions about Visual Arts students, they are rather the most creative people in Ghana, so shouldn't face impediments when they decide to pursue courses like Engineering or Architecture among others.



He disclosed that 82,000 of the students who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) last year were Visual Arts students, therefore begging the question why Visual Arts students are underrated?



''The students who study Visual Arts are my favorite. They are the most creative people in the country. Someone who can look at your face and draw it, look at a bridge or car and draw; we say they are not brilliant because they fail to grasp things easily.When you go to a school, you'll see people pointing fingers at the Visual Arts students. We claim someone who does Visual Arts cannot be an engineer...because the person is not given an opportunity at the University'', he said.



''If this child brings his/her portfolio which shows his great drawing skills, why do you say you won't let this child do Architecture?'', he cited.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Member of Parliament(MP) for Assin Central constituency who doubles as a business mogul, Hon Kennedy Agyapong has indicated a number of factors that have become a hindrance to the progress of the country.



According to him, the progress of the country is being impeded by the perception of Ghanaians with religion and the mentality, as well as attitude towards work, making foreigners taking over the businesses and the markets in the country.



Speaking in an interview on Asempa FMs Ekosiisen Afternoon Show, Kennedy Agyapong intimated that foreigners like Indians and Lebanese as well as other nationals have the right attitude and mentality for business, unlike Ghanaians who out of religion dont even want to open their shops for business on Sundays.



Giving a scenario he witnessed in Kumasi one Sunday after attending a wedding, he said that he could not find any Ghanaian shop opened that Sunday apart from Omotuo [Rice Ball] joints, but found Palace and Melcom Shops belonging to Lebanese and Indians respectively opened for business around 12:30 pm.



He bemoaned the way Ghanaians do not find it needful to apportion time for everything they do even on Sundays as they could have opened their shops for business after church and not leave the Sundays sales for the foreigners alone.



I keep saying that religion is impeding progress in this country, and after you say fix it. Everybody including myself should fix our attitudes and mentality. This is what I saw in Kumasi and I had time to count the Ghanaian shops which were closed, and I told the people around me why the Indians and the Lebanese will continue to make money in this country, because all the Sunday sales will go to these two foreign companies because all the other shops belonging to Ghanaians are closed, he bemoaned.



Why is it that Christians go to church on Sunday and so they will not open their shops, but if the Indians and the Lebanese who are not Christians open their shop on Sundays, they rush to go there to buy something they need, he wondered.



"Our attitude towards work and our perception with religion are the hindrance to our progress. I dont have any problem when someone goes to church but we need to apportion time for everything you do. After church, they go to the Tuo Zaafi joint to eat. Are they, therefore, saying that the people who prepared Tuo Zaafi are the devils incarnate? I am trying to draw your attention to why Ghanaians dont seem to be succeeding."



He, however, mentioned another hindrance to the success of Ghanaian businesses to be poor management.



Another hindrance to our progress in the business sector is poor managers handling Ghanaian companies. I am sorry to tell you the truth that if you establish a company and hand it over to a Ghanaian to manage it for you, the person will bring the company down, but if you give it to a foreigner to handle, the business flourishes, he mentioned.



All the companies that are succeeding in the manufacturing and retailing are owned by the Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, British and other nationals. Because of our poor mentality and attitudes, we are always seen as underdogs, doing labourer work in our own country and the foreigners have taken over the juicy positions in the private sector, he added.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Kenyan group has gone to court seeking to be allowed to consume cannabis for "spiritual" purposes.



The Rastafari Society of Kenya, which identifies itself as a minority religious group, said its members live in fear because of laws that are hostile to their religious practices.



Rastafarians were often subjected to prejudice, intimidation, and unwarranted searches in their homes and designated places of worship, the group added.



Lawyers Shadrack Wambui and Alexander Mwendwa argued that cannabis was a "sacrament" connecting believers to their "creator".



They blamed the authorities for not ensuring that the group's religious rights were respected.



In 2019, a high court in Kenya ruled that the Rastafarian movement was a religious group just like any other and should be treated like the rest.



The decision followed a case where a man had sued a school for sending away his daughter for having dreadlocks. The father said his daughter had dreadlocks because the family subscribed to the Rastafarian faith.

Source: BBC









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In talks with the Israelis, administration officials have pointed to Hezbollahs stature rising in the region after their 34-day war with Israel in 2006 to make the case for limiting the time of the military action. But Israeli officials have argued to the administration that a slightly prolonged campaign to degrade Hamas military capabilities is necessary and in their interest, according to the person familiar with the talks. Hamas operates in the crowded Gaza Strip, a 25-by-6-mile (40-by-10-kilometer) territory crowded with more than 2 million people.
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to live up to its responsibility of safeguarding the sovereignty of the country at all times.

The Chairperson of the NCCE, Ms Josephine Nkrumah, said that was crucial in sustaining the nations peace and stability.



Ms Nkrumah, who was speaking at a meeting with the GIS in Accra yesterday, said the role of the GIS in maintaining the countrys unity was also important.



You are the ones at the borders and so you are the gatekeepers of our nation and to be a gatekeeper, you should be gatekeeping from external aggression as well as internal actions that can derail the gatekeeping mandate.



And so, the role of the GIS in maintaining our unitary state is of critical importance, she added.



Significance



The meeting formed part of activities marking the 2021 National Constitution Week, which celebration started on April 28, 2021.



The celebration was on the theme: We are one, Ghana first. It sought to emphasise the need for people to put the country first, rally round the constitution and defend it at all times.



As part of the celebration, the NCCE is expected to engage with all security agencies in the country to remind them of their duties and responsibilities.



This brings to two the number of security agencies the NCCE had so far interacted with after a similar meeting with the Ghana Prisons Service.



Defending the Constitution



Ms Nkrumah further entreated the security to protect the tenets and values of the 1992 Constitution.



What sets the 1992 Constitution apart from other constitutions is the provision in Article Three which encourages every Ghanaian to take steps to defend the constitution against violation and abuse.



It even goes further to state that anybody who takes measures to defend the constitution commits no offence, and so we are encouraged to do everything possible to restore the constitution, should anyone seek to overthrow its existence.



As Ghanaians, we should note that the current constitution is the sovereign will of all of us and we should do everything within our power to protect it, she added.



Commendation



The Comptroller-General of the GIS, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, commended the NCCE for being innovative and proactive rather than reactive in the execution of its mandate.



He described the establishment of the NCCE as provided by the constitution as significant since it was living up to its mandate of educating the people on their rights and responsibilities.



On the COVID-19 pandemic,the Comptroller-General said its impact required a collective approach to curb the spread of the virus in the country.



The virus has spread its infectious tentacles to every part of the world, impacting negatively on human health across continents. As Ghanaians, we need to support efforts by the government to stop the spread by taking the jab, he said.





Source: graphiconline.com









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been welcomed by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, Paris ahead of the Summit on Financing African Economies.



The summit which will be held today in a temporary exhibition centre under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris will try to fill a financing shortfall of almost $300 billion caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.



It hopes to put in place financial resources capable of reviving the economy of the continent, which has seen only 130,000 deaths from Covid according to official figures, but whose GDP should experience its first recession in 25 years in 2021.



Some two dozen African heads of state including Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend Tuesday's summit and it will be one of the biggest in-person top-level meetings held during the Covid-19 pandemic.



Also expected to be among the participants in person are the leaders of Angola, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia and on the European side, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as the EU.



The leaders of the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Kenya and Tanzania will participate by video conference.



See the photos below;





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Sections of the River Offin at Dunkwa-on-offin in the Upper Denkyira West Municipality in the Central Region no longer flow because trenches have been made in the river bed by illegal miners.

These trenches now stand as ponds and poodles due to the intense galamsey activities.



The once clear water now looks muddy and stagnant.



The regional National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is working with a dredging firm to dredge the river bed to restore it to its original flowing state.



Wanton destruction



The Upper Denkyira West and East districts continue to suffer from the wanton destruction of its river and lands by illegal miners.



Near the main Ayanfuri Road, a few metres away, some young men could be seen actively engaged in illegal mining.



Large tracts of farmlands have also been destroyed, leaving behind dangerous pits.



The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, and some heads of security agencies on Friday toured some illegal mining sites in the two districts to assess the extent of destruction and to seek stakeholder support in the fight against the menace.



Ayanfuri



At one of the galamsey sites at Ayanfuri, Mrs Assan and her team destroyed water tubes used for the illegal activity.



Young men could be seen engaging in galamsey activities and could not be bothered by the minister's convoy.



In her remarks, Mrs Assan said it was a worrying situation that Ghanaians could do such evil to our water bodies, adding that the situation could lead to Ghana importing water in a few years.



"This is a really worrying situation and we need all hands on deck to fight it, she stated.



Operation halt



Mrs Assan noted that though the "Operation Halt had been immensely helpful, the fight should continue unabated.



"The work by the military has been very helpful in reducing the menace but it is not over. We have to continue," she stated.



She said the comments by some that excavators should not be burnt would not help the process of fighting illegal mining.



"We don't want the excavators to find their way back into our rivers. We will continue to burn them. The effort to fight the menace should be supported by all, she added.



Meeting chiefs



Earlier, the minister called on the Dunkwa Traditional Council and made a passionate appeal to the chiefs to support the fight if it was to succeed.



She assured them that the region would work in tandem with the national development agenda to bring development in tourism, health and economic activities while ensuring infrastructural development to promote the socio-economic wellbeing of the people of the region.



The acting President of the Denkyira Traditional Council, Daasebre Oduro Akenten II, pledged the support of the chiefs in curbing the menace.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The business executive accused of spousal murder, Prince Charles Dedjoe, has filed an interlocutory injunction restraining his deceased wifes family from burying her. Dedjoe, in his injunction, said he was in custody and that family cannot proceed with burial and funeral rites of Lilian Dedjoe in his absence.



Father of the deceased, Seth Charles Bladzu, informed the Madina Magistrate Court about the injunction as the court adjourned the matter to May 24.



According to him, he was seeking the court's permission to enable him attend and respond to the injunction before the High Court on the said date.



Meanwhile, counsel for Dedjoe, Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Darteh, is also praying the Madina District Court to order the Police to furnish them with the statement of the children of the deceased to him to facilitate his filing of a second bail application at the High Court.



At todays proceedings, Captain Rtd Effah Darteh said he found it strange for prosecution to say for the second time that they had not been served with application that would enable him get access to the children of the deceased investigation statements.



Defence counsel said the distance between the court's registry and the Prosecution was not much and wondered how long it would take a court bailiff to serve the prosecution with his motion that would enable his bail application to be relisted.



The Prosecution's case is that the complainant is the deceaseds father who is a retired administrator, residing at Sogakope in the Volta Region.



The prosecution said the 43-year-old trader, now deceased, was married to Dedjoe and they both lived at East Legon, Accra.



It said, for some time now, Dedjo and the deceaseds relationship had been marred with some misunderstanding leading to conflicts between them.



The prosecution said on March 1, this year, a misunderstanding ensued between Dedjoe and Lilian and as a result, Dedjoe assaulted Lilian who sustained injuries and she went to the Madina Polyclinic for treatment.



It said when Lilian returned home, her condition deteriorated and on March 6, 2021, Lilian went into coma and was rushed to the Lister Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.



The prosecution said a report was made to the Police and Dedjoe was arrested.



It said, during investigations, Dedjoe admitted assaulting the deceased with slippers.



The prosecution said a post-mortem examination is yet to be carried out on the deceased.



Dedjoe is facing a charge of murder.



The Madina District Court has preserved the plea of the Dedjoe and he has been remanded into lawful custody.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, says the lower chamber of the National Assembly is set to legalize the use of Indian Hemp in Nigeria for economic benefit.



Kalu announced this at a press conference on the benefits and opportunities of Cannabis in Akure, Ondo state. According to Kalu, the House of Representatives has concluded an arrangement to organize a two-day stakeholders roundtable on the benefits of the weed that will be attended by scientists, medical and pharmaceutical professionals, farmers, insurance companies, executives, and private sector investors, He said the roundtable is scheduled to hold between June 7 and 8.



He explained that countries such as South Africa and others are currently reaping high revenue from cannabis which they export to other countries.



Nigeria has been described as oil-dependent and not oil-rich. It is a worrying reality that we have not optimized the financial stability advantage that our oil reserves can provide us to diversify our collective investment and revenue sources.



The coronavirus pandemic exposed our weaknesses when global oil prices plummeted by as much as 15 per cent even falling below $0 a barrel on 20 April 2020.

Indeed, our economy is still recovering from that shock. However, as the world increasingly shifts towards renewable energy and climate-friendly energy sources, global oil demand will further drop.



Agriculture has always been a major strength of Nigeria and cannabis provides interesting prospects. Industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for industrial use.



Once harvested, the crop has a high yield of edible proteins and fibres with more than 50,000 product applications ranging from papermaking, textiles, biodegradable plastics, fuel, construction, healthy food, beverages, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals.



According to verified market research, the Global Industrial Hemp Market was valued at USD 5 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 36 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 34 per cent from 2019 to 2026.



According to the consultancy firm Prohibition Partners, by 2023, the value of Africas legal cannabis market could be worth over USD 7.1 billion.



For this to happen, a candid discourse must be held by all stakeholders on the modalities for legalization, licensing, and regulation of the industry. I hope that the two-day stakeholders roundtable discussion on the benefits and opportunities of Cannabis Plant and CBD Oil in Nigeria, scheduled to hold on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 June 2021 will achieve this.



To enable this process of legalization, I have presented before the House of Representatives, the Dangerous Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which when passed, will usher in a new era of medicinal cannabis from production processing and distribution.



I expect that the exchanges that will ensue at the roundtable on June 7 and 8, 2021, will greatly optimize the deliberations of the National Assembly on the bill, as well as preparations by the executive arm of government to regulate the sector. Nigerians must understand that we are not alone in this race to establish a lucrative medical and industrial hemp economy.



Based on recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) voted to remove Cannabis from schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and reclassified it as medicinal and therapeutic, on December 2, 2020. Several countries have legalized medicinal and industrial hemp and other African countries are moving to do the same.

Source: lindaikeji's Blog









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Israeli Trade and Economic Mission in Ghana in partnership with the Israeli Export Institute has introduced Ghanaian investment and business advisory companies to top Israeli agriculture companies and their technologies.



The mission in the country, in partnership with the Israeli Export Institute, is leveraging on the success story in the country of Agritop, an Israeli greenhouse village technology expert, to introduce other top Israeli agriculture turnkey companies and their technologies to Ghanaians.



Wooing



The mission, as part of its deliberate effort at wooing Ghanaians in the agricultural sector to do business with Israeli investors, last Friday organised an investment forum for 30 top Ghanaian investment and business advisory companies in the agriculture and finance sector to explore the opportunities of partnering those Israeli companies or doing business with them.



Apart from the exposure, the event created an opportunity for the Israeli and Ghanaian business people to network and held business to business (B2B) meeting albeit virtual.



Participating companies



Five of such Israeli companies took turns via zoom to introduce their companies, which are mostly technologically-driven and what they stand to offer for the agricultural sector in Ghana.



They are N-Drip Micro Irrigation Company, a gravity-powered micro-irrigation solution for large-scale fields; Eshet Eilon Company, an innovative agricultural equipment developer and Agritask Company Ltd, a holistic data-driven agronomic management platform.



The rest are Segular Agro, a unique blend of family tradition and daring innovation and Agritop Ltd, a greenhouse technology expert, which also offers capacity building opportunities to interested institutions and individuals.



Before the presentations, the Farmer Manager at the Dawhenya Greenhouse Village, Mr Anthony Hills, who conducted the participants round the various greenhouse tunnels, explained that the farms were digitised and watering was computerised.



Rationale



Explaining the importance of the event, the Ambassador of Israel to Ghana, Mrs Shani Cooper-Zubida, said the forum was to expose the Israeli technology in agriculture to the Ghana entrepreneurs in the agribusiness sector.



We think that in order to promote trade, we cannot only focus on export and import, the main thing for us is to understand Ghanaians and match it with the capabilities of Israeli companies, she explained, adding that it was the first-ever forum on agriculture to have been organised by the embassy.



The ambassador was excited that both sides had expressed interest, particularly those from Israel, who were willing to learn the climate, the soil and understand the needs and establish partnership with local companies in order to sell their products in the country.



She explained that the embassy prioritised agricultural cooperation between Israel and Ghana, stressing that in setting the policy of the embassy, we first looked at the policy of the government of Ghana and then tried to match it to the capability and added value of Israel.



Extension officers



Mrs Cooper-Zubida announced that the embassy in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would soon organise a tailor-made training session for extension officers during which Israel would sell its know-how to the Ghanaian officers.



She said the training session, which would be held via online, would give the ministry the opportunity to identify challenging areas that it would like to be addressed.



These challenges would be solved during the training session, so, at the end of the day, they will have a lot of information and attain the know-how technology about extension services in Israel, Mrs Cooper-Zubida told the Daily Graphic.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says Ghanaians will have to re-register their sim cards with the Ghana Card beginning July or lose them.



According to him, the move is part of efforts to digitize the economy for enhanced accountability and economic growth.



I expect that the minister for communication and Digitalization will soon announce that we will all from the end of June or maybe beginning of July this year everybody will have to register their sim with a national ID otherwise we lose that sim.



This will give us identity for a real momo transaction then take away issues of Fraud from Sim box or through momo so we can discard all of that, Dr. Bawumia said at the 5th CEO Summit in Accra, where he was guest of honor.



The exercise is to add to the countrys central database with unique IDs. The process of registration can be done on ones phone and does not require a visit to a Telco outlet.



The Ghana Card is used to validate a persons identity at airports, borders, police check posts and while booking tickets. The emerging Ghana railway travel may require a person to carry their Ghana Card especially if e-tickets are introduced.



Currently, there are more than 40 million mobile phone users in Ghana.















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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has left Accra for the first leg of his three-country working visit. The President is expected to be away for nine days. He will be in France, Belgium and South Africa.



In France, President Akufo-Addo will attend the Summit on Financing African Economies to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, May 18. The Summit, which will bring together several African and European leaders, and heads of international financial institutions, will devise strategies that will boost strong, inclusive recovery in Africa, grounded in a dynamic private sector, help foster sustainable progress and prosperity, and accelerate the green and digital transition in line with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.



Whilst in Paris, President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to have bilateral discussions with the President of the World Bank, and the Managing Director of the IMF, who will both be attending the Summit.



The President will on Wednesday be in Belgium before travelling to South Africa on Monday, May 24 to address the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).



These working visits, according to the Presidency, are part of the efforts Mr Akufo-Addo is making to re-engage with the rest of the world, following the onset of the pandemic, and highlight Ghana, once again, as a country with an impressive business-friendly atmosphere, with bright economic prospects for the future.















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Some youth and elderly women of Old Tafo Municipality in the Ashanti Region are pleading with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo not to re-appoint their Municipal Chief Executive Officer (MCE), Fred Obeng Owusu.



They are not happy with him and the Chief of Tafo, Nana Agyen Frimpong for their bad working relationship with the MP of the area, Vincent Ekow Assafuah.



According to the group, the chief wrongfully accused the Member of Parliaments failure to honour an invitation to the commissioning of an Astroturf.



Nana Agyen Frimpong Ababio says the absence of the MP doesnt speak well for the development of the area.



But the group in their statement said the chief and the MCE and conniving to make the MP unpopular.



We are disappointed by the chiefs comment and the MCE who is always against the MP. They said



The group, however, appealed to President Nana Addo to consider another person for the MCE position.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The German government will support Ghana with an amount of five million Euros for the establishment of a new Center of Excellence for Technical and Vocational Training in Kumasi soon.



Over the past 60 years, the German government has supported the government of Ghana close to 1.5 billion euros under the Ghana-Germany Development Cooperation.



The German Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Mr Christoph Retziaff made these known in an interview with Emmanuel Akorli of Peace FM News today when the Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Christoph Retziaff t at the German Embassy in Accra.



They discussed a wide range of issues such as Cooperation between Ghana and Germany in the field of technical and vocational training, waste to clean energy, green energy production as well as cooperation in the areas of Scholarship and University exchange programs and Circular migration.



His Excellency Mr Christoph Retziaff said the German government is taking steps to bring more German private investment to Ghana to help create jobs especially for the youth.



"Germany is looking forward for a renewed friendship between the Parliaments of Germany and Ghana when the German Parliament is reconstituted after federal election in Germany in September 2021," Ambassador Christoph stated.



"The financial volume of development cooperation between Germany and Ghana has been tripled to 130 million Euros yearly," the German Ambassador to Ghana told Peace FM News .



He praised Ghana for the great strides it has made in democratic governance and also commended Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh for his hard work as a legislator.



Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh said relations between Ghana and Germany over the past years is very satisfactory and added that the two countries can improve upon the cooperation between them for their mutual benefits.



The Majority Chief Whip hoped Ghana will tap the experience of Germany in the areas of technical and vocational education and training (T-VET) and waste to clean energy production for the development of the country .









Source: Emmanuel Akorli/Parliamentary Correspondent/Peace FM









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This is about more than saving local news. I watch local news on all TV networks. I listen to it on commercial radio  and support it on public radio. I read digital and mobile alerts too. Some  but not all  of local journalism can and is duplicated elsewhere in Central Florida media. But it cant be replaced  and increasingly we fear it cant be trusted. The Orlando Sentinel  and the daily newspaper in every town and city  should be valued as an institution of trust, a last bastion of accountability, and a focal point of non-partisan fact as well as an outlet for all viewpoints and opinions. Oh, and the comics.
The Member of Parliament for the Ningo-Prampram, Sam George has urged Ghanaian musicians to add marketing value to their craft to enable them to be recognized on global platforms.



According to him, Ghanaian songs are too local to breakthrough global award systems like the Grammys and the rest.



Our music is too local and should be fused with a bit of English to capture international interests like the Burnaboys and Wizkids. For music to win a Grammys, it does not only need to be danceable or with good lyrics but rather with proper music marketing structure. Our artists are comfortable cooking wicked beats, and put on dope lyrics but do not focus on marketing the music, the Ningo-Prampram lawmaker said in an interaction with host Nana Aba Anamoah on Starr Chat Wednesday.



Sam George reiterated that African songs winning international awards are local with a lot of English lyrics that resonate with the larger continent.



He further indicated that all the French musicians who sing in their local dialect have gained acceptability on the international scene because they have built a certain class and leverage for themselves.

Meanwhile, he said dancehall artiste Shatta Wale should be credited for resurrecting dancehall in the Ghana music industry.



He described the Ayoo hitmaker as the Faiza in Ghana music and said he [Shatta Wale] has added something to his brand which has appealed to a certain base of music lovers in the country.

Source: kasapafmonline.com









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Fast-rising Ghanaian female songstress, Hajia 4real widely known with her music brand name Mona 4 Real, has finally released her third straight mind-blowing song titled God's Child to her loving fans.



Mona 4 Real made her debut into the music industry with her hit song dubbed Badder than, which was released in January, 2021 and later released Fine Girl which received massive airplay.



Despite been trolled by social media for not having the right voice to sing in some pitches, Mona has defied the odds by releasing God's Child to win the fans heart.



The song talks more about why she is the rightful God-sent child and was produced by award winning producer MOG Beats.



The music video was shot by Rex.



Mona was born Mona Faiz Montage in the Northern Region of Ghana.



Her mother is a Ghanaian and her father a Lebanese; she had her elementary education in Tamale and relocated to Accra for her high school education.



She attended Labone Senior Secondary School where she studied General Arts.



After Labone, Mona enrolled in the Art Institute of New York in the United States of America for her college education where she studied fashion and design.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Fewer counties are showing high transmission of COVID-19 and fewer people are testing positive for the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolfs office said Tuesday.

Across Pennsylvania, 22 of the states 67 counties are seeing substantial transmission of the coronavirus. Last week, the Wolf administration said 40 counties were seeing substantial spread of COVID-19, so the number of counties with high spread dropped nearly in half over the past week. The number of counties with high spread of the virus has dropped notably in recent weeks.

The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests dropped to 5.3% for the week of May 7-13, down from 6.6% the previous week, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department. Its the fourth consecutive week the positive rate has fallen. Last month, the positive rate was 9.6%.

More significantly, the state is moving closer to getting the positive test rate below 5%, which health officials have previously described as a benchmark indicating a significant spread of the virus.

For the first time in many, many weeks we see less than 10,000 new cases reported. While this data is encouraging, we need to remember there are still thousands of cases being reported and we still need to take steps to protect ourselves and others  like getting vaccinated, Gov. Wolf said in a statement. Getting vaccinated will add the best layer of protection against this virus and getting us all back to the things we missed throughout the pandemic.

On Monday, the Wolf administration eased restrictions on gatherings. Under the new guidelines, indoor events can move to 50% of occupancy limits, while outdoor events can go up to 75% of capacity.

Wolf said he will remove all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and gatherings on Memorial Day. He has said the states mask order will remain in place until 70% of adults are vaccinated. Pennsylvania is following the federal governments relaxed guidance on masks but is asking those who havent been vaccinated to continue wearing masks until the 70% benchmark is reached.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday people who are fully vaccinated dont need to wear masks outdoors or indoors unless they are in crowded situations. In settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, the CDC advises masks to be worn.

Fewer people are hospitalized due to the coronavirus. Across Pennsylvania, 1,427 people are being treated in hospitals due to COVID-19, down from about 2,800 in March.

Some state lawmakers have asked the governor to lift the states COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, May 28, instead of waiting until Memorial Day. The lawmakers argue restaurants and other businesses would get more of a boost if they could operate at full capacity over the entire holiday weekend.

A closer look

The Wolf administration uses three categories to gauge the transmission of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial. Each week, the Wolf administration offers a report on the number of counties with substantial spread of COVID-19.

Only four counties are listed with low transmission, while 41 counties are seeing moderate spread. In the Harrisburg area, Dauphin, Lebanon and Perry counties are still considered to have substantial spread. Cumberland and Lancaster counties are now seeing only moderate spread.

Heres a look at the transmission rates in each county.

Substantial: Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Cambria, Carbon, Clearfield, Columbia, Dauphin, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Northampton, Perry, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Union and Venango

Moderate: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lehigh, Mercer, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York

Low: Cameron, Forest, Fulton and Sullivan

Vaccine rollout

About half of Pennsylvanias adults are fully vaccinated, according to the health department. Roughly two out of three residents 18 and over have now been at least partially vaccinated, the governors office said Monday. Wolf received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday and is now fully vaccinated.

Last week, federal authorities approved the distribution of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to kids 12 and up. Providers in central Pennsylvania have begun vaccinating kids between the ages of 12-15 and doctors are encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated.

Health officials are seeing more younger adults getting infected. In May, about half of those infected with COVID-19 are between the ages of 19-49, according to the state health department.

Most of those who are infected with the coronavirus deal with relatively minor flu-like symptoms and some dont get sick at all. But doctors say COVID-19 poses risks to everyone, particularly seniors and those with certain health complications.

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If youre a parent looking to get your child vaccinated in central Pennsylvania, there are several events planned in the coming days.

Last week, federal regulators signed off on giving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to kids 12 and older; previously, the vaccines were only approved for those who were at least 16 years old. (The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only approved for those 18 years old and over.)

Doctors stress the importance of getting everyone vaccinated, including children. Here are some COVID-19 vaccine clinics in and near the Harrisburg area in the next couple of weeks.

Capital BlueCross

Capital BlueCross and Rite Aid are holding a vaccine clinic Wednesday, May 19 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Itll be at Capital BlueCross TecPort offices, 3815 Tecport Drive, in Swatara Township. You can schedule an appointment by calling Rite Aids scheduling center at 866-674-4659. Those under 18 must come with a guardian. The clinic is designed for those who need an option after school or work. While you can schedule appointments, walk-ins are welcome.

UPMC

UPMC has scheduled several clinics in the region for those 12 and over. Appointments are required at the UPMC vaccine clinics; there are no walk-ins. Register for appointments online at Vaccine.UPMC.com or by calling 844-876-2822.

Wednesday, May 19, 1-6 p.m. UPMC Outpatient Center, 2201 Brunswick Drive, Hanover

Thursday, May 20, 3-5 p.m. UPMC Lititz, 1500 Highlands Dr., Lititz

Friday, May 21, 3-6 p.m. UPMC Outpatient Services (Bloom Pavilion), Suite 100, UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Campus, 4310 Londonderry Road, Harrisburg

Wednesday, May 26, 4-8 p.m. Outpatient Services, Surgery Center Entrance B, UPMC Memorial, 1701 Innovation Drive, York

Thursday, May 27, 2-7 p.m. UPMC Carlisle, 361 Alexander Spring Road, Carlisle.

Other options

Penn State Health, the WellSpan system and the Vaccinate Lancaster coalition are all offering COVID-19 vaccines for kids 12 and up. Check with the individual systems for days and times; registration information is provided below.

Penn State Health

Register on Penn State Healths website or by calling 844-774-8883.

WellSpan

Register on MyWellSpan.org or call WellSpans COVID-19 vaccine hotline: (855) 851-3641.

Vaccinate Lancaster

Lancaster Countys mass vaccination clinic is located at Park City Center in Lancaster. Register at VaccinateLancaster.org or by calling 717-588-1020.

Pharmacies and grocery stores

Rite Aid and CVS, among others, are offering Pfizer vaccines for those 12 and up. Walmart and select Giant supermarket locations are offering vaccines to those 12-17.

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22 Pa. counties have high spread of COVID-19 as positive test rate drops for 4th week
A Pennsylvania man emerged victorious Monday on the first night of the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions and will move on to the semifinals.

Ryan Bilger, 23, of Macungie bested his competitors to win more than $32,000. He was competing againstJason Zuffranieri of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Sarah Jett Rayburn of Hutto, Texas.

The tournament will air May 17-28, according to Sony Pictures Television. Jeopardy! airs on CBS at 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. ET in most areas.

The May 18 competitors are Karen Farrell of Chesapeake, Virginia; Nibir Sarma of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; and Steve Moulds of Louisville, Kentucky. Guest host is Buzzy Cohen.

Sony said 15 of the shows top competitors will compete for a $250,000 grand prize, which will be matched and donated to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless.

The first week of the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions will feature quarterfinal matchups. Nine competitors will move on to compete in week two of the tournament with the semifinals airing from Monday, May 24  Wednesday, May 26 and culminating with the two-day final competition airing Thursday, May 27 and Friday, May 28. The winner will claim the $250,000 grand prize, second place earning $100,000, and third place taking home $50,000.

After the tournament, Jeopardy! will return to its guest host rotation. Up next will be Mayim Bialik, who has selected the National Alliance on Mental Illness as her charity, May 31 to June 11, followed by Savannah Guthrie to benefit The Bowery Mission, June 14-June 25, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Odyssey Atlanta, June 28-July 9.

Jeopardy! is matching the cumulative winnings of the competitors to donate to a charity selected by the guest hosts.

Other upcoming guest hosts include Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, George Stephanopoulos, David Faber and Joe Buck.

The show began using guest hosts in January after the last episodes taped by longtime host Alex Trebek had aired. Trebek died in November 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Show producer Mike Richards, who took a turn as guest host, said there could be a permanent host named in July or August when the new season begins filming.
Fly tiers are busy at their tying benches. Spin and cast anglers are combing the racks at sporting goods stores for just the right lures or anxiously hoping their online orders will arrive in time. Bait fishermen are calculating how to tie or wire a roundish, inch-long insect onto wire-thin hook, while allowing its wings the freedom to still splash about on the water.

Theyre eagerly anticipating the day when the first few hundred 17-year periodical cicadas will splash onto the surface of their favorite fishing waters, a day likely to come within the next week as the cicadas of Brood X move headlong into their emergence.

Trout, catfish, bass, carp, sunfish, everything will be targeting cicadas, said George Hampton, a Millersburg fly angler whos fished through 3 previous Brood X emergences  1970, 1987 and 2004  as well as emergences of other broods of the big, bulging-eyed insects.

There seemed to be less of these bugs the last time around than 2 other times I fished it, but there were still plenty to get the fish excited and fill the woods around the streams with non-stop buzz.

He added, It didnt seem to matter if a fly looked much like a cicada or not, just so it was big, made a big splash when it hit and then looked like it was fluttering on the surface.

John Allen, an outdoor writer in Carlisle, noted, When these flies land on the water, it is close to the equivalent of a toddler throwing a rock in the water. Presentations should slap the water. If you didnt make a slap, most times the fish just look at it and swim away. When there are active fish in the area, a splash creates an almost instantaneous reaction.

About two weeks after the emergence, the fish will be very keyed in on them. In streams, the faster-moving runs are the best spots. On lakes, anywhere that has trees along the banks is a good area.

The hardest part about fishing these bugs is when they land on the surface, they immediately start fluttering their wings creating a vibration across the surface. Very difficult to mimic and can make the fish hesitant to take in slow water.

While some anglers are scrambling now to gear up for the event, others saw it coming when the Brood X emergence of 2021 was first discussed late last year and jumped to get ready.

I had orders of lures arriving the first couple weeks in January, said Andy Heckman, of Lickdale. Ive been carrying a few with me ever since the first day of trout season (April 3) just in case some cicadas came out earlier than they predicted.

That early emergence did not happen, and the first cicadas only now are being spotted aboveground in many parts of Pennsylvania.

Field & Stream magazines online headline, Brood X Cicada Hatch Promises the Wildest Dry-Fly Action in 17 Years, only slightly overstates whats about to engulf the angling community for a few weeks.

While Brood X is the largest and most widespread, there are other broods in other years that produce much the same action over smaller areas.

Morgan Lyle, in that online article, quoted Tom Baltz, an internationally known fly fishing guide and tyer in Carlisle, about the latters experience with cicadas in 2004 on Penns Creek.

As soon as we opened the car door and stepped out, I knew we were in trouble, because I didnt have anything like a cicada, and it sounded like there were Martians landing, Baltz told him, recalling that the trout looked like sharks coming up and grabbing seals.

Many anglers will find themselves in a situation similar to Baltz in 2002 when the emergence hits their favorite waters this time around. He didnt have flies tied to exactly replicate cicadas but found that any large grasshopper-type fly pattern brought plenty of strikes from the fish. But he has tied some deer-hair cicada replicas since then.

Scientific Anglers, a fly fishing gear manufacturer, noted in a recent post to its blog, Where it occurs, the emergence will bring the largest fish in a given body of water  stream, river, and lake, to the surface in a feeding frenzy. Fly anglers should be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity. A little research and preparation could bring some of the best fly fishing that can be experienced anywhere. Will you be ready for Brood X?

For more outdoor coverage, subscribe to Marcus Schnecks free, weekly Outdoor Pennsylvania newsletter right here:

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You also can contact Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
Since the space age began, mankind has sent roughly 30 spacecraft and landers to Mars. Each spacecraft has undergone rigorous cleaning while being assembled and prepared for launch. However, could it be possible that a microbe may have hitched a ride and survived the journey to the Red Planet?

A report by Cornell scientist, Christopher Mason for BBC Future, suggests that may be how life on Mars originated. Mason wrote that NASA and its engineers in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory follow precise and thorough protocols that help ensure no particle or organism hitches a ride on a space mission. The guide for how rigorous these should be is set by Internationally Agreed Standards, which NASA meets and sometimes exceeds.

Mason, who is a professor of genomics, physiology, and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, explained the process required to build most spacecraft, including the Perseverance rover, constructed in JPLs spacecraft assembly facility.

Spacecraft are scrupulously built like an onion, one layer at a time. To limit the likelihood of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or spores on equipment being sent on a mission, each layer is cleaned before it is added.

Additionally, the rooms in which spacecraft are built are equipped with air filters and strict biological control procedures designed to ensure that only a few hundred particles can contaminate each square foot and ideally no more than a few dozen spores per square metre, Mason wrote.

Mason explained despite the efforts to eliminate microbes, it is almost impossible to get to zero biomass on a spacecraft, because they are everywhere, and some can penetrate even the cleanest of clean rooms.

In JPLs clean rooms, evidence has been found of microbes that could potentially be problematic during space missions. Since these organisms have increased numbers of genes for DNA repair, they have a greater resistance to radiation, can form biofilms on surfaces and equipment, survive the lack of moisture and thrive in cold environments. This suggests that clean rooms might serve as an evolutionary selection process for the hardiest bugs, allowing them a better chance of surviving a journey to Mars.

According to Mason, its possible these findings could result in what is referred to as forward contamination, where travelers take something intentionally or unintentionally from one planet to another. New organisms can wreak havoc on a new ecosystem, he wrote.

Forward contamination is undesirable from a scientific standpoint. Scientists must be sure that any discovery of life on another planet is genuinely native there. The possibility exists for false identification of an alien-looking, but Earth-grown contamination, since genomes may change so much that they look truly otherworldly, Mason wrote. Evidence of the evolving of novel microbes has recently been seen on the International Space Station.

Backward contamination is the other component of planetary protection we must avoid. Mason explains that something brought back to Earth could jeopardize life on our own planet. This could become a very real consideration in 2028, when NASA and the European Space Agency mission is launched towards Mars. Current plans call for the Mars Sample Return Mission in 2032 to bring back the first Martian samples to Earth.

According to Mason, if we do detect signs of life on the Red Planet, the possibility exists that it could have come from Earth in the first place. Its likely some fragments of microbial or maybe human DNA has been on Mars since the first two Soviet probes landed on the Martian surface in 1971. This could have been followed by the U.S. Viking 1 lander in 1976.

Considering the global dust storms and trace amounts of DNA that might have gone with these spacecraft, Mason wrote, we must be certain we dont fool ourselves that the life we find isnt originally from Earth.

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The latest episode of Saturday Night Live spoofed the original HBO series, Mare of Easttown.

And since the Kate Winslet-led show is based in Pennsylvania, the weekly sketch comedy took the opportunity to poke a little fun at the Keystone State as well.

In a segment titled Murdur Durdur, Kate McKinnon takes the lead as a Winslet-esque investigator whos looking into a murder in a small town somewhere between New York and D.C. More specifically (as the voiceover in the clip tells it), McKinnons character is that of a grizzled lady detective who has a very specific accent.

Indeed, the accent that McKinnon and the rest of the Pennsylvanian cast take on is very specific, something that becomes even more apparent when a man playing the victims father shouts, They murdered my daughter! or, in this case, They murdured my durdur!

In true SNL fashion, however, the Pennsylvania spoofs dont end there: WaWa subs also make an appearance and even Gritty gets his own cameo. You can check it out in full, below:

Fortunately, it seems that many actual residents of Pennsylvania werent bothered in the slightest by the lighthearted jokes SNL made about their home state.

One YouTube commenter even went so far as to say: Im Pennsylvanian, and I approve this message.
Tiger King star Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage) wants President Joe Biden to grant him clemency so he can receive proper medical care for prostate cancer.

Maldonado-Passage shared his diagnosis with his Twitter followers on Friday. He once again asked for pardon. This time he asked President Biden after his legal team failed to get him one from President Donald Trump after a few attempts in 2020.

John Phillips has received my medical records from FMC Fort Worth and my PSA count came back very high for prostate cancer, he tweeted in a thread. The prison has approved testing to verify what stage it is in. My body is tired, I have lost a tremendous amount of weight, the mouth sores...are out of control, I throw up more than I eat.

Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year sentence for plotting to kill Carole Baskin, a longtime rival. He also received 17 charges of animal abuse. Joe Exotic and Baskins saga was documented in the popular Netflix miniseries Tiger King, which was released in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Back in January, Maldonado-Passage told Insider his plea for a pardon was rejected because he was too innocent and too GAY.

Though, he tweeted hes not looking for pity. He wants the world to help him convince President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to grant him that pardon.

He tweeted: I dont want anyones pity, what I need is when John Phillips gets the evidence he is working on, I need the world to help him get President Biden, VP Harris and the Attorney General to listen to the evidence and see that...its not just city cops out of control with corruption, but his very own Department of Justice and make this right and sign that pardon that Trump left behind so I can go home and get proper medical care and proper food. Thank you for all the love and support.

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Not only are we going keep on doing what were doing, were going to try to increase it and do it more, he said. The more people participate in democracy, the more vibrant it is. And when you see tears running down the face of someone who can finally vote again and take part in that democracy, well, you cant put a price tag on that.
I have visited probably one-quarter of the 50 wineries that Ill write about in this 6 questions series that will culminate on Memorial Day with a link to all the stories, as much as anything a recommended list of winery destinations for the summer and fall.

Big Cork Vineyards in Rohrersville, a half-hour drive west of Frederick in western Maryland, is one that Ive visited multiple times since it held its grand opening on May 30, 2015. Start with the scenery, where the Blue Ridge Mountains provide a backdrop for a site where the vineyards push out to the horizon in several directions from one of the East Coasts most modern tasting rooms.

The wines have been top-notch from the outset, as Big Cork has excelled in national competitions along with Marylands two contests, having won the Governors Cup as recently as 2019 (with its 2017 Meritage) and the Comptrollers Cup last month (with its 2019 Viognier).

The winery, at 4236 Main St., is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Outside, there are tables and chairs on both sides of the tasting room along with loads of lawn seating. Inside, groups of up to 4 are welcome inside the tasting room and groups of up to six on the two porches during the spring and summer season. Wine, grab-and-go food, and merchandise are available to purchase. Wine tastings are available by appointment; you can see those times at this link.

Private wine tastings and the BIG Wine Experience are available by appointment. Events are held from summer through fall, and those can be found on Big Corks Facebook page.

Two of the winerys most decorated wines have been its Cabernet Franc and its Russian Kiss, the latter an off-dry blend of three Russian grapes that winemaker (and VP of operations) Dave Collins brought to the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C., for a Russia Day celebration in 2019. You can see the list of wines here, including the first of what is an anticipated series of Big Cork sparkling wines.

Overall, its an experience worth the trip.

Below is the latest in the 6 Questions series of interviews with winemakers and owners of East Coast wineries, which looks behind at what has been a turbulent year and, with optimism, looks ahead. Thanks to Matt Riley, the winery general manager, and Collins for taking these on.

Big Cork Vineyards in Rohrersville, Maryland, will be officially open six years on May 30.

1. For those who have never been there, what kind of experience can they expect when they go? You can talk about the venue  the outdoors and scenery, the wines. Food. Even the B&B.

At Big Cork Vineyards, we provide an experience like no other winery. From the moment you walk into our state-of-the-art tasting room, it is like a choose-your-own-adventure experience. We are the most awarded winery in Maryland, have incredible customer service, and an extensive wine menu to taste from.

The winery is surrounded by vineyards, mountains, and beautiful views in all directions. There is plenty of room to spread out on our grassy lawn area with family and friends. We have lawn games and live music on weekends for everyone to enjoy. We also have a grab-and-go food market with numerous options.

We are also the perfect place for any BIG celebration, weddings, birthdays, bridal showers, corporate events or just friends who want to get their BIG group together. We love to celebrate them all.

A view from the winery entrance toward the Big Cork tasting room. It's about an hour and 40 minute drive from Harrisburg.

2. Are you expecting to be back to normal this summer with events, and what kind of events can people expect? What changes did the winery make because of the pandemic and will you continue any of those beyond the pandemic?

Yes! We are back with plenty of events this summer. We will be hosting our annual summer concert series and our End of Summer Bash. We will also have live music every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In addition to live music, Big Cork Vineyards will also be adding goat and piglet yoga to the event lineup. All of our events can be booked on our website.

Some of the changes we have made since COVID has been to section off our lawn area for large events to allow for social distancing. We intend to keep doing this for large events as long as necessary. Another change we made this year was to pre-sell tastings online at scheduled times. This allows for social distancing at the tasting bar. Tastings have been very popular this year and we will continue to have reserved tasting times. Tastings can be booked on our website.

3. Anything new there youre touting this year? Releases, new wines, new products? New packaging?

We are very excited this year to be introducing our sparkling wine series. We have released our Blanc De Blanc, made from Chardonnay grapes picked on the property. It has been a huge success. We are also releasing a sparkling rose in May that we are very excited about. Both wines have a newly designed label and are elegant, beautiful wines that will be perfect for any time!

We are looking forward to expanding our sparkling series in the coming year. There are a ton of possibilities for us in this area and with the remarkable response from our customers to the Blanc de Blanc we see real opportunities for growth in sparkling wines.

4. How many acres are planted there and is everything estate-grown? Any new grapes being planted or replanted?

Big Cork Vineyards tasting room opened in 2015 and the vineyard was planted in 2011.

We have 40 acres planted right now and we are planting 2.5 more acres this year. We have 15 varietals planted on the property and we are planting two new varietals this year that we are very excited about, Tempranillo and Vermentino. Our other varietals include Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, and the Russian Kiss varietals. Most of our production is estate-grown. We do purchase a small amount of grapes from other wineries in the area.

5. I assume Russian Kiss is still going strong how much are you making now? And tell my readers a bit about its partner, Siberian Ice.

The Russian Kiss is still going strong and is our most popular wine in the summer. It is very vibrant, with floral aromatics and is off-dry. We produce about 700 cases a year. Russian Kiss is a crowd pleaser and many of our customers look forward to drinking it when they come to the winery. It pairs very well with most milder cheeses, spicy food, and it great on its own as well.

The easy-to-recognize Big Cork label on several of its estate wines.

The Siberian Ice is made from the same Russian Kiss varietal grapes but were left on the vine until November to raise the sugar content then were frozen and pressed to make an ice wine. It is a unique ice wine.

The Russian Kiss varietals were first recommended by Joe Fiola from the University of Maryland. Originally planted as an experimental varietal, they have caught on in recent years and have provided us with a unique wine that our customers love.

Q, To me, when you talk about Big Cork you have to talk about the reds, even though you have whites there that have grown a big following. But the reds are the ones that generally get the acclaim, and there has been plenty of that? Its a bit of a nebulous question, but does Dave have his red program where he wants it to be? Is he looking at any other blends or varietals down the road?

A, from Dave Collins: It takes many years to understand how certain varieties and their clones and rootstocks perform on a site. The Nebbiolo and Barbera Im learning need strict canopy management and crop control for fully mature fruit and were getting there on those varieties. I would include Syrah also. The Cab Franc and Petite Verdot Ive got fairly well figured out to produce quality ripe fruit with good extraction.

I would also say Im super excited about the Tempranillo weve put in this year, based on our 4-year-old experimental planting and the good ripening theyve proven to have on our site.

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Its no secret that in todays world people stream a lot of content.

However, while many of us may just assume that Netflix is the predominant streaming service in the United States, a new study has found otherwise.

Conducted and published by Electrical Direct, the study took a look at the preferred streaming platform in each country across the globe. They did this by gaging international TV streaming habits by analyzing the Google search volume of 42 different platforms worldwide.

Turns out, by the end of their research Electrical Direct found that its Amazon Primenot Netflixthat dominates the content consumption industry in the States.

Thats rightAmazon Prime garnered 24.8 million searchers per month in the US when compared to second-place Netflix, who received only 20.4 million a month. ESPN followed swiftly in third, beating out both Hulu (fourth) and Disney+ (fifth) with 16.6 million monthly searches.

The study even broke down search preferences by state, with California holding Netflix as the One Streaming Platform to Rule Them All while states such as Florida favored ESPN.

When it comes to world dominance, however, Netflix certainly takes the cake. Electrical Direct reveals that 94 countries watch more content on the streaming behemoth than any others, 25 of which are in Europe.

Netflix has been going since 1997, details the study. Their early service let you rent and borrow DVDS through the mail but theyve since gone on to become an online streaming giant earning a huge $1.2 billion every year.

Blockbuster (remember them?) rejected the chance to buy Netflix back in 2000 when the idea of streaming movies was still just a pipe dream, a move weve sure they regret looking back.

As they say: hindsight is 20/20.
SELMA, Ala. (AP)  Police in Alabama have issued an arrest warrant for a man in connection with the bizarre theft of a Confederate monument that was taken from an Alabama cemetery and found in Louisiana.

Selma police charged Jason Warnick with theft in connection with the mysterious disappearance of the chair-shaped monument, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said Monday.

Warnick was already facing charges of possession of stolen property after police said the monument ended up in his New Orleans tattoo shop.

An attorney for Warnick said he denied being involved with the theft, which sparked national news stories before the monument was recovered.

This knowledge is very new, but we are in contact with the Selma Police Department and will be making plans over the next few days, attorney Michael Kennedy wrote in an email. That being said, Mr. Warnick categorically denies any involvement with the theft of this memorial art installation and intends to defend himself and his reputation vigorously.

Warnick and two other people were previously charged with possession of the chair after it went missing.

The strange saga began March 20 when a representative of the United Daughters of the Confederacy reported to police that the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chair had gone missing from Live Oak Cemetery, located in a riverside city known worldwide for its links to the civil rights movement.

The chair has no direct connection to Davis, the president of the Confederacy, but it was a monument to him located near other rebel monuments in a private section of the city-owned cemetery.

Someone sent an email signed White Lies Matter to news outlets claiming responsibility and saying the chair would be returned only if the United Daughters of the Confederacy agreed to display a banner at their Virginia headquarters bearing a quote from a Black Liberation Army activist.

The group White Lies Matter said a replica of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chair that it used as a toilet was "created in Hollywood."

A later email included photos of someone wearing Union soldier garb posing on a chair that looked like the missing one but with a hole cut out of the seat. A final email said those photos were fake and the real chair was being returned unscathed.

The chair-shaped monument, which the United Daughters of the Confederacy valued at $500,000, was recovered in New Orleans.
WASHINGTON  Neither the Biden administrations infrastructure plan nor the counterproposal from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., explicitly mentions cyberattacks, a topic that surged into the public eye after the May 7 hack of a pipeline system that supplies fuel to much of the East Coast.

The White Houses proposal touches frequently on strengthening electricity grids in the United States and shoring up the countrys power supply against natural disasters and climate change.

But the White Houses 27-page summary of its $2 trillion proposal, which is not yet in legislative language, does not mention cybersecurity or hacking, or the terms digital or pipeline in a context related to cyberattacks.

The $568 billion rebuttal from GOP senators, a two-page list of broad demands for public works investment, also omits cybersecurity and hacking.

On the heels of the cyberattack that breached the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies Eastern states with about 45 percent of their petroleum-based fuels, members of Congress have introduced bipartisan legislation to fortify pipelines and other elements of critical infrastructure against hacks and other threats.

The hack shut down the main section of the pipeline late on May 7, a Friday, and the company alerted the FBI, rather than the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, according to the acting head of the agency. CISA is a unit within the Department of Homeland Security tasked with protecting hardware like pipelines, power grids and utility plants.

Colonial operators started rebooting the pipeline Wednesday evening, and President Joe Biden, citing the FBI, said the hack emanated from people living in Russia. But he did not lay the blame on the Russian state.

We do not believe the Russian government was involved in this attack, Biden said. But we do have strong reason to believe that the criminals who did the attack are living in Russia.

Members of Congress have also raised concerns with the Energy Department, which plays a role in pipeline security, that DOE did not include cybersecurity in its initial budget proposal for fiscal 2022. The White House has promised to release a detailed budget proposal on May 27.

With Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., as lead sponsor, members of the House Homeland Security Committee introduced legislation Friday to protect pipelines from cyberattacks and terrorism. The committee said it plans to mark up the bill this month.

The legislation would designate the Transportation Security Administration and CISA as responsible for overseeing the security of pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities.

In a statement, Cleaver said, The recent ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which caused the shutdown of thousands of miles of gas pipeline along the East Coast, was just the latest example of why Congress must act swiftly to harden our critical infrastructure and bolster our cybersecurity capabilities.

The top Democrat and Republican on the committee  Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and ranking member John Katko, R-N.Y.  are co-sponsors of the bill.

With attacks of this nature on the rise, its more important than ever to strengthen our cyber resilience, Katko said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this month that ransomware attacks, in which culprits demand money from victims, have increased more than 300% since last year.

Also Friday, Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.; Jim Langevin, D-R.I.; and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., introduced separate legislation that would direct CISA to create a series of cybersecurity tests that businesses and state and local governments could run to test their defenses against attacks.

Speaking on Fox News, Capito said the Colonial hack could be a harbinger.

This incident is so emblematic I think, of what the future could look like, she said. We have funded some of the investigative agencies on the cybersecurity side, but we probably need to get more granular with this now that we see whats happened with the pipeline.

Despite the absence of references to cybersecurity or digital security in its public works proposal summary, a White House official said that cybersecurity investments are a part of the American Jobs Plan and will be integrated with the design and implementation of the investments in the electric grid and other infrastructure.

This will include tying specific grants to recipients implementation of cybersecurity goals and using tax credits to finance needed cybersecurity improvements, the official said.

Jim Robb, CEO of North American Electric Reliability Corp., or NERC, a private sector organization that sets and enforces industry standards, pressed during a board meeting Thursday for stronger cybersecurity standards.

It is time for policymakers to refocus on ensuring that gas infrastructure is as secure as the grid it supplies, Robb said. The Colonial hack shows the need for foundational security standards for an industry that is critical to reliability and national security, he said.

Two days before the hack, the former head of CISA told the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation that humans apparent pathological need for the internet to pervade their lives is allowing an explosion in cybercrime.

Fielding questions the day before the hack at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said a more electrically connected world means more targets for hackers.

The truth is that everything that we are working on that will plug into the power grid is a potential cyberattack vector, and we need to be thinking about all of our R&D through that lens, Granholm said, responding to questions from Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho.

In its initial budget documents, DOE did not specifically talk about cyberthreats, as Simpson pointed out.

This is not the time to take our eye off the ball when it comes to cybersecurity of our nations critical energy infrastructure, Simpson said. I was disappointed that in the  or maybe even surprised is a better word  in the skinny budget, that cybersecurity was not mentioned.

Granholm replied, It is definitely a focus of ours, so dont let that fool you. I do want to say Im not going to be Pollyanna-ish and tell you that protecting the grid, for example, from cyberthreats is easy.

___

Benjamin J. Hulac of CQ-Roll Call wrote this story.

(c)2021 CQ Roll Call

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A Philadelphia judge has dismissed charges against a former police officer seen on video lowering the mask of at least one protester before dousing a group with pepper spray as they knelt on a city interstate during a demonstration last summer.

Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ruled Monday that ex-SWAT officer Richard Paul Nicoletti had been authorized by his commanders to clear the highway during protests over the death of George Floyd and had been given pepper spray as a tool to do so, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

You may not like their methods, that doesnt criminalize their method, Meehan said. When the prosecutor cited Nicolettis termination for violating department protocols, the judge said officials couldnt put officers in charge of maintaining order, and then tie their hands on how theyre going to do it.

District Attorney Larry Krasner vowed to vigorously pursue charges in the case.

The people want and deserve justice and change, including police accountability, even though some institutional players are in denial. We will stay the course, Krasner said in a statement on the eve of a closely watched primary in his re-election bid.

Nicoletti had faced charges including simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression in the case. A video of him dressed in riot gear approaching three protesters kneeling on Interstate 676 on June 1, 2020, pulling down at least one protesters mask or goggles, then pepper-spraying them, was circulated widely on social media and was included in several news stories about the national police response to demonstrations.

FILE - In this June 1, 2020 file photo, police detain protesters in the aftermath of a march calling for justice over the death of George Floyd on Interstate 676 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)AP

In January, a judge dismissed charges against another officer charged over his actions during the protests, ruling that prosecutors had failed to provide evidence that Staff Inspector Joseph Bolognas use of a baton constituted a crime. Krasner re-filed charges the following month and the case is pending.

The dismissal of the charges against Nicoletti came after a preliminary hearing featuring testimony from three people doused with the spray. After the ruling, defense attorney Fortunato Perri Jr. called it another example of the district attorneys office charging a police officer with a crime that is not supported by the facts or the law.

After the city and state police use of tear gas against demonstrators who had made their way onto the expressway gained national attention, Mayor Jim Kenney and Commissioner Danielle Outlaw apologized, calling the use of force that day unjustifiable.

Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby, however, said the Philadelphia police union would help Nicoletti with his defense. The union has had a confrontational relationship with Krasners office, and McNesby accused the prosecutor of an anti-police agenda.

More:

Analyst calls the latest cyberattack on a police department the most serious hack he has seen to date

Central Pa. police work on change after George Floyds murder, but activists hope for more
By FARES AKRAM and JOSEPH KRAUSS, The Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  A strike launched from Gaza killed two Thai workers inside a packaging plant in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory that housed bookstores and educational centers.

With the war between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers showing no sign of abating and truce efforts apparently stalled, Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies. The general strike and expected protests could further widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Since the fighting began last week, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

The latest attack from Gaza on Tuesday hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory. In addition to the two people killed, who were in their 30s, Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it transported another seven wounded people to the hospital.

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building which was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)AP

Israel continued its airstrikes into Gaza, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs in its attack on the six-story building that housed bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.

Israel warned the buildings residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness, and there were no reports of casualties.

The whole street started running, then destruction, an earthquake, said Jamal Herzallah, a resident of the area. This whole area was shaking.

Since 2012, Hamed al-Ijla had run a training center in the building, teaching first aid, hospital management and other skills to thousands of students. The only things remaining were a pile of red first aid bags, medical coats wrapped in plastic and one box of surgical gloves.

When the war is over, I will set up a tent across the street and resume work, he said.

Heavy fighting broke out May 10 when Gazas militant Hamas rulers fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes since, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled. Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities and Israel has so far vowed to press on.

As the fighting drags on, medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza.

An apartment is damaged after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashdod, southern Israel, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)AP

Palestinians in Israel, east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank observed a general strike Tuesday. It was a rare show of unity among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state of their own. Life had already ground to a halt in Gaza when the fighting began.

The strike was intended to protest the Gaza war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians the rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence across the region.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike, and protests were expected.

Muhammad Barakeh, one of the organizers of the strike, said Palestinians are expressing a collective position against Israels aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the brutal repression by police across Israel.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it fired at 65 militant targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters and the homes of Hamas commanders that the army said were being used for military purposes. It said more than 60 fighter jets took part in the operation.

The military said it also shot down a drone approaching the Israeli border in the northeast, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but its possible the drone came from Syria.

The military said Palestinian militants fired 90 rockets, 20 of which fell short into Gaza. Israel says its missile defenses have intercepted about 90% of the rockets.

Israels strikes have brought down several buildings and caused widespread damage in the narrow coastal territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed in the fighting, while Israel says the number is at least 160 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were eliminated.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and entirely destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said in a new report. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

It said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered the movement of ambulances and supply vehicles. Over 41,000 displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in U.N. schools in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak. Gaza is also running low on fuel for its electricity supply and water.

Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with top security officials on Monday.
LEWISBURG  The LGBTQ+ community at Bucknell University on Monday called the harassment and intimidation it incurred last week abhorrent and said the administration needs to take appropriate actions to make sure it doesnt happen again.

The statement was issued in the wake of an incident that took place on May 13 that top university officials called horrific.

Public Safety reported a group of students approached Tower House: Frans House, the center of student life for the LGBTQ+ student community, and harassed them as they tried to enter the former Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house.

In a letter Friday, university President John Bravman condemned what occurred and said that an outside firm has been retained to conduct an immediate investigation of the incident and undisclosed failings of public safety officers.

The university announced Monday the investigation into both will be conducted by the Philadelphia law firm of Cozen OConnor.

It has specialized expertise in investigating incidents on college and university campuses, the announcement stated.

The intent is to conduct a thorough investigation quickly, but there is no definitive timetable for its completion, Bucknell spokesman Mike Ferlazzo said.

The statement from the Frans House residents addressed that issue, noting that the public safety officers and the individuals involved in the incident need to be held accountable for their actions.

Frans House residents will provide full compliance to the independent investigation occurring, and hope we will be adequately represented when the university makes decisions based on this outcome.

The LGBTQ+ community says it is has been astounded by the amount of advocacy and kindness it has received.

As a community, we recognize the importance of standing up for ourselves and supporting one another, it said.

With that in mind, it has asked Bucknell to designate Tower House: Frans Place as the permanent residence of the LGBTQ+ community on campus.

Under no circumstances should Frans House be in jeopardy of losing its physical space due to the requirements Bucknell enforces to fill roster spots as opposed to creating inclusive living spaces, it said.

We recognize that this house does not perfectly meet the needs of our community, but we wish to work with the university to further improve the space, the statement continued. They would like full access to the building and want it to be made ADA accessible.

Never again should someone feel entitled to come to our home and say its their house and not ours, they said.

Bravman in his letter pledged to have continuing conversations with Frans House affinity group students about future housing needs and to work to identify and designate a permanent residence for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
It was a modern-day version of a Wild West wanted poster.

An image of a young man was sent on the Citizen personal safety app to users in the Los Angeles basin after a brush fire broke out late Friday night and quickly grew. The post labeled the man as an arson suspect and offered a $30,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with the Pacific Palisades fire.

Within hours, the apps million or so users saw the image, and tips poured in to authorities.

But there was one problem: The man was not the person identified by an LAPD helicopter pilot as the one seen igniting multiple fires that eventually swelled to consume more than 1,300 acres between Pacific Palisades and Topanga Canyon.

When Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies caught up with the man in the photo  identified as Devin Hilton  late Saturday night, investigators quickly eliminated him as a suspect in connection with the growing blaze. Multiple law enforcement sources told The Times that the LAPD pilot informed investigators Hilton was not the man he had spotted on the ground Friday night, when the blaze ignited.

Citizen, which has been accused of sparking vigilantism in New York by encouraging users to capture recordings of crimes in progress, posted a photograph of the man it had obtained from private sources and offered a cash reward for information that led to his arrest.

The company said Sunday it made a mistake in posting the mans image.

We publicly posted the photo and offered a cash reward for information without formal coordination with the appropriate agencies. Once we realized this error, we immediately retracted the photo and reward offer. We are actively working to improve our internal processes to ensure this does not occur again. This was a mistake we are taking very seriously, the company said.

Citizen has not identified the source of the photo it posted and said only that it came from a tipster. The company, which gathers information such as police scanner talk and alerts before sending notifications to users within a certain radius of an incident, said it did not formally corroborate the information with Los Angeles authorities.

In a briefing Monday, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the actual suspect was arrested at 2:30 p.m. Sunday after investigators determined there were multiple points of origin for the fire. The man, who has not been identified by authorities, has been described to The Times by multiple sources as a person experiencing homelessness who set several fires in the area in a deliberate act of arson. He was being treated for minor smoke inhalation, authorities said.

Activists have long been concerned that data-driven applications like Citizen that provide brief suspect descriptions can highlight minorities as a source of crime and lead to racial profiling. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Lt. James Braden told Spectrum News that the move by Citizen could have had potentially disastrous consequences for the man who was wrongly labeled.

Citizen has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. City and county officials have encouraged residents to download it as Los Angeles official contact tracing app, giving its popularity a massive boost. Citizen first appeared on the informational scene in L.A. in the spring of 2019.

We provide real-time situational awareness, Andrew Frame, Citizens founder and chief executive, said in an interview with The Times. That empowers people. ... Once a citizen knows what the police are doing, it actually fosters trust.

In the wake of the arson error, Citizen added to its statement Monday: Ultimately, the safety of our users is always our top priority. With that in mind, we hold ourselves to the highest editorial standards. We have an extensive set of guidelines developed with feedback from seasoned professionals in media and law enforcement. We take great care to differentiate incidents and describe them accurately and objectively. Further, all user-generated content is monitored by a highly trained, 24/7 team of moderators.

___

Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story.

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A 6- to 12-year prison sentence imposed on a Pennsylvania man who lied about being an Army combat veteran and then ripped off an American Legion post for $17,000 isnt unreasonable, a state appeals court concluded Tuesday.

Yet, because of an error involving the merging of two theft convictions, the Superior Court panel sent the case of Christopher M. Crawford, who was once classified as a deserter, back to a county court for resentencing.
Franklin & Marshall College announced on Tuesday that it will require enrolled students who are present on campus in the fall to have been fully vaccinated by Aug. 1.

The Lancaster-based private liberal arts college is now the 13th private college in Pennsylvania to impose this requirement on students in hopes of preventing an outbreak of COVID-19 in the next academic year, according to a list being kept by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Bucknell University in Lewisburg joined this list last week. Dickinson College in Carlisle is also requiring students to get vaccinated.

Saying its decision is in accordance with the recommendation of the American College Health Association, Franklin & Marshall Colleges statement says it will require students to provide proof of having received their final dose of a Food & Drug Administration-approved COVID-19 vaccine, unless they have approved medical or religious exemptions.

As soon as students are vaccinated, they must submit a scanned copy of their completed vaccination card to the colleges Student Wellness Center. The college will provide further guidance for international students in the coming weeks, according to its statement.

At this time, the college is examining the impact of a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for faculty, professional staff, and contractors on campus. For now, it is strongly encouraging  and may soon require  all people working on campus to receive the vaccine unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
Politicians need to support laws that will support the people that you represent, like gun violence laws, she said in the interview. Did you forget Parkland? Did you forget Pulse? We need people who really care about the people that they represent, not just the privileged few, but all of them. I believe my record of service by leadership and the desire to want to represent all people and get some things done immediately are important to Floridians. I think that is exactly the reason for me to run statewide.
Members 1st Federal Credit Union announced the opening Monday of its newest branch in Cumberland County.

Its the 56th branch currently in business for the credit union, a press release said.

Located at 4305 Marketplace Way, Enola, the Valley Road branch will serve the credit unions members from the same business plaza as Members 1sts new corporate headquarters in Hampden Township, which is currently under construction.

This is a full-service branch, complete with a drive-thru, drive-up ATM, lobby service and dropbox, the release said.

Members 1st remains focused on expanding its footprint to continue serving members in branches across Central PA. Following the Valley Road Branch, the credit union plans to open another branch in Berks County that will be located in Sinking Spring and eventually move into the Lehigh Valley area.

More than 70 years ago, we began serving our members in Hampden Township, so this branch is very special to us, credit union spokesperson Mike Wilson said in the release. Since then, we have evolved and grown in so many ways, thanks to our members support.

Members 1st FCU serves nearly half a million members through its network of almost 60 branch locations throughout Central Pennsylvania, as well as its digital banking and call center channels.

To learn more about Members 1st, visit www.members1st.org or call (800) 283-2328.
ALBANY, N.Y.  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo disclosed Monday that he was paid a $3.1 million advance to write his COVID-19 leadership book last year and under his publishing contract will make another $2 million on the memoir over the next two years.

That total windfall of more than $5.1 million further inflamed critics who have said it was inappropriate for Cuomo to personally enrich himself with a self-congratulatory book, published just as the state was seeing a deadly resurgence in infections last October.

Cuomo, a Democrat, had previously declined to say how much money he made from writing American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic, published by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House.

The disclosure of the big payday was made on the day Cuomos mandatory financial disclosures were due to a state ethics agency. Cuomo also let reporters view a copy of his tax returns, which were also due Monday.

Cuomo spokesperson Richard Azzopardi said Monday that after taxes and expenses, Cuomo had netted $1.5 million on the book last year. He said Cuomo donated $500,000 of his profits from the book to the United Way of New York State and is putting the rest into a trust for his three daughters.

From the moment Cuomos book came out he was criticized for penning a book touting his performance while the crisis was ongoing. Since then hes come under more criticism over the involvement of some of his staff in preparing the book for publication.

In April, the states comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, authorized New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the role some of Cuomos aides played in drafting, editing, sale and promotion of the book.

Azzopardi has repeatedly said that state employees who helped with the book did so on their own time in a volunteer capacity.

The Democrat has also been criticized by some over his administrations decision to withhold data on COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients for several months during the period when the book was being finalized and sold.

Critics say the administration was purposely obscuring the true death toll to mute criticism that Cuomo hadnt done enough to protect nursing home residents. The governor and the states health commissioner have said the numbers were withheld because the state had trouble verifying them.

Sochie Nnaemeka, state director of the Working Families Party, a liberal group that has clashed often with Cuomo over policy, said the revelation about his book payday showed he was unfit to lead.

Last June, millions of New Yorkers were struggling to keep their families safe, and thousands of seniors were struggling to survive in the states nursing homes, while the Governor was having his staffers write a book that would make him millions off of the still-raging public health crisis, Nnaemeka said.

The top Republican in the state senate, Sen. Rob Ortt, said the fact that Governor Cuomo lined his own pockets with more than $5 million while thousands of New Yorkers were dying horrific deaths is a national disgrace.

Azzopardi sniped back at the critics.

The governor worked night and day to try to save lives and lead New York out of this crisis. Lord knows where they were, he said.

The book revelations come as Cuomo is also under fire over sexual harassment allegations made by several women who worked for him. One aide has also accused him of groping her breasts beneath her shirt. The states attorney general is investigating those allegations and the state Assembly is probing whether there are grounds to impeach the governor.

The states ethics commission approved Cuomos request to write the book last summer, but only if he followed several conditions, including making sure it was written on his own time and not using state property, personnel or other resources for activities associated with the book.

The governor was also barred from advertising, promoting or endorsing his book when performing his state duties.

John Kaehny, executive director of pro-transparency group Reinvent Albany, has called for Cuomo to release his full contract with the book publisher so the public knows about potential royalties and whether Cuomo will receive additional compensation if more copies of his book are sold.

Marina Villeneuve of The Associated Press wrote this story.
You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | May 18, 2021

The head of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association is looking for an apology from Governor Tom Wolf over comments he made in a letter to state employees. The Port Authority intends to increase its vehicle capacity in May before returning to full capacity in June. A new website provides helpful tips for the prevention of ticks. Plus, a Bucks County historic park will officially be conserved and improved.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.
A Reading Fire Department ambulance was damaged Monday, after it was stolen while paramedics were working a medical call, according to officials.

The fire department issued a statement through the city stating that around 11:29 a.m., paramedics were at Kennedy Senior Center, also known as Towers Apartments at 300 South 4th Street, attending to a medical call.

As the paramedics were leaving the building to transport their patient, they discovered their ambulance had been stolen.

The paramedics reported the theft and requested another unit to transport the patient, the department said. There were no injuries to the paramedics and the patients condition was not impacted by the delay.

Around 1 p.m., the department was informed that an off-duty member spotted the ambulance along Route 30 in the Strasburg area and contacted police.

The member of the fire department followed the ambulance until state police caught up and pursued the ambulance, the department said.

Shortly after police began their pursuit, the ambulance crashed with a truck somewhere in the Intercourse area, the department said. Police took the suspect into custody, and the department said there were no injuries.

The ambulance was damaged in the crash, the department said.

Todays events move us due to the vulnerability to which even our first responders are exposed daily, Mayor Eddie Moran said in a statement. I want to thank everyone that handled this situation without escalating the risk, protecting the lives of all parties and collaborating all without personal injuries. We can always recover from material losses.

Read more on PennLive:
The Pennsylvania primary election takes place today.

While the off-year election doesnt generate the buzz of a presidential contest, these races affect Pennsylvanians in profound ways.

Voters will choose candidates in municipal, school board, county and judicial races, including the Harrisburg mayors contest. Those casting ballots will be voting for people who will help set local tax rates, establish school policies and rule on criminal cases. In many ways, these votes determine who will be deciding matters that you care about on a day-to-day basis.

All voters will also see four questions on the ballot, including proposed amendments to Pennsylvanias constitution. All registered voters can vote on the ballot questions. Many races on the ballot will be limited to registered Democrats and Republicans.

In most cases, voters will pick their partys nominees in the primary; the winners will represent their parties in the general election. Typically, Democrats will pick their Democratic nominees and Republicans will choose GOP nominees. In some school board or district judge races, candidates can and sometimes do cross-file with both parties.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m., you will still be allowed to vote.

Here are other details you need to know.

Mail-in ballots. If you requested a mail ballot but havent sent it in by now, youll have to drop it off in person at a county elections office or, depending on the county, a satellite location or drop box. All mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day.

You cant return a mail-in ballot or absentee ballot at your polling place. But if you didnt fill out the mail-in ballot, you can surrender it at the polling place and vote with a regular ballot.

If you requested a mail-in ballot and it didnt arrive, you can vote by provisional ballot at your polling place.

Find your drop box. Pennsylvanias elections website offers a full list where you can find drop boxes, your county elections office or satellite locations. Heres a rundown of drop boxes in the Harrisburg area.

Dauphin County

Voters can use a drop-off box located by the front entrance of the Dauphin County administration building at 2 S. Second St. in Harrisburg until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Residents in upper Dauphin County can return ballots to the Northern Dauphin Human Services Center at 295 State Drive in Elizabethville from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cumberland County

A drop-off box is located in the lobby of the county election office at 1601 Ritner Highway, Suite 201. Its available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Lebanon County

Voters can use a drop box at the election office at 400 S. 8th Street, Room 209, Lebanon, 17042. Its available until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

York County

A drop-off box is located inside the front door of the county administrative center at 28 E. Market St. in downtown York. It can be used from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Perry County

In Perry County, the drop-off option is to take it to the board of commissioners room at Veterans Memorial Building at 25. W. Main St., New Bloomfield. This can be done until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Wheres my polling place? If you are voting in person but cant remember where your polling place is, find it here on the states election website. Some polling places change from year to year, so its probably a good idea to check and make sure you know where youre going.

Identification. Most voters wont need to show any identification at the polls but there are a couple of important exceptions.

If you are voting for the first time in Pennsylvania, youll need to bring your ID. If youve recently moved and will be voting at your polling place for the first time, youll also need to show identification. Acceptable forms of identification include a drivers license or PennDOT ID card, any ID issued by the U.S. government, any identification issued by a state agency, a passport or an armed forces ID.

Ballot questions. There are four statewide ballot questions, including two questions related to a governors powers in declaring emergencies. There are also local ballot questions for some voters, including those in Philadelphia and Allegheny County. All registered voters can vote on the ballot questions, including independents. Counties will have ballots prepared for independent voters.

Read more: The 2021 Pa. primary ballot questions and everything you should know about them

Special elections. There are four special elections today to fill vacancies in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. All registered voters can cast ballots in special elections.

Theres a special election to fill a vacant seat in the Pennsylvania Senates 48th District, which covers all of Lebanon County and parts of Dauphin and York counties. The other seats are in western Pennsylvania and northeastern Pennsylvania.

COVID-19 protocols. Voters heading should remember that face masks are still required in Pennsylvania for people who arent fully vaccinated when they are away from home, such as while voting or standing in line. However, Gov. Tom Wolf has told county election workers not to turn away or interfere with voters who arent wearing a mask.

Election staff at most Pennsylvania voting spots will be regularly wiping down and disinfecting voting machines and also providing things like hand sanitizer to protect voters from COVID-19. If you want to bring your own pen to the polls, it must have blue or black ink.

Potential problems. If a poll worker determines you arent eligible to vote with a regular ballot, you can ask to vote on a provisional ballot. Itll be counted if election officials determine youre an eligible voter. Those with disabilities are able to have someone assist them in the voting booth if necessary (the assistant may not be a judge of elections, your employer or a union representative).

Filing a complaint. Its illegal to deny the right to vote based on race or ethnicity. If you believe your rights have been violated at the polls, you can call the state-run elections hotline at 1-877-868-3772. Or you can file a complaint on the states elections website. You can also use the hotline or complaint form if you are aware of voter fraud.

What if Im challenged? Your right to vote can be challenged by local election officials, poll watchers or another voter. Challenges can only be for an individuals identity or place of residence, and the challenger must have a good-faith basis for their objection. They cant simply challenge all voters of an opposing party.

The judge of election will decide if the challenge is in good faith. If the judge is satisfied with your identity and residency, you must be allowed to vote. You are also permitted to have another voter from the same precinct vouch for you.

If you cannot get someone to vouch for you, you still must be allowed to vote using a provisional ballot. If it is later determined that you were eligible to vote, your ballot will be counted.

Im not registered. If youre not a registered voter, youre out of luck today; you wont be able to vote in the primary. But you can register to vote in the general election in November. You can do it online at the states elections website.

More from PennLive

Pa. Primary Election Day is Tuesday: Heres what you need to know

Voters Guide: Learn about Pa.s 2021 primary election candidates
By Sanjay Paul

Four democracies. Four elections.

In November, Trump lost his bid to get re-elected while the Republican Party failed to take control of either the House or the Senate. Earlier this year, in Germany, Angela Merkels center-right Christian Democrats lost ground to the Green Party in state elections. And in regional elections held last month in India, Narendra Modis Hindu-nationalist BJP Party fared poorly in two key states.

In the U.K., on the other hand, Boris Johnsons Conservative Party has scored a resounding victory in local elections.

What sets the first three apart from the last?

Trump, Merkel and Modi have presided over significant COVID outbreaks.

Trump publicly disparaged the use of masks and other precautions advocated by public health professionals. He claimed at the outset that the virus would disappear soon, and kept repeating the mantra as thousands and then hundreds of thousands of Americans perished in the pandemic. With relatively little fanfare, he got vaccinated, but large numbers of his followers continue to eschew vaccines that are now available to all adults.

Their reluctance to get the shots stems from doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, all of which have been largely laid to rest by the medical profession. Some holdouts decry an infringement of their liberty, ignoring the cost of their decision for their families, friends and coworkers who may now become infected as a result. By choosing not to get vaccinated, they are needlessly prolonging the day when the United States attains herd immunityand people can go about their daily lives with minimal concerns about the pandemic.

Angela Merkel was more forceful in her response early on, but then stumbled badly as the virus reappeared and doubts about the safety of vaccines surfaced. The European launch of the AstraZeneca vaccine (developed jointly with Oxford University) did not go smoothly.

First, there were questions about the reliability of the data submitted to the regulators. Then, the vaccine was linked to blood clots, which prompted confusingly disparate responses from European governments. In Germany the vaccine was at first banned for the elderly, then it was approved only for the elderly (since the blood clots were deemed to be likelier for younger people), and now it has been cleared for use by all. A vaccine procurement scandal involving payoffs to members of Merkels party did not help.

Narendra Modi imposed an abrupt and painful shutdown last year, but then, as things seemed to improve this year, conducted massive election rallies and allowed a Hindu festival that attracts millions of devotees to go ahead as planned, all without any COVID-related precautions.

India had been largely successful in keeping temples, mosques and churches from holding events with sizable numbers of people, and the government could have postponed the religious festival to next year, but Modi did not wish to be seen as wavering in his allegiance to Hindutva, an ideology that seeks to assert the primacy of Hinduism and is threatening the secular fabric of Indian democracy.

Large crowds attended Modis campaign events for state elections, unmasked and jostling each other. They were not asked to take any precautions, and in any case, weeks of relative calm on the COVID front had lulled them into a false sense of security.

The scale of the unfolding tragedy in India is captured only partially by the official statistics: 4,000 COVID-related deaths per day, but in reality many more people are dying in their homes and villages, far removed from hospitals and clinics and medical care. Ironically, Pune in western India, the city that is billed the vaccine capital of the world (for the amount of vaccines it produces each year) is itself one of the hardest-hit in the country.

In marked contrast, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has delivered superior results, despite stumbling on other fronts. His handling of Brexit has been poor--a recent brouhaha saw him sending naval gunboats to an island near France over disputed fishing rights. He keeps getting snarled in scandals of his own makinggetting donors to pay for renovating his residence, for instance.

But on the matter of the pandemic, he has taken the hard steps necessary to prevent outbreaks. He imposed shutdowns that were politically very unpopular. He has also managed to get large numbers of Brits vaccinated, an achievement that few of his counterparts in the European Union can match. Voters have taken note and--as the recent local election results indicate--rewarded him handsomely.

Sanjay Paul, PhD, is a professor of economics at Elizabethtown College.
A digital billboard is shown in the St. Johns metro area on Monday, May 17, 2021. Shortly after noon today, 11 electronic billboards across St. John's began displaying messages of support for the complainant in a landmark sexual assault conviction. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly
Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at LifeLabs after being logged upon receipt at the company's lab, in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The date for any sailing awaits approval from the CDC, which has all ships attempting to sail from the U.S. under a conditional sail order. Carnival, though, has only so far announced plans to ramp up U.S. sailing, assuming it gets the OK from the CDC, from Miami and Galveston.
A person enters the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital on Friday March 26, 2021 in Hawkesbury, Ontario. An eastern Ontario doctor charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man at a hospital has had his case adjourned for two weeks after a brief court appearance Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
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ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 01: Flowers lay on the ground as Ulysses Edwards paints a portrait of Andrew Brown Jr. on the side of the house in the area where he was killed on May 01, 2021 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Mr. Brown was shot to death by Pasquotank County Sheriff's deputies. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Away from her friends and regular routine, London teenager Eesha Parashara developed an eating disorder during the UKs first national lockdown, which began last March.

Isolation and loneliness, coupled with social media, proved a toxic combination.

When I ate every meal, my stomach would hurt for about an hour, Parashara, 17, recalled. Then not going to the toilet for about two weeks or three weeks. And obviously I was really bloated. And then I looked at my body in different ways. So why am I putting on weight? Why am I not going to toilet? Is there something wrong?

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Despite knowing the pitfalls, she kept comparing herself to others online.

It is a big influence on the way you think, she said. Everyone else, when youre on social media, they put up all the good parts. They never put up the negative parts of how theyre feeling, the way they look. Its all the good angles. And youre sat at home thinking: Why dont I look like that?

As light began to appear at the end of the pandemic tunnel, Parashara said she felt additional anxiety about returning to school and normal life, fearing that the opportunities for social development, important for her future at university, are irretrievably lost.

Her concerns echo the anxieties of many adolescents grappling with uncertain futures. Teenage life was stressful before the pandemic, and now memories of lockdown weigh heavy on the collective psyche.

The Princes Trust annual survey of young peoples happiness returned its worst findings yet at the start of this year.

One in five young people aged 16 to 25 had experienced suicidal thoughts since the start of the pandemic, 10% had self-harmed, and 22% had experienced panic attacks, according to the charity that works with young people.

Evolving effects

Dr Jide Menakaya, Eeshas doctor and a pediatric gastroenterology consultant at Hillingdon Hospital in West London, has seen a large increase in the number of referrals for children with eating disorders.

Being aware of the mental health issues or emotional wellbeing issues in those children is incredibly important because, unless one addresses those, its very difficult to get a handle on the physical side of things, Menakaya said.

Health care professionals warn that anxieties and depression, if left unchecked, can lead to acute illness later. Far from evaporating as lockdown restrictions ease, the effects will continue to evolve.

Chris Mann, head nurse at Hillingdon Hospital, pointed to climbing admission rates for children presenting with abdominal pains and deliberate self-harm.

Its the childs way of telling us, and weve got to get smart at listening to children, she said.

Were seeing double the amount, triple the amount of children we used to pre-COVID being admitted ... with a variety of self-harm, Mann said. Thats children drawing attention to the fact that theyve got a concern.

One in six children in the UK is now suffering with a diagnosable mental health issue, according to government data, up from one in nine in 2017.

Those from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to be disproportionately impacted by lockdown and are emerging as the pandemics collateral damage.

Many families have had a really hard year, said Jo Casebourne, chief executive of the Early Intervention Foundation. Theyve been living with financial strain and uncertainty.

Forcing children to remain indoors, sometimes in cramped or volatile households, can lead to things like increased parental conflict and children experiencing domestic abuse, Casebourne said. I think its fair to say that the lockdown will have impacted some children more than others.

Research commissioned by the Early Intervention Foundation indicates 42% of parents with a household income under 34,999 ($48,947) reported their childs mental health had worsened, compared with 28% of parents with a household income of more than 55,000 ($76,920).

Gaps that were already there before COVID between the most disadvantaged children and their peers will actually widen, Casebourne added. Its really important that we dont let the weight of the pandemic fall hardest on the shoulders of the poorest children and families.

Clinical psychologist and founder of the teenage mental health charity stem4, Dr Nihara Krause points to shortfalls in treatment and intervention services while the country dealt with the COVID-19 emergency.

When stem4 surveyed 500 schoolteachers in December 2020, 34% responded to say referrals for students with mental health difficulties were routinely rejected because they do not meet the threshold of severity. Its not right to ask children to get worse in order to get seen, Krause said.

Less privileged children inevitably fall through the gaps of an oversubscribed and under-resourced support network.

It was hell

CNN visited Unitas, an OnSide Youth Zone in North London that was built with private funding in 2019, partly in response to rising poverty levels in the local area. It had re-opened four weeks ago after shutting it doors earlier this year as the UK entered a third national lockdown.

For our generation with COVID-19, its mental health. So many young people I know have been getting anxiety and depression. Its like post-traumatic stress disorder, 17-year-old Taylor Dawson told CNN.

Dawson gathers with a group of teenagers once a week at Unitas. Before meeting in person, the group met online during lockdown to hold Healthy Mind, Healthy Body sessions. During the session, a youth worker guides them through breathing and mindfulness techniques and encourages each group member to share their experiences.

Fears around contracting or passing on the virus to family members dominated the conversation. Saturated with non-stop COVID news and warnings about missed schoolwork, the teenagers speak openly of what they describe as paranoia.

All you heard on the news was about COVID, COVID, COVID, said Bradley Smith. 16. That was stressing people out as well.

It created this gray cloud over my entire life, said 18-year-old Sarah Brown. It was hell.

I used to be at the top of my class. I used to have the best grades but because of the transition of moving from a classroom to online, I wasnt able to get the support I regularly had, she said. It crumbled a lot of good things.

Schools were closed for much of the academic year in the UK, which moved counseling and mentoring services online and out of reach for many. Outposts like Unitas provided their own virtual services to help fill the need.

The government has pledged 79 million ($112 million) over the next three years toward expanding mental health services in schools and colleges across the UK.

Children, like adults, are now beginning to understand the scale of the impact lockdown has had on their mental health. Many will have experienced bereavement, neglect, and hardship, often behind closed doors.

Social distancing is a misnomer and the opposite of what kids need, said Dr. Menakaya, Eeshas doctor. Social and emotional closeness are more important than ever.
The 65th Annual Young Artists Exhibition normally takes place in the School District of Philadelphias Administration Building, but due to the pandemic this years show is virtual.  Photo courtesy of The School District of Philadelphia.
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Natural8 Will Double All Donations Made In COVID-19 Fundraiser for India

May 18, 2021 Natural8

Natural8 is launching a fundraiser to support COVID-19 relief efforts in India. From now until May 29, this Unite to Fight COVID-19 in India campaign will see Natural8 matching every donation dollar for dollar.

India is one of the countries most affected by the ongoing pandemic, and this second most populated country in the world has recorded more than 22 million cases and nearly a quarter of a million COVID-19 deaths. With the current count at roughly 400,000 daily infections, the country is seeing more than 15,000 infections per hour and approximately 2 deaths per minute.

This alarming number is expected to grow with no known end in sight.

Natural8 to Double All Donations

Natural8 wants to do its part, and is pledging to double all donations made.

Every dollar contributed will be matched, and every donation of $1 and above will receive tickets to a flipout. Prizes for the flipout will be announced soon, and will increase the more donations are collected.

All contributions will go to community-run fund CryptoRelief, and go on to provide aid in the form of medicine, oxygen and other essential items crucial in the fight against COVID-19. For full transparency, all donations will also be published on the Natural8 website.

CryptoRelief is a fund consisting of founders and innovators, as well as people who care for the people of India. The community has so far donated close to $1,000,000 with the goal of providing #OxygenForEveryone during the ongoing crisis in India.

How to Donate

Help us support a country in need and bring more awareness to the havoc COVID-19 has been wreaking all over the world. Together we can do our part to support the relief efforts and overcome the biggest worldwide crisis in recent times.

Contributions of any size are welcome.

Some of the ways to donate include:

Making a transfer (via the Natural8 app) to [email protected]

Contacting the Natural8 24/7 live support team

Sending Natural8 an email at [email protected]

To find out more, visit the Natural8 Unite to Fight COVID-19 In India.

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SOCASTEE  As the Coastal Explorer chugged along the Intracoastal Waterway at Osprey Marina, it let down a piece of metal into the water behind it. Though the metal looked more like a rocket ship than anything, really it was scanning for any divots or bumps on the bottom of the waterway.

More roughness in the bed means more flooding, said Paul Gayes, director of Coastal Carolina University's marine and wetland department.

Just a mile upstream, the South Carolina State Guard dove into the water to attach water-quality sensors to the buoys. And back at the dock, a weather station was installed to measure rainfall's velocity, direction and temperature, among other things.

Water quality and weather patterns also influence flooding, Gayes said, more specifically how floodwater travels and what areas it will impact the most.

These three data collectors are part of the Smart River Research program installed at the marina on May 17. CCU's Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies partnered with Duke Energy, various state water and flood agencies, and Horry and Georgetown counties on the project to monitor, gauge and develop strategies to address flooding in both counties.

Gayes said this data collection, funded in part by the National Science Foundation and Florida Atlantic University, is the first of its kind in both counties and will give policymakers and stakeholders a better understanding of the true risk of flooding in their areas.

The areas around the Intracoastal, such as Socastee, are transitional areas, Gayes said; they're not necessarily the beach, but not necessarily inland enough to be dealt with exclusively in either fashion.

"A large amount of the economy and whatnot is in this focus, which is especially challenging and complicated because it is driven on all sides," Gayes said, making a V shape with his hands to show how floodwater comes to the area from both the coast and upland. "It's influenced by the ocean, it's influenced by the upper basin, by local rainfall, its influenced by groundwater changes."

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State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch said he visited a home in Socastee that flooded 15 times in the last five years. No one can live in this environment, he said, and this program will allow both counties to determine the necessary steps they need to take to mitigate floodwaters because there is not much data to go off of as of right now.

"Through these problems, we have to figure out a way for nature and humanity to coexist, and today is the manifestation of that," Goldfinch said.

As the guard members dove in their wetsuits to attach censors to the buoys, state Floodwater Commission Chairman Tom Mullikin hopped in the water, a bright yellow life vest over his polo and slacks. Mullikin, a seasoned environmental lawyer and advocate in South Carolina, said he just had to get in and see the process for himself.

The data collection is what success looks like, Mullikin said. The issue of flooding is too big for just one jurisdiction to address, he said, and partnerships and teamwork are the sole reason it was brought to fruition.

"A great man once said that this is no time for 'the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,' and it's true," Mullikin said, referring to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C.

If all goes to plan, the bipartisan program will remain in place permanently, Gayes said. Long-term data collection is hard to come by, he said, and as floodwaters and tides continue to rise and close in on areas like Socastee, it will be important to have numbers to base decisions off of.

"You can't assess how strange something is or how extreme something is unless you've got a time series, so it's really critically important to not only get the spatial resolution to be improved but also a time series," Gayes said.
MYRTLE BEACH  Attendance was particularly high this year at Myrtle Beach Bike Week despite the lingering pandemic cautions, authorities said.

In Georgetown County, Paul Taylor, 39, of Michigan, died shortly after 9:40 p.m. May 14 when his motorcycle crashed into a parked car on U.S. Business 17, according to the Georgetown County coroner's office. He was not wearing a helmet.

Between May 7-16, the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office handed out 556 tickets, 63 warnings and arrested nine people. Both counties primarily saw non-violent crimes, such as speeding, equipment violations, disregarding traffic signals and more.

Horry County data was not available.

A little more than half way through the week's festivities on May 13, the Centers for Disease Control said fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except otherwise specified by other entities.

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Some attendees, though, had no concerns regarding COVID-19, mask wearing or the vaccine.

"I could care less for the masks," said Sheila Webster of Chesterfield County at Suck Bang Blow in Murrells Inlet. She repeated debunked claims that masks and the vaccine won't protect the public.

Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said attendance in his county was pretty consistent with previous years, and did not cause any stress on his officer count.

"We have a very large uniformed officer presence ... and it just sets the pace for what our county expectations are, and people pretty much abide by it and they just have a good time," Weaver said.
PAWLEYS ISLAND  Down the hall among offices at Tidelands Health, Dr. Gerald E. Harmon clips a microphone to his lapel and sits in front of an American Medical Association backdrop to talk to audiences worldwide on behalf of the AMA.

Though Tidelands already had a video room decked out with professional lights and a high-quality camera, Harmon will be using it for the next year as he serves as president of the AMA starting in June.

As for taking on the presidency amid a worldwide pandemic, Harmon turned to his faith for answers: " 'For such a time as this' perhaps I'm here," Harmon quoted of the Old Testament reference.

"I think this ranks right up there," he said. "Right now, this is the time to do what I'm doing.

"It's a big deal for the opportunity that all of us have to represent medicine. I think one doctor can only touch so many people with one stethoscope, but if you give me an opportunity to be leader of the American Medical Association, with over a quarter of a million physicians influencing the health care of over 300 million Americans, that's a team sport. I'm honored and humbled at the same time to do that."

The AMA serves as a platform to influence how health care decisions are made and how resources are applied. Its leadership has organizational input into medical education for physicians.

Harmon also serves as one of three AMA officials on the World Medical Association.

"Every job I ever had was the most important job I had," he said.

The Newberry native worked his way up the ranks to major general in the Air Force Reserve, on active duty, and in the Air National Guard. He was chief physician for the National Guard Bureau and assistant surgeon general for the U.S. Air Force. Harmon's military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

He studied physics and mathematics at the University of South Carolina and has since been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Public Service. He received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his residency training program in family medicine with the U.S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base in western Florida and is recognized as a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Harmon serves as a clinical professor at two of South Carolinas medical schools and is a member of the clinical faculty for the Tidelands Health Family Medicine residency program while regularly precepting physicians in training.

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Harmon is a medical director for several organizations and volunteers as medical supervisor for Georgetown Countys 23 schools. He has also been recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce.

He is vice president of medical affairs at Tidelands Health and is a family medicine specialist having practiced for more than 30 years in coastal South Carolina. He was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in June 2013 and elected board chair in 2018.

He said one of the things he learned in the military and a quarter-century flying airplanes is that you have to compartmentalize things.

"Before I take off, I try to focus on the mission at hand. We learn to do that when we become pilots. We learn to do that in military training."

And he's about to embark on unchartered waters  helping a nation rebound from the pandemic.

"The way I see it right now, in recovering from the pandemic, we have to figure out how to remove those obstacles that may have existed over the past year where patients were afraid to go to the doctor," Harmon said. "When doctors and hospitals had decreased access because of fear of spreading the pandemic.

"If I can advance health equity, the AMA has released a health equity plan that has stimulated a substantial conversation, it's trying to advance health care that we found out during the pandemic that many of our marginalized communities don't have access to health care ... We really kind of knew that anyway, but really the skin of that onion has been peeled back and it's revealed some glaring gaps. So now we're going to have to work with that."

Harmon said while that won't be the only thing he does in this AMA presidential year, that's going to be a substantial lift for all of those in medicine to address health care for the marginalized patients.

As an organization, the AMA works to change medical education to get that physician workforce ready, it tries to remove obstacles for patient care, like barriers to prior authorization, and it tries to improve health outcomes.

Having his hand in so many pots has put Harmon in the right position to serve as AMA president, he said.

"It allows me to have the perspective of a practicing doctor, an educator, an administrator, a decision-maker, and bring all those different hats I may wear into the role of AMA president, which is influential and it brings currency," Harmon said. "We're all part of a plan of some sort. I trust in the Lord to give me guidance sometimes."
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The Charleston County Coroner identified a man shot just after midnight May 15 on Charleston's America Street as 35-year-old Charles Fitzgerald Phoenix.

Phoenix was found by police dead near 4 America St. after residents reported hearing gunshots.

Phoenix lived on Columbus Street in Charleston, according to a police report.

Attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful on May 18.

He had worked at Moe's Crosstown Tavern and other food and beverage establishments in Charleston.

Slade Stokes, a waiter at Magnolia's, said Phoenix had worked as a prep cook at the restaurant for a few months. Stokes said he did not know Phoenix well, but he worked hard, always showed up for his shifts and seemed like a nice person.

He said Phoenix left work around 11:30 p.m. May 14, only a half hour before he was fatally shot.

Phoenix was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter after fatally shooting an acquaintance at a Drake Street apartment in September 2005.

While out on bond in that case, Phoenix made news for appearing in a DVD that showcased men in Charleston rapping, flashing drugs and wads of cash and holding rifles and handguns.

He was sentenced in 2007 to 10 years in prison in the killing.

Charleston police said anyone with information can call 843-743-7200.
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisian authorities Monday announced the arrest of a dangerous terrorist regarded as the brain behind the deadly attack in March 2015 against the Bardo Museum, near Tunis, that claimed the lives of 22 people and wounded 45 others, most of them foreign tourists
Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano announced May 17 she had fired two detention deputies involved in the death of Jamal Sutherland at the county jail.

The fired deputies were Detention Sgt. Lindsay Fickett and Detention Deputy Brian Houle.

"I must weigh the interest of public safety for the community against any incident that creates even the perception of an impairment to the operation of the Detention Center for the safety of all residents, staff and our Community," Graziano said in a news release.

In graphic video released last week, Fickett and Houle were shown using pepper spray and numerous Taser electrical shocks to force the 31-year-old man from his cell after he refused to attend bond court.

After Sutherland was placed in handcuffs, deputies held him prone on the cell floor and placed a spit mask over his head, prompting him to yell, "I can't breathe."

When deputies lifted Sutherland to seat him in a restraint chair, he was visibly limp and unresponsive, his head slumped onto his shoulders. CPR was performed on Sutherland, both by hand and with the assistance of a mechanical device known as a thumper which provides chest compressions. Medical staff also responded to examine Sutherland, who continued to appear unresponsive.

Houle was recorded in body camera footage saying he and Fickett shocked Sutherland "six to eight times at least."

Stun guns should not be used by more than one deputy and should only be deployed on people actively resisting or showing aggression who also are at risk of harming themselves or others, according to guidelines from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Sutherland had been jailed after fighting broke out at Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health, a mental-health facility. Days earlier, he heard voices and became paranoid and his parents took him to the center to help him.

Sutherland was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia as a teenager and lived with his parents in Goose Creek.

Sutherland and another patient from the center were arrested after the fight, accused of third-degree assault and battery, a misdemeanor, and taken to the jail.

The sheriff, who took office roughly three hours before the fatal encounter in the jail she runs, promised reforms at a news conference May 14.

She said she has already canceled directives in place for the jail at the time of Sutherland's death that mandated deputies to force all residents to go to bond hearings.

The Sheriffs Office also is developing policies and procedures related to mental health.
SUMMERVILLE  For Dorchester County residents looking to enroll in a technical college, their commute is about to get a little easier.

On May 18, Dorchester County hosted a ribbon- cutting ceremony for the county's Trident Technical College campus.

The full-service offering is the county's first-ever technical college.

Before this week, Dorchester was one of the largest counties in South Carolina without a technical college. Students would have to make the commute to the college's River's Avenue campus in North Charleston if they wanted to attend.

"This facility is going to be state of the art," County Council Chairman Bill Hearn said. "This is the kind of thing you want to see happen."

The more-than-$2.5 million space is located on Dorchester Road in Summerville's Oakbrook area where the old Big Lots store used to sit. The campus was funded by Dorchester County in addition to the town of Summerville, which provided $200,000, and Trident Technical College, which supplied $325,000.

The 28,000-square-foot campus consists of four classrooms, a computer lab, two HVAC labs, two large science labs, a testing center, student lounge and staff offices.

Officials with the college said the space was all designed to be flexible. All of the chairs and desks have wheels attached so that classroom layouts can be adjusted.

The rooms are also surrounded by whiteboard walls so that the layouts can be reworked depending on the class or lecture.

Cathy Almquist, vice president of education for Trident Tech, said the labs and classrooms are spacious enough to accommodate any need for social distancing at 6 feet apart.

"We wanted this space to be as flexible as possible," she said.

Laurie Boeding is the college's dean of business technology and also dean of the Dorchester campus. As a Summerville resident, she said she knows how valuable the added location is; her commute is now less than 3 miles.

In addition to travel relief she said she is also excited about feeding the workforce in the county. Those worker requirements are changing daily with new skills being necessary, she said.

"We don't have the labor to do a lot of the jobs that are open," she said.

Hank Taylor, chairman of the Dorchester County Economic Development Corp., said many of the new jobs coming to the county will require technical training.

One of the most recent examples is the Walmart distribution center that's expected to provide 1,000 jobs to the county by April 2022. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, education program at the campus is also expected to be valuable.

With COVID-19 vaccines needing proper cold storage, Mary Thornley, Trident Tech's president, said that HVAC workers are needed. The goal is to eventually outgrow the space with added students.

"We want to fill up this parking lot," she said.

The new campus will be full service, meaning residents can register for classes, apply for financial aid, receive counseling and get tested in the same location.

Registration for classes at the new campus opens June 1.
Wind farms are proliferating as the United States increasingly embraces renewable energy, and the nation's largest wind turbine testing facility  in North Charleston  is playing a supporting role.

The Clemson University facility tests the giant machines that turn wind into electricity at the Dominion Energy Innovation Center. The Duke Energy eGRID in the same facility tests the compatibility of wind and solar power systems with electrical grids.

A $45 million federal grant in 2009 that helped establish the facility was, at the time, the U.S. Department of Energys largest single grant for wind power.

The $98 million facility opened in a former military warehouse on the former Charleston Naval Base in 2013, with support from utilities, the state and private donors.

Initially, there was a lot of emphasis on wind, but the idea was that not only wind, but other renewable sources, would increasingly become a larger part of the grid," said Danny Kassis, Dominion Energy South Carolina's General Manager for Strategic Partnerships and Renewable Energy.

He said decarbonization  the shift away from fossil fuels  is clearly where power generation is moving.

When you couple that with reliability and affordability, I dont see how they are not a player, Kassis said of the Clemson facility.

The focus of the wind turbine work has so far been onshore machines, which are smaller than those used offshore.

"That's because most of the power in the U.S. is onshore," said Meredyth Crichton, executive director of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center. She previously worked for GE Renewables, in Greenville.

The facility at the Clemson Restoration Institute was built "particularly for offshore wind," the U.S. Department of Energy said when it opened in 2013. There aren't yet any utility-scale offshore wind farms in the U.S., but they are coming.

The nation's first such offshore wind farm, the Vineyard Wind Project near Cape Cod, Mass., was approved by the federal government May 11, The Associated Press reported. The $2 billion project is expected to produce enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

In late 2020, Dominion Energy filed construction plans for what would be the nation's largest offshore wind farm, off the coast of Virginia, where wind turbines could power 660,000 homes. Dominion secured access to the offshore site in 2013, the same year the Clemson facility opened.

Overseas, offshore wind is already an important power source that continues to grow.

This year, South Korea announced a $43 billion plan for the world's largest offshore wind farm, Reuters reported. It's expected to increase that nation's wind energy tenfold, producing as much power as six nuclear reactors.

While other nations embraced offshore wind farms years ago, in the U.S. there are just a handful of turbines spinning, in tests off Virginia and Rhode Island. That's going to rapidly change in this decade, with large projects planned off Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Virginia.

"We can conceivably serve the Eastern Seaboard from right here," said Steve Warner, Clemson's assistant vice president of corporate partnerships and strategic initiatives.

At the end of 2020, there were nearly 69,000 wind turbines providing electricity in the United States, mostly in the West and upper Midwest. Few are in the South, though Amazon has a 104-turbine wind farm near Elizabeth City, N.C.

Even the smaller, land-based wind turbines used by utility companies cost several million dollars each, and wind farms can have hundreds of them. Clemson's turbine testing facility helps assure that the costly machines will work as planned, under potentially extreme conditions, during their estimated 25-year lifespan.

Specifically, Clemson tests the equipment called the nacelle, the drive train and gearbox for the wind turbine. A nacelle on an offshore wind turbine can be about the size of a city bus, and the testing equipment that replicates the forces exerted by wind turbine blades is massive.

The blades of a GE Haliade-X wind turbine are each 117 yards long. Clemson's testing rigs  a 7.5- megawatt rig and a huge 15-megawatt rig  allow for simulations without blades. Testing a single wind turbine nacelle and internal components typically takes years, as adjustments are made and tested.

The 7.5-megawatt unit is currently one year into a multiyear test of a General Electric onshore wind turbine model that hasn't been put on the market. It's the fourth turbine, all GE models, tested on that machinery.

"The 2-megawatt unit we tested here is now the most widely used in the field," Crichton said.

Clemson's 15-megawatt rig  among the largest in the world  has been used for one five-year test, on a Vestas MHI turbine. When Clemson landed that $23 million contract in 2017, the 9.5-megawatt V164 turbine was called the world's most powerful.

The 430-ton turbine could produce enough electricity to power 8,000 homes for a year.

Just four years later, manufacturers are producing wind turbines that produce up to 15 megawatts.

A second multiyear test of an offshore wind turbine, a GE model, is scheduled at the Clemson facility.

"As offshore grows in the U.S. they'll be putting in manufacturing facilities and supply chains," said Crichton.

The promise of potential wind industry jobs was touted when Clemson's facility opened, and some officials later expressed frustration about lack of offshore wind growth.

"We may have been ahead of ourselves by a decade," state Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, an early champion of the project, told The Post and Courier in 2019.

Tanju Karanfil, Clemson's vice president of research, said the turbine testing work has supported jobs in Greenville and elsewhere.

We coordinate with GE in Greenville and also overseas," he said. "This helps make GE competitive in the world market.

"With President Bidens new focus on offshore wind and renewable energy we are positioned to contribute," Karanfil said. Yes, we have contracts right now, but this could help us going forward to be continuously busy."

The huge turbine testing rigs are a dramatic sight at the Clemson facility. Less glamorous but quite important is the eGRID testing, which is largely focused on the software that keeps the lights on.

"We can force things that would normally cause a blackout, and see if the equipment can ride through," said Jesse Leonard, principal engineer at Duke Energy eGrid. "If we're successful here, you'll never know what we did."
WADMALAW  A controversial property that includes four Instagram-ready treehouses on this rural sea island is up for sale, four years after the current owners bought it and worked to transform it into an Airbnb destination.

The Bolt Farm Treehouse property, a 35-acre parcel with four "treehouse" cabins raised on stilts, is owned by Seth Bolt, bassist in the band Needtobreathe, and his wife Tori. The couple originally said they planned to use the site as a retreat for the band and for family, but eventually sought the right to rent out the cabins for short-term stays.

That ignited fierce opposition on Wadmalaw, where many residents prefer seclusion and the zoning is some of the most restrictive in Charleston County. Amid an outpouring of public opposition, the Bolts withdrew their request for year-round rentals in October 2019.

Tori Bolt did not respond to an email requesting comment.

Property records indicate that the Bolts bought the land, then undeveloped, for $580,000 in 2017. Now, interested buyers can inquire on the property website, which lists the purchase price at $1.75 million.

Since the Bolts abandoned their request for year-round rentals in 2019, social media sleuths found evidence they were possibly renting the spaces longer than the 72 nights a year they were allowed under typical zoning. That led Charleston County to revoke all of their short-term rental rights, a move which was answered with a lawsuit from the Bolts.

The suit has since been dismissed with the consent of the county and the couple. A settlement document provided by Charleston County indicate the Bolts had refunded more than $180,000 in rental deposits over the course of 2019 and 2020, but still let those guests stay on the property for free. Regardless, the terms of the settlement require they pay a $10,000 fine to the county, either in installments or in full if the property is sold.

Interested buyers would have the ability to subdivide the plot into new parcels, use it as a retreat center or convert it back into farmland, according to the property's website. The parcel was originally listed for $2 million in November, but the price was dropped in March, according to its Zillow listing.

"Highly praised as being one of the best places in the South to visit for a restful retreat to get away from it all, this haven of rest and reconnection is THE PERFECT PLACE to keep your family safe during COVID-19 and political unrest," a press release on the Bolts' site says.

Now, the four Wadmalaw treehouses are available only for monthly rental, with prices ranging from $2,995 to $4,495, according to online listings. Meanwhile, the Bolt Farm Treehouse website and Instagram page are touting an entirely new location: Bolt Farm Tennessee, which includes two geodesic domes and two treehouses in the mountains near Chattanooga.
A May 14 commentary by Will Davis noted that U.S. News & World Report ranked Academic Magnet as the second best high school in the country, which is an exceptional honor and accomplishment.

Yet the commentarys headline was We really shouldnt be celebrating Academic Magnets latest success. I could not disagree more.

The writer cites the fact that there is inequality in our schools. That, of course, is what rankings do: draw distinctions between elite institution of learning and ones that do not meet that standard.

Most bothersome to me is the writers claim that because Academic Magnet students body is more than 90% white and Asian, it is racially segregated, implying that its admissions policy is intentionally racist.

Admission to Academic Magnet is exceedingly competitive, and only the best and brightest are admitted. Notwithstanding what beneficial effect a more diverse student body might possibly be.

Acceptance to elite schools should be based as much on merit as is reasonably possible for several reasons. Admitting unqualified applicants does them no favor.

I do agree with the writers last point, which states that its important ... that all students have a chance for success.

But I will continue to celebrate Academic Magnets latest success.

MAYNARD KLEIN

Camelia Park Lane

Summerville

Mental health crisis

The tragic death of Jamal Sutherland has yet again brought to light the disparities in the lack of proper procedures to ensure the safety of an individual during a mental health crisis.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness believes all persons are entitled to the same rights and privileges of receiving equitable care, regardless of illness or injury.

Many questions remain about the circumstances that led to Mr. Sutherlands death, and as a local affiliate of NAMI and NAMI South Carolina, we believe this tragedy highlights the need to meet crisis situations not with enforcement, but with a therapeutic approach.

We call upon our local, state and federal representatives to join our efforts to educate, reform and develop policies that allow for real changes to be made.

Specifically, we in South Carolina call on our state leadership to invest in preventive measures, additional crisis intervention training, commitment to the 988 suicide prevention line and infrastructure to achieve a better therapeutic response.

We grieve with those directly impacted by Mr. Sutherlands death, and are committed to preventing this from happening again through working with law enforcement, our community and our fellow citizens.

ROBERT AITCHESON

Executive director

NAMI Charleston Area

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Folly Road

James Island

SC should not be stingy

In the May 11 Post and Courier, an article noted that the state will receive $2.5 billion from federal virus relief.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo was quoted as saying the pandemic has damaged the finances of state and local governments around the country, forcing them to spend money on emergency services.

It is a top priority for the Treasury to make sure we do everything we can to help those who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 and promote a strong and equitable recovery, he said.

I am assuming our state is welcoming this money with open arms and yet, individuals are having their extra federal unemployment benefits stopped months early because our governor has decided people are lazy and need to get back to work. Lucky for us the federal government is not saying the same things about our state government, which wasnt stellar in leading us through the pandemic.

If our essential workers are so essential, why can they not be treated fairly and be helped by our state? Continuing the federal benefits and raising the minimum wage would be a good start.

Do the powers that be think about how hard it is to live on $1,200 a month?

If someone is collecting benefits for a few months because their working pay is lower, shame on us.

I believe it is time to elect people who actually care about their constituents and not have politicians who are obsessed about banning abortion, open carry and how to execute prisoners.

JANE RIES

Wedgepark Road

Charleston

Woe to left-lane drivers

There has been a surprising amount of discussion on the recent bill to ticket slow drivers in the left lane.

This bill makes me think of a Far Side cartoon, in which the devil is guiding a new resident to his living quarters.

As they are walking along a hallway, the rooms are categorized as follows: Thieves, Murderers and Slow Drivers in the Left Lane.

BOBBY MORROW

Cotton House Road

Charleston
While former Guam psychiatrist Abner Pasatiempo has yet to appear in court to answer official misconduct and harassment charges, his case at the Guam Board of Medical Examiners continues to proceed. It seems to have hit something of a snag.

Pasatiempo faces seven counts of official misconduct and seven counts of harassment as misdemeanors. The criminal charges stem from prior employment at the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, in which he allegedly touched one patient inappropriately and made suggestive comments and gestures to others.

At the medical examiners board, seven complaints had been filed against Pasatiempo, who is seeking reinstatement on Guam and to resolve the complaints in order to find employment in Alaska.

An on-island specialist had agreed to review the medical board case without compensation but under the condition of anonymity, according to board Chairman Dr. Nathaniel Berg last week. However, the board's legal counsel concluded the review could not be done for free because it would violate procurement laws.

Berg referred to the recent case of SH Enterprises Inc., which the Office of Public Accountability barred for one year from public procurements because the company allowed the government to use a Tamuning building for free as a war claims processing center while engaged or wanting to be engaged in government contracts. S.H. Enterprises stated it will appeal the decision.

"It's an interesting thing to keep an eye on because the attorney general's office does not agree with the Office of Public Accountability. ... But that is affecting this case in that we are reverting to our previously engaged specialist who is off island," Berg said last week.

Before the local professional came forward, an individual from Hawaii was previously identified to review Pasatiempo's case, but Berg said last month not much work had been done yet by the off-island specialist.

It was also stated during the medical examiners board meeting last week that funding is available for board investigations, but new requirements necessitate three vendor numbers per specialty.

The Health Professional Licensing Office, which administrates the medical examiners board and other boards, is calling various psychologists, cardiologists and other specialists to get their vendor numbers in order to ultimately proceed with case reviews.

Meanwhile, last week was also the second time Pasatiempo did not appear for his court hearing. He was supposed to appear via teleconference. Another summons was filed Monday and another court hearing is set for June 8.
Speaker Therese Terlaje is seeking an official opinion from Guam's attorney general over whether a closed-door meeting between senators and the governor to discuss an upcoming federal relief package broke local laws.

The Vigilance Committee, a nonprofit organization that detects violations of Guam's transparency statutes, wrote to Terlaje on Tuesday, telling the speaker that after a thorough review of materials she provided about the meeting, she was in violation of the Open Government Law, which prohibits even an "informal assemblage" of government officials from deciding or deliberating "public business" without complying with requirements to formally notify and include residents and the media.

"The people of Guam, in delegating their authority, do not give you and the senators of the 36th Guam Legislature the right to decide what is good for them to know and what is not good for them to know," wrote Lee Webber, president of the committee. "The people of Guam demand to be informed and assert their right over the government they have created."

Webber, a former president and publisher of media organizations on Guam and Hawaii, writes a weekly column for The Guam Daily Post.

The meeting has the potential to taint any resulting legislation, Webber argued. He is now asking Terlaje to send all public documents "which would show your plan to remediate the harm that this illegal meeting may have caused."

The Guam Daily Post obtained a copy of the speaker's response to the latest letter from the Vigilance Committee. As part of sharing the "staunch advocacy for compliance with the Open Government Law," Terlaje has made an official request for Attorney General Leevin Camacho to weigh in on the closed-door meeting "as to whether a violation occurred so that the Governor and Legislature can move forward accordingly."

The speaker invited Webber and the committee to participate in upcoming meetings the Legislature is planning on the priorities for spending more than $600 million from the American Rescue Plan.

"A formal notice will be sent to you following the May legislative session, in accordance with the Open Government Law. It is our goal to prevent a repeat of the CARES Act expenditures, where the input of the Legislature and the people of Guam were largely ignored, resulting in doubt from the people of Guam as to the necessity, prudence, legality, and lack of accounting of some of the expenditures," Terlaje wrote to Webber.
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Johannesburg, South Africa (PANA) - Failure to address domestic violence in South Africa is a violation of womens rights, independent UN experts said in a report published on Monday, citing low levels of prosecution and conviction as factors
Berks businesses trying to figure out what to do about changing guidance on masks
A wounded child is plucked from debris as search and rescue efforts continued in a building destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza's al-Rimal neighborhood on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies]

China has called on the United States to "undertake its due duty", honor justice and join with the global community in working to swiftly end the spiraling conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the call as he chaired an open debate of the United Nations Security Council on Sunday to discuss the situation in the Middle East, during which he urged Israel to fulfill related UN resolutions and stop evicting, hurting, threatening and provoking the Palestinian people.

Amid rising global concerns over the exchange of fire, the death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to nearly 200, and at least 1,225 others were injured as of Sunday.

After two emergency closed-door meetings of the UN Security Council on the issue, China, the rotating chair of the UN Security Council in May, hosted the open debate of the Security Council on the issue.

The latest round of violence "only perpetuates the cycles of death, destruction and despair, and pushes farther to the horizon any hopes of coexistence and peace", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at the meeting.

On behalf of China, Wang Yi, the meeting's chair, made a four-point proposal on tackling the tension, which prioritizes an immediate cease-fire by all parties, more access to humanitarian aid, unanimous global support for a political settlement and honoring the two-state solution.

Before the meeting on Sunday, China had worked with other nations in drafting a Security Council media statement on the tension, but it was thwarted by the US.

Wang said that due to the boycott of "only one country", the Security Council is yet to speak with one voice on the issue.

Most UN Security Council members called on Palestine and Israel to resume peace talks on the basis of the two-state solution and said that the Council should speak with one voice to advance the cause of peace, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

Dong Manyuan, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies and an expert on the Middle East, said as the global community pays more attention to the issue, Washington's "double standards and siding with Israel" will be further exposed and the US will come under increasing pressure.

Israel will also come under greater pressure to de-escalate the situation and prevent further civilian casualties, Dong added.

After the meeting on Sunday, China, Tunisia and Norway's permanent representatives to the UN jointly met the media in New York and urged all parties involved in the conflict to end the violence and exercise the maximum restraint.

It is unlikely that the two sides and the Middle East in general will achieve real peace without the political settlement of the Palestinian issue, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN.

In an effort to ease the dire humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people, Morocco has pledged to send 40 metric tons of urgent humanitarian aid consisting of basic medical supplies and food to the West Bank and Gaza.

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said on Saturday that Israel "has a duty to ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip".

On Sunday, Wang Yi called on Israel to fully honor international treaties, end its blockade of the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian assistance.

The UN should coordinate these aid efforts in order to avoid a serious humanitarian disaster, he said.

China will further encourage peace talks, Wang said when reiterating Beijing's invitation for peaceful figures from Palestine and Israel to talk in China and for direct negotiations by official representatives of both sides.

Pointing out that the Palestine-Israel issue has been high on the UN's agenda for more than 70 years, Wang said that some Palestinian people have seen their black hair turn gray during the long wait for the restoration of their legitimate rights.

Every major outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine is "a warning to the international rule of law" and "a test to multilateral cooperation", Wang said.
PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA

 2010

The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova"  an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe
In my posts on the IDF bombing of the Gaza office tower in which the Associated Press was holed up with Hamas military intelligence, I have been groping toward a condemnation of the AP as a Hamas collaborator. The AP has called for an independent investigation of the bombing. I have called for an independent investigation of the AP.

The APs collaboration with Palestinian terrorists is an old story. I introduce as evidence my own 2008 Weekly Standard column He didnt give at the office. APs service in the terrorist cause is laughably obvious.

From inside the AP, we have former AP correspondent and editor Matti Friedmans 2014 testimony in the Atlantic to the same effect. Friedman added to the record in related Tablet essays here and here. Friedmans testimony is devastating.

National Reviews David Harsanyi hasnt quite obviated the need for an independent investigation of APs collaboration with Hamas, but he makes a valuable contribution in his NR column Associated Press, Hamas propagandists. Among other things, Harsanyi quotes AP CEO Gary Pruitt asserting that they had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building and [t]his is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk. Harsanyi comments:

This is nonsense. Pruitt knowingly puts journalists at risk every day he sends them to places such as Gaza, where the ruling regime wages war behind civilians it uses as shields. But how did Pruitt actively check? Did he ask Hamas? Did he call the landlord? Did he ring everyones bell? And how could we trust that a media outlet that is unable to track down a single Hamas militant shooting Qassam rockets  from dense civilian areas right near its offices  would be able to figure out who was in their building, anyway?

Harsanyi omits to raise any question why AP journalists in Gaza are not actually at risk from Hamas. It is a terrorist organization with a genocidal objective. Hamas has no First Amendment in its charter. The question answers itself. The APs Gaza journalists report nothing that might displease Hamas. Thats why they arent at risk from Hamas.

In todays explainer on possible war crimes in Gaza, the AP describes Hamas as a grassroots movement. The explainer explains:

As a grassroots movement, Hamas is deeply embedded in Palestinian society, with a political operation and charities separate from its secretive armed wing. While Israel and Western countries view Hamas as a terrorist organization, it is also Gazas de facto government, employing tens of thousands of people as civil servants and police. So just being connected to Hamas doesnt mean someone is a combatant, and there are many in Gaza who oppose the group  and all are equally exposed with nowhere to run.

The explainer goes this far: The firing of hundreds of imprecise rockets into Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian groups is fairly clear-cut [as a possible war crime]. Love that fairly.

But its all so complicated: Whos right? Its hard to say, especially in the fog of battle. The words terrorist and terrorism do not appear in the AP explainer, which devotes as much space to the destruction of the office tower as it does to Hamass rockets. With explanation like this, who needs obfuscation?

The questions that Harsanyi poses are legitimate and important. They should be answered in any fair-minded investigation. In truth, however, we have sufficient evidence to concur in the judgment rendered in the headline on Harsanyis column.
In a move that will favor Black applicants for admission, the University of California has agreed to no longer consider SAT or ACT scores when making admissions and scholarship decisions. Most colleges and universities are confident they can discriminate against White and Asian applicants without ditching these tests. They believe they can, in effect, award free points (hundreds of them in the case of the SAT) to Black applicants to make up for the poor scores these students achieve as a group.

But in the California state system, that move, however well disguised, would be highly problematic, given the states ban on racial preferences  a ban California voters upheld by a goodly margin last November. Ditching the tests seems to solve the problem.

But does it? Its unlawful intentional discrimination for an entity to adopt a selection device for the purpose of favoring one racial group over another. (Think back to the literacy tests for voting used to exclude Blacks in the Jim Crow south of 100 years ago.) By the same token, isnt it unlawful intentional discrimination for an entity to discard a selection device for the purpose of favoring one racial group over another?

That appears to be what California is doing with regard to the SAT and ACT. It looks like the test is being discarded so that a racial group that performs poorly on it will no longer be disadvantaged.

Theres a twist, though. Californias decision arises from litigation. The tests are being abandoned pursuant to a settlement of a 2019 lawsuit filed on behalf of low-income students of color and students with disabilities.

The plaintiffs claim that colored low-income students are at a disadvantage because standardized test questions supposedly contain inherent biases that more privileged children are better equipped to answer. They also point out that wealthier students often take expensive prep course to boost scores, and they argue that students with disabilities cant easily travel to exams and class sites.

Californias regents had already agreed to stop requiring either exam. However, they stipulated that applicants for fall 2021 and 2022 could submit scores voluntarily, after which the system would stop accepting the scores.

That wasnt good enough, though, for an Alameda County Superior Court judge who, in his wisdom, issued an injunction barring even voluntary use of the tests.

The pressure of litigation, actual or anticipated, on an employer or a university is not a defense to charges of racial discrimination. In Ricci v. DiStefano, the New Haven fire department had developed and administered a test for promotion. When no Blacks passed the test, the chief decided not to use it because he feared a lawsuit alleging disparate impact discrimination.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the firefighters who had performed well on the test but been denied promotion. The departments fear of litigation wasnt a defense. It needed a sound evidentiary basis for believing the test in question could not be defended as a valid selection device under the applicable legal standard.

Could California have defended its (limited) use of the SAT/ACT under applicable law? Not to the satisfaction of the liberal Alameda County Superior Court judge, obviously.

However, a fair-minded judge might see things differently. There may be something to the claim that the tests in question favor the well-to-do (of any race) because they have access to better prep courses. There may even be something to the claim that applicants with disabilities have a harder time getting to prep courses and test sites.

But the notion that privilege makes it easier for non-Black students to answer questions seems far-fetched. Indeed, it seems like a poor, jargon-based, excuse for failure.

Thus, the case that the tests must be abandoned entirely, lest California discriminate against people of color is questionable. It seems to me, on first glance anyway, that a fair-minded judge might reject the settlement agreement, or demand modifications, or at least raise serious questions, because the agreement mistreats Whites and Asians (including low-income ones) who have scored, or will score, well and who are not party to the litigation.

The settlement agreement will probably sail through. But maybe it shouldnt.
The current round of violence that was initiated by Hamas firing thousands of rockets into Israel is depressing on a number of fronts, not least because we are once again hearing brain-dead shibboleths from the White House. After a four-year respite under President Trump, ignorance again reigns. Today Jen Psaki was pressed by White House reporters on why President Biden had not yet called for a cease fire. She bobbed and weaved, saying that we all know that the only way to end violence is for there to be a two-state solution.

Really? How do we all know that? The Arabs were offered a two-state solution in 1948, and they turned it down, preferring to try to destroy Israel and kill the Jews. They have made the same choice consistently over the last 73 years. And if Gaza were a state, why would Hamas be any less prone to launch missiles against Israel?

As it turned out, shortly after Psaki was grilled on a cease-fire the White House let it be known that Biden had spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu and had, in fact, called for a cease-fire:

According to the official White House readout, during the call President Biden reiterated his firm support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.

This acknowledgement puts Biden on his partys right wing on this issue, and has led to withering condemnation from the Democratic Partys mainstream.

He encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

This is the weird false equivalence that we see all the time where Israel is concerned. How about if the worlds leaders demand that Hamas make every effort to ensure the protection of [Israels] innocent civilians? But that wouldnt make sense, since the whole point of Hamass terrorist offensive is to kill innocent civilians. The Palestinians have sown the wind, and yet the worlds prime concern is that they not reap the whirlwind. Why?

Similarly, world leaders tell Israelis that their response to Hamass thousands of rockets must be proportionate, which means, apparently, that no more Palestinians than Israelis should die. Evidently Israelis are supposed to downgrade their own competence to match Hamass primitive, if brutal, rocketry.

This is a standard never before known to warfare. If you are attacked by an enemy, it is appropriate to respond with overwhelming force so as to devastate your enemy and disable him from further attacks, not at the least cost to your enemy, but at the least cost to your own citizens. See, e.g., the U.S. response to Japanese and German aggression in World War II. Hamas started this war, and Israel has every right to inflict maximum damage until it is satisfied that Hamas can never again pose a threat.

Of course, for reasons I will never understand, that is not how things play out in the Middle East. I suppose Israel will stop too soon, under pressure from world leaders and public opinion, and leave Hamas more or less intact to fight again another day. This is, I think, the real reason why the cycle of violence that is such a cliche in the region persists.
Andrew Stiles of The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Vice President Kamala Harris keeps a list of reporters and other political types who might be racist, according to a profile published in the Atlantic on Monday. [Note: The Atlantic article doesnt explicitly mention racism.] The vice president and her team tend to dismiss reporters. Trying to get her to take a few questions after events is treated as an act of impish aggression, writes Edward-Isaac Dovere. And Harris herself tracks political players and reporters whom she thinks dont fully understand her or appreciate her life experience.. . . . According to Doveres reporting, Harris judiciously monitors the words journalists use to describe her. She particularly doesnt like the word cautious, and aides look out for synonyms too, he writes. Careful, guarded, and hesitant dont go over well. Antonyms as well, apparently. During the 2020 campaign, journalists and other libs were sounding the alarm about the word ambitious. This was especially true following reports that some aides to then-candidate Joe Biden thought Harris was too ambitious to be his running mate; Biden did not want to be outshone. Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.) was reportedly considered because, unlike Harris, she had no interest in running for president in the future. [Note: The information in this paragraph is from a different article in The Atlantic about Harris]

(Emphasis added)

Seemingly coveting a spot on Harriss enemies list, Stiles continues:

[T]he Atlantic profile does not inspire confidence in Harriss ability to realize her presidential ambition. Bidens death might be the only thing that could propel her to the White House, given her underwhelming political abilities. She already tried running for president in 2020, and her campaign flamed out before the Iowa caucus.

Stiles is right. Theres little about Harriss life experience as a presidential candidate to respect. And maybe not much about her vice presidency to date, either:

Some aides have been surprised at how much work there is to be done when it comes to educating Harris on policy issues. Even journalists have grown tired of the VPs tendency to retreat behind talking points and platitudes in public. Dovere writes that, at times, Harris comes off as so uninteresting that television producers have started to wonder whether spending thousands of dollars to send people on trips with her is worthwhile, given how little usable material they get out of it.

Stiles then invokes the dreaded C-word (no, not that one):

In many ways, Harris is merely a non-white version of Hillary Clinton. Both women are possessed by ruthless ambition, yet lack the necessary skills to succeed in politics at the national level. They are most comfortable when regurgitating talking points and platitudes. Objectively speaking, they share a knack for unsettling laughter and launched their political careers by dating powerful men. Harriss obsession with keeping track of the politicians and reporters who dont fully understand her or appreciate her life experience might seem strange, but its nothing new. Hillary did the same thing but never got a chance to exact her revenge. Alas, neither will Harris, in all likelihood.

(Emphasis added)

Personally, I respect the life experience of most people, especially successful ones. However, I respect their experiences less if (1) they are whiners who obsess about being respected and (2) they owe their success in part to an affair with a married man.

Kamala Harris, Im afraid, answers to both descriptions.
In 1993, Republican George Allen won the Virginia gubernatorial race and replaced a term-limited Democratic governor. The next year, the GOP romped to victory in the midterm congressional elections.

In 2009, Republican Bob McConnell won the Virginia gubernatorial race and replaced a term-limited Democratic governor (Tim Kaine). The next year, the GOP shellacked the Democrats in the midterms.

Both the 1994 and 2010 elections rebuked a first-term Democratic president. The outcomes in Virginia in 1993 and 2009 foreshadowed these results.

Can the GOP candidate for governor of Virginia win this year? This seems like a longshot. The Commonwealth has changed considerably since 2009. It is now a Blue state.

Nonetheless, this Washington Post article suggests that Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee, has a decent shot at winning. The Posts Robert McCartney thinks the political climate in Virginia today is similar to 2009 in that (1) now, as then, there seems to be a backlash against the Democratic president and (2) now, as then, Republicans are exceptionally determined to win.

It also helps that Youngkin is, in McCartneys words, an effective retail campaigner who is comfortable on stage. Also, hes quite rich. The personal fortune of the former CEO of the Carlyle Group investment firm is estimated at $254 million.

McCartney quotes a Democratic operative as saying, it will be a very competitive race. But the polls show Youngkins likely opponent, former governor Terry McAuliffe, with a large lead.

McAuliffe is a likeable scoundrel, in my view (and, of course, a leftist), but Virginia voters see him as mostly likeable. He was popular when he left office (due to term limits).

The Democrats are lucky that McAuliffe is still ambitious enough to be running again. But the other side of the coin is that if he loses, there will be all the more reason for Democrats to panic.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media is doing its best to undermine Youngkin by repeatedly asking him if he believes Joe Biden was elected legitimately, and then picking at the candidates answers. The Post says that Youngkin has changed his tune  unwilling to affirm Bidens legitimacy before he was nominated, but willing to concede it now.

The Post wants Youngkin to alienate either die-hard Trump supporters by conceding Bidens legitimacy or some segment of mainstream voters by disputing it. I dont think mainstream voters care much about how Youngkin answers the question. The Post may be obsessed with Trumps attack on the 2020 election, but mainstream voters have moved on.

Die-hard Trump supporters apparently havent. Thats okay with me. But if they decline to back Youngkin for not fully buying Trumps claim that he won the 2020 race, they deserve four more years of Terry McAuliffe.

As noted earlier, though, Virginia Republicans are very hungry for victory this year. In the end, therefore, I dont think Youngkin stands to lose many votes for refusing to litigate the 2020 election. And Trump, for his part, seems to be fine with Youngkin.

McCartney concludes his article with this warning (or upbeat note, depending on ones perspective):
Yes, no matter what

Yes, but it depends on variety

No, for medical reasons, uncertainty

No, principle

Vote

View Results
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There was pandemonium in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, on Tuesday, as suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, blocked major roads to protest alleged indiscriminate arrests by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the protesters, who were said to be Yahoo boys, set up bonfires at Lameco Junction, along Osogbo/Ilobu road.

The Lameco Junction area is known to be inhabited by youth who allegedly engage in internet fraud.

They also obstructed vehicular movements around Osogbo/Iwo road axis in the state.

They alleged that the EFCC officials have been raiding their homes and arresting some of their colleagues.

Our correspondent obtained various pictures of the protesters with various inscriptions such as stop arresting us, and stop robbing us among others.

This is not the first time such a protest would take place in Osogbo.

A similar protest against the EFCC took place in February when youth, suspected to be internet fraudsters, blocked the Ilesa-Osogbo express road.

When contacted about the unrest in the state, the spokesperson for Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, sad operatives were making efforts to restore normalcy.

We have been managing it since the early hours of this morning. It is under control please, she said in a WhatsApp response.

The spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren is yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMES calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report.
Findings have shown how an aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State defrauded United States and how he was tracked over his involvement in $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Abidemi Rufai, Mr Abioduns Senior Special Assistant, was nabbed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York last Friday.

He was allegedly planning to leave the U.S. for Amsterdam in Netherlands when he was arrested.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday in a federal court at Tacoma.

According to Tessa Gorman, acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Mr Rufai used the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to steal more than $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

He is also suspected to be defrauding unemployment programs in Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Wire fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice, is punishable by up to thirty years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Rufai allegedly defrauded U.S.

According to The Seattle Times report, Mr Rufai bypassed security systems at the Employment Security Department using a simple feature of Googles free Gmail service.

Federal investigators initially identified Rufai through a single Gmail account he used to file 102 claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits from the ESD, as well as claims at programs in other states, according to the complaint.

In Rufais case, his original email address  Sandytangy58@gmail.com  was expanded to include dot variants such as san.dyta.ngy58@gmail.com and sa.ndyt.a.ngy58@gmail.com, according to the federal complaint.

Rufai used the dot variant addresses to create multiple accounts in the Washington state system that authenticates online users of government services, the complaint alleges. Rufai was then able to file for unemployment benefits with the ESD using stolen personal identities of real Washington residents, the complaint said.

Because emails sent by the agency to the dot variants all went to Rufais Gmail account, Rufai could easily monitor all ESD correspondence regarding each claim.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that a federal judge in January 2021 issued a warrant to Google, which operates Gmail, allowing investigators to search Mr Rufais Gmail account.

Investigators found more than 1,000 emails from the ESD, including emails the agency sent allowing new claimants to activate their accounts.

Investigators also found around 100 emails from other states unemployment systems and from Green Dot, an online payment system reportedly used for stolen unemployment benefits,

The email and banking tactics allegedly used by Rufai appear to link him with the Nigerian crime organization known as Scattered Canary, the Seattle Times reported.

The report said findings show that Mr Rufai was actively engaged in stealing and retaining the personal identifying information of American citizens.

Investigators found numerous emails with file attachments containing thousands of bank and credit card numbers, birth dates and other personal identifying information, images of drivers licenses, and a very large volume of tax returns of U.S. taxpayers.

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Rufais security lapses

According to the newspaper, Mr Rufais recovery number for his mail was a Nigerian-based cellphone number that was also listed on his 2019 U.S. visa application.

A Google Drive account associated with the Gmail account included images of an individual who matches the physical appearance of Rufai in his 2019 visa application photo.

It also contained purchase confirmation emails for products that listed Mr Rufais brothers address in Jamaica, New York, as the billing addresses.

The report stated that investigators determined that Mr Rufai arrived in the United States on February 19, 2020, and left on August 9, 2020, and was therefore apparently present in the United States during the period of the fraud.

Bank records show that between March 3 and Aug. 2, 2020, $288,825 was deposited from multiple sources, including Green Dot, into a Citibank checking account in Rufais name, according to the complaint and federal officials.

Additional funds were transferred by the ESD to the account of a second individual, identified in the complaint as C.S., who reportedly filed unemployment claims using Rufais Gmail account. That individual also filed claims for unemployment benefits in other states.
A town in Nigeria, home to over 500,000 people, has never had public electricity, with residents either living in darkness or providing their own electricity using generators.

Toungo Local Government Area, created 25 years ago, is located in the southern part of Adamawa State.

Carved out of Ganye Local Government Area in 1996, Toungo is one of the 21 local governments in Adamawa State. It is, however, the only one in the state yet to be connected to the national grid.

This is despite the budgetary provision of almost a billion naira since 2015 for the electrification project.

Electricity can improve the economic status of the town and as well improve the lives of the inhabitants in many ways, Bitrus Briska, a mechanic in Toungo, told this reporter.

Mr Briska said the lack of electricity in Toungo has contributed to its backwardness, explaining that if there is electricity, Toungo will compete with other major towns in the state.

Budgetary Provisions

While residents of Toungo have long waited to be connected to the national grid, it was not until 2017 that headway was made on the actual connection.

Connecting places within Nigeria to the national grid is the federal governments responsibility. However, the federal government, which had failed to perform this role for almost two decades, in 2017, gave administrative approval to the Adamawa State Government to execute the project. But there was no cash backing to the approval which delayed the commencement of the electrification project, a senior official of Adamawas rural infrastructure ministry said, asking not to be named as he has no permission to talk to journalists.

Findings by this reporter show that between 2015 and 2020, almost a billion naira was included in the Adamawa State budget for the electrification of Toungo. However, while about a quarter of the amount (N202 million) was budgeted between 2015 and 2018, it was not until 2019, two years after the federal approval, that a contract was awarded for the project and money released.

The Adamawa government budgeted N386 million for the project in 2019 and N390 million in 2020.

The Contract

A few months after Umaru Fintiri was sworn in as governor in 2019, the Adamawa government awarded a contract for the electrification of the town to Mac Jones Construction Nigeria Limited, Jimeta, at the cost of N355 million. Findings by this reporter show that the contractor has already been paid N272 million of the sum with a balance of N83 million yet to be paid.

However, the project has now been completed and will be inaugurated today, putting residents of Toungo in an expectant mood.

Toungo residents express hope

Some residents of Toungo said the absence of electricity in the town has discouraged investments there.

Lack of electricity has retarded the development of the town as there are no existing small scale enterprises in the area, a resident, Yunana Whyclif, told this reporter.

He expressed gratitude to Mr Fintiri for connecting the area to the national grid but called for the establishment of a higher institution or a campus of any higher institution to cater for the growing population.

For Mr Briska, the mechanic, The area has been deprived of electricity since 1999, but we are happy now that work is going on the electrification, electric generators are beyond the reach of a common man, but with the electricity, lives will be better for us.

Another resident, Jibrin Adamu, stated that there are few small scale businesses like cold soft drinks sellers or hair salons in the area due to the absence of electricity.

Businesses can thrive in the future after getting electricity more than twenty years after the local government came into existence, Mr Adamu said.

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State Governments Reaction

When contacted, the Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Umar Pella, said the government has resolved to complete all projects initiated by the present administration and those abandoned by the previous regime in the state.

If you remember, during our campaign, one of the promises we made to them was that once we are voted into power, they are rest assured that they would be connected to the national grid.

Part of the narrative we want to take away from Toungo and the rest of the places is that politicians can promise and fulfil. Because at a point in time, because of the nature of politics in this part of the world, people are losing confidence in all the promises politicians make.

We want a situation whereby at the end of this time, people can look back and hold us accountable for everything we have promised them and can be satisfied.

Toungo is one of the stories we want to leave permanently on ground in the history of the state. We have changed the fortune of that place, he said.

This story was produced as part of the Udeme project, a Social Accountability and Transparency Project of the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). The content is the sole responsibility of the author and the publisher.
Crews are installing a construction fence along the public green space used by pedestrians and bicyclists across the street from the Cavalier hotel. The fence outlines a cul-de-sac to be built in the section of Atlantic Avenue that now comes to a dead end, according to Bruce Thompson, who leads the development company, Cavalier Associates, LLC. Photo taken May 17, 2021. (Stephen Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
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The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has suspended his aide, Abidemi Rufai, who was arrested in the United States for an alleged $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud.

Kunle Somorin, Mr Abioduns chief press secretary, confirmed the suspension to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

Our position is that the law should take its course, Mr Somorin said in a Whatsapp interview.

Meanwhile, the governor has ordered his immediate suspension from office to answer charges against him.

Sources within the government told PREMIUM TIMES that the governor took the action immediately he was briefed about Mr Rufais arrest.

This newspaper earlier reported that Mr Rufai, Senior Special Assistant to Mr Abiodun, was arrested last Friday, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding a flight to Amsterdam.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.

The money wired is said to be unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

This newspaper understands that wire fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a statement that his team worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief since the first fraud reports to their office in April 2020.

Mr Rufai reportedly used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits, the statement added.

He is also accused of filing fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Benjamin Diggs of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Jane Lee of DOJs Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), Mr Gorman said in a statement on the United States Department of Justice website.
The federal government has finally received from the United Kingdom the 4.2million recovered from former Governor of Delta State, James Iboris associates and family members, Nigerias Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said on Tuesday.

This comes about two weeks after Mr Malami said the payment of the money to Nigeria was being delayed by documentation processes in foreign banks.

He however said in a statement on Tuesday that the naira equivalent value of the total 4,214,017.66 has been credited into the designated Federal Government account since May 10.

His spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, who issued the statement, did not disclose the actual naira equivalent paid into the Nigerian governments account.

The calculation by PREMIMUM TIMES, however, puts the figure at about N2.4 billion at official exchange rate, and about N2.9billion at parallel markets rate.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, signed Memorandum of Understanding for the repatriation of the Ibori loot on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The development, according to Malami, was a demonstration of the recognition of reputation Nigeria earns through records of management of recovered stolen Nigerian stolen in the execution of public oriented projects, Mr Gwandus statement read in part.

Agreement

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the representatives of both the U.K. and Nigerian governments signed the agreement for the return of the money, which translates to about N2.4 billion, to Nigeria in Abuja on March 9.

The signing of the agreement, which took place at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, was done under the auspices of the U.K.-Nigeria Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which came into force in 2016.

The British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, signed the agreement on behalf of the U.K. government while Mr Malami signed it on behalf of the Nigeria government.

Controversy

The arrival of the money in Nigeria is expected to reignite the ownership battle that first surfaced between the federal and Delta State governments when the agreement for the return of the money was announced in March.

While signing the agreement on behalf of the Nigerian government on March 9, the AGF said the fund would be ploughed into the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano Road and the Second Niger Bridge.

He said the projects would boost economic growth and help alleviate poverty.

But the Delta State Government, in response, said the money should be returned to it as the victim of the looting perpetrated by Mr Ibori and his cronies.

The oil-rich state said it should be left to decide how to spend the money.

It recalled that the funds and assets recovered from former Governor of Bayelsa State, the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was equally convicted of corruption charges in July 2007, were returned to the states coffers, so the Ibori loot should not be treated differently.

Conviction

Mr Ibori pleaded guilty to money laundering, conspiracy to defraud, and forgery in a U.K. court in February 2012.

He was sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison.

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Some of his associates and family also received sentences for similar offences and were similarly sent to prison.

Mr Ibori, a man who stole millions from the suffering people of oil-rich Delta State and laundered the proceeds in the U.K., had earlier been set free of the charges by a Nigerian federal court.

He was later arrested in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and extradited to the U.K where he was eventually jailed for the aspects of the crimes committed in the U.K.

The ex-convict, who was believed to retain his political influence in Delta State while serving his jail term in the U.K., returned to Nigeria in February 2017 after completing his imprisonment.
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Five people were killed Monday as armed terrorists opened fire on troops stationed at the Libale Construction Company in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria.

Those familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday that the terrorists descended on the troops location in large number at about 11:47 a.m and immediately began to shoot sporadically.

The troops, this newspaper understands, fought back gallantly but when the dust of the intense gunfight settled, three soldiers were found to have fallen while two of the terrorists were also found dead.

Two of the dead soldiers were attached to the 311 Artillery Regiment while the third was a personnel of the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery Administrative Regiment.

PREMIUM TIMES is withholding the names of the fallen soldiers to allow army authorities time to formally contact their families on the incident.

In addition, three Chinese expatriates could not be accounted for. Authorities suspect they were abducted by the terrorists. The identities of the expatriates are unknown at this time.

The attackers also made away with three AK 47 rifles belonging to the fallen soldiers.

READ ALSO: Kidnapped Chinese expatriates regain freedom

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Yerima Muhammed, a brigadier general, said he has yet to be briefed on the incident.

Attacks on law enforcement locations by terrorists have intensified across Nigeria in recent weeks.

On Monday, two police officers were killed when some gunmen attacked the Ubakala Divisional Police Station in Abia State, South-East Nigeria.

At least 19 police officers were killed in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of the country in the past two weeks as terrorists launched ferocious attacks on police stations.
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has ordered the prosecution of three nurses who allegedly disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-month-old baby in an incubator on Monday.

The governor also directed the sack of nurses, university lecturers and other workers who did not report for work or joined the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) strike on Tuesday.

This was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement by the governors media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye.

Read full statement

KDSG will not tolerate criminal acts disguised as industrial action

Today, the Kaduna State Government reviewed the sundry criminal actions that have defined the campaign of economic and social sabotage and lawlessness waged by the NLC.

KDSG considers as unacceptable the serial violations of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Trade Union Act that have occurred over the last two days. The state government commends citizens for remaining calm amidst this assault on their rights and comfort and their businesses.

However, KDSG cannot be expected to tolerate the brazen shutdown of electricity, attack on public infrastructure and buildings, locking up hospitals and forcefully discharging patients, unlawful trespass into public facilities and the wanton use of coercion and restraints of personal freedom by the NLC.

Efforts to dress up criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of the lawbreaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services. Also, KDSG cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private businesses whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.

KDSG acknowledges doctors and some other categories of health workers that are trying to run public health facilities, but regrets that some nurses have joined the unlawful strike and engaged in the sabotage of some of our health facilities. Nurses were implicated in the forceful discharge of patients in many health facilities.

Reports from Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital disclosed that some identified nurses disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-month-old baby in an incubator on Monday, 17th May 2021. The names of the three nurses from the Special Baby Care Unit (SBCU) who were involved in this despicable act have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for attempted murder or murder in the event we lose the baby.

In addition, KDSG has decided the following:

1. Ayuba Wabba and his senior confederates in the NLC are declared wanted, and will be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts. They are advised to report to the Ministry of Justice and the Police Headquarters to take their statements;

2. The Ministry of Health will dismiss all nurses below GL 14 for going on an unlawful strike. Salaries that could have gone to them are to be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty. The Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed;

3. Any academic staff of KASU that does not report for work will be dismissed. The authorities of KASU are to submit a copy of the attendance register for all categories of staff daily to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education;

4. All MDAs are also to submit daily copies of the attendance register to the Head of Service;

KDSG views the actions of the NLC as equivalent to the actions of the bandits kidnapping and menacing our citizens. Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC is deploying mob action for exactly the same ends: trying to hold hostage the freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State. It is a vain expectation that this government will respond differently to sets of unlawful actions that have the same ends.

KDSG will not submit its treasury to the entitled minority. We will reform and rightsize our public service to meet the needs and resources of the Kaduna State even if the NLC strikes ad infinitum. The government remains committed to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the majority of its citizens, providing social services beyond paying salaries, always putting the interests of the many ahead of the few.

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Signed

Muyiwa Adekeye

Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication)

18th May 2021
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The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has alerted its members to be ready for shutdown if attacks on peaceful protesters continue in Kaduna State.

NUPENG is one of the 46 industrial unions affiliated with the Nigeria Labour Congress.

The National President of the NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, in a statement to journalists in Kaduna said its members are deeply saddened with the violent turn of NLC peaceful protests by the dictatorial and despotic regime of Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna State.

PREMIUM TIMES broke the news on how armed thugs disrupted a procession by members of the NLC who were on a peaceful protest in Kaduna State on Tuesday.

The NLC is protesting the planned layoff of hundreds of workers by the state government, which it (state) had termed rightsizing and has vowed not to back off from.

The protesters were marching around the NEPA roundabout in the Kaduna metropolis when the thugs pelted them with objects.

The workers had gathered at the location in preparation for the continuation of their protest, when the thugs invaded the area and violently dispersed them.

An infuriated state governor, Mr El-Rufai, later declared the NLC leader, Ayuba Wabba wanted and equally placed a bounty on him.

NUPENGs threat

The Leadership of the Union is therefore calling on the Federal Government to immediately call on Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to order before his arrogance and power drunk ego further push the situation into horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing, the statement said.

Consequently, the Union reiterates that no Labour Leaders or workers as the case may be, be harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or victimized during this 5-day peaceful protests in the State.

Our Union is raising this alarm following the very reliable report of the clandestine move of Governor Nasir El-RUfai to hurt and put the lives of NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and other Labour Leaders to danger in his usual blind egotistical style of running government in the State

NUPENG therefore warns that if any harm is inflicted on any of the members of organized Labour, the Leadership of the Union will not hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a total shut down of all our services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.

In the light of the above, we are therefore putting all NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises.

Our solidarity remains constant for the Union makes us strong, the statement noted.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has come under criticism on social media, particularly Twitter, over his alleged involvement in a $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud in the United States.

The aide, Abidemi Rufai, was arrested last Friday by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding a flight to Amsterdam.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.

The money wired is said to be unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

According to the United States Department of Justice, wire fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

In reaction to the report, Mr Abiodun ordered the immediate suspension of Mr Rufai.

The governors chief press secretary, Kunle Somorin, confirmed the suspension to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

Nigerians on Twitter have lamented over the fraud allegations and also criticised him for his involvement.

See Twitter reactions below:

Leadership selection in Nigeria is horrible. Scammers, Drug Lords, Human Traffickers, have hijacked the Government at all levels. They go into politics to clean their Dutty Money Hushpuppi & Abidemi Rufai could become Governors of their respective States, if they werent caught.  NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021

Senior Ogun State government official charged with defrauding Washington State Employment Security Department of over $350,000. Abidemi Rufai, aka Sandy Tang, 42, is a Senior Adviser to the Ogun State Governor @dabiodunMFR pic.twitter.com/3314ewNDga  Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi) May 18, 2021

Abidemi Rufai stole more than $350,000 from just one state in the US and he has been further indicted in 9 other states. in a Nationwide Unemployment Identify theft thought to be around $630,000,000. Awon ebi Jaja.  Mr. Kermit (@O_ssai) May 18, 2021

FBI 1yr full internship on Nigeria Instagram. If Abidemi Rufai wasnt caught, he wud have been peppering the poor. Dropping hot teks on IG about Rags to Riches; aspiring & perspiring with giveaways. Hell go to church & donate generously. An unknown NGO wud give him an award.  NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021

Most Lekki luxury car dealerships & luxury boutiques, are fronts for cleaning: money laundering, Yahoo Yahoo + Wire fraud, & drug monies. Dont be surprised, Abidemi Rufai could be the owner of one of those luxury shops.  NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021

The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has suspended his aide, Abidemi Rufai, who was arrested in the United States for an alleged $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud.  Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) May 18, 2021

Abidemi Rufai is another exemplar of the Lekki Big Boy (Get Rich Or Die Trying). In a country with the poorest people of the world, some have chosen the Road to Perdition. Not all you see on Social Media is legit. So dont get carried away by the glitz & glamour. GREED KILLS!!  NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021

Abidemi Rufai entered US in Feb 2020, and scammed over 100 Americans using their SSN to claim UB. He used a feature of Google I already explained on this street and used +234 as recovery phone number. Guess what, the number was the number on his DS-160/CGIFEDERAL portal.  Agboola Peter (@baba_Omoloro) May 18, 2021

https://twitter.com/Oluomoofderby/status/1394583505628246016?s=19

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This tweet is for those engaging in credit card fraud. You can continue stealing from the U.S but one day , you will get caught. They will carry out their investigations and nail you when you least expect it. Abidemi Rufai is just one of the many guys that will go down. pic.twitter.com/tn93y74JyO  Girllikehelen (@girllikehelen) May 18, 2021

A sizable number of young and rich individuals living in Lekki are internet fraudsters irrespective of their profession. A place plagued by an insatiable lust for wealth and show-off. Abidemi Rufai pic.twitter.com/qOviLk5pZU  Sixteenth Sense (@Sixteenth_Sense) May 18, 2021

https://twitter.com/holudaray/status/1394623666428723200?s=19

https://twitter.com/ErhireMagnus/status/1394624342970048514?s=19
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The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Customs to investigate the killing of five bystanders in Iseyin, Oyo State, by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The resolution was a sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Shina Peller (APC, Oyo), on Tuesday.

PREMIUMTIMES had reported a shootout between customs officers and rice smugglers which resulted in the death of four last Thursday.

But Mr Peller, in his motion, said five bystanders were killed due to sporadic shooting by the men of the NCS.

The lawmaker, who represents Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola federal constituency of Oyo State, expressed dismay at the conduct of the men of the NCS.

He said, If these men had been properly cautioned and trained in the process of recruiting them, bearing in mind that they carry arms, these tragedies would have been avoided.

Killings by custom officers in the guise of pursuing smugglers is a recurring saga in the country and something must be done urgently to put an end to it.

He added that relevant questions that must be asked: are bags of rice worth more than human lives? Even if they were smugglers, must the custom officers open fire on them? Must they pursue smugglers? These and many more questions need to be asked to forestall a future occurrence.

Mr Peller also prayed for the committee to summon the Controller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, to commence the process of compensating the families of the victims.

However, Hassan Fulata (APC, Jigawa), moved an amendment that the committee should be allowed to conclude the investigation before talking about compensation.

The amendment was taken, and the committee was given two weeks to investigate the matter.

When the motion was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who presided over the plenary session, it was passed.
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for Nigeria and France to deepen their anti-terror cooperation.

This, he said, became necessary to check and overcome the activities of terrorists and insurgents in the Sahel region and beyond.

The Sahel region includes west to east parts of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger and the extreme north of Nigeria.

Other areas covered are the extreme north of Cameroon and Central African Republic, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, the extreme north of South Sudan, Eritrea and the extreme north of Ethiopia.

The Nigerian leader made the call in a special feature on post COVID-19 opportunities in Nigeria-France relations published by a leading Paris-based magazine, Le Point, on Tuesday.

He said the call had become imperative in view of the fact that terrorists and jihadists had taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to unleash attacks on innocent people and organisations across the Sahel region.

He noted that terrorism had become tragically common across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger as well as around the Lake Chad Basin.

According to him, the Lake Chad Basin is where Boko Haram terrorism has taken advantage of the pandemic and pushed back into Nigeria, launching raids and attacks in Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.

Now Nigeria and France should deepen our anti-terror cooperation if we are to overcome this scourge  particularly in the aftermath of the murder of the late President of Chad.

Where for historical ties, support came to Nigeria from the UK, and to the G5 from France, terrorists do not recognise these border-aligned distinctions. We must be agile and flexible, cooperating across our borders to cut the head off their groups.

Indeed, we have already done much to strengthen our bond. Intelligence sharing is well developed along with training on improvised explosives.

But there is more we can do in cross-border military exercises and coordinating strategy.

We know France has borne much of the strain for combating terrorism in the region.

We, the leaders of Sahel countries, must also do more to present a unified front to lobby other Western nations, particularly Great Britain and the United States and the European Union for further military and humanitarian assistance, he said.

Mr Buhari also noted that the fallout of the Libyan crisis had flushed the whole region with weapons, making disputes and competitions far more destructive.

It is upon these conditions, the lies and propaganda of terrorists who falsely claim to be Islamists promising salvation can find an audience, he said.

He observed that military gains might not provide the whole solution to the security challenges, saying governments must also provide environments conducive to economic prosperity of their citizens.

We know that military gains do not provide the whole solution. Without security, economic opportunity remains fragile. Without economic opportunity, the propensity for conflict grows.

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The solution must therefore be two pronged. If we do not improve those conditions, it leaves our people vulnerable to indoctrination, as one is vulnerable to COVID-19 without a vaccine, the president said.

(NAN)
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Less than an hour after declaring the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, wanted, Governor Nasir El-Rufais convoy on Tuesday drove past a procession of union members led by Mr Wabba.

Mr El-Rufai had on Tuesday declared Mr Wabba a fugitive and promised a handsome reward for anyone that provides information on where Mr Wabba is hiding.

KADUNA UPDATE: Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna.

KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!, Mr El-Rufai wrote on Twitter.

Responding to the arrest threat, Mr Wabba had dared the governor, saying the threat was directed at the workers and not him alone.

We are here and waiting for them, we will continue to press our demand until the government rescinds its decision, the NLC president said.

Mr Wabba has been in Kaduna since Monday leading the five-day strike and street protests against the state governments plan to sack many workers.

The convoy of the governor drove past Mr Wabba and other union members on his way to the office of Kaduna Electric, about 200 metres away.

The NLC members were at the NEPA roundabout when the governors convoy passed through. The procession was later attacked by armed thugs.

Ten minutes later, Mr El-Rufais convoy left the premises of Kaduna Electric but moved in the opposite direction, apparently avoiding the protesters who were still at the NEPA roundabout.

The electricity workers union are among those from the private sector who joined the strike. The visit of the governor may be connected to the ongoing blackout in the state imposed by the union members.
Farrell was an eight-game winner, walking away with more than $150,000 and qualifying for the tournament of champions. She met the shows late host, Alex Trebek, calling him a calm, constant presence who was always kind to the contestants. She credits her strong memory and interest in learning new things as helping her out on the run.
Olalekan Falaye, 23, used to actively move around before soldiers shot at protesters at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos State, on October 20, 2020.

Now, he cannot walk without a wheelchair. His right leg was amputated as a result of a gunshot injury he sustained that day.

Mr Falaye, who was protesting at the Lekki tollgate during the peaceful #EndSARS protest last year, said he was shot by soldiers.

Medical records and photos taken before and during his time at the hospital confirm the gunshot. We interviewed him, fact checked his medical records and verified his story, as part of #MySARSStory  our series of stories documenting brutality and seeking police reform.

Soldiers fired live ammunition

Mr Falayes revelation is yet another piece of evidence backing the allegation that soldiers shot live ammunition at protesters during the Lekki attack, a claim the Nigerian army continues to deny.

On Tuesday, I decided to join the protests after I closed from work, Mr Falaye explained. It was about 7 p.m. when we were told the soldiers had arrived, that we should not run but sit down on the floor. The soldiers just started shooting up in the air.

Mr Falayes account checked repeated verifications and even part of the militarys narrative.

The Commander of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo, revealed while being cross-examined at the Lagos State Judicial panel that the soldiers deployed to Lekki went with live rounds, contrary to the initial stand that the soldiers only fired blanks.

Human rights violations

The Nigerian army continued to insist that its soldiers only shot in the air, but that only accounted for a few minutes after the soldiers arrived at the scene.

What followed hours later were heinous human rights violations and extrajudicial killings, according to Falayes account and investigations carried out by CNN and PREMIUM TIMES.

It got to a point, the soldiers faced us (protesters) and started shooting at us. It was at that point that a bullet met me in my leg. It was a good Samaritan who helped me and carried me to Randville, saving my life, Mr Falaye claimed.

His medical report from Randville Trauma Centre, where he received initial treatment, confirmed that he was indeed shot at Lekki Tollgate.

He sustained this injury as a result of his involvement in the #EndSARS protest that occurred at Lekki Tollgate, his medical report read. The flesh on his leg was torn open by the bullet.

Amputation, financial burden

The hospital recommended amputation, claiming, no pulse was felt on his leg. He was subsequently referred to the National Orthopedic Hospital in Igbobi, Lagos, where the procedure was carried out five days later.

Since Mr Falayes mother, Temitope, got the news about her son, she said shes faced a great financial challenge to get him the necessary medical care. Her savings and capital for her food business took a hit. She sold noodles by the roadside and offered cleaning services.

When I got to Igbobi, they said I should go and bring money for a bed. I opened a (patients) card, after which I was given a drug prescription. I spent fifty-something thousand (naira) the first day alone, and that only accounts for what I could calculate, the dejected mother said, adding she was only able to afford some of the medical expenses because of help from her church members and friends.

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The mother is grateful that Mr Falaye learnt a trade, but she is worried he might not be able to raise capital to start up a shop after coming out of apprenticeship.

I need them (the government) to help us because even what to eat has now become so hard, she said.

Background

Days into the nationwide #EndSARS protests, hoodlums alleged to be sponsored by the government, attacked protesters in different states. At least two people were killed in Abuja following the attack.

Following this development, some state governors announced curfews. On the same day the curfew was announced in Lagos, October 20, 2020, the Nigerian army clamped down on protesters in Lekki.

Amnesty International alleges at least 12 people were killed during the attack. A popular Nigerian Disc Jockey, DJ Switch, said she counted 15 people who were killed, and their corpses taken away in military vans.

The Nigerian army initially denied its men were present at the tollgate, but after the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said during an interview with CNN that soldiers were indeed deployed to the scene, the army changed its story.

Evidence has since emerged to show that people were killed or maimed during what has now been dubbed as the #LekkiMassacre.

Mr Falaye was one of those maimed during the attack.

This story is part of a multimedia project by Tiger Eye Foundation and media partners across Nigeria, documenting police brutality in Nigeria, and advocating for police reform.
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the PDP Governors Forum over the latters agitation for devolution of more powers to states to enhance security across the country.

In a communique released after its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, the governors condemned the growing attacks on Nigerias security formations and considered the need for an immediate meeting of the Nigerian Police Council to brainstorm on ways to counter threats to national security.

Their demand is sequel to the resolution of the governors of the 17 southern states last week.

The southern governors, seven of whom are APC members, faulted President Muhammadu Buharis approach to the worrisome state of security in Nigeria.

At least two police stations were attacked in the South-east states of the country by gunmen, a development that further cast doubt on the governments ability to protect the citizens.

However, the PDP governors, in one of the six-point resolutions reached at the Ibadan meeting, alluded that states would be more secure if power was devoted to them with respect to security arrangements culminating in some form of state policing and the general security architecture.

Political jamboree?

In reaction, the APC interim national secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, likened the meeting to a political jamboree with insignificant help to security challenges facing the country.

He said the resolution was laced with misplaced name calling and abuses rather than actual review of Nigerias current situation.

Going by the communique issued by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, at the end of its meeting on Monday, it is unfortunate that the PDP governors chose to engage in misplaced name calling and abuses instead of seizing a golden opportunity provided by the meeting to offer meaningful and patriotic contributions on the review of the state of the nation.

It is disappointing that the supposed PDP governors consultative meeting turned out to be a political jamboree and its outcomes a waste of time, with no substance, Mr Akpanudoedehe said.

He accused the PDP governors of double standard as he recalled governors outright rejection of executive order soliciting financial autonomy for state legislatures and judiciary in 2020.

Nigerians will recall that President Buhari on 20th May 2020 signed an executive order on implementation of financial autonomy of state legislature and state judiciary which the same PDP governors have rejected, Mr Akpanudoedehe said.

He reiterated the readiness of the APC federal administration to partner with patriotic and well-meaning individual to overcome the countrys challenges.
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At least 723 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria in April 2021, a report by a non-governmental organisation, Nigeria Mourns, has shown.

The report titled Violent Incidents Report: April 2021 was published on Monday.

The figures, according to the group, were gathered through the use of newspaper reports and family sources.

Of the 723 people killed, 590 were civilians and 133, security personnel.

The report also showed that 407 people were abducted in the same month.

Perpetrators

The report stated that 425 people were killed by suspected bandits; 117 people killed by persons suspected to be members of Boko Haram or its breakaway faction, ISWAP; 22 killed in isolated attacks and 52 by cult clashes.

Also, it said six people died through extra-judicial killings, communal crises led to the death of 53 people, and 47 people were killed by herdsmen.

The organisation earlier reported that 1,603 people were killed between January and March 2021. Also 1,774 people were abducted within the period, it added.

This newspaper has on several occasions reported different attacks on different states with a spike in crime.

In the South-west, the government created a regional paramilitary outfit, Amotekun, last year.

The governors of the South-east states also resolved to maintain a similar outfit, Ebube Agu, in April.

Many governors have called on President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired General, to address the menace.

The governors under the banner of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently demanded devolution of powers to states, a move their party didnt take during its 16-year hold of power.

The governors, who met in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, also supported the ban on open grazing and the call for restructuring.
Governors of Nigerias 36 states are to meet on May 19 to address matters including COVID-19 and the financial autonomy of state judiciaries and the legislatures.

Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have shut down courts across the country for seven weeks in an industrial action embarked upon on April 6 to press home their demand for the judiciarys financial autonomy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) led by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Monday that the governors would hold their 30th teleconference meeting to discuss matters arising by 2p.m. on May 19.

The statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the meeting would discuss issues such as ongoing conversation over the contentious Executive Order 10 and the third wave of COVID-19.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in May 2020 issued the Executive Order 10 for the enforcement of section 121(3) of the Constitution which places both state judiciaries and legislatures on first line charge.

Mr Bello-Barkindo stated that the NGFs Director-General, Asishana Okauru, would give feedback on the series of Executive Order 10 meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

This, according to him, is about the ongoing industrial action by JUSUN and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PSAN).

COVID-19, other matters

He further said a committee headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State would brief the forum on health matters arising from the coming of the third wave of COVID-19.

The Federal Government, through the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, recently re-introduced some measures to curb the spread of the virus amid reports of emergence of new strains in Nigeria and possible relapse to a third wave of the outbreak.

Mr Bello-Barkindo said the NGFs planned meeting would be the seventh this year and would also discuss an update of the States, Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, (SFTAS) report, among other things.

The meeting will cover lessons for states and actions for governors on sustainability as well as the adoption of SaaS E-procurement, he stated.

The statement also read, Furthermore, there will be a presentation from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono about the 2nd Phase of Farmers Enumeration.

There will also be another presentation by the Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mr Alexander Okoh on unlocking liquidity through sale/optimisation of state-owned redundant/sub-optimal assets.

Judiciary crisis

PREMIUM TIMES reported that JUSUN, whose members have been on strike for 43 days as of Tuesday, had rejected the 36 state governors proposed template for the implementation of the judiciarys financial autonomy being demanded by the workers.

The governors, in the said proposal, seek the creation of a State Account Allocation Committee (SAAC) to oversee the distribution of funds to the three arms of government at the state level.

But in a communique issued after a May 8 meeting of JUSUNs National Working Committee (NWC), the union insisted on its demand that funds meant for the state judiciaries must be deducted directly from the federation account and paid to the heads of courts through the National Judicial Council (NJC).

It maintained that the provisions of the constitution cannot be negotiated, doctored, manipulated and therefore must be obeyed.

As a condition to end its ongoing strike, the union insisted that all the state judiciaries funds for October 2020 till May 2021 must be deducted directly from source, the federation account, and paid to the heads of courts through the NJC as prescribed by the constitution.

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Armed thugs have disrupted a procession by members of the Nigerian Labour Congress who were on a peaceful protest in Kaduna State on Tuesday.

The protesters were marching around the NEPA roundabout in the Kaduna metropolis when the thugs pelted them with objects.

The workers had gathered at the location in preparation for the continuation of their protest, when the thugs invaded the area and violently dispersed them.

As the police used teargas to disperse the rampaging thugs, many of the protesters scampered to safety.

Efforts are being made by our reporter to get the NLC leaders to comment on the development.

The NLC had called a five-day warning strike in Kaduna State from Monday, which disrupted activities in the capital and other parts of the state.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Tuesday declared the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, and other leaders of the NLC wanted for alleged sabotage.

However, fellow governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress like Mr El-Rufai on Tuesday appealed to the Kaduna governor to engage the unions in dialogue with a view to ending the strike and stopping the hardship it has brought on residents of the state.

Details later
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The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has urged Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to return to the negotiation table with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to prevent the ongoing strike from crippling the states economy.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, who is the chairman of the forum, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

The PGF has been following unfolding development between NLC and Kaduna State government over the issue of rightsizing local government employees with deep concerns.

Noting all the challenges facing all our states, especially given dwindling revenue, we appeal to all patriotic Nigerians, including the NLC, to demonstrate more commitment toward engaging governments at all levels to address problems.

This is not the time for muscle-flexing, Mr Bagudu said, saying that Nigerians were already overstretched with many challenges.

At this critical point of our democratic journey, there could not be limits to engagement between all governments and citizens.

He said that every step must be taken to resolve the face-off between the state government and NLC.

We appeal to NLC leadership to recognise that the burden of leadership is more about responding to challenges based on the honest disposition of correcting past mistakes.

As progressive governors, we share the vision of Kaduna State government of reforming all our local government councils to make them more efficient and consequently the pivot of critical development initiatives.

At the same time, we want to appeal to the state government under the leadership of our colleague, Malam Nasir El-Rufai to take all necessary steps to ensure the resolution of all disagreements in the larger interest of citizens in Kaduna state, he said.

Mr Bagudu expressed confidence that both the state government and NLC would resolve all outstanding issues and restore industrial harmony in the state.

The NLC on Monday began a five-day warning strike in Kaduna with Mr El-Rufai reacting by declaring the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, and other leaders of the union wanted for economic sabotage.

(NAN)
As the strike against the planned disengagement of workers by the Kaduna State government continued on Tuesday, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has responded to one of his critics on social media, Chidi Odinkalu, describing him as a cursed man.

Commenting on Tuesday, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and lawyer, Mr Odinkalu, blamed the strike on the governors alleged ineptitude.

In Kaduna State today:

Public schools are closed

Filling stations (for petrol) are shut

Public hospitals closed

Govt offices shut

There is no electricity, no water

Kaduna State University has sent its students home

@elrufai is the man with the #rightsize, Mr Odinkalu posted on Twitter, accompanied by pictures of protesters.

But in his response, Mr El-Rufai accused Mr Odinkalu of spreading false information, saying he is accursed.

KADUNA UPDATE: @ChidiOdinkalu  chartered & certified fake news merchant, false professor & wanted for incitement, injurious falsehood, etc by Kaduna High Court is lying again: (1) all schools (2) most filling stations & (3) public hospitals operating by noon. You are cursed! the governor wrote.

History

Both men had been at loggerheads over Mr Odinkalus criticism of the governor.

In March 2019, the Kaduna State government filed the case of injurious falsehood and incitement against Mr Odinkalu following an interview with Channels Television on February 16, 2019.

In the interview, Mr Odinkalu called out Mr El-Rufai over his comment on the alleged killing of 66 people in Kajuru, Kaduna State.

He disputed Mr El-Rufais accounts and criticised him for publicly stating what he said was capable of inciting violent reactions close to the general elections.

I spent all of last night trying to verify from all the sources in Kajuru and nobody can verify or substantiate that there has been a killing of 66 people (as claimed by the governor) in Kajuru over the past few days.

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You cannot on the eve of a very difficult election, as a state governor, standing beside your publicist, talking about the killing of 66 people from a particular ethnic group (Fulanis) with a celebratory air.

This is beyond irresponsible, and I believe people from all political divides must call out the Kaduna State governor, Mr Odinkalu had said.

This attracted a direct criminal complaint filed against the ex-NHRC boss by the state government which accused him of falsehood and incitement.

Last year, the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice said the cases were still pending before the Chief Magistrate Court, High Court and Federal High Court, Kaduna.

The facts are that on the 16th February 2019 while on Channels TV, he made serious allegations against the Governor of Kaduna State which were capable of inciting disturbance and the breakdown of law and order in the State.

Consequently, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice filed an application before the Chief Magistrate Court No.1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna State with case No. KMD/27DC/2019 for the issuance of criminal summons against Chidi Odinkalu for committing the offences of inciting disturbance, injurious falsehood, public nuisance and furnishing false information punishable under sections 77, 373, 104 and 150 respectively of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017.

The DPP applied for an order of the court for the police to investigate the allegations against Mr Odinkalu and report the outcome of the investigations to the court, an application that was granted by the court which ordered the police to investigate the case.

In compliance with the order of the Chief Magistrate Court, the police commenced investigation into the case and invited him for questioning. He refused to honour the invitation and instead filed a notice of preliminary objection before the Chief Magistrate Court No.1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna State, challenging the jurisdiction of the Court. The State Government responded to the notice of preliminary objection by filing a counter-affidavit and the court overruled his application and assumed jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.

Instead of appealing the ruling of the Chief Magistrate Court No. 1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna State, he filed an application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1112/2019.

The trial Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja suo motu raised the issue of jurisdiction in the case and questioned why Mr Odinkalu filed the application in Abuja and not Kaduna Division of the Federal High Court. The trial Judge transferred the case to the Kaduna Division of the Federal High Court in a new suit No. FHC/KD/CS/97/2019.

Mr Odinkalu again filed another action before the High Court No. 12 of Kaduna State with suit No. KDH/KAD/1100/2019 for judicial review, praying for the Court to quash the trial before the Chief Magistrate Court No. 1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna State. The case is still pending before High Court No. 12.

The action he filed before the High Court No.12 has stalled the trial before the Chief Magistrate Court No. 1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna State. The case pending before the Federal High Court, Kaduna, has been adjourned to 22nd October 2020 for Judgment. Meanwhile, the cases pending before the High Court No.12 and the Federal High Court, Kaduna have stalled the investigation by the police, said Aisha Dikko, the State Commissioner for Justice.

But Mr Odinkalu, on October 22, lost the fundamental human rights case he filed against the Kaduna State Government.

Peter Malong of the Kaduna Division of the Federal High Court dismissed the case and awarded costs against Mr Odinkalu.

In the ruling, the judge, Mr Malong, upheld the state governments argument that Mr Odinkalus affidavit was incompetent because it was not personally deposed by him.

NLC Strike

On Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a five-day warning strike over the proposed sack of civil servants by the El-Rufai-led government.

Workers from different parastatals and cadres of the civil service joined the protest, withdrawing their services for the second day.

As a result, the airport, public schools, government offices are shut, in addition to the total blackout across the state.

But the state has repeatedly vowed that it was not going to accede to the request of the labour unions or back down from the proposed rightsizing.

NLC is aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers, the states Head of Service, Baraatu Mohammed, said on Monday evening.
The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, who is currently leading the protest against the plan by the Kaduna State government to sack many workers, has challenged Governor Nasir El-Rufai to arrest him.

The governor, on Tuesday, declared Mr Wabba and other NLC officials wanted for alleged sabotage.

KADUNA UPDATE: Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna. KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!, Mr El-Rufai wrote on Twitter.

However, during a short interview at the protest ground on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Wabba said, the strike was not about me.

Let him come and arrest me. We are here and waiting for them, Mr Wabba was quoted to have told Daily Trust.

The NLC, Kaduna State chapter, on Monday, embarked on a five-day warning strike over the proposed sack of civil servants in the state.

Workers from different parastatals and cadres of the civil service joined the protest, withdrawing their services for the five days

As a result, the airport, public schools, government offices are shut, in addition to the total blackout across the state.

But the state government has repeatedly vowed not to back down from the plan.

NLC are aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers, the states Head of Service, Baraatu Mohammed, said on Monday evening.

Arrest warrant

The Kaduna State Government had on Saturday mentioned an arrest warrant against Mr Wabba dating back to 2017 when he led a similar mass action in the state

The Kaduna State Government has been made aware of plans by some trade unionists, led by Ayuba Wabba, to reprise the mayhem they visited on Kaduna during their rampage of 8 November 2017. That day, in one of the most shameful displays of irresponsibility, they thrashed the premises of the Kaduna State House of Assembly as part of their futile attempt to force the government to retain 21,780 teachers who did not pass a Primary 4 competency test. The State Government sacked the failed teachers and swiftly recruited 25,000 teachers to replace them and to promote the right of the children of the poor to decent education.

Following that shameful 2017 episode, there is a subsisting warrant for the arrest of Wabba for the vandalization of government facilities, in violation of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and other laws of the land, the head of civil service said.

Although Mr Wabba was yet to respond to the claim after several calls and text messages, PREMIUM TIMES learnt he denied the destruction of properties attributed to the workers protest at that time.

While it is not true that protesting workers caused damage to the property of the State House of Assembly, we wish to make it clear that we are aware that soon after workers left the premises of the State House of Assembly, allegedly sponsored thugs and hoodlums were sent there by the State government to cause damage to the property with the intention to blackmail workers as unruly people.

We want to state categorically that workers are decent and law-abiding citizens fully guided by principles of peaceful protest. Our record of peaceful protests is unimpeachable and could be attested to by organisations that monitor our protests. Workers stand to gain nothing by destroying public property.

And we did not destroy any in Kaduna.

However, if the government of Kaduna State wishes to profiteer from our peaceful and justifiable protest, it is free to do so but not at our expense. The protest by workers to the State House of Assembly was in the full glare of journalists from nearly all the media houses in Nigeria while security agencies were at hand to ensure law and order, Mr Wabba said at a press conference in November, 2017.

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According to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, a warrant of arrest to be executed by the law enforcement agency shall be signed by a judge or magistrate.

The states Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, and Mr El-Rufais media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, have yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMESs enquiries on further details of the arrest warrant and the court that issued it.

They neither picked their calls nor replied to text messages.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the police in the state, Mohammed Jalige, said he was not aware of any arrest warrant against Mr Wabba.

He then told PREMIUM TIMES to direct the enquiries to the state government which made the claim in the first place.
The Senate , on Tuesday, mandated the Ministry of Education, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to review the implementation of the National Identity Number (NIN) policy.

This, according to the Senate, is with a view to extending the JAMB registration deadline or suspending this requirement for prospective students until there is a seamless and well-organised process for obtaining the NIN.

This resolution was a sequel to a Point of Order raised by Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP-Anambra) during plenary.

The motion is titled The need to address the untold hardship caused by the introduction of NIN as a compulsory requirement for JAMB registration.

Another resolution of the upper chamber was a mandate on the Ministry of Education and NIMC to introduce and streamline a simple and decentralised NIN registration process where students would be able to obtain their NIN in their various accredited school premises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JAMB recently made NIN mandatory for students seeking admission into universities of their choice.

Raising Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, Mr Ubah, while noting the untold hardship the policy had generated for students, said the action is inconsiderate and a premature decision.

He said For JAMB to include NIN as a precondition for registration of UTME candidates in 2021 is inconsiderate.

This action is an inconsiderate and premature decision that has further complicated the already rigorous process of both registering for JAMB examination and procuring the NIN.

JAMB initially attempted to start the implementation of this policy in 2020/but had to postpone it owing to technical problems and irregularities bedevilling the process of obtaining NIN from NIMC.

 From all indications, these technical hitches are yet to be addressed; the long queues at NIMC centres are a testimony to the fact that a well organised process is yet to be put in place to ease the stressful process of registration.

The board (JAMB) already has enough logistical and technical problems to tackle.

Mr Ubah further said that adding more complications was counterproductive and would serve as a hindrance to young Nigerians desirous of getting into higher institutions to further their education.

Seconding the motion , Uche Ekwunife (PDP-Anambra) said it was a very straightforward motion and apt.

Time has come when we have to show concern for what is happening to students presenting NIN before they are registered for JAMB.

Mr President, remember that the whole of last year was taken over by COVID-19 and that restricted a lot of movement and it made it impossible for many students to have access to NIN.

Telling our students now that they cannot register for WAEC and GCE because they do not have NIN is actually very insensitive on the part of JAMB and NECO.

Mr President, I want to state very clearly that the awareness of NIN has not been felt. There is no public enlightenment, many people dont even understand what NIN stands for.

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The awareness has not been taken to the grassroots; the enlightenment has not been taken to schools; it has not been taken to universities and tertiary institutions.

Therefore many children and many students dont even know the need for them to have the NIN, they dont even know that the NIN is a requirement for them to participate in NECO and GCE.

Schools should not make NIN as a requirement for participation in any examination, Mrs Ekwunife said.

The resolutions were unanimously adopted by the senators after a Voice Vote by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

(NAN)
The Senate has confirmed the nominations of 12 persons for appointment as Chairman and members of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Their confirmation followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, at plenary on Tuesday.

The Chairman of the Committee, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti), in his presentation, said the committee considered all necessary requirements for appointments of board members of NHRC.

He, however, said the Substantive Executive Secretary of the Commission, who is also a member of the governing council by the virtue of his position, having been screened hitherto by the Senate, was not screened by the committee alongside other nominees.

He said the representatives of the Federal Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Interior, are ex-officio members, who do not require confirmation by the Senate because they do not have voting powers on the council of NHRC.

He said the appointments of the nominees screened, satisfied the requirements of Section 3 (2) and (3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Act, 2010 and the Senate Standing Orders 2015, as amended.

According to him, the nominees possessed the requisite qualifications, competence, and comportment to discharge the duties and functions of the governing council of NHRC.

Mr Bamidele said there was no petition against the nomination of any of the nominees before the committee.

He said, There are no adverse reports against the nominees, as record checks and other forms of investigations by security agencies, did not reveal any negative trace against them.

The committee is satisfied about their qualifications, experience, suitability, competence and integrity, to assume the positions of chairman and members of NHRC.

He, however, observed that during the screening, the committee was guided by the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the extant law, which established the NHRC.

Mr Bamidele said Section 14 (3) of the constitution required that the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies, should reflect the Federal Character Principles.

However, it is noteworthy to state that the composition of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, as presented to the 9th Senate, does not comply with the provisions of the constitution as it relates to the Federal Character Principles.

That it is imperative to state that absolute compliance with the provisions of the constitution is not a choice, but a fundamental obligation imposed on individuals, Government and all its functionaries, as encapsulated in Section 13 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, he said.

He urged the Senate to draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the lop-sidedness in the composition of the Governing Council of NHRC which was an infraction against the constitution of Nigeria.

I wish to humbly implore the President of the Senate and indeed, my distinguished colleagues, to approve the recommendation of this committee, on this screening exercise in the National interest, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 12 nominees confirmed are: Salamatu Suleiman (Chairman), while Joseph Mmamel, Ahmad Fingilla, Kemi Asiwaju-Okenyodo, Abubakar Muhammed; and Femi Okeowo were confirmed as members.

Others are Sunday Etim Daniel, Agabaidu Jideani, Nella Andem-Rabana, Azubuike Nwakwenta; Jamila Isah; and Idayat Hassana.

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(NAN)
The House Democratic Majority followed the science and took the necessary safety precautions, allowing us to meet and do the peoples business through the height of the pandemic  and in turn protect members, staff of the House of Delegates, and our constituents, the statement said. But the success of the vaccine rollout means we can soon safely convene in person for the first time in over a year.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, on Tuesday, called on the members of the Judiciary Staff Union (JUSUN) to end their ongoing nationwide strike.

This was contained in a statement by Mr Muhammads spokesperson, Ahuraka Isah.

The strike , which the judiciary workers embarked upon on April 6 to agitate for the financial autonomy of the judiciary particularly at the state level, clocked seven weeks on Tuesday.

Courts at both the state and federal levels across the country have now been shut for 43 days as a result of the strike.

But the CJN, in the statement by his spokesperson said, his call on JUSUN to end the strike followed a fresh briefing he received from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who leads the Federal Governments negotiation team that engages with the leadership of the union.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige on Tuesday met with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad at the Supreme Court over the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to demand for financial autonomy for the Judiciary in the country.

Upon being briefed by the Minister on the negotiation level so far, the CJN then requested the JUSUN to call off the strike in the interest of the nation and the larger interest of justice, the statement read, in part.

The statement added that the CJN is of the view

that calling off the strike would also allow opportunity for further negations towards the resolution of the dispute.

Strike is sub judice

But the CJN, who earlier acknowledged the justification for the ongoing strike, said publicly for the first time on Tuesday, that the ongoing strike is sub judice, a suggestion that the industrial action may be preemptive of a pending suit in court.

Besides, the CJN observed that some of the issues in contention are already sub judice, as such there is need to give requisite legal process enough opportunity to be exhausted, the statement read in part.

The CJN did not give details of the pending legal matter pending in court that the ongoing strike may possibly be infringing on.

PREMIUM TIMES is not aware of any suit challenging the constitutional provision granting financial autonomy to the judiciary which is the core of the judiciary workers strike.

But there is a suit filed by the 36 state governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) challenging the Executive Order 10 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2020 for the enforcement of the financial independence of the judiciary.

Strike, failed meetings

Mr Muhammad has met with the leadership of JUSUN on two occasions since when the strike started 43 days ago.

At the end the meetings, the union had insisted on going on with the strike until its demand for strict compliance with constitutional provision that prescribes direct funding of state judiciaries and legislatures directly from the federation account.

Despite meeting with the union leaders on different occasions, the labour minister too has not been able to convince them to call of the strike.

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The call by the CJN comes about 10 days after JUSUN rejected the 36 state governors proposed template for the implementation of judiciarys financial autonomy being demanded by the workers.

The governors, in their proposal, seek the creation of a State Account Allocation Committee (SAAC) to oversee the distribution of funds to the three arms of government at the state level.

But in a communique the union issued after a May 8 meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC), the union insisted on its demand that funds meant for the state judiciaries must be deducted directly from the federation account and paid to the heads of courts through the National Judicial Council (NJC).

It maintained that the provisions of the constitution cannot be negotiated, doctored, manipulated and therefore must be obeyed.

As a condition to end its ongoing strike, the union insisted that all the state judiciaries funds for October 2020 till May 2021 must be deducted directly from source, the federation account, and paid to the heads of courts through the NJC as prescribed by the constitution.

The federal government currently complies with the constitutional provision which JUSUN demands compliance with.

But at the state level, governors take funds meant for the three arms of government from the federation account, but only funds the judiciary and the legislature as they please, without minding how much they are entitled to in the budgets.
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Court documents filed against Abidemi Rufai, an aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, have shown how the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) following his alleged involvement in a $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud.

PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday obtained an affidavit sworn before the United State Districts Court at Eastern District of New York by Andrea Desanto, FBI special agent in charge of Mr Rufais case.

According to Ms Desanto, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington issued an arrest warrant commanding the arrest of Mr Rufai on May 14, 2021, for violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (wire fraud).

On or about May 13, 2021, law enforcement received information that ABIDEMI RUFAI would be boarding Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL644 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) in Queens, New York to Amsterdam, with a final destination of Lagos, Nigeria.

At approximately 7:45 p.m. on May 14, 2021, RUFAI arrived at JFK Airport. Law enforcement officers met RUFAI, who waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to law enforcement officers without an attorney present. While speaking with law enforcement officers, RUFAI verified his name and date of birth, part of the affidavit read.

In his possession, RUFAI had, among other things, a Nigerian identification card and various credit cards listing a name matching that of the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAI. In addition, RUFAI had in his possession a Nigerian passport, which listed a name and date of birth matching that of the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAI.

RUFAIS appearance matched photographs from the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAIs passport and identification cards. I further recognized RUFAI from the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAIs 2019 visa application photograph and from secondary inspection photographs taken by United States Customs and Border Patrol in 2017 and 2020.

RUFAIs appearance also matched photographs obtained from the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAIs social media accounts as well as photographs obtained from the defendant ABIDEMI RUFAIs Google Drive account pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant, as detailed in the Complaint, the court affidavit showed.

Back story

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Mr Rufai used the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to steal more than $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

He is also suspected to be defrauding unemployment programs in Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Wire fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice, is punishable by up to thirty years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This newspaper also reported how the suspect bypassed security systems at the Employment Security Department using a simple feature of Googles free Gmail service.

Rufai used the dot variant addresses to create multiple accounts in the Washington state system that authenticates online users of government services, the complaint alleges. Rufai was then able to file for unemployment benefits with the ESD using stolen personal identities of real Washington residents, the complaint said.

He was also actively engaged in stealing and retaining the personal identifying information of American citizens.

Following the report on Mr Rufais alleged fraud, his principal, Mr Abiodun has announced his suspension from Ogun government.

The suspect has also come under severe attacks on social media as Nigeria criticized him for his involvement in the alleged fraud.
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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has advised the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to reconsider his plan to sack hundreds of civil servants in the state.

The ACF, a northern Nigerian socio-cultural organisation, also called on the warring parties to sheathe their swords in the interest of the larger population who are at the receiving end of the effects of the strike.

The ACFs call followed that of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) which also urged the Kaduna governor to negotiate with the NLC to prevent the strike from crippling the states economy.

The ACF spokesperson, Emmanuel Yawe, in statement, said for two days, the industrial action has cripple the provision of essential services in Kaduna State.

Hospitals, electricity/water services, the airport, the road/rail transport and many other services in the state have been crippled, Mr Yawe said.

Labour is particularly angry with the state government over massive lay off of civil servants in the state. The ACF advises the Kaduna state government to reconsider its decision particularly on downsizing the work force in the states services.

We suggest that as a way out, maybe those earlier marked for lay off should be given some more time to make sure they acquire new and or additional skills.

The labour should also reconsider their stand. Their displeasure and point against the Kaduna state government have gone on record. Nigeria is already faced with so many problems that a strike action that has crippled the strategically located town of Kaduna for days the will only make things worse for the ordinary man, Mr Yawe said.

Backgorund

NLC embarked on a five-day warning strike to compel the governor to reconsider his proposed plan to rightsize the workforce of civil servants in Kaduna.

Workers from different parastatals and cadres of the civil service and private organisations joined the protest, withdrawing their services for the second day.

However, the state government has repeatedly vowed not to back down from its plan.

NLC is aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers, the states Head of Service, Baraatu Mohammed, said on Monday evening.
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Today, intelligent folks pretend not to know who the Unknown Gunmen are. They will not cast a glance at the North-East rearview mirror. They are quibbling about military highhandedness. They are asking that their bandits be fed butter and treated with kids gloves. They would be happy if Satan himself came with heavy natural disasters.

In December 2003, 200 Boko Haram members attacked police stations in Geidam and Kanamma in Yobe State. That was in their infancy. They killed police officers, took their guns and freed detainees. Some cheered. In June 2004, Boko Haram tried to break into a jail in Damaturu.

We have been through this path before.

In October 2004, Boko Haram attacked a convoy of 60 policemen and took 12 of them hostage. As they dispensed evil, their followership, and perhaps popularity amongst some folks, soared. So by 2005, the governor of Borno State appointed a known Boko Haram devotee to his cabinet. Buju Foi was made Commissioner for Religious Affairs.

Its a familiar path. The dalliance with groups flirting with insurgency. Cowardly state governments that place opportunism above all else. An altercation sparked by crash helmets would lead soldiers to shoot to quieten the tantrum of the budding insurgency. Boko Haram lost members and went feral. By 2010, they had developed teeth and an appetite for blood. They stormed Bauchi prisons, killed soldiers and policemen and freed 700 inmates. We lacked the pornographic propensities of information dissemination through WhatsApp and Twitter then. But the Owerri prison drama is familiar.

We have been through this path before.

By 2011, Jonathan had settled in, and the insurgencys audacity seemed to grow. Opponents of Jonathan in the North mocked and sneered. They gave the insurgents thumbs up with their ambivalence. Boko Haram proselytised. They said the people were impoverished because the government was corrupt, run by infidels. Emirs, Northern elites, did ba komi. The insurgents killed muzzled local dissent. They killed Ibrahim Birkuti, a cleric who didnt mince words like the others. They must have considered him an efulefu. They destroyed churches but didnt spare traitorous mosques. They attacked the police headquarters in Abuja. A few times, they visited the market in Maiduguri and looted shops to the silent praise of a mob of cheerleaders. The insurgents later bombed the United Nations building.

I once watched the Sultan lecture a visiting President Jonathan. Jonathan didnt have the aura of a lion king. The Sultan said the insurgency didnt require military highhandedness. His recipe was palliatives, the sort of balm we applied on the Niger Delta.

Before the vermins ransacked the North-East, we could have leashed or suffocated them. Before they became a scourge, we could have untied our scorn and lashed at them with one voice. But we didnt. We cuddled them into idiocy, lunacy. The owners of the land, befuddled by ignorance, politics and mawkish sentimentality, chased rats when the inferno sprouted. Today, President Jonathan eats Banga soup and fresh fish in Otuoke, but many ostriches are perched around Abuja, craning their necks like lost pigeons.

Sometime during that forgettable period, we paid N100 million because an angry policeman shot Yusuf, the Boko Haram leader, dead. We said it was extra-judicial murder; we appeased his family. Fear made us hide behind the rule of law. We have since learnt to bulldoze the houses of small scale kidnappers. While we cuddled Yusufs family, nobody appeased the families of the soldiers and policemen whom Boko Haram and Yusuf killed. That reminds me, despite all the murders and abominations committed by his group, we said Yusuf was not violent.

I once watched the Sultan lecture a visiting President Jonathan. Jonathan didnt have the aura of a lion king. The Sultan said the insurgency didnt require military highhandedness. His recipe was palliatives, the sort of balm we applied on the Niger Delta. Lamido Sanusi brought out data and said that the North-East was receiving peanuts from the federation. The Northern intelligentsia, hitherto known for outspokenness, spared their youths and lashed Jonathan and the country with their tongues. Im not a fan of Jonathan. The buck stopped at his table. But if only the northern elites had looked down the road and taken moral responsibility.

Despite the advertised ideology of Boko Haram, which was incompatible with liberal constitutionalism, many intelligent people justified and others excused Boko Harams atrocities. At the earliest stages, some of these people said that the problem of Nigeria was its evil Constitution.

Those chickens have since come home to roost. General Ihejirika, who was accused of avenging Biafra with his firmness against the insurgents, has retired to his family. Those who vilified him are licking their wounds. The sore has metastasised. Our North-Eastern limb is gangrenous. They pampered the sore. We should have seen it coming. Boko Haram robbed banks and destroyed police stations. But rather than call a spade by its name, they called it poverty-induced youthful mischief, which money could contain. They didnt call it cancerous extremism. Those who built their politics on the foundation of religious fundamentalism and sharia politics saw the rise of Boko Haram and smirked. They cuddled the insurgents with sympathy and affection. They fantasised a future where other politicians who preached moderation and tolerance would be excommunicated into oblivion as sin-drenched infidels.

Despite the advertised ideology of Boko Haram, which was incompatible with liberal constitutionalism, many intelligent people justified and others excused Boko Harams atrocities. At the earliest stages, some of these people said that the problem of Nigeria was its evil Constitution. They didnt say it was not drafted by the people; they said it was not drafted by God. They didnt call Nigeria a zoo; they called it the satanic construct of atheistic white men. So they justified Boko Haram as messiahs and allowed their excesses as the collateral damage of redemption. Those in it for the short term benefit of muddling the waters for Jonathan jubilated when the insurgents kidnapped the Chibok girls.

Today, intelligent folks pretend not to know who the Unknown Gunmen are. They will not cast a glance at the North-East rearview mirror. They are quibbling about military highhandedness. They are asking that their bandits be fed butter and treated with kids gloves. They would be happy if Satan himself came with heavy natural disasters. They want Buhari messed up. Others hope the unknown gunmen could bring down sufficient mayhem and break the country. While praying for Armageddon, they will blame Buhari for not providing security and ask him to resign.

The intelligentsia, once again chasing rats.

Its a familiar path to an apocalypse.

Ugoji Egbujo is a member of the Board of Trustees of Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch.
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The most important challenges facing Nigeria are profoundly intergenerational. Tackling the issues requires farsighted approaches to the economy, innovation, diplomacy, education, health and technological deployment, which a man in a battle for his own life cannot pull off. The crises we face need the input and ideas of the generations that they will most affect.

Providing full-time, effective leadership as the president of a country as big and diverse as Nigeria is, is demanding and stressful. Anyone wanting to be the president of Nigeria should have unimpaired, impressive physical stamina and mental acuity. With the experience of the late President YarAdua, and what the country is going through with current President Muhammadu Buhari, we have to face the issue of the physical health and mental agility of those contesting for the highest office in the land more seriously.

The strategy of relying on prayers and luck is maladaptive. In a fast changing world, old governance is bad governance. Nigeria can no longer afford leaders whose defining character is dotage. I am not promoting ageism. The former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad is 95 years old and will definitely win another election today. Obasanjo knew that YarAdua was very ill, nevertheless, he backed his power quest, for his own convenience.

The 2023 race is beginning in earnest. Last week, unflattering pictures of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in severe physical decline appeared on social media. Those pictures provoked heated debates on the health of whoever aspires to lead the Africas most populous country. Tinubus speech is slurred and his gait disturbing. At the 11th edition of the annual Arewa House lecture series in Kaduna in March, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was rescued from an imminent fall. A few days later, at the 12th colloquium to celebrate his 69th birthday in Kano State, he called on the Federal Government to recruit at least 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army to boost Nigerias fight against terrorism. He added that, What they will eat  cassava, agbado and corn, will grow here. Many of his public appearances have been defined by slurry, confusing, intermittent, indecipherable oration.

What is worth doing is to reject any presidential candidate that is too old, frail, and out of touch with a changing world. The Nigerian public deserves a basic understanding of the health and general well-being of anyone aspiring to be president. How much of their medical record should be public?

In January 2015, candidate Buhari forgot the name of his own running mate and referred to him as Osinbade. Not long after assuming office, he spoke of Western Germany, as if he was oblivious of the unification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin wall, no less than three decades ago! What appeared as memory lapses at the time has proven costly to Nigeria. Nothing can be done now about the Buhari impediment. As long as the political economy is based on cryptofascism, cabals, special interests and those who seek to profit from chaos, will always attempt to foist candidates in frail health on the nation.

What is worth doing is to reject any presidential candidate that is too old, frail, and out of touch with a changing world. The Nigerian public deserves a basic understanding of the health and general well-being of anyone aspiring to be president. How much of their medical record should be public? Making demands for health disclosure for greater transparency is not unreasonable. Being president is a stressful job. It is risky and actually irresponsible to leave the destiny of 200 million people in the hands of anyone whose health is failing and, or is in the cross-hairs of biologically predictable physical and cognitive decline.

We also tend to ignore the effect that fielding old and sickly incompetents has on risks analysts who guide potential investors in making investment decisions. A president who is not in good shape is a factor in risk analysis. His state of health affects bond pricing, even insurance valuation, etc. Rational investors, as opposed to fly by night vulture capitalists, take this factor seriously. We cant allow individual ambition to truncate destinies.

Gerontocracy is not harmless. It coerces its ugly cousin, plutocracy, into a dangerous alliance, if unchecked. The time has come for us to count our losses. We know that even the finest wines can turn to vinegar. Taking precautions will certainly not hurt. We should always put our best foot forward.

The most important challenges facing Nigeria are profoundly intergenerational. Tackling the issues requires farsighted approaches to the economy, innovation, diplomacy, education, health and technological deployment, which a man in a battle for his own life cannot pull off. The crises we face need the input and ideas of the generations that they will most affect. Achieving these will require encouraging selfless youth leadership.

Gerontocracy is not harmless. It coerces its ugly cousin, plutocracy, into a dangerous alliance, if unchecked. The time has come for us to count our losses. We know that even the finest wines can turn to vinegar. Taking precautions will certainly not hurt. We should always put our best foot forward. In the end, if we do not, we will all pay the price.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju a farmer, youth advocate and political analyst writes this weekly column, Bamidele Upfront for PREMIUM TIMES. Follow me on Twitter @olufunmilayo
The clear intention of the drafters of the Constitution is that State governments, being closer to electricity end users, understand the peculiar terrain of the electricity distribution areas, the behavioural pattern of the electricity end-users, more importantly the impact of electricity to the peace, security and well-being of their citizens, thus therefore are better placed to make laws forelectricity distribution

The privatisation of Nigerias electric power sector in 2014 was greeted with high public expectations of an end to the epileptic power supply situation in Nigeria. Nigerians openly expressed support for the power sector reforms in the hope that it would end the endemic corruption, lack of investments, estimated billings and poor customer services that had been the bane of sector.

Sixteen years after the passage of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPRSA) in 2005, and seven years after the conclusion of the power sector privatisation, public confidence in the power sector reforms have waned considerably and the support hitherto extended to the privatisation of the sector has nose-dived beyond redemption. Electricity distribution companies (DisCos), which are the closest to consumers, continue to endure both deserved and undeserved attacks and blames by electricity consumers and other stakeholders for the systemic failure of the power sector.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria has the largest number of people without access to electricity in the world. The World Bank further states that the power sector has not been able to keep up with demand or provide reliable supply to existing customers. Businesses in Nigeria lose about US$29 billion annually because of unreliable electricity.

Despite the power sector reforms, the Federal Government has been unable to articulate and implement policies and regulations that would truly provide affordable and reliable electricity to the majority of Nigerians.

However, it is not correct, as it has been consistently asserted by many public commentators, that state governments do not have a role to play in the electricity regulatory process under the 1999 Constitution (as amended). In actual fact, the State Houses of Assembly are vested with the powers under the constitution to make laws for the regulation of electricity business in their states.

Section 4 (7)(b) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) provides that the House of Assembly of a State shall have the power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof with respect to the following matters, that is to say  any matter included in the Concurrent Legislation List set out in the first column of Part II of the Second Schedule to this Constitution to the extent prescribed in the second column opposite thereto.

Section 13 of part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) provides as follows:

The National Assembly may make laws for the Federation or any part thereof with respect to:-

Electricity and establishment of electric power stations;

The generation and transmission of electricity in or to any part of the Federation and from one state to another state;

of electricity in or to any part of the Federation and from one state to another state; The regulation of the right of any person or authority to dam up or otherwise interfere with the flow of water from sources in any part of the Federation;

The participation of the Federation in any arrangement with another country for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for any area partly within and partly outside the Federation ;

; The regulation of the right of any person or authority to use, work or operate any plant, apparatus, equipment or work designed for the supply or use of electrical energy.

It is therefore our submission that if it were the intention of the draftsmen to vest the National Assembly with the powers to make laws for electricity distribution within States, Section 13 (b) part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution would have expressly included electricity distribution.

Section 14 of part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) provides as follows;

A House of Assembly may make laws for the State with respect to:

Electricity and the establishment in that State of electric power stations;

The generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to areas not covered by a national grid system within that state; and

of electricity to areas not covered by a national grid system within that state; and The establishment within that state of any authority for the promotion and management of electric power stations established by the State.

Section 15 of part 11 of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) defines distribution and transmission as follow:

distribution means the supply of electricity from a sub-station to the ultimate consumer.

transmission means the supply of electricity from a power station to a sub-station or from one sub-station to another sub-station and the reference to a sub-station herein is a reference to an assembly of plant, machinery or equipment for distribution of electricity.

The inclusion of electricity in the concurrent list means that the National Assembly (federal) and State Houses of Assembly have legislative powers in this subject to the extent set out in the Second Schedule. However, the distribution of electricity is not explicitly mentioned in the concurrent list, as a subject on which the federal legislative assembly has powers to make laws.

The National Assembly derived its power from the Constitution to enact the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA). The EPSRA created the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and gives authority to NERC to regulate all stages of the electricity sector. Nevertheless, it is our considered view that the NERCs regulatory oversight of the electricity distribution business, based on the provisions of the EPRSA, is faulty in all material particulars. A patience review of section 13 (b) Part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution reveals that the powers of the National Assembly to make laws on electricity is only confined to electricity generation and transmission and cannot, by any stretch of argument, be extended to the electricity distribution business within states.

It is therefore our submission that if it were the intention of the draftsmen to vest the National Assembly with the powers to make laws for electricity distribution within States, Section 13 (b) part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution would have expressly included electricity distribution. The cardinal principle of interpretation of statute is that what is not specifically included is deemed excluded, therefore the Constitution, having failed to expressly include electricity distribution under section 13 (b) part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, has expressly excluded it. See the case of IGP v. ANPP (2007) 18 NWLR (Pt. 1066) 457, 496-7.

To further buttress the fact that electricity distribution within Nigeria was never intended to be legislated upon by the National Assembly, Section 13 (d) of part II of the Second Schedule to the Constitution clearly states that the National Assembly can make laws on electricity distribution only in relation to where the Federal Government of Nigeria is in arrangement with another sovereign country for the distribution of electricity for any area partly within and partly outside the Federation. This obviously deals with a diplomatic arrangement between Nigeria and its sovereign neighbour country for the distribution of electricity within the border area that houses Nigerians and its sovereign neighbour nationals.

The clear intention of the drafters of the Constitution is that State governments, being closer to electricity end users, understand the peculiar terrain of the electricity distribution areas, the behavioural pattern of the electricity end-users, more importantly the impact of electricity to the peace, security and well-being of their citizens, thus therefore are better placed to make laws for the electricity distribution business in their localities.

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Furthermore, the definition of transmission and distribution in section 15 of part II of the Second Schedule clearly shows that the National Assembly can only make laws regulating all activities from the power generation station to the (transmission) sub-station and nothing more. Any electricity business activities outside the (transmission) sub-stations to the end users should only be legislated upon by the State Houses of Assembly.

We thus recommend that Houses of Assembly should initiate the process to commence the enactment of laws that would regulate electricity, including electricity distribution, in their States. In addition, the Attorneys-General of the 36 states should consider approaching the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the powers of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly

It therefore means that States Houses of Assembly have the constitutional right to set up State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) or the establishment of any such authority that will be vested with the responsibility of regulating and managing all aspects of the electricity distribution business, including setting retail electricity tariffs and all activities relating to the sale of electricity to end users within their states.

We are of the view that the legislation on electricity distribution in the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 by the National Assembly is a possible breach of the principles of federalism and constitute undue interference with the roles of the State Houses of Assembly under the Constitution. The NERC is also possibly over-reaching itself by making regulation for off-grid/mini-grid electricity generation and distribution within States.

Consequently, it is our submission that Section 62 (1)(d), (2), 67, 71 (4) and 76 of the EPSRA, in so far as they relate to electricity distribution to end users, are null and void and of no effect. The National Assembly having no powers to make such laws cannot confer the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission with powers it does not have. Therefore, all regulations made by the NERC in exercise of such powers are to that extent null and void and of no effect  Nemo dat quon non habet.

State governments and their respective Houses of Assembly should not sit under the idle excuse that it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide electricity to their citizens. On the contrary, it is the responsibility of state governments to do so. Unfortunately, many state governments, rather than take advantage of section 14 to increase economic activities within their states and improve on their internally generated revenues, continue to allow the Federal Government and its agencies to hijack their constitutional roles and responsibility of providing electricity to their citizens.

A serious State government should see the states regulation of the electricity distribution business as a great opportunity to bring meaningful development to its territory and thereby increase its much needed internally generated revenue. The argument that states hold minority equity stakes in the privatised DisCos does not invalidate the provisions of the Section 14(b) part II of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution with regards to the powers of State Houses of Assembly to make laws for electricity distribution within their respective states.

We thus recommend that Houses of Assembly should initiate the process to commence the enactment of laws that would regulate electricity, including electricity distribution, in their States. In addition, the Attorneys-General of the 36 states should consider approaching the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the powers of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly under Section 13, 14 and 15 of part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This, we believe, will be the very road to pursue true federalism and economic independence by the States under a true federation arrangement.

However, should both the Federal and State Governments prefer the status quo on electricity distribution regulation to remain, the National Assembly should consider an amendment of Section 13(b) of part II of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution to expressly include electricity distribution.

Chuks H. Nwani, a legal practitioner, writes from Lagos through Chuksnwani@gmail.com, while Odion Omonfoman, an energy expert, is the CEO of New Hampshire Capital Ltd. He can be reached through orionomon@outlook.com
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Now, as the world emerges from the pandemic, we have the chance to build back better. Though we always knew it, COVID-19 underlined how interconnected and interdependent the world is. With that shattering reminder, we can create a world with that idea at its forefront  one that provides security and opportunity for both of us.

Today, leaders from across Africa meet in Paris to discuss plans to recover from the impact of a common enemy  COVID-19. But for African nations from across the Sahel region and beyond, the issues are inseparable from the fight against another common enemy which is terrorism. And like the war against the coronavirus, it is one we are fully united with France in our strong determination to overcome.

Across the world, conflict and coronavirus have not been far apart. As governments have struggled to contain COVID-19, jihadists have taken advantage in the Sahel  the vast arid stretch of territory that lies between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan Africa. Terrorist incidents have become tragically common across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Around the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram terrorism have taken advantage of the pandemic and pushed back into my country Nigeria, whilst still launching raids and attacks in Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.

We have seen more than once how Boko Haram  which in French means leducation occidentale est un peche  can regroup, morphing in form and tactics. A matter of only a few years ago, they were reduced to a territory-less group, where once they had controlled an area in Nigeria three times the size of Lebanon. It has demonstrated why pushing against one front can prove futile if groups can simply migrate to ponds of insecurity across porous borders. Yet as instability has spread, so the networks that sustain it have strengthened  whether that be weapons supply chains from Libya, ideological imports of Al-Qaeda and ISIS from the Middle East, or trafficking networks that take money from those escaping instability and feeds it back into the system that generates it.

Meanwhile the infection is spreading further afield and reaching into the heart of Europe and France is not being spared the malignant, with innocents murdered on its streets. In that context, our fate is linked. Hence Paris has been active in this common fight. The French Operation Barkhane has provided critical boots on the ground in shoring up security across our region. Though challenges remain, it has ensured a wide expanse of territory has not descended into lawless playground where terrorists masquerading as fighting for Islam groups can freely flourish and multiply. That assistance has been profoundly appreciated in the region.

we know France has borne much of the strain for combating terrorism of the region, and we  the leaders of Sahel countries  must also do more to present a unified front to lobby other Western nations, particularly Great Britain and the United States and the European Union, for further military and humanitarian assistance.

Now Nigeria and France should deepen our anti-terror cooperations if we are to overcome this scourge  particularly in the aftermath of the murder of the late President of Chad. Where for historical ties, support came to Nigeria from the U.K., and to the G5 from France, the terrorists do not recognise these border-aligned distinctions. We must be agile and flexible, cooperating cross our borders to cut the head off their groups.

Indeed, we have already done much to strengthen our bond. Intelligence sharing is well developed, along with training against improvised explosives. But there is more we can do in cross-border military exercises and coordinating strategy. At the same time, we know France has borne much of the strain for combating terrorism of the region, and we  the leaders of Sahel countries  must also do more to present a unified front to lobby other Western nations, particularly Great Britain and the United States and the European Union, for further military and humanitarian assistance.

However, we know that military gains do not provide the whole solution. Without security, economic opportunity remains fragile. Without economic opportunity, the propensity for conflict grows. The solution must therefore be two-pronged. If we do improve those conditions, it leaves our people vulnerable to indoctrination, as one is vulnerable to COVID-19 without a vaccine.

The fallout from Libya has flushed the whole region with weapons, making any dispute and competition far more destructive. And it is upon these conditions, the lies and propaganda of terrorists who falsely claim to be Islamists promising salvation can find an audience. Islam is a religion of peace.

In the Sahel, crises converge. Traditionally, this vast arid land has been poorer than its Mediterranean neighbours to the north and fertile land to its South. Now, climate change and environmental degradation squeeze the region of water sources, draining opportunity and increasing competition amongst various groups for scarce resources. The fallout from Libya has flushed the whole region with weapons, making any dispute and competition far more destructive. And it is upon these conditions, the lies and propaganda of terrorists who falsely claim to be Islamists promising salvation can find an audience. Islam is a religion of peace.

To counteract these, we must focus on initiatives that sustainably spread opportunity far and wide across the Sahel. Transport links across the Sahel have become dilapidated, much of it still the remnants of the colonial era. For the regions burgeoning young population, reinvigorating these links or building anew is critical. It allows for efficient allocation of labour; the movement of inputs such as seed, fertiliser or equipment to the areas that need it; and freight to take produce or extractives to market or value-addition factories.

Now, as the world emerges from the pandemic, we have the chance to build back better. Though we always knew it, COVID-19 underlined how interconnected and interdependent the world is. With that shattering reminder, we can create a world with that idea at its forefront  one that provides security and opportunity for both of us.

Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) is President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This piece was originaly published this morning by Paris-based magazine, Le Point.
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Amidst the ongoing protest by workers in Kaduna State, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has insisted that the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, is a fugitive. The governor also promised a handsome reward for anyone that provides information on where Mr Wabba is hiding.

KADUNA UPDATE: Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna.

KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!, Mr El-Rufai wrote on Twitter.

Mr Wabba has been leading the protest in Kaduna against the Kaduna State Governments plan to sack hundreds of its workers.

The state government says it needs to rightsize its workforce as civil servants alone gulp over 90 per cent of the federal allocations to the state.

The administration had said in a statement on May 15 that it would protect its facilities and its workers right to access and exit their offices.

It disclosed that it already alerted security agencies of plans by some trade unionists to get hoodlums to attack power transmission stations, hospitals and public infrastructure like

streetlights and waterworks in a repeat of the violence and vandalisation wreaked by what it called the Ayuba Wabba -led hooligans during the November 2017 rampage in Kaduna .

Details later
The Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Tuesday said that the Judiciary in the state had been accorded full autonomy in line with the law.

Mr Okowa said this in Asaba on Tuesday when he received the chief judge of the state, Marshal Umukoro, who came with other judges in the states judiciary to the Government House to intimate the governor of his impending retirement.

According to him, with the signing of Judiciary Autonomy law in January 2021 and the setting up of the relevant committees by the chief judge, the state is ready to begin the process of implementing full autonomy for the judiciary.

The governor said the House of Assembly in the state had been enjoying autonomy for two years ago even when some states were yet to start the process till date.

I have never been against it, and thats why we went ahead to push for the law. The House of Assembly has been operating its own autonomy since two years even before they started talking about it in this country, he said.

It has worked; I have not found any reason to regret that action. So, I believe too that there is no reason why the judiciary cannot run its own autonomy.

I do also believe that it does not stop the arms of government from relating with each other.

The budgets are made on a yearly basis and the only challenge is that many times we are unable to fund it in full. However, what will be released on a monthly basis will be subject to the returns that come from Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), he said.

Mr Okowas decision comes as judicial workers across the country continue their industrial action demanding full autonomy for the judiciary in the states.

He explained that with the commencement of the full process, the chief judge had been empowered to effect his own direct approvals without having to resort to the governor.

I am very happy to do that because it reduces the number of files on my table. So, I want to announce the full autonomy of the judiciary with the setting up of the committees.

I am not doing this for any gains. I believe that its right and just; I believe too that its in the best interest of governance in our nation and thats how we have also thought about it in the House of Assembly.

I want to generally advise that autonomy does not stop governance from progressing; in fact, it helps governance and I believe that it is something worth doing, Mr Okowa said.

He thanked judges in the state for their role in ensuring delivery of justice.

So my Lord, the Chief Judge, I want to congratulate you for setting up the committee.

Apart from the files that are expected to come to my office, I will advise that no further files should be sent because you are now expected to approve your files by yourself because thats the process of the autonomy.

We thank God that whatever that has a beginning has an end, and I am glad that you have worked so hard to improve on the judicial process in the state.

I truly appreciate your service to the state and the relationship you kept with the executive arm of government and my family. It was God who made it possible for you to conduct my inauguration in 2015 and 2019.

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The judiciary in Delta has continued to walk tall and what I hear happening in other states, I never witnessed it here.

I have never had cause to worry here and I must thank the Chief Judge and all his brother judges for their cooperation.

It is my prayer and hope that God will continue to be with you in the course of your retirement, the governor stated.

Earlier, Justice Umukoro had said that he led the judges to visit the governor as part of the valedictory activities leading to his disengagement as a judicial officer and head of the judicial arm of government in Delta.

He expressed appreciation to Governor Okowa for his support to him since he became the helmsman of the judiciary in 2015.

Since I came on board six years ago, you treated me as a brother and I am grateful for your support even during the death of my wife.

As Chief Judge of Delta, I can confidently say that we have never had any crisis and we have been able to manage ourselves effectively.

I am here to deeply appreciate you for supporting me throughout my tenure as Chief Judge of the State and to also thank you for approving the process for the implementation of full autonomy for the state judiciary, he stated.
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The organised labour in Ekiti has rejected the withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment by the state government.

The organised labour, which comprises the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), met the governor, Kayode Fayemi in a closed-door meeting on the state of the economy.

In a statement signed by NLC Chairman, Kolapo Olatunde; TUC Chairman, Sola Adigun and JNC Chairman, Kayode Fatomiluyi, after the meeting, the unions condemned any attempt to further impoverish workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti.

We met with the Governor Fayemi on Monday on the state of the economy and the position of the entire workforce was made known to him.

The workers of Ekiti reject any withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment payment by the state which is a product of a process that has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the same vein, the labour movement rejects any stoppage of subvention to all educational institutions in Ekiti, as proposed.

We viewed any attempt under any guise to further impoverish the living standard of workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti State as inhuman and unacceptable.

To this end, the state organised Labour further advocate the inclusion of GL 13- GL 17 in the implementation of the consequential adjustment payment among other arrears of workers welfare.

The organised labour promised the workers that it would not comprise on their welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in January, the Ekiti government announced that it will implement the minimum wage and consequential adjustment for workers in the states workforce.

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The announcement followed a meeting the government had with the organised labour where it was agreed that the salaries of officers in the civil service be adjusted.

NAN reports that the government said the implementation of the consequential adjustment will commence immediately.

It said the salaries of workers in the state will be reviewed upward based on the recommendations of the economic review committee.

The government also agreed not to sack, victimise or intimidate any worker as a result of the implementation.

The organised labour gave Mr Fayemi until May 1 to pay all outstanding salaries of workers in the state.

(NAN)
Last week, Northam announced that state revenues grew by 42% this April and, for the first 10 months of the fiscal year, were ahead of the most recent forecast by more than $1.7 billion. Revenues are likely to fall next month, in comparison with a year ago, because of differences in the filing dates for income taxes, but the expected surplus is fueled by steady growth in high-wage professional jobs, a surge in consumer spending over the internet and a booming housing market.
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The Reproductive Health Coordinator at the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Veronica Iwayemi, has stressed the importance of training nurses on psycho-social counselling.

Ms Iwayemi spoke on Tuesday as the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) began the training of 150 nurses in the state.

They are being trained on the provision of psycho-social support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence..

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DSVRT partnered with the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, with support of the Ford Foundation to conduct the three-day training.

The training participants were from all 26 General Hospitals and 57 Comprehensive Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in the state as well as six private hospitals.

The six private hospitals participating in the training are Agape Medical Center, R-Jolad Hospital, Bee Hess Hospital, Mobonike Hospital, Faleti Medical Center and New Merit Hospital.

Ms Iwayemi said at the programme that the training is to aid survivors overcome the trauma of sexual violence.

Sexual and gender-based violence is under-reported due to various factors such as secondary victimisation, very poor support system, social stigma and poor confidence in the legal system.

The training of nurses and social workers on psycho-social counselling is very important because nurses are the largest number of staff we have in the healthcare workforce.

Training in psycho-social support starts from when you introduce yourself, when youre taking vitals because it is a traumatic event and survivors need empathy and kindness, she said.

Ms Iwayemi noted that the training of the nurses on psycho-social support is one of the various strides the Lagos State Government has taken to combat the rising wave of sexual and gender-based violence.

There has been the enactment of the Child Rights Law, the sustaining of the Child Protection Unit of the Ministry of Youths and Social Development as well as the creation of the DSVRT in 2014.

There is the provision of rape kits for doctors to manage cases, the establishment of the Sexual Assault Intervention Fund to fund the cost of treatment of survivors.

The costs of case management are absolutely free for survivors at the PHCs and there has been the creation of DNA laboratory by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration to test samples, she said.

NAN reports that courses participants will be taught during the three-day training include Understanding Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Providing Trauma Counselling, Providing Trauma Care for Survivors, and Psycho Education.

(NAN)
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Advocates against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) have called on the three tiers of government to promote enforcement of laws and policies that protect women and girls against old customs.

They made the call at a two-day ENDFGM Boot Camp workshop in Oyo Town, Oyo State, on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by a non-governmental organisation, Hacey Health Initiatives, under its Stop Cut Project.

NAN reports that the workshop drew participants from Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States.

It also reports that FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

In his remarks, Olayinka Akanle, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, said that inadequate enforcement of laws against FGM had continued to hinder eradication of the custom in the communities.

Mr Akanle said that 13 states in the country had passed a law against FGM, noting that lack of implementation was the major issue in those states.

He said that judiciary and the law enforcement agencies should be well informed of the laws in those states where it had been signed.

Mr Akanle, while describing FGM as an oppression of girls and women, said there was no medical reason for the practice.

He called on other states that have yet to sign the anti-FGM law to do so and ensure its implementation.

Also, Erica Goldson, Deputy Representative at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said there had not been successful prosecution of people who engages in FGM.

Ms Goldson, while addressing the participants via skype, said access to justice for the survival of FGM was one of the objectives of UNFPA.

She described FGM as a violation of women and girls fundamental right without any health benefit.

Ms Goldson said UNFPA would continue to partner with stakeholders in creating awareness on the negative impact of FGM on girls and women.

In her remarks, Rhoda Robinson, the executive secretary of Hacey Health Initiative, said the StopCut project was an intervention designed by the organisation with funding from UNFPA to end violence against women.

Ms Robinson said the project was also aimed at strengthening capacities, conduct effective campaign and enhance the system to promote the endorsement of laws and policies that protect women and girls from FGM.

(NAN)
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The Senate has urged the federal government to strive hard and rescue communities affected by ocean surge in Ondo State.

This followed the adoption of a motion titled Another Cry to Rescue Ayetoro Community in Ondo State from Continuous Ocean Surge, sponsored by Tofowomo Nicholas (PDP-Ondo) at plenary on Tuesday.

Citing orders 42 and 52 of Senate Rule, Mr Tofowomo recalled that on November 25, 2020, he drew the attention of the Senate to the plight of the Ayetoro community, following an ocean urge which destroyed 300 houses.

According to him, three resolutions were reached by the Senate on that day, all of which were not implemented.

On Nov. 25, 2020. I moved a motion on Ayetoro Community in Ondo state for suffering a severe Ocean disaster which destroyed over 300 houses and swept away fishing tools.

Three resolutions were made which were as follows:

Calling on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Ondo state government to respond and assist victims in the community as well as develop a master plan that includes building of ocean barriers to control flooding and ocean surge in the region.

Calling on the Nigeria Maritime, Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to visit Ayetoro to ascertain the level of destruction in the community with a view to proffer solution to prevent future occurrence; and

Calling on oil producing companies to assist the community in rebuilding some of the infrastructure destroyed by the surge, he said.

Mr Tofomowo added: Mr President, distinguished colleagues, I am very angry and disturbed that Ayetoro floating city has been abandoned since November 2020 and none of the resolutions was implemented.

The question now is who is going to assist the community?

 I am now appealing to the federal government to please come to Ayetoros rescue by setting up a rescue committee that will Include NDDC, Ondo state government, Nigeria Maritime, Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the oil companies operating in the area without delay.

The Senate granted the motion and urged the federal government to rescue the community.

(NAN)
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A technician and a yet-to-be-identified person have been confirmed dead as gas explosion rocked Conference Hotel in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

The hotel, located at the Water Corporation headquarters junction, in Ogun capital, is owned by a former governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three others were said to have sustained injuries in the explosion and are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

Confirming the incident, the Hotel Facility Manager, Tunde Osinubi, in a statement, said the explosion occurred as a result of a fake gas cylinder used while servicing a revolving door at the hotel.

A routine maintenance of the Automatic Revolving Door at the entrance of the hotel reception, which involved the use of oxyacetylene gas to weld the door hinges, was being carried out.

The oxyacetylene gas cylinder suddenly exploded, killing the technician and one other person, yet to be identified.

The gas cylinder, purchased at the open market, may be fake and unable to withstand gas pressure, he said.

Mr Osinubi, however, expressed the sympathy of the hotel management with families and friends of the deceased, advising the general public to beware of fake gas cylinders in the market.

NAN reports that two cases of gas explosion had earlier occurred in Abeokuta within the last one week, resulting in the death of four persons, including a minor. (NAN)
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Street sweepers in Ekiti have appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to come to their rescue by paying a living wage to them.

They said that the N5, 000 salary currently being paid to each of them is not enough to take care of them monthly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports on Tuesday that the street sweepers who are on the government payroll staged a protest against the poor monthly remuneration being offered them.

NAN reports that the protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as: Stop Paying Lip Service to Our Plights.

N30,000 is the acceptable Minimum Wage By Law, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Please Come to our Rescue.

N5,000 is not acceptable Again, Our Wage Cant Take Us Home, We Want Living Wage, among others.

Titilayo Faweya, the leader of the group, said that they had to embark on the protest to demand for what is right and just for their members.

Mrs Faweya said that their action was as a result of the delay in the fulfillment of the promise made by the governor during his re-election campaign in 2018.

She said that the immediate past government slashed their salaries but Mr Fayemi promised that he would increase their monthly take-home if elected into office.

We are not happy. We are not being treated well. We are not fighting Governor Kayode Fayemi or disgracing his government, but we are compelled to act this way because we do not want to die in silence.

We are collecting the sum of N5,000 monthly. A measure kongo of cassava flakes garri is selling for N700 and that of rice is N1,000. How can many of us cope with these terrible situations?

Many of us are widows. In fact, we are really suffering. They promised that things will change, but we are not seeing the signal.

ALSO READ: Fayemi speaks on allegations of masterminding removal of party chairman

Nike Alatise, another member of the group, said that they started the street-sweeping job in 2003 with a N2,500 monthly salary before it was increased to N5,000.

Many of us have spent close to 20 years on this job. When Governor Fayemi was campaigning, he promised that he would look into our welfare.

Some of us are widows. Some are living in rented apartments so how do we survive with this paltry amount?

The Commissioner for Environment, Iyabo Fakunle-Okiemen, said that she had taken note of all the demands of the protesting workers and would present them to Governor Fayemi.

I have met with them, addressed them and got all their demands, so that I can take them to Governor Fayemi for necessary action, she said (NAN)
Last week, after a tour of the new Jim Henson exhibit at The Henry Ford, I wrote a column about the fond memories of my grandfather reading The monster at the end of this book, which was included in the display.
Dearborn Heights Firefighters were called to the 5400 block of Kinmore for an attic fire at about 6 p.m. May 15.

According to Fire Marshall Max Mitts none of the four occupants of the house were injured.

The fire, which appears to be electrical in nature, started in a void space in the attic, based on that it was hard for firefighters to get to.

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We had to pull out for a short time, Mitts said. It wasnt safe, and with no one in the house we werent going to risk injury.

Eventually the fire burned through the roof, and gave firefighters access to fight it better.

Sign up for our daily morning newsletter Click here and then look to the right side for the sign up to the morning newsletter for The News Herald, and you can get the top headlines de

We were there for a while, Mitts said. We did it safely and no one was hurt.

He said they had to switch from offensive to defensive tactics based on the location, but that the fire was mostly contained to the attic and roof area.

Scrap vehicles damaged by vandals in Dearborn Police were called to Yes and Hello Trucking, 3900 Wyoming at about 10:15 a.m. May 5 for a report of five scrap vehicles being damaged.

Thief uses RISE loans in Dearborn Heights man's name to buy mattresses An identity thief is no doubt sleeping well after buying two mattresses from a furniture store in Port Huron, which he bought using two separa

Man refills cash card with fake $100 bills A man filled one $250 card, and attempted to refill another with six fake $100 bills during a May 6 transaction at CVS, 2701 S. Telegraph Road.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn on Saturday afternoon to show solidarity with Palestinians. The protest, organized by Palestinian Youth Movement, was held to commemorate 73 years since the Nakba, meaning catastrophe, in which Palestinians were expelled from their land following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

The event comes as the Israeli Supreme Court approved the evictions of Palestinian families living in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah earlier this month, which led to confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters. Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, followed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas responding by launching rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The Israeli Air Force in turn launched ongoing airstrikes on Gaza leading to heavy civilian casualties.

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Speakers from various groups spoke passionately to the diverse group about what they called Israeli occupation and U.S. imperialism. After about half a dozen speakers, the crowd marched through residential neighborhoods in east Dearborn, as well as onto Michigan Avenue and Ford Road.

Free, Free, Palestine!, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!, and Intifada!, were among slogans chanted by the crowd.

My grandfather was displaced in 1967 and thats how my family ended up here, said speaker Sahar Faraj of the Palestinian Youth Movement Detroit chapter. Today is May 15th, and 73 years ago, our people suffered the catastrophe. For those who dont know the history, the day of the Nakba was a day of bloodshed, rampage, and taking of Arab-Palestinian land, people, and resources. Through imperialism, Zionism colonized Palestine. The Nakba is not an event- its ongoing, its incremental, its pragmatic, its intentional.

Since 1948 and the wars following, Palestinians have joined other Arabs in immigrating to Dearborn. Some protesters could be seen waving flags of Yemen, Egypt, Iraq and other countries to show solidarity as Arab-Americans.

As people in living in the Arab diaspora, the effects of occupation are intimate, said Yara Beydoun of the Yemeni Liberation Movement. Occupation is not isolated. Our comrades in Palestine are facing violence and ethnic displacement from their land. Residents of Sheikh Jarrah are standing their ground and refuse to give up the homes where they have lived for generations, as military forces have escalated the situation. This would not be happening if the U.S. was not supporting these atrocities through financial backing and foreign aid.

Protesters carried signs calling for an end to apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and colonialism, many criticizing the more than $3 billion in military aid the U.S. sends to Israel annually.

Dearborn resident and Palestinian-American Tarek Bawardi attended the event, and said he is motivated by his family history to protest and spread awareness about Palestine whenever possible. Bawardi said he didnt know the gravity of the situation until the first time he visited Palestine.

The first time I visited I was about 6 or 7, sitting in the Israeli checkpoints and being told about the purpose they serve, he said. It feels like my duty to attend these events. I have the privilege as a U.S. citizen to make a difference. If I have a car and two moving legs, I should be coming out to protests like these to show my support for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Bawardi says he worries the situation could worsen for his family in Palestine.

My grandmother lives in the Shuafat neighborhood in East Jerusalem, which is safe from whats happening in Sheikh Jarrah right now, he said. Thankfully there are no evictions there currently, and the area is much less disputed for now. Thats what the protest surrounding Sheikh Jarrah is all about. We know it opens doors for further dispossession of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Sign up for our daily morning newsletter Click here and then look to the right side for the sign up to the morning newsletter for The News Herald, and you can get the top headlines de

A similar but larger protest was held in Dearborn on Sunday, where thousands of people gathered and marched down Michigan Avenue.

Similar protests have sprung up in communities with large Middle Eastern populations across the world in recent weeks.

Israel at Seventy-three: Years of Conflict and Dispossession The birth of the state of Israel is seen by Israel supporters as a miracle. For the Palestinians, it was not a miracle. It was a Nakba, a cata

AHRC condemns Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem, calls for United Nations protection The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing Israeli suppression of civilian Palestinian protester

Man refills cash card with fake $100 bills A man filled one $250 card, and attempted to refill another with six fake $100 bills during a May 6 transaction at CVS, 2701 S. Telegraph Road.
White Bear Lake, MN (55110)

Today

Cloudy early. Scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Seeing wildlife such as coyotes and foxes can be alarming and unsettling to some, but chances are they want to avoid you as much as you do them. Seeing a fox or a coyote active during the day is not reason enough to fear them  and in fact, we should welcome them. These animals provide critical ecological services including controlling rodent populations, protecting flowers and crops from other critters and boosting songbird biodiversity.
A service for Simon G. Perry will be held at Heald Funeral Home on Thursday, June 17, 2021, from 4 to 6 p.m. On Friday, June 18, 2021, a Mass service will be held at St Alexander's Church in Morrisonville at 10 a.m. with a funeral procession to Saranac Cemetery. There will be a reception hel
Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary

PALM BEACH, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The medical and recreational marijuana markets have shown significant growth over the past few years and is projected to continue for the next several years. One of the major factors fueling the market growth is the expanding demand for legal marijuana owing to the growing number of legal cannabis countries. Owing to the recent legalizations in different countries, the use of medical marijuana for various aliments is gaining momentum worldwide. Patients suffering from chronic illnesses, such as Parkinson's, cancer, Alzheimer's, and many neurological disorders, are administered medical marijuana. The demand for cannabis oil is increasing rapidly, especially among countries with legalized medical marijuana. Recent novel food ruling in Europe will further strengthen the growth of CBD isolates in the coming years. Moreover, children consuming cannabis are being prescribed with oil only, as it has shown tremendous benefits for the treatment of disorders, like epilepsy. In Feb 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills for the legalization of recreational cannabis for adults 21 years and older in New Jersey, the U.S. This is further expected to boost the market potential in the coming few months. A recent report from Grand View Research predicted that the global legal marijuana market size was valued at USD $24.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% from 2021 to 2028. Active Companies active today in the cannabis related markets include: Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) (CSE: CURA), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX: GTBIF) (CSE: GTII), Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (OTCQX: HRVSF) (CSE: HARV), Jushi Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: JUSHF) (CSE: JUSH).

The Grand View Research report said: "The demand for legal marijuana is expected to surge rapidly due to changes in government policies. Several new startups are venturing into R&D, cannabis testing, and manufacturing. In Canada, many provinces are looking forward to the privatization of cannabis retail stores. Many provinces that chose a single supplier are now inviting applications from multiple suppliers. These factors are anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period. There has been a significant increase in the number of cannabis cultivators in the U.S. as the government is now accepting more applications for cannabis cultivators. In addition, the number of applications for which cannabis is prescribed is increasing. This is expected to increase cannabis sales, and thereby open new revenue channels for market players. Furthermore, the anticipated federal-level legalization of medical marijuana in the U.S. will only help this market to witness high growth opportunities in legal medical consumption."

Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) BREAKING NEWS: Item 9 Labs Achieves Profitability for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2021, Marking 6 Consecutive Quarters of Revenue Growth - Company reaches quarterly sales of $6.1 million, up 228% year over year and up 101% sequentially - Item 9 Labs Corp. ("Item 9 Labs," or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchisor and operator that produces premium products, today reported operating and financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company's second quarter for fiscal year 2021 ("Q2 FY2021"). The Company will be hosting an earnings call on May 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific time).

Key Financial Highlights for Q2 FY2021 (compared with Q2 FY2020)

Revenue increased 228% to $6.1 million

Gross profit increased 403% to $3.0 million

Gross margin increased to 49% from 32%

Operating income of $0.5 million (compared with operating loss of $0.9 million )

(compared with operating loss of ) Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue declined to 40% from 80%

Net income of $49,020 (compared with net loss of $1.6 million )

(compared with net loss of ) Adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 million (compared with adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.9 million )

Key Business Highlights during and subsequent to Q2 FY2021

Completed the acquisition of ONE Cannabis Group (OCG Inc.), parent company of leading U.S. cannabis dispensary franchisor Unity Rd., differentiating the Company by combining its premium products with a strong retail franchise and a national distribution platform

Unity Rd. signed agreements with three entrepreneurial groups for dispensary franchise expansion into New Jersey , in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in Michigan and Ohio

, in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in and Launched Orion 710 pod system, an innovative vaporization device for medical and adult-use consumers, featuring swappable one-gram pods filled with live resin blends and a USB-C rechargeable battery

Management Commentary: With the successful passage of Proposition 207 for adult use in Arizona, the state started transitioning from a medical-only into a far-larger adult-use marijuana market on January 22, 2021. Industry analysts expect the state's total legal marijuana market will near $1.5 billion in the next three years.

"We're seeing the impact of the strong market demand with record-breaking revenues for our premium products, reporting $6.1 million during the quarter. That's more than double our revenues from last quarter and 228% higher than the same quarter last year," commented Item 9 Labs Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bowden. "This quarter represents a milestone for us as it also marks our first quarter of profitability. Across the company, our team continues to execute more efficiently and manage our costs while increasing production to meet product demand."

"We completed our acquisition of OCG Inc. during the quarter, giving us unique capabilities in franchising and positioning us for rapid scalability at reduced capital requirements, as dispensaries will be owned and operated by local franchise partners. Franchising facilitates the expansion of our national retail footprint through Unity Rd. while also serving as a distribution platform for our in-house production, enabling us to capture additional market share," Bowden said. "We also plan to develop or partner with cultivation facilities in states where Unity Rd. franchise partners open cannabis retail shops. Already, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 10 entrepreneurial groups who are developing the brand across at least seven states. We are seeing growth in our franchise pipeline as lead flows and interest increase with the easing regulatory environment and state-level legalization."

"Our planned cultivation site expansion, the first phase of which is expected to break ground soon, along with our cannabis franchising offering and the favorable regulatory climate are the catalysts that we believe will propel Item 9 Labs' revenue and market share growth going forward," added Bowden. CONTINUED. Read this full Press Release and more for INLB at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-inlb

In other active company news in the markets this week:

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) (CSE: CURA), a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, recently signed definitive documents to acquire the Los Suenos Farms and its related entities ("Los Suenos"), the largest outdoor grow in Colorado. This will significantly expand Curaleaf's Coloradopresence, vertically integrating in the state with large-scale outdoor cannabis cultivation. The proposed transaction includes three Pueblo, Colorado outdoor cannabis grow facilities covering 66 acres of cultivation capacity, including land, equipment and licensed operating entities, an 1,800 plant indoor grow and two retail cannabis dispensary locations serving adult use customers.

Total base consideration for the proposed acquisition is approximately $49 million for the Los Suenos operating companies and $18 million for the real estate and farm assets. Total consideration of $67 million to be paid 61% in Curaleaf subordinate voting shares, 29% in cash at closing, and 10% in assumed debt maturing in five years. Additional contingent consideration of up to $8 million in stock will be paid based upon operating cash flow-based targets for 2022.

Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, recently announced the grand opening of COOKIES on the Strip (formerly Essence on the Strip), in Las Vegas on May 14. The company previously announced an exclusive partnership with COOKIES, an international cannabis brand, making this the first COOKIES store in Nevada. The retail location will sell the acclaimed portfolio of Cookies, Lemonnade, Runtz, Minntz, Powerzzzup Genetics, Collins Ave, Run The Jewels and Grandiflora products in the brand's signature blue retail environment.

Based in the Bay Area, COOKIES was founded by prolific rapper and entrepreneur Berner, along with his partner Jai, a highly respected cannabis cultivator and breeder. With the opening of COOKIESS' first location in Nevada, on the iconic Strip, this adds to the growing international footprint of COOKIES locations. Berner will be onsite for the grand opening, along with Rick Ross, the official COOKIES bus and other appearances by special guests.

Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (OTCQX: HRVSF) (CSE: HARV) and Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTC: TCNNF) recently announced they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which Trulieve will acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of Harvest. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders of Harvest will receive 0.1170 of a subordinate voting share of Trulieve for each Harvest subordinate voting share (or equivalent) held, representing total consideration of approximately $2.1 billion based on the closing price of the Trulieve Shares on May 7, 2021.

Jushi Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: JUSHF) (CSE: JUSH), a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, recently reported it has closed the previously announced acquisition of a 93,000 sq. ft. facility (the "Facility"), operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary and Virginia-based pharmaceutical processor, Dalitso LLC ("Dalitso"), together with approximately nine acres of surrounding land in Prince William County, Virginia, for approximately $22 million (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition, together with Dalitso's planned buildout of the Facility, enables Dalitso to efficiently produce a consistent supply of medical cannabis products as patient access improves and the medical cannabis program continues to mature and expand.

"We are thrilled to complete this acquisition and solidify our position in Virginia's medical cannabis market ahead of the introduction of adult-use sales," said Jim Cacioppo, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Founder of Jushi. "The Virginia cannabis market remains an area of strategic focus for Jushi and we will work diligently to ensure Dalitso appropriately scales up its cultivation and processing capacity to meet the anticipated patient and future consumer demand of a growing program. We believe that by combining great cultivation and processing with our industry leading retail experience and high-quality brands, we have assembled the right assets to lead in this important Mid-Atlantic market."

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third- party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM was compensated forty six hundred dollars for news coverage of current press release issued by Item 9 Labs Corp. by the company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com
- The trial BGBC020 shows that Bemcentinib has the potential to increase the rate of ventilator free survival in more than 50% of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, addressing the greatest challenge faced by hospitals worldwide fighting the pandemic.

- Ventilator Free Survival observed in 90% in bemcentinib treated patients vs 72% in SOC treated patients, in a subgroup of patients with increased disease severity

- Survival benefit numerically greater in bemcentinib treated patients

- Bemcentinib anti-viral mechanism of action supported by analysis

- Bemcentinib was well tolerated throughout

- BerGenBio continues discussions with international governments and regulators about next steps

- BerGenBio will be hosting a webcast at 10.00 CEST today (see details below)

BERGEN, Norway, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for severe unmet medical need, provides top line data from BGBC020, a randomised Phase II clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of bemcentinib in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

BGBC020 was conducted from October 2020 across multiple sites in South Africa and India, with 115 patients enrolled at the end of March 2021.

Baseline demographics were balanced between groups; 60 patients enrolled in India, and 55 in South Africa. The median age of enrolled patients was 54.0 years (range 19 - 89y) with 34% of them being female. The vast majority of patients were WHO OCS grade 4 at baseline, 93 of 115 (83%), with 11 enrolled in each of the grade 3 and grade 5 cohorts. The most common co-morbidities were diabetes (27%), cancer (8%), and heart disease (7%).

The patients were randomised to receive standard of care (SOC) only, or bemcentinib with SOC; 76% of patients received steroids and 51% also received remdesivir as part of their therapy. Patients were closely evaluated through 29 days following admission to assess efficacy endpoints, and to 90 days after randomisation to determine longer outcomes.

A post-hoc analysis (not specified in the protocol) identified a sub-group of patients with higher baseline severity (Grade 4 & 5) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) >30mg/L, representing more than 50% of the patients in the study. This sub-group showed encouraging evidence of stronger treatment effect by bemcentinib across all end points evaluated. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established biomarker, widely used in clinical practice to detect acute inflammation, rising within the first few hours of the acute phase response. In COVID-19, the rising level of CRP in the bloodstream correlates with increasing disease severity.

Bemcentinib was well tolerated by patients and no safety signals of concern were identified.

Ventilator Free Survival

Ventilator Free Survival is defined as the proportion of patients that survived to day 29 without admission to ICU and the need for ventilator assisted breathing. Patients treated with bemcentinib appeared to be protected from an early deterioration at day 2 or 3, compared to patients treated with SOC, with this effect being maintained through 29 days. In the sub-group of patients with increased disease severity, ventilator free survival was higher (90%) with bemcentinib treatment compared to SOC on its own (72%).

Primary endpoint

The primary endpoint (time to improvement by two WHO grades, from baseline, or time to discharge or fitness for discharge) marginally favoured bemcentinib treatment over SOC, but the difference was not statistically significant. This endpoint is subject to a broad range of subjective factors, including variation in clinician practice, local epidemic case rates, ensuing demand for bed occupancy in hospital, and resource availability. Therefore, this endpoint may not directly measure the individual patient's health, or the benefit from bemcentinib.

Overall Survival

Analysis of overall survival in the BGBC020 study was combined with that of the ACCORD2 study, conducted in the UK with an analogous phase 2 design. The ACCORD2 platform study recommenced enrolment in the UK winter wave of the local epidemic, enrolling patients between December 2020 and March 2021 (30 to the bemcentinib arm in both phases of the study, with 32 eligibility-matched control patients).

Mortality rates in ACCORD2 SOC treated patients were higher than those in BGBC020 at day 29; (5 of 32 patients (16%) in ACCORD2, versus 3 of 57 (5%) in BGBC020.

Overall in the combined studies, survival to day 29 was 96.5% (83 of 86 evaluable patients) in bemcentinib arm versus 91.0% (81 of 89) treated with SOC alone.

Anti-Viral mechanism of action

The evaluation of patients' viral load whilst hospitalised was an exploratory endpoint in the study, with bemcentinib treatment being associated with a shorter apparent time to SARS-CoV2 not being detected in body fluid samples, than in those treated with SOC alone.

Next steps

Full scientific analysis of BGBC020 will be combined with the ACCORD2 data set in a meta-analysis for presentation at a scientific conference and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The totality of data clearly informs a benefit from bemcentinib in treating a substantial subset of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. This will support ongoing engagement with regulatory agencies, Government partners and industry.

Professor emeritus Stener Kvinnsland MD PhD, Director of BerGenBio and former Chair of Norwegian Korona Commission commented: "The greatest challenge faced by hospitals worldwide is an unmanageable demand for ICU capacity and ventilator support for COVID-19 patients. For the foreseeable future, in spite of recent progress with vaccinations, there remains a substantial global need for effective treatments for COVID-19 patients that offers survival benefit and relief for intensive care demand on hospitals. The totality of data for bemcentinib is very encouraging in this respect and warrants further confirmation."

Professor Tom Wilkinson MA Cantab MBBS PhD FRCP FERS, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Chief Investigator on the ACCORD programme commented: "The COVID-19 pandemic persists, and there remains an urgent need for safe, convenient and more effective treatment for a broad spectrum of patients. The novel mechanism of action of bemcentinib is independent of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and thus would be expected to retain its effect with the emergence of new, potentially vaccine-resistant, strains of the virus. The drug has a good safety profile and holds potential promise at this vital time."

Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "The potential of bemcentinib to increase the rate of ventilator free survival in more than 50% of hospitalised COVID-19 patients is very encouraging. This represents a meaningful outcome for both patients and healthcare systems and is of potential great value. This was an exploratory real world study completed in several global geographies, with differing demographics and ethnicities and evolving standards of care. Through diligent analysis of all the data collected, the totality of which supports the unique mechanism of action of bemcentinib in potentially treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients, we now have a clear clinical position for bemcentinib in this disease. We will continue our discussion of these results with the regulators, industry and Government partners to determine next steps."

Presentation and webcast information

BerGenBio will be hosting a live webcast and Q&A session at 10.00 CEST, 18 May:

Webcast link: https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20210518_1

Dial-in numbers:

NO: +47 2195 6342 UK: +44 203 769 6819 US: +1 646 787 0157

PIN: 712491

About AXL

AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening diseases.

In COVID-19, AXL has two synergistic mechanisms of action, it acts a co-receptor to ACE2, to which the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaches and enters the host cell, and AXL expression is upregulated in infected organs with an activation of the signalling pathway leading to suppression of the Type 1 Interferon immune response by infected cells and neighbouring cells, in their environment. Pre-clinical research studies demonstrate that bemcentinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry and promotes anti-viral Type I interferon response.

In cancer, increase in AXL expression has been linked to key mechanisms of drug resistance and immune escape by tumour cells, leading to aggressive metastatic cancers. AXL suppresses the body's immune response to tumours and drives treatment failure across many cancers. High AXL expression defines a very poor prognosis subgroup in most cancers. AXL inhibitors, such as bemcentinib, therefore, have potential high value as monotherapy and as the cornerstone of cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market opportunities. Research has also shown that AXL mediates other aggressive diseases including fibrosis.

About Bemcentinib

Bemcentinib (formerly known as BGB324), is a potential first-in-class, potent and highly selective AXL inhibitor, currently in a broad phase II clinical development programme. It is administered as an oral capsule and taken once per day. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating bemcentinib in COVID-19, and multiple solid and haematological tumours, in combination with current and emerging therapies (including immunotherapies, targeted therapies and chemotherapy), and as a single agent. Bemcentinib targets and binds to the intracellular catalytic kinase domain of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and inhibits its activity.

About BerGenBio ASA

BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical development programme focused on combination and single agent therapy in cancer, leukaemia and COVID-19. A first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing phase I clinical testing. In parallel, BerGenBio is developing a companion diagnostic test to identify patient populations most likely to benefit from AXL inhibition: this is expected to facilitate more efficient registration trials supporting a precision medicine-based commercialisation strategy.

BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visit www.bergenbio.com

Contacts

Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA

ir@bergenbio.com

Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA

rune.skeie@bergenbio.com

+47 917 86 513

International Media Relations

Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone, Carina Jurs

Consilium Strategic Communications

bergenbio@consilium-comms.com

+44 20 3709 5700

Media Relations in Norway

Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers

stiff@crux.no

+47 995 13 891

Forward looking statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

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HELSINKI, Finland, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CITYCON CORPORATION Press release 18 May 2021 at 12:20 hrs

Citycon is among Europe's Climate Leader companies according to the list drafted by Financial Times and German research company Statista, which surveyed European companies that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions most in relation to their revenues. Citycon is the only Finnish real estate company included in the list and was in the top quarter of all European companies regardless of the sector.

Financial Times and German research company Statista published today a list of companies across Europe that have shown the highest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in relation to their revenues in the period 20142019. The results will also be introduced in a special report to be published in Financial Times on 27 May. More than 4,000 companies with revenue of at least MEUR 40 in 2019 were surveyed.

Citycon is the only Finnish real estate company included in the list and is among the five top Finnish companies. The company was in the top quarter of all the European companies regardless of the sector. According to Chief Operating Officer Henrica Ginstrom, this ranking reinforces Citycon's commitment to a sustainable future.

"We are extremely happy to have been selected as one of the Europe's Climate Leaders. Our inclusion in the top quarter in Europe is an acknowledgement of our long-term sustainability work, which encourages us to strive for our goal of carbon neutrality by 2030," says Henrica Ginstrom.

Sustainable business equals good business

Citycon has worked with great determination to reduce carbon dioxide emissions for several years. Last year, all electricity bought by Citycon was 100% green, and the company signed the international Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment to strive towards using only green energy at its properties by 2030. The goal of reducing energy consumption by 15% per square metre when compared to consumption in 2014 was also achieved in 2020. Climate impacts have been reduced in every respect in terms of both absolute numerical data as well as specific consumption.

Sustainability also plays a major role in all of Citycon's development projects  ongoing development projects are located close to excellent public transport connections and environmental certification is obtained for all projects. One example of a compact urban centre for retail and services located close to public transport connections is the Lippulaiva shopping centre, which will open its doors in the spring of 2022.

Lippulaiva will connect eight residential towers with a shopping centre housing both everyday necessities as well as public services. The centre also houses a metro and bus station and, due to its advanced energy solutions, Lippulaiva will be carbon neutral from the day it opens.

The largest geothermal heating and cooling facility for a commercial building in Europe has been built under Lippulaiva, and it will generate carbon-free energy to meet almost the entire heating and cooling needs of the building. Solar panels will also be installed in the centre to generate electricity to be used, for example, for the illumination of the centre, and Lippulaiva's energy flows are smartly controlled with new, energy-saving control methods.

"Profitability and sustainability go hand in hand. Energy-efficient and environmentally certified buildings are high-quality buildings with low operating expenses," says Henrica Ginstrom.

Further information:

Henrica Ginstrom

Chief Operating Officer

Tel. +358 50 554 4296

henrica.ginstrom@citycon.com

Citycon is the leading owner, developer and manager of multipurpose urban centres. Our centres in key urban areas combine retail, office premises and housing with well-functioning traffic connections. We are committed to sustainable property maintenance, and the total value of the property portfolio in the Nordic Countries managed by Citycon is approximately EUR 4.4 billion. Our centres offer daily consumer goods, health care services as well as other services to meet the daily needs of our customers.

www.citycon.com

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SOURCE Citycon Oyj
MOSCOW, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the devastation brought about by COVID-19 to the global cosmetics industry in 2020, the Asian market, especially the Chinese market, still demonstrated a rapidly growing trend. The Third China International Import Expo (CIIE) saw Shiseido releasing two of its major brands, i.e., "THE GINZA" and "BAUM". Following their steps was "EFFECTIM", which was also marketed globally for the first time. Cosmetics giant Natura &Co has been looking to expand itself in the Chinese market, and did just so in 2020 by registering two new companies therein in preparation for its Aesop and The Body Shop, having previously acquired Avon in May 2019. More on a similar note, Eternaleaf, a British light-luxury brand boasting long-term reputation in Europe and the United States, has officially entered the Chinese market in 2020 after achieving great success in Southeast Asian markets, such as Indonesia. Furthermore, Eternaleaf has also further staked its claim by partnering with Yong Qi, a Chinese beauty chain giant with 545 stores, as well as institutions like DERUIMA Health and Langyue Health, each of which runs dozens of high-end postpartum recovery centers.

Statistics show that China imported a wreath of beauty cosmetics and toiletries worth over US$20.2 billion in 2020, an increase of 29% over the previous year. This trend is indicative of the stage of rapid growth the market is in, as well as the keen fondness displayed hereto by so many renowned global brands.

SOURCE Eternaleaf Group Limited
Innovative User Verification technology Accura Scan succeeded in procuring UAE's Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) as a digital partner

MUMBAI, India, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Accura Scan, the pioneer in user authentication, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership as a KYC onboarding solution provider to the Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD). This possession evinces Accura Scan's prudent extension and business diversification initiative in the international domain with its KYC compliant system that affords high-quality verification of customers. Accura Scan has stepped into a new milestone with this breakthrough. Both Accura Scan and Commercial Bank of Dubai are excited about collaborating & escalating customer utility by integrating their two crucial work disciplines.

The banking and the finance industry has a deep concern for augmented security services to avert safety threats for their transaction systems. Commercial Bank of Dubai, one of the world's elite banks, is offering a complete digital account opening in less than a minute. Under this partnership, Accura Scan is going to take care of the entire User Onboarding with its stalwart digital systems. CBD's default digital strategy to provide customers with innovative & technological products & services to enrich their banking experiences will be henceforth strengthened by Accura Scan's eKYC solution program by scanning Emirates ID, Passports with Face Biometrics in less than 10 seconds. Accura Scan Engine has been catering to industries like Bank, Finance, Travel, Hospitality, and other verticals with its Web & Mobile solutions for four years now, having its base in Mumbai, India & Dubai, UAE.

Yasin Habibali, Founder of Accura Scan states, "Accura Scan is delighted to come on board with CBD to our family of companies. CBD was looking for a solution that could offer them smooth and seamless operations with their KYC process. I believe they were well convinced with our presentation and purpose of business to give us an opportunity and signed a contract with us. It is going to boost Accura Scan's ecosystem to further our commitment to deliver deep-domain expertise to financial transaction automation market and beyond. We would continue to focus on enabling our partner's operational efficiencies and an optimized workflow for the future."

About Accura Scan

Accura Scan is a powerful User Onboarding Solution technology, a pioneer in its field, with a No Code AI Platform, API, and SDK technology.

SOURCE Accura Scan
SINGAPORE, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Giift continues to create path-breaking loyalty solutions. Introducing a new platform, 'Giift Box': A web-based application specially designed to promote digital inclusion within the SME segment. Now, every merchant, from kiosks to supermarkets can affordably engage their users.

All it takes are 3 simple steps  create, publish, and eventually validate the offers in-store or online. It empowers merchants to create promotions in self-service mode. They can choose from a selection of ready-to-use templates and customize them as per their brands. Once created, these promotions can be shared on social & chat media. They can also be displayed in-store through a simple QR code.

To enjoy these offers, customers do not have to download any apps. They can simply scan the QR code, enter their details and enjoy the benefits. From e-gift cards to usage-linked coupons, merchants can create & publish their promotions in minutes.

Another significant advantage is that these offers can be seamlessly pushed to a larger audience base of existing Giift loyalty members. This gives the merchants a chance to be a part of the Giift ecosystem and enjoy exposure to over 80 million customers!

Pascal Xatart said, "Our innovative yet user-friendly loyalty solutions at Giift always intend to provide scalable and sustainable technology. 'Giift Box' does just that and will play a pivotal role in the upturn of SME businesses through an effective, yet affordable solution. With this launch, Giift now addresses every segment from microenterprises to large corporates".

About Giift.com: Giift innovative end-to-end loyalty technology turns rewards programs into fungible currencies. Giift operates in more than 50 countries, with offices in New York, London, Singapore, Wuhan, Nairobi, Dubai, Jakarta, Mumbai, Colombo, Doha, Lagos, Cairo, and Dhaka. Giift business model is transaction-based.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1162353/Giift_Logo.jpg

For more information about this story, contact:

Pascal Xatart, Co-Founder & Director

[email protected]

+44(0)7470605095

www.giift.com

SOURCE Gift Management Asia Pte. Ltd.
Award announced of a lifelong financial stipend for the 18 surviving Ukrainians classified as "Righteous Among the Nations"

Ceremony at Babyn Yar's new symbolic synagogue marked Ukraine's first annual Remembrance Day for Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II

KYIV, Ukraine, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At a ceremony hosted by the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (BYHMC), Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, the Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrii Yermak and Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko honored Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Holocaust and announced that those still alive will receive a lifelong monthly state stipend, in recognition of their heroism.

Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrii Yermak at the ceremony (credit: BYHMC) (PRNewsfoto/Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center)

The ceremony marked the first Remembrance Day for Ukrainians who rescued Jews during World War II. Earlier this year, Ukraine's parliament passed a resolution designating 14 May as an annual commemoration to honor their actions.

Following World War II, a total of 2,659 Ukrainians were awarded the prestigious title of "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Of all countries, Ukraine has the fourth largest number of "Righteous Among the Nations." However, it is believed that a far greater number of Ukrainians risked their lives and those of their families to save Jews from the Nazis. BYHMC is working to uncover many of these unknown stories.

At the ceremony, it was announced that the 18 Ukrainian "Righteous Among the Nations" who remain alive today, will each be recognized by the state for their bravery with a monthly state stipend for the remainder of their lives.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal said, "This landmark event is a clear indication that the Ukrainian public consciousness affirms high ideals of respect for human life and recognition of responsibility and memory, which contribute to the construction of a free, democratic societyOn the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Second World War, we honor the feat of these courageous people who have become and remain for us an example of humanity and self-sacrifice."

Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andrii Yermak commented, "Babyn Yar became a terrible symbol of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe because of the massacre of World War II. In just two days, almost 34,000 Jews from Kyiv were killed. Today, it is important to honor the memory of these people and praise those who saved them at the risk of their own lives. Express gratitude for the hope they have given back to the world. And I hope that future generations will remember this feat for centuries."

Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko emphasized the importance to "honor the memory of tens of thousands of Jews from Kyiv who died in Babyn Yar during the terrible Holocaust," adding "it is very symbolic that we are doing this on the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who risked their lives to save Jews. Today we also honor the feat of all these courageous people."

Chief Strategist and Head of the Academic Council at BYHMC, Father Patrick Desbois, said, "Babyn Yar, a discreet ravine, where one thousand German people came to assassinate almost 34,000 Jews, including children and women in broad daylight, in front of everybody. It is a place of mass murder, from where we have to teach the younger generation all over the planet not to engage in mass shootings, in mass crimes today. Unfortunately, until now, every day, on every continent, mass shootings are devastating the world - In Kabul, in Iraq, in Sria and elsewhere. Babyn Yar must be an international center to prevent mass crimes."

The ceremony took place at the new symbolic synagogue at Babyn Yar and was attended by state officials, diplomats, religious leaders, cultural and community figures. The symbolic synagogue is the first construction to be completed in the planned Babyn Yar memorial complex, which will stretch over an area of 150 hectares, making it one of the world's largest Holocaust memorial centers. A dozen buildings will eventually be erected as part of the complex.

33,771 Jewish victims were shot at Babyn Yar by the Nazis during just two days, 29 and 30 September 1941. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, Roma, mentally ill and others were shot thereafter at Babyn Yar throughout the Nazi occupation of Kyiv. The estimated number of victims murdered at Babyn Yar is around 100,000, making it Europe's largest mass grave. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre and commemorations will culminate in an international event including global leaders in September  October 2021.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1512885/BYHMC_Andrii_Yermak.jpg

SOURCE Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center
Company Supports Increased Commercial Growth with Appointment of Seasoned Medtech Executive to Chief Financial Officer

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CorVent Medical, a private medtech company focused on developing versatile, lifesaving ventilators for critical care, announced that it has received CE Mark approval and is ready to launch commercial use of its RESPOND-19 Ventilator in Europe. The novel system is designed for easy-to-use, flexible expansion of critical care ventilation capacity to allow hospitals to improve treatment of critically ill patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Optimized for day-to-day clinical use and overflow ventilation needs, the system provides invasive and non-invasive respiratory support at a lower cost of ownership without the traditional requirements for costly service or maintenance plans. In support of the company's continued commercial growth, CorVent has appointed seasoned medtech financial executive, Travis Murphy, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

"The RESPOND-19 Ventilator equips healthcare providers with a highly responsive fleet of ICU-quality ventilators. With a streamlined interface that can be deployed at moment's notice, the RESPOND-19 Ventilator allows clinicians to quickly meet the clinically demanding needs in a dynamic critical care setting, which was further exasperated by the pandemic," stated Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Felix Herth, pulmonologist and Medical Director at Thoraxklinik-Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. "The system's advanced antiviral protection makes the RESPOND-19 Ventilator an invaluable resource for limiting viral spread, protecting physicians and staff."

The ICU-quality system includes mandatory, assist, and spontaneous ventilation modes along with built-in safeguards to meet individual patient's needs. The streamlined, lightweight design simplifies training, ensures compatibility with all low flow oxygen sources, and allows for easy movement within the hospital. In addition, the system filters out 99.9% of viral pathogens using antiviral safeguards to protect both patients and staff. Optimized for a low cost of ownership, the system is ready to use out of the box from long-term storage without ongoing service contracts or costly maintenance. The RESPOND-19 Ventilator is ideal for day-to-day clinical use or overflow ventilation needs.

To support the company's growth, CorVent also announced the expansion of its senior management team and welcomed seasoned medtech executive, Travis Murphy, as CFO. Mr. Murphy has a proven track record of over 30 years of experience with start-up and growth stage companies, primarily in the medtech sector. He brings a wealth of knowledge across a wide range of financial activities including day-to-day operating management, long-term strategic planning, fundraising, and leading successful exits. He joins the team after a successful tenure as CFO at Ativa Medical.

"A hospital's ventilation needs have shifted in recent years; they require flexibility to respond to changes in demand without the high cost of ongoing ownership. Today's systems must meet the rigorous mechanical ventilation requirements of the ICU but also be easy to use and deployed rapidly to expand critical care capacity when time is limited," stated Richard S. Walsh, CEO of CorVent Medical. "Our experienced team has made meaningful inroads into the respiratory market with the RESPOND-19 Ventilator in a short time and the market's response has been very positive. Bringing Travis Murphy on as our company's CFO will be invaluable to expanding our commercialization efforts."

The RESPOND-19 Ventilator was recently recognized as a 2021 Silver Winner of the Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA) from Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MDDI) in the category of ER and OR Tools, Equipment, and Supplies.

In late 2020, CorVent received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the RESPOND-19 Ventilator and announced a U.S. distribution partnership with Siemens Healthineers. The company anticipates full FDA clearance of the system in 2021.

About CorVent Medical, Inc.

CorVent Medical, a privately held portfolio company of medtech incubator Coridea LLC, is committed to developing versatile, lifesaving ventilators for critical care. The company's first product, the RESPOND-19 Ventilator, provides ICU-quality respiratory support that expands ventilation capacity with reliable and affordable deployment when you need it most. The streamlined system enables sophisticated ventilation that includes lifesaving, life sustaining and weaning capabilities with excellent infection control. The robust, lightweight system eliminates the need for costly service and maintenance plans and was designed in partnership with Design Catapult and built in California in collaboration with Design Catapult Manufacturing. The RESPOND-19 Ventilator recently received FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), is CE Marked and available for sale in countries that accept those regulatory approvals. To learn more, please visit www.corventmedical.com.

Related Links

http://www.corventmedical.com



SOURCE CorVent Medical, Inc.
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP has endorsed the Credit for Caring Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide up to a $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit for eligible working family caregivers. The bill was introduced today in the Senate by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and in the House by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA).

Currently, 48 million Americans care for aging parents, spouses, and other adult loved ones so they can remain in their homes and communities. These family caregivers provide wide-ranging support, and the financial toll they face can be substantial. AARP research has found that, on average, family caregivers spend nearly $7,000 out of their own pockets annually to care for their loved ones, and 45% have reported negative financial impacts such as taking on debt or stopping saving. The Credit for Caring Act could alleviate some of this financial stress by providing a tax credit to help offset out-of-pocket costs for family caregivers.

"AARP is proud to endorse the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act. We urge Congress to pass this important legislation in 2021," said Nancy A. LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "Family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term care system in this country, and they need help. Many are struggling to balance their care responsibilities with paid employment. And, they're dipping into their own pockets to cover care-related expenses for their loved ones. By providing a tax credit to eligible family caregivers, Congress can offer some much-needed financial relief to these hard-working Americans."

The Credit for Caring Act would help working family caregivers offset the cost of caregiving expenses such as home care aides, adult day care, home modifications, assistive technology, respite care, transportation, or other supports that help their loved ones. The bill would provide a new, non-refundable federal tax credit of up to $5,000, giving a credit of 30% of qualified expenses paid or incurred by the family caregiver above $2,000.

An AARP analysis released in March found that increasing supportive policies for working caregivers could provide benefits to both employers and the broader economy. If family caregivers age 50+ have access to support in the workplace, U.S. Gross Domestic Product could grow by an additional $1.7 trillion (5.5%) in 2030.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.

SOURCE AARP

Related Links

www.aarp.org


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report, Delivering Financial Products and Services to the Unbanked and Underbanked in the United States  Challenges and Opportunities, from six trade groups outlines the obstacles and viable solutions for improving financial inclusion, providing access to bank accounts to the unbanked population in the United States, which currently represents approximately 6% of U.S. households, and for reducing utilization of high-cost non-bank financial products and services.

The paper identifies the chief reasons for individuals being unbanked/underbanked and highlights existing actions from banks, credit unions, non-profits, and policymakers that have shown promise in addressing the challenge of bringing individuals more fully into the banking system. The paper also makes recommendations that policy makers should consider moving forward. The paper is authored by The Clearing House, the American Bankers Association, the Consumer Bankers Association, the Credit Union National Association, the Mid-Sized Bank Coalition of America, and the National Bankers Association.

"Financial inclusion and access to bank accounts and services is a key priority of banks and credit unions and an important shared goal of the private, nonprofit, and government sectors," said Rob Hunter, Deputy General Counsel of The Clearing House. "While there is much more work to be done, we are pleased that the percentage of unbanked U.S. households has steadily declined over the past decade. The recommendations set forth in the paper are aimed at expanding that progress."

The report concludes that instead of establishing a large, duplicative and potentially expensive banking infrastructure to create bank accounts through the Federal Reserve or the U.S. Postal Service (postal banking), there are more effective and less costly ways to address the unbanked/underbanked challenge, including:

Verifiable Identification: Verifiable identification is unavailable to many unbanked/underbanked individuals. Public policy makers should focus on this obstacle, as well as other factors that the private sector cannot address that contribute to the unbanked and underbanked challenge.

Verifiable identification is unavailable to many unbanked/underbanked individuals. Public policy makers should focus on this obstacle, as well as other factors that the private sector cannot address that contribute to the unbanked and underbanked challenge. Encourage New Bank Accounts: When enrolling recipients in direct payment government benefit programs, individuals should be encouraged to open basic, low-cost bank accounts.

When enrolling recipients in direct payment government benefit programs, individuals should be encouraged to open basic, low-cost bank accounts. Public/Private Partnerships: Public policy should encourage public/private partnerships to continue to innovate and meet the changing needs of households and individuals, including continuing to advance targeted financial education and messaging on ways in which a bank account can meet an individual's current needs.

Public policy should encourage public/private partnerships to continue to innovate and meet the changing needs of households and individuals, including continuing to advance targeted financial education and messaging on ways in which a bank account can meet an individual's current needs. Continue Successful Programs: The banking industry should continue its efforts to reduce the percentage of unbanked households by embracing approaches with a proven track record of success, such as the Bank On initiative which promotes basic low-cost accounts.

The banking industry should continue its efforts to reduce the percentage of unbanked households by embracing approaches with a proven track record of success, such as the Bank On initiative which promotes basic low-cost accounts. Expand Broadband Access: Expanding broadband internet access to underserved areas allows individuals to better leverage digital banking services, which are the most convenient way to engage with unbanked/underbanked households.

Expanding broadband internet access to underserved areas allows individuals to better leverage digital banking services, which are the most convenient way to engage with unbanked/underbanked households. Continued Examination of Unbanked Trends: Public policy makers should examine the factors that contributed to the sharp decline in the unbanked rate for Black and Hispanic households from 2015 to 2019 and the underlying reasons for continued observed racial disparity and the successful practices of Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions for reaching financially underserved communities.

"This report details not just how many households are unbanked, but why," said Naomi Camper, ABA Chief Policy Officer. "It underscores why ABA continues to urge every bank in the country to offer Bank On-certified accounts, which are helping to bring more people into the banking system. With a Bank On-certified account, consumers can feel confident that banks want their business and can provide them with a low-cost, insured account that offers all the economic opportunities that come with being banked."

"This research underscores how important it is to remove barriers to financial access for the unbanked and underserved," said Ryan Donovan, Chief Advocacy Officer for the Credit Union National Association. "For over 100 years, America's credit unions have promoted thrift and provided access to credit for provident purposes. We look forward to working with policymakers to apply these findings and explore meaningful solutions that improve financial well-being for everyone."

"The nation's leading banks are uniquely positioned and committed to help ensure all Americans have access to safe and sound financial products," Richard Hunt, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO. "This report outlines important policies and products that have successfully banked the unbanked and reaffirms the important role financial institutions can play to achieve this goal. CBA and our member banks will continue to advocate for equitable services and solutions that provide more communities the financial tools they need to prosper."

The full paper can be accessed here.

About The Clearing House Association

The Clearing House Association is a nonpartisan advocacy organization that represents the interests of its member banks by developing and promoting policies to support a safe, sound, and competitive banking system that serves customers, communities, and economic growth. Learn more at www.theclearinghouse.org.

About American Bankers Association

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation's $21.2 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional, and large banks that together employ more than 2 million people, safeguard $17 trillion in deposits, and extend nearly $11 trillion in loans. Learn more at aba.com.

About Consumer Bankers Association

The Consumer Bankers Association represents America's leading retail banks. We promote policies to create a stronger industry and economy. Established in 1919, CBA's corporate member institutions account for 1.7 million jobs in America, extend roughly $4 trillion in consumer loans and provide $275 billion in small business loans annually.

About Credit Union National Association

The Credit Union National Association, Inc. (CUNA) is the largest trade association in the United States serving America's credit unions and the only national association representing the entire credit union movement. CUNA represents nearly 5,300 federal and state credit unions, which collectively serve more than 120 million members nationwide. CUNA's mission in part is to advocate for responsible regulation of credit unions to ensure market stability, while eliminating needless regulatory burden that interferes with the efficient and effective administration of financial services to credit union members.

About Mid-Sized Bank Coalition of America

The Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America (MBCA) is a distinct, singularly-focused "self-help" alliance representing the Nation's mid-size banks that has the direct involvement of each of its member banks' CEOs and most of their management committee members. Our members include over 95% of all banks with assets between approximately $10 and $100 billion. Coalition banks are a leading source of lending and investment on America's Main Streets serving millions of consumers, households, and businesses in communities throughout the country.

About National Bankers Association

Since its founding in 1927, the National Bankers Association has served as a voice for Black and other minority-owned banks. Now, with membership that includes Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Native-American, and women-owned banks, our reach extends across the country. We believe strongly in advocating for not only our member banks, but also the communities they serve. Our members help low and moderate-income communities, and they are committed to providing economic revitalization to families in those neighborhoods. Many of our member institutions have become banks of last resort for consumers and businesses who are underserved by traditional banks and financial service providers.

SOURCE The Clearing House

Related Links

https://www.theclearinghouse.org/


COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS) today announced that its Card Services business, has signed a multi-year renewal agreement with Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE: SIG) to continue providing private label credit card services. Alliance Data is a provider of market-leading payment products and digital solutions, including Bread and Comenity-branded financial services, and Signet is the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry.

Alliance Data will continue to provide leading private label credit card programs across Signet's Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared and Piercing Pagoda banners, with a broad promotional plan offering to support customers' unique needs and preferences. Signet has also implemented credit marketing support via Alliance Data's Enhanced Digital Suite, which incorporates dynamic credit messaging to drive purchase option awareness, better conversion and engagement, supporting Signet's ability to serve customers across a connected commerce experience.

"Alliance Data is excited to support Signet's commitment as a leader in omnichannel retailing," said Val Greer, chief commercial officer, Alliance Data Card Services. "Signet is a valued client, and we are proud to provide their customers the spending power they need for special purchases like engagement and bridal jewelry or a gift for themselves in a quick and seamless way, whether in person, on the go or at home."

Alliance Data and Signet will continue to partner on data and analytics solutions to provide advanced customer insights that drive top-line sales. These multi-channel solutions extend brand affinity and engagement among cardmembers by focusing on customer life-stage marketing to drive relevant, timely offers. Alliance Data's strong risk and underwriting prowess enables Signet to meet the needs of their customers, offering a depth of lending that provides customer satisfaction at every stage of the purchasing process.

"Our partnership with Alliance Data has been instrumental in providing data and insights that enable Signet to reach customers with the right offer at just the right time," said Signet CEO Virginia C. Drosos. "As we execute our Inspiring Brilliance Strategy, Alliance Data, with its robust underwriting strategies, will be an important partner in offering our customers financing solutions whenever, wherever and however they want to engage us."

About Alliance Data

Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading provider of data-driven marketing, loyalty and payment solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions that measurably change consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its partners create and increase customer loyalty across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. A FORTUNE 500 and S&P MidCap 400 company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Alliance Data consists of businesses that together employ approximately 8,000 associates at more than 45 locations worldwide.

Alliance Data's Card Services business is a comprehensive provider of market-leading private label, co-brand, general purpose and business credit card programs, digital payments, including Bread, and Comenity-branded financial services. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's most recognized loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers. More information about Alliance Data can be found at www.AllianceData.com.

Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About Signet

Signet Jewelers Limited is the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry. As a purpose-driven and sustainability focused company, Signet is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact, and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Signet is a Best Places to Work certified company and has been named to the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index for three consecutive years. Signet operates approximately 2,800 stores primarily under the name brands of Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples, Piercing Pagoda, and JamesAllen.com. Further information on Signet is available at www.signetjewelers.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding, and the guidance we give with respect to, our anticipated operating or financial results, initiation or completion of strategic initiatives including the proposed spinoff of our LoyaltyOne segment, future dividend declarations, and future economic conditions, including, but not limited to, fluctuation in currency exchange rates, market conditions and COVID-19 impacts related to relief measures for impacted borrowers and depositors, labor shortages due to quarantine, reduction in demand from clients, supply chain disruption for our reward suppliers and disruptions in the airline or travel industries.

We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

Contacts:

Alliance Data

Brian Vereb  Investor Relations

614-528-4516

[email protected]

Shelley Whiddon  Media

214-494-3811

[email protected]

Rachel Stultz  Media

614-729-4890

[email protected]

Signet Jewelers

Vinnie Sinisi  Investor Relations

330-665-6530

[email protected]

Colleen Rooney  Media

330-668-5932

[email protected]

David Bouffard  Media

330-668-5369

[email protected]

SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation

Related Links

http://www.alliancedata.com


"The work the ALS Association is doing to find new treatments and cures and improve care will benefit those of us living with ALS now," said Larry Falivena, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2017 and is on the ALS Association's Board of Trustees. "And it will mean that people diagnosed in the future will no longer have to live with the same physical, emotional, and financial burdens as those of us living with ALS now. I want to see my boys grow up, and I think this is the best chance for me, and many others like me, to make that happen."

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that can strike anyone at any time. The average life expectancy of an ALS patient is approximately three to five years after diagnosis. Death is usually due to respiratory failure because of diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Few treatment options exist for these patients, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression.

"This is the first time the ALS community has been able to articulate a workable plan to fundamentally change the course of this disease," said Dr. Jinsy Andrews, who serves as Associate Professor of Neurology at Columbia University's Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center, and who is a member of the ALS Association's Board of Trustees. "This is an audacious and challenging goal, but people with ALS deserve no less. If we are focused, and can expand research and access to high quality care the way we need to, we can make this happen."

According to its plan, which can be viewed at ALS.org/livable, the organization will be putting an emphasis on more and faster clinical trials, improved delivery of state-of-the-art care to all people living with ALS, and the identification of risk factors to treat ALS as soon as possible, including before symptoms develop.

"A critical part of making ALS livable means finding new treatments and cures, and we need to speed and scale up the ALS research process so they are developed soon enough to help people living with ALS now," said Calaneet Balas, President and CEO of The ALS Association. "Making ALS livable also means improving the care we are delivering and thinking about how to prevent ALS and its associated harms, which will help people with ALS and their loved ones."

Balas added: "Seven years ago, some amazing people with ALS inspired us all to do the Ice Bucket Challenge and made the world aware of ALS. That outpouring of support for people with ALS has enabled us to now take the next step and lead the process of transforming ALS from being a fatal disease into a livable one."

In 2014, over 2.5 million people donated to the ALS Association as part of the Ice Bucket Challenge, raising over $115 million for the organization and dramatically accelerating the fight against ALS. The funding helped lead to the discovery of new ALS genes, new potential treatments, and doubled the number of the Association's certified and recognized treatment centers. Since 2014, the Association has committed over $113M million to research and is currently funding 166 projects in 13 countries.

Next week, the ALS Association is hosting a virtual meeting with representatives from the Food and Drug Administration so that the agency can hear from people living with ALS about their urgent need for new treatments that provide even incremental benefits in how people feel, function and live. Andrews added that one way to make ALS livable is to create a stable of moderately effective treatments, until more permanent cures can be found. The Association has also asked that AMX0035, a treatment that showed promise and safety in phase 2 trials, be fast-tracked by the FDA so it can be made available to people with ALS as soon as possible.

To learn more about the ALS Association's goal of making ALS livable by 2030, visit ALS.org/livable.

About ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts approximately 16,000 people in the United States and a comparable number of patients in Europe. Approximately 5,000 new cases of ALS are diagnosed each year in the United States. The average life expectancy of an ALS patient is approximately three to five years after diagnosis and only approximately 10 percent of patients survive for more than 10 years. Death is usually due to respiratory failure because of diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Few treatment options exist for these patients, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression.

About The ALS Association

The ALS Association is the largest private funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, provides assistance for people with ALS and their families through our nationwide network of chapters and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org.

SOURCE The ALS Association
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds the U.S. Representatives for its overwhelming approval today of the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act, following Senate passage last month. The vote was 364-62.

"The myriad American organizations and communities that have together advocated for this important legislation, coupled with the strong bipartisan support garnered in the House of Representatives and the Senate, shows that Americans recognize the urgent need for concrete action against hate, and shows as well that we can achieve unity over division," said Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer. "We look forward to President Biden swiftly this bill into law."

U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA), and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced the measure, along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act will improve hate crimes reporting and governmental responses to hate. The FBI is required by law to gather data on hate crimes annually, but the information is chronically inaccurate. Victims inconsistently report hate crimes, and law enforcement is not always equipped to identify crimes as motivated by bias. Because reporting is voluntary, only 13 percent of the nation's law enforcement agencies submit any hate crimes data to the FBI. More than 70 cities with at least 100,000 residents failed to contribute to the latest FBI Hate Crimes Statistics report or reported zero hate crimes.

Jews remain the most targeted victims of religiously motivated hate crimes in the FBI reports. AJC's 2020 State of Antisemitism in America report found that 76 percent of those who were the target of an antisemitic attack or remark did not report it.

The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act will incentivize state and local law enforcement authorities to improve hate crime reporting by making grants available, to be managed through the Department of Justice. The grants, authorized from existing funds, will provide resources such as law enforcement training, the creation of reporting hotlines, increased resources to liaise with affected communities, and public educational forums on hate crimes.

AJC garnered support for the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act from numerous partners, organizations, and constituencies, including the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, dozens of Asian American partners, religious leaders, and minority groups across the country.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


POMPANO BEACH, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Anago Cleaning Systems today announced it had earned the highest rating issued by the GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) for ensuring facilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations. Speaking about the GBAC STAR rating system, John Barret, Executive Director, ISSA (International Safety Standards Association), said the accreditation program is precisely what facilities need to reopen and keep staff, customers, and communities safe. As the only nationwide commercial cleaning franchise to be accredited with the GBAC STAR award, Anago joins high-profile facilities including the Hard Rock Stadium - home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Capital One Arena in our nation's capital.

Anago Cleaning Systems is a pioneer of the master franchise system, allowing successful mid-career professionals to operate their exclusive regional franchises and providing opportunities for motivated entrepreneurs to create their own small businesses. Both levels focus on running their business while Anago Cleaning Systems provides assistance, guidance, and critical tools to grow. "Anago Cleaning Systems is proud to be the first commercial cleaning franchise company in the nation to earn this significant benchmark in biorisk cleanliness and workplace safety," said Adam Povlitz, CEO & President of Anago Cleaning Systems. "As a leader in the commercial cleaning franchise industry, it is imperative to stay up-to-date with the most advanced and innovative cleaning and disinfection practices and adopt them in our South Florida-based international headquarters."

According to the GBAC/ISSA website, the GBAC STAR award is the cleaning industry's only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation. As the gold standard in facility cleaning services, GBAC bases its accreditation program on three main areas: an established and maintained cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2); having proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease; and the use of highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for an outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response.

"Anago Cleaning Systems is proud to be the first commercial cleaning franchise company in the nation to earn this significant benchmark in biorisk cleanliness and workplace safety," said Adam Povlitz, CEO & President of Anago Cleaning Systems. "As a leader in the commercial cleaning franchise industry, it is imperative to stay up-to-date with the most advanced and innovative cleaning and disinfection practices and adopt them in our South Florida-based international headquarters."

Povlitz added that Anago had adopted the GBAC accreditation process into its international Master and Unit franchise program guidelines. Each business serviced by an Anago franchise is implementing the latest cleaning and disinfectant protocols learned through the COVID-19 experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused global and socio-economic damage, and in the beginning, the commercial cleaning industry was no exception. To rise to the COVID-19 challenge, Anago quickly pivoted and launched a brand-new specialized cleaning service, Protection+ Disinfection, developed with recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency, and Health Canada. This new program was welcomed by franchise owners and customers and made a difference in the survival of many local businesses.

"As a COVID-19 frontline industry, Anago was committed through each step of the pandemic by continuing to evolve and implement new disinfecting protocols when they became available. Since its inception, Anago has maintained a firm seat on the cutting edge of new technologies in both cleaning applications and processes, and in customer service as well," added Povlitz.

Commercial cleaning is reported to be among a tiny group of industries considered recession and pandemic-resistant franchises for risk-averse entrepreneurs. When faced with other historical global events such as the 2008 financial meltdown and the H1N1 virus, commercial cleaning not only survived as an industry but grew exponentially as the demand increased and stabilized.

At Anago, several growth factors prove the industry's viability and profitability under global financial or social stress. The first is the number of inquiries for franchise opportunities. During COVID, Anago's data reported a nearly 200 percent increase in interested franchise candidates. At the same time, franchise openings increased by almost 20 percent, with specialty services such as disinfection programs also increased over 200 percent. These specialty services, which are now being included in COVID-19-inspired contracts, have doubled category sales quickly.

Anago Cleaning Systems is a pioneer of the master franchise system, allowing successful mid-career professionals to operate their exclusive regional franchises and providing opportunities for motivated entrepreneurs to create their own small businesses. Both levels focus on running their business while Anago Cleaning Systems provides assistance, guidance, and critical tools to grow.

About Anago Cleaning Systems

Anago Cleaning Systems is an international commercial cleaning franchise brand. Utilizing the Master Franchise System, Anago supports over 45 Master Franchisees and over 1,700 Unit Franchisees. Founded in 1989, Anago has set the worldwide standard in business support and structure for local and regional companies to provide unparalleled cleaning services to businesses of all kinds. Anago was ranked #33 overall by Entrepreneur magazine in its latest Franchise 500 ranking. In 2021, Anago's South Florida international headquarters earned the coveted GBAC STAR accreditation for implementing strict protocols for biorisk situations. For further information, visit its website at AnagoMasters.com.

Press Contact:

Perry Athanason

TopFireMedia

[email protected]

917.319.2126

SOURCE Anago Cleaning Systems
WASHINGTON and OAKLAND, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Newly released data show that 156,242 Americans died due to alcohol, drugs or suicide in 2019, a record number of such deaths in a single year. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic increased stress and related substance use for many Americans.

During 2019, alcohol and drug-induced deaths increased, while suicide rates were slightly lower. Over the last decade, 2009  2019, the number of alcohol and drug related and suicide deaths increased by 52 percent. These data are part of a report releasing today, Pain in the Nation: Alcohol, Drug and Suicide Deaths, the latest in a series of reports tracking the nation's deaths of despair crisis produced by Trust for America's Health and Well Being Trust.

Americans dying due to drug-induced causes was five percent higher in 2019 than the previous year, for a total of 74,511 deaths. The data are also beginning to show changes in the most affected population groups. For many years, the death rate for drug overdoses among whites was substantially higher than other racial groups, data are now showing dramatic increases in drug related deaths for certain populations of color. For the year, drug-induced deaths were up by 15 percent among Latinos and Blacks, 11 percent for American Indians and 10 percent for people of Asian descent. Among whites' drug-induced deaths rose by 2 percent for the year.

For the first time since 2005, 2019 deaths rates from drugs for Black people was higher than that of whites.

Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, (up 16%), cocaine (up 8%) and other psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine and ecstasy) (up 28%) continue to drive drug-induced deaths higher. Natural/semisynthetic opioids (e.g., Prescription opioids) and heroin overdoses declined for the year.

In 2019, 39,043 Americans died from alcohol-related causes, up 4 percent over 2018. It was the tenth year in a row that the alcohol death rate increased. Alcohol deaths were highest among American Indians (31.9 deaths per 100,000 people), adults over 55 (28.3 deaths per 100,000 people) and males (15.2 deaths per 100,000 people). All groups, except children, had a higher rate of alcohol deaths in 2019 compared with 2018 and early 2020 data show that rates of consumption are continuing to increase.

One bright spot in the data is that for the year (2019), the age-adjusted suicide rate declined from 14.2 to 13.9 deaths per 100,000 deaths, a 2 percent decrease. Americans who died by suicide in 2019 totaled 47,511. This decline in suicide deaths was the first since 2005 and is statistically significant. Preliminary 2020 data show a further small decrease in suicides despite the COVID crisis.

States with the highest age-adjusted death rates from alcohol, drugs and suicide combined in 2019 were New Mexico (88 deaths per 100,000 people) and West Virginia (85.1 deaths per 100,000 people).

"These data underscore, yet again, the massive problem we have had on our hands in this country," said Benjamin Miller, PsyD, Chief Strategy Officer, Well Being Trust. "The trends are clear: we are going in the wrong direction. If we are serious about addressing mental health and addiction, we must invest in strategies that are comprehensive and integrated. Incremental tinkering will not change the course or direction sufficiently enough - it's time for bold leadership to demand more."

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted Americans in almost inconceivable ways including illness, the loss of loved ones, job loss, financial stress, food insecurity, social isolation, and learning loss and the interruption of school-based services for millions of children. These stressors are impacting rates of alcohol and drug use and drug overdose deaths as more people turn to substances to help them cope.

From March 2019 to March 2020, the number of calls to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress Helpline increased by 891 percent. The U.S. Household Pulse Survey found that the number of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression from April 2020 through March 2021 was triple the number who reported such symptoms in 2019. A June 2020 CDC study found that 13 percent of adults "started or increased substance use to cope with pandemic-related stress or emotions."

"The drug, alcohol and suicide crisis has been growing for a decade and growing in uneven ways. The COVID crisis has increased stress on all Americans and has worsened the differential impact of health inequities on communities of color. While all Americans need support coping with the pandemic, people who are currently struggling with addiction or a mental health issue need urgent attention," said John Auerbach, President and CEO Trust for America's Health.

The report includes policy solutions and recommendations including:

Expand programs that support families and communities and reduce traumatic experiences, particularly in childhood.

Expand access to substance use prevention programs and mental health and resiliency programs in schools.

Tailor prevention and intervention programs for communities of color.

Strengthen crisis intervention programs and supports.

Increase access to mental health and substance use healthcare through full enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

Reduce availability of illicit opioids and psychostimulants.

Limit access to lethal means of suicide.

Expand efforts to combat stigma about mental health issues.

Improve mental health data accuracy, completeness and timeliness.

Expand the mental health and substance use treatment workforce; promote diversity and culturally informed practices within the workforce.

Build community capacity for early identification and intervention with individuals who need mental health care.

Trust for America's Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority. www.tfah.org

Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation. Created to include participation from organizations across sectors and perspectives, Well Being Trust is committed to innovating and addressing the most critical mental health challenges facing America, and to transforming individual and community well-being. www.wellbeingtrust.org. Twitter: @WellBeingTrust

SOURCE Trust for America's Health

Related Links

http://www.healthyamericans.org


ROCKVILLE, Md. and WILMINGTON, Del., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) and the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) commend U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for introducing legislation that would allow molecular pathology professionals to continue advancing and offering high-quality laboratory developed testing procedures (LDPs) for patient care. The Verified Innovative Testing in American Laboratories (VITAL) Act of 2021 would enhance transparency, preserve innovation, and ensure widespread patient access to essential medical services.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, FDA has imposed a regulatory process that has impeded the ability of laboratories, including many academic medical centers, reference laboratories, and community health systems across the country, to rapidly develop, validate, and offer high-quality LDPs for use on their patient populations. The VITAL Act calls attention to the important role that LDPs have played in the current COVID-19 pandemic response and ensures that even in times of public health emergencies, laboratories will be allowed to work within the current regulatory system under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which are administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This legislation would help eliminate the duplicative oversight process by clarifying the federal regulatory authority over LDPs and encouraging the modernization of CLIA. The VITAL Act also correctly differentiates LDPs, which are medical services that are developed, validated, and performed within a laboratory, from the boxed and shipped in vitro diagnostic test kits.

"We are pleased that Senator Paul introduced legislation that will provide clinical laboratories with clarity and predictability in the federal oversight of testing procedures. The current coronavirus pandemic continues to highlight the inappropriateness of FDA medical device regulations for LDPs and underscore the integral role that public health, academic, and community laboratories play in providing patient care and public health surveillance," said Antonia R. Sepulveda, MD, PhD, AMP President and Professor and Chair of the George Washington School of Medicine Department of Pathology. "AMP remains committed to working with all key stakeholders to establish a more efficient regulatory framework that ensures highquality patient care while continuing to foster the rapid innovation and promise of new diagnostic technologies. Passage of the VITAL Act is an important first step to achieving this goal and protecting patient access to these potentially life-saving procedures."

"This important support by members of Congress for the VITAL Act addresses the serious consequences experienced by our nation when laboratory tests are regulated like medical devices," added Lydia P. Howell, MD, APC President, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. "In the earliest and most frightening days of the pandemic, CLIA-accredited academic clinical laboratories could have used their valuable expertise and resources to expand SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing in their communities, but were unable to do so due to inappropriate FDA restrictions. Priceless weeks were lost, making the urgency to address these issues now even more clear. We greatly appreciate the support from Senator Paul in allowing academic laboratories to use their unique skills to serve patients when they need us most, and to partner with other stakeholders in creating a healthier world through innovation, education, and clinical care."

ABOUT APC

The Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) is a non-profit society, founded in 1967, to serve and give voice to academic departments of pathology and laboratory medicine in North America. APC provides leadership and advocacy for this dynamic discipline and supports departments in meeting the demands of their three missions  medical education, research, and practice  through networking and professional development. In addition to training residents and educating medical students in pathology and laboratory medicine, APC's members play a critical role in patient care and research in academic medical centers and affiliated hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. APC publishes Academic Pathology  the premier, open access journal for peer-reviewed scholarship in the field. For more information, visit www.apcprods.org and follow APC on Twitter: @apcprods.

ABOUT AMP

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) was founded in 1995 to provide structure and leadership to the emerging field of molecular diagnostics. AMP's 2,500+ members practice various disciplines of molecular diagnostics, including bioinformatics, infectious diseases, inherited conditions, and oncology. Our members are pathologists, clinical laboratory directors, basic and translational scientists, technologists, and trainees that practice in a variety of settings, including academic and community medical centers, government, and industry. Through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Committees, Working Groups, and Members, AMP is the primary resource for expertise, education, and collaboration in one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. AMP members influence policy and regulation on the national and international levels, ultimately serving to advance innovation in the field and protect patient access to high quality, appropriate testing. For more information, visit www.amp.org and follow AMP on Twitter: @AMPath

MEDIA CONTACT:

Andrew Noble

[email protected]

415-722-2129

SOURCE Association for Molecular Pathology
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, today announced it has received an overall rating of "Outstanding" from the FDIC for its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Performance Evaluation. Less than 10% of banks receive a CRA rating of "Outstanding", the highest possible rating. In addition, Bank of the West also achieved individual "Outstanding" ratings in the Investment and Service test categories.

"We are proud to have received an Outstanding rating from the FDIC for the work our team members do every day to serve low- and moderate-income communities throughout our footprint," said Nandita Bakhshi, President and CEO at Bank of the West. "Using the power of finance to create a more equitable society is core to Bank of the West's efforts to advance sustainability and diversity."

The FDIC evaluates banks' performance in helping customers, businesses and local communities meet their credit needs, which include low- and moderate-income (LMI) individuals, LMI neighborhoods, and small businesses, consistent with safe and sound operation and banking practices. The CRA helps ensure banks meet the needs of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, people, and businesses. The FDIC rates banks according to how well they honor the requirements of the federal law.

The FDIC's performance evaluation cites Bank of the West as "a leader" in making community development loans designed to help low- and moderate-income areas. From the August 2017 to September 2020 period evaluated, this included:

More than $3.9 billion in loans impacting affordable housing, community services, economic development and revitalization or stabilization of low- and moderate-income areas.

in loans impacting affordable housing, community services, economic development and revitalization or stabilization of low- and moderate-income areas. More than $565 million in investments that support underserved communities through affordable housing, small business development and community service-related nonprofit organizations.

"It is gratifying to see that our work, particularly in the area of affordable housing, is making a difference," said Norman A. Bliss, Senior Vice President, Community Reinvestment Group Manager, Bank of the West. "By working closely with developers and investors, we were able to build, rehabilitate and retain nearly 12,000 units of quality, decent affordable housing. This demonstrates that when we invest in our communities, everybody wins."

The full report and rankings are available online here.

About Bank of the West

At Bank of the West, we know money deposited in a bank has the power to finance positive change. So we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people's lives, and strengthen communities. We are redefining banking for a better future by focusing on areas where we believe we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable women entrepreneurs, and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses.

 2021 Bank of the West. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Doing business in South Dakota as Bank of the West California.

Connect with us

SOURCE Bank of the West

Related Links

http://www.bankofthewest.com


BayWa r.e.'s strong commitment to serving solar contractors and their record as a reliable and innovative distributor offers Silfab a differentiated approach to the U.S. distribution channel. Likewise, Silfab's commitment to delivering a high-quality and North American produced module allows BayWa r.e. to expand its product offering to solar contractors who value these important features.

"Silfab manufactures high-efficiency, monocrystalline PV modules in North America, featuring a strong warranty backed by four decades of proven customer satisfaction and product performance history," said David Dunlap, VP of Operations at BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC. "Our new partnership with Silfab provides our customers with a clearly differentiated choice for guaranteed 'Made in North America' modules. We are proud to offer an option to our contractors who need to provide proof of domestic products, such as for government projects, or who choose to offer domestic panels as a differentiated option to their customers."

"The growing North American solar market has benefited from the superior service of BayWa r.e., and Silfab Solar is excited to be joining their lineup by bringing our 'Made in North America' Silfab solar panels to BayWa r.e. locations across the country," said Ryan Adams, Silfab's director of business development. "With our four decades of solar experience, industry-leading warranty and high-efficiency modules, we look forward to being a great partner to the accomplished BayWa r.e. team."

Silfab recently launched its new Elite line of solar modules, the highest efficiency, most durable module yet produced by the company. The panels operate at lower temperatures in concert with superior low-light performance, which together increase energy yield by as much as 6% on a kWh/kWp basis. The advanced back-contact technology reduces front-cell metallization, minimizing shading losses while simultaneously alleviating locked-in mechanical stress in the electrical contacts. These features result in improved performance, better long-term reliability, and higher efficiency.

Silfab PV panels are in stock and available through the BayWa r.e. online store (https://solar-store-us.baywa-re.com/manufacturer/silfab).

About BayWa r.e.

At BayWa r.e. we r.e. think energy -- how it is produced, stored and can be best used to enable the global renewable energy transition that is essential to the future of our planet. We are a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor and solutions provider and have brought over 4 GW of energy online and manage over 10 GW of assets. We are also an Independent Power Producer with an expanding energy trading business. BayWa r.e. works with businesses worldwide to provide tailored renewable solutions. Operating 100% carbon neutral, we are also committed to our own sustainability journey. Every day, we are working hard to actively shape the future of energy in a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Our shareholders are BayWa AG, a $19.6 billion global business, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a leader in energy infrastructure investment. BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC is a leading U.S. distributor of top-tier solar and energy storage components and systems. For more information, visit http://solar-distribution.com.

About Silfab Solar

Silfab Solar is the North American leader in the design, development and manufacture of ultra-high-efficiency, premium quality PV modules. Silfab leverages 40 years of solar experience and best-in-class technologies to produce the highest-rated solar modules from facilities in the state of Washington and Toronto, Canada. Each facility features multiple automated ISO 9001-2015 quality certified production lines utilizing just-in-time manufacturing to deliver Buy American-approved PV modules specifically designed for and dedicated to the North American market. www.silfabsolar.com

SOURCE BayWa r.e. USA LLC

Related Links

https://us.baywa-re.com/en/


Right after Kaylee died, Norfolk homicide detectives noticed a mark on her chin and a scratch on the left side of her rib cage, according to a sworn affidavit signed by detective Jean-Claude Noel. They talked to her father, who told them his daughter didnt have any medical conditions that might have killed her and that when he dropped her off at Cherrys around 12:30 p.m., she was fine.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluestream Health, the rapidly growing telehealth platform designed to power healthcare providers and patients, no matter their location, language, or age, today announced that it has partnered with The Azadi Project to provide virtual care services to refugee women and girls fleeing from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria for safety in Greece.

Azadi is working with refugee women living in some of the harshest conditions with little or no access to basic essentials or health care needs including mental health services. The Azadi Project (Azadi meaning freedom or liberation in Hindi, Urdu and Farsi) helps heal mental injuries, builds confidence and provides digital communications training to facilitate employment. The organization provides a safe space and psychosocial support so that women can get back to living a fulfilling, safe and healthy life. The Azadi Project is based on the principles of freedom, integration and dignity and promotes refugee and gender rights.

"Bluestream Health has teamed with The Azadi Project to provide a virtual care platform that stretches around the world. The women fleeing war-torn and conflict-affected countries have suffered unspeakable abuse, and while seeking safety in Greece, they are further exposed to terrible living conditions and hostility. They are in need of proper care and psychosocial support as they navigate their new realities as a refugee," said Matthew Davidge, co-founder and CEO, Bluestream Health. "Internet connectivity knows no international boundaries, and we are happy to extend our platform and services for this worthy cause."

Bluestream's system provides millions of video minutes per month to health systems across the United States. The company routes incoming call requests to the right providers based on language, need and availability. Most of the refugee women and girls speak Farsi, a language that many health providers do not speak, and language barriers often prevent proper care. However, Bluestream's virtual care platform seamlessly connects refugee women in Greece with counselors in the United States and video interpreters either at the camp in Greece or across the United States. Bluestream Health works with language service providers to make sure to service patients in their language of origin so they are getting the best care possible.

The Azadi Project was founded three years ago and has helped over 50,000 refugees  more than half of them women and children  waiting for reunification or final asylum approval in Greece. There are almost no facilities or programs at camps that help the refugees constructively use their time of waiting or actively prevent their risk of exposure to traffickers, smuggling networks and prostitution.

"For many women, making the choice to seek refuge in another land for safety is a big risk and a huge decision. Working with Bluestream Health will make this journey a bit easier for many of these women and girls because they now have access to psychosocial support services -- even if the refugee women, providers and interpreters are thousands of miles apart, despite differences of time zone and language," said Azadi's founder and managing director, Priyali Sur.

Bluestream Health is an intuitive and extremely flexible virtual care platform combining video connectivity with the power of medical workflows across every point in the care continuum. Simple to use, Bluestream Health connects physicians, interpreters and patients in a single solution that is scalable to meet the evolving needs of both large and small healthcare providers.

"Technology is no replacement for care but it can enable it. A smiling face on video, particularly one that helps develop basic skills can focus the mind on a positive future and leave behind the darkness of the past," added Davidge.

About Bluestream Health

Bluestream Health is a leading virtual care enabler to healthcare providers and health systems. With over 500 health system facilities and 50,000 providers, Bluestream Health is delivering over four million video minutes and 100,000 on-demand virtual care visits each month with average wait times of 12 seconds. Our virtual care management platform provides clinics, health systems and payers with a simple and low-cost way to build, deploy, and manage complex video enabled clinical workflows.

About The Azadi Project

The Azadi Project is a 501(C) (3) with a mission to enhance refugee women and girls' voices and agency through digital employable skills training and mental health support. Azadi trains refugee women and girls in digital storytelling providing them the skills to access employment opportunities and provides them with a safe space to come together to receive psychosocial support services.

During the pandemic, Azadi has also worked with refugee women to overcome their immediate challenges by facilitating hygiene management in refugee camps and distributing over 50,000 products to women and their families.

Azadi was recently awarded and recognized as an unsung hero at the Atlantic Council's 2020 Distinguished Leadership Awards.

Contact:

Erin Farrell Talbot

Farrell Talbot Consulting for Bluestream Health

[email protected]

917-232-9309

Priyali Sur

The Azadi Project

[email protected]

+91-7982-405045

SOURCE Bluestream Health
"It is an honor that Cannabis Patient Care has been selected as a finalist for the SIIA Jesse H. Neal Awards." Tweet this

The Cannabis Patient Care November issue titled, "Post-Traumatic Stress to Post-Traumatic Growth: How Medical Cannabis Is Helping Veterans with PTSD," focuses on how veterans are using medical cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The issue shares insights from key thought leaders in the medical cannabis industry, such as Dr. Staci Gruber, Dr. Marion McNabb, and veteran Stephen Mandile, who are deeply involved in research and advancing access for veterans.

Since 1955, the SIIA Jesse H. Neal Awards have been a prestigious editorial honor in the field of specialized journalism. Named after Jesse H. Neal, the first managing director of American Business Media, the Jesse H. Neal Awards were established to recognize and reward editorial excellence in business media.

The 2021 Jesse H. Neal Awards ceremony will be broadcasted live on Wednesday, June 9, at noon.

For more information about the Jesse H. Neal Awards, including a full list of the finalists, click here.

About Cannabis Patient Care

Cannabis Patient Care magazine is an educational resource for patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and caregivers on the latest research, benefits, and treatment options cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses. Each issue of the publication will focus on a specific disease or ailment for which cannabis has been shown to be an effective remedy. The brand will cover the current research, patient testimonials, medical perspectives, and advocacy work. The mission of Cannabis Patient Care is to educate the medical community on the viable treatment options patients are experiencing with cannabis and the ongoing research into cannabis and cannabinoids worldwide. Cannabis Patient Care is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

Cannabis Patient Care Media Contact

Alexandra Ventura, 609-716-7777

[email protected]

SOURCE Cannabis Patient Care
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognni today announced it has been named a Microsoft Security 20/20 award winner for the Compliance Trailblazer category. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation, integration, and customer implementation with Microsoft technology.

"In the dynamic world of compliance, innovation is the key to security. We're absolutely delighted that the Cognni's unique Information Intelligence platform has been recognized by Microsoft as a trailblazer in our field. By mimicking human cognition, our AI is driving a paradigm shift, bringing unprecedented transparency to information sharing and making life profoundly easier for CISOs and InfoSec teams," said Guy Eisdorfer, Cognni's CEO and Co-founder.

At the second annual Microsoft Security 20/20 Awards held May 12, 2021, Microsoft announced award winners in 18 categories spanning security, compliance and identity. Cognni is a winner for Microsoft Security 20/20 Compliance Trailblazer award.

"The pandemic changed our perspective on work, home life, and security, presenting new challenges and new opportunities," said Vasu Jakkal, CVP, Security, Compliance, and Identity at Microsoft Corp. "I am so proud of the way our industry partners responded with innovation, compassion, resilience and a determination to help protect people and organizations around the world. We are delighted to recognize the excellence of these leaders at the second annual Microsoft Security 20/20 awards."

This year, Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) members voted on the winners of the Microsoft Security 20/20 Awards, providing an opportunity for colleagues to honor their industry peers who align to Microsoft's core values and have delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions and services during the past year. MISA was established to help further the security ecosystem, fostering an environment where solution providers can collaborate to create a future that's safer for people and organizations alike.

About Cognni

Founded in Tel Aviv in 2017, Cognni offers an AI-powered platform, enabling InfoSec teams to make sense of information sharing activities with autonomous mapping, detecting and investigation tools. The company is a member of the prestigious Microsoft Intelligent Security Association and a pioneer of Information Intelligence, which enables companies to automate their M365 tools including MIP, MCAS and Sentinel. Cognni ensures all of a company's important information risks are visible and automates policies configured accordingly, putting InfoSec on Autopilot.

Press Contact:

Shelley Levin

+972543914695

http://cognni.ai

SOURCE Cognni
DEARBORN, Mich., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to President Biden's position on Gaza, the American and Muslim American Political Action Committee (AMPAC) will be hosting a community leadership press conference tomorrow, Tuesday May 18, 2021 at 10:00 AM.

President Biden's anticipated visit to Dearborn, the home of the largest Arab and Muslim American community in the US, comes amidst the ongoing Israeli war of aggression on the Palestinian people in all of Mandatory Palestine, with Gaza bearing the brunt of this aggression.

The community leaders will convey a clear message to President Biden, demanding that the administration take immediate action to compel Israel to end the occupation and stop its war crimes and its other ongoing violations of human rights against all Palestinians, including those who are Israeli citizens. It has been distressing to learn that not only is the Biden administration refusing to pressure Israel, it has expressed support of this war, and stopped the UN Security Council from even issuing a statement calling for an end to the conflict.

Arab and Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Biden, hoping for a moral foreign policy based on international law and respect for human rights. We see a failure of leadership on Palestine. Community leaders affirm that the Biden Administration should be an honest broker and end its unconditional and biased support of Israel.

No one is against peace. But there will be no peace as long as Palestinians are not only denied the most basic of human rights, they are on the receiving end of a campaign of violence and terror. No one should allow that to continue. We won't. We urge everyone to speak out.

Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 10:00AM

Location: the parking lot of the AMS Mosque (nearby Ford Rouge Plant)

located at: 9945 Vernor Hwy, Dearborn, Michigan 48120

Media Contact:

Mr. Abdallah Sheikh, AMPAC President, Tel no.: (708) 369-4565

Email: AMPAC Office: [email protected]

Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director, Tel no. (313) 790-8453

Email [email protected]

Participating organizations (Partial list);

AMPAC, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), American Center for Justice (ACJ), American-Muslim Leadership Council (AMLC), Palestine Office Michigan and the American Human Rights Council (AHRC).

SOURCE American Arab & Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC)
SYDNEY and BLUE BELL, Pa., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that an international airline consortium operating to and from Australia has agreed to a six-year engagement with Unisys to provide an advanced Baggage Reconciliation System (BRS) at seven international airports at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. The contract was signed in the first quarter of 2021.

The Board of Airline Representatives Australia (BARA), an industry representative organization for airlines, manages the engagement with Unisys on behalf of the group of airlines. Unisys has worked with BARA since 2004 to provide the Baggage Reconciliation System that links passengers with their bags, tracking both as they move through the system. This latest engagement includes additional data security measures that use artificial intelligence to quickly identify and contain data breaches to further secure the sensitive passenger data associated with the baggage that is handled by the Baggage Reconciliation System. It also supports a new, easy to use, Android-based interface for the hand-held scanners used by baggage handlers.

The Unisys Baggage Reconciliation System is also ready to help BARA support end-to-end tracking of bags throughout the journey, in line with IATA's Resolution 753 on baggage tracking. This helps airlines to minimize baggage mishandling and is achieved by tracking bags through key points of the journey: spanning passenger handover to airline, loading to the aircraft, transfers to connecting international flights and the final return to the passenger.

The Unisys Baggage Reconciliation System helps airlines comply with the Aviation Security Act's "Triple A" (account and authorize) regulations relating to baggage handling. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, BARA's member airlines processed approximately 14 million bags on flights departing Australia annually. These volumes substantially dropped due to COVID-19 and associated international travel restrictions into Australia. However, during this time many airlines requested passengers check-in their luggage to maintain hygiene within the cabin, it was even more critical to be able to track passengers' baggage so that it arrived with them.

"Passengers expect both their baggage and their personal information to be safe and secure. Likewise, airlines want to be in control and need to track and know the location of a bag to set standards for improved passenger experience. Given the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the airline industry, including international travel restrictions across Australian borders, BARA's member airlines need a flexible solution that can scale up or down in line with fluctuating passenger demand. Unisys SaaS-based pay-as-you-use model provides us with that flexibility while complying with mandated security requirements for baggage handling," said Barry Abrams, BARA Executive Director.

When passengers check in, each bag receives a barcode, which is scanned and reconciled with a passenger record before the bag can be loaded onto the aircraft. As the airline has a record of the baggage loading order, bags can be quickly identified and recovered if passengers fail to board. This process is designed to prevent a mismatch of passengers and baggage and enhance security levels by avoiding unaccompanied baggage being loaded on the flight. The Unisys Baggage Reconciliation System team provides a fully managed service that includes network infrastructure and security architecture; training; end user device management and onsite support; application management; and round-the-clock help desk support.

Andrew Whelan, Vice President Client Management, Unisys Asia Pacific, said, "Efficient, safe, and secure processes and systems are key to a positive experience for travelers to and from Australia. The COVID-19 situation helped us to take a step back and further invest in optimizing our digital offerings for airlines and ground handlers to enhance baggage reconciliation and tracking process. We are delighted to continue our relationship with BARA to provide an affordable solution that combines business efficiencies, secured systems, industry compliance and an improved passenger experience."

Unisys has more than 55 years of experience providing innovative IT solutions to the travel and transportation industry. Globally nine of the top ten airlines depend on Unisys solutions. For more information on Unisys' air transportation sector services capabilities, click here.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global IT solutions company that delivers successful outcomes for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include digital workplace services, cloud and infrastructure services, software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing, business process solutions and application development services. Unisys integrates security into all of its solutions. For more information on how Unisys delivers for its clients across the government, financial services and commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn.

RELEASE NO.: 0518/9837

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

UIS-C

SOURCE Unisys Corporation

Related Links

http://www.unisys.com


ATLANTA, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, Inc. ("Cox"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., today announced it has commenced cash tender offers to purchase its outstanding 2.950% Notes due 2023, 3.150% Notes due 2024, 3.850% Notes due 2025, 7.625% Debentures due 2025, 8.375% Notes due 2039, 6.950% Notes due 2038, 6.450% Notes due 2036, 4.600% Notes due 2047, 4.700% Notes due 2042, 4.500% Notes due 2043, 4.800% Notes due 2035, 6.950% Medium Term Notes due 2028 and 6.800% Debentures due 2028, subject to certain caps described below (such offers, the "Offers"). The terms and conditions of the Offers are set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated May 18, 2021 (the "Offer to Purchase") and the related Letter of Transmittal dated May 18, 2021 (the "Letter of Transmittal"). The Offers are intended to help Cox manage its debt maturity profile, opportunistically prefund existing maturities and manage its overall cost of borrowing.

The Offer to Purchase relates to thirteen separate offers, one for each series of notes in the tables below (each series, a "Series of Notes," and such notes, collectively, the "Notes"), in two separate "pools" (each, a "Pool"). Cox's obligation to accept for purchase, based on the Acceptance Priority Levels (as defined below) set forth in the column entitled "Acceptance Priority Level" in the tables below, and pay for, Notes that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn is limited to an aggregate principal amount of (a) Pool 1 Notes (as defined below) of no more than $1,000,000,000 for all of the Pool 1 Notes subject to the Offers (as such amount may be increased, decreased or eliminated pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase, the "Pool 1 Maximum Cap") and (b) Pool 2 Notes (as defined below) of no more than $750,000,000 for all of the Pool 2 Notes subject to the Offers (as such amount may be increased, decreased or eliminated pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase, the "Pool 2 Maximum Cap"). In addition, Cox will only accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of 8.375% Notes due 2039 that does not exceed $400,000,000 (such aggregate principal amount, subject to increase, decrease or elimination by Cox pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase, the "Maximum Tender SubCap" and such 8.375% Notes due 2039, the "SubCap Notes").

The principal amount of each Series of Notes currently outstanding is set forth in the column entitled "Principal Amount Outstanding" in the applicable table below. No Offer is conditioned on any minimum amount of Notes being tendered or the consummation of any other Offer in respect of any other Series of Notes.

Each Offer will expire at 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on June 15, 2021, unless extended or earlier terminated (such time and date, as the same may be extended with respect to one or more Series of Notes, the "Expiration Date"). Holders of Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Notes at or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on June 1, 2021 (such time and date, as the same may be extended with respect to one or more Series of Notes, the "Early Tender Deadline") to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below). Holders who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date will be eligible to receive only the Purchase Price (as defined below). Tendered Notes may be withdrawn at or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on June 1, 2021, by following the procedures described in the Offer to Purchase, but, except as provided therein or required by law, may not thereafter be validly withdrawn.

Offers to purchase up to $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the securities listed below (the "Pool 1 Notes") in the priority listed below ("Pool 1").

Pool 1 Notes Security Identifier Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level(1) Early Tender Premium(2) Reference Security Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread (bps) Maximum Tender SubCap(3) 2.950% Notes due 2023 224044CA3, U22018AN2 $1,000,000,000 1 $30 0.125% UST due April 30, 2023 FIT 1 +20 N/A 3.150% Notes due 2024 224044CH8, U22018AT9 $1,000,000,000 2 $30 0.250% UST due May 15, 2024 FIT 1 +30 N/A 3.850% Notes due 2025 224044CE5, U22018AQ5 $700,000,000 3 $30 0.750% UST due April 30, 2026 FIT 1 +5 N/A 7.625% Debentures due 2025 224044AG2 $150,000,000 4 $30 0.750% UST due April 30, 2026 FIT 1 +15 N/A

Offers to purchase up to $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the securities listed below (the "Pool 2 Notes") in the priority listed below ("Pool 2").

Pool 2 Notes Security Identifier Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority Level(1) Early Tender Premium(2) Reference Security Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread (bps) Maximum Tender SubCap(3) 8.375% Notes due 2039 224044BV8, U22018AM4 $808,813,000 1 $30 1.875% UST due February 15, 2041 FIT 1 +110 $400,000,000 6.950% Notes due 2038 224044BT3, U22018AH5 $179,363,000 2 $30 1.875% UST due February 15, 2041 FIT 1 +110 N/A 6.450% Notes due 2036 224044BR7, U22018AF9 $321,926,000 3 $30 1.625% UST due May 15, 2031 FIT 1 +155 N/A 4.600% Notes due 2047 224044CK1, U22018AV4 $600,000,000 4 $30 1.875% UST due February 15, 2051 FIT 1 +105 N/A 4.700% Notes due 2042 224044BY2, U22018AK8 $500,000,000 5 $30 1.875% UST due February 15, 2041 FIT 1 +110 N/A 4.500% Notes due 2043 224044CC9, U22018AP7 $500,000,000 6 $30 1.875% UST due February 15, 2041 FIT 1 +110 N/A 4.800% Notes due 2035 224044CF2, U22018AR3 $650,000,000 7 $30 1.625% UST due May 15, 2031 FIT 1 +125 N/A 6.950% Medium Term Notes due 2028 22404QAG3 $82,212,000 8 $30 1.625% UST due May 15, 2031 FIT 1 +60 N/A 6.800% Debentures due 2028 224044AN7 $191,612,000 9 $30 1.625% UST due May 15, 2031 FIT 1 +60 N/A

(1) The Acceptance Priority Levels will operate concurrently but separately for the Pool 1 Notes and the Pool 2 Notes, as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase.



(2) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and accepted for purchase in the applicable Offer at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline; included in Total Consideration.



(3) The Maximum Tender SubCap is based on an aggregate principal amount of Notes.

The amount of Notes that are purchased on the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date (as defined below), as applicable, will be determined in accordance with the Acceptance Priority Levels set forth in the column entitled "Acceptance Priority Level" in the tables above (each, an "Acceptance Priority Level," and, collectively, the "Acceptance Priority Levels"), with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 4 (in the case of Pool 1) and 9 (in the case of Pool 2) being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level. The Acceptance Priority Levels will operate concurrently, but separately, for the Pool 1 Notes and the Pool 2 Notes, as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase.

With respect to each Pool, all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline having a higher Acceptance Priority Level will, subject to the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap and the Maximum Tender SubCap, as applicable, be accepted before any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline having a lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted pursuant to the Offers, and all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date having a higher Acceptance Priority Level will, subject to the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap and the Maximum Tender SubCap, as applicable, be accepted before any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date having a lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted pursuant to the Offers. However, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline will, subject to the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap and the Maximum Tender SubCap, as applicable, be accepted for purchase in priority to other Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date, even if such Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date have a higher Acceptance Priority Level than Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline.

If the aggregate principal amount of SubCap Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline equals or exceeds the Maximum Tender SubCap, Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw SubCap Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date will not have any such SubCap Notes accepted for payment. Furthermore, if the aggregate principal amount of Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline equals or exceeds the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Pool 1 Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date will not have any such Pool 1 Notes accepted for payment regardless of the Acceptance Priority Level of such Pool 1 Notes, and if the aggregate principal amount of Pool 2 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline equals or exceeds the Pool 2 Maximum Cap, Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Pool 2 Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date will not have any such Pool 2 Notes accepted for payment regardless of the Acceptance Priority Level of such Pool 2 Notes. As such, there can be no assurance that any or all tendered Notes of a given Acceptance Priority level will be accepted for purchase.

If purchasing all the validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of a given Acceptance Priority Level on the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date, as applicable, would cause any of the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap or the Maximum Tender SubCap to be exceeded on such date, Cox will accept such Notes on a pro rata basis, to the extent any Notes of such Acceptance Priority Level are accepted for purchase, so as to not exceed the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap or the Maximum Tender SubCap, as applicable (with adjustments to avoid the purchase of Notes in a principal amount other than in integral multiples of $1,000).

Cox reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to increase, decrease or eliminate the Maximum Tender SubCap, the Pool 1 Maximum Cap or the Pool 2 Maximum Cap at any time, subject to applicable law and pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Offers, Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline will be eligible to receive consideration, per $1,000 principal amount, equal to the applicable Total Consideration for such Series of Notes. The applicable consideration for each series of Notes (such consideration, the "Total Consideration") will be determined in the manner set forth in the Offer to Purchase by reference to the applicable fixed spread for such Series of Notes set forth in the column entitled "Fixed Spread" in the applicable table above, over the applicable yield based on the bid side price of the U.S. Treasury Security set forth for such Series of Notes in the column entitled "Reference Security" in such table above, as calculated by the Dealer Managers at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on June 2, 2021. The Total Consideration includes the applicable early tender premium (the "Early Tender Premium") for such Series of Notes set forth in the column entitled "Early Tender Premium" in the applicable table above. Holders must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline in order to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration for such Notes purchased pursuant to the Offers. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Offers, Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date will be entitled to receive consideration, per $1,000 principal amount, equal to the applicable Total Consideration less the applicable Early Tender Premium (such consideration, the "Purchase Price") for such Series of Notes. In each case, such Holders will also be entitled to receive accrued and unpaid interest, if any, from the last interest payment date for the applicable Series of Notes up to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date, as applicable, if and when the applicable Notes are accepted for payment.

Cox reserves the right, but is under no obligation, at any point following the Early Tender Deadline and before the Expiration Date, to accept Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn for purchase on a date determined at Cox's option (such date, if any, the "Early Settlement Date"). Cox currently expects the Early Settlement Date, if any, to occur on June 3, 2021. If Cox chooses to exercise its option to have an Early Settlement Date, Cox will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn after the Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Expiration Date, subject to the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap and the Maximum Tender SubCap, the application of the Acceptance Priority Levels and all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by Cox, on the Final Settlement Date. If Cox chooses not to exercise its option to have an Early Settlement Date, Cox will purchase all Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Expiration Date, subject to the Pool 1 Maximum Cap, the Pool 2 Maximum Cap and the Maximum Tender SubCap, the application of the Acceptance Priority Levels and all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by Cox, on the Final Settlement Date. The Final Settlement Date is expected to occur promptly following the Expiration Date on June 17, 2021 (the "Final Settlement Date"), unless extended by Cox. No tenders of Notes submitted after the Expiration Date will be valid.

General

Cox's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, notes that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to each Offer is conditioned on the satisfaction or waiver by Cox of a number of conditions, including the issuance by Cox prior to the applicable Expiration Date or the applicable Early Settlement Date (if the Company elects to have an early settlement in connection with any of the Offers), on terms satisfactory to it in its sole discretion, of at least $1,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of notes in a debt financing. Cox may amend, extend or, subject to certain conditions and applicable law, terminate each Offer at any time in its sole discretion.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will act as Dealer Managers (collectively, the "Dealer Managers") and D.F. King & Co., Inc. will act as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Offers. Requests for documents may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (866) 620-2536 (toll free) or (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers). Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (866) 834-4666 (toll free) or (212) 834-3424 (collect), RBC Capital Markets, LLC at (877) 381-2099 (toll free) or (212) 618-7843 (collect) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC at (866) 309-6316 (toll free) or (704) 410-4756 (collect). Copies of the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal, along with any amendments and supplements thereto, may be obtained for free at www.dfking.com .

This announcement is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell with respect to any securities. The Offers to purchase the Notes are only being made pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal. The Offers are not being made in any state or jurisdiction in which such Offers would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. None of Cox, the Dealer Managers or the Tender Agent and Information Agent is making any recommendation as to whether or not holders should tender their Notes in connection with the Offers.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that makes each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements concerning any debt financing, the Offers and Cox's possible or assumed future results of operations. A number of factors could affect Cox's future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made. Cox is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

SOURCE Cox Communications

Related Links

http://www.cox.com


TEL AVIV, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental AG develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

In a significant statement affirming their dedication to driving the future of personalized in-vehicle occupant monitoring, automotive tier-1 Continental begins a technology collaboration with innovative Israeli startup, CU-BX.

Contact-free bio-parameter detection for safety and comfort

CU-BX, formally ContinUse Biometrics Ltd., is a pioneer in contact-free driver well-being and in-cabin environmental comfort applications. The CU-BX solution holds the potential to considerably elevate the driving experience though their suite of market-leading sensing solutions that detect physiological parameters in multiple environments.

Continental's Cabin Sensing systems' gesture-based information combined with CU-BX's bio-parameter-based analysis to detect key physiological data provides a new level of driver-monitoring for safety and comfort. Using artificial intelligence and advanced analytics the CU-BX system delivers sophisticated well-being insights such information on stress, fatigue, comfort, and health.

"CU-BX offers a monitoring solution that is unrivaled in accuracy, use environments and detection capability," said CU-BX VP Business Development, Eran Hochstadter. "For instance, when we consider the capabilities that can come from system's thermal comfort regulation, not only would it make a meaningful difference in the comfort and enjoyment of the driver and passengers, but it can have a significant impact on the battery life of EV."

The many capabilities of the CU-BX system combined with an easy integration into Continental's Cabin Sensing system has both companies looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.

About Continental: Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation. Continental generated preliminary sales of 37.7 billion in 2020 and currently employs more than 235,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

About CU-BX: Transforming the automotive experience, CU-BX develops contact-free health and safety detection solutions. The company's patented nano-motion detection system delivers the most accurate, comfortable, and convenient solution to detect driver & passenger stress, fatigue, comfort, and health. CU-BX's technology is agnostic to clothing layers, road conditions, physique, sunglasses, accessories, surrounding lighting conditions, etc.

SOURCE ContinUse Biometrics, dba CU-BX; Continental

Related Links

https://www.cu-bx.com/


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Current , a leading U.S. financial technology company serving Americans who are working to create a better future for themselves, today announced its partnership with Acala, a decentralized finance platform built on the Polkadot blockchain network. The partnership, the first of its kind, establishes a new category of hybrid finance (HyFi) that combines both traditional and decentralized financial applications.



In order to ensure full trust of these products, Current will run its own infrastructure and join the active validator set on the Polkadot network.

The integration with Acala is built directly into Current Core, Current's proprietary core banking platform, which is designed to bridge closed-loop fiat systems to open platforms. This will expedite development of HyFi infrastructure designed to deliver value to Current's nearly three million members.



"We created Current because we could see how money was being re-networked through new technologies," said Trevor Marshall, Current Chief Technology Officer. "Our initiative with Acala allows us to flex this muscle we have been developing for the past six years."



Acala is an all-in-one decentralized finance network offering a blockchain platform secured by Polkadot, as well as a suite of cross-chain financial applications that let users trade, issue self-serviced loans, become liquidity providers, access staking derivatives, and earn high-interest APY on their digital assets. The network is optimized for DeFi and well-equipped to serve the growing demand for HyFi applications.



"Current is leading the way at the intersection of modern banking and decentralized finance. The integration between Acala and Current is a groundbreaking innovation, and we are excited to bring cutting-edge financial solutions to Current's members," said Bette Chen, Co-Founder of Acala. "This is only the tip of the iceberg of the products we can build to blend traditional fintech and crypto-native products."



"Polkadot was built to enable a decentralized web with native financial infrastructure, and Acala's integration with Current accelerates that vision," added Peter Mauric, Head of Public Affairs at Parity Technologies, the software development company building the initial implementation of Polkadot. "Growing digital economies will rely heavily on initiatives like this, bridging users from a siloed past to our open future."



About Current



We are a leading U.S. financial technology company serving the needs of Americans who are working to create a better future for themselves. Our mission is to enable members to change their lives by creating better financial outcomes. Leveraging the best technology, we deliver inspirational and motivational products as we all move forward in a world of increasing digitization and complexity. To learn more about us, visit http://www.current.com or download our app on the App Store or Google Play.

Current is backed by investments from Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global Management, TQ Ventures, Avenir, Sapphire Ventures, Foundation Capital, Wellington Management, QED Investors and EXPA.



About Acala



Acala is an all-in-one decentralized finance network offering a blockchain platform secured by Polkadot, as well as a suite of cross-chain financial applications that let users trade, issue self-serviced loans, become liquidity providers, access staking derivatives, and earn high-interest APY on their digital assets. The network is scalable, Ethereum-compatible, and optimized for DeFi.

Acala was founded in Oct 2019, and today has received five Web3 Foundation grants, has backing from Coinbase Ventures, Pantera Capital, Polychain Capital, Hypersphere and other top firms, and has a distributed team in New Zealand, China, Europe, Brazil, and the United States.

Media Contact:

Erin Bruehl

Director of Communications, Current

[email protected]

Dan Reecer

VP of Growth, Acala

[email protected]

SOURCE Current

Related Links

https://current.com


Unique to the market, Fluid Genius combines artificial intelligence with half a century of Eastman expertise to monitor and maximize the life cycle of heat transfer fluids for a myriad of system applications.

"With Fluid Genius, Eastman continues the journey to bring digital services to the market," said Aldo Noseda, Eastman vice president and chief information officer. "This solution combines advanced analytics with decades of Eastman experience in heat transfer fluids to create an easy-to-use digital platform to help our customers achieve confidence in operating their heat transfer systems and plan maintenance proactively."

Fluid Genius can predict fluid life expectancy and advise how best to extend it while avoiding costly unplanned shutdowns. The technology provides easy access to customer fluid testing results that reveal forward-looking insights to plan proactively for maintenance. Fluid Genius works for virtually any organic heat transfer fluid system.

Created by the heat transfer fluid experts at Eastman, Fluid Genius is designed for use by plant maintenance engineers and operations managers in all processing industries, including oil and gas, chemicals, and polymer processing, and will be available in 10 languages.

Fluid Genius enables proactive fluid maintenance with a fluid condition score, a unique measure of the overall fluid condition. The technology will also generate notifications and fluid trends as well as customized recommendations for critical action items such as system venting, inert gas blanket system installation and inspection, fluid replacement, the implementation of side-stream filtration and alerts for possible contamination.

"The fluid condition score, customized recommendations generated from Fluid Genius and logging features will allow our customers to optimize the performance and maintenance of their heat transfer fluid system, supporting today's best in class reliability programs," said Sharon Dunn, sales director for Eastman heat transfer fluids business.

Eastman's Therminol and Marlotherm brands are the top-selling synthetic heat transfer fluids in the world, used by more than 15,000 systems globally. Fluid Genius is designed to service these fluids as well as non-Eastman brands.

In conjunction with the launch of Fluid Genius, Eastman has developed an updated, easy-to-use sample kit and automated fulfillment as part of its TLC Total Lifecycle Care program. TLC includes in-service heat transfer fluid sample analysis, system design support, operational training, safety awareness training, and start-up assistance as well as flush and refill fluids.

About Eastman

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company's innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,500 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2020 revenues of approximately $8.5 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit eastman.com.

Editorial Contact:

Laura Mansfield, APR

Tombras

+1 (865) 599.9968

[email protected]

SOURCE Eastman

Related Links

www.eastman.com


SYDNEY, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elixinol Wellness Limited (Elixinol Wellness or the Company) (ASX:EXL;OTCQB:ELLXF), a global leader in the hemp derived CBD industry, innovating, and selling hemp derived CBD products, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Hasselman as President Americas and Beata Silber as Global Head of R&D and Innovation.

The appointments are designed to drive the Company's transformation to being a global wellness business and follow a substantial body of work to reposition the business to achieve revenue growth and an accelerated path to profitability.

Global CEO of Elixinol Wellness, Oliver Horn said, "We are delighted to have secured two exceptional senior talents that bring market-leading commercial experience and big-brand know-how to Elixinol. These strategic appointments are a key step toward building sustainable, competitive advantages across our global business."

He continued, "The R&D and Innovation function was specifically created to drive Elixinol's focus on bringing unique, science-led products to our global markets. Beata is a huge coup for the Company in this area as she has been leading the charge for innovative product development at some of the world's leading consumer brands for the past decade."

Beata Silber joins Elixinol Wellness on 24 May 2021 from her current role as the Global Director R&D and Innovation at global health and nutrition company, H&H Group. She brings more than 20 years of experience in clinical research and over ten years' experience in the wellness innovation field, including Head of Research & Science Communications at Swisse Wellness and many years at the Head Nestle Research Centre in Switzerland. Beata holds a PhD in Neurocognition and was granted a prestigious European Marie Curie Post Doc Fellowship in France.

Commenting on her appointment, Beata Silber said, "Elixinol Wellness has long been at the forefront of the hemp / CBD industry and has a strong reputation for quality. However, key to future success will be staying ahead of global health trends, while remaining aligned to consumer needs. I look forward to working closely with the team to develop products that are innovative, commercially competitive and backed by scientific credibility."

Rob Hasselman joined Elixinol on 29 April 2021 as President Americas, bringing more than 27 years of experience in the healthcare sector, including 16 years with Johnson & Johnson in sales, marketing and strategy roles. More recently Rob was Chief Marketing Officer at Ecofibre where he drove the sales and channel strategy, gaining invaluable insights into the CBD market. Prior to this, Rob was VP Sales & Marketing for WellSpring Consumer Healthcare, where he led the company's successful transformation through merger, acquisition and divestment initiatives, and created a sustainable and profitable growth business.

Global CEO Oliver Horn said, "Rob's extensive sales and marketing experience in the OTC and CBD sector position him well to lead the next phase of Elixinol Americas growth strategy. In addition to his contacts and personal relationships with retailers and distributors, Rob brings a deep understanding of setting up effective route to market strategies to gain wide national distribution across the US."

Present Americas Rob Hasselman said, "My focus over the coming months is on driving profitable growth via new strategic partners, further optimising our world class e-commerce capability and well considered expansion into omnichannel and international markets."

Oliver Horn concluded, "These two new appointments are a testament to Elixinol's ability to attract top industry talent based on its strong global reputation and strategic business outlook."

About Elixinol Wellness

Elixinol Wellness Limited (ASX:EXL;OTCQB:ELLXF) is a global leader in the hemp industry, innovating, marketing and selling hemp derived nutraceutical, cosmetic and food products. The Company's simplified business model is focusing on:

In the Americas, innovating, marketing and selling high quality Elixinol branded hemp

derived nutraceutical and skincare products based in Colorado, USA

In Europe and the UK, educating and selling high quality Elixinol branded and co-branded hemp derived nutraceutical and skincare products based in Utrecht, The Netherlands and London, UK

and the UK, educating and selling high quality Elixinol branded and co-branded hemp derived nutraceutical and skincare products based in and In Australia , providing stronger unified planning and support across the group to enable the various regional offices to focus on operational strategy

, providing stronger unified planning and support across the group to enable the various regional offices to focus on operational strategy Hemp Foods Australia, a leading hemp food wholesaler, retailer, manufacturer and exporter of bulk and branded raw materials, and finished products

Across the Rest of World, expanding distribution of Elixinol branded hemp derived products through reputable distributors as key markets open.

See more at www.elixinolglobal.com

SOURCE Elixinol Wellness

Related Links

http://www.elixinolglobal.com


During those times of travel, Dr. Bugarin would leave presigned prescription pads at his office that his staff would use to give to patients who needed prescriptions. Dr. Bugarin now realizes how reckless of an act this was. At the time, he thought he was helping his patients by not making them wait to receive a prescription if needed.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chic, urban, sophisticated, vibrant, and inspired Eliza Christoph enters the fashion zeitgeist on a mission. Founded by Kenyan-born and NYC-based Liz Njoroge, the newly launched brand is an homage to her homeland and an upscale nod to its betterment. Poised to empower women in Kenya by creating jobs for skilled artisans and supporting their training, the brand offers more than sustainable, ethical luxury. Eliza Christoph offers principled, handcrafted clothing and accessories that wholeheartedly embrace the vibrant prints that are the spirit of Kenya. For clothing and accessories made outside of Africa, the brand donates a portion of the profits to communities where their artisans live and work.

Eliza Christoph geo prints on cotton poplin.

Classic in design, the timeless approach to each garment's composition is as youthful as it is elegant. The pieces mix unique, vibrant prints with timeless and versatile silhouettes to create luxury staples that add effortless sophistication to any closet. The first collection consists of shirt dresses, skirts and silk scarves. The dresses come in Dutch-wax-printed fabrics and uniquely designed and printed Italian cotton poplin. The skirts are made from the same cotton poplin, and the scarves are 100% Italian silk.

The double-faced Dutch wax fabric is printed in rich colors with a labor-intensive technique that applies wax resin before submerging the fabric in dye. For the cotton poplin prints, the brand created its own unique print designs inspired by historic African prints and Africa's natural beauty. The bold prints blend the founder's love for her home country and passion for modern and contemporary art.

The Eliza Christoph silk scarves bring art and luxury together in a delectable silk scarf. Uniquely designed, the scarf prints are hand-painted and digitally designed to depict the magnificent Kenyan sights and experiences. The scarves are made and printed in Italy on 100% silk and finished with hand-rolled edges for a refined look.

Produced on a non-seasonal calendar in limited runs, the clothing is hand-inspected for perfection. In keeping with their mission, Eliza Christoph will continue to give financial support to the African communities that inspire their collections.

For more information, visit https://www.elizachristoph.com.

About Eliza Christoph:

New York-based Eliza Christoph is a sustainable and ethical luxury fashion brand committed to empowering women artisans in Kenya by creating and supporting jobs. Kenyan-born Founder Liz Njoroge mixes vibrant African-inspired prints on Italian fabrics with timeless and versatile silhouettes. The brand's collection consists of versatile staples that add effortless sophistication to any woman's closet. A portion of the profits from finished accessories made in Italy supports communities where the brands' artisans live and work.

Contact:

Jess Kennedy

Communications Manager, Eliza Christoph

[email protected]izachristoph.com

1.929.416.2558

Website:

https://www.elizachristoph.com

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/eliza_christoph

Related Images

eliza-christoph.jpg

Eliza Christoph

Eliza Christoph geo prints on cotton poplin.

eliza-christoph-dresses.jpg

Eliza Christoph Dresses

Eliza Christoph Pendo orange floral Dress and Eliza Christoph Pendo orange Geo dress.

eliza-christoph.jpg

Eliza Christoph

Eliza Christoph scarves and skirts

eliza-christoph.jpg

Eliza Christoph

Eliza Christoph kitenge (Dutch-wax) dresses

SOURCE Eliza Christoph
Despite the importance of understanding health insurance basics for participation in the healthcare system, efforts to empower young consumers by advancing health insurance literacy have been severely limited. Indeed, results from national studies on health insurance comprehension consistently demonstrate information gaps among younger enrollees.

As college students and young adults age out of their parents' health plans, they face, for the first time, a complex and confusing healthcare system. With little prior experience with health insurance, they may be unprepared to navigate the health insurance marketplace or effectively use their health plans. This lack of health insurance literacy can lead to uninformed healthcare decisions that may harm their health and finances.

FH Consumer Classroom addresses this need. The app enables users to learn about health insurance and healthcare quality through articles, videos and a glossary, and access key resources and interactive puzzles and games to support learning. Among the educational topics covered is shared decision making, the conversation between patients and healthcare providers to decide on treatments. The app also links to FAIR Health's nationally recognized FH Medical and Dental Cost Lookup Tools, which enable consumers to estimate the typical costs of medical and dental procedures.

Colleges and universities can use FAIR Health's free app to promote health insurance literacy on campus and advance a generation of informed healthcare users. By employing the app, students who are enrolling in new coveragewhether it is university-sponsored, through the marketplace or another sourcecan prepare to select, understand and use health plans.

"As pioneers of health insurance literacy, we recognize that the complex world of healthcare and health insurance is anything but intuitive," stated Robin Gelburd, President of FAIR Health. "Young consumers need concrete guidance when they face the daunting task of navigating health insurance for the first time. We are excited to offer this new consumer app to help them make informed decisions about their coverage and care."

To download FH Consumer Classroom, click here: Apple App Store or Google Play.

Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 33 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 2 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Careand How to Fix It and Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:

Rachel Kent

Senior Director, Marketing, Outreach and Communications

FAIR Health

646-396-0795

[email protected]

SOURCE FAIR Health

Related Links

www.fairhealth.org


FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 19; Released: May 2021 Executive Engagements: 2769 Companies: 110 Players covered include Aihua Group; Barker Microfarads, Inc.; Capacitor Industries; CapXon International Electronic Co., Ltd.; Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc.; DuraCap International Inc.; Elna Co. Ltd.; Elna America, Inc.; TDK Electronics AG; Guangdong Fenghua High-tech Co., Ltd.; Hitano Enterprise Corp.; Kemet Corp.; Lelon Electronics Corp.; Liket Corp.; Man Yue Technology Holdings Ltd.; Nantong Jianghai Capacitor Co., Ltd.; NIC Components Corp.; Nichicon Corp.; Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation; Panasonic Corporation; Rubycon Corp.; Samwha Capacitor Group; Samyoung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sun Electronic Industries Corporation; Taiwan Chinsan Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd.; Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (Non-Solid, Solid); End-Use (Consumer Electronics, Industrial, Computers & Peripherals, Telecommunications, Automotive, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Rest of World.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry

ABSTRACT-



Global Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors Market to Reach $7.1 Billion by 2026

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors (AECs), also referred to as Al e-caps, are a category of capacitors whose anode is made of an etched, pure aluminum foil covered by aluminum oxide, which functions as an insulating layer and a dielectric; with electrolyte covering oxide layer's rough surface operating as cathode. The emerging wave of electronification sweeping through the enterprise, healthcare/medical, manufacturing, and process industries and growth in new energy, industrial equipment, and home appliances, is expected to unveil favorable opportunities for electronic components and semiconductors including AECs. Growth in the industrial sector is backed by increased deployments of inverter-driven systems, electronics-based automation equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine communication systems in industrial environments. Demand for solid AECs is fast growing in end-use applications such as advanced gaming devices, computers and computer peripherals, owing to its superior performance characteristics.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors estimated at US$6.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$7.1 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% over the analysis period. Non-Solid, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 2.4% CAGR and reach US$5.9 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Solid segment is readjusted to a revised 2.9% CAGR for the next 7-year period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $311.5 Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $4.8 Billion by 2026

The Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors market in the U.S. is estimated at US$311.5 Million in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$4.8 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 2.9% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 1.6% and 1.5% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 1.8% CAGR. Rapid industrialization, booming economies, increased urbanization, growing employment opportunities, and rising spending power among huge middle class segment have been driving robust demand for a range of electronic devices in the Asia-Pacific region. Increased production of electronic devices in response to this growing consumer demand is in turn providing a major fillip to the electronic components market in the region. More

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CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

LINKS

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Join Our Expert Panel

https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp

Connect With Us on LinkedIn

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

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Interim GTB-3550 TriKE Data Tweet this

Updated Interim Results from First-in-Human GTB-3550 TriKE Phase I/II Clinical Trial for the Treatment of High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Refractory/Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Results demonstrated up to 63.7% reduction in bone marrow blast levels, and restoration of endogenous NK cell function, proliferation and immune surveillance without combination ex vivo supplemental NK cell therapy. All patients treated displayed no signs of any grade of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) across all dose cohorts. GTB-3550 TriKE is currently being administered to patients at doses significantly higher than the reported maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for continuous infusion of recombinant human interleukin-15 (IL-15).

Results demonstrated up to 63.7% reduction in bone marrow blast levels, and restoration of endogenous NK cell function, proliferation and immune surveillance without combination supplemental NK cell therapy. All patients treated displayed no signs of any grade of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) across all dose cohorts. GTB-3550 TriKE is currently being administered to patients at doses significantly higher than the reported maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for continuous infusion of recombinant human interleukin-15 (IL-15). Enrollment in Phase I Portion of GTB-3550 TriKE Phase I/II Clinical Trial in MDS and AML Continues: GTB-3550 TriKE Phase I/II Clinical Trial in high-risk MDS and AML patients continues to enroll patients. Patient 11 began treatment dosed at 150mcg/kg/day.

GTB-3550 TriKE Phase I/II Clinical Trial in high-risk MDS and AML patients continues to enroll patients. Patient 11 began treatment dosed at 150mcg/kg/day. New Findings Supporting GTB-3550 TriKE Monotherapy: GTB-3550 TriKE monotherapy is able to rescue the patient's otherwise exhausted/inhibited/non-functional endogenous NK cell population, and target direct killing of the patient's AML and MDS cancer cells without the need for the co-administration addition of supplemental progenitor-derived or autologous/allogenic engineered NK cells.

GTB-3550 TriKE monotherapy is able to rescue the patient's otherwise exhausted/inhibited/non-functional endogenous NK cell population, and target direct killing of the patient's AML and MDS cancer cells without the need for the co-administration addition of supplemental progenitor-derived or autologous/allogenic engineered NK cells. Preliminary Phase II Clinical Trial Design: The Phase II expansion part of the current GTB-3550 clinical trial intends to enroll patients with CD33 expression 50% in independent cohorts (higher-risk MDS and AML); treat patients with two cycles of GTB-3550 therapy with a rest period between cycles as opposed to the single-cycle used during Phase 1; enroll patients with fewer prior treatment lines; and, evaluate the potential use of minimal residual disease (MRD) based endpoints that may allow for accelerated approval.

A live webcast of the presentation may be accessed by visiting https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/4/41418 as well as from the Investors section of the GT Biopharma website at https://ir.gtbiopharma.com/.

Those who wish to dial in for the audio portion only of the event an audio only may do so at:

PARTICIPANT DIAL-IN (TOLL FREE): - 1-877-870-4263

PARTICIPANT INTERNATIONAL DIAL IN: 1-412-317-0790

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

Please ask to be joined into the GT Biopharma call.

An archived replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website by visiting:

https://services.choruscall.com/ccforms/replay.html

Replay Access Code: 10156826

About GTB-3550 TriKE

GTB-3550 TriKE is a first-in-class immuno-oncology therapeutic being evaluated in patients age 18 and older in a Phase I/II clinical trial (NCT03214666) having CD33+ malignancies (primary induction failure or relapsed AML with failure of one reinduction attempt or high-risk MDS progressed on two lines of therapy). Interim results demonstrated GTB-3550 TriKE reduces bone marrow blast levels in AML and MDS patients, and improved NK cell function and proliferation.

About GT Biopharma, Inc.

GT Biopharma, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immuno-oncology therapeutic products based our proprietary TriKE NK cell engager platform. Our TriKE platform is designed to harness and enhance the cancer killing abilities of a patient's immune system natural killer cells (NK cells). GT Biopharma has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with the University of Minnesota to further develop and commercialize therapies using TriKE technology.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including statements regarding the potential acquisition, the likelihood of closing the potential transaction, our clinical focus, and our current and proposed trials. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as "believes", "hopes", "intends", "estimates", "expects", "projects", "plans", "anticipates" and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Our forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance, and actual results could differ materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements. In evaluating all such statements, we urge you to specifically consider the various risk factors identified in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 in the section titled "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A and in our subsequent Form 10Q Quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by our forward-looking statements.

Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on currently available financial, economic, scientific, and competitive data and information on current business plans. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things: (i) the sufficiency of our cash position and our ongoing ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, (ii) our ability to complete our contemplated clinical trials, or to meet the FDA's requirements with respect to safety and efficacy, (iii) our ability to identify patients to enroll in our clinical trials in a timely fashion, (iv) our ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (v) design, implementation and conduct of clinical trials, (vii) the results of our clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (vii) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (viii) the existence or development of treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to our products, (ix) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, and social conditions, and (x) various other matters, many of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties develop, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially and adversely from those anticipated, believed, estimated, or otherwise indicated by our forward-looking statements.

We intend that all forward-looking statements made in this press release will be subject to the safe harbor protection of the federal securities laws pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Additionally, we do not undertake any responsibility to update you on the occurrence of any unanticipated events which may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please visit www.gtbiopharma.com.

Investors:

Julie Seidel

Stern Investor Relations, Inc.

[email protected]

212-362-1200

David Castaneda

[email protected]

414-351-9758

Media Relations:

Susan Roush

[email protected]

805-624-7624

SOURCE GT Biopharma, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.gtbiopharma.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagens Berman urges Danimer Scientific, Inc. (NYSE: DNMR) investors with significant losses to submit your losses now.

Class Period: Dec. 30, 2020 - Mar. 19, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 13, 2021

Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/DNMR

Contact An Attorney Now: [email protected]

844-916-0895

Danimer Scientific, Inc. (NYSE: DNMR) Securities Fraud Action:

The complaint centers on Danimer's alleged misrepresentations and omissions concerning its claims to be a leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA")  a biodegradeable alternative to petrochemical-based plastics, which the company sells under its proprietary Nodax brand for usage in water bottles, straws, and food containers.

On Mar. 20, 2021, the Wall Street Journal questioned whether Nodax breaks down far more quickly than fossil-fuel plastics, finding "many claims about Nodax are exaggerated and misleading." One plastics expert labeled Danimer's claims about Nodax's biodegradability as "not accurate" and as "greenwashing."

This news sent the price of Danimer shares tumbling lower on Mar. 22, 2021.

After the class period, on Apr. 22, 2021 analyst Spruce Point Capital Management published a scathing report noting: red flags; various inconsistencies about Danimer's historical and present claims about the size of its operations; Nodax's makeup and degradability; and the company's expected profitability. Then, Spruce Point published a follow-up report on May 4, 2021 after acquiring documents from Kentucky's Department of Environmental Protection and accused Danimer of "wildly overstating" production figures, pricing, and financial projections.

"We're focused on investors' losses and proving Danimer misled investors by greenwashing and misstating its true performance metrics," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you are a Danimer investor and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Danimer should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a national law firm with eight offices in eight cities around the country and over eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw .

Contact:

Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895

SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP

Related Links

https://www.hbsslaw.com


Headspring has launched a new business unit focused on improving healthcare through technology, with industry veteran Walt Hauck as President. Tweet this

Headspring Healthcare is initially focusing on expanding services and products for the Plasma industry. Their flagship product for the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) was recently approved by the FDA. The new donor registry application protects donors and collectors with better data access and insights.

"We see this as the beginning of a new generation of digital products to support plasma collectors," says Hauck. "We're excited about the opportunity to support the Plasma industrythere is surely room for more innovative and lower-cost products in this space."

On past medical device projects, Headspring has partnered with Regulatory and Compliance leader, Validant. Their CEO Brian Burns comments, "It's encouraging to see such a strong software firm enter the healthcare space. Headspring's culture of quality and really paying attention to the customer is a critical part of making safe, effective products."

Brian Parrish, Pharm.D, Cardiology Clinical Specialist at Houston Methodist Hospital also shares his support for this effort: "In the healthcare industry, innovation can enhance and save lives. Headspring has helped us move our suite of breakthrough medical products into the future, so we can deliver more for our patients and promote an environment of safety and healing."

Headspring's core consulting practice will remain integral to Headspring Healthcare. "We've shown our development practices stand up to the rigorous requirements of Healthcare," says Wells. "Now, our shared resources and expertise will maximize the impact of both business units and make a big difference when serving Healthcare customers."

About Headspring

Headspring is a technology consulting firm transforming organizations with cloud-first solutions, from application development to architectural strategy to legacy system transformation. Headspring's teams are motivated daily by the core belief that great software has the power to transform organizations and lives.

SOURCE Headspring

Related Links

https://www.headspring.com


LEWISVILLE, Texas, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally, independent Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) deliver critical vision services that improve their patients' quality of life. We call them Visionaries. Ophthalmic lens technology leader HOYA Vision Care announced today the upcoming launch of the Visionary Alliance, a re-imagined loyalty program that will further develop visionary ECPs based upon their unique business needs.

The Visionary Alliance will provide independent ECPs:

HOYA Vision Care, Visionary Alliance (PRNewsfoto/HOYA Vision Care)

A visionary community for HOYA customers around the world.

A place for independent ECPs to feel connected to a network of knowledge, including tools and support.

A program to strengthen their independence and support them in running their businesses their way.

A place to earn rewards with industry-leading marketing growth and tiered point programs for qualifying ECPs.

"The Visionary Alliance is much more than a loyalty program," said Patrick McCarthy, ECP Channel Vice President at HOYA Vision Care. "It is a truly breakthrough program designed with and for our customers with a common goal  to offer comprehensive professional resources within a vibrant community of independent ECPs who want to build, grow, and run their businesses their way. It's unlike any other in the vision industry, and we are very proud of that."

HOYA's investments in the Visionary Alliance, Hoya Hub, and the Hoya Learning Center are three central service pillars that ECPs receive from HOYA Vision Care. These three core services are available to customers via a single sign-on (SSO) portal that is unique to the industry.

Visionary Alliance officially goes live for enrollment on June 2, 2021. Eye care providers who would like to receive priority access to the Visionary Alliance can visit visionaryalliance.com or talk to their local HOYA Territory Sales Manager.

To learn more about the Visionary Alliance and other plans for 2021, HOYA Vision Care thought leaders will be onsite at the 2021 Vision Expo East in Orlando, Florida from June 2-5. Visit the company's booth, located at TF615, Level 2.

About HOYA

Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, HOYA is a global technology and med-tech company and a leading supplier of innovative high-tech and medical products. HOYA is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology, providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses, as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels and HDDs. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of 37,000 people. For more information, please visit hoya.com.

About HOYA Vision Care

For over 60 years, HOYA Vision Care has been a global leader in the eyeglass lens business. With a presence in over 50 countries, HOYA Vision Care has a proven expertise in lens designs and freeform surfacing technology combined with a leading position in high performance, quality AR coating. HOYA Vision Care's solid market portfolio includes VISION EASE, SEIKO and PENTAX optical lenses, as well as innovative products such as Yuniku, the world's first vision-centric, 3D tailored eyewear. The company employs over 16,000 employees worldwide with mass production facilities in Asia & Europe and over 40 local Rx laboratories globally. For more information, please visit hoyavision.com.

SOURCE HOYA Vision Care
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International Isotopes Inc. (OTCQB: INIS) (the "Company") is pleased to announce its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $1,992,512 as compared to $2,335,786 for the same period in 2020, an overall decrease of approximately 15%. Our net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021, was $601,152, compared to net loss of $422,494, for the same period in 2020. The decrease in revenue and increase in net loss were due to reduced revenue in our radiochemical and cobalt product segments and an increase in operating expense from licenses and permits for the three months period compared to the same period in 2020. The decline in revenue was somewhat offset by increased revenue in our nuclear medicine products segment.

The following provides additional detail for the first quarter and management's expectations for the remainder of the year for our three major business segments.

Revenue from nuclear medicine products for the three months ended March 31, 2021, increased approximately 8% compared to the same period in 2020. The increase in sales for the period was due to increased demand for Nuclear Medicine imaging products. We believe this was due in part to a decline in the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon our customers and clinics. We expect to see a continuing increase in revenue in this segment for the year as additional new products are also being introduced.

Revenue from the sale of radiochemical products for the three months ended March 31, 2021 decreased approximately 12% compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease was primarily the result of an interruption in the supply of iodine I-131 from our primary supplier. Our main iodine supplier required a temporary two-month shutdown for reactor maintenance during the period. In March 2021, the supplier returned to full production and our full supply of material has been restored to normal. We expect to see continued revenue growth within this segment for the balance of the year.

Revenue from the sale of cobalt products for the three months ended March 31, 2021 decreased approximately 61% compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the timing of cobalt sealed source manufacturing sales. Large value sales of high activity cobalt sources occur at somewhat random times throughout the year and the timing of these sales can frequently have a significant impact on period comparisons. We expect our cobalt sales to improve over the course of the year and we also expect to see sales of high activity cobalt from contract purchases with the Department of Energy during the second quarter of 2021.

Steve Laflin, President and CEO of the Company, said, "We are pleased to see a decline in the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business and our employees. The increase in sales within the Nuclear Medicine Products segment is a positive sign that the negative impact of COVID-19 on medical imaging procedures is going away. Management believed that many imaging procedures were delayed because of COVID-19, not canceled, and that there would be a pent-up demand for these products. In fact, this has proven to be the case; and a new monthly sales record for the segment was set during the last month of the first quarter. We are also pleased to have announced the launch of some new products during the period and have several more within our product development pipeline. The decline in revenue in the radiochemical and cobalt products segments are both short-lived. We believe we will see significant improvement in sales within both of these business segments for the remainder of the year, and we believe our revenue performance going forward should more than compensate for our first quarter decline."



International Isotopes Inc.

Three Months Ended March 31 ,

2021 2020 Sales of Product $1,992,512 $2,335,786 Gross Profit $1,161,158 $1,367,261 Total Operating Expenses $1,611,686 $1,576,571 Operating Income ($450,528) ($209,310) Total Other Income (Expense) ($55,136) ($168,727) Net income (Loss) ($601,152) ($422,494) Net income (Loss) Per Common Share $0.00 $0.00 basic and diluted



Weighted Av. Shares Outstanding - basic 453,449,720 420,692,023 Weighted Av. Shares Outstanding - diluted 453,449,720 420,692,023

About International Isotopes Inc.

International Isotopes Inc. manufactures a wide range of calibration and reference standards for nuclear medicine, generic sodium iodide I-131 drug product for hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, Cobalt-60 sealed source products, and provides a contract manufacturing of various drug products for clients.

International Isotopes Inc. Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements with respect to the long term impact of Covid-19, the timing of cobalt production, future revenue growth predictions for the sodium iodide drug product, the impact of the cessation of the radiological services segment, and statements regarding management's expectations for future performance of the Company. Information contained in such forward-looking statements is based on current expectations and is subject to change. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of International Isotopes Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Other factors, which could materially affect such forward-looking statements, can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Investors, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this press release and International Isotopes, Inc. and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

David Drewitz

Creative Options Communications

Investor and Public Relations

[email protected]

Phone: 972-814-5723

SOURCE International Isotopes Inc.

Related Links

http://www.intisoid.com


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- K2 Integrity, the preeminent risk, compliance, investigations, and monitoring firm founded by Jules B. Kroll and Jeremy M. Kroll, today announced that Fred Springer has joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director in its Financial Crimes Risk Management (FCRM) practice. Fred's experience encompasses over 30 years as a senior-level compliance executive, most recently as executive vice president and chief compliance officer (CCO) at Santander Holding Company USA, one of the largest retail and commercial banks in the United States.

"Our clients want advisors who know what's coming next as they build comprehensive compliance solutions. Fred's reputation in this area is unparalleled," said Thomas Bock, Global Co-Head, Financial Crimes Risk Management, and Chief Operating Officer, K2 Integrity. "We are thrilled he's joining our best-in-class team."

Fred Springer boasts an exhaustive list of accomplishments in compliance management for global financial institutions, experience he will bring to the FCRM team. Fred will work with clients on a broad range of financial services compliance matters, including comprehensive anti-money laundering (AML) programs. He will also play a key role in the creation and implementation of policies and procedures related to complex compliance issues.

"Our Financial Crimes Risk Management practice, bar none, is the best in the business. Fred deepens the talent of our team of professionals to even better serve those in the market," said Jeremy Kroll, CEO and Co-Founder, K2 Integrity.

Prior to joining K2 Integrity, Fred Springer was executive vice president and CCO at Santander Holding Company USA. He also served as senior vice president and global compliance and ethics officer at CIT Group, where his work included the successful integration of CIT and One West Bank compliance operations as part of CIT's acquisition of One West Bank. Fred has led remediation efforts associated with the Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions promulgated by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Currently, he serves as a member of the City of Stamford Board of Ethics. Learn more about Fred Springer.

About K2 Integrity

K2 Integrity is the preeminent risk, compliance, investigations, and monitoring firmbuilt by industry leaders, driven by interdisciplinary teams, and supported by cutting-edge technology to safeguard our clients' operations, reputations, and economic security. K2 Integrity represents the merger of K2 Intelligence, an industry-leading investigative, compliance, and cyber defense services firm founded in 2009 by Jeremy M. Kroll and Jules B. Kroll, the originator of the modern corporate investigations industry, and Financial Integrity Network (FIN), a premier strategic advisory firm founded by Juan Zarate and Chip Poncy dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial integrity goals.

K2 Integrity leverages unmatched multidisciplinary experience to develop cutting-edge solutions, stimulate business opportunities, and shape global economic security in a complex world. Whether it's protecting clients' assets or navigating the complex financial regulatory landscape to help clients identify, manage, and mitigate risk, K2 Integrity is an advisor trusted to meet and exceed clients' goals in a rapidly changing world. To learn more about how K2 Integrity is revolutionizing the management of risk, visit our website, www.k2integrity.com, or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

CONTACT:

Paula Zirinsky

Global Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

Lindsay Sweeney

Senior Manager, Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE K2 Integrity

Related Links

https://www.k2integrity.com


DURHAM, N.C., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leyline Renewable Capital, a leading provider of pre-construction debt and equity capital for renewable energy development, announced a partnership with PurposeEnergy, a developer that designs and operates industrial wastewater treatment systems that convert organic residuals into renewable energy and clean water.

Leyline's funding will facilitate the development of the SAINT project in St. Albans, Vt., that will anaerobically convert industrial food waste, including Ben & Jerry's high-strength dairy waste and depackaged ice cream, into 1 MW of renewable energy and clean water.

The SAINT project will break ground this year and start processing ice cream waste in fall 2022. Once in operation, the project will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 1,000 Vermont homes and will sequester phosphorus, preventing it from entering the Lake Champlain watershed. Excess phosphorus can cause algae blooms, reduce water clarity, create odor, and harm aquatic life, which reduce recreational use of the lake and impact tourism and the environment in the region.

"By providing development-stage financing to PurposeEnergy, Leyline is supporting an initiative that will not only allow PurposeEnergy to generate renewable energy for the Vermont grid, but will benefit the entire St. Alban's business community," said Erik Lensch, CEO of Leyline.

PurposeEnergy will construct this anaerobic pre-treatment plant adjacent to the Ben & Jerry's production site, which will be connected via a buried three-inch pipe that will receive Ben & Jerry's byproducts for treatment, eliminating the need for hundreds of waste tanker trucks each year. In order to maximize power output from the digesters, PurposeEnergy will blend other feedstocks, including depackaged food waste, chocolate, and cheese byproducts, with the ice cream. As a result, other businesses in the community can also use the digesters to process their byproducts, while saving money and reducing their carbon footprint.

"PurposeEnergy hopes to revolutionize the way food and beverage production facilities process, utilize, and reclaim organic waste," said Eric Fitch, founder and CEO of PurposeEnergy. "We are grateful that Leyline provided us with the critical capital we needed to get this project started, as well as the guidance we needed to initiate the SAINT project and help Ben & Jerry's manage its byproducts in a sustainable way."

Renewable energy developers interested in partnering with Leyline Renewable Capital can learn more here.

About Leyline Renewable Capital

Leyline Renewable Capital invests in the development, construction, and financing of sophisticated renewable energy projects. Backed by a team of seasoned investors with deep experience in the renewable industry, Leyline provides financing that bridges the gap between development and construction. By investing in the pre-construction phase of renewable energy projects, Leyline is able to accelerate the development process and help developers scale their business. Leyline leverages a broad base of experience in greenfield project development, design, construction, and finance with an extensive network of relationships with industry leaders to provide support and capital for projects from concept to commercial operation. Leyline actively promotes anti-racism and diversity in the renewables industry and reports quarterly on its environmental impact and social change efforts. Learn more about Leyline Renewable Capital at https://leylinecapital.com.

About PurposeEnergy

PurposeEnergy is revolutionizing the way food and beverage production environments of all sizes process, utilize, and reclaim organic waste. Our waste stream solutions feature the innovative Tribrid-Bioreactor  the highest-efficiency methane conversion digester on the planet. Wherever you find a Tribrid-Bioreactor, you'll also find production and plant managers who have increased production uptime and volumes, eliminated trucking and off-site disposal costs, reduced energy and water bills, and lowered their carbon footprint. That's the real power and purpose of the PurposeEnergy solution.

SOURCE Leyline Renewable Capital
Chesapeake police said in an initial news release Miles had been missing since Monday morning. Her car was found in an area she did not usually visit  away from her job and home.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has announced plans to add additional voyages for the 2021 season in Alaska this summer. Due to robust demand for their Alaska programming, Lindblad will reactivate its two remaining U.S.-flagged vessels  and has added an additional 13 departures. The 62-guest sister ships, National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion will explore Alaska on a series of Wild Escape departures starting June 25, 2021 and continuing through August.

The 6-day Wild Alaska Escape: Juneau to Ketchikan and Wild Alaska Escape: Sitka to Juneau voyages explore Alaska on an active, exciting expedition to see the region's iconic wildlife and epic landscapes in the compact time frame of one work week. Guests will hike through forests of towering trees, kayak long routes deep into glacially carved fjords, with opportunities for active adventure all with our nimble expedition ship as their moving base camp. Guests looking for a more epic voyage can combine both Wild Alaska Escapes and benefit from 10% off. Rates begin at $4,570 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin.

All guests 16 years of age and over will be required to be vaccinated prior to travelling onboard. A complete list of health and safety protocols are listed here. Key components include: negative COVID-19 tests, daily guest temperature checks, and thorough cleaning protocols. From start to finish, guests will travel exclusively with their expedition community.

For reservations or additional information on Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyages to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on Earth, visit www.expeditions.com, call 1-800-EXPEDITION (1-800-397-3348) or contact your travel advisor. Find us on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram , YouTube and Pinterest .

SOURCE Lindblad Expeditions

Related Links

https://www.expeditions.com


BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a successful launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida earlier today, the U.S. Space Force's Space Delta 4 operations team is now "talking" with the fifth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO-5) satellite.

As planned, SBIRS GEO-5built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)is responding to the Delta's commands. Signal acquisition was confirmed approximately ~36 minutes after the satellite's 1:37 p.m. EDT launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. Now separated from the rocket, the satellite is continuing on to orbit under its own propulsion.

SBIRS GEO-5 is the latest satellite to join the Space Force's orbiting Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) missile warning constellation equipped with powerful scanning and staring surveillance sensors. These 24-7, always-on, orbital guardians detect missile launches, support ballistic missile defense, expand technical intelligence gathering and bolster situational awareness on the battlefield.

"The world is a more threatening place now with more than 1,000 ballistic missile launches occurring globally every year," said Tom McCormick, vice president of Lockheed Martin Space's OPIR Mission Area. "SBIRS is the tip of the missile defense spear, seeing all those missiles and providing our military the ability to ensure our national security and the safety of our armed forces."

Faster, More Resilient Missile Warning

Built in about five years, SBIRS GEO-5 is the first military space satellite built on an LM 2100 Combat Bus, a version of Lockheed Martin's modernized, modular LM 2100 space vehicle with greatly enhanced resiliency.

The LM 2100 bus is the result of a Lockheed Martin internally-funded, multi-year modernization initiative. Features include:

Greater resiliency and cyber-hardening

Enhanced spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics

Common components and procedures to streamline manufacturing

Flexible design that reduces the cost to incorporate future, modernized sensor suites

"We designed our modernized LM2100 bus with our military customers' changing, more-contested environment, in mind," said McCormick. "By adding enhanced resiliency features to the LM 2100 we created an initial 'combat bus' for the Space Force for even greater capability."

SBIRS GEO-5 is a step toward achieving the resilient missile warning to be provided by SBIRS' follow on, the Next Gen OPIR Block 0 System. SBIRS GEO-6, launching in 2022, and the first three Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO satellites, as well as the future GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellites, are also based on the LM 2100 Combat Bus.

Lockheed Martin is proud to be part of the SBIRS team led by the Production Corps, Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Division, at the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is the SBIRS prime contractor, with Northrop Grumman, Azusa, California, as the payload integrator.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


MILAN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. announces that its subsidiaries MET Development, Stamicarbon and NextChem have started work on a renewable powerto-fertilizer plant in Kenya. MET Development has signed an agreement with Oserian Development Company for the development of the plant at the Oserian Two lakes Industrial Park located on the southern banks of Lake Naivasha, 100 km North of Nairobi.

The plant will be located near the country's largest geothermal energy basin and will be partly powered by solar energy sources produced on-site  displacing the need for fossil fuels  and eliminating carbon from the production. The facility will reduce carbon emission with approximately 100,000 tons of CO 2 per annum, compared to a gas-based fertilizer plant. The project will also reduce the dependency of imported nitrogen fertilizers and substitute around 25%, of which the total accounts for around 800 kt/a.

Maire Tecnimont Group' Stamicarbon, the innovation and license company and world market leader in designing fertilizer plants will provide both its Stami Green Ammonia Technology to produce ammonia and its Nitric Acid technology as an integrated technology package for the manufacturing of nitrate fertilizer. The technology configuration - which is characterized by a modularized approach and is therefore ideal for small scale facilities  will be the first of its kind, although based on proven technology.

The project has started preliminary engineering works and NextChem aims to start the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) by the end of 2021. The goal is to start commercial operation of the plant in 2025, which will be dedicated to local Kenyan agri-business.

The project will utilize approximately 70 MW of renewable power, will create the starting point for locally produced Kenyan fertilizer and is expected to directly generate over one hundred jobs in the region, while supporting the broader economy and its farmers.

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Maire Tecnimont Group commented: "We are pleased to announce the start of this exciting project with a pioneering player such as Oserian Development Company. With this strategic initiative we aim to unlock the potential of decarbonizing the fertilizer industry using renewable energy as a feedstock. With this first very promising initiative we confirm our expertise in project development in green energy, by acting as an end-to-end developer and technological integrator capable of connecting the key factors which are necessary to industrialize the green economy globally."

SOURCE Maire Tecnimont S.p.A.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global medical plastics market size is expected to reach USD 48.3 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Robust growth in the medical industry coupled with rising healthcare expenditure across the world are anticipated to drive the global market over the forecast period. The market is expected to register significant growth owing to the high adoption of plastics for implants on account of their chemical inertness and superior fatigue resistance.

Key suggestions from the report:

In terms of revenue, North America dominated the overall market in 2020 and is projected to retain its dominance expanding at a steady CAGR during the forecast period

The companies in this market are involved in the production of premium-quality plastic composites used for specialized applications to achieve a high degree of product differentiation

Various strategic initiatives were recorded over the past few years to boost the growth of the market

For instance, in April 2020 , Exxon Mobil Corp. announced to increase the monthly production of specialized Polypropylene (PP) by 1,000 tons to meet the growing demand for medical masks and gowns owing to the spread of the coronavirus

This surge in the production of PP is expected to help medical masks and gown manufacturers to produce an additional 20 million gowns or 200 million medical masks

Read 166 page research report with ToC on "Medical Plastics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Medical Components, Wound Care, Tooth Implants), By Region (North America, APAC, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/medical-plastics-market

Asia Pacific region is expected to progress at the fastest CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period on account of the rising consumer expenditure on healthcare. In addition, the low cost of medical procedures in the region makes it a favorable destination for medical tourism, thereby leading to an increase in the demand for medical devices. Furthermore, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in countries, such as China, India, Japan, Australia, and Indonesia, has created a huge product demand from applications such as testing equipment, medical bags, gloves, masks, ventilators, syringes, surgical drapes, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Thus, the rising cases of COVID-19 in the region are projected to substantially drive market growth.

The medical components application segment accounted for the highest revenue share in 2020 on account of the high consumption of superior-grade plastics in the production of catheters, syringes, containers, and surgical equipment. The requirement for easier sterilization coupled with the need for lightweight and high-strength products is expected to propel the product demand in the aforementioned applications. The medical device packaging segment is projected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Rising cases of chronic diseases owing to the growing geriatric population are estimated to drive the demand for portable, lightweight, and compact medical devices, thereby supporting market growth. The enhanced mechanical and thermal properties offered by PVC as compared to traditional materials, such as metals and glass, are anticipated to open up new avenues for market growth.

Grand View Research has segmented the global medical plastics market on the basis of application and region:

Medical Plastic Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Medical Device Packaging



Medical Components



Orthopedic Implant Packaging



Orthopedic Soft Goods



Wound Care



Cleanroom Supplies



BioPharm Devices



Mobility Aids



Sterilization & Infection Prevention



Tooth Implants



Denture Base Material



Other Implants



Others

Medical Plastic Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





U.K.





Italy





France



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Central & South America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa

&

South Africa

List of Key Players of Medical Plastics Market

Rochling Group

Nolato AB

GW Plastics, Inc.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics

SABIC

Eastman Chemical Company

Celanese Corporation

Dow, Inc.

Solvay S.A.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions

Trinseo S.A.

Find more research reports on Plastics, Polymers & Resins industry, by Grand View Research:

Medical Plastic Compounds Market  The global medical plastic compounds market size was estimated at USD 53.32 billion in 2017. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period.

The global medical plastic compounds market size was estimated at in 2017. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. Europe Medical Plastic Market  The Europe medical plastic market size was USD 2.69 billion in 2015 and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period

The medical plastic market size was in 2015 and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period India Medical Plastics Market  The India medical plastics market size was valued at USD 156.6 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2% from 2020 to 2030.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
MKH starts European Wax Center franchisee platform and plans continued unit growth in new and existing markets. Tweet this

"The Stieber's are tremendous operators and ambassadors of the brand," commented David Berg, European Wax Center's CEO. "We are thrilled they have found a great capital partner in MKH and, together, will continue to focus on the importance of culture and delivering a best-in-class service to our guests."

The Wax Center Partners team has defined a strong growth plan which Annette Rodriguez, Managing Partner at MKH Capital Partners highlighted by commenting that "European Wax Center is a category-leading brand that we are excited to continue growing through both new developments and additional acquisitions or partnerships in new and existing markets."

Wax Center Partners is actively seeking opportunities to expand its footprint in new and existing markets. For more information on Wax Center Partners, please visit www.mkhpartners.com or contact Larry Stieber [email protected].

About MKH Capital Partners

MKH Capital Partners is a private equity rm founded by two entrepreneurial families and professional investors. MKH offers a strong combination of long-term family capital and large-scale private equity expertise and resources. MKH actively partners with business owners and leading management teams to cultivate growth of niche industry players and create stronger companies that become regional/national leaders.

MKH is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has an ofce in Panama City, Panama. For more information on MKH Capital Partners, please visit www.mkhpartners.com.

About European Wax Center

European Wax Center is a leading personal care franchise brand founded in 2004. They offer expert wax services from certified Wax Specialists, ensuring that every guest who walks through the door leaves feeling confidentin European Wax Center and themselves. European Wax Center provides guests with a first class, professional waxing experience by the most highly trained estheticians in the industry, within the privacy of clean, individual waxing suites. They're so certain everyone will love the European Wax Center experience, they offer a free complimentary wax to each new guest. European Wax Center continues to revolutionize the waxing category with their innovative, signature Comfort Wax. This proprietary blend is formulated with the highest quality ingredients to leave skin feeling smooth and make waxing a more pleasant, virtually painless experience. To help enhance and extend waxing services, European Wax Center offers a full collection of proprietary pre- and post-wax products designed specifically for waxing skincare solutions called EWC to treat, groom, glow and slow. European Wax Center is a leading wax specialty personal care brand in the United States, and its network now includes over 800 centers nationwide. For more information including how to receive your first wax free, please visit: www.waxcenter.com.

SOURCE MKH Capital Partners LP

Related Links

http://www.mkhpartners.com


FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Motive Infrastructure Solutions, the self-performing EPC (Engineering, Procurement, & Construction) solutions provider, announced today the appointment of Keith Casey to president, effective May 17, 2021. Casey assumes all day-to-day leadership of Motive Infrastructure Solutions. With him he brings a wealth of expertise, having served in several senior leadership positions over the past thirty years within the utility and energy industry.

Keith Casey, Motive Infrastructure Solutions' New President

"I am truly honored and excited to be joining Motive's talented and dedicated workforce. I believe we're in a great position to capitalize on the fast-changing energy and communication markets," said Casey. He commented, "I am confident that as a team we can propel Motive into the next wave of growth, while remaining focused on servicing our customers, and providing the best experience for our people."

Before joining Motive, Casey served as Vice President of Operations, Technical Assistance Center for GCI Communication Corp, the leading provider of wireless services in the state of Alaska. He was responsible for building and launching a new operations team and facility to enhance the space of service level management. Prior to GCI, Casey served as Vice President, Network Engineering & Operations, Billing & IT for Mobi PCS in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he successfully led the merger of Mobi PCS with Telispire, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Casey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Computer Science from Fayetteville State University. He proudly served in the US Army as a Special Operations Communication Sergeant.

"I am thrilled to have Keith join our organization. He is a seasoned leader, who will play an integral role in the future growth of this company," said Bob Istwan, Chief Executive Officer of Motive Companies, parent of Motive Infrastructure Solutions. Istwan continued, "In evaluating the vision for the company, it's more than clear that he's the right person to lead us into the future."

Motive has been working to design an effective yet tactical leadership team that brings together strategy, talent, and culture. Initially with the addition of Robert Strickland, founder & CEO of M37 Ventures, to the Board of Advisors, then with the promotions of Sweta Patel, Vice President and General Manager of A/E Development Services, and James Sundberg, Vice President of Project Management, respectively.

About Motive Infrastructure Solutions

Full service, self-performing, EPC (Engineer/Procure/Construct) infrastructure solutions provider for the wireless and wireline telecommunications industry. Areas of expertise include site acquisition & entitlements, architecture, engineering & design, project & construction management, installation & maintenance, product sales & distribution. For additional information, visit www.motiveis.com

SOURCE Motive Infrastructure Solutions

Related Links

http://www.motiveis.com


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- mParticle , the largest independent customer data platform, today announced that Chee Chew will be joining the company as its Chief Product Officer. Twilio's former Chief Product Officer will join mParticle's executive team and report to mParticle's co-founder and CEO, Michael Katz. The appointment of Chee to CPO comes on the heels of rapid growth for the company. mParticle grew new sales by 50% over the last year with that number on track to exceed 100% growth in 2021.

"Customer data is the key for any organization to provide personalized experiences to their customers. mParticle is well positioned to help businesses get the most out of their data," said Chee Chew. "I'm excited to join the team at a time when both industry tailwinds and company growth are accelerating."

Chee brings over 25 years of experience leading teams at Twilio, Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Previously, he was the Chief Product Officer at Twilio where he oversaw the execution of the company's roadmap, and a number of acquisitions and investments. Prior to Twilio, he was the VP of Consumer Engagement at Amazon and was responsible for its machine learning personalization, performance marketing, and core online shopping experience. Chee also served as VP of Engineering at Google where he was responsible for Google's real time communication products, including the invention of Google Hangouts.

"It's an honor to work with Chee, we have an incredible opportunity to capitalize on some important secular trends," said Michael Katz, CEO of mParticle. "His experience and leadership will be instrumental as market demand for customer data infrastructure continues to accelerate."

Chee holds bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently one of the owners of the Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS, and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Olin College of Engineering.

About mParticle

mParticle believes that better customer interactions begin with better data. Its Customer Data Platform helps engineers, product managers, and marketers at companies like Airbnb, Klarna, Lyft, NBCUniversal, PayPal, Spotify, Starbucks and more improve customer data quality, governance, and connectivity across the entire stack. Founded in 2013, mParticle is headquartered in New York City with remote employees globally, and manages more than 1 trillion API calls monthly.

SOURCE mParticle
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) is pleased to announce Cyndi Walters as the next President and CEO, succeeding Larry Bradshaw, who is retiring after 12 years with the organization. Although founded in 1890, Walters is only the second President and CEO and is the first woman to assume the role.



Walters has served at NLCS in varying capacities for nine years; first as a consultant before joining as chief operating officer in 2016. Cumulatively, Walters brings over 30 years of experience in the senior living industry including a strong background in strategically growing and diversifying the organization and an enhanced focus on operating as a senior-living system and leveraging its benefits and efficiencies. Prior to joining NLCS, she provided project management and advisory services to senior living organizations through Walters Advisors, LLC. She has also served in a leadership role at Presbyterian Senior Living in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and during her 19 years at KPMG (a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services), spent significant time as a partner and leader of their National Senior Living Advisory Practice.



Walters is driven by NLCS' mission to honor, inspire and support choice and opportunity in partnership with older adults. Specifically, she is an advocate for "aging with choice," which means providing needed resources for older adults to choose how they want to age  whether that means moving to a senior living community or bringing supportive services to those who want to stay in the home they have always loved.



Throughout her time at NLCS, Walters has spent time interacting with team members at every level, from the executive council to those on the frontlines. She says, "My passion goes much deeper than the mission of NLCS. It is also about the team we have built over the past several years. Our team embraces our culture and has ensured we remain a Great Place to Work." Walters continues, "I believe we have the best team in the industry, and I am just as committed to their experience with NLCS as I am the experience of residents and clients."



Walters' appointment as President and CEO was voted on unanimously by the NLCS Board of Trustees. "We are extremely excited that Cyndi will be stepping up to the CEO position and building upon the amazing visionary and quality-focused ministerial leadership NLCS has enjoyed under Larry's leadership," commented Donna Duss, MSN, RN and NLCS Board Chair. "Since being founded in 1890, our organization's goal has been to seek the best and the brightest at all levels of the organization, and we have done just that in naming Cyndi our CEO," Duss added.



"National Lutheran Communities & Services will be in very capable, skilled and dedicated hands under Cyndi's expertise and vision. She understands and lives the NLCS ministry of keeping quality care at the focus of our day-to-day operations and mission," retiring CEO Larry Bradshaw stated. "I am incredibly pleased by the Board's decision, and look forward to continuing to hear wonderful things about new accomplishments and mission-focused service. I wish the organization the best always, and applaud the outstanding efforts of my fellow team members who will be carrying on in support of Cyndi's leadership," he added.



Walters will assume the President and CEO role on August 1, 2021.



About National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS)

Based in Rockville, Maryland, NLCS is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Delaware-Maryland, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Virginia Synods, serving people of all beliefs. With 130-years' experience, NLCS honors, inspires and supports choice and opportunity in partnership with older adults. Entities affiliated with National Lutheran include The Village at Rockville in Rockville, Maryland, The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Virginia, The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia, The Village at Augsburg in Baltimore, Maryland (also affiliated with Lutheran Church Missouri Synod), The Village at Providence Point in Annapolis, Maryland, subject to Maryland Department of Aging approval, Impact1890 in Rockville, Maryland and myPotential at Home in Winchester, Virginia and Rockville and Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, visit www.nationallutheran.org.



Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12869983



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE National Lutheran Communities & Services

Related Links

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CHICAGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Newly published, Dear Hunter, Letters from Father to Son is an endearing and enlightening book that readers will not soon forget. Author Matt DiGeronimo holds his young son Hunter's hand, pulling him across the boundaries of time for a father-son sit-down, discussing life's most complex issues with graceful simplicity. In this new book, DiGeronimo guides future Hunter through the vicissitudes of life that he will face as a young man, bringing readers along on the journey.

"Dear Hunter, Letters from Father to Son" is on sale just in time to give as a gift for graduation, Fathers Day and other milestone events. The book can be purchased on Amazon.com for $12.95.

As a series of curated letters from father to son, Dear Hunter, provides a timeless work that is the result of the author's lifetime of experiences as a nuclear engineer, United States Navy submarine officer, an entrepreneur, a radio talk show host, a political candidate, an artist, an authorand a dad.

Amazon reviewers have described Dear Hunter as "beautiful", "timeless", and "thought provoking." One reviewer remarked, "DiGeronimo's writing is clear and smooth like warm honey spread over a decadent dessert. Each letter needs to be read and savored slowly."

Covering so much of what a father should teach his son, or anyone can teach another human being, DiGeronimo handles topics such as:

Authenticity

Balance

Friendship

Happiness

Humor

Masculinity

Parents

Persistence

and Writing.

On the topic of persistence, DiGeronimo advises Hunter, "What you are is God's gift, what you become is your gift to God." Of balance, he says, "Resist the temptation to race towards the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Instead, slow your pace and enjoy the view of the rainbow." The book is a treasure trove of sound and gentle letters.

Published on March 12, 2021, Dear Hunter, Letters from Father to Son is on sale just in time to give as a gift for graduation, Father's Day and other milestone events. The book can be purchased on Amazon.com for $12.95.

Pages: 298

ISBN: 979-8710751848

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew DiGeronimo is a native of Hawthorne, NJ. His life experiences include submarine officer for the United States Navy, entrepreneur, radio talk show host, college adjunct professor, energy and manufacturing operations executive, artist, and author. He holds an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He resides in Oak Park, Illinois with his wife Caroline, his step-daughters Addison and McKenna, his son Hunter, and his two dogs, Ruby and Teddy.

SOURCE MattDigeronimo.com

Related Links

https://www.mattdigeronimo.com


OKLAHOMA CITY, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals has affirmed an $8 million verdict awarded to the estate of an oil field worker's stepson who died of mesothelioma in 2016 at the age of 38.

Following the May 2019 trial, a Pontotoc County jury awarded compensatory damages to the family of Brennen James Atkeson, who as a child had been exposed to a raw asbestos product manufactured by Union Carbide Corporation and distributed by Montello Inc., and asbestos from drilling rig products manufactured by National Oilwell Varco. The jury found that Mr. Atkeson's disease resulted from asbestos fibers and dust brought into his home on the clothing of his stepfather, Ronnie Pratt, and that the defendants were negligent and liable for failing to warn workers of the dangers of the products.

The appellate court found the defendants failed to properly respond to pretrial discovery from the plaintiff to identify any unnamed third parties that might have liability. The appellate court also ruled that the defendants' subsequent attempts to introduce third-party liability at trial were properly denied by the trial court.

"Despite their claims that they sought to introduce this evidence in order to relieve themselves of the legal duty to give better warnings, it is clear that their effort was to relieve themselves of that duty by passing it along to third parties, such as Mr. Pratt's employers or the companies that purchased the drilling mud product from Montello," the opinion states. "The trial court's order outlawing such blame-shifting was properly entered."

As to the causation issues raised by the defendants, the court found that  based on the evidence as well as testimony from a co-worker of Mr. Pratt and an expert witness for the plaintiff  a reasonable juror would conclude that the asbestos and asbestos-containing products manufactured by the defendants were used during the relevant time period.

"This opinion represents a clear and thorough review of the evidence, the district court's rulings and the applicable law, and we are gratified by the outcome," says Lisa Shirley of Dallas' Dean Omar Branham Shirley, counsel for the estate. "It has been five years since Mr. Atkeson's tragic and untimely death, and we trust this matter is now concluded."

"This opinion hopefully closes a very sad chapter in the lives of Mr. Atkeson's daughter and his family. Brennen Atkeson had his entire life in front of him when he was cut down by mesothelioma. His death and the pain it brought were entirely avoidable," says Ben Braly, trial counsel for the estate.

The case is Kim Fox-Jones v. Union Carbide et al, Case No. 118290, on appeal from the District Court of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.

Dean Omar Branham Shirley LLP is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, please visit www.dobslegal.com.

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Dean Omar Branham Shirley

Related Links

https://www.dobslegal.com


By Nie Shuyi

On May 16, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed representatives from Palestine and Israel to hold direct negotiations in China at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question via video link. As the escalating Palestine-Israel conflict risks getting out of control, the Chinese sides remarks drew close attention from the international community.

The Chinese side's remarks remind the international community of the importance of the Palestine-Israel issue for Middle Eastern and even the global security. For many years, the US and some regional countries have put their own geopolitical interests over the regional peace and security and marginalized the Palestine-Israel issue in the Middle East and international community, leaving it in suspense without any progress. But in fact, the Palestine-Israel issue not only concerns the two conflicting parties but is also a powder keg concerning ethnic, religious and geopolitical issues in the Middle East.

Sun Degang, a researcher at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, holds that the Palestine-Israel issue bears heavily on the overall situation, including Palestine and Israel themselves, the surrounding countries, and even other Islamic countries. Chinas insistence that it holds the key to the Middle East issue reminds the international community that this issue should neither be forgotten nor neglected.

The remarks of the Chinese side showcase Chinas sense of responsibility as a major country. China, as the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for May, gives top priority to the current tension in the Middle East and pushes the Security Council to deliberate the Palestinian question many times. China has been actively pushing for a comprehensive, just, and enduring solution to the Palestine-Israel issue all these years.

In 2013, when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he put forth the four-point proposal on resolving the Palestinian question. They are: upholding the correct direction of building an independent Palestine State and peaceful co-existence between Palestine and Israel; taking negotiation as the only way to realize peace between the two sides; adhering to principles such as land for peace; and the international community should provide an important guarantee for advancing the peace process. When Abbas visited China again in 2017, President Xi suggested initiating a China-Palestine-Israel dialogue mechanism. During Foreign Minister Wang Yis six-state tour in the Middle East in March this year, as well as the recent Security Council open debate, he welcomed representatives of the two sides to come to China for direct talks, demonstrating Chinas political support in promoting the settlement of the issue.

Chinas remarks remind the international community to address the Palestine-Israel issue in a just and fair manner. The main reason that the Palestine-Israel issue has remained unsolved for so many years is that the US always puts its interests above the common interests of the international community. One of the direct causes for the recent conflict is that Israel is trying to evict Palestinian residents living in East Jerusalem and build a Jewish settlement there. Israels aggressiveness has everything to do with the Trump administrations extreme favoritism in the past few years, due to which Palestine once stopped the comprehensive dialogue and cooperation with Israel, which aggravated their confrontation.

During this round of conflict, the Biden administration, while failing to declare a clear stance on the situation, has repeatedly stressed Israels right to self-defense and kept obstructing the adoption of a joint statement at the Security Council. As the Palestine-Israel conflict keeps escalating, the international community should stand together in unity on the side of peace and justice, of morality and righteousness, and on the right side of history. Thats the right way of implementing true multilateralism.

The recent conflict is a continuation of the thousand-year-long struggle between the Arabians and the Jews and also an outbreak of the piled-up conflicts between Palestine and Israel since the Gaza War in 2014. While the worlds biggest powder keg risks detonation, the Security Council members and the international community should put up a united front to advance the Palestine-Israel peace talks on the principle of fairness and justice and make utmost efforts to help them realize peaceful co-existence.

Editor's note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, which is the website of Overseas Edition of the People's Daily. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
Completions, margins and orders all ahead of where Vistry thought they would be

( ) said first-half profits will be significantly ahead of previous expectations with completions, margins and orders all ahead of target.

The housebuilder added the average weekly private sales rate was up 21% on the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and to meet the demand it expects to sell 6,500 units in 2021.

In a trading up for the period since 1 January, Vistry added that orders now total 2.7bn with private houses accounting for 1.49bn or 83% of expected sales this year.

Greg Fitzgerald, chief executive, said: "It has been a very positive start to the year with strong demand across all areas of our business and our private sales rate increasing to 0.75.

Vistry also increased its profit forecasts for the year, with the adjusted outcome now expected to be not less than 325mln compared to guidance of 310mln previously.

The group also restarted dividend payments and expects to pay 20p with the half-year results while adding it expects its year-end cash position to be much better than the 38mln at the end of 2020.
LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OLASTEO is excited to have officially launched the Catalyst Collective. Visitors to the OLASTEO website are now able to quickly make monthly recurring donations. These donations will enable students to serve as catalysts for change within their community, the country, and someday, the world.

Today, promoting diversity, empathy, and community awareness are in greater need than ever. By joining the Catalyst Collective, you will support this movement for change. By choosing from 6 impact tiers, donors have the ability to help students:

The Catalyst Collective OLASTEO Presents: the Catalyst Collective

Participate in a curated foodie experience

Participate in local community excursions

Participate in custom themed movie nights

Attend sponsored speaker events

Travel to Washington D.C. or a similar locale

OLASTEO has quickly built meaningful relationships with residents and businesses of Los Angeles and beyond who share a common belief. By empowering students to better understand the world and build empathy, they will be able to create positive, necessary change serving as catalysts for social impact.

"By becoming a sustained donor to OLASTEO, I helped this incredible organization continue its mission of high-quality outreach to its group of future social catalysts. Nothing makes me happier than to give opportunities to these young people to become engaged and connected to a bigger world."

- Willow, Catalyst Collective Founding Member

"Providing an outlet for students to expand their curiosities and open their minds, in a way that allows for endless possibilities, is something we wanted to be a part of the minute we heard the mission statement. Being an international couple allows us to contribute our love and support to that mission both financially and creatively."

- Brett and Mathilde, Catalyst Collective Founding Member

To learn more about OLASTEO's mission or to become a donor, visit olasteo.org and the Catalyst Collective page at olasteo.org/catalyst-collective.

About OLASTEO

At OLASTEO (our lives as seen through each other), our mission is to create experiences that empower students to serve as catalysts for social impact. We do this by curating a roster of influential speakers, interactive workshops, and immersive trips. With expanded mindsets, OLASTEO alumni are better prepared to take on the world and give back to their communities. Our work is centered in and around the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, where we provide diverse and unique opportunities within and beyond LA.

Contact:

Aaron Friedman, Executive Director

OLASTEO

(504) 782-4820

[email protected]

https://olasteo.org/

SOURCE OLASTEO

Related Links

https://olasteo.org/


For over 30 years, OXO has been a trusted brand that makes the everyday better, creating thoughtfully designed tools that help make tasks and chores around the home easier: cooking, baking, food storage and organization, coffee and tea brewing, cleaning and baby care. With OXO Outdoor, OXO saw an opportunity to provide quality cooking and cleaning tools that make outdoor experiences better, identifying an un-met need for tools on par with other outdoor equipment. OXO's sister brand Hydro Flask is a leader in the outdoor hydration and gear channels. Its strong retail relationship with REI, combined with deep understanding of the market, provided OXO the perfect opportunity to enter the outdoor category.

From casual day and car campers to experienced trail enthusiasts, OXO Outdoor brings a selection of durable tools to meet the unique needs of campsite kitchens, without compromise in quality or experience. OXO Outdoor is launching an initial assortment of ten products, a curated collection of items from OXO's catalog that are best suited for the outdoors and carefully selected by OXO and REI, including sturdy grilling and cleaning tools, a portable and durable cutting board, a comfortable can opener, knife with protective sheath, and a shatterproof French press coffee maker.

REI and OXO will continue to share insights on customer needs to improve the outdoor kitchen experience and intend to develop and roll-out a thoughtful assortment of new, innovative tools for year two and beyond. Product development insights gleaned from REI's co-op community of camping enthusiasts help to identify opportunities for better outdoor cooking tools and experiences through focus groups and rounds of hands-on testing at campsites.

OXO began to prioritize the outdoors in March 2020, as it officially joined 1% for the Planet, a global community of brands giving back to environmental nonprofits driving positive impact. OXO committed to give back 1% of annual sales to select non-profit organizations that champion environmental causes, providing millions of dollars of funds and resources to organizations that are addressing some of the most pressing environmental issues of the day. Now, OXO is proud to be 1% for the Planet's leading housewares brand and largest corporate donor.

"At OXO, we're always searching for ways to make consumers' lives better," says Larry Witt, President of Helen of Troy Housewares. "Our research showed that outdoor focused consumers were not provided access to high quality, functional cooking tools designed for the outdoors, and as a result many used worn or retired tools from their homes. OXO is creating better gear for better outdoor cooking and cleaning experiences, uniquely framed for campers and their needs. The creation of the new OXO Outdoor line has broad and exciting implications for our brand  new challenges to tackle, new experiences to improve  another proof point of OXO making every day better."

"As more people turn to the outdoors to reconnect and unwind with friends and family, we recognize the importance of offering products to help them elevate their experience," said Melissa Paul, REI senior merchandising category manager. "We're thrilled to offer the OXO Outdoor collection to our customers first, and we are excited for what's next as we work together to solve a unique challenge in the camp space. It makes a lot of sense for us to partner with brands like OXO, already known for designing great kitchen tools, to help us bring the best of the indoors, outside."

The OXO Outdoor collection will initially be sold exclusively at REI starting in May 2021, and includes:

OXO Outdoor Flexible Silicone Utensil 2-Piece Set : This two-piece silicone utensil set features high-heat resistant construction ideal for camp stove cooking. MSRP $16.95

: This two-piece silicone utensil set features high-heat resistant construction ideal for camp stove cooking. MSRP OXO Outdoor Grilling Turner and Tongs Set : Durable duo fit for any grilling adventure, with a built-in bottle opener for campsite convenience. MSRP $19.95

: Durable duo fit for any grilling adventure, with a built-in bottle opener for campsite convenience. MSRP OXO Outdoor Can and Bottle Opener : Comfortable, dependable design for effortless opening. MSRP $14.95

: Comfortable, dependable design for effortless opening. MSRP OXO Outdoor Campsite Squeeze Bottle Set : A reusable solution for storing, mixing, measuring, and dispensing cooking oil, condiments, syrup, soap, and more in camp kits. MSRP $9.95

: A reusable solution for storing, mixing, measuring, and dispensing cooking oil, condiments, syrup, soap, and more in camp kits. MSRP OXO Outdoor Steady Surface Cutting Board: Dependable, double-sided design for stability in any camp kitchen setup. MSRP $11.95

Dependable, double-sided design for stability in any camp kitchen setup. MSRP OXO Outdoor Pots and Pans Scraper : Efficiently clear leftover food, grease and grime from dishes and cookware with one handy tool. MSRP $5.95

: Efficiently clear leftover food, grease and grime from dishes and cookware with one handy tool. MSRP OXO Outdoor Cast Iron Grill Pan Brush : Tough enough to tackle cast iron and carbon steel cookware, gentle enough for non-stick pots and pans. Scrubs without soap or detergent to help preserve seasoning and protect surfaces. MSRP $9.95

: Tough enough to tackle cast iron and carbon steel cookware, gentle enough for non-stick pots and pans. Scrubs without soap or detergent to help preserve seasoning and protect surfaces. MSRP **COMING SOON** OXO Outdoor Campgrounds French Press : With a shatterproof Tritan Renew carafemade from 50% certified recycled contentsthe OXO Outdoors Campground French Press has a better-for-the-planet design for better coffee, anywhere. MSRP $24.95

: With a shatterproof Tritan Renew carafemade from 50% certified recycled contentsthe OXO Outdoors Campground French Press has a better-for-the-planet design for better coffee, anywhere. MSRP **COMING SOON** OXO Outdoor 8-inch Chef's Knife with Protective Sheath : Sharp, durable, and comfortable camp kitchen essential with a protective sheath that keeps knife safe and helps retain blade edge. MSRP $14.95

: Sharp, durable, and comfortable camp kitchen essential with a protective sheath that keeps knife safe and helps retain blade edge. MSRP **COMING SOON** OXO Outdoor Griddle Turner: Durable, professional-grade turner is the perfect partner for grill pans, griddles, and cast-iron cooktops. MSRP $13.95

Visit REI.com for up-to-date product availability and information.

About OXO

For over 30 years, OXO has been globally recognized for its groundbreaking, award-winning universal product design. Starting with the iconic OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler in 1990, OXO has paired innovation and purpose to create tools and gadgets that make everyday living better, every day. Today, OXO makes products that span several home categories: cooking, baking, cleaning, storage and organization, coffee, baby. The brand has won over 100 design awards worldwide; its products reside in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. OXO consistently challenges convention, solving problems and anticipating needs with thoughtful, modern design solutions. OXO is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of their annual sales to support environmental nonprofits. Learn more about how OXO is making the everyday better at www.oxo.com .

About Helen of Troy Limited

Helen of Troy Limited is a leading global consumer products company offering creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands, including OXO, Hydro Flask, Vicks, Braun, Honeywell, PUR, Hot Tools and Drybar. We sometimes refer to these brands as our Leadership Brands. All trademarks herein belong to Helen of Troy Limited (or its subsidiaries) and/or are used under license from their respective licensors. For more information about Helen of Troy, please visit www.helenoftroy.com .

Contact: Mary Ogushwitz, [email protected]



SOURCE OXO
ALAMEDA, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN) today announced that its management team is scheduled to present at the William Blair 41st Annual Growth Stock Virtual Conference on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

Event: William Blair 41st Annual Growth Stock Virtual Conference

Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Time: 4:20pm ET / 1:20pm PT

A webcast of the presentation will be available by visiting the investors' section of the company's website at www.penumbrainc.com. The webcast will be available on the company's website for at least two weeks following the event.

About Penumbra

Penumbra, Inc., headquartered in Alameda, California, is a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies. Penumbra designs, develops, manufactures and markets novel products and has a broad portfolio that addresses challenging medical conditions in markets with significant unmet need. Penumbra sells its products to hospitals and healthcare providers primarily through its direct sales organization in the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia, and through distributors in select international markets. The Penumbra logo is a trademark of Penumbra, Inc. For more information, visit www.penumbrainc.com and connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Investor Relations

Penumbra, Inc.

510-995-2461

[email protected]



SOURCE Penumbra, Inc.

Related Links

www.penumbrainc.com


Perpetua brands and agencies accelerate growth across thousands of additional retailers through CitrusAd, America's fastest growing eCommerce ad network

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Perpetua , a global leader in eCommerce advertising and intelligence software has recently partnered with CitrusAd, the world's fastest growing retail media platform, bringing added scalability and reach to brands and advertisers looking to engage the growing number of online shoppers. The partnership gives Perpetua customers seamless integration of campaigns across an additional 25,000+ retailers as part of the CitrusAd eCommerce Ad Network integration, including Wakefern, Harris Teeter, Hy-Vee and Petco stores among others. The CitrusAd eCommerce Network represents over $200bn in total grocer sales and is rapidly growing with more contracted retailers going live this year. With average media conversion rates of 55%, CitrusAd will be the latest addition to Perpetua marketplaces.

"Our clients come to us to accelerate growth across retail media and we are thrilled to bring them access to the additional eCommerce sites, through our partnership with CitrusAd," says Adam Epstein, VP Growth Perpetua. "The integration of Perpetua and CitrusAd gives advertisers and agencies the tools to simplify the complexity of managing and optimizing their advertising goals across all SKUs while reaching customers where they are shopping."

According to Statista Digital Market Outlook , eCommerce will make up 22% of global retail sales by 2023, expecting to surpass $740 billion in that time. As traffic to eCommerce sites continues to grow and retailers expand their online presence, retail media remains an increasingly important part of advertising strategy for brands and marketers. The partnership between Perpetua and CitrusAd creates an opportunity for marketers to keep up with new CitrusAd Network entrants while maximizing the impact of their ad placements for total market share growth and in store sales.

"We are excited to be part of Perpetua's marketplace expansion, which provides scalability to all parties involved. For CitrusAd and retailers on our network this offers a direct connection to leading advertisers using Perpetua's optimization and intelligence software. For Perpetua and its agencies this expands their reach to many other retailers and their customers," said David Haase, Chief Revenue Officer at CitrusAd.

The CPG industry has shown exceptional growth in the past few years, and the rate of CPG sales growth is expected to continue to increase, meaning competition for market share and customers will remain high. Perpetua's industry-leading analytics and reporting unlocks opportunities for agencies and brands looking to engage customers as they search and purchase new products across retail sites online. As CitrusAd continues to increase the number of retail partners and expand its retailer network, Perpetua customers have day-one access and seamless integration to any additional retailers being added through CitrusAd API, and ability to track performance in real-time.

Marketplace advertising is an increasingly important part of a holistic omnichannel strategy for marketers. Agencies and brands looking for advertising software solutions to manage the complexity of eCommerce advertising on Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and now CitrusAd's retail platforms including Petco, Hy-Vee, HarrisTeeter etc. have a competitive advertising edge when partnering with Perpetua.

About Perpetua

Perpetua is building the growth infrastructure for eCommerce which includes optimization and reporting technology for the world's smartest eCommerce businesses. Through the platform, advertisers create goals based on strategy and leverage Perpetua's best in class, AI-powered optimization engine to execute tactically. Integrations with Amazon, Instacart and Google ensure brands achieve optimal reach and engagement across the full shopper journey, and provide unified performance intelligence for maximum visibility. Perpetua is venture-backed with offices in San Francisco and Toronto. To learn more, visit perpetua.io

About CitrusAd

CitrusAd is the world-leading, white-label, self-serve, eCommerce advertising platform that enables retailers to monetize their digital shelf-space while enabling suppliers to increase sales by launching targeted and cost-effective digital campaigns right at the point of purchase. Since it was launched in 2017, CitrusAd powers the fastest growing eCommerce ad network in the USA and has become the global, retail industry's preferred sponsored product, banner ad platform, service and retail media sales organization. Successful retailers, across all verticals from 25 different countries are leveraging the CitrusAd platform and real-time relevancy engine to create a more personalized shopping experience and deliver greater ROI for suppliers. For more information, visit CitrusAd.com

SOURCE Perpetua
LOVELAND, Colo., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pride Roofing & Construction is committed to serving the local community across Northern Colorado through its Pride Gives Back programs. This past month, they "walked the walk" with three different charity programs:

A $5,000 donation to the Weld County Food Bank

donation to the Weld County Food Bank A new roof donation to a local hero, Police Officer Gebhart

Support & attendance at the Boy s & Girls Club of Greeley Gala

Pride Roofing

"We believe in doing our part to support our community," says founder and CEO Kristopher Wagner. "We want to give back whenever possible."

Pride made a direct donation of $5,000 to Weld County Food Bank, and the money will go directly to purchasing food and to keeping the facility running. "Both myself and business partner Christian have personal connections to the food bank," said CEO Kristopher Wagner." The food bank was there for us when times were hard, and we're grateful to be in a position where we can now give back."

Pride has also built its first free roof for a hometown hero through its roof donation program. For every 100 roofs that the roofing company replaces, they donate one free roof to a veteran, front-line healthcare worker, or first responder. The hero who was chosen, Officer Gebhart, evacuated and protected people affected by the Cameron Peak Fire, and he was picked for his unwavering dedication to protecting the community. If you would like to nominate yourself or another deserving individual, call (970) 316-6083.

Lastly, on Saturday, May 1, Pride Roofing took place in the Boys & Girls Club Gala event in Greely, where they made a direct donation of $19,250 to the club. They also donated a package for the silent auction that included a yeti cooler filled with food for a date night for two.

Learn more about how Pride Roofing & Construction gives back: www.pride-roofing.com/pride-gives-back/

About Pride Roofing & Construction:

Pride Roofing & Construction is a roofing company serving the Front Range of CO and Southern Wyoming. Pride has offices in both Loveland and Cheyenne and offers integral roofing & exterior contractor services while following ethical business practices and providing quality craftsmanship.

Media Contact:

Rachielle Gillstrap

[email protected]

(720) 745-0671

Related Links

https://www.pride-roofing.com/

SOURCE Pride Roofing
VISALIA, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is pleased to announce The DAISY Award program at every campus with an applicable nursing program in honor of National Nurses Month. While collaborating with The DAISY Foundation, SJVC will continue its tradition of celebrating extraordinary contributions to the field of nursing.

The DAISY Awards, including The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty and The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students, have been adopted by healthcare facilities and educational institutions around the world to celebrate nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion.

Both nursing faculty and students at SJVC may be nominated by their colleagues, employers, patients, family, or alumni through an open nomination process. Award recipients will be chosen by a campus committee at least once a year with each Honoree receiving a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a beautiful sculpture called A Healer's Touch.

"At SJVC we have always believed in recognizing the outstanding contributions of our healthcare professionals including nursing students and educators," said President of SJVC, Nick Gomez. "In recognizing all their hard work and accomplishments, we can continue encouraging their success while also addressing the need for more of these healthcare heroes," added Gomez. "As part of this ongoing effort, we are proud to launch The DAISY Award program at our campuses in Visalia, Ontario, Bakersfield, Santa Maria and Rancho Mirage."

The non-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

The DAISY Foundation expanded its' flagship award program to academic institutions in order to recognize the faculty who inspire compassionate care in their students as well as the students who demonstrate it during their education. "We honor faculty who inspire nurses to care for others like Patrick's nurses cared for him and our family. Celebrating nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion they show to patients and their families will be a strong reminder that nursing is not all about tasks and technology," said Bonnie Barnes, CEO and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation.

For more information on SJVC, please visit: www.SJVC.edu

For more information on The DAISY Foundation, please visit: www.DaisyFoundation.org

About San Joaquin Valley College

San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is an accredited private college that provides career-focused curriculum and instruction to its students. Founded in 1977, SJVC has 17 campuses located throughout California  plus an online division  and offers more than 20 accelerated certificate and associate of science degree programs in the medical, business, and technical fields. A second-generation, family-run college, SJVC has prepared more than 60,000 graduates for professional success in their chosen careers.

SJVC is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510)748-9001 and also the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 10 Commercial Blvd., Suite 204, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at www.accjc.org.

Media Contact

Ryan C. Smith

San Joaquin Valley College

+1 (949) 689-3999

[email protected]

SOURCE San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC)
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shannon Connolly, MD, a family physician who practices in Orange County, this month begins a one-year term as president of the more than 10,000-member California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP). In this role, Dr. Connolly will champion the importance of primary and preventive care in keeping Californians healthier and shaping the future of the state's health care system. Health equity, public health and access to care are primary areas of focus for Dr. Connolly.

As CAFP president, she will help set the Academy's health policy priorities; work with colleagues, educators, lawmakers and others to advocate for system transformation; address racism and health inequity; and help to raise awareness of the important work of family physicians.

"With our broad training in providing primary care regardless of age, gender or condition, family physicians are an essential component of building a better health care system. Family physicians are at the frontlines of improving the health of our patients and communities." Dr. Connolly said.

Dr. Connolly will bring her experience as a leader at the national and state level as well as her experience in a clinic that serves low-income patients to help lead CAFP through this next year. "We are in the midst of a national reckoning about racism and health inequity in America. We are at a moment where change is possible if we are brave enough to take it on as the work of family medicine" said Dr. Connolly. She adds, "a ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships were built to do. Family doctors were trained to navigate difficult journeys. While this year was extraordinary in what family medicine achieved, I believe our best work is still yet to come."

Dr. Connolly is Associate Medical Director at Melody Health in Orange County where she also sees patients. Dr. Connolly received a B.A. in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University and an M.D. from University of Southern California. She did her medical residency in Family Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles and completed a fellowship in Primary Care Psychiatry at the University of California Irvine. She has held numerous leadership positions at the American Academy of Family Physicians, including currently serving as Chair of the Subcommittee on Health Equity and as a member of the Commission on Health of the Public and Science.

For more information about Dr. Connolly, see https://www.familydocs.org/connolly.

About the California Academy of Family Physicians: With more than 10,000 members, including active practicing family physicians, residents in family medicine, and medical students interested in the specialty, CAFP is the largest primary care medical society in California. Family physicians are trained to treat an entire family's medical needs, addressing the whole spectrum of life's medical challenges. FPs serve a broad base of patients in urban, suburban and rural areas, often in California's most underserved areas.

SOURCE California Academy of Family Physicians

Related Links

https://www.familydocs.org


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against SOS Limited ("SOS" or the "Company") (NYSE: SOS), and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States ("U.S.") District Court for the District of New Jersey, and docketed under 21-cv-07454, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired SOS American depository shares ("ADSs") between July 22, 2020 and February 25, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased SOS ADSs during the Class Period, you have until May 31, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

SOS is a technology company that purportedly provides marketing data, technology, and solutions for emergency rescue services. When the Company went public in April 2017, it was known as "China Rapid Finance Limited" and claimed to focus on a peer-to-peer, micro-lending business. The Company later changed its name to "SOS Limited" in July 2020 and sold its peer-to-peer, micro-lending business in August 2020, rebranding itself into an emergency services business. In January 2021, the Company again shifted its business focus, this time to cryptocurrency mining.

Critical to SOS's purportedly successful transition into a cryptocurrency mining business were the Company's claims to have entered into an agreement with HY International Group New York Inc. ("HY"), which calls itself the "world's largest mining machine matchmaker," to acquire 15,645 mining rigsi.e., personal computing machines built specifically for cryptocurrency miningfor $20 million, and the Company's plans to purchase FXK Technology Corporation ("FXK"), a purported Canadian cryptocurrency technology firm.

In addition to rapidly changing its business focus, SOS has also rapidly changed the location of its headquarters. According to the Company's SEC filings, the address of the Company's principal executive offices has changed no less than five times since the Company went public in April 2017.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) SOS had misrepresented the true nature, location, and/or existence of at least one of the principal executive offices listed in its SEC filings; (ii) HY and FXK were either undisclosed related parties and/or entities fabricated by the Company; (iii) the Company had misrepresented the type and/or existence of the mining rigs that it claimed to have purchased; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On February 26, 2021, Hindenburg Research ("Hindenburg") and Culper Research ("Culper") released commentary on SOS, claiming that the Company was an intricate "pump and dump" scheme that used fake addresses and doctored photos of crypto mining rigs to create an illusion of success. The analysts noted, for example, that SOS's SEC filings listed a hotel room as the Company's headquarters. The analysts also questioned whether SOS had actually purchased mining rigs that it claimed to own, as the entity from which SOS purportedly bought the mining rigs appeared to be a fake shell company. The analysts further alleged that the photos SOS had published of their purported "mining rigs" were phony. Culper noted that photographs of SOS's "miners" did not depict the A10 Pro machines that the Company claimed to own and instead appeared to show different devices altogether. Hindenburg, for its part, found that the original images from SOS's website actually belonged to another company.

On this news, SOS's American depositary share ("ADS") price fell $1.27 per share, or 21.03%, to close at $4.77 per ADS on February 26, 2021.

After the end of the Class Period, between February 27 and March 3, 2021, Hindenburg subsequently provided additional information on SOS that further supported its earlier allegations, including pictures, highlighting, inter alia, how SOS had allegedly taken steps to hide the misconduct noted in the February 26, 2021 corrective disclosures.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

www.pomerantzlaw.com


Shed Geeks host a variety of expert guests, also known as "Shed-Lebreties," every week to discuss all "sheddy stuff." Shannon and Kyle guide listeners through discussions on a variety of shed industry topics. With the rapidly growing shed industry, including building, selling and hauling, it's the perfect way to come together in one place and share industry information.

Shed Hub offers a place for dealers nationwide to share their inventory in an organized and convenient way for customers to research, view and shop for portable buildings. Shed Hub is paving the way for a simplified shed shopping experience for both dealers and customers.

When asked about his time with the Shed Geeks, Jeff says "Kyle and Shannon were great to work with! They kept the podcast light and fun. They also managed to work out of me a Wisconsin accent - which is where I grew up. They've seen a tremendous amount of growth in their podcast and I think that speaks to the energy behind the growing shed industry. I expect their audience to continue to grow for a long time."

"It was awesome having Jeff on the Podcast," says Latham. "He's very knowledgeable and passionate about his work and the shed industry. That's important to us. It's fun to collaborate with others who love to laugh, but also, have a genuine passion for what we do, moving the industry forward."

To subscribe to the rapidly growing Shed Geek Podcast visit http://www.shedgeek.com and be sure to tune in to the June 9th episode with Jeff Huxmann. Huxmann will offer a special promotion during the podcast.

Media Contact:

Heather Warren

415-915-7433

[email protected]

SOURCE Shed Hub

Related Links

https://shedhub.com


PHOENIX, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SinglePoint Inc. (OTC: SING) ("SinglePoint" or the "Company"), a company focused on providing renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient applications to drive better health and living, today reported financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided a business update.

Recent Corporate Highlights

Successfully effected a 1-for-75 reverse stock split and spin off of non-core asset, 1606 Corp.

Completed acquisition of Box PureAir, LLC to sell AIRBOX, an American-made, high-proficiency energy efficient air purification technology.

Secured an aggregate of $2,000,000 . The proceeds from the financing will be used for sales and marketing initiatives for the Company's recently completed acquisitions, Energy Wyze and Box PureAir.

. The proceeds from the financing will be used for sales and marketing initiatives for the Company's recently completed acquisitions, Energy Wyze and Box PureAir. Completed acquisition of premier solar lead generation engine, Energy Wyze, LLC.

Settled the remaining balance of the Convertible Secured Note Agreements with Iliad Trading Company and UAHC Ventures which eliminates all external debt conversions. The elimination of the remaining balance removed future conversions under the Note and removed all derivative (toxic) debt from the Company's Balance Sheet.

"Over the course of 2020 we made significant progress in streamlining our business model and building momentum in the renewable energy space, an industry that is poised to experience exponential growth over the next decade," commented Wil Ralston, President of SinglePoint. "Our team has worked diligently to establish a strong foundation, financially, operationally and commercially and I am pleased with the progress we continue to make. These deliberate steps are critical in propelling SinglePoint to its next phase of growth and well-position the Company to become an industry leader for renewable energy solutions. Moving forward, we believe 2021 will be a further transformational year, especially having begun taking steps towards qualifying for a national exchange, which we believe has the potential to increase the profile of SinglePoint and maximize shareholder value. We will continue to focus on improving the balance sheet and growing our revenues while improving profitability organically and through opportunistic acquisitions. We look forward to an exciting year ahead."

SinglePoint has taken catalytic steps in transforming the traditional solar energy model and is committed to growing its national footprint. With the recently completed acquisitions of Energy Wyze, LLC and Box PureAir, LLC., SinglePoint is driving the vision of creating the first National network of renewable energy services and products that promote a cleaner sustainable lifestyle while minimizing the impact on the environment and expects to generate continued growth.

SinglePoint is leveraging Box PureAir's established multi-state exclusive and international rights to sell AIRBOX, an industrial grade, American made, high-proficiency energy-efficient air purification technology. Box PureAir now has over 200 reps through various partnerships in multiple states including Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. The company is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina and recently announced the opening of its office and sales center. Box PureAir is focused on delivering solutions to schools, restaurants, retail-based services and offices across multiple verticals and currently has submitted bids in excess of $50,000,000 to public schools, government agencies to help drive reopening of schools across America. Box PureAir is committed to creating Safe Air Zones by providing facilities with Certified HEPA and Antimicrobial Filtration Systems to displace, reduce and eliminate airborne contaminants from inside air including airborne infectious agents, pollen, dust, mold and other hazardous chemicals.

As SinglePoint implemented its strategic growth and diversification plan, the Company executed its first spin off, 1606 Corp. which has become its own entity. Greg Lambrecht will become CEO of 1606 Corp. Mr. Lambrecht is currently the CEO of SinglePoint. It is planned that Wil Ralston (President) will move to CEO of SinglePoint and the current CFO, Corey Lambrecht, will move to President and the Company will bring in a new CFO or senior accounting staff.

"Senior management of 1606 Corp. is currently in place and they have been actively working on adding resources to enable them to effectively communicate to all the former and current SinglePoint shareholders that received ownership in 1606 Corp. through the spin out. We believe that there is significant value within 1606 Corp. and that it is now well-positioned as its own entity to access the business opportunities it has available," stated Wil Ralston, President of SinglePoint.

The Company plans to strategically spin off additional assets, such as Shield Saver  a unique Automotive and Data (Blockchain) opportunity originally acquired in 2018, following the same procedural processes. Future intended spin offs will provide shareholders additional value while enabling the companies to continue to grow independently while SinglePoint continues to grow its renewable energy footprint.

SinglePoint's management will continue to concentrate its efforts on analyzing, improving and expanding its existing solar businesses while exploring additional accretive acquisitions or partnerships in healthy living and renewable energy applications. The Company will continue to look for accretive acquisitions in an effort to create the first truly national network in the sector. The solar industry is estimated to quadruple by 2030 according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2020 Year-in-Review report, released on March 16, 2021 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. Currently only 4% of the addressable residential homes in the US domestic market have solar with a similar number for small commercial opportunities.

Q1 2021 Financial Highlights:

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021 , the Company had total cash of $1,691,868 compared to $198,473 reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 .

, the Company had total cash of compared to reported for the quarter ended . Reported a total of $2,275,950 in total current assets for the year ended March 31, 2021 , an increase of 742% from the quarter ended March 31, 2020 .

in total current assets for the year ended , an increase of 742% from the quarter ended . Additionally, the Company removed over $2,400,000 of convertible debt from the Company's balance sheet.

About SinglePoint Inc.

SinglePoint Inc. is a renewable energy and sustainable lifestyle company focused on providing environmentally friendly energy efficiencies and healthy living solutions. SinglePoint is initially focused on building the largest network of renewable energy solutions and modernizing the traditional solar and energy storage model. The Company is also actively exploring future growth opportunities in air purification, electric vehicle charging, solar as a subscription service, and additional energy efficiencies and appliances that enhance sustainability and a healthier life. For more information, visit the Company's website (www.singlepoint.com) and connect on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential plans and objectives of the Company, the use of proceed, anticipated growth and future expansion, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

Investor Contact:

JTC Team, LLC

Jenene Thomas

833-475-8247

[email protected]

SOURCE SinglePoint Inc.

Related Links

https://www.singlepoint.com/


Digital transformation is a key priority for the Government of Oman as exemplified by the public services digital 2022 plan to digitalise 59 public services across different government institutions

( ) is to establish a subsidiary in the Sultanate of Oman that will become its Middle Eastern regional headquarters.

The cybersecurity company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Al-Rawahy Holdings of the Sultanate of Oman that will see the formation of a licensed subsidiary called Crossword Cybersecurity LLC, which will be majority-owned by Crossword.

Al-Rawahy Holdings has been operating in Oman for more than 40 years and has more than 10,000 employees.

The subsidiary will be the exclusive third-party distributor of Crossword's existing and future cybersecurity products, including Rizikon, the software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that enables medium to large companies to assess and manage all risks from their suppliers.

Crossword's full range of cybersecurity services will also be made available - helping companies in the region improve their cybersecurity posture to achieve best practices with the latest solutions.

"Now is an excellent time to deepen private sector cybersecurity solutions in Oman, and engage in knowledge exchange and training in the region as Crossword seeks to support Oman's Vision 2040 cyber goals. During 2020, Crossword saw strong revenue growth of 25%, including our first project in Oman, said Tom Ilube, the chief executive of Crossword.

We are delighted to be partnering with the Rawahy Group in the creation of Crossword Cybersecurity LLC, giving us a permanent presence with which to meet the cybersecurity needs of organisations in Oman and across the Gulf region, he added.




LUXEMBOURG, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Solvenz announces the launch of Assured P&A, a first-of-its-kind insurance services and finance platform with a focus on plugging oil and gas wells in the United States and Canada. Assured P&A insurance products are issued by Solvenz Specialty Line Insurance Company. Financial strength for Assured P&A's insurance products is rated "A+" Standard & Poor's, "AA-" Fitch and "A" from A.M. Best.

Assured P&A will provide services to oil and gas operators in the U.S. and Canada with a wide range of services and financial products, such as P&A financing, a P&A insurance product line, P&A planning, and regulatory oversight.

Solvenz has developed insurance coverages exclusively for Assured P&A with key features that include: P&A fixed cost completion guarantees, protection against subsurface anomalies, protection against mechanical failure during the P&A completion process, protection against P&A cost overruns, and up to 10 years of post-P&A completion risk from the potential flow-back of pollutants.

There is increasing public pressure in the U.S. that is being put on regulators to usher in legislation to protect against the environmental risks associated with orphaned and non-producing wells that have been left unplugged. In Texas, for example, 10% of wells producing below the volumetric minimal limit of 15 barrels produced over a 90-day period are deemed inactive and are required to be plugged in accordance with the regulatory guidelines. The consequence of failing to meet the annual minimum requirement to plug wells can result in the issuance of fines and the suspension or complete revocation of licenses required to operate oil and gas wells.

The estimated total P&A liability in the U.S. is believed to be in the neighborhood of $280 billion.

A 2020 study completed by Carbon Tracker, a non-profit analytics group monitoring the increasing P&A liability in the U.S., "estimates there are some 3.8 million unplugged oil and gas wells nationally, including more than 783,000 across Texas. As the coronavirus pandemic forces more oil and gas companies into bankruptcy, Carbon Tracker fears more of these unplugged wells could be abandoned, leaving companies and taxpayers on the hook for $117bn in Texas alone for plugging and cleaning up so-called 'orphan wells.'"

The October 2020 Carbon Tracker study goes on to say that "the number of orphan wells could rise even higher as society shifts from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources. If the world has hit or is approaching peak oil demand, oil and gas companies could be less motivated to plug in wells"

Billion Dollar Orphans: Why millions of oil and gas wells could become wards of the state - Carbon Tracker Initiative

Richard McCrea - Managing Director, Risk Analysis and Valuation, Solvenz - says, "We are excited to have the opportunity as a lead investor and insurance developer for Assured P&A. The company is in position for sustained growth, and by the numbers, will make a direct impact by working to reduce the growing number of unplugged wells located in the U.S. and Canada. Assured P&A will look to incorporate tailored financial insurance instruments that further reinforce Assured P&A's business plan and industry services. Assured P&A has developed a platform, with layers of value-driven distinguishable characteristics that cannot be achieved through P&A job completion discounts alone.

Wells requiring P&A are treated as a liability which has a negative impact on a company's valuation, its borrowing base, and balance sheet. When we consider purchasing or investing in an E&P company, an oil and gas producing asset, or an asset-backed loan, whether that investment is in the form of debt or equity, we reduce that valuation, or borrowing base, by the undiscounted present value of the outstanding P&A liability. The Assured P&A solution will add value back to the balance sheet, which results in an improved valuation, a more robust borrowing base, and regulatory compliance. P&A completion facilities, or P&A Capsules, consist of a group of wells held within a special purpose vehicle that are in queue to be plugged. P&A Capsules are funded with 100% of the required costs for P&A completions. P&A Capsules are compartmentalized away from the balance sheet and ring-fenced inside a P&A special purpose vehicle (P&ASPV). The P&A Capsule SPV will remain in compliance with regulations and is assigned a dedicated regulatory advisory team throughout the life of the capsule.

Lastly, and most importantly, a producer's P&A liability, if not properly addressed, or if the producer does not have an adequate P&A plan in place, will reflect negatively on a company's ESG scorecard. Rating agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch), investors, pension funds, banks, etc. see a strong ESG rating as a top priority, and a "must-have". Maintaining a strong ESG scorecard will place that business on a preferred list of responsible and sustainable investments that are looked upon favorably by rating agencies and investors. As an Investor, Solvenz is vigilantly seeking sustainable energy investment opportunities that are securely positioned for sustained long-term growth."

Sara Froggatt - President & CCO, Right Decision Regulatory Consulting - Houston, Texas, comments, "The oil & gas industry, in general, has very significantly under-provisioned for necessary P&A work. Reliable estimates put the total bill for ARO's (Asset Retirement Obligations) in the hundreds of billions of dollars, which will have to be covered by the energy companies themselves, or devolve on the regulatory authorities and, ultimately, the taxpayer. The problem is only getting worse as the industry enters a phase of terminal decline. Any initiative, such as the Solvenz risk management solution, which seeks to corral this runaway issue, must be given very serious consideration by the industry and government."

ABOUT SOLVENZ

The Solvenz Group of companies was formed in 2008 with a primary focus to de-risk its global investment portfolio held in alternative asset classes. The Solvenz Group of companies, along with its regulated investment funds in Luxembourg, is postured for strong growth and is continually expanding its reach into other esoteric asset classes. Currently, Solvenz attributes its success and growth to ongoing rigorous analytical studies and effective de-risking solutions. For more information, visit http://www.solvenz.com .

Media Contact:

Richard McCrea | [email protected]

Contact for regulatory information: [email protected]

THE STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, CONCERNING PREDICTIONS OF ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT'S PLANS AND OBJECTIVES CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MADE, PURSUANT TO THE SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS OF SECTION 21E OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 27A OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED. THESE STATEMENTS INVOLVE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FACTORS WHICH COULD CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH DIFFERENCES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS AFFECTING THE OPERATIONS OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS BUSINESS OPERATIONS, THE IMPACT OF COMPETITION, THE SUCCESS OF PRODUCTS IN THE MARKETPLACE. THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE INVOLVE SUBJECTS ONLY AS OF THE DATE HEREOF AND THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ANY INTENT OR OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

SOURCE Solvenz
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stena AB (the "Company") announced today the commencement of a cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase its 7.00% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "Notes") in a principal amount of up to $250,000,000 (the "Tender Cap"), as described in the table below:

Title of Security CUSIP Numbers Principal Amount Outstanding Tender Cap Base Consideration (1)(2) Early Tender Premium (1) Total Consideration (1)(2) 7.00% Senior Notes due 2024 858577AR0 and

W8758PAK2 $527,000,000 $250,000,000 $1,020 $30 $1,050





(1) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes.



(2) Excludes Accrued Interest (as defined below), which will be paid in addition to the Base Consideration or the Total Consideration, as applicable.

Certain Information Regarding the Tender Offer

Holders should take note of the following important dates in connection with the Tender Offer:

Date

Calendar Date and Time Commencement Date

May 18, 2021





Early Tender Date

5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 1, 2021, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company





Withdrawal Deadline

5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 1, 2021 unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company





Early Settlement Date

(option of the Company)

Expected to be on or about June 3, 2021, but will be determined at the Company's option





Expiration Date

11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 15, 2021, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company





Final Settlement Date

Expected to occur on the second business day following the Expiration Date

The above times and dates are subject to our right, in our sole discretion, to extend, amend and/or terminate the Tender Offer (subject to applicable law and as provided in this Offer to Purchase) at any time at or prior to the Expiration Date. Holders of Notes are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a beneficial owner in order for that beneficial owner to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, an offer before the deadlines specified in this Offer to Purchase. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and the applicable Clearing System for the submission of tender instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above. We will have no obligation to pay interest by reason of any delay by the Information Agent, the Tender Agent or the Clearing Systems in making payments to Holders.

The Tender Offer commenced today, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated as of May 18, 2021 (the "Offer to Purchase"). The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 15, 2021, unless the Company extends the Tender Offer (the date and time, as the Tender Offer may be extended, the "Expiration Date"), unless earlier terminated. Holders of any Notes that validly tender, and do not validly withdraw at or prior to the Withdrawal Deadline (as defined below), their Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 1, 2021 (such date and time, as it may be extended the "Early Tender Date"), will be eligible to receive the Total Consideration as set forth in the table above per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes, which is equal to the Base Consideration as set forth in the table above plus the Early Tender Premium as set forth in the table above, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes from the last interest payment date for the Notes up to, but not including, the applicable settlement date ("Accrued Interest"). Holders of any Notes that validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date, will only be eligible to receive the Base Consideration plus Accrued Interest. Any Notes tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer may be withdrawn at or prior to, but not after, 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on June 1, 2021 (such date and time, as may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"). The settlement date for Notes that are tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date is expected to be June 3, 2021, the second business day following the Early Tender Date. The settlement date for Notes that are tendered following the Early Tender Date but on or prior to the Expiration Date is expected to be June 17, 2021, the second business day following the Expiration Date.

If any Notes are validly tendered and the principal amount of such tendered Notes exceeds the Tender Cap, any principal amount of the Notes accepted for payment and purchased, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Tender Offer, will be prorated based on the principal amount of validly tendered Notes, subject to the Tender Cap and any prior purchase of Notes on any Early Settlement Date as described below.

Any Notes that are validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date (and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Withdrawal Deadline) will have priority over any Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date. Accordingly, if the principal amount of any Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date (and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Withdrawal Deadline) equals or exceeds the Tender Cap, no Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase.

The Company reserves the right, but is under no obligation, on any day following the Early Tender Date and prior to the Expiration Date (any such day, an "Early Settlement Date"), to accept for purchase and payment, or to purchase and pay for, any Notes validly tendered prior to such Early Settlement Date (and not withdrawn at or prior to the Withdrawal Deadline), subject to satisfaction or, as applicable, waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer.

The Company reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to (i) waive any and all conditions to the Tender Offer, (ii) extend the Early Tender Date, the Withdrawal Deadline or the Expiration Date or terminate the Tender Offer, (iii) increase or decrease the Tender Cap, or (iv) otherwise amend the Tender Offer, in any respect, including to change the consideration offered.

The Company's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for any Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer is subject to the satisfaction or, as applicable, waiver of certain conditions, as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase.

Notes may be tendered only in principal amounts equal to $200,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

J.P. Morgan AG is acting as dealer manager for the Tender Offer. Questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to J.P. Morgan AG at +44 20 7134 2468.

D.F. King & Co., Inc. is acting as tender and information agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers), (866) 207-3626 or email at [email protected].

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell any Notes. The Tender Offer is not being made in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made as to whether or not holders of any Notes should tender their Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer is being made solely pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, which more fully sets forth and governs the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. The Offer to Purchase contains important information and should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer.

About Stena AB

Stena AB is one of the largest privately held companies in Sweden and a leading participant in the worldwide shipping industry. Stena AB owns and operates one of the world's largest international passenger and freight ferry services and owns and charters drilling rigs, Roll-on/Roll-off vessels and crude oil and petroleum product tankers. Stena AB also invests in and manages residential and commercial real estate, principally in Sweden and The Netherlands.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release and the documents incorporated by reference in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning applicable securities laws. These statements include statements about the tender offer. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues" and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements These forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including those discussed in the Offer to Purchase published in connection with the tender offer. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made in this press release or elsewhere as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor and Media Contact: Peter Claesson

[email protected]

+46 704 855 144

SOURCE Stena AB
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stone Street Coffee, one of the leading direct to consumer coffee companies, announced the release of its new Cold Brew Caffeine Boost on May 17, 2021, to meet the growing demand in the world of cold brew coffee. Freshness is paramount to Stone Street Coffee, and the company is built on that foundation. From sourcing to quality assurance to their commitment to small batch roasting, it ensures that its coffee beans are the best they can be.

Stone Street Coffee, Caffeine Boost Cold Brew

After months of research and development, the creator of Cold Brew on Amazon, is proud to announce its two new versions; Caffeine Boost, and Caffeine Boost Mocha version also available for the chocolate lovers!

The Cold Brew Caffeine Boost uses selected beans from Colombia and Mexico, is dark roasted, yet, exceptionally sweet with no bitterness. Drink it with or without milk, to fill up on energy!

Crafted for cold brewing - Cold Brew Caffeine Boost is the perfect blend for making your own extra caffeinated cold brew coffee.

This premium coffee is for coffee lovers who appreciate premium beans, balanced flavor profiles, and freshly roasted small batch quality. "We are extremely satisfied with the result of our Research & Development team. Innovation is a core component of our artisan company." Lola Dorso - Marketing Manager.

About Stone Street Coffee: Stone Street Coffee is an artisanal coffee roaster located in Brooklyn, NY, roasting since 2009. With an unparalleled approach to freshness, every bean they offer has been roasted just over the Brooklyn Bridge. They are dedicated to the fine art of artisanal coffee, with intimate, ethical relationships with the best coffee farms and growing regions. As of Spring 2021, Stone Street Coffee is one of the highest rated brands on Amazon, and the most recognized brands on the internet.

For more information: https://www.stonestreetcoffee.com

Press contact - Menel Bouchaib - [email protected]

Related Images

stone-street-coffee-caffeine-boost.jpg

Stone Street Coffee, Caffeine Boost Cold Brew

Stone Street Coffee, Caffeine Boost Cold Brew

SOURCE Stone Street Coffee Company
EVE, which is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is one of the top tier suppliers of EV and electricity storage system (ESS) batteries in China. The scope of the new framework agreement includes scale-up activities of StoreDot's XFC technology, followed by the production of engineering samples targeted at showcasing the technology to EV clients. The framework agreement also covers the intention to set up a joint venture for mass production.

The new deal builds on the existing framework agreement signed by StoreDot and EVE Energy in 2018 to collaborate on a small form factor of StoreDot's XFC technology. In 2019, this XFC battery was used to demonstrate the world's first full live charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes (see video). In January 2021, another major milestone was reached when StoreDot released the first engineering samples of the small form factor produced at EVE Energy's facility in China.

Dr. Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot's CEO, comments: "Securing sufficient production capability is one of the biggest challenges facing any introduction of a new battery technology to market. However, from day one EVE Energy has shared our vision that XFC is fundamental to accelerate EV adoption and eventually achieve a full transition to electric mobility. EVE's expert technical knowledge has been instrumental in helping us to reach a number of important milestones including, most recently, the launch of the small form factor XFC samples produced on standard lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines. Importantly, this removed a major barrier to achieving full commercialization of XFC technology by eliminating the need to invest in costly bespoke manufacturing equipment for mass production."

Myersdorf continues: "Our silicon-dominant anode battery in large form factor represents the next crucial stage of our journey by bringing the charging speed, cost and range of XFC batteries in-line with the goals of the EV industry. These capabilities will be demonstrated later this year via our EV samples produced with EVE Energy."

Dr. Liu Jincheng, EVE's Chairman of the Board, says: "We are delighted to continue our long-term partnership with StoreDot. XFC technology is absolutely critical to accelerating the adoption of petrol- and diesel-free vehicles by eliminating the barrier of EV range and charging anxiety. StoreDot's progress in this area together with our scale up and manufacturing capabilities provide unique synergy to EV clients. The potential of the XFC battery is tremendous and we look forward to continuing to work together to make this technology a commercial reality."

StoreDot's revolutionary XFC FlashBattery technology redefines the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries, taking EV charging times from hours to minutes. This breakthrough is achieved primarily by replacing graphite in the cell's anode with metalloid nano-particles, such as silicon, to overcome major issues in safety, cycle life and cell swelling during the charging process.

About StoreDot:

StoreDot is a pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) batteries that overcome the critical barrier to mainstream EV adoption  range and charging anxiety. The company has revolutionized the Li-ion battery by designing and synthesizing proprietary organic and inorganic compounds, making it possible to fully charge an EV in just five minutes  the same time it takes to refuel a conventional combustion engine vehicle. StoreDot's battery technology is optimized for best driver experience with XFC in Li-ion batteries, as well as future solid state generations delivering extreme energy density (XED).

StoreDot's strategic investors include BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures and TDK. In 2019, the company achieved a world first by demonstrating the live full charge of a two-wheeled EV in just five minutes. Moving XFC battery technology from the lab to a commercially viable product for the first time, StoreDot has launched engineering samples of its small form factor batteries with EVE, designed to be manufactured at scale on conventional Li-lion production lines.

For more information see: www.store-dot.com.

Photo 1: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511874/Doron_Myersdorf__CEO__StoreDot.jpg

Photo 2: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511875/StoreDot_XFC_Technology.jpg

SOURCE StoreDot
SALT LAKE CITY, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Suralink was named the winner of a bronze Stevie Award in the Company of the Year for Computer Software category in The 19th Annual American Business Awards today.

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominationspublic and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

Suralink

More than 3,800 nominationsa record numberfrom organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Virtual Event of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. Suralink was nominated in the Company of the Year category for Computer Software - small.

Suralink saw another year of record growth, including significant increases in market achievements to the industry in a year where many businesses experience slow or stagnating growth because of the Covid-19 pandemic: "Suralink is an innovative product and the customer feedback shows it is helping revolutionize the auditing market."

"We're honored to win another Stevie Award," says Tim Ballantyne, CEO and Founder at Suralink. I believe this award is a testament to the work the team at Suralink has put in to create an industry-leading product and business."

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2021 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About Suralink

Suralink is the leader in request list and document management, helping businesses simplify the document exchange process while improving the client experience.

The company's cloud-based application integrates a dynamic request list and assignment workflow solution with a secure file hosting platform to serve as a single location for client interaction. Suralink's technology, combined with its industry expertise, helps more than 550 clients in North America and the UK ensure security, simplicity, transparency, and accountability throughout the document exchange process.

For more information about Suralink's leading request list management software, visit www.suralink.com or email [email protected].

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. The Stevies also produce the annual Women|Future Conference. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com

Contact:

Meghan Mitton, VP of Marketing

[email protected]

Related Images

image1.png

SOURCE Suralink
SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Synergy One Lending is proud to announce the launch of a new branch in Houston, Texas! Under the direction of top-producing co-managers Blair Katz and Brooke Cisneros, the team joins a rapidly growing Texas region and they are off to an amazing start!

Asked about the onboarding and technology, Katz said, "The S1L transition team is A++, and the interaction between the different systems is incredible!"

"Getting the chance to work with Brooke, Blair, their entire team, has been a blast and we're pumped to support their continued growth in such an important market for us!" said Synergy One's President, Aaron Nemec.

Synergy One Lending is based in San Diego, CA, is currently licensed in 39 states and has Operational HUBS in Boise, ID, Denver, CO and Dallas, TX. To learn more about Synergy One Lending, reach out to Aaron Nemec or Ben Green.

SOURCE Synergy One Lending
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As full vaccination becomes the national key to going maskless, with hesitancy still rampant, "efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy are taking on ever greater urgency," say Dr. Jacqueline Jones and Davia Temin, co-founders of the grassroots public awareness campaign Vaccinate4Love: Doctors' Orders.

Vaccinate4Love Awareness Campaign Featured on LinkNYC Kiosks Across New York City

Responding to this need, LinkNYC  the first-of-its-kind communications network providing free Wi-Fi, phone calls, device charging and access to social services  has partnered with Vaccinate4Love to spread the message on New York's streets. Digital displays with messages encouraging "Don't Hesitate  Vaccinate" are now featured on 1,800 kiosks throughout the greater New York City area. To date, vaccination rates for residents 18 and older vary dramatically by borough, ranging from 31% of adult residents in the Bronx fully vaccinated to 50% in Manhattan. Brooklyn has a 34% full vaccination rate among its residents, with Staten Island at 38% and Queens at 41%.

In addition to the LinkNYC partnership, Vaccinate4Love's new strategic partners include Cision PR Newswire, Grand Central Partnership, New York Yankees, Transit Wireless, United Way, and many more. The @Vaccinate4Love campaign, launched in March, has spread nationally over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Vaccine hesitancy across the country has led to pessimistic predictions about full herd immunity for the U.S. this year, which most scientists estimate would need to reach 70-80% of the population. The Biden administration has set a goal to have 70% of the U.S. population receive at least one shot by July 4.

"We are proud to be able to use our screens to help Vaccinate4Love promote this important public message to communities across New York," says Esther Raphael, CMO of Intersection, one of the companies behind the LinkNYC program.

Supporting the Vaccinate4Love campaign are a host of strategic partners, including:

More partners are joining weekly. Please go to vaccinate4love.org for more information and free resources, including posters, flyers, social media posts, Zoom background screens, and Facebook "Vaccinate4Love" frames.

Follow #Vaccinate4Love on:

About #Vaccinate4Love

We are a group of the nation's top physicians and communications strategists who have joined forces to mount a public awareness campaign urging patients and communities to not hesitate, but vaccinate as early as possible, for their own benefit, their families, their communities, and the world.

Co-founded by Dr. Jacqueline Jones and Davia Temin, we are joined by Creative Director Victor DeCastro and Brand Strategist/Writer Roger Chiocchi as well as Temin and Company strategists Rachel Clarke, Trang Mar, Suzanne Oaks Brownstein, Amy Cao, and Maria Matveeva. For more information, please call Temin and Company at 212.588.8788 or go to our website https://vaccinate4love.org.

SOURCE Vaccinate4Love
MORRISVILLE, N.C., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Biopharmaceutical solutions provider TrialCard Incorporated is pleased to announce that Sini Abraham, Senior Vice President, Market Access Operations, has been recognized by the Triangle Business Journal with its 40 Under 40 Leadership Award. Abraham was honored for her outstanding achievements and contributions to TrialCard and her community.

Abraham joined TrialCard in June 2016 as a Program Director in Hub Services and quickly worked her way up within the company's Market Access team. She now leads one of the largest patient support programs in the industry, with a staff ranging from 500-1,000 FTEs. In 2020, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Abraham's team continued to meet and exceed KPI metrics and client expectations alike.

Abraham's community involvement includes work at the Wake County Women's Center, Love Wins NC, Equality NC, SAFEChild NC, the North Carolina Board of Elections, and the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina. Abraham, who emigrated to the US at the age of 15, completed her undergraduate studies at Drexel University and earned a MBA from St. Joseph's University.

"Sini Abraham is a servant leader who consistently looks to elevate others throughout all levels of our organization," said TrialCard President & CEO Mark Bouck. "This commitment is also reflected in her community involvement and her devotion to family. We are extremely proud of Sini."

Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Leadership Awards for 2021 were chosen from a candidate pool of more than 200 qualified nominees. Abraham and the other award winners will be recognized at an award luncheon on June 24.

About TrialCard

TrialCard Incorporated provides patient affordability, medication access and adherence, patient support, payer policy intelligence, and clinical trial support services on behalf of biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Founded in 2000, TrialCard has connected over 35 million patients with more than $18 billion in branded drug savings to date. The company is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. For more information about TrialCard, please visit www.trialcard.com.

Contact: Landy Townsend, VP, Marketing & Communications, [email protected]

SOURCE TrialCard Incorporated
"We must do our part in ensuring the world is a more inclusive place for those with disabilities," said Andrea O'Donnell, President, UGG & Koolaburra by UGG at Deckers Brands . "By partnering with The Valuable 500, we are making a promise and putting disability inclusion as a fundamental focus."

UGG is now among five hundred influential brands igniting systemic change by unlocking the business, social, and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world. The multi-award winning movement is the world's largest community of brands committed to inclusivity. Launched at Davos, Switzerland in 2019, The Valuable 500 seeks to leverage a critical mass of five hundred global organizations to help leaders deliver the business, brand, and social benefits of inclusion. With this in mind, UGG has committed to six specific focuses around disability inclusivity.

UGG UNIVERSAL: Updating timeless silhouettes with specialized modifications for easy entry, the UGG brand will continue to offer adaptive products through its partnership with online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos .



Updating timeless silhouettes with specialized modifications for easy entry, the UGG brand will continue to offer adaptive products through its partnership with online shoe and clothing retailer . ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY: UGG will continue operating an accessible website and social media presence by adding closed captions to videos and alternative text to images.



UGG will continue operating an accessible website and social media presence by adding closed captions to videos and alternative text to images. MINDFUL DESIGN: By the end of 2021, UGG will host dedicated innovation workshops on inclusion and diversity for its design staff.



By the end of 2021, UGG will host dedicated innovation workshops on inclusion and diversity for its design staff. INCLUSION FOR ALL: Within its organization, UGG will work alongside its DECKAbility + Allies employee resource group to support and amplify the voice of employees and their family members with disabilities.



Within its organization, UGG will work alongside its DECKAbility + Allies employee resource group to support and amplify the voice of employees and their family members with disabilities. REAL STORIES: To celebrate a diversity of voices, UGG will continue collaborating with accessibility advocates and influencers to amplify their stories across its brand platforms.



To celebrate a diversity of voices, UGG will continue collaborating with accessibility advocates and influencers to amplify their stories across its brand platforms. REPRESENTATION MATTERS: UGG knows the importance of representation and commits that at least 60% of people featured in our marketing materials are diverse in their body types or ability, or are from underrepresented groups including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ communities.

For more information on the UGG brand's involvement with The Valuable 500, please visit the UGG blog.

Product photography credit: UGG

About UGG

Founded in 1978 by an Australian surfer on the coast of California, UGG is a global lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic Classic boot. First worn by Hollywood royalty, fashion editors and then the world, UGG designs and retails footwear, apparel, accessories and homewares with an uncompromising attitude toward quality and craftsmanship. Delivering more than $1 billion in annual sales, UGG partners with the best retailers globally and owns over 130 concept and outlet stores worldwide in key markets including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. For more information, please visit www.ugg.com @ugg #FEELUGG

About The Valuable 500

Valuable was launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at One Young World 2017 in Bogota, Colombia and the inception of The Valuable 500 was announced at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019. Today The Valuable 500 is the largest community of Global CEOs committed to disability inclusion in business.

Since its creation, The Valuable 500 has achieved its initial goal of persuading 500 multinational companies to make a public commitment to disability inclusion in their organisation, igniting a historic global movement for a new age of diversity in business. The Valuable 500 and their global impact partner The Nippon Foundation, will be working closely with the World Economic Forum and International Disability Alliance - bringing together a leading philanthropic organisation with the most prestigious global business network and the voice of the global disability community.

By engaging with the world's most influential business leaders and brands, the network now has a combined revenue of over $8 trillion and employs a staggering 20 million people worldwide. Its members include 13 global CEOs and companies who will be spearheading the programmes and services to be offered under Phase 2 of the campaign, which will be activated through global disability surveys, disability trend reports and an executive disability resource hub.

After reaching this important milestone, the Valuable 500 is determined to create a community that supports and empowers its 500 members to systematically transform their businesses so they include the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities worldwide, thereby unlocking their business, social and economic potential.

We believe that if business takes a lead, society and government will follow, truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.

Press Contacts:

UGG

Matty Magnin

PR Manager

Office: (212) 247-8552 x2772

Mobile: (917) 842-2391

[email protected]

[email protected]

The Valuable 500

Richard Poston

Director of Communications

00 44 7715377079

[email protected]

SOURCE UGG
CHICAGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Uptake, the leader in Industrial AI and Analytics, announced today the availability of Uptake Fusion Cloud Datastore for OSIsoft PI on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use in Azure. In just three minutes, operators in process-intensive industries like chemicals, oil and gas, renewables, manufacturing, and mining can purchase Uptake Fusion from the Marketplace and install it directly into their enterprise tenant in Azure. Users are able to transfer all of their OSIsoft PI data  historical, instantaneous, and metadata  into the cloud for greater enterprise access and advanced analytics.

"For simply accessing their own data, users of on-premise historians incur a cost per tag. We're able to solve that problem and empower operators to bypass the process of pre-modeling data, scaling the extraction of operational data to the cloud for valuable use cases like enterprise reporting, monitoring, and planning," said Dr. Dave Shook, Chief Data Officer at Uptake. "Once OSIsoft PI data is liberated by Uptake Fusion, our customers have unfettered access to their own data in Azure. We're propelling data scientists, engineers, and executives with the intelligence they need to make informed business decisions."

Uptake Fusion establishes a connector with OSIsoft PI  and any SCADA or control system, historian, or IIoT sensor  to extract asset-produced data for long-term storage in Azure. All OSIsoft PI data is organized in Uptake Fusion exactly as it is in the PI Asset Framework (PI-AF), enabling users to aggregate and correlate all of their operational information without additional PI tags to derive further insights. An offline datastore secures the stream against loss, with built-in recovery features.

In addition, Uptake Fusion reduces the number of connections between data collection systems and the SaaS platforms operators already have in place, protecting critical underlying plant systems from cyber-threats. The consolidation of high volumes of data in Azure permits SCADA systems and historians to perform as originally intended for plant staff, securely scaling the demand for data by different internal and SaaS consumers.

Uptake Fusion also prepares data for the specific consumption requirements of different stakeholders in the enterprise Azure tenant. It provides data analysts and engineers with an open format for visualization, analytics, and orchestration, allowing them to use their preferred tools to derive data insights. Integrated with Microsoft Power BI, PowerApps, and Azure Time Series Insights, Uptake Fusion equips industrial companies with automated reporting for multiple high-value purposes.

The Uptake solution also expedites the deployment of advanced applications such as intelligent events, process optimization, forecasting, and AI/ML predictive analytics. One company  a top five super-major  is using Uptake Fusion to advance its global digital transformation initiative across renewables, upstream, midstream, and downstream. By extracting data from OSIsoft PI to Uptake Fusion, the company has standardized best practices for reporting, ML deployment, and integrated data from key systems for the development of digital twins.

This announcement follows Uptake recently announcing its partnership with Wipro, a leading global information technology, consulting, and business process company, to provide advanced analytics for the heavy processing and energy industries. Uptake also recently acquired ShookIOT, a leader in cloud-native data integration and integrity, strengthening its capabilities to accelerate digital transformation for asset-intensive companies.

ABOUT UPTAKE

Uptake is the intelligence system for industrial assets. With the power of data acquisition and artificial intelligence, Uptake gives all departments  maintenance, reliability, and operations teams  a single, shared, and contextualized view of every asset in an operation. Driven by powerful data science models and cloud computing, our products deliver insights to customers that help them predict and prevent asset failure, mitigate risk, optimize maintenance strategy and asset performance, reduce costs, assure productivity, and enhance safety. With 30+ patents and recognized for leadership in Industrial AI by Gartner, the World Economic Forum, CNBC, and Forbes, Uptake is headquartered in Chicago with presence in Canada, South America, Europe, India, and Australia. To stay up-to-date on what we're doing, visit us at www.uptake.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

CONTACT

Morgan Scott, Director of Communications

[email protected]; (312) 465-6345

SOURCE Uptake

Related Links

http://uptake.com/


Burry, the subject of a book The Big Short, has been sceptical of Teslas sky-high valuations

( ) shares are being shorted by Scion Asset Management LLC, a private investment firm founded by Michael J. Burry, who was the subject of a book The Big Short and subsequent 2015 film of the same name where he was played by Christian Bale.

Scion announced it had put options on 800,100 shares in the electric car maker at the end of the first quarter, which were worth US$534mln, Reuters reported, citing a regulatory filing with the US SEC.

Burry is known for betting more than a billion dollars against the US housing bubble, reportedly making a profit of about US$2.7bn, which was the subject of the book and the film.

Burry has been sceptical of Teslas sky-high valuations, having tweeted in February, my last Big Short got bigger and Bigger and BIGGER, referring to Teslas surge in market capitalisation.

Enjoy it while it lasts, he said.

Shares in the electric car maker rose to a record US$883 in January, but have since fallen on concerns about being overvalued.

The shares closed at $576.83 on Monday, valuing the company at about US$555bn, still more than most of the next half dozen car manufacturers put together and larger than the GDP of Argentina, and after initially opening lower on Tuesday quickly rose 2% to above $587.
COLUMBIA, Md., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Universities Space Research Association (USRA), an association of 114 universities, today announced the election of new members to its Board of Trustees -- the governing body of USRA.

At its Annual Meeting, USRA's Council of Institutions elected the following four Board members:

Daniel E. Hastings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was elected Region I Trustee

Wayne A. Scales, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), was elected Region III Trustee

Elizabeth A. Lada, University of Florida, was elected Region IV Trustee

General Lester L. Lyles, United States Air Force, (Ret.) was elected At-Large Trustee.

Dr. John A. Montgomery, Chair of the Board of Trustees said, "I am pleased to welcome our four newest members to USRA's Board. They each have a unique background, with diverse experiences that make them an asset to USRA."

Dr. Jeffrey A. Isaacson, President and CEO of Universities Space Research Association noted, "The leadership experiences our new board members bring will be invaluable to USRA and its unique non-profit mission. I look forward to working with each of them."

Prof. Daniel E. Hastings currently serves as head of the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at MIT. He has held various leadership positions at MIT, including Director of the Engineering Systems Division and Dean for Undergraduate Education.

His research specializations include synergetic interactions between space systems and the space environment, space propulsion, space policy, spacecraft manufacturing processes, and space system architectures.

Prof. Hastings served as Chief Scientist for the U.S. Air Force from 1997 to 1999. He was also the Chair of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board from 2002 to 2005; and from 2002 to 2008, he was a member of the National Science Board.

He is a recipient of numerous accolades, including election to the National Academy of Engineering.

Prof. Hastings received his bachelor's degree from Oxford University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.

Prof. Wayne A. Scales is the J. Byron Maupin Professor of Engineering in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. He also serves as the founding Director of the Center for Space Science and Engineering Research. Prof. Scales was Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program in Remote Sensing and is Affiliate Professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech.

His research focuses on space plasma turbulence with applications to active space experiments, natural space plasma turbulence in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, dusty space plasmas, and global navigational satellite system remote sensing.

A recipient of numerous awards for excellence in research, teaching, and service in the College of Engineering, Prof. Scales has over 100 refereed publications and has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 20 research projects. He has also served on various advisory boards.

He received B.S. and M.S. degrees with Honors in Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, with focus in Space Plasma Physics.

Prof. Elizabeth A. Lada is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Florida. She was formerly a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and, later, a Hubble Fellow at the University of Maryland. She joined the faculty at the University of Florida in the fall of 1996.

Her research centers on understanding star and planet formation. In particular, she has made significant contributions to our understanding of the origin, properties, evolution, and fate of young, embedded star clusters within molecular clouds. This includes investigations of the formation, evolution, and lifetime of circumstellar, protoplanetary disks. Prof. Lada has published approximately 200 publications, including 77 refereed publications, with more than 10,000 citations and an H-index of 45.

Prof. Lada has a distinguished service record, having served as a member of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee, NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences Senior Review Committee, the National Optical Astronomy System Roadmap Committee, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Program Advisory Committee, and the Nominating Committee for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.

A recipient of several awards, she received the Annie J. Cannon Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 1992 and an NSF CAREER award in 1998. In 1999, she received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Prof. Lada holds a B.S. in Physics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Texas.

General Lester A. Lyles is a former Vice Chief of Staff of the United State Air Force; former Commander, Air Force Materiel Command; and former Director, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. He has been a member of the NASA Advisory Council since 2005 and serves as its current Chair. He was also a member of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee and chaired the National Research Council's Committee on the Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program. An elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, General Lyles also chaired the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Academy of Engineering from 2010 to 2016.

General Lyles serves currently on the Board of Directors for several major corporations, and is a past Chairman of United Services Automobile Association (USAA). He served previously on the Secretary of State's International Security Board, the Defense Science Board, and the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, appointed by the White House from December 2009 to May 2013.

General Lyles received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University. He also received Honorary Doctor of Law degrees from New Mexico State University and Urbana University.

About USRA Governance

USRA governance is grounded in the university community. USRA is an association of 114 universities engaged in space- and aeronautics-related research and education. University representatives compose the Council of Institutions. The Council establishes the corporate bylaws and conducts elections for members of the Board of Trustees. The Board has fifteen members, including nine regional trustees (one for each of nine geographic regional groups of universities), four at-large trustees, the Chair of the Council of Institutions, and the President and CEO (who is appointed by the Board).

ABOUT USRA

Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs under federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

PR Contact:

Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D.

[email protected]

443-812-6945

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association

Related Links

http://www.usra.edu


SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Utah PTA recently passed an important resolution to bring migraine and headache education into the classroom statewide, while also providing much needed resources for students, parents, administrators, educators, and nurses. The state of Utah has over 600,000 students in its public school system, all required to take a health class that will now include a lesson on migraine and headache disease.

Migraine is the second leading cause of disability worldwide and it impacts an estimated one billion people globally. There are over 40 million people in the United States with migraine disease, and just over half have been diagnosed. Also, there are 400,000 people with cluster headache, recognized as the most painful disease a person can have. Currently, 28% of adolescents in the United States have migraine disease, which is more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma combined.

The Utah PTA resolution, Health Services for Students with Migraine at School , now creates the pathway for the PTA to work with the Utah State Board of Education to incorporate information about migraine and headache diseases into the required state core health class, which is provided to middle school and high school students. The resolution also sets forth that the Utah PTA will educate its membership about pediatric migraine and provide educational resources and materials to parents, students, administrators, educators and nurses. Moreover, it will support headache disease screenings for the student population and provide resources to parents to conduct screenings in the home. Finally, the resolution will be shared with the National PTA for their consideration, paving the way for national adoption of migraine and headache disease education.

"As a physician and father who lost his daughter to migraine, I know there are so many more children out there that need proper diagnosis and care," explained Dan Henry, MD, Executive Director of Danielle Byron Henry Migraine Foundation. " I'm proud Utah is taking the lead by adopting the Migraine at School program."

The initiative to bring migraine education and resources into schools was organized by the Migraine at School Committee at the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP), a non-profit that provides support to people with headache, migraine, and cluster diseases who are often stigmatized and under-served, in collaboration with the Danielle Byron Henry Migraine Foundation. The campaign includes a powerful video, Growing up with Migraine , that showcases why CHAMP's Migraine at School program is so important for migraine education through stories shared by kids and adults sharing what it is like to grow up with migraine disease. It also features a video about migraine stigma by Dr. Bill Young, President of the Board of Directors and Medical Advisor to CHAMP.

"We are delighted to bring headache education and resources into classrooms in Utah, and view this program as a significant step forward in our campaign to bring greater understanding, visibility, and information around migraine disease nationwide," explained Amy Graham, Creative Director at CHAMP and Chair of the Migraine at School Subcommittee.

About Migraine at School

Migraine at School is a program developed by the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients' (CHAMP) Stigma in Education Committee. In partnership with coalition participants, the committee has gathered the best resources and information for students, parents, and educators to ensure kids with headache diseases are given the best opportunity to excel in school. To learn more please visit: https://www.migraineatschool.org/

If you wish to learn more about bringing this program to your state, please contact Amy Graham at [email protected].

About CHAMP

The Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP) provides support to people with headache, migraine, and cluster diseases who are often stigmatized and under-served. To learn more please visit: https://headachemigraine.org/

SOURCE Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients

Related Links

https://headachemigraine.org/


WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While veteran-owned small business startups continue to outpace those by non-veterans, startup rates are declining as older veteran entrepreneurs age out, according to new survey data from 3,000 business owners published by SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8896451-score-veteran-small-business-owners-declining-startup-rates-service-related-disabilities/

Infographic

The Megaphone of Main Street: Unsung Entrepreneurs survey of more than 3,000 entrepreneurs nationwide reports that veteran-owned small businesses currently represent 9.1% of U.S. small businesses, generating $1 trillion in annual receipts and employing nearly six million Americans.

However, since 2008, the startup growth rate for veterans has declined, falling from 12.5% of new entrepreneurs in 1996 to just 4.2% of new entrepreneurs in 2016.

One particularly striking research finding was that 42% of veteran small business owners surveyed have a service-related disability.

A veteran entrepreneur who responded to the survey commented: "Everyone tells me that as a female, disabled veteran/single mom, I should be able to find some sort of a grant. But for all the research I've done, I can't find anything."

Key research findings include:

Many veterans feel the military prepared them well for small business leadership. They report their greatest strengths are their hard work (75.6%) and leadership skills (57.7%).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, veteran entrepreneurs reported feeling a lack of support from every level of government (federal, state, local) at a rate that is 10-21% higher than non-veterans.

Veteran business owners sought SBA, federal and state COVID-relief funding at about the same rate as other groups. These funding requests were denied 20-100% more frequently than they were for non-veteran business owners.

Click here to access the full Megaphone of Main Street data report: Unsung Entrepreneurs, which spotlights immigrant-owned, veteran-owned and encore-owned (age 55+) businesses, which drive the small business economy by starting businesses at higher rates and overcoming steeper challenges to achieve their goals.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs to start, grow or troubleshoot a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide, creating 45,027 new businesses and 74,535 non-owner jobs in 2020 alone. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Contact

Lori Barnes

SCORE

800-925-8458

[email protected]

SOURCE SCORE

Related Links

http://www.score.org


WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Modev's " VOICE Talks, " presented by Google Assistant, announced today that it has been named the "Webby PV Winner in Virtual & Remote: Technology" in the 25th Annual Webby Awards.

Hailed as the "internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the internet. IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is composed of digital industry experts. VOICE Talks has been selected among four other companies and was chosen as the winner by the community.

Produced by Modev, and presented by Google Assistant, VOICE Talks is the fastest-growing internet show featuring industry leaders discussing the latest developments in artificial intelligence (ai)-powered voice technologies. The show launched in April 2020 during the height of the pandemic as an opportunity to bring together the technologists, engineers, and marketers who make up the voice tech community. Each episode is an hour-long and airs monthly. Subscribe now to watch the next episode of VOICE Talks live JUNE 24 at 2 p.m. ET.

"We are incredibly honored to be receiving this Webby Award for VOICE Talks, which was made possible through our partnership with the Google Assistant Product Partnerships team. This recognition is a testament to the ability of a group of tech professionals across geographies and companies to move quickly in the face of a shifting world and create something unique and of value to the community," said Pete Erickson, CEO of Modev. "VOICE Talks has allowed us to grow the ecosystem remotely and we're grateful for all those who have tuned in this past year."

"We're proud to bring the latest advancements in AI Voice to the broader community through engaging discussions with voice experts and thought leaders in the space," said Leslie Garcia-Amaya, Ecosystem Partnerships lead for Google Assistant. "It's incredible to see how much the content has resonated with the community, a testament to the VOICE Talks team's great work in bringing this show to life over the past year."

"Honorees like VOICE Talks are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet," said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. "It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 13,500 entries we received this year."

The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts including Internet inventor Mozilla Chairwoman Mitchell Baker; MOMA Senior Curator Paola Antonelli; Host of NPR's Code Switch Shereen Marisol Meraji; R/GA Global Chief Creative Officer Tiffany Rolfe; Co-Inventor of the Internet Vint Cerf; DJ and Founder, Club Quarantine D-Nice; Co-host Desus & Mero on Showtime Desus Nice; SVP of Content at Twitch Michael Aragon; Twitter Senior Director, Product Design Richard Ting; and Founders of VERZUZ Swizz Beatz and Timbaland.

About VOICE Talks

Produced by Modev and presented by Google Assistant, VOICE Talks is the fastest growing internet technology show featuring industry leaders discussing the latest developments relating to AI-powered voice technologies. Developers, marketers, gamers and voice tech enthusiasts can tune in live for the chance to interact and ask questions with the show's host or share their video story in advance for a chance to be featured on the show or receive devices.

Follow VOICE Talks at @VOICETalksAI on Twitter, @VOICETalks on Instagram, or on Facebook or LinkedIn .

Contact: Marie Knowles, [email protected]

SOURCE VOICE Talks
SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ''If people found out how simple great skincare is, most beauty companies would go broke overnight,'' said Ishay Shen, founder of the Baiden Skincare company.



Most of her adult life, Shen has been mistaken for somebody years, if not decades younger due to her flawless skin.

60 year old woman with skin of a teenager Baiden Mitten will roll off the dead skin layer in every session. No need to guess if it works or not. You can SEE it.

But if you think she has some skincare secret, you would be wrong. She does not want to keep her product a mystery, in fact she has been talking about it for decades. And her talking has resonated with tens of thousands of people already

She grew up in a place where skin conditions such as dry skin, acne, psoriasis, ingrown hair, Keratosis Pilaris and sensitive skin were virtually unknown. People just had great skin



Their method to achieve this was regular, very deep exfoliation with a specially manufactured glove made from a natural birchwood fiber woven in a very specific pattern. The glove gathers and rolls the dead skin off the body, unblocking pores, allowing skin to detox and intake more oxygen.



When Shen migrated to US over 20 years ago, she just assumed that this was the basic hygiene people practiced all over the world. What she found instead, came as a shock.



She not only discovered that most people walked around with layers of dry, thick skin on their bodies, but she also was amazed by the plethora of skin conditions she did not even know existed.

"I just could not understand why so many people would continue spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars over and over again on expensive products without getting the results they were after..." Shen stated, adding "In the meantime, my skincare routine was once a week scrub with my glove followed by application of good quality or coconut oil every night to keep my skin hydrated."

The results speak for themselves...



Based in California, Baiden Skincare Company has recently celebrated its 15th anniversary: "It has been a very satisfying venture," says Shen. "We have received thousands of testimonials from customers telling us that not only did their Baiden Mitten change the quality of their skin, but also gave them more confidence and we expect to do so for many more years to come."



Contact: Ishay Shen, Baiden Skincare founder

Phone: 800-556-9863

Website: BaidenMitten.com

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Baiden Skincare Company
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zeel, a leading technology platform providing health and wellness services to the home and office, announces that it has partnered with the City of New York to vaccinate thousands of homebound individuals across the city. The vaccination program is free to qualified homebound individuals and their caregivers and is supported entirely through the New York City Vaccine Command Center.

"We are thrilled to provide this critical service and honored to be working for our great city," said Samer Hamadeh, CEO and co-founder, Zeel. "Vaccinating our city's most vulnerable has inspired our entire team. We feel fortunate to be involved and will continue to dispatch the hard-working nurses on the Zeel platform to as many locations as possible. Our goal is to continue until every homebound individual in the city is fully vaccinated and then to return to them if a booster becomes necessary in the fall."

Since early April, when the program kicked off, Zeel has reached out to thousands of homebound New Yorkers. Jennifer Phan, Zeel's Project Manager, said, "We have so many inspiring stories to tell. The nurses on the platform have been serenaded by a famous songwriter, offered home cooked food and are often greeted with happy tears. Some of these homebound individuals have seen only their caregiver for more than a year. The loneliness and sense of relief are both palpable."

Added Dr. Robert Peters, Zeel's chief medical officer: "The nurses have been working around the clock. Our front-line workers were the heroes during the pandemic and for Zeel, they are the heroes of this vaccination program." Zeel schedulers reach out to vaccine-hesitant individuals to reassure them about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and the importance of getting every eligible New Yorker vaccinated.

Raymond Estrada, a former Captain in the FDNY and nurse on the Zeel platform, said he has been personally moved by the outpouring of gratitude, "When we arrive at their door, they feel like there's hope, a real light at the end of this terrible tunnel."

Zeel dispatches up to 20 teams of three -- a licensed nurse, a driver and an administrator -- to each senior's home and is capable of vaccinating up to 200 residents per day. The company expects to vaccinate up to 8,000 individuals between now and late summer. Zeel is one of several providers  which also include the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Doral Health & Wellness and SeniorCare Emergency Medical Services  selected to work with the Vaccine Command Center for the homebound program.

Eligible residents are encouraged to sign up for the program at www.zeel.com/vaccine or by calling 646-586-3593.

About Zeel:

Zeel is an in-home healthcare, wellness and medical testing company, providing medical services through ZP Medical Services, PC, a licensed medical practice, lab partners, and a nationwide network of health and wellness practitioners. These trusted, vetted providers offer on-location COVID-19 PCR testing, massage therapy, physical therapy, and nursing care. All services are booked safely and securely using Zeel's industry-leading, HIPAA-compliant technology and award-winning customer service team. For more information, visit www.zeel.com.

Media Contact

Beth Amorosi

917-208-7489

[email protected]

SOURCE Zeel

Related Links

http://zeel.com


The event drew actors, musicians, and other celebrities in support of Childhelp's programs and services, which have benefitted 11 million children over more than 62 years. The star-studded gala was emceed by actress Melissa Peterman, included performances by Josh Groban and Flo Rida , and raised $6.5 Million for Childhelp's facilities and services, setting a new state record for fundraising in Arizona. Notable attendees included actor Dolph Lundgren, fashion designer Zang Toi, beloved Dancing with the Stars couple Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd, singer Loren Allred, and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.

"I'm truly honored to receive this award, particularly in light of the incredible, inspiring, and selfless women who've received it before me," said Dr. Stephenson. "My goal as Woman of the World is to use my voice to promote awareness of the serious issues surrounding child abuse and neglect, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder than ever for mandatory reporters to serve as a lifeline to children in need. Since the pandemic began, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline has seen their incoming calls and texts increase by 46% from the year before. It's more important than ever to shine a light on the silent epidemic of child abuse and neglect, and it's a privilege and opportunity that I do not take for granted."

Childhelp is one of the oldest and largest child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment organizations in the country and has helped over 11 million children. Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, offers confidential crisis intervention, information, literature and referrals through call, text and online chat. It is staffed by degreed professional crisis counselors 24/7, who can provide assistance in more than 170 languages.

For more information about The VibrantDoc Dr. Stacie Stephenson, VIBRANT, and the Woman of the World Award, visit https://vibrantdoc.com. And for more information on the Stephensons' philanthropic efforts visit https://richardandstaciestephenson.com.

***

About The VibrantDoc

"The Vibrant Doc" Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson is a recognized leader in functional medicine focused on integrative, regenerative, anti-aging, and natural medicine modalities. In addition to her functional medicine and anti-aging board certifications, she is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine. As The VibrantDoc, Dr. Stephenson is dedicated to making integrative medicine concepts and optimal wellness accessible to all. She spent close to 15 years in private practice before she was named Chair of Functional Medicine at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She is also a board member for the American Nutritional Association, an ambassador for the American Heart Association, and the Vice Chair of Gateway for Cancer Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding breakthrough cancer research and early stage clinical trials. The VibrantDoc has always championed a whole-person approach to disease prevention and healing, with an emphasis on healthy lifestyle, natural medicine, and personal empowerment.

About Childhelp

Founded by Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson in 1959, Childhelp has brought the light of hope and healing into the lives of more than 11 million children as a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping abused, neglected and at-risk children. Childhelp's programs and services include residential treatment services, children's advocacy centers, therapeutic foster care, group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline serves children and adults nationwide 24/7 through phone, text and online chat. For more information, visit www.childhelp.org and follow Childhelp at facebook.com/childhelp, Instagram.com/childhelp and twitter.com/childhelp .

Media Contact: Tony Forde

[email protected]

212-886-6707

SOURCE The VibrantDoc

Related Links

https://vibrantdoc.com/


AUSTIN, Texas, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Airheart unveiled their free tool, Explorer , to help people travel again, safely. Travelers can now discover which destinations are accessible and what's required for their trip, all through one user-friendly platform.

Now more than ever, navigating restrictions and policies for travel is overwhelming. Airheart eliminates the guesswork, so people can travel with confidence.

Airheart's data is aggregated from official sources by our data partners, including Sherpa . Then, Airheart further distills and organizes it into a searchable, scannable, easy to understand format, to put travelers at ease when navigating what's required of them.

Key Features:

Discover which destinations - international and domestic - are accessible for travel based on your origin location. View government policies for your destination. Search and filter by what's required of you - quarantine, COVID19 test, masks in public. See COVID19 transmission and vaccination data per destination. View local guidelines for what to expect on-location. Pin routes and create a short-list of places on your wishlist. Receive notifications when policies and restrictions change.

The three founders diligently focus on maximizing the user experience. The team is also extremely well-traveled, multi-passport carriers and currently straddling multiple continents - the US to Australia - to bring this to consumers worldwide.

"As seasoned travelers, we found this problem so critical that we dropped everything to work on solving it for the community. Our long-term vision is to create a place for organizing and managing the full lifecycle of a trip, starting with discovery using Airheart Explorer," said co-founder and CEO, Lindsey Renken. "In a world where we've optimized our lives heavily, planning travel is still an inefficient process. We noticed our friends and colleagues experiencing similar issues, and ultimately, this kept a lot of trips from happening. We figured there has to be a better way than the status quo."

Airheart is where deep product and engineering knowledge meets function. The team's experience has been pivotal in elevating Airheart Explorer beyond what's on the market now:

Ivan Vanderbyl , CPO

Arie Litovsky , CTO

Lindsey Renken , CEO

"Drawing on the intrepid explorer and fearless solo traveler Amelia Earhart, we hope to clear the path for future travelers," said Renken.

For more information and to sign up for the waitlist for features coming this summer, visit www.airheart.com .

Media Images: http://bit.ly/AirheartImages

Contact:

Jessica Parker

+14844107122

[email protected]

SOURCE Airheart

Related Links

http://www.airheart.com


"AM General's integration of Soft Recoil technology onto mobile platforms demonstrates our commitment to the innovation required to make future combat vehicles lighter, more survivable, and more lethal," said Regis Luther, SVP Engineering and Chief Technology Officer. "We are honored to support the U.S. Army's efforts to test and prove mobile howitzer systems."

AM General and its strategic partner, Mandus Group, have been integrating the soft recoil technology (SRT) onto light, mobile, transportable, and survivable platforms without sacrificing firepower. SRT is a disruptive technology that will reduce the firing loads for direct and indirect weapons systems, enabling combat systems to meet emerging requirements. The technology is ready now and can be deployed on existing weapons platforms for an immediate effect on the battlefield. Soft recoil enables reduction in overall system weight, making systems more agile and responsive to benefit the supported maneuver commander.

The HUMVEE 2-CT (M1152 two-door cargo truck) that serves as the mobile platform, will come with a standard 14,100 lb. gross vehicle weight, 205 hp engine, and antilock braking system (ABS). While the U.S. Army conducts characterization testing of the 2-CT Hawkeye MHS over the next year, AM General and Mandus Group will continue to refine the technology for integration of the soft recoil technology onto other mobile platforms. Scalability is already being tested with a 155mm prototype. The group is also exploring integration onto other existing and future combat systems.

About AM General

AM General designs, engineers, manufactures, supplies and supports specialized vehicles for military and commercial customers worldwide. Through its military business, the company is widely recognized as the world leader in design, engineering, manufacturing and logistics support of military grade tactical vehicles, having produced and sustained more than 300,000 vehicles in over 70 countries. AM General has extensive experience meeting the changing needs of the defense and automotive industries, supported by its employees at major facilities in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, and a strong supplier base that stretches across 43 states. Please see more information about AM General at www.amgeneral.com .

About Mandus Group

Mandus Group designs, engineers, supplies, and supports artillery weapon systems and associated maintenance equipment in the United States and around the world. Mandus Group has extensive and unique experience and capabilities in heavy artillery design, engineering, and life cycle support which places it as a recognized leader in this segment of military weapon systems. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, Mandus Group is comprised of a highly experienced workforce of artillery professionals that are dedicated to providing innovation, quality, and on time performance. Please see more information about Mandus Group at www.mandusgroup.com

Media Contact: Deborah Reyes, Global Marketing and Communications Director / AM General

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE AM General

Related Links

https://www.amgeneral.com


PHOENIX, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has partnered with BloomBoard, the national leader in micro-credential based career pathways for teachers, to provide a new and unique opportunity for educators to obtain state-approved endorsements in computer science (CS).

Arizona Department of Education

"As someone who has been in the classroom and seen the curriculum needs firsthand, supporting our teachers through this micro-endorsement program is a crucial step in not only supporting their careers, but advancing our schools, community and statewide innovation," said Kathy Hoffman, Superintendent of Public Instruction with ADE. "With more than 65% of parents, teachers, principals and superintendents in the country saying that computer science courses are as much or more important than core curriculum classes, we're eager to encourage and support districts as they respond to this growing demand and give teachers access to this new certification."

BloomBoard is currently working with a number of school districts in Arizona, including Chandler, Creighton, Bullhead City, Sonoran, and Cave Creek to provide teachers with state-approved computer science licensure. As part of this micro-endorsement, educators will gain the skills to teach computer science through a broad range of topics such as Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems, Fostering Computational Thinking, Developing Digital Citizens and more.

"After offering our teachers this opportunity with BloomBoard, we've already received an overwhelmingly positive response," said Assistant Superintendent Wendy Nance of Chandler Unified School District. "Twenty of our technology teachers are already enrolled in the program, and we're monitoring a waiting list of others. We're also excited to be able to offer salary advancement credits for this endorsement as we look to provide our educators with more personalized and empowering career advancement options."

As Arizona quickly becomes a national leader in the world of technology and cybersecurity, both in its higher education offerings, government-supported cybersecurity efforts and hosting operations for 70 cybersecurity companies, the need for computer science education is higher than ever.

"Our mission is to not only give teachers the means and options to improve their craft and advance their career and salaries, but to also support state departments of education across the country who are exploring new and important needs in education like computer science instruction," said Sanford Kenyon, CEO of BloomBoard. "What the ADE and many of these school districts are already doing through this program is truly innovative and important work to invest in the future of students throughout the state, and we are honored to partner with the department in this effort."

About ADE

Equity for all students to achieve their full potential - this is the guiding vision of the Arizona Department of Education  the state agency tasked with overseeing Arizona's K-12 public education system. Our department, led by a publicly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, comprises more than 600 staff across four state offices working to serve Arizona's students, families, educators, and school communities.

About BloomBoard

Founded in 2010, BloomBoard is the leading platform for educator advancement via micro-credentials. The company provides customized, competency-based advancement pathways for educators to demonstrably improve their instructional practices and their career potential. BloomBoard partners with states, districts, and schools to create purpose-based roadmaps for advancing educators to different roles. This transparent structure improves schools' and districts' ability to recruit, develop, and retain effective educators. For more information, visit bloomboard.com.

Media contact:

Lucia Giacomantonio

[email protected]

650-228-4708

SOURCE BloomBoard
Is the future bright? Well, it's probably not Orange but it is doubtful whether the future for Vodafone is bright enough to make up for a near-halving of the share price over the last five years.

The days when ( ) was a glamour stock are long gone and judging by todays results, they aint coming back soon.

There was a time when Vodafone was thought of as a growth stock, back when mobiles were the future and the future was bright, or possibly orange.

Now, it seems the very definition of a dowdy utility with a huge pile of debt and the need to splash out huge amounts each year while maintaining a dividend that seems to be the only reason for holding the stock.

READ Vodafone forecasts profit pick up as revenues start to turn

The dividend has been maintained at 9 cents  for the last few years the company has been declaring its dividends in euros rather than pence  and is according to broker forecasts not set to increase much in the next three years; the consensus forecast is for a dividend of 9.3 cents in fiscal 2024.

With a yield of around 5.5%, it is dubious whether there is any need to increase the dividend at all and some might argue that with its debt pile, it might be better off cutting it.

Richard Hunter, the head of markets at interactive investor, is not one of those making that argument.

For the income-seeking investor, a dividend yield of around 5.7% remains punchy and is clearly an affordable and desirable part of Vodafones strategy, which should keep it ring-fenced from other drains on capital. The dividend has long been an attraction of the stock and has partially mitigated a tepid share price performance over recent years, Hunter said in his commentary on Vodafones results.

Tepid is not the word I would use for the share price performance. Insipid is closer to the mark, with the shares having fallen from around 233p five years ago to around 133p now. Thats a 43% fall for which a dividend yield of 5.5% is scant consolation.

It would be tempting to call Vodafone a value trap were it not for the fact that it trades on a racy earnings multiple of 29.4 times annual earnings.

True, its stock market valuation is apparently only 80% of its net asset value so if the asset valuation is correct, maybe there is some value to be unlocked there although hedge fund Elliott Management tried this argument back in 2018 and made little headway.

Todays results disappointed the market with earnings coming in shy of forecasts and Russ Mould, the investment director at AJ Bell, has suggested there may be some concern that amid the pressure on earnings the company may struggle to maintain a dividend that it cut significantly in 2019.

Basic earnings per share (EPS) in the year to the end of April 2021 clocked in at 0.38 cents while even the companys preferred measure of adjusted basis EPS was lower than the divi at 8.08 cents.

The dividend is costing Vodafone about 2.4bn a year; fortunately, free cash flow in the year just ended was 5.0bn, so it has the cash to cover the payment (for the time being).

Free cash flow (pre spectrum, restructuring and integration costs) in the current fiscal year is expected to be at least 5.2bn, but as well as financing the dividend the company has to service its debt, which at 40.5bn is almost as large as the companys 39.7bn stock market valuation.

Floating its European telecom masts subsidiary on the Frankfurt Exchange earlier this year raised 2.3bn but this, in Moulds words, took only a baby-sized bite out of the debt mountain.

Since his appointment in 2018 CEO Nick Read has been trying to transform Vodafone from a bloated couch potato of a business into a leaner operator on a fast track to growth; however, every couch to 5k challenge has its setbacks and so its proving for Vodafone today, Mould said.

Given the pandemic put a big dent in roaming revenues in the year just gone, the market might be prepared to give Read a Mulligan this time around. Also, three years is not really long enough to turn around a giant tanker such as Vodafone but by the time that stretches to five years, expect the vultures to be circling unless the share price regains further glories.

At least the longer-term portents are a bit more positive, supported by growth in Germany and a faster rollout of next-generation mobile and fixed networks as well as making market share gains in the broadband market and reducing the level of customer churn, Mould said.

Interactive investors Richard Hunter, meanwhile, concedes there is certainly much to do for Vodafone, particularly in a notoriously competitive sector that can often simply come down to price in the mind of the consumer.

Despite some concerns that Vodafone has become a perennial jam tomorrow stock, there is evidence of meaningful progress washing through, and the market consensus of the shares as a strong buy is likely to remain on improving prospects, Hunter concluded.

Indeed at , which has a 230p price target on the shares, Robert Grindle said management's guidance for between 3-5.5% EBITDA growth on an organic basis for the coming year and then for consistent revenue growth, mid-single-digit EBITDA and free cash flow growth in the medium term should have been music to the ears of investors waiting for this level of confidence from management for what seems like an awfully long time, and gives physical manifestation to the 'sunnier uplands' we have envisioned for Vodafone.
TOKYO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atonarp , a leading manufacturer of molecular sensing and diagnostics products for the healthcare, pharma, and semiconductor industries, today announced it has raised a $50 million Series D financing, led by WRVI Capital. The new funding will allow the company to expand its operations to meet growing customer demand in its current markets and expedite the development and commercialization of its molecular diagnostics products. The company has announced the appointment of Shaun Holt as its chief operating officer (COO).

"Atonarp is developing the future of point-of-care molecular diagnostics testing," said Nicholas Brathwaite, founding managing partner of WRVI Capital and Board Chair of Atonarp. "As one of Atonarp's first investors, we recognized early on that the company's breakthrough molecular sensor technology could spur innovation across industries. With its seasoned team of technologists, Atonarp will continue to expand its first-in-class, proven, and transformational molecular sensor technology platform to new industries."

As the lead investor, WRVI Capital Founding Partner Michael Marks has been appointed to Atonarp's Board, joining Nicholas Brathwaite who will remain involved as Board Chair. Also participating in Atonarp's Series D are Furukawa Electric, Japan Post Investment, Boscolo Intervest, ATI Korea, and Banner Industries. Atonarp has now raised $111M in funding to date.

"Atonarp's goals are the same as ours," said Yoshio Masutani, corporate vice president of Furukawa Electric. "We are delighted to support a business whose technology has a myriad of applications, but most importantly can help people make proactive health decisions through Atonarp's non-invasive diagnostic testing platform."

New Platform Technology Offers Lab-Quality Results Without Use of Chemistry

Atonarp is a pioneer in the digital transformation of molecular diagnostics in pharma, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial process control, and now in the life sciences sector. The company uses its proprietary spectroscopic technology to detect, analyze, and quantify molecular information. Atonarp offers a suite of molecular diagnostics products, including the ATON-360, an end-to-end platform that enables lab-quality results using optical sensors. Unlike traditional diagnostic and blood testing methods that rely on chemistry and require large volumes of biological samples for processing, Atonarp uses proprietary laser-based sensing and profiling technology to analyze small sample sizes and produce a digital molecular snapshot without any use of chemistry or expensive reagents.

Stanford University Professor Dr. Phyllis Gardner added, "Point-of-care-testing is the future for medical diagnostics, but the industry has been hampered by costly chemistry-driven panels that require large sample volumes and centrally based laboratories for processing. Atonarp's molecular sensors scan and store an entire digital dataset from incredibly small sample amounts. This technology can support distributed point-of-care diagnostics, which is critical to achieving predictive and proactive healthcare practices, in turn, leading to better diagnoses, treatment, and outcomes for patients."

"We have developed the industry's smallest, smartest, cloud-connected, plug-and-play molecular diagnostics platform that quantitatively analyze chemical processes in real-time with unprecedented detail, and are poised to broadly deploy our disruptive platform across multiple industries and market segments," said Prakash Murthy, president and CEO, CTO, and founder of Atonarp. "We are grateful to WRVI Capital and our other investors who believe in our vision and the approach we take to revolutionize how the world uses molecular data analysis. We're excited to have Shaun Holt on board as COO to help support our next phase of growth as we expand our product offerings for industrial and life sciences applications."

Atonarp's currently marketed molecular sensing platforms, Aston for semiconductor and process monitoring, and LyoSentinel for Pharma, have transformed how its customers manage and optimize process controls. In life sciences, the ATON-360 will reshape the dialysis patient experience, cell-based product discovery and development processes, and in-vitro diagnostics. Today, the company's digital molecular technology provides a fast, pain-free, and cost-effective in-vitro diagnostics solution that does not require phlebotomists while producing quantitative reports and analytics in seconds. The company's product development roadmap is also set to pioneer a new frontier in blood diagnostics with their in-vivo diagnostics platform development efforts. Atonarp is developing a first-of-its-kind non-contact optical diagnostic platform capable of quantifying analytes in biofluids, slated for release in 2022. The company's ultimate vision within molecular diagnostics is to transition from minimally invasive to non-invasive blood testing by optically probing blood vessels directly through the skin using laser-based sensing and profiling technology.

Veteran Life Science Leader Joins as COO

Shaun Holt joins Atonarp as COO to focus on driving operational excellence across Atonarp's global operations. Before Atonarp, Holt was the chief financial officer for Berkeley Lights, Inc., where he led the digital cell biology company through its $205M initial public offering. He brings more than 20 years of experience leading finance, accounting, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, product development processes, and customer success functions across various technology and life sciences companies from start-ups to large-capitalization companies.

About Atonarp

Atonarp is a molecular diagnostics company reshaping how sensing and diagnostics devices are applied to generate real-time actionable data and achieve drastically better outcomes in healthcare and industrial semiconductor processes. Atonarp is led by a world-class team of experts in the design, development, and productization of highly sensitive diagnostics instruments. Founded in 2010, the company has operations in Japan, India, and the United States. Learn more at https://atonarp.com .

SOURCE Atonarp
HOBOKEN, N.J., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Avocado Green Brands, maker of luxury organic sleep products, joined more than 75 of the largest U.S. businesses and investors, including Amazon, DSM North America, Danone North America, Dow Inc, Pepsi, McDonald's, among others, to call on the Biden administration to support a robust infrastructure package that will address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.

The participating businesses and investors collectively represent all 50 states, combined annual revenues of more than $1.2 trillion, $310 billion in assets under management, and more than 2.9 million U.S. employees. They are calling for ambitious climate policy action that will build a more resilient, equitable, and inclusive net-zero emissions future. Together, the group spans across the U.S. economy, including retailers, manufacturers, healthcare services, food and beverage companies, outdoors industries, technology companies, and energy providers.

"Good climate policy is good business policy," says Avocado Sustainability Manager Bri Decker, who spoke with lawmakers on Wednesday about the urgent need for congress to address the climate crisis. "The time is now to establish clean energy standards that will help stabilize our supply chains and create a more resilient economy and healthier planet for all."

Building off last month's powerful call to action from more than 400 business and investor voices for an ambitious national climate target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, LEAD on Climate 2021 comes as Congress considers an infrastructure package that has the potential to be one of the biggest investment opportunities in the clean energy future. In virtual meetings with officials from the Biden administration and members of the U.S. House and Senate on both sides of the aisle, participants will make the case for an infrastructure package that will put the U.S. on the path to net-zero emissions, invest in sustainable infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and deliver justice to communities most harmed by climate pollution.

Specifically, businesses will call on lawmakers to:

Build back better, seeking to create a more just and resilient economy that addresses the urgent threat of climate change.

Ensure that investments in infrastructure prioritize emissions reductions, good-paying clean energy jobs, and environmental justice to secure a sustainable future for all.

Enact policies to mitigate climate risk and meet the federal climate target of cutting emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

About Avocado

Avocado is redefining what it means to be a sustainable, ethical brand. As a Certified B-Corp, their vision is as urgent as it is aspirational  a world united by sustainability and social responsibility. They practice radical transparency and a "farm-to-bedroom" approach; they co-own a latex farm, factory, and wool collective in India  from where they source and process raw materials. Mattresses are handcrafted in a Los Angeles factory that they also own. Their materials, factory, and finished products are GOTS/GOLS organic certified. Their mattresses are also GREENGUARD Gold certified for low emissions, MADE SAFE certified, and have achieved STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX for both human and ecological safety. As a Climate Neutral Certified business, Avocado is the world's first mattress brand to achieve net-negative carbon emissions across its entire business scope. As long-standing members of 1% for the Planet and recipients of their inaugural Pinnacle Award, one percent of all revenue is donated to environmental nonprofits on an annual basis. Learn more at AvocadoGreenMattress.com.

If you would like more information, please contact Jessica Hann at [email protected].

About LEAD on Climate 2021

Lead on Climate 2021 a large-scale mobilization of U.S. and multinational companies and investors to call on U.S. congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support infrastructure legislation that prioritizes climate solutions. It has been organized by the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres and other partner organizations. In 2020, more than 330 businesses, ranging in size from small- and medium-sized enterprises to large multinational corporations, came together for a virtual advocacy day to call on Congress to build back a more resilient, sustainable economy from COVID-19. The year before that, Ceres and its partners organized, LEAD on Carbon Pricing, bringing more than 75 businesses to Capitol Hill to call for a price on carbon. It was the largest business gathering to advocate for climate legislation in more than a decade.



Media Contact:

Jessica Hann

[email protected]

SOURCE Avocado Green Brands

Related Links

https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com


BERGEN, Norway, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for severe unmet medical need, provides top line data from BGBC020, a randomised Phase II clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of bemcentinib in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

BGBC020 was conducted from October 2020 across multiple sites in South Africa and India, with 115 patients enrolled at the end of March 2021.

Baseline demographics were balanced between groups; 60 patients enrolled in India, and 55 in South Africa. The median age of enrolled patients was 54.0 years (range 19 - 89y) with 34% of them being female. The vast majority of patients were WHO OCS grade 4 at baseline, 93 of 115 (83%), with 11 enrolled in each of the grade 3 and grade 5 cohorts. The most common co-morbidities were diabetes (27%), cancer (8%), and heart disease (7%).

The patients were randomised to receive standard of care (SOC) only, or bemcentinib with SOC; 76% of patients received steroids and 51% also received remdesivir as part of their therapy. Patients were closely evaluated through 29 days following admission to assess efficacy endpoints, and to 90 days after randomisation to determine longer outcomes.

A post-hoc analysis (not specified in the protocol) identified a sub-group of patients with higher baseline severity (Grade 4 & 5) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) >30mg/L, representing more than 50% of the patients in the study. This sub-group showed encouraging evidence of stronger treatment effect by bemcentinib across all end points evaluated. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established biomarker, widely used in clinical practice to detect acute inflammation, rising within the first few hours of the acute phase response. In COVID-19, the rising level of CRP in the bloodstream correlates with increasing disease severity.

Bemcentinib was well tolerated by patients and no safety signals of concern were identified.

Ventilator Free Survival

Ventilator Free Survival is defined as the proportion of patients that survived to day 29 without admission to ICU and the need for ventilator assisted breathing. Patients treated with bemcentinib appeared to be protected from an early deterioration at day 2 or 3, compared to patients treated with SOC, with this effect being maintained through 29 days. In the sub-group of patients with increased disease severity, ventilator free survival was higher (90%) with bemcentinib treatment compared to SOC on its own (72%).

Primary endpoint

The primary endpoint (time to improvement by two WHO grades, from baseline, or time to discharge or fitness for discharge) marginally favoured bemcentinib treatment over SOC, but the difference was not statistically significant. This endpoint is subject to a broad range of subjective factors, including variation in clinician practice, local epidemic case rates, ensuing demand for bed occupancy in hospital, and resource availability. Therefore, this endpoint may not directly measure the individual patient's health, or the benefit from bemcentinib.

Overall Survival

Analysis of overall survival in the BGBC020 study was combined with that of the ACCORD2 study, conducted in the UK with an analogous phase 2 design. The ACCORD2 platform study recommenced enrolment in the UK winter wave of the local epidemic, enrolling patients between December 2020 and March 2021 (30 to the bemcentinib arm in both phases of the study, with 32 eligibility-matched control patients).

Mortality rates in ACCORD2 SOC treated patients were higher than those in BGBC020 at day 29; (5 of 32 patients (16%) in ACCORD2, versus 3 of 57 (5%) in BGBC020.

Overall in the combined studies, survival to day 29 was 96.5% (83 of 86 evaluable patients) in bemcentinib arm versus 91.0% (81 of 89) treated with SOC alone.

Anti-Viral mechanism of action

The evaluation of patients' viral load whilst hospitalised was an exploratory endpoint in the study, with bemcentinib treatment being associated with a shorter apparent time to SARS-CoV2 not being detected in body fluid samples, than in those treated with SOC alone.

Next steps

Full scientific analysis of BGBC020 will be combined with the ACCORD2 data set in a meta-analysis for presentation at a scientific conference and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The totality of data clearly informs a benefit from bemcentinib in treating a substantial subset of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. This will support ongoing engagement with regulatory agencies, Government partners and industry.

Professor emeritus Stener Kvinnsland MD PhD, Director of BerGenBio and former Chair of Norwegian Korona Commission commented: "The greatest challenge faced by hospitals worldwide is an unmanageable demand for ICU capacity and ventilator support for COVID-19 patients. For the foreseeable future, in spite of recent progress with vaccinations, there remains a substantial global need for effective treatments for COVID-19 patients that offers survival benefit and relief for intensive care demand on hospitals. The totality of data for bemcentinib is very encouraging in this respect and warrants further confirmation."

Professor Tom Wilkinson MA Cantab MBBS PhD FRCP FERS, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Chief Investigator on the ACCORD programme commented: "The COVID-19 pandemic persists, and there remains an urgent need for safe, convenient and more effective treatment for a broad spectrum of patients. The novel mechanism of action of bemcentinib is independent of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and thus would be expected to retain its effect with the emergence of new, potentially vaccine-resistant, strains of the virus. The drug has a good safety profile and holds potential promise at this vital time."

Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "The potential of bemcentinib to increase the rate of ventilator free survival in more than 50% of hospitalised COVID-19 patients is very encouraging. This represents a meaningful outcome for both patients and healthcare systems and is of potential great value. This was an exploratory real world study completed in several global geographies, with differing demographics and ethnicities and evolving standards of care. Through diligent analysis of all the data collected, the totality of which supports the unique mechanism of action of bemcentinib in potentially treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients, we now have a clear clinical position for bemcentinib in this disease. We will continue our discussion of these results with the regulators, industry and Government partners to determine next steps."

Presentation and webcast information

BerGenBio will be hosting a live webcast and Q&A session at 10.00 CEST, 18 May:

Webcast link: https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20210518_1

Dial-in numbers:

NO: +47 2195 6342 UK: +44 203 769 6819 US: +1 646 787 0157

PIN: 712491

About AXL

AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms underlying life-threatening diseases.

In COVID-19, AXL has two synergistic mechanisms of action, it acts a co-receptor to ACE2, to which the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaches and enters the host cell, and AXL expression is upregulated in infected organs with an activation of the signalling pathway leading to suppression of the Type 1 Interferon immune response by infected cells and neighbouring cells, in their environment. Pre-clinical research studies demonstrate that bemcentinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry and promotes anti-viral Type I interferon response.

In cancer, increase in AXL expression has been linked to key mechanisms of drug resistance and immune escape by tumour cells, leading to aggressive metastatic cancers. AXL suppresses the body's immune response to tumours and drives treatment failure across many cancers. High AXL expression defines a very poor prognosis subgroup in most cancers. AXL inhibitors, such as bemcentinib, therefore, have potential high value as monotherapy and as the cornerstone of cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market opportunities. Research has also shown that AXL mediates other aggressive diseases including fibrosis.

About Bemcentinib

Bemcentinib (formerly known as BGB324), is a potential first-in-class, potent and highly selective AXL inhibitor, currently in a broad phase II clinical development programme. It is administered as an oral capsule and taken once per day. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating bemcentinib in COVID-19, and multiple solid and haematological tumours, in combination with current and emerging therapies (including immunotherapies, targeted therapies and chemotherapy), and as a single agent. Bemcentinib targets and binds to the intracellular catalytic kinase domain of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and inhibits its activity.

About BerGenBio ASA

BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical development programme focused on combination and single agent therapy in cancer, leukaemia and COVID-19. A first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing phase I clinical testing. In parallel, BerGenBio is developing a companion diagnostic test to identify patient populations most likely to benefit from AXL inhibition: this is expected to facilitate more efficient registration trials supporting a precision medicine-based commercialisation strategy.

BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visit www.bergenbio.com

Contacts

Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA

[email protected]

Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA

[email protected]

+47 917 86 513

International Media Relations

Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone, Carina Jurs

Consilium Strategic Communications

[email protected]

+44 20 3709 5700

Media Relations in Norway

Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers

[email protected]

+47 995 13 891

Forward looking statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/bergenbio-asa/r/bergenbio-announces-top-line-data-from-phase-ii-trial-assessing-bemcentinib-in-hospitalised-covid-19,c3348389

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE BerGenBio ASA
BOSTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB), the parent company of Berkshire Bank, a purpose-driven community bank with locations primarily in New England and New York, today announced Berkshire's Exciting Strategic Transformation (BEST), its plan to improve the customer experience, deliver profitable growth, enhance stakeholder value and strengthen its community impact.

"We want to get better before we get bigger and I'm confident that our collective actions through BEST will move our company forward with the passion, resolve and confidence to prove that Berkshire's purpose-driven community-dedicated banking will enhance value for all our stakeholders," stated Nitin Mhatre, CEO of Berkshire. In pursuit of its vision of being the leading socially responsible and commercially successful omni-channel community bank in the markets it serves, Berkshire will undertake a series of strategic actions and new initiatives to build a better and stronger company.

"Berkshire is charting its path forward in a competitive, rapidly evolving banking environment. We undertook our comprehensive strategic planning process involving our board, executive management team, business line leaders and employees throughout the company. The end result is BEST, which will guide the actions we will take to transform our 175 year old institution to greater heights," added Mhatre.

Over the next three years, Berkshire will look to aggressively transform its performance and is targeting to:

Increase Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (ROTCE) to 10%-12%

Increase Return on Average Assets (ROAA) to 100-105 bps

Increase Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Net Revenue (PPNR) by $71 -91 million from the 2020 adjusted level

-91 million from the 2020 adjusted level Become a top quartile Net Promotor Score (NPS) bank in New England

Be recognized as a top quartile U.S. bank by leading Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) raters

The Company plans to focus on three transformational pillars - optimize, digitize, and enhance - which will collectively drive performance improvements, enabling the achievement of its BEST goals.

Optimize

Berkshire will continue to assess its branch footprint and delivery channels looking at opportunities to strengthen the franchise while maintaining a strong customer experience. It also plans to reduce its office footprint by leveraging its existing work from home initiative. The company expects to complete a number of other initiatives to support its expense objectives including centralizing its procurement function and pursing automation projects to improve efficiencies. Berkshire also will adjust its balance sheet to improve deposits and asset mix, eliminate duplicative product offerings and optimize its pricing structure.

Enhance

Berkshire plans to grow select business verticals where it sees the highest potential for future growth including small business lending, asset-based lending, wealth management and its MyBanker concierge banking platform. It expects to build loan origination momentum through a correspondent mortgage channel, consumer lending and development of new fin-tech partnerships. The Company also plans to enhance its existing suite of socially responsible financial solutions and develop new product and service offerings.

Digitize

Through BEST, Berkshire will leverage technology to digitize operations, centralize data management and eliminate manual processes and duplication by investing in back-end technology behind all points of customer contact. This will allow Berkshire to strengthen its data warehouse to more efficiently and effectively support its consumers' financial journeys as well as allow for self-service options. Berkshire expects to roll out new digital channels to better serve customers building off its successful, highly rated digital account opening platform and will continue to improve its mobile solutions to enhance customer satisfaction.

Berkshire conducted a virtual presentation of its BEST plan on May 18, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A telephone replay of the presentation will be available through Tuesday, June 8, 2021 by dialing (800) 585-8367 and entering conference ID 5785379. The full virtual presentation, including a copy of the formal presentation deck and a transcript, will be available on Berkshire's website ir.berkshirebank.com for an extended period of time.

ABOUT BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP

Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank, which operates 118 banking offices primarily in New England and New York. The Bank is transforming what it means to bank its neighbors socially, humanly and digitally to empower the financial potential of people, families and businesses in its communities as it pursues its vision of being the leading socially responsible omni-channel community bank in the markets it serves

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You can identify these statements from the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target," and similar expressions. There are many factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations described in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such factors, please see Berkshire's most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this document. Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.berkshirebank.com


At the heart of this system is ALIA, BETA's electric vertical aircraft, which can carry 1,500 pounds of cargo or up to six people. BETA's team of aerospace engineers is serving key aviation market segments including Logistics (United Parcel Service or "UPS"), Medical (United Therapeutics), Government (the United States Air Force), and Passenger travel (Blade Urban Air Mobility [NASDAQ: BLDE ]).

Fundraise Details

The Series A funding round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, and joined by Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund as well as new and returning investors. Proceeds will be used by BETA to continue refinement of its electric propulsion systems and controls, as well as the construction of manufacturing facilities, while the Company advances toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of ALIA.

"We're gratified for the confidence this diverse group of investors has placed in our team as we continue on our mission to transform how people and goods move about the world," said Kyle Clark, BETA's Founder and CEO. "These funds allow us to continue hiring the best talent, meet aggressive certification milestones, ramp up production of ALIA, and accelerate the rollout of an extensive high-speed universal charging infrastructure."

"We support BETA Technologies' mission to reshape air transportation through zero-emission aviation and are proud to invest in them through Amazon's $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund," said Kara Hurst, Vice President, and Head of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. "The development of sustainable and decarbonizing technologies will help facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy and protect the planet for future generations."

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as exclusive placement agent for BETA in connection with this capital raise.

Supporting and Serving a Diverse Customer Base

Today's funding news follows recent announcements regarding several new partnerships.

"Each of our current and future customers, whether they are moving people, medicine, or goods, need the same vital things from a certified commercial aircraft: safety, reliability, and sustainability," said Clark of BETA. "We are pleased that the aircraft we're building can service these needs across so many applications."

UPS announced its partnership with BETA last month, reserving the right to order 150 of BETA's aircraft and charging stations to enhance its air service for small and mid-sized markets and create a foundational solution to reduce fleet emissions.

announced its partnership with BETA last month, reserving the right to order 150 of BETA's aircraft and charging stations to enhance its air service for small and mid-sized markets and create a foundational solution to reduce fleet emissions. Last month, Blade Urban Air Mobility became BETA's first passenger service customer, ordering five ALIA aircraft to be delivered in 2024 and an option for up to 20 more. Blade will use these aircraft for a diverse set of mission profiles, from five-minute airport transfers to longer distance commuter routes.

became BETA's first passenger service customer, ordering five ALIA aircraft to be delivered in 2024 and an option for up to 20 more. Blade will use these aircraft for a diverse set of mission profiles, from five-minute airport transfers to longer distance commuter routes. The United States Air Force will continue to partner with BETA on the Agility Prime Program, wherein ALIA has secured the first eVTOL airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft.

will continue to partner with BETA on the Agility Prime Program, wherein ALIA has secured the first eVTOL airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft. United Therapeutics will use BETA aircraft as air taxis to transport its synthetic organs for human transplant.

The additional funds will allow BETA to continue building out technological capabilities to best support and serve its diverse customer needs across commercial, cargo, and defense applications. Further funding will be allocated to accelerate production and manufacturing of BETA's aircraft and the rollout of charging infrastructure, currently on track for a 2024 delivery.

Dr. Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics, which was BETA's first customer, which set the initial specification for the ALIA aircraft, said, "We're delighted to welcome new investors to BETA. In the world of medical transport, it's important that we create the most reliable and sustainable system for mobility in all weather conditions. This new funding will accelerate BETA's development. Electric powered aviation is the future of on-demand organ transportation, and with the ALIA aircraft and charging network, that future is closer than we think."

New Milestones

In March, BETA advanced to the next phase of flight testing, completing an interstate flight with ALIA from its Plattsburgh, NY home airport test facility to the company's headquarters on the grounds of Burlington International Airport in South Burlington, VT. In the same week ALIA flew its first interstate flight, the aircraft set a new BETA record for endurance, range, and altitude.

In April, ALIA received the first-ever airworthiness approval from the U.S. Air Force for a manned eVTOL flight.

BETA's ALIA aircraft, which will be capable of flying 250 nautical miles on a single charge and carrying six people, or a pilot and 1,500 pounds, includes a novel combination of elements that create a smooth and quiet flying experience. In addition to being more than ten times quieter than a helicopter and much quieter than cars on a highway, ALIA produces zero operational emissions. The large wings, clean design, and simple propulsion system are based on first principle engineering. The company philosophy is to reduce risk in certifying its first commercial aircraft through simplification.

In other news today, BETA announced it has initiated the permitting process to expand its footprint in Vermont with a new facility to be built on unused land at Burlington International Airport (BTV). The project, which when completed will include office space, research and development, and manufacturing space, is expected to create hundreds of new jobs in the coming years. These well-paid positions in construction, engineering, design, mechanical and manufacturing roles will continue to deliver on BETA's commitment to Vermont and its economy.

Experienced Team

BETA's team takes a hands-on multi-disciplinary approach to solving design challenges and driving innovation. Every BETA employee is encouraged to become a licensed pilot and fly all of the company's diverse flying machines in order to gain firsthand invaluable insight into aircraft design and performance and operational considerations. Team members include a former FAA project officer responsible for that agency's engagement with emergent technology companies, including certification of eVTOL aircraft; other team members are former Tesla leaders who were part of the electric vehicle and clean energy company's team that ramped and scaled its Fremont and Gigafactory 1 manufacturing facilities. BETA's team brings deep passion, collective experience and a wide range of skill sets from some of the world's leading technology companies and organizations, including Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Boeing and the U.S. Navy.

About BETA

BETA Technologies is creating an electric transportation ecosystem that's safe, reliable and sustainable. A relentlessly focused team is building an extensive charging infrastructure and ALIA, the world's most technologically advanced electric vertical aircraft (EVA).

BETA's platform and products are strikingly simple. Prioritization of safety and a pragmatic approach to certification drive elegant redundancy, appropriate diversity of implementation and simplicity of control. ALIA's fixed-pitch propellers and centrally located batteries make it an inherently stable aircraft that is safe to fly and easy to maneuver, putting it on a direct path to Part 23 FAA certification.

Every BETA team member is given the opportunity to become flight-certified at no cost, enabling firsthand understanding of aircraft engineering. BETA's team comes from leading firms and organizations, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the armed services, Boeing, Tesla, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and General Electric.

SOURCE BETA Technologies

Related Links

https://www.beta.team/


SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackCloak is proud to announce we have won the following award from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine:

Editor's Choice in Digital Executive Protection

BlackCloak, Inc

"We're thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards from Cyber Defense Magazine. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased," said Dr. Chris Pierson, Founder and CEO of BlackCloak.

"We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber crime. BlackCloak is absolutely worthy of this coveted award and consideration for protecting your executives, board members, and key personnel's personal accounts, devices, and home networks," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

We're thrilled to be a member on this coveted group of winners, located here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com/

Please join us virtually at the #RSAC RSA Conference 2021, https://www.rsaconference.com/usa today, as we share our red carpet experience and proudly display our trophy online at our website, our blog and our social media channels.

About BlackCloak

BlackCloak protects corporate executives and high-profile individuals from cybersecurity, privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy Platform is a holistic solution including mobile and desktop apps as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals get peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats coming through executives without having to invade their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io , follow them on Twitter @BlackCloakCyber, or watch the product video .

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's ninth year of honoring global InfoSec innovators. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking "What's Next?" so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

Media Contact

Danielle Ostrovsky

Hi-Touch PR

[email protected]

CDM Media Inquiries:

Contact: April Palanca, Director of Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Toll Free (USA): 1-833-844-9468

International: 1-646-586-9545

Website: www.cyberdefensemagazine.com

SOURCE BlackCloak, Inc

Related Links

http://www.blackcloak.io


The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) is launching three new global partnerships to establish international think-tanks in Africa, the Middle East, and Korea. BRI Africa will be launched in partnership with Standard Bank Group, while BRI Middle East will be launched in partnership with Konnect & Co., and BRI Korea will be launched in partnership with BOSAGORA Foundation.

TORONTO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), the world's largest independent blockchain think-tank, is launching a new wave of global expansion into Africa, the Middle East, and Korea. BRI Africa will be launched in partnership with Standard Bank Group, while BRI Middle East will be launched in partnership with Konnect & Co., and BRI Korea will be launched in partnership with BOSAGORA Foundation.

These new global partnerships will establish Blockchain Research Institute think-tanks to promote education, innovation and adoption in their regions of expertise. The BRI will work with global partners in Africa, the Middle East, and Korea to coordinate sustainable innovation in their regional ecosystems, alongside current global partners in Europe and Brasil.

"The world is poised for a post-pandemic, economic expansion and technological renaissance and industrial disruption. Now is the time for us to help companies and governments around the world navigate the turbulent waters ahead" said Don Tapscott, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the BRI.

"Standard Bank Group has been a pioneer in leveraging blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to bring speed and transparency to our large and growing customer base across Africa. We believe that this development will form a key part of our efforts to drive digital transformation and will be of great benefit to both our clients and the continent that we call home," said Ian Putter, Head of Blockchain at Standard Bank Group.

Taking a decentralized approach to driving digital transformation, the BRI and its global partners will establish hubs of innovation to research, educate and strategize how blockchain and other emerging technologies can be implemented across business, government and society.

"By collaborating with leading regional partners who share our vision and ambition, we are bringing together diverse voices to steward these technologies toward a better, more sustainable world," said Dr. Joan Bigham Ed.D., Global Managing Director of the BRI.

"The world is taking a big leap towards a new era of artificial intelligence and the internet of value with blockchain being at its heart. The time is right now for the Middle East to join and be part of this historical change. Konnect & Co is proud to play the major role in this shift by associating with the world leader in Blockchain Research and Technology, the BRI," said Aline Daoud, Managing Director of Konnect & Co.

With a growing member community featuring enterprises, governments and start-ups from around the world, the BRI and its global partners will bring together industry leaders, academics, policymakers and entrepreneurs to undertake research on blockchain technology, bridging the gap between the technical functionality of blockchain and real market solutions.

"There is tremendous value to be unlocked here and we want to help businesses and governments worldwide navigate, accelerate and lead the blockchain revolution," said Alex Tapscott, Co-founder of the BRI.

"Korea is one of the most wired countries, and also has the most crypto-friendly population among other countries. By establishing BRI Korea, we believe we can bring good research work to share with all, as well as contribute to the development of the blockchain ecosystem in Korea," said Inhwan Kim, President of BOSAGORA Foundation.

The BRI will continue to seek partnerships with leading organizations to launch international think-tanks. To learn more about BRI Africa, BRI Brasil, BRI Europe, BRI Middle East, and BRI Korea, please visit http://www.blockchainresearchinstitute.org/globalpartners

Contact

Noah Lehman

Director of Communications

Blockchain Research Institute

[email protected]

SOURCE Blockchain Research Institute
DENVER, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic , the aerospace company building the world's fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner, today announced that it has welcomed Dr. Mark J. Lewis, Executive Director of the National Defense Industrial Association's Emerging Technologies Institute, to its Advisory Council. The Boom Advisory Council includes world-class leaders in aerospace, design, sustainability, and wellness: Tim Brown, Phil Condit, Dan Javorsek, Dr. Lourdes Maurice, Tekedra Mawakana, and Andrea Morgan.

Boom Supersonic is redefining commercial air travel by bringing supersonic flight back to the skies with Overture.

Dr. Mark J. Lewis is a researcher and public servant who is one of the nation's foremost experts on hypersonics. He currently leads the Emerging Technologies Institute, a non-partisan think tank focused on the future of national defense. Dr. Lewis formerly led the Science and Technology Policy Institute, an organization that helps the White House determine national science and technology policy priorities. He was also the longest-serving Chief Scientist in the history of the United States Air Force and led basic research across the various defense agencies. As a researcher, Dr. Lewis is best known for his work in hypersonic aircraft and propulsion, and he has held numerous academic posts at the University of Maryland. Dr. Lewis will lend his expertise on high-Mach aircraft and engine design as Boom looks toward future programs.

"Faster aircraft are a long-overdue next step in the future of air travel, and I am delighted to share my knowledge with this exceptional team as it makes commercial supersonic flight a reality," said Dr. Lewis. "I am excited for the opportunity to help Boom build out its long-term vision of even faster point-to-point transportation."

Boom's Advisory Board has grown significantly in depth and breadth as the company scales rapidly.

"We've been so fortunate to attract a growing group of leaders in aerospace and many other fields who are eager to join us in our mission to make the world dramatically more accessible through supersonic flight," said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. "We're inspired everyday to bring diverse talents together and undertake truly transformational work."

Connect with Boom Supersonic on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram, YouTube, Medium

About Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic is redefining commercial air travel by bringing supersonic flight back to the skies with Overture. This historic commercial airliner is designed and committed to industry-leading standards of speed, safety, and sustainability. Boom's vision is to bring families, businesses, and cultures closer together through supersonic travel and make the world dramatically more accessible. Boom is the first commercial airplane manufacturer to commit to a carbon-neutral flight test program and to build sustainability into its entire aircraft program. XB-1, Boom's supersonic demonstrator aircraft for Overture, rolled out in 2020 and its flight test program is underway. The company is backed by world-class investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Prime Movers Lab and American Express Ventures and has 30 aircraft on pre-order. Founded in 2014, Boom has assembled a team that has contributed to over 300 air and spacecraft programs. For more information, please visit https://boomsupersonic.com.

Photos and video available at https://boomsupersonic.com/press

SOURCE Boom Supersonic

Related Links

www.boomsupersonic.com


AVON, Conn., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past 12 months, brokers have seen significant variability in quote activity, sales, and enrollment activity/requests due to COVID-19, according to Eastbridge's 2021 Brokers and Voluntary Benefits in a COVID-19 World Spotlight Report. The study found, for example, that a third of brokers have seen voluntary sales decrease, just under a third have seen no change, and just over a third have seen increased sales.

COVID-19 also drove a majority of brokers to change their most frequently used enrollment method. The study found that Benefit Brokers most commonly used online, self-service enrollments for the 2020 enrollment season, while Voluntary Brokers most frequently used the call center. The resulting impact to participation as a result of the change in enrollment method varied for Benefit Brokers and Voluntary Brokers.

Looking ahead, brokers voice optimism for their voluntary business. Both Benefit Brokers and Voluntary Brokers are expecting increased sales in 2021, with less than 10% of brokers expecting sales to be lower in 2021. They also expect employers and employees to be more enthusiastic about voluntary benefits as a result of COVID-19, though to varying degrees depending on the broker type.

The Brokers and Voluntary Benefits in a COVID-19 World Spotlight Report covers these COVID-19 related topics and the following:

Brokers' current focus on voluntary (NBAP, new group growth, cross-sales with voluntary)

Most commonly sold voluntary products by brokers today and recent changes in product mix

Most frequently sold non-traditional products on a regular basis

Voluntary carriers used most frequently by brokers and their reasoning

Carrier administrative pain points and frequency of carrier switching

Carrier selection criteria

Trends in technology funding and future expected changes in enrollment methods

Competitive pressures felt by brokers and what they need from carriers to be more successful

Trends in off-cycle enrollments and P&C licensing

The report is currently available for purchase for $1,500. For additional information or to purchase the report, visit the report page by clicking here, e-mail [email protected], or call (860) 676-9633.

Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. is a marketing advisory firm serving companies focused on the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Erin Marino [email protected]

SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group

Related Links

eastbridge.com


CAMBRIDGE, England, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 winners of the Queen's Award for Enterprise Cambridge Healthcare Research (CHR), and its market research division Vox.Bio, announces the appointment of Rich McLean as Head of Operations.

Rich offers the group a vast amount of experience in operations leadership from his time at Amazon as Head of European Operations and Global Strategic Excellence, the LGC Group as Director of Global Operations, and from his time at Pfizer as a senior project and people leader in R&D.

Commenting on the appointment, CHR CEO Chris Stevenson said, "It is great news that Rich has joined us. Our growing organisation and our clients rightly expect the very best services, and with Rich's help CHR will continue to evolve and enhance the operational services we offer. This is a key part of our goal to deliver the most effective recommendations to our clients so that their strategic decision making is based upon an accurate and insightful understanding of how their markets are changing. Increasingly, our ability to understand and analyse large amounts of data, to work effectively and efficiently within boundaries that allow us to work for multiple clients across multiple therapeutic areas, some of which overlap, means that we need high quality IT and operations that support the best data security. Rich will continue our drive to ensure we have the best systems in place."

Rich will also be working with Steve Scott, Head of Finance, on the implementation of effective governance, risk and control frameworks in addition to his focus on partnering across business functions to develop the right strategic direction for HR, Technology, Operations, Finance and Business Excellence.

A talented leader, Rich has heavy-weight experience in managing large-scale teams across operational support and development services as evidenced in his roles at Amazon and LGC. His time at Pfizer as a senior project and people leader, pushing innovative pharmaceutical sciences through R&D and pre-clinical to full development and commercialisation, makes him a perfect fit for CHR in our mission to empower our clients to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Beyond pharma, Rich spent four years at the LCG Group, a global leader in the life science tools sector, providing mission critical components to customers across clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical, research & government, food and other applied markets.

In addition to his commercial experience, Rich is passionate about development and education, with his charitable work at Cambridge Science Centre and his Directorship at West Suffolk College.

About Cambridge Healthcare Research

Cambridge Healthcare Research is a management consultancy providing strategic decision support to the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer healthcare industries. Working closely with clients on asset commercialisation, product strategy and future opportunities, CHR enables its partners to navigate difficult commercial decisions, mapping their position in complex markets, and outlining the impact of competitor activities, intent and capabilities on their success. Vox.Bio is CHR's dynamic healthcare market research agency, re-thinking healthcare market research to delivering meaningful insights to clients in pharmaceutical, consumer health and medical device industries.

The team is passionate about healthcare and medical innovation, and its evaluation of market dynamics  combined with a targeted understanding of key trends in the prescriber, regulator and payer environments  equips their clients to make the right decisions from an optimally informed position.

In 2020, CHR won The Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The team spans global healthcare markets, with offices in Cambridge and London as well as consultants located across Europe, Asia and North America.

For further information please contact:

Dana Miller

[email protected]

Twitter, LinkedIn, Queen's Award, Queen's Award Video

+44-1223-900-191

Related Links

http://www.camhcr.com

https://vox.bio/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1157854/Cambridge_Healthcare_Research_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Cambridge Healthcare Research
musicMagpie's (MMAG) CEO Steve Oliver talks to Proactive London about their company which was established in 2007 with musicMagpie.co.uk providing consumers with cash for their unwanted CDs, DVDs, games and electronics.

The company's brands also include Decluttr in the US, which it operates out of a site in Atlanta. Oliver talks about the company's ESG credentials as well as their tech platform, which determines the prices of goods bought and sold.

And finally, two recent products include their new Smartphone Rental offering which allows consumers to rent smartphones rather than purchase them outright and their SMARTDrop kiosks, which are found in ASDA and Co-op stores, providing customers with 'instant cash' for their old mobile phone via live inspection of the device in a live, digital environment.
In May 2021, the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding through which they will collaborate toward the development of a Canoo research center at UW-Madison. The center will advance research in electric propulsion technologies with a goal of increasing electric vehicle utility while reducing burdens on finite natural resources. The partnership intends to create a leading pipeline for propulsion technology as well as on and off-grid operations.

Canoo is known for its innovative, future-forward functional designs, with a lifestyle vehicle, a delivery van and a pickup truck. Canoo is driven by the mission to bring electric vehicles to everyone, and built for adventurers, families, tradespeople and small business owners. The company focuses on building productivity solutions that spans owners across the full vehicle lifecycle. With a revolutionary modular electric multipurpose platform, Canoo delivers maximum space utility, and performance on a small footprint. Its flexible vehicles meet a wide range of use cases for consumers and businesses and build in customization for every ownerwhether the first, fourth or beyond.

UW-Madison's College of Engineering is leading the effort on behalf of the university. In addition to a research partnership, Canoo will develop a talent pipeline through internships and other opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students that will focus on real-world research and technology development.

"We are launching a multi-university research and development program designed to further critical research and catalyze innovation to support the manufacture of electric vehicles. This program will enhance U.S. competitiveness and benefit the entire industry while simultaneously advancing our IP," says Canoo Chairman and CEO Tony Aquila. "We are committed to our first research center with UW-Madison to drive groundbreaking advances in electric vehiclesadvances that enable us to execute on our mission to bring EVs to everyone."

UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank says the partnership underscores the benefits of tapping talent at a world-class research university. "I'm delighted to welcome this partnership with Canoo. In recent years, a number of industry partners have opened research centers on campus and nearby in Madison," she says. "This new model allows for greater engagement with students, stronger connections to leading faculty and cutting-edge research, and access to state-of-the-art university equipment and resources."

University of Wisconsin System President Tommy G. Thompson says it is an example of the Wisconsin Idea. "The UW System is the state's largest economic engine and the agreement marks another great opportunity to use UW-Madison's world-class research to drive innovation that changes lives for the better," he says. "I am pleased to have facilitated this partnership with Canoo."

About Canoo

Canoo has developed breakthrough electric vehicles, that are reinventing the automotive landscape with bold innovations in design and pioneering technologies. Distinguished by its technical depth from its experienced teamtotaling more than 400 employees from leading technology and automotive companies Canoo has designed a modular electric platform purpose-built to deliver maximum vehicle interior space and adaptable to support a wide range of vehicle applications for consumers and businesses. For more information, please visit www.canoo.com . For Canoo press materials, including photos, please visit press.canoo.com .

About the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Founded in 1848, the University of WisconsinMadison is one of America's great universities. A public, land-grant institution with more than 45,000 students, UWMadison offers a complete spectrum of liberal arts, research, professional programs and student activities. Spanning 936 acres along the southern shore of Lake Mendota, the campus is located in the city of Madison.

SOURCE Canoo

Related Links

https://www.canoo.com/


CHICAGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CereCore has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. The complete list of this year's winners, in alphabetical order, is available for subscribers at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplaceslist. Modern Healthcare will publish a special supplement featuring a ranked list of all the winners along with the September 20 issue of Modern Healthcare.

"One year into the pandemic, we've seen the industry transform to meet the needs of its patients and employees," said Aurora Aguilar, Modern Healthcare's editor. "Time and time again, the most resilient and successful organizations show that empathy towards their staff, clear vision and compassion towards the patient buoys teams and sets them up for success. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for eliciting loyalty from their workforce and communities during harrowing times."

"Being recognized again as a Best Place to Work in Healthcare is extra meaningful this year," said Curtis Watkins, CEO of CereCore. "The quality and scope of services that CereCore has been able to provide to our healthcare clients during this time demonstrates how relentless our employees are in their commitment to enabling patient care technologies. I continue to be awed by their extraordinary levels of problem-solving, teamwork, empathy, and leadership."

This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

CereCore will find out their ranking on the Best Places list and be celebrated at the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare awards gala taking place on September 16 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago.

About CereCore

CereCore provides IT services that make it easier for you to focus on supporting hospital operations and transforming healthcare through technology. With a heritage rooted in our nation's top-performing hospitals, we serve as leaders and experts in technology, operations, data security, and clinical applications. We partner with clients to become an extension of the team through comprehensive IT and application support, technical professional and managed services, IT advisory services, and EHR consulting, because we know firsthand the power that integrated technology has on patient care and communities.

More information can be found at http://www.cerecore.net.

SOURCE CereCore
CHANDLER, Ariz, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Entrepreneurship Network announced a collection of individuals to serve as the lead coordinators in 21 states to drive engagement in thousands of activities this November to help start and grow startups worldwide. Known as Global Entrepreneurship Week, the large-scale campaign is active in 170 countries with roughly 9 million participants in 35,000 activities  ranging from small, casual meetups to massive events and competitions. Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021 will be held November 8th  14th.

Diana White, CEO at Chandler Innovations Incubator, will serve as the GEW State Coordinator for Arizona.

"I am so honored and excited to work with all of our state stakeholders to showcase the amazing resources we have for entrepreneurs," said White.

White and the Chandler Innovations Incubator team have already begun recruiting statewide Community Organizers to host events during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The state coordinators tapped by GEN will encourage hundreds of organizations throughout their state to plan and conduct activities during GEW USA. They will also play a role in connecting those organizations and other key stakeholders to expand awareness and enable the participation of communities not traditionally engaged in entrepreneurial activity.

"Each year, Global Entrepreneurship Week amplifies the great work being done to support entrepreneurs across the country while connecting them to more opportunities to start and scale in their own communities," said Ellen Bateman, director for U.S. ecosystems at the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

The four global themes of GEW 2021 will focus on Ecosystems, Education, Inclusion, and Policy. Event organizers are encouraged to consider these themes but can plan their activity as best they see fit to suit their individual community's needs and interests.

Organizations in Arizona and anywhere in the United States interested in planning and conducting an activity, event, or competition during Global Entrepreneurship Week should create a profile and add their event to the official list at gewusa.co.

Any individuals or organizations interested in getting involved in any capacity can connect with Diana White at [email protected].

About Chandler Innovations: Chandler Innovations is a business incubation program for tech-focused businesses. The program is sponsored by the City of Chandler and powered by Moonshot at NACET. Chandler Innovations offers programs for entrepreneurs and founders throughout the year. It also provides entrepreneurship mentoring and community events.

About Global Entrepreneurship Network

The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier entrepreneurship ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For more information visit: www.genglobal.org.

SOURCE Chandler Innovations Incubator

Related Links

https://www.innovationsincubator.com/


DENVER, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives from the City of Aurora, Adams County and the Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District gathered at the entrance of The Aurora Highlands to unveil commemorative plaques celebrating the continued progress of the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority (ARTA) and to honor the late Mayor Steve Hogan.

The Aurora Highlands

Mayor Hogan served Aurora from 1974 until his passing in 2018, including six terms on the Aurora City Council and being elected Mayor in 2011. Mayor Hogan was a driving force for Aurora's long-term commitment to capital projects and focused on bolstering infrastructure and improving transportation to provide greater access and mobility throughout the area. Mayor Hogan's vision to create lasting economic opportunities for both current and future residents has continued thanks to the work of Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, the Aurora City Council and the Adams County commissioners both past and present.

"What an amazing testimony to the vision that Carlo and Carla had that we are here today as well as to the vision of late Mayor Hogan who's smiling down on us today and I know his family is here," said Governor Jared Polis. "It really takes a leap of faith for all involved to envision something out of nothing and what Colorado needs the most right now is housing. And, of course, the foundation of this project is infrastructure and these investments are a big catalyst for creating a good economy for Aurora but also for the broader region."

The ceremony featured remarks from Colorado State Governor Jared Polis, City of Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority (ARTA) Chairperson Matt Hopper, ARTA Board Member and Aurora City Councilperson Nicole Johnston, ARTA Board Member and Aurora City Councilperson Dave Gruber, ARTA Board Member and Adams County Commissioner Steve O'Dorisio, and Former Mayor of the City of Aurora Bob LeGare.

The speakers came together to honor the Governor, present and preceding members of the Aurora City Council, Adams County Commissioners, and Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District (AACMD) for the formation of the bipartisan, inter-government, public-private Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority (ARTA). This collaboration is a strong example of what is possible when we work together for the betterment of a community with allegiance to public service not restricted by competitive boundaries, parties or jurisdictions.

"Mayor Hogan's vision, experience, and ability to bring people together resulted in a successful project that people and the regional economy will rely on for decades to come," said Mayor Mike Coffman. "Today marks 3 years since his passing, and everywhere you look in Aurora you can see his influence. You can see his imprint and the resulting growth continuing at this very moment. Mayor Hogan's spirit of collaboration and serving the public lives on in ARTA. May our collective efforts live up to the standard set by one of Aurora's most dedicated leaders, the late Mayor Hogan."

The event was hosted by The Aurora Highlands father and daughter development team, Carlo & Carla Ferreira. The plaques can be found at the 110-foot clock tower, which will serve as the cornerstone of The Aurora Highlands: a 3,700-acre master-planned community made possible thanks to Mayor Hogan's vision and ARTA's continuing progress. Upon completion, The Aurora Highlands will be one of the Denver metro region's largest mix-used, master planned communities with 4 schools, 21 miles of trails and 500 acres of parks and open space.

"The 21,000 or 22,000 acres that's referred to as the aerotropolis and the overall economic benefit to the region is a multiple of those 22,000 acres," said Carlo Ferreira, Managing Director of The Aurora Highlands. "We occupy 4,000 acres which is the fiscal and physical foundation for the regional transportation authority. The growth we're going to create here will help build and sustain the 500 million infrastructure."

CONTACT:

Taylor Shields

[email protected]

Related Images

carlo-and-carla-ferreira-governor.jpg

Carlo and Carla Ferreira, Governor Jared Polis, Former Aurora Mayor Bob LeGare, Aurora Mayor Mike Co

SOURCE The Aurora Highlands
Cobwebs Technologies Wins Cutting Edge in Threat Intelligence in 9th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobwebs Technologies is proud to announce we have won the following awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine.

Cutting Edge in Threat Intelligence

"We're thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased," said Udi Levy of Cobwebs Technologies.

"Cobwebs Technologies embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution, and innovating in unexpected ways that can help stop the next cyber crime," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

We're thrilled to be a member of this coveted group of winners, located here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About Cobwebs Technologies

Cobwebs Technologies is a worldwide leader in web intelligence. Our innovative solutions are tailored to the operational needs of national security agencies and the private sector, identifying threats with just one click.

Cobwebs solutions were designed by our intelligence and security experts as vital tools for the collection and analysis of data from various sources, including open, deep, dark web, and social networks. Our web intelligence platform monitors these vast sources of data to reveal hidden leads and generate insights.

Our exclusive technology extracts targeted intelligence from big data using the latest machine learning algorithms, automatically generating intelligent insights.

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's ninth year of honoring global InfoSec innovators. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early-stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature, and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking "What's Next?" so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories, and awards on the best ideas, products, and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group.

Media Inquiries:

Danit Kellmer, Marketing Director of Cobwebs Technologies

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.cobwebs.com

Related Images

global-infosec-awards-for-2021.png

Global-InfoSec-Awards-for-2021-Winner

Cutting Edge in Threat Intelligence

SOURCE Cobwebs Technologies
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Consumers' Research launched the Consumers First Initiative, a major "name and shame" campaign against corporations that try to distract attention from their corporate failures by playing woke politics.

Consumers' Research's initial launch includes an ad buy of well over seven figures with hard-hitting ads critical of American Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Nike for putting woke politics over consumer interests. The ads, which will air nationally on cable and digital markets as well as local markets where the companies are headquartered, are part of the first phase of an ongoing campaign exposing companies that have increasingly put politics ahead of their customers.

"American Airlines shrunk legroom for passengers and laid off thousands of employees during the COVID pandemic while receiving billions in taxpayer bailouts. Coca-Cola and Nike have both been exploiting foreign, potentially forced, labor in China while American workers suffer. It is time these corporate giants were called to task," said Will Hild, Executive Director of Consumers' Research.

The ads specifically call out the leadership at American Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Nike, highlighting areas where these companies have been criticized, and pointing out that working to solve these company problems would be a better use of their time as far as customers are concerned.

"We are giving consumers a voice. These companies should be putting their energy and focus on serving their customers, not woke politicians," said Hild.

You can view the ads here:

The Worst (American Airlines)

Busted (Coca-Cola)

Cover (Nike)

About Consumers' Research:

Founded in 1929, Consumers' Research is an independent educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its near century old mission is to increase the knowledge and understanding of issues, policies, products, and services of concern to consumers and to promote the freedom to act on that knowledge and understanding. Consumers Research frequently comments on the effects that laws, regulations, and government programs have on consumers. For more information visit: http://consumersresearch.org.

SOURCE Consumers' Research

Related Links

http://consumersresearch.org


SHANGHAI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CooTek (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: CTK) ("CooTek" or the "Company"), a fast-growing global mobile internet company, today announced that the Company will present and meet with institutional investors at the following virtual investor conferences. For more information on CooTek presentations, please visit investor relations website https://ir.cootek.com, or contact [email protected].

16th Annual Needham Virtual Technology & Media Conference

Presentation on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 8:00-8:40AM, ET

Presentation on ICA Asia Pacific Opportunities Summit 2021

Presentation on June 21-29

The Company's management will participate in virtual meetings with institutional investors throughout these events. For additional information, please contact your respective institutional sales representative at each investment bank.

About CooTek (Cayman) Inc.

CooTek is a fast-growing mobile internet company with a global vision, offering mobile applications. Our mission is to empower everyone to enjoy relevant content seamlessly. The Company's user-centric and data-driven approach has enabled it to release appealing products to capture mobile internet users' ever-evolving content needs and helps it rapidly attract targeted users. CooTek has developed and brought to market content-rich mobile applications, focusing on three categories: online literature, scenario-based content apps and casual games.

For more information on CooTek, please visit https://ir.cootek.com.

For investor enquiries, please contact:

CooTek (Cayman) Inc.

Mr. Robert Yi Cui

Email: [email protected]

ICA (Institutional Capital Advisory)

Mr. Kevin Yang

Phone: +86-21-8028-6033

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE CooTek (Cayman) Inc.

Related Links

https://ir.cootek.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global COVID-19 vaccine packaging and delivery devices market size is anticipated to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2028. High demand for immunization for the ongoing pandemic and manufacturer's initiatives to expand their production capacities are the factors expected to boost the demand for packaging materials.

Key suggestions from the report:

Based on the product, syringes held the largest proportion of the market share in 2021

Prefilled syringes are expected to grow at the fastest rate owing to their advantages such as usage simplicity, low cost, and ease of distribution

The plastic vials segment is anticipated to register a lucrative CAGR during the forecast period

The glass vials segment accounted for a major proportion of the market share in 2021

The empty syringes segment is expected to grow at a healthy rate due to the speeding COVID-19 vaccination rates globally

North America holds the largest share in this market. The U.S. is one of the major suppliers globally

In Asia Pacific , the market is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the forecast period due to building people trust in the approved vaccines and the public readiness to get vaccinated

Read 130 page research report with ToC on "COVID-19 Vaccine Packaging And Delivery Devices Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Syringes, Vials), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2028'' at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/covid-19-vaccine-packaging-delivery-device-market

The hurtling vaccine inoculation rate and growing public trust in COVID-19 vaccines are anticipated to fuel the growth of the market. According to the global attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine survey, the share of people going for immunization has increased significantly in 2021. The increasing public willingness to get vaccinated early is expected to drive the manufacturing and distribution process, propelling market growth over the forecast period.

The increasing funding and investments in R&D activities specific to the development of an innovative vaccine, packaging material, and delivery devices are anticipated to fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period. For instance, the federal government of the U.S. invested USD 143 million to develop plastic alternatives to conventional glass vials for the storage of biological liquids.

Scientists around the world are investigating the scope of needles free delivery that would eliminate the need for vials and syringes hindering the market growth in the extended run. For instance, scientists at the University of Texas developed a film-based peelable inexpensive COVID-19 vaccine delivery device. On the other side, Bharath Biotech develops an innovative nasal vaccine to battle COVID-19.

Grand View Research has segmented the global COVID-19 vaccine packaging and delivery devices market on the basis of product and region:

COVID-19 Vaccine Packaging & Delivery Device Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 - 2028)

Vials



Glass





Plastic



Syringes



Empty





Prefilled

COVID-19 Vaccine Packaging & Delivery Device Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany





France





Italy





Spain



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





Thailand





South Korea





Australia



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina



Middle East & Africa

&

South Africa





Saudi Arabia





UAE

List of Key Players of COVID-19 Vaccine Packaging And Delivery Devices Market

BD

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd.

Terumo

NIPRO Medical Corporation

SCHOTT AG

Gerresheimer AG

Cardinal Health

Find more research reports on Medical Devices Industry, by Grand View Research:

Vaccine Delivery Devices Market  The global vaccine delivery devices market size was valued at USD 3.33 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period.

in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period. Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market  The global pharmaceutical glass packaging market size was valued at USD 3.79 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% from 2021 to 2028.

in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% from 2021 to 2028. Aseptic Packaging Market  The global aseptic packaging market size was USD 35.88 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% over the forecast period.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
PHOENIX, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CRC Surface Technologies , a ChemResearch Company, has received HUBZone certification from the Small Business Administration. This certification recognizes CRC as a leading small business in a historically underserved business area in Maricopa County, Arizona.

HUBZone certified businesses are integral in the success of local economies and receive additional resources from the HUBZone Council to fuel their success. The federal government has a goal to award at least 3% of federal contracting dollars to HUBZone-certified small businesses each year. To learn more information, visit the HUBZone section of the small business administration website.

Tim Jeffries, Co-Owner, Executive Chairman & CEO of ChemResearch Company, Inc., shared, "It is exciting to continue working toward expanding the services and community outreach provided by CRC Surface Technologies. We are a 67-year-old small business. Our commitment to our customers, employees, and Arizona, where we live and work, has gifted us this opportunity to be recognized as a premiere small business in the aerospace and defense industries."

The Vice Chairman of the Board of ChemResearch Company, Inc., the Honorable Gregory J. Slavonic, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (retired), shared, "The HUBZone program provides small businesses, such as CRC, an opportunity to compete with some of the biggest companies in the country. This certification will ensure that more clients are able to utilize the great services provided by CRC. Our list of certifications continues to grow, a true sign of excellence and determination displayed by our hardworking employees."

This HUBZone certification comes on the heels of CRC's recertification for their AS9100D/ISO 9001/2015 qualifications. These two major certifications support CRC's major corporate restructuring to drive success for years to come.

About CRC Surface Technologies

Founded in 1954, CRC Surface Technologies, www.chemresearchco.com , is an AS9100 and NADCAP certified, ITAR registered single-source metal finishing service provider for the aerospace, defense, medical, semiconductor, electronics, and heavy equipment industries. The multi-shift 65,000 square foot processing facility is the largest special processing facility in Arizona and offers over 33 plating and chemical processing services. CRC's regional and national customers include BAE Systems, Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, General Electric, Goodrich, Hamilton Sundstrand, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Parker Aerospace, Rolls Royce, Spirit AeroSystems, and SpaceX.

SOURCE CRC Surface Technologies

Related Links

http://chemresearchco.com/


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DailyPay , the leader in on-demand pay solutions for enterprises, today announced it has secured $500 million of capital. The company is announcing a $175 million Series D equity round led by Carrick Capital Partners with participation from existing investors. In addition, the company is announcing it has raised $325 million of credit capital from various sources. The Company intends to invest its newly raised capital in new market opportunities for its technology platform, in addition to extending its market leadership position in on-demand pay among the largest employers in the world.

"Since 2016, we have partnered with world-class employers to enable their employees to access or save their pay as they earn it," said Jason Lee , Chief Executive Officer and Founder of DailyPay. "The initial application of our first-of-its-kind technology platform was to redefine how money moves between employers and their employees. We are now expanding our platform to change the relationship between merchants and their shoppers, as well as financial institutions and their customers. This platform enables us to create a new financial system by rewriting the invisible rules of money."

With this round of financing, DailyPay welcomes new investor Carrick Capital Partners. "We are thrilled to welcome Carrick as a new partner and to our Board of Directors," said Lee. "The team at Carrick has a demonstrable record of helping companies to scale exponentially and enter the public markets. We are excited to leverage their expertise at this pivotal time of opportunity for DailyPay."

"We have seen the explosion in the on-demand pay industry, and how DailyPay has been leading the category," said Jim Madden, Co-CEO of Carrick Capital Partners. "We chose to invest in DailyPay now because we believe they are only just beginning to respond to the enormous opportunity they have to provide on-demand pay solutions to global enterprises."

"This financing package creates a fortress balance sheet that we can deploy on behalf of employers and their employees," said Scot Parnell, Chief Financial Officer at DailyPay. "The on-demand pay industry requires an exceptionally well-capitalized balance sheet to ensure the highest degree of service delivery, reliability and trust."

80% of Fortune 200 companies that offer on-demand pay partner with DailyPay. Over the last 12 months, the company has reached a number of key milestones. The company grew revenue by 141% in 2020 and released a suite of new products and services that benefit employers, including tools to enable off-cycle payments and remit employee reward payments . Additionally, DailyPay launched ExtendPX, its proprietary white-label solution for Payroll/HCM companies . They also continued to drive the shaping of the regulatory environment, including signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of California. DailyPay saw significant increases in usage in 2020, remitting payments every single minute of the entire year, to over 6,000 different financial institutions in the United States.

FT Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to DailyPay.

About DailyPay

DailyPay, powered by its industry-leading technology platform, is on a mission to build a new financial system. Partnering with America's best-in-class employers, including Dollar Tree, Berkshire Hathaway and Adecco, DailyPay is the recognized gold-standard in on-demand pay. Through its massive data network, proprietary funding model and connections into over 6,000 endpoints in the banking system, DailyPay works to ensure that money is always in the right place at the right time for employers, merchants and financial institutions. DailyPay is building technology and the mindset to reimagine the way money moves, from the moment work starts. DailyPay is headquartered in New York City, with operations based in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.dailypay.com/press

Contact: David Schwarz or Sehrish Sayani

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.dailypay.com/

SOURCE DailyPay

Related Links

http://www.dailypay.com


The Truth Machine of drilling for Adavale Resources at its Tanzanian nickel project is one month away.

In this episode of Rooster Talk, Adavale Resources Limited ( ) CEO Allan Ritchie reiterates the commitment by management to ensure a methodical approach to exploration in Tanzania. The drilling program is still on schedule to start in June.

A unique aspect of management in Adavale Resources is that they are being paid in shares. I like this as it aligns everyone with the shareholders.

Chapters

00:10 Introduction

00:38 Update from Allan Ritchie

04:54 Management quality

08:54 Why Tanzania is a good place to be now.

13:06 News flow

16:22 Conclusion

The ongoing field exploration in Tanzania has highlighted some interesting results within the target areas. The continuing geophysical interpretation is preparing the company for 15 targets that will be of interest when drilling commences.

We will deliver drilling in June and imminent results will give shareholders some joy for their patience.

PODCAST:

Download this eBook

This is a good time to download the first Ebook (FREE) from as it is all about VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides).

About Allan Ritchie

Adavale Resources Limited, chief executive officer

Allan Ritchie graduated from the University of Technology in Sydney in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business and subsequently attained a postgraduate Diploma in Applied Finance from the Financial Services Institute of Australia.

Allans distinguished career spans 30 years in both the energy and resources sectors, in investment banking and leadership roles in both private and publicly listed companies.

Allan currently serves as a non-executive director of ASX listed Hydrocarbon Dynamics Limited (HCD:ASX) and has previously served as executive director and deputy CEO of HK Listed energy group EPI Holdings Limited (0689.HKEX).

Allans investment banking background includes structuring commercial transactions in the energy and resources sector. Senior roles include positions within Westpac, ANZ Bank, and BNP Paribas in Australia, London, New York and Asia Pacific.

Allans career achievements have been recognised several times in BRWs annual poll of bankers.

About Adavale Resources

Adavale Resources Limited ( ) holds 100% of the Kabanga Jirani Nickel Project consisting of six granted licences and one application covering nearly 1145 square kilometres. These licences are adjacent and along strike from the worlds largest undeveloped nickel sulphide resource, namely the Kabanga Deposit which contains a measured, indicated and inferred resource of 58Mt @ 2.62% Ni (Barrick and Glencore, 2014).

The ADD licences are located along a trend of mafic/ultramafic intrusions known as the Kabanga Musongati belt and contain nickel sulphide ores and PGE concentrations.

Project 1  Nickel  Kabanga Jirani Nickel Project, Tanzania

Adavale Resources also holds 100% of the Lake Surprise Project with three exploration tenements covering nearly 396 square kilometres within part of the highly prospective sedimentary uranium province within the northern part of the Lake Frome Embayment.

These tenements lie within a flat, semi-arid landscape located just to the north of the Flinders Range in South Australia. These include EL 5892 comprising 92 square kilometres, EL 5893 comprising 167 square kilometres and EL 5644 of 137 square kilometres. These are known as the:

Jubilee Prospect

Mookwarinna Prospect

Canegrass Swamp Prospect

Project 2  Uranium  Lake Surprise, South Australia

The Lake Surprise Project Area is located in South Australia, 550 kilometres north of Adelaide, and 70 kilometres east of Marree. The company holds three tenements, EL5892, EL5893, and EL5644 with a total area of 396 square kilometres. Adavale explored the original tenements in this area between 2007 and 2011 with 486 holes drilled in that period.

Please let Samso know your thoughts and send any comments to info@Samso.com.au. Remember to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel, Samso Media and the mail list to stay informed and make comments where appropriate. Other than that, also feel free to provide a Review on Google.

For further information about Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talks visit: www.samso.com.au.

About Samso

Samso is a renowned resource among the investment community for keen market analysis and insights into the companies and business trends that matter.

Investors seek out Samso for knowledgeable evaluations of current industry developments across a variety of business sectors and considered forecasts of future performances.

With a compelling format of relaxed online video interviews, Samso provides clear answers to questions they may not have the opportunity to ask and lays out the big picture to help them complete their investment research.

And in doing so, Samso also enables companies featured in interviews to build valuable engagement with their investment communities and customers.

Headed by industry veteran Noel Ong and based in Perth, Western Australia, Samsos Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk interviews both feature friendly conversations with business figures that give insights into Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) companies, related concepts and industry trends.

Noel Ong is a geologist with nearly 30 years of industry experience and a strong background in capital markets, corporate finance and the mineral resource sector. He was founder and managing director of ASX-listed company from 2009-2017 and has also been involved in several other ASX listings, providing advice, procuring projects and helping to raise capital.

He brings all this experience and expertise to the Samso interviews, where his engaging conversation style creates a relaxed dialogue, revealing insights that can pique investor interest.

Noel Ong travels across Australia to record the interviews, only requiring a coffee shop environment where they can be set up. The interviews are posted on Samsos website and podcasts, YouTube and other relevant online environments where they can be shared among investment communities.

Samso also has a track record of developing successful business concepts in the Australasia region and provides bespoke research and counsel to businesses seeking to raise capital and procuring projects for ASX listings.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this article is the writers personal opinion and is provided for information only and is not intended to or nor will it create/induce the creation of any binding legal relations. Read full disclaimer.
BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Renovation Brands, the parent company of multiple fast growing home improvement product brands, is pleased to celebrate DecorPlanet.com making Newsweek's Best Online Shops of 2021 list. The website was ranked second in the building services category scoring an 8.49 out of 10.

DecorPlanet is a leading, fast-growing omni-channel provider in the home and bathroom products space. They specialize in decorative plumbing and hardware, sinks, faucets, lighting, and more. Products are sold on DecorPlanet.com , through wholesale relationships, and at their showroom in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to its proprietary Fresca brand, they offer hundreds of other internationally recognized brands.

"DecorPlanet provides an extremely strong digital footprint in the growing multi-billion dollar kitchen & bath space," said Marc Sieger, CEO of Renovation Brands. "Thrilled to be ranked #2 in Newsweek's building services category," said Steven Grebenyuk, DecorPlanet General Manager. "It's a testament not only to the accelerated growth in online shopping, but also to the growth of our brand and the commitment we have to provide the best products, service, and online experience."

Fresca, DecorPlanet.com's own brand of bathroom products, sees the bathroom as the most important room of the house and designs products accordingly. It pairs high quality, durable materials with cutting edge designs. It's the same approach they take to everything they do, including the website experience.

To learn more about Renovation Brands' and its family of brands, click here .

About Renovation Brands:

Renovation Brands is the parent company of multiple fast-growing home improvement product brands serving both residential and commercial customers in the renovation space. With a distinct focus and competence in the digital space, Renovation Brands is owned by Digital Fuel Capital, a leader in investing in internet retail and digital marketing technology and services.

Renovation Brands is currently comprised of nine specialty eCommerce brands including American Tin Ceilings, Reggio Register, Electric Fireplaces Direct, Mantels Direct, Electric Fireplaces Canada, Electric Heat Source, Baseboarders, RTA Cabinet Store, and DecorPlanet.com.

Related Links:

www.decorplanet.com

www.renovationbrands.com

SOURCE Renovation Brands

Related Links

www.renovationbrands.com


MILAN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diadem srl, a company developing the first blood-based test for the early prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD), today announced top-line interim results from a global clinical validation study of its AlzoSure Predict prognostic biomarker test, which can accurately predict progression to Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms appear. The interim data are being presented today at the 2021 BioEquity Europe virtual conference. Overall, they confirm the results of a Discovery Cohort analysis presented at the AAIC Satellite Symposium earlier this month. The new data show that AlzoSure Predict identifies those Cognitive Normal and Minor Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients who will progress to AD-dementia with high accuracy (>90% PPV) and confirm its capability to discriminate different stages of cognitive decline from asymptomatic to mild impairment to full dementia. In this cohort, AlzoSure Predict had very good selectivity for distinguishing between patients progressing to AD dementia and Other Dementia (OD), and It also demonstrated superior predictive performance to PET imaging and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers across all groups.

The Diadem AlzoSure Predict assay uses a proprietary antibody to measure blood levels of a conformational variant of the p53 protein that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. Previous studies suggest that this p53 variant has utility as a predictive biomarker to identify individuals likely to progress to AD up to six or seven years before symptoms appear.

The interim Clinical Validation analysis is based on longitudinal data from 482 patients from major biobanks in Australia, Europe and the USthe first cohort of the more than 1000 patients globally who will ultimately be included. They include individuals over the age of 50 at different stages of cognitive decline: Cognitive Normal, MCI and Demented (either AD or OD). Patients were followed longitudinally for up to 144 months. The data include comparative results from PET imaging, cognitive test performance and CSF biomarker and other blood biomarker assays. Complete data from the Clinical Validation analysis are being submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The data are being presented today at BioEquity Europe by Diadem's CEO Paul Kinnon. Mr. Kinnon noted, "Last week at the AAIC Satellite Symposium we presented exciting data from our Discovery cohort study showing that our AlzoSure Predict prognostic biomarker test accurately identifies individuals who will progress to Alzheimer's dementia six or seven years before symptoms appear or are detectable using traditional diagnostic methods."

Mr. Kinnon continued, "These interim data from our larger Clinical Validation study confirm and extend those results. This is good news for the millions of families worldwide who will confront AD in the coming years, since our simple, accessible blood-based assay will allow for therapeutic interventions early in the disease process, when slowing or stopping disease progression is far more feasible. It will also enable more effective clinical trials of investigative therapies for AD. We look forward to sharing the full results from the Clinical Validation study in the coming months."

Diadem is developing the AlzoSure assay as a simple, non-invasive plasma-based biomarker test to accurately predict the probability that a patient with asymptomatic mild cognitive impairment will progress to Alzheimer's dementia. The company's patented technology uses an analytical method that includes a proprietary antibody developed by Diadem designed to bind to the conformational variant U-p53AZ protein and its target sequences. Diadem is currently conducting further validation studies in about 1000 subjects, with additional results expected this year. The company plans to initiate a global launch in collaboration with strategic partners within the next 12 months.

About Alzheimer's Disease

There are about 50 million people suffering from dementia worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form and accounts for 60-70% of cases. At present there are no disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer's, and therapies to treat symptoms are limited. There are about 10 million new cases per year, and the incidence is rising rapidly as the population ages. The current total cost of care is enormous--estimated at $1 trillion in the U.S. annually and expected to double by 2030. Currently, diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is slow, inconclusive, invasive and expensive. Development of effective therapies for Alzheimer's has been hindered by the lack of accurate and cost-effective prognostic and diagnostic methods.

About Diadem

Diadem was founded as a spin-off of the University of Brescia (Italy). The company is developing the first blood-based prognostic test for the early detection of dementia, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease. The lack of accurate, accessible and affordable diagnostic tools is a major contributor to the absence of effective treatments for this devastating condition. As a result, patients are not diagnosed until late in the illness, when effective treatment is no longer possible. Diadem's rapid, accurate and cost-effective blood-based prognostic test makes it possible for the first time to identify patients early in the disease process, when effective interventions and better outcomes are far more feasible. The utility of the approach has been demonstrated in early clinical studies. Additional retrospective and prospective clinical trials are ongoing and planned to further validate clinical claims and support widespread adoption and use. Diadem's founding lead investor is Milan-based Panakes Partners, a venture capital firm that finances promising high potential biomedical companies in Europe and Israel. Diadem is preparing for rapid commercialization of its initial Alzheimer's prognostic via a global launch in collaboration with strategic partners. For more information, visit www.diademdx.com/.

Contacts:





Corporate: Media: Diadem Barbara Lindheim Paul Kinnon BLL Partners for Diadem CEO [email protected] [email protected] +1 (917) 355-9234

SOURCE Diadem srl
DENVER and ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DispatchHealth, a provider of in-home medical care, today announced a partnership with AdventHealth, one of the nation's largest faith-based health systems, to offer patients an expanded opportunity to receive care in the comfort of their own homes. The new service will help provide greater access, convenience and support for consumers and will initially be offered in several cities in Florida as well as the Kansas City metro area.

DispatchHealth has built a complete platform for delivering, coordinating, and providing medical care to patients in their homes. AdventHealth patients and providers in the Florida cities of Daytona Beach, Ocala and Orlando, as well as in Kansas City will now be able to request DispatchHealth's acute medical care for a wide range of common to complex injuries and illnesses including viral infections, COPD exacerbations, congestive heart failure and more . This partnership is an expansion of DispatchHealth's current operations in Tampa, Florida where the two organizations have been working together to provide in-home medical care. In all of the locations, patients can request care via phone, DispatchHealth's mobile app or website , and soon through the AdventHealth website and mobile app. Once requested, a medical team quickly arrives at the patient's home equipped with the necessary tools and treatments, no referral needed.

"Many health care providers have a strong desire to deliver home-based care, and DispatchHealth can provide a proven platform to quickly extend care outside of the typical clinic and hospital setting," said Dr. Mark Prather, CEO, and co-founder of DispatchHealth. "We're thrilled to be AdventHealth's partner of choice in offering patients effective, convenient and affordable care at home. The developing partnership builds on AdventHealth's commitment to value-based care, and we look forward to bringing the service to even more markets."

Since its founding in 2013, DispatchHealth's unique model of care has proven to save an average of $1,100-1,700 per Acute Care visit. DispatchHealth will expand its in-home medical services with AdventHealth to offer convenient, safe and lower-cost medical care to more consumers.

"AdventHealth is driven to provide wholistic care to everyone and to remove any barriers that may prevent someone from receiving the care they need. We want to meet people where they are and bring personalized, high-acuity care to our patients' living rooms," said Lisa Musgrave, AdventHealth's vice president of home care administration and post-acute services. "We are excited to expand our home-based alternative care offerings to include this high-quality, high-value service and to integrate it with other innovations and investments AdventHealth is making in home health."

DispatchHealth is rapidly scaling to bring its in-home medical care to additional markets across the U.S. The company recently announced a $200 million Series D round of funding to help with these expansion plans. DispatchHealth also recently revealed an agreement with Humana to provide DispatchHealth's Advanced Care to Humana Medicare Advantage members in select cities across the country.

DispatchHealth is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com .

About DispatchHealth

DispatchHealth is building the world's largest in-home care system in order to deliver trusted and compassionate care to all. DispatchHealth offers on-demand acute care and an advanced level of medical care for people of all ages in the comfort of their own homes. DispatchHealth's emergency medicine and internal medicine trained medical teams are equipped with all the tools necessary to treat common to complex injuries and illnesses. DispatchHealth works closely with payers, providers, health systems, EMS, employer groups and others to deliver care in the home to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, hospital stays and readmissions. Acute care medical teams are available seven days a week, evenings and holidays and can be requested via app, online or a quick phone call. DispatchHealth is partnered with most major insurance companies. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com.

About AdventHealth

With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the system's 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout almost a dozen states. For more information about AdventHealth, visit AdventHealth.com , or Facebook.com/AdventHealth.

SOURCE DispatchHealth

Related Links

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As per National Kidney Foundation Inc., in 2017, 500,000 patients in the U.S. underwent dialysis, 200,000 of whom had already received a kidney transplant previously. Moreover, 17.9 million people die of cardiovascular diseases every year, says the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result of the high prevalence of chronic diseases, which is only increasing, the global drainage consumables market size is predicted to grow from $1,604.0 million in 2019 to $1,823.1 million by 2024, at a 2.8% CAGR between 2020 and 2024.

This is because chronic diseases and many of the acute ones often lead to a dangerous accumulation of fluids and gases inside the body, which regularly need to be removed. For instance, respiratory diseases and cancer often cause pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid in the lungs, which makes it difficult and painful to breathe. Similarly, the rising incidence of many other diseases the diagnosis and management of which involve the removal of blood, lymphatic fluid, pericardial effusion, urine (straight from the bladder), or cerebrospinal fluid for analysis is propelling the drainage consumables market advance.

Key Findings of Global Drainage Consumables Market

Catheters witnessing fastest-growing demand worldwide

Rising chronic disease prevalence strongest market growth driver

Wounds to be fastest-growing application area of drainage consumables

North America is largest buyer of drainage consumables

is largest buyer of drainage consumables Government support propelling product demand

Market investment opportunities galore in APAC

Get the Sample Copy of this Report at @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/drainage-consumables-market-outlook/report-sample

During the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, social distancing measures, and movement restrictions have become the new normal. Most of the hospital departments have been closed, with healthcare professionals being pulled into COVID care, thus negatively impacting the demand for drainage consumables. Additionally, the shutdown of manufacturing plants and difficulties being faced by the representatives of medical device companies in interacting with healthcare givers has hurt product sales. Moreover, the drainage consumables market has been negatively hurt by the deferment of clinical trials and product approvals by most of the regulatory authorities.

In the past, the largest share in the drainage consumables market was held by the drainage bags category, under segmentation by product type. Drainage bags are frequently replaced at hospitals in order to prevent the transmission of urinary tract infections (UTIs) from one patient to another.

The urinary category is predicted to continue dominating the drainage consumables market in the years to come, under the application segment. Drainage bags and catheters are widely used on patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases (CKDs); thus, with an increase in the prevalence of these conditions, the usage of drainage consumables for urinary applications will also rise.

Browse detailed report with COVID-19 impact analysis on Drainage Consumables Market Research Report: By Type (Drainage Bags, Catheters, High/Low-Vacuum Consumables, Reservoirs), Application (Urinary, Wound, Pleural, Ventricular, Biliary) - Global Industry Revenue Forecast to 2024 @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/drainage-consumables-market-outlook

Till now, North America has contributed the highest revenue to the drainage consumables market on account of the surging prevalence of CKDs, especially in the U.S. Similarly, the growing incidence of CKDs and other chronic diseases and booming population of the elderly are projected to drive the industry in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region at the highest CAGR in the near future.

Major companies in the global drainage consumables market are Johnson & Johnson, Stryker Corporation, Smith & Nephew PLC, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., McKesson Corporation, ConvaTec Group plc, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Medline Industries Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Cardinal Health Inc., Cook Medical LLC, Medtronic plc, Baxter International Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, and Teleflex Incorporated.

Make enquiry about this report at @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=drainage-consumables-market-outlook

Browse Other Related Reports

Catheters and Bands Market Forecast Report - The catheters and bands market in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India is projected to attain $96.5 million by 2024, increasing from $65.3 million in 2018, registering a 6.6% CAGR during 20192024.

Catheter Market Report - The North American catheter market generated the highest revenue in 2019, because of the presence of leading market players, growing prevalence of chronic disease, increasing number of government and private initiatives to create awareness about the application of catheters, increasing healthcare expenditure, and growing number of aging people.

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Contact: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

SOURCE P&S Intelligence
ASHEVILLE, N.C., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading environmental regulatory experts will join together on May 19 for the webinar "Pitfalls of Ping Pong WOTUS Policy," hosted by Ecobot, to discuss the overhaul of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) policy, pending changes by the Biden Administration, and the future of wetlands regulation.

Webinar

Panelists appearing on this webinar include moderator, Jeremy Schewe, PWS, Chief Scientific Officer, Ecobot; Donna Downing, J.D., Senior Legal Policy Advisor, ASWM; Gordon Shaw, PWS, Senior Wetland Specialist, Burns & McDonnell; Minta Kay, J.D., Partner, Goodwin; Matthew Stahman, PWS, Director of Regulatory, RES; and Royal Gardner, J.D., Professor, Stetson University College of Law.

"Bringing together the leading minds in the industry is vital to the work we do in the industry. To make these vital conversations available to a wider audience, we are sharing all previous and future webinars through The Ecobot Podcast, starting this week," Schewe said.

Ecobot is an environmental compliance technology platform used by thousands of consultants to delineate wetlands for jurisdictional determination. More than 5,500 scientists, policymakers and others in the regulatory community have attended Ecobot webinars in the past year. Ecobot sees its new podcast, available on all podcast outlets, as a roadmap to a complicated and rapidly changing ecosystem of software, hardware, and policy issues.

Environmental regulations ebb and flow with the tides of political climate change. Legal battles ensue. Environmental consultants, regulatory enforcers, and developers are left to pick up the pieces. With recent rollbacks to rollbacks of WOTUS rules, Ecobot's next webinar will address how leading environmental regulators and consultants are responsibly tackling the turbid waters that impact the construction, utilities, and farming industries, as well as environmental organizations.

"The panelists for the webinar on May 19 will delve into great detail on policy changes, permitting, WOTUS, and what the landscape looks like under the Biden administration, and what that means moving forward. It's a constant challenge to try to stay on top of the changes in the regulations, so that we can advise our clients of the options available," Shaw said. "We inform clients what the guidance is now and draw on our experience with various USACE districts in an attempt to anticipate how regulations will be implemented, although it is often difficult to predict a timeline."

The webinar will address the following topics:

Backdrop of evolution of WOTUS rules and CWA

2015 Clean Water Rule to 2020 Navigable Water Protection Rule changes

"Proving" or justifying a stream being called ephemeral

Temporary impacts permits for ephemerals streams

Uptick in AJD applications

Variation in review of permit applications in different regions

Additional field data requests for concurrence

Reduction of mitigation needs by order of magnitude

Litigations, hold-ups and delays/extensions

Where will the pendulum swing with the current administration?

How are the developers and lawyers representing them handling the pendulum swing?

After a year following the implementation of the previous administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWR), revising the definition of WOTUS under the Clean Water Act (CWA), environmental consultants, scientists, and developers face complexities and lack of clarity around the interpretation of the WOTUS policy. The NWR regulatory changes have proven to be the antithesis of the promise to "increase the predictability and consistency of CWA programs by clarifying the scope of WOTUS federally regulated under the act, and streamline the federal government's permitting of permanent or temporary impacts of WOTUS."

Since the NWR was implemented on June 22, 2020, permitting timelines have been slowed due to drawn-out permitting processes with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, either by jurisdictional determinations or nationwide permit applications. The lack of policy clarity has caused project strategies to be pulled back and their scope re-evaluated.

Reserve your spot for the May 19 webinar with Ecobot and follow The Ecobot Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts.

About Ecobot

Ecobot empowers the AEC and environmental consulting industry to better serve their clients by reducing the time and expenses required to complete environmental regulatory reporting, while providing certainty through more accurate reporting. Field scientists make critical decisions that inform land use and use Ecobot to submit thousands of wetland delineation reports to the USACE each month. See how Ecobot can transform your natural resources consulting workflow at ecobotapp.com.

Media Contact

Alexis Quintal

[email protected]

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WOTUS Policy

Webinar

SOURCE Ecobot
DALLAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elah Holdings, Inc. (OTC:ELLH) has released its interim unaudited financial statements and disclosure report for the first quarter of 2021. This report and additional company information can be found at www.elahholdings.com under the Financial Releases section of the website.

About Elah Holdings

Elah Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as Real Industry, Inc.) is a reorganized holding company led by experienced business leaders that is seeking to acquire profitable businesses in the commercial and industrial markets to generate sustainable profitability and cash flows, unlock the value of our considerable tax assets, and use creative deal structures that reduce risk and ultimately create long-term value for our shareholders. For more information, visit www.elahholdings.com. Elah Holdings' stock trades on the OTC Pink Market, which is operated by OTC Markets Group, a centralized electronic quotation service for over-the-counter securities under the symbol "ELLH."

Contact:

Michael Hobey

Elah Holdings, Inc.

+1 (805) 435-1255

@elah_inc

www.linkedin.com/company/elah-holdings-inc/

SOURCE Elah Holdings, Inc.

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PORTLAND, Ore., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled,"Electrolyzer Market by Product (Alkaline Electrolyzer, PEM Electrolyzer, and Solid Oxide Electrolyzer), Capacity (Less Than 500 Kw, 500 Kw to 2 MW, and Above 2 MW), and Application (Power Generation, Transportation, Industry Energy, Industry Feedstock, Building Heat & Power, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027."According to the report, the global electrolyzer industry generated $0.2 billion in 2019, and is expected to generate $0.9 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 24.6% from 2020 to 2027.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Supportive government initiatives toward reducing carbon emissions and lower costs of renewable energy drive the growth of the global electrolyzer market. However, limited technological advancements, delayed permits, and constraints related to equipment supply hinder the market growth. On the other hand, demand for on-site electrolyzer installation from the industrial sector owing to decarbonization creates new opportunities in the coming years.

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Covid-19 Scenario

Owing to partial or complete lockdown imposed in many countries, manufacturing activities have been stopped or facilities have been shut down. In addition, there has been a disruption in the supply chain, which resulted in, supply-demand gap.

The demand for electrolyzers from various industries such as transportation, power generation, and others reduced as daily operations were stopped to restrain the spread of novel coronavirus. However, the demand would recover soon as daily operations begin in full capacity in these sectors.

The alkaline electrolyzer segment to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue by 2027

Based on product, the alkaline electrolyzer segment accounted for the largest market share in 2019, contributing to nearly three-fifths of the global electrolyzer market, and is expected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is due toits widespread adoption asit is the oldest form of electrolysis method. However, the PEM electrolyzer segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR of 25.1% from 2020 to 2027, owing to technological advancement and higher stability offered by them.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Electrolyzer Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/10974?reqfor=covid

The power generation segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the power generation segment contributed to the highest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the global electrolyzer market, and will maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is due to demand from the industrial sector for on-site electrolyzer setup. However, the transportation segment is expected to register the largest CAGR of 25.4% from 2020 to 2027. This is attributed to increased investment in electrolyzer technology for fuel cells to be used in electric vehicles.

Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America, to continue its lead position by 2027

Based on region, Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America, accounted for the highest share in terms of revenue in 2019, holding nearly two-fifths of the global electrolyzer market, and will continue its lead position by 2027. This is attributed toseveral initiatives from the European government for encouraging decarbonization. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 25.1% during the forecast period, owing toincreased electric vehicle market in several countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

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Leading market players

Hydrogenics

Nel ASA

Siemens Energy Global GmbH, Co. KG. AG

Toshiba

Air Liquide

Plug Power

McPhy Energy

ITM Power

Idroenergy

Next Hydrogen

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Until recently, a bachelor's degree, for most college graduates, was the ticket to a fruitful job search. However, as businesses have embraced evolving technologies at a seemingly breakneck pace, their expectations of job applicants have evolved as well. Researchers, including administrators at Ensign College, have observed this evolution, responding with updated degree offerings designed to meet the demand for capable employees.

Ensign College

Many employers have experience hiring graduates whose bachelor's degrees left them heavy on theory and light on practical skills and application. They no longer have the budget or bandwidth to train new hires with management and tech skills or teach them processes and methods. Instead, today's employers increasingly expect skilled, experienced business professionals from the start - people who can go right to work and contribute in meaningful ways on day one.

A new approach to the curriculum of a bachelor's degree is emerging with many collegesin particular with many community colleges. The Bachelor of Applied Science Degree (BAS) directly addresses the needs of employers through its focus on skills and applied curriculum. According to InsideHigherEd.com, as many as 26 states have passed legislation allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees, and most of them are BAS degrees. Pew, a global research and public policy organization, reports that these affordable niche degrees help prepare professionals to meet local workforce needs, with fewer travel demands.

Ensign College, known for its focus on applied learning and skills-based curriculum, offers a limited number of BAS degrees. "When we began thinking about offering bachelor's degrees, it was obvious we would remain true to our approach of skills-based learning," says Brent Andrus, the Program Chair of Business Management at Ensign College. "Our entire teaching philosophy centers around providing students immersive learning experiences. The BAS degree fit us better than the BS degree because of the applied nature of a BAS degree."

The BAS is a highly specialized professional undergraduate program, often including industry-specific certifications. It is geared towards providing professional management skills, advanced technical training, and preparing students to be capable leaders in their field. "This distinction," says Andrus, "is what sets the applied skills approach apart from traditional bachelor's degrees. Practicing what they are learning through practical, hands-on scenarios is so powerful in the world of business management. Our students develop real-world skills and graduate ready for entry-level work on day one."

In keeping with this trajectory of market demands, Ensign College only offers applied science and skills-based degrees and certificates. "The applied Ensign College curriculum means the College is uniquely positioned to prepare students with in-demand skills within the first two semesters," explains Ensign College President Bruce C. Kusch. "Students are immersed in a learning environment where they act as agents of their own learning in the development of essential personal traits and professional capabilities."

Says Andrus of Ensign College's BAS of Business Management, "I believe we have put together a degree that provides students with a broad and deep coverage of the most in-demand courses and programs available anywhere. Each course is designed to enhance skills in teamwork and leadership, communication, technical skills, problem-solving and professionalism. Students enjoy flexibility, choice in areas of specialization, and sufficient rigor to truly challenge them in their academic pursuits."

For more information about Ensign College, please contact Royce Hinton at (801) 524-8174.

Related Images

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SOURCE Ensign College
LANSING, Mich., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce issued a statement today calling on Governor Whitmer to stop the ongoing regulatory fiasco at MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration).

Late last week the Governor announced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) would align its mask requirements with the new Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines allowing vaccinated individuals to go mask-free in most indoor and outdoor settings, including private places of business. Federal OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) rules have been updated to reflect the new CDC guidance as well.

On Monday, MIOSHA announced a vague "plan" to change their rules, but didn't say when or how. In the meantime, the Whitmer administration continues to push for permanent COVID-19 workplace rules, even as the CDC, federal OSHA and other states are moving to loosen their restrictions.

"The constant controlling and micromanaging of Michigander's daily lives needs to stop," said Rich Studley, President and CEO of the Michigan Chamber. "For over a year, Michiganders have been subjected to an endless stream of arbitrary, confusing and constantly changing state orders from Lansing."



"COVID cases in Michigan are trending down, vaccination rates are up and governors across the country are moving more decisively to safely reopen their states," said Wendy Block, Vice President of Business Advocacy and Member Engagement for the Michigan Chamber. "Meanwhile in Lansing, the Whitmer administration continues to slow-walk reopening Michigan and retain unwarranted government control over the daily lives of 10 million Michiganders."

"In a continual cycle of mismanagement and miscommunication, Governor Whitmer's new MDHHS (Michigan Department of Health & Human Services) order matches only half of the new CDC guidance on masks and conflicts with her administration's MIOSHA orders," continued Studley. "The ongoing regulatory confusion and economic uncertainty caused by constantly changing state orders now goes beyond ineptitude to callous indifference."

"The Whitmer administration's push for unnecessary and permanent MIOSHA rules is bureaucratic overreach. We call on the Governor to immediately rescind both rule requests and stop the rulemaking process," said Block.

"It's time for the Governor to start treating employees and employers like adults and allow Michigan to reopen safely," concluded Studley.

The Michigan Chamber is a statewide business organization that represents employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. It was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. www.michamber.com

SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Related Links

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ATLANTA, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), a data, analytics, and technology company announced its free, virtual conference, Ignite LIVE 2021 , will take place Tuesday, May 25 from 10am-2pm ET. This year's event focuses on digital convergence across the financial services industry. As the U.S. looks ahead to the 'new normal,' businesses must adapt to a mosaic of shifting demands to remain competitive and take advantage of growth opportunities.

To register for Ignite Live 2021, click here .

Engaging discussions with industry experts, customers and partners will focus on how businesses have pivoted to meet customer demands, streamline processes and embrace new technologies to increase growth and mitigate risks. Throughout the event, Equifax will showcase data, analytics and technology solutions, including digital identity and fraud prevention capabilities powered by The Equifax Cloud.

"As we exit the global pandemic, we enter a new world with new expectations. People behave differently, and financial landscapes have evolved. From this upheaval, new trends emerged, existing ones accelerated, and old ones disappeared," states Prasanna Dhore, Equifax's Chief Data & Analytics and Innovation Officer. "We are now witnessing a convergence, and convergence introduces new opportunities if we open ourselves to new thinking. This conference is a perfect chance to learn how to optimize decisions, embrace digital commerce, automate processes, and improve the customer experience. "

Key topics focusing on digital convergence during Ignite Live 2021 will include:

Protecting Your Business from Digital Identity Fraud. Businesses have turned digital customer experiences into explosive growth. But with accelerated growth, unprotected businesses are seeing rising losses from fraud. Join us to learn more from experts, including Brad Wiskirchen , CEO of Kount, an Equifax Company, about proven strategies and best practices to increase revenue and protect every digital interaction.

Businesses have turned digital customer experiences into explosive growth. But with accelerated growth, unprotected businesses are seeing rising losses from fraud. Join us to learn more from experts, including , CEO of Kount, an Equifax Company, about proven strategies and best practices to increase revenue and protect every digital interaction. Expanding Credit with xAI: Not All Explainable AI is Equal. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) has incredible value for both consumers and lenders. The pandemic has forced a rapid change in consumer behaviors, and they expect to be rewarded for positive behavior. See how Equifax xAI allows clients to reward consumers and extend credit deep into the credit spectrum.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) has incredible value for both consumers and lenders. The pandemic has forced a rapid change in consumer behaviors, and they expect to be rewarded for positive behavior. See how Equifax xAI allows clients to reward consumers and extend credit deep into the credit spectrum. Accelerating Innovation: Validate Ideas and Understand New Markets with a Unique Testing Ground. See how the InnovationX immersive experience helps fintechs, established financial institutions and other organizations accelerate innovation in today's competitive market. This unique testing ground for new products enables organizations to validate ideas and understand new markets with ready access to real-time, cloud-native data and advanced analytics.

See how the immersive experience helps fintechs, established financial institutions and other organizations accelerate innovation in today's competitive market. This unique testing ground for new products enables organizations to validate ideas and understand new markets with ready access to real-time, cloud-native data and advanced analytics. Seeing the Value: Verified Employment and Income in Today's Lending Landscape. When consistently applied "at application," using verified employment and income helps lenders make more confident decisions and provides ways to increase financial inclusion.

As a champion of financial inclusion, Equifax is committed to helping people live their financial best. Through special events such as Ignite LIVE 2021, Equifax is well-positioned to bring together leading data scientists, business executives, analytics experts and scholars to address market challenges and opportunities impacting consumer behaviors and business models. The historic shifts in the U.S. and global marketplace due to the pandemic mean businesses and financial institutions must collaborate and innovate like never before to ensure financially healthy communities.

To register for Ignite Live 2021, click here .

ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.

At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 11,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com

For more information

[email protected]

SOURCE Equifax Inc.

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Infinity and major stakeholders recognise the critical importance of San Jose and the requirement to resolve administrative deficiencies that have potentially wide-ranging implications for Spain.

Discussions with industrial groups and parties participating in the battery supply chain are ongoing.

( ) ( ) non-executive chairman Adrian Byass has demonstrated his confidence in the companys lithium strategy with an on-market purchase of shares.

On May 17 Byass acquired 300,000 shares with a total value of more than $20,000 in an indirect interest, increasing the total number of securities held in that interest to 5,101,876.

He also holds a further 562,500 shares in a separate indirect interest and 3,904,429 in another.

San Jose appeal

The company has received notification that the Investigation Permit Valdeflorez (PIV) application has been cancelled at the San Jose Lithium Project in Spain.

Following legal advice, the company has lodged an appeal against this decision.

Validity of the decision disputed

The San Jose Lithium Project consists of both the PIV application and the adjoining granted Investigation Permit Ampliacion Valdeflorez (PIAV), which remains in good standing.

In respect to the decision by the regional government (Junta), Infinity has strongly disputed the validity of the decision to cancel the PIV application.

Infinity CEO Ryan Parkin said: The joint venture partners strongly dispute the decision and are pursuing all options to reinstate the investigation permit."
Each profile is free to view and packed with high-quality insights, providing businesses with detailed company information. Users can take advantage of these insights to identify, target, and connect with the right dance companies. This company information includes employee insights, company competitors, the impact of emerging trends and challenges, the latest news, and more.

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Contact

BizVibe

Jesse Maida

Email: [email protected]

+1 855-897-5880

Website: https://www.bizvibe.com/

SOURCE BizVibe

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LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2020, global renewable energy capacity investments grew 2% to US$303.5b, the second-highest annual figure recorded to date despite the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, the 57th EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) estimates that future development to achieve net zero will require a further investment of US$5.2t and highlights the role institutional investors will need to play in financing the energy transition.

RECAI 57 finds that environment, sustainability and governance (ESG) goals are increasingly being prioritized on the investor agenda while institutional investors' interest in renewables continues to grow.

The forthcoming 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) presents an opportunity to close the gap between what governments have promised to do and the level of action they have undertaken to date. RECAI 57 finds that current policy and pledge trajectories from leading nations indicate an increased commitment to greater accountability and transparency, with representatives expected to outline clear roadmaps and detail on policy measures to spur investment in renewables.

Carmine Di Sibio, EY Global Chairman and CEO, says:

"The Index highlights the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has increased global awareness on the urgent environmental challenges we're facing today. Convening moments like COP26 and MWC Barcelona present a collaborative platform to drive critical conversations around national and business net zero commitments. No single country or organization can do it alone. We need collaboration across industry ecosystems, geographies and governments, harnessing the power of technology to accelerate the world's transformation to a more sustainable future."

RECAI 57 also examines green hydrogen case studies in Europe and China that illustrate the great potential of this new technology, but also show the barriers that need to be overcome to reach commerciality and widespread use.

US retains the top position with China and India bringing up the top 3 in the rankings

The US retains top position on the Index and is expected to hold its position under President Biden. The reacceptance of the Paris Accord, coupled with the recent announcement to cut GHG levels by 50-52% as early as 2030 and achieve 100% carbon free power by 2035, will likely see increased investment interest in the US. Similarly, China has remained a buoyant market and maintains second position, adding 72.4GW of new wind power in 2020, as developers rushed to beat an onshore wind subsidy cut. In April, China and the US also announced that they would work together and with other markets to tackle climate change.

India also rose one place in the rankings to 3rd position, with the market's solar sector expected to grow significantly and with generation from solar PV forecast to exceed coal before 2040. East Asian markets Japan and South Korea (ranking in 8th and 17th positions respectively) also made commitments toward net zero in the past year. The report highlights that East Asia has a robust pipeline of clean-energy projects, with more than 800 shovel-ready schemes and with a total investment potential of US$316b.

Other markets have climbed the Index, as numerous governments take tentative steps toward launching new offshore wind projects. Poland, now in 22nd position, has adopted a new act to promote 5.9GW of offshore wind by 2030 through competitive auctions. And Brazil's federal environmental authority has released licensing guidelines for offshore wind projects, seeing Brazil climb to 11th position.

Germany drops by one place in the ranking to 7th position, as last-minute changes to the design of future onshore wind tenders came under criticism. These changes would allow regulators to reduce the size of auctions if undersubscribed and developers believe that this uncertainty will lead to decreasing bid volumes.

Italy climbs two places in the ranking to 15th position after receiving a grant of 209bn from the EU Recovery Fund. The Italian government has also told developers that it is willing to extend its 4.7GW program of support auctions for onshore wind and solar PV into next year after the initial round was undersubscribed.

Arnaud de Giovanni, EY Global Renewables Leader, says:

"There is a clear shift away from fossil fuel investment and toward environmentally sustainable projects by institutional investors who are typically more risk averse in their investing principles. Risk-mitigation tools, structured finance mechanisms tailored specifically to the renewables sector and regulatory commitment would therefore help increase investment flows. Committed action from COP26 delegates is a must to ensure that the legacy of Paris Agreement is brought to fruition. The leading developed nations must honor existing promises to deliver US$100b per year in climate financing for developing nations, and all nations must urgently set actionable near-term targets, rather than kicking the can down the road. There is not much road left."

For the complete top 40 ranking and analysis of the latest renewable energy developments across the globe, visit https://www.ey.com/en_gl/recai.

Aparna Sankaran

EY Global Media Relations

+44 (0)207 480 245082

[email protected]

SOURCE EY

Related Links

https://www.ey.com


Proceeds benefit HPH Hospice and its newly launched Chapters Health Valor Program , which supports veterans and first responders under their care. The Valor Program, offered year-round, provides services and programs including:

Pinning ceremonies to honor the service and sacrifices made by veterans and first responders. The person of honor receives a pin, certificate of appreciation, and patriotic lap blanket.

Valor Cafes for peer-to-peer activities in which veterans and first responders find comradery to share stores and similar experiences.

Honor walks to show respect to the family members and deceased as they leave the hospice house.

Free counseling services from licensed grief counselors for the veteran or first responder and family.

Chapters Health has served veterans and their families with home care, hospice care, and grief services for many years and has expanded this service to first responders with the Valor Program.

"We are honored that the Chapters Health Foundation has reached out to team up with the Florida Cracker and its fan base helping support our community, veterans and first responders," said Blair Hensley, owner of Florida Cracker Kitchen.

VIP Tables and Community Partner sponsorships for the concert are still available. Please contact Jason Carroll at [email protected].

General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the show. For purchasing, please go to www.eventbrite.com/e/jerrod-niemann-w-special-guest-drew-green-tickets-153236752251

About Chapters Health Foundation

Chapters Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization committed to supporting Chapters Health System, a progressive leader in home health, palliative care, hospice and grief support. Chapters Health Foundation provides more than $5.2 million annually in charity care in order to continue to meet the needs of patients and families who cannot afford hospice services. Chapters Health Foundation also provides $1.3 million in funding for the provision of grief support across Chapters Health and more than $1 million to assist with underfunded pediatric and adult palliative care services. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About HPH Hospice

HPH Hospice, an affiliate of Chapters Health System, is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that supports patients in Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties. Since 1984, HPH Hospice has been committed to excellent service through compassionate care, accountability, respect, integrity and the goal of excelling through teamwork to maximize quality of life.

About Florida Cracker Kitchen

The Florida Cracker is a lifestyle brand that includes Breakfast and Brunch restaurant that brings southern hospitality and scratch kitchen together to make you feel like you are back in your grandmother's kitchen again for a meal. The Florida Cracker's mission is to teach and educate the Florida Cracker Culture and Agricultural Heritage through our food and hospitality in all of our establishments in the Sunshine State.

SOURCE Chapters Health Foundation
SEATTLE, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Foster Garvey, PC today announces the firm has promoted Traci Metcalf (Quiroz) to Chief People Officer, making a strategic investment in the firm's commitment to actively recruit, develop and retain a talented and diverse legal team motivated by excellent client service. Metcalf will be the first to serve in this newly established role having previously served as the firm's Human Resources Director.

Traci Metcalf (Quiroz) will serve as Foster Garvey's first Chief People Officer, supporting the firm's professional and legal staff while leading attorney recruitment efforts and the design of a newly enhanced benefits plan.

Over the last six years, Metcalf has made significant contributions to Foster Garvey's success and firmwide culture. She was instrumental in the integration of human resources practices throughout the firm's 2019 merger and has since continued to build on the strengths of the firm's newly combined team to bolster human resources services, including processes for hiring, retention and benefitsplacing people squarely at the heart of every strategic imperative.

"Traci is a proven leader in every sense of the word," said Foster Garvey's Chief Operating Officer Scott Flichtbeil. "We have all been impressed with her commitment to our employees, the firm and her profession. Here at Foster Garvey, we bet on our people. That is why we established this position, and there is no greater champion of a people-first law firm than our new Chief People Officer Traci Metcalf."

Metcalf's initial focus will remain on the continuous support of Foster Garvey's professional and legal staff while operating remotely. Additionally, she will partner with Foster Garvey's Opportunity & Progress Council to lead the firm's initiatives aimed at breaking down institutional and cultural barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating a shared environment where everyone can do their best work together. While serving as a key member of Foster Garvey's senior leadership team, Metcalf will also lead attorney recruiting and the design of a newly enhanced benefits plan.

Metcalf is a member of Puget Sound Chapter Association of Legal Administrators (PSALA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) national organization and Seattle Chapter, and Portland HR Management Association (PHRMA). She earned her Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Effectiveness from Marylhurst University, and her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Warner Pacific College.

Foster Garvey PC was established through the combination of two storied Pacific Northwest-based law firms, Foster Pepper PLLC and Garvey Schubert Barer, PC, in 2019. Foster Garvey is now one of the largest firms in the region with six offices in Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., New York, Spokane and Beijing, offering an extended national and international reach to serve several of the most influential and innovative companies, governments and individuals in the country across the full-spectrum of legal services. The firm's attorneys are consistently recognized for their deep industry knowledge and superior client service by prominent legal industry publications including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and U.S. News-Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms." In addition to providing efficient and effective counsel, Foster Garvey will continue to provide a strong commitment to community service, pro bono work, diversity and inclusion efforts, and a collegial and equitable work environment. www.foster.com

Contact:

Paul Matulac

Foster Garvey, PC

(503) 553-3136

[email protected]

SOURCE Foster Garvey, PC
TORONTO, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) ("the Company") today stated that it is maintaining its production outlook for the year as it has had no material impacts from recent events in Colombia. The Company will, as it always has, consult with its stakeholders, lever its strong transportation and logistics network, monitor the situation and provide the market with any updates as appropriate. The health and safety of our employees, contractors, service providers and communities where we operate remains our number one priority.

About Frontera:

Frontera Energy Corporation is a Canadian public Company involved in the exploration, development, production, transportation, storage and sale of oil and natural gas in South America, including related investments in both upstream and midstream facilities. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets with interests in 40 exploration and production blocks in Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana, and pipeline and port facilities in Colombia. Frontera is committed to conducting business safely and in a socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. Frontera's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FEC".

If you would like to receive News Releases via e-mail as soon as they are published, please subscribe here: http://fronteraenergy.mediaroom.com/subscribe.

Advisories:

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's production outlook) are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: volatility in market prices for oil and natural gas (including as a result of a sustained low oil price environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions of OPEC and non-OPEC countries and the restrictions imposed by governments in response thereto; the duration and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its severity, the success of the Company's program to manage COVID-19; uncertainties associated with estimating and establishing oil and natural gas reserves and resources; liabilities inherent with the exploration, development, exploitation and reclamation of oil and natural gas; the Company's ability to access additional financing; the ability of the Company to: meet its financial obligations and minimum commitments, fund capital expenditures and comply with covenants contained in the agreements that govern indebtedness; political developments in the countries where the Company operates; the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data; geological, technical, drilling and processing problems and the other risks disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's annual information form dated March 3, 2021 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com). Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

SOURCE Frontera Energy Corporation

Related Links

www.fronteraenergy.ca


The enterprise-ready, configurable, and scalable PSA solution breaks down data silos while providing 100% accurate and consistent data to enable businesses to operate in harmony across groups. It delivers real-time visibility into the organization's work, leading to more agile responses, and more rapidly getting and keeping resources, projects, and finances on-track and optimized.

"This recognition is a great honor as it reflects the true experience and sentiment of our customers," said Raj Narayanaswamy, co-CEO of Replicon Inc, the maker of Polaris PSA. "We created Polaris self-driving PSA to help our customers discover hidden opportunities in bidding, utilization, project delivery, and billing to improve profitability by making better decisions, based on a real-time, accurate, holistic view of their total business across practices, clients, and roles."

Polaris PSA introduces a number of innovative approaches to empower businesses to improve and optimize project, resource, and financial management:

MissionControl provides a comprehensive real-time view of the pulse of the business for leaders focused on practices, clients, projects, resources, or finances, as well as integration with leading BI tools.

SmartBudget makes it easy to optimize professional services revenue and pricing by accounting for all relevant metrics including true resource costs, utilization, margins & more.

SmartMatch is an intelligent resource recommendation engine that provides the best resource option based on the criteria, and ensures the right resources are allocated to the right projects.

SmartBeats and Project Pulse provide real-time insights into the status of projects and tasks, with ongoing updates to: work completed, work to be done, and estimated completion, instead of relying on out-of-date weekly timesheets.

Collaborative Resourcing Workflow enables conversations between project and resource managers around the right resources for projects.

Skills Cloud provides tracking and smart display of skills, certifications and expertise levels for each resource as needed by your services firm.

Project, Resource and Financial Governance standardizes projects, resource, billing, and other processes across your services business for a consistent view.

Bill Plan Engine and Multidimensional Rate Card provides versatile bill plan modeling to accommodate various client/project billing and invoicing needs  fixed-bid, time & materials, flat or any combination.

Mobile, Enterprise-Grade, Cloud Platform is secure, global, configurable and scalable to support millions of users.

Plug-and-Play offers smooth integration so you can share project, resource, time, costs and billing information with your ecosystem - whatever that may be.

To see Polaris PSA live demo and check pricing information please contact Polaris Sales at (877) 762-2519 or [email protected]

About Polaris:

Polaris, the world's first Self-driving PSA, has created a new category for Professional Services Automation . For the first time, leaders get intelligent help with decision making as Polaris does the heavy lifting, analyzes real-time data, and delivers live recommendations on the best possible choices for them to decide from. Polaris is created by the team at Replicon, the Time Intelligence company, with over 25 years of industry leadership in enterprise time tracking. Replicon supports thousands of customers across 70 countries, including PwC, SAS, NTT, NSC Global, Omnicom, and Aon. To learn more, visit PolarisPSA.com

About Replicon

Replicon, the Time Intelligence company, has over 20 years of industry leadership and is pioneering a new approach to time management. Time Intelligence elevates time as a strategic asset within an organization, to improve operational productivity, performance, and profitability. Replicon's Time Intelligence Platform offers solutions for global time and gross pay compliance, enterprise time management for ERP, professional services automation, and an SDK for continued development  expanding the company's award-winning portfolio of cloud-based products, including complete solution sets for client billing, project costing, and time and attendance. Replicon supports thousands of customers across 70 countries, with over 400 employees around the globe including the United States, Canada, India, Australia, and the United Kingdom. To learn more, visit www.replicon.com.

Subscribe to Replicon's YouTube channel : https://bit.ly/3sHPXkV

Follow Replicon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/replicon

Follow Replicon on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/replicon

About Software Advice

Software Advice is the leading online service for businesses navigating the software selection process. Advisors provide free, personalized software recommendations, helping companies of all sizes find products that meet their business needs. Software Advice also features objective research by industry experts and reviews from validated users, saving buyers time and resources. Software Advice is a Gartner company. For more information, visit softwareadvice.com

FrontRunners constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Software Advice or its affiliates.

SOURCE Polaris

Related Links

https://www.replicon.com/polaris-psa/


SAN JOSE, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fourth Wave Energy, Inc. (OTCQB: FWAV) ("Fourth Wave" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that GeoSolar Technologies ("GST") has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the spin-off of GST from Fourth Wave. Following the spin-off, GST and Fourth Wave will be two separate and independent public companies.

As part of the spin-off agreement with Fourth Wave, GST received all commercial rights to the GeoSolar Plus technology and patents in exchange for the issuance of approximately one share of GST common stock for each outstanding common share of Fourth Wave.

The GeoSolar Plus ("GSP") system is designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in residences and commercial buildings, while improving indoor air quality by improving the building envelope, reducing energy loads, and generating on-site renewable solar energy. The GSP system is comprised of a number of system components including solar/PV and geothermal and produces more clean energy than it produces with no carbon.

The date for determining which shareholders of Fourth Wave will receive shares of GST in the spin-off will be determined shortly before the effective date of GST's registration statement. The shares of GST common stock will be issued to the Fourth Wave shareholders shortly after GST's registration statement is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Fourth Wave shareholders will continue to retain their shares in Fourth Wave.

This Press Release is not an offer of any securities of GST and GST is not soliciting offers to acquire any securities of GST. The shares of GST's common stock have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exception from registration requirements.

The registration statement of GeoSolar Technologies can be viewed on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Investor Contact:

Fourth Wave Energy

Phone: +1 (0)408-213-8874

www.fourthwaveenergy.com

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Fourth Wave Energy, Inc.
Nearly 80,000 acres Under One Fence - Historic "Prize of the Panhandle" is legacy of Coble/Whittenburg empire. Known for natural resources and site of Battles of Adobe Walls of 1864 and 1874. Decision to sell comes after twelve decades of stewardship. Icon Global Group to market.

DALLAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Turkey Track Ranch was pioneered in the era of legendary WT Waggoner, 6666 and Goodnight Ranches. Boasting almost 80,000 acres under one fence and some 26 miles of Canadian River frontage, the ranch is a rare confluence of natural resources; containing an abundance of water, productive fertile grasslands, and diverse wildlife -set within rolling and rugged topography of mesas, draws, valleys and vistas interposed with open rangeland -epitomizing the western ranch lifestyle and famed fertile buffalo plains of yesteryear.

For the first time in over a century, this rare combination of history, heritage, and natural resources will change hands. The momentous decision was announced today by the Whittenburg and Coble families:

"It is with careful consideration and great emotion that we announce that, after 120 years of stewardship by our family, we have decided to sell our historic Turkey Track Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. For over a century this American landmark has been an integral element of our heritage. Generations of Cobles and Whittenburgs have created lifetimes of memories on the Turkey Track. Due to our family's increasing numbers and geographical distances, we recognize that it is time to find a new steward for this historic holding. We have enlisted Bernard Uechtritz of the Icon Global Group in Dallas to bring the Turkey Track to market in the latter half of 2021. The ranch has and will forever hold not only the monuments, memories, and legacies of our now multigenerational families but, significantly, maintains a very important place within the well-chronicled chapters of early Texas and US history; similarly, the ranch and its past stewards hold a prideful and acknowledged position of contributions to the evolution of modern-day ranching and cattle raising industries, as well as the Oil & Gas sectors of our great state." - The Coble & Whittenburg Family.-

About Turkey Track Ranch

WT (Tom) Coble and later James (Jimmie) A. Whittenburg III, were two of the stewards. Each was a past president of The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Each considered a visionary as well as community and business leaders.

Tom Coble was a contemporary of Dan and Tom Waggoner of the Waggoner Ranch, Samuel "Burk" Burnett of the Four Sixes Ranch, and Charles Goodnight of the JA and Goodnight Ranch. Coble recognized the infinite resources of the Southern Great Plains. Like Waggoner, Burnett, and Goodnight, he created a cattle kingdom that was sustained by thousands of acres of grass.

Later, Whittenburg was the larger-than-life Texas Icon and entrepreneurial modern-day rancher who led the management of the Turkey Track for several decades. An early trendsetter of flying between properties and business interests, he operated several significant ranching interests in Texas and New Mexico, along with other business interests which included Aviation, Oil & Gas, Banking, Cattle Feed Yards; he was also a Special Texas Ranger.

A winner of the Cattlemen's Beef Association Environmental Stewardship award in 2016, the Turkey Track is also held in high esteem by industry . Pete Bonds, then president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said, "Turkey Track has an outstanding record for their environmental stewardship practices, water management programs and excellent grass diversity."

Eric O'Keefe -Editor, The Land Report stated "The Turkey Track clearly qualifies as the last of the great legacy ranches of the Southern Plains. Given its superior natural resources, especially its Canadian River frontage I have no doubt that its sale price will set a new standard for the Panhandle."

The property is also the site of the two famed battles of the Adobe Walls of 1864 and 1874, and this hallowed ground just north of the Canadian River  is revered by descendants of all combatants. In June of 1924, a six-acre site was given to the Panhandle Plains Historical Society commemorating that month the 50th anniversary of the second battle of the Adobe Walls. In 1941 a monument dedicated to the Native Americans who fought and died in the Battle of 1874 was also erected. Both Monuments stand within the ranch today.

The Broker

Icon Global's Bernard Uechtritz stated, "I have had the privilege of marketing many great ranches, and this is one of the greatest. It sets a high bar in terms of value and is incomparable among its peers. This ranch is not famous for being famous, but for being private. It has never been marketed or commercialized as a brand, nor has it been controversial. It is simply revered and respected for being good, diverse, stout, and solid. It is both beautiful and productive and has been well managed at every level, evidenced by its cattle carrying capacity and abundance of wildlife. Its natural resources and position in history are unparalleled by anything recently sold or on the market and it's truly a One of One. It is without question not only the 'Prize of the Panhandle', but one of the last and great dynastic, legacy ranches of its kind." "I expect interest in this ranch to be significant as we formally go to market," he added.

Contact:

Please call (214) 855.4000 for photos, credits, interviews, and further information

[email protected]

SOURCE Icon Global Group
LAS VEGAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's " Glaucoma Market " report provides a thorough comprehension of the Glaucoma, historical and forecasted epidemiology, and the Glaucoma market trends in the 7MM [the United States, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) and Japan]. The Glaucoma market report also proffers an analysis of the current Glaucoma treatment algorithm/practice, market drivers, market barriers, and unmet medical needs.

Some of the imperative takeaways of the Glaucoma Market Research Report

The approved therapies for Glaucoma include Rocklatan, Rhopressa, Xelpros, EYBELIS Ophthalmic Solution, VYZULTA, TAPCOM/DE-111, GLANATEC, Simbrinza, ZIOPTAN, DuoTrav, TRAVATAN Z, LUMIGAN, Durysta, AILAMIDE, and Aibeta .

. Various pharmaceutical companies such as Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC), Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V., Perrigo Company, Santen Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Nicox Ophthalmics, Sylentis, Envisia Therapeutics, Ocuphire Pharma, Kowa Company, D.Western Therapeutics Institute, Peregrine Ophthalmic , and others have started working towards the development of novel products for this indication.

, and others have started working towards the development of novel products for this indication. The Glaucoma pipeline possesses potential drugs such as PDP-716, PRO-122, Brinzolamide Ophthalmic Suspension 1%, DE-130A (Catioprost), Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054), NCX 470, Bamosiran (SYL040012), ENV515 (Travoprost XR), Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate), Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232), POLAT-001, and others. Some of these products have completed the late clinical stages of development, while others are in ongoing late clinical development stages.

and others. Some of these products have completed the late clinical stages of development, while others are in ongoing late clinical development stages. Among the recently approved therapies, Rocklatan (Aerie Pharma) acquired the highest share in the market in 2019. Another product, by Aerie Pharma, namely Rhopressa, attained the second position, in terms of revenue generation, in its launch year (2018).

acquired the highest share in the market in 2019. Another product, by Aerie Pharma, namely Rhopressa, attained the second position, in terms of revenue generation, in its launch year (2018). Two potential emerging candidates are expected to enter the EU-5 therapeutic market in 2023 and 2025, respectively, namely DE-117 (Santen Pharmaceutical) and NCX 470 (Nicox Ophthalmics).

and respectively, namely and DURYSTA/bimatoprost implant, developed by Allergan, which was recently launched in March 2020 in the US, is the first implant to be approved to treat Glaucoma.

For further information on Market Impact by Therapies, visit: Glaucoma Drug Market Analysis

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye's optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of the eye. That extra fluid raises the pressure in the eye, damaging the optic nerve. There are two major types of Glaucoma- Primary open-angle Glaucoma (POAG) and Angle-closure/Glaucoma closed-angle Glaucoma/narrow-angle Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. As per DelveInsight's estimates, the total diagnosed Glaucoma prevalent population in the 7MM was estimated as 10,104,188 cases in 2020, which is expected to increase in the forecast period (2021-2030). A higher percentage of diagnosed Glaucoma prevalence was observed for females than males in all the 7MM countries.

The Glaucoma Market Report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiological analysis segmented into:

Total Diagnosed Glaucoma Prevalence

Type-specific Diagnosed Prevalent Population of Glaucoma

Age-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Glaucoma

Gender-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Glaucoma

Type-specific Diagnosed Prevalence of Open-Angle Glaucoma

Get a complete epidemiological segmentation @ Glaucoma Epidemiological Analysis

Glaucoma Therapeutics Market

Prostaglandin analogues, Beta-blockers, Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, Miotics, Alpha-2-selective adrenergic agonists, and other treatment regimens remain the mainstay of the Glaucoma therapeutic market. Prostaglandin analogues in the 7MM countries occupy the majority of the current Glaucoma market. However, the medical treatment of Glaucoma has associated side effects, complications, and costs. These treatments have not benefited all patients.

Before the entry of prostaglandins into the Glaucoma market, Beta-blockers were quite famous and popular for the management of Glaucoma. Ocular hypotensive agents other than beta-blockers, such as the alpha2 agonist brimonidine, maybe a more appropriate first-line therapy for ocular hypertension and Glaucoma patients concurrently taking systemic beta-blockers.

Besides the pharmacological treatment measurements, incisional surgery, laser surgery, and supportive medication are also preferred.

A wide variety of topical effective antilaucoma drugs are available today, and a few others in the development stage, represent a significant advancement in ocular therapeutics. Though these topical ophthalmic preparations have reduced the risk of systemic toxicity to quite an extent, their long-term use causes systemic as well as ocular toxicity. Ideal drug candidates for Glaucoma therapy will offer better intraocular pressure (IOP), lower efficacy with fewer side effects, and provide additional means of vision sparing through the direct protection of the optic nerve. Despite new advances and techniques, it is observed that there is medically uncontrolled intraocular pressure. The ideal medication for this is not yet available.

Research on more advanced antiglaucoma medications continues and promises new directions to appear to be the Rho-kinase inhibitors. Several pharmaceutical companies have taken the initiative to develop such drugs. Aerie pharmaceutical is one of the established companies, which is rigorously working towards developing the potent drug candidate. Two of its lead candidates (Rhopressa and Rocklatan) are approved for the management of Glaucoma and results of Phase III clinical trials of both of its product has shown better safety and efficacy.

Since glaucoma is one of the significant causes of blindness, there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the pharmacology of the disease, causing the Glaucoma pharmaceutical market to evolve. In the past few years, many drugs have been approved for glaucoma or open-angle glaucoma. Apart from that, numerous pipeline products are under development for Glaucoma. Products such as Vyzulta, Rhopressa/Rhokiinsa, Rocklatan/Roclanda, Xelpros, and DURYSTA (bimatoprost implant) are some of the potential latest approved products. Vyzulta, Rhopressa/Rhokiinsa, and Rocklatan/Roclanda are all ophthalmic solutions, whereas DURYSTA is the first dissolvable implant approved for glaucoma. The therapies with a novel mechanism of action are expected to enter the Glaucoma market. With their estimated approval, the market is expected to increase.

Glaucoma Emerging Therapies Along with Key Players

PDP-716: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC)

PRO-122: Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V.

DE-130A (Catioprost): Santen Pharmaceutical

Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054): Santen Inc./Ono Pharmaceutical

NCX 470: Nicox Ophthalmics

Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate): Ocuphire Pharma

Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232): Kowa Company/D.Western Therapeutics Institute

And several others.

Scope of the Glaucoma Market Insight Report

Geography Covered: The United States , EU5 ( Germany , France , Italy , Spain , and the United Kingdom ), and Japan.

, EU5 ( , , , , and the ), and Japan. Study Period: 3-year historical and 10-year forecasted analysis (2018-2030).

Glaucoma Markets Segmentation: By Geographies and By Glaucoma Therapies (Historical and Forecasted, Current and Upcoming)

Dominant Market Companies investigating its candidates for Glaucoma: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC), Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V., Perrigo Company, Santen Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Nicox Ophthalmics, Sylentis, Envisia Therapeutics, Ocuphire Pharma, Kowa Company, D.Western Therapeutics Institute, Peregrine Ophthalmic, and several others.

Analysis: Comparative and conjoint analysis of emerging therapies.

Case Studies

KOL's Views

Analyst's View

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Table of Contents

1 Glaucoma Key Insights 2 Glaucoma Report Introduction 3 Glaucoma Market Overview at a Glance 4 Executive Summary of Glaucoma 5 Glaucoma Disease Background and Overview 6 Treatment Algorithm for Open-Angle Glaucoma 7 Treatment for Glaucoma 8 Glaucoma Epidemiology and Patient Population 8.1 The United States 8.2 EU5 Countries 8.2.1 Germany 8.2.2 France 8.2.3 Italy 8.2.4 Spain 8.2.5 The United Kingdom 8.3 Japan 9 Organizations contributing towards Open-Angle Glaucoma (OAG) 10 Glaucoma Patient Journey 11 Case Reports 12 Glaucoma Marketed Drugs 12.1 Rocklatan: Aerie Pharmaceuticals 12.2 Rhopressa: Aerie Pharmaceuticals 12.3 Xelpros (latanoprost ophthalmic emulsion) 0.005%: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited 12.4 Eybelis Ophthalmic Solution 0.002% (DE-117, Omidenepag isopropyl): Santen Pharmaceutical/Ube Industries 12.5 Vyzulta: Bausch and Lomb 12.6 Tapcom/DE-111 (Tafluprost/timolol maleate): Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 12.7 Glanatec: D.Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI)/Kowa LTD. 12.8 Simbrinza (brinzolamide/brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic suspension) 1%/0.2%: Alcon Research 12.9 Zioptan (tafluprost): Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. 12.10 DuoTrav PQ (travoprost/timolol): Novartis/Alcon Research 12.11 Travatan Z (travoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.004%: Alcon Research, a Novartis company 12.12 Lumigan 0.01% (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution): Allergan 12.13 Durysta (Bimatoprost SR): Allergan 12.14 AILAMIDE: Senju Pharmaceuticals 12.15 Aibeta: Senju Pharmaceuticals 13 Glaucoma Emerging Therapies 13.1 PDP-716: Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Limited (SPARC) 13.2 PRO-122: Laboratorios Sophia S.A de C.V. 13.3 Brinzolamide Ophthalmic Suspension 1%: Perrigo Company 13.4 DE-130A (Catioprost): Santen Pharmaceutical 13.5 Sepetaprost (DE-126/ONO-9054): Santen Inc./Ono Pharmaceutical 13.6 NCX 470: Nicox Ophthalmics 13.7 Bamosiran (SYL040012): Sylentis 13.8 ENV515 (Travoprost XR): Envisia Therapeutics 13.9 Nyxol (Phentolamine Mesylate): Ocuphire Pharma 13.10 Ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate/Brimonidine tartrate (K-232): Kowa Company/D.Western Therapeutics Institute 13.11 POLAT-001: Peregrine Ophthalmic 14 7MM Glaucoma Market Analysis 14.1 The United States Glaucoma Market Size 14.2 EU-5 Glaucoma Market Size 14.2.1 Germany Market Size 14.2.2 France Market Size 14.2.3 Italy Market Size 14.2.4 Spain Market Size 14.2.5 The United Kingdom Market Size 14.3 Japan Glaucoma Market Size 15 KOL Views 16 Glaucoma Market Drivers 17 Glaucoma Market Barriers 18 Glaucoma SWOT Analysis 19 Unmet Needs 20 Reimbursement 21 DelveInsight Capabilities 22 Disclaimer 23 About DelveInsight

Browse full report with detailed TOC with charts, figures, tables @ Glaucoma Market Share Report

View Related Reports

DelveInsight's Glaucoma - Epidemiology Forecast 2030 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical, and forecasted epidemiology of Glaucoma in the United States, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), and Japan.

Glaucoma Pipeline Insights, 2021 report by DelveInsight outlays comprehensive insights of present clinical development scenario and growth prospects across the Glaucoma market.

DelveInsight's Open-Angle Glaucoma - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast - 2030 report provides a detailed overview of the disease and a depth understanding of historical and forecasted epidemiology. The companies involved in Open-Angle Glaucoma Market are Allergan, Laboratorios Sophia, Nicox Ophthalmics, and many others.

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) Market Research Report presents a detailed analysis of the market listing Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Epidemiology, Drug therapies, and pipeline for the disease.

Glaucoma Drainage Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast-2025 report delivers an in-depth understanding of Glaucoma Drainage Devices.

Open-Angle Glaucoma Global API Manufacturers, Marketed and Phase III Drugs Landscape, 2020 " report by DelveInsight offers comprehensive insights on marketed and Phase III products for Open-Angle Glaucoma.

About DelveInsight

DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant, and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. It also provides Business Consulting Services with a credible market analysis that will help accelerate the business growth and overcome challenges with a practical approach.

Contact Us:

Shruti Thakur

[email protected]

+1(919)321-6187

www.delveinsight.com

SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP
CLEVELAND, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- World demand for architectural paint is forecast to advance 2.5% per year through 2024 to 33.8 million metric tons:

The US is one of the world's most intensive consumers of architectural paint; consequently, trends in the country's construction sector have a substantial impact on the global paint market.

The most rapid gains in architectural paint demand will continue to occur among the world's emerging markets, most prominently in Asia . Healthy expansion is projected for the massive Chinese and Indian markets due in part to growth in the residential repaint and remodel market.

Global Architectural Paint is now available from the Freedonia Group.

Water-based paints have largely penetrated the global architectural paint market, representing 77% of total demand in 2019. Water-based paints account for the larger share of demand in developed regions due to:

strict VOC regulations

technological advances that enable water-based paints to match or exceed the performance of solvent-based types in most applications

large DIY markets that prefer water-based paints for their low odor and ease of use

However, even in developing regions where regulations are not as strict, water-based paints still account for the vast majority of demand for architectural paint, usually reflecting the presence of major Western-based paint companies. Market leading firms often offer low-VOC products worldwide. For example, water-based paints account for over three-quarters of architectural paint demand in China, Brazil, and Turkey.

About the Freedonia Group - The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com, is the premier international industrial research company, providing our clients with product analyses, market forecasts, industry trends, and market share information. From one-person consulting firms to global conglomerates, our analysts provide companies with unbiased, reliable industry market research and analysis to help them make important business decisions. With over 100 studies published annually, we support over 90% of the industrial Fortune 500 companies. Find off-the-shelf studies at https://www.freedoniagroup.com/ or contact us for custom research: +1 440.842.2400.

Press Contact:

Corinne Gangloff

+1 440.842.2400

[email protected]

SOURCE The Freedonia Group

Related Links

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The projects comprise 24 granted mining, prospecting, exploration and miscellaneous licences covering around 180 square kilometres strategically located near the companys Boorara gold asset.

The acquisition includes the Cannon gold mine open pit, 10 kilometres east of Boorara with established underground reserves.

( ) has executed a binding tenement sale agreement with private mining company Aurenne Group Holdings to acquire 100% of the Bulong South, Glandore and Cowarna gold projects in Western Australia for total cash consideration of A$5 million.

The Bulong South project contains the development-ready high-grade Cannon Gold Project which joins the baseload Boorara project, Rose Hill, Binduli, Teal and Kalpini satellite deposits as core development projects under evaluation to underpin the proposed construction of a standalone processing plant at Boorara.

Glandore sits 4 kilometres to the east of Bulong South and 14 kilometres east of Boorara and has multiple advanced open pit and underground exploration targets with historic drilling results awaiting follow up.

Cowarna project covers 138 square kilometres and sits immediately east of the emerging Mt Belches Gold Project within Silver Lake Resource Limiteds ( ) (OTCMKTS:SVLKF) (FRA:4SL) Mt Monger gold operation with walk-up drill targets within the orogenic banded iron formation units to the southeast.

Shares have been up to 31% higher intra-day to 15 cents.

Complementary development assets

Horizon managing director Jon Price said: Horizons core focus remains firmly set on developing a standalone gold production business in the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie regions and this significant acquisition aligns with our strategy of further regional consolidation of advanced, complementary development assets in close proximity of the proposed Boorara Mill.

The Cannon underground gold project presents a high-grade near-term development opportunity that will now be incorporated into the consolidated feasibility study and can provide high-grade ore feed in the early years to complement the baseload Boorara deposit and the four advanced open pit and underground satellite projects currently under evaluation.

We also see the potential for significant resource growth and exploration upside from the Bulong South, Glandore and exciting Cowarna project areas with multiple walk-up drill targets on major geological structures.

Drill planning is now underway, and we look forward to providing further updates as we complete the transaction, update mine development studies and commence exploration drilling.

Bulong South and Cannon Gold Mine

Bulong South comprises three granted mining leases, two prospecting licences, two exploration licences and four miscellaneous leases covering a total area of around 180 square kilometres and also includes a significant number of historic mines and workings within the rich quartz vein system.

Notably, the Cannon underground deposit with an established mineral resource of 142,000 tonnes grading 5.17 g/t gold for 24,000 ounces with mineralisation open at depth and to the north and south along the Cannon shear zone.

Previous feasibility work completed in 2019 delivered a maiden ore reserve of 117,000 tonnes grading 5.31 g/t gold for 20,000 ounces for the Cannon deposit and positive economic results at a A$1,750/ounce gold price for a decline development from the base of the open pit via contract mining and toll milling.

Horizons Project area locations, resources and surrounding infrastructure with the new acquisitions shown in orange.

Acquisition terms

The projects are being acquired for a total cash consideration of A$5 million on the following terms:

A$2.5 million in cash at settlement funded from existing cash reserves; and

A$2.5 million in cash on the earlier of 12 months from settlement or first gold production from the Cannon underground gold mine.

Conditions precedent to settlement include:

Consent of the Minister required under the Mining Act for the transfer of the tenements having been obtained;

Establishment of a mortgage deed over the project as security for the deferred payment; and

The execution of any third-party agreements required.

The provision of all mining information Settlement of the transaction is expected in the current June quarter of 2021.

Looking forward

The company is confident there is significant exploration potential at all project areas with target review and drill planning now underway and drilling to commence in the September quarter of 2021.

Multiple exploration drill targets have been identified within the greater Bulong South and Glandore areas with drill planning underway for the Pinner, Monument, Lavaeolus, Central zone and Doughnut Jimmy prospects.

In addition, Cannon will now join Boorara, Rose Hill, Binduli, Kalpini and Teal as core projects under evaluation as part of the consolidated feasibility study due for completion in the December quarter of 2021.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian Life) announces a new absence management offering, Guardian Absence Solutions, for companies seeking to simplify their employee leave programs. The new solution provides a guided, comprehensive absence management experience that supports optimal return-to-work outcomes for employees, while addressing the growing complexity and compliance challenges employers face around managing employee leave.

According to Guardian's Absence Management Study, more than eight in ten employers (82%) report keeping up with changes to federal and state leave laws is a challenge, and 8 in 10 employers say COVID-19 raised senior leadership awareness of the importance of effective absence management.

With well-being and improving workforce absenteeism top of mind, employers have access to an all-in-one, integrated solution that leverages Guardian's 60-year experience in disability and employee leave to effectively manage short- and long-term disability, state and federal leaves as well as company paid and unpaid leaves. The solution will be powered by a digital ecosystem that will be fast and simple for the employer and employee.

"At the heart of Guardian Absence Solutions is our focus on employee well-being, while providing employers the expert support needed to get employees back to work in a safe and timely manner via a digital-first solution that will ease the administrative burden of managing multiple types of employee leave," said Chris Smith, Head of Group Benefits, Guardian Life. "Our research shows that companies who outsource their employee leave programs report better outcomes, such as an increase in return-to-work rates, improved regulatory compliance and reduced costs."

With the increasing complexity of managing multiple types of employee leave, more employers are seeking to centralize and streamline administration. Our findings confirmed that employers are outsourcing their short-term disability and Family Medical & Leave Act (FMLA) administration, at a much higher rate  more than double since 2012. This new program aims to simplify administration by including integrated intake, a unified claims portal, consolidated billing and continuous monitoring of leave regulations to help ensure federal and state compliance.

Guardian Life Partners with EIS to Accelerate its Digital Capabilities

To create a seamless and positive digital employee experience, Guardian Life has partnered with EIS, an insurance software company with an API, cloud-native product platform, to bring advanced capabilities to the market, while integrating EIS' software with Guardian Life's absence management platform. The new digital platform will modernize the leave experience with a customized interface that includes mobile and digital omnichannel communication capabilities. This latest effort further advances the company's evolution to create digital-first customer experiences.

Our study, which has been monitoring leave trends since 2012, shows the use of technology in leave administration has dramatically increased since 2016 with the pandemic further accelerating this trend. For example, 4 in 5 organizations prefer a single intake portal for employees to report all absence types. As for employees, they want to submit claims electronically, use text and chat during a claim and leverage self-service platforms to upload documents.

To learn more about Guardian Absence Solutions, click here. For those interested in learning how to enhance the employee leave experience, Guardian Life is hosting a webinar titled "Improving Employee Leave" on Wednesday, May 26 from 12- 1 pm ET  click to register here.

About Guardian

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of over 9,000 employees and our network of over 2,500 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2020 included $9.5 billion in capital and $1.7 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

For media inquiries, contact:

Brenda Mendoza

Guardian Life

[email protected]

Unless otherwise noted, the source of all information is from the 2021 Guardian Absence Management Activity Index & Study.

Copyright 2021 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. GUARDIAN is a registered trademark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America  Guardian Absence SolutionsSM is a service mark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

SOURCE Guardian

Related Links

www.guardianlife.com


LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The CEO and founder of DanCann Pharma A/S, Jeppe Krog Rasmussen, has been named in this year's Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards. He was the outright winner in his category - 'Most innovative CEO in Europe's Pharmaceuticals Industry.

The awards seek to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe from a variety of different sectors. Unlike many other business awards that focus on the overall success of a company, here the spotlight is on the success of individuals who make the corporations tick namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors and senior-level management. The intention is to give a worthy individual the recognition they deserve, whilst using their example to inspire other companies and business leaders to achieve similar success.

Jeppe Krog Rasmussen combines a relentless passion for making the world better with the courage to seek out problems, leading DanCann Pharma A/S to redefine how the world views cannabis driven medicine. As an inspirational leader, he is set on improving the lives of millions of people around the globe.

Over the past decade, the prevalence of cannabis as a medical treatment has been growing the world over. The number of products available is growing rapidly, as is the availability and there is growing support from the medical industry and patients. This is leading to forecasts that the European cannabis market alone will be worth over 115 billion by 2028.

DanCann Pharma A/S was recently listed on the Spotlight Stock Market (Copenhagen and Stockholm) and their IPO was heavily oversubscribed - over four times in the public aspect. Jeppe is much younger than many CEOs of stock listed companies, but he argues that age is irrelevant when it comes to inspiring others.

Speaking to Business Worldwide Magazine, he said, "There are those who would argue that a CEO has to have decades of experience working in organisations and a range of academic qualifications to be taken seriously, but for me, a leader is there to inspire, to motivate and to challenge everyone in the organisation to be hungry for improvement.

I believe that whilst there can be great value in education, school and college, these should go hand in hand with trusting one's own instinct, having a relentless drive to learn and following your passions."

Jeppe was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at five years old, giving him first-hand experience of the pharmaceutical industry from a patient point of view for 20 years now. Being on this side of the industry has enabled Jeppe to take a patient centred approach, developing DanCann Pharma as a company that truly puts results and the customer experience first.

The company embraces technology to ensure that it's always finding effective, efficient and reliable production methods to produce the highest grade products. Jeppe and his team have leveraged the potential of artificial intelligence, combining it with best practices to create a production process that consistently and safely delivers the highest quality products for the patient.

For further information about DanCann visit https://www.dancann.com/

An article on the company can be found on the BWM website: https://www.bwmonline.com/2021/05/09/challenging-the-status-quo-with-patient-inspired-medical-cannabis-health-treatments/

To find out more about the Business Worldwide Magazine Awards, visit https://www.bwmonline.com/awards/

About Business Worldwide Magazine



Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence throughout the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal enables an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and changes in legislation. This readership includes of CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies to name a few.

Contact

David Jones

Awards Department

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine
Anti-Asian violence during COVID-19 has surged exponentially. Nationally, there were 3,800 reports of anti-Asian incidents from March 2020 to February 2021. 1 New York City has tracked an estimated 1,100 incidents, and underreporting 2 makes that likely to be only a tenth of the real figure.

"It is a very difficult time for the Asian American community, which is being subjected to a renewed wave of hate speech and hate crimes that are particularly targeted at elderly and vulnerable people," said Pat Wang, President and Chief Executive Officer at Healthfirst. "The Asian American Federation's Hope Against Hate campaign is an important initiative that we are proud to support because it will help ensure that Asian New Yorkers feel safer in their communities and that victims of assault receive the help they need."

Funding supplied by Healthfirst's foundation will help to support key components of the Hope Against Hate campaign, including:

Centralized reporting , including an in-language reporting tool to connect victims to the services they need

, including an in-language reporting tool to connect victims to the services they need Establishing a safety ambassador program that trains volunteers in de-escalation, self-defense, and mental health first aid, and that provides an escort for vulnerable community members when needed, in partnership with Asian and other community-based organizations

that trains volunteers in de-escalation, self-defense, and mental health first aid, and that provides an escort for vulnerable community members when needed, in partnership with Asian and other community-based organizations Creating safe zones in communities throughout NYC at houses of worship and other locations which will display an identifiable poster; staff will be trained to connect to needed services

throughout NYC at houses of worship and other locations which will display an identifiable poster; staff will be trained to connect to needed services Setting up in-language victim support services such as an assistance fund for victims for assault-related expenses and culturally competent mental health support

such as an assistance fund for victims for assault-related expenses and culturally competent mental health support Provide Upstander, verbal de-escalation and physical self-defense training in multiple languages

Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of the Asian American Federation, said, "We are incredibly grateful to receive support from Healthfirst in our fight to ensure safety for all New Yorkers. Our Hope Against Hate campaign aims to end the cycle of horrific attack after horrific attack on the Asian community by taking concrete steps to centralize reporting, create safe zones in our communities to promote a culture of neighborly care, and provide training in de-escalating threatening situations. Because of Healthfirst's investment in our future, AAF can make sure Asian Americansdoctors and nurses, teachers and small-business owners, grocery workers and food delivery peopleall feel safe in the city they call home."

About the Hope Against Hate Campaign

For the past year, the Asian American Federation has been at the forefront of empowering Asian communities against violent anti-Asian attacks. Between February 2020 and February 2021 there were more than 1,100 attacks on Asian New Yorkers, leaving seniors terrified to leave their homes, and 70% of families deciding to not send their kids back to school. In response to the terrible trauma of the Atlanta killings and the continuing racist violence, AAF launched the Hope Against Hate campaign to bring immediate safety to Asian New Yorkers. The campaign is raising funds to deploy safety ambassadors, establish neighborhood safe zones, develop an app to report incidents, and provide mental health and victim support services in multiple languages.

About Healthfirst

Healthfirst is the largest not-for-profit health insurer in New York State, earning the trust of nearly 1.7 million members by ensuring access to affordable and high-quality healthcare. Sponsored by downstate New York's leading hospital systems, Healthfirst's unique advantage is rooted in its mission to put members first by partnering closely with its broad network of providers on shared goals. Healthfirst is also a pioneer of the value-based care model, now recognized as a national best practice. For nearly 30 years, Healthfirst has worked with its partners to improve health outcomes through better access to careespecially in underserved communities adversely impacted by disease, health disparities, and socioeconomic barriers to optimal health. Healthfirst has built its reputation in the community for top-quality products and services New Yorkers can depend on. It offers market-leading products to fit every life stage, including Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, Long-Term Care plans, Qualified Health plans, Essential Plans, and individual and small group plans. Healthfirst serves members in New York City and on Long Island, as well as in Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, and Orange counties. For more information on Healthfirst, please visit healthfirst.org.

About the Asian American Federation

Established in 1989, the Asian American Federation (AAF) is one of the strongest leadership voices advocating for better policies, services, and funding that lead to more justice and opportunity for Asian immigrants, one of New York City's poorest and most underserved communities. AAF's mission is to raise the influence and well-being of the pan-Asian American community through research, policy advocacy, public awareness, and nonprofit support. In partnership with 70 pan-Asian member and partner organizations, AAF represents the collective interests of 1.3 million Asian New Yorkers. Through its advocacy and programs, AAF ensures that the pan-Asian community remains visible, their needs are addressed, their contributions are valued, and their stories are told.

1 Stop AAPI Hate

2 NYPD

Contact:

Elise Titan

[email protected]

917-753-0973

SOURCE Healthfirst

Related Links

https://healthfirst.org/


NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ever-growing chasm between supply and demand in the prime property sector will be the focus of an upcoming live webinar, hosted exclusively by Luxury Portfolio International (LPI).

"Luxury Hour: Winning Listings as Luxury Home Inventory Tightens" will take place Wednesday, May 19, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. The public is invited to view the in-depth panel, which will pull together a trio of the nation's top experts in real estate.

The virtual gathering is part of Luxury Portfolio International's monthly "Luxury Hour" web-based series, which will continue to explore the market's greatest drivers and most impactful trends. Luxury Portfolio International, which comprises more than 200 leading high-end real estate brokerages, is the luxury marketing division of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

"Since the pandemic took hold, the record-setting pace of high-end home sales, coupled with dwindling inventory, has become a hot-button topic for agents, developers, and high-net-worth individuals alike," said Mickey Alam Khan, President of Luxury Portfolio International. "It's important that we explore what the implications are for our industry, as well as how best to address the crisis in the short time ahead, thereby emerging from it successfully."

"I look forward to what will undoubtedly be a thought-provoking conversation between an assemblage of industry greats," added Alam Khan, who will moderate the special event from his headquarters in Manhattan.

The keynote speakers are:

Lawrence Yun , chief economist and senior vice president of research, National Association of Realtors

, chief economist and senior vice president of research, National Association of Realtors Marci Rossell , chief economist, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

, chief economist, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Michael LaFido , founder/CEO, Marketing Luxury Group and Luxury Listing Specialist (LUXE)

, founder/CEO, Marketing Luxury Group and Luxury Listing Specialist (LUXE) Kristine Burdick , President Midwest, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Topics slated for discussion include:

How serious is the luxury home inventory crisis and how soon will it exacerbate from an already tight situation?

What is the outlook for the rest of the year and early 2022?

Is this inventory crunch comparable to any period in the past and how was that issue overcome by brokers and agents?

How should brokers and agents prepare for what's to come this time?

What tools will agents need to win more listings amidst the scrum for business?

Best-practice tips for agents to stay highly competitive as the bull run in luxury property continues

To register for the event and for additional information, interested viewers can sign in here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4289363498774558224

Attendees will be able to request a copy of the deck once the presentation concludes.

ABOUT LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL (LPI)

LPI (luxuryportfolio.com) is the luxury marketing division of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the largest global network of premier locally branded firms dominated by many of the world's most powerful, independent luxury brands. LPI attracts a global audience of visitors from over 200 countries/territories every month and markets more than 50,000 luxury homes annually. Well Connected.

Contact: [email protected]

CONTACT:

Israel Kreps

Caroline Underwood

[email protected]

[email protected]

786.374.3434

Kreps DeMaria PR & Marketing

SOURCE Luxury Portfolio International

Related Links

luxuryportfolio.com


Investment round led by Novo Holdings, joined by a syndicate of international biotech investors

Proceeds will support advancement of Hummingbird's lead assets in clinical trials and building of its next-generation portfolio of precision therapeutics

Kenneth Harrison from Novo Ventures (an affiliate of Novo Holdings) and Dan Estes from Frazier Healthcare Partners to join Board of Directors

SINGAPORE, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hummingbird Bioscience, an innovative clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing precision therapies against hard-to-drug targets to improve treatment outcomes, today announced the close of its US$125 million Series C financing round. The financing was led by Novo Holdings, with significant participation from new investors including Frazier Healthcare Partners, Octagon Capital, EDBI, AMGEN Ventures, DROIA Ventures, Morningside Ventures, Pureos Bioventures, Polaris Partners, Affinity Asset Advisors, Ally Bridge Group and Altrium Capital Management. Existing investors including SK Inc, Heritas Capital, and Mirae Asset Venture Capital also joined the round.

"We are delighted to have the support and confidence of leading global healthcare investors to advance the development of our unique pipeline of precision therapies against important, yet hard-to-drug targets. We have made tremendous progress since closing our Series B in 2019 and this financing reflects strong support for our platform, people, and development strategy," said Piers Ingram, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Hummingbird Bioscience. "With our world-class team of researchers and proprietary technologies, Hummingbird is at the cutting-edge of scientific discovery. These new funds give us further resources to invest in our early stage pipeline, as well as supporting the clinical development of our two lead programs that we believe can deliver very meaningful benefit for patients."

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the clinical development of Hummingbird's lead assets including HMBD-001, a best-in-class HER3 antibody for NRG1-fusion and HER3-driven tumors, and HMBD-002, a first-in-class anti-VISTA neutralizing antibody for advanced solid tumors. The funds will also be used to expand the capabilities of Hummingbird's proprietary Rational Antibody Discovery platform and progress the development of its next-generation pipeline of precision therapeutics including HMBD-009, a BCMA-TACI dual-specific T cell engager.

"We are delighted to lead this financing in Hummingbird and pleased to have attracted a syndicate of sophisticated investors to enable the acceleration of the company's clinical development activities. We believe that Hummingbird's novel data-driven, systems biology approach brings new precision to the field of antibody drug discovery and development, and we are proud to support the team in realizing their vision," said Kenneth Harrison, Partner, Novo Ventures.

Kenneth Harrison along with Dan Estes, General Partner, Frazier Healthcare Partners, and Kiel Kim, Vice President, SK Inc., will join Hummingbird's board of directors.

"Hummingbird is at an exciting point, on the cusp of starting clinical studies for both HMBD-001 and HMBD-002. I look forward to working with the Hummingbird team in developing and building out its portfolio of drug candidates that have transformative potential for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases," said Dan Estes.

Kiel Kim said: "There is significant potential for novel antibody-based therapeutics and through Hummingbird's Rational Antibody Discovery platform, we can now discover high value antibodies for challenging targets. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Hummingbird to solve complex challenges in antibody development, and deliver highly differentiated therapies to patients in need."

About Hummingbird Bioscience

Hummingbird Bioscience is an innovative clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing precision therapies against hard-to-drug targets to improve treatment outcomes. We harness the latest advances in systems biology and data science to better understand and solve the underlying causes of disease and guide development of our therapeutics.

Enabled by our proprietary Rational Antibody Discovery platform, we discover and engineer precision therapies against optimal yet elusive epitopes that have not been successfully drugged, unlocking novel mechanisms of action. We are advancing a rich pipeline of first- and best-in-class precision therapies in oncology and autoimmunity, in collaboration with global partners in academia and industry.

Our highly experienced, multidisciplinary teams in Singapore and the US span antibody discovery, pharmacology, production, data science and clinical development. Together we aim to accelerate the journey of new drugs from concept to clinical care.

For more information, please visit www.hummingbirdbioscience.com, and follow Hummingbird on LinkedIn and Twitter (@hummingbirdbio).

Appendix

About Amgen Ventures

Established in 2004 as Amgen's corporate venture capital fund, Amgen Ventures identifies and invests in emerging companies and technologies to advance promising new medicines and solutions to healthcare's biggest challenges. Globally, Amgen Ventures has strategically invested in human therapeutics and drug discovery efforts that go beyond-the-molecule, such as digital health platforms, data analytics, and value-based approaches.

Learn more at www.amgenbd.com

About DROIA Ventures

Droia is a specialist biotech investor with an exclusive focus on therapeutics for oncology and genetic disease. Droia invests globally in newly founded or early-stage platform companies that apply novel science and innovative technologies to bring first-in-class drug candidates to patients. With our team of seasoned scientists, entrepreneurs and investment professionals we build great companies to save patient lives. More information at www.droiaventures.com.

About EDBI

Investing since 1991, EDBI is a Singapore-based global investor in select high growth technology sectors ranging from Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Emerging Technology (ET), Healthcare (HC) and promising Singapore SMEs in strategic industries. As a value creating investor, EDBI assists companies achieve their ambitious goals by leveraging our broad network, resources and expertise. With our growth capital, EDBI supports companies seeking to expand in Asia and globally through Singapore. For more information, visit https://www.edbi.com.

About Frazier Healthcare Partners

Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. With nearly $4.8 billion total capital raised (as of 2020), Frazier has invested in over 200 companies, with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to publicly traded companies and buyouts of profitable lower-middle market companies. The Frazier Life Sciences team invests primarily in private and publicly traded therapeutics-focused companies developing and commercializing innovative biopharmaceuticals that address important unmet medical needs and has seeded or created 24 biopharmaceutical companies since 2005. The Frazier Life Sciences team is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, and invests globally.



For more information about Frazier Healthcare Partners, visit the company's website at http://www.frazierhealthcare.com.



About Morningside Ventures

Morningside Ventures was founded in 1986 by the Chan Family of Hong Kong. Since its establishment, Morningside has been focusing on trends of the forefront life science and healthcare industries over the world, spreading its business scope and investment footprint over North America, Europe and Greater China. Morningside comprises a group of investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and profound experience in venture capital management. For more information, please visit http://www.morningside.com

About Novo Holdings

Novo Holdings is recognized as a world-leading life science investor with a focus on creating long-term value. As a life sciences investor, Novo Holdings provides seed and venture capital to development-stage companies and takes significant ownership positions in growth and well-established companies. Novo Holdings also manages a broad portfolio of diversified financial assets. For more information: https://www.novoholdings.dk/

Novo Ventures is a global team of investment professionals that supports Novo Holdings' investments in private and public opportunities in the life sciences industry. For more information: https://www.novoholdings.dk/investments/ventures/; https://www.novoholdings.dk/wp-content/uploads/Novo-Ventures-2020-in-review.pdf.

About Octagon Capital

Founded in 2019, Octagon Capital Advisors LP is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare companies, specifically in the United States and China. Octagon Capital strives to build concentrated, long-term investments and work with our portfolio management teams as partners. Octagon Capital manages capital on behalf of global institutions such as university endowments, non-profit foundations, family offices, pension funds and established asset managers.

About Polaris Partners

Polaris Partners has a 20-plus-year history of partnering with repeat entrepreneurs and world-class innovators who are improving the way we live and work. The multibillion-dollar firm manages specialty and diversified funds in healthcare and technology with investments across all stages. Polaris has offices in Boston, San Francisco, and New York. Learn more at polarispartners.com.

About Pureos Bioventures

Pureos Bioventures is a newly formed venture capital fund, advised by Bellevue Asset Management. Pureos invests exclusively in private innovative drug development companies, with a special emphasis on the next generation of biological drugs and drug formats. The fund's portfolio companies are built on scientific excellence to develop therapies across a broad indication spectrum including oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, rare diseases and neuroscience. With its dedicated and experienced team of venture capitalists, biotech entrepreneurs and drug developers, Pureos strives to impact patients' lives by advancing innovative treatments for severe diseases.

For more information visit www.pureosbio.com

About SK Inc.

Based in Seoul, South Korea, SK Inc. enhances its portfolio values by developing long-term strategies with globally competitive affiliates in energy and chemicals, ICT, semiconductor and materials, logistics and services, and bio and pharmaceuticals. As an investment-oriented holding company of SK Group, the company is focused on maximizing corporate value and building the foundation for sustainable growth by identifying and nurturing promising new businesses. For more information on SK Inc., please visit http://www.sk-inc.com/en/

SOURCE Hummingbird Bioscience

Related Links

http://www.hummingbirdbioscience.com


In this role, Mr. Hunt is responsible for implementing an enterprise-wide environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program for Hunt. In 2020, Hunt embarked on a mission to analyze, integrate and implement an enterprise-wide ESG program. Hunt's vision is to achieve continuous ESG improvement and remain a leader in corporate responsibility in the affordable housing, renewable energy, and solar energy construction sectors.

Mr. Hunt also manages Hunt Holdings LP, which acts as an incubator for new business opportunities that complement and advance the Company's real estate and infrastructure businesses. Since 2001, the Hunt portfolio has made commitments to over 45 venture capital funds and over 50 direct investments focusing on a range of markets and industries that include biotechnology, healthcare tech, financial tech, education tech, energy tech, IT hardware, SAAS, and innovative materials. Over $100 million in capital has been deployed towards this portfolio, and exits have come through M&A and IPOs.

Mr. Hunt joined Hunt in 2009 as a development manager in Hawaii. In this capacity, Mr. Hunt focused on leasing, building improvement projects, renewable energy projects, utility infrastructure improvements, and property management for a 500-acre property in Kalaeloa, Oahu. Mr. Hunt also spent three years working on the development of a 20 acre 5 MW solar field. The $30 million project went online in 2013 and is now one of Hawaii's largest solar fields. Mr. Hunt was also the lead development manager for a 42,000 square foot neighborhood retail center located in Kilauea, Kauai, which opened in 2018.

Mr. Hunt has a deep interest in sustainable development, renewable energy, and resource conservation. Mr. Hunt is Treasurer and Board Member of Western Resource Advocates, an environmental advocacy non-profit, and a Board Member of Aspen Pitkin County Employee Housing, Inc., an affordable housing non-profit. He is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and Urban Land Institute. He is also active with the Nature Conservancy, National Outdoor Leadership School, Roaring Fork Conservancy, and Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.

"We are pleased to formalize our commitment to sound environmental, social, and governance standards through this appointment," said Woody Hunt, Senior Chairman of the Board at Hunt. "We look forward to the insights and opportunities to adapt and evolve as we work to continue to create opportunities and value for all of our key stakeholders."

Matthew Hunt received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Colorado in Boulder and his MBA from the University of Denver with a concentration on finance and real estate development.

About Hunt Companies

Hunt, based in El Paso, Texas, is a diversified, family-owned holding company that invests in operating businesses, real estate assets and infrastructure assets. Since its founding in 1947, Hunt's size and scope have grown substantially while gaining considerable expertise across multiple real asset sectors. Hunt's reputation is built on integrity and performance. Hunt is committed to a culture of transparency for employees, clients, investors, and the communities it serves. Hunt and its affiliates employ more than 3,000 people across the United States and Europe. Learn more at www.huntcompanies.com.

SOURCE Hunt Companies, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.huntcompanies.com


"I'm so honored to be joining this team," Mike Betzer said. "Hypergiant's AI Applied AI solutions and platform are on a path that will continue to show huge growth in the years ahead. I couldn't be more humbled to be entrusted with driving the Hypergiant vision and mission forward. Ben and Mohammed have built an incredible team and set the stage for continued success."

Betzer left a position at Khoros where he served as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer - a role he took on following tenure as Chief Product Officer. Prior to Khoros, Betzer served as the SVP of Lithium Technologies and CEO of Humanify. He has held multiple CEO and C-suite roles throughout the past three decades at companies including Social Dynamx Inc, Convergys, and Siebel Systems. Betzer is an incredibly talented software executive who is known for building winning teams and scaling enterprise software startups.

"As Hypergiant enters this next phase of scale and explosive growth, it is critical for us to bring in additional world-class team members to help in this period of rapid scale. Mike is among the best enterprise software and SaaS entrepreneurs and leaders in the country and one of the few who can really help to guide our business to this next level of AI leadership. I could not be more excited to have him take on day to day operational oversight and focus on our long-term growth," shares Hypergiant Industries Founder, Ben Lamm.

Lamm will move to a position of Vice Chairman where he will continue to support the Hypergiant strategic vision and direction while also being able to take time to pursue what he considers the most pressing issues of our lifetime: AI for good, climate change, and the continued positive impact of technology both on the planet and on the human condition.

"As we take our much needed AI operations management system to a broader market, Mike Betzer's outstanding experience in building enterprise software offerings and scaling them with large clients provides Hypergiant with a leader that knows how to get it done in the enterprise," said Mohammed Farooq, Chairman, Global CTO of Hypergiant.

In addition to Betzer, Hypergiant's recent notable additions includes former IBM GM Mohammed Farooq as Chairman and Global Chief Technology Officer, former NetApp VP David Young as Chief Revenue Officer, and former IBM AI Architect Prasad Bandreddi as VP of Engineering. The executives are focused on growing Hypergiant's continued customer offerings including the upcoming release of Hyperdrive - a first of its kind solution to help improve the pace at which devOps teams can build and scale AI models.

The Hypergiant Hyperdrive AI platform is the industry's first enterprise AI operations management system that unifies devOps, modelOps, dataOps into a single management control panel that spans hybrid-multi cloud, 5g and IOT ecosystems. It democratizes enterprise AI development, operations and governance to drive agile self service collaboration between data scientists, ML engineers, data engineers, SRE'S for AI, business operators and C-Suite.

For Hypergiant's current clients, Hyperdrive has delivered exceptional acceleration of AI workloads to production (months to hours) while enabling data sharing, security and enrichment to improve performance of AI models and continuous business learning.

"This is a very promising time for the company," said Chairman and Global CTO Mohammed Farooq. "We are creating the technology and a business model that will allow companies to not only run truly digital first operations, but actual intelligent operations. This will improve how all business is conducted as we move into a new era of nimble, intelligence-driven digital businesses."

ABOUT HYPERGIANT

Hypergiant Industries is an enterprise AI company focused on developing world-changing technologies to solve the world's biggest problems in the areas of space, defense, and critical infrastructure. Hypergiant offers a suite of AI services, software, and solutions that support companies and governments in preparing for the future of AI.

www.hypergiant.com

SOURCE Hypergiant

Related Links

https://www.hypergiant.com


NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. ("iAnthus" or the "Company") (CSE: IAN) (OTC: ITHUF), which owns, operates, and partners with regulated cannabis operations across the United States, today reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which includes its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and the related management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, can be accessed on the Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") website at www.sec.gov, the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and on the Company's website at www.iAnthus.com. The Company became a U.S. reporting company effective February 5, 2021. As such, the Company's financial statements are reported in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). All currency is expressed in U.S. dollars.

First Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

Revenue of $51.8 million , up 70% from the same quarter in the prior year.

, up 70% from the same quarter in the prior year. Adjusted Gross Profit (4) of $32.6 million , up 111% from the same quarter in the prior year.

of , up 111% from the same quarter in the prior year. Adjusted Gross Margin (4) of 63%, up 12% from the same quarter in the prior year.

of 63%, up 12% from the same quarter in the prior year. Net loss of $19.5 million , or a loss of $0.11 per share, compared to a loss of $236.3 million , or a loss of $1.38 per share, in the same quarter in the prior year.

, or a loss of per share, compared to a loss of , or a loss of per share, in the same quarter in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA (4) of $13.0 million , up from ($6.8) million in the same quarter in the prior year. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. Reconciliation tables of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included below.

of , up from in the same quarter in the prior year. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. Reconciliation tables of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included below. Due to liquidity constraints experienced by the Company, the Company did not make applicable interest payments due on its 13% senior secured convertible debentures ("Secured Notes") and its 8% convertible unsecured debentures ("Unsecured Debentures") due during 2020. As previously disclosed, the non-payment of interest in March 2020 triggered an event of default with respect to these components of the Company's long-term debt, which, as of March 31, 2021 , consisted of principal amounts at face value of $97.5 million and $60.0 million , and accrued interest of $19.0 million and $6.0 million , on the Secured Notes and Unsecured Debentures, respectively. In addition, as a result of the default, as of March 31, 2021 , the Company has accrued additional fees and interest of $14.2 million ("Exit Fees") in excess of the aforementioned amounts that are further detailed in the Company's financial statements.

triggered an event of default with respect to these components of the Company's long-term debt, which, as of , consisted of principal amounts at face value of and , and accrued interest of and , on the Secured Notes and Unsecured Debentures, respectively. In addition, as a result of the default, as of , the Company has accrued additional fees and interest of ("Exit Fees") in excess of the aforementioned amounts that are further detailed in the Company's financial statements. As disclosed in the Company's filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the SEC, the Company entered into a restructuring support agreement dated July 10, 2020 (the "Restructuring Support Agreement") with the holders of its Secured Notes (the "Secured Lenders") and a majority of the holders of its Unsecured Debentures (the "Consenting Unsecured Debentureholders") to effectuate a proposed recapitalization transaction (the "Recapitalization Transaction") to be implemented by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement ("Plan of Arrangement") under the Business Corporations Act ( British Columbia ). If consummated, the Company intends to issue up to an aggregate of 6,072,579,699 common shares upon the extinguishment of (i) $22.5 million of Secured Notes (including the Exit Fees), (ii) $40.0 million of Unsecured Debentures, including interest accrued thereon, and (iii) interest accrued on the interim financing in the amount of $14.7 million provided by the Secured Lenders. The Recapitalization Transaction remains subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and approval by the Canadian Securities Exchange. The financial highlights herein do not give effect to the consummation of the Recapitalization Transaction.

Table 1: Q1 2021 Financial Results in thousands of US$, except share and per

share amounts (unaudited)

Q1 2021

Q1 2020 Revenue $ 51,805 $ 30,426 Gross profit $ 29,721 $ 15,452 Gross margin

57.4%

50.8% Net loss $ (19,452) $ (236,341) Net loss per share $ (0.11) $ (1.38)

Table 2: Adjusted Gross Profit in thousands of US$

Q1 2021

Q1 2020 Gross profit $ 29,721 $ 15,452 Change in Accounting Estimate  Costs and

Expenses Applicable to Revenues (3)

2,903

- Adjusted Gross Profit (4)

32,624

15,452 Adjusted Gross Margin (4)

63.0%

50.8%

Table 3: Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA in thousands of US$

Q1 2021

Q1 2020 Net loss $ (19,452) $ (236,341) Depreciation and amortization

7,374

6,414 Interest expense, net

5,554

4,455 Income tax expense

7,291

1,406 EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 767 $ (224,066)









Adjustments







Impairment loss

-

199,364 Write-downs and other charges

259

679 Accretion expense

4,852

4,004 Share-based compensation

1,634

5,368 Gain from change in fair value of financial instruments

17

(4,692) Income from equity-accounted investments

-

41 Debt obligation fees (1)

414

12,503 Non-recurring charges (2)

2,133

- Change in Accounting Estimate  Costs and Expenses

Applicable to Revenues (3)

2,903

- Total Adjustments $ 12,212 $ 217,267









Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) (4) $ 12,979 $ (6,799)





(1) Reflects accrued interest on the Exit Fees.



(2) Includes one-time, non-recurring costs related to the Company's Recapitalization Transaction and costs related to non-recurring legal proceedings.



(3) In January 2021, the Company completed an assessment of the yield per gram that is used as an input to value the Company's inventory. The timing of this review was based on a combination of factors accumulating over time that provided the Company with updated information to make a better estimate on the yield of its products. These factors included enhanced data gathering of crop production and yields into inventory. The assessment resulted in a revision of the Company's production yield estimates that are used to value ending inventory. This change in accounting estimate was effective on January 1, 2021.



(4) See "Non-GAAP Financial Information" below for more information regarding the Company's use of non-GAAP financial measures.

Operational Highlights

On January 21, 2021 , the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, McCrory's Sunny Hill Nursery, LLC, which does business under the name "GrowHealthy", opened its 17 th Florida -based dispensary in Sarasota .





, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, McCrory's Sunny Hill Nursery, LLC, which does business under the name "GrowHealthy", opened its 17 -based dispensary in . On April 1, 2021 , the Company launched adult-use sales in Arizona at its four Health For Life branded dispensaries.

, the Company launched adult-use sales in at its four Health For Life branded dispensaries. In April 2021 , the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Cannatech Medicinals, Inc., received its final cultivation license for its Fall River, Massachusetts cultivation facility.





, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Cannatech Medicinals, Inc., received its final cultivation license for its cultivation facility. In the first quarter of 2021, the Company introduced Last Resort brand pre-ground flower, available for purchase via the Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries in both Florida and Massachusetts .





and . In February 2021 , the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, iAnthus New Jersey , LLC ("iAnthus NJ"), issued senior secured bridge notes in the aggregate principal amount of $11.0 million . The net proceeds from such notes will be used primarily for the continued construction and improvements of certain New Jersey cultivation, manufacturing and dispensary facilities leased and/or owned by iAnthus NJ.

Update on the Recapitalization Transaction

On September 14, 2020, the Company's securityholders voted in support of the Recapitalization Transaction, and on October 5, 2020, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the "Court") approved the Plan of Arrangement, which approval was upheld on appeal on January 29, 2021.

Securityholder approval and Court approval were two of the primary conditions for closing the Recapitalization Transaction, both of which conditions have been satisfied. The closing of the Recapitalization Transaction remains subject to certain closing conditions as set forth in the Restructuring Support Agreement, a copy of which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Specifically, certain of the transactions contemplated by the Recapitalization Transaction have triggered the requirement for an approval by state-level regulators in certain U.S. states with jurisdiction over the licensed cannabis operations of entities owned, in whole or in part or controlled directly or indirectly, by iAnthus in such states.

On February 23, 2021, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board approved the proposed change of ownership and control of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, GreenMart of Nevada NLV, LLC, contemplated by the Recapitalization Transaction. Similar state-level regulatory approvals are being sought in Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP are included in the tables above. This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for, or superior to, any measure of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

In evaluating our business, we consider and use EBITDA as a supplemental measure of operating performance. We define EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We present EBITDA because we believe it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties as a measure of financial performance. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA before stock-based compensation, accretion expense, write-downs and impairments, gains and losses from changes in fair values of financial instruments, income or losses from equity-accounted investments, changes in accounting policy or estimates, non-recurring costs related to the Company's Recapitalization Transaction, and litigation costs related to ongoing legal proceedings.

The terms EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not defined under GAAP, and are not a measure of operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as an analytical tool, and when assessing the Company's operating performance, investors should not consider EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA in isolation, or as a substitute for net income (loss) or other consolidated income statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Among other things, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the Company's actual cash expenditures. Other companies may calculate similar measures differently than us, limiting their usefulness as comparative tools. We compensate for these limitations by relying on GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only as supplemental.

About iAnthus

iAnthus owns and operates licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.iAnthus.com.

COVID-19 Risk Factor

The Company may be impacted by business interruptions resulting from pandemics and public health emergencies, including those related to the novel coronavirus disease ("COVID-19"). An outbreak of infectious disease, a pandemic, or a similar public health threat, such as the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, or a fear of any of the foregoing could adversely impact the Company by causing operating, manufacturing, supply chain, and project development delays and disruptions, labor shortages, travel, and shipping disruption and shutdowns (including as a result of government regulation and prevention measures). It is unknown whether and how the Company may be affected if such a pandemic persists for an extended period of time, including as a result of the waiver of regulatory requirements or the implementation of emergency regulations to which the Company is subject. Although the Company has been deemed essential and/or has been permitted to continue operating its facilities in the states in which it cultivates, processes, manufactures, and sells cannabis during the pendency of the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the implementation of certain restrictions on adult-use cannabis sales in both Massachusetts and Nevada, which have since been lifted, there is no assurance that the Company's operations will continue to be deemed essential and/or will continue to be permitted to operate. The Company may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of its control, which could have a material adverse impact on its business, operating results, financial condition, and the trading price of its common shares.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in Company's reports that it files from time to time with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulators which you should review including, but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. When used in this news release, words such as "will," could," plan," estimate," expect," intend," may," potential," believe, "should" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to the Company's financial performance, business development and results of operations and the timing and outcome of the closing of the Recapitalization Transaction.

These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or circumstances discussed or reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. If such forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by the Company or any other person that it will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

SOURCE iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc.

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BOSTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In December 2020, Singapore made headlines by becoming the first country in the world to approve a cultured meat product for commercial sale. The product, a chicken bite made by US firm Eat JUST, is a blend of cultured chicken cells and plant-based ingredients and is available in one restaurant in Singapore. The regulatory approval and subsequent commercial release of a cultured meat product caused a surge of excitement around the world, with many wondering where the next region to approve cultured meat for sale will be. "Cultured Meat 2021-2041: Technologies, Markets, Forecasts", a new report by IDTechEx, explores the current state of the cultured meat industry and the technical and market factors that will shape its future over the next two decades.

Cultured meat, otherwise known as cultivated meat, cell-based meat, or clean meat, is an emerging technology area that involves using cultured animal cells to create meatlike food products. Unlike plant-based meat or other meat analogues, cultured meat is produced from the same cells as conventional meat and can theoretically provide an exact replica of the real thing, without requiring animal slaughter and at a fraction of the environmental cost. Over the last few years, enthusiasm around the cultured meat industry and its potential to disrupt the $1 trillion conventional meat industry has been growing. Since 2015, the sector has raised over $600 million in funding, growing from less than five companies to over fifty in the same time frame.

The industry received a significant boost in December 2020, when the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) granted approval via a "novel food petition" for cultured chicken produced by Eat JUST to be sold in Singapore as an ingredient in nuggets produced by the company.

As a city-state with almost no agricultural land, Singapore imports over 90% of its food, making it highly dependent on other countries. To improve the country's food security, in 2019 the Singaporean government set up the "30 by 30" goal, with the aim of producing 30% of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030, using technologies including vertical farming and alternative proteins. The Singaporean government had previously been vocally supportive of cultured meat and it is perhaps unsurprising that it was the first place to approve a cultured meat product for commercial sale.

Eat JUST's cultured chicken, currently sold under the GOOD Meat brand at the 1880 restaurant in Singapore, is still very much an early-stage product. The company still uses fetal bovine serum (FBS) to produce its cultured cells, an expensive ingredient with high batch-to-batch variability derived from slaughterhouses, meaning that production is unlikely to be scalable in its current form and still partially relies on animal slaughter. The product is also a blend of cultured cells and plant-based ingredients, possibly reflecting the high production costs associated with cell-cultured and the difficulty of culturing cells at a large scale. Nevertheless, it is a major step forward for the industry, and public and media reactions have been almost uniformly positive. There are hopes that the approval and commercial release in Singapore will influence other regions, accelerating approval processes across the world.

Of the major markets across the world, the US and EU arguably have the most well-defined regulatory pathways. In the EU, the Novel Food Regulation explicitly mentions foods derived from cell and tissue culture and outlines a pathway to approval that could take as little as 18 months to complete. In the US, the pathway is less clear, although in 2019 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a joint agreement for the regulatory pathway for meat products derived from cultured cells, other than cultured fish which is likely to be regulated solely by the FDA. Although there are unanswered questions in both the EU and US, particularly around labeling requirements, the regulatory bodies are taking cultured meat seriously and pathways to market are beginning to emerge.

Nevertheless, there are challenges with securing regulatory approval in both regions. The EU has historically been resistant to biotechnology innovations in food. For example, regulations around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are among the most stringent in the world, making it extremely difficult to release GMO-containing products in the region. Whether or not cultured meat products contain GMOs (and there are some suggestions that it will be very difficult to create a commercially viable product without some form of genetic modification), it is perhaps a worrying precedent for companies hoping to release products in the EU. This is less likely to be an issue in the US, although the fact that approval involves interacting with two separate regulatory bodies, the FDA and USDA, may complicate the approval process. Each body may have different data requirements and timescales, and the exact roles played by each body are not yet clear. Nevertheless, IDTechEx believes that the US is the more likely of the two regions to see the first approvals of cultured meat.

A challenge common to both the EU and US is the potential resistance from industry lobbyists and labeling restrictions. In both regions, plant-based substitutes for animal products have faced similar challenges. In 2019, the state of Missouri passed a law banning the term "burger" from being used in relation to plant-based meat, in 2017, the European Court of Justice banned vegan food producers from using terms such as "oat milk" and "soya yogurt" on their packaging, reinforcing this in 2021 with a move to ban producers from even using terms or imagery on packaging which refer to or invoke dairy products to avoid misleading consumers. There are already signs that cultured meat may face similar resistance  in 2018, the US Cattlemen's Association filed a petition to the USDA requesting that the term "meat" only apply to tissue taken from a slaughtered animal. Arguments around labeling could significantly delay the release of products in both regions, particularly if they make demands the cultured meat industry finds egregious, such as banning the term "meat".

One area that could provide a more straightforward path to market, particularly in the US, is cultured fish. Cultured fish products are likely to be solely regulated by the FDA and there is much less concerted lobbying effort around the fish industry, meaning that regulatory approval is likely to be streamlined. In October 2020, the FDA issued a request for information on how best to label cultured seafood products, with a deadline for comments set for March 8th, 2021. Interestingly, (as of May 2021) the USDA is yet to issue a similar request for cultured mammalian/avian meat, although it has signaled its intention to.

As a major market with significant global influence, regulatory approval in the US would be a major step forwards for the cultured meat industry and would likely lead to approval in many other regions, as well as a big surge in investment into the industry.

With this in mind, US-based cultured seafood companies, such as BlueNalu, Wildtype, and Finless Foods, may be worth watching in the near future. In 2019, BlueNalu became the first cultured meat producer to release design schematics for a large-scale production facility, with the company aiming to be capable of producing cultured fish in 2,000 L batches by the end of 2021 and 200,000 L batches within the next four years. With $84.75 million in funding, IDTechEx believes the company is in a good position to become a leader in the early cultured meat industry.

"Cultured Meat 2021-2041: Technologies, Markets, Forecasts", a new report by IDTechEx, provides an in-depth technology and market evaluation of the cultured meat industry, alongside 10 and 20-year forecasts for the future of the industry.

For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/CulturedMeat, or for the full portfolio of Food & AgTech research available from IDTechEx please www.IDTechEx.com/Research/AgTech.



About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

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SOURCE IDTechEx
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Imvision, a market leader in API security technology for enterprises, has been recognized as a leader in 'Next-Gen Application Security' by Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading information security magazine. The award was announced in the 9th Annual Global InfoSec Awards this week during the RSA Conference.

"It's an honor to be acknowledged as a leader in Application Security by Cyber Defense Magazine and leading infosec experts," said Sharon Mantin, CEO of Imvision. "With the accelerated pace of digital transformation, some of the core foundations of application security are changing. This challenges us as an industry to reimagine application security in an API-first world, and Imvision is excited to play a key role in helping enterprises open up new business opportunities."

Securing APIs is a daunting responsibility. APIs are spreading like wildfire across organizations: running on multiple clouds, developed by different teams, serving more and more consumers. APIs promise many benefits, but at the same time, many companies struggle to develop secure APIs. Since each API is different, it is not sufficient to protect them using policies or tests based on known vulnerabilities.

More and more functional attacks are being executed nowadays, such that target the specific functionality of an API, exploiting its unique business logic vulnerabilities. Imvision helps security leaders to scale up their API security and protect all their APIs without falling behind development cycles or leaving exposed vulnerabilities to chance.

"APIs are becoming the most frequent attack vector for applications, and existing security solutions aren't fit for purpose. We scoured the globe in search of cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber crime. Imvision is absolutely worthy of this coveted award and consideration for deployment in your environment," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

About Imvision

At Imvision, we help enterprises open up without being vulnerable. It's about making sure that every interaction between people, businesses, and machines can be trusted.

Imvision's platform helps enterprise security leaders, including Fortune 500 companies, discover, test, detect and prevent API breaches. We help you automatically give every API the protection it deserves - at any scale, across the lifecycle.

By using NLP-based technology to analyze each API's unique dialogue and understand the application's behavior, security and development teams can stay ahead of attackers, focus on what really matters and minimize time-to-remediation.

For more information: https://www.imvision.ai/

SOURCE Imvision
The company will use proceeds to boost exploration at the Koongulla Copper-Gold Project in the Paterson Province in Western Australia where it has identified a highly prospective and relatively shallow dome feature.

Funds will also be allocated to BOAs Queensland projects and two licences in WAs Fraser Range.

Ltd ( ) is undertaking a fully underwritten renounceable rights issue to raise up to $2.98 million to accelerate exploration and advance business development activities.

The company plans to reward existing shareholders by pricing the rights issue at $0.24 per share, a discount of 34.2% to the last traded price of $0.365 and a 17.6% discount to the 30-day volume-weighted average price.

Boadicea has appointed as lead manager, corporate advisor and nominee.

Peak will fully underwrite the rights issue and work with the company to maximise shareholder value.

"Provide a solid financial base"

Boadicea managing director Jon Reynolds said: The funds raised will provide a solid financial base to explore the companys highly prospective gold, copper and nickel exploration prospects.

The board believes the support of its long-standing shareholders should continue to be recognised and decided to continue to reward existing shareholders with an attractive entitlement issue plus options and the ability to sell their entitlement rights.

Our priority for exploration expenditure will be the Koongulla Project in the Paterson Province in Western Australia where we have identified a highly prospective and relatively shallow dome feature with some initial similarities to the world-class Telfer Dome.

Funds will also be used to advance our Queensland projects, including the highly prospective Clarke Reward project in the Drummond Basin in Queensland and the two BOA managed licences in the Fraser Range in Western Australia.

Rights issue details

The rights issue will be offered to eligible shareholders registered at the record date of May 21, 2021, based on one new fully paid ordinary share for every five shares held, together with one free attaching option for each share subscribed and issued.

The free attaching options will be exercisable at $0.42 each and expire on June 30, 2024.

On completion, the company will be well-funded with the raised capital to complement existing cash reserves to accelerate planned exploration activities, to pursue solid business development projects and for general working capital.

The rights issue is open to all eligible shareholders, who have a registered address within Australia or New Zealand, and who hold the shares on the record date. It will close on Friday, June 11, 2021.

All new shares issued will rank equally with existing shares on issue and the company will apply for quotation of the new shares and new options.
HEALDSBURG, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, Enso Village, a 275-unit greenfield life plan community, became the first senior living startup to receive approval for "Green Bond" financing for the construction of its new community in Healdsburg, California. The Enso Village Green Bonds will go on sale this month to raise $308 million to cover development costs, including design, marketing, land acquisition and construction of the project. Specialty investment bank Ziegler will issue the tax-exempt bonds.

Enso Village is a one-of-a-kind senior living community, co-sponsored by the San Francisco Zen Center and The Kendal Corporation, a leading nonprofit provider of senior living programs, services and communities. From the inception, the Zen Center and Kendal have worked to actualize their vision of Enso Village as a sustainable community. Development services are being provided by Greenbrier Development, a national provider to the not-for-profit senior housing sector. By all accounts, the Zen-inspired community has been well received by prospective residents as the community achieved 94% reservations within a few months of being offered.

"We at Ziegler are very excited about the many innovative aspects of this project, including the Green designation, which we hope will attract potential new bond investors who might not otherwise invest in senior living," said Mary Munoz, Senior Managing Director of Ziegler. Sarkis Garabedian, Managing Director, added "Seeking the Green Bond designation started at the top with both sponsors holding sustainability as a guiding principle. Their consistent dedication to reducing the environmental footprint of Enso Village through green design, construction and operations was well-received by our approved verifier, Vigeo Eiris, securing an opinion of a 'Robust' contribution to sustainability under the Climate Bonds Standard."

Early in the process, the Enso team brought in Thornton Tomasetti to consult on the new community. This foresight helped lay the foundation for project's eventual approval for Green Bond status which required the project had to meet or exceed certain environmental criteria based on the opinion of an independent third-party evaluator.

For Enso Village, this included choosing green building materials for both exterior and interior portions of the community and diverting 65% of all construction waste from landfills. But it goes beyond environmentally responsible construction. The community will use its food waste for composting on its urban farm and select drought-tolerant native plants to minimize water consumption.

Green energy production and energy-efficiency are integral to Enso Village. The community will have a solar array, estimated to produce enough solar energy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 9,000 kilograms kgCO2e. In fact, Enso Village will exceed the LEED energy baseline by 24% in greenhouse gas reductions. Additionally, energy-efficient practices will be incorporated throughout the project, from kitchen appliances to heating, cooling and lighting systems.

For HKIT Architects, the architect of record and collaborative designer for the community, sustainability at Enso Village is an integral value in both the building design and the overall community with a focus on living lightly on the land. Together with Mithn, the consulting design architect for the project, the two firms worked together to help the project achieve the green bond approval. The community was designed to exceed both the LEED Gold standard and Title 24 including the use of sustainable materials and products, systems that utilize 100% renewable energy, water conservation in building design and landscape. The massing of the main buildings starts with a simple large form and breaks down into a series of smaller volumes connected by bridging elements. The smaller volumes are further highlighted through simple gable roof forms reminiscent of farm buildings.

The Green Bond designation is more commonly applied to projects developed solely for environmental purposes  think large municipal solar or wind projects, waste management programs, or water conservation projects. Enso Village, which has made a commitment to long-term sustainability and environmental stewardship, was approved for the offering through an independent third-party review  a requirement for issuance of the bonds.

"This represents not only a major milestone in the development of Enso Village, but also our very real commitment to the environment during our construction phase as well as for the future of the community," said Stephen Bailey, Senior Vice President of New Business & Development for Kendal Corporation. "We hope that this will be the first of many new communities to achieve this designation."

When completed in 2023, Enso Village will include 221 independent living residences, 30 assisted living apartments and 24 memory care accommodations located on 16 acres in the picturesque town of Healdsburg in Sonoma Wine Country. The community will boast a full-service restaurant, a bistro with a vegetarian menu inspired by the San Francisco Zen Center's Greens Restaurant, an indoor pool with a sundeck, and located at the heart of the community, a Zendo for meditation and gathering.

"When we envisioned Enso Village, we consciously made decisions with an awareness of how our actions impact the earth," said Susan O'Connell, Spiritual Director for Enso Village. "The approval of the Green Bonds recognizes our commitment to that goal in a very tangible way and aligns with our pledge to environmental stewardship and the merging of "vision" and clear, measurable outcomes."

Contact: Marcus Young 415-505-2524

[email protected]

SOURCE Enso Village
BEAVERTON, Ore., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In what has been an extremely challenging year for educators nationwide, many educators have worked hard to engage students in hands-on science activities under unusual circumstances. Four of these educators are being honored with the 2021 Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards from Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). Chosen by a panel of NSTA-appointed experts, this year's winning educatorsthree high school teachers and one college professordemonstrated how they innovatively use data-collection technology to engage students in science and STEM learning.

"All of this year's winning educators have done a terrific job at increasing students' interest and awareness of STEM through real-world applications," said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. "We applaud their innovation and look forward to supporting their ongoing work as they engage students in new and innovative ways through data collection and hands-on learning."

Each of the winning educators will receive $1,000 in cash, $3,000 in Vernier products, and funding to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education or other science conference.

The 2021 Vernier/NSTA Technology Award winners include:

Category: High School

Jacob Bowman, Western High School, Russiaville, IN

By providing technology-supported learning opportunities, in part using Vernier data-collection solutions, physics teacher Jacob Bowman has greatly increased student enrollment in physics classes. Activities such as a Biot-Savart Law experiment engage students as they design and carry out investigations. With this award, Bowman plans to utilize probeware that interfaces directly with students' iPad tablets in new and innovative ways, both in and out of the traditional lab setting.

Joe Muise, St. Thomas More Collegiate, Burnaby, BC

Science teacher Joe Muise frequently engages his students in small-scale investigations using data-collection technologyfrom measuring temperature during a specific heat experiment to measuring current and voltage during a range of circuits experimentsto show his students that physics is all around them. Newly acquired digital sensors will help students more accurately collect data during these experiments. Additionally, they will be used during a student-driven research project Muise is creating in which students will be able to apply their knowledge and explore areas of personal interest.

Benton Shriver, Canadian Valley Technology Center, Yukon, OK

Anatomy and physiology instructor Benton Shriver has used Vernier data-collection technology in multiple settings over the past eight years, including during in-the-field biology experiments sampling freshwater at turtle communities and most recently as part of the Career Technology Center's Health Careers program. As part of this program, Shriver uses the technology to provide engaging hands-on learning opportunities to teach highly relevant and practical skills and content to students planning to enter the medical field.

Category: College

Katrina Henry, Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach, VA

Katrina Henry, an assistant professor of physics and Earth/environmental studies, plans to incorporate physiology probeware and equipment into the labs in the recently created Physics of Sound class for non-science majors. Students previously benefited from standard physics probeware the university already had but will now be able to focus more on the biological aspect of physics of sound and making musicsuch as the amount of oxygen used while singing and playing wind instrumentsin a hands-on, data-driven way.

To learn more about the Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards, visit www.vernier.com/grants .

About Vernier Software & Technology

Vernier Software & Technology has led the innovation of educational, scientific data-collection technology for 40 years. Vernier was founded by a former physics teacher and employs educators at all levels of the organization. The company is committed to teachers and to developing creative ways to teach and learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using hands-on science. Vernier creates easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and graphing/analysis software. With worldwide distribution to over 150 countries, Vernier data loggers are used by educators and students from elementary school to university. Vernier technology-based solutions enhance STEM education, increase learning, build students' critical thinking skills, and support the science and engineering practices detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Vernier business culture is grounded in Earth-friendly policies and practices, and the company provides a family-friendly workplace. For more information, visit www.vernier.com .

SOURCE Vernier Software & Technology
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global market for airborne optronics grew at a promising CAGR of 11% until 2020, and latest research by consulting firm Fact.MR projects the market to grow at an impressive pace of 13% CAGR through 2031. Demand for airborne optronics will rise owing to the growing need in military and defense sector. Also, increasing terrorist activities & attacks are increasing the demand of airborne optronics. Surge in demand for advanced and accurate surveillance systems across the globe is anticipated to improve the demand of airborne optronics in the market.

Advanced technologies such as multispectral technology used in airborne optronics such with track & search system, surveillance system and others will fuel the demand from diverse end-use industries such as aerospace sector. Adoption of technologically advanced airborne industries in aerospace, defense and military sector, especially in United States, is accelerating the market growth. According to the study, North America accounts for 38.2% of global market share attributing to the rising adoption of airborne optronics in automotive industry. As per the analysis, the global airborne optronics market is expected to surpass the value of US$ 1.5 Bn by 2021-end.

"Leading players are incorporating advanced technology such as artificial intelligence to increase the sales of commercial airborne optronics within aerospace and defense sector. This also is facilitating the demand for drones" says a Fact.MR analyst.

For more Insights into the Market, Request a Sample of this Report

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Key Takeaways

Surveillance system segment is expected to be dominant through 2021, accounting for 22% of total market share

In terms of technology, multispectral technology will hold the largest share of global airborne optronics market

Commercial aircraft is expected to remain the most lucrative segment over the forecast period

United States will lead the North American airborne optronics market backed the rising adoption of technologically advanced airborne optronics

will lead the North American airborne optronics market backed the rising adoption of technologically advanced airborne optronics India will emerge as the most lucrative market of South Asia backed by the growing demand of airborne optronics in military & defense sector

will emerge as the most lucrative market of backed by the growing demand of airborne optronics in military & defense sector China is anticipated to register highest growth in the East Asia airborne optronics market through 2031

Competitive Landscape

Key companies profiled by Fact.MR for global airborne optronics market includes Northrop Grumman Corporation, Thales SA, Flir Systems Inc., Safran, Elbit Systems Ltd, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Leonardo SPA, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Hensoldt AG, Collins Aerospace, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Kappa Optronics GmbH, Stark Aerospace Inc., Excelitas Technologies Corporation, Osi Optoelectronics Inc., Leidos Holdings Inc., Ii-Vi Inc., Bae Systems PLC, Aselsan A.a., Intevac Inc., Ximea GmbH, Headwall Photonics Inc., Cubert GmbH, and Resonon Inc. among others. Leading players are focusing on product development to maintain their position in the industry.

For instance, in March 2021, Elbit Systems Ltd, announced the commencement of a project of US$ 300 million from Asia to provide HermesTM 900 Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the maintenance and services for the systems & sub-systems

Likewise, in January 2021, Teledyne Technologies announced its acquisition on Flir Systems Inc. for the transaction valued at US$ 8 billion.

Furthermore, on 7th April 2021, Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully conducted the Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) for the ground based strategic deterrent (GBSD) manufacturing development program, a critical milestone that sets the performance measurement baseline and keeps the program on track for initial operational capability by 2029.

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More Valuable Insights on Airborne optronics market

Fact.MR has published a latest market research report on global airborne optronics market for the period 2021-2031. The study gives a detailed segmentation on the trends, challenges and opportunities that will impact the market during the forecast period. In order to gain a better perspective, the market is segmented on the basis of technology (multispectral and hyper spectral), system (reconnaissance systems, targeting systems, search & track systems, surveillance systems, warning/detection systems, countermeasure systems, navigation & guidance systems, and special mission systems), application (commercial aircraft, military aircraft, and space aircraft), aircraft type (fixed wing, rotary wing, urban air mobility, and unmanned aerial vehicles), end-use (OEM and aftermarket) and regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania and MEA).

Key Questions Covered in the Report

What type of technology for airborne optronics is preferred?

How will the airborne optronics market expand through 2031?

Which country is the most lucrative for airborne optronics market?

Which is the most lucrative segment of the airborne optronics market?

Which are the prominent players operating in the market?

What is the impact of Covid-19 on airborne optronics market?

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Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on ICT Domain

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Aircraft Communication Systems Market: Explore Fact.MR's Aircraft communication systems market research report, offers a detailed segmentation on multiple market trends for the present and upcoming decade. The study entails analyses about the prominent growth trends present across key geographies and major segments, along with information about key manufacturers operating within the landscape.

Aircraft Cabin Management System Market: Fact.MR's incisive coverage on the global aircraft cabin management system market gives an in-depth insights on the strategies and competitive landscape for the upcoming period. The key players' market share data provided by the report given you a detailed insights on the shortcomings and forthcomings of the market through 2021 & beyond.

About Fact.MR

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! That's why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. We have offices in US and Dublin, whereas our global headquarter is in Dubai. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range  from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Reach out to us with your goals, and we'll be an able research partner.

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PHILADELPHIA, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Interius BioTherapeutics, a preclinical stage gene therapy company developing a paradigm-shifting platform for in vivo cell-specific gene delivery, today announced that it has raised $76 million in an oversubscribed Series A financing. The round was co-led by Cormorant Asset Management and Fairmount Funds, and joined by Bain Capital Life Sciences, Pfizer Ventures, RA Capital Management, Longwood Fund, Logos Capital, Osage University Partners and Quan Capital. All existing investors participated, including lead founding investor Tellus BioVentures, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine, Agent Capital, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, Knollwood, and BrightEdge, the American Cancer Society's impact investment fund. Tomas Kiselak of Fairmount Funds and Ben Lund of Bain Capital Life Sciences will join the Interius Board of Directors.

"We were gratified by the exceptional interest during our raise and are delighted by the composition of the syndicate  a testament to the potential of the technology and the solid scientific foundation from Dr. Gill's lab and the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Penn," said Phil Johnson, MD, CEO of Interius. "I look forward to working with this amazing team as we advance our gene delivery platform that will enable highly specific, durable re-engineering of cells right where they live in the human body."

Co-founded by Dr. Saar Gill, physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Bruce Peacock, a renowned biotech veteran, Interius is initially focused on treating hematologic malignancies by leveraging its novel gene delivery platform to generate chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells directly in vivo. This unique therapeutic approach bypasses the need for ex vivo cell manipulations and the potentially toxic pre-conditioning chemotherapy required for standard CAR T-cell treatments. Exploiting its versatile platform, Interius is also developing applications beyond immuno-oncology that address diseases not amenable to current gene therapy modalities.

"We are very pleased to have assembled a fantastic team at Interius who are translating breakthrough science with the support of a world-class group of investors," said Lonnie Moulder, Board Chair and Managing Member of Tellus BioVentures. "The technology that Interius is advancing may dramatically change the way we think about in vivo gene delivery and lead to transformational therapies for patients."

About Interius BioTherapeutics

Interius BioTherapeutics is a preclinical stage gene therapy company developing novel methods for in vivo cell-specific gene delivery, creating a breakthrough platform with multi-product potential. The company was founded based on inventions from the laboratory of Dr. Saar Gill, a leading physician-scientist in the fields of cell and gene therapy at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania. Interius BioTherapeutics is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, visit www.interiusbio.com

SOURCE Interius BioTherapeutics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.interiusbio.com


PARIS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The power of mRNA technology, which led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines within months, is just one highlight of a new innovative field. The goal of deep tech is to offer breakthrough innovations to address sweeping problems like climate change. Further examples include small-scale nuclear reactors, air mobility drones, carbon-based materials (whose manufacture removes CO 2 from the atmosphere), and cellular agriculture (such as artificial proteins). A new article by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Hello Tomorrow, "Meeting the Challenges of Deep Tech Investing," notes that there are already unicorns in the field. There's potential to accelerate this growth if a new investor model can be built.

Deep tech ventures need the support of a reimagined investment chainwith participation from governments, venture capital and private equity firms, and limited partners and corporations. A new investor model would address the current frictions holding back deep tech, such as mindset biases, misrepresentations, or inadequate risk-assessment capabilities.

It is not only a question of the investment model. "We need to do a much better job telling the many success stories and exit opportunities in deep tech," says coauthor Massimo Portincaso, chairman of Hello Tomorrow. "Deep tech still lacks a clear narrative to educate investors and attract more funding." The narrative should clarify that although deep tech risks are inherently higher, there are methodical practices to mitigate them. The authors also found that, though deep tech's equity needs are higher than digital's in the early years, the former's lifetime needs tend to be lower on average. The narrative disconnect also rises from the cultural gap between startup venture capitalists and scientists.

Getting in on the Ground Floor

No one knows which ventures will thrive. But their success so far, like the success of the mRNA vaccines, has already changed the way people think about the risks of investing in breakthrough technologies. A small but growing number of specialized funds are turning their attention to this field. These organizations have success factors in common, which could help in the reshaping of the deep tech investor model. They are problem oriented and equipped with in-house deep tech expertise. They leverage different investment vehicles to best support ventures' needs.

"In the end," says Antoine Gourevitch, coauthor and managing director and senior partner at BCG, "Deep tech will catalyze a new approach to public-private partnerships. To accelerate and deliver on this opportunity, government funding needs to be more focused and flexible, and private investment needs to be more willing to take big chances. Deep tech gives investors the chance to be part of the next wave of innovation and to solve some of our most fundamental problems."

A copy of the article can be accessed here.

To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or [email protected].

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

Related Links

https://www.bcg.com


PHOENIX, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) ("Item 9 Labs" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchisor and operator that produces premium products, today reported operating and financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company's second quarter for fiscal year 2021 ("Q2 FY2021"). The Company will be hosting an earnings call on May 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific time).

Key Financial Highlights for Q2 FY2021 (compared with Q2 FY2020)

Revenue increased 228% to $6.1 million

Gross profit increased 403% to $3.0 million

Gross margin increased to 49% from 32%

Operating income of $0.5 million (compared with operating loss of $0.9 million )

(compared with operating loss of ) Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue declined to 40% from 80%

Net income of $49,020 (compared with net loss of $1.6 million )

(compared with net loss of ) Adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 million (compared with adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.9 million )

Key Business Highlights during and subsequent to Q2 FY2021

Completed the acquisition of ONE Cannabis Group (OCG Inc.), parent company of leading U.S. cannabis dispensary franchisor Unity Rd., differentiating the Company by combining its premium products with a strong retail franchise and a national distribution platform

Unity Rd. signed agreements with three entrepreneurial groups for dispensary franchise expansion into New Jersey , in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in Michigan and Ohio

, in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in and Launched Orion 710 pod system, an innovative vaporization device for medical and adult-use consumers, featuring swappable one-gram pods filled with live resin blends and a USB-C rechargeable battery

Management Commentary

With the successful passage of Proposition 207 for adult use in Arizona, the state started transitioning from a medical-only into a far-larger adult-use marijuana market on January 22, 2021. Industry analysts expect the state's total legal marijuana market will near $1.5 billion in the next three years.

"We're seeing the impact of the strong market demand with record-breaking revenues for our premium products, reporting $6.1 million during the quarter. That's more than double our revenues from last quarter and 228% higher than the same quarter last year," commented Item 9 Labs Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bowden. "This quarter represents a milestone for us as it also marks our first quarter of profitability. Across the company, our team continues to execute more efficiently and manage our costs while increasing production to meet product demand."

"We completed our acquisition of OCG Inc. during the quarter, giving us unique capabilities in franchising and positioning us for rapid scalability at reduced capital requirements, as dispensaries will be owned and operated by local franchise partners. Franchising facilitates the expansion of our national retail footprint through Unity Rd. while also serving as a distribution platform for our in-house production, enabling us to capture additional market share," Bowden said. "We also plan to develop or partner with cultivation facilities in states where Unity Rd. franchise partners open cannabis retail shops. Already, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 10 entrepreneurial groups who are developing the brand across at least seven states. We are seeing growth in our franchise pipeline as lead flows and interest increase with the easing regulatory environment and state-level legalization."

"Our planned cultivation site expansion, the first phase of which is expected to break ground soon, along with our cannabis franchising offering and the favorable regulatory climate are the catalysts that we believe will propel Item 9 Labs' revenue and market share growth going forward," added Bowden.

The Company completed its acquisition of OCG Inc. in March 2021, creating one of the first vertically integrated cannabis franchise companies in the country. Colorado-based OCG Inc. is the parent company of dispensary franchise Unity Rd. The combination brings differentiating retail franchising capabilities to Item 9 Labs, including helping new entrepreneurs and existing operators navigate the complex cannabis industry by providing training, resources, and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. The reduced capital expenditure (CapEx) franchise model positions the Company to accelerate scale for both the Unity Rd. franchise and Item 9 Labs product brands, as dispensaries will be locally owned and operated by cannabis entrepreneurs.

Item 9 Labs recently launched the Orion 710 pod system  a next-generation vape system that provides full-spectrum flower experiences on the go. Available as one-gram Grounded, Orbit, and Beyond pods, the handheld, portable vaporization system debuted in March 2021 to medical and adult-use marijuana consumers in Arizona. Consisting of a rechargeable battery designed to fit discreetly in hand and easily swappable one-gram pods filled with a choice of live resin blends, the Orion currently stands as the only device with its unique characteristics. Orion's slightly larger size allows for greater modifications, leading to increased battery life, 20% more cannabinoids per draw, and a five-second draw cutoff. The technology also best suits the viscosity of Item 9 Labs live resin, making for smoother inhales and improved overall experience.

Unity Rd. inked agreements with three entrepreneurial groups for New Jersey franchise expansion, in addition to a multi-unit franchise agreement with development underway in Michigan and Ohio. Unity Rd. is guiding the New Jersey partners through the dispensary license process as the state is expected to open license applications as early as late 2021. Each group will be pursuing at least one dispensary license to open a Unity Rd. shop in the state. Annual retail sales of the adult-use New Jersey market are expected to grow to as much as $950 million by 2024. Unity Rd.'s new multi-unit franchise partner, who is developing three shops across the Michigan and Ohio markets, is seeking immediate entrance by purchasing an existing dispensary to convert into a Unity Rd. as well as applying for dispensary licenses. The team is already working to identify potential acquisition opportunities across the two states as part of its support. In addition, Unity Rd. will provide guidance to these franchise partners by sharing its accumulated knowledge and resources to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary.

Financial Results for Q2 FY2021 Ended March 31, 2021:

Revenue: For the three months ended March 31, 2021 , revenue was $6.1 million , an increase of $4.2 million , or 228%, compared with $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 . This increase was primarily due to higher market demand, with the Company increasing production in response.





For the three months ended , revenue was , an increase of , or 228%, compared with for the three months ended . This increase was primarily due to higher market demand, with the Company increasing production in response. Gross Profit: For the three months ended March 31, 2021 , gross profit was $3.0 million , an increase of $2.4 million , or 403%, compared with $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 . The resulting gross margin was 49%, compared with 32% for the same quarter last year. The increase in gross margin is due to the Company operating more efficiently during its production expansion.



Management believes costs will continue to increase at a lower rate than revenue growth and production in future periods, which is expected to lead to higher profit margins than historical figures illustrate. The Company has been able to lower marginal costs since the first half of fiscal year 2020 and expects to see gross profit margins continue to increase in future periods.





For the three months ended , gross profit was , an increase of , or 403%, compared with for the three months ended . The resulting gross margin was 49%, compared with 32% for the same quarter last year. The increase in gross margin is due to the Company operating more efficiently during its production expansion. Management believes costs will continue to increase at a lower rate than revenue growth and production in future periods, which is expected to lead to higher profit margins than historical figures illustrate. The Company has been able to lower marginal costs since the first half of fiscal year 2020 and expects to see gross profit margins continue to increase in future periods. Total Operating Expenses: For the three months ended March 31, 2021 , total operating expenses were $2.5 million , an increase of $1.0 million , or 66%, compared with $1.5 million for the same quarter last year. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 40% from 80% for the quarters compared, reflecting the Company's focus on increasing revenue, reducing expenses, and performing more efficiently. Management believes this ratio will decrease going forward as revenues continue to grow at a higher rate than operating expenses.



Of note, $0.4 million of the Company's operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were non-cash expenses, including depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation.





For the three months ended , total operating expenses were , an increase of , or 66%, compared with for the same quarter last year. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 40% from 80% for the quarters compared, reflecting the Company's focus on increasing revenue, reducing expenses, and performing more efficiently. Management believes this ratio will decrease going forward as revenues continue to grow at a higher rate than operating expenses. Of note, of the Company's operating expenses for the three months ended were non-cash expenses, including depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation. Operating Income: For the three months ended March 31, 2021 , operating income was $0.5 million , an improvement of $1.4 million , compared with an operating loss of $0.9 million for the same quarter last year.





For the three months ended , operating income was , an improvement of , compared with an operating loss of for the same quarter last year. Adjusted EBITDA: After adding back non-cash operating expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest and stock-based compensation, Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $1.0 million , as compared with an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.9 million for the same quarter last year.





After adding back non-cash operating expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest and stock-based compensation, Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended was , as compared with an Adjusted EBITDA loss of for the same quarter last year. Net Income: For the three months ended March 31, 2021 , net income attributable to Item 9 Labs was $49,020 , or break-even per share, compared with a net loss of $1.6 million , or a net loss of $0.03 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2020 .





For the three months ended , net income attributable to Item 9 Labs was , or break-even per share, compared with a net loss of , or a net loss of per share, for the three months ended . Cash: Cash and cash equivalents totaled $4.3 million as of March 31, 2021 .



Financial Results for the Six Months Ended March 31, 2021:

Revenue: For the six months ended March 31, 2021 , revenue was $9.2 million , an increase of $5.8 million , or 170%, compared with $3.4 million for the same period last year. This increase was primarily due to higher market demand driving increased production.





For the six months ended , revenue was , an increase of , or 170%, compared with for the same period last year. This increase was primarily due to higher market demand driving increased production. Gross Profit: For the six months ended March 31, 2021 , gross profit was $4.4 million , an increase of $3.3 million , or 311%, compared with $1.1 million for the same period last year. The resulting gross margin was 48%, compared with 32% for the same period last year.





For the six months ended , gross profit was , an increase of , or 311%, compared with for the same period last year. The resulting gross margin was 48%, compared with 32% for the same period last year. Total Operating Expenses: For the six months ended March 31, 2021 , total operating expenses were $4.3 million , an increase of $1.1 million , or 35%, compared with $3.2 million for the same period last year. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 47% from 93% for the periods compared.



Of note, $1.2 million of the Company's operating expenses for the six months ended March 31, 2021 were non-cash expenses, including depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation.





For the six months ended , total operating expenses were , an increase of , or 35%, compared with for the same period last year. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 47% from 93% for the periods compared. Of note, of the Company's operating expenses for the six months ended were non-cash expenses, including depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation. Operating Income: For the six months ended March 31, 2021 , operating income was $0.2 million , an improvement of $2.2 million , compared with an operating loss of $2.1 million for the same period last year.





For the six months ended , operating income was , an improvement of , compared with an operating loss of for the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA: After adding back non-cash operating expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest and stock-based compensation, Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended March 31, 2021 was positive $1.3 million , as compared with a loss of $1.2 million for the same period last year.





After adding back non-cash operating expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest and stock-based compensation, Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended was positive , as compared with a loss of for the same period last year. Net Loss: For the six months ended March 31, 2021 , net loss attributable to Item 9 Labs was $1.0 million , or $0.02 per share, compared with $3.5 million , or $0.06 per share, for the same period last year.

The Company filed its Form 10-Q on May 17, 2021. Click here to view.

Conference Call and Webcast Information  May 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT)

Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bowden, Chief Financial Officer Bobby Mikkelsen and Chief Franchise Officer Mike Weinberger will host the Company's Q2 FY2021 earnings call today at 11:00 AM Eastern time.

Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Time: 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific time)

Access by phone: Please call the conference telephone number 10-15 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization.

U.S. dial-in number: 888-506-0062 (pass code: 665448)

International number: 973-528-0011 (pass code: 665448)

Access by webcast: A live and archived webcast will be available. Click on this webcast link to register.

Questions: Please submit questions to [email protected] before the earnings call begins. The management team will do their best to answer all questions.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will also be available until Tuesday, June 1, 2021 via the following call-in numbers:

Toll-free replay number: 877-481-4010 (replay pass code: 41183)

International replay number: 919-882-2331 (replay pass code: 41183)

Adjusted EBITDA















Three months ended March 31, 2021

Six months ended March 31, 2021

2021

2020

2021

2020















Net Loss $ 49,020

$(1,975,328)

$(1,025,436)

$(3,526,290)















Depreciation 32,086

32,110

64,570

64,220 Amortization 101,788

319,893

211,849

565,620 Stock issued for services -

-

275,736

132,106 Employee stock compensation 304,672

-

609,344

75,000 Interest 468,387

684,203

1,176,754

1,457,789 Provision for bad debt -

22,460

-

22,460















Adjusted EBITDA $ 955,953

$ (916,662)

$ 1,312,817

$(1,209,095)

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement the Company's financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, Item 9 Labs provides Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure of its performance.

To provide investors with additional insight and allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the information used by management in its financial and decision-making surrounding pro forma operations, Item 9 Labs supplements its consolidated financial statements presented on a basis consistent with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, with Adjusted EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial measure of earnings. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA plus stock-based compensation and change in fair value of derivative liabilities. Item 9 Labs management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a financial measure to evaluate the profitability and efficiency of the business model. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures to assess the strength of the underlying operations of the business. These adjustments, and the non-GAAP financial measures that are derived from them, provide supplemental information to analyze its operations between periods and over time. Item 9 Labs finds this especially useful when reviewing pro forma results of operations, which include large non-cash amortizations of intangible assets from acquisitions and stock-based compensation. Investors should consider its non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

About Item 9 Labs Corp.

Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) is a vertically integrated cannabis operator delivering premium products from its large-scale cultivation and production facilities in the United States. The award-winning Item 9 Labs brand specializes in best-in-class products and user experience across several cannabis categories. With substantial insider investment, the Company brings the best industry practices to markets nationwide through distinctive retail experience, cultivation capabilities, and production innovation. The veteran management team combines a diverse skill set with deep experience in the cannabis sector and capital markets to lead a new generation of public cannabis companies that provide transparency, consistency, and well-being. Headquartered in Arizona, the Company has 650,000+ square feet of operations space under development on its 50-acre site, one of the largest properties in Arizona zoned to grow and cultivate flower. For additional information, visit item9labscorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, proposed transactions that are not legally binding obligations of the company and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Media Contact:

Item 9 Labs

Jayne Levy, Director of Communications

Email: [email protected]

Investor Contact:

Item 9 Labs

800-403-1140

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Item 9 Labs Corp.

Related Links

https://www.item9labscorp.com


"We are deploying tactical delivery capability to support the NDA's implementation of its asset management strategy," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions International Senior Vice President Clive White. "Harnessing our deep domain experience and best practices, combined with our data-driven, digitally-enabled solutions, we will help the NDA drive improvements and secure better outcomes."

The NDA is responsible for decommissioning 17 nuclear sites across England, Wales and Scotland, some dating back to the 1940s. These include Sellafield Ltd, Europe's most complex nuclear site, the first generation of Magnox power stations, the U.K.'s low-level waste repository in West Cumbria, the Dounreay former fast-reactor research site in Scotland and other research and fuel facilities.

Jacobs and PA Consulting are already working with Sellafield Ltd to introduce a new approach to asset management through use of digital decision-making tools for optimizing the reliability and availability of critical assets such as utilities, cranes and batteries. This involves installing sensors on the equipment to record data. A digital twin is then created which generates information to improve decision making so that the equipment can be managed more efficiently and at lower cost.

"Our asset management approach integrates process, organization, technology and information with a move from predictive to condition-based maintenance on critical nuclear assets," said PA Consulting's Head of Nuclear Julianne Antrobus.

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 2, 2021, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

SOURCE Jacobs

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


The women honored on this year's list pushed forward with comprehensive business plans, marketing initiatives and other innovative ideas to support their partners and customers, helping them through the uncertainty brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. CRN celebrates these exceptional women for their leadership, dedication and channel advocacy.

"CRN's 2021 Women of the Channel list acknowledges accomplished, influential women whose dedication, hard work, and leadership accelerate channel growth," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "We are proud to honor them for their many accomplishments and look forward to their continued contributions to the IT channel."

Danielle Maldonado brings 17 years of Ricoh experience to her current role as the Director of the Education vertical. She began her career as an engineer followed by a project management position before focusing full time on helping achieve successes with Ricoh's education partners. Her proven work in this market has been recognized as a Young Influencer of the Channel by The Cannata Report in 2016.

Jennifer Healy has spent 26 years in the channel and brings an entrepreneurial perspective to innovation. Her mission is for Ricoh to be a true partner to its dealers, making its powerful marketing portfolio and strategy an extension of the dealers' business. Healy's current role as Director, Integrated Marketing for Ricoh North America allows her to expand her strategic vision and direction across both the dealer channel and Ricoh's direct organization through campaign management, demand center, events, customer experience centers and lead development.

"At Ricoh, we are committed to diversity and inclusion and are honored that two valued members of the Ricoh family are represented among the extraordinary women of the IT channel," said Donna Venable, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Deputy General Manager, Shared Services, Ricoh North America. "We pride ourselves on the strength of our partnerships and the work that we do collectively to help our customers achieve their digital services goals to successfully move their businesses forward, and Jennifer and Danielle play key roles in this journey."

The 2021 Women of the Channel list will be featured in CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn , and Facebook.

 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

| About Ricoh |

Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services, thus enabling individuals to work smarter.

With cultivated knowledge and organizational capabilities nurtured over its 85-years history, Ricoh is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, communications services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group has major operations throughout the world and its products and services now reach customers in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2021, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 1,682 billion yen (approx. 15.1 billion USD).

For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com

 2021 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Ricoh USA, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ricoh-usa.com


KYIV, Ukraine, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - The three judges hearing the case of the illegal disconnection of TIU Canada's solar station by the Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant ("NFZ") recused themselves today. On Friday, attorneys for TIU Canada filed a motion to dismiss the judges due to concerns over the judges relationship to the US government sanctioned oligarch Igor Kolomoyskyi. The judges have all previously ruled in favor of Kolomoyskyi against Ukraine's state-owned Privatbank in another court decision1. The three judges that ruled in favor of Kolomoyskyi were V.A. Korsack, O.V. Popikova, and O.O. Yevsikov. While TIU Canada's motion was declined, the judges then proceeded to recuse themselves voluntarily from the case. This means a new slate of judges will be appointed and a new court date scheduled.

"Today was a small victory in a larger war. We will continue our fight for justice under the law" said TIU Canada President Michael Yurkovich. Yurkovich added, "Ukraine must protect foreign investors from oligarch attacks or abandon any hope of attracting real investors."

This follows a January 26 decision by the Kyiv Commercial Court to reject the claims of an illegal disconnection despite overwhelming evidence presented by TIU Canada's legal team. The case is a bellwether of Ukraine's investment environment for foreign business and is attracting international attention from Voice of America2, the Washington Times3, and other major media.

During his visit to Kyiv on May 6, 2021, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said, "Ukraine faces two challenges. It faces external aggression from Russia; but it also faces internal aggression from corruption, from oligarchs who put their interests ahead of the interests of the Ukrainian people. And Russia uses that internal aggression for its own purposes as well."

The 10.5 MW solar power plant was disconnected from the electricity grid by NFZ on March 2, 2020, despite the fact that Ukrainian law prevents electricity producers from being disconnected from the energy grid without obtaining the range of all the necessary permissions. TIU Canada is seeking an immediate reconnection to the electricity grid and plans to hold the NFZ and its ultimate beneficial owners ("UBO's") fully accountable under the law. The ultimate beneficial owners of the NFZ are Igor Kolomoyskyi, Gennadiy Bogolyubov, and Viktor Pinchuk.

A number of respected diplomats, Senators, and Members of Parliament commented on the case. Roman Washcuk who served as Canada's Ambassador to Ukraine (2014-2019) said, "Ukraine deserves external support, especially now. But it also needs to deal with internal threats, such as oligarch Kolomoyskyi's shafting of a pioneering Canadian renewables investor".

M.P. Yvan Baker, who is the Chairman of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group said, "If Ukraine is to attract the foreign investment needed to grow its economy, offer prosperity to Ukrainians and secure its sovereignty, rule of law must be reinforced and corruption eliminated. Some of the developments around TIU Canada's investment in Ukraine are deeply concerning".

Senator Peter Harder stated, "Rule of law and holding oligarchs accountable is paramount to Ukraine attracting the foreign investment it desperately needs. The people of Ukraine deserve tangible progress on both fronts". Other Members of the Canadian Parliament including Senator Peter Boehm, M.P. Garnett Genuis, M.P. Heather McPherson, and M.P. James Maloney have also spoken in support of TIU Canada and are monitoring the court case.

The Nikopol solar power plant owned by TIU Canada is on land leased from the city of Nikopol. The solar plant connects to a substation on the grounds of the NFZ. On December 23, 2019, TIU Canada received a letter from the General Director of the NFZ, that they would be disconnecting the TIU Canada connection to the grid via the substation on the grounds of the NFZ in order to make 'repairs.' The NFZ stated that they would begin the repairs after February 29, 2020, and TIU Canada immediately contacted the NFZ to seek solutions to avoid any disconnection. However, despite multiple discussions, the NFZ management and UBO's proceeded with disconnecting TIU Canada from the substation on the morning of March 2, 2020. This illegal disconnection has caused more than 1.5 million Euros of damage to TIU Canada already and increases daily. No work has been conducted for over 5 months on the substation.

The case is viewed as a test of the Zelensky's administration's commitment to protecting foreign investors. It should be noted that on July 3, 2019, while speaking to the Economic Club of Canada, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the work of TIU Canada at the Toronto Ukraine Reforms Conference. He said, "We think about the future, that is why green energy will be one of the key sectors of our economy during the upcoming years. I know that we have here Canadian company TIU that already successfully works in this area. We are grateful to them for this - please, follow their example".

Unfortunately, this court ruling is just the latest in a series of setbacks for foreign investors in Ukraine. Last year Ukraine received only $400 million in foreign direct investment due to the lack of rule of law, widespread corruption, and the Covid pandemic. The corruption situation was exacerbated last year due to a kangaroo court ruling by Ukraine's Constitutional Court which cancelled the disclosure requirements for public officials.

TIU Canada is a leading Canadian-based solar energy producer, which has been working in Ukraine since 2016. The company commissioned a 10.5 megawatt solar power plant in Nikopol, Ukraine, in January 2018, and an 13.5 megawatt solar station in the Mykolayiv region in April 2019. An additional 33 megawatts of solar power generation has been commissioned in the Odesa region, for a total of 56 megawatts nationwide. TIU Canada has invested more than $65 million in Ukrainian solar energy over the last four years and was the first investor in Ukraine under the Canadian Ukrainian Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA).

TIU Canada directly and through its subcontractors employs more than 30 people in Ukraine whose jobs are now threatened by this illegal disconnection.

__________________________

1 https://finclub.net/ua/news/sud-ponovyv-rozhliad-pozovu-na-skasuvannia-natsionalizatsii-pryvatbanku.html

2 https://ukrainian.voanews.com/a/tiu-kanada/5864300.html?fbclid=IwAR1Y1B7_Q2qtMZhuUAQ8nfTu8pORAxLQBZPyZ4tCrtHdhxwraDgIQsXxUKs

3 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/apr/15/ukraine-needs-a-pathway-to-nato-membership/

SOURCE TIU Canada

Related Links

https://tiucanada.com/


"This acquisition is exciting for the Therapy Brands family  our employees, our customers, and their patients," said Kimberly O'Loughlin, CEO of Therapy Brands. "KKR brings a deep understanding of the healthcare sector and extensive experience in scaling technology-enabled platforms. This support will help us accelerate our mission of making it easier for providers to navigate an increasingly complex administrative landscape so they can spend more time and focus on delivering improved outcomes for their clients."

"Therapy Brands is delivering enormous value to its clinicians and supporting better healthcare outcomes for patients with its high caliber portfolio of purpose-built software solutions," said Max Lin, a KKR Partner who co-leads the health care industry team for KKR's Americas Private Equity business. "We are excited to work closely with Kimberly and her team to help build enhanced solutions for the mental and behavioral healthcare market."

Founded in 2013, Therapy Brands provides end-to-end software solutions to streamline the full clinical, administrative and reimbursement workflows of healthcare professionals in multiple end markets, focused on the underserved mental and behavioral healthcare fields. Its HIPAA-compliant solution suite supports daily operations for more than 28,000 practices across the U.S., ranging from individual providers to national multi-location practice groups. Therapy Brands' solutions are purpose-built, focused squarely on improving the patient experience and decreasing the administrative burden for practitioners so they can spend more time focused on the health and well-being of their clients and businesses.

KKR made its investment in Therapy Brands primarily from its Americas XII Fund. PSG, a leading growth equity firm that focuses on partnering with middle-market software and technology-enabled service companies and existing investor in Therapy Brands, participated in the transaction alongside KKR and remains a minority shareholder in the Company. Further financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Harris Williams served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor to KKR. William Blair and TripleTree acted as financial advisors and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as legal advisor to Therapy Brands.

About Therapy Brands

At a time when the topics of digital connectivity and access to care are at the forefront of the cultural conversation in the U.S., Therapy Brands is equipping practitioners with effective solutions to address the growing needs of mental and behavioral health, substance use recovery, applied behavior analysis and rehabilitation populations. Through purpose-built, fully integrated practice management and EHR solutions provided by Therapy Brands, healthcare providers can improve patient quality of care and support better health outcomes for those they serve. Therapy Brands is headquartered in Birmingham, AL. For more information, please visit us at www.therapybrands.com

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life, and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.



PSG

PSG is a growth equity firm that partners with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities and build strong teams. Having backed more than 65 companies and facilitated over 300 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology, and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, Kansas City and London. To learn more about PSG, visit www.psgequity.com.

Media Contacts:

For KKR:

Cara Major or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner

212-750-8300

[email protected]

For Therapy Brands:

Shannon Vann

[email protected]

For PSG:

Cameron Nugent

[email protected]

SOURCE Therapy Brands

Related Links

https://www.therapybrands.com


The commercial agreement will enable Mumbai-based Macleods Pharmaceuticals to sell leronlimab (a viral-entry inhibitor in HIV/AIDS) in India following regulatory clearance

CytoDyn has also been working to resubmit its Biologics License Application (BLA) to the US FDA for a HIV-combination therapy

CytoDyn Inc ( ), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab (Vyrologix or PRO 140) for multiple therapeutic indications, has executed an exclusive supply and distribution agreement with Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd in India.

CytoDyn said the commercial agreement will enable Mumbai-based Macleods to sell leronlimab in India as a coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment following regulatory clearance.

We are delighted Macleods Pharmaceuticals reached out to CytoDyn and equally excited to reach this agreement with their team so quickly, said CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan In a statement. From the time they first contacted us about our drug, we were able to conclude this agreement within a few days. It is an honor to work with an organization so motivated to bring leronlimab to COVID-19 patients in India. Currently India has zero product approved for critically ill OVID-19 patients and we are delighted to be working toward being the first approved drug for this population."

Vijay Agarwal, a business development director at Macleods, added: We are thrilled with our recently executed exclusive supply and distribution agreement with CytoDyn. We believe there is an immediate need for leronlimab in our country, to save COVID-19 infected patients who are on ventilators. We need to bring this product to market ASAP for them!

Meanwhile, CytoDyn said that leronlimab has been studied in 11 clinical trials involving more than 1,200 people and met its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab combined with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients).

Leronlimab is a viral-entry inhibitor in HIV/AIDS. It masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T-cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Nine clinical trials have demonstrated leronlimab could significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent with fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements than currently used daily drug therapies.

CytoDyn has successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial using leronlimab combined with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients.

The company has also been working to resubmit its Biologics License Application (BLA) for this HIV combination therapy since receiving a Refusal to File letter in July 2020 and subsequently meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) telephonically to address the agency's written guidance concerning the submission.

CytoDyn said it expects to resubmit its BLA via a rolling submission starting in the third quarter of calendar year 2021.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
STOCKHOLM, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Funds advised by KLAR Partners Limited ("KLAR Partners" or "KLAR") have today completed the previously communicated acquisition of ISS Kanal Services, Switzerland's leading player within underground infrastructure maintenance ("UIM"). The company is KLAR Partners' first acquisition in Switzerland.

"We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of ISS Kanal Services. We look forward to working closely with the skilled employees and management to build Europe's leading UIM service provider," said Florian Bandel at KLAR.

ISS Kanal Services offers underground infrastructure maintenance services in a resilient market across eight locations in Switzerland. The company's services consist of UIM cleaning and maintenance through flushing and inspection, as well as UIM maintenance and repair.

For more information:

Carl Johan Falkenberg

[email protected]

+44 7918 941 391

About KLAR Partners

KLAR Partners is a European private equity firm focused on investments in companies operating in business services and light industrials. The companies in which KLAR invests each have an annual turnover of approximately EUR 50-500m and are headquartered in the Nordics, Benelux or DACH regions. With investment professionals located in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Brussels, and together with a broad international network in the industry, KLAR has a proven business model to support, develop and grow companies. KLAR's senior professionals have worked together for many years and have more than 50 years of combined investment experience in KLAR's industry-specific and geographical focus area. KLAR Partners is a signatory of United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. More information about KLAR can be found on the company's website at www.klarpartners.com.

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SOURCE KLAR Partners
BOSTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Klaviyo , a leading customer data and marketing automation platform, today announced that it has raised a $320 million Series D round of funding.

The round was led by new investor Sands Capital. Other new investors include Counterpoint Global (Morgan Stanley), Whale Rock Capital Management, ClearBridge Investments, Lone Pine Capital, Owl Rock Capital, Glynn Capital, and Keith Block (former co-CEO of Salesforce), with participation from existing investors Accel and Summit Partners. Following the company's $200 million Series C financing in November 2020, this new financing valued the company at $9.15 billion on a pre-money basis and brings Klaviyo's total funding to date to over $675 million.

Klaviyo's platform provides powerful data analytics that enable online businesses to develop and nurture one-to-one relationships with their customersat internet scale. By applying AI and machine learning to pull in customer data, the platform generates audience insights and automates and customizes relevant communications, advertising and marketing campaigns. For further ease of use, Klaviyo's software integrates with leading ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Stripe, and WooCommerce.

From day one, Klaviyo has focused on marketing, data and messaging to give people and businesses ownership and agency over their communication and relationship with their customers. As the company has expanded its offerings to include SMS and benchmarking, the platform now acts as the infrastructure a business or organization needs to deliver personalized experiences at scale through software -- without needing to rely on big tech players and marketplaces.

"The bill of goods that's being sold is that you need third-party data and third-party infrastructure to be successful, and that's simply not true," said Andrew Biaecki, co-founder and CEO of Klaviyo. "There's a different way to grow, where you can be an independently successful business without relying on the big ad platforms and marketplaces."

"Email and SMS are the most direct channels there are," continued Bialecki. "We believe that at the end of the day, owning relationships with consumers will help businesses become closer to their customers, more durable, and more profitable. And that's not only a better way of doing business -- it's the next era of digital relationships. The next 20 years will be defined by owned relationships -- not third parties."

Klaviyo's customer base doubled over the past 12 months and the company now serves over 70,000 paying customers, a more than 110% increase from 2019 -- ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, in more than 120 countries.

Klaviyo plans to use the latest funding to further its growth through product development, increased marketing and sales, hiring, and expansion into new international regions and verticals. The company has more than doubled its employee count in the past year to 800 and plans to hire 500 more employees this year. The funding also allows the company more flexibility to evaluate other opportunities that align with its mission and vision for the future.

"Klaviyo has become the standard for how many online businesses are interacting with their customers, empowering an all-around better way of doing business and redefining what it takes for them to achieve independent success," said Michael Clarke, Managing Director at Sands Capital. "We are extremely excited to start a long-term partnership with the team at Klaviyo as they further grow their powerful, yet easy to use software platform that customers love."

About Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a world-leading marketing automation platform dedicated to accelerating revenue and customer connection for online businesses. Klaviyo makes it easy to store, access, analyze and use transactional and behavioral data to power highly-targeted customer and prospect communications. The company's hybrid customer-data and marketing-platform model allows companies to grow by fostering direct relationships with customers, without giving up their valuable data to popular big-tech ad platforms. Over 265,000 innovative companies like Unilever, Custom Ink, Living Proof and Huckberry sell more with Klaviyo. Learn more at www.klaviyo.com .

SOURCE Klaviyo

Related Links

https://www.klaviyo.com


Mining Industry Veteran Tengiz Bolturuk Named as General Manager

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Akylbek Japarov, Member of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic and Chairman of the State Commission created by resolution of the Jogorku Kenesh on February 17, 2021 (the "State Commission"), today announced that the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (the "Government") has initiated a legal process to enable it to assume control of the operations of Kumtor Mine for a period of three months, effective immediately. Kumtor has been operated by Kumtor Gold Company ("KGC"), a subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc. ("Centerra") (TSX: CG) (NYSE:CGAU), under an agreement established with the Government in 2009.

The Government has had a number of concerns relating to the operation of Kumtor, including its safety record, waste management and other environmental practices. The Jogorku Kenesh appointed the State Commission to conduct a thorough investigation of these concerns. The State Commission has presented its interim findings to the Jogorku Kenesh, and concluded that a temporary assumption of control of Kumtor was warranted.

In the course of this investigation and related inquiries, the Government recently learned of new issues that require immediate resolution. Specifically, it has been learned that suppliers to Kumtor have been instructed to suspend deliveries of materials essential to the continuing operations of the mine. Of even greater urgency, the Government has learned of the external disabling of critical sensors whose purpose is to monitor the stability of the mine and the movement of nearby glaciers. The shutdown of these sensors creates significant danger to the health and safety of Kumtor employees.

On Sunday, May 16, authorities sent a letter to Centerra seeking clarification on the issues noted above and requesting immediate corrective action, but have not received a response. Urgent attempts to reach the Kumtor Mine management team have been unsuccessful, and it has been learned that they left the country some time ago.

Given that the actions noted above made continued operation of the mine unsafe, the Government was forced to exercise its legal right to establish temporary control over management of the Kumtor Mine. Accordingly, and consistent with relevant legislation, the Government has appointed a qualified and competent team to assume responsibility for the mine to restore normal operations.

This decision is designed to accomplish the following objectives:

1) Reinstate proper monitoring systems and procedures to protect the life and safety of mine employees;

2) Fill the void that has been left by the departure from Kyrgyzstan of the Kumtor Mine management team; and

3) Return the mine to a state of normal operations which was interrupted by Centerra's actions.

Mr. Tengiz Bolturuk has been appointed as general manager at Kumtor. Mr. Bolturuk is a professional engineer with more than three decades of experience in the mining industry. He has worked on mining projects spanning four continents, including one year as Mill Foreman at Kumtor. He holds a B.Sc. in Mineral Processing and an M.Sc. in Metallurgy. Mr. Bolturuk served as a Director of Centerra beginning in December 2020, until resigning from that role on May 17, 2021.

"We were disappointed to learn of Centerra's abdication of its fundamental duties of care related to operation of Kumtor," said Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the State Commission. "It was our hope that Centerra would continue to work with us to resolve the longstanding issues at Kumtor. When Centerra declined to respond to our request to return the mine to normal and safe operation, we were forced to take these steps in order to protect the workers and the continuity of Kumtor, which is of strategic importance to the Kyrgyz Republic."

On May 16, 2021, Centerra announced that it has initiated binding arbitration to resolve disputes relating to the operation of Kumtor.

"We were surprised that Centerra has taken the drastic step of initiating an arbitration process, rather than responding to our letter and engaging constructively to resolve our issues in a way that can benefit all parties," said Mr. Japarov. "We look forward to reviewing the arbitration filing to understand what they consider to be the basis for initiating this process."

SOURCE Akylbek Japarov
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Latinas in Business Inc. invites all entrepreneurs to attend the 2021 Women Entrepreneur Empowerment Summit (WEES), a unique conference that gathers successful Latinas and other minority women entrepreneurs in the region to Learn. Connect. Succeed!

The conference takes place on June 10, 2021 from 1:30pm to 6:30pm in our Virtual Space, followed by the Latina Leaders Awards from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at co-host Live Site Berkeley College's Mid-Manhattan Campus. Registration is now open is https://2021wees.eventbrite.com/.

Latinas in Business Inc.

"We are excited to deliver our first hybrid event since the pandemic began, a significant change from the solely-virtual events of the past year, to bring a sense of normalcy to our audience. We are very grateful to Berkeley College, a Hispanic-serving institution in NYC, for co-hosting this event" said Susana G Baumann, President and CEO, Latinas in Business Inc.

It's your time to THRIVE!

The 2021 theme, "THRIVE! Imperatives Shaping the Future of Women Entrepreneurs," is reflective of the changes and trends generated by the COVID19 pandemic. Latinas in Business Inc. brings together corporations, minority women entrepreneurs, and students to take advantage of tools and insights that will propel you and your business forward to THRIVE in the "new normal."

"We selected 3 areas in which most women entrepreneurs have struggled with during the pandemic: personal power, financial wellness, and business innovation." Baumann explained.

Just as their past events featured inspirational guest speakers such as Nathalie Molina Nino, First Lady of New Jersey Tammy S. Murphy, and celebrity designer and founder, Cenia New York, this year's conference features inspiring Keynote speakers, peer-to-peer networking sessions, and a surprise Guest Speaker.

Highlights of the Conference include:

Personal Power, Financial Wellness, and Business Innovation: Deep-dive workshops discuss the essentials for personal and business development.

Deep-dive workshops discuss the essentials for personal and business development. THRIVE! Women Turning Adversity into Success : Three inspiring women entrepreneurs will share their journeys to success while fighting the odds of being a woman and reinventing themselves during the pandemic.

: Three inspiring women entrepreneurs will share their journeys to success while fighting the odds of being a woman and reinventing themselves during the pandemic. THRIVE! Enlisting Men's Support to Expand your Networks: Three national leaders will share how women entrepreneurs can recruit them to expand and grow their businesses and networks.

Three national leaders will share how women entrepreneurs can recruit them to expand and grow their businesses and networks. Peer-to- Peer Networking Sessions : Will allow participants to exchange experiences and innovation that they have used to advance their businesses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

12 successful Latinas will be awarded for excelling at growing their businesses or building their communities during the Latina Leaders Awards Ceremony. The LIVE segment will be broadcasted to all virtual audience from Berkeley College in NYC.

Join us for this must-attend event where Latinas in Business Inc. will help you gain the tools, insights, and resources that will move business forward in post COVID-19 world, not only to recover but to THRIVE!

For registration: https://2021wees.eventbrite.com/

About Latinas in Business Inc

Latinas in Business Inc. is national non-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization that advocates for the economic empowerment of Latinas and other minority women entrepreneurs. Based in New Jersey, it provides branding, marketing, advertising and editorial services through a quality digital platform, digital marketing content, social media campaigns and educational and promotional events. Latinas in Business Inc. provides the space for over 1,800 Latina and other minority women-owned small business members to gain national exposure and marketing opportunities for the products and services they offer.

For media inquiries: Ashley Hayes, [email protected] or 848-238-6090

SOURCE Latinas in Business Inc.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lentechs, a clinical-stage ophthalmic medical device company developing a new generation of soft, suspended contact lens, designed to transform the treatment paradigm for presbyopia, today announced progress in its clinical program. The first patients have been enrolled in the Company's milestone clinical trials LEN101 and LEN102 and fit with its investigational contact lens APIOC (pronunciation: APEEOCK).

Presbyopia is a natural part of aging characterized by a gradual loss of the eyes' ability to focus on objects up close.1 This clinical progress furthers the Company's mission of reimagining vision for the 120 million people in the United States and 2 billion worldwide who have presbyopia and are faced with correction options that force a visual compromise, leading most to choose glasses over a preference for contact lenses.2,3 APIOC employs a mechanism of action like no other soft contact lens. APIOC's breakthrough design leverages a unique, anatomically inspired feature that allows for free eye movement behind a rotationally stable lens. With the lens suspended from behind the upper eyelid, APIOC is designed to allow a wearer to adjust their gaze by moving their eyes up and down behind the lens, for exceptional vision correction at all distances. It is the result of a long-term collaboration between Melissa D. Bailey, OD, PhD, and Joseph T. Barr, OD, MS, two of the co-founders of Lentechs.

"Enrolling patients in our two milestone clinical trials for APIOC is a tremendous achievement for the Lentechs team," said President and Chief Executive Officer of Lentechs, Mr. Robin G. Sears. "It marks a culmination of research and development efforts as we've worked to engineer and optimize a completely new generation of soft, suspended contact lens, launching first for presbyopia, with additional solutions for single vision correction soon to follow. Simultaneously, we are focused on preparing our team for the commercial launch of APIOC in select US markets in early 2022."

Lentechs board member and former Global President, Vision Care for Bausch and Lomb and former Johnson & Johnson Vision executive, Peter Valenti added, "APIOC is a potential game-changer for optometrists and patients. The presbyopia segment offers an enormous opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and drive business growth for Eyecare Professionals (ECPs)."

While not a requirement for regulatory approval, the two clinical trials will deliver visual acuity and comfort data to ECPs in an effort to instill confidence in prescribing a new brand of soft contact lens. LEN101 aims to show how APIOC's unique mechanism of action will help ECPs bridge the gap between the 70-percent of people with presbyopia that wish to wear contact lenses and the 14-percent who actually do.3,4 The clinical trials are scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

About Lentechs

Lentechs, LLC is a privately held, clinical-stage ophthalmic medical device company, focused on developing a new generation of soft, suspended contact lens. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Lentechs is backed by a network of investors who are truly committed to revolutionary innovation in contact lenses. Learn more about Lentechs by visiting: https://www.lentechs.com/



Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain information that might be considered forward-looking statements. These statements may include those about lens design, expected performance, regulatory approval, launch timing, and ECP and consumer demand. Such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future product or company performance.



1 Mayo Clinic. Accessed May 2021. Presbyopia. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/presbyopia/symptoms-causes/syc-20363328..

2 Review of Optometric Business. 2013. Presbyopia Expected to Impact Billions Worldwide. Retrieved from: https://www.reviewob.com/presbyopia-expected-to-impact-billions-worldwide-3/

3 Rueff & Bailey, Presbyopic and Non-Presbyopic Contact Lens Opinions and Vision Correction Preferences, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Volume 40, Issue 5, P323-328, October 01, 2017.

4 Data on file, Lentechs. APIOC Concept, Quantitative Market Research Study, June 2020.

SOURCE Lentechs
Engaging community-based health care sector to increase food security

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - The Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security ("The Centre") today announced that it is investing $450,000 over three years to be a core partner of Nourish, an initiative launched by the McConnell Foundation. Through this investment, the Centre seeks to work collaboratively to advance food security through engaging the resources and assets of the Canadian health care sector.

"Reducing food insecurity requires public policies that address root causes, while community-based programs increase the accessibility and affordability of healthy food," said Lynda Kuhn, Chair of the Centre. "Less than 25% of people who face food insecurity access emergency food services. At the same time, the health care sector is increasingly recognizing the impact of 'social determinants of health', including food insecurity, and the opportunity to improve health outcomes through engaging in broader community-based intervention.

While the Centre seeks to advocate for structural solutions, we are exploring partnership opportunities that meet the needs of vulnerable Canadians by connecting them to food, health and other financial and social services.

"Action to make food central to health and address persistent food insecurity rates at scale is a critical area of intervention for Nourish. This requires a multi-stakeholder approach and we believe that health care has a key role to play," said Nourish Co-Director, Hayley Lapalme. "By supporting health care organizations and leaders, we equip collaborators with new ways of thinking, catalyze innovation, and reimagine what food in health settings can look like. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security."

Nourish works with the health care sector to spread and deepen innovations that use the power of food to build health for people and the planet. By bringing together leaders from the health, community, institutional and policy sectors, Nourish has created a national community of practice empowering leadership in climate action and health equity. Through Anchor Cohorts, Nourish is supporting health care and community partnerships across Canada to use food as a lever for change to combat food insecurity and build community resilience.

About the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security

The Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security (the Centre) is a registered charity committed to working collaboratively to reduce food insecurity in Canada by 50% by 2030. The Centre advocates for critical public policies and invests in knowledge building and food-based programs that advance the capacity of people and communities to achieve sustainable food security. The Centre was created in 2016 and is governed by a board of directors, including four independent experts.

SOURCE The Maple Leaf Centre For Action On Food Security

Related Links

https://www.feedopportunity.com/


SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mapp, international provider of insight-led customer experience, announced the appointment of Ricardas Montvila as Vice President Global Strategy today. In his new position, Ricardas is responsible for the company's international Go-to-Market and Product Strategy. As a marketing expert with a proven track record, he will oversee Global Pre-Sales and Corporate Development & Research.

As Vice President Global Strategy, Ricardas Montvila's new responsibilities include the creation and alignment of strategic sales and marketing plans, including the development of segments and applications as well as the implementation of new ideas and processes. He now also has responsibility for internal knowledge management and consulting and works closely with the international New Business, Customer Success, Marketing and Product Management teams to develop successful outreach strategies, market positioning and product vision.

Ricardas Montvila has been working within the industry for over ten years and is a specialist in data-driven marketing, digital customer activation, analytics, personalization, and automation. In 2010, he started his career at Mapp as an Account Manager and continued to grow through the ranks. As a Senior Global Strategy Director, he orchestrated the strategy behind the acquisition of Webtrekk and shaped the vision for Insight-led Customer Experience platform that Mapp Cloud is today. Most recently, he launched the international community for marketers, Improve Your Marketing.

Steve Warren, CEO Mapp, comments on the promotion: "Ric's expertise perfectly complements our global leadership team. In his new role, he will be responsible for our strategy development and international execution to further strengthen Mapp's position as the leading provider of insight-led customer experience. At the same time, he will continue to drive our digital marketing platform and its capabilities forwards."

Ricardas Montvila adds: "It is an absolute pleasure working with such talented and driven leadership team. It truly is remarkable what we have been able to achieve not only in terms our business performance, but also in the capabilities we have been able to deliver for marketers to help them become insight-driven. The feedback from customers experiencing Mapp Cloud for the first time and excitement and passion of the Customer Success Management, Sales and Pre-Sales teams alone is a testament to the great work we are doing."

About Mapp

Marketers and data specialists should be able to focus on what will make a difference for their business, instead of spending all their time taming the technology behind it. With the insight-led customer experience platform Mapp Cloud, they can focus on what really counts  and the exciting insights that come with it. Thanks to customer intelligence and marketing analytics, companies can easily and effectively gain data-driven customer insights across all channels in order to trigger highly personalized marketing activities. Customers benefit from AI-supported forecasting models that enable targeted and self-optimizing cross-channel campaigns. Automated messages are sent via the most suitable marketing channel, at the right time, with the optimal contact frequency. Thanks to advanced one-to-one personalization, the highest levels of engagement and long-term customer loyalty are achieved.

Mapp has global offices in seven countries. Mapp's digital marketing platform helps more than 3,000 companies break away from the pack by uncovering missed opportunities, including Argos, Ella's Kitchen, Expert, Freesat, Lloyds Banking Group, MyToys, Pepsico, Quint and The Entertainer.

Press contact:

PR Agency: The PR Network

Jonathan Lenz

+44 (0)77953 74423

[email protected]

www.thepr.network

Mapp Digital

Harald Oberhofer

+49 30 755 415 120

[email protected]

www.mapp.com

SOURCE Mapp

Related Links

mapp.com


In winning 2021 Agency of the Year honors, McCann New York brought home a total of 9 awards at the show: 3 Webby Awards (Mastercard) and 6 "People's Voice" Awards (Six Degrees Foundation, Mastercard). McCann Health New York added 1 additional Webby for Change the Ref.

"We are very proud to win this honor at the Webbys that recognize the impact of our innovative creative work from so many of our agencies with so many of our client partners, and to see the most-awarded work come from some of our biggest clients," said Bill Kolb, Chairman and CEO, McCann Worldgroup. "I want to thank the leadership of our incredibly diverse and talented creative teams, and, most importantly, our brave and risk-taking clients, for joining together to produce work that moves their businesses forward. And I want to recognize McCann New York for its incredible performance."

McCann Worldgroup offices in 6 cities contributed to the honors: New York, London, Warsaw, Dubai, San Francisco and Sao Paulo. Altogether, every McCann Worldgroup agency  McCann, MRM, Momentum, McCann Health and Craft Worldwide  were recognized at the show.

The network was recognized with a total of 8 Webby Awards: McCann New York, Mastercard (3 Winners); McCann London, Adidas & JD (2 Winners); McCann Poland, Storytel; McCann Health New York, Change the Ref; FP7//McCann Dubai, Mastercard.

McCann Worldgroup also won the popular online vote with 9 "People's Voice" Webby awards: McCann New York, Six Degrees Foundation (4 Winners); McCann New York, Mastercard (2 Winners); 215 McCann San Francisco, Xbox; FP7//McCann Dubai, Home Centre; WMcCann Sao Paulo, Banco do Brasil.

In addition to the awards won at the show, the network received an additional 14 award nominations, plus 27 honoree recognitions; in total, the network was honored across 26 different agencies in 14 countries for 31 different clients.

The Webby honors continue McCann Worldgroup's industry-leading awards performance that includes recognition by Adweek as the 2019 Global Agency of the Year, Network of the Year at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival, ranking #1 on the 2019 Global Effie Effectiveness Index as well as the #1 advertising agency network for creative effectiveness in the 2020 WARC Effective 100 rankings.

About McCann Worldgroup

McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global marketing solutions network whose professionals are united across 100+ countries by a single vision: To help brands earn a meaningful role in people's lives. McCann Worldgroup was named "Global Agency of The Year" by Adweek magazine, "Network of the Year" by the Cannes Lions, the world's most creatively-effective marketing services company by the Effie Awards (for three consecutive years), "Global Network of the Year" by Campaign Magazine and "Network of The Year" by The Webby Awards. Fast Company named McCann Worldgroup to its list of The World's Most Innovative Companies. The network comprises McCann (advertising), MRM (science/technology/relationship marketing), Momentum Worldwide (total brand experience), McCann Health (professional/dtc communications), CRAFT (production), Weber Shandwick (public relations) and FutureBrand (consulting/design).

SOURCE McCann Worldgroup

Related Links

http://www.mccannworldgroup.com


TUKWILA, Wash., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of fruitless negotiations and a unanimous strike authorization vote, the situation between the members of Teamsters Local 174 and the Seattle School District that employs them has reached a boiling point. The two sides met today with a PERC mediator to attempt to resolve outstanding issues and reach a satisfactory contract proposal, but that mediation has so far not resolved the issues and the workers appear to be on the brink of a strike. Teamsters Local 174 is informing the public about this situation due to the potential for disruption to students attending school in the District.

The main sticking point preventing a contract from being reached is the Seattle School District's refusal to value the work their employees perform  work that has proven to be dangerous, as the workgroup of 15 truck drivers has already experienced two COVID-19 outbreaks. Despite the risks of the job, the group has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to make sure that the most vulnerable children in our society continue to get fed and educated.

"Enough is enough  it's time for the Seattle School District to get serious about showing they appreciate the hardworking Teamsters who risk their health day after day to take care of Seattle schoolchildren," said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. "The current log jam could be easily rectified if management demonstrated to our members that they value the work they perform. It would be a major inconvenience to the families of the Seattle School District if they force us to take this fight to the street in the form of a work stoppage. I hope it does not come to that, but our members are not going to back down and settle for less than they deserve."

Now that a strike has been authorized by the members, one can be called at any time. If a Teamster picket line were to be extended to any Seattle School District schools, First Student school bus drivers would have the right to refuse to cross the picket line.

Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.

Contact:

Jamie Fleming, (425) 281-0166

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org


HAMILTON, N.J., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Indicators, Inc., the largest manufacturer of clinically-accurate single-use thermometers in the world, announces the launch of their blog in an effort to educate, inform, and connect with industry partners, medical personnel, and most importantly, the customers they serve. The site will provide information on recent news, upcoming events, insights from industry experts, and the latest market developments in the medical device and healthcare sectors.

For more than 35 years, Medical Indicators has been a global leader in the single-use medical device arena, supplying their American-made thermometers to more than 30 countries around the world. "Our focus has always been to serve the needs of our customers by manufacturing thermometers that ensure the safety and well-being of patients and the providers who care for them," said Joel Welde, Medical Indicators' Chief Executive Officer. "And our blog will continue that commitment by providing readers with timely, relevant, and exciting news on emerging technologies, developing trends, and the business of innovation in healthcare."

Medical Indicators' single-use thermometers, including NexTemp, NexTemp Ultra, TempaDOT, and TraxIt, feature an innovative and proprietary chemistry system that utilizes heat-sensitive crystals to provide the most accurate temperature reading available on the market today. They are individually wrapped and intended to be disposed of after use, virtually eliminating the risk of spreading germs and infections.

"Our thermometers meet or exceed even the highest accuracy and quality control standards," said Welde, "which is why top physicians, national health systems, government agencies, and teaching institutions worldwide trust our thermometers to provide highly-accurate clinical readings, while also preventing patients, their families, and healthcare providers from exposure to infections."



Medical Indicators, Inc. (MII) is a privately-held medical device manufacturer of clinically-accurate, single-use thermometers. Since its inception in 1984, MII has been based in and manufacturing all of their thermometers at their corporate headquarters in New Jersey. MII is dedicated to excellence and innovation in the design and manufacturing of advanced tools for better patient care and strives to be the world leader in the design, development, and marketing of clinically accurate single-use thermometers.

Media Contact:

Kelly O'Malley

T: 609.737.1600 ext. 218

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Medical Indicators

Related Links

http://medicalindicators.com/


Editor's Note: Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has worked with all other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which has boosted confidence and added impetus for development of Asia and the world. For the celebration of the 100th funding anniversary of the CPC, we are launching the CPC in eyes of foreign military students series, viewing China and CPC from the perspective of foreign soldiers.

By Kane Adama

I had developed an indissoluble bond with China before I set foot on Chinese soil.

Bamako, the capital of Mali, is where I live. The wide and calm Niger River runs through Bamako and divides the city into two parts connected by the majestic Bamako Third Bridge spanning the Niger River. My home and workplace are on the opposite sides of the river. For work, I have to cross the Bamako Third Bridge every day, which makes the bridge very familiar to me. The municipal construction and economic development of Bamako have also greatly benefited from the bridge. Being a China-aid project, the bridge has another name, the China-Mali Friendship Bridge. In this way, China appeared to me as a friendly country in cooperation with Mali.

In 2019, I came to China and received training at the PLA Army Logistics University. The friendliness of the Chinese people around me made me feel so familiar. In class the instructors would always listern to our opinions about the teaching contents and exchanged views with us foreign military students on an equal and friendly basis.

Such deep-rooted friendliness comes from the consistent sense of internationalism carried on by the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is the CPC that led the Chinese people to fight against oppression and aggression, and establish a New China. From pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace to building a community with a shared future for mankind, the CPC has always demonstrated a profound sense of internationalism. Since its founding 100 years ago, the CPC has been sticking to the pursuit of happiness for the Chinese people, rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and also the common good for the world, thus making notable contributions to human civilization and progress.

To unite against oppression and discrimination is the common aspiration of the African people. Last year, an African-American named George Floyd was killed by a US policeman who pressed his knee into Floyds neck as Floyd said he couldnt breathe, which led to Floyd's death. This incident shocked the world. I could empathize with the pain brought by oppression and discrimination.

But in China, I feel totally different. While promoting its own national economic development, China also assists Mali in industrial development, for example, China built sugar factories for Mali, and sent experts to Mali to teach local people sugarcane planting techniques. In addition, various China-aid infrastructures can be seen on the African continent, which has helped greatly in developing local economy and improving local people's livelihood. My personal experience with China has shown me the true connotation of friendly exchanges. All countries can completely abandon discrimination and oppression and pursue common development that rises above differences over ideologies and values.

Equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are not only derived from the traditional thinking of the Chinese nation but also from the sense of internationalism of the CPC. Although the times are different, this sense remains the same. The exchanges between China and African countries are sincere and pragmatic. I believe that China and Africa will join hands to achieve win-win cooperation and write more stories about China-Africa friendly cooperation in the future.

(This article is based on an interview by the PLA Daily with Captain Kane Adama assigned to Malian Armed Forces, who had once studied at China's PLA Army Logistics University.)
The product has been developed to lower stress and discomfort in pig herds and reduce tail biting which can impact the commercial value of animals at slaughter.

First sales expected in Europe and Latin America during H2 CY2021.

( ) (FRA:1X8) has finalised the development of anibidiol swine, a new and innovative hemp flour and oat bran based complementary feed product to support stress reduction and wellbeing of pigs reared indoors and outdoors.

The new product marks another step in the companys strategic portfolio expansion and provides Creso with an entry point into the livestock market.

Creso will begin marketing the product to farmers and breeders through its established partners and distributors in the animal health space.

Access into another lucrative vertical

Creso commercial and development director Dr. Gian Trepp said: anibidiol swine was developed to address the large need expressed by farmers for an effective, natural and plant-based complementary feed to support the reduction of stress and swine tail biting.

The development follows considerable work undertaken by the Creso Pharma team and we are very pleased to have this product ready for launch on a global basis.

We anticipate that the launch will provide access into another lucrative vertical for the Company and contribute to the companys growing revenue streams.

Reducing pig stress and tail biting

The company has developed anibidiol swine to address the problem of tail biting in pig herds, which is a common problem and can result in lesions that may decrease the value of the animal at slaughter.

According to experts, a common cause of tail biting in pigs is the feeling of stress or discomfort, with the action diverting the animals attention.

Reports have shown a positive impact when using hemp plants to reduce pig stress and tail biting.

Creso began developing anibidiol swine in March 2020, following concerns expressed by farmers and the product is Swiss made in line with the European Feed Catalogue.

anibidiol swine represents an important strategic portfolio expansion providing Creso with entry into another lucrative area beyond its existing reach in the household pet market.

Marketing strategy

The company will begin marketing the product to farmers and breeders through its established partners and distributors in the animal health space.

Its initial focus will be on Europe and Latin American markets and the first sales are expected with vets, livestock feed shops and online during H2 CY2021.

The livestock and swine feed market provide a very lucrative opportunity for Creso.

Notably, the swine feed market is projected to grow to US$148.17 billion by 2027 with a population of over 150 million pigs in Europe and 67 million pigs in Latin America.
PORTLAND, Maine, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MedRhythms, a digital therapeutics company building direct stimulation solutions that use clinical-grade sensors, software and music to help restore function lost to neurologic disease or injury, today announced the launch of a clinical trial, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), that will study MR-004, MedRhythms' multiple sclerosis (MS) asset. This groundbreaking trial was funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and will be the first neuroimaging study aimed at elucidating the impacts of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on MS walking impairments. It expands on the research that is being conducted with MR-004 in a clinical trial with Cleveland Clinic that was announced in 2020.

The trial will be led at MGH by Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Eric Klawiter and Dr. Ron Hirschberg, and will be a randomized crossover trial looking at the impacts of MR-004, a digital therapeutic that digitizes Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation, on functional outcomes such as gait speed as well as neuroimaging compared to standard of care. "Looking at the underlying functional connectivity via MRI will shed new light onto the understanding of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation and its applications for gait training in multiple sclerosis," said Dr. Eric Klawiter, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Unit at MGH.

Approximately 400,000 people in the United States have MS, and around 10,000 additional people are diagnosed with MS every year. Research has shown that over 80 percent of people with MS have a walking impairment, such as decreased speed and quality of walking, but there are few solutions that improve these deficits. Improving walking speed and quality are important goals, as they are tied to independence and enhanced quality of life. Specifically, gait speed research has shown that every 0.01 m/s increase in walking speed corresponds to a 7% decrease in fall risk.

"Previous studies have demonstrated the positive impacts of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on gait training in people with multiple sclerosis, and this study is an exciting advancement of these previous clinical trials," said Brian Harris, the CEO and co-founder of MedRhythms. "As a new treatment in healthcare, it is important that rigorous evidence be developed to support the intervention. We are excited to be advancing the science that supports Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation and digital therapeutics as we enter into this novel and important study."

This announcement follows MedRhythms' recent announcements about the initiation of their clinical trial of their asset MR-005 in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the initiation of a clinical trial of their asset MR-010 in acute stroke.

About MedRhythms

MedRhythms, a privately held company headquartered in Portland, ME, is a digital therapeutics company that uses sensors, music, and software to build evidence-based, neurologic interventions to measure and improve walking. MedRhythms is dedicated to developing direct stimulation digital therapeutics, meaning that each therapeutic provides, via prescription music, direct stimulation to enable the mechanism of action in each relevant population. The company has an active pipeline of prescription digital therapeutics targeting rehabilitation and prevention in areas of neurologic injury and disease. The MedRhythms team has extensive experience in rehabilitation techniques utilizing music. The company has roots as a therapy services company that launched out of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which the U.S. News & World Report named the No. 2 ranked rehabilitation hospital in the country. To learn more, visit: www.medrhythms.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

THIS MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY CONTAINS CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO THE COMPANY THAT ARE BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO US AS OF THE DATE HEREOF. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE COMPANY'S BELIEFS, DESIGNS, ANTICIPATION, AIMS, GOALS, EXPECTATIONS AND POTENTIAL RESULTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. IN ADDITION, THE WORDS "WILL," "MAY," "BELIEVE," "ANTICIPATE," "INTEND," "ESTIMATE," "EXPECT," "PROJECT," "PLAN," "SHOULD," "COULD," AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS, AND THEIR VARIATIONS AND NEGATIVES, AS THEY RELATE TO THE COMPANY OR THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY, ARE INTENDED TO IDENTIFY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. SUCH FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES, ASSUMPTIONS AND OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE THE COMPANY'S ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. THIS MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY SPEAKS ONLY AS OF THE DATE HEREOF AND THE COMPANY DOES NOT UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THIS COMMENTARY IN THE FUTURE.

SOURCE MedRhythms

Related Links

https://www.medrhythms.com/


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 18th Annual MIT Sloan CIO Symposium today announced that Vipin Gupta, CIO, Toyota Financial Services (TFS), is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award . Over the past fourteen years, the Award has recognized Chief Information Officers (CIOs) who lead their organizations to deliver exemplary levels of business value through innovative use of IT.

"After much deliberation, the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Awards Committee is pleased to present the 2021 CIO Leadership Award to Vipin Gupta, CIO of Toyota Financial Services (TFS)," said George Westerman, Award co-chair. "Vipin exemplifies the empowerment of digital experiences for their stakeholders using innovative digital factories and business solutions to move their enterprise to the next level."

As CIO, Mr. Gupta leads all aspects of digital transformation, information technology and security. Before joining Toyota, he served as EVP and CIO for KeyBank's Retail and Private Banking business, where he led customer-focused digital transformation at speed. Mr. Gupta has been recognized for his results-oriented leadership. CIO Magazine recognized him as 'One to Watch', a 'Standout Winner in Innovation' and a 'CIO 100 Honoree'.

"I'm incredibly honored to receive the prestigious MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award and grateful to the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium for recognizing our innovative solutions," said Vipin Gupta, Toyota Financial Services Chief Information Officer. "Our success would not have been possible without the outstanding work of our teams across Toyota Financial Services that are transforming our organization into a multi-brand, mobility-finance-as-a service business. We are steadfast in our focus to empower digital experiences for our customers and dealers using groundbreaking, agile digital factories and innovative business solutions. I'd like to express my gratitude to every person on our team as this award is an acknowledgement of our collective enterprise excellence in harnessing the power of digital, every day."

Dr. Westerman presented the award to Mr. Vipin at a digital panel at The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium on May 18. The four other distinguished Award finalists were Marina Bellini, Chief Information and Digital Officer and Director, Digital and Information, BAT; Anupam Khare, SVP and CIO, Oshkosh Corporation; Bryson Koehler, CTO, Equifax; and Pertisth Mankotia, CIO, Sheela Foam Limited.

About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is a premier global conference that brings together a unique community of MIT academic leaders, CIOs, digital technology executives, and industry experts, enabling them to be more effective leaders. The Symposium offers an environment for engaging discussions where the best in-the-trenches business practices, technology innovations, actionable insights, and new ideas can be shared and debated. The Symposium is organized by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association. For more information and to register for this year's Symposium, visit www.mitcio.com.

Editor's Note:

Journalists should contact Sadie Smith ( [email protected] 717-298-1865) at Warner Communications.

SOURCE MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

Related Links

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GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Canna Labs, an industry leader in cannabis quality control testing, has announced that it will be opening an additional testing facility in Gainesville, Florida, in the summer of 2021. The strategic opening of this 11,300-square-foot laboratory will allow Modern Canna to better serve Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) and licensed hemp producers across the state of Florida. "We understand the importance of scaling operations in such a high-demand market. This new facility gives us (Modern Canna) the ability to handle higher volumes of work while providing faster turnaround times for our Florida clients," said George Fernandez, founder and CEO of Modern Canna.

Testing Analyst for Modern Canna Labs

Modern Canna has built a trusted reputation in the state of Florida since medical marijuana was legalized in 2016. "Our primary focus has always been on producing quality data. We really took the time to perfect our testing methods and internal systems to ensure verifiable, reproducible, and legally defensive results. Providers come to us when they want true analytical data  when they really need a problem solved  and we take great pride in that," Fernandez continued. "Now, our attention has shifted towards optimizing turnaround times and expanding our presence, statewide and nationwide."

The Gainesville facility will be equipped with high-throughput instrumentation to help meet the testing demands of the Florida marketplace. Modern Canna is headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, 130 miles south of Gainesville. "Twenty-three thousand square feet of combined lab testing space between our Lakeland and Gainesville facilities will, ultimately, allow us to provide better support to our clients who, in turn, will be able to distribute products to medical marijuana patients more efficiently.

"We are very excited about this decision  there is a lot to like about the city of Gainesville and we can't wait to be a part of its continued growth," Fernandez went on to say.

MORE ABOUT MODERN CANNA:

Modern Canna was the first laboratory in the state of Florida to test medical cannabis and has over five decades of experience managing industry-leading commercial testing labs. Modern Canna is ISO 17025 accredited and, currently, the only Leafly Certified Lab Partner in the Southeastern United States. For more information and for press inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Related Images

modern-canna-labs-in-gainesville.jpeg

Modern Canna Labs in Gainesville, Florida

Testing Analyst for Modern Canna Labs

SOURCE Modern Canna Labs
ATLANTA, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MoistureShield, a division of Oldcastle APG, a CRH company, partnered with My Deck of Flemington, NJ and Holloway Company of Dulles, VA, on two award-winning decks in the NADRA National+ Deck Competition. MoistureShield won first place with Holloway Company in the Dock Category and placed third with My Deck in the Manufacturer's Category. The North American Deck and Railing Association's 11th Annual Awards Celebration was held on April 22, 2021 in Clearwater, FL.

NADRA's National+ Deck Competition was open to pro deck builder members from across the United States and Canada, with finalists chosen by an esteemed panel of building professionals.

"We are very proud of our winning deck builder partners, who demonstrate how creativity and functionality come together in these MoistureShield applications," said Matthew Bruce, Vice President of Sales, MoistureShield. "Both winning projects demonstrate MoistureShield's unique attributes: CoolDeck to alleviate heat on a deck in direct sun and the high moisture environment of a dock."

For its first place dock project, the Holloway Company created a unique lily pad-shaped dock using MoistureShield Vision with unique CoolDeck Technology. CoolDeck reduces heat absorption by up to 35% compared to composite boards in a similar color. Perfect for docks, MoistureShield's Solid Core manufacturing process allows it to be installed in ground contact or submerged under water.

My Deck's winning entry was also built with MoistureShield's Vision decking with CoolDeck Technology as a solution to the elevated deck's all-day sun exposure. The durability of Vision was perfect for managing moisture in a four-seasons region like New Jersey, with snow, ice and rain in the winter and hot, humid summers.

MoistureShield decking is proven in the field for 30 years with zero structural failures and is backed by a 50-year transferrable structural warranty for all decking series. Learn more at https://www.moistureshield.com/products/composite-decking/vision.

Check out the winners of NADRA's 11th Annual National+ Deck Competition at https://www.nadra.org/awards/2020-awards

About Oldcastle APG

Oldcastle APG, North America's largest manufacturer of outdoor living products, is part of CRH's Building Products division. CRH is a leading global diversified building materials group with operating locations in 30 countries worldwide. MoistureShield, a division of Oldcastle APG, manufactures composite deck boards serving a range of retail and distribution customers across North America and several international markets. Learn more at www.MoistureShield.com.

SOURCE MoistureShield
VANCOUVER, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - MYND Life Sciences Inc. (the "Company" or "MYND") a life sciences company focused on novel psychedelic drug development and pharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce that the Company has filed and obtained a receipt for its final non-offering prospectus (the "Prospectus") from the British Columbia Securities Commission.

MYND also has received conditional approval to list the Company's common shares (the "Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") subject to the completion of customary requirements, including the receipt of all required documentation. Once the Company receives final approval from the CSE, the Common Shares of MYND will trade on the CSE under the ticker symbol 'MYND'. The Company will confirm the listing date for the common shares at a later date.

ABOUT MYND LIFE SCIENCES

MYND Life Science Inc. is a leading life sciences company focussed on improving mental health. The Company has confirmed access to Health Canada psilocybin research and development through exemptions granted to its Chief Science Officer, Dr. Wilfred Jefferies. Four separate patents have been filed based on Dr. Jefferies very promising research and development that commenced in 2010 regarding the modulation of a specific gene using neuro agents such as psychedelics and other compounds. Research and development is currently being performed.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 954-401-8686

Web: https://myndsciences.com/

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance of MYND, the listing of common shares on the TSX-V, and management's expectations regarding MYND's growth. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of MYND to control or predict, that may cause MYND's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risk factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's final non-offering long form prospectus dated May 12, 2021 available for review on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

SOURCE Mynd Life Sciences Inc.
OAKLAND, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nabis, one of California's largest licensed cannabis wholesale distributors, is partnering with Jane Technologies to incorporate verified consumer reviews from Jane's industry-leading e-commerce platform into product listings on the Nabis Marketplace.

Effective immediately, all Nabis Marketplace products will display corresponding Jane customer reviews. Review content includes average rating, total number of reviews and scrollable review content, enabling dispensary buyers to make more objective and informed decisions based on customers' personal experiences with cannabis products.

"Tapping into Jane's incredibly rich catalogue of customer reviews elevates our platform as a tool for retail buyers," said Vince Ning, CEO of Nabis. "Dispensaries want to make informed decisions, and we want to give them the insights they need to purchase with confidence. This integration will provide our retail partners with more exposure to actionable data, enabling customer experience to be a driver of wholesale ordering."

Over the past year, Jane has powered over 18 million orders and $2 billion in cannabis sales. Jane is the trusted e-commerce partner for over 1,800 dispensaries and brands across 34 U.S. markets and the Canadian market.

"Nabis shares our passion for elevating the digital solutions available for the cannabis industry as a way to scale growth and maximize the positive impact of cannabis," said Socrates Rosenfeld, Co-founder and CEO of Jane Technologies. "Integrating our verified consumer reviews will help dispensaries keep fan-favorite products stocked, while giving informed feedback to spotlight new brands."

Nabis will continue to explore ways to align with other leading cannabis technology companies to help partner brands and dispensaries drive growth and sales through data-informed insights.

About Nabis

Nabis is a technology-focused cannabis distributor supporting nearly 100 individual brands and supplying more than 99% of California's dispensaries with top-tier products. Nabis offers clients compliant fulfillment logistics, warehousing, payment collection, financing, sales and marketing services to reduce barriers to entry and accelerate brand growth. Founded in 2017 by software engineers Vince C. Ning and Jun S. Lee, Nabis is fueled by cutting-edge distribution technology designed in-house to support cannabis professionals and their businesses. Nabis works directly with brands to ensure lightning-fast fulfillment and provides actionable, industry-leading sales data and insights to help brands scale and grow. Learn more: Nabis.com

About Jane Technologies, Inc.

Jane is the cannabis industry's first fully automated e-commerce solution, powering 1,800+ dispensaries and brands across 34 state markets and the Canadian market. Jane's unique offering provides dispensaries and brands with a turnkey e-commerce solution, including real-time POS integration, curated content directly from the brands (the best pictures, descriptions, etc.), and retail and market analytics. For more information and to request a demo, email [email protected]. For more information on Jane, visit www.iheartjane.com.

Media Contact:

Trevor Maniscalo

Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency

[email protected]

630-841-1017

SOURCE Nabis

Related Links

http://www.Nabis.com


As it stands today, Route 1 in Arlington functions with the primary objective of moving cars through the area as quickly as possible. The result is a wide, high-speed thoroughfare that divides the neighborhood and impedes east-west connectivity. According to a Virginia Department of Transportation Study (VDOT), over 58% of Arlington residents surveyed who use Route 1 say that it is not safe, easy or effective for getting around the area. In addition, 45% of survey respondents are concerned about dangers facing cyclists on streets, and 64% expressed the desire for more protected bike lanes.

"People Before Cars" addresses these and other important community concerns by advocating for the implementation of best practices in urban street design and highway-to-boulevard conversions. Building on the BID's Reimagine Route 1, a report released last year that offered guiding principles and prototypes for creating a safer corridor, the campaign reveals several new perspectives and emphasizes the community's shared interest in a safe, walkable, and connected downtown.

"Exciting developments underway in National Landing are delivering a new generation of offices, homes and parks with people-centric designs that value safety and accessibility. It's imperative that our infrastructure follows this forward-looking trend," said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of the National Landing BID. "As our area experiences an influx of new residents and workers in the coming years  a population that is anticipated to favor walking and biking as means of transit over cars  we must do all we can to ensure that Route 1 can safely and effectively serve the needs of our growing community."

"With more than $4 billion of state, county and private investment, National Landing is poised to become the most transit-oriented neighborhood in the country," said Jay Corbalis, Vice President of Public Affairs for JBG SMITH. "A reimagined Route 1 that prioritizes pedestrian safety and advances a vibrant, walkable environment is central to that shared vision. The improvement of Route 1 has been a huge priority for the collective community and was even featured in the historic negotiations that brought Amazon's HQ2 to the area  further cementing its importance in the overall repositioning of National Landing."

Transforming Route 1's highway design between 15th Street South to the border with Alexandria into a people-friendly boulevard will safely accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and other multimodal users, while also creating a destination where residents want to live, businesses will want to invest, and employees will want to work.

To accomplish this improved community-focused environment, the BID recommends utilizing a series of proven measures including shortened pedestrian crossings, narrower vehicle travel lanes, dedicated spaces for all modes and automated enforcement, while also incorporating placemaking features like lush landscaping, widened sidewalks and public art to create a vibrant setting.

The BID's campaign comes at a critical time for public involvement as VDOT is in the midst of its Route 1 Multimodal Improvements Study to examine "enhanced multimodal connectivity and accommodations along and across Route 1 in Crystal City, to meet the changing transportation needs of this growing urban activity center."

To learn more about the "People Before Cars" campaign, get involved and sign the pledge to help advance the BID's vision for green, safer and more inviting Route 1, visit: https://nationallanding.org/people-before-cars.

About National Landing Business Improvement District

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established to promote and activate the area's business, retail, restaurant and residential community through placemaking, public art, transportation, economic development, events, marketing and promotion. This dynamic, mixed-use urban center encompasses the vibrant Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard-Arlington neighborhoods, and includes more than 26,000 residents, nearly 12 million square feet of office space, approximately 5,500 hotel rooms and over 450 restaurants and shops. Already Virginia's largest walkable downtown, National Landing is in the midst of an exciting transformation driven by billions of dollars in public and private investment that will deliver new and enhanced housing, offices, parks, transportation and infrastructure in the coming years. The National Landing BID is helping to steer this growth in ways that are sustainable and enhance the area's diversity and livability. For more information, visit NationalLanding.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Click Here for Link to Hi Res Renderings

Media Contact:

Justina Lombardo: [email protected] / 718-207-9070

SOURCE National Landing Business Improvement District

Related Links

https://nationallanding.org


New England Law is pleased to announce its 110th commencement will be on May 21, 2021 at the Boch Center's Wang Theatre. Tweet this

"Our graduates deserve the best possible celebration we can give them," said President and Dean Scott P. Brown. "I want to commend state and local officials for working with us to put together an approved plan that allows us to continue our tradition of holding commencement in the historic Wang Theatre while abiding by COVID regulations to keep everyone safe. I'm especially glad that we're able to welcome three guests for each of our graduates and live-stream the ceremonies so additional family and friends can watch and cheer from afar."

Commencement Address

The Honorable F. Dennis Saylor IV, Chief U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, will address the graduates at both ceremonies. Judge Saylor was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2003 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004. He became Chief Judge on January 1, 2020. He also served a seven-year term on the U.S. Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Prior to his judicial career, Judge Saylor worked in private practice at Goodwin, served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts, and served as special counsel and chief of staff to the Assistant Attorney GeneralCriminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Judge Saylor received his B.S. from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

During commencement, Chairman of the New England Law Board of Trustees Diana L. Wheeler will present Judge Saylor with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree to recognize his distinguished career in public service and his leadership of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Honorary Degree Recipients

In addition to Chief Judge Saylor, New England Law will also be recognizing the following accomplished individuals with honorary degrees:

Former Mayor and Ambassador Raymond Flynn will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He served as the 52nd Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts , from 1984 to 1993. He was later appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican by President Bill Clinton .

will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He served as the 52nd Mayor of , from 1984 to 1993. He was later appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican by President . Reverend J. Bryan Hehir will deliver our invocation and benediction and will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree for his influential work as a public theologian.

will deliver our invocation and benediction and will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree for his influential work as a public theologian. John Laing , Chief Experience and Diversity Officer for the Executive Offices of the Massachusetts Trial Court and New England Law diversity and inclusion adviser, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

, Chief Experience and Diversity Officer for the Executive Offices of the Massachusetts Trial Court and New England Law diversity and inclusion adviser, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Karen Morton , Executive Vice President and Global Chief Compliance Officer for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree for her service to her community.

Graduates

New England Law will welcome 154 Juris Doctor degree recipients and 1 Master of Laws recipient to its global alumni network this year.

Sofia Nuno Unanue is the class of 2021 Full-Time Program Valedictorian and will speak at the 11am ceremony. The class of 2021 Part-Time Program Valedictorian is Danielle Walsh who will speak at the 3:30pm ceremony.

Both ceremonies will be live-streamed from the New England Law | Boston Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/newenglandlawboston/

About New England Law | Boston

New England Law | Boston was founded in 1908 as Portia Law School, the first and only law school established exclusively for the education of women. Today, New England Law offers its co-ed student body full-time, part-time, evening, and flexible programs tailored to the needs of today's students, combining rigorous academics, dynamic community, in-demand concentrations, and early access to practical experience as well as a diverse, global alumni network spanning 29 countries, 50 states, and 99 practice areas. For more information, visit www.nesl.edu .

SOURCE New England Law | Boston

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BOCA RATON, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Newbridge Financial Services Group, Inc. ("NFSG") is pleased to announce that it has promoted Jennifer Dorfman as its Chief Compliance Officer. Newbridge Financial, Inc. is the holding company to NFSG as well its broker dealer subsidiary, Newbridge Securities Corporation ("NSC"). In this new compliance leadership role, Jennifer Dorfman will lead NFSG's compliance program and support NFSG's continued expansion. Jennifer will continue to drive forward the company's culture of strong compliance and integrity. Her appointment and position on NFSG's executive team reflects the importance placed on compliance throughout every part of the business. She will continue to serve as Compliance Supervisor for NSC.

"With her extensive experience in the registered investment advisor and broker dealer sector, one of her key focuses will be supporting NFSG's expansion plans by continuing to ensure strict compliance meeting our regulatory requirements and protecting our clients. Jennifer's depth of experience and industry relationships will help benefit our entire team," said Thomas Casolaro, CEO of NFSG.

Jennifer brings more than 15 years of experience in the financial industry, working in all areas of sales and compliance. She most recently had the role of Compliance Supervisor for NSC and NFSG. Prior to joining NSC and NFSG, Jennifer worked at Fusion Analytics, Ameriprise Financial, Merrill Lynch and Bear, Stearns & Co.

Jennifer earned her bachelor's degree in social science from Dowling College.

"I'm excited to embrace this important role with the Newbridge family and to be working with an exceptional executive team who remains focused on a culture of compliance and on becoming a premier full-service broker/dealer, registered investment advisor and investment banking firm to help clients reach their financial objectives," said Jennifer Dorman.

About Newbridge

Newbridge Financial, Inc., as the holding company for Newbridge Securities Corporation (www.newbridgesecurities.com) and Newbridge Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.newbridgefsg.com), provides strategic management consulting services to growth companies and explores the development of lines of business complementary to, but outside of, the financial services industry.

Newbridge Securities Corporation and Newbridge Financial Services Group, Inc. provides full-service securities brokerage, registered investment advisor and investment banking services to a broad-based group of individuals and corporate clients. Comprised of a committed and experienced team of financial service professionals, we seek to empower our clients to build and preserve wealth by providing superior financial services and products. Newbridge Securities Corporation is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Newbridge Financial Services Group, Inc. is a SEC-registered registered investment adviser.

Contact:

Thomas Casolaro, CEO

Newbridge Securities Corporation

[email protected]

www.newbridgesecurities.com

954.278.8117

SOURCE Newbridge Financial, Inc.; Newbridge Securities Corporation

Related Links

https://www.newbridgesecurities.com


MELVILLE, N.Y., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA) is growing its geographic footprint in the Chicagoland area, recently launching with a new partnership with Sinai Chicago on May 6th. Under this new relationship, NAPA will provide anesthesia services across all Sinai Chicago sites, including Mount Sinai Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. NAPA is the largest single-specialty anesthesia and perioperative management company in the U.S., with more than 5,000 anesthesia clinicians caring for patients at hundreds of hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers from coast to coast.

Sinai Chicago -- the largest private safety net health system in Chicago -- has worked to bring high quality healthcare to individuals in diverse and underserved neighborhoods since 1919. Mount Sinai Hospital is a Level I trauma center located in the Douglass Park neighborhood on Chicago's West side. Holy Cross Hospital is a community hospital located approximately six miles away in the Southwest side's Marquette Park neighborhood

Airica Steed, EdD, RN, FACHE, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Sinai Chicago, said: "We are delighted to welcome NAPA to Sinai Chicago. NAPA brings tremendous resources to support our ongoing mission and shares our commitment to creating a culture of compassion, respect, and dignity for all. We selected NAPA as our anesthesia partner based on its strong track record of quality care, and for NAPA's reputation for supporting strong growth. We found NAPA to be a company that continually invests in initiatives that will benefit the diverse communities that Sinai Chicago serves."

Matthew Walsh, MD, Regional Vice President, Clinical Services for NAPA's Midwest Region, said: "NAPA is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Sinai Chicago, a highly respected health system that has been dedicated to improving health in its communities for more than a century. NAPA is deeply committed to the Chicago area, where we currently employ more than 200 anesthesia providers, and our partnership with Sinai Chicago further deepens that commitment. Along with my local leadership colleagues, we look forward to sharing NAPA's best practices in safety, quality, and perioperative efficiency with Sinai Chicago, and to creating exceptional experiences for patients every day."

About North American Partners in Anesthesia

As a clinician-led organization, North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA) is redefining healthcare, delivering unsurpassed excellence to its partners and patients every day. Since its founding by physicians in 1986, NAPA has grown to become one of the nation's leading single-specialty anesthesia and perioperative management companies. Our 5,000+ clinicians serve more three million patients annually at 500+ healthcare facilities in 20 states. For more information, please visit NAPAanesthesia.com.

About Sinai Chicago

Sinai Chicago, formerly Sinai Health System, is a Chicago-based private, not-for-profit organization comprised of seven member organizations: Mount Sinai Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital, Sinai Children's Hospital, Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, Sinai Medical Group, Sinai Community Institute and Sinai Urban Health Institute. The health system has over 800 physicians on its hospital medical staffs, 654 licensed beds, 100,000+ annual emergency department patient visits and eight physician residency training programs. For more information, visit www.sinachicago.org

SOURCE NAPA Management Services Corporation

Related Links

https://napaanesthesia.com/


WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Out of Home Advertising Association of America ( OAAA ), today released new guidelines that recommend a move toward an impressions-based measurement system that will provide forecasted and reconciled-as-delivered daily impressions.

The proposed framework addresses advertiser's growing need for increased transparency and a more dynamic measurement system for out of home (OOH) campaigns. As we emerge from a global pandemic, advertisers have new opportunities to reach the connected consumer in a mobile first, data driven, and digital led advertising ecosystem.

The "OAAA OOH Impression Measurement Guidelines" will set forth a new standard that uses Opportunity to See (OTS) as the core metric for measurement. It also proposes a refined and enhanced definition of OTS that more closely aligns with the same metric used by all other measured media combining predictive audience models with a clear measure of observed audience exposures at OOH displays across all formats. This is the same metric used for data inputs into Marketing Mix Models and Multitouch Attribution Models. Under the new definition, OTS will encompass circulation as a measure in conjunction with "view-sheds '' which factor in ad display size, placement, view angles and other traditional OOH attributes that impact audiences.

Key measurement & reporting minimum requirements will include:

Daily OOH frame-level forecasting

Observed daily delivery at OOH frame level

Reach and frequency measures

Transparent & validated data sources

Compliance with all applicable data privacy regulations, now and in the future.

Impression counts made acceptable for use within omni-channel planning & buying platforms, mixed-media and multi-touch attribution models (MTA)

Transparent published methodologies for view-sheds and source data.

Documented system uptime/ reliability standards & monitoring schedules

Compatibility to combine different forms of OOH media methodology

Clear published definitions and methodologies to support the curation of view-sheds and line of sight

"Our objective in setting a new minimum standard for measurement is to support even greater transparency to audience measurement that is timely, consistent and comparable with other channels." said Anna Bager, President & CEO, OAAA. "These solutions are designed to be future proof and serve as an important milestone to further OAAA's mission in solidifying OOH's position as an integral part of the marketing mix."

"Establishing a common currency for measurement is a great step forward in meeting advertiser's need for metrics to quantify exposure to OOH formats in today's multi-channel, data driven world." said Kevin Gleason, President & CEO, Adams Outdoor Advertising. "These guidelines are a great framework that will provide increased transparency for advertisers."

"More than ever, our clients demand accountability for their media dollars and rely on sophisticated outcome-based models to inform their investment decisions. To more credibly demonstrate OOH's impact on business outcomes within omnichannel media plans, we need to meet the requisites of these models by delivering granular forecasted and reconciled-as-delivered impressions. We support the OAAA's initiative to integrate OOH advertising metrics into the broader media/advertising ecosystem," said Michael Lieberman, CEO, Kinetic US.

These new OAAA Measurement Guidelines, while focusing on OTS as the primary metric for OOH measurement currency, do not entirely walk away from the opportunities to further enhance audience measurement in the future. Likelihood to See (LTS), a metric which takes into account real-time dynamics or variables that impact audience composition and behavior in proximity to the ad, will now be treated as a supplemental metric.

"There is no greater measurement responsibility than the specification of media currencies. These new Guidelines from OAAA begin the process of filling a gap in OOH media measurement by introducing a measure of OTS between the existing Circulation and LTS," said Jim Spaeth, Partner, Sequent Partners. "The new OTS measure offers the benefit of being most comparable to existing currencies used for other media."

The OAAA Data & Analytics Committee convened to set forth the new reporting minimum requirements and is recommending as a next step to work with the MRC, ANA, ARF, Geopath, WOO and other related groups representing multiple aspects of the OOH ecosystem to evaluate these guidelines and begin developing a roadmap for cross-group coordination and accredited impression measurement.

To access the "OAAA OOH Impression Measurement Guidelines," please visit: http://www.oaaa.org/ImpressionGuidelines

About the OAAA

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents more than 800 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers which comprise over 90 percent of the industry. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local government. OAAA-member media companies generously donate over $500 million in public service advertising annually. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in New York City. For more information, please visit oaaa.org.

SOURCE Out of Home Advertising Association

Related Links

https://oaaa.org/


"As we are accelerating our growth with the launch of AI powered personified advertising, we are excited to bring on board such a seasoned executive with strong talent and experience in developing successful growth strategies for tech companies," said Thomas Pasquet, CEO, Ogury. "Christophe is a strong operator, deeply connected to the start-up ecosystem in both London and Paris and is passionate about digital transformation. Ogury is perfectly positioned to onboard such an experienced executive, especially as we continue to differentiate our place in the ever-changing adtech market."

Christophe is originally from France, where he began his career at Largardere in the distribution branch in Canada. In 1996 he joined the LVMH group's holding as Group Management controller of the Selective Retail Division then Investment Manager at [email protected] He co-founded Liberty Surf free ISP in 1999 and led the IPO process in 2000 before being appointed Director of Strategy and Development of Tiscali France. After launching Overture Search Marketing in Southern Europe and becoming VP EMEA at Yahoo!, Parcot joined the adtech company Teads, which sold to Altice, as Chief Operating Officer in 2014. Most recently, from 2017-2020 Parcot acted as Chief Revenue Officer of Solocal (formerly Yellow Pages) and created the consulting company Sixt 5 Partners. Parcot serves as a board member, senior advisor and investor of several tech companies and startups and graduated from ESSEC Master in Management.

"I am proud to join Ogury's talented team to help lead company growth and to scale the business globally," said Christophe Parcot, COO, Ogury. "The adtech industry is quickly moving towards a privacy first, ID-less and cookie-less world. Ogury's vision of personified targeting, delivering precise and sustainable digital advertising, anchored in consumer privacy protection, is one that I believe will change the future of this new digital advertising age."

About Ogury

Ogury, the Personified Advertising company, has created a breakthrough advertising engine that delivers precision, sustainability and privacy protection within one technology stack, built and optimized for mobile. Advertisers working with Ogury benefit from fully visible impactful ads, future-proof targeting and unwavering protection. Publishers enjoy the rewards of a respectful user-experience, incremental revenues and premium demand with Ogury's solutions. Founded in 2014, Ogury is a global organization with 350+ employees, including 100 engineers across 11 countries.

SOURCE Ogury LTD
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Transphorm, Inc. (OTCQX: TGAN), a design and manufacturer and global supplier of high reliability, high performance gallium nitride (GaN) power conversion products, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Transphorm, Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB Venture Market.

Transphorm, Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "TGAN." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

The OTCQX Market provides investors with a premium U.S. public market to research and trade the shares of investor-focused companies. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

About Transphorm, Inc.

Transphorm, Inc., a global leader in the GaN revolution, designs and manufactures high performance and high reliability GaN semiconductors for high voltage power conversion applications. Having one of the largest Power GaN IP portfolios of more than 1,000 owned or licensed patents, Transphorm produces the industry's first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified high voltage GaN semiconductor devices. The Company's vertically integrated device business model allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support. Transphorm's innovations are moving power electronics beyond the limitations of silicon to achieve over 99% efficiency, 40% more power density and 20% lower system cost. Transphorm is headquartered in Goleta, California and has manufacturing operations in Goleta and Aizu, Japan. For more information, please visit www.transphormusa.com. Follow us on Twitter @transphormusa and WeChat ID: TransphormGaN.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc.

+1 (212) 896-4428

[email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.otcmarkets.com


DUBLIN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Industrial PC Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Industrial PC market was evaluated to be worth US$5.006 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.45% to grow to US$7.756 billion by the year 2026.



Industrial PCs refer to the computers specifically made for use in industries and are highly reliable and efficient. The computers are designed to operate in harsh environmental conditions like extreme temperatures, high humidity, high shock, and vibration, among other conditions. These computers have a longer product life cycle. One of the major factors which are anticipated to drive the industrial PC market growth is the rise in industrial automation around the world. This is calling for an increase in the demand for industrial PCs to handle a variety of processes in the industrial sector. Also, the advantages that industrial PCs provide such as increased productivity, reduced operational costs, and improved quality of products are expected to propel the market growth. Industrial PCs are highly expensive in the beginning and require high maintenance costs which is one of the factors which is anticipated to negatively impact the market growth during the forecast period.



The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease is anticipated to positively impact the market growth. The key factor supporting the positive impact is the restrictions in activities around the world and the presence of a fewer number of workers due to Covid-19 guidelines, which led to the boom of industrial automation and hence industrial PCs. The phase led to advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT which led to increased automation in industries. According to a non-profit association Society of Manufacturing Engineers, North America, the pandemic has led to an increase in automation and robotics.



The Industrial PC market has been classified based on type, end-user, and geography. By type, the market has been classified based on Embedded IPC, DIN Rail IPC, Panel IPC, Box IPC, and Rack Mount IPC. By end-user, the segmentation has been done into IT & Telecom, chemical, aerospace & defense, semiconductor & electronics, energy & power, automotive and others. Geographically, the Industrial PC market has been categorized into North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.



Rise in automation in the manufacturing and industrial sector.



One of the key factors supplementing the Industrial PC market growth includes the growth in industrial automation around the world. Various companies are moving towards the use of IoT technology. Industrial automation includes the use of industrial PCs and robots to handle a variety of processes. The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicted in 2019 that 42% of the time spent in manufacturing tasks in industries will be automated by 2022. Oxford Economics stated in 2019 that 20 million jobs will be lost in the manufacturing sector owing to industrial automation by 2030. A report by Oxford released in June 2019 stated that by the implementation of automation in the manufacturing industry, there could be an increase in turnover of $4.9 trillion every year by 2030. International Federation of Robotics stated in 2020 that there is a 12% increase in the number of industrial robots due to the rising need for automation in manufacturing.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, United States, the use of industrial robots has impacted the US labor market and the density of industrial robots has increased from 0.49 robots per thousand workers in 1995 to 1.79 robots per thousand workers in 2017. According to the Government of Canada, industrial automation provides advantages such as increasing production output rates, improving quality and consistency, increasing flexibility in product manufacturing, improving quality of working conditions, reducing material waste and increasing yield, saving space, and reducing costs. Due to the various advantages provided by industrial automation, companies are adopting it at a fast pace. This rise in industrial automation is expected to grow even further in the future and is anticipated to propel the industrial PC market during the forecast period.



Industrial PCs are highly expensive.



Along with the numerous advantages that an industrial PC provides, it comes with a disadvantage of the high initial investment. The additional features and many other components in industrial PC that the traditional computer does not possess make them more expensive, which can make the companies refrain from adopting industrial PCs which is expected to hurt the market growth and provide a hindrance to the growing industrial PC market during the forecast period. Also, industrial PCs require high repair & maintenance costs, along with occupying a large space which is inconvenient for smaller firms. Moreover, operating the industrial PC requires a person to be skilled in it and therefore, further cost and time are required in training people for operating the industrial PC. Hence, until the cost of industrial PCs is reduced, these factors are anticipated to provide obstruction in the industrial PC market growth in the coming years.



Key Developments



In November 2019, the BMW Group announced a partnership with the German company Beckhoff Automation is which the latter is to supply the Industrial PC (IPC) technology to BMW Group for use in car manufacturing through 2030.



In February 2019, the Japanese company Mitsubishi Electric Corporation expanded its MELIPC series by launching two new MI3000 model industrial PCs - MI3315G-W and MI3321G-W. The models are aimed to improve the productivity of industries by visualization of data.



Asia Pacific region to witness the highest growth in the market



Geographically, the Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness the highest growth in the market owing to the presence of large-scale manufacturing countries in the region like China, and with the growing penetration of IoT and artificial intelligence in the region, industrial automation in the region is expected to boost up leading to the growth of industrial PC market during the forecast period. The North American region is anticipated to hold a significant share due to the technological advancements in countries like the United States and Canada.



Competitive Insights



Prominent/major key market players in the Industrial PC market include Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, OMRON Corporation, and Rockwell Automation, Inc. among others. The players in the Industrial PC market are implementing various growth strategies to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors in this market. Major market players in the market have been covered along with their relative competitive strategies and the report also mentions recent deals and investments of different market players over the last few years. The company profiles section details the business overview, financial performance (public companies) for the past few years, key products and services being offered along with the recent deals and investments of these important players in the Industrial PC market.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Market Segmentation



2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Data

2.2. Assumptions



3. Executive Summary

3.1. Research Highlights



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of End-Users

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. Industrial PC Market Analysis, by Type

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Embedded IPC

5.3. DIN Rail IPC

5.4. Panel IPC

5.5. Box IPC

5.6. Rack Mount IPC



6. Industrial PC Market Analysis, by End User

6.1. Introduction

6.2. IT & Telecom

6.3. Chemical

6.4. Aerospace & Defense

6.5. Semiconductor & Electronics

6.6. Energy & Power

6.7. Automotive

6.8. Others



7. Industrial PC Market Analysis, by Geography

7.1. Introduction

7.2. North America

7.2.1. North America Industrial PC Market, By Type

7.2.2. North America Industrial PC Market, By End User

7.2.3. By Country

7.2.3.1. USA

7.2.3.2. Canada

7.2.3.3. Mexico

7.3. South America

7.3.1. South America Industrial PC Market, By Type

7.3.2. South America Industrial PC Market, By End User

7.3.3. By Country

7.3.3.1. Brazil

7.3.3.2. Argentina

7.3.3.3. Others

7.4. Europe

7.4.1. Europe Industrial PC Market, By Type

7.4.2. Europe Industrial PC Market, By End User

7.4.3. By Country

7.4.3.1.1. Germany

7.4.3.1.2. France

7.4.3.1.3. UK

7.4.3.1.4. Others

7.5. Middle East and Africa

7.5.1. Middle East and Africa Industrial PC Market, By Type

7.5.2. Middle East and Africa Industrial PC Market, By End User

7.5.3. By Country

7.5.3.1. Saudi Arabia

7.5.3.2. UAE

7.5.3.3. Others

7.6. Asia Pacific

7.6.1. Asia Pacific Industrial PC Market, By Type

7.6.2. Asia Pacific Industrial PC Market, By End User

7.6.3. By Country

7.6.3.1. China

7.6.3.2. India

7.6.3.3. Japan

7.6.3.4. South Korea

7.6.3.5. Others



8. Competitive Environment and Analysis

8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

8.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

8.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

8.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



9. Company Profiles

9.1. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

9.2. OMRON Corporation

9.3. Rockwell Automation, Inc.

9.4. Siemens AG

9.5. Schneider Electric

9.6. Kontron S&T AG

9.7. Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG

9.8. Industrial PC, Inc.

9.9. Lanner Electronics Incorporated

9.10. Advantech Co., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/59rpoz

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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ROAD TOWN, British Virginia Island, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- People are insecure because of the high risks involved with investments in high volatility coins, due to non-stop searches for meme coins. The good news is that people will not have to worry anymore since Pinkmoon aims at bringing secure alternatives. Its entrance in the marketplace means great returns to holders having passive earnings for simply holding since diamond hands hardly lose.

The Pinkmoon Algorithm

Every developed token is usually burnt, and therefore, the Devs and the team members also take part in the fair 'game' of the launch process. This meme coin alternative is created with an aim to mitigate shadow coins. The roadmap starts with plans originating from Pinkmoon Finance, where achievement of tasks is made possible through people collaboration. The collaboration thereof is to ensure that the best product is achieved through the overall strategy.

Whitelisting and Selection of Applicants.

The platform looks forward to conducting a whitelisting that allows all clients to buy several tokens related to the justifiable and favorable launch. Every whitelisted client will be entitled to possess up to 1 BNB from the 100BNB. Pinkmoon prices on the whitelist and the fair launch shall be fixed, a technique that will prevent unfavorable price tags and market hikes. The whitelist framework will be only accessible within a given time slot. Enrollment is usually free for individuals who would like to participate in the process. After that, the company will randomly pick applicants who meet the set-out guidelines, such as filling the provided forms with clarity.

The Tokenomics

Pinkmoon Finance has also applied metrics popular in prospects and enrolled clients. There is a total supply of 1,000,000,000,000,000 $PINKM. For presale and LP (locking initiated with Unicrypt during launch), 45 % of the total distribution applies, while 10 % of the distribution is allotted to the team, which is normally burnt just before listing. Individuals on a contract basis will have to call off their ownership to make vetting possible for the rest of the community. Each digital transaction is subject to 10 % taxation, with 5 % resupplied to every other member. The rest 5 % is channeled towards the liquidation pool. This, in turn, assists in tackling issues of volatility and again aids in monitoring the ever-changing prices.

Besides this the company will also deploy the "anti-whale technique," which monitors and regulates the price aspect. This tactic is unique in such a way that all whales responsible for dumps and manipulations are eliminated. Pinkmoon Finance 'says' No to any purchase or sell-off transaction deemed to have gone beyond the 0.05 % threshold.

The Pinkmoon Finance platform aims to build up to become a token arena operated by the entire community. This is so because, with the influx of retail investors, the crypto industry and the general assembly are getting much more prominent each day, and this community is fueling events such as the rapid increase in the price of Dogecoin after Elon Musk Joined among its backers or the recent IPO of Coinbase Global, inc. (Coin) after its revenue surged to $1.8 billion from $191 million from a year earlier. Therefore Pinkmoon Finance looks forward to growing with the respective stakeholders together. This will ensure more excellent and additional mainstreams of CEX listing, ICO launching, the introduction of the cross-chain IDO system, Rollouts for partnerships with audit companies, entire community development, among others. Make an application and see how this works out.

Want more info? Link up using the below platforms:

https://pinkmoon.finance

https://twitter.com/pinkmoonfinance

https://medium.com/@pinkmoonfinance

https://github.com/pinkmoonfinance

https://t.me/pinkmoonfinance

SOURCE Pinkmoon Finance
LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Celliant, infrared responsive technology from materials science trailblazer Hologenix, has completed its 8th peer-reviewed published study. Already clinically shown to increase tissue oxygen levels in the body for stronger performance, faster recovery, better sleep and to help with pain reduction, Celliant is shown in this study to moderate autoimmune and inflammatory response in rats with collagen type II-induced arthritis. Collagen type II-induced arthritis is the most common model for studying rheumatoid arthritis, the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease.

According to the study, "Although further translational studies are warranted, the findings support the use of infrared-emitting bed linen, bandages or garments as adjuvant non-pharmacological treatments for rheumatoid arthritis patients, and possibly for those suffering from other inflammatory antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases."

Published online in Scientific Reports under Nature.com on February 3, 2021, the study was conducted at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Principal investigators included Jasmina Djuretic, Mirjana Dimitrijevic, Marija Stojanovic, Jelena Kotur Stevuljevic, Michael R Hamblin, Ana Micov, Radica Stepanovic-Petrovic and Gordana Leposavic. It was funded by the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia with support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. Investigator Michael R. Hamblin, who serves on the Hologenix Science Advisory Board and is a world-renowned expert on infrared and light therapy, was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. Hologenix supplied the Celliant fibers.

The study began when 20 rats were immunized with type II collagen to induce arthritis in the animals. The rats were divided into two groups, one with bedding of Celliant fibers, which are produced with thermo-reactive minerals. The ceramic particles absorb body heat and re-emit the energy back to the body as infrared radiation, which is non-invasive and painless. The second group was housed in cages with standard wood shaving bedding. From there, two sets of experiments were performed to evaluate autoimmune and inflammatory responses.

For the rats with the Celliant bedding, the symptoms of collagen type II-induced arthritis were postponed and the disease was milder in these infrared-exposed rats as opposed to the non-exposed. Objective biochemical measurements of cytokines, which are secreted by the immune system, and autoimmunity showed improvement as well.

"Science has shown that infrared increases blood flow, improves muscle recovery and can reduce pain," said Dr. Hamblin. "This study is significant in that it shows that infrared and Celliant, in particular, can potentially reduce inflammation and mitigate autoimmune responses in a model of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects about 1.3 million Americans."

"We believe that Celliant is a truly disruptive infrared technology that is revolutionizing the textile industry and that it is ripe for applications in the healthcare arena," said Seth Casden, Hologenix Co-Founder and CEO.

About Hologenix

Hologenix, headquartered in Pacific Palisades, California, is a materials science innovation company producing products that energize all aspects of life. Its flagship product, Celliant, is an infrared responsive textile that provides a myriad of wellness benefits and is an ingredient in world-class brands across multiple industries. It is rigorously tested by a Science Advisory Board composed of experts in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. The Science Advisory Board has overseen eight peer-reviewed published studies that demonstrate Celliant's effectiveness and the benefits of infrared energy. www.celliant.com

Link to study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81999-7

SOURCE Hologenix, LLC
As a result of her tireless efforts and success, Gorden will now serve as the new role of Director of Public Relations. In this role, Gorden will focus on leading the culture, training, and development of our teams and manage and oversee the company's PR teams and it's activities. Gorden began her career as an intern in 2017 and worked her way up to Publicist in 2019. She has acted as a catalyst in keeping clients happy and satisfied with much success in the wellness industry.

"Working at Dunn Pellier Media has been the fuel to my health and wellness fire. I've always had a fondness for the industry, but getting the opportunity to work with game-changers, thought leaders, and others interrupting the space has catapulted my fondness into passion," said Gorden.

She will also be responsible for educating the PR team on public relations best practices, paving the way for new media relations, and ensuring the publicity goals of our clients are being met. Gorden will continue working with clients while guiding the entire account services team. She will report directly to CEO and founder, Nicole Dunn.

Over the last year, Dunn Pellier Media has had a 20% annual growth rate, with both their client roster and team expanding. The agency closed a number of new accounts including the Les Mills fitness brand, Essentia - the world's only natural memory foam mattress - and SideChef with a collaboration with Walmart. This growth was impacted when 30 clients trusted DPM with their PR efforts throughout the pandemic, creating new opportunities for current DPM personnel. Dunn Pellier Media is also happy to welcome Jocelyn Clendening, Elon University graduate of 2021 and former intern, to the team as a Junior Publicist. This role will report to Shea Gorden, Director of PR.

"This is an exciting time for Dunn Pellier Media. We are growing rapidly and have a diverse and incredibly interesting client base who are driving real change in the health and wellness marketplace. Wellness opportunities are being carved out in many major industries, which is helping brands create a purpose-driven culture for their consumers. Wellness is sure to be a part of every facet of our lives  from food and skin care to airlines, hotels, cars and even banking. By creating a wellness-oriented mission, brands can evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of both their consumers and the world at large," said Nicole Dunn.

About Dunn Pellier Media: Dunn Pellier Media specializes in health and wellness public relations and is at the forefront of the growing marketplace. Our team is passionate about doing our best and connecting brands, experts, and other game-changers who are working to improve the lives of others. Our clientele ranges from medical experts, cookbook authors, and fitness trainers to innovative apps, beauty products, and more. To learn more about what we do please visit www.dunnpelliermedia.com . For more information please contact Nicole Dunn at [email protected].

SOURCE Dunn Pellier Media
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Persistent Systems, LLC ("Persistent") a leader in mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) solutions, announced today that, along with three industry partners, it has successfully demonstrated the Emergency Response Integrated Edge Network (ERIEN) for the South Carolina Air National Guard earlier this month.

A collaboration with Klas Government, NexTech Solutions and Tampa Microwave, the ERIEN mobile platform provides a complete, unified communications infrastructure in places where such infrastructure is either non-existentor rendered unusable by, for example, a natural disaster.

"With climate change, we are seeing increasingly powerful and disruptive storms, and with greater frequency," said Adrien Robenhymer, Persistent Systems VP for Business Development, "So it is critical that state governments and supporting National Guard units prepare for them now."

The South Carolina demonstration envisioned a scenario in which a powerful hurricane battered Charleston, cutting all cell or Internet service in its wake, and the Air National Guard had to use ERIEN to reestablish internet, radio, video, and chat for state response units.

Typically, when a hurricane is projected to hit South Carolina, a State Emergence Operations Center is activated at the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) in West Columbia. However, this SCEMD is usually swarmed by people and agencies, and as a result, communications suffer.

Anticipating this and the storm damage, the Air National Guard positioned ERIENencased in a Voyager TRIK kit developed by Klas Governmentat a tactical operations center in Columbia. And NexTech Solutions, the industry integrator for the demo, ensured with its MANTLE automated deployment software, that the kit successfully communicated with the SCEMD via Tampa Microwave satellite terminals, and with field response teams.

"The teams assessing the storm damage had Persistent MPU5 MANET radios," said Robenhymer. "With them, they could communicate with each other and the tactical operations centerand, by extension, the SCEMDsharing voice, video, text, and location data."

Persistent Systems has worked on similar easy-to-deploy communications systems before with the U.S. Air Force, on its Agile Combat Employment concept, and with the Civil Air Patrol, with its Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network (or AERONet).

"In fact, the next step for these hurricane readiness demonstrations is to include the Civil Air Patrol with AERONet in the mix to see how robust the system can be," he said.

About Persistent Systems, LLC

Headquartered in New York City since 2007, Persistent Systems, LLC is a global communications technology company that develops and manufactures a patented and secure Mobile Ad hoc Networking (MANET) system: Wave Relay. Wave Relay transmits and receives data, video, voice and other applications under the most difficult conditions. Their suite of products is utilized in Commercial, Military, Government, Industrial, Agriculture, Robotics, and Unmanned Systems markets. Please visit http://www.persistentsystems.com to learn more. Follow Persistent Systems on Twitter to get updates on the latest developments @pswaverelay.

SOURCE Persistent Systems, LLC

Related Links

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of in-store and e-commerce lease-to-own solutions owned by fintech holding company PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG), has donated $25,000 to AmeriCares in support of their efforts to combat India's COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to a current AmeriCares matching program, the company's donation will result in $50,000 to provide life-saving equipment, protect health care workers, and educate community members on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 across India.

Progressive Leasing is also matching all individual employee donations to AmeriCares through its employee gift matching program, which supports the company's efforts to drive corporate impact, social responsibility, and charitable giving.

"As COVID cases continue to decline in the US, India is in the midst of a critical emergency, with infection rates and deaths at alarming levels and millions of people with little to no access to medical education or services," said Steve Michaels, President and CEO of PROG Holdings, Progressive Leasing's parent company. "It's a heartbreaking situation that hits close to home for our employees with extended family in India, and for many of our customers. We are grateful to partner with AmeriCares to help provide support and education for the communities in India that need it most."

To honor one of the company's core values, "We Value People Above All Else," Progressive Leasing partners with global, national, and community outreach and non-profit programs. Employees also have the opportunity to nominate non-profit groups to receive company sponsored donations as part of its popular weekly charitable partner program.

About Progressive Leasing

Progressive Leasing is a leading provider of in-store, e-commerce, and app-based point-of-sale lease-to-own solutions that provide transparent and competitive payment options and flexible terms intended to help credit-challenged customers achieve merchandise ownership. The company has helped millions of consumers acquire furniture, appliances, jewelry, electronics, mattresses, cell phones, and other products consumers need by utilizing a technology-based proprietary platform that provides instant decisioning results. Progressive Leasing is owned by PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG), a fintech holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. More information on Progressive Leasing can be found on the company's website, https://progleasing.com.

SOURCE Progressive Leasing

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LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Protodigm, a first-of-its-kind contract life sciences skunkworks company, announced its formal launch today, founded by CEO Mike Rea of IDEA Pharma. Protodigm offers its clients research, innovation, and a universe of possibilities in which a drug could be brought to market.

"Protodigm gives pharma clients a novel approach to drug development by exploring all options and building cases of evidence while steering clear of risks," said Rea. "We're using a skunkworks approach to test and define what's approvable, what a drug might do, and what the market might want to do with it."

Rea brings 20+ years of drug development expertise to Protodigm. As the founder and CEO of IDEA Pharma, he has helped lead eight of the fifteen biggest drug launches in the last five years. Having earned himself considerable notoriety amongst biotech and pharmaceutical professionals, he boasts inclusion in lists such as: The Medicine Maker's top 20 inspirational medicine makers and most influential people in healthcare, PharmaPhorum's top 10 innovators, and a lifetime 'Red Jacket Award' from PharmaVOICE as one of the 100 most inspiring people in healthcare.

In addition to his leadership at Protodigm, Rea is the creator of IDEA Pharma's annual pharmaceutical innovation index, the top spot highly coveted by major pharmaceutical companies. He also authored the book, "Positioning Pharmaceuticals."

"Using what we have learned at IDEA Pharma, we believe Protodigm will revolutionize the drug development process," said Rea. "The pharma industry is begging to be changed. With a team of the best innovators in biotech and pharma, Protodigm will have the ambition, network, and expertise to bring positive change to drug development."

Rea added, "The key to understanding Protodigm's services is understanding what it is -- a contract skunkworks. Protodigm is not a consulting firm, a contract research organization (CRO), a think tank, or an incubator. Skunkworks, a term used in business, engineering, and technical fields, is a group within an organization, separate from traditional R&D, that's purpose is to invent and innovate with autonomy, uninhibited by bureaucracy. To invent and innovate requires varying skillsets, techniques, and, most importantly, the knowledge of how to use them, something Protodigm's team is uniquely positioned to do."

Joining Rea is a group of scientists who are PhDs from Oxford and Cambridge, a medical doctor and FDA scientific advisory board member, a drug development visionary who has authored 70+ scientific publications, big data analysts, a logistics specialist, a Harvard business school graduate, life science company CEOs and executives, consulting executives, equity research veterans, and a venture capitalist.

"Protodigm aims to avoid premature specialization in drug development," Rea said. "We provide to our clients a map of all the likely ways a drug can be brought to market before it is committed to clinical trials. We anticipate revealing unexpected avenues to commercialization, saving our clients time and money while maximizing opportunity."

Learn more about Protodigm at www.protodigm.co

About Protodigm:

Protodigm is a contract skunkworks company providing its clients an investigational body to invent and innovate new assets. Protodigm applies skunkworks techniques to drug development giving its clients all possible development options by generating hypotheses and supporting evidence. This approach breaks the industry mold because drug development is too often a high-risk, single-track process. If an asset fails, it can be devastating. With a skunkworks approach, assets can be developed with multiple parallel options in addition to its initially intended use, de-risking innovation, saving time, money, and effort.

Media contact:

Scott Stachowiak

Russo Partners LLC

[email protected]

+1 (646) 942-5630

SOURCE Protodigm

Related Links

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Patients were administered two doses of leronlimab a week apart, and results showed a decrease in mortality rate

In COVID-19 patients, leronlimab works by mitigating what is known as the cytokine storm, a hyperactive immune response

CytoDyn Inc ( ) plans to submit the topline results of its CD12 Phase 3 clinical trial of Vyrologix (leronlimab-PRO 140) for severe to critically ill COVID-19 patients to regulatory agencies, including those in India and the Philippines.

Patients in the CD12 trial were administered two doses of leronlimab, the first on day zero and another on day seven. Results showed that over that initial span, critically ill patients receiving leronlimab on day zero experienced a mortality rate 78% lower than patients receiving placebo. Further, patients receiving the second dose of leronlimab on day seven achieved a peak benefit of 82% lower mortality, the company said.

That said, the effects diminished from day 14 to day 21 and from day 21 to day 28, as the mortality rate decreased to 50% and 31%, respectively, which the company attributed to patients not receiving leronlimab after day 7.

We are very thankful for the opportunity to be able to conduct two very crucial clinical trials in Brazil for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients, which we believe could result in a statistically significant p-value of our primary endpoint leading the way to a potential approval, CEO Nader Pourhassan said in a statement. Although we did not meet our primary endpoint in our CD12 clinical trial in the mITT population, we were still very pleased that we did meet almost all of our secondary endpoints in the critically ill subpopulation of COVID-19 patients.

Pourhassan remains confident that leronlimab can earn regulatory approval in 2021, given its secondary success.

To the best of our knowledge, we are unaware of another drug or therapeutic, which has reported results in the critically ill population, in a randomized controlled trial, remotely close to what we reported for the CD12 trial, Pourhassan said. We are very excited for the opportunity to receive our first approval in multiple countries in great need of leronlimab. We are very confident this approval will happen this year.

In COVID-19 patients, leronlimab works by mitigating what is known as the cytokine storm, a hyperactive immune response that can cause inflammation, fatigue, and in severe cases, organ failure.

Aside from COVID-19, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for critical illnesses. The first is a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel
BEIJING, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Data collected in April 2021 for the first quarter of the Cheung Kong Investor Sentiment Survey (CKISS) found that retail investors showed pessimism towards China's capital markets while institutional investors showed optimism  61.3% of retail investors expected China's A-share stock prices to rise in the next year, a decrease of 8.1% from the previous period, and 79.9% of institutional investors expected A-shares will rise, an increase of 18.3% from the previous period.

Respondents' views on Hong Kong stocks also showed divergence. Retail investors are more pessimistic than the previous period, and institutional investors are more optimistic. However, compared with April 2020, both sides are more optimistic. Retail and institutional investors also showed divergent views on China's housing market. Approximately 62.5% of the respondents in this period believe house prices will rise in the future (retail investors and financial industry are 57.6% and 78% respectively), a decrease of 7.3% from the previous period.

Investors showed optimism towards the expectations of the Chinese economy. Approximately 61.1% of the survey respondents believe that China's future GDP growth rate can exceed 5%, an increase of 8% from the previous period. Respondents' optimistic expectations for the economy seem to come from the confidence of global vaccination efforts and the recovery of the global economy in the second half of 2020. According to the survey, respondents' pessimism mainly comes from the Biden administration's tough policy towards China; 54% of the respondents believe that the US-China trade war will have long-term negative impacts on the Chinese economy.

The Cheung Kong Investor Sentiment Survey is a survey on investor sentiment and expectations in the capital market, co-sponsored by Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business' (CKGSB) Center for Investment Research and the Business Scholars Program. It is led by Doctor Liu Jing, CKGSB Professor of Accounting and Finance and Associate Dean, and CKGSB researcher Chen Hongya.

The first survey was conducted in January 2018 and targeted over 60 outstanding entrepreneurs. In August 2018, the survey expanded its scope to 13 major Chinese cities and conducted on a quarterly basis with approximately 2,500 valid samples, including 1,900 samples from individual investors and 600 from institutional investors. The Center for Investment Research at CKGSB aims to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the capital markets in China and abroad using CKGSB's unique theoretical & practical perspective.

Please visit: https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn/worldwide/insights/the-ckgsb-investor-sentiment-survey/

SOURCE Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
SARASOTA, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Revcontent, a leading content marketing and native advertising platform, announces its strategic partnership with Brazilian financial powerhouse Money Times. The up-and-coming, independent outlet covers the latest stories in the financial markets and has soared in popularity in recent months, quickly becoming a favorite among investors, analysts, managers and enthusiasts of the Brazilian economic environment. A new partnership with Revcontent will allow Money Times to utilize Revcontent's lightweight widget technology to create a powerful user experience for its diverse fanbase.

"We're excited to expand into the rapidly growing Brazilian region and offer competitive revenue opportunities for incredible publishers like Money Times. Money Times has a burgeoning fan base that has quickly drawn the attention of both financial industry experts and casual finance enthusiasts, capturing engagement from such a diverse audience," said Richard Marques, CEO of Revcontent.

Revcontent's lightweight technology and contract flexibility were key in Money Times' decision when choosing between multiple competitors. With Revcontent's Performante widgets loading 60% faster than competitors, Money Times is able to maximize other ad revenue options, bolstering all page views and traffic. As slow ad technology drags down page speed, causing decreased organic search rankings, ad impression losses, and ultimately, less much-needed dollars for journalism, Revcontent's solution allows premium publishers to maximize programmatic demand.

Money Times co-founder and editor Gustavo Kahil drew from over 15 years of experience working in financial journalism for outlets such as InfoMoney, Gazeta Mercantil/InvestNews, Brasil Economico, Exame.com, and O Financista. He made a strong commitment to his website visitors and prioritized them within the Money Times business model.

"Our growth can be attributed to our focus on delivering what the reader wants through independent content. The concise nature of our content also tends to perform very well across the web. Our readers can enjoy short copy that gets right to the core of the important information, analysis and ongoing debates," said Kahil. "With Revcontent, we were especially thrilled by three specific components of the partnership: their commitment to account management and growing alongside us, light widget technology offering seamless page experiences, and a significant revenue uplift."

"Revcontent comes at the moment when Money Times is establishing itself as an important Brazilian player. There is nothing better than having a dynamic partner like Revcontent to support us," said Rogerio Borges, Director of Business at Acta Holding, the parent company of Money Times.

Money Times is one of the first Brazilian publishers to take advantage of the Revcontent expansion, offering competitive revenue for Money Times and adding 32 million page views as a premium inventory offering for advertisers.

To learn more about Revcontent and how the platform can help your site achieve and exceed its revenue, engagement, and growth goals, please visit https://www.revcontent.com/.

About Revcontent

Revcontent is a leading content marketing and native advertising platform that leverages lightweight, customizable technology to empower the web's leading publishers and marketers to reach and exceed their revenue, engagement and growth goals. Revcontent has been featured on industry-leading publications such as TechCrunch, Forbes, Digiday, and AdExchanger, and Revcontent's CEO is Richard Marques. Learn more at revcontent.com.

Contact Information

Katherine McDermott

[email protected]

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SOURCE Revcontent
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and NEWPORT, R.I., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wanderlust Group (TWG), a technology leader in the marine and outdoor lifestyle industries that connects marinas and campground owners to boat and RV users, today announced that it has appointed Ryan McKillen to The Wanderlust Group's board of directors. The third employee to be hired at Uber, McKillen is an accomplished engineer of consumer products and marketplaces with experience steeped in Silicon Valley.

With a unique focus on scaling engineering organizations, McKillen joins TWG's board during a critical time of growth as the company aims to size up its engineering and product team, amid a boating and outdoor boom as Americans look for socially distanced activities. TWG's Dockwa brand alone saw bookings this March up by 313 percent over last year.

During his nearly seven year tenure at Uber, McKillen grew from software engineer to site director of NYC engineering, finishing with a tour in product in Uber's autonomous vehicle ops. He impressively scaled Uber's New York City engineering center from 0-80+ employees within 18 months, with responsibility for teams who built the Uber EATS platform, as well as the infrastructure for Uber's metrics and monitoring used by engineering globally. Uber's M3 time series database was open-sourced and is now relied upon by leading tech and Fortune 500 companies.

"As we look to make significant investments in our product software, Ryan's deep well of knowledge as an engineer, specifically when it comes to scaling a team, is truly an asset," said Mike Melillo, Co-Founder and CEO of The Wanderlust Group. "His love for the water as an avid boater and self-proclaimed 'obsessed' sailboat racer aligns perfectly with our company's mission to help people connect and spend more time outdoors."

"I'm thrilled that The Wanderlust Group chose me to serve on its board, and I'm looking forward to working in the trenches with the team," said McKillen. "Mike is a fiery entrepreneur and working with him gives me flashbacks to Uber. We've found a great match of my experiences in engineering and consumer marketplaces, with TWG's disruption of the boating industry by connecting marinas with boaters."

McKillen currently serves on the board of directors for Chronosphere, a scalable, reliable and customizable monitoring service for cloud-native applications, built on M3. He was also one of the first investors in the company. Passionate about advising start-ups, McKillen has made over 50 angel investments within the last four years.

The Wanderlust Group is a two-sided marketplace connecting marina and campground owners to boat and RV users. Since launching, TWG has connected more than 250,000 boaters with more than 15,000 marinas to search, explore, reserve, and pay for reservations digitally, within a matter of minutes. To learn more visit, https://wanderlustgroup.com/.

About The Wanderlust Group

Founded in 2014, The Wanderlust Group is a technology leader in the marine and outdoor travel industries made up of subsidiaries Dockwa and Marinas.com . We believe that the world is a better place when people are able to spend time outdoors, connected to nature and each other. To support this mission, we make technology that enables accessibility, enjoyment, and affordability to outdoor experiences for all. With offices in Newport, RI, and Cambridge, MA, the company has expanded to more than 30 countries, 15,000 marinas, and 250,000 boaters worldwide.

For more information, visit https://wanderlustgroup.com/ and follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

SOURCE The Wanderlust Group

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The number and complexity of cyber threats grow constantly, making maintaining a strong security posture with manual assessments or even semi-automated penetration testing a challenge. At the same time, regulations pertaining to organizations' cyber and data protection capabilities are evolving and proliferating. To more effectively integrate, orchestrate, and utilize their existing security controls, many security operations teams are turning to tech enablers, such as SafeBreach's BAS.

Unlike "point-in-time" cyber security assessments, SafeBreach enables continuous security control validation in production environments to provide an ongoing and accurate assessment of which tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) pose the greatest risk to an organization. Further, SafeBreach will provide Deloitte clients' security operations teams and DevSecOps practitioners with custom, automated, and continuous BAS services and remediation guidance to help improve security posture. With step-by-step remediation instructions and an array of technology integrations  including vulnerability management, threat intelligence platforms, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms, Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) platforms and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms  SafeBreach BAS can complement and act as a force multiplier for labor-intensive, costly, and manual testing efforts such as penetration testing and red-blue teaming.

"Shifting from a point-in-time, compliance-based cyber approach to continuous monitoring of program effectiveness enables organizations and their security teams to enhance situational awareness of potential weaknesses and prioritize remediation actions that can help reduce risk," says Andrew Rafla, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory's Zero Trust leader and a principal in Cyber and Strategic Risk, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "Through our strategic relationship, SafeBreach will join Deloitte's portfolio of alliances that facilitate our delivery of tech-enabled, outcome-driven solutions that can help enhance our clients' abilities to detect and respond to cyber risks."

"For businesses, guarding their IT systems and reducing risks has become a top priority in the C-Suite. With this alliance, we can provide a powerful combination of advanced, continuous security validation to understand complex cyber risk with the vast human intelligence and experience that Deloitte brings to the table. Combined, we hope to help quantify and improve security posture for organizations in any sector," says Guy Bejerano, CEO and Co-Founder of SafeBreach.

SafeBreach's continuous security validation platform  including its Hacker's Playbook collection of breach and attack methods, as well as near-real-time prioritization and remediation intelligence for BAS testing  is immediately available to Deloitte clients via multiple engagement models.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

About SafeBreach

SafeBreach is the world's most widely used continuous security validation platform in large and global scale enterprises. The patented SafeBreach platform empowers CISOs and their teams to validate security controls, maximize their effectiveness, and drive down risk. SafeBreach provides a "hacker's view" of an enterprise's security posture by continuously validating security controls. The platform presents findings in customized dashboards, enabling stakeholders to focus on the biggest risks to the organization. SafeBreach automatically and safely executes thousands of attack methods to validate network, endpoint, cloud, container and email security controls against its Hacker's Playboo, the world's largest collection of attack data broken down by methods, tactics and threat actors. Data from SafeBreach validations can improve SOC team responses and empower management teams to make smarter decisions to better manage risk and invest resources. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, the company is funded by Sequoia Capital, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, OCV Partners, DNX Ventures, Hewlett Packard Pathfinder, PayPal and investor Shlomo Kramer. For more information, visit www.safebreach.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact:

Corinna Krueger

5102193634

[email protected]

SOURCE SafeBreach

Related Links

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SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Francisco Health Network published a commentary in the NEJM CATALYST on April 6, 2021 titled "Concentrating Vaccines in Neighborhoods with High Covid-19 Burden." SFHP partnered with the SFHN network by providing a multi-lingual call center to help the community navigate the web-based scheduling systems and by launching successful interventions to vaccinate diverse communities via social media, text messaging, robo-calling, letters, and direct operator calling to ensure that all members of our community have free and fair access to the COVID-19 vaccinations in San Francisco County.

"Public health care delivery systems have played a vital role in the vaccine response for low-income, diverse communities. The state of CA has relied upon high-technology methods of engaging the public to get vaccinated, potentially causing a barrier to access to care for lower income communities," said Fiona Donald, MD, Chief Medical Officer of San Francisco Health Plan. "We believe that SFHP can help to remove these barriers and provide alternative ways to provide access to vaccines via our multi-lingual call center and direct outreach approach to the low-income, diverse communities in San Francisco."

San Francisco Health Plan's (SFHP) mission is to improve health outcomes of the diverse San Francisco communities through successful partnerships. Supporting the needs of our provider network is central to our mission. SFHP partnered with a Bay Area vendor, Tactical Telesolutions, Inc. (TTS), to provide a multi-lingual call center. SFHP and TTS were able to recruit and train the call center staff in under three weeks to provide the much-needed support to the SFHN network for COVID-19 vaccinations.

"We have been gratified to do our part to assist the dedicated staff at the City's vaccine sites and clinics with the vaccine effort. Our focus has been to provide appointment scheduling help to the vital In-Home Support Service workforce and vulnerable populations that may not have access to the internet's appointment scheduling systems. Our staff and the call center have heard our SFHP members and IHSS workers tell them how much they appreciated their help with getting vaccinated. Our partners in the City have been impressive and we have been proud to be a part of the effort," said John F. Grgurina, Jr., CEO of San Francisco Health Plan.

About San Francisco Health Plan

San Francisco Health Plan is an NCQA accredited licensed community health plan providing affordable health coverage over 157,000 low and moderate-income families residing in San Francisco. SFHP is designed for and by the residents it servesmany of whom would not be able to otherwise obtain health care for themselves or their families. Through SFHP, members have access to a full spectrum of medical services including preventive care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, family planning, and substance abuse programs. SFHP's mission is to improve health outcomes of the diverse San Francisco communities through successful partnerships. San Francisco Health Plan is also the third-party administrator for the nationally recognized Healthy San Francisco program. For more information on SFHP, visit www.sfhp.org,

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare. NCQA's website (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices.

SOURCE San Francisco Health Plan
"Returning to In-Person training provides more options to SANS students." Tweet this

"With cybersecurity events making headlines worldwide over the past few weeks, SANS training has never been in more demand as practitioners seek the skills they need to protect and defend their networks," says Rob Lee, Chief Curriculum Director and Faculty Lead at SANS Institute. "Returning to In-Person training provides more options to SANS students. While SANS offers best-in-class online training through our OnDemand and Live Online platforms, there are those who prefer to learn in-person and this option is for them. SANS is now offering In-Person training at multiple events this year alongside our other offerings, giving everyone the opportunity to gain the skills they want in the setting that is best for them."

In North America, In-Person training will be offered at the following event locations:

Washington, DC | July 12-17

| Austin, TX | July 26-31

| Crystal City, VA | August 9-14

| San Antonio, TX | August 16-21

| Virginia Beach, VA | August 23-28

Students in the EMEA region who are ready to return to a classroom setting will have the opportunity to do so at training events located in London, Amsterdam, and Zurich, taking place July through September. Students in the Asia Pacific region will continue to find their In-Person and in-Person Live-Stream events on sans.org

In addition to its OnDemand training available to customers 24/7, SANS will continue to offer Live Online events with interactive, live-stream cybersecurity training delivered directly from world-renowned faculty. Whether students train OnDemand or attend In-Person or Live Online, they will receive high-quality cybersecurity training they can use immediately. Find an up-to-date list of available courses and modalities, sortable by region, here.

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cyber security training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at In-Person and Live Online cyber security training events, and more than 50 courses are available anytime, anywhere with our OnDemand platform. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on, technical certifications in cyber security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers a master's degree, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cyber security. SANS Security Awareness, a division of SANS, provides organizations with a complete and comprehensive security awareness solution, enabling them to easily and effectively manage their 'human' cyber security risk. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system  the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community. (https://www.sans.org)

SOURCE SANS Institute

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of American Well Corporation ("American Well" or the "Company") (NYSE: AMWL). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether American Well and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 12, 2021, post-market, Amwell issued a press release announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2021. Among other results, Amwell reported revenue of $57.5 million, missing consensus estimates by $1.16 million.

On this news, Amwell's stock price fell $2.77 per share, or 21.61%, to close at $10.05 on May 13, 2021.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Romeo Power, Inc. ("Romeo" or the "Company") (f/k/a RMG Acquisition Corp.) (NYSE: RMO) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 21-cv-04058, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded securities of Romeo between October 5, 2020 through March 30, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased Romeo securities during the Class Period, you have until June 15, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants represented that for 2020 Romeo estimated revenue of $11 million, and for 2021 Romeo estimated revenue of $140 million. Defendants further represented that Romeo had "key partnerships" and close relationships with LG Chem, Samsung, Murata and SK Innovation, which manufacture battery cells, a key component in Romeo's battery modules and packs and that they were supplying Romeo with battery cells. Furthermore, Defendants represented that Romeo had the capacity and supply to meet end-user demand for Romeo's products, that Romeo was not beholden "to any level of the value chain", that its supply was hedged, and that it did not see any material challenges that would hamper growth.

Unknown to investors, Romeo was suffering from an acute shortage of high quality battery cells, which are key raw materials for Romeo's battery packs and modules, because of supply constraints. Contrary to Defendants' representations: (i) Romeo had only two battery cell suppliers, not four; (ii) the future potential risks that Defendants warned of concerning supply disruption or shortage had already occurred and were already negatively affecting Romeo's business, operations, and prospects; (iii) Romeo did not have the battery cell inventory to accommodate end-user demand and ramp up production in 2021; (iv) Romeo's supply constraint was a material hindrance to Romeo's revenue growth; and (v) Romeo's supply chain for battery cells was not hedged, but in fact, was totally at risk and beholden to just two battery cell suppliers and the spot market for their 2021 inventory. Given the supply constraint that Romeo was experiencing during the Class Period, Defendants had no reasonable basis to represent that the Company had the ability to meet customer demand and that it would support growth in revenue in 2021.

On March 30, 2021, after the market closed, Romeo issued a press release and filed a report with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 8-K that disclosed its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020, and conducted a conference call with investors and analysts. Defendants shocked investors by disclosing that the Company's production had been hampered by a shortage in supply of battery cells and that its estimated 2021 revenue would therefore be reduced by approximately 71-87%.

During a conference call with investors after the disclosure of Romeo's financial results and projected results, Defendant Lionel E. Selwood, Jr. ("Selwood, Jr.") disclosed that the Company had been relying solely on Samsung and LG for its supply of power cells.

On March 31, 2021, Morgan Stanley issued a research report in which it downgraded Romeo's target price per share from $12 to $7.

Also on March 31, 2021, Romeo shares declined from a closing price on March 30, 2021 of $10.37 per share to close at $8.33 per share, a decline of $2.04 per share, or almost 20%, on heavier than usual volume of over 20 million shares.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

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WEST UNION, Ohio, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shed Hub, which is widely known for its marketplace platform for sheds and accessory buildings, is continuing on its mission to unite the shed industry with the release of the "SHIN" numbering system. SHIN stands for "Shed Hub Identification Number." This number system is similar to the "VIN" or vehicle identification number, with one important distinction. The SHIN numbering system uses all numbers to accommodate low-tech users who may be limited to only using "flip" phones or landline phones.

Jeffrey Huxmann, the Founder of Shed Hub, explains, "Currently, the portable shed industry has no common way to identify a shed. Vehicles have the VIN or vehicle identification number. VIN numbers tend to be long and contain numbers and letters. Many people employed by the shed industry use very little technology, members of Amish or Mennonite communities, that refrain from modern technology. The SHIN numbering system is a way for these individuals to use the technology they are comfortable with while staying connected with other members of the industry that use computers and smartphones."

"Our intent is to keep the SHIN numbering standard open and low-cost to implement. For the rest of 2021 we expect to keep the SHIN numbering system at no cost, and then going forward we're looking at about $20/month/user."

ShedHub will be releasing an application programming interface, or API, for those wishing to integrate the SHIN numbering system with their existing software.

Once the SHIN numbering system is in place, then there will be a common way for manufacturers, drivers, sales professionals, repair men, rent-to-own companies, and others to input and share critical information on portable buildings. "Portable buildings can have multiple owners, and go through multiple finance companies similar to automobiles. Yet there is no common system with-in the industry to record this information, until now," says Huxmann. Coinciding with the release of the SHIN numbering system will be the early release of the SHIN tracking system, allowing those in the shed industry to input information on a particular building utilizing the SHIN standard.

Huxmann encourages drivers, manufacturers, and finance companies to sign up and take advantage of the new system. "A universal numbering system is very useful for many segments of the shed industry."

Those interested in adopting the new SHIN standard can request early access by visiting https://shin.shedhub.com

Media Contact:

Jeffrey Huxmann

[email protected]

SOURCE Shed Hub

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https://shedhub.com


The company ended the quarter with over US$17 million in cash, which it said gives it ample room for strategic Mergers and Acquisitions

HempFusion said its new international purchase orders have the potential to drive millions in revenue

Wellness Inc ( ) ( ) (FRA:8OO) announced that its first-quarter 2021 revenue rose 7.6% sequentially to US$983,496, led by a 59% increase in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce sales.

The company also ended the quarter with US$17,074,030 in cash as of March 31, which it said gives it ample room for strategic Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A).

With nearly all international business paused due to COVID throughout 2020 and 1Q 2021, and with slower than expected reopenings, the company still achieved an incremental quarter-over-quarter growth of 7.6%, CEO Jason Mitchell said in a statement.

Now, with vaccine rollouts taking place across the country, we are encouraged with reopening rates and excited that our sales, which currently take place in approximately 75% brick-and-mortar businesses, are beginning to reopen, Mitchell added.

The company also recorded US$75,994 in international sales during the quarter, receiving new purchase orders as it entered additional countries including China, Ireland, and the UK.

These international purchase orders have the potential to drive millions in revenue. We are working feverishly to accelerate sales through organic channels and the continued pursuit of M&A opportunities; early indications have 2Q shaping up to be our best quarter yet, Mitchell continued.

also realized a 1Q gross profit of $280,205, or 28.5% of net revenue, attributed primarily to improvement in inventory and supply chain management.

The company also noted other accomplishments during the quarter, including:

Becoming the No. 2 most recognized CBD brand in America according to Brightfield Group

Being ranked No. 1 in product sales and units sold in one of the largest food/drug/mass (FDM) retailers, as of the end of January 2021 according to data by NielsenIQ

HempFusion distributes its family of brands, including HempFusion, Probulin Probiotics, Biome Research, and HF Labs, to around 4,000 retail locations across all 50 states of the US and select international locations.

In addition, its wholly-owned subsidiary Probulin Probiotics is one of the fastest-growing probiotics companies in the US, according to data technology company SPINS. The subsidiary offers the unique MAKtrek 3-D system that ensures more probiotics arrive alive.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Squaremouth has been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in America by Inc. Magazine for the fifth consecutive year. The company - a travel insurance comparison site - rooted itself in two core goals when the company was founded in 2003: to be the best place to buy travel insurance, and the best place for employees to work.

Squaremouth attributes its national recognition as a best workplace to its continual emphasis on company culture. This became especially important during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Squaremouth transitioned into an entirely remote workplace.

Squaremouth's key points of emphasis to maintain its culture during the pandemic were:

Promising to keep all employees throughout the pandemic

Identifying new ways to maintain a collaborative culture while remote

A Pledge to Employees

The financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic had an especially harsh impact on the travel industry. Despite a 90% decrease in sales, Squaremouth pledged to keep their entire staff working full hours, at full pay, without any layoffs throughout the remainder of the pandemic.

"We've always been 100% committed to our employees. Rather than turning to layoffs to save money, we took additional cost-cutting measures to allow us to stay true to our commitment to staff, ensuring we could keep every member of our team on board at their full salary," says Squaremouth CEO Jessica Burns.

Maintaining Culture While Going Remote

Squaremouth transitioned into a fully remote workplace during the pandemic, and will continue with a remote structure moving forward. With this change, focusing on culture is more important than ever.

One of the most important aspects of Squaremouth's culture and success has always been maintaining a tight-knit staff. This is especially important during the pandemic, so the company implemented weekly virtual meetings to share feedback and ideas, and hangouts to replicate happy hour. As quarantine guidelines are becoming more lax, Squaremouth staff are safely gathering back in the office for lunches and company gatherings.

In addition to this, Squaremouth's most popular employee benefits, such as unlimited paid vacation and birthdays off with a $200 beer bonus, still apply during the pandemic.

About Squaremouth: Squaremouth compares travel insurance policies from every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth's comparison engine and third-party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare travel insurance policies side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com .

Available Topic Expert: Jessica Burns, Squaremouth CEO, is available for comment. [email protected]

SOURCE Squaremouth

Related Links

http://www.squaremouth.com


Investors and the media are invited to listen to the call through the company's website at investors.target.com (click on the link under "Upcoming Events")

WHO:
On the evening of May 10 th (Beijing time), the Van Gogh Museum became the first overseas cultural institution to livestream a virtual museum tour on its official WeChat Channels account, pioneering a new museum-going experience in the time of Coronavirus and paving the way for more cultural institutions that are looking to engage with the Chinese audience with creative digital tools.

Willem Van Gogh, Advisor to the Board of the Van Gogh Museum, introduced Vincent Van Gogh's paintings in Amsterdam and shared some life stories of his great grand uncle. Tens of thousands of Chinese viewers were able to appreciate Van Gogh's important works virtuallyincluding his well-known works "Sunflowers," "Bedroom in Arles," "Tree Roots," and interacted with the hosts by pressing "Like", asking questions, and entering a lucky draw for souvenirs.

Established in 1973 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Van Gogh Museum is one of the world's top art institutions with the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh's works, housing 210 oil paintings and 704 drawings and watercolours. The debut of its WeChat Channels video livestream marks the museum's further integration into the WeChat ecosystem after its recent launch of WeChat Mini Program and acceptance of WeChat Pay.

The Van Gogh Museum selected 25 of Van Gogh's most famous works in its collection and digitalized them for its brand new WeChat Mini Program. Users can appreciate the high-definition art works virtually, learn about the artist's life stories and buy merchandise through the six interactive sections: "Understand Van Gogh," "AI Van Gogh," "Museum History," "Van Gogh Store," "Masterpiece Appreciation," and "Floor Guide."

The Mini Program's unique "AI Van Gogh" feature, an immediate hit upon its release, uses custom-designed algorithms to create Van Gogh-style portraits from personal photos uploaded by the user. This fun feature lets the Chinese audience get a better feel for the brushstrokes and colour treatment of the post-impressionist genius.

WeChat, which has been dedicated to empowering institutions with new digital capabilities, looks forward to spreading art and creativity with the Van Gogh Museum to more people by harnessing the power of technology. The collaboration also marks an important overseas partnership expansion for China's most used social platform. WeChat and its domestic version Weixin connect over 1.25 billion monthly active users worldwide. Its cross-border payment feature is currently accepted in 64 countries and regions.

SOURCE WeChat
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Block, the leading information services firm in the digital asset space, today announced key additions to its growing sales, news, and operations team that will strengthen its position in the $2 trillion crypto market.

The Block named former POLITICO Chief Revenue Officer Bobby Moran as its first Chief Revenue Officer, while veteran crypto muckraker Tim Copeland joined as News Editor. Latham & Watkins M&A lawyer Rose Mirzaie joined as Chief of Staff, Director of Strategy and Alonzo Benavides joined as SVP of Engineering from MasterCard. Each of their respective teams will continue to grow as The Block solidifies its position as the go-to source for industry research and news.

"Bobby, Alonzo, Rose and Tim join The Block at a time when the digital assets industry is at an inflection point, where mass adoption is accelerating and key players across established sectors, both financial services and otherwise, are thinking deeply about crypto. In a rapidly evolving market, it's important to hire talent that understands our clients' needs and that enable us to remain at the forefront of the information services space as a key resource," said Michael McCaffrey, CEO of The Block.

"Between our in-house talent, ever-improving product suite, and the innovation already underway, I couldn't be more excited to join The Block as Chief Revenue Officer. This company has experienced exponential growth since its founding due to demand for more crypto information  news, research, and data - and The Block is the best in the industry at producing that information. Crypto is the future, and we provide our customers with the information they need to make smarter decisions for themselves and their businesses," said Bobby Moran, The Block's new Chief Revenue Officer.

The Block adds former Politico, Latham & Watkins, Mastercard and Decrypt alums to core team.

Bobby Moran

Bobby Moran, former Chief Revenue Officer at both POLITICO and EverFi, joins The Block as Chief Revenue Officer and will lead monetization efforts across The Block's expanding suite of subscription products, sponsorships and services. Among his notable accomplishments, Bobby oversaw POLITICO's growth across its B2B subscription and sponsorship business lines and was responsible for managing and growing POLITICO Pro into a $60M+ subscription business during his tenure.

Rose Mirzaie

Rose Mirzaie, previously a Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer at Latham & Watkins, joins The Block as Chief of Staff, Director of Strategy, and will be overseeing strategy and interfacing across the organization's product, sales and operations teams. Prior to joining The Block, Rose represented private equity sponsors across a wide range of industries, and most recently represented the buyer in the $4.3BN Nestle Waters acquisition earlier this year.

Alonzo Benavides

Alonzo Benavides, previously VP of Software Development Engineering at Mastercard Data & Services, joins The Block as SVP of Engineering and now leads The Block's Product & Engineering teams. Prior to joining The Block, Alonzo oversaw the development of internally focused web applications and APIs, as well as a business intelligence environment for supporting data-driven decisions org-wide. He will be exploring innovative ways to serve current and future users while helping expand the product suite.

Tim Copeland

Tim Copeland joins The Block as News Editor. Tim will focus on covering the most critical developments in the crypto space as well as increasing reader engagement across The Block's editorial suite. Prior to joining The Block, Tim was instrumental in building one of the leading crypto media brands in the space, Decrypt, a ConsenSys subsidiary.

About The Block

The Block is a leading research and news company focused on the fast-growing digital asset industry. Founded in April 2018, The Block draws in more than 3 million monthly readers and counts financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, billion-dollar asset managers and technology majors among its institutional clientele. The Block Research provides a unique research membership service, offering bespoke engagements, daily content from a best-in-class team, educational sessions, and sponsorship opportunities. Readers and subscribers can also track the growth of the digital asset space via The Block's newly-launched Data Dashboard , a comprehensive visualization tool that provides the key information about a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

Contacts

The Block

[email protected]

Related Links

www.theblockcrypto.com

SOURCE The Block

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www.theblockcrypto.com


BLUE BELL, Pa., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Columbus Organization, a nationally recognized provider of care coordination services for individuals with intellectual/developmental (IDD) and behavioral health challenges and the leading care coordination agency in Delaware, is pleased to be recognized for their leadership in the state. The company has just received the "Innovation in Person Centered Practices" award from the Charting the LifeCourse Nexus organization. Dedicated to providing every individual an opportunity to achieve their meaningful-life goals, The Columbus Organization has seen significant success implementing the Charting the LifeCourse framework into care coordination approaches. Recognized for their systematic training, person-centered planning practices, and quality measures, Columbus will be spotlighted at the live awards ceremony on May 20, 2021.

Shenika Kirby, Columbus' Executive State Director for Delaware, commented, "This is an incredible honor for us, not only because it validates our successful use of a proven framework, but because it is coupled with the ongoing positive outcomes we have seen throughout the communities we serve in Delaware."

Additionally, because The Columbus Organization has always embraced a more holistic approach to care coordination and the communities that support individuals with IDD and behavioral health challenges, the company has also maintained an instrumental role in facilitating access to the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the state. In collaboration with Delaware's Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, Columbus was able to efficiently schedule over 2,600 vaccines for individuals and families, ultimately enabling greater access to providers, services and meaningful-life activities.

About The Columbus Organization

The Columbus Organization empowers individuals to realize their meaningfullife goals through nationally recognized care/support coordination, professional clinical staffing, and quality improvement services for the intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) or behavioral needs community. The Company delivers an unmatched depth of expertise, breadth of resources, diversity of thinking, and dedication to finding the most appropriate, personalized solutions for its customers. Visit www.columbusorg.com.

About HealthEdge

HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC is an operating-oriented private equity firm founded in 2005 that focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry. HealthEdge seeks to achieve superior returns by investing in businesses that benefit from the knowledge, experience, and network of relationships of its partners. Health Edge's partners have more than 100 years of combined operating experience in healthcare as CEOs and investors. Visit www.healthedgepartners.com.

CONTACT: Scott Stoogenke, [email protected]

SOURCE The Columbus Organization

Related Links

http://www.columbusorg.com


The four-year grant aims to develop and implement neighborhood-level climate sustainability plans and projects Tweet this

"These initiatives represent extensive investments in community-led transformation for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable neighborhood," said Assistant Professor Shivani Shukla. "We will be developing frameworks to track the progress and outcomes of these projects while quantifying the environmental gains to the community."

"Our team could not be more excited to partner with the City of Oakland, the California Strategic Growth Council, and the California Air Resources Board to address climate change in a way that balances economic growth with our shared mission and vision for a more just and equitable society," stated Associate Professor William Riggs.

The grant focuses on implementing neighborhood-level climate sustainability plans in East Oakland as part of the TCC program referred to as the "Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors" initiative. The USF School of Management team is responsible for data evaluation and assessment outcomes of the initiative's five projects, which include an urban greenway, a community greening project, new affordable housing including a community health clinic, an urban farm focused on food justice, and a bike safety and repair program.

"These kinds of transformative projects are closely aligned with the School of Management's vision to lead with integrity across the public and private sector," said Charles T. Moses, dean of the USF School of Management. "Promoting our work with the City of Oakland illustrates the amazing work our students and faculty do to apply lessons from the classroom in the real world while actively shaping a more just and sustainable economy."

About the USF School of Management

Founded in 1925, University of San Francisco's School of Management is on the forefront of educating the next generation of conscious, mindful business leaders. Each year those students join the over 40,000 School of Management alumni around the world to create ethical and innovative change in the private, public, and non-profit management sectors. The School of Management is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world  and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.

SOURCE University of San Francisco

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditions Health, LLC ("Traditions") a national hospice and home health provider, announced that it has acquired Area Community Hospice ("Area Community") and AmeraCare Family Hospice and Home Health (collectively "AmeraCare"). These acquisitions further Traditions' mission of providing exceptional clinical care to patients and their families.

Area Community is a hospice provider with locations in Plainview and Lubbock, TX. The acquisition of Area Community expands Traditions' reach to West Texas and strengthens an expansive and growing presence in the state. AmeraCare is a longstanding home health and hospice provider in the greater New Orleans area, servicing patients for over 20 years through multiple sites. The acquisition of AmeraCare establishes a new footprint for Traditions in the Louisiana home health market and complements its existing hospice presence.

The announcement was made by David Klementz, the President and CEO of Traditions. "I am extremely excited to further expand Traditions' care in both Texas and Louisiana. This is great accomplishment for our organization and we could not be more excited to welcome both Area Community's and AmeraCare's employees and patients into the Traditions family," said Mr. Klementz.

About Traditions Health

Headquartered in College Station, TX, Traditions Health is a leading provider of hospice care, home health care, consulting services and online policy manuals. The company provides care to over 5,000 patients across fourteen states. The company has recently been named to the 2020 Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing businesses. Traditions Health is a portfolio company of Dorilton. For more information, visit our website at www.traditionshealth.com.

About Dorilton

Dorilton is a private investment firm that invests in businesses across a range of industry sectors, working in partnership with management to grow value over the long-term. By providing funding and expertise to drive growth, Dorilton helps its companies and its people achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.doriltongroup.com.

For media inquiries and relevant opportunities, please contact [email protected]

SOURCE Traditions Health, LLC
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global treehouse glamping market size is expected to reach USD 363.6 million by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2021 to 2028. In today's time, camping has become one of the best outdoor activities for numerous people, however, it is an unpleasant experience for some. Hence, the tourism industry has introduced a new concept called glamping, which is a combination of camping and a comfortable, luxurious stay experience.

Key suggestions from the report:

The online booking mode segment is projected to be the fastest CAGR of 9.7% from 2021 to 2028. This is attributed to the increasing penetration of the internet and smartphone devices across countries

By age group, the 18-32 years segment held the largest share of over 40.0% in 2020 owing to the growing trend of travel and tourism among millennials

Europe held the largest share of over 45.0% in 2020 and is foreseen to remain at the forefront over the forecast period. Rising travel connectivity and the rapid penetration of high-speed internet are driving the need to explore new, exotic, and exciting locations across the region

Read 80 page research report with ToC on "Treehouse Glamping Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age Group (18-32 Years, 33-50 Years, 51-65 Years, Above 65 Years), By Booking Mode, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/treehouse-glamping-market

Numerous consumers are inclined toward the idea of treehouse glamping as it is camping for the newer generation and allows an escape without compromising on comfort. With luxury furnishings, soft beds, and the awe-inspiring experience of nature and wildlife, consumers are more drawn to the idea of treehouse glamping as compared to regular camping.

Major treehouse glamping providers offer an out-in-the-wild camping experience along with luxurious amenities, such as portable toilets, indoor washrooms, comfortable beds, kitchen appliances, TV sets, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. This allows campers to have the perfect combination of overall outdoor and indoor experience, especially for families and couples. This, in turn, is expected to have a positive impact on the market growth over the forecast period.

Globally, the glamping sector has been witnessing an inflow of investments by hotel brands in emerging regions, such as India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the investment momentum in the sector, the market space for treehouse glamping has been consolidating.

With consistent progress in economic recovery and accommodations picking up pace, companies are investing in the upgradation of existing facilities and shutting down locations that are deemed redundant. In January 2021, Under Canvas announced a USD 15 million investment to upgrade their seven existing facilities and construct two new camps across the U.S. Most upgradation investments are aimed at making facilities eco-friendly and sustainable and improving the architectural landscape and amenities.

Investment mechanisms in the industry have also been evolving from the time of systemic venture capitals or family-owned investment firms to treehouse glamping companies now being founded by means of crowdfunding. One such example would be O2 Treehouses, an Oakland-based company, which launched an equity crowdfunding campaign for its new venture, Treewalkers. The campaign is aimed at expanding the franchise-based company in the treehouse glamping sector of the U.S.

Grand View Research has segmented the global treehouse glamping market on the basis of age group, booking mode, and region:

Treehouse Glamping Age Group Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

18-32 years



33-50 years



51-65 years



Above 65 years

Treehouse Glamping Booking Mode Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Online



Offline

Treehouse Glamping Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America



U.S.



Europe



France





Italy





Spain





Ireland



Asia Pacific



Thailand



Central & South America



Costa Rica

List of Key Players of Treehouse Glamping Market

Treehouse-Villas Thailand

Bangkok Tree House

Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Resort

Keemala

Orion Tree Houses B&B

Mouling de la Jarousse

Costa Rica Tree House

Lala Mukha

Pai Treehouse

Tree House Hideaway

Find more research reports on Homecare & Decor Industry, by Grand View Research:

Smart Kitchen Appliances Market  The global smart kitchen appliances market size was valued at USD 9.87 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 19.1% over the forecast period.

in 2019 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 19.1% over the forecast period. Street Skateboards Accessories Market  The global street skateboards accessories market size was valued at USD 212.3 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from 2020 to 2027.

in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from 2020 to 2027. Glamping Market  The global glamping market size was valued at USD 1.88 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1% from 2021 to 2028.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UM, the global media agency network of IPG Mediabrands, was named Global Media Agency of the Year in Campaign's 2020 Global Agency of the Year Awards, while UM APAC was awarded "Best of the Best: Media Network." Campaign is one of the leading providers of news and analysis serving marketing, advertising and media professionals around the world.

UM was named Campaign's Global Media Agency of the Year, while UM APAC was awarded "Best of the Best: Media Network." Tweet this UM named Campaign's Global Media Agency of the Year

"These tremendous wins are a direct result of the unwavering dedication and hard work of our people," said Eileen Kiernan, Global CEO, UM. "Despite all the challenges over the past year, our community continued to deliver outstanding work and partnership to our clients while supporting our communities, both in and outside of UM. We are grateful for the recognition from Campaign."

UM's future-facing, agile and data-driven approach, with diversity, equity and belonging at its core, helped solidify the agency's win. Unveiled in 2020, UM's unique Futureproof approach balances profit and purpose, connects with today's and tomorrow's audiences, and creates fully connected experiences that adapt at the speed of culture. The Campaign 2020 Global Agency of the Year Awards judges cited UM's body of work combining analytics, artificial intelligence and automation, strong business results, ethical and responsible approach to data, and retention of blue chip clients as key factors contributing to the win.

UM APAC's "outstanding track record for new business" and "robust results" contributed to its "Best of the Best: Media Network" recognition. Despite the uncertainty brought on by the events of 2020, the region saw numerous successes including a client retention rate of almost 95% and new business wins from Foodpanda, Lazada, Telenor Group, Teway Food, Dr. Ci:Labo, Spotify, Nike, Intuit, Wipro Unza, Coway, and Puma AG.

These honors follow several recent notable recognitions for UM, including UM APAC winning Media Network of the Year at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year awards; UM China winning Media Agency of the Year at the Shanghai International Advertising Festival Awards; and UM US CEO Lynn Lewis being named Campaign Agency Head of the Year for two consecutive years.

About UM

UM is a global media agency committed to Futureproofing our clients' businesses for the now and the next. We leverage the transformational power of rich business analytics and real-time intelligence to maximize growth and activate the full consumer journey across content and connections. Our consultative approach and agile model, rooted in diversity, equity and belonging, drive better business outcomes for brands. As the leading global media network in IPG Mediabrands, UM operates in over 100 countries, with more than 3,000 people innovating on a roster of global clients including Accenture, American Express, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Fitbit, GoPro, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co, Mattel, Sony and Spotify. For more information, please visit https://www.umww.com/.

SOURCE UM
M.E.A.M is a professional degree that prepares clergy for effective and efficient parish leadership. Tweet this

Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II

From being a former Swiss Guard of Pope St. John Paul II (the Saint's birthday is May 18 and Enzler wrote a book "I served a Saint"- celebrating it) to a successful international banker to becoming the dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Enzler continually aims to live out his vocation and positively impact the lives of those he encounters.

"At the Cameron School of Business we do not educate to create more efficient workers or more satisfied consumers, but freer  and better  persons," Enzler said. "As educators, we accept as axiomatic the ancient view that the purpose of education is first and foremost moral, not utilitarian. We, therefore, seek not merely to inform our students, to fill their minds, but to form them as persons by holding up for them the classical ideals of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful."

During Enzler's early time in Academia, he noticed the need and demand for clergy to learn practical business and managerial skills. Thus, especially after many hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the adoration Chapel, the creation of the Master of Science in Ecclesial Administration and Management (M.E.A.M.) came to be in 2017.

Learn more about the Master's in Science in Ecclesial Administration and Management (M.E.A.M)

The Master is a professional degree that prepares clergy for effective and efficient parish and diocesan leadership. The 30-credit degree consists of a weeklong on-campus intensive, immersion session and online coursework, which can be completed in as little as eleven months. The program's goal is to take inspiration from the proven best practices established in the secular business environment and assist the clergy and key figures in parishes, dioceses, and religious orders to manage day-to-day administrative responsibilities and to best respond to particular challenges and difficulties that might arise.

Clergy Act like CEOs of Small Companies

Clergy and other key figures in parishes, dioceses, and religious orders essentially act like CEOs of their own small companies. Practical business skills like accounting, finance, human resources, and communication strategies, are not taught in seminary. When sent off to lead a parish, many priests often yearn for the knowledge of these practical business skills. The Master of Science in Ecclesial Administration and Management degree gives clergy access to these valuable and practical business skills.

The program has been incredibly successful since its creation. "My fourth class of priests will graduate this summer and will go on to implement the knowledge they have learned," said Enzler. The program allows for clergy to be more prepared and ready to take on day-to-day administrative responsibilities and challenges they may face.

"The M.E.A.M. degree provides a vital component of ongoing priestly formation during this critical time in the life of the Church in the United States," Enzler said.

Enzler's courageous view now gives the priest-learner a broad body of knowledge for effective, transparent, and value-added leadership in the modern-day administration of a parish or diocese. Specifically, classes on personnel management, budgeting and asset maintenance, and financial reporting provide enriched learning to build competencies that priests use every day.

Forming Priests as Servant-Leaders

"This degree forms the priest as a servant-leader who will be a responsible steward and ethical shepherd for the people of God," said Fr. Justin Fulton from Lincoln, Nebraska.

For more information on the M.E.A.M degree, please contact Dr. Mario Enzler at [email protected] or 713.525.2120. Learn more at www.stthom.edu/meam

SOURCE University of St. Thomas-Houston

Related Links

www.stthom.edu


"Our posture's gonna be that we're posted outside of DC, awaiting the president's orders. We hope he will give us the orders. We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as the militia."

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, in November, looking ahead to Jan. 6
NORTHVILLE, Mich., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping the Science Bench Book for Judges current and the most comprehensive scientific evidence bench book published, an updated and revised Second Edition of is now downloadable free from Justice Speakers Institute, gateway to justice system leaders worldwide and originator of the project, and from project partner, National Judicial College (NJC), the nation's largest provider of judicial education. The project was funded by the State Justice Institute.

Judges are tasked with "gatekeeping" of scientific evidence in the courtroom, deciding whether to admit or exclude time-honored as well as new types of scientific evidence. A judge may have the online, searchable Science Bench Book for Judges by her side as a guide while ruling from the bench during pre-trial, trial, and post-trial proceedings in both civil and criminal cases.

Justice Stephen Breyer, U. S. Supreme Court, said, "It has become ever more apparent that judges must have some understanding of science. They must be able to judge fairly in cases having a scientific content. They must be able to separate 'junk science' from genuine science. This book is a helpful and necessary effort to provide judges with knowledge and techniques that will help them work with scientific subject matter."

The bench book is authored by esteemed justices including the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, a retired Associate Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, trial judges and practitioners. The address by National Judicial College President Benes Z. Aldana titled "What is Science?" introduces the bench book.

Since it became available on July 1, 2019, hundreds of copies of the book have been downloaded by judicial leaders across the nation. "It is our hope," said JSI co-founder and Judge MacKenzie, "that with these critical materials, judges will be able to guard against relying too heavily on imperfect scientific tests, testimony, and evidence."

CONTACT: Brian MacKenzie, Justice Speakers Institute, 248.231.9228; [email protected]

Justice Speakers Institute LLC, founded in 2016, is the gateway to Justice System leaders worldwide. Its founders and their rigorously selected associates are internationally recognized experts with decades of experience and mastery over 300 subjects impacting the justice system.

SOURCE Justice Speakers Institute
DALLAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, one of the most recognized and respected trial boutiques in Texas, has announced that experienced trial attorney Mary Goodrich Nix has joined the firm as a partner.

"Mary's courtroom experience, including in the areas of trade secret and employment disputes, is a perfect fit with our existing team," says name partner Michael K. Hurst. "I've had the pleasure of working with Mary in the past and we have secured large jury verdicts and successful arbitration results together. She is always prepared, creative, and tenacious in representing her client."

Managing Partner Eric Pinker added, "As we move into a post-pandemic legal environment, her skills and expertise will be invaluable. She is an outstanding attorney and a leader, and we're delighted to be able to welcome her into the Firm."

Ms. Nix has tried and arbitrated cases throughout Texas and across the United States and has managed nationwide legal teams for corporate clients with multistate operations. She also has frequently worked with international organizations to oversee the pursuit or defense of domestic disputes.

"The opportunity to work with Mike, Eric, Michael, Chris, and the many other talented lawyers and support staff at this firm is incredibly exciting," says Ms. Nix. "I have always admired Mike Lynn, and I had the benefit of working for and with Michael Hurst when I was an associate and a young partner. We tried several cases and celebrated a lot of successes together. I consider many of the attorneys and staff to be some of my closest friends and coming to work here with them feels a bit like coming home."

Ms. Nix has extensive experience in a wide variety of litigation matters affecting the employer-employee relationship and disputes between competitors. She also has experience managing corporate investigations. Her work frequently involves assisting companies in identifying protectable intellectual property and pursuing litigation to safeguard proprietary and trade secret information from theft and disclosure. She also frequently defends companies accused of violating non-compete, non-solicit, or non-disclosure agreements, or of stealing confidential information.

Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Ms. Nix joins the firm from Holland & Knight, where she served as co-chair of the firm's Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants Team.

Ms. Nix earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, and her undergraduate degree from Baylor University. For her complex commercial and employment litigation work, she was awarded the prestigious BTI Client Service All-Star Award in 2020, a distinction awarded by in-house counsel to less than 500 attorneys worldwide. Ms. Nix was one of only 11 attorneys in Dallas and 19 attorneys statewide who received this distinction.

She was named a Best Lawyer in America in Employment Litigation in 2020 and 2021, and a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2012. She was selected to serve on Sedona Conference's Working Group 12 on Trade Secrets, and the 2021 Sedona Conference on Remote Case Management of IP Proceedings. She has held numerous professional leadership positions in her career, including with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, the Dallas Bar Association, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, and the Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court.

Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann is a nationally recognized commercial litigation firm whose philosophy is based on trial-tested experience, creativity, and an uncompromising will to win. For the past four years, the firm has been ranked among the top five commercial litigation firms in Texas by the highly respected Chambers USA Guide to the Legal Profession. The firm has also received numerous accolades by The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, D Magazine, and Texas Lawyer, and was twice awarded "Defense Win of the Year" in the U.S. by the National Law Journal, the only firm to receive that recognition twice.

The lawyers at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann try business disputes of all types, including breach of contract, intellectual property and trade secret, class action, financial services, securities, breach of fiduciary duty, employment, and professional malpractice cases. To learn more, visit www.lynnllp.com .

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann LLP
NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wacoal, the nation's leading intimate apparel brand, launches a revolutionary fit solution, the mybraFit app. The first of its kind, mybraFit is a patent-pending, AI-powered app that determines accurate bra size within minutes and delivers a personalized recommendation of Wacoal bras tailored to fit the consumer's needs. With the mybraFit app, finding the perfect bra is now just a few taps away no measuring tape, math calculations, or knowledge of your current sizing required.

Users can install the mybraFit app on their mobile device, capture a completely secure image of their body hands-free and answer four questions about their body and breast shape. Within minutes they will receive an email containing their customized size and bra wardrobe recommendation from over 60 styles that Wacoal currently offers, along with the ability to click and purchase products seamlessly. This size assessment is then stored in the consumer's profile and can be used for future purchases both online and in-store.

"The hard truth is that the intimate apparel business relies on antiquated practices that have not changed in decades. For too long, the industry has relied on the consumer to provide the information needed for accurate sizing. The mybraFit app brings ease to the fit experience, delivering a tailored size assessment within a matter of minutes, " says Miryha Fantegrossi, Vice President of Merchandising and Design at Wacoal America. "The mybraFit app is a transformative solution, and by using our vast knowledge of fit and style expertise, we've created a personalized, time-efficient, and foolproof sizing tool for everyone."

Understanding breast size and shape is integral to finding the right fit. The mybraFit app uses a proprietary algorithm that takes these factors into account to accurately predict the consumer's correct bra size and recommend the bras that will suit them best. Drawing on decades of creating perfect products that have been developed and fit on real women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities, the mybraFit app is trained by a design expert's eye.

The mybraFit app was developed in tandem with Sizer Technologies, a global leader in contactless digital body measuring solutions. Wacoal chose to collaborate with Sizer Technologies due to their unmatched sizing accuracy and convenient, user-friendly experience.

This technology-forward approach is part of Wacoal's larger investment in bringing its in-person fitting expertise to the online shopping experience. Safety and security have been prioritized at every level of development, and Wacoal has taken all necessary steps to ensure that the virtual imaging is secure. The images uploaded for each user's fit assessment are not saved, only the size and product recommendations are.

"In recent years, we have noticed a behavioral shift consumers becoming increasingly reliant on digital options. With that in mind, it's important to continue to find ways to innovate and create a seamless experience for consumers. The launch of the mybraFit app is a key part of that step forward," said Mitchell Kauffman, President and CEO of Wacoal America. "This concept will allow Wacoal to connect with customers in a new way, giving them a personalized shopping journey that leverages our expertise in fit and unmatched service from the comfort of their home."

The mybraFit app, along with Wacoal's additional sizing tools and fit guides will be available on Wacoal-America.com/find-your-fit beginning May 18, 2021.

Wacoal Press Contact:

FACTORY PR

[email protected]

212.941.9394

ABOUT WACOAL:

Established in 1985, Wacoal is the leading lingerie brand that women trust for fit, quality, and comfort. Wacoal pioneered the art of bra fitting, and today, their Fit Experts help women find the sizes that make them look and feel their best. Never satisfied with the status quo, their designers keep a finger on the pulse of the fashion industry. They are always looking for new and better ways to deliver bras that meet the expectations of modern women for comfort, quality, and performance.

ABOUT SIZER TECHNOLOGIES:

Sizer offers powerful, convenient, and friendly body measurements solutions, empowering our partners to leverage valuable sizing-data, improving their offering and service. The patented Sizer body measuring solution captures the user's body measurements and translates them into highly accurate size recommendations. Companies around the globe trust Sizer to help them solve the customer friction of incorrect fit. With Sizer, customers experience improvements in their daily operations and massive savings in time, costs and returns. Sizer is a private company headquartered in Israel.

For more information contact Nicole Levitt, VP Marketing, [email protected], 972.54.423.2478; visit www.sizer.me or follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Wacoal America, Inc.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering comprehensive health coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees, Western Health Advantage (WHA) announced today that its Medicare Advantage plans are now available to large employer groups.

Western Health Advantage group-sponsored Medicare plans (also known as MA-EGWP) are designed for an employer's retirees, with enrollment offered to Medicare beneficiaries. Large group employers (100+ employees) may choose from two HMO plans available: WHA's MyCare 0/0/175 and MyCare 0/20/0, which offer a plan with a $0 PCP visit or with 100% hospitalization, both with robust value-added benefits.

WHA's Medicare Advantage plans provide retirees prescription drug coverage and vision care, which is not included in Original Medicare. In addition, members receive combined value-added benefits such as complimentary fitness membership, travel assistance while traveling worldwide, routine wellness exams, complimentary routine alternative care services, and over-the-counter (OTC) quarterly allowances. WHA plans are offered to employers in the following counties: Marin, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo.

"We continue to innovate, improve and expand our plans and programs to support Northern California residents, providing access to quality health care at all stages of their lives," said Garry Maisel, President and CEO of Western Health Advantage. "Our group Medicare Advantage plans enable employers to extend a continuity of care, safeguarding their commitment to providing health care benefits to their retirees."

For WHA employers who offer retiree benefits, it allows an active employee to keep their doctor(s) when they move into a WHA Medicare Advantage plan upon retirement. Also, for a retiree who enrolls in WHA group-sponsored Medicare Advantage plan, their non-Medicare dependent(s) may remain on the employer's active plan.

Companies interested in WHA Medicare plans for retirees may talk with their broker consultants or WHA at 888.499.3198 or [email protected].

WHA offers a range of affordable health plans, designed to fit an employer's diverse health care needs. Because WHA is founded by leading health care systems Dignity Health and NorthBay Healthcare, its members have access to a broad network of exceptional doctors and hospitals, including Hill Physicians Medical Group, Dignity Health's Mercy Medical Group and Woodland Clinic, Meritage Medical Network, NorthBay Healthcare and Providence Medical Network (formerly St. Joseph Health Medical Network).

About Western Health Advantage

Western Health Advantage was founded by doctors to address the health care industry's evolving patient needs within an increasingly complex health care system. For nearly 25 years, Western Health Advantage has been recognized for providing access to quality, affordable health care to more than 105,000 members across Northern CA. A nonprofit HMO plan headquartered in Sacramento, Western Health Advantage's community-based mission strives to give the majority of every dollar back to providing patient care. For more information on Western Health Advantage, visit westernhealth.com.

For more information, contact:

Rick Heron, Chief Experience Officer

916.614.6009

[email protected]

SOURCE Western Health Advantage
MAPLE, ON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Westmount Park Investments Inc ("Westmount Park"), a modern family office with over 50 years of unrivalled industry experience welcomes Christopher Ecclestone as Executive Strategic Advisor, Metals & Mining. Currently, Christopher is the principal and mining strategist at Hallgarten & Company which is based in London England, where he founded the company in 2003.

Westmount Park has become highly active in the mining and precious metals industry, as the mining landscape continues to innovate and increasingly produce tangible results - this engagement accelerates Westmount Park's strategic roadmap.

Christopher Eccelstone, CEO of Hallgarten & Company stated:

"I am very excited about joining Westmount Park as it provides the ideal platform to access the multitude of investment opportunities that exist in the mining industry."

Christopher graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1981. Prior to founding Hallgarten & Company in 2003, he was the head of research at an economic thinktank in New Jersey which he had joined in 2001. Before moving to the U.S., he was the founder and head of research at the esteemed Argentine equity research firm, Buenos Aires Trust Company, from 1991 until 2001.

Prior to his arrival in Argentina, he worked in London beginning in 1985 as a corporate finance and equities analyst and as a freelance consultant on the restructuring of the securities industry. Earlier, he worked for the Federal and State governments in Australia. Christopher has appeared as a mining analyst on CNBC as well as the Proactive Research Platform.

Romeo Di Battista Jr., CEO and Chairman of Westmount Park Investments stated:

"We are thrilled to have Christopher take the lead on all of our mining endeavors. Christopher's expertise and knowledge of the mining sphere, inclusive of the highly desirable production activities, will help us further build our portfolio in this vertical."

About Westmount Park

Westmount Park is a modern family office built on a foundation of nearly 50-years of successfully owning, running, and investing in businesses across several industries. Westmount Park offers an evolution in family office structuring, while tapping into an expansive network of wealth including families of new Canadians. The company capitalizes on a strong management team and capable partners to provide a full spectrum of services to source, assess and execute on investment opportunities to enhance business value and returns. www.westmountpark.com

SOURCE Westmount Parks Investments Inc.
SEATTLE, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Javad Sajan at Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery is the top plastic surgeon in Seattle. With years of experience as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Sajan has directly led to many innovations within the field of plastic surgery. His dedication to constant advancement and his patients' experience can attest to Dr. Sajan's status as the top plastic surgeon in Seattle .

Through his career in plastic surgery, Dr. Sajan has been at the forefront of innovation. One of his first successes involved creating the Advanced Facial Simulator, a tool that training plastic surgeons use to learn various plastic surgeries. Additionally, Dr. Sajan continues to evolve his surgical techniques. For example, Dr. Sajan is among one of the only plastic surgeons in the United States who will perform a Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck together.

Dr. Sajan's dedication to gender affirming surgeries and his transgender patients also sets him apart as the top plastic surgeon in Seattle. Dr. Sajan performs the most transgender top surgeries in Washington State and is frequently recommended within the trans community for his respectful manner. He was among the first to offer this life changing surgery in Seattle.

Textbook author, podcast host, and creator of Scar Protocol are just some of Dr. Sajan's other accomplishments and accolades. His patients also often have good feedback concerning their experience. One review says, "Highly recommend. Dr. Sajan is the best in the practice. The team is wonderful and welcoming. 9 months post op I'm absolutely thrilled with my results!! I couldn't see any way it could be any better than it is. He did wonderful with my surgery the results are immaculate and the follow up care is incredible."

About Dr. Javad Sajan: Dr. Javad Sajan of Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery is Seattle's leading plastic surgeon. Performing hundreds of plastic surgery procedures every year, Dr. Sajan is sought out by patients from all around Washington, the United States, and the globe. His standard of care is one of the highest and he is often cited as one of the top plastic surgeons in Seattle. Dr. Sajan specializes in breast augmentation , tummy tuck , mommy makeover , and transgender top surgery .

Contact: realdrseattle Medical Marketing

Phone: 206-787-0784

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Allure Esthetic
The geospatial partnership will support the infrastructure and planning needs of federal, state and local governments. Tweet this

In 2019, Woolpert acquired international geospatial firms Geomatics Data Solutions and Southern Mapping to augment and expand its services and extend its global reach. Woolpert Solutions Scientist Matthew Hutchinson said this partnership with Planet will enable the firms to deliver seamless geospatial data at multiple resolutions.

"We don't fly aerial imagery as often as satellite imagery is collected, largely due to weather and other logistical constraints, but aerial imagery offers the opportunity for the highest-resolution data," Hutchinson said. "Planet's two core products, SkySat and PlanetScope, provide a steady stream of medium- to high-resolution data. SkySat provides an outstanding mechanism to update imagery, while PlanetScope is highly effective in environmental management."

Woolpert Vice President and Market Director Jon Downey said this partnership will play to the strengths of each company and benefit clients globally. Already, Planet and Woolpert are working together to provide imagery and data to select areas of Africa as part of a campaign to deliver needed technology and engineering capabilities to underserved areas of the world.

"We've been in the geospatial business for more than 50 years, continually innovating and growing to provide dynamic data that will support myriad infrastructure, planning and asset management needs," Downey said. "We are looking forward to working with Planet to fully equip governments and other organizations with vital, technologically advanced data so they each can make the most effective and informed decisions."

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its fifth-straight Great Place to Work certification and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has over 1,100 employees and 42 offices in three countries. For more, visit woolpert.com .

Media contact: Woolpert PR Manager Jill Kelley; 937-531-1258, [email protected]

SOURCE Woolpert

Related Links

http://www.woolpert.com


CLEARWATER, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FrankCrum has chosen Worklio as its new Human Capital Management (HCM) technology platform for its 4,000 client companies and its 70,000 worksite employees.

The Worklio HCM is an all-in-one platform that includes a powerful Payroll Engine and comprehensive modules for Human Resources, Workers' Compensation and Benefits. Worklio is designed to manage the information for a large number of employers within a highly secure environment.

FrankCrum is a leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that offers comprehensive outsourced HR, Payroll and Payroll Administration, Employee Benefits and Benefits Administration, and Workers' Compensation services.

"We evaluated multiple possible solutions to modernize our back-end systems and chose Worklio," said Farid Nagji, Executive VP of Operations and Technology for FrankCrum. "They offered us a flexible and advanced technology platform with critical system security to protect our clients' valuable and confidential information. This will allow us to advance our system scalability while maintaining superior service to our clients, which is the essence of our brand value. Our approach in adopting Worklio is unique and custom. We will integrate Worklio with MyFrankCrum, our proprietary customer- and employee-facing portal, which earns us a competitive advantage. We can optimize the customer's experience and leverage Worklio as part of our business platform to support the uniqueness of our PEO service model, forged over almost 40 years in business. This is not a cookie-cutter implementation; rather, it's an innovative partnership, based on a strategy to exploit the strengths of both parties: Worklio and FrankCrum."

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with FrankCrum," said Azadeh Banai, President of Worklio. "We take pride in the innovative software that we have developed and we hope to share our technological solutions with more PEOs who are interested in upgrading to a safe, secure and superior platform. We are able to customize our platform for customers and their clients, quickly adjusting to specific real-world requirements. We also have options to license our source code to large HR providers who want to use the innovative design, like FrankCrum."

Worklio is a state-of-the-art Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that is built on the latest Microsoft .Net and MS SQL Technology Stack, designed and optimized for the Microsoft Azure Cloud, and available 24 x 7 across all devices.

To see the software in action, send an email to [email protected].

About Worklio

Worklio is an HR platform purpose-built for PEOs, ASOs and Staffing Firms that includes Payroll, Workers' Compensation, Benefits and more. It is an intuitive and user-friendly SaaS system that automates the time-consuming and burdensome administrative tasks of running a company so that people can focus on their mission and vision. Visit www.worklio.com.

About FrankCrum

FrankCrum is a PEO helping business owners to boost HR capabilities and broaden convenient services and benefits to employees. Visit www.frankcrum.com.

SOURCE Worklio
A look at the major movers on the London market on Tuesday

Oxford Biomedica PLC ( ) has been boosted by vaccine news.

The company, a key manufacturer of the Oxford/ PLC ( ) COVID-19 vaccine, has doubled its expectations for revenue from the contract.

The gene and cell therapy group said had increased the number of batches required for the jab in the second half.

It now estimates its revenues from the vaccine will be 100mln, up from previous forecasts of 50mln.

The company's shares have jumped 128p or 12.77% to 1130p, making it the biggest riser in the FTSE 350.

3.15pm: Repairs group sees profits damaged

( ) has seen its profits take a hit after writing off a customer relationship managment system.

The home services and repair business, which also owns Checkatrade, saw full year profits slump by 66% to 47.2mln, partly due to an 84.8mln write-down.

Chief executive Richard Harpin said: "One of the most difficult decisions we took this year was to halt the implementation of eServe, the UK CRM solution we procured in 2013... eServe was highly configured to our business and became costly and inflexible to implement, with further configuration issues emerging as implementation progressed. It will be replaced by a more flexible, cloud-based solution."

It was upbeat about the outlook, saying: "With homeowners set to continue to spend on their homes and compelling plans in place to continue to build attractive customer, partner and trades propositions, the group is well positioned for further strong growth."

But its shares have dropped 7.47% or 77.5p to 959.5p.

2.32pm: Tile specialist hopeful of second half recovery

It was a tale of two quarters for (LO:TPT).

In its first quarter - the three months to December - it benefited from its shops reopening as lockdown was lifted.

But as we all know, restrictions were soon imposed again and the three months to March this year bear the scars.

So overall revenues for the first six months of the tile and wood flooring specialist fell 2.8%, but adjusted profits rose from 1.2mln to 5.1mln.

And now we are back in the reopening phase, the company has seen a rapid increase in sales, giving it confidence for the second half.

Chief executive Rob Parker said: "Inevitably, our first half results reflect two sharply contrasting periods of trading. An exceptionally strong performance in the first quarter demonstrated the ability of the business to bounce back following the initial lockdown. Our performance in the second half, while materially stronger than in the first lockdown, was heavily impacted by the re-imposition of COVID-19-related trading restrictions at the start of the period.

"The re-opening of our stores to all customers on 12 April has once again been received very positively and we have seen a strong recovery in sales and gross margins, with retail like-for-like sales 16.8% ahead of the same period in 2019 in the five weeks since re-opening. We are confident of a much-improved performance in the second half and believe the group remains well positioned to take advantage of an expected increase in consumer spending."

Topps shares have added 5.55% to 74.2p.

12.10pm: Direct marketing group upbeat on prospects

( ) is in demand after it gave a positive update to shareholders at its annual meeting.

The direct marketing group said the first four months of the year had seen good progress in recovering from the effects of the pandemic.

Since its results in March, momentum in the business has grown, with order intake in April above 80% of 2019 levels. In the most recent three weeks, order counts have averaged 85% against the same 2019 comparative.

The news has sent its shares 5.65% higher to 2430p.

10.46am: Network group links up with US utilities specialist

( ) has signalled a new partnership and seen its shares jump sharply.

The company, a specialist in narrowband radio frequency mesh networks that facilitate machine to machine communication, has signed an alliance with California's SEW (Smart Energy Water). SEW is an energy and water cloud platform provider serving more than 300 utilities worldwide.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will promote and sell each others products, as well as refer potential customers to each other, expanding the geographical reaches of each company.

CyanConnode chairman John Cronin said: "This partnership with SEW... will maximise sales potential in existing as well as new territories while widening the company's global distribution channels."

SEW founder and chief executive Deepak Garg said: "The energy and utilities industry worldwide is going through a major transformation in customer experience and mobile workforce operations. SEW is delighted to partner with CyanConnode and offer its customers CyanConnode's intelligent communication solutions, in the knowledge that this technology has been proven by worldwide commercial scale deployments."

Elsewhere Oxford Technology 4 Venture Capital Trust PLC (LON:OXF) has surged by 50% to 24p.

The move comes after one of its investee companies, Therapeutics PLC, said this week it would join AIM in a 20mln IPO next month.

Oxford said: "Assuming the placing and admission takes place at a share price in the range indicated, the company's value of its investment in is anticipated to increase. The Board intends to make a further announcement that will quantify that impact, after the admission has taken place."

9.46am: Mining group gains after expansion news

( ) has made another step to expanding its copper interests.

It is forming a subsidiary in Zambia - Luangwa Minerals Limited - to target exploration and development opportunities for the metal in the country..

It has retained geologist Marcel Nally, formerly a director of private Zambian copper producer Moxico Resources, and expects to appoint him exploration manager in due course. It has also retained Shangwa Chime as Luangwa's government liaison officer.

Tertiary will hold 96% of Luangwa, with 3% being held by Mr. Nally and 1% held by Mr. Chime.

Executive chairman Patrick Cheetham said: "Given that the Board has many years of experience with Zambian mining projects, we are excited to take this next step in the development of Tertiary's mineral business. Copper is increasingly a focus for the company and with Zambia one of the world's top 10 copper producing countries, producing nearly 900,000 tonnes of copper in 2020, we expect Luangwa to be a valuable addition to the Tertiary asset portfolio."

The company's shares have jumped 16.92% or 0.06p to 0.38p.

8.55am: Oil company boosted by regulatory approval

( ) has seen its shares bubble higher after a positive update from its Wressle oil field in North Lincolnshire.

It has received the necessary consents to start a proppant squeeze operation - a hydraulic fracturing process - to optimise oil production from the Ashover Grit reservoir, one of three productive reservoirs it has been testing.

Its Wressle-1 well has been on 24 hour test production since late January with the oil produced then being transported by road tanker to the Humber refinery and sold under Egdon's existing oil sales contract.

The company said production rates had exceeded its expectations, with high quality free flowing oil being produced and no water present. The well will continue operating on test production until the proppant squeeze operation is started.

Egdon managing director Mark Abbott said: "We are delighted to have received all the required regulatory consents for the proppant squeeze operation at Wressle. When successfully completed, this will realise the full potential from the Ashover Grit reservoir and is expected to increase Egdon's net production to 150 barrels of oil per day at a time of increasingly strong oil prices leading to a step change in our cash flow."

Egdon is 18.75% or 0.3p higher at 1.9p while ( ), which has a 40% economic interest in the Lincolnshire licences has added 8.14% or 2.85p to 37.85p.

Union Jack executive chairman David Bramhill said: "The proppant squeeze operation is the final phase of achieving our targeted oil production level and generating optimum cash flows from the Ashover Grit reservoir."

Proactive news headlines

PLC ( ) said a combined formulation of its medical cannabis treatment and medicinal mushrooms developed by Canadian firm Aion Therapeutic Inc have been effective at killing HER2+ breast cancer cells, the cause of around 20% of all breast cancers.

s ( ) 40%-owned Wressle oil field development project has been given the greenlight for a proppant squeeze operation, which is expected to yield higher production volumes.

Sirius Real Estate Limited ( ) flagged that Fitch Ratings has published its first credit rating for the company, resulting in a BBB rating with a stable outlook.

( ) said drilling results from the Banu area of the Kiziltepe mine in Turkey confirmed the presence of higher-grade mineralisation at the south-eastern end of the vein system.

( ) has begun its 2021 drilling programme at Clontibret in County Monaghan, Ireland. The first drill holes of the programme will form part of the ongoing work programme, planning and due diligence for the companys proposed joint venture partnership with Demir Export A.S.

Minds + Machines Group Limited ( ) has reported steady profits for its 2020 financial year as the company highlighted changes in its fourth quarter that it believes have sustainably improved the business.

(LON:STX, OTCQX:SHIEF) noted a recent publication in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases of the positive long-term effectiveness of ferric maltol compared to intravenous iron in treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The pharmaceutical companys focus is on addressing iron deficiency with its main product Feraccru/Accrufer (ferric maltol).

( ) has updated investors on correspondence it has received in relation to the purported appointment of receivers over all of the shares of its major shareholder, SIMEC UK Energy Holdings Limited (SUEH), a GFG Alliance member that, SAE understands, owns approximately 43% of the firms share capital.

Galantas Gold Corporation ( )( ) has completed its previously announced placement of shares at C$0.30 per unit, and therefore raised just shy of C$8mln. In connection with closing, the chief executives role will be taken by Mario Stifano, an experienced mining executive who has raised significant capital for a number of mining and resource companies in exploration, development and production.

( ) said it is well-positioned for further organic growth in a fragmented and regional market and expects continued strong trading throughout the year.

( ), the aquaculture biotechnology company, saw growth in revenues and earnings in the six months to the end of March, driven by a strong performance by its Advanced Nutrition business.

PLC ( ) ( ) said it has appointed Stephen White as chief marketing officer and Steve Horan as head of marketing as part of its strategy to become a globally recognised brand.

( ) said its portfolio firm, PDS Biotechnology Corp ( ), it which it owns a 5.75% stake, has received US$4.5mln from the net sale of tax benefits to an unrelated, profitable New Jersey corporation pursuant to the company's participation in the New Jersey Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Net Operating Loss (NOL) program for 2020.

( ) said Tru-Tension, a company that designs and manufactures products for biking enthusiasts, has launched a new detailing spray paint that uses Applied Graphenes graphene nanoplatelet technology.

( ) has generated some 1.6mln of proceeds from the sale of shares in Helium One. Scirocco, in a statement, said it had sold an additional 7.45mln Helium One shares to reduce its holding in the Helium One to 9.95mln shares or 1.59% of the company.

s ( ) part-owned operation in Ohio has been suspended following the receipt of a cessation order from the state authorities.

( ) has appointed Liam McGrath, the former chief operating officer (COO) of Equniti, as the COO of the company.

( ) said it expects to comfortably exceed its revenue guidance for the full year 2021, although it warned that rising costs would lessen the impact on its profit.

BATM Advanced Communications Limited ( ) said it has commenced delivery of two new diagnostic tests for COVID-19.

Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE), the primary and secondary trading business of exchange service group , has been granted equivalence status by the Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Open Market. This means companies with a quotation on AQSE can seek a dual quotation on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and vice versa.

( ) is to establish a subsidiary in the Sultanate of Oman that will become its Middle Eastern regional headquarters.

3 Energy PLC ( )( ) has posted a shareholder circular detailing a proposed reduction of capital, which will require approval at a shareholder meeting that has been convened for 3 June.

( ) will host a shareholder question and answer session on Thursday 27 May 2021 at 10am, ahead of its annual general meeting on Tuesday 15 June 2021, with registration on the company website www.yourcoroenergy.com.

( )( ) will deliver a live presentation as part of the Crypto & Digital Currency Virtual Investor Conference on Thursday, 20 May 2021.

( ) will hold an in-person strategy day for current and potential shareholders, and analysts at 1.15 BST on 8 July in London. Management presentations will cover the strategy for growth and will include commentary from a selection of customers and partners, as well as the opportunity to experience and learn more about Bango products.

( ) notified that its annual general meeting will be held at 2pm BST on Monday 14 June in London.

PLC ( ) said its AGM will be held remotely at 9am on 22 June 2021.
( ) is closer to delivering a maiden JORC-compliant resource at its Bankan Gold Project in Guinea in the coming months following A$26.5 million in funding from an institutional placement.

Around 70,000 metres of drilling have been completed with three active rigs on-site to undertake aggressive drilling.

Its mineral resource estimate will be underpinned by two significant greenfield discoveries:

 NE Bankan  a 1.6-kilometre-long zone of shallow, oxide, gold mineralisation, which remains open at depth and along strike; and

 Bankan Creek  3 kilometres to the west of NE Bankan, a second gold mineralised system with potential to materially contribute to the mineral resource estimate.

Much of the area surrounding Bankan remains unexplored, with significant opportunity for further greenfields gold discoveries.

Systematic auger program is ongoing, combined with the recently acquired aeromagnetic survey.

North American institutions support placement

The companys A$26.5 million institutional placement was driven by tier-1 North American institutions and supported by existing major shareholders.

This placement was narrowly focused on a number of tier-1 North American funds with a track record of strong success investing in emerging West African gold companies.

The placement was also targeted at highly accomplished ultra-high-net worth resource investors.

Very long runway of growth

PDI managing director Paul Roberts said: The strong participation by tier-1 international and domestic institutional investors, many of which have a strong track record of investing in the West African sector, reinforces our conviction that we have found a truly remarkable project at Bankan  one with a very long runway of growth ahead of it.

The placement will enable us to commence by far the largest program that we have undertaken to date to deliver key project milestones at NE Bankan and Bankan Creek as well as test the numerous potentially high impact exploration targets in the broader Bankan project, beginning with Argo where we already have high grades in the auger over good intercepts.

Drilling program planned

Placement proceeds will be applied to around 110,000 metres of drilling planned over the next 12 months and will also be used to deliver metallurgical test-work, the commencement of technical studies and baseline studies required for project development including social and environmental studies, and for general working capital.

The company plans to begin with testing nine high order near-regional targets on interpreted ENE-WSW faults, crosscutting a newly recognised major 35 kilometre-long NNW structural corridor with the potential to host numerous NE Bankan-style discoveries.

These potentially high-impact targets may now be immediately followed-up, commencing with the companys recent regional exploration success only 17 kilometres north of NE Bankan, at Argo where numerous high-value targets are already yielding widespread high-grade gold  including 12 metres at 9.8 g/t and 16 metres at 2 g/t.

Argo Regional Target AG1 results

PDI has enhanced the regional prospectivity of Bankan Gold Project in Guinea with new auger drilling results from Argo Regional Target AG1.

In addition, encouraging rock chip results of up to 9.48 g/t from workings northeast of AG1 highlight an additional target on the Argo permit for follow-up power auger drilling.

At Bankan Creek North, auger drilling returned results of 18 metres at 0.24 g/t gold from 4 metres and 21 metres at 0.56 g/t from 4 metres.

Results were also received from NE Bankan core holes from the northern and southern extensions of the NE Bankan gold mineralised system, but outside the core gold mineralised zone.

Results included:

25 metres at 0.51 g/t from 106 metres; and

21 metres at 1.27 g/t from 112 metres, including 15 metres at 1.59 g/t from 118 metres.

Indications of widespread gold values

Predictive has made two significant gold discoveries within 18 months  at the NE Bankan and Bankan Creek prospects - through successful application of power auger drilling.

Roberts said: We are very encouraged by these first results, which are providing good indications of widespread gold values in weathered bedrock (saprolite) and some high-grade gold at AG1 - the first of our new targets.

Follow up AC drilling

The auger drilling continues to identify evidence of widespread gold in saprolite beneath shallow lateritic cover across the Bankan Project, providing numerous targets for follow-up by aircore (AC) drilling.

Roberts added: We have already identified shallow gold mineralisation from auger drilling closer to NE Bankan and Bankan Creek, which we will follow up with AC drilling in the next month.

Further AC drilling will be planned on the new northern targets over the next few months after we get a clearer picture from the ongoing auger drilling program.

Mineral resource estimate

While diamond drilling of depth extensions of the core gold mineralised zone at NE Bankan is ongoing with two rigs, the third drill rig has now moved to Bankan Creek for RC infill drilling on 40-metre spaced lines over a 320 metres strike length.

Results from this drilling will contribute to the maiden resource estimate for the Bankan Project.

In addition, metallurgical test-work is expected to begin this month with core samples being prepared on-site to be air freighted to Australia in the next week.

Long gold corridor emerges

The aeromagnetic survey flown across the Bankan Project has identified nine high priority regional gold drill targets on interpreted ENE -WSW faults, cross-cutting a newly recognised major 35-kilometre-long north-northwest structural corridor.

This structural corridor has the potential to host numerous 'NE Bankan-style' discoveries.

Lithological and structural elements controlling gold mineralization at NE Bankan have provided a new model for gold discovery.

The company said 15,000 metres of regional power auger drilling was now underway, with grids testing nine new targets designed to outline further gold auger footprints.

Bankan sits on 358 square kilometres and to date, auger drilling has been completed over about 20 square kilometres or less than 6% of ground tested.

Looking forward

Roberts said: Consistent with our focus on advancing Bankan and commitment to our 100%-owned portfolio in Guinea, the company is also progressing its divestment strategy for non-core assets, with opportunities for its Burkina Faso and Cote DIvoire licences being progressed to minimise ongoing costs on those projects, whilst maintaining some exposure for shareholders.

We welcome new investors to the company as part of the placement and, once again, acknowledge the strong support received from many of our existing shareholders.
The company is planning to unlock the value of its advanced Chilalo Graphite Project in Tanzania by spinning it out into a newly incorporated, wholly-owned subsidiary Evolution Energy Minerals.

A prospectus is likely to be complete in June, with an ASX listing in July.

s ( ) (FRA:GR2) spin out of its Chilalo graphite project is set to deliver significant value to its shareholders, according to Bridge Street Capital Partners Dr Chris Baker.

In an updated research report Dr Baker discussed the companys 100% ownership of the high-quality Chilalo coarse flake graphite project in Tanzania which it is now proposing to separate into a separately listed company, Evolution Energy Minerals.

In addition, Evolution proposes to undertake an IPO to facilitate listing on the ASX and intends to raise a minimum of $13 million via the IPO.

Under a priority offer, Marvel shareholders will be collectively entitled to subscribe for up to $2 million of Evolution shares.

Market valuation in line with peers

Following the expenditure of over $20 million on Chilalos exploration and feasibility studies, the project is shovel-ready and is awaiting finance and holds a high-grade resource of 20.1 million tonnes at 9.9% total graphitic carbon (TGC).

Dr Baker said: [The] move makes sense now that Marvel has successfully morphed into a West African gold explorer and now has the best part of a million ounces under the belt at its Tabakorole project in Mali.

The value to Marvel could be in the range of 1.5 to 2.3 cents/share at the listing of Evolution.

Should the new graphite company achieve a market valuation in line with its peer group (eg ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ) (FRA:N6D)) this could conservatively increase to 3.2 to 6.3 cents per MVL share.

So effectively MVL shareholders will be getting the gold assets in the company for free.

A prospectus is likely to be complete in June, with an ASX listing in July.

Evolution Energy Minerals

The company has presented an indicative capital structure for Evolution in its recent release based on three scenarios, raising $13 million, $16 million and $20 million.

Dr Baker said: Should $13 million be raised, only part of the debt to lenders Castlelake would be extinguished by cash.

The balance would see Castlelake become 13% shareholders in Evolution.

Should the larger amounts be raised (and in the current market this seems likely), the Castlelake debt would be fully extinguished with cash.

At a $16 million raise, cash remaining after debt repayment and costs would be around $5 million, sufficient to refresh Chilalos DFS and seek financing for the project.

At a $20 million raise the cash balance (after debt repayment and costs) would be around $10 million.

Under the current proposal, Marvel will wind up as a 28 to 43% shareholder in Evolution.

There are no plans to distribute the shares to MVL holders, but this is a likely outcome, in our view.

Market cap comparatives of Marvel against its graphite peers

Comparable to peers

The graphite sector has dramatically rerated over the course of 2021 with what seems to be a view the graphite supply chain  heavily dependent on Chinese supply  is at risk with a new generation of ESG requirements from end-users.

Dr Baker pointed to the likes of Ecograf Ltd ( ) (FRA:FMK) has moved from under 20 cents to over $1 earlier in the year, but has since pulled back to around 50 cents and its market capitalisation is still over $200 million.

He said: Its far from clear what has driven this attention, other than the markets view that EGR is proposing a mine (Epanko located in Tanzania) similar to Marvel at 60,000 tonnes per annum and a processing facility in WA to manufacture uncoated spherical graphite for the lithium battery industry employing proprietary technology.

Black Rock Mining is another strong performer, has recently attracted the markets attention with Korean industrial giant Posco taking a $7.5 million equity investment in the company. Posco has also signed a strategic agreement to facilitate the development of the Mahenge graphite project, located in Tanzania.

Dr Baker said: No suggestion that BKT will move into downstream processing of its graphite; rather its targeting industrial uses of graphite (as Marvels Chilalo) and feedstock into the battery anode business.

Blackrocks market capitalisation is around $100 million

Both Epanko and Mahenge are similar to Marvels Chilalo project, and are at a similar stage of pre-development, with both awaiting financing subject to a final resolution of the renewed Tanzanian Mining Act.

Evolution valuation potential

Dr Baker said the company in its current form has nothing in the price for the value of the graphite assets.

He said: We see no reason why the spin-out could not trade in line with the likes of Triton, Volt or Walkabout.

All are East African predevelopment graphite plays (although Volt has recently purchased Ukrainian graphite production).

Each are capitalised at around $50-70 million.

Dr Baker also conservatively assumed a raise of $16 million at an assumed minimum valuation for Chilalo in the hands of Marvel (a very modest $8 million project value plus the debt of $9.5 million, or a pre-money value of $17.5 million).

He said: Should Evolution rerate to a market cap of $50 million, this would be worth some 3.2 cents/share to MVL.

At a $100 million market cap, this would be worth 6.3 cents to MVL a 34% premium to the current share price, and excluding any value for the gold assets.

Taking a more bullish view for the future of Evolution, assuming a $20 million raise and incorporating a pre-money EV of $21.5 million, the impact could be in the range 3.6 to 7.1 cents per Marvel share.
Washington, May 18 : US President Joe Biden on Monday voiced support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," according to a White House readout of the phone conversation.

Biden "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," said the readout.

Meanwhile, Biden reiterated support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks. "The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," it said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier in the day held multiple phone conversations over the issue with his regional counterparts, including Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

The Monday call between Biden and Netanyahu was the third in less than a week as violence escalated between the Israeli security forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The call also came as the Biden administration faced mounting pressure from a group of Democratic senators urging an immediate ceasefire to prevent loss of civilian life.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014, has killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Santiago, May 18 : Some 6.45 million eligible voters in Chile have cast their votes for mayors, councillors and for the first time regional governors and members of a constituent assembly over two days of polling this past weekend, election officials said.

The May 15 and 16 elections were a success, the President of the board of directors of Chile's Electoral Service (Servel), Andres Tagle, told reporters at a press conference here on Monday.

Between Saturday and Sunday, 6,458,760 people went to the polls, or 43.35 per cent of all eligible voters, according to Servel data.

Offering two days of open polls "works," with voter turnout exceeding the two previous municipal elections, said Tagle, admitting the extended voting scheme posed new challenges for oversight, Xinhua news agency.

After polling stations were closed, each ballot box with votes inside was sealed with adhesive tape and two numbered security seals that covered the sides and top.

The boxes were then gathered and kept at a designated custody centre.

At each of the country's 2,731 polling stations, a delegation from the Armed Forces was present throughout the process, accompanied by a general representative of the station, an assistant to the delegate of the Electoral Board and a Servel liaison.

Election results showed Chileans opted for political outsiders to sit on the constituent assembly to draft a new more egalitarian Constitution to replace the current one, which was adopted in 1980 under the country's military dictatorship.

For local and regional posts also, voters showed a preference for independents and progressives, with a large number of women being elected across the board, including as mayors of major cities, such as the capital Santiago and Vina del Mar, in the central Valparaiso region.

The decision to rewrite the Constitution emerged from large-scale protests in 2019 against the high cost of living and lack of opportunities for average Chileans.
Kanpur, May 18 : A bomb was hurled outside the residence of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Maithani. Three men were arrested.

The incident took place in Pandu Nagar area on Monday night.

The miscreants tried to escape after hurling the bomb but were chased and caught by the security personnel of the BJP MLA and locals. They were later taken into custody by the police.

The BJP MLA from Govind Nagar assembly seat, told reporters: "Following commotion, I came out of my house and saw my security personnel and some locals of the area chasing some people. As per the eyewitnesses, one among them had hurled a bomb, but it did not explode. They also threw away a country-made firearm at the site. Their intention is still not clear. I have apprised senior police officials and I hope the police will take appropriate action." The three persons have been identified as Suraj Tiwari of Jaiprakash Nagar, Sumit Sonker and Gaurav Nishad of Double Puliya area of the city. They are in police custody and are being interrogated.

Pandu Nagar police outpost in-charge Anand Prakash said, "We have seized a bomb and a country-made weapon from the spot. Further investigations are underway."
Lucknow, May 18 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to take the help of various religious leaders to create awareness among people not to dump bodies in the rivers.

Amid mounting criticism over such incidents, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to initiate a dialogue with religious leaders on the issue.

The chief minister said that religious leaders can help the government in creating awareness among people about the environmental and social consequences of dumping bodies in the rivers.

He asked for continued patrolling by water police of the State Disaster Response Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary around all the rivers of the state and asked them to ensure that the bodies were not disposed of in water under any condition, said a government spokesman.

The chief minister stressed the last rites should be respectfully performed and financial assistance was also being provided for it, the spokesperson said.

Even in case of bodies being left unclaimed, the last rites should be performed according to the religious beliefs, the chief minister said.

A large number of dead bodies have been found floating in the rivers in many districts of the state. There have also been reports of bodies being found shallow buried on the banks of the Ganga.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
United Nations, May 18 : At least 208 people have been killed and some 1,500 others injured in a week of the ongoing airstrikes and rocket shellings between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported on Monday that 198 people died, including 58 children, and 1,300 injured in seven days of bombardments by Israel, Xinhua news agency quoted the OCHA as saying.

Meanwhile, Israel reported 10 fatalities and hundreds more injured by Palestinian rocket attacks launched from Gaza.

Concentrating its report on the toll to Palestinians, the OCHA said more than 42,000 displaced people are seeking protection in 50 schools across Gaza operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA.

Citing the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing, OCHA reported 94 buildings destroyed and 285 housing units severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable.

The humanitarian partner Shelter Cluster reported more than 2,500 people homeless.

Damaged structures include 41 education facilities, schools, kindergartens, a UNRWA vocational training centre, the Ministry of Education directorate and a higher education facility, the world organisation said.

Additionally, four Ministry of Health hospitals, two non-governmental hospitals, two clinics, a health centre and a Palestine Red Crescent Society also were damaged.

Electricity across Gaza is down to six to eight hours a day, on average, with some feeder lines not functioning, disrupting the provision of health care and other essential services, including water, hygiene and sanitation, OCHA said.

Food and cash support needs are increasing.

The UN and humanitarian partners provide food and non-food items to displaced families in Gaza and immediate cash assistance to more than 52,000 people.

They also provide remote psychosocial counselling sessions for the traumatized, increase awareness about the heightened risk of explosive remnants of war and assess property damage.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that some recent Israeli airstrikes, particularly on high-rise buildings, are raising concerns of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks under international humanitarian law.

Likewise, the launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighbourhoods in Gaza into civilian population centers in Israel also may be unlawful.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, widespread demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces broke out in multiple locations in commemoration of Nakba Day on May 15, OCHA said.

Two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces. Another boy died after having been shot four days previously in Hebron by Israeli forces.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mathura : , May 18 (IANS) A 43-year-old citizen of Colombia, slipped and fell to his death from the terrace of Shri Yugal Bhajan Kuti Ashram in Mathura while practicing yoga.

The deceased, identified as Omar Arlanocahtillox, was staying in Mathura for the past few years.

He was admitted to a private hospital after the mishap on Sunday and later the doctors referred him to another hospital in the absence of a neurologist there.

However, he succumbed to injuries later.

His last rites were performed as per Hindu tradition by, Maria Krishna, a resident of the same ashram, after getting a nod from the Colombian Embassy and his family members.

According to police, Maria met Omar five months ago while performing 'parikrama' at Govardhan. Since then, he moved in to stay in Bhajan Kuti. However, Omar had been staying in the district for the past several years, said the police.

Superintendent of police (SP rural), Shrish Chandra, said that no FIR has been registered in the matter.

The Colombian Embassy had been informed about the death and the body was handed over to the deceased's woman friend after getting a nod from them, he said.
Washington, May 18 : The US and the European Union (EU) will begin talks on the steel tariffs imposed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, according to a joint statement.

The statement was released by the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

During a virtual meeting last week, the leaders from the two sides "agreed to chart a path that ends the WTO disputes following the US application of tariffs on imports from the EU under section 232", the statement said.

Tai, Raimondo and Dombrovskis were quoted as saying the statement that they will start discussions to "address global steel and aluminium excess capacity".

"To ensure the most constructive environment for these joint efforts, they agreed to avoid changes on these issues that negatively affect bilateral trade.

"They committed to engaging in these discussions expeditiously to find solutions before the end of the year," it said, vowing to ensure the "long-term viability" of their steel and aluminium industries.

Citing national security concerns, the Trump administration unilaterally imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports globally in 2018, drawing strong opposition both at home and abroad.

Argentina, Brazil and South Korea agreed to limits on their metal exports, and were able to avoid the extra US tariffs.

In May 2019, the Trump administration removed the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in hope of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)'s ratification.

After failing to reach a deal with the Trump administration, the EU took the case to the World Trade Organization and imposed retaliatory tariffs on a range of American products, including Bourbon whiskey.

The second tranche of tariffs was expected to be in effect in June.

In a tweet on Monday, Dombrovskis said the EU will "temporarily suspend" the increase of its rebalancing measures on US 232 steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that "this gives us space to find joint solutions to this dispute".

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, welcomed the move in a statement.

"Distillers across the US are breathing a huge sigh of relief after bracing for a 50 per cent tariff on American whiskeys in just a matter of days that would have forced many craft distillers out of the EU market," Swonger said.

He however, added that there is "still work to be done" to get EU and US spirits back to zero for zero tariffs.
Moscow, May 18 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he looked forward to a professional dialogue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Iceland on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Lavrov said he hopes that Blinken will clarify Washington's purposes in relations with Moscow and its stance on international affairs concerning Russia's interests, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Everything that in one way or another affects strategic stability. Nuclear and non-nuclear arms, offensive and defensive weapons should be on the negotiating table," he said.

Lavrov said that while the US appears to be advocating stable and predictable relations with Russia, these should surely not be in the form of "consistently predictable sanctions".

The Foreign Minister added that the US calls for the normalisation of the Moscow-Washington ties should be grounded in concrete deeds rather than words only.

Thursday meeting will be the first between a member of US President Joe Biden's administration and a high-ranking Russian official.

Last week, the State Department had said that the focus of the talks between Blinken and Lavrov will be whether an agreement will emerge on Biden's proposed summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Biden had suggested the two meet in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether Putin will accept the invitation.

US-Russia ties have nose-dived over Washington's allegations of election interference and cyberattacks, the treatment of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The two sides have imposed a wave of sanctions and counter-sanctions.
Mumbai, May 18 : The Indian Navy (IN) has managed to rescue at least 146 of the 273 personnel of the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) from the drifting Barge P-305 near the Bombay High Fields, and augmented its efforts by dispatching a helicopter, officials said here on Tuesday.

The first lot of 60 personnel was rescued around 11 p.m. on Monday jointly by INS Kochi and OSV Energy Star in extremely challenging conditions in the Arabian Sea, around 175 kms off Mumbai, which fell directly in the path of the Cyclone Tauktae which made a landfall in Gujarat late Monday night.

During the harrowing night with Cyclone Tauktae passing overhead, INS Kolkata, Great Ship Ahalya, OSV Ocean Energy, joined the rescue mission to save a total of 146 people till dawn on Tuesday, said an official.

The Indian Navy also launched a helicopter mission on Tuesday morning from INS Shikra for the massive rescue efforts in the Bombay High Fields, which is spread across over 100 sq kms in the Arabian Sea.

As the raging Cyclone whirled towards south Gujarat coast, carrying heavy rains and windspeeds of over 200 km/hr, the Barge P-305 with 273 on board sent an SOS on Monday from the Heera Oilfields where it was drifting in the choppy waters.

In another SOS, a drifting Barge Gal Constructor with 137 people around 15 kms off Mumbai, has now run aground around 89 kms north from Colaba Point.

The Indian Coast Guard has sent a ship, ICGS Samrat, an emergency towing vessel 'Water Lily', and two support vessels, to help evacuate the people on board as the weather remains extremely stormy.

The Barge, which had suffered engine troubles on Monday, continued to drift northwards in the extreme sea conditions.

The ICGS' efforts shall be augmented with Indian Navy aircraft and helicopters joining the rescue mission this morning despite strong winds, incessant rains, low visibility and high waves in the sea.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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Fishermen killing case: SC says Republic of Italy will prosecute two Italian Marines as per international arbitral award.

SC will also pass order on quashing of case against Italian Marines in India for killing of two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012.
New Delhi, May 18 : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed concern over the Narendra Modi government's preparedness and plans as experts forecast a likely Covid3.0, which could prove deadly for children.

"In the time to come, children will need protection from Corona. Paediatric services and vaccine-treatment protocol should already be in place. India's future needs for the present Modi asystem' to be shaken out of sleep," Gandhi tweeted.

His remarks came after several countries started approving a Covid-19 vaccine for use in children aged 12-15 years.

Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill also tweeted: "Sincerely hope especially for sake of India's children that BJP government is preparing for anticipated 3rd #COVID19 wave beyond giving advice of eating dark chocolate & drinking cow urine..." "Has a GOI task force of paediatricians been formed? Or the plan is to play the usual helpless card?" Shergill mocked.

In the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic crisis youngsters were badly affected.

On Tuesday, India recorded 4,329 deaths in 24 hours, highest in a day as 2.63 lakh fresh cases were reported.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Chennai, May 18 : Non-life insurer SBI General Insurance Company Ltd activating its standard operating process has set up a task force to manage queries relating to claims due to cyclone Tauktae in Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra.

According to SBI General, the task force will manage cyclone damage related queries and claims on fast track mode.

SBI General Insurance puts a foot forward for their customers affected by cyclone Tauktae.

The company said it is monitoring the in-coming information and is equipped to respond to all the queries.

The insurer said customers can intimate/register claim via various means:
May 18 : Newly-wed and soon to a mom, actress Dia Mirza is looking beautiful on the 12th Anniversary cover spread of Harpers Bazaar and talks about eco-warrior streak and project River Ganga.

Dia Mirza took to her social media profile and dropped the cover page, along with an excerpt from her interaction with Dr. Krithi Karanth.

She captioned it, As #Bazaarturns12, I was honoured to be in conversation with an advocate for the cause of environment protection, a person I deeply admire and respect on the urgent actions needed to safeguard our future. Dr Krithi Karanth (@krithi.karanth), Director of Centre for Wildlife Studies. #connectandcollaborate

Excerpts from the feature: Dr Krithi Karanth: When did you go from a passive appreciation for nature to becoming a strong advocate for it?....Dia Mirza: When I realised that not enough people were helping, like how you help. I was doing a show called Ganga: The Soul of India a few years agoOn my journey, I saw ravines of plastic in the most pristine natural areas. It opened up my mind to the gravity of the problem. Up until then, I hadnt really seen it for what it was, how devastating and destructive it was, how it had permeated every free space in the world. Why do we not have any solution for managing our waste better? All this plastic is reaching the interior-most parts of our country, it is choking our lakes, rivers, and oceans. It has entered the food chain, polluting our air, even our soil...what is wrong with us?

After being married for 11 years to filmmaker Sahil Sangha, diva Dia filed for divorce and married Vaibhav Rekhi, the duo is expecting their first child. The actress announced the pregnancy last month on Instagram with a photo of herself cradling the baby bump with a beach in the background. The picture that she shared was taken during the couple's trip to the Maldives.

Dia, who is best known for her work in films such as Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein, Sanju, and Dum, was last seen in Thappad.
Hong Kong, May 18 : The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has reported a net loss of HK$2.7 billion ($348 million) in the fiscal year 2020 as its theme park was closed for nearly 60 per cent of the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its revenue was down 76 per cent to HK$1.4 billion from October 2019 to September 2020, Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement on Monday.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was negative HK$1.5 billion, Xinhua news agency reported.

During that fiscal year, its park attendance was 1.7 million, a drop of 73 per cent from a year ago.

Per capita spending also fell 18 per cent.

Despite the lackluster business results, the resort remains optimistic.

"While last year presented challenges for our entire community, I'm proud of how we were able to react nimbly, adjust our operations, and identify innovative ways to generate revenue, while preserving jobs," said Michael Moriatry, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Upon the recent reopening of the theme park on February 19 this year, local visitors' reaction has been positive, showing a continued rebound in attendance.

Annual pass membership reached a record high since its launch in 2011, according to the resort.

"I'm optimistic about the future of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and consider our recovery as an important part of reviving Hong Kong's tourism ecosystem," Moriatry added.
Moscow, May 18 : A drunk man stabbed three people to death in Russia's Yekaterinburg city, authorities said, adding that the perpetrator has been apprehended.

The attack took place on Monday at a park near Yekaterinburg's railway station due to an alcohol-related conflict, reports Xinhua news agency.

The perpetrator was wounded by police when he was resisting arrest.

He remains unconscious in a hospital.

Work is underway to identify those killed, according to the TASS News Agency.
New Delhi, May 18 : Google on Tuesday announced it has rolled out News Showcase in India with 30 news publishers including national, regional and local news organisations like Indo Asian News Service (IANS), ABP LIVE, India TV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Tribune, Kalinga TV and others.

The aim is to support news organisations and readers supports news publishers to curate high quality content on Google's News and Discover platforms in the country, connecting readers with the news they need, especially in these tough Covid-19 times.

"This builds on News Showcase deals signed by 700 news publications in more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the U.K. Australia, Czechia, Italy and Argentina, more than 90 per cent of them representing local or community news - with discussions underway in several other countries," said Brad Bender, VP Product Management, News.

Content from the Indian publisher partners in English and Hindi will begin to appear in dedicated News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover.

"We're committed to launching in additional Indic languages this year and we'll continue to incorporate more languages in the future. As part of our licensing agreements with publishers, we're also paying participating news organisations to give readers access to a limited amount of paywalled content," said Sanjay Gupta, Vice President of Google India.

This feature means readers will have the opportunity to read more of a publisher's articles than "they would otherwise be able to, while deepening readers' relationships with publishers and encouraging them to subscribe".

Over the next three years, with increased support from the News Lab, Google will train 50,000 journalists and journalism students in the country.

"We'll focus on digital tools to aid verification and combat misinformation online, and we'll expand our programs to connect Indian journalists and fact-checkers," said Google.

The GNI Advertising Lab, which includes training sessions and implementation support to help more than 800 small Indian news organizations grow their digital ad revenue.

"These investments will help people find quality journalism, contribute to the sustainability of news organizations, and expand our programs under the Google News Initiative - enabling newsrooms to engage their readers in new and compelling ways through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond," the company stressed.

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Paris, May 18 : France, Germany and Spain have reached a deal over the next phases of the development of a new fighter jet project known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which the countries consider Europe's "most important tool" to preserve its sovereignty and security amid "fast growing threats". .

"A demonstrator of the future fighter aircraft will fly in 2027, paving the way for an operational aircraft in 2040," Xinhua news agency quoted French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly as saying here on Monday.

The Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS) is the innovative core of the Future Combat Air System, which will replace the French Rafale and the German-Spanish Eurofighter jets.

The FCAS system will be composed of the new generation fighter jet, remote carriers, unmanned aerial platforms and a communication network called "combat cloud" designed to achieve information dominance.

"The NGWS will be able to achieve operational superiority in highly contested environments," Parly and her German and Spanish counterparts said in a joint statement.

"The industrial organisation of the program has been set up appropriately to ensure the consistency and efficiency of the project, leveraging the best skills of each nation's industries within a balanced, broad and deep partnership," the statement said.
Chennai, May 18 : Despite a large population of the ordinary transpeople being in penury with no work, a group of fifty members of the community have pooled Rs 1,000 each and contributed an amount of Rs 50,000 to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF).

Many from the community were dependent on others as some worked as tailors, cooks and make-up artists in Tamil film industry and while others begged on streets. The pandemic has dealt a blow.

The community is grateful for the support during the first wave and subsequent lockdown, when good samaritans went out of their way to help them, including a large number of NGOs, voluntary organisations, government bodies and even individuals who knew their plight.

Sudha, a transgender who is part of Sahodharan -- a project for male sexual health told IANS: "The community is poor but there are some who are able to contribute and I put a list of 50 of these people and raised Rs 1,000 from each of them thus taking the amount to Rs 50,000." The community sent the money to the CM relief fund as demand draft with a covering letter that states the list of contributors.

Sudha said, "I will now upload the list in our Whatsapp and Facebook groups so that this would be an inspiration for others to contribute, as well as acknowledge those who have contributed."
New Delhi, May 18 : The consumer internal SSD market shipments recorded 34 per cent growth (quarter on quarter) in the first quarter of 2021 while on an annual basis, the overall market registered remarkable 172 per cent growth in Q1, a new report showed on Tuesday.

While PCIe/NVMe SSD shipments registered 433 per cent (YoY) growth on a small base, portable SSD market shipments were up 64 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to market research firm CMR's 'India Hard Drive Market Review for Q1 CY2021'.

In the overall consumer internal SSD market, WD captured 14 per cent market share followed by Adata capturing 13 per cent and Crucial at third position with 12 per cent share.

"The internal SSD market growth is largely attributed to the increased relevance of PCs due to the extended work from home (WFH) and remote learning. Growing awareness about the supreme features of SSDs over traditional HDDs gave an additional boost," said Shipra Sinha, Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

"Consumers inclination towards SSDs was clearly visible giving ample growth opportunity. A significant contribution was observed by the lesser-known brands thus increasing the overall internal SSD base," Sinha added.

In the external SSD market, Samsung stood at the top spot with 51 per cent market share followed by WD at 41 per cent.

WD shipments increased by 32 per cent YoY, while Samsung shipments went up by 109 per cent YoY.

Seagate captured the third position with 6 per cent market share, the CMR report said.

CMR anticipates the internal SSD market to grow 25-30 per cent (YoY) by the end of CY2021 on back of increased SSD adoption and penetration, making it a mainstream product.

Portable SSDs are also expected to grow 50 per cent YoY on a small base.

"Unabated growth in data and increasing complexity in data management will drive portable SSDs future growth," Sinha said.
Geneva, May 18 : Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has called for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray and said that humanitarian workers should be granted unfettered access as the "overwhelming" majority of the region's inhabitants need immediate assistance.

The situation in Tigray is "horrific, very horrific", Xinhua news agency quoted Tedros as saying said in a press conference on Monday.

Ninety-one per cent of the Tigray locals need food aid and many of them are dying of hunger, he said, adding that incidents of rape have also been reported.

Fighting that erupted in November last year in Tigray between the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which used to rule the region, and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces has left thousands of people killed and caused immense losses.

On May 12, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that military forces were blocking humanitarian access to the local population, further increasing food and health insecurity.

"We need to scale up and coordination and leadership, and we need access" to Tigray, said Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program.

The conflict has seriously increased the risk of cholera and measles as well as the number of Covid-19 cases, according to Ryan.

However, Tedros commented that for the region's population, "Covid is the least of their concerns".

"For most of the part, we're not even in a position to discuss Covid, to be honest," he said.

He called for the de-escalation of violence and a solution through peaceful means, stressing that "when there is a will there is a way".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Manali, May 18 : Malana, known for Malana Cream, the most sought-after forms of hashish across the globe, has kept outsiders and the Covid-19 pandemic at bay -- an uphill task for the ancient Himalayan village where the legend of Alexander the Great lives on -- when the entire country is battling with the second wave.

The coronavirus is no stranger to Himachal Pradesh with a positivity rate above 30 per cent in half of the state. But the naturally secluded village Malana, with no motorable roads, in the far end of Parvati Valley has been saying no to strangers virtually since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

One of the largest villages in Kullu district, it had a population of about 2,350 where the banned cannabis is the source of prime livelihood.

But so far not even a single Covid case has been reported from Malana, say doctors. Also, not a single person in the village has been inoculated.

Health workers say the village head has barred their entry to the village. The locals, known as Malanis, believe only with the permission from the local deity, Lord Jamlu, the outsiders will be allowed to meet them.

Malana village, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, is located 45 km from Kullu town. Its nearest road is seven km down the hill that was constructed in 2007.

Before the road, the village, nestled at 2,700 meters (8,859 feet), is accessible only through three passes -- Jari, Rashol and Chandrakhani -- which can be traversed only on foot with at least three overnight stay through breathtaking snow-capped mountains, lush forests and the rugged landscapes.

Malana panchayat head Raju Ram said the locals were allowed to leave the village only in case of an exigency.

"Also the outsiders are barred from their entry to the panchayat owing to our self-imposed tough restrictions on their movement. We don't need the vaccine as there is no case of coronavirus so far in the entire panchayat," he said, adding, "even our deity has warned us against the vaccine".

Contrary to the village head's claims, a senior doctor, requesting anonymity, told IANS that since the locals don't interact freely with outsiders, even with the inhabitants living in the nearby areas, it is somehow difficult the access the exact situation there regarding the viral epidemiology.

"Even Asha workers (health activists), who belong to the area, have not been allowed to enter the village, what to talk about of a visit by a team of doctors. We are trying to convince them through local self-help groups and NGOs to allow their random health screening only," he added.

The Malana inhabitants, who proclaim themselves as descendants of the Greek king, are very sensitive to their cultural heritage and religious beliefs. They considered outsiders an untouchable.

The locals say they don't believe in wearing face mask, maintaining physical distance and adhering to other health protocols. They say such restrictions are against the wishes of the deity.

"The people of Malana have their own beliefs. The local deity has the final say in their day-to-day activities. We will try to persuade them again to get them inoculated," local legislator Sunder Thakur told IANS.

Malana, which is on the international tourism map for its rich legacy of culture and traditions, was burnt down in January 2008. With the help of the government, the villagers re-built it.

Notorious for its illegal cultivation of high-quality cannabis and frequented by foreigners, Malana and its nearby villages have their own "government" and all disputes are settled by the people on their own. Their courts even have power to pronounce capital punishments.

It has an "upper house" and a "lower house" with elected and nominated members.

The "upper house" has three permanent members and eight elected members. The permanent members are lifelong members selected on the principle of reincarnation.

The "lower house" comprises senior adults of the village. All village-level issues and disputes are discussed by the 'kameti' or government. In case of no consensus, the matter is referred to Lord Jamlu for settlement.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

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-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, May 18 : Even as he is getting down to the nuts and bolts of state finance, the newly appointed Tamil Nadu Finance Minister, P.Thiagarajan, literally got down to the nuts and bolts to unlock oxygen stored in a tanker.

"With the heart-warming & faith reaffirming support of the Tamil Diaspora was able to keep my word & receive 80 MT Oxygen for TN (20 to Madurai)," Thiagarajan tweeted.

"Surprise incompatibility of flanges, nuts & bolts had me revert to the engineering days of my youth last night @ GRH (Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai), but now done," he added.

On Monday, Tamil Nadu got four cryogenic containers of oxygen with a capacity of 20 ton each from Amsterdam.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Washington, May 18 : Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has adjusted the US state's mask mandate, saying fully vaccinated people will no longer be required to wear face coverings in most situations.

Following the new guidelines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued on May 13, Pritzker on Monday adjusted the state mask mandate that went into effect more than a year ago, Xinhua news agency quoted the Chicago Tribune as saying in a report.

Nevertheless, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Monday that the third largest city in the US needs more information before changing its rules on masks.

Lightfoot said social distancing will continue to be important.

The Mayor is hoping to reopen Chicago without capacity restrictions by July 4.

Cities are allowed to have rules that are stricter than those issued by the state or federal government, and Chicago has not yet said when its mask mandate will be revised to align with the new federal guidance, the newspaper reported.

Businesses are also free to continue requiring masks.

The CDC guidelines don't apply to health care settings, and people are still required to wear masks while riding trains, buses, planes or other forms of public transportation, as well as at airports and bus and train stations.

State health officials reported 946 new confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 Monday, the lowest since 782 cases were reported on March 15 and only the second time this year that there have been fewer than 1,000 cases recorded in a single day.

Statewide case positivity rate, the percentage of new cases as a share of total tests, was at a seven-day average of 2.4 per cent, the lowest since the same rate was reported on March 18.
London, May 18 : England fast bowler Stuart Broad said that it will be interesting to read a book written by Australia's David Warner whenever the latter retires considering the conversation that has cropped up in recent days about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

Australia's then captain Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and Warner, who was vice-captain at the time, got lengthy bans for their involvement in tampering with the ball during the third Test in Cape Town against South Africa.

"I have seen a couple of comments from David Warner's agent, too, and I think it will be an interesting time when he stops playing for Australia and writes a book," said Broad, according to ESPNCricinfo.

Broad said that the incident may not be the focus during the Ashes later in the year but the England fans may have a few chants about it.

"There's no doubt the Aussies would have been hoping this episode was signed sealed and delivered. It was an incredibly tough thing for those three players to go through. I can't see it still being a conversation when the Ashes start in November, December, but I can see it being sung in the Barmy Army stands if they're allowed," said Broad.

The incident has come back to the news after Bancroft, who was caught tampering the ball with sandpaper, indicated that there may have been more players who knew the illegal tactics being employed at the time. Broad said that maintaining the ball to get reverse swing is always a team effort and bowlers can notice miniscule changes on the ball.

"I've obviously never bowled within the Australian bowling attack but I can talk about how, in an England Test team, if I miss the seam by four millimetres, Jimmy Anderson is on me. He'll be saying why has this ball got a mark on it here? It's because you've missed the seam! Start hitting the seam, will you," said Broad.

"Reverse swing with the red ball can be affected by so many different things. If you chase it to the boundary and throw it into the grass it can smooth the ball over and stop it reversing. If you touch the ball with wet hands it will stop it reversing. If you shine it in a way that smooths over the rough side it will stop it reversing," he added.
Chennai, May 18 : Puducherry Chief minister N. Rangasamy who was admitted at MGM hospital here has recovered from Covid-19 and was discharged on Monday.

A health bulletin from the hospital stated that the Chief minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry recovered completely from the disease and was discharged on Monday.

MGM Director, Dr Prasanth Rajagopal in the statement said that the Chief minister responded properly to the treatment.

N. Rangasawmy of All India NR Congress (AINRC) won the 2021 assembly elections heading the NDA with BJP, AIADMK and PMK as its constituents. The AINRC of Rangasamy won 10 seats, BJP won 6 seats, DMK won 6 seats and Indian National Congress won 2 seats. A total 6 seats were bagged by Independents.

However, the BJP central leadership has nominated three party leaders, K. Venkatesan, V.P. Ramalingam and R.N. Ashok Babu to the legislative assembly taking its toll to 9.

It is to be noted that a 2018 Supreme court ruling had made it clear that the nominated legislators in the Puducherry assembly could vote on the Budget or a trust vote. This leads to a situation wherein there is no difference between a nominated legislature and an elected one.

The BJP also has the support of an independent MLA and this would take the party tally equivalent to that of the senior constituent of the NDA, the AINRC of Chief minister N, Rangasamy.

The opposition DMK has come out heavily against the BJP move and party leader and Tamil Nadu water works minister Durairmurugan said that the BJP is trying to seize power through the backdoor in Tamil Nadu. He had said that the BJP's move while the Chief minister was admitted in a hospital for Covid -19 treatment, was unfortunate.

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Tel Aviv, May 18 : Israel fired artillery into southern Lebanon after six rockets were fired toward the Jewish state but fell short within Beirut's territory, the army here said.

The fire on Monday night triggered sirens in the community of Kibbutz Misgav Am in northern Israel, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Six failed launches were identified from Lebanon that did not cross into Israeli territory," a military spokesperson said in a statement.

There were no immediate reports of casualties on both sides.

The Israeli military's Homefront Command ordered opening of shelter in communities within four km from the Lebanese border.

The incident came amid a deadly escalation between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

At least 208 people have been killed and some 1,500 others injured in the escalation since it erupted on May 10.
Srinagar, May 18 : Police in J&K's Budgam district on Tuesday arrested four people, including the husband of a woman, who was found dead more than a week back.

The woman was found hanging in the house of her husband 10 days back in Darwan Nowgam area of Chrar-e-Sharief tehsil of Budgam.

"On the face of it, this looked like suicide, but after investigations were started following a complaint by the parents of the deceased, we have so far arrested four persons, including the husband of the deceased, her father-in-law, mother-in-law and the sister-in-law.

"The accused women have been sent to a women's police station while the other two are detained at Chrar-e-Sharief police station for questioning," police said.
Chennai, May 18 : The Anna university, Chennai is most likely to conduct re-examination for Engineering students in June. Students who have appeared for the third, fifth and seventh semester online examinations in February can appear for the unsupervised test. The exams which are optional for the students will be conducted online, according to a statement from the University.

The exam, according to the University can be written in pen and paper mode and the university will follow the old question paper pattern. The university has also conducted a meeting with the college principals to explain the modalities of the re-examination.

The question paper will carry 100 marks and the duration of the examination is three hours. An University official privy to the discussions while speaking to IANS said, "The question papers will be sent to the respective colleges 30 minutes prior to the examination and after the examinations, the students need to upload the scanned answer sheets and original answer sheets to the website of their colleges." He said that the University will conduct an evaluation at the regional level to declare results.

It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu government had directed the Anna University to conduct a re-examination after complaints of poor results from students. A total of 4.25 lakh students had appeared for the online test in February, but the results of 2.3 lakh students were cleared and the results of the rest were withheld for suspected malpractices.

Out of the 2.3 lakh only 1.1 lakh students cleared the examination. However an official with the University told IANS that the results of the first year students which was declared on Saturday was much better than that of the seniors. The exams to the first year classes were held in March 2021.
Greater Noida : , May 18 (IANS) The Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaborations in scientific research & development (R&D) and faculty/student exchanges between the two institutions.

The agreement enables the two institutions to pursue significant academic cooperation in research and development projects in the areas of natural sciences, leveraging their respective expertise and capabilities.

According to an official release by Shiv Nadar University, the scope of the agreement includes sharing of relevant information and laboratory resources between the two institutions as well as exchange of students, scholars and post-doctoral fellows for projects.

According to Dr Rupamanjari Ghosh, Vice-Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, "Our partnership with IISER-Pune is reflective of our steadfast belief that in a true partnership, 1+1 becomes more than 2. Scientific research is the bedrock of inventions, innovations and transformational solutions for the myriad problems that vex our world. The ongoing pandemic has reinstated its importance everywhere, and as a research-focused institution, we are committed to contributing to tackling the most pressing issues of global importance. Higher education should drive, and not just respond to industry and technology." The vice chancellor said that a strong scientific research setting is essential for economic progress and long-term sustainable development of our nation.

The MoU between Shiv Nadar University Delhi-NCR and the IISER Pune also aims to establish provisions for exchange of students for pursuing structured courses and internships, joint grant applications, joint publications, conferences and workshops and exchange visits of faculty members. The agreement will be in effect for the next five years, which is extendable thereafter.

Dr Sanjeev Galande, Professor and Dean - Research & Development, IISER Pune, said, "This MOU underscores the commitment of both institutions towards nurturing scientific excellence. This heralds the new era of synergistic partnerships between institutions of higher education funded by the government and private entities in India. The ongoing collaboration in chemistry initiated this partnership which will now extend to other disciplines." Apart from the focus on scientific research, the two institutions also share commonality in their aims of contributing to nation-building.

While the IISER Pune is a declared an 'Institute of National Importance' by an Act of the Parliament, Shiv Nadar University Delhi NCR has been recently accorded the status of 'Institution of Eminence' by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
Dhaka, May 18 : Rozina Islam, a Bangladeshi journalist who was arrested on accusations of trying to "steal" 22 government documents, was sent to prison on Tuesday.

Following the order, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jashim set the next date of hearing on Thursday.

Islam, who was arrested on Monday, is also being accused of taking photos of the documents on her mobile phone.

The case against her was filed by Deputy Secretary of Health Services Shibbir Ahmed under the Official Secrets Act.

Arifur Rahman Inspector of Sardar Shahbagh Police had petitioned the court for a five-day remand to question the journalist while in police custody. But it was denied.

Before she was arrested, Islam was detained at the Secretariat office of Md Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, an aide to Health Services Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah, for five hours on Monday.

She was then taken to Shahbagh Police Station at around 8.30 pm.

Her lawyer, Ehsanul Haque Shomaji claimed that the journalist was mentally and physically abused at the Secretariat office.

Condemning Islam's arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately release her, withdraw the investigation, and to stop further detentions under the Official Secrets Act.

"We are deeply alarmed that Bangladesh officials detained a journalist and filed a complaint under a Draconian colonial-era law that carries ridiculously harsh penalties," said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJ's senior Asia researcher.

"Bangladesh police and authorities should recognise that Rozina Islam is a journalist whose work is a public service and should immediately drop the case against her and allow her to go free."
Hyderabad, May 18 : Annapurna canteens run by the Telangana government in Greater Hyderabad on Tuesday started providing free meals to the needy in view of the ongoing lockdown.

The state government is providing free and hygienic meals through 250 Annapurna canteens in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to serve the needy during the lockdown imposed to check the spread of Covid-19 Patient attendees, daily wage workers, hawkers, people living in shelter homes and others are benefiting from these canteens during the lockdown.

Arvind Kumar, Secretary, Municipal Administration said on Tuesday that on the directions of municipal administration minister K. T. Rama Rao, Annapurna meals is being supplied free with immediate effect until further orders in all the 250 centres in GHMC.

These canteens are providing food to more than 45,000 persons in different parts of the city every day.

The canteens provide hot and hygienic meals for Rs.5. However, in view of the lockdown the government decided to provide it free to the needy. As the daily wage earners are without work due to lockdown, the minister directed GHMC to make the meals available free of cost.

The latest move came four days after the authorities added 102 new canteens. In addition to 140 canteens already functional in GHMC limits, 102 new canteens were set up and they became operational from May 14.

The GHMC, in association with Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Trust, operates these canteens.

The state government imposed 10-day lockdown in the state on May 12 in view of the surge in Covid cases.

The state cabinet will meet on May 20 to decide whether to extend the lockdown or not.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Beijing, May 18 : The Chinese mainland has reported four new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in Liaoning province, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.

Besides the four cases, the country has also registered 18 new imported infections, Xinhua news agency quoted the Commission as saying.

Of the 18 cases, six were reported in Shaanxi, four in Shanghai, two in Sichuan and one each in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hunan and Guangdong.

No new deaths related to Covid-19 were reported.

China has so far reported 90,872 coronavirus cases and 4,636 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Gandhinagar, May 18 : At least three people have died following the devastation caused by the severe cyclone Tauktae in Gujarat. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the administration is fully functional in carrying out the search and rescue operations. The severe cyclone is expected to continue its northward journey in the state till Tuesday evening.

"We have confirmed cases of three deaths since last night in Gujarat due to the devastation caused by Tauktae. A 3-year-old child died buried under recently constructed wall. An 80-year-old lady died in Gariyadhar Tehsil and one more death was reported in Vapi," the Chief Minister told the media.

The Chief Minister said, "Since last night, when the cyclone made a landfall it has been continuing its northward journey in the state. But the cyclone has somewhat weakened. Due to the administration's advanced planning with details, no major damage or loss has occurred. We have shifted over 2 lakh people to safety." "Our biggest concern was that the Covid treatment in hospitals might get affected, but it has not happened so. Power supply was affected in only 16 hospitals, out of which the power companies have restored the power in 12. In the rest 4 hospitals, supply is being carried out through generators. Shortly the power will be restored there also," said the CM.

"Our other concern was that most of the oxygen supplied to other states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana may be affected, but nowhere is the delivery being suffered due to the cyclone," said the CM.

The Chief Minister also informed that power was cut off in 2,437 villages out of which it has been restored in 484 villages. "All the teams from power companies are functional and trying to restore power everywhere. Two stations of 220 kilo watts have been affected and efforts are on to restore those," CM told on Tuesday.

According to the CM, 1,081 electricity poles have been uprooted in the affected districts of Saurashtra due to the cyclonic winds. A total of 159 roads have been damaged and it is assessed that around 40,000 trees have been uprooted or fallen. The Roads and Buildings teams have restored commutation on 42 roads.

"According to the primary assessment till now there are around 16.5 thousand houses, including shanties have been damaged, but the survey is still on, as the cyclone has not yet left the state," informed the CM.

The severe Cyclone Tauktae hit Gujarat with gusty winds and heavy rains in many parts of Saurashtra. "The maximum rain was received by the Bagasara Tehsil of 9 inches. The Gir-Gadhada region and Una region of Junagadh received 8 inches, while 7 inches rain lashed in the Savarkundla Tehsil. Amreli, Rajula, Babara tehsils of Amreli district received around 5 inches of rain. In 35 tehsils 1-3 inches of rain was there," informed Rupani.

The Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) revenue, Pankaj Kumar said, "The cyclone is 210 kilometres in the south- southwest from Ahmedabad approaching with 105-115 kilometre speed. The movement of the cyclone will continue till Tuesday evening."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kolkata, May 18 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to President and Prime Minister demanding a change of Governor in the interest of "good governance " in the state .

The letter comes immediately after the CBI arrested four Trinamool leaders, including two ministers, a former minister and a former Mayor in the Narada scam, on Monday.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has been on an unusual offensive against the Mamata government after the ruling Trinamool Congress won a landslide in this summer's assembly polls.

Banerjee's letters despatched on Tuesday alleges that Governor Dhankhar has been raking up an 'exaggerated version' of violence in West Bengal since the election.

It said the whole exercise is to project a ' highly inflated version ' of the law and order situation in West Bengal, overlooking the fact that the incidents happened when the control of administration was " not in our hands." The situation is now under full control and the administration is busy fighting Covid, it said.

The letter also pointed out that Dhankhar was "crossing all limits" by raising the law and order issue during the swearing-in ceremony and tweeting about it in public domain.

It said the Governor is trying to 'destabilise the functioning of the government ' at the time when the need of the hour was focussed efforts to control the Covid pandemic .

Trinamool Congress sources said the party was considering a resolution passed by the legislative assembly demanding the removal of the Governor.

The Governor has been at daggers drawn with the Trinamool government ever since he took charge.

" He is trying to build up a narrative of a severe breakdown of law and order with malafide motive of destabilising an elected government, " alleged Trinamool MP Saugata Roy.

But Raj Bhavan sources rubbished the Trinamool charges.

One said the Governor was a lawyer by training and was " totally conscious of this powers and responsibilities." " He had raised valid concerns over breakdown of law and order. He had cleared the CBI to prosecute the politicians involved in the Narada scam," the Raj Bhavan source said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, May 18 : At least 12 Taliban militants were killed as Afghan fighter planes struck a hideout of the militant group in Logar province, the military said in a statement on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip off, the planes targeted the hideout in Kozachatrakai area of the restive Azra district late Monday night, killing 12 armed militants on the spot and injuring three others, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Seven motorbikes and a number of arms and ammunitions were also destroyed during the airstrikes, the statement added.

Taliban militants have intensified activities since the formal start of the U.-led forces pull out from Afghanistan on May 1 and are active in parts of Logar province.
Kolkata, May 18 : Among the four heavyweight leaders who were sent to judicial custody in connection with Narada case following a Calcutta High Court order, former minister and MLA Madan Mitra and former mayor Sovon Chatterjee were rushed to SSKM hospital on Tuesday morning after they complained of breathlessness.

State Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee was also brought to the government hospital for medical check-up.

On Monday night the leaders were sent to Presidency Jail from the CBI regional office at Nizam Palace but early Tuesday, Mitra and Chatterjee, complained of breathlessness and they were rushed to SSKM hospital where they were examined and were admitted in the Woodburn ward of the hospital. Presently both the leaders are on oxygen support.

Sources in the family said that Chatterjee who is a patient of high diabetes had not eaten anything on Monday and was not given insulin and that might have been the reason behind his problem.

Mitra on the other hand is a patient of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and has to live on Oxygen support occasionally.

During the recently-concluded election, he fell ill and was admitted on the day of election. However, sources in SSKM confirmed that both the leaders are stable now.

Subrata Mukherjee, who is also nearly 80-years-old, complained of physical discomfort and was taken to government facility in the morning. However, he was released after a medical check-up.

After a dramatic turn of events, on Monday night, the Calcutta High Court stayed the bail order of the four heavyweight leaders -- just hours granted by the lower court and sent them to judicial custody for three days.

Two Trinamool Congress ministers -- Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, apart from former Trinamool Minister and present MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata Corporation Mayor Sovon Chattopadhyay were arrested in the Narada sting tapes probe in which several politicians and a high-ranked police officer were allegedly found accepting cash bribes in exchange for providing unofficial favours to the company.

The leaders were arrested by CBI on Monday morning in connection with the Narada case and were virtually produced before the Special CBI court in the evening where they were given bail.

The CBI then moved the High Court where the division bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal stayed the lower court order and sent the leaders to judicial custody until the case comes up for hearing on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media while going to Presidency Jail, state transport minister Firhad Hakim said, "We will fight it in the court. My only pain is I have been appointed to oversee the Covid situation and they didn't give me the chance to save the people of my state".
Lucknow, May 18 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to start registrations at common service centres across districts in order to help people in rural parts of the state register on the CoWin app for vaccination.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has said that about 1.3 lakh such centres across the state will assist people in registering on the app and eventually, provide the facility of vaccination.

"To increase the pace of vaccination in rural areas, we have decided that common service centres will be roped in to help people register on the CoWin app. Each centre will provide this facility and also that of vaccination in the near future. The work will be done for free and nobody is to charge for helping someone with the work," the government spokesman said.

The state government had announced free vaccination for those in the age group of 18 to 44 years.

Additional chief secretary (information) Navneet Sehgal said that the work of vaccination in rural areas will be rolled out at war footing, as was done for testing.

He said that till now, 1.16 crore people had received their first vaccine shot while 31.6 lakh people had received their second.

Meanwhile, to acquire more vaccines, the government has made crucial changes to its global tender conditions which will now allow companies like Pfizer and Moderna to bid.

It has halved the global tender earnest money deposit amount from Rs 16 crore and made changes to temperature and storage conditions.

From storage at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, the temperature has been reduced to -20 from -80 degrees Celsius.

Companies will have to transport vaccines to the government warehouse and make arrangements for their storage at very low temperatures.
Canberra, May 18 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday reiterated that it is not yet safe to allow quarantine-free travel to the country, amid increasing pressure to re-open the borders earlier than the mid-2022 date currently planned for.

"I'm not going to take risks with Australians' lives," Xinhua news agency quoted Morrison as saying to reporters here.

On Monday, Jayne Hrdlicka, the Chief Executive of Virgin Australia Airlines, said at a business event that the borders should be considered to be re-opened when the most vulnerable people are vaccinated against Covid-19.

She acknowledged that "some people may die" but it would be "way smaller than the flu".

While addressing the media on Tuesday, Morrison described the comments as "insensitive," saying the pandemic was still raging overseas.

He confirmed that the government is working on a plan that will give vaccinated Australians greater freedoms during future coronavirus outbreaks.

As of Tuesday, there has been more than 3.18 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Australia.

At the current pace of roughly 447,000 doses a week, Australia could reach the 40 million doses needed to fully vaccinate the adult population in mid December 2022.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Washington, May 18 : US President Joe Biden's administration has approved a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel, according to media reports.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Washington Post said on Tuesday that Congress was officially notified of the proposed sale on May 5, nearly a week before the conflict escalated between the Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, reports Xinhua news agency.

The proposed sale includes the joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) and GBU-39 small diameter bombs, according to The Washington Post.

In a separate report, The Hill news website said that the window for Congress to block the sale is all but closed.

"The notification earlier this month set off a 15-day clock for Congress to act. There are four days left in that window, and it takes 10 days once a resolution of disapproval has been introduced before someone can force a vote to bring it to the floor." Some Democrats raised concerns about the sales as shelling and airstrikes continued in Gaza, causing more than 200 civilian casualties on both sides.

"While I have supported security assistance to Israel, including by funding the Iron Dome defense system, I have serious concerns about the timing of this weapons sale," House Democrat Joaquin Castro said in a statement.

"The message it will send to Israel and the world about the urgency of a ceasefire, and the open questions about the legality of Israel's military strikes that have killed civilians in Gaza," he added.

Biden on Monday voiced support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The call came as the Biden's administration faced mounting pressure from a group of Democratic senators urging an immediate ceasefire to prevent loss of civilian life.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014, has killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis.
Islamabad, May 18 : Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has left for New York City to attend an emergency UN General Assembly (UNGA) session on the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.

The Expree Tribune quoted sources as saying that Qureshi will travel to the US via Ankara and on way to New York, he will be accompanied by his counterparts from Turkey, Sudan and Palestine.

He left Islamabad on Monday night.

The UNGA session will take place on Thursday.

Besides attending the session, Qureshi, will hold important meetings with various dignitaries at the UN, the sources said.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the besieged enclave since 2014, has so far killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis.
Gurugram, May 18 : Several cases of black fungus (mucormycosis) are now emerging in Gurugram which is another concern for the district health department.

According to the health department, around 50 cases of black fungus have been reported in Gurugram so far and about 50 more are suspected to be suffering from this disease.

Health officials said that black fungus infection is being found in Covid recovered people. Officials also claimed that few cases of black fungus were also reported in the first wave of Corona last year. However, the number of cases of black fungus in the second wave is higher.

Meanwhile, the cases of black fungus, a sharp increase has been observed in the last four to five days by the health department.

According to officials, to deal with unavailability of Amphotericin B, an anti-fungal drug used to treat the infection, the state health department has also constituted a committee to provide the medicine to hospitals across the state.

"We have 50 cases in the district and we have directed all hospitals in the city to update the numbers daily and informed the health department on priority. The health department formed a committee and hospitals can directly apply to the panel asking for Amphotericin B injections," said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram.

Dr Amitabh Malik, Chief of ENT department, Paras Hospital, Gurugram told IANS, This infection is mostly happening to patients suffering from diabetes and those who have weak immunity. When a diabetic patient has Covid, he is given a steroid which also weakens the immunity and increases sugar level. Normal corona patients do not have this infection.

"This affects people with diabetes, cancer or people who have had organ transplant. Common symptoms associated with the disease are headache, facial pain, nasal congestion, loss of vision or eye pain, swelling of the cheeks and eyes, and black crust in the nose," he said.

Malik informed that since Monday they have operated two young patients in 30's who were previously not diabetics but have developed mucormycosis. The reason being that their blood sugar levels were not monitored while steroids were given to them," he added.

There are now around 20 thousand active Covid patients in Gurugram. Of these, there are about two thousand patients who are suffering from diabetes. In such a situation, the risk of black fungus is high in these patients.

"The treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis is through anti fungal medications chiefly Amphotericin B. It comes in a different form called liposomal amphotericin B, which penetrates into the brain as well. These are both injections which are given in hospital setting since they can affect kidneys. The liposomal is more costly. These are available in market but could be in short supply in current scenario," Dr Shashank Vashist, Consultant- ENT, Columbia Asia Hospital, Palam Vihar Gurugram, told IANS.

Doctors recommend that in the case of diabetes after treatment of Covid, control hyperglycemia and constantly monitor blood sugar levels and do not let it increase. Apart from this, doctors recommend that covid patients use steroids quite sensibly. Do not take it at all without the advice of doctors. Diabetes patients should also take their sugar medicines.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chennai, May 18 : Chennai city police is leaving no stone unturned to break the chain of Covid-19 infection. It intensified the lockdown from Tuesday, with e-registration becoming compulsory for people travelling even from one police station limit to another within the Tamil Nadu capital.

City police commissioner Shankar Jiwal has called upon all the police stations to tighten the lockdown in the city. Vehicle check points are established in borders in 13 places of 12 police station limits in the city.

Administration has already made arrangements for people to buy vegetables, essentials and food items within the police sector where they live and will be permitted to venture out and buy the essentials between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Other than this, 153 vehicle checking points have been established connecting all important junctions and covering all police station points.

City police have already communicated to the people to get their e-registration done if they need to move out after the permitted hours from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

If they don't comply, strict legal action will be taken against those violating the police guidelines. The vehicles of such people will be seized, police have warned.

Police commissioners have already issued instructions to Additional Commissioners, Joint commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to monitor and implement the lockdown effectively.
Chennai, May 18 : Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) has called for Expression of Interest (EoI) to set up joint ventures to produce Covid-19 related vaccines, medical devices, oxygen and others.

According to TIDCO, Tamil Nadu's premier industrial development organisation, it has called EoI from Indian and foreign players to set up plants to manufacture high end medical devices, oxygen plants, oxygen concentrators, vaccines and Covid-19 related drugs.

TIDCO said the minimum investment from the private party should be Rs.50 crore in the proposed joint venture.

The last date for submission of EoI to TIDCO is May 31, 2021.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : About 67 per cent of Indians prefer the US for higher education, reveals a new report by fin-tech platform Prodigy Finance.

The report on the State of Higher Education in Study Abroad Market, showed that besides the US, Indian students prefer the UK and France at 8 per cent each for pursuing their master's degree abroad.

Most students who went abroad for higher education were from Maharashtra (20 per cent), Karnataka (15 per cent), Delhi (12 per cent) and Telangana (8 per cent).

Almost 70 per cent who travelled abroad for higher education last year were male and 30 per cent were female, the report showed.

The study further found that for engineering courses, Northeastern University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Stevens Institute of Technology were the most preferred universities, whereas for MBA programmes Georgetown University, University of Toronto, and the University of Rochester have been most popular.

There has been severe uncertainty among the students travelling abroad for higher education as most of the families went through a financial crisis amid a nationwide lockdown last year.

Regardless, there was a growth of 41 per cent in applications in 2020 when compared to 2019.

This is quite significant if compared with the 55 per cent loan disbursements in 2019 after the 108 per cent growth witnessed during 2018.

In 2020, Prodigy Finance disbursed approximately Rs 30 lakh to each student in terms of loans for higher education.

"The year 2020 posed several challenges for students, parents, and educational institutions around the globe. It even forced the financial markets to condense, which in turn limited the amount of capital we could supply promptly to students last year.

"As international borders start to reopen gradually in 2021 and campus learning looks promising in the next quarter looking at the vaccination drive, we can expect a 30-35 per cent growth in 2021 as compared to 2020," said Mayank Sharma, Country Head India, Prodigy Finance, in a statement on Tuesday.

Prodigy Finance has also recently partnered with six international colleges, offering a global portfolio of 800 colleges and 1000 post-graduate courses to Indian students.

The company has, so far, financially assisted 20,000 students across the globe, it now aims to disburse loans worth more than $1 billion to over 20,000 deserving Indian students in the next three years.
Hyderabad, May 18 : In view of the shortage of Liposomal Amphotericin B used in treatment of Mucormycosis, drug control authorities in Telangana have made approval by government committee compulsory for sale of the injection.

Director of Drug Control Administration has informed all manufacturers, stockist and distributors of Liposomal Amphotericin B injection I.P 50 mg that the drug can be sold to hospitals where patients are undergoing treatment only after recommendation from the government panel.

They have been instructed to supply the available drug with them to the hospital admitted patients only after recommendation of the government committee.

The government of Telangana has constituted a committee headed by director medical education to ensure that patient with post Covid complication of Mucormycosis get immediate availability of the Liposomal Amphotericin B injection.

Manufacturing companies of the vaccine have been directed to supply the drug directly to their stockist and to inform immediately to Drug Control Department about quantity, name and address of stockist where drug is being supplied Drug supplied by manufacturing companies to the stockist in turn will issue vials of the injection based on recommendation of government committee to the hospitals where patients are admitted.

Stockist cannot issue single vials also to the hospitals and patients directly without recommendation of committee. Any deviation in this regard will be viewed seriously, reads a letter by the Drug Control Administration.

The orders have been issued in view of the shortage of the drug over last few days following number of Mucormycosis cases being detected in the state.

The step has been taken to prevent black marketing of the drug and ensure that patients undergoing treatment in hospitals get the same immediately.

Earlier, shortage of the Remdesivir injection led to black marketing of the drug. People paid huge money in the black market to get the drug.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday directed officials to make arrangements for the equipment and the required medicines in ENT Hospital in Koti, Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad, medical college hospitals in the districts to treat Mucormycosis that is spreading among Corona treated patients.

He said, if need be, 25 Microdebrider machines, HD Endoscopic cameras be purchased immediately.
New Delhi, May 18 : Samsung has dominated the tablet market in India with 34 per cent volume market share, regaining the top position in the segment, a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) showed on Tuesday.

Lenovo with 30 per cent and Apple with 16 per cent were the second and third biggest brands in the tablet business in India.

Samsung's popular line up of tablets in India include Tab S6 Lite, Tab A7, Tab S7+ and Tab S7.

"Samsung registered a strong 15 per cent year-on-year growth in Q1 2021 to regain the number 1 spot in India," the IDC said.

In the B2C segment, Samsung secured 43 per cent volume market share in the first quarter due to its strong performance in mass (less than $150) and high ($300-$600) segments in the country.

While much of the world is still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, sales of tablets and Chromebooks remain on fire.

Globally, tablets had an outstanding first quarter of 2021 with 55.2 per cent (year-over-year) growth and shipments totalling 39.9 million units, according to preliminary data from IDC that was released last month.

Schools had shown a strong preference for the tablet form factor due to its low cost and easy manageability.

Globally, Samsung was at the second position with 20 per cent market share in the tablet segment in Q1.
Islamabad, May 18 : A mob attacked a police station in Islamabad in an attempt to lynch a man detained on blasphemy charges, the media reported on Tuesday.

Senior police officers told Dawn news that dozens of villagers wielding batons and iron rods attacked the Golra police station on Monday, asking the police for the custody of the man.

After the man was brought to the police station following a complaint, the angry mob gathered at the gate.

They managed to enter the police station after overpowering the guards, the officers told Dawn news.

In response, police reinforcement, including personnel of counterterrorism department, resorted to excessive teargas shelling and baton-charge against the agitating mob.

After over an hour-long effort, the police successfully dispersed the villagers.

There were no immediate reports on the number of injured staff at the station.
New Delhi, May 18 : In a major breakthrough in the Rs 42,000 crore bike bot scam, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police on Tuesday said that it has arrested two beneficiaries of Gravit Innovative Promoters Limited and also identified properties worth hundreds of crore.

EOW Additional Commissioner of Police R.K. Singh said that arrested accused have been identified as Badri Narain Tiwari, a resident of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Vijay Kumar Sharma, a resident of Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Both were arrested from Noida, he said.

With the arrest of two more accused in the case, till date the police has arrested 23 people in connection with the case.

Singh said that a number of victims had filed complaints against Sanjay Bhati and others of the Garvit Innovative Promoters Limited (GIPL) having its registered office in Gautam Budh Nagar for cheating of Rs 42,000 core.

He said that it has been alleged that accused persons have induced the victims to invest Rs 62,000 for a bike and to receive Rs 9,500 per month including principal and rental income on a bike for one year.

"Due to the lucrative offer, a number of victims invested their hard earned money in this scheme," Singh said, adding that in January 2019, the GIPL launched Electric-Bike scheme and offered to deposit Rs 1.24 lakh for a Bike and to receive Rs 17,000 per month till one year.

"Initially accused had repaid the assured amount but after winning the confidence of investors, they absconded," the Additional Commissioner said.

The officer said that during investigation account details of the GIPL were obtained from IDBI Bank Yamuna Vihar branch in Delhi, ICICI Bank Pallavpuram, Meerut/Khurja Branches and also from Noble Co-operative Bank, Noida.

"Reply from the RBI was also received, wherefrom it was revealed that GIPL was not registered with RBI as an NBFC and was not authorised to collect money from the public," he said.

"During investigation, it is revealed that over 8,000 complainants are Delhi based and their cheated amount is approximately Rs 250 crore. From the investigation conducted, a number of properties worth several hundred crores have been identified and investigation is in progress," he said.
New Delhi, May 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of former Union Minister and BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta who died after a prolonged illness at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir earlier in the day, days after undergoing successful treatment for Covid-19.

Gupta, 87, is survived by two sons and a daughter. He was Union Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Aviation, between October 13, 1999 and September 1, 2001, Union Minister of State (independent charge), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (September 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002) and Union Minister of State from Defence (July 1, 2002 to 2004).

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Shri Chaman Lal Gupta Ji will be remembered for numerous community service efforts. He was a dedicated legislator and strengthened the BJP across Jammu and Kashmir. Pained by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti." Gupta had tested positive for Covid-19 on May 5 and returned from Narayana Hospital on Sunday after successful treatment. His condition suddenly deteriorated in the wee hours and he breathed his last around 5.10 a.m. on Tuesday at his Gandhi Nagar residence in Jammu.

Born in Jammu on April 13, 1934, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was not in good health for the last couple of years as he was suffering from various ailments and was hardly seen in public.

Gupta had an illustrious political career spanning over five decades after he became a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1972. He was again a member of the Legislative Assembly between 2008 and 2014.

The BJP leader was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha from Udhampur constituency of Jammu in 1996 and re-elected to the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha in 1998 and 1999.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jakarta, May 18 : Indonesia on Tuesday kicked-off a private vaccination scheme that will inoculate at least 10 million people against Covid-19.

Their vaccinations will be paid for by their respective companies ranging from labour-intensive manufacturers to micro-, small medium-sized enterprises, reports dpa news agency.

"I am glad the private vaccination drive has commenced. I hope everyone will be protected from Covid-19 and the plants in these industrial and business zones can be more productive," President Joko Widodo said when he attended the launch at a Unilever plant in Cikarang, West Java province.

"This private vaccination drive could accelerate the inoculation programme in Indonesia," Widodo added.

The launch was held jointly via video conference with other companies from 18 locations in industrial zones around the capital, Jakarta.

The private inoculation drive is using vaccine from China's Sinopharm and CanSino.

The government is still in negotiations to import Russia's Sputnik vaccine for the private scheme.

The vaccination drive is being coordinated by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce.

The Health Ministry requires that the jabs used should be different from the brands used by the government vaccination programme.

Also, the private entities that take part should buy the vaccines from a state-owned vaccine importer and pledge not to pass on the costs to their employees, in keeping with the government's free vaccination drive for all citizens.

The price for a single dose of Sinopharm vaccine is 500,000 Indonesia rupiah ($35).

The Chairman of the chamber of commerce, Rosan Roeslani, said more than 22,000 companies have registered to get more than their 10 million employees and their families vaccinated.

Indonesia aims to reach herd immunity by inoculating 181 million people, but the progress has been slow, with at least 22 million jabs have been administered under the government vaccination program, out of which 8 million have had their second jab.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
RTHK: US 'vaccine diplomacy' targets Russia, China

President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the United States is surging exports of Covid vaccines to other countries to reclaim "American leadership" in the global fight against the pandemic, dismissing rival efforts by China and Russia.

Biden confirmed that 20 million more doses are being released over the next six weeks, bringing the total earmarked for shipping out by the end of June to 80 million.

The boost follows pressure on the Biden administration from other governments to use its large vaccine surplus to help struggling countries, now that significant progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations at home.

The initiative also addresses concerns that Moscow and Beijing have been taking advantage of the worldwide crisis to spread influence through distribution of their own national vaccines in a so-called "vaccine diplomacy" contest.

By July, the United States will have easily cemented its place as leader on this stage, Biden said, while pointedly adding that Washington was not using the rollout as leverage over countries.

"This will be more vaccines than any country has actually shared today, five times more than any other country," Biden said in a White House speech.

"Russia and China... have donated 15 million doses. You know there's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with our values," he said.

"We will not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries."

The White House would not say which countries were being prioritized for the shipments, but Biden has signaled that Washington will be doing what it can to help India push back against a surge in the pandemic.

An initial 60 million doses have already been pledged.

These will all be of AstraZeneca, a British-developed vaccine that has yet to be used in the United States and looks increasingly unlikely ever to be needed. Exports will begin as soon as US health regulators give approval.

Biden said the next wave of 20 million doses would also include already authorized vaccines being used in the United States -- Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Biden framed the US effort to assist other countries as both moral and medically necessary.

"We know that America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that's raging globally is under control. No ocean's wide enough, no wall's high enough to keep us safe," he said.

"We need to fight the disease around the world to keep us safe here at home, and to do the right thing of helping other people -- it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do, it's the strong thing to do."

However, concerns over Russian and Chinese soft power are also clearly high on the president's mind.

He flagged US efforts in leading the "world's democracies" in a "multilateral effort to end this pandemic."

"I expect to announce progress in this area at the G7 summit" being held in Britain next month, he said.

"Just as democracies led the world in the darkness of World War II, democracy will lead the world out of this pandemic," he said, calling it a moment that "requires American leadership." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Israel pummeled Gaza City with airstrikes Monday, killing a senior Palestinian militant commander, and Palestinian militant groups renewed rocket attacks on Israel as violence in the region entered its second week. Since the fighting began on May 10, at least 200 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 59 children and 35 women, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. At least 10 Israelis have been killed in the rocket attacks, including a 6-year-old child.

The Israeli military said it destroyed 15 kilometers of tunnels in Gaza used by Hamas, as well as a five-story building housing the Hamas-run Religious Affairs Ministry, and killed Islamic Jihad's armed commander for north Gaza, Hussam Abu Harbeed. In response, Islamic Jihad fired rockets at the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod, and officials said seven people were injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address Monday after meeting with top defense officials that Israel will "continue to strike terror targets" and will "continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens."

The armed wing of Hamas promised more rockets. Spokesman Abu Ubaida said, "The criminal Zionist enemy intensified its bombing of homes and residential apartments in the recent hours, and therefore, we warn the enemy that if it did not stop that immediately, we would resume rocketing Tel Aviv," according to Reuters news agency. Also Monday, an Israeli man died of his wounds after being attacked last week by a group of Arab citizens in the central city of Lod, a mixed Jewish-Arab community that has become a flashpoint area during the latest fighting.

When asked by reporters at the White House about the violence, U.S. President Joe Biden said he planned to speak with Netanyahu later on Monday. Earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza to end rocket attacks against Israel immediately and said that while Israel has a right to defend itself, it has a burden to avoid civilian casualties.

Blinken said Monday the U.S. has been "working intensively behind the scenes" to try to bring an end to the violence, including phone calls Sunday with his counterparts in Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and France. The U.S. secretary of state told reporters in Copenhagen, where he is on a diplomatic tour of Nordic countries, "Palestinians and Israelis, like people everywhere, have the right to live in safety and security. This is not an Israeli privilege, Palestinian privilege. It's a human right... So, we've been working intensively behind the scenes to try to bring an end to the conflict."

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will have talks with Netanyahu in the coming days and called for a ceasefire "as soon as possible." He added that France is supporting Egypt's mediation in the conflict. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she spoke Monday with Netanyahu and expressed her support for Israel's right to self-defense. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Biden is "writing history with his bloody hands" following reports that the administration is set to approve a $735 million weapons sale to Israel.
Russian restaurateur Beloivan files bankruptcy claim

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

10:44 18/05/2021

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI)  Owner of the restaurant chain Tavern Taras Bulba Yury Beloivan, put on the international wanted list in a tax evasion case, has filed for his personal bankruptcy, according to case materials of the Moscow Commercial Court.

The date of consideration of the bankruptcy application has not been defined yet.

This March, the Moscow City Court upheld the issuance of an arrest warrant against Beloivan, who stands charged with evading 57 million rubles in taxes (about $775,000).

The ruling was issued by the Presnensky District Court of Moscow in late February. According to it, the defendant is to be placed in detention for two months after his actual arrest.

A case over concealing financial assets determined to be the source of payment of tax arrears was opened against him in February 2020. Following that, the defendant repeatedly failed to respond to calls for questioning. In July 2020, Russias Investigative Committee put Beloivan on the federal wanted list.

Investigators believe that in 2014 through 2015 probes into Zolotoy Rassvet company managing Beloivans restaurants, among them Tavern Taras Bulba chain, conducted by a tax authority, revealed tax arrears amounting to 57 million rubles ($775,000); in order to avoid this payment the defendant liquidated the said managing company transferring respective operations to a new company Lider K.

In July 2019, Moscows Basmanny District Court passed a 2-year prison sentence on Beloivan for tax evasion amounting to over 650 million rubles (about $9 million at the current exchange rate). Later in the year, the Moscow City Court reduced his sentence from 24 to 21 months. In early November 2019, Moscows Preobrazhensky District Court released him from serving sentence because of his illness.
Mumbai, May 18 : Actress Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram Story on Tuesday to announce that she has tested negative for Covid-19.

"Hello everyone, I have tested negative for covid, I want to say a lot about how I beat the virus but I am told not to offend covid fan clubs... yes there are actually people out there who get offended if you show disrespect towards the virus.... anyways thanks for all your wishes and love," she wrote.

A few days back, the actress had put up a post talking about demolishing Covid, which she claimed was deleted by Instagram.

"Instagram has deleted my post where I threatened to demolish Covid because some were hurt. Matlab terrorists and communists sympathisers suna tha Twitter pe lekin Covid fan club awesome. It's been two days here on Insta but don't think will last here more than a week," the actress wrote at the time.

Kangana was detected with Covid-19 when she was planning to go back to Himachal Pradesh amid the Mumbai lockdown.

Meanwhile, her Twitter account was also suspended a while back.

On the work front, Kangana will be seen in the film "Thalaivi". The film's release was postponed due to the Covid outbreak. She is also part of the films "Tejas" and "Dhaakad", and recently announced a film under her banner Manikarnika Films titled "Tiku Weds Sheru".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, May 18 : Actor Manoj Bajpayee took to Instagram on Tuesday to inform fans that the trailer of the second season of the popular series "The Family Man", will be released on Wednesday. According to reports, the series is expected to stream in June.

Sharing the poster of the series, Bajpayee wrote: "Our excitement level is 11/10 Yours? #TheFamilyManOnPrime Summer is here, and so is #TheFamilyManOnPrime Trailer out tomorrow." The series has been directed and produced by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K, who took to their twitter account to share the update.

"Finally! #TheFamilyManSeason2 trailer drop. Tomorrow 19 May. 9 AM," the tweet read.

The second season will mark the digital debut of South actress Samantha Akkineni. She will be playing the role of Raji in the series.

Along with Bajpayee, the show also features Priyamani Raj, Sharib Hashmi, Seema Biswas, Darshan Kumar, Sharad Kelkar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Shahab Ali, Vedant Sinha and Mahek Thakur, besides south actors Mime Gopi, Ravindra Vijay, Devadarshini Chetan, Anandsami and N. Alagamperumal.

The series revolves around a middle-class man, Srikant Tiwari, who works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency. It showcases his struggle to strike a balance between his secretive, low paying, high-pressure, high-stake job and being a husband and a father.

The series streams on Amazon Prime Video.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Srinagar, May 18 : The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has decided to release jail inmates in the union territory on 90 days interim bail in view of the Supreme Court directions.

A high-powered committee, headed by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, took the decision to release all the jail inmates as per the directions of the apex court in March, an official spokesman said.

"Justice Magrey directed the J&K legal services authority (JKLSA) to coordinate with the other two members of the committee to know about the category of convicts and under trials, who can also be released, pursuant to the directions of the supreme court.

"After the completion of this exercise, a report will be placed before the Committee," the spokesman said.

Justice Magrey also directed Director General of Police (DGP), Prisons, to coordinate with the Health department and ensure vaccination of inmates and the jail staff on priority.

Besides this, the committee directed the jail authorities to take appropriate steps by keeping the frequently visited areas like kitchen, bathrooms etc. hygienic and by ensuring that inmates and the staffers wear masks and maintain social distancing.

He also directed the Legal Service Institutions across the UT to provide services of Panel Lawyers to the inmates, who are eligible to be released from the custody by moving applications on their behalf.

The committee also called for the additional release of prisoners on paroles or interim bail orders for which the DGP and JKLSA member Secretary were asked to work out modalities within the stipulated time.

It is suggested the creation of additional or temporary accommodation within or outside jail complexes to ensure strict adherence to Covid Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs), spokesman added.A
Mumbai, May 18 : Amitabh Bachchan is donating resources to help set up a 25-bed oxygen facility in Juhu.

The veteran actor has teamed up with producer Anand Pandit for the same.

Pandit, who had already set up a similar facility in Dadar, says: "A 25-bed oxygen facility has been set up at the Ritambhara Vishva Vidyapeeth in Juhu. After a trial run, the centre was up and running by 10 am on Tuesday, May 18. Mr Bachchan has donated the equipment and infrastructure for the facility and all necessary permissions have been granted by the BMC." "When Amit ji heard that I was scouting for places in Juhu, he called me and said he wanted to help in every way possible. He has always supported my social initiatives wholeheartedly and also contributed his time and resources. I hope this centre will help bring much needed relief and healing to those in need. We will continue to find ways to make a difference somehow during this tough time," he adds.

Pandit had recently teamed up with actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn, too, to establish a 20-bed Covid-19 ICU at Shivaji Park and is working and scouting locations to set up another one in Borivali.

He says: "It is imperative for the industry to come together at this time to help as many people as possible. We are facing an economic, humanitarian and social crisis at a scale that would have been unimaginable even last year. And those who can, must do everything to change the bleak narrative around the pandemic to one that gives hope." Amitabh Bachchan stars in Pandit's production "Chehre". The theatrical release of the film has been postponed for now owing to the Covid outbreak.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Meerut, May 18 : A Meerut family lost their hope and happiness when post Covid-19 complication snatched away their 23-year-old twins together last week.

Joefred Varghese Gregory and Ralfred were born within minutes of each other. They died of Covid, within hours of each other.

Their father, Gregory Raymond Raphael, recalls that his twin boys did almost everything together.

"Both chose computer engineering, both had jobs in Hyderabad and both caught the deadly virus on the same day -- April 24.

"Last week, after struggling with Covid, they died together, hours after one another.

"It was almost as if I knew that they would either pull through together or they would go away together," said the distraught father.

He said that when he learnt that Joefred had passed away, he told his wife Soja that Ralfred would not return home either.

"They died on May 13 and May 14, hours apart," he said.

"Whatever happened to one, happened to the other too. It has been like this since they were born on April 23, 1997. The twins had a lot of plans for us. They wanted to give us a better life.

"As teachers, we have struggled much to bring up the children well and they wanted to give us back, everything from money to happiness. Before they died, they were planning to leave for Korea and then, perhaps, Germany for work." Destiny brought them together to the Gregory family and the pandemic took them away.

The Raphaels have a third son, the eldest one, Nelfred. "We were five of us and now we are just three left," said that father.

Nelfred had also tested positive along with his twin brothers on the same day.

"My brothers were admitted to Anand Hospital on May 1 and tested negative for the virus on May 10. On May 13 we received a call form the hospital that Joefred was no more. He had breathing problem earlier in the day. Ralfred was at the same hospital and his condition also deteriorated and he passed away on May 14," said Nelfred.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : Hours after the BJP on Tuesday alleged that former Congress President Rahul Gandhi used the pandemic to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image, the grand old party accused it of propagating a fake toolkit and said that it will file an FIR.

Hitting back at BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Congress Research Department chairman Rajeev Gowda in a tweet said, "BJP is propagating a fake toolkit on Covid-19 mismanagement and attributing it to AICC Research Department. We are filing an FIR for forgery against (BJP Chief) J.P. Nadda and Sambit Patra. When our country is devastated by Covid, instead of providing relief, BJP shamelessly concocts forgeries."

Earlier in the day, sharing a page on his twitter account, BJP National Spokesperson Patra said, "Friends look at the Congress 'ToolKit' in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic. More of a PR exercise with the help of 'Friendly Journalists' and 'Influencers' than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress: CongressToolKitExposed."

Levelling further allegations against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Patra tweeted, "Disgusting to say the least. Rahul Gandhi wanting to use this opportunity of pandemic to destroy the image of PM Modi. Congress workers were instructed to call the mutant strain as 'Modi strain'. No stone left unturned to scar the name of India with the help of Foreign Journalists." Controversy broke out after Patra shared the page and BJP leaders used it to slam Congress. BJP National General Secretary and MP, Bhupendra Yadav tweeted, "Instead of helping people fight Covid, Congress wants its supporters to use 'Indian strain' and 'Modi strain' when talking of the new mutant to malign the PM's image. This vulture politics is a new low even by Congress's low standards."

BJP National in-charge of Information and Technology department, Amit Malviya tweeted, "It is brazen and shocking that at a time when India is fighting Covid, the Congress party is fighting India. All that it cares for at this point is to score political points, tarnish the Kumbh as a super spreader while play up Eid as a happy event."

BJP national Secretary, Sunil Deodhar in a tweet said, "Is this not a toolkit of anti-nationals? Instead of fighting Covid, agenda of Congress is to fight Modi and malign India by calling a strain "Indian strain" despite WHO rejecting that term. Worst kind of vulture politics."

BJP MLA from Vandre West, Mumbai, Ashish Shelar pointed out that instead of helping the country to fight Corona, Congress joined hands with anti-national forces. "Shame! Instead of helping Indians fight Corona, Congress joins hands with anti India forces, anti India media to 1.) Spread negative news and false propaganda against Indian Government 2.) Run Paid PR campaign to favor IYC (India Youth Congress)."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, May 18 : In the first ever such interactions with District Magistrates (DMs) of 46 high Covid-19 burden districts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Central government is working on a fortnightly schedule for vaccine supply to streamline vaccination and prevent wastage.

Interacting over video conference with these DMs across eight States with Chief Ministers of these regions, the Prime Minister told them, Union Health Ministry is continuously streamlining the arrangements and procedures regarding vaccination to larger strategy.

The next round of interactions will be with District Magistrates of 54 districts across 10 States, on May 20.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said constant efforts are being made to increase the supply of coronavirus vaccine on a very large scale.

Modi further said that vaccination is a powerful means of fighting Covid, so we have to unitedly remove every illusion related to it.

Noting that there are three main weapons that we have in our armour to check the contagion. "These are delineating local containment zones, aggressive testing and giving correct and accurate information to the local populace especially in terms of availability of medical resources like hospital beds," Modi said.

The Prime Minister later stressed on the need to crack down on black marketing of medicines and equipment, saying "if you feel there is a need to tweak or innovate upon strategies set up at State or Central level please go ahead, and if they work, do not hesitate to share with me or my office".

"Learn from places where the infection curve is showing a downward trend," Modi said.

Noting that the spread of the disease was towards rural areas, the Prime Minister said we should focus on these areas.

Besides saving lives of people in rural areas from Covid, the Prime Minister said, there should also be a focussed plan to take care of the ease of living of every citizen in each district.

"We also have to stop infection as well as keep moving the supply of essential items being used in daily life." He asked for empathy from local administration in implementing local lockdowns, and to pay attention to ease of living issues. "Even if one person from the local administration gets in touch with a patient or his family, the mental strength of that family to fight the disease goes up," Modi said.

"Through PM CARES we have decided to set up an oxygen plant in every district and my request to all DMs is to prepare in advance for the rapid setting up of such plants, as demonstrated in Chandigarh and other places," Modi said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kanpur : , May 18 (IANS) In a bizarre incident, the bride got married to one of the 'baraatis' (member of the marriage party from the groom's side) after the groom disappeared mysteriously from the wedding venue.

The incident took place two days ago in Maharajpur area.

According to reports, the 'jaimala' (exchange of garlands ) ceremony had taken place and the families were preparing for the main wedding ceremony when the groom suddenly disappeared.

Both the families began frantically searching for the groom and the bride was distraught at the turn of events.

After searching for a while, the bride's family members came to know that the groom was not missing, but had deliberately fled from the spot for reasons best-known to him.

Seeing the bride's family upset, one of the guests from the groom's side suggested that the marriage should be solemnised with another suitable boy from the baraat.

The bride's family zeroed in on one of the boys and their respective families, after consultations, agreed on the alliance.

The marriage was solemnised at the venue.

Later, the bride's family lodged a complaint against the groom and his family members.

Inspector Narwal, Shesh Narain Pandey, said, "We have received a complaint in this regard from both the bride and groom sides. While the bride's side has sought suitable action against the groom and his family members, the groom's father, Dharampal, in his complaint, has sought police help to trace his missing son. Investigations are continuing in this regard."
Imphal, May 18 : Authorities in Manipur have charged a journalist and a political activist, who were arrested on May 13 over their Facebook posts reportedly criticising the ruling BJP leaders, under the National Security Act (NSA), officials said on Tuesday.

The officials said that Imphal West District Magistrate Th. Kirankumar late Monday night passed two separate orders charging Wangkhem Wangthpi, 41, (alias Kishorchandra) and Leichombam Erendro, 40, under the stringent Act.

In his orders, the District Magistrate said that as Wangkhem and Leichombam are likely to be released on bail in the near future and would resume activities which are prejudicial to the security of the state and to the maintenance of public order, hence they should be prevented from carrying out such activities through an alternative preventive measures.

The maximum period for which one may be detained under the NSA is 12 months, but the term can be extended if the government finds fresh evidence.

On Monday, the Imphal Chief Judicial Magistrate granted bail to both the persons on the execution of a personal recognisance bond of Rs 50,000 each with "a surety bond of a like amount" on condition the duo would not repeat a "similar offence in future" and be available for interrogation by the investigating officer as and when required.

A police official said that the Imphal-based journalist, Wangthpi and political activist Erendro were arrested on May 13 from their homes on the basis of a complaint filed against them by Manipur state BJP Vice-President Usham Deban party General Secretary P. Premananda Meetei.

The complaint said that Wangkhem and Leichombam posted "offensive comments" referring to the death of state BJP President Saikhom Tikendra Singh, who succumbed to Covid-19 at a hospital in Imphal on May 13.

Referring to Singh's death, the two men had posted comments in Manipuri saying "cow dung and cow urine do not work".

Wangkhem and Leichombam had been arrested twice earlier on charges of sedition and for making various posts on social media against the government.

Leichombam is the founder of the People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance, a political party whose candidate in the 2017 Manipur elections included rights activist Irom Sharmila.

He had also unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls in 2017.

Rights activists and various Manipur-based organisations and elsewhere in the country had then criticised the government for "overreacting".
Singapore, May 18 : The Covid-19 pandemic-related border curbs have resulted in a shortage of short of workers in Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower said on Tuesday.

The Ministry said "we have not been able to adequately replace those who have left Singapore," which depends heavily on foreign workers in sectors such as construction and home help, reports dpa news agency.

Earlier this month Singapore banned entry from South Asia for work permit or long-term visa holders, after record virus numbers were reported in India.

Singapore has since last year been closed to visitors and short-term business travellers from all but a handful of countries.

After largely reopening domestically since a sole lockdown was ended last June, the government last week significantly re-tightened restrictions after a slight rise in coronavirus case numbers, including by closing schools temporarily and limiting restaurants to takeaway or delivery services.

While the numbers remain relatively low, with 38 new cases reported on Tuesday, officials are concerned about "unlinked" cases and about high numbers in neighbouring countries.

Most of Singapore's almost-62,000 virus cases were recorded last year among migrant workers crammed into dormitories.

The virus-related death toll, at 31, means Singapore has one of the lowest death rates in the world.
Government Law-Making Commission backs simplified stay of foreign students in Russia

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

11:38 18/05/2021

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI) - The Government Law-Making Commission has backed a bill simplifying stay and living of foreign students in Russia, according to the press service of the Association of Lawyers of Russia.

Such foreigners will be able to fill out temporary resident permit for educational purposes, the press service quotes the Associations head Vladimir Gruzdev as having said. This permit will be active during the entire period of study plus 180 days after graduation.

Applicants will not be obliged to confirm their knowledge of Russian language and pass Russian history exams. However, they will be ordered to undergo dactyloscopy registration, according to Gruzdev.

Foreign students will have a right to receive permanent residency in Russia within 3 years after their graduation.

Last year, over 265,000 foreign citizens aiming to receive education in Russia were registered in migration services. Their number decreased because of the pandemic by nearly 60%. In 2019, there were over 680,000 potential students, Gruzdev noted.
New Delhi, May 18 : The Congress on Tuesday accused the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government of hiding the real figure of deaths due to Covid in the state and said that it has no right to stay in power if it cannot provide proper health care facilities to its people.

The Congress allegations came two days after it accused the Gujarat government of hiding the real figures of Covid deaths.

Addressing a virtual press conference here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "As per the government official records, in Lucknow till date 2,268 people have died due to Covid. While in the last three months 13,000 death certificates have been issued." She said that between April 1 to May 15 this year, in the span of 45 days 7,890 death certificates have been issued while between February 15 and March 31 in the span of two months 5,970 death certificates were issued.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Aradhana Mishra said that she is saddened to see the condition of the state.

Slamming the BJP-led state government, she said that this government works on three D's. "Each D stands for denial of facts, destroying of evidence and data manipulation," Mishra said, adding that the government is working on three D's instead of working on Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

Questioning the government, the Congress leader said, "Why has the government authorised the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to issue death certificates? The certificates have always been issued by the Nagar Nigam (municipal corporation)." "It's a clear attempt by the government to hide the actual death figures," she alleged.

Hitting out at the UP government, she said that if the government was not able to provide better health care facilities, then it should have provided proper management for cremation at least.

"In a heart wrenching incident from Ballia in the state, few policemen administered the funeral by burning tyres," she said.

She said that the government has "failed" completely in Uttar Pradesh and especially in Lucknow as people are unable to get proper medical care.

"Such government has no right to stay in power and the Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) should resign immediately taking moral responsibility," she added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to direct expeditious decision on the bail plea of businessman Navneet Kalra, who has been arrested for allegedly black marketing oxygen concentrators amid a brutal second wave of the Covid pandemic.

A single bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad said: "Let the law take its own course." The High Court also refrained from making any interference with the observations of a session's court, which dismissed Kalra's anticipatory bail plea.

Kalra was represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa.

Refusing to grant relief to Kalra, the court said he had moved an anticipatory bail plea which has become infructuous after his arrest and therefore, nothing remains in the matter.

Kalra's counsel urged the high court to direct the trial court to decide his bail expeditiously. He also urged the court to expunge the observations made on his client by the sessions court, as after his arrest he cannot challenge the order denying him anticipatory bail.

A Delhi court on Monday sent Kalra, who was arrested late on Sunday night, to three days' police custody in connection with oxygen concentrator hoarding case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Archana Beniwal at the Saket district court passed the order after hearing the arguments of Delhi Police and Kalra's lawyers. The Delhi Police had sought a five-day custody of Kalra for interrogation in connection with the alleged black-marketing and hoarding of oxygen concentrators.

Delhi Police arrested Kalra, who was absconding since May 7, from his brother-in-law's farmhouse in Gurugram late Sunday night and handed him over to the Crime Branch, which is probing the matter.

Kalra was on the run since the seizure of 524 oxygen concentrators from three restaurants -- Khan Chacha, Town Hall, and Nege & Ju -- owned by him.

The High Court on May 14 declined to grant him any interim protection from arrest while his plea for anticipatory bail was pending before it.

Four employees of Matrix Cellular company, including its CEO and vice president, who were also arrested, were granted bail in the case. Kalra bought oxygen concentrators from Matrix Cellular which imported them.

On May 5, a case was registered against Kalra under Section 420 (cheating), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was also registered under Essential Commodities Act and Epidemic Diseases Act.
Mumbai, May 18 : Actor Gautam Gulati, who plays a baddie in the Salman Khan-starrer "Radhe", says he bagged the character on the superstars recommendation.

The actor claims he met Salman, who expressed a desire to work with him, and got a call from the team of the film the next day.

"This would not have been possible if Salman sir was not there. We met randomly and he hugged me and he thought we should work together, he asked me if I would play a negative role. I could not believe it. I told him that all my favourite heroes are the negative ones and the very next day, his team called me and it was done," he says.

He adds that work on his character began soon after.

"My clothes, look, training all started... the hairstyle was changed and the shoot commenced. I will never forget this. He has always been very helpful. It feels amazing when a top megastar is there to help me, and believes in me," Gautam says.

The actor played the role of Girgit in the film that released recently.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Kuala Lumpur, May 18 : Police in Malaysia said on Tuesday that they shot dead five men suspected to be members of the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf terror group during a raid.

The police in Sabah, a state in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo, said the five were killed during a patrol at the same location where last week police arrested eight alleged members of the group, which has its stronghold across the Sulu Sea in the southern Philippines, reports dpa news.

"Our men knocked on the door of one of the squatter houses but were met with hostile gunfire, which we immediately returned," said Sabah police commissioner Hazani Ghazali.

Known for its brutal and sometimes deadly kidnappings, some of which have been carried out during raids on Sabah, Abu Sayyaf has declared loyalty to the Islamic State terror group.

It has been deemed a terrorist organisation by the US and the Philippines, where soldiers in March killed a key leader during a raid to free Indonesian hostages.

Abu Sayyaf is one of several armed groups operating in the southern Philippines, where Islamic militants have fought against the Catholic-dominated central government in Manila for decades and have also in the past asserted a territorial claim to Malaysia's Sabah.
New Delhi, May 18 : The Indian IT and Business Services market was valued at $13.41 billion in 2020 and recorded a 5.41 per cent year-over-year (YoY) growth as compared to 8.43 per cent in 2019, an International Data Corporation (IDC) report showed on Tuesday.

Of the IT and Business Services market, the IT Services market contributed 77.06 per cent and grew by 5.97 per cent in 2020 compared to the 8.91 per cent growth in 2019.

The reduced growth rate was due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses in the country.

The IT and Business Services market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.18 per cent between 2020-2025 and reach $18.97 billion by the end of 2025, the IDC said.

"During the second half of 2020, apart from cloud adoption and IT security, enterprises also started to increasingly invest in technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics for solutions like conversational AI and Chatbots, fraud prevention, demand forecasting, etc., which would help streamline their business operations," said Harish Krishnakumar, Senior Market Analyst, IT Services, IDC India.

Even sectors like manufacturing, which was adversely affected during the initial stages of the pandemic, started investing in cloud-based applications and automation projects.

2021 will pave the way for business resiliency plans to kick-in and accelerated investments in technologies to support an enterprise's digital goals.

"Some of the areas where IDC envisions clear opportunities for service providers include cloud enablement and augmentation services, network management, optimisation and automation, managed security services, and AI-based services, among others," said Shweta Baidya, Senior Research Manager, Enterprise Software and ICT Services, IDC India.

With a large part of the workforce being out of action during the second wave of the pandemic, enterprises will look up to their service partners to enable digital transformation initiatives and prepare them to be a future-ready enterprise, she noted.
Srinagar, May 18 : Four persons employed by a Hyderabad-based company, involved in the construction of the all weather Zojila Tunnel, were arrested on Tuesday in J&K's Ganderbal district for illegal mining in the local Sindh stream thereby violating the orders of the J&K High Court.

The four employed with infrastructure firm 'Megha Engineering Infrastructure' were caught by a team of Irrigation and Flood Control Department while they were extracting sand and boulders from the Sindh stream in Nigrad area of the north Kashmir district.

"We have also seized four dumpers and one L&T earth moving machine those were being used to extract and ferry the illegally extracted sand and boulders from the Sindh stream," an official of the flood and irrigation department said.

The official said the four persons caught during illegal extraction have been handed over to the police for further action under the law.

Megha Engineering Infrastructure was allotted the construction of the all weather Zojila Tunnel which will connect the Ladadh UT with J&K.

It must be mentioned that there are standing orders of the J&K High Court banning all extractions from the Sindh stream.

The stream is the ecological habitat of the trout fish species whose survival is threatened by sand and boulder extraction from the stream.
Sydney, May 18 : Australia bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood said they were not aware of ball being tampered during the infamous third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018.

Cummins, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood were the bowlers in that Test and the four released a joint statement on Tuesday amid rising speculation over their awareness of the tactic which eventually led to bans on Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner.

"We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw images on the big screen at Newlands," said the players in the statement.

"And to those who, despite the evidence, insist that 'we must have known' about the use of the foreign substance simply because we are bowlers, we say this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Long and Richard Illingworth, both very respected and experienced umpires, inspected the ball after images surfaced on the TV coverage and did not change it because there was no sign of damage," they further said.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Bancroft indicated that the bowlers knew about tampering. This was followed by former Australia captain Michael Clarke saying that bowlers had to know about what was happening to the ball.

"We respectfully request an end to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone for too long and it is time to move on," the four bowlers further said in their statement.

"We pride ourselves on our honesty. So it's been disappointing to see that our integrity has been questioned by some journalists and past players in recent days in regard to the Cape Town Test of 2018," they said.
New Delhi, May 18 : Automobile major Maruti Suzuki India in partnership with Zydus Hospitals on Tuesday announced the start of a multi-speciality hospital at Sitapur in Ahmedabad District of Gujarat.

According to the company, with a total capital expenditure of Rs 126 crore, the hospital has been 100 per cent funded by the Maruti Suzuki Foundation - a CSR initiative of Maruti Suzuki.

The hospital will be managed and operated by Ramanbhai Foundation, the CSR arm of Zydus Group.

Besides, the hospital is also assisting in taking care of Covid-19 patients.

"When our Gujarat car plant started, there was no major medical facility available in the region. We decided to build a good quality multispeciality hospital for the benefit of all residents of that area and partnered with one of the best names in health care - Zydus Hospitals," said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India in a statement.

"Fortunately, it was in time for the Covid-19 second wave and we have converted it into a Covid-care facility to help fight the pandemic." The hospital is expected to serve over 3.75 lakh people residing at Sitapur and adjoining villages at affordable charges.

"Starting with a 50-bed facility, the hospital can be progressively expanded to 100 beds basis the demand. The infrastructure is already in-place for the expansion of the facility. The facility is spread over 7.5 acres...," the company said in he statement.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, May 18 : Actress Rubina Dilaik took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a series of throwback pictures with her husband, actor Abhinav Shukla, who is currently shooting for "Khatron Ke Khiladi 11" in Cape Town, South Africa. Rubina shared in her post that she was missing Abhinav.

"One month of not being in your arms....... ohh! I miss you @ashukla09....#rubinadilaik #abhinavshukla #major #missing #love" she wrote.

Her fans were quick to respond to her post.

While one wrote: "Favourite couple forever" with a heart emoji, another one posted: "The caption hits hard. Praying for your speedy recovery" Meanwhile, Rubina had tested positive for Covid a few weeks back and had quarantined herself at Shimla. She had posted a video recently informing her fans that she was recovering well.
Bareilly : , May 18 (IANS) A man was beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly interfering in a husband-wife dispute.

The incident took place in the Prem Nagar locality in Bareilly on Monday when Naveen was reportedly beating his wife Deepmala with a stick.

When their neighbour, Arjun (24), tried to rescue the wife, the enraged husband started thrashing him instead. Arjun was apparently beaten up so severely that he later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. His family members had taken Arjun to the police station to lodge a complaint before taking him to the hospital.

Naveen has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the police said.

According to reports, Naveen had lost his job last month and was in a foul mood. He often quarreled with his wife.

Bareilly SSP Rohit Singh Sajwan said, "We have registered an FIR under the section of culpable homicide and the accused Naveen will soon be arrested. Prima facie it appears that the victim died of a head injury."
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Srinagar, May 18 : The counter-intelligence wing of J&K police arrested 2 persons on Tuesday in J&K's Srinagar city from whose possession a brown sugar-like substance was recovered.

Police sources said the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) apprehended two persons from Batamaloo locality of Srinagar city on Tuesday.

Souces said acting on specific information, a team of the counter intelligence intercepted a load carrier and after frisking the 2 occupants of the vehicle, 800 grams of brown sugar like substance was recovered.

The arrested persons have been identified as Shakeel Sheikh and Khurshid Sheikh, both residents of Karnah border areas of North Kashmir Kupwara district. The vehicle has also been seized.

Sources said after chemical analysis of the recovered substance, the detained persons will be booked under the relevant sections of law.
Chennai, May 18 : DMK Member of Parliament S. Senthilkumar has expressed concern at the Tamil Nadu government opting for "unproven" Siddha medicine for Covid-19 treatment.

In a recent tweet, Senthilkumar, who represents the Dharmapurai Lok Sabha constituency and is a practicing radiologist, said: "DMK is a progressive rational party, "It's very sad to see Govt indulging in unscientific unproven non-clinical trials like Siddha medicine for COVID treatment or no evidence of proven steam inhalation is being done which are at time of this pandemic wasting man resources." In another tweet, Senthilkumar, tagging the Chief Minister's Office, said there should be a team of eminent doctors from the government and the IMA and an advisory committee "to do things in a scientific manner based on modern scientific research based medicine".

However, a day after his tweets, state Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru on Monday inaugurated a 200-bed Siddha treatment centre for Covid-19 patients at the premises of the American College in Madurai.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Tuesday that Rs 50,000 ex gratia will be given to each family in the national capital that has had a Covid death.

Stating that many families have lost their loved ones during the second wave of the pandemic, Kejriwal said, "We cannot fill that void, but we will provide financial help of Rs 50,000 to each family that has lost at least one of its members to the pandemic." The Aam Aadmi Party-led government will also provide Rs 2,500 a month to the families whose sole breadwinner fell prey to Covid-19.

"There are many such families wherein the main earning members have died due to Covid. Delhi government will provide Rs 2,500 per month to each such family," Kejriwal said.

Also, children whose parents have succumbed to the virus will be given Rs 2,500 per month, while Delhi government will bear all expenses for their education.

Apart from these, the Delhi government will also provide free ration to all the poor families which are struggling during the Covid-induced lockdown.

"Each such family in Delhi will be given 10 kg free ration (5 kg from the Centre and 5 kg from the Delhi government). There will be no need of producing income certificates to avail this ration. It would be given even to those who do not have a valid ration card," Kejriwal said.

The Chief Minister said that all these decisions will be approved by the Cabinet and implemented soon.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, May 18 : Actor Simba Nagpal, who plays Virat Singh in the television show "Shakti: Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki", says yoga is helping him stay physically and mentally fit amidts the pandemic.

The actor says he is a fitness enthusiast and loves working out at the gym. However, since he is shooting for his show in Agra currently, he has switched to Yoga.

"I'm gym addict and I need to work out every day. Even last year during lockdown, I was doing weightlifting and practicing other hard workouts at home. But as of now when we are shooting in Agra and workouts are quite difficult to practice so I'm switching to Yoga. It is helping me to be fit mentally and physically," he says.

Simba says that Yoga can be practiced at any time of the day and hence he doesn't find it tough to manage his schedule.

"Yoga works on our internal organs and helps detox the body from within. This leads to a feeling of balance, inner fulfilment and mental relaxation. Also, yoga is not time-restrictive since I can do it whenever you want, so I am able to take out time for it easily," he says.
New York, May 18 : A team of US researchers has, in an alarming study, found direct evidence that Covid-19 can infect cells in the eye.

SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, is thought to transmit and begin infection in the upper respiratory tract. For this reason, the use of face masks has been recommended for the general public.

However, the new study by the Mount Sinai Hospital researchers found that cells in the eye can be directly infected by SARS-CoV-2. While aerosol transmission is thought to be the primary route of spread, viral particles have been detected in ocular fluid suggesting the eye may be a vulnerable point of viral entry.

The findings showed that SARS-CoV-2 can infect surface cells of the eye. The exposed cells revealed the presence of infection-associated proteins including ACE2 -- the virus receptor -- and TMPRSS2 -- an enzyme which allows viral entry. IFN-beta -- a protein that has antiviral and antibacterial properties -- was also found to be suppressed from the exposure to the virus.

In addition, the researchers found that ocular surface cells, particularly the limbus, were susceptible to infection, while the central cornea was less vulnerable.

"We hope this new data results in additional measures to protect the eyes. We also intend to use these models to test approaches to prevent ocular infections," said Timothy Blenkinsop, Assistant Professor, at Mount Sinai.

The study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, has an immediate impact on preventive measures to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and support new guidance for eye protection that can be instituted worldwide. It also highlights the importance of washing hands, as rubbing one's eyes should now be viewed as an entry point for infection, the researchers said.

For the study, the team examined adult human eyes in an in vitro stem cell model. The donor cells were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and then analysed through RNA sequencing. The sequences were then mapped to the human genome and compared to non-infected control cells from adult tissues.

The expression of the exposed cell was then evaluated. The study also evaluated whether SARS-CoV-2 could infect both tissues and primary cells in the eye.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : A Delhi court on Tuesday declined to grant anticipatory bail to Sushil Kumar, India's double Olympic medallist in wrestling, in connection with a brawl at Chhatrasal Stadium, which led to the death of a wrestler.

Additional sessions judge Jagdish Kumar declined to grant the relief to Kumar who has been booked for murder, abduction and criminal conspiracy. Kumar in his plea seeking anticipatory bail filed by advocate Kumar Vaibhaw has said: "unfounded, baseless, scurrilous and preposterous allegations have been made against the applicant maliciously with the only motive to humiliate and injure the reputation of the applicant." The police said Kumar is the main accused who has played a key role in the commission of offence.

The police have also announced a cash award of Rs.50,000 for anyone who provides information on Sushil's associate Ajay Kumar, who is a co-accused in the murder of Sagar Dhankar, a former international wrestler. On May 4, two groups of wrestlers clashed at Chhatrasal Stadium, resulting in the death of 23-year-old Dhankar.

Kumar, in the plea, argued that statement of the victims has been recorded and alleged recoveries have also been made, therefore no custodial interrogation was required. Kumar also claimed that he has no connection with the alleged firing, which took place during the brawl.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Kumar, questioned before the court the act of prosecution seizing Kumar's passport.

Additional public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava replied, "We have an apprehension that he may flee from the country." Shrivastava added that there is electronic evidence against Kumar.

Police insisted on Kumar's custodial interrogation to reveal the conspiracy and also to recover the weapon of offence from him.

Citing the falsity in allegations, Kumar's plea said that as per the PCR call the incident took place at around 1.19 hours on May 5, 2021 and the distance from the place of incident, Chhatrasal Stadium, and the police station PS Model Town is just one kilometre. However, the FIR has been registered after an unexplained delay of around 5-6 hours. "It further appears that that the entire delay in registration of the FIR is to falsely implicate the Applicant in the present matter", the plea added.

In the anticipatory bail plea, Kumar said: "The victims are falsely implicating the applicant because he had asked Sagar to leave his property as the same was being misused by him. It is also known to every associated with the Chhatrasal stadium that the purported victims were trying to defame and fix the Applicant for a long time and are trying to falsely implicate the applicant in the present matter." Kumar claimed he is innocent of all wrongdoing and has been falsely implicated in the present case.

The Delhi Police have filed an FIR under various sections: 302 (murder), 308 (culpable homicide), 365 (kidnapping), 325 (causing grievous hurt), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The police have also included sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of IPC and various sections under the Arms Act.
Chennai, May 18 : The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday released the details of the money received and spent from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF).

According to a statement, the CMPRF has received Rs 69 crore as contributions since May 11 after the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's appeal to philanthropists and the Tamil diaspora to contribute extensively and generously to help the government fight Covid. He had assured transparency in the utilisation of the fund, which would be used only for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Of the total funds received, Rs 29.44 crore was obtained through online transaction and the remaining Rs 39.56 crore handed over directly to the Chief Minister and ministers.

Out of this, the government has allocated an amount of Rs 50 crore to procure life-saving drugs for treatment of Covid-19 patients and also to source liquid oxygen from other states.

A sum of Rs 25 crore was utilised to purchase Remdesivir and other medicines while Rs 25 crore was sanctioned to source containers required for transporting liquid oxygen from other states.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chennai, May 18 : With the district collectors of Kanchipuram, Tiruvalluvar, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ranipet and Vellore districts ordering the closure of quarries, the construction industry has taken a serious hit. More than the local construction work including housing, projects which have deadlines like the Chennai Metro are affected by this decision.

A source in the Chennai Metro told IANS on condition of anonymity, "Our work is hit, there are no materials available. We need blue metal and M-sand for the construction. The second wave of the pandemic has led to the closure of quarries leading to a dearth of materials required for our construction. There will be an impact in meeting the deadlines." Chennai Metro has awarded contracts for Corridor 3 and Corridor 4.

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) however said that their projects are not affected at present but soon may face problems as the stock of materials is dwindling. E-passes for inter district transport are a major worry for the construction industry as materials are transported from far away places crossing districts.

The Builders Association of India said that the effect of the closure of quarries will be felt in a couple of days at several sites. S Rama Prabhu, state secretary of the association while speaking to IANS said, "Non availability of raw materials is affecting the construction and only 25 percent of the work is being carried out in many sites and this may be further reduced to 15 percent as work will be carried out only with the available raw materials." However the construction industry agrees that a bigger worry are the fleeing migrant workers. A large number of the migrant workers from Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan have left for their home states and those staying back in Tamil Nadu are in two minds on whether to stay back or be with their near and dear ones in their home states.

Aminul Sharaf, a construction worker with a prominent builder at Salem, told IANS, "My owner is good and has provided us with all the facilities. Most of our friends in other places have left for their homes and I too feel that I should head back home as there is uncertainty. I don't know whether there is a tougher lockdown coming and we are again stranded in this place with all our close relatives back home in Midnapore." With most of the states not having a clear and proper registry of the migrant workers, the volume of workers who have left for their home state is not clear.

Muthumani, a contractor and quarry owner in Chengalpattu while speaking to IANS said, "Situation is grim, I was supplying materials for a contractor engaged in the construction of phase 3 of Chennai Metro. The quarries are shut down and so is the labour. The workers are leaving in large numbers. They are fearing something and the best of our efforts to retain them are not fructifying. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Hope the disease takes a back seat and things become normal, then only we can say anything concrete about the industry."
New Delhi, May 18 : A war of words erupted on Tuesday between the BJP and the Congress after the former accused the latter of using the Covid pandemic to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image.

Hitting back at the BJP, the Congress accused it of propagating a fake 'toolkit' and filed a complaint with the Delhi Police Commissioner against BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Union minister Smriti Irani and several others from the saffron camp.

"The ease with which those who raise questions are arrested under the Modi 'system', it would have been better if the vaccine would have been made available to them. Then the country would not have been in this painful situation today. Stop Corona, not the questions of the people," former Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

The entire controversy erupted after BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took to twitter on Tuesday and shared a page, saying, "Friends look at the Congress 'ToolKit' in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic. More of a PR exercise with the help of 'Friendly Journalists' and 'Influencers' than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress: CongressToolKitExposed." Levelling further allegations against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Patra tweeted, "Disgusting to say the least. Rahul Gandhi wanting to use this opportunity of pandemic to destroy the image of PM Modi. Congress workers were instructed to call the mutant strain as 'Modi strain'. No stone left unturned to scar the name of India with the help of Foreign Journalists." Countering Patra's claims, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said while addressing a press conference here, "There are two ways of addressing questions and criticisms. Respond to questions and correct where you went wrong, and the second way is the BJP toolkit way -- attack those who are questioning you, resort to lies, forgery and fabrication." He said the Congress has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against Smriti Irani, J.P. Nadda, Sambit Patra, B.L. Santosh and others for circulating the fake toolkit by forging the letterhead of the Congress' research department.

Khera said, "Today we have seen the fabrication face of BJP as they forged the letterhead of the Congress research department." The Congress leader also questioned the Centre as to how much effort will it make to spread lies and hide the truth.

Responding to Patra's tweet, the chairman of Congress' research department, Rajeev Gowda, said in a tweet, "BJP is propagating a fake toolkit on Covid-19 mismanagement and attributing it to AICC Research Department. We are filing an FIR for forgery against (BJP chief) J.P. Nadda and Sambit Patra. When our country is devastated by Covid, instead of providing relief, BJP shamelessly concocts forgeries." Several ministers and top BJP leaders have also slammed the Congress over the alleged toolkit.

Irani took to Twitter and wrote, "My country, our country is at war with a virus. I can understand the opposition would want to attack the Govt. But to singularly commercialise it as a political opportunity & deal in death, I never imagined Congress was capable of such a low." In another tweet targeting the Congress, Irani said, "Liaison for blocking beds in 'friendly hospitals' only to be released at the instructions of the High Command. Agusta (Westland) was not enough that they also started dealing with lives and deaths." "Respond to help only if a person tags the IYC handle... understandable when 'death' becomes a vote bank," she said in another tweet.

Union minister Piyush Goyal also slammed the Congress, accusing it of dividing the country and attempting to fracture the social fabric.

In a tweet, Goyal said, "Dividing India and attempting to fracture the Indian social fabric with communal hatred is Congress' second nature. Disgraceful to see the Congress party and its leaders engaging in political deception to mislead citizens and create roadblocks for the nation." BJP national General Secretary and MP, Bhupendra Yadav, tweeted, "Instead of helping people fight Covid, Congress wants its supporters to use 'Indian strain' and 'Modi strain' when talking of the new mutant to malign the PM's image. This vulture politics is a new low even by Congress' low standards." BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted, "It is brazen and shocking that at a time when India is fighting Covid, the Congress party is fighting India. All that it cares for at this point is to score political points, tarnish the Kumbh as a super spreader while play up Eid as a happy event." BJP national Secretary Sunil Deodhar said in a tweet, "Is this not a toolkit of anti-nationals? Instead of fighting Covid, the agenda of Congress is to fight Modi and malign India by calling a strain 'Indian strain' despite WHO rejecting the term. Worst kind of vulture politics." BJP MLA from Mumbai, Ashish Shelar, pointed out that instead of helping the country fight Covid-19, the Congress has joined hands with the anti-national forces.

"Shame! Instead of helping Indians fight Corona, Congress joins hands with anti-India forces, anti-India media to 1.) Spread negative news and false propaganda against Indian government 2.) Run paid PR campaign to favour IYC (India Youth Congress)," he said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, May 18 : Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh K. Raghurama Krishnam Raju was medically examined at Army Hospital in Secunderabad here on Tuesday.

On the direction of the Supreme Court, a three-member medical board at Army Hospital examined rebel MP of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party who was arrested on sedition charges and allegedly tortured in police custody for criticising Chief Minister Y. S Jaganmohan Reddy.

The Lok Sabha member from Narsapuram constituency was brought to Hyderabad from Guntur by Andhra Pradesh CID late on Monday.

He was examined by doctors at Army Hospital at Trimulgherry in the presence of a judicial officer appointed by Telangana High Court. Doctors conducted various tests on him and also videographed the same. Police had made tight security arrangements at the hospital.

Reports of these tests will be submitted to the Supreme Court through Telangana High Court registrar.

Earlier, as per the orders of the Supreme Court, Telangana High Court appointed a judicial officer to monitor the medical tests on the Narsapuram MP. The High Court named its registrar Nagarjuna as the judicial officer.

A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai had on Monday directed that the MP be examined at Army Hospital in Secunderabad.

The apex court passed the orders on a petition by Raju, who alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government was flouting the orders of the high court and the trial court for his medical examination to find out the nature of injuries.

Raju's counsel had told the Supreme Court that the YSRCP was wreaking vengeance against the rebel MP for being critical of the government and the party chief by slapping sedition cases not only against him but also against TV channels which had aired his interview critical of the ruling dispensation.

He alleged that around 40 police personnel picked up Raju from Hyderabad on Friday and drove 300 km to Guntur. The counsel said while Raju was in judicial custody, police had employed third degree methods causing many injuries, which was recorded by the trial court in its order directing medical examination by both a government and a private hospital.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned his US counterpart Joe Biden for approval of arms sales to Israel.

The US President was "writing history with bloody hands in this incident where Gaza was attacked disproportionately," Erdogan said at a press conference elaborating on recent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"You have forced us to say this. We can't stay silent on this anymore," he added.

"Palestinian lands are being washed with blood and cruelty. You are also supporting this," Erdogan noted.

Earlier in the day, the US government reportedly approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel.
Chennai, May 18 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has ordered to pay Rs 2,000, the first instalment of the Rs 4,000 pandemic assistance plan,, to people who have recently received their rice ration cards, a press release issued by the state government said on Tuesday.

As many as 2,14,950 new rice ration card holders will be benefitted by the government order. Stalin had already ordered the disbursal of the first instalment to 2,07,66950 rice ration card holders at an expense of Rs 4,153.39 crore.

The DMK had promised to the people of Tamil Nadu that once it came to power, it would provide Rs 4,000 Covid cash assistance all those holding rice ration cards.

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New Delhi, May 18 : Three people, including a taxi driver, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Kenyan national who had come to India two weeks ago to get medical treatment, police said on Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport Rajeev Ranjan, said: "Police has arrested three people in connection with the murder of Kenyan national Jama Said Farah." The arrested accused have been identified as Virender Singh aka Monu, Gopal Singh, and Dilbagh alias Billu, all residents of Rangpuri village.

The DCP said Ranjan said that on Monday, a PCR call was received at the IGI police station regarding a person lying dead near Centaur Hotel, and a police team reached the spot.

"From the incident scene, the police recovered a mobile phone of BMP Gold which was on and the last dialled number from the mobile was called which belonged to Manoj Sahu, a travel agent," he said.

Ranjan said that Sahu, on being questioned, identified the deceased as Kenyan national Farah, who had booked a ticket through him for May 15 from Delhi to Somalia, and sent a copy of his passport.

Sahu also informed Farah's daughter and she called up the Delhi Police to inform that her father came to India two weeks ago for the treatment of some heart disease, but due to the pandemic, his treatment was postponed by the hospital and hence he was returning home, via Somalia, on May 17.

The DCP said that Farah was denied immigration clearance at IGI Airport, due to non availability of a Somalian visa, and off loaded by airlines.

"His daughter said that on being off-loaded, Farah came outside the airport and took a taxi bearing registration number HR 55 AF 5435 for a hotel in Mahipal Pur and since then she has no contact with her father," he said.

Then, Farah was found dead and his luggage was missing.

A case was registered and seeing the gravity of the case, a dedicated team comprising a senior officer was constituted.

"During the course of the investigation, the police swung into action and ownership of the taxi number provided was obtained. The taxi was found registered in the name of Virender Singh. Thereafter, a raid was conducted at the above address and Virender Singh was arrested from his house," Ranjan said.

During questioning, Virender Singh revealed that he, along with his two friends, namely Gopal and Dilbagh, were available in their taxi at the airport, and Farah took their taxi.

"They had an altercation with Farah over the fare on the way, beat him up, threw him out near Centaur Hotel and fled," the DCP said, adding that to hide the identity of the victim, they took away the luggage and other valuable items of Farah.
Mumbai/New Delhi, May 18 : Day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Rs 2,000 each to 9.50 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Nidhi Scheme on May 14, the peasantry was hit by an unexpected bolt from the blue.

Barely 24 hours after the PM's nationally-televised event, and the ensuing interactions and laudatory messages from the BJP leaders, all major companies in the country effected a steep hike in prices of different categories of fertilisers - a key farming ingredient - on May 15.

Many companies, whole-sellers and retailers by the weekend had implemented the new prices of fertilisers, just as the farming community was preparing for the upcoming monsoon sowing three-four weeks hence.

As the impact of the price hikes - ranging from 20-60 per cent for certain varieties or brands - sunk in, farmer leaders said that it could put a huge strain on the already over-burdened peasantry and compound the agro-crisis across the country.

The first to red flag the issue, the Nationalist Congress Pary (NCP) has written to Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilisiers, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, flaying the price hike as an "unfortunate decision" and demanding its immediate rollback.

NCP President and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday that it (price hike) would hamper the pre-sowing farming activities and rub salt on the wounds of the farmers.

Backing Pawar, Shiv Sena's farmer face and Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) President Kishore Tiwari - who has been accorded MoS status - said the price hikes by the fertiliser companies "appears to be pre-planned and done hand-in-glove with government support".

"What was the need to do it just one day after the PM's highly-publicised but meager handout to the farmers? Why is the PM and the minister (Gowda) silent on this, knowing the current grave crisis afflicting the country on all fronts," Tiwari asked.

"The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has badly impacted our people, devastating their every means of livelihood," Pawar told Gowda, adding that the farming community is reeling under one of the worst-ever crises and its issues need be addressed on priority.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole said that the Modi government has acted on expected lines "for the benefit of a handful of crony industrialists" at the cost of the tillers.

"This is the second time in less than 12 months that the BJP government has backstabbed the farmers - last year it was the three farm laws, and now on the threshold of monsoon, a surreptitious hike in fertiliser prices... After giving Rs 2,000, the government will now take away more than five times of that amount from the peasantry," Patole said.

Under the ambitious PM-KISAN Scheme, the Prime Minister released the eighth instalment of Rs 2,000, which amounted to a financial benefit of over Rs 19,000 crore for 9.50 crore farmers across the country for the 2021-2022 fiscal.

Launched in December 2018, PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding from the Centre, for an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments of Rs 2,000 each to small-marginal farmers having a combined land holding of up to two hectares.

Taking umbrage at the government move, Pawar said that instead of helping the distressed farming community, the Centre has taken the decision to increase the prices of fertilisers exponentially even as the lockdowns have already crumbled the marketing system.

"As the monsoon is right at the doorsteps, the unfortunate decision would directly hamper the pre-sowing agricultural activities and in future affect the production cost and productivity of the crops," Pawar said, seeking Gowda's personal intervention in the matter.

Patole and Tiwari - both hailing from farming backgrounds like Pawar - contended that the farmers who got the Rs 2,000 handout would actually be forced to shell out around three-four times more under the revised rates for all types of fertilisers.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in & Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
Mumbai, May 18 : On the occasion of International Museum Day on Tuesday, TV star Kunal Jaisingh recalled how he loved going on museum trips with his father. It is a reason working in the period drama "Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye" fascinates him, since the sets are full of antiques.

"Since my childhood, I always enjoyed exploring history. There are many beautiful and surprising facts about museums. I remember I used to love visiting different forts and museums. I loved finding artistic, cultural, historical, traditional and objects of scientific interest. They are a great source of knowledge. It not only gives us knowledge but also makes us familiar with our history, culture, civilisation, religion, art, and architecture of our country. I literally miss those beautiful days when I could cry to my father and make him plan a tour to museums during my summer vacations," Kunal recalls.

His love for history is a reason he enjoys being on the set of "Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye". He says there are many antique items on the set, which really fascinate him.

"Currently, I'm shooting for the period drama 'Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye' in Gujarat, and there are so many antique things on the set! I enjoy exploring them," he says.

The show is being shot in Gujarat, and Kunal wants to take out time and explore the state someday.

"Gujarat is a very significant and cultural place to explore. I am craving to explore the historical and natural beauty of the state, but I feel caged because of the pandemic. However, in the future I shall plan a visit to enjoy the place," says the actor, known for his roles in shows like "Pavitra Bhagya" and "Ishqbaaaz".
Chennai, May 18 : The Greater Chennai Corporation will slap a fine of Rs 2,000 on Covid positive patients who step out of their homes violating quarantine protocol, it announced on Tuesday.

Those who violate the norm by stepping out of their homes a second time will be admitted to a Covid care centre, said a statement released by the Chennai Corporation.

This is applicable to those under home quarantine after testing positive as well as their family members.

The press release said that those violating quarantine norms will lead to the spread of the virus. It also said that there are 2000 FOCUS volunteers to help patients in home isolation to get food and medicines.

The civic body had taken a similar action during the first wave of the pandemic to contain the virus spread.

Those violating Covid norms faced legal action as well as institutional quarantine.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Patna, May 18 : A labourer in Bihar's Bhojpur district was allegedly killed on Tuesday after he demanded pending labour dues from his employer, an official said.

The incident happenned in Dev village under Sikarhatta police station when victim Vinod Rajwar went to the house of his employer Pintu Shah to ask for the labour charges. However, the latter allegedly beat him up and dumped him in a village pond leading to his death.

Amarjeet Kumar, the nephew of the victim said: "My uncle Vinod Rajwar was a labourer in the agricultural land of Shah. He had pending payment for his work. He went to Shah's house to ask for the payment. Instead of clearing the dues, Shah and his men brutally assaulted him until he became unconscious. The accused threw him in a nearby pond in an unconscious state where he died." "We have recovered his body from the pond of Dev village and sent it for postmortem. Wounds with blunt instruments were visible on his body. We have registered an FIR against Shah under relevant sections of the IPC and efforts are on to nab him," said an investigating officer of Sikarhatta police station.
New Delhi, May 18: Over 80 tonnes of oxygen has been delivered from France to India and more is underway through a unique, dedicated logistical bridge organized by both governments and implemented with the Indian armed forces.

Coordinated by the Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and carried out by the Embassy of France in India, France's exceptional solidarity mission in support of the Indian people severely affected by the Covid-19 epidemic involves shipping medical equipment by air and sea freight via the Middle-East.

Ever since the French President Emmanuel Macron joined a global call to help India last month, Paris has supplied medical oxygen generators - each of which can make a 250-bed Indian hospital autonomous in oxygen supply for approximately 10 years - and specialized medical equipment, notably ventilators and their consumables, as well as electric syringe pumps.

The oxygen plants have been delivered to Indian hospitals in Delhi, Haryana and Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities.

The supply, sent to lastingly boost Indian hospitals' capabilities to treat the sick and fight the pandemic, has been made possible through a massive joint effort involving several agencies from both the countries.

How does the 'oxygen bridge' work? The frame of action involves several companies, like French oxygen gas giant Air Liquide, to import liquid oxygen from abroad into India rapidly.

Large cryogenic mobile containers - in service in Europe earlier - are flown to Qatar by the services of the French Government. From there, the Air Liquide group fills them before the oxygen is transported by sea and air to India.

Indian Naval Ships like INS Trikand have been shipping Air Liquide containers from Qatar to India as part of the oxygen solidarity bridge.

At the same time, airlifting of containers from Qatar is being done by the C-17s of the Indian Air Force as the air-sea logistics supply chain operations make medical oxygen available in reduced timelines.

In total, the equivalent of about 200 tons of liquid oxygen will be delivered to the Indian hospitals by Air Liquide in coordination with the Indian health authorities.

Besides special cargo flights have been chartered free of charge by the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM through its air cargo division with several other French companies present in India having stepped up to pool their contributions and resources with the French government's to carry out this exceptional solidarity mission. This support also falls within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

This support from France federates the contributions of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Solidarity and Health, and French majors: Air Liquide, BNP Paribas, Capgemini, CMA CGM, Dassault Aviation, EDF, Naval Group, Orano, Sanofi, Safran, Societe Generale ainsi qu'ATOS, Moet-Hennessy, Renault, Airbus, L'Oreal, Alstom, Total, ADP, Hermes, Roquette, Engie, Credit Agricole, Servier, Thales, Air France, Michelin, Schneider Electric, ARaymond, bioMerieux, Legrand, NRB Bearings, Dassault Systemes, BIC Cello, Amadeus, Idemia, Emballiso, Phosphea, Robertet, Velan, Evolis, Armor Group, Soufflet, Link, Radiall et Precia Molen, with the support of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) and French foreign trade advisers.

"Solidarity is at the heart of the strategic partnership between France and India. A partnership between sovereign countries that have built an exceptional mutual trust and work together to enhance each other's strategic autonomy. This is what we have been doing for years in the fields of defence, nuclear energy, space," French President Macron said earlier this month.

"We know now that healthcare is also a pillar of sovereignty. And that is the meaning of our contribution: each of these oxygen generator plants will make an Indian hospital fully oxygen aatmanirbhar for more than 10 years. I believe healthcare can be a new field to develop our strategic partnership, building on our respective strengths. Together, we will prevail," he added.

The two countries have indeed always stood by each other's side in difficult times.

During last year's peak of Covid-19 in France, when French hospitals were facing acute shortages, India provided lifesaving help through the export of critical medical drugs.

"The French people have not forgotten. India has, in fact, been at the forefront of international cooperation against the pandemic, including through sharing its massive vaccine production capacity with the countries most in need," said Emmanuel Lenain, the ambassador of France to India.

The solidarity, strategic partnership and friendship has been strengthened further between the people of India and France through the oxygen bridge.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, May 18 : Actor Raghav Tiwari, who is currently seen in the television show "Hamari Wali Good News", enjoyed virtual visits to relatives on the occasion of 'Visit Your Relatives Day' on Tuesday.

Due to Covid19 and lockdown, the actor hasn't been able to meet and spend quality time with relatives. Therefore, to celebrate a family day, everyone gathered virtually.

"The day encourages family members to stay connected. Our hectic lives and today's fast-paced lifestyle often leads to losing touch with relatives. The observance reminds us to stop for a moment, take out much-needed time and visit relatives we care for, and have not seen or spoken to for a while," Raghav tells IANS.

He adds: "Especially now when we are fighting a war against Covid-19, the day is more significant. So, I'm paying virtual visits to my relatives and will take a check over their health and well-being." The actor reveals he is a very emotional person since childhood. "I'm very emotional and very strongly connected with my cousin and other relatives. Though every year we plan a family get-together, since last year it has gone missing. So, this year we decided the celebrate the occasion and cheer our moments." Raghav has worked in films like "Ranthambore" and "Mary Kom".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18: May 17 marked 40 years of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's homecoming after being in exile for about five years. After her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also known as the Father of the Nation in Bangladesh, was brutally murdered along with his wife and sons on August 15, 1971, Hasina was provided diplomatic asylum in India.

Hasina along with her sister Sheikh Rehana, escaped since they were away from the country.

She returned to Bangladesh via Kolkata only in 1981 by an Indian Airlines aircraft. On Monday, an emotional Hasina thanked members of her party-- Awami League, who elected her as president in February 1981 despite her absence.

Hasina, who has steered her country into becoming a developing nation, promised to build a "Golden Bangladesh." "We've got established ourselves as a developing country. We've reached here overcoming so many hurdles both from home and abroad," she said while addressing her cabinet virtually.

"Bangladesh is now independent, and it'll remain independent. We'll build it as Golden Bangladesh of the Father of the Nation," Dhaka Tribune quoted her as saying.

During her stay in Delhi, Hasina was under the watch of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

In fact, Hasina shared a close bond with Mukherjee and his family until his death last year. "The relationship between the two leaders was beyond any political framework. They exchanged notes as any other members of the family would do. For example, Hasina would regularly send Hilsa to Mukherjee and other leaders in India. This cannot be described as any political gesture. It has always been much more than that," a close aide of Mukherjee told India Narrative.

India, Bangladesh ties "India and Bangladesh do share a special bond which has been emphasised by the Prime Ministers of both countries. It is practically not possible for India to flourish and develop if Bangladesh or for that matter other neighbouring countries are lagging behind. There has to be a holistic development of the region and all countries must be able to reap benefits," Shakti Sinha, former bureaucrat and director at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Policy Research and International said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Dhaka in March to participate in the celebrations commemorating 50 years of independence of the South Asian nation described Bangladesh as a "soho jatri" or a co-traveller in the development of the region.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km long border-- the fifth-longest land border in the world. Several states including West Bengal, Assam Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have international borders with Bangladesh.

Hasina's focus on the right things Hasina, undoubtedly, has focused on the right things - taming terror and extremist outfits on one hand and on the other focusing on economic growth.

"Propelled by a robust manufacturing sector and an enormous boom in infrastructure, Bangladesh has set a target of becoming a developed nation by 2041 to coincide with the platinum jubilee of its independence. Many commentators have called the goal ambitious, but even the government's staunchest critics would think twice before questioning its plausibility. There has been a sea change in attitude from 2006 when our surpassing of Pakistan's growth rate was dismissed as a fluke," Salman Fazlur Rahman, Private industry and investment adviser, Prime Minister of Bangladesh's office in an article published in 2019 by the India Economic Summit and later World Economic Forum said.

Pakistan based Dawn noted that Bangladesh invested in human development and economic growth. "Goal posts are set at increasing exports, reducing unemployment, improving health, reducing dependence upon loans and aid, and further extending micro credit," it said while for Pakistan, human development comes a distant second.

"The bulk of national energies remain focused upon check-mating India. Relations with Afghanistan and Iran are therefore troubled; Pakistan accuses both of being excessively close to India. But the most expensive consequence of the security state mindset was the nurturing of extra state actors in the 1990s," the Dawn article said.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
New Delhi, May 18: A web of high stakes in its ties with both Israel and the Arab world, especially the oil rich Gulf countries, is pushing India to join the global effort for an early ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza.

India's ties with Israel are deep, multi-layered and strategic. New Delhi relies on Israel not only for critical military hardware, but also for high quality intelligence. The two share common concerns about international terrorism, which were reinforced during the Mumbai 26/11 terror strikes. The duo also has an excellent people-to-people relationship, evident from the arrival in droves of Israeli backpackers, especially those who want to chill-out in a safe haven, following their arduous compulsory military service back home. Because of these multiple factors which have spawned an exceptional relationship, India cannot afford to antagonise Israel in the international fora on the Israel-Palestine issue.

Yet, India has a historic relationship with the Arabs as well. India has traditionally supported the Palestinian cause-a position that has echoed warmly in the Arab street and generated enormous goodwill for the Indian people, and industry, in the region. But real, pragmatic reasons have also emerged in recent years which have reinforced India's bonds with the Arabs.

More specifically, India has to be careful to respect the sensitivities of its friends in the Gulf countries. India depends critically on the Gulf countries for its energy security. Second, the Gulf monarchies employ millions of Indian guest workers, who remit billions of dollars to India's coffers. The people-to-people warmth between the two could not be better, after the Gulf nations became formidable providers of liquid medical oxygen when Indians needed it most during the Covid-19 second wave.

India, therefore cannot go overboard in its support of Israel during a conflict, in deference to the mainstream sentiment in the Gulf street. Finally, India is mindful that its position towards the Arab world in the past, has echoed domestically, including in Kashmir, which it cannot afford to ignore.

Unsurprisingly, India's May 16 statement on the current conflict at the UN Security Council was exceptionally nuanced and well- crafted to evade all the diplomatic minefields that can come in the way of its dual engagement of Israel and the Arabs.

In its statement, India rejected Hamas rocket firings into Israel, which has killed an Indian caregiver, Soumya Santhosh. It described the use of formidable force by Israel as "retaliatory strikes" to the Hamas' "indiscriminatory" rocket attacks, pushing the Israeli action into the grey-zone of self-defence. India's position is in tune with its rejection of cross-border rocket attacks, in view of Pakistan's bid to push terrorists across of the Line of Control (LoC).

But simultaneously, India has stuck to the standard UN-backed "two-state" formulation, as the basis for ending the Israel-Palestine conflict. "Immediate de-escalation is the need of the hour, so as to arrest any further slide towards the brink. We urge both sides to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood," the Indian statement said.

Given the tug-of-war on its position on the conflict, it is in India's interest that the warring between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza ends quickly. In seeking peace, India would be inevitably joined by its partners in the Gulf countries, who would sincerely want the violence to end, to preserve their recent position of recognising the state of Israel.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/18/2021 -- The report "Electronic Trial Master File (eTMF) Systems Market by Component (Services, Software), End-User (Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, Contract Research Organizations), Delivery Mode (On-Premise, Cloud-Based), and Region  Global Forecast to 2024?, the eTMF Systems Market is projected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2024 from USD 1.0 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 12.7%.



The Growth in the Electronic Trial Master File Systems Market can be attributed primarily to the rising adoption of eTMF systems, rising number of clinical trials, partnerships between biopharma companies & CROs, increasing funding to support clinical trials, and the growth in the R&D spending by pharma & biotech companies. Emerging countries are expected to provide significant opportunities for players in the market. However, budget constraints, data privacy issues, and a dearth of skilled professionals will challenge market growth in the coming years.



Request Research Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=94357456



The heavy dependence of end-users on service providers will drive the services segment in the eTMF systems market



Based on the component, the Electronic Trial Master File Systems Market is segmented into services and software. The services segment accounted for the largest market share in 2018. The large share of this segment can be attributed to their indispensable nature and repetitive requirement. End-users of eTMF systems rely heavily on service providers for consulting, data storage, implementing services, training, maintenance, and regular upgrades of solutions.



Geographical View in-detailed:



The eTMF systems market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The North American market accounted for the largest share of the Electronic Trial Master File Systems Market in 2018, primarily due to the increasing government funding for clinical research and a large number of clinical trials. Several major global players are also based in the US, owing to which the country has become a center of innovation in the market



Global Key Leaders:



Veeva Systems (US), Oracle Corporation (US), Phlexglobal Limited (UK), TransPerfect Global Inc. (US), Aurea Software (US), LabCorp (US), ePharmaSolutions (US), Wingspan Technology, Inc. (US), MasterControl (US), SureClinical, Inc. (US), Dell EMC (US), Paragon Solutions (US), PharmaVigilant (US), Mayo Clinic (US), Database Integrations, Inc. (US), CareLex (US), Ennov (France), Forte Research (US), Freyr (US), Montrium (US), NCGS Inc. (US), SAFE-BioPharma (US), SterlingBio Inc. (US), BIOVIA Corp. (US), and arivis AG (Germany) are the key players in the eTMF systems market.



Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=94357456



Veeva Systems was among the key players in the electronic trial master file (eTMF) systems market. The company's dominant position can be attributed to its solution. The company focuses on various inorganic and organic growth strategies such as solution deployments and expansions to maintain and enhance its market share. In the last three years, Veeva Systems has deployed its solutions at more than ten pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and other sites in the US to expand its end-user base with the development of innovative solutions. The company also has a strategic focus on expansions in growing emerging markets, such as the Middle East and Asia.



Oracle Corporation has a strong foothold in the electronic trial master file (eTMF) systems market. The company's dominant position can be attributed to its eClinical Solution Suite. The company's diversified geographic presence and large customer base contribute to its position in the market. The growing demand for cloud-based solutions will offer new growth opportunities for the company. Oracle's solution suite helps sponsors & CROs gain advanced visibility into study performance, reduce study cycle times, risks, and costs; and increase staff & site productivity.
Guwahati, May 18 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday welcomed the unilateral ceasefire announced by outlawed ULFA-I, terming it a positive development and a renewed boost to peace and tranquillity in the state.

He said that the government's doors are always open if the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) desires to join the peace process.

"Nevertheless, there is hope in the unilateral ceasefire announced by ULFA-I and this must be considered in good stead," Sarma told media after meeting the parents and wife of abducted ONGC engineer Ritul Saikia at Titabor in Jorhat district and assuring them all efforts are on to ensure his safe release.

Urging ULFA-I 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah to shun violence and join the path of peace, the Chief Minister, who also holds charge of the Home Department, said that people of Assam do not want incidents like grenade blast at Tingrai or abduction of Saikia, but they want peace.

"ULFA-I did not call the ceasefire in consultation with the government and if discussion is to be carried forward, there is a need to frame certain ground rules," he added.

Sarma told the reporters that as per state government sources, Saikia is at India-Myanmar border and in good health. "State government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure his safe return." The ULFA-I had, on April 21, had kidnapped three engineers of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation from a drilling site at Lakwa in eastern Assam's Sibsagar district. The Army, along with Assam Rifles troopers, rescued two hostages from the militants following a fierce firefight on April 23 night, but Saikia still remained in the captivity of the banned outfit.

Sarma, after taking oath as Chief Minister on May 10, urged the ULFA-I, and other militant groups to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream.The outlawed outfit on Saturday announced a unilateral ceasefire for three months with immediate effect.

In a statement, it said that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has "unilaterally suspended all kinds of military operations in Assam for three months from May 15". The statement, in Assamese language, also alleged that the security forces had hatched a clandestine plan to malign the ULFA-I. After 2006, this is the second time the anti-talk banned outfit has announced a unilateral ceasefire in the state.
New Delhi, May 18 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Centre for not filing its reply on a plea by climate activist Disha Ravi seeking to restrain police from leaking media any investigation material in connection with FIR against her in the toolkit case.

The court made some strong remarks after it was told the Centre has not filed a response to Ravi's plea so far.

Justice Rekha Palli told Centre's counsel: "For Union of India, is there no last and final opportunity? This is very bad." The court emphasised if the reply were not filed on time, then what is the meaning of the court saying it is the last opportunity. "I cannot understand that. What is the sanctity of last and final opportunity," added Justice Palli. On March 17, the court had granted a final opportunity to the Centre to file its reply on the petition.

Central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul informed the court that due to Covid-19, not many officials were coming to the office, due to which the response in the matter could not be filed. After Digpaul's submissions, the court said it will not impose any cost on the Centre and gave six more weeks to file its response.

The High Court has posted the matter for further hearing in August.

On February 13, the Delhi police arrested Ravi for alleged role in sharing on social media a "toolkit" in connection with the ongoing farmers' protest against the Centre's three new farm laws. On February 23, Ravi was granted bail by a trial court.

In the plea, Ravi also sought to restrain media from publishing the content of any private chats, including WhatsApp, between her and third parties. She claimed to be severely aggrieved and prejudiced by the media trial in connection with her arrest and the ongoing investigation.

Ravi also claimed the police first "leaked investigative material", like alleged WhatsApp chats, which were only in possession of the investigating agency.

In an earlier order, the High Court had asked media houses to ensure that no leaked investigation material is broadcast as it could affect the probe. The court also directed Delhi Police to comply with its stand in the affidavit, where it claimed that the information was not leaked, nor does it intend to leak any probe details to the press.
New Delhi, May 18 : Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that the SII never exported vaccines at the cost of the people in India.

Defending the move to export vaccines earlier this year by the government and vaccine manufacturers which has been the subject of a heated debate, he said: "Another important factor that people do not tend to realise is that we are amongst the two most populous countries in the world, a vaccination drive for such a large population cannot be completed within 2-3 months, as there are several factors and challenges involved. That said, it would take 2-3 years for the entire world population to get fully vaccinated." "We would like to reiterate that we have never exported vaccines at the cost of the people in India and remain committed to do everything we can in the support of the vaccination drive in the country," Poonawalla said.

The statement comes at a time when there are repeated attacks on the decision to export vaccines, which, some say led to a vaccine shortage in India.

Poonawalla said in the past few days, there has been intense discussion on the decision of the government and Indian vaccine manufacturers including SII to export vaccines.

"Firstly, in January 2021 we had a large stockpile of vaccine doses. Our vaccination drive had started successfully and the number of daily cases being recorded were at an all-time low. At that stage, most people including health experts believed that India was turning the tide on the pandemic," he added.

Around the same time, many other countries in the world were facing an acute crisis and were in desperate need of help. "Our Government extended support wherever possible during this period. It is this spirit that had initially led to cooperation between countries when the virus first emerged in the beginning of 2020. The cooperation between countries also forms the basis for us getting access to technology and aid for healthcare. Today, it is this reciprocity, where India has helped other countries with the supply of HCQ and vaccine exports, that has in turn led to support from other countries," he added.

Poonawalla said: "We must also understand that this pandemic is not limited by geographic or political boundaries. We will not be safe until everyone globally is able to defeat this virus. Further, as part of our global alliances, we also had commitments to COVAX, so that they could distribute the vaccines around the world to end the pandemic." He said SII has delivered more than 200mn doses, even though it received EUA two months after the US pharma companies. "If we look at total doses produced and delivered, we rank amongst the top three in the world. We continue to scale up manufacturing and prioritise India. We also hope to start delivering to COVAX and other countries by end of this year," he added.
Hyderabad, May 18 : An act of kindness displayed by a police constable in Hyderabad during the lockdown is winning hearts on social media.

S. Mahesh Kumar, a traffic police constable, while on patrolling duty at Somajiguda area in the heart of the city, found two hungry children begging for food.

Moved by their plight, he took out his lunch box and served the food to them.

The Telangana State Police posted the video of the policeman's gesture on Twitter.

The young constable, attached to Panjagutta Traffic Police Station, is seen placing two paper plates in front of the children who were simply overjoyed. Their hunger was clearly reflected in their reaction.

The constable then takes out a bag from his motorbike and opens the lunch box. He personally serves rice, dal and chicken curry to the kids. "Kha lo beta, chicken kha lo," the constable tells the children in a heartwarming gesture.

The video is winning the hearts of people on social media. It went viral and garnered 1.21 lakh views since posted on Twitter late Monday.

Netizens were all praise for the humane gesture of the police constable.

"The compassion displayed by Police officers of Hyd during this Lockdown touches the heart. Yes we are for community - always," tweeted Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar.

The police commissioner on Tuesday honoured and appreciated S.Mahesh Kumar with a momento.

"Salutes to Panjagutta traffic police officer Mahesh for his noble and humane gesture," tweeted Congress party leader Dr Sravan Kumar Dasoju.

A 10-day lockdown was imposed across Telangana on May 12 to check the spread of Covid-19.
Mumbai, May 18 : A steady decline in new Covid cases, along with an accelerated vaccination drive and positive global cues, powered the rise of India's benchmark stock indices on Tuesday.

Both key indices started on a positive note with a gap-up opening and maintained their gains with the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange breaching the 15,100 point mark and the S& BSE Sensex reclaiming the 50,000-points threshold.

Globally, robust trends were witnessed across Asian stock markets.

On the domestic side, indices maintained buoyancy throughout the session as the daily rise in domestic Covid-19 cases stayed below the 3 lakh mark for a second straight day.

Sector-wise, capital goods, consumer durables, power, and auto rose the most while telecom and FMCG fell.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 50,193.33, higher by 612.60 points, or 1.24 per cent, from its previous close.

Similarly, the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange closed the day's trade at 15,108.10, up 184.95 points, or 1.24 per cent, from its previous close.

"Indian equity benchmark indices rose for a second day on May 18, tracking most Asian peers and closed at a two month high," said Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities.

"Falling new cases of Covid-19 and faster recoveries has raised hopes that the second wave is now on a decline mode and India shall soon be back on the normal growth path." Geojit Financial Services' Head of Research Vinod Nair said: "In anticipation of rapid fall in covid cases, the implication of corporate results and favourable Asian markets, the Indian market has reverted with a strongly after the 3 months of muted performance." "Global futures indices rose ahead of the release of the Fed's policy minutes, which is due on Wednesday, in anticipation of accommodative outlook."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : India has seen the most number of ransomware attack attempts per organization, with an average of 213 weekly attacks since the beginning of the year, a report said on Tuesday.

According to Check Point Research, India is followed by Argentina, Chile, France and Taiwan with 104, 103, 61 and 50 per organisation, respectively.

The report said that the global surge in ransomware attacks has hit a 102 per cent increase this year compared to the beginning of 2020 and shows no sign of slowing down.

While in North America, healthcare organisations have suffered the most attacks since the beginning of the year, in Europe, utilities absorb the most attacks.

In APAC, insurance/legal are most impacted, while in LATAM, it is the communications industry. In Africa, the financial and banking sector is the most attacked.

According to the report, prominent attacks that have taken place at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 point at a new attack chain -- essentially an expansion to the double extortion ransomware technique, integrating an additional, unique threat to the process -- called as Triple Extortion.

The first notable case is the Vastaamo clinic attack, which happened in October 2020. Innovative at the time, the 40,000-patient Finnish psychotherapy clinic suffered a yearlong breach that culminated in extensive patient data theft and a ransomware attack.

A decent ransom was demanded from the healthcare provider, but surprisingly, smaller sums were also demanded from the patients, who had received the ransom demands individually by email.

In those emails, the attackers threatened to publish their therapist session notes. This was the first attack of its kind within the ransomware attacks landscape, the report said.

The report notes that some ransomware operators use well-researched and highly targeted spear-phishing emails as their attack vector.

Protecting against this ransomware that "slips through the cracks" requires a specialised security solution.

To achieve its objective, ransomware must perform certain anomalous actions, such as opening and encrypting large numbers of files.

Anti-ransomware solutions monitor programmes running on a computer for suspicious behaviours commonly exhibited by ransomware, and if these behaviours are detected, the programme can take action to stop encryption before further damage can be done.
New Delhi, May 18 : Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), has placed a Letter of Award in favour of Tata Motors for procurement of 300 electric cars with 3 years of warranty.

This will consist of 300 four-wheeler electric cars (whose length is less than 4 meters) and range equal to or more than 250 km.

This award is a part of the scaling up demand side energy efficiency sector project, financed by the Asian Development Bank line of credit to CESL.

CESL will work with Tata Motors to deploy these vehicles to government entities looking to change over to electric vehicles.

CESL Managing Director and CEO Mahua Acharya said: "Electric vehicles are the future. I am so pleased that more and more Government entities in India are switching over to electric transport. Our association with Tata Motors is a good development for the future of mobility in India. Convergence is committed to developing a flourishing electric vehicles ecosystem in the country." Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle Business Unit President Shailesh Chandra said: "Tata Motors is committed to support the Government's vision of actively embracing e-mobility and we are delighted to partner with CESL once again. Purposeful collaboration amongst stakeholders is key to accelerate the mass adoption of environmentally friendly solutions. As the leader in the rapidly growing electric mobility space, we remain focused on ramping up the access and use of EVs across India." The total cost of the tender is approximately Rs 44 crore, and it will be implemented in two schedules - under the first schedule, 300 cars with 3 years warranty (4 wheelers with less than 4 metre length and range equal to or more than 250 km will be procured at a base price of Rs 14,33,000 per unit, exclusive of GST.

The second schedule will involve inland transportation, including loading, unloading, transfer to designated location, transit insurance, and other costs incidental to the delivery of vehicles. This will be done at a cost of Rs 21,000 per unit.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state capital was largely spared from any major damage as cyclone tauktae the most powerful storm to hit the region in more than two decades, aftermath heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Monday 18 May 2021 (Photo : Sandeep Mahankal/ Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, May 18 : With at least 11 dead, the fury of Cyclone Tauktae on Monday brought in record highest rains and unprecedented levels of destructions in the coastal districts of Maharashtra, officials said on Tuesday.

Relief & Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that at least 11 persons have been killed, including 3 in Mumbai, in various storm-related incidents and another 5 are reported missing from the coastal areas of the state comprising Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar which bore the brunt of the cyclone.

"There has been huge devastation of mango orchards, cashewnuts, coconuts and other plantations and we have asked the district authorities to immediately prepare 'panchnamas' for relief," he told media persons.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also directed that the affected people must be given relief as soon as possible as the state limps back to normalcy.

The country's commercial capital also experienced its closest encounter with a mega-cyclonic storm in the past 73 years, and the third most severe cyclone impact in the past three years in a row after Cyclone Nisarga hit Maharashtra coast in 2020 and Cyclone Vayu had moved away parallel to the west coast in 2019.

Living up to the IMD's prediction of 110kms/hr windspeeds in Mumbai, the city notched 114 km/hr winds lashing Colaba, Brittania Pumping Station Reay Road recorded 177 km/hr and Malvani in Malad west saw windspeeds of 101 km/hr.

The IMD recorded a staggering average 230.3 mm rainfall in the suburbs and average 207.6 mm rains in the city side, both a record during the peak summer month of May in the past century.

The city's annual average rainfall is around 2,500 mm, implying the cyclone brought nearly 9 percent of this year's likely total rains.

The highest rainfall figures were recorded in Kandivali (320 mm), Borivali (315 mm), Dahisar (292 mm), Goregaon and Malad (281 mm each), G-South Ward of south-central Mumbai and surroundings (266 mm), and Worli (254 mm).

As many as 56 low-lying spots in the city witnessed flooding and waterlogging for several hours, disrupting traffic and pedestrian movement, with reports of water seeping in some slums or ground floor flats in buildings.

The city saw 43 incidents of minor or major house or wall crash incidents which left 9 injured, and 39 complaints of electrical short-circuits due to water seepage in electric boxes or junctions.

At least 2,364 trees or major branches were ripped off during the cyclone across the city, leading to one death and one injury.

Fishing boats moored to the shores in Malvani and Mahim shores were uprooted from their anchors in which two persons are still missing, while eight managed to swim ashore safely, said the BMC report.

Hours after the Cyclone Tauktae whirled over to Gujarat coast and made a landfall late on Monday, Mumbai and the rest of the coastal Konkan witnessed stray rains since midnight, though strong winds and showers continued in isolated areas on Tuesday as life limped back to normalcy.
Kolar : , May 18 (IANS) A 24-year-old pregnant woman police sub-inspector died of Covid -19 on Tuesday, the police said.

According to Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada Rishikesh Sonwane, 24-year-old Shamili was undergoing treatment at the R. M. Jalappa Hospital in Kolar, for her illness.

She was posted in the Dakshina Kannada district. "She was seven months pregnant. Due to pregnancy, she was not inoculated when the government launched the anti-Covid vaccination drive for frontline workers on January 16 onwards," the SP said.

Mourning her death, Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood tweeted, "Youngest member of the police family to succumb to Covid. 24-year-old, PSI Shamili of Kolar, attached to Dakshin Kannada district lost her battle with Covid. May her soul rest in peace. But it could be any of us," he tweeted.

Appealing people to stay home, the DGP said, "Please cooperate with police, stay home and stay safe."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, May 18 : The Telangana government has integrated its Arogyasri scheme for free medical treatment of poor, with the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), clearing the decks for implementation of the central scheme in the state.

The state Medical and Health department signed an MoU with the National Health Authority following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's decision to join the Central government scheme.

Accordingly, the state Medical and Health Department finalised the guidelines for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state, the Chief Minister's Office said.

The CM instructed the officials concerned to ensure extending of the medical services in tune with the guidelines. Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) S.A.M. Rizvi and Aarogyasri Health Care Trust CEO issued the orders accordingly.

Rizvi directed CEO Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, Hyderabad to ensure treatment of patients in empaneled hospitals across the state is taken up as per the converged scheme of Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY-Arogyasri with immediate effect.

After rejecting Ayushman Bharat scheme for more than two years, the state government in December last year had announced it decided to dovetail the state's Arogyasri scheme with the Centre's programme.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the videoconference that thee Chief Minister has taken a decision to combine the two.

The state government's decision came as a surprise as it has been maintaining that Arogyasri scheme is comprehensive and better than Ayushman Bharat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been criticising the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for not implementing Ayushman Bharat, and thus depriving people of Telangana of the benefits of the scheme, which provides Rs 5 lakh health coverage.

Rejecting Ayushman Bharat in favour of Aarogyasri medical health cover scheme for the poor, KCR, as the Chief Minister is known popularly, had stated in the Assembly in 2019 that the state government is not interested in wasting public money on those central schemes which are not beneficial to the people.

While presenting the state budget, he had claimed that Arogyasri was more beneficial and had a wider outreach than the Ayushman Bharat scheme and that the government is spending Rs 1,336 crore a year to help 85.34 lakh families.

With Ayushman Bharat, it is possible for the state to provide medical benefits only to the extent of Rs 250 crore a year benefiting only 26 lakh families, he had said.

KCR had also claimed that through Arogyasri, the state government is extending services relating to 25 distinct organ transplant procedures free of cost which is not available under Ayushman Bharat scheme.
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Chennai, May 18 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Tuesday that the state government would erect a statue in the memory of eminent Tamil writer Ki Rajanarayanan in his native village of Edaiseval in Tuticorin district.

Rajanarayanan, fondly known as Ki Ra who popularised black literature ('Karisal') world wide, passed away in Puducherry on Monday night at the age of 98 due to age related ailments.

Stalin also said that the state government would renovate the Edaiseval Panchayat Union Middle School where the writer studied, without altering its architectural and heritage values and convert it into a museum in his memory.

The museum will house his works and rare photographs to help the public and students learn about his literary skills.

The Chief Minister said that the last rites of the noted writer will be performed with full state honours on Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 18 : South star Samantha Akkineni dropped a new poster of her debut web series "The Family Man 2" on social media on Tuesday, and her husband, actor Naga Chaitanya sure seems excited.

"We're ready for you," wrote Samantha on Instagram as well as Twitter, sharing the new poster that highlights a scarred side profile of her face and also features a gun-totting Manoj Bajpayee, who essays the protagonist. As earlier reported by IANS, the poster announced the trailer of the show is scheduled to drop on May 19.

Resharing Samantha's post, Chaitanya wrote: "Finally! It's about time." Chaitanya, who is Telugu superstar Nagarjuna's son, is not surprisingly excited about his wife's debut in the OTT space, considering launch of the second season has already been postponed in the past amidst the ongoing pandemic. Unconfirmed sources stated the show is now slated to release in June.

The first season of Raj & DK's "The Family Man" was a hit upon release in 2019. Manoj Bajpayee plays Srikant Tiwari, an NIA agent struggling to balance his super-secretive job profile with his mundane middle-class life.

Samantha joins the show in its second season as the antagonist. She plays a terrorist named Raji. The Amazon Prime show marks her debut appearance on the Hindi screen.
Kolkata, May 18 : The Regional Meteorological Department has predicted that Super Cyclone 'Yash' is likely to make landfall in Sundarban areas between May 23 and May 25 and possibly move towards Bangladesh.

The met department warned that the ferocity of the cyclonic Storm named by Oman might equal that of 'Amphan' that devastated Kolkata and adjoining areas on May 19 last year during the lockdown.

Though the meteorological department is not sure about the direction and the speed of the wind but they said that a low depression has been formed in the East Central Bay and its adjoining areas and as it is increasing in strength every day it might take the shape of a 'Super Cyclone' before making landfall by the end of the week.

However, the officials are of the opinion that the storm might move towards Bangladesh after entering land through the Sundarbans. The department has already issued a warning to the fishermen asking them not to venture to the sea on May 23.

The department officials said that because of the formation of the depression, temperature is increasing in the areas of Gangetic West Bengal including Kolkata, South and North 24 parganas and it is likely to increase further. "In the last 24 hours the temperature has increased five degrees and it is likely to touch 40 degrees in the next couple of days. The humidity is also high creating uneasiness for the people. These are all results of the depression," a met official said.

Last year Kolkata witnessed one of the most devastating cyclonic storms when 'Amphan' made landfall in the Sundarbans at a speed of nearly 260 kilometres per hour and went through the heart of the city, almost bringing all activity to a standstill for the next seven days.
New Delhi, May 18 : A 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly extorting money from a girl by threatening to make her nude video viral on social media, police said on Tuesday.

The accused has been arrested from Nehtaur village of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh after the 13-year-old girl's father complained at the Alipur police station in Delhi.

According to the police, the girl's father who is a resident of Delhi, complained to the police that his daughter accepted a friendship request from an unknown person on Instagram. Following which she started chatting on social media with the accused and during this, the accused persuaded the girl to send her naked video. After that, he started threatening and extorting money from her threatening that he would put her nude video on the social media.

The accused, Md. Amir, who was learning work at a saloon in his native village, represented himself from a good family background and became friends with girls on Instagram.

As per the police, the accused demanded Rs 5,000 from the girl who then paid him Rs 2,000 via online transaction, but kept threatening her to cough up the remaining amount.

He managed to lure other girls also to send their naked videos. After getting them, he started threatening and extorting money from those girls under the threat that he would upload the video on social media, police said.

"The accused has been booked under section 387 (extortion) of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was also registered, '' said Rajiv Ranjan Singh, DCP Outer North.
Dhaka, May 18 : The Health Minister of Bangladesh, Zahid Maleque, has denied allegations of torture of journalist Rozina Islam.

Maleque's remarks came amid criticism from different quarters over the arrest of Rozina Islam on the charge of 'stealing government documents', and the filing of a case against the scribe under the Official Secrecy Act.

The Health Minister said, "We didn't confine Rozina for nine or five hours. She was handed over to the police after a confinement for half-an-hour. The Home Minister himself also knows about the matter. I don't have any idea whether she was tortured after being confined at the Health Ministry." "Journalist Rozina Islam was not tortured physically. It was an undesirable incident. What she has done is totally wrong," Maleque added.

The minister said that the journalist entered the personal secretary's room without permission. She had removed some documents from the files which were related to the import of vaccines. She was even leaving with the government files. If the documents were published, it could have harmed the country's interest, he said.

"Those were state's secrets. She had done the wrong thing," Maleque maintained.

The Health Ministry convened a press conference on Tuesday morning to explain its position over the arrest of Rozina. But the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF), an organisation of journalists working at the secretariat, boycotted the presser.

Later in the afternoon, the Health Minister replied to the queries of journalists after attending a meeting of ECNEC at Agargaon in the national capital.

Quoting Health Ministry officials, Maleque said Rozina had entered the room of the personal secretary to the Health Secretary on early Monday afternoon.

"A staff who was there at that time saw a person was taking photographs of a file and then putting some documents in her bag after removing them from the file. She also put some documents inside her dress. Just at that moment, the staff raised an alarm, following which our female officers came and asked her what she was up to. They then took the files and documents from her. In the meantime, the police were informed who came and took over the matter. They also took away her mobile phone and found many photos in it," Maleque said.

Rozina was confined for about five-and-a-half hours at the room of Md Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, PS to the Health Services Division Secretary on Monday afternoon. Later, she was taken to the Shahbagh police station at about 8:30 pm. A deputy secretary of the Health Services Division filed a case against her.

Rozina was sent to jail after a short hearing in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jashim on Tuesday morning. The case against her has been filed under the Official Secrets Act.

Arifur Rahman, the inspector of Sardar Shahbagh police station, has petitioned the court for a five-day remand to question the journalist in police custody, which was denied by the court.

The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday (May 20), her lawyer Ehsanul Haque Shomaji told IANS.
Jaipur, May 18 : The resignation of Rajasthan MLA Hemaram Choudhary, who is known to be from former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's camp, on Tuesday has come a new headache for the Ashok Gehlot government with all eyes on Speaker C.P. Joshi to see if he shall accept it or not.

In his letter, Choudhary, who represents Gudamalani, requested the Speaker to accept his resignation on Tuesday itself.

Meanwhile, staunch Pilot loyalist and MLA Vishvendra Singh's son Anirudhh Singh, in a tweet, termed the development as a "start" in state politics.

Vishvendra Singh had stood strongly with Pilot during the rebellion last year and hence had to lose his cabinet portfolio, along with Ramesh Meena, who too was a Pilot supporter. Pilot himself lost the posts of Deputy Chief Minister and the state Congress chief.

After the rebellion was defused with Pilot and his followers being brought back into the party fold in July last year, they were awaiting the cabinet positions and political appointments which they were reportedly promised.

Amid this, Choudhary's resignation created ripples in the state's political circles as he has been a senior leader, who served as MLA for six times, has been Revenue minister in Congress' last tenure, and has also served as Leader of Opposition earlier.

His resignation has been seen as continuing discord in the Congress and many senior Congress workers are left shocked and are keen to know how the party deals with the matter.

However, state Congresss chief Govind Singh Dotasara tried to address the doubts, saying: "Hemaram is a senior and respectable leader in our party. Soon after his resignation, I have had a word with him. This is an internal family matter and we will resolve it soon." Choudary has expressed his anguish against the government many times. He has been vocal against its functioning in the Assembly recently and has demanded a CBI inquiry into the poor development work of roads.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria termed Choudhary as a legendary leader who set up a role model for resigning for the cause of his people.

BJP state chief Satish Poonia asked Gehlot as to who will he accuse for the MLA's resignation now. "He is neither able to manage corona nor the Congress party," he quipped, claiming that Choudhary's resignation shows internal discord in the party due to which people of the state are suffering.
Hyderabad, May 18 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday decided to extend the lockdown in the state up to May 30.

He took the decision after speaking to ministers over the phone and eliciting their opinion, according to a statement from Chief Minister's Office.

The CM instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue a Government Order on the extension of the lockdown.

The state Cabinet was scheduled to meet on May 20 to take a decision on extending the lockdown. However, as the ministers are busy monitoring Covid curtailment measures and medical services at the field level, the Chief Minister cancelled the Cabinet meeting.

The 10-day lockdown in the state came into effect on May 12 to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The government has given four-hour relaxation for all the activities from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily.

The state government, which imposed night curfew on May 23, had earlier ruled out imposing partial or total lockdown, saying the measure would be of not much help in containing the surge. It had also claimed that the situation in the state is totally under control and in fact, a downward trend started in new Covid cases.

Last week, the Chief Minister had stated such a move would bring the life to a standstill and would lead to total collapse of the economy. However, with the pressure mounting on the government to take strict measures to check the spread of Covid, the government finally decided to impose the lockdown.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 18 : Even as cyclone Tauktae hit several parts of Gujarat, the Indian Railways on Tuesday loaded 158 MT of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) from the state for Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, officials said.

A Railway Ministry official said that beating the odds, the first Oxygen Express from Gujarat to Andhra Pradesh started at 6.25 p.m. even as the severe weather persisted.

He said that the Oxygen Express with a load of more than 65 MT of LMO having four tankers left from the Reliance Rail Siding in Rajkot for the Guntur CONCOR siding in Andhra Pradesh.

Aother Oxygen Express with 103 MT of LMO in five tankers departed from Rajkot division to Okhla in New Delhi, he said.

The official said that Oxygen Express departed from the Reliance Rail Terminal in Rajkot's Kanalus at 1.40 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Ministry officials said that railways had delivered the biggest single day load of more than 1,000 MT LMO by Oxygen Expresses.

Oxygen Expresses had been delivering nearly 800 MT LMO to the nation each day for last few days, an official said.

He said that in over 24 days, Railways has upscaled its Oxygen Express operations to deliver more than 11,030 MT LMO to 13 states in more than 675 tankers.

The official said that 175 Oxygen Expresses have completed their journey so far, bringing relief to various states.

The official said that the Railways had delivered 521 MT to Maharashtra, 2,858 MT to Uttar Pradesh, 476 MT to Madhya Pradesh, 1,427 MT to Haryana, 565 MT in Telangana, 40 MT to Rajasthan, 480 MT to Karnataka, 200 MT to Uttarakhand, 350 MT to Tamil Nadu, 81 MT to Punjab, 118 MT to Kerela and 3,794 MT to Delhi.
Mumbai, May 18 : The Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) has offered to sell nearly 2 per cent stake in Axis Bank through offer for sale (OFS).

SUUTI may sell up to 5.8 crore shares at the floor price of Rs 680 per share, and this will help the government raise up to Rs 3,949.34 crore.

"The seller proposes to sell up to 36,000,000 equity shares of the company, (representing up to 1.21 per cent of the total issued and paid up equity share capital of the company as on March 31, 2021), on May 19, 2021, (T day) (for non-retail investors only)," Axis Bank said in a regulatory filing.

Retail investors and non-retail investors, including who choose to carry forward their unallocated bids will be able to participate on May 20, (T+1 day), and there would be an option to additionally sell 22,078,568 equity shares, representing 0.74 per cent of the total issued, subscribed and fully paid-up equity share capital.

Shares of Axis Bank on the BSE closed at Rs 711.90, higher by Rs 2.65 or 0.37 per cent from its previous close.
Guangzhou, May 18 : Brazilian international Anderson Talisca has completed a move from Chinese Super League (CSL) giants Guangzhou FC to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, the Saudi club has announced.

"Al Nassr has officially signed with Brazilian star Anderson Talisca. With a contract that extends to three years, we wish him good luck with our stars," tweeted the Saudi Arabian club along with a photo of Talisca with a yellow Al Nassr shirt.

"The Brazilian forward agreed to a three-year contract with Al Nassr, with a transfer fee of eight million euros and a yearly salary of 6.5 million euros," sources close to the Brazilian told Xinhua.

Talisca had a yearly salary of 7.5 million euros at Guangzhou FC and his move could be a financial relief for the Chinese club, which is under a harsh salary cap policy.

The 27-year-old joined Turkish side Besiktas on loan from Benfica in August 2016 before moving to Guangzhou in June 2018 on a record transfer fee of 19 million euros. He scored 30 goals in 47 CSL matches and notched another six goals in 11 AFC Champions League matches for Guangzhou.
In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ornithologists from the Centre for Ecosystem Science and the Ecology & Evolution Research Centre at the University of New South Wales integrated data from a suite of well-studied species with global citizen science data to estimate species-specific global abundances for 9,700 bird species (92% of all living bird species), and found that there are roughly 50 billion individual birds in the world at present  about six birds for every human on the planet.

Humans have spent a great deal of effort counting the members of our own species  all 7.8 billion of us, said Dr. Will Cornwell, senior author of the study.

This is the first comprehensive effort to count a suite of other species.

Dr. Cornwell and his colleagues reached their figures with the help of more than 600,000 citizen scientists who contributed their sightings to the eBird dataset between 2010 and 2019.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who run the eBird.org site, have made the data freely available.

Large global citizen science databases such as eBird are revolutionizing our ability to study macroecology, Dr. Cornwell said.

This type of data simply wasnt available a decade ago.

Using these data and detailed case studies where available, the researchers developed an algorithm to estimate the actual global population of each bird species.

This calculation took into account each species detectability  that is, how likely it is that a person will have spotted this bird and submitted the sighting to eBird.

Detectability can include factors like their size, color, whether they fly in flocks, and if they live close to cities.

While this study focuses on birds, our large-scale data integration approach could act as a blueprint for calculating species-specific abundances for other groups of animals, said first author Dr. Corey Callaghan, who completed the study while he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales and is now based at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research.

The study dataset included records for almost all (92%) living bird species.

Only four species belonged to what the scientists call the billion club: species with an estimated global population of over a billion.

The house sparrow (1.6 billion individuals) heads this exclusive group, which also includes the European starling (1.3 billion), the ring-billed gull (1.2 billion) and the barn swallow (1.1 billion).

It was surprising that only a few species dominate the total number of individual birds in the world, Dr. Callaghan said.

What is it about those species, evolutionarily, that has made them so hyper-successful?

But while some bird populations are thriving, many others look a lot slimmer: around 12% of bird species included in the study have an estimated global population of less than 5,000.

These include species such as the Chinese crested tern, the noisy scrub-bird, and the invisible rail.

Quantifying the abundance of a species is a crucial first step in conservation, Dr. Callaghan said.

By properly counting whats out there, we learn what species might be vulnerable and can track how these patterns change over time  in other words, we can better understand our baselines.

A range of uncertainty is necessary when making global-level estimates, said Professor Shinichi Nakagawa, co-author of the study.

Our findings, while rough in some areas, represent the best-available data we currently have for many species.

_____

Corey T. Callaghan et al. 2021. Global abundance estimates for 9,700 bird species. PNAS 118 (21): e2023170118; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2023170118
New Delhi, May 18 : Clinical trials to test Covaxin vaccine's efficacy in children between two to 18 years of age will begin in 10-12 days, top officials said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Union Health Ministry press conference, NITI Aayog's Member Health, Dr V.K. Paul said: "Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Phase 2 and 2 clinical trials in the age group of two to 18 years. I have been told that trials will begin in the next 10-12 days." Covaxin manufacturer Bharat Biotech received the DCGI approval to conduct clinical trials of Covaxin in children on May 11, following the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's subject expert committee's recommendation, under certain conditions.

Approval of clinical trials of vaccine efficacy among children came amid reports from the US and Canada allowing Pfizer-BioNTech for the 12-15 age groups.

The announcement came amid reports that new variants are also affecting children.

The clinical trials are expected to be conducted among over 500 participants at various hospitals across the country. AIIMS Director, Dr Randeep Guleria had said that the need of the hour is some quick data and risk-benefit analysis of the vaccine's use in children.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged the government put in place a vaccine protocol for children.
Chennai, May 18 : The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, on Tuesday called up the family of Soumya Santosh, a caregiver from Kerala who lost her life during a Hamas strike in Israel on May 11.

Rivlin telephoned Soumya's husband Santosh and his sister Sophie and expressed condolences on behalf of the Israel government and its people.

Hailing from Idukki in Kerala, Santosh (30), who worked as a caregiver to an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor in Israel, was among those killed in a rocket attack by the Palestinian Islamist group on May 11.

Sophie, who had worked as a caregiver in Israel for 13 years before returning to Kerala four months back, told IANS, "The President of Israel called us and expressed condolences on behalf of the people of Israel. The President told us that the people of Israel are with us and that the government of Israel will stand with the family at this time of grief and extend all its support to us." It may be noted that the Consul General of Israel to south India, Jonathan Zadka, had met the family of Soumya and expressed his condolences. He had told mediapersons that Soumya was an angel who was killed in a terror attack on the people of Israel.

Zadka told IANS on Tuesday, "From our part, I can only say that President Reuven Rivlin called Santosh earlier today to convey his condolence and show solidarity of the people of Israel with the family. He spoke to him conveying his sympathies and condolences for the loss of Soumya in a terror attack."
Bengaluru, May 18 : Four persons, including railway hospital employees, were arrested for allegedly stealing anti-viral drug Remdesivir to sell in the black market at exorbitant rates, police said on Tuesday.

"On a tip-off from staff, the Railway Police Force (RPF) arrested the four accused for stealing the drug from the railway hospital here and selling the vials in black," the South Western Railway (SWR) said in a statement here.

"A contractual worker and group C/D employees of the divisional railway hospital are among the accused in the crime," it said.

The accused were sent to judicial custody by a local court.

"The staff have been suspended and disciplinary action has been initiated against them," added the statement.

The zonal railway hospital near the main city station has been operating as a designated hospital to treat Covid patients referred by the Karnataka government as Bengaluru has been reporting record number of positive cases during the pandemic's second wave.

The hospital has 65 beds with 15 intensive care units and is equipped with a centralised oxygen supply system.
New Delhi, May 18 : Google on Tuesday launched nearly a dozen updates to make collaboration more seamless in the remote work and learning era amid the pandemic.

You can now present your content to a Google Meet call on the web directly from the Doc, Sheet, or Slide where you're already working with your team.

"In the fall, we're bringing Meet directly to Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, so people can actually see and hear each other while they're collaborating," said Erika Trautman, Director, Google Workspace, on the first day of the virtual Google I/O developer conference.

Google currently offers live captions in five languages, with more on the way.

"We're introducing live translations of captions later this year, starting with English-language live captions translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, or German, with many more languages to follow," the company announced.

Teams can now jump from a discussion in Google Chat directly to building content together.

"Creating and editing Sheets and Docs from Google Chat rooms is already live in our web experience, and we'll enable it for Slides in the coming weeks," Google said.

Google also introduced new smart chips in Docs for recommended files and meetings.

"With our new pageless format in Docs, you'll be able to remove the boundaries of a page to create a surface that expands to whatever device or screen you're using, making it easier to work with wide tables, large images or detailed feedback in comments," the company said.

To gauge the team's reactions as you work together, Google is also introducing emoji reactions in Docs in the next few months.

Starting this week in Docs, checklists are available on web and mobile.

You'll soon be able to assign checklist items to other people and see these action items in Google Tasks, making it easier for everyone to manage a project's To Do list.

"Coming soon, we'll also introduce table templates in Docs. Topic-voting tables will allow you to easily gather team feedback while project-tracker tables will help you capture milestones and statuses on the fly," Google said.
Mumbai, May 18 : In one of the biggest search and rescue operations in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy (IN) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 314 people stranded and struggling for survival on two barges that were engulfed by Cyclone Tauktae, officials said here on Tuesday.

All the 137 people marooned on the Barge GAL Constructor have been successfully rescued by the IN and ICG teams after daring helicopter and ship operations braving extreme weather conditions, battling tall waves, heavy rains and strong winds of over 100 km/hr, near the Colaba Point.

Similarly, another 180 persons out of 273 on board Barge Papaa-305 were picked up with the help of INS Kochi, INS Kolkata, OSV Ahilya, OSV Ocean Energy and Sea King helicopters, even as the vessel sank in the sea on Tuesday morning.

Efforts are on to rescue the other people still trapped in the waters as the intensity of Cyclone Tauktae seemed to be on the wane after it made a landfall around midnight.

The Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) said earlier on Tuesday that one of its oil exploration drilling rigs and three construction barges of Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. (AIL) were involved in the unfortunate incidents during the Cyclone Tauktae onslaught.

The vessels are ONGC Drill Ship 'Sagar Bhushan' and AIL's Barge Gal Constructor which ran aground near Colaba Point, Barge Papaa-305 which has sunk and Barge Support Station-3, which is drifting northwest in the sea with two ONGC offshore vessels sent to provide assistance.

According to IN and ICG, these incidents involved a total of 707 persons of which 314 have been rescued and further operations are continuing since the past 24 hours.

Though the ONGC could not provide the total number of staff in the Bombay High Fields, around 175 km in the high seas, the company said that all its offshore installations and oil platforms were safe.

Meanwhile, Afcons said in a statement that together with its consortium partner Halani-Tes-Nauvata, it has been working with ONGC for the revamp of its unmanned offshore platforms in the Arabian Sea.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, reported to be the most severe storm in the last five decades, caused damage to several vessels that were deployed, including an accommodation barge, Papaa 305, Afcons said.

According to the company, the chartered barge P305 along with its marine crew was owned and operated by M/s Durmast Enterprises Limited.

"P305 had a full complement of safety equipment including life jackets and life rafts for all persons on board. We believe all personnel were safely evacuated before the vessel sank. Despite the extreme sea conditions, 182 members on board P305 have been rescued so far by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. An intensive search and rescue operation including helicopter search operations are ongoing to locate and rescue the missing personnel. All the crew of the other vessels affected by the Cyclone are safe and accounted for," Afcons said in a late night statement.

"The Afcons-led consortium is working closely with ONGC, the Petroleum Ministry, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and DG (Shipping) to coordinate the rescue efforts. We shall spare no effort to ensure that the missing personnel who were aboard P305 are quickly located and rescued, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families in this very difficult time," it added.
New Delhi, May 18 : Vaunted as the largest in the world, Indias vaccine programme is being hobbled by supply shortages and an abrupt shift in procurement policy that appears to be without parallel, The Washington Post reported.

The report said as India confronts a devastating Covid outbreak where thousands are dying each day, the country desperately needs to vaccinate its population as soon as possible. Yet the vaccine drive is stumbling just when it is most crucial, it said.

Over the past six weeks, the number of vaccinations per day has fallen by about half, from a high of 4.2 million per day on April 2 to 2 million last Thursday.

"Vaunted as the largest in the world, India's vaccine programme is being hobbled by supply shortages and an abrupt shift in procurement policy that appears to be without parallel. The woes of the inoculation drive are especially striking given India's unique advantages, including a large vaccine industry and a record of mass immunisation campaigns," the report said.

Just months ago, public health experts were counting on India to play a crucial role in supplying Coronavirus vaccines to the world. The government was so confident of its ability to meet domestic demand for vaccines that it allowed more than 60 million doses to be exported or donated to other countries between January and March, the report said.

Now the vaccine exports are a source of increasing anger, the report said, adding that in Delhi, posters appeared with a question for Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "Why did you send our children's vaccines abroad?" The police arrested and questioned over 20 people in this connection over the weekend.

Faced with surging infections, India suspended exports at the end of March and has begun importing Russia's Sputnik vaccine to try to alleviate the shortfall in local production. Last week, the government acknowledged that vaccine shortages in India will persist at least until July, the report said.

The inability to accelerate the vaccination drive in the short term means that immunisations will do little to blunt the ferocity of the current wave of infections, it said.

Vaccinating India's more than 1.3 billion people was always going to be a monumental task. But experts say that India's present predicament is the product of miscalculations and optimistic predictions by policymakers and manufacturers, the report said.

Serum Institute of India, one of the largest vaccine makers in the world, struck deals early in the pandemic to make hundreds of millions of doses for India and the developing world. In an interview with The Washington Post last year, Adar Poonawalla, the firm's chief executive, said the company hoped to boost its production of the AstraZeneca vaccine to 80 million to 100 million doses a month by the start of 2021.

That target has remained elusive. Serum's current monthly production of the AstraZeneca vaccine hovers around 65 million to 70 million doses a month. Poonawalla has cited shifting reasons for the company's inability to increase production further, including lack of funds and a fire that broke out in January at a newly constructed building (At the time of the fire, he had said it would not affect manufacturing), the report said.

Poonawalla did not cite previous curbs on exports of raw materials by the United States as a factor affecting the production of the AstraZeneca vaccine, something he implied in a tweet last month. The company now says it will start manufacturing 100 million such doses a month in July, the report said.

Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, the maker of a locally developed vaccine called Covaxin, were probably too confident, said K.V. Balasubramaniam, the former chief executive of another Indian vaccine maker, as quoted in the report.

"There would be a tendency for these companies to exaggerate their capabilities," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian government displayed little urgency about buying large amounts of vaccines in advance, unlike governments in the US and Europe, the report said.

When Coronavirus cases plummeted in India late last year, health officials seemed content with more limited quantities of vaccines, thinking the worst was over and they might not "need to immunise the whole country," said one vaccine executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, as per the report.

The government "didn't take us seriously when we said you cannot expand overnight", the report quoted the executive as saying.

Frantic for supplies, nine Indian states and two cities -- Delhi and Mumbai -- have said they will attempt to buy vaccines directly from global manufacturers, pitting them against each other in the international market, it said.

K. Sujatha Rao, a former top official in the Health Ministry, called the situation "totally unprecedented" and "bizarre", as per the report.

The result has been acute shortages and supply breakdowns that have led several states to suspend altogether the vaccination drive for people younger than 45. In Delhi, city authorities shut down certain vaccination centers after their supply of Covaxin, the vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech, ran out, it said.

Instead of placing large advance orders, the government is "buying vaccines like monthly groceries," wrote Partha Mukhopadhyay, a senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research in Delhi, last week, as per the Washington Post report.
Bengaluru, May 19 : Interacting with 17 Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Karnataka on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them that their motto should be to make the villages Covid-free and to achieve this, they should lead their respective teams like commanders.

Interacting virtually with the field officials from 46 districts in nine states about their experience in handling the Covid pandemic, Modi said that though some of the officials had tested positive for Covid-19, they continued to serve the public.

"You have been an inspiration for your people. Many of you have not been able to visit your families for several days as you are working as Covid warriors," Modi said.

The Prime Minister suggested the DCs to form gram panchayat-level committees along with people's representatives to tackle the pandemic at the grassroots level, besides taking measures like making arrangements for car ambulances in emergency situations and see that there is no shortage of ambulances in any district.

Modi also advised the DCs to increase the number of containment zones and increase testing to break the chain of the virus.

"Have a cordial relationship with the frontline workers, doctors, police and media and motivate them frequently. Every life in your district is precious. Do not lose them," Modi said.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who was also part of the meeting, said that the Prime Minister emphasised on local containment zones, aggressive testing and creating awareness among people, especially in the rural areas.

From Karnataka, Deputy Commissioners of 17 districts -- Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Ballari, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kolar, Kodagu, Bengaluru Urban, Udupi, Bengaluru Rural, Shivamogga, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Mandya and Chikkaballapura -- participated in this meeting.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters later that the intention of the meeting was to know about the successful, innovative measures or best practices adapted in different districts and states to control the second wave of the pandemic, so that other districts can follow suit.

He said it also focused on how to contain the spread of the virus in the rural areas.

Bommai said the Prime Minister suggested that given the spread of the virus in the rural areas, it is important to involve people in the containment measures.

"Task forces involving voluntary organisations and women self-help groups should be constituted at every gram panchayat level, while tracking and tracing of primary and secondary contacts should be enhanced to control the spread of the disease," Bommai said, adding that the PM also advised to utilise the services of public representatives in a big way.

Measures for better and efficient utilisation of the health infrastructure while enhancing it were among the instructions given by the PM, he added.

Modi also asked the states to spread awareness among the children about Coronavirus through cartoons, writings and stories in local languages, especially with experts predicting the impact of a possible third wave among children, the Home Minister said.

Bomma said the Prime Minister further asked the ministers and officials working at the district level to function as field commanders by implementing measures by localising them or by making relevant changes in accordance with the ground situation.

Meanwhile, the Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Gaurav Gupta, said that he briefed the Prime Minister about the civic body's preparedness to tackle the Covid situation, including setting up triaging centres, ramping up the number of beds, and taking assistance from the private sector, among others.

He said the Prime Minister also spoke about vaccine, saying that its availability will increase in the days to come.

"The PM also spoke about how to go forward with vaccination and the changes that need to be brought in. He also spoke about the measures needed to be taken for the rural areas," Gupta said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Gaza, May 19 : A UN report said on Tuesday that 52,000 Palestinians took refuge at schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, as a round of probably heaviest fighting between Israel and Gaza since 2014 has lasted nine days, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press statement that Israeli fighter jets destroyed, either totally or partially, 448 constructions in the Palestinian coastal enclave since May 10, Xinhua reported.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for OCHA, said in the statement that 132 buildings were completely destroyed and 316 partially destroyed, including six hospitals and nine healthcare centres.

Meanwhile, the government press office in Gaza said Israeli fighter jets carried out at least 1,615 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in the last nine days, targeting homes, buildings, government establishments and infrastructure.

An Israeli military statement said 60 fighter jets were sent to bomb underground tunnels belonging to Hamas in Gaza while more than 100 missiles were fired in 35 minutes early on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, militant groups led by Hamas fired over 100 rockets from Gaza at Israeli towns and cities, but 70 of them were intercepted, the statement added.

According to a statement by the health ministry in Gaza, a total of 213 Palestinians, including 61 children and 36 women, were killed and 1,442 others injured in the recent Israeli air attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Christine Burton, Founder and Chair of Burton Family Foundation After 14 years as an ARCS member, I continue to be inspired by ARCS Scholars and their impact on science. When I got involved with ARCS on a national level, it opened my eyes to ARCS full potential. By investing in ARCS National, the Burton Family is investing in every ARCS chapter.

Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation recently received a $50,000 Capacity Building Grant from the Burton Family Foundation to support operating costs, allowing the organization to continue its 63-year legacy of support for US scientific advancement and competitiveness.

This recent award is a continuation of a $150,000 operating grant from the Burton Family Foundation in 2016. We are so grateful to the Burton Family Foundation for its continued support of ARCS Foundation National and our mission to drive US scientific advancement, said Sherry Lundeen, ARCS 2019-21 National President. This gift comes at exactly the right time and enables our organization to build on the work begun by the earlier Burton grant, which was instrumental in helping create an infrastructure that will enable ARCS to thrive in the coming decades.

The extended capacity building grant will be used to expand national brand awareness of ARCS and its impact on American discoveries in the STEM fields as well as to provide new programming to support its base of more than 10,000 ARCS Scholar Alumni and its 15 chapters.

Christine Burton, Founder and Chair of the Burton Family Foundation, is a member of ARCS Foundation Phoenix Chapter and serves on ARCS Foundation National Board of Directors. She says, After 14 years as an ARCS member, I continue to be inspired by ARCS Scholars and their impact on science. When I got involved with ARCS on a national level, it opened my eyes to ARCS full potential. With a shared goal to advance science in America, the mission is the same at the chapter and national levels. The credibility of a strong national brand and the support services provided by ARCS National make our chapters more impactful than ever. By investing in ARCS National, the Burton Family is investing in every ARCS chapter.

About ARCS Foundation: ARCS Foundation is a national nonprofit volunteer womens organization that promotes US competitiveness by providing financial awards to academically outstanding US citizens studying to complete degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and health disciplines at 49 of the nations leading research universities. The organization has awarded more than $120 million to more than 10,900 scholars since 1958. ARCS Foundation Scholars have produced thousands of research publications and patents, secured billions in grant funding, started science-related companies, and played a significant role in teaching and mentoring young people in the STEM pipeline. More information is available at http://www.arcsfoundation.org.

About The Burton Family Foundation: Established as a supporting organization of the Arizona Community Foundation in 2015, the Burton Family Foundation supports education access and equity through partnerships with community organizations serving students across Arizona. Since inception, the Burton Family Foundation has awarded more than $9 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government agencies working to advance educational outcomes and close the opportunity gap for Arizona students. Burton Family Foundation funding priorities include college and career readiness programs, STEM education, mentorship programs, and leadership and development training, each with an emphasis on programs providing resources to historically underserved youth. Additionally, the Burton Family Foundation has supported the higher education aspirations of high school graduates attending Arizonas universities and community colleges through deployment of nearly $400,000 in scholarship awards.
Homeowners of America Insurance Company (HOAIC), a property and casualty insurance provider, is pleased to announce that Adam Brookshire has joined the company as a Territory Sales Manager in Virginia.

Brookshire brings over 10 years of insurance industry experience to HOAIC and has spent his most recent time with Selective Insurance. In addition to his insurance background, Brookshire has a solid working knowledge of Virginia as he has worked on both the agency and company sides of the business. He is charged with helping to expand HOAICs strategic growth in the region.

HOAIC Vice President, Director of Sales and Marketing, Michael Cox, said We are pleased to be adding a knowledgeable insurance professional to continue developing our business in the state of Virginia. Adam brings diversified experience to our team at Homeowners of America and will focus on building relationships with our current agent partners while appointing new agents to build our overall presence in the state.

Virginia was the fourth state where the Texas-based company began actively writing policies in September of 2015.

Brookshire will be based in the Richmond area, managing the development of new and existing independent agency relationships throughout the state.

About Homeowners of America Insurance Company

Homeowners of America Insurance Company (HOAIC), a Porch Group company, is based in Irving, Texas. The company provides property and casualty insurance in Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and insures over 230,000 homes. HOAIC has been assigned a Financial Stability Rating of A, Exceptional by Demotech, Inc. For more information, visit https://hoaic.com.
An international team of researchers from Germany and Canada has investigated whether bacteria could be detected in prenatal stool (meconium) samples.

Microbial colonization of the human intestine is a key developmental process since the order and timing of microbial exposure shape the development of the gut microbiome and impact host metabolism and immunity later in life.

In humans, maturation of both intestinal barrier function and immunity occurs prenatally.

The fetal intestine is more permeable to macromolecules and less tolerant of antigens than that of term infants.

Transfer of maternal immunoglobulin G across the placenta and uptake in the fetal intestine increase near term gestation, shaping neonatal gut immune responses after birth.

To understand the mechanisms by which microbial colonization influences health later in life, scientists must know when colonization occurs.

The key takeaway from our study is we are not colonized before birth, said first author Katherine Kennedy, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster University.

Rather, our relationship with our gut bacteria emerges after birth and during infancy.

Recent studies have sparked controversy by claiming that we are colonized by gut bacteria before birth. But studies such as these have been criticized for the ways they control for contamination.

By including only breech caesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women we were able to avoid the transmission of bacteria that occurs naturally during a vaginal birth, added senior co-author Dr. Thorsten Braun, deputy director of the Department of Experimental Obstetrics at Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin.

In the study, Kennedy, Dr. Braun and their colleagues examined meconium samples collected from 20 babies during breech Cesarean delivery.

Unlike first-pass meconium, no microbial signal distinct from negative controls was detected.

Additionally, positive aerobic and anaerobic clinical cultures of fetal meconium were identified as likely skin contaminants, most frequently Staphylococcus epidermidis, and not detected by sequencing in most samples.

Recent data suggest that a persons relationship with their own gut bacteria is most important in early life, during critical stages of immunological and physiological development, Kennedy said.

The fact that colonization of infants guts occurs during and after their births, means that not only is it vulnerable to early environmental influences, but could also offers a window of potential intervention, added senior co-author Professor Deborah Sloboda, a researcher at McMaster University and the Canada Research Chair in perinatal programming.

While many of the exact mechanisms surrounding gut bacteria and their role in our early development is unclear, discovering when and how we are colonized is a key first step.

The study was published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

_____

K.M. Kennedy et al. Fetal meconium does not have a detectable microbiota before birth. Nat Microbiol, published online May 10, 2021; doi: 10.1038/s41564-021-00904-0
ALICE and Chexology Announce New Integration for a Streamlined, Tech-Enabled Guest Experience Hotels offer paperless registration, keyless entry and automatic billing so its only natural to heighten the guests experience with a mobile-first approach at the first and last point of contact.

ALICE, the leading hospitality operations and hotel management platform, today announced its integration with Chexology, a groundbreaking technology that automates transactions involving the exchange of items for a claim ticket, such as luggage storage, coat check, personal items and more. The integration enables hotel employees to link checked items with a guests hotel reservation, eliminating the need for a single-use paper ticket and ensuring that items are correctly logged and connected with guest profiles.

The ALICE and Chexology integration digitizes and improves a vital part of the hotel guest experience and streamlines the work done by front of house hotel employees. Together, the two companies provide a contactless and enhanced guest-centric experience, making the check-in process seamless.

Hotels offer paperless registration, keyless entry and automatic billing so its only natural to heighten the guests experience with a mobile-first approach at the first and last point of contact, said Derek Pacque, Chexologys founder and CEO. Paperless check-in eliminates error-prone processes, modernizes systems and reduces the expense of paper to improve our carbon footprint.

The integration is live at the 512-room Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas, where employees can check-in guest items with Chexology and search for the guests within ALICE to connect personal items to hotel reservations.

The team at Circa wanted this integration, said Will Baez, Circas hotel manager. When guests pay a certain price to stay here, there is something off-putting about having to hand the guest a paper ticket. We are a tech-forward property and the future of Las Vegas.

Key benefits include:



Text message communications

OCR technology

Stored images of belongings

Action list to balance assigned tasks

Assign storage locations

Search to return and one-touch return

Multi-Item tagging

Insights and analytics reporting

Were thrilled to integrate with Chexology, further enabling a streamlined guest and employee experience for our partner hotels, said Dmitry Koltunov, ALICEs chief technology officer and co-founder. Guests have come to expect technology and contactless hospitality at every step of their hotel experience, and our partnership with Chexology gives employees the tools to provide that for guests.

To learn more about ALICE, visit https://www.aliceplatform.com.

For more information about Chexology, visit http://www.chexology.com.

About ALICE

ALICE is the leading all-in-one hospitality operations platform that enables hotel staff to do their most impactful work without all the guesswork. Task management, real-time communication, and operational analytics reduce the complexity and chaos of hotel operations providing the transparency and flexibility needed to run efficiently. Founded in 2013, ALICE works with more than 2,500 hotels and tens of thousands of hotel staff across many of the worlds leading brands, including Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Graduate Hotels, and Grupo Posadas. ALICE is a Top 10 Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech by Hotel Tech Report in 2021, winner of Best Concierge Software, a Top 10 People's Choice Software and Finalist for its Preventative Maintenance Software, Housekeeping, and Staff Collaboration Tools, at the 2021 HotelTechAwards. https://www.aliceplatform.com/

About Chexology

Chexology (builders of CoatChex), the Shark Tank-featured company that digitally transformed the coat checking industry, uses groundbreaking technology to automate any transaction that involves the exchange of items for a claim ticket, such as luggage storage, coat check, rentals, personal items and more. The company eliminates millions of single-use paper claim tickets each year. Using a text-based application that modernizes checkrooms, Chexology delivers an unprecedented guest experience and provides data-driven insights to optimize hospitality management. Chexologys clients include Barclays Center, Circa Casino and Resort, House of Blues Boston, ICC Sydney, Javits Center, Live Nation, MoMA, among others. For more information about Chexology, visit http://www.chexology.com or follow @chexology on LinkedIn.
Arnita Ingram, a native of Calumet Park, IL, has completed her new book Nicoles Journey: a steamy romance novel following the journey of a woman caught between two different men who excite and love her in different ways, making the decision to choose between them almost impossible.

Ingram writes, Beautiful, young Chicago native Nicole finds herself caught in a love triangle between two very different men. One man is the love of her life, while the other adores and cherishes her more then she knows. Battling the two, she seeks advice from her best friend, Keisha, who may not have her best interest at heart.

This hot, steaming romance will have your eyes glued to the pages. With heartbreaks, makeups, betrayals, and even death, anything seems possible in Nicoles journey. Will she rise above temptation, or will she fall victim to her circumstances?

Published by Page Publishing, Ingrams gripping tale takes twists and turns the reader will not expect as the books main character, Nicole, is faced with situations and decisions she never expected to encounter.

Readers who wish to experience this passionate work can purchase Nicoles Journey at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Joyce M. Carpenter launches a new press campaign for A Home for Calvin (published by AuthorHouse), the first of a series of childrens books designed to teach young readers important life values.

First published in 2008, this book is about Calvin, a field mouse that seems to always be in trouble. He is a little clumsy and very curious. He gets in all kinds of scrapes and loses his home. Will he find a nice, safe home amid the storm?

An excerpt from the book reads:

Calvin slipped back out when everything got quiet. Whats that smell? he wondered. He looked under the pew where the little girl was. Guess what? The little girl had left him some Cheerios to eat. Man oh man!

As Calvin looked around, he thought, Yes, I have found a new homea nice, cozy, safe home!

A Home for Calvin is an inspiring tale that illustrates the importance of caring for others. To purchase a copy of the book, visit https://www.amazon.com/Home-Calvin-Joyce-M-Carpenter/dp/1438906374.

A Home for Calvin

By Joyce M. Carpenter

Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 24 pages | ISBN 9 978-1438906379

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Joyce M. Carpenter lives in a rural community in southern Georgia. A housewife and mother, she decided to write childrens stories based on the stories she told her own children and grandchildren. She is the author of A Home for Calvin and An Unexpected Friend.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 833-262-8899.
Cybereason, the leader in future-ready attack protection, today announced it was named a finalist in the Best Endpoint Security category of the 2021 SC Awards Europe competition. Winners will be announced June 8, 2021. Earlier this year, Cybereason was named a finalist for Best Enterprise Security product with SC Awards U.S.

The Cybereason Defense Platform continues to receive market recognition as an industry-leading solution for detecting and stopping malicious activity facing enterprises of all sizes. MITRE recently released the results of round three of the ATT&CK Evaluations, performed by MITRE Engenuity and Cybereason achieved 100 percent for Windows and Linux threat prevention.

This recognition from SC Award Europe 2021 reaffirms what the recent MITRE evaluations show that Cybereasons operation-centric approach to protection enables security teams to quickly pinpoint, understand and end attacks before they can become breaches, said Cybereason co-founder and CEO Lior Div.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the champion for todays cyber defenders providing future-ready attack protection that unifies security from the endpoint, to the enterprise, to everywhere the battle moves. The Cybereason Defense Platform combines the industrys top-rated detection and response (EDR and XDR), next-gen anti-virus (NGAV), and proactive threat hunting to deliver context-rich analysis of every element of a Malop (malicious operation). The result: defenders can end cyber attacks from endpoints to everywhere. Cybereason is a privately held, international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 30 countries.

Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/

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Media contact:

Bill Keeler

Senior Director, Global Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler@cybereason.com

+1 (929) 259-3261
The Adventures of Fanny Faithful: an inspiring adventure-filled story following Fanny Faithful who owns the sole grocery in town, the Gracious Grocery. One Wednesday morning as she was doing her weekly inventory, she found out that one of her oils is missing! Fanny immediately sensed that something evil was going on. Accompanied by her best friend, Peaceful, they are determined to go out and get back what the evil enemy has stolen. Adventures of Fanny Faithful is the creation of published author Dallas L. Burleson, a native of Denver, Colorado, she is most known by the name Sister Dallas, an evangelist and teacher who specializes in special education. Dallas is a wife, mother, and grandmother, and is a spiritual mother and mentor throughout the United States and in other countries as well. She loves the life she lives and lives the life she loves through her loving and faithful God!

Burleson shares, Fanny Faithful lived in a small town called Charity. Charity was located ten miles west of Evil county. No one who wanted to evade or escape trouble and evil would ever journey there. Charity was such a small town that it only had one road that led you safely into its city limits. Fanny owned the only grocery store in Charity; it was called Gracious Grocery. It was stocked with love, with everything you needed to make you whole, happy, and healthy. Fanny always kept a large supply of the Oil of Joy, for that oil produced great strength! Early every Wednesday morning, Fanny did inventory on her stock. The stockroom was located in the rear of the store and was kept neat and in order. Just as Fanny was about to count the bags of seed from the Trees of Righteousness, she heard the clanking and crashing of bottles in the front of the store. Fanny discerned within her spirit something strange, something evil was going on. She tiptoed to the front of the store and peeked around the door. The front door slammed with a loud bang! As she stepped out to see who it was, all she could see was a trail of oil and broken glass on the floor. The oil trail led out the front door onto the street with large footprints. Evil had snuck in again. Find out what happens in this God-inspired allegory, an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dallas L. Burlesons new book is an educational piece of childrens literature filled with metaphors intended to impart theological virtues to young children, as well as refresh the adults mind with regards to these vital qualities one may have forgotten.

View a synopsis of The Adventures of Fanny Faithful on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase The Adventures of Fanny Faithful at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Adventures of Fanny Faithful, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
College Graduates in Fairmont can receive special discounts on Toyota Vehicles

Dan Cava Toyota World located in White Hall Blvd, Fairmont, West Virginia, is offering a rebate program for college graduates. Through this, the college graduates can avail rebates on their newly purchased Toyota vehicles. A sum of $500 rebate can be collected by them on all new unlicensed Toyota models when they finance or lease through a Toyota dealer or Toyota Financial Services (TFS). Rebates are valid on contracts executed from May 4 to June 1. Customers in the area are encouraged to verify their eligibility for this rebate program either online or by visiting the dealership during work hours.

This program is launched to help future and recent college graduates save money while owning a new Toyota vehicle. Students who will graduate in the next six months or who have graduated in the past two years from the date of signing the vehicle lease or the finance contract are eligible for Toyota's College Graduate Rebate Program. The customers belonging to the former category will be required to provide their college transcripts or copies of their diplomas. The customers who fall under the latter category will be required to produce proof of current employment. Eligible customers must also meet the credit approval requirements of the rebate program.

It is to be noted that the College Graduate Rebate Program is available on select new Toyota models. The Toyota Certified Used Vehicles (TCUVs) and the Scion Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles are not eligible for this program. Customers are requested to verify the same before applying for the rebate program.

Customers who are eligible for Toyotas College Graduate Rebate Program are encouraged to visit cavatoyota.com for details on the rebate program on the list of eligible schools and colleges, documents to be produced as proof of qualification and more. In case of any queries or concerns, customers can contact the dealership through the Contact Us page available on the website.
Were extremely excited to see the two powerhouse data sets come together to create an even more robust set of benchmarks that will truly be unmatched in the marketplace, Kelli Valade, CEO & President of Black Box Intelligence.

Black Box Intelligence (BBI), a portfolio company of Diversis Capital Partners, announced today that it will acquire restaurant industry benchmarking firm MillerPulse LLC. The move comes just four months after Diversis acquired a majority stake in Black Box Intelligence.

Were thrilled to add the MillerPulse membership to our database. The reputation Larry Miller and team have built is strong throughout the industry and were extremely excited to see the two powerhouse data sets come together to create an even more robust set of benchmarks that will truly be unmatched in the marketplace, said Kelli Valade, CEO & President of Black Box Intelligence.

The acquisition will add MillerPulses 50,000+ restaurant units to Black Box Financial Intelligence, the leading source of industry sales, traffic, segment, cuisine and other financial benchmarks. MillerPulse, founded in 2013, provides restaurant operators and observers near-real time insights on all restaurant segments in over 120 U.S. markets. Larry Miller, co-founder of MillerPulse, will stay involved as an advisor to Black Box going forward.

Weve long respected the work of Black Box Intelligence and are very excited to join forces with them. The combination of these two companies builds on each others strengths, notably restaurant industry and financial markets expertise, unmatched breadth in all restaurant segments and unrivaled depth of market level data. It will be the de facto source for real transactional restaurant industry insights, said Larry Miller, Co-Founder of MillerPulse.

With notable strength in the quick service segment, rolling the MillerPulse offering into the Black Box Intelligence suite of products further cements BBIs position as the indisputable go-to resource for restaurant industry data and insights. Black Box Intelligence offers an unparalleled suite of products to measure and drive restaurant performance, including Black Box Workforce Intelligence, supplying key workforce metrics, and Black Box Guest Intelligence, providing unrivaled guest satisfaction and sentiment reporting.

The combination of Black Box Intelligences and MillerPulses data sets significantly enhances BBIs value proposition for restaurant customers, further entrenches the company as the market leader in restaurant market data and will provide our customers an unparalleled view of restaurant industry trends across the US, added Dave Muscatel, Operating Partner at Diversis.

About Black Box Intelligence

Black Box Intelligence is the leading data and insights provider of workforce, guest, consumer and financial performance benchmarks for the hospitality industry. The Black Box Intelligence product suite is the industry standard for operators seeking to achieve best-in-class performance results. With the largest and most reliable set of real restaurant data in the marketplace, Black Box Intelligence currently tracks and analyzes nearly 300 brands, 2.4 million employees, 50,000 restaurant units and $76 billion in annual sales revenue. Black Box Intelligence is also the producer of the Global Best Practices Conference held annually in Dallas, Texas.

Media Contact: Sarah Higgins | Black Box Intelligence | 972-619-3350 | http://www.blackboxintelligence.com

About MillerPulse

MillerPulse delivers market level insights to restaurant companies and industry observers via member company panel that represents approximately $90 billion in annual restaurant sales and over 50,000 US restaurants. MillerPulse sets itself apart from other industry trackers by having one of the largest Quick Service Restaurant panels, a collaborative model in member companies provide us with real transactional POS data on a weekly basis in over 120 US markets and our web-tool that allow customers to create customized data queries.

Media Contact: Larry Miller | Miller Pulse | survey@millerpulse.com | http://www.millerpulse.com

About Diversis Capital

Founded in 2013, Diversis is a software and technology focused private equity fund that invests in lower middle-market companies, targeting situations where it can add unique value in helping a company reach the next level. With a collaborative approach to investing, its Operating Partners and Strategic Advisors work alongside management teams to help build successful organizations positioned for long-term growth.

Media Contact: Chris Tofalli | Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC | 914-834-4334 | http://www.diversis.com
Dr. Elisa Rodriguez has been named Roswell Parks Chief Diversity and Equity Officer for Faculty. Dr. Rodriguez is an outstanding researcher who has committed her career to overcoming health disparities, and will be an incredible asset and support for all of us in this new position.

A new role will give a Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher and public-health expert expanded opportunity to apply her deep-rooted commitment to improving the lives of people from underserved communities. Roswell Park is pleased to announce the promotion of Elisa M. Rodriguez, PhD, MS, to Chief Diversity and Equity Officer for Faculty.

Dr. Rodriguez first came to Roswell Park as a graduate student, and joined our staff as Director of Community Engagement Resource, a role she still holds today, in 2012. In the new role of Chief Diversity and Equity Officer for Faculty, she will lead Roswell Parks work to build bridges between researchers and the community all around our center, highlighting the cultural diversity that exists both within and outside of Roswell Park. She will also be a resource and support for Roswell Park clinical and research faculty from underrepresented groups.

In her contributions as a faculty member within the Department of Epidemiology & Prevention, Dr. Rodriguez has worked to amplify Hispanic, Latinx, Black and Native American voices in conversations surrounding medical research and access to care. She directs Roswell Parks Research Oncology Community Knowledge program (ROCKstars), which enlists cancer survivors and researchers, and serves as staff liaison to the Community Advisory Board that informs and guides the work of Roswell Parks Community Outreach and Engagement team.

Dr. Rodriguez is a faculty champion who has already been a great resource for her colleagues, says Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President & CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership of Roswell Park. She is an outstanding researcher who has committed her career to overcoming health disparities, and will be an incredible asset and support for all of us in this new position.

A Western New York native, Dr. Rodriguez holds a doctorate from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed her masters degree through Roswell Parks graduate program, the Roswell Park Graduate Division of the University at Buffalo.

###

This news release is also available on the Roswell Park website: https://www.roswellpark.org/newsroom/202105-dr-elisa-rodriguez-named-roswell-parks-first-ever-chief-diversity-equity-officer

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancers grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.
"With CUI-SafeHarbor, they can economically create a secured, turn-key environment that will immediately satisfy the technical requirements for CMMC regulation." - Shawn Duffy, President and CEO, Duffy Compliance Services

For small businesses who are government contractors and must meet the DFARS requirements to work with the DOD, they must protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and eventually adhere to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This can be difficult for a small organization in which all or many of its personnel work remotely from laptops. Becoming CMMC-compliant could be a daunting task.

Earlier this year, Duffy Compliance Services launched a cloud-based platform to deliver a secure virtual desktop that provides a protected, managed environment that will not only meet the CMMC Maturity Level 3 requirements, but will also provide an almost instant turn-key CMMC compliance solution.

Duffy Compliance Services provides a full range of cybersecurity analysis services, including compliance audits, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessments. Duffy Compliance serves the following industries: government contractors who supply the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), businesses in the health and human services, and other businesses who want a secure and protected environment.

"We are excited to provide this new product to our clients and to the small government contracting market. These smaller businesses don't often have the resources and funds to throw tens of thousands of dollars at this process, said President and CEO Shawn Duffy. "With CUI-SafeHarbor, they can economically create a secured, turn-key environment that will immediately satisfy the technical requirements for CMMC regulation."

About Duffy Compliance Services

Duffy Compliance Services is a provider of cybersecurity assessments and compliance services to federal contractors. We are based in Frederick County, Maryland, and have served the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond since 2014. For more information, visit our website at http://www.duffycompliance.com or reach us via email at info@duffycompliance.com.
DynaFile | Scan To Cloud Document Management Software Using Dynafile is 5 times faster than our previous mess of a filing system Its been really great.

The Challenge

BioTelemetry, Inc. is a global leader in remote monitoring technology and has built the worlds largest cardiac data network. The company has a headcount of about 2,000 employees across multiple divisions spanning cardiac monitoring diagnostic services, clinical trials, remote patient monitoring, and scientific consulting. Due to incredible growth and the acquisition of numerous companies, the HR team at BioTelemetry found itself battling legacy systems and running in circles determining which system an individuals employee data was stored in. They were desperately in need of one cohesive solution to manage their employee files.

Jill Purcell, BioTelemetrys HR Analyst, said they had to overcome numerous challenges due to the complex situation. It is great to work for a company that is in a select niche market and has been able to grow so drastically, however it does sometimes put us at a disadvantage from an HR perspective because were always playing catch up. Luckily, we have a group that thrives in that environment; very fast-paced and very flexible. We needed DynaFile because we had personnel files from numerous legacy companies, all in different formats that we had to get into one system.

Growing Pains

In 2017, BioTelemetry acquired a very large organization, called Life Watch, that had implemented a legacy personnel filing system. Jill explains, We had personnel files stored in a few different mediums including paper files, an inherited system, and on our private HR drive.

Not only were documents scattered throughout numerous systems, but the file naming conventions were inconsistent. Depending on which employee you were looking for, you had to figure out where their file was and how it was classified. Sometimes it took 10 minutes just to nail down where to go to look for something, explains Jill.

As the company and the HR department grew, training a new team member to use so many systems proved to be difficult. Jill explains the time-consuming process. You have to have a matrix of IF this person was hired before this date, you should find their file here, but IF they were hired after this date, and are in this location, they were with this legacy system so you can find their file here.

Tanya DiPietro, Director of HR Operations, adds, Its hard for me to think back to where we were at that point because it was just so inefficient and administratively cumbersome.

Tipping Point

At the end of 2019, they reached a breaking point. It was agreed that they needed a secure document management system to bring order to the chaos. Jills goal was to find and integrate a robust employee filing system. She says, It was number one on everybodys list to figure out what to do with these employee files. It just got to a breaking point. The initial directive for the team was to continue to utilize the legacy system and integrate all of the documents into it, but, Jill and I very quickly realized that was not a sustainable option for us. We didnt like the system, so we started looking at others, Tanya adds.

After researching numerous document management systems, DynaFile became the clear choice. Jill recalls, The DynaFile team had the experience and knowledge to integrate with our HR system, ADP, and it became clear it met every one of our needs.

A Comprehensive Solution

Through BioTelemetrys research, they determined that they needed to find a solution that would consolidate their paper and electronic files in one secure place and make them easily accessible, and they found that with DynaFile. They realized that the key to effective collaboration was being able to share documents securely with their team members.

Not only did DynaFile provide the security they needed, but there was also no need to have an onboarding module built into their ATS system. With the prebuilt DocuSign integration, they could automatically store new hires paperwork securely inside DynaFile.

As Jill says, it was a good fit. We were like... lightbulb moment! We could fix so many things with one product. We can securely transfer all of that information without having to send attachments through email. And it was a big win from the audit perspective as well. Our audit team was impressed better than we could have expected and much more cost-efficient than having to implement an entire onboarding module within our HRIS system.

Implementation Done Right

Both Jill and I knew the implementation was not going to be easy considering all the different sources [of employee data]. We needed a company to partner with us and help us through it and we got that feeling with DynaFile immediately. Knowing that we were going to have our hand held through the implementation to make sure we were set up correctly, to me that was one of the biggest wins, says Tanya.

Tanya recalls frustrations of one of their legacy systems, which I almost lost my mind from, was getting our data out of our other cloud-based system. We couldnt get our data out of the system in an effective manner. However, the DynaFile team was able to work with us to extract and normalize the data. Their persistence was fantastic and helped us through the issue.

Another challenge that seemed daunting to the team, was scanning all of the paper files into DynaFiles electronic filing system. With so many legacy companies that had been acquired as BioTelemetry grew, they didnt have the staff to dedicate the time to such an undertaking.

Jill recalls, Our first thought, was how can we ever think about spending the time to scan these paper files? We dont have the time to do that, and immediately our DynaFile account manager, Jena, told us, We have a resource.

Not only is DynaFile a powerhouse on its own, but they have partnered with companies, such as CDL Scanning, to help facilitate the implementation process and can often get a new client up and running in 30 days or less. Jill says, Jena was able to get us the resources that we needed to overcome any challenges. It was one place for us to find what we needed to do.

Timing is Everything

During the time DynaFile was being implemented, the world entered the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020, which brought on unprecedented challenges for businesses across the globe. The team was able to create virtual data rooms and secure document portals to share specific information with select users that they could access from the safety of their homes. Jill recalls, It helped [to have DynaFile in place] because we were training remotely, and I cant imagine how we could have operated without it. When we first went remote, we had to modify our IT infrastructure to support an entirely remote workforce, but the fact that DynaFile was cloud-based instead of having to be on our internal network was really helpful.

Using Data to Shape Company Policies

Oftentimes, a report that is generated from a document management solution is treated as a very binary output. Is the report complete or missing? The HR team quickly found that there was much more to these reports than expected. Jill states, Whats been really important, that was not even on our radar to use before we had DynaFile, was the robust capabilities for document auditing and reporting.

Jill adds, Our HR Department is trying to do a lot with data now and DynaFile was a great solution to provide that. We already do reporting each month so weve now added those DynaFile reports into our processes. For example, they can audit new hire documentation, validate retention requirements, and review performance-improvement plans that have been issued and see how many have been completed. The data can quickly highlight if increased employee training is needed.

Additionally, DynaFile can track corrective action documents so they can see how many attendance issues they have in a given month. Jill says it helps to raise the right questions, such as, Is our attendance policy becoming a problem? How many final warnings are people getting? Are we at risk of losing people because theyre on a final warning and potentially could be terminated? That level of reporting detail we couldnt have imagined something like that before. And if we could, how we would even do it?

Live, real-time reporting that provides data that you can trust can be an invaluable tool to foster a productive team. Knowing that everyone is having an issue with the attendance policy, means policy changes can be made that help their company thrive.

Proven Results

Tanya and Jill both agree that their digital transformation of employee data with DynaFile has helped to make their jobs easier. Jill says, Using Dynafile is 5 times faster than our previous mess of a filing system Its been really great. They have been able to leverage the power of the cloud-based document management system to streamline the onboarding of new employees, run reports that give insight into corporate policies, and continue to move forward in the face of a global pandemic. Jill adds, We were able to seamlessly integrate DynaFile with our HRIS so we didnt have to change anything about our processes. We could mold DynaFile to fit into what was already in place, and it made the experience SO much better.

_______________________________

About DynaFile

Empowering the People Behind the Paper for Over Two Decades

DynaFile was originally developed by Blue Ribbon Technologies, based out of Denver, Colorado in 2001. Recognizing that the power of the internet provided a large opportunity for companies to streamline and off-load their mundane day-to-day management of paper documents, Blue Ribbon set off on a mission to develop an application that would allow companies to manage their documents in an efficient manner.

Keeping the cornerstone of simplicity and ease of use first and foremost in mind during the development process, DynaFile was created to help companies easily secure, share and manage their paper and electronic files. DynaFile quickly carved out a unique position in the marketplace by offering a turn-key, web-based solution that allowed customers to get up and running with the system in a matter of minutes without having any need to purchase additional hardware or software. Offering the capabilities to start off small and phase in a paperless methodology over time without the burden and costs associated with an in-house solution, DynaFile has been the document management software of choice for all companies, large or small, that wish to gain better control over their files.

In addition to ease of access, one of the biggest benefits that DynaFile offers is the capability to easily share documents with external business partners and clients. With a few clicks of the mouse, companies can now share and collaborate on documents with utmost confidence that users are provided secure access only to documents that they should view.

Over the years, DynaFile has developed a strong niche within Human Resource departments. Companies commonly use DynaFile to go from paper to electronic personnel files in order to manage the documentation for their workforce in an easier, more organized fashion.

DynaFile partnered with electronic signature leader, DocuSign, in 2008. This strategic partnership offers clients the ability to create online templates for their forms, design the workflows that go along with their processes, and get everything completed and signed completely digitally. A direct integration automatically sends completed documents that have been electronically signed in DocuSign to the correct location inside of DynaFile. Human Resource departments commonly use DynaFiles integration with DocuSign for electronic employee onboarding.

In 2016 DynaFile partnered with talent acquisition leader, iCIMS. Similar to DynaFiles integration with DocuSign, onboarding forms completed within iCIMS can be automatically filed in the new hires folder inside of DynaFile. The iCIMS integration allows HR departments to experience a completely paperless employee file lifecycle - from recruitment through record retention.

DynaFiles diligence, real-world approach, and advanced technology translate to numerous benefits, which include proactive customer service. With DynaFile, extraordinary customer support and comprehensive training is included with every subscription. Thats why achieving 100% customer satisfaction is more than a goal; Its the companys record.

Give your organization the tools for success and take the first steps towards digital transformation today. To learn how to take your HR department paperless, simplify document management and streamline employee onboarding, visit http://www.dynafile.com or contact Brock Kane (bkane[at]dynafile.com), (303) 459-2078.
Argosy Property Limited has reported its results for the 12 months to 31 March 2021. Key highlights for the period include:

 Net distributable income up 13.7%;

 Net distributable income per share up 13.1%;

 Maintaining sound portfolio metrics with high occupancy (99%) and WALT (5.5 years);

 Solid portfolio leasing and rent review outcomes, including 3.3% annualised rental growth on rents reviewed;

 Additional leasing up of 7WQ in Wellington, now 89% leased;

 An unrealised revaluation gain of $157.7 million, an increase of 8.5%;

 An increase in NTA per share to $1.53 from $1.30 at 31 March 2020, a 17.7% increase;

 Delivery on key strategic focus areas including; minimising Covid-19s impact on the business, executing on capital management initiatives, acquisition of strategic opportunities and the continued focus on sustainability and green developments;

 The unconditional sale of Albany Lifestyle Centre for $87.5 million;

 A 1.6% increase in full year dividend to 6.45 cents per share, fully covered by Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO), reflecting continued sound delivery of strategy.

Chairman Jeff Morrison said, FY21 has certainly proved to be a challenging one and were very pleased with the way the management team has navigated Argosy through difficult times. While the FY22 year could still bring further headwinds, Argosys resilient financial and portfolio position sees it well placed to manage any near term economic volatility.

Argosy has always sought to do the right thing by tenants and the environment. Our vision of building a better future aims to reflect this at a more aspirational level. We have some big long term goals for the company over the next ten years primarily focused around the environment, including being carbon neutral and targeting 50% of the portfolio being green assets. Our strategy of creating a green, resilient and diversified business, requires us to remain focused on delivering for all stakeholders. I am looking forward to my first annual shareholders meeting as Chairman in June, where we will update shareholders.

The Board remains focused on growing the sustainability of dividends to shareholders. Based on current projections for the portfolio and subject to market conditions, the Board expects that the dividend for FY22 will be 6.55 cents per share, an increase of 1.6% on the prior year.

Please see the links below for details

FY21 Market Release

FY21 results presentation

Appendix 1

Climate-related financial disclosures 2021

Annual Report

Source: Argosy Property Limited

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Digital Compass is the natural progression of our companys go-to-market and delivery model, and is fueled by the desire to serve clients at the highest level and cement longer and stronger relationships, said Tom Galambos, President of Hitachi Solutions America.

Hitachi Solutions America, Ltd., a leading provider of global industry solutions powered by cloud services from Microsoft, has evolved its North American corporate strategy to establish digital transformation leadership and ensure clients achieve maximum value from their business initiatives. Called Digital Compass, this enhanced vision builds upon the companys existing industry and technology focus. By adding advisory services, more innovative solutions, and a best-practice delivery approach, Hitachi Solutions America has become a trusted guide for turning clients business strategies into digital realities.

At the heart of Digital Compass is the unique ability to guide clients through end-to-end digital initiatives  from readiness assessment to value discovery and strategic road mapping through delivery and support. This is accomplished via curated business services that include robust advisory capabilities, a complete and integrated solution portfolio, a flexible delivery model, and value-added support. These offerings are all underscored by the companys established industry experience and IP, Microsoft cloud services expertise, and skilled global workforce.

Digital Compass is the natural progression of our companys go-to-market and delivery model, and is fueled by the desire to serve clients at the highest level and cement longer and stronger relationships, said Tom Galambos, President of Hitachi Solutions America. It allows us to showcase our consulting leadership, deep technical and functional knowledge across Microsoft cloud services, and execution proficiency while unlocking business value for clients. Our ultimate goal is to earn the role of trusted advisor and be their go-to digital transformation partner for life. Developed from years of experience and many projects, the Digital Compass model allows Hitachi Solutions America to guide, advise, simplify, and support clients no matter where they are on their digital journey.

Components include:



Advisory services  Digital Transformation Advisory Service (DTAS) and other consultative offerings help evaluate maturity, guide initiatives, and bring strategic business visions to life through value discovery, documented roadmaps, and expert delivery.

Comprehensive solution portfolio  Digital Compass leads clients through six integrated innovation tracks (Insights, Experiences, Operations, Productivity, Infrastructure, and Capability), helping them focus on the right problem at the right time and providing the greatest value to their business.

Best-practice delivery framework  The Unified Framework implementation approach ensures client collaboration, delivery excellence, higher quality solutions, and faster time to market.

Value-added services  A dedicated change enablement practice and post implementation offerings are structured to ensure better user adoption, provide on-going support and improvements, and amplify benefits.

A supporting foundation of the Digital Compass strategy is Hitachi Solutions Americas depth and breadth of Microsoft product expertise and status as one of Microsofts comprehensive global partners.

Hitachi Solutions continues to invest in being a leader in every Microsoft workload. But beyond just the technology expertise, they are committed to providing clients with strategic leadership and value across the digital spectrum, said David Smith, Vice President US Partner Development at Microsoft. Evolving to add digital advisory services to their industry-based portfolio  and their ability to execute projects as well  is why they stand out from their competitors.

About Hitachi Solutions America, Ltd.

Hitachi Solutions America, Ltd. helps its customers successfully compete with the largest global enterprises using powerful, easy-to-use, and affordable industry solutions built on Microsoft cloud services. Hitachi Solutions America provides global capabilities with regional offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, India/Middle East, Japan, and Asia Pacific. For more information, call 1-888-618-1521 or visit: http://global.hitachi-solutions.com.

About Hitachi Solutions, Ltd.

Hitachi Solutions, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a core member of the Information & Telecommunication Systems business of Hitachi Group and a recognized leader in delivering proven business and IT strategies and solutions to companies across many industries. The company provides value-driven services throughout the IT life cycle from systems planning to systems integration, operation, and maintenance. Hitachi Solutions delivers products and services of superior value to customers worldwide through key subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and Asia Pacific. For more information on Hitachi Solutions, please visit: http://www.hitachi-solutions.com.
(L-R) SICAP Administrator Donna Richter, SOE Development Director Lisa Smith, SOE Dean Cem Karacal, SOE Associate Dean Chris Gordon, and SICAP Chairman Bruce Holland. "With this industry support, our faculty will be more available to work on industry problems, which will not only benefit our partners, but also faculty and students through real-life experiences and case studies.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty members are teacher-scholars who strive to remain at the forefront of a fast-moving industry and translate that into theoretical and applied classroom learning. Their guidance ensures students have the skills, knowledge and versatility needed to thrive in the workforce and make industry advancements.

The SIUE School of Engineering (SOE) has created the Faculty Advancement Endowment to provide teacher-scholars in the Department of Construction with the resources needed to develop applied research and enhance curriculum. Realizing the return on investment these faculty members make by developing future leaders, industry partners are showing their support by contributing to this growing endowment.

To date, three generous partners have contributed $25,000 each, including:



The Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP) of the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA)

Holland Construction Services

Contegra Construction

The professional development of our faculty ensures students continue to receive cutting edge instruction, as faculty expertise is linked to student success, said SOE Dean Cem Karacal, PhD. This endowment is the perfect example of how strong, regional partnerships with construction companies can provide additional resources for our School. We greatly appreciate their commitment to the well-being of the Department of Construction. With this industry support, our faculty will be more available to work on industry problems, which will not only benefit our partners, but also faculty and students through real-life experiences and case studies.

SICAP believes that there is an absolute need for continuing to support education which is a simple, hard fact of modern life for all workers, including and especially construction industry workers now and in the future, said SIBA CEO Donna Richter. The contributions that SICAP donates to SIUE ensure that students are trained with state-of-the-art equipment and in construction-related programs that will prove beneficial in the industry. It is imperative that SIUE has the resources to retain the faculty necessary to teach and train future generations.

According to Holland Construction Services President Mike Marchal, an SOE alumnus, more than a third of the companys office staff and over half of its owners are graduates of SIUEs construction management program. The company has also sent 18 employees through the SIUE Construction Leadership Institute (CLI).

The SIUE School of Engineering has provided best-in-class talent to Holland since our company was founded over 35 years ago, Marchal said. We feel extremely grateful to have a program of this caliber in our immediate area. By staying involved at the University through boards, committees and scholarships, we are able to deepen our relationship with SIUE, the program and its students. Our goal is to be the most sought-after employer and builder in the metro area. Contributing to the Faculty Advancement Endowment is one way to ensure our goals are achieved through the important work of our partner  SIUEs School of Engineering.

Contegra Construction Founder and President Eric Gowin is also an SIUE alumnus. He consistently looks to SIUE for new and upcoming talent. Currently, more than 20 alumni and nine CLI graduates are in the companys employment ranks. Additionally, Contegra annually strives to have several SIUE student interns.

Contegra Construction Company is a National Design-Build General Contractor specializing in industrial, corporate office, multi-family, healthcare, municipal, institutional and retail construction, said Gowin. The School of Engineerings program aligns perfectly with our core business needs, providing graduates with a solid educational foundation that is perfectly suited for our industry.

Contegra maintains a close relationship with the University, added project executive Dennis Araujo. Our employees have and continue to serve on the School of Engineerings Industry Advisory Board, the CLI Advisory Board, and as guest speakers for several programs classes.

The SOE seeks seven additional gifts of $25,000 or more to fund the endowment, which will generate an estimated annual income of $10,000 to support construction faculty.

We appreciate the generous support of our industry partners, and are confident that their return on investment is significant, said SOE Director of Development Lisa Smith. Interest earnings from this endowed fund will allow construction management faculty fellows to work alongside industry partners to solve real-world problems. This, in turn, will help attract and retain talented faculty members to the Department of Construction, as their applied field research will enhance program quality and improve the ability of our graduates to meet industry needs.

To learn more about this giving opportunity, contact SOE Director of Development Lisa Smith at lsmitag@siue.edu.

The Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP) serves as the unifying force within the Southern Illinois construction industry and develops programs aimed at opportunities for the betterment of all aspects of the industry. SICAP supports the Southern Illinois construction industry by promoting safety and accident prevention in the industry; supporting educational seminars and training programs for all industry personnel; supporting economic development programs for the benefit of the industry; conducting community education and public relations programs to benefit the industry by educating both the mass media and general public about the critical role the construction industry plays in helping assure economic development and job growth across all sectors of the economy; promoting affirmative action, equal employment opportunity and business diversity efforts to support our neighbors, our communities and our construction industry.

Holland Construction Services is a full-service construction management, general contracting, and design/build firm guided by the principle of providing its clients the best possible building experience on every project. Holland has been providing quality construction services throughout Illinois and Missouri since 1986, when it was founded by company CEO Bruce Holland.

Contegra Construction is a general contracting and construction management firm serving the education, industrial, healthcare, municipal and office markets. Since 2003, Contegras team of professionals has delivered high-quality, cost-effective projects on schedule for our clients through innovation, foresight, integrity and aggressive performance. Contegra clients count on its dependability, drive and our integrity. Contegra takes great pride in its accomplishments and builds on them every day. Contegra is committed to the service provided to its clients and wants its customers to be proud of their new facility.

The SIUE School of Engineering is one of the largest engineering schools in the region. It offers comprehensive and affordable engineering programs with eight undergraduate degrees, five masters degrees and two cooperative doctoral programs. Students learn from expert faculty, perform cutting-edge research and participate in intercollegiate design competitions. Companies in the metropolitan St. Louis area provide students challenging internships and co-op opportunities, which often turn into permanent employment. Students gain hands-on experience in the Schools state-of-the-art facilities, including the new Fowler Student Design Center.
Astronaut Karen Nyberg aboard the ISS with her hand-made dinosaur for her son, which has inspired a new "space fashion" collection. SvahaUSA Founder, Jaya Iyer, reached out to NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg to see if she was interested in partnering with her company to create a collection that represented her journey to space. Nyberg felt that a Dinosaur/Space design would reflect her desire to stay connected to her family on Earth

In a first-ever collaboration, retired NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, and leading-edge online STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) themed clothing and accessories brand, SvahaUSA (http://www.svahausa.com) have teamed up to create a new glow-in-the-dark space fashion collection called Dinos in Space  a nod to a very personal memory for Nyberg during the 166 days she spent on the International Space Station (ISS) and her desire to stay connected to her young son, Jack.

With nearly 30 years of experience in human spaceflight, Nyberg made her first trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008, during the height of the ISS construction. On her second spaceflight in 2013, Nyberg launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and lived and worked at ISS for 166 days. While living in space, Nyberg documented authentic, personal moments of life on the ISS such as how to sew and wash your hair in space.

In addition to being an astronaut and engineer, Nyberg is also a talented artist and accomplished seamstress. The story behind the inspiration for the SvahaUSA Dinos in Space collection is very personal. While on the ISS, Nyberg (who is married to SpaceX Dragon Spaceship astronaut Doug Hurley), had to be away from her then 3-year old son, Jack. Nyberg sent Jack a short video from space every day that she lived on the space station. Nyberg wanted to make something for Jack while she was living in space. Jack had loved dinosaurs since he saw them in one of his first books. Given the limited space available to take personal items to space, Nyberg took only a small amount of fabric (which she used for the quilt block for the NASA's Astronomical Quilt Challenge) and a few sewing needles and thread. She decided to figure out a way to upcycle fabric that was already on the space station.

I asked Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin if I could have some of the fabric that lined the Russian food containers to make something, Nyberg related. I had free time on a Sunday, so I decided to make something special for Jack. I drew out the dinosaur design then crafted it out of the fabric recycled from the Russian food containers. I stuffed the little dinosaur with cut strips of cloth from one of my used t-shirts and hand stitched it with the ivory thread. After I completed it, I sent Jack a video showing it floating in space, she added with a smile.

SvahaUSA Founder, Jaya Iyer (also a mom), fell in love with Nybergs story (and her art) as it was her daughters desire to be an astronaut that launched the company 6 years ago. Svaha (her daughters name) was certifiably star-crazed and space-obsessed.

My daughters dream was to be an astronaut, said Iyer, but I couldnt find a single girls astronaut shirt, or for that matter, any science or technology-themed clothes for girls. I wanted to encourage my daughters passion (and other girls with similar interests) in the best way I knew how  with clothes! I realized there was a missed market for kids who like things that arent gender traditional. So, I decided to use my industry expertise to create a line of products aimed at changing the landscape of the childrens apparel industry.

Iyer reached out to Nyberg to see if she was interested in partnering with SvahaUSA to create a collection that represented her journey to space. Nyberg felt that a Dinosaur/Space design would reflect her desire to stay connected to her family on Earth while living in space. Her son, Jack, now 11, still loves dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up and, in fact, gave Nyberg expert dino advice on her design for SvahaUSA. Jack picked out his four favorite dinosaurs to include in the design. Nyberg took photos of Jacks toy dinosaurs and consulted with him so that she would get an accurate depiction for each in her design.

The result is a fun, creative and wonderfully cosmic design with a personal back-story of a NASA astronauts desire to stay connected to her family on Earth while she was in space. The project fit all the requirements of Nybergs desire to work on projects today that align with her values and interests, including earth conservation and sustainability, motherhood and families, art and STEM  all themes SvahaUSA continually promotes in its clothing designs.

Nybergs Svaha USA Dinos in Space collection is available now as a childrens tee and dress as well as an adult top and dress exclusively at svahausa.com. And all the dresses have pockets. For interviews with Karen Nyberg and Jaya Iyer contact SvahaUSA publicist Dan Madsen at danielhayesmadsen@gmail.com.

About SvahaUSA

Svaha is a leading-edge online STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) themed clothing and accessories brand whos online store at http://www.svahausa.com is changing the face of womens and childrens apparel. Svaha is confronting gender stereotypes with bright, fun clothes to allow kids imaginations to soar and creating original and unique dresses to prove that women who love Science & Technology can still be feminine & stylish. Svahas high-quality 100% organic, super soft dresses all have a hint of geek, feature pockets and their designs unapologetically celebrate femininity and the awesomeness of women in STEAM. Each style of dress is named after famous female scientists such as Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, Ruby Payne-Scott and Dorothy Hodgkin. Svaha celebrates women in all fields of endeavor.

About Karen Nyberg

Dr. Karen Nyberg is a mechanical engineer and astronaut with 30 years of experience working at NASA on human spaceflight. She was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps in 2000. She made her first trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008, during the height of International Space Station (ISS) construction. On her second spaceflight in 2013, Dr. Nyberg launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and lived and worked at ISS for 166 days. Recently retired from NASA, Karen Nyberg is pursuing her passions of creating textile art, designing fabrics to inspire interest in STEAM and helping find solutions for the sustainability of our planet. Nyberg lives in Houston, Texas with her Astronaut husband, Doug Hurley and their dino-loving son, Jack. For more info, check out her website: http://www.karennyberg.com.
Foster's customizable HappyHour functions as a workstation worthy of a professional chef, a stylish serving station, and the focal point of any get together. We wanted our brand represented with the same care and attention we put into crafting our products. With Water, Inc.s careful product selection and deep knowledge of the brands it represents, they were the clear choice as our first U.S. distributor.

Water, Inc. is proud to announce its partnership distributing acclaimed Italian brand Fosters plumbing line. Foster is renowned throughout the world for its elegant, durable, high performance products. Water, Inc. will represent the brands plumbing products in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

We wanted our brand represented with the same care and attention we put into crafting our products. With Water, Inc.s careful product selection and deep knowledge of the brands it represents, they were the clear choice as our first U.S. distributor, said Kevin Nasello, Executive Vice President at Foster. With its proven history of successfully introducing luxury brands to the market, Water, Inc. is the perfect partner for Foster.

Italian brand @FosterUSInc selects @Water_Inc as its first US distributor, offering its plumbing products to Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. #kitchendesign https://waterinc.com/foster

At Water, Inc., we truly partner with a brand to create a collaborative relationship that offers distinctive products to our customers that we fully believe in and endorse. We are proud to add Foster to our catalogue due to its commitment to excellent service and beautifully designed, quality products, said Water, Inc. Vice President of Sales, Chris Arnold.

Introducing Foster HappyHour:



Fosters new HappyHour is much more than a sinkit is the heart of the kitchen. The customizable HappyHour functions as a workstation worthy of a professional chef, a stylish serving station, and the focal point of any get together.

Artfully constructed with Fosters renowned attention to fine details, innovation and refined color matching, HappyHour makes prepping a joy and serving an elegant affair. The space-saving sink quickly transitions from washing station to food preparation with a flick of the wrist.

Multi-level sliding guides house a multitude of accessory combinations creating functionality that is only limited by imagination.

Grids, chopping boards, graters, bowls, spice rack and utensil holders can be slid into position or hidden with ease.

Ponza, Capri, Salini and Vulcano facets provide additional customization.

The distinctive design is offered in satin finish stainless steel and satin stainless steel PVD in gun metal, copper and gold to accent or complement any kitchen.

For more information about Foster and products distributed through Water, Inc., visit https://waterinc.com/foster.

About Water, Inc.

Water, Inc. is a premier distributor and supplier of drinking water filter and purification products, whole house water treatment systems, decorative plumbing and luxury appliances. For more than 40 years, Water, Inc. has built a reputation for providing excellent products and unparalleled customer service throughout the western United States and nationally. For more information on Water, Inc. or its premier line of products, visit http://www.waterinc.com.

About Foster

Founded in 1973, Foster is an Italian company that operates worldwide. It is an integrated organization, with four highly specialized manufacturing plants, operating on different products and processes. We breathe passion for beautiful things, respect for the environment that surrounds us, and a love for quality, hence our commitment to excellent service to meet the demands of a market increasingly sensitive to technological development and environmental protection. For more information, visit http://www.foster-us.com.
A new agreement will make the Peace Education Program available to help incarcerated adolescents throughout Uruguay rehabilitate and reenter society. The Peace Education Program will help build world peace and promote the training of active citizens, conscious of their rights and their potential, who are capable of achieving their own individual peace with a positive impact on their surroundings.

The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) is partnering with the National Institute for Juvenile Social Inclusion (INISA) to offer the Peace Education Program to troubled youth throughout Uruguay.

INISA is charged with helping incarcerated adolescents rehabilitate and reenter society. The federal agency recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TPRF to implement the Peace Education Program at all of its centers across the country to build world peace and promote the training of active citizens, conscious of their rights and their potential, who are capable of achieving their own individual peace with a positive impact on their surroundings.

The agreement builds on the success of the program at INISA centers over the last few years. More than 50 teachers, staffers, and inmates at INISA have already been trained to facilitate the program, and many more will be added over the coming months. Participants report that the course helps them discover the inner strength to break free from destructive behaviors and create more hopeful futures.

I didnt know I could be a good kid. I realized this after the program, said one of the participants a sentiment shared among many in the INISA workshops.

TPRF appreciates the partnership with INISA so that more people can benefit from the Peace Education Program.

This program offers participants at INISA the opportunity to reflect on who they are and the choices they can make to live more fulfilling lives going forward, says Willow Baker, Director of the Peace Education Program. Thank you to everyone in Uruguay and around the world whose support is making this opportunity possible for more and more people.

The strengthening partnership in Uruguay mirrors growing international support. Earlier this year TPRF signed agreements with the South Africa Department of Correctional Services and the Italian Ministry of Justice to offer the Peace Education Program at correctional facilities throughout those countries.

The program has already been offered at over 685 correctional facilities across the globe. A comprehensive recent study found that 89 percent of 604 incarcerated participants in four continents benefited by helping them feel empowered to face past events, gain a willingness to change, better manage their anger and avoid fighting.

The Peace Education Program also has a proven track record of benefiting diverse people outside of corrections, from other disadvantaged populations to university students.

In Colombia, the Education Departments of the Governments of Antioquia and Atlantico signed agreements earlier this year to offer the program at hundreds of public schools. The UniHorizonte University Foundation of Bogota conducted an independent study on the impact of the Peace Education Program at the school, finding that student awareness of inner resources such as hope, inner strength and contentment grew from 55% to 97%.

The Peace Education Program workshops can be offered in person, virtually, or on inmate tablets by GTL and Edovo (tablet versions currently available in the U.S. only). The Prem Rawat Foundation makes the workshop materials available free of charge.

The Peace Education Program is just one of the ways that TPRF advances dignity, peace and prosperity by addressing fundamental human needs. TPRF has provided more than $400,000 for COVID-19 relief projects throughout the world in the last year.

Learn more about The Prem Rawat Foundation and the Peace Education Program here.
A number of credit card issuers are evolving their digital services to meet multi-faceted consumer demands, but interestingly this shift is not happening uniformly, as issuers are pursuing diverse initiatives, said Beth Robertson, managing director, Keynova Group.

Keynova Group, the leading competitive intelligence firm providing trusted benchmarking insights and analysis for digital financial services since 1999, today announced the results of its Q2 2021 Credit Card Scorecard. Among the digital channels reviewed for leading card issuers, Discover maintained its prior No. 1 rank, followed by a three-way tie between Bank of America, Capital One and Chase. The data also revealed new digital trends in credit card acquisition and servicing including emerging capabilities around virtual assistant (VA) and chatbot deployments, as well as skills for smart home devices, expanded access to credit, and bolstered security capabilities.

A number of credit card issuers are evolving their digital services to meet multi-faceted consumer demands, but interestingly this shift is not happening uniformly, as issuers are pursuing diverse initiatives, said Beth Robertson, managing director, Keynova Group. Over time, we anticipate this trend will help further industry progress toward standardizing the next generation of digital consumer services; however, it also shows the competitive landscape isnt static as there are currently many opportunities to excel through innovation and enabling new digital best practices.

Key Findings:

Credit Card Customer Support Evolving Digitally

Customer support is a key area of differentiation among issuers, with some continuing to augment their sophisticated VA tools while others have introduced basic chatbot offerings. While six of the 10 issuers offer mobile chat, text or instant messaging options for customer communication, a select few are offering cross-channel messaging to enable a communication that began in the mobile channel to later be resumed on the desktop or vice versa.

Issuers Prioritizing Expanded Credit Options for Consumers

Several issuers have rolled out new offerings that help consumers build their access to credit, particularly around linking credit cards and personal lending concepts. Several issuers also allow digital channels to be used to shift approved credit between card products, targeting needed credit to the top-of-wallet option.

Security Improvements Take Precedence

With continued expansion in digital transacting, an array of robust security measures continues to be deployed. These include rollout of the Click to Pay Secure Remote Commerce standard for tokenized transacting, virtual card numbers and merchant controls, tracking for recurring and duplicate transactions, and expanded transaction alerts to assist cardholders in identifying possible fraud.

Keynova Groups semi-annual, fact-based Credit Card Scorecard objectively evaluates 10 leading U.S. consumer credit card issuers digital channels and identifies new trends in the competitive landscape. With more than two decades of experience benchmarking credit card issuers digital offerings for consumers, Keynovas Credit Card Scorecard reviews American Express, Bank of America, Barclays U.S. (newly evaluated in the Q2 2021 edition), Capital One, Chase, Citibank, Discover, PNC, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.

For more information about Keynova Groups Q2 2021 Credit Card Scorecard, please visit https://www.keynovagroup.com/scorecards/#credit-cards-and-lending.

About Keynova Group

Keynova Group is the leading competitive intelligence firm providing trusted benchmarking insights and analysis of consumer and small business digital financial services, including banking, credit card, home lending, and insurance. Formerly known as Keynote, Keynova Groups Scorecards have served as the go-to source for leading financial services firms to obtain competitive intelligence and actionable insights since 1999. The firms proven methodology and highly detailed results help its clients maximize the value of their digital channels to deliver a top-notch experience to customers and prospects.

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Kind Traveler is well positioned to help the tourism industry recover responsibly post-pandemic  while also fulfilling the need travelers have to make a meaningful positive impact within communities, said Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler.

The winners of Fast Companys 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation when it comes to solving health and climate crises, social injustice, or economic inequality.

For the corporate social responsibility category, Kind Traveler was honored as a finalist for a Fast Company 2021 World Changing Ideas Award: https://www.fastcompany.com/90624511/world-changing-ideas-awards-2021-corporate-social-responsibility-finalists-and-honorable-mentions

As a veteran and women-owned Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), Kind Traveler is the worlds first socially conscious Give + Get hotel booking and media platform that empowers travelers to positively impact the communities they visit. The way it works is simple: Travelers unlock exclusive rates & perks from curated Kind Hotels when giving a $10 nightly donation to a vetted charity that positively impacts the community they are visiting, or to a charity of choice. 100% of donations go to charity. Kind Traveler represents Kind Hotels and tourism boards in 22 countries and 70+ charities globally.

Impact opportunity examples for travelers include helping to plant trees with Arbor Day Foundation and One Tree Planted, supporting land conservation efforts with Sonoma Land Trust, and benefitting food banks that will provide nutritious meals to families in-need.

As tourism begins to recover, data from Booking's 2020 Global Research Report shows that 55 percent of travelers want to see how their travel dollars are going back into the community. Kind Travelers impact travel opportunities are a meaningful pathway to regenerate and heal communities that have been economically devastated from Covid-19.

A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 4,000 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. The 2021 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Brazil to Denmark to Vietnam.

Showcasing some of the worlds most inventive entrepreneurs and companies tackling exigent global challenges, Fast Companys Summer 2021 issue (on newsstands May 10) highlights, among others, a lifesaving bassinet; the worlds largest carbon sink, thanks to carbon-eating concrete; 3D-printed schools; an at-home COVID-19 testing kit; a mobile voting app; and the worlds cleanest milk.

On behalf of Kind Traveler, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to be a finalist for Fast Companys 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards at a time when travel that makes a positive community and environmental impact has never been more important. Kind Traveler is well positioned to help the tourism industry recover responsibly post-pandemic  while also fulfilling the need travelers have to make a meaningful positive impact within communities, said Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler.

There is no question our society and planet are facing deeply troubling times. So, its important to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, impact, design, scalability, and passion to solve these problems, says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.

A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.

About Kind Traveler

Kind Traveler, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), is the worlds first socially conscious Give + Get hotel booking and media platform that empowers travelers to positively impact the communities they visit. The way it works is simple: Travelers unlock exclusive rates & perks from curated Kind Hotels when giving a $10 nightly donation to a vetted charity that positively impacts the community they are visiting, or to a charity of choice. 100% of donations go to charity. Kind Traveler represents Kind Hotels and tourism boards in 22 countries and 70+ charities globally. Kind Traveler was a recipient of a 2020 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award and is cited in 500+ news and blog articles. Kind Traveler is a Blue Startups portfolio company, a signatory of the Future of Tourism Coalition (FOTC), and a member of the Female Founder Collective, 1% for the Planet, The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Impact Travel Alliance and Wellness Tourism Association. Learn more at http://www.KindTraveler.com.

CONTACT:

Melanie Neff

Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications (CIIC)

mneff@ciicnews.com

305-677-3904 ext. 23
C5LA's mission to provide leadership skills and instill confidence in our community's youth aligns with the valued tools that benefitted me as a young man. Their cause is important to me because I so deeply want everyone to experience the educational support and preparation to reach their goals."

Blake Johnson, co-founder and former chairman of Byte, announced today that he has made a $5,000 donation to the C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California (C5LA). The contribution will be used to help expand academic resources and opportunities to youth in under-resourced Los Angeles communities.

The funds will go directly to the organization's C5LAs College Access, Persistence & Success programs (CAPS). Their program is designed to prepare under-resourced, high potential youth in Los Angeles to graduate from high school and succeed in college by providing life-changing experiences that help them develop the social, emotional and cultural capital necessary for educational success.

As an organization, our mission is to change the odds for high-potential teens from under-resourced communities by inspiring them to pursue personal success, while preparing them for leadership roles in school, college, work and their communities, said Miguel Duncan-Galvez Bravo, Director of Development at C5LA. The donation from Blake Johnson will support our year-round, cohort-based, College Access, Persistence & Success programs (CAPS)  a multi-year design that focuses on experiential learning, leadership development, academic guidance, college preparation, community service and career planning."

Johnson, a successful serial entrepreneur, has founded and sold numerous businesses that exceed $1.1 billion in valuations, including Currency Capital, IM Capital Access, and Byte. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Johnson is an active philanthropist and a significant benefactor of organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Boy Scouts of America, the International Justice Mission, and MOCA Los Angeles. To date, Johnson has donated a total of $600,000 to various charitable organizations.

Johnson is excited to contribute to C5LA and hopes that it will give youth access to the same resources that helped pave his path to success:

As someone who grew up in a small town with its own limits, I understand the significance of opportunity and how it plays in feeding one's dreams. I know that many of our youth do not achieve all they are capable of because they have neither the support system to feed those dreams, nor the opportunity to pursue them, said Johnson. C5LA's mission to provide leadership skills and instill confidence in our community's youth aligns with the valued tools that benefitted me as a young man. Their cause is important to me because I so deeply want everyone to experience the educational support and preparation to reach their goals."

Visit https://www.c5la.org/ to learn more about C5LA, and https://blakebjohnson.com/ to learn more about Blake Johnson.
Our World: a cheerful and heartfelt short story that introduces God and His creations and emphasizes on the vastness of His power and love. Included in this insightful read are vibrant illustrations that children will surely find fascinating to look at. Our World is the creation of published author Martha Manning, an amazing woman who was born in Evans, Georgia, and has spent most of her life in South Carolina. She is a devoted wife and mother to three wonderful children. Martha is also passionate about the field of education.

Manning shares, The purpose of writing this book is for the parents to be able to teach their children some of the things God has done for people in our world. It is written with rhyming words, and soon the children will be able to read the message for themselves. I believe your children will treasure having this book in their hands to read and learn about Gods creation.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Martha Mannings new book is an astonishing read that discusses the beauty found in Gods different creations. The author birthed this book to help children in developing faith towards the Creator and nourish their souls by knowing about Him.

View a synopsis of Our World on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Our World at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Our World, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Kevin McCurdy, VP of Coastal Electric, Tim OConnell, Founder of Tommys Place, Peter Russell Jr, Branch Manager at Concord Electric Supply, Patrick Daly, President/Founder of Coastal Electric. I must say thank you 500 times a day, said OConnell. When you cant say thank you enough, that must mean something good is happening, right?

When one Massachusetts man decided to create something special for children fighting cancer, an army of supporters joined his mission. Concord Electric Supply (CES) in Weymouth, part of the City Electric Supply network, and Coastal Electric are two of the businesses that offered to donate their time and electric supplies to help transform the free, 11-bedroom, 7,000-square-foot dream vacation home on Cape Cod for children fighting cancer and their families. Tim OConnell, the founder of Tommys Place, couldnt be more grateful for the support hes received.

I just believed that once I started, people would come out to help, OConnell said. At first, I was the biggest problem. I wanted to do this all by myself. It took me three weeks to finally make a post asking for help. When I did, the support came flooding in.

While taking the first step in seeking support was difficult, once he did, OConnell was amazed by the number of responses he received from tradesmen and residents in the community.

I must say thank you 500 times a day, said OConnell. When you cant say thank you enough, that must mean something good is happening, right?

It all began when OConnell realized the amount of renovation that was needed to bring his vision to life. The dream vacation home project thats currently in the making needed more money and work than he expected. Fence, tile, fireplace, plumbing, electrical renovation, and an entire HVAC unit are some of the things that appeared on OConnells to-do list.

Water was literally pouring through the ceiling, he said. The house was built in the 1800s and it probably had 1,800 additions since then, but I knew itd be perfect. I just needed to ask for help to fix it up.

Thats when he decided to ask for help on Facebook, and Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth quickly answered his call.

As soon as Kevin and I found out about Tommys Place and heard that Tim needed help, we jumped on it, said Pat Daly with Coastal Electric. We reached out to Concord Electric Supply in Weymouth to donate material, and within the first week it was on-site and ready to go.

Daly didnt have to ask CES Weymouth twice to join the project and donate some of the electrical materials.

Pat asked us if we wanted to donate, and thats all it took. The next thing we knew, we were sending Coastal Electric all the rough-in stuff they needed  14x2 Romex, Lotus lights, panels, ground rods, wire, switches, everything, said CES Weymouth Branch Manager Peter Russell. A lot of people here know about Tommys Place, so we were excited to help the kids in any way possible.

Fortunately, the support for Tommys Place continues to increase. Tims requests have never been turned away by the community.

I must have 300 volunteers telling me, I can do this, I know a guy who does that, OConnell said. Theres always something were missing, and people are looking out for us. I never wanted to be a burden on people, and that hasnt happened at all. Everyone has been so quick to give.

Within three days, we had 10 electricians volunteering the first weekend and then 15 out there the second, said Daly. We were more than happy to donate our time for such a great cause.

Everyones urgency to help will not be forgotten by the man whose vision sparked a local movement and united support from all walks of life.

Right away, some people just talk and get something we need, said OConnell. Its been that way with both Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth; its just been amazing. Electricians from Boston to all over South Shore got behind it right away. That stuff wont be forgotten by me anytime soon.

That unconditional support is a result of strong relationships that have been formed within the community, including the one between Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth.

CES Weymouth was the first supply house I had an account with, so when I had this opportunity, I knew theyd be a huge help, said Daly. Coastal Electric is still growing, so we couldnt cover all the materials ourselves. It feels good to see Concord Electric Supply give back because theyre not just supporting me and my business partner Kevin McCurdy, theyre supporting a vacation home that kids will get to enjoy for years and years.

The fact that we could be a part of this means a lot to us, added Russell. It feels good to help Tommys Place, but its also an honor to just be presented this opportunity. When we were asked to donate the products, there was no way we were going to turn it down.

Tommys Place is a free 7,000-square-foot vacation home for children and families fighting cancer. It features a home theater, a game room, a music room, and an arts and crafts room. And thats not all  it also includes an inground pool, a big yard with a jungle gym, and a real firetruck.

About City Electric Supply

City Electric Supply (CES) is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1951 by Tom Mackie in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 1983. Today, CES employs more than 3,000 people in over 500 branches across the U.S.

CES is dedicated to providing personalized service and support for customers in the residential, commercial, and industrial marketplace. While CES is a large company, it prides itself in keeping its founding principle of empowering people to make local business decisions by providing customers tailored services for all their electric supply needs.
Today, Israel, and the world in deep slumber, looks at rockets fired from Gaza as the cause of a conflict while conveniently overlooking the fact that it is an ongoing reaction to the real cause that began in 1948.

by Raj Gonsalkorale

Palestinians will yet again commemorate the Nakba (catastrophe), a term that refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 and the Palestinians loss of their homeland. The mass expulsion of Palestinians was overwhelming in its scope. Arab Palestine was erased and replaced with Jewish Israel. It is estimated that between 750,000 and 900,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and became refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. About 500 villages were destroyed and Palestinian cities were purged of their Arab residents. Only 160,000 Palestinians remained in what became Israel - Dr Lana Tatour, Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales

The West as well as Russia and China have looked on with feigned disdain while Israel has continued the dispossession of Palestinians from their own homeland since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. While the UN has over the years passed several resolutions clearly identifying Israel as the aggressor, and its actions as illegitimate, it has only demonstrated the impotence of the UN, and the triumph of meanness over what is just.

Today, Israel, and the world in deep slumber, looks at rockets fired from Gaza as the cause of a conflict while conveniently overlooking the fact that it is an ongoing reaction to the real cause that began in 1948.

In a wide ranging article written in 2018, Dr Lana Tatour (PhD, Politics and International Study), a Palestinian scholar, and an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales and specialising in postcolonial/settler colonial studies, indigeneity, and civil society and resistance, Dr Tatour tracesthe ongoinghumiliation of Palestinians since the mass dispossession that began in 1948.

Dr Tatours article, a history of Palestinian Dispossession(https://overland.org.au/previous-issues/nakba70/essay-lana-tatour/) is quoted in full here to give readers a glimpse at this historic debacle heaped upon the Palestinian people by Israel and the worlds economic and military powers.

The article begins with the following insult to the injury heaped on the Palestinian people.

The year 2018 has so far been a good one for the State of Israel, which has just celebrated its 70th anniversary. Yesterday, the US embassy was transferred from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem following Trumps unprecedented recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jewish People.

Today, Palestinians will yet again commemorate the Nakba (catastrophe), a term that refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 and the Palestinians loss of their homeland. The mass expulsion of Palestinians was overwhelming in its scope. Arab Palestine was erased and replaced with Jewish Israel. It is estimated that between 750,000 and 900,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and became refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. About 500 villages were destroyed and Palestinian cities were purged of their Arab residents. Only 160,000 Palestinians remained in what became Israel.

But Nakba Day is as much about the present as it is about the past. The Nakba is an ongoing national and personal tragedy. Generations of Palestinians have been born into destitution, statelessness and occupation, and Palestinian claims to self-determination and sovereignty continue to be curtailed by Israel and the international community.

It is increasingly apparent that Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories is not a temporary situation but rather a permanent one. Israel has yet to give up its aspirations for a Greater Israel and the takeover of Palestinian land, with Jewish settlements continuing to proliferate and expand. The illusion of temporality enables Israel to seize Palestinian land while engaging in a futile peace process as a strategy to stall for time and make facts on the ground.

Since the occupation of the West Bank in June 1967, Israel has established more than 160 settlements there in violation of international law. Today, between 600,000 and 750,000 Jews  10 per cent of Israels Jewish population  live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Occupied East Jerusalem is gradually being ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian inhabitants. Since 1967, Israel has revoked the residency status of at least 14,959 Palestinian Jerusalemites. These people are now criminalised and banned permanently from living in their native city. In addition, for more than a decade, Israel has prohibited the movement of Palestinians between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, cementing the geographical divide between the two.

The United Nations has described Israels policies in the West Bank as creeping annexation, and Israeli ministers have begun publicly calling for the annexation of parts of the West Bank. Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A (under Palestinian control), Area B (under Israeli and Palestinian control) and Area C (under full Israeli civil and military control). According to the agreement, Area C  which constitutes 60 per cent of the West Bank  was supposed to be transferred to the Palestinians at a later stage, but this never happened. Instead, in recent years Israel has escalated its land grab and population transfer policies in Area C and Jewish settlements have undergone significant expansion.

According to the Israeli human rights organisation BTselem, Israel now has effective ownership of the majority of land in Area C. Further, while Israel has been building an average of 1500 homes for Jewish settlers every year, only 33 building permits for Palestinians were approved by Israel in Area C between 2010 and 2014. None were approved in 2015. Dozens of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley and the South Hebron Hills are today facing forced transfer. They are subjected to daily violence by the Israeli army and Jewish settlers. Israels policy is to make Palestinian life unbearable. Palestinian villages are denied access to basic services such as water and electricity, and Israel forbids building schools and health clinics. Water tanks and hundreds of EU-funded structures (including modular homes and schools) have been demolished in recent years, in what the EU has described as a violation of international law.

Colonial policies of dispossession and ethnic cleansing also extend to the Palestinian citizens of Israel. As a result of massive expropriation of land and state policies of Judaisation, Palestinian land ownership in Israel is estimated to be only 3.5 per cent. A major internal colonial frontier is now the Naqab (or Negev, the southern region of Israel/Palestine), where the Palestinian Bedouin indigenous population faces state plans that threaten the destruction of about 40 villages and the forced transfer of tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens of Israel to state-planned townships  the Israeli equivalent of reservations. Last month, the Bedouin village of Al-Araqib, which has become a symbol of Bedouin resistance, was demolished for the 127th time. The Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran will be demolished next month and the new Jewish settlement of Hiran will be built on its rubble. Adalah, the legal centre for Arab minority rights in Israel, has described Israels plan for Umm al-Hiran as being reminiscent of the darkest of regimes such as apartheid-era South Africa.

The Israeli regime is one based on racial distinction and racial hierarchy in the treatment of Palestinians and Jews. As Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), once commented, Israel is democratic for Jews, but Jewish for Arabs. The legal system and the administrative and bureaucratic apparatus work to facilitate Jewish privilege in all areas of life.

The human rights organisation Adalah has documented more than 60 laws that discriminate against the Palestinian citizens of Israel and limit their political, civil, socio-economic, cultural, land and due process rights.

Only a few days ago, the Knesset, Israels parliament, passed on first reading the new and controversial Nationality Law, which formally enshrines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. The law legalises the establishment of Jewish-only settlements and rescinds the formal status of the Arabic language as an official language of the state. In reality, this law is not news. It merely consecrates the existing reality of the Palestinian citizens of Israel. More fundamentally, the law encapsulates the Zionist viewpoint that Jews  wherever they are in the world  are the only rightful owners of the land and the only population in the state that is entitled to self-determination, while Palestinians are portrayed as aliens in their own homeland.

The two-state solution is dead (arguably, it was never really an option). It is time to recognise that we already are in a one-state condition.

Israel exercises sovereignty over the whole of historical Palestine and it governs the entire population in this territory, Palestinian and Jew alike. And yet Israel operates multiple regimes of citizenship, rights and control. While the Jewish population enjoys political and civil rights, the vast majority of Palestinians are denied those same rights. Even Jews in the diaspora enjoy more rights to the land than do the Palestinians who actually live in their homeland or were expelled from it 70 years ago.

For decades, Israel has enjoyed impunity for its violations of international law and human rights. It should be apparent that a state that removes Palestinians from their homes in order to build settlements for Jews is a settler-colonial state. A state that denies political and civil rights to Arabs because they are Arabs is a racial state. A state that shoots unarmed civilian protesters who are under illegal and inhumane siege is a criminal state.

The following concluding remarks in Dr Tatours article presents the essence of the cause that has been boiling since 1948, and which periodically releases reactions in the form of rockets from Gaza.Quote For many in the West, the dispossession and continued exile of Palestinians is still seen as a legitimate price to pay for sustaining the Jewish state. A century has passed since the Balfour Declaration, which recognised Jewish nationalism while referring to Arabs as nationless non-Jewish communities in Palestine. Palestinians are still struggling to be acknowledged as natural subjects of rights to freedom and self-determination. If anything, the recent protests (the Marches of Return) in the besieged Gaza Strip  where 70 per cent of inhabitants are refugees  demonstrate that the quest for dignity and for the right of return is at the heart of the Palestinian struggle unquote

Dr Tatour presents the solution that will end this dispossession and humiliation of Palestinians and an end to the rocket barrage that is fired from Gaza - The time has come to pursue a democratic, de-colonised and de-racialised state in historical Palestine  a state that will guarantee full equality to the whole of its population (Jews, Palestinians, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers). It is time for Palestinians to demand one person, one vote. And it is time for the international community to support this just demand.

The test of decency, justice and fair play over meanness will pass muster only if Western nations, China and Russia, Japan and India, collectively tells Israel that enough is enough and supports a solution on the lines proposed by Dr Tatour. If not, it would be conclusively clear that the mean has inherited the Earth.
Were delighted to be recognized again by Gartner in their recent report. Enterprises are experiencing significant challenges getting their models out of the lab and into production and keeping them there with full visibility, accountability to the business with risk controls. Stu Bailey, ModelOp

ModelOp, the pioneer of ModelOps software for enterprises, has been named in the "Where are They Now?" section of Gartner Cool Vendors in AI Operationalization and Engineering 2021 report. The report notes that "one of the major roadblocks that clients face when it comes to value realization of AI projects  putting AI models into production".

ModelOp was the first company to develop and release a ModelOps platform for operationalizing all types of models regardless of where and how they're created and where they execute. The Cool Vendor report comes at a time of growing momentum for ModelOp and ModelOps:



In April, Independent Research Firm Corinium Intelligence published the results of the first-ever State of ModelOps survey, with responses from 100 AI-focused executives from top global financial services companies in North America and Europe, including Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, American Express and JPMorgan Chase.

The recently held ModelOps Summit featured a keynote presentation from Erick Brethenoux, VP Analyst and AI Research Agenda Lead, Gartner, and panel discussions featuring executives from Ally Bank, Charles Schwab, New York Life, Regions, KPMG, BNY Mellon, and more.

ModelOp Center software takes the models developed in Data Science and Machine Learning (DSML) Platforms - so-called Model factories - and delivers them into the production with full visibility, control and accountability. This gives Enterprise AI Architects and the entire organization a centralized view of all models in production. The ModelOp Center integrates with the full Enterprise Stack, including runtime environments (on prem and cloud), CICD tools (e.g. Github), Data Science & Machine Learning tools (e.g.: AWS SageMaker), ticketing systems (e.g. ServiceNow, Jira), business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau), and others so that data scientists, software developers, DataOps, DevOps, ITOps, risk and compliance teams - as well as the business unit leaders - have full visibility and accountability to performance against technical, operational, business and compliance metrics, all from within their existing tools and without the need to monitor separate AI Operationalization dashboards.

ModelOp has focused on the challenges of operationalizing models since its inception. ModelOp was named as a Cool Vendor in Gartner "Cool Vendors in Data Science, 2014".

"We're delighted to be recognized again by Gartner in their recent report," said Stu Bailey, co-founder and chief enterprise AI architect at ModelOp. Bailey continued, "Large non-digital native enterprises are experiencing significant challenges getting their models out of the lab and into production and keeping them there with full visibility, accountability to the business and compliance with risk controls. As a ModelOps pioneer, we're excited by the explosion of interest and investment that organizations are making in this critical capability for AI-driven enterprises."

The complete Cool Vendors in Enterprise AI Operationalization and Engineering 2021 report can be accessed here.

For additional information:

About ModelOp:

ModelOp, the pioneer of ModelOps software, enables enterprises to address the critical governance and scale challenges necessary to fully unlock the transformational value of enterprise AI and Machine Learning investments. Core to any AI orchestration platform, G2000 companies use ModelOp Center to govern, monitor and orchestrate models across the enterprise and deliver reliable, compliant and scalable AI initiatives.

Gartner Disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartners Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner, Cool Vendors in Enterprise AI Operationalization and Engineering, 27 April 2021, Arun Chandrasekaran, Farhan Choudhary, Georgia O'Callaghan, Soyeb Barot, Robert Thanaraj, Chirag Dekate, Erick Brethenoux

Gartner, Cool Vendors in Data Science, 2014, 23 April 2014, Lisa Kart, Neil Chandler, Alexander Linden, Rita Sallam
Branding and Website Redesign for SF nonprofit My organization just finished a website redesign orchestrated by the fantastic team at Project6. Throughout the year-long process, they were professional, thoughtful, innovative, consistent and responsive.I look forward to working with them again soon. - Al M, FCA

Based in San Francisco and regarded as a leading national authority on caregiver support, the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) has been providing services to family caregivers for over 40 years. These services include CareNav, a secure online service for quality information, support, and resources for family caregivers of adults with chronic physical or cognitive conditions such as Alzheimers, stroke, Parkinsons, and other illnesses.

The award-winning design firm Project6 Design redesigned their branding, print collateral and their website. Details of the branding refresh and website update include:



Revised and simplified navigation makes finding information intuitive.

Hundreds of resources, events, articles and stories were imported and reorganized into the new website. The site provides information on local events as well as an extensive collection of support services on a national level. The site also houses research and reports, enables researchers to announce clinical trials, and distributes innovation awards.

Resources are delivered in 5 languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Content managers are able to easily manage translated resources.

Using the latest WordPress technology, content managers can quickly create and edit all pages, resources, state organizations, awards, events, FAQ, news, stories, and staff.

More than a dozen modular block designs enable content managers to modify page layouts that are uniquely tailored to the content needs and also consistent with the new brand.

A new logo and palette modernizes the look of the brand.

Digital powerpoint and letterhead templates, as well as printed letterhead and business card designs, extend the brand across the organization.

About family caregiver alliance

FCA provides direct services and supports, such as assessment and care planning, emotional support options, training on care conditions and direct care assistance, legal/financial consultation, respite services, support groups and other supportive services. As part of FCA, the National Center on Caregiving unites research, policy, and practice to advance the development of high-quality, cost-effective programs and policies for caregivers in every state. It works collaboratively with other organizations to promote services and policies and is represented on numerous national advisories connected with projects that focus on unpaid family caregivers. FCA receives high volumes of traffic from organic searches leading to hundreds of information-rich articles and resources.

For more than 40 years, FCA has provided services to family caregivers of adults with physical and cognitive impairments, such as Parkinsons, stroke, Alzheimers and other types of dementia. Its services include assessment, care planning, direct care skills, wellness programs, respite services, and legal/financial consultation vouchers. Ongoing support is available with FCA, also now on a digital service platform. FCA is a longtime advocate for caregivers in the areas of policy, health and social system development, research, and public awareness, on the state, national and international levels.

About Project6 Design, Inc.

Project6 is an award-winning San Francisco Bay Area graphic design firm working with tech, retail, education, and nonprofit organizations. Services include branding, print collateral design, and web design and development for a diverse roster of clients such as eBay, Gap, Stanford University, Old Navy, The Siebel Foundation and many others.

Are we the best web design firm in the San Francisco Bay Area for your needs? Contact us to find out.
I believe in Natural Wine for Everybody! says Valentina Passalacqua. Young wine drinkers want great tasting, consistent, interesting wines that are made naturally and priced fairly. Im able to meet that demand.

Leading fine wine importer Ronnie Sanders of Vine Street Imports and Pugliese natural wine producer Valentina Passalacqua announced today a national importation agreement for Passalacqua brands, Calcarius and 9 is Enough, beginning this month. Theres a big market opportunity for natural wines that deliver consistently high quality at competitive prices. Calcarius ticks all the boxes, says Sanders. With 9 is Enough, we can also serve wine lovers interested in delicious, low alcohol natural wine options.

Calcarius has been in the US market previously in natural wine-focused retailers and restaurants while 9 is Enough is new to the US. The plan now is to move beyond the narrow world of natural wine into mainstream distribution. I believe in Natural Wine for Everybody! says Valentina Passalacqua. Young wine drinkers want great tasting, consistent, interesting wines that are made naturally and priced fairly. Im able to meet that demand. Valentinas wines are consistently fresh and easy to drink with great minerality; they are representative of the land from which theyre made.

Vine Street will import the full portfolio of Calcarius and 9 Is Enough with wines in the $25+ price points. According to Sanders, Vine Streets distribution strategy is providing thoughtfully produced wine at competitive prices in focus markets throughout the US. Interest and demand for these wines, which was once only trendy in certain pockets of the country, has grown substantially over the last few years, states Sanders. Were excited to be working with Valentina on this new venture.

Last summer, near the beginning of the pandemic, Valentina Passalacqua was embroiled in a scandal because of false accusations by an unscrupulous natural wine competitor related to labor practices on her fathers vegetable farms unrelated to Valentinas company. All the accusations were proven and certified to be false. Now, Valentina, is starting fresh with a focus on mainstream distribution. She has also done serious soul-searching and she has decided commit to workers rights issues, continuing to be part of the solution. Valentina has made the issue of workers rights central to her company. For example, Valentina has integrated a labor union representative at the winery who works directly with the employees in communicating and supporting their rights within the company. She has also instituted important inclusion projects that help improve the lives of immigrants with job training and apprenticeship programs with the winerys experienced vineyard team. And in 2020, the Valentina Passalacqua Winery was accepted into the Quality Agricultural Labor Network, a program created to certify compliance with the requirements of respectability and compliance with the provisions of labor and social legislation.

About Valentina Passalacqua - https://valentinapassalacqua.it/

Based in the Gargano natural reserve area of Puglia, Valentina Passalacqua is Italys leading natural wine producer. The company produces wines under three brands, each with distinctive characteristics from their individual terroirs, each respecting the traditions of the region and each the result of intensive research and experimentation. The three brands are: the eponymous Valentina Passalacqua, the hugely popular Calcarius, and the low-alcohol alternative, 9 is Enough. All wines are all natural. Distributed through natural wine channels in the past, Valentina has come to believe in the concept of Natural Wine for Everybody! Her wines are increasingly being distributed through mainstream retailers and restaurants who want to offer their clientele high quality natural wines that express the lands from which theyre made.

About Vine Street -http://www.vsimports.com

Vine Street Imports is dedicated to bringing the most exciting boutique and artisan wines from around the globe to the US market. Their wines garner critical acclaim from major wine reviewers and can be found in prestigious retail shops and restaurants around the country. Vine Street Imports represents many of the most talented winemakers and their craft from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to Italy and England. Personality and open-mindedness are at the core of Vine Streets mantra, as expressed with the labels, styles and varietals with whom they work. In the words of Italian Renaissance man Gabriele DAnnunzio, Memento Audere Semper (Remember to Always Dare).
NCPDP announced today that Vinh Giang, an award-winning entrepreneur, motivational speaker and magician, will deliver a keynote presentation at NCPDPs 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, June 28-30, 2021. NCPDPs Reimagine, Reinvent, Reinvest themed conference is expected to draw several hundred attendees representing a broad cross-section of healthcare industry stakeholders.

Giang will be the opening keynoter on Monday, June 28th. NCPDP tapped Giang to inspire conference goers to push beyond the realm of what seems possible and stimulate new and creative ways to tackle healthcares most pressing challenges. The call to action for NCPDP members is to develop standards and enhancements to standards faster  to improve efficiencies and interoperability for all stakeholders and to fortify patient safety.

Giang himself made a swift and unexpected career move when, six months short of graduation, he abandoned a degree in commerce and law to build a business teaching magic online. Giang's business, The Encyclopedia of Magic, which recently merged with 52kards, is a leading resource for more than 800,000 students of magic worldwide. It was so hugely successful that it earned him the award of Top Young Entrepreneur in Australia. He is also the CEO of Luminary Productions, which produces video for individuals and companies globally.

Giang has spent the last 15 years mastering the art of performance-enhanced communication, helping thousands of professionals worldwide. He shares three key business ideas and demonstrates them using the art of magic with onstage audience participation. By creating a fun and highly entertaining atmosphere of illusion, each key business concept is driven home in a truly profound and creative manner, creating a powerful emotional experience for attendees.

Selling the illusion is one of the most difficult products in the world to sell. Said Vinh Giang, Imagine if you applied the same mindset to your company imagine if you applied the same dedication to your business  think about what you could achieve.

For a photo of entrepreneur, motivational speaker and illusionist, Vinh Giang, please visit

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncpdp/.

NCPDPs Virtual Annual Conference is open to all healthcare industry stakeholders. To register for the conference visit https://ncpdp.org/ac/register.aspx.

For real-time updates before and during the conference, follow NCPDP at http://twitter.com/ncpdp or join the discussion using NCPDPs 2021 Annual Technology & Business Conference hashtag: #NCPDP21.

About NCPDP

Founded in 1977, NCPDP is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited, Standards Development Organization with more than 1,500 members representing virtually every sector of the pharmacy services industry. Our diverse membership provides leadership and healthcare business solutions through education and standards, created using the consensus building process. NCPDP has been named in federal legislation, including HIPAA, MMA, and HITECH. NCPDP members have created standards such as the Telecommunication Standard and Batch Standard, the SCRIPT Standard for ePrescribing, the Manufacturers Rebate Standard and more to improve communication within the pharmacy industry. Our data products include dataQ, a robust database of information on more than 80,000 pharmacies, resQ, an industry pharmacy credentialing resource, and HCIdea, an innovative prescriber database that provides continually updated information on more than 2.5 million prescribers. NCPDP's RxReconn is a legislative tracking product for real-time monitoring of pharmacy-related state and national legislative and regulatory activity. For more information about NCPDP Standards, Data Services, Products, Educational Programs and Work Group meetings, go online at http://www.ncpdp.org or call 480.477.1000.
Envision Peripherals, Inc. (EPI), an affiliate of TPV Technology Limited (TPV), today debuts a new E Line monitor, the Philips 4K Ultra HD LCD monitor 288E2E. The Philips E Line monitor features stunning visuals and stylish design for workspace. Ultra-clear 4K UHD and Ultra-Wide-Color deliver ultimate clarity and life-like visuals. Its Multiview function meets the need for usability and productivity. The Philips 288E2E is available on Amazon for $309.99 USD, starting May 18, 2021, at 12:01 AM PST.

Superb Picture Quality

This Philips display utilizes a high performance IPS panel to deliver Ultra Clear, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution images. With Ultra-Wide-Color Technology delivering a wider spectrum of colors for a more brilliant picture and 1.7 billion color depth, the Philips 288E2E is an ideal option for re-creating smooth, precise, and vivid images. It allows users to enjoy accurate and true-to-life visuals whether gaming, watching videos, or working on color critical work with graphics applications.

Good for Gaming

Equipped with AMD FreeSync Technology, the Philips 288E2Es quick refresh rate and ultra-fast response time enable fluid, artifact-free performance at virtually any framerate, which is perfect for smooth gameplay. This display has quick access OSD fine-tuned for gamers, offering them multiple options, and allows users to save personal customized settings based on different game.

Features Designed for You

With the ultra-high resolution MultiView display Philips 288E2E, users can now experience a world of connectivity. MultiView enables users to connect multiple devices such as a PC and notebook simultaneously, for complex multi-tasking. The discreetly placed EasySelect Menu Toggle Key allows users to make quick and easy adjustments to monitor settings in the On-Screen Display menu. It even features eye protection technologies, Flicker-free technology and LowBlue Mode for long and comfortable working sessions.

Availability

The Philips 288E2E is available on Amazon for $309.99 USD, starting May 18, 2021, at 12:01 AM PST.

To request review samples or for more information on Philips Display, contact Jamy Reyes at jamy.reyes@epius.com.


In these times, we need to build resilience to stress, which is at the root of most illnesses.

As a board-certified expert physician in functional medicine, Dr. Evelyne Leone wants to educate people about how to gain power over their health and collaborate with their doctors to improve and optimize their health. She wanted to write a concise book that everyone could benefit from in a practical way, yet she also wanted it to carry a soulful message about self-love and self-care that would be transformative to the reader. It is for this reason she has written Into the Heart of Health: Reaching Your Health Threshold, An Unshakeable Balance in Mind, Body, and Emotions (published by Balboa Press).

This book guides readers to their health threshold as they learn how to combine practical advice and tools from modern medicine, psychology, and spiritual healing. The goal is to ease ailments; balance functions in the body and the mind; restore energy and sleep; cultivate an intuitive awareness about health; and start the healing process before visiting a doctor.

In these times, we need to build resilience to stress, which is at the root of most illnesses. We have to learn how to create a healthy balance between mind, body and spirit and live our emotions in a way that is not harmful to us, Leone says. This book brings tools to achieve a fine equilibrium and a state of less reactivity to external triggers resulting in harmonious health.

Into the Heart of Health: Reaching Your Health Threshold, An Unshakeable Balance in Mind, Body, and Emotions aims for readers to feel empowered, knowing that they can control the effects of stress, protect their health, and use their innate healing abilities to prevent and fight diseases. For more details about this book, please visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/803343-into-the-heart-of-health

Into the Heart of Health: Reaching Your Health Threshold, An Unshakeable Balance in Mind, Body, and Emotions

By Dr. Evelyne Leone

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 194 pages | ISBN 9781982261436

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 194 pages | ISBN 9781982261412

E-Book | 194 pages | ISBN 9781982261429

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Dr. Evelyne Leone, the founder of the Institute of Conscious Health, is a board-certified expert physician in Anti-Aging, Functional and Regenerative Medicine. She was trained at the Cleveland Clinic and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She also holds certifications in brain fitness, Ayurvedic Medicine, yoga, and reiki. She combines conventional medicine, holistic medicine and mind-body practices to address and prevent diseases and slow down aging. Her work as a physician who integrates body, mind and spirit has led her to collaborate with leading conscious teachers in the spiritual community. Leone is seeing patients in private practice and offering online courses.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
Our posterities will never know family histories unless we write them -- how, during the war years, many were affected by infrequent communications through radio, newsreels, personal letters, and newspaper accounts unless we record them.

Nancy Foltz-Beck has always had a keen interest in family history, genealogy, journaling, and adventure. She shares personal experiences of yesterday, of family life, lived  and missed. It is, for this reason, she has written Rusty Anchors (published by Balboa Press).

This semi-autobiographical book introduces readers to the Foltz family, military people who lived a somewhat nomadic life, often required by defenders of freedom. Foltz-Becks father, Seaman First Class Harold W. Foltz, was a sailor in the United States Navy, sworn to follow orders. When worsening events indicated the navy was shipping out, what would become of his young family? Madelaine was alone on foreign soil in pre-war China, pregnant, injured, and afraid. As newlyweds, the couple faced a frightening reality; they were unprepared for invaders' orders to evacuate immediately or face the reality of a concentration camp, or the distinct possibility of being shot.

Madelaine's one-way ticket from San Francisco to Shanghai held no contingencies for a safe passage home in cases of political unrest, or worse. Overloaded modes of transportation were quickly filled with anxious, frightened refugees scrambling to find any means of passage out of the country, but not Madelaine. She had insufficient funds, and far from home, had no viable means of safety. No one could have predicted the storm clouds of war would become so personal, but they did. Forlorn, terrified, and nearly penniless, the couple turned to the only source of eternal truth for answers, God, knowing it would take much more than first-rate dragon luck to save her life.

"Our posterities will never know family histories unless we write them -- how, during the war years, many were affected by infrequent communications through radio, newsreels, personal letters, and newspaper accounts unless we record them. Lest we forget, we were never completely alone. We are proud of having been a military family of a bygone era," Foltz-Beck says. When asked what she wants readers to take from this book, she replies, "Hope. These stories of yesterday's trials will empower readers to connect and recouple with exceptional ancestors who made our present-day lives, and freedoms reality. Through the recent worldwide pandemic, many seem to have experienced diminished faith. It needn't be so. For the youth of today, be strong in the face of seemingly insurmountable barbs of adversity. You are the hope of tomorrow, prepared to come forth in these perilous times, endowed with remarkable abilities. Never underestimate yourselves or feel you are alone. Future generations are counting on your ability to live and experience life well. For more details about this book, please visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/806028-rusty-anchors

Rusty Anchors

By Nancy Foltz-Beck

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 258 pages | ISBN 9781982265229

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 258 pages | ISBN 9781982265236

E-Book | 258 pages | ISBN 9781982265342

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Nancy Foltz-Beck is the mother of three grown children, Kendra, Adam, and Steven, as well as the grandmother of Brittany and Brandon. As a music teacher, she finds special joy in helping students develop their talents. Her primary interest is devoted to family, travel, painting, writing, and music. She serves as the organist at church; enjoyed an active, vocal life as a choral member of several Southern California performing arts groups, appearing twice at Carnegie Hall and several world concert tours.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
"What I love about this brand is that it combines two things that never go out of style--fashionable hoodies and giving back, said Chris George, founder and CEO of Certified.

Today marks the launch of an all-new socially-conscious clothing company called Certified, a premium sweatshirt brand. The new concept, from subscription business leader and serial entrepreneur Chris George, goes far beyond the popular one-for-one give-back model of some fashion brands. Instead, Certified will donate 100 meals to Feeding America for every product sold.

What I love about this brand is that it combines two things that never go out of style--fashionable hoodies and giving back, said Chris George, founder and CEO of Certified. I really wanted this next business venture to help millions of people. It may seem like an ambitious goal, but I am excited to work towards it with the help of our growing Certified community.

For todays launch, the Certified brands products include two signature hoodies: one with the word Certified emblazoned across the chest and another with the word Verified in the same position on the sweatshirt. Each quarter, Certified will drop new styles that received positive input from customers via social media (@getcertifiedwear on Instagram) and other feedback channels. The first quarterly drop is estimated to drop in December 2021. A t-shirt line is also in the process of being designed with an estimated rollout happening in summer 2021.

Certified will donate meals to Feeding America monthly based on the number of sweatshirts sold in that respective month. The Certified community will be able to track the amount of meals donated on the companys website.

According to Feeding America, millions of Americans struggle with hunger and food insecurity daily. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have only added to the food inequities faced by so many. In fact, many people are one paycheck away from facing hunger, which has the largest impact on children, seniors and members of the BIPOC community. Feeding America is working to address the structural and systemic causes that disproportionately impact these marginalized groups.

The Certified brands inaugural hoodies can be purchased on getcertifiedwear.com for $100 each.

For more information, please visit getcertifiedwear.com and sign up for the Certified email newsletter.

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About Certified

Certified is a social apparel brand fueled by the foundations of streetwear: a heightened awareness of purchasing decisions combined with a unique approach to style. Coupled with a mission to provide 100M meals in the fight against hunger, the new concept is the brainchild of subscription industry leader and serial entrepreneur Chris George, and far exceeds the popular one-for-one philanthropic model of other fashion brands. Contrarily, Certified will donate 100 meals to Feeding America for each item sold. As the next staple in streetwear, Certified fuses fashionable loungewear with authentic, socially informed purchasing. The basis of the product lineup includes two signature hooded sweatshirts with words Certified and Verified across the chest in Certifieds trademark colorways of red, white and black. In each seasons iteration comes a bevy of limited-edition drops, featuring new phrases, terms, and color themes based on customer feedback through polls on Certifieds Instagram (@getcertifiedwear) and other feedback channels. For more information on Certified or to purchase the socially conscious apparel, visit getcertifiedwear.com.
Mary Bear-Dukes joins Nexus Family Healing We are excited to welcome Mary to Nexus to lead this critical piece of our organization. Continuing our work in data-driven practices is as essential as we push to meet the ever-changing behavioral and emotional needs of our communities.

Nexus Family Healing recently welcomed Mary Bear-Dukes to the organizations senior executive leadership team where she will serve as Vice President of Information Technology (IT) and Quality.

The Vice President of IT & Quality is a new position being added to Nexus Family Healing and will play a vital role in creating innovative change, securing the necessary technological and continuous improvement support necessary to meet the needs of the growing organization and its agencies. This position will oversee and lead information technology and quality outcomes, including implementing a digital transformation strategy, enhancing safety and risk management. Bear-Dukes will also work to set the vision and strategy behind Nexus data-driven decision-making and inspire continuous quality improvement practices to achieve positive outcomes for the children and families served each year.

Bear-Dukes has held a variety of leadership roles at Allina Health in Minneapolis, spanning from finance, information technology, to hospital operations. She most recently served as Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management. As a senior healthcare executive, Bear-Dukes has been described as genuine, collaborative, and empowering. Her ability to think differently and challenge the status quo has helped in solving complex problems by focusing on people, processes, and technology.

Bear-Dukes holds a BA in Human Services Administration from Metropolitan State University and MBA from Concordia University, St. Paul. She is a Board Member at Vision Loss Resources and a student mentor through Mentor Collective.

We are excited to welcome Mary to Nexus to lead this critical piece of our organization. Continuing our work in data-driven practices is as essential as we push to meet the ever-changing behavioral and emotional needs of our communities, states Nexus President and CEO, Dr. Michelle Murray. Marys work will directly influence and support our treatment methods, our growth, and our mission to restore hope and reshape futures for every individual and family who comes to Nexus. This is an important role and Marys experience in nonprofit healthcare, coupled with her innovative and strategic thinking, makes her a great fit for Nexus.

About Nexus Family Healing

Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit mental and behavioral health organization. For over 45 years, our network of agencies has used innovative, personalized approaches to heal trauma, break cycles of harm, and reshape futures. We provide outpatient/community mental health services, foster care/adoption, and residential treatment to help thousands of children each year struggling with emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues  and the families who love them. Were especially passionate about bringing hope to the most challenging situations.

Nexus Family Healing has eight agencies across four states who work directly with children and families. We were founded in Minnesota  where our corporate office remains; our agencies are located in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Learn more at NexusFamilyHealing.org.


ODU High-Speed High-Density Connectors Now Available with Flash Drive

ODU, a worldwide leader in designing and manufacturing high-performance connector solutions and cable assemblies, is showcasing to the US market the ODU AMC High-Density Connector Solutions available now with flash drive.

The ODU AMC High-Density Flash Drive is a 12 position Flash Drive on miniature connector solution. It enables the user to back up and secure data in harsh environments. The portable data storage device is ideal for securely uploading and downloading data to defense systems or other devices that operate independently of static infrastructure. The data is also protected from external access via standard devices by the special ODU interface.

The new ODU AMC High-Density Flash Drive has a USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 data protocol, Pseudo Single Level Cell technology, and an IP68 and IP69K in mated condition. With an operating temperature range of -40C to 85C, more read and write cycles than most MLC Flash Drives, and an ultra-rugged design, we can now offer our customers a complete system solution.

The new ODU AMC High-Density Flash Drive offers a solution for various applications including, but not limited to, unmanned systems, computers in harsh environments, and mounted and dismounted PC.

ODU Group: Global Representation with Perfect Connections

The ODU Group is one of the worlds leading suppliers of connector systems, employing 2,300 people around the world. In addition to its company headquarters in Muhldorf am Inn (Germany), ODU also has an international distribution network and production sites in Sibiu/Romania, Shanghai/China and Tijuana/Mexico. ODU combines all relevant areas of expertise and key technologies including design and development, machine tooling and special machine construction, injection, stamping, turning, surface technology, assembly and cable assembly. The ODU Group sells its products globally through its sales offices in China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Romania, Sweden and the US, as well as through numerous international sales partners. ODU connectors ensure a reliable transmission of power, signals, data and media for a variety of demanding applications including medical technology, military, communications and security, automotive, industrial electronics, and testing & measurement.

1These ODU specific connectors can transmit common data transmission protocols such as USB 3.2 Gen 1x1, USB 2.0, and HDMI, but they are not USB- or HDMI- standard connectors.
Health authorities on Monday flagged the possibility that even travelers who have been inoculated with China's Sinopharm vaccine will be exempt from coronavirus quarantine here.

The quarantine waiver will extend to all travelers with certificates of WHO-authorized vaccines -- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm -- although Sinopharm's effectiveness is relatively low.

Currently, only Korean travelers who have been fully vaccinated here are exempt from quarantine on return.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, the chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said the U.S. has a similar policy because if it restricted itself to vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, coronavirus passports would be severely limited.

Several countries are discussing mutual recognition of vaccine passports.

The Foreign Ministry wants to proceed country by country based on how strictly they check the process of giving out vaccine certificates and reciprocity, a spokesman said.

According to the WHO, the Sinopharm vaccine is 79 percent effective against symptomatic coronavirus, but its effectiveness for the elderly has not been assessed for lack of test subjects, and it is not known how effective it is against variants.

The other Chinese vaccine, Sinovac, is unlikely to be accepted anywhere except in some Chinese client states because it is only about 50 percent effective.
The Supreme Court has ruled that certain clauses of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution and can only be passed by a special Parliamentary majority and by a referendum, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in Parliament today.

The Speaker read out the Supreme Court's determination on Fundamental Rights Petitions filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutionality of the Bill this morning in Parliament.

Parliament is due to hold a two-day debate on the Bill on Wednesday (19) and Thursday (20), with a vote expected on Thursday evening.

The full text of the announcement made by the Speaker regarding the Supreme Court's determination is as follows:




Were proud to achieve the AWS Security Competency designation, furthering our commitment to helping customers accelerate their AWS migrations and confidently expand their AWS estates, said Avi Shua, CEO and Co-Founder, Orca Security.

Orca Security announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Competency status. This key designation recognizes that Orca Security has demonstrated proven technology and deep expertise to help customers achieve their cloud security goals. As an AWS Partner, Orca is committed to working closely with AWS customers to secure their cloud estates from increasing threats.

Orca Security is one of only nine companies in the Vulnerability and Configuration Analysis category to achieve the AWS Security Competency. Achieving the AWS Security Competency designation differentiates Orca Security as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that provides specialized software designed to help enterprises adopt, develop and deploy complex security projects on AWS. To receive this designation, AWS Partners must show that multiple customers have validated their technology for the specific competency, possess deep AWS expertise with a well-architected infrastructure and deliver solutions seamlessly on AWS.

Were proud to achieve the AWS Security Competency designation, furthering our commitment to helping customers accelerate their AWS migrations and confidently expand their AWS estates, said Avi Shua, CEO and Co-Founder, Orca Security. Orca Security is dedicated to helping organizations achieve their security goals by combining our SideScanning technology with the powerful security tools AWS provides to give customers full visibility into every aspect of their cloud estate.

AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify Consulting and APN Technology Partners with deep industry experience and expertise.

Orca Security on AWS

Orca Security is designed to provide cloud-wide, workload-deep, context-aware security and compliance for AWS without the gaps in coverage, alert fatigue, and operational costs of agent-based solutions. The Orca Cloud Security platform adds an additional layer of protection to AWS workloads including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), AWS Fargate, and AWS Lambda as well as finding configuration issues in the native services.

Orca Security integrates through the AWS runtime storage layer and combines this with metadata gathered from AWS APIs to detect risks across both the workload and control plane. Customers can easily scan Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) buckets for personally identifiable information (PII) and malware without moving or storing the underlying data. Orca Security also enables AWS customers to leverage AWS CloudTrail events to trigger new scans and update risk levels as configurations change in near real time. With Orca Security, customers can inspect AWS Identity Access Management (IAM) policies, generate alerts, and visualize issues simultaneously via an access risk map.

Key Developments of the Orca Security + AWS Relationship:

 Available in AWS Marketplace: Orca Security is listed in AWS Marketplace and customers are able to procure its solution as a private offer or through an AWS Consulting Partner.

 Integration with AWS Image Builder: With AWS Image Builder support, Orca Security directly integrates with customers CI/CD pipeline to ensure DevOps teams ship secured and verified images to production.

 Service Ready for AWS Linux 2: Through quality assurance and security tests, Orca Security has been validated to provide support for Amazon Linux and Amazon Linux 2 platform of discovery.

 AWS ISV Accelerate Program: Orca Security is part of the AWS ISV Accelerate Program, a co-sell program for AWS Partners who provide software solutions that run on or integrate with AWS.

Live Oak Bank Finds Multiple Tools in One with Orca Security

Orca Securitys patent-pending SideScanning technology reads workloads runtime block storage out-of-band to detect all essential security risks across every layer of the cloud. Orca Security eliminates the need to cobble together disparate tools, and replaces legacy vulnerability assessment tools, CSPM, CWPP solutions, and more.

We plan to replace several one-off solutions with Orca Security because Orca Security does much more than just vulnerability scanning, said Thomas Hill, CISO, Live Oak Bank. It looks for data loss prevention. It does virus scanning. It performs an inventory. Orca does it all, while saving us both time and money.

Additional Resources

 Orca Security AWS Partner Information Page and Case Studies

 Orca Bytes Webinar: Orca Security for AWS Demo

 On Demand Webcast: Advanced Tips for Securing Large AWS Environments with Sisense and AWS

 On Demand Webcast: Simplifying AWS Cloud Security with Forrester and the CISO of Lemonade

About Orca Security

Orca Security, the cloud security innovation leader, provides cloud-wide, workload-deep security and compliance for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and GCP - without the gaps in coverage, alert fatigue, and operational costs of agents.

Unlike competing tools that operate in silos, Orca treats your cloud as an interconnected web of assets, prioritizing risk based on the severity of the underlying security issue combined with environmental context, including its accessibility and potential damage to the business. This does away with thousands of meaningless security alerts to provide just the critical few that matter, along with their precise path to remediation.

Find critical attack vectors before your adversaries without having to cobble together disparate tools for cloud security posture management, compliance assessments, and workload and data protection. Delivered as SaaS, Orca Securitys patent-pending SideScanning technology reads your cloud configuration and workloads runtime block storage out-of-band, detecting vulnerabilities, malware, misconfigurations, lateral movement risk, weak and leaked passwords, and unsecured PII. SideScanning covers all your workloads VMs, containers, and serverless.

Orca Security deploys in minutes - not months - because no code runs within your cloud environment. With Orca, there are no overlooked assets, no DevOps headaches, and no performance hits on live environments.

Connect your first cloud account in minutes and see for yourself. Visit https://orca.security.

Follow Orca Security: Twitter I LinkedIn I Facebook
P2 Science Inc., a green chemistry company, announced that Adalberto Fleitas has joined the company to lead the applications group focused on cosmetics and personal care ingredients.

Fleitas has extensive experience in the fields of cosmetics, personal care and fragrances. He comes to P2 from Cosmax where he was a senior cosmetics chemist. Fleitas prior experience includes stints at Estee Lauder, RB and Givaudan.

Bringing Adalberto onto the P2 team supercharges our applications team, which is already doing an outstanding job supporting our innovative range of green cosmetics ingredients and aroma chemicals, said P2 CEO, Neil Burns. He has the skills, experience and attitude to help us develop a truly state-of-the-art applications capability for our global customer base.

Fleitas graduated with a MA in cosmetic science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is an active member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

Its great to work in such an exciting and innovative company, where our products are built on world-leading technology, said Fleitas. Im looking forward to being a part of the P2 story, using beautiful chemistry that transforms the materials we use every day.

Fleitas is based at P2s Woodbridge (CT) facility and reports to Ted Anastasiou, Vice President of Research and Development.

About P2 Science:

P2 Science is a green chemistry company, co-founded by Professor Paul Anastas, head of the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. P2 has developed and patented technologies for converting renewable feedstocks into high-value specialty products. Investors in P2 include BASF Venture Capital, Xeraya Capital, Elm Street Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Ironwood Capital, HG Ventures and Chanel. The company started up its first manufacturing plant in September of 2018 which produces novel renewable aroma chemicals and cosmetic ingredients. For more information, visit http://www.p2science.com


By partnering with PAAY, we can offer eCommerce businesses a payment gateway with the benefits of 3-D Secure and protection, said Dan Nadeau, principal owner, Payway.

Payway, an integrated payment processing solution, announced today that it has partnered with PAAY, a leading consumer authentication service for merchants. The partnership will add PAAYs EMV 3-D Secure (3DS) to Payways gateway payment processing solution to reduce the risk of fraudulent eCommerce transactions. Certified by Visa, American Express, Discover, and MasterCard, PAAYs solution helps merchants increase approval rates, reduce fraudulent chargebacks, and stay compliant with global mandates.

The partnership will now allow Payway to offer eCommerce and subscription businesses a simple, straightforward solution for merchants to reduce the risks and costs associated with payment processing. With PAAYS 3-D Secure, eCommerce merchants can authenticate cardholders before the transaction is sent for processing and, as a result, the chargeback liability is shifted off the merchant account and onto the card issuer.

Payway continues to enhance its award-winning payment solution through partnerships and native development. By partnering with PAAY, we can offer eCommerce businesses a payment gateway with the benefits of 3-D Secure and protection, said Dan Nadeau, principal owner, Payway. The pandemic ushered in a new era of online commerce and significant global changes. With this also came greater risk for false declines, fraud and abuse. A partnership with PAAY will help prepare and safeguard organizations, while still allowing customers to have a great experience shopping online.

The partnership with PAAY provides multiple benefits for eCommerce companies when they choose to use Payways Payment Processing tool, including being PSD2/SCA compliant and compatibility with other fraud solutions. The click-to-pay solution takes advantage of EMV 3-D Secure, designed to make eCommerce payment processing more secure in real-time by providing an additional layer of security. It enables the exchange of data between the merchant, card issuer and when necessary, the cardholder to validate that the transaction is being initiated by the rightful owner of the account.

PAAYs EMV 3-D Secure sits between the shopping cart and the gateway, authenticating transactions in real-time with absolutely no lag. Distinct from fraud prevention tools, suspicious transactions will not be declined. All transactions go through as normal providing 100% frictionless commerce that does not interrupt the customer experience at the checkout. Everything happens in the background with no impact on the customer experience.

Merchants can expect to see a 90% reduction in fraudulent chargebacks, if not greater. Reducing the risk of fraud is critical to the industry as we watched eCommerce sales increase by over 30% in 2020*, said Yitz Mendlowitz, CEO, PAAY. By eliminating unnecessary chargebacks, we are saving business owners time and money. Its not just the cost of the chargeback itself - its time spent disputing, the chargeback fee from the processor, shipping. The cost of a chargeback is so much more than the chargeback itself.

According to the 2020 LexisNexis Risk Solutions True Cost of Fraud Study**, it is estimated that the total amount of costs related to fees, interest, merchandise replacement and redistribution per dollar of fraud for which the merchant is held liableshows fraud now costs companies $3.36 for every dollar in fraud chargebacks.

Were always working to ensure merchants can provide their customers a frictionless and secure payment experience without risking their own bottom line. PAAY shares many of the values we do  commitment to customer satisfaction and providing more for less. Like us, they cater to ecommerce and subscription companies and are incredibly approachable. Pairing our respective solutions to deliver an enhanced offering was an easy decision to make. Kimberly Miller, vice president, Business Development

About Payway

Payway is a proven payment service provider that helps card-not-present and subscription businesses simplify and accelerate transaction processing leading to improved cash flow and significantly lowering the costs associated with accepting recurring payments.

Payway has decades of experience in managing card-not-present payments and provides their customers the most up-to-date security features. Payway built their user-friendly payment processing solution to be responsive to the needs of organizations who operate a recurring payment business model, like the many publishing and media companies theyve served since 1984. For more information, visit payway.com

About PAAY

PAAY is a leading innovative consumer authentication service for merchants that is simple, secure, and seamless to implement. PAAYs frictionless EMV 3-DS solution empowers ecommerce merchants to grow their business securely by increasing authorization rates and eliminating friendly fraud while meeting all network security and compliance needs. PAAYs mission is to give merchants choice and control of their destiny. To learn more visit PAAY.co



** https://risk.lexisnexis.com/insights-resources/research/2020-true-cost-of-fraud-retail
Big Blue Swim School, one of the nations fastest-growing swim school franchises, is making a massive development push with its biggest franchise signing yet.

Professional diving instructor and CPA Woody Alpern has partnered with Big Blue Swim School to bring 37 new swim schools to cities in six states across the Southeast, including seven schools in Atlanta, Georgia; five in Charlotte, North Carolina; four in Jacksonville, Florida; three in Tampa, Florida; eleven in Miami, Florida; three in Louisville, Kentucky; four in Nashville, Tennessee; and one in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

As a professional diving instructor and entrepreneur, Alpern looks forward to making Big Blue a premier name in the $3 billion swim school industry.

My dream with the business is to make Big Blue Swim School the strongest player in the fragmented swim world, said Alpern. We are a country driven by brand names, and we want Big Blue to be the premier swim school that positively impacts the lives of children as it relates to teaching them a vital life skill. I believe the love of water is life changing. Its pure, serene and provides me with a feeling of calm and energy I have simply never been able to feel anywhere else. We look forward to creating many big moments for children in the years to come.

Alpern, an avid swimmer and diver, says he made the decision to partner with Big Blue Swim School after learning about the brands best-in-class consumer offering, which he identified as a uniquely lucrative investment opportunity.

Throughout my 30 years of entrepreneurship, Ive always been aware of the franchise space and always liked the idea of being a part of a tried and true system that would allow me to build on the business model and grow strategically, said Alpern. When researching concepts, Big Blue instantly appealed to me, and they were quick to reach out. The Big Blue team is a hands-on franchisor. They invited me to take a look at the facility, introduced me to the brand and stayed involved throughout the whole discovery period. The life-skill of swim instruction will never become outdated, replaced by technology, irrelevant or less vital over time, and the opportunity to grow this brand in the Southeast was too incredible to pass up.

Touting the highest level of diving certifications, Alpern will leverage his 45-plus years of diving experience to make a difference in childrens lives across the Southeast as they learn how to swim.

The new partnership is the latest step in an impressive growth streak for Big Blue, which has now signed 131 pools in 21 states.

This is the biggest financial commitment in the history of Big Blue Swim School, as well as one of the biggest in the entire aquatics industry, said Chris DeJong, Big Blues founder and president. Big Blue is the perfect fit for engaged and motivated entrepreneurs, and with Woodys unparalleled passion for the water, we know he will dive in and make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of children.

Big Blue Swim School franchise opportunities are still available in key markets across the country. To learn more, visit http://YourBigMomentStartsHere.com.

ABOUT BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL

Big Blue Swim School was founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong. The first location opened in Wilmette, Illinois, followed by four additional Chicagoland schools. In 2017, Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a stake in the brand. In 2020, the brand expanded its presence to Atlanta. Big Blue is currently growing through franchising with plans to have a minimum of 150 pools sold by the end of 2021. Big Blue Swim School's real estate expertise, strong brand, proprietary technology, and leadership support, coupled with its best-in-class consumer offerings, position its franchise partners for long-term success. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Big Blue Swim School, visit http://YourBigMomentStartsHere.com.
I had read many crime books. I had written a short story at the university and I wanted to change it a little and continue with the story, so the plot would be more or less the same, Miguel Arrufat Millan states.

Captured by their Past (published by Trafford Publishing in January 2007) is about the mysterious murder of John Brown, a 60-year-old writer who lives in London. Mike Smith decides to visit his friend John one Saturday and, while they are having dinner with Johns children, John dies when he drinks a cup of whisky that has arsenic.

Johns own son has been accused of killing his father and he was arrested. However, Mike, who is a lawyer, is not going to allow Johns son to go to prison. He is going to defend him during the trial, discover the truth and send the real criminal or criminals to justice.

I think this book will appeal to readers because people like reading thrillers and mystery novels, so I think they will like it, Millan says. When asked what he wants readers to take away from this book, he answers, I want people to enjoy and have a good time reading this novel. For more details about this book, please visit https://www.trafford.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/186434-Captured-by-their-Past

Captured by their Past

By Miguel Arrufat Millan

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 60pages | ISBN 9781412067287

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Miguel Arrufat Millan was born 26 June in 1974. He went to school, and then to an institute. He went to the university when he was 18 and studied English Philology. In 2001, he did a Master in Business. He stayed one week in Brussels and a month in Delaware. After that, he made his practicum during three months in a tiles factory in Alcora (Castellon). After that, 11 November 2001, he had an accident and has not worked for almost three years. As he could not work, he wrote this play, which he had already started some time ago. He likes collecting postcards, playing all sports, listening to music, reading books, writing poetry, going to the cinema etc. He is single.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an on-demand publishing service, and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Traffords experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 844-688-6899 or visit trafford.com.
We are excited to welcome Eastern Pure to the Quench family. This acquisition is our seventh already in 2021 and demonstrates our ongoingin commitment to supporting our dealers throughout their development from start-up to exit.

Quench, a leading provider of filtered water solutions for businesses and dealer partners across the United States and Canada, announced today that it has acquired Eastern Pure Water, a dealer of Wellsys-branded point-of-use drinking water systems based in Warwick, RI.

We are excited to welcome Eastern Pure to the Quench family, said Todd Peterson, COO of Quench. This acquisition is our seventh already in 2021 and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting our dealers throughout their development from start-up to exit.

Established in 2016, Eastern Pure is a premium service provider in Rhode Island and adds more than 500 customers to Quenchs growing customer base there.

Quench has been a great partner in growing our business, so they were the logical choice when we began to explore an exit, said Paul Martin, President of Eastern Pure. The Quench team has been easy to work with throughout the process.

We are delighted for our customers, who will now experience the breadth of Quenchs product line and its exceptional customer focus, continued Doreen Martin, co-founder of Eastern Pure. We know our customers are in good hands.

More on Quenchs acquisition process can be found at https://quenchwater.com/acquisitions/ or by contacting our acquisition team directly by email at acquisitions@quenchonline.com.

About Quench

Quench USA, Inc. offers bottle-free filtered drinking water solutions for healthy and environmentally conscious consumers outside the home, through direct sales and independent dealers across North America. Our bottle-free water coolers, ice machines, sparkling water dispensers and coffee brewers, purify a users existing water supply to provide reliable and convenient filtered water to a broad mix of businesses, including government, education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and other large commercial customers, including more than half of the Fortune 500. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, Quench has sales and service operations across North America to serve our 60,000+ customers, and a network of over 250 independent dealers selling products under the brand names Pure Water Technology, Wellsys and Bluline. Quench is a Culligan Company. For more information, please visit https://quenchwater.com.

About Culligan

Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of its customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration and treatment products. Culligan's products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for businesses. Culligan's network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 900 dealers in 90 countries. For more information visit: http://www.culligan.com.
Dr. Leo Cai will receive the American Society of Health System Pharmacists Donald E. Francke Award for contributions to the field of clinical pharmacy. "Dr. Cai is a highly respected and accomplished leader in international pharmacy. His steadfast commitment to shepherding advancements in pharmacy education, training, and practice have led to lasting improvements."

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center congratulates our Chief Pharmacy Officer, Lijian Leo Cai, PharmD, who will receive the 2021 Donald E. Francke Medal winner from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) in recognition of his long record of significant professional achievements.

The Francke Medal, considered one of the most prestigious awards in in the pharmacy field, honors individuals who have made significant international contributions to advance pharmacy practice.

Dr. Cai, the ASHP notes, is a highly respected and accomplished leader in international pharmacy. His steadfast commitment to shepherding advancements in pharmacy education, training, and practice have led to lasting improvements in the United States and China, particularly in the areas of medication safety, residency training and patient-centered pharmacy services.

Since starting with us in 2019, Dr. Cai has established himself as a leading pharmacy expert, and this honor from the ASHP reflects all he has accomplished so far in his career  which is an impressive record indeed, says Shirley Johnson, MBA, MS, RN, Chief Clinical Operations Officer at Roswell Park. Bravo to Dr. Cai on a well-deserved award.

Dr. Cai will formally accept the award at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December. While this prestigious and international award has been given 26 times since inception, Dr. Cai is the youngest Francke Medal recipient to date. Also among the honorees this year is Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who will receive ASHPs Award of Honor.

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This press release is also available on the Roswell Park website: https://www.roswellpark.org/newsroom/202105-roswell-park-chief-pharmacy-officer-earns-career-honor-professional-society

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancers grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.
Top California attorney, Ken Rosenfeld handles high profile legal matters, including Federal criminal defense, mental health, juvenile, DUI, and more. My client is overjoyed at the outcome, and Im very pleased for him.

The Rosenfeld Law Firm announced today that Case # CR2020-4225 in Yolo County Superior Court, involving a charge against a client of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was dismissed after California Criminal Defense Attorney Ken Rosenfeld successfully demonstrated that mitigating circumstances contributed to his clients gun possession.

According to [court documents], Mr. Burnham was charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC 29800); additionally, he was charged with a violation of his probation. The criminal charge against Burnham was dismissed, and the sentence for probation violation was reduced to a sentence of 10 days of alternative sentencing.

Rosenfeld contended that Burnham had made a concerted effort to comply with the probation terms to dispose of his guns. The Yolo County District Attorney's Office was satisfied at Rosenfelds explanation that a final gun remained unbeknownst to his client, and dismissed the new criminal charge against Burnham. Rosenfeld furthermore stated that Burnham, a tribal member of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, has full support of the Tribal Council, which has agreed to be active partners in ensuring Burnham's rehabilitation.

As a result of the case dismissal, Mr. Burnham avoids a six-year sentence; in lieu of jail time, he will need to serve 10 days of alternative sentencing.

My client had made an earnest effort to comply with the terms of his probation, and Im glad it was possible to make this clear to the District Attorneys Office, said Rosenfeld. Mr. Burnham is overjoyed at the outcome, and Im very pleased for him.

About The Rosenfeld Law Firm

With offices in Sacramento and San Jose, The Rosenfeld Law Firm provides aggressive defense of a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases. California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld defends such cases as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides DUI defense. In addition to mental health criminal defense, The Rosenfeld Law Firm also practices federal criminal defense and juvenile defense, as well as appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator, Rosenfeld makes regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask An Attorney. Rosenfeld was named 2020 Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers. For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit http://www.therosenfeldlawfirm.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders.


"Nissan drivers looking to save this spring should stop by the service center at Boucher Nissan of Waukesha."

As the winter months fade away and summer nears it is important to have vehicles serviced. Depending on the maintenance needed it can become costly. This is why Boucher Nissan of Waukesha in the southeastern Wisconsin area has released a variety of service coupons for May and June. These coupons cover anything from service discounts to price adjustments. Nissan drivers looking to save this spring should stop by the service center at Boucher Nissan of Waukesha.

Vehicles should have an oil change a couple of times a year. Until the end of June Boucher Nissan of Waukesha is offering The Works coupon for $49.95 plus tax. This coupon includes an oil change and filter (up to 5 quarts), tire rotation, brake inspection, car wash and a multi-point inspection. Synthetic oil will cost extra.

Drivers that are not in need of an oil change may consider the Pothole Special. Interested parties can receive a four-wheel alignment, wheel balance, tire rotation, brake inspection and a multi-point inspection for $169.95.

Batteries have to work overtime during the colder months, so it is wise to have car batteries tested to ensure it is holding a charge. Boucher Nissan of Waukesha offers a complimentary battery test. If a new battery is needed, Nissan drivers can receive $10 off a new battery when it is installed at the Boucher Nissan of Waukesha service center.

Boucher Nissan of Waukesha is offering $50 off per axle when the brake pads and rotor are replaced. This service includes front or rear disc brake pad or shoe replacement, front or rear rotor replacement, inspecting the calipers, checking the brake fluid and taking the vehicle or a road test. This coupon is only valid until May 29.

Drivers can receive 15% off on vehicles that have other maintenance issues where repairs are recommended by the dealership or manufacturer. This is the wild car special which excludes tire and battery purchase and has a maximum discount of $100.

All coupons can be accessed and printed by going to the Boucher Nissan of Waukesha website, https://www.waukeshanissan.com/. Unless otherwise noted, coupons expire on June 30. Some Nissan models may have higher prices. Coupons cannot be combined with other offers. The coupon must be presented at the time of the write-up. Additional restrictions may apply.

Interested parties can contact the Boucher Nissan of Waukesha service department by calling 800-504-6619. The service department is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Boucher Nissan of Waukesha is located at 1451 E. Moreland Blvd. in Waukesha.
The Security Awareness Training Platform from Security Mentor is agreat addition to the full-suite of security services that we offer toour clients  David Howard, President, NetWorks Group

Security Mentor, pioneer and industry leader in security awareness training and phishing simulation, today announced a new partnership with NetWorks Group, a highly respected Ethical Hacking and Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that partners closely with customers to deliver security services that matter.

NetWorks Group clients will now have access to highly effective Security Awareness Training and Phishing Training services through the Security Awareness Training Platform from Security Mentor. Security Mentor specializes in creating innovative training that enables organizations to teach employees critical cyber-security skills in a brief, effective, fun format that drives real behaviour change.

Security Mentor is excited to announce our new partnership with NetWorks Group as their security awareness training vendor of choice," says Craig Kunitani, Security Mentor COO. "NetWorks Group has an outstanding reputation as an information security professional and managed services provider, offering best of breed products. This partnership enables NetWorks Groups clients to provide the industrys most respected security awareness training for their employees. Security Mentors commitment to outstanding, high-quality cybersecurity awareness training makes partnering with NetWorks Group a great fit.

We select the vendors we work with very carefully. Security Mentor enables us to address the human element and its associated cyber risks with our clients, says David Howard, NetWorks Groups President. During our Full Scope Penetration Test engagements, we find that a significant number of our clients are vulnerable to phishing attacks, as well as other cyber security threats that end users face. Being able to offer our clients a highly effective training solution that we trust, and which has outstanding customer service is very important to us. The combination of robust security awareness training coupled with hands-on exercises and problem-solving games that teach real skills is unique in the industry. We are excited to offer our clients an easy, effective solution to improve their security posture by leveraging their greatest asset, their users.

About Security Mentor

Security Mentor is the industry pioneer and expert in security awareness training and education services. Security Mentor has consistently redefined how security awareness training is created, delivered, experienced and embraced by combining expertise and creativity in security, technology, media and e-learning. Trusted by customers and celebrated by users, its comprehensive training platform offers on-demand, easy-to-use, and effective solutions including security awareness training, phishing simulation and policy tracking & compliance services. Its training employs instructional design best practices, interactive content, and gamification to engage learners and deliver enduring knowledge acquisition and real behavioural and cultural change. Founded in 2008, Security Mentors innovative products and services are used by Fortune 500 enterprises, defense, public sector, non-profit and educational institutions.

About NetWorks Group

NetWorks Group is an Ethical Hacking and Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) with practices in Offensive Security, Defensive Security, and Compliance. NetWorks Groups unique approach to security helps organizations approach cybersecurity as a team sport. Through clear and effective communication, NetWorks Group helps customers understand their security posture and make risk-informed decisions about the best ways to improve it. Founded in 1997, NetWorks Group has over 20 years of experience delivering services that improve security outcomes.
I will tell Him how religion has caused more war than anything else in the world. How people use it to perpetrate evil in His name.

by Anwar A. Khan

It haunted me the entire night when I saw it. The childs face speaks a story so appalling of mankind that makes me question the humanity left in this world, if any.

Such a sad and heart-breaking story. Pictures like this are so thought provoking, so powerful. Rich old men fight wars with young poor soldiers and the greatest impact is on the local population.

It is really sad. It is innocent words with deep meaning. I heard from a Syrian sometime in 2019, who had fled with his family to Saudi Arabia, about how this crisis started.

Uprising started on March 15, 2011 when group of students wrote anti-Assad regime slogan on school wall

As the Syrian civil war, which cost hundreds of thousands of civilians their lives, hits the 10-year mark, some 300,000 of the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced in Idlib, northwestern Syria due to the attacks of the Assad regime and its supporters returned to their homes, a year after a landmark deal between Turkey and Russia.

The war started with a protest uprising on March 15, 2011, in the southern province of Deraa, when a group of students wrote on a school wall, Its your turn next, doctor!  a reference to regime leader Bashar al-Assad's earlier career.

As thousands and thousands more people took to the streets demanding reforms, the demonstrations soon spread to other provinces of the country.

Branding the people demanding change "terrorists," the Assad regime mobilized its soldiers and security forces to protect its existence.

The regime's use of force caused peaceful public demonstrations to turn into civil war. Armed conflicts between the forces of the Assad regime and military opposition groups gathered under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner started in 2012.

Through intense attacks and brutal blockades, over the years Iranian-backed terrorist groups and regime forces backed by Russia have regained a large part of the regimes lost territory.

Millions of civilians displaced. Hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their lives in the civil war, and UN officials have noted the commission of war crimes such as the use of chemical weapons, starvation, deportations, blockades, arbitrary arrests, and torture.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 6.6 million Syrians had to leave the country, which before 2011had a population of around 22-23 million. Turkey alone hosts approximately 3.7 million of these people  more than any other country in the world.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), while 6.7 million people were internally displaced, at least 13 million civilians in Syria came to need humanitarian aid.

Followingan agreement between Turkey and Russia on March 5, 2020, the state of control of the conflicting parties over the countrys territory has not changed.

The regime and its supporters fully control the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra, the capital Damascus, Latakia, and Tartus on the eastern Mediterranean coast, and Homs in the central part of the country. Regime forces also dominate the center of Hama in the central part of the country, Aleppo in the north, and Deir Ez-Zor in the east. These regions account for more than 60% of the country.

The opposition is present in the Idlib demilitarized zone, the region freed of terrorists by Turkeys Operation Euphrates Shield, the Afrin district cleared of terrorism by Turkeys Operation Olive Branch, and the Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn districts liberated by Turkeys Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates River.

The terrorist group YPG/PKK, backed by the US, occupies the districts of Manbij and Tel Rfat in the north of the country and some regions east of the Euphrates.

The terrorist group Daesh/ISIS is holding on in the small region known as the Homs desert under an Assad regime siege.

The fact that people are willing to kill other people in the name of religion is terrible. However, it has been done for centuries. The problem we have today is continuing to allow it to happen. When we go to another country to help them in a war effort, we really arent helping at all, we are just causing more harm. We need to make peace and the only way for that to happen is for people to stop obsessing over religion.

It is a pure waste of time and energy. It has no satisfaction and will never meet the needs of the people. When someone says they are avenging their religion by killing someone with a different belief, not only are they not using their brains, but they no longer have a heart. They, as you said, have turned into monsters. The true heart is love and love only comes from acceptance.

Acceptance only comes from allowing the true God to make a change someones life. I really feel pity for those people who are killing, they have no love or compassion left in them because it has been beaten and torn from them. Love and compassion come from Allah or God or Jesus or Ishwar... He is the only one who can truly bring peace. I pray for that Syrian childs family and pity the murders for they are so lost.

It feels you with guilt, remorse, anger, sadness, and regret. Not knowing the scope of his message, the picture itself carries a great weight and message. These wars, these legacies we are fighting for, should not come at the cost of those we plan to leave them to. And religious wars should follow the laws if the religion! The Creator is the ultimate tool in any war; acting as motivation, encouragement, recruiter, and weapon. Religious wars or violences are more dangerous than wars over religions, oils, land, etc.

I dont think this picture of a 3-year-old Syrian child further needs any precise meaning for us to reason it in to sentence. The picture and the words rippling with it are far intense and far too deep or out of our reach to precisely feel what it is creating own self. And the honesty it is proving while the words are from a little child. Child who sees nothing but fair reality. And the reality it spoke was such innocent complain. Damn its more than a heartbreak feeling.

War means losing people, loosing lives, depriving the life that we should are enjoying for how many years, our life is just but one so takes care of it, life is so precious to the Creator.

I hate war or violence in the name of religion or any other grounds; indeed, I abhor it.

I will tell the Creator everything if I get to heaven. I will tell Him how the rich keep getting richer and the poor ever more so.

I will tell Him how religion has caused more war than anything else in the world. How people use it to perpetrate evil in His name.

Then I will tell Him about entering into darkness as my body tired and couldnt cling to life anymore. I will tell Him of my wasted dreams and unfulfilled hopes.

Then I will tell Him to come down to earth and bring back sanity to the world.This write-up is dedicated to every soul lost to terrorists attacks all-over the world.

-The End 

The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs
SmartEquip e-Commerce Store's multi-brand platform. Our e-Commerce platform is the first of its kind for the complex parts and construction equipment industry, says Fernando Pinera, CEO.

Around the globe, people are getting back to work. With the pandemic shutdowns finally being lifted, theres an anticipated explosion in activity for construction work. SmartEquip, Inc. (SmartEquip), the industry standard for complex equipment parts procurement, catalog, and commerce technology worldwide, has anticipated that growth and responded with two newly configured custom e-Commerce 2.0 technology solutions. Both are designed to save sellers of single or multiple brands of equipment time and money while also presenting new revenue opportunities with drop shipping and B2C part sales.

What we're hearing from our industry partners is the need for an all-encompassing online selling and support website, says Mike Kendall, Vice President of Sales - North America. SmartEquips e-Commerce solutions solve both of those business needs quickly and efficiently as a complete digital support and selling solution."

SmartEquip e-Commerce Store is specially designed for equipment owners of multiple brands, while the SmartEquip e-Commerce Support for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is tailored to address original equipment manufacturers unique needs for selling their parts and whole goods to both their dealer network and direct customers.

SmartEquip e-Commerce Store features:

-A Parts Catalog Library where fleets, dealers, and all other equipment owners of multiple brands can now extend their supplier connections and provide direct access of available parts pricing and support materials to their customers.

-Smart Cart Technology that provides real-time availability and pricing along with supersession management, all within the cart.

SmartEquip e-Commerce Support features:

-OEMs on the SmartEquip Network leveraging their existing catalog integrations to boost sales.

-Not on the Network? No problem - the catalog implementations make getting started fast and frictionless.

-A fully branded environment with multi- or single-branded content, mobile commerce readiness, and payment processing options.

Our e-Commerce platform is the first of its kind for the complex parts and construction equipment industry, says Fernando Pinera, CEO. Matching industry specific content with SaaS features and customizations. Our product roadmap for this solution is robust over the next 12 months and will extend a digital reach to new and existing customers for our partners with initiative solutions."

With SmartEquip e-Commerce Store, equipment owners are able to extend their supplier connections directly to consumers. The Smart Cart automates supersession management, pricing, and inventory options. The platforms built-in marketing tools enable the seller to reach their target customers more effectively than using traditional e-Commerce options.

With e-Commerce Support, OEMs can supply their dealers and direct customers with all the information, support materials, and ordering functionality they need. By leveraging existing SmartEquips Smart Catalog integrations, customers are greeted by an online purchasing experience thats seamless and totally devoid of friction. SmartEquips e-Commerce Support platform builds businesses brands, supports their dealer networks, and helps them reach more customers, all for low-cost implementation and no IT complexity.

As one of the first to launch their SmartEquip e-Commerce site, Dana Schrack, VP of Sales at Mi-T-M says their solution, is light years ahead of where we started. Our customers find it user-friendly and very accurate to reduce mistakes in the ordering process. It has become a total resource solution for our customers, sales force and tech department.

If your business is outgrowing your current e-Commerce solution or is in need of reaching customers with a strategic digital approach, consider SmartEquip e-Commerce Store (https://bit.ly/33KGVJi) and Support (https://bit.ly/3eJRqD5).

Want to learn more about SmartEquip? Schedule a Demo (http://bit.ly/3bddouF)

About SmartEquip

SmartEquip is the leading technology standard for equipment lifecycle management, service and procurement support for the construction industry. The platform provides a seamless brand-enhancing experience for fleet owners, manufacturers, and distributors of complex equipment. SmartEquip enhances ROI for all Network participants by increasing equipment uptime, improving both technician wrench time and transaction accuracy, while reducing the total cost of equipment ownership. The SmartEquip Network currently supports more than 600 OEM brands, with over 95,000 users across more than 42,000 equipment locations globally. The Network supports over $1 billion in parts transactions annually and the company is led by veterans of construction, technology and data sciences. Founded in 2000, SmartEquip is positioned to define tomorrow's dynamic and evolving equipment industry.

https://www.smartequip.com

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Health and well-being have quickly become the primary focus for us in the home, and we wanted to bring that same level of comfort and safety to our place of business, said Mauricio Umansky, CEO & Founder of The Agency

Global real estate brokerage The Agency is proud to announce it is the first residential real estate brokerage to earn the WELL Health-Safety Rating from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a leading organization centered on creating best practices in order to advance the health and well-being of office spaces and communities. The WELL Health-Safety seal means an enhanced wellness experience for The Agencys clients, agents, staff and office guests, ensuring meticulous attention to detail regarding their comfort, well-being and safety.

Health and well-being have quickly become the primary focus for us in the home, and we wanted to bring that same level of comfort and safety to our place of business, said Mauricio Umansky, CEO & Founder of The Agency. With the peace of mind IWBIs WELL Health-Safety Rating provides, we can get back to what we love to docreating, innovating, and helping our clients buy and sell real estate.

The WELL Health-Safety Rating leverages insights drawn from the core principles established by IWBIs WELL Building Standard and its IWBI Task Force on COVID-19, in addition to guidance on the spread of infectious diseases as outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ASTM International, ASHRAE, global disease control and prevention centers, leading academic and research institutions, and emergency management agencies.

The Agency achieved the prestigious benchmark via the evidence-based, third-party verified rating for new and existing buildings and spaces focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-Covid-19 environment now and in the future. The program further prioritizes The Agencys focus on providing the best experience and environment to support the health and safety of clients, agents, staff and office guests.

Launched in June 2020, IWBI is fast becoming the global authority on creating protocols, procedures, and best practices to advance the health, safety, and well-being of office environments, community spaces and other indoor places. Some of the world's most notable properties have committed to achieving the WELL Health-Safety Rating, including Yankee Stadium and the Empire State Building, and organizations including JP Morgan Chase and T-Mobile.

Look for the WELL Health-Safety Rating seal at The Agencys global headquarters located at 331 Foothill Road, Suite 100, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210, and other corporately owned offices throughout California, Arizona and South Florida.

The Agency

The Agency is a full-service, luxury real estate brokerage and lifestyle company representing clients in a spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, residential leasing, and luxury vacation rentals. Since its inception in 2011, The Agency has modernized and advanced the real estate industry by fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment. Shunning the traditional brokerage model, agents share knowledge, spheres of influence, contacts, and expertise, ensuring clients better representation and a true competitive edge. The Agency has closed more than $25 billion in real estate transactions since its inception and has almost 700 agents in more than 40 offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

About the International WELL Building Institute

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the worlds leading organization focused on deploying people first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and the WELL Health-Safety Rating, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources, and advocacy for policies that promote health and wellbeing everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.
Trams in Mala Strana, Prague, Czech Republic. Its clear that an increasing number of Americans want a different life and are looking for countries where they can live and work legally.

Its clear that an increasing number of Americans want a different life and are looking for countries where they can live and work legally. But the options are limited without a local employer willing to provide a job.

Expats able to earn from anywhere do have a few good options, however, according to International Livings report. While a small collection of countries welcomes outsiders who can qualify for the necessary visas, four in Latin America and Europe stand out as the best options in terms of cost, ease, and timing.

Panama

If your goal is to live and work remotely overseas, but remain close to U.S. borders, Panama is your best bet. Direct flights land in Panama City from at least nine U.S. cities and take between three and seven hours, depending on where youre coming from.

Beyond proximity, Panama offers what it calls the Panama Friendly Nations Visa, a special program whereby nationals of certain countries (including the U.S. and Canada) can apply for permanent residence, which comes with a Panamanian cedula, the local ID card. That cedula is permanent, allowing holders to come and go as they please, as would a born-and-bred Panamanian. Separately, the program also allows holders to request a work permit through the Ministry of Labor, though thats part of a different process.

Obtaining a temporary cedula takes about eight days. It will take another two days to obtain a multiple-entry visa thats necessary so an individual can come and go as they wait out the roughly five-month process for the government to issue a permanent cedula. Once a cedula has been obtained, a person can then apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, which will take about a month.

To start the cedula process, youll need basic documentspassport, proof from the FBI that there is no criminal recordand $5,000 in a Panamanian bank account, plus $2,000 for each dependent. And to obtain a work permit, then youll need to set up a Panamanian corporation (which can be disbanded after a year).

Uruguay

If speed is more important, then Uruguay is a great choice. Here, expats can land at the airport with the correct collection of documents, and if they already have a pre-scheduled filing date with the immigration office that day, they can file their paperwork and have a temporary cedula that afternoon or the next day. All thats required is a birth certificate and an apostilled police record (meaning it has been authenticated and is acceptable across international borders). They will also need to show that they have the financial means to support themselves with a provable stream of income from anywhere in the world.

With a temporary cedula, they will also have immediate access to the state healthcare system, or they can immediately buy access with a local, private healthcare plan, which will cost about $70 to $350 a month, depending on the bell and whistles they want.

To manage the process themselves, expect to pay about $600 to $700. But they will also need to have a proficient level of Spanish, as none of the paperwork is in English. Otherwise, hire an attorney. It will be quicker and more efficient and will cost between $1,000 and $2,000.

Portugal

Portugal has two visas that would apply to someone wanting to live and work on the Iberian Peninsula: D2 and D7. Technically, the D2 is for independent workers and entrepreneurs, while the D7 is for those who are retired or earning passive income. In practical terms, the D7 will make sense for most people, even if theyre not retired, because its based on income. The D2 requires proof that an expat can support themselves as a freelancer, and can begin issuing Portuguese invoices on which the business will be taxed, though the tax rate is fixed at 20% for 10 years.

With the D7, instead, a person will need only to show that they have 8,000 (about $9,700) per person in a Portuguese bank account and that they have the equivalent of 30,000 ($36,400) in a bank account back in their home country.

To apply for either a D2 or D7 visa, an expat must enroll in the Portuguese tax system and become a tax resident. That requires obtaining a Portuguese tax number before they can even apply for a visa. And for that, they will need a sponsor, which can be a law office, accounting office, or migration office.

For that reason, theyll need to hire a pro to walk them through the process and be their sponsor for the tax number. All in, that will cost you between 1,000 and 2,500 (about $1,200 to $3,000). The process will require two to four months to complete.

As a freelancer, an expat will also want to apply for Non-Habitual Resident status, or NHR, which is issued to people whove never lived in Portugal before and move to the country. With NHR status, income earned outside the country is exempt from taxes. They will have to file a Portuguese tax return and declare the income, though theyll owe no taxes on it. The other benefit of this is that it shows Uncle Sam theyre a tax resident of another country, which then helps trigger their eligibility for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.

A person is eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship and a passport after five years of residence, though they have to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language.

Czech Republic

Its a two-step process in Czech Republic. First step: apply to join the zivnostensky (zivno) list. This isnt specifically for foreigners. Its a trade license for any Czech resident who works independently, be that a plumber, masseuse, artist, or whoever. That will take a week at most. Zivno in hand, they can then apply for a one-year, temporary residence visa.

They must apply for a residence visa at a Czech embassy outside of the Czech Republic, show they have housing (a notarized lease agreement) for the full-length of the visa they seek, up to one year. That means theyll need to visit the Czech Republic to arrange that. Some expats will move to Prague, obtain their housing and zivno, then take the train to nearby embassies in Berlin, Vienna, or Bratislava and complete their application.

They will need a signed letter from their bank stating that they have the equivalent of 125,000 Czech crowns on deposit (about $5,700). That will need to be translated into Czech, which a visa agency can handle. Be sure the account has a debit card, which must be presented at the application meeting at the Czech embassy, because officials will want to see itits proof that a person can access the account.

An FBI criminal background check is required, though as an American an expat can also go to the U.S. embassy in Prague and sign an affidavit attesting to their criminal-free background. Along with a passport and an application form, thats pretty much all the documents an applicant needs.

To hire a local agency to help with the process, it should cost less than 15,000 crowns (about $685) for everything. The embassy fee is a separate 5,000 crowns (about $230).

Once the temporary visa expires after a year, it can easily be traded in for a renewable, two-year long-term residence visa. After five years as a legal resident, a person is eligible to apply for Czech citizenship and a Czech passport, which like the Portuguese passport, is an EU passport and thus gives them free rein to live and work anywhere in the EU.

The full report on the best places to live and work in 2021, including more information for immigration experts in each of the countries mentioned, can be found at: The Best Places to Live and Work Abroad in 2021.

International Living has launched its new Work From Anywhere resource, devoted to coverage of innovative money-making strategies, ways to build a portable income, tips for boosting health and well-being, methods to maximize Social Security, and so much more. More information can be found, here.

Members of the media have permission to republish the article linked above once credit is given to Internationalliving.com

Further information, as well as interviews with expert authors for radio, TV or print, is available on request. Photos are also available.

For information about InternationalLiving.com content republishing, source material or to book an interview with one of our experts, contact Editorial Director for Web Content, Social Media, and PR, Donal Lucey, dlucey@internationalliving.com.

About International Living

Since 1979, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has contributors traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.
Globee Awards Trophy All organizations operating anywhere in the world  large to small and startups, government, public and private, for-profit and non-profit are eligible to submit nominations to the 2021 Golden Bridge Awards in a wide range of categories honoring achievement in every aspect of business + work life.

The Globee Awards organizer of worlds premier business awards programs and business ranking lists is now accepting nominations and entries for new or upgraded products, service, solutions, and innovations in the 2021 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards.

Nominate your organization's products and services and the people behind their success. Here are the category groups in which entries can be submitted:



New Product & Service Innovation | Artificial intelligence, Information Technology & Cyber Security Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Content Technologies and Information Management Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Education Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Energy/CleanTech Industry Awards categories

New Product & Service Innovation | Health Care Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Industry and Vertical Markets Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Best New Product or Service Awards Categories Group

Product & Service Development | People Awards Categories Group

Product & Service Development | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

The Golden Bridge Awards are the worlds premier business awards program honoring achievements in every industry around the world. Everyone deserves commendation for job well done. Identify, recognize, and nominate talented executives, professionals, and employees for their achievements no matter how small or large. There are many categories in which your organization, products and services, and the people behind their success can be nominated.

All organizations operating anywhere in the world  large to small and startups, government, public and private, for-profit and non-profit are eligible to submit nominations to the 2021 Golden Bridge Awards in a wide range of categories honoring achievement in every aspect of business + work life.

All new products and services nominated in the new product awards categories of this years Golden Bridge Awards will be eligible to participate in the Peoples Choice Globee Awards for Favorite Product-Service of the Year.

Learn more about the 2021 Golden Bridge Awards and how to nominate here: https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/

Winners of previous years are listed here: https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/winners/

Stay posted and read success stories of organizations by subscribing to the Globee Newsletter: https://globeeawards.com/subscribe/

A worldwide judging panel of executives and professionals representing a wide-spectrum of industries will determine the winners. Winners will be presented and honored in a virtual ceremony attended by the finalists, winners, judges and industry peers from all over the world. Industry experts and end-users or consumers of product and services can participate in the judging process. More details to register as an industry expert and help as a judge are available at https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/judges/

Some of the organizations that have won in the past include , Jeunesse Global, Ultimate Software, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Steven Plochocki, Zyter, Houston Methodist Hospital, Cebuana Lhuillier, Brainshark, Altimetrik, Generation Amazing, GoCanvas, Chronicled, Cisco CX Managed Services, mnAI, Alcide, Medigate, Full Sail University, Mylo, AVer Information, iboss, 4Life Research, ZIRAATBANK, CSS Corp, The Audacious Agency, Cepheid, KERLINK & UNHCR, Verizon Connect, Humanitix, eSight, Bitglass, New Heights Educational Group, Epson America, Inc., Sage Intacct, Zero Networks, Centage Corporation, Chargebacks911, Spirion, Jumio, ModSquad, Tigerspike  a Concentrix Company, Dell Technologies Education Services, Mentor Collective, PayMotion, Innover, Vyvo Corp, Stefanini Group, KEO Marketing Inc, HatchWorks Technologies, Cloudbric, Poly, IBM, UniWill Ventures, Wolters Kluwers ELM Solutions, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, Rise Interactive, Marqeta, ManagedMethods, EZPack Water Ltd., Centene Corporation, Jaco Products, Applied Systems, PeopleReady, ZOME Energy Networks, Norhart, Nu Skin Enterprises, GROUNDFLOOR, ADP, IGEL, United Natural Foods, Inc., Spinnova, Community Policing, Reverd.com, Novatek Apps, Student Shelter In Computers, Thechuppahs- Trend Rentals, Loom Solar Private Limited, Lenovo Technology SDN BHD (Lenovo Malaysia), Digital Air Strike, Point3 Security, Wolters Kluwers CT Corporation, Rimini Street, Inc, BillingPlatform, MorrisCookies Science & Development OU, Ingenious e-Brain Solutions, HomeServe USA, Samsung Electronics, Bensonhurst Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, MiraClick Affiliate Network, PJ Lhuillier, Inc., iTalent Digital, SYSPRO, beinc., Ordr, IPification, Platform Science, iPipeline, Verint Fraud & Security Solutions, Digital.ai, g2o, Legacy Events Group Ltd, Untangle, Inc., 7 Stage Advisors, 6sense, DeepCube, Great Eagle Holdings Limited, ARIIX, Philo, Rockwell Automation, Solv by Concentrix, TRIANZ, Semperis, Yottaa, 1touch.io, Chime Technologies, Impartner, Red Media Africa, Vivial, Inspired eLearning, LLC., Tech CU, The Insides Company, JazzHR, Updox, Envolve, Code42, ITC Infotech, Kannaway, Jack Henry & Associates, Withings, Waggl, Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., FogHorn, TAC Security, SecurityMetrics, ZecOps, Pape Group, The State of Utah, LionOBytes, RevBits, ShipMonk, MindTickle, Greenway Health, VEMPOWERALL, Cardinal Group Companies, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, IKIO LED LIGHTING, Wolters Kluwer, Spirion, Illinois College, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, FM:Systems, Acceptto, BigID, Wolters Kluwer Lien Solutions, SaltStack, PRO Unlimited, Luminance Technologies Ltd, Spirion and TaxSlayer, Centene, PR WIRE, Cisco Systems, Inc., International Paper, Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Adversa, Avalance Global Solutions, Biz News Connect, American Psychological Association, HUYA Bioscience International (HUYABIO), Vertafore, Paypal, hc1, Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC), Nextivity Inc., ROBOZE, Ness Digital Engineering, EXL Service Inc., Izaros Consulting, Florence, Verifi, A Visa Solution, ProfitSword, Intermedia, SmartBeings Inc., Adaptiva, CV19Dashboard.org, Cybera, Artificial Intelligence, Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS), Loop, The Crypsis Group, Rimini Street Foundation, Advantexe Learning Solutions, Luminance, Empire Today, LLC., Rohde & Schwarz, Makers Nutrition, Improovy, Inc., 1906, L&T Technology Services Limited, Jack Henry & Associates, Inc., MemVerge, Forward Networks, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), Darktrace, Botkeeper, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Public Relations Department, Sumsub, Enablon, Grokker, ASG Technologies, Silverfort, DivvyCloud, Lookout, Concentrix Solv, Tata Consultancy Services, LTD, NexxtGen, 70 Million Jobs, Hayes, SmartBeings, CT Corporation, a Wolters Kluwer company, Nexxt Gen Corporation, Orange Romania, RevBits Cyber Security Solutions, Jasco Products, Medical Marijuana, Inc., N2W Software, Senior Placement Services, IBM  Quote to Cash Operations, 2Checkout, Solatube International, ROCSOLE, MUFG Americas, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, AppViewX Inc., Vonage, Napatech Inc., Concentrix, Indio, Branch Insurance, KnowBe4, UnitedHealth Group (UHG)  Optum, and Young Living Essential Oils.

About the Globee Awards

Globee Awards are conferred in eleven programs and competition: American Best in Business Awards, Business Excellence Awards (Best Employers), CEO World Awards, Communications Excellence Awards, Customer Sales & Service World Awards, Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards, Disruptor Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, International Best in Business Awards, IT World Awards for Information Technology and Cyber Security, and the Women World Awards. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind their success, the Globee Awards recognize outstanding achievements and performances in businesses worldwide. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com.

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Bottom line: This law helps anyone giving their kids some reasonableindependence  by choice or by necessity, says Lenore Skenazy. No wonder it has such overwhelming support.

Texas parents can turn cartwheels and so can their kids -- legally: A law passed over the weekend states that parents can let their kids engage in normal childhood activities without being accused of neglect.

This makes Texas the third state to affirm that children have the right to some unsupervised time, and parents have the right to give it to them without getting investigated. Utah passed the first so-called Free-Range Kids law in 2018. Oklahoma passed a similar law a few weeks ago, and the Texas bill became law on May 15.

Hallelujah! said Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow, the national nonprofit promoting childhood independence that has been working in these states. Kids arent bonsai trees. They miss out on developmental milestones when they dont get a chance to play and problem-solve on their own. Now Texas parents who want to raise independent kids dont have to worry about the authorities second-guessing their reasonable parenting decisions.

In September, when the Texas law goes into effect, 38 million people  more than one tenth of all Americans  will be protected by laws Let Grow helped to get passed.

HB 567 enjoyed bipartisan support, sailing through the Texas Senate unopposed, and winning the House with a vote of 143 to 5.

You had the most right-wing members of the legislature signed on with most left-wing members, said Andrew Brown, distinguished senior fellow for child and family policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The bill was so popular, he said, because its a commonsense reform.

The bill certainly would have helped Austin mom Kari Anne Roy, whose case made headlines in 2014. Roys 6-year-old was playing within view of the house for about ten minutes when a woman marched him home and called the cops. Police officers paid Roy a visit, and a week later Child Protective Services interviewed each of her children separately. They asked the boy, 12, if he had ever done drugs, and the girl, 8, if she had seen movies with peoples private parts  something shed never even heard of. Thank you, CPS, Roy said.

The statute now enshrining childhood independence is part of a bigger childrens services bill ensuring Texans that the state will not intervene and place kids in foster care unless the danger is so great and so likely that it outweighs the trauma of entering the foster care system.

Removing a child from his or her family causes immense harm to the child and should only be done when absolutely necessary, said Rep. James Frank (R., Wichita Falls), one of the bills co-authors. This new law -- the product of years of work from stakeholders of all types and legislators of both parties  gives the authorities those marching orders.

It does so because it changes our definition of neglect, Representative Gene Wu (D., Houston) told the Texas State Assembly. From now on, kids will be removed only when theyre actually in danger, and not just the possibility of danger.

This way the law not only protects parents who want to let their kids play outside, says Diane Redleaf, Let Grows legal consultant. It also enables parents struggling to make ends meet to make child care arrangements that make life easier rather than harder. In other words, it prevents poverty from being mistaken for neglect.

For instance, in Houston in 2015, mom Laura Browder was arrested for having her kids wait 30 feet away from her in a food court when she had a job interview there and didnt have time to line up child care. The arrest came after she had accepted the new job.

In Texas, says Brown, If you are a child living in one of the 25 poorest counties in Texas you are statistically more likely to enter foster care for an allegation of pure neglect  not abuse  than if you are one of the 25 richest.

Bottom line: This law helps anyone giving their kids some reasonable independence  by choice or by necessity, says Skenazy. No wonder it has such overwhelming support.

About Let Grow

Let Grow is a nonprofit promoting childhood independence as the key to resourcefulness and resilience, founded by Free-Range Kids pioneer Lenore Skenazy, research psychologist Dr. Peter Gray, former chairman of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education Daniel Shuchman, and NYU Prof. Jonathan Haidt, co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind. Let Grows thought leadership, school programs, research, writing, speaking and legislative advocacy give parents, educators, and communities the tools and confidence to step back, so kids can step up. Let Grow has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, PBS and more. To learn more about Let Grow, visit letgrow.org.
Coral Cay Beverage Group continues to collect Awards during the 2021 Awards season. Thrilled to announce that Tommy Bahama Spirits was recognized with an incredible six (6) medals at the 2021 SIP Awards. The SIP Awards honored Tommy Bahama Cucumber Vodka with Platinum, Tommy Bahama No.2 Rum with Double Gold, Tommy Bahama Mango Vodka with Gold and Innovation Award for packaging, Tommy Bahama Island Gin with a Gold Medal, Tommy Bahama Copper Finished Vodka with a Silver Medal and finally Tommy Bahama Rye with Silver Medal. With these six new medals, Tommy Bahama Spirits extends its run of medalling with every Spirit it enters in every competition.

About San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The SIP Awards is the only international spirits competition leveling the playing field for established brands and newcomers alike by enlisting consumers as judges. We remain steadfast in our goal of providing one of the most reliable measures of beverage quality rating in the world by delivering the opinions, thoughts, and voices of the consumers to the general public. http://www.sipawards.com

About Coral Cay Beverage Group

Coral Cay Beverage Group utilizes every known distillation known to science including, cold distillation to achieve the brightest flavor and aromatic essences from each individual botanical. Currently producing distilled spirits, Ready to drink vodka + sparkling water, wine spritzers, ready to serve cocktails and craft beer. Coral Cay Beverage Group takes Luxury Relaxation to a new level with products in 4/5 of the top trending beverage categories. To learn more about Coral Cay Beverage Group, please visit: https://www.coralcaybeveragegroup.com/, and follow along on: Facebook.com/SipTheIslandLife

Instagram @TommyBahamaSpirits

About Tommy Bahama Spirits

A lifestyle with no deadlines or demands, where one has the space to reconnect with simple pleasures; the world of Tommy Bahama offers the chance to breathe freely, live spontaneously, and relax in style. To this iconic brand, we add the bespoke beverage selections of Coral Cay Beverage Group, exclusively producing Tommy Bahama Spirits. A portfolio comprised of hand crafted spirits, a lineup of Travelers to take with you wherever relaxation happens!
For many drivers, car insurance is an expensive necessity that is needed to do their daily routines. Luckily, there are many methods that can help anyone save money on car insurance , said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents several factors that affect the premiums and how drivers can pay cheaper car insurance.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-do-you-pay-so-much-on-car-insurance-premiums/

Car insurance rates have a tendency to rise over time. Besides that, there are several factors that affect the costs of car insurance like higher costs of medical bills, increased prices of newer vehicles, and others.

The most common factors that affect the price of car insurance are the following:



Address. The location where a driver is living has a major impact on the price of insurance. Different areas have different insurance rates that are influenced by theft rates, vandalism, traffic congestion, hailstorms, and others. Drivers that live in large cities will pay higher insurance rates than those that live in small rural communities.

Driving record. Drivers that have safe driving habits are less likely to be involved in accidents and will pay less on their insurance rates. On the other hand, drivers that have at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, DUI, convictions, and other traffic violations in their driving records will pay much more on their premiums. Furthermore, drivers that have numerous traffic violations will have a hard time finding an insurance company that is willing to sell coverage to them.

Gender. Statistics show that male drivers are usually involved in more severe accidents than female drivers and are more likely to die than females. Therefore, insurers will charge more on male drivers (especially young drivers) than female drivers. Drivers that live in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, will be relieved knowing that the insurers cant use gender in order to determine rates.

The type of car. Certain car models have higher claim rates than others. Usually, these types of vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents or to be stolen. Drivers that own one of these vehicles will pay higher insurance rates. Policyholders that own vehicles that have high safety ratings will manage to save money on car insurance.

Credit history. Insurance companies consider that drivers that have a credit score under 600 to be riskier to insure, and for that, they will charge more on their insurance. Drivers that live in California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts are in luck because the local legislation doesn't allow the insurers to use their credit score to determine insurance rates.

For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.
GO Topeka, the economic development group for Kansas Capital City, has announced plans to develop a $13 million downtown innovation campus. Photo courtesy of GO Topeka. This is an exciting new step in securing Topekas status as a hub of innovation in the Midwest, said Katrin Bridges, SVP of innovation, GO Topeka.

GO Topeka, the economic development group for Kansas Capital City, today announced plans to develop a $13 million innovation campus. The new campus is designed to take advantage of the arrival of Plug and Plays Animal Health / Ag Tech Startup Accelerator program.

20 global startups will be introduced to Topeka each year. This campus will be developed to offer them research and development spaces as they consider the city as a long-term home for operations.

The campus, which will locate in downtown Topeka, will offer world-class facilities, including wet labs, co-working and meeting spaces. It will feature office space for business research and innovation, as well as rooftop space for events. The campus will total approximately 60,000 square feet in size.

This is an exciting new step in securing Topekas status as a hub of innovation in the Midwest, said Katrin Bridges, SVP of innovation, GO Topeka. This campus will serve as an anchor of a new and vibrant innovation district in downtown Topeka. I am confident it will ignite growth in our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The project developers, BioRealty, Inc. will partner with the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) to fund the expansion.

This will be an excellent addition to our community, said Rhiannon Friedman, president of Downtown Topeka, Inc. The innovation campus will serve as an important asset as DTI works to attract new businesses, development and retail to our downtown core. BioRealty and GO Topekas vision for this project is a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of our downtown.

The construction of the campus is expected to create 20-40 full-time jobs in the coming years, with an anticipated annual economic impact of $8.3 million. Over 10 years, the total economic impact is expected to reach $1.345 billion.

"Plug and Play is excited to see Topeka moving forward on a new innovation campus, said Stephen Fay, director of corporate partnerships, Plug and Play. Startups thrive when communities provide intentional space for coworking and collaboration. Topeka's commitment to pursue this concept is precisely why we chose to partner with them, and we are excited to watch this project develop.

In August 2019, Plug and Play selected Topeka for its first Animal Health and Ag Tech Accelerator Program. Topeka is centrally located within the KC Animal Health Corridor, home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world. In April 2021, Plug and Play selected its first batch of startups for its animal health and ag tech program. Ten early- and mid-stage startups from numerous U.S. states, Canada and Singapore were selected after a pitch competition in March 2021.

This is a historic day for our community. The vote to support funding for an innovation campus in Downtown Topeka will secure this citys role as a leader in animal health and startup entrepreneurship for years to come, said Michelle De La Isla, Mayor of Topeka. The effort is truly bold and visionary. I firmly believe in 20 years we will look back on this project and see that it was the beginning of a transformative era for business and innovation in the Capitol City.

The exact location of the campus will be announced at a later date.

About GO Topeka

GO Topeka creates opportunities for economic growth that provide a thriving business climate and fulfilling lifestyle for Topeka and Shawnee County. GO Topeka operates under the Greater Topeka Partnership, the leading economic development agency in the region. https://www.gotopeka.com/

About Greater Topeka

The Greater Topeka area in Shawnee County represents a community of 178,915 people, located in the Greater Kansas City region. As the state capital of Kansas, Topeka is home to a dynamic employer base with headquartered companies including Hills Pet Nutrition, Advisors Excel, Security Benefit, Capitol Federal and Evergy. Topeka is proud to be a part of the #KCHeartland.

About the KC Animal Health Corridor

The KC Animal Health Corridor, anchored by Manhattan, Kansas, and Columbia, Missouri, is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world. KCanimalhealth.com
This honor reflects the determination of our channel partners to meet the needs of their customers in a year filled with unprecedented challenges. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships and providing the products, service and resources required for our mutual success.

Tripp Lite, a global manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions, has received a 5-Star rating from CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, in its 2021 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide provides a conclusive list of the most distinguished partner programs from leading technology companies that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star rating is awarded to an exclusive group of companies that offer solution providers the best of the best in their partner programs.

Each year CRN develops its Partner Program Guide to provide the channel community with a detailed look at the partner programs offered by IT manufacturers, software developers, service companies and distributors. Vendors are scored based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

Tripp Lite is incredibly proud to receive another 5-star rating from CRN, said Shane Kilfoil, Tripp Lites Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. This honor reflects the determination of our channel partners to meet the needs of their customers in a year filled with unprecedented challenges. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships and providing the products, service and resources required for our mutual success.

Tripp Lites multi-tier partner program supports resellers at all levels of the sales process with partner-specific web portals, enhanced marketing content to increase unassisted web sales, product finders and live sales engagement with resellers. Tripp Lite also offers comprehensive bid- and deal-registration programs, as well as extensive product training and post-sales technical support.

As innovation continues to fuel the speed and intricacy of technology, solution providers need partners that can keep up and support their developing business, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. CRNs 2021 Partner Program Guide gives insight into the strengths of each organizations program to recognize those that continually support and push positive change inside the IT channel.

The 2021 Partner Program Guide is featured in the April 2021 issue of CRN and online at

http://www.CRN.com/PPG.

About Tripp Lite

Since 1922, Tripp Lite has established a global reputation for quality by providing reliable products and exceptional service to customers worldwide. From desktop to critical infrastructure, Tripp Lite products and solutions power and connect the computers, networking equipment and electronic devices that form the foundation of our digital world. Headquartered in Chicago, Tripp Lite manufactures UPS systems, cables, connectivity solutions, PDUs, racks, cooling solutions, KVM switches, console servers, charging stations, display mounts, surge protectors, power strips, network switches, power inverters and specialty products for data center, healthcare, government, education and digital signage applications. Learn more at tripplite.com.

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About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelcompany.com.

CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

tripplite.com | 1.773.869.1776
2021 Life Sustaining Award Recipients - MidAmerican Energy Company MEA is honored to present the Life Sustaining Award to Colby and Ken.

MEA Energy Association (MEA) is honored to bestow Life Sustaining Awards to Colby Stephens, crew leader line mechanic, and Ken Hoogendoorn, combination line mechanic, both of MidAmerican Energy Company, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa and MEA member since 1972.

A team of MidAmerican Energy Company line resources were dispatched on October 29, 2020 to assist Oklahoma Gas and Electric after a significant ice storm caused widespread outages across their service territory. While onsite, one worker had climbed a wooden distribution pole and was working to clear two damaged service wires from a pole after a tree came down on the lines. Electricity passed through the man and he lost consciousness. Stephens and Hoogendoorn immediately rushed to rescue him from the pole and initiate life-saving measures. Hoogendoorn worked to perform pole top rescue and Stephens quickly reacted to position a nearby bucket truck to lower the man from the pole. Fortunately, the incident occurred less than two miles from a hospital, and paramedics arrived just as the man was brought down from the pole, where the paramedics took over to perform CPR.

The man spent the next 30 days in Oklahoma City fighting for his life. He was released on December 1, 2020 and finally returned to his family and several members of his community in his hometown, where he continued to recover from his injuries.

MEA is honored to present the Life Sustaining Award to Colby and Ken, said John Gann, MEA Vice President. We are extremely grateful to these outstanding individuals who took quick action to save a colleague. Their actions are a testament to who these individuals are and to the training they receive as MidAmerican Energy employees.

MEA Life Sustaining Awards are presented to individuals from member companies who have saved the life of another. The Meritorious Service Award is granted to recognize those who have performed actions in the service of another that are considered above and beyond. Applications for the MEA Life Sustaining and Meritorious Service Award are reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of MEAs Board of Directors. Read about all MEA awards at MEAenergy.org/awards.

For questions contact John Gann, johng (at) MEAenergy (dot) org, or (651) 289-9600 x105.

About MEA:

MEA serves the people that deliver electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses. We were founded as a trade association over 110 years ago by distribution utilities whose vision was to improve safety and efficiency. Today, we fulfill the same purpose through education, leadership development, and industry connections. Energy delivery companies, contractors, and suppliers around the country benefit from our 55 summits, roundtables, and webinars, 400+ online technical courses, safety assessments, evaluator training, operator qualification compliance tools, and leadership courses for field personnel.
The recent ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has not been started by Israel but by Hamas, which is an Islamic group that runs the enclave.

by N.S.Venkataraman

Section of Palestinians complain that their land has been occupied by Israel. However, citizens of Israel are convinced that they have the legitimate right on the land where Israel presently exists. The dispute has been going on for several decades.

After the end of the second World War, the entire world community sympathized with Jews ,many of whom were slaughtered by Hitlers Germany. When the second World War ended , the widespread worldview was that Jews have to be compensated for the sufferings that they underwent and they deserve a country for themselves. Based on historical evidence, it was decided by the victors in the second World War that land where Israel is presently located is the appropriate location to create a country for Jews. Except local Palestinians and a few Islamic countries, Israel had the support of the world community.

By putting forth enormous efforts, Israel achieved a state of technological excellence and converted the desert land given as a prosperous country. Today, inspite of the small land area, Israel remains one of the most technologically advanced countries and the world admires the citizens of Israel for their capability to do hard and intelligent work.

While a section of Palestinians continue their opposition to Israel, several Islamic countries such as Egypt, Jordon, UAE have realized the futility of war and have accepted Israel as a legitimate country.

The recent ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has not been started by Israel but by Hamas, which is an Islamic group that runs the enclave.

In recent years, several Islamic militant groups have emerged, which have indulged in terrorist activities, killing innocent people and waging what they call as jehad, to spread the Islamic religion all over the world. In this process, several Islamic groups are now branded as terrorist organisations and have been banned in several countries.

There are millions of people belonging to Islam religion who do not approve the militant and terrorist activists of the Islamic extremists and believe that they are bringing bad name to Islam religion. They are of the view that even peace loving Muslims are now looked down with suspicion because of the activities of the Islamic terrorists.

In such a situation, the widespread world view appears to be that the Islamic terrorists have to be controlled and defeated to ensure peaceful living conditions in the world. While the world recognizes that there are millions of muslims who do not believe in violence, still the Islamic terrorists mingle with the peaceful muslims and it has become difficult to distinguish between these groups.

While the world is waiting for a force or movement to defeat Islamic terrorism, the present war between Hamas and Israel has happened.

Hamas wants to wipe out Israel from the world map by launching a violent war. Israel has no alternative other than fighting back with all the force at its command to protect its territorial integrity and safety of citizens.

In the ongoing war, due to its superior military technology, Israel is having an upper hand. It has bombed several areas in Gaza including a big building which houses militant groups as well as media houses and others.. Several media houses accuse Israel of bombing the building where the media has a presence but they conveniently forget the fact that the same building also houses militant outfits.

Now, while Israel has been condemned by certain Islamic groups in different countries, the fact is that the condemnation of Israel is not widespread. Obviously, many people including peace loving muslims, who think that Islamic militancy should be put down , seem to be silently supporting Israel.

Today, the world is viewing the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas as a war between Israel and Islamic terrorists. Palestinians may have some genuine grievance but Islamic militants have overshadowed the cause of Palestinians.

While some muslim countries have seen the writing on the wall and have taken steps to live peacefully with Israel, the Islamic terrorists are undoing the process of building a peaceful Middle East region.

Everyone wishes that Palestinians should live and prosper. Palestinians have to understand the ground realities and value the need for peaceful climate, as against the violent climate that militants are trying to promote.
USOSM President and CEO Richard Hall says Dr. Gordon Brady of Georgia and Dr. Vincent E. Montgomery of Oklahoma are ideal for company's Clinical Governance Board. We formed this board because we wanted to ensure our partner practices continue to have complete clinical autonomy, while reaping the benefits of a strong, clinical governance structure.

U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM)  a specialty management services company that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons  has named two oral surgeons to the USOSM Clinical Governance Board. The new members are leaders in the oral and maxillofacial surgery industry, their individual practices and the communities they serve. They are Gordon Brady, DMD, of Oral Surgery Associates & Dental Implant Centers; and Vincent E. Montgomery, DMD, of Oral and Maxillofacial Associates LLC. The doctors will begin their initial two-year term, effective immediately.

Now comprised of 12 surgeons, the board advises USOSM and its partner practices on important clinical issues oral and maxillofacial surgeons encounter. Board members are selected based on leadership qualities, experience and expertise.

Dr. Brady and Dr. Montgomery are ideal for our Clinical Governance Board. Both are exceptional oral surgeons and inspiring leaders, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in clinical matters, and were honored to welcome them to this prestigious group, said Richard Hall, USOSM president and CEO. We formed this board because we wanted to ensure our partner practices continue to have complete clinical autonomy, while reaping the benefits of a strong, clinical governance structure. Our individual surgeon partners will always make their own clinical decisions, but through this board, they also have access to expert advice, support and advocacy.

Dr. Brady is a partner of and a practicing oral surgeon with Oral Surgery Associates & Dental Implant Centers, a USOSM partner practice with 10 locations and nine surgeons caring for patients in and near Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Brady earned his DMD from Medical College of Georgia, where he graduated first in his class, and then completed his internship in anesthesiology and his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, is certified in advanced cardiac life support, and is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Dental Association, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and Georgia Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Dr. Montgomery is a founding partner of and a practicing oral surgeon with Oral and Maxillofacial Associates LLC, a USOSM partner practice with six board-certified surgeons and four locations in Oklahoma, treating patients in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City and Norman. Dr. Montgomery earned his DMD from Southern Illinois University and completed his residency and fellowship at The University of Oklahoma. Dr. Montgomery specializes in dental implants, corrective jaw surgery, and treating TMJ/TMD disorders, sleep apnea, migraines and headaches. In addition, Dr. Montgomery serves on the board of Delta Dental and is the director of the Red Earth Study Club.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices in Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all.
One of our core values at Valencia Hotel Group is connecting our hotels to the communities where we are built, said Amy Trench, Corporate Director of Brand Marketing and PR

Valencia Hotel Group's collection of retro-inspired, court-style hotels including Texican Court in Irving, TX, Lone Star Court in Austin, TX, Cavalry Court in College Station, TX, and the newly opened Cotton Court in Lubbock, TX, celebrated the arrival of spring with philanthropy-focused happy hour programming tailored for individuals and their four-legged friends.

Throughout the months of March and April, the Texas court properties hosted Barks & Brews, a pet-friendly happy hour with dog treats and discounted beers on the restaurant patios and throughout the spacious courtyards  complete with outdoor fire pits, lawn games and more. The Valencia Hotel Group took a percentage of sales from beverages sold and donated the money back to their communities by partnering with animal-focused nonprofit organizations in each city.

Barks & Brews raised over $2,000 in just 2 months and will give the funds to select nonprofits throughout the state over the next few weeks. The beneficiaries for Barks & Brews include: DFW Humane Society, Haven Animal Care Shelter, Aggieland Humane Society and Austin Humane Society.

One of our core values at Valencia Hotel Group is connecting our hotels to the communities where we are built, said Amy Trench, Corporate Director of Brand Marketing and PR. Our hotels have a proven ability to give back through special events and promotions including Barks & Brews.

About Valencia Hotel Group

Houston-based Valencia Hotel Group is a fully integrated hospitality company that provides management, development, branding and repositioning services for independent, full-service hotels owned by the company, in addition to third parties. Exceptional service, style and location have become brand trademarks. Earning both national and international recognition for their distinctive designs, amenities and settings, Valencia Hotel Group properties are destinations and gathering places within their respective communities, some further benefitting from and enriching their space within the cultural heart of a city. The company continues to forge a niche with hotels that anchor and add value to urban, mixed-use environments, which further support or enhance the guest experience with superior residential, restaurant, retail and office components. The Valencia Hotel Group portfolio currently includes : Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, CA, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX, and The George in College Station, TX. The Court concept brands include Lone Star Court in Austin, TX, Cavalry Court in College Station, TX, Texican Court in Irving, TX and Cotton Court in Lubbock, TX. For more information, please visit http://www.valenciahotelgroup.com
The culture at VRG Components is intricately tied to our vision of being the trusted go-to global source for high quality electronic components. We honor that vision by caring for our employees like we care for our family.

VRG Components, Inc., an independent global distributor of electronic components, has been named to Inc. magazines annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2021. The list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in person or remotely.

VRG Components employees participated in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, on topics including management effectiveness, perks, and fostering employee growth. The organizations benefits were also audited to determine the companys overall score and ranking. Collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. singled out 429 honorees this year.

In the survey, VRG team members mentioned how they value the companys comprehensive benefits and commitment to their core values. This results in a nurturing, engaging work environment where every employee can thrive. Coupled with a fun, humorous, day-to-day atmosphere, its a winning combination.

When faced with the pandemic in early 2020, the company was challenged to meet dramatically increased customer demand while keeping employees safe. Leaders acted quickly to adopt all CDC recommended safety measures, seamlessly roll out a comprehensive work from home strategy, and put a communications program in place to keep employees and their families as safe as possible with accurate and timely updates.

The definition of a positive workplace has changed drastically over the past year. Stocked fridges and nap pods were no longer perks many companies could rely on once work went remote. So, this years list is even more important as it reveals organizations that continue to enrich the lives of its employees amid a pandemic. says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk.

We are honored to earn this very special recognition, stated VRG Components CEO Verena Martin. Our culture at VRG Components is intricately tied to our vision of being the trusted go-to global source for high quality electronic components. We honor that vision by caring for our employees like we care for our family.

ABOUT VRG COMPONENTS

As an AS9120B / ISO 9001:2015 certified independent global distributor, VRG Components supplies the highest quality hard-to-find, end of life, obsolete, highly allocated, and long lead time electronic components enabling customers to maintain manufacturing operations, bridge supply gaps, reduce costs, manage inventory, and speed time to market.

VRG Components has established an extensive, reliable, global electronic components distribution network which complements their clients existing supply channels. The companys multi-lingual purchasing team sources components worldwide 24 hours a day. Customers around the world turn to VRG Components to keep their supply chains intact, reduce carrying costs, minimize the effects of price increases or shortages, and achieve accuracy in cost planning.

See the VRG Components INC. Best Workplaces profile. For more information visit our website. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.

Media Contact: Carolynn Sarver | Marketing Manager | 1-980-729-5157 | carolynn.sarver@vrgcomponents.com

ABOUT INC. MEDIA

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multi-platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. For more information visit inc.com.

ABOUT QUANTUM WORKPLACE

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.
Sir Winton, an English Bulldog, relocated from New Hampshire to Hawaii with Air Animal. It took several months planning and working with the right airline. Ground transport is a safe alternative for all pets restricted by the airlines. --Walter Woolf, VMD, Air Animal, founder and CEO

Many airlines around the world do not accept brachycephalic breeds for pet travel or pet shipping advises Air Animal Pet Movers. The bans include bulldogs, pugs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, French bulldogs and other mushy-faced breeds. This applies to mushy-faced cats, too.

Why? They are adorable. But their narrowed and pinched nostrils, shortened airways and narrowed windpipes cause life-threatening breathing difficulties during transport, said Air Animal Pet Movers founder and veterinarian, Walter M. Woolf, VMD.

Here are four tips about relocating brachycephalic pets:



Dogs only have sweat glands on the tips of their noses and the pads of their feet. Mushy faced dogs are only able to cool their bodies by moving large volumes of air across their narrowed throats and extended tongues, Woolf explained. Extended and engorged tongues are dog radiators expelling body heat. On the other hand, cats dont pantat all.

Some U.S. and international airlines accept brachycephalic breeds for transport but ONLY when the air temperature is lower than 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) at origin, all transit points and destination. For up-to-date lists of banned pets, see the airline websites.

For up-to-date information about heat embargoes, please review the Air Animal blog.

Ground transport is a safe alternative for all pets restricted by the airlines, added Woolf. Air Animal offers a network of trusted ground transport service partners throughout the USA. We also suggest pet parents of brachycephalic breeds check the airline websites for information.

About Air Animal

Air Animal has helped more than 55,000 families move their 110,000 furry, feathered and scaly pets around the globe since 1977. They welcome pet move authorizations and referrals from major corporations, relocation management agencies, household goods movers, veterinarians, families, U.S. military and government transferees. Get the best in animal care and transportation. Air Animal is an appointed and endorsed IATA air cargo sales agency working with all airlines that move animals. They are an Indirect Air Carrier cleared for tendering live animals to airlines by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. See airanimal.com to learn more about Pet Moving Made Easy.

LinkedIn
Xiggit Inc. logo We switched from offering a 401k to Xiggit, and that has been a game-changer for us. Our experience with the 401k was horrible. Xiggits solution is low-cost, easy-to-use and shoulders the administrative burdens for us, said Bruce Watkins, Founder and CEO of Cal Preserving.

Xiggit, a next-gen fintech startup modernizing benefits, formally unveiled its solution that delivers for the first time benefits down market. Xiggits new offering helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) offer workers a broad set of high-value financial benefits. Xiggit is the first and only provider to offer SMEs a simplified provision of benefits that requests employers set a budget for employees. With Xiggit, employers with low budgets can offer large company benefits'' to all workers, whether full-time, part-time, contract, gig worker or other classification. Xiggit reimagines the concept of cafeteria-like benefits, blazing a new trail with plans to roll out an innovative approach that will provide a full buffet of benefits to help SMEs improve the financial wellbeing of their workers.

Approximately 30 million SMEs employ 50% of workers in the U.S., yet SMEs cant compete with big company perks as their limited budgets narrow the benefits options they can offer. With financial stress at an all-time high, employers are looking for ways to differentiate. In lower wage, service-based jobs, benefits are vital. When employers can provide a broad array of high-value benefit choices to all workers, they improve their ability to recruit and retain staff. Nearly 63 million Americans neither have access nor participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans, especially part-time workers and smaller firms employees. When workers have access to automatic payroll-deduction-based retirement programs, they're 18 times more likely to participate.

More than 100 million Americans have no retirement savings and face a retirement crisis. To address this catastrophe, state governments are interceding. Ten states have enacted state mandates for employers to provide employees with a long-term retirement savings plan. Millions of SMEs face a compliance deadline. In California, private sector employers with 50 or more employees have until June 2021, and employers with five or more employees have until June 2022.

Xiggits Solution: Personalized, Portable Benefits with Incentivized Financial Education

Xiggit has an online portal for businesses that takes minutes to fill out. From there, workers get a message to download Xiggits mobile app that theyll use to choose and manage their benefits. Portability gives workers benefits that they can keep for their entire career, helping them build their financial security even when they change jobs. Xiggits solution provides:



Professionally managed Traditional or Roth IRA: Critical retirement savings can start accumulating when workers have small contributions transferred from each paycheck into a retirement account.

Savings account: Auto-deductions help workers save up for an emergency fund, car, vacation, etc.

Xiggit Boosts: Workers have an opportunity for wealth acceleration through grants offered in Xiggit Boosts' daily "Learn 'n Earn" game. Available in Xiggits mobile app, Xiggit Boosts incentivizes workers to learn, save and adopt better money habits. Employers win because they realize an increased ROI for their benefits investment with increased employee engagement while costs remain low.

Financial tools: Personalized financial guidance to help workers learn the money game and improve their financial literacy and wellbeing. Financial tools include goal-setting, retirement and savings calculators.

We switched from offering a 401k to Xiggit, and that has been a game-changer for us. Our experience with the 401k was horrible. Xiggits solution is low-cost, easy-to-use and shoulders the administrative burdens for us. Were delighted with Xiggit and most of our employees use and enjoy it. Some of them cant believe how fast theyve been able to grow their savings. Our workers are improving their financial literacy and that makes them feel more secure, said Bruce Watkins, Founder and CEO of Cal Preserving.

SMEs now have an easy way to offer valuable benefits without impacting their bottom line. Xiggit handles the benefits administration for employees, reducing the administrative burdens on employers. The employer and Xiggit work together to communicate the value of the benefits to workers. Employers increase engagement and loyalty through Xiggits Learn n Earn game that improves employees financial literacy and wellbeing. As employees improve their financial wellness and confidence through the employers benefits, their loyalty and retention increase, improving the employers bottom line. Using Xiggit, employers forge deep bonds by helping employees achieve their most important financial goals together -- reducing their financial stress.

Xiggit is shifting the power of choice and portability to workers. Now SMEs can offer all their workers high-value benefits with choices that count. Workers select benefits that matter to them, said Co-founder and CEO Heather Dawson. Xiggit is also raising the bar in helping SMEs offer personalized financial tools so workers can improve their financial resilience.

About Xiggit

A next-gen fintech startup modernizing benefits, Xiggit aims to help small employers ease employees financial stress. The company disrupts the market, delivering benefits down market for the first time. Xiggit helps employers with low budgets offer workers a broader set of large company financial benefits without the administrative burdens. Xiggits solution shifts the power to workers, allowing them to select only the benefits that appeal to them. Xiggit represents a new alternative to inadequate piecemeal solutions or exorbitant bundled benefits that eliminate small businesses ability to offer workers any benefits. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Xiggit Inc. is a privately-held company. For more information, visit http://www.xiggit.com.
Zeigler has acquired its first Subaru dealership With Zeigler on track to continue to grow, as we have done in previous years, adding this Subaru dealership fits perfectly into our expansion strategy, especially given its location

Zeigler Automotive Group has acquired its 31st dealership after officially purchasing International Subaru of Merrillville from Francis and Ralph Mauro of the International Autos Group dealership group with the sale scheduled to close on Wednesday, May 19, 2021and the store reopening as Zeigler Subaru of Merrillville the same day.

With Zeigler on track to continue to grow, as we have done in previous years, adding this Subaru dealership fits perfectly into our expansion strategy, especially given its location, said Aaron Zeigler, president of Zeigler Automotive Group.

The new Indiana dealer located at 1777 W U.S. 30, Merrillville is on the border of Illinois and Indiana where Zeigler has enjoyed a steady growth over the last 15 years.

Subaru is a coveted brand that we have long been pursuing to add to our portfolio as an offering to our customers, he continued.

Additionally, Zeigler confirmed that the new dealer will keep its current staff on board with the exception of Kyle Faiman. Faiman, previously executive manager of INFINITI of Orland Park, will now become the Zeigler Subaru of Merrillvilles new general manager.

The dealership group also plans to expand the facility by updating the showroom, adding additional service capacity and increasing the display area for new and used vehicle inventory.

Although the dealer doesnt have a set date to host its formal grand opening event, it will be offering International Subaru of Merrillville clients and new customers special offers and discounts starting Wednesday.

About Zeigler Automotive Group

Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the nation with 76 franchises and 31 locations in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported and highline manufacturers.

Founded in 1975, the company ranks among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the U.S., and has earned recognition for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Recently, Zeigler Automotive Group has earned its second title on the coveted 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation list, as well as multiple accolades by the same name in Illinois, Chicago and Michigan.
Australian author and illustrator Remy Lai has previously published two illustrated novels, Pie in the Sky and Fly on the Wall. Her first graphic novel, Pawcasso, is about an inquisitive girl who decides to follow a photogenic dog carrying a basket into town and is mistaken for the dogs owner. The incident sets off a series of misunderstandings and offers a lesson in allowing people into our hearts. PW spoke with Lai about writing relatable young characters, her experience as an Australian author writing for an American audience, and the inspiration behind her poop-rolling canine character.

Each of your books so far has traced an emotional journey about coming into ones own. Theres also a lot of heart that grounds the comedy and thoughtfully captures the perspectives of younger children. Whats your secret to writing such fleshed-out characters?

Its easy for me to get into the mindset of a kid. I can remember very vividly the feelings and thoughts I had as a child. Maybe because I was a rather introspective child, and I kept journals from time to time, writing something down helps to imprint it in my mind. Years later, I still remember many things my childhood friends have long forgotten.

And despite the fact that I now occasionally do adulting like paying my taxes and eating broccoli, I think a big part of me never really grew up, and I can be astonishingly immature. I never outgrew kids' shows and booksSpongeBob SquarePants, Bluey, and Dog Man are some of my favorites. Immersing yourself in kids' media can only help an author in capturing the world of a child.

How has your experience as an Australian author impacted your work in the U.S.? Are there any challenges you didnt realize you had to overcome?

The rest of the world generally keeps up with American news headlines, because what happens there affects many countries, and Ive been paying closer attention since I got published there. But as a thirdor fourthculture kid, Ive always consumed books and films from many countries, including a lot of American media. Regarding things specific to publishing, I trust my American editor Brian [Geffen] to guide me if theres something I need to re-think for an American audience. I also try to keep up with the conversations about publishing in America.

You give a shout-out at the end of the book to your dog, Poop Roller, who was the inspiration for Pawcasso. Were there any other inspirations or funny quirks that you enjoyed putting into the book, or any that didnt make the final cut?

Pawcasso is heavily inspired by my dog, Poop Roller, whose special skill is rolling in poop. The day I find out why dogs love to roll in poop so much well, my work here is done [laughs]. Some say its to hide their scent from prey or predator, but I suspect my dog secretly loves the attention he gets from a bath and blow-dry. And that made it into the book, when Pawcasso prances around after his bubbly spaw session.

Pawcassos su-paw-model talent is my dogs. Poop Roller is just gorgeous and ridiculously photogenic. Strangers compliment him all the time, including that statement in the opening chapter when someone calls Pawcasso a painted dog.

Pawcasso is also similar to my dog in the way that hes friendly to everyone but isnt one of those dogs who get overly excited with strangerunless they have food.

And Poop Roller often sleeps on his back, exactly the way Pawcasso does in the book. When my friend, also a dog owner, saw Poop Roller like this for the first time, they thought he was dead.

I especially enjoyed drawing the panels where Pawcassos face looks a bit wonky because his snout is smushed on one side after sleeping on that side, or when his lip is caught in his teeth.

A scene I loved that ended up on the cutting floor is when Jo tries to find out who Pawcassos owner is. She ties a bag of bread crumbs to his collar a la Hansel and Gretel. She follows the trail, only to meet Pawcasso backtracking and hoovering up that very trail. Pawcasso and my dog are gluttons.

Are you working on any more middle grade graphic novels? Or have you thought about trying your hand at a different genre altogether?

My young reader graphic novel series Surviving the Wild comes out in 2022. There are three books, and theyre about animals trying to survive after their environments have been altered by humans. I also have a contemporary fantasy middle grade graphic novel coming out in 2023.

Im very lucky that my editor and publisher support these different projects that allow me to grow as an author and illustrator. Id love to try my hand at other formats, but for now, I really want to explore all the different genres in the graphic novel format.

Pawcasso by Remy Lai. Henry Holt, $21.99 May 25 ISBN 978-1-250-77448-4
A Kickstarter campaign launched by Lee & Low Books to expand the print run for a graphic retelling of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein set in colonial Mexico, Clockwork Curandera, Volume 1, The Witch Owl Parliament (Oct.), not only quickly exceeded its initial goal, but the childrens publisher has since added three stretch goals to raise ultimately $11,500. The funds raised beyond the initial $6,000 will be used to host a virtual launch party for Kickstarter donors; provide a bonus beyond their advances and royalties to author David Bowles and illustrator Raul the Third; and, lastly, to send Bowles either in-person or virtually to an underfunded school on the U.S./Mexico border, which will also receive 200 copies to hand out to participating students.

Donors can purchase a copy of the book for themselves on Kickstarter and donate another copy to an underfunded school or library. More than 20 backers to date have chosen this Get One, Give One reward tier or added donated copies to their pledges.

Besides wanting to raise funds for production costs relating to The Witch Owl Parliament, Lee & Low launched the Kickstarter campaign to tap into the books target audience of graphic novel and comics fans. As an independent publisher, we are constantly pushing ourselves to innovate and think outside the box when it comes to our marketing, said publisher Jason Low in a release. This is a unique book project and, especially after the challenges of 2020, we wanted to do something special to celebrate it.

Low noted that Lee & Low is not known for its list of graphic novelsThe Witch Owl Parliament is only the fourth such release in the companys 30-year history. Telling PW that its been a fun experience, but also time-consuming in terms of the amount of work it takes to run a successful campaign, Low praised the Kickstarter community for its support and teased that for the right book we could be back.

Project editor Stacy Whitman told PW that she moved quickly when Bowles, who had translated Lee & Lows 2018 Spanish edition of Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, told her that he was working on a graphic novel script.

I asked him to send it to me for consideration, and it blew my mind, she said. It was the kind of graphic novel script that demanded an amazing artist, and Id just recently heard from Jenn Laughran, agent for Raul the Third. Even before Lee & Low made Raul the Third an offer to illustrate Bowles text, hed drawn his concepts of the characters.

Those sketches are in the back matter of Volume I, by the way, Whitman said. We knew Rauls unique take on these characters would bring completion to an outstanding script.

According to the presss publicity materials, Clockwork Curandera, a trilogy, is a mash-up of steampunk, fantasy, and alternate history, set in a world that centers Mexican mythology and Indigenous lifeways and includes a queer love story. The book will be published simultaneously in English and Spanish, with the translation provided by Bowles, who is a professional translator.

Originally, the Kickstarter campaign had been considered only as a vehicle to fund visits by Bowles and Raul the Third to underfunded schools along the U.S./Mexico border.When Covid hit, we realized that a large-scale school tour was not feasible, marketing director Hannah Ehrlich said, but we still wanted to carry the idea behind that into the current project.

As of Tuesday morning, the Clockwork Curandera Kickstarter campaign has raised more than $9,500 from 300 donors. The campaign will run through Wednesday, May 19.
April showers bring May flowers, and we bring a roundup of the next installments of several popular childrens and YA titles. Sequels hitting shelves this month include a super fan turned super villain, the return to Julie Murphys Clover City, the Earths final stand against an alien invasion, and much more.

Picture Books and Graphic Novels

Awesome Dog 5000 vs. the Kitty-Cat Cyber Squad

by Justin Dean (Random House, May 4 $13.99; ISBN 978-0-593-17282-7)

Tina Tinkerwith is an obsessive toy designer wholl stop at nothing to get close to her idol, Awesome Dogeven if it means becoming a supervillain. Awesome Dog and his pals face off against Tina and her army of robotic kitty toys in the third installment of the Awesome Dog series.

The Bruce Swap

by Ryan T. Higgins (Disney-Hyperion, May 4 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-02856-1)

In the latest installment in the Mother Bruce series, Bruces friends wish he were more fun. The next morning their wish comes true: Bruce is cheerful and adventurous. Except Bruce is not exactly Bruce. Hes Kevin, Bruces fun cousin.

Truly Tyler

by Terri Libenson (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, May 4 $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-289456-4)

In the fifth book in the Emmie & Friends series, ever since Tyler became interested in art and started hanging out with Emmie, who has a crush on him, Tylers friends have been giving him a hard time. Why cant he like drawing and play ball? Emmie is psyched that she gets to work on a comics project with Tyler, but she gets the feeling that his friends dont think shes cool enough.

Early Readers and Novels

Ballerina Birthday

by Swapna Reddy, illus. by Binny Talib (Random House, May 11 $6.99 trade paper; ISBN 978-0-593-30569-0)

Its Millies birthday in the third book of the Ballet Bunnies series, and the Ballet Bunnies cant wait to celebrate with her. The teeny dancer bunnies sneak into her bag and steal away to Millies house. When its time for Millies party, the bunnies secretly dash beneath tables and chairs to get a glimpse of all the festivities.

Bear Bottom

by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster, May 11 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-534-47946-3)

In the seventh book in the FunJungle series, Teddy, his family, and some other FunJungle employees have been invited to visit a bison ranch. But the ranchs endangered bison have been mysteriously disappearing. Then Kandace McCracken discovers that her expensive necklace has vanished. With more than a dozen suspects, its up to Teddy to detangle this hairy situation.

The Birthday Blastoff

by Kate Biberdorf (Philomel, May 11 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11664-7)

Book four in the Kate the Chemist series finds Kates brother Liam having a science-themed birthday party the same day the school science club is planning a rocket launch experiment. Kate isnt sure how shell manage to do it all. But then Kate figures out how to be in two places at once.

Diana and the Underworld Odyssey

by Aisha Saeed (Random House, May 25 $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-17837-9)

After Diana thwarts an attempt to defeat the Amazons and Themyscira, shes finally granted permission to start training as a warrior. Except, the goddess Artemis brings news that children all over are disappearing without a trace and Diana is the only one who can be trusted to save them, in this sequel to Diana and the Island of No Return.

Going Up

by Greg Pizzoli (Little, Brown, May 4 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-7595-5480-1)

In the second Baloney and Friends book of mini-comics, Baloney the pig, Bizz the bumblebee, Peanut the horse, and Krabbit the grumpy rabbit are back. Readers can follow along as they write the lyrics to their own theme song, have a tent sleepover, experiment with a new device that lets the gang reach for the sky, and think deeply about the world.

Iggy Is the Hero of Everything

by Annie Barrows, illus. by Sam Ricks (Putnam, May 4 $13.99; ISBN 978-1-984813-36-7)

From Iggys point of view, his plan was genius. But Rudy Heckie disagrees. This third installment of Barrowss series about the secret joys of causing trouble explores the power of interpretation.

Illusionary

by Zoraida Cordova (Little, Brown, May 11 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-7595-5603-4)

Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata is on the run in the second book of the Hollow Crown series. With few options and fewer allies, she has reluctantly joined forces with her enemy, Prince Castian to find the Knife of Memory, kill King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other.

Incredible Rescue Mission

by Zanib Mian, illus. by Nasaya Mafaridik (Putnam, May 11 $13.99; ISBN 978-0-593-10927-4)

Omar is back in the third book of the Planet Omar series, and going on his biggest adventure yeta trip to Pakistan. But his excitement about the trip is interrupted by some shocking news: his amazing teacher is not coming back to school, and no one will say why.

Misfit in Love

by S.K. Ali (S&S/Salaam Reads, May 25 $19.99 ISBN 978-1-5344-4275-7)

In the sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna Yusuf is excited for the weekend when she gets to reunite with her mother at her brothers wedding. Nuah is also arriving that weekend. The last time she saw him, Janna wasnt ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. Now shes ready for Nuah, but unfortunately Nuahs treating her differently. And two newcomers have Janna more confused than ever about what her heart really wants.

Mister Impossible

by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Press, May 18 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-338-18836-3)

The second instalment in the Dreamer Trilogy picks up as something is happening to the source of the dreamers power. It is blocked, diminished, weak. If it goes away entirely, what will happen to the dreamers and those who depend on them? See our w&a with Stiefvater on her trilogy.

The Mystery in Manhattan

by Alex Shibutani, Maia Shibutani, and Michelle Schusterman, illus. by Yaoyao Ma Van As (Razorbill, May 4 $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11376-9)

The Kudo Kids are visiting New York City for the first time and theyre ready to see the sights. But the siblings quickly realize that theyre excited for very different reasons. Both of their plans derail when they learn that Aunt Kei is in desperate need of assistance. When a very special dress goes missing, they find themselves on a chase around the city in the second book of the Kudo Kids series.

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, May 25 $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-288045-1)

Murphy revisits the world of Dumplin in her final companion novel. Waylon is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate and move to Austin with his twin sister. But when his sister deviates from the plan and Waylon gets dumped, he creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show. What he doesnt count on is the tape accidentally getting shared with the entire school and his subsequently getting nominated as prom queen as a joke.

The Secrets of the Himalayas

by Adam Gidwitz and Hena Khan, illus. by Hatem Aly (Dutton, May 4 $14.99; ISBN 978-0-7352-3145-0)

The Unicorn Rescue Society is back in the sixth addition to the series. When Uchenna and Elliots classmate publishes an article in the school newspaper about the Schmoke Brothers latest scheme, Professor Fauna notices something alarming: a unicorn horn mounted on the wall. Determined to stop the Schmoke Brothers from poaching more creatures, the Unicorn Rescue Society heads to Pakistan.

Stingers

by Randy Wayne White (Roaring Brook, May 11 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-250-24463-5)

The brave friends who make up Shark, Inc.Luke, Maribel and Sabinadive back into adventure in this follow-up to Fins. When the trio finds precious artifacts, they agree to guard the secret until theyve thoroughly explored the spot. Soon, outlaws are searching for the three kids, in hopes they will lead them to riches.

TBH, I Dont Want to Say Good-bye

by Lisa Greenwald (HarperCollins/Tegen, May 4 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-06-299183-6)

The group starts to fall apart when Gabbys mother gets a new job in Texas, in the eighth and final book of the TBH series. Could this really be Cece, Prianka, Gabby, and Victorias last summer together?

Thrive

by Kenneth Oppel (Knopf, May 4 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-984-89480-9)

In the conclusion to the Overthrow trilogy, the alien invasion of Earth is imminent. But maybe not all the aliens are united. A rebel faction has reached out to Anaya, saying theres a way to stop the larger invasiona way for humans and hybrids and cryptogens to work together. Can they be trusted, or is this a trap?

Willa of Dark Hollow

by Robert Beatty (Disney-Hyperion, May 4 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-00760-3)

The companion to Willa of the Wood kicks off when Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange creatures and comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force that hunts humans. Unleashing these dangerous spirits could be the key to stopping the loggers.
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) today announced that it has signed a much-anticipated agreement with Amazon Publishing to make all of the roughly 10,000 Amazon Publishing e-books and digital audiobooks available to libraries, the first time that digital content from Amazon Publishing will be made available to libraries.

In a release today, DPLA officials said that lending will begin sometime this summer, with Amazon Publishing content to be made available for license via the DPLA Exchange, the DPLA's not-for-profit, "library-centered" platform, and accessible to readers via the SimplyE app, a free, open source library e-reader app developed by the New York Public Library and used by DPLA. Library users will not have to go through their Amazon accounts to access Amazon Publishing titles via the DPLA, and DPLA officials confirmed that, as with other publishers DPLA works with, Amazon will not receive any patron data.

The executed, long awaited deal comes nearly six months after Amazon Publishing and the DPLA confirmed that they were in talks to make Amazon Publishing titles available to libraries for the first time.

The deal represents a major step forward for the digital library market. Not only is Amazon Publishing finally making its digital content available to libraries, the deal gives libraries a range of models through which it can license the content, offering libraries the kind of flexibility librarians have long asked for from the major publishers.

DPLA officials said that Amazon Publishing titles will begin with four available licensing models this summer:

Unlimited, one user at a time access, two-year license

Bundles of 40 lends, available with a maximum of 10 simultaneously, with no time limit to use the lends

Bundles of five lends, available simultaneously, with no time limit to use the lends

26 lends, one user at a time access, the lesser of two years or 26 lends license

The agreement is also a major coup for SimplyE and the Digital Public Library of Americas growing e-book platform, the DPLA Exchange. After all, to license Amazon Publishing titles libraries will need to use the DPLA exchange and patrons must deploy the SimplyE app to access them. It is not clear whether or how soon Amazon Publishing will work other vendors in the library e-book market, but Michele Kimpton, director of business development and senior strategist for the Digital Public Library of America, told PW last year that the deal was not being negotiated or designed to function as some kind of DPLA exclusive.

DPLA officials say Amazon Publishing now joins nearly 1,000 publishers in the DPLA Exchange, and is one of more than two dozen publishers offering a range of new licensing models.

The deal will also serve to blunt a major criticism of Amazon, which until now had not made its digital content available to libraries under any termsan exclusion that librarians have loudly criticized for years, and which was brought to the attention of lawmakers in an ALA report last year. In fact, an Amazon spokesperson revealed news of the potential deal with DPLA last year after reporters from The Hill contacted the company regarding a petition urging Congress to pursue an antitrust investigation and legislative action to preserve and expand library services.
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In sessions on topics ranging from hiring to politics, industry leaders discuss the big issues facing publishing.

The Future of the (Publishing) Office

Scores of publishing employees have been working remotely since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Now, mass vaccinations and declines in positivity rates have made returning to the office seem possible. But what will the return to office life look like?

Moderator: John Maher, PWs news and digital editor

Panelists

Thad McIllroy, principal, The Future of Publishing

Tsedal Neeley, Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and author of Remote Work Revolution

Lorraine Shanley, president of Market Partners International

Adrienne Vaughan, executive director and COO, Bloomsbury Publishing

Tuesday, May 25, 1111:45 a.m. ET

Hiring: How to Prioritize Inclusivity in Your Workforce

The publishing industrys long-term inability to diversify its workforce is no secret. While publishers seem to be responding to renewed calls for more diversity and inclusion efforts, the industrys struggle to hire and retain young people of color remains a frustrating constant. Why?

Moderator: Shelly Romero, assistant editor, Scholastic

Panelists

Carrie Bloxson, head of diversity and inclusion, Hachette Book Group

Stacey A. Gordon, author of Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work

Jason Low, publisher and cofounder, Lee and Low Books

Ayesha Pande, proprietor, Ayesha Pande Literary, and head of the Association of Authors Representatives diversity committee

Tuesday, May 25, 12:151 p.m. ET

Political Books: What Does the Post-Trump Landscape Hold?

Hate him or love him, former president Trump was the focus of the nations attention like no other politician in recent memory. He was also great for book sales, allowing publishers to pump the bestseller lists with titles either celebrating or demonizing him. So what does this category hold as we enter the post-Trump political scene? Has the market for political books changed? If so, how?

Moderator: Jimmy So, editor, Columbia Global Reports, Columbia University

Panelists

Eamon Dolan, v-p, executive editor, Simon & Schuster

Tanya McKinnon, principal, McKinnon Literary

Eric Nelson, v-p, editorial director, Broadside Books

Keith Urbahn, president and cofounder, Javelin

Tuesday, May 25, 1:302:15 p.m. ET

Is Literary IP as Valuable in a Postpandemic Hollywood?

Books will never be out of style in Hollywood, but what does the term Hollywood even mean these days? With the movie theater business on its knees and the film industry reeling from nearly a year without theatrical releases, the already fast-changing movie landscape is even more in flux than usual. How has the pandemic changed the kind of literary content that gets optioned?

Moderator: Zander Bauman, scout, 20th Century Studio

Panelists

Angela Cheng Caplan, president and CEO, Cheng Caplan Co.

Mac Hawkins, film/TV literary consultant and founder, Pragmatic

Erin Hennicke, director, film/TV, Franklin & Siegal Assoc.

Mary Pender, media rights agent, United Talent Agency

Tuesday, May 25, 2:303:15 p.m. ET

Leading booksellers and industry members discuss changes to the bookselling landscape

Postpandemic Bookselling: Hot-Button Issues Facing Bricks-and-Mortar Bookstores

As customers return to in-store shopping, how have the fights for social justice and fair wages, as well as efforts to stop Amazons encroachment on sales, changed the way booksellers work? With sales stalled at many stores in 2020, what are the prospects for the future?

Moderator: Ed Nawotka, PWs bookselling and international editor

Panelists

Nina Barrett, owner, Bookends & Beginnings (Evanston, Ill.)

Danny Caine, owner, Raven Book Store (Lawrence, Kans.), and author of How to Resist Amazon and Why

Bryanne Hoeg, store manager of Powells City of Books (Portland, Ore.)

Kwame Spearman, co-owner and CEO, Tattered Cover Book Store (Denver)

Tuesday, May 25, 12:151:15 p.m. ET

How to Sell More Books Online in 2021

Many bookstores made a successful pivot to online bookselling during the pandemic. Will this shift continue to benefit bricks-and-mortar bookstores going forward? What are the best practices for bookstores that want to incorporate online selling?

Moderator: Ed Nawotka

Panelists

Phil Davies, director, IndieCommerce, the American Booksellers Association

Sarah High, partnerships manager, Bookshop.org

Mark Pearson, CEO and cofounder, Libro.fm

Tuesday, May 25, 34 p.m. ET

Return to the main feature.
Jurado began her career at A+E Networks as senior director of international content sales for LATAM and USH, with oversight of A+E Networks Internationals off net television sales to basic and pay cable entities, as well as new media platforms such as subscription and advertising video-on-demand (SVOD, AVOD).Her promotion follows what is said to be successful a track record with the company since she first joined in 2017. Charged with expanding A+E Networks business throughout the LATAM and USH regions across all platforms, her recent accomplishments include an SVOD scripted deal with Globo Play in Brazil, and linear deals with Megavision, SBT Brazil, Univision and DirecTV.Prior to joining A+E Jurado served as vice president of sales and business development at Cisneros Media Distribution (CMD). She also served as Vice President of sales and distribution, Latin America and US Hispanic for BBC Studios . During her tenure at BBC, Jurado became a member of its international executive team, and was responsible for negotiating output deals with Discovery Latin America, Globo TV and Netflix Latin America.Helen is a consummate sales executive whose vast knowledge and long-standing relationships throughout LATAM and USH have resulted in significant sales growth for A+E , remarked Ellen Lovejoy, senior vice president and head of sales Americas and formats, to whom she will report. We look forward to continuing to expand our business in these exciting changing markets under Helens leadership.
The merger of Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 would create a company with consolidated 2020 Pro Forma revenues of 3.4 billion and a current operating profit of 461 million. The project has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Groupe Bouygues, RTL Group, Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 and the companies expressed confidence that the new group would be well positioned to master the challenges arising from the accelerating competition with global platforms, active on the French advertising market and in the production of quality audiovisual content.The two firms say they recognise the challenges of a market where increasingly rich, original and exclusive content is driving long term audience growth. A market they say where linear TV remains a powerful media but one which is undergoing a structural transformation with a strong shift towards on-demand consumption.The two firms say the combination of their brands would allow the new group to invest more and to step-up innovation. The proposed merger is seen as critical to ensure the long-term independence of French content creation and to continue to offer diversified and premium local content to the benefit of all viewers.Right at the heart of the merger would be the acceleration of the development of a French streaming champion combining a catch-up and live streaming offer - based on the existing MyTF1 and 6play products  as well as a SVOD service that could hold its own in a global streaming industry that is currently dominated by the current US giants whose grip will only be tightened with the scale of the likes of the newly merged Discovery and WarnerMedia.The new company will also aim to develop what it says will be cutting-edge technology in streaming, notably using Groupe TF1s assets and the Bedrock platform, jointly owned with RTL Group, and in addressable TV advertising to meet the needs of viewers and customers.The merger between Groupe TF1 and Groupe M6 is a great opportunity to create a French total video champion that will guarantee independence, quality of content, and pluralism  values that have long been shared by our two groups, said Gilles Pelisson, chairman and CEO of Groupe TF1. It will be an asset in promoting French culture. Groupe TF1 now approaches a new stage in its development, consistent with the strategic vision developed in the past 5 years.Nicolas de Tavernost, CEO of Groupe M6 , added: The consolidation of the French television and audiovisual markets is an absolute necessity if the French audience and the industry as a whole are to continue to play a predominant role in the face of exacerbated international competition, which is accelerating rapidly. The combination of the two groups know-how will allow for an ambitious French response. Furthermore, this proposed merger of Groupe M6 and Groupe TF1 is the only transaction offering value creation for all Groupe M6 shareholders.
Rapp News and Foothills Forum are continuously covering the impact of COVID-19 on our community. Sign up to have the C-19 Daily Update delivered to your inbox every morning.

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Reading

Man shot dead in the street at 7th and Pine

1 person killed in Reading's 3rd shooting in a day [Map]
More than 18,000 rockets have been fired on Israel by terrorist Hamas in the last week. That is not an accident. It is provocation. The only question is  who pushed that button? Knowing Israel defends itself, who wants conflict? Candidates are several. Implications are profound, identifiable, and dangerous. The world is edging toward a major war.

Understanding what is happening is the only way to confront those pushing war  and stop it. Mainstream media say the attack is just a resurgent Israeli-Palestinian conflict over East Jerusalem. That is shallow. Larger forces are at play.

Gaza, controlled by Hamas since the 2007 coup, is the source of the missiles, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claiming credit. But to stop there is naive. The source of this attack is the confluence of other moving parts  geopolitical influences that need to be candidly confronted by the Biden Administration.

First, within the Middle East, Iran is the preeminent spoiler, top terror sponsor, and sworn enemy of Western values. Iran is looking for distractions, a way to complete nuclear weapons, then take whole nations hostage, empowering radical Islam.

Iran is also desperate to break the pro-peace momentum created by President Trump through bilateral deals with Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and progress with Oman, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia. Peace in the Middle East  centered on bilateral deals with Israel  would isolate Iran. See, e.g., https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-middle-east-peace-deals-what-to-know.

Iran is tightly tied  financially, strategically, and operationally  to anti-Western terror, including Hamas. While Biden negotiates with Iran in Vienna, Iran supports attacks by Hamas on US ally Israel.

Accordingly, the US should suspend the Vienna talks, affirm Trumps sanctions will stay in place, and rally Europeans to the cause. This should end the folly of buying a non-nuclear Iran with US tax dollars  never going to happen. Iran does not want peace. Moreover, the Iranian people will trade sanctions for freedom. See, e.g., https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iranians-to-the-biden-administration-do-not-lift-sanctions-on-iran-opinion/ar-BB1gJi72?ocid=uxbndlbing.

But Iran is not the only reason Israel is under attack. A second reason is opportunism, the global grasp  by allies and adversaries  that Biden-Harris is weak, ill-prepared, ideologically divided, a US administration with no coherent foreign or national security strategy, more about appeasement than deterrence, unclear about geopolitical threats, and ripe for routing.

Third, China is deeply involved in the Middle East, beginning with Iran. China sees the world as a zero-sum game and wants to win. The more Western values are under attack, the greater China's opportunity to strike while the iron is hot. China has no love for Israel or the values of democracy.

More urgently, China knows that if the US is engaged in defending Israel  if war widens  the moment is perfect to overrun Taiwan, ending 70 years of democracy and independence in that country, sweeping it into Communist Chinas cave, as China is doing with Hong Kong.

China surely sees other opportunities if the Middle East explodes  a chance to take the Spratly Islands, decisively ending territorial disputes with Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei, perhaps also the Senkaku islands near Japan. Nor would they stop there. China has eyes on multiple continents. See, e.g., https://airpowerasia.com/2020/07/06/chinas-serious-border-disputes-with-most-neighbours-unilateral-approach-india-the-bulwark-comprehensive-story/; https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/asia/china-japan-islands-dispute-hnk-intl/index.html.

Russia also is an opportunist, whether complicit in the attacks on Israel. In the Middle East, instability helps Russia, which hopes to supplant the US  and Western values  across the region, partnering with Iran, Syria, Libya, Egypt, select Gulf States, and Afghanistan. When the US pulls back, it goes weak  Russia is there. See, e.g., https://www.jpost.com/international/russias-role-in-middle-east-concerning-for-israel-and-us-667303.

Russia gains in other ways from war, isolating Israel and distracting the US. Russian troops are now massed on the border of Ukraine, contiguous with Eastern Europe, in numbers never seen before. Those troops are not sightseers, nor are others a threat to Russia. So, why are they there? Waiting  for their moment. See, e.g., https://www.voanews.com/europe/eu-russian-troop-buildup-along-ukraine-crimea-highest-ever#:~:text=PARIS%20-%20The%20European%20Union%20says%20roughly%20150%2C000,Ukraine%20border%20and%20annexed%20Crimea%20as%20very%20worrying; https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/us/politics/biden-putin-russia-ukraine.html.

Finally  most dangerously  provoking war in the Middle East forces a support-or-abandon decision by Biden with respect to Israel. That turn may have origins closer to home. Parts of the Administration and the anti-Israel, pro-Islamic Democratic Party would welcome the abandonment of Israel.

While this is hard to conceive  a shift of this magnitude within the Democratic Party  it is hard to deny. Just as portions of the Democratic Party shifted left to centralized government, the opposition of First, Second, and Tenth Amendment rights and alienates blue collar and minority supporters, they are shifting on foreign affairs.

Reality is that a non-trivial part of the Democratic Party is now actively anti-Israel, pro-Islamic thinking, at least in the Middle East, and seems unmoved by the prospect of terrorists overrunning Israel. This leads one to wonder  the way John Kerry secretly briefed Iran  what is going on? See, e.g., https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-divided-israel-hamas-biden-ocasio-cortez-ilhan-omar.

Voices that should be standing up for Israel in this White House and Congress  are not. This is shocking, given the history of Israel, our alliance, their cultural past, the importance of the Holy Land to Americans, and the nations physical isolation. Where is Biden? Harris? Schumer? Pelosi? Where is the counterforce within the Democratic Party saying to their radical left stop the madness, sit down,  Western values, Israels existence, role in the world, defense of stability is essential? Nowhere. Why?

Bottom line: International relations, like nature, abhors a vacuum. If no one in the Biden White House steps up, steps in, squares away this potentially devastating  lose-lose  situation in the Middle East, war will widen. Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Iran, China, Russia, and some in an out-of-sync Democratic Party will celebrate. America, Europe, democracies around the world  including Israel  will lose if that happens. Biden-Harris  and all responsible Americans  should be defending Israel, period.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, a former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, a ten-year naval intelligence officer, author of Narcotics and Terrorism (2003), Eagles and Evergreens (2018), and is the National Spokesman for the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) a 2.3 million-strong, non-partisan group for Americans 50+.
Mary Williams Walsh of the New York Times mashed together three unrelated storiesand some misleading financial numbersto produce a hit piece on the Pennsylvania School Employee Retirement System under the inflammatory headline, F.B.I. Asking Questions After a Pension Fund Aimed High and Fell Short. Seven paragraphs into the story we learn the FBI is asking questions, according to anonymous sources, about 2017 land purchases near PSERS headquarters. Theres no suggestion the fund did anything wrong, and any FBI interest seems unrelated to the funds financial performance and investment strategy.

Those facts made the subhed, The Pennsylvania teachers retirement fund put more than half its assets into risky alternative investments. The math didnt work out, spurring an investigation, seem worse than misleading, since Walsh cant link investments or math to the investigation, if indeed there is an investigation. The FBI will not comment and the anonymous sources only allege that someone from the FBI asked some questions of some unidentified people.

For a welcome change in a story about pension funding, I can lead with good news. The controversy involves the most recent fund annual report reporting as of June 30, 2020. The private equity investments are reported at a one-quarter lag, meaning they are valued at the low of the short-lived pandemic crash. The 35% losses the fund reported in Master Limited Partnerships (strongly linked to oil prices) from July 2019 to June 2020, and the 5% losses in private equity, have likely been turned around into large profits by now, and the anemic 2% returns in real estate and commodities have likely soared for the June 2021 fiscal year.

Calling anonymous allegations that the FBI asked questions a story is a stretch, but the second story Walsh tosses into her stew is real. PSERS restated its nine-year annualized return by 4 basis pointsfrom 6.38% to 6.34%--due to consultants error. The lower return number forces higher contributionsfrom 0.5% to 0.75% of gross payfrom school employees hired since 2011. Naturally, some people wonder if it was an innocent error.

Walsh is content to let suspicion simmer to add fragrance to her concoction, but a little digging would make a conspiracy theory seem unlikely. The fund restated each of the last nine years, mostly by small amounts, but by a large amount in 2015. Someone cooking the books in late 2020 could not have changed the previously reported 8 years of numbers, she could only have meddled with the 2020 ones. Whatever mistake was made was made more than nine years ago and could not have been aimed at moving the 2020 figure just below a key thresholdone that didnt exist nine years ago.

The third story is the inaccurate claim that the fund put more than half its assets into risky alternative investments. 57% of the funds assets are in stocks and bonds. 15% are in alternative investmentsprivate equity and venture capitaland these are indeed risky, but have done quite well for the fund in the long-term, and almost certainly since June 2020. The rest of the portfolio is in relatively low-risk investments like real estate, commodities, infrastructure and absolute return funds, which some people call alternative, but (a) dont amount to more than half, (b) reduce overall portfolio risk and (c) are doing very well.

Most of the article consists of describing private equity projects Walsh considers unsavorytrailer parks and phone systems for prisonor riskyenergy loans in Kurdistan. The objection to funding trailer parks is that the worker poor are being priced out of trailer parks, which would seem to be an argument supporting additional investment in construction. The objection to prison phones is making money from prisons. While its possible that PSERS made some investments that offend some ethical principles, and the promised 12% return on the Kurdistan energy-backed loans was too low to justify the risk, this seems to have little connection to the claimed focus of the piecethe FBI investigation. And without numbers about the investments Walsh dislikes, theres no tie to fund performance either.

One person is quoted complaining that private equity valuations are less reliable than public equity. Thats true, and its the flip side of the complaint that public companies focus too much on quarterly earnings and minor short-term news that roils the stock price. You can have reliable independent daily mark-to-market valuations of your investment, or management freed from short-term measurement, but not both. PSERS, like most sophisticated investors, chooses a mix of both for diversification.

In a minor bit of misinformation, Walsh blames the 2000 decision by the Pennsylvania legislature to raid the pension fund on a mistaken idea than the stock market would continue its late 1990s gains, an idea Walsh thinks was contradicted by 9/11. But the stock market crashed in March 2000, a year and a half before the terrorist attacks. The decision to cut contributions and raise benefits came a year after the crash. 9/11 caused only a minor, short-lived dip.

PSERS; story is simple. In 2000 it was adequately funded to pay all future benefits. In 2001, the legislature slashed contributions and raised benefits so the fund paid out $1.5 billion more in benefits than it got from employee and government contributions. Every year since, $1 billion to $4 billion more goes out than comes in. Overall 20-year investment returns have been decentif unspectacular--but no plausible returns could have made up that difference. Too much money going out, not enough coming in. The problem was baked in 20 years ago, with tweaks every year or two either to cover up the problem or to make small stabs at reducing it. Thats the real boring story.

Aaron Brown is the author of many books, including The Poker Face of Wall Street. He's a long-time risk manager in the hedge fund space.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are alarmed, to say the least, by the agenda proposed by President Joe Biden and Democrats. That is why so many GOP lawmakers are eager to move beyond replaying the 2020 election and get down to the business of stopping Biden's plans to -- in the GOP view -- recklessly spend trillions of dollars, wreck the economy, declare open borders, worsen the racial divide, and mishandle a tense Middle East, not to mention pack the Supreme Court and make Washington DC a state.
Why Justice Breyer May Resist Calls for His Retirement

In a recent speech on the peril of politics, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said judges must renounce loyalty to the political party that helped to secure their appointment.
In this photo released by Hong Kong Government Information Services, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, left, presents the award to Hong Kong's Director of National Security Frederic Choi at Government House in recognition of his significant contributions to safeguarding national security in Hong Kong on Feb. 10, 2021. The top Hong Kong national security officer was reportedly caught up in a raid on an unlicensed massage business, and will face a police force investigation into the alleged misconduct. Choi has since been put on leave after the incident, according to Hong Kong police chief Chris Tang.
63 of Kewadin, passed away June 1, 2021 at her home. A memorial for Sandra will be held at a later date this summer. Sandy's wishes are for you not to get sappy, but have a big bash to celebrate because she'll be up "there" preparing for the after party. Beacon Cremation and Funeral Service,
Greenville, NC (27833)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 71F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
John Koopmann, a Lake Host at Spofford Lake, in Spofford, N.H., talks with Michael Collier, from Walpole, N.H., about places the boat has been before the boat goes into the water on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
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LOS ANGELES (AP)  Multimillionaire Robert Durst lived a life of such privilege and ease that he didnt bother keeping track of the many lies he told over the years and it could be his downfall, a prosecutor said Tuesday during a new round of opening statements at his murder trial.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin wove a combination of Dursts statements  what he said were truth and lies  to outline evidence that will show the New York real estate heir killed his best friend and a neighbor to cover up the mystery of his wifes disappearance.

One of the hallmarks of Bob Durst is that despite all the lies he tells, he doesnt take or use the mental energy to even remember them because his life has been spent privileged in getting away with whatever he wants, Lewin said. The evidence is going to show thats going to be his undoing in a lot of ways in all three of these cases.

Durst, 78, is only charged with one count of murder  in the killing of his best friend, Susan Berman, in 2000 in her Los Angeles home.

Durst has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer said he doesnt know who killed Berman, who was his longtime confidante and once an unofficial spokeswoman when Kathie Durst vanished in New York in 1982.

But Lewin said the killing of Berman, who was shot in the back of the head at close range, and Dursts admission that he fatally shot and dismembered a drifter in Texas in 2001 are both tied to the mystery of Kathie Durst.

Everything starts with Kathie Dursts disappearance and death at the hands of Mr. Durst, Lewin said.

Durst, who suffers from myriad maladies, was slumped in a wheelchair dressed in a blue sportcoat, white dress shirt and tan pants. His gray hair was disheveled and he appeared to show no emotion behind a white mask as he followed the proceedings on a tablet computer that provided a real-time transcript because he has impaired hearing.

Lewin provided an abbreviated opening statement to refresh jurors on what they last heard over six days in March 2020 before the case was recessed an unprecedented 14 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Defense lawyers will present their own summary of the evidence on Wednesday. Last year, they stunned the audience when they said they would put Durst on the witness stand.

Durst was acquitted of murder in a Texas court after testifying he killed Morris Black when the man pulled a gun on him and they wrestled for the weapon in the Galveston rooming house where they both lived.

Durst had gone into hiding in Texas after New York prosecutors reopened the investigation into Kathie Dursts suspected death. He killed Black because he had discovered Durst's identity and was trying to leverage the wealthy scion to buy a house for the two of them, Lewin said.

Durst killed Black about nine months after Berman was found dead in her Benedict Canyon home in December 2000. Police were directed to the home by a note with only her address and the word, CADAVER written in block letters.

Durst told the makers of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst in 2010 and 2012 that he didnt write the note. He told the filmmakers and investigators in 2015 that whoever wrote the note had to have been Bermans killer.

Youre writing a note to the police that only the killer could have written, Durst said.

Lewin said that now amounts to a confession after defense lawyers conceded before trial that Durst wrote the note. Evidence had shown he once penned a note to Berman in identical handwriting, with her address similarly misspelled Beverley Hills instead of Beverly.

The defense argues Durst found Bermans body, panicked and ran. He sent the note to police so shed be found, though her body was discovered before police got the note.

Durst killed Berman to keep her from talking to police about how she helped him cover up his wifes disappearance, Lewin said.

Lewin played a clip of testimony from Nick Chavin, a mutually close friend of the defendant and victim, who said Berman once told him that Durst had killed Kathie. He said Durst told him he killed Berman after the two had dinner in New York in 2014.

I had to, Durst said on the sidewalk, according to Chavin. It was her or me, I had no choice.

Lewin said Berman, the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster who never would have turned her back on a stranger, had no idea Durst had come to kill her when she let him in her home just before Christmas.

She turned around because because she trusted him, because he was her close friend, because he was not somebody to fear, Lewin said. She turned around, she took a few steps and he basically blew her brains out.

Lewin showed a photo of Berman lying on her back, her raven hair spread out on the floor and dark blood pooled under her head.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Already flush with federal cash, Louisiana's budget picture brightened again Tuesday, with the state's income forecasting panel estimating $677 million in tax collections above expectations should flow into the treasury over the next 14 months.

The Revenue Estimating Conference increased the estimate for general state tax collections in the current budget year that ends June 30 by $357 million. The panel also increased the general fund forecast for the upcoming budget year that begins July 1 by $320 million.

Those dollars arent currently included in the budget legislation awaiting decisions in the Senate, but senators will add it in the coming days. Spending ideas for the money abound, with suggestions ranging from increased teacher pay raises and more dollars for early childhood education programs to paying down a variety of state debts.

I don't think there will be any shortage of suggestions for how to spend the money, said Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, chief budget adviser to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and a member of the Revenue Estimating Conference.

Legislative leaders have said they want to increase the teacher and school support worker pay raises currently included in the budget from $800 to $1,000 for teachers and from $400 to $500 for staff such as cafeteria workers and bus drivers. Senate President Page Cortez said lawmakers may want to edge that even higher.

Advocates for early learning programs are seeking a more than $80 million increase, while other organizations are pushing for more spending on literacy programs for young students. Meanwhile, the Edwards administration has a long list of requests for additional dollars for the corrections department, state museums, Louisiana Public Broadcasting and other agencies.

Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, offered other ideas he expected lawmakers to consider, such as boosting the planned payment to the state's bankrupt unemployment trust fund to get it on better financial footing. He also said lawmakers might want to use some of the money to put toward a more than $1 billion debt owed to the federal government for upgrades to the flood protection system in the New Orleans region.

The Senate could unveil its proposals for spending the additional money as early as Friday.

The four-member estimating conference includes Dardenne, Cortez, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and independent economist Stephen Barnes, who works at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Lawmakers can't spend more state general fund money than what is recognized by the conference.

The improved income forecasts come from better-than-expected corporate and sales tax collections, along with smaller increases tied to severance taxes and gambling revenue.

We've got largely pluses across the whole board, said legislative economist Greg Albrecht.

But Albrecht said the boosted tax collections don't reflect a full recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. He said of the 284,000 workers who lost jobs during the worst months of the virus outbreak, only about 45% have gone back to work.

Federal pandemic assistance is driving the spending, more than reemployment, Albrecht said.

Billions of dollars in federal relief aid that have flowed to Louisiana from federal unemployment payments, direct checks to residents, business grants and other aid programs have shown up in sales tax collections from the increased spending, he said.

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
HARTFORD  A year after the Black Lives Matter movement changed the national conversation on racial equity, and disparities in health, money and justice disparities, the state Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that would declare racism a public health crisis.

The bill passed 30-5 after a more than three-and-a-half- hour debate and next heads to the state House of Representatives. Two Republican amendments were rejected, mostly along party lines, before most of the 12-member GOP caucus went along with Democrats.

If signed into law, the legislation would include a new gun violence intervention and prevention commission, with the goal of reducing shootings that in recent weeks have resulted in dozens of deaths among young people. Cities, counties and states throughout the national have also passed similar laws declaring the public health crisis, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.

Republican objections, led by Sen. Tony Hwang of Fairfield and Sen. Heather Somers of Groton, included procedural complaints charging that majority Democrats avoided the traditional public hearing process for several sections of the legislation.

This is a crisis and it is important but it does not come up to the magnitude of legislative fiat, or giving some power beyond the legislative processes we do deem an emergency, said Hwang, who spent a half hour criticizing the legislation, but voted for it.

Bias training, reducing maternity mortality and gun violence and understanding the COVID-19 response are among the chief goals, with better reporting on racial bias and health outcomes, said Sen. Mary Daugherty Abrams, D-Meriden, co-chairwoman of the legislative Public Health Committee.

Daugherty Abrams recaled that last year, on June 19  the Juneteenth holiday commemorating the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation  Democrats stood outside the State Capitol and pledged to make Connecticut more equitable. The legislation would establish a commission on equality.

Throughout the past year, as weve met the challenges of the pandemic, weve identified areas in physical, mental and behavioral health that need to be addressed, Daugherty Abrams said.

I think this is an amazing bill, said Sen. Saud Awar, D-South Windsor, a physician. If you do not diagnose a problem, you cannot solve a problem. This bill does a lot of good for our communities; for our state; for our people. He noted that Black children are 5.5 times more likely to suffer from asthma than white kids, and Latinx children are 4.5 times more susceptible than whites.

In the health care systems we are managing or taking care of diseases after they have occurred. This bill for minority communities, for the racial impacted communities is addressing and beginning to identify a framework to start to look at what needs to be done, Anwar said.

This is the kind of legislation that creates good health policy, said Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport. This past year illuminated the inequities within our health systems. Perhaps they existed because they were acceptable practices. The COVID-19 was the equalizer and when we address these inequities, we make the system better for all.

She said the gun-violence and prevention commission would be particularly important at a moment when shootings have spiked. It is not about gun safety. It is not about taking guns away. It is about dealing with this problem in urban centers that is growing and growing into many cities, Moore said, noting the shootout at a Bridgeport baseball field over the weekend.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, noted that the bill, which was designated as S.B. 1 this year, was the Democratic caucuss most important goal for this legislative session. Giving respect gives us respect, Duff said. We need to bring attention to racism. We need to be sure we are talking about racism in our communities and our state, and were not hiding from that fact. A lot of the solutions come from the bottom up and not the top down.

Why is it in cities that our educational systems are failing our students? said Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, stressing the need to create jobs to give families more money so they can afford better housing. We have a very poor economy, and that is a fact. America is a bold experiment that recognizes that every person was created equal.

Why are we seeing so much gun violence in our cities, said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven. Why are these young people so despairing? Why is human life so cheap in those communities? He noted the recent shooting death of a three-year-old in Hartford.

Despite having some of the best gun-control laws in the country after the gun violence prevention act we passed in 2013, there are still far too many guns in our streets, Looney said, stressing that many of the underlying issues would become the focus of examination if the legislation becomes law.

Those lawmakers who voted against the bill included conservatives Sen. Eric Berthel, R-Watertown; Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, Sen. Dan Champagne, R-Vernon, Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott and Sen. Paul Cicarella, R-North Haven.

Champagne supported failed GOP amendments that would have provided more oversight into the deaths in state nursing-home facilities.

I think an independent review is something that needs to happen, Champagne said. We need solid facts. Whoever gave that word out to put sick people into our nursing homes, we need to evaluate that so that it never happens again. And the only way to do that is with an independent investigation. And the only reason I can think that somebody wouldnt want that is because they want a certain outcome.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
DANBURY  Todd Henry Smith, who was found dead last month after being reported missing in January, is remembered by loved ones as a friendly, family-oriented man who loved making people laugh.

Todd never met a stranger. He loved people and to engage with people, said his sister, Kristina Lamparelli. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was just a good all around person.

Smiths body was found submerged in a retention pond near the entrance to the Westwood Village Condominiums on Mill Plain Road the evening of April 8  nearly three months after he was reported missing and less than a mile away from where he had last been seen alive.

A preliminary police investigation and examination of Smiths body showed no apparent signs of trauma, and the state medical examiners office later ruled his death as an accidental drowning.

Smith was last seen alive pushing a red bicycle in the area of 93 Mill Plain Road on Jan. 16, according to police.

Lamparelli said her brother, who lived on Main Street, rode his bicycle to get from place to place.

His bike was how he got around. He would have been 58, and my brother was just so fit, she said, adding that to her knowledge, her brothers bicycle has not been located. Its been so long, theres no telling where it might be.

In addition to fitness and riding his bicycle, Smith loved his family and friends and making people laugh, according to his obituary.

Born in Colorado in February 1963, Smith moved with his family to Connecticut at a very early age and grew up in Brookfield and New Milford. He later settled in Danbury, where he lived for more than 35 years.

Although his siblings no longer live in Connecticut, Lamparelli  who lives in Tennessee  said they were all very close.

He loved his family, and we miss our brother tremendously, she said. Its hard. Its really hard.

Lamparelli said she talked to her brother over the phone all the time  including the evening he was last seen alive.

He was at a Chinese restaurant. He had worked that day and was enjoying his meal, she said.

Smith was reported missing by a friend he worked with, Lamparelli said.

He cleaned a church every Monday  Todd was devoted to doing that  and I guess he didnt show up so his friend reported him missing, she said. Thank God he did because none of us (siblings) thought anything.

There have been no updates from Danbury police regarding the circumstances surrounding Smiths death, but his sister suspects he may have accidentally fallen through ice while heading home from the restaurant he was at when she last spoke to him.

Lamparelli said she thinks her brother may have been walking along a path due to lack of sidewalks and didnt realize he was walking over a frozen body of water because it was dark outside.

My personal theory is that he was walking and broke through ice  it just came upon him, she said.

Lamparelli said she and her family appreciate the outpouring of support and concern from people  including complete strangers  following the news of her brothers disappearance, as well as his death.

She said shes also grateful for the work of the Danbury Police Department.

Danbury police detectives have been nothing but awesome. Theyve become family, and I cant thank them enough. My heart will always be with them, Lamparelli said. I also want to thank the news and everybody who tried to find my brother  and I want to thank all those at home who he loved and who loved him.

Lamparelli said a memorial service will be held for her brother in Tennessee, but shes still working on setting a date for it.

Were just trying to make sure that everybody can be here, she said. Todd would want us to all be there.
Clearly Clean Products LLC announced Monday the purchase of a 60,000-square-foot facility in Frackville as the Orwigsburg-based manufacturer of recyclable packaging continues to expand.

The building will serve initially as a warehouse, then a distribution center and potentially another plant. It is in the same complex as Clearly Cleans other two Frackville facilities, a manufacturing plant and a distribution center, both purchased over the last year and a half.

Also, Clearly Clean for the second consecutive year was voted the fastest-growing manufacturer by the Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers & Employers Association in winning its Excellence Award for Expansion. In 2020, Clearly Clean tripled its capacity, grew its employee base by almost 80% and expanded its product offerings, the company reports.

Clearly Clean produces patented, 100% recyclable, smooth-edged Roll Over-Wrap trays; vacuum-sealed packaging trays; and recyclable modified atmosphere packaging trays. Numerous bans on expanded polystyrene, or foamed plastic, are helping fuel the demand for eco-friendly packaging, Clearly Clean reports. Its trays are made from PET, the same material used in recyclable water bottles, and can be used for meat, poultry, seafood, produce and deli products.

Millard Wallace, a managing partner at Clearly Clean, said the new facility will allow the maintenance crew to have a dedicated workspace.

Were so incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to purchase this building in order to keep up with demand, he said. We are blessed to continue growing at such a significant rate.

This purchase of another Frackville facility allows us to keep our operations in the same vicinity and create jobs for Schuylkill County, said Jeff Maguire, another managing partner. We are excited that Clearly Cleans trays are now used all over North America and beyond.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit http://clearlyclean.com/careers/ to apply.

Wallace honored

Wallace has been honored with the 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce.

After many years and dozens of patents, Wallace and his partners, Maguire and Peter Kolb, are revolutionizing the food packaging industry, reports Clearly Clean, which notes that Wallace invented the overwrap tray line.

Entrepreneurship has always been an important part of my life. I am so very grateful to the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce for this award and thankful to my partners for having faith in me, he said in a news release. He also credited the work of employees in helping Clearly Clean succeed.
POTTSVILLE  One is a judge who wants to continue to serve on the Schuylkill County bench.

Another is an assistant district attorney who wants to continue her public service as a judge.

A third is a lawyer with more than 26 years of experience who is making his second try for a judgeship.

The fourth is a veteran lawyer with a family tradition of success in elections who is trying to carry on that tradition in the judicial rather than the political world.

They are, respectively, Judge Christina E. Hale, Julie D. Werdt, James G. Conville and Christopher W. Hobbs, the four candidates for the two available positions on the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County. It is the only countywide contested race in Tuesday's primary election.

The two vacancies arise from the retirement of Judge John E. Domalakes and the decision of Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin not to run for retention after 30 years on the county bench. The ballots do not differentiate between the available positions.

Bar rankings

Schuylkill County Bar Association members, all of whom are active attorneys in the county, cast ballots expressing their individual opinions as to the fitness and qualifications of the candidates.

Rankings in order of highly recommended, recommended, not recommended and not familiar with candidate are:

James G. Conville: 49, 41, 16, 11.

Christina E. Hale: 74, 24, 13, 6.

Christopher W. Hobbs: 70, 35, 8, 4.

Julie A. Werdt: 24, 46, 30, 17.

Candidates comment

Hale and Hobbs are Republicans, while Conville and Werdt are Democrats. However, each has cross-filed on both the Democratic and Republican ballots, meaning there might not be any competitive races in the Nov. 3 General Election.

Hale, 45, of Butler Township, took office in 2020 after being nominated by Gov. Tom Wolf and confirmed by the state Senate to succeed Domalakes, but is now running for the full 10-year term. She had been the magisterial district judge in Frackville-based District 21-2-01 before joining the county bench.

I love being a judge, she said. I feel very fortunate and lucky to have such a position.

That experience is what sets her apart from the other candidates, Hale said.

Im the only candidate with judicial experience, and Ive presided over thousands of cases, she said. Ive issued rulings, written opinions and conducted jury and nonjury trials.

Hale said she has known Hobbs for many years, and their decision to run a joint campaign was easy.

Our families knew each other. We decided very quickly that such a campaign was appropriate because of similar temperaments and legal views, she said.

Hobbs, 48, of Pottsville, who practices law with the Pottsville firm of Lieberman, Tamulonis & Hobbs, agreed.

Christina and I have been friends for a long time, he said. Wouldnt it be great to have two people work together to try to unify ... rather than divide? We feel strongly we are the most qualified.

Hobbs, who worked as an assistant public defender from 2000-13 and currently serves as an assistant county solicitor, said the law is his way to serve the people of the county.

I come from a family of public servants. Its why I practice law, he said. Ive handled pretty much every type of case.

His father and father-in-law, Frederick H. Hobbs and James J. Rhoades, each represented the county as state senators.

Conville, of Port Carbon, emphasizes that he has more experience in the law, more than 26 years, than any of the other candidates.

I have the most experience, said Conville, who works for the Schuylkill Haven firm of Zane, Rossi, Conville & Harley. Im in court almost every day. (I can) treat everyone fairly in the county, listen to what everyone has to say.

He said that perhaps the most important experience in that respect is his work for children.

Ive been a guardian and advocate for children for over 15 years, Conville said.

A graduate of Penn State University and the Widener University School of Law, Conville does not like what he believes to be the political nature of the contest.

The race for the judgeships has turned into a political race, which should have no bearing on it, he said. Im not a politician. I dont come from a political family.

This is Convilles second try for a seat on the county bench. In 2011, he ran to replace the retiring judge, now Senior Judge, D. Michael Stine, but lost in both the Democratic and Republican primaries to District Attorney, now Judge, James P. Goodman.

This time, he hopes for a different result.

Im asking for the people of Schuylkill County to go out to vote and get their friends out to vote, Conville said. Pick the two that have the most experience. If you do make an informed choice, I think Ill be one of them.

Werdt has served as an assistant district attorney since 2018, and currently handles cases arising from the office of Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Widener University School of Law.

I want to be a judge because I see a need in our county for people with experience making decisions, Werdt said. Ive seen all sides of it.

Werdt, who lives in East Brunswick Township, said she has litigated almost every type of criminal and civil case, saying her legal career includes far more than her stint as an assistant district attorney.

Her civil experience includes adoption, custody, dependency and parental rights cases. She notes that a judges workload is far more than criminal jury trials, and she said she had the ability and experience to handle all of them.

Ive worked with a lot of people who have come through the court system, Werdt said. Because I work so much in a courtroom, I know what needs to be done. I know whats expected in a courtroom. Ive lived it.

Additionally, Werdt said she grew up, practices law and raises her children in the county.

(Updated to add bar association rankings.)
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN  James Martin will be taking a step toward a professional career in dance through a nationally recognized ballet program beginning this summer.

Martin, a student at Artists in Motion Performing Arts, or AIM, and senior at Blue Mountain High School, earned a full scholarship for the BalletMet Trainee Program in Columbus, Ohio.

Its relieving to know Im in, Martin said.

Martin, 18, of Schuylkill Haven, has been dancing since he was in first grade, and he began ballet as a freshman in high school. He has been a student at AIM for five years.

I started dance because my sister always did dance, and shes a big inspiration to me, Martin said. I had fun dancing, so I wanted to try other genres, like ballet.

Transition to professional world

The BalletMet program will begin with preparation over the summer to learn the companys repertoire before entering the yearlong training program designed for aspiring professional ballet dancers.

Kristina Grant, director of ballet at AIM, said the program will be a great opportunity for Martin to transition to the professional world.

Its a trainee program where dancers are learning how to be in the world as a professional dancer, Grant said. It helps them to transfer from student life to a professional career.

Grant also said it will allow Martin to network and meet other dancers.

Its a great think tank for young dancers, Grant said. They can meet people outside of their own dance school, because thats all theyve ever known.

Martin said that is the one aspect he is most looking forward to when he starts the program.

I am anxious, but Im excited to meet new people from all over the U.S., he said. Im also looking forward to the future and hopefully having more opportunities.

Martin said his goal is to be a dance teacher and one day teach at a dance convention to a class of more than 100 students.

I like that I could give my knowledge to others, Martin said. Everyone has their own idea of dance and what they deem to be important. I want to be able to tell that to kids.

This year, Martin has had the opportunity to teach classes at AIM.

Its stressful sometimes, coming up with dances, but its cool to see them being performed, Martin said.

Virtual challenges

Grant said the past year has been challenging in other ways for Martin and other students in the studio.

Like any other school, we had to go virtual, Grant said. A lot of students had a hard time adjusting and didnt want to work outside the studio.

Martin said he took three or four months off during the pandemic because of the difficulty in trying to practice from home. However, he returned and was able to perform a recital last year.

Erin Umphrey, director of AIM, also said Martin recently took part in the Beyond the Stars dance competition, in which he performed his solo ballet performance Endeavor, choreographed by Grant.

He received a diamond, which is the highest award you can get with a solo, Umphrey said.

Grant said the pandemic has shown how dedicated the students are, and she is proud to see Martin and others pursuing their goals after the challenges.

Its fantastic to know this didnt deter them from chasing their dreams, Grant said. Im really proud that hes venturing off into the arts, which is sorely needed in this world.

Arts are happening here

AIM offers intermediate and advanced levels of dance training in ballet and other genres, as well as a pre-professional day program.

Umphrey said the company is working on two performances, its first performance of The Nutcracker in December and Tarzan in August.

We just got approved to perform Tarzan on the Islands new amphitheater (in Schuylkill Haven), so we will be the inaugural performance, Umphrey said.

Grant said the company hopes to spread the word about its activities and accomplishments like Martins.

Its important for people outside the arts world to know that the arts are happening here in Schuylkill Haven, Grant said. We have a growing, thriving arts culture.
Netherlands: Repeaters and Beacons to be hit with 79 Euro charge VERON reports an additional change of 79 Euros a year is being levied on amateur radio Repeaters and Beacons in a move that is detrimental to experimental radio research



A translation of the VERON post read:



On February 15, 2021, the Chair of VERON Remy Denker sent a letter to the State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate, Mona Keijzer. In doing so, VERON responds to the Supervision Fee Scheme.

In addition to the existing tariff for permits for amateur radio relay and beacon stations, an additional rate of 79 per year has been introduced with the start of Jan 1, 2021. A summary of the letter and reply from the Ministry can be read here. But it is also possible to download the full letters.

Regulation on compensation for the Telecom Agency



The explanatory memorandum (Tariff subcategory I.C.9.) indicates that the reason for this additional rate lies in the additional costs. But specifically for investigation and surveillance for illegal users at relay stations. VERON requests the Secretary of State to cancel the additional rate.



Limited number of permits



The illegal use of relay station appears to apply to only 1.9% of the permits granted. The breakdown report of Agentschap Telecom shows that this problem only applies to the above-regional repeaters. A radio experiment in which all parties involved have agreed. Of the 162 permits issued, 3 are above-regional repeater. But of the 162 permits, 104 are permits where this problem does not apply, because they are permits for beacons.



Demotivating for experimental radio research



In the last amateur consultation, the AT underlined once again that the general policy is to stimulate innovative radio experiments. But with this policy, the government is actually working against the development of technological innovation. Increasing the cost of doing experimental radio research is demotivating.



Constructive maintenance managers above regional repeaters



At the time, all parties, such as the AT, agreed with knowledge of the experiment above regional repeaters. At the beginning of 2020, the first evaluation interview took place between AT and the amateur associations. A follow-up has subsequently been agreed to see what provisions administrators could make to prevent illegal use. This follow-up was to be planned by the AT and has not yet taken place. It is not right and, in our opinion, not decent to suddenly set an extra rate along the evaluation process. We believe that this evaluation should be completed first.



The letter to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Can be downloaded here

https://www.veron.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Brief-Min-EZK-web_.pdf



Answer Min EZ and K Regulation compensation Agency Telecom 2021



The Ministry refers to the 2014 Keeping Measure report. It states under what conditions AT may pass on enforcement costs to the citizen. The Ministry explains that the enforcement costs are not only for the above-regional repeaters. But also the supervision of the users of these repeaters. This involves combating illegal use or appealing to radio transmitters about their behaviour. But also all the extra actions that go with it. Think of administrative actions, providing information, and handling letter and telephone traffic.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Also reports that if the agency's commitment is less, then less costs will also have to be passed on. The Telecom Agency is open to a discussion with the field to promote compliance, so that the deployment can possibly be reduced. Incidentally, as the Ministry reports, the supervisory fee of  79,- is not yet sufficient to cover all the costs of supervision.



The full answer can be downloaded here

https://www.veron.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/antwoord-min-ezk.pdf



Source VERON The explanatory memorandum (Tariff subcategory I.C.9.) indicates that the reason for this additional rate lies in the additional costs. But specifically for investigation and surveillance for illegal users at relay stations. VERON requests the Secretary of State to cancel the additional rate.The illegal use of relay station appears to apply to only 1.9% of the permits granted. The breakdown report of Agentschap Telecom shows that this problem only applies to the above-regional repeaters. A radio experiment in which all parties involved have agreed. Of the 162 permits issued, 3 are above-regional repeater. But of the 162 permits, 104 are permits where this problem does not apply, because they are permits for beacons.In the last amateur consultation, the AT underlined once again that the general policy is to stimulate innovative radio experiments. But with this policy, the government is actually working against the development of technological innovation. Increasing the cost of doing experimental radio research is demotivating.At the time, all parties, such as the AT, agreed with knowledge of the experiment above regional repeaters. At the beginning of 2020, the first evaluation interview took place between AT and the amateur associations. A follow-up has subsequently been agreed to see what provisions administrators could make to prevent illegal use. This follow-up was to be planned by the AT and has not yet taken place. It is not right and, in our opinion, not decent to suddenly set an extra rate along the evaluation process. We believe that this evaluation should be completed first.The letter to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Can be downloaded hereThe Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Also reports that if the agency's commitment is less, then less costs will also have to be passed on. The Telecom Agency is open to a discussion with the field to promote compliance, so that the deployment can possibly be reduced. Incidentally, as the Ministry reports, the supervisory fee of  79,- is not yet sufficient to cover all the costs of supervision.The full answer can be downloaded hereSource VERON https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Netherlands
Thursday afternoon, during the 2 oclock hour, the coronavirus pandemic ended for about a third of America. Henceforth, says Dr. Rochelle Walensky of the CDC, the 117,647,439 people who have been fully vaccinated have been freed from wearing masks outdoors or indoors (which would seem to include everywhere) and from the six-foot social distancing. Lets all have a round of applause, like the kind we used to have for health-care workers.

If youre one of those millions who is two weeks past after completion of your shots, go ahead and burn or bury your mask or keep it on if you like the look or feel, it doesnt matter. You are protected. But, and this is a very big but, the other 213,801,842 Americans need to either get their second shot (36,338,873) or have their arm meet the needle. Otherwise, keep that mask on to shield yourself and others in this newly segregated society.

The maskless and close-by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday showed what its like on the other side of COVID-19.

The two classes of people is at this point mostly by choice. The vaccine is safe for ages 12 and up and likely soon enough the age will drop, drop, drop to include everyone. Young kids should stay covered up indoors, but outdoors, the risk of transmission is negligible.

Joining the protected vaccinated minority, which we hope will rapidly become the majority, is simple. There are 80,000 locations to get the shot. Waits and lines are gone and there are all kinds of incentives, from cash to subway rides to food. And now the big incentive to show your face and get close up again. The incentive to save your life has always been there.

No one can be compelled to take a shot, but that time will come when the FDA grants regular approval as opposed to the emergency okay in place since November. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain.
Amid a severe oxygen shortage, India has promised to send tankers of liquid oxygen to Nepal. In a virtual event held on Monday, May 17, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra, announced that oxygen will arrive in Nepal from India within a span of 8 to 10 days.

According to ANI, he said, India will continue helping and assisting Nepal at the hour of crisis. 2.3 million doses of Covishield vaccine have already been delivered. Within another 8 to 10 days, tankers with liquid oxygen would arrive in Nepal. According to a tally by the John Hopkins University, Nepal has a total of 464,218 cases with over 5,000 deaths.

ANI reported that Kathmandu on average needs 15,000 oxygen gas cylinders on a daily basis at the current time. It is also expected that the number might run high in the coming days as the peak of the ongoing pandemic is expected in the coming month. Even though empty oxygen gas cylinders are being outsourced from various countries, the gap between available cylinders and their demand on a daily basis is widening.

Current situation in Nepal

This comes after the Nepal Mountaineering Association requested climbers of the ongoing Spring Expedition to bring back their canisters so that they can be refilled to supply the medical gas to COVID-19 patients. The NMA urged climbers to bring back their empty or unused oxygen cylinders as coronavirus infection in Nepal is surging and patients are gasping for oxygen. In recent weeks, Nepals daily case trajectory has shot up with two out of five people testing positive.

Usually, oxygen canisters are left on slopes and ridges of mountains, however, with rising cases, the NMA has communicated with the expedition organisers and agents requesting them to bring back the cylinders for refilling. As per reports, hospitals in the capital city, Kathmandu, are flooded with coronavirus patients who are lying on the ground gasping for life-saving gas due to the limited number of oxygen gas cylinders available. Dozens of patients in recent weeks have already lost their lives due to the shortage of oxygen cylinders.

(With inputs from ANI) (Image Credits: Pixabay/PTI)
New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a man who was allegedly contracted for killing Dasna Devi temple's head priest Swami Yati Narsinghanand.

Senior police officials said John Mohammad Dar, a resident of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir, was apprehended from a hotel in Paharganj here along with a pistol and two magazines as well as with saffron clothes, allegedly for using it as a cover to gain entry into the temple situated in Ghaziabad neighbouring Delhi.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR in April against the religious leader for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community on a complaint from AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.

The police recovered a .30 bore pistol, two magazines, 15 live rounds, one saffron kurta, one white 'pajama', a 'kalawa' and wooden beads from his possession.

During interrogation, Dar told the police that he is a carpenter by profession and was booked by the Sangam police station in Anantnag for pelting stones in 2016 during the time of terrorist Burhan Wani's death, police said.

He had come across a man named Abid while roaming in his fields in December last year who had informed him that he was from Pakistan and associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), police said.

They became good friend and met twice after that -- first in December 2020 and then in April 2021. They also were constantly in touch with each other on WhatsApp, police said.

In February, he, along with his sister and her father-in-law, came to Delhi for treatment of his nephew who has some heart ailment. They stayed at a guest house near Jama Masjid, police said.

When he returned to Kashmir after the treatment of his nephew, Abid assigned him with the task to assassinate Swami Narsinghanand, saying the head priest of the temple had committed 'Gustakh-e-Rasool', officials said.

Abid taught him weapons handling and gave Rs 6,500 cash. Abid also transferred Rs 35,000 in Dar's account. Thereafter, Abid asked Dar to go to Delhi and procure weapon from one of his sources, police said.

Abid promised Dar that he would be paid a substantial amount for carrying out the assassination. Abid informed that a person named Umar will take care of him in Delhi, police said.

On April 23, the accused left for Delhi. Dar and Umar kept in touch with each other through an app named Telegram. Umar was supposed to arrange his recce and stay in Delhi and also to provide access to Yati Narsinghanand to carry out his killing, officials said.

Dar met Umar in Jama Masjid area who shifted him to a hotel in Paharganj. Umar also brought the puja items and saffron dress as a cover to gain entry in the temple, police said.

Later, he, along with Umar, received the arms from another person on a flyover near his hotel, police said. PTI NIT NIT TDS TDS

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As India continues to inoculate its citizens against the Coronavirus infection, Kenya's Deputy High Commissioner Irene Achieng Oloo on Tuesday accompanied her son as he received his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine. Kenya's Deputy High Commissioner's son got vaccinated at an inoculation centre in Delhi's Malviya Nagar. While speaking with ANI, Irene Achieng Oloo praised the Delhi government's school vaccination Centre.

Kenya's Deputy High commissioner accompanies her son for COVID-19 vaccine jab

CORRECTION | Irene Achieng Oloo, Kenya's Deputy High Commissioner accompanied her son as he* received his first jab of #COVID19 vaccine at an inoculation centre in Delhi's Malviya Nagar, earlier today pic.twitter.com/jP35IbwOiV  ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

COVID vaccine doses given in India cross 18 cr-mark

Earlier on Friday, the Union Health Ministry said that the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 18 crores. According to the 8 pm provisional report, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 18,04,29,261

The Health Ministry had said 3,25,071 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine on Thursday and cumulatively 42,55,362 across 32 states and union territories since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive. The total of 18,04,29,261 includes 96,27,199 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 66,21,675 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,43,63,754 Frontline Workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 81,48,757 FLWs who have taken the second dose, and 42,55,362 individuals in the 18-44 years age group who have received the first dose.

Besides, 5,67,99,389 and 87,50,224 beneficiaries aged over 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose, respectively, while 5,43,15,317 and 1,75,47,584 beneficiaries above 60 years have taken the first and second dose.

(Image: ANI)
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the cancellation of Sudan's $5 billion debt to France in an effort to support the country's transitional leadership and help its crippled economy recovering, at a Paris conference gathering African leaders and international creditors.

Macron hosted the event on Monday for General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of Sudan's ruling sovereign council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

The heads of state of neighbouring Egypt and Ethiopia were notably attending, as well as the International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat.

The conference aimed at marking Sudan's reintegration into the international community after three decades of isolation.

A popular uprising in the African nation led to the military's overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

"We are in favour of entirely cancelling Sudan's debt (towards France)," Macron said in a news conference. "We are expecting from other participants... to make a similar effort, which is the needed effort to free Sudan from the debt burden."

Macron said a global process of reduction of Sudan's debt should be formally launched by the IMF by the end of June.

France will also provide $1.5 billion loan to clear Sudan's arrears to the IMF, he added.

Sudan's transitional government has taken a set of measures in recent months to transform the country's economy.

That measures included a managed flotation of the Sudanese pound in an unprecedented step that led to hikes in the price of fuel and other essential goods.

The flotation was a key demand by the IMF, with which Sudan is expected to end in September a 12-month program to win relief on its foreign debt, which is at $70 billion.

Hamdok also commented after Sudan's military handed over around 100 suspects to prosecutors to investigate their involvement in the killing of two protesters during a rally in Khartoum last week.

Demonstrators had gathered outside the military's headquarters demanding justice for the dozens killed in a crackdown on protesters during and after a popular uprising that led to the militarys overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi met Monday with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

During their working meeting, both leaders shared strong concerns about the escalation of violence in the Middle East and deplored the numerous civilian victims, the French presidency said.

They stressed the absolute need to cease hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, the statement said.

Macron reaffirmed Frances support to Egypts mediation in the conflict

El-Sissi was in Paris to attend economic summits on Sudan and Africa, both hosted by France.

French and African leaders and international organizations were holding a conference Monday in Paris to negotiate debt relief and raise global support for Sudan's transitional leadership.

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Dozens of Iranians including women and children rallied in Tehran on Tuesday to demonstrate their support for Palestinians as Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers continued to trade attacks.

Protesters gathered in Tehran's Palestine Square waving the flags of Palestine, Iran and Lebanons militant Hezbollah group.

Flags of Israel's main backer and ally, the United States, were set on fire by protesters who shouted "death to Israel" and "death to America".

"To me, there is no difference between my kids and Palestinian children. There is no difference between a child whose dreams are being buried under tons of dirt and those of my child," said Maryam Kasiri who attended the protest.

Heavy fighting broke out May 10 when Gaza's militant Hamas rulers fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in heavy airstrikes since, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians.

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The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed late Monday some tension when several rockets were fired toward Israel and Israeli troops retaliated with firing some shells into Lebanon.

Israel's military said that it has identified six rockets launched from Lebanon that apparently fell inside Lebanese territory.

The Army said that Israeli artillery returned fire into southern Lebanon.

Air raid sirens sounded in a kibbutz near the border and residents were instructed to prepare bomb shelters.

The incident took place near the site of protests staged along the Lebanese border on Friday.

In one incident, protesters breached the border fence and entered Israeli territory.

The Israeli army shot and killed one man, whom the Lebanese militia Hezbollah later identified as one of its fighters.

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A top American diplomat arrived Tuesday in Libya's capital, marking the first visit by a senior U.S. official since the U.N.-backed election of an interim government in February.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood affirmed the U.S.'s full support of Libya's transitional authorities and urged an end to foreign military intervention in the North African country.

Libya's government of national unity is expected to enforce a cease-fire agreement signed in October and lead the country into general elections in December 2021.

Todays meetings demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. government and our strong diplomatic support for the progress the Libyan people have made towards an inclusive negotiated political solution, Hood said at a joint news conference with Libya's Foreign Minister Najla al-Manqoush.

Along with U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland, Hood met with Libyas Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and was expected to meet with Mohammad Younes Menfi, head of Libyas Presidential Council.

Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The uprising divided the oil-rich country between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the countrys east. Each were backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His 14-month-long campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.

An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the transitional government and December elections.

In a report obtained by The Associated Press last week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres complained there has been no reduction of foreign fighters or their activities in Libya and that a U.N.-imposed arms embargo continues to be breached.

The U.N. estimated in December there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including Syrians, Russians, Sudanese and Chadians. But at an informal council meeting in late April, speakers said there were more than 20,000, including 13,000 Syrians and 11,000 Sudanese, according to diplomats.

The goal of the U.S. is a sovereign, stable, unified Libya with no foreign interference and a state that is capable of combatting terrorism, said Hood.

Hood said the U.S. hopes that Libyans reach an agreement soon on the constitutional mechanism of the upcoming elections.

He added that America is willing to re-open its embassy in Libya but that the process would take time and require a lot of logistics.

We are not waiting for that; we will be visiting frequently and we will be inviting her excellency to Washington, he said in reference to Manqoush.

The U.S. suspended embassy operations in Libya in 2014 as fighting between Libyan factions neared its embassy in Tripoli. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Libya is now located in safer Tunis, Tunisia.

In recent months, several European governments, including France and Greece, reopened their embassies in Tripoli after years of closure as an act of support of the newly-elected transitional authorities.

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Islamabad, May 17 (PTI) Pakistan's Parliament on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning Israels "systematic oppression" of the people of Palestine and demanded the UN probe the human rights violations.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi moved the resolution in the National Assembly, according to the Radio Pakistan.

The resolution "strongly condemned the systematic and institutionalised oppression" of the people of Palestine by Israel. It denounced the attacks by the Israeli regime on worshippers in Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramzan and rejected the continuing practice of expanding settlements through forced evictions.

It condemned the deliberate destruction of buildings housing local and international media outlets in Sheikh Jarrah and Jerusalem, carried out with the intent to erase evidence of atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people, the report said.

The resolution reaffirmed Pakistans unwavering support for the realisation of the right to self-determination and other fundamental rights of Palestinians, as well as for the two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders, and a free, secure, viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, it said.

The House called upon the UN Security Council to take necessary action to bring an end to the ongoing crimes against humanity being perpetrated against Palestinians.

It urged the United Nations to ensure Israels compliance with the resolutions passed by the UNSC, UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council, reaffirming the right to self-determination of the Palestinians.

It called upon the UN Secretary-General to establish an independent inquiry tribunal to investigate the crimes committed by Israel against the people of Palestine, the report said.

The resolution called upon the OIC to take immediate decisive steps for the protection and safety of the Palestinian people and to break the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza to provide humanitarian assistance.

Speaking on the occasion, Qureshi announced to observe the coming Friday as a day of solidarity with the people of Palestine and to condemn Israeli aggression against them.

Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif proposed that relief goods should immediately be dispatched through the OIC and the Red Crescent to help the oppressed Palestinians. PTI SH MRJ MRJ

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We can expect to see more Chinese wolf warrior diplomats on the prowl, in India's neighbourhood, though its mailed fist is not so visible while dealing with India, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).

by Colonel R Hariharan

China's 'wolf-warrior diplomacy' -- that started with a public spat between State Councillor Yang Jiechi, China's top foreign policy official, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at their meeting in Alaska in March -- showed its fangs recently in Dhaka.

The first-ever Quad summit initiated by the US attended by India, Japan and Australia held in March 12 seem to have triggered the wolf warrior reaction.

On May 10, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming speaking at a public platformed warned that Bangladesh's relations with China will 'substantially get damaged' if the country joins the Quad, a US-led initiative.

Li added,obviously it will not be a good idea for Bangladesh to participate in this small club of four countries.

He undiplomatically added from the public forum, 'So, we don't like to see any form of participation by Bangladesh to this small group of elite countries"'

Li called the Quad a 'narrow purposed' geopolitical clique, intent on working against China's resurgence and its relationship with neighbours.

'Quad says it's for economic purpose and security and so on. But that is not true. We know that it is aimed at China,' Li added after the first-ever Quad summit of leaders of the US, India, Japan and Australia held in March.

The Chinese ambassador's 'warning' on Quad comes shortly after China's State Councillor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe's more diplomatic remarks, when he made a fleeting visit to Dhaka in the last week of April.

After meeting with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, General Wei added that to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, the two sides should make joint efforts against powers outside the region setting up military alliances in South Asia and practising hegemonism, an obvious reference to the Quad.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen reacting to the Chinese envoy's unsavoury comments called it 'very regrettable'.

Bangladesh, Momen said, maintained a non-aligned and balanced foreign policy and it would decide what to do following that principle.

'We are an independent and sovereign State. We decide our [own] foreign policy. But yes, any country can uphold its position,' he said.

Momen said China can state its position and Bangladesh always welcomes what others say.

'We will listen to what they say. But we will decide what is good for us.'

The Bangladesh foreign minister added they recall with respect what others say, but did not expect such behaviour from China.

Bangladesh and China turned their relationship into a strategic partnership in October 2016 with a deal signed between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the two countries have signed deals worth about $21 billion for upgrading infrastructure, particularly in transport, power and IT sector.

China has emerged as Bangladesh's largest development partner in recent years. Its lending has surged since 2018.

Perhaps, this conditioned the Bangladesh foreign minister to be careful in expressing his nation's unhappiness at the Chinese ambassador's comments, close on heels of advice from the Chinese defence minister a few weeks earlier.

The Daily Star of Dhaka in its editorial minced no words, calling the Chinese representative's comments as 'undiplomatic, uncalled-for and therefore unacceptable.'

The newspaper reminded that China was welcome to express their opinion, 'it shouldn't extend to telling us what we can or cannot do as an independent nation.'

It is not surprising that the Chinese foreign ministry has defended its ambassador's 'warning' against Dhaka's participation in the anti-China 'club' would result in substantial damage to its relations with China.

Asked for her reaction to the Bangladesh foreign minister's comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media that she had not seen the remarks.

'China and Bangladesh are very good neighbours. We have been developing bilateral relations based on mutual trust and peaceful co-existence, and we have been firmly supporting each other, on issues bearing on respective core interests and major concerns,' Hua said.

'We all know what kind of mechanism the Quad is. China opposes certain countries' efforts to form an exclusive clique, portray China as a challenge, and sow discord between regional countries and China,' Hua added, justifying the ambassador's remarks.

The Chinese Communist party tabloid Global Times, hailing the Alaska spat in April as China's 'wolf-warrior diplomacy', had pompously declared 'The arrogant Western world led by the US is no longer eligible to deal with the world's second-largest economy with a condescending attitude.'

This is probably the backdrop to the wolf warrior mindset used to browbeat small neighbours of Quad countries, particularly in India's neighbourhood.

Sri Lanka is yet to recover from Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe's visit to Colombo after his Dhaka visit, when the government was locked in passing the controversial Colombo Port City project Bill in parliament.

The project developed with China's assistance is a prestigious one of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Undoubtedly. the Chinese defence minister's visit was to apply pressure on Sri Lanka, when it is taking a crucial decision affecting China.

General Wei called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and discussed ways to further cement bilateral ties.

After the meeting, General Wei remarked peaceful development and win-win cooperation is the global trend and the 'right way' forward.

In an unstated reference to the Quad, he said certain major countries were keen to form cliques and factions and seek regional hegemony, which goes against peoples shared aspiration and severely harms the interests of regional countries.

Analyst Maria Siow writing in the South China Morning Post on April 17, 2021 posted the question 'Himalayan Quad: Is China about to start its own security bloc with Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan?' The rhetorical question has some relevance considering that peaceful borders and territorial integrity are China's core concerns.

The moot point is how does such a strategic alliance add value to China, which is already well entrenched, either overtly or covertly, in the body politics of all the three neighbours of India.

While China is the lynch pin of Quad, there is no common motivating factor for Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan to form a security bloc, unless it is India.

As Andrew Small, author of the book The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia's new geopolitics says China-Pakistan relations 'are based on shared hostility towards India, thrive on many common interests. A long history of secret deals between the two armies overrides the problems of Islamic extremism.

But this is not the case with Afghanistan or Nepal.

Their strategic narratives in relation to India are substantially different and complex, dictated by prevailing geo-strategic realities.

China's own strategic end goals widely differ in respect of the three countries.

China's substantial economic assistance and loans as members of the Bridge and Road Initiative is perhaps the common factor among them. Nepal is a case in point.

Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi had been trying to settle the differences between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former prime minister Prachanda who are locked in a factional fight within the Communist party of Nepal.

Though she has not succeeded so far, there is less visible success of China is in whittling down Nepal's dependency on Indian investments.

A Xinhua report last September quoted Nepal government statistics to say the country had received FDI pledges from China amounting to $220 million in fiscal 2019-2020 against pledges of $116 million in 2018-2019, in spite of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

It was two thirds of the total investments committed by foreign investors, according to the industry department.

Quoting a Nepal government official, it said Chinese investment pledges in some hydropower projects, which are more capital-intensive industries, contributed to a surge in overall Chinese investment commitments.

We can expect to see more Chinese wolf warrior diplomats on the prowl in India's neighbourhood, though its mailed fist is not so visible while dealing with India.

Colonel R Hariharan, a retired military intelligence officer, is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies and the South Asia Analysis Group.
As many as 18 Pakistani officials from the Lahore province have reportedly been suspended from their service for their alleged involvement in receiving bribes for out-of-turn COVID-19 vaccination and committing irregularities at various inoculation centres. According to ANI, the City District Administration has additionally also launched a probe against the 18 officials from district health and other departments in a bid to look into the incident. They noted that most of the complaints were related to Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institue (PKLI) in Lahore and expo vaccination centres.

Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman said, The action has been taken on our complaint. The Lahore DC being the administrator of the district health authority has conducted the inquiry and suspended 18 officials for being involved in irregularities, including receiving bribes for vaccinating people.

Usman added, Those suspended belonged to the district health department and not to the MCL.

Further, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik also informed that officials involved used to get vaccine injected to the citizens by receiving bribes. It is worth mentioning that this comes amid a time when Lahore is witnessing the highest number of critical COVID-19 patients in the country. As per ANI, the province has reported 221 coronavirus patients who were struggling for life on ventilators.

Pakistans COVID-19 outbreak

Lahore even reported 44 COVID-19 deaths and 1,700 new infections during the last 24 hours. Official figures show that Lahore is at the top among 16 cities of the country housing the largest number of critical patients followed by Multan and Karachi. Lahore is also the second among the 16 cities of the country where the largest number with 329 patients of the virus were on high flow oxygen followed by Faisalabad with 232 cases.

As per the news agency, the bed occupancy rate in the intensive care units of both public and private hospitals in Lahore was 64.4 per cent while in high dependency units 29.5 per cent. Overall, Pakistan reported 135 more deaths from the coronavirus in a single day on Tuesday, while more than 2,500 new cases of the virus emerged in a single day as well. Pakistan total number of cases has reached 882,928, as per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

(With inputs from ANI)


Pakistani police said Tuesday they foiled an attempt by a mob to lynch a blasphemy suspect recently arrested on charges of insulting Islam. The mob stormed the Golra police station on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday night, after police refused to hand over the suspect to the crowd outside for punishment, local police chief Asim Ghaffar said.

The suspect, Shaukat Ali, was unharmed while six police officials were slightly injured in the attack, Ghaffar said. Aali is accused of sharing anti-Islam content on social media. Blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan. Rights groups say that in this country, blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.

A Punjab governor in Islamabad was shot and killed by his own guard in 2011 after he defended a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was accused of blasphemy. She was acquitted after spending eight years on death row and left Pakistan for Canada to join her family after receiving threats.

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STORY: France Africa Summit Dinner - African leaders dine in Paris with Macron ahead of summit

LENGTH: 04:46

FIRST RUN: 2217

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TYPE: Natsound

SOURCE: AGENCY POOL (VIA RTV)

STORY NUMBER: 4326351

DATELINE: 17 May 2021 - Paris

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RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

AGENCY POOL (VIA RTV)

Paris - 17 May 2021

1. French President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte Macron welcoming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi at Elysee Palace then posing for photographs

2. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron welcoming Burkina Faso President Roc Marc Kabore and then posing for photographs

3. Rwandan President Paul Kagame arriving and bumpng elbows with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron and then posing for photographs

4. French and European flags outside palace

5. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron welcoming Chad's Prime Minister Pahmi Padacke

6. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron and Padacke posing for photographs

7. European Council President Charles Michel being welcomed by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron and then posing for photographs

8. Republican guards by gate

9. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari being welcomed by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron

10. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok arriving and being welcomed by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron and then posing for photographs

11. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron standing

12. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron welcoming International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and then posing for photographs

13. Senegalese President Macky Sall arriving and being welcomed by Macron and then posing for photographs

14. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron welcoming Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara and then posing for photographs

15. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron welcoming Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde

16. Camera operators

17. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa being welcomed by Emmaneul and Brigitte Macron and then posing for photographs

18. French flag

19. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron entering palace

20. Chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat arriving

21. World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala arriving

22. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell arriving

23. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arriving

24. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire arriving

25. Republican guards on steps of palace

STORYLINE:

African leaders and international creditors arrived at Paris' Elysee Palace on Monday for a dinner which is being held ahead of a summit which will focus on ways to finance nations in the continent which have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

French President Emmanuel Macron was joined by his wife Brigitte in welcoming the leaders at the presidential palace.

He will host the summit on Tuesday.

On Monday, Macron also hosted a conference gathering for the African leaders in which he announced the cancellation of Sudan's $5 billion debt to France in an effort to support the country's transitional leadership.

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STORY: Spain Migrants Ceuta UGC - Around 3,000 migrants enter Spanish enclave from Morocco

LENGTH: 00:52

FIRST RUN: 2159

RESTRICTIONS: Must credit @Karim_Prim

TYPE: Natsound

SOURCE: VALIDATED UGC

STORY NUMBER: 4326349

DATELINE: 17 May 2021 - Ceuta

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: MANDATORY ON-SCREEN CREDIT @Karim_Prim

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Ceuta - 17 May 2021

1. Various of migrants walking on Spain's Tarajal beach after crossing from Morocco to Ceuta

2. Queue of young migrants, likely minors, lining up at gate of warehouse managed by Red Cross

STORYLINE:

Around 3,000 Moroccans, a third of whom were presumed to be minors according to Spanish authorities, swam and used inflatable boats Monday to cross into Ceuta, the largest number of irregular arrivals in a single day into Spain's enclave in northern Africa.

The influx followed the souring of Spain's relations with Morocco, its southern partner and key ally on controlling migration flows, over Madrid's decision to allow the leader of a militant group fighting for independence from Morocco to receive hospital treatment.

Ceuta and nearby Melilla are regarded as a stepping stone into Europe for African migrants.

Hundreds of them risk injuries or death every year while trying to jump over fences, hide inside vehicles or by swimming around breakwaters that extend several meters into the Mediterranean Sea.

But the figure of 3,000 people making the crossing in just one day strained police and emergency workers in the city of 84,000.

The figure is nearly three times the total arrivals so far this year in the two Spanish territories and more than in all 2020, when 2,228 people arrived by both land and sea.

Video verified by The Associated Press showed long rows of young men lining up at the gates of a warehouse managed by the local Red Cross, waiting to get registered by Spanish Civil Guard officers.

Spain was deploying 200 more law enforcement officers to Ceuta, including anti-riot police and officers specialized in border control to speed up the return of those who arrived, the Interior Ministry said in a statement late on Monday.

Spain doesn't grant Moroccans asylum status. It only allows unaccompanied migrant children to legally remain in the country under the government's supervision.

The influx of Moroccans came at the end of the Muslim celebrations of Ramadan, when many residents in Europe return home after visiting relatives in the northern African country.

It also followed Madrid's decision to host Brahim Ghali, the head of the Polisario Front that disputes Rabat's claim on Western Sahara, who is recovering from COVID-19 in a hospital in northern Spain.

The Spanish government, which allowed Ghali to enter the country under a disguised identity, has justified its decision to give him shelter on humanitarian grounds.

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Colombo, May 17 (PTI) Sri Lankan authorities on Monday placed areas in Tamil-dominated Mullaithivu district under strict COVID-19 quarantine isolation, prohibiting commemorative activities of the 12th anniversary of the end of the bloody armed campaign waged by the LTTE against the government.

Army chief Shavendra Siliva, who heads the COVID-19 prevention operations, said that Mullaitivu, Pudukuduirippu and Mulliyawalai in the Mullaitivu district have been placed under isolation.

The isolation would continue until further notice, Silva said.

The decision came as the Tamil politicians claimed that police had taken action to ban the remembrance events organised by the Tamils to commemorate their dead. However, a court in Mullaithivu had permitted some action, they added.

On May 18, 2009, the three decade-long bloody separatist campaign led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to establish a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern province of the island nation came to an end with the killing of the LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran by the Sri Lankan Army in Mullaithvius Vellamulivaikkal.

Every year on May 18, while the armed forces celebrate the war victory, the Tamils mourn their dead during the final phase of the conflict.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - the main Tamil party - lawmaker Selvam Adaikkalanathan told reporters that several police stations in Mullaithivu district had obtained court orders preventing the commemoration.

He said the court in a new order issued on Monday permitted the commemoration of those killed in Mullivaikkal - the site of the last battle.

Accordingly, people have been permitted to only light lamps at the Mullivaikkal war memorial while adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines.

Last week, the Tamils complained that some group had destroyed the Mullivaikkal war memorial. The monument was established in memory of the civilian Tamils killed in Mullivaikkal in one of the bloody episodes of the island nation's last leg of the three-decade old conflict in 2009.

Meanwhile, the government said on Monday that a total of 2,456 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Sri Lanka, taking the total number of cases in the country to 145,202. The country has also reported over 950 deaths. PTI CORR ZH AKJ

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Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun on Sunday urged the international community to disrupt the financial flow to the military Tatmadaw, suspend major investments, businesses, and tie-ups with companies linked to the military. In an interview with NHK World, Moe condemned Juntas political crackdown on the pro-democracy protesters and supported the Myanmar civilians in their demands to restore the democratically elected government in the Southeast Asian country.

"Any financial flow that goes through the military chain should be cut off immediately, Moe told the network. He added, "They will be using this income for killing people of Myanmar.

Furthermore, he extended support for the national unity government and boycotted the militarys oppressive rule as he lambasted the armed forces for targeting civilian population airstrikes and arbitrarily detaining anti-coup demonstrators. Moe also appealed to the world to give refuge to the Myanmar citizens fleeing atrocities and oppression by the armed forces within the country. "The military coup must fail, democracy must prevail in Myanmar, he said, as he made remarks on the civilians picking arms against the military in defiance to the enforced regime.

within 48 hours,#Mindat can become a battleground & thousands of people are facing the danger of being displaced. So,we urge the int'l community to take immediate actions to end all #Violence of the army and protect the defenseless people of Mindat, #ChinState. #MOFA, #NUG pic.twitter.com/HqIUDETF0J  National Unity Government Myanmar (@NUGMyanmar) May 15, 2021

Following the armed coup in Myanmar on February 1, Moe was removed as the countrys envoy after the military rule was imposed and he condemned the militarys actions at UN General Assembly. He, however, has remained the UN Ambassador. Moe denounced the use of lethal tactics by the Junta as reports emerged that it deployed Chinese-made drones across Myanmar to quell pro-democracy protesters and launch a crackdown. Citizens were shot dead by army snipers after Junta deployed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) strategy to kill civilians in alliance with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Civil disobedience movement poet dies in military detention

As Junta continues its oppression, an acclaimed poet whose work has been symbolic for civil disobedience movement against the military junta died in the detention facility, the family informed the local Myanmar news outlets. Khet Thi and his wife, Chaw Su, were taken under police custody forcibly as a part of the crackdown against the political dissident in the town of Shwebo in the Sagaing region. The popular poet, who leads the resistance against the army coup, died under mysterious circumstances. His body was handed to the family, and shockingly, the family alleged that his organs had been missing and there were evident signs of torture due to multiple bruises as the family visited the deceased poet in the morgue.
STORY: Peru Presidential Candidates - Peru presidential candidates vow to fight COVID, run for single term

LENGTH: 03:08

FIRST RUN: 2154

RESTRICTIONS:

TYPE: Spanish/Natsound

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

STORY NUMBER: 4326347

DATELINE: 17 May 2021 - Lima

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lima - 17 May 2021

1. Media and police outside medical college where proclamation document is being signed by presidential candidates Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori

2. Various of Castillo supporters outside college playing music and holding banner reading (Spanish) "Youth for the teacher"

3. Vehicle carrying Castillo arriving surrounded by media and supporters

4. Vehicle carrying Fujimori arriving

5. Various of Castillo supporters dancing

6. Castillo arriving inside auditorium

7. Media

8. Fujimori arriving inside auditorium

9. Castillo and Fujimori bumping first

10. Wide of Castillo and Fujimori

11. Catholic Cardinal Pedro Barreto giving instructions to Castillo and Fujimori

12. Various of Castillo and Fujimori singing Peruvian national anthem

13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Pedro Barreto, Catholic Cardinal:

"The basic guarantees subject of the solemn and public oath that Mrs. Keiko Fujimori and Mr. Pedro Castillo have agreed to make, in essence, have the elements for a true democracy."

14. Wide of Castillo and Fujimori

15. Castillo and Fujimori observing a minute of silence in memory of the victims of COVID-19

16. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Pedro Castillo, Peruvian presidential candidate of the Libre party:

"It vowed to implement, immediately, the maximum efforts of the state and others in the country to defeat the pandemic, through effective, scientifically based strategies for the prevention of contagion, the application of treatments and universal vaccination, developing the greatest employment to address the tragic situation of poverty and hunger caused by the pandemic."

17. Castillo signing proclamation document

18. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Keiko Fujimori, Peruvian presidential candidate of the Fuerza Popular party:

"I vow to leave power after July 28, 2026, and not seek or attempt any mechanism of re-election. I vow that any reform, including that of the Constitution, will only be done through the existing constitutional and legal mechanisms."

19. Fujimori signing proclamation

20. Castillo and Fujimori touching the Peruvian flag and showing signed documents

21. Castillo and Fujimori bumping fists as they leave

STORYLINE:

The two candidates to be the next president of Peru each vowed Monday to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and not seek re-election should they take office.

Leftist Pedro Castillo and right-wing Keiko Fujimori signed a document making 12 declarations, including respecting the rights of "minorities and the marginalized" groups in a country accustomed to their leaders failing to deliver on their promises.

Both candidates swore in front of Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto, who was representing the requests of the Peruvian Catholic Church, the union of evangelical Christian churches and human rights organizations.

Later Monday, Fujimori was denied permission to travel to Ecuador for a political forum over ongoing charges of money laundering.

A prosecutor has requested 30 years in prison for the 45-year-old, who is accused of laundering money she received for her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns which she lost.

Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and other Peruvian millionaires have told the prosecution that they gave money for Fujimori's campaigns.

She has denied all charges.

All polls ahead of the June 6 vote show Castillo in first place, but Fujimori has started to get closer and the results are uncertain, according to experts.

Whoever accumulates the most votes will take over July 28 when Peru reaches 200 years of independence from Spain.

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The World Economic Forum on Monday announced that it has cancelled its summer annual meeting scheduled to be held in Singapore this year 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting, instead, will take place in the first quarter of 2022, the forum announced in a statement. Although the date and final location will be determined next year. Citing the rising cases of the COVID-19 pandemic, and civil disturbances across many countries, the WEF said that it will not convene the world leaders, business, and government institutions for the global event due to tragic circumstances. The meeting has already been postponed twice and the forum decided last year in October to move location from Swiss Alps, Davos, Switzerland to easily accessible Buergenstock. This year the event was due to be held in mid-May.

Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout and the uncertainty around new variants combine to make it impossible to realise a global meeting with business, government and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned, the World Economic Forum said in a statement.

Singapore government agrees to 'challenges'

Following the WEF announcement, the Singapore trade ministry issued a statement, saying that the Singapore government fully appreciates the challenges caused by the ongoing global pandemic, particularly for a large meeting with a broad span of international participants. The South Asian hub was supposed to meet in person this month for the event that would have been the first global leadership event to address worldwide recovery from the pandemic, the organizers had earlier in the year informed. World Economic Forum will convene the Special Annual Meeting 2021 in Singapore from 13-16 May. It will return to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, for the Annual Meeting 2022, the statement from the forum had read. However, the forums latest decision is aimed to ensure health security and safety of the conveners.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that the United States no longer seeks to buy Greenland from Denmark. At a news conference in Copenhagen, Blinken responded to Denmark's DR-TV reporters question who asked if the US still plans to buy Greenland like Secretary Mike Pompeo had mentioned during his visit when he was asked whether the US wanted to be in the market for the Arctic island. Im going to ask you the same thing, Mr. Secretary: Does the U.S. still want to buy Greenland? the reporter asked at the conference. In his response, Blinken said, Im focused on looking forward, and the short answer is no.

Focusing on the remarkable partnership between the US and the Kingdom of Denmark, Blinken said, Our [US] relationship with Greenland is growing and deepening. And its in that spirit that we are trying to strengthen the partnership. Furthermore, he added, that there are tremendous opportunities between the two nations in terms of increasing trade and investment, working on science, technology, education, on tourism. All of that is in the mix and thats what were focused on, the US secretary of state said.

.@USEmbDenmark employees represent our hard-working, multinational, and diverse global team. Their commitment to our mission and dedication to strengthening the U.S.-Denmark partnership is commendable. It was a pleasure to thank them for their efforts today. pic.twitter.com/SCTJa0vnwW  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 17, 2021

Trump's plan of 'purchasing Greenland'

In 2019, former US President Donald Trump had said that he wanted to buy Greenland, the worlds biggest island. It immediately became a confusion, however, whether the ex-US commander-in-chief was actually joking. The former had also cancelled his visit to Denmark after the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea absurd." Trump, according to US broadcasters coverage then, had repeatedly pushed the White House to explore the idea of buying the 830,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometers) island where the US Thule Air Base of the United States armed forces is located.

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen had condemned the idea as she said she hoped that the US President was not serious. Trumps remarks caused protests as Dans expressed outrage. This had also forced the former US leader to cancel the visit to a "very special country as he tweeted, that he had to scrap the visit because Ms. Frederiksen had "no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland".
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is touting the Biden administration's abrupt shift in its predecessor's climate policies as he visits Iceland for talks with senior officials from the world's Arctic nations.

In Reykjavik for a meeting of foreign ministers of the eight members of the Arctic Council, Blinken heralded President Joe Biden's return to the Paris climate accord and determination to combat climate change.

The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world and has been particularly hard hit by rising sea levels from melting sea ice and glaciers.

Former President Donald Trump had alienated many in the Arctic and elsewhere with his dismissal of the phenomenon and withdrawal from the Paris agreement.

And, Trump's second Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stunned many in the environmental community at an Arctic Council meeting two years ago with a call for countries to harness climate change for commercial gain.

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Applications welcome till 22 May

The Green Energy Champion (GEC) 2021 which was launched earlier this year is off to a great start, to findthe next set of green energy champions who will revolutionise the areas of sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, and renewable energies in Sri Lanka.

An invitation to all energy innovators was disseminated island wide in Apriland continues to remain open until 22ndMayfor all startups and SMEs in the country that possess creative and innovative products, activities, and projects which promote energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy solutions in Sri Lanka.

Installation of a solar rooftop system a community-based initiative under Green Energy Champion2019

Green Energy Champion was initiated in 2016 with the aim of encouraging the innovation and implementation of Green Energy solutions in Sri Lanka, particularly to serve the day-to-day needs of the public.The first three editions witnessed excellent receptivity, with participants ranging from private households and universities to municipalities, public authorities, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The GECcampaign has also played a significant role in creating awareness and educating the general public on energy efficiency via print and online media over the years.

Green Energy Championis implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft furInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, in association with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Power  State Ministry of Solar, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development.

The past competitions have unveiled several successful initiatives over the years  efficiently leveraging solar, biomass, and hydro energies to establish a shared vision where renewables form the basis of energy for the future. The previous winning entries succeeded tremendously in showcasing best-practice models for sustainable energy in the country while also paving the way for similar projects to be implemented in the future.

This year, the Green Energy Champion offers applicants the chance to gain exclusive access to an advanced business accelerator program  the Green Energy Champion Accelerator 2021, implemented by Hatch and Good Life X  which will help fine-tune and develop their business ideas while also preparing them for exciting local and international partnerships in the Green Energy ecosystem.Green Energy Champion is also offering up to LKR 1.5 million in product development support.

The six-month long accelerator program will be followed by a formal Partner Matchmaking Event aimed at facilitating networking amongstkey green energy stakeholders.The final phase of Green Energy Champion 2021 will be marked by a Demo Day where shortlisted candidates, having completed their training and networking requirements, will showcase their renewed ideas and solutions.

If you are in the business of energy sustainability, then there is no doubt that the Green Energy Champion is for you! The accelerator will actively support you with business and market intelligence to establish and grow your business, while also enablingyou to identify potential opportunities and take calculated risks for smooth market entry.Furthermore, it will offer visibility among key political stakeholders while also extending potential penetration opportunities in global markets.

So, head on over to www.greenenergychampion.lk to apply or get more details on what is undoubtedly going to be a great opportunity for you and your business!
Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help.



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Activists from Taiwan NGOs display a banner outside the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei, calling on the leaders of G20 nations to confront China over a controversial extradition law proposed for Hong Kong, June 27, 2019.

Authorities in Hong Kong have shut down the city's representative office on the democratic island of Taiwan, saying the move isn't linked to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases there.

The Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (Taiwan) (HKETCO) temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday, the government said in a statement.

"The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will continue to handle general enquiries and requests for assistance made by Hong Kong residents in Taiwan, as well as provide Taiwan residents with information related to Hong Kong, through the hotline services of 1823 and 1868, and the GovHK website," it said.

A Hong Kong government spokesperson told RFA on Tuesday: "This has nothing to do with the current outbreak in Taiwan," before declining to comment further.

The move, which comes as China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, has sparked fears that Taiwans representative office in Hong Kong may soon face the same fate.

The office has 12 staff, four of whom were sent from Hong Kong, and eight of whom are Taiwan nationals.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has said that the Hong Kong authorities have yet to clarify what will happen to the eight Taiwanese officials currently based in Hong Kong after their visas expire at the end of the year.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Hong Kong also has 55 local staff, and has been unable to obtain a visa for newly appointed chief.

A unilateral decision

MAC spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng told Taiwan's Legislative Yuan on May 10 that the office had applied, but has yet to receive a response from the immigration authorities.

Chiu told RFA on Tuesday: "The Hong Kong office in Taiwan ... has been in operation for many years. Today, the Hong Kong government unilaterally made this decision. We regret this."

"Regardless of the reason for the Hong Kong government's decision to temporarily suspend the operation of the Taiwan office, we respect it," he added.

Taiwans Central News Agency quoted Hong Kong sources as saying that the reason for the suspension of the Hong Kong office in Taiwan was that the head of the office had also been unable to get a work visa from the Taiwan authorities.

But another source said the office had never replaced its chief representative in Taiwan after their visa expired, nor had it applied for work permits for their replacement.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has withheld a visa to TECO's new head, Lu Chang-shui, since 2018, amid heightened saber-rattling from China following the landslide election victory of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Tsai Ing-wen.

TECO-Hong Kong, which is run by the MAC, was set up in July 2011 during a period of closer ties between Taiwan and Beijing.

Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP, nor has it ever formed part of the People's Republic of China, but Beijing has refused to enter government-to-government talks with Taipei, while repeatedly threatening to use military force to annex the country.

Former TECO-Hong Kong chief Kao Ming-tsun and three other officials were forced to return to Taiwan in 2020 after Hong Kong refused to renew their visas.

They were reportedly denied visas after refusing to sign an affidavit recognizing Beijing's territorial ambitions in Taiwan.

Political commentator Sang Pu said the main question in everyone's mind is what will now be the fate of the Taiwan office in Hong Kong.

'Gone in no time'

"Everyone knows that the Taiwan offices in Hong Kong are basically waiting for their Taiwanese employees' visas to expire, after which point they will be gone in no time," Sang told RFA.

"There is no way for them to keep operating, because they won't acknowledge [Beijing's claim on Taiwan]," he said.

"Will that process now be accelerated? It seems that there is now a higher risk of that happening," he said.

Declining ties between the two economies prompt questions over future trading patterns.

Taiwan is currently Hong Kong's second largest trading partner, and Hong Kong is Taiwan's fourth largest trading partner.

Bilateral trade grew from more than H.K.$410 billion in 2019 to H.K.$500 billion in 2020, an increase of 20.4 percent.

Hong Kong is also an important mid-point for trade between Taiwan and mainland China, with entrepot trade topping H.K.$420 billion in 2020, 80 percent of which is electronic parts and appliances, including integrated circuits, diodes, transistors, and other semiconductor devices being exported from Taiwan for China.

Chiu Jyun-rong, economics professor at Taiwan's National Central University, said Chinese factories could experience some difficulty in obtaining parts and components in the face of worsening bilateral trade ties.

"When it comes to electronic components, Taiwan's supply chain won't be so badly affected," Chiu said. "But I expect the impact on China will be bigger."



Reported by Man Hoi Yan and Chung Yut-yiu for RFA's Cantonese and Mandarin Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
An RFA investigation has found that the ships of the state-owned fishing company in charge of Sansha Citys maritime militia fleet are engaged in more than just fishing.

China has long denied that it uses maritime militia forces to assert its maritime and territorial claims in South China Sea, often describing the Chinese vessels clustered around disputed reefs and islets as just fishing boats.

But the paper trail left by the Chinese bureaucracy tells a different story.

RFA analyzed bidding documents, corporate records, and other official data in an effort to shed new light on the maritime militia belonging to Sansha City, a municipality under Hainan province that administers Chinas claims in the South China Sea from its headquarters on Woody Island in the Paracels.

RFA found that the state-owned fishing company in charge of Sansha Citys maritime militia fleet has managed projects involving classified national security information, a strong indicator that the companys ships are engaged in more than just fishing.

In addition to tracking the fleet owned by this company, RFA also uncovered evidence that one of its ships was used to test an experimental command and communications system built with foreign technology, which likely transformed the vessel into a mobile communications and surveillance platform capable of transmitting intelligence back to the authorities on land.

And referencing the corporate records of fishermen legally registered in Sansha City against Chinese state media reporting on the citys militia, RFA further verified that numerous "fishermen" living in Sansha are actually militiamen responsible for guarding Chinas outposts.

Chinas maritime militia has been in the news. The presence of numerous maritime militia ships at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands in late March set off a diplomatic tussle between Beijing and Manila and prompted widespread international criticism of China, despite its assertion that these were just fishing vessels sheltering from poor weather.

Recently, some Chinese fishing vessels take shelter near Niu'e Jiao [Whitsun Reef] due to rough sea conditions, said a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines. It has been a normal practice for Chinese fishing vessels to take shelter under such circumstances. There is no Chinese Maritime Militia as alleged, the spokesperson stated.

But multiple open-source investigations have confirmed the presence of militia vessels near the reef.

Now, RFA is taking a step further to shed light on the true nature of Chinas maritime militia, pulling back the curtain on the procurements, fleet, and personnel of this shadowy paramilitary force.

Classified projects

Sansha City established its new maritime militia in 2013 on the basis of the original Paracel Islands militia. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Hainan Province Sansha Garrison on Woody Island took charge of training and commanding this new force, according to numerous reports in Chinese state media.

By July 2016, the citys maritime militia had grown to include over 1,800 militiamen and more than 100 vessels, the Sansha City government reported. At the time, the municipal authorities described this force as playing an irreplaceable role in defending Chinas maritime claims.

Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea overlap with claims from five other states  Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei  and are a source of significant tension in the region.

According to a 2015 article authored by Sansha Garrison Commander Cai Xihong in the PLA-run magazine National Defense, the city created Sansha City Fisheries Development Co, Ltd. to manage the militias new fleet of steel-hulled ships. Corporate records confirm that Sansha established this new municipal state-owned enterprise in February 2015.

Sansha City Fisheries Development regularly invites other companies to bid on contracts to supply goods and services to the company. RFA found two such projects from 2017 with either classified information systems integration or state secrets protection credentials requirements for the third-party supplier. These security qualifications are typically reserved for companies and other entities working on classified projects for the PLA or the Chinese government, which suggests that Sansha City Fisheries Development is indeed the civilian front for a paramilitary force.

In late 2017, Sansha City Fisheries Development hired Xian Jiangong Construction Tendering Co., Ltd. to manage the bids for a fishing boat hull underwater cleaning project worth 5,628,640 yuan ($804,000). One announcement published by Xian Jiangong Construction Tendering during the bidding process states that the project involves national security and secrets and another specifies that the third-party supplier must have a state secrets protection qualification.

And earlier in 2017, Sansha City Fisheries Development tendered bids for a special equipment contract worth 63,710,000 yuan ($9,101,400) for an SX command system. According to the tendering announcement, the third-party supplier needed to have a classified information systems integration first-class credential or a national third-level or higher secrets protection qualification. The former covers the development, construction, and operation of classified information systems at the top-secret level; the latter covers weapons and equipment research and development projects at the lowest classification level, Chinese regulations say.

The company that won the SX command system contract is Space Star Technology Co., Ltd., also known as the CASC 5th Academy 503rd Research Institute, a subsidiary of the state-owned defense contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Though the technical details of the SX command system remain unclear, Space Star Technologys website and contracts reveal a range of comparable capabilities, including military intelligence equipment as well as maritime communications and command systems. One specific example is a South China Sea monitoring system through which law enforcement ships and fishing boats from Guangdong province can collect information and transmit it back to a command center on land in support of the defense of Chinas maritime claims.

If Sansha City Fisheries Development really were a civilian fishing enterprise, why would the maintenance of its ships involve national security and state secrets? And why would a fishing company need to procure a highly classified information system from a state-owned defense contractor? These are clear indicators of the companys militia connection.

A suspicious fleet

In addition to digging up these classified projects, RFA found evidence confirming that Sansha City Fisheries Development manages a fleet of steel-hulled ships belonging to Sansha Citys maritime militia.

Each of the vessels in this fleet operates under the name of Qiongsanshayu followed by a string of numbers. As per Chinese naming conventions, Qiong indicates that the ships fall under the jurisdiction of Hainan province, sansha conveys that they belong to Sansha City, and yu marks them as ostensible fishing vessels.

The Qiongsanshayu 00310 participating in a joint exercise with forces from Sansha City in July 2016. Credit: Xinhua News.

A Chinese government document that RFA reviewed explicitly describes one of these Qiongsanshayu vessels as belonging to Sansha City Fisheries Development.

Using the automatic identification system (AIS) data from the MarineTraffic ship-tracking platform, RFA identified 40 vessels operating under the name of Qiongsanshayu whose behavior reveals ties to Sansha City Fisheries Development.

Over the past year, each of these 40 vessels has operated from at least one of three ports on the Hainan mainland: Sanya Yazhou, Wenchang Qinglan, and Danzhou Baimajiang.

According to Chinese government land-use records, Sansha City Fisheries Development has long-term rights to space at each port. And bidding records show that the company has been actively developing its facilities at all three ports.

During 2020, 16 of the 40 Qiongsanshayu ships sailed to a shipyard owned by Zhanjiang Haisheng Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Guangdong province. Sansha City Fisheries Development hired Zhanjiang Haisheng Shipbuilding for a 2019-2020 fishing boat maintenance project in early 2019, bidding records show.

Satellite imagery confirms the AIS data gathered by RFA, revealing organized rows of matching 60-meter-long steel-hulled fishing vessels at Sanya Yazhou, Wenchang Qinglan, Danzhou Baimajiang, and the Zhanjiang Haisheng Shipbuilding shipyard.

A proposal submitted to the Hainan authorities in 2015 suggests that Sanshas militia fleet has at least 84 vessels.

Beyond Sansha Garrison Commander Cai Xihongs admission that Sansha City Fisheries Development manages the citys militia steel-hulled fleet, several pieces of evidence connect the Qiongsanshayu fleet and its facilities to Sansha Citys maritime militia.

Procurement records from the Sansha Garrison  which is responsible for training and commanding Sanshas maritime militia  reveals the presence of dedicated militia bases with training facilities near both the Sanya Yazhou and Danzhou Baimajiang ports. A 2016 report in the PLA-run paper China Defense News indicates that the Sansha Garrison uses militia bases on the Hainan mainland to train militiamen in navigation, communications, and other skills.

Ships resembling the Qiongsanshayu vessels also feature in a music video produced by the Sansha Garrison, called Song of the Sansha Maritime Militia, which depicts the citys maritime militia training with weapons, performing surveillance, carrying out boarding operations, and engaging in other such activities.

According to recruitment paperwork from 2015, Sansha City Fisheries Development has prioritized hiring PLA veterans to crew its ships. In fact, in 2019 the Hainan Department of Veterans Affairs recognized the company as a model unit for PLA veterans.

Using AIS data and satellite imagery, RFA tracked 18 different Qiongsanshayu vessels carrying out deployments in the South China Sea over the last year. These include deployments alongside the China Coast Guard (CCG) to Scarborough Shoal in April 2021 by the Qiongsanshayu 00402 and the Qiongsanshayu 00317, which sailed out together from Danzhou Baimajiang in March. China uses CCG and militia vessels to maintain a continuous presence at Scarborough Shoal, which it has effectively controlled since a standoff with the Philippines in 2012. According to the Philippine government, the CCG harassed the Philippine Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal on April 24 and 25.

More recently, a group of at least nine ships from the Qiongsanshayu fleet departed from the Sanya Yazhou, Wenchang Qinglan, and Danzhou Baimajiang ports on April 23, reaching the Spratly Islands by around April 25. This group included Qiongsanshayu vessels numbered 00206, 00208, 00212, 00214, 00223, 00227, 00228, 00232, and 00401.

Vessels from the Qiongsanshayu fleet also participated in the Haiyang Dizhi 8 standoff between Vietnam and China near Vanguard Bank in 2019, have carried out joint rescue operations with the PLA Navy South Sea Fleet, and have participated in joint exercises with Sansha Citys local maritime law enforcement force, according to AIS data, Chinese government bulletins, and other such sources.

Experimental systems and foreign technology

Some of the communications technology installed on ships in the Qiongsanshayu fleet also indicate that they are more than just ordinary fishing boats.

The Hainan Communications Administration recently led a project to test a shipborne emergency satellite command and communications system for maritime law enforcement, fishing, and emergency management in the South China Sea, according to a February 2018 environmental impact assessment.

The ultimate goal of this project was to build satellite links between shipborne systems, ground communications networks, and an emergency command center, effectively extending flows of information to and from distant areas of the contested South China Sea.

Diagram of the emergency satellite command and communications test ship system. Credit: Environmental impact assessment commissioned by the Hainan Communications Administration.

With approval from Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, this experimental system was to be installed on the Qiongsanshayu 00209 and one of Sansha Citys supply ships, the Qiongsha 3. It included new hardware and software to realize localized mobile communications coverage, voice communications, video surveillance, data transmission, and other capabilities.

The environmental impact assessment states that the Qiongsanshayu 00209 belongs to Sansha City Fisheries Development, is 58.5 meters long and 9.2 meters wide, and has 20-person crew. It implies that the Qiongsanshayu is based at Wenchang Qinglan, providing a picture of the ship moored at port.

This is not the only case of ostensibly civilian vessels being equipped with high-end surveillance and communications technology. RFA has reported that Sansha City is installing similar systems on its Sansha 1 and Sansha 2 supply ships for the explicit purpose of tracking vessels from the United States, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

The experimental system on the Qiongsanshayu 00209 even uses foreign satellite technology originating with companies from the United States, South Korea, and Japan, the 2018 environmental impact assessment shows.

The technology includes a KNS-Z12 satellite antenna from KNS Inc., a South Korean company; a POB-KUS100 upconverter from Wavestream, a U.S. company; a NJR2836U low-noise block downconverter from Japan Radio Company, a Japanese company; and a CDD 562AL satellite modem, a CDM 570A/L satellite modem, a CDM 625A satellite modem, and a CRS 170A switch from Comtech EF Data, a U.S. company.

Contracting records show that both Wavestream and Comtech EF Data are U.S. defense contractors, and the website of Comtech EF Data claims that the company has worked on numerous programs for the clients like the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marines.

That means satellite communications technology from U.S. defense contractors might be supporting the operations of Sansha Citys maritime militia in the South China Sea.

This is not the first time China has obtained foreign technology for use in South China Sea. A recent report by RFA revealed that Sansha City has acquired over $930,000 of foreign hardware, equipment, software, and materials. And in a separate investingation, this reporter found that Sanshas local maritime law enforcement force is also using satellite communications technology from a U.S. defense contractor.

Fake fishermen

RFA also uncovered clear evidence of overlap between the fishermen living on islands and reefs occupied by China and the maritime militia personnel charged with guarding those features.

RFA compared Chinese state media reporting on Sanshas maritime militia to the corporate records associated with 106 small-scale aquatic product and fishing businesses registered in Sansha as well as several fishing cooperatives registered in the city.

In total, RFA found 13 members of Sansha Citys maritime militia who appear to run aquatic product and fishing businesses or are listed as staff for one of the citys fishing cooperatives. Nine of these militiamen are associated with both an aquatic product and fishing business and a fishing cooperative.

These individuals include 10 militiamen of unspecific rank, one militia squad leader, one militia platoon sergeant, and one militia company commander, each located on one of five features in the Paracel Islands, namely Woody Island, Yagong Island, Robert Island, Observation Bank, and Tree Island, according to Chinese state media.

Of the aquatic product and fishing businesses run by militiamen, all are registered to addresses in residential areas used by Chinese fishermen on Woody Island, Yagong Island, Robert Island, Observation Bank, and Tree Island.

The registered address of each small-scale fishing company aligns with the reported location of its associated militiaman, such as the aquatic product and fishing business registered to Robert Island by Chen Daming, who Xinhua News describes as a Robert Island-based militiaman.

These militiamen are likely fishermen who received military training.

In a proposal published in 2014, Sansha Citys delegation to the Hainan Province Peoples Congress admitted that the city was training fishermen to guard the islands and reefs within the citys jurisdiction. The proposal further explained that regardless of whether they are fishermen operating in distant seas or fishermen engaged in aquaculture or other activities, they can all become well-trained militiamen and receive corresponding subsidies.

China Defense News described one of the militiamen that RFA identified, Xu Mingwen, as an old fisherman now operating radar and video surveillance equipment in Tree Islands militia post. According to a report by PLA Daily, this post feeds intelligence back to a PLA command center on Woody Island.

A Sansha Militia patch visible on the sleeve of a militiaman carrying out surveillance from a militia post. Credit: Political Department of the PLA Hainan Province Sansha Garrison.

Similarly, a 2016 article from China Youth Daily implies that a militiaman verified by RFA, Ye Jun, was a fisherman who received militia training on Yagong Island from the Sansha Garrison, which included boat piloting, engine repair, communications, and wound treatment.

From their postings on the front lines of the South China Sea, these 13 fishermen-turned-militiamen appear to have played an active role in defending Chinas claims.

Another militiaman that RFA identified, Woody Island-based Lu Le, was interviewed in 2013 by China National Radio. He said that while navigating the waters of the Paracel Islands in April 2013, he spotted a foreign fishing boat illegally entering Chinas territorial waters. Lu proceeded to report the foreign vessel to the Sansha Garrison, which then mobilized nearby maritime law enforcement ships to chase it away  a clear example of Sansha Citys military, law enforcement, and civilian joint defense system in action.

And Xinhua News reports that Yagong Island-based Xu Dezhi, yet another militiaman identified by RFA, was injured in August 2014 while boarding a foreign fishing boat. According to Xinhua, Xu was out fishing when he discovered the foreign vessel. He proceeded to board the fishing boat and cut his wrist during the ensuing fight with the boats crew.

RFA also tracked down Observation Bank Militia Company Commander Li Linjun, who received a gash to the right arm from a harpoon during a hand-to-hand scuffle after chasing and boarding a foreign fishing boat in July 2015, China Youth Daily reported.

It is no wonder that Sansha Citys party secretary and mayor, Xiao Jie, once described the citys maritime militia as part of a Great Wall of Steel in the South China Sea.
Hungry Cambodians risk health to scrounge for scrap metal as two more succumb to coronavirus in Vietnam.

Laos is struggling to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus in a popular tourist district that caters to Chinese gamblers, while in neighboring Cambodia, food insecurity is causing the countrys poor to collect scrap metal to buy food, authorities and residents of the Southeast Asian countries said Monday.

Dr. Sisavath Southanilaxay, deputy director of Laos Department of Infectious Disease, and a representative of the countrys COVID-19 protection unit, told a news conference Monday that the country had confirmed 47 new cases of the coronavirus.

Of these, 38 were in Bokeo province, home to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which caters to Chinese tourists. Additionally, authorities found four new cases in the capital Vientiane, three in Champassak province, and two in Savannakhet province.

Bokeo is one of Laos hotspots for local COVID-19 transmission. Local media reported Monday that of the northwestern provinces 345 confirmed cases, 199 were Laotians, and 95 were Chinese. The rest were 41 Myanmar citizens, nine Thais and one Vietnamese.

The Thailand-based Manager Online news website Friday reported that most of the provinces transmissions have occurred within the SEZ, with the rest occurring in nearby Tonpheung district.

A member of the provinces Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control told RFAs Lao Service May 12 that lax enforcement on movement restrictions were to blame for increasing caseloads.

A lot of workers sneak out of the SEZ and spread COVID-19 in the community, the taskforce member said.

Our doctors and nurses from all five districts of the province are now focusing on the SEZ trying to contain the spread. The biggest problem is that there are up to 5,000 workers of many different nationalities in the SEZ and almost all of them are not working because of the lockdown, so they have nothing to do and nothing to eat. Thats why they sneak out, the taskforce member said.

An official of the Health Department of Bokeo Province told RFA, Because the number of new cases keeps increasing in the SEZ and Tongpheung District, were spraying and disinfecting in many places including the market, offices and homes where infected people live.

A worker who is stranded in the SEZ told RFA that police were blocking the roads that lead to the outside.

If they see workers sneak out from the SEZ, the police will take them straight to a quarantine center, said the SEZ worker.

A resident of Tonpheung told RFA, Were just waiting at home for the vaccine rollout.

In central Luang Prabang province, health authorities are following up on the case of 10 Chinese rail workers and two Lao drivers from nearby Luang Namtha province who were dispatched from their last job in adjacent Oudomxay province. Among the team, one person tested positive for COVID-19, so 11 entered quarantine for 14 days, while the confirmed case receives treatment from a hospital.

One of the workers tested positive in Oudomxay province. They wanted to test him again there, but he came to Luang Prabang right away. He is in quarantine and officials will test him again, an official of the Luang Prabang COVID-19 Special Unit told RFA.

News that a COVID-19 positive worker traveled to the Luang Prabang has scared residents of the province.

All the villages here are concerned about COVID-19 spreading, so all the houses are closing their gates to protect themselves from outsiders, a resident told RFA.

In the Lao capital Vientiane, which authorities divided into zones and classified them into colors based on COVID-19 transmission risk, five villages in the city limits are closing down. Authorities said that they are concerned that the virus could spread to other parts of the city, so they ordered the five villages, all in so-called red zones to shut down for 14 days until May 30.

Residents are not to leave their homes except to buy food and other essentials.

At Phay village, on May 12, there were 13 cases that we defected on the same day, an official of the citys COVID-19 Prevention Unit told RFA.

Right now, all the alleys in the village are closed and do not allow people to come in and out, and those who have had contact with infected people have been tested. We are still waiting on the results, the official said.

A Phay village resident told RFA, The market inside the village is still open The market in front of the temple sells noodle soups from the early morning until 5 p.m.

As of Monday, Laos has confirmed 1,638 cases of the virus with two deaths and 584 recoveries.

Cambodian scrap metal

Many unemployed Cambodians have resorted to scrounging for scrap metal as prolonged border closures have prevented them from trying to find work in Thailand.

Gathering in large groups to collect scrap metal has taken a toll on the would-be migrant workers health. As of Monday, four of the scrap metal collectors have lost their lives to COVID-19, while 360 others have tested positive for the virus.

In the city of Poipet in the northwestern Banteay Meanchey province, scrap metal collectors told RFA that they had no choice because authorities have not delivered food relief amid the countrys third coronavirus outbreak.

We are so poor that if we miss a day of scavenging, we will not have anything to eat, Totj Lim, a 53-year-old scrap metal collector told RFAs Khmer service.

Totj Lim works every day to support his family of seven and cannot adhere to distancing restrictions because of a lack of food.

Food is more important than not catching the disease. We could avoid it by taking safety measures, but if youre hungry you cant avoid it. When youre hungry, youre not peaceful, he said.

Doum Sophorn, a 47-year-old-resident of the same commune told RFA that her family of five rely on scrap metal collected by her husband so they can afford rice. Prior to the pandemic her family could make between 30,000 and 50,000 riel (U.S. $1 = 4070 riel) per day, but now they can only manage about 20,000, not quite enough for their needs.

We lack food, and I am not saving anything. What I earn in one day is eaten that day, she said.

We go out at a risk. Were not allowed to go out, but we have no food to eat. I can make only 30,000 riel for two nights. I spend my days organizing the scrap metal that my husband brought home, she said.

Kang Vatey, another resident, told RFA she also goes out to collect metal at a time she should be recovering from a recent childbirth.

No matter how sick I am after delivering my baby, I must still join my husband to collect scrap metal every day. We pull the cart through the rain and wind so our children can eat. But its never enough, she said.

I put my two children to sleep in the cart and mosquitos eat them alive, but if I left them at home no one would take care of them. They cry a lot because they are hungry, and I cry too because I have no food to give them, she said.

Srel En, a local commune chief, denied claims that the government is not providing food, saying that his commune distributes food daily.

Those who do not have food to eat should report it to their village commune chiefs. We have food stocks at the commune hall, so it is not difficult, he told RFA.

We stock about four of five hundred packages of food to help needy people. We have opened 10 telephone numbers and the commune chiefs number is also open, he said.

Authorities however have not distributed food evenly, according to Din Puthy, president of the Cambodia Informal Economy Reinforced Association, a labor organization group.

The people are starving almost to the point of dying. This is not a joke. The government has not done enough. Even the ones who get 25 kilograms [55 pounds] of rice and soy sauce dont have enough to live on, Din Puthy said.

As of Monday, Cambodia has confirmed 22,544 cases with 154 deaths.

Two deaths in Vietnam

Vietnams Ministry of Health reported the countrys 36th and 37th deaths on Saturday and Monday, the first deaths since September.

The 36th death was an 89-year-old woman who had diabetes and high blood pressure, while the 37th was a 34-year-old man who suffered severe pneumonia, brain injury and meningitis.

Local media reported Monday that 20 COVID-19 patients are using ventilators at the general hospital of the northern Bac Ninh province. The hospital has requested the Treatment Subcommittee of Vietnams National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to hold consultations for severe cases.

Vietnam has witnessed many severe cases since the beginning of the fourth outbreak on April 27. At the consultation, Mr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health requested to review the resuscitation and emergency capacity of provincial hospitals.

Vietnam reported 187 new confirmed cases on May 16 and 182 more as of 6.p.m, May 17. The country of 95 million people has confirmed a total of 4,359 new cases including 1,320 local transmissions since April 27.

Reported by RFAs Lao, Khmer and Vietnamese Services. Translated by Sidney Khotpanya, Sok Ry Sum and Anna Vu. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Women continue to be trafficked from Laos into China in spite of warnings against trusting promises of well-paid work across the border.

The Boten Check Point on the border between Laos and China is shown in a May 14, 2021 photo.

A young Lao woman missing from her home for more than two months is believed by family members to have been trafficked to China, lured by the promise of work, her mother and other sources say.

Fongsamouth Vilayhong, 20, had traveled first to the Lao capital Vientiane and then later dropped from sight, the young womans mother told RFAs Lao Service.

I havent been able to contact my daughter for more than two months now, the mother said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Whenever I called, a Chinese man answered the phone, and now her mobile phone has been completely shut down.

I believe she has been sold or trafficked to China, Fongsamouths mother added.

Fongsamouth had gone to Vientiane in early January to work as a housekeeper, and a couple of weeks later became acquainted with a Lao woman who said she was married to a man in China, the mother said.

This Lao lady convinced her to go to work in China, where she said she could make a lot of money, and she called me to transfer 400,000 kip [U.S. $40] to the Lao lady, saying that the money was needed for filing travel documents to go to China, the mother said.

Now I cant contact that Lao lady anymore, because her phone number has been blocked, she said.

Authorities in the missing womans Nakhong village in the Houn district of Oudomxay province issued a notice of her disappearance on May 5, saying that Fongsamouth had left the village on January 12 and had later lost contact with her family for more than two months.

Also speaking to RFA, an Oudomxay province police officer said that Fongsamouth had been detained at the Boten Border Check Point on Feb. 12 while trying to cross into China using false travel documents, and was released on Feb. 24.

The Oudomxay provincial police department informed the family and the village authorities, who called Fongsamouths phone number. At first a Chinese man answered the call, but later the phone was shut off, the officer said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

Taken across the border

In early May, police traced the signal of Fongsamouths mobile phone and found that it no longer came from Laos, the officer said, adding, She must have already been in China and must have been taken across the border illegally, because the Lao border officials wouldnt allow her to pass through earlier.

Were having trouble contacting Chinese police right now because of COVID-19. Usually, they respond to us quite quickly, he said.

Young women continue to be trafficked from Laos to China in spite of NGO and government efforts to alert them to the dangers involved in trusting recruiters promises of well-paid work across the border, police officials say.

Since January of this year, a dozen girls and women between the ages of 15 and 30 have been trafficked to China, but we have not been able to rescue them because of the situation with COVID-19, an officer in the Houn district police department said.

Last year, two Hmong girls were trafficked to China from our district but were later sent home, and after questioning them, we determined they had been the victims of human trafficking.

In the case of Fongsamouth, we dont know for sure if she was trafficked or not, because shes still missing, he said.

Reported and translated by Max Avary for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
The asset freeze hits the State Administration Council and nine members of the junta cabinet.

Protesters hold signs, in support of the town of Mindat in Chin state where a civilian defense force has clashed with the military, during a demonstration against the military coup in Mandalay, May 17, 2021.

The United States imposed sanctions on Myanmars junta and 13 military regime figures on Monday, specifically citing the violence and repression against civilians in the western town of Mindat, where the army unleashed heavy artillery and helicopter gunships in a weekend fight against ethnic Chin militia fighters.

The U.S. Treasury Department asset freezes and other punishments of generals and ministers were announced in Washington, while a branch of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) said it had killed at least six regime soldiers and wounded 10 overnight in Hakha, capital of the state of Chin in Myanmars far northwest.

Today, the United States is announcing new sanctions against Burmas military regime in response to its continued violence and repression against the people of Burma, most recently in Mindat, Chin State, and its failure to take any steps to restore Burmas democratic transition, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Our actions today underscore our resolve and that of our partners to apply political and financial pressure on the regime as long as it fails to stop violence and take meaningful action to respect the will of the people, he said a statement that noted that Britain and Canada were also imposing sanctions on the junta.

The U.S. embassy in Yangon on Saturday sharply condemned the militarys use of weapons of war against civilians in a siege of Mindat, where junta troops pounded the mountainous town with heavy artillery and helicopter gunships, killing at last five civilians in attacks on the CDF.

In days of fighting after the military regime declared martial law in Mindat on May 13, eight Chinland resistance fighters were killed, and junta troops used detained civilians as human shields while firing indiscriminately, the Irrawaddy, an independent on-line news outlet, reported Sunday.

The CDF moved out of Mindat late Sunday after the military had seized the town of 15,000 people, a member of the Mindat CDF told RFA.

Right now, residents have moved out to safety. We, the CDF, have also avoided confrontation for the sake of the townsfolk. No more attacks (from our side), said the local fighter.

But their troops have been going around, firing at houses indiscriminately."



Myanmar soldiers are seen in front of the district health department in Mindat, Chin state, in undated photo. Credit: Chin Human Rights Organization

Acts of terrorism

A 10-year-old girl was injured Monday when the army shelled Mindat and hit some homes, local residents said.

In the Chin capital Hakha, about 155 miles (260 km) north of Mindat, a branch of the CDF called the Hakha People's Defense Force said Monday it had killed six junta troops and wounded 10 others in a shootout the previous evening, while losing one fighter.

"We condemn the attacks on us. We consider their actions to be acts of terrorism, said a Hakha CDF militiaman, who declined to give his name.

Six of them died on the spot when more than 10 of them stepped on mines we had laid out. One of us was also killed in the clash, he told RFA.

About 60 junta troops came in four trucks and fired rocket-propelled grenades and 60mm artillery in battles with CDF fighters armed with traditional flintlock hunting rifles, in the sixth clash since the coup, the Hakha militiaman said.

The Hakha unit said it had killed nearly junta 20 soldiers in total, he added.

Junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun has not picked up his phone recently when RFA has called for comment on the clashes.

A junta statement issued on social media May 15, however, said that there had been seven clashes with security forces in Mindat township between April 24 and May 13, the day that an attack on the highway between Mindat and Matupi to the west destroyed a military vehicle and killed several troops.

People from Kani township in Sagaing region, flee as soldiers raid their villages, May 17, 2021. Credit; RFA

Oh God it hurts

On May 14, six vehicles were destroyed by gunfire about 1.2 miles (2 km) east of Mindat, killing and wounding several soldiers, the statement said.

In Tedim, a town in northern Chin state, a 27-year-old man named Go Shin Mun was killed and two others were injured when junta forces opened fire on them Sunday night, a local resident said.

"The man was hit in front of our house around 8 o'clock. I heard gunshots and later heard a voice. Then the motorcycle stopped, the local man said.

The man spoke in Burmese saying Oh God it hurts. I didnt do anything, sir. He said he was in pain. I heard two more gunshots, and then everything was quiet, he added.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that the new U.S. sanctions targeted the State Administration Council (SAC), four of its members, and nine army-appointed cabinet ministers, and three adult children of sanctioned junta leaders.

The 13 officials are key members of Burmas military regime, which is violently repressing the pro-democracy movement in the country and is responsible for the ongoing violent and lethal attacks against the people of Burma, including the killing of children, said the statement.

The U.S. will continue to impose sanctions against the military regime in Burma for its violent repression of its people, and refusal to respect their demands for democracy, State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted Monday. We encourage all countries to consider similar measures.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Paul Eckert
Tourists have longer hours for visits, though, with no apparent health concerns as tourist numbers surge in Tibet.

The Jokhang temple in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa is shown in an undated photo.

Chinese authorities in Tibets regional capital Lhasa have sharply cut visiting hours to just three and a half hours for Buddhist devotees at the citys Jokhang temple, while leaving the temple complex and major pilgrimage site open twice as long for tourists, according to a public notice this week.

Beginning Wednesday, Buddhist worshippers may enter the Jokhang from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while tourists coming mainly from China may visit from 12:00 noon to 7:30 p.m., the May 17 notice issued by the Tsuglakhang Temple Management group says.

Tsuglakhang is the name of the larger temple and administration complex in Lhasa of which the Jokhang is a part.

Fears of a possible spread of COVID-19 in the city amid concerns over a new outbreak in India and Nepal were the reasons for establishing the restricted hours, said the notice, a copy of which was obtained by RFAs Tibetan Service.

More contagious variants are also on the rise, and so its time to take further preventive measures, the notice read.

Authorities have already urged Tibetan Buddhists to limit their observance of traditional religious practices during Saga Dawa, the holy fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said on May 12.

Citing a May 9 notice by the Lhasa City Buddhist Association, ICT said that concerns over the spread of COVID-19especially through cases of infection coming from neighboring countries--were given as the reasons for the authorities request.

These reasons make little sense, though, ICT said, given that the authorities have not stopped any Chinese tourists from coming to Lhasa and other Tibetan areas [and that] COVID variants have been found in major Chinese cities.

Chinese police officers look out over a marketplace near the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, Tibet, Oct. 15, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Tourism surges in Tibet

Tourism in fact has recently surged in Tibet, with a total of 706,700 tourists entering the Tibet Autonomous Region during the May 1 holiday period, and arrivals by train up 20 percent and arrivals by air up 28 percent during the years first quarter, according to TAR officials and Chinese media sources.

China appears to be using measures to protect the public health as a pretext to continue reducing space for Tibetan Buddhists to practice their faith during this holy month, ICT said at the start of Saga Dawa on May 12.

Moreover, China has refused to stop the flow of Chinese tourists to Tibet, undermining its stated goal of reducing the spread of the virus and adding to the preferential treatment Chinese citizens receive in the Tibetan homeland, ICT said.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago.

Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.

Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Taiwan also congratulates Tsering on his win in a message welcoming stronger ties between the Tibetan exile community and the self-governing island claimed by China.

Penpa Tsering, new political leader or Sikyong of Tibet's India-based exile government, speaks to RFA in an interview, April 17, 2021.

The United States has congratulated Tibetan exile political leader Penpa Tsering on his election as Sikyong, or head of Tibets India-based government-in-exile, the Central Tibetan Administration, following the official announcement of Tserings win on May 14.

The United States congratulates Penpa Tsering on his election as the Central Tibetan Administrations (CTA) next Sikyong, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Twitter on May 14, after Tserings win was announced.

We look forward to working with him and the CTA to support the global Tibetan diaspora, Price said.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago, following which Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world.

The Tibetan diaspora is now estimated to include about 150,000 people living in 40 countries, mainly Indian, Nepal, North America, and in Europe.

Speaking to RFA, Tsering thanked the U.S. State Department for their message of congratulations, adding, "Once we see the pandemic restrictions begin to lift, we will correspond with the U.S. government and other allies to work out potential efforts to resolve the issue of Tibet."

In an unprecedented move, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwana self-governing island claimed by China as a renegade provincealso congratulated Tsering on his electoral win in a message sent to the CTAs representative in Taiwan and a letter sent to the new exile leader.

Speaking to RFAs Mandarin Service on May 17, Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawarepresentative of the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the de facto embassy of Tibets exile government in Tapeiwelcomed the CTAs growing ties with Washington and Taipei.

In 2020, the United States passed the U.S. Support for Tibet Act, which acknowledges the legality of the [exile] Tibetan administration, Bawa said. Our democratically elected chief executive can also be officially invited to visit the U.S. State Department and the White House as a result of the new U.S. policy on Tibet, he said.

Now the most important test for Penpa Tsering will be whether peace talks [with Beijing] can be opened through the Middle Way. He is well-known for his faithful adherence to the Middle Way policy of the Dalai Lama, Bawa said.

Will the Chinese government respond positively? This will need to be observed and tested [over time], he said.

Divisions persist in the Tibetan exile community over how best to advance the rights and freedoms of Tibetans living in China, with some calling for a restoration of the independence lost when Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950.

The CTA and the Dalai Lama have instead adopted a policy approach called the Middle Way, which accepts Tibets status as a part of China but urges greater cultural and religious freedom, including strengthened language rights, for Tibetans living under Beijings rule.

Universal values

Also speaking to RFA, Taiwans Mainland Affairs Councilwhich manages the democratic islands relations with Chinacongratulated Tibets exile community on the success of their election for a new leader.

Democracy, freedom, and human rights are universal values, the Council said. We express our respect for the Tibetans around the world who braved the [COVID-19] pandemic and showed the true power of public opinion.

In a May 16 article, Chinas official Global Times newspaper predicted that Penpa Tsering as head of the CTA will now continue what the Times called a policy marked by repeated failures.

The so-called middle way approach is to realize a Tibetan high degree of autonomy and then independence, Zhu Weiqunformer head of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Consultative Conferencetold the Times in an interview.

This is impossible, and the essence of the approach has been seen through, Zhu said.

Call to boycott Olympics

In a statement this week, a coalition of rights groups representing Tibetans, Hong Kong people, and ethnic Southern Mongolians and Muslim Uyghurs called on world governments to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, pointing to Chinas campaign of repression in East Turkestan, Tibet and Southern Mongolia, as well as an all-out assault on democracy in Hong Kong.

Participating in the Beijing Olympic Games at this time would be tantamount to endorsing Chinas genocide against the Uyghur people, the rights group said, referring to Chinas suppression of Uyghur culture and internment of more than a million Uyghurs in a vast network of political reeducation camps in northwest Chinas region of Xinjiang.

It is now up to the international community to take action, the rights groups said.

Reported and translated by RFAs Mandarin Service and Tibetan Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Can Thi Theu is staying in a cramped cell with sick inmates despite being a political prisoner.

Can Thi Theu (R) and her son, Trinh Ba Tu (L), in an undated photo.

Vietnamese land-rights activist Can Thi Theu is being held under harsh jail conditions following her sentencing to eight years in prison for criticizing the government over its handling of a deadly land-rights clash last year, her daughter said Monday.

Trinh Thi Thao, Theus daughter, told RFAs Vietnamese Service that her mother is currently in a police detention center in the seat of northern Vietnams Hoa Binh province, where she has been placed in small cells with HIV-infected prisoners, despite being jailed for political reasons.

The cells are so small, only seven square meters (75 square feet), but houses up to 13 people, she said, adding that she had received updates about the condition from one of her mothers fellow inmates.

My mother has to share it with infected people. [Its summer now in Vietnam but] prisoners dont have enough water to use, and the cell doors are always closed, making it very hot and stuffy. Its very cruel to treat prisoners that way. My family is very indignant.

During her trial on May 5, Theu told the court that when her cellmates fought, she had attempted to separate them and was injured in the fighting, causing her to bleed. Her request to be tested afterward for possible infection was turned down by detention center officials, she said at the time.

Thao also said that her family had been encountering difficulty in sending foods and other items to her mother.

Attempts by RFA to contact the Hoa Binh Police Department and the citys Police Detention Center by telephone went unanswered Monday.

Vietnamese land-rights activists Can Thi Theu (left) and Trinh Ba Tu are shown at their trial in Hoa Binh province, May 5, 2021. State media

2020 arrest

A well-known activist in Hanoi, Theu was arrested on June 24, 2020, with her sons Trinh Ba Tu and Trinh Ba Phuong on charges of creating, storing, and disseminating information, documents, items and publications opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under Article 117 of Vietnams Penal Code.

The three family members had been outspoken in social media postings about the Jan. 9, 2020 clash in Dong Tam commune in which 3,000 police stormed barricaded protesters homes at a construction site about 25 miles south of the capital, killing a village elder.

They had also offered information to foreign embassies and other international groups to try to raise awareness of the incident.

Three police officers also died in the clash.

Theu and her son Trinh Ba Tu, who worked to raise awareness of the socially and politically explosive issue of land grabs in the country of 95 million people, were sentenced on May 5 to eight years in prison each for creating, storing and disseminating information and materials against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under Article 117 of Vietnams Penal Code. Their jail time will be followed by three years each on probation.

Immediately following the trial, Theu and her son appealed the verdict.

Call for international pressure

Speaking to RFA on Monday, Trinh called on the international community to pressure Vietnams government to release her mother and brother.

If many people speak up, they will stop doing cruel things, including detaining [healthy prisoners] with HIV/AIDS-infected prisoners, and my mother and younger brother will be kept in better conditions, she said.

In a statement following her trial, rights group Amnesty International condemned the sentences handed down to Theuwho had been jailed twice before in 2014 and 2016 for protesting government-ordered seizures of landand her son, calling their conviction a travesty of justice.

While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation to farming families displaced by development.

Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Kazakhs in the city of Almaty demonstrated against the so-called reeducation camps in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang, where some say their relatives are being detained. The May 18 rally marked the 100th consecutive day of protests. Qalida Aqytkhan was blocked by police from reaching the Chinese Consulate as she held a picture of her three sons and called on Kazakh authorities to pressure China to release them, saying they are imprisoned on "unfounded charges."
Many university graduates who have failed to find jobs are returning to school for higher degrees.

According to the Korean Educational Development Institute on Monday, 98,402 students enrolled in graduate schools in the country last year, up 1,708 or 1.8 percent from a year earlier.

The number of first-year graduate students dropped in 2019 but rebounded last year.

The increase is probably due to rising youth unemployment. Many graduates have chosen to go back to school as they see no immediate hope of finding a job. Companies are hiring fewer and fewer staff, while state-run companies give priority to their non-regular staff if there is any job opening.

A university professor in Seoul said, "While many students still want a doctorate to become professors or researchers, quite a few come to graduate school just to fill the gap in employment."

Graduate students drop out of the unemployment statistics because they are classified as economically inactive.
PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a short course of HIV medicines taken very soon after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent the virus from taking hold in your body.
MINSK -- Belarus's authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed into law legislation that allows police and security forces to shoot at demonstrators.

The law, endorsed by Lukashenka on May 17, frees law enforcement officers from responsibility for damages inflicted on protesters by physical attack, firearms, combatant and special equipment if in such cases the actions are deemed "legal."

The law is part of a broad legislative move approved by lawmakers in April that severely restricts civil rights and the free flow of information amid a crackdown on the country's pro-democracy movement.

Tens of thousands of Belarusians have rallied across the country since a presidential election in August 2020 that Lukashenka claims to have won but opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her supporters have deemed fraudulent.

The demonstrators have demanded Lukashenka's resignation and fresh elections, but Belarus's strongman has been defiant. Security officials have arrested thousands and forced Tsikhanouskaya and other top opposition figures out of the country.

Several protesters have been killed in the violence and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture being used against some of those detained.

Lukashenka, who has run Belarus since 1994, and other top officials have been slapped with sanctions by the West, which refuses to recognize him as the legitimate leader of the country.

Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent.

According to the new law endorsed by Lukashenka, police can also ban taking recordings of the dispersal of unsanctioned demonstrations, search the personal belongings and vehicles of individuals, and obtain citizens' personal data without a warrant.

The law also says that officials, law enforcement officers, judges, members of electoral bodies, and pro-government journalists are eligible for state protection, including a secured job change and plastic surgery if they face a threat to their lives, health, and property.

Though the size and frequency of demonstrations have waned in recent months, Lukashenka has ramped up the crackdown on activists and independent journalists.

Many media outlets and websites have come under pressure for covering the demonstrations and reporting on police brutality.

On May 18, financial police searched the central and regional offices of media outlets Tut.by and Hoster.by, which have closely followed the violent crackdown.

According to the websites' staff, police also searched the homes of editors for the two websites.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a diplomatic tour that includes his first face-to-face talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has warned that Washington is concerned over a military buildup in the Arctic, a region gaining in strategic importance among the world's superpowers.

"We have concerns about some of the increased military activities in the Arctic that increase the...prospects of accidents...and undermine the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region," Blinken told reporters in Reykjavik on May 18, a day before the start of a meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council in Reykjavik.

"What we need to avoid is a militarization of the region," he added.

Heading into the trip, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken will advance efforts to sustain the Arctic as a region of peace, free of conflict, where Arctic Council members collaborate on shared priorities to protect the well-being of Arctic communities and address the ever-growing threat and impacts of the climate crisis.

The meeting with Lavrov is scheduled to take place on May 20. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the two will discuss "key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda."

A U.S. intelligence report in April said Moscow is looking to increase its economic and military footprint in the Arctic, taking advantage of global warmings impact on the vast northern region.

"We've seen Russia advance unlawful maritime claims, particularly its regulation of foreign vessels transiting the Northern Sea route, which are inconsistent with international law," Blinken said at a joint briefing with Iceland's foreign minister on May 18.

Lavrov, however, on May 17 warned Western countries against staking claims in the Arctic.

"It has been absolutely clear for everyone for a long time that this is our territory, this is our land," he said at a press conference in Moscow.

"We are responsible for ensuring our Arctic coast is safe."

The meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russias military buildup in and around Ukraine, Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and recent cyberattacks blamed on cybercriminals in Russia, and the official indicated that those matters would be addressed.

Blinken and Lavrov are expected to test the Biden administration's proposition of working on areas where Washington and Moscow have mutual interests.

At the end of his trip, Blinken plans to stop in Greenland to meet with the new head of government, Mute Bourup Egede.

The two are expected to discuss their countries shared commitment to increase cooperation in the Arctic.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Czech President Milos Zeman has apologized over the 1999 NATO bombing of former Yugoslavia, in which his country took part while he was prime minister.

The 78-day U.S.-led bombing campaign forced Serbian troops out of Kosovo, ending a bloody two-year war of the southern provinces independence.

"I would like to use this opportunity to apologize for the bombing of former Yugoslavia," Zeman said on May 18 during a visit to Prague by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The Czech Republic "desperately" sought partners within the alliance to object to the campaign, but ultimately failed, the 76-year-old Zeman said.

"It was lack of courage," he added. With this plea of forgiveness, I resolved my long-standing trauma, because remorse is liberating.

Vucic said Serbians will always be grateful" to Zeman because what he said about the bombing has never been said before."

Zeman served as prime minister between 1998 and 2002 before taking over as president in 2013. He has favored friendly ties with Russia for years.

The NATO military intervention is hailed in Kosovo as crucial in ending the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict that left more than 10,000 people dead.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade does not recognize this.

Most EU nations and the United States have recognized Kosovo's independence, but not by Serbia's allies Russia and China.

Based on reporting by AFP and iDNES.cz
With the application deadline expired and a month to go before Iran's election of a new president, two names are emerging as the likely top contenders to succeed President Hassan Rohani.



Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi and former parliament speaker Ali Larijani have each been part of the country's Islamic establishment for a long time. Both have made failed presidential bids in the past, and neither is widely seen as a particularly charismatic or inspirational leader -- although the stern-faced Raisi has demonstrated a fondness for populist slogans that the articulate Larijani has tended to avoid.



Raisi's prominence has increased in recent years, however, while the influence of the Larijani family, which includes a father who was exiled by the Shah and a brother who once led the judiciary, has seemingly been in decline.



Larijani is himself an experienced politician who has held key posts over the years.



Raisi's career has included a steady rise through the ranks of the judicial system, where as a deputy prosecutor in Tehran he played a role in the 1989 massacre of political prisoners following a fatwa by the founder of Iran's Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.



They were both among 592 hopefuls, including 40 women, who registered to run in Iran's June 18 election. Most have already been eliminated under the country's tightly orchestrated vetting process.



All candidates for elected office in Iran are screened by the Guardians Council, whose 12 members are directly and indirectly appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say in Iran's political and religious affairs.



The council has in the past blocked candidates deemed not sufficiently loyal to Khamenei.



The council, which recently narrowed its criteria for the potential candidates -- barring candidates younger than 40 or older than 75 and requiring at least four years of management experience and no criminal record -- has said it will only review the credentials of 40 of those registered, thus disqualifying the others.



Iran's election comes amid rising discontent over the poor state of the economy, which has been crushed by crippling U.S. sanctions imposed after Washington's withdrawal in 2018 from an international nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. There has been also public frustration at the Iranian government's perceived mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and a slow vaccination rollout.

The Big Names

Ebrahim Raisi

The 61-year-old Raisi's leadership of the judiciary is akin to the chief justice's post in other systems.



He was defeated by the incumbent Rohani, a relative moderate, in the 2017 presidential vote, officially receiving 38 percent to Rohani's 57 percent.



Raisi has declared that he is running this time as an independent, and has vowed to fight poverty and corruption.

A trained cleric, he has been cited as a possible successor to Khamenei, 82. But another presidential defeat could deal a blow to his chances of eventually becoming supreme leader.



Raisi is tipped by some as a favorite for the presidency because he enjoys the trust of Khamenei, who before appointing him to the top judiciary post in 2019 put him in charge of one of the country's wealthiest religious charities.



He also has other ties to Iran's centers of power. He is married to the daughter of a longtime Khamenei loyalist, Mashhad Friday Prayer leader and ultra-hard-line cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda.



The conservative daily Resalat's front page portrayed him as the front-runner.



Yet, as some observers have noted, a win is not guaranteed.



"No one can be declared the winner in advance, not even Raisi," Tehran-based journalist and analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi told the Fararu.com news site. "Candidates will have to speak on television, and they may participate in a debate."



He questioned whether, in a side-by-side contest with Larijani, Raisi "will have much to say."



Zeidabadi cited Raisi's repeated use of "slogans" and statements that "no one believes can be done in practice."



But conservative political analyst Amir Reza Vaezi Ashtiani suggested that Raisi was likely to attract a significant number of votes.



"Raisi had 16 million votes in the last election. Since then he has done well, and his [potential] votes have increased," Ashtiani said.



Given past history, there has been speculation that other hard-line candidates might withdraw closer to election day in an effort to unite behind Raisi.



Ali Larijani



Larijani has served as parliament speaker for 12 years and chief nuclear negotiator and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.



When registering for the election, he took a verbal jab at Raisi and hopefuls from the senior ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), part of Iran's military, saying that "the economy is neither a garrison nor a court that would be managed with shouts and orders."



Larijani, 64, has in past years aligned himself with Rohani, and he has been portrayed by some as a vote for a "third Rohani government" and its policies.



Iran's system bars presidents from serving a third term.



Hessamedin Ashena, a former Iranian presidential adviser, suggested this week that Larijani's decision to run posed a serious challenge to other contenders.



"Winning the election is no longer easy," Ashena said on Twitter.

Larijani, who also served in the IRGC, appears to believe that he can secure votes within the conservative camp and among supporters of reform.



But many in the pro-reform camp view him with suspicion based in part on his time heading a heavily censored, state-controlled television network that aired a program, called Hoviyyat (Identity), which appeared aimed at tarnishing the reputations of many Iranians, including intellectuals and dissidents.



The news site Asriran.com suggested that some traditional conservatives have for years considered Larijani a trusted politician and believe he's the "Hashemi Rafsanjani of the new era of Iran" -- a reference to the late pragmatic president and political force -- and are likely to back him.



"It is also possible that part of the reform movement will cast their ballots for Larijani for the continuation of the path of moderation," the news site added.



Larijani received only about 6 percent of the vote in the first round of the 2005 presidential vote.

Other Conservative Contenders

Several other conservatives are hoping to run, including two former officials within the powerful IRGC.



Hossein Dehghan, 64, is a former defense minister and military adviser to Khamenei.



Saeed Mohammad, 53, headed the IRGC's construction conglomerate, Khatam al-Anbia.



Former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili , 56, and Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai, 67, are also registered. Jalili was defeated in the 2013 presidential vote, while Rezai has already made three unsuccessful runs.

Former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has also registered to compete, although he was barred from running in the 2017 vote.

Reformists

Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, 64, is seen as a leading candidate for the reformists. Jahangiri, who was a candidate in the 2017 vote, performed well in the televised debates at the time.

He later withdrew in favor of Rohani. Some have suggested that Jahangiri could end up supporting Larijani.



Other reformist hopefuls include the chairman of the Tehran City Council, 60-year-old Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani. He is the eldest son of the influential former President Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Another is former Health Minister Masud Pezeshkian, 66, who served in the Khatami administration in 1997-2005.



Reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh, 64, who was jailed in the brutal state crackdown that followed the 2009 disputed presidential vote, has also registered to run. He is likely to be blocked due to his criticism of the establishment and of Khamenei.

Women

Zahra Shojaei, 65, an adviser on women's affairs during the Khatami administration, is the only prominent woman to have registered for the June election.

No woman has ever been allowed by Iran's vetters to run for the presidency.



The final list of vetted candidates should be published on May 27.
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh activist arrested in January in the southern city of Shymkent for his alleged ties with two banned opposition groups has gone on trial.

The prosecutor at the Qaratau district court said on May 18 at the start of the trial of 46-year-old Nurzhan Mukhammedov that he was charged with having links with the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement and the Koshe (Street) party.

He is also charged with insulting traffic police.

Mukhammedov, who took part in the trial via video link from a detention center due to coronavirus precautions, rejected the first charge.

He admitted to insulting traffic police, saying that they were "illegally" attempting to violate his constitutional right to free movement.

About 20 people gathered in front of the court building to express their support for Mukhammedov, saying that his trial was politically motivated.

Mukhammedov, who is known as a vocal critic of the government, held two hunger strikes while in custody, demanding all charges against him be dropped.

He has been fined and sentenced to jail terms between five days and 15 days for his previous participation in several unsanctioned rallies. Human rights organizations in Kazakhstan have recognized Mukhammedov as a political prisoner.

Several activists in the Central Asian country have been handed prison terms or parole-like sentences in recent years for their support or involvement in the activities of the DVK and its associatd Koshe party, as well as for taking part in unsanctioned rallies organized by the two groups.

The DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, a fugitive former head of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank and outspoken critic of the government. The authorities labeled the DVK an extremist group and banned it in March 2018.

Human rights groups say Kazakhstan's law on public gatherings contradicts international standards, as it requires preliminary permission from the authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies, even though the constitution guarantees its citizens the right to free assembly.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Rallies in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, by demonstrators demanding their relatives be released from prisons and so-called reeducation camps in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang have entered the 100th day.

Police did not allow a dozen protesters, mainly women, to get close to the Chinese Consulate to stage a rally on May 18, forcing them to hold their action at a distance from the consulate building.

"Our action is not illegal, while China's actions are illegal. China killed my father, is holding my mother and two brothers. I demand my family members to be released at once. I will continue my protest until they are released," protester Aqiqat Qaliolla, told RFE/RL.

Unlike previous protests, the May 18 event was covered by several leading media outlets from the Central Asian state, as it was the 100th day since the rallies started in February.

Since the beginning of the protests, the husband of one demonstrator, Farida Qabylbek, was released from house arrest in Xinjiang in early April and allowed to leave China for Kazakhstan.

Qabylbek's husband, Raqyzhan Zeinolla, spent 13 years in a Chinese prison on espionage charges and 18 months in what Chinese officials called a "reeducation camp," after which he was placed under house arrest.

RFE/RL correspondents entered the Chinese Consulate on May 18 and asked security officials if they were aware of the ongoing protest, but the officials refused to comment.

Last week, eight protesters were detained by police and fined for holding unsanctioned public events at the site.

Locked Up In China: The Plight Of Xinjiang's Muslims Radio Free Radio/Radio Liberty is partnering with its sister organization, Radio Free Asia, to highlight the plight of Muslims living in China's western province of Xinjiang.

The U.S. Embassy on May 12 expressed support for the protesters as they demand information about their relatives in Xinjiang.

"We condemn China's mass imprisonment of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other ethnic minorities. The U.S. Mission stands with those who are seeking information about their family members in Xinjiang. People should not be detained for assembling and expressing themselves peacefully," the U.S. Embassy statement said.

The U.S. State Department has said that as many as 2 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and members of Xinjiang's other indigenous, mostly Muslim, ethnic groups have been taken to detention centers.

China denies that the facilities are internment camps but people who have fled the province say that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of facilities known officially as "reeducation camps."

Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans.

Han, China's largest ethnicity, is the second-largest community in Xinjiang.
BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz and Tajik officials have agreed to jointly control law and order along a disputed segment of the border to ease tensions following deadly clashes late last month.

Officials in Kyrgyzstans southern region of Batken said on May 18 that a joint checkpoint has been established between the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai and Tajikistan's Vorukh district for law enforcement and border guards in the two Central Asian nations to control safety and security in the volatile area.

A day earlier, several Kyrgyz and Tajik nationals were briefly detained along the border.

WATCH: After Kyrgyz-Tajik Clashes, Residents Of Border Area Say Tensions Are All Too Familiar

The Kyrgyz side claimed that its three citizens were severely beaten while in Tajik custody, threatening to reignite the conflict after deadly clashes erupted on April 28 after the Tajiks tried to install security cameras at a position in the disputed territory.

Batken regional officials also said that a delegation led by the governor, Abdikarim Alimbaev, and a delegation led by the head of Tajikistan's Sughd region, Rajobboi Ahmadzoda, had agreed on May 17 that officials and individuals involved in the beating of the Kyrgyz citizens will be held responsible and face justice.

A member of the Tajik delegation confirmed to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the Tajik side agreed to punish its citizens involved in the beating.

According to the official, after that Kyrgyz authorities agreed to allow Tajik citizens and vehicles to pass through territory under Kyrgyz control. There was no official confirmation of that from the Tajik authorities.

The situation along the volatile segment of the border was reported to have calmed with police officers from both sides controlling the area.

Many border areas in Central Asia have been restive since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. The clashes that started last month left scores of people on both sides dead and injured.

The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan meet.

In recent decades, there have been many incidents along the border which in some cases involved gunfire.
SKOPJE -- North Macedonia has declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata and communicated the decision to Moscow earlier this week.



"[North Macedonia's] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, decided to declare a diplomat at the Embassy of the Russian Federation an undesirable person in the Republic of North Macedonia," the ministry said in a statement on May 18.

"The Ambassador of the Russian Federation [to Macedonia Sergei Bazdnikin] was summoned to the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 14, whereupon a note was handed instructing the diplomat to leave the territory of Northern Macedonia within seven days."

The statement gave no further details about the case.

Based on Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, the host nation at any time and for any reason can declare a particular member of the diplomatic staff persona non grata.

The Russian Embassy in Skopje said Moscow was considering "reciprocal measures."

Several other former Soviet bloc countries in Central and Eastern Europe, all of them members of the European Union and NATO, have expelled Russian diplomats last month, triggering reciprocal measures by Moscow.

The series of expulsions began last month when the Czech Republic expelled scores of Russian diplomats over the accusations that Russian spies were involved in a deadly ammunition depot explosion in 2014, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Moscow.

North Macedonia officially became a NATO member in March 2020.

The Balkan country previously expelled Russian diplomats in 2018 in solidarity with Britain, following a nerve-agent poisoning in England that targeted former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.

With reporting by TASS
Aeroflot has canceled nearly all flights to Turkey in June in an extension of a suspension of flights imposed last month because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

The airline said on May 17 that the suspension would remain in place pending a decision from the Russian government to resume flights to and from Turkey, a popular tourist destination for Russians.

Aeroflot said in a statement that it stopped sales and canceled all flights to Turkey for June except two flights per week permitted by the coronavirus task force.

Russia last month restricted flights to and from Turkish cities until June 1, citing a growing number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey.

Aeroflot spokesman Mikhail Demin told reporters that the company was ready to revise its schedule and increase the number of flights and open sales if the decision changed.



"We, like other carriers, are awaiting the decision of the government headquarters," he added, according to TASS.

Earlier on May 17, the Izvestia newspaper, citing a letter from Aeroflot, said the extension of the suspension would last until June 30.

RFE/RL's Coronavirus Coverage Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.

Reuters, citing an airline industry source, also reported that Russia had decided to extend the ban until June 30, but a separate source told Reuters that Moscow had yet to decide.

Ibrahim Kalin, a top adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy were in Russia on May 17 to discuss tourism, vaccine shipments, and other issues, state-owned Anadolu agency reported.

Russia is watching the case numbers and easing of measures in Turkey closely, Kalin told Anadolu after talks with authorities.

"We reached an agreement for the Russian vaccine to come to Turkey as soon as possible as well as steps to be taken for the tourism season, the starting of flights, and speeding up the process," he said.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Anadolu
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he will meet with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sadyr Japarov, in the resort city of Sochi on May 24.

Speaking at a ceremony to receive credentials from incoming foreign ambassadors on May 18, Putin said that despite "successful" cooperation in several areas, the two sides will seek to strengthen strategic partnership and allied relations.

It will be the second meeting between the two leaders this year.

Japarov's first presidential trip after being elected in January was to Moscow in February, where he discussed bilateral ties with Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and other top Russian officials.

In March, the two presidents launched the Jerooy gold refining plant, a mine operated by Russia's Alliance Group. Jerooy is Kyrgyzstan's second-largest gold deposit, holding nearly 90 tons of gold and 25 tons of silver, with annual gold output eventually reaching 5.5 tons.

Gold and other natural resources are a lynchpin of the Central Asian state's weak economy, which sends hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to Russia each year.

With reporting by TASS
MOSCOW -- A military court in Moscow has upheld a lower court's decision to reject a lawsuit filed by jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny against the Main Military Investigative Directorate (GVSU) over its refusal to launch a probe into his poisoning in Siberia with a chemical nerve agent in August.

The Second Western District Military Court took only a few minutes to make the ruling on May 18. Neither Navalny nor his lawyers were present at the hearing.

In the original case, the 235th Garrison Military Court ruled that "the GVSU's decision" not to launch a probe into Navalny's poisoning was "legal and well-grounded," and that Navalny's lawsuit was "not worth of considering."

Judge Andrei Tolkachenko said during that hearing that Siberian Transport Police refused to launch an investigation due to the "absence of a criminal act."

The complaint stems from August 2020, when Navalny fell violently ill on a plane while traveling in Siberia. The aircraft made an emergency landing and President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic was rushed to a hospital, where doctors worked to keep him alive.

As Navalny lay gravely ill in intensive care, officials said they had not found any evidence of poisoning.

After several days, he was flown from Siberia to Germany, where he was diagnosed as having ingested what was confirmed by several European labs as a Novichok-type chemical nerve agent.

Navalny's lawyers filed a lawsuit against several officers of the Federal Security Service who were implicated by the Bellingcat investigative group in the operation to poison him.

However, the GVSU refused to launch a probe into the attack and Navalny's lawyers filed another lawsuit, this time against the investigative directorate's inactivity in the case.

The anti-corruption campaigner has accused Putin of ordering the poison attack, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement.

After receiving treatment in Germany, Navalny returned on January 17 to Moscow, where he was immediately arrested.

On February 2, a court in Moscow ruled that while in Germany, Navalny had violated the terms of parole from an older embezzlement case that is widely considered politically motivated.

His suspended 3 1/2-year sentence was converted into jail time, though the court reduced that amount to just over 2 1/2 years for time already served in detention.

Navalny's detention set off a wave of national protests and a crackdown against his supporters.

The European Union and the United States have imposed a series of sanctions against Russia over the Navalny poisoning and subsequent detention.
The head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has denied that his agency was behind the SolarWinds cyberattack, which was blamed on Moscow by both U.S. and British intelligence officials and resulted in U.S. sanctions against Russia.

In the attack, which was discovered in December, hackers slipped malicious code into updates of network-management software made by the U.S. company SolarWinds, which was then downloaded by several branches of the U.S. government and several U.S. and European corporations.

The move led to the compromise of nine U.S. federal agencies and hundreds of private-sector companies.

"The claims are like a bad detective novel," SVR Director Sergei Naryshkin told the BBC in Russian on May 18. Naryshkin is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Asked by the BBC if the SVR was responsible for the SolarWinds attack, Naryshkin retorted that he would be "flattered" if the SVR had been responsible for such an attack but that he could not "claim the creative achievements of others as his own."

Russia's spy chief suggested that the tactics of the operation were similar to those used by U.S. and British intelligence agencies.

Naryshkin also disclosed that contact has been reestablished between the SVR and the head of Britain's MI6 secret intelligence service. He voiced hope that a face-to-face meeting will soon take place.

Tensions between Russia and the West continue to grow over issues including the SolarWinds cyberattack but also the military threats to Ukraine, and Russia's treatment of jailed opposition activist Aleksei Navalny.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has already imposed sanctions and expelled Russian diplomats over the multiple U.S. complaints about Russia's activities, prompting Moscow to respond with tit-for-tat measures against U.S. diplomats.

With reporting by BBC and Reuters
Ukrainian officials have marked the 77th anniversary of the Crimean Tatars Stalin-era deportations from Crimea to Central Asia by denouncing what they called their ongoing persecution by Russia.

Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and backed separatists in two of its eastern provinces, sparking a war that has killed more than 13,000 people.

Crimean Tatars, rights activists, and Western governments say Russia has subjected Crimean Tatars and others who opposed annexation to abuse, discrimination, and politically motivated prosecution on false charges.

As Crimean Tatars marked the anniversary of the 1944 deportations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement: "We will not forgive that 70 years [after the deportations] you were forced to leave your home again due to the Russian annexation."

"And those of you who remain [in Crimea] are being persecuted and imprisoned by the occupation authorities," Zelenskiy added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia continues to systemically suppress the Crimean Tatars."

Russia denies carrying out repressions in Crimea, but regularly announces arrests of alleged Islamist or pro-Ukrainian "terrorists" on the Black Sea peninsula.

The Crimean Solidarity group said that prayers and commemorations of the victims of the 1944 deportations were held on May 18 in towns and villages across Crimea, despite warnings by Russia-imposed authorities not to hold unsanctioned public events.

Commemoration events were also held in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Members of the mostly Muslim, Turkic-speaking indigenous ethnic group of the Black Sea peninsula were deported en masse during World War II, after Stalin accused them of collaborating with Nazi Germany.

Starting on May 18, 1944, some 250,000 people were put on trains -- most of them in the space of two days -- and sent to Central Asia. Tens of thousands died during the journey or after they were left on the barren steppe with few resources.

Crimean Tatars were not allowed to return to Crimea until the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev conducted reforms in the years before the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

In November 2015, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law declaring May 18 the Day of Commemoration of Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatars.

With reporting by AFP, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Crimea.Realities
KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament has voted to dismiss Health Minister Maksym Stepanov over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and approved the resignations of the economy and infrastructure ministers.

Lawmakers ousted Stepanov in a 292-1 vote on May 18, making him Ukraines third health minister to be dismissed since COVID-19 hit the country last year.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who initiated Stepanov's firing, told parliament that the minister was responsible for the "unsatisfactory pace of vaccination" against COVID-19 and failures in vaccine procurement.

Economy Minister Ihor Petrashko and Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy did not disclose reasons for their decision to leave their jobs in their resignation letters filed to the Verkhovna Rada last week.

With more than 2 million registered coronavirus infections and over 48,000 related deaths, Ukraine is among the European countries most affected by the epidemic.

The country is also lagging in its vaccination efforts, with about 950,000 Ukrainians having received their first vaccine dose as of May 18.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's economy shrank 2 percent in the first quarter of 2021 year-on-year after contracting 4 percent last year.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's cabinet has experienced significant turnover since the former comic took power in 2019.

With reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg, and AFP
White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan has phoned the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to express concern over recent tensions between the two countries, the White House has said in a statement.

Sullivan spoke with caretaker Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after Armenia accused Azerbaijan of sending troops across the border and trying to stake claim to territory.

Azerbaijan has denied the accusation and said its forces only defended their side of the frontier.

Sullivan "emphasized that military movements near un-demarcated borders are irresponsible and provocative," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in the statement.

"He welcomed the ongoing communication between the two sides and both leaders' commitment to resolving this issue peacefully," Horne said.

Sullivan also "underscored the need for the two countries to conduct formal discussions to demarcate their international border."

Yerevan accused Azerbaijani forces of moving 3 1/2 kilometers into Syunik Province early on May 12 and of breaching two other sections of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border the next day.

Azerbaijan insists that its troops did not cross into Armenia and simply took up positions on the Azerbaijani side of the frontier that were not accessible in winter months.

It added that the border between the two South Caucasus states wasn't demarcated after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Armenia formally appealed on May 14 to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to hold consultations on the border dispute.

Sullivan conveyed the U.S. commitment to achieving regional reconciliation through bilateral engagement and as a co-chair of the Minsk Group.

Co-chaired by Russia, the United States, and France, the Minsk Group still has an international mandate to mediate a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

With reporting by Reuters
The United States will send millions more COVID-19 vaccines to other countries to help those struggling to get their populations vaccinated, President Joe Biden has announced.

Biden said the move is also aimed at restoring U.S. leadership in the global fight against the pandemic, noting efforts by China and Russia to use their donation programs to gain influence around the world.

Biden confirmed that 20 million more doses will be released over the next six weeks, bringing the total to be shipped by the end of June to 80 million and making the United States the leader in vaccine donation.

Speaking at the White House on May 17, Biden said 80 million will be five times more than any other country has shared.

"Russia and China...have donated 15 million doses. You know, there's a lot of talk about Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines. We want to lead the world with our values with this demonstration of our innovation, ingenuity, and the fundamental decency of American people," he said.

Biden added, "Just as democracies led the world in the darkness of World War II, democracy will lead the world out of this pandemic." But he said the United States would "not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries."

The United States, the country worst hit by the pandemic, has made strides in its vaccination program and has now administered more than 272 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to federal data updated on May 17.

RFE/RL's Coronavirus Coverage Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.

Cases of COVID-19 and deaths have fallen to their lowest rates in months.

The 20 million additional doses announced on May 17 will include doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson&Johnson vaccines and will be on top of 60 million AstraZeneca doses the United States had already planned to give to other countries.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been authorized for use in the United States.

The White House has not provided any details about what countries will receive the shots.

The boost follows pressure on the United States to donate more vaccine to the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme aimed largely at poorer countries, many of which have barely begun inoculation programs.

Biden's announcement came as many Western countries announced more lifting of restrictions, including a shortened nightly curfew in Italy and a decision in New York state to lift a mask mandate in most public spaces for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In India, a current hot spot of the pandemic caused by a surge in infections that has overwhelmed the country's health-care system, some 90,000 Indian doctors who earned their medical degrees from Russia, China, and Ukraine have urged the government to put them to work instead of standing idle while waiting for local licenses.

Graduates from overseas medical schools have to pass local exams in India before they are allowed to practice. Some are waiting to take the exams next month. Others have already cleared the exams and are waiting for their licenses to be issued.

Najeerul Ameen, president of All India Foreign Medical Graduates Association, said the doctors must be allowed to work at such a critical juncture in the fight against the pandemic.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
TASHKENT -- An Uzbek opposition politician says his party has begun a new signature drive to get registered for an autumn presidential election after its first attempt was rejected.

Khidirnazar Allaqulov told RFE/RL that Uzbekistan's Justice Ministry last week rejected his application to register his Haqiqat va Taraqqiyot (Truth and Development) Social Democratic Party, claiming many of the signatures collected by party activists for registration were invalid.

The ministry's "letter says that 27 people who signed the papers supporting our party had deceased. The ministry also said that 2,044 individuals who signed the papers later asked the ministry to cancel their signatures, as they did not know the purpose of the signature drive," Allaqulov said.

He added that the ministry's letter was "controversial," since it said it rejected the registration yet continued to check signatures.

Ministry officials confirmed to RFE/RL that Allaqulov's application had been rejected due to an insufficient number of signatures.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev took over the country after his authoritarian predecessor Islam Karimov's death was announced on September 1, 2016.

Since then, Mirziyoev has positioned himself as a reformer, releasing political prisoners and opening his country to its neighbors and outer world, though many activists have cautioned that the reforms have not gone far enough.

Though Mirziyoev has said he is not against having opposition political groups in Uzbekistan, it has been nearly impossible for any genuine opposition party to be registered since the country gained independence in late 1991.

Many supporters of Allaqulov and his party told RFE/RL in early April that they were forced by local authorities across the country to withdraw their signatures from the new party's registration application.

Allaqulov told RFE/RL that he and his associates had started collecting new signatures for the party's registration, as legislation allows a new application one month after the initial application was rejected.

He added that to avoid pressure on his party's supporters, he and his colleagues will also collect signatures from Uzbek citizens residing abroad.

Allaqulov announced the creation of the Truth and Development Social Democratic Party and his plans to run for the presidency in June 2020.

On March 31, about 20 men attacked Allaqulov in the hall of his apartment block, demanding he "give up politics" and vacate an office in Tashkent rented by his party.

On May 4, a court in Tashkent found Allaqulov guilty of slander for accusing the group of attacking him and ordered him to pay a $470 fine.

The next presidential election will be held on October 24. Mirziyoev, who is expected to run for a second term, has not officially announced whether he plans to run.

None of the five parties represented in parliament have nominated a presidential candidate.
OLIVESBURG -- The Crestview board of education passed a controversial resolution Monday night regarding face coverings.

A copy of the resolution was not immediately available, but superintendent Randy Dunlap said the gist is that Crestview Schools will continue masking until health orders are lifted on June 2, then re-evaluate its policy before the start of the next school year.

"At that point (June 2), we will neither mandate nor prohibit the wearing of masks in our district, at our district events, on our district transportation," Dunlap said. "Before Aug. 31, the board will revisit that if there's additional information or knowledge that comes forward."

Numerous community members expressed frustration with the district's face-mask policy. Some complained their children had been punished or lost class time for breaking masking rules.

Some asked an immediate end to the mask mandate, as well as a promise from the board that there would be no vaccine mandate for students.

This board works for you. We pay taxes. You work for us. I'm not asking, I'm demanding that these mask mandates stop, said Jeff Friges.

Abigail Friges called the mask mandate reckless behavior," claiming that students are being required to wear masks during physical activity. She also expressed concern because "no one knows the long-term effects" of extending masking. She shared that her son has asked for mask breaks after experiencing headaches and dizziness and been denied. She also said hed served multiple detentions and missed class time due to breaking masking rules.

Katie Cairns, a nurse and mother, said her older daughter has suffered panic attacks at school and cant catch her breath while wearing a mask. She said she worried for younger children with undiagnosed asthma and underlying anxiety.

These kids that are being punished for trying to sneak a breath of fresh air -- it's got to stop, she said.

Amy Callahan said she supported mask breaks for students, but asked fellow community members to consider the other side of the masking issue. Callahan said her son has been enrolled in online school for the entire school year because he has asthma and is scared of contracting the virus.

I hear what you're saying and I understand where you're coming from, Callahan said. Im just trying to give you guys a peak of what other kids may be going through. Masking protects the person that youre around. Not just yourself.

Thats false, Jeff Friges and other audience members interrupted.

Jessica Tucker said she didnt care if the mask mandate remained in place for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year. She was more concerned with class sizes and staffing at the elementary school.

What does the elementary look like next year considering Title teachers were pulled to be regular teachers? she asked.

Please keep our class sizes small, she pleaded. We can afford our teachers. They're not asking for much.

Board Vice President Debbie Reidy thanked the audience for voicing their concerns, but said the board would not revisit masking policies for the current school year.

We aren't going to agree on everything," Reidy said. "We're almost finished with this school year, thank God. We're really not going to look at changes for two weeks. We have not made decisions for next year about masking -- no decisions."

Reidy also addressed Tucker's concerns about teachers.

"From what I can understand, we're looking at putting Title teachers back in those positions," she said.

Dunlap said he would follow up with administrators about the concerns of students losing recess time or not getting adequate mask breaks. He also stated that regular mask breaks outdoors have been part of the district's policy this school year.

"I meet with my administrators regularly and we talk about what's going on with the masking," he said. "We give regular mask breaks. With the weather changing, I get outside a lot and I see tons of kids outside with breaks."
MANSFIELD  Richland County educators are invited to submit grant applications to the Richland County Foundation.

Teacher Assistance Program (TAP) grants of up to $1,500 each are selected by a community committee for classroom projects not covered by school funding. The grants are given to K-12 teachers in public or private Richland County schools to encourage them to carry out effective programs for their students.

Teachers also can apply for a Harry and Lois McCullough Fund grant. The grants are available for the purpose of promoting writing, literature appreciation, music and Ohio history through creative, innovative, and effective methods and programs.

Mansfield City School teachers have two additional opportunities: Field Trip and Family Involvement Activity and Fine Arts Fund grants.

The applications are available on richlandcountyfoundation.org with a June 25 deadline. For additional information email or call Community Investment Officer Siera Marth at smarth@rcfoundation.org or 419-525-3020.

About the Richland County Foundation

The Richland County Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3, was established in 1945 as a way for individuals to pool and invest their gifts for the long-term good of Richland County and its residents.

The Foundation helps people in Richland County give back to their community by investing their gifts for charity wisely so that grants can be made to improve the quality of life for all the countys citizens. Working together with donors, the Foundation meets important needs today and plans for a strong future.
BELLVILLE -- A 70-year-old Mansfield man died Monday night in a two-vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck on I-71 in Jefferson Township.

According to the Mansfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident happened at 10:46 p.m. in Jefferson Township, closing the northbound lanes near Bellville while the crash was investigated and cleaned up near mile post 164.

Troopers said the crash occurred when a 2020 Freightliner commercial truck, driven by Robert Schull, 52, of Independence, Ky., struck a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, driven by George W. Crawford, 70, of Mansfield, from the rear while traveling in the right lane.

Schull sustained no injuries from the crash. Crawford succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the patrol. A passenger traveling with Crawford, identified as Eugene Murphy, 64, of Calumet, Ill., was transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The following agencies assisted on scene; Washington, Troy and Jefferson Twp. Fire and EMS, Richland County Coroners Office, and Mikes Towing.

The crash remains under investigation at this time, troopers said.
Jamala Rogers is an award-winning featured columnist for The St. Louis American, St. Louis largest weekly newspaper. She has authored many articles for both local and national publications on issues that she is passionately involved in. She is the author of The Best of the Way I See It, a compilation of her political writings over the last twenty years.
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Written By

Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

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Editor

I have been editor of the Rockdale Citizen since 1996 and editor of the Newton Citizen since it began publication in 2004. I am also currently executive editor of the Clayton News Daily, Henry Daily Herald and Jackson Progress-Argus.
Rocky Mount, NC (27804)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low around 70F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Christian congregations at multiracial churches deal with different opinions on social justice, equality issues just as America does. Almost two times as many Black Christians link racial inequalities in housing, income and jobs to ongoing discrimination than their white counterparts.
Washington: The United States will continue to provide a range of assistance to India, as its "important partner" continues to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the White House said on Monday.

President Joe Biden, who has announced a USD 100 million worth of Covid-19 assistance to India, is deeply engaged with the assistance program, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

Joe Biden

"The President is, of course, kept abreast of the Covid pandemic - how it's impacting different regions in the world, including our important partners in India. And he has been deeply engaged as we've made determinations about the type of relief and assistance that we can and should provide," Psaki said.

Responding to a question on India's Covid-19 situation, Psaki said the United States will continue to work through how it can provide assistance to its important partner during this difficult time.

Coronavirus "We expect our assistance to be about USD 100 million. We've sent seven air shipments funded by the US Agency for International Development to India. The seventh flight, carrying additional oxygen concentrators via commercial shipping center, arrived today, and that obviously is critical for a number of the patients who have already been - are already battling Covid," she said.

"We will continue to provide a range of assistance. We will remain in touch about what the direct needs are on the ground, and hope that we can play a constructive role in reducing the numbers and bringing some relief to the people of India," Psaki said.
Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Peterborough - Eva H. Sacharuk died, peacefully, at her home in Peterborough, N.H. on June 1, 2021. Before moving to Peterborough in 2019, she was a long-time resident of Wenham, Massachusetts where she raised her family with her husband Serge since 1960. Eva is survived by her loving husban
News

Lee County prepares for summer school

Lee County summer school will be longer and more intensive this year in an effort to help students who are struggling after a year of virtual learning.

Lee Countys plan for summer school was finalized this month after the N.C. General Assembly passed a bill in April requiring school districts to offer at least 150 hours or 30 days of summer in-person instruction. The bill is aimed at helping students catch up after many have fallen behind during the coronavirus pandemic.

Per the state bill, summer school attendance is voluntary. In-person summer instruction is open to any and all students who want to attend however, said Chris Dossenbach, Lee County Schools assistant superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction.

Unlike traditional summer school, which is about three hours of instruction daily, summer school this year will mirror a typical school day, Dossenbach said. It will be held Monday through Thursday, with Friday off.

Students in grades K-2 will receive daily instruction in reading and math while those in grades 3-8 will get daily instruction in reading, math and science, Dossenbach said.

All students will also have a 30 minute break during the day for some form of physical activity, as well as a daily enrichment activity such as music, art or sports, as required by the state.

What about high school students?

The districts credit recovery program for high school students is expanded this year, giving more students an opportunity to catch up on their graduation requirements, Dossenbach said.

The general rule of thumb is that if they failed a course within 10 points of passing, instead of being seated in the course all over again, they can come in and do credit recovery, Dossenbach said, which are online modules that follow the state curriculum that test students on the skills they dont know.

Its all computer-generated, although they will have access to certified teachers to answer questions they might have.

The school district will also offer a few elective courses for high school students looking for additional credits, Dossenbach said. In addition, any students who are not doing well in the four EOC courses  biology, English 2, Math 1 and Math 3  will have the opportunity to come in for tutoring, Dossenbach said.

Summer school will run from about 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for high school students, Dossenbach said, although those hours are flexible.

Principals are going to work with students as needed if they have commitments or (summer) jobs, he said.

Lee County summer school starts June 7 and stretches through July 29 for K-8 students and July 30 for high school students.

Learning loss

While some students transitioned easily to virtual learning, the coronavirus pandemic left many others afloat. In Lee County, as in other school districts, a significant number of students are at-risk of not being promoted to the next grade level, based on grades, attendance and staff recommendations.

Given the circumstances of the last year and a half that weve had, I think that the majority of students are doing very well, Dossenbach said. There are some students for whom remote learning is just not effective and I understand that.

Since February, the county has reduced its number of at-risk students by almost 10%, using targeted interventions by teachers. As of May 14, the number of at-risk students was 1,907, or about 19%, according to Dossenbach.

Teachers and principals are working with students and parents probably closer than they ever have before to get them where they need to be, Dossenbach said.

State data shows the number of at-risk students in Lee County was on par with surrounding counties as of February. The three-month-old numbers show the percentage of at-risk students in Lee and Chatham counties was almost identical, while the difference between Lee and Moore was only 2 percentage points.

The difference in the number of at-risk students in Lee and Harnett counties was larger, about 11 percentage points, but not unexpected given the size of the Harnett County school district.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has cautioned against direct comparisons, given that each school district has different criteria for determining which students are at-risk. Some may advance to the next grade level and some may not.

So far, more than 30% of Lee Countys at-risk students have confirmed theyll attend summer school, Dossenbach said.

I think there are some parents who are certainly concerned over the instruction their child received over the last year. Not that teachers didnt do a great job, but its been difficult and remote instruction is not ideal for all students, he said.

My hope is that at the end of summer school, we can have a conversation about how our numbers are about the same or hopefully better than they have been in previous years. 
Lee County summer school will be longer and more intensive this year in an effort to help students who are struggling after a year of virtual learning.

Lee Countys plan for summer school was finalized this month after the N.C. General Assembly passed a bill in April requiring school districts to offer at least 150 hours or 30 days of summer in-person instruction. The bill is aimed at helping students catch up after many have fallen behind during the coronavirus pandemic.

Per the state bill, summer school attendance is voluntary. In-person summer instruction is open to any and all students who want to attend however, said Chris Dossenbach, Lee County Schools assistant superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction.

Unlike traditional summer school, which is about three hours of instruction daily, summer school this year will mirror a typical school day, Dossenbach said. It will be held Monday through Thursday, with Friday off.

Students in grades K-2 will receive daily instruction in reading and math while those in grades 3-8 will get daily instruction in reading, math and science, Dossenbach said.

All students will also have a 30 minute break during the day for some form of physical activity, as well as a daily enrichment activity such as music, art or sports, as required by the state.

What about high school students?

The districts credit recovery program for high school students is expanded this year, giving more students an opportunity to catch up on their graduation requirements, Dossenbach said.

The general rule of thumb is that if they failed a course within 10 points of passing, instead of being seated in the course all over again, they can come in and do credit recovery, Dossenbach said, which are online modules that follow the state curriculum that test students on the skills they dont know.

Its all computer-generated, although they will have access to certified teachers to answer questions they might have.

The school district will also offer a few elective courses for high school students looking for additional credits, Dossenbach said. In addition, any students who are not doing well in the four EOC courses  biology, English 2, Math 1 and Math 3  will have the opportunity to come in for tutoring, Dossenbach said.

Summer school will run from about 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for high school students, Dossenbach said, although those hours are flexible.

Principals are going to work with students as needed if they have commitments or (summer) jobs, he said.

Lee County summer school starts June 7 and stretches through July 29 for K-8 students and July 30 for high school students.

Learning loss

While some students transitioned easily to virtual learning, the coronavirus pandemic left many others afloat. In Lee County, as in other school districts, a significant number of students are at-risk of not being promoted to the next grade level, based on grades, attendance and staff recommendations.

Given the circumstances of the last year and a half that weve had, I think that the majority of students are doing very well, Dossenbach said. There are some students for whom remote learning is just not effective and I understand that.

Since February, the county has reduced its number of at-risk students by almost 10%, using targeted interventions by teachers. As of May 14, the number of at-risk students was 1,907, or about 19%, according to Dossenbach.

Teachers and principals are working with students and parents probably closer than they ever have before to get them where they need to be, Dossenbach said.

State data shows the number of at-risk students in Lee County was on par with surrounding counties as of February. The three-month-old numbers show the percentage of at-risk students in Lee and Chatham counties was almost identical, while the difference between Lee and Moore was only 2 percentage points.

The difference in the number of at-risk students in Lee and Harnett counties was larger, about 11 percentage points, but not unexpected given the size of the Harnett County school district.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has cautioned against direct comparisons, given that each school district has different criteria for determining which students are at-risk. Some may advance to the next grade level and some may not.

So far, more than 30% of Lee Countys at-risk students have confirmed theyll attend summer school, Dossenbach said.

I think there are some parents who are certainly concerned over the instruction their child received over the last year. Not that teachers didnt do a great job, but its been difficult and remote instruction is not ideal for all students, he said.

My hope is that at the end of summer school, we can have a conversation about how our numbers are about the same or hopefully better than they have been in previous years. 
Lynn Grooms writes about the diversity of agriculture, including the industrys newest ideas, research and technologies as a staff reporter for Agri-View based in Wisconsin.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, landlords have been barred from evicting tenants who have been financially affected by the emergency. Most recently, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its eviction moratorium through June 30. The moratorium remains in effect, for now, as the Justice Department appeals rulings by judges who found the CDC does not have authority to prevent evictions.
If youre searching for an entry level job in Kentucky, youre probably wondering what the state minimum wage is. Is it the same as the federal minimum wage, or is it higher? Additionally, you may be wondering if the minimum wage is the same throughout the state or if some cities have set their own pay standards.

Heres a guide to the minimum wage in Kentucky so you know what to expect.

What Is a Minimum Wage?

First, its important to define what a minimum wage is and who receives it.

Many entry level workers in the retail, customer service, and hospitality industries are paid the minimum wage. The minimum wage is the lowest amount an employer can legally pay a covered nonexempt employee for an hours worth of work.

The federal government has a set minimum wage that applies to the whole country. States governments can also pass their own minimum wage laws. However, employers cant pay workers less than the federal standard even if the state minimum is lower.

Most hourly employees are considered nonexempt and are guaranteed at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. However, there are a few exceptions.

Employers can pay trainees less than the federal minimum wage during their first 90 days of employment. Full-time students and disabled workers may also be paid at a lower rate in certain situations.

A different set of rules applies to tipped workers as well. Employers can pay them just $2.13 per hour if they receive enough tips to bring them up to the federal minimum wage. If they have a slow day and dont earn enough tips to get them up to $7.25 per hour, their employer is required to make up the difference.

Now that you know what the federal minimum wage is, lets take a look at what pay standards are like in Kentucky.

What is the Minimum Wage in Kentucky?

As mentioned above, states are allowed to create their own minimum wage laws. If a state requires a higher minimum wage than the federal standard of $7.25 per hour, then employers in that state are obligated to pay it.

So does Kentucky have a higher minimum wage requirement?

Kentuckys minimum wage matches the federal standard of $7.25 per hour, which isnt enough for some workers to live on. If you have student loans or a family, you may find it hard to get by.

MIT says that the living wage for a single person in Kentucky is $13.48 per hour. So youd need to earn about $6.23 more than the minimum wage to be able to afford basic necessities without any assistance. If youre a single parent with a child, that number jumps to $28.25 per hour.

Thats why many Kentucky lawmakers are fighting for a higher minimum wage. One proposal would increase the minimum wage incrementally until it reaches $15 per hour in 2027. But so far, no laws have been passed.

Do Any Cities Have a Higher Minimum Wage?

Just like states, cities and counties may be able to increase the minimum wage in their area. Some cities that have a high cost of living like San Fransisco and Seattle have raised their minimum wage to give entry level workers and their families some more financial breathing room.

The Louisville Metro Council also tried to raise the citys minimum wage to $9 per hour. But the increase was struck down by the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2016. They argued that cities dont have the authority to set a higher pay rate.

Lexington tried to pass a similar ordinance, but that was struck down as well. So as of right now, the minimum wage is the same throughout Kentucky.

What do you think about the minimum wage in Kentucky? Do you think its enough to live on or should it be increased? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has started its clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines on infants. The youngest among the participants is an eight-month-old baby from Baldwinsville, New York.

Last month, Science Times reported that a boy died due to COVID-19 when on vacation with his vaccinated parents to Hawaii, becoming the first pediatric death in the state due to the deadly infection.

Incidents like that are the motivation for vaccine providers to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are tailored to children and adolescents.

Pfizer seeks FDA approval for the vaccination of children ages two to 11. The pharmaceutical company also expects to have COVID-19 vaccines for babies between ages six months to two years.



What Ages Has the COVID-19 Vaccine Been Authorized?

Existing COVID-19 vaccines are currently only authorized to be used on adults aged 18 and up. The three leading pharmaceutical companies that have developed COVID-19 vaccines have begun their clinical trials for younger kids and infants.

According to Connecticut Children's healthcare website, the clinical trial data on children as young as two years old will be released in September or October this year. It is also possible that vaccine information on babies ages six months to two years could be available by the end of the year.

Children do not receive the same vaccine as adults because their immune systems are different. Immune responses could vary at different ages, from infancy through adolescence, so research on the COVID-19 vaccine for older ages has to be repeated in children of younger ages.

ALSO READ: Pfizer-BioNTech Launch Trials to Test COVID-19 Vaccine on Kids as Young as Six Months





World's Youngest Recipient of COVID-19 Vaccine

Vincenzo "Enzo" Mincolla is the world's youngest recipient of the COVID-19 vaccine after receiving the second dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine last week.

His parents, Mike and Marissa Mincolla, are both doctors from Baldwinsville, New York who had no qualms about their eight-month-old son being administered with two doses of the vaccine at Upstate Medical University, according to Newsweek's report.

"We both feel it's important to end this pandemic, and the quickest and safest way is to vaccinate our way out of it," Mike Mincolla said, according to Syracuse.com.

Enzo received his first jab three weeks prior to the second jab when he was only seven months old, the youngest on the record to have received the COVID-19 vaccine according to infectious disease expert Dr. Joseph Domashowske.

He is one of the 16 babies involved in Pfizer's phase one clinical trial at four sites in the US for children under five years old to test the possible effects of the vaccine on children.

Mike said that their son did not experience any side effects from the vaccine. He ate normally and was not irritable. He hoped that their son's experience will ease concerns among his patients who are reluctant to get vaccinated.

As of now, Pfizer temporarily halted its clinical trials to determine whether they are giving the right dosage for their infant participants.



RELATED ARTICLE: COVID-19 Vaccine for Children: Pfizer Anticipates Filing for FDA Complete Approval to Vaccinate Kids Aged 2-11



Check out more news and information on COVID-19 Vaccines on Science Times.
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In 2015, residents from two villages in Kazakhstan dubbed as "sleepy hollow," were relocated after 25% of the population suffered a mysterious sleeping disease for three years already.

People who were hit by this bizarre sickness fell unconscious for days, made some mild-mannered pensioners swear, and men were having unusually high sex drives, Daily Mail reported.

Even authorities and experts were baffled at what caused the villagers to suddenly fall into the sleeping sickness. Some had hallucinations, especially children who reported seeing bizarre images. For instance, a girl reported seeing an elephant trunk on her mother and a boy who imagined horses and light bulbs dancing around his head.

Lack of Oxygen in Sleepy Hollow

According to IFL Science, uranium mines from the Soviet Union era that have long been closed were one of the suspected causes of the mysterious sleeping disease. But mass testing showed no significant amounts of radiation in households.

Some also believe that it could be the tainted alcohol or perhaps a form of mass hysteria. However, the latter suspicion was not accepted because even Marquis the cat was affected, an animal that is not known to be susceptible to mass hysteria.

"He seemed to be foolish, throwing himself against the walls, cabinets, meowing," Elena Zhavoronkova said in an interview with Time.kz in 2015. "He tortured us until three in the morning. They took him out to the veranda, where there was a dog, so the Marquis began to rush at it."

In the end, it was found out that the lack of oxygen in the brains of those affected villagers was the cause of why they were suddenly falling asleep. The lack of oxygen in the two villages was attributed to the uranium mines and not radiation poisoning.

Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbaev said in 2015 that the uranium mines, although have been closed for some time, continue to release a concentration of carbon monoxide in the air that reduced the oxygen levels, causing sleeping sickness.

ALSO READ: Growing Evidence Suggest COVID-19 Causes Harm to Brain Functions





What Happens When Brain Lacks Oxygen?

When oxygen is not enough and carbon monoxide is abundant, the latter binds to hemoglobin instead of the former and produces carboxyhemoglobin that leads to a lower supply of oxygen to the brain.

This then causes the condition called cerebral hypoxia that affects the cerebral hemispheres, which is the largest part of the brain, according to Medline Plus. The term also describes the lack of oxygen supply in the entire brain.

It could be caused by breathing in smoke, carbon monoxide poisoning, high altitudes, cardiac arrest, stroke, and low blood sugar.

Since brain cells are very sensitive to the lack of oxygen, some start dying within five minutes after the oxygen supply has been cut. This could result in severe brain damage or death.

The abundance of carbon monoxide from the uranium mines explains the situation of Kazakhstan's sleepy hollow. The villagers were already evacuated and relocated to avoid further cases.



RELATED ARTICLE: "Silent" Hypoxia is Bringing COVID-19 Patients Closer to Death



Check out more news and information on Medicine & Health in Science Times.
And yet Abuarqoub, Gitzin and other coexistence activists say they arent giving up. Already, the New Israel Fund has organized two forums to discuss coexistence during the crisis. And despite the carnage, they feel like their work is bearing fruit: The infrastructure they created to advance coexistence in times of crisis is up and running. By mobilizing local networks of allies, activists say, theyve been able to help shape the national conversation and, hopefully, restore calm.
First, it identifies projectiles in the sky. Then, it determines whether the projectile is a bird, an airplane or a bomb. Then comes the most crucial part: It determines the arc of the missile, which allows it to find both the target and the missile launcher. Then, if the missile is headed toward a populated area, the system directs its own bomb to intercept the missile and explode it before it lands.
On Mercer Island and in areas of Sammamish, people can expect the vast majority of those they see are vaccinated  close to 90% of people 16 and older in the 98075 and 98040 ZIP codes have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

But in areas of the Industrial District and Pacific, that number is significantly lower. Less than 50% of people in the 98134 and 98047 ZIP codes have had a dose of the vaccine.

In total in King County, 71.1% of people 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose. The county last week surpassed the 70% threshold for people who have received a vaccine dose. So far, about 53.4% of residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated in the county. But, the discrepancies are significant across different neighborhoods of the county as officials continue to work to bridge those gaps and distribute the vaccines equitably.

In areas of South King County, the rates of vaccination are lower than in parts of North King County and the Eastside  a trend that has persisted since the county starting distributing the vaccines months ago. Among people 65 and older, that gap has been getting smaller as more people have been vaccinated and officials have been taking steps to make it easier for people to get their shots.

Many vaccine clinics across the county have opened up for walk-in appointments, meaning people don't need to book a slot ahead of time to get their shots. Albertsons and Safeway pharmacies, along with CVS stores in Washington, are also not requiring people make appointments before coming for vaccines.

Officials have also setup a number of popup vaccine clinics to make it more convenient for people, and are using mobile teams to go to different areas of the county and reach those who may not have reliable transportation, or may face language or other barriers to getting the vaccine. Combating misinformation about the vaccine has also been a priority for officials and community groups as they work to provide accurate information about the safety and effectiveness of all three vaccine options.

skaman306/Getty Images

So, where have the vast majority of people 16 and older been vaccinated in King County, and which neighborhoods are lagging behind? Here are the top 10 and bottom 10 ZIP codes in King County by their rates of vaccination, according to Public Health  Seattle & King County.

King County ZIP codes with highest percentage of people who have had at least one vaccine dose:

98075, Sammamish: 90% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98040, Mercer Island: 89.6% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98074, Sammamish: 89.4% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98117, Loyal Heights/Ballard: 87.3% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98112, central Seattle: 85.1% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98177, Broadview/Shoreline: 85.1% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98115, Greenlake, Bryant: 84.2% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98070, Vashon Island: 83.9% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98136, West Seattle: 83.8% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98004, Bellevue: 83% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

ZIP codes with lowest percentage of people who have had at least one vaccine dose:

98134, Industrial District: 46.6% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This ZIP code has a small population.

98047, Pacific/Algona: 47.1% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98288, Skykomish: 50.2% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This ZIP code has a small population.

98051, Ravensdale: 50.3% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98022, Enumclaw: 51.8% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98002, Auburn: 52.4% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98003, Federal Way: 54.9% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98057, Renton: 56.6% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98105, University District: 56.6% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

98023, Federal Way: 57.1% of people 16 and older in this ZIP code have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Some of the ZIP codes with lower percentages of people vaccinated were also hit disproportionately throughout the pandemic. That's particularly true of areas of South King County, which saw case and hospitalization rates far higher than other areas of the county.

People are being encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they can to help slow the spread of the virus and protect the community. Kids 12 to 15 also recently became eligible to get the vaccine and parents are being urged to take their kids in for the shots.

Even though some neighborhoods have lower rates of vaccination, King County as a whole is pacing ahead of the state in terms of the percentage of people vaccinated.

Across Washington, about 57.98% of people 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose and about 44.87% are fully vaccinated.

Earlier this week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced plans for the state to reopen by June 30  or sooner, if at least 70% of people across the state 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine before that date. That means by the end of June, most businesses will likely be able to up their capacity to 100% and people will be able to safely gather together.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also announced new guidelines saying people who are fully vaccinated can forgo masks in most settings  with some exceptions, such as hospitals. Inslee said Washington plans to adopt those guidelines.

But, even as the state makes plans to full reopen, demand for vaccines has been softening in recent weeks, something officials have said they are concerned about.

"We have been seeing a softening of demand in not just certain parts of Washington, but in communities throughout Washington and we want to do everything we can to encourage and incentivize Washingtonians to be vaccinated," Secretary of Health Umair Shah said during a news briefing. "We want the vaccine choice to be the default choice."

Earlier this month, Michele Roberts, who leads the COVID-19 vaccine planning and distribution team, asked bluntly: "If you haven't been vaccinated yet, what are you waiting for?"

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been declining in recent weeks, but they are still high and people are still being asked to follow certain safety protocols  especially if they are not yet fully vaccinated.

For people who still need to get their vaccine, they can find open appointments and other resources from the Washington State Department of Health here.
There's a good chance you remember where you were on May 18, 1980 at 8:32 a.m.

Following two months of earthquakes and seismic activity, Mount St. Helens blew her top. Ash shot up 80,000 feet into the air. Lava and blasted rock destroyed just about everything within a 19-mile radius.

By the time the eruption ended, 57 people were killed and $1 billion in damage was done to the landscape and infrastructure around the volcano.

Before the blast, Mount St. Helens was the fifth highest peak in Washington state. After blowing her top, her status dropped to 30th highest peak.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

The eruption began with an earthquake under the mountain. That caused a landslide, which sent rock, snow and ice plowing down the volcano at speeds topping 200 mph. Forests were mowed down. An avalanche piled up as deep a 600 feet in some areas.

Meanwhile, hot ash shot up into the sky, reaching 15 miles above the peak of Mount St. Helens in 15 minutes. Up to 10 inches of ash fell in nearby areas, but a half-inch was recorded in areas over 300 miles away. Flecks of ash reached areas like Minnesota and New Mexico, and continued to circle the globe for two weeks.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

Hot ash was recorded by infrared weather satellites as it reached the upper levels of the troposphere and moved eastward.

Layered lava flows poured out for several minutes. Earthquakes and smaller eruptions continued for days. Rescue operations were dangerous. Houses and bridges were destroyed, along with 185 miles of highway.

Though devastating, the eruption of 1980 was not the first, and it wasn't completely unforeseen. Records suggest an eruption occurred at Mount St. Helens around the year 1800. Then, in 1968, scientists warned Mount St. Helens could erupt again at any moment. They continued to monitor the volcano for 12 more years.

On March 27, 1980, a small crater opened following an explosion of steam. Rising magma created a bulge on St. Helens' side. Eventually, that bulge stuck out more than 300 feet. The earthquake on May 18 triggered its explosion.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

Today, Mount St. Helens is the only volcano in Washington that has what experts describe as a "sufficient" amount of monitoring equipment. Twenty-five monitors and 20 GPS stations are working within 12 miles of the volcano, in addition to webcams and other instruments able to detect sound waves or monitor gas.

It was also listed as one of the 18 most threatening volcanoes in the country by the U.S. Geological Survey in its annual volcano threat assessment most recently updated in 2018. Three others are also located in Washington state: Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak.

The impact of the Mount St. Helens eruption 39 years ago was still visible in the surrounding areas. Signs of life returning are present, but landscapes near the volcano remain barren. To see photos of the eruption and aftermath, click through the slideshow above.

It was in the P-I

On March 21, 1980, tucked into the eighth page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer was a brief, three-paragraph report about an earthquake that rippled through the Mount St. Helens area. The brief didn't even have an author's name, it felt like such an insignificant occurrence, even though the quake registered at 4.1 on the Richter Scale.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

No damage or injuries were caused by the earthquake, a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey told the P-I in 1980. He even added that earthquakes shook the isolated areas in that region quite often.

Four days later, headlines regarding earthquakes near Mount St. Helens appeared in larger font -- and started migrating to the front page.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

"Quakes May Herald St. Helens Eruption," read a headline below the fold on the March 25, 1980 edition of the P-I. The next day, news from Mount St. Helens crawled up the page as a headline said, "Evacuation of Mount St. Helens Advised," as more earthquakes started to shake the region.

The first few paragraphs of the latter story read:

"Residents at the foot of Mount St. Helens were advised to evacuate last night as seismograph machines measuring earthquakes continued beating a lively tattoo.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

"They're (earthquakes are) happening so fast that we can't even count them," Dave Endicott, University of Washington spokesman for seismographic equipment recordings said.

"The machines physically can't even keep track of the quakes. They're overlapping.

'Between 1 and 3 p.m. yesterday there were a dozen quakes of 3.0 or higher (on the Richter scale), ranging up to about 4.5 ... There were a lot of others at less than 3.0, some so slight you couldn't have felt them.'"

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

Stories of seismic activity at and near the stratovolcano continued throughout the next few months, including a March 27 story of residents fleeing the area after a steam explosion ripped part of the mountain off. Two headlines on the March 28 edition of the P-I read: "Explosion Could Come 'in Minutes,'" and "If St. Helens Really Clears Its Throat, Watch Out ..."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

In April, front-page stories subsided as the mountain's belching contained no ash, only steam, and soon only experts kept their eyes on St. Helens.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

Then, a week into May, the mountain's activity started raising alarms again, until a May 19 headline screamed the previous day's news:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archives

"8 Killed as Volcano Blows  Ash Spreads to Montana."

The headlines continued with the coming days, with reports on the ash that blanketed Washington, the rising death tolls from the volcano's destruction, and the region's changing landscape from lahars and other wreckage from the mountain.
On a bipartisan vote, the state Senate passed wide-ranging legislation Tuesday that declares racism a public health crisis, an issue proponents contend was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and needs to finally be addressed given the long-standing health care disparities in Connecticut.

The legislation, designated Senate Bill 1 to underscore its importance to the Senate's majority Democrats, passed on a 30-5 vote. It now awaits action in the House of Representatives.

This past year illuminated the inequities within our health systems, said state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport. And I intentionally used the word illuminate because theyve always been there. But perhaps they existed because they were acceptable practices. But COVID-19 was the equalizer. And when we address these inequities, we make the systems better for all."

The bill creates a new state commission that will be charged with documenting the effect of racism on public health in Connecticut and coming up with its first strategic plan, by Jan. 1, 2022, to begin eliminating health disparities and inequities in areas ranging from access to quality health care to air and water quality.

Theres no doubt that inequities exist in our health care system, said Sen. Mary Daughtery Abrams, D-Meriden, co-chairman of the General Assembly's Public Health Committee. Today, we get to decide, will we perpetuate the status quo or will we move forward towards health equity for all?

The top two Republican Senate leaders both voted for the legislation. Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, the second-highest ranking GOP member, said while the bill isn't perfect, the state needs to promote opportunity and equality.

If this bill helps us move forward in the right direction together, if this helps us unravel that onion, layers by layers of the problem that we have, so we can get to the core, then we can eliminate racism in this country and we can provide equality here in our state, and around our nation," Formica said.

The Connecticut General Assembly is the latest state legislature to consider bills this year declaring racism as a public health crisis. The Vermont House of Representatives, for example, passed a non-binding resolution last week that declared systemic racism affecting public health ultimately impacts economic, employment, housing and health opportunities and outcomes of minority populations. Many cities across the country have already enacted similar declarations.

Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, a medical doctor, said there is quite concerning data in Connecticut that highlights the effect racism has on public health in Connecticut. Anwar gave the example of Black men with prostate cancer having a mortality rate that's about double the rate for white men.

If you look at individual disease-by-disease pattern, you actually have a clear understanding that there is a problem that we have and we need to address it, Anwar said.

A new study of the recruitment and retention of minority health care workers is included in the bill, as well as a provision that requires state agencies, boards and commission to collect demographic data concerning race. Also, Connecticut hospitals will be required to include implicit bias training as part of their staff training and working group will be created to improve breast cancer awareness and prevention, especially within communities of color.

Additionally, the state Department of Public Health is required to study Connecticut's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some Republican senators questioned why that agency, which handled much of the state's pandemic response, would be the one responsible for such a review. The GOP members proposed an amendment, requiring a third party to conduct the study, but it failed.

The bill also creates a new gun violence intervention and prevention advisory committee that will coordinate various groups, including community outreach organizations and victim service providers, to work on a plan to reduce street-level gun violence in the state. The provision comes in the wake of a spate of urban shootings, including the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy in Hartford in April. Randell Jones was in a parked car with his mother, other relatives and a male passenger in the citys North End when another vehicle pulled next to them and someone opened fire.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union foreign ministers called Tuesday for a cease-fire to end days of heavy fighting between the Israeli armed forces and Palestinian militants, but said that a longer-term political solution must be found to end decades of conflict between them.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in heavy airstrikes so far, including dozens of children, and over 1,400 people wounded. At least 12 people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip toward civilian areas in Israel.

After a chairing the videoconference meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said there was widespread agreement among the ministers that "the priority is the immediate cessation of all violence and the implementation of a cease-fire.

Then, Borrell said, we need to restore a political horizon by exploring space for reengagement between the parties and devise confidence-building measures to help get talks started. He said that could pave the way for "the potential launching of the peace process, which has been in a stalemate for too long.

The EU's traditional divisions over policy toward Israel and the Palestinians got an unusual public airing Tuesday after Borrell conceded said that Hungary was alone among the 27 member countries not to endorse his remarks. He didn't provide details.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that the conflict could spread throughout the region if no cease-fire is agreed. He also said he hoped that Israel wouldn't launch a ground operation in Gaza.

Each day brings greater risks: the risk of the conflict spreading to the West Bank, the risk of violence inside Israel itself, the risk that the conflict becomes a regional one, Le Drian told reporters in Paris during a break in the meeting.

Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on what it said were militant targets in Gaza, leveling a six-story building in downtown Gaza City, and Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Tuesday, the latest in the fourth war between the two sides.

The situation on the ground is extremely worrying. There is a heavy casualty toll. Israeli and Palestinian families are in mourning. The images are terrible and cannot leave anyone indifferent. Waiting is not an option, Le Drian said.

He also said that one of the reasons for the dramatic situation today is precisely because there is no perspective for a political process. What we need to do is find the path to a political process, but before anything else, to ensure that there is an end to the hostilities.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said that the weapons must finally fall silent.

Maas emphasized the role of the diplomatic Quartet, in which the EU is represented by its new Middle East peace envoy Sven Koopmans, and said we are in favor of further expanding his mediation efforts. The Quartets other three members are the United Nations, the U.S. and Russia.

We must use our relationships with both sides to encourage confidence-building steps that could lead to calming the situation both inside Israel and in the West Bank, Maas added. Only that way will it be possible to talk again about a lasting solution to the Middle East conflict.

Both ministers said that the bloc has a role to play in helping end the conflict, but while the EU is the biggest aid donor to the Palestinians it holds little sway over the militant group Hamas or Israel, despite having some trade arrangements that are favorable to the Israelis.

EU nations are also divided in their approach to the conflict, even though the bloc as a whole remains committed to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians based on the 1967 lines, with the possibility of mutually agreed land-swaps.

Recently, officials have voiced growing concern that Israeli settlement expansion is undermining that possibility.

___

Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.
TOKYO (AP)  The Japanese economy contracted at an annual rate of 5.1% in January-March, slammed by a plunge in spending over the coronavirus pandemic, according to government data released Tuesday.

The Cabinet Offices preliminary seasonally adjusted GDP, or gross domestic product, showed household consumption dropped at an annualized rate of 5.6%, while government spending declined 6.9%.

Gross domestic product is the sum value of a nations products and services. The annualized rate shows what the rise or drop would have been if that same pace had continued for a year.

Much of Japan has been under a state of emergency, centered around early closures of restaurants and bars, to curb the spread of the virus at places where crowds gather.

Still, COVID-19 illnesses and deaths have been rising amid one of the slowest vaccine rollouts in the developed world. About 4% of the population has gotten at least one shot so far.

Analysts say a more thorough vaccination effort is the only realistic way economic activity can resume close to normal and growth can recover to pre-pandemic levels. Japans GDP drop over the last fiscal year is the worst since the end of World War II, surpassing the global financial crisis.

The worlds third-largest economy managed to eke out growth in the last two quarters, slowly recovering from earlier pandemic damage. It grew 2.8% in October-December, compared to the previous quarter, and expanded 5.3% July-September on-quarter. It had shrunk the quarter before that, at a minus 8.1% in April-June. These are all not annual rates but compared to the previous quarter.

For the latest quarter, the contraction on quarter stood at minus 1.3%.

For the 2020 calendar year, Japans economy sank 4.7%, the first year of contraction in 11 years, the Cabinet Office said. Economic growth was flat in 2019.

Robert Carnell, Regional Head of Research Asia-Pacific at ING, said the latest results were slightly worse than what analysts had expected, highlighting the negative effects of restrictions on movement during the emergency.

The prospects for growth in the rest of the year are looking much weaker, he said.

With Japan still lagging behind even many developing Asian economies when it comes to vaccination rates, we believe a more rapid second-half improvement is unlikely.

Although trade has been recovering as overseas nations get vaccinated, much of the Japanese economy depends on domestic demand.

Japan never had a lockdown for COVID-19, trying to keep business activity going while encouraging working from home and social distancing. Japan has had more than 11,500 deaths from COVID-19.

Cases are surging especially in urban areas, such as Osaka and Tokyo, and hospital beds are running out in some spots. The public has grown increasingly opposed to holding the Tokyo Olympics, postponed from last year and set to begin in July, Japanese media surveys and an online protest petition show.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
Andrew Harnik/AP

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. (AP)  A South Carolina man accused of throwing objects at police officers, among other crimes, during the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January has been indicted on multiple federal offenses.

Nicholas Languerand, 26, was arrested by the FBI in April at a home in Little River. A grand jury found there was enough evidence to indict him on seven counts including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, according to federal court documents obtained by news outlets.
The current tension began with 28 homes owned by Palestinians in East Jerusalems Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, which are built on Jewish-owned land before 1948. The Jewish owners want their land back and the 300 current residents evicted. It sounds like a simple real estate lawsuit, but it isnt. According to conservative estimates, 30% of West Jerusalem real estate was owned by Arabs before 1948. This mean that Palestinians who lost their land to Israelis after the split of Jerusalem would have the right to reclaim their land. But they cant. In 1950, an Israeli law expropriated Palestinian property in West Jerusalem, and in 1970 an Israeli law explicitly allowed Israelis to reclaim Palestinian land in East Jerusalem. Obviously, the application of these contradictory laws is totally discriminatory.
A woman receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination at a vaccination site at Stevenson Family Health Center in the Bronx on Feb. 10 in New York City.
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Police located Diesfeld hours later in the 600 block of Southwest 27th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, north of Davie Boulevard, and took him into custody at around 7:30 p.m. He admitted to shooting Warchawsky when questioned by Davie police, the report stated.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

City College of San Francisco trustees said Monday they will no longer consider paying their interim chancellor a $20,000 bonus on top of his regular $340,000 salary, a move that students and faculty strongly opposed.

Students and faculty expressed anger Friday when the college posted the proposed 23.5% monthly bonus, three days after the faculty union agreed to take pay cuts of up to 14% to avoid hundreds of layoffs and class cuts. Students and faculty had spent months fighting the massive downsizing of the college and were shocked to learn that the college had offered more money to interim Chancellor Rajen Vurdien, who has agreed to stay an additional three months, from July 1 through the end of September, while the troubled college continues its search for a permanent chancellor.
A splashy new Silicon Valley hotel wants to become a major dining and drinking destination for the region, with a cocktail bar, cafe, Spanish restaurant and fine dining concept all opening there in 2021.

The Hotel And at 1625 N. Shoreline Blvd., in Mountain View, a 200-room hotel from developer Shashi Group that counts among its amenities its proximity to Googles headquarters and a goal to offer Michelin-star food, opened on Monday. The Emerald Hour, a bar with seasonal cocktails, natural wine and European-inspired fare, also made its debut on Monday.

Jarad Gallagher, the former executive chef of the Michelin-starred contemporary French restaurant Chez TJ in Mountain View, is behind the hotels ambitious food and drink options, along with co-chef Aubree Arndt from Loma Brewing Co. in Los Gatos. Justin Rodriguez, a former general manager of Chez TJ, as well as Cotogna and Quince in San Francisco, is overseeing operations.

The cocktail bar is the first of four concepts that will open at the hotel. Carte Blanche, a coffee shop; Broma, a casual Spanish restaurant; and Belle Terra, a more upscale, fine dining experience, will open later this year.

Kyle Jones

Broma will take inspiration from a 2019 trip to Spain, when Gallagher and other team members ate their way through the country. Gallagher hopes to channel their experiences with a range of Spanish cuisine, from eating tapas at bars to modern dishes at full-service restaurants. Think jamon iberico, Basque-style cheese fondue, and fideua, a paella-like dish from Valencia made with pasta instead of rice, and Spanish wines.

Belle Terra, meanwhile, which means beautiful earth, will serve French-European cuisine with ingredients sourced from a private farm. The restaurant will offer both a la carte and tasting menus so people can choose but dont have to opt into an hours-long meal, Gallagher said.

I still feel the South Bay in particular could use a fine dining restaurant that is not heavy tasting-menu driven, he said.

Belle Terra will also emphasize wine and rare spirits, with a floor-to-ceiling wine cellar and its own bar, called the Parlor, which will be separate from the Emerald Hour.

The Emerald Hour serves its own take on classic cocktails, such as an old-fashioned with house-made bitters and charred cherry-wood syrup made by caramelizing wood chips in sugar and infusing them into simple syrup; or a Paloma made from Tequila milk punch infused with grapefruit peels and cinnamon. The bars creations are seasonally driven, like a gin on the rocks served with gin and Lillet-infused snap peas.

Jude Semana

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

The menu includes several nonalcoholic cocktails. Wines by the glass are mostly natural, which the bar defines as biodynamic, certified organic or made without sulfur.

For food, think European-inspired small bites like gildas, a Spanish pintxo of manzanilla olives with boquerones and guindilla peppers; veal sweetbreads with iberico chorizo, medjool dates and pine nuts; as well as halibut crudo and Tomales Bay oysters. Entrees include sandwiches on bread from Mountain View bakery the Midwife and the Baker; a Wagyu cheeseburger; whole striped bass stuffed with chimichurri and roasted in a pizza oven; and alentejo, a braised pork, clam and potato stew that Gallagher tried while traveling through the southern coast of Spain and into Portugal.

The Emerald Hour. Open daily 3-10 p.m. Reservations and walk-ins welcome. theemeraldhour.com

Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany
The Bay Area food world loves tapping into nostalgia  and right now, many local Asian American business owners are looking back fondly at the Tootsie Roll-esque Chinese candy known as White Rabbit.

Bakeries, bars and ice cream shops are melting down the milk-flavored candies into fun treats and drinks that channel the carefree spirit of their childhoods: matcha cookies come studded with White Rabbit at one bakery, while White Rabbit-infused buttercream fills French-style macarons at another. The results are striking a chord with customers, too. Bay Area ice cream shop Milkbombs White Rabbit ice cream, which was introduced last year, is now its most popular flavor by far, comprising roughly 50% of all pints sold.

Part of the appeal is childhood memories for Asian Americans, particularly those of Chinese descent, creators said. Oaklands new Sunday Bakeshop even packages its White Rabbit cookies with the empty white-red-and-blue wrapper  which, yes, has a picture of a white rabbit on it  to evoke memories, or introduce the concept to customers who have never tried the candy before.

Especially during the pandemic with the rise of (Asian American Pacific Islander) hate, there are a lot of people who are looking for comforting aspects of their life and their identity, and I think White Rabbit is one of those things, said William Tsui, who recently started offering a White Rabbit cocktail at his Oakland bar, Viridian. It brings you back to a more comforting time, where you are just enjoying this candy that you love and youre embracing your heritage.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

The treat has a long history, born in Shanghai in the 1940s and famously given as a gift to former President Richard Nixon during his 1972 visit to China. Its global popularity grew in line with Chinas economy, spawning new flavors like matcha tea and corn. With widespread availability in the U.S., White Rabbit evolved into a reliable fixture in Asian American homes.

Local sweet makers have been playing around with it since at least 2014, when now-closed food truck Frozen Kuhsterd debuted a White Rabbit frozen custard flavor.

But few others joined Frozen Kuhsterd until more recently, coinciding with an explosion of White Rabbit lip balms, perfumes and other spin-off products in China. Devotees waited four hours to buy milk tea from a White Rabbit boba pop-up in Shanghai two years ago, according to media reports.

While not exactly four-hour lines, Jessica Banh noticed a similarly excited reaction when she debuted a macaron stuffed with White Rabbit-flavored boba ice cream at her San Jose bakery Fancy Flavors Bakeshop last year. She was inspired when she stumbled upon the childhood favorite treat while grocery shopping.

Everyone went crazy, she said. I was like, OK, we got something here.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

San Franciscos Milkbomb debuted a White Rabbit flavor last year when it opened a Berkeley post as a way to appeal to UC Berkeleys many Asian students  but even when Milkbomb switched to regional delivery during the pandemic, White Rabbit rose to the top.

One of the toughest parts of working with White Rabbit is keeping up with demand, said owners Jan-Michael Manuel and Marion Valenzuela. In the early days, they scoured Asian markets and bought all of the White Rabbit they could find. Now they, like most other local businesses, have figured out how to buy mass quantities of candy directly from White Rabbits U.S. distributor in San Francisco.

To keep up with the Bay Areas thirst for the milk candy, Milkbomb is planning to introduce a White Rabbit milkshake with boba, where the candy gets melted into Milkbombs ice cream base. San Franciscos Banh Mi & Boba created a White Rabbit boba tea flavor last year, and it was so popular that it will be back this summer, too. And San Jose bakery owner Banh plans to bring back the White Rabbit macaron ice cream sandwiches with boba swirled into the center as the weather heats up. In the meantime, shes selling plenty of electric blue macarons filled with White Rabbit-infused buttercream and is experimenting with a White Rabbit latte.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

But working with the candy presents some challenges  besides painstakingly unwrapping every single candy by hand. Part of the trickiness is showcasing the relative subtlety of a sweet milk candy without it tasting simply like sweet milk. The flavor is warmer, maltier, like a less sweet condensed milk with a hint of vanilla.

For the lattes, Banh tried making a milk simple syrup and a white chocolate-vanilla syrup, but neither tasted right. She said shell need to melt the candies, as she does for her macarons. Similar to a ganache, she heats up the candies in cream with a little white chocolate to stabilize it.

At Viridian, Tsui struggled with the edible rice paper that coats the candy  it didnt melt down as smoothly as the rest of the candy for his cocktail. But he also couldnt imagine spending hours removing the sticky rice from every single piece.

Instead, he piles the candies into a plastic container and vigorously shakes the rice paper loose. Then he melts the candies into a milky oolong tea along with condensed milk and bourbon; the tannins in the tea bring some balance to the heavy lactose.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Elaine Lau of Sunday Bakeshop similarly sought a way to highlight the candy while also providing other accent flavors. With a matcha tea cookie, she adds a little dark chocolate to cut the sweetness but also adds white chocolate to mirror the White Rabbit. With a cocoa cookie, she adds caramelized white chocolate.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Sunday Bakeshop might also be the only bakery to incorporate chunks of the candy instead of melting it. There was a lot of trial and error: Lau quickly discovered she couldnt just bake a cookie with White Rabbit in it because the candy would cook into an unpleasantly hard clump. It felt unsafe to have pastry cooks hack at the candy with a knife, so Lau froze the candy and then used a blender to shatter it into tiny pieces, which retain a pleasant chew out of the oven.

It melts like toffee in a cookie, so it creates a caramelly sugar layer, she said.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

In the pursuit of creating the ultimate nostalgic treat, creators looked back on their own childhood memories with White Rabbit. Lau remembered her grandparents sneakily slipping her candy when her anti-sugar parents were out. Banh described White Rabbit as the chosen sweet her parents would buy whenever they had extra cash, in part because it was affordable. Tsuis parents would reward him with White Rabbit after giving him Chinese medicine  a way to wash the bitter taste out of his mouth.

But Tsui sees the gift of White Rabbit as not just one of sugar, but of nourishment. During the Cultural Revolution in China, White Rabbit was marketed as a nutritional product, with a slogan of seven White Rabbit candies is equivalent to one cup of milk. Thats when Tsuis parents came to the U.S.

Every time they gave us White Rabbit, it was their way of showing their love, he said. Back then, it was very hard to get basic necessities. But theyd have this candy.

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
Just after midnight two days before Thanksgiving last year, a shirtless man picked up a rock and smashed the windows of a home furnishings store, a crystals shop and a jeweler on Market Street. He walked away, stealing nothing, according to security footage that caught the act.

Seth Morrison, owner of modern home furnishings store Stag & Manor, chose to pay $2,250 to fix his window instead of shelling out a $1,000 insurance deductible and risking his coverage costs rising.

It was demoralizing because 2020 has been a tough year, Morrison said.

San Francisco small-business owners, many struggling to survive, say more windows were broken during the pandemic. Castro Merchants, a non-profit association of businesss, compiled data from businesses that reported 91 incidents totaling $165,000 in repair costs since January 2020. Burglaries increased in most neighborhoods last year, but only a quarter of the incidents in the Castro resulted in burglary.

Now Playing: Video: Courtesy of Seth Morrison

Theres no concrete answer to why its happening. Some pointed to the pandemic motivating crimes of opportunity and desperation as well as limiting services for people who are mentally ill and appear to be causing some of these incidents, according to witness accounts and security footage.

Its beyond frustrating. This is not within our control, said Dave Karraker, co-owner of Market Streets MX3 Fitness, where a front-door window was broken in January. Its not just a slap in the face, its a punch in the gut.

In response, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced legislation Tuesday to reimburse small-business owners up to $2,000 for each storefront window broken by vandalism or break-ins for up to two incidents a year if they file a police report and claim with the city. Non-chain businesses that make less than $5 million in annual revenue would qualify. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development would run the program.

Mandelmans proposed relief is a short-term solution that would last until August 2023 if approved, but he hopes it puts pressure on the city to get its act together.

In my perfect world, we would be keeping our neighborhoods safe and our merchants wouldnt have to worry about someone with a behavioral health issue throwing a rock through their window, but thats not the world that were in, thats not the city that were in, and I think the city needs to take some responsibility for what these small businesses are dealing with, Mandelman said.

Mandelman didnt have data to prove who is committing these crimes. The supervisor and residents agree more support is needed for vulnerable individuals in a city with shortages of treatment options and affordable housing.

The San Francisco Police Department wasnt able to immediately provide data on citywide vandalism, but a spokesperson encouraged business owners to protect themselves and crime victims to file police reports. Police redeploy resources and increased patrols based on crime hot spots, he said.

The issue isnt limited to the Castro. Last year, Supervisor Dean Preston started a $100,000 program with the District Attorneys Office to reimburse business owners in his district, which includes Haight-Ashbury and neighboring areas, up to $1,000 for each broken window. So far, 21 businesses have been reimbursed and nine applications are pending.

This year, Supervisor Gordon Mar advocated to allocate $1 million from the budget surplus for vandalized businesses across the city. The program, which aims to start in June, would give between $1,000 and $2,000 to small storefront businesses hit by a crime to invest in enhanced security.

Last year, windows were smashed three times at the Crystal Way store on Market Street, which was over the top compared to past years, said one of the longtime owners, Kathleen Carter. She files police reports for burglaries, but thought it would be pointless for vandalism since it would be difficult to find the suspect.

She said shes fortunate her insurance deductible is only $250, although multiple claims hiked her coverage costs more than 25% this year. Since her business has done well during the pandemic, Carter said she would be hesitant to apply for reimbursement if others need it more.

Some business owners arent waiting for the situation to improve. Helen Woo, who owned Face It Salon and Spa on Market Street for nearly two decades, called it quits in January. On top of the pandemic, the main reasons were three broken windows she paid to fix, dirty streets and mentally unstable or violent individuals. Her Lombard Street location is much cleaner and quieter, she said.

Other merchants are committed to the area and grateful for the city potentially sharing the burden.

Theyre going to feel more ownership and hopefully that will lead to more proactive solutions that might even reduce the number of instances of vandalism like this, Stag & Manor owner Morrison said.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Tuesday, May 18 and California is keeping masks for a few more weeks. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

Lily Marquez is one of thousands of women who want to go back to work as job openings increase as a result of widespread coronavirus vaccinations. But she, like many others, cant because of obligations like childcare.

I look forward to the day Im back in the workforce and Im helping contribute to my family, Marquez tells reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio

Situations like hers are part of a question that has vexed economists since jobs numbers released earlier this month found that American employers added just 266,000 jobs in April, down from more than 900,000 in March, and the opposite of muscular economic progress expected. With many schools still closed or only partially open, caregiving responsibilities, which mostly fall on women, are part of the reason hiring is not moving at the expected clip.

DiFeliciantonio reports on the factors connected to slow hiring in the Bay Area  and why the ability to return work has been uneven.

 How GoFundMe became an imperfect social safety net for thousands of Americans.

 Despite pandemic closures, its nearly impossible to get a restaurant space in the Bay Area.

Coronavirus Updates

Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle

California will lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people June 15, the date the state is slated to reopen, state health officials said Monday.

The newly announced state guidance aligns with recommendations issued last week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  but will take effect later in California than in many other states.

Why the difference in timing? Dr. Mark Ghaly, California health and human services secretary, said it would give Californians time to prepare  including getting vaccinated. Read more.

 Confused about mask rules in the Bay Area? Here's what you need to know. Survey: What will do you after June 15?

 Mask or no mask, whats the risk that fully vaccinated people can spread COVID?

 From the Editorial Board: Why you should still wear your mask at places like Trader Joes.

 Fifth & Mission podcast: Are we going to have vaccinated people wearing masks to signal that they care about others and anti-vax people not wearing them because they dont believe in the vaccine or the virus? Erin Allday and Demian Bulwa try to sort out whats coming.

 Bay Area ICU hospitalizations back at pandemic low  experts cite vaccines.

Around the Bay

 Labor Day festival: BottleRock adds Megan Thee Stallion, Guns N Roses, Foo Fighters to 2021 festival lineup.

 Exclusive: Outgoing SF immigration judge blasts courts as soul-crushing, compared to the regular American legal system and too close to ICE.

 We need stuff like this now: Oakland officers found a man unconscious in a car with a gun. Then advocates stepped in.

 Two fires in several days: Arson suspected in Concord church fire, man arrested.

In Case You Missed It

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Own a piece of San Francisco, says the official real estate listing for 250 Fitzgerald Ave. An eye-catching San Francisco real estate listing offers an unbelievable deal: a 50,000-square-foot lot with expansive bay views for $75,000.

But theres a catch: Its offshore  and underwater  in San Francisco Bay. Read more from reporter Michael Cabanatuan.

In actual development news: A San Francisco lawmaker will introduce legislation Tuesday to make four-unit buildings legal on corner lots in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, but some housing advocates are already criticizing the proposed law as too narrow and watered down to actually generate new units.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com, anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com, and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com.
A San Francisco lawmaker will introduce legislation Tuesday to make four-unit buildings legal on corner lots in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, but some housing advocates are already criticizing the proposed law as too narrow and watered down to actually generate new units.

The legislation, introduced by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, would apply on corner lots in the 60% of the city that currently excludes multifamily buildings. An earlier version of the fourplex legislation would have also applied to non-corner properties within a half mile of Muni, Caltrain or BART transit stops.

Mandelman said the transit station part of the fourplex legislation was kind of satisfying to no one. It focused on major transit stations on the east side of the city, where housing production is strongest, rather than the west side, where little development occurs. It would have required an extensive environmental impact study, which could take a year or longer.

It didnt really address the historic imbalance of housing production on the east side of the city, and it raised questions about whether it would be better to have it along transit lines like Geary (Boulevard) and Taraval (Street), he said.

Mandelman said that he still plans on sponsoring a citywide legislation to legalize fourplexes, but that it makes sense to do that next year after the citys long-range housing element plan is complete.

Housing Action Coalition Executive Director Todd David called the legislation a disappointment that compares unfavorably to what other Bay Area cities are doing to remove exclusionary single-family zoning, which historically has been used to keep out working-class and non-white households.

Is it better than nothing but its sad to think that Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose are leading the way on progressive zoning reform and we are lagging behind, said David. At the end of the day, we are not going to get housing out of this. Its symbolic. The minimum zoning in San Francisco should be four units. That is what Berkeley is doing. That is what San Jose is doing. That is what Oakland is doing.

The legislation comes as pro-housing advocates are working on a ballot initiative that would allow fourplexes throughout the city. David declined to comment on the ballot measure, saying conversations are in the early stages. Mandelman said he is aware that fourplexes could end up on the ballot but its always better to do land use at the Board of Supervisors if you can get it done.

Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the historically Black Bayview neighborhood, has expressed concerns that turning homes into fourplexes could further gentrify his district and drive out longtime residents.

Mandelman said that any fourplex legislation would go through a serious equity analysis.

I certainly dont anticipate that allowing four units on corner lots is going to radically transform any neighborhood overnight, he said. Its one small step, but its a step in the right direction.

Glen Park resident Hilary Schiraldi, who helped with the fourplex legislation, said allowing the four-unit buildings will curtail the development of jumbo homes, which frequently sell for more than $3 million.

I hear from neighbors all the time who are frustrated with the massive, expensive multimillion dollar homes going up all over the place, she said. That is not what we think of this neighborhood as being about. But that is what is legal to build here, so that is what they are building.

She added: Being against large homes doesnt help anyone because it doesnt change the incentives that property owners have to do something different. You actually need to change the zoning to change the incentives.

Historically, multifamily buildings were allowed on corner lots in most San Francisco neighborhoods prior to the 1970s when the city lowered height limits and banned multifamily buildings in much of the city as part of backlash against Manhattanization.

Architect and Duboce Triangle resident Kevin Riley called the legislation a start and a modest reasonable approach for all of San Francisco.

Its very incremental and very modest, he said.

He said that he expects property owners will take advantage of the new zoning if it passes. Just like with office space corner units are always more valuable and preferable because they allow more cross-breeze, air and light, he said. They tend to be better places to live.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com
April jobs data show that employment among young people aged 15 to 29 increased by 180,000 year-on-year, which the government is selling as a clear recovery. "Youth employment growth is expanding," it boasted in a press release. But a closer look at the data shows that 70 percent or 125,000 of the new jobs are temporary, one-year-contract positions and 100,000 of them menial jobs such as delivery and construction.

Unemployment among young Koreans in fact rose 0.7 percentage points last month to 10 percent, and the real unemployment rate stood at around 25 percent, which is a record high. The number of part-time jobs involving only one to 17 hours of work a week increased by 460,000. Due to a lack of quality jobs, young people have to make do with part-time positions -- an obvious outcome of deteriorating conditions suffered by businesses after the ruling party spent the past four years coming up with regulations that go against market principles. Businesses are cutting back on new hires, casting dark clouds over the future job market.

The ruling Minjoo Party believes its devastating defeat in last month's mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan was due to lost votes among young supporters. To woo them back, the ruling party is promising cash incentives of W10 million to high-school graduates and W30 million to those who just finished their mandatory military service (US$1=W1,137). But at a forum hosted by the head of the MP on Monday, one participant in his 20s said, "Young people will no longer fall for such campaign pledges."

If the party wants to win votes from young people, it needs create more high-quality jobs by making it easier for companies to do business. This is not an impossible task. They just need to eliminate red tape and entice businesses to invest more. A new work-accidents law that subjects corporate executives to possible criminal charges if a worker at a subcontractor is injured or killed in an accident is just one example of some 2,600 laws that curtail business activities. The ruling party will not win back young voters unless it changes its outdated policies.


Police released few details about the arrest of Keith Martin Perkins, 26, including whether he had any relationship with Guillaume. Local 10 News had reported after the fire that Guillaume was pregnant and that her friends, who declined to go on camera, believed she knew her killer.
California is nearing a turning point for one of its core pandemic policies  and for some, its an unsettling and risky prospect.

In one month, the state plans to adopt the Centers for Disease Controls new guidelines under which fully vaccinated individuals can ditch their masks in most indoor settings. The federal agencys surprise announcement last week touched off a range of reactions, from celebration to confusion and concern.

Among the fears: With more than half the country still unvaccinated, including young children and immunocompromised people, the move was too risky.

Physicians calling the move premature included Bob Wachter, chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine.

Simply too much virus & too many unvaxxed folks who wont (wear) masks for no-mask indoor spaces to be safe now, he tweeted Monday.

He said California was making a good call Monday to hold off until June 15 on following the CDCs guidelines  giving more people time to complete their inoculations.

But as fully vaccinated Californians ponder a near future in which masks will be largely optional, what is the risk they could still become infected with the coronavirus and spread it to others?

In offering the guidance last week, the CDC cited real-world evidence that shows the vaccines are working and they are 95% effective at preventing illness and nearly 100% effective at preventing hospitalization or death.

Several Bay Area experts on Monday amplified that message, saying that the evidence is quite clear that vaccines provide strong protection not just against severe illness and death, but against getting infected at all.

The ability of this virus to transmit from asymptomatic individuals has been the reason why it is so difficult to contain, but multiple studies at this point show us that vaccines massively reduce asymptomatic infection, said Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF.

Among those findings:

 A study released in late March that followed nearly 4,000 health care workers, first responders and essential workers in the U.S. showed the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective at preventing infection.

 Data out of Israel shows the Pfizer vaccine is 97% effective at preventing symptomatic infection, and 94% effective at preventing asymptomatic infection.

 In the United Kingdom, health care workers tested every two weeks after being vaccinated had an 86% reduction in asymptomatic infection compared with unvaccinated individuals.

Robert Siegel, a professor of virology and immunology at Stanford University, said the evidence for the risk that someone who is vaccinated could transmit the virus is incomplete. But the vaccines have been found to be very effective at preventing infection.

Even when it does occur, infection in vaccinated individuals tends to be much milder, he said. Furthermore, because their immune systems have been primed, vaccinated individuals ... who are infected are much less likely to transmit disease, than infections in unvaccinated individuals.

Siegel noted that there are two caveats regarding vaccine efficacy: The Johnson & Johnson vaccine in clinical trials showed somewhat lower efficacy compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and individuals who are immunocompromised also have been shown to have lower efficacy rates.

For a vaccinated person to spread the virus, they need to become infected in the first place. These are known as breakthrough infections, which occur because none of the vaccines available are 100% effective at stopping transmission.

In California, 3,260 breakthrough cases were reported from Jan. 1 to May 5, representing 0.25% of 1.4 million coronavirus cases reported during that time frame. Among those cases, at least 150 people were hospitalized and at least 20 died, but state officials said they didnt know how many of those hospitalizations and deaths were due to COVID-19.

And in the Bay Area specifically, where overall vaccination rates have been high and case rates have been low, is the risk of viral spread lower for vaccinated people?

Absolutely, said Gandhi. The more a population is immune ... the more the virus slows down and cant spread in a population.

In San Francisco, 76% of residents 16 or older have had at least one vaccine dose, and 61% are fully vaccinated. Marin County has the highest rate of vaccination in the region, with 82% of people 12 and older having received at least one vaccine dose, and 70% fully vaccinated. The other Bay Area counties range from 61% to 77% of residents 16 and older having received at least one vaccine dose, and 44% to 60% fully vaccinated.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said an areas case rate and vaccination rate should be taken into account when deciding whether to mask up, and Gandhi said in the Bay Area, mask-wearing is less necessary in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

How are they protected? By the low case rates in the community, which is what high vaccination rates and approaching herd immunity does, she said.

Siegel said the Bay Areas risk is much lower than much of the country or the world. But people who are vaccinated and want to feel safe in public places could continue to follow public health guidelines, including mask-wearing and social distancing, even after the easing of state mandates on June 15.

Mask wearing is still a very effective intervention in preventing the spread of the virus, he said.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kelliehwang
San Francisco officials plan to plunge $8 million into a new initiative that will saturate the citys Mid-Market neighborhood with new police officers and unarmed community ambassadors, a response to what Mayor London Breed called an unacceptable level of illegal activity in the area.

With a proposed $5 million from the city budget and $3 million from UC Hastings College of the Law, the two-pronged plan will deploy police teams on foot, motorcycles, bicycles and horseback to patrol the area, and post an ambassador on every block to engage with the public and direct them to services.

All of our residents and workers deserve to feel safe, and this area of the city continues to face a number of challenges that need to be addressed, Breed said in a statement.

With this plan, were focusing on both addressing the illegal activity that is unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue, while also building up our community presence so that the area is more welcoming, friendly and accessible to everyone who lives, works and visits the area.

The effort will extend into the Mid-Market, U.N. Plaza, and Tenderloin areas, from Powell Street Station to Eighth Street on Market Street, and the Tenderloin blocks bounded by Larkin Street and Eddy Street.

The law-enforcement arm of the initiative will begin immediately, and report to a new police post in U.N. Plaza. It will comprise 26 sworn officers, with 18 patrolling during the day and eight in squad cars overnight.

The launch of the Mid-Market Vibrancy and Safety Plan comes amid mounting pressure on city officials to clean up what has been a scourge of drug and criminal activity that has been magnified during the pandemic.

Last year more than 700 people died of an overdose in San Francisco, with the Tenderloin and Mid-Market the epicenter of the public health crisis. And earlier this month a suspect was arrested and charged in a brazen double stabbing of two older women who were waiting for a bus near Stockton and Market streets.

City officials have for years worked to revitalize the area, turning out mixed levels of success.

In 2011, the Board of Supervisors signed off on a monumental initiative dubbed the Twitter tax break, a measure intended to draw and retain big companies  and their lucrative tech jobs  to the neighborhood. The incentive has been credited for helping to fill vacant office spaces, create new housing units and restore historic structures, while also criticized for doing little to help mom-and-pop shops and vulnerable residents.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott praised the new endeavor, saying the plan will expand on the departments community policing efforts, which center on engaging with the public and building trust even when theres no crime occurring.

San Francisco residents and businesses made enormous sacrifices over the past year to make our Citys COVID-19 response a nationally recognized success, and nowhere were those sacrifices greater than in our Tenderloin and Mid-Market neighborhoods, Scott said in a statement.

Community ambassadors will take to the streets beginning June 15 and roll out to full coverage over the summer. This portion of the program will receive a windfall from UC Hastings, which has dedicated $3 million in proposed state funding over the next three years to Urban Alchemys services around its campus.

The nonprofit Urban Alchemy already provides an array of community services in the area, ranging from overseeing city playgrounds to maintaining safe sleeping sites for the homeless.

Local business owners and residents briefed on the plan said it will be a critical part of reviving the neighborhoods.

Knowing that the area around my business will become safer for my customers will motivate me to start working on reopening, said Max Young, who closed his nightclub, Mr. Smiths, in 2019 due to the blight in the area. This makes a huge difference.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Lily Marquez was working in administration at Samuel Merritt University six years ago when she had her first child. She continued to work part-time at the Oakland school until a daughter came along unexpectedly 11 months later, forcing Marquez, her husband and their children to move into her in-laws apartment in San Francisco to save money.

Marquez is one of thousands of women who want to go back to work as job openings increase as a result of widespread coronavirus vaccinations. But she, like many others, cant because of obligations like child care.

I look forward to the day Im back in the workforce and Im helping contribute to my family, Marquez said, regarding their finances.

Situations like hers are part of a question that has vexed economists since jobs numbers released earlier this month found that American employers added just 266,000 jobs in April, down from more than 900,000 in March, and the opposite of muscular economic progress expected by many experts.

With many schools still closed or only partially open, caregiving responsibilities, which mostly fall on women, are part of the reason hiring is not moving at the expected clip. Fears about catching the coronavirus at work and increased unemployment benefits, in part designed to allow people to stay home until they can get vaccinated, may also be part of the picture.

One analysis found that women left jobs, or the workforce entirely, at higher rates than men in April, pointing toward caregiving responsibilities being at least part of the reason for the sputtering jobs numbers.

Neither a shortage of jobs, nor of people to fill them, seems to be the cause of sluggish hiring, according to Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute, who authored the report.

Job openings are swamped by unemployed workers, Shierholz said, adding a true labor shortage would drive up wages in the industries where businesses were desperate for workers.

That has happened in the restaurant business and in other parts of the leisure and hospitality industry, but a wholesale wage jump across sectors isnt in the cards just yet, Shierholz said.

Restaurant chains Chipotle and McDonalds are two of the businesses that have announced a raise in their minimum wage. Amazon previously said it would pay workers a minimum of $15 per hour, and Costco and Walmart have also boosted pay in a bid for workers.

In the Bay Area, other large businesses have plenty of openings. FedEx Ground said it plans to hire 900 people at facilities in San Francisco, and thousands more nationwide, as the demand for online shopping and shipping has ballooned during the pandemic.

Demand for shipping has grown so much that truck drivers can make $14,000 per week in some places, according to reports.

Another reason for the slow growth of jobs last month could be that with economies opening rapidly across the region and the country, it takes time to hire people for so many new openings.

A lot of what youre seeing now is new hiring, said Matthew Sigelman, CEO of labor market analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies.

Sigelman said hiring in California and the Bay Area is accelerating, but companies are having to find new people instead of calling back old workers, particularly in lower-paying jobs. While there may not be a shortage of people who want to work, the surge in demand is out of balance with the available supply of workers, Sigelman said.

Demand has also not roared back evenly across all industries. High skilled jobs in places like the Bay Area have been leading the recovery, along with other urban centers, according to a recent report from jobs site Indeed.com.

But demand for domestic workers like nannies, house cleaners and home care workers remains depressed, according to Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit National Domestic Workers Alliance.

It is still a full-blown depression for this workforce, Poo said, estimating that the sector is seeing about a third of its workforce, who are mostly women of color, unemployed.

Poo pointed to family obligations as part of the reason why many domestic workers remain out of work, along with concerns about catching the virus while traveling from home to home.

While not a panacea, Poo pointed to philanthropic investments, like a recently announced $50 million investment by the CARE Fund, as one way to expand access to in-home care for children and others.

It will create a disproportionate benefit to people whove been disproportionately harmed in the pandemic, Poo said, potentially allowing some people to return to the workforce.

Meanwhile, Marquez is still looking for affordable child care and hopes the state will expand access to it for people like herself, allowing her to return to the workforce.

Having to choose between being a parent and working is not something anyone should go through, Marquez said.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
As a legislator, Rob Bonta co-sponsored a proposed ballot measure that would have given Californians another chance to discard the death penalty, a repeal they narrowly rejected in 2012 and 2016.

As Californias attorney general, Bonta still opposes capital punishment, and he believes the state is moving in the same direction.

I think the death penalty is inhumane. It does not deter. Studies show its long had a disparate impact on defendants of color, especially when the victim is white, Bonta said in an interview. Three weeks earlier, his former legislative colleagues had confirmed the Alameda Democrats nomination by Gov. Gavin Newsom to succeed Attorney General Xavier Becerra, now U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.

Bonta said the death penalty is also both irreversible and fallible, citing the exoneration and release of numerous Death Row inmates nationwide  185 since 1973, including five in California, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The nonprofit organization says it has also found strong evidence that at least 20 prisoners who have been executed since 1989, all in Southern states, were actually innocent.

Despite the statewide votes in the past decade, Bonta said he thinks California is moving towards ending the death penalty. I believe thats where were heading, away from mass incarceration, over-criminalization and over-sentencing.

Californians have said that with the people theyve voted into office, he said.

One of those was Newsom, who declared a moratorium on executions shortly after taking office in 2019. Others included Bontas three predecessors as attorney general, Becerra, Kamala Harris and Jerry Brown, all avowed opponents of the death penalty.

But when Californians have voted directly on capital punishment, they have endorsed it: In 1972, when they overturned a state Supreme Court ruling that declared it a violation of the state Constitution; in 1978, when they expanded a death penalty law that lawmakers had passed over Gov. Browns veto; and in 2012 and 2016, when majorities of 52% and 53% rejected initiatives to reduce the maximum sentence to life in prison without parole.

Although Newsom and a group of district attorneys have asked the state Supreme Court to make death sentences harder to obtain by tightening standards for jury deliberations and voting in capital cases, no legal challenge to the death penalty is pending in California. So the only current route to a repeal would appear to be another ballot measure, which advocates say wont happen until at least 2024.

Things could change if Newsom is recalled and replaced by a Republican, who would almost certainly undo his moratorium and seek execution dates for more than 20 condemned prisoners who have lost all appeals of their convictions and sentences. That would revive a court challenge to Californias procedures for lethal injections, which a federal judge ruled 15 years ago were so flawed that they posed an undue risk of a prolonged and torturous death.

The state, which has 704 inmates on Death Row, has not executed anyone since January 2006, while 103 condemned inmates have died in prison, mostly of natural causes  22 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last spring. Bonta said hell need further study before deciding whether to defend the current single-drug execution method.

Part of my role is to be the steward of existing law, he said, but I wont defend something that is unconstitutional. It has nothing to do with my personal belief, but instead whether evidence shows that the injection procedures could cause an unnecessarily slow and painful death.

Bonta apparently will be a more assertive death penalty foe than others in high state office. Harris and Brown, for example, remained publicly silent on the 2012 and 2016 repeal initiatives, and Harris filed an appeal that restored the states death penalty law in 2015 after a federal judge ruled that the law was no longer constitutional because of arbitrary delays of 25 years or longer in deciding cases.

Bontas appointment bodes well for the state and for those of us who care about this issue, said Mike Farrell, the former MASH star who is president of Death Penalty Focus, an anti-death-penalty group based in Sacramento.

A challenger in next years election for attorney general, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, says voters shouldnt expect a strong defense of the death penalty or its implementation from an opponent like Bonta.

The will of the voters should matter, and attitude can have an impact, said Schubert, a former Republican turned independent and a supporter of the death penalty. You say, Were going to defend the death penalty, but are you going to delay cases, divert resources from the capital litigation unit?

She said she is particularly concerned about a bill pending in the Legislature, AB1224 by Assembly Member Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, that would allow reconsideration of an inmates past sentence of death or life without the possibility of parole. Levine was the lead author of the proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the death penalty that Bonta backed in 2019.

AB1224 would allow a judge to reduce either of those sentences to life with the possibility of parole after considering the inmates age, mental health and record in prison. If the inmate has served at least 20 years without any acts of violence, the judge would have to lower the sentence unless prosecutors could prove the inmate would commit violent acts of the future. Supported by public defenders and opposed by prosecutors, the measure would require two-thirds approval in the Assembly and Senate and the governors signature to become law.

By overturning existing sentences of death or life without parole, you are destroying families that were promised by judges that these people would never get out, Schubert said. She said such a reversal of long-standing state policy appears to be part of Bontas agenda.

Bonta has not taken a position on AB1224, but he said he would be willing to ask judges to reconsider individual death sentences  as long as all sides in a case agreed.

He said he plans to work with district attorneys and victims families who together want to approach the court to resentence a death penalty defendant to something else, like life without parole or another sentence.

Im going to identify pathways to move forward on securing reforms in the criminal justice system generally, and specifically when it comes to capital punishment, Bonta said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Police cant enter someones home without a warrant except in an emergency, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, refusing to extend search authority that the justices have applied to motor vehicles.

In a 5-4 ruling in 1973, the court had allowed prosecutors to use evidence police found in the warrantless search of a car they had towed after a drunken-driving crash. The majority said officers believed they would find a gun in the car and were entitled to make a community caretaking search without taking the time needed to obtain a warrant.

But to the relief of advocates ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to gun groups, the court unanimously refused Monday to extend the same rule to home searches.

The Constitutions Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and what is reasonable for vehicles is different from what is reasonable for homes, Justice Clarence Thomas said in the 9-0 ruling. While the 1973 case involved a car that had been impounded, the court has generally given police more leeway to search vehicles without a warrant because of their mobility.

The California Supreme Court issued a similar ruling under state law in 2019.

Mondays ruling involved a Rhode Island man, Edward Caniglia, who got into an argument with his wife, then brought a gun to the dining room table and asked her to shoot him. She left, then tried and failed to reach him by phone the next morning and called police, who found Caniglia sitting on his porch. He denied being suicidal but agreed to go to a hospital, and said police promised not to confiscate his guns.

Officers nevertheless entered the home after Caniglia left and found two guns. He was not charged with a crime but sued the police over the search. The Supreme Court overturned a federal appeals court ruling that relied on the high courts 1973 vehicle case to uphold the search.

In a separate opinion, Justice Samuel Alito said the court had not addressed a potentially related issue: whether police need a warrant to enter a home and seize guns under red flag laws, in California and other states, that allow confiscation of firearms based on evidence that the owner is mentally ill or dangerous. He said the court also had not decided whether officers could enter the home of an older person who had not been seen for days and might need help.

Adam Kraut, a lawyer for the Firearms Policy Coalition, said the court had nevertheless recognized that the sanctity of the home is central to American freedom. ... These so-called community caretaking searches of homes and seizures of firearms are based on the flimsiest of standards, without any historical support.

If ones home is ones castle, that castle is made of sand if police can enter without a warrant or a life-threatening emergency, said the ACLU in a filing joined by the American Conservative Union Foundation and the libertarian Cato Institute.

The case is Caniglia vs. Strom, 20-157.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Another day, another sublease.

Tech companies continue to shed office space in San Francisco amid a shift to remote work, and Airbnb is the latest to put more of its footprint up for sublease.

The vacation rental company told the San Francisco Business Times this week that it will unload an additional 287,000 square feet at its San Francisco headquarters, bringing the total reduction of its real estate to more than 424,000 square feet.

650 Townsend St. is the third building where the company wants to eliminate its occupancy. There are also 78,565 square feet at 650 Seventh St. and 61,455 square feet at 808 Brannan St. that have been available since June.

This puts Airbnbs remaining space entirely on Brannan Steet, with 288,000 square feet at 888 Brannan and 150,000 square feet at 999 Brannan.

The announcement comes less than a week after the companys first-quarter earnings report, in which Airbnb said it took a $113 million hit related to unneeded office space.

While employees were expected to return to the office in August, CEO Brian Chesky announced during the first-quarter earnings call that employees dont need to return until September 2022.

This puts vacant office space in the city at more than 16.3 million square feet, with over half of the space vacant subleases. Typically, theres about 1 million square feet of subleasing space on the San Francisco market at any time, but as the pandemic drags on, companies stuck in leases are trying to recoup some of their losses.

With an additional 1.5 million square feet of sublease space added in Q1, theres more than 9.5 million square feet on the market. Subleases account for 45% of all available office space. In the beginning of 2020, the office vacancy rate hovered around 4% but has since more than quadrupled to 19.7% at the end of March 2021, according to data from CBRE.

S.F.s first-quarter vacancy rate also surpassed the previous record high of 19.1% at the peak of the dot-com era bust.

In March, Salesforce, the citys largest private employer, canceled its 325,000-square-foot lease at the unbuilt Parcel F tower in San Franciscos Transbay neighborhood after the company announced that more than half of its workforce will continue working remotely or on a flexible schedule after the pandemic is over. It is also subleasing part of its offices at 350 Mission St. Other companies recently abandoning office space include Yelp, WeWork and Old Navy.
State of California

Santa Clara County advanced from the orange tier to the yellow tier in the state's color-coded reopening plan Tuesday, joining San Francisco and San Mateo as the region's only counties in the least-stringent tier.

At the yellow level, the state allows the county to expand capacity at restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, and several other indoor operations. Bars that do not serve food can reopen indoors with a maximum capacity of 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Regulators on Monday dealt a procedural blow to Canadian National's $33.6 billion plan to acquire Kansas City Southern railroad.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected Canadian National's plan to set up a voting trust that would acquire Kansas City Southern and own the railroad while regulators review the deal. The STB said it couldn't review Canadian National's plan now because it doesn't include a detailed merger agreement.

Canadian National described the decision as a minor setback. It said it will now resubmit the plan along with the merger agreement it finalized last week. Kansas City Southern said Thursday that Canadian National's offer was better than the $25 billion deal it had made with rival Canadian Pacific railroad a month earlier.

Canadian National said in a statement that it is confident it will be able to prove its voting trust is in the public interest once regulators review all the details.

Canadian Pacific seized on the decision as a sign of weakness in CN's offer because the STB already approved Canadian Pacific's proposed voting trust plan. Canadian National has said its voting trust plan is nearly identical to Canadian Pacific's proposal.

With this new ruling by the STB, CPs confidence in the superiority of its friendly agreement with KCS is redoubled, Canadian Pacific said in a statement. So far, CP has refused to increase its bid for Kansas City Southern, but it still has several days to respond formally to Canadian National's offer.

The STB has said it will review any deal involving Kansas City Southern carefully to determine if it would enhance competition and serve the public interest. That review could take more than 18 months. If regulators ultimately reject the deal, then the voting trust would sell off Kansas City Southern, so it could remain independent.

The regulators also said Monday that they would review Canadian National's proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern under a tougher set of rules it passed in 2001 after several railroad mergers in the 1990s led to service problems. The board hasn't approved a major railroad merger since it issued those tougher rules but Canadian National has said it believes the deal should be reviewed under the newer rules.

Previously, the board said it would apply its older, less stringent merger rules to the proposed Canadian Pacific combination with Kansas City Southern because there is little overlap between those railroads, which are the two smallest of the major North American railroads.

The two Canadian railroads have been engaged in a public-relations battle since CN joined the bidding.

Canadian Pacific has criticized the rival offer because it says Kansas City Southern and Canadian National both have rail lines that compete for business between the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. Canadian Pacifics network connects to Kansas City Southern in Kansas City, Missouri, but those two railroads dont overlap elsewhere.

Canadian National has said it doesnt believe its offer would hurt competition, and it is confident it could address any competitive concerns later in the review process.
The owner of a phone repair shop in San Franciscos Chinatown says a teen stole from her store  and hours later, pepper sprayed her out of revenge.

Fanly Chen, the owner of GoApple on Grant Avenue, told KPIX that a teenager walked into her store Saturday and ran off with a bunch of iPhone Max cases. The teen returned to the storefront shortly after asking to exchange the stolen iPhone cases when Chen protested. She told KPIX that she snapped a photo of the thief before he left the first time.

I say, Stop, if you dont pay for it, Ill call the police. You have to pay for it first, she told KPIX. And he said, Call the police.'

Chen said that she followed him outside of the store when he hit her; bystanders were at the scene to help her recover the stolen phone cases.

She claims that the teen is a familiar face in Chinatown, an individual who allegedly has stolen from multiple businesses in the area.

Even the police know who he is, Chen told KPIX. The police cannot do anything about it because its like $50, $20 every time.

Later that day, Chen says the teen returned with pepper spray and attacked her while she was helping a customer. Surveillance footage from the shop shows a teen walking up to Chen and spraying her in the eyes with something. She was later hospitalized for the incident.

The incident comes as Asians in the Bay Area are continued targets for harassment and attacks, and Chen says the stealing is worsened by the fact that her business just reopened after the pandemic.

San Francisco police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.
It won't take you long to warm to Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. All it took for me was the sight of a zombie Elvis impersonator.

Equal parts hysterical and deadly, the bloody-mouthed, jumpsuit-wearing King in the opening credits is the perfect touch to a joyously violent film that takes a vanilla heist flick and sets it inside a Las Vegas that has suffered a zombie apocalypse. The song playing over those credits is, of course, Viva Las Vegas.

Snyder is in many ways returning to his undead roots  before Justice League" and 300 he remade Dawn of the Dead  but this time he's added to zombie lore while adding some social commentary along with his trademark gleefully over-the-top violence.

The plot stitches old and new ideas yet somehow feels fresh: In the near-future, Las Vegas is a walled-off zone given over to the undead, which really isn't too far off from what it is. The government plans to use a tactical nuclear weapon to wipe them out, once and for all.

But a group of former military heroes are persuaded to get into the city and steal $200 million from a casino vault before the city is vaporized. Try not to get nuked or murdered by the undead, they are warned.

The group is led by a mountain of man named Scott Ward, played by Guardians of the Galaxys Dave Bautista. Despite being a war hero, he's flipping burgers for a living and needs little coaxing. He then assembles a team of oddballs that includes Tig Notaro as a helicopter pilot and Matthias Schweighofer as a safecracker, both providing comic relief.

Well probably die," Ward says. "Some of us at least.

The group needs to sneak into the city and that's when the script by Snyder, Shay Hatten and Joby Harold gets sly. They rely on a smuggling coyote to skulk into a walled-off American city, one of several moments that lift the material. Sean Spicer and Donna Brazile debating immigration on TV is another. And the use of temperature guns to check if zombie-fication is happening is a prescient nod to the pandemic Snyder could not have known was coming.

The Vegas that the group enters is a freaky funhouse that the filmmakers have filled with 2,500 plastic skeletons. The zombies wear an alarming amount of rhinestones and ripped clothing. But they're awfully fun to mow down (remember, kids, always aim for the head). Here the film makes lively nods to Escape from New York, The Matrix, Aliens and Planet of the Apes.

In addition to the zombie Elvis impersonator, there's a zombie bride still wearing her veil and a zombie horse, but the Zack Snyder Hall of Fame Cool Deal is a zombie tiger. And it is glorious. (The filmmakers even visited Carole Baskins Big Cat Rescue of then-future Tiger King fame to make their computer critter more believable.)

To this world, Snyder has added a kind of zombie hierarchy. There are mindless Shamblers  think the target-practice Walking Dead zombies  and there are Alphas, led by a king and queen, who can think, love, hunt, mourn and presumably whip up organic recipes for human flesh. These are the ones you want to avoid. (Snyder in the film's prologue indicates the top Alpha was a creation of Area 51.) And there seem to be hints of robotic zombies. Sleep well, kids!

There is a perverse joy to watching growling zombies on a casino floor, doing parkour on the roulette tables, and then watching bullets whizz through their brains with a burst of blood. They die in so many ways beyond head-kills: knife through skull, being burst between two armored doors, decapitated with a garrote.

Snyder, who also shot the film, is in a winking mood here  The Cranberries' Zombie is featured and Culture Club's Do You Really Want to Hurt Me plays in an elevator after a huge bloody scene. Also look for playful references to Medusa, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Apocalypse Now, Sodom and Gomorrah, Joseph Campbell and Richard Wagner. Zombie flicks have never felt more intellectual.

Expertly paced and with top-notch special effects, Army of the Dead is a popcorn zombie movie for our time. Long live the undead.

Army of the Dead, a Netflix release, is rated R for some sexual content, gore, language throughout, graphic nudity and strong bloody violence. Running time: 148 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

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MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Online: https://www.netflix.com/title/81046394

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor said hes asking judges to vacate sentences against anyone accused of violating executive orders designed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Nearly 150 Broward residents were cited for violations between March and November 2020. Prosecutors declined to press charges in more than a third of those cases, and later dismissed charges in others.
Maybe youre cringing at the thought of going back to an office. The seed of a business idea floats around in your head between work videoconference calls, after the kids are asleep or while you tend your pandemic garden. Or perhaps you were laid off during the pandemic and forced to work for yourself, and now youre wondering if you should continue down this path.

In 2020, there was an explosion in new business applications, reaching nearly 4.5 million by years end, according to a February report by the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington, D.C., think tank. Thats an increase of 24.3% from 2019 and was the highest on record  51% higher than the average from 2010 to 2019.

COVID-19 was a social, cultural and emotional shock the likes of which we have not experienced for generations. Becoming an entrepreneur is a deeply personal decision, and the pandemic may have delivered the push for many to embrace it, the report said.

Deciding if self-employment is right for you depends on your personality, your financial situation and your ability to adapt. Here are tips from people who became their own bosses.

SEE IF YOURE RIGHT FOR THE JOB

Many of us now appreciate the flexibility of working from home. As a freelancer or independent contractor, you would have the power to set your own schedule.

Being in charge is very, very attractive to many people, says Keith Hall , president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed, or NASE, a resource and advocacy group. The other side of that coin is that when you are in charge of your own destiny, you are also responsible for it.

Evaluate your abilities as a prospective employer.

Freelancers need to be self-motivated, work well independently, be organized, learn how to market their services well and be comfortable with a certain level of uncertainty, CEO Sara Sutton said by email. She runs two companies focused on remote and flexible job opportunities: FlexJobs, a job search site, and Remote.co , which provides resources for companies considering remote work.

Hall suggests asking yourself if you have the motivation to be in charge of your own destiny. If you wake up Monday morning and decide to stay in bed late, thats a financial loss. Nobody is going to be standing over you making you get out of your bed.

MAKE A PLAN THAT FITS YOUR FINANCES

Before deciding whether to freelance, become a consultant or turn your side hustle into a business, take a close look at your finances.

Many cobbled together a budget during the pandemic. Revisit that plan to make sure you understand your hard costs, such as food, rent and day care. (The 50/30/20 approach is a quick way to divide your dollars into three buckets: needs, wants and savings.)

Isolate what you can put toward a business. Small costs like purchasing a domain name, buying the premium version of a software or membership fees for a networking group can add up.

Use your budget to set short- and long-term business goals, Hall says. Know exactly what you need to earn to meet your family goals and translate that into a time schedule.

EVALUATE YOUR TIMING

You may need to keep your day job for a while, but you can still build your business muscle.

Being an entrepreneur was never a goal for me, says Afenya Montgomery, founder and CEO of iCAN Collective , a creative workspace and event venue for women entrepreneurs of color in Chicago. Montgomery, a registered nurse and health care administrator, started health care consulting on the side. Her hunt for resources and support inspired the idea of building a community for women entrepreneurs of color.

Montgomery and her husband were raising three children and had no business experience, so leaving her day job wasnt an option. She spent four years learning the ropes of entrepreneurship before she felt confident enough to quit.

She hosted networking events, opened a business bank account and finally registered her business as a limited liability company . Taking small steps can make the process less overwhelming, she says.

SEEK SUPPORT

Between strategies, goals and budgets, the thought of working for yourself might seem daunting, but entrepreneurs say you dont have to do it alone.

Laura Licursi, founder of Elite Virtual Assistants , an agency that connects employers with remote assistants, says the pandemic was surprisingly hard on her online-only business as clients cut back. Licursi, who works from the Cleveland area, navigated through the uncertainty with a mentor from SCORE, a network of volunteer business mentors that partners with the Small Business Administration.

My mentor helped me work through the inner workings of the business when things were slow, which really helped when business picked up again, she says.

Entrepreneurs have more resources available than they realize, Hall says:

 The SBA provides local resources to support aspiring entrepreneurs.

 The NASE offers a business development grant program for members.

 SCORE has mentorship resources, webinars and other online resources.

 The IRS website has information on the tax implications of self-employment.

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.

Amrita Jayakumar is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: ajayakumar@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ajbombay.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Options to finance a startup

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A Kenyan who wrote compelling dispatches under a pseudonym about the challenges of living as a low-wage worker in Qatar and advocated for their rights has been detained under unclear circumstances in the energy-rich nation.

The arrest of Malcolm Bidali draws renewed attention on the limits of expression in a nation that will host the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. It also highlights the challenge many migrant laborers face when agreeing to the opportunity of steady work in Gulf Arab states, in exchange for long shifts doing menial work in the shadows of skyscrapers they helped build.

Supporters say Qatari security forces detained Bidali late on May 4 and have not provided information on where he is.

The Qatari government, responding to questions Tuesday from The Associated Press, described Bidali as being taken into custody and placed under investigation for violating Qatars security laws and regulations." The government declined to offer specifics on the arrest, where he was being held, whether he received consular assistance and what potential charges he was facing.

Qatar has  made a lot of steps ... to reform its labor systems, said James Lynch, a director at the London-based group FairSquare Research and Projects, which advocates for migrant workers in the Middle East. Yet when we have a migrant worker speaking out about his experience, sharing his experience and calling for change in a fully peaceful manner, we see them being shut down and disappeared.

Bidali, 28, worked 12-hour days as a security guard. In his spare time, he wrote under the pen name Noah about his experiences as a guard, including trying to improve his worker accommodations. His essays offered plaudits for Qatar at times as a trendsetter in many areas.

However, he didn't hold back in describing the cramped bedrooms some of his compatriots shared  with up to 10 men in a room  or the frustration of being unable to afford the luxury of privacy that white-collar Western expatriates and Qataris themselves enjoy.

Why should intimacy, and even family life, be reserved for the privileged nationalities and financially affluent? he asked in one article.

The cause of Bidali's detention remains unclear. Days earlier, he spoke and briefly appeared in a video conference with civil society and trade union groups describing his experiences. Activists say he clicked on a suspicious internet link as well during that time. Gulf Arab states widely use spy software and hacks to monitor possible dissenters, but it's unclear who targeted him.

There also was a recent post in which he criticized by name Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the wife of Qatar's former emir and the head of the Qatar Foundation. Bidali worked as a security guard for GSS Certis at a development under the Qatar Foundation. The foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An employee at GSS Certis who gave his name as Puvan said he didn't know where Bidali was.

We were told that this is still under investigation so have no detail on that, he said.

Security guards in Qatar at two companies also recently held what they described as strikes over pay and labor issues. Only Qatari nationals with the General Union of Workers of Qatar have the right to strike, according to the Washington-based group Freedom House.

Foreign laborers and household help "who engage in labor protests risk deportation, Freedom House said in a recent report. Qatar's government said it intervened in both cases.

The Kenyan Embassy in Qatar did not respond to requests for comment. In a letter to Qatari officials human rights groups, including Amnesty International, FairSquare and Human Rights Watch, said they feared Bidali had been held without access to a lawyer or consular assistance.

We are extremely concerned for his well-being and safety, they wrote.

Qatar, a small nation on the Arabian Peninsula, is home to the state-funded Al-Jazeera satellite news network. However, expression in the country remains tightly controlled.

While residents enjoy some freedom of private discussion, security forces reportedly monitor personal communications and noncitizens often self-censor to avoid jeopardizing their work and residency status, Freedom House said. Social media users can face criminal penalties for posting politically sensitive content.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists later called on Qatar to clarify the charges Bidali faced or immediately release him, noting that Doha has repeatedly arrested journalists covering labor issues.

We are alarmed by the detention of blogger Malcolm Bidali without any reason disclosed, especially given Qatari authorities record of trying to shut down reporting on labor rights ahead of the countrys hosting of the World Cup next year, said Justin Shilad, the committee's senior Middle East and North Africa researcher.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
On a gloomy Saturday afternoon, waves crash against the barriers at the Civil War-era fortress marking the northernmost tip of San Francisco as a tourist GoCar zips through the Fort Point parking lot blasting historical facts from the radio. A pink metallic balloon waves in the wind to mark a small childs second birthday, but the mood is mostly peace and quiet. Then a pair of women in neon athletic wear trot up to a chain-link fence, silently slap the pair of yellow plaster handprints on a sign bolted to the fence, and turn around to continue their jog.

The hands are far from hidden, but the area is a bit off the beaten path. To get there, take Marine Drive until it dead ends at the Fort Point National Historic Site, or walk down the winding Battery East Trail from the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. Look for the fence, or just follow the joggers.

Dan Gentile

For about 15 minutes I sit under the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge on a bench lined with commemorative plaques (Jim Kendall, 1912-1997, a good friend and a good union man), watching people walk up to the sign, which is labeled "Hoppers Hands," and pause. The small talk is usually the same, people wonder aloud the history of the hands, then shrug and move on. I ask one pair of men if they know anything about the sign. They say they have no idea and quicken their pace as they walk away.

Hands aside, its worth knowing a little more about the fort itself. It was originally constructed in 1794 by the Spanish and named Castillo de San Joaquin. Then Mexico took control of it in the early 1800s, and sometime along the way the name changed to Punta del Castillo, which was translated (quite roughly) into Fort Point. The current Fort Point iteration was built for the Civil War. Although manned during that war, thankfully, the fort was never actually put to use. It served as a training center, then was almost demolished to make way for the Golden Gate Bridge, but it lives on as a minor tourist attraction and the namesake of a very good San Francisco brewery.

But back to those hands. Runners World recounts (then debunks) a truly wild origin story that claimed the hands were created by an Alcatraz nudist named Gatticus Hopper. That article also mentions a potential tie-in to the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, before settling on the official Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy account of the signs history.

Dan Gentile

Around the year 2000, the National Guard left the area, making the rocky outcrop behind the fort dangerously accessible, so a fence was installed. Golden Gate Bridge ironworker Ken Hopper was often in the vicinity making repairs, as well as volunteering for the psychologically devastating work of rescuing those who attempt to take their own life by jumping off the bridge.

Although itd be easy to assume the plaque is some type of memorial, the answer is much less serious in nature. As another pair of men whom I noticed on my visit remarked to each other, it has something to do with runners.

Hopper noticed runners who ended up at the fort would often tap the chain-link fence, then turn around to retrace their route. So in December of 2000, he put up a sign, which has gone through multiple iterations over the years, including 49ers colors. He also added a smaller sign at ground level with a pair of dog paws for visitors furry friends, who likely know just as much about the signs history as their human companions.

Dan Gentile

If you are in distress, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more resources.
CHICAGO (AP)  A 16-year-old boy died early Tuesday, hours after he was found on a porch of a home on Chicago's South Side with a gunshot wound to his torso, police said.

According to Chicago Police, officers responding to an alert from the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system found the teen shortly before 3 a.m. The boy was rushed to Advocate Trinity Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later in the morning.
Twenty-three people were rescued Monday from a suspected smuggling boat off the San Diego coast not far from where another vessel broke up a few weeks ago, killing three people, authorities said.

The small boat, known as a panga, was spotted shortly before 3 a.m. by a U.S. Border Patrol video system as it drifted near rocks off the coast of Point Loma. The Coast Guard responded but the craft refused commands to stop, authorities said.
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albanias president refused Tuesday to appear before a parliamentary committee that is investigating whether he violated the country's constitution and should be impeached.

President Ilir Meta sent a 28-page long document to parliament in which he said the investigative committee lacked legitimacy and that he would continue performing his duties while ignoring any request coming from an anti-constitutional and illegal institution.

Albanian lawmakers formed the committee this month to decide whether to impeach Meta. More than four dozen lawmakers from the governing Socialist Party have claimed that Meta failed in his constitutional duty to guarantee national unity by siding with the opposition before an April 25 parliamentary election.

Meta argues that because the parliament elected last month has not convened, the outgoing assembly is in a post-election transition period and therefore ineligible to conduct such investigation activities.

Initiatives in such forms are unacceptable for democratic societies, considered as a revenge, why not an institutional putsch or coup detat to seize the constitutional institutions? wrote Meta, who is in Slovenia following a regional summit.

The Socialists won 74 of parliament's 140 seats in the election, allowing them to form a Cabinet on their own. Yet impeaching Meta requires a two-thirds majority, which the Socialists do not have, and approval from Albanias Constitutional Court.

During the election campaign, Meta accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of running a kleptocratic regime and concentrating all legislative, administrative and judiciary powers in his hands.

Albanias presidency is largely ceremonial but carries some authority over the judiciary and the armed forces. The role is also generally understood to be apolitical, but Meta has regularly clashed with Ramas government. His presidential term is scheduled to end in July 2022.
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Alert: Prosecutor says he will not release bodycam video in fatal shooting of Black man by North Carolina sheriff's deputies
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Despite more than $100 billion of new money to spend this year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom still wants to take more than $12 billion from the state's primary savings account and other sources to increase state spending, according to an independent review of the governor's proposal released Monday.

California has so much money that it took Newsom a full week to explain how he wants to spend all of it, culminating in Friday's budget announcement where he presented his plan, including 400 new spending proposals, to the state Legislature.

Newsom said his spending spree was made possible by $76 billion in new state money plus an additional $27 billion in federal coronavirus aid from Congress. He announced taxpayers would be getting $8.1 billion in rebates, plus the state would eventually let every 4-year-old go to kindergarten for free.

It was fortunate for Newsom, allowing him to announce a host of popular programs in a year he is likely to face a recall election. But a review of his proposal by the independent Legislative Analyst's Office shows Newsom's plan would still withdraw $8.3 billion from two of the state's savings accounts, plus borrowing another $3.8 billion from other sources.

It's the type of maneuvering policymakers usually don't use unless the state is running out of money.

Using tools designed for a budget crisis to support state spending at this time is shortsighted and inadvisable, the LAO wrote in its initial comments on Newsom's proposal. The state will need these tools to respond to future challenges when federal assistance may not be as significant.

Newsom's budget proposal would not leave the state's savings accounts empty. The state would have nearly $20 billion in reserve by this time next year, an increase from $11.3 billion this year. That includes putting $7.6 billion back into the state's primary savings account, plus using another $3.4 billion to pay down debt. But Newsom is required to do that based on voter-approved amendments to the California Constitution.

H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the California Department of Finance, said the Newsom administration agrees with the LAO that it's critical for the state to have a robust savings account.

At the same time, the state has not only immediate needs but well-defined infrastructure needs as well, he said. We believe the (governor's budget proposal) strikes a proper balance, and we'll work with the Legislature in the coming weeks to further discuss how best to balance these imperatives.

Assemblyman Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco and chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, declined to comment on Newsom's borrowing proposal, saying he is still reviewing it. But he said overall Newsom's plan is very much aligned with our thinking.

The Legislative Analyst's Office was established in 1941 to give advice to state lawmakers. Their primary job is to analyze the governor's budget proposals each year.

The LAO and the governor's administration sometimes disagree over numbers, but they usually aren't that far from each other. But this year, the LAO says the state's surplus is $38 billion  or half as large as Newsom says it is.

The difference, they said, is Newsom included a bunch of money in his surplus estimate that the state Constitution says must be spent on certain things, like public schools or paying down debt. The LAO does not consider that money surplus, since there are limits on how the state can spend it.

I think most of what the governor is doing is posturing, said Jon Coupal, president of the conservative Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Hes facing a recall election, and there is a lot in this budget that is just awful in terms of excessive spending.

Ting said the disagreement was just semantics, saying both the LAO and the Newsom administration are talking about the same numbers.

Andrew Acosta, a Democratic political consultant, says it's unlikely Newsom would benefit politically by calling it a $76 billion surplus instead of a $38 billion surplus. He said focus groups on budget issues have shown most voters don't pay attention to the numbers.

It's just a bunch of zeroes, he said. I don't think voters are going to say, $100 billion! Now Im really going to be for him.' I just don't get that vibe from real people."
PHOENIX (AP)  Firms hired to run a partisan audit of the 2020 election for Senate Republicans in Arizona said Tuesday that data was not destroyed, reversing earlier allegations that election officials in the state's most populated county eliminated evidence.

The claim of deleted databases was amplified by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, who believe conspiracy theories about election irregularities.

Ben Cotton, founder of a computer forensics firm working on the audit, told key senators that he had recovered all data. The revelation came a day after Maricopa County officials released a scathing letter saying the auditors couldn't find the data because they didn't know where to look.

I have the information I need from the recovery efforts of the data, said Cotton, founder of CyFIR LLC.

He spoke at a livestreamed hearing called by Republican Senate President Karen Fann to demand answers from county officials about the allegation of deleted data and improper documentation of ballot storage.

The GOP-controlled county Board of Supervisors refused to show up, instead holding a blistering meeting of their own Monday to refute the allegations. They called the audit a sham and said Fann's auditors are incompetent.

After Trump complained without evidence that his loss in Arizona was marred by fraud, Fann used the Senate's subpoena power to take control of 2.1 million ballots, counting machines and hard drives full of data from Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix area. She hired Cyber Ninjas, a firm led by a Trump supporter who has promoted conspiracy theories about the election, CyFIR and other firms to review the ballots and data.

The ballot count is on hold this week while the aging arena where it's taking place is used for high school graduations.

At the Senate's hourlong meeting Tuesday, Fann and Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen, also a Republican, asked friendly questions of Cotton, Cyber Ninjas founder Doug Logan and Ken Bennett, a former Republican secretary of state serving as the Senate's audit liaison. The meeting was broadcast online but was not open to the press or public. Neither senators nor auditors answered questions from the media.

County officials have refused the Senate's demand to provide administrative passwords to vote-counting machines and internet routers, saying the county doesn't have the passwords and releasing the routers would compromise sensitive data.

The hearing did not shed light on a central question of the audit: who's paying. The Senate has agreed to pay Cyber Ninjas $150,000, but Logan has acknowledged that's not enough to cover his costs. He has refused to say how much the audit is costing or who is contributing. At least two fundraisers, one organized by a pro-Trump cable network and the other by a prominent Trump donor, have claimed to have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While many Trump supporters hope the audit will turn up evidence that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, Fann said she's not looking to overturn or decertify the election results. Rather, she wants to identify ways to improve election procedures in the future, which has prompted fears among Democrats that the GOP will push for legislation that suppresses Democratic votes.

Petersen, the Judiciary Committee chairman, said the Maricopa County audit will be a model for lawmakers in the future.

When the next forensic audit is done, it will be a completely smooth process from start to finish," Petersen said.
The driver got hit by a bullet, and the car  with a shattered window and several bullet holes on its front passenger door  swerved off the road and jumped a concrete median. It plowed through bushes before hitting a parked car in the plaza, according to the Broward Sheriffs Office. The impact pushed the parked car forward, through the front window of the Rhythm and Juice restaurant.
PHOENIX (AP)  A budget deal struck between Republican leaders of the Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey includes implementing a flat 2.5% income tax that cuts $1.5 billion a year from state revenue and keeps higher-earning taxpayers from having to directly pay a new 3.5% surcharge to fund schools.

The agreement would cap the maximum any taxpayer will owe with a new voter-approved tax surcharge for education at 4.5%  the current top tax rate. It envisions using $836 million in state general fund revenue in the coming budget year to make up the difference so the full 3.5% surcharge voters approved in November in Proposition 208 will go to schools, if the measure survives a state Supreme Court challenge.

The deal struck by Senate and House leaders with the Republican governor essentially cuts 25% from personal income tax revenue, with most of the savings going to higher-earning taxpayers.

The deal also cuts commercial property tax rates, pays down state pension and other debts and will increase the state's super-low weekly unemployment benefit from $240 to $320 a week once a set of triggers are met. Lawmakers had been considering a pair of competing proposals to raise unemployment pay.

Republicans who hold one-vote majorities in both the House and Senate were briefed on the package Monday, and House Majority Leader Ben Toma said late Monday night that GOP House members were mulling over the package. The budget has not been formally introduced.

Some Republicans were wary, while others were supportive even before receiving the full details.

"We have a state that has a massive surplus, and we can take care of the needs of the state and at the same time give money back to the taxpayers, Rep. Jeff Weninger, a Chandler Republican, said Monday.

Republican Sen. Paul Boyer of Glendale was critical of several parts of the plan, including the tax cut.

Not enough ongoing for Universities, Boyer said in a text message Tuesday, after being briefed. Need more fiscal responsibility in paying down debt, more in the Rainy Day fund. Not prudent to cut so much in taxes.

Democrats are virtually certain to unanimously oppose the deal, since it envisions a huge tax cut they dislike because they consider state government massively underfunded, especially K-12 schools. They instead want to boost teacher pay, which is among the lowest in the nation, and invest in other state priorities.

Giving away $1.5 billion in long-term permanent tax cuts is something that we would not support, Rep. Reginald Bolding, the House minority leader, said. We believe that those dollars could be re-invested in teacher salary. Lets make Arizona teachers Top-25 in the nation, and add a $7,000 pay increase. (Democrats) had a budget that would do that.

Toma led the charge on the income tax cuts, which eliminate the state's graduated income tax structure in favor of a one-level tax rate that's lower than the current bottom tier rate of 2.59%. The current maximum rate is 4.5%, which would reach 8% with the Proposition 208 surcharge.

Toma said the new maximum rate of 4.5% would not affect the new revenues created by the 3.5% Invest in Education initiative because the budget deal taps general fund revenue to make up the difference. Proposition 208 imposes a 3.5% tax surcharge on income above $250,000 for individuals or above $500,000 for couples. Supporters say it could raise about $940 million a year for schools, although the Legislatures budget analysts estimate it would bring in $827 million a year.

It changes where part of the money comes from, Toma said. It doesnt actually change the total money available to education.

The changes are possible because of a big increase in revenue from income and sales taxes, which occured in Arizona and other states despite fears the pandemic would hammer state revenues. The Legislature's budget analysts show revenue for the budget year that ends on June 30 is running nearly $700 million above projections and they estimate fiscal year 2022 revenues will be nearly $1 billion above forecasts, on top of a current budget surplus.

Ducey in Janaury proposed $600 million in income tax cuts phased in over three years. His $12.6 billion proposal for the budget year that starts July 1 would shave nearly 10% of revenues by the time it is fully phased in.

In contrast, the deal Ducey made with the Legislature would cut about 25% of the state's income tax revenue. It will be phased in by the 2024 budget year. Toma said spending would be about $13 billion.

Toma laid out the basics of the new budget deal in an interview with The Associated Press, without providing the actual documents. They were later obtained by the AP. In addition to the income tax cut, the deal also lowers the property tax rate for commercial buildings. Most of that cash goes to local governments, but rising property values mean there should not be a major revenue impact.

The deal also fully exempts veterans pensions from imcome tax, which Ducey proposed last year before the pandemic forced a speedy end to the legislative session after lawmakers passed a bare-bones budget that included only basic spending. That proposal got pushback from some Republicans before the coronavirus sidelined regular budget talks.

The new deal would provide raises for state troopers and corrections officers, and to thousands of state Department of Economic Security, child safety and select other state workers. Most state workers haven't had a raise in a decade. It will use $300 million to shore up the pension plan for state law enforcement officers.

Infrastructure spending also gets a big influx of cash, with $200 million earmarked for new highway and bridge construction, $100 million for roadway repaving and $140 million for internet broadband projects to serve rural areas. The deal also includes $200 million for a new drought mitigation fund.

Universies and community colleges would get an additional $130 million for various programs. And there is new money for a chronically underfunded K-12 building and maintenance fund.

There's also about $100 million in new K-12 school spending, but there is no provision to repay the full $930 million schools are still owed from budget gimmicks used a decade ago. Tens of thousands of teachers went on strike in 2018 and won a 20% pay increase but also demanded other boosts and said there should be no new tax cuts until state school funding greatly improved.
SELMA, Ala. (AP)  Police in Alabama have issued an arrest warrant for a man in connection with the bizarre theft of a Confederate monument that was taken from an Alabama cemetery and found in Louisiana.

Selma police charged Jason Warnick with theft in connection with the mysterious disappearance of the chair-shaped monument, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said Monday.

Warnick was already facing charges of possession of stolen property after police said the monument ended up in his New Orleans tattoo shop.

An attorney for Warnick said he denied being involved with the theft, which sparked national news stories before the monument was recovered.

This knowledge is very new, but we are in contact with the Selma Police Department and will be making plans over the next few days, attorney Michael Kennedy wrote in an email. "That being said, Mr. Warnick categorically denies any involvement with the theft of this memorial art installation and intends to defend himself and his reputation vigorously."

Warnick and two other people were previously charged with possession of the chair after it went missing.

The strange saga began March 20 when a representative of the United Daughters of the Confederacy reported to police that the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chair had gone missing from Live Oak Cemetery, located in a riverside city known worldwide for its links to the civil rights movement.

The chair has no direct connection to Davis, the president of the Confederacy, but it was a monument to him located near other rebel monuments in a private section of the city-owned cemetery.

Someone sent an email signed White Lies Matter to news outlets claiming responsibility and saying the chair would be returned only if the United Daughters of the Confederacy agreed to display a banner at their Virginia headquarters bearing a quote from a Black Liberation Army activist.

A later email included photos of someone wearing Union soldier garb posing on a chair that looked like the missing one but with a hole cut out of the seat. A final email said those photos were fake and the real chair was being returned unscathed.

The chair-shaped monument, which the United Daughters of the Confederacy valued at $500,000, was recovered in New Orleans.
ATLANTA (AP)  Three people wanted on murder charges in the death of a Georgia taxi driver last month have been arrested in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., authorities said Monday.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 30-year-old Megan Alyssa Colone of Stone Mountain; 26-year-old Oscar Manuel Garcia of Austell and 25-year-old Juan Antonio Vega were arrested in Mexico on Saturday and are now being held at detention facilities in Texas. Stone Mountain and Austell are two Atlanta suburbs.

The three now await extradition to Georgia in connection with the death last month of taxi driver Rosanna Delgado, 37, investigators said Monday. It's unclear if any of them have lawyers who could speak on their behalf.

Vega, identified only as a resident of the Atlanta suburbof Cobb County, was named by GBI as the man investigators had been previously trying to identify who they said was also linked to the killing. Like Colone and Garcia, he is charged with murder in Delgado's death.

Delgado was a Venezuelan immigrant who lived in Bethlehem, northeast of Atlanta. She went missing on April 16 after telling her husband she was going to pick up a fare in the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee. Family and friends say her husband tried to trace her whereabouts via his wife's cell phone, but only found a bloody mask. The mother of two was found dead on April 20 at a rental cabin in Cherry Log in north Georgia, far from her home and last known whereabouts.

GBI has not commented on a motive for the killing, nor disclosed how Delgado was killed.

Police said they are still seeking 25-year-old Juan Ayala-Rodriguez of Gainesville and 29-year-old Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez of Oklahoma City on murder charges in connection with the case. They said they consider the two armed and dangerous.

Authorities said a man in Covington, east of Atlanta, as arrested earlier on charges of tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property in the case after investigators recovered Delgado's Ford Focus along with two vehicles that belonged to two of the murder suspects.

Investigators said they have also searching for a woman who may have been one of the last persons to interact with Delgado.
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP)  A man armed with a knife was shot to death when he charged a police officer, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said.

The suburban Monterey Park police officer was not injured in the attack around 5 p.m. Monday, a department statement said.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Monday called for a cease-fire to end a week of fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, urging both sides to "protect innocent civilians" in a statement that amounted to a subtle rebuke of the Israeli government, a close ally of the United States.

Biden "reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks" during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. But in adding that Biden "expressed support for a cease-fire," the administration went further than previous accounts of U.S. interactions with Israeli officials in describing the closed-door diplomacy and suggesting a private push.

Even as pressure mounted from fellow Democrats and others urging a cease-fire, Biden administration officials had stopped short of joining their calls until Biden spoke to Netanyahu and then issued a carefully worded statement afterward.

On the whole, the comments from Biden and his top advisers reflected their determination to cautiously navigate the ongoing conflict. The administration had declined to weigh in earlier Monday on whether Israel's military assault against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip is proportionate to the risk posed by Hamas rocket fire, as behind-the-scenes efforts to bring conflict to a close continued.

Biden's conversation with Netanyahu was their third since the deadly exchanges began, amid rising political pressure in the United States to do more to rein in Israeli airstrikes that have killed more than 200 Palestinians in Gaza.

The death toll among Israelis from rocket fire and rising Israeli-Palestinian violence stood at 10, and at least 15 Palestinians have died in clashes in the West Bank.

Pressed during her daily press briefing on whether Biden still believes Israel's military response has been proportionate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to answer directly.

"We're not going to give a day-by-day evaluation," said Psaki, who stressed the concerns that Biden communicated in weekend phone calls to Israeli and Palestinian leaders about lives lost on both sides of the conflict.

Biden and other U.S. officials have repeatedly endorsed Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks, which target Israeli towns and cities indiscriminately.

"The role we are playing, the action, the prism we are making all of our decisions through is how can we help bring an end to the violence and bring an end to de-escalate the situation on the ground," Psaki said. "And our calculation at this point is that having those conversations behind the scenes, weighing in with our important strategic partnership we have with Israel, also with other countries in the region, is the most constructive approach we can take. So our approach is through quiet, intensive diplomacy, and that's where we feel we can be most effective."

The muted tone reflects a decision by the Biden administration that heavy public pressure on Israel is likely to backfire. Multiple U.S. officials are applying some pressure and advice behind the scenes, with the goal of winding down the conflict, ideally within days.

It is not clear whether either Israel or Hamas would agree to a formal cease-fire, but U.S. and some Arab officials have signaled that a de facto agreement to end hostilities may suffice.

Egypt is a key go-between and had achieved some success last week in persuading Hamas to temporarily cease firing long-range rockets into Israel. The conflict has since escalated, however, and Israel appears to be following a pattern from past conflicts with Hamas, in which Israel attempts to quickly run down a list of Hamas targets before agreeing to pull back.

"The Israelis have a list of Hamas targets they want to hit, so they're not open to a cease-fire" now, said one State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions.

One Western diplomat familiar with discussions said there is a "race-the-clock" aspect to the Israeli actions, with the clock being the buildup of international pressure to end active hostilities because of civilian loss of life. Israel maintains that Hamas intentionally endangers civilians by locating military targets among homes, schools and ordinary commercial buildings.

Pressure from the United States is often most persuasive, both from administration officials and from members of Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday that he agrees with colleagues who put their names to a letter Sunday calling for an immediate cease-fire.

"I want to see a cease-fire reached quickly and mourn the loss of life," Schumer told reporters.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and 28 Senate Democrats had called for a cease-fire, broadening the previous notes of criticism of Israel and the Biden administration's response that came largely from liberal Democrats.

Young, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., joined a statement saying: "Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas' rocket attacks, in a manner proportionate with the threat its citizens are facing. . . . Both sides must recognize that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further."

Asked for her response to growing calls inside the Democratic Party for the United States to take a harder line against Israel, Psaki said political considerations must not be the primary focus.

"Our message is sometimes you have to step back from politics for a moment. It's not easy to do," Psaki said. "And we recognize and agree that watching the lives lost of these Palestinian children, of these families - the fear you see in the eyes of the Israeli people, it is heartbreaking."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew short of calling for a cease-fire or a statement at the U.N. Security Council on Monday.

"We are ready to lend support if the parties seek a cease-fire," Blinken said at a news conference in Copenhagen as part of an unrelated tour of Nordic countries.

When asked why the United States would not sign on to efforts at the United Nations to advance a cease-fire, Blinken said, "We are not standing in the way of diplomacy."

"The question is, will any given action, or any given statement, as a practical matter, end the violence?" he said. "If we think there's something, including at the United Nations, that would advance that, we'd be for it."

Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan both spoke with their Israeli counterparts on Monday.

Blinken "expressed deep concern at the inter-communal violence," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

"The two discussed the path forward, and the Secretary noted that the United States would remain engaged with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and other regional stakeholders as part of our diplomacy to ease tensions and put an end to the hostilities."

For days, the United States, a staunch protector of Israel at the United Nations, has blocked efforts by China, Tunisia and Norway to move the Security Council forward on a statement, including a call for a cessation of hostilities.

Blinken's qualified support for a cease-fire - only if the parties themselves agree - has been interpreted as an accommodation of Israel's goal to hit more Hamas targets. Israel also dislikes the term cease-fire because it could imply that Hamas is a legitimate government able to negotiate a formal agreement.

"It's a pretty clear signal to Israel that it has time to finish the job on its terms," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.

Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. official who has advised both Republican and Democratic administrations on Middle East issues, said waiting on Hamas or Israel to endorse a cease-fire is a recipe for further violence.

"The longer this goes on the greater danger of a mass casualty event either by errant Hamas rockets or Israeli air/artillery," he said. "Biden is clearly giving Netanyahu the time and space and political support."

"Clearly, Biden et. al. have had conversations with Netanyahu about his timeline for ending this. And the IDF isn't done yet," he said, using the acronym for the Israel Defense Forces.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been a leading voice in the region criticizing Israel's conduct during the current conflict, on Monday condemned the Biden administration's decision to approve new weapons sales to the Netanyahu government.

"You are writing history with your bloody hands in this incident, which seriously, disproportionately attacked Gaza and caused the martyrdom of hundreds of thousands of people," he said after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, in comments that wildly inflated the death toll from Israel's airstrikes in Gaza.

- - -

Hudson reported from Copenhagen. The Washington Post's Karim Faheem in Istanbul contributed to this report.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Young drivers whose attempts to get their North Carolina provisional license were stymied by COVID-19 pandemic delays in the past year would get a timing break under legislation headed to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk.

The Senate agreed unanimously Monday evening to House changes to a bill that would cut the amount of time drivers must hold a learner's permit before seeking a license that lets them drive unsupervised. The time would be reduced from 12 months to six, but the shorter window would only last for those applying for the Level 2 license through the end of the year. Bill supporters are seeking Cooper's signature to make it become law.
Tesla is "under review" by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to determine whether the company misleads customers by advertising its "full self-driving capability" option, the agency told The Times.

A Tesla equipped with the $10,000 FSD package can change lanes, take highway exit ramps, and stop at traffic lights and stop signs on its own, the company says. However, it is not capable of fully driving itself, according to widely accepted engineering standards.

Asked for detail, DMV spokesperson Anita Gore said via email, "The DMV cannot comment on the pending review." She did list the penalties that might be applied if a company is found to have violated DMV regulations that prohibit misleading advertising concerning automated vehicles.

In small print, Tesla says on its website that FSD "does not make the car autonomous" and that "active supervision" is required by the driver. But social media are rife with videos showing drivers, mostly young men, overcoming Tesla's easily-defeated driver monitoring system to crawl into the back seat and let the Tesla "drive itself" down public highways.

A man was arrested by the California Highway Patrol last week and charged with reckless driving for pulling the same dangerous stunt on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

While a driver is legally responsible for such misbehavior, the fine print in Tesla advertising provides a weak defense against deceptive marketing allegations, according Bryant Walker Smith, a leading expert on automated vehicle law at the University of South Carolina. He cites the Lanham Act, the set of federal laws that govern trademarks.

If the DMV finds Tesla is misleading customers, potential penalties include suspension or revocation of DMV autonomous vehicle deployment permits and the manufacture and dealer licenses, the DMV spokesperson said. She added that "a vehicle operating on public roads using autonomous technology without first obtaining a permit can be removed from the public roadway by a police officer."

While the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration has to authority to regulate vehicle advertising, the DMV's own rules allow it to sanction manufacturers who advertise a vehicle as autonomous when it is not. The Federal Trade Commission also regulates such advertising; an FTC spokesperson declined comment. A request to interview the DMV's director, Steve Gordon, was declined.

The DMV has said that Autopilot and FSD as currently deployed qualify as Level 2 driver-assist technologies that require full driver attention, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, and so are allowed on California highways without the data reporting that's required for autonomous vehicle testing. Otherautomated driving technology companies including Waymo, Argo AI, Cruise, Zoox and Aurora provide such data to the state. Those companies use rigorously trained safety drivers to test automated technologies on public roads. Tesla does not.

The SAE's detailed J3016 standard for autonomous cars lists "self-driving" as a term that "can lead to confusion, misunderstanding, and diminished credibility" when describing levels of automated vehicles.

"Tesla seems to be asking for legal trouble on many fronts," said law professor Smith. "From the FTC and its state counterparts for deceptive marketing. From the California DMV for, potentially, crossing into the realm of autonomous vehicle testing without state approval, from competitors with driver assistance systems, competitors with actual automated driving systems, ordinary consumers, and future crash victims who could sue under state or federal law."

Tesla is facing hundreds of lawsuits. At least several deaths have been connected with use or misuse of Autopilot. NHTSA has more than 20 investigations open on Tesla, though how long they'll take to be resolved, NHTSA won't say. China, through Chinese Communist Party media, has been drubbing Tesla for weeks, with stories detailing crashes, brake issues and customer complaints about quality.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has been stating since 2016 that fully automated Teslas are coming soon. While Musk has yet to deliver a fully automated car, Tesla continues to test automated features on public streets. Recently it deployed what it calls Full Self-Driving "beta" software to select customers, who are experimenting with the software's ability to automate vehicles not just on divided highways, but on city streets and through residential neighborhoods. The latest release includes automated right- and left-hand turns. An even more feature-laden beta version will be released soon , Musk tweeted in April. "Beta" refers to software that's released to some customers but still has bugs to be worked out.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A parolee who pleaded guilty to the execution-style killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant in 2016 was sentenced Monday to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Trenton Trevon Lovell, 31, was sentenced for killing Sgt. Steve Owen, who was shot five times on Oct. 5, 2016, as he answered a 911 report of a burglary in progress at an apartment building in Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles.

Owen had radioed that he had the break-in suspect at gunpoint and was standing outside his patrol car when Lovell shot him in the head, then fired four more times into his face and chest as the deputy lay wounded on the ground, prosecutors said.

Lovell confessed to investigators that after wounding Owen he finished the job by emptying his revolver into Owen, according to court documents.

Owen's family members and friends spoke at Lovell's sentencing hearing.

Owen's daughter, Shannon Owen, said she was walking to her car after finishing classes at a college when she heard gunshots from the neighborhood across the street.

I heard you killing my dad," she told Lovell.

My heart breaks for my children," said the sergeant's widow, Tania Owen. And you know what? My heart breaks for your mother, for your sister and your niece. They are lovely ladies. Both families are losing a loved one."

Members of both families embraced after the sentencing, KABC-TV reported.

Lovell pleaded guilty in April to first-degree murder and a number of other charges including attempted murder, burglary, robbery and false imprisonment by violence.

The attempted murder charge stems from Lovell using Owen's patrol car to ram another deputy's vehicle. Prosecutors said Lovell then jumped out of the disabled patrol car and ran to a nearby home where he robbed and held a 19-year-old woman and her 17-year-old brother at gunpoint for an hour before leaving.

He was captured a short time later.

Prosecutors didnt seek the death penalty, which county District Attorney George Gascon opposes.

Lovell had a record of nearly a dozen previous arrests and two previous convictions for robbery. He was on parole at the time of the shooting.

Owen was a 29-year veteran of the Sheriffs Department. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown and law enforcement officers from as far away as New York attended his funeral.
Broward schools already dont require masks to be worn for outdoor activities, officials said. Superintendent Robert Runcie said no changes are planned for the rest of the school year. A workshop will be held in June or July to discuss mask plans for the fall, he said.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Five more California counties will move to less restrictive tiers because of improving COVID-19 conditions and no counties regressed, the state Department of Public Health said Tuesday.

Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange, 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.

Santa Clara County's health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, immediately announced that new yellow tier rules will implemented Wednesday. Among the local rules being lifted are requirements that businesses maximize the number of staff who are teleworking.

The improvements were announced a day after the state's health director announced that California will require people to keep wearing masks and practice social distancing indoors until June 15  the date when Gov. Gavin Newsom has said nearly all COVID-19 restrictions will be dropped if cases remain low.

More than 34.8 million vaccines have been administered in California, and the seven-day positivity rate is down to just 0.9%.

During a virtual meeting of the California Travel and Tourism Commission on Tuesday, the governor noted, however, that since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended looser masking guidelines last week there has been a decline in vaccinations that is creating some pause and a little bit of concern.

More than a dozen other states, including neighboring Oregon, have already followed the new CDC masking guidelines.

Most of the 58 counties in California  including gigantic Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego  are heeding the state's masking schedule.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said Monday the county will use the extra month to fully vaccinate more people. More than half of our adult population remains vulnerable," she said.

After becoming the epicenter for the virus in the U.S. at the start of the year, California has experienced a tremendous decline in COVID-19 cases.

Newsom, like the Biden administration, has been under pressure to ease mask restrictions as coronavirus cases decline nationwide. But the Democratic governor faces a recall election this fall driven largely by frustration with his handling of the pandemic.

The tiers are based on cases, positivity rate and on vaccination figures. Newsom has indicated California will do away with the system in mid-June.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP)  Health officials in Colorado have reported the number of infections from the COVID-19 variant from India nearly tripled in less than a week in Mesa County, the only county in the state with reported variant cases.

Mesa County Public Health Director Jeff Kuhr told county commissioners on Monday that the county, which includes Grand Junction, had six reported deaths since May 3, including two last weekend involving people who were not vaccinated, The Daily Sentinel reported Tuesday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the county has 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases of the variant, and only two of those people had received their first dose of vaccine. Last week, health officials reported seven cases of the variant.

For so many people to have been infected in Mesa County of the India variant, somebody would have had to bring it in, Kuhr said. They all popped up in a similar timeframe, so that just tells you that there was probably a common exposure. Its going to be much bigger. Well see more show up.

Officials say the county has also reported 55 cases of the variant from the U.K. and 46 cases of the variant from California. The COVID-19 strains have proven to be more contagious but it is unclear if symptoms are more serious, Kuhr said.

Kuhr said its concerning that most of the cases caused by the variant from India are linked with schools and one workplace.

Mesa County has had about 300 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began, health officials said. In the past week, the county has reported about 200 new infections.

Kuhr said about 38% of residents living in the county are fully vaccinated, short of the statewide average of 41%. The percentage is based on county residents 16 and older.

More than 47,800 county residents have received their first vaccine dose, while some 47,130 are fully vaccinated, officials said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50% of the state's population has received a first dose of vaccine, while more than 35% are fully vaccinated.
DETROIT (AP)  The chairman of Michigans Civil Rights Commission is leaving the post to become Detroits interim police chief, the city's mayor announced Monday.

James White, 53. left the Detroit Police Department in August to take the civil rights post. He was named the departments interim chief by Mayor Mike Duggan. He will assume the post on June 1, the date Chief James Craig announced last week he will retire.

Im humbled, the Detroit native said during a news conference. If this city can take a chance on me, I can take a chance on the city.

White says his top priorities will be fighting crime, with a particular focus on speeding, drifting and other traffic violations. He also said during a news conference he will balance the need to uphold the law with citizens rights.

The crime plan were working on will be sensitive to our community, but itll also be aggressive to those who commit crimes, he said. People have the right to walk down the street.

Duggan said he interviewed several people since Craig announced his retirement. Settling on White answered the question of whod be the best fit. Duggan added the city is close to naming a search firm for a permanent chief. White said he plans to compete for the permanent chiefs job.

Craig has the longest tenure of any recent Detroit police chief. The city has had about a dozen police chiefs since the early 1990s, including five in the previous five years before Craig was hired. He was hired in 2013 by an emergency manager after the state assumed control of the financially broken city. Craig, who is Black and a native of the city, immediately set out to restore residents confidence in the Detroit Police Department, which had a history of civil rights abuses by officers against the citys mostly Black population.

White joined the citys police force in 1996. During his career, he ran the Civil Rights Integrity Bureau and was a supervisor in the 6th Precinct before Craig appointed him assistant chief in 2013.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights congratulated and thanked White in a statement. The agency chose White to replace Agustin Arbulu, who was removed from the position in 2019 after allegedly making remarks objectifying women.
DENVER (AP)  A Colorado bill aims to improve healthcare for pregnant women, including those who are incarcerated, less than three years since a woman filed a federal lawsuit after giving birth in a Denver jail cell with no medical care.

Diana Sanchez gave birth alone in her jail cell in July 2018 after deputies and nurses allegedly ignored her pleas during about five hours of labor. Sanchez and her son will receive nearly $500,000 in periodic installments from a lawsuit settlement with the city and Denver Health Medical Center, which employed the jails nurses.

But her lawyer, Mari Newman, said the outcomes aren't always positive, noting that an incarcerated woman she represented over 20 years ago lost her baby because she didn't receive care. Legislation is "critically necessary" because things haven't changed, Newman said.

Evidence has shown that we cant depend on jails and prisons to provide even the most basic, common sense and humane care to women to are giving birth in custody, Newman said.

The bill, which passed the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday, would establish requirements for incarceration facilities with custody of pregnant women to have staff training, policies to promote their health and safety, be able to transfer health records and connect women in their postpartum period to community resources.

Newman said Sanchez's settlement included mandatory training for jails and prisons and a policy that women in labor are to be taken to the hospital.

Currently, inmates cannot bring newborns back to their permanent facility and are not allowed visitors during their hospital stay. Newborn children are placed in the community based on a pregnancy plan, according to the bills fiscal note.

The bill would require the state's health department to institute a policy by 2022 that allows newborns to remain with their families for those who are in custody.

The Colorado Department of Corrections is not allowed to restrain inmates during labor and delivery, with an exception for wrist restraints if they pose an immediate and serious risk of harm to themselves or others, or pose a substantial escape risk, according to the fiscal note.

The bill would also require that the department and private prisons submit annual records about the use of restraints on pregnant women in their facilities and the number of births in their custody to the Legislature.

This is a health equity issue. But its also a health issue for all women in the state and all pregnant people in this state, Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod, one of the bills sponsors, said of the legislation.

The bill makes further reaching systemic changes for pregnant women by requiring medical malpractice insurance cover vaginal and caesarian births, extending the statute of limitations to three years for civil lawsuits alleging lack of informed consent for medical procedures, and authorizing the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to receive reports on allegations of improper maternity care.

The bill also repeals language excluding pregnant women from Colorado Advance Directive laws which allows for people to make medical decisions in the event they are unconscious or incompetent. The current law means that physicians can override previously written and signed advanced directives when providing healthcare, Herod said.

Lizzy Hinkley, Reproductive Rights Policy Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union branch of Colorado, said the current statute singles out pregnant people and deprives them of their rights. The pregnancy exclusion unconstitutionally denies pregnant people due process and equal protection under law, Hinkley said.

The Colorado Catholic Conference said it opposes this part of the bill because it would remove protections for a preborn viable baby when a woman is on life support," which exists under the Advance Directive provision.

As a result, the bill could create a situation where a woman with an advanced directive could have the life of her viable baby ended because her advanced directive did not anticipate that situation  even if she would not choose to end her childs life otherwise," a spokesperson for the Colorado Catholic Conference said.

The bill passed on a 7-4 vote. It will go on to the House Appropriations committee.

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Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Abortion. Guns. Religion. A Trump-fortified conservative majority is making its presence felt at the Supreme Court by quickly wading into high-profile social issues that have been a goal of the right for decades.

For years, frustrated conservatives, including some justices, chided a court with a majority of Republican appointees for not going far enough or passing on issues they thought demanded the court's attention.

Now, with three appointees of former President Donald Trump on the nine-member court, longer-serving conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas can cobble together five-justice majorities even without the vote of Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Trump-appointed justices represent not only a shift of ideology but a shift of power. There are five justices to right of Roberts, said Boston College law professor Kent Greenfield. What that means is that the chief is not in control of the court anymore.

In the seven months since Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court, conservative majorities have issued a series of orders in favor of religious worshippers who had challenged restrictions imposed because of COVID-19.

Barrett provided the fifth vote in several cases. Roberts has been unwilling to second guess elected officials in these cases and, prior to her death in September, Ginsburg also had voted to keep the restrictions on religious services in place.

Perhaps even more significant are the culture war issues that the court will, in all likelihood, rule on in the spring of 2022, in the run up to the congressional midterm elections. The justices announced Monday that they will hear an abortion case that could undermine nearly 50 years of abortion rights rulings and agreed last month to decide whether Americans have a constitutional right to carry guns in public for self-defense.

Waiting in the wings is a direct challenge to affirmative action in college admissions, in a case, involving Harvard, that calls on the court to reverse a 2003 ruling upholding race as a permissible factor in admissions. A vote to hear that case next term could come before the court takes its long summer break.

A decision to hear a case takes just four votes and is no guarantee of its outcome. But on guns and abortion in particular, the court with a less-conservative lineup passed up several opportunities to wade in.

Thomas, the longest-serving current justice, has long complained about his colleagues' timidity on these topics. For nearly 30 years, he has called on the court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that extended abortion rights across the country. He was one of four justices who would have overturned Roe in 1992, in his first term on the court.

Instead, a five-member majority composed entirely of justices appointed by Republican presidents reaffirmed constitutional protections for women seeking abortions.

On guns, Thomas has lamented that his colleagues treat the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms as a second-class right, a phrase that Barrett herself used when she was an appeals court judge.

The court's shift to the right grows out of two untimely deaths and one crucial retirement.

It began five years ago, when Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly and Senate Republicans refused to act on President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to take Scalia's seat. Had Garland, now the attorney general, been confirmed, it would have given the court a majority appointed by Democratic presidents for the first time in 50 years.

Instead, the seat remained empty, Trump shocked the world by winning the presidency and Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the court in April 2017.

A year later the court's swing vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy, retired and Trump put Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his seat.

Kennedy's retirement essentially put Roberts at the ideological, though right-leaning, center of the court, and the chief justice has resisted public perceptions of the court as merely a political institution. He has voted with the liberal justices to uphold the Obama era health care law and strike down a Louisiana abortion regulation.

But Ginsburg's death, which led to Barrett's confirmation days before the 2020 election, ended a brief period in which Roberts controlled how far the court would go in either direction.

Trump had pledged to nominate pro-life justices and predicted back in 2016 that with three appointments, Roe would be gone.

Carrie Severino, whose Judicial Crisis Network spent tens of millions of dollars in support of confirming the three Trump appointees, said the justices have not shied away from big issues.

Having Trumps nominees on the court has made a real impact. Its exciting to see a solid majority of the court committed to interpreting the Constitution as its written, said Severino, a onetime law clerk for Thomas.

Liberal groups are alarmed at the turn of events generally and the court's intervention in the abortion case in particular.

Take Back the Court, a group pushing for Supreme Court expansion, said in a letter it is sending to President Joe Biden that the recent developments are a predictable result of Republican efforts to keep Scalia's seat open, then fill Ginsburg's quickly.

None of this is a surprise: The Supreme Court was stolen by Mitch McConnell  and its theft designed by the Federalist Society  explicitly to overturn Roe and restrict womens rights, the letter reads.

Biden's commission on Supreme Court reform is holding its first meeting Wednesday. It's supposed to report back in six months.

Ginsburg herself recognized what might come to pass with Trump's election. In an interview with The Associated Press in July 2016, she was confident that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would become president and have several Supreme Court appointments.

But what, Ginsburg was asked, would happen if Trump were to win?

I dont want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs, she said.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  Democrats outraised Republicans and incumbents hauled in more than challengers in New Jersey's legislative primary contest set for next month, new figures released Tuesday by state regulators show.

Democrats brought in $25 million and have $13 million on hand compared with about $6 million brought in by Republicans, who have $3.1 million on hand, according to the Election Law Enforcement Commission. Incumbent lawmakers from raised $28 million and have $14.5 million on hand, while challengers raised $2.8 million and have $1.6 million in cash on hand.

The Commission also said Tuesday that candidates for legislative seats raised $31 million and have $16 million cash on hand, the most the state has seen in at least 20 years. The haul is 21% higher than four years ago, the last time New Jersey had a comparable election.

Democrats are doing better compared to their 2017 haul as well, climbing from almost $21 million raised then to $25 million this year. Republicans, though, raised about $8.5 million four years ago and $5.8 million this year.

All 80 seats in the Assembly and all 40 seats in the Senate, as well as the governor, are on the ballot this year.

Tuesday's fundraising information provides a pre-primary snapshot of how candidates are faring.

The disparities underscore long-standing political realities in New Jersey. Democrats have controlled the Legislature since 2001, and have more than 1 million registered voters on the rolls than Republicans. Incumbents also hold an advantage, particularly in a primary when they typically receive endorsements from county political parties.

Incumbents tend to draw more funds than challengers because they usually are much better known. Plus, they already are positioned to exert influence on legislation and, unlike most challengers, they may have substantial experience," Election Law Enforcement Commission executive director Jeff Brindle said.

Democrats control the Senate with 25 seats compared to the GOP's 15. In the Assembly, there are 52 Democrats and 28 Republicans. Gov. Phil Murphy is running unopposed in his own reelection primary as a Democrat.

The primary is set for June 2. Voters will be able to cast ballots in person at their usual polling places, unlike in last year's presidential election, when ballots were mostly cast by mail because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WALDORF, Md. (AP)  Two Maryland sheriffs deputies were in good condition Tuesday after being shot multiple times a day earlier while trying to serve a warrant for a probation violation, a spokeswoman said. The shooter was found dead hours later.

The Charles County Sheriffs deputies were stable and in good condition thanks to a bulletproof vest, the officers who were able to get them out of the situation and good doctors and nurses, spokeswoman Diane Richardson said.

Richardson identified the wounded deputies as a 10-year-veteran assigned to patrol and an officer with less than one year of experience, also assigned to patrol. Their names were not released.

According to a news release on Tuesday, a family member of the man had recently contacted the Charles County States Attorneys Office to say the man was violating his probation on an assault conviction. A warrant was subsequently issued, after which a relative called 911 and reported the man was at the home, the news release said.

Deputies responded to the 911 call at 3:47 p.m. Monday. Additional deputies were dispatched because there were concerns about the mans mental condition and the danger he might pose, Richardson said. He was said to be experiencing a mental health episode, she said, citing the call.

The deputies coordinated a plan to take the man into custody as safely as possible, but when the family member let them inside and they began going upstairs, the suspect came out of a room and opened fire, Richardson said. The two deputies who were shot were removed from the house by their colleagues, and then flown to a hospital for treatment.

The officers returned fire, but it's not clear yet how many shots were fired or if any of them hit the suspect, Richardson said.

The man, identified as Denzell Nathan Clarke, 28, then barricaded himself inside the home and deputies were not able to make contact with him, Sheriff Troy Berry told reporters at a briefing Monday evening.

Eventually, authorities used a drone to determine that Clarke was dead with a gun nearby, Richardson said in a news release Tuesday. The 9 mm handgun was a Polymer ghost gun made from kits that are sold online and have no traceable serial numbers. Officers also recovered an extended magazine containing 22 live rounds, the news release said.

Richardson said it's not known if Clarke was shot by deputies or if he took his own life. That determination depends on an autopsy, she said.

As for video from the incident, Berry said his deputies aren't equipped with body cameras.

Waldorf is an unincorporated community 25 miles (40 km) south of Washington.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Louisiana state Rep. Ray Garofalo is out of his legislative leadership position after weeks of racial tensions in the House that began with his handling of a bill that sought to put limits on classroom discussions about racism.

Garofalo, a St. Bernard Parish Republican, said in a text Tuesday that he was removed as chairman of the House Education Committee. In follow-up statements, Garofalo lashed out at Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and accused the speaker of sacrificing me to the Black Caucus, who seem to be controlling the Louisiana House of Representatives this term.

Schexnayder wouldn't immediately discuss the decision Tuesday. But the House's second-ranking Republican, Rep. Tanner Magee, said Garofalo was asked Monday to temporarily step down from the chairmanship for the rest of the legislative session, not for the full term. Magee said Garofalo left the meeting and began telling people he was kicked out of the job.

He was asked to put his personal ambition aside. He refused and left the meeting. Now hes telling everyone hes been removed so he can be a martyr, Magee said Tuesday.

The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, which helped Schexnayder obtain the speakers job, had called for Garofalos ejection from the chairmans job in late April and had been withholding support for a tax overhaul sought by Schexnayder and other legislative leaders.

Hes a distraction from the goals of the session. Hes an obstacle. We would like to get some meaningful tax reform done, Magee said. Clay has given Ray every opportunity to participate and work with people so he would not have to be removed as chairman and accomplish tax reform. Ray has refused at every step and has dug his heels in.

Black lawmakers were upset with Garofalo's legislation aimed at blocking the teaching of critical race theory, a shorthand label for any examinations of the ways in which race and racism have influenced politics, culture, government systems and laws.

The bill would prohibit teaching in public schools or colleges that the United States or Louisiana is systematically racist or sexist, and forbid giving students or employees information that promotes divisive concepts.

Garofalo suggested he lost his chairmanship because he wouldn't agree to demands to shelve the bill.

It is the speaker's prerogative to choose who he wants to chair a committee, Garofalo said in a statement. I have no problem with his exercising his authority, but I will not sacrifice my principles in doing what I know is right. My legislation is about protecting our children, not erasing or rewriting history as Critical Race Theory seeks to do.

Garofalo didn't try to move his proposal out of committee, but he held a contentious, hourslong hearing on it, during which he referenced the good of slavery and said critical race theory fuels hate.

The comments about slavery came in an exchange with New Orleans Republican Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, who asked Garofalo to explain how the measure would work practically in a classroom.

If youre having a discussion on whatever the case may be, on slavery, then you can talk about everything having to do with slavery: the good, the bad, the ugly, Garofalo said.

Hilferty interrupted him: Theres no good to slavery, though.

Garofalo quickly replied: Youre right. I didnt mean to imply that. And I dont believe that.

But after the Black Caucus sought Garofalo's ouster as chairman, the lawmaker doubled down on his defense of the hearing and the bill with the support of some other conservative Republicans, refusing to apologize.

Schexnayder held private meetings with Black lawmakers and Garofalo, trying to end the dispute without success. Instead, racial tensions have ratcheted up in the House over a series of issues this session.

Garofalo's committee had another divisive debate last week when a fellow opponent of critical race theory, Republican Rep. Valarie Hodges of Denham Springs, tried to amend a bill to prohibit Louisianas education board from approving content standards or recommending instructional materials that provide that a particular sex, race, ethnicity or national origin is inherently superior or inferior to another.

The amendment failed, but Black lawmakers on the education committee bristled at the return to another debate over teaching race in classrooms. Garofalo didn't preside over the hearing, but he rankled Black lawmakers when he continued to show up in the room for votes on contentious issues  including on Hodges' failed amendment.

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Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Douglas County's most wanted fugitive has been brought back to Omaha after being held by officials in Miami, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said.

The sheriffs office said in a news release that Adam Hawhee, 29, was picked up by Douglas County deputies and returned to Omaha on Tuesday to face two counts of child enticement and 26 counts of child pornography.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Dubai police Tuesday warned inhabitants of a residential neighborhood in the skyscraper-studded city that a wild cat" was loose in the area.

Police didn't name the animal at large but the government's Dubai Media Office said officers were combing the city's The Springs neighborhood for the cat.

Police urged the public to call them if they spotted the animal.

Dubai Police said bringing out any kind of wild animal into a public environment is strictly prohibited under the emirates laws and violators can face a jail term of up to six months in addition to severe financial penalties, the Dubai Media Office said in a tweet.

The thrill of keeping lions, cheetahs and tigers as pets is popular in some quarters of the Gulf Arab states, where its seen as a status of wealth and power.

Though it is illegal to keep as pets endangered or threatened wildlife in the United Arab Emirates, there have been numerous sightings of Emirati men in luxury cars accompanied by pet lions along for the cruise.

A lion escaped from a house in Dubai's Al Barsha neighborhood in 2016 before police seized it.

In Kuwait, a man was sued in 2014 after his pet lion escaped and attacked a Filipina maid.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina is particularly susceptible to energy interruptions because gasoline and natural gas supplies originate mainly from two pipeline systems, energy industry experts told a state Senate committee Tuesday.

Representatives of utility giants Duke Energy and Dominion Energy were among those who addressed the chamber's energy panel in light of this month's ransomware cyberattack upon the Colonial Pipeline. North Carolina motorists were hit particularly hard  43% of the state's gas stations remained out of fuel Tuesday afternoon, according to GasBuddy.

Up to 75% of each day's supply of refined petroleum products in North Carolina run through the Colonial Pipeline, said David McGowan, executive director of the North Carolina Petroleum Council. And the Transco pipeline is currently the lone interstate natural gas transmission line for North Carolina. Both lines move products south to north.

Natural gas increasingly fuels electric generation. A lack of diverse distribution and redundancy in distribution networks make widespread outages for electricity and natural gas hard to overcome quickly, whether from natural disasters or cyberattacks, said Ed Finley, the former chairman of the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

When it goes out, peoples lives are disrupted, Finley said, adding that the inability for consumers and businesses to turn on electricity and natural gas would be crippling to the states economy. Finley said hardening the electrical grid against physical damage and cyber attacks should be considered.

Duke Energy, which uses natural gas to generate 30% of its electricity during the coldest weather, has backup fuels at most of these plants, said Nelson Peeler, a company senior vice president. But the diesel fuel immediately available only would last a couple of days, he said.

Efforts to diversify natural gas supplies in North Carolina, particularly by moving the fuel from deposits in the north, have stalled in recent years.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, proposed by Dominion Energy and Duke, was canceled last summer after legal challenges, construction delays and ballooning costs. And a proposed extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline from Virginia into North Carolina is in jeopardy after the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality denied a water quality certification.

Rusty Harris, a Dominion Energy vice president, said that without expanding natural gas being piped into North Carolina, the utility may have to look to creating more storage facilities to plan for an interruption. Harris and Peeler said separately that alternative forms of energy, such as solar, wind or a greener form of natural gas, can diversify fuel sources. But they cautioned the technology or economics don't yet make them a reasonable or reliable substitute.

Sen. Paul Newton, a Cabarrus County Republican, retired Duke Energy executive and committee member, said during the meeting he was concerned that natural gas production limitations in North Carolina could stunt the state's economic growth.

The message from todays hearing couldnt be clearer: North Carolinas reliance on a single pipeline is a critical vulnerability," Newton said in a news release after the meeting.
BRANDON, Miss. (AP)  The family of a man who died hours after being taken into custody by deputies in central Mississippi is seeking answers about his death.

Cory Jackson of Brandon died early Saturday morning, WLBT-TV reports. While the Rankin County Sheriffs Department says he was pronounced dead at a hospital, Jacksons younger sister Megan Jackson said the deputy coroner told the family he died at the jail.

Nobody deserves to die scared and alone in a cell when someone is supposed to protect you, Megan Jackson told WLBT.

She said the family called the sheriffs department for help because Jackson needed medical attention for injuries and his hallucinations made it difficult to get him to a hospital.

He has a mental illness. Hes schizophrenic, you know, he has drug-induced psychosis. He is bipolar. He has multiple personalities, he is delusional, the sister added.

She told the station that deputies assumed her brother was on drugs because of his behavior. She said Jackson had been with their mother the whole day and she had his money. While the family said he had used drugs many times before, he didnt that day.

The cop was like, well, this is obviously drugs. And we were like, no, its not, Megan Jackson said.

According to the woman, deputies charged Jackson with disorderly conduct so they could bring him in for treatment.

Rankin County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Paul Holley told WLBT that Jackson was pronounced dead at a hospital after he was put in jail. His sister said the deputy coroner told her family a different version of what happened.

When they went in to check, he was gone. They said he passed at the jail, Megan Jackson said. The (deputy) coroner said that he was still in handcuffs when he was found dead.

Coroner David Ruth couldnt confirm to the station what the family members said but told the station that Jacksons body was sent for an autopsy. Holley said the case was turned over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Jackson's sister and his mother Joyce Reddell said they dont believe he received medical treatment once he was put in jail.

He doesnt have to run anymore from his demons, but I hate it had to be this way, Reddell said.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto lost his bid for re-election Tuesday to Ed Gainey, a five-term state representative, as the city took a big step toward electing its first Black chief executive.

Peduto, a Democrat, had been seeking a third term against three primary challengers but instead called to congratulate Gainey, Wishing him well in a tweet late Tuesday.

Gainey was all but assured a victory in November in the heavily Democratic city. He had consistently made the campaign about equality for Black and poor residents, and accused Peduto of failing to ensure equity in policing, housing and other areas. At one point, he called Pittsburgh a tale of two cities.

One person can't change a city. A city is changed when we all come together to improve the quality of life for everybody, Gainey told supporters late Tuesday.

Statewide, Pennsylvania voters were given the opportunity to limit a governor's emergency authority  more than a year after Gov. Tom Wolf's pandemic restrictions drew fierce backlash among legislative Republicans  in an otherwise quiet off-year primary election that also included balloting for an open seat on the state's highest court.

Voters of all kinds, including independents, were allowed to vote on four ballot questions, including two that stemmed from Republican lawmakers' dissatisfaction with how Wolf, a Democrat, wielded his authority during the COVID-19 crisis.

It was the first vote of its kind since the coronavirus outbreak, as Republicans in nearly every state have sought to roll back governors' authority during disaster emergencies.

For Republicans, the top-of-the-ticket race was an open state Supreme Court seat, with three GOP candidates vying for the nomination. The Democratic candidate ran unopposed.

Voters also decided whether to write civil rights protections for race and ethnicity into the state constitution, while Philadelphia's progressive district attorney, vying for a second term, fended off a primary challenge.

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DISASTER DECLARATIONS

The two questions were on constitutional amendments that would give lawmakers much more power over disaster declarations, to apply whether the emergency is another pandemic or a natural disaster.

They asked voters to end a governors emergency disaster declaration after 21 days and to give lawmakers the sole authority to extend it or end it at any time with a simple majority vote.

Current law allows a governor to issue an emergency declaration for up to 90 days and extend it without limit. The constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote by lawmakers to end the declaration.

Wolf opposed the change.

Results to the two questions were still being tabulated early Wednesday morning.

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ETHNICITY AND RACE

Voters backed a proposal that would add a passage to the constitution outlawing discrimination because of someones race or ethnicity.

Its believed to be the first time since last summers protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis that voters were asked to weigh in on a racial equality issue on a statewide ballot.

It becomes the constitutions fourth equality provision, added to all men are born equally free and independent, a protection from discrimination in exercising civil rights, and a 1971 amendment that ensures gender equality.

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STATE SUPREME COURT

Kevin Brobson, a Commonwealth Court judge from Cumberland County, won the Republican nomination for an open seat on state Supreme Court.

Brobson was endorsed by the state Republican Party, and enjoyed a huge advantage in campaign spending, thanks in large part to more than $275,000 in help from a business advocacy organization whose money comes from suburban Philadelphia billionaire Jeffrey Yass.

He beat two challengers, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick and Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough of Allegheny County.

Democrat Maria McLaughlin, a Superior Court judge, ran uncontested for her partys nomination.

The winner of the November election will replace retiring Justice Thomas Saylor, a conservative whose departure will leave the court with one justice elected as a Republican and five elected as Democrats.

A term is 10 years, followed by an up-or-down retention election.

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LEGISLATURE

Voters picked candidates in four special elections to fill vacant seats in the state Legislature, two in the Senate and two in the House of Representatives.

The elections will not tip the balance of power in the 253-seat Legislature, where Republicans control both chambers by comfortable margins.

A Lackawanna County-based Senate remained in Democratic hands. Republicans held on to a second seat, based in Lebanon County.

In the House, seats based in Westmoreland and Armstrong remained held by Republicans.

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PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Incumbent Larry Krasner, who was elected four years ago on a promise of radical change, beat back a primary challenge to win the Democratic nomination.

Krasner has pushed shorter probation and parole, a curtailing of cash bail that disproportionately keeps poor defendants confined before trial and other reforms. His campaign for a second term was seen as a test of whether a wave of progressive prosecutors elected on promises of criminal justice reform could survive a rising tide of gun violence and homicides across the country.

Krasner, 60, a longtime civil rights and defense attorney, defeated veteran homicide prosecutor Carlos Vega, 64, on Tuesday and will be the heavy favorite in November.

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FIRE DEPARTMENT LOANS

A fourth ballot question asked whether voters wanted to allow 22 municipal fire departments in Pennsylvania to have access to a 45-year-old low-interest loan fund that helps some 2,000 volunteer firefighting squads borrow money to pay for trucks, equipment and facilities.

The fund is administered by the office of the state fire commissioner.

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OTHER APPELLATE COURTS

Democrats picked from among three candidates for an open seat on the Superior Court, which handles criminal and civil appeals from county courts.

The candidates were Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Timika Lane and two lawyers in private practice, Bryan Neft of suburban Pittsburgh and Jill Beck of Pittsburgh.

Republican Megan Sullivan ran unopposed for the nomination.

Meanwhile, Democrats chose among four candidates for two open seats on the Commonwealth Court, which handles lawsuits and appeals involving state and governmental agencies.

Running were Common Pleas Court Judge David Lee Spurgeon and lawyer Amanda Green Hawkins of Allegheny County and Common Pleas Court judges Lori Dumas and Sierra Street of Philadelphia.

Republicans Drew Crompton and Stacy Wallace were uncontested.

Results in these races were still being counted early Wednesday morning.
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP)  A former Tyson Foods employee faces sentencing in July after admitting that he defrauded the company out of more than $416,000 while working at its Emporia plant.

David John Ranger was plant maintenance manager at the Emporia plant when he used company cards and created a fictitious company in order to divert Tyson payments to pay for his personal expenses, according to federal prosecutors.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)  Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed a $59 billion, two-year state operating budget that he said would help provide relief and recovery from the widespread effects of the pandemic.

The Democrat also signed an $11.8 billion transportation budget and a $6.3 billion state construction budget.

The final budget funds most of the relief, recovery and resilience priorities that I put forward in December, Inslee said, noting that it makes vital investments in areas like public health, homelessness, climate change, access to broadband and child care.

Inslee said it was a good thing that lawmakers previously resisted widespread calls to slash state spending for services because the budget situation improved during the year.

Lawmakers used $10.6 billion in federal virus relief funding In the budget that ends in mid-2023. The amount is separate from the $59 billion in state spending.

The largest chunk of federal stimulus in the budget is about $1.7 billion for school reopenings and funds for schools to address learning loss by students over the past year. Another $1.1 billion will be allocated for vaccine deployment, recruitment of public health workers and other efforts related to the pandemic.

Republicans said there were things they liked in the budget  including the funding of a tax credit for low-income workers and families  but they opposed its new taxes, including a capital gains tax that was signed into law by Inslee earlier this month.

If the majority Democrats had followed the Republican lead more closely, this budget would spend several billion dollars less, wouldnt touch the rainy-day fund, and wouldnt include any new or higher taxes, said state Sen. Lynda Wilson, a Republican from Vancouver and GOP leader of the Ways and Means Committee.

The 7% capital gains tax on the sale of stocks, bonds and other high-end assets in excess of $250,000 is set to start in January. It's expected to bring in about $415 million in 2023, though it is certain to face an immediate court challenge by opponents, who argue its a tax on income that violates the state constitution.

The state construction budget includes money to build 33 new schools and to add buildings to community college campuses and behavioral health facilities around the state, Inslee said.

The transportation budget will add jobs in highway construction and provide funds to remove fish passage barriers. Inslee said future budgets must fund the replacement of 13 state ferries over the next 20 years.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A court hearing in California for a Nebraska man charged in the deaths of his two children was postponed on Tuesday.

Adam Price, 35, is charged with two counts of felony child abuse resulting in death. His children, 3-year-old Theodore and 5-year-old Emily, were found dead in his home in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue on Sunday.
HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong police said Tuesday there is no evidence the director of its National Security Department, who was caught up in a raid on an unlicensed massage business, was engaging in any immoral or illegal behavior.

The director, Frederic Choi, was placed on leave while being investigated over the March raid, authorities said last week.

Chief Superintendent Ryan Wong told reporters Tuesday that there was no evidence that Choi was doing anything illegal or immoral at the time of the raid. He did not elaborate on what Choi was doing at the venue.

Wong, who is from the organized crime and triad bureau, said six women were arrested during the raid and the unlicensed business was a venue for prostitution.

While operating an unlicensed massage business is an offense that can result in up to six months imprisonment and a 50,000 Hong Kong dollar ($6,440) fine, patronizing such establishments is not illegal.

Choi remains on leave, and the police force will base any follow-up action on advice from the Department of Justice, Wong said.

Police chief Chris Tang said last week that while the incident would hurt the reputation of the police force, the work of the National Security Department would not be affected because it operates as a team.

The National Security Department was set up after Beijing imposed a new security law last year which came as it tried to silence dissent in the semi-autonomous territory following months of anti-government protests.

Choi, who is also a senior assistant commissioner, joined the citys police force in 1995. In February, he received an award for contributions to national security from the citys leader, Carrie Lam.

He was sanctioned by the U.S. earlier this year together with six other national security officers for undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong, a former British colony that was handed over to Beijing in 1997.
HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kongs incoming Roman Catholic bishop Stephen Chow called for respect for different views as he prepares to lead a diocese that has been polarized by the citys deteriorating political situation.

Chow said while he had no big plan on how to unify a Catholic community divided since months of anti-government protests in 2019, he believed that God wanted them to be united.

Unity is not the same as uniformity, Chow said at a news conference Tuesday, one day after Pope Francis named him to head the Hong Kong diocese. One thing Ive always mentioned recently in schools is unity is plurality.

We need to respect plurality, he said.

Chow, whose appointment won't be effective until Dec. 4, will replace Bishop Michael Yeung, who died in 2019. A Hong Kong native, the 62-year-old Chow was educated in the U.S. and Ireland and is a school supervisor at the citys Wah Yan College.

The Catholic community in Hong Kong comprises about 404,000 people, or about 5.3% of the citys population. The Catholic community is split between those who see Beijing's control over Hong Kong as an attack on the city's freedoms, and pro-establishment figures who prefer a less confrontational approach.

Hong Kongs largely pro-Beijing chief executive, Carrie Lam, is also a Roman Catholic.

Chow has headed the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus since 2018, and led the Jesuit order in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as China and the Vatican signed a landmark deal in 2018 that gave both sides a say in the appointments of bishops in the Chinese church.

Chinas Catholics are legally only allowed to worship in churches approved by the Chinese government, but many attend underground churches led by bishops loyal to Rome.

Chow said Tuesday that there should not be the assumption that Beijing and the Chinese church are enemies since both churches believe in the same faith, and should try to seek understanding together.

However, he reiterated that the Latin Church does not have a formal diplomatic relationship with China, and therefore operates independently.

When asked about his thoughts on calls to commemorate the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 this year, Chow said that whether public commemoration is possible this year depends on legal requirements.

He had participated in past public commemorations in Hong Kong, which last year for the first time did not allow public gatherings to mark the June 4 anniversary of the crackdown in which Chinese troops moved against student-led, pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, killing hundreds, possible thousands, of protesters.

He said that there are different means of commemoration. I pray for all those who have passed in 1989, in all aspects, from all walks of life, Chow said.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court urged Libyas new interim government Monday to arrest the son of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and called for mercenaries and foreign fighters to leave the North African nation without delay, warning that they could face prosecution by the tribunal for atrocity crimes.

In her final briefing to the U.N. Security Council on Libya, Fatou Bensouda said the ICC continues to receive concerning information about ongoing crimes, ranging from disappearances and arbitrary detention to murder, torture and sexual and gender-based violence.

She pointed to serious crimes allegedly committed in official and unofficial detention facilities, as well as reports of secret trials with summary conviction and sentencing of civilians to long prison terms by military courts in eastern Libya without fair trial guarantees.

Bensouda also decried the violent silencing of public critics as a method to terrorize the civilian population. She said that reached a low point with the killing of human rights lawyer Hanaan Al-Barassi in Benghazi in November.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled Gadhafi in 2011 and split the oil-rich country between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the countrys east, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive trying to capture Tripoli. His 14-month-long campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of soldiers and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.

An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand for all foreign fighters and mercenaries to leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the transitional government and agreement to hold elections in December.

Bensouda noted Libya remains under the legal obligation to arrest and surrender Gadhafis son, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, and called on the Government of National Unity to take all possible action to secure his arrest and surrender. She also repeated calls by her office to Gadhafi to surrender himself to face charges of crimes against humanity.

The prosecutor, whose term ends June 15, lamented that two Libyans sought by the court would not face justice  Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a commander in the self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces, who was reportedly killed in Benghazi in March and Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled, former head of Libyas Internal Security Agency, who reportedly died in Cairo.

Bensouda criticized those in power in Libya and Egypt for having refused to transfer them to the ICC and called on Libyan and Egyptian authorities to promptly investigate their reported deaths and provide information to the court.

She also said the ICC has collected credible information and evidence on serious crimes allegedly committed in official and unofficial detention facilities in Libya." She singled out the Mitiga Prison controlled by the Special Deterrence Force, a militia operating under Libya's Ministry of Interior, and the Gernada and Al-Kuweifiya detention facilities controlled by the eastern-based Libyan Arab Armed Force militia.

Bensouda pointed to reports by the U.N. political mission in Libya that more than 8,850 individuals are arbitrarily detained at 28 official prisons in Libya, with an estimated 60% to 70% in pre-trial detention. An additional 10,000 individuals are detained in other detention facilities run by militia and armed groups including about 480 women and 63 juveniles and children, she said.

She said the Rome Statute that established the ICC prohibits the use of detention facilities in this manner, and she called for international observers and investigators to be given full access to all detention centers in the country.

The ICC has also received reports concerning information about the activities of mercenaries and foreign fighters in Libya consistent with the findings of U.N. experts monitoring sanctions against Libya, Bensouda said without elaborating.

I must emphasize that crimes committed by mercenaries and foreign fighters on Libyan territory may fall under the jurisdiction of the court, no matter the nationality of the persons involved, she said.

The U.N. estimated in December that there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including Syrians, Russians, Sudanese and Chadians. At an informal Security Council meeting in late April, speakers said there were more than 20,000, including 13,000 Syrians and 11,000 Sudanese, according to diplomats  and no withdrawals have been reported.
In his South Florida district, Wexler was known as someone who spoke loudly enough so any older voters with hearing difficulties wouldnt have trouble receiving his messages. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, a Palm Beach County Republican, once quipped that, One thing with Robert Wexler is you never needed a Miracle Ear. Wexler said his volume came about because of the 1996 primary for Congress. After a debate, voters assessed the three candidates in a newspaper article and a remarkably wonderful lady said she was going to vote for me because I was the only one she could hear, and I never forgot that.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in Indonesias capital on Tuesday to demand an end to Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and signs that read Free Palestine, several hundred demonstrators gathered along a major street in Jakarta that runs outside the embassy. More than 1,000 police were deployed around the compound, which is blocked off by concrete road separators.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim majority nation, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and there is not an Israeli Embassy in the country.

One group of protesters, organized by the United Indonesian Muslim Student Action group, chanted God is Great and Freedom for Palestine as they marched. Their banners and placards slammed the airstrikes in Gaza and denounced America's staunch support of Israel.

Another group, organized by the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, held a similar rally a few hundred meters (yards) from the embassy. They yelled Save Palestinians as they marched through downtown Jakarta to the United Nations mission.

Similar protests organized by union workers were held at the same time Tuesday in other Indonesian cities, including in Surabaya, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Riau.

Authorities warned protests to maintain social distance during the demonstrations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians and President Joko Widodo has condemned the airstrikes.

Israel aggression must be put to a stop, he wrote Sunday on Twitter.

In a joint statement released late Sunday, Widodo, Malaysias Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Bruneis Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and de-escalation of the situation.

The three leaders of Muslim-majority nations in Southeast Asia also urged the United Nations Security Council to act urgently to guarantee the safety and protection of Palestinian civilians. They also called for an emergency UN General Assembly to come up with a resolution to end the atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Israel has said it will press on for now with its attacks against Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the U.S. signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

At least 212 Palestinians have been killed in the week of airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  A three-member jury has ruled that the fatal stabbing of a 37-year-old man at a party in Carson City in February was justified.

District Attorney Jason Woodbury says the three-day-long coroners inquest into the death of Clinton Malone included testimony from 23 witnesses and the review of more than 100 exhibits of evidence.
VIDALIA, La. (AP)  The Concordia Parish School Board has found a replacement for Superintendent Whest Shirley, whose contract was not renewed last year.

At a special meeting Monday, the board chose Toyua Watson for the east-central Louisiana district's next leader, The Natchez Democrat reported.

Watson has served as director of secondary education in Concordia Parish since 2018. She obtained her masters degree in education from Northwestern State University and has more than a decade of educational experience in teaching, counseling and special program management.

The decision to hire Watson came after a 3 1/2 half hour interview process. Watson and another finalist, Montrell Greene, were interviewed in open meeting and executive session.

After the interviews, the board voted 8-1 in favor of hiring Watson. Board member Raymond Riley voted for Greene, a minister at Sycamore Street Church in Greenwood.

School officials said the next step is to negotiate a contract that would determine Watsons start date and compensation and the term length before the contract is up for renewal.

Watson said she has done a lot in the Concordia Parish School District in her years working there and, as superintendent, hopes to do more.

I want to be the change that I want to see happen, she said.

Shirley has been working on a month-to-month contract while the Board sought a replacement.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Officials in Kentucky's largest city have launched an initiative aimed at helping underserved youth.

The Louisville Youth Network was launched last week by Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville Metro Council and community partners, a statement from the mayor's office said.

It will serve as a one-stop-shop to connect youth ages 16-24 with resources for topics that include education, jobs, mental heath, housing and substance abuse. Louisville Metro Council allocated $1 million to fund the program.

Investing in our youth, especially traditionally underserved youth, is an investment in our communitys success, Fischer said. We believe every young person deserves the chance to cultivate their talents and reach their full potential, and the Network can help them to do just that."

The Louisville Metro Office of Youth Development will lead the network with partners that include the Coalition Supporting Young Adults, the Louisville Urban League and Goodwill Industries of Kentucky.
BANGOR, Maine (AP)  A Maine county treasurer and school board member who was arrested last week has vowed that he will fight allegations that he stalked and harassed a local woman.

John Hiatt, 38, was arrested Friday afternoon for allegedly harassing a woman using his cellphone and the computer tablet issued to him by the Bangor School Department, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The charges include aggravated invasion of computer privacy, stalking, theft by unauthorized taking, and two counts of harassment.

Hiatt said Sunday that he would fight the charges with every bone in my body.

Because I am innocent and have done nothing wrong, he said. I will cooperate with law enforcement and any prosecutor on the case. I believe in the American legal system.

Neither Peter Baldacci, chairman of the Penobscot County commissioners, nor Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine GOP, returned requests for comment.

Hiatt claims that he is the victim, not the woman.

Two weeks ago I suffered a sexual assault by a close female friend of mine, Hiatt said.

Hiatt obtained a protection order against the woman on Nov. 13, 2018, that remained in place for a year. He attempted to gain another May 10 that was denied due to a search warrant that was issued on May 6 for his home and cellphone.

The Bangor School Department announced Friday plans to cooperate with authorities and to conduct an internal investigation.

School board chairwoman Carin Sychterz said Saturday that appropriate action will be taken based on the results of the school departments investigation.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  A Massachusetts man who faked suicide to avoid prosecution for fraudulently seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans intended for businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic has pleaded guilty, federal prosecutors said.

David Staveley, 54, of Andover, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Rhode Island.
CHICAGO (AP)  Attempted murder charges were filed Monday against a man accused of firing shots that wounded two Chicago police officers.

Bruce Lua, 45, of Chicago is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer and unlawful use of a weapon.

Authorities say the two officers were wounded Sunday after they responded to reports of gunfire and someone immediately fired at them. Lua was shot in the leg and taken to a Chicago hospital for treatment. Both officers were released from the hospital Sunday after treatment of their injuries.

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said the two officers were working in the Lawndale neighborhood on the citys West Side when they were dispatched to the ShotSpotter alert early Sunday. When they saw a man in a vacant lot near the location the alert indicated, they approached him and were immediately fired upon.

They were in uniform, clearly Chicago police officers, and this offender had no regard for their position as police officers  no regard  and began trying to kill them, Brown said Sunday. `` But for the good Lords grace that were not here talking about planning a funeral for our officers.

It wasn't immediately known if Lua has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Police have said a comprehensive use of force investigation will be initiated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, according to authorities. The two officers will be assigned to administrative duties for 30 days, a routine action.

According to Brown, 16 Chicago police officers have been shot in the past 15 months and 108 officers have been fired upon.
That has Hollywood crying foul because it would get a smaller percentage than it has in the past. The funds are divvied up to cities and county governments to offset the negative effects of having a casino near them.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP)  A Prince Georges County jury has found a 19-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in 2018, and authorities say hes also facing charges of witness intimidation.

The States Attorney Office said in a news release that Tavon Barnes was convicted on Monday in the death of Karim Thomas. Barnes was also convicted of the use of a firearm during a crime of violence and faces a possible sentence of life plus 20 years in prison.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  The Maryland State House is reopening to the public after being closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced the Capitol will reopen on Friday. It will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NORWALK, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut husband and wife were found dead in their home from gunshot wounds, authorities said.

Officers responding to 911 calls at about 4 p.m. Sunday found Rajneesh Misra, 56, and Divya Misra, 55, in their Norwalk home, Lt. Joe Dinho said in a news release. Both had been fatally shot.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexico mounted a final push Tuesday to get all of the countrys 3 million school teachers vaccinated so it can reopen schools, perhaps by the second half of June.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that getting kids back into classrooms was an urgent necessity, as much for their social development as anything else.

This a priority for boys and girls, for all students, Lopez Obrador said. School is like a second home, and we need all students at all levels to return to in-person classes. This is indispensable ... so that boys and girls can see their classmates."

Vaccination teams fanned out in Mexico City and four other states Tuesday to give teachers coronavirus shots.

Yesica Briones, an English teacher at a private school, said the vaccinations were a good idea both for students and for the families of teachers who could bring home anything they catch at school.

I think it even applies a lot to our own families, Briones said. It is good that they are taking measures for our profession.

Officials estimate that about 2.1 million teachers at private and public schools have already been vaccinated, and hope to inject almost 520,000 this week.

That would only leave a couple of states for the last week in May. While Lopez Obrador said the decision to restart classes would be left in individual states and even individual schools, he expressed hope that most schools would reopen for awhile in June for at least a few weeks before summer vacation.

Schools in four of the least-affected states have gone back to in-person classes, but on a very limited scale. The other 28 states have been giving online classes since early last year. That also poses a problem in Mexico, where access to the internet and computers is far from universal.

Mexico started its vaccination drive with frontline health care personnel and people over 60. The country is also starting to vaccinate pregnant women and those between 50 and 59.

Mexico has received almost 30 million doses so far and administered almost 25 million shots.

The country has recorded about 220,500 test-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, but the country does so little testing that the governments own estimates of probable deaths now amounts to around 347,000.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  Missouri's Republican-led Legislature this year pushed through a number of longtime priorities that failed for years and, in some cases, decades.

Successes from the legislative session that ended Friday include bills to create a prescription drug monitoring program, raise the gas tax for the first time in 25 years, and make Missouri the last state to require out-of-state companies to collect sales taxes on online purchases made by residents.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden said the number of accomplishments is unmatched compared to recent years.

Missouri for years has been the only state without a database of addictive medications that doctors and pharmacists can check. A faction of Republicans aggressively fought the effort over concerns that data on prescriptions would be misused by the government or hacked.

It took lawmakers a decade to pass the bill.

Lawmakers also took the first significant step to rein in police use-of-force powers since Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was fatally shot in 2014 by a white Ferguson police officer, and they managed to get a so-called school choice bill to Republican Gov. Mike Parson's desk.

The session marked victories for bipartisan policies in a GOP supermajority Legislature, with Democrats sometimes teaming up with more moderate Republicans on issues that conservatives opposed.

That helped usher in success for the gas tax hike and the opioid database.

House Democrats are proud of our work providing critical support on a range of legislative accomplishments, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said in a statement.

In other cases, bipartisanship meant overwhelming support for proposals that previously floundered, such as police use-of-force changes and the online sales tax bill.

Only 10 lawmakers voted against the internet tax bill, a rarity in a Legislature that abhors anything that even resembles a tax hike. The online sales tax collection requirement was paired with a small income tax cut, which eased Republican opposition.

A bill limiting chokeholds passed with only seven lawmakers voting against it. The proposal was linked to a bill to lift a requirement that Kansas City police live within the city, a Republican-backed policy.

Today we've proven, since the death of Michael Brown, that Black lives matter in the state of Missouri, said St. Louis Democratic Sen. Brian Williams, who grew up in Ferguson and led the push to restrict police use of chokeholds.

Republican Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz supported the prescription drug database and online sales tax and personally sponsored the gas tax hike. He said splitting up those sticky issues into separate bills also helped get the policies across the finish line.

The school choice bill was one of House Speaker Rob Vescovo's top priorities. Two similar measures passed the Legislature that would create a tax credit program to pay for kids to go to private schools.

Republicans pushed the bills over the finish line in part by limiting it to the state's largest cities, which helped buy support from some rural Republicans concerned about the impact on public schools.

Not everyone in our caucus agrees with everything that we got done, including myself," Vescovo said told reporters after session ended. "There were some things that passed that even I didn't vote for, but collectively as a group we continue to work through some of those things.
CHOTEAU, Mont. (AP)  A Montana man is charged with killing another man who tried to prevent him from driving while intoxicated after a party at the victim's house near Fairfield, Teton County officials said.

Erin Elliott Holcomb of Sun River pleaded not guilty Monday to deliberate homicide in the death of Trysten Fellers, 22, of Fairfield. Holcomb's bail was set at $100,000. He has not yet been appointed a public defender, court officials said.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  A southwestern Montana man who pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and burying her body near the Madison County ranch where he worked has been sentenced to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole, the Montana Department of Justice said Tuesday.

Stanley Gordon Bernardini, 58, was sentenced Monday by District Judge Luke Berger in Virginia City for the July 2018 death of Michelle Sorrows, 37, of Ennis.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's Supreme Court has ended most coronavirus-related restrictions for the state's court system effective immediately, Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. said Tuesday.

The high court entered administrative orders eliminating most health and safety requirements related to COVID-19 and expanding in-person court operations, Minton said.

After the most challenging year in the history of the modern court system, I am pleased to announce that the Supreme Court has lifted most of the COVID-19 restrictions for employees, elected officials and those entering court facilities across the commonwealth, Minton said.

The court's action allows us to begin transitioning back to normal operations, he added.

The changes include allowing in-person access to court facilities for anyone with court business, except for those who have symptoms, tested positive or have been exposed to COVID-19.

The mask mandate is eliminated for fully vaccinated people entering court facilities and for fully vaccinated court officials and employees, but those not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to continue using masks. Judges will be permitted to require people in their courtrooms to wear masks.

The court lifted most restrictions on jury trials but requires continuances, postponements and recusals for attorneys, parties and jurors who are ill or at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  The mother of a North Carolina jail inmate who died after an assault last year is suing the sheriff and nine staff members, saying they created an unsafe environment in which an inmate was allowed to control a jail pod.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court, and the News & Observer of Raleigh reported it said the deliberate indifference to the safety of prisoners led to the death of Maurice King on March 4, 2020, in the Orange County jail. King was 34.

The lawsuit said a pattern and practice of deliberate indifference to the emergency medical needs of prisoners" by the defendants caused King's death.

Sheriff Charles Blackwood could not be reached for comment by the newspaper. Chief Deputy Jamison Sykes said the sheriffs office hasnt seen the lawsuit, but would respond once it has been served.

Security video reviewed by the newspaper showed four inmates entering Kings cell, including a 22-year-old inmate who was later charged with involuntary manslaughter in King's death.

A video also showed two detention officers did not check on Kings cell or others in the pod during required rounds. The officers walked by numerous cells without looking in. A state Department of Health and Human Services investigation found the officers had violated regulations requiring each inmate to be checked at least twice an hour.

Approximately 90 minutes after the assault, detention officers discovered King lying down, soaking wet, with visible swelling and bleeding of the left eye, complaining of shortness of breath and aches and pains throughout his body," according to the suit.

Filed by attorney Allyn Sharp, the lawsuit also said there was blood on the floor, walls and the inside of the cell door.

About 40 minutes passed before detention officers would carry King out of his cell to a wheelchair, to be taken to a jail nurse, who called for an ambulance, the lawsuit said. King went into cardiac arrest and died later that evening at a hospital.

Blackwood told the state Department of Health and Human Services the officers had been disciplined, but jail officials later said they hadnt been demoted or suspended, moves required to be reported under the states personnel law. The DHHS accepted Blackwell's plan of correction.

The lawsuit also said detention officers had ceded control of the pod to an inmate who the lawsuit said had such control over other inmates that they didnt take showers without his permission.

King is one of three inmates in North Carolina jails in the past two years who have died after assaults by other inmates, law enforcement records show. Fatal assaults also took place in the Cleveland and Craven county jails. In all three cases, DHHS investigations found detention officers hadnt properly checked on the inmates. The Cleveland County jail death prompted a lawsuit filed earlier this year.

The number of inmate deaths in North Carolina jails has risen steadily over the past several years. Last year, deaths reached a high with 49, DHHS records show.
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  North Macedonia is expelling a Russian diplomat from the country, but authorities on Tuesday didn't give any explanation for its decision.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to the ministry last Friday to inform him of the decision concerning one of the senior diplomats in his embassy. The diplomat, whose rank and identity hasn't been made public, was given seven days to leave the country, the ministry said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Following months of complaints from laid-off workers, Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday he was taking steps to expand the Virginia Employment Commission's ability to process complex unemployment claims.

While data show Virginia has done quite well in quickly processing simple unemployment benefits for eligible individuals as applications surged amid the pandemic, the state has recently been dead last for timely processing of certain claims that require additional adjudication.

In a directive signed Tuesday, Northam wrote that we must do more to ensure that Virginians unemployment benefit claims are resolved in a timely manner and that those who are eligible for benefits receive them quickly. VEC must have access to and mobilize additional staff and funding to carry out this critical role.

The order directs the commission to increase the number of adjudications being processed per week from 5,700 to 10,000 by June 30, and to 20,000 by July 31.

In a news release, Northam's office said that would be done in part by finalizing a $5 million contract for over 300 additional adjudication officers. The directive also tells the commission to work with the state's human resources agency to identify non-VEC state workers who can temporarily assist.

It further orders the commission, which uses a 41-year-old benefits system, to complete a modernization project to launch a new system by October. And it directs the agency to hire staff and upgrade and enhance technology to improve call wait times.

Complaints from Virginians unable to get through to customer service call centers in a timely way  or at all  have been widespread over the past year.

The governor's announcement came on the same day a judge was holding mediation talks in a federal lawsuit filed last month over the processing delays.

The lawsuit alleged the commission had violated the rights of Virginians who had either applied for benefits and gotten no response or who had their benefits abruptly halted and faced lengthy delays in having their case adjudicated.

Jeff Jones, a spokesman for the Legal Aid Justice Center, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs, said the parties had reached an agreement Tuesday, which the judge still must approve. If approved, he said the judge was expected to enter an order later in the week that would put the lawsuit on hold while the commission worked to meet the order's terms.

This is a really good step in the right direction, he said.

Megan Healy, Northam's chief workforce development advisor, said that while the legal process remained underway, the administration was hopeful for a positive outcome.

Asked if the changes Tuesday's directive will implement had come quickly enough, Healy emphasized the enormous challenge the past year had presented, with both a surge in applications for benefits and a slew of new federal programs to implement. She said the directive had been in the works for a couple of weeks.
JOHNSON, Vt. (AP)  The president of Northern Vermont University has announced that she resigning in mid-August.

Elaine Collins said Monday that she plans to seek new professional challenges. She had served as president of Johnson State College starting in 2015 before it joined with Lyndon State College to become Northern Vermont University in 2018.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  An Omaha man accused of fatally shooting two men in March has been ordered to stand trial on two first-degree murder and other counts.

On Monday, a judge bound the case against Mabior Mabior, 24, over to trial court, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
SALEM, Ore. (AP)  A bill that would reinstate Oregon's moratorium on foreclosures for those experiencing financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic passed the state Senate on Monday.

The bill, which would allow homeowners to put their mortgage in forbearance at least through June 30, passed on a 19-9 vote and now moves to the House. The previous state moratorium expired at the end of 2020, but many homeowners continued to struggle to catch up on mortgage payments.

The bill could be extended until the end of the year if Gov. Kate Brown lengthens the statewide emergency period.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the states ongoing housing crisis has only been exacerbated.

In late April more than 30,000 Oregon homeowners said they were not caught up on their mortgage payments, based on the U.S. Census Bureaus most recent Household Pulse Survey.

Lawmakers have pushed the housing crisis to the forefront during this years legislative session.

Last week, they passed a bill that extends the time renters have the time to pay back rent, from July until the end of February 2022. That legislation is now on the governor's desk.

Last December, during a special legislative session, lawmakers extended Oregons eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, and established a $200 million in relief for landlords and tenants. However, the foreclosure moratorium was not extended  leaving some homeowners concerned about how they would make their payments.

Many homeowners are currently protected from foreclosures by federal moratoriums and the CARES Act provide for protections for homeowners with a federally backed loan.

But a report from the National Housing Law Project states that about 30% of single-family mortgages, or roughly 14.5 million loans nationwide, are not backed or owned by a federal agency and not covered by the federal moratorium.

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Cline is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
ADDISON, Texas (AP)  A pilot's failure to control a small airplane when it lost thrust in one of two engines seconds after takeoff in suburban Dallas led to a 2019 crash that killed all 10 people aboard, federal officials said in a report Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the King Air 350 crashed into an aircraft hangar 17 seconds after lifting off from a runway at Addison Airport on June 30, 2019.

The pilot, Howard Cassady, 71, and co-pilot, Matthew Palmer, 28, and all eight passengers were killed. The privately owned airplane was headed to St. Petersburg, Florida.

NTSB investigators used sound captured by the cockpit voice recorder to determine that the left engine lost thrust shortly after takeoff.

The NTSB said the uneven force from the propellers wasnt enough, however, to cause the plane to tilt as far as it did. Armed with data from the propeller and plane manufacturers, the investigators believe the pilot should have been able to control the plane by maneuvering the rudder, but he turned the rudder the wrong direction, perhaps because he was startled by a stall warning. By the time he corrected the rudder setting, it was too late.

The NTSB investigators found that if the pilot had initially applied the correct rudder input, the plane would have been controllable.

Also, according to the NTSB, the cockpit audio recording did not capture pilots conducting a pre-flight checklist, which is considered an essential safety step. The NTSB said Cassady had a history of not using checklists.

The NTSB said failing to do a checklist might have caused the pilots to miss an improper setting of devices called power lever friction locks, which could cause the throttle to move and lead to an accidental loss of engine thrust.

Damage from the impact and heavy fire that followed prevented investigators from determining exactly why the left engine lost thrust, but they said they didn't find anything that would have prevented it from operating normally.

The passengers included a family of four and two couples. Brian Ellard, 52, and his wife, Ornella Ellard, 45, were killed, along with her two children, 15-year-old Alice Maritato and 13-year-old Dylan Maritato. Also killed were: Stephen Thelan, 58, and Gina Thelen, 57; and John Titus, 61, and Mary Titus, 60.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Four people were shot in an incident on Swan Island in Portland on Monday night, police said.

The four people arrived at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center around 10 p.m., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The Portland Police Bureau said the shooting happened after a group of people who had gone to a funeral for a recent shooting victim met at a McDonalds restaurant. All four victims are expected to survive.

Police said officers from around the city were called to the hospital after a group congregated outside. The Bureau later said the large crowd and emotional response to the shooting created a need for an increased response to restore order. Some 20 officers were seen guarding hospital doors.

Officers responded to diffuse arguments and fights, according to police spokesman Lt. Greg Pashley. About an hour after the police response, officers were sent back to take regular calls, Pashley said.

Police have not said if any arrests were made or who was involved in the shooting. KOIN-TV reported that investigators found at least 50 bullets were fired on Swan Island.

The North Portland shooting comes as the city is responding to a spike in gang-related and retaliatory violence. The homicide count has reached 33.

FBI agents will continue to respond to suspected gang-related and retaliatory shootings going forward, Kieran L. Ramsey, the FBI special agent in charge in Oregon, said Monday.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP)  Police in the southwestern Missouri city of Springfield are investigating the shooting death of a man whose body was discovered during a welfare check.

Officers were sent around 12:30 a.m. Monday to a home to check on the well-being of a person there, Springfield police said in a news release. Arriving officers found James Kenney, 41, of Springfield, dead on the property. Police said he had suffered gunshot wounds.
SEATTLE (AP)  Private prison corporation GEO Group has sued Washington state, saying a new law mandating the closure of the immigrant detention center it operates in Tacoma would unconstitutionally subvert federal authority.

The law enacted by the Legislature in March interferes with a contract signed between GEO and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the companys complaint filed last month in U.S. District Court of Western Washington, The Seattle Times reported.

The law also attempts to undermine federal enforcement efforts, the lawsuit said.

This transparent attempt by the state to shut down the federal governments detention efforts within Washingtons borders is a direct assault on the supremacy of federal law, and it cannot stand," the lawsuit said.

GEO seeks a preliminary injunction and also argues the state law would force the detention center to shutter in September, which is much earlier than many people assumed.

The struggle over the 1,575-bed Northwest ICE Processing Center  one of the countrys largest for-profit, privately run immigration jails  follows years of criticism by activists and human-rights advocates saying immigrants held there are given inadequate food and medical care, and spend much longer on average in solitary confinement than at other such institutions.

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is additionally suing GEO for allegedly violating minimum-wage laws by paying detainees $1 a day to work there. That suit is set to begin trial June 1.

The companys lawyers did not return phone calls from the newspaper seeking comment.

Ferguson, in a statement, said he supports the new law and will defend it vigorously.

The law, which bans most types of private detention facilities but in practice affects just the Tacoma facility, allows current contracts to run their course.

In 2015, ICE signed a contract with GEO to run the Tacoma facility with options for extension through March 2026. In January, after lawmakers introduced the private detention bill, the federal government and GEO modified the contract, removing the options and making it run through September 2025.

It's not clear which contract would be used to calculate the closure. The 2015 contract is up for possible extension in September, according to GEO.

Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said a judge in this case might be tempted to wait for a similar California case to play out in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments are to be held next month in that case, involving challenges by GEO and the federal government to a California law banning private detention facilities.

U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino mostly ruled against GEO and the federal government in October, holding that the California law did not override federal authority by banning certain contracts.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  California Department of Motor Vehicle employees at two Los Angeles-area offices took thousands of dollars in bribes to approve driver licenses, federal prosecutors said.

The extent of the corruption is not clear because many of the court records are under seal, but a former manager of the DMVs Lincoln Park office is the fifth ex-employee in recent month to admit a role in the scheme, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Jovana Tameka Nettles, 44, pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud for taking cash bribes and admitted taking part in a conspiracy of DMV employees who approved licenses for unqualified drivers, the Times said.

A DMV investigator helped uncover the conspiracy when she spotted suspicious patterns in application processing at the Torrance office, court records said.

The investigation led to DMV employee Huel Kennedy, who admitted to accepting weekly bribes exceeding $50,000 and died after pleading guilty to bribery last summer, the Times said.

A DMV statement said involved employees will be appropriately disciplined.

Fraud prevention is one key component of customer service, it said. The DMV takes very seriously its responsibility to uphold the law as we serve our customers and we applaud our thousands of employees who work with integrity and pride.

According to a plea agreement, the ringleader was Atanacio Villegas, who was a license registration examiner in Torrance from 2010 to 2016 and then transferred to a commercial driver license processing center for 10 months before he resigned.

The Times said Villegas agreed in March to plead guilty to mail fraud and admitted that a network of brokers would contact him on behalf of drivers who could not pass the exam and then forward the drivers bribes to DMV employees.

The scheme involved sending the drivers to the window of a participating DMV employee who had an identifier, such as a red hat.
Those in the latter group did nothing to drive down infections. They get no credit for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending last week that vaccinated people need not wear masks outside or inside. They get no credit for the biggest move back toward the pre-pandemic world.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Pressure is mounting on South Korean President Moon Jae-in to pardon Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, who is back in prison after his conviction in a massive corruption scandal, even though business has rarely looked better at South Koreas largest company.

Lee is just the latest South Korean corporate boss to run his business from behind bars, communicating decisions through visiting company executives. But his imprisonment is causing national handwringing over the future of the technology giant in the country sometimes called the Samsung Republic.

Many people  from business leaders and editorial writers to even Buddhist monks  have urged Moon to release Lee for the sake of an economy heavily dependent on Samsungs technology exports. They worry Lees imprisonment could compromise Samsungs speed and decisiveness, hindering its competitiveness in the fast-changing technology business.

Lee has been in prison for nearly four months and few expect him to serve his full prison sentence through July 2022. There's speculation Moon could free him on Buddhas Birthday, which falls on Wednesday.

Theres also Liberation Day in August, which celebrates Koreas independence from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II. That also has often brought presidential pardons of high-profile politicians and businesspeople.

Moon's office said he will consider both the intensifying competition in the semiconductor market and public feelings about fairness before deciding whether to pardon Lee.

Lee runs Samsung as vice chairman. He's also the country's richest person. He is serving a 2 1/2-year sentence for bribing then-President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante, who are serving lengthier prison terms, to win government support for a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates that tightened his control over the corporate empire.

Samsung's latest results suggest it is doing just fine.

The company posted a near 50% jump in operating profit and its $58 billion revenue was the highest ever in the first three months of the year. Demand for its mainstay computer memory chips, TVs and other products has surged as the pandemic has forced millions to stay home. And Samsung's sleek Galaxy smartphones and tablets are the biggest competition for Apples iPhones and iPads.

Samsung has announced ambitious plans to expand its computer chip manufacturing. Last week it said it will invest 171 trillion won ($151 billion) through 2030 in higher-margin logic chips and its foundry business for contract chipmaking as it expands beyond its dominance in memory chips. The company expects demand for advanced chips to soar in coming years, lifted by emerging technologies such as fifth generation (5G) wireless networks, artificial intelligence and self-driving cars.

Still, analysts say Samsung is increasingly falling behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in the race for high-tech chips. The worlds biggest contract chipmaker, TSMC controls 55% of the global foundry business versus Samsungs 17% share, according to South Koreas Trade Ministry.

Both could be threatened by U.S. efforts to reduce American dependence on Asian supply chains and rebuild the declining U.S. chip industry in response to chip shortages that have hobbled American auto manufacturing in recent months.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Samsung said Lees role is to "contribute to the companys overall strategic direction, and make decisions related to the future growth through his insights and global network of business leaders. The company declined to comment on calls for Lee's release and also would not say how often company officials are visiting him.

Its not difficult for Lee to manage the company from prison through his visitors, and its not like he had ever run Samsung like an omnipotent king, said Chung Sun-sup, chief executive of corporate analysis firm Chaebul.com. Even though Lee is the grandson of Samsung's founder and is the family's third generation helmsman of the company, important decisions are still weighed by the board, he noted.

But who knows what Samsung is missing when Lee isnt visiting business sites or traveling abroad for new opportunities? he said.

Lee's imprisonment comes at a time when Samsung should be pushing for a major reshaping of its semiconductor business, said Lee Seung-woo, a senior analyst at Seoul-based Eugene Investment and Securities.

Samsungs rise as a global technology powerhouse drew from its dual strength in parts and finished products. But that's proving a disadvantage in its competition with TSMC as major clients like Apple shift orders to TSMC to avoid relying on chips manufactured by a competitor.

Samsung should be considering bold moves, such as splitting its foundry business into a separate company and listing it on the U.S. stock market to ease the concern of clients, Lee said.

Lee Jae-yong clearly has a role to do, he said. Lee could be meeting (Apple CEO) Tim Cook asking Apple to invest in the new foundry company.

Samsungs daily operations are mainly handled by co-CEOs who each lead its semiconductor, smartphones and consumer electronics divisions. Samsung reaped robust profits during Lee's earlier stints in jail, in 2017 and 2018, when it finalized a deal to acquire American auto electronics firm Harman. That assuaged jitters about a possible void in decision making.

Legal troubles have long dogged the company. Lees late father, its former chairman Lee Kun-hee, received suspended sentences in 1996 and 2008 for crimes including bribery and tax evasion.

The scandal that snagged Lee Jae-yong again underscored traditionally cozy ties between chaebol, or South Koreas family-owned conglomerates, and the government. Park was ousted and jailed in 2017 following months of protests by millions.

Moon has been sidestepping the pardon issue for months, having taken office vowing to curb the excesses of chaebol families after winning the presidential by-election following Parks ouster.

South Korea has long been lenient toward white-collar crimes, letting convicted tycoons run their businesses from prison. Officials say that's best for the economy even though the crimes committed by chaebol bosses usually put their personal interests ahead of corporate concerns.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won held nearly 1,800 meetings with his lawyers and other visitors in 17 months through July 2014 while serving a four-year prison term for embezzlement and other crimes, according Justice Ministry comments to lawmakers.

Hyundai Motor Corp. reportedly set up a liaison office" nearby to receive guests and staff visiting its former chairman Chung Mong-koo after he was arrested in 2006 on charges of embezzling company funds to bribe officials.

Chey and Chung received presidential pardons, as did Lees father.

The calls for Lee's release show Samsung still holds excessive influence, said Park Sang-in, a professor of public enterprise policy at Seoul National University. He believes pardoning Lee would damage public trust.

Was there ever a time when pardoning a chaebol boss really helped a company or the Korean economy? No, not even once, Park said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  More than two dozen farms in southern New Mexico have applied for a program that will pay them not to plant their fields as water managers look for new ways to stretch resources in the drought-stricken state.

Its the first phase of a multiyear pilot project being managed by the Office of the State Engineer. State Engineer John DAntonio has described the program as essential for ensuring the aquifers in the lower Rio Grande remain at sustainable levels in the future.

The Legislature approved funding for the effort last year and the state began accepting applications from farmers in the fall. The Interstate Stream Commission is now processing 27 contracts totaling more than $900,000 and covering just over 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) of farmland.

While that represents just a fraction of the agricultural real estate that stretches from Elephant Butte Reservoir south to the Texas border, state officials are looking to develop more tools that can be used to better manage water, especially during extended drought. New Mexico also is on the hook for ensuring a certain amount of water is delivered via the Rio Grande to Texas each year as part of a decades-old water sharing agreement.

Officials pointed to the mega-drought that's persisted since the late 1990s, suggesting everything from rotating which fields are not planted to recharging underground water reserves and infrastructure improvement should be considered because agriculture is the biggest water user in the state. It represents about three-quarters of all water withdrawals in New Mexico.

The lower Rio Grande Valley has received about one-tenth of an inch (one-quarter of a centimeter) of precipitation since the beginning of the year, according to the National Weather Service. That has exacerbated the conditions that have resulted from back-to-back dismal summer monsoon seasons across the southwestern U.S. and limited snowpack over the winter.

Like New Mexico, large swaths of the Southwest are dealing with extreme and exceptional drought  the two worst categories  as water managers are warning of limited supplies from the region's major rivers, the Rio Grande and Pecos to the Colorado River.

Farmers in central Arizonas Pinal County already have been fallowing land amid the drought and improving wells to pump groundwater in anticipation of reductions that could come if a federal shortage is declared on the Colorado River. Most operations there are family farms that are among Arizona's top producers of livestock, dairy, cotton, barley, wheat and alfalfa.

In New Mexico, shrinking rivers and reservoirs also put more strain on regional aquifers as farmers are forced to pump more to irrigate their crops.

Under the pilot program, farmers will receive grants from $400 to $800 per acre to stop pumping groundwater for a year. The Office of the State Engineer will monitor the use of water through site visits, photos, remote sensing and meter readings.

Agency staff are scheduled to brief lawmakers on the effort during a meeting later this week.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Isaac Bryan jumped out to an enormous lead Tuesday in the race for a state Assembly seat in a heavily Democratic Los Angeles district.

Preliminary results gave Bryan 49.7% of the votes in Tuesday's special election for the 54th Assembly seat, according to the Secretary of State.

Bryan would need more than half the votes to avoid a special runoff election that would be held July 20 between the top two vote-getters.

The 54th state Assembly seat was vacated by now-Sen. Sydney Kamlager, who endorsed Bryan, her former senior adviser. Bryan also serves on the Los Angeles Unified School Districts redistricting commission.

Five Democrats and one independent fought for the seat.

Heather Hutt, a former Southern California district director for U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, was in second place with 24.3% of the votes, followed by another Democrat, Cheryl C. Turner, with 10.6%. Turner is an attorney and a member of the state Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.

Hutt had the most votes in the state Democratic Partys endorsement caucus, though none had enough to capture the partys backing, according to the California Target Book that tracks elections. Hutt also was the district director for former Assemblyman and Sen. Isadore Hall, who endorsed her.

In fourth place with 7.6% of the votes was Dallas Fowler, a political consultant and former Southern California director for Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who endorsed her.

Grocery worker Bernard Senter, who was running as a no party preference candidate, had 4.5% of the vote followed by financial advisor Samuel Robert Morales with 3.2%.

The race in the 54th is the latest special primary election to originate with last Novembers general election.

Kamlager was elected to the state Senate in March to replace fellow Democrat Holly Mitchell, who left in mid-term after she was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in November.

Democrats make up 64% of registered voters in the district that includes LAs Crenshaw and Westwood neighborhoods and Baldwin Hills, Century City and Culver City, while Republicans have 9% and 22% have no party preference.

Bryan reported raising and spending about $450,000; Fowler about $60,000; and Hutt nearly $400,000. Bryan and Hutt also had independent expenditure campaigns backing their bids.

Turner did not report any contributions or spending but earlier this year ran unsuccessfully against Kamlager and others for Mitchells vacant 30th Senate District seat and in 2018 ran unsuccessfully for the state Board of Equalization.

Morales and Senter did not report any campaign receipts or spending, according to the Secretary of State.
Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis personal injury lawyer who gained national attention after he and his wife waved guns at racial injustice protesters who marched near their home last summer, said Tuesday he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2022.

McCloskey made the announcement on Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News. Earlier Tuesday, the Federal Election Commission's website showed Mark McCloskey for Missouri was registered, and a website, mccloskeyforsenate.com, was seeking campaign donations.

God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob, McCloskey told Carlson. And it really did wake me up.

Incumbent Missouri Republican Roy Blunt announced in March he would not seek a third term. McCloskey will seek the Republican nomination against two contenders with strong name recognition: Former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned from office amid a sex scandal in 2018; and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Several members of Congress are weighing runs in heavily-Republican Missouri. Five lesser-known Democrats also have announced Senate bids.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey became celebrities in conservative circles  and were vilified among Democrats  after the incident on June 28 outside their lavish home in St. Louis' Central West End.

Demonstrators were marching to the home of then-Mayor Lyda Krewson amid nationwide protests after police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protesters ventured onto a private street that includes the McCloskey mansion. The couple, both of them attorneys in their early 60s, said they felt threatened after protesters broke down an iron gate and ignored a No Trespassing sign. Protest leaders denied damaging the gate and said the march was peaceful.

Mark McCloskey came out of his home with an AR-15-style rifle and Patricia McCloskey emerged with a semiautomatic handgun. Cellphone video captured the confrontation.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, charged the couple with unlawful use of a weapon. A grand jury in October indicted them on the same charge and added an evidence tampering charge. The indictment states that a semiautomatic pistol was altered in a way that obstructed the prosecution of Patricia McCloskey on the weapons charge.

The couple contended the charges were politically motivated. They spoke via video at last year's Republican National Convention. Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said he will pardon the McCloskeys if they are convicted.

Their case is due to go to trial in November, but Gardner's office won't be prosecuting it. A judge sent the case to a special prosecutor because Gardner made reference to the case in fundraising emails during her successful bid for reelection in 2020.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In agreeing to hear a potentially groundbreaking abortion case, the Supreme Court has energized activists on both sides of the long-running debate who are now girding to make abortion access a major issue in next years midterm elections.

For many evangelicals, the case could serve as a validation of more than four decades of persistent work and a sometimes awkward relationship with former President Donald Trump, whose three Supreme Court appointments sealed a 6-3 conservative majority. If those justices unite to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, it would mark a first step toward the possible demise of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, roughly 24 weeks.

Abortion rights advocates, meanwhile, are urgently warning that the case is the biggest threat to decades of rulings that have consistently upheld, with some caveats, a woman's constitutional right to decide whether to end her pregnancy.

Since the Roe decision, abortion has become a defining theme in American politics, emerging as the sole issue that some voters use to assess which candidates they'll support. The Mississippi case could emerge as another turning point  with unpredictable results. Abortion opponents may become further emboldened if their long-desired goal moves closer to reality, while an unfavorable decision could spur supporters to intensify calls for dramatic changes to the judiciary.

For now, both sides say they are fully engaged.

This is huge  it's saying that for the first time in a long time that we have a pro-life majority on the Supreme Court, said Katherine Beck Johnson, a lawyer with the conservative Family Research Council. It will encourage the voting base to get out and vote Republican.

Jennifer Dalven, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project, said the high court's decision to hear the case was really alarming.

For more than 40 years the Supreme Court has said states cant ban abortion prior to viability, Dalven said. There is simply no way for the court to rule for Mississippi without gutting Roe v. Wade.

The case probably will be argued in the fall, with a decision likely in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections. Many abortion-rights groups urged their supporters to start mobilizing now.

Theres never been a more important time to elect Democratic pro-choice women to local and national office, said one of those groups, Emily's List. "If the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, well need all the help we can get.

Even if the court does not explicitly overrule Roe, a decision favorable to Mississippi could lay the groundwork for allowing more restrictions on abortion. Bills have been enacted in multiple Republican-governed states that would ban abortion as early as six weeks, and also in cases where a decision to abort was based solely on a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Nationwide polls have repeatedly shown that most Americans support the premise of Roe v. Wade. An April poll from the Pew Research Center found that 59% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while 39% think it should be illegal in most or all cases.

Some abortion opponents, noting those surveys, are skeptical that the Supreme Court would fully overturn Roe.

The Supreme Court has never led public opinion but followed it when it comes to major issues like slavery, gay marriage and womens rights, said the Rev. Robert Jeffress, a Dallas megachurch pastor who has been a close ally of Trump.

As long as 70% of the American people oppose the overturn of Roe, it will never happen, he said. "Realistically, conservatives can hope that the court uses the Mississippi case to chip away at unrestricted abortion in our country."

Charles Camosy, a professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, also acknowledged those poll findings. But he noted that the Gallup poll has repeatedly found that more than two-thirds of Americans say abortion should be illegal after the 12th week of pregnancy  a time frame that is in force in several European countries.

I doubt the courts majority is willing to totally undo the legal right to abortion, he said. More than likely is they will rule that a 15-week limitation does not pose an undue burden on a womans right to abortion.

White evangelicals, who remain among Trumps most loyal backers, had celebrated his overhaul of the federal courts and his reshaping of the Supreme Court as perhaps his greatest accomplishment. But there remains trepidation after the court surprised them by failing to rule their way in past cases.

Trying to predict what the Supreme Court is going to do on a state statute on abortion regulation is like trying to predict the path of a hurricane, only more difficult, because there are a lot of things at play, said Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a longtime ally of Trump.

Reed acknowledged that abortion is only a top issue for a small minority of voters but argued that in many competitive congressional and gubernatorial elections, "it could theoretically be the difference.

Its not necessarily the issue that ranks highest in terms of determining ones vote, but it still matters in terms of intensity and enthusiasm," he said.

Among 2022 U.S. Senate races where the issue could be a key factor are those in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

If the Mississippi ban is upheld, pro-lifers would be energized, said Michael New, an abortion opponent who teaches social research at Catholic University of America.

It would show that the strategy of supporting pro-life candidates for the presidency resulted in a Supreme Court that was sympathetic to legal protections to preborn children, he said. Pro-life state legislators in other states would likely pass similar 15-week abortion bans, confident that these bans would also be upheld.

The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said he was optimistic the Mississippi ban would be upheld, giving abortion-rights groups a chance to mobilize their supporters with warnings of Roe's demise while infusing abortion opponents with a new sense of optimism.

Pro-life voters are looking for progress, Mohler said. What serves to deflate the vote of pro-life Americans is frustration at the impression of the lack of progress.

Mallory Quigley of the Susan B. Anthony List, which seeks to elect anti-abortion candidates, predicted the issue would be a huge motivator on both sides" going into the midterms.

As far as Republicans, she said, Its motivating to see how past electoral choices are impacting policy today and then moving forward, what more is to be done.

Abortion-rights supporter Kelly Baden of the State Innovation Exchange, a strategy center for state legislators who champion progressive values, said the wave of anti-abortion legislation in Republican-led states "shows how much weve already lost and how dire our circumstances already are.

But we have the power to take it back," she said. If and when the courts let us down, we can and must show up at the voting booth.

___

Crary reported from New York.

___

This story has been corrected to show Kelly Badens organization is State Innovation Exchange, not Strategic Initiatives and Services.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka Tiny Harris are under investigation by police in Los Angeles after a sexual abuse allegation.

Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Cervantes said Tuesday that an active investigation is underway. The investigation comes after a woman in Los Angeles and another in Las Vegas filed a police report that accused the couple of sexual assault.

A report was taken April 8 for a sexual assault involving the couple that occurred in 2005, Cervantes said. The police did not provide any additional details.

Las Vegas police received a report this month of a sexual assault incident in 2010 involving the couple. But the case was closed because it was reported outside the statute of limitations.

Steve Sadow, the attorney for T.I. and his wife, said his clients steadfastly deny and repudiate all the allegations. He said the couple has not spoken or been contacted by police in Los Angeles, Las Vegas or any other jurisdiction in the country.

The LAPD accuser once again remains anonymous, thereby preventing us from being in a position to disprove or refute her allegations  or even examine them, Sadow said. Meanwhile, although we now have for the first time a name of an accuser, who apparently filed a police report with (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police), we have essentially no specifics about her or her claim, and her attorney has thus far refused to disclose a copy of the report for public scrutiny.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

In March, attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn said more than 30 women contacted him accusing T.I. and his wife of forced drugging, kidnapping, rape and intimidation in at least two states, including California and Georgia. He said the allegations span more than 15 years.

A spokesperson for T.I. and Tiny denied those accusations.

Production for the VH1 reality series T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle was suspended in February amid the sexual abuse allegations.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  More than half of the untested sexual assault kits recently accounted for in law enforcement evidence lockers across North Carolina have now been tested or are awaiting testing at labs, Attorney General Josh Stein said on Tuesday.

Giving an update with legislators on the implementation of a 2019 law that set aside $6 million to test many of the kits, Stein said whittling down the backlog has resulted in at least 40 arrests, delivering justice to survivors of sexual assault. Stein said another $9 million is needed from legislators to eliminate the backlog entirely.

Each kit comes from a person who suffered a terrible trauma and then willingly provided evidence ... we owe it to them to test their kits. Stein said at a Legislative Building news conference. The General Assembly and law enforcement agencies across the state have made incredible progress in tackling this problem. But we have to keep working together to get across the finish line.

The problem of untested sexual assault kits sitting in police and sheriff's offices came to the forefront when Gov. Roy Cooper was attorney general. His department included what is now called the State Crime Laboratory. Cooper said he addressed problems at the lab, and previous backlogs from the 2000s were reduced.

Still, at the direction of legislators in 2017, an audit was performed that ultimately found 16,190 older kits in local law enforcement custody that could be tested.

Stein, a Democrat elected in 2016, said so far nearly 3,000 of these kits have been completely tested and about 5,400 sit primarily in the queues of a private lab vendor, which is seeing testing demand grow nationwide due to other untested kits. More than 1,000 of those tests identified enough DNA to upload samples to a national database, and 45% of those samples landed matches, Stein's office said in a news release. The arrests related to the tested kits involve at least 58 assaults, as well as other violent crimes.

Its one thing to promise to never forget the survivors of sexual assault, but its another thing to act on that promise, Sen. Warren Daniel, a Burke County Republican, told reporters. Weve been able to chip away at the backlog and to make numerous arrests in cases that had long thought to be unsolvable.

Additional money was always going to be needed to eliminate the backlog, but Stein said the need is greater because the state's price to get a private lab to complete a test has increased by more than 75%. He said the backlog should be fully eliminated by May 2023 if the $9 million is approved. Some kits won't ever be tested because the assault victim wanted to remain anonymous or the case already was adjudicated, according to Stein spokesperson Laura Brewer.

The State Crime Laboratory, which handles kit testing for current cases by law enforcement agencies free of charge, is also seeing a marked increase in kit submissions. Stein wants additional funding so the state lab can hire six additional scientists specializing in DNA testing so that a backlog won't return. Daniel said lawmakers also are looking at time-saving measures for crime lab scientists so that they can spend more time testing, such as allowing them to testify remotely, rather than in person at courthouses.

Tuesday's news conference featured a sexual assault survivor, as well as Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins, whose agency received federal grants to tests previously unsubmitted tests in their custody. The police chief said efforts to seek justice won't end.

However long the cases are, we want to tell you we will not stop working until the victims are treated as if they were ourselves, Hawkins said.
The town of Davie and city of Hollywood settled their differences Tuesday, but only after some classic Broward drama at the Capitol in Tallahassee, featuring a high-profile lobbyist and appearances by uniformed police and fire officials. It was all sad, as one Broward lawmaker said, and did not reflect well on the county. It also raised conflict of interest questions about the lobbyist, Ron Book, and his daughter, Lauren, the new Senate Democratic leader.
SANTA FE, Texas (AP)  A memorial honoring the 10 people who were killed during a shooting at a Texas high school in 2018 was unveiled on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the deadly incident.

On May 18, 2018, eight students and two teachers were killed at Santa Fe High School, when another student opened fire inside the campus about 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Houston. Thirteen other people were wounded in the shooting.

The memorial, called the Unfillable Chair, is comprised of an aluminum chair that stands 8 feet (2.44 meters) tall, with the empty seat being 4 feet (1.22 meters) wide by 3 feet (0.91 meters) deep. The names of the victims are displayed on the front of the chair.

The empty chairs exaggerated height re-enforces the concept that the chair will never be filled and will sit in commemoration of those lost too soon, according to a foundation of current and former students as well as parents and community members behind the memorial.

The chair was designed by a group of five current and former students.

During a ceremony at the high school on Tuesday, Reagan Gaona, one of the chairs student designers who graduated last year, said while the 10 victims are no longer... with us, well always have a place for them in our hearts.

The chair, which will sit outside on the campus, was set to be part of larger memorial comprised of a meditative grove and 10 concrete, feather-shaped monoliths for each victim. The foundation is still raising funds for the larger memorial.

The former student accused in the shooting, 20-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, has been receiving mental health treatment at the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon since early December 2019. Doctors say Pagourtzis remains incompetent to stand trial on state charges.

Pagourtzis also faces federal charges in a sealed criminal case.
HONOLULU (AP)  The University of Hawaii will soon require students to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 to attend in-person classes or be on campus.

The rule will take effect when at least one of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use receives full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday. That could happen this summer.

It is clear that a vaccinated campus is a safer campus for everyone, and a fully vaccinated student community enables the best opportunity for a healthy return to high-quality face-to-face teaching, learning and research, said University of Hawaii President David Lassner in a statement.

The University of Hawaii System joins a growing list of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. that are requiring students to be vaccinated, including the University of California and California State University.

The University of Hawaii System's enrollment is about 49,600 across 10 campuses.

Students can request exemptions from the requirement for medical or religious reasons. Those who are not vaccinated will be able to enroll in online courses.

Other schools in Hawaii have not made the vaccine a requirement yet.

We evaluate potential policy on our own schedule and will be in communication with our students, faculty and staff as we move into summer, said Hawaii Pacific University spokesman Stephen Ward. We will continue in-person on-campus this fall, as we did through this entire past academic year.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said that Hawaii is not yet considering requiring vaccines for younger students.

We dont at this point in time have plans to require vaccinations for public school students, or for private school students, for that matter, Ige said.

The University of Hawaii is so far not requiring its approximately 10,000 employees to be vaccinated.

Christian Fern, executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents university faculty, said the matter would have to be negotiated through the collective bargaining process.

It is important that we move forward carefully to ensure we balance public health and safety with individual choice and an individuals existing health condition, Fern said.
MIAMI (AP)  Allies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, including his Cabinet chief, have been included in a list of senior officials in Central America deemed corrupt by the U.S. State Department, according to a copy of a report obtained by The Associated Press.

The emergence of the list of purportedly five corrupt officials is likely to heighten tensions with Bukele, who is facing intense pressure from the Biden administration over the removal of several Supreme Court justices and El Salvadors attorney general. The U.S. has made strengthening democracy one of the pillars of its policy toward Central America, saying that rampant corruption is one of the root causes of illegal immigration.

A copy of the report, which was sent Monday to members of the U.S. Congress, was provided to The Associated Press by a Democrat staffer on the condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

The list was originally included as a classified annex of a report sent to Congress in April in response to an appropriations request last year pushed by Rep. Norma Torres, a California Democrat who chairs the Central America caucus. That larger list contained the names of 12 Honduran and Guatemalan politicians accused of corruption or believed to have ties to drug trafficking organizations.

The list of five Salvadoran officials deemed to have engaged in significant acts of corruption during their terms in offices was declassified May 4, according to the new report. Unlike the bulk of Guatemalans and Hondurans on the list, none of the Salvadorans have been indicted or sanctioned in the U.S. and their inclusion on the list would appear to have no immediate legal consequences.

It nonetheless is likely to further strain relations between the Biden administration and Bukele, who has shown no willingness to back away from his consolidation of power that has drawn condemnation from senior U.S. officials and lawmakers of both parties.

Bukeles fledgling New Ideas party swept February legislative elections by a landslide, taking control of the unicameral congress and immediately voting this month to remove the corruption-fighting top prosecutor and several high court magistrates who had blocked the presidents agenda.

While Bukele remains wildly popular at home after decades of corrupt rule that followed the end of the countrys bloody civil war, his critics in the U.S. say that in concentrating power he is undermining already fragile institutions.

El Salvador is a sovereign country and President Bukele was democratically elected. He makes his own decisions, Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday in a lengthy statement. But the choices he and his allies in the Salvadoran Congress make, that are eviscerating El Salvadors democratic civilian institutions and empowering the armed forces, have consequences for U.S.Salvadoran relations.

The most prominent official on the list is Bukeles Cabinet chief, Carolina Recinos, who has worked alongside the president since his entry into politics as a small town mayor for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front created by leftist guerrillas following the end of the civil war. There were no details of Recinos alleged wrongdoing.

Also named is Rogelio Rivas, who last month was replaced as minister of security and justice. The State Department said Rivas allegedly awarded his own construction company several noncompetitive, unadvertised contracts to build police stations and other buildings that fell under his official capacity and then inflated the cost of materials.

Also included is lawmaker Guillermo Gallegos, a founder of the GANA party that broke with El Salvadors bipartisan system to support Bukeles presidential run in 2019.

Two former FMLN lawmakers  Sigfrido Reyes and Jose Luis Merino, the latter a former vice minister of foreign relations in the FMLN government that preceded Bukeles administration  are also included. Fourteen members of the U.S. Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, wrote letters to the State and Treasury departments in 2017 requesting that Merino be investigated and sanctioned for ties to regional criminal groups.

El Salvador's presidential office didnt respond to a request for comment from Bukele and said Recinos was not available. Rivas didnt respond to a request for comment and it was impossible to locate Merino.

Bukele, who has accused the U.S. of heavy handedness, used irony to dismiss the report, a copy of which circulated earlier Monday on social media. He said he was shocked that El Salvador's friends after checking their archives could not find a single instance of corruption inside the conservative ARENA party  a favorite target of his.

Maybe they think they are all saints, he wrote on Twitter. Thats why they insist we return them to power.

Reyes, an opponent of Bukele who has sought exile in Mexico after being criminally charged in El Salvador for corruption from his time in the legislature, called the accusations baseless and ridiculous.

The State Department frequently lies to the world to meet its objectives. 18 years ago they swore that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They are still searching for them! he said on Twitter.

A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the non-public report but said that fighting corruption is at the center of the Biden administrations approach to the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America since corruption inhibits democratic governances, undermines security and stifles economic growth.

___

Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman

-

Associated Press writer Marcos Aleman in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this report.
EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP)  The U.S. Supreme Court turned down an appeal from a man who was a teenager when he was involved in a notorious kidnapping and murder that began at a sandwich shop in suburban Detroit.

Ihab Masalmani has been challenging his no-parole sentence, especially since trial judges now are required to consider life experiences and other factors when teens are convicted of murder. But the Supreme Court on Monday said it wouldn't take his case.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Republicans want to end the $300-per-week federal unemployment supplement, which they said Tuesday hurts businesses that are struggling to fill vacancies as customers return amid a loosening of coronavirus restrictions.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Sen. Howard Marklein, chairman of the Legislature's budget committee, called on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to support the bill they unveiled with the support of a couple of Wisconsin business owners.

Evers, who could veto the bill, signaled his opposition. His spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said, If Republicans are interested in putting this pandemic behind us, theyll stop playing politics with our economic recovery and approve Evers' state budget proposal.

Democrats have generally been supportive of the additional unemployment payment, saying other barriers to work are fueling the worker shortage, not the $300. They also point out that Wisconsin's unemployment rate of 3.8% is below the national average of 6% and near what it was before the pandemic hit.

The bill comes after the state chamber of commerce, more than a dozen trade groups, more than 50 local chambers of commerce and others called on Evers to return the state's unemployment payments to pre-pandemic levels. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Wisconsins five Republican members of Congress last week also asked Evers to rescind the $300 payment.

More than a dozen states with Republican governors have moved to eliminate the $300 payment. That payment is on top of Wisconsin's weekly $370 unemployment benefit.

Ron Buholzer, one of the owners of Klondike Cheese Co. in Monroe, said he has 34 open positions now and has few applicants, despite raising starting salaries from $14 to $16 an hour.

The help we have, theyre getting tired," Buholzer said at a Capitol news conference. "Theyre long days, long hours, when youre short of people. ... The only way we can fix that is more people.

David Kyhn, owner of a Home Instead home health care franchise in Milwaukee, said he was in desperate need of workers. Higher wages and signing bonuses have done little to attract more applicants, he said.

Nothing seems to work," Kyhn said. The care we do have, theyre stepping up, theyre helping, but theres a level of burnout.

Under the bill, Wisconsin would no longer participate in four federal unemployment enhancement programs: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation.

It would also end a $300 weekly supplement payment. The supplement was included in President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion stimulus measure, approved in March, and set to expire on Sept. 6. Vos said he worried that the supplement may be extended.

Vos said businesses were not just competing with one another now, but also the couch because the higher unemployment benefits make people unmotivated to find a job.

Its time we get back to work, Vos said. The pandemic is ending. We need people to return to work.

Labor experts say the labor shortage is not just about the $300 payment. Some unemployed people have been reluctant to return to work because they fear catching the virus. Others have found new occupations. And many women, especially working mothers, have left the workforce to care for their children.

The bill also prohibits the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development from waiving work-search requirements for any reason that is related to COVID-19. Republicans moved forward with separate plans to reinstate the work requirement, with a legislative committee planning to vote Wednesday to suspend the state rule waiving the work search requirements. That waiver is set to expire in July.

If the rule is put back in place, unemployed people will have to perform four work-search activities weekly to obtain benefits.

The bill ending the $300 supplemental payment could be taken up by the Legislature as soon as next month, Vos said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  An inspection of the Interstate 55 bridge connecting Tennessee and Arkansas began Tuesday, a week after the span became the states' primary Mississippi River crossing when a cracked steel beam prompted the indefinite closure of the nearby Interstate 40 bridge.

Inspectors using drones were looking closely at the 71-year old I-55 bridge to ensure it is structurally sound and can withstand the higher volume of road traffic it has seen since the I-40 bridge was closed May 11, said Clay Bright, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Repairs to the heavily-used I-40 bridge are expected to begin this week, but a long-term fix could take months, officials said. The states are relying on the I-55 bridge to get cars and trucks across the Mississippi River and maintain the flow of commercial vehicles.

During a news conference in Memphis, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the two states, along with federal agencies, were working together to repair the I-40 bridge. Both Lee and Hutchinson are Republicans.

We will work to repair this in the shortest time possible, but we will not compromise the safety of the workers or the safety of the citizens that will drive across that bridge for the sake of finishing early, Lee said.

Officials called for the I-55 bridge inspection out of an over-abundance of caution, Bright said. Should problems be found by Tennessee inspectors on the I-55 bridge  which lies about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the I-40 bridge  it could lead to its closure and send motorists to river crossings 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the north near Dyersburg, Tennessee, or 60 miles (96 kilometers) to the south near Lula, Mississippi.

The new inspection comes a day after Arkansas transportation officials said an inspector who failed to find the defect in the I-40 bridge had been fired. Drone video showed the crack on the bridge spanning the Mississippi River in May 2019, Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie Tudor said Monday.

Tudor said the crack was not noted by the inspector in his reports that fall or the following year. She called the mistake unacceptable. The department did not immediately name the employee and said the incident is also being referred to federal investigators.

Opened in 1973, the I-40 bridge connected Memphis and the Arkansas city of West Memphis. It was shut down May 11 after inspectors found a fracture in one of two 900-foot (274-meter) horizontal steel beams that are critical for the bridges integrity. River traffic under the span was closed that day, but reopened on Friday. Road traffic was rerouted to the I-55 bridge, and traffic there has been heavy.

The I-40 bridge closure has raised concerns about shipping and delivery costs. The Arkansas Trucking Association has estimated the closure would cost the trucking industry at least $2.4 million a day.

This is a critical, critical link for Arkansas, Hutchinson said of the I-40 bridge Whenever you see a break in the commerce, whenever you see a defect in a bridge, then you realize how dependent you are on that flow of commerce.

Hutchinson called the closed I-40 bridge a federal link that is important for our national security, whether its the flow of fuel or whether it is the flow of other necessary items across our country.

The I-40 bridge repair could take several months, Bright said. It will be conducted in two phases, and both steps must be completed before the bridge can be reopened.

The first step is installing steel plates on each side of the fractured beam to provide stability for crews to permanently replace the damaged parts. The second phase involves removal and replacement of the damaged piece of the bridge.

The bridges closure comes as the White House is negotiating with a group of Senate Republicans on an infrastructure package. Democrats have called the I-40 bridge damage an example of the urgent need for additional funding to fix the nations infrastructure.

Republicans have called for a infrastructure plan with a smaller price tag than President Joe Bidens and with a narrower definition of public works.

In Arkansas, all fracture critical bridges that had been inspected by the fired employee will be re-inspected, Tudor said. The department is changing its inspection program to add additional checks, including the use of a new drone to aid in inspecting bridges, she said.

Tudor has said that the I-40 bridges damage could have led to a catastrophic event.

Hutchinson said Tudor took quick action in firing the employee and did not make excuses for the mistake.

I think she handled it perfectly well, said Hutchinson.

Tudor told Arkansas lawmakers the inspection of the I-55 bridge may be completed by Wednesday.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A Virginia man who spent years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a 1979 rape has died, just two weeks after he was granted a compassionate release on an unrelated conviction.

Calvin Wayne Cunningham was released from prison for the rape conviction in 1988 and exonerated in 2011 as part of Virginia's post-conviction DNA testing program.
By Keith Burbank

Bay City News

Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election to a fourth term.

Her current term ends at the beginning of 2023. She has been working in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for 37 years, and as district attorney since 2009.

Her office did not say why she is leaving or what she plans to do afterward. She released a statement, mainly describing her accomplishments in office, at https://www.nancyomalleyforda.org/.

"I could not be more thankful for the career I have had in the best District Attorney's Office in the state and certainly one of the best in the nation," she said in the statement.

O'Malley added that the office is well-respected by many and its respect is well-earned.

But this year she has been criticized for not charging former BART Police Officer Anthony Pirone for the death of Oscar Grant and reportedly a recall campaign was going to be waged by the Grant family. In about 12 years, O'Malley has charged one police officer for a criminal offense.

She joined the district attorney's office in 1984 and was the first woman elected as district attorney in Alameda County.

Her office said her legacy reaches far and wide, including the expansion of the victim/witness division and the opening of the Family Justice Center.

The center serves primarily women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking, child abuse or elder/dependent care abuse.

O'Malley introduced in 2009 what has become a national model for anti-trafficking initiatives, called H.E.A.T. (Human Exploitation and Trafficking) Watch.

She also created an academy for high school juniors and seniors to help them find their passion. All the participants have gone on to college.

O'Malley led an initiative at the state and national levels to test forensic sexual assault kits, which were going untested in police hands.

She said her office has also created "more alternative courts to incarceration than any other county in the state and perhaps the country, per capita."

"We have consistently strived to ensure that the criminal justice system in California and Alameda County is more responsive, more aware and more humane for those who are accused, for victims of crime and for those who witnessed crime," O'Malley said.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SEATTLE - Bill Gates acknowledged through a spokeswoman that he had an extramarital affair with a Microsoft employee, which Microsoft said led its board to investigate the "intimate relationship" shortly before he resigned from the board last year.

It is not clear what role the investigation or the affair, which took place two decades ago, played in the decision the Microsoft co-founder and his wife, Melinda French Gates, made to divorce after 27 years of marriage. When they announced their divorce earlier this month, the couple posted identical and simultaneous tweets saying that "after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage."

In a divorce filing that day, French Gates called the marriage "irretrievably broken."

"There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably," Gates's spokeswoman, Bridgitt Arnold, said in an emailed statement.

French Gates's divorce lawyer, Robert Cohen, did not respond to a request for comment.

Members of Microsoft's board in 2019 looked into a Microsoft engineer's allegations that she had a sexual relationship with Gates, according to Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw.

"Microsoft received a concern in the latter half of 2019 that Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000," Shaw said in an emailed statement. "A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided extensive support to the employee who raised the concern."

Gates stepped down from Microsoft's board in March 2020, but Arnold disputed that his departure was related to the investigation into the affair. Gates departed the board before the investigation was complete, according to a person familiar with the probe who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly.

"Bill's decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter," Arnold said. "In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier."

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Microsoft directors decided that Gates needed to leave the board as it investigated the relationship. At the time Gates stepped down, he also left the board of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by his longtime friend Warren Buffett. Gates also planned to continue to serve as technology adviser to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella and others at the company.

Shaw declined to say what the investigation revealed.

Separately, the New York Times reported Sunday that Gates pursued women who worked both at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. French Gates hired divorce lawyers in 2019, after meetings that Gates had with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public, the Times also reported. Epstein, who had been charged with sexually abusing dozens of young girls in the early 2000s, died by suicide while in custody in 2019.

Arnold said Gates's relationship with Epstein was solely related to work.

"It is extremely disappointing that there have been so many untruths published about the cause, the circumstances and the timeline of Bill Gates' divorce," Arnold said.

Few details of Gates's affair emerged, including the name of the employee, how long their relationship lasted and whether she continues to work for Microsoft. It is also unclear what led the employee to report the relationship with Gates to the company when she did.

The relationship, as well as allegations of pursuing other employees reported by the New York Times, muddies Gates's legacy. Before Gates received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an honorary knighthood in the United Kingdom for his philanthropic work, he was known as a brass-knuckled competitor and an unforgiving boss who dished out withering criticism to employees whose ideas he disliked.

Gates's public persona changed as he became better known for the work of his foundation, which has sought to address issues of global inequality. As the coronavirus raged, Gates emerged as a leading advocate for science-based approaches to end the pandemic.

That work has helped burnish his reputation. But revelations that Gates abused his position of power in the relationship with the Microsoft employee or had a more extensive relationship with Epstein would tarnish that.

Four Gates friends and former colleagues expressed sadness over the news of the affair. All of them spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly, and none claimed any previous knowledge of the affair.

The Gateses' divorce came as a surprise to many, who saw them as a power couple in the world of philanthropy. They spent much of the past two decades running their foundation, which has issued nearly $55 billion in total grant payments through the end of 2019. The couple said in their tweets that they will continue to run the foundation together.

Forbes estimates Gates's net worth at $128.3 billion, ranking him fourth on its list of the world's wealthiest people.
The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will link the Costa del Sol with the Italian city of Pisa from 18 June. The new route will operate twice a week.

Susana Brito, Ryanair's head of sales and marketing for Spain and Portugal, said that as the vaccination programmes advance and with the summer season just around the corner, we are delighted to announce a new route that will connect Malaga with Pisa from 18 June as part of Ryanair's 2021 summer calendar in Spain.

Faced with the ever-changing scenarios imposed by the pandemic, the budget airline has pointed out that it allows up to two free flight date changes.

This will allow our customers greater flexibility and they can book their flights to enjoy a well-deserved rest, with the peace of mind of being able to postpone or change their travel dates, if necessary, free-of-charge up to end of October, the airline said.

Tickets are already on sale and the company has launched a promotional campaign with seats from 19.99 euros to travel until the end of October 2021. This promotion will be available until midnight on Thursday, 20 May, on the airlines website.
Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

More clouds than sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

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While Canadian employers have some leeway in using technology to keep tabs on workers in certain circumstances, national and provincial privacy laws set limits on how and when they may go about it, according to legal experts.

"This is a particularly compelling and timely issue, especially since there are so many people working remotely now and that is likely to continue," said Stuart Rudner, an attorney with Rudner Law in Ontario.

Canadian news media reported recently about a school janitor in Alberta who refused last fall to download a mobile app that would help her employer confirm workers were on the job where and when scheduled. She was fired weeks later.

The boss at the cleaning company had told employees to download the app to their personal mobile phones; the employee, concerned over her privacy and personal-data security, lost her job after refusing, although the boss said the refusal wasn't the only reason, the CBC reported.

Balancing of Rights

"The issue involves a balancing of rights. Specifically, employers have the right to manage their workforce and to ensure that workers are doing what they are supposed to. Conversely, employees have privacy rights that are based on a combination of legislation and common law," Rudner said.

Canada's privacy laws, however, generate some confusion, he said. The national law for private-sector businesses, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) applies only to a limited portion of the population, while three provinces have their own privacy laws, Rudner noted. In addition, the federal government is working on legislation to give citizens more control over the way companies manage their personal data, he said.

Among other features, PIPEDA's fair information principles require individual consent for data collection and use, with some exceptions: It limits data collection to the purpose the company has identified, and it limits the use, disclosure and retention of the data, according to Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Most Canadian privacy statutes contain an overriding "reasonableness standard" that requires employers to have a legitimate purpose and to limit the data collected, according to Suzanne Kennedy, an attorney with Harris & Co. in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"It's not necessarily unreasonable or contrary to privacy laws to ask employees to carry devices that would allow employers to track their location," but the onus is on employers to show why use of the technology is necessary and reasonable, she said.

If there's a less invasive way to achieve the same goal, it's harder to justify the tracking technology, she explained. In addition, Kennedy said, it can make a difference if employees are asked to use their own devices rather than their employer's.

Under Alberta's 2003 Personal Information Protection Act, a private-sector employer may collect and use personal employee data without consent if it's reasonable and for certain limited purposesbut must give current employees reasonable notice and disclose the reasons.

Employers may have compelling reasons to monitor employees, Kennedy noted. If an employee is out in the community all day, for example, it might be valuable for both employer and worker to have tracking in place for safety reasons, she explained.

"Employers have to be quite careful. There are so many technologies out there that allow us to monitor what employees are doing in the workplace. They're cheap, and they're easy to use," Kennedy said.

Context Counts

Canadian case law makes clear, though, that an employer that "willy nilly" collects information on employees will run afoul of privacy laws, according to Kennedy. If an employer simply adopts a new technology and collects information without a careful analysis of what the organization really needs, she added, "that's probably something that the regulators would be quite interested in looking at from a privacy perspective."

Most if not all privacy laws in Canada operate from principles requiring that tracking have a legitimate purposefor safety, for example, or to effectively supervise and dispatch employees to outside jobsthat it not be overly invasive, and that it be clear how the data is protected, Kennedy said.

Under British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act, which covers more than 380,000 private-sector organizations, data gathered on an employee's location and behavior is considered personal information, no matter who owns the device, according to a 2017 guidance document from the province's Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner (OIPC).

"Certain circumstances may allow the use of GPS to map employee travel routes, manage hours of work, and ensure that employees drive safely and lawfully. These may require the knowledge and consent of the employee prior to their implementation and use," the document says. "Orders from this office have determined that in most instances BC [British Columbia] privacy laws do not allow continuous, real-time monitoring of employees outside of work hours by GPS tracking. Such pervasive tracking would most likely be considered excessive and invasive."



Context matters, though, the British Columbia OIPC wrote, citing a case in which an elevator company was allowed to use GPS and engine status data systems to monitor employee location and behavior during work hours because the employer aimed to ensure worker safety and enable client billing. In this case, employees were dispatched from home and rarely worked at the employer's property.

The monitoring wouldn't have been allowed if the elevator company was using the technology to collect data on employees' personal time, continuously, covertly or for other purposes, the OIPC wrote.

Dinah Wisenberg Brin is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.
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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed HB 2067 into law amending Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) Section 13-905 to allow persons convicted of certain criminal offenses the opportunity to set aside a prior conviction and seek a Certificate of Second Chance.

The law permits such second chances for employment opportunities, occupational licenses, and housing. Arizona does not have a pure expungement law completely erasing convictions from a person's records, but A.R.S. Section 13-905 allows for certain convictions to be set aside. The new amendment permits those individuals who successfully fulfill their probation or sentence conditions to apply to have the court set aside prior convictions and receive a certificate that prevents being barred from obtaining required occupational licenses if otherwise qualified.

The amendment will take effect Aug. 27, benefiting ex-offenders by allowing them to seek to set aside certain felony and misdemeanor convictions and assisting them in moving past these prior criminal convictions to increase greater employment and other opportunities. Courts granting applications to set aside prior convictions must also include a certificate if not issued previously.

Eligibility includes persons convicted of misdemeanors, or class 4, 5 or 6 felonies with at least two years having elapsed since fulfilling probation or sentence conditions. Eligibility also includes applications to set aside prior convictions for class 2 or 3 felonies with at least five years elapsing since fulfilling probation or sentence conditions.

However, the new law does not apply universally to all crimes and convictions. Crimes excluded from being set aside include but are not limited to:

Driving on a suspended license.

Violations of ARS Title 28, Chapter 3, which include criminal speeding, felony flight, aggressive driving, and hit and run.

Convictions involving a deadly weapon or convictions involving infliction of serious physical injury.

Convictions requiring the individual to register as a sexual offender or for offender monitoring.

Sexual motivation convictions.

Convictions involving victims under age 15.

Unless specifically excluded, the certificate releases the person from all barriers and limitations in obtaining an occupational license issued under Title 323 resulting from the conviction if the person is otherwise qualified.

Notably, the law still requires the person to admit their prior convictions if asked on employment applications if requested. Because Arizona does not offer a true expungement law, the set aside does not truly expunge the person's criminal record, and the person will need to disclose their conviction. However, employers conducting a background check will find a notation indicated next to the conviction as being set aside, and the person can report the court's decision was vacated, charges are dismissed and present the certificate issued by the court.

When making a decision to issue an order to set aside the conviction and grant the certificate, the court considers multiple factors, including but not limited to the nature and circumstances of the offense, the applicant's compliance with probation or sentence, prior and subsequent convictions, the victim's input and status of restitution, length of time elapsed, the applicant's age at the time of conviction, and any other relevant factors to the application.

Under the new law, the certificate is not a recommendation or sponsorship for a promotion of the person who possesses the certificate when applying for an occupational license, employment or housing.

Limited Employer Liability

Additionally, the law limits the potential tort liability of employers hiring a person with a certificate. Specifically, employers generally will not be held liable for hiring an employee or independent contractor who has been issued a certificate for alleged negligent hiring for injuries or damages caused by the worker. Further, criminal convictions that occurred before the person worked for the employer may not be introduced into evidence.

Moreover, in lawsuits alleging a failure to provide adequate supervision, the worker's previous criminal conviction may not be introduced into evidence unless the employer knew or should have known of the conviction and the type of conviction was directly related to the nature of the employee's job and the conduct gave rise to the alleged injury. This limitation on liability does not apply to prior convictions for fraud or misuse of money if the employee or contractor later breaches fiduciary responsibilities in the management of money or property.

Similarly, these limited liability protections are not available to employers hiring workers as law enforcement officers or security guards who were previously convicted for violent offenses or used excessive force.

Pursuant to ARS 32-4701, the licensing authority has the power to issue to an otherwise qualified applicant who has been convicted of an offense either a regular license or a provisional license, which does not preclude a licensing authority from exercising discretion to issue licenses. Licenses may not be granted for any occupation where the licensee would be supervising vulnerable adults or children, and any initial or renewal license application where the applicant was convicted of committing an offense in the course of performing the duties of the occupation or a substantially similar occupation.

Employer Recommendations

Because the law does not take effect for several months, employers are encouraged to review position requirements, job descriptions and their employment applications. Human Resources and hiring managers with decision and retention authority will need to be trained on the new provisions within this law.

A key point for employers is they are not legally precluded from rejecting a candidate with a certificate, but a measure of liability protection is granted against certain types of liability if they hire such candidates. The full measure of that protection is not yet known, including, for example, whether it is available in a tort case (e.g., employee assaults a third party) or in an employment case (e.g., an employee sexually harasses a coworker).

The other key point for employers is that this amended statute does not legally preclude employers from asking candidates about prior convictions and also does not allow candidates with a certificate to withhold information about prior convictions, unlike jurisdictions that have enacted "ban-the-box" laws, such as the neighboring states of New Mexico and California. However, the purpose of the law is to aid ex-offenders in reintegrating into the workforce by providing them with some proof of rehabilitation, i.e., the certificate.

Neil Alexander and Shaylon Lovell are attorneys with Littler Mendelson in Phoenix.  2021 Littler Mendelson. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
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On May 11, Philadelphia enacted amendments that immediately strengthen workplace protections for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, File No. 210249 adds "coercive control" to the definition of "domestic abuse" under the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinancethe citywide sick and safe time ordinanceand to the definition of "domestic violence" under the Entitlement to Leave due to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking Ordinancethe city's unpaid safe time leave ordinance.

Under both laws, "coercive control" will mean a pattern of threatening, humiliating or intimidating actions toward an individual used to punish or frighten the individual, including but not limited to a pattern of behavior that, in effect, takes away the individual's liberty; freedom; or sense of self, safety or bodily integrity, including, but not limited to, a pattern of one or more of the following actions:

Isolating the victim from support networks.

Controlling the victim's economic and other resources, such as transportation.

Closely monitoring the victim's activities, communications or movements.

Repetitively degrading and demeaning the victim.

Threatening to kill or harm the victim or the victim's children or relatives or pets or to take steps to separate the victim from the victim's children and or pets.

Threatening to publish or publishing sexualized, false, or embarrassing information, videos, photographs, or other depictions of the victim.

Damaging or taking the victim's property or possessions.

Displaying or referring to weapons as a means to intimidate or threaten.

Forcing the victim to engage in unlawful activity.

Both ordinances allow employees to take job-protected leave for specified reasons if they or a family member (or, under the unpaid safe time leave ordinance, a household member) is a victim of domestic violence. The amount of leave and pay status varies based on type of leave and on employer size.

Under the sick and safe time ordinance, employers with 10 or more covered employees must provide paid leave, whereas those with nine or fewer covered employees must provide unpaid leave. All employers, however, can cap annual leave use at 40 hours.

Under the unpaid safe time leave ordinance, employers with 50 or more employees on each working day during 20 or more calendar workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year must allow employees to use eight workweeks of leave during a 12-month period, whereas those with 49 or fewer employees on each day during 33 or more calendar workweeks must allow up to four workweeks of leave. None of the time must be paid.

Note that the sick and safe time ordinance, enacted years after the unpaid safe time leave ordinance, provides that leaves can run consecutively rather than concurrently. In other words, after exhausting sick and safe time, employees may take additional leave under the unpaid safe time leave ordinance.

Barbara Rittinger Rigo is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in Philadelphia. Stephanie Mills-Gallan is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in Milwaukee. Sebastian Chilco is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in San Francisco.  2021 Littler Mendelson. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
In 1972, five percent of Americans identified as nones on surveys. A none is someone who w
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that at least 11 persons have been killed, including 3 in Mumbai, in various storm-related incidents and another 5 are reported missing from the coastal areas of the state comprising Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar which bore the brunt of the cyclone.

Mumbai: With at least 11 dead, the fury of Cyclone Tauktae on Monday brought in record highest rains and unprecedented levels of destruction in the coastal districts of Maharashtra, officials said on Tuesday.

"There has been huge devastation of mango orchards, cashewnuts, coconuts and other plantations and we have asked the district authorities to immediately prepare 'panchnamas' for relief," he told mediapersons.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also directed that the affected people must be given relief as soon as possible as the state limps back to normalcy.

The country's commercial capital also experienced its closest encounter with a mega-cyclonic storm in the past 73 years, and the third most severe cyclone impact in the past three years in a row after Cyclone Nisarga hit Maharashtra coast in 2020 and Cyclone Vayu had moved away parallel to the west coast in 2019.

Living up to the IMD's prediction of 110 km/hr windspeed in Mumbai, the city notched 114 km/hr winds lashing Colaba, Brittania Pumping Station Reay Road recorded 177 km/hr and Malvani in Malad west saw windspeeds of 101 km/hr.

The IMD recorded a staggering average 230.3 mm rainfall in the suburbs and average 207.6 mm rains in the city side, both a record during the peak summer month of May in the past century.

The city's annual average rainfall is around 2,500 mm, implying the cyclone brought nearly 9 percent of this year's likely total rains.

The highest rainfall figures were recorded in Kandivali (320 mm), Borivali (315 mm), Dahisar (292 mm), Goregaon and Malad (281 mm each), G-South Ward of south-central Mumbai and surroundings (266 mm), and Worli (254 mm).

As many as 56 low-lying spots in the city witnessed flooding and waterlogging for several hours, disrupting traffic and pedestrian movement, with reports of water seeping in some slums or ground floor flats in buildings.

The city saw 43 incidents of minor or major house or wall crash incidents which left 9 injured, and 39 complaints of electrical short-circuits due to water seepage in electric boxes or junctions.

At least 2,364 trees or major branches were ripped off during the cyclone across the city, leading to one death and one injury.

Fishing boats moored to the shores in Malvani and Mahim shores were uprooted from their anchors in which two persons are still missing, while eight managed to swim ashore safely, said the BMC report.

Hours after the Cyclone Tauktae whirled over to Gujarat coast and made a landfall late on Monday, Mumbai and the rest of the coastal Konkan witnessed stray rains since midnight, though strong winds and showers continued in isolated areas on Tuesday as life limped back to normalcy.
The single-dose Janssen vaccine had been hoped to give the coronavirus vaccination campaign in Spain and Europe a big boost and accelerate the speed so that herd immunity would be reached more quickly, especially after the early delivery delays and issues with the AstraZeneca formula.

But the reality is turning into a fiasco.

Spains Ministry of Health officials have confirmed that the North American giant Johnson & Johnson, has once again told the EU authorities that this week it will not meet its planned delivery schedule again and that only with luck it will it supply half of the promised doses.

This latest disappointment is by no means the first. Since the first 146,000 vials arrived in Spain in mid-April the supply has been "totally irregular", according to sources.

Spains Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, had promised that in the second quarter, Spain would receive 5.5 million doses of the Janssen vaccine but, so far, the multinational has only delivered 410,400 doses, less than a tenth of what was committed.

And of those, only half have been administered after the decision to reserve this formula exclusively for the group aged between 70 and 79 years old due to a small number of blood clot problems in women between 18 and 48 years old detected in the United States.

The Ministry of Health freely admits that it does not count on Janssen delivering the 17.5 million doses that Spain has purchased to be delivered between March and September and that the vaccination strategy will continue to rely on the Pfizer vaccine. The company has been able to increase production rates and is able to supply 13 million doses to Spain this June alone.

The Public Health Commission last week approved the use of Janssen for people such as maritime and seasonal workers, immigrants without papers, the homeless or Spaniards residing abroad, but now the experts themselves doubt that they can undertake that campaign.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport Rajeev Ranjan, said: "Police has arrested three people in connection with the murder of Kenyan national Jama Said Farah."

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Three people, including a taxi driver, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Kenyan national who had come to India two weeks ago to get medical treatment, police said on Tuesday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Virender Singh aka Monu, Gopal Singh, and Dilbagh alias Billu, all residents of Rangpuri village.

The DCP said Ranjan said that on Monday, a PCR call was received at the IGI police station regarding a person lying dead near Centaur Hotel, and a police team reached the spot.

"From the incident scene, the police recovered a mobile phone of BMP Gold which was on and the last dialled number from the mobile was called which belonged to Manoj Sahu, a travel agent," he said.

Ranjan said that Sahu, on being questioned, identified the deceased as Kenyan national Farah, who had booked a ticket through him for May 15 from Delhi to Somalia, and sent a copy of his passport.

Sahu also informed Farah's daughter and she called up the Delhi Police to inform that her father came to India two weeks ago for the treatment of some heart disease, but due to the pandemic, his treatment was postponed by the hospital and hence he was returning home, via Somalia, on May 17.

The DCP said that Farah was denied immigration clearance at IGI Airport, due to non availability of a Somalian visa, and off loaded by airlines.

"His daughter said that on being off-loaded, Farah came outside the airport and took a taxi bearing registration number HR 55 AF 5435 for a hotel in Mahipal Pur and since then she has no contact with her father," he said.

Then, Farah was found dead and his luggage was missing.

A case was registered and seeing the gravity of the case, a dedicated team comprising a senior officer was constituted.

"During the course of the investigation, the police swung into action and ownership of the taxi number provided was obtained. The taxi was found registered in the name of Virender Singh. Thereafter, a raid was conducted at the above address and Virender Singh was arrested from his house," Ranjan said.

During questioning, Virender Singh revealed that he, along with his two friends, namely Gopal and Dilbagh, were available in their taxi at the airport, and Farah took their taxi.

"They had an altercation with Farah over the fare on the way, beat him up, threw him out near Centaur Hotel and fled," the DCP said, adding that to hide the identity of the victim, they took away the luggage and other valuable items of Farah.

--IANS

aks/vd
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A black dress, a scorpion tattoo, two gold chains, a ring watch, 30 cents and a pack of Newport cigarettes.

Thats all investigators had to identify the bludgeoned body of a young woman found in an Ocean Breeze ditch in 1991. Her identity remains unknown and her homicide unsolved.

The womans body was found on Sept. 20, 1991 across from 777 Seaview Ave., the South Beach Psychiatric Center, according to Advance/SILive.com records.

At the time, police theorized that she was killed the day before by strangulation and more than a dozen blows with a hammer to the back of her head.

The woman, described as white and being in her early 20s with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes, was found with her hands cuffed behind her back and burned after she was doused with an accelerant. Police said she was 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed around 115 pounds.

The tattoo of a scorpion found the body of a female found on Sept. 19, 1991. (NamUs)

Wide-ranging leads were followed by detectives on the case.

An image of her red-and-blue scorpion tattoo on her right buttock was shared multiple times over the years that followed the discovery in an effort to catch the eye of someone who knew her or a tattoo artist that recognized the handiwork.

A 13-inch hammer commonly used in auto body shops was found under her body with the name, Loyd L. inscribed into its handle, said police. It was believed to be the weapon used in the homicide.

Her dress was purchased from a California manufacturer just months before her death, an investigation found. Detectives even considered it was possible she was a recent immigrant to the country whose relatives did not know of her fate because no one came forward to identify her.

This image of a blood-stained hammer found under the woman's body ran in the Advance in 1992. The woman was described as being white, in her early 20s, about five feet, seven inches, and weighing about 115 pounds. She had shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. She had two gold chains around her neck and was wearing a ring watch.

Even more far-reaching clues were wrestled with.

Police looked to see if she was possibly employed by Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus at the time of her murder, Advance/SILive.com records show, and the case was looked over by investigators probing the slayings of self-described Long Island serial killer Joel Rifkin.

All leads led to the same result  frustration.

Weve been at it for a month-and-a-half now. Were running out of time, said NYPD Lt. William Quinn in November of 1991. Were reaching out to the public to try to reach this girls family so she can receive a decent burial.

Nationwide alerts and missing person reports across the country failed to turn up the womans identity, and then-Inspector William Calhoun, who was the commander of Staten Islands detective bureau, said his detectives scoured every option to identify her.

Weve gone all over the world with her prints, he told the Advance in 1993.

Without an identity, she was laid to rest at an anonymous grave on Hart Island.

Tosano Simonetti, the NYPD borough commander in the early years of the case, said the gruesome murder was probably the most unusual case since Ive been here.

The case is one of more than a dozen instances of unidentified human remains on Staten Island in recent decades, the Advance/SILive.com reported.

Anyone with information in regard to the homicide is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public also can submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  An SUV was stolen in Greenridge late Sunday night, according to police, the latest instance of a burgeoning crime trend that exploded during the pandemic and has continued in 2021.

A 43-year-old man told police that he discovered early Monday morning that an unknown person had rummaged through his 2021 red Toyota Highlander before stealing his gray 2009 Acura MDX, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.

The vehicles were parked in front of his home, which is in the vicinity of Annadale Road and Tynan Street, the man told police.

It appears that unknown individuals removed the keys to the Acura from the center console of the Toyota, police said. It was not immediately clear if the Toyota was unlocked.

No arrests have been made in the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Police on Staten Island have been working to curb this years spike in car thefts and have repeatedly urged borough residents to take precautions by locking up their vehicles.

Lock your cars, take your valuables out of the car and never ever leave your car unattended while running, NYPD Assistant Chief Frank Vega, the borough commander, previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

Authorities say groups of teenagers and young men  often from outside of the borough  have targeted a range of makes and models in several different neighborhoods this year. Crews have even utilized real estate websites to pinpoint expensive houses to locate high-end vehicles.

Police estimate about 75% of thefts in the borough in 2020 involved cars that were left unlocked with the key fobs inside. In some higher-end vehicles, the side mirrors stick out when the car is left unlocked  making it even easier for thieves to spot the opportunity.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The 2020-2021 school year is nearly over, and many families and school staff are starting to wonder what the next academic year will look like as New York City plans for all students to return to school in-person in the fall amid the coronavirus (COVID-19).

To gain feedback and answer questions that families may have, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter is holding virtual conversation sessions across all five boroughs. The first information session was held virtually for Staten Island families Monday evening.

Porter was joined by city Department of Education (DOE) leadership, as well as parent leaders from Staten Islands District 31 Community Education Council (CEC), to hear from families and share information.

As New York City eyes a full reopening for the 2021-2022 school year, heres a look at what to expect so far, according to the chancellor.

How will all students return to school full-time in the fall safely?

Porter said that the DOE is working really hard to ensure that all students can go back to school in-person in the fall.

In fact, before I came to Staten Island, virtually, I was on a conference call with the doctors, our city doctors, to ask all of these questions, Porter said. And so what we will lean into is the health and safety of all of our students firstI hope you know we were looking for some guidance from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] shortly, and well be coming back soon with some clear information.

Porter said she is a mother and a parent of a 10th-grader who asks her every night if students will go back in-person for the 2021-2022 school year, so she knows its important.

Im excited about the potential of getting in-person, because nothing replaces what happens between our amazing teachers and students in classrooms -- so more to come soon, but just know we are leaning into health and safety recommendations first, Porter added.

What health and safety measures will be in place?

The schools chancellor said that the city will continue its regular coronavirus testing schedule in schools.

Currently, the city conducts randomized weekly COVID testing of 20% of the school population, which includes both students and staff.

Were still working out the details of what that looks like in the fall when we have more students back, she said.

Mask-wearing will also continue to be mandated, according to Porter.

But she stated that what she shared during Mondays information session is based on where we are all currently at in this pandemic.

So right now, based on where we are with the pandemic, we will continue mask-wearing, Porter told the Staten Island community. We will continue some level of social distancing. We will continue testing, and we will continue, most importantly, to encourage everyone to get vaccinated who is eligible to be vaccinated.

Will schools require students and staff to be vaccinated?

As some colleges across the country, including some in New York State  like State University of New York and City University of New York colleges  mandated vaccinations are part of the plan for the fall semester, so parents asked if the city would require vaccinations for students and staff in its public schools.

Porter said there is not a requirement currently, but the DOE is highly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.

Right now, we know we can get 12 and up vaccinated, we want to get our city, our state, our country back to our new normal, and so we need everybody to get vaccinated -- because the vaccination is not about us as individuals, but its about what we want to have our city become. And the safest way to get everyone back to school, is to get as many of us vaccinated as possible, she said.

Will schools keep small class sizes?

With investments coming into schools thanks to state and federal funds, Porter said the DOE will look at ways to reduce class sizes.

I definitely agree that that was one of the benefits of the pandemic was the reduction of class size, but it was a forced unnatural reduction, she said. I think below what anyone wanted, and so were looking forward to our schools leveraging the resources to not only look at ways to reduce class sizes, but also look at ways to bring in additional enrichment activities into our schools.

When will protocols like cohorts be terminated?

The chancellor said the city is working toward bringing students back to a normal school routine, but that she cant say definitively yes.

What I will say, is that is what we are working toward, Porter explained. I think what we all want to prioritize is the health and safety of our students and our families, and before we commit to breaking up cohorts and breaking up pods, we have to make sure that its safe  so get vaccinated.

Will there be an option to be a remote learner?

Porter told Staten Island families that there are still conversations about what September will look like, but that the city is learning toward having all students return in-person.

However, the chancellor said the city will work with medical experts regarding a decision on remote learning and who would be eligible.

I have to say that there are definitely some students who had strong experiences in the remote option, she said. But we also know that you know nothing replaces the interaction between a student and a teacher in a classroom. So we are leaning toward being in-person. But again, like I said earlier, were going to work with our medical experts to decide if we need to have a remote option, and who we would need that remote option for.

What about preparing school buildings, like ventilation and inspections?

Kevin Moran, chief operating officer for school operations, told families during the information session that the DOE began a multi-layer approach when looking at well-ventilated classrooms for the start of the current school year.

We took a real multi-layered approach to how we fix these things and how we supplemented them, so every classroom has an air purifier, every classroom has operable windows, said Moran. If it doesnt have our windows, we bring in outside air, fresh air, and if it had to be recirculated during the colder months or the warmer months, we use MERV-13 filters -- as recommended.

Custodians also walk weekly and work with principals in each building to make sure the structure is functioning as designed, and if theres a concern, we will handle it, and well get to the building and visit and make the necessary repairs, Moran said.

This year, the DOE is going one step further, he added, by bringing a second round of air purifiers into the mix to make sure there are multiple units in each classroom. The city will also put MERV-13 air filters on air conditioning units and window units for use during the summer.

Will there be medical accommodations in the 2021-2022 school year?

For the 2020-2021 school year, the DOE allowed for medical accommodations that let teachers and other school staff work remotely. Porter explained that these accommodations were given at the height of the pandemic to support the health and safety needs of staff members.

Just like my hope is that every student is in school, it is my hope that every staff member is in school in September as well, Porter said. Our agreement around medical accommodations expires June 30. And again, were going to lean into recommendations from the health and medical experts to decide where we move going forward -- but our goal is to get all of our students and staff back in school in September.

Where can I get more Staten Island-specific information about schools?

During the information session, Staten Island leadership also shared information on its new District 31 app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Dr. Marion Wilson, acting superintendent for District 31, explained its very important to make sure the district is able to communicate directly with families.

Our app is so critically important to us, and its going to be translated in all the major languages that serve our families, said Wilson. We really want to hear voices from our parents. Our app only went live after we got feedback from parents, from teachers, and some of our extraordinary school leaders.

She called it a one-stop shop for information, with valuable tools for students, parents and educators.

What if I have more questions or feedback?

If you have additional feedback or have more questions, you can email stimulus2021@schools.nyc.gov.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While Amazon is seeking to hire 5,400 new employees for its New York area operations, including 700 for its three Staten Island facilities, there is a movement afoot to slow the giant online retailers presence in New York.

However, local officials have touted Amazon for the creation of jobs -- more than 5,000 -- at the companys three facilities in Staten Islands West Shore Matrix Global Logistics Park.

Amazon -- now Staten Islands largest employer -- opened a $100 million, 855,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center in 2017. The online retailer also opened a 450,000-square-foot warehouse, known as a Last Mile Facility, which helps speed up deliveries, specifically to Staten Islanders, in summer 2020. And Amazon opened its third facility, a 975,000-square-foot sorting center, in Matrix Global Logistics Park in fall 2020.

Amazon is committed to being a good neighbor and community partner in the areas in which our associates live and work, said Amazon spokesperson Jenna Hilzenrath.

Since our first fulfillment center in New York state launched here...we have donated more than a million dollars to local organizations on Staten Island, which is home to more than half of the sites employees. Our goal is to not only provide great pay and benefits, but also leverage our scale for good and make investments that support the needs of the local community. We look forward to continuing to play a part in ensuring that all young adults and families on Staten Island have the resources they need for their best future, she added.

THE PLEDGE

However, four Democratic mayoral candidates have signed on to a pledge -- formulated by New York Communities for Change, Make the Road Action and Workers United LDFS Joint Board -- to slow Amazons growing presence in New York City.

The four candidates -- attorney Maya Wiley, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former non-profit executive Dianne Morales and Paperboy Prince -- who signed the pledge said they want to make it more difficult for Amazon to open warehouses in New York City, according to a report in Politico.

The crackdown on Amazon comes at a time when the retailer announced nine new delivery stations will open across New York City this year. It also comes two years after the online retail giant scrapped its plans to open a new headquarters in Queens, where the project was met with opposition. Other candidates, including Andrew Yang, have criticized the loss of the proposed headquarters.

Since 2018, weve seen a more than 300% increase in Amazon distribution centers in NYC, going from only three to at least 14 by the end of this year, said Zachary Lerner, organizing director of New York Communities for Change.

...These e-commerce distribution centers are not like other warehouses. There can be hundreds, or even thousands, of truck and car trips each day to and from these facilities, causing untold amounts of traffic, pollution and other negative community impacts, including pedestrian death. The community must be able to be a part of the process when one of these is planned, he added.

He said the pledge aims to reform the citys land use and economic development processes so distribution centers are no longer classified or zoned as warehouses that can be built as-of-right, and instead require community input before they are built.

But with Amazon being Staten Islands largest employer, some local elected officials say they wouldnt want to see that happen.

BENEFITS FOR STATEN ISLAND

If a modern-day Teddy Roosevelt wants to be a 21st century trust-buster and break up the Googles and Amazons of the world, they can have at it, said Borough President James Oddo.

In the meantime, if the choice is to have 5,000 jobs go to New Jersey or Staten Island, one hundred out of one hundred times I am going to do what we did and work tirelessly to ensure those come to the Matrix Global Logistics center, he added.

Oddo was instrumental in the development of Matrix Global Logistics Park.

Borough Hall didnt create these jobs, but we certainly slayed the bureaucracy that stood in the way of their creation, and we are proud of that. It never ceases to amaze me that the loudest voices trying to stifle the private sector seem always to come from those most often calling for funding of cradle-to-grave programs. Where do they think the money comes from? Above and beyond the jobs already created, we continue to grow our relationship with Amazon and partner with them on various endeavors helping the Staten Island community, Oddo added.

NO TRAFFIC IMPACT

Initially, when it was announced that Amazon would open its first operation here, there were concerns expressed from the community about the companys trucks adding traffic to Staten Islands already congested streets. But Oddo said there have been no complaints about traffic resulting from the boroughs Amazon operations.

The lack of a negative traffic impact has been due in large part to the work we put in with Joe Taylor [CEO] of Matrix and the folks at Amazon -- prior to the facility opening -- to tailor the shifts and the arrival and departure of the large trucks to avoid Staten Islands rush hours to the largest extent possible, said Oddo.

Joe Taylor has been a great partner and a man of his word, and understood our concerns and lived up to his commitments from Day One. He understood our formula: job creation had to significantly outweigh infrastructure implications. Together, we have over-delivered on jobs, and fulfilled our commitment to not further burden Staten Islands motorists, he added.

Oddo also noted that making Gulf Avenue two-way -- the street leading into the facility that, before the project was built, was a one-way -- has helped traffic flow efficiently in the area.

Taylor said a lot of the positives that have come out of Global Matrix logistic Park has to do with its location.

The Borough President has been a big proponent of this type of development in this location. ...We are right off the Goethals Bridge, right off [routes] 440 and 278. Both the employees and the goods get to and from their destinations really efficiently with only nominal impact, if any, on the local roads, said Taylor. In our development, three of the four existing buildings are Amazon. Weve been able to mitigate traffic by additional road widenings, and traffic lights to allow smoother flow to and from the highways.

He noted that the MTA also has a very vigorous bus service, with a bus stop onsite.

We arranged for that with the MTA even before we opened our first building, said Taylor. And its very heavily utilized by employees.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Amazon also noted it has made many contributions to the community, including large donations of equipment, like laptops, and money to Staten Island schools, as well as monetary donations to borough-based charities and not-for-profit organizations.

In 2020 alone, Amazon said these donation efforts included: $100,000 to provide more than 3,000 food care packages to front-line transit workers in the MTA; $100,000 to the Fund for Public Schools to support the purchasing of supplies for families in need; a $5,000 donation to Staten Island University Healths Foundation supporting coronavirus [COVID-19] relief efforts; donations of thousands of surgical masks, gowns and respirator masks to New York hospitals; thousands of pounds of food to local food banks; $25,000 to Staten Island University Hospital for its new Childrens Cancer Center, and $25,000 to the Dr. Atlas Foundation, funding a six-week STEM education program for 500 Staten Island students.

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For the 13th consecutive year, the @EmpireStateBldg, in partnership with the FDNY, will be illuminated in celebration of #EMSWeek. The yellow, blue, and white lighting with a signature heartbeat effect will honor the life-saving efforts of our city's Emergency Medical Services. pic.twitter.com/S5ZhNRV64l  FDNY (@FDNY) May 17, 2021

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The Empire State Building, in partnership with the FDNY, will be illuminated Monday in celebration of EMS Week.

The top of the skyscraper will be lit with yellow, blue and white lights with a heartbeat effect to honor the life-saving efforts of our citys Emergency Medical Services, the FDNY wrote on Twitter.

The collaboration has been ongoing for 13 years.

Honoring #EMSWeek & all our medical first responders by shining in yellow, white & blue with the @FDNY tonight!, wrote the twitter account for the Empire State Building.
UNITED NATIONS -- The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations is challenging the Biden administration to show results from its diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, pointing to the U.S. repeatedly blocking U.N. Security Council action on grounds it would interfere with its diplomatic efforts.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters march north along 2nd Avenue in the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan, May 18, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Steve Zaffarano)

Riyad Mansour said if the Biden administration can exert all of their pressure to bring an end to the aggression against our people, nobody is going to stand in their way.

But he said the facts speak for themselves, and nobody has succeeded yet, so the U.S. argument that a council statement would interfere with efforts to achieve a cease-fire does not hold water.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters march north along 2nd Avenue in the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan, May 18, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Steve Zaffarano)

Mansour spoke at a press conference Tuesday as the Security Council again met in closed consultations at the request of China, Norway and Tunisia who have been pressing for the U.N.s most powerful body to respond to the Gaza conflict, now in its second week. But council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussion was private, said the United States reiterated again that a statement would not help diplomatic efforts despite the 14 other members calling for council action.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters march north along 2nd Avenue in the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan, May 18, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Steve Zaffarano)

Algerias U.N. Ambassador Sofiane Mimouni, current head of the U.N.s Arab Group, said the United Nations as a whole must raise its voice to achieve a cease-fire and urged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to personally engage and intensify his efforts with all world leaders to put an end to the repression that Palestinians are facing.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Former child star Ricky Schroder, a Staten Island native, made national headlines Monday after a confrontation with a Costco employee about the stores mask policy.

The incident, captured in a video filmed by Schroder, shows him approaching the employee outside the store and asking Why arent you letting me in?

The man states that in the state of California a mask mandate remains in place  despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releasing new guidance Thursday that fully vaccinated people dont need to mask-up, or in most cases socially distance, NBC News reported.

The video has gone viral, garnering a bevy of responses on social media.

Wrote one man who ridiculed the actors behavior: For a conservative, Rick doesnt understand how the law works. Private businesses are allowed to set the terms for those who enter.

Others applauded Schroders stance on whats become a polarizing issue on Staten Island and across the U.S.

You are a one-man army standing up for our freedom, commented a woman on Facebook. Id love to see more stars stand behind you.

Schroder, best known for his TV roles on Silver Spoons and NYPD Blue.

Born on Staten Island, Schroder spent his childhood and early career living on Leverett Avenue in Great Kills.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Staten Island First? Not so fast, four Democratic candidates running for Borough President said Tuesday.

Lorie Honor, Radhikrishna Mohan, Brandon Stradford and Cesar Vargas held a joint press conference on the steps of Borough Hall in St. George around 12 p.m. to criticize their opponent Mark Murphys creation of a third-party line called Staten Island First.

All four drew comparisons between the slogan and former President Donald Trumps America First rhetoric that he deployed while campaigning and in office. They went as far as labeling the Staten Island First slogan as racist and xenophobic.

Donald Trump used the America First slogan as a dog whistle, Vargas said. Mark Murphys new party smacks of the same racial and anti-immigrant undertone that appears to refuse the election results in the Democratic primary if a person of color wins.

Murphy, the son of former Rep. Jack Murphy, has been collecting signatures on that line with Mid-Island City Council candidate Sal Albanese and Civil Court candidate Maria Novak, according to reporting that first appeared on THE CITY website.

If Murphy secures 1,750 signatures on that line by May 25, he could appear on the November general election ballot even if he loses the upcoming June primary. A Democrat hasnt held the borough presidents office since 1989.

In response to Tuesdays press conference, Murphy did not say whether he would withdraw his third-party candidacy should he lose the Democratic primary, but characterized his efforts as a way to bring Staten Islanders together.

From the thousands of Staten Islanders Ive spoken to, there is one common thread--Staten Islanders feel neglected and I am committed to having them never feel that way again. We started this movement to unify the island and to let voters know exactly where our priorities are, he said. Its disappointing that my opponents dont share that same positive and constructive vision.

The local Democratic Party endorsed Murphy in February, and all of Staten Islands Democratic elected officials made the same choice earlier this month. Assemblyman Mike Cusick (D-Mid-Island), who led the elected officials press conference, also serves as chairman of the local party.

Assemblyman Mike Cusick is joined by (from left) Assemblyman Charles Fall, Borough President candidate Mark Murphy, City Councilwoman Debi Rose, and State Sen. Diane Savino during an endorsement announcement for Murphy Thursday, May 6, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/ Paul Liotta)

Honor, who previously described Murphys third-party efforts as a back-room tactic, suggested that he had been absent from the party since his 2012 congressional run, and was out of touch with what local Democrats want.

Im not sure he has his finger on the pulse of the current state of Staten Island Democrats, she said. This is not something that I think anyone of us decided to do out of the blue.

Honor, Mohan, and Murphy are the only three candidates to have qualified for the citys matching funds program. The four participants in Tuesdays press conference questioned the prior endorsements of Murphy, and, more specifically, his candidacy on the Democratic line.

James Clinton, executive director of the Staten Island Democratic Party, said that since two-thirds of the county committee voted to endorse Murphy in February, that the had no intention of withdrawing their endorsement.

We as a party have no plans, nor do we feel comfortable overturning an endorsement as strong as that, he said. Thats where we stand on that.
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Summer is approaching, it's getting hot and face masks to help protect against Covid-19 are increasingly uncomfortable to wear, although they are still required.

For weeks there has been speculation about the possibility that they will no longer be mandatory, at least in certain situations, and this Monday (17 May) it was the Ministry of Health itself, through its spokesperson, that was optimistic about the relaxation of this measure.

The director of the Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), Fernando Simon, said during a press conference that it is "very likely" that the use of a mask outdoors can be relaxed "in not many days.

Simon did not want to venture to give a specific date, but he did say that it could be soon, in view of the good progress of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign and the decrease in infections.

"We have to begin to assess the relaxation of certain measures, such as the wearing of masks outdoors and the subject of social gatherings," said Simon, who explained what would be the ideal incidence rate threshold to make these decisions.

According to the expert, this could be when the regions, or at least the vast majority of them, have a coronavirus cumulative incidence rate below 150, a figure close to the current average for the whole of Spain, which, on Monday, stood at 151 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days.

Simon also said that Spain is increasing the percentage of people immunised by almost 10 per cent every 10 or 15 days, which also suggests that the end of wearing the mask outdoors is getting closer and closer.

But the epidemiologist also acknowledged that the evolution of infections could mean that this relaxation measure is not for the entire population or for all regions.

We are evaluating many options; one is clear: we now have a population group, such as people in residences, with a high rate of immunisation and different measures can be proposed for these groups rather than in others," he said.

Simon said that if the level of vaccination of the population continues at the current rate, it would be possible to eliminate masks outdoors for the general population, although for that to happen he considers that there cannot be great differences in infection rates between some regions and others.

What we cannot do is expose ourselves to large outbreaks again, even in specific areas, he said.

He also stressed that the end of outdoor masks will only be possible if other measures are maintained. If we remove the outdoor masks, it does not mean that they must no longer be worn indoors or that we no longer have to keep our physical distance. Or if masks are removed in highly vaccinated groups, that doesn't mean they can be removed in all social groups. Steps are going to be taken, but we do not want to be left with the idea that this is over completely," he said.
On Tuesday, the nation finally got to see what Australias Olympic athletes will be wearing when they walk out on to Tokyos New National Stadium in 66 days time (fingers crossed).

Australian athletes (left to right) Gronya Somerville, Keesja Gofers, George Ford, Tarni Stepto, Safwan Khalil, (L-R bottom) Lachlan Tame, Jessica Fox, Bendere Oboya and Dan Watkins wearing the Tokyo Olympic uniform, designed by Sportscraft. Credit:Nick Moir

Hating on our Olympic uniforms has practically become its own sport, right? Indeed. Ive previously likened our teams uniforms to a barber shop quartet (Rio 2016) and students of a particular Melbourne girls school (London 2012).

There have been far, far worse though. True, before my time, but some of the most derided uniforms in history include Los Angeles  hey, it was the 80s!  the wattle-coloured fauna dress landed somewhere between nannas curtains and the costume for a bad Australia Zoo parody. Im not sure what was worse, the koala nuzzling the chests of the female athletes, or the giant kookaburra on the mens shirts.
More employers are climbing on the bitcoin bandwagon as it goes mainstream, offering their workers an option to take home some of their pay in the cryptocurrency.

Although their numbers remain relatively small, more are expected to quickly follow, particularly fintech companies who often have many young, tech-savvy employees that are eager to take part in the crypto gold rush.

Comparison website Finder plans to start offering its 350 employees an opportunity to take up to 25 per cent of their pay in bitcoin.

Fred Schebesta, co-founder of Finder, is offering the companys 350 employees an opportunity to take up to 25 per cent of their pay in bitcoin. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Bitcoin bill payments company Living Room of Satoshi is going one better, offering its half-a-dozen employees an option to take home all of their salary in the cryptocurrency. Most employees are taking between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of their salary as bitcoin.
Four young German backpackers who allege they were sexually assaulted by a horse breeder while staying on his NSW property spoke to each other about their experiences via social media, in what the mans defence barrister has told the jury was possibly collusion.

Gregory Douglas, 68, is accused of sexual and indecent assaults against the women, aged between 18 and 21, and another two  a 27-year-old Japanese national and 19-year-old Australian  between 2014 and 2019.

Greg Douglas is accused of a string of assaults against six women volunteering on his Peelwood horse stud. Credit:Facebook

All but one of the German backpackers were working as volunteers on his Peelwood property in the NSW Southern Tablelands at the time of the alleged assaults. Most of the alleged assaults occurred during massages that the women say they were coerced or convinced to accept under a ruse of Mr Douglas helping them with back problems.

The women began messaging each other after Mr Douglas allegedly sexually assaulted the last complainant, Anna*, during a full body massage in September 2019, and she contacted another German backpacker, Sofia*, with whom she had exchanged Instagram details while the latter had been visiting the farm days earlier.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is visiting Ceuta today to "demonstrate the determination" with which he is facing this "unusual" migration crisis after 6,000 illegal immigrants swam to its shores on Monday.

In a statement Sanchez has guaranteed that he will defend the territorial integrity of Spain, its borders and the security of citizens with all necessary means.

Sanchez has guaranteed that his government will restore order in Ceuta and the border with "maximum speed".

He said that the Army has been deployed in the North African city and the security forces have been reinforced to face the tide of more than 6,000 Moroccan immigrants.

The Spanish Government recognises that the immigration crisis with Morocco is the most serious in recent years and a full-blown "challenge" against which it promises to act "with the utmost firmness".

But at the same time, Sanchez has resorted to diplomatic language to emphasise that it is "a partner country and a friend, and that is how it should continue to be".

Some of the rounded up illegal immigrants. / EFE

He acknowledged that "taking care" of relations with Morocco has always been an important part of Spain's foreign policy.

The PM said that he has spoken with King Felipe VI to analyse "the lines of action" in the face of the most serious crisis in relations with Morocco. He has also contacted the top migration, security and foreign policy officials of the European Commission because the border with the country in Ceuta "is in Europe".

He has also spoken with the leader of the PP, Pablo Casado, to inform him of the situation, and they have agreed to open a permanent channel of communication "until calm returns".

Sanchez, however, has not revealed whether he has contacted the Moroccan prime minister to address the crisis.
A Sydney man will spend at least nine years behind bars for trying to smuggle more than 500 kilograms of cocaine into Australia in a yacht via the Solomon Islands.

Police said Zhen Tao Qi, 43, of Wahroonga, was a key organiser in the importation plot that was thwarted by an unprecedented international investigation.

A man will spend at least nine years behind bars over a plot to import 500 kilograms of cocaine in a yacht seized in the Soloman Islands. Credit:Australian Federal Police

The cocaine had been loaded into a Belgian-registered, double-masted yacht in South America, before it set off en route to Australia.

It contained 501 kilograms of the drug with a street value of up to $250 million, professionally concealed within the vessel.
A male surfer from Sydneys northern beaches has died after being bitten by a 4-metre shark on the NSW Mid North Coast.

NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to Tuncurry Beach near Forster about 11.15am.

Paramedics were unable to resuscitate the man. Credit:Nine News

Four ambulance crews treated the man, aged 59, who was bitten on his upper thigh while he was surfing.

The man, who was holidaying with friends, lost a significant amount of blood and went into cardiac arrest.
The NSW government will not step in to help vaccinate people with disabilities after the federal government revealed it had vaccinated fewer than 1000 of this vulnerable group nationally.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was difficult for the state to interfere in contracts the federal government had with private providers tasked with vaccinating people in disability care facilities.

Of course, wed like to see the most vulnerable vaccinated as soon as possible and NSW is keen to do that, but the federal government has that responsibility and we urge them to intervene in any which way they can to expedite the process, Ms Berejiklian said on Tuesday.

Less than five per cent of people living in residential disability homes had been vaccinated three months after the national vaccine roll out began, a senior federal health department official revealed on Monday.
A downsized China may be showing the way I was surprised by Peter Hartchers article (China could be the first country to get old before it gets rich and the implications are profound, May 18). In an over-populated world with limited resources and a climate crisis, I would have thought that a declining population on balance was a good thing. Obviously, domestic consumption will fall, but that will be more than balanced by the smaller population getting a greater share of the benefits flowing from exports. India, on the other hand, with its surging population, will increasingly feel the pressure from disasters such as COVID, the effects of climate change, and pollution in overcrowded cities. It has been predicted that, to be sustainable, the world population will have to fall significantly. With Hartchers prediction of a halving of its population, China is perhaps showing the way. Ron Pretty, Farmborough Heights Hartcher has addressed the issue of Chinas ageing population in terms of economic doom caused largely by their one-child policy. While the economic consequences may be significant, it is a pity that Hartcher did not consider the ecological upside of reduced fertility.

After all, it is healthy ecosystems that underwrite the human economy and the human footprint is now about 170 per cent of Earths renewable biocapacity. There are too many people consuming too much. We are living on capital, not interest. This message must assume primacy in policymaking if future generations are to have a future. Alan Jones, Narraweena As always, Stephen Bartholomeusz provides a wealth of information and balanced perspectives (Chinas not winning its trade war with Australia, May 18). In one sense, Australia is winning the battle in the trade war with China. However, it is coming at immense cost to the many businesses and individuals that are not in the lucky industries. It is now more pertinent than ever that the lucky industries are sensibly taxed and benefits flow to the wider community. The gas industry is of particular concern. Obtaining a fair share of the benefits is essential. An east coast gas reservation policy and a prompt taxation policy review and tax revenue forecasts are the equitable first steps forward. Graeme Troy, Wagstaffe Despite restrictions placed on a number of Australian products by China, that country continues to purchase an increasing tonnage of iron ore from Australia. One might wonder at its usage when it could be just for building frames or export products. John Huxley, Waitara

Water plans need fresh care There is a solution (Reservoir fog: citys water supply a mystery, May 18). Our rivers, creeks and waterways are constantly being polluted by sewage every day, due to defective, old sewerage pipes, installed in the early 20th century. The sewage deposited in the western suburbs travels to Manly in an overloaded pipe system that surcharges into our rivers and waterways (such as Lane Cove River) during heavy rain. Is it not time to treat this sewage within package treatment plants, thus reducing the ever-increasing pollution of our waterways and the harbour. We can reuse this treated water for purpose other then drinking. This would increase Sydneys water supply. Win-win. Brian McDonald, Willoughby A lack of detailed water balance information has long retarded measurement of coal mining impacts in the Greater Sydney water catchment. Coal mine expansions in the Illawarra are moving further into the catchments special areas and into deeper coal seams, even beneath previously mined seams, cracking watercourses and swamps. Millions of litres of water each day are discharged by the mines. The catchment and storage of drinking water and underground coal mining are fundamentally incompatible land uses. Lets not wait for the next drought; the NSW government needs to step up now to responsibly manage Greater Sydneys drinking water supply. Kaye Osborn, Corrimal Uni slide horrific Everyone who ever attended university in the past will read Jenna Price and weep (Australian universities are dying, May 18). The disaster is taking place on several levels: the experience of individual students, university campuses as genuine places of learning and the sector as a whole, are all being deliberately reimagined. Government policy is clearly directed at a drastic shake-up, although it is less than upfront about what it is hoping to achieve. And undeterred by all the collateral damage along the way. There is a dreadful echo of what has happened to the TAFE sector, where publicly funded vocational education is still being dismantled. The end goal may well be to privatise a significant number of our existing universities by actually selling them off then rationalise the remainder. Makes good managerial and ideological sense. Margaret Johnston, Paddington

The university leaders who say that students are back on campus are either at best stretching the truth or at worst outright lying (Tudge tells unis to get more students back on campus, May 18). The situation in the Illawarra is that most course sessions are still conducted off-piste and students have left. It would certainly have helped had the federal government bestowed more cash in the budget to help the sector. However, university administrators also need to wake up and listen to their student cohorts, restore vibrant campus life and stop penny-pinching. Russ Couch, Woonona Farm scheme limited Agriculture Minister David Littleprouds plans to develop a carbon offsets scheme for the farming sector are not new (Letters, May 18). Three decades ago, my role in life was to promote private sector investment in forestry, based in part on the carbon storage and biodiversity values such investment could create. My observations then, and now, are that such strategies are of minimal benefit, that such gains are of a short-term nature and that measurement of carbon sequestration through vegetative retention is difficult and expensive. For some reason the Catch-22 story of the US farmer who made his fortune as the countrys biggest non-alfalfa grower, comes back to my mind. Bruce Coomber, Sawtell Flaw and order Let me get this right (Collaery challenges secrecy order, May 18). Australia bugs the East Timor government during negotiations to carve up the oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea. An ex-spy blows the whistle on this unethical behaviour and is charged. The person representing him, a former ACT attorney-general no less, is charged. The case is conducted in secrecy. Where is the morality and justice in all this? Warren McPherson, Gerringong

Paper over cracks While in no way dismissing Australias sandpaper ball tampering in South Africa, which was disgraceful, I suggest the worlds sportswriters check Wikipedias list of 16 examples and allegations cheating (Bancrofts sandpaper call backed by Clarke, May 18). Notable in this list are captains, Chris Pringle (NZ), Michael Atherton (England) and Marcus Trescothick (England) among others. Some of them received pathetic fines, none of which came near the punishment handed out to Australias Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Lets leave our players alone. They have done their time and the current grilling of Bancroft is quite undeserved.

Mike Cuming, Carlingford Haunting call of hoons A thought-provoking expose of the antics of privileged school kids in the 21st century in the Good Weekend shows me things have not really  just the methodology (Sex, schoolkids and where it all goes wrong, May 15-16). In 1972, as I began to socialise with private school boys of a similar age and social class to me, I found to my embarrassment that a show of disinterest or desire not to grant consent for romantic or sexual advances were met with harsh derision. Although not rated or posted on social media, the humiliation may have been worse. Carloads of boys driving past your family home in the evenings yelling out bawdy and lewd comments for the whole street to witness, if one had not come across. And my name was mentioned, very audibly. A change is long overdue. Mary Nosworthy, Strathfield Vale Frankies

Reading Erin Aulaire Gates piece, I could hear the opening line of Home by David Byrne and Brian Eno  the dimming of the light makes the picture clearer  and thought how all politicians would benefit from reading it (Mourning Frankies, our home for misfits, May 18). Its not just about a sense of belonging created by gig posters, spiked mohawks and piercings. Its about truth, about not lying for the sake of party unity or byelection polls. Its about an innate sense of acceptance and welcome in certain cultural establishments. You can feel it as soon as you walk in. There are some bookshops still in Sydney like that. Whether youre wearing your best or worst pair of trackies, your beanie bought in a regional Vinnies or uptown Myers, day or night, it doesnt matter. Youre accepted. No one looks at you twice. You are you. And I wouldnt hold my breath about the promise of this Transport Minister to relocate it. Once the original is gone, the mould is broken forever. The light has dimmed but, hey, the writer is already a new person. Peter Skrzynecki, Eastwood When vest is best I recall Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox, in Back to The Future wearing a puffer vest (Letters, May 18) and being asked: Why are you wearing a life preserver? Ingo Weinberger, Campsie A reliable source tells me puffer jackets are also called Tassie tuxedos. Robyn Hansen, Pennant Hills The digital view
Ms Mitchell said she had spoken to the Sikh community about the decision and would continue working with them. We are currently working with community representatives and government agencies to understand how best to support students [and to] meet the needs of their faith while adhering to school safety policies, she said. Australian Sikh Association chairman Ravinderjit Singh said he was informed of the governments ban on Monday evening via a Zoom meeting with Ms Mitchell. We were shocked, he said. We had been in consultation with our community, trying to hold meetings [with the department] to try and work out what can be the positive outcome.

We could have come up with solutions. This issue could have been addressed. It is not just a kirpan, it is the whole identity and the whole principle of baptism that is linked to the personality of a baptised Sikh. It is an honour to wear it. The kirpan is not a weapon. After being informed of the ban, the association held an emergency meeting with about 100 distraught community members. Mr Singh said the association would hold talks with other Sikh groups to determine how best to address the issue. Amar Singh, the president of Turbans4Australia, said the Sikh community had been discussing the issue with the Department of Education for 10 days since the incident that sparked the ban, and there had been no mention of a ban.

And yet a ban was announced, which he understood was temporary, within 24 hours of the story breaking in the media. Its an immature decision by the government, he said. [They did] something to please the masses. Mr Singh said he was seeking legal advice about whether the ban could be considered religious discrimination. The community was willing to discuss alternatives that would allow students to observe their religion, such as daggers that could not be removed from their sheath, or mock daggers. We are proud of our culture, our religion. We dont want this tarnished image, he said. Members of Sydneys Sikh community on Monday defended their childrens right to bring ceremonial daggers to school, saying a ban would compromise their ability to observe their faith. They said bullying was behind an incident in which a 14-year-old was accused of stabbing a 16-year-old with a kirpan  which symbolises a Sikhs duty to defend themselves or aid those in peril  at Glenwood High almost two weeks ago, and thats the issue the government should be focused on.

The younger boy has been charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and will appear in court in July. He remains on bail. Loading The kirpan is one of five implements baptised Sikhs are required to wear. The others are kesh (uncut hair, respecting Gods creation); kangha (wooden comb, for hygiene); kara (iron bracelet, for good work); and kachera (cotton underpants for good character). Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday she was taken aback to learn students could take knives to school. Students shouldnt be allowed to take knives to school under any circumstances and I think it doesnt pass the commonsense test, she said. Clearly when an incident comes to light that causes community concerns, there are questions about that, concerns that I share, she said. We need to have a look at whether thats still appropriate in a school setting ... to see if any changes to legislation [are] needed.
Greg Oehm of Moss Vale is happy to inform Coleen Box (C8) that if her sibling contacts Federal Police and CASA, they will investigate the collision between her nephew and a drone. CASA takes a dim view of the inappropriate use of drones  particularly when they are close to the public  and issues stiff penalties to those that break the law. However, Lee Cook adds that CASA cant act without evidence. Safety breaches can only be investigated where there is sufficient evidence, such as photos or video recordings of the breach and the person controlling the drone at the time. It might be hard to get such an operator to identify themselves, even if you took their photo.

After reading of Coleens nephew, and of drones being subject to civil aviation regulations, I look forward to seeing the incident featured in a future episode of Air Crash Investigation, says Clare Pascoe of Davistown.

Now a fake genuine request from Nola Tucker of Kiama. We in the Illawarra, heartland of the proletariat, hope that those strong men of the soil, the Dustyesky choir (Herald 17/5), will not be seduced too much by the fleshpots of Sydney and their appearance at the capitalist Opera House but find time to inspire us in the true land of the workers, Steel City. Happy to get in a supply of vodka.

The irony of plugging in cars (C8) is that one is actually heating the cooling system, says Tom Hanson of Mount Kuring-Gai.

I was talking with a regular at Central Station yesterday who said she had seen mice jumping off trains arriving from the country. This surprised me as I thought they would travel by bus, ponders Peter Lamrock of Berowra.
The third and fourth planned green bridges across the Brisbane River will connect West End and the old ABC site in Toowong, as well as Orleigh Park in West End and Guyatt Park in St Lucia.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner revealed the chosen construction sites on Tuesday morning, with the new river crossings to cater exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooters  no cars or buses.

An artist impression of one of the planned new green bridges to link West End and St Lucia.

Cr Schrinner said community consultation in recent months had generated more than 4000 pieces of feedback and the two chosen sites had strong public support.

We know there is strong support right across the community for these two locations  these are the preferred locations, now its about optimising the design of the two new bridges and working with the community, going forward, he told ABC Radio Brisbane on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister says the Queensland government has a list of questions from him regarding the proposed Toowoomba international quarantine facility, but they remain unanswered.

Scott Morrison also said the nearby Wellcamp Airport had not been used for international passenger planes and claimed the Toowoomba community did not support the quarantine proposal.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, on Tuesday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

They [the state government] wont tell us how much it costs, they wont tell us whether theyre going to run the facility, they wont tell us whether it will be in addition to bringing Australians home, so supplementing what has already been done, or is [it] to replace it, Mr Morrison told ABC Radio Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon.

These are the things weve been asking for ages.
Queenslands police commissioner says it was not foreseeable that a man who was released without charge after a domestic violence incident in Brisbane at the weekend, would then allegedly return to his partners house hours later and set it on fire with her and another woman inside.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll addressed the alleged domestic violence arson attack in Wooloowin after questions were raised over her officers actions the day before and whether enough action was taken against the alleged offender.

The fire at Wooloowin in Brisbanes northside on Sunday morning. Credit:Nine News Queensland

Queensland pharmacist Curtis Shea Mickan, 34, is accused of setting alight the Eveleigh Street home, where he lived with his partner, just after 6am on Sunday.

Police said two women, Mr Mickans partner and one of her family members, were in the house at the time, but escaped without injury before the house was engulfed in flames.
When I attended high school, male teachers routinely tutored female students in rooms with closed doors. This was the 80s.

The Police sang Dont Stand So Close to Me, about a schoolgirl with a crush and a teacher trying to resist temptation. Prior to graduation, a friend and I elaborately fantasised about how she might seduce her religious studies teacher, who was unusually attractive for a religious studies teacher and blessedly aloof.

Teachers will be banned from having a relationship with a former student within two years of the student completing high school. Credit:Shutterstock

Google teacher/student romance novels and youll see some fantasies never go out of fashion. In the real world, however, weve had a hell of an education in recent decades, most notably a royal commission, about the insidious nature of abuse within institutions and just how badly that abuse can derail a young persons life.

The adult me imagines a teenage girl passing through the school gates for the last time and straight into the arms of her teacher, whether of religious studies or otherwise  and I shudder, instinctively.
Spain has sent reinforcements to the security forces in Ceuta after thousands of illegal immigrants swam to the city while, it is claimed, neighbouring Moroccan authorities did nothing to stop the wave of migrants from their shores.

The immigrants were mainly Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans, mostly young men, but the group also included women and children.

One man died as thousands tried to skirt the Tarajal breakwater in the city. The Spanish government said that 1,500 people have already been returned and around 1,500 have claimed to be minors.

The Spanish government has decided to mobilise the army, specifically the Legion and regular units, to reinforce the security forces in control of the city.

Spains Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said, Ceuta is as much Spain as Madrid and Barcelona are. We have already sent an additional 150 National Police and 50 Guardia Civil officers."

The prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has cancelled a trip he had planned to Paris to take charge of the situation.

In a Tweet he said that, at this moment, his priority is to restore normality in Ceuta. Its citizens must know that they have the absolute support of the government of Spain and will ensure their safety and defend their integrity as part of the country in the face of any challenge.

Extra security forces have been deployed in Ceuta after the arrival of thousands of illegal immigrants. / EFE

Ceuta has set up military bunks to accommodate the immigrants in warehouses in the commercial area of Tarajal. The vast majority have been empty since the closure of the border on 13 March, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The intention, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior, is "to expedite the procedures to return [the migrants] according to the 1992 agreement with Morocco."

The Moroccan authorities have, so far, refrained from commenting on the unprecedented numbers of migrants who crossed the border from their shores.
Alice Springs: It has taken a century, but they are back. Senior Arrernte lawmen welcomed home 19 sacred objects that were yanked from traditional owners and taken by collectors to Manchester in the United Kingdom.

We cant show you what they are. Or even describe them. They are only used in secret mens business.

And these objects werent on display at the mens only ceremony held to mark their return to Alice Springs on Tuesday.

Michael Liddle welcomed the return of the sacred objects. But he warned that the knowledge of how they were used and where they belonged was dying out with elders. Credit:Rhett Wyman

But elders said these sacred objects, each particular to a discrete area of land and group of people, encapsulated native title, embodied the culture and connected Indigenous owners to their land.
Its an inversion of orthodox expectations. A conservative government is embarking on record spending and debt accumulation, putting everything on the credit card, and the supposedly woke lefties in the Republic of Dan are at least putting on a show of trying to reform their past spendthrift ways by installing a deficit speed limiter or two.

Meanwhile, the countrys most left-wing state government here in Victoria is, with a new-found concern about its deficit, attempting some form of budget repair by hiking up property taxes and cutting into its public service.

Last week, the Liberal-National Coalition government in Canberra ditched its most cherished policy principle of producing surplus budgets, on average, over the economic cycle. Indeed, deficits stretch out all the way to the economic and political horizon.

As what might be called budget season progresses  and yes, it is my sorry lot to produce a term like that  the political environment created by COVID-19 increasingly resembles the comic-book Bizarro World.

Of course, its all a bit more nuanced than that. The Andrews governments tax increases, which are expected to yield up to $2.7 billion over the next four years, are a fairly blunt and unsophisticated set of instruments. They embed Victoria as the most expensive state in which to conduct property transactions.

Economically, the rises in stamp duty and land tax have the potential to do some damage. Given that the median price of a house in Melbourne is now $1 million, your average homebuyer is unlikely to be hurt. The stamp duty increases only start to cut in on properties above $2 million and the land tax rises begin above $1.8 million.

The real estate industry is unhappy about the tax increases. Credit:Peter Rae

And its not certain that these measures enter the thinking of buyers keen to leap into a hot property market. The real estate industry is unhappy about the tax increases, but it should be careful about wanting to have it both ways. On the one hand, it celebrates being able to sell houses for hundreds of thousands of dollars above the predicted sale price at auctions. On the other, its predicting that the sky will fall in if the state government wants to increase its stamp duty take by $2000 on, say, a $2.2 million sale.

But the rises will obviously hit some people, because $2.7 billion isnt chickenfeed. Commercial landlords are likely to pass on the new imposts in the form of increased rents. Melbournes CBD and many shopping strips continue to be hit hard in the aftermath of the 2020 lockdowns, although there are signs of some return to normality, with previously empty shopfronts hosting new businesses. Whether these tax hikes put a stop to these revivals well have to wait and see.
The Legislative Council had compelled the governments upper house leader and Attorney-General, Jaclyn Symes, to produce a Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission report into sexism and bullying in Victorias fire services. The report was commissioned in 2015 by Ms Garrett when she was the minister responsible for emergency services. She has previously called for it to be released, but the government was expected to block the release because it had been suppressed by the Court of Appeal, which found the commission did not have the legal right to review fire agencies. The firefighters union fought for the report to remain confidential. Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes. Credit: In a letter to the clerk of the Legislative Council, Andrew Young, late on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Symes said the government did not have a copy of the review and was, therefore, unable to release it. I can confirm that thorough and diligent searches have been undertaken and determined that government does not hold a copy of the review, Ms Symes wrote.

I have also sought the commissions advice as to whether it was able to provide a copy of the review to the government. The commission has advised that it cannot provide a copy of the review to the government due to orders made by the Court of Appeal on October 4, 2018 in UFU v VEOHRC [2018] CSCA 252.

Human Rights Commissioner Kristen Hilton met then-emergency services minister James Merlino one day before she briefed the Metropolitan Fire Brigade board about the contents of her findings, according to leaked documents. The board briefing took place on January 16, 2018. The Coalition could now attempt to censure Ms Symes and again direct her to produce the report. It could also call in an independent arbiter to assess the governments rationale for secrecy, move to suspend Ms Symes for a period of time, or vote to instigate legal proceedings against her in court, based on the precedent of a 1998 High Court case that found State Parliament chambers have the right to compel documents from MPs. The opposition would need nine of 11 crossbench votes to achieve any of these outcomes. Opposition emergency services spokesman Tim Smith had earlier said: If the Andrews government blocks the release of this report into misogyny, sexism and unsafe work practices in the fire services for women, then they are shameless and monumental hypocrites, and all their comments in regard to equality, frankly, arent worth the paper theyre written on.

On Wednesday Mr Smith said the Attorney General is responsible for the Human Rights Commission. Ms Symes assertions that the government doesnt have this report is a complete lie. The oppositions leader in the upper house, David Davis, slammed Ms Symes refusal to release the report, describing it as deep arrogance. Liberal MP David Davis. Credit:Penny Stephens Its clearly in the public interest and theres no excuse for a cover-up, he said. The Victorian government was contacted for comment.

Ms Garrett resigned from cabinet in 2016 after the Premier sided with the firefighters union and pushed through a wages deal that gave the UFU more influence within the fire services. Ms Garrett filed a formal bullying complaint against Mr Marshall, who she said threatened to put an axe through her head amid the political firestorm. A composite image of former minister Jane Garrett and firefighter union leader Peter Marshall. Credit:Josh Robenstone and Angela Wylie A 2016 report in The Australian Financial Review claimed the union leader told Ms Garrett she was f---ing dead and he was coming to get [her]. He has consistently denied the claims. Monash University politics specialist Zareh Ghazarian said attitudes about acceptable behaviour towards women had shifted radically in the years since Ms Garretts battle against the union and the Premier.

Loading Dr Ghazarian said it would be more difficult for the Premier to be perceived to have taken the side of a person alleged to have bullied a woman in todays cultural climate in which gender issues pervade politics. What were seeing, especially in the last 12 months, is close attention paid to this as a community, but also among political actors, he said. It might indicate a political maturation that were seeing, and it just isnt acceptable anymore. Some sections of the commissions report were leaked to The Age in 2018. They detailed a hyper-masculine culture, everyday sexism and warned that workers could be exposed to further harm under the industrial agreement backed by the Andrews government.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Dean Gibson was sitting in his friends Perth lounge room having just commemorated Anzac Day with a special dinner when two large men in balaclavas burst through the unlocked front door, one brandishing a samurai sword, the other a crowbar. The intruders, Michael Wachipa and Albert Bere, were strangers to the four people inside the Mount Lawley home they targeted on April 26, 2019, looking for money and drugs. The crime scene on Guildford Road the morning after the home invasion. Credit:Radio 6PR / Lisa Barnes High on methamphetamine, the masked men planned to frighten anyone inside the house into handing over their valuables. Instead, they quickly found themselves outnumbered three to two and within minutes, Bere was fatally wounded by his own sword. Mr Gibson, 39, and his two friends Nick Shilkin, 35, and Jarrod Cook, 50, jumped from the couches and fought to disarm the intruders. We thought it was a joke at first but then they didnt ask any questions and I screamed at them, Why are you here, what do you want? he said.

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These guys were massive, we had no weapons on us, we didnt have anything else but their own weapons. We cared about each other enough to do something about it, I had the chance to run away and I just thought, I cant do this to my friends ... they were going to die if I didnt do something. Details of the Guildford Road home invasion were aired for the first time as Wachipa, 26, was sentenced to 4 years jail in Perth District Court on Monday. Police at the Mount Lawley home shortly after the altercation. Credit:Nine News Perth The court heard Bere, 27, and Wachipa entered the house around 1.30am with their weapons raised, with Mr Shilkin and Mr Gibson moving to disarm Bere while Mr Cook lunged at Wachipa, ripping off his balaclava and grabbing the arm with which he held the crowbar. Wachipa struck Mr Cook twice in the head with a hammer he had in his back pocket as the pair threw punches and wrestled into the coffee table, crashing into the TV. Across the room, Bere was swinging his sword at Mr Shilkton and Mr Gibson.

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[He] was about to stab my mate square in the head, and he still got him, but I just stopped his arm from going straight through his skull, Mr Gibson told WAtoday, scars on his face from the ordeal still visible. He turned around and got me in the ear and then I blocked it with my arm and had to try to wrestle the sword off him. It was terrifying. The innocent trio all suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including cuts, as they fought for their lives. Forensic officers scour the Mount Lawley home. Credit:Nine News Perth Mr Gibson managed to gain partial control of the sword handle, which was still in Beres hand, when Bere lunged forward to punch him and impaled himself, the sword plunging into his lower abdomen and cutting his femoral artery, causing significant blood loss. He staggered from the house and Wachipa followed. Unable to find his friend, Wachipa entered an awaiting getaway car being driven by a third man and fled the scene. It was allegedly the drivers idea to target the house, although he has never been charged.

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The following day Wachipa began looking for media reports about the home invasion and discovered his friend had died. He handed himself into police, making a full confession, telling detectives to find the home occupants before I do. Under West Australian law, it is lawful for the occupant of a house to use any force they believe is necessary to make a home invader leave their house, or prevent them from committing an offence. An occupant may even use force that is intended, or likely, to cause death to the home invader if the occupant believes that level of violence is likely to be used by the offender. Auxilary Judge Bruce Goetze said the fatal outcome demonstrated the seriousness of the offending. Some might say they deserved what they got, thats a bit harsh, but the law says you can only respond in a way that is suitable to the circumstances and clearly these people were attacked and they responded, he said. If you go in with a samurai sword and its turned on you and you have it stuck in you, well, that happens. Despite the law protecting the mens actions, Mr Gibson was told shortly after the incident that he was possibly facing a murder charge.

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I was going to jail, I was going to be charged with murder after doing nothing wrong, he said. They then let me go a few hours later and said, Dont worry about it, our sergeant just cleared you ... it was disgraceful. Wachipa has been in custody for the two years since the incident. The court heard he had taken significant steps while in custody to rehabilitate himself, and was one of the leaders of a prison narcotics anonymous group. In a brief adjournment to his sentencing hearing on Monday, Wachipa made an emotional apology to Mr Cook and Mr Gibson who were in the public gallery. I apologise for my actions, Im not a violent person, drugs got the better of me, he said. Mr Gibson and Mr Cook accepted the apology.

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Fewer than 1000 people with disabilities living in residential care have received the COVID-19 vaccination, leading to a senior counsel at the disability royal commission to describe the rollout as an abject failure.

In a hearing on Monday, senior counsel assisting Kate Eastman SC offered a searing assessment of the vaccination program.

Commissioners, based on the data alone, it may be open to you to find that the Australian governments rollout of vaccines to people with disability in residential care  and these are people who represent some of our most vulnerable members of the population  has been an abject failure, she said.

Since the program began in March, 999 people with disabilities in residential care have received a vaccination, while 1527 workers have been vaccinated. In some states, fewer than 10 people in residential homes have been vaccinated.
Deliveroo is facing the prospect of a wave of backpay claims after a tribunal ruled one of its contracted couriers was actually an employee with a right to an industry minimum wage.

The ruling poses a major challenge to the delivery giants reliance on classifying workers as independent contractors who have much more flexible hours but lack the protections employees have and are therefore generally cheaper to employ.

Diego Franco won his unfair dismissal claim against Deliveroo and has vowed to keep fighting the company as it appeals. Credit:Janie Barrett

Rider Diego Franco, the breadwinner for his wife and young daughter, launched an unfair dismissal case against Deliveroo last year after he was booted off the platform with seven days notice for alleged lateness.

On Tuesday, Fair Work Commissioner Ian Cambridge agreed with Mr Franco and ordered he be allowed back onto Deliveroo and repaid lost earnings. Workers are typically entitled to six years back pay for lost wages, meaning the company could be up for a huge bill if Mr Francos case sets a precedent for more than 20,000 people who have ridden for Deliveroo in that time.
Shorn of his lockdown mane but not his charisma, former British Labour prime minister Tony Blair re-entered the political fray last week to tell his struggling party to go back to the past.

British Labour has endured four election defeats on the trot while the Australian Labor Party has been beaten in three. Both parties are led by men from the left faction who have hewn to the centre in the hopes of winning back voters worried by their predecessors expansive policy agendas.

Tony Blair has issued dire warnings for the future of the centre-left if it doesnt adopt his suggestions. Others see his prescriptions as the self-serving claims of a man who soared to government only to lead the country into the Iraq War. Credit:ITV News

Blairs prescription for the centre left? Go further. In the face of rapid technological change, Labor should abandon its faith in big government and big taxes; keep values of social justice and equality but be prepared to use right-wing methods to get there; invest in infrastructure and overhaul services, he wrote in an essay in The New Statesman.

None of that is vastly different from Labors approach here but Blair advocates one sharp change. The centre left, he says, is failing to participate in the culture wars by either denying their existence or staying mum. That leaves the space, which includes everything from trans issues to racial justice and police reform and climate change, to the far left. They go too far and are pilloried by the right, Blair believes, leaving the whole lefts electoral standing sullied by association.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia would prefer a better relationship with China but that Beijings trade sanctions are like the traditional Chinese lion dance  mostly theatrical.

There can be a lot of diplomatic atmospherics but at the end of the day the relationship is still going on, he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is weathering the trade fight with China. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Chinas government has imposed coercive restrictions on Australian exports of beef, barley, wine, thermal coal, copper, cotton, seafood, sugar and timber, and warned students and tourists against travel to Australia because of the danger of violent racism.

Last week the Global Times, a media outlet owned by the Chinese Communist Party, said Beijing could inflict more carnage for the Australian economy if Canberra kept increasing defence spending.
Voters are taking a cautious approach to reopening international borders amid a fierce debate about when to make the change, with 44 per cent saying it is about right to aim for the middle of next year.

Only 9 per cent believe the federal government is being too pessimistic in naming mid-2022 as the likely date, despite calls from state and business leaders for a clear road map to ease border controls.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says hes not going to take risks with Australians lives by opening borders too soon. Credit:Getty, Brooke Mitchell

The latest Resolve Political Monitor finds another 33 per cent believe the timetable is too optimistic and the borders could stay shut for longer.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday the coronavirus was raging around the world with new strains emerging and he was not going to take risks with Australians lives by opening borders too soon.
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About 600 children aged 10 to 13 were in prison in 2018-19, according to the federal government, 60 per cent of whom were Indigenous. Indigenous Australians make up 3 per cent of the countrys population, while there have been seven Indigenous deaths in custody so far this year. Labor MP for Broadmeadows Frank McGuire has led calls within the Victorian government to initiate change in recent months. Labor MPs Sonja Terpstra, Dustin Halse and Frank McGuire are pushing for the Victorian government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14. Credit:Composite image Speaking on a bill to decriminalise public drunkenness in February, he said the deaths of Aboriginal people in police custody were the chilling, fatal echo of history. Children as young as 10 are  being locked up. This disproportionately impacts Indigenous children, said Mr McGuire, who is also the parliamentary secretary for crime prevention.

Their childhoods are stolen. We must respond by raising the age of legal criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. A child as young as 10 should never find themselves in jail. In a parliamentary speech first-term Ringwood MP Dustin Halse commended Mr McGuires comments and urged his colleagues to increasingly seek to address the issue of young people being sent to prison. Eastern Metropolitan upper house MP Sonja Terpstra similarly warned governments could not afford to delay a decision to keep children out of jails. Victorian police union secretary Wayne Gatt says current methods to rehabilitate young criminals are sufficient. Credit:Paul Rovere Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt told The Age he was not in favour of a shift, which requires a uniform national decision, not a state-by-state one.

We dont see a need to raise the age, because the issue is often presented in the context of preventing 10-year-olds from going to jail. As far as we are aware, there are no 10-year-olds in jail in Victoria, he said. Layers of diversion and caution programs operate to intercept young people before they even enter the court process. And once they do, the Childrens Court Act de-emphasises punishment and supports rehabilitation as the highest priority. A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said it supported diversionary methods, rather than raising the age, because it was important that police have the ability to arrest and hold young offenders to account who have committed serious crimes, including crimes against the person. No government has acted since a draft report commissioned by Australias attorneys-general, leaked to media last month, recommended all governments raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14. The report suggested two alternatives: lifting the minimum age to 12 or raising it to 14 with carve-outs for serious crimes such as murder, terrorism and sexual assault, as considered by NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman last July.

There is understandable community concern when, for example, 13-year-olds in far north Queensland are alleged to have raped a minor, and understandable community concern that kids may feel they can get away with things if there isnt some criminal sanction attached, he said. Other concerns from state governments include the possibility of adults manipulating children aged under 14 to commit crimes on their behalf. A Victorian government spokeswoman said the state was implementing the Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2020-2030, which included recommendations from the Armytage-Ogloff Youth Justice Review designed to reduce offending, as well as tailoring extra support for Aboriginal people who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. There is a national conversation happening about whether the age of criminal responsibility should be raised  Victoria is continuing to participate in those discussions and will consider the recommendations that emerge from that process, the spokeswoman said. In the meantime, were continuing to tackle the root causes of youth offending, because the best outcome for young people is to avoid contact with the justice system in the first place.

Frustrated by the lack of progress nationwide, 48 groups  co-ordinated by advocacy group Change the Record  released their submissions on raising the age to the council of attorneys-general on Wednesday. Loading Of those, 46 say Australias laws are contributing to the over-representation of Indigenous children in prison and 43 state the laws breach international human rights law or standards. The United Nations encouraged governments in September 2019 to take note of recent scientific findings and to increase their minimum age accordingly, to at least 14 years of age. The number of children incarcerated in Victoria is relatively low: as of Sunday all three under-14s in prison were aged 13 and on remand, according to the state government.

Yet the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute wrote in its submission that the impact on each individual child was significant. Adolescents who have been in detention die at a rate five to 41 times higher than their peers, it wrote, most often from drug overdoses, suicide, injury or violence. Children and adolescents in youth justice detention have complex health needs and require intensive support. Detention damages these children. Medical, legal and advocacy groups favour justice reinvestment in place of imprisoning children aged 10 to 13. They argue the money saved from not sending children to jail could be spent on education and child welfare services such as out-of-home care, school-based interventions and community health programs. Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes is leading negotiations on raising the age and on Friday Indigenous Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams said there was a significant body of work under way on programs aimed at diverting children from crime. In terms of the broader discussion about raising the age, lets see what comes out of those national discussions as led by Jaclyn Symes, Ms Williams said when asked if she was in favour of the change.

Speaking directly after Ms Williams, the co-chairs of Victorias First Peoples Assembly, Marcus Stewart and Geraldine Atkinson, both said they wanted immediate reform. It should have been done yesterday, Mr Stewart said. I think we can demonstrate some leadership on it. Cheryl Axleby, co-chair of Change the Record. Cheryl Axleby, co-chair of Change the Record, criticised the countrys attorneys-general for rejecting her teams requests to access the 88 submissions on raising the age under freedom of information laws. Dozens and dozens of submissions made by legal, health and youth experts have been hidden and ignored by attorneys-general for over a year, as they have sat and done nothing while our children languish in prisons, she said.
Australia and South Korea should work together to resist carbon border tariffs, one of the Prime Ministers top advisers says, as the Morrison government looks to build a coalition against Europes emissions taxes.

Scott Morrisons international trade adviser Brendan Pearson told business leaders at the Australia-Korea Business Council on Tuesday that the two countries should be wary of carbon adjustment mechanisms that could be exploited for protectionist purposes and urged them to keep markets open.

Prime Minister Scott Morrisons international trade and investment adviser Brendan Pearson. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

South Korea is Australias fourth-largest trading partner. Liquefied natural gas and emissions-intensive iron ore and coal accounted for more than half of Australias $41 billion in exports to South Korea in 2019.

The European Union in March passed new laws that will impose emissions tariffs on exports from countries that do not have a carbon price in a bid to raise global ambitions to fight climate change.
Gaza/Jerusalem: Israel bombarded Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants resumed cross-border rocket fire on Tuesday after a brief overnight lull during which the United Nations sent a small fuel convoy into the enclave, where it says 52,000 people are now displaced.

Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive to destroy the capabilities of the armed factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, amid calls by the United States and other world powers for an end to the conflict.

Two Thai workers were killed and seven people were wounded in a rocket strike on an Israeli farm just over the Gaza border, police said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Rockets were also launched at the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba, further north.
~ MP Emmanuel calls for Shareholder to investigate ~

Re-instated CEO of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) Brian Mingo racked up corporate credit card bills totaling almost Naf 300,000 from January 2019 to January 2021, with approximately NAf 170,000 of that spent in 2019 alone. Independent Member of Parliament disclosed this information on Monday, adding that this is just the beginning of the apparent misuse of airport funds, unnecessary over-spending, and shameless self-gratification at the expense of the airport and its workers.

Emmanuel said documents in his possession show that Mingo has spent lavishly over the past two years on clothing in New York City from Mens Warehouse and Macys, orders from Amazon, airline tickets, computer software purchases, night clubs and numerous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners locally and in the US, Canada, and Europe, among other things.

The charges were made to two corporate credit cards, a Black MasterCard Business with a US $20,000 charging limit and a VISA card with a US $5,000 charging limit. The charging limit on the MasterCard was reduced in 2021 to a US $10,000 limit. In the month of March 2019 alone, Mingo charged over US $17,000.

MP Emmanuel called on the Shareholder Representative of the airport, which is the government of St. Maarten to immediately investigate the spending of the CEO. Corporate agreements sometimes afford top management leeway on business dinners ect and allowances are included. But this level of spending on oneself and to feed you every time you are hungry is not normal or acceptable. He has literally eaten at almost every restaurant on St. Maarten, the MP said.

The MP said in a time when people are struggling to put food on the table, coping with a global pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, the board of PJIA is enabling one man to spend wildly and without care or oversight. He said Mingos spending spree is the same amount of money that could have been used to pay about 160 airport employees.

He said it is sickening that on top of more than US $10 million in consultant fees from Schiphol and others that the airport has to pay, the spending for clothes and thousand dollar-steaks has to be added to the list. All the while, we have Dutch CFO who must have seen these things if not participated in some, who sat back and did nothing to curb the overspending and misuse of funds, Emmanuel said.

This is the CEO that has been put back in charge at PJIA. A person who is well known for his disrespect of airport employees and unwillingness to pay them what is due. But he has no problem letting them work their tails off so the airport can make just enough money to cover his extravagant lifestyle. This is where the real investigation has to start by government into the CEO, CFO, and the board of the airport operating company (PJIAE). They have to go, the MP stressed.

Emmanuel said it is impossible that Chairman of the airport holding board (PJIAH) Dexter Doncher was suspended over a technicality and being made into a scapegoat by a government who is afraid to stand up to the Dutch, while the same government allows the other board of the airport and their puppet CEO to get away with murder.

Is one man living the high life off of airport funds the kind of good governance that the Prime Minister, State Secretary Knops, Schiphol, and the World Bank profess to want at the airport? Doncher and his board were preventing Schiphol from claiming control over PJIA and got rid of a man (Mingo) who was clearly not good for the airport. But he is being crucified and treated unfairly and even suspended illegally. But you accept a serial spender of the airport money, Emmanuel said.

He said the Prime Minister, through the airport holding board, must provide answers to the people of St. Maarten about how one man continuously got away with this kind of spending without being questioned or stopped.

PRESS RELEASE.
PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of the vaccination campaign, The drive to 85%, SXM's race to normalcy, the Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, Omar Ottley in collaboration with Port St. Maarten, held a bumper sticker handover at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility.



The bumper stickers were handed over to the president of the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association (DSTA) and other DSTA representatives, who were all dressed in uniform. Over 20+ taxi drivers who presented their vaccination cards, which provided proof of being vaccinated, received a bumper sticker for their vehicle which states "This driver was vaccinated."



The Minister urges everyone to be an example to our visitors; in an effort to boost our economy.



Port St. Maarten Management echoes this sentiment and believes the vaccine campaign is a step in the right direction and consideration to the safety of all involved.



Port St. Maarten Management further stated that the recently updated guidelines from CDC regarding the imposed Conditional Sail Order should also position the destination in welcoming the much-anticipated transit calls making St. Maarten a Port of call. We look forward to the economic rebound from multiple ship visits per week as the industry takes a staggering ramp-up approach to deploy vessels to the region.



The bumper stickers on the taxis will provide a sense of relief, security, and comfort to visitors seeking transportation upon disembarkation.



Minister Ottley was elated to see how many taxi drivers were already vaccinated within our community and he would like to urge all vaccinated taxi drivers to encourage their fellow colleagues to go out and get vaccinated, as we continue to drive to 85.



The Minister humbly thanks Port St. Maarten for their assistance in the campaign and looks forward to a long working relationship with them in anticipation of future projects.
Coeur Announces Investment in Victoria Gold Corp.

Posted by Publisher Internet

Coeur Mining, Inc. (?Coeur? or the ?Company?) (NYSE: CDE) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 11,067,714 (approximately 17.8%) of the outstanding undiluted common shares of Victoria Gold Corp. (?Victoria?  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/victoria-gold-corp/) (TSX: VGCX) from Orion Co- VI Ltd. (?Orion?), at price of C$13.20 per share which reflects a 5% discount to the trailing 30-day volume weighted price for the period ending May 7, 2021. In connection with the transaction, Orion will receive 12,785,485 shares of Coeur common stock (approximately 4.9% of issued and outstanding shares), based on the trailing 30-day volume weighted price of $9.17 per share, for the period ended May 7, 2021, representing aggregate consideration of approximately $117.2 million. Orion?s sales of Coeur shares will be subject to certain restrictions. The transaction is expected to close on or about May 11, 2021, subject to closing conditions.

?We have long admired the quality of Victoria?s Eagle asset and its recent success in ramping up operations. This compelling opportunity to acquire 17.8% ownership interest in Victoria from Orion is consistent with our stated strategy and capital allocation framework, and complements our existing portfolio of precious metals assets in high-quality jurisdictions in North America,? commented Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur?s President and Chief Executive Officer. ?We are excited to become a shareholder of Victoria, and believe this transaction represents an attractive investment for our stockholders.?

Concurrently, the Company and Orion also entered into an agreement pursuant to which Orion has agreed, subject to certain terms and conditions, among other things, to certain transfer restrictions on its remaining shares in Victoria and to support, vote in favor of, or deposit all common shares it owns in favor of an offer, proposal or transaction that is supported by the board of directors of Victoria that would result in the acquisition by Coeur of more than 50% of the common shares of Victoria, or all or substantially all of the assets and properties of Victoria on a consolidated basis.

An early warning report will be filed by Coeur in accordance with applicable securities laws. As indicated in such report, in the future, Coeur may acquire or dispose of common shares or other securities of Victoria, either on the open market or in private transactions, depending on a number of factors. Coeur may engage in discussions with Victoria, and, if and when appropriate, its representatives, regarding the Company?s investment and possible strategic alternatives. While no present plans exist in this regard, Coeur may consider or develop plans and/or make proposals with respect to potential strategic transactions involving Victoria?s shares, business or assets.

About Coeur

Coeur Mining, Inc. is a U.S.-based, well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with five wholly-owned operations: the Palmarejo gold-silver complex in Mexico, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska, the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota, and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia. In addition, Coeur has interests in several precious metals exploration projects throughout North America.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release, including any information relating to the proposed investment in Victoria constitutes forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of securities legislation of the United States and Canada. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to Coeur?s acquisition or disposition of securities of Victoria in the future and Coeur?s interest in Victoria on completion of the transaction with Orion. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions, including material

assumptions considered reasonable by Coeur as at the date of this press release in light of management?s experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, and are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Coeur?s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Canadian Securities regulators, including, without limitation, Coeur?s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward- looking statements or information. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities.

For Additional Information

Coeur Mining, Inc.

104 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900

Chicago, Illinois 60603

Attention: Paul DePartout, Director, Investor Relations

Phone: (312) 489-5800

www.coeur.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch
The class of 2019's graduation  seen here at Somerset High School's ceremony  was the last to be held in a normal way. Schools are ready to host live graduation ceremonies again in 2021, but there will be significant differences, particularly in terms of how many guests are allowed.
William Douglas "Doug" Gadberry, 62, of Stanford, passed away Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at the St. Joseph Hospital of Lexington. He was born May 27, 1959; son of the late Wesley and Ida Wesley Gadberry of Stanford, Kentucky. He is survived by two sisters, Brinda & (Ron) Cook of Winter Haven,
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Andrew Muhammad is an agricultural trade expert and Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Jason Grant directs the Center for Agricultural Trade at Virginia Tech.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Please don't read until you've watched The Girlfriend Experience 3x04.





We started this edition with Iris (as Cassie) in a rather expensive looking bed with Georges. They discuss his wedding ring that he is still wearing while being with Cassie/Iris. Iris then notes that she saw the deep fake telecast and was able to tell that it was a deep fake since the copy didn't raise his little finger like Georges always does when he picks something up. Georges then asks if Iris can be his 24 hours a day. Iris knows deep down this would cause major complications in her life.





We then see Iris with Paul. With Paul, Iris is short-tempered and prone to angressive bursts. He gives ehr gold earrings and sks to be with more more foten. Iris, again, knows this isn't possible and says she wil have to consult her booker. Paul give her his private number to cut out the middle person. Iris then sees another telecast where NGM CEO Christophe (Frank Dillane) is being chided by a reporter and he gets defensive and says his tech goals are created by society's desires. Iris then claims she doesn't know him when Paul asks.





We also see Iris with a new Saudi client, Zaheer (Sia Alpour), who is very powerful and is used to getting his way. He doesn't want to call Iris Cassie, so Iris caves and tells him her real name. They then have some fun in his car and then perform and little drag race with a challenger in another car. We then see a dream sequence of her meeting with Emcee in NGM offices.





That morning, Iris wakes up in the backseat of her car. She isn't sure what is real, but Leif in forms her that apparently a Black SUV was following her at night and just had before she awoke. Iris jut wants to let it go, but tells him to tell her if it happens again. We are not sure if it is NGN or if it is V that is following her.





Next, we see Iris have a conversation with a businesswoman about an experimental Alzheimer's drug that could help her father or any other relatives who might contract the illness. That night, we see a nice phone and Facetime conversation between Iris and her father where he forgets about the time difference between the US and London and talks about his daughter without recognizing that Iris is actually her.





Tawny also returns in a phone conversation where she complains that a client tied her up and made her act like a dog. She even has the bruises to prove it. Iris instructs her to stop seeing him if this bothers her. This then prompts Iris to try to receive Tawny's advice about using her clients as material for her AI desire project. Tawny doesn't take the bait, and seems a little stunned at Iris' sudden direct attitude after being so naive about being an escort recently, and reminds her that it is her job to look the other way when it comes to clients and their personal embarrassments. Iris then changes the subject, knowing full well recording them like she has been is a major ethics no-no.





Of course, Iris manages to actually get some work at NGM in. At the office, she and Hiram discuss how to make their AI understand and appeal to their customers. Hiram mentions the new concept of "shuffling," where the AI can produce random responses, like a scripted play, to keep the client guessing and wanting more (kind of like telling Netflix to "play anything"). This would probably be advantageous to the idea of an AI simulating desire and titillation with a real human being instead of just acting as programed.





The obligatory episode cliffhanger happens as Iris encounters a courier as she is leaving the building. She is given a letter saying that she being summoned to NGM offices. All she knows is that this is not a human resources affair since they didn't send someone from HR. Could this be connected to the Black SUV?




Chelsea reportedly make contact with the representatives of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski ahead of a proposed transfer this summer.

Chelsea have reportedly made contact with the representatives of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski ahead of a proposed transfer this summer.

The Blues have already begun their search to recruit a new centre-forward before the start of next season and the Poland international is one of their primary targets.

According to Sky Sports News in Germany, Chelsea have enquired about Lewandowski's availability and are hoping they can persuade him to come to the Premier League and make a move to Stamford Bridge.

However, the 32-year-old is understood to prefer a switch to Spain if he were to leave the Bundesliga this summer, but is also happy to stay in Germany and play for Bayern.

If the Blues failed to agree a deal to sign Lewandowski, then they may look to other targets including Borussia Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland, Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku.

Lewandowski has had another stellar season in front of goal, scoring a remarkable 47 times in just 39 appearances across all competitions this campaign.
Bogota (Colombia), May 5, 2021 (SPS) -This Wednesday a conference will be held in the Colombian capital of Bogota on Western Sahara, in which legal and historical issues related to the conflict in Africa's last colony will be discussed.

The conference, which will be organized under the title "Western Sahara: the last colony of Africa", will be led by experts and academics who will address details about the last vestiges of colonialism on the African continent.

The experts and academics will also answer questions of a legal and historical nature that will be asked by the attendees, in an open debate, which will be transmitted directly by the Facebook social network. SPS

125/090/TRA
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  As violence flares within Israel and on a day in which Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City killed at least 42 people, it was business as usual for a senior Israeli tourism official in Dubai as she promoted the country as a must-see destination for Muslim visitors.

It might seem an odd proposition at an odd time given that major airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the flare-up in violence and while the spread of coronavirus remains a threat.

But at Dubai's Arabian Travel Market on Sunday, billed as the first travel and tourism event to happen in person since the global coronavirus outbreak, a small Israeli booth  tucked behind Slovenia's  marketed the country as the Land of Creation. Promotional videos advertised Israel's vegan culinary scene, its beaches and urged: Book Your Trip Now to Tel Aviv.

And the devastating airstrikes on Gaza leading the world's television news?

"We were not talking about it. We are talking about the future. We are talking about what we can do to bring tourism to Israel, said Ksenia Kobiakov, director of new markets development at the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

The presence of Israel at the travel and tourism event in Dubai highlights the United Arab Emirates business-first approach and demonstrates how rapidly ties with Israel have developed since the UAE and Israel signed an accord to formalize ties in September. It also signals how even the most brutal conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians are no longer viewed by some Gulf Arab leaders through a prism of Muslim or Arab solidarity, but as part of a wider calculation in a region gripped by multiple threats.

Israel's tourism minister was scheduled to attend a panel at the conference on Gulf-Israeli tourism, but the panel was quietly renamed and her visit to Dubai did not transpire. Israeli tourism officials say the minister's visit was never approved by the prime minister and the cancellation had nothing to do with the current fighting.

The first plane of Israeli tourists to the UAE landed in November. Since then, the UAE has welcomed tens of thousands of Israelis to its sandy beaches and marbled malls, with most flocking to Dubai.

Kobiakov said the hope is that Emirati citizens and foreign residents of the UAE will visit Israel in return and help its tourism sector rebound when the country is open again to tourists.

We came here to show Israel as a new destination for the UAE and Gulf countries, as a very colorful, exciting destination that is open, Kobiakov said.

In all her discussions with tour operators, airlines and others in Dubai on Sunday, the focus was on tourism and not politics, she said. There was no discussion of the current flare-up in violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

A plan to open visa-free travel between the two countries was delayed due to Israeli quarantine rules. The UAE and Israel, which have had some of the world's most successful vaccination drives against the coronavirus, are on track to sign the visa-exemption agreement July 1, Kobiakov said.

The current round of violence could impact Israel's plans to lure back tourists, particularly its effort to appeal to Emirati and Bahraini citizens and not just potential investors or officials from these countries. Violence around the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem drew rare rebuke of Israel by both countries, which signed accords recognizing Israel last year.

At least 188 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 55 children and 33 women, with 1,230 people wounded since long-simmering tensions erupted on Monday. Eight people in Israel have been killed, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier. Violence has also roiled across Israeli cities between Jews and the countrys Palestinian Arab citizens, as well as in the occupied West Bank.

In its airstrikes, Israel has leveled a number of Gaza Citys tallest office and residential buildings, alleging they contain Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press office and those of other media outlets.

The UAE's foreign minister stopped short of directly criticizing Israel in the most recent statement issued Friday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed instead called on all parties to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire, initiate a political dialogue, and exercise maximum restraint.

On the sprawling premises of Dubai's tourism event, Kobiakov's schedule of back-to-back meetings affirmed the long-view approach to bilateral ties the UAE and Israel have taken.

People dont feel safe to travel now to Israel. Its understandable. But this escalation, it will finish one day, she said. We know that all the conflicts are coming and they are going. Tourism is staying forever, she added.
Most Airbnb renters find the unique features, rooms and decorations in the homes they rent to be one of the best parts about opting for using the service instead of a traditional hotel.

But for one Airbnb user, there was one distinctive feature to her rental that she could have gone without seeing.

Claire Schuelin has gone viral on TikTok after posting a video that showed her Airbnb rental had an entire abandoned shopping mall in the basement.

The original video, set to creepy music, shows Schuelin happily walking around before flipping the camera to show what appears to be the first floor of an old mall.

It was also shown in this video that the rental was part of a larger hotel, not an individual home.

After garnering over 7 million likes on the first clip, Schuelin posted a follow up video addressing questions and concerns from the millions of viewers.

I did not expect this to blow up but we are okay  its kind of creepy, but its fine, she says to viewers.

In a third follow up video, which shows a tour of the mall, viewers began to sound off in the comments about where they believe the rental is located.

This is Hollywood beach resort in FL and its being renovated, one user wrote assuredly.

This hotel is in Hollywood beach and used to be a hospital, another seemed to confirm.

According to Reddit, the building in question is most likely the Oceanwalk Mall in Hollywood Beach, Florida.

Ive heard the place is haunted, but Ive never actually stayed there for more than two hours so I cant confirm this, one user commented.

Another thread shows an outdoor view of the shut down mall, confirming that it sits beneath several condo units.

This place holds strong in a vacuum sealed time loop, a local resident wrote.

Schuelins video became so popular that another TikTok user, who goes by @whomjosh, created a response to the original video confirming the abandoned mall in the basement by revealing that he had also stayed in the same Airbnb.

@claire.scheulin ##duet with @whomjosh we still see the old people and the fire alarm woke us up this morning and theres no fire  original sound - Josh

The place was so run down and sketchy  weird simulation glitch, he says.

But perhaps the most bizarre detail was the discovery that the place was not entirely abandoned  people were still visiting the space to sit and socialize.

There was a cafe that old people still came in and sat there and had their coffee and newspaper. We would walk past them and they would just sit there like we werent in an abandoned mall.

Schuelin then posted a final video that in fact confirmed there were several people sitting in the basement area at what appear to be old food court tables.

The Oceanwalk Mall sits below the Hollywood Beach Resort, which has a "famed and storied past that will entertain history and architectural buffs alike," according to the resort's website.

Related: Airbnb Hosts: 3 You Can Do to Reassure Travelers Right Now (Infographic)

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The Internet , born 30 years ago, is an indispensable tool for the entire planet. At this time it not only makes our work easier, it also connects us socially and even encourages us to seek changes in the world. Whether it is to check an email, greet a friend on Facebook or receive news, the so-called network of networks is a companion of the society of the 21st century. On the anniversary of the network, it is worth remembering how it was that our country got online for the first time.

The World Wide Web (WWW) has been in Mexico for less than 30 years, and its birth was purely for academic purposes. The first "Mexican" connection occurred in 1989 between the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
HILO, Hawaii (AP)  The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources fined a man more than $600,000 on accusations of poisoning a stream, killing an estimated 6,250 Tahitian prawns.

It was the largest fine to date for an aquatic resource violation in the state, West Hawaii Today reported.

Wayne Keaulana Spatz, 54, allegedly poured ant poison into Paaheehee Stream in North Hilo on the northeastern side of the Big Island. Efforts by The Associated Press to reach Spatz for comment on Monday were unsuccessful. Phone numbers and an email associated with him were no longer in service.

Officials indicated its unlikely that Spatz, who they said has no known address, would be able to pay the penalties and that they were unable to contact him to inform him of the impending fine, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Spatz's alleged activity was discovered after Edwin Shishido, an official with the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources, received a tip from a person living nearby of someone pouring Home Defense liquid ant poison into the stream last July. Thousands of dead Tahitian prawns flowed downstream.

In the following months, Shishido conducted an investigation and found that soil and prawn samples from the stream tested positive for bifenthrin, an insect repellent ingredient.

Bifenthrin is extremely toxic that has been shown to cause long-lasting harm to aquatic ecosystems, said Troy Sakihara, a biologist who joined the investigation. Using pesticides is understood to be a terrible method of collecting fish," harming the fish and potentially the people who consume them.

Authorities have warned people not to eat freshwater Tahitian prawns without knowing where they came from because of similar cases in which pesticides were used to collect the delicacy.

In addition to $100 fines for each of the 6,250 prawns that Spratz allegedly took, he was fined $200 for alleged unlawful use of poisonous substances and $8,640 for research and overtime by Department of Land and Natural Resources investigators  amounting to $633,840.

The action sends a strong and clear message to anyone else who is endangering peoples health and killing life in our streams, said Suzanne Case, chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Over the last week, officials have received more reports of people using pesticides in streams to collect prawns so they can sell them, Case said.

It is illegal and morally indefensible, and anyone caught will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, she said.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  The Israeli military unleashed another heavy wave of airstrikes Monday on the Gaza Strip, saying it destroyed militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders. International diplomacy to end the weeklong war that has killed hundreds appeared to make little headway.

Israel has said it will press on for now with its attacks against Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

The latest attacks destroyed the five-story building housing the Hamas-run Religious Affairs Ministry, a building Israel said housed the main operations center of Hamas' internal security forces. Israel also killed a top Gaza leader of Islamic Jihad, another militant group whom the Israeli military blamed for some of the thousands of rocket attacks launched at Israel in recent days. Israel said its strikes destroyed 15 kilometers (9 miles) of tunnels used by militants.

At least 212 Palestinians have been killed in the week of airstrikes, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel.

Violence has also erupted between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, leaving scores of people injured. On Monday, a Jewish man attacked last week by a group of Arabs in the central city of Lod died of his wounds, according to police.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with top security officials on Monday evening and later said Israel would continue to strike terror targets in Gaza. We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens, he said.

The new airstrikes, which hit Gaza overnight Monday and again in the evening, hollowed out one floor of a multistory concrete building and killed five people. A woman picked through clothing, rubble and splintered furniture in a room that had been destroyed. One strike demolished the wall of one room, leaving untouched an open cabinet filled with bedding inside. Children walked over debris in the road.

A car in the street that witnesses said was hit by an airstrike was bent and torn, its roof ripped back and what was left of the driver's side door smeared with blood. A beachside cafe the car had just left was splintered and on fire. Rescue workers tried to put out the blaze with a small fire extinguisher.

Gaza Citys mayor, Yahya Sarraj, said the strikes had caused extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure. He said water supplies to hundreds of households were disrupted. We are trying hard to provide water, but the situation remains difficult, he said.

The U.N. has warned that the territory's sole power station is at risk of running out of fuel. Gaza already experiences daily power outages for between eight and 12 hours, and tap water is undrinkable. Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the territory's electricity distribution company, said it has fuel to supply Gaza with electricity for two or three days.

Palestinian officials said Israel pledged to open its only cargo crossing with Gaza for several hours Tuesday to allow humanitarian aid  including fuel, food and medicine  to enter.

Israel also said it targeted what it suspected was a Hamas submersible weapon preparing for an attack on Israel's coast.

The war broke out May 10, when Hamas fired long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the holy city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The protests were focused on the heavy-handed policing of a flashpoint sacred site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

More protests were expected across the region Tuesday in response to a call by Palestinian citizens of Israel for a general strike. The protest has the support of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party.

The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticize Israels part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region. On Monday, the United States again blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to the crisis related to Gaza and the protection of civilians, especially children.

The White House said Monday evening that Biden expressed support for a cease-fire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken signaled earlier that the U.S. did not intend to pressure the two sides.

Ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire, Blinken told reporters during a trip to Denmark.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who spoke Monday with Netanyahu, emphasized her country's solidarity with Israel, condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza, and expressed hope for a swift end to the fighting, according to her office.

Hamas top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad, said the group has been contacted by the United Nations, Russia, Egypt and Qatar as part of cease-fire efforts but will not accept a solution that is not up to the sacrifices of the Palestinian people.

Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,200 rockets into Israel. Israeli military officials said Hamas had stockpiled about 15,000 rockets before the war started. Rocket attacks continued Monday, with one hitting a building in the city of Ashdod that caused injuries, the Israeli police said.

Israels military said six rockets launched from Lebanon late Monday apparently fell inside Lebanese territory, and artillery returned fire into southern Lebanon.

Israels airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza Citys tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. Blinken said he hasnt yet seen any evidence supporting Israels claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt called for an independent investigation into the attack.

As we have said, we have no indication of a Hamas presence in the building, nor were we warned of any such possible presence before the airstrike, he said in a statement. This is something we check as best we can. We do not know what the Israeli evidence shows, and we want to know.

The Israeli military said it struck 35 terror targets Monday as well as the tunnels, which it says are part of an elaborate system it refers to as the Metro, used by fighters to take cover from airstrikes. They included a strike against a building that housed the Qatari Red Crescent, Qatar said. That attack killed a man and a 12-year-old girl.

The tunnels extend for hundreds of kilometers (miles), with some more than 20 meters (yards) deep, according to an Israeli Air Force official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations. The official said Israel was not trying to destroy all the tunnels, just chokepoints and major junctions.

The military also said it struck nine houses in different parts of northern Gaza that belonged to high-ranking commanders in Hamas. Islamic Jihad said a strike killed Hasam Abu Harbid, the militant groups commander for the northern Gaza Strip.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were eliminated. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, does not give a breakdown of how many casualties were militants or civilians.

___

This story has been updated to correct that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group has been contacted by the United Nations, not the United States.

___

Nessman reported from Atlanta, Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Matthew Lee in Copenhagen, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.
STAMFORD  Stamford schools have millions of COVID relief dollars to use, and they want suggestions on how to spend them.

That was the idea behind a pair of webinars Monday night  one for district staff and another for the community  that explained how much money is available and what it could be used for.

The latest stimulus, known as the American Rescue Plan, or ESSER III, gifts Stamford $32.6 million, to be used up until September of 2024. Twenty percent of that amount, or $6.5 million, has to be used to address learning loss suffered by students due to the pandemic.

That leaves another $26 million to use on other items, positions, or programs. In general, the funds must be used to address learning loss, bridge the digital divide, advance equity, or make school buildings safer in terms of improving indoor air quality, among other authorized uses.

Some initial ideas from school officials are using some of the funds on capital improvements and one-time expenses.

Ryan Fealey, director of finance for Stamford schools, did not expand on what capital projects would be eligible under the ESSER requirements during the listening sessions.

In an emailed response, he said its unclear if the expected demolition and rebuilding of Westhill High School  a price tag of roughly $261 million  would qualify, and that it would likely depend on the final determination of the scope and timing of that project.

During the listening session with teachers, one educator mentioned how beneficial it was to keep class sizes small during the pandemic, especially for special education students

Superintendent Tamu Lucero mentioned adding additional supports for students, but warned against using too much of the funds on new positions.

One of the reasons why we want to be very careful with that is that this is funding that were getting for a very short period of time, she said, adding that those positions would be without funding once the money runs out.

Many asked about additional instruction time for students. Lucero said the district does plan to offer additional after-school programs and possibly Saturday programs, and a more robust summer school program is already set up for this year.

Parent Jenny Canepa spoke during the community portion of the listening sessions and asked about bolstering mental health offerings after such a challenging year for students and their families.

Lucero said that a portion of the funds will be used to address mental health.

Judy Cleto, another parent, suggested creating a translation and interpretation unit to help the district better communicate with non-English speaking families. Approximately 45 percent of students are Hispanic, and there is a substantial population that speaks Haitian Creole.

This is going to help ensure that these families have equity and access to their childrens education, Cleto said.

Stamford schools have received federal stimulus funds in four different installments. The first, which was about $2.7 million, was awarded soon after the pandemic began in 2020, and was used on personal protective equipment, learning supplies, part-time custodians, distance learning software and other expenditures.

That money was the first installment of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER.

In late 2020, the district received another $5.3 million through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, and that money was used on the same expenses as the first ESSER payment, plus some HVAC repairs, sanitizing of buses and special education evaluations.

This year, Stamford received another $14.5 from the second wave of ESSER funds, also known as ESSER II, which will run out in 2023.

Originally, the district was to receive $12 million, but the final figure added a couple million more.

About half of those funds will be used in the upcoming school year, with the other half slated for the following year. In the schools budget, that money is being used to fund a variety of positions, including parent facilitators, technology specialists, and classroom teachers.

Officials are considering using money from American Rescue Plan  ESSER III  to fund positions supported by the ESSER II money for an additional third year.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com
Vermont's high vaccination rate, which leads the country in a number of metrics, continues to result in a decline in COVID-19 cases, hospitalization rates and deaths with the state's seven-day average of cases plummeting 75% since April 1, a state official said Tuesday.

Because of our vaccination rate and other factors, no state in the country is in a better and safer position than Vermont in beginning transitioning back to normal, Gov. Phil Scott said during his bi-weekly virus briefing. In fact, if Vermont was its own country, we'd have one of the highest vaccination rates in the entire world.

Vermont leads the country in the percentage of people who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the number of vaccines administered per 100,000 people, and the percentage of people ages 65 and older who started or completed vaccinations, said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, who has been following the COVID-19 trends for Vermont. While the rate of new Vermonters starting vaccination fell this week, the state continues to have the highest rate in the country of people starting the vaccination process, he said.

Our communities are getting safer by the day, Pieciak said.

Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said while the work is not over its time to celebrate how far the state has come. But he and other officials urged Vermonters who have not gotten vaccinated to get the shots and said there will be numerous opportunities throughout the state, which will take walk-ins. Starting Thursday, Vermont will open up vaccines to out-of-staters.

Scott declared this week as EMS week and asked Vermonters to show their appreciation for emergency medical service workers by getting vaccinated. More than 30 walk-in EMS-led vaccination clinics are planned around Vermont this coming weekend, providing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to anyone at least 18 years old, according to the Health Department.

Conditions also continue to improve in the Northeast with a decrease in the number of cases, hospitalization rates and deaths. COVID-19 cases in the region have dropped by 70% over the last five weeks and the Northeast is leading the country in the uptake of the vaccine, Pieciak said.

Scott said he knows many people are still adjusting to his announcement on Friday that Vermont will comply with new federal guidance and eliminate the mask mandate for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The state has allowed municipalities and businesses to continue to have their own masking policies.

I want to remind everyone, it's OK. Just like it took some time to get used to wearing masks after asking Vermonters to do so over a year ago it's natural that for some the adjustment back to normal won't happen overnight," he said. "But just remember the science-based CDC guidance was issued for the entire country.

The city council in Vermont's largest city on Monday decided not to remove Burlington's mask mandate for fully vaccinated people. The council is expected to revisit the topic in early June, WCAX-TV reported.

THE NUMBERS

Vermont reported 34 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, for a statewide total since the pandemic began of more than 23,900.

A total of nine people were hospitalized with one in intensive care.

The Associated Press is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 77.29 new cases a day on May 2 to 53.00 new cases a day on Sunday.

___

Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
This pizza madness has gotta end. Its been a constant in my life (just weeks shy of 54 years!), and for at least the last decade has truly gotten out of hand.

Weve got great pizza here  on Wooster Street, in particular. Cant we just leave it at that?

Politicians are bickering over New Haven pizza versus Chicago versus Brooklyn versus New Jersey. Tweets are flying. For Petes sake, the lets make it our official state food conversation in Hartford would be hilarious if not for it being so frivolous. Pride is one thing  this is embarrassing.

Especially because I dont think pizza should be Connecticuts state food. I have a better suggestion. But, well get to that. First things first and all.

Mine was definitely a pizza family. Still is. But, in my childhood we got a weekly pie from Alfanos, a great spot in Morris Cove. Four siblings each getting to pick a topping and getting two larges, one half for each of us. It lots of fun, and I remember it quite fondly. Sometimes, at my older brothers behest, my father would forsake Alfanos in favor of Tollis on Main Street in East Haven, which is still going strong today, while the former closed its doors decades ago, and its owner only recently passed away.

And then there were times things really got crazy. Wed be off to Wooster Street, and it was most definitely cause for celebration. Many times  like a birthday or graduation. For us it was The Spot, tucked away behind Pepes, and boasting the thickest slices of pepperoni to be found on a pie. Thats what us four kids were always taken by: The Spots generosity when it came to the girth of the pepperoni slices.

Every other joint sliced them so razor thin, and this was during an era that would have  and could have  never seen the day coming when buffalo chicken or mashed potatoes or any of the other stuff weve come to accept as pizza toppings would come to pass. Alas, it is here (some of it surprisingly good, while others completely misbegotten), and we often deem it artisan.

Anyway, our fascination with pizza has reached a boiling point of sorts. It passed bragging rights a dozen years ago. It passed tongue-in-cheek debating with out-of-staters a dozen years ago. Now we really mean it.

It can cause a house party to come screeching to a halt. Heck, not just the disagreeing over what state, but even what pizza parlor. You got the pizzas for Anthonys 13th birthday from where? Hes a teenager now and you do this!? Were leaving. Ive heard stories of couples divorcing over it.

Oh yeah  its not just New Haven versus Chicago or New Haven versus Brooklyn. Its Pepes versus Sallys, or Modern versus Zuppardis. To even suggest an establishment not in New Haven is blasphemy to many an Elm City lifer.

But heres were I go out on a ledge and, as I mentioned, pizza being bandied about as Connecticuts official food was the tipping point. Ive got pizza fatigue. Not with regard to eating it  I dont think thats possible. Ive got fatigue with regard to talking about it anymore, to bragging about it, to hanging our hat only there. Once politicians started getting in on the act I sputtered and my car stalled.

You want Connecticuts state food? I say its the hot dog. We are the home of Hummels after all!

When I was a kid I thought Hummels hotdogs were available nationwide. We wouldnt order a hotdog when we were kids, my siblings and me  wed order a Hummels. Or, at least, our mother would. Well get five Hummels, please. Thats the way shed order them. So, why would I think this was our very own precious thing as a teenager, when the name was so synonymous with the food item as to basically mean the same thing?

It wasnt until my mother had left Connecticut for good, relocating to Nevada, and shed return home and immediately say she was in the mood for a Hummels that I got a clue. I shot back, Well, why arent you eating them out in Vegas? She was incredulous. Hadnt I noticed those times wed driven straight through, from Connecticut to Florida, in 24 hours, to visit my grandparents, and shed have a case on ice in a Styrofoam cooler for them? Kinda. I guess I thought Nana & Pop had fallen on hard times.

And just as those trips to Wooster Street were joyous in my childhood, so too were the ones to Vincents Drive-In on Route 1 in Branford for so many years. My parents even called it Vinnys, like he was a family friend. Which no one there named Vincent was. It would totally go like this: Who wants to go to Vinnys for some Hummels? Cue applause. (Vincents is long gone now, replaced by the phenomenal Hornets Nest. The chicken cutlet with pepperoni on a hard roll is insane.)

Sure, many was the time my mother ordered the lobster roll instead. In fact, were she still with us, she just might argue that should be our state food: the lobster roll. Many would probably agree.

But, for me, its the hotdog. Butterfly it, ladle in some chili, and move on.
Its well-known by now that Bob Caslen, the suddenly former president of the University of South Carolina, resigned last week following a commencement address that he, well, flubbed pretty badly.

He welcomed the graduates as the new alumni of the University of California. Ouch.

More important, he plagiarized.

When someone within stage-whispering distance reminded Caslen where he was, he quickly corrected himself, saying Carolina, but not South Carolina.

Then, with an embarrassed chuckle, he said to the audience of graduates, I owe you push-ups.

Caslen, you see, is a push-up kind of guy, a career military man who regularly invited students to join him at the gym, where he put himself  and those who showed up  through a grueling workout.

His plagiarism consisted of two paragraphs he borrowed without attribution from another commencement address by, of all people, retired Adm. William H. McRaven, possibly the best-known military man in the United States, who planned the takedown of Osama bin Laden. Caslen was deeply apologetic, saying he added the words at the last minute and failed to cite him.

Its not the worst crime in the world  but it is certainly less than ideal if you happen to be the president of a university where academic rules apply. Among those rules: Do not crib from anothers work without credit.

Caslens resignation, after almost two years as president, was an unfortunate end to a job he probably never should have been offered  or accepted.

A retired U.S. Army general and former superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Caslens candidacy was met with protests by students who objected to his suggestion, in a stream-of-consciousness talk, that sexual assault and binge drinking go hand-in-hand. Caslen failed to put a period at the end of one sentence before beginning another, making it sound like he was blaming victims.

Caslen wasnt a first choice for the University of South Carolinas board of trustees, either. He was approved after a nudge from Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is also a board member. That bit of pressure earned the school an inquiry from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

For a state such as South Carolina, rich in military installations, it might have seemed to some that a military bigwig is just what we needed to run our biggest university. If so, that was obviously flawed thinking.

Almost from the start, people didnt like the cut of his jib, his lack of social graces, or his inability to speak in ways that made people feel good and want to write checks. He didnt have a PhD or a research background, weaknesses that may explain his lack of attention to attribution and certainly earned him the suspicion of some faculty members.

He had friends in high places  he was once a contender for a top job in Donald Trumps White House. And Caslens military training  including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan  proved invaluable during the pandemic. He tightened the schools cyber defenses and ran a tight ship during the shutdown that kept many students in classes and infections on the low side.

If he hadnt stepped on his tongue so many times, or if hed mastered the manners required to run an institution of more than 30,000 students, he would still be at his post. Caslens skills were tailor-made to manage a deadly health crisis that scared everybody else to death. Even his critics give him that much.

Caslens fast rise and fall suggest a mini-commencement address of its own:

We are right to push ourselves to try new things. We are also sometimes slow to recognize our own limitations. Managing this tug of war with ourselves is a lifetime challenge. I like to tell young people to try big. Because it is better to try big and fail big than not to try at all.

More important than that, though, we are all more than our worst mistake. The now-departed Caslen spent more than 40 years in uniform and fought in three wars. That is accomplishment enough.

KATHLEEN PARKER is a columnist for The Washington Post.


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GENEVA [emdash] A Memorial Service for Janet "Betty" Elizabeth Woodworth, 92, of Geneva, who died July 11, 2020, will be 2:30 pm Friday June 18, 2021 at Madison Seventh Day Adventist Church, 725 East Main St. in Madison followed by a reception. Final resting place will be at Alexander Harper
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Border police officers from western Arad County have discovered 22 migrants from Syria, Somalia, Egypt and Ethiopia who tried to cross the border into Hungary illegally, hiding in a truck loaded with electronic equipment.

The truck, registered in Romania, was checked at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point, steered by a Turkish citizen, was transporting electronic equipment for a Polish company.

"Following the thorough control of the means of transport, 22 foreign nationals were discovered hiding in the cargo compartment. The people were taken over and transported to the district headquarters for further investigations," the Arad Border Police said on Tuesday.

Authorities have determined that the migrants are from Syria, Somalia, Egypt and Ethiopia, aged between 15 and 39.

Border police officers are conducting investigations, with foreigners at risk of being investigated for attempting to cross the state border illegally, and the driver for migrant smuggling.
The Ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania, David Saranga, stated that the aim of the country's army is to defend Israeli citizens and to destroy the infrastructure of the "Hamas terrorist organization", as far as possible without any casualties.

"Today is the eighth day that a rain of missiles has arrived from the terrorist organization Hamas to Israel. To date, we are talking about about 3,400 missiles fired from the Gaza Strip to Israel. We have explained our purpose - to defend Israeli citizens in order to put an end to this terrorist operation and destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip (missile factories, an underground city, tens of kilometers of bunker tunnels, thousands of missiles held by Hamas). The Israeli army will do everything possible to end the aggression of the Hamas terrorist movement. The Israeli army will do everything possible not to cause any human damage on one side or the other. When you do not want to do any human damage, things take time," David Saranga said Tuesday after meeting with members of the Senate's Foreign Policy Committee.

The ambassador explained that, in case of requests from the Romanians to leave the area, the Israeli Government will cooperate with the Romanian authorities."We are in permanent contact with the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) and so far we have not received any request to evacuate Romanian citizens. If this request comes, the Israeli government will cooperate, will do everything possible to help the Romanian Government," David Saranga added.
Senior official with the Ministry of Health Andrei Baciu said on Tuesday that 377 privately-run businesses in Romania have so far provided COVID-19 vaccinations to their employees, with 100 mobile teams having travelled to the premises for the administration of vaccines.

"So far, we have 377 private operators, privately-run companies, of which 61 in the hospitality business. So today there are precisely 100 mobile teams that have travelled to those privately-run companies for vaccination. A total of 26,129 people were vaccinated. The top five counties with such business operators, same as last week, Brasov, 75 operators; Alba - 45; Hunedoara - 22; Bihor - 21; Galati - 19, and by the number of vaccinated staff at the premises of companies, the ranking also topped by Brasov County, 3,618, then Alba County- 2,290, and Maramures County - 2,374," Baciu told a news briefing at the Government House.

He said that this week another 50 business operators will start the vaccination of their employees and family members, including Siemens, AzoMures, ALRO Slatina, retail companies, the automotive industry, the processing industry.

As of May 17, Romania received 10,689,069 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and currently there is a stockpile of 1,639,814 doses, said Baciu.
The General Director of the Romanian Naval Authority (ANR), Cosmin-Laurentiu Dumitrache, declared on Monday, in southeastern Constanta, that the authorities do not have any reliable information regarding the spot where the fishing vessel Sea Shark 1 sank, with five crew members on board, given that no SOS signal has been issued and this type of ship is not required to have monitoring equipment.

He said authorities were alerted Monday morning by employees at the company that owns the boat.

"So far, we have managed to recover three of the bodies, unfortunately. We were informed at 8.25 this morning (Monday, ed. n.) that the fishing vessel Sea Shark 1 has not returned to port. (...) According to their colleagues the last contact with them occurred at 6.30 pm on Sunday, May 16. Nobody knows, we don't have any provable information about the place where the ship sank, we assume that there was an incident after the towing, but we don't know, we have no way of knowing, we can only assume," said Cosmin-Laurentiu Dumitrache.

He mentioned that this type of fishing vessel pulls a net, with a certain load caught, and if this net "is not trawled correctly or if the maneuver is not performed correctly, it can lead to the overturning of the boat".

According to the legislation, the monitoring equipment is not necessary, these ships remaining in the coastal area, with radio coverage all the time.

"No one issued any SOS signal, their colleagues told us that they did not return," said the ANR director, who added that the ship allegedly sank very quickly and the crew members didn't have any more time to make a call for help by radiotelephone.

At the same time, the ANR director mentioned that a criminal investigation file was opened in connection with this event, in rem, "probably for damaging the boat and involuntary manslaughter".

Dumitrache also mentioned that on Monday there were five boats involved in the search operation, two from the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea - ARSVOM and three from the Ministry of Interior, as well as two helicopters. At dusk, the search-rescue operations are interrupted, said the official ANR.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Bogdan Aurescu, salutes the extension of one more year - until September 2022 - for the Romanian presidency mandate in the Community of Democracies, mentioning that the decision represents "recognition of credibility and authentic commitment of Romania in the international plan for supporting rule of law, international law norms and fundamental liberties".

The decision was unanimously made on May 17, by the member states of the Governing Council of Community of Democracies (CoD), MAE specified in a press release sent on Tuesday to AGERPRES.

In this sense, the Romanian presidency of the organization, exercised during the period of September 2019 - September 2021, was extended by another year.

"Extending Romania's mandate comes in exceptional conditions and takes place in the context of necessity of ensuring continuity and efficient management of the CoD activity, including as a result of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the calendar and format of some of the organization's activities. Extending Romania's mandate of the leadership of CoD was saluted by the Secretary General of CoD, Thomas Garret, and reconfirms the success of Romania's mandate and vision, at the helm of this forum, for consolidating and promoting global democratic values," MAE transmits.

According to the quoted source, within the extended mandate, Romania will continue to promote the importance of respecting the Warsaw Declaration of Principles, the founding document of CoD, as well as the framework offered by the Bucharest Declaration of June 2020.

Furthermore, Romania will continue promoting the main objectives for the CoD leadership, inter alia, promoting democracy on a global level, as a unique system which guarantees prosperity and durable development, facilitating the implication of young people in democratic processes, as well as the relationship between democratic processes and information technology, but also topics such as the role of equal chance opportunity in democratic processes and cooperation with civil societies.

"Romania is prepared to continue to undertake the necessary actions in order to achieve progress on the line of agenda priorities, established upon taking on the mandate for this inter-governmental forum," Bogdan Aurescu highlighted.

He added that there will be a continuation of the intense activity for promoting democratic values.

MAE also specifies that, throughout the duration of the first two years of Romania's presidency of CoD, there were several actions carried out which emphasized Romania's commitment in supporting the rule of law, namely protecting human rights and fundamental liberties, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Community of Democracies (CoD) was founded in 2000, at the initiative of the USA, representing an inter-governmental, global-scale structure, which has as objectives to promote peaceful societies or a durable development, access to justice for all and to create efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions on all levels.
The Hospitality Employers Federation (FIO) calls for a plan to relaunch the sector with clear deadlines that include, among other things, disconnecting HoReCa from the incidence rate of any kind starting June 1, 2021, an increase in minimum wage for this field of activity, similar to that of the construction sector, and the reduction of the VAT for the delivery of food preparations, from 9% to 5%.

According to an FIO press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, tourism operators are asking the authorities to halve local taxes and fees for both this year and next, to pay 41.5% of the basic gross salary of an employee who is brought back in the field of work and the possibility of using the facilities for employees at the same time.

"The Hospitality Employers Federation believes that the time has come for the Government to open a wide door to this industry, which is almost on the verge of bankruptcy, and to launch a recovery plan, with clear deadlines that include the most important proposals of the HoReCa industry: disconnecting HoReCa from the incidence rate of any kind, the reactivation of the financial support measure by settling 41.5% of the basic gross salary of an employee who is brought back into the field of employment and the possibility of using facilities for employees at the same time, the introduction of a tax facility on salary and the increase of the minimum wage, similar to the one in the construction sector, for HORECA. The Hospitality Employers Federation also requests the reduction by at least 50% of all local taxes for 2021 and 2022 and the reduction of the VAT for the delivery of food preparations, from 9% to 5%, fast repayment of VAT claims, the unblocking of Measure 2 and the remediation of the situation related to Measure 3 and the postponement of credit installments as well as the rethinking of the process of staggering the debts arising from taxes and duties," specifies the cited document.

The Hospitality Employers Federation conveys to the Government that the relaxation measures, as presented in recent days, leave room only for assumptions and hopes rather than certainties.

According to the organization, the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors since the beginning of the pandemic, now operating more out of inertia and not on the basis of clear forecasts or steady and stable financial support.

Moreover, according to FIO representatives, during these months, the hospitality industry has always been promised effective financial aid, as has happened in many European countries, and measures with a clear direction so that the steps to follow can be estimated.

The steps to follow calls on the Government of Romania to take the example of other countries in Europe, where there was a respected calendar plan for financial aid and another for restrictions and relaxations.

"The conditions set, both publicly and at our direct meetings, for a threshold of 5 million vaccinated people for an ambiguous relaxation plan, lead rather to the situation where, if the threshold is not reached by June 1, those vaccinated are punished together with the unvaccinated ones," the cited source states.

The relaxation measures for the cultural sector mean, in fact, more restrictive conditions for events for both the public and cultural operators, despite the recommendations and health rules agreed by the Institute of National Health (INSP) and the Ministry of Health, emphasize the representatives of the HoReCa sector.

"After a year in which the public was able to participate in events without proof of the medical situation, starting today, although the infection rate is much lower than a few months ago, this is no longer possible," they explain.
Romania "is not facing a migration crisis", and the migration pressure at Romania's borders has no "significant" variations in the first four months of this year, compared to 2020, the Minister of Internal Affairs (MAI), Lucian Bode, said on Tuesday in a joint meeting of the Defense Committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

"It is wrong to present the phenomenon of migration as a national crisis. Since 2015, illegal migration has been one of the main challenges for institutions at the level of the European Union and for the national authorities, both transit and destination states, which have to find a balance between the need to combat illegal migration and the associated criminal phenomena, namely the management of migratory flows in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law," said Bode.

"The developments at the western border of Romania have registered increases lately, but the situation is managed efficiently by the competent institutions and here I am referring to the MAI structures. (...) The large number of migrants in the western counties of the country represent a reality. Since the beginning of the migration crisis, Romania has remained a transit country, (...) as the direction of travel for illegal migrants has been mainly from Serbia and Bulgaria to Hungary. Compared to other European countries, the situation at national level stands within the same coordinates, without significant variations in the first four months of 2021 compared to 2020," added Lucian Bode.
Chamber of Deputies' Speaker and National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban reaffirmed that the party he represents supports the abolition of the Special Section for the Investigation of Justice Crimes (SIIJ) and expressed his hope that a formula agreed in this sense would be found in the coalition, agerpres reports.

"We are in the procedure of approving the law for the abolition of the Special Section. (...) The position of the PNL is very clear: we support the abolition of the Special Section. Of course, in order to successfully abolish the Special Section, we must agree on a form of abolishing the Section to be voted by the majority coalition. We supported any of the options - the variant adopted by the Government and the variant that was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, also the variant that we proposed - no incompatibilities to exist - namely a prosecutor cannot investigate a judge in the area of competence and a judge cannot judge a prosecutor in the area of competence. There were several options, I hope we come up with a formula that is supported by all parties in the coalition," Orban said at Parliament.

Regarding the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR)'s amendment to the bill, Orban said it would be discussed within the coalition.The Court of Justice of the European Union decided on Tuesday that it is up to the national courts to verify whether the establishment of the Special Section for the Investigation of Justice Crimes (SIIJ), which has the exclusive competence to investigate judges and prosecutors, complies with the requirements of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Preschoolers and pupils can physically participate, starting with Wednesday, in educational activities in learning facilities in Bucharest, Bucharest Committee for Emergency Situations (CMBSU) decided on Tuesday.

"Starting with May 19, at the level of the education units in the Bucharest municipality, educational activities can take place with the daily participation of all preschoolers and students in the learning facility, by respecting and applying all protection norms, according to the order of the Minister of Education and Minister of Health nr. 3235/93/2021 for approving organizing measures of activities within the units / learning institutions, in safe epidemiological conditions for preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with the amendments and completions added later," the CMBSU decision states.
Applications for European subsidies filed by Romanian farmers between March 1 and May 17, 2021 cover 9.82 million hectares, by 9,041 hectares more than last year, while the number of applications was by roughly 24,000 lower than in 2020, the Agency for Agricultural Payments and Interventions (APIA) informed on Tuesday.

The campaign for the submission of penalty-free single payment applications ended on Monday, May 17, but submissions are still open for another 25 days, until June 11, 2021 inclusive, yet with a penalties of 1% for each day of delay.

"A comparative look at the data shows that the number of applications received is by 24,008 less than last year, while the agricultural area increased by 9,041 hectares. This gives us the confirmation that from one year to another farmers are increasingly aware of the importance of land merging in order to increase productivity and the competitiveness on the market," APIA said.
The Romanian Senate's Foreign Policy Committee strongly condemn the missile attacks against the state of Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas and other terrorist organisations, committee chairman Titus Corlatean said on Tuesday after a meeting with Israeli Ambassador David Saranga, agerpres reports.

The Israeli diplomat had a meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Policy Committee on Tuesday at the Parliament House.

"International law and the UN Charter clearly legitimise the right to self-defense of the state of Israel. There is this concern in Romania with the innocent civilian population on both Israeli and Palestinian sides. (...) I welcomed the concern of the Israeli authorities in this endeavour. I welcome the concern of the Israeli authorities that in this legitimate response operation they should limit innocent civilian casualties as best they can. Unfortunately, Hamas uses the civilian human shield not only by deploying its military or cyber capabilities in schools or hospitals, but also by using emotion in the Palestinian community or in other states, and here radicalisation is the goal pursued. It is the position of the members of the Foreign Policy Committee that in the absence of favourable conditions for a peace process (...) with the existence of two states - Palestinian and Israeli - coexisting in peace, there will always be security risks," Corlatean said.He pointed out that in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Romania has consistently supported "a process that will gradually bring back the possibility of negotiations, of political solutions for peace.""We reject this kind of conduct of terrorist organisations that generate insecurity and victims," added Corlatean.He voiced satisfaction that, in the case of requests from Romanians in the Gaza Strip, they will be able to be "extracted" from there."There is a community originating from Romania of 400,000 people, 700,000 in the second generation in Israel, but there is also a community from Romania in the Palestinian territories. I want to thank the ambassador for information - if there are cases of Romanians, families with children, from Gaza there will be co-operation in order to be able to extract the Romanian citizens who would eventually request support," said Corlatean.
Romania's Eurovision Song Contest entry Roxen will be the 13th artist to take the stage of the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, performing her song Amnesia in the first semi-final which takes place today with a limited live audience.

"For me last year was a bit of a rollercoaster, filled with really good moments and some low points also. In the end, what kept me going the most was that I had some really great projects. Amnesia somehow manages to give a voice to all repressed feelings and to the people whose voices haven't been heard, in a way that for me is incredibly pure. I feel it close to me, it represents me, and my soul and my feelings are embedded in it," said Roxen after her song was picked for the contest, according to a statement of the national broadcaster TVR.

For the 2020 Eurovision edition, Roxen released five songs in the national selection, and was selected Romania's representative with Alcohol You. The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Roxen remained Romania's hopeful for this year's instalment with Amnesia.

Both the ESC semi-finals and the grand final will be broadcast live on TVR.

Romania's best performances in this competition were: twice the third place (Luminita Anghel & Sistem - Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi - Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Traistariu - Athens, 2006).

As a member of the European Broadcasting Union, Romania's TV broadcaster is the organizer of the national selection and has been participating in the European competition since 1993.
The trade volume between Germany and Romania recovered slightly in the first quarter. Thus, German exports to Romania amounted to 4.5 billion euros, up 3.6% over the same period in 2020, and imports have reached 3.8 billion euros, up 0.9%, according to a release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

The data published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), quoted by AHK Romania in the release, show that Romania ranks 19th in the chart of Germany's trading partners in the mentioned period, with a volume of 8.3 billion euros. In 2020, Romania ranked 20th, with a trade volume of 30 billion euros.

According to the quoted source, after a decrease in trade between Germany and Romania in January and February, they recovered significantly in March 2021."We are confident that the recovery in trade relations in the first three months of this year will continue and we will be able to reach the level of 2019 by the end of the year. Relaxation measures and vaccination campaigns in many European countries are already showing their effects. Regarding a very topical issue, namely re/nearshoring, against the background of consolidating the resilience of supply chains in the context of the pandemic, we see good opportunities for Romania. This topic is intensely debated at European level at the moment and we hope that Romania will be actively involved," said Sebastian Metz, general manager and member of the Board of Directors of AHK Romania.The trade volume between Germany and Romania decreased by 10% in 2020 to 29.36 billion euros. Last year, total exports to Romania amounted to 15.8 billion euros (-5.9%), and imports amounted to 13.5 billion euros, down 14.4% compared to 2019.AHK Romania is the official representation office of the German economy and also the largest bilateral Chamber of Commerce in Romania. Founded in 2002, AHK has about 600 member firms and provides companies with an important platform for networking, information exchange and experiences. Through the services it offers and the events it organizes, AHK Romania actively supports German companies in their entry on the Romanian market and is also a partner of Romanian companies interested in the German market.
The only part of the hospital that seems to have continued operating: its collections operation. The CHS subsidiary has sued 86 patients since mid-March 2020, including more than a dozen after the hospital ceased operations on August 31.

Some of the defendants in cases brought by hospitals sold off by CHS told CNN that they hadnt realized they were being sued by a company that no longer operated the hospital that treated them.

Rashad Huntley, a maintenance worker and father of four young children in St. Petersburg, was sued by the CHS subsidiary that ran Bayfront hospital last month for $777.50 plus court costs  the amount his insurance didnt cover after he received a half dozen stitches to a cut on his hand, Huntley said.

Huntley said he and his wife make less than $71,000 a year and have four kids, which would appear to qualify them for CHS policy not to sue patients whose incomes are less than two times the poverty rate. But no one from the hospital had mentioned the policy to him until CNN told him about it last week, he said.
NEW YORK (AP)  A long-awaited book about Philip Roth that was pulled last month amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment against biographer Blake Bailey has a new publisher.

Skyhorse Publishing told The Associated Press on Monday that it will have Philip Roth: The Biography available in paperback June 15, and hopes to have the e-book and audio editions ready by Wednesday.

Bailey's 900-page biography was begun in 2012 and written with the participation of Roth, who died in 2018. Released in early April by W.W. Norton & Company, Philip Roth received mostly positive reviews, although critics for The New York Times and The New Republic found Bailey too indulgent of Roth's behavior towards women. The book reached the Times bestseller list among others.

But two weeks after publication, reports from the Los Angeles Times, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and The AP among others featured extensive, on-the-record quotes from former students of Bailey while he was a middle-grade teacher in New Orleans in the 1990s. The students alleged a pattern of inappropriate behavior while he was a teacher, and that he later pursued sexual relationships. Two former students and book publishing executive Valentina Rice have alleged he assaulted them. Rice's account first appeared in The New York Times and was confirmed by Rice to the AP.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri  Lawyers for police officers accused of a role in the death of a Black jail inmate in 2017 made their $500,000 lawsuit settlement public Tuesday after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Washington University law schools First Amendment Clinic intervened in the case.

The Post-Dispatch reported the settlement amount and terms last month, after they were discussed in court and while the documents were still sealed. The legal clinic lawyers also ensured that the court hearing was open to the public.

The lawsuit stemming from the death of Tory Sanders was filed in 2018 against police in the city of Charleston, in Mississippi County, the former sheriff and jail staff. It is still pending against the former sheriff, Cory Hutcheson, and jailers, but lawyers for the defendants are trying to force relatives to accept a $2 million settlement, saying their lawyer agreed to it, but the familys lawyers deny that.

The $500,000 will be split among Quinta Sanders, who is Tory Sanders mother, and other relatives.

The city and county defendants continue to deny the claims in the lawsuit.
This is a wonderful, wonderful program, Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Cahokia, said during the event.

The governor and other top state officials urged landlords to apply for the program right away at Illinoishousinghelp.org. The initial application window, which opened Monday, goes until June 7, three weeks away. A later period will allow tenants to initiate the process if their landlords havent.

Theres a great deal of demand out there for it, he said.

The initial round of rental and mortgage relief allocated over $329 million in federal housing payment grants to more than 56,000 renters and homeowners across Illinois last year. The program designed and implemented by the Illinois Housing Development Authority was one of the largest emergency housing assistance programs in the entire nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pritzker said, touting it as an example of good government and claiming Illinois was the best in the nation at getting relief into the pockets of landlords and homeowners in 2020.

About $400 million of the $1.5 billion program will be administered by larger cities, according to the governors office.
JEFFERSON CITY  The push to create Rush Limbaugh Day in Missouri died quietly on the last day of the recent legislative session when lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that leaves out mention of the late conservative radio host.

The day was to be celebrated on Jan. 12 each year  Limbaughs birthday.

Democrats, frequently targets of Limbaughs commentary, strongly opposed honoring the Cape Girardeau native, citing what they said was his long record of racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments.

Limbaugh died in February at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.

House Republicans approved Rush Limbaugh Day this month immediately after rejecting Walter Cronkite Day, for the St. Joseph-born journalist who hosted the CBS Evening News.

Following a conference committee between the House and Senate, Rush Limbaugh Day was removed from a bill making numerous state designations.
WASHINGTON  When Maria stepped off the bus in late March, her 3-year-old daughter in her arms, her stomach dropped: The men waiting wore Mexican uniforms. U.S. officials had sent the Honduran mother to Tijuana.

Days earlier, Maria had crossed the U.S. southern border some 1,500 miles away, near Hidalgo, Texas, to seek out the Border Patrol and ask for asylum. The agents told her she was being sent to another state to make her claim, she told the Los Angeles Times.

Instead, they put her on a plane to California and expelled her and her daughter to Mexico under a Trump-era pandemic policy known as Title 42. President Joe Biden chose to continue the policy, which indefinitely closes U.S. borders to nonessential travel.

I was only told that I was going to another state, where I was going to apply for asylum, and they didnt tell me any more than that, Maria said. Hiding in a shelter in Tijuana, she asked that only her first name be used. This is traumatic that they do this to us.

Biden has criticized his predecessors cruel immigration policies and vowed to undo them. Yet amid a sharp increase in migration to the southern border in his first months that has topped records, his administration has kept Title 42, one of the most restrictive border policies ever implemented.
The STB has said it will review any deal involving Kansas City Southern carefully to determine if it would enhance competition and serve the public interest. That review could take more than 18 months. If regulators ultimately reject the deal, then the voting trust would sell off Kansas City Southern, so it could remain independent.

The regulators also said Monday that they would review Canadian National's proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern under a tougher set of rules it passed in 2001 after several railroad mergers in the 1990s led to service problems. The board hasn't approved a major railroad merger since it issued those tougher rules but Canadian National has said it believes the deal should be reviewed under the newer rules.

Previously, the board said it would apply its older, less stringent merger rules to the proposed Canadian Pacific combination with Kansas City Southern because there is little overlap between those railroads, which are the two smallest of the major North American railroads.

The two Canadian railroads have been engaged in a public-relations battle since CN joined the bidding.
Missouri voters patience finally reached its limit last year. They passed a referendum ordering the state to expand Medicaid. But, incredibly, the Legislature this session refused to allocate the states portion of the funding for it, effectively turning down the far greater federal portion and thumbing a nose at the voters by unlawfully ignoring the referendum. Parson  a Republican who, like his party, has long opposed expanding Medicaid  nonetheless began setting up the expansion process in what appeared to be a principled bow to the voters and a challenge to legislative Republicans, earning him editorial kudos from us on Wednesday. Boy, were we wrong.

Parsons principled stand lasted all of one day. On Thursday, Parson fell back in line with the petulant cruelty of his party and announced he was scuttling the Medicaid expansion plans because the funding wasnt approved. Kudos revoked. The suffering people of Parsons state will see him in court.

Its not the first time Parson seems to have been briefly gripped by an impulse to do the right thing, only to be reminded by his party that hes not allowed to. In 2019, he met several times with St. Louis leaders regarding gun violence and appeared open to giving the city some flexibility to impose reasonable restrictions here. City leaders have long asked the state to grant an exception to the obtuse state law that allows concealed weapons virtually anywhere in public with no permit required and no way for police to ascertain if the carriers are felons barred from possessing firearms. Yet this legislative session, as usual, the self-described law-and-order crowd in the General Assembly sided with the criminals and did exactly nothing to help law enforcers stop the bloodshed.
BRDO, Slovenia (AP)  Serbia and Kosovo clashed Monday at a summit of Western Balkan nations over state border changes, a thorny issue in a region that is still recuperating from bloody civil wars in the 1990s.

The largely ceremonial annual gathering in Slovenia of the presidents of two EU-member states, Slovenia and Croatia, with leaders of six Balkan nations that formally seek membership in the bloc was to adopt a resolution that calls for unchangeability of the existing borders in the region.

However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected such a wording in the resolution because it would indirectly mean that Serbia recognizes the borders of its former breakaway province of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence in 2008.

He has proposed that only the borders recognized by the United Nations be declared as fixed. Kosovo, which is not an UN member, has been recognized by the United States and most of the West, while Serbia and its allies Russia and China refuse to do that.

Kosovo would like to interpret the borders as it wishes, or like a part of the world has already done, Vucic told reporters after the meeting in the Slovenian resort of Brdo.
Participants agreed Tuesday to seek to triple the amount and reach $100 billion via the reallocation to African nations of some of the money initially meant to go to advanced economies.

France and other European countries are ready to contribute and a discussion is starting, especially with the United States, to reach a deal by this autumn, Macron said.

Lets be very clear: No, it is not enough, Georgieva said. We have to bring financing from developing organizations. ... We have to make the private sector attractive."

Georgieva warned against a dangerous divergence between advanced economies and developing countries, especially Africa.

The European Union last year adopted a 750 billion euro ($910 billion) pandemic recovery plan. The U.S. Congress approved a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill in March.

This is a great opportunity for Africa, said Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, the current head of the African Union. The pandemic left our economies impoverished because we had to use all the means we had, the few means we had, to fight against the disease.
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All in all, it was a rough night for city officials appearing before Community Board 3s parks committee. We already detailed the contentious discussion last night concerning plans for a new park at Pier 42. There was also significant displeasure voiced about the citys outreach efforts regarding the Big U, a dramatic proposal to create a bridging berm along the East River.

In June, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development announced that the Lower East Side was the big winner in a federal design competition focused on finding the best strategies to protect at-risk communities from future super storms. $335 million was allocated for the plan developed by Bjarke Ingels Group, a Danish firm. A coalition of local groups known as LES Ready! played a major role in helping craft the plan.

Dan Zarrilli, the mayors director of resiliency, came before the CB3 panel last night for an update. His office is now taking the lead in developing what he called just a concept into an actual concrete plan for the waterfront. I am here to start the conversation with you, he said. Zarrilli added, HUD doesnt just show up with a sack of money and say have fun.

Describing the federal governments bureaucratic process, he said the city must prepare a specific plan for submission to HUD. It will be subject to public hearings, followed by a 60 day review and finally approval by the feds would likely come in the early spring. The city is doing some preliminary work on the proposal. Requests for Proposals have been put out for preliminary design consultants and community outreach specialists. Finally, Zarrilli reiterated what he told The Lo-Down in a June interview  that the first phase of the project would likely be focused in the area between 23rd Street and Montgomery Street, where East River Park ends.

None of this sat well with Damaris Reyes, the executive director of Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) and the chairperson of the LES Ready! group. She said the coalition made sure that the voices of the most vulnerable residents living in the flood zone were heard. Now, she told Zarrilli, there is confusion and concern for many reasons. For starters, she explained, it was not made clear to anyone that the project would exclude other endangered areas of the Lower East Side, including the Two Bridges neighborhood and the Alfred E. Smith Houses to the south. But even more to the point, Reyes, complained that there have been virtually no overtures from the city since the summer.

I urge you to consider the large network of organizations that looked at the resiliency issue in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, she said. We dont want you to come to us at the eleventh hour (asking for help in engaging LES Readys communities). Its not fair to us. We need to be involved in the planning process. Reyes concluded, its a slap in the face that we got this far and were not even part of the discussions beyond this public setting (at the community board). Her comments were echoed by Aixa Torres, tenant leader at the Smith Houses, who said she was shocked to learn her development would not be protected.

In addressing their concerns, Zarrilli revised his earlier statement, saying there are no specific boundaries were figuring out just how much $335 million will buy this budget is going to be stretched to the hilt. He added that the city is committed to engaging with a broad group beyond Community Board 3. Zarrilli said hes well aware that the Two Bridges area is also at risk. Its very important, he declared, but right now we dont have the money (to implement a Big U-type plan in all flood-prone areas).

At the end of the discussion, parks committee chairperson Thomas Yu told Zarrilli, youve heard them loud and clear. The community wants to know how to get involved. We dont want to shut them out.

The bridging berm proposal would create a series of rolling hills and bridges leading from the far side of FDR Drive to the river, establishing a new barrier measuring anywhere between 10 and 20 feet, depending on the location. The berm would not only provide protection from rising waters but would allow the community easier access to the park, including new waterfront amenities, such as a scenic bike path.

During the summer, Zarrilli told us one key reason the city was focusing first on East River Park is that its width could support the bridging berm concept.
The latest Hamas war on Israel is the first in seven years. Many Hamas leaders doubted that they were ready for another offensive because the Israelis had continued to outsmart Hamas, especially after the 2014 attack. That one turned out to be a major embarrassment for Hamas, which proceeded much the same way as the current offensive. Hamas had hoped that a closer relationship with Iran would enable them to more effectively plan another offensive. In retrospect, depending on Iran may not be so wise given the number of times Israel has outsmarted Iran in the last few years. Hamas rivals in the West Bank seem to have appreciated the Iranian fall from grace more quickly and used it against Hamas.

Accepting Iran as a patron cost Hamas a lot of popular support among Palestinians and with the foreign aid donors. Another interpretation is that rival Fatah in the West Bank deliberately sought to goad Hamas into a war with Israel. The timing of the recent Jerusalem violence created by Fatah seems to indicate that. Hamas and Fatah are under enormous pressure to hold elections that will once more produce a unified Palestinian government. Hamas thought attacking Israel again would help Hamas win this election. But a week after starting that war Hamas now sees it more likely end another humiliation and make it more likely that Fatah will win the election. The Hamas war also puts more pressure on both rivals to delay the elections until they were certain they will win. That meant the elections will never be held, unless a new crises emerges that makes Fatah look better and Hamas much worse. This would force Hamas to accept the elections and lose control of Gaza, or risk a civil war in Gaza with Egypt and Israel backing Fatah. Hamas had made itself very unpopular with Gazans, Egypt, Israel and Fatah.

The Reality Check

Hamas was not ready for another war with Israel but Israel was, having tamed the covid19 threat faster than anyone else in the region and were outperforming Hamas in the current conflict because Israel had learned more from the 2014 war than Hamas and was quicker to take advantage of that. An example of this took place on May 12th when the movement of several Israeli combat brigades to the Gaza border was followed by the announcement that Israeli ground forces had moved into Gaza. Israel knew that the Hamas war plan mandated that all senior leaders head for underground bunkers or tunnels when this happened. The ground assault was not happening but Israeli airstrikes soon took place with over 400 smart bombs and guided missiles used in less than an hour. Many of the smart bombs were of the ground penetrating variety. It was no secret that Israel had a lot of these ground penetrating bombs and also designed and manufactured them. It was also no secret that since 2014 Israel had developed new tech for quickly finding underground bunkers. In addition the Israeli informant network inside Gaza had paid a lot of attention to where the new Hamas underground tunnels and shelters were. Hamas finally realized all this when dozens of their underground shelters, now full of key Hamas personnel, were damaged or destroyed by the ground penetrating bombs. These bombs were all delivered, against over a hundred Hamas targets, in less than 40 minutes. That made it difficult for Hamas personnel in the shelters to get word to get out of the shelters because Hamas had been the played and the shelters had become traps which many Hamas personnel did not escape.

Many Hamas leaders also blame Fatah for the timing of this war, because Fatah has gained more support among Palestinians. The current round of violence has spread from Jerusalem for other towns and cities with sizable numbers of Moslem Israelis. About one in six Israeli citizens is an Arab Moslem. These Israelis lead better, more prosperous and safer lives than Arabs in the West Bank, Gaza or any of the neighboring Arab countries. But the culture of resentment, especially against non-Moslems still survives in Israel as it does among Moslems, especially Moslems living in the west. This is a known, and major, flaw with Islam which is the only major religion whose scripture mandates continuous violence against infidels (non-believers). The Islamic scriptures make it clear that the mere existence of infidels is a threat to Islam and must be attacked, no matter what the cost. Most Moslems ignore this aspect of their religion, at the risk of being declared a heretic if conservative Moslems near them who decide to get violent and go jihad (war on) against any Infidels within reach. Many Moslems, including Gulf oil state Arab governments are openly seeking a way to reform Islam and eliminate this flaw which has been crippling Islam and killing Moslems for over a thousand years. This is a serious effort and one reason for making peace with Israel.

Allies In Gaza

The first six hours of today was the longest period without any Hamas rocket launches since this war began on the 10th. During this pause Israel continued carrying out airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. The smart bomb attacks continue to trigger even larger secondary explosions from rocket stockpiles. Israel has been systematically working down a long list of known or suspected rocket storage sites. Few are at above-ground military bunkers or warehouses. Many are under civilian facilities or in residential areas. Israel calls ahead to warn residents of the target to evacuate. Most of the explosive force usually comes from the secondary explosion, which leaves behind rocket parts and some intact rockets, which have to be carefully removed before they accidentally detonate. Secondary explosions from rockets stored in the tunnels Hamas has built since 2014 often cause nearby building foundations to fail and produce many collapsed buildings with no bomb damage.

All these visible evidence of Hamas military spending since 2014, with tunnels built using materials donated for rebuilding housing and infrastructure, is one of the reasons Gazans blame Hamas more than Israel for the damage. If underground bunkers were not filled with Iranian and locally built rockets, there would be less additional damage from secondary explosions. Hamas blames all the damage and casualties on Israel but people in the target area know otherwise as the evidence is all around them.

Israel never made a secret about their priority put on destroying rocket stockpiles. Since 2014 Israel has carried an enormous intelligence collecting effort in Gaza. Using continuous aerial and electronic surveillance and an expanded informant system inside Gaza. That network has been around as long as Gaza has existed as a Palestinian population center. Hamas was constantly searching for informants and not having much success because informants belonging to some of the powerful clan organizations in Gaza saw the Israelis are reliable employers and willing to go to extremes to develop clan support and protection from Hamas. The better organized and more powerful clans have to be handled carefully by Hamas. As Hamas power has declined the clan capabilities and influence have increased. As long as the clans stay out of politics, Hamas will not go after them.

Occasional news reports of Israeli special operations troops, in civilian clothes, having to fight their way out of Gaza is one of the few visible signs of the Israeli intelligence network inside Gaza. These teams go in when a personal visit by Arab speaking (and appearing) Israelis is needed. These visits would not be possible without a support network inside Gaza. Hamas only detects and confronts these small teams when a random (unpredictable) Hamas checkpoint is established and staffed with personnel who refuse bribes. Thats increasingly rare inside Gaza as Hamas policies continue to cripple the local economy. Covert Israeli assistance does the opposite, unless Hamas gets a massive case of the stupids and launched another major rocket offensive on Israel.

Allies Outside Gaza

The UAE (United Arab Emirates), which cut its aid to Gaza in February when it established diplomatic relations with Israel, has told Hamas that if they dont stop attacking Israel the UAE will not move forward with plans for massive economic and aid after a Palestinian-Israel peace deal was completed. That required Hamas and Fatah to carry out elections to determine which will run a united Palestinian government. Reluctance to proceed with those elections is one reason for the renewed violence against Israel. Most other Arab oil state donors are following the same policy, just not as openly as the UAE.

In the north Palestinians in southern Lebanon fired six rockets towards Israel yesterday. Five landed on the Lebanese side of the border while the other one landed in an uninhabited Israeli area. Israeli sensors detected the launch and quickly determined the launch site and artillery fired at least 22 shells at the launch site. UN peacekeepers on the border and Lebanese border guards conducted a search for who launched the rocks and soon discovered it as some local Palestinians.

Compared to 2014

Hamas was able to launch about three times as many rockets as they did in 2014. But as a result of the Israeli intel efforts and more effective targeting, the larger number of rockets were less effective. Casualties have been lower as well. So far the Hamas attacks have killed ten Israelis, one of them a soldier and one a foreigner. Over 500 Israelis have been wounded. Hamas reports 220 dead and 1,400 wounded. Between 60-80 percent of the Gaza dead are Hamas personnel, although Hamas will, as they did in 2014, claim otherwise. The West Bank violence has left one Israeli and 17 Palestinians dead.

In Gaza its a repeat of the 51 day 2014 war but with Hamas fading more quickly this time. In part this is because of the decline in Hamas support within Gaza as well as Israel learning more from the 2014 war than Hamas. In the West Bank Fatah has not prospered because to compete with Hamas they had to double down on their Israel must be destroyed rhetoric. That has cost them a lot of foreign aid as more evidence of Fatah using aid money to directly assist and encourage Palestinians to attack and try to kill Israelis. The 2014 war went on for so long (after Hamas indicated it had had enough) because Israel wanted get a better idea of the Hamas situation in Gaza and better prepare for the next Hamas attack. After eight days Hamas is already searching for a way to surrender and avoid all the embarrassing Israeli scrutiny of 2014. Hamas is still able to launch rockets, but can do so less and less. In 2014 73 Israelis (six military) and 2,100 Palestinians died during 51 days of fighting, including Israeli tanks and infantry moving in to some areas of Gaza. In 2021 Israel appears to be threatening a ground attack but so far holding back. In part this is because are collect more and better BDA (Battle Damage Assessment) from the air and sources on the ground than in 2014.

May 16, 2021: In Gaza an Israeli airstrike hit the home of the Hamas leader. Hamas has also apparently asked, without a public announcement, for ceasefire negotiations. Hamas is running out of rockets and facing Israeli retaliation that is following a predetermined plan apparently developed to do maximum damage to Hamas military capabilities. Israel has already announced that this plan will continue as long as required, despite any Hamas calls for a ceasefire.

May 15, 2021: Hamas continued firing rockets into Israel, although the number had declined because of the many airstrikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets since the 1oth. Israel already had a plan for doing maximum damage to Islamic terror groups in Gaza if there was another mass attack from Gaza. The last one was in 2014 and Hamas is still seeking foreign aid to repairs the damage. The foreign aid was not available because Hamas was diverting aid meant to rebuild homes and infrastructure for military purposes. It is unclear if the current Israeli plan involves an extensive ground attack, as several combat brigades have already been sent to the Gaza border.

One of the targets hit today was a twelve story building containing apartments and commercial enterprises, including foreign media allowed to operate in Gaza. This includes the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, two outlets that have a history of believing the Hamas version of what goes on in Gaza, even though there is long history of foreign aid and media operations in Gaza sticking with the Hamas version of the news no matter what. That includes downplaying the Hamas diversion of aid to military purposes and putting Hamas military facilities in hospitals, schools and buildings containing foreign aid or media personnel. Reporters and aid workers who have worked in Gaza admit, usually off-the-record, that Hamas does use civilians, especially foreign civilians as involuntary human shields. For decades Israel has neutralized that tactic by calling such targets in advance to warn them that their building are about to be hit. This policy is possible because Israel devotes a lot of intel effort to obtaining the phone numbers (landline or cell) of all structures in target areas. Warnings are not given if Israel determines a target only has military personnel in it, something Hamas sometimes has to do and hope the Israelis dont notice.

In Egypt the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was opened to allow ten Egyptian ambulances to enter and pick up Gaza casualties for treatment in Egypt,

May 14, 2021: So far Hamas has fired about 2,300 rockets at Israel, killing ten Israelis and wounding several hundred. All but one of the dead were civilians, which Hamas is deliberately targeting. Israeli military bases have largely been avoided, probably because their anti-rocket defenses are stronger. Israeli airstrikes against Hamas have, according to Hamas, been 145 dead and only twenty of them Hamas members. Israel points out that, based on past performance, Hamas is undercounting the number of dead who were Hamas personnel.

In the north (Golan Heights) someone, probably an Iran-backed group, fired three rockets into Israel. One rocket was faulty and landed on the Syrian side of the border while the other two landed in uninhabited areas of the Israeli Golan Heights. Someone was seeking to trigger another front in the Iran organized mass rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.

May 13, 2021: In northwest Syria (near the Lebanese border) an Israeli airstrike destroyed a smuggler truck headed for Lebanon, apparently carrying Iranian weapons for Hezbollah.

In southern Lebanon three rockets were fired towards Israel but landed harmlessly offshore.

May 12, 2021: Israel received (via Russia) the first unofficial Hamas offer to negotiate a ceasefire. Israel turned it down, citing past Hamas unreliability and deceit in such matters.

May 10, 2021: In Gaza (bordering Egypt and southern Israel), Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main Islamic terror groups there and both now financed and supplied (with weapons) by Iran, went to war with Israel. Iran has been openly and covertly calling for this. Recent Fatah organized riots in Jerusalem gave their rivals in Gaza an opportunity to upstage Fatah. Gaza groups have Iran supplied rockets while Fatah in the West Back does not. Hamas and Fatah had agreed to an election that would finally restore Palestinian units, which had been lost when Gaza won enough votes in the last Palestinian election to declare its independence from Fatah and declare itself the rightful leader of all Palestinians. Not all Palestinians agreed and Fatah failed to regain control of Gaza. Soon Fatah was also forced to adopt the Hamas policy that Israel must be destroyed and no peace agreement with Israel is possible. This put Fatah in a difficult position as their foreign aid, which flows much more freely than it does for belligerent Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The aid superiority could only be maintained by convincing the major donors (including the United States and Gulf Arab oil states) that the aid was used to improve the lives of West Bank Palestinians and not to support terrorists and enrich the Fatah leadership and their key supporters. The Fatah deception has been falling apart and the growing lack of aid made Palestinians angry and Fatah desperate. Fatah blamed all its problems on Israel and is constantly calling for more popular violence against Israel. Occasionally this works and recent disputes over Israelis buying land from Palestinians and strong reactions to Fatah calls for more Palestinians and Israeli Arabs to gather in Jerusalem to protest the continued existence of Israel enabled Fatah to get some large riots going. These things usually dont last long but this time Hamas and Islamic Jihad both agreed to do something different; launch a massive (hundreds of longer-range unguided rockets at a time) attack on Jerusalem. Israel knew that its Iron Dome rocket defense system could not stop all of the rockets from hitting populated areas during a large volume attack and Israel would have to accept some losses until the rocket attacks ceased. Hamas, Fatah and Hezbollah in Lebanon thought this meant Israeli ground troops getting into Gaza or Lebanon (depending on where the rockets came from) and occupying the rocket storage and launching sites. The Israelis planned to use ground forces, but not in a way Hamas or Hezbollah expected. Hamas and Hezbollah did not appreciate how Israel had addressed the massive attack overwhelming Iron Dome problem. Israel came up with multiple solutions. One was to continue improving Iron Dome effectiveness and reliability. Iron Dome now regularly identifies and stops over 90 percent of rockets headed for inhabited areas. Normal, a few rockets at a time, attacks are neutralized nearly a hundred percent of the time. But during mass rocket attacks Israel has another life-saving feature. Over the last decade Israel has automated and improved reliability on its nationwide attack alert system. If the siren (or a text message on you cell phone) announced imminent risk of a rocket hitting the area, civilians have at least a few seconds to take cover. If the rocket hits nearby, just ducking behind something protective is a life-saver. Hamas failed to notice that there had been some large scale rocket attacks since 2014 there the new alert had proved its worth.

The initial Israeli response was large scale airstrikes against Hamas and Islamic jihad targets in Gaza. This included killing one Islamic Jihad senior leaders. Iran wants Israel to invade Gaza, as it did in 2014. If that happens Iran can call on Hezbollah to launch its rockets, but Hezbollah has a much more precarious position in Lebanon where the majority of Lebanese want Hezbollah gone and getting Lebanon involved in another war with Israel might see Hezbollah fighting Israel and Lebanese at the same time.

May 9, 2021: In the western Syria (Latakia province) a tanker anchored offshore suffered an explosion that caused a fire in the engine room. The fire was put out and the tanker remained where it was, resuming the engine maintenance work already underway. The tanker was believed to be Iranian and used to smuggle oil to Syria. The explosion was believed cause by the Israelis, who recently admitted that they have been attacking Iranian ships smuggling oil and other goods into Syria. Iran denied that the damaged tanker was theirs, but thats what Iran always says when one of their maritime smuggling operations is revealed.

May 7, 2021: In Gaza a spokesman for Islamic Jihad confirmed what had long been known, that Islamic Jihad relies on Iran for weapons and cash to survive and agrees with Iran that Israel must be destroyed. The larger Hamas Islamic terrorist group, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has been particularly critical of Islamic Jihad becoming dependent on Iran. In 2019 Hamas and Islamic Jihad worked out an arrangement that keeps Hamas from going to war with Islamic Jihad and seeking to destroy it, as it did successfully when an ISIL affiliate sought to establish itself in Gaza. This arrangement included Hamas controlling many of the Islamic Jihad rocket stockpiles and various other restrictions. These to not prevent Islamic Jihad from independently attacking Israel but does limit the extent of such attacks. Iran ordered Islamic Jihad to agree to these restrictions because the Iranians understood that Hamas could, if they felt they had to, destroy Islamic Jihad. Hamas is now considered the moderate Islamic terror group in Gaza and wants to observe ceasefire with Israel so that foreign aid can flow freely into Gaza, including building materials and consumer goods to help improve the lives of Gaza residents, most of whom want Gaza and Islamic Jihad gone. In late 2019, an Israeli airstrike killed the Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza. Islamic Jihad has its external headquarters in Syria, as many Islamic terror groups have for decades. An hour after the Islamic leader died in Gaza, there were more Israeli airstrikes against Islamic Jihad leaders and facilities in Syria (Damascus).

May 6, 2021: Fatah once more encouraged major protests against Israeli threats and the violence grew, as it sometimes does. Palestinians measure and reward success differently than most people. Fatah, the group that runs the West Bank, is enjoying some success in generating popular enthusiasm for widespread violence via false accusations of Israeli threats against the al Aqsa mosque, which is just above the Wailing Wall, a popular Jewish holy place and tourist attraction in Jerusalem. The current al Aqsa is in danger campaign began in 2014. Seeing an opportunity to grab more headlines , sympathy and, hopefully cash contributions from the Moslem world, the Palestinian leadership (Fatah in the West Bank) invested some effort and cash to get something going. This sort of thing has been tried before, actually it is attempted regularly but this time it caught on in a big way. The Palestinian propaganda explicitly called for individual (lone wolf) efforts by young men to carry out an increasing number of attacks against Israelis.

This latest terror campaign against Israelis is fundamentally a side effect of the struggle between Hamas and Fatah for control over all Palestinians. These two groups keep score by how many Israelis they can kill as does mass media in Moslem nations. While there were fewer than ten terror related deaths a year in Israel in 2012 and 2013 (and only 21 in 2011) the war with Hamas raised this to 41 in 2014 and this made Fatah, which runs the West Bank, look bad in comparison. Thus the importance of the new campaign. The current effort will be a success if it can kill enough Israelis to justify Palestinians continuing to support Fatah rule in the West Bank. This is bad news for the Palestinians because both Hamas and Fatah are corrupt and incompetent administrators who are more concerned with their own power than with the welfare of the Palestinian people.

May 5, 2021: In northwest Syria (Latakia and Hama provinces) Israeli air strikes destroyed several Iranian targets, most of them warehouses for storing newly arrived weapons. Five Iranian IRGC and three Afghan mercenaries were killed. Latakia, which includes the Syrian Mediterranean coast, a large pro-Assad population and two Russian bases (one air and the other naval), is rarely hit with Israeli airstrikes. Russian warships have been seen escorting Iranian ships illegally delivering petroleum and weapons to Syria and that means Iran has more targets in the province that the Israelis go after.

May 3, 2021: West of Egypt, in Libya Egypt and the HoR (House of Representatives) government that controls most of Libya have agreed that Libya, at least most LNA (Libyan National Army) patrolled areas, are safe enough for Egyptian workers to return. One reason for the improved security was a late 2020 Egyptian effort to organize a military training program for a pro-Egyptian tribal coalition in eastern Libya. Some of the tribesmen received military training in Egypt. The ten Libya tribes involved have ancient links with Egypt and some of the tribes straddle the border. About 14 million Egyptians have family or ancestral ties in Libya.

Before the 2011 civil war began, a million Egyptians worked in Libya, and accounted for over 80 percent of the foreign workforce. This large foreign workforce is typical of Arab oil states. Foreign workers handle skilled jobs that few locals are qualified for and many more jobs that Libyans disdain. Over 80 percent of the Egyptian workforce in Libya lost their jobs due to financial problems or anti-foreigner violence. Egypt wants peace and prosperity to return to Libya because that will also mean the return of Egyptian workers. Before the 2011 war began the 6.5 million Libyans had a per capita GDP of about $10,000 (50 percent more if adjusted for purchasing power parity). Many Libyans were content to get by on a low-stress government job and let foreign workers keep the economy going. That hasnt changed and Libya is seeking economic aid and foreign workers to get reconstruction going. While Egypt supplies the manpower other Arab states, like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are willing to supply the money. Until a unified government is operational throughout Libya the reconstruction projects will be restricted to eastern Libya where there is enough law and order to permit the work to proceed. There are still plenty of bandits and Islamic terrorists who see foreign workers and rebuilding efforts as a source of ransom and extortion income. Nationwide there is potential demand for over two million foreign workers, many of them temporary, to handle reconstruction efforts. With enough cash and foreign workers, the reconstruction can be completed within three years.

April 22, 2021: Before dawn a missile from Syria landed 30 kilometers from the Israeli Dimona nuclear research center. There was no damage because Dimona is 200 kilometers south of the Syrian border in a rural desert area. First thoughts were that this was another Iranian attempt to carry out some credible revenge for the April 11th Mossad operation that destroyed the underground Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment facility. If this was a deliberate missile attack it failed but it will mean Israel spending a lot of money firing expensive ABM (anti-ballistic-missile) missiles at more Syrian anti-aircraft missiles that cross the border either accidently or on purpose. Israel can solve this problem by modifying its ABM fire control software to discriminate between the trajectories of SAMs that are not headed for civilian or military targets and those that are. The Israeli Iron Dome system has long used such a method to only shoot down targets headed for targets that must be defended.

Initial examination of the impact area debris near Dimona revealed it was a Russian made SA-5 missile used by Syria. These SAMs (surface-to-air missile) had landed in Israel accidently for years. For example, in 2017 Israel used an Arrow 3 anti-missile missile to intercept a Syrian SA-5 SAM that had been fired at Israeli jets bombing a target in eastern Syria near Palmyra. Apparently, several SA-5s missed the Israeli jets and instead of detonating anyway, as these missiles are programmed to do, continued into Israeli air space and an Arrow 3 ABM missile was fired just in case the incoming threat was a ballistic missile. At the time it was suspected that Syria might have deliberately modified some of their SA-5 missiles to operate as surface-to-surface missiles. This has been done before with Russian SAMs, usually as an unofficial (and crude) modification by Arab users. There have been some modern SAMs with a built-in surface-to-surface mode. This was done for the U.S. Nike-Hercules system used during the 1960s and still around. Other users of the Nike-Hercules (like Taiwan and South Korea) made this modification and produced an accurate, if expensive, surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile. The Nike-Hercules was designed for potential use as a surface-to-surface weapon.

The 2017 incident was the first time the Arrow 3 has been used in a combat situation and it was also implied that the Arrow fire control system was programmed to automatically assume that anything resembling a ballistic missile headed for Israel, whether intentional or by accident, was a danger to Israel and should be shot down just to be on the safe side. Syria responded by announcing that if Israel continued carrying out these air raids in Syria, then the Assad government would use hundreds of ballistic missiles (most SCUDs and other Russian designs) against Israel without warning. This is what Arrow was designed for and what the Israeli forces constantly prepare for. The recent Dimona incident was promptly claimed by Iran as a revenge attack.
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lily's, the high-growth, better-for-you (BFY) confectionery brand. Lily's low-sugar products include dark and milk chocolate style bars, baking chips, peanut butter cups and other confection products that fit Hershey's multi-pronged better-for-you snacking strategy. Lily's will add a key better-for-you confection brand to Hershey's portfolio of iconic chocolate and candy favorites.

Lily's is a great strategic complement to our existing offerings in this growing segment of the confection category.

"Hershey is focused on developing a BFY confection portfolio that offers a variety of choices to meet the evolving needs of our consumers," said Chuck Raup, President U.S. "Lily's is a great strategic complement to our existing offerings in this growing segment of the confection category."

BFY snacking continues to grow faster than mainstream segments across snacking categories such as potato chips, ice cream and cookies. BFY offerings, however, are still under-developed in confection and the Lily's acquisition would enable Hershey to accelerate this growth and reimagine the future of the candy aisle in partnership with retailers.

Based today in Boulder, Colo., Lily's traces its roots to co-founder Cynthia Tice's decision to raise awareness about better-for-you foods by opening Center Foods, a natural foods store, in Philadelphia in 1978. In 2012, Cynthia launched four Lily's chocolate style bars nationally in Whole Foods Market and today the expanded line of bars, baking chips and other confections can be found across the country at key retailers. The brand's mission is to offer consumers a range of great tasting, low sugar treats.

"Cynthia had the vision that consumers wanted a better-for-you option in confections and today 80% of adults want to cut back on their sugar intake," said Jane Miller, CEO Lily's. "By joining the Hershey's family of brands, Lily's will become a platform confection brand making BFY options easily accessible to all consumers."

The acquisition will be financed with cash on hand as well as short-term borrowings. Lily's acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to earnings in the first full year post closing. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the next few months.
FILE PHOTO: The Toyota logo is seen on a Corolla model at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp will halt its production operations at the Iwate and Miyagi plants in June due to chip shortage, the automaker said on Tuesday.

Iwate's two production lines and the Miyagi Ohira plant in eastern Japan will be suspended from three to eight days, affecting production of models including the C-HR and the small SUV Yaris Cross, the company said in a statement.

The suspension will affect the production of 20,000 vehicles, a spokeswoman said.

(Reporting by Maki Shiraki, Eimi Yamamitsu; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eden Empire Inc. (CSE: EDEN) (the "Company" or "EDEN") is thrilled to announce that it has received its Approval in Principle (AIP) from the Liquor & Cannabis Regulation Branch of the Province of British Columbia (the LRCB) for a cannabis retail store in Vancouvers West End. The location will serve as EDENs flagship store located at 1674 Davie Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. Receiving AIP from the LRCB is one of the final steps required in licensing a cannabis retail store in the Province of British Columbia.

Key Takeaways

Located in the Lower Davie Village area, this location is considered one of the most densely populated and expanding neighborhoods in Vancouver.

Sits just steps away from the bustling Sunset Beach area, a BC Liquor store, and numerous adult-focused establishments.

Gerry Trapasso, Director & CEO, commented, "We are excited to add this flagship location to the numerous cannabis retail stores anticipated to operate under the EDEN brand in Vancouver. This specific location was previously a popular cannabis store and we look forward to welcoming back those local customers. Receiving AIP from the LCRB marks a significant milestone for the Company. We are ready for further expansion in the Province of British Columbia to showcase what truly sets EDENs brand and customer experience apart.

For further information or should you have any questions, please feel free to email us at investors@edenempire.com.

Gerry Trapasso, CEO

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

About Eden Empire

Eden Empire is in the business of investments and operations in the cannabis sector and engaging in retail cannabis sales. Eden Empire intends to expand its retail operations in Canada and to expand its business to cannabis cultivation, extraction and processing and become a fully integrated cannabis product company in the United States.

Eden Empire has an award winning and established nationwide brand, including a substantial intellectual property portfolio, and a dedicated management team with extensive cannabis industry experience. Upon completion of Eden Empire's currently intended acquisitions, and approval to operate its retail locations, the Company is expected to have a significant retail cannabis footprint in Canada and Michigan. Retail cannabis operations are an emerging sector with significant cash flow potential.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", upon "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the completion by the Company of the final steps required to license its flagship cannabis retail store in the Province of British Columbia; the future customer base of the Companys flagship cannabis retail store;; the future operation of numerous cannabis stores in Vancouver; the Companys future expansion and operations of retail cannabis stores in the United States and Canada; the Company expanding its business to cannabis cultivation, extraction and processing and becoming a fully integrated cannabis company in the United States; the completion of the Companys currently intended acquisitions; the receipt of all necessary licenses and approvals to operate the Companys retail locations; and the proposed future transactions Eden may undertake and their expected timing.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Eden Empire to control or predict, that may cause Eden Empire's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: Eden Empire may not obtain the requisite regulatory approvals and may not begin operating cannabis retail or cultivation and processing operations; that the actual use of proceeds may differ from those currently stated; the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions and the possibility for changes in laws, rules, and regulations in the industry; liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. Eden Empire does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Source: Eden Empire Inc
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Hospitality Group Inc. (OTCQX: MHGU), the nations premier franchise operator, announced today during the Annual Shareholders Meeting, that the Companys shareholders elected eight directors: Chris A. Armbruster, Duane F. Kluting, Joseph L. Maggini Sr., Dirk J. Pruis, Gary A. Rose, Robert E. Schermer, Sr., Robert E. Schermer, Jr. and Peter D. Wierenga. Each director will serve a one-year term until the 2022 Annual Shareholders Meeting. The CEOs Report is available on the Companys website and OTCQX: MHGU.

Common Stock Special Dividend

Following the Annual Shareholders Meeting, the Companys Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share. The dividend is payable on July 1, 2021 to shareholders of record on June 15, 2021.

After a robust first quarter, with fully diluted EPS of $0.56 compared to a loss of ($0.64) for the same period last year, we are very pleased to report year-to-date dividend growth of 128%. We entered the second quarter of the year with strong sales momentum, supported by outstanding restaurant operating teams and the continued strength of the Wendys restaurant brand. We remain focused on executing our priorities for the year, including hiring new employees and guest safety while delivering speed, convenience and quality food, stated Meritage CEO, Robert E. Schermer, Jr.

The Company is ramping up its multi-year growth initiatives and has allocated significant capital resources to the Wendys brand with plans to build 20 new locations and modernize 30 existing locations in 2021. The Companys full-year financial targets reflect the gradual re-opening of dine-in operations to 100% capacity as the year progresses, along with the continued development of new and wholly owned brands.

2021 Full-Year Outlook: Strong Growth Ahead

Sales growth of +10% to 15%

Earnings from Operations growth of +20% to 30%

Net Earnings growth of +20% to 30%

EBITDA growth of +15% to 20%

Dividend growth +100% to 125%

The Company remains focused on delivering quality, convenience and affordability, while leveraging its best-in-class operating platform and the continued execution of its five-year business plan to expand up to 400 Wendys restaurants and develop new brands.

About the Company

Meritage Hospitality Group is one of the nations premier restaurant operators, currently with 342 restaurants in operation located in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Meritage is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operating with a workforce of approximately 11,000 employees. At fiscal year-end 2020, the Company had total weighted average fully diluted common shares outstanding of 9,407,417 and Fully Diluted EPS of $1.58.

The Companys current and publicly available information pursuant to SEC Rule 15c2-11 and FINRA Rule 6432 can be found at www.otcmarkets.com, under the stock symbol MHGU/Disclosures or the Companys website, www.meritagehospitality.com.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENTCertain information in this new release, particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances, and plans, expectations and objectives of management, constitutes forward-looking statements. Factors set forth in our Safe Harbor Statement, in addition to other possible factors not listed, could affect the Companys actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Please review the Companys Safe Harbor Statement at http://www.meritagehospitality.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:CONTACT: Robert E. Schermer, Jr., CEOMeritage Hospitality Group, Inc.(616) 776-2600

Source: Meritage Hospitality Group, Inc.
Vast majority of employees prefer to work from home at least some of the time

Most companies are expected to offer a hybrid work model

Adoption of new technologies is key to unlocking potential productivity gains and effectively managing remote resources

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2021) - Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE: 2C1) ("Xigem" or the "Company"), a technology provider for the emerging remote economy, today provided details on the state of remote work, one of the key market applications in which the Company is focusing the commercialization of its patented and patent pending iAgent technology.

More than one year after a large segment of the global workforce made a sudden transition to working remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics show that "work from home" or "work from anywhere" options will become a mainstay for many companies. Recent published reports have included:

A study of 209,000 people in 190 countries by Boston Consulting Group and The Network found that 89% of respondents worldwide now prefer to work from home at least occasionally. The preference was strongest among digital and knowledge-based workers, among whom 70% have worked remotely on a full or partial basis during COVID-19. [1]

A survey of U.S. workers by Prudential found that 68% believe a hybrid workplace model allowing at least one day of remote work per week is ideal; the figure is 87% among those who have been working remotely during the pandemic. Of the current remote workers surveyed, 42% say they will look for a new job if their current company does not continue to offer remote work options long term. [2]

An academic study based on a poll of 30,000 U.S. workers concludes that the shift towards working from home will lift productivity in the U.S. economy by 5%, mostly due to savings in commuting time, and also driven by the rapid adoption of new technology. [3]

A Forrester analyst anticipates that approximately 60% of companies will offer a hybrid work model allowing people to split their work between the office and home. [4]

Major companies such as Ford, Facebook, Microsoft, Oracle and Shopify have publicly committed to allowing employees to continue to work from home at least some of the time. [5]

Job listings that mention remote working as a perk have doubled in the past year, suggesting it is considered to be a beneficial recruiting tool. [6]

Pew Research recently found that more than 30% of teleworkers acknowledged they have experienced difficulties in areas like staying motivated or completing work without interruptions, indicating that there are significant management challenges to be overcome.[7]

"There is no question that the way in which people work has experienced a fundamental shift, and that businesses and organizations have adapted to the new realities by employing technology to support their growth," said Brian Kalish, co-founder and CEO of Xigem Technologies. "Our iAgent software coupled with our stated objective of aggregating technologies for the remote economy ideally positions Xigem to help organizations manage their teams, customers and clients across geographies and market sectors. We are actively pursuing customer opportunities, and expect that the remote management of human assets will prove to be among the key pillars of our strategy."

Xigem's core technology is iAgent, a U.S. patented and Canadian patent pending cloud-based technology that will provide organizations with the infrastructure necessary to manage employees, assets and operations remotely. iAgent can be tailored for businesses to enable them to remotely track and manage assets, transactions, fulfilment and service cycles while seamlessly integrating with most CRM and ERP systems to profitably optimize the consumer, treatment seeker and learning experience.

The Company recently announced that is has three projects underway to develop remote technology platforms for customers in the insurance and consumer packaged goods verticals, and is actively pursuing other opportunities while it enhances its technology.

About Xigem Technologies Corporation

Established in Toronto, Ontario, Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE: 2C1) is positioned to become a leading SaaS technology platform for the emerging near trillion dollar remote economy, with software capable of improving the capacity, productivity, and overall remote operations for businesses, consumers and other organizations. "iAgent," the Company's patented technology, will provide organizations, businesses and consumers with the tools necessary to thrive in a vast array of remote working, learning and treatment environments.

iAgent is a mobile, geo-targeted customer acquisition and retention application. iAgent will match sales and services with consumers, treatment seekers and students in real time. For businesses and institutions, iAgent can be tailored to remotely track and manage assets, transactions, fulfilment and service cycles while integrating with most CRM and ERP systems. For consumers, treatment seekers and students, iAgent remotely enables fulfilment and engagement with the everyday goods and services they demand.

www.xigemtechnologies.com

Instagram: @xigemtechnologies

Twitter: @XigemTech

Facebook: @xigemtechnologies

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xigem-technologies

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Xigem undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Xigem, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Xigem believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, such forward-looking statement has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Xigem's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date hereof. Xigem disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Xigem Technologies Corporation

On behalf of the Company:

Brian Kalish, Chief Executive Officer

For further information:

Phone: (647) 250-9824 ext.4

Investors: investors@xigemtechnologies.com

Media: media@xigemtechnologies.com

www.xigemtechnologies.com

[1] BCG, Decoding Global Ways of Working, March 31, 2021

[2] Prudential Financial, Inc., Pulse of the American Worker Survey, April 6, 2021

[3] Bloomberg, "Work From Home to Lift Productivity by 5% in Post-Pandemic U.S.," April 22, 2021

[4] CNN, "The pandemic forced a massive remote-work experiment; Now comes the hard part," March 31, 2021

[5] Washington Post, "Ford gives 30,000 employees the option to work from home forever," March 17, 2021

[6] Bloomberg, "Remote Work Listings in U.S. Doubled in Year," March 16, 2021

[7] Pew Research, "How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has - and Hasn't - Changed the Way Americans Work," December 8, 2020

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/84333
FILE PHOTO: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (C) arrives to address a joint Parliament session of Kenyan Members of Parliament and Senators in Nairobi, Kenya, May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/File Photo

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Experts appointed by Tanzania's new president have declared COVID-19 vaccines to be effective and recommended joining the COVAX facility that shares the inoculations, in the latest sign suggesting official scepticism about the pandemic is waning.

The recommendations by a coronavirus committee formed in April by President Samia Suluhu Hassan were given by the chair of the group at a press conference at State House in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

In its other recommendations, the experts proposed the government publish accurate statistics on the disease and urged that any alternative medicines pass scientific standards.

It was not immediately clear what the president would do with the recommendations. Hassan spoke at a separate public event later on Monday and did not mention COVID-19.

A government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.

The recommendations are the latest sign of the government's increasingly proactive approach to tackling the disease following the death in March of President John Magufuli, who downplayed the disease.

"The government should do mass mobilisation, preparation to receive vaccines, storage, transportation and people should be free to be vaccinated or not," committee chair Said Aboud said in a televised speech.

Joining the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility enables poorer countries like Tanzania to secure doses for its citizens. All but a handful of developing countries have signed up to the facility amid the global pandemic

Frontline workers, people over 50, people with comorbidities, security workers, and travelers going abroad should get their shot first, Aboud said.

In January, Magufuli had warned citizens against COVID-19 vaccines and urged them to instead fight the virus using at-home remedies like steam inhalation.

His successor Hassan has taken a different approach; encouraging citizens to wear face masks, instituting new restrictions on international travel, and forming the COVID-19-focused committee.

Under Magufuli's tenure, Tanzania also stopped reporting coronavirus data in May 2020.

"The government should provide accurate statistics on COVID-19 to the public and WHO for the public to get accurate information from authorities and respect agreements and regulations that the country has ratified," Aboud said.

The committee also recommended that the finance ministry perform an assessment to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and formulate plans to boost growth.

(This story has been refiled to fix typo in headline)

(Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; Writing by Ayenat Mersie; Editing by William Maclean)
TICKERS: NGE; NVDEF

A New Tool Could Unlock Massive New Gold Discoveries in Nevada: This Tiny Junior is Drilling One Right Now!

Source: Matt Badiali for Streetwise Reports (5/17/21)

Independent financial analyst and geologist Matt Badiali discusses the new technology that Nevada Exploration is using to search for gold in Nevada.



On one memorable episode of "How the Earth Was Made," Dr. Richard Goldfarb of the Colorado School of Mines dropped a challenge to gold explorers everywhere: Find Nevada's missing gold.

Nevada is one of the most prolific gold producing regions in the world. It's some of the most desirable real estate in the world for gold exploration. And Goldfarb's missing ounces are a huge story, worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

In Season 2, Episode 13 was all about gold. The show took a deep dive into Nevada's extraordinary gold fields. Around 35 minutes in, Goldfarb said:

"There is no reason not to assume as much gold still exists as has been mined in the past, but prospectors, explorationists, and geologists have found the easy gold."

The rest of that gold is a challenge because it's hidden under cover. Finding that gold, without spending hundreds of millions of dollars, remains the biggest hurdle in the industry today.

We can only see half of Nevada's prolific gold strata. The other half sits under layers of silt and gravel eroded from the mountains.

That's because this part of Nevada deformed as a hot plume of mantle rock rose under it. As the hot rocks boiled up from the deep earth, the land domed up and then partially collapsed.

The remaining part of the dome became mountains. The collapsed sections became valleys. It's all the same rock which led to Goldfarb's conclusion that there was a lot of gold left to find.

Nevada produced over 248 million ounces of gold out of the rocks we could see. If Goldfarb is correct, that much could be left in the rocks that sit out of sight, under cover.

As you can see from this map, roughly 55% of Nevada is under cover:

That's a huge opportunity, but it takes new science to do it.

Fortunately, exploration geologists have a huge boost. It comes from the same technological explosion that created our smartphones. Laboratories can now detect concentrations of metals in water to parts per trillion.

That's like being able to pick out specific pennies from a billion dollars' worth. Or like finding a single person out of all the people in the world.

Since water is the universal solvent, everything it touches leaves a trace. And in Nevada, that means gold deposits leave their trace in the ground water.

One tiny company, Nevada Exploration Inc. (NGE:TSX.V; NVDEF:OTCQB), spent years collecting ground water samples all around Nevada. And it dialed into a specific region that it believes holds one of Goldfarb's hidden gold deposits: South Grass Valley.

The company began drilling the project in March 2021.

The amazing thing is, they are so confident in this process that they published all of their model data online.

That means anyone can see what they found and why they are drilling. In addition, they published a video tutorial explaining the process as well.

The science is exciting. The potential is enormous. And Nevada Exploration is still tiny, with a market cap of just C$20.3 million.

The risk reward setup on this stock looks outstanding. If you want to add a talented team, with enormous upside potential, check them out. I'm so excited about the project that I joined President James Buskard to talk about it on Streetwise Live!

Worth a look.

Sincerely,

--Matt Badiali

Reach Matt Badiali at www.mattbadiali.net.

Matt Badiali is a geologist and independent financial analyst. He spent fifteen years researching and writing about great investments inside the natural resources sectors. He can be reached at www.mattbadiali.net.

[NLINSERT]

Streetwise Reports Disclosure:

1) Matt Badiali: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in the article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Nevada Exploration. Please click here for more information.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Nevada Exploration, a company mentioned in this article.
Mathew Z. Rosiere, 37, of Fond du Lac, unexpectedly passed away on Friday, June 4, 2021. He was born on May 18, 1984, in Pawnee, OK, the son of Michael Z. Rosiere and Sandra K. Kennedy. While he was in high school, he was active in football and wrestling. Mathew loved hard rock music, played
Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand is calling for greater clarification from the Government on the acceptable meth testing levels for properties.

In a statement released today, REINZ says there is confusion between the Ministry of Health/New Zealand Standard 1.5 g/100 cm2 level and the Gluckman Report level of 15.0 g/100 cm2 continues to cause chaos for real estate agents, property managers and landlords.

According to the Tenancy Services website, new regulations were due to be developed as part of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2019 which would set out: the maximum acceptable level for meth contamination; the process for testing; and the decontamination of rental properties.

However, this is work is still to be completed, and the delay is causing significant issues across the industry, says REINZ.

"Since the Gluckman Report was published in 2018, the REA (the governing body for real estate professionals) has advised that meth contamination of 15.0ug/100cm2 or above is considered a property defect that must be disclosed to potential buyers," says REINZ acting chief executive Wendy Alexander.

"However, if a property tests positive for meth, but contamination is below 15.0 g/100 cm2, real estate agents do not need to proactively disclose this unless they are specifically asked by a potential purchaser whether there are any other reports or meth tests available, or where the prospective buyer is clearly concerned about meth contamination; even if the propertys contamination levels were initially over the Gluckman threshold and have been remediated to be below the threshold," continues Alexander.

"Real estate agents are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to disclosing meth contamination below 15.0ug/100 cm2 to the public and therefore meeting what many consumers would see as a moral obligation to disclose, and the regulators (REA) advice that disclosure is not required unless the prospective buyer makes enquiries or raises concerns about meth generally."

Property managers and landlords are also facing similar challenges with rental properties.

"Some insurance companies will pay out at the NZ Standard level and others will only pay out at the Gluckman Report level," says Alexander.

"Some Tenancy Tribunal Adjudicators use the Gluckman Report, some use the New Zealand Standard, and others use a combination of both when making a ruling."

Property managers and landlords also face issues around health and safety and what is deemed "reasonably tidy".

"Technically a property can be rented out to tenants at 14 ug/100cm2 but under WorkSafe guidelines, property managers are unable to enter the property to carry out quarterly inspections and tradespeople need to be notified of the level to carry out any work in protective clothing.

"Additionally, there are effectively two different rates  one for outgoing tenants and one for ingoing tenants.

"Unsurprisingly, owners are extremely frustrated with the situation and dont know where they stand. Some owners have given up entirely and are no longer meth testing properties between a change of tenants, further compounding the problem. One landlord we spoke to succinctly summed up the situation as "impossible", continues Alexander.

Real estate agents, property managers and landlords are all crying out for clarity from the Government and for one set of guidelines to work to.

It is our hope that the Government will address the issue sooner, rather than later, says Alexander.
Ongoing efforts to encourage Maori into higher paying jobs and advance prosperity will receive a $45,000 boost from BayTrust.

The grant will help pay for initiatives such as free coding and robotics workshops for Maori intermediate and secondary school students.

The substantial grant is being given to Toi Kai Rawa  the Bays regional Maori economic development agency  whose goal is to support local Maori to exceed the national average income levels by 2030 and thrive in all sectors of society.

Toi Kai Rawas General Manager/Kaihautu, Awhina Ngatuere, says Maori and Pasifika will make up 30 per cent of New Zealands workforce in less than a decade, with that figure rising to 50 per cent by 2050  yet they remain over-represented in the lower skilled end of our labour market.

We are working on foundational projects to help accelerate local Maori into high value jobs and have got a strong emphasis on STEAM pathways (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), she explains.

One new initiative is called Hihiko Te Rawa Auaha  Innovation Hubs Embedded in Communities, which will launch at Baycourt on Tuesday, May 25.

A day of free robotics and coding workshops will be provided for Year 7 to Year 10 Maori students to encourage them to embrace training and career pathways they might not otherwise be aware of.

Hihiko Te Rawa Auaha aims to unlock community innovation with a focus on digital enablement and STEAM capability.

Supported by Spark Foundation and Digital Futures Aotearoa, the programme aims to work with 30 Maori communities across the wider Bay of Plenty over the next three years.

About 44 per cent of all young people in the Bay of Plenty are Maori. So theres a strong emphasis on working with rangatahi and building pathways to high value education, training and employment, Ngatuere explains.

Other successful events run by Toi Kai Rawa include Ko Maui Hangarau (KMH) which showcases excellence in Maori tech, innovation and entrepreneurship to Maori school students, and an annual regional rangatahi Maori summit.

Anecdotally, Toi Kai Rawa knows about two thirds of Maori households across the region are struggling from one pay cheque to the next.

Ngatuere says theres a real opportunity to make a step change if we invest in enduring solutions for our rangatahi in particular.

Its going to take some time for meaningful foundations to be embedded so our people can seize opportunities for the future. Fostering the conditions in our region for our people to realise what their natural talents and skills are, what their passions are, and belief in self is what we are setting out to do. If our people can unlock this, they can achieve anything they desire.

She applauds BayTrust for believing in Toi Kai Rawas kaupapa and says the organisation is looking forward to working together to create the collective impact needed for thriving Bay of Plenty communities.

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says for Maori to succeed economically, its crucial that Maori design, lead and implement their own development opportunities.

Toi Kai Rawa is the first kaupapa regional Maori economic development agency of its kind in the country and they are independent of local government and ensuing political cycles which is rare. They have a proven track record of success and are on the right path to create long-term change. Were delighted to support the work they are doing by approving this $45,000 grant.

BayTrust works to help strengthen Bay of Plenty communities by providing charitable, cultural, philanthropic, recreational, and other benefits to accelerate bold meaningful change, helping local communities and the environment to flourish.

Schools interested in the upcoming Hihiko Te Rawa Auaha event (coding and robotics workshop) at Baycourt can register on Eventbrite or email tera@toikairawa.co.nz for more information.
The Tauranga Armageddon Expo will bring its signature brand of pop culture madness to the Bay region this June.

#BAYOFGEDDON 2021 will showcase the latest and greatest in gaming and technology with console, PC and virtual reality gaming areas for attendees to try out.

Armageddon Expo founder and director William Geradts says partnering with a selection of gaming and technology-focused companies has seen the event evolve.

While we still have that special brand of pop culture magic that makes Armageddon what it is, weve redefined certain aspects of the show, he says.

With the lockdowns in 2020 keeping everyone indoors, gaming has seen a real spike in popularity. This year we are using our resources and knowledge to really hone in on this.

He says alongside Ping Zeros PC and console set ups, sponsor OPPO will host a League of Legends mobile gaming tournament, and attendees can experience Half-Life: Alyx in virtual reality with VR Cave.

Catherine Tate is one of many guests who will be streaming in next month. Supplied photos,

In keeping with Covid-19 safety guidelines, all of the celebrity guests will be beamed in live via video  and three guests will even take part in a virtual signing.

We wanted to bring back a piece of the show that has been missed by attendees - autographs, he says.

We will have animation stars Kari Wahlgren (Rick and Morty), Maile Flanagan (Naruto) and Stephanie Nadolny (Dragon Ball Z) doing virtual signings. Fans can have a one-on-one chat with their favourite celebrity and collect a pre-signed picture at the end.

The epic line-up of celebrity guests doing virtual panels include stars from The Mandalorian, Supergirl, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Star Trek and a bunch of other fandoms.

The expo will have a massive range of stalls selling geeky art, crafts, collectables, comics and more.

Giancarlo Esposito.

Attendees will also be able to enjoy a huge range of in-show events including the famous Armageddon Cosplay Contest, a Chilli Eating Challenge (with a $1000 grand prize), a Just Dance disco dancefloor and more.

Were beyond excited to kick off the Tauranga Armageddon Expo for 2021 its going to be a great event not to be missed.

The Tauranga Armageddon Expo will be held over the weekend of June 12-13 from 9am to 5pm both days. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the website: https://www.armageddonexpo.com/

SunLive has five double passes to this year's armageddon to giveaway.

Enter the competition online here to be in to win.

The competition will be drawn next Wednesday.
Clinical services across all Waikato public hospitals have been seriously affected by a cyber security incident with all phones and computers down.

Waikato District Health Board has set up a coordinated incident management system to try to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

The DHB says it was experiencing a full outage of its information services.

Resident Doctors Association and Association of Professional and Executive Employees (APEX) Dr Deborah Powell says it was her understanding the cyberattack was a type of ransomware called "Conti".

She says it appeared to be the same type of attack that targeted Ireland's Department of Health last week.

Clinical services at Waikato, Thames, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti and Taumaranui hospitals are all affected to varying degrees.

The DHB says all patients in hospital were being well cared for, but some outpatient clinics have been cancelled.

"We have engaged external assistance to address a cyber security incident affecting our Information Services environment," the DHB says in a statement on its Facebook page.

"We are at the early stages of identifying what has happened, and are unable to provide further detail at this stage while we investigate the incident. The appropriate government authorities have been advised of the situation."

"We are uncertain how long it will take to resolve this situation, but we are working hard to get our services back online."

It says people affected by this would be contacted to rebook their appointments.

A staff member at Waikato Hospital told RNZ it was chaos there as nothing was working.

The staff member says they had been told it could take three hours or longer to fix.

A union representing doctors says those working at Waikato hospitals and clinics had described the ongoing systems outage as "mayhem".

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says doctors have described how they were only going ahead with operations if they had printed patient notes.

The union says staff had been told the outage could take days to fix.

Meanwhile, Waikato DHB staff were told it was vitally important computers, including laptops, not be switched on again until further notice.

In an email to staff personal phones, DHB chief executive Kevin Snee says all network-connected computers had to be shut down after the attack.

Getting through the next few days would require commitment and patience from all staff, he says.

Some staff would be extremely busy and others in corporate support may find it hard to do their work without the usual access to technology, he says.

The problem may continue for a couple of days at least as the DHB needed to be sure the fix was permanent and secure, Snee says.

The DHB has asked people to only go to Waikato Hospital Emergency Department for emergencies, so it could continue to provide critical services to patients.

People trying to contact patients should consider using personal mobile phones where possible in the meantime, it says.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) says the "attempted cyber incident" occurred overnight and all the internal systems, except for email, were temporarily shut down.

MOH group manager Darren Douglass says the outage was affecting all clinical services across the region's hospitals.

The Waikato DHB was working closely with the MOH and IT partners, he says.

"While this outage affects all Waikato DHB computers and phones, disruption to outpatient services are being kept to a minimum. Any services that have had to be postponed will be rescheduled and Waikato DHB will be contacting patients to make those new bookings."

CERT NZ - the Computer Emergency Response Team, says it could not comment.

"Because of the sensitive nature of the reports made to CERT NZ and the need to maintain confidentiality, we don't disclose whether or not an organisation has made a report to us.

We encourage you to speak to Waikato Hospital directly."
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Syracuse, N.Y.  The owners of Destiny USA are looking for a way out of their hole of debt and declining business.

Pyramid Management notified Syracuse government leaders recently that it has hired counsel to explore restructuring the debt on the huge shopping mall.

Destiny, the largest mall in New York and the sixth biggest in the U.S., owes $715 million to lenders. Thats 3.5 times the malls most recent appraised value of $203 million.

Pyramid has struggled to make its debt payments after shutting down for four months last year because of the coronavirus shutdown, losing several of its anchor stores and seeing its occupancy rate plunge to 62%.

READ MORE: Destiny USA, Syracuses mammoth mall, faces a crisis of debt and uncertainty (Part 1)

A solution could involve convincing the lenders to forgive a lot of the debt, a move that might seem unlikely but is not unheard of. Other options involve bringing in more investors or owners, but those seem less promising. Theres always bankruptcy court.

Pyramid could take the lead on the solution or be forced to do something if it cannot make its payments.

The company declined to comment on its plans, but experts say heres how things could wind up for Destiny.

Lenders foreclose on Destiny

Pyramid owes $285 million to the holders of municipal bonds issued by the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency to finance a big expansion of the mall that started in 2007. It also owes $430 million on two mortgage loans on the giant center.

If the company defaults on any of its payments, its lenders could foreclose on the mall and try to seize the property.

Mall foreclosures have been happening more often since the pandemic.

Up to 17% of U.S. malls may no longer be viable as shopping centers and should be redeveloped for other uses, according to the report The Long-Awaited Reckoning for Retail by Barclays Capital. It said one-third of loans on malls are in default.

Triple Five, a Canadian company, recently defaulted on a $1.2 billion construction loan on its American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and had to give 49% stakes in two of its other malls, the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, to its lenders. The company had used the those malls as collateral for the loan.

Destinys lenders will have to figure out if they want ownership of a mall thats worth much less than they are owed. They also would have to operate it until they could sell it. That is not inviting.

They might not want to own a mall, or they may not have the infrastructure to manage the mall, said Erasmo Giamona, a professor of finance and real estate at Syracuse University.

One other major problem: Lenders would have no guarantee they could find a buyer for their mall.

Deutsche Bank recently foreclosed on the Town Center at Cobb mall outside of Atlanta from Simon Property Group. But the bank received no bids when it tried to auction the property in February.

The Canyon section of Destiny USA in Syracuse.Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

Forgiving lenders

Lenders could forgive a certain amount of debt on the mall.

The lenders could wind up taking a substantial haircut in this strategy. But the holders of this kind of debt are institutional investors such as large mutual funds and pension funds, the type of investors with diversified portfolios built to take hits and keep on going.

Such an arrangement would likely require Pyramid to put up more money of its own to reduce the principal on the loans. Or, Pyramid might be required to give up part ownership.

Such a deal would recognize the obvious trouble the business is in but give Pyramid time to revive the mall.

Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, said he expects crowds to return to malls in the second half of 2021 as vaccinated shoppers feel more comfortable venturing out.

So its in everybodys interest to maintain a stake, he said of Destiny.

And since Pyramid would continue to own the mall, lenders would avoid having to step in and operate it.

Nobody wants to own these right now, said Gwen Roush, an analyst and senior vice president at DBRS Morningstar. So if you have an owner who wants to continue to own and operate it, the lenders are almost compelled to work out a deal.

Pyramid has pulled this off before.

In 2011, Citigroup agreed in a deal with Pyramid founder Robert Congel to forgive $186 million in debt owed by Pyramid on the mall. A condition: Congel had to help the bank escape the project by finding another lender to refinance $310 million in other loans Citigroup had made to the mall developer. Congel borrowed the $310 million from J.P. Morgan Chase, a debt Pyramid is now struggling to repay.

Discounted payoff

This is another option in which lenders would take a loss. If the lenders agreed, Pyramid would pay a reduced amount to completely settle the debt. This is known as a discounted payoff, or DPO.

Thats easy to say, not so easy to implement. Pyramid would have to come up with the money, which would likely have to be at least the appraised value of the mall, $203 million.

Does the company have access to money like that? Would someone loan them that?

For lenders, a discounted payoff is potentially a big loss, but the loss may be less than if they foreclosed on the mall.

Pyramid sells Destiny

Pyramid could find someone willing to buy the mall. The company would get out from under the debt and maybe even continue to manage the mall for the new owners. But the heavy debt and declining revenues make that a challenging sales job for Pyramid.

New investor

Pyramid could bring in a new investor, who would put up money to pay off part of the loans in exchange for part ownership.

However, the mall developer might have trouble finding someone to invest in this business now.

I dont think theyll be able to attract new equity, said Lisa Spaziano, senior director at Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Destiny USA, the largest mall in New York, has seen its occupancy rate fall dramatically.Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

Bankruptcy

Pyramid could file under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Code, seeking protection from creditors while it reorganizes its finances.

In Pyramids case, reorganizing could mean obtaining new financing or working out deals with its current lenders. But a Chapter 11 filing could also simply buy it time while shoppers return and the company finds new tenants.

But theres no guarantee that Destiny will see a return to the glory days after the pandemic ends. A bankruptcy judge could decide Pyramid stands no chance of turning things around and order the mall auctioned off to pay its lenders.

Who knows what trends are going to be like when people start going back to whatever routines they had? said Amy Laskey, managing director at Fitch Ratings.

Friendly foreclosure

If Pyramid doesnt like any of these choices, it could simply hand the keys to its lenders and walk away.

Its happened with other troubled malls around the country.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, mall owners including Simon, Starwood Capital Group and Brookfield Property Partners have sought to hand the keys of some of their properties to lenders, according to The Real Deal. Brookfield turned over ownership of its North Point Mall in Georgia earlier this year to its lender, the real estate news website reported.

There is local precedence for this. The big mall company Macerich turned over the ShoppingTown Mall in DeWitt to lenders in 2011 and did the same with the Great Northern Mall in Clay in 2015. ShoppingTown closed last year. Great Northern remains open but barely.

With this approach, both sides avoid the time and expense of a bankruptcy proceeding. Thus, the term friendly foreclosure. (When homeowners do this, its known as jingle mail, a reference to the sound their house keys make in the envelope when mailed back to the bank.)

People think bankruptcy is bad for the debtor, Giambona said. But bankruptcy is not a great deal for creditors.

Most likely scenario

No one knows how this will shake out. Even Pyramid may not, because its not entirely up to the company.

But a deal in which lenders forgive a certain amount of debt and Pyramid puts up cash to lower the debt further could be the most likely outcome.

What is known for sure is that the company is seeking a break from its lenders. Thats a strong indication that Pyramid does not plan to just walk away.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of the advisers Pyramid has hired is Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings and valuation.

According to Bloomberg, Houlihan has advised on 12 of the largest 15 corporate debt restructurings since the turn of the century, including Enron Corp. and Lehman Brothers Holdings. If Pyramid were planning to walk away, why would it bother hiring Houlihan?

For bondholders, striking an out-of-court deal with Pyramid could minimize their losses. For Pyramid, it could mean an escape from crushing debt and more time to turn around the malls fortunes.

It also would mean the Congel family gets to retain ownership of a property that was their patriarchs pride and joy. Congel, who died in February at the age of 85, opened the mall as the Carousel Center on the site of a former scrapyard on the south shore of Onondaga Lake in 1990. He built 15 malls, but Destiny is the only one he built in his hometown.

And for both sides, a restructuring of Pyramids debt load would avoid the uncertainty of bankruptcy.

I think they would probably both try to do it out of court, Giambona said. They all know that if you go to court, it becomes kind of a tricky game.

See more:

Destiny USA, Syracuses mammoth mall, faces a crisis of debt and uncertainty (Part 1)

In Covid era, Destiny USA staggers under pre-existing conditions: debt, vacancies, Amazon

Destiny USA reveals pandemics toll on the mall: plunging rent income and uncertainty

Destiny USA is losing another anchor store

Destiny USA loses 15th major retailer in 5 years: See the full list

Destiny USA retailer to close as store shutdowns speed up

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Amazon in talks to buy MGM for $9B

Variety reports Jeff Bezos Amazon is in talks to buy MGM for about $9 billion. The film studio behind big franchises like James Bond, The Hobbit, The Pink Panther, and Rocky/Creed said in December they were looking for a buyer. Industry sources say the price tag could range between $5 billion and $10 billion, as well as expand Amazons library to include titles like The Wizard of Oz, The Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Fargo, The Handmaids Tale, Get Shorty, American Gladiators, Teen Wolf, The Voice, Survivor, Shark Tank, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Hills.

Dan Browns The Lost Symbol trailer

Ashley Zukerman replaces Tom Hanks as symbologist Robert Langdon in the first trailer for Dan Browns The Lost Symbol trailer. The Peacock series, based on the best-selling novel from the Da Vinci Code author, follows a younger version of the Harvard professor who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to save his kidnapped mentor (Eddie Izzard) and thwart a chilling global conspiracy. The Lost Symbol will premiere on the streaming service soon.

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T.I., Tiny under investigation for allegedly drugging, assaulting women ( E!

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Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities.
Please note the following article contains explicit language.

Chrissy Teigens cookware line has been dropped from both the Macys and Target websites.

While Target claims the drop is unrelated, the unavailability of Teigens products on both has come just days after the revelations of the models consistent cyberbullying via Twitter.

Page Six of the New York Post reports how individual items from Teigens cookware line were simply marked unavailable on the Macys website starting Sunday. They appeared to have been completed pulled by Monday, as a search query for the products would give shoppers the message, We couldnt find a match for your search.

The disappearance of Teigens cookware has notably occurred only a short amount of time after allegations arose of her online harassment. Stories of her negative comments were thrown into the spotlight after media personality Courtney Stodden stated in a The Daily Beast interview how Teigen repeatedly encouraged them to commit suicide when they were just 16 years old.

She wouldnt just publicly tweet about wanting me to take a dirt nap but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself, said Stodden to the publication. Things like I cant wait for you to die. And not only her, but Joy Behar had a field day with calling me a slut. Courtney Love told me I was a whore.

TMZ states that while Teigens products have disappeared from the Target website as well, the drop was simply a matter of bad timing and had nothing to do with the Stodden controversy.

Teigen responded to Stoddens commentsas well as the resulting backlashvia a Twitter thread a few days after the interview came out. Throughout the multiple posts, Teigen claims shes ashamed and completely embarrassed by her transgressions as she was an insecure, attention-seeking troll.

I have tried to connect with Courtney privately but since I publicly fueled all this, I want to publicly apologize, reads one of the tweets. I am so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am of you.

A separate Page Six article states that Stodden reportedly never heard from Teigen after the interview came out.
Rome, N.Y.  A man wanted for the decade-long sexual abuse of a child in Central New York was returned to the state last weekend after being arrested halfway across the country.

Richard J. Meier, 35, of Rome, has been charged with sexually assaulting a girl repeatedly over the course of 10 years, said Chief Deputy Derrick OMeara, of the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. The abuse started when the girl was 5 years old, he said.

The sheriffs office started investigating Meier in December after the girl he abused  who is now 15 years old  disclosed that the man had abused her, said OMeara, director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center. After a months-long investigation by Investigator Mark R. Chrysler, Meier was indicted by an Oneida County grand jury on April 30 for predatory sexual assault against a child.

The sheriffs office put out a warrant for Meiers arrest and sent the warrant out to law enforcement agencies across the nation, OMeara said.

Deputies didnt have to wait long for the wanted mans arrest: Meier was pulled over in Oklahoma for a traffic violation hours after he was indicted and arrested, OMeara said.

Meier, found over 1,400 miles away from Oneida County, was extradited back to New York on May 15.

Meier was arraigned on May 17 for:

Predatory sexual assault against a child, a felony

First-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony

Endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor

If hes convicted of predatory sexual assault against a child, Meier could face serving the rest of his life in prison.

Meier is being held in the Oneida County Correctional Facility without bail.

Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com.
Geneva, N.Y.  Take Route 14 south of Geneva on the west side of Seneca Lake. Turn right at Belhurst Castle onto Snell Road. Your destination will be on the right.

Welcome to Belgium.

Well, its not quite Belgium, of course, but the owners of Brewery Ardennes wont mind if you think it bears a lot of resemblance.

Brewery Ardennes will specialize in Belgian-influenced beer and food. And its pastoral setting, in a beautifully restored barn on a former sheep farm adorned with turrets, might help complete the fantasy.

Owners Derek and Stacey Edinger open Brewery Ardennes at 570 Snell Road on Wednesday (May 19).

We want you to feel just a little bit like youve taken a trip, but without having to go that far, Derek Edinger said. We want you to feel like youre at a destination thats different.

Simply by specializing in all things Belgian makes Brewery Ardennes different, though its not the first in Upstate New York or elsewhere in the country.

Brewery Ommegang opened near Cooperstown in 1998 with a line-up of Belgian beers, a destination taproom inspired by the Belgian countryside and investment (and later complete ownership) by a noted Belgian beer company. Some other smaller New York brewers specialize in Belgian styles, such as Red Hawk Brewing just south of Syracuse.

But at a time when every craft brewer seems to putting out countless versions of hazy New England style IPAs, or fruited sours, or beers with milkshake or pastry in the name, Ardennes stands out.

If we wanted to do a lot of IPAs, we could, Stacey Edinger said. But what we really wanted is to find our niche. We love Belgium and Belgian beer styles, so that was it. This location just adds to it.

Thats not to say Brewery Ardennes wont keep up with the times. There is a Cherry Sour in the opening line-up, and even a Belgian Hazy IPA. But youll also find more traditional Belgian styles, like a Grand Cru Dubbel and Grand Cru Tripel, plus a Belgian Wheat and Blonde.

Well do new things and experimental things, but probably always connected in some way to the Belgian tradition, Derek Edinger said.

Belgian-styles beers, by the way, can be a little hard to define, but in general they use yeasts that provide distinctive flavor profiles, and often include adjunct ingredients like coriander, orange peel and more.

Like many craft beer makers, Derek Edinger started as a homebrewer. Over time, it grew into something he calls out of control.

It took me a long time to gravitate to Belgian beers, because they could be intimidating and I thought I couldnt match up, Derek Edinger said. But I kept ramping it up until I found my confidence.

At Brewery Ardennes, the food menu also relies on Belgian influences. A featured dish, for example, will be mussels with frites (fries). The full-service kitchen will be run by chef Jayden White, whose experience includes working at Oh My Darling restaurant in Syracuse and the Inns of Aurora in Cayuga County.

Belgian food, like the beer, is based on humble ingredients, thoughtfully prepared, Stacey Edinger said. The brewery also offers Finger Lakes wines and ciders, in addition to its own beers.

The Edingers met as students at Cornell University, where they attended its famed hotel management school. The spent a long time working in the industry in the San Francisco area, while also embarking on trip to beer and wine destinations around the world.

Belgium became one of their favorite stops, and they were especially taken with the Ardennes forest region in the eastern part of the country. (The Ardennes may be familiar to many people as the scene of significant fighting in World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge).

It reminds me of some of the rustic wine regions, like the Sonoma and Russian River in the (San Francisco) Bay area, Stacey Edinger said. And the Finger Lakes, it really has a lot in common with this area, the rural character and beauty, and the dedication to local food and beverages and crafts and so much else.

Brewery Ardennes has a spacious taproom, and a large outdoor space, which will make it easier to transition out of the Covid pandemic and begin welcoming visitors.

Starting May 19, the hours will be 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

More on Upstate New York beers and breweries:

Newest Central New York brewery is small, out-of-the-way and experimental

Uticas F.X. Matt / Saranac Brewery completes $35 million expansion, adds jobs and new products

Its been a winery without a home. Now itll have one (and a brewery) near Geneva

Bills/Sabres owners sell huge Buffalo sports bar to renowned Upstate NY brewery

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Last spring, Gehan Hammad and her family had booked tickets for a flight to Egypt to visit her relatives. They had been planning the trip for months and were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to see relatives after two years apart.

The COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in those carefully arranged plans. But now that they have been fully vaccinated, Hammad and her daughter Mona Osman are hopeful that their long-awaited visit to Egypt will be possible within a few months.

Hammad and Osman, along with Hammads husband and daughter, immigrated to Syracuse from Egypt about seven years ago, Osman said. In the years since their move, the family returned to Egypt to visit Hammads relatives only once. Even though the family regularly communicates with their Egyptian relatives over the phone, the desire to reunite in person has gripped them since their last trip. The pandemic has exacerbated these feelings, pushing their visit out another year, Hammad said.

In Egypt, fewer than one percent of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of April 27, according to Reuters. None of Hammads relatives have received the vaccine, she said, as eligibility is still limited and many Egyptians are required to pay for it.

Aside from their travel plans, the pandemic has also put other aspects of their lives on hold, Osman said. Hammad hasnt been able to continue her volunteer work at the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, and Osman has had to stop working at the Islamic Society of Central New York and the CNY Gymnastics Centre.

Although things still arent back to normal for them, the family is hoping that they wont have to postpone their visit to Egypt for much longer.

Hopefully well be able to travel this year. Maybe at the end of May, or maybe June, after college ends, Osman said.

Student journalists from the Newhouse School of Public Communications visited vaccine sites across Central New York this spring, gathering photos and interviews to create a collection of more than 30 profiles of this part of the pandemic. Wearing masks, the subjects posed with an orange sign that proclaimed, I got the vaccine. These dispatches give glimpses of hope, along with continued apprehension after a year of suffering. To see more stories, visit: syracuse.com/topics/CNY_Covid_Vaccine_Stories.

More coronavirus coverage on Syracuse.com

8-month-old CNY infant is worlds youngest person to get 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine

For a just recovery from Covid, CNY must confront longstanding disparities (Guest Opinion by Lemir Teron)

How remote learning will probably be different at CNY schools in the fall

Syracuse University Class of 21 makes it to the finish line after 350,000 Covid tests, lots of banana bread
As Josh and Andrea Farrow walked out of the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center after getting their vaccine, they started planning a trip to Delaware. Its been on their mind since before the pandemic because Josh Farrows sister was finally getting married.

They got engaged well over a year ago, maybe even two years ago. Theyve had this date since pre-covid, Josh Farrow said.

Their young daughter joined them as they made their way through the winding rows of the vaccination center. Now that theyve both received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the Farrows feel comfortable bringing their daughter to celebrate the upcoming union.

We were nervous about going if we werent vaccinated because we didnt qualify until they opened it up to the 30-plus [adults], Andrea Farrow said. We were worried that we would have a difficult decision. If we werent vaccinated, would we go? Would we not go? Now that were vaccinated, its definitely more comfortable to go.

For many engaged couples, wedding celebrations have been put on hold to avoid spreading COVID-19 to friends and family. Some couples chose to elope, and others have dealt with social distancing guidelines by having small, outdoor weddings.

The Farrows said that their minds are at ease knowing that the ceremony wont be a big risk anymore.

Were excited. Weve been waiting for our chance, and were really happy now. These are our second shots. So were happy that in two weeks well be well protected, she said.

Student journalists from the Newhouse School of Public Communications visited vaccine sites across Central New York this spring, gathering photos and interviews to create a collection of more than 30 profiles of this part of the pandemic. Wearing masks, the subjects posed with an orange sign that proclaimed, I got the vaccine. These dispatches give glimpses of hope, along with continued apprehension after a year of suffering. To see more stories, visit: syracuse.com/topics/CNY_Covid_Vaccine_Stories.

More coronavirus coverage on Syracuse.com

8-month-old CNY infant is worlds youngest person to get 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine

For a just recovery from Covid, CNY must confront longstanding disparities (Guest Opinion by Lemir Teron)

How remote learning will probably be different at CNY schools in the fall

Syracuse University Class of 21 makes it to the finish line after 350,000 Covid tests, lots of banana bread
While the beginning stages of motherhood are challenging for any new parent, Shannan Renk had multiple unusual obstacles to overcome throughout her pregnancy and first weeks as a mother. The 34-year-old nurse at Upstate University Hospital worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic while she was pregnant, assisting doctors in treating patients infected with the virus. Renk then left the hospital on maternity leave in the winter, right as the second spike of COVID-19 cases hit Onondaga County.

I was very lucky to be on leave, Renk said. A lot of my friends at work struggled through the surge and had a rough time mentally and physically handling all the patients.

Renk was incredibly vigilant in practicing health and safety protocols to not contract and pass the virus to her coworkers, family or newborn. That meant having minimal contact with those outside her household during her leave, despite Renks need for advice and assistance in her first weeks of motherhood.

Being at home was more sad and different than I expected, Renk said. Its my first baby, so it was challenging having to experience these new things more by myself than normal.

After Renk received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, she felt a sense of relief. Back working at the hospital, she will remain committed to practicing safety protocols but has less anxiety about testing positive. However, Renk first plans to introduce the family to its newest member.

Im planning a trip to see my family in Vermont, Renk said. I will still definitely be careful and not treat everything too differently now that I have the vaccine, but we think its really important to see our extended family.

Student journalists from the Newhouse School of Public Communications visited vaccine sites across Central New York this spring, gathering photos and interviews to create a collection of more than 30 profiles of this part of the pandemic. Wearing masks, the subjects posed with an orange sign that proclaimed, I got the vaccine. These dispatches give glimpses of hope, along with continued apprehension after a year of suffering. To see more stories, visit: syracuse.com/topics/CNY_Covid_Vaccine_Stories.

More coronavirus coverage on Syracuse.com

8-month-old CNY infant is worlds youngest person to get 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine

For a just recovery from Covid, CNY must confront longstanding disparities (Guest Opinion by Lemir Teron)

How remote learning will probably be different at CNY schools in the fall

Syracuse University Class of 21 makes it to the finish line after 350,000 Covid tests, lots of banana bread
For almost the past two decades, Peter Nguyen has visited his family in Vietnam each year. But the pandemic has interrupted his annual travel routine, with his last visit taking place over two years ago.

After receiving his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Nguyen is hopeful that he will be able to make the trip to Vietnam and reunite with his relatives this year.

Nguyen attended his vaccine appointment at the Oncenter with Catherine Vu, a co-worker at a local nail salon. With Vu translating, Nguyen said he immigrated to the United States almost 20 years ago, leaving many of his relatives in Vietnam behind. Since the start of the pandemic, he has been trying to arrange a return visit, but the countrys travel restrictions and border closures have made it nearly impossible for him to enter the country, he said.

Vietnam  one of the first countries impacted by the pandemic  closed its borders to all foreigners on March 22, 2020. While the country has slowly eased its border restrictions over the past year, Nguyen and Vu have closely followed updates to Vietnams policies to learn when travel will once again be possible for Nguyen.

Were waiting for all the news over there, Vu said. Weve heard that you have to get vaccinated to get over there, so we have to wait for the regulations and the vaccine passport and stuff like that.

Though he hasnt been able to see his family, Nguyen has kept in contact with them through daily phone calls and social media interactions, he said. He is anxiously awaiting the day that hell be able to make the journey to see them in person once again. Now that he has received his second vaccine dose, he said that day finally feels like it is within his grasp.

Student journalists from the Newhouse School of Public Communications visited vaccine sites across Central New York this spring, gathering photos and interviews to create a collection of more than 30 profiles of this part of the pandemic. Wearing masks, the subjects posed with an orange sign that proclaimed, I got the vaccine. These dispatches give glimpses of hope, along with continued apprehension after a year of suffering. To see more stories, visit: syracuse.com/topics/CNY_Covid_Vaccine_Stories.

More coronavirus coverage on Syracuse.com

8-month-old CNY infant is worlds youngest person to get 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine

For a just recovery from Covid, CNY must confront longstanding disparities (Guest Opinion by Lemir Teron)

How remote learning will probably be different at CNY schools in the fall

Syracuse University Class of 21 makes it to the finish line after 350,000 Covid tests, lots of banana bread
Pritisha Shrestha, a graduate student at Syracuse University, received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Oncenter on April 16.

Since the start of the pandemic, Shrestha said shes acted cautiously in her day-to-day life, following social distancing guidelines set forward by SU.

As a person who enjoys staying indoors, life did not change that much during the pandemic. However, I now feel like I have the freedom to go outside if I want or need to, she said.

Getting vaccinated felt extra special as an international student, Shrestha said. She looks forward to being able to fly home to Nepal, where the vaccine distribution is lacking due to patent rights. The restrictions of vaccine eligibility in Nepal and other developing countries frustrate Shrestha. When she goes home, she said that she will have to abide by the same preventative measures because many of her family members still have not been able to get the vaccine.

How are we supposed to put an end to a global pandemic if the vaccines are not distributed globally? Just because I am vaccinated does not make me feel safe or happy  and I fear for [my family] every day, she said.

Student journalists from the Newhouse School of Public Communications visited vaccine sites across Central New York this spring, gathering photos and interviews to create a collection of more than 30 profiles of this part of the pandemic. Wearing masks, the subjects posed with an orange sign that proclaimed, I got the vaccine. These dispatches give glimpses of hope, along with continued apprehension after a year of suffering. To see more stories, visit: syracuse.com/topics/CNY_Covid_Vaccine_Stories.

More coronavirus coverage on Syracuse.com

8-month-old CNY infant is worlds youngest person to get 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine

For a just recovery from Covid, CNY must confront longstanding disparities (Guest Opinion by Lemir Teron)

How remote learning will probably be different at CNY schools in the fall

Syracuse University Class of 21 makes it to the finish line after 350,000 Covid tests, lots of banana bread
Syracuse, N.Y.  As councilors probed details of Mayor Ben Walshs proposed sidewalk takeover plan Tuesday, one floated the idea of delaying its start until next year.

Councilor Khalid Bey suggested delaying the start of the program until Jan. 1 to allow more time to address concerns and to establish financial relief for people who cant afford a proposed $100 annual fee.

The suggestion comes as councilors tangle with each other and the mayor over details of a program they all support in principle.

Walshs administration is seeking to launch the $4.5 million sidewalk program on July 1 using money from the American Rescue Plan. The city would assume responsibility for fixing and plowing sidewalks. Property owners would be charged an annual fee of $100 for a residential parcel and $300 for commercial, though that full cost would be phased in over six years.

Bey said the council could still approve a program this year, but that it made more sense to begin next year once more details are ironed out.

Based on the things were hearing, I dont expect well have a solution tomorrow, Bey said as councilors questioned the fairness of the program in a council committee meeting Tuesday. A Jan. 1 launch date seems practical. Thats just my opinion.

The next mayor will also take office Jan. 1. Bey is one of two Democrats running in a primary to challenge Mayor Ben Walsh in November. Michael Greene, who organized the meeting, is also running. Greene has said he does not want to delay the sidewalk program.

At Tuesdays meeting, councilors outlined a series of questions and concerns about the program as proposed, including how it would impact people on a fixed income and whether it was fair to charge massive landholders like Syracuse University the same amount as small business owners.

Bey said any program needs to include some sort of relief for seniors on a fixed income to prevent the city from installing a predatory program that forces people out of their homes.

Council President Helen Hudson reaffirmed Beys point and said even a small amount like $20 might be enough to force a hardship onto some homeowners.

Hudson suggested establishing some sort of relief fund. Bey suggested scaling the payments differently for people on a fixed income. That might take some time and help from state legislators, he said, and suggested pushing the effective date of the program to Jan. 1, 2022.

Corey Driscoll Dunham, director of operations for the Walsh administration, said she was willing to work with councilors on a relief fund. But she said she didnt see a reason to delay the start of the program.

Starting this year, she said, would allow people to see sidewalks being built and repaired even before they have to start paying for them. And it would mean the city could stop putting the burden of a condemned sidewalk onto homeowners. Repairing a sidewalk often costs between $5,000 and $10,000.

The current system puts people on a fixed income in a bad situation as well, she said. This is a predictable fee.

Councilor Joe Driscoll was also eager to move forward. He said city lawmakers and residents have been talking about a sidewalk program for decades, and hed hate to still be analyzing it 10 years from now.

Im just very nervous that we look for flaws and poke holes in something, he said, ...I would encourage my councilors who have such severe reservations to sit down with the administration and figure out what the fixes are.

Bey said he was on the council in 2013 (Driscoll was not) and that group raised the possibility of such a program.

The same things we talk about today, we talked about in 2013, Bey said. This program started with us years ago. Nobody wants the same sidewalk program to stand.

Id just hate to sit here eight years later and say we talked about this eight years ago, Driscoll replied.

Councilor Joe Carni said he worried about the idea of a flat fee charged per parcel. Major businesses like Destiny USA, then, would end up paying the same as a small business on, say, North Salina Street, he said.

Theres got to be some better way than simply saying theres a flat fee for a property that may be $50,000 to do the sidewalk, he said.

Dunham said establishing a fee based on the size of a parcel would hurt other organizations that arent as able to pay as a place like Destiny. Churches and cemeteries, for example, often have long sidewalks.

Neil Burke, city transportation planner, said some big organizations, like St. Josephs Health Center and Syracuse University, are made up of dozens of parcels, and would pay the $300 fee for each parcel.

Councilor Latoya Allen asked about residents who dont have sidewalks: Why would they still have to pay for a maintenance program?

Some people, if they dont have a sidewalk, they legitimately do not want to pay that fee, she said.

Dunham said the idea is that sidewalks are a public good. Even if you dont have a car, she said, you still pay for the roads. If people without a sidewalk were allowed to be exempt from the fee, it would drive up the cost for everyone else, she added.

Burke said about one-fifth of the parcels in the city dont have a sidewalk. Those arent all residential parcels, though, he said. Many are pieces of little-used land around the outskirts of the city.

Burke also said money would be set aside each year to construct new sidewalks. If you dont have a sidewalk now, you might in a few years.

There was no vote to advance the proposal onto the councils agenda, so its unclear what will happen next with the legislation to establish the sidewalk program. Greene previously said he plans to reintroduce the plan as a waiver item at every council meeting until it moves forward.

As of last week, the proposal didnt have the six votes needed to make it onto the agenda.

Chris Baker is a public affairs reporter for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him via email at cbaker@syracuse.com or follow him on Twitter.

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Syracuse, N.Y. -- Onondaga County has at least $24.5 million available to help tenants catch up on back rent before the states eviction moratorium ends. But the money wont last forever.

Heres how to apply:

The form is online, only, available here: Onondaga County Rent Relief Application

You can apply for money to cover just back rent, or back rent and utilities.

The county has set four eligibility standards:

You or someone in your household has lost income or had another financial hardship because of Covid-19

You can show that you owe back rent and have a lease obligating you to continue paying rent

You or someone in your household is at risk of becoming homeless or experiencing housing instability (having to double up with another family or relative)

Your household income is at or below 80% of the median income (Household median income in Onondaga County is 61,359; 80% is $49,087. Individual median income in Onondaga County is $32,772, 80% is $26,217.)

While the form can only be filled out online, 36 nonprofit agencies and the countys crisis hotline, 211, are offering assistance.

Any money thats approved will go directly to the landlord. Landlords can apply on their own, but they need tenants to also complete the application.

Onondaga County is one of only six communities in the state that have decided to administer the emergency rent relief money on their own. The rest of the renters in New York are waiting for the state to begin accepting applications.

Housing Visions, a nonprofit housing provider with 500 properties in Syracuse, is working with tenants to do the applications. They are owed $300,000 in back rent.

Alyssa Lambert has been some of the 157 tenants who owe back rent at the organizations Syracuse properties to fill out the applications.

We felt it was simplified, so tenants could access funds without too much effort or craziness, Lambert said.

There is a spot in the application where you are asked to upload documents. If you cannot do it, you can skip it and continue. Someone from the county will contact you to get the information after you file your application.

Advocates also recommend taking a screen shot of your confirmation number and writing it down so you can follow up.

Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people, public affairs and the Syracuse City School District. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246.
Syracuse, N.Y.  More than $20 million in rent relief will begin reaching landlords this week in Onondaga County, County Executive Ryan McMahon announced Tuesday.

The checks will be the first of thousands that will help landlords and tenants who lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 3,600 landlords in Onondaga County applied for the latest round of rent relief funding, asking for at least $13 million in back rent from a $24.5 million fund provided through the American Rescue Plan.

Landlords and tenants in much of the rest of the state will have to keep waiting, however. The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance has not yet been able to get its website set up to accept applications. Applications will be accepted soon, according to its website.

Onondaga County is one of just six governments in New York that opted not to funnel its federal money to the state and to administer the program itself.

That turned out to be a good decision, McMahon said.

If the federal government wants to get money into local governments, local communities, they need to give us the money, McMahon said. Thats the best way to do it. You dont need a middleman all the time.

The other local governments handling the rent relief programs themselves are Rochester and Monroe County, the city of Yonkers, and the towns of Hempstead, Islip and Oyster Bay on Long Island. Monroe County and Rochester are jointly running a program.

The state budget passed in early April included $2.4 billion to help landlords and tenants.

Anthony Farmer, a spokesman for the state OTDA, said the agency expects to make an announcement soon about when people can apply for the state rent relief.

Tenants can start the process now by gathering materials based on the information were already providing about this important program on our website, he said. We are eager to launch the program soon and anticipate an announcement about when people can apply in the near future.

The money reaching the pockets of Onondaga County landlords beginning this week is badly needed. Many landlords have gone more than a year without rental income for some of their properties, which has harmed their ability to make needed repairs, pay property taxes or pay their mortgages.

A recent survey found that landlords in Onondaga County are owed more than $26 million in back rent, but the number is likely several times that because only 10% of the nearly 12,000 landlords responded.

The county has so far received $17 million of the promised $24.5 million from the latest round of funding, McMahon said.

Tenants have also lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic and have been unable to pay rent. An eviction moratorium has prevented landlords from evicting tenants for lack of payment, and courts were closed for several months.

In the absence of rent relief, tensions have risen between landlords and tenants. Last summer, Syracuse saw a rash of landlords committing unlawful evictions, like by turning off the electricity during a heat wave or changing the locks unannounced, according to prosecutors and housing advocates.

Rent relief in New York has been plagued with delays throughout the pandemic. A previous round of money allocated to states and municipalities here via the CARES act was criticized as too complicated and restrictive.

Onondaga County spent just $650,000 from a $4 million fund from the CARES Act, according to a county spokesman. That fund is in addition to the $24.5 million from the American Rescue Plan. The county has blamed too-strict requirements on spending the money that were placed by the Housing and Urban Development agency under then-Secretary Ben Carson.

The money from the American Rescue Plan has proved easier to spend, county officials have said.

The first checks will be approved by the county comptroller and cut beginning tomorrow, McMahon expected, and approvals will be ramped up from there.

We continue to approve and process these applications, he said. Next week will be a very busy week.

The form to apply is online only, available here: Onondaga County Rent Relief Application

The county has set four eligibility standards:

You or someone in your household has lost income or had another financial hardship because of Covid-19

You can show that you owe back rent and have a lease obligating you to continue paying rent

You or someone in your household is at risk of becoming homeless or experiencing housing instability (having to double up with another family or relative)

Your household income is at or below 80% of the median income (Household median income in Onondaga County is 61,359; 80% is $49,087. Individual median income in Onondaga County is $32,772, 80% is $26,217.)

Reporter Patrick Lohmann can be reached at PLohmann@Syracuse.com.

Editors note: This story has been updated with comments from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Posted Tuesday, May 18, 2021 3:25 am

Clark County is looking for qualified applicants to fill an open district court seat due to Judge John P. Hagensens upcoming retirement on June 30.

To be eligible for the position, applicants must be lawyers admitted to practice law in the state of Washington.

All qualified parties who want to be considered for the position must complete a questionnaire from the Clark County Council Office, which can be obtained from tina.redline@clark.wa.gov or by calling (564) 397-4978.

Completed questionnaires are due to the council office no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 28. They can be sent by mail to Clark County Council Office, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver or by email to tina.redline@clark.wa.gov.

Applicant names will be submitted to the Clark County Bar Association for a preference poll.
Nick Nickitas is CEO of Rosie, headquartered in Ithaca. Nickitas, Mike Ryzewic, and Jon Ambrose founded the company in 2013.

Rosies users on the web or the Rosie app buy groceries for delivery or pickup. The company grew phenomenally through the Covid-19 pandemic and in February raised $10 million in Series A financing led by the Avenue Growth Partners investment firm in Washington. Nickitas expects employment at Rosie to reach 150 this year.

Besides serving shoppers, Nickitas sees Rosie providing another benefit:

Rosie helps natural foods and independent grocers compete with national chains and online marketplaces. Our take is that these local retailers are trying to compete with the big-box stores and online providers like Amazon. Theyre either building it in house, which is super expensive and not necessarily their expertise, or theyre outsourcing to players like Instacart, who take control over the customer relationship, take control over the data, and ultimately eat a lot of the retailers operating margin.

What advice would Nickitas offer aspiring leaders? A leader is not a king or a ruler telling people where to go. A leader is the head philosopher, reminding us of our values, why were here, and what we want to achieve together.

Tell me about founding Rosie and its history.

If I go back in time, it actually started coming together in kindergarten. My co-founder and I met in kindergarten. His name is Michael Ryzewic. Everybody calls him Ryz. I used to be the one always getting us into trouble. Ryz was the one that was always getting us out. I like pushing the limit. I like negotiating, bargaining, kind of working the boundaries. Ryz was always about the seatbelts, the guardrails, the things that would keep us from getting detention.

We loved building stuff together. It started with Legos and KNex and then became computers and then robots and then cars. Now its a startup.

We went our separate ways and reconnected in our post-college years. We were both working in New York at financial-tech companies.

I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I didnt have an idea for a company. Even if I had an idea, I didnt know how to do it. I thought the best way to learn would be to work for an entrepreneur, kind of like if you want to be a blacksmith, you go apprentice. I thought if I could apprentice for a founder that was still in a startup, Id learn what that founder did to take an idea from concept to viable company. After college, I connected with George Kledaras. Hes one of the pioneers of electronic trading.

I started as an early employee at one of Georges startups, and we grew that company to 180 customers and set up operations in seven countries.

I had a client conference in Switzerland, and I asked Ryz to come along to ski. We were ideating about a concept  even while we were on the chairlift.

First, we knew that data was going to be transformative. We had seen how data in financial services was originally like a waste byproduct. It was used for accounting, regulatory and compliance. But by then firms were using it to drive sales. So we decided: Its got to do something that involves data.

The second thing was we saw how data was starting to transform consumer experiences. We saw people were willing to give up a little data about themselves to have their movie selection curated through Netflix. Or people were willing to give up information to have access to great tools from Google for email or for calendar.

We left that ski trip with probably more questions than we had answers. Ultimately, I decided to go back to school to incubate the idea. Thats what brought me to Upstate New York.

In 2011-2012, the top three computer science programs in the country were Stanford, MIT, and Cornell. I cross-referenced that with the number of startups being generated by those institutions. It was Stanford, then MIT, and at Cornell there were not as many. As an entrepreneur, you look for disequilibriums in the market, so that brought me to Cornell. I was getting my MBA at the Johnson Graduate School. I still was trying to figure out what the concept was going to be for the company. One day, I opened up my fridge. The only things inside were mustard and beer.

I thought to myself: What is going on? I come from a Greek-Italian family, and anything thats good growing up happened eating with the family around the table.

I had used Fresh Direct when I lived in Manhattan, and I loved it. Order online, groceries get delivered to your door. None of that was available outside of major cities. I was like: Eventually this is going to be everywhere.

That moment crystallized the idea  solving a consumer problem and helping local retailers take their data to create an e-commerce service. The timing was great, because Cornell was going through a renaissance around entrepreneurship. I was able to take advantage of all the resources and investment, and that allowed us to create and incubate Rosie.

Tell me about early influences.

I was born in Brooklyn, and I grew up in Connecticut. I have wonderful memories of bicycle riding around old Greenwich, Connecticut. Id ride my bike over to Ryzs house. There were always Legos and electronics around. We built things together in our garages. Our parents encouraged that sense of adventure and building.

My parents (Donna and Michael) had a huge influence. One of my favorite questions I ask people in job interviews is: What do you like least and most about your parents? Thats because parents have such a huge impact on who you end up being.

My mom is a nurse and a professor. She teaches nursing and leadership. She had a wonderful career at Hunter College. A few years ago, she became dean of the nursing school at Rutgers University-Camden.

My father had an interesting story. He tragically lost his father and his godfather and his grandmother through his teenage years. Through that crucible, I think he gained a tremendous sense of self-reliance. He went from being a bank teller to a commercial banker to joining the private bank at J.P. Morgan. My father has been an awesome mentor. I was the type of kid that was like ready, fire, aim. My dad taught me to see five or six moves down the board.

Tell me about your schooling.

I went to Greenwich High School. I graduated in 2003. I was president of my class in middle school, in high school, and all four years of college at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I majored in philosophy and graduated in 2007.

What do you think you learned being class president at so many levels?

Its fascinating the way people think, interact, and what motivates them. I was attracted to questions like: How do coalitions get built? How does a vision become the language of the tribe? How does that ultimately get expressed in terms of action?

People sometimes have cliques. I liked being able to walk between the different tribes. When I got to college, I found that taking philosophy classes, political science, history gave a taste of the way different people think. For a while, I thought I wanted to go into politics. I did an internship in college for Senator Joseph Lieberman. I realized how slowly politics moves. That drove me further to entrepreneurship because I felt I could make a bigger impact faster.

What advice would you give to be an effective leader?

First off, a leader is not a king or a ruler telling people where to go. A leader is the head philosopher, reminding us of our values, why were here, and what we want to achieve together.

I wish I knew when I started this journey that 80 percent of the job of being a founder or CEO is having the right people in the right seats. Its all about hiring. Its all about making sure that youre getting the right people.

Another thing is to realize that not everybody you bring on is going to be with you for the entire journey, and thats OK. Some people are good at scaling businesses for part of that process, but not necessarily the whole thing. Your company is going to change many times from being that little candle that you light at the beginning to the great big bonfire that you build as you grow.

Write things down. Checklists. Documentation saves lives. Pilots, surgeons all use checklists. Writing things down is the code that runs the business processes of the company. You have to write down all of these things that youre doing because that documentation creates alignment and shows areas for improvement.

Culture is important, and it must be measured. Lots of people say they have a great culture or they invest in their company culture. I ask: How do you know?

We measure several ways. We measure the Employee Net Promoter Score (a system to measure employee enthusiasm at bringing in new customers). We do anonymous surveys of our team where they provide suggestions to better operate the business  so they can speak truth to power. We measure Glassdoor reviews. We ask: Is our team getting the things needed to operate?

Since the beginning, we have held a monthly town hall where the whole company gets together for two hours the first Wednesday each month. We talk about the things facing the business. What are the key existential questions to answer? We get people out of the day-to-day so they can focus on overall strategy.

People play better when they know the score. Teams that dont know the score are on their way to losing. Dashboards and scoreboards help you understand how different people are viewing their part of the business and how theyre keeping score.

Finally, I would say be intentional and purposeful about hiring.

How do you go about hiring?

Fundamentally for me, hiring has to got to be about finding people who are outside of your network. So create a process to find people outside of your network and attract them to the company. If you only hire people in your network, thats a scaling limitation.

In an interview, Im looking to figure out how this person thinks and what motivates them. I want to know if they think they are lucky and if they make their own luck. I want to know about times they failed at something or had a really hard time with something and what they learned from the experience.

I want to know about a time they had to break a rule to get the job done.

I want to know about the most interesting place theyve traveled to.

I want to know something they always wanted to do in their life, but never got to. And why not.

These questions are less about whether or not they can do the job. I think ultimately you could sum up my hiring process around two basic questions: Do I want to have a beer with this person, and would I trust this person with my puppy?

When you hire a person, youre going to spend a lot of time with that person. You want to make sure youre having a great time along the way. And you want to be comfortable handing over responsibility.

Youre describing trust. Tell me about building trust and why it is important.

I think trust is the speed of business. The team is only going to move as fast as they trust one another. Building a company is a collaborative, puzzle-solving exercise. No one person can do it all. The business becomes complicated, and so you cant keep the entire business in your own brain. You have to bring in other brains to share the cognitive load of the complexity of this enterprise that you created.

So how does trust get created? Its earned. I think the leading inputs for trust are consistency, respect, and appreciation.

If you appreciate someone and youre respectful when you interact with that person, over time that creates trust and that is the glue that sews together fates and ultimately allows the organization to excel.

What qualities do you see in leaders you admire?

I love leaders who understand that what motivates someone changes over time. I admire the leaders that really get to know their people, to understand their motivations and how they change over time and how they can support those individuals to learn and grow.

I love leaders who understand that a vision is highly perishable. It has to be refreshed. It has to be evangelized. It has to brought up over and over and over again. Otherwise it expires.

I like the leaders who like to keep score. They think about S.M.A.R.T. goals  specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound. They communicate them. Theyre always asking: How do we get more specific around these goals? How do we measure them?

I love leaders who are great writers. Theyre artisans in motivating the English language to do what they need to do. When you look at great leaders over history, they have libraries of correspondences that they generated to motivate people around the world.

I like the leaders who can take you out of your day to day and help you to say: Oh, wow, theres this whole other opportunity out there.

Ultimately, I think the leaders that are most successful bring their humanity into the workplace. They will take you out for pie and lemonade on a Friday afternoon or will send you a birthday card. They see something on a shelf when they are traveling and think youd like to have it. They share their failures openly, because those failures bring authenticity that people sorely want from their leaders. Good leaders openly admit their failures, and when they dont know the answer they ask for help.

What attributes do you see with ineffective leaders?

Information dis-symmetry. They hoard information and dont allow everyone to operate with all the facts.

People that think that theyre leading but theyre actually manipulating. Theyre trying to get people to do things outside of their own self-interest, as opposed to trying to figure out how to align self-interest to the outcomes theyre trying to achieve.

Individuals building empires. The ones fighting over a slice of the pie as opposed to building more pie shops.

Leaders who are afraid of competition.

Finally, ineffective leaders think their people work for them and that its a privilege for their people to work for them. Effective leaders understand that they work for their people. They are really at the service of the people that they work for. Thats key.

The weekly Conversation on Leadership features Q&A interviews about leadership, success, and innovation. The conversations are condensed and edited. To suggest a leader for a Conversation, contact Stan Linhorst at StanLinhorst@gmail.com. Last week featured Nancy Kirby, executive director of IncubatorWorks. She faced down all the obstacles as a woman starting her business and now advises entrepreneurs.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon picked one of his current staffers, a veteran aide to Republican politicians, to run point on $89 million worth of federally funded stimulus projects.

Isabelle Harris, 49, of Jamesville, has spent the past 16 years working for top Republican elected officials on economic development, legislation and government relations. McMahon on Monday named her as his new director of strategic initiatives.

McMahon said Harris brings a wide range of experience to the job after working for him, U.S. Rep. John Katko, state Sen. John DeFrancisco and other GOP leaders. Most recently, Harris worked as McMahons director of intergovernmental relations.

Onondaga County has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to recover stronger and better than ever from the Covid-19 pandemic,' McMahon said. It was important that we found someone who had experience overseeing projects, the relationships with our partners at all levels of government and a proven track record of getting things done.

McMahon announced last month that he planned to hire three new staffers to oversee details on a wide variety of projects to be undertaken with federal money the county will receive under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act.

Harris will be paid $98,507 as director of strategic initiatives, up from her previous salary of $80,514. She will have two deputy directors who have not yet been announced.

Harris worked nearly five years in the county economic development office, where she worked on recruiting businesses to Onondaga County and helping businesses find government incentives to start up or expand.

In between stints with the county, Harris worked for seven months in 2018-2019 as district director for Katko. From 2011 to 2016, she worked in various jobs for DeFrancisco, ending as his district director. Before that, she worked for two years as research and communications officer for former County Executive Joanie Mahoney.

From 2005 to 2009, Harris was assistant regional communications director for the state Senate Republican conference.

Harris is the younger sister of Benedicte Doran, chair of the Onondaga County Republican Committee, who also has worked at times for Katko, DeFrancisco and McMahon, either as a staffer or campaign aide.
To the Editor:

In order to understand and appreciate the conflict between Israel and Palestine, one must first clarify a few things.

First and foremost, it is unfair to describe what is happening in the Occupied Territories of Israel (i.e., Palestine) as a conflict or war. It is neither of those two things. Instead, it should more accurately be described as settler colonialism, military occupation, land theft, ethnic cleansing and oppression. What the rest of the world knows, but America chooses to ignore, is that Israel is wrong.

The most recent conflict that is taking place started a week or so ago when the Israeli government allowed Israeli settlers to move into Palestinian-owned land in Jerusalem and forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes. Again, in order to understand what this means, you must understand the difference between an eviction and land theft.

When you evict someone, it means you are removing someone from a property that you own. Either the tenant failed to pay rent or is harming your property. In Palestine, what is happening instead is Israeli settlers are moving into Palestinian-owned homes, removing the legal owners of the properties from their homes, and taking it over. Stated differently, they are stealing Palestinian owned homes under the protection of the Israeli government.

It is also worth noting that this started happening, on much smaller level, back when former President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite the fact that no other country in the world would do so. And do you want to know why? Because everyone else saw this coming if you gave Israel the power of having it call Jerusalem as its capital.

This is not about history. Either side of conflict can create their own history and argue why the land belongs to Israel or Palestine. This is about basic human rights. It is about the forcible removal of people from their homes, leaving them homeless during a pandemic. It is about Israel controlling every facet of Palestinian lives. Israel dictates when the Palestinians, in both Gaza and the Occupied Territories, can have electricity. Israel dictates when and how much drinkable water is allowed into Gaza. I can go on and on, but you get the point. So before you assume or give an opinion on the conflict, educate yourselves first.

May God protect Palestine, and all parts of the world that are under military occupation.

I am Palestine.

Iman Abraham

Syracuse

The writer is a lawyer in Syracuse.
Ready or not, Memorial Day weekend is less than two weeks away.

And youd think Id know better after being an outdoors writer for more than 15 years.

Ive been busy the past couple of weeks with traveling, wild turkey hunting and attending a writers conference, but thats no excuse. My fishing gear is in disarray, my boat is still covered and its two boat batteries are downstairs on the workbench, my hip boats have a leak in them -- and all my camping stuff is in dire need of a once-over to make sure things are in working order.

As I write this, Im determined to make great headway this week on straightening things out.

Bottom line: Regardless of ones outdoor passion, it takes some preparation and advance planning to get ready and to enjoy what you love. And if you wait until the last minute, you may be sorry this coming Memorial Day weekend.

Due to the to Covid-19 pandemic and the record-number of those discovering the outdoors in Upstate NY for the first time, theres a run on everything in the stores from boats, to fishing reels, to camping supplies  you name it.

For example, if you havent given your boat the TLC it needs to get ready and you need a part or a repair job, chances are it may already be too late. Im not saying its impossible to get what you need, but your best bet is to start calling around and checking ASAP. Marinas that do boat repairs are swamped.

Two fishing buddies went this past Sunday to a local big box sporting goods store to buy a couple of fishing reels and their favorite plastic swimbaits to go fishing on Memorial Day weekend. They came back empty handed.

Were all out and dont know when well be getting any more, they were told. My buddies told me they were going the online route to satisfy their needs. And even then, theres a high degree of uncertainly that theyll get what they need on time, they said.

Interested in camping at a state campground Memorial Day weekend? My advice is to be realistic. Go online and see if any sites are still available at the campgrounds that youre planning to attend. If you get a site, congratulations. Dont be surprised, though, by the slim pickings.

Need a new pair of hiking boats? I checked out three stores last week before I found one that had the shoes that I wanted in my size. And that was the last pair the store had in the style I was seeking, and it was on display.

Theres an old adage: Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Dont wait until the last minute. If you havent already, start getting ready for Memorial Day weekend today.

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State Forest Rangers in recent weeks were kept busy rescuing injured or lost hikers, along with fighting wildfires and doing prescribed burns.

In one instance, a woman who suffered a hip injury after slipping on ice on top of Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks had to be carried down the mountain trail in a litter during the night. The trail had two to three feet of snow and ice in some places. One of the rescuers exhibited possible cardiac symptoms and also had to be closely monitored.

The following incidents took place between April 28 and May 15. All information below was supplied by the state Department of Environmental Conservation:

Town of North Elba/Keene, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On May 8 at 10:48 a.m., Franklin County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting an injured hiker on the summit of Mt. Marcy. The hiker, a 52-year-old woman from Bailey, CO, had slipped on the ice and suffered a hip injury. Nine Forest Rangers and two volunteers from the Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks (SARNAK) responded to the Adirondak Loj to evacuate the injured hiker. New York State Police Aviation was requested, but unfavorable weather conditions prevented any flights. At 4:39 p.m., two Forest Rangers reached the subject and determined the injury was non-weight bearing. While waiting for additional resources to arrive on scene, Rangers stabilized the injury and constructed a small shelter to prevent further cold exposure. A Lake Placid EMS Paramedic also responded to the summit to provide additional care. The hiker was packaged in a litter at 6:58 p.m., and rescuers began the carry-out. Poor trail conditions (two to three feet of snowpack and ice) led to a slow evacuation for the exhausted rescuers. Additional Forest Rangers responded to relieve the first team of rescuers, and with the assistance of New York State Police, began transporting additional rescue personnel to the Marcy Dam Outpost. During the evacuation, one of the rescuers presented possible cardiac symptoms. The EMS Paramedic on scene evaluated and closely monitored the rescuer while the remaining rescuers continued carrying out the injured hiker. At 3 a.m., the two patients were evacuated and transferred to waiting ambulances for transport to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Town of Keene, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On May 9 at 6:13 p.m., the Keene Valley Fire Department requested Forest Ranger assistance to locate a 72-year-old man from Keene Valley who was overdue from a hike. A Forest Ranger responded. At 7:29 p.m., searchers located the missing man, who suffered minor injuries from falling off a ledge. Using a technical rope belay system, the Ranger extracted the man from the ledge. At 9:02 p.m., the subject was transferred to Keene Valley Recue for transport to a local hospital.

Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County

Wildland Fire: On May 14 at 11:52 a.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch was contacted by Hamilton County 911 requesting Forest Ranger assistance for a wildfire off of Starbuck Road in the town of Indian Lake. Four Forest Rangers responded to assist. Over the course of several hours, Forest Rangers worked with the responding volunteer fire departments to suppress and control the fire. After approximately seven acres burned, the fire was placed in patrol status later in the evening. The fire was patrolled and monitored for several days before being declared out. The cause of the fire was traced back to an illegal debris burn by a nearby homeowner. The individual was issued several tickets for illegal burning and related charges.

Town of Andes, Delaware County

Wildfire: On May 14 at 4:10 p.m., Delaware County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance for a brush fire approximately 3/4 of a mile into the woods off of Butler Road in the town of Andes. Members of the Andes Fire Department used a UTV with a water pumper and had the fire suppressed when two Forest Rangers arrived. Rangers assisted with the suppression and mop up, which was time consuming due to several downed and dead trees that ignited during the fire. Approximately .2 of the one-acre fire crept onto Delaware Wild Forest Preserve land. Investigators determined that ATV/hunter activity is the possible cause. The fire was put into patrol status overnight and declared out on May 15.

Town of Fort Ann, Washington County

Wildland Search: On May 14 at 8:46 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch from New Jersey two hikers on Buck Mountain without reliable light sources. The pair advised they were still on the trail, but concerned their cell phone lights would not last until they got back to the trailhead. A Forest Ranger rrived on scene at 9:29 p.m., walked up the trail, and located the hikers immediately. The Ranger escorted the pair back to the trailhead and the incident concluded at 9:45 p.m.

Town of Horicon, Warren County

Wildland Fire: On May 15 at 4:05 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch was contacted by Warren County 911 requesting Forest Ranger assistance for a fire off Shaw Hill Road in the town of Horicon. Three Forest Rangers responded to assist. Over the course of several hours, Forest Rangers worked with the responding volunteer fire departments to suppress and control the fire. After approximately four acres burned, the fire was placed in patrol status later that evening. The fire is currently in patrol status and is being monitored daily by Forest Rangers.

Towns of Coeymans and Berne, Albany County

Prescribed Fire and Wildfire: On May 13, DEC Forest Rangers conducted a 15.2-acre prescribed burn on the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area. DEC Forest Rangers from Region 4, along with DEC Division of Wildlife personnel, Albany Pine Bush staff, volunteers, and the Coeymans Hollow Fire Department, successfully conducted the burn. Prescription burning on this wildlife management area reduces undesirable shade vegetative species while promoting desirable pine pitch, oak, and blueberry vegetation. The vegetation provides cover and food to wildlife including songbirds, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, whitetail deer, and eastern cottontail rabbits. While nearing completion of mop-up, a Ranger received a call regarding an active wildfire at the Cole Hill State Forest. While other staff continued mop-up, three Forest Rangers responded with fire engines to suppress the one-acre wildfire. Forest Ranger wildfire investigators determined the fire was caused by target shooting in the area. Also responding to the wildfire were fire departments from Berne, East Berne, Westerlo, Knox, Onesquethaw, Rensselaerville, Huntersland, New Salem, Guilderland Center, and North Bethlehem. "

Albany International Airport, Albany County

NYARNG Aerial Wildfire Suppression Training: On May 3, 6, and 7, Forest Rangers in the Division of Forest Protections Aviation Program conducted a joint aerial wildfire suppression training exercise with aircrews from the New York Army National Guard based at the Armys Albany International Airport flight facility and the Connecticut Army National Guard. During the multi-day training, Rangers presented classroom and field training to the soldiers in New York State Forest Ranger aviation operations, wildfire suppression, and aviation wildfire suppression tactics. Forest Rangers received training in Army Aviation protocols, and UH-60 Black Hawk operations. Rangers and Guard crews worked together on aerial water delivery both from the ground and the air, delivering more than 120 buckets of water in two days of training, with each bucket containing 660 gallons. Forest Rangers and Army National Guard Aviation Units work together to suppress large wildfires in New York. Training together allows them to develop and maintain interagency safety standards and crew cohesion. This leads to a safer, more effective, and efficient partnership to protect lives and property when large wildland fires threaten New York State.

Town of Keene, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On May 8 at 6:04 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker who lost the trail on Pitchoff Mountain in the Sentinel Range Wilderness Area. The 32-year-old hiker from Nutley, NJ, described himself as fatigued, wet, and disoriented and requested Forest Ranger assistance. A Forest Ranger conducted a phone interview with the hiker and determined the subject was not capable of self-rescuing. At 8:21 p.m., another Range responded to the scene and located the hiker a short distance from the trail. The hiker was treated for cold exposure, provided a head lamp, and escorted out of the woods. The incident concluded at 11:38 p.m.

Town of Georgetown, Madison County

Trash and Bonfires: On April 28, Forest Ranger Burkholder investigated a complaint of a gathering at Muller Hill State Forest. A Forest Ranger arrived to find a smoldering bonfire, as well as some trash and pallets that were left behind. Unable to locate the responsible party, the Ranger proceeded to put out the fire while DEC Operations staff removed the trash and pallets from the site. On May 4, another Forest Ranger received a tip that another gathering occurred at the same location, with more trash and pallets left behind. The Ranger located the responsible individuals and educated them on regulations regarding state land use. The Ranger issued tickets for depositing trash on state lands and failure to follow instructions on DEC signage.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DECs Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.

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Tom Dadey, a former New York Republican leader who abandoned the party in February, has resurfaced in a new political leadership post.

Dadey will serve as a statewide leader of the New York State Conservative Party, only three months after he switched his voter registration from the GOP.

Dadey, of DeWitt, was elected Saturday to a post on the Conservative Partys 53-member executive committee, said Jerry Kassar, the partys chairman.

As a member of the executive committee, Dadey will help determine the Conservative Partys legislative agenda and its ratings and endorsements of political candidates.

Im looking for him to really play a role with the state party, advising me on how to expand the party, bring new people in, and help with fundraising, Kassar told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

He brings a lot of energy wherever he goes, Kassar said of Dadey. I think with Tom, well get a real activist.

Dadey stepped down as chairman of the Onondaga County Republican Committee in September, ending a 10-year run in which he became one of the states most prominent GOP voices.

Dadey ascended to the role of vice chairman of the state GOP and was one of the first Republican leaders in New York to endorse Donald Trump for president in January 2016.

Trump rewarded Dadey with a seat on the Republican National Committees presidential platform committee in 2016.

After Trump won the 2016 election, he appointed Dadey to his presidential transition team.

Dadey also had a falling out with some top Republicans in Onondaga County, opening up a deep rift within the nearly 600-member county GOP committee.

Over the years, Dadey openly feuded with District Attorney William Fitzpatrick and former Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney.

Earlier this year, Dadey was among a group of about 40 Republican and Conservative Party leaders and donors who met privately to discuss ditching their support of Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, over his vote to impeach Trump.

Since then, the Conservative Party chairs in Katkos four-county district have said they will not endorse Katko or offer him a spot on the partys ballot line in the 2022 election.

Dadey said in an interview Tuesday that he was humbled to be elected unanimously to the Conservative Partys executive committee.

Asked why he changed his party enrollment in February, Dadey said it had nothing to do with his feelings about the future of the New York Republican Party.

I dont think its a secret to anybody that Ive always had conservative leanings, Dadey said. Its a party that always aligned with my core beliefs and convictions. I believe in the Conservative Party and their platform.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Posted Tuesday, May 18, 2021 3:11 am

North County lawmakers saw four more bills they brought forth in the 2021 legislative session get Gov. Jay Inslees signature last week. The bills dealt with expanding property tax exemptions for seniors and disabled vets, and allowing federal projects on the Columbia River to be fast-tracked, among others.

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, had two bills he primarily sponsored this session receive Inslees signature, both signed May 10.

Substitute House Bill 1438 expands eligibility for property tax exemptions for senior citizens and disabled veterans who spend much of their income on medical equipment and services. The bill allows for deductions when calculating income for the exemption, including insulin, prosthetics, kidney dialysis devices and mobility enhancing equipment, among others.

Testimony in support of the bill included in the legislations report to the Washington State Senate called SHB 1438 an important and much needed change to the program, explaining it wasnt uncommon for an individual to become ill and no longer qualify for the exemption. Other testimony indicated the change in law was based on an idea from county assessors, adding the legislation was a more targeted approach for individuals who are above the current income threshold but incur significant medical expenses.

Orcutts other bill, Substitute House Bill 1250, designates Washington as a Purple Heart State, recognizing the military award given to those who served that were injured in combat. The legislation allows the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to put up signs recognizing that Washington is a Purple Heart State, and to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to the state having the designation, according to a bill report.

Currently, Lewis and Thurston counties already have the designation, though the legislation declares the entirety of Washington as a Purple Heart State. The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature unanimously.

Sen. Ann Rivers Substitute Senate Bill 5423 allows for more telemedicine consultations throughout the state. It passed unanimously through the state House and Senate. In a release from her office, Rivers, R-La Center, said the bill would allow out-of-state licensed medical practitioners to consult with ones in Washington when diagnosing or treating patients.

Rivers said that expanding access to health care for state residents through telemedicine has been a goal of state Republicans for years.

To me, its a convenient way to bring in outside medical expertise, Rivers said in the release, and this piece of legislation is so appropriate for 2021, considering how many things are being done virtually these days.

Rep. Larry Hoff also got a bill signed on May 13 by the governor.

Substitute House Bill 1193 deals with the ability for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to do projects on the Columbia River. The bill exempts the Army Corps from certain permit requirements in the states Shoreline Management Act, as long as the Corps plans go through national and state environmental policy review and applications for a state water quality certification under the federal Clean Water Act, a release from Hoffs office stated.

Periodically, navigation channels leading to deepwater ports on the Columbia River need to be dredged to ensure safe passage for vessels carrying our crops and goods to market, Hoff, R-Vancouver, said in the release. This bill will enable the United States Army Corps of Engineers to quickly dispose of dredge spoil and keep our regions most critical marine highway running smoothly. Thats important not just for Washingtons economic recovery, but for the nations.

The release noted the Columbia River shipping channel supports thousands of jobs in the state and facilitates the movement of more than $21 billion in cargo every year. The bill was unanimously approved by both chambers and will go into effect in July.
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Florida Department of Health has ended its daily reports of COVID-19 activity and has shuttered its dashboard that had provided a visual account of cases, deaths, testing and other information since March 2020.
Posted Tuesday, May 18, 2021 3:27 am

Lawmakers from the Washington state 17th Legislative District sounded off about what they saw this year in the recently-concluded 2021 legislative session, notable for being largely remote as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Alongside conversations about the signed capital gains tax and the replacement of the Interstate 5 bridge, state Reps. Paul Harris, Vicki Kraft, and state Sen. Lynda Wilson, all Vancouver Republicans, discussed the states economic forecast, the governors emergency powers, education during and after the pandemic, and the decriminalization of drug possession, among other topics during the town hall event May 13, hosted remotely on Zoom.

For the states funding, Wilson said every revenue forecast meeting showed a rosier picture on how much the state is anticipated to take in, saying the state went from a potential $9 billion deficit to a $3 billion surplus. She said the Legislature was able to fund state government without making major cuts, adding the states rainy day fund was maintained at about $1.8 billion.

Kraft said a chief concern in the session was the emergency powers the governor has, which have been on full display during the pandemic, garnering the attention of lawmakers who feel Gov. Jay Inslee has too much power.

We effectively have one person, our governor, running the state, Kraft said.

She introduced HB 1381 to rein in the governors emergency powers, requiring a two-thirds vote by the Legislature to see if emergency orders would continue, although the bill never saw a committee hearing.

My hope is no matter whos sitting in the governors seat or a legislators seat, our state constitution was designed with checks and balances, and really needs to run that way, Kraft said.

Kraft agreed with the initial shutdowns when the pandemic was in its first wave, though as time went on the lack of input from lawmakers became a problem.

My concern is that we have not, as a Legislature, really inserted our piece of the checks and balance process that is required by the state constitution, Kraft said.

She mentioned a letter she and two dozen other lawmakers signed in March asking that Washingtons state of emergency end before the legislative session adjourned.

Were all elected officials, and we represent you all, and if your voice cant be heard because only one person is allowed to make decisions, that is not right, Kraft said.

Should the Legislature come back for a special session this year, Kraft said she would continue the push to rein in executive emergency powers.

Kraft also introduced a bill allowing Washingtonians the right to refuse vaccines, though it, too, did not get a committee hearing.

I am glad to see some things are reopening, but were starting to hear more about if youre vaccinated, you get freedom. If youre vaccinated, you dont have to sit in the segregated section. Thats concerning to me, Kraft said. Its setting a tone that effectively is unconstitutional, in my opinion.

It is subtly forcing people to think they need to get a vaccine to return to freedom, Kraft said. Thats not ever OK.

A third bill of Krafts that went without a committee hearing would have given families $7,000 to go toward private education tuition or homeschooling. She said about 40,000 students left public education in the past year due to a variety of reasons, including the impacts of remote learning during the pandemic.

We have a paramount duty as legislators to make sure our students can learn, and if they cant learn in the traditional public K-12 system, then we need to make public taxpayer funds available with no strings attached, Kraft said. The bottom line is parents need to be able to decide whats best for their students to make sure their students can get a great education. Thats what school choice will do.

Wilson also touched on pandemic-era education, speaking of the ways remote learning had been a burden on students and their families.

For us, it was very important to get children back to school, Wilson said, explaining she introduced a bill that would require school districts to offer in-person instruction as an option for families unless otherwise prohibited by the governor, the state secretary of health, or a local health officer, though it did not make it out of committee.

It would have taken a constitutional amendment, but we were prepared for that, Wilson said. She made mention of one constituents son who committed suicide due to the isolation he experienced during the pandemic.

Not only were they losing  their own education, but everything else around the school.  Everything else that they were able do that they couldnt do, Wilson said.

The lawmakers also touched on the impacts of a recent state Supreme Court case, which had a ruling effectively decriminalizing drug possession. Wilson noted the Legislature passed a bill that would re-criminalize possession as a misdemeanor, which she explained would allow therapeutic courts to continue offering a way for offenders to receive addiction treatment.

For almost all of us, the concern was we wanted to make sure that people could get the treatment that they deserved and wanted, Wilson said.

Harris serves on the board of directors for Columbia River Mental Health Services. He said there is a very serious shortage of addiction counselors, adding the bill will send offenders into the already overworked system, and in some cases, werent likely to receive help.

Harris said although there are likely incarcerated individuals who could benefit from the help offered for substance use, the bill treated all those charged with drug possession the same, which he felt wasnt the best way to go about the issue.

Were not all the same, especially when it comes to the use of drugs and drug abuse, Harris said. We went from one extreme to the other, and the system cant handle what weve done.

The well-intentioned aspect of this (legislation) is great  trying to help people who are addicted get off of that cycle, Kraft said. (But) you have to want to get the help, and so many of these people just arent ready.  For those who, bottom line, arent going to go that (treatment) route, we have to have a mechanism to keep the public safe.

Harris addressed the Legislatures work on police reform, noting there were two bills on the governors desk handling police tactics and equipment, and police oversight and accountability, respectively. He said he hoped for greater discussion on reform this session.

I believe the vast, vast majority of our officers are doing a phenomenal job. A difficult job, Harris said, adding he felt the legislation tied law enforcements hands and led to second-guessing decisions on the part of officers.

Harris believes the bills, should they be signed by Inslee, would lead to more retirements of officers. Though he supported de-escalation training and potentially involving social workers on calls, he noted those changes would have a financial burden.

We actually need to fund the police even greater, Harris said. We need to give our policemen more resources. We need to train them better. But we also need to ask ourselves again, how many social workers want to be on the frontline?
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SITEKI  Another day, another road traffic accident.

Eight pupils from Siteki Nazarene primary and high schools cheated death yesterday morning when a Siyaya kombi they were travelling in overturned while ferrying them to their respective schools. The accident happened just around 7am along the Lukhula-Siteki Public Road near the Buckwood Guest House junction. Eyewitnesses claimed the driver of the kombi was disturbed by an oncoming vehicle. The accident happened just 100 metres away from the Siteki Fire and Emergency Station. He was disturbed by an oncoming car yet he was speeding and rushing the children to their respective schools from the Lukhula direction. He lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and it landed on its side. The swift arrival of fire officers saved the day as they managed to retrieve most of the pupils and rushed them to the Good Shepherd Hospital, said the witness, who declined to give her identity.

Injuries

Siteki Nazarene Primary Head teacher Winile Mvila said she heard about the accident but she was yet to ascertain the number of pupils who had sustained injuries. I havent received a full report about the accident and I am yet to be informed about it as I gathered that those who were taken to hospital were treated and discharged, she said. Her counterpart at the high school, Bonginkosi Dlamini, said he gathered that seven of his pupils were involved in the accident and one of them from the primary school. Dlamini said four of his pupils were treated and discharged on the same day. The other three managed to attend class as they were fine and only appeared traumatised. I established that one pupil from the primary school sustained serious injuries in the upper body. We hope the pupils will undergo counselling as they are still traumatised by the accident, he said.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the accident. She said the pupils were treated and discharged due to the fact that they had sustained minor injuries.

We got a report about the accident but we were told the pupils were treated and discharged because they had sustained minor injuries, she said. Last month, on the same spot, a man lost his life when he was knocked down by a car while trying to cross the road to the other side. Mzilikazi residents have appealed to government to erect speed-humps to control speeding cars using this almost complete road, which is under construction by A.G Thomas Construction Company.




MANZINI  The march for #JusticeforThabani ended in a nasty clash between protesters and police officers with members of both parties sustaining injuries.

This was when over 2 000 protesters, who comprised students from various tertiary institutions, members of political formations and human rights activists, pelted stones at police officers, who retaliated by firing rubber bullets at them. This was at the climax of a protest march that was organised by Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) in an effort to seek justice in the mystery surrounding the demise of 25-year-old University of Eswatini Law student (UNESWA), Thabani Nkomonye. Nkomonye is said to have died in a car accident last Saturday along the MhlaleniNhlangano Road at Nhlambeni. A Mazda Demio sedan, which Nkomonye was driving, was found stationary about 15 metres away from the main road and was subsequently towed by police officers to the Matsapha Police Station on the same night of the accident  Saturday, though his whereabouts remained unknown then.

Accident

Despite that police reportedly searched for his body on the night of the accident and the subsequent day, it was not found until on the sixth day  Thursday  about 25 kilometres from where his vehicle was towed. The delay in the discovery of Nkomonyes body raised questions in various sectors of the society and a diversity of insinuations were shared on social media platforms, with many believing that the police had a hand in his death. This resulted in the #JusticeforThabani movement, whereupon police were ordered to answer a number of questions as their account of events did not make sense to the commentators. Following that, students through social media, relayed that they would be marching to the Matsapha Police Station to deliver a petition on the demise of their fellow student, as a result of alleged police brutality. The protest march started at UNESWA, Kwaluseni Campus, where the energised students sang political songs and danced along the campus leading to their departure from the tertiary institution around 9am.

Political

The protesters filled the UNESWA, Kwaluseni Campus  Ndlunganye Public Road singing political songs and calling upon bystanders who were watching from the sidelines to join in the march. The march to the police station was characterised by sprints and random stops in the middle of the road to control the protesters by their leaders.
In a significant endorsement that will support exports to European Union (EU) markets, Omans largest cement manufacturer, Raysut Cement Company (RCC), has received CE and NF certifications. CE and NF are two stringent global quality norms validating RCCs adherence to EU standards in cement production.

The Muscat Stock Market (MSM)-listed RCC said the certifications come at a time when it is expanding exports to newer global markets. Currently, 50 per cent of the companys output is exported to East Africa, India, Maldives, South Africa, and Indian Ocean islands.

We consider CE and NF certifications as a testimony to our commitment to constantly improve product quality and processes in line with rigorous global safety, quality and environmental regulations, said Group CEO, Joey Ghose.

The CE (Conformite Europeenne) mark, formerly EC mark, is mandatory for selling certain products in the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1985. The NF Mark from AFNOR certification entity is a French compliance norm that ensures product safety, quality, usage ability and performance.

The certifications fit into our export strategy for newer geographies as the CE Mark that endorses

compliance with EUs health, safety and green regulations allows us to market our products in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, said Ghose.

Winning the certifications also coincided with RCC clinching a new export order from the Reunion Islands in the western Indian Ocean, and an annual contract has already been signed with Enterprise Audemard Group of the French island to ship 8,000 MT cement every month.

The first shipment has been received by the party. RCC is also looking at setting up a grinding unit in Madagascar to leverage the 7-8 per cent Y-o-Y growth in that countrys market.

RCC has a current output of 6 million metric tonnes of cement, slated to increase to 10 million by 2022, and later to 22 million tonnes. Ghose said the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown a major challenge to the business, but RCC was facing it successfully with no change in leadership or vision.

Recently, RCC had won certifications from other parts of the world boosting its export scope. These are from BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), enabling it to stabilise its presence in India, and from SABPS (South African All Brothers Products and Systems) to help RCC leverage the South African market.

Salim bin Ahmed bin Alawi Al Ibrahim, Acting Deputy Group CEO of RCC said: The cement now produced at RCCs Salalah plant has accomplished the strictest environmental criterion of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) content of less than two parts per million. The NF certification also opens up new market opportunities and we are now introducing a superior quality cement brand to the French colonies in the Indian Ocean Reunion Islands.

Last year RCC won the CEO of the Year honour for its Group CEO Mr. Joey Ghose, at both the Oman Best Employer Awards and GCC Best Employer Awards from Employer Branding Institute, which reinforced the companys excellence across leadership, health and safety, technology, training and talent management.

We regularly train our employees through on-the-job and by sending them overseas to upgrade their skills. These trainings help us strictly implement quality, environmental and safety norms at our production facilities to improve our products in line with global demand, added Al Ibrahim. -- TradeArabia News Service
Seegene, South Korea's largest molecular diagnostics firm, will be supplying Covid-19 diagnostic kits worth over $4.8 million to the Kuwaiti government.

The company's local subsidiary 'Seegene Middle East,' said, it has signed the exclusive supply agreement with the Ministry of Health of Kuwait. The supply agreement is the largest volume procured by the Kuwaiti government since Seegene started supplying diagnostic tests to the country last year. The agreement implies that the South Korean biotechnology firm, Seegene, has the upper hand over global competitors, given that the Kuwaiti government had been supplied with diagnostic tests from one of the other global molecular diagnostics companies until last year.

Under the agreement, Seegene Middle East will be supplying the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay, to five laboratories under the MOH for five months starting May. The deal is worth six to seven times larger than that of the company's previous exports to Kuwait in the last two quarters. Although the number of Covid-19 cases in the country showed a downtrend at the beginning of the year thanks to the state-run mass vaccination programme that started last December, there has been a resurgence of infections due to the emergence of Covid-19 variants.

Seegene's AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay is a multiplex real-time PCR assay capable of detecting five targets including four coronavirus genes (E, RdRP, N and S gene) and an exogenous control in a single reaction, allowing highly accurate results and maximise throughput for high volume testing.

Also, the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 Assay can identify more targets than major competitors' products so that it can detect new Covid-19 variants. As the product can be processed without the need of extraction, it is expected to improve overall process efficiency allowing more Covid-19 tests, especially in the time where there is a shortage of extraction equipment.

Ho Yi, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Seegene said: "The company recently had made public procurements for Covid-19 diagnostic tests in European countries including Germany, Scotland, and Italy." He added: "As the tender agreement with the Kuwaiti government is the exclusive deal, it shows the company's competitiveness in the global diagnostic tests market and hopes the agreement lay a foundation for the company expanding its market to more regions in the Middle East." -- TradeArabia News Service
Renewable sources of electricity such as wind and solar grew at their fastest rate in two decades in 2020 and are set to expand in coming years at a much faster pace than prior to the pandemic, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).



The growth in Europe and the US will be even brisker than previously forecast, compensating for Chinas transitional slowdown after exceptional 2020 growth.



According to the IEAs latest market update, the amount of renewable electricity capacity added in 2020 rose by 45% in 2020 to 280 gigawatts (GW), the largest year-on-year increase since 1999. That extra power is equal to the total installed capacity of ASEAN, a grouping of 10 dynamic South-East Asian economies.



The increase in 2020 is set to become the new normal, with about 270 GW of renewable capacity on course to be added in 2021 and almost 280 GW in 2022, despite a slowdown in China after an exceptional level of additions last year. Those forecasts have been revised upwards by more than 25% from the IEAs previous estimates in November as governments around the world have auctioned record levels of renewable capacity and companies have signed record-level power purchase agreements, even as the pandemic spread macroeconomic uncertainties and suppressed demand.



Shifting power generation to renewable sources is a key pillar of global efforts to reach carbon neutrality, but CO2 emissions are set to rise this year because of a parallel rise in coal use, underscoring the major policy changes and investments in clean energy needed to meet climate goals.



Wind and solar power are giving us more reasons to be optimistic about our climate goals as they break record after record. Last year, the increase in renewable capacity accounted for 90% of the entire global power sectors expansion, said Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the IEA.



Governments need to build on this promising momentum through policies that encourage greater investment in solar and wind, in the additional grid infrastructure they will require, and in other key renewable technologies such as hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal. A massive expansion of clean electricity is essential to giving the world a chance of achieving its net zero goals.



Global wind capacity additions almost doubled last year to 114 GW. That growth will slow down a bit in 2021 and 2022, but the increases will still be 50% larger than the average expansion during the 2017-19 period. Solar PV installations will continue to break new records, with annual additions forecast to reach over 160 GW by 2022. That would be almost 50% higher than the level achieved in 2019 prior to the pandemic, affirming solars position as the new king of global electricity markets.



China is at the centre of global renewable demand and supply, accounting for around 40% of global renewable capacity growth for several years. In 2020, Chinas share rose to 50% for the first time due to a rush to complete projects before government subsidies were phased out. In 2021-22 renewables growth in China is set to stabilise at levels that are below the 2020 record but still over 50% above where it was during the 2017-19 period.



Any slowdown in China in the coming years will be compensated for by strong growth in Europe, the United States, India and Latin America where government support and falling prices for solar PV and wind continue to drive installations.



China is the largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines, as well as the biggest supplier of raw materials such as silicon, glass, steel, copper and rare earth materials needed to build them. Supply chain constraints, including due to a fire in a Chinese silicon factory last year, have recently pushed up prices of PV modules, highlighting the sectors potential vulnerabilities in the longer term.



In the US, renewable capacity growth this year and next is mainly spurred by the extension of federal tax credits. The forecast does not take into account the US administrations new emissions reduction targets or its infrastructure bill. If enacted, the bill would drive a much stronger acceleration in the deployment of renewables after 2022.



Indias capacity additions declined by almost 50% last year compared with 2019. However, growth is set to rebound and renewable expansion is expected to set new records by 2022, driven by the commissioning of delayed projects. However, the current surge in Covid-19 cases in India has created short-term uncertainty for this year.



Transport biofuel production declined 8% globally in 2020 as the pandemic limited travel. Production is expected to recover this year to 2019 volumes, and expand another 7% in 2022 as biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) production increases globally and ethanol expands in India.



However, the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 crisis on demand, as well as price competition for sugar cane from sweetener manufacturers in Brazil, continue to keep ethanol production in both the United States and Brazil below 2019 levels. At the same time, global HVO production capacity is expected to nearly double in the next two years, significantly expanding the capability of producing biofuels from waste and residue feedstocks.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has resumed its international flights through 43 international stations in 30 destinations, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



The move comes after the Ministry of Interior's decision to lift the suspension of citizens' travel outside the Kingdom came into effect.



Saudi Airlines confirmed that it will operate 153 scheduled flights every week from Riyadh, and 178 flights from Jeddah.



Furthermore, the resumption of the first international flights departing from the Kingdom will be from Riyadh to Hyderabad, and from Jeddah to Dhaka. As for its first international flights coming to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it will be the Cairo flight to Riyadh and the Jakarta flight to Jeddah.



Saudi Airlines also confirmed its readiness to operate its flights to 71 stations out of 95 stations, of which 28 are domestic and 43 international destinations, and that flights to and from Jeddah will be operated from Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz Airport.
During his participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 in Dubai, and the inaugural of Egypts pavilion, Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Egypts Minister of Tourism and Antiquities highlighted the countrys credentials as an ideal destination for holidaymakers looking for a safe travel experience as the world continues to tackle the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Emphasising Egypts tremendous tourism potential, the Minister provided an overview of the countrys comprehensive action plan for safe tourism and infrastructure development, as well as its diverse tourist attractions  from lively and sunny beach resorts to newly opened museums, archeological projects and, recent important discoveries.

Egypt Pavilion at ATM showcases the countrys safe tourist offerings, as well as opportunities for business, medical, adventure, leisure, spiritual, cultural, archaeological and other types of tourism. Through its participation in the event, the Ministry seeks to connect with travel and tourism stakeholders from across the Arab world, exchange experience, and explore opportunities for collaboration to boost mutual tourism with the aim of addressing the urgent need to revitalise the sector.

Located in Sheikh Saeed Hall 2, the 305-sq-m pavilion presents 14 exhibitors, including EgyptAir, hotels, and tourism companies. Two giant screens are showing promotional videos of Egypts iconic tourist sites and footage from special events, such as the recent Pharaohs Golden Parade in Cairo.

Over the past few months, Egypt has witnessed a significant increase in inbound tourism. Since the resumption of international tourism in July 2020 till now, it has welcomed 3 million tourists from more than 20 countries (1.8 million since January 2021). Currently, around 17,500 tourists a day arrive, 65 per cent of them at airports located in touristic coastal cities such as Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam, which have consistently reported one of the lowest Covid-19 infection rates in the world.

Speaking at the event, Dr. El-Enany said: ATM provides a perfect platform to capture the attention of visitors from the Arab region  one of the most important tourist markets for Egypt that accounted more than 20 per cent of inbound tourism pre-Covid-19. In addition to the proximity factor, pleasant weather all year round, and distinctive tourist attractions, Arab tourists feel at home in our country due to our shared language, culture, and customs. And of course, this feeling is mutually shared by Egyptians.

He added: Since the coronavirus outbreak, we have implemented stringent regulations to protect the health and safety of our visitors and staff. In recognition of our efforts, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has granted Egypt its Safe Travels stamp.

In closing, he said: Egypt boasts a perfect blend of leisure, adventure, history, and culture. Its favorable climate, plentiful sunlight, fresh air, and abundance of open spaces in popular tourist spots, in addition to the robust precautionary measures in place, have contributed to a notable rise in tourist numbers, especially since beginning 2021. We look forward to welcoming a steady influx of visitors in the coming months and having them enjoy the many attractions our country has to offer.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has issued the Regulations for the Resumption of Tourism to Egypt that are applicable to all tourist facilities across the country. Hygiene Safety Certificates are a pre-requisite for hospitality establishments, airlines, airports, archeological sites, and museums to receive visitors. All workers in the tourism sector have undergone compulsory Covid-19 awareness training. The country has also launched a Covid-19 vaccination drive for all employees in the tourism sector, with most of the tourism staff in South Sinai and Red Sea governorates, the two top tourist destinations, are vaccinated (other touristic governorates will follow).

Furthermore, Egypt has introduced temporary incentives with the aim of reviving its tourism and aviation sector, and motivating holidaymakers to consider the country for their next vacation. To achieve optimum value addition for everyone, Egypt is closely collaborating with industry partners, such as tour operators and airlines, in this regard.

In October 2021, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities plans to launch a three-year international promotional campaign that seeks to attract visitors from target markets to Egypt, and consolidate the countrys reputation as one of the leading global tourist destinations. Furthermore, we are planning to open new hotels and resorts, and many new museums, such as the Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking Giza pyramids.

Running from May 16 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the 28th edition of ATM features exhibitors from 62 countries. Held under the theme A new dawn for travel and tourism, the global event is putting a spotlight on the latest Covid-19-related updates from around the world. - TradeArabia News Service
Malaysia is open to investors and business travellers  thats the message from Tourism Malaysia, which is participating at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai this week where it has launched its #WeMissYou campaign for the Middle East.

Short-term business travellers are already exempt from mandatory quarantine requirements when visiting Malaysia and the country is now preparing to reopen its borders safely, with a nationwide vaccination programme currently being rolled out.

Prior to the pandemic, tourists from all over the world would visit Malaysia to explore its beautiful landmarks and experience the warm hospitality as they immerse in its rich culture. Times have changed and the country cannot wait to once again welcome travellers to its bustling cities and tranquil islands.

In line with this, Tourism Malaysia has launched the campaign #WeMissYou, especially for the Middle East region, to emphasise the nostalgia it has for the travellers wandering around the magnificent attractions that Malaysia offers.

In 2019, Malaysia welcomed 309,224 tourists from the GCC. This amounted to a tourist expenditure of RM 3.2 billion (AED 2.8 billion) that year, signifying the highest (per capita expenditure) as compared to other tourists to Malaysia. Considering the current state of international travel, we are looking at the year 2025 for travel to return to normal, and have earmarked the GCC as one of our important market," said Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE, Mohd Tarid Bin Sufian.

The country offers Visa-on-Arrival to GCC nationals, while major airlines from the region such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia, Qatar Airways and more offer direct flights to Malaysia.

To showcase its unique heritage, the Malaysian classic traditional trishaw, locally known as beca is on display at the Malaysia Pavilion for the duration of the Arabian Travel Market 2021. The three-wheel beca is handmade and customised by traditional trishaw makers in Malacca, and took two months to build and assemble. It portrays a unique trait of Malaysian heritage, culture and society.

Malaysia was recently named the number one destination for Muslim travellers for the eighth consecutive year, based on factors such as the availability of Halal food, access to prayer facilities, Muslim-friendly services in hotels, and overall safety and security. As increasing numbers of Muslims are travelling around the world, the demand for halal tourism offerings is expected to grow exponentially once the travel industry regains its footings. Malaysia understands the needs of the GCC tourists and therefore ensures that Halal food is easily available with an array of local and international cuisines, including Arab food. - TradeArabia News Service
Austria summons Turkish Ambassador, after Erdogan's outburst

Vienna, May 18 (UNI) The Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs on Tuesday summoned the Turkish Ambassador after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "cursed" Vienna for raising the Israeli flag over government buildings in solidarity with Israel.

"After these absurd statements by president Erdogan, the Turkish ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry in the first half of the day to clearly convey Austria's position," the ministry said.

Sputnik quoted Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg saying that the Israel-Palestine conflict cannot be settled "with foam at the mouth."
Space4Youth Stories

From science to law: applying a multidisciplinary approach to regulating the final frontier - by Thomas Graham

After completing my Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, majoring in Physics, I was accepted into a Master of Science program within the university's astrophysics group. Having studied physics for years, with lots of friends in the program, it was a dream come true. I had read Stephen Hawking as a child and always focused on maths and science as a young student, so physics felt like a natural choice. However, looking at the issues facing the physics researchers I admired, I realised that it was not gaps in talent and knowledge getting in the way, but a need for more funding and organisational support from corporations and governments, to provide the necessary facilities, equipment and funding. I felt I could make a difference in this way, by approaching the problem from the legal perspective. I had applied to complete a Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne to keep my options open, and, by framing it as a way to contribute to the scientific community, it became a very attractive choice.

After commencing my legal studies, I still felt unsure about whether it was the right decision. During the first semester, by pure coincidence, while browsing through a law student group Facebook page, I saw someone share a link to Melbourne Space Program as they were recruiting for their legal and regulatory team. It seemed too good to be true as it perfectly combined my interest in space and in law. Given that I had been struggling with direction in my law degree, this was the perfect opportunity. Fortunately, my application was accepted, and so my work with Melbourne Space Program commenced in 2018 when I joined as a Regulatory Officer. I later held the position of Company Secretary, responsible for the day-to-day administration and coordination of the program. In 2020, I transitioned into my current role as Business Sustainability Manager - effectively charged with running the program's legal team - and my remit is wide. I contributed significantly to the launch of ACRUX-1 - Melbourne Space Program's first student-built nanosatellite - by navigating domestic and international regulatory regimes to ensure compliance both pre- and post-launch. I have also been involved in designing link budgets, wherein I work with engineers to determine the amount of data that each pass of a satellite can transfer to a ground station on Earth, and how much that data upload and download will cost. My work for the Melbourne Space Program also involves ensuring we are meeting all legal obligations with other parties and supporting our projects to ensure compliance.

In 2020, as Melbourne entered its strict lockdown amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at Melbourne Space Program began to discuss hosting a virtual panel about Space Law. I volunteered to take the lead and help to develop Melbourne Space Program's professional network. We wanted legal experts from a variety of fields, so I reached out to the University of Melbourne's Science and Technology Law Association, who I knew through my own legal studies. Through our combined networks, we were able to secure five panelists from top-tier law firms, research institutions, consultancy firms, and even a space lawyer and astronaut candidate. We held the panel, which was a great success, focusing on avenues for beginning careers in space law, as well as challenges and opportunities in the industry. The panel attracted more than 200 viewers, signifying a great deal of interest in space law generally, especially amongst emerging professionals.

An image from the space law panel organised by the Melbourne Space Program.

The experience taught me a lot about the Australian space industry and the work that remains to be done. Currently, it is a somewhat disconnected industry, with a large number of startups still getting off the ground without connecting to other companies for networking and support. However, every person I have met along the way has been enthusiastic, passionate, and eager to support one another to make the industry better for everybody. I have always been met with warmth, welcoming attitudes, and support from industry professionals, and now that I have made these connections, I am more confident to keep going and put myself out there to contribute to the changes taking place. Hosting the Space Law panel in 2020 confirmed that I am on the right track, and that following my passion will lead to good things.

Though I am still at the beginning of my career in the space industry, my experiences thus far have taught me a great deal about getting started in the sector, particularly from a legal and business perspective. I recommend getting involved in any interesting initiative or association related to the sector wherever possible and making connections through them (as I did by joining Melbourne Space Program). It is important to seek out groups with similar interests, either to join in or to find out more about what is happening in the industry and what directions you can take moving forward. As important as academic knowledge is, it only matters if you apply it and make connections in the sector. It takes a combination of knowledge, passion, and putting yourself out there to get a start in the field. On a personal level, the Melbourne Space Program has also gifted me with personal friendships and a whole lot of fun working across our various projects.

OSCAR-V 50th anniversary event with other members of Melbourne Space Program.

From my extensive experience working within a student-led space organisation, I have learned a lot about how the voices and ideas of young people can be promoted in the space sector on a wider scale. Organisations like Melbourne Space Program are a great way for this to happen, as they provide a platform for young people to get involved and share their ideas in a collaborative and engaging space. Melbourne Space Program's recent submission to Australia's parliamentary inquiry into the development of the nation's space sector was also a tremendous opportunity for new voices in the industry to be heard on a national level. This involved writing a submission to the government in support of student programs that can provide technical training and funding for qualified students to enter the space industry.

In law school, there was a real sense of being 'funneled' into certain career paths, particularly the traditional commercial law route. Although there's value in that path, I personally have found that being a part of Melbourne Space Program has kept me connected to my background in science and my passion for advancing technology and our understanding of the universe. I now have a clearer understanding of the areas of law that excite me - regulation of space and telecommunications and space law are fascinating areas that I'm eager to learn more about. To this end, my final unit of legal studies consisted of an extended research paper on the international regulatory framework governing space debris management, including the laws and regulations developed by the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), of which UNOOSA is Secretariat. I will soon be presenting my paper's key findings to the Latin American and Caribbean Space Network's Sixth International Colloquium.

I'm excited about any and all opportunities to learn more, to take the riskier path and learn in the process. I know that the enthusiasm is out there, and it's reassuring to me to know that we will continue to see the sector grow. Space law is a rapidly-developing field and I was, and still am, eager to get involved.
A man cycles past a Tencent sign, the parent company of Chinese social media giant WeChat, outside the Tencent headquarters in Beijing on Aug. 7, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas Regulators Warn 13 Chinese Internet Firms Amidst Internal Power Struggle

Regulators recently interviewed 13 Chinese internet firms following a third interview of Ant Group. A China observer said power struggles inside the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are behind these interviews.

Among other issues, supervision of the shareholding structure and capital was reportedly emphasized in the interviews.

Four Chinese financial regulators, including the Peoples Bank of China, China Banking Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, jointly interviewed representatives of the financial platform companies on April 29.

The interviewed giants are Tencent, Du Xiaoman Financial, JD.com, ByteDance, Meituan Finance, Didi Finance, Lufax, Tianxing Data, 360 DigiTech, Sina Finance, Suning Finance, Gome Finance, and Trip.com Group Finance.

Similar to Ant Group, these 13 companies all have integrated operations, large business volume, and strong industry influence.

In the interview meeting, Pan Gongsheng, Vice Governor of the Chinese Central Bank put forward seven requirements:

1. All financial activities must be supervised;

2. Payments should be done in their original form, while inappropriate connections between payment tools and other financial products should be severed, non-bank accounts should be strictly controlled and prevented from expanding to the public sector;

3. Monopoly of information on financial platforms should be ended;

4. Management of key aspects such as shareholder qualifications, shareholding structure, capital, risk isolation, and connected transactions payments, etc, should be strengthened;

5. Improve corporate governance;

6. Regulate the issuance and trading of asset securitization products and overseas listing;

7. Strengthen the consumer protection mechanism.

Pan Gongsheng also chaired the third interview meeting with Ant Group on April 12, raising five rectification requirements during that meeting.

Although no news or investigation has yet disclosed whether the 13 companies have shareholding structures or capital problems, Xi Jinping has long been investigating the shareholding structure background of Ant Group, and found that former CCP leader Jiang Zemins faction was behind it.

Ants Complex Ownership Structure

According to the Wall Street Journal, growing unease in Beijing over Ants complex ownership structure was another reason why the CCP blocked Ant Groups IPO.

The Wall Street Journal report said a previously unreported central-government investigation found that Boyu Capital, which is effectively controlled by Jiang Zhicheng, the grandson of Jiang Zemin, holds a stake in Ant in a roundabout way through a private equity fund, Beijing Jingguan; while Li Botan, the son-in-law of former Politburo Standing Committee member Jia Qinglin, who has close ties to Jiang, holds a stake in Ant through Beijing Zhaode Investment Group.

The report also said that friends of Ant founder Jack Ma also hold Ant shares in different investment vehicles, including Guo Guangchang, head of Fosun International Ltd; Shi Yuzhu, chairman of Giant Interactive; and Lu Zhiqiang, founder of Oceanwide Holdings.

The report mentioned that many of Jiangs men have been purged in Xi Jinpings corruption crackdown, but Jiang still has a certain degree of influence behind the scenes.

Hsieh Chin-ho, chairman of Investment Media and Wealth Magazine in Taiwan, said to Voice of America, The market value of Ants IPO could rise to more than $400 billion, but what if Ant has hidden anti-Xi shareholders?

He also believed this could be one of the reasons why Ant Groups IPO was blocked.

As early as 2014, the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times exclusively broke the story that after Zhou Yongkang, former Secretary of the CCPs Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission and important member of the Jiang faction, inspected Tencents data platform in 2011, Jiangs niece Jiang Jin was appointed as the person in charge of the government affairs of Tencent QQ.

Under Jiang Jin leadership, Tencent began deep cooperation with the CCPs Ministry of National Security and Ministry of Public Security.

Internet Financial Giants Required to Study The Spirit of Xi Jinpings Speech

Immediately after Ant Group was interviewed for the third time, on April 13, Zhejiang Province, where Ant Group is headquartered, held a special meeting on the Internet platform at which local officials stressed the need to further study and implement the spirit of Xi Jinpings speech at the ninth meeting of the Central Finance Commission.

When the 13 companies were later interviewed, the financial regulators emphasized the same requirement.

Among the interviewed companies, some are regarded as having a Jiang faction background, such as Tencent and Meituan Financial, in which Tencent has a stake.

Ren Chongdao, a researcher at think tank Tianjun Politics and Economy, told The Epoch Times that the CCP power struggle is behind the interviewing of the 13 companies and Ant Group. Once Internet financial platforms become big enough, they can greatly influence the flow of capital and market confidence, and control the consumer data. If the authorities cannot control these financial platforms, the consequences could be disastrous.

Ren used the turbulence of the Chinese stock market in 2015 as an example. A third of the value of A-shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange was lost in one month during that years market turmoil.

He said many people believed that the market crash was a result of collusion between anti-Xi forces within the CCP and foreign capital. Thats why the authorities now feel they must guard against similar risks and know who exactly is behind those big financial platforms.

By controlling the information and data, the authorities not only can monitor the people, but also can control the big data of peoples life and consumption. Thats why the authorities much take tight control over these platforms, Ren said.
President Joe Biden makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on May 18, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

39 Million Households, Including Most US Children, to Receive Stimulus Payments

President Joe Bidens administration will begin sending about 39 million U.S. families cash child benefit payments in July, the White House announced Monday.

Families who qualify will receive monthly payments from the Internal Revenue Service around the 15th of every month for the rest of the year, The Washington Post reported: $300 for children under six and $250 for children older than six.

Eighty-eight percent of all U.S. kids will receive the benefit according to Biden administration officials estimations, and 80 percent of that population will receive the payments directly through direct deposit, WaPo reported.

Parents who are high income will either receive no child benefits or smaller ones depending on their incomes, the publication reported, with credit receding for an individual who has an adjusted gross income of over $75,000 or couples with an adjusted gross income of over $150,000.

The American Rescue Plan is delivering critical tax relief to the middle class and hard-pressed working families with children, Biden said in a Monday statement. With todays announcement, about 90 percent of families with children will get this new tax relief automatically, starting in July.

While the American Rescue Plan provides for this vital tax relief to hard-working families for this year, Congress must pass the American Families Plan to ensure that working families will be able to count on this relief for years to come, he continued. For working families with children, this tax cut sends a clear message: help is here.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Biden also announced his new plan on April 29 to provide tax-payer funded universal preschool to all three-year-old and four-year-old children, a move that the White House said would benefit 5 million children.

The presidents plan will invest in tuition-free community college and teacher scholarships to support those who wish to earn a bachelors degree or other credential that supports their work as an educator or their work to become an early childhood educator, the White House said in a fact sheet in late April.

Bidens plan would invest $200 billion in the free universal preschool, including children from affluent families, The New York Times reported, giving childcare providers the funds to have small classrooms and class sizes to help children with disabilities. The plan would also cover the costs of childcare for struggling working families, the publication reported.

Critics like Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance insist that the plan does not take into account the preferences of working class Americans, many of whom would prefer to have one parent stay home with their child rather than pay for childcare.

By Mary Margaret Olohan

From The Daily Caller News Foundation
Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, speaks to reporters outside the building where his father lives, in New York City, on April 28, 2021. (Reuters/Screenshot via NTD)

Andrew Giuliani Announces Bid for New York Governor in 2022

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, announced Tuesday that hes officially running for governor of New York in 2022.

The young Giuliani, who also served as a former aide in the Trump administration, launched a campaign website on Tuesday, touting several of his accomplishments in the state and his experience as a business CEO while also completing an apprenticeship in finance and real estate during that time.

For New Yorkers, Andrew helped to preserve thousands of MTA jobs by facilitating CARES Act funding, the website reads. He also worked with the Treasury Department and Health and Human Services to ensure that the $3.9 million that had been inadvertently taken out of the 9/11 First Responders Fund over thirteen years and three administrations was completely refunded.

Giuliani, 35, told several media outlets early last month he was strongly considering a run for New York governor in 2022.

I plan to run, Giuliani told the Washington Examiner, saying that he believes he has the best chance to win and take the state back outside of anybody named Trump.

I think theres an opportunity in 2022 with a wounded Democratic candidate, whether its going to be Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo, whether its going to be a radical [Attorney General] Letitia James, whether its going to be a no-name lieutenant governor, I think theres a very, very real chance to win, he said.

Giuliani, who has never been elected to public office, will be running against several other Republicans who have already declared their candidacies, including Rep. Lee Zeldin, who currently represents the states 1st Congressional District and has already been backed by several Republican officials.

Giulianis announcement for candidacy comes amid a series of escalating controversies for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat now in his third term and expected to run for a fourth who has recently been met with multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him, as well as his handling of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, particularly regarding nursing home deaths.

Cuomo, 63, has denied the allegations against him.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference in New York, on May 10, 2021. (Mary Altaffer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

During an interview with the New York Post, Giuliani said he is confident in defeating the incumbent governor next year.

Im a politician out of the womb. Its in my DNA, he said, referring to his father, who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. I know we can defeat Andrew Cuomo in 2022. I am going to be the 57th governor of New York, he added.

Giuliani brought up Cuomos controversial actions related to thousands of deaths in nursing homes in New York, saying the governor should have resigned.

It was Andrew Cuomos actions that killed 9,000 senior citizens in nursing homes in New York, he said. Cuomo didnt use the USS Comfort ship or the Javits Center to house seniors with COVID. He didnt want to give President Trump a political victory.

In 2017, Giuliani was appointed by President Donald Trump to the position of associate director in the Office of Public Liaison. Late last year, Trump named him to serve on the United States Memorial Holocaust Council.

He was added as a contributor to Newsmax TV last month, after appearing as a guest on the conservative network while still employed by the White House.

Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report.

From NTD News
A woman waves a U.S. flag as a caravan of cars heads to a presidential debate watch party, in Golden Valley, Ariz., on Oct. 22, 2020. (Ariana Drehsler/AFP/Getty Images)

Arizona Gubernatorial Race Heats Up as Two GOP Candidates Launch Bids

Two Republicans have launched their bids for governor of Arizona in hopes of succeeding incumbent Gov. Doug Ducey in 2022, who will not be running due to term limits.

State Treasurer Kimberly Yee became the first major Republican to jump into the race on Monday, followed hours later by developer Karrin Taylor Robson.

Yee announced her plans in a video posted on Twitter, which she captioned, as Governor, Ill put Arizona First, urging supporters to join her in fighting back against Washington and the socialist agenda.

In the video, she praises former President Donald Trumps economic and immigration policies, vowing to tackle the border crisis.

Washington is simply not going to protect Arizona, refusing to enforce the law, opening our state to drug cartels, violence, and human traffickers, putting partisan games over safety and security, Yee said.

Yee vowed to continue President Trumps fight to secure our southern border and push back against what she said were socialist policies that disincentivize hard work and personal responsibility.

Joe Biden and the Washington Democrats are trying to strip away the values that make our country great, she alleged, vowing to promote opportunity over handouts.

President Trumps America First agenda had our economy booming like never before, she said, adding, but now our way of life is under attack by the corrupt press, reckless corporate leaders, and politicians who put socialist ideals over people.

Robson, who spent years as a developer and is founder and president of AZ Strategies, a land-use strategy firm based in Phoenix, announced her bid on a campaign website, which describes her as a successful business leader who has dedicated her life to fighting for our conservative values and committed to do whatever it takes to defend Arizona from the radical left.

In a video on her website, she said that, in just a few months, weve seen the direction Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to take this country, and as Arizonans we need to fight back.

While she did not provide details around her policy priorities, Robson said in the video she would spend the next several months traveling the state to hear from constituents about how we can stand together and fight the radical Biden-Harris agenda.

Some other possible GOP candidates for governor include former congressman Matt Salmon, former Ducey chief of staff Kirk Adams, and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Chucri, according to AZCentral.

On the Democrat side, former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez has also entered the race, announcing his bid in March. Other possible Democrats include Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, as well as former Phoenix mayor and current Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.).
Migrants disembarking in Tunisia, late Monday, on May 17, 2021. (IOM Tunisia via AP)

At Least 57 Migrants Drown in Shipwreck Off Tunisia

TUNISAt least 57 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunis as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy and 33 were rescued, humanitarian organisation Tunisian Red Crescent said on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, drowning incidents have occurred off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of trips to Europe from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy as the weather has improved.

Thirty-three Bengalis were rescued [and] 57 others drowned in a boat carrying about 90 migrants that set off from Libya towards Europe, Red Crescent official Mongi Slim told Reuters.

A security source confirmed that 57 migrants had drowned and 33 were rescued.

More than 60 migrants have died in recent weeks in similar incidents off the Tunisian coast.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR says fewer than 23,500 people have made its across the sea to Europe this year, with most new arrivals landing in Italy and Spain from Tunisia and Algeria.

The agency estimates that 633 people have died or gone missing in transit this year.

By Tarek Amara
L: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks on during a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand on March 17, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) R: Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Sydney, Australia on March 13, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Australia and New Zealand PMs Set for First Face-to-Face Talks Since Pandemic

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand (NZ) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet next week for their first face-to-face bilateral talks since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ardern said she looked forward to having a very practical discussion with Morrison on May 30 about a number of topics, including how both countries will re-engage with the world.

New Zealand wants to discuss what is next for Australia and New Zealand borders, how we look at the borders and how do we reengage with the world, Ardern said. I want to have a conversation on what our regions reconnection with the world will look like.

NZ and Australia have not held leader level dialogues for over a year due to the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and (R) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speak to the media at a press conference held at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 28, 2020. (James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

Morrison said in a media release on May 17 that he and his wife Jenny would be travelling to Queenstown to meet with Ardern and her fiancee Clark Gayford.

We look forward to the visit, Morrison said. We have many shared challenges to discuss. We are key partners in delivering COVID19 vaccines to our Pacific neighbours, we share common goals and values for the Indo-Pacific region, and we are major trading partners.

The meeting comes after NZ Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the Ardern government was uncomfortable with expanding the role of the Five Eyes alliance and preferred it to be just an intelligence-sharing organisation.

The Five Eyes was originally formed to assist in intelligence sharing but has evolved into a formal alliance with partner nations aligning their stance on pressing issues, including the economy, defence, Big Tech regulation, and foreign relations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta speaks to the media while standing with Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Aupito Sio (L) and Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien OConnor, in Wellington, New Zealand, on Dec. 1, 2020 (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

We would much rather prefer to look for multilateral opportunities to express our interests, Mahuta said on the matter.

Her comments prompted a stinging rebuke from conservative British MP Bob Seely who said the remarks signalled that NZ faced an ethical mess.

A quarter of our British supply chain is dominated by China, Seely said. The problem is that if we go further down that route, we end up like New Zealand, in a hell of an ethical mess, with a prime minister who virtue-signals while crudely sucking up to China and backing out of the Five Eyes agreement, which is an appallingly short-sighted thing to be doing.

Seelys comments speak to the efforts by like-minded liberal democracies to improve cooperation in the face of communist Chinas rise, and came as countries like the United States expressed support for Australia as it endured Beijings economic coercion.

On that point, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with Australia. That is a tired cliche, but the Australians are calling out China and doing so at trade risk, he said.

Ardern weeks later backtracked, saying the interests of the Chinese regime were becoming harder to reconcile on the world stage while noting that the differences dont define relations between the countries.

She affirmed that NZ will continue to support the international rules-based order, which many experts say Beijing has been challenging.
New money at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra, Australia on April 22, 2005 (Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Australian Finance Minister Confident of Keeping AAA Credit Rating

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham is confident Australia will retain its AAA credit rating after the government last week unveiled a big spending program with the release of the 2021-22 federal budget.

When asked on whether the government would be responsible for a possible downgrade of its credit rating after the release of the budget, Senator Birmingham responded, We are not expecting that to happen.

The rating agencies themselves issued their own statements, in their own words, last week in which they were very positive about the governments strategy in this budget and the approach we are taking, he told Sky News Australia.

The three main global credit agenciesMoodys Investors Service, Standard & Poors, and Fitch Ratingsall rate Australia as AAA, with the latter two issuing negative outlooks on the countrys recent performance.

Credit ratings are important because a downgrade would see the cost of borrowing money from overseas markets by Australian governments, businesses, and banks increase. These extra costs would, in turn, be passed onto consumers.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham with the 2021 budget papers at Parliament House on May 11, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Dominic Lorrimer  Pool/Getty Images)

However, in response to last weeks federal budget speech, Fitch Ratings said they believed that the governments big-spending initiative would likely pay off and exceed forecasts.

We believe there is potential for the public finances to overperform relative to the budgets projections, given its relatively conservative assumptions for iron ore prices and employment, a statement from Fitch Ratings said.

They also expect the government to reel in spending in the fiscal year of 2023 once unemployment comes under 5 percent, a benchmark set by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

Last week, Frydenberg unveiled around $100 billion in new spending measures to spur the Australian economy and drive down the unemployment rate.

There is no economic recovery without a jobs recovery, and there is no budget recovery without a jobs recovery, he told the National Press Club in his post-budget speech.

The budget included funding boosts to several sectors such as healthcare, aged care, mental health, womens services, and education. It also included tax breaks for low-to-middle income earners and extending asset write-offs for business.

Federal Labor Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers claimed the budget left too many segments of society behind.

Its not a recovery if we go back to the type of inequality and immobility which has characterised the Liberals eight long years in office, Chalmers told attendees at an Australian Council of Social Services event.

During the Federal Oppositions budget reply, Labor Leader Anthony Albanese said the governments budget was a missed opportunity for Australia and claimed it was nothing more than the sorry tale of eight years of Liberal neglect.

Albanese, however, did not repudiate many of the spending measures announced by Frydenberg, instead he announced new initiatives including $10 billion towards 30,000 social housing homes over the next five years.
A group of migrants, mainly from Honduras and Nicaragua, wait along a road after turning themselves in upon crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in La Joya, Texas on Monday, May 17, 2021. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo File)

Biden Administration Commits to Admitting 250 Asylum-Seekers Per Day, Attorney Says

SAN DIEGOThe Biden administration has agreed to let about 250 people a day through border crossings with Mexico to seek refuge in the United States, part of negotiations to settle a lawsuit over pandemic-related powers that deny migrants a right to apply for asylum, an attorney said Monday.

The government also said it would stop flying illegal immigrant families from Texas Rio Grande Valley to El Paso, Texas, and San Diego to then be expelled to Mexico under pandemic powers, said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has sued in federal court in Washington, D.C. The government has reserved rights to resume flights if it deems the circumstances warrant.

The government concessions would dramatically reshape exercise of powers known as Title 42, named for a section of an obscure 1944 law that President Donald Trump used to let the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention effectively end asylum at the border while it sought to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Biden has exempted unaccompanied children from Title 42 but kept it for single adults and many families. He has come under criticism from progressives for keeping asylum off-limits to many and for encouraging some parents to send children across the border alone. Enforcement-minded critics say exempting children traveling alone led to record numbers crossing and that lifting restrictions more will invite many more people to come.

The government and the ACLU agreed to a streamlined process for assessing and addressing exemption requests brought by particular vulnerable families and other individuals, Gelernt said. Once fully up and running, an estimated 250 particularly vulnerable individuals will be allowed in daily to seek humanitarian protection through a consortium of nongovernmental organizations. They must test for COVID-19 before entering the country.

About 2,000 people have already been allowed to enter the country, exempted from the pandemic-related powers to pursue asylum or other forms of protection while in the United States, Gelernt said.

While these concessions will hopefully save lives, they are not a substitute for eliminating Title 42 and restoring asylum processing fully, Gelernt said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Open border advocates have ratcheted up pressure to lift pandemic-related powers entirely, arguing that they cannot be defended solely on grounds of protecting public health. Illegal immigrants are typically expelled to Mexico within two hours of getting picked up by Border Patrol agents.

Administration officials, while insisting that the powers are in place for public health reasons, have repeatedly said they need more time to develop the humane asylum system that Biden promised during his campaign.

The Biden administration has been running daily flights for up to 135 people from Brownsville, Texas, to El Paso and San Diego since Mexican authorities in Tamaulipas state sharply limited the number of Central American families it would take back, citing a law in Mexico that took effect in January against detaining migrant children. Families are expelled from El Paso and San Diego, border cities where Mexican authorities have been more amenable to taking them back than in Texas Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.

The Border Patrols more than 173,000 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in April were the highest level since April 2000, though the numbers arent directly comparable because more than six of 10 were expelled under pandemic-related powers. Being expelled carries no legal consequences, so many people try to cross multiple times.

Authorities encountered 17,171 children traveling alone in April, down from an all-time high of 18,960 in March.

There were about 50,000 people encountered in families in April. About one of every three in families was expelled to Mexico. The rest were allowed to remain in the United States to seek asylum.

By Elliot Spagat
Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden leave after Biden delivered remarks on COVID-19 response and the vaccination program from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP)

Biden and Harris Release 2020 Tax Returns

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released their 2020 tax returns on May 17, disclosing the incomes for themselves and their spouses for the year prior to their inauguration.

The disclosure came on Tax Day, the individual tax filing deadline for the vast majority of Americans.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden earned a combined income of $607,336, according to a copy (pdf) of their tax return. The president and first lady paid 25.9 percent in federal taxes on their income, for a total of $157,414. They also paid $29,237 in state taxes in Delaware and Virginia.

The Bidens donated more than $30,000 to ten charities, about 5.1 percent of their income. The largest donation went to the Beau Biden Foundation, a charity dedicated to child abuse prevention.

Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff earned $1,695,225 in 2020 and paid $621,893 in federal income tax, according to a copy (pdf) of their tax return. The tax payments amounted to more than one-third of their income, 36.7 percent. The vice president and the second gentleman paid an additional $182,001 in state taxes in California and the District of Columbia.

Harris and Emhoff contributed $27,006 to charity in 2020, less than 2 percent of their income, according to the tax documents.

The White House said in a press release that Mondays disclosure marks the 23rd year that Biden released his taxes and the 17th year that Harris has done so. Their predecessors, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, broke with years of precedent and did not disclose their tax returns during their four years in office.

The White House also released financial disclosure forms for Biden and Harris on Monday. The Bidens hold more than $1 million in assets in an array of banks and investments accounts, their disclosure form (pdf) shows. Harris and Emhoff have more than $300,000 in cash across multiple banks, according to their disclosure forms (pdf).

Neither the President nor the Vice President [has] any conflicts of interest, the White House said in a statement accompanying the release of the disclosure forms.
Biden Supports Ceasefire After Pressure From Dems, Reiterates Support for Israels Right to Self Defense

President Joe Biden on Monday expressed his support for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel following pressure from a group of Democrats, who want the ceasefire being backed by China and other countries at the United Nations Security Council.

The president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end, the White House said in a statement about a conversation between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Bidens comments come a day after the United States at a United Nations Security Council meeting had voted against a statement calling for a ceasefirea vote that signals U.S. support of Israels right to self defense against attacks from terrorist groups in Gaza.

Biden, while expressing his support for a ceasefire on Monday, also reiterated his continued firm support for Israels right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks, according to the statementa position the administration has held since fighting began on May 10.

Part of the discussion between the two leaders was about the progress of Israelis military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, according to the White House.

Bidens latest statement to support a ceasefire comes after 28 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), issued a joint statement on Sunday urging for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Israel and the Palestinian territories to prevent further loss of life and further escalation of violence.

Meanwhile, 19 Senate Republicans introduced a resolution (pdf) on Monday to reaffirm the United States unequivocal support for Israels right to defend itself, with no mention of support for a ceasefire.

Lets remember what we are witnessing: these are terrorists ruthlessly attacking an ally. Defense of these terrorists is unthinkable., Sen Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is leading the GOP resolution, said in a statement.

Acts of aggression toward Israel will never be tolerated. Im proud to lead a resolution reaffirming the United States full and unapologetic support for Israel as it defends its citizens from these reprehensible attacks, he added.

Its time for President Biden to stop cowering to the anti-Israel radical left and remind these terrorists and the world of the United States strong and unwavering support of the Israeli people, Scott said.

Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), one of the lawmakers who supported the Republican resolution, said in a statement, Israel is our strongest ally. President Biden should unapologetically reaffirm U.S. support of Israel and its right to defend itself. The Lefts moralistic calls for a ceasefire are little more than a propaganda win for Hamas.

Bidens statement contradicts U.S. actions on Sunday to block a joint statement from the 15-nation U.N. Security Council calling for a ceasefire and condemnation of Israels military response to being attackeda stance backed by the Chinese Communist Party. The United States had also twice over the past week blocked similar resolutions.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the United Nations Security Council that it Washington would be ready to offer support should the parties seek a ceasefire.

The United States has been working tirelessly through diplomatic channels to try to bring an end to this conflict, she told the 15-member council. Because we believe Israelis and Palestinians equally have a right to live in safety and security. AFP reported that Biden officials said a statement from the Security Council could backfire.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken signaled earlier that the United States did not intend to pressure the two sides. Ultimately, it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire, Blinken told reporters during a trip to Denmark.

Netanyahu told Israeli security officials late Monday that Israel would continue to strike terror targets in Gaza as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

More Than 130 Terrorists Killed: Israeli Military

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) announced late on Monday that Hamas and other terrorist groups had fired about 3,350 rockets from Gaza at Israel, 200 of which were fired on Monday alone.

Meanwhile, Israeli air and artillery strikes have killed more than 130 terrorists, and IDF fighter jets have, overnight, neutralized 9.3 miles of tunnel systems used by Hamas, the group said.

At least 212 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The IDF noted that about 450 rockets launched by Hamas that misfired and exploded inside Gaza. Meanwhile, ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have also been killed by Hamass ongoing rocket attacks launched toward civilian areas in Israel.

The Israeli military explained that there have been more Palestinian deaths in part because Hamas and the Islamic Jihad had deliberately place rocket launchers and military sites within densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip and encouraged Gazan civilians to remain in the area, even when the IDF warned them to evacuate.

An Israeli military spokesman also said that about a third of the terrorist rockets fired had fallen short and caused damage and casualties inside Gaza.

In response to non-stop rocket fire on Israeli civilians, the IDF launched Operation Guardian of the Walls one week ago. Heres whats happened so far: pic.twitter.com/sBcXSKxiMz  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 17, 2021

The IDF said it has been able to protect Israeli civilians via its Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, which has intercepted about 90 percent of rockets from the terrorist groups. Israel also has easily-accessible bomb shelters all over the country where thousands have sought refuge over the past week.

Streaks of light are seen as Israels Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, May 11, 2021. (Nir Elias/Reuters)

The conflict was triggered by a riot on May 10, when Palestinian rioters and Israeli police clashed in and around the Masjid al-Aqsa Mosquea compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The riot also coincided with a planned Jewish nationalist march in honor of the annual Jerusalem Day and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

In his statement, Biden said he welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem. He also encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on May 10 that extremist Palestinians had planned rocks and the pieces of intentionally broken furniture inside a mosque for the riots that took place that morning. He shared video footage writing, Watch: Paestinian [sic] rioters throw rocks and firecrackers on the #TempleMount. They stored them overnight, preparing to riot today.

Israels Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan said on Sunday during the emergency U.N. meeting that the recent attacks by Hamas had been premeditated in order to gain political power in the West Bank at the expense of the Palestinian Authority. He had explained in detail on May 12 that the Israeli government had asked the nations courts to avoid sensitive rulings around important calendar events before Hamas fired the first rocket in the conflict, adding that in a democratic country, the government had no control over court decisions.

You cannot justify launching missiles and rockets deliberately on civilians with any legal dispute. Nothing can justify such an attack, he said.

Israeli police on May 10 fired teargas and stun grenades into the area surrounding the mosque to disperse the unruly rioters as innocent people fled the area, video showed. Hamas on May 10 demanded that Israel remove its police from the area by 6 p.m. local time. Minutes after 6 p.m., the terrorist group fired more than 150 rockets into Israel, triggering the IDF to counter the attacks with airstrikes toward terrorist targets in the Gaza strip.

Melanie Sun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bidens Build Back Better Plan Could Shrink the Economy, Analysts Say

WASHINGTONPresident Joe Biden is calling on Congress to approve more than $4 trillion in infrastructure and social welfare packages as part of his Build Back Better agenda. While his ambitious plans aim to spur economic and job growth, analysts predict the proposed spending and tax increases would shrink the U.S. economy in the long term.

On March 31, Biden announced the American Jobs Plan, his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal that dedicates the majority of spending on progressive priorities such as climate change. He described his proposal as the largest American jobs investment since World War II in a speech in Pittsburgh on the day of the announcement.

His spending plan, which includes significant tax increases on corporations, is unlikely to gain bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Republicans earlier labeled the infrastructure plan a Trojan horse for progressive priorities and deficit spending rather than addressing systemic issues with roads and bridges.

The University of Pennsylvanias Penn Wharton budget model projects that Bidens infrastructure plan would spend $2.7 trillion over the next 10 years. This amount is $400 billion more than announced by the White House, as it includes clean energy tax credits not listed in the administrations original announcement.

According to the Penn Wharton model, the spending and tax provisions of the plan would end up reducing gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.8 percent by 2050.

While the proposals business tax hikes decrease government debt over the long term, it would discourage business investment and thus reduce GDP, according to a report by Penn Wharton analysts.

Biden proposes substantial tax increases on U.S. corporations to pay for his ambitious spending package. It aims to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from the current rate of 21 percent, a level that would put it above global peers and potentially reduce U.S. competitiveness.

The American Families Plan, which is the second component of Bidens Build Back Better agenda, consists of about $1 trillion in investments and $800 billion in tax cuts and credits for families and workers, according to the White House. The new spending proposal focuses on expanding the welfare state by providing access to good education, affordable child care, and more. Child care support receives the most funds under the plan.

Biden proposes to increase taxes on high-income households to pay for this spending.

Penn Wharton analysts projected that the plan would actually spend $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years, about $700 billion more than the administration has announced. The plan would increase government debt by almost 5 percent and decrease GDP by 0.4 percent by 2050, the analysts wrote in the report.

This analysis is contrary to what Moodys has projected. Moodys touted Bidens spending packages, saying that they would make the U.S. economys growth prospects brighter in the long term.

The Build Back Better plan would increase the economys long-run growth by increasing productivity growth, labor force participation, and hours worked, Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moodys Analytics, wrote in a report.

Zandi, who advised progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) during her presidential campaign, also pushed back against the concerns that higher tax rates would shrink the economic growth. He claimed theres little evidence that President Donald Trumps tax cuts signed into law in 2017 meaningfully boosted business investments.

If the tax cuts did not lift economic growth, it is tough to argue that increasing them will appreciably hurt growth, he wrote.

According to Moodys, Bidens proposals would increase tax revenues by $3.5 trillion, about half of which would come from increased taxes on corporations and the other half on high-income and wealthy individuals.

This week Republicans are expected to unveil a new counter-proposal to Bidens $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. Last month, Senate Republicans led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) proposed a $568 billion infrastructure package, which Democrats criticized as inadequate.

The White House indicated that it would move forward with its own spending plans if no bipartisan deal can be reached. The two parties remain far apart on the priorities and how to pay for them.

A lot of the big of domestic political decisions of the last generation have all been enacted with zero or near-zero support from the opposition party, according to Nick Eberstadt, political economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

Policies that are rammed through by one political party, without any support from the other, remain in jeopardy, he told The Epoch Times.

If one wishes to have a policy with durability and resilience, its much better, if possible, to find a bipartisan basis of support.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint news conference following a meeting with Icelandic foreign minister at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 18, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)

Blinken Says US Received More Information on Gaza High-Rise Bombing

REYKJAVIKU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Washington had received further information about Israels destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organizations.

But he declined to comment further on it.

We did seek further information from Israel on this question, Blinken said at a joint briefing with Icelands foreign minister in Reykjavik. Its my understanding that weve received some further information through intelligence channels, and its not something I can comment on, he said.

Israels military said its fighter jets struck the multi-story building because it was being used by the groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad and that terrorist attacks were directed from there, but has not made public any evidence for that claim.

The Associated Press top editor Sally Buzbee on Sunday said they were yet to see any evidence from Israeli officials to justify the bombing and added that her organization wants an independent investigation into the incident.

A call from U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday in support of a ceasefire appeared to go unheeded, although cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas seemed to abate slightly early on Tuesday.

Ron Dermer, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington and now an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN that evidence has been provided to Washington.

Brigadier-General Hidai Zilberman, chief Israeli military spokesman, told Israels Army Radio on Tuesday that Hamas military intelligence offices were in the building, as well as assets of Islamic Jihad.

These are people tasked with collecting information about IDF combat troops and the southern [Israeli] communities, in order to carry out all the attacks, Zilberman said of those allegedly based in the building. These are the people who directed the terrorist attacks on the communities of the Gaza periphery.

By Humeyra Pamuk and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
Californias Mask Mandate Remains in Place

California will continue its mask mandate until the economy fully reopens in June, the states health and human services secretary says.

The announcement May 17 by Dr. Mark Ghaly came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 13 released new guidelines for the fully vaccinated. The CDC said masks and social distancing are no longer necessary for those who are inoculated against COVID-19.

However, the new rules dont apply to California quite yet, Ghaly said.

On June 15, California plans to implement the CDCs guidelines around masking to allow fully vaccinated Californians to go without a mask in most indoor settings, Ghaly said in a May 17 statement.

While California is waiting to implement the CDCs guidelines, some grocery stores in Orange County have extended its guidelines to shoppers.

Grocery chains Trader Joes, Wal-Mart, and Costco have lifted mask mandates for vaccinated customers, while other stores such as Ralphs are waiting until June 15.

The California Department of Industrial relations didnt comment on certain grocery stores not requiring masks for vaccinated shoppers but told The Epoch Times that the emergency temporary standards to prevent COVID-19 are still in effect.

Vaccination Update

As California prepares to reopen in June, Ghaly urged residents to get vaccinated to ensure infections and hospitalization rates remain low.

Orange Countys large-scale vaccination sites are preparing to close June 6, as the county is shifting its vaccination efforts to accessible mobile sites.

We already offer a pretty robust mobile network, but our plan is to even amplify that and make it more robust, doubling the number of neighborhood clinics or mobile clinics that weve been doing and offering that as another conduit, or offering for individuals to get vaccinated closer to where they live or work, Orange County Health Care Agencys Margaret Bredehoft said on May 6.

As of May 10, minors aged 12 to 15 are permitted to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a county site offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau said, With vaccine supply more widely available in OC, we want parents and legal guardians to know that they have a variety of options to choose from when deciding where to vaccinate their eligible child.

Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said she understood the states newly announced decision to wait until June 15 to lift the mask mandate. The June date is when state officials are expected to lift most virus-related restrictions if current positive trends continue.

I think every state has to decide whatevers appropriate for them, Bartlett said. In certain parts of the country, theyre having issues getting their people vaccinated, whereas in other parts of the country like California, were doing much better statewide. But out of an abundance of caution, especially with all of the variants swirling around, thats probably why we want to wait another month.

Bartlett said as more social distancing restrictions are relaxed, it makes sense to see the impact on the rate of infections.

The state is watching what is happening as counties are opening up more of their economy, she said. That may give an indication what could happen on June 15 when we open things up statewide and were out of the tier methodology.

City News Service contributed to this report.
The Simandou mine will be the largest in Africa (in the red oval). Source Rio Tinto.

China Begins Targeting African Iron Mines to Eliminate Dependence on Australia

News Analysis

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called the President of Sierra Leone, promising to help the small West African country with its fight on the pandemic. He emphasized that the two sides should expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Analysts speculate that the move is related to the rich mineral resources in Sierra Leone that China needs.

China is the worlds largest steel producer. However, as the low quality and quantity of domestic iron ore are far from meeting the needs of domestic steel production, 80 percent of the ore is imported, mostly from Australia and Brazil.

Last year, the Australian government called on the international community to launch an independent investigation into the origins of the Chinese Communist Party virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. China soon retaliated by starting an invisible trade war between the two countries. To remove its dependence on imports from Australia, Beijing issued an unofficial ban, urging the Chinese steel industry to switch to Brazilian iron ore, despite its relatively low quality.

However, Brazils mines encountered extreme rains this year, resulting in reduced shipments and insufficient supply at the iron ore mines. In addition, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hinted on May 5 that the CCP virus may be a biological weapon developed by the CCP.

For these reasons, the CCP has turned to India, as well as Africa, which is rich in mineral resources.

CCP Grabs Iron Ore in Africa At All Costs

At the end of last year, both Congo and Cameroon withdrew the mining rights of Australias Sundance company to the 5.64 billion tons of Mbalam-Nabeba project iron ore that spanned the two countries, and transferred part of the mines to Chinese companies.

As early as 2012 and 2014, Sundance signed agreements with the governments of Cameroon and Congo to mine the iron ore. At that time, the company planned to invest $8.7 billion for the constructions of a 360-mile railway and iron ore terminal.

Sierra Leone, located on the west coast of Africa, is rich in iron ore. Chinese companies have been operating there for about 10 years, and restarted a suspended project last year.

Chinas state-owned Shandong Iron and Steel Company started operations at Tonkolili iron ore and exported the ore to China in 2011. The export volume peaked in 2014 at 19.03 million tons. After 2017, due to the Ebola virus epidemic and low prices for iron ore, the Tonkolili project was halted. Sierra Leones annual iron ore exports to China then plummeted to below 1 million tons in 2018, and to zero in 2020.

Chinese company, Qinghua Investment Co., Ltd., took over the iron ore on Sept. 23, 2020, and resumed operations. The first shipment headed to China on Jan. 29, this year.

In addition, the CCP has invested $14 billion in Guinea to obtain the mining rights of its Simandou mine, a gigantic mine with more than 2.25 billion tons of iron ore reserves that is located in a remote mountainous area. Chinese companies are currently constructing railways in Guinea to prepare for the Simandou project. It is estimated that it will take at least 5-7 years for the mine to start producing.

A research report released in July last year by Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank on international policies, pointed out that the CCPs iron ore strategy in Africa is long-term and at any cost.

China has options in Africa, and even if newly tapped African iron ore deposits take several years and massive injections of capital to develop, this will not deter China, who knows how to play the long game, the report stated.

Similarly, the China-Africa Trade Research Center, a CCP think tank, emphasized in a report released on April 20, that the CCP has multiple choices in Africa, therefore, even if the newly invested African iron mines require several years of development and huge sum of capital injection, it will not stop Chinas investment.

Li Yanming, a U.S.-based expert on China issues, told The Epoch Times that Xi Jinpings personal involvement in talking to leaders of these African countries shows his determination to be rid of Chinas dependence on Australia. It also indicates that Chinas iron ore imports are in trouble. The CCP hopes that working with these African countries will be an alternative option to save itself from a serious predicament.
People wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Linquan county, Fuyang city, in eastern China's Anhui province on May 13, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas COVID-19 Outbreaks Worsen, Officials Dismissed as Clinics Lose License

The Chinese Communist Party has punished tens of its officials in the wake of worsening COVID-19 outbreaks across the country. It also revoked the business licenses of three clinics and their doctors on May 16 and 17.

On May 17, 17 regions in northeastern Chinas Liaoning Province and eastern Chinas Anhui Province were designated as medium-risk for contracting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

Concerned about the increase in official case reports, records showed a 13.95 million jump in doses of vaccine administered on May 16the largest number for a single day since March 24 when the regime started reporting the number of daily vaccinations.

According to reports, the latest outbreaks have been linked to cases that first showed symptoms in early May, when Chinese had five days off during the Labor Day holiday period. Around 230 million passenger trips were made.

In the hopes of keeping their jobs, Anhui officials deferred responsibility for their local outbreaks by claiming that their first patient was infected in Liaoning province, while the Liaoning provincial government claimed their outbreak was caused by two visitors from Anhui.

On May 17, Chinese netizens shared videos on social media showing that the regime was again fully restricting the movement of people in whole residential buildings by welding shut iron gates, affixing paper seals, or locking doors with iron padlocks from the outside.

Once one resident is infected (with CCP virus), the whole residential compound will be sealed, a business owner at Yujingwan III residential compound in Yuan district, Liuan city, Anhui, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times in a phone interview on May 17.

Other interviewees from Anhui and Liaoning told of a similar situation they were facing. They complained that they didnt know the real situation of the outbreak due to the governments control of information but had lost their freedom, leaving them worried that they are not able to get out in case of an emergency.

The Chinese regime has not been forthcoming with reporting the scale of its COVID-19 outbreak. It has been criticized for only employing extreme control measures on its people. Interviewees from different Chinese regions have told The Epoch Times over the past months that loved ones have died due to being unable to leave their locked down residence to get to hospital when sick.

People wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Linquan county, Fuyang city, in eastern Chinas Anhui province on May 13, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Worsening Outbreaks

On May 17, Anhui and Liaoning officially reported new CCP virus infections, and emphasized that they would speed up mass testing of all residents to help find all possible infections for quarantine to curb the outbreak.

Patients from Liuan and Hefei cities in Anhui, and Yingkou and Shenyang cities in Liaoning tested positive.

Schools were closed in the cities and officials locked down the residential compounds, with residents not allowed to leave their homes.

Both provincial governments announced that the first patients in their regions started to experience symptoms during the May vacation from May 1 to May 5.

A diagnosed COVID-19 patient, whose surname is Lv, visited a clinic in Yingkou city in Liaoning on the evening of May 3, and was treated for a sore throat. Liuan Shian Hospital and Xianglingan Community Clinic in Anhui treated several patients over the national holiday but diagnosed them with regular fever and didnt report the cases to the local government medical departments.

On May 17, Liaoning dismissed three officials from Yingkou city and warned nine other officials by recording a severe failure in their official resumes. Three other officials were reprimanded. On May 16, officials who were in charge of the Yuan district health commission were sacked, and the district party boss and mayor confessed in front of the citys party boss and mayor.

The three clinics in Liaoning and Anhui that treated patients during the May vacation were forced to close and have lost their business licenses. Their doctors were also fired by communist party orders and they have been banned from medical practice for at least a year.

However, the regime says it hasnt identified the origin of the outbreak, as well as whether the virus has spread to other cities.

People wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Linquan county, Fuyang city, in eastern Chinas Anhui province on May 13, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Origin of the Outbreaks

The Anhui provincial government said in a public statement that the patient who brought the virus to the province had visited five cities in three provinces from April 26 to May 2, including Lanzhou, Dalian, Yingkou, Hefei, and Liuan.

The provincial regime emphasized that another patient, who was among the first diagnosed group, had visited Yingkou and started to have symptoms on May 3.

However, the Liaoning provincial government said that from their investigations, all diagnosed patients had contacted the Anhui visitors or their close contacts, and the Anhui visitors had never contacted people who came back to China from overseas when they were in Liaoning.

Wu Zunyou, a chief epidemic disease specialist for Chinas CDC, repeated the CCPs party line on the topic to Chinese media The Paper on May 15: The origin of all new outbreaks in China is from overseas, no matter if its human or goods that transmitted the virus to China.

After the COVID-19 outbreak in central Chinas Wuhan city in Hubei Province was reported to have ended in 2020, the Chinese regime claimed that all newly spread CCP cases were from overseas, without mentioning that Wuhan was ground zero of the global pandemic.
A Fudan University sign is seen on the campus in Shanghai, China, on Dec. 18, 2019. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas Fudan University to Set Up Campus in Budapest, Triggering Security Concerns

News Analysis

Hungary signed an agreement with Fudan University on April 27 to set up a campus in its capital city of Budapest. This will be Fudans only overseas campus and another Chinese university to establish a campus in Europe, following Beijing University in 2018 in the UK and Shanghais Tongji University in Italy in 2014. However, the joint initiative has raised security concerns among Hungarian lawmakers.

The New Campus Is Based on the BRI Investment Model

According to official government documents obtained in April by Hungarian media Direkt36, the Hungarian government plans to work with a major Chinese construction company to construct Fudan Universitys new campus in Budapest. The construction is expected to be completed in 2024. Fudan University is based in Shanghai.

The investigative report claimed that the draft proposal of the Fudan campus project was co-authored by two Hungarian ministersMinister of Innovation and Technology Laszlo Palkovics and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. According to the proposal, Hungary would provide 300 [million] [around $360 million] directly for the investment, while a remaining 1.3 [billion] [around $1.56 billion] would be lent by China and state-owned China Development Bank has already submitted a preliminary financing proposal.

The proposal revealed that the project would use a certain number of construction materials and labor from China and that Hungary would pay for it through a Chinese loan.

The Chinese contractor does not even have to fear that another bidder would beat them in open competition because the [d]ocuments state that the construction can only be carried out as a Chinese only project,' Direkt36 reported.

The documents also stated that the project was based on the model of the Budapest-Belgrade railway investment.

The Budapest-Belgrade railway is part of Chinas Belt & Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road) project in Hungary. The railway links Budapest with the Serbian capital Belgrade, with a total length of 22o miles (350 kilometers). The estimated investment of this project is $2.89 billion, with Beijing financing 85 percent of the project, according to the Chinese news portal Sina. The railway is described by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as its landmark project for cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries, according to state-run media Xinhua.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony expressed strong opposition to Fudan Universitys new campus, saying he is concerned with indebting our kids with more than 500 billion forints just for Hungary to serve Chinese influence acquisition in Europe, according to a report published by Hungary Today on April 19.

Various opposition politicians have already raised concerns that the Chinese state university will be a national security risk, the report said.

The CCP Controls All Schools in China

Article 30 of the CCPs Constitution stipulates: A primary-level Party organization shall be formed in any enterprise, villagers committee, government organ, school, research institute, subdistrict and community, social organization, company of the Peoples Liberation Army, and any other primary-level danwei [workplaces] where there are three or more full Party members.

All Chinese schools, including primary schools, middle schools, and universities, have CCP establishments, depending on the number of Communist Party members. Chinese universities usually have a CCP committee, led by a party secretary. And the schools president must carry out the party secretarys decisions.

In December 2019, Fudan University revised its charter, which triggered debate among its students. In its new charter, freedom of thought was removed from the preamble, and academic independence was placed after the new term patriotic dedication. Chinese leader Xi Jinpings socialist ideologies were added in the charter.

Then-Chinese vice chair Xi Jinping unveils a plaque at the opening of Australias first Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute at the RMIT University in Melbourne on June 20, 2010. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

The amendment clearly highlights the leadership of the Party Committee as the universitys president no longer had the right to exercise his/her authority independently.

The CCP Uses Central and Eastern Europe as a Springboard to Penetrate Western Europe

As early as 2012, the CCP initiated the 16+1 Cooperation, which is a joint cooperation between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Of these 16 countries, 11 are members of the European Union and five are non-EU countries, with a significant proportion being former socialist countries.

Hungary was among the first EU countries to join the 16+1 Cooperation and the first European country to sign a BRI agreement with China in 2015. In 2017, bilateral trade between China and Hungary surpassed $10 billion, according to official Chinese data. Despite the EUs criticism of the Chinese regimes human rights record, Hungary has repeatedly defended the CCP.

The CCP has been active in investing in Central and Eastern Europe. From the Baltic states to the Balkans, Chinese companies, flush with money, are buying real estate and competing for public infrastructure contracts, as noted by The New York Times in a September 2010 report. They are also investing in the manufacturing of products like electronics and chemicals to gain a foothold inside Europes expansive single market, the report said.

Ma Changlin, the former economic and trade counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Poland, was quoted by the Times as saying that the CCP is interested in using the region as a springboard to the rest of the European Union.

As of the end of June 2020, the CCP had invested $3.05 billion directly and over $12 billion indirectly in Central and Eastern European countries, according to official data released on the website of the CCPs Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries.

The CCPs Technology Theft in UK Universities

More and more Britons are aware of the serious infiltration of the Chinese regime in their country. British universities are a source of cutting-edge technology for the CCP, including prestigious schools as Cambridge and Imperial College.

Roughly 500 Chinese military scientists have had stints at UK universities over the past ten years, including some who worked on jet aircraft, supercomputers, missiles, and a thin film that could be used to disguise tanks, Daily Mail revealed in a report on Oct. 28, 2019.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) wears 3-D glasses as he is shown a demonstration of medical equipment during a Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery presentation at Imperial College London, in central London on Oct. 21, 2015. (Anthony Devlin/AFP via Getty Images)

CHISA, a magazine governed by Chinas Ministry of Education, openly acknowledged in its April 2019 issue that the CCPs National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) sends three to eight students to Cambridge each year for doctoral studies.

Established in 1953, NUDT is Chinas first military engineering institution of higher education. Its predecessor was the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Military Institute of Engineering, and because it was located in Harbin, its called Harbin Military Engineering for short. The cooperation between NUDT and the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, best known for its quantum information research, includes producing the next generation of supercomputer . . . talents for China, the Daily Mail reported on July 17, 2020.

In February 2015, NUDT was added to the Entity List by the U.S. Department of Commerce, because NUDT has used U.S.-origin multicores, boards, and (co)processors to produce the TianHe-1A and TianHe-2 supercomputers located at the National Supercomputing Centers in Changsha, Guangzhou, and Tianjin. The TianHe-1A and TianHe-2 supercomputers are believed to be used in nuclear explosive activities as described in  744.2(a) of the EAR, according to a rule by the U.S. Industry and Security Bureau on Feb. 18, 2015.

A report by the think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has noted that [a]t least four of Chinas 12 state-owned defence industry conglomerates (defence state-owned enterprises, or defence SOEs) have a substantial presence in overseas universities.

These companies seek to increase their access to world-class training, expertise, and technology through exchanges and joint laboratories with foreign universities, ASPI wrote.

According to the report, the British universities involved include the University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Exeter, University of Birmingham, University of Strathclyde, and the University of Nottingham.

According to a 2020 report by the Daily Mail, Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow have collaborated with Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and University of Electronic Science and Technology (UEST), posing a very high risk to national security. Both Chinese education institutions are deeply involved with the Chinese regimes national defense, with HIT being one of the seven leading universities with deep roots in the military and defence industry, while UEST with Chinese military background, according to ASPI.

In October 2019, The Times published a report, revealing that GCHQ, the UKs Government Communications Headquarters, issued a warning to British universities to put national security before commercial interest as fears grow over state theft of research and intellectual property from campuses.

In another report by The Times on Jan. 30, GCHQ has again warned universities about hostile state actors targeting British institutions to steal personal data, research data and intellectual property that could be used for their own military, commercial and authoritarian interests.

The UK announced earlier this year that it was tightening visas for Chinese students and researchers amid concerns about the theft of intellectual property, The Times reported in January.
Students wave flags of the Communist Party as they prepare to watch a movie "The Founding of a Party" in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, on March 23, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Education Stocks Plunge as Beijing Announces It Will Take Part in Operation of Private Schools

Chinese education providers saw a slump in stock prices as Beijing announced that private schools should adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party under a new law. Experts consider that the regime plans to further erode the operational independence of the education system.

The amended Private Education Promotion Law highlights the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), requiring party members to take part in decision-making and supervisory processes, as well as specified educational activities at private schools.

The supervisory body should include representatives of grassroots organizations of the Party, said in a press release from Chinas State Council on May 14.

[Private schools should] adhere to the direction of socialism,  to strengthen the education of the core socialist values of the educated, according to Article Four of the new regulation, which will come into effect on Sept. 1.

The policy indicates that foreign-invested or foreign-controlled organizations may not be involved in the privately-run compulsory education institutions.

Similar provisions also target Internet technology, teaching materials, and teachers, who are supposed to receive appropriate ideological and political training.

The announcement caused the Chinese education stock market to plunge during the day.

New Oriental Education & Techno, a leading private education service provider in China, commonly known as New Oriental, fell over 14 percent, hitting a new low since its listing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its affiliated online teaching platform, New Oriental Online (Koolearn), was down over 4 percent.

Another Hong Kong stock exchange-listed company, China Chuanglian Education Financial, also plunged 20 percent.

Ge Bidong, independent scholar and China commentator, told The Epoch Times that the decline in education stocks is an instinctive reaction of the market, reflecting the history of CCPs curtailing basic rights to private property and enterprise.

People saw the return of the extreme ideological control of the Cultural Revolution  in which the CCP robbed and eliminated private capital, he said.

Growing private schools had taken up one-third of domestic educational institutions, educating nearly one-fifth of all students in China by 2020, Chinas state media reported.

Private education institutions have popularized introducing advanced international education models, Ge said, which may go against CCP ideology and are to be called off.

Renamed University

Following the announcement, Hupan University, an elite business school founded by Jack Ma, former CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, was confirmed to be renamed as Zhejiang Hupan Entrepreneurship Research Center, after being forced to suspend the first-year classes by Chinese authorities, which were to begin in late March.

The University responded on May 17 that the name change was to avoid being misunderstood as an institution not being able to offer authorized certification to graduates.

Frank Tian Xie, a professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken, said the regime would not be upset by the losses of the stock market, nor the development of the education industry, but would maintain its rule.

What these institutions will teach, what kind of textbooks will be taught, what kind of teachers will be hired, and whether the teaching is approved and under the control of CCP, they are the most critical issues.

He suspects that independent private schools will vanish in China. Basically, they became Communist Party-run schools, not even state schools.

He said, The CCP is very afraid of the collaboration of these private entrepreneurs and intellectuals, mentioning any group upholding anything other than the communist ideology will certainly not be tolerated.

From thousands of applicants, former Hupan University only accepts about 40 students per term. Ma once claimed that he wishes to run the school for 300 years.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over boats searching the area where a boat capsized just off the San Diego coast, in San Diego, on May 2, 2021. (Denis Poroy/AP Photo)

Coast Guard Rescues 23 Illegal Immigrants From Smuggling Boat Stuck off California Coast

A suspected smuggling boat carrying nearly two dozen illegal immigrants that got stuck in kelp off the coast of Southern California was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, and its occupants taken into custody, according to reports.

A Border Patrol spokesman told Fox News that an agent spotted a panga type vessel close to rocks off Sunset Cliffs near San Diego early Monday, around three weeks after a smuggling boat hit a reef in the area and broke apart.

Border Patrol agent Shane Crottie told local outlet KPBS that this location is very close to where, just a couple of weeks ago, we had the maritime event that ended, unfortunately, in three deaths.

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel was sent out to intercept the suspected smuggling boat, whose operator ignored commands, according to officials cited by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Crottie said that, at one point, the vessel got caught in some kelp along the shoreline. More agencies were called in to intervene, including the San Diego Lifeguards.

They were probably 20 yards or so from the cliffs, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero told the San Diego Union-Tribune. They were pretty close in.

The panga boat was towed from the surf line and its occupants removed from the vessel.

Luckily, everybody was able to safely get out, Crottie said, adding, There were 23 individuals on board20 Mexican nationals and three Guatemalan nationals. The United States Border Patrol took custody of the individuals after Coast Guard brought them ashore. He said the individuals were taken to a facility for processing.

Crottie said that enhanced security infrastructure in the San Diego area has prompted human traffickers to make increasingly more dangerous smuggling attempts, with over 150 maritime smuggling events logged along the San Diego coast since October 2020.

Less than three weeks ago, a packed boat used in a human smuggling operation capsized and broke apart about five miles from where Mondays interception took place.

Conditions were pretty rough, five to six feet of surf, windy, cold, water is around 60 degrees, so you get hypothermia pretty quickly, Romero said at a press conference following the incident. The boat was on the reef, bouncing back and forth, and then just slowly disintegrated into a bunch of pieces, so theres no boat there, its all debris.

Seven people were pulled from the waves, including three who drowned, said Romero. One person was rescued from a cliff and 22 others managed to make it to shore on their own, he said.

Officials said the group was overcrowded on a 40-foot cabin cruiser that is larger than the typical open-top wooden panga-style boats often used by smugglers to bring people illegally into the United States from Mexico.

The Border Patrol spokesman told Fox News that the San Diego Border Patrol Sector has seen a 92 percent increase in maritime apprehensions in the past fiscal year, which ended in October 2020.
Connecticut Offers $1,000 Bonus to Long-Term Unemployed People Who Find Jobs

The state of Connecticut will give $1,000 to people who have been without a job for at least two months and secure employment.

I want work to pay. I want people to have a real incentive when they go back to work, Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, told a press conference this week.

You see the big athletes get a signing bonus. Why dont you get a signing bonus as well? he added.

Approximately 65,000 job openings exist currently in the state, which had an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent in March, the latest numbers officials have released.

The job openings and a decline in the percentage of the working-age population that are looking for jobs prompted the program, which will cost an estimated $10 million.

Applicants must have been without a job for at least eight weeks and must keep their new job for at least two months to get the bonus.

The program starts on May 24 and will give money to 10,000 people.

Applicants can sign up on the state Department of Labor website once they find a job.

The funding is coming from a federal stimulus pool.

A woman waits to meet potential employers at a job fair in Hartford, Conn., in a file photograph. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Im doing everything I can to get people off of unemployment, Lamont said, adding that the state will probably save money in the long-run by paying fewer people unemployment benefits.

About half of U.S. states have stopped giving federal funds to the unemployed in recent weeks. Congress approved additional unemployment aid throughout the pandemic, with the latest boost part of the Democrat-passed and President Joe Biden-signed package in February.

The governors of Indiana, Texas, and Oklahoma announced on Monday that they would halt the supplemental aid as they attempt to drive up the number of people looking for jobs.

Employers have said it is difficult to find workers because of how much money the unemployed get from state and federal aid.

Lamont did not think about joining the other governors. It ends by itself in about four months, he told reporters, adding that there still a lot of people really scared about getting back to work because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The state will on June 1 start requiring people who get unemployment aid to look for jobs.

Connecticut House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora said the new program does not make sense.

Persuading people to give up one government benefit with promise of another one is a little like a dog chasing its tail. By gleefully proposing this bribe to work program the governor has not only ignored the role that enhanced unemployment benefits have played in employers inability to fill vacancies, but also the long-term economic impact of relying on what seems like a never-ending supply of federal money to fix our problems, he said in a statement, calling on Lamont to halt the supplemental federal aid.
Lateif Dickerson handles some of his rifles at his gun instruction headquarters in Jersey City, N.J., on March 25, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Council Considers Designating San Clemente a Gun Rights Sanctuary City

San Clemente city council will consider declaring itself a sanctuary city in support of the Second Amendment during its May 18 meeting.

An agenda item calls on San Clemente council to adopt a non-binding resolution that seeks to recognize the Second Amendment as a right endowed by our creator, Councilmember Gene James, who authored the item, told The Epoch Times.

The resolution would be mostly symbolic if passed, but would show support for the constitutional right to keep and bear firearms, which James said is currently being besieged upon by lawmakers on both state and federal levels.

My overriding objective is the safety and security of the people of San Clemente, James said. The Second Amendment addressed the right of citizens to bear arms. This was a response to the heavy-handed police powers of the Crown and the desire to allow the people of the newly-formed republic to be safe and secure in their homes.

The resolution is not designed to address open or concealed carry of firearms, James said, but rather to help keep his constituents safe.

Across the nation, we see assaults and intimidation of law-abiding citizens, we see destruction of private property and in urban areas we see an unraveling of society orchestrated by the woke progressive movement, James said. In the meantime both at the federal and state level there seems to be a growing movement toward an Australian or should I say Mao and Stalin type of gun seizure program. The Founding Fathers and framers saw this day coming and wanted us to be protected.

The idea to use the word sanctuary in the resolution came after other California cities used the term to limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in an effort to protect residents from being deported.

When the State of California and numerous cities in this state declared themselves sanctuary for criminal and illegal immigrants, there did not seem to be much concern; consequently, I used the word sanctuary in my resolution, James said.

James introduced the resolution on March 16, though discussion was reportedly paused twice after he received several emails on the matter. He said that while hes not changing his mind on the issue, he wanted to have more time to explain the situation and what it represents.

Councilmember Steven Knoblock also supports the resolution, according to the May 18 city council agenda.

San Clemente is not the first California city to consider passing a resolution supporting gun rights, as Needles, a city in San Bernardino County, also declared itself a gun sanctuary in 2019.
Andrew Brown Jr., who was killed by law enforcement last week, poses with his daughter in an undated family photograph. (Ben Crump Law/Handout via Reuters)

DA: Deputies Who Fatally Shot Andrew Brown Wont Face Charges, Shooting Justified

North Carolina District Attorney Andrew Womble said that the deputy-involved shooting of Andrew Brown Jr., which prompted Black Lives Matter demonstrations, was justified and said the officers will not face any charges.

After reviewing the investigation conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Browns death while tragic, was justified because Mr. Browns actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriffs Office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others, Womble, the elected DA for North Carolinas Judicial District 1, said at a televised news conference on Tuesday.

Brown, 42, was fatally shot by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies in Elizabeth City on April 21 as they were serving him with several arrests and search warrants on felony drug charges on April 21. His death came a day after a jury in Minneapolis found former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin guilty on murder charges in connection to the death of George Floyd last year, which prompted nationwide riots, violence, and protests for months.

Womble previously said that Browns car made contact with law enforcement officers twice before the deputies opened fire.

Browns attorneys and his family members, however, have disputed Wombles arguments, telling media outlets that Brown was not a threat after they watched body camera and dash camera videos that were shown to them. Those videos have not been released to the public after Judge Jeffrey Foster blocked the release of the footage, except to Browns family, pending the result of an investigation.

It was absolutely, unequivocally unjustified, family lawyer Chance Lynch told news outlets last week, adding: Our legal team is more committed now to pursue justice  because what we saw today was unconstitutional and it was unjustifiable. Lynch also alleged that the video showed deputies shooting at Brown first, prompting him to move his vehicle.

After Browns death, Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated for several days, leading the mayor of Elizabeth City to declare an emergency in late April due to civil unrest to ensure residents safety.

Meanwhile, four North Carolina deputies who were initially placed on administrative leave in the aftermath of the incident were permitted to return to duty after footage showed they didnt fire their guns, said Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten in late April.

After reviewing the preliminary conclusions of the independent investigators conducting the internal review, and after carefully examining the body camera footage of the incident with my own staff, its obvious that four of the deputies never fired their weapons and deserve to be reinstated to active duty, Wooten said in a statement.

The FBI has also said it is investigating the shooting to determine if Browns civil rights were violated.

The Epoch Times has contacted the attorneys for Browns family for comment.
Dear Next Generation: Be Curious, Get to Know People

Born in 1957, and raised in a divided Germany, I was fortunate to have lived in West Germany where the historic processing of what had happened under the Nazi regime was part of my high school curriculum. We were taught about the war, what led up to it, and the atrocities that were committed. One of the things I remember vividly to this day were the films taken by Allied soldiers during the liberation of the concentration camps. We were shown this original footage in school.

During a couple of trips to other European countries as a teenager, I ran into people who wanted nothing to do with me because I was German. While I recognized as a teenager the inhumaneness of what the Nazis had engaged in, it took me many years and conversations with my American husband to come to grips with my homelands history and not feel ashamed of being German.

I grew up in a seaport where international merchant and naval ships docked on a regular basis. You always knew there was an international ship in the port just by observing shoppers and listening to them talk in a different language. Our parents raised my sister and me to be tolerant of other people (culture, race, religion, etc.), and school and church reiterated that as well.

At an early age, I became interested in other countries and cultures, and soaked up everything that was different and new. Together with family and friends, I took trips to other European countries as well as to the former Soviet Union and a couple of Asian countries. This was, of course, prior to cellphones and social media; and I still cherish those personal experiences.

I got my library card when I was in sixth grade. One of our teachers had arranged with the head of a nearby library for a training session on how to access the catalog with index cards and where to find individual books on the shelf. I think our entire class signed up for a library card that day. Anyway, I would visit my library several times a week. I checked out books on different topicsgeography, psychology, history, etc.

Talking about naval ships in the port, I remember an evening with friends downtown when we met a couple of sailors from the British Royal Navy. Our group soon expanded to also include an American soldier who was stationed in my hometown. We spent hours talking about our countries, sharing what life was like for us on a daily basis, and so much more.

During my work life, I met so many different people from other backgrounds and countries. One former colleague was one of the Vietnamese boat people; his parents had fled an oppressive Vietnam and made a new life for themselves in a free country. One lady I worked with together with her family had fled the former Yugoslavia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

During a trip here in the United States, my husband and I met an older woman who, growing up in Poland, watched with her family, from a forest, while Nazi soldiers burned down their small village. She and her family hid in the woods and eventually made their way to the United States.

The point Im trying to make is for all of usno matter how young or old we are, or where we come fromto get to know people on a personal level. Be curious, ask questions to understand viewpoints, listen, and agree to disagree. Every person is unique and every person has a story.

One organization I worked for encouraged employees during in-house training to sit with people from other departments to get to know them as well as the challenges they faced in their role at work.

Every once in a while, I still think about the two British sailors. Not too long after we met in my hometown, their ship was part of the fleet deployed to the Falkland Islands during the brief war. I often wonder if they ever made it home.

Sigrid Alexander, Colorado

____________________

What advice would you like to give to the younger generations?

We call on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong, and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time, and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive.

Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to NextGeneration@epochtimes.com or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001
Democrat Rep. Val Demings Considering Challenge to Rubio for Florida US Senate Seat

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) is considering taking on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for the U.S. Senate seat he holds representing the state of Florida.

Im humbled at the encouraging messages Im seeing today. I know the stakes are too high for Republicans to stand in the way of getting things done for Floridians, which is why Im seriously considering a run for the Senate. Stay tuned, Demings said in a missive on social media on Tuesday.

Multiple reports, citing anonymous sources, said Demings is planning to challenge Rubio next year.

Demings, 64, was the first black police chief of Orlando before being elected to Congress in 2016. She has since gained attention for being a House impeachment manager during the first trial against former President Donald Trump and was reportedly considered by President Joe Biden for a running mate during his successful campaign.

Demings recently attacked Rubio, calling him a flip-flopper.

The congresswoman noted that Rubio once claimed Trump would shatter the Republican Party but later backed the Republican.

Rubio, 49, is one of several Hispanics in Congress. The son of Cuban immigrants, he was elected to Congress in 2010 after serving in the Florida House of Representatives and teaching at Florida International University.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks during a Senate hearing in Washington on April 14, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP)

Rubio won another term in 2016 by about 700,000 votes out of 9.3 million cast, beating Democrat nominee Patrick Murphy.

In an emailed statement regarding Demings, a Rubio campaign spokesperson told The Epoch Times: Democrats are tripping over themselves in a race to the left to find a candidate who will help advance [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosis socialist agenda.

Senator Rubios record of results for Florida is unmatched, from passing the bipartisan PPP program that saved millions of Florida jobs to providing critical tax relief for hard working families. While Democrats are flailing to find their next candidate to advance their radical agenda, Senator Rubio is focused on delivering wins for the people of Florida, the spokesperson added.

Republicans hope to regain the Senate in 2022 and flip the House of Representatives. The GOP last year lost several seats in the upper chamber, which is currently divided between 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats or nominal independents who regularly vote with the left. It is controlled by the Democratic Party through Vice President Kamala Harris, who can cast tiebreaking votes in her position as president of the Senate.

Republicans flipped 15 seats in the House, stunning political observers, but were unable to wrest control of the lower chamber. The divide is 219-211 in favor of Democrats, with five vacancies, after Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) left this week to become president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

The Collective PAC, or political action committee, said Tuesday that it was endorsing Demings.

The group, which promotes black candidates and lawmakers, described Demings as a dedicated public servant who has spent her career on the front lines improving communities and protecting Floridians.

There has never been a more crucial time for us to elect leaders who are committed to criminal justice reform, safeguarding voting rights, and ensuring government officials are held accountable for unethical behavior, it added in a Facebook post. Just as we believed in 2016, we KNOW that Val is the changemaker that the U.S. Senate needs to meet the moment and continue the movement of progressive policies going forward.
Contractors working for Cyber Ninjas, which was hired by the Arizona state Senate, examine and recount ballots from the 2020 general election at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 1, 2021. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images)

DOJ Intervention in Maricopa County Audit Lacks Constitutional Authority: Experts

A Department of Justice (DOJ) official with a lingering ethics problem is on tenuous constitutional ground in questioning the audit of 2020 presidential election returns for Arizonas largest county, according to legal experts.

Election officials targeted by the Department of Justice need to realize they are dealing with partisans who will twist the law for the sake of political power, J. Christian Adams told The Epoch Times on May 18.

Adams, a former DOJ Civil Rights Division attorney, who is now the president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), was referring to a May 5 letter from Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan to Arizona state Senate President Karen Fann.

Karlan told Fann that, based on news reports and complaints her department received from unnamed individuals, DOJ officials are concerned about at least two issues of potential non-compliance with federal laws in the audit, which was ordered earlier this year by the state Senate and is now counting returns.

We have a concern that Maricopa County election records, which are required by federal law to be retained and preserved, are no longer under the ultimate control of elections officials, are not being adequately safeguarded by contractors, and are at risk of damage or loss, Karlan wrote to Fann concerning the first of the two issues.

The second issue focused on the work-plan of the private contractor retained by the Arizona Senate for the audit to go to addresses of alleged voters to confirm their legitimacy.

Past experience with similar investigative efforts around the country has raised concerns that they can be directed at minority voters, which potentially can implicate the anti-intimidation prohibitions of the Voting Rights Act, Karlan told Fann.

The audit was ordered due to continuing questions raised by Arizona supporters of former President Donald Trump and others on voting processes used in Maricopa County, the states largest jurisdiction last November.

President Joe Biden narrowly carried the county and the state with 49.4 percent of the votes, compared to 49.1 percent for Trump. Karlan, a former Stanford University law professor and member of Facebooks oversight board that hears appeals from individuals banned by the social media, testified in favor of impeachment in Trumps 2019 House impeachment. Biden appointed Karan to DOJ earlier this year.

Although less than 20 percent of the votes have been audited, audit officials said in a May 13 tweet that they have encountered multiple problems, including no chain of custody for ballots, ballot batch counts dont match with actual ballots, deleted databases, cut security seals, ongoing non-compliance with subpoenas and more.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, called those allegations false and ill-informed and added that the claim that our employees deleted election files and destroyed evidence is outrageous, completely baseless and beneath the dignity of the Arizona Senate.

Regardless of the merits of this disagreement, Karlans objections give legal grounds for opposing the audit.

Adams told Fann in a May 7 letter that Karlan is an ideological extremist with a long history of partisan enforcement of civil rights laws, as well as rank scholarly dishonesty  [who] wants you to believe the Justice Department is engaging in a normal exercise of federal power under federal voting law. It is not.

Adams was referring to a 2009 Duke University Law School journal article in which Karlan claimed no Voting Rights Act cases were filed by DOJ in five of the eight years President George W. Bush was in office.

This false scholarship was even brought to the attention of Congress in testimony provided to the House of Representatives. Editors of the Duke University publication said it was incumbent on Karlan to retract her false scholarship, something she has not done, Adams told Fann.

The DOJ Office of Media Relations did not respond to multiple requests from The Epoch Times for comment from Karlan regarding the veracity of her 2009 claim and other issues raised by Adams regarding the Maricopa audit.

Karlans legal basis for her questions to Fann is flawed, Adams wrote, because conducting an audit of a past election does not violate the Voting Rights Act or any other federal election law. In fact, the Justice Department has neverin the entire history of the existence of the Civil Rights Divisioninterfered in or investigated an election audit because its past leadership has understood it has no legal authority to do so.

Karlans concerns about voter intimidation are also misplaced, Adams said, because the relevant section of the law isnt applicable to the Maricopa audit.

Karlans inference that Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act is implicated is also wrong. Section 11(b) prohibits the direct intimidation, threat or coercion of voters.

Here, the voters have long since votedthe act of voting was months ago. It is not possible that Section11(b) can be implicated by the audit. Karlan is offering an absurd and implausible interpretation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Actone intended to intimidate youthat no court could possibly uphold as correct.

Constitutional law authority Hans von Spakovsky, who is also a DOJ veteran and a member of PILFs board of directors, told The Epoch Times, he doesnt expect DOJ to seek a Temporary Restraining Order or otherwise seek an injunctive court action to stop the audit.

If they were thinking rationally, they would not, since they have no basis under federal law to do so, von Spakovsky said, but he cautioned that if Karlan thinks she could get away with it and use a lawsuit to stop the legislature from doing this by out-lawyering and out-resourcing them, I have no doubt she would go ahead with it.

Congressional correspondent Mark Tapscott may be reached at mark.tapscott@epochtimes.nyc
Chinese Human Rights Awareness Campaign Resonates With Regional Australians

A Taralga resident signed End CCP petition on May 19 2021

Residents in Bowral appreciate the truth delivered to them.

A truck driver signed on the End CCP petition in Taralga, NSW, Australia.

Joey Huang landed in Australia as a skilled migrant in 2015, with a PhD degree and 15-year experience in transport planning in Shanghai. However, the main reason for his move was to escape the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Breathing the air of freedom in the southern hemisphere, Huang has been taking every opportunity to tell people about CCPs atrocious human rights, not only to garner the support to end the persecution but also to awaken Australians to the regimes threat.

Inspired by the global petition campaign End CCPwhich started June 2020Huang has recently joined a group of volunteers in a Weekend Car Tour initiative across regional NSW to increase the awareness about the CCPs tyranny in China and its infiltration in Australia.

The car tour kicked off in February and has seen the volunteers travel to nearly ten regional towns, including Goulbourn, Wollongong and Lithgow, to put up the End CCP poster and collect signatures on the petition. The message is clear and loud: reject the CCP and stay true to Australian values.

Our plan is to cover 100 NSW city (shire) councils outside Sydney Metropolitan Area by the end of this year, the senior engineer now working for a Sydney-based company told The Epoch Times.

He shared that the tour aims to expose more Australians to the true nature of the CCP and how it is sabotaging Australian values and national interest.

The global pandemic is a wake-up call to the world about the true character of CCP, he said, explaining that Beijings early coverup of the outbreak, its ongoing refusal to share honest data, and its aggressive push of the agenda to dominate the world have prompted democratic countries to reset their relations with China.

He added that the Australian government is leading the world in pushing back against the CCPs infiltration and regional communities need to understand the nature of the Chinese regime to uphold Australias values.

Australia farmers are bearing the brunt of the trade war instigated by the CCP over the last 12 months, Huang said, referring to the Chinese regimes escalating economic coercion and propaganda campaign against Australia.

We have an obligation to help them realise the truth about the CCP, especially its demonic nature.

Huangs view is echoed by Kerry Chen, a Falun Gong practitioner, who also joined the car tour.

The former university lecturer in China said while more Australians are now aware of the CCPs aggressiveness, most of them havent yet realised its anti-human nature.

Having lived under the CCP regime for decades, we have all experienced a thorough brainwashing, as well as unspeakable pain in the soul after realising its lie and deception,  she told the Epoch Times.

The CCP is much worse than just being corrupt or belligerent as many westerners think,  she added. It is a demon set to destroy the entire humanity.

Another volunteer Diana Hoosen has reached out to pastors in the regional towns to get their support for the initiative. One of the key points she has highlighted is the fact that CCP promotes and enforces atheism.

I explained to them in the email that no one is truly safe from the CCPs reach as it seeks to dismantle Judeo-Christian values that have sustained Western society for thousands of years, she told the Epoch Times.

Hoosen also makes it clear that the campaign is not anti-Chinese, nor related to politics.

Many of my colleagues and I love Chinese traditions, and we all have a wide range of connections with relatives and friends in China, she writes in the reach-out email. We love them. We believe many Chinese communist party members and policemen are all victims of the Communist regime.

Many of the pastors have appreciated the information, and almost all have shared the petition with church-goers.

Some pastors had never heard of forced organ harvesting before, Hoosen said. We are opening up an opportunity for people to get to know the truth and take their moral stance.

The End CCP message also resonates with the regional communities. Most passers-by stopped to listen and sign, and some brought their family and friends to put down their signatures.

In Tahmoor Town Centre of Wollondilly Shire Council, a lady offered to spread the message and managed to get 20 signatures within 10 minutes.

In Moss Vale, an 85-year-old lady who has nearly lost her sight took great pains to sign on the petition, telling volunteers that she moved here from Hungary 60 years ago and knew too well the evilness of communism.

In Lithgow, a local resident Daniel Blythe commended volunteers for their bravery and showed concern for their family members safety in China.

Thank you for taking such a risk to voice the truth, he said to Huang after signing the petition. I know the CCP agents are everywhere, and I am also concerned about your family members in China,  he added. Please take care and keep them and yourself safe.

The Global Service Center initiated the End CCP petition to Quit the Chinese Communist Party. As of May 16 2021, it has collected more than 0.9 millions signatures around the world.

The car tour has also brought to the communities Falun Dafa or Falun Gong, a spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition based on the principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance, which first was brought to the public in 1992 by Mr Li Hongzhi.

Falun Dafa gained wide popularity in mainland China and spread across the world, where it is taught free of charge.

Chinese practitioners of Falun Dafa are the focus of an ongoing campaign of detention, torture and organ harvesting by the Chinese regime.
Palestinian women and children take shelter at a United Nations school in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021. (Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada Should Sanction Hostile Actors that Use Human Shields in Combat: Report

Amid news that terrorist group Hamas is using civilians as a cover for military assets in its recent crossfire with Israel, a new report urges Canada to pass laws aimed at sanctioning the use of human shields.

Released by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) and the Canadian Coalition Against Terror (C-CAT), the report says the use of humans as shields by terrorist groups can effectively lower the efficacy of militaries from democratic and law-abiding countries.

Combatants who use humans as shields are giving priority to defeating the perceived enemy over protecting their own civilian population. The combatants are making the statement that hatred of the perceived enemy means more to them than the lives of their own people. Combating the use of human shields means combating this hatred, the report says.

The use of civilians as human shields has only been growing, and this is a real challenge for rights-respecting, democratic states that aim to combat terrorism while protecting and safeguarding human life.

Besides Hamas, other terrorist entities that use this tactic include ISIS, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, Al Shabab, and Houthi in Yemen.

These groups have used tens of thousands of civilians, and indeed entire population centres, for this purpose, says the report, titled Protecting Innocents in Combat.

Co-authored by MLI senior fellow Sarah Teich and C-CAT founder Daniel Eisen, the report provides an overview on the pervasive use of human shields and the international efforts to deter it. It proposes draft legislation for Canadas Parliament to consider, which, along with sanctions, includes naming and shaming perpetrators.

In a news release announcing the release of the report, Eisen noted that the rights-violator list also includes state entities like Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which in January 2020 shot down Ukrainian Airlines Flight PS752, claiming 177 lives, including 55 Canadian citizens and 81 permanent residents.

This use of commercial air traffic as a form of human shield by Iran is entirely consistent with the regimes multi-billion-dollar sponsorship of terror proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah which are amongst the globes most egregious perpetrators of human shields-related violations, Eisen said.

A ball of fire erupts from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, controlled by Hamas terrorists, on May 15, 2020. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)

Banned Under International Law

According to the report, terrorist groups may seek to maximize the death toll of civilians used to shield a military objective, because they will then be able to shift the blame away from themselves in a court of law. This is a strategic win-win for the rights violators, as they are also manipulating democratic legal systems in an effort to undermine, defame, and delegitimize the counterterrorism or military efforts of democracies.

The use of human shields is universally banned under international law and has been explicitly condemned by international organizations such as the United Nations Security Council and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

However, the laws of warthe part of international law that regulates the conduct of warring partiesdo not strictly prohibit the killing of human shields if the loss of civilian life is not excessive compared to the military advantage anticipated, as stated in Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Convention. The report says this implies legality in the use of human shields, which would likely make the practice even more common.

The report also found a lack of a follow-up in domestic legislation against the use of human shields, despite international prohibition of the practice being adopted as early as the 1949 Geneva Convention.

The first domestic legislation aimed at sanctioning the crime was signed into law by former U.S. president Donald Trump in December 2018. The Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act (U.S. Human Shields Act) specifically targets terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah for mandatory sanctions, and permissive sanctions for all other foreign individuals and entities that employ this military tactic.

As NATO launches an initiative to highlight and take action to deter the use of human shields, there is a pressing need for countries like Canada to show leadership on the issue, the authors said.

What we establish in this publication is the need and ability for Canada, as a human rights leader, to heed international consensus, answer NATOs call to action, and pass legislation to deter and sanction the use of human shields, Teich said.
Facts Matter (May 17): Senate Orders All Documents Turned Over in Nursing Home Investigation

An officer in the Space Force was relieved of his duties after he denounced Marxism and critical race theory in the military.

In Michigan, the Senate issued a subpoena, which requires that all documents related to nursing homes must be handed over, after it was revealed that 31 percent of all COVID deaths in the state were related to nursing homes.

Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube.

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An eight-foot-tall steel fence topped with concertina razor wire circles the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 29, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Feds Accuse Maryland Man of Carrying Semi-Automatic Handgun in Restricted Capitol Grounds on Jan. 6

The Justice Department has accused a Maryland man of carrying a semi-automatic handgun and ammunition during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building, among 9 other charges.

A superseding indictment from the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Christopher Alberts was carrying an Taurus G2C semi-automatic handgun on Capitol grounds without a licence on Jan. 6 where the vice president and vice-president elect were visiting, and that he also had in his possession a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

Alberts, who has pleaded not guilty on all counts, is also accused of resisting arrest and of knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence on Capitol grounds, and entering and causing disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building and grounds with a deadly and dangerous weapon.

The indictment also accuses Alberts of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a U.S. officer and employee. Alberts faces a total of 10 counts.

According to a court documents (pdf), a member of the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) deployed to Capitol grounds around 6 p.m. on Jan. 6almost four hours after the breach of the capitol buildingnoticed Alberts responding slowly to orders to leave the premises, and later noticed a bulge on his right hip which was consistent with that of a hand gun. He was also wearing a bullet-proof-vest and had a gas mask, the complaint says.

Alberts then unsuccessfully attempted to flee after the CDU member alerted officers near him that he was in possession of a firearm. While in custody, he said he had the firearm for personal protection and that he did not intend on using it to harm anyone.

It comes after FBI counterterrorism official Jill Sanborn in March testified at a Senate hearing that she had no knowledge of any guns being recovered from suspects who were arrested during the incident.

When asked by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) about whether firearms were recovered or if any suspect was charged with firearms offenses, Sanborn responded: To my knowledge, none. She qualified her remark by saying that she did not want to speak for Capitol Police first.

But in the hearing, Sanborn also said that before the Jan. 6 incident, We knew they would be armed, we had intelligence that they would be coming to D.C., but we did not have intelligence that they would be breaching the Capitol.

I believe that the only shots that were fired were the ones that resulted in the death of the lady, Sanborn also testified, referring to the officer-involved shooting and death of Trump supporter Ashley Babbit.

The DOJ said they have arrested about 440 individuals on charges related to the incident, including over 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. A majority of cases are related to entering a restricted building, obstruction of an official proceeding, and civil disorder. Federal authorities are still looking for suspects connected to the breach.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Florida Teen Who Went Missing While Jogging Found Dead by Uncle

A Florida teenager who went missing in Miami while jogging was found dead near a marina, officials said.

Diani Gomez Sanchez, 16, went missing on Saturday and was found Sunday afternoon, authorities said, reported Miami Patch. Her mother told local media outlets that she reported the teen missing on Saturday evening after returning home from work and realized her daughter had vanished.

Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo later confirmed Monday that she was killed during a hit-and-run crash involving a gray vehicle, according to Local10.

The gray vehicle suffered significant windshield damage, he said. Acevedo then said, Anyone that has seen a gray vehicle or knows anyone that has a gray vehicle that has disappeared to let us know.

Her uncle, Dennis Gomez, said on Facebook Live that he and his wife discovered the girls body when they were putting up flyers.

I was screaming Get up Diani! Get up! Please, get up! he said.

According to Local10, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department is still examining the girls cause of death.

A relative, meanwhile, started a GoFundMe page for the family.

Hi my name Nahun Gomez and Im fundraising for my cousins daughter Dayana Carolina Gomez Sanchez who died, it reads. Dayana was only 16 years old when someone decided to take her life away. We are asking for anything. ANYTHING HELPS. Everything you donate will be given to her mother. She was a very sweet beautiful girl. We will miss her very much.
Freshman Senator Ossoff Virtue Signals on Israel

The main trait that makes a virtue signaler a virtue signaler is what they say has everything to do with the self-image they seek to project (or convince themselves of) and little or nothing to do with the results of their self-alleged virtue.

I called the people who do this moral narcissists in a book. Virtue signaling is what moral narcissists do (among other things).

The more people virtue signal the more the facts become obscured or irrelevant. Common sense is abandoned in favor of self-righteousness. Often the ramifications are significant.

One example right now is Georgia freshman Senator Jon Ossoff who has led the way for twenty-seven other fellow Senate Democrats on the signing of a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire to avoid further loss of life in what he calls the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Israel? The Palestinian territories? Wheres Hamas in all this? A curious omission, no, since they (with their cohorts in Islamic Jihad) are the ones currently attacking Israel? Why wouldnt Ossoff be addressing them as well in calling for a ceasefire, since those do the most, or all of the firing from the Palestinian endand random at that, hoping to hit civilians.

Because it would call attention to something embarrassing about his solemn declaration.

Hamas is a terrorist organization, has been labeled as such for years, that swears, according to its very own hyper-Islamist charter, rivaling ISIS, to kill all Jews everywhereIm assuming Ossoff, raised as a Jew himself, knows thatand, as the night follows the proverbial day, completely destroy the state of Israel.

This is a group for whom the vaunted two-state solution so embraced by the Western world is complete anathema. (This is also sadly true of the Palestinian Authority in the end. When offered practically everything he asked for by Ehud Olmert, their then leader Mahmoud Abbas walked away, just as Yasser Arafat did years before with Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton.)

To mention Hamas name in particular might slightly undermine Ossoffs virtuous argument. But then who will cease the firing they are asking for, speaking of common sense?

Further to the common sense question, or the abandonment thereof, at this moment Israel is dealing with plus or minus one hundred miles of underground tunnels the IDF dubs the Metro Hamas has constructed under Gaza, much at considerable depths with unfathomable amounts of concrete.

Meanwhile, it is being trumpeted all around the current conflagration was caused by Israel because of an undecided real estate dispute in a small Jerusalem neighborhood (Sheikh Jarrah) and, worse yet, because the Israelis were about to take back the Temple Mount and lay waste to the Al Aqsa mosquean absurd lie that is trotted out every few years for purposes of maximum incitement.

Now to the next common sense question: Just why was Hamas constructing these vast protective tunnels for years, at such a huge expense they could have turned Gaza into a Mediterranean beachfront paradise had they chosen to spend even a part of their billions in aid on their people instead, had they not intended to use these tunnels to attack Israeland then defend themselves against the inevitable responseat a time of their choosing?

So why now? Why was this the moment to endure the unintended consequences (or are they really intended because useful?) of the inevitable Gazan civilian deaths no matter to what lengths the Israelis go to avoid them.

Thats a question moral narcissists of Senator Ossoffs Democratic Party ilk dare not ask, because in high probability, it has a lot to do with the change in U.S. administrations. They feared Trump and thought the Biden administration would be more even-handed (i.e., forgiving of terrorism) in its response.

Perhaps Hamas was right because, as I write this, the Daily Mail is reporting Biden putting pressure on Netanyahu by supporting a ceasefire.

Also operative is the ongoing struggle between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority for political domination over the Palestinians. Hamas had and has a vested interest in stirring up trouble to make Abbas and the PA look weak and ineffectual in order for Hamas to take over the West Bank and extend their reign of terror.

All this raises another common sense question for the good Mr. Ossoff. Suppose Benjamin Netanyahu took your admonition to heart and declared a ceasefire tomorrow? Then what?

How long would Hamas take to see that as weakness, declare themselves the winner and act accordingly? (Somewhere between one and two seconds.)

More important than the propaganda aspect, how long would it take for them to regroup, rebuild their tunnels, and start firing missiles at Israel again, aiming for her destruction, just as their charter pledges?

Well, that depends but only a matter of a few years, possibly less, even a lot less. Hamas has powerful backers (Iran, China, Russia, now Turkey) willing and able to replenish their weaponry and rebuild their defenses.

In fact, those allies could, as Biden might put it, build them back betternew tunnels with better reinforcement, new long-range missiles with bigger payloadsthis time with GPS enabling them to really hit their targetsadvanced submersibles to attack underwater oil rigs and so on.

With some sadness, I suspect, Israelis calls what they are now engaged in as mowing the lawn. The question always arises how to stop that terrorist lawn from coming back. Do you pull it up by the roots? No one as yet has found the answeror answersshort of things people are normally reluctant to do.

But moral narcissists like Ossoff and his Senate Democrat friends are not helpful in such a situation, except, I suppose, to themselves. They dont come close to solving the problem, or even addressing it, in their virtue signaling.

Some degree of hard reality is necessary before you say, as someone said before in one of the most famous examples of virtue signaling ever, There will be peace in our time.

Roger L. Simon is an award-winning novelist, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, co-founder of PJMedia, and now, editor-at-large for The Epoch Times. His most recent books are The GOAT (fiction) and I Know Best: How Moral Narcissism Is Destroying Our Republic, If It Hasnt Already (nonfiction). He can be found on Parler as @rogerlsimon

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo)

Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for Forensic Audit in Fulton County and Chatham County

A candidate for the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial race, Kandiss Taylor, called for a full, complete forensic audit of the 2020 general election in Fulton County and Chatham county, following the ongoing forensic audit in Maricopa, Arizona.

We, The People, of Georgia demand a forensic audit of Fulton and Chatham County due to the concern over multiple issues. This is the will of the people, Taylor said in a statement released on Monday. If the election was fair and legal, a forensic audit will prove that to be the case, but I saw too much evidence myself during the Georgia Senate hearing back in December to believe fraud wasnt rampant.

Taylor announced her run for governor early this year. She is currently an educator with the Appling County Board of Education.

Georgia is one of the states where election results are being questioned. A lot of the allegations of election fraud and irregularities are aimed at Chatham County and Fulton County, which includes Atlanta. A number of lawsuits have been turned down by courts on standing.

Taylor said in her statement that Josh Barnett, a former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona, taught her how to get a forensic audit granted.

Everything we did, it was a combination of efforts of many people, that that cause a forensic audit in Arizona, it was the rallies, it was the organization of the people, you know, yelling and screaming and calling and emailing, and in a way harassing them, but in a positive way, Barnett said in an interview with Taylor.

The Arizona Senate ordered a forensic audit of Maricopa County ballots and machines after the November general election.

Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo)

Taylor said she mailed a notice Monday to all Georgia legislators in both chambers of the General Assembly, the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and the attorney general, demanding a full forensic audit of the general election in the two counties.

Thousands of Georgia residents will do the same, Taylor indicated.

All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are the trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to them, the notice stated.

Taylor provides a template of the notice on her website, along with the mailing and email addresses of all state legislators, encouraging Georgia residents to do the same.

Peter Navarro, White House trade adviser during the Trump administration, also called for a forensic audit in Georgia last month.

President Joe Biden won Georgia in 2020 by just over 11,000 votes.

Fulton and Chatham Counties didnt respond to a request from The Epoch Times for comment.

Taylors first political endeavor was running for the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Georgia. She received over 40,000 votes, nearly one percent of total votes in the first round.

Attorney Lin Wood endorsed Taylors run for governor in April.

She is my kind of person. She loves The People. And she will fight for Jesus, Guns, and Babies! Wood wrote on Telegram.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Georgia Public Universities Will Not Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines This Fall

While the list of American colleges and universities mandating COVID-19 vaccination continues to expand, the University System of Georgia (USG) has told its students, faculty, and staff that they dont have to be vaccinated before returning to campus this fall.

Institutions are not responsible for assessing current COVID-19 vaccination rates for their institution, reads the latest public health guidelines by the USG, which enrolled over 341,000 students in its 26 campuses across Georgia as of fall 2020.

We strongly encourage faculty, staff, students and visitors to get vaccinated and will continue to do so, the guidelines state. While the vaccines are safe and effective, it is an individual decision to receive one and will not be required to be a part of our campuses.

That being said, the USG also pledged to ensure vaccine availability to the campus community, either through vaccination opportunities on campus or in partnership with a local provider.

When it comes to social distancing and masks, the USG said that fully vaccinated individuals will be able to resume campus classes and other activities without physically distancing or wearing masks. Those who are not vaccinated are strongly encouraged to physically distance from others when possible and keep masks on while inside campus facilities.

The announcement comes as some of the nations largest public university systems are requiring those on campus to be vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

In April, the University of California and California State University systems announced that all students, faculty members, and other employees must be vaccinated by the fall. They were soon joined by the University System of Maryland.

Receiving a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19 is a key step people can take to protect themselves, their friends and family, and our campus communities while helping bring the pandemic to an end, said Michael V. Drake, president of the University of California.

The State and City University of New York Systems are among the latest to issue a vaccination mandate, under a directive by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

No excuses, Cuomo said at a press conference in Manhattan last week. SUNY and CUNY boards will require vaccinations for all in-person students beginning this fall.

Lets make a global statement: you cannot go back to school in person in September unless you have a vaccine, the Democratic governor added. That will be a major motivation for people to get the vaccine.
German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas walks during the foreign affairs ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, on Sept. 21, 2020. (Olivier Hoslet/Pool via Reuters)

German Foreign Minister Criticizes Chinas Vaccine Diplomacy: Its Not the Right Way to Go

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has indirectly criticized the Chinese regime for taking the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to expand its influence through vaccine diplomacy. He called on the international community to counter Chinas expanding influence in Africa and Latin America, and warned against the regimes tactic to divide Europe.

Maas gave a speech at the Ecumenical Church Congress in Frankfurt, Germany on May 15. He said that some countries are trying to increase their geopolitical influence through vaccine diplomacyreferring to China and Russia, according to a report by World Today News.

Their vaccine diplomacy is more about the interests of countries that provide vaccines than those of countries that are urgently dependent on vaccines, Maas said.

He also emphasized that vaccine nationalism is not the way to go.

At the meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) held earlier this month, Maas called on all the countries to jointly formulate a human rights-focused China strategy. He said that while paying attention to economic interests, We are all of the opinion that it is far more effective if we raise issues like human rights or freedom of the press together, according to German media Deutsche Welle (DW).

G-7 foreign ministers wear face masks and are socially distanced for a group photo, with front row left, European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, middle row left to right, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau, back row from left, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the stairs at Lancaster House in London ahead of bilateral talks at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting in London on on May 4, 2021.(Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)

Maas pointed out that totalitarian states constantly try to challenge freedom and democracy with their own political models. Therefore, the world should establish common values and formulate common strategies under the G7 structure to counter Chinas influence, reaching out to Africa and Latin America, with concrete offers of cooperation, he said.

The Chinese communist regime has been taking advantage of the raging COVID-19 epidemic in Central and South America. Through vaccine diplomacy, Beijing attempts to build ties with Honduras. Honduras does not have formal relations with China but has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.

Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on May 11 that in order to obtain more Chinese-made vaccines, he would look for a diplomatic bridge and to establish trade offices in China, according to a report by Reuters.

In response to Honduras decision, the U.S. State Department condemned Beijings vaccine diplomacy without directly mentioning China. We condemn the cynical use of potentially life-saving medical assistance to advance the narrow political agendas of certain donors, a State Department spokesman told Reuters.

Maas also warned that China uses vaccine diplomacy to divide Europe, as the authoritarian states are trying to play us off against each other.

Hungary is an example of Chinas vaccine diplomacys influence in Europe. In March, the Hungarian government decided to buy 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm. In April, Hungary blocked a European Union statement criticizing Beijings implementation of a national security law in Hong Kong. In May, Hungary blocked another statement from the EU which condemned the Chinese regimes suppression of freedom in Hong Kong.

Maas criticized Hungarys move and called it absolutely incomprehensible, according to a report by Politico.
(left-right) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) arrives at the Capitol in Washington, on May 13, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images); Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 12, 2019. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

GOP Reps Call on DOJ to Affirm Commitment to Election Integrity in Arizona

Four Republican lawmakers on Monday called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to affirm its commitment to election integrity in Arizona, as Maricopa County carries out an audit of the 2020 presidential election.

Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia signed a letter (pdf) alongside Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona, calling on Pamela Karlan, principal deputy assistant attorney general with the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, to allow the audit of ballots in the states most populous county to continue without disturbance.

No later than Thursday, May 20, please respond to this letter with a commitment to uphold the rule of law and allow Arizona to confirm the 2020 elections were free and fair, the letter states.

It came after Karlan submitted a letter to president of the Arizona State Senate, Karen Fann on May 5 inquiring about the custody of the ballots under review by a group of private contractors, alleging that the groups other processesincluding the canvassing of addressescould be considered voter intimidation.

Karlan wrote to Fann that the proposed work of the audit raises concerns regarding potential intimidation of voters.

Constitutional scholar Pamela Karlan of Stanford University testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 4, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Fann replied that the plan by election auditors to verify the validity of certain voters had been placed on hold.

We are confident in the integrity of the process and look forward to reviewing the results, no matter what is found, the lawmakers letter states. In a constitutional republic, the most important thing you can do is make sure the integrity of our election system is protected, free, transparent, and open.

The group also asserted that Karlans May 5 letter mirrors an April 29, 2021, letter sent to the DOJs Civil Rights Division by three left-leaning organizations, The Brennan Center for Justice, The Leadership Conference, and Protect Democracy.

Such cribbing from these Leftist groups suggests that you are more concerned with your political fellow-travelers than election integrity, they wrote.

The lawmakers added, I urge you to uphold your duty to preserve Americans civil rights and support this audit, which will clear the air and restore election confidence, instead of trying to meddle in it.

The Justice Department didnt immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Rockets are launched toward Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021. (Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images)

GOP Senators Announce Resolution to Support Israels Right to Defend Itself Amid Attacks From Hamas

A group of 19 Republican senators unveiled a resolution on May 17 to reaffirm the United States support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, amid ongoing rocket attacks from Hamas that show few signs of abating.

The resolution (pdf), led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), also condemns the current attacks against Israel by Hamas, an Iran-backed and -funded terrorist organization that seized political power in Gaza in 2007.

In the resolution, set to be introduced in Congress this week, the U.S. Senate opposes the escalating and indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas against Israel and mourns the loss of innocent life caused by Hamass rocket attacks. The chamber also urges continued and steadfast support for Israel and reaffirms its strong support for Israels right to peace and security.

Scott said in a statement that the people of Israel have for decades endured unyielding attacks from terrorist groups such as Hamas and that the United States must be stronger than ever in its resolve to stand with Israel after Hamas and other groups fired more than 3,000 rockets at the country.

I want to be clear: no country, certainly not the United States, would tolerate attacks like these and not take whatever action is necessary to end them, he said. As our great ally and the only shining example of democracy in the Middle East, Israel deserves our full support.

An Israeli soldier inspects damage to an apartment in a residential building after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashdod, Israel, on May 17, 2021. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)

Scott also criticized anti-Israel attacks from a few U.S. lawmakers, calling such attacks disgusting and antithetical to American ideals.

Lets remember what we are witnessing: these are terrorists ruthlessly attacking an ally. Defense of these terrorists is unthinkable. Acts of aggression toward Israel will never be tolerated.  Its time for President Biden to stop cowering to the anti-Israel radical left and remind these terrorists and the world of the United States strong and unwavering support of the Israeli people, he added.

President Joe Biden on May 17 expressed his support for a cease-fire and discussed U.S. communications with Egypt and other partners toward that goal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His comments came after 28 Senate Democrats led by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) issued a joint statement on May 16 urging an immediate ceasefire agreement.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a co-signatory of the GOP resolution, said in a May 17 statement: Israel is our strongest ally. President Biden should unapologetically reaffirm U.S. support of Israel and its right to defend itself. The lefts moralistic calls for a ceasefire are little more than a propaganda win for Hamas.

Bidens statement contradicts U.S. actions on May 16 to block a joint statement from the 15-nation U.N. Security Council calling for a cease-fire and condemnation of Israels military response to being attackeda stance backed by the Chinese Communist Party. The United States had also twice over the past week blocked similar resolutions.

The conflict was triggered by a riot on May 10, when Palestinian rioters and Israeli police clashed in and around the Masjid al-Aqsa Mosquea compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The riot also coincided with a planned Jewish nationalist march in honor of the annual Jerusalem Day and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Israeli police on May 10 fired teargas and stun grenades into the area surrounding the mosque to disperse the unruly rioters as innocent people fled the area, video showed. Hamas that day demanded that Israel remove its police from the area by 6 p.m. local time. Minutes after the deadline, the terrorist group fired more than 150 rockets into Israel, triggering the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to counter the attacks with airstrikes toward terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.

At least 212 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,400 people wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry stated. The IDF noted that about 450 rockets launched by Hamas misfired and exploded inside Gaza. Meanwhile, 10 people in Israel, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier, have also been killed by Hamass ongoing rocket attacks launched toward civilian areas in Israel.

In response to the rocket attacks from Gaza, the Israeli military has carried out more than 820 strikes against what it identified as military targets belonging to Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist groups, including training facilities, tunnel networks, weapons factories and storage areas, intelligence headquarters, offices, and homes of the terror operatives. According to the IDF, more than 130 terrorists, including senior terrorist commanders, have been killed.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who joined in the resolution on May 17, stated: Israel has not just the right but the obligation to defend its citizens and its territory against the Iran-backed Palestinian terrorists who are attacking its citizens and using civilians in Gaza, including journalists, as human shields.

The United States must make it clear that it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel, and the Biden administration has no place pressuring Israel to use restraint or equivocating Israel and Hamas. I am proud to join Sen. Scott on this resolution to ensure Congress is clear about our support of the State of Israel as they defend their people and their sovereignty.
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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) speaks following the weekly Republican policy luncheon in Washington, on May 11, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

GOP Senators Urge HHS Not to Use Title X Funds for Abortions

Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst led Republican senators in sending a Monday letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services not to use Title X funds to support programs that provide abortions, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The GOP lawmakers urged HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to withdraw the Biden administrations proposed rule that would allow Title X funds to support programs where abortion is a method of family planning, contrary to law, and, impose onerous and illegal mandates for Title X projects to counsel and refer for abortion.

As Members of Congress, we have a unique Constitutional interest and oversight role in ensuring regulations governing the Title X program comport with the law and Congressional intent, the senators wrote.

The letter is a response to action by President Joe Bidens administration to undo former President Donald Trumps Protect Life Rule, which prohibited Title X Family Planning Program funds from going to organizations that perform or promote abortions.

Trump ordered in July 2019 that family planning clinics be stripped of their Title X funding if they refer women for abortions. The former presidents rules required that organizations that perform abortions and make referrals do so in separate buildings from those that receive Title X federal funds.

Biden quickly took steps to reverse the policy. In a Jan. 28 executive order, the new president ordered HHS to perform a review of Title X family planning regulations and consider as soon as practicable, whether to suspend, revise, or rescind, or publish for notice and comment proposed rules suspending, revising, or rescinding, those regulations.

The Biden administrations new HHS rule eliminates the separation of Title X programs and abortion providers.

Abortion is not family planning; it is family destruction, the senators wrote. This principle is enshrined in Title Xs authorization in section 1008 of the Public Health Service Act. The Proposed Rule defies the law and would siphon tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in Title X funding towards Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, to the detriment of American taxpayers, the consciences of health care providers, and the lives of unborn children.

Thirty-three Republican senators cosigned the Monday letter, including Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. The letter is also supported by a number of pro-life groups, Ernsts office said, including the Susan B. Anthony List and the March for Life, as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, speaks at the Long Beach Convention center in Long Beach, Calif., on May 13, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

The Iowa senator also introduced legislation in April that would prohibit taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood and instead direct those funds to other eligible womens health care providers. The bill also promises to ensure that there is not any reduction in federal funding for womens health services.

We must always fight to protect the most vulnerable of our society, the unborn, Ernst told the DCNF in April. Sadly, President Biden is working to reverse a rule from the previous administration that prevented taxpayer money from going toward abortion providers.

Republican senators called on the Department of Justice in May 2020 to investigate reports that 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates applied for and received over $80 million in coronavirus funding despite actual knowledge that they were ineligible for such loans.

Planned Parenthoods Action Fund previously acknowledged that the CARES Act legislation gave the Small Business Administration the power to exclude Planned Parenthood affiliates from receiving loans in a March 25 statement.

Despite this statement, Planned Parenthood confirmed in May 2020 that some independent Planned Parenthood 501(c)(3) organizations applied for and were awarded loans under the eligibility rules established by the CARES Act and the Small Business Administration (SBA), which they met.

Republican lawmakers then called for SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza to investigate how 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates received $80 million in loans. GOP lawmakers again called on SBA to investigate the PPP loans in January, accusing Parenthood of knowingly taking the loans though they were ineligible.

Since May 2020, SBA has repeatedly refused to discuss the matter to the DCNF. SBA repeatedly told the DCNF that it does not comment on individual borrowers.

By Mary Margaret Olohan

From The Daily Caller News Foundation
Students enter the Admissions Building on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 12, 2006. (Glen Cooper/Getty Images)

Harvard Asks Supreme Court to Not Review Case Alleging Anti-Asian Discrimination

Harvard University is asking the Supreme Court to not take a discrimination case brought against the Ivy League school over its admissions policy, which takes race into account.

The case was first raised in 2014 by advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), on behalf of a coalition of students who claimed to have been rejected from Harvard because of their Asian ancestrya violation of Title VI, the federal law prohibiting racial discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding.

In February, three months after the First Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Harvard and upheld the universitysrace-conscious admission practices, the SFFA filed a petition (pdf) to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to reignite the seven-year-long legal battle.

Harvards mistreatment of Asian-American applicants is appalling, the SFFAs court filing reads. Harvard penalizes them because, according to its admissions office, they lack leadership and confidence and are less likable and kind. This is reason enough to grant review.

This case is the kind of important individual rights dispute that this Court has not hesitated to hear, it added. Review thus would be warranted if the defendant were any university subject to Title VI. But it isnt just any university. Its Harvard. Harvard has been at the center of the controversy over ethnic- and race-based admissions for nearly a century.

In response, Harvard on May 17 filed to the Supreme Court a Brief in Opposition (pdf) to the SFFAs request, arguing that the group failed to offer any valid reason to revisit the lower court ruling.

Having failed to make the case that Harvards admissions practices contravene the courts precedents governing the use of race in admissions, SFFA asks the court to overthrow them, Harvard argued. But SFFA offers no legitimate justification for such an extraordinary step.

The university also accused the SFFA of trying to undermine its efforts to make its student population racially diverse, saying that a race-neutral admission policy would hurt the already underrepresented black and Hispanic students.

If Harvard were to abandon race-conscious admissions, African-American and Hispanic representation would decline by nearly half, the court filing read. Such declines would seriously undermine Harvards educational goals, and even SFFAs expert agreed such declines would be unacceptable.

While it could be, as the SFFA suggested, a landmark case on college admission policies, Harvard law professor Noah R. Feldman told student newspaper the Harvard Crimson that the Supreme Court may not grant a review because Harvard is a private institution.

Feldman said, according to the Crimson, that he believes its pretty unlikely the Supreme Court will take the case. He told the newspaper that past Supreme Court cases involving race in admissions have involved public universities, and the constitutional issue in those cases is more clearly presented.
A Hong Kong flag is flown behind a pair of surveillance cameras outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong on July 20, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

HK Suspends Operations at Representative Office in Taiwan as Tensions Rise

HONG KONG/TAIPEIHong Kong government suspended on Tuesday operations at its representative office in Taiwan in a sign of escalating diplomatic tension between the mainland-ruled financial hub and the democratically-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tensions between Hong Kongs pro-Beijing government and Taiwan have risen since Hong Kong saw Beijing push through a national security law which has suffocated pro-democracy protests that erupted in the former British colony in 2019. The imposition of the sweeping national security law prompted many of Hong Kongs new dissidents to leave, some for Taiwan.

A Hong Kong government representative did not provide an explanation for the decision to halt operations at the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office, adding only that the decision was not related to the recent rise in coronavirus cases in Taiwan.

The suspension is not related to the pandemic situation in Taiwan. We do not have anything further to add, the representative said in a statement.

Taiwans government said it regrets the Hong Kong governments decision.

We express deep regret at todays unilateral decision by the Hong Kong government, Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement.

Taiwan has criticised the security law that Beijing imposed in Hong Kong and opened an office in Taipei to help people who may want to leave.

In August last year, Chinese authorities intercepted a boat carrying 12 people from Hong Kong, who had all faced charges related to the anti-government protests, and were apparently looking to escape to Taiwan.

Last year, Taiwan officials in Hong Kong were told their visas would not be renewed unless they signed a document supporting Beijings claim to Taiwan under its one China policy, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council said this month there were only eight Taiwanese staff members left at its de facto consulate in Hong Kong, and that all their visas were due to expire this year.

Hong Kongs Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said the suspension in operations meant requests for assistance from Hong Kong people in Taiwan would be handled through hotlines and via a Hong Kong government website.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of one China and plans to use of force to bring the island under its control.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants Taiwan brought under its rule according to a similar one country two systems arrangement it offered to Hong Kong when it returned to Beijings rule in 1997.

Taiwanese say they are an independent island that will never bow to communist rule, presenting a democratic model that the Chinese people could choose if it werent for the iron-fisted rule of the CCP.

Hong Kong has long served as an important trade and investment conduit between Taiwan and China, which have no diplomatic relations.

The security law in Hong Kong punishes what the CCP broadly defines as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces against its rule with up to life in prison.

Critics of the law fear it will crush the wide-ranging freedoms promised to Hongkongers when the city was returned to Beijings rule. Supporters agree with the CCPs view that the law has restored the stability that is essential for its economic success.

Hong Kong has not seen any mass protests since the law was introduced. Many activists have been charged under the law, with prominent anti-Beijing pro-democracy figures sentenced to jail terms.

By Sharon Tam and Yimou Lee
A porter pushes a cart of hotel guest bags into the lobby of the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Dec. 31, 2020. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Hotel Association Advises Relaxing Mask Requirements After CDC Guidance

The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) on Monday recommended that hotels ease mask requirements for fully vaccinated guests and employees working outside.

The new guidance, issued in a statement from the groups CEO, adjusts an industry health and safety initiative adopted by hotels to match the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In light of the recent CDC announcement that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most settings, our Safe Stay guidelines will relax mask requirements for guests who are fully vaccinated, Chip Rogers, the CEO of AHLA, said in the statement.

At this time, we are not asking hotels to require proof of vaccination status, but we do ask that all guests and workers, vaccinated or not, respect and honor these revised guidelines. Unvaccinated guests should wear face-coverings and practice physical distancing at all times in public settings.

AHLA said vaccinated employees would still have to wear masks indoors as it awaited further guidance from the CDC.

Since the CDC announced on May 13 that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks indoors and most other settings, states and businesses moved to revise their mask mandates to match the CDC guidance.

The governors of at least 10 states and officials at a slew of retail giants, like Walmart and Target, have since said they would no longer require masks, at least for those fully vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted the states indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people.

The White House has insisted that the federal government will not be implementing a vaccine passport system as a way to verify who has been vaccinated. The head of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, has said the government has no plans for playing a role in implementing any sort of vaccine mandate.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) (L) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) hold a news conference to introduce legislation to transform public housing as part of their Green New Deal proposal outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Nov. 14, 2019, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

HUD to Spend $5 Billion on 70,000 Housing Vouchers for the Homeless

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge plans to spend $5 billion under President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan (ARP) to fund 70,000 housing vouchers for homeless people between now and 2030.

While most of us spent more time in our homes than we ever have, more than half a million Americans had to spend the last year either in crowded shelters or sleeping outside, Fudge said when announcing the program. With HUDs swift allocation of this $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funding, we are providing communities the resources to give homes to the people who have had to endure the COVID-19 pandemic without one.

Fudges HUD Department provided statistics to back her claims.

The United States was facing a severe homelessness crisis even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. On a single night in January 2020, more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States, a 2.2 percent increase from 2019, according to a HUD fact sheet. The American Rescue Plan provides robust funding to confront this crisis head on. Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced the allocation of $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds for 70,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs).

The funds are for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, and fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence or human trafficking. HUD estimates that these EHVs, paired with resources provided through the Emergency Solutions Grants and HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance from the CARES Act, will house 130,000 total families.

Fudge announced the program during a May 17 Zoom conference call with Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and two Democratic mayors, Eric Johnson of Dallas and Libby Schaaf of Oakland.

Price is chairman of the House Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, while Murray is a member of the related Senate panel.

In April, Fudge released a 15-page listing of communities that will receive funds from the $5 billion in ARP funds and how much each will get.

Los Angeles will receive nearly $100 million under the program, while San Francisco is slated for $18.7 million. Depending on how they are counted, as many as 60,000 of the nations homeless individuals live in those two California cities.

Chicago will get $71.2 million under the program, New York nearly $270 million, and Philadelphia $42 million.

The HUD EHVs provide federal funds paid directly to local landlords through public housing authorities, with the holder of the voucher paying the monthly difference between a propertys official rent and the subsidy amount listed on said voucher.

It was unclear, however, how long each of the EHVs issued under the program will provide housing assistance for recipients, or how much of the $5 billion will be consumed by the federal governments administrative bureaucracy at HUD.

A HUD spokesman referred The Epoch Times to the fact sheet for clarification on those two questions, but the document didnt address them.

The HUD announcement is the latest of President Joe Bidens spending programs aimed at the nations public housing communities, though the use of EHVs in the $5 billion initiative marks a different approach from previous programs.

Bidens American Jobs Plan (AJP) directs $40 billion to rebuilding the countrys public housing infrastructure.

Years of disinvestment have left our public housing in disrepair. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest $40 billion to improve the infrastructure of the public housing system in America, the Biden White House said in a March 31 fact sheet on the AJP. This funding will address critical life-safety concerns, mitigate imminent hazards to residents, and undertake energy efficiency measures which will significantly reduce ongoing operating expenses.

But Bidens $40 billion could be just the opening salvo in a costly series of federal efforts to rebuild and revitalize the nations 1.1 million public housing units managed by more than 3,000 public housing authorities, according to the Manhattan Institutes Michael Hendrix.

This is roughly 14 times the federal governments current capital spending on public housing agencies, and its likely just the beginning, Hendrix wrote in a May 10 analysis published by Governing Magazine.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.] is now demanding at least $80 billion in federal public housing funds. But why stop there: Sen. Bernie Sanders [I-Vt.] and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-N.Y.] have joined other progressive activists calling for a Green New Deal for Public Housing costing as much as $172 billionor $230,000 per unitto retrofit public housing for energy efficiency and greenlight new projects.

But unlike the EVHs that indirectly provide funds to individuals, the bulk of the new spending will go to preserve a public housing system that Hendrix contends is perpetually in disrepair, shoddily managed and actively harmful to the well-being of tenants while doing little to integrate residents into their economy or community.

These are not failures of funding alone, but inescapable flaws of public housing itself, which robs Americans of safe and equitable choice for shelter. Instead of, say, spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars per unit on green schemes for public housing, why not fully fund Americas housing vouchers? he said.

Congressional correspondent Mark Tapscott may be contacted at mark.tapscott@epochtimes.nyc
A crack is in a steel beam on the Interstate 40 bridge, near Memphis, Tenn. (Tennessee Department of Transportation via AP)

I-40 Bridge Inspector Fired, May Face Charges for Not Flagging Huge Crack in Span

A bridge inspector who apparently failed to flag a crack in a span of the Hernando de Soto Bridge that was shut down last week was fired and may face a criminal investigation, officials said.

The crack on the bridge, which connects Memphis, Tennessee, to West Memphis, Arkansas, was seen in a 2019 drone video, Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie Tudor told reporters, adding that the unnamed inspector was fired.

The inspector, she added, did not note the crack in his reports. This is unacceptable, Tudor said.

From our investigation, we have determined the same employee who conducted the inspection in 2019 and 2020 failed to carry out his responsibilities correctly, Tudor said, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

The incident is being referred to federal investigators, meaning that the inspector could face charges.

He didnt see it, Tudor said about the crack in the bridges truss. But the reason he didnt see it is because he wasnt following proper protocol.

Tudor said the official was asked to literally go inch by inch along that beam and physically inspect every inch of the beam, adding: That did not happen.

Traffic on the bridge, which carries Interstate 40, was shut down on May 11 after the fracture was located. River traffic under the bridge was also halted by the U.S. Coast Guard, leading to numerous barges and ships being stuck before it was reopened Friday.

I-40 traffic is currently being rerouted to Interstate 55 and the Memphis and Arkansas Bridge, which is about 3 miles south, officials have told local media.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation said in a news release Monday that it has selected a company to complete the repairs for the bridges truss.

Both phases will need to be completed before traffic can re-open on the bridge, the release said. At this point, we are unable to project a re-opening date.

About 11,000 pounds of steel has to be fabricated to repair the truss, and that is expected to be completed by May 19, the agency added, saying that the steel will then be transported to Memphis.
Jeep Cherokees sit on a lot at Fiat Chryslers's Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill., on Feb. 27, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Illinois Jeep Cherokee Factory to Cut Over 1,600 Jobs Amid Global Chip Shortage

A Jeep Cherokee factory in Northern Illinois is cutting more than 1,600 jobs as multiple auto manufacturers are experiencing shortages in microchips.

The U.S. arm of Stellantis announced it will cut workers in one of its two shifts at the Stellantis Belvidere Assembly Plant in Boone County by July 26, The Associated Press reported.

Frances PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler merged earlier this year and announced a new company, Stellantis NVnow the worlds fourth-largest automaker by volume. The company also owns Jeep, as well as more than a dozen other passenger-car brands.

The companys move will result in 1,641 workers getting permanently laid off, said Jodi Tinson, a Jeep Cherokee spokesperson.

The Company will make every effort to place laid-off hourly employees in open full-time positions as they become available based on seniority, Tinson said in a statement to The Detroit News.

The layoffs are intended to balance sales with production as the situation at the company has been further exacerbated by the unprecedented global microchip shortage, the spokesperson explained.

Jeep Cherokee has become the latest car brand highlighting the intensifying semiconductor shortage that is affecting the global auto industry.

Jaguar Land Rover, General Motors (GM), and Ford, also announced last month they will be suspending some of their production at several plants in the United States and the United Kingdom.

A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD is shown on the assembly line at the General Motors Flint Assembly Plant in Flint, Mich., on Feb. 5, 2019. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Ford said in early May the microchip shortage might slash second-quarter production by half, costing it about $2.5 billion and about 1.1 million units of lost production in 2021.

Other auto brands that have been hit hard by the semiconductor shortages are Volkswagen, Nissan, and Honda. The shortfall deepened after a plant owned by Japans Renesas caught fire in April.

The U.S. Commerce Department has earlier this month pressed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd and other Taiwanese firms to prioritize the needs of U.S. automakers to ease chip shortages in the near term, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

Raimondo told a Council of the Americas event on May 4 that longer-term, increased investment was needed to produce more semiconductors in the United States and that other critical supply chains needed re-shoring, including to allied countries.

Were working hard to see if we can get the Taiwanese and TSMC, which is a big company there, to, you know, prioritize the needs of our auto companies since theres so many American jobs on the line, Raimondo said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
In San Francisco, A Fish Rots From the Head Down

Commentary

As a public servant who worked for 33 years in seven different San Francisco City and County departments and as a former elected city official, I can assure you that corruption and misuse of public trust does not happen unless it is either promoted by or overlooked from the top.

The top in this case is the mayors office, the Board of Supervisors, and the Legal Branch.

With very few exceptions, my own election being one, the political leaders that have been running the City by the Bay in the last 40 years have all come out of the same Democrat machine stable. Many locals refer to it as the Brown-Burton machine, but it is really much more involved and complicated than that, as the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and Gavin Newsom are just a few of the beneficiaries of the inbred and self-serving culture that has been at the helm of that city.

Believe me when I say that nothing crooked of any magnitude goes on in San Francisco without the knowledge of those at the top, and that is how they have remained in power.

In the 1980s, the merit-based competitive civil service system of employment was downgraded and replaced by a patronage system of cronyism whose recruits often came from the ranks of campaign and outreach organizations beholden to those holding office. The Agnos, Brown, Newsom, Lee, and now the Breed mayoral administrations are all legendary for their reliance on outside special interests as well as their inside appointments to some of the highest-paying civil service positions in the country.

San Francisco is a small city with a very high positive cash flow and an unusually high government-vs-private-sector-worker ratio. Here, if someone plays their cards right, they are as well rewarded as a big fish in a small pond if they just swim in the right direction!

Which brings me to the current scandal presently rocking San Francisco. Federal investigators have uncovered pay-to-play schemes that span at least four major city departments and involve department heads who initially were hired by Mayor Willie Brown but honed their skills and lined their pockets well under the Newsom, Lee, and now Breed administrations in high-paying city jobs.

First, Mohammed Nuru, former Director of San Francisco Public Works, was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on corruption charges in January 2020.

The complaint describes a web of corruption involving bribery, kickbacks, and side deals by one of San Franciscos highest-ranking city employees, said U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson.

Nurus salary was $380,120 in 2019. In 2004, Nuru was investigated by the city attorney for coercing employees into supporting the campaigns of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, but not much resulted from that investigation.

Less than two months later, Tom Hui, the Director of the Department of Building Inspection, faced allegations of breaching ethics laws and resigned before being dismissed. It is alleged that Hui, who was appointed by Mayor Ed Lee in 2013 and was receiving a salary of about $350,000 per year, accepted improper gifts and violated city law by giving preferential treatment to a developer and a permit expediter.

In November 2020, Harlan Kelly, a former Mayor Brown recruit who was appointed General Manager of the Citys Public Utilities Commission by Mayor Lee in 2012, was charged with honest services wire fraud for taking bribes in a public bidding process. His pay and benefits package was $472,737.

His wife, Naomi Kelly, a one-time special assistant to Mayor Brown and a former city purchaser under Gavin Newsom, was appointed city administrator by Mayor Ed Lee in 2012. She similarly abandoned her post as the city administrator after being implicated in the charges against her husband, despite not being charged herself. As chief administrative officer for the city, she oversaw the workings of 25 city departments, the biggest of which is the Department of Public Works, where much of the illegal trading took place under director Mohammed Nuru. Her salary was $398,277.

In March, Sandra Zuniga, formerly the head of San Franciscos Mayors Office of Neighborhood Services, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The June 2020 federal complaint against Zuniga alleged that she had laundered the proceeds of Nurus schemes from 2014 through January 2020 with all-cash deposits in amounts that greatly exceeded her $210,000 city compensation package by tens of thousands of dollars that benefited Nuru.

Numerous wealthy and well-connected outside contractors have also been indicted as the case continues to unfold.

Only recently did City Attorney Dennis Herrera issue a first-of-its-kind order to suspend city contracts with companies and their executives who were found to be connected to the bribery and corruption scandal. It is very hard to believe that Herrera, while serving as City attorney for the past 20 years, did not have more motivation or success in pursuing such obvious corruption going on for so long.

Of course, the fact that Mayor London Breed has tapped him to become the new General Manager of the Public Utilities Commission to take over the position that Harlan Kelly vacated at $472,737 per year might help to explain it. Talk about putting the cat among the pigeons in an attempt to make a high-profile investigation disappear!

These corruption charges were spearheaded by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California, led by former U.S. Attorney David Andersonappointed by the Trump administrationwhose last day on the job was Feb. 26 this year. President Biden has yet to appoint a successor for him, and it is doubtful that whomever Biden appoints as U.S. Attorney will have the same desire to go after high-profile Democratic power players in the very lucrative and generous San Francisco.

It remains to be seen, however, how thoroughly San Francisco will hold itself accountableand how accountable it will be made to hold itself.

Tony Hall is a former supervisor for the City and County of San Francisco.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Jan. 6 Suspect Placed Under House Arrest After Allegedly Killing Mountain Lion: Officials

A judge on Monday said that a Colorado hunting guide accused of attacking a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6 should be placed under house arrest after he allegedly had possession of a gun and shot and killed a mountain lion.

Prosecutors said that Patrick Montgomery, 48, killed the mountain lion during a March 31 hunt. They said that he was ordered by a judge not to have any illegal guns while he was facing charges related to the Jan. 6 incident, according to a motion filed (pdf) on May 12.

Montgomery has no respect for the Courts orders, just like he had no respect for law enforcement at the Capitol on January 6, the prosecutors claimed in their 5-page motion, arguing that he violated his release conditions.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Montgomery be held under house arrest, allowing him to only leave home for court appearances, for medical care, and other court-approved activities.

The documents also stipulated that an FBI Task Force officer learned Montgomery used a .357 magnum handgun to shoot a mountain lion at a Colorado park. The officer said that he told a park official that he shot the lion before the official ran a background check on him, learning that he pleaded guilty to several felony robbery charges in 1996.

Montgomery is a convicted felon and is prohibited by law to carry a firearm, including a handgun, the documents added.

Prosecutors have said that on Jan. 6, he allegedly tried to grab a Metropolitan Police Department officers baton, wrestled him to the ground for it, and then kicked the officer in the chest while wearing a boot instead of peacefully protesting.

Mountain lions, otherwise known as cougars or pumas, are not illegal to hunt in Colorado. According to CBS Denver, Montgomery owns a hunting guide business called Pmonte Outdoors, and he shot the big cat on the last day of the 2021 hunting season for mountain lions.
Boris Johnson wears a mask while visiting a vaccination centre at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on May 18, 2021. (Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Johnson Says Nothing Conclusive Suggests Need to Delay Reopening

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that theres nothing conclusive at the moment that suggests England needs to delay its reopening.

The prime minister said the government will be letting people know in a few days time.

According to Johnsons road map to exit the third national CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus lockdown in England, all legal restrictions will be removed from June 21, if all goes well.

But the prospect of freedom is overshadowed by concerns over the Indian variant of the CCP virus, which some experts say may be 50 percent more transmissible than the UK variant.

The prime minister has previously warned the rise in cases of the Indian variant could risk the road map being delayed.

If outbreaks are limited, ministers could opt instead to push ahead with the reopening while keeping some areas under restrictions in an echo of the controversial tiered system introduced in 2020.

Asked on Tuesday whether the date will be affected, Johnson told reporters the government is keeping everything under very, very careful, close review.

Were looking at all the data as it comes in from places like Bolton, Blackburn, Bedford, Sefton, and other places, Johnson said, referring to areas where the Indian variant is reportedly becoming dominant.

[Were] just looking at those curves, where theyre moving, trying to understand whether the Indian variant is more transmissible, and if so, by how much more its transmissible, and also trying to understand to what extent our vaccine programme has already sufficiently fortified us all against it, he said.

And Im afraid we just got a few more days of looking at that data, he added.

But as things stand, at the moment I can see nothing conclusive in the data to say that we have to deviate from the present road map, but weve got to be cautious and well be letting people know in a few days time.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that the final decision on whether or not to remove all legal restrictions as scheduled will be made on June 14.

The government has ramped up the promotion of its vaccination programme after Hancock on Sunday said early lab data indicated that the CCP virus vaccines do work against the Indian variant.

Johnson said the uptake of CCP vaccines in the UK has been incredibly high. He thanked people who have taken the jabs and urged people to take them when they are offered.

PA contributed to this report.
Papa John's 'Raising the Dough' for Trooper Island

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Papa John's is holding a "Raise the Dough" fundraising event to raise money for the Kentucky State Police Trooper Island summer camp.When you come into Papa John's restaurant at 2927 Lone Oak Road on Wednesday, a portion of your pizza price will be donated to Trooper Island.Established in 1965, Trooper Island is a free summer camp for economically challenged boys and girls, ages 10-12. The camp is located on Dale Hollow Lake in Clinton County. Each year, the camp hosts approximately 700 children from across the state.Campers learn about citizenship, personal hygiene, and leadership. Trooper Island Camp provides fresh air, good food, recreation, guidance, and structured esteem-building activities; all designed to build good citizenship and positive relationships with law enforcement officers.Trooper Island is a non-profit organization that is financed entirely by donations, no public funds are used.
Honoree Lara Logan accepts an award onstage during the 42nd Annual Gracie Awards, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on June 6, 2017. (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Alliance for Women in Media)

Lara Logan: Propagandists and Political Assassins Have Infected the Media

The state of the media in the United States has shifted over the years to the extent that the industry is no longer recognizable, former correspondent for CBSs 60 Minutes Lara Logan told The Epoch Times.

Our profession today is unrecognizable, investigative journalist Logan said during an interview for American Thought Leaders, noting that since she started out in the industry nearly three decades ago, it has changed dramatically, and in many ways, not for the better.

Logan, now the host of Fox Nations Lara Logan Has No Agenda, has been at the frontlines for years, reporting on everything from war zones to gang warfare to the Benghazi scandal.

Born in Durban, South Africa, Logan spent much of her time as a young journalist covering rallies by the ruling party at the time. She told The Epoch Times that what stood out to her then, was that journalists never showed partisanship, bias, or personal feelings toward members of the government.

Ill never forget that when, I think it was the president stopped speaking, and everyone applauded. None of the journalists clapped. That was where I learned you dont show as a journalist your partisanship and nobody in the press corps didthat was just a standard, Logan recalled.

Its really a symbol of the separation that journalists tried to put between themselves and the politics of the day. And think about where we are nowthat certainly was not in evidence in the last administration, she continued, referring to the administration of former President Donald Trump.

It was truly shocking to me during the 2016 [presidential] campaign to hear and see journalists and newspapers of record you know, even any attempt or pretense or trying to be objective, and rally behind these political operatives and political organizations, to ensure that this person doesnt get into office, Logan added.

Many journalists in their reporting now blur the lines between fact and opinion, Logan said, criticizing reporters who rely on anonymous sources in their piecessomething she argues can be exploited to conceal motivation.

Sourcing is so important, and today thats just been completely obliterated for the worst possible reasons to give cover to political operatives and people with political motives, to spread disinformation that harms the profession of journalism, said Logan. That is a disgrace to every one of us who call ourselves journalists. Most importantly, it is really harmful to the ability of the American people to understand and know the truth so they can try to make the best possible decisions.

Theyre not journalists. Theyre political assassins, working on behalf of political operatives and propagandists, who do not care one bit about real journalism or honesty or anything like that, Logan argued.

Logan also suggested that media entities are working hand in hand with Big Tech companies to shape narratives and public discourse.

Companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google have drawn intense scrutiny for perceived political bias and alleged unbalanced moderation of users content. Critics say much of the companies moderation in the past year has unfairly targeted conservative speech and speech from individuals deemed to be supporters of Trump.

Meanwhile, groups on the other side of the aisle have been taking issue with how social media companies are operating, claiming that the Silicon Valley companies have failed to adequately address misinformation that is being proliferated online.

What its all about is absolute control, said Logan. If they control the narratives, they control this flow of information, they control what we report, what we dont report, how we report it, what we do with it, what people say about itthey manage perception, they distort perception.
In this image from video captured from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors website, Chairman Jack Sellers, center, and members hold a meeting regarding requests by the Arizona Senate in Maricopa County, Ariz., on May 18, 2021. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Maricopa County Calls for End of 2020 Election Audit

County's board disputes allegations that it deleted data from an election machine

Officials in Arizonas largest county on Monday urged the state Senate to bring to an end an audit that is reviewing ballots cast and machines used in the 2020 presidential election.

It is time to end this. For the good of the Senate, for the good of the Country and for the good of the Democratic institutions that define us as Americans, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and two other county officials wrote to Arizona GOP Senate President Karen Fann.

In the 14-page document, the board, which is mainly comprised of Republicans, attempted to counter accusations by auditors that the county handed over nearly 2.1 million ballots without chain-of-custody documentation and with discrepancies in some ballot batches.

Auditors had also said they found an entire database directory from an election machine had been deleted.

The board called the accusations false, defamatory, and beneath the dignity of the Senate. Members said they had provided proper chain-of-custody documentation to the state Senates liaison, former Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett. They also said that each box was sealed with tamper-evident tape or standard clear sturdy packing tape and that the supposed batch discrepancies stemmed from a misunderstanding of how election tabulation works.

Board members challenged the claim of database deletion, asserting that no data was deleted on April 12.

In the letter, they reiterated that they could not produce passwords to access administrative functions of Dominion Voting Systems machines because Dominion does not give them such passwords. Dominion said last week it would not give auditors the passwords. Dominion did give the passwords to two firms that conducted an audit for the county earlier this year because both are accredited by the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, the county said.

County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, told members in a meeting on Monday that he witnessed the transference of all election databases to the Senate and that the Dominion passwords are not needed to run any operations, including elections.

This is like how you can run Microsoft Windows on your computer without having access to Microsoft Windows source code, he said.

The countys position does not affect the audit, which is currently on hold as high school graduations take place in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Auditors will re-enter the facility next week, according to an agreement obtained by The Epoch Times.

The board also continued refusing to provide routers or router images to auditors.

Asked for a comment on the boards new letter, Fann, the state Senates president, told The Epoch Times that the Senate will hold a hearing/meeting to receive an update on the audit from the vendor and to address questions submitted to them and the countys recent communications.

Fann threatened to subpoena Maricopa County officials over their refusal to fully comply with the subpoenas but backed off that threat last week, instead laying out her concerns in a letter and asking officials to attend a May 18 meeting to answer questions.

County officials said they will not attend the meeting, which will take place at 1 p.m. Mountain Time.

Workers examine ballots cast in Maricopa County in the 2020 election during an audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo)

Supervisor Bill Gates of the GOP said on Monday that the board respected the decision by the judge but added that it would not participate in a political theater by joining the meeting.

The Arizona Senate is better than that. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is better than that, he said.

Maricopa County has long resisted having its election materials audited, taking the matter to court after subpoenas were issued last year. But a county judge ruled in February that the subpoenas were valid and should be obeyed.

Routers were listed in the subpoenas, as was access to election machines.

Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, indicated that the county would no longer cooperate with the state Senate or its auditors.

This board is done explaining anything to these people who are playing investigator with our constituents ballots and equipment paid for with real peoples tax dollars, he said.

I would hope that Senate President Fann steps up, show some political courage, pushes back, gets rid of these contractors that have no business at the Coliseum, Supervisor Steve Gallardo, a Democrat, added.

The defiance from the board rankled some Republicans.

Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona GOP, said in a video that the board members view themselves as above the law, above review, above reproach.

Who gives these local officials the right to challenge the constitutional authority of the Arizona Senate and of the Arizona courts? she wondered.
Michigan Judge Dismisses Antrim County Election Case

A Michigan judge on Tuesday threw out a case challenging the 2020 election in Antrim County.

13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer, a Republican nominee, ruled that plaintiff William Bailey, a resident of Antrim County, had received the relief he sought after he filed the lawsuit last year following the election.

Bailey was seeking an independent audit of Antrim Countys election but Elsenheimer decided that the February risk-limiting audit conducted by county clerks, who reviewed a random sample of some 18,000 ballots, was sufficient under state law.

There is no right either in the constitutional section or the statute for the independent audit that Mr. Bailey seeks, Elsenheimer told the court.

As the plaintiffs have either received all of the requested relief or are not entitled to the relief requested as a matter of law  the plaintiffs claims are, in fact, moot, he added.

Elsenheimer ruled in favor of a joint motion for summary disposition filed by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, and Antrim County.

The judge had earlier granted the other relief Bailey sought: a forensic audit of a tabulator in the county and a protective order preserving records.

The audit issue involves Michigan Proposal 3, approved by voters in 2018, which altered the state Constitution to allow Michigan voters the right to have the results of statewide elections audited in such a manner as prescribed by law to ensure the accuracy and integrity of elections. But state law, specifically MCL 168.31a, gives the secretary of state the authority to prescribe how audits are conducted.

Baileys lawyer, Matthew DePerno, told The Epoch Times that he plans on appealing the decision and filing a motion for reconsideration. He intends to file other lawsuits as well.

DePerno considers Elsenheimer wrong on his interpretation of the Michigan Constitution and wrong on the idea that the secretary of state has her ability to invent her own procedures to audit an election even if shes part of the fraud.

A screenshot from YouTube shows a court hearing in Antrim County, Mich., on May 18, 2021. (Judge Kevin Elsenheimer/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

DePerno has accused Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy and Benson of lying to the public about what happened in the county on Election Night and in the following weeks.

They knew what happened and they tried to cover it up, he said.

Benson and Antrim County officials have disputed the claims, arguing that human mistakes led to the county twice reporting skewed results.

The county initially reported that Democrat Joe Biden received over 3,000 more votes in the county than then-President Donald Trump. Democrats Gary Peters and Dana Ferguson were also shown ahead of their Republican opponents.

The county twice released an amended vote countfirst on the day after the election, showing Trump received more votes, and again on Nov. 21, 2020, indicating a different number of votes for Biden, Trump, and overall. The total number of votes dropped by 2,013.

More recently, DePerno and Benson filed competing analyses of the election, with the plaintiff asserting his team found it possible to flip votes, and the intervening defendant alleging the election mistakes were the result of human error and not from a security breach or done deliberately.

Elsenheimer, the judge, stressed in the courtroom that his ruling was not about testing facts, but about testing the legal sufficiency of the claims brought by Bailey. He said the ruling did not mean that election machines were not corrupted or corruptable. It also did not mean that there were no problems in the way the county conducted the election, he added.

Benson said in a statement: Todays dismissal of the last of the lawsuits attempting to undermine democracy in furtherance of the #BigLie affirms that despite incredible scrutiny & an unprecedented effort to deceive, the 2020 election was fair, secure & the results accurately reflect the will of the people.

And while this case may be over, we must remain vigilant against the ongoing attempts of democracy deniers to use deceit & misinformation to enact policies that will block access to the vote in future elections. Truth & democracy will prevail, but only if we demand that it does, she added.
Mom Sets an Example for Her Children by Caring for Her Daughter With Down Syndrome

A touching image posted by a mom from Canada contains the powerful message that setting the right example for your children is important and parents actions can have the greatest impact on them.

Tara McCallan, 40, is a blogger and mother to three kidsNoal, aged 9, Pip, aged 8, and Theo aged 5.

On March 16, Tara posted a thought-provoking image on Instagram, writing: I could tell my boys over and over to treat others well. I could preach kindness all day long. And I could try to teach them empathy and compassion with words. But, its in the day to day that they see what I need them to learn.

Tara explained in the post that the night before, Pipher daughter who has Down syndrome and suffers from other health issueshad slipped into her mothers bed as she seemed a bit off. The next morning, the little girl had vomited all over her mothers pillow. Additionally, her pump had also stopped giving her insulin and she had extremely high blood sugar, resulting in Pip feeling sick.

As Tara sprang into a go-mode to care for her daughter, she wasnt aware that her older son, Noel, was watching her from a distance, seeing her get vomited on all over by Pip, and then seeing her holding Pips hair and squatting on the bathroom floor as the little girl continued to vomit.

Unbeknownst to Tara, Noel had captured an image of her caring for his little sister from his school computer.

Later that day, Noel wrapped his hands around his mother and kissed her forehead, showing her the picture hed captured, and complimenting her by saying, Youre such a good mom.

A few hours later, Theo, who had also been watching his mother care for Pip all morning, placed himself behind Pip and rubbed her back as she continued to vomit. At this time, Tara had rushed to get Pip some water.

Needless to say, the image of Theo stepping up to care for his older sister in the need of the hour brought tears to Taras eyes.

By acting how I want them to be. By showing them how to care for someone else. By not hiding or sugar coating our situation. I hope they learn all they need, Tara wrote, signing off from the post.

In an email interview with the Epoch Times, Tara said this is not the first time her son has imitated her. In fact, her two boys constantly imitate her when it comes to their sister, and they are always looking after her and caring for her, as she has some extraordinary needs.

At school, my boys have stepped in to help with communication if she is not being understood, Tara said. They have learned sign language. Have given talks to their class to bring awareness to Down syndrome on World Down syndrome Day.

When Pip had double knee surgery, the boys also stepped in to convince her to keep her knee braces on.

The bond they share is unlike anything I could have imagined, Tara said.

When Pip was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, Tara recalled grieving that her son would miss out on a sibling relationship.

However, every day they show me its so much more. The compassion and empathy she has taught my boys just by being her, is something I could never teach like she has, Tara said.

The loving mother said that many people have connected to her post, and she hopes that, through it, people not only see the daily struggles that come with Type 1 diabetes, but that parents also take note of how important their actions really are.

Setting an example is everything. Children learn by actions of what and how parents react, behave and narrate any situation, Tara said. Cleaning up puke that day wasnt meant to be a life lesson. But it was important that my boys saw me care for someone in need.

Tara is also a founder of a nonprofit organization called Happy Soul Project, which she started after Pips birth. Her mission is to break down stigmas, change perspectives, and celebrate differences, as stated on her website.

Tara is also trying to create awareness of Down syndrome and get the message out that being different is cool and beautiful and that being different should be celebrated.

In an interview with Dandelion Woman, Tara said that, through Happy Soul Project, she wants others to be inspired to feel kinder, wanting to reach out to others more, seeing ways to help those in need, and laughing at how Im coping in this journey we call parenting.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
A healthcare frontline worker prepares people to get their rapid test following a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 17, 2021. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

More COVID-19 Vaccines Coming to Taiwan as Cases Spike

TAIPEIMuch-needed COVID-19 vaccines should be coming to Taiwan soon, the GAVI Vaccine Alliance said on Monday, as the chip-producing islands limited supplies run short during a spike in cases that has left the government scrambling for supplies.

A surge of coronavirus infections in Taiwan, one of the worlds COVID-19 mitigation success stories, has led to its stock of 300,000 doses rapidly running out, with only about 1 percent of its 23 million people vaccinated.

Taiwan has been a model of how to control the pandemic but over the past week has reported more than 700 domestic cases, out of a total of 2,017 infections recorded in all, triggering panic buying at supermarkets as the government tightened curbs.

The GAVI Vaccine Alliance, which with the World Health Organization is jointly running the COVAX scheme to provide doses to countries that may have difficulties obtaining them, said more AstraZeneca vaccines were coming to Taiwan.

COVAX expects Taiwan should receive allocated doses by the end of June at the latest, the alliance said in a statement to Reuters.

The target remains to have 76 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from AZ delivered between February and June to supply up to 80 countries and we expect next tranches of deliveries of vaccines to Taiwan soon, it said.

Taiwan has ordered 20 million vaccine doses, mostly from AstraZeneca Plc but also from Moderna, though global shortages have curtailed supplies.

Taiwan has said it expects to get more than 1 million AstraZeneca shots via COVAX.

Taiwan only has AstraZeneca vaccines and last week health authorities stopped giving shots to people who are not on priority lists that include the elderly and medical staff.

AstraZeneca said that through the COVAX facility it was committed to broad and equitable access to the vaccine, including to supply Taiwan.

Moderna did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters there was no new progress to report on the arrival of more vaccines but that lots more would gradually be coming. He gave no details.

The opposition Kuomintang party has called for the world to ensure that the island, a major semiconductor maker, gets priority help.

Taiwans pandemic is related to the stability of the global electronic product supply chain, party chairman Johnny Chiang said on Sunday.

A further concern for the government has been China. The Chinese regime sees Taiwan as a part of its territory and has threatened war to bring the island into its fold. The self-ruled island is a de facto independent country with its own democratically elected government, military, constitution, and currency.

China has been shipping its domestically developed vaccines around the world and has offered them to Taiwan via COVAX, but Taiwanese law does not permit the use of Chinese vaccines.

A security official watching Chinese activity in Taiwan told Reuters the Taipei government believed Beijing was engaged in cognitive warfare to create chaos and undermine public trust in how the pandemic is being handled.

They are trying to highlight the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines and how the government is blindly pinning its hopes on vaccines from the United States and home-made vaccines.

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report
Australian PM Flags Vaccination Plan for Those Who Want to Travel

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that he wants to see fully vaccinated people not be subject to any domestic CCP virus restrictions put in place by state and territory governments as part of a roadmap to more travel freedoms.

The prime minister noted that opening and closing the borders for unrestricted travel couldnt be done like flipping a switch, describing it instead as a sliding scale that will be moved through incrementally.

We wont be taking decisions that put Australians lives and livelihoods at risk, Morrison said on May 17. We will be doing it cautiously; we will be working closely with states and territories on innovative ways to keep the borders safe but at the same time address some of these other needs that are there.

Some of those needs include finding a managed and safe way to begin bringing back who we need to come into the country, such as international students or specialist workers, including seasonal agricultural and horticultural workers, Morrison said. Seasonal workers are already flying in from Pacific Island nations to fill the gap in the sector.

Morrison has his eyes on Singapore for a potential second international travel bubble like the one with New Zealand but noted that recent restrictions in Singapore mean that it is some way off.

Push to Let Virus into Australia

The prime ministers comments come as at least two medical bureaucrats, some politicians, and business leaders have pushed for Australians to learn to live with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told healthcare workers at a private seminar in April that Australia should not pursue a CCP virus elimination strategy but instead prepare the public to accept that community transmission will occur even when enough are vaccinated and international borders reopen.

This was echoed by the former deputy chief medical officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, who on May 13 warned that Australians have to come to terms with the fact the nation cannot ride out the pandemic in an eliminationist bunker, likening an elimination strategy as the pursuit of a false idol.

A general view of the NSW Health Vaccination Centre in Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia, on May 10, 2021. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on May 15, said he agreed with Coatsworth that Australia should not pursue the false idol of eradicating the CCP virus. We are not pursuing an [COVID-19] elimination strategy  you cant eliminate the virus, Frydenberg said.

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka echoed these sentiments on May 17, telling a business leaders forum at the Queensland University of Technology, We cant keep (COVID) out forever.

Hrdlicka said the borders need to open once an appropriate rate of vaccination is achieved, for the sake of the economy and health, arguing that otherwise, Australians would be sicker than we ever have been in the past because were not exposed to the viruses and challenges that the rest of the world is dealing with.

It will make us sick but wont put us into hospital. Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than the flu, she said.

People sit waiting for their AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Claremont Showgrounds Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic in Perth, Australia, on May 3, 2021. (Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The Australian reported that Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said hes open to removing restrictions once herd immunity is achieved.

COVID is here to stay, and at some point, it will either get into Australia, or we will have to let it in after having achieved a herd immunity target, Gunner said. The challenge is to get to that point where we live with the virus without it first causing the devastation the Spanish flu did.

The federal government has indicated that it doesnt expect international travel to resume until mid-2022.
Newly appointed Bishop of Hong Kong Rev. Stephen Chow (R) speaks at a press conference in Hong Kong on May 18, 2021. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

New HK Bishop Says Will Pray for Tiananmen Victims, Follow the Law

HONG KONGHong Kongs incoming Catholic bishop said on Tuesday he will pray for the victims of Chinas 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijings Tiananmen Square, but whether he could do that in a public venue depends on the citys laws.

Pope Francis on Monday named Stephen Chow, 61, head of Hong Kongs Jesuit order, after a long delay. Chow will officially take the helm of the Diocese on Dec. 4.

He inherits a flock divided between those wanting the diocese to fight for Hong Kongs waning freedoms amid an increasingly authoritarian grip by China, and others, including some powerful establishment figures, who want a less confrontational approach.

The Catholic church in Hong Kong has traditionally played an active role in the citys commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown. Such activities are banned in China, where the subject is extremely sensitive.

In his first public remarks since being appointed, Chow said there were different ways to commemorate June 4, noting in the past he has participated in public events and at other times he could not attend them.

I pray, I pray for China, I pray for all those who have passed in 1989, from all walks of life. Whether this year it is possible [to do it in public] it depends on legal requirements.

The former British colony traditionally held the largest vigils globally every year, having been promised certain freedoms when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, including rights of expression and assembly.

Last year was the first in which the vigil was banned in the global financial hub, with police citing coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings. This years protest is expected to face a similar fate.

Still, tens of thousands of people lit candles across the city in what was largely a peaceful event last June, bar a brief skirmish with riot police in one neighborhood.

Last years anniversary struck an especially sensitive nerve, just as Beijing prepared to introduce a sweeping national security law, criminalizing anything China sees as subversion, secession, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces.

This year, the event is particularly awkward for Beijing, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party on July 1.

Reuters reported in December growing concerns among senior clergy in Hong Kong that Beijing was trying to extend its control over the citys diocese.

Chow said the city, a strong Catholic beachhead on the edge of a mainland China under officially atheist Communist Party rule, could attempt to heal its divisions through dialogue, saying unity is not the same as uniformity.

How can we bring healing?  Im listening. Its fundamental.

By Pak Yiu
NTD, Epoch Times Sister Media, Expands Its Broadcast Across the US and UK

NTD, The Epoch Times sister media, is expanding its 24/7 English programming across the United States and the UK.

NTD began its TV broadcasts in the United States on Verizon/Frontier FiOS channel 158 last July. In less than a year, NTD became a nationwide over-the-air (OTA) network, with cable distribution in New York, the District of Columbia, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

NTD is currently available across 30 states in the United States and reaches over 50 million households through OTA TV stations and cable.

NTD expects to expand its cable TV subscribers to 20 million in July.

In the UK, the network launched its first broadcast in February on Sky TV channel 190, and in April, it launched its second broadcast on Freeview through Channelbox 271. Freeview and Sky TV are the two largest TV service providers in the UK and cover about 20 million TV households.

NTD delivers independent news, current affairs, classical arts, and culture programs. It is a global, multilingual, U.S.-based television broadcaster founded by Chinese Americans that is free from external influences and covers stories that others dont.

It produces and broadcasts more than five hours of original programs every day, with news as its feature programs. Its arts and lifestyle programs embody universal values and celebrate the best of humanitys culture and traditions.

Audiences welcome NTD for its fresh programming.

Its not loud and sensationalistic like other news outlets. You do calm, straightforward reporting. Thats very refreshing.  Matthew C. Lake Tahoe, California

I cannot say enough how thrilled I am to have found your station. The content is absolutely on the mark and is presented as how news should be presented.  Eric

I have people commenting all the time on NTDs news programming, saying its refreshing to hear the truth for a change! I find myself watching more every day.  Paul E., Philadelphia

In addition to being carried on traditional cable TV and OTA channels, NTD makes its programming available on digital devices so people can watch it anytime and anywhere. One can download NTDs free app on the Apple App Store and Google Play. NTDs streaming services can also be found on Roku and Apple TV.

To find more information on how to watch NTD, visit NTD.com/tv

If you cannot watch NTD in your area, contact your local cable TV operators and ask to add NTD.

For any inquiries, email feedback@ntdtv.com, or call 680-201-4999.

NTD is currently accepting applications for freelance TV news reporters in key cities across the United States. Please apply with your cover letter, resume, and reporter reel to: HR@ntdtv.com

Selected Featured Programs

NTD Evening News

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs Monday to Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Visit NTD.com/ntd-evening-news

China in Focus

Fast, compelling, firsthand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday to Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET and Saturday to Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Visit NTD.com/china-in-focus

NTD Business News

The latest business updates from around the world. Breaking news, expert analysis, and special reports. Broadcasting live every weekday at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Visit NTD.com/ntd-business

Facts Matter

Facts Matter investigates complex issues and then presents the findings in a way that is easy to understand. We work to bring you honest news without any spin.

Visit NTD.com/facts-matter

The Nation Speaks

The Nation Speaks, hosted by Cindy Drukier, is a current affairs show where our goal is to rise above the noise and focus on substance rather than partisan talking points. We come at issues from different angles to give you enough information to make up your own mind. We talk to experts, newsmakers, and regular Americans because we want to know how issues affect real people.

Visit NTD.com/the-nation-speaks

American Thought Leaders

At a time when our nation is becoming increasingly polarized, media often ignore viewpoints and stories that are worthy of attention. American Thought Leaders, hosted by Epoch Times senior editor Jan Jekielek, features in-depth discussions with some of Americas most influential thought leaders on pertinent issues facing our nation today.

Visit NTD.com/american-thought-leaders

Crossroads

Crossroads, hosted by Epoch Times award-winning investigative reporter Joshua Philipp, features expert news analysis, helping you break down and understand important news stories, as well as adding to key discussions on our history, culture, and the ideological wars that drive the news cycle.

Visit NTD.com/crossroads

Life & Times

Follow our team as we travel the nation to bring you the hopeful stories behind the biggest issues of our times. Hosted by award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Kay Rubacek, Life & Times shines a light on amazing Americans who are finding a silver lining to every challenge facing our nation today.

Visit NTD.com/life-times
Voters cast their ballots on Election Day at a polling station in Ohio, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

Ohio County Sued Over Dominion Machines Contract Vote

Group run by former Trump officials alleges that Stark County violated an Ohio state transparency law

A group run by former Trump campaign officials sued an Ohio county for allegedly violating state law when they considered purchasing voting equipment last year.

The group, Look Ahead America, said that the Stark County Board of Elections was not transparent in its decision to purchase voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems, adding that its process in making the decision was not open to the public.

Right before voting on the contract with Dominion, Look Ahead Americas Matt Braynard said in a news release on Tuesday, the board excluded the public for 18 minutes from their discussion and deliberations. Nothing necessitated the publics exclusion.

Braynard contended that Stark County continued to exclude the public when discussing the contract with the Denver-based voting machine manufacturer.

As a result, according to Braynard, Stark Countys Board of Elections violated Ohios Open Meetings Act by not allowing the publics participation in the meeting.

In December, the board voted to move ahead with a $1.5 million purchase of new machines manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, saying that it reviewed and rejected post-Nov. 3 election allegations against the companys machines. Members of the elections board argued it followed state law in voting to adopt the Dominion machines.

But Braynard contended that for months after the decision, Stark County continued to exclude the public when discussing the contract with Dominion.

Thats not consistent with both the letter and spirit of Ohios Open Meetings Act and we are going to get justice for the residents of Stark County Ohio, Braynard remarked. Further, we are determined to ensure that any voting equipment purchased relies on open source software and hardware. This will restore trust, lower election costs, and create home state jobs for Clark County elections.

Earlier this month, the Stark County elections board sued the state of Ohio to force the county to buy the machines based on the elections board recommendation. Without such action, the board claimed, the machines wont be available in time for the general election in November.

Without new voting machines, the suit said, The Board of Elections will have to continue to use its old machines that break down more often and are becoming increasingly expensive to fix as replacement parts are harder to obtain; this will cost more of the Stark County taxpayers dollars.

A spokesperson for Dominion told The Epoch Times that it had no comment on Tuesdays lawsuit but added that some recent developments in Stark County are the direct result of lies about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

We continue to defend our company and its good reputation in the wake of the disinformation campaign against Dominion, and we continue to be grateful to the Board of Elections for unwavering support for our long and successful partnership, said Dominion in a statement.

The Epoch Times has contacted Stark County for comment.

According to Look Ahead Americas website, its a group that was created by over thirty former Trump for President campaign staffers. Braynard, meanwhile, was the former director of Data and Strategy for former President Donald Trumps successful 2016 campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Drug Arrest Results in Gruesome Discovery

By West Kentucky Star Staff





PROVIDENCE - A western Kentucky woman is facing a criminal abuse charge after police said a young child was found in unsuitable living conditions inside her home.On Friday, officers from the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force, Providence Police Department, Clay Police Department, and Todd County Sheriffs Office went to a home on Bellville Road in Providence to execute an arrest warrant on 27-year-old Felicia Terrell, who was wanted for trafficking in a controlled substance. While speaking with Terrell inside the home, officers said they noticed a dirty and completely naked 4-year-old boy.A consensual search of the home reportedly revealed additional drugs and guns. While searching the home, officers said they saw what appeared to be a barn type, horse stable door leading to a small bedroom. According to police, the latch was on the outside as if it were designed to keep someone locked in.Upon opening the door, officers said they saw what appeared to be small hand prints in feces on the inside of the door and on the walls. The floor was reportedly covered with feces, urine, and scattered cereal. The officers also found a bowl of water, and the window was boarded up.Also inside the room was a twin size bed mattress with fecal material on it. There were no sheets, pillows or covers. Terrell told police there was no lights or electricity in that room.Social Services were immediately notified. and the child was temporarily placed with another family. Police did not say if the boy was Terrell's son.Terrell was lodged in the Webster County Detention Center on charges of trafficking controlled substance and 1st degree criminal abuse. Police said additional charges and arrests are possible.
Parents and students gather in protest of wearing masks in schools in front of the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on May 17, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Orange County Parents Hold Mask Off Rally

COSTA MESA, Calif.About 350 parents and children gathered in front of the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) May 17 to protest schools mandating students to wear masks in classrooms.

Kids bustled and played, splashing in puddles, while their parents held signs saying Unmask our children, and just say no to masks. One child held a cardboard sign that read I want to breathe.

Maren Chen, mother of two, who has one child in preschool and the other in kindergartensaid her son hates wearing face coverings and treats it like a joke.

Hes a really loud and outgoing kid. So, he just kind of looks at it as fun and silly and uses them as a slingshot, Chen told The Epoch Times.

Then for me, as a parent, I have to send him with three to four masks a day, because theyre coming home wet and soaked and gross. I dont want him wearing these things that are setting him up for bacterial pneumonia because theyre so gross by the end of the day.

The activist group Informed Parents of California was behind the rally and helped orchestrate other mask-off protests across the state.

Huntington Beach Councilman Tito Ortiz, California Blexit Director Barbie George, and other speakers took turns on the microphone under a red tent in the OCDE parking lot.

You dont mask the healthy, you mask the sick. And this is something that I never really understood, Ortiz told the crowd. Wash your hands. I teach my children brush your teeth twice a day. Wash your hands every time you come into the house, wash your hands. This is common sense.

School board Trustee Mari Barke told The Epoch Times the Orange County Board of Education voted 41 not to mandate mask-wearing for children in schools last July. However, they dont have official jurisdiction over what districts require. She said more people should organize rallies in their districts because its really those trustees that can affect change.

I always encourage people to go fight for their rights.

Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz speaks to parents and students as they gather in protest of wearing masks in schools outside the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on May 17, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

George said during her speech that her youngest is a gymnast who lost all her skills after a year of not being able to train. When her gym reopened, they required all gymnasts to wear masks.

These girls are doing backhand springs and aerials, and the masks are riding up over their eyes. And how is that supposed to be safe with a mask on? And because we as parents love our children, and because we as parents are so desperate, I did. I took her to that class, she said.

And I realized, this is wrong. We need to let our money speak for these organizations. So, we are not going to pay for their services unless our children can be free and be without masks.

California plans to lift its mask mandate for those who are fully vaccinated in most indoor settings by June 15.

However, parents such as Chen are skeptical.

Ive already heard that hes kind of gone back and forth, back and forth, and backpedaled with that a little bit, Chen said. I dont really trust anything at this point thats being granted to us under the guise of giving us a little bit of freedom back.

Mother of four Ashley Woravka said her children in the Laguna Beach Unified School District complain about wearing masks, too.

Especially during P.E., but they didnt want to stay home, so its their choice to be there, I told them stay home dont wear the mask, but they want to be at school, Woravka told The Epoch Times.

So its kind of worth it to them, but theyre really tapping out now at the end of the year and crying before school.
Organ Donation Worker Exposes Chinas Money-Driven Transplant Industry

In China, state-run media have been promoting a job called organ donation coordinators, trumpeting how people in this line of work are making a difference in society. Their role is to convince families of dying patients to agree to donate their loved ones organsneeded to supply Chinas booming transplant industry.

The families that agree, in return, are paid for their consent.

Due to deeply-rooted cultural beliefs that hold that the human body must be kept intact even after death, Chinese people are generally reluctant to donate their organs. The creation of this role appears to be an attempt to lessen such a barrier to the countrys organ donation program.

But the job is less noble than it is depicted by the Chinese regime, according to an account by Liang Xin (a pseudonym), a former organ donation coordinator from northeast China. The work was more akin to being a salesperson, Liang told The Epoch Times, and much of it involves using money to manipulate the poor into agreeing to donate their dying relatives organs.

The coordinators methods are unethical and violate internationally recognized principles on transplantation that forbid the payment of money for an organ donors consent, according to an organ transplant expert.

Liangs revelations further shine a light on abuses in Chinas organ transplant systemwhich already attracts heavy scrutiny over the communist regimes practice of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.

The former coordinator said he decided to speak out about his job in the hopes that more people will know the truth behind it.

Targeting the Poor

Organ donation coordinators mainly targeted poor families, in particular those of rural migrant workers, Liang said. These people often did not have enough money to pay for the expensive medical bills, and were therefore more susceptible to the coordinators monetary offers.

Liang recounted one case involving a very poor family. Their dying family member could still have been saved with proper medical treatment. But the family decided not to proceed with thisand cash out. So, the familys doctor decided to starve the patient.

After the person was deprived of food for a week, he was in the right condition for organ donation, Liang said.

This case, according to Liang, was among many where patients were declared brain deada precondition to organ extractionbut did not strictly meet the criteria for it.

Liang and his colleagues were good salespeople. To the relatives, they sold organ donation as an act of all-encompassing love and devotion to a greater cause. But in reality, the coordinators thought of the donors organs as nothing more than merchandise, he said.

The coordinators, Liang said, had one specific strategy in their playbook that was particularly effective: They would target the most greedy family member. After these soft targets were converted to the cause, they could then be relied on to convince the other immediate family members who may have been less open to the idea of organ donation.

Chinas official organ donation program requires the consent of the donor, or that of their immediate kin if the donor is already dead. While the Chinese regime claims all organs used for transplant are sourced from this donation system, mounting research and an independent peoples tribunal have found that Beijing has been killing prisoners of conscience for their organs on a significant scale, with detained Falun Gong practitioners being the main source of organs.

The Job

Liang didnt have a medical background before taking up the role; the same as many of his colleagues. He got the job through his mother, who was already working at the hospital where Liang was hired. It is a major transplant hospital in a city in northeastern Chinas Liaoning province.

Whenever a dying patient in the region was determined to be suitable for organ donation, Liangs team would be contacted. They would then send Liang or another team member to the hospital to talk to the patients immediate family. If they managed to successfully convince the family to agree to the donation, then the doctor overseeing the patient would also be paid a small commission.

According to Chinas state-run media, there were about 2,800 organ donation coordinators in the country as of the end of 2020. Like Liang, some of these worked for hospitals, while others worked for Chinas Red Cross, which unlike its international counterparts is funded and operated by the Chinese regime.

China has in place a so-called humanitarian aid policy to support impoverished families of organ donors. According to Chinas state-run media, the provincial Red Cross in central Chinas Hubei province implemented a payment plan of between 50,000 yuan to 90,000 yuan ($7,720 to $13,880) per family in 2015.

In January 2020, Hubeis Red Cross announced that it paid a total of 9.77 million yuan ($1.5 million) to 128 families in 2019.

Liang, who worked in the job for six months before quitting, likened his role to a sales representativehe earned about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($310 to $460) every time he was able to get a family to sign up to organ donation.

What the hospital paid Liang and what the families received accounted for only a tiny fraction of what hospitals charged for transplant surgeries. According to Liang, hospitals in China charged about 550,000 yuan ($84,870) for a liver transplant surgery, and 450,000 yuan ($69,440) for a kidney transplant surgery.

Therefore, a donor who gave up both of their kidneys and liver would generate an income of about 1.45 million yuan ($223,760) for a hospital. That amount, after accounting for the hospitals medical expenses to procure the organs and carry out the surgeries, would leave the hospital with the tidy sum of 700,000 yuan ($108,010), according to Liang.

A small portion of this money would be used to pay the donors family, while the rest would go to the chief surgeon carrying out the transplants, Liang said.

The surgeon would also use some of this money to pay the local police. In return, the police would turn over the patients personal information, including their financial situation. The doctors would then pass this information on to the organ donation coordinators. The familys financial details helped the coordinators find out if certain families were more susceptible to pressure.

Chinas transplant industry is also rife with bribery. Liang said he knew that chief doctors at hospitals transplant centers would accept bribes to move people up the waiting list.

The Money

Liang recalled a specific incident in October 2020 involving a 28-year-old single man who had a brain hemorrhage. The man was admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital and was later declared brain dead.

The mans organs were identified as very valuable, given his young age and his O blood type, according to Liang. People with O type blood can donate to every other group.

Liangs coworker then got to work. The mans older sister was identified as the soft targetshe needed money as she had been footing her brothers medical bill. The coworker was successful. In effect, they were able to convince the sister to sell her younger brother for money to pay off her debt, Liang said.

The sister then went on a mission, telling her parents that they should agree to donate their sons organs since it was for the greater good. Despite their initial rejections, the parents eventually relented and agreed to donate their sons two kidneys and liver.

In the end, the sons heart was also donated, to the dismay of his mother who hadnt agreed to it.

Sometimes organ donation coordinators and donors immediate families would haggle over the amount of the payment. In another incident around October 2020, Liang said that he and his colleague jointly worked on a case involving a prisoner from southwestern Chinas Sichuan province. The prisoner was a member of Chinas Yi ethnic minority.

Liang and his coworker located the prisoner at a hospital in Shenyang, the capital of northeast Chinas Liaoning province. Liang had no idea how the prisoner ended up in hospital and where he was imprisoned, but suspected that the man was beaten while in detention.

The initial negotiation resulted in the coordinators agreeing to pay the prisoners family 50,000 yuan ($7,720) for their consent to donate the prisoners organs. However, the family then demanded more money, eventually being paid an additional 50,000 yuan.

While the negotiations were pending, doctors at the Shenyang hospital used medication to keep the prisoner alive for about five days. Eventually, his liver and two kidneys were retrieved and donated.

Ruthless

Dr. Torsten Trey, executive director of Washington-based medical ethics advocacy group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, said Chinas organ donation system has for years relied on using monetary incentives to induce donations.

Liangs account, according to Trey, shows that the Chinese regime continues to fail to abide by the World Health Organizations (WHO) transplantation principles.

In five out of the 11 guiding principles there is explicit mention that NO PAYMENTS should be made in exchange for organs, Trey said in an email to The Epoch Times.

The examples show that China pays for organs, he added. Even more so, they approach families in their greatest moments of sorrow, when a relative is about to die, that they offer money for his organs. That is unethical and ruthless.

Trey also criticized the global health body for not holding the Chinese regime to account for these breaches.

The WHO betrays its own ethical guidelines by failing to call out China for its breaking of WHO ethical guidelines, Trey said. The WHO would not hesitate to scold other countries if they would systematically pay money for organs.

He urged the international community, and particularly the global transplant community, to demand the regime end the practice.

We need to uphold ethical standards in medicine, Trey said.

The lack of ethics in Chinas transplant system extends far beyond using financial incentives to induce organ donations, Trey added, citing the regimes state-sanctioned practice of harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience, in particular Falun Gong adherents.

Liang said he was never personally involved in any organ donation cases involving Falun Gong. However, he suspected that their organs continue to be a source for transplants since hes seen Falun Gong mentioned in doctors reports.

Eva Fu contributed to this report.

A previous version of this article incorrectly described who chose to starve a dying patient after their family chose to not proceed with medical treatment. The family doctor decided to starve the patient. The Epoch Times regrets this error.
PCR Tests Give Inaccurate Picture of COVID-19 Risk, Says Expert Witness in Manitoba Court Case Against Lockdowns

Medical experts who testified before a Manitoba court in a challenge against pandemic restrictions put a spotlight on the limitations of the PCR tests being used to diagnose COVID-19, questioning the legitimacy of their use to justify lockdown measures.

Stanford University professor and epidemiologist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and infectious disease specialist Dr. Thomas Warren both said the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is unreliable for determining whether someone is infectious with the COVID-19 disease.

The problem with the PCR test is that it can detect the virus even when the virus that was in the original sample actually wasnt infectious, Bhattacharya said in an interview. Even though the virus is present, it might be a viral fragment, there may be lots of reasons, but you have too little of the virus present to pose any risk at all to anybody.

The doctors are expert medical witnesses for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) in its Charter challenge against Manitobas lockdown measures. The hearings before the Court of Queens Bench in Winnipeg began on May 3 and are scheduled to take place over two weeks.

The PCR test is regarded as the gold standard for detecting whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is present in a sample such as mucus collected from a persons nose or throat using a swab.

Dr. Jared Bullard, who heads the Cadham Provincial Laboratory in Winnipeg, testified on behalf of the Manitoba government. Under cross-examination by JCCF lawyers, Bullard said PCR test results dont verify infectiousness and were never intended to be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses, according to a May 11 JCCF news release.

He added that the PCR test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus could register as positive up to 100 days after exposurelong after the one- to two-week period during which the person would be contagious.

Positive Doesnt Necessarily Mean Infectious

The PCR test works by amplifying, or doubling, the viruss genetic material, if any, in the sample over multiple cycles until the virus is detected or the tests cutoff point is reached, Bhattacharya explained. Different PCR tests may have different cutoff points depending on various factors such as how the test is designed.

The number of cycles it takes for the PCR test to detect the virus is called the cycle threshold (Ct) value. Based on his study of the issue since last spring, Bullard said he found that positive cases detected at higher Ct values represent weaker positive results. For example, someone with a positive PCR test that is run at 18 cycles is more likely to be sick and infectious than someone who has a test run at a Ct value of 40, says the JCCF news release, noting that testing for COVID at higher threshold levels can result in false positives.

Bullard testified that the most accurate way to determine infectiousness is to try to grow a cell culture from a patients sample. He found that, for samples that tested positive at 18 Ct, only 44 percent would grow in a lab, suggesting that 56 percent were non-infectious. He was unable to develop any viable lab cultures for samples that tested positive at Ct values higher than 25, which implies that positive cases resulting from those tests were most likely non-infectious.

Manitoba is aware of this inverse correlation between the Ct value and infectiousness but still does not consider Ct values as a proxy for infectiousness in its public health response to COVID-19, the JCCF news release said.

A study published last July in the Journal of Clinical Virology showed that Bullards Cadham lab was using a positivity cutoff of 36.5 Ct on COVID-19 PCR tests, and that Canadian labs used a Ct value of between 30 and 45 for determining a positive test result.

Moreover, both Bullard and Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitobas chief public health officer, confirmed under cross-examination that labs dont provide Ct values to public health officials. Roussin admitted that he could mandate that Ct values be provided to him but has not done so.

Both doctors declined to comment for this story due to the issue still being before the courts.

In January, a World Health Organization notice urged caution in the use of the tests. Most PCR assays are indicated as an aid for diagnosis; therefore, health-care providers must consider any result in combination with timing of sampling, specimen type, assay specifics, clinical observations, patient history, confirmed status of any contacts, and epidemiological information, the notice read.

Lockdowns Are Bad for Peoples Health

Dr. Bhattacharya told The Epoch Times that data misinterpretation leads to bad public policy.

Not accounting for the number of doubling times in the PCR test gives you an inaccurate picture of whether the disease is actually dangerous or not in the community. Very often, a dangerous picture will lead to other actions like putting in curfews or other lockdown actions, he said.

Lockdowns are bad for peoples health in many ways. Most of the vulnerable populations have been vaccinated in Canada, so there is no need to continue these lockdowns.

Florida is one example of jurisdictions that consider Ct values in their public response to COVID, and Bhattacharya wonders why more jurisdictions dont do the same.

If we monitored who showed symptoms and took account of viral load and infectivity, we could make more nuanced and effective public health decisions. It would not be much more expensive to do, he said.

Bhattacharya is one of the three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, which calls for the use of herd immunity, vaccines, and the protection of the vulnerable in response to the pandemic, rather than relying on lockdowns with their devastating public health effects. A tenured professor, Bhattacharya said many doctors have affirmed his recommendations privately but are reluctant to do so publicly for fear of losing their jobs.

It is unlike anything I have seen in my professional career, and it is disturbing, he said.

The JCCFs clients in the Manitoba case include seven churches and three individuals.

Allison Pejovic, the JCCFs lead counsel on the Manitoba case, told The Epoch Times that the non-pharmaceutical interventions made by the province since November are unjustifiable infringements on the Charter rights of freedom of assembly, worship, and expression. The JCCF also alleges discrimination since people were barred from church services, yet are allowed to go to liquor stores and cram into buses, among other activities.

The majority of people have a 99.77 percent chance of recovering if they get COVID-19, Pejovic said. We provided the science to the court. Our applicants are definitely not anti-science. Theyre pro-science, and they want their freedoms back.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his fourth State of the Nation address at the Philippine Congress in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on July 22, 2019. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

Philippines Duterte Issues Gag Order Over South China Sea

MANILAPresident Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday the Philippines would not waver in defense of its interests in the South China Sea, even though he had barred his ministers from talking about the situation there in public.

Chinas maritime conduct has been a constant problem for Duterte but he has refrained from criticizing Beijing and instead praised its leadership, hoping to secure investment.

But after weeks of rebukes of China by his ministers over the presence of hundreds of fishing vessels in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), he told his ministers on Monday they must refrain from discussing the matter.

If we talk, we talk but just among us, he said in a televised address.

On Tuesday, he said his order should not be construed as weakness and that maritime patrols must continue.

Our agencies have been directed to do what they must and should to protect and defend our nations interest, Duterte said in a statement. We will not waver in our position.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea and has built military installations equipped with missiles on reefs in disputed areas, including within the Philippine EEZ, alongside a constant presence of coastguards and fishing vessels.

Dutertes defense and foreign ministers and his legal adviser have taken strong positions lately on what they have called a swarming and threatening presence of Chinese vessels they believe are manned by militias.

Chinas embassy in Manila has denied the presence of militias. It did not respond to requests for comment on Monday and Tuesday.

The gag order could lessen tensions at the rhetorical level, said Aaron Jed Rabena of the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress, a Manila-based think tank.

It could be that President Duterte has realized that its high time for his administration to speak with one voice given the mixed signals which show a government that is incoherent, Rabena said.

The same day Duterte announced the gag order, the foreign ministry filed another diplomatic protest against China over the annual summer fishing ban Beijing imposed in the South China Sea from May 1 to August 16, saying it was a violation of Philippines sovereignty and sovereign rights.

And with the new Chinese coast guard law, it effectively grants Chinese coastguard freedom and authority to use force within what it considers its maritime jurisdiction, Foreign Ministry official Marie Yvette Banzon-Abalos said.

Abalos was referring to a law that China passed in January that allowed its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels.

She said this put at risk the legitimate right of Filipino fishermen to fish in Philippine territory and the exclusive economic zone.

By Neil Jerome Morales
A video clip of Chinese Leader Xi Jinping is seen on the outside of a police patrol station in Beijing on Nov. 2, 2020. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP via Getty Images)

Preparing for Re-election, Chinas Xi Overhauls CCP Leadership Rules

Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and leader of the country, is facing a general election next year. To ensure his re-election, he has substantially changed the partys rules and regulations. China commentators say its a sign of the CCPs deepening autocracy and of Xis return to Mao rule.

Preparations began in February for the 20th CCP Congress in the autumn of 2022 that involves a senior leadership transition. The Regulations on the Protection of the Rights of CCP Memberscalled the CCPs gang rules by the publicissued by the CCP Central Committee on Jan. 4, are seen as vastly different from the revised 2004 version and the original 1994 version.

In terms of length and content, the new edition has eight chapters and 52 articles, far exceeding the five chapters and 38 articles of the 2004 revised edition, and the six chapters and 35 articles of the original trial edition in 1994. But most notably, the original legislative intent of the new version is quite different from the 2004 and 1994 versions.

Upholding the Leadership of the Party

The 1994 trial version explained that the law was enacted to promote intra-party democracy, improve intra-party life, and guarantee the normal exercise of, and inviolability of, the rights of party members.

But the 2021 version was changed to: In order to uphold the leadership of the party, strengthen party building, promote intra-party democracy, safeguard the rights of party members, and enhance the vitality of the party. That is to say, the main goal of the old version was to carry forward or develop intra-party democracy, while the new version takes upholding the leadership of the party as its legislative focus.

Strengthening Autocracy in Times of Chaos

A Chinese historian and online writer who asked not to be named, told The Epoch Times that the move by Xi is a signal that the party is strengthening autocracy and dictatorship. Xi is returning to Maos fascism, and democracy is only mentioned briefly.

The CCP is in its last throes, and China is now in a state of complete chaos, the historian said.

Many people in the party are very unhappy with Xis dominance, he said. Two second generation top CCP officials, Ren Zhiqiang and Cai Xia, even publicly criticized Xi, which seems to have scared Xi.

In September 2020, Ren Zhiqiang, a former Chinese real estate tycoon, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on economic charges, though the real reason for his sentencing is believed to be his being an outspoken critic of Xi Jinping. Cai Xia, a former professor at the Party School of the CCP Central Committee, who publicly defended Ren, was expelled from the party and had her retirement revoked. She also called the CCP a political zombie and suggested that Xi is a Mafia boss. She now lives in exile in the United States.

Chinese current affairs commentator Hua Po told The Epoch Times, The CCP claims democratic centralism, but the newly revised rules emphasize obedience, centralism, and downplay democracy. That is, once the revised rules are passed, party members must unconditionally submit to it, and there must be no resistance or opposition to the partys decision. Xi Jinping put emphasis on politics when discussing party organization building. It is more like building a military.

In addition to changing its gang rules, the CCP also revised the Grassroot-Level Organization Work Regulations of the Institutions of Higher Learning recently. The revised version emphasizes the implementation of Socialist Thought with Chinese Characteristics in Xi Jinpings New Era and the adherence to, and strengthening of, the CCPs overall leadership over colleges and universities.

Return to Maos Line

The CCP ostensibly follows Lenins democratic centralism, which claims to combine centralism on the basis of democracy with democracy under centralized guidance. In fact, Maos era was marked by a personality cult and centralization of power, as well as violent political movements such as the suppression of counter-revolutionaries, the Great Leap Forward, the anti-rightist movement, and the Cultural Revolution. All-in-all they resulted in the unnatural deaths of at least 80 million Chinese.

The Regulations on the Protection of the Rights of CCP Members, introduced by Deng Xiaoping to save the CCP from extinction, were tried out in 1994. Dengs actions calmed down party members and the general public to some extent and thus triggered demands for democracy among Chinese people. However, the June 4 student movement in 1989 gave the CCP a crisis of power, so Deng and the CCP used force to suppress it, creating the Tiananmen Square Massacre and shocking the world.

After winning popularity with his anti-corruption campaign in the early days of his leadership, Xi returned to Maos line in 2015, including a personality cult, and drew intra-party criticism for amending Chinas constitution in 2018 to remove presidential term limits.

Overturning Deng

Nakazawa Katsuji, an editorial writer at Japans Nikkei newspaper, shared a similar view in a recent analysis. He commented on an unusual move by Chinese authorities in April, when Zhuang Rongwen, the deputy chief of the partys propaganda department, said the party had accomplished great achievements between 1949 and 1976.

Maos Cultural Revolution began in 1966, and was brought to an end by Deng in 1976 as a grave mistake in the CCPs history. Zhuangs statement of great achievements is the first time Chinese authorities have openly made affirmative remarks on the Cultural Revolution.

According to Katsuji, Zhuangs remark must have been approved by Xi, and it is tantamount to an official acknowledgment of the Cultural Revolution and a denial of Dengs opening-up and reform policy.

Xi did so because he must overturn Dengs paramount authority in the Party as he seeks to further consolidate his powers and secure a third five-year term as Chinas president next year, Katsuji said. Denial of Deng makes it possible to abolish key policies laid down by Deng, including the collective leadership system and in-party rules that limit Chinas top leader from sitting in the position for more than 10 years, he said.

According to insider information obtained by The Epoch Times in December 2020, CCP patriarchs harshly criticised Xi for abandoning Deng Xiaopings policies of reform and opening-up and hiding ones light under a bushel, while adopting an authoritarian policy of repression at home and expansion abroad instead. According to the sources, his critics even forced him out of his office at one point.
Mollie Tibbetts poses for a picture during homecoming festivities at BGM High School in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, in September 2016. (Kim Calderwood via AP)

Jury Selection Begins for Illegal Immigrant Charged With Murdering Mollie Tibbetts

A prosecutor warned prospective jurors Monday that the trial of an illegal immigrant charged in the 2018 fatal stabbing of a University of Iowa student will include graphic evidence that will be emotionally difficult to see and hear.

Prosecutor Scott Brown said the first-degree murder trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts will feature testimony about the stab wounds she suffered after going for a run.

Were going to talk about the violent death of a young girl, Mollie Tibbetts, he said. Its not going to be pleasant.

Brown spoke during jury selection at an events center in Davenport, where lawyers began working to whittle down a 175-person pool to 12 jurors and three alternates. Jury selection is expected to continue Tuesday before a two-week trial at the Scott County Courthouse.

The arrest of Rivera, a Mexican national who entered the United States illegally, inflamed anger over illegal immigration, with then-President Donald Trump calling Rivera a killer who exploited lax immigration laws and Iowas governor calling him a predator. The case deepened anxieties about random violence against women, since Tibbetts was attacked while out for exercise in her small town of Brooklyn, Iowa.

Rivera, 26, has been jailed since his arrest in August 2018. He wore a dress shirt and navy slacks Monday and listened through headphones as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish. Hes likely to face a jury.

Ten of the first 12 potential jurors questioned Monday said they had heard about the case, and five said they had formed opinions about it.

Those jurors were interviewed individually in private to determine whether they could be fair. At least two men were soon excused.

One prospective female juror said she felt sympathy for Rivera because hes accused of a horrible crime, and for the family of Tibbetts, who she said was so viciously murdered.

I think whoever did this should definitely pay, the woman said, adding that her view would not at all prevent her from serving.

Dan Vondra, an Iowa defense lawyer who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients and isnt involved in the case, said jurors who posted opinions about the highly publicized case on social media should be screened out to avoid problems later.

Judge Yoel Yates has barred the public from the trial, citing COVID-19 restrictions, but it will be livestreamed by media outlets.

Tibbetts went for a run in July 2018 through Brooklyn, population 1,700, where she ran cross-country in high school. She never made it back to the home where she was dog-sitting for her boyfriend and his brother, who were out of town.

Her disappearance triggered a massive search that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.

Investigators showed up at the dairy farm where Rivera worked to interview him and search his vehicles. Rivera initially denied involvement and federal agents put an immigration detainer on him during a lengthy interrogation after finding blood in the Malibus trunk. Hours later, investigators say he confessed to approaching Tibbetts as she ran, killing her in a panic after she threatened to call police and hiding her body in a cornfield. He allegedly led police to the body, which had been buried underneath leaves.

An autopsy found that she died of sharp force injuries due to stabbing, although investigators have not recovered a murder weapon. Police say that DNA testing on blood found in the trunk of the vehicle showed it was a match for Tibbetts.

Rivera, the father of a young daughter, had no prior criminal history. His lawyers have not signaled what their strategy will be and they declined to comment ahead of trial. If convicted, Rivera faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The trial was moved to Scott County100 miles east of Brooklynafter defense lawyers noted that local residents had very strong opinions about Riveras guilt and Mexican nationality.

Trump argued for strengthening the nations immigration laws, saying Rivera killed an incredible, beautiful young woman. Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed anger that a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk looks on at a press conference at Parliament house in Brisbane, Australia on April 1, 2021.(Jono Searle/Getty Images)

Queensland to Legalise Euthanasia Amid Slippery Slope Concerns

Queensland could become the next Australian jurisdiction to legalise euthanasia with the government set to introduce new laws into Parliament next week.

However, one expert warns that the continuing adoption of euthanasia in the country would result in a slippery slope, where death on demand becomes the norm.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state Parliament would hold a conscience vote on the Bill, which includes increased safeguards to prevent doctor shopping and abuse of the system.

The premier said she was motivated to legalise the practice after witnessing the deaths of her grandmother and uncle last year.

Im a Catholic; Ive thought about this long and hard, Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday. Ive had a lot of personal experiences in the last 12 months, and I have made up my mind based on what I have seen and those experiences.

This is a choice, and its not going to be the right choice for a lot of people, but its got to be an option for people, and far be it for me to make that individual choice on how a person wishes to end their life.

Under the new law, individuals may choose to be euthanised if they have an eligible condition, either a disease, illness or medical condition that is advanced, progressive and will cause death.

The eligible condition must cause intolerable suffering and be expected to cause death within 12 months.

Patients must also be acting voluntarily and without coercion. Health professionals will be tasked with assessing an application, sending it to a second doctor, and receiving approval proceed with the procedure.

Health Minister Yvette DAth said doctors would be allowed to be conscientious objectors who could turn down patients asking for euthanasia.

A navigator system would be set up to take patients through the process and find a different doctor.

They dont have to go shopping around themselves and trying to find someone at what is a really difficult time for them and their family, DAth told reporters.

Further, the process will allow a doctor to prescribe and supply a substance that a patient can then choose to either administer to themselves or find a health practitioner to do so. An oversight board of existing authorities will be tasked with compliance.

A euthanasia kit available in the 250 Belgian Multipharmas chemist shops for general practitioners who want to practice euthanasia at patients homes in Brussels, Belgium, on April 18, 2005. (Etienne Ansotte/AFP via Getty Images)

The Bill is set to be debated in September, and if passed, the system is expected to be in place in May 2022.

Queenslands move comes just weeks after the South Australian upper house approved euthanasia laws. It also follows Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania, who have legalised the practice.

Much of the debate has centred around including additional safeguards to ensure euthanasia is applied to a select segment of society.

However, experiences in Belgium and the Netherlandsthe first countries to legalise the practice in 2002have shown that safeguards are regularly ignored and transgressed, according to the medical journal Current Oncology.

In 2011, only 52.8 percent of euthanasia (or assisted dying) cases in Flanders, Belgium, were officially reported in contravention of the laws. Further, despite initial promises of the practice being for the terminally ill, standards have been relaxed to encompass newborns and children.

The first terminally ill minor was euthanised in Belgium in 2016 after requesting it.

Professor Stefaan Van Gool shows a map of local paediatricians at a press conference after euthanasia laws were expanded for minors in Brussels, Belgium, on February 11, 2014. (Dirk Waem/AFP via Getty Images)

Peter Kurti, director of the Culture, Prosperity, and Civil Society Program at the Centre for Independent Studies, warned that Australias experience with euthanasia would likely emulate those of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Advocates of euthanasia assure us that the categories of those eligible are very narrow, most people seek physician-assisted suicide not because of terrible physical pain but because they no longer see a point to living or dont want to be a burden to others, he told The Epoch Times.

Euthanasia tears at the moral fabric of a society. Suicide, as a treatment option, becomes normalised. Doctors, who swear by the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, are permitted intentionally to kill their patients; and death comes to be seen as the most appropriate response to human suffering, he added. As the practice spreads across Australia, we can expect to see similar developments here.

Prior to Victorias legalisation of euthanasia in 2017, over 101 oncologists signed a joint letter (pdf) to Parliament calling on MPs to vote against the law.

We as doctors and medical specialists do not want to intentionally end the lives of our patients or provide them with the direct means to do so, the letter stated. Assisted suicide is in conflict with the basic ethical principles and integrity of medical practice and undermines trust in the medical profession.

We strive to eliminate suffering but not the sufferers themselves.
People stand in front of the logo of AXA Group prior to the company's 2018 annual results presentation, in Paris, France, on Feb. 21, 2019. (Thibault Camus/AP Photo)

Ransomware Attack Hits AXA Units in Asia, Irish Healthcare

A cyberattack has left Asian units of AXA, a Paris-based insurance company, crippled, part of a wave of so-called ransomware breaches on company networks around the world.

A ransomware hacker targeted Asia Assistance, also known as Inter Partners Assistance, in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, AXA said Tuesday.

The attackers were able to access certain data, which was not specified, in Thailand. There is no evidence the attacks infiltrated networks elsewhere.

A dedicated task force, with external forensic experts, is investigating the incident. Since the incident, systems have been restored and regulators and business partners have been informed, the company added.

AXA declined to answer when asked whether any money had been paid to the attackers.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that attacks use to freeze access to computer files, systems, or networks before demanding payment to unlock the data.

Victims can find themselves locked out from a range of actions, such as opening an email attachment, clicking an advertisement, or visiting certain websites.

Most of the time, you dont know your computer has been infected. You usually discover it when you can no longer access your data or you see computer messages letting you know about the attack and demanding ransom payments, according to the FBI.

A wave of ransomware attacks have been carried out against high-profile entities in recent weeks. Attackers hit Colonial Pipeline in the United States, leading to a major fuel artery going offline, hospital information systems in New Zealand, and Irelands health system.

Colonial reportedly paid $5 million in ransom. The company declined to confirm or deny those reports. Ireland is refusing to pay the attackers, reportedly a Russian-speaking group called Conti that wants $20 million.

Only about 8 percent of victims who pay the ransom get their data back, according to Sophos.

Avaddon was tagged as the AXA attacker. DarkSides ransomware was used to attack Colonial; DarkSide said it was disbanding in the wake of the attack.

Ireland Health Service Executive Colm Henry said that the health systems entire IT system was shut down as a precaution in the wake of the attack. Systems started being restored on Tuesday as an impact assessment continued.

There are serious concerns about the implications for patient care arising from the very limited access to diagnostics, lab services, and historical patient records, he said.

Waikato District Health Board Chief Executive Kevin Snee told Stuff, a New Zealand publication, that the attackers would not receive payment.

The attack impacted all district hospitals, forcing them to accept only urgent patients and to postpone some elective surgeries.

Were working hard to resolve the issue, Snee said in a Facebook video.

Ransomware attacks have been on the rise in recent months, with more money garnered by attackers, authorities say.

The number of attacks reported to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center increased to 2,474 in 2020. Globally, the total cryptocurrency value received by addresses linked to ransomware jumped from under $100 million to over $400 million, according to Chainalysis.
Children play football on the street on Tiwi Island on the December 23, 2007. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Rates of Australian Indigenous Children Put Into Protective Care a National Shame

New figures show Indigenous children form a disproportionately large number of kids who have received child protection services, including for substantiated child abuse and neglect, children on care and protection orders, and children in out-of-home care.

A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), titled Child protection Australia 201920, shows one in every 18 Indigenous childrenor 18,900were in out-of-home child care services as of June 30 last year.

This is 11 times the rate for non-Indigenous childrenor one in six.

About 55,300 Indigenous children received child protection services in 2019-20, the report stated. This was a rate of 166 per 1,000 Indigenous children, which had increased from 151 per 1,000 Indigenous children in 2016-17.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt told The Epoch Times in a statement on May 18 that the new figures reinforce how crucial the work under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt at the announcement of the targets for the Closing The Gap initiative at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on July 30, 2020. (Sean Davey/Getty Images)

The Closing the Gap framework aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage.

It clearly shows the importance of work under Target 12reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care by 45 percent, Wyatt said.

It is incredibly important that we work closely with state and territory governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their communities and organisations to address the issues that lead to children being removed from their families.

The most common type of abuse found to have been experienced by Indigenous children in 2019-20 was emotional abusewith 47 percent of 14,300 cases of a substantiation.

A substantiation is when a notification has been investigated, and there was reasonable cause to believe the child had been, was being, or was likely to be, abused, neglected, or otherwise harmed, AIHW spokesperson Dinesh Indraharan said.

This is a national shame, Catherine Liddle, the CEO of SNAICC, the national peak body for Indigenous children, told The Epoch Times on May 18.

The federal government and the jurisdictions have all signed onto the Closing the Gap refresh, and that framework says invest in community-led solutions. The reason we say that is because communities understand what their own relationships are, what their own challenges are, and they see the opportunities for change, she said.

Early intervention is when families and children need help to be strong and thrive, but Liddle said investment in this space was missing. She has called on the government to move fast to invest in Indigenous community-led services.

The majority of funding relating to this is not directed towards early intervention, she said. At this stage, where it does exist, it goes to organisations that are non-Indigenous. While there is some money getting through to the Indigenous-led, community-led organisations, it is not on par with those big legacy services.

Liddle is also concerned that only 52.4 percent of Indigenous children in out-of-home care were living with Indigenous carers.

Our children are being separated from their cultures. This causes lifelong and intergenerational harm, Liddle said in a media release.

The AIHW report shows that as of June 30 last year, 23,300 Indigenous children were on care and protection orders.
Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Ready, Set, FireFederal Budget Signals Upcoming Aussie Election Spending Spree

Commentary

There can be no doubt that the 2021-22 Australian federal budget announced last week was simply a spending spree. Policy decisions announced since October 2020 will be adding $31 billion a year to the deficit by 2023-24.

In the context of a strengthening economy and already bloated public debt, this marks the 2021-22 budget as one of the worst in living memorypopular with voters in the short-term perhaps, but irresponsible in any other sense. The government will need to go to the polls before the costs of this irresponsibility begins to permeate the consciousness of voters.

Further, more spending will surely be on offer in the election campaign, whenever it comes.

Will the federal Labor opposition take a different approach?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg conduct interviews after Frydenberg delivered the 2021-22 Budget in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 12, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

During the 2007 election campaign, when a government up against the wall was on a similar spending spree, the then-Labor Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said, Today I am saying loud and clear that this sort of reckless spending must stop.

Never mind that Rudd had his own sort of reckless spending when the Global Financial Crisis intruded less than a year into his government. But Rudds rejection of the spending spree approach obviously did him no harm, as he soon won the 2007 election.

Fast forward to 2021, and current Labor Opposition Leader Anthony Albaneses budget reply speech last week seemed only to raise the ante. While not repudiating any of the governments new spending, it added the promise of a new $10 billion program for social housing.

Conveniently, under arcane budget accounting rules, it wont affect the underlying budget deficitwhich is the measure that receives the most attentionbecause it is financing an off-budget agency.

So Labor can promise to spend $10 billion without it inflating the underlying deficit. But it is public money whichever way one looks at it, and it will increase the headline deficit and the governments borrowing requirements.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese delivers his budget in reply speech in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

A budget reply speech does not make an election campaign platform, but the portents for avoiding an election bidding war are not good. Much of the governments new spending benefits key Labor constituencies and will be difficult for Labor to repudiate.

Whether or not there is much difference between government and opposition on spending, there is fertile ground for differences on taxation.

Labor has not completely discarded its proposed 50 percent increase in capital gains tax, and curtailment of negative gearing carried over from the 2019 election. Whereas the government will continue to oppose them.

The government has refused to countenance a dedicated income tax levy for aged care financing, which might appeal to Labor.

The low and middle-income tax offset was supposed to be abolished when the governments stage two personal income tax cuts came into effect because the stage two cuts delivered the same benefit as the offset.

However, when stage two was brought forward by two years to 2020-21 the offset was retained, and this budget has extended it again for the 2021-22 income year. Although there is a strong case for removing the offset, it is likely to be an election issue.

A stock image of the 2021-2022 Australian Federal Budget is seen on the ground at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 12, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Also in the area of personal income tax, the Coalition and Labor are likely to differ on the governments stage three personal income tax cuts currently legislated to take effect in July 2024. This is the most significant stage of the governments tax cuts, as it reduces the current 32.5 percent marginal rate to 30 percent and extends it all the way up to $200,000 by abolishing the current 37 percent marginal rate bracket.

This is a very important reform for improved incentive in the tax system and the government is right to stand by it, but the loss of revenue clashes with the governments ramping-up of social spending and the imperative of budget repair. Labor has sounded negative towards the stage three tax cut but is yet to declare its hand on repealing the legislation.

The governments 100 percent deduction for capital expenditures by businesses with revenue below $5 billion is a temporary measure that has been extended in the latest budget to 2022-23.

Although the measure is temporary, the problem it addressesdepressed business investmentis an entrenched one and business taxation needs to be made more friendly to investment in a long-lasting way.

Labor has its own ideas for an investment allowance of limited scope, and it remains to be seen if the Coalition develops a new policy in this area. Given the history, it is most unlikely to be a company tax cut beyond what smaller companies already receive.

It is clear from this brief survey that taxation is likely to be a major point of difference in the next election, as it was in 2019.

Robert Carling is a senior fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and a former IMF, World Bank, and federal and state Treasury economist.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Hearing for Rape, Drug Case Pushed to July

By West Kentucky Star Staff

BENTON - The case of a man facing rape and drug charges was recently continued in Marshall County Circuit Court.Twenty-one-year-old Justin Jackson of Sharpe faces charges related to a November investigation by sheriff's departments from Marshall and Graves Counties into a missing juvenile. Jackson faces charges of 1st degree unlawful transaction with a minor, 2nd degree unlawful transaction with a minor, 2nd degree rape, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.Court records show Jackson's status hearing on Thursday was continued to July 29.On the Net:
Rescuing Sex-Trafficking Victims: Its Worth It If We Can Save One Life

HOUSTONSex traffickers can be anyone, according to Lt. Michael Landrum of Texass Montgomery County Sheriffs Office.

You name it. You got everywhere from billionaires to street criminals, he said. Weve seen everything you can think of: husbands, brothers, friends, grandfathers, neighbors, unknowns that they met online.

Landrum heads up the countys narcotics, vice, and human trafficking unit. The unit is also part of the Houston-based Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance.

Landrum has worked on anti-sex trafficking operations for seven years, and over that time, the approach has changed markedly.

There was a time years ago, where we addressed it simply as a criminal offense of prostitution, whether its buying or selling, he said.

We no longer arrest people who commit prostitution. We focus on trying to get them into services, and get them out of that lifestyle so that they can be rescued and recover.

The definition of sex trafficking, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is that it involves force, fraud, or coercion to induce someone into a commercial sex act. For minors, force, fraud, or coercion need not be provenits implied.

The domestic sex-trafficking industry is growing in the United States. Its well-organized and well-networked, and predators employ masterful manipulation techniques to gain mental and physical control of their targets.

What we see out of the traffickers, theyre very, very sophisticated, theyre smart, and they find victims who are in a position of need, and exploit them to a point where they feel like they have to conform with their traffickers and to please their traffickers, Landrum said. The unfulfilled needs of those victims could include money, friendship, or a relationship, he said.

In Texas alone, more than 79,000 children are being trafficked for sex, according to a study by the University of TexasAustin.

Before an operation, Landrums team scours the internet for ads and information related to prostitution.

We target girls that appear to be under age, or based on a profile and what weve seen through our training and experience, there are certain clues in their postings that lead us to believe that theyre being trafficked, he said. And then we set up operations to target those girls, as victims.

When the victim arrives at the location for the supposed job, the officers will use surveillance to identify how they were transported there.

Once in the room, an undercover officer will give the woman information about leaving their trafficker and getting out of the life. The officer then makes sure any immediate medical needs are taken care of before handing them to a representative from an anti-trafficking nonprofit group, who is on site with the undercover officer.

Twice a month during joint operations with surrounding cities and counties, the team will make contact with at least 16 potential victims on average.

Of those, they usually rescue three to five victims.

The nonprofit group can help connect the victim with housing, health care, drug addiction services, and psychological assistance.

Those who decline assistance are still given resources they can use in the future to leave their trafficker.

And if we find them again, doing the same thing, still in the life, then we will target them a second time, in hopes that we can get them into treatment and recovery, Landrum said. Sometimes it takes two, three times of rescuing them to actually get them.

Landrums team also conducts undercover operations targeting buyers. In mid-April, they arrested 27 buyers in a two-day operation.

Staying Out

Landrum said, of the women they rescue, some stay out of the life and some dont.

Its hard to break down those walls. Again, were getting back into psychology, physiology, and everything else that goes along with it, he said. Plus the addiction side of it, that makes it really hard, because now you have a girl thats got a mental, emotional attachment, possibly an addiction, [and youre] trying to get her out of a lifestyle that supports those two avenues.

But he also gets to see those who do get out flourish.

To see them three months later[and see they] have a job, are clean, not dealing with the violence, not dealing with the threats against themis amazing. Absolutely amazing. And thats what makes our job fulfilling, he said.

Its worth it if we can save one life.

For Help

National Human Trafficking Hotline

humantraffickinghotline.org

1-800-373-7888

Text: 233-733

Childproof America

ChildproofAmerica.org

1-833-546-8253
The Santa Ana City Hall is seen in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 14, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Santa Ana Considers Home Occupancy Limits

Santa Ana is considering a ban on homes that are occupied by more than four families.

The proposed ban on such boarding houses came after the city received more than 50 complaints from residents and neighborhood association representatives regarding noise, parking, litter, altercations, and more. Others complained of poor property maintenance, and smoking.

The ordinance would affect households where more than four families rent portions of a single home or apartment.

Under the proposed ordinance, commercial transient living arrangements, such as a bed and breakfasts, would be exempt. Licensed operations would also be exempt, along with smaller unlicensed group living arrangements, such as fraternity and sorority houses, sober living facilities, and transitional housing.

This ordinance is about two years in the making, as concerns among boarding houses mount, the city said.

During Santa Anas distribution of rental assistance during the pandemic, the city received more than 3,800 applications for financial assistance. Of those applications, more than 880 used the same address more than once.

You could hypothesize that many of those applicants [that] are applying from the same address are renting bedrooms in individual units as the owner of the address, housing division manager Judson Brown said during a May 10 meeting.

We see anecdotally that many families are renting bedrooms and being approved for our emergency rental assistance having just rented individual bedrooms in a home.

Commission chair Mark McLoughlin said most of the addresses fall under the category of three or four [rental agreements] depending upon circumstances.

However, there will still be a fallout for those units with more than four rental agreements, McLoughlin said.

Commissioner Isuri Ramos said limiting the number to four is still very restrictive.

Im concerned that this language is in many ways criminalizing poverty and limiting [housing] opportunity for the poorest individuals in our city, Ramos said.

Commissioner Bao Pham said the cap promotes quality housing rather than just volume.

He said if more than four rental agreements are allowed for a home constructed for a single family, it could potentially put our citizens health and welfare in jeopardy.

The ordinance will be presented at the planning commissions May 24 meeting, and if approved, will undergo city council consideration June 15.
Spanish Guardia Civil officers try to stop people from Morocco swimming and entering into the Spanish territory at the border of Morocco and Spain, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on May 17, 2021. (Antonio Sempere/Europa Press via AP)

Spain, Morocco Square Off After 7,000 Migrants Arrive by Sea

MADRIDSpain deployed its military to the Moroccan border on Tuesday as thousands of migrants jumped fences or swam onto European soil for the second day in a row after Rabat loosened border controls amid a deepening diplomatic spat.

Overwhelmed soldiers separated the adults from the young and carried children in their arms while Red Cross workers helped an endless trickle of migrants who were emerging from the water shivering and exhausted. One unconscious woman laid on the sand before she was carried away on a stretcher.

Spanish Army take positions at the border of Morocco and Spain, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on May 18, 2021. (Javier Fergo/AP Photo)

The sudden influx of migrants has fueled the diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid over the disputed Western Sahara region and created a humanitarian crisis for Ceuta, the Spanish city of 85,000 in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Morocco by a double-wide, 10-meter (32-feet) fence.

Amina Farkani, a 31-year-old Moroccan woman who commuted to jobs in Ceuta for 18 years until foreign workers were banned from entering last year when coronavirus outbreaks began to surge, said she saw an opportunity to go back to work when she heard that police were not controlling the border.,

They let people pass and stood there without speaking, Farkani told The Associated Press. People just pass and pass and pass.

Spanish Guardia Civil officers try to stop people from Morocco entering into the Spanish territory at the border of Morocco and Spain, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on May 17, 2021. (Antonio Sempere/Europa Press via AP)

Video cameras captured how some people rushed up the hills surrounding the city and jumped over the fences.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled a trip to Paris, where he was to attend a summit on international aid to Africa, and flew by helicopter to Ceuta. While calling Morocco a friend of Spain, Sanchez also urged authorities to respect the shared border.

By Tuesday morning, more than 7,000 sea-soaked people had crossed the border into the city since early Monday, the Spanish government said, including 1,500 thought to be teenagers. The number getting in slowed but didnt stop Tuesday even as Spain deployed additional police and soldiers.

Spanish Army and Guardia Civil officers take positions next to the border of Morocco and Spain, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on May 18, 2021. (Javier Fergo/AP Photo)

At least 3,800 adults already have been returned to Morocco, according to Spains Interior Ministry. Morocco and Spain signed an agreement three decades ago to expel all those who swim across the border.

Yet many arriving Tuesday were sub-Saharan Africans. Spain has agreements to return some of those migrants to their native countries, but not all of them.

One young man drowned and dozens were treated for hypothermia or small injuries, the Red Cross in Ceuta said, adding that it was performing coronavirus tests on the new arrivals. The adults were being transferred to Ceutas main soccer stadium, while those thought to be minors were sent to warehouses run by charity groups.

A man from Morocco reacts after entering swimming into the Spanish territory, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on May 17, 2021. (Antonio Sempere/Europa Press via AP)

By Tuesday afternoon, Moroccan authorities closed the road leading to the border post with Ceuta and anti-riot police dispersed crowds of would-be migrants. Neither the government in Rabat nor local officials have commented about the mass influx or responded to queries by The Associated Press.

Its such a strong invasion that we are not able to calculate the number of people that have entered, said Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, an autonomous city of about 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles).

The army is at the border in a deterrent role, but there are great quantities of people on the Moroccan side waiting to enter, he told Cadena SER radio.

Four Spanish armored vehicles parked Tuesday at Tarajal beach in Ceuta, where the border fence leads to a short breakwater.

In a video shared by a Spanish police union urging authorities to send in reinforcements, anti-riot officers behind the border fence were using shields to protect themselves from stones being thrown by people in Morocco.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied local media reports saying that unaccompanied Moroccan migrants under 18, who are allowed to remain legally under the tutelage of Spanish authorities, were being deported.

The European Unions top migration officialHome Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johanssondescribed the incidents as worrying and called on Morocco to prevent people from setting out in the first place.

The most important thing now is that Morocco continues to commit to prevent irregular departures, and that those who do not have the right to stay are orderly and effectively returned, Johansson told the European Parliament.

Spanish borders are European borders. The European Union wants to build a relationship with Morocco based on trust and shared commitments. Migration is a key element, she said.

Moroccos loosened border watch came after Spain decided to grant entry for medical treatment to the chief of a militant group that fights Morocco for the independence of Western Sahara. Morocco annexed the sprawling region on the west coast of Africa in 1975.

Moroccos Foreign Ministry has said Madrids move to assist Brahim Ghali, head of the Polisario Front, was inconsistent with the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness and vowed there would be consequences.

Vivas, Ceutas conservative regional president, said residents were in a state of anguish, concern, and fear and 60 percent of the citys children had not shown up for school on Tuesday. He also linked the sudden mass arrival to Spains compassionate assistance to Ghali.

The Spanish government itself, however, officially rejects the notion that Morocco is punishing Spain for a humanitarian move.

The prime minister appeared on live television to announce he would visit Ceuta and that his top priority was to ensure safety in the city in the face of any challenge, any eventuality, and under any circumstance.

Over the decades, Spain has built a close relationship with Morocco to crack down on illegal border crossings but also to increase economic exchanges and fight extremism. Sanchez on Tuesday avoided any direct criticism to Rabat in his speech.

To be effective, he said, that cooperation must always be based on respectrespect for the shared border.

Sanchez was also facing a political storm at home, with the conservative Vox party blaming the migration crisis on the governments inaction and sending its leader on a quick visit to Ceuta.

Many African migrants regard Ceuta and nearby Melilla, another Spanish territory, as a gateway into Europe. In 2020, 2,228 chose to cross into the two enclaves by sea or land, often risking injuries or death.

On Tuesday, another 80 African migrants reached Melilla, 350 kilometers (218 miles) east of Ceuta, by jumping over the enclaves double fence.

By Renata Brito and Aritz Parra
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip to Israel, on May 17, 2021. (Hatem Moussa/AP Photo)

Rockets Fired From Gaza Kill 2 After Israel Topples 6-Story Building

GAZA CITY, Gaza StripRockets launched from Gaza killed two Thai workers inside a packaging plant in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory.

With the conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists showing no sign of abating and truce efforts apparently stalled, Palestinians across Israel and in the West Bank went on strike against Israels policies.

Roads leading out of Palestinian towns were blocked in the morning to prevent those who wanted to go to work from leaving.

Since the fighting began last week, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes targeting Hamass terrorist infrastructure, while Palestinian terrorists have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

An Israeli soldier inspects damage to an apartment in a residential building after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashdod, southern Israel, on May 17, 2021. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)

The latest attack from Gaza on Tuesday hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory. In addition to the two people killed, who were in their 30s, Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it transported another seven wounded people to the hospital.

Israel continued its airstrikes into Gaza, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs in its attack on the six-story building. Israel warned the buildings residents ahead of time, and there were no reports of casualties.

Heavy fighting broke out on May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem following Palestinian protests against Israels policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a site sacred to both Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families who refuse to pay rent in a long running legal dispute.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes since, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Twelve people in Israel, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building that was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on May 18, 2021. (Khalil Hamra/AP Photo)

A top view shows the remains of a six-story building that was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on May 18, 2021. (Khalil Hamra/AP Photo)

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled.

As the fighting drags on, medical supplies, fuel, and water are running low in Gaza.

Palestinians in Israel, east Jerusalem, and the West Bank observed a general strike Tuesday. Palestinian citizens of Israel make up 20 percent of its population.

The strike was intended to protest the Gaza war and call for the protection of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was backed by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike, although Palestinians who wanted to go to work were prevented from leaving Palestinian towns in the morning to enforce compliance with the strike.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it fired at 65 terrorist targets, including rocket launchers, a group of fighters, and the homes of Hamas commanders that the army said were being used for military purposes. It said more than 60 fighter jets took part in the operation.

The military said it also shot down a drone approaching the Israeli border in the northeast, far from the Gaza fighting. It did not say where the unmanned aircraft originated, but its possible the drone came from Syria.

The military said Palestinian terrorists fired 90 rockets, 20 of which fell short into Gaza. Israel says its missile defenses have intercepted about 90 percent of the rockets.

Israels airstrikes have brought down several buildings and caused widespread damage in the narrow coastal territory, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed in the fighting, while Israel says the number is at least 160 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen terrorist commanders it says were eliminated.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and entirely destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said in a new report. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

A man inspects the rubble of a destroyed commercial building and Gaza health care clinic following an Israeli airstrike on the upper floors of a commercial building near the Health Ministry in Gaza City, on May 17, 2021. (Adel Hana/AP Photo)

It said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered the movement of ambulances and supply vehicles. Over 41,000 displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in U.N. schools in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak. Gaza is also running low on fuel for its electricity supply and water.

Israel has vowed to press on with its operations, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with top security officials on Monday.

Among the buildings that Israeli airstrikes have leveled was the one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Israel had given the United States information about the bombing.

Blinken, speaking from Iceland, declined to characterize the material received.

By Fares Akram and Joseph Krauss
Tens of Millions Needed to Fix Irish Health System After Ransomware Attack

The cost of repairing damages done to the Irish national health service by a ransomware attack on Friday will no doubt run into tens of millions, the health service boss has said.

Irelands Health Service Executive (HSE) shut down its IT systems on Friday morning as a precautionary measure after it was hit by a ransomware attack.

The systems Chief Operations Officer, Anne OConnor, told Newstalk radio on Sunday that many cancer treatment sessions, X-rays, and other radiology appointments had been canceled, describing perhaps the worst impact to date on a healthcare system from ransomware.

The impact of the attack on services is expected to last throughout this week and beyond, with thousands of patients facing cancelled appointments and delays.

Speaking to Irelands national broadcaster RTE on Monday, HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said that even when the systems are back up, itll take awhile to know how stable the systems and the interconnectivity between them will be.

So we are in for a period, well beyond this week, he said.

Asked about the potential cost of fixing the problem, he replied: This will be in the tens of millions in terms of impacts on our systems. Theres no doubt about it.

Reid said that the HSE is working on three priorities: to enlist help of voluntary private hospitals, to get diagnostic systems, lab systems, patient information systems, and oncology services back up, and to restore basic connectivity such as mail servers.

According to Reid, there are about 19 voluntary hospitals with standalone systems in Dublin and Cork that can be brought on board, including the Mater, St James, Beaumount, St Vincents, and Tallaght hospital.

Reid said the HSE has to assess 2,000 different systems to ascertain what information has been taken.

Minister for eGovernment Ossian Smyth told RTE that the data affected are mostly administrative, not clinical.

On the day of the attack, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin has said that Ireland will not be paying any ransom.

Both Reid and Smyth said they expected some data would be published on the darkweb.

Smyth told RTE that the first thing hackers tried to do was to delete backup data, but the attempt has failed.

As far as I understand, we are not aware of any server where we have lost data. We have the backups, and so far, we are not aware of any data loss, he said.

The attack has also extended to the Department of Healthalthough it has not been as severely affected.

Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar has said he is not aware of any other Government agencies that have been hit by the cyber attack.

According to RTE, the group behind the attack, Russian-based Wizard Spider, has been targeted for many years by the FBI, the UKs National Crime Agency, Interpol, Europol, and other international law enforcement agencies.

Reid said he didnt know the amount the group demanded. The Associated Press reported that the ransom negotiation page shows the amount to be $20 million (16 million).

Meanwhile, a different cybercriminal group has hit four Asian subsidiaries of the Paris-based insurance company AXA with a ransomware attack, impacting operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

Ransomware attacks returned to headlines this month after hackers struck the United States largest fuel pipeline, the Colonial Pipeline, and the company shut it down for days to contain the damage.

PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on May 18, 2020. (Lynda M. Gonzalez/The Dallas Morning News Pool)

Texas Governor Issues Order Banning Schools, Local Governments From Requiring Masks

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order on May 18 that bars local governments and schools from requiring masks indoors, just days after federal health officials relaxed guidance related to face coverings for vaccinated people.

Local Texas governments have to end their mask mandates by May 21, the executive order states, and schools have to do the same by June 4. If local governments fail to comply, they could face fines of up to $1,000, according to a statement from the governors office.

The Lone Star State continues to defeat COVID-19 through the use of widely-available vaccines, antibody therapeutic drugs, and safe practices utilized by Texans in our communities, the Republican governor said in the statement. Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities.

Abbott wrote in a tweet that it should be up to Texans, and not the government, to decide their best health practices.

It comes as Texas recorded zero COVID-19 deaths for the first time since tracking pandemic data, Abbott said on May 16. He also noted that the state reported the fewest number of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, or novel coronavirus, cases in more than 13 months and the lowest number of hospitalizations for the virus in 11 months.

Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Biden had denounced Abbott and alleged the number of CCP virus cases would rise when the governor announced on March 2 that the state would lift its statewide mask mandate.

On May 18, Abbott said state residents can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans liberty to choose whether or not they mask up.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, last week said thatin most casesfully vaccinated individuals dont have to wear a mask indoors or outdoors. Walensky has since told news outlets that she believes unvaccinated children should wear masks indoors.

After Abbott ended the statewide requirement for masks in March, school systems were allowed to keep their own mask-wearing policies intact; the May 18 order stipulates that no student, teacher, parent, or other staff member or visitor may be required to wear a face covering.

According to a March Lancet study, children especially remain at low-risk of COVID-19 mortality.

A number of Republican-led states in recent months have either moved to ease restrictions around masks, banned so-called vaccine passport documentation, or have rescinded local pandemic emergency mandates.
Players of Thailand line up for the national anthem prior to the Women's World Olympic Qualification game between Thailand and Dominican Republic at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan on May 14, 2016. (Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

Thai National Volleyball Team Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Taking Chinese-Made Vaccines

Recently, 26 members of the Thai national womens volleyball team tested positive after receiving injections of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, which led to the team withdrawing from the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2021.

Thailand has purchased a large amount of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines and withdrawn its team from the VNL, which will be held in Italy from May 25 to June 19. The Thai womens volleyball team currently ranks 15th in the world.

All the members and staff of the womens volleyball team received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine made by Chinese state-owned company Sinovac on April 29.

On May 12, 22 players and 4 staffers tested positive for COVID-19 in a pre-match test and were sent to the hospital for observation and treatment.

The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) has not barred the team from participating in the world league, and is looking into the cases.

We would like to apologize to all the fans nationwide, and will take care of the affected athletes and staffers as though they are members of our family, the Thai Volleyball Association said in a statement.

On May 14, the FIVB granted Thailand special permission to change its roster for the upcoming tournament. Currently, the Thai team is testing again and drafting more players in order to put together a team to participate in the VNL.

A local doctor pointed out that according to a Chilean trial study, the protection rate of the Chinese vaccine was only 16 percent effective after the first injection after 2 weeks, and 2 weeks after the second injection it increased to 67 percent. By contrast, vaccines made by other countries have a protection rate of 60 to 70 percent within 3 weeks after the first injection and increases to 70 to 75 percent within 2 weeks after the second injection. The doctor also reminded that there is no vaccine that has a protection rate of 100 percent against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

The Chinese regime has been pushing a vaccine diplomacy strategy internationally to expand its geopolitical influence. Southeast Asian countries that are close neighbors to China have felt the effects first.

Earlier this year, the Thai government ordered 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Chinese state-owned company Sinovac, which have been administered to more than 600,000 people nationwide. In March, despite the serious side effects of the Chinese vaccines being reported in Thailand, such as stroke, the Thai government stuck with the Chinese vaccines. It has ordered an additional 1.5 million doses from the Chinese company.

In early May, the president of another Southeast Asian country, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, asked China to take back its donation of 1,000 vaccines developed by Sinopharm, citing they are not approved for the public. A territorial dispute over regions of the South China Sea between China and the Philippines has also been escalating in recent months.
All the variations of congee simmer down to the same basic idea: Cook a little rice in a lot of water, until you have a thick, warm cloud. Simply add flavor, and serve. (gowithstock/Shutterstock)

The Comforts of Congee, However You Cook It

A hard cocktail of rain, wind, and snowflakes assaulted the farmers market last week. It was the kind of prolonged spring squall that has to make a farmermore of whom showed up than shoppersquestion his or her career choices. The only thing that sold out was coffee, because everyones hands were cold. A vat of steaming congee, on special at the Vietnamese sandwich stall, would have sold out too, but they ran out of bowls.

I was lucky enough to nab a serving of that thick brew. I squirted on some hoisin sauce and began enjoying my morning, in a better position to appreciate the weather.

People eat congee virtually anywhere they eat rice. Its many names translate into the likes of white porridge, dilute rice and wet rice. Whatever you call it, the process of making it always simmers down to the same basic idea: Cook a little rice in a lot of water, until you have a thick, warm cloud. Simply add flavor, and serve.

The Vietnamese sandwich seller, Le Ma, is of Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry. Where he comes from, congee is regarded as having especially nourishing and medicinal properties, akin to chicken soup in the West. When you werent feeling well, thats what people would make you, he told me. Its easy to eat and easy to digest.

It also doesnt fill you up too much, he added. A few hours later youre hungry again. Its a good breakfast food because it gets you going but wont slow you down. And its also popular as a late night meal, because its a light comfort food you can eat before bed.

While congee preparation is simple and straightforward, there is an endless array of ways you can cook, garnish, and serve it.

In Bhutan, congee is used to celebrate the Blessed Rainy Day, a holiday that marks the start of the annual monsoon season. In Thailand, ultra-bland congee is often served alongside extra-flavorful side dishes that you daintily add, a process that a Thai friend of mine described as combining flavor and not flavor.

When congee is served as a one-bowl meal, on the other hand, its customized toward the end of cooking, like the congee that showed up in my moms hospital room last week in Denver.

Id stopped at a dim sum place to grab her some dumplings, her favorite, and decided to order wonton soup as well, which is basically dumpling soup. But my double dumpling delivery was derailed, as the kitchen mistakenly swapped the wonton soup for congee with flounder. It was pillowy and ethereal in texture, and flavored exquisitely with ginger and scallion, and Mom slurped it down. The next morning I reheated the congee with leftover broccoli with oyster sauce. Moms congee, once again, was perfect.

Two days later, I showed up at that stormy farmers market in time to buy a bowl of Mas chicken congee. It was garnished with cilantro and green onion from a neighboring stall, and to make it a bit more nutritious, hed added quite a bit of quinoa. I must admit I thought quinoa congee sounded a bit crunchy, but I know enough about congee to not tell a Southeast Asian how to make it.

It turns out Ma knew best. And the proof: My kids couldnt stop eating it.

Mas Chicken Congee

This recipe can be easily halved.

Serves 10

1 cup quinoa

2/3 cup basmati rice

2 quarts water

2 quarts chicken stock

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup diced chicken

1 heavy cup chopped celery

1 heavy cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped ginger

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish: cilantro, green onion, lime, hoisin sauce

Rinse and drain the quinoa and rice. Cook them together with the water and chicken stock in a rice cooker. If you dont have a rice cooker, use a pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for an hour at a light simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and saute the chicken, celery, carrots, and ginger with the salt and pepper. Add it to the congee pot and cook for an additional hour or so, until its a consistency you like.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion, a squeeze of lime, and a squirt of hoisin.

Ari LeVaux writes about food in Missoula, Mont.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to media during a press conference at a mass COVID-19 vaccination hub on May 10, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Thousands Apply for Pfizer Vaccine in New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejikilian said she was pleased that thousands of Australians have registered for the states Pfizer CCP virus vaccination roll-out.

Nearly 110,000 people aged 40 to 49 had registered their interest to get the Pfizer vaccine, Berejikilian said on Monday, with 9,000 already booked in.

I want to thank the community for their enthusiasm and patience. I could not be more pleased, she said.

The premier wants at least 80 percent of NSW adultsat least 5 millionfully vaccinated before she considers opening international borders. She said the state was losing $1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) a month due to the lack of overseas travellers. According to the premier, NSW had given 1 million COVID-19 vaccinations to date.

But if the majority of our population is vaccinated, we can start thinking about those things. We can start thinking about living safely with COVID and resuming our contacts with the rest of the world, she said.

Echoing Berejikilian, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that at some stage the world would get access to Australia, and NSW residents must be prepared for it.

It is up to each and every one of us to step forward and have the vaccine, said Hazzard. That is the one weapon that we have to fight back against this virus, and I encourage everyone in New South Wales to get the shot.

These comments come amid a push by some health bureaucrats, some politicians, and some business leaders for Australians to prepare to live with the virus once enough are vaccinated.

Read More Australian PM Flags Vaccination Plan for Those Who Want to Travel

However, vaccine hesitancy is a continuing issue with many concerned over the rare cases of blood clots stemming from the AstraZeneca shot.

On May 13, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) noted that there had been an additional seven cases of clots that have been assessed as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) likely linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This takes the total number of cases assessed as TTS following the AstraZeneca vaccine to 18, with around 1.8 million doses administered.

The TGA said of the 18 cases, 10 with TTS following the AstraZeneca vaccine have recovered, and one has died.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Karen Price said she is regularly seeing vaccination hesitancy among patients who are over 50 as well, The Australian reported on Tuesday.

Some people are adamant theyre going to wait. Even though I bring out my infographics, theyre adamant they wait to wait. Unfortunately, theyve got this idea theres a superior vaccine, Price said.

No amount of talking about statistics saying the blood clots are extremely rare is going to change some peoples mind because they fear they will be the one.
Jewish men walk along the street in the Stamford Hill area of north London on Jan. 19, 2011. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Two Arrested After Rabbi Attacked Near London Synagogue

British police arrested two people on Monday in connection with an attack on a rabbi near his synagogue in north London.

Rabbi Rafi Goodwin received hospital treatment for head injuries on May 16, following an assault in Limes Avenue, north London, just after 12.15 GMT.

Two men from Ilford, northeast London, aged 18 and 25, were arrested on Monday afternoon on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, Essex Police said.

According to an earlier police statement, it was believed that the two attackers stepped out in front of the victims vehicle whilst he was driving, shouted at him, and spoke in a derogatory way about his religion before going on to damage his car.

When he got out of his car to confront them, he was attacked with an unknown object, and his phone was also stolen. The attackers then left the scene on foot.

Police said officers were speaking to members of the local Jewish community who are celebrating Shavuot, in Chigwell and Southend, Essex.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper said: We know this is a very important timea time for communities to come together, to be around each other and celebrate. We do not want anyone to feel that they cannot do that safely.

Officers have spent the day speaking with the Jewish community to provide reassurance.

He suggested that police did not believe the attack was linked to anti-Israel protests that took place over the weekend.

At this time we do not believe this incident is related to events taking place overseas or incidents which have taken place elsewhere in the country, he said.

In other developments, Metropolitan Police said that four men arrested on Sunday for shouting anti-Semitic abuse have been released on bail.

A video posted on Twitter on Sunday showed cars moving on a street with Palestinian flags on them, Slogans such as [Expletive] the Jews, [expletive] their mothers, [expletive] their daughters and Rape their daughters were heard through a loudspeaker.

The Met traced one of the cars after receiving reports of the incident. A police helicopter was deployed and officers stopped the car and arrested the men on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences.

The incident was condemned by British politicians across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: There is no place for antisemitism in our society. Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britains Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said the behaviour was utterly disgusting.

Lily Zhou and PA contributed to this report.
Rand Paul Talks COVID-19, Pandemic Prevention

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - U.S. Senator Rand Paul was a guest on the Greg Dunker Show Monday to discuss his ongoing dispute with Dr. Anthony Fauci and pandemic prevention.Paul and Fauci had a debate on May 11 during a Senate health committee hearing on whether or not funding from the National Institutes of Health was being used for "gain-of-function" virus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Gain-of-function research is when virologists enhance naturally occurring viruses.Paul said it's a matter of fact the NIH was sending money to the Wuhan lab. His concern lies with whether the lab was creating super-viruses and if the NIH knew about it. He believes any reasonable person would have known if it was happening and said professors and scientists that have analyzed the research coming out of the lab consider it gain-of-function.He likened the situation to a debate about Planned Parenthood funding.Paul said, "People say 'we're giving money to planned parenthood, but they're not using it for abortion.' So Wuhan was getting money from the NIH, but then they're saying, 'we really aren't doing gain-of-function with your money although we might be making these super-viruses with our money.'"According to Paul, although it is unknown whether COVID-19 evolved naturally or was developed in a lab, it is certainly worth investigating."There are a couple of things that argue for this coming out of a lab. We can not find an animal that this infected that people are eating, and when you try to take COVID-19 and re-infect bats with it, they don't accept it very well." Paul continued, "The only host this virus seems to do well in is humans."The situation has left Paul questioning why the US is giving any money to the Chinese Communist Party, regardless of whether the funds are going toward super-virus research.He said, "Aren't they pretty rich? Aren't they beating our butt in trade around the world? Why would we give them any money for research? Why can't they spend their own money?"If COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan lab, he believes it was most likely an accident and warned that we could see the same kind of accident in the United States."There have been accidents. The SARS virus got out of a Beijing virology lab before," Paul explained. "This is a huge danger. Nobody is perfect, but I think we shouldn't be making viruses that might escape a lab."Paul said cutting off any virus research funding to China should be the first step to prevent future pandemics. He also suggested examining the eleven virus labs in the US that are performing gain-of-function research.Virologists frame gain-of-function research as a way to explore treatment options for potential future animal viruses that might mutate and infect humans. Paul says it's rare for that to happen and suggested focusing our research on viruses that have already mutated rather than creating new super-viruses that could escape a lab.You can listen to the full interview by clicking link here.
Under Increasing Political Pressure, 40 Percent of Hong Kongs Teachers Intend to Leave Education Sector

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forcibly implemented the Hong Kong National Security Law, the education sector in the financial hub has also become a target of rectification.

Hong Kong teachers have been disqualified or dismissed in a series of incidents because of their remarks on their citys political situation. An atmosphere of terror is in the air. About 40 percent of teachers have said they intend to leave the education sector in Hong Kong.

Fung Wai-wah, president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union, said on his website that the push by the citys education bureau for curriculum reform according to Beijings requirements, the unfair handling of complaints, and even requiring CCTV in classrooms, have increased political pressure in the education sector.

On May 5, the union conducted an online survey of 1,178 secondary, primary, kindergarten, and special school teachers and principals in Hong Kong. The results showed that 19.2 percent of the respondents had plans to resign or retire early, and 21.1 percent had no specific plans but were inclined to leave. Thats about 40 percent of surveyed teachers that said they intend to leave the education sector.

Of the 474 respondents who said they were intending to leave, 71.1 percent cited increased political pressure as the main reason for leaving. More than half of these teachers, 55.3 percent, also said they were dissatisfied with Hong Kong society, and 38.6 percent said they were dissatisfied with local governments education policies.

Most of the respondents who said they would stay in Hong Kongs education sector were affected by practical life considerations such as staying with their family in Hong Kong (58 percent), not being able to afford to leave (53.3 percent), and being used to life in Hong Kong (43.9 percent).

Some interviewees reported among their reasons for leaving having their words and actions are restricted both inside and outside the classroom, with politics overtaking the profession in the current political environment, with some groups or individuals making political criticisms against the education sector.

There were also teachers who said they believe the quality of education in Hong Kong is in a downward spiral, with non-education professionals in charge who are ignorant of the industry, a chaotic administration, and no respect for frontline teachers such as those who are involved in the arts and liberal studies.

In addition, the questionnaire revealed that among those who intend to leave, 47.7 percent are those with 21 to 30 years of teaching experience.

Fung expressed concern that if Hong Kongs experienced teachers were to leave, there would be a shortage of manpower and the quality of education in Hong Kong would suffer severely. He urged the government to improve its governance and end political interference in the education sector.

Teachers Accused of Creating Political Cartoons

In fact, since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the education sector in Hong Kong has also been targeted. One after another, teachers have been disqualified or dismissed for remarks that crossed Beijings red line.

The Hong Kong Education Bureau announced on April 30 that two more teachers were disqualified. One of them, a secondary school teacher, was found guilty of professional misconduct by opposing the extradition bill that included mainland China. As of the end of April this year, four teachers in Hong Kong had been disqualified.

Mr. Wong, a middle school general education teacher with the Facebook account vawongsir, started drawing political cartoons on social media in May 2019. He was anonymously reported to the government last year for expressing his political view. The education bureau ruled in April that the complaint against Wong for professional misconduct was established, saying his cartoons made unreasonable accusations against the government or police, such as The rule of law is dead and Collusion between police and gangs. The university refused to renew Wongs contract, citing insufficient funds.

Ip Kin Yuen, vice president of the Professional Teachers Union, criticized the ruling as unreasonable. He said that there is nothing wrong for teachers, who are citizens, to express their views on social issues or government policies on social media.

Such freedom of expression is not allowed in mainland China under the totalitarian rule of the CCP but until now, it has been the norm in Hong Kong.

Wong said in a Facebook post late last month that with the CCPs politics having infiltrated Hong Kong society, one day, it will be difficult to teach on campus. He said there is no doubt that in the eyes of the government, those who do not support the government are ruffians, and that it is not long before teachers in Hong Kong are required to swear allegiance to the Basic Law and be vetted.

Teachers Dare Not Talk About Tiananmen Square Massacre

Wong Joek Si, a middle school Chinese teacher, told The Epoch Times that he was not surprised that 40 percent of the teachers are wanting to leave. In fact, many of his colleagues had been preparing to leave Hong Kong from 2019 to 2020, and many did after the passage of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Wong said that after the passage of the security law, he felt that the education sector in Hong Kong had changed a lot. As a Chinese teacher, he now feels pressure to consider whether he can teach content censored in China by the CCP to his students, such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre and so on.

Wong said that every year on June 4, he would talk about the Tiananmen Square Massacre and would play some material clips for students. But this year, he is not sure whether he can keep doing this. Now, he has a sense of self-censorship, because you dont know what the students are thinking, and if they go and report you in secret, youre doomed.

The Hong Kong government currently requires that schools are politically neutral. However, Wong believes that schools can hardly be neutral because they can only praise the CCP, not criticize it.

Where is political neutrality? There is no neutrality at all, he said.

All kinds of surveillance are becoming more and more serious, and the systems of the mainland are already being directly used in Hong Kong, Wong added.

Its quite obvious that education in Hong Kong is becoming a communist one, he said. Therefore, he said, many of his competent colleagues feel helpless and are now planning to flee Hong Kong. Wong admitted that if given the chance, he would also leave. He plans to do so in three to four years.

Teachers Union President Calls on Government to Listen to Voices in Education Sector

Fung also said on the union website that, according to another survey conducted by the union from last June, more than 90 percent of teachers believe that the education bureau, local government, pro-establishment figures and groups, mainland Chinas official institutions, and media have been the main sources of political pressure to the education sector.

He pointed out that the education bureaus push for curriculum reform that disregarded teachers views, the unfair handling of complaints, the frequent attacks on liberal studies by pro-establishment legislators, as well as the requests for installing CCTV in classrooms, were all actions compounding the political pressure on Hongkongers working in the education sector.

Ip Kin Yuen, vice president of the union, also believes that the education bureau has ignored teachers voices on many occasions in the past, including when the government renamed liberal studies to a subject called Promoting Citizenship and Social Development. Teachers were very dissatisfied with the policy.

Ip urged the Bureau to respect the views of teachers in the education sector and seek their full consultation before introducing any new measures.
Chinese and American flags are displayed in a company in Beijing, China, on Aug. 16, 2017. (Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images)

US Says China Is Resisting Nuclear Arms Talks

GENEVAChina is resisting bilateral talks with the United States on nuclear weapons, the U.S. disarmament ambassador told a U.N. conference on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to advance efforts to reduce nuclear arms stockpiles.

Despite the PRCs dramatic build-up of its nuclear arsenal, unfortunately it continues to resist discussing nuclear risk reduction bilaterally with the United States, said Robert Wood, referring to the Peoples Republic of China.

To date Beijing has not been willing to engage meaningfully or establish expert discussions similar to those we have with Russia. We sincerely hope that will change, he added.

In an apparent rebuttal, Chinas envoy later told the same virtual U.N. meeting that Beijing was prepared for dialogue.

We stand ready to carry out positive dialogue and exchange with all parties to jointly explore effective measures to reduce nuclear risk and to contribute to global strategic security, Ji Zhaoyu said.

The exchange came at a discussion on the Prevention of Nuclear War at the 65-member U.N. Conference on Disarmament based in Geneva. The body, which makes decisions by consensus, has not reached a major agreement in decades but is often the theatre for tense rhetorical exchanges between superpowers.

Earlier this year, Russia and the United States agreed to extend the New START arms control treaty for five years, preserving the last treaty limiting deployments of the worlds two largest strategic nuclear arsenals.

Russias President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are set to discuss arms control and security issues at a meeting where strategic nuclear stability will be on the agenda. Wood said on Tuesday he hoped that such bilateral discussions may lay the groundwork for nuclear disarmament and future arms control treaties.

By Emma Farge
Victoria to Become the Most Highly Taxed State in Australia: Property Council

The Victorian state government is planning to hit homeowners, homebuyers, and investors with additional taxes to tackle its debt in the 2021-22 state budget.

The Andrews Labor government said the budget would protect the states revenue base with $2.7 billion in austerity measures and a $3.6 billion program to reprioritise government spending.

These measures involve raising land tax on properties valued between $1.8 million to $3 million from 1.3 to 1.55 percenta 19 percent increase. Tax on properties valued over $3 million will be raised from 2.25 to 2.55 percenta 13 percent increase.

A new premium stamp duty rate will also be introduced to properties transactions that surpass $2 million. Homebuyers will be charged $110,000 plus 6.5 percent of value over $2 million.

The government estimates the new stamp duty will bring in an extra estimated $137 million and is expected to impact less than four percent of transactions.

Land investors will also face a new windfall tax where the government will take up to 50 percent of the rise in land value due to rezoning.

The government will ensure every dollar of investment is focused on delivering the services Victorians need, with a program of initiatives focused on reprioritising our efforts, the Andrews administration said.

The Property Council of Australia (PCA) has slammed the announcements, calling it a sucker punch to the industry.

PCA Victorian Executive Director Danni Hunter said the tax hikes would cheat Victorians out of the economic recovery currently underway by making it more expensive to buy or resize into a new home.

These tax hikes will make Victorians the most highly taxed community in Australia. Victorias land tax rates and stamp duty rates will be higher than in any other jurisdiction, Hunter said. This new tax is the ninth new tax on Victorian property introduced under the Andrews-Pallas administration.

Australian banknotes in Melbourne on November 7, 2017. (Paul Crocker/AFP via Getty Images)

Hunter said if the administration intended to drive investment away into other cities that were doing everything to attract investment and create jobs, the new tax would achieve this.

We will fight this on all fronts, she said. These taxes will blow up in the face of every new homebuyer, every Victorian homeowner, and renters the moment it passes the Parliament. We have act swiftly to stop this happening.

The Housing Institute of Australia said the tax changes would hurt Victorian homebuyers and landowners and dampen housing demand at the wrong time.

It is also short-sighted to be adding a greater tax burden on housing when it already contributes up to half of the states revenue each year, HIA Executive Director Fiona Nield said in a statement (pdf).

The Andrews government believes the taxes will enable fairness to the community by sharing multi-million-dollar overnight profits through investment in public infrastructure.

Its only fair that those making large profits return a reasonable proportion to the community, Treasurer Tim Pallas said. Our tax system is fair and progressivemaking sure that everyone pays their fair share to support Victorias economic recovery.

However, Nield said the taxes were unfair to Victorian landowners, as the state already has the highest stamp duty costs in the country, and this would directly affect housing affordability.

Changing the goalposts after property has been purchased is unfair, Nield said. It seems this will particularly impact in regional Victoriaas some urban growth land in Melbourne may be exempted.

Sam Tarascio, managing director at one of Australias largest developers, Salta Properties, told The Australian that the company would put the assessment of future developments that involve rezoning on hold until they thoroughly understood the proposed tax.

Until we see that detail, we cannot quantify the new costs associated with the tax, Tarascio said.
People take part in a worship protest at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver on May 2, 2021. (DeYoung Photography)

We Are Not Backing Down: Court Decision Sparks Worship Protests in BC

Since a B.C. judge ruled in March that health orders to close churches are justified but preventing protests is not, worship protests have sprung up across the province, providing a legal loophole for people of faith to assemble.

I attend every protest I possibly can wherever I am, because I believe we are being coerced and verbally abused into surrendering our rights, and it is my dutiful choice as a citizen to defy what I feel to be unjust mandates, Victoria resident Jeremy MacKenzie said in an interview.

Its phenomenal, he said of the experience of attending the protests. Some extended worship times and a lot of people being blessed in Gods presence and with one another in fellowship.

Former 700 Club host Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson told The Epoch Times that she was desperate for church this entire year so she initiated worship protest gatherings in Vancouver.

Weve been under for months and months, no church allowed. Well, weve decided to take it to the street, and thats exactly what were doing. So now weve got 400 people showing up to the Olympic flame [at Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver] on Sundays, she said.

Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson speaks during a worship protest at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver on May 2, 2021. (DeYoung Photography)

A YouTube vlogger who has run for politics at the federal, provincial, and school board levels and who also speaks at many secular freedom protests, Thompson said the worship rallies have become pretty much the most phenomenal thing in my whole life. If theres ever something I feel called to, I think its that.

On Jan. 8, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) filed a constitutional challenge on behalf of three churches and four individuals against public health orders in British Columbia that prohibited public protest and in-person worship services. Together, the petitioners have received dozens of $2,300 tickets.

On March 18, Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson of the Supreme Court of B.C. struck down the ban on outdoor protests in place from Nov. 19, 2020, to Feb. 10, 2021, but permitted the shutdown of worship services to continue.

The JCCF appealed on March 31, arguing that Hinkson did not explain why religious services were banned while riskier in-person gatherings could continue. Ironically, however, permission to publicly protest paved a way for people to praise and petition God in prayer.

VanIsleThreads.ca is the online hub for freedom rallies across Vancouver Island. Nathan Moyer, who also lives in Victoria, has been a sound man at some of them and led worship at others.

I come with my van, a gas generator, and tons of PA gear, and the organizers get the people, speakers, and direct the events, Moyer said in an interview.

Its been fun, incredibly rewarding. Theres a little compensation in it for me, but ultimately I am driven by a patriotic duty to God and country that is irresistible to me.

Moyer says fellowship, prayer, Bible reading, assembly under the banner of protest are typical, but Sunday, May 16, was more novel. During a rally at the B.C. legislature, participants re-enacted the biblical event where the walls of Jericho fell.

Earlier this month, Pastor Art Lucier of Kelowna Harvest Fellowship church married a couple outdoors at a worship protest in Kelowna. Hundreds assemble at his weekly gatherings in Kerry Park, including Linda Price.

Price, who describes herself as a First Nations woman who has seen so much hurt, loneliness, isolation, abuse, and suicide, said in an interview that she very much values the gatherings.

I live alone. I need to be around people who love and are loved. I need to reach out to the sister or brother whos down and out and bring them to a gathering and say, Do you see these people here? They love you too, she said.

We need to gather together to lift each other up and to encourage and give hugs to the hurting. Its not near enough to even think for a second that Zoom calls will do, because they wont. People need each other.
SOUTH WINDSOR  Its been more than a week since missing mother Jessica Edwards was last seen, and some members of her family have taken to social media to plea for her safe return as investigators continue to search for clues to her disappearance.

Police on Tuesday said there were no major updates in the Edwards case.

Our investigators continue to work diligently to locate Jessica, Sgt. Mark Cleverdon said. We are still asking for public assistance.

Late last week, investigators served search warrants at Edwards home and for three vehicles, Cleverdon said Monday. State police K-9 units canvassed the area around Edwards home.

Her family spoke out on social media to express their heartbreak over her disappearance.

Im not going to give up, Edwards sister, Yanique Edwards, said in a post on Facebook on Sunday. I will search the world for you Jessica.

Edwards was last seen leaving her South Windsor residence at about 7 a.m. on May 10. She left with an unknown person. The 30-year-old mother, who has a young son with her husband, called out of her clinical training at Hartford Hospital on that day. She hasnt been seen since.

Cleverdon said police are looking into every angle as the investigation continues. He said Edwards family and friends have been cooperative and forthcoming with information.

The hashtag #FindJessicaEdwards has gained traction on social media sites. TikTok creators have helped draw attention to the case.

In a post on Facebook on May 12, TJ Hutchinson, Edwards husband, shared a photo of the couple with their son.

My heart is broken right now, shattered and my emotions all mixed up, Hutchinsons post said. Please please please, wherever you are come back safely.

The day before, Hutchinson shared the South Windsor Police Departments Facebook post about Edwards being missing. Hutchinson asked anyone with information to call police, and said he was worried for Edwards.

Im cooperating with them to the fullest to help find her, Hutchinson said.

Some local groups, including the Self Defense Brigade, have participated in local searches for Edwards in the hopes of turning up possible clues.

Anyone with information on her disappearance, or information that could help investigators, is asked to call 860-644-2551. Anonymous tips can be submitted at southwindsorct.gov/police or by calling 860-648-6226.
The state Medical Examining Board on Tuesday issued $5,000 fines to two physicians, including one who failed to further evaluate a lesion found by an MRI in the vertebra of a patient; and slightly loosened the restrictions placed on a Torrington doctor who successfully completed a five-year probationary period.

Gabriel Abella, a doctor practicing physical medicine and pain management, provided care to a patient from August to October 2017, state Department of Public Health documents show. During that time, the patient received an MRI which showed a suspicious lesion within the vertebrae, the DPH said. But Abella did not acknowledge the radiologists report that indicated there was a lesion and didnt order any further follow-up care to evaluate the lesion, DPH documents show.

In addition to the $5,000 fine, the board reprimanded Abellas license and placed it on probation for one year. During the probationary period, Abella is required to have a monitor review 20 percent of his patient files for the first three months and then quarterly, according to a consent decree. He currently is employed at Orthopedic Partners in North Franklin.

The board also issued $5,000 fine to a Florida physician who had practiced telemedicine in Connecticut until 2018.

Dr. Manoj Dhariwal came under scrutiny after a pharmacist on behalf of the Missouri-based Express Scripts reported that there were improprieties in Dhariwals prescribing habits, DPH documents said. Dhariwal had never practiced in-person medicine in Connecticut, but had prescribed medications on a telehealth platform through a third party to 37 patients in the state from January to November in 2018, documents show.

A review of five of the Connecticut patients revealed that Dhariwal had no direct or indirect contact with the patients, failed to document care, failed to gather adequate medical histories and failed to provide each patient with appropriate counseling or monitoring on the effects of the drugs he was prescribing, documents said. He currently is practicing family medicine in Florida, the DPH said.

The board also agreed to relax one of the restrictions placed on a Torrington physician accused in 2015 of alcohol abuse and of having a personal relational relationship with a staff member, which led to the theft of his prescription pad.

Dr. James OHalloran III had his license to practice medicine permanently restricted in 2016 after the incidents, which occurred in his part-time private practice, documents said. OHalloran also was working full-time as a physician within the states prisons at the time, DPH officials said.

The restriction required OHalloran to only practice medicine in a setting where there were other physicians present. He also was required to avoid alcohol and drugs unless prescribed, attend individual therapy and support groups for substance abuse and provide urine samples during a five-year probationary period, DPH documents show.

OHalloran successfully completed the five-year probation in February but must remain under the terms of the 2016 order, DPH officials said. He now will be allowed to practice in-person and telehealth medicine without another physician physically present as long as a doctor is available by video or in person to check in with him, the board agreed Tuesday.

The board also agreed to reprimand the Connecticut license of a California physician who was accused of dispensing prescriptions to 1,300 Maryland residents without a permit. Maryland officials fined Dr. Vishal Verma $50,000 and placed his license on probation for six months. Verma does not practice in-person medicine in Connecticut, but has maintained his license to practice telemedicine in the state, DPH officials said.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
NORWALK  After the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions May 13 decision stating people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks or physically distance, chain stores and companies, including those with locations in Norwalk, swiftly lifted the store mask mandate.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state will be following the CDC recommendations and masks will no longer be required under most circumstances. Unvaccinated people will still be asked to wear masks on an honor system, trusting residents to wear masks if applicable.

In Norwalk, patrons and workers in City Hall and all municipal offices will still be required to wear masks for the time being, Mayor Harry Rilling said.

City Hall will reopen to the public, with no appointment necessary, on May 20. The building has been open to the public on an appointment-only basis since September due to the pandemic.

The CDC announcement last week told us that the latest science and data are clear: Anyone who is fully vaccinated can safely resume activities without a mask or physical distancing, both inside and outside, Rilling said. While we are excited that we are moving in the right direction, a large portion of our population has yet to be vaccinated. When City Hall reopens fully on May 20, all staff and visitors will be required to wear masks to enter. We will continue to monitor citywide vaccination rates as well as daily case rates and change policies as appropriate.

Individual businesses and municipalities may opt to continue with the mask mandate, according to the CDC.

Additionally, masks will still be required in schools Lamont said at Tuesdays daily coronavirus briefing.

National wholesale retailer Costco, which has a location on Connecticut Avenue, announced beginning May 14, in municipalities and states that do not have a mask mandate, Costco shoppers will no longer need to wear masks.

We will not require proof of vaccination, but we ask for members responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy, the Costco announcement read. Face coverings will still be required in healthcare settings, including Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid.

In locations where a local or state mask mandate is still in place, Costco will abide by the local regulations and require masks, according to the statement.

Beginning Monday, vaccinated Starbucks customers will no longer need to wear masks, the chain announced Friday. Like Costco, Starbucks will continue to require masks in locations where the local government still requires masks, according to the statement.

Starbucks has three locations in Norwalk, on Westport Avenue, Connecticut Avenue and Main Street.

Walmart announced Friday its stores will also allow customers and staff to shop and work without masks in municipalities and states that do not have a mask mandate. There are two Walmart locations in Norwalk, on Main and Connecticut Avenue.

Contrary to other chains, The Edge Fitness Club, which has 16 locations in Connecticut, stopped requiring masks at all locations Friday, with no mention of following local regulations on the companys website or social media.

The Edge Vice President of Marking Ron Magliocco did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Stew Leonards, a supermarket landmark in Norwalk, removed signs alerting customers of the mask mandate Monday and will allow customers to go mask-less on a trial basis until Memorial Day before a definite decision will be made, Stew Leonard Jr. said during Lamonts daily briefing Monday.

We arent going to promote not wearing a mask for unvaccinated people at all, he said.

For the time being, staff will still be required to wear masks.

At Stews, we are going to monitor it and make a decision based on day-to-day what customers are saying, Leonard said.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Three Appear in Marshall Court on Robbery Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

BENTON - Three men facing multiple charges, including robbery, appeared in Marshall County court on Thursday.The Circuit Court Clerk said Dalton Brown, Devin Brown and Ethan Harrison had status hearings, but they were continued.Hearings for Devin and Dalton Brown are now set for July 15, and the hearing for Harrison will be on July 27.All three men face charges of robbery, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, and fleeing or evading police. The Browns also face a charge each of wanton endangerment, and Harrison faces a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. They entered not guilty pleas on January 26.The charges stem from an October 14 pursuit that began in a business parking lot after Marshall County deputies responded to an attempted armed robbery. The suspects drove through yards and almost struck another vehicle before attempting to flee on foot.Deputies said they recovered guns and drugs during a search.On the Net:
EDWARDSVILLE  Many people know that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has an Army ROTC program, but letting people know how it operates is part of Timothy Clarks mission.

Clark, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and Chairman of the Department of Military Science, leads the ROTC program at SIUE.

Clark is a product of ROTC himself and has been in the Army since 2002; starting out as an active duty Transportation Officer before becoming a regular reservist, spending about six years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a civilian Civil Engineer. He transitioned to active guard/reserve status and has been doing that for the past eight years.

I was in Puerto Rico during the hurricanes and helped them recover, Clark said. Ive also spent time in Germany, Fort Stewart and Fort Knox which are some major bases, so Ive had a similar career to what I would have done if I had stayed active duty.

When hes not teaching students, Clark spends much of his time clearing up myths and misconceptions about ROTC.

One of the misconceptions about ROTC is that the Cadre do it to get away from the Army or to retire, but thats not the case, said Clark, who is in his third year at SIUE and will be rotating out this summer to attend the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

First, the senior officers at the programs compete through a boarded process for the privilege to mentor the future leaders of our Army. Second, you have to work in a lot of areas at the same time, from recruiting to retention to training, as well as representing the Army in our community. Its a difficult job with crazy hours to balance everything while also teaching and mentoring our students.

One of the myths that Clark works to debunk is that joining the ROTC means that you are going right into the Army.

Joining ROTC does not mean youre in the Army; you can do ROTC for two years with no obligation to the Army. ROTC is a process combining college education with leadership training.

People think youre going right into basic training and drill sergeants and thats not the case, Clark said. Im a product of ROTC myself and the first couple years in the program, youre just another college student taking classes. We get together in the morning a couple of days a week and work out, which makes you a little unique, but I tell parents and students we know thats good for us anyway.

Another misconception is that opportunity is limited and that the Army is just about blowing things up.

In fact, ROTC is about education and leadership development. Officers join one of 16 branches which allows them to acquire skills in areas such as intelligence, logistics, and communications.

If careers exist in a normal city, they exist in the Army because when we go to foreign countries, its like we have our own mini-city, Clark said. It could be something like engineering or medical service. We also have the stereotypical Army things like infantry or attack helicopter positions, but for every person who wants to do that, there are probably three or four who are interested in other types of careers.

A common myth concerns the time factor and whether its too late to join ROTC.

The reality is that anyone with two years of undergraduate or graduate school remaining can join ROTC.

A lot of people dont have a clear picture of what they want to do for a career when they go to college, and many of those who think they do end up switching majors as they find a passion for something, Clark said. If you have two years remaining, ROTC is still here for you. Weve had a lot of mid-year juniors rearrange their classes to get an extra semester so they can do ROTC.

I love bringing graduate students into the program and weve been seeing more of them lately. We had a first-generation American who was born in Africa and he graduated from our program last year. He was a graduate student and enlisted in the Army Reserve to get money for college and then he found ROTC.

Because there is no initial commitment to ROTC, Clark noted that enrolling in ROTC is a desirable way for many students to decrease the financial burden of going to college.

It sounds too good to be true, but in most cases, I can help a student pay for college even before they commit to the military, Clark said. Were confident that if they come in and participate in the program, theyre going to want to stay. If you make it through a semester, most of them come back and end up contracting and becoming a leader.

Theres a partnership with the state of Illinois that basically says if an Illinois resident participates appropriately in an ROTC program, then we can waive your tuition at a four-year state university, Clark said. Id say well over half our current Cadets are utilizing this benefit, and I encourage any Illinois resident considering military service and college to call us and discuss the details.

Once a student does decide to commit, they will also receive a monthly, tax-free allowance, become eligible for additional scholarships (typically around $5,000 per semester), book payments ($600), and receive a minor in military science and leadership from SIUE on their graduation certificates.

We put officers into the National Guard, and we put officers into the Army Reserve. Just because you walk in the door as ROTC and the Army pay for your education, it doesnt mean that youre going to go into active duty, Clark said. I had a great active duty experience, but it wasnt my initial goal when I signed up for ROTC. I was going to be a reservist, but then 9/11 happened and that changed a lot of peoples minds about whether they wanted to go to reserves or active.

That means you can go to school for free while youre in ROTC and well let you try us out for up to two years. When you go into the final two years of the program, thats when we need to know if the cadets are passionate enough to become contracted, where the Army will put more resources into your training to become a leader.

The numbers for the SIUE Army ROTC program dropped over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but approximately 100 cadets typically enroll in the program each school year, with about 75 finishing or committing to return by the end of the year.

I graduated from a highly rated academic school, so I follow education quality rankings. I will say that hands down, dollar for dollar, SIUE is the best value in education that Ive ever seen, Clark said. You couple that value with the Army being able to give you a scholarship, and a lot of our students are able to focus on school and dont have to work. Theyre able to stack benefits to come to a good school like SIUE in a great town like Edwardsville.

If youre on the bubble about ROTC, call us, advice is free. Try it with no commitment and see if you enjoy the friendships, the way each individual adds value in their own way to our group thats committed to being ready to serve our country and lead the Army into the future.

For more information about SIUE Army ROTC, visit https://www.siue.edu/rotc/, call 618-650-2500, email rotc@siue.edu or visit SIUE Army ROTC on Facebook or Instagram at @siuearmyrotc.
Editors note: This is part of a series highlighting sites on the National Registry of Historic Places throughout the area.

Some may say Its just a stone wall.

Its chipped. Its cracked. Its stained with all the dirt and elements the Earth could hit it with.

But, if these old walls could talk, theyd provide a window to a dark past. A dark time.

This stone wall on William Street is all that remains of the Alton Military Prison. This is where suffering, disease, and death lived full time from the 1830s until the end of the Civil War.

Read Part I of our series: The Lucy Haskell Playhouse

Read Part II of our series: McPike Mansion

Built in 1833, the building was originally known as the Illinois State Prison.

Its touted as being the first public institution in the state of Illinois when it was built, Jon Parkin, superintendent of the Madison County Historical Society, said. And it operated as a penitentiary  they had room for about two dozen people to put them in solitary.

Bounded by 4th Street on the north, William Street on the east, Mill Street on the west, and Short Street on the south, the 256-cell prison housed both men and women sentenced to serve time for their crimes.

However, it only took a couple of decades for the institution to be deemed unfit.

By the 1850s, it had expanded, but it was considered overcrowded and basically unsuitable, Parkin said.

And thus it was shut down, mainly because a larger prison was built in Joliet near Chicago.

Yet that wasnt the end for this facility. In fact, its signature attribute to history would bring it back to operation once again, in part, Parkin points out, to a general and future president.

You start getting this influx of POWs, and one of the big contributors to that is none other than Ulysses S. Grant, he said. When he captured forts, the confederate officers are expecting that their men will be paroled.

But the man on the 50-dollar bill saw things a different way.

Grant was a very staunch Unionist and I think he was also a realist. But when he basically told the Confederates, there are no terms, its unconditional surrender, after that you see an increase in confederates being held. And they had to find places for them, Parkin said.

Enter the Alton prison.

Alton prison, its standing there. Its ready. Im sure some of the mentality was these traitors dont deserve anything better, Parkin said. Theres a brief period where its not used, and then its like weve got this perfectly good, stone prison  so were going to stick them there.

Prisoners of war from the Confederate Army were sent to multiple prisons throughout the length of the Civil War, and the Mississippi River allowed for a timely transport to Alton.

Throughout the war, the Alton Military Prison  as it became known  boasted 5,000 POWs and 1,200 wooden bunks.

A tight fit, indeed.

How much worse did it get?

Smallpox broke out, and suddenly death was imminent for many. And not just the prisoners.

When you get that many people living in cramped quarters, in very unsanitary conditions, its going to be a breeding ground for disease, Parkin said. So smallpox hit during the war, and it was probably brought in by one or more soldiers. This also effected the guards.

The outbreak of smallpox caused so much fear and apprehension that those who were died from the disease werent even allowed to be buried in local cemeteries. This included the guards exposed at the prison too.

The only solution to this problem was to bury the dead, prisoners and guards, in a secluded place.

One of the many islands that dotted the Mississippi River at this time was called Sunflower Island  because of the beautiful wild sunflowers that once grew there. But its beauty would be tarnished by the smallpox outbreak as bodies were brought from Alton and buried in mass grave plots.

The island was soon referred to as Smallpox Island, and it could be viewed directly from prison cell windows. Undoubtedly there were some who watched and stared at the island wondering when their number was up and where exactly they would be laid to rest for eternity.

After the Civil War ended in May 1865, the prison closed later that summer in July after the remaining prisoners were either released or sent back to their southern states.

Over time the stone structure was dismantled, and used to build the foundation of many buildings that would contribute to Altons growth as a city. Some of those buildings still stand to this day.

The Confederate Cemetery on Rozier Street in Alton is fenced off like any other cemetery, but no headstones are present. This is where other prisoners were brought after they perished in the walls of the Alton Military Prison. An ornate obelisk built at the turn of the 20th century stands in memorial to all those laid to rest there.

Smallpox Island is no longer an island. The direction of the Mississippi River changed that. However, the land operates as the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area on the western river banks in Missouri. A memorial, a victim itself to neglect, stands displaying the names of all buried there.

The Alton Military Site has gone on to stand as a monument in itself to what once was. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Edwardsville Township is serving as the public safety sponsor for the Edwardsville Rotary Criterium once again this year.

The Criterium is a festival of events ranging from professional cycling, free kids races, a childrens art tent, a new Entertainment Zone and more. The event will take place downtown Saturday, Aug. 21.

Township Supervisor Fred Schulte and the board unanimously approved a $7,000 sponsorship for the Criterium at its April 28 board meeting. As a sponsor, the Townships financial commitment covers public-safety-related race-day expenses.

The Edwardsville Rotary Club would like to thank Edwardsville Township for the support of being the Safety Sponsor for this years event, said rotarian and race day director Brian Mulhall. Edwardsville Township has been a multi-year sponsor and they are key to providing the funds to assure the event can be run as safely as possible. Their contribution goes toward barricades, EMTs and public safety officers. With the race route changing this year, their support is needed now more than ever.

The Township also works with First-Mid Bank and Trust to purchase bicycle helmets that are given to area children based on the need to ensure they have properly fitting gear. Representatives from SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital also attend the event through a partnership with the Township to provide free helmet fittings.

Families are asked to bring their childrens bicycle helmets to the event. The Cardinal Glennon staff volunteers make sure helmets are safe and fit securely. If it is determined the helmets are not the right fit, children are given a free replacement helmet at no cost. Helmets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

This event is important for our community and were proud to be a sponsor again this year, Schulte said. The board and I remain committed to the success of this event. After it was canceled last year due to the pandemic, were glad to see the Criterium has returned.

For more information about the Rotary Criterium, visit edwardsvillecriterium.page. Edwardsville Township is comprised of the City of Edwardsville, Village of Glen Carbon and unincorporated areas just outside of these two municipalities. The Township supervisors office is located at 300 West Park in Edwardsville and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Learn more about Edwardsville Township online at edwardsvilletownship.com or contact the Township Offices by phone at 618-656-0292
EDWARDSVILLE  For the second straight year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced St. Boniface Parish to cancel its annual Bonifest and Run for Bonifest celebration.

But thanks to the Big-Bona Raffle, the spirit of Bonifest is alive and well.

With its $75,000 grand prize, the raffle is the churchs primary fundraiser this year in the absence of Bonifest, which is usually held every year on the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

St. Boniface Catholic School, 128 N. Buchanan St., hosts the festival, which offers food, carnival rides, and musical performances in addition to the run. It is the churchs biggest fundraiser.

We didnt do a raffle or anything of that nature last year to replace Bonifest, but to make sure that our school was open and safe, we did a plea to the community for financial assistance, said the Rev. Jeffrey Goeckner, pastor of St. Boniface. We were able to install Plexiglas (shields) throughout the school and bought air filters and cleaning supplies and everything that we needed to open up.

Weve always done a raffle with Bonifest, but it was a lot smaller. After we decided we had to cancel Bonifest again this year, we felt a raffle would be the best way to raise funds without having to put a lot of people together.

The Big-Bona Raffle offers a grand prize of $75,000, plus $2,500 for the runner-up and $1,000 for third place.

The drawing will be held at noon on Saturday, May 29.

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the various ministries of St. Boniface Parish and six local charities.

Tickets are available online https://www.st-boniface.com/raffle.

Tickets are $100 each. Buy two and get one free, buy three and get two free, buy five and get five free or buy 10 and get 10 free.

$10 of every purchased ticket can be donated to your choice of one of the charities listed below:

 A Beacon of Light Pregnancy Center

 Good Samaritan House

 Glen-Ed Pantry

 Saint Vincent de Paul Society

 Knights of Columbus Edwardsville

 Daughters of Isabella

In the past, weve always given a portion of the proceeds to Father McGivney (Catholic High School), but knowing that a lot of nonprofit organizations have been hit hard by the pandemic, this year we decided we decided to do something different, Goeckner said.

We went through the list of nonprofits that we support as a parish and gave people the opportunity to designate $10 from their ticket for one of those six charities. Being able to do that, were showing our charitable spirit and we like the idea that we are helping those organizations.

The 2019 Bonifest marked the 35th anniversary of the festival, and it was frustrating for Goeckner and his parishioners to have to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021.

Obviously its a great fundraiser for the parish, but we like to call it the kickoff for summer in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon area, Goeckner said. People from all over the area come to Bonifest at least one or both of those days and we like hosting the event.

Bonifest had never been canceled and weve had rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes. The only reason it has been canceled is because of a worldwide pandemic.

For more information about the Big-Bona Raffle, visit https://st-boniface.com/ or visit St. Boniface Catholic Church on Facebook.

A lot of other schools and churches have been very successful with these types of raffles and weve talked to some of them about it, Goeckner said. Even after Bonifest returns, we think this is going to be an annual fundraiser as well.

People are saying that $100 for a ticket is a lot, but I ask them how much they would spend at Bonifest and many of them say they spend more than $100. Plus, the chance to win $75,000 is a pretty big incentive. If anybody wants to be a ticket, they can go to our website, or they can come to the parish office (at 110 N. Buchanan St.).
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court agreed Monday to a showdown over abortion in a case that could dramatically alter nearly 50 years of rulings on abortion rights.

With three justices appointed by President Donald Trump part of a 6-3 conservative majority, the court is taking on a case about whether states can ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb.

Mississippi, which is asking to be allowed to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is not asking the court to overrule the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision confirming a woman's right to an abortion, or a decision 19 years later that reaffirmed it.

But abortion rights supporters said the case is a clear threat to abortion rights. The court cannot uphold this law without overturning the principal protections of Roe v. Wade, Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a call with reporters.

Even if the court does not explicitly overrule earlier cases, a decision favorable to the state could lay the groundwork for allowing even more restrictions on abortion, including state bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks.

The case probably will be argued in the fall, with a decision likely in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections.

Mississippis ban had been blocked by lower courts as inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent that protects a womans right to obtain an abortion before the fetus can survive outside her womb.

States may regulate abortion procedures prior to viability so long as they do not impose an undue burden on the woman's right, but they may not ban abortions. The law at issue is a ban, Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in affirming a lower-court ruling that invalidated the law.

The Supreme Court had previously turned down state appeals over previability abortion bans.

More than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of a womans pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

John Bursch, vice president of the anti-abortion Alliance Defending Freedom, said the high court has repeatedly held that states can regulate abortions later in pregnancy.

Viability has never been a legitimate way to determine a developing infants dignity or to decide anybodys legal existence, Bursch said.

The justices had put off action on the case for several months. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an abortion rights proponent, died just before the courts new term began in October. Her replacement, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades.

Barrett is one of three Trump appointees on the Supreme Court. The other two, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, voted in dissent last year to allow Louisiana to enforce restrictions on doctors that could have closed two of the states three abortion clinics.

Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by Ginsburg and the other three liberal justices, said the restrictions were virtually identical to a Texas law the court struck down in 2016.

But that majority no longer exists, even if Roberts, hardly an abortion rights supporter in his more than 15 years on the court, sides with the more liberal justices.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration backs legislation that would write the Roe decision into federal law, regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case. The legislation would put an end to state efforts to ban abortion, Northup said.

The Mississippi law was enacted in 2018, but was blocked after a federal court challenge. The state's only abortion clinic remains open. About 10% of its abortions are done after the 15th week, said Shannon Brewer, the clinic director at Jackson Womens Health Organization.

The case is separate from a fight over laws enacted by Mississippi and other states that would ban most abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Mississippi also is among 11 states with a total abortion ban waiting to take effect if the Supreme Court overturns its Roe decision, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America.

A central question in the case is about viability  whether a fetus can survive on its own at 15 weeks. The clinic presented evidence that viability is impossible at 15 weeks, and the appeals court said that the state conceded that it had identified no medical evidence that a fetus would be viable at 15 weeks. Viability occurs roughly at 24 weeks, the point at which babies are more likely to survive.

But the state argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn't take sufficient account of the state's interest in regulating abortion.

The Mississippi law would allow exceptions to the 15-week ban in cases of medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality. Doctors found in violation of the ban would face mandatory suspension or revocation of their medical license.

Also on Monday the Supreme Court:

 Split 6-3 along conservative-liberal lines to rule that prisoners who were convicted by non-unanimous juries before the high court barred the practice a year ago dont need to be retried. The decision affects prisoners who were convicted in Louisiana and Oregon as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the few places that had allowed criminal convictions based on divided jury votes.

 Sided unanimously with a man who sued after police entered his home without a warrant and seized his guns. Police said that the man was potentially suicidal and that they were performing a community caretaking function. The justices said authorities cant use that justification to enter a home without a warrant.

 Ruled 7-1 that an appeals court should take another look at a lawsuit involving global warming that is in its early stages. Lawyers have been arguing over whether the case belongs in state or federal court.

___

Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report.
Gov. Beshear's COVID Update for Monday

By West Kentucky Star Staff

FRANKFORT - On Monday, Governor Andy Beshear updated Kentuckians on the latest COVID-19 information from across the state.The governor said 2,087,829 Kentuckians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.There were 36 new cases Monday and five deaths. Six of the new cases were Kentuckians ages 18 and younger.Beshear said an issue with the lab reporting system caused the number of reported cases to be lower than expected.Kentucky's positivity rate currently stands at 2.28 percent.
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All State Governors of Nigeria are to meet on May 19, to address matters arising from a variety of challenges facing the country.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) disclosed this in a statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of its Secretariat, Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo in Abuja on Monday.

Bello-Barkindo said the governors at their 30th teleconference meeting scheduled to start by 2pm, would discuss issues such as ongoing conversation over the contentious Executive Order 10 and the third wave of COVID-19

He said the meeting would be the seventh this year and would also discuss an update of the States, Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, (SFTAS) report among other things.

The meeting will cover lessons for states and actions for governors on sustainability as well as the adoption of SaaS E-procurement.

Bello-Barkindo added that the governors PTF Committee, headed by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta would brief the forum on health matters arising from the coming of the third wave of COVID-19.

Furthermore, there will be a presentation from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono about the 2nd Phase of Farmers Enumeration.

There will also be another presentation by the Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mr Alexander Okoh on unlocking liquidity through sale/optimisation of state-owned redundant/sub-optimal assets.

He added that the NGF Director General , Mr Asishana Okauru would also give feedback on the series of Executive Order 10 meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

This, according to him, is about the ongoing industrial action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria.
Phuket quarantine for domestic arrivals not vaccinated, unable to prove COVID-negative

PHUKET: People wanting to enter Phuket who are not fully vaccinated or cannot prove they have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving must serve a 14-day quarantine if they want to enter the province.

COVID-19Coronavirustransporteconomicshealth

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 18 May 2021, 12:56PM

The new notice explaining the entry requirements for people arriving in Phuket by road. Image: PR Phuket

The new notice explaining the entry requirements for people arriving in Phuket by road. Image: PR Phuket

Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong confirmed the policy through the live broadcast online at 8pm last night following the meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee yesterday (May 17).

Another official order issued by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, confirming the policy that was already mandated by a provincial order, was posted publicly at 10pm last night.

Vice Governor Piyapong explained that until last Saturday (May 15) people were allowed to enter Phuket even if they were not fully vaccinated and could not prove they had tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of arriving if they passed a rapid antigen test on arrival.

The rapid antigen tests were free for Thais, paid for by the National Health Security Office (NHSO) until May 15, V/Gov Piyapong explained.

Not explained was that foreigners were charged B500 for each test.

However, due to massive tailbacks at the one checkpoint onto the island, officials had continued to provide the rapid antigen tests for people arriving by road throughout Sunday and yesterday (May 16-17), V/Gov Piyapong admitted yesterday.

We do not have the budget to provide the test for arrivals and on May 16 many arrivals were unable to meet our requirements [for entering Phuket], he said.

So our medical staff provided the rapid test on May 16 and today [May 17], which arrivals had to pay by themselves. The test cost was B450, he added.

The B450 fee for the procedure was applied to both Thais and foreigners, V/Gov Piyapong noted.

At no point previously had any Phuket officials publicly admitted the tests were being continued so that people could still enter the province by means of passing a rapid antigen test, a measure that was discontinued on May 15 by provincial order.

Not explained by V/Gov Piyapong was that much of the problem stemmed from truck drivers delivering fresh produce and goods onto the island, who are required to comply with the entry requirements.

Also directly affected were people living in Phuket or Phang Nga who relied on regular travel across the bridge for work or other business purposes.

Without the rapid antigen tests available, each truck driver and other person needing to cross the bridge would be required to prove they had undergone a COVID test at a hospital, a procedure that costs around B3,000 per time.

Of note, while truck drivers remained stuck at the checkpoint onto Phuket, prices of fresh produce at markets in Phuket Town have been rising.

V/Gov Piyapong did admit yesterday, Some hospitals in other provinces such as Phang Nga can provide only 100 COVID tests a day. That is not enough for what the arrivals need.

However, V/Gov Piyapong announced plainly last night, From today on, no rapid tests anymore. Arrivals without any documents must get the quarantine order at the checkpoint.

From the meeting today, the committee altogether agreed to order arrivals without the one of the two documents to do quarantine for 14 days from May 18.

If you stay in Phuket shorter than 14 days, then you will be in quarantine as long as you stay on the island, he said.

Staff from the Phuket Public Health Office [PPHO] will stand by at the checkpoint and give arrivals a quarantine order which will be copied and sent to Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in each subdistrict, he said.

Then the EOC staff will go to follow up your quarantine at your homes or hotels, he added.

However, the checkpoint is closed from 11pm to 5am, the PPHO staff will provide the quarantine orders [only] from 8:30am to 8:30pm, he said.

V/Gov Piyapong did point out that day-trippers to Phuket were exempt from any of the entry requirements.

They do not have to be fully vaccinated, they do not have to prove they have tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of arriving, there is no longer the option to take a rapid antigen test, and no quarantine period will be applied.

For day-trippers, they are allowed to come, do their thing and leave, he said.

We will come up with something that people will require later. This is all we [the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee] have agreed so far, he said.

Of note, for people arriving in Phuket at the airport, V/Gov Piyapong would only say, For arrivals who come by plane, we still keep the same measure. Only arrivals who are fully vaccinated or tested negative within 72 hours are allowed to come.

V/Gov Piyapong made no mention of whether any quarantine periods will be allowed for people arriving by plane. That point remains unclear.

To try to make the new requirements for people entering Phuket by road clearer, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) issued a new notice today (May 18).

The notice explains at length which vehicles may enter Phuket as long as the drivers and passengers comply with the requirements.

The notice specifically notes the following vehicles are to be allowed passage onto the island as long as the enter requirements are met: vehicles delivering living goods, livestock, agricultural products, medical equipment, publications, cooking gas, fuel, essential items for the public or providing financial services.

Also permitted are emergency services, officials conducting authorised duties and private vehicles, though the driver and passengers must prove their necessary reason to come to Phuket.

Arrivals not fully vaccinated or tested as required in Section 1 [the entry requirements] must quarantine for 14 days or as long as you stay in the area under the care of EOC for the area where you are staying, the notice explains..

A quarantine order will be issued by an officer at Phuket Check Point only from 8:30am to 8:30pm.

No vehicles (except delivery vehicles) are allowed into Phuket outside of these hours. the notice said.
First Minister: School children in Wales could be given vaccine jab later this year

Schools children as young as 12 in Wales could be given a Coronavirus vaccination later this year, first minister Mark Drakeford has said.

Mr Drakford said the move might allow us to lift some of the current restrictions in place in schools such as the wearing of masks.

Pupils in England are no longer required to wear face masks in school but Wales has not yet relaxed the rules.

In an interview with ITV Wales Sharp End programme, Mr Drakeford said: Some of the forms of vaccination are now beginning to get a licence for children, as early as the age of 12.





We`re watching that very carefully and if there is a vaccine that gets that licence for use here in Wales, then I think we are very likely to want to take advantage of that.

It may be later this year that we will be able to have a programme in our secondary schools of offering those young people a vaccination, which would make schools even safer than they are now.

It might allow us to lift some of the other restrictions that we have, wearing of masks in classrooms all the time for example that inevitably makes that learning experience less comfortable than it would otherwise be. He said.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday that the UK government has procured enough Pfizer to offer the vaccine to children.

IN the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now moving to vaccinate children, Mr Hancock said: I have been closely following the results of the clinical studies from Pfizer that show that the vaccine is safe and effective among children between the ages of 12 and 18.

We have procured enough Pfizer to be able to offer that jab to children should that be clinically approved here, but given that we are at the stage of opening tomorrow to people aged 37, there is some time to go before we get to 18-year-olds.

We are on track to meet the target of offering the vaccine to all those aged 18 and above by the end of July, so we have a couple of months before we need to make and operationalise a decision. We want to be very, very careful and sensitive about whether and how we offer the vaccine to children.

Dr Giri Shanker from Public Health Wales said last week that the issue of facemasks in classrooms was under active consideration in the technical advisory group and colleagues are collecting all evidence including inputs on Public Health Wales.

He said: We will be able to make an informed assessment of whether we can move to non-use of face coverings in school straight away, or we do need some more evidence to accumulate.

Clearly we know that the school-age population hasnt yet been vaccinated and therefore are still at risk of catching and spreading Coronavirus.

We have to consider all possible measures that can still remain in place to protect such cohorts of people.
Ahead of Premier Francois Legault's 5 p.m. May 18 announcement of details of the province's "deconfinement plan," media reports say Montrealers will be able to eat outdoors at restaurants beginning May 28.

The COVID situation has vastly improved in Quebec as a whole, with only 551 new cases in Quebec as a whole reported Monday and 189 new cases in Montreal. The weather has also been unseasonably warm this month.

Reports say the rule would apply to red zone areas and participating restaurants would have to enforce strict health protocols.

Reports also say bar owners are unhappy, and the Union des tenanciers de bars du Quebec (UTBQ) and the Corporation des proprietaires de bars, brasseries et tavernes du Quebec wrote to Legault that such a plan would be illogical, without also allowing indoor dining as well. Unpredictable weather would also complicate matters, they added. The organizations are calling for a full reopening of restaurants with reduced capacity.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante had called for the reopening of terraces by June 1.
Councillors slammed for political decision to refuse plans to increase capacity of Wrexham HMO as appeal is launched

Councillors have been slammed for their political decision to refuse plans to increase the capacity of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Wrexham.

An application to increase the number of bedrooms at the property in Rhosddu from six to seven was rejected by Wrexham Councils planning committee in March.

It followed concerns being raised by politicians over the impact on parking and road safety on Stansty Road, where the bedsit is located.

Blue Column Properties, which is behind the proposals, has now appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to have the decision overturned.





Consultants acting on the companys behalf have accused committee members of failing to use sound planning judgement after they ignored the recommendation of officers to approve the scheme.

In an appeal statement, they said: The application is to change the use of the property from a six bed HMO to a seven bed HMO.

Even if eight bedrooms were being proposed, the proposal would still only require an additional one parking space as stated by the case officer.

The applicants provided a revised site plan showing a parking space provided in the grounds of the property and the application was recommended for approval.

The planning history has already accepted the provision of a six bed HMO in the locality and the addition of one bedroom, improved internal accommodation, and an additional parking space will not alter the situation in the locality to any degree that would warrant a refusal.

The planning department of Wrexham Council has stood wholeheartedly behind the application and the decision to refuse is a political one, and not made with any sound planning judgement.

The consultants said there would be no visual impact as any alterations to the building would be internal.

They said council officer responsible for overseeing the case had stressed the area does not suffer from a lack of parking.

They also pointed to a lack of new housing in Wrexham as a reason why the proposals should be approved.

A decision will be made on the appeal by an inspector appointed by the Welsh Government at a later date.

By Liam Randall  BBC Local Democracy Reporter
ALTON  Alton firefighters on Monday used a derelict house to help train on how to save lives.

Illinois Fire Service Institute instructors Matt Preston and Josh Byrd guided the firefighters through the training, including a rescue of a dummy found during a search of a smoke filled house in the 700 block of Park Street.

Firefighters trained at a derelict house in Alton, allowing instructors to create up scenerios for practice. At the Park Street house, firefighters arrived to find the structure full of smoke  produced by a smoke machine  and news that someone was still inside.

Firefighters were told to handle the call as if it were the real thing. Hoses were pulled and charged, and firefighters entered the structure to conduct a search for a victim.

Following Afterthe scenerio, the instructors pointed out areas where firefighters excelled  such as finding the mock victim inside the house very quickly  and where they could improve their techniques.

Alton has a number of condemned houses awaiting demolition; instructors set up different scenerios at different houses.

The training in residential fire techniques is scheduled to continue Tuesday and Wednesday in Alton. Additional photos from Mondays training are online at thetelegraph.com.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute runs a training program for firefighters in Champaign and conducts smaller training classes across the state.
ALTON  The Alton Police Department investigated a bomb threat to Alton Square Mall, Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido said in a written statement Tuesday.

There were several investigative steps taken to help ensure the safety of everyone nearby, he said.

The scene is now secure and the mall has been re-opened.

The Alton Police Department is still investigating.
Michel Spingler/AP

NEW YORK (AP)  Amazon said Tuesday that it will extend its ban on police use of its face-recognition technology beyond the one-year pause it announced last year.

Amazon and other technology companies have been under pressure from civil rights activists and their own workers to halt the sale of face-recognition systems to law enforcement agencies. One concern is that the technology can incorrectly identify people with darker skin. Amazon has pushed back against bias claims and touted its technology's accuracy.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina prosecutor said Tuesday that sheriffs deputies were justified in fatally shooting Andrew Brown Jr. because the Black man struck a deputy with his car and nearly ran him over while ignoring commands to show his hands and get out of the vehicle.

District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference that Brown used his car as a deadly weapon, causing Pasquotank County deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force.

Womble, who acknowledged Brown wasn't armed with guns or other weapons, said the deputies will face no criminal charges after he reviewed a state investigation of the shooting, which sparked weeks of protests. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said in a video statement Tuesday afternoon that the deputies will keep their jobs but will be "disciplined and retrained.

Browns family released a statement calling Wombles decision both an insult and a slap in the face. Attorneys for the family who watched body camera footage have said repeatedly that he was trying to drive away from deputies serving drug-related warrants and posed no threat.

The prosecutor declined to directly release copies of bodycam video of the April 21 shooting, but he played portions of the video during the news conference that media outlets broadcast live.

The multiple angles of the footage, projected onto a screen behind Womble, depicted a chaotic scene of about 44 seconds. After six deputies approach Brown's car with guns drawn, the video shows one of them putting his hand on the driver's side door, then yelling and recoiling as Brown backs up.

Seconds later, the same deputy appears to be in the path of the car as Brown moves forward, though it's not clear how fast the car is moving. The deputy appears to avoid a direct hit after pushing his hand onto the moving car's hood and quickly moving aside. Gunshots are then heard, and officers appear to continue firing as the car moves away from them.

The quality of the projected video, even replayed later on news websites that filmed it, made it hard for a viewer to glean the level of detail described by either the Brown family or prosecutor when they watched the footage in person. The family continued its calls Tuesday for direct release of the video, which would make longer and higher-quality versions public.

During his news conference, Womble said the deputy who tried to open Brown's car door was jerked over the hood when the car backed up, and the deputy's body was struck by the vehicle. The deputy then had to push off the hood with his hand to avoid being run over" when Brown drove forward, Womble said. He said that was when the first shot was fired by a fellow deputy.

I find that the facts of this case clearly illustrate the officers who used deadly force on Andrew Brown Jr. did so reasonably and only when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to put their lives in danger," Womble said, referring to Brown's car. He added that "Brown posed an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others."

Though Womble said at least two deputies were endangered by Brown's driving, the sheriff has said his deputies werent injured.

Attorneys for Brown's families decried Womble's conclusion.

To say this shooting was justified, despite the known facts, is both an insult and a slap in the face to Andrews family, the Elizabeth City community, and to rational people everywhere, it said. Not only was the car moving away from officers, but four of them did not fire their weapons  clearly they did not feel that their lives were endangered. And the bottom line is that Andrew was killed by a shot to the back of the head.

The FBI is pursuing a separate investigation. A spokeswoman declined to comment on its progress.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, urged federal officials to thoroughly investigate. In a statement Tuesday afternoon, he reiterated past comments that Womble should have stepped aside for an independent prosecutor to take over.

Public confidence would have been better served with a special prosecutor and by quickly making public the incident footage, Cooper said.

Womble, a Republican first appointed district attorney in 2013 before winning two elections, resisted calls for a special prosecutor. He has said he intends to run to be a superior court judge in 2022.

Some two dozen people gathered outside the municipal building where Womble spoke, and many expressed disappointment with his decision.

Andrew Brown Jr. is the victim, said Keith Rivers, president of Pasquotank Countys NAACP chapter. Its not a district attorneys job to defend sheriffs deputies. It is his job to get justice for the victim. It is the courts job to decide whether or not it was reasonable or unreasonable."

The State Bureau of Investigation, which conducted the state review, issued a statement Tuesday noting it investigates the facts but does not make any determinations as to whether criminal charges should be filed." It said its investigative report isn't a public record and won't be released.

The three deputies who fired shots  Investigator Daniel Meads, Deputy Robert Morgan and Cpl. Aaron Lewellyn  have been on leave since it happened. The sheriffs office said Morgan is Black, while Meads and Lewellyn are white. Womble said none have prior use-of-force complaints.

Four other deputies involved in serving the warrants were reinstated after the sheriff said it was clear they didn't fire shots.

A lawyer who represented some of the deputies in a prior court hearing didn't respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Womble said a medical examiner working for the state found that Brown died from multiple gunshot wounds after being hit in the back of the head and right shoulder. Womble said the medical examiner also described superficial abrasions to his arm, leg and back from bullet shrapnel. The state's written autopsy hasn't been released yet.

Two deputies fired nine shots from Glock handguns and the third fired five rounds from an AR-15 rifle, according to Womble, based on spent shell casings.

An independent autopsy released by the family found Brown was hit by bullets five times, including once in the back of the head.

___

Drew reported from Durham, North Carolina.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-16 01:30:53|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinian protesters were injured on Saturday by Israeli gunshots during their participation in protests held on the border between Lebanon and Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

The two injured Palestinians were transported to Marjeyoun Governmental Hospital to receive medical care.

Meanwhile, Elnashra local news website reported that a big number of demonstrators suffocated from a fire that broke out in Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon. Reasons behind the fire were unspecified.

Hundreds of protesters took part on Saturday afternoon in demonstrations on Lebanon's borders with Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

A day earlier, demonstrations resulted in the killing of one Lebanese citizen by gunshot as the Israeli army fired machine guns, smoke bombs and tear gas towards Lebanese protesters who tried to break into the Israeli side. Enditem
EDWARDSVILLE  A public hearing on Tuesday  and a committee meeting on Wednesday  are set to discuss competing plans to redistrict Madison County Board seats.

The board currently has 29 members. Under a proposal unveiled by Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler last week, that number would be reduced to 25. An alternate plan keeping 29 districts and board members was put forward by Government Relations Committee Chairman Chris Guy, R-Maryville.

On Monday Guy said they also have a possible 27-seat map that will be discussed at Wednesdays meeting.

We owe it to the taxpayers to consider a reduction, Guy said Monday.

Redistricting is done every 10 years after the decennial census. However, because of delays in the availability of census data, the latest survey data available from the U.S. Census Bureau was used for the proposed maps.

A special county board meeting and public hearing on Prenzlers proposed plan is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday. The public hearing part of the meeting will be in Room 309, the Probation Room.

The Government Relations Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Wednesday via teleconference. The agenda includes Consideration and approval of a resolution establishing the composition of the Madison County Board, Consideration and approval of a resolution adopting county board appointment, and Consideration and approval of a resolution establishing new precinct boundaries.

People can attend Tuesdays public hearing in person. It and Wednesdays committee meeting also will be broadcast at https://www.twitch.tv/madisoncountyiL.

Im hearing some positive, some negative, Prenzler said Monday about his proposal.

I think its kind of a new approach, he said. Madison County has never had a reduction. I think the feedback from the public is generally they like the reduction in the size.

Because of redistricting, all board members terms expire in 2022. At that time members will be elected in newly-drawn districts to either two- or four-year terms.

State law mandates the board must have between five and 29 members. The current board has 29, the maximum allowed by the 1970 Illinois Constitution. Only three other counties have 29 members.

According to Article VII, Section 3A, The number of members of the county board shall be fixed by ordinance in each county within limitations provided by law.

A plan for reapportionment must be completed by July so that the Madison County Clerks Office and potential candidates can be ready when the election process starts in September.

The current makeup of the board is 18 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

Prenzler said last week his plans criteria was to reduce the number of board seats. There be no bias in the redistricting, he said, except not to dilute political representation in minority neighborhoods.

The map was prepared under a $4,500 contract with the University of Illinois Geographic Information Systems Lab at Springfield, which Prenzler signed in April. Prenzler said the U of I plan keeps districts to similar sizes and compact, following municipal, township and precinct lines when possible.

Guy said Monday the proposed 27-seat map has substantially equal districts.

One result of any reduction in districts is that some current board members are guaranteed to lose their seats.

To make each district substantially equal, its fair, its bipartisan, Guy said. When you draw a map to reduce to 27 seats, unfortunately, good county board members get drawn in together.
EDWARDSVILLE  Two men were charged with robbery and aggravated assault after allegedly beating and taking a cell phone from another person.

James D. Clements, 25, and DJ W. Marshall, 21, both of Granite City, were each charged with robbery, a Class 2 felony; and aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. Clements was also charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 2 felony.

The charges were presented by the Granite City Police Department.

According to court documents, on May 15 the two allegedly took a cell phone from another person, using force and striking the victim with closed fists causing an injury. Clements was also found to be carrying between 5-15 grams of methamphetamine.

Bail was set at $85,000 for Clements, and $75,000 for Marshall.

Other felony charges filed May 17 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Kamaron V. Williams, 21, of Edwardsville, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On May 16 Williams allegedly struck an Edwardsville Police Officer. Bail was set at $75,000.

 Jennifer R. McMillan, 42, of Edwardsville, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On May 15 McMillan allegedly struck a 13-year-old girl with a belt, causing a welt on her upper leg. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Karlis J. Scott, 37, of Swansea, and Dairein D. Dean, 18 of Cahokia, were both charged with two counts each of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, all Class 3 felonies. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On May 14 the two allegedly were found to be in possession of .380 caliber Ruger and .380 caliber Remington handguns. Scott has a 2019 conviction for unlawful possession of a controlled substance out of St. Clair County. Dean has a 2020 conviction for trafficking in stolen weapons out of Dubuque County, Iowa. Bail was set at $60,000 each.

 Quinne L. Davis Jr., 24, of Belleville, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On May 14 Davis allegedly was found to be in possession of a 9 mm Ruger handgun. It was noted he has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of cannabis out of St. Clair County in 2016. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Collin G. Campbell, 35, of Bethalto, was charged with domestic battery (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. On May 16 Campbell allegedly bruised the shoulder of a family or household member. Campbell has a 202 conviction for domestic battery out of Macoupin County. Bail was set at $15,000.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 20:38:13|Editor: huaxia

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Zambian President Edgar Lungu (R) addresses the media with his running mate Nkandu Luo in Lusaka, Zambia, on May 17, 2021. Lungu on Monday filed in his nomination papers as a candidate in this year's general elections and appointed another female as his running mate. Lungu's papers as well as those of his running mate, Professor Nkandu Luo, were verified and duly certified as correct by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu for the August 12 polls. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)

LUSAKA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday filed in his nomination papers as a candidate in this year's general elections and appointed another female as his running mate.

Lungu's papers as well as those of his running mate, Professor Nkandu Luo, were verified and duly certified as correct by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu for the August 12 polls.

The Zambian leader later told journalists that he was happy over his choice of his running mate, saying he has chosen her because she was politically strong and professionally accomplished.

He said he was not worried about people who may have reservations about his choice of a running mate and called for peaceful campaigns.

"After great reflections and prayerful thought, I have picked Professor Nkandu Luo as my running mate in the August 12 elections. I have no doubt that we are going to make a great team that will not only give our party the electoral victory, but, ultimately, the progress we desire for our great nation," he said.

Luo, 69, is a scientist and a holder of a doctorate in microbiology who has served in various ministerial positions in government. She was first elected as a lawmaker in 1996 under the former ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and served in various ministerial positions.

She later joined the Patriotic Front (PF) and was elected as a lawmaker in 2011 and served in various ministerial positions. Her last position was Minister of Fisheries and Livestock.

Lungu decided to settle for her following the decision by Vice-President Inonge Wina to retire from politics after the August 12 polls.

The Zambian vice-president, 80, said she was no longer young to continue in politics and has decided to hand over to the young generation.

Lungu has since paid glowing tribute to his vice-president for the services rendered since her appointment in 2015, saying she has been a bedrock to rely on because of her immense counsel and wisdom.

Lungu's filing of his nomination papers lays to rest debates that have been raging that he was not eligible to stand because he has served two terms in line with the constitution.

But the Constitutional Court ruled that the first term could not be counted as a full term because he was only finishing the term left by his predecessor, late President Michael Sata.

Lungu was first elected as president in 2015 before being re-elected in 2016. He faces stiff competition from Hakainde Hichilema, leader of the main opposition, the United Party for National Development (UPND).

So far 20 presidential candidates have paid for their nomination papers and will be filing their nomination papers this week, according to the electoral body. Enditem
MARISSA BERGEL, Wheeler softball, senior: Bergel hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to lift Wheeler past Holy Cross, 9-7, in the Class S state tournament. The hit was part of a five-run rally in the inning.

JOEY GUARNIERI, Westerly track & field, senior: Guarnieri placed first in two sprints at the Southern Division championships. He won the 100 (11.19) and the 200 (22.73).

JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney placed first in the 110 hurdles at the Class M state meet in 14.65. He also finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.87) and second in the javelin (160-0).

MARGARET WEEDEN, Chariho track & field, junior: Weeden finished first in the high jump at the Southern Division championships. Weeden cleared 5-1 and also placed sixth in the triple jump at 31-5.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 20:43:11|Editor: huaxia

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A coffee vender roasts coffee beans at a street coffee shop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 14, 2021. Ethiopia is often referred to as the birthplace of coffee, while traditional coffee ceremony that entirely involves the natural processing method is an integral part of the Ethiopian society. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia is often referred to as the birthplace of coffee, while traditional coffee ceremony that entirely involves the natural processing method is an integral part of the Ethiopian society.

The ritual of coffee serving and drinking in Ethiopia can last for hours, which is seen as an important social occasion for reunion of relatives and friends, as well as a chance to discuss community matters while enjoying first-rate Ethiopian specialty coffee.

Of late, a growing number of young Ethiopian women are flocking to the street of Addis Ababa, the national capital, and other major Ethiopian cities as they tap into the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony as a viable business opportunity.

Often, these young women serve traditional coffee in a tent-like makeshift coffee shop along the street, where coffee lovers enjoy aromatic and finest Arabica coffee.

"I exclusively make my coffee here - from roasting the beans to hand grinding the roasted beans and brewing the coffee in front of my customers," said Yaynalem Marew, 25, who serves traditional coffee to her customers in a residential street in Addis Ababa.

Marew, a graduate of electrical installation diploma from a technical and vocational training facility in Addis Ababa, had shifted two different professions before her present engagement as a coffee vendor.

Marew landed her first job right after her graduation in a construction firm, where she worked for more than a year in her area of education. Her most recent job was in a restaurant, as a waiter for close to two years.

"Working as a junior electrical installation expert, I was being paid a gross salary of 80 birr per day (about 2 U.S. dollars). As a waiter, I was getting almost a similar amount of salary, yet at least I was not subject to tax and other deductions," Marew said.

As a coffee vendor, Marew's loyal customers are mainly office people and construction workers who work close to her small makeshift shop.

"The number of my customers is growing rapidly by day. Even though the number fluctuates depending on various factors, I serve about 100 cups of coffee a day on average," she said.

At the time of the interview, Marew was hard at work pouring coffee in a small cup in front of her customers who only sit for a few minutes before shifting their seats to newly arriving customers.

In addition to its superior taste as often described by Ethiopian coffee lovers, traditionally brewed coffee is also relatively cheaper as compared to that of coffee brewed by machine.

The price of a cup of traditional Ethiopian coffee is sold at about seven Ethiopian birr , while a cup of coffee in a cafe costs as high as 30 birr.

Now, Marew generates about 700 birr a day on average, of which close to 350 birr is her net profit. Unlike many restaurant owners that often complain about the soaring renting fees, Marew is free from such expenses.

Courtesy of the huge impact that the traditional coffee processing method plays on the final taste of the coffee as well as its cheaper price, many Ethiopian coffee lovers are in recent years shifting from machine-brewed coffee to the traditional one.

"Apart from the cost for the coffee beans and some other expenses, much of my earning is a net profit. This is mainly due to the fact that I make and serve the coffee on my own; and I only have to pay a small amount of monthly renting fee," said Kisanet Birhane, who runs a small coffee shop along a busy street in Addis Ababa.

Even though traditional coffee makes up much of their business, some coffee vendors also serve tea to their customers at a reduced price and minimum number due to limited demand. Others, like Martha Belay, also offer snacks and potato chips to their customers.

"People with low income are my regular customers. I serve snacks and potato chips during breakfast time. Thank God, the number of my customers is growing by day," Martha said. Enditem
The pandemic has thrust little-known companies into the spotlight and none more so than Oxford Biomedica.

Pre-Covid the Oxford University spin-out was ticking along on the AIM market, developing drugs to treat Parkinsons disease.

But when the pandemic struck the firm stepped up, churning out tens of millions of doses of vaccine for Astrazeneca.

Covid fight: Oxford Biomedica's vaccine manufacturing programme has been so successful that it has raised revenue expectations from the drug for 2021 to 100m from 50m previously

So successful has the manufacturing been that the now FTSE 250 company has raised revenue expectations from the drug for 2021 to 100million from 50million.

Oxford Biomedica said production volumes would double by the end of the year to meet demand. Apart from a small batch imported from Indias Serum Institute a few months ago, all the UK supply of the Astra vaccine has been made by Oxford Biomedica and Newcastle-based Cobra Biologics.

Analysts at Liberum said: This is a huge endorsement of Oxford Biomedicas capabilities and should position the company extremely well for new partnerships outside of its traditional market. Shares added 10 per cent, or 104p, to reach 1106p.

Premier index the FTSE 100 was again treading water  up just 0.02 per cent, or 1.39 points, at 7034.24.

Atock Watch - AFC Energy AFC Energy was the subject of takeover chatter among small cap brokers. Based in Cranleigh in Surrey, and 3pc-owned by Chelsea tycoon Roman Abramovich, it is a developer of hydrogen fuel-cell technology  an alternative to fossil fuels. But the space is ripe for consolidation. ITM Power and Ceres Power are already listed while Elcogen is ramping up to list this month. One broker said: They would do better to join forces. Shares rose 9.2 per cent, or 4.8p, to 57.2p.

British Airways owner IAG was top of the leaderboard despite confusion over whether holidaymakers should travel to countries on the amber list, such as Spain and France.

Cabinet minister George Eustice said people could visit friends but Government advice still states do not travel.

Nevertheless investors remained upbeat about prospects and it rose 3.6 per cent, or 6.88p, to 196.56p.

Lender Natwest was hot on IAGs heels despite the banks chairman Howard Davies doing his best to talk the sector down.

The City will remain Europes largest financial marketplace but its golden age as Europes financial capital is over, he said in magazine Project Syndicate. Investors ignored the comments and shares rose 2.7 per cent, or 5.15p, to 198.55p.

BP was also making gains after Brent crude touched $70 per barrel for the first time since March before sliding back.

Analysts said the gains were over fears that long-term oil supplies may not meet consumption as companies scale back production due to environmental concerns.

At the same time Shell investors said the companys environmental plan did not go far enough and one in ten shareholders voted against the oilers energy transition strategy at the annual general meeting. BP climbed 0.4 per cent, or 1.4p, to 316.8p; Shell fell 0.4 per cent, or 5.8p, to 1362.6p.

It was a good session for tobacco investors as cigarette giant Imperial Brands clocked up strong cigar sales in the first half of this year.

Cigar sales have boomed during lockdown as smokers puff at home, unrestricted by office rules. Its shares were up 1.5 per cent, or 24p, at 1614p.

Among the fallers was the usually reliable packaging firm Bunzl, which snapped up medical distribution business Obex for 27million.

But investors were unimpressed and shares were down 0.6 per cent, or 13p, at 2307p.

Micro Focus added 6.8 per cent, or 32.2p, at 503.4p after an upbeat trading statement. The turnaround technology specialist lost more than half its value in 2020, but has gained 22 per cent in 2021.

On the FTSE 250 the biggest gainer, 4imprint, rose 10.7 per cent, or 245p, to 2545p, after the marketing merchandise maker said it was recovering well from the pandemic.

And the new Metro Bank chief executive Daniel Frumkin breathed a sigh of relief as investors backed his 500,000 bonus  the lenders remuneration report was passed by 83 per cent.

Shares finished down 0.6 per cent, or 0.6p, at 108.2p.
The city watchdog has vowed to 'up its game' after a Money Mail investigation exposed how easily fraudsters can scam thousands of victims online.

Last month, we revealed how a fake website we created, that promoted returns of 9.5 per cent on bonds, had lured in around 1,700 potential victims within five days.

We paid Google just 95.88 to advertise our website under search terms such as 'Isa best buys'. Extraordinarily, our advert was approved despite it being flagged as suspicious.

Scam warning: Criminals are increasingly using 'bond comparison' websites to sidestep Google's checks

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) yesterday praised Money Mail for highlighting the 'scourge' of online scams.

Mark Steward, Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the FCA, said our fake website, best2invest.co.uk, was 'typical' of the sort of investment scams that have spiked over the last year.

He told the FCA Investigations & Enforcement summit: 'The best2invest example demonstrates the velocity of online harm, achieving in days what took months with an 'old school' cold calling boiler room.'

The Mail is campaigning to clamp-down on online financial fraud. Criminals are increasingly using 'bond comparison' sites  such as best2invest  to avoid checks.

These sites don't have to be explicit about what they sell; asking customers for their details to pass on to 'investment partners'. In reality, fraudsters are given the details.

Last year the FCA issued 1,204 warnings on such scams  twice the number in 2019. Its 2021 tally is on track to double again.

It is thought 1.7 billion was lost to fraud in 2020, with 85 per cent of cases carried out online.

Our investigation showed fraudsters can scam thousands, even if websites are taken down days later. This is partly because Google gives firms selling financial goods 21-days to prove their credentials.

MPs and campaigners have said the tech giant could end the scam epidemic if it verified ads before they went live.

Money Mail's ad went live on February 22 and was added to the FCA's warning list three days later, before Google paused it on February 27.

During that time it was viewed more than 3,500 times, with 1,736 customers clicking through to an enquiries page.

Mr Steward explained that our investigation showed how online scams are 'easy to manufacture... on an industrial basis'.

He said: 'Despite the red flags, investors remain vulnerable to too-good-to-be-true investment proposals. The FCA has a role to play here and we are upping our game.'

Mr Steward said the FCA had 'ratcheted up proactive monitoring of the internet' with the aim of spotting suspicious ads within 24 hours.

The watchdog has 50 investigations on foot involving unauthorised activity of 183 suspects.

Mr Steward said the Online Safety Bill, published last week, would help regulators tackle online scams, but questioned if it went far enough.

moneymail@dailymail.co.uk
Dirt cheap family holidays abroad on sale for just a few hundred pounds could end up costing travellers thousands.

Travel firms have slashed the price of trips abroad after a 19-week ban on holidays overseas was lifted on Monday. Ministers revealed a 'green list' of 12 countries that people can visit without having to isolate on their return.

But with the threat of Covid still looming, holidaymakers desperate to get away could be stung by huge extra fees for testing and quarantine.

Money Mail found that a family of four could holiday in Portugal for four nights for 187 per person.

Hidden costs: With the threat of Covid still looming, holidaymakers desperate to get away could be stung by huge extra fees for testing and quarantine

But pandemic red tape means that bill could spiral, adding much as an extra 4,396 to the final cost.

This is because those travelling abroad must pay for pricey virus tests before they can board flights, while abroad, then again when they get home. And if they test positive, they could be forced to pay for another two weeks in a hotel.

As a result, consumer experts have warned families not to travel unless they have thousands of pounds in cash or credit to cover a Covid crisis.

The consumer lobby group Which? has also warned that travellers are being given a false impression that their insurance will cover them if the pandemic affects their plans.

One travel insurance policy in five will not pay out if a holidaymaker tests positive before a flight, according to the finance data firm Defaqto.

How it all adds up Flights and accommodation for family of four over four days in the Algarve at 187 per person: 748 Covid extras: Test before you travel: 150 x 4 = 600

Test when you are away: 129 x 4 = 516

If the test is positive, isolation cost of hotel: 2,500

Change of flights home: 45 x 4 = 180

Tests on second day of arrival home: 150 x 4 = 600

Total extras: 4,396

If you travel to a country that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office later advises against visiting, your cover is also likely to be void, leaving you to foot the bill for thousands of pounds in new flights and any quarantine costs.

And some holidaymakers booked to travel to 'amber list' countries have already been denied refunds when they have tried to cancel.

Martyn James, of the complaints site Resolver, says: 'I'd urge anyone considering travelling abroad to think long and hard about what would happen if something went wrong. And don't even think of boarding a plane unless you have at least 3,000 in available cash or credit.'

Despite fears that travel firms would hike the cost of holidays to make up for months of lost revenue, there are now plenty of cheap last-minute deals.

Portugal, which is on the approved green list for travel, is now welcoming sun-seeking Britons, with 22 flights arriving on Monday alone.

A family of four, including young children, could pay just 187 per person for flights from Luton Airport and a four-night stay in an apartment in Albufeira, on the Algarve coastline.

Summer dreams: Travel firms have slashed the prices of trips abroad after a 19-week ban on holidays overseas was lifted on Monday

Holidays to the Algarve are about 19 cheaper than they were before the 'green list' was published, according to snapshot research by Which?

Emma Coulthurst, of the comparison site TravelSupermarket, says: 'There are still many holidays available, often cheaper than normal.'

Yet while holidays are going cheap, the costs of travelling in a pandemic are not.

All passengers flying to Portugal, except children aged two and under, must show a negative Covid test result before boarding their flight.

It must be a RT-PCR test, which, unlike 30-minute lateral flow tests, has to be processed in a lab. Travellers need to take it within 72 hours of their departure time - and if you are taking it to go on holiday, you are not eligible for a free NHS one.

Tests are around 150  so it would cost a family of four 600.

However some travel firms are offering passengers discounted individual tests and packages, with TUI offering customers the three tests they would need for a holiday to Portugal for just 60 per person.

Covid costs: Those travelling abroad have to pay for pricey virus tests before they can board flights

Those returning home must also find an approved provider abroad and book another PCR test or a cheaper lateral flow test before they return home.

In Portugal, tests usually cost between 43 and 129 - leaving a family of four with another bill, possibly of over 500.

The penalty for arriving back in England without a negative result is a 500 fine. And if anyone in your family tests positive, you must all self-isolate in a hotel for 14 days before you can return home.

This could cost a family of four an extra 2,500 in Albufeira, unless you are specifically covered for this eventuality in your travel insurance.

And fewer than 5 per cent of insurers will cover the cost of a quarantine stay if a policyholder tests positive for Covid while on holiday, according to Defaqto.

Families forced to isolate abroad will also have to pay to reschedule flights home, which most insurers won't cover, adding another 180 to their holiday bill.

When you get home, you will then need to take another PCR which should be booked before you travel, potentially setting a family of four back a further 600, or 352 if you are coming back to Scotland.

A family of four could holiday in Portugal for four-nights for as little as 187 per person. But pandemic red tape means that bill could quickly spiral to as much as an extra 3,996

Half of holidaymakers believe they will be covered by their travel insurance if lockdown restrictions prevent them from travelling. But this type of cover is rare  especially if government travel advice changes after a trip is booked.

Campaigners blame providers for using confusing terms such as 'Covid cover' or 'Enhanced Covid cover' on their websites without clearly stating the exclusions.

Some providers describe their policies as covering a 'range' of scenarios and direct customers to Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Aviva is one of the few firms that will pay out if you have to quarantine abroad, but no provider covers the cost of a quarantine hotel in the UK.

Money Mail found that a family of four could get a single-trip Aviva policy for about 133 that would cover you for a variety of Covid-related claims, including if UK lockdown rules prevented you from travelling (provided these were not in place when you booked).

An Explorer Travel Insurance policy would cost the same family just 15, but will pay out only for emergency medical expenses caused by or related to Covid-19, not cancellations or extra costs after a positive test.

f.parker@dailymail.co.uk
Chris Barrett: If you tend to panic during market declines, you should consider a more conservative asset allocation

Chris Barrett is the investment director at wealth management firm JM Finn.

Asset classes such as stocks, bonds, cash, property, and alternatives like gold, are interconnected yet differ in terms of their exposure to global risks.

They tend to have little or low correlation, meaning that the performance of each asset class is (more or less) independent of the others.

There are three steps to take when managing the asset allocation of your portfolio, and several further important tips to remember.

1. Set a target asset allocation

Creating the right asset allocation involves many elements but focuses mostly on your ability and your willingness to take risk.

One's ability to take risk depends upon factors such as age, employment status, dependants and level of savings.

This differs to one's willingness to take risk which depends upon factors such as risk tolerance, past experiences and trust in the financial system.

Typically, investors would be advised to be prudent when judging their ability to take risk.

Risk can always be added to a portfolio should the investor's appetite for it increase, but it is much more difficult to reduce risk given the conversations about doing so typically occur following market downturns, which historically have been the best opportunities to increase risk.

As a basic guide, if you tend to panic during market declines, such as in March 2020, or throughout 2008-2009, or if you've ever sold a loss-making investment that you planned to hold for a long time, you should consider a more conservative asset allocation, regardless of your age.

Research by many investing experts over the years suggests that on average equities return around 7 per cent a year through a combination of dividends and capital growth over the long term.

However, the volatility in these returns is substantial.

Therefore, clients who have short-term investment horizons or have a low risk tolerance should be particularly prudent with their allocations into the equity market, and typically should have a modest exposure if their time horizon is under five years.

A professional's guide to asset allocation How to judge the proportions of shares, bonds and alternatives you want in an Isa portfolio... read more here.

A greater allocation to less risky assets such as bonds or alternatives might prove sensible in this situation.

It might be practical to delegate elements of your asset allocation to sector specialists by investing in actively managed funds.

Whilst the fees might be higher than for passive tracker fund alternatives, active managers will be making their own decisions as to how to allocate capital within their remit.

Using their expertise is therefore less burdensome for individual investors who may lack the knowledge and desire to implement and manage the strategy themselves.

Benchmarks such as the PIMFA Private Investor Indices can help to guide asset allocation decisions, as these are representative of a diversified global multi-asset portfolio.

2. Review your portfolio's current allocation

Once you know your ideal asset allocation, it's time to figure out where your investments currently stand.

Most investment accounts will include this information as part of their online dashboard.

If you invest in funds, you'll need to research their holdings, which can be found on their factsheets or via an investment research site.

Once this is done you are likely to arrive at a difference between your existing allocation and your target, and this will help you to identify areas in which you are 'overweight' and 'underweight' in comparison to your desired level.

3. Rebalance through transactions

As markets fluctuate, your allocation will likely fall out of balance.

How to carry out an annual health check on your investments Read This is Money's six-step guide to keeping your portfolio on track here.

This might apply to geography in just the stocks portion of your portfolio, as well as between different asset classes.

For example, if you had a global multi asset portfolio between 2017-2020 you would have noticed some notable differences in the performances of your allocation to US assets in comparison to UK assets.

US equities outperformed their UK counterparts quite significantly during this period.

If your portfolio was left untouched, the performance of the US element of the portfolio will have led to an increase in the overall weighting to US assets, such that the portfolio is 'overweight' US equities and 'underweight' UK assets.

In this scenario, if an investor wishes to maintain their long term asset allocation, they must rebalance their holdings.

What other tips should you remember

- Through diversification, investors can enhance returns for the same level of risk, or reduce risk for the same level of return.

- The most important step of the process is setting a sensible desired asset allocation from the outset. This will be the most influential factor in determining the performance of your portfolio over the coming years, so it is best to ensure you have confidence in your long term strategy.

Market watch: How to ensure shares, bonds and other holdings don't drift off target as prices fluctuate

- If you are not confident in your abilities there is no shame in seeking advice from experts who can guide you along the way.

- Different asset classes have each had years in which they outperform each other.

- Assets within the same asset class often perform differently due to their geography, and variability of returns within a single asset class can be significant.

- The best performing asset class in a calendar year is highly unlikely to be best performing asset class in the following calendar year.

- Rebalancing too often can negatively impact returns due to the effect of transaction costs. Investors who tend to monitor their portfolios religiously often get led into making suboptimal decisions.

- It might be best to review on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, or after any major shifts in markets, so that the temptation to adjust and rebalance is limited to these occasions.

- Don't be afraid to do nothing. It may seem counter intuitive but if your portfolio has been organised appropriately and remains akin to your long term asset allocation, the best thing to do is often nothing.
A sharp drop in the number of people travelling during lockdowns hampered the amount of cash Vodafone raked in from roaming charges last year.

The group saw total revenue drop 2.6 per cent to 43.8billion amid lower handset sales, less cash coming in via roaming fees, the sale of its New Zealand arm and 'adverse' foreign exchange movements.

Shares in FTSE 100-listed Vodafone fell sharply in early morning trading and are currently down 6.68 per cent or 9.47p to 132.23p. A year ago the share price was 126p.

Less travel: A sharp drop in the number of people travelling during lockdowns hampered the amount of cash Vodafone raked in from roaming charges last year

The telecoms giant posted an annual profit of 536million, or around 460million, against a loss of 455million the year before. It said its operating profit had increased by 24.3 per cent to 5.1billion.

Vodafone said it would dish out a final divided of 4.5 cents to shareholders, taking full year payouts to 9 cents, in line with 2020's scheme.

The mobile giant said it had delivered a resilient performance in a year that had shown the value of connectivity.

Chief Executive Nick Read said the group ended the year with accelerating service revenue growth across its business, with a particularly good performance in its largest market, Germany.

He said: 'The increased demand for our services supports our ambition to grow revenues and cash flow over the medium-term.'

The company's mobile customer base across Europe increased by 2 per cent to 65.4million over the period, with contract churn, or the rate at which it is losing customers, easing from 14.6 per cent to 13.7 per cent.

Drop: Shares in FTSE 100-listed Vodafone fell sharply in early morning trading

Its debt pile fell from 42billion to 40.5billion in the year to March.

The group's free cash flow fell 11.9 per cent to 5billion, just about meeting its target, after it bolstered investment in its network during the pandemic.

Boss Mr Read has focused Vodafone on markets in Europe and Africa and spun off its mobile towers infrastructure into a separate business that it listed in Frankfurt in March.

He said the next phase of his strategy would focus on driving shareholder returns through deleveraging, improving the return on capital, and committing to its dividend.

Analysts had expected Vodafone to report EBITDA of 14.54billion, according to a company-compiled consensus.

Vodafone said it expected EBITDA for the current year to rise to between 15 to 15.4billion, with adjusted free cash flow of at least 5.2billion.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: 'There is certainly much to do for Vodafone, particularly in a notoriously competitive sector which can often simply come down to price in the mind of the consumer.

'The pandemic has had its own effect on revenues also, with an inevitable decline in visitor and roaming revenues, while handset sales have also suffered.

'For the income-seeking investor, a dividend yield of around 5.7% remains punchy and is clearly an affordable and desirable part of Vodafone's strategy, which should keep it ringfenced from other drains on capital. The dividend has long been an attraction of the stock and has partially mitigated a tepid share price performance over recent years.

'Indeed, despite the price having risen by 17% over the last year, largely in line with the wider FTSE100's rise of 16%, the shares remain down by 28% over the last three years and by 38% over the last five.

'Despite some concerns that Vodafone has become a perennial 'jam tomorrow' stock, there is evidence of meaningful progress washing through, and the market consensus of the shares as a strong buy is likely to remain on improving prospects.'
Tobacco manufacturer Imperial Brands has maintained its full-year guidance following a surge in operating profit resulting from the offloading of its premium cigars business.

The disposal of the division, which included a 50 per cent stake in Habanos, helped the John Player and Gauloises maker's operating profit jump more than 700million to 1.64billion in the six months to the end of March.

The sale, one of the cigar industry's largest acquisition deals ever, also helped reduce its net debt by 3.1billion to 11billion, as did the tobacco giant's higher profit and dividend cutback.

Cigar sale: Operating profits at Imperial Brands rose thanks to the sale of its premium cigars business, which included a 50 per cent stake in Cohiba maker Habanos

Meanwhile, its total revenue grew 6.1 per cent to 15.6billion even though tobacco volumes declined modestly due to travel restrictions and a fall-off in US inventories from March 2020 when there was a spike in retail demand.

A 3.2 per cent growth in net revenue from tobacco as well as a 16 per cent rise in next-generation product (NGP) sales, such as vapour and e-cigarettes, enabled the FTSE 100 company's organic adjusted revenue to grow 3.5 per cent to 3.57billion.

NGP demand in Europe grew particularly well, with net revenue climbing 83.3 per cent to 55million, although this was 13million lower than in the second half of last year as the firm blamed a fall in shipments to Spain.

Smoking hot: Revenue at the John Player and Gauloises maker Imperial Brands grew 6.1 per cent to 15.6billion even though tobacco volumes declined modestly

Outside the Americans and Europe though, organic net revenue fell 1.2 per cent as the firm's withdrawal from the Japanese and Russian vapour market and the heated tobacco market in Japan caused NGP revenue to plummet and offset a rise in tobacco sales.

Nonetheless, Imperial Brands said it was on track to achieve its full-year guidance for organic adjusted operating profit to grow at 'low-mid single digit' levels despite concerns over litigation settlements in Minnesota and Texas.

The company has also raised its first-half dividend to 42.1p per share after announcing a one-third cut to its annual payout last year when it was seeking to retain cash to ride out the pandemic.

Vape: Expanding its next-generation products business is part of Imperial Brands' strategy

Chief executive Stefan Bomhard stated that the business had 'made a good start in implementing our new strategy,' which he outlined at the start of the year and whose 'three pillars' include expanding its NGP business.

This would involve expanding sales of tobacco-heating products in Europe and e-cigarettes in the United States. Another pillar comprises focusing on investments in its top five cigarette markets: the UK, USA, Germany, Spain and Australia.

The CEO, who joined Imperial last July, declared the plan was working, because the company managed to stabilise its aggregate market share in the US, the UK, and Spain after years of declines.

THIS IS MONEY PODCAST What goes up must come down? This is Money Podcast on whether the 18-year property cycle could really predict the next house price crash

He also said that disciplined execution in its NGP business had curbed losses in the unit, with a decline of 62.5 per cent to 83million, which Imperial stated was down to a 95million writedown in the previous year that was 'not repeated to the same extent.'

Steve Clayton, a fund manager at Hargreaves Lansdown, believes the focus on the five biggest cigarette markets 'should boost efficiency of operation,' while 'upcoming trials of new heated tobacco products could show the way forward for Imperials badly underperforming NGP division.

'So far though, its smoke without fire, and weve yet to see definitive progress. But over 3billion of debt reduction speaks loud and clear  Imperial is addressing its challenges from a position of strength.'

Shares in Imperial Brands ended trading on Tuesday 1.5 per cent higher at 16.14.
Former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis walked away from the supermarket giant with a 1.6million pay packet last year.

Sir Dave stepped down from the retailer in September after turning around its fortunes over the past six years following a major accounting scandal.

The supermarket's latest annual report reveals Sir Dave was handed 951,000 in fixed pay for the period, consisting of 735,000 in salary as well as pension and other benefits.

Moving on: Former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis walked away from the supermarket giant with a 1.6m pay packet last year

The former chief also received 683,000 in long-term pay awards.

It comes a year after Tesco's pay deal for the 2019/20 year, which handed Sir Dave 6.4million, was voted down by investors.

The remuneration report for last year was criticised by shareholders and advisory groups for revealing the significant pay deal after high-flying Ocado was removed from a calculator used for bonuses.

Tesco said that the board has spoken with investors in the aftermath and this calculator will not be used for further pay deals.

It said that executives will receive a total payout of 5.9million for the 2020/21 financial year, almost half the 11.7million that it handed out in the previous period.

Alan Stewart, who was replaced as chief financial officer by Imran Nawaz earlier this month, received a pay package worth 1.42million, according to the report.

Tesco's new chief executive officer, Ken Murphy, received a pay deal just short of 1million.

Mr Murphy, who took over the reins in September, was handed 629,000 in pay, as well as 363,000 compensation payment for money he forfeited from a non-compete clause he had at previous employer, Walgreens Boots Alliance.

New boss: Tesco's new chief executive officer, Ken Murphy, received a pay deal just short of 1m

All change: Sir Dave stepped down from Tesco back in September

The report also revealed that Tesco had a gender pay gap of 6.8 per cent over the year, having cut this from 8 per cent in the previous financial year.

The company said that this is partly driven by the face it has a higher number men in more senior roles.

Sir Dave was knighted in this year's New Year's Honours for his service to the food industry and turning Tesco around.

When he arrived at Tesco back in 2014, his first major task was to announce that the 'Big 4' grocer had overstated its historical profits by 326million. Tesco ended up being fined 129million and had to fork out 85million in compensation for investors. Soon after, the group posted a 6.4billion loss.

Sir Dave drastically cut costs across the supermarket and sold off non-core parts of the retail business.

The supermarket giant surged to a 551million pre-tax profit in the half-year to September, in Sir Dave's final period in charge.

It delivered a 29 per cent jump in profits despite facing hefty costs due to the pandemic after benefiting from surging demand for groceries and the rapid expansion of its online operations.

Shares in FTSE 100-listed Tesco are up 0.13 per cent or 0.30p to 232.55p this afternoon. A year ago the supermarket's share price was 306.41p.
Glaxo boss Emma Walmsley is bracing for a raid by Wall Street activist Elliott Managemen

Underfire Glaxosmithkline boss Emma Walmsley has been given a second shot in the arm in as many days after the drug-maker revealed positive trial results for another potential Covid vaccine.

Mid-stage trials of the jab it is working on with Canada-based Medicago triggered a strong immune response in patients.

It comes a day after Glaxo said a vaccine it is developing with France's Sanofi yielded positive trial results.

Walmsley is bracing for a raid by Wall Street activist Elliott Management, which has taken a sizeable stake in Glaxo.

That has triggered scrutiny of her leadership, including the failure to develop a coronavirus vaccine while rivals such as Pfizer and Astrazeneca raced ahead with their own jabs.

Medicago and Sanofi are among the firms Glaxo is providing with its adjuvant technology which boosts the effectiveness of vaccines.

Thomas Breuer, Glaxo's chief medical officer for vaccines, said: 'We are delighted to see that the results suggest a very strong immune response.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 21:39:29|Editor: huaxia

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Han Minghua checks a model of the Red Boat at the workshop of Jiaxing Minghua Ship Model Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Yuxin Town of Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

HANGZHOU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Every month, Han Minghua comes to Nanhu Lake just to take a look at the Red Boat, one of the most iconic boats in the country.

"It's like visiting an old friend," said Han, 67, a craftsman in the city of Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province. Over the past 20 years, Han has created more than 200,000 models of the Red Boat, big and small in size.

The Red Boat is a replica of a historical boat in Jiaxing, honoring the conclusion of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921.

One hundred years on, the CPC has grown from a small party of some 50 members into the world's largest ruling party, with more than 90 million members. The CPC celebrates its centenary this year.

About 15 km from Nanhu Lake, Han's studio is full of piles of wood. On the eastern side of his rural yard studio sits a 6-meter-long Red Boat model.

In the studio, Han is busy crafting another Red Boat model made of red sandalwood.

"I plan to make 100 such models as a gift for the Party's centenary," he said.

DREAM SAILS ON

Han's craftsman career began 20 years ago, when he was the owner of a home appliance repair store in Jiaxing.

"I remember welcoming a friend from afar, but didn't have anything to offer as a souvenir," he said. "So I thought maybe I should learn to craft something on my own, so that when friends come to visit, I have something special to give to them."

Han thought hard about what best represents Jiaxing, before coming up with the idea of making models of the Red Boat.

"The Red Boat is just iconic," he said. "Besides, I grew up around the river in Jiaxing, and I have always been quite familiar with boats. I even created a small boat model when I was 12."

Han said he did not know how to draw pictures, but images of boats were deeply engrained in his mind.

"I made a cutter by myself, and used home decoration materials to make the boat models," he said.

Han Minghua checks a Red Boat model at the workshop of Jiaxing Minghua Ship Model Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Yuxin Town of Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

The models were not toys in Han's eyes, but symbols of China's history and culture.

"You need to respect history and culture," he said. "The CPC sailed toward the future on a boat 100 years ago, and the Red Boat is a spiritual symbol for every Chinese person."

When he first started out, Han visited Nanhu Lake again and again to examine the details of the Red Boat.

"The Red Boat is under protection, and you cannot go on it to measure it, so I just used my feet to calculate its size on the bank," he said.

Each of Han's steps was 30 cm, and he managed to determine the boat's size after countless walks along the bank.

To make his creations more authentic, he resorted to a variety of measures.

"For example, the door of the boat cabin features carved pictures, so I bought sandalwood fans and cut the parts with engraved flowers to use as raw materials," he said.

As the Red Boat had no nails, Han made sure none of his creations used nails.

"I also put asphalt in the cracks of the boats' bodies to seal them up," he said.

Through his hard work, one of his Red Boat models was added to the collections of the Nanhu revolution museum.

Han's work is accurate in terms of proportion, and the model's details are quite delicate, according to the museum staff.

Han Minghua stands beside the Red Boat with a self-made Red Boat model in hand on the bank of the Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

In 2009, one of Han's boat models won the top prize in a national tourism souvenir competition. In 2018, Han became a provincial-level "inheritor" of intangible culture, and his brand, Minghua Red Boats, gained renown in Zhejiang.

These days, Han continues to make creative boat models.

"My latest boat model is created according to specific proportions," he said. "It is 71 cm in length, 19 cm in width and 21 cm in height, and together the numbers can be read as July 1, 1921, which is the birthday of the CPC."

Han said that such creative works are his pursuit of not only art, but also the Red Boat Spirit, which highlights pioneering work, striving spirit and dedication.

Han's current goal is to bring his Red Boat models to more places. So far, the models have been displayed in many former revolutionary sites, as well as in museums at home and abroad.

"We want more people to understand the Red Boat Spirit," said Han. "We will also make more efforts to create more 'red souvenirs' in the future." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 22:35:37|Editor: huaxia

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Fafape Ama Etsa Foe checks mushrooms at her farm in a suburb of Accra, Ghana, on May 12, 2021. Fafape Ama Etsa Foe, a young Ghanaian female accountant in her thirties, identified the gap and the potential in the product and abandoned her profession six years ago to veer into mushroom farming to respond to the growing demand of the Ghanaian market by establishing E90 Ghana Limited in 2015. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

by Francis Tandoh

ACCRA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Mushroom has long been so beloved by Ghanaians that the wild ones have been far from satisfying their growing appetite. This, for some, means a golden business opportunity.

Fafape Ama Etsa Foe, a young Ghanaian female accountant in her thirties, identified the gap and the potential in the product and abandoned her profession six years ago to veer into mushroom farming to respond to the growing demand of the Ghanaian market by establishing E90 Ghana Limited in 2015.

With an initial production of 10 polythene bags containing sawdust mixed with rice bran and quicklime on an abandoned shoe rag, she has now been able to expand her farm and is now producing over 50,000 bags per month hence earning the name "Ghana's mushroom queen."

She told Xinhua in an interview upon a visit to her farm located at Ogbojo, a suburb near Accra, that she was motivated to go into mushroom farming due to its huge potential.

"Taking care of the waste that we have in the environment by helping to take the sawdust that we have at the sawmills and then using that as the substrate for the production of one of the world's richest protein foods," she said, adding that the opportunity also offers employment to others, including women and youths.

Owing to the positive contribution Fafape has made over the years, she won awards including the best farmer 2018 from the Adenta Municipality in 2018. She was also sponsored by the European Union to visit China where she learned how mushrooms were cultivated in China.

She said her trip to China where a mushroom-farming industry was booming bolstered her confidence in expanding her own business in Ghana.

"When it comes to the economic benefits that it gives me as the entrepreneur, I must say confidently that I have earned well in mushroom farming," she said. "I am happy that I am a mushroom farmer and a mushroom queen."

The commercialization of the product, according to her, has increased the appetite of Ghanaians due to the health benefits with the consumption of mushrooms.

"I believe growing this on a commercial basis has given Ghanaians the opportunity to taste more of mushroom or see more of mushrooms. The market is picking up gradually, you know with the increase and lifestyle-related diseases, people are becoming aware of eating healthy and mushrooms play a critical role when it comes to putting good food into our bodies," she explained.

"People are beginning to be aware that mushrooms are not just something to enjoy occasionally," she said, adding that it was an exciting time for the mushroom industry as the demand continues to grow.

Despite the remarkable improvement over the years regarding output, Fafape also shares some of her challenges as a mushroom farmer.

"One of our key challenges is getting the technology in order to speed up the work," she said. "We want to have our own laboratory that can produce everything in house so the process will flow smoothly."

Hoping to attract more people in her business, Fafape said she hopes the Ghanaian government will take a critical look at the industry as it could offer employment to people.

Fafape also advised graduates and other unemployed people to look at opportunities around them and take advantage of them.

"I am getting my gold in mushroom farming and I know you will also get yours as well," she said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 23:07:24|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China's top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan has called for global solidarity and cooperation to fight against COVID-19 and prevent the next pandemic.

Zhong, a member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), made the comments during a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

He said that, in July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the establishment of the IPPPR to evaluate the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the organization's leadership.

The COVID-19 pandemic could have been prevented, said Zhong, adding that the IPPPR aims to learn lessons from the global health emergency and make suggestions for the future.

On May 12, the panel released a report, pointing out the existing gaps and possible solutions for priority areas in pandemic prevention and response.

Building herd immunity through widespread vaccination is an important link in current epidemic control, said Zhong, but vaccines are not currently distributed fairly.

The report urges making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. High-income countries should contribute to the COVAX facility, which aims to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to low-to-middle-income countries, according to the report.

The report also urges vaccine producing countries to provide vaccine licenses and technology transfers to ensure adequate and fair vaccine supplies.

To ensure that mankind can prevent the next pandemic, the IPPPR put forward a series of long-term suggestions, including enhancing political leadership on pandemic prevention and response, advancing global financing and investment for epidemic prevention, improving monitoring and early warning systems, and establishing a tool and supply platform.

Zhong highlighted the proposal of setting up a Global Health Threats Council. "Only by getting the attention of the highest-level political leaders can we ensure that pandemic preparedness and response will not be forgotten or ignored in the future," he said.

He also called for providing sufficient financial support for epidemic prevention and control, establishing a global fair-distribution plan for vaccines, and giving the WHO greater authority.

The report is objective and scientific, Zhong said, noting that global solidarity and cooperation are required to turn the report's suggestions into actions.

Zhong said he hopes the goal of the IPPPR can be achieved, that is, making COVID-19 the last pandemic outbreak faced by mankind. Enditem
Israel bombarded Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants resumed cross-border rocket fire on Tuesday after a brief overnight lull during which the U.N. sent a small fuel convoy into the enclave, where it says 52,000 people are now displaced.

Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive to destroy the capabilities of the armed factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, amid calls by the United States and other world powers for an end to the conflict.

Two Thai workers were killed and seven people were wounded in a rocket strike on an Israeli farm just over the Gaza border, police said. Gazas ruling Hamas Islamist group and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Rockets were also launched at the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba, further north.

Gaza residents said Israel was keeping up intense air strikes. Witnesses said an Israeli tank shell hit a paint factory in the southern Gaza Strip, setting it on fire.

We will continue as long as it takes in order to restore calm for all of Israels citizens, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming remarks he has made over the past several days, said in a video clip on Twitter.

One other thing: Im sure that all of our enemies around us see the price we are exacting for the aggression against us and I am certain that they will have absorbed that lesson, he said, speaking in an air base hangar with a warplane behind him.

Hamas began firing rockets eight days ago in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The current hostilities are the most serious between the militant group and Israel in years, and in a departure from previous Gaza conflicts have helped to fuel violence in Israeli cities between Jews and Arabs.

Gaza medical officials say 215 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, and more than 1,400 wounded. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza strip have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary care health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency said. Some 47,000 of the 52,000 displaced had fled to U.N. schools.

Israel said more than 3,450 rockets have been launched at it from Gaza, some falling short and others shot down by its Iron Dome air defences.

On Tuesday, the army said a soldier was slightly injured when a shell was fired after it allowed the fuel convoy into Gaza. It says its forces have killed around 130 Hamas fighters and another 30 from Islamic Jihad.

CEASEFIRE CALLS

On Twitter, Netanyahu said Israels attacks against Gaza militants had set Hamas back many years  which some Israeli news commentators took as a possible prelude to a ceasefire within days when he could claim victory.

But Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli military intelligence chief, said the picture was more complicated, citing civil unrest in Israel, mounting protests by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and a trickle of rocket fire from Lebanon.

As far as (Hamas) is concerned, whats happening in the West Bank and maybe with (the Lebanese group) Hezbollah and Israels Arab citizens  this is where it has won, Yadlin said on Channel 12 TV. In the military game, theyve lost.

On a visit to Iceland, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had received further information requested from Israel about its destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organisations.

Blinken gave no details about the information he said came through intelligence channels about Saturdays attack.

Israel has said publicly a Hamas intelligence office had been situated in the building, whose occupants were warned by the Israeli military in advance to evacuate.

Calling Netanyahu on Monday night, U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel had the right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks but encouraged it to make every effort to protect civilians, the White House said.

Egypt and U.N. mediators also stepped up diplomatic efforts, and the U.N. General Assembly will discuss the violence on Thursday.

Germany called for a ceasefire and offered more aid to help Palestinians before emergency European Union talks.

Israels bombardment of Gaza, Ramadan clashes between police and worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and a court case by Israeli settlers to evict Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem have caused anger among Palestinians.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian who tried to attack them with a gun and improvised explosives, and an unmanned aerial vehicle was downed near the border with Jordan on Tuesday, Israels military said.

Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces at a West Bank protest, health officials said. The military said soldiers had come under fire, which wounded two of them, and shot back.

General strikes were held on Tuesday in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, Arab towns within Israel and in cities in the West Bank.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Scott Heaney / Getty Images

Set your alarm s for an earlier-than-normal wakeup tomorrow, Thursday, June 10th to witness an historic sunrise eclipse happening at around 5:24 a.m. in our area. In addition to your coffee, be sure to grab protective eyewear for the big event.

At dawn tomorrow, the moon will cover about two-thirds of the suns surface as seen from our area, creating the illusion of a crescent sun. This type of solar eclipse, which will cover as much as 73 percent of the sun from our vantage point in the Hudson Valley, has happened just twice in the region in the past 150 years, making the years event particularly special.
DETROIT (AP)  For the next few months, Charlie Gilchrist figures his 11 car dealerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will sell just about every new vehicle they can get from the factories  and at increased prices.

In normal times, that would be cause for joy. Not so much now. A global shortage of computer chips has forced automakers to slash production. The result has been far fewer vehicles on dealer lots, just as the waning pandemic has fueled a pent-up consumer demand for cars, trucks and SUVs.

Given the robust customer demand, dealers like Gilchrist could sell many more cars and trucks, if only they had more. Even at elevated prices  the average new-vehicle sales price tops $40,000, up nearly 10% in two years  customer demand exceeds supply.

It's pretty evident when you pull onto our lots that there's not much selection, said Gilchrist, whose lots carry brands ranging from General Motors and Ford to Nissan and Volkswagen. Our (sales) volume is falling because of the sheer lack of inventory. It will still fall during the next two or three months.

The across-the-board surge in auto prices contributed mightily to last month's jump in U.S. consumer prices, the government reported Wednesday. A record 10% increase in used vehicle prices, in fact, accounted for roughly one-third of April's overall rise in consumer prices  the sharpest monthly increase in more than a decade.

Ford expects to produce only half its normal number of vehicles from now through June. GM and others have resorted to halting production of some cars and smaller SUVs and diverting computer chips to higher-profit pickup trucks and large SUVs. Leading automakers are warning of diminished earnings.

The vehicle scarcity and the soaring prices can be traced to the eruption of the coronavirus 14 months ago. As the virus spread, auto factories shut down for a couple of months. With millions more people working from home, demand for laptops and monitors led semiconductor makers to shift from autos to personal electronics. Soon, though, a faster-than-expected economic rebound boosted demand for vehicles, and auto plants tried to restore full-scale production. Yet chip makers couldn't respond swiftly enough.

With production slowed, dealer inventories shrank. Now, as the chip shortage has persisted, the shortage of new vehicles has worsened, and analysts foresee no return to normal before next year.

Yet so far, automakers have been earning big profits even with a depleted inventory, largely because many buyers have been willing to pay more to get what they want. With government stimulus checks and tax refunds in hand, Americans bought about 1.5 million new vehicles in April. That's an adjusted annual sales rate of 18.5 million  the highest such rate since 2005.

It's like toilet paper was a year ago, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Cox Automotive. Everyone is rushing to buy a car.

Cox Automotive surveys suggest that 63% of potential buyers will stay in the market even with higher prices and a meager selection of vehicles. With new vehicles prices jumping, the cost of popular vehicles has become eye-opening. The average price of a new Chevrolet Silverado pickup, for example, is now just under $51,000.

Even so, the supply of vehicles is dwindling. Last month, the nation's total new-vehicle inventory plummeted 42% from a year ago to 1.9 million. That's enough to supply only 33 days of sales at the current pace  88 days fewer than a year ago, according to Cox. At the same time, discounts fell 5% from March to April and 25% from a year ago to an average of $3,239 per vehicle.

Jeremy Smith is seeing the price increases on both ends as he buys and sells pickup trucks for his utility trailer sales business near Buffalo, New York. In March, he bought a used diesel 2020 Chevy Silverado crew cab with 21,000 miles on for $61,000. Comparable trucks are now listed on websites, he said, for $68,000 to $70,000.

At the same time, he's asking $13,995 for a 2011 Silverado crew cab with 178,000 miles on it, a far higher price than he would have thought even a few months ago.

You sell high, you buy high, said Smith, who frequently buys trucks for his business. To get one now, he says, people have to move quickly to put in bids with dealers or owners.

If you're not on it," he said, "those things are gone.

Given the lack of supply, nearly everyone expects new vehicle sales to fall soon. That would mean fewer trade-ins, which would further tighten a low supply of used vehicles. For consumers who can wait, analysts say, it might be wise to delay buying any vehicle until next year or even beyond.

An index that measures wholesale U.S. used vehicle prices from auction house Manheim soared 53% in April from a year ago, hitting a record high. Auto dealers buy used vehicles at auctions; the average price there hit nearly $18,000.

Dealers mark up wholesale prices when they sell to consumers. The average list price of a used car last month was just over $22,000, 14% higher than a year ago.

Dealers are now scrambling for used cars, hoping to sell them to keep cash flowing through the summer as new vehicle supplies dry up. Richard Bazzy, who runs four Ford and Lincoln dealerships in suburban Pittsburgh, said he's formed a team to buy used vehicles.

Every car dealer in the world is jamming the auctions right now trying to fill their shelves because of the lack of new-car inventory, he said.

Bazzy said he's hopeful that his business will manage OK with used sales, as well as revenue from parts and service. But he wants all the used cars they acquire now to be sold by August, when he expects the inventory of vehicles to start a return to normal.

Cox's Krebs said it's hard to predict how long the chip shortage and tight supplies will last. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas cautioned investors not to expect extremely high auto prices beyond the end of this year as new-vehicle supplies recover.

The pandemic and chip shortage have made rental cars scarcer, too, driving up prices dramatically and causing long waits as people start traveling again. Rental companies have had trouble getting new cars because auto companies have diverted vehicles away from fleet buyers to more profitable sales to consumers. Higher demand has sent some rental companies to the used car market to find vehicles.

Whenever the car shortage ends, GM, Ford and others say they will change business models away from having huge stocks. GM has considered regional distribution centers that could send vehicles to dealers in a matter of days. Ford's CEO Jim Farley has talked of quickly delivering on factory orders. Both companies hope to reduce the interest paid on high inventories and keep discounts low.

I do think we are on the verge of possibly a different kind of paradigm for how vehicles are distributed, Krebs said.

Still, competition could thwart those plans once factories return to normal production.

Bazzy normally stocks 400-500 pickup trucks at his three Ford dealers but is down to around 100. He's confident that he can keep customers happy if they order a truck and can get it in four weeks. But he fears losing business to competing brands with a huge stock.

If the guy across the street from me has 300 (trucks) and my guy has to wait four weeks," Bazzy said, I'm going to lose him.
President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian.

Biden's carefully worded statement, in a White House readout of his second known call to Netanyahu in three days as the attacks pounded on, came with the administration under pressure to respond more forcefully despite its determination to wrench the U.S. foreign policy focus away from Middle East conflicts.

Biden's comments on a cease-fire were open-ended, and similar to previous administration statements of support in principle for a cease-fire. That's in contrast to demands from dozens of Democratic lawmakers and others for an immediate halt by both sides. But the readout of the call to the Israeli leader showed increased White House concern about the air and rocket attacks including Israeli airstrikes aimed at weakening Hamas  while sticking to forceful support for Israel.

The U.S. leader encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, the White House said in its readout.

An administration official familiar with the call said the decision to express support and not explicitly demand a cease-fire was intentional. While Biden and top aides are concerned about the mounting bloodshed and loss of innocent life, the decision not to demand an immediate halt to hostilities reflects White House determination to support Israels right to defend itself from Hamas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.

Netanyahu told Israeli security officials late Monday that Israel would continue to strike terror targets in Gaza as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.

As the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting since 2014 raged, the Biden administration has limited its public criticisms to Hamas and has declined to send a top-level envoy to the region. It also had declined to press Israel publicly and directly to wind down its latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, a six-mile by 25-mile territory that is home to more than 2 million people. Cease-fire mediation by Egypt and others has shown no sign of progress.

Separately, the United States, Israels top ally, blocked for a third time Monday what would have been a unanimous statement by the 15-nation U.N. Security Council expressing grave concern over the intensifying Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the loss of civilian lives. The final U.S. rejection killed the Security Council statement, at least for now.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki and national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States was focusing instead on quiet, intensive diplomacy.

Biden has been determined to wrench U.S. foreign policy away from Middle East and Central Asia conflicts, including withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan and ending support for a Saudi-led war in Yemen, to focus on other policy priorities. Internationally for the U.S., that means confronting climate change and dealing with the rise of China, among other objectives.

That shift carries risks, including weathering flaring violence as the United States steps back from hotspots.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Denmark on the first stop of an unrelated tour of Nordic countries, said Monday the United States was ready to spring in to help if Israel and Hamas signal interest in ending hostilities  but that the U.S. wasnt demanding that they do so.

Ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire, Blinken said. He described U.S. contacts to support an end to the fighting, including the calls he was making midair between his Nordic stops.

Blinken defended the U.S. handling of the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict as America works to push for climate-accord deals, withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and turn U.S. attention to what Biden sees as the nations most pressing foreign policy priorities.

Its a big world and we do have responsibilities," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday joined dozens of Democratic lawmakers  and one Republican, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders  in calling for the cease-fire by both sides. A prominent Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chairman, pressed the U.S. over the weekend to get more involved.

Progressive Democrats have been more outspoken in demanding pressure on Israel  and Republicans and conservative Democrats comparatively quiet, for a politically fraught U.S. issue like support for Israel  as the death toll has mounted.

Rep. Cori Bush, a Missouri Democrat, linked Palestinian issues to those of Black Americans.

We oppose our money going to fund militarized policing, occupation, and systems of violent oppression and trauma, Bush tweeted.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, took the Senate floor on Monday to assail lawmakers for including Israel in their demands for a cease-fire.

To say that both sides, both sides need to de-escalate downplays the responsibility terrorists have for initiating the conflict in the first place and suggests Israelis are not entitled to defend themselves against ongoing rocket barrages, McConnell said.

In a shot at Democrats, McConnell said, The United States needs to stand foursquare behind our ally, and President Biden must remain strong against the growing voices within his own party that create false equivalence between terrorist aggressors and a responsible state defending itself.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., led 19 Republican senators releasing a resolution supporting Israel's side of the fighting. They plan to try to introduce the legislation next week.

Blinken also said Monday he had asked Israel for any evidence for its claim that Hamas was operating in a Gaza office building housing The Associated Press and Al Jazeera news bureaus that was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike over the weekend. But he said that he personally had not seen any information provided.

___

Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City, Lee from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Lederer from New York. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Alan Fram, Aamer Madhani, Padmananda Rama and Joshua Boak in Washington contributed.
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WESTERLO  A 42-year-old local man was charged with drunken driving  and could face other charges  after a head-on collision Sunday that critically injured the driver of an oncoming minivan and sent three passengers and a motorcyclist to the hospital with injuries, State Police said.

Troopers said Andrew R. Gibson of Westerlo was driving north on County Route 401 when he passed another vehicle in a no-passing zone and lost control on a curve, his car sideswiping a motorcycle before colliding with the oncoming car.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP)  The murder trial of multimillionaire Robert Durst resumed Monday without the defendant present and with arguments about whether the case should continue after a rare 14-month recess.

Judge Mark Windham questioned jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court to see if they can complete their assignment that was interrupted in March 2020 during the pandemic. If so, it could be a first for the U.S. legal system.

So, where did we leave off? Windham said as jurors laughed.

The length of the stoppage is unprecedented and its the highest-profile U.S. case postponed because of the pandemic, Dursts lawyers say. They have repeatedly  and unsuccessfully  sought a mistrial because they argued the delay harmed his chance of a fair trial.

Durst, 78, an heir to a New York commercial real estate empire, has pleaded not guilty in the killing of his best friend, Susan Berman, at her Los Angeles home in 2000.

Windham, wearing a black mask, approached the 22 jurors  one fewer than before the recess  and addressed the many losses of the pandemic.

Youve likely had losses or like me know people that have lost loved ones, he said.

He asked jurors if they had seen stories about the case or discussed it with anyone during the break and if they had any health concerns or hardships that would prevent them from serving another four to five months.

After speaking in chambers with nine jurors, Windham dismissed one from service, leaving 21 on the panel that is scheduled to hear a new round of opening statements Tuesday.

Before the jurors returned to court, Windham denied a defense request to suspend the case further because Durst has bladder cancer and myriad other health problems that require hospitalization.

The question isn't whether he can endure the rigors of the trial," attorney Dick DeGuerin said. "Its whether he can survive at all.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin scoffed at claims Durst needed to be released to a hospital for treatment, saying he was getting high-quality care at the jail, where he is being held without bail.

Its a get out of jail free card, Lewin said. The goal here is simply to have this trial go away.

Durst was not in court because he refused to leave the Los Angeles County jail, Windham said. DeGuerin questioned that account, saying jailers had previously failed to get Durst and inaccurately reported he was willfully absent.

DeGuerin said measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus would harm Dursts defense by keeping his lawyers scattered throughout the courtroom and unable to confer. Windham said the measures were required to keep everyone safe, though he and all the lawyers have been vaccinated.

Windham moved the case to a larger courtroom in Inglewood to accommodate the distancing needed to resume.

The lead lawyers were seated alone in the front of the courtroom and their co-counsel were spread throughout jury boxes on both sides of the courtroom. Plexiglas panels were placed between the lawyers and a court stenographer.

Jurors were handed zip-lock bags with note pads, a mask and tissues as they entered the courtroom and took seats in the gallery.

Prosecutors say Durst silenced Berman before she could tell police she helped him cover up the killing of his wife, Kathie, in New York in 1982.

Durst, who is worth more than an estimated $100 million, is only charged with Berman's killing but prosecutors are using his wife's disappearance and a neighbor's slaying in Texas to build their case against him.

He was acquitted in the Texas case after he testified he shot the man in self-defense. Prosecutors say he killed Morris Black because Durst was in hiding and the elderly neighbor discovered his identity.

He has never been charged in his wife's suspected killing and has denied any role in her disappearance.

Prosecutors in Westchester County, New York, said Monday that they were reviewing the killing of Kathie Durst as one of several unsolved homicides.

During opening statements in Los Angeles last year, defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who defended Durst in Texas, said Durst didnt kill Berman and doesnt know who did. But he said his client had found her body, panicked and bolted.

Durst sent police a cryptic note alerting them to a cadaver in the house only to ensure she would be found, DeGuerin said. Durst had long denied penning the note.

Durst was arrested in New Orleans in 2015 on the eve of the final episode of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, an HBO documentary in which he was confronted with the cadaver note and a letter he once sent Berman with the same block print handwriting and the city of Beverly Hills similarly misspelled Beverley.

Before being shown the letter he had written to Berman, Durst told the filmmakers that only the killer could have written the cadaver note.

After the gotcha moment on camera, he was caught on a hot mic saying to himself in a bathroom, Youre caught! What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.

___

Associated Press reporter Karen Matthews contributed to this story from New York.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A Florida politician who emerged as a central figure in the Justice Departments sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz pleaded guilty Monday to six federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal.

Joel Greenberg, a longtime associate of Gaetz's, appeared in federal court in Orlando. He pleaded guilty to six of the nearly three dozen charges he faced, including sex trafficking of a minor, and he admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men.

Gaetz was not mentioned in the plea agreement or during the court hearing. But Greenbergs cooperation  as a key figure in the investigation and a close ally of Gaetz's  may escalate the potential legal and political liability that the firebrand Republican congressman is facing.

Federal prosecutors are examining whether Gaetz and Greenberg paid underage girls and escorts or offered them gifts in exchange for sex, according to two people familiar with the matter. Investigators have also been looking at whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women, the people said. They are also scrutinizing Gaetzs connections to the medical marijuana sector, including whether his associates sought to influence legislation Gaetz sponsored.

The people had knowledge of the investigation but were not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Gaetz has denied the allegations and any accusation of wrongdoing and has said repeatedly he will not resign from Congress. A spokesperson for the congressman has said Gaetz never had sex with a minor and has never paid for sex.

During the nearly hourlong hearing Monday, Greenberg, 36, acknowledged he understood the charges he was pleading guilty to and the possible punishment he faced and told the judge he was of a sound frame of mind.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman told Greenberg that even though prosecutors may request some leniency from his sentencing judge because of his cooperation, there was no guarantee a judge would agree to the prosecutors recommendations and Greenberg would be unable to change his plea. No sentencing date was immediately set.

Mondays court appearance marked the first time Greenberg has been seen in court since the Gaetz investigation blew into the public spotlight in March. Outside the courthouse, a plane flew over during the hearing pulling a banner that read: TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.

After the hearing Greenberg was taken back to jail in handcuffs and shackles, wearing a dark inmate uniform and looking worn down.

Mr. Greenberg has pleaded guilty subject to a plea agreement that has certain requirements and obligations on him, and he intends to honor them," Fritz Scheller, Greenberg's attorney, said after the hearing. He definitely feels a sense of remorse."

Asked if Gaetz should be nervous, Scheller said, I will leave that up to Matt Gaetz's attorneys to answer."

As part of his plea deal, Greenberg, a Republican who served as the tax collector in Seminole County, admitted he recruited women for commercial sex acts and paid them more than $70,000 from 2016 to 2018, sometimes through online payment services like Venmo. They include at least one underage girl he paid to have sex with him and others, the plea agreement says.

Prosecutors wrote in the plea agreement that Greenberg had introduced the girl to others, who also engaged in commercial sex acts with her. The agreement does not identify the men.

Greenberg first met the girl online from a website where she was posing as an adult and first paid her $400 after a meeting on a boat, the documents said. He later invited her to hotels in Florida where he and others would have sex with her and supplied her and other people with ecstasy, according to the plea deal.

In total, prosecutors say Greenberg had sex with the girl at least seven times.

Greenbergs legal scrutiny began when he was arrested last summer on charges of stalking a political opponent, Brian Beute. Prosecutors said he mailed fake letters to the school where his opponent worked, signed by a nonexistent very concerned student, who alleged the opponent had engaged in sexual misconduct with another student.

I wouldnt want to be him, Beute, who showed up at the courthouse on Monday, said after the hearing.

Greenberg also is accused of embezzling $400,000 from the Seminole County tax collectors office, according to the indictment filed against him.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 00:10:28|Editor: huaxia

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Pupils leave their school after class in Singapore, May 18, 2021. Singapore will implement full home-based learning for all primary, secondary, junior college and Millennia Institute students, including those from special education schools from May 19 until the end of the current school term on May 28. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 28 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 21 locally-transmitted cases and seven imported ones, bringing the total tally to 61,613.

Of the local cases, 10 are linked to previous cases and 11 are currently unlinked.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased from 32 in the week before to 149 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from seven in the week before to 42 in the past week.

On Monday, 19 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 61,123 have fully recovered from the infection and been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities.

There are currently 213 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and three are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Meanwhile, 246 people are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19.

Thirty-one have passed away from complications due to the COVID-19 infection in Singapore. Enditem
U.S. Army

VALATIE - A procession Thursday from a Valatie funeral home to the Saratoga National Cemetery will honor a Korean War soldier from Columbia County whose remains were missing for decades.

The funeral for Army Cpl. Clifford S. Johnson will be held at Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Valatie. The procession will leave the funeral home at about noon, according to the funeral home, then proceed north to the cemetery in Schuylerville accompanied by a large procession and along main highways, including I-87. It is expected to get to the burial site sometime after 2 p.m.
SCHENECTADY  City Council members on Monday moved a step closer to passing legislation that may rid Schenectady of daredevils on dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles who often roam city streets.

The off-road vehicles are illegal to operate within city limits, but for years have been a vexing and dangerous citywide problem.

On Monday the resolution, sponsored by City Councilwoman Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas, was unanimously voted out of the City Council's public safety committee, paving the way for its likely passage before the entire council.

The Democrat, who is seeking re-election in November, said "the feedback that I have received is very much in favor of us moving forward" on the matter.

City Councilwoman Carmel Patrick said she too in her travels has heard from city residents overwhelmingly in support of the changes under consideration.

Modelled after Albanys laws, Schenectady's legislation would raise fees for ATVs and dirt bikes confiscated within city limits to $2,350 and allow police to sell them for scrap of destroy them if fines arent paid within 60 days.

Additionally, drivers will be required to provide proof of ownership to get their vehicles out of impound, and police will be empowered to seize an off-rod vehicle they see it being driven in a city park, highway or public road. Operators must also pay towing fees.

In 2020, city police issued 17 tickets to ATV riders, but have said data on dirt bikes is more elusive.

City Council President John Mootoovern said Monday that the measure will help police better combat the nuisance.

"We should support this resolution and give the police department the necessary resource so that they can go after these ATVs that is creating a havoc in our neighborhoods," added Mootooveren, who is also running again for another term.

The full governing body will now vote on the resolution during their regular May 24 meeting.
TROY  Just when the citys generation-old financial issues appeared ready to end next year, the Collar City is facing a twist that will upset politicians previous beliefs that a $6 million nest egg would be coming to the city.

The state bailed out the city in 1997 with the creation of the Troy Municipal Assistance Corp. to handle the deficit spending of the 1990s - debt that was created by mortgaging City Hall for $35 million, which has since been razed; borrowing $5 million for the construction of the Knickerbacker Park Ice Rink, which no longer has ice to skate on, and for supporting the Capital District Islanders, a team thats a barely remembered footnote in the regions sports history.

Bailing out Troy and moving quickly to rescue the citys finances was the priority 25 years ago when its debt payments accounted for 25 percent of its annual budget. Back then, Troys financial rating had sunk to junk bond status and only Orange County, California was considered to be in a more horrible situation.

They were more preoccupied with the setting up of the MAC than its end, Mayor Patrick Madden said Monday.

Officials always thought when the city paid off the total $87 million in MAC bonds in 2022 the community would receive up to $6 million held in reserve to make sure the bills were paid. But apparently, that's not the way the Troy MAC legislation is written.

It turns out, its going to take a rewrite of the Troy MAC legislation to get the $6 million sent back to the city instead of seeing it go into the states pocket. The last line in the Troy MAC legislation makes it clear who gets the estimated $6 million: Upon the termination of the existence of the corporation, all of its rights and property shall pass to and be vested in the state.

Thats what had Madden turn to State Senator Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem, and Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, to get the law changed.

The two members of the Democratic majorities in their respected houses have introduced legislation to rewrite the law - allowing Troy MAC to have the surplus money, estimated to range from $5.3 million to $6 million, to be paid to the city instead of disappearing into the states treasury.

Im keeping my fingers crossed. Im hoping the bill will pass, be signed and be a boon to Troy residents. They can really use it, Breslin said.

The Troy MAC is scheduled to cease to exist once it has overseen the last payoff of the bonds next year. During its existence its board oversaw city finances until deficit spending ended and then the state continued its annual review of the city budget to ensure it didn't go into the red again.

The bill is good. It corrects the major issue of the original MAC language, said City Council President Carmella Mantello.

The problem with the Troy MAC law was discovered when Maddens administration was reviewing it in preparation for the future. The city carries the $6 million reserves on its books in an account and was ready to transfer it to make it accessible for future use.

Madden said a correction was to have been made during the state budget process, but that didnt occur as the state sorted out its 2021-22 spending plan. The city was advised to get the measure corrected through legislation.

Having to retire the Troy MAC debt slowly over the last 25 years has forced the city to forego spending on parks and recreation, youth programs and other program opportunities because the cash wasnt available, Madden said.

Getting rid of this will expand opportunities, Madden said.

The mayor said he has concentrated on city finances through his first four-year term and is doing the same in his second term. Its not a riveting subject, Madden said. Its boring to talk about budgeting.

The end of the Troy MAC period also appears to clear the way for the city not having to submit its annual budget to the State Comptroller's Office for review.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University; Dorothy Chin, University of California, Los Angeles; Elizabeth J King, University of Michigan; Elize Massard da Fonseca, Fundacao Getulio Vargas; Salvador Vazquez del Mercado, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas, and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan

(THE CONVERSATION) COVID-19 is notoriously hard to control, and political leaders are only part of the calculus when it comes to pandemic management. But some current and former world leaders have made little effort to combat outbreaks in their country, whether by downplaying the pandemics severity, disregarding science or ignoring critical health interventions like social distancing and masks. All of the men on this list committed at least one of those mistakes, and some committed all of them  with deadly consequences.

Narendra Modi of India

Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University

India is the new epicenter of the global pandemic, recording some 400,000 new cases per day by May 2021. However grim, this statistic fails to capture the sheer horror unfolding there. COVID-19 patients are dying in hospitals because doctors have no oxygen to give and no lifesaving drugs like remdesivir. The sick are turned away from clinics that have no free beds.

Many Indians blame one man for the countrys tragedy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In January 2021, Modi declared at a global forum that India had saved humanity  by containing corona effectively. In March, his health minister proclaimed that the pandemic was reaching an endgame. COVID-19 was actually gaining strength in India and worldwide  but his government made no preparations for possible contingencies, such as the emergence of a deadlier and more contagious COVID-19 variant.

Even as significant pockets of the country had not fully suppressed the virus, Modi and other members of his party held jampacked outdoor campaign rallies before April elections. Few attendees wore masks. Modi also allowed a religious festival that draws millions to proceed from January to March. Public health officials now believe the festival may have been a superspreader event and was an enormous mistake.

As Modi touted his successes last year, India  the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer  sent over 10 million vaccine doses to neighboring countries. Yet just 1.9% of Indias 1.3 billion people had been fully inoculated against COVID-19 by early May.

Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil

Elize Massard da Fonseca, Fundacao Getulio Vargas and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro did not just fail to respond to COVID-19  which he derides as a little flu  he actively worsened the crisis in Brazil.

Bolsonaro used his constitutional powers to interfere in the Health Ministrys administrative matters, such as clinical protocols, data disclosure and vaccine procurement. He vetoed legislation that would have both mandated the use of masks in religious sites and compensated health professionals permanently harmed by the pandemic, for example. And he obstructed state government efforts to promote social distancing and used his decree power to allow many businesses to remain open as essential, including spas and gyms. Bolsonaro also aggressively promoted unproven medicines, notably hydroxychloroquine, to treat COVID-19 patients.

Bolsonaro used his public profile as president to shape the debate around the coronavirus crisis, fostering a false dilemma between economic catastrophe and social distancing and misrepresenting science. He has blamed Brazilian state governments, China and the World Health Organization for the COVID-19 crisis, and has never taken responsibility for managing his own countrys outbreak.

In December, Bolsonaro declared that he would not take the vaccine because of side effects. If you turn into a crocodile, its your problem, he said.

Bolsonaros pandemic mismanagement created conflict within his government. Brazil cycled through four health ministers in less than a year. Brazils uncontrolled outbreak gave rise to several new coronavirus variants, including the P.1 variant, which appears more contagious. Brazils COVID-19 transmission rate is finally starting to drop, but the situation is still worrisome.

Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus

Elizabeth J. King and Scott L. Greer, University of Michigan

Many countries around the world have responded to COVID-19 with tragically inadequate policies. However, we argue that the worse pandemic leaders are those handful who chose total denialism over ineffective action.

Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime authoritarian leader of Belarus, has never acknowledged the threat of COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, as other countries were enforcing lockdowns, Lukashenko opted not to implement any restrictive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Instead, he claimed the virus could be prevented by drinking vodka, visiting the sauna and working in the fields. This denialism essentially left preventative measures and pandemic aid to individuals and crowdfunding campaigns.

Over the summer of 2020, Lukashenko stated that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 but that he was asymptomatic, which allowed him to continue insisting that the virus was not a serious threat. Allegedly thwarting the disease and visiting COVID-19 hospitals without a mask also supported his desired image of a strong man.

Belarus has just started vaccination efforts, but Lukashenko says he wont get vaccinated. Currently, fewer than 3% of Belarusians are inoculated against COVID-19.

Donald Trump of the United States

Dorothy Chin, University of California, Los Angeles

Trump is out of office, but his mishandling of the pandemic continues to have devastating long-term consequences on the United States  particularly on the health and welfare of communities of color.

Trumps early denial of the pandemic, active propagation of misinformation about mask-wearing and treatments and incoherent leadership harmed the country as a whole  but the outcome was much worse for some groups than others. Communities of color suffered disproportionate illness and deaths. Although African Americans and Latinos make up only 31% of the U.S. population, for example, they account for over 55% of COVID-19 cases. Indigenous Americans were hospitalized 3.5 times more and suffered 2.4 times the mortality rate of whites.

Unemployment rates are also disproportionate. During the worst of the U.S. pandemic, they soared to 17.6% for Latino Americans, 16.8% for African Americans and 15% for Asian Americans, compared with 12.4% for white Americans.

These crushing gaps amplified existing inequities such as poverty, housing instability and quality of schooling  and will likely continue to do so for some time to come. For example, while the overall U.S. economy shows signs of recovery, minority groups have not made equivalent progress.

Finally, Trumps blame of China for COVID-19  which included such racial epithets as calling the virus the kung flu  immediately preceded a nearly twofold increase in attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the past year. This disturbing trend shows no signs of abating.

The Trump administration supported the countrys initial development of the vaccine, an achievement few world leaders can claim. But the misinformation and anti-science rhetoric he broadcast continues to compromise Americas path out of the pandemic. Latest polling suggests 24% of all Americans and 41% of Republicans say they will not get vaccinated.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico

Salvador Vazquez del Mercado, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas

With 9.2% of its COVID-19 patients dying from the disease, Mexico has the highest case fatality rate in the world. Recent estimates show that it has likely suffered 617,000 deaths  on par with the U.S. and India, both countries with much larger populations.

A combination of factors contributed to Mexicos prolonged, extreme COVID-19 outbreaks. And inadequate national leadership was one of them.

Throughout the pandemic, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sought to minimize the gravity of the situation in Mexico. In the very beginning, he resisted calls to enact a nationwide lockdown and continued holding rallies nationwide before eventually, on March 23, 2020, Mexico shuttered for two months. He frequently refused to wear a mask.

Having inherited an underfunded patchwork of health services when he took office in 2018, Lopez Obrador increased health-related expenditures during the pandemic only slightly. Experts said hospital budgets are insufficient to the enormous task facing them.

Even before the pandemic broke out, Lopez Obradors policy of extreme fiscal austerity  in place since 2018  had made tackling a health crisis much more difficult by significantly limiting the COVID-19 financial aid available to citizens and businesses. That, in turn, aggravated the economic shock caused by the pandemic in Mexico, feeding the need to keep the economy open all last year, well into the ferocious winter second wave, from which Mexico is only beginning to emerge.

Eventually, another lockdown became inevitable. Mexico shut down again briefly in December 2020.

Today, mask-wearing is up and Mexico has fully vaccinated 10% of its population, compared with 1% in neighboring Guatemala. Things are improving, but Mexicos road to recovery is long.

[Like what youve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversations daily newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/worlds-worst-pandemic-leaders-5-presidents-and-prime-ministers-who-badly-mishandled-covid-19-159787.
After more than a year of being told to wear masks and social distance or risk death, Americans might be forgiven if they werent popping Champagne corks over the Centers for Disease Controls sudden declaration that vaccinated people can resume life as normal.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky wasnt wrong in saying Thursday that we have all longed for this moment, but we suspect that for many, this was not quite the exciting and powerful moment she declared it to be.

Yes, its nice to know that if youre vaccinated, you can go maskless again. But not without fear of infection, especially from COVID-19 variants. The CDCs own website is equivocal on the matter, stating on one hand, Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most variants, but on the other hand, Some variants might cause illness in some people after they are fully vaccinated and evidence is limited on how the new COVID-19 variants will affect how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Feel safe now? Didnt think so.

And what happened to herd immunity  the goal of getting roughly 70 percent of the population vaccinated so that the disease cant readily spread anymore? That goal seems to have been abandoned as unattainable in a society where so many people simply refuse to be vaccinated. Barely half that benchmark 36 percent  is fully vaccinated so far in the U.S. In New York, were just shy of 42 percent.

Perhaps most importantly, there is no way to know whether a person has been vaccinated just by looking at them, and there is every reason to expect that, in the absence of a mandated proof of vaccination, many unvaccinated people will simply shed their masks for the simple reason that they can get away with it. Thats irresponsible, of course, but as we have seen throughout this pandemic, far too many people, starting with former President Donald Trump, practiced this kind of irresponsibility as if it was a conservative bonding ritual.

Yes, businesses can now opt to require proof of vaccination in New York  and be met with the kind of vicious backlash that Matt Baumgartner, who owns taverns in Albany and Troy, says he was met with, with threats ranging from boycotts to vandalism and violence. Businesses will be forced to weigh whether requiring masks or proof of vaccination is or isnt good for business, rather than what should matter most  the health of their employees and customers.

And while this does take away vaccine refuseniks maskless badge of honor, now its those who keep wearing masks who are suddenly the outliers. Are they anti-vaxxers? Obsessive worry-warts?

If the CDC and the Biden administration thought this announcement would give unvaccinated people an incentive to get a shot, we suspect it will backfire, gravely. While the warm months may lull us into believing the worst of the pandemic is behind us, we may well find the virus surging anew when fall comes and people start interacting more indoors. What exciting announcement the CDC and the Biden White House will have then, we can only imagine.
Leanne Ricchiuti was pregnant when she started looking for day care options. She estimates she spoke to 40 day care centers to find a spot for her son without success. There were no openings and wait-lists were often more than a year.

I was becoming extremely scared, at that point my job becomes in jeopardy, Ricchiuti said. A lot of times this is the point where the mothers decide whether or not to just stay home with their child or continue their career. That wasnt really an option for me. I really wanted to continue with my career, and I wanted my child to have the socialization that comes with going to a day care.

Ricchiuti is facing the juggling so many working parents with children at home during the pandemic have lived through for more than a year.

Im up until 11:30 at night trying to get work done, Ricchiuti said. You are on the verge of being a bad mom because you arent paying attention to your child, or you are being a bad employee because you arent paying attention to your job. Ill be on a Zoom call with a statewide client and Im pushing my kid away ... So what does that look like to the client? That Im not paying attention to them? That Im not paying attention to my child?

Affordable and accessible day care, more inclusive paid parental leave and flexible work schedules are measures advocates and policy experts are fighting for to make sure another she-cession  the marked departure of women from the workforce during the pandemic  doesnt happen again. The American Rescue Plan, President Joe Bidens historic stimulus package, has the potential to help a lot, advocates say, but it will only allow working parents to thrive if it is spent wisely.

For women, and in particular women of color, the pandemic has resulted in a cost to their identities, career paths, families and communities. The cost has also hurt the economy: Almost 2 million women have dropped out of the workforce since March 2020, according to U.S. Department of Labor.

In part, this is because women occupy the jobs in industries that were hardest hit by the pandemic: education, hospitality, personal care and service jobs. As such, women were laid off at a disproportionately higher rate than men as many industries and workplaces shutdown. And because they often take on greater child care responsibilities, women more than men left work when schools went remote and child care programs closed.

Child care is crucial

By the time Ricchiutis paid leave was up, she still did not have day care secured. For the next year, she and her husband scrambled, piecing together unsatisfactory child care options: a friends mom who soon moved away, an unlicensed home day care, a caregiver who lived 35 minutes away from both Ricchiutis home and office who closed suddenly because she broke her back.

Even before the pandemic, many parents lived in child care deserts, according to Brightside Up, a child care resource provider formerly known as Capital District Child Care Coordinating Council.

Child care is often so expensive that it forces many women to stay home. Since women typically earn less than men, the economic rationale is often for the partner with the higher earnings to keep working, said Ariane Hegewisch, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Womens Policy.

Day care in New York state is more expensive than most other states in the country. It can cost up to $15,400 a year per child, according to estimates by the Economic Policy Institute. In Albany County, child care at a center, on average, costs $232 per week for an infant, according to Brightside Up.

The pandemic forced many day care centers to close, at first because of state mandates and later because they financially couldnt afford to stay open as many parents kept their children home to avoid coronavirus exposure and stopped paying tuition, said Abbe Kovacik, executive director of Brightside Up.

For a child care center, that is a big hit to a centers bottom line, Kovacik said. If you dont have tuition coming in, you dont have salary money.

We already had this large group of people (day care providers) who were retiring at a pretty rapid rate, faster than we were replacing them, and the pandemic just increased that, Kovacik said. So they just closed. They are never going to open. They are just done.

For the centers that are still managing, Bidens plan will bring almost $40 billion to the child care sector nationally, and $2.3 billion to New York child care providers and parents.

For providers, there will be grants that can help pay workers, pay rent, do repairs and much more, said Jenn OConnor, director of policy and advocacy at Prevent Child Abuse New York. For families, they will be able to apply for child care tuition assistance through the states Office of Children and Family Services.

This is seen as historic and revolutionary for the child care infrastructure that collapsed during the pandemic, said Rosemary Batt, a professor at Cornell Universitys School of Industrial and Labor Relations. This is really a policy that has developed based on 50 years of child care advocates and advocates for working families putting forth proposals to help women and families with children.

And Bidens American Families Plan, proposed in late April, could bring even more relief. The plan, if passed, provides direct aid to families and promises that low and middle income families would not have to spend more than seven percent of their income on child care.

Paid time off

Despite New York being one of nine states in the country to have paid family and medical leave laws, it still leaves some working mothers behind. Leanne Ricchiuti had only worked at her job for less than a year before her son was born so she was not eligible for paid benefits under the federal FMLA law.

(The company I work for) was really great about it, they didnt want to see me leave, but legally they werent obligated to hold a spot for me  if I decided to (take) leave, Ricchiuti said.

The law allows for individuals to leave work to bond with a newborn, take care of a family member with a serious health condition  including COVID-19  or assist when a family member is deployed on active military service.

Even if a parent can take paid leave, for women, often it means when they come back they have fallen behind in terms of pay and promotions.

It is very hard (for a woman) to catch up with (other) women who havent taken time off, Hegewisch said about women who take maternity leave. And that is typically so in the better-paid jobs because there is more wage progression, but it is also true of lower-paying jobs.

The pandemic also revealed that a lot of people in low-wage jobs didnt have access to paid sick time, Hegewisch said. More reliable hours, so parents can maintain quality and consistent schedules for themselves and their children will also go a long way, Hegewishch said.

The American Families Plan, if passed, could mark a significant change for working parents. Bidens plan includes $225 billion dollars toward creating guaranteed 12 weeks of paid leave to every new parent, as well as caregivers and those who are ill.

Flexible work schedules

Tara OLeary is a working mom who had never stayed at home with her two sons, ages 7 and 9, all day long until the pandemic hit.

(Now) Im able to pick up my kids every day after school, said OLeary, whose sons have been back in school since September. Now I have to come home and get back on the computer and do some things but even just that perception of being home has been a positive.

OLeary hopes to maintain that type of presence with her children once her office is back to work in person.

Teleworking is not a solution when you do not have proper child care but when you do, teleworking can really help, Hegewisch said. She warns that employers need to make sure there is no discrimination for mothers or for whomever would like to work remotely from home for portions of the work day once the pandemic is over.

We need new procedures that acknowledge performance that make sure it isnt out of office out of mind, or out of office I cant see your performance as well,  Hegewisch said. We need to get to a place that really captures peoples performance but also acknowledges that not everyone can work from home. Not everyone has the space.

Batt, from Cornell University, has conducted research on human resource management for decades and is not optimistic that the pandemics forced work arrangements will be long-lasting.

Weve had waves of interest in flexible family friendly policies  flexible scheduling, job sharing, telecommuting  especially when labor demand outstrips labor supply, but the uptake of policies that improve flexibility for working parents [as opposed to companies] has been slim, Batt said. When companies talk about flexibility they often mean people being available on call or at odd hours, or via email at any time  in other words, flexibility that helps companies but not necessarily working families.

My guess is that the pandemic has given companies more confidence that people can be productive while working remotely, but working from home, especially for women, often means greater demands of juggling Zoom meetings with children crying in the background, leading to greater tension between work and family rather than less, Batt said.

Kelly Reale, who has two daughters at home, and cares for her brother who has special needs, works full-time as a senior vice president at KeyBank. Years ago, on her own initiative, she went through a formal proposal process to ask her employer for a flexible work schedule.

I would like to condense my hours to these numbers of hours in the office, and I will check my Blackberry until X time at night, Reale said about what her presentation included. I had a lot of details in there about why it would work for my particular role. I proved myself.

You have to ask for what you need, she said. Its important to know what you need and go find the place where you can get what you need to take care of yourself.
An independent investigation has found the Maui Police Department properly handled last year's accident involving its chief backing his truck into a parked motorcycle at a shopping center
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 01:11:10|Editor: huaxia

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu (L, Front) receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 17, 2021. Tutu on Monday appeared at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Cape Town during the launch of vaccination in Western Cape Province and received the vaccine there. (Western Cape government/Handout via Xinhua)

CAPE TOWN, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Monday appeared at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, during the launch of vaccination in Western Cape Province and received the vaccine there.

Tutu, born in 1931, and his wife Leah both sat in a wheelchair on the site and were among the eligible citizens aged 60 and above for registering for the 2nd phase of the national vaccination program that started in the day.

"All my life I have tried to do the right thing and, today, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is definitely the right thing to do. That's why Leah and I took this step, to do our part to start the national healing process so we can end this pandemic. We have to do this together!" the staunch supporter of vaccination said in a joint statement by his Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the Western Cape government released after the launch.

"Believe me, when you get to our age, little needles worry you far less than bending-over does," he said.

Following the first phase of the vaccination program for healthcare workers only, the second phase will inoculate persons aged 60 years and above first, then other groups of people including essential workers, persons in congregate settings and persons over 18 years of age with co-morbidities.

The second phase will be carried out in parallel with unfinished inoculations in the first phase, following a 14-day pause of Johnson and Johnson vaccines rollout.

As of Monday, the Western Cape has administered a total of 93,153 vaccines during the first phase. Enditem
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About two hours before a 4-year-old was found dead on a street in a southwest Dallas neighborhood, home surveillance video shows a man lifting the sleeping boy from his bed and carrying him away
[May 18, 2021] Absolute EMS Selects Aegis' FactoryLogix IIoT-Based MES as Its Industry 4.0 Backbone to Fuel Exponential Growth

Aegis Software, a global provider of Manufacturing Execution Software (MES), announces that Absolute EMS, Inc., a leading provider of turnkey and consignment manufacturing services, has selected Aegis' FactoryLogix platform to support its requirements for on-demand adaptability, complete product traceability, paperless factory, and contextualized insights to support its highly regulated customers in aerospace & defense, medical, and automotive industries. "We have a long history of delivering superior products and services to our customers, and we view our digital transformation journey with FactoryLogix as a critical step to achieving transformative benefits of Industry 4.0 and driving a distinct competitive advantage," stated Doug Dow, COO, Absolute EMS. "FactoryLogix was the only solution that provided a robust, flexible platform for the complete manufacturing lifecycle that could support our diverse requirements and aggressive growth strategy. We remain committed to delivering exceptional quality products on time to our customers, and FactoryLogix is fundamental in continuing our mission to exceed customer expectations." Absolute EMS is implementing a comprehensive mix of FactoryLogix's capabilities such as production preparation and management, process wokflow designer, interactive work instructions, manufacturing execution and tracking, quality and non-conformance management, IIoT connectivity, product and process traceability, manufacturing intelligence, and more.



"Absolute EMS is a prime example of a leading manufacturer that recognizes how innovative technology solutions can catapult their operations to the next level and set them apart from their competition. We are very pleased that they selected FactoryLogix as their Industry 4.0 platform to digitize and optimize their manufacturing operations for continuous process improvement and operational excellence," stated Jason Spera, CEO, and Co-Founder of Aegis Software. "Our uniquely adaptive platform provides Absolute EMS with unparalleled capabilities to quickly pivot manufacturing processes to support a diverse portfolio of products without added costs or downtime. We are very excited to work together with Absolute EMS as they digitally transform their operations and their business." FactoryLogix is a holistic and modular IIoT-based MES platform that delivers leading-edge technology with easily configurable modules to support and execute a discrete manufacturer's strategy towards Industry 4.0. FactoryLogix manages the entire manufacturing lifecycle: from product launch to material logistics, through manufacturing execution and quality management, to powerful analytics and real-time dashboards. This end-to-end platform is helping companies accelerate product introductions, streamline processes, improve quality and traceability, reduce costs, and gain greater visibility for competitive advantage and profitability.

About Absolute EMS Absolute EMS, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, is a leader in offering manufacturing services in a state-of-the-art, high-technology EMS facility. Founded in 1996, the company originally serviced the medical industry, thus their focus on controlled manufacturing that is scalable and repeatable. The Absolute EMS focused verticals are Medical, Military, Industrial, Networking, and Engineering. Learn more by visiting http://www.absolute-ems.com About Aegis Software Founded in 1997, Aegis Software uniquely delivers a comprehensive and flexible end-to-end manufacturing execution system (MES) platform giving manufacturers the speed, control, and visibility they require. Aegis has international sales and support offices in Germany, UK, and China and partners with more than 37 manufacturing equipment suppliers. Since its inception, Aegis has been helping more than 2,000 factories across the military, aerospace, electronics, medical, and automotive industries, drive rapid and continuous innovation with the highest quality while reducing operational costs. Learn more by visiting https://www.aiscorp.com. Speed, Control and Visibility for Manufacturing. Note: FactoryLogix is a registered trademark of Aegis Industrial Software. All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005403/en/

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[May 18, 2021] After Record Breaking 2020, Johnny Was Expands Usage of Amperity Customer Data Platform to Further Accelerate Growth

SEATTLE, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amperity , the #1 enterprise customer data platform (CDP) for consumer brands, today announced that Johnny Was, a leading women's fashion retailer, is expanding their adoption of Amperity to establish a new customer data foundation that will drive more personalized marketing, richer analytics, and better customer service across all channels and touchpoints. In this expanded implementation, Johnny Was will be using Amperity's AmpID, Amp360, and AmpIQ products, which together provide an end-to-end solution for transforming raw data from multiple sources into an accurate, consistent, and comprehensive Customer 360. Johnny Was rapidly embraced new opportunities driven by the COVID-19 pandemic supported by Amperity AmpIQ leading to strong growth. The company, which operates over 50 stores in 20 states, along with a thriving ecommerce and wholesale business, proved resilient thanks to its singular focus on service to customers and to the community. In addition to implementing in-store safety protocols, Johnny Was was among the first fashion retailers to shift production resources to make reusable face masks, and has since donated more than $2.5 million worth of masks to hospitals and charities across the country. The timely introduction of fashionable mask offerings, combined with the company's stellar customer support and elegant online shopping experience, brought in many first-time customers that will support the company's growth over the coming years. By implementing Amperity CDP, Johnny Was will be able to better engage and monetize their rapidly growing customer base. "The last year has forced us to reimagine every part of how we run our business while never losing ight of the customer as the center of everything we do," said Rob Trauber, CEO of Johnny Was. "Amperity's platform provides us with a turnkey way to ensure that we maintain, personalize, and maximize our relationships with every customer."



The insights and efficiencies derived from Amperity will help Johnny Was sustain this momentum in 2021 and beyond. With accurate and consistent 360 degree customer profiles, Johnny Was will be able to better nurture their most valuable customers and increase customer lifetime value among first-time and return buyers. The enhanced customer profiles will also have a seamless and immediate impact on Johnny Was' customer support operations, thanks to Amperity's native integration with Zendesk , leading to better end-to-end customer experiences. "It's a huge privilege to work with customer-centric companies like Johnny Was, and to give them the tools they need to maintain their standard of excellence across every aspect of their operations," said Kabir Shahani, CEO at Amperity. "Johnny Was has been using our AmpIQ product for two years, and is now taking advantage of our full enterprise CDP by adding AmpID and Amp360 to further optimize and personalize their customer experience."

Amperity's platform works by ingesting raw customer data across all touchpoints, using machine learning to resolve identities even when records lack unique identifiers across systems. The result is unified customer databases that centralize data from online and offline transactions, loyalty programs, email interactions, finance systems, and more, enabling its customers to efficiently deploy customer data for targeting, suppression, analytics, customer service, regulatory compliance, and more. About Johnny Was

Since its inception in 1987, Johnny Was has been embraced by free-spirited and confident women who are drawn to the brand's unique signature aesthetic: a juxtaposition between vintage and modern. Inspired by world cultures, the arts, and historical dressmaker techniques, the Johnny Was brand transcends fashion trends with its beautifully-crafted boho clothing and accessories. Embracing the quintessential California lifestyle, Johnny Was appeals to the modern bohemian. About Amperity

Amperity's mission is to help companies use data to serve their customers. The company has revolutionized the way brands identify, understand, and connect with their customers by leveraging AI to deliver a comprehensive and actionable Customer 360. This unified view improves marketing performance, fuels accurate customer insights, and enables world-class customer experiences. With Amperity, technical teams are freed from endless integration and data management, and business teams have direct access to the comprehensive data they need to build long-term customer loyalty and drive growth. Amperity serves many of the world's most loved brands, including Alaska Airlines, Michaels, Lucky Brand, Kendra Scott, Planet Fitness, Kenneth Cole, Tapestry, Crocs, Servco, First Hawaiian Bank, and many more. To learn more, visit Amperity.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/after-record-breaking-2020-johnny-was-expands-usage-of-amperity-customer-data-platform-to-further-accelerate-growth-301293815.html SOURCE Amperity

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[May 18, 2021] AJAX I and Cazoo Announce First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Results for Cazoo

AJAX I ("AJAX") (NYSE: AJAX), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC"), today announced that its merger partner, Cazoo Holdings Limited ("Cazoo" or "the Company"), the UK's leading online car retailer, which makes buying a car as simple and seamless as purchasing any other product online, announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2021. Summary Results







Q1 2021 (unaudited) Q1 2020 (unaudited) Change % Change Vehicles Sold 9,762 2,062 7,700 373% Retail 7,785 1,684 6,101 362% Wholesale 1,977 378 1,599 423% Revenue (m) 113.9 19.6 94.3 481% Retail (m) 96.8 18.2 78.6 431% Wholesale (m) 6.1 1.2 4.9 418% Other (m)1&2 11.02 0.2 10.8 - Retail Gross Profit per Unit ()3 143 (287) 430 - Gross Profit (m) 3.7 (0.5) 4.3 - Gross Margin (%) 3.3% (2.8%) 6.1%pts -

1 Other Revenue includes Ancillary, Subscription, Remarketing and Servicing Revenue 2 Q1 2021 Other Revenue includes contribution from Drover (acquired 25th January 2021), SFS (acquired 11th February 2021) and Cluno (acquired 23rd February 2021) from the date of acquisition 3 Gross profit derived from retail revenues and ancillary revenues, divided by retail units sold (net of returns) Q1 Financial highlights Revenue increased 481% to 113.9 million driven by significant retail order growth in the UK

Vehicles sold up 373% to 9,762 in Q1 as the Company continued its rapid growth trajectory

Retail GPU up to 143 through improved buying mix, stock turn & higher finance attachment

Gross profit positive at 3.7 million & margin improved to 3.3% due to operational efficiencies

Cash position remained strong with 117.6 million of cash on hand at the end of March 2021

25,000th retail vehicle sold in May and on track to achieve FY21 revenues approaching $1bn Q1 Strategic highlights Agreed business combination with AJAX on NYSE for $7.0 billion, due to complete in Q3 2021

Successfully completed 3 acquisitions during quarter to accelerate strategy & enhance proposition: Drover (acquired 25th Jan 2021) : helping drive the launch of Cazoo's subscription service Smart Fleet Solutions (acquired 11th Feb 2021): enhancing Cazoo's refurbishment capacity Cluno (acquired 23rd Feb 2021) : accelerating Cazoo's entry into further European markets

Plans for launching Cazoo Europe in Germany & France by the end of the year remain on track

Opened 4 additional Cazoo Customer Centres, bringing the total in operation in the UK to 17

Record customer satisfaction with world-class NPS of c.80 and UK brand awareness of c.70%

Announced 5 new director appointments to join Cazoo Board post business combination: Dan Och, Duncan Tatton-Brown, Anne Wojcicki, Moni Mannings & Luciana Berger Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder & CEO of Cazoo, commented, "In Q1 we continued our rapid growth trajectory, delivering record revenue growth of almost 500% YoY, demonstrating the strength of our market-leading brand and fully-integrated platform in the UK, which we intend to replicate across Europe. Since the end of the period our growth has continued to accelerate, with the sale of our 25,000th retail vehicle this month. We continue to see improvements to GPU and remain on track to achieve revenues approaching $1 billion in 2021." "Our recent acquisitions will enable us to bring our UK vehicle reconditioning entirely in-house by the end of H1 and to launch the full Cazoo proposition in France and Germany by the end of the year and we are hugely excited by the growth opportunities that lie ahead. We are just at the start of our mission to transform the car buying experience across the UK and Europe and our business combination with AJAX will provide us with the capital to continue to pioneer the shift to online car buying." Dan Och, Founder of AJAX, said, "We are delighted with Cazoo's continued pace and progress, proving the power of the strong brand and integrated proposition they have built. The extraordinary growth this quarter further reinforces our confidence in the tremendous opportunities for the business as it continues to drive for digital share in the $700 billion European market, which we believe will create compelling shareholder value." Conference Call The Company will hold a pre-recorded conference call on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. ET to review its first quarter financial results and related matters. The call may be accessed through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.cazoo.co.uk/investors or by dialling 1-844-512-2921, or for international callers, 1-412-317-6671. The Conference ID is 1144830. Preliminary Proxy Filing On Friday, May 14, Cazoo and AJAX announced the filing of the preliminary proxy statement/registration statement on Form F-4 by Capri Listco with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") in connection with the previously announced business combination transaction between Cazoo and AJAX. The filing can be accessed at https://ajaxcap.com/ or by searching for Capri Listco on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. About Cazoo - www.cazoo.co.uk Cazoo's mission is to transform the car buying experience for consumers across the UK and Europe by providing better selection, quality, transparency, convenience, flexibility and peace of mind. Cazoo aims to make buying a car no different to any other product online today, where consumers can simply and seamlessly purchase, finance or subscribe to a car entirely online for either delivery or collection in as little as 72 hours. Cazoo was founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Alex Chesterman OBE, has a highly experienced management team and is backed by some of the leading global technology investors. About AJAX - www.ajaxcap.com AJAX is a blank check company whose purpose is to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. AJAX was founded by renowned US investor Dan Och in partnership with Glenn Fuhrman and strategic advisors including Steve Ells (founder, Chipotle), Jim McKelvey (co-founder, Square), Kevin Systrom (co-founder, Instagram) and Anne Wojcicki (co-founder, 23andMe). Cautionary Statement All amounts shown throughout this press release are unaudited. The numbers presented throughout this press release may not sum precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures, due to rounding. Additional information and Where to Find It This communication relates to a proposed business combination among Cazoo Holdings Limited ("Cazoo"), AJAX I ("AJAX") and Capri Listco ("Listco"). In connection with the proposed business combination Listco has filed a registration statement on Form F-4 that includes a proxy statement of AJAX in connection with AJAX's solicitation of proxies for the vote by AJAX's shareholders with respect to the proposed business combination and a prospectus of Listco, which has not yet become effective. The proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all AJAX shareholders and Listco and AJAX will also file other documents regarding the proposed business combination with the SEC. This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the proposed business combination and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the business combination. Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and security holders are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by AJAX and Listco through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by AJAX may be obtained free of charge from AJAX's website at https://ajaxcap.com or by written request to AJAX at 667 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065 and documents filed by Cazoo may be obtained free of charge from Cazoo's website at https://www.cazoo.co.uk or by written request to Cazoo at 41-43 Chalton St, Somers Town, London NW1 1JD, United Kingdom. Participants in Solicitation AJAX, Listco and Cazoo and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from AJAX's shareholders with respect to the proposed business combination. You can find information about AJAX's directors and executive officers and their ownership of AJAX's securities in AJAX's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on May 7, 2021 and is available free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the participants in the solicitation of proxies from AJAX's shareholders and their direct and indirect interests is included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above. No Offer or Solicitation This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the proposed business combination, including statements regarding the benefits of the transaction, the anticipated timing of the transaction, the services offered by Cazoo and the markets in which it operates, and Cazoo's projected future results. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including but not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the proposed business combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against AJAX, Cazoo, Listco or others following the announcement of the proposed business combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (3) the inability to complete the proposed business combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of AJAX, to obtain financing to complete the proposed business combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the proposed business combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the proposed business combination; (5) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of proposed business combination; (6) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts current plans and operations of AJAX or Cazoo as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (8) costs related to the proposed business combination; (9) changes in applicable laws or regulations and delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain regulatory approvals required to complete the proposed business combination; (10) the possibility that AJAX, Cazoo or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (11) the impact of COVID-19 on Cazoo's business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the proposed business combination; (12) Cazoo's estimates of expenses and profitability and underlying assumptions with respect to shareholder redemptions and purchase price and other adjustments; and (13) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the registration statement on Form F-4 and the proxy statement/prospectus included therein. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of AJAX's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents filed by AJAX from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Cazoo, AJAX and Listco assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. None of Cazoo, AJAX or Listco gives any assurance that any of Cazoo, AJAX or Listco will achieve its expectations. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. Any financial and capitalization information or projections in this communication are forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of AJAX, Listco and Cazoo. While such information and projections are necessarily speculative, AJAX, Listco and Cazoo believe that the preparation of prospective financial information involves increasingly higher levels of uncertainty the further out the projection extends from the date of preparation. The assumptions and estimates underlying the projected results are inherently uncertain and are subject to a wide variety of significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the projections. The inclusion of financial information or projections in this communication should not be regarded as an indication that AJAX, Listco or Cazoo, or their respective representatives and advisors, considered or consider the information or projections to be a reliable prediction of future event. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005120/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Asurio, Inc. Announces A Series of Management Team Promotions

BOULDER, Colo., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asurio, Inc. (www.asurio.com), a Colorado technology company that offers the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection & Data Collection System, today announced two significant promotions on the Asurio team.

Jack Coffelt, a 30-year life safety industry veteran, who joined Asurio as the Business Development Director, has been promoted to General Manager. Laura Skidgel, who has served as the manager of Asurios Forms Department, has been promoted to Manager of Forms & Technical Support. Both of these promotions are well-deserved, and Asurio is even stronger for placing these team members into their new positions, said Asurio President Top Myers. We look forward to even more growth and capabilities to help our customers with Jack Coffelt overseeing operations and Laura Skidgel managing the Asurio forms department and customer support operations. Jack Coffelt Bio  Asurio General Manager With more than 30 years of experience in the Fire Life Safety industry, Jack Coffelt brings extensive, practical knowledge across all the different Fire Life Safety Inspection disciplines  Fire Alarm, Fire Sprinkler & Fire Suppression Systems, Fire Pumps, and more  to his role as General Manager for Asurio, Inc. Prior to joining Asurio, Inc., Mr. Coffelt served as a Fire Life Safety contractor for 20+ years, including leadership roles in Fire Life Safety positions at Siemens, Potter Electric Signals Company, Affiliated Computer Systems; Security Fire Systems; Honeywells Fire Alarm Division; Simplex-Grinnell; and Kidde-Fenwall. He also served as a Fire & Security Techniian in the U.S. Navy for 10 years.



Mr. Coffelt currently serves as a technical committee member for NFPA 72 (fire alarm standards). Jack also is participating in the NICET Fire Protection Advisory Committee (National Institute for Certifying Engineering Trades). Jack earned a NICET Level IV certification in Fire Alarm Systems, a NICET Level II in Water Based Fire Protection Testing and Inspection, and he holds a Texas APS license. Jack is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), and holds a Texas Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent License.

Laura Skidgel  Manager of Forms & Technical Support Laura Skidgel brings decades of experience to the table for Asurio and its customers, both in the specifics of the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection System and in training and technical support skills. In her role as Manager of Forms & Technical Support, she supervises Asurios customer support technicians; manages staffing for Asurios customer support operation; and manages the BirdDog Inspection Systems continuing education program for customers. Laura has worked in a variety of roles for Asurio, most recently as the Inspection Forms & Reports Manager, where she oversaw the development & updating of NFPA inspection forms and inspection report functions. She also served as the Training Manager in the early days of Asurio, and traveled extensively, teaching Asurio customers how to use the BirdDog Inspection & Data Collection System. Prior to joining Asurio, Laura served as a trainer in the U.S. Air Force, and also has additional years of experience teaching adults. She earned an Associates degree in business. About Asurio, Inc. & BirdDog Life Safety Inspection Software Asurio, Inc. is a USA-based software company that offers the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection & Data Collection System. BirdDog is one of the more powerful & versatile inspection & data collection systems on the market today. Asurio has a special expertise in fire-life safety inspections for commercial buildings, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and more. However, the BirdDog system can be configured to inspect and/or collect data for virtually any industry. In addition, Asurio, Inc. is a Microsoft partner, and hosts its cloud-based BirdDog inspection software on the Microsoft Azure cloud computing solution, resulting in world-class 24/7 reliability and security. Asurio, Inc. can be reached at: www.asurio.com, or 877.444.1488. Media Contact:

Courtney DeWinter, DeWinter Marketing & PR  Denver

303.572.8180, www.DeWinterMarketingPR.com



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[May 18, 2021] Atonarp Announces $50M Series D Financing to Scale its Molecular Sensing and Digital Diagnostics Testing Platforms

Michael Marks, Founding Partner for WRVI Capital, Joins the Atonarp Board and Former Berkeley Lights CFO Shaun Holt Joins as Atonarp's Chief Operating Officer TOKYO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atonarp , a leading manufacturer of molecular sensing and diagnostics products for the healthcare, pharma, and semiconductor industries, today announced it has raised a $50 million Series D financing, led by WRVI Capital. The new funding will allow the company to expand its operations to meet growing customer demand in its current markets and expedite the development and commercialization of its molecular diagnostics products. The company has announced the appointment of Shaun Holt as its chief operating officer (COO). "Atonarp is developing the future of point-of-care molecular diagnostics testing," said Nicholas Brathwaite, founding managing partner of WRVI Capital and Board Chair of Atonarp. "As one of Atonarp's first investors, we recognized early on that the company's breakthrough molecular sensor technology could spur innovation across industries. With its seasoned team of technologists, Atonarp will continue to expand its first-in-class, proven, and transformational molecular sensor technology platform to new industries." As the lead investor, WRVI Capital Founding Partner Michael Marks has been appointed to Atonarp's Board, joining Nicholas Brathwaite who will remain involved as Board Chair. Also participating in Atonarp's Series D are Furukawa Electric, Japan Post Investment, Boscolo Intervest, ATI Korea, and Banner Industries. Atonarp has now raised $111M in funding to date. "Atonarp's goals are the same as ours," said Yoshio Masutani, corporate vice president of Furukawa Electric. "We are delighted to support a business whose technology has a myriad of applications, but most importantly can help people make proactive health decisions through Atonarp's non-invasive diagnostic testing platform." New Platform Technology Offers Lab-Quality Results Without Use of Chemistry Atonarp is a pioneer in the digital transformation of molecular diagnotics in pharma, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial process control, and now in the life sciences sector. The company uses its proprietary spectroscopic technology to detect, analyze, and quantify molecular information. Atonarp offers a suite of molecular diagnostics products, including the ATON-360, an end-to-end platform that enables lab-quality results using optical sensors. Unlike traditional diagnostic and blood testing methods that rely on chemistry and require large volumes of biological samples for processing, Atonarp uses proprietary laser-based sensing and profiling technology to analyze small sample sizes and produce a digital molecular snapshot without any use of chemistry or expensive reagents.



Stanford University Professor Dr. Phyllis Gardner added, "Point-of-care-testing is the future for medical diagnostics, but the industry has been hampered by costly chemistry-driven panels that require large sample volumes and centrally based laboratories for processing. Atonarp's molecular sensors scan and store an entire digital dataset from incredibly small sample amounts. This technology can support distributed point-of-care diagnostics, which is critical to achieving predictive and proactive healthcare practices, in turn, leading to better diagnoses, treatment, and outcomes for patients." "We have developed the industry's smallest, smartest, cloud-connected, plug-and-play molecular diagnostics platform that quantitatively analyze chemical processes in real-time with unprecedented detail, and are poised to broadly deploy our disruptive platform across multiple industries and market segments," said Prakash Murthy, president and CEO, CTO, and founder of Atonarp. "We are grateful to WRVI Capital and our other investors who believe in our vision and the approach we take to revolutionize how the world uses molecular data analysis. We're excited to have Shaun Holt on board as COO to help support our next phase of growth as we expand our product offerings for industrial and life sciences applications."

Atonarp's currently marketed molecular sensing platforms, Aston for semiconductor and process monitoring, and LyoSentinel for Pharma, have transformed how its customers manage and optimize process controls. In life sciences, the ATON-360 will reshape the dialysis patient experience, cell-based product discovery and development processes, and in-vitro diagnostics. Today, the company's digital molecular technology provides a fast, pain-free, and cost-effective in-vitro diagnostics solution that does not require phlebotomists while producing quantitative reports and analytics in seconds. The company's product development roadmap is also set to pioneer a new frontier in blood diagnostics with their in-vivo diagnostics platform development efforts. Atonarp is developing a first-of-its-kind non-contact optical diagnostic platform capable of quantifying analytes in biofluids, slated for release in 2022. The company's ultimate vision within molecular diagnostics is to transition from minimally invasive to non-invasive blood testing by optically probing blood vessels directly through the skin using laser-based sensing and profiling technology. Veteran Life Science Leader Joins as COO Shaun Holt joins Atonarp as COO to focus on driving operational excellence across Atonarp's global operations. Before Atonarp, Holt was the chief financial officer for Berkeley Lights, Inc., where he led the digital cell biology company through its $205M initial public offering. He brings more than 20 years of experience leading finance, accounting, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, product development processes, and customer success functions across various technology and life sciences companies from start-ups to large-capitalization companies. About Atonarp Atonarp is a molecular diagnostics company reshaping how sensing and diagnostics devices are applied to generate real-time actionable data and achieve drastically better outcomes in healthcare and industrial semiconductor processes. Atonarp is led by a world-class team of experts in the design, development, and productization of highly sensitive diagnostics instruments. Founded in 2010, the company has operations in Japan, India, and the United States. Learn more at https://atonarp.com . SOURCE Atonarp

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[May 18, 2021] Bowery Farming Unveils Farm X, New Innovation Hub for Plant Science and Home to the First-Ever On-Site Breeding Program for a Vertical Farming Company

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the United States, today announced the opening of Farm X, its newest state-of-the-art innovation hub for plant science in Kearny, N.J., adjacent to Bowery's original R&D Center of Excellence and first commercial farm. Farm X is one of the largest and most sophisticated vertical farming R&D facilities in the world, and will further accelerate the commercialization of products specifically designed for Bowery's indoor system. From the cultivation of strawberries, root vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and beyond, to the discovery of the next generation of wildly flavorful leafy greens, Farm X expands Bowery's R&D capacity by nearly 300%. "We're proud to be the largest vertical farming company in the United States that is consistently and reliably delivering our customers a wide variety of high quality, flavorful produce that's local, safe and sustainable," said Irving Fain, founder and CEO of Bowery Farming. "From day one, our R&D team has been working tirelessly to unlock the next frontier in agriculture, and Farm X enables us to expedite the discovery of new vibrant crops and pioneering technological advancements that will further accelerate our momentum as the category leader." Bowery's world-class team of plant breeders, plant physiologists, biochemists, and more, are constantly innovating from seed-to-shelf. At Farm X, they will be able to test more, fasterultimately accelerating the discovery of new crops, growing recipes, and efficiency improvements that can be replicated at scale across the company's network of commercial farms. Featuring proprietary, highly-customizable, modular growing environments managed and monitored by new technology developed in-house, Farm X will further unlock the next phase of Bowery's growth. Farm X also features a sensory lab where Bowery will continue its quest for the perfect cultivars for indoor growing, as well as launch the first-ever on-site breeding program at a vertical farming company. Under the new breedng program, Bowery's team will be able to develop varieties that thrive in its unique growing conditions, and evaluate each one for optimal taste, quality and yield, rather than to survive outdoors, pest-resistance and long-haul transportation. While a traditional breeding program takes up to ten years, Bowery's controlled indoor environment and 24/7 monitoring of crops will enable the company to bring new groundbreaking products to market at scale in a fraction of the time.



Bowery's R&D team works year-round to uncover flavor-packed produce and bring new and exciting culinary experiences to consumers. Beyond the cultivation of new fruits and vegetables at Farm X, they are also developing the next generation of greens. The Farmer's Selection category, which launched in January 2021, emerged as a way to let consumers in on the process, bringing the thrill of discovering a new ingredient at your local farm stand to the grocery store. Bowery is launching a new small-batch green every four months under this new category. The first greens released, Bowery Mustard Frills  hearty mustard greens with a tingly start and a fiery, wasabi-style finish  was available through April 2021. Green Sorrel , bright, tart baby greens with a zing and the next release in the series, is now available from May through August 2021. Farm X also serves as an experimental space for innovation in farm design, data science, computer vision, autonomous robotics, hardware and software that can be deployed in Bowery's growing network of commercial farms. As Bowery continues to advance the integration of proprietary smart farming technology, it recently announced Injong Rhee (formerly VP at Google and CTO of Samsung Mobile) as its Chief Technology Officer. Rhee will ensure that every farm continues to benefit from the collective intelligence of the BoweryOS, the company's proprietary operating system which integrates software, hardware, sensors, computer vision systems, machine learning models and robotics to orchestrate and automate the entirety of operations. Rhee's team is ensuring the advanced technological learnings discovered at Farm X will be seamlessly integrated and applied at scale across Bowery's network.

Bowery has experienced more than 750% brick-and-mortar sales growth, and more than quadrupled sales with e-commerce partners, including Amazon, since early 2020. Bowery's newest commercial farm in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, will bring local, pesticide-free produce, harvested year-round at peak freshness, to a surrounding population of 50 million people within a 200-mile radius, and will be its largest and most technologically-advanced commercial farm yet, further automating the growing process from seed to store. About Bowery Farming

Bowery Farming, the Modern Farming Company, was founded in 2015 with the belief that technology and human ingenuity can grow better food for a better future. Propelled by its proprietary software system, the BoweryOS, Bowery builds smart indoor vertical farms that deliver a wide variety of Protected Produce  in little time, near cities they serve, for a truly local approach. Bowery's farms are growing the next generation of vibrant and flavorful produce. With BoweryOS, farms are 100 times more productive on the same footprint of land than traditional agriculture, and grow traceable pesticide-free produce with a fraction of the water and land. The largest vertical farming company in the U.S., Bowery's produce is available in more than 850 grocery stores and via e-commerce platforms serving the Tri-state and Mid-Atlantic region, including Amazon Fresh, Giant Food, Walmart, Weis, Whole Foods Market, Albertsons Companies and specialty grocers. Based in New York City, Bowery has raised more than $172.5 million from leading investors, including Temasek and GV (formerly Google Ventures), General Catalyst, GGV Capital, First Round Capital, Henry Kravis, Jeff Wilke, and Dara Khosrowshahi, as well as some of the foremost thought leaders in food, including Tom Colicchio, Jose Andres, and David Barber of Blue Hill. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bowery-farming-unveils-farm-x-new-innovation-hub-for-plant-science-and-home-to-the-first-ever-on-site-breeding-program-for-a-vertical-farming-company-301292791.html SOURCE Bowery Farming

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 01:19:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China appreciates Afghanistan's firm support for China to safeguard its core interests, and will as always speak up for the independence, sovereignty and dignity of Afghanistan.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar.

Wang said that the China-Afghanistan strategic cooperative partnership has maintained a momentum of development, their Belt and Road cooperation has made continuous progress, and traditional friendship between the two countries has been enhanced in the joint fight against COVID-19.

China is willing to work with Afghanistan to take the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good-neighborly Relations between the two countries as an opportunity to deepen their Belt and Road cooperation as well as practical cooperation in various fields, Wang said.

China will continue to provide necessary support for Afghanistan and South Asian countries to fight the pandemic, and is willing to deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and help Afghanistan strengthen its anti-terrorism capacities, he said.

Wang said that China will continue to support the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country's peace and reconciliation process, and call on all parties to support and implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions to promote a smooth transition of the Afghanistan situation, to avoid in particular a resurgence of terrorist forces.

The international community and regional countries should uphold justice and fairness and help the Afghan people maintain and consolidate the fruits of peace and reconstruction in the country, he said.

China supports all parties in Afghanistan to continue to push forward negotiations among the Afghan people themselves and establish a broad and inclusive political framework for the future based on the principles of political settlement, putting peace first and advancing step by step, Wang said.

In this process, all parties should maintain patience and goodwill, strive to stop violence and cease fire, and create a favorable environment for peace talks, he added.

Wang expressed his hope that Afghanistan's future leadership will pursue a moderate Muslim policy, promote a foreign policy of peace, maintain friendship with neighboring countries, and firmly combat all forms of terrorism.

China will continue to play a constructive role in advancing the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, he added.

Atmar, for his part, said that Afghanistan is firmly committed to strengthening its relations with Afghanistan, and hopes to conduct strategic dialogue and communication with China on deepening bilateral pragmatic and anti-terrorism cooperation as well as advancing regional cooperation.

Thanking China for its strong support as well as humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan, Atmar said that the Afghan side hopes to work with China to implement the outcomes of the video conference of foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the pandemic.

The Afghan side highly appreciates China's continuous positive role in supporting the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, and is willing to cooperate closely with China in bilateral and multilateral coordination to safeguard peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, Atmar said. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Clinical Ink Hires Industry Veteran Janette Morgan as General Manager, EMEA

Clinical Ink, a global clinical trial technology company, today announced the hiring of Janette Morgan as EVP, General Manager, EMEA. In this unique, hybrid role, Janette will manage the company's dramatic global growth, blending a focus on both commercial and study operations, while building out an international team to support Clinical Ink's customers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005058/en/ Janette Morgan, EVP, General Manager, EMEA, Clinical Ink (Photo: Business Wire) "Clinical Ink is hyper-focused on delivering results for our customers," said Clinical Ink CEO Ed Seguine. "While our primary competitors are focuse on concocting their next stage of funding, Clinical Ink is hiring the best people in the industry to better deliver for our customers. As a profitable, mature company and undisputed eSource leader, we are building out our global customer support infrastructure to ensure our explosive growth does not outstrip our ability to provide unparalleled customer service. Janette brings tremendous expertise to our executive team and is the right person to build out our international operations."



"I believe Clinical Ink's technology platform and service-first approach will solve the industry's biggest problems now and into the future," said Janette. "I'm excited to ensure our customers have solutions to the dynamic clinical and operational challenges that have afflicted this industry for so long. Joining Clinical Ink is an expression of my optimism about the future, and I look forward to collaborating and partnering with our customers to confidently address the great potential for technology to improve the clinical trial experience for patients and sites." Prior to joining Clinical Ink, Janette was at Medidata Solutions for 13 years in a variety of roles and worked for a number of eCOA technology providers in the earlier part of her career. Most recently, she was Vice President, Global Partner Initiatives & Partner Business Management, where she was responsible for the global leadership and management of Medidata's Partner Study-by-Study Business. Working with CRO partners on a global scale from proposal through to contract execution, Janette was instrumental in the transformation of strategy, processes, and GTM approach to address the needs of the most demanding pharma and biotech customers.

Clinical Ink's Lunexis platform collects clinical trial data from patients and clinicians, at home and on-site. In the past three years, project bookings have tripled, revenue more than quadrupled, and backlog has grown by 500%. Clinical Ink has conducted hundreds of clinical trials on the Lunexis decentralized trial platform, capturing data from patients where they live - everywhere from villages in West Africa, mountaintops in Nepal, nursing homes in Europe, and patient homes in 60+ countries. Lunexis began as a way to transition sites from EDC to DDC (eSource) and to enable easier patient participation at home with BYOD ePRO+. It now offers Build Your Own Study capabilities for sponsors and CROs to have greater control over study design and execution. About Clinical Ink Clinical Ink, a global clinical technology company, offers data certainty from source to submission via our Lunexis eSource clinical technology and configurable direct data capture, eCOA, ePRO+, and eConsent modules. This suite of solutions for capturing and integrating electronic data from sites, clinicians, patients, and caregivers at its source naturally enhances clinical trial workflows. For virtual, traditional, or hybrid trials, Lunexis technology reduces manual labor and associated delays, and provides anytime, anywhere data access, saving resources as your trials progress. For more information, visit clinicalink.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005058/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Code Corporation Wins Best of State Award in Production and Manufacturing Category

Code Corporation, a global leader in barcode scanning and data capture technologies, today announced it has been awarded the prestigious Best of State award in the category of Production & Manufacturing for Rubber/Plastic Products. Best of State is Utah's gold standard of awards that recognizes outstanding individuals and businesses who achieve excellence in their field. Code received this award for its disinfectant-ready CodeShield Plastic. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005141/en/ Code Corporation wins best of state award in production and manufacturing category for CodeShield Plastic. (Grapic: Business Wire)



Code developed CodeShield to serve as molecularly dense and extremely durable plastic housing for its barcode scanners. CodeShield is designed to easily withstand the harsh chemicals and multiple cleaning and disinfecting sessions required in a healthcare environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Code also released a version that can be used in manufacturing and retail environments.

"Quality products begin with quality materials. And CodeShield sets a new standard in infectious disease control for barcode scanners," said Kent Hansen, CEO of Code Corporation. "CodeShield products are certified by an independent lab, which has confirmed best-in-class performance and longevity-and now we are honored to have our dedication to excellence be validated through this Best of State award." CodeShield Plastics offer superior protection against harsh chemicals at three distinct levels, allowing users to select the Code barcode reader that suits their needs and desired level of infectious disease control. Ranging from three disinfectants to 20, each level stands up to the broadest range of approved chemicals in the barcode scanning industry. Suitable for anything from healthcare to retail, CodeShield Plastics withstand routine disinfection-without degrading. Patients, staff, customers and employees can be shielded from viruses and infectious diseases such as COVID-19, C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) and MRSA. CodeShield differs from anti-bacterial plastic that uses agents to inhibit bacterial growth but is not ruggedized. Continual cleansing degrades anti-bacterial plastic, shortening a device's service life. The Best of State Awards were created in 2003 to recognize exceptional individuals, organizations and businesses in Utah. Best of State candidates are evaluated by a panel of 100 judges based on three criteria: achievement in the field of endeavor; innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods or processes; and contribution to improving the quality of life in Utah. About Code Corporation For more than 20 years, Code Corporation has been an industry pioneer, leader, and champion for data capture innovation and has garnered more than 100 patents. By crafting and continuing to perfect its unique decoding algorithms, Code and its line of image-based scanning and decoding technology consistently deliver unparalleled performance companies around the world depend on every day. Code designs and manufactures a complete line of market-leading hardware and software data capture solutions. Code products are not only valued for providing a consistent level of workflow efficiency year after year, but also for their ergonomic design, durability, ease of customization, and seamless integration. Code is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah with offices in Boston and Amsterdam. For more, please visit www.codecorp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005141/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Converge Technology Solutions Corp. Achieves Titanium Partner Status with Intel Corporation

Titanium is the highest level of partner status within Intel's Partner Alliance program. TORONTO and GATINEAU, QC, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX: CTS) (FSE: 0ZB) (OTCQX: CTSDF) a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider, is pleased to announce it has achieved Titanium partner status with Intel Corporation. Titanium partner status is reserved for the most valued program members who demonstrate superior business and technical skills as well as leadership in the development of innovative customer solutions based on Intel technologies. As a certified Titanium partner, Converge is a leading solution provider of Intel's foundational technologies for multi-cloud architecture, data center modernization, advanced analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and supporting critical infrastructure for global service providers and public sector. Together, Intel and Converge are taking innovative strides in cloud computing, data center, IoT, and PC solutions, helping to build a smarter and more connected digital world Holding Titanium-level status with Intel also allows Converge access to proprietary information, engineering support, and accelerated technical support from Intel, giving the Company the capability to create innovative solutions based on industry-leading Intel technologies.



"Converge and Intel share a valued partnership and achieving the Titanium-level status demonstrates our team is certified at the highest level and deeply educated to meet the criteria for the maximum membership status," stated Shaun Maine, CEO of Converge. "Additionally, this status allows Converge exclusive benefits we can pass along to our clients." About Converge

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Converge's regional sales and services organizations deliver advanced analytics, cloud, and cybersecurity offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with managed services, digital infrastructure, and talent expertise offerings across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/converge-technology-solutions-corp-achieves-titanium-partner-status-with-intel-corporation-301293415.html SOURCE Converge Technology Solutions Corp.

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[May 18, 2021] ElectReon Joins Italian "Arena of the Future" Project to Demonstrate Contactless Electric Vehicle Charging

ElectReon (TASE: ELWS.TA), the leading provider of inductive in-road charging technology for commercial and passenger electric vehicles in any mode - parked, slow-moving or driving at speeds, announced today that it will be joining the "Arena of the Future'' project in Brescia, Italy where the company will integrate its wireless technology to charge two Stellantis vehicles, and an IVECO bus while driving. The project aims to demonstrate contactless charging for a range of EVs as they drive on highways and toll roads as a potential pathway to decarbonizing our transportation systems along motorway transport corridors. "We are honored to be the technology partner of yet another European consortium of world class partners, including automotive giants IVECO and Stellantis, to demonstrate the viability of wireless charging technologies to power Electric Road Systems (ERS)," said Oren Ezer, CEO of ElectReon. "The Arena of the Future project will demonstrate how a toll-road can be transformed into a charging asset for all road users. With Europe at the forefront of this electric mobility shift, there is a critical need for assets that can be supported by suitable, efficient and sustainable charging methodologies. ElectReon's wireless charging technology enables vehicles to charge as they drive at any speed on electric highways, offers road users total convenience and increased affordability, equips governments and policymakers with a sustainable way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the entire life cycle of electric vehicles (EVs) and offers a viable path to expedite achieving net crbon emissions throughout the entire transportation sector."



This consortium partnership announcement follows the company's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Italian toll road operator, Brebemi, in October last year. During the project, ElectReon will provide the inductive wireless charging technology to be utilized by a consortium of local and international partners. These partners include IVECO, IVECO Bus and Stellantis-a recent merger between the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group-as well as toll road operator Brebemi for the A35 Brebemi-Aleatica Motorway, and additional partners: ABB, a leading global engineering and power electronics company; FIAMM Energy Technology, a multinational energy storage provider; Mapei S.p.A., an Italian chemical manufacturer; Pizzarotti, large-scale projects builders; Prysmian Group, a world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry; TIM Business, a 5G and connectivity provider; and leading Italian research institutions including Politecnico di Milano, Roma Tre University and Parma University. This collection of organizations will work collaboratively over the coming months to demonstrate the wireless dynamic inductive charging capabilities of ElectReon's technology, which will entail the construction of a 1,050 meter asphalt ring road fed by 1MW of power. This closed ring road will be given the name "Arena of the Future'' or "Arena del Futuro" in Italian, which is located near the Chiari Ovest exit of the A35 Motorway, approximately 50 kilometers from the city of Milan.

The project will enable Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology to be demonstrated for a full range of EVs in multiple modes; including Static Power Transfer for stationary vehicles and Dynamic Power Transfer for vehicles in-motion. The project partners will also explore advanced IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity technologies to ensure greatest road safety and ensure the maximum productivity of commercial vehicles in the deployment of wireless charging road systems, as well as exploring road construction optimization in order to increase road durability while not interfering with the efficiency of inductive charging systems built into the specified roads. As an important step in ElectReon's strategy to collaborate with major players in the automobile industry, the company will demonstrate the suitability of its wireless charging technology for a full range of applications in collaboration with several passenger vehicles as well as Iveco's intercity bus. This is a critical milestone towards ElectReon's mission of offering fleet customers a complete and seamless vehicle-side wireless charging solution for rapid decarbonization. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005228/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Equiton Apartment Fund Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary Milestone

With 60 consecutive months of positive returns, the fund continues to create significant value for investors BURLINGTON, ON, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ -- Equiton is pleased to announce that this month marks the five-year anniversary of the Equiton Apartment Fund (the Equiton Residential Income Fund Trust), a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in residential income properties in Canada. With 60 consecutive months of positive returns since its inception, the Fund has proven itself as a steady and strong performer in the Canadian Private Real Estate and Alternative Investing arenas. The strategy of the Fund, which continues to create significant value for investors, is to acquire multi-residential properties with untapped potential and implement an active management approach to increase income, maximize efficiencies and reduce expenses. Investors receive the yield from rental income and participate in the growth of the underlying properties. The fund has made great strides since its inception with current Assets Under Management of $389.1 million. It now contains a total of 1614 units across 23 properties in 12 communities across Southern Ontario. Picking up significant momentum in just the first four months of 2021, AUM increased by 47% and a number of units by 55%, with the acquisition of two large properties in less than one month. "We are very proud to see the Apartment Fund reach this five-year milestone wit a proven track record of tremendous growth, and we look forward to what's on the horizon," said Jason Roque, Equiton's Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We would like to thank our investors, partners and employees that continue to stand with us as we expand into new communities throughout the remainder of 2021 and beyond, and we remain committed to driving results for our clients."



INVESTOR AND ADVISOR QUOTES The Equiton Apartment fund allows us to invest in Real Estate without the hassles and headaches and without doing all the hard work! And we're really happy with the growth and consistency of the fund. The Equiton Apartment fund is a good "nest egg" for retirement that pays monthly dividend distribution, while the value of our investment continues to grow with the appreciation of the buildings in the portfolio of properties." - Kola and Rebecca K., Investors

"I believe in the potential of including the private apartment real estate space as a component of a diversified portfolio. Historically, the fund has provided investors with a favourable risk-adjusted return scenario. I employ many strategies for my clients, including allocations to alternative investments, and what I value about Equiton is the potential of stability income but also the potential for growth and to offer an element of diversification to traditional assets. The nature of the industry also allows for potential tax efficiency of the income. I have been pleased with the complete offering." - Thomas T., Advisor To learn more about the Equiton Apartment Fund, visit https://equiton.com/residential-income-fund. ABOUT EQUITON

Founded in 2015, Equiton is a private equity firm that specializes in providing private market real estate investments to Canadians. We purchase and manage residential and commercial income properties and invest in real estate development projects. With a single-minded focus on real estate investments such as private REITs, commercial and residential real estate properties, developments and financing, we've been able to build an enviable track record of exceptional results and exponential growth. For more information visit: www.equiton.com Media Contact:

Kathy Gjamovska

VP, Marketing & Communications

kgjamovska@equiton.com

289-208-0817 SOURCE Equiton

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[May 18, 2021] G2 Bio Companies Launch with US$200 Million to Develop Transformative Genetic-Based Therapies

- Partnership between University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program, James Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., Tachi Yamada, M.D., and Temasek

- US$200 million financing commitment from Temasek to fund development of next-generation gene therapy companies with Penns Gene Therapy Program

PHILADELPHIA, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The G2 Bio Companies (G2 Bio Management Company, Inc., and affiliates) launched today with a US$200 million investment commitment from Temasek to accelerate the development of transformative genetic-based therapies. The G2 Bio Companies were founded by the University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program, James Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., Tachi Yamada, M.D. and Temasek, a global investment firm headquartered in Singapore. Dr. Wilson is Director, Gene Therapy Program; Rose H. Weiss Professor and Director, Orphan Disease Center; and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Wilsons laboratory has made seminal contributions to the technology of gene transfer and has paved the way for translation of these technologies into the clinic. He has published over 600 papers and is named on over 200 patents worldwide. Our mission at the Gene Therapy Program is to discover, translate and greatly accelerate the development and commercialization of life-transformative genetic-based therapeutics. The G2 Bio Companies will leverage the Gene Therapy Programs capabilities and its deep history in advancing the field of genetic therapeutics to reach more patients in need around the world, including those with more common, non-monogenic diseases, said Dr. Wilson. Dr. Yaada is a founder of numerous start-up companies, including Phathom Pharmaceuticals and Passage Bio, and has served as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and as Chairman of Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline.



We formed the G2 Bio Companies to address the unmet needs of patients with the most advanced genetic-based therapies, said Dr. Yamada. I am excited to partner with Dr. Wilson and Temasek. Temaseks history of impactful investments in life sciences and healthcare globally, and unique presence in Asia, ensures they will be a valued partner and long-term collaborator for the G2 Bio Companies. About the G2 Bio Companies

The G2 Bio Companies were founded in 2021 to fund and develop potential next-generation gene therapy candidates from the University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program. The companies are based in Philadelphia, PA.

About Temasek

Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$306 billion (US$214 billion) as of March 31, 2020. Its three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, as defined in the Temasek Charter, shape Temaseks ethos to do well, do right and do good. Temasek actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, through investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg. About University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program

Penns Gene Therapy Program manages a portfolio of approximately 50 diseases and dozens of translational research projects using a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including gene therapy, gene editing, and mRNA therapeutic approaches using adeno-associated viruses or lipid nanoparticles. Its nearly 300-person research team engages in drug development research for the treatment of rare or orphan diseases, as well as acquired and pandemic infectious diseases. For further information, please contact: Sarah McCabe

Stern Investor Relations, Inc.

sarah.mccabe@sternir.com

212-362-1200 Aedan LAI

Public Affairs, Temasek

aedanlai@temasek.com.sg

+65 6828 2465 Financial disclosure: The University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Wilson hold equity interests in the G2 Bio Companies, and will be entitled to receive licensing revenues based on successful technology development and commercialization.



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[May 18, 2021] Gimbal Launches Frictionless Pickup for Brands Without a Mobile App

GRANVILLE, Ohio, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Gimbal has expanded its On-the-Way functionality to enable location-aware pickup capabilities for brands, retailers, restaurants and venues without consumer-facing mobile applications. The new web-based feature set comes at a time when customers are more reliant on safe, frictionless pickup than ever before. From large enterprise businesses to small and midsized merchants, the new browser-based functionality connects mobile orders placed through a brand's app or website for curbside, in-store, and drive-thru pickup. This lightweight feature cuts down on development time while retaining similar functionalities as the On-the-Way SDK, including ETA tracking and onsite arrival alerts. While the On-the-Way web app is advantageous for those without a mobile application, app-first brands can also use this experience inside of their app using a WebView. Off-premise services have evolved quickly over the past 14 months. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 75% of consumers say they have tried curbside or buy online, pickup in-store solutions. In addition, 62% say they will continue using pickup in the future due to convenience and/or safety concerns. Many restaurants and retailers implemented solutions to keep up with online order fulfillment during the pandemic, while others lacked the necessary resources. Bearing in mind the consraints resource-strapped brands have faced, this web app allows for a dynamic curbside experience without in-house development or engineering investment from brands.



"Organizations are drowning in digital transformation initiatives right now. They are understaffed and struggling to prioritize programs that help them keep up with the competition and consumer expectations," said Matthew Russo, Gimbal's COO. "Our goal is to build best-in-class solutions that help our customers get up and running quickly while simultaneously providing an incredible experience to their end customers." While app adoption has been on the rise over the months of the pandemic, not every consumer will download the mobile application of every brand they interact with. Understanding this bottleneck, Gimbal's latest release will use the location permissions available from mobile web browsers to deliver real-time updates on when customers are in transit to pick up an order and when they have arrived on site.

Larger retailers may have been quicker to pull the levers, but the growth opportunity for midsize businesses that haven't yet embraced click-and-collect is tremendous. The On-the-Way web app is a true out-of-the box solution that any brand can customize and integrate quickly for seamless curbside experiences. About Gimbal

Gimbal puts the power of location intelligence to work, enabling businesses to create frictionless experiences. Our macro- and micro-location solutions turn physical-world data into action for operators, marketers, and analysts looking to improve their omnichannel strategies. Gimbal has been named to the Inc. 500 and Deloitte Fast 500 for four consecutive years and is widely recognized as a leader in location-based marketing technologies. To learn more, visit https://gimbal.com. Media Contact

Liz Weinsten

VP of Marketing, Gimbal

(800) 882-5216 ext. 523

liz.weinsten@gimbal.com Related Images

image1.png View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gimbal-launches-frictionless-pickup-for-brands-without-a-mobile-app-301293667.html SOURCE Gimbal

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[May 18, 2021] Go Solar Group Releases New Mexico Periodic Table of Solar Panel Elements

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Go Solar Group, a residential solar installer in Albuquerque , has created a unique learning tool for New Mexico solar prospects with its "New Mexico Periodic Table of Solar Panel Elements." The solar-specific periodic table, designed and gridded to appear as a solar module, illustrates key "solar elements'' for New Mexico homeowners about how solar panels work . The design is also accompanied by additional "off-the-panel factors" of which New Mexico homeowners should also be aware. Each of the 36 solar panel elements contains a positive, negative, or neutral "charge," with neutral charges indicated by "0," positive charges indicated by a "+" symbol, and negative charges indicated by a "-" symbol. The negative and positive charges each fall on a 2-point scale, indicating their value. This Periodic Table of Solar Elements is designed to help homeowners understand key factors to solar instalation, enabling them to traverse the entire solar process from gathering customized New Mexico solar quotes for their homes to installation of the system itself.



"We want to make learning about solar a fun, engaging, and informative process for New Mexico residents," notes Scott Cramer, President of Go Solar Group. "Solar Panel installation can feel like a daunting task, especially given the widespread misinformation about how it works, solar panels' return on investment , and the net metering process that comes with installation of a home solar array. As a recent entrant to the market, we want to establish ourselves as an educator, and this content positions us to achieve this outcome," Cramer concludes. Learn more about Go Solar Group's New Mexico Periodic Table of Solar Panel Elements.

About Go Solar Group:

Go Solar Group is a residential solar company. Founded in 2009, the company initially provided solar power to orphanages in Africa, giving a 1:1 purchase opportunity to off-the-grid areas in Uganda and Zambia. After obtaining an electrical license in 2011, Go Solar Group staff became NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) Certified in 2013 to scale its efforts in the Western U.S. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/go-solar-group-releases-new-mexico-periodic-table-of-solar-panel-elements-301292734.html SOURCE Go Solar Group

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[May 18, 2021] Growing Need for Competent, Qualified Project Managers in the Digital Era

SINGAPORE, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging on in many countries, Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) has to embrace a new normal, especially in preparation for a post-Covid-19 era. The level of remote work in technology, telecommunications, even in the industries of manufacturing and patient care may be partially or fully remote. In this current economy, companies undergo digital transformation to accelerate their business. Trade is no longer the sole determinant in a nation's success, instead, technology is a more accurate measure of how advanced a country is. Many countries in Asia are striving to introduce digital transformation in their country over the past five years, thus solidifying their effort for a digital economy and a digital society. In this climate, there have been a wave of tech startups, as well as tech projects from multi-national companies. With these developments in the tech scene, the demand for tech experts and skilled personnel will increase. In a post-pandemic world, the demand is expected to increase, even more, thus making this the best time to equip yourselves with the necessary skillsets to excel in a digital economy. The MDIS' School of Engineering and Technology offers the MSc Project Management in Singapore in partnership with the University of Sunderland, the UK in April 2021. This programmeaims to educate project professionals to conceptualise, plan, develop, implement and deliver successful projects and students undertaking this programme will be able to broaden the knowledge and ability in relevant management skills, principles and procedures.



The School also offers new programmes including the MSc Cybersecurity, BSc (Hons) Cybersecurity and Networks, as well as Information Technology in partnership with Teesside University. These programmes aim to produce graduates with a critical understanding of information governance and assurance, combined with technology risk management practices. Students will learn how to explore the threat landscape and develop countermeasures for cybersecurity attacks. Students also study security for the Internet of Things (IoT) and the security concepts and technologies used in mobile devices. For the inaugural intake of the MSc Project Management, MDIS is offering a study grant of up to S$4,000 to the first 5 applicants who enroll in the September 2021 intake. As for the MSc Cybersecurity, a study grant of up to S$4000 will be extended to the first 5 applicants for the May 2021 intake.

Dean of Schools in MDIS, Dr Tham Yieng Wei, shares that project management and cybersecurity skills are essential to prepare us to face future challenges in working remotely during the pandemic. The project management programme will enhance individual skills in managing projects effectively and efficiently while the Cybersecurity Programmes will protect you or your organisation from any cyber threats. To find out more about the study grant and a multitude of the other MDIS Programmes, please visit https://www.mdis.edu.sg and view our facilities https://www.mdis.edu.sg/virtual-tour. Related Images build-your-project-management.jpg

Build Your Project Management & Cybersecurity Skills

MDIS School of Engineering & School of Technology Programmes in Singapore SOURCE Management Development Institute of Singapore

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[May 18, 2021] Hamilton County, Indiana, Uses Rave Alert to Power COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), the critical communication and collaboration platform customers count on when it matters most, today announced Hamilton County has used Rave Alert to power its vaccine rollout, ensuring available appointments are filled and no doses go to waste. Hamilton County Emergency Management has leveraged the Rave mass notification system for various communications since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When vaccine rollout began, officials realized that Rave Alert was an invaluable resource for filling open appointments, confirming availability and ultimately getting vaccinations to residents faster. Partnering with Riverview Health, Hamilton County Emergency Management used Rave Alert to ask personnel if they would be interested and available to go to the hospital to receive a vaccination, should there be extra doses available. With a streamlined process that identified personnel available on standby, Riverview Health was able to successfully administer its full supply of vaccination doses within tight timeframes and with effective use of staff resources. Over 75% of people who were on the initial contact list used the system to receive a shot. Given that success, Hamilton County Emergency Management partnered next with the Hamilton County Health Department, which had expanded its vaccination clinic to the county fairgrounds. This mass vaccination site was one of the busiest in the state. Using Rave Alert, officials were able to reallocate cancelled appointments and open those slots to the public. So far, 8-10% of appointments have been reopened every week, giving other residents the opprtunity to book their shots and allowing the Health Department to fully distribute all vaccine dosages.



"Since we've started confirming vaccine appointments, we've been able to save time, effort and resources across the board," said Christian Walker, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Hamilton County Health Department. "Using Rave Alert, we are able to identify no shows accurately and effectively reschedule appointments to those waiting for vaccination. We've been able to expedite vaccine distribution, and ultimately get shots to our residents faster." "Rave Alert has always been a tremendous tool for us when it comes to communicating important information," said Shane Booker, Executive Director, Hamilton County Emergency Management. "Now, it's also become an important resource in helping our health department and local health system optimize vaccine management, not waste any dosages and protect our community from the virus sooner."

To learn more about how Rave's solutions can help with the vaccine rollout, visit www.ravemobilesafety.com. About Rave Mobile Safety Rave Mobile Safety is the leading provider of critical communication and collaboration technology used to save lives, manage crisis incidents and increase resiliency. From major disasters and crisis events to everyday emergencies and operational incidents, the Rave platform enables critical data sharing, mass notification and emergency response coordination. Over 8,000 first responder, emergency management, 9-1-1, and federal, state and local agencies-as well as corporations, healthcare organizations, universities and schools-all rely on Rave to prepare better, respond faster, recover quicker and mitigate anticipated critical incidents. Founded in 2004, Rave's award-winning software solutions are backed by leading growth equity firm TCV. Let Rave enable you to do all you can todayTM to keep everyone safe. For more information, visit https://www.ravemobilesafety.com, read our company blog, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005709/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 03:09:19|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Feb. 23, 2018 shows a view of the port area of Hamburg, Germany. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

The leaders from The United States and the EU "agreed to chart a path that ends the WTO disputes following the U.S. application of tariffs on imports from the EU under section 232," according to a joint statement.



WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States and the European Union will start talks on the steel tariffs imposed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, according to a joint statement released by the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Commerce Department and the European Commission on Monday.

During a virtual meeting last week, the leaders from the two sides "agreed to chart a path that ends the WTO disputes following the U.S. application of tariffs on imports from the EU under section 232," the statement read.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said in the statement they will start discussions to "address global steel and aluminum excess capacity."

"To ensure the most constructive environment for these joint efforts, they agreed to avoid changes on these issues that negatively affect bilateral trade," the statement read.

"They committed to engaging in these discussions expeditiously to find solutions before the end of the year," it said, vowing to ensure the "long-term viability" of their steel and aluminum industries.

Citing national security concerns, the Trump administration unilaterally imposed a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and 10-percent tariff on aluminum imports globally in 2018, drawing strong opposition domestically and abroad.

Argentina, Brazil and South Korea agreed to limits on their metal exports, and were able to avoid the extra U.S. tariffs. In May 2019, the Trump administration removed the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in hope of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)'s ratification.

After failing to reach a deal with the Trump administration, the EU took the case to the World Trade Organization and imposed retaliatory tariffs on a range of American products, including Bourbon whiskey. The second tranche of tariffs was expected to be in effect in June.

In a tweet on Monday, Dombrovskis said the EU will "temporarily suspend" the increase of its rebalancing measures on U.S. 232 steel & aluminium tariffs, noting that "this gives us space to find joint solutions to this dispute."

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, welcomed the move in a statement.

"Distillers across the United States are breathing a huge sigh of relief after bracing for a 50 percent tariff on American Whiskeys in just a matter of days that would have forced many craft distillers out of the EU market," Swonger said, adding that there is "still work to be done" to get EU and U.S. spirits back to zero for zero tariffs. 
[May 18, 2021] Helping Our Communities Stay Safe: PG&E and California Fire Foundation Renew Partnership to Tackle Wildfire Risk

To raise awareness about wildfire safety and bring resources to underserved communities in high fire-threat areas in 2021, Pacific Gas and Electric Company ( PG&E (News - Alert) ) is joining forces again with the California Fire Foundation (CFF), providing $1.4 million for CFF's Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). Fire departments and community-based organizations in California can submit applications beginning this week for grant funding to address ongoing wildfire risk. Applications must be submitted by June 18, 2021 at the CFF website. Award notification will begin on July 31, 2021. Over the past three years, CFF has awarded grants to 145 fire departments and fire agencies statewide with a focus on Northern and Central California. Funding targets specific communities identified as having extreme or elevated fire risk as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission High Fire-Threat District map. "The Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program is a partnership with PG&E that was created to address the new normal in California of drier and hotter seasons. There is no end to a wildfire season in our state now, and residents must understand the steps to take to evacuate safely," said Rick Martinez, Executive Director of the CFF. "After 2020 surpassed 2018 in the number of acres burned, it demonstrates an alarming trend that proves programs like WSPP are necessary for Californians to stay ahead and stay alert." "Keeping our customers and our hometowns safe is our most important responsibility. Our ongoing partnership with the California Fire Foundation and support for this important program brings resources and awareness to underserved residents living in high fire-threat areas. Being a good neighbor means showing up for those in need. We have increased our support this year to reach even more communities with important fire-safety information andfurther strengthen local fire resilience," said Sumeet Singh, PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer.



How the Grants Help Communities PG&E's contribution continues a four-year collaboration with CFF. PG&E has provided $4.6 million in total support for fire safety awareness through the WSPP. The charitable contribution is shareholder-funded, not funded by PG&E customers.

Since 2018, WSPP has funded: Specialized fire equipment and personal protective equipment

Defensible space and vegetation management efforts

Fuel/hazard reduction programs

Fire prevention and emergency preparedness education including senior citizen wildfire preparedness programs

Fire safety outreach campaigns including 12,000 brochures targeting underserved communities in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong and Vietnamese

Partnerships with community groups in high fire-risk areas to distribute fire-safety information The WSPP has worked hard to overcome language barriers by developing and distributing in-language fire-safety messaging targeting Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese communities. These efforts include a comprehensive media campaign consisting of outdoor billboards and in-language television, radio, and digital ads. The CFF, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, aids firefighters, their families and the communities they protect. The CFF's Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides multi-lingual, culturally relevant fire safety messaging in both digital and print form, to assist the public in staying safe. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news. About California Fire Foundation The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation's mandate includes an array of survivor and victim assistance projects and community initiatives. cafirefoundation.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006059/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Inari and Beck's Announce Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Farmer Access to Gene Editing Innovation

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and ATLANTA, Ind., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inari, the SEEDesign company, and Beck's, the largest family-owned, retail seed company and the third largest seed brand in the United States, have announced a business and R&D collaboration  reinforcing their respective missions to provide more diverse, sustainable and competitive choices for farmers. The combination of Inari's novel predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing technology with Beck's established corn research and breeding program will increase product testing capabilities and expand both companies' capacity for innovation. Since its inception in 2016, Inari has made significant progress in delivering scientific breakthroughs through its SEEDesign platform. Much like the software and the hardware of a computer, this platform has a two-step approach. The software is its predictive design capabilities, which create a deep understanding of the plant genome, enabled through artificial intelligence and used to predict plant behavioral outcomes to improve performance. That software is then used to create a blueprint for the hardware - Inari's powerful combination of gene editing tools developed to make the desired changes in the plant, unlocking unprecedented yield potential and product performance possibilities much faster than traditional breeding methods. "Pushing the boundaries of what is possible and addressing the current and fuure challenges facing farmers requires innovation and collaboration," said Ponsi Trivisvavet, chief executive officer at Inari. "We are committed to partnering with industry leaders like Beck's in order to expand product development using our predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing technologies."



"We are fully invested in continued research and development, and by partnering with Inari, we have a unique opportunity to be a part of their cutting-edge multiplexing platform," said Scott Beck, president of Beck's. "We see the benefits of gene editing and how important it is for farmers to have access to greater diversity in the products they rely on for their livelihood. " About Inari

Inari is embracing diversity to build a new, more sustainable food system using unsurpassed technology to unlock the full potential of seed. Through its SEEDesign platform, Inari unlocks new possibilities to bring step-change products to market. Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, Inari is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium, Inari is a growing team of more than 180 employees. To learn more, visit Inari.com.

About Beck's

Beck's- Farmers At Heart - revolutionized the customer seed buying experience by remaining true to a foundation built on faith, family, and farming. Founded in 1937, Beck's appreciates the farmers who have helped them become the largest family-owned retail seed company and the third largest seed brand in the United States. The Beck family is now in its fifth generation of family members who work in the business to honor God and help farmers succeed. The Beck family and team of employees help farmers achieve success from generation to generation through authentic customer experiences, product diversity, seed quality, and performance. With a home office located in Atlanta, Ind., Beck's serves farmers throughout the Midwest and Mid-South. For more information about Beck's, visit www.beckshybrids.com. Follow Beck's on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inari-and-becks-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-accelerate-farmer-access-to-gene-editing-innovation-301292957.html SOURCE Inari

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Independent Investment Bankers Corp. Announces the Sale of Silicon Forest Electronics, Inc.

Independent Investment Bankers Corp. ("IIB") is pleased to announce that Michael Bennett and Leif Johnson who are FINRA licensed investment bankers with IIB and partners of Liberty Ridge Advisors have assisted their client, Silicon Forest Electronics (SFE), with the merge of their company with ESAM based in Grants Pass, Oregon, and Bay Computer Associates (News - Alert) (BCA) out of Cranston, Rhode Island through a stock purchase agreement with VergePointe Capital in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The combined group will be merged into EHC, a holding company.

SFE, headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, provides the aerospace, medical, defense, unmanned systems, and industrial markets with printed circuit board assembly services and box build-system integration services. SFE, a build-to-print contract manufacturer, holds AS9100 and ISO 13485 certifications, and NADCAP accreditation for the process and quality control systems.

For more information about this transaction, please contact Michael Bennett or Leif Johnson by visiting the Liberty Ridge Advisors website: www.libertyra.com.







About Liberty Ridge Advisors

Liberty Ridge Advisors assists businesses on capital transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations. Liberty Ridge Advisors offers concentrated experience and expertise in key Pacific Northwest industries including: food products, aerospace, building materials and construction, general manufacturing and distribution, wine, and business and financial services. www.libertyra.com Investment banking services and securities are offered through IIB. IIB and Liberty Ridge Advisors are unaffiliated entities.

About Independent Investment Bankers Corp.

IIB is an SEC (News - Alert) registered broker dealer and FINRA/SIPC member that provides back-office support services to boutique investment banking groups that are primarily engaged in assisting companies either sell their business to strategic or other institutional buyers or help companies raise expansion debt or equity capital from institutional financing sources. www.iibcorp.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005090/en/
[May 18, 2021] India Electronics and Semiconductor Association announces new Executive Council for 2021

Mr. Rajeev Khushu, Director Corporate Affairs and Govt Relations, Texas Instruments is the new Chairman BANGALORE, India, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), today announced Mr. Rajeev Khushu, Director of Corporate Affairs and Govt Relations, Texas Instruments as Chairperson of the Board of Directors & Executive Committee effective immediately. Rajeev succeeds Mr. Satya Gupta who will continue as an advisor to the board. Rajeev will be supported by Mr. Vivek Tyagi, GM (BU Head), RP Tech India as the new Vice Chairperson along with Mr. Ruchir Dixit Country Manager, Mentor Graphics serving as the new Treasurer of IESA. Rajeev has been involved with IESA for over a decade and has served as Board member of IESA in 2017 and 2018 and as Vice Chairman in 2020-21. An industry veteran in the ESDM space, Rajeev has an experience of close to three decades. He has contributed immensely in the area of 'Make in India and Design In India'. He was actively involved in setting up of Atmel sales and application team in India before joining Texas instruments in 2006. Over the last 5 years he has been involved in strategy and corporate affairs across business units, working with various govt departments like Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Defence, MoEF, and DST to name a few. Speaking about his current role at IESA, Mr. Mr. Rajeev Khushu, Chairperson, IESA said, "I am honored to be appointed as IESA Chairman. I am working with the new Executive Council and will strive to make India a preferred destination for Innovative Electronic product designs & Semiconductor Products, with globally competitive manufacturing, industry-friendly and fiscally attractive policies and best in the world talent." He further added, "Last year has been challenging but despite the pandemic the ESDM sector grew in all areas of design, manufacturing and export of ESDM products. Design ecosystem grew further in India and most of the global players are expanding their presence in India in thei design centres. Semiconductor Design and manufacturing is no longer nice to have but has become strategic because of measures taken by countries around the globe. IESA is working on multiple initiatives towards this goal, one of which is 1K-10K-100K-1000K program which aims to create 1K Electronics & Fabless Start-ups, 10K IPs and 100 K Crore of Business Value and 1000K ESDM job. IESA envisages a vibrant and inclusive ESDM eco-system with participation from every state of India and developing products & technologies which will address national and global challenges."



Welcoming the new Chairperson, the outgoing Chairperson Dr. Satya Gupta said, "IESA has made an impactful progress for over a decade and half in making India the global hub for ESDM industry by focusing on Semiconductor & Electronics products, manufacturing and R&D ecosystem. I would like to acknowledge the exceptional efforts put in by my fellow IESA Executive Council members along with the support from Government, Industry and Academia in making progress towards a robust ESDM industry. I am excited to welcome Rajeev Khushu as the new Chairperson of IESA and I am very confident that he along with the new executive council will grow the ESDM ecosystem to the next level. Rajeev having wealth of experience with the Industry and Government institutions combined with his infectious energy will help in growing the ESDM industry and achieving the goal of a $1Tn economy. I take this opportunity to wish the very best Rajeev Khushu and the IESA Executive in their efforts to continue to drive the Indian ESDM ecosystem." IESA has been instrumental in working with the central and state government to bring out favorable policies to enable Indian electronics and semiconductor sector by driving numerous initiatives to bring awareness in the policy makers and working closely with them to help the industry overcome impediments for growth. IESA has also been at the helm towards new government initiatives like 'Make in India', 'Start-up India' and 'Digital India' and has given valuable consultations to international companies who have shown interest to set-up electronics and chip designing facilities in the country. The Executive Council will continue working towards achieving the vision laid down collectively by the association member community.

The New Executive Council also includes GuruMoorthy Ganesan, Arm Embedded Technologies Pvt Ltd, Pradeep Vajram, AlphaICs India Private Limited, Venkata Simhadri, MosChip Technologies, Sunny Malhotra, Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics India Pvt. Ltd, Pradip Thaker, Marvell India Pvt Ltd, Dr Sreeram Srinivasan, Syrma Technology Private Limited, and Bhavna Sethi, Micron Technology. About IESA IESA is the premier Industry association representing India's Electronics & Semiconductor eco-system representing large MNCs, Indian Product and Services companies and Academia. It has a member base of 400+ companies and a large professional community. IESA acts as a trusted knowledge partner and advisor to the Central & State Governments in putting together policies & incentives for the growth of ESDM industry. www.iesaonline.org Press Contact: Sandeep Aurora

M: 9900399455

E: sandeep.aurora@iesaonline.org; Sunil Acharya

9845605365

E: sunil.acharya@iesaonline.org

Anindita Sarkar

M: 9108458115

E: Anindita.Sarkar@archetype.co Ambalika Dutta

M: 9007096225

E: Ambalika.Dutta@archetype.co

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[May 18, 2021] Integrity Expands Life Insurance Distribution with Acquisition of Anthony Insurance Agency

DALLAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), the nation's largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced it has acquired Anthony Insurance Agency ("Anthony Insurance"), a field marketing organization (FMO) based in Boca Raton, Florida. As part of the transaction, Eric Anthony, Sr., President of Anthony Insurance, will become a Managing Partner at Integrity. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Anthony Insurance is the most recent industry leader to join Integrity's expansive partner network. With more than two decades of sales and business experience, Eric Anthony has led the agency through rapid growth since its inception. The agency focuses on providing life insurance products to consumers nationwide. In 2021, Anthony Insurance expects to place more than $31.5 million in annual paid premium while serving more than 45,000 Americans. "Integrity is uniquely positioned to help agencies like Anthony Insurance reach their full growth potential," said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing. "Technology enablement is reshaping every aspect of the insurance industry and Integrity has created the powerful solutions that Anthony Insurance's agents need to be successful in the field. We are changing insurance for the better and Eric has caught that vision. It is so exciting to now call Eric and his team our partners at Integrity." "Anthony Insurance has been extremely successful during the past few years, but I knew we could accomplish much more with the right resources and network to guide us," explained Eric Anthony, Sr., President of Anthony Insurance. "I've watched so many industry leaders I admire join forces with Integrity. When I learned all that Integrity could offer a business like mine, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I'm honored that Anthony Insurance is now an Integrity partner  we are just getting started in what we can accomplish together." "I've watched Eric bring his incredible work ethic and commitment to helping others to this business," said Shawn Meaike, President of Family First Life and Managing Partner at Integrity. "He understands how to build a business and strengthen any team he is part of. Integrity's resources will be the powerful catalyst he needs to experience the next level of supercharged growth  we call it the 'Integrity Effect.' I'm looking forward to what the future holds for Anthony Insurance and I'm thrilled to welcome their team to the Integrity family." Anthony Insurance will enhance its growth by utilizing Integrity's technology-rich platform and resources, including CRM, data solutions, market research capabilities and a world-class advertising and marketing firm. Operations will be streamlined through Integrity's share business services, which include HR, accounting, IT and legal.



In addition, Anthony Insurance will gain access to the wealth of industry knowledge and experience shared between Integrity's fast-growing network of industry leaders and legends. They include CSG Actuarial, ThomasARTS, Deft Research, Access Capital, Brokers International and Insurance Administrative Solutions' third-party administrator, as well as Connexion Point and SeniorCare Benefits call centers. Anthony Insurance employees will also receive meaningful company ownership through the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan.

"Eric is constantly looking for ways to serve more Americans and he knew he needed a partner to achieve that goal," shared Andrew Taylor, President of Taylor Financial and Managing Partner at Integrity. "Integrity offers everything Anthony Insurance could ask for in a partner  from its technology platform to its operational services and its ever-expanding network of industry icons. With Integrity's substantial resources behind them, Anthony Insurance will be empowered to achieve even more in this marketplace." For more information about Anthony Insurance's partnership with Integrity, view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/AnthonyInsurance. About Integrity Marketing Group

Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 5,500 employees work with over 345,000 independent agents who service more than seven million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $7 billion in new premium. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com About Anthony Insurance Agency

Anthony Insurance Agency is a leading insurance agency headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. They specialize in final expense life insurance, mortgage protection, fixed indexed annuities and Medicare supplements. Anthony Insurance prides itself on empowering agents across the country to attain great success with top compensation, vested renewals, diverse product lines, innovative lead options and superior sales training. In 2021, the agency expects to place more than $31.5 million in annual paid premium while serving more than 45,000 Americans. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrity-expands-life-insurance-distribution-with-acquisition-of-anthony-insurance-agency-301293740.html SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC

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[May 18, 2021] LunaPBC Announces Joe Beery as New Chief Executive Officer

SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LunaPBC, manager of LunaDNA, a health data platform uniting people, communities, and researchers, has experienced rapid growth in adoption, as the demand from communities, researchers, and regulators for direct accounting and engagement of individual's health and lived experience increases. The Company announces new executive leadership and funding to scale its platform and services. The Company is excited to announce that Mr. Joe Beery has been named Chief Executive Officer of LunaPBC, Inc. effective today. Beery joins President and Co-founder, Dawn Barry, to lead the Company. Bob Kain, LunaPBC's Co-founder who has served as Chief Executive Officer since Company formation in 2017, will remain active with the Company in the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. "I am grateful to have had the role of CEO in building this Company," said Bob Kain. "We have created a novel business model that enables our mission to provide a shared platform for patients, communities, and researchers looking for answers to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life. I am excited to move into a new role within the Company and support Joe in his transition to CEO." Beery brings industry-leading experience in operational and commercial scaling of innovative information technology systems, having served as the Chief Information Officer for four multibillion-dollar enterprises - America West Airlines, US Airways, Life Technologies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. As CEO, Beery will draw on his expertise in strategic technology operations, digital and business transformations, cybersecurity, global M&A integrations, and disruptive innovation to grow the Company and scale LunaDNA technology. "Joe has been a force in the development of scale in many industries, including at the vanguard indigitalization of the life and health sciences industries," said Dr. Scott Kahn, LunaPBC's Chief Information and Privacy Officer. "His deep understanding of digital transformation, scientific research, and therapy development make him an ideal choice to guide the growth of Luna as we continue to empower patients as partners in health science and keep them connected with ongoing research over time."



With participation from more than 180 countries and communities advancing causes including disease-specific, public health, environmental, and emerging interests, LunaDNA technology empowers these collectives to gather a wide range of data  health records, lived-experience, disease history, genomics, and more. LunaDNA technology gives academia and industry everything they need from engagement with study participants to data analysis in compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA and across multiple modalities using a common data model. By providing privacy-protected individuals a way to continually engage, LunaDNA technology transforms the traditional patient-disconnected database into a dynamic, longitudinal discovery environment where researchers, industry, and community leaders can leverage a range of tools to surface insights and trends, study disease natural history and biomarkers, and enroll in clinical studies and trials. "In addition to Joe's outstanding business experience, he brings a deeply personal and relevant life experience having had twin children born with a rare genetic disorder that was ultimately diagnosed and treated as a result of their family's extraordinary activism for their kids," said Dawn Barry, LunaPBC's President. "Joe is also a champion for diversity and inclusion, drawing from his Hispanic heritage."

Beery's appointment coincides with the close of new funding. Key investors in this round include returning investors, ARCH Venture Partners, F-Prime Capital, and Osage University Partners. John Tishler and Jason Jones of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP acted as legal counsel for LunaPBC in the financing. The funds will be used to accelerate our goal of digitally transforming health research and include expanding the software engineering and marketing teams, increasing community onboarding-to-discovery velocity, augmenting analysis and discovery tools, and enhancing user experience to optimize participant's ability to share more health data and outcomes thus further enhancing the discovery potential. "I am honored to be part of this exciting Company and team. Luna is at the forefront of efforts to digitally integrate individuals, communities, industry, and research," said Joe Beery. "Luna's platform and services are ready to scale and drive significant value to all of our customers. From both a personal and professional perspective, I see the alignment in both technology and services that Luna provides as key in accelerating the realization of discovery and patient outcomes. We are in a wonderful position to leverage and scale the unique capabilities built by the Company founders." About LunaPBC and LunaDNA

Founded in 2017, LunaPBC is a public benefit corporation headquartered in San Diego, California. Our team, investors, and advisors are renowned in the patient-advocacy, health, and science fields. With participation from over 180 countries and communities advancing causes including disease-specific, public health, environmental, and emerging interests, LunaDNA technology empowers these collectives to gather a wide range of data  health records, lived-experience, disease history, genomics, and more  to advance research that addresses their unique health needs. LunaDNA makes discovery representative of the real world and aligned with people's true goals by giving all individuals a role in research from right where they are. For more information visit https://www.lunadna.com. Media Contact:

Genevieve Lopez

LunaPBC, Inc.

Phone: (760) 218-8333

Email: gen@lunadna.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lunapbc-announces-joe-beery-as-new-chief-executive-officer-301293976.html SOURCE LunaPBC

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[May 18, 2021] Mentor Capital Revenues Up 15% for the 1st Quarter 2021

Mentor Capital, Inc. (OTCQB: MNTR) announced in its 10-Q filing for the first quarter of 2021 that revenues increased 15% during the first quarter compared to the same quarter in 2020. Compared to one year earlier, trailing twelve-month revenues increased 14% to $5.0 million or 22 cents per share. The May 17, 2021 closing Mentor share price was 11 cents per share, corresponding to a current market capitalization of $2.5 million. Mentor CEO, Chet Billingsley, attributes the revenue changes to the combination of the business expansion and move into Texas, the waning of the COVID-19 impact on the economy, and new explorations into the crypto sector. In its 10-Q filing to the SEC (News - Alert) for the quarter ending March 31, 2021, the Company reports that Mentor had revenues of $1,320,624 and gross profit of $436,392 with a resulting net loss attributable to Mentor of ($146,923) or (0.6 cents) per share. This is a betterment over the prior-year quarter ended March 31, 2020, in which Mentor had revenues of $1,149,462 and gross profit of $385,102 with a resulting net loss attributable to Mentor of ($247,770) or (1.1 cents) per share. On February 17, 2021, Mentor received a second Paycheck Protection Program loan of $76,593 from the U.S. Small Business Administration, from which the Company may apply for forgiveness. On March 31, 2021, there were 22,850,947 Company shares or share equivalents issued and outstanding. No equity was granted to directors, insiders, consultants, or investor relations firms in the firstquarter of 2021. The Company's shares finished the quarter at a closing price of $0.165 per share, representing a market capitalization of $3,770,406 compared to a 2020 year-end closing price of $0.081 per share and a corresponding market capitalization of $1,850,927.



The Company is managed by Chairman, CEO, and director Chet Billingsley (68), who founded Mentor Capital first as an acquisition partnership in 1985. Mr. Billingsley's interest is reported at 12.43% on a fully diluted basis as of May 14, 2021, with other directors and officers holding an additional 6.71%. The Form 10-Q may be referenced through the SEC's EDGAR system at: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html or at the Company's website: www.MentorCapital.com, where additional important information for investors can be found.

About Mentor Capital: The Company seeks to come alongside and assist private companies with their founders and investors in meeting their liquidity, equity financing, and acquisition objectives. The Company is currently exploring expansion to its start in the crypto space, looking at plastics companies, expanding its existing Waste Consolidators operation into Texas, and collecting on or selling off the Company's former cannabis financings, patents, leases, and legal proceedings. This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to purchase securities. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those intended or anticipated. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006099/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Announces Changes in Operating Model for Healthcare Business Sector

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced changes in its operating model for the Healthcare business sector. Chris Round will become President of EMD Serono leading the North America Healthcare business; Andrew Paterson will assume the position of Chief Marketing Officer; and recruitment is ongoing for the position of Head of China & International. "Our redesigned Healthcare organization creates dedicated leadership for our strategic priorities with a focus on growth," said Peter Guenter, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and CEO Healthcare. "Our clear intent is to bring meaningful value to more patients with our current and future portfolio." Given the priority of North America as a driver of future growth for the Healthcare business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, dedicated leadership in this key market is essential. To this end, Chris Round will assume the role of President of EMD Serono, leading the US and Canada Healthcare business. Round has been with the organization since 2017, previously serving as Head of International and Core Franchises, and Head of EMEA. Round brings 25 years of global pharmaceutical experience to this position, including 20 years at Merck & Co., Inc. He will be based in Rockland, Massachusetts, USA. The ongoing launches of BAVENCIO (avelumab), MAVENCLAD (cladribine) tablets and TEPMETKO (tepotinib) are critical elements of the business sector's growth strategy. Global launch excellence for existingand future therapies will be led by Andrew Paterson, who will assume the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Healthcare. Paterson will lead the Speciality Franchises of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, including Oncology, Neurology & Immunology and Fertility. In addition, Paterson will lead Global Market Access & Pricing and Global Strategic Insights. Paterson brings nearly 30 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to this appointment. He previously led both North America and the Global Innovative Medicine Franchises. Paterson will also be based in Rockland.



The executive role, Head of China & International, will lead China and Japan as well as the regions Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Russia, and the franchise of Cardiovascular Metabolism & Endocrinology (CM&E). Recruitment for this position is ongoing. All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group Website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register for your online subscription of this service as our geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics. Around 58,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices - the company is everywhere. In 2020, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of  17.5 billion in 66 countries. The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark "Merck" internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company's technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005550/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Mitratech Named a Leader in the 2021 SPARK Matrix GRC Platforms Analysis

AUSTIN, Texas, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitratech, a global provider of legal and compliance software solutions, is pleased to announce that its Enterprise Compliance Suite has been ranked as a top performer and technology leader in the 2021 SPARK Matrix analysis of the global GRC platform market. "We are honored for our GRC suite of products to receive this distinction from Quadrant Knowledge Solutions." The SPARK Matrix: Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Platforms 2021 report includes a detailed analysis of global Governance, Risk, and Compliance platform market dynamics, trends, vendor landscape, and competitive positioning analysis. The study includes a ranking of the leading GRC platform vendors. This research provides information for technology vendors to better understand the market supporting their growth strategies and for users to evaluate vendors' capabilities, competitive differentiation, and market position. They used the following criteria to rank Mitratech as a leader: Product srategy and performance

Market presence

Ease of deployment and use

Customer service excellence

Unique value proposition



Quadrant Knowledge Solutions , "Mitratech Enterprise Compliance Suite (ECS) offers robust functional capabilities offering top-down visibility and oversight, while enabling organizations to enforce regulatory and corporate compliance across business and operational levels. With its strong overall performance across the parameters of technology excellence and customer impact, Mitratech is positioned amongst the technology leaders in the 2021 SPARK Matrix of GRC Platforms market." Divya further adds, "Mitratech is well recognized for delivering a strong customer ownership experience and providing enhanced ease of deployment, use, maintenance and upgrades along with enhanced efficiency to drive ROI." "We are honored for our GRC suite of products to receive this distinction from Quadrant Knowledge Solutions," said Mike Williams, CEO, Mitratech. "This industry recognition further demonstrates our success in continuing to provide innovative legal technology and compliance solutions to our customers."

The full report can be viewed here: https://mitratech.com/resource-hub/analyst-reports/2021-spark-matrix-grc-platforms-analysis About Mitratech Mitratech is a proven global technology partner for corporate legal, risk, and compliance professionals, offering a proven portfolio of end-to-end solutions that spread operational best practices throughout the enterprise, standardizing processes and accelerating time-to-value. That helps legal and governance, risk and compliance teams rise to the challenge of serving the evolving needs of the modern, dynamic enterprise. For more info, visit Mitratech.com . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mitratech-named-a-leader-in-the-2021-spark-matrix-grc-platforms-analysis-301292846.html SOURCE Mitratech Holdings Inc

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[May 18, 2021] The MolinaCares Accord Donates Over $120,000 to Ohio's Church and Community Development for All People (CD4AP)

The MolinaCares Accord ("MolinaCares"), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Ohio, donated $122,500 to Church and Community Development for All People (CD4AP) to support local programs that address issues associated with social determinants of health, including food insecurity, infant mortality, and other health disparities. "MolinaCares is honored to support programs that provide for Ohioans in need," said Carolyn Ingram, executive vice president of external affairs at Molina Healthcare. "Through MolinaCares, we can provide necessities for the community - everything from fresh produce and health education to assistance in accessing benefits to improve health outcomes." Funding will support programs including: All People's Fresh Market is the largest distributor of fresh produce in the Mid-Ohio Food Bank service area. The organization helps buid healthy communities by increasing access to fresh food and engages individuals and families in healthy living activities. The organization distributed 3.5 million pounds of food to over 5,000 residents per week in 2020. Thrive to 5 is an initiative that supports families with healthy pregnancies and those with young children. The program connects families to resources like developmental screenings, immunizations, preschool, utility assistance, diapers, and First Birthday Celebrations. Participating families also have access to the Moms2B program, which provides weekly education and support classes for high-risk pregnant women. ID's for All People supports individuals in obtaining needed documents such as Ohio birth certificates or to renew their state ID or driver's license. Obtaining proper identification helps residents address a primary barrier to accessing federal and state benefits, as well as opportunities and resources impacting education, income, health, home, and security.



"We are grateful to have Molina as a partner in our work," said Rev. John Edgar at Church and Community Development for All People. "Thanks to their years of support, we continue to transform the South Side into a sustainable, mixed-income community where all people can live, work and thrive. We look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come."

About MolinaCares Accord Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005313/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 03:38:59|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians said Monday that 208 people were killed and at least 1,500 injured in a week of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 198 people died - including 58 children - and 1,300 injured in seven days of bombardments by Israel, ending at noon local time. Israel reported 10 people killed and hundreds more injured by Palestinian rocket attacks launched from Gaza, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Concentrating its report on the toll to Palestinians, the humanitarians said more than 42,000 displaced people are seeking protection in 50 schools across Gaza operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA.

Citing the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing, OCHA reported 94 buildings destroyed and 285 housing units severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable. The humanitarian partner Shelter Cluster reported more than 2,500 people homeless.

Damaged structures include 41 education facilities, including schools, two kindergartens, a UNRWA vocational training center, the Ministry of Education directorate and a higher education facility, the world organization said. Additionally, four Ministry of Health hospitals, two non-governmental hospitals, two clinics, a health center and a Palestine Red Crescent Society also were damaged.

Electricity across Gaza is down to six to eight hours a day, on average, with some feeder lines not functioning, disrupting the provision of health care and other essential services, including water, hygiene and sanitation, OCHA said. Food and cash support needs are increasing.

The United Nations and humanitarian partners provide food and non-food items to displaced families in Gaza and immediate cash assistance to more than 52,000 people.

They also provide remote psychosocial counseling sessions for the traumatized, increase awareness about the heightened risk of explosive remnants of war and assess property damage.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that some recent Israeli airstrikes, particularly on high-rise buildings, are raising concerns of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks under international humanitarian law. Likewise, the launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighborhoods in Gaza into civilian population centers in Israel also may be unlawful.

In the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, widespread demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces broke out in multiple locations in commemoration of Nakba Day on Saturday, OCHA said. Two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces. Another boy died after having been shot four days previously in Hebron by Israeli forces. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Mountain Valley MD Receives Successful Results From BSL-4 COVID-19 Clearance Trial on Three Variants Tested With Ivectosol

TORONTO, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc. (the Company or MVMD) (CSE: MVMD) (FRA:20MP) is pleased to announce it has received its third-party Bio Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab study results from its recent COVID-19 viral clearance study conducted with its solubilized Ivermectin technology - Ivectosol.

Study Results A single dose of 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of Ivectosol was effective at interfering with viral replication and driving viral clearance of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant.

Tests done in vitro showed the same antiviral effect at 5uM Ivectosol concentration after 24 hours and again after 48 hours against all three COVID-19 variants tested - the original B.1.1.7 variant, the South African B.1.351 variant, and the P.1 Brazil variant. This is the validation of our Ivectosol technology that we were looking for in its direct application to stop the replication of the targeted COVID-19 variants, stated Dennis Hancock, President and CEO of Mountain Valley MD. Knowing that Ivectosol has viral clearance effect on the three targeted variants we tested in the strictest lab environment in the world provides us with the confidence to pursue immediate human applications. We plan to progress quickly into phase one human trials to support our vision for broad adoption and to also provide necessary and urgent support for the most disadvantaged communities globally. The BSL-4 study was the first of its kind ever conducted with human grade solubilized Ivermectin anywhere in the world. This was also the worlds first to study to conduct in vitro replication on all three COVID-19 variants studied. The study was conducted in a Bio Safety Level 4 facility where laboratories are designed for diagnostic work and research on easily acquired respiratory viruses that can often cause severe or fatal disease. To assess the Companys Ivectosol performance, transgenic mice were modified with human ACE2 receptors and then dosed by aerosolization with COVID-19. After five days, the subject mice were dosed with ascending therapeutic doses of Ivectosol as intramuscular injection. The Company will immediately pursue a combined pharmacokinetic and phase one human trial to verify the efficacy of Ivectosol sublingual wafers in COVID-19 infected patients. The new human studies are anticipated to include the triple-mutant India variant B.1.617, and will determine overall efficacy, speed of viral clearance and safety levels of the Ivermectin drug in the Companys Ivectosol formulation. The study design was led by the Companys key scientific advisor, Dr. John Clements. Dr. Clements is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine and has over 35 years of experience in vaccine, immunology and infectious diseases research and development, with a distinguished scientific career focused on developing and evaluating vaccines for a wide range of infectious diseases globally. The Companys previously completed pre-clinical trial work with a third-party Contract Research Organization tested solubilized Ivermectin via both an intramuscula injection and applied to rapid dissolve oral strips with the Companys patented Quicksome desiccated liposome technology compared to existing oral and subcutaneous injection solutions. The results demonstrated that the Companys patented Quicksol solubilized Ivermectin offered superior pharmacokinetic performance across every single measure conducted, with no adverse side effects using up to 1/8th of the Ivermectin drug  a critical component that enables applications to use less of the Ivermectin drug while driving faster viral clearance.



Consistent with MVMDs previous pre-clinical trials on dose sparing, we can now pursue a meaningful reduction in the required Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Ivermectin in human applications with consistent effect, stated Mike Farber, Director of Life Sciences. Using less of the Ivermectin drug and enabling its delivery in novel rapid dissolve sublingual tablets and human injectable forms offers significant advantages in cost and efficacy. Even eliminating the need for water for consumption of MVMDs sublingual Ivectosol we believe will be an important element in targeted third world countries where water supply can be as equally difficult to access as compared to expensive vaccines. MVMDs solubility technology applied to the Ivermectin drug is the only form in the world that uses strictly excipients that are currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it a leading candidate for human injection and sublingual applications as well as significantly broader husbandry and companion animal treatments based on its low viscosity.

The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its technology or product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time. ABOUT MOUNTAIN VALLEY MD HOLDINGS INC

Mountain Valley MD is building a world-class biotech and life sciences company organization centred around the implementation of its patented Quicksome oral drug formulation and delivery technologies and its Quicksol solubilization technology for macrocyclic lactones, to innovate industry leading products that are sought out globally. MVMDs proposition for delivering Quicksome formulations that have rapid onset, high bioavailability, low variability and precision dosing is core to the Companys success across key health and wellness categories. Consistent with its vision towards Helping People Live Their Best Life, MVMD applies its Quicksome and Quicksol technologies to its ground-breaking work for advanced delivery of vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs as well as the development of products for pain management, weight loss, energy, focus, sleep, anxiety, and more. The Companys patented Quicksome desiccation technology utilizes advanced liposomes and other stabilizing molecules to encapsulate and formulate active ingredients into highly efficient product formats that are consumed orally. The result is a new generation of product formulations that are capable of delivering vaccines, drugs and nutraceuticals into the body faster, with greater impact, efficiency and accuracy. The Companys patented Quicksol solubilization technology covers all highly solubilized macrocyclic lactones (including the drugs Ivermectin and Selamectin). MVMDs solubility technology applied to the Ivermectin drug is the only form in the world that only uses excipients that are currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it a leading candidate for human injection and sublingual applications as well as significantly broader husbandry and companion animal treatments based on its low viscosity. For more Company information and contact details, visit www.mountainvalleymd.com. SOURCE: Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company is making forward-looking statements, including but not limited to its forthcoming phase I human trials, over which outcomes it will have no direct control, and the implications of the acceptance of Ivectosol for use in the treatment of COVID-19, including variants, or otherwise. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

For further information: Dennis Hancock President and Chief Executive Officer Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc. Telephone: 647-725-9755 Email: dennis@mountainvalleymd.com www.mountainvalleymd.com

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[May 18, 2021] Ogury Appoints Christophe Parcot as Chief Operating Officer

NEW YORK and PARIS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ogury , a global technology leader in mobile brand advertising, announced today the appointment of Christophe Parcot as Chief Operating Officer. In this role Parcot will report to CEO and co-founder Thomas Pasquet and be responsible for scaling and accelerating the organization's global footprint, while also expanding its inventory to new partners and channels. "As we are accelerating our growth with the launch of AI powered personified advertising, we are excited to bring on board such a seasoned executive with strong talent and experience in developing successful growth strategies for tech companies," said Thomas Pasquet, CEO, Ogury. "Christophe is a strong operator, deeply connected to the start-up ecosystem in both London and Paris and is passionate about digital transformation. Ogury is perfectly positioned to onboard such an experience executive, especially as we continue to differentiate our place in the ever-changing adtech market."



Christophe is originally from France, where he began his career at Largardere in the distribution branch in Canada. In 1996 he joined the LVMH group's holding as Group Management controller of the Selective Retail Division then Investment Manager at Europ@web. He co-founded Liberty Surf free ISP in 1999 and led the IPO process in 2000 before being appointed Director of Strategy and Development of Tiscali France. After launching Overture Search Marketing in Southern Europe and becoming VP EMEA at Yahoo!, Parcot joined the adtech company Teads, which sold to Altice, as Chief Operating Officer in 2014. Most recently, from 2017-2020 Parcot acted as Chief Revenue Officer of Solocal (formerly Yellow Pages) and created the consulting company Sixt 5 Partners. Parcot serves as a board member, senior advisor and investor of several tech companies and startups and graduated from ESSEC Master in Management. "I am proud to join Ogury's talented team to help lead company growth and to scale the business globally," said Christophe Parcot, COO, Ogury. "The adtech industry is quickly moving towards a privacy first, ID-less and cookie-less world. Ogury's vision of personified targeting, delivering precise and sustainable digital advertising, anchored in consumer privacy protection, is one that I believe will change the future of this new digital advertising age."

About Ogury Ogury, the Personified Advertising company, has created a breakthrough advertising engine that delivers precision, sustainability and privacy protection within one technology stack, built and optimized for mobile. Advertisers working with Ogury benefit from fully visible impactful ads, future-proof targeting and unwavering protection. Publishers enjoy the rewards of a respectful user-experience, incremental revenues and premium demand with Ogury's solutions. Founded in 2014, Ogury is a global organization with 350+ employees, including 100 engineers across 11 countries. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ogury-appoints-christophe-parcot-as-chief-operating-officer-301292949.html SOURCE Ogury LTD

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[May 18, 2021] ReachOut Technology Remains Bullish on Infrastructure and Cybersecurity; Seeks to Acquire 75 Managed IT Service Providers in 2021

CHICAGO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent months, it seems that nearly everyone knows someone or has personally been victim to the growing number of data breaches across big tech, international retailers, and all levels of government. According to Pew Research, 64 percent of Americans have an online account involving health, financial or other sensitive data and nearly two-thirds of those have experienced some form of data theft. At a broader level, roughly half (49%) of all Americans feel their personal information is less secure than it was five years ago and a full 70% of Americans expect that the U.S. will experience a significant cyberattack on its public infrastructure in the next five years.1 As businesses and governments seek to secure their data so they do not fall victim to this growing trend, ReachOut Technology Co has emerged as a dual local-and-national solution for businesses of all sizes operating in the U.S. National companies with local brick-and-mortar locations rely on ReachOut Technology Co to provide services for their online, on-site, and national headquarters, and appreciate the convenience of a company flexible enough to handle the systems from top to bottom. Additionally, other cybersecurity and IT firms white label their services for clients across the world. In recent years, ReachOut Technology has quietly been acquiring local Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and private security companies across the U.S. Founder and CEO Rick Jordan has committed to a goal of actively acquiring 75 in the next 24 months. Jordan has plans to take the company public in 2021, creating even more opportunities for small to midsized companies to thrive under the ReachOut Technology umbrella.



A pioneer in the IT space, Jordan's focus is to be even more agile and stay ahead of new threats while cementing its leadership position in the cybersecurity industry. "We determined this premium opportunity and partnership, including all-cash offers, would create immediate and certain value for business owners and shareholders, and help us achieve our operational and market ambitions more quickly for the benefit of our customers," says Jordan.

ReachOut Technology Co continues to actively review all submissions from companies seeking to be acquired. To submit a proposal or open a dialogue, contact Ashley Kedra below. Rick Jordan hosts a weekly podcast called All In, available on all podcast streaming platforms. Contact Ashley Kedra below or complete the intake form for appearance requests. Jordan is available for live and virtual interviews. Contact: Live Speaking Opportunities: Charlie Fusco, charlie@TGCWorldwide.com, (609) 254-6871

Investment and All Other Opportunities: Ashley Kedra, ashley@rickjordan.tv About Rick Jordan

Rick Jordan enjoys a healthy mix of adventure, risk, and opportunity. A Chicago native, Rick founded his company ReachOut Technology to solve a problem for small to midsized Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that are too small to scale or have capped in their markets. 1: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/01/26/1-americans-experiences-with-data-security/ View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reachout-technology-remains-bullish-on-infrastructure-and-cybersecurity-seeks-to-acquire-75-managed-it-service-providers-in-2021-301293642.html SOURCE ReachOut Technology

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[May 18, 2021] Relativity Highlights EMEA Growth and Unveils Product Updates at Relativity Fest London

Relativity announces SaaS solution availability in Ireland and UAE, and previews collaboration data and AI product updates LONDON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal and compliance technology company, today announced at Relativity Fest London that its secure, integrated suite cloud platform RelativityOne and its communication surveillance platform, Relativity Trace will be available in Ireland and the United Arab Emirates in Q3. RelativityOne is the most globally available SaaS platform in e-discovery and communication surveillance  by end of year it will be available in 13 geographies. At last year's Relativity Fest London, the company announced RelativityOne would be hosted in Germany and Switzerland and during today's keynote, Relativity shared it will further strengthen its EMEA presence with plans to add a team in Germany. The global expansion coincides with RelativityOne's increased usage in the region. Since Relativity Fest London 2020, data under management in EMEA grew 98% and in March RelativityOne reached peak daily users in the region. "As Relativity continues to grow globally, we're committed to driving our EMEA presence forward with the expansion of our RelativityOne footprint and addition of our new Germany team, who will bring unmatched expertise on local market requirements and ultimately best serve our customers' unique needs," said Steve Couling, Managing Director and Vice President of Sales at Relativity. "With increased importance placed on global availability, we continue to take steps to ensure customers of all types around the world can grow and operate effectively." RelativityOne client BDO, a professional services firm providing assurance, tax and advisory services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies, recently leveraged the datacenter in Germany to cement BDO Germany as the hub of their EMEA operations. With a presence in more than 160 countries and territories, global availability is crucial to BDO's e-discovery strategy. "Based in Germany, we have clients across the globe and over the last five years we strategically focused on expansion of our services to support and align with our global clients," said Steffen Idler, Senior Manager of Forensic, Risk and Compliance at BDO Germany. "For our team in EMEA, we needed a solution that was flexible and scalable, and empowered us to handle critical client requests on a moment's notice. With RelativityOne we are processing and hosting data in a secure platform that delivers the efficiency we need to best serve our clients' global needs." Key Investments in Next-Generation Features for the Future of Work

During today's opening keyote, Relativity also shared investments it's making in its products' next-generation legal and compliance features to account for the evolving, increasingly collaborative nature of work:



Accelerating Collections: Beginning in Q3, customers will be able to seamlessly run targeted and defensible collection from Microsoft Teams in RelativityOne Collect. This expands upon capabilities to collect from Outlook email, OneDrive, Slack and Google Workspace (currently in beta). With the recent acquisition of data management software company, VerQu, Relativity is accelerating its ability to collect from a rich array of cloud data sources, targeting 15 by end of year and over 50 in the years ahead, including additional chat and collaboration platforms, enterprise archives and more.

Beginning in Q3, customers will be able to seamlessly run targeted and defensible collection from Microsoft Teams in RelativityOne Collect. This expands upon capabilities to collect from Outlook email, OneDrive, Slack and Google Workspace (currently in beta). With the recent acquisition of data management software company, VerQu, Relativity is accelerating its ability to collect from a rich array of cloud data sources, targeting 15 by end of year and over 50 in the years ahead, including additional chat and collaboration platforms, enterprise archives and more. Relativity Short Message Format (RSMF) Enhancements: In June, Relativity is enhancing the RSMF user experience to include read receipts and direction based on custodian, more mobile collection meta data and a streamlined experience when interacting with RSMF throughout the platform. Later in 2021, Relativity will also introduce short message slicing, which will allow customers to drill into the participants, timeframe or individual messages to select only the most relevant for production.

In June, Relativity is enhancing the RSMF user experience to include read receipts and direction based on custodian, more mobile collection meta data and a streamlined experience when interacting with RSMF throughout the platform. Later in 2021, Relativity will also introduce short message slicing, which will allow customers to drill into the participants, timeframe or individual messages to select only the most relevant for production. Cross-Collaboration with RelativityOne Connect: Launched in March, RelativityOne Connect enables collaboration across the Relativity community by allowing customers to use a single identity to access any RelativityOne workspace or instance at no additional cost. Now, RelativityOne identities can travel with individuals so no matter where they're providing legal expertise or supporting matters, even new locations or instances, teams are working as securely as possible.

Launched in March, RelativityOne Connect enables collaboration across the Relativity community by allowing customers to use a single identity to access any RelativityOne workspace or instance at no additional cost. Now, RelativityOne identities can travel with individuals so no matter where they're providing legal expertise or supporting matters, even new locations or instances, teams are working as securely as possible. Reducing Risk with RelativityOne Redact: This March, Relativity launched RelativityOne Redact  the world's most comprehensive redaction solution. The solution offering automated image and native redactions is embedded into the simply powerful user experience with Aero UI and available as a standard feature at no additional cost. In the short time the feature has been available, Relativity customers around the globe created nearly 40 million redactions and highlights on over 175,000 documents. "As data volumes skyrocket, the shape of data changes and teams move more work in-house, it's critical that our customers are able to automate and streamline processes and gain insights quickly," said Chris Brown, Chief Product Officer at Relativity. "Not only did we anticipate this change in the shape of data, but we've been actively investing in next-generation legal and compliance features to power the discovery of truth in these datasets in the years ahead." Leveraging AI to Find the Signal in the Noise

Data is growing and challenges brought on by Europe's new GDPR framework, data breaches and complicated mergers are becoming increasingly prevalent and complex making it more important than ever to focus reviews and uncover insights quickly and easily. Relativity's AI enables users to tackle challenges in compliance, investigations and e-discovery and reduces review time by up to 99%. Today, Relativity announced plans to further develop its AI capabilities in RelativityOne and Relativity Trace:

RelativityOne AI Enhancements: Later this year, Conceptual Analytics and Active Learning will be added to automated workflows, creating a user experience where a new workspace is created, documents are uploaded, data is deduped, visualizations are displayed and Active Learning is ready to go with one click. Additionally, integrated document translation capabilities with Microsoft Cognitive Services will be added as well as investigative capabilities that will allow users to better understand people and their emotions within their dataset.

Later this year, Conceptual Analytics and Active Learning will be added to automated workflows, creating a user experience where a new workspace is created, documents are uploaded, data is deduped, visualizations are displayed and Active Learning is ready to go with one click. Additionally, integrated document translation capabilities with Microsoft Cognitive Services will be added as well as investigative capabilities that will allow users to better understand people and their emotions within their dataset. Relativity Trace AI Enhancements: Relativity Trace is innovating across its already robust AI and machine learning toolset to further streamline compliance monitoring practices. In April, three new features were introduced that leverage structured enterprise data to create new insights and cover organizational risk more holistically:

Relativity Trace is innovating across its already robust AI and machine learning toolset to further streamline compliance monitoring practices. In April, three new features were introduced that leverage structured enterprise data to create new insights and cover organizational risk more holistically: Control Room Surveillance : integrates with restricted lists, insider lists, grey lists, watchlist and wall crossing lists managed by Control Room teams and uses this data to automatically alert on breaches of defined information barriers, or the inappropriate sharing of material non-public information, or violations of trading restrictions. By automatically correlating this auxiliary data, compliance teams can expose new risks without adding manual overhead.

: integrates with restricted lists, insider lists, grey lists, watchlist and wall crossing lists managed by Control Room teams and uses this data to automatically alert on breaches of defined information barriers, or the inappropriate sharing of material non-public information, or violations of trading restrictions. By automatically correlating this auxiliary data, compliance teams can expose new risks without adding manual overhead.

Trade Reconstruction: integrates trade data from order management, transaction capture or trade surveillance systems and automatically links trades to their related communications. By bringing structured trade data together with unstructured communication data, compliance teams can respond faster and with more confidence to trade reconstruction requests from regulators.

integrates trade data from order management, transaction capture or trade surveillance systems and automatically links trades to their related communications. By bringing structured trade data together with unstructured communication data, compliance teams can respond faster and with more confidence to trade reconstruction requests from regulators.

Dynamic Rules: these alerting policies are entirely extendable and adapt as integrated structured data changes. Dynamic Rules opens the door for the entire community to use comprehensive data and AI to alert on risk in an evolving organization. Attend Relativity Fest London to Learn More

Relativity Fest London is a free, virtual event taking place 18-19 May. The annual region-focused conference is designed to educate and connect the e-discovery and compliance communities. It's not too late to register. Check out the full agenda here. Sessions will be available on-demand to registrants following the event. About Relativity

Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS platform RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance platform, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behaviour. Relativity has more than 300,000 annual users in 49+ countries serving thousands of organisations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information. Media Contact

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[May 18, 2021] Remitly Appoints Vishal Ghotge as Executive Vice President, North America

Remitly, the mobile-first provider of remittances and financial services for immigrants, today announced that Vishal Ghotge has joined the company as its Executive Vice President, North America. Ghotge brings to Remitly nearly two decades of experience working in the technology industry, including more than 15 years leading product growth initiatives at tech giants Microsoft (News - Alert) and Groupon. In his new role with Remitly, Ghotge will drive the company's customer-focused product vision and roadmap for North America, reporting directly to Co-Founder and CEO Matt Oppenheimer. Immediately prior to joining Remitly, Ghotge served as Chief Product Officer at compensation software company PayScale, where he was responsible for overseeing the product strategy, user experience and technology for the entirety of the company's product portfolio. "Vishal brings a unique skill set that will propel Remitly's product vision amid the market's accelerated shift to digital financial services," said Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer. "We've proven that we can develop modern technology that is trusted by millions of customers, and with Vishal's leadership, we look forward to continuously improving an delivering superior products to even more customers around the globe."



"As an immigrant myself, Remitly's mission to make financial services more accessible for underserved communities deeply resonates with me," said Vishal Ghotge, Executive Vice President, North America, Remitly. "Staying true to this mission is what has enabled Remitly's success, a rare and special feat for any business. I'm thrilled to join this talented team on the journey, and I look forward to working together to improve and build products that serve our customers and continue to drive the company's growth." Ghotge holds a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, and a bachelor's in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai, India.

For more information about Remitly, visit remitly.com. About Remitly Founded initially to disrupt the nearly $600 billion global remittance industry, Remitly's vision is to transform the lives of millions of immigrants and their families with the most trusted financial services products in the world. The mobile-first provider of remittances and financial services for immigrants, Remitly makes international money transfers faster, easier, more transparent and more affordable through its global network. Remitly's reliable and easy-to-use mobile app eliminates the long wait times, complexities and fees typical of traditional remittance processes, returning millions of dollars in savings and spending power to immigrants every year. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Seattle, Remitly is backed by more than a dozen industry-leading investors, including Generation Investment Management, Stripes Group, Naspers (News - Alert) PayU and Bezos Expeditions. Remitly operates from numerous offices around the world, in cities including London, Krakow, Manila and Managua. For more information, visit Remitly.com and Passbook.app. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005244/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Robotic Assistance Devices Announces ROSA270

Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions (News - Alert) , Inc. (OTCPK:AITX), today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc. (RAD) has released a new member of its popular ROSA product family, ROSA270. This new solution, shipping in June, 2021, adds an entirely new dimension to autonomous video surveillance and response - literally, a new dimension of an additional 90 viewing area via one additional camera. There are a total of three cameras on ROSA270, each mounted on the unit's underside for optimum visibility. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005426/en/ RAD announces ROSA270, a breakthrough in autonomous security devices (Photo: Business Wire) "Our culture at RAD is to continuously improve," Steve Reinharz, Founder and President of RAD. "The clients using RAD hardware and software day in and day out are a great source of ideas and we work hard to listen to our customers and make improvements they will find valuable." In the past year alone, RAD has updated all existing products, plus introduced ROAMEO, AVA, Wally HSO, SCOT 2.0, ROSA180, and now ROSA270. "We are dedicated to our customers' success. New developments such as ROSA270 is just one example of how we empower our customers to achieve their goals to increase their security profile while cutting costs," said Reinharz. ROSA270 (Responsive Observation Security Agent) is an ultra-compact, self-contained, security and communication solution that can be deployed in as little as 15 minutes. Its AI-driven security systems include human and vehicle detection, license plate recognition, responsive digital signage and audio messaging, and complete integration with RAD's software suite notification and response library. Two-way communication is optimized for cellular, including live video from ROSA270's triple high-resolution, full-color, always-on cameras. ROSA270 is designed to be deployed at the corner of any building. Often used to identify and deter trespassing and loitering, ROSA270's continually active analytics - all built-in - create an alert based on the end-users' particular needs. An internal countdown timer is created upon detecting a human in the field of view, and if the identified people remain in view of the device beyond a pre-determind time, an alarm and alert is self-activated. Furthermore, an on-duty guard or remote monitoring officer would be notified of the incident and then could visually identify these suspicious individuals. Once identified, the guard could initiate an audio announcement through the device notifying them that they must leave, or the property would take appropriate further actions.



Requiring only standard AC power, ROSA270 connects to the cloud and enables two-way communication via an optimized cellular connection, including live video from the unit's triple high-resolution, full-color, always-on cameras. Allowing for both friendly, welcoming messages and responses meant to thwart trespassing, theft and unwelcome visitors, ROSA270 will protect and serve your property 24/7. RAD has recently published two case studies describing how the original ROSA has helped eliminate instances of trespassing, theft, and vagrancy at construction sites across Florida and car rental locations in southern California.

Follow Steve Reinharz on Twitter (News - Alert) @SteveReinharz for future RAD and AITX updates. Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD) is a high-tech start-up that delivers robotics and artificial intelligence-based solutions that empower organizations to gain new insight, solve complex security challenges, and fuel new business ideas at reduced costs. RAD developed its advanced security robot technology from the ground up including circuit board design, and base code development. This allows RAD to have complete control over all of design elements, performance, quality and the user's experience of all security robots whether SCOT, ROSA, Wally, Wally HSO, AVA, or ROAMEO. Read about how RAD is reinventing the security services industry by downloading the Autonomous Remote Services Industry Manifesto. CAUTIONARY DISCLOSURE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this news release other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" that are based on current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the ability of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions to provide for its obligations, to provide working capital needs from operating revenues, to obtain additional financing needed for any future acquisitions, to meet competitive challenges and technological changes, to meet business and financial goals including projections and forecasts, and other risks. Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement(s) and/or to confirm the statement(s) to actual results or changes in Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions expectations. About Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions (AITX) AITX is an innovator in the delivery of artificial intelligence-based solutions that empower organizations to gain new insight, solve complex challenges and fuel new business ideas. Through its next-generation robotic product offerings, AITX's RAD and RAD-M companies help organizations streamline operations, increase ROI and strengthen business. AITX technology improves the simplicity and economics of patrolling and guard services, and allows experienced personnel to focus on more strategic tasks. Customers augment the capabilities of existing staffs and gain higher levels of situational awareness, all at drastically reduced cost. AITX solutions are well suited for use in multiple industries such as enterprises, government, transportation, critical infrastructure, education and healthcare. To learn more, visit www.aitx.ai and www.roboticassistancedevices.com, or follow Steve Reinharz on Twitter @SteveReinharz. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005426/en/

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[May 18, 2021] SOS Ltd. Launches 6,039 Mining Rigs as it Scales Up Cryptomining Operations

QINGDAO, China, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SOS Limited (NYSE: SOS) (the "Company" or "SOS") announced today that 6,039 mining rigs received over the past month have all been put into operation, including a batch of 575 Ethereum (ETH) mining rigs received on May 7, 2021, and another batch of 5,464 rigs from the third and final installation of our rig purchase received in April. The 575 ETH rigs are expected to generate approximately 400 GH/s and the 5,464 rigs are expected to generate an aggregate of approximately 177 PH/s for mining Bitcoin (BTC) and 356 GH/s for mining ETH. Currently, across all mining fleet operations, SOS' total capacity is expected to generate approximately 527 PH/s for mining BTC and 1,456 GH/s for mining ETH. SOS currently gets over 90% of its energy for mining operations from renewable sources. If the mining operations perform as expected and the long-term price trends of applicable cryptocurrencies continue, the return on investment (ROI) is projected to be promising. These hash rates are subject to numerous factors, including down time for maintenance, reconfiguration and other variable factors that may materially impact computing performance in the future. Mr. Yandai Wang, CEO of SOS, commented, "With the completion of Phase I of the Leibodong mine and continued expansion of our mining fleet, we are pleased with the progress on our digital currency business plan, based on blockchain technology. The launch of our mining business has provided valuable experience to our team, and is expected to be an important driver of growth in 2021 and beyond." About SOS Limited SOS is an emerging marketing and solution provider based on blockchain and big data drive. It has about 20 million members in China. In July 2020, the headquarters of SOS moved from Gui'an new area to Qingdao West Coast new area. Recently, SOS has outlined its strategy in blockchain and cryptocurrency, including a series of measures to expand its business to cryptocurrency mining, cryptocurrency security and insurance and digital asset exchange. The core infrastructure of SOS' marketing data, technology and solutions to insurance and emergency rescue services is built on big data, blockchain-based technology, cloud computing, AI, satellite, and 5G network, etc. SOS has created a cloud "software as a service (SaaS)" platform for emergency rescue services, with three major product categories: basic cloud, cooperative cloud, and information clud. This system provides innovative marketing solutions to clients such as insurance companies, financial institutions, medical institutions, healthcare providers, auto manufacturers, security providers, senior living assistance providers, and other service providers in the emergency rescue services industry.



SOS has obtained a national high-tech enterprise certification and the title of "Big Data Star Enterprise," awarded by Gui'an New District Government. Staying on the forefront of digital technology innovation, the Company has registered 99 software copyrights and 3 patents. For more information, please visit: http://www.sosyun.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, our expectations for future financial performance, business strategies or expectations for our business. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. SOS cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Words such as "may," "can," "should," "will," "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "look" or similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Specifically, forward-looking statements may include statements relating to the Company's: expected hash rate for its mining rigs;

expected mining results for the second quarter of 2021;

intention to grow and install more mining rigs;

ability to execute its business plan;

changes in the market for SOS' products and services; and

expansion plans and opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and our management's current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but not are limited to, the risk factors described by SOS in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this press release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from historical performance and include, but are not limited to: SOS's cryptocurrency mining, security and insurance businesses are still under development, with many uncertainties in research of relevant technologies; failure to access a large quantity of power at reasonable costs could significantly increase SOS operating expenses and adversely affect our demand for SOS's mining machines;

shortages in, or rises in the prices of mining machines may adversely affect the Company's business;

any significant or prolonged failure in the data warehouse facilities and data mining facilities that SOS operates or services it provides, including events beyond its control, would lead to significant costs and disruptions and would reduce the attractiveness of its facilities, harm its business reputation and have a material adverse effect on its results of operation;

security breaches or alleged security breaches of our data warehouses could disrupt SOS operations and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operation; and

Chinese government's policies and regulatory oversight of crypto currency mining operation;

other risks and uncertainties indicated in SOS's SEC reports or documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by SOS. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements in deciding whether to invest in our securities. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sos-ltd-launches-6-039-mining-rigs-as-it-scales-up-cryptomining-operations-301293345.html SOURCE SOS Limited

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[May 18, 2021] State of Michigan extends partnership with CGI

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www.cgi.com/newsroom State to leverage CGI's Advantage ERP cloud platform under new 10-year agreement FAIRFAX, VA., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) announced it has been selected earlier this fiscal year by the State of Michigan for the ongoing transformation of SIGMA (Statewide Integrated Governmental Management Applications), the state's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. CGI will continue to enhance SIGMA with capabilities from CGI Advantage, an integrated ERP platform featuring a mobile-first design and hosted on the CGI Advantage Cloud. Under the contract, the SIGMA platform will be transformed with an intuitive and responsive user experience with seamlessly embedded advanced analytics to facilitate data-driven decision making. "Working alongside our dedicated and knowledgeable CGI partners, we have continued to evolve SIGMA as a force for government transformation and long-term savings for the state," said Ruth Schwartz of the State of Michigan. "In addition to provding a highly-effective platform with CGI Advantage, CGI's deep public sector expertise fosters innovation and collaboration within its large client community."



CGI Advantage is built for complex government requirements, reducing risk and total cost of ownership, and has an unparalleled industry track record supporting hundreds of thousands of government users and stakeholders. SIGMA was deployed in partnership with CGI to eliminate complex and disparate systems by providing a unified end-to-end solution for accounting, financial reporting, procurement, performance budgeting, cost allocation, debt management, asset and inventory management, and employee timekeeping, leave and labor distribution functions. It replaced more than 60 outdated systems, including several 25-year-old statewide systems and numerous others supporting individual agencies. SIGMA today is used by nearly 50,000 public employees and 200,000 vendors and payees doing business with the state. On a monthly basis, SIGMA issues over 600,000 on-time payments totalling over $5.2 billion dollars.

"Our partnership with the State of Michigan continues to enhance and strengthen a system that is providing unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability for state business operations," said Tim Hurlebaus, CGI President of U.S. Commercial and State Government Operations. "We are proud to support the ongoing digital transformation of Michigan's budgeting, financial and procurement systems in support of a 21st-century, citizen-centric government." About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 77,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-of-michigan-extends-partnership-with-cgi-301293062.html SOURCE CGI Inc.

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[May 18, 2021] Suning's rural retailer Retail Cloud opened 9,000 stores nationwide to form a new retail layout in county market

NANJING, China, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Suning.com (002024.SZ), China's leading smart retail service provider and a Fortune Global 500 company owned by Suning Group, today announced its Retail Cloud (Ling Shou Yun) subsidiary completed 9,000 stores opened nationwide. The 9,000th retail cloud store is located in Chongqing, the southwestern metropolitan. Suning plans to open another 600 retail cloud stores to reach a total of 2000 stores in southwestern China. Officially launched in July 2017, Retail Cloud is an important business sector that aims to help micro and small business merchants thrive in lower-tier cities and county-level markets in China. With the franchise model, Suning Retail Cloud leverages Suning.com's retail capabilities and deep industry know-how, especially in logistics, warehouse, supply chain and technology innovations, to help micro and small merchants in county-level markets easily start a business. After more than three years of rapid growth, Suning Retail Cloud has now partnered with more than 1,800 brands to better penetrate the lower-tier markets. It serves more than 200 million users both online and offline, and operates more than 10,000 communities. In the meantim, Suning Retail Cloud stores could easily capture the consumer demand in the county and township market, helping brands to better manufacture products based on market demands, thus easy to sell.



Apart from the home appliance and 3C products, Suning Retail Cloud has also tapped into opportunities in the home furnishing market in counties and towns, and duplicated the successful experience from home appliance stores in the home furnishing field. In March 2021, the first retail cloud furniture store opened in Jiangsu Province. "Home appliances and home furnishing businesses can bring more choices for customers, thus increase the sales while attracting more customers. I believe that is the big advantage of Suning Retail Cloud," said Bi Bo, a retail cloud franchisee who owns the 9,000th retail cloud store. Bi has accumulated rich experience in store management and staff training in the past 15 years and thus witnessed the ups and downs of traditional home appliance industry. "The single-handed model of doing business no longer works. What we are competing is the comprehensive user experience brought by brand, management, after-sale services including logistics and others," Bi added.

Gu Wei, Senior Vice President of Suning.com, said that in three years of rapid development, Retail Cloud has always worked closely with partners to grow together and achieve win-win. By reorganizing and integrating resources in the upstream and downstream of the entire industry value chain, Retail Cloud has built a modern business circulation system in counties and towns that takes into account both quality and efficiency. As of the end of 2020, Suning Retail Cloud has opened a total of 8,000 stores, with annual sales exceeding 20 billion yuan. In the first quarter of 2021, Retail Cloud continued to develop with the opening of another 584 stores, and the sales scale increased by 69% year-on-year. On April 12, Retail Cloud announced that it has completed series A financing. CPE China Fund and ADV partners participated in the investment. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunings-rural-retailer-retail-cloud-opened-9-000-stores-nationwide-to-form-a-new-retail-layout-in-county-market-301293367.html SOURCE Suning Group

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[May 18, 2021] Technology + Art: WeChat Welcomes Van Gogh Museum with Deepened Cooperation on International Museum's Day

GUANGZHOU, China, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ -- On this International Museum's Day, WeChat and the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands are deepening their collaboration with the launch of its brand new WeChat Channels and Mini Program with unique AI-powered features that combine technology and art. On the evening of May 10th (Beijing time), the Van Gogh Museum became the first overseas cultural institution to livestream a virtual museum tour on its official WeChat Channels account, pioneering a new museum-going experience in the time of Coronavirus and paving the way for more cultural institutions that are looking to engage with the Chinese audience with creative digital tools. Willem Van Gogh, Advisor to the Board of the Van Gogh Museum, introduced Vincent Van Gogh's paintings in Amsterdam and shared some life stories of his great grand uncle. Tens of thousands of Chinese viewers were able to appreciate Van Gogh's important works virtuallyincluding his well-known works "Sunflowers," "Bedroom in Arles," "Tree Roots," and interacted with the hosts by pressing "Like", asking questions, and entering a lucky draw for souvenirs.



Established in 1973 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Van Gogh Museum is one of the world's top art institutions with the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh's works, housing 210 oil paintings and 704 drawings and watercolours. The debut of its WeChat Channels video livestream marks the museum's further integration into the WeChat ecosystem after its recent launch of WeChat Mini Program and acceptance of WeChat Pay.

The Van Gogh Museum selected 25 of Van Gogh's most famous works in its collection and digitalized them for its brand new WeChat Mini Program. Users can appreciate the high-definition art works virtually, learn about the artist's life stories and buy merchandise through the six interactive sections: "Understand Van Gogh," "AI Van Gogh," "Museum History," "Van Gogh Store," "Masterpiece Appreciation," and "Floor Guide." The Mini Program's unique "AI Van Gogh" feature, an immediate hit upon its release, uses custom-designed algorithms to create Van Gogh-style portraits from personal photos uploaded by the user. This fun feature lets the Chinese audience get a better feel for the brushstrokes and colour treatment of the post-impressionist genius. WeChat, which has been dedicated to empowering institutions with new digital capabilities, looks forward to spreading art and creativity with the Van Gogh Museum to more people by harnessing the power of technology. The collaboration also marks an important overseas partnership expansion for China's most used social platform. WeChat and its domestic version Weixin connect over 1.25 billion monthly active users worldwide. Its cross-border payment feature is currently accepted in 64 countries and regions. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/technology--art-wechat-welcomes-van-gogh-museum-with-deepened-cooperation-on-international-museums-day-301292469.html SOURCE WeChat

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 07:03:17|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Some 6.45 million eligible voters in Chile elected mayors, councilors and for the first time regional governors and members of a constituent assembly over two days of polling this past weekend, with many choosing political outsiders and independents over career politicians, election officials said Monday.

The May 15 and 16 elections were a success, the president of the board of directors of Chile's Electoral Service (Servel), Andres Tagle, told reporters at a press conference.

Between Saturday and Sunday, 6,458,760 people went to the polls, or 43.35 percent of all eligible voters, according to Servel data.

Offering two days of open polls "works," with voter turnout exceeding the two previous municipal elections, said Tagle, admitting the extended voting scheme posed new challenges for oversight.

To protect the process, after polling stations were closed, each ballot box with votes inside was sealed with adhesive tape and two numbered security seals that covered the sides and top. The boxes were then gathered and kept at a designated custody center.

At each of the country's 2,731 polling stations, a delegation from the Armed Forces was present throughout the process, accompanied by a general representative of the station, an assistant to the delegate of the Electoral Board and a Servel liaison.

Election results showed Chileans opted for political outsiders to sit on the constituent assembly to draft a new more egalitarian Constitution to replace the current one, which was adopted in 1980 under Chile's military dictatorship.

For local and regional posts also, voters showed a preference for independents and progressives, with a large number of women being elected across the board, including as mayors of major cities, such as the capital Santiago and Vina del Mar, in the central Valparaiso region.

The decision to rewrite the Constitution emerged from large-scale protests in 2019 against the high cost of living and lack of opportunities for average Chileans. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Trade Log starts providing YUBIKIRI, an IoT-linked blockchain, for Shiseido's prestige skincare brand "THE GINZA"

TOKYO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Trade Log Inc. (Head Office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Masahiro Fujita; hereinafter "Trade Log") announces that it has begun providing YUBIKIRI, a deployment tool for IoT-linked blockchain, to THE GINZA Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Toshiyuki Kiritani; hereinafter "THE GINZA "), a subsidiary of Shiseido Company which is the 5th biggest cosmetics company in the world. This is the first case for prestige skincare brands in the world to deploy full-scale blockchain technology across marketing and SCM. With the goal of "Create a Market Without Failure", Trade Log has focused on coordination between supply chain and marketing, extermination of counterfeit products and environmental issues. Especially, by making full use of IoT and blockchain, Trade Log supports the digital transformation of many companies, mainly in areas such as manufacturing, logistics and social infrastructure. Trade Log provides the outstanding services mainly by its own original products such as YUBIKIRI*1, a deployment tool for IoT-linked blockchain, and "OHAJIKI*1", a deployment tool for token economy. Recently, many global brands are being forced to take a variety of measures in terms of both offense and defense as below: O2O (Offline to Online) marketing through digitalization of touchpoint with customers

Protecting brands from counterfeits in emerging markets

Streamlining logistics in SCM, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated day by day However, many brands are busy with symptomatic measures and then they have not been able to come up with measures that go through the entire brand. THE GINZA was also looking for a drastic solution to these issues. To address these challenges, Trade Log begins providing THE GINZA with "YUBIKIRI for Microsoft Azure*5" which works on "Microsoft Azure*3" and "Kaleido*4 BaaS (Blockchain as a Service)".

Through this initiative, Trade Log will support the promotion of cross-border O2O marketing and counterfeit measures, rationalization of logistics, and support the provision of a real brand experience to users. Trade Log uses Quorum*6 as a basic technology to ensure confidentiality and future scalability while linking brands, logistics, e-commerce, and users on an equal footing. See Also:

THE GINZA Co., Ltd. press release

https://corp.shiseido.com/jp/news/detail.html?n=00000000003119 In the past, the majority of efforts related to blockchain in global brand marketing have been limited to partial demonstration experiments. However, this effort will be outstanding in the following three points. In the luxury cosmetics market, this is the word's first approach to provide actual blockchain installations across marketing and SCM. By use of both QR code label including the RFID tag and blockchain to streamline logistics and achieve O2O marketing over the full process life cycle The integration of real stores and e-commerce measures through linkage with Salesforce Commerce Cloud*7



Ms. Asuka Kuroda, The GINZA Global Brand Director

The GINZA Global Brand unit, Shiseido Company Ltd.

There are two main reasons why we have made a new initiative with Trade Log as a partner company. Trade Log has the technological capabilities to develop a system by use of the blockchain platform "Quorum" which has strengths in confidentiality in order to achieve advanced marketing measures. In addition to that, we believed that Trade Log would be the partner to be able to accomplish our first attempt together because Trade Log provides consulting services for implementation in addition to system developing. We reaffirmed through our efforts with Trade Log that partnerships with companies with advanced technological capabilities and effective collaboration will be the key to future business success in order to provide high-value-added experiences for our customers.

Following the COVID-19 crisis, we are now in a world that is expected to further accelerate digital transformation. To achieve the mission of The Ginza brand, which provides customers with timeless beauty, it is necessary to continuously innovate in response to changes in customers. Going forward, we will continue to deliver our customers, a new customer experience, that can be made from Beauty  digital transformation along with Trade Log. Mr. Shibanori Kitou, President and Representative Director

Hitachi Transport System Collaboration., Ltd. We, Hitachi Transport System Collaboration., Ltd. will continue to provide high-quality logistics services in response to the efforts of Shiseido Company, Limited THE GINZA Global Brand Co., Ltd., and related companies. Mr. Tomofumi Nonaka, Senior Director, Sell With Lead, One Commercial partner, Partner Sales Group , Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. Microsoft sincerely welcomes the adoption of Microsoft Azure on the official brand website of "THE GINZA", a prestige skincare brand of Shiseido. By using "YUBIKIRI for Microsoft Azure" working on Microsoft Azure which has Cloud Security Gold Marks in Japan, the security of data management can be strengthened, and the acquisition and management of anti-counterfeit measures information can be simplified. Microsoft will continue to contribute to the digital transformation of our customers through the latest technology based on the strong collaboration with Trade Log. Mr. Steve Cerveny, CEO and Founder, Kaleido Inc. "Supply Chain integrity is front page news and an urgent societal issue", says Steve Cerveny, Founder and CEO of Kaleido. "Shiseido and Trade Log are pioneering solutions to hard problems in the space and are using blockchain for its strength - to enable transparency across multiple parties and previously disparate systems. It's in Kaleido's DNA to accelerate enterprise digital transformation, and we proudly support this project with our enterprise blockchain tools and infrastructure." *1 Trade Log, "YUBIKIRI" and "OHAJIKI" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Trade Log Inc. in Japan and other countries.

*2 Our Survey

*3 Microsoft, Azure is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

*4 Kaleido is a registered trademark or trademark of Kaleido Inc. in the United States and other countries.

*5 This is a tool that makes it easier to install our YUBIKIRI to Microsoft Azure users.

https://trade-log.io/blog/1049/

*6 A major enterprise platform of Ethereum, which can secure confidentiality.

*7 Salesforce Commerce Cloud(SFCC) is a registered trademark or trademark of salesforce.com, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Information in this news release is as of the release date.

Each company's names, product names, and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of each company. About Trade Log Inc. https://us.trade-log.io/ Founded in 2018 under the vision of "creating a market without failure." Supporting the introduction of blockchain technology to resolve irrational and uneconomical conditions among companies in various industrial areas, such as manufacturing, logistics, and social infrastructure. Particularly focusing on integration of IoT and O2O marketing with blockchain. Providing a variety of solutions, including the ubiquitous era data linkage tool "YUBIKIRI" and the token economy introduction tool "OHAJIKI." Based on the idea that data design is the cornerstone of blockchain dissemination, Trade Log is also promoting data utilization support projects. Trade Log will support its customers' digital transformation through the twin pillars of blockchain and data utilization. Address: Daiyagate Ikebukuro F5, 1-16-15, Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Business: Blockchain-related business and data utilization support business

Representative: Masahiro Fujita, Representative Director View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trade-log-starts-providing-yubikiri-an-iot-linked-blockchain-for-shiseidos-prestige-skincare-brand-the-ginza-301293336.html SOURCE TRADE LOG Inc.

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[May 18, 2021] University of Phoenix will display the "Remembering Our Fallen Tribute Towers" that honor U.S. military members who lost their lives in service

The "Remembering Our Fallen Tribute Towers" will be displayed on the University of Phoenix campus lawn Monday, May 24th between 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday, May 25th through Thursday, May 27th between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. University of Phoenix is inviting the public to view the memorial at their Phoenix location at 4025 S. Riverpoint. Social distancing guidelines will be in place for anyone who visits the display. This is the first time the Towers will be displayed in Arizona. "The University of Phoenix is honored to be the first location in Arizona to display the Tribute Towers," said Brian Ishmael, vice president of military veteran affairs and strategic government partnerships at University of Phoenix. "The tribute will be displayed ahead of Memorial Day to put names and faces to those we lost and remind us of the true meaning of the holiday. We welcome the community to come out and view this poignant display." The traveling photographic war memorial honors our post 9 /11 military fallen and consists of 34 tower displays with thousands of images. The towers include military who served in combat but succumbed to the suffering of invisible wounds. Additionally, military who died stateside of non-combat training exercises will also be honored. Each Tribute Tower is 10 feet high and 5 feet wide and includes military and personal phtos.



University of Phoenix has long been committed to honoring military and veteran students, with a history of commemorating Memorial Day during their annual Flag Planting event. Gold Star Families, who are the immediate family of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict, will also be part of this touching tribute. The Tribute Towers are a project of Patriotic Productions, a nonprofit whose mission is to honor past and present military service members and create cherished memories for future generations. The "Remembering Our Fallen" display is the first-of-its-kind and was unveiled on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Sept. 2017. Since then, it has traveled all over country.

About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses and interactive learning help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. We serve a diverse student population, offering degree programs at select locations across the U.S. as well as online. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. About Patriotic Productions Patriotic Productions is a nonprofit organization based in Nebraska with a mission to honor our military service members, past and present. They focus on preserving cherished memories and recording stories for future generations of those who died fighting for America. They do this creating photo exhibits and displays, and holding events open to veterans, their families, and the public. For more information, visit https://www.patrioticproductions.org/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005284/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Untangle Delivers Mobile IT Administrative Capabilities with Untangle Go

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Untangle Inc. , a leader in comprehensive network security for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and distributed enterprises, today announced the release of Untangle Go, the company's first mobile app. Untangle Go, which has been released today on iOS and Android, empowers IT administrators to quickly access critical information regarding their security appliances and network status. SMBs are increasingly asked to do more with less , with 38 percent of SMBs allocating $1,000 or less to their IT security budget. Keeping IT professionals within udget, informed, while offering an easy-to-navigate, mobile-optimized view of core network details, Untangle Go increases efficiency by enabling administrators to access high-level network health metrics. Untangle Go extends the reach of Untangle Command Center , enhancing centralized management - a core aspect of the Untangle Network Security Framework. Available for free on iOS and Google Play, Untangle Go aims to bring IT administrators peace of mind regarding their network and security status, regardless of their physical location or access to a computer.



"Untangle is pleased to be able to offer our partners a new tool to make their days easier," said Heather Paunet, Senior Vice President of Product & Marketing at Untangle. "Wherever they are, an administrator can now quickly check-in on the status of all the networks they manage, right from their mobile phone, and ensure that everything is running as expected." As employees transition back into the office, administrators will be faced with new challenges that will require them to spend more time away from their desks making in-person office visits. In line with the Untangle ethos of meeting user needs to excel in customer service, Untangle Go is designed to ease those transitional periods and ensure that IT admins can always connect when needed. Untangle Go reaffirms the company's commitment to deliver IT administrators the information they need, when they need it, all while fitting tight budgets.

To learn more about Untangle Go, click here .

About Untangle

Untangle is an innovator in cybersecurity designed specifically for the below-enterprise market, safeguarding businesses, home offices, nonprofits, schools and governmental organizations. Untangle's integrated suite of software and appliances provides enterprise-grade capabilities and consumer-oriented simplicity to organizations with limited IT resources. Untangle's award-winning network security solutions are trusted by over 40,000 customers around the world. Untangle is headquartered in San Jose, California. Untangle Media Contact

Lumina Communications on behalf of Untangle

Untangle@LuminaPR.com

408-963-6418 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/untangle-delivers-mobile-it-administrative-capabilities-with-untangle-go-301293572.html SOURCE Untangle

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[May 17, 2021] Westell Introduces the RMM-300 Alarm Migration Unit, the Smart Way to Monitor Environmental Alarms

AURORA, Ill., May 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westell, a leader in IoT monitoring solutions for more than 30 years, is pleased to announce a new product freeing environmental alarming from RAN equipment.

Westells new RMM-300 Alarm Migration Unit eliminates the need to migrate dry contact alarms to new RAN equipment every time a new generation comes along. As cellular carriers turn down CDMA sites, they face the challenge of re-homing alarms to new 4G or 5G equipment. The RMM-300 was created for carriers to future-proof alarm migration, these alarms will never have to be moved again. Westell manufactures reliable equipment, many Westell monitoring solutions installed over 25 years ago are still in use today, making this choice a solid investment. The RMM-300 is shipping today. The RMM-300 has a small form factor, being only 1.2 inches deep, supporting rack, cabinet, and wall mount configurations to place the unit as close to existing alarm termination points as possible. Utilizing the 40 onboard I/O, RJ45 style connections, and an Ethernet port for backhaul, the built-in processor core sends alarms directly to the Network Operating Center (NOC). In order to quickly and easily configure the RMM-300, a modern user interface (UI) is accessible via a web browser. To further ease of use, connections through smart devices are enabled with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). To support large-scale customer deployments, Westell an custom pre-configure units before shipment. The UI allows for enabling or disabling alarms one at a time or in bulk. Lastly, the built-in ping feature makes testing network connectivity easy.



The RMM-300 provides an advanced, intelligent, and affordable way to alarm your dry contacts for the last time. Upgrading monitoring equipment now allows carriers to save unnecessary labor costs during future generation upgrades. said Amy Walther, Westells Vice President of Sales and Business Development-Intelligent Site Management. About Westell

Westell is a leading provider of high-performance wireless infrastructure solutions focused on innovation and differentiation at the edge of communication networks where end users connect. The Company's portfolio of products and solutions enable service providers and network operators to improve performance and reduce operating expenses. With millions of products successfully deployed worldwide, Westell is a trusted partner for transforming networks into high quality, reliable systems. For more information, please visit www.westell.com or contact Customer Service at customerservice@westell.com or (800) 377-8766.

Westell Technologies, Inc. (Pink: WSTL) trades on the Pink Open Market. Investors can find Real-Time quote and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. Twitter: @Westell_Tech



Westell Contact:

Tim Duitsman

President and Chief Executive Officer

Westell Technologies

630-375-4373

tduitsman@westell.com



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[May 17, 2021] AnDAPT introduces complete power solution for Xilinx Zynq platform FPGA and SoC devices

DUBLIN, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following up on our previous announcement of power solutions for the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, AnDAPT is also introducing power solutions for all other Zynq products. AnDAPT, a provider of highly integrated and configurable Power Management IC (PMIC) products (built on its proprietary and disruptive mixed-signal FPGA platform), today launched another series of PMIC solutions for powering Xilinx ZU+ RFSoC and Zynq-7000 FPGA family and Xilinx-defined use cases. This new addition to power management solution portfolio (refer Table 1) now covers the entire Xilinx Zynq family of devices. AnDAPT power solutions speed up development of power supplies for a variety of industrial and computing applications, including industrial, motor control, Programmable Logic Control, Internet of Things (IoT), medical, networking, and datacenter equipment. These ready-to-use reference designs provide easy and reliable solutions to power entire Xilinx Zynq family FPGAs/SoCs while taking care of all the involved complexity. "These AnDAPT solutions can be used as-is or further modified with our software design tools to generate a customized PMIC solution. This provides the exact solution they are looking for," said Bill McLean, AnDAPT CEO. "AnDAPT solutions offer highly efficient systems that allow remarkable reduction in PCB area by allowing integration and flexibility to change power configuration and sequencing, during the design phase or after final assembly," Bill continued. The Zynq platform devices require greater than 25 power rails among the PS (Processing System) and PL (Programmable Logic) domains. In addition, there are variations in the number and power requirements of each ail depending on the system and application requirements. AnDAPT reference designs meet or exceed Xilinx power performance specifications while achieving a reduction in solution PCB area by merging and reducing the number of devices used. All our power management solution PMICs use the same silicon which can be configured to support the customer's design requirements. Using one configurable device to support multiple designs at a customer also simplifies inventory management.



AnDAPT plans to release similar power solutions for the Xilinx Kintex, Artix, Virtex, Versal, and Spartan families and other FPGA/SoC vendors in the near future. AnDAPT WebAmP R.D. (Reference Design) Software Tool

AnDAPT has created an intuitive software tool, WebAmp R.D., to provide ready-to-use PMIC solutions with optimum flexibility. These solutions are based on Xilinx FPGA family device part numbers and use cases that have been defined by Xilinx. Users can utilize these PMIC solutions as-is or modify rail sequencing, revise output voltages, alter maximum current per rail, or disable unused rails if desired. WebAmp R.D. provides all the necessary design documentation including design files, reference schematics, datasheets, BoM, and layout guides. If additional functionality is desired, such as system rails or glue logic, the generated design files can be used on WebAmP software tool for additional modifications. AnDAPT Power Management Solutions The AmP IC uses a compact 5mm x 5mm package and a high level of integration to provide a best-in-class system power solution. Each PMIC incorporates a single or two phase DrMOS controller (up to 70A), multiple buck converters (10A / 6A), high current LDOs (up to 2A) or load switches (LDSW), 4 general purpose LDOs (200mA) and power management features including fault protection and sequencing. These PMIC solutions are available on the "Reference Design PMIC" page on the AnDAPT website. The designs make it remarkably simple for the designer to pick and choose a solution and get it up and running within minutes for evaluation. Further, the WebAmP R.D. tool allows designers to scale a solution both up and down quickly depending on the design requirements. In addition, these reference designs can be used in the WebAmP tool for further customization and addition of other systems rail requirements and other systems required integration. This makes the AnDAPT AmP IC solution ideal for Xilinx FPGA applications and other system power requirements. About AnDAPT A privately held fabless Power semiconductor company. AnDAPT Holdings Ltd, designs, manufactures and markets On-Demand and Reference Design Power Management solutions. Incorporated in 2014 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the Company is funded by Intel, Cisco, Atlantic Bridge Vanguard and has pioneered a new genre of adaptive analog technology. AnDAPT offers AmP Adaptive Multi-Rail Power Platforms, WebAmP and WebAmP R.D.TM cloud-based software tools and AmP Power Components targeting applications in Medical, Industrial, Enterprise, Server/Client, Storage, Communications, IoT, Drones and Telematics applications. Visit the company website (AnDAPT.com) or call for more information. Contact:

Zaryab Hamavand,

AnDAPT, VP Marketing

+1 (408) 406-5669

zaryab.hamavand@andapt.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1510815/AnDAPT_Power_Xilinx_Zynq_Table.jpg SOURCE AnDAPT

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[May 18, 2021] Zolve Partners with i2c to Enable Banking and Payments for Global Citizens

i2c Inc., a global leader in digital payments and banking technology, today announced a new partnership with fintech, Zolve which provides immigrants moving to or visiting the United States with the financial services tools they need for their journey. Zolve allows users to establish a bank account from their home country for use in the United States, as well as debit and credit services. These accounts come with FDIC protection (through partner bank) for amounts up to $250,000 and can be established completely online before arriving in the USA, with any amount as a starting balance and no upfront fees. "Traveling to a new country for work, school, or to even visit, can be challenging enough without the added concerns of navigating a foreign country's financial services landscape," said Raghunandan G., founder of Zolve. "Zolve and i2c's partnership works to offer these individuals a smooth transition, saving users time and empowering them with financial security from their first moment in the US," he continued. "We're delighted to partner with Zolve and to share in their vision of removing barriers to financial access across the world," said Amir Wain, founder and CEO of i2c. "Our partnership with Zolve reinforcs this commitment by expanding access to financial services for global citizens, supporting them as they travel to the US and increasing their peace of mind, along the way," he added.



The company's credit card has no annual fees and requires no Social Security number to establish, which means it can be used the moment the user arrives in the United States. The product also features a substantial credit limit, and the ability to block and unblock the card from a mobile app. About Zolve

Zolve aims to create a financial world beyond borders that provides equitable access to global financial products on a single, new-age platform. Its cross-border capabilities creates a seamless experience for global citizens, keen to use financial products anywhere, irrespective of their current location. As of now, it wants to help US-bound immigrants with opening bank accounts and credit cards. In the long term, it aims to be a full-stack financial services provider, enabling individuals to make the most of their money in a hassle-free way. www.zolve.com About i2c Inc. i2c is a global provider of highly-configurable payment and banking solutions. Using i2c's proprietary "building block" technology, clients can easily create and manage a comprehensive set of solutions for credit, debit, prepaid, lending and more, quickly and cost-effectively. i2c delivers unparalleled flexibility, agility, security and reliability from a single global SaaS (News - Alert) platform. Founded in 2001, and headquartered in Silicon Valley, i2c's next-generation technology supports millions of users in more than 200 countries/territories and across all time zones. For more information, visit www.i2cinc.com and follow us at @i2cinc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210517005947/en/

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[May 18, 2021]

Standard Protocol Announces Ambassador Program to Build Stablecoin Ecosystem

Singapore, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The program - Standard Community Collective, aims at attracting active players in the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) space, including developers, yield farmers, stakers, navigators, and evangelists, to build the next-generation of stablecoin ecosystem with the Standard stablecoin, said the Standard Team.



The Standard stablecoin, Meter (MTR), is the stablecoin that is synthetically generated by the Protocol's standard system.

The Meter allows peer-to-peer payments of virtual currency without the fear of price volatility and bank fees, foreign transaction fees, and cross-border fees associated with current payment systems, says the Standard team.

Standard Community Collective aims at driving the new financial revolution toward a vision of a peer-to-peer electronic cash system  a vision of empowered people exchanging value without trust, but solidity based on principles of transparency, immutability, and transparency.

It means that everyone is coming together to make a change, to drive change, and to co-create change, said Standard Protocol co-founder Hyungsuk Kang.

The Standard Protocol is the first project from Korea to be awarded a Polkadot Web3 Foundatin grant.







Active players in the stablecoin community could join the Ambassador program in various ways. Developers could join the Builder Collective where the project is open-sourced, whereas stakers, yield farmers, or validators can join the Staker Collective.

To learn more about Standard Protocol, visit the website at https://standard.tech/ or read more about it at https://docsend.com/view/sp6antfgeqiziaqb, and join the community on Telegram, Twitter, Discord, and Clubhouse.

About Standard Protocol:

Standard Protocol is the first Collateralized Rebasable Stablecoin (CRS) protocol for synthetic assets that will operate within the Polkadot ecosystem. It is also the first and only project from Korea to be awarded a Polkadot Web3 Foundation grant and prides itself on its global community growth approach.

Website: http://www.standard.tech

Name: March Zheng Email: march@standard.tech Organization: Standard Protocol
[May 18, 2021] Wiwynn Receives Open Network Foundation Aether Certification on Expanded Edge Server Ecosystem

TAIPEI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wiwynn (TWSE: 6669), an innovative cloud IT infrastructure provider for data centers, today announced that its openEdge based server EP100 is honored to be the first server that is certified for the Open Network Foundation's (ONF) Aether open source project. ONF Aether is a catalyst for accelerating enterprise digital transformation with open source, software-defined cellular connectivity and tightly integrated cloud-native edge compute on COTS hardware. An ecosystem that bridges hardware and software is key to the success of disaggregated and open source edge computing. Wiwynn is one of the forerunners that joined ONF's Continuous Certification Program for Aether. With continuous software integration testing, Wiwynn has built EP100 as an open computing platform supporting various cloud-based edge applications. Wiwynn is also a pioneer of open-source hardware. As a Platinum member and Solution Provider of the Open Compute Project (OCP) for years, Wiwynn actively participates in server, storage, openRMC and advance cooling projects. It has had 32 contributions to the Community. Along with product expansion from cloud to edge, Wiwynn designed the EP100 based on OCP openEdge specification and contributed the spec of its new short-depth edge server-ES200 to expand its server portfolio and enrich the ecosystem. In the 5G era, Wiwynn joined the O-RAN ALLIANCE, founded by leading mobile operators, to work with ecosystem partners to enable the open RAN transformation. At thesecond global O-RAN Plugfest, Wiwynn's EP100 was tested in the Deutsche Telekom hosted Berlin lab. The goal is to accelerate the deployment of a new disaggregated and virtualized networks that are building with open source hardware in scalability, flexibility, reliability, and agility to 5G networks.



"Open-source communities have played important roles for IT technology innovations," said Steven Lu, Wiwynn's Senior Vice President of Product Development. "For 5G and edge applications, virtualization technology and disaggregation architecture are the key foundation. The collaboration among ecosystem partners is critical to boosting the development pace. Wiwynn is excited to work with ONF and will continue to invest resources in the open-source community for software and hardware design and integration. Together, we can build the ecosystem and provide the best open computing platform for 5G and edge computing." "ONF is pleased to have Wiwynn's participation in the Aether open source project, and to have Wiwynn's EP100 enrolled in Aether Continuous Certification Program," said Timon Sloane, Vice President Marketing and Ecosystem, ONF. "Wiwynn's EP100 undergoes continuous revalidation against the latest Aether platform as part of the Continuous Certification Program, thus ensuring that the Wiywynn server remains compatible with a code base that is updated daily as part of the Aether CI/CD development pipeline."

"As one of the very first OCP Solution Providers (SP's), Wiwynn has shown an unwavering commitment to OCP. The OCP Inspired Wiwynn EP100 is another example of how they continue to champion open designs and have extended their focus toward the entire solution stack by achieving ONF Aether certification. This OCP Inspired integrated solution for Aether showcases our collaboration with ONF and will be a cornerstone offering in the OCP supply chain for 5G and edge applications," stated Steve Helvie, VP of Channel Development for the OCP Foundation. Explore Wiwynn EP100 at ONF Marketplace and OCP Marketplace. About Wiwynn Wiwynn is an innovative cloud IT infrastructure provider of high-quality computing and storage products, plus rack solutions for leading cloud data centers. Visit Wiwynn Website, Facebook and Linkedin or contact sales@wiwynn.com for more information. PR Contact: Bing Wu PR@wiwynn.com SOURCE Wiwynn

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[May 18, 2021] Qbit becomes Eurofins Cyber Security The Netherlands

HAARLEM and GRONINGEN, Netherlands, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurofins Cyber Security, a global leader in end-to-end cyber security and testing services, announced today that its operation in the Netherlands 'Qbit' will be known as Eurofins Cyber Security the Netherlands. Qbit has been a part of Eurofins Cyber Security (itself a division of Eurofins Digital Testing) since early 2018, but continued to trade under the Qbit name, particularly in its home territory. Over the past three years it has built an enviable reputation in delivering a broad portfolio of cyber security services both within the Netherlands and internationally. The name change brings the operation in line with Eurofins Cyber Security operations in Europe, Asia and the US and puts it in an excellent position to expandits operations globally.



Eurofins Cyber Security was established to help organizations to conduct risk and vulnerability assessments; meet compliance obligations; develop effective security programs; train employees; and test applications and devices for vulnerability via audits and ethical hacking programs. Even though an organization with a global footprint, it has a strong belief that the personal and local support & advisory services makes the difference to customers.

Think global, Act local Eurofins Cyber Security is part of Eurofins Scientific, which has more than 800 laboratories in 45 countries and around 50,000 colleagues worldwide. Founded in 1987, Eurofins is highly regarded in testing, with a level of expertise that makes it the first call for businesses around the world. With digital testing & cyber security offices spread all over Europe, UK, the US and Asia, we think globally but act locally. Close to our customers and colleagues, we are a global company with local roots. Kamiel Vanderlinden, MD of Eurofins Cyber Security and Digital Testing BeNeLux, is keen to emphasise that this rebranding confirms our ambition in becoming the leader in the BeNeLux for Quality Assurance and Cyber Security by helping our customers build reliable and safe digital systems. One organization for the BeNeLux creates great development opportunities for our colleagues as we offer them a wider network to become experts in their field. More information about Eurofins Cyber Security can be found at: http://www.eurofins-cybersecurity.com/.

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[May 18, 2021] Hughes Debuts First-Of-Its-Kind S-band Satellite/Cellular Hybrid Terminal

The Hughes 4510 terminal provides intelligent connectivity for critical mobile, land and maritime applications in remote and power-challenged areas of Europe GERMANTOWN, Md., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an innovator in satellite and multi-transport technologies and networks for 50 years, announced today availability of the Hughes 4510 satellite/cellular hybrid terminal for customers in Europe. The first-of-its-kind dual-transport terminal intelligently routes IP traffic via terrestrial or mobile satellite system (MSS) networks, enabling reliable, ubiquitous connectivity for critical applications. As the terminal moves in and out of terrestrial cellular coverage areas, the S-band satellite service takes over automatically, ensuring constant connectivity. "Hughes has embraced multi-transport innovation as essential to enabling the most reliable and cost-effective connection anywhere in the world," said Graham Avis, vice president, MobileSat, Hughes. "The unique features of the 4510 terminal allow for ubiquitous service for critical applications for vehicles or boats that pass in and out of cellular coverage areas, and for remote fixed sites that rely primarily on solar or battery power." EchoStar Mobile, a sister company to Hughes, utilizes the 4510 to enable its new EM SYNERGY service, which delivers comprehensive, hybrid connectivity to customers across Europe from dense urban areas to the most remote corners of the continent utilizing S-band satellite service in combination with pan-European mobile roaming. Use cases for the Hughes 4510 span enterprise, government and maritime sectors, oil and gas industry, Smart-Grid monitoring, yachting and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) functions.



The terminal contains an embedded SIM (eSIM) for global 4G cellular operation and intelligently and dynamically routes IP traffic between the terrestrial and S-band networks based upon path availability. IP67-rated and thus environmentally sealed, the terminal features an omnidirectional satellite antenna and requires low power, making it suited for simple deployment on a vehicle, fixed site or boat in off-the-grid locations. Operators can manage the 4510 terminal and update firmware remotely, and auto-context activation automatically restores power and connection following any disruption  without human intervention. Additional information about the Hughes 4510 may be found on the company's website.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an innovator in satellite and multi-transport technologies and networks for 50 years, provides broadband equipment and services; managed services featuring smart, software-defined networking; and end-to-end network operation for millions of consumers, businesses, governments and communities worldwide. The Hughes flagship Internet service, HughesNet, connects more than 1.5 million subscribers across the Americas, and the Hughes JUPITER System powers Internet access for tens of millions more worldwide. Hughes supplies more than half the global satellite terminal market to leading satellite operators, in-flight service providers, mobile network operators and military customers. A managed network services provider, Hughes supports nearly 500,000 enterprise sites with its HughesON portfolio of wired and wireless solutions. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes is owned by EchoStar. To learn more, visit www.hughes.com or follow HughesConnects on Twitter and LinkedIn. About EchoStar

EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) is a premier global provider of satellite communication solutions. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and conducting business around the globe, EchoStar is a pioneer in communications technologies through its Hughes Network Systems and EchoStar Satellite Services business segments. For more information, visit echostar.com. Follow @EchoStar on Twitter. 2021 Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks and JUPITER is a trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455788/Hughes_Network_Systems_Logo.jpg

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 08:55:27|Editor: huaxia

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A policeman holds the sign of mask wearing for those who return to Dhaka after their vacation of Eid al-Fitr festival, Bangladesh, May 17, 2021. To combat COVID-19, Bangladesh declared an eight-day lockdown effective from April 14 to April 21, which was later extended in phases to May 16. (Xinhua)
[May 18, 2021] oneZero appoints Marc Reider as Director of Hub Product Management

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- oneZero, a global leader in multi-asset enterprise trading technology solutions, today announced that Marc Reider joined the company as Director of Hub Product Management. Marc will be responsible for building the advanced execution and risk management capabilities of oneZero's Hub technology to meet the needs of institutional clients. Marc has spent the last 10 years at Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters), where he most recently served as Development Manager for the FXall product. He worked on a number of applications including building the FX Options product for FXall and the multi-asset callouts platform. Marc also spent 15 years at Credit Suisse, where he was Director of Foreign Exchange IT and developed FX systems for cash and derivatives for risk management, transactions processing and e-commerce. Marc earned his PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. "Throughout my career, I've been focused on using technology to improve the way the financial ndustry trades FX. Now at oneZero I'm thrilled to be a part of a team that's developing cutting-edge solutions for the institutional market," said Marc Reider.



"Marc's background in product development for the institutional market is impressive. There is no doubt he will be a tremendous leader as we continue to bolster oneZero's institutional offering," said Andrew Ralich, Co-Founder and CEO of oneZero. This news comes as oneZero has been making substantial enhancements to Institutional Hub , the company's flagship technology platform for brokers and banks. oneZero recently launched the Algorithmic Pricing Module , an advanced price creation tool that facilitates the formation of customized pricing using brokers' own data constructs and algorithms.

About oneZero

oneZero Financial Systems has been a leading innovator in multi-asset class trading technology for over a decade. Its powerful software encompasses the Hub, EcoSystem and Data Source - three components that separately solve specific organizational challenges and together provide a complete solution for trading technology, distribution and analytics. Through reliable connectivity, technology, infrastructure and market access, oneZero empowers financial institutions and brokers to compete effectively in the global financial markets through a globally compliant, liquidity-neutral solution. For more information, please contact:

Talia Geberovich

Head of Marketing and Communications

tgeberovich@onezero.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onezero-appoints-marc-reider-as-director-of-hub-product-management-301293035.html SOURCE oneZero Financial Systems

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[May 18, 2021] Eficode acquires Beecom AG to enter to Switzerland

- Eficode reinforces its position as the preferred Atlassian and DevOps partner in German-speaking markets HELSINKI, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eficode, Europe's leading DevOps company, announces the acquisition of Beecom AG, a market leader in Atlassian software and Atlassian consulting in Switzerland. German-speaking market is adopting software as a key competitive advantage in all industries. This has fuelled the need for both Atlassian software and related professional services. With the acquisition of Beecom AG, Eficode reinforces its ability to serve growing demand of Atlassian software, cloud migrations, and the adoption of agile and DevOps practices and tools. "Eficode sees Beecom as the strong player in the Atlassian community in Switzerland. Beecom has established strong relationships with number of Swiss customers including major players from the finance, insurance and public sectors, and has become the leading expert on Atlassian consulting for the entire German-speaking market. By acquiring Beecom, we can confidently serve its customers with an even broader set of services.", says Ilari Nurmi, CEO of Eficode. After the acquisition of Beecom, German-speaking markets represent approximately one fifth of Eficode's business. Eficode continues to expand market share inside the Atlassian partner community, and further accelerates Atlassian sales and transition to the cloud. This acquisition offers the possibility to satisfy ever-broadening customer needs, including DevOps consulting, software design and development, and application management. It also enables accelerated growth of Eficode ROOT DevOps platform, a managed service for DevOps tools from over 40 technology providers. In addition to becoming the leading DevOps company in Europe, Eficode also expands its Atlassian solution offering more broadly into areas like enterprise agile planning tools with Jira Align, IT service management (ITSM), and agile processes for wider user groups including marketing, human resources, and legal. "We are delighted to join Eficode. Beecom has strong relatioships in Switzerland, and we are focused on serving them on a long term. This opportunity helps our customers with broader set of skills and products to solve their broader challenges in becoming better software development teams. The power of strong DevOps, ITSM, agile methods, and Atlassian competence gives us an excellent foundation for the future together with Eficode.", says Michele Warmbrodt, CEO at Beecom. Beecom has over 200 customers in Switzerland from industries such as banking, automotive, business services and security. Beecom's revenue was 11 million CHF (10 million euros) in the last financial year. Media contacts: Ilari Nurmi, Chief Executive Officer at Eficode, ilari.nurmi@eficode.com, +358 40 577 5084 Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer at Eficode, lauri.palokangas@eficode.com, +358 50 486 4918 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/eficode-oy/r/eficode-acquires-beecom-ag-to-enter-to-switzerland,c3347958 The following files are available for download:







https://news.cision.com/eficode-oy/i/beecom-press-release,c2913367 beecom press release



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[May 18, 2021] StoreDot Announces New Framework Agreement with EVE Energy to Manufacture Silicon-Dominant Extreme Fast Charge Battery for EVs

- New agreement marks another significant milestone in StoreDot's mission to commercialize its '5-Minute charge' EV battery technology - Samples of StoreDot's silicon-dominant extreme fast charging EV battery will be available for testing this year, ahead of a planned move to mass production in 2024 HERZELIYA, Israel, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- StoreDot, the pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs), today announces a new framework agreement with its strategic battery manufacturing partner EVE Energy Co., Ltd (EVE) to support the commercialization of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC FlashBattery for EVs. The first samples will be available later this year, with a plan for mass production via conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines in 2024. EVE, which is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is one of the top tier suppliers of EV and electricity storage system (ESS) batteries in China. The scope of the new framework agreement includes scale-up activities of StoreDot's XFC technology, followed by the production of engineering samples targeted at showcasing the technology to EV clients. The framework agreement also covers the intention to set up a joint venture for mass production. The new deal builds on the existing framework agreement signed by StoreDot and EVE Energy in 2018 to collaborate on a small form factor of StoreDot's XFC technology. In 2019, this XFC battery was used to demonstrate the world's first full live charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes (see video). In January 2021, another major milestone was reached when StoreDot eleased the first engineering samples of the small form factor produced at EVE Energy's facility in China.



Dr. Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot's CEO, comments: "Securing sufficient production capability is one of the biggest challenges facing any introduction of a new battery technology to market. However, from day one EVE Energy has shared our vision that XFC is fundamental to accelerate EV adoption and eventually achieve a full transition to electric mobility. EVE's expert technical knowledge has been instrumental in helping us to reach a number of important milestones including, most recently, the launch of the small form factor XFC samples produced on standard lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines. Importantly, this removed a major barrier to achieving full commercialization of XFC technology by eliminating the need to invest in costly bespoke manufacturing equipment for mass production." Myersdorf continues: "Our silicon-dominant anode battery in large form factor represents the next crucial stage of our journey by bringing the charging speed, cost and range of XFC batteries in-line with the goals of the EV industry. These capabilities will be demonstrated later this year via our EV samples produced with EVE Energy."

Dr. Liu Jincheng, EVE's Chairman of the Board, says: "We are delighted to continue our long-term partnership with StoreDot. XFC technology is absolutely critical to accelerating the adoption of petrol- and diesel-free vehicles by eliminating the barrier of EV range and charging anxiety. StoreDot's progress in this area together with our scale up and manufacturing capabilities provide unique synergy to EV clients. The potential of the XFC battery is tremendous and we look forward to continuing to work together to make this technology a commercial reality." StoreDot's revolutionary XFC FlashBattery technology redefines the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries, taking EV charging times from hours to minutes. This breakthrough is achieved primarily by replacing graphite in the cell's anode with metalloid nano-particles, such as silicon, to overcome major issues in safety, cycle life and cell swelling during the charging process. About StoreDot: StoreDot is a pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) batteries that overcome the critical barrier to mainstream EV adoption  range and charging anxiety. The company has revolutionized the Li-ion battery by designing and synthesizing proprietary organic and inorganic compounds, making it possible to fully charge an EV in just five minutes  the same time it takes to refuel a conventional combustion engine vehicle. StoreDot's battery technology is optimized for best driver experience with XFC in Li-ion batteries, as well as future solid state generations delivering extreme energy density (XED). StoreDot's strategic investors include BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures and TDK. In 2019, the company achieved a world first by demonstrating the live full charge of a two-wheeled EV in just five minutes. Moving XFC battery technology from the lab to a commercially viable product for the first time, StoreDot has launched engineering samples of its small form factor batteries with EVE, designed to be manufactured at scale on conventional Li-lion production lines. For more information see: www.store-dot.com. Photo 1: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511874/Doron_Myersdorf__CEO__StoreDot.jpg

Photo 2: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1511875/StoreDot_XFC_Technology.jpg

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[May 18, 2021] Transphorm to Begin Trading on OTCQX

Transphorm, Inc. ("Transphorm" or the "Company") (OTCQX: TGAN)- a pioneer in and global supplier of high reliability, high performance gallium nitride (GaN) power conversion products, announced that the Company's common stock has been approved to begin trading today on the OTCQX Best Market. Transphorm upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB Venture Market. Transphorm's Chief Financial Officer, Cameron McAulay, commented, "We are extremely pleased to announce the upgrade to the OTCQX Best Market, a designation that aligns with Transphorm's commitment to meet the highest financial standards for compliance, disclosure and corporate governance. Further, trading our stock on OTCQX expands our reach to a broader set of prospective investors, while also providing shareholders with increased liquidity and accessibility. This achievement is another important milestone in our growth and development toward our ultimate goal of trading on a national exchange." The OTCQX Market provides investors with a premium U.S. public market to research and trade the shares of investor-focused companies. Graduting to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.



U.S. investors can find current financial disclosures and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company at www.otcmarkets.com. About Transphorm, Inc.

Transphorm, Inc., a global leader in the GaN revolution, designs and manufactures high performance and high reliability GaN semiconductors for high voltage power conversion applications. Having one of the largest Power GaN IP portfolios of more than 1,000 owned or licensed patents, Transphorm produces the industry's first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified high voltage GaN semiconductor devices. The Company's vertically integrated device business model allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support. Transphorm's innovations are moving power electronics beyond the limitations of silicon to achieve over 99% efficiency, 40% more power density and 20% lower system cost. Transphorm is headquartered in Goleta, California and has manufacturing operations in Goleta and Aizu, Japan. For more information, please visit www.transphormusa.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @transphormusa and WeChat ID: TransphormGaN. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005399/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Assurant Announces CEO Retirement and Succession Plan

Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), a leading global provider of lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect and connect major consumer purchases, today announced that Alan B. Colberg, President and CEO of the company for the last seven years, plans to retire at the end of 2021. Keith W. Demmings has been appointed President of Assurant, effective immediately, and has been named to succeed Colberg as CEO and Director in January 2022. Demmings currently leads Assurant's largest business segment, Global Lifestyle, which includes the company's global operations. As President, Demmings will have oversight for all of Assurant's Housing and Lifestyle businesses, which will report directly to him. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, the management team, and Assurant's 14,000 employees, I want to thank Alan for his exemplary and steadfast leadership, and all he has done to build a stronger Assurant for the future," said Elaine Rosen, Chair of the Board of Assurant. "Reflecting on his tenure, Alan successfully repositioned Assurant from a specialty insurance holding company to a leading global provider of connected lifestyle offerings, and in doing so, delivered multiple years of strong profitable growth and significant shareholder value since his appointment. We also celebrate his unwavering commitment to developing a diverse and deep bench of global talent and creating a more unified company, aligned around a common purpose, shared values and devoted to social responsibility long term." With a strategic vision, grounded in better serving the evolving needs of consumers' lifestyles, Colberg launched a multi-year transformation to cement the company's market-leading positions across its housing and lifestyle businesses. This transformation was seamlessly executed through the divesture of Assurant's health, employee benefits and pre-funded funeral businesses, several strategic acquisitions, including The Warranty Group and most recently, HYLA Mobile, as well as organic investments in core capabilities to deliver more value to consumers and enhance their overall experience. "I owe a debt of gratitude to our employees across the world for their continued dedication and support, and their unrelenting ability to pivot and gow for the benefit of all stakeholders," Colberg said. "I am excited to work even more closely with Keith over the coming months during this transition. Throughout the years, he has demonstrated an unyielding focus on our clients and our people, and in doing so has succeeded in significantly expanding our business globally, developing innovative offerings that have created new opportunities for Assurant and our employees."



"The entire Board and I want to thank Alan for his steady leadership, and to express our pride in the company's ability to affect a well-planned and smooth transition to a very capable internal leader in Keith," Rosen remarked. "Keith's decades of experience and proven leadership, together with his true passion for our business, gives us confidence that he will successfully shepherd Assurant into the future." Colberg commented, "Keith is a natural choice to lead Assurant forward. He personifies the values and integrity that are emblematic of Assurant's culture, while also demonstrating dedication to our employees, customers and communities that will ensure we continue to build on our success in the future. His deep knowledge of our company has been instrumental in guiding Assurant's growth agenda across the enterprise, and as President he will support and drive innovation through our connected world businesses."

A native of Vancouver Island, Canada, Demmings joined Assurant in Toronto in 1997. Over his 24 years with the company, Demmings has assumed increasing levels of responsibility across Assurant's global enterprise, including President, Assurant Canada, leadership of the company's international business and overseeing Global Lifestyle, which under his leadership has grown significantly to become Assurant's largest business segment, through a focus on supporting the ever-evolving connected lifestyle. "I am honored and excited to take on this role," said Demmings. "The commitment and deep talent of our employees is central to our success and I look forward to leading our global employees as we continue to evolve our products, services and capabilities to serve our clients and customers." Rosen concluded, "As we look toward the future, Assurant is well positioned to build on a track record of success, without skipping a beat, and we are confident that we are going from strength to strength with this leadership transition." Alan B. Colberg - biography

Keith W. Demmings - biography About Assurant Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) is a leading global provider of lifestyle and housing solutions that support, protect and connect major consumer purchases. Anticipating the evolving needs of consumers, Assurant partners with the world's leading brands to develop innovative products and services and to deliver an enhanced customer experience. A Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Assurant offers mobile device solutions; extended service contracts; vehicle protection services; pre-funded funeral insurance; renters insurance; lender-placed insurance products; and other specialty products. The Assurant Foundation strengthens communities by supporting charitable partners that help protect where people live and can thrive, connect with local resources, inspire inclusion and prepare leaders of the future. Learn more at assurant.com or on Twitter (News - Alert) @AssurantNews. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005257/en/

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[May 18, 2021] WordPress Evangelist Robert Jacobi Joins Cloudways Executive Team

Cloudways (www.cloudways.com), a cloud hosting provider focused on simplicity and productivity, is announcing that Robert Jacobi is joining its executive team. He brings his vast experience across the world of web hosting to join the company as Director of WordPress. Robert has led several successful ventures in the open-source and hosting industry and is an internationally recognized leader among web professionals. Cloudways is a multi-cloud managed application as a service platform that lets users choose where they want their website to be hosted from a variety of options, including Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) , Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. Cloudways is distinctive in how it offers managed hosting for WordPress and WooCommerce sites because the company removes cloud server-related hassles with its high-speed servers, intuitive control panel, 24/7 live support, flexible pricing, and free WordPress caching plugin. It also features a web app management function that launches cloud servers that deploy web apps, allowing users to establish several WordPress and Magento sites on a single server in just one click. In his new role, Robert will lead the WordPress business unit in community engagement, strategic partnerships, and product. He'll be establishing new chnnels of outreach, building brand equity, and growing Cloudways' ability to provide WordPress solutions.



Prior to joining Cloudways, Robert served as President of the open-source project Joomla and Executive Vice President for Perfect Dashboard, where he partnered with major web hosting providers to offer websites automated security and performance updates. In 2000, Robert also founded Arc Technology Group, the lead Joomla consultancy in North America, whose clients include Fortune 500 firms Microsoft (News - Alert) , Abbott Laboratories, and Eli Lilly. While working as a leader in the WordPress hosting industry, Robert noticed that Cloudways is severely underestimated in its ability to let agencies scale their business. "We've been discussing the future of Cloudways with Robert for months now," said Cloudways Co-Founder and CEO, Aaqib Gadit. "The more we shared each other's visions for the future of cloud and managed application hosting, the more it became clear that he would be a perfect fit as our Director of WordPress. We're excited to have him with Cloudways full time, as we continue our mission to offer increased productivity, peace of mind, and a deep level of partnership for digital agencies, developers, E-commerce businesses, and bloggers."

"I am always searching for internet infrastructure companies that have the potential to disrupt the WordPress hosting industry," said Robert Jacobi. "While working with open source and WordPress, I discovered hosting has become commoditized. Cloudways uniquely brings horizontal flexibility to users in how it leverages the cloud, making it truly entrepreneurial-focused. This brings more choices and potential for what users can do with Cloudways than other hosting platforms. I'm excited to be joining Cloudways as it continues to scale as a more formidable cloud hosting choice for web professionals." About Cloudways Founded in 2012, Cloudways is an intuitive, one-click managed cloud hosting platform that hosts over 50,000 servers globally. E-commerce stores, design agencies, developers, and bloggers use Cloudways to host their websites on top of the world's most reliable cloud infrastructure providers, including DigitalOcean, Vultr, Amazon, Google (News - Alert) , and Linode. The bootstrap-funded platform features a web app management function that easily launches cloud servers for the deployment of WordPress, Magento, and PHP. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005676/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Freshfields Reinforces Position as Preeminent Life Sciences Law Firm With Addition of Adam H. Golden as Partner

In a move that reinforces its position as the preeminent life sciences law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP announced today that Adam H. Golden, market-leading life sciences transactions lawyer, has joined the firm as a partner in New York. Mr. Golden brings extensive experience advising pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies and investors on license and collaboration deals, M&A, financings and commercial transactions. His arrival responds to the demand from Freshfields clients across the life sciences spectrum for support on their most strategic initiatives. As head of U.S. life sciences transactions for the firm, Mr. Golden further bolsters Freshfields' commitment to support life sciences clients with lawyers who deeply understand the sector and its business requirements. "Adam brings a wealth of experience and skill in critical areas for our life sciences clients," said Jennifer Bethlehem, partner and global head of Freshfields' healthcare practice. "His work lies at the heart of what life sciences companies are doing every day to advance their business strategies, making him a valuable resource for our clients and an important member of our team." Notable matters handled by Mr. Golden include pivotal licensing and collaboration projectson behalf of Novartis, Gilead Sciences and Celgene; Novartis's $8.7bn acquisition of AveXis; and Celgene's $9bn acquisition of Juno Therapeutics and acquisition of Impact Biomedicines for up to $7bn.



Mr. Golden is recognized as a leading life sciences transactions lawyer in Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500 US, Who's Who Legal, LMG Life Sciences, IFLR1000 and IAM Patent 1000. He has been named as an M&A Attorney of the Year and Life Sciences Star by LMG Life Sciences, and a Life Sciences MVP by Law360. John Fisher, who heads up the firm's life sciences and technology M&A practice in the U.S. and co-founded the firm's Silicon Valley office, added, "Adam is an outstanding and well-known practitioner in the life sciences space who adds further depth to our team and will serve as a key resource for our clients at all stages of growth across the country."

"I am excited to join the outstanding Freshfields team and contribute to the growth of the life sciences practice in the U.S. and globally. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues to offer sophisticated advice, based on a deep understanding of the industry, to help our clients achieve their business objectives," said Mr. Golden. About Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global elite law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world's leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on groundbreaking and business-critical mandates. Our 2,800-plus lawyers deliver results worldwide through our own offices and alongside leading local firms. Our commitment, local and multinational expertise, and business know-how means our clients rely on us when it matters most. Freshfields is ranked by Chambers Global in Band 1 across the six areas of antitrust, corporate/M&A, litigation, international arbitration, tax, and public international law. For more information visit Freshfields.us. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005653/en/

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[May 18, 2021] R-LABS Partnership Welcomes Strategic Investment from Teranet to Expand its Industry Innovation Platform in Real Estate

TORONTO, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - The R-LABS Canada Limited Partnership , a partnership of corporations dedicated to delivering innovation in the real estate industry through purpose-driven company building, is pleased to announce a strategic investment by its new partner Teranet , Canada's leader in modernizing statutory registry platforms and delivering insightful data intelligence and commercial solutions. Teranet's investment and participation in R-LABS will lead to the launch of new companies, expand the R-LABS platform capabilities in delivering innovation in the real estate industry and open new business model opportunities for Teranet. The residential and commercial real estate markets in Canada and around the world are operating in an opportunity-rich environment as people, the industry, and governments work to manage housing affordability and changes in how we work, shop, and live. R-LABS was established in 2018 with deep innovation experience in the sector, a strong partner network, and a unique venture building platform designed to solve these challenges and deliver value through industry innovation. Working in the R-LABS Open Innovation Program, Teranet's well-established capabilities across data and analytics, digitized workflw solutions, and managed services will help create new technology enabled businesses that can help solve key challenges in housing and commercial real estate.



"I've had the opportunity to deliver industry innovation with Teranet in the past as the Founder of RealNet Canada," said George Carras, Founder and CEO of R-LABS. "We are very excited to work again with the Teranet team in taking R-LABS industry innovation to the next level and help Canada be a global leader in real estate innovation." "Partnering with R-LABS enables us to further our strategic vision for building stronger communities and economies," said Teranet President and CEO Elgin Farewell. "We are very excited to work with the R-LABS team to connect our organizations for the betterment of the Canadian real estate industry at large."

Together, R-LABS and Teranet are supporting the development of Canada as a centre for innovative real estate technology companies and entrepreneurs that focus on purpose-driven solutions. This partnership creates exciting opportunities for R-LABS, real estate industry stakeholders, and corporations across other industries that can help solve problems in real estate through open innovation and purpose-driven company building. With this investment in R-LABS, Teranet joins a leading group of industry partners that includes Oxford Properties, Dorsay Development, and Empire Communities. About R-LABS R-LABS builds purpose-driven companies that solve major problems in real estate through technology-enabled ventures. R-LABS works closely with a growing group of institutional investors and game changing entrepreneurs to drive positive industry change and create a better future through innovation in real estate. R-LABS partner companies include R-Hauz, a leader in providing mass-timber housing as a product, and OneClose, a platform eliminating interim occupancy interest payments for new condo owners. www.rlabs.ca Contact: Jamil A. Karim Email: jamil@switchboardpr.com Phone: 604-317-5786 About Teranet Teranet is Canada's leader in the delivery and transformation of statutory registry services with extensive expertise in land and commercial registries. We also market insightful property intelligence and data solutions to thousands of customers in the real estate, financial services, government, utilities, and legal markets. Founded in 1991, Teranet operates the Electronic Registration System for the Province of Ontario, the Land Titles and Personal Property registries end-to-end for the Province of Manitoba, and Collateral Management Solutionsthe market leader in Canadian lien registration and search, asset recovery services, and insolvency management. Most recently, Teranet expanded its global footprint by acquiring Foster Moore. This acquisition expands its registry solutions to include commercial off-the-shelf registry software that delivers operational cost reductions, enhanced security, and process improvements. We are proud to be recognized as one of Greater Toronto's Top 100 Employers for five years in a row (2017 - 2021). www.teranet.ca Contact: Emily Boyce, Director, Marketing and Communications Email: emily.boyce@teranet.ca Phone: 647-882-6100 SOURCE R-LABS

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[May 18, 2021] IronNet Partners With Nutanix to Bring Collective Defense to Hybrid and Multicloud Environments

IronNet Cybersecurity, in its mission to transform cybersecurity through Collective Defense, announced today its Nutanix Ready validated solution with leading private, hybrid and multicloud software provider Nutanix, to deliver IronNet's Collective Defense Platform on Nutanix environments. In the accelerating shift to the cloud, organizations demand options to suit the nature of their business. This unique new offering establishes IronNet as a leading network detection and response vendor integrated with Nutanix' hyperconverged infrastructure-powered cloud platform. In addition to the integration with Nutanix core software, the solution leverages Nutanix Karbon, the company's Kubernetes management solution, to simplify deployment across public and private clouds and significantly reduce management overhead of the Kubernetes cluster. This enables customers to rapidly deploy and scale IronNet's cloud-based solution for detecting and preventing sophisticated and damaging cyber attacks such as the recent SolarWinds/SUNBURST and Microsoft (News - Alert) Exchange attacks. Based on AI-powered behavioral analytics and NDR, IronNet's Collective Defense platform detects unknown cyber threats that signature-based tools often miss and shares the related threat intelligence in real time within a secure community ecosystem. Community members - comprising an industry, supply chain, or other related grouping of organizations - share and receive anonymized threat data to create a radar-like view of potential incoming attacks so member organizations can defend more proactively. Justin Coker, VP of IronNet's EMEA region, says, "Partnering with Nutanix is a big deal for IronNet and our customers because it allows us to offer the unique promise of Collective Defense and extend it into public, private and hybrid cloud environments. The HCI architecture is extremely efficient for intensifying the performance of IronNet's AI-based detection and threat sharing capabilities - while reducing overall total cost of ownership." As a Nutanix Ready validated solution, IronNet's Collective Defense is a powerful partnership that delivers: Collective Defense as an on-premise SaaS (News - Alert) solution , enabling customers to leverage IronDefense NDR on-premise using Nutanix cloud platform. Participation in IronNet-hosted IronDome Collective Defense communities is also available.

, enabling customers to leverage IronDefense NDR on-premise using Nutanix cloud platform. Participation in IronNet-hosted IronDome Collective Defense communities is also available. New levels of threat visibility and detection to private, hybrid and multi-cloud environments. IronDefense enables customers to collect network traffic across private cloud, public cloud, and on-premise networks and apply IronNet's industry leading behavioral detection and collective defense to their enterprise.

IronDefense enables customers to collect network traffic across private cloud, public cloud, and on-premise networks and apply IronNet's industry leading behavioral detection and collective defense to their enterprise. Increased flexibility and portability of deployments. The Kubernetes-based architecture increases customers' ability to deploy new instances or migrate existing instances of the IronNet Collective Defense platform onto any private cloud infrastructure that meets the compute resource requirements. "Customers are increasingly looking for integrated solutions to strengthen their security posture, with network security being a top priority in the age of remote and hybrid work," said Prasad Athawale, VP, Business Development at Nutanix. "The Nutanix Ready validation for with IronNet's Collective Defense Platform will enable customers to improve network security and threat detection for highly sophisticated and damaging cyber attacks, while lowering costs and streamlining security operations for their private, hybrid and multicloud environments." About IronNet Founded in 2014 by GEN (Ret.) Keith Alexander, IronNet Cybersecurity is a global cybersecurity leader that is transforming how organizations secure their networks by delivering the first-ever Collective Defense platform operating at scale. Employing a high number of former NSA cybersecurity operators with offensive and defensive cyber experience, IronNet integrates deep tradecraft knowledge into its industry-leadin products to solve the most challenging cyber problems facing the world today.



In March of 2021, IronNet and LGL Systems Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: DFNS) ("LGL") announced that they entered into a definitive business combination agreement that will result in IronNet becoming a public company. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named "IronNet, Inc." and is expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the ticker symbol "IRNT." Important Information and Where to Find It

This press release relates to a proposed transaction between LGL Systems Acquisition Corp. ("LGL") and IronNet Cybersecurity, Inc. ("IronNet"). LGL has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") that includes a proxy statement to be distributed to LGL's stockholders in connection with LGL's solicitation of proxies for the vote by LGL's stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination and other transactions described in the Registration Statement, as well as a preliminary prospectus relating to the offer of LGL's securities to be issued to IronNet's stockholders in connection with the completion of the proposed business combination described in the Registration Statement. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, LGL will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of LGL as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. LGL also will file other relevant documents from time to time regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF LGL ARE URGED TO READ THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND, ONCE AVAILABLE, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE FILED BY LGL FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about LGL and IronNet once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by LGL when and if available, can be obtained free of charge on LGL's website at https://www.dfns.ai or by directing a written request to LGL Systems Acquisition Corp., 165 Liberty St., Suite 220, Reno, NV 89501 or to info@dfnsi.ai. Participants in the Solicitation LGL and IronNet and their respective directors and executive officers, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of LGL's stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from LGL's stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions described in the Registration Statement and the interests that such persons have in the proposed business combination are set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement. No Offer or Solicitation This communication shall neither constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Forward Looking Statements This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements regarding IronNet's business combination with LGL. When used in this Report, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements, including statements relating to IronNet's future financial performance. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside LGL's or IronNet's management's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include: the inability to complete the transactions contemplated by the proposed business combination; the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, the amount of cash available following any redemptions by LGL stockholders; the ability to meet the NYSE's listing standards following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the proposed business combination; costs related to the proposed business combination; IronNet's ability to execute on its plans to develop and market new products and the timing of these development programs; IronNet's estimates of the size of the markets for its products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of IronNet's products; the success of other competing technologies that may become available; IronNet's ability to identify and integrate acquisitions; the performance of IronNet's products; potential litigation involving LGL or IronNet; and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for IronNet's products. Other factors include the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including due to the failure to receive required security holder approvals, or the failure of other closing conditions. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement, LGL's Annual Report on Form 10-K (as amended), Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents filed by LGL from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and neither LGL nor IronNet undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005721/en/

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[May 18, 2021] J-Tech Holdings, LLC Announces 13,000+ Downloads of Umaps App

PLANTATION, Fla., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A creation of Jeremy Lapayowker, a Senior at NSU's Huizenga School of Business, Umaps allows a student to enter schedules, assignments, and class locations into the app, and then the app detects location, predicts how long it will take to get to class and tells the student when to leave in order to arrive on time every time, and reminds students about upcoming due dates for assignments. Umaps has multiple reminders built into the app to keep students on task. "I have struggled with executive function issues since I was a child," Lapayowker said. "I found high school and college particularly challenging with respect to scheduling classes, homework and especially planning my time so that I would get to class on time. That's why I created Umaps." Umaps can help anyone (not just students) stay on schedule, such as sales people, and anyone else who has multiple appointments each day in different locations. During his Freshman year at Muhlenberg College, where Jeremy was a goalie on the men's lacrosse eam, Jeremy found that he had limited time between practice and classes to leave any margin for lost time. He invented Umaps and started to develop it in the Summer of his Freshman year, and continued to fine tune its functions until he felt it would help him and others. "I've always been entrepreneurial," Jeremy said, "having had small businesses since I was in middle school, but this gave me the chance to apply my creative side to fixing a problem that many students and adults struggle with."



As a child, Jeremy was diagnosed with a language-based learning disability, making it a challenge to understand figurative language and social cues, and struggles with executive function issues. "I'm no Elon Musk, and I feel like people like me are underestimated, but don't underestimate me" he said. "I'll keep creating things to improve the quality of life for everyone including people like me (and Elon, lol) until I've reached my goal of being a successful entrepreneur where I can make an even bigger impact on the world." "I was shocked by the response that Tik Tok influencers received after mentioning Umaps. It made me think that we really have something fantastic."

Based in Plantation, Florida, Umaps LLC is a subsidiary of J-Tech Holdings, LLC, a company devoted to the development of applications to address psycho-social challenges and other opportunities. Umaps is available in the App Store and Google Play Store. Media contact:

Don Silver

310030@email4pr.com

954-370-8999 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/j-tech-holdings-llc-announces-13-000-downloads-of-umaps-app-301293600.html SOURCE J-Tech Holdings, LLC

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 09:30:27|Editor: huaxia

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The Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts gesture before entering the isolation wards of Oudomxay Provincial Hospital in northern Laos, on May 10, 2021. (Chinese medical expert team/Handout via Xinhua)

The Chinese medical experts visited four northern Lao provinces of Luang Prabang, Bokeo, Oudomxay and Luang Namtha to assess the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic and provide suggestions and guidance to local health authorities and medical staff.



by Chanthaphaphone Mixayboua, Zhang Jianhua

VIENTIANE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts has visited the northern Laos where the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging, boosting Lao people's confidence to win the war against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The training given by the Chinese medical team has helped us solve critical problems and boosted our confidence in putting out the COVID-19 outbreak," a local epidemic prevention and control staff in Bokeo province said while commenting on the professional training for the local staff by the Chinese medical experts.

The Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Laos on May 4 to help the country fight the virus.

From May 9 to 14, the Chinese medical experts visited four northern Lao provinces of Luang Prabang, Bokeo, Oudomxay and Luang Namtha to assess the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic and provide suggestions and guidance to local health authorities and medical staff.

The Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts inspect a vaccination site in Luang Prabang Province in northern Laos, on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Nong Lichun/Xinhua)

They also trained and answered questions from the local medical staff, optimized treatment for confirmed COVID-19 patients, visited local virology testing laboratories as well as quarantine centers and vaccination sites, fed back their assessments to the local governments and put forward rectification options for prevention and control of the virus, among others.

Khamdy Sintham is an interpreter for the Chinese medical experts in Oudomxay, about 310 km north of Lao capital Vientian by aerial distance, and also a doctor of the provincial hospital. After on-site training, Khamdy learned how to put on and take off the protective clothing. He entered the isolation wards for the first time with the Chinese medical experts.

Khamdy said he had gained more knowledge about the disease by professional training which also dispersed his fear of the virus.

Knowing that the only confirmed COVID-19 patient in Luang Namtha Provincial Hospital, some 360 km north of Vientiane, was feeling quite nervous about the disease, the Chinese medical experts took the initiative to apply for entering the isolation ward to visit the patient.

The Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts inspect the virology testing laboratory in Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital in northern Laos, on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Nong Lichun/Xinhua)

After chatting with the Chinese medical experts and getting psychological counseling, the patient's fear for the disease was eased. The patient gave a thumbs-up to the Chinese medical experts, and believed that he would recover soon.

At the COVID-19 vaccination center in Luang Prabang Province, some 220 km north of Vientiane, the Chinese medical experts answered the questions raised by the vaccinators such as "how to choose the target population for COVID-19 vaccination" and "whether food allergies or other drug allergies matter in vaccination."

All the staff at the vaccination center expressed their gratitude to and asked for group photos with the Chinese experts.

In Bokeo Province, some 350 km northwest of Vientiane, which borders China, Myanmar and Thailand and where the epidemic is severe, after knowing that there is a lack of professional personnel for epidemic prevention and control, and that the work of epidemiological investigation, isolation and disinfection is only carried out by business staff and volunteers without special training, the Chinese medical experts worked overnight to prepare and improve the next day's medical training.

The Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts inspect the virology testing laboratory in Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital in northern Laos, on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Nong Lichun/Xinhua)

"The Chinese experts have travelled far and worked hard to help study and solve problems here and put forward valuable work suggestions. The Chinese experts team has set an example of Laos-China cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, and served as envoys of the friendship between the two countries," said Director-General of Bokeo's health department Bounyaveth Vongkhamsao when seeing off the Chinese colleagues.

The Chinese medical experts' work tour to the northern Laos was also hailed on internet.

"Thank you for your contribution," a Lao netizen named Somsouk Sayavongsa commented while following the news about their tour.

"Thanks to the Chinese government, (and to) an unbreakable community with a shared future!" said a netizen named Sythala Pathammavong.

Laos has been experiencing a surge of COVID-19 infections recently. The country confirmed 21 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 1,591. 
[May 18, 2021] Gravyty Earns Special Recognition on Inc. Magazine's 2021 Best Workplaces in America

BOSTON, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravyty, the market-defining leader of artificial intelligence (AI) for Social Good, was named to Inc. Magazine's elite list of Best Workplaces and was one of twelve companies in the field of 429 to earn special recognition on the Editor's List for investing deeply in employee success and 'creating a great work environment in a pandemic.' "Our team is incredibly proud to be recognized as an Inc. Best Workplace in the U.S.," said Gravyty CEO Adam Martel. "At Gravyty, our sole internal focus is to do the best work of our lives every day. That's what we help our customers do, and it is a value that every member of our team shares. Our collaboratively competitive culture served us well in the pandemic, empowering the team to execute at an extremely high level as we sparked amazing AI outcomes for our customers. It's because of this team effort that Gravyty has the opportunity to continue to execute against our aggressive growth and expansion goals in the coming year and we couldn't be more proud to be recognized for our world-class culture." For nearl 40 years, Inc. magazine has been devoted to recognizing America's most dynamic businesses and honoring the great things they do. Inc. Best Workplaces awards the company cultures that thrive in the face of adversity, cultures that respond to a pandemic, redefine the workplace and continue to enrich it by fostering employee growth and advancement at all levels.



Special recognition for the Inc. Best Workplaces Editor's List is based on employee feedback, which is evaluated exclusively by Inc.'s editors. Editors consider trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Gravyty was one of twelve companies chosen for the 2021 Inc. Best Workplaces Editor's List for the unique ways it invested in employee success during the pandemic. Gravyty is aggressively growing. Current open positions include VP of Engineering. To see our complete list of openings, visit our careers page.

About Gravyty

Gravyty is the market-defining leader of artificial intelligence (AI) for Social Good. We exist so the nonprofit sector can transform what's possible through philanthropy. Our AI platform focuses on fundraiser efficiency and donor data security. Gravyty automates the most time-consuming processes that get in the way of fundraisers doing the work they love -- developing and cultivating relationships with donors. By empowering fundraisers to efficiently personalize outreach, build new relationships faster, steward and deepen existing relationships, and keep donor data safe, customers expand workforces without making new hires and increase giving revenue. Visit www.gravyty.com . Media Contact:

Kevin Leahy

833.472.8989

310112@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gravyty-earns-special-recognition-on-inc-magazines-2021-best-workplaces-in-america-301293639.html SOURCE Gravyty

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[May 18, 2021] Gotransverse Once Again Invites Participants to Go Over the Edge for the Austin Make-A-Wish

AUSTIN, Texas, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gotransverse (www.gotransverse.com), the leading global provider of enterprise order-to-cash solutions, is again partnering with Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas to host the 11th Over the Edge event. This annual fund-raiser gives the first 150 individuals to raise $1,500 the opportunity to rappel down the side of 600 Congress Street, one of the tallest buildings in Austin, on June 5.

Every business needs to commit to giving back to the community that supports them, said James Messer, CEO of Gotransverse. We love hosting the annual Over the Edge event and are excited to see everyone rappel down the side of our building. We hope that our continued partnership with our Make-A-Wish chapter helps to bring joy to children who need it the most. The Over the Edge eventis inspired by the courage shown by children suffering from critical illness. Every year more than 550 children in south and central Texas are diagnosed with life-threatening conditions, and Over the Edge challenges members of the community to face their fears and rappel down the side of a building while raising money to grant wishes for critically ill children.



To learn more about Over the Edge, including to sign up to raise funds or review sponsorship opportunities, visit https://austinovertheedge.com. About Gotransverse

Gotransverse provides cloud-based software that enables companies to operate as a subscription business model, including the often-challenging aspects of usage-based pricing and monetization at internet scale. Founded by globally recognized billing experts, the company offers an intelligent billing and subscription management platform that automates the subscription order-to-cash process, including billing, rating, collections, mediation, analytics, and revenue recognition. Gotransverse was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit http://gotransverse.com. Press Contact:

Tom Woolf

Gotransverse

415.842.7398

twoolf@gotransverse.com



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[May 18, 2021] LastPass by LogMeIn Delivers Enhanced Authentication Experience for Businesses

BOSTON, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Employing multi-factor authentication (MFA) when accessing important or sensitive web-based resources is considered a best practice for individuals and businesses looking to maintain protection against cyber-threats. LogMeIn, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based remote work solutions enabling the work-from-anywhere era, has introduced an improved multifactor authentication experience with the release of an enhanced LastPass Authenticator mobile app, new integrations with top VPN providers Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and OpenVPN, and a new MFA admin experience.

Recent research found that 62 percent of IT decision makers believe multifactor authentication (MFA) is the most effective way to secure their remote workforce. With the right MFA solution, employees can enjoy a frictionless login experience while strong security protocols thwart cyber-attacks. The newly released Authenticator app will provide all LastPass users  from individuals to businesses - with one comprehensive application to meet their security needs. A Single Authenticator App A free mobile application available to all LastPass users, the LastPass Authenticator provides a second layer of authentication on logins to the LastPass vault, third-party sites, and business applications. This second layer of authentication provides users with the ability to confirm their identity prior to accessing the saved passwords in their LastPass vault. With this update, the LastPass Authenticator will offer a refreshed user interface that now offers search functionality to reduce user complexity and streamline the authentication experience. New Features for Businesses Businesses can purchase additional authentication functionality with the LastPass MFA package, which adds an extra layer of security to their VPN, workstations, identity providers, or cloud applications. To empower admins to configure MFA to meet the needs of their organization, LastPass is consolidating the separate LastPass MFA mobile app into the enhanced Authenticator mobile app. As a result, admins will now only need to require one authentication option to meet a range of their organization's security needs.



New features include: One Comprehensive Authenticator App : A single LastPass Authenticator application eliminates confusion and streamlines control for admins and end users. From a simple push notification to passwordless protection, LastPass Authenticator is a single place for all end user multi-factor login activity to the vault and SSO apps with new search capabilities to streamline secure access. This enhanced app is currently being rolled out to customers.

: A single LastPass Authenticator application eliminates confusion and streamlines control for admins and end users. From a simple push notification to passwordless protection, LastPass Authenticator is a single place for all end user multi-factor login activity to the vault and SSO apps with new search capabilities to streamline secure access. This enhanced app is currently being rolled out to customers. VPN Integrations with Top Providers: In addition to securing business applications, admins can now add multi-factor authentication to their VPNs to provide an additional layer of security when employees are accessing the network. With new integrations with the top VPN providers, such as Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, OpenVPN, and more, LastPass amplifies endpoint security to reduce the risk of a cybercriminal gaining access to the network. A full list of supported VPN manufacturers can be found here.



In addition to securing business applications, admins can now add multi-factor authentication to their VPNs to provide an additional layer of security when employees are accessing the network. With new integrations with the top VPN providers, such as Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, OpenVPN, and more, LastPass amplifies endpoint security to reduce the risk of a cybercriminal gaining access to the network. A full list of supported VPN manufacturers can be found here. Seamless MFA Admin Experience: Admins can now add multi-factor authentication protection to their endpoints with a new admin experience that increases visibility and streamlines MFA deployment. This functionality will be available later in Q2. When employees are accessing company information outside of the traditional corporate perimeter, its critical for IT to ensure the employee logging in is who they say they are, said Dan DeMichele, LastPass VP of Product Management, at LogMeIn. With a newly enhanced LastPass Authenticator app, new integrations with top VPN providers, and a refreshed MFA admin experience, admins can seamlessly choose the right level of protection for their organization, without causing end-user confusion.

For more information on the LastPass MFA package, please visit LastPass.com About LastPass

LastPass is an award-winning password manager which has helped more than 25.6 million users organize and protect their online lives. For more than 70,000 businesses of all sizes, LastPass provides identity and access management solutions?that are easy?to?manage and effortless to use. From single sign-on and enterprise password management to adaptive multifactor authentication, LastPass for Business gives superior control to IT and frictionless access to users. For more information, visit https://lastpass.com .

LastPass is a trademark of LogMeIn in the U.S. and other countries. About LogMeIn, Inc.

LogMeIn, Inc.s category-defining products, such as GoTo, LastPass, Rescue, LogMeIn Central and more, unlock the potential of the modern workforce by making it possible for millions of people and businesses around the globe to do their best work simply and securelyon any device, from any location and at any time. A pioneer in remote work technology and a driving force behind todays work-from-anywhere movement, LogMeIn has become one of the worlds largest SaaS companies with tens of millions of active users, more than 3,500 global employees, over $1.3 billion in annual revenue and approximately 2 million customers worldwide who use its software as an essential part of their daily lives. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with additional locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and thousands of home offices around the globe. Media contact:

Lauren Christopherson

press@lastpass.com



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[May 18, 2021] Executives from Amazon and Coca-Cola Join GS1 US Board of Governors

EWING, N.J., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GS1 US has appointed the following executives to the GS1 US Board of Governors: Sam Heyworth, vice president, consumables, Amazon; and Brad Spickert, senior vice president of supply chain, The Coca-Cola Company's North America Operating Unit. Heyworth and Spickert will join a cross-industry Board representing companies in apparel, general merchandise, foodservice healthcare and retail grocery. The Board guides GS1 US strategy to support adoption, use and evolution of GS1 Standards for retail, e-commerce, supply chain visibility and product traceability. "Both of these leaders are responsible for helping shape successful business strategies for two of the most prominent companies in the world, and their perspectives will be invaluable to industry modernization efforts," said Bob Carpenter, president and CEO, GS1 US. "As the world moves deeper into a digital economy, product identification is critical to meeting the evolving needs of industry as well as product search and discovery for consumers. With the support of our Board, we can continue our important work to optimize standards adoption." Heyworth oversees all of Amazon's U.S. consumables core categories, including baby care, beauty and grooming, food & beverage, health and personal care, household supplies and Amazon's consumables private brands business. He also leads several of Amazon's worldwide shopping programs, including Amazon Family, Baby Registry, Climate Pledge Friendly, SNAP EBT onAmazon and Subscribe & Save. During his 16-year tenure with Amazon, Heyworth has held a variety of business leadership positions in Amazon's consumer and digital divisions, with expertise in product development and management, supply chain and operations, merchandising, promotions, replenishment, category leadership and business strategy. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.



Spickert is responsible for leading all aspects of Coca-Cola's supply chain operations in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, he served as senior vice president of innovation and commercialization, leading development and commercialization of all product innovations for North America's sparkling, still, juice and foodservice businesses. He was also senior vice president and general manager of the glaceau/hydration brands (DASANI, smartwater, vitaminwater and POWERADE). He received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas and earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The GS1 US Board of Governors comprises executives from leading organizations, including: Amazon; The Coca-Cola Company; Dot Foods, Inc.; eBay, Inc.; Google Store; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PepsiCo; The Procter & Gamble Company; Publix, Inc.; PVH Corp.; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; Sysco Corporation; Target; Topco Associates LLC; Wakefern Food Corp.; Walmart; and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. The full list is available at www.gs1us.org/bog .

For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org.

About GS1 US

GS1 US, a member of GS1 global, is a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. Nearly 300,000 businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading partner collaboration that optimizes their supply chains, drives cost performance and revenue growth, while also enabling regulatory compliance. They achieve these benefits through solutions based on GS1 global unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic Product Code (EPC)-based RFID, data synchronization, and electronic information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC).



View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/executives-from-amazon-and-coca-cola-join-gs1-us-board-of-governors-301293739.html SOURCE GS1 US

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[May 18, 2021] LeaseLock partners with Grace Hill to Deploy and Optimize Zero Deposit Leasing Practices Nationally

LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LeaseLock , the world's leading insurtech platform for real estate, today announced a partnership with multifamily innovator of talent and customer management solutions leader Grace Hill. The alliance is designed to consolidate training information under one dashboard and enhance the training experience. LeaseLock is the only AI-driven financial technology platform for rental housing providers that completely replaces deposits. Through the partnership, LeaseLock clients who are also Grace Hill clients will have the ability to pull LeaseLock training materials into their Grace Hill Vision dashboards. Training and policy information will be accessible in a single location, creating ease of use for clients, as well as improved marketability. "We're excited to partner with Grace Hill, the industry's top online talent training platform provider, to centralize training resources for our shared clients," said Lindsey Holland, VP of Client Services at LeaseLock. "Through this collaboration and consolidation effort clients gain the convenience of automated learning and support functions to help improve operational goals while eliminating security deposits for good." LeaseLock powers a modern leasing experience with integrated insurance technology deployed through native property software systems and back-office workflows. Operators market their communities as Zero Deposit, creating an affordable, seamless resident experience and conversion lif  while protecting their properties with $5,000 in rent loss and damage coverage on every new lease with the standard coverage plan.



Grace Hill's property performance loop establishes the policies, training, assessment, and survey components of the talent and customer experience management process. The integrated, scalable solution enables customers to develop, retain and grow their talent and property performance. The LeaseLock integration with Grace Hill's Vision dashboard gives onsite team members additional support to effectively incorporate lease insurance into their online resident leasing processes. With LeaseLock Zero Deposit, property teams can better convert prospects by eliminating difficult conversations about high-cost security deposits and awkward sales pitches involving surety bonds.

"Grace Hill strives to always find ways to improve upon property performance, and a key piece of that is through optimized leasing training. We're honored to add such an innovative partner and we look forward to driving the industry forward together," said Melissa Palmer, Business Development Manager - Strategic Partners at Grace Hill. About Us

LeaseLock is the world's leading insurtech platform for real estate.

Our flagship lease insurance product leverages artificial intelligence to eliminate security deposits from enterprise operating infrastructurepowering a faster, simpler, more affordable rental transaction. LeaseLock seamlessly deploys within the native online leasing checkout, resulting in significant conversion liftwhile instantly generating industry-leading coverage for the property on every lease. LeaseLock has insured over $1 billion in leases backed by insurance rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Our global investors include SoftBank Ventures Asia, Wildcat Ventures, Westerly Winds, Vertex Ventures US, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, American Family Ventures, Moderne Ventures, and Mucker Capital. About Grace Hill

Grace Hill provides technology-enabled talent performance solutions that help owners and operators of real estate properties increase property performance, reduce operating risk and grow top talent. Its industry-leading solutions covering policy, training, assessment, and data-driven insights are bolstered by years of real estate experience, in-depth service-level expertise and outstanding customer support. Today, more than 500,000 real estate professionals from more than 1,700 companies rely on talent performance solutions from Grace Hill. Visit us at gracehill.com or on LinkedIn . Media Contact:

LinnellTaylor Marketing

Marlena DeFalco

Account Director

(303) 682-3943

marlena@linnelltaylor.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leaselock-partners-with-grace-hill-to-deploy-and-optimize-zero-deposit-leasing-practices-nationally-301293761.html SOURCE LeaseLock

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[May 18, 2021] American Financial Group, Inc. Management to Participate in Virtual Meetings Hosted by Piper Sandler

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AFG) announced today that Carl H. Lindner III and S. Craig Lindner, Co-Chief Executive Officers, and Brian S. Hertzman, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will meet with investors in a virtual forum hosted by Piper Sandler on Tuesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The investor material to be used in the meeting will be posted via a link under Events on the Investor Relations page of AFG's website, www.AFGinc.com, just prior to the meetin.



About American Financial Group, Inc. American Financial Group is an insurance holding company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through the operations of Great American Insurance Group, AFG is engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialized commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed and fixed-indexed annuities in the retail, financial institutions, broker-dealer, and registered investment advisor markets. On January 27, 2021, AFG announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell its annuity business to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. The sale is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. Great American Insurance Group's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005762/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Gozio Health Mobile Platform Helps University Health Accelerate Vaccine Distribution

Gozio Health, an industry-leading, customizable end-to-end mobile platform, today announced that its digital front door solution is providing the needed foundation to support University Health's successful vaccine distribution effort. As the largest vaccine effort in the greater San Antonio/Bexar County region of Texas, University Health has drawn on the power of push notifications and seamless patient communication within the Gozio platform to simplify scheduling and complete more than 350,000 vaccinations. The ability to maintain a full vaccination schedule has enabled the health system to use all its vaccine supply-a notable achievement as many healthcare organizations struggle with waste. "Having a fully featured mobile app in place has proved instrumental to both our pandemic response and vaccine distribution strategy," Selene Mejia, University Health digital marketing manager. "The ability to communicate in real-time gives our patients peace of mind as we navigate a fluid COVID-19 care environment. It has allowed University Health to establish a direct relational link with the community, advance vaccine administration in our region and target vulnerable and underserved populations." University Health deployed the Gozio platform in May 2020 under the name "University Health Go" as a free app on the Apple (News - Alert) App Store or Google Play. The platform provides one-stop connectivity that gies patients access to real-time notifications, appointment scheduling, navigation to locations and more. Since promoting the app for push notifications to support vaccine scheduling, University Health has experienced more than 130,000 downloads.



"The pandemic has fast-tracked the importance of digital patient experiences, and health systems across the country are seeking solutions that improve patient interactions and access to care," said Joshua Titus, CEO and founder of Gozio. "We are delighted that the Gozio platform is uniquely positioned to provide an optimal foundation for advancing vaccine administration as well as supporting the future of digital patient engagement." For more information about Gozio Health, visit www.goziohealth.com.

About Gozio Health Gozio Health offers an end-to-end, customizable mobile platform exclusively for healthcare systems, including digital front door. Gozio's extensible mobile platform enables seamless consumer interactions and provides an anytime, anywhere connection to patients that improves their overall experience and access to care. Popular patient engagement features include patented wayfinding with turn-by-turn navigation, virtual visits, physician directories, appointment scheduling, access to electronic health records, Urgent Care and Emergency Department wait-times, bill pay and extensive analytics capabilities. For more information, watch the video or visit www.goziohealth.com or find Gozio Health on Twitter and LinkedIn. About University Health University Health is the only locally owned health system in San Antonio. For more than 100 years, University Health has been here to heal, to improve health, to train the next generation of medical professionals and to ensure the people of San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas have access to high quality and compassionate primary and advanced specialty care, close to home. In partnership with UT Health San Antonio, University Health is a hub of innovation and discovery, helping to create tomorrow's best practices today, as the region's only academic health system. To learn more about our mission, visit www.universityhealthsystem.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005165/en/

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[May 18, 2021] PowerPlan continues to innovate financial solutions for the unique requirements of the energy industry

ATLANTA, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PowerPlan, Inc. today announces the availability of version 2021.1, developed to address the unique needs of the energy industry ahead of tax reform. This release also includes enhanced lease reporting options and updates improving the enablement of RPAs for fixed asset accounting.

I am proud our latest releases were completed with customer input to address the most pressing issues facing energy companies today, said Suzanne Ward, Senior Vice President of Product Management. We heard from our customers they need to be prepared, in advance, for the likelihood of tax reform. In response, we enhanced existing functionality and we are committed to monitoring the progress of this plan and adjusting our products accordingly. Additionally, we continue to strengthen the customer experience across all our major suites with enhanced usability and intuitive, streamlined processes. Purpose-built for energy companies and providing unparalleled financial functionality for the office of the CFO, todays 2021.1 release builds upon the November 2020.2 release, continuing to drive innovation that will prepare companies for the potential corporate tax change as part of the infrastructure bill. Each suite offers users enhanced capabilities and new features: Income Tax: Automates the most complex manual tasks allowing for easier forecasting of proposed impacts and tracking of deferred taxes after a corporate tax rte change. These updates will improve the processes and increase visibility for tax departments for the future no matter the corporate rate change.







Automates the most complex manual tasks allowing for easier forecasting of proposed impacts and tracking of deferred taxes after a corporate tax rte change. These updates will improve the processes and increase visibility for tax departments for the future no matter the corporate rate change. Lease: Since the passing of the lease accounting standards, lessee and lessor reporting for the energy industry increases in complexity based on-going interpretation of the standard. PowerPlans newest version continues to build on the reporting requirements for running disclosure reports, while reducing the time and burden to reproduce these reports for prior periods.



Since the passing of the lease accounting standards, lessee and lessor reporting for the energy industry increases in complexity based on-going interpretation of the standard. PowerPlans newest version continues to build on the reporting requirements for running disclosure reports, while reducing the time and burden to reproduce these reports for prior periods. Fixed Asset Accounting: Users will benefit from usability enhancements to reduce the effort to enable RPAs and daily data research, align transaction processing with business process for review and approvals, and ease the burden of onboarding new users.



Users will benefit from usability enhancements to reduce the effort to enable RPAs and daily data research, align transaction processing with business process for review and approvals, and ease the burden of onboarding new users. System Administration: PowerPlan administrators will benefit from new security reports that simplify meeting SOX audit requirements as well as upgrades to the latest technology components and enhancing security encryption and email configurations.



PowerPlan administrators will benefit from new security reports that simplify meeting SOX audit requirements as well as upgrades to the latest technology components and enhancing security encryption and email configurations. AIO: Includes many customer-driven enhancements such as multiple shared dashboards, synchronizations, modeling and calculations, reporting, graphing and configuration documentation. For more information, current PowerPlan customers should reach out to their PowerPlan representative and new customers can email info@powerpan.com. About PowerPlan

For more than 25 years, PowerPlan has helped North American energy companies make the right financial decisions which improve lives and powers the world. Through our industry-leading expertise, innovative technology and vast experience listening to and working in tandem with our customers, PowerPlan software sets the standard that CFOs can count on for financial clarity for energy organizations of all sizes. For more information, email info@powerplan.com or visit www.powerplan.com.

For more information, contact:

pr@powerplan.com



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[May 18, 2021] Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation Launches Innovative Digital Tools for Agents

Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation, the customer-first, data-driven home insurance provider of choice for the Northeast, has released several new digital tools to further simplify the quoting and buying process for independent agents and their customers. Launched in 2019, @Home modernizes the traditional home insurance quoting and buying process using a suite of digital tools. These @Home innovations provide fast quotes for virtually every home address in the six states where Plymouth Rock operates. One of the newest tools benefitting both agents and their customers is Text to Quote. Text to Quote allows a prospective customer to receive a quote through their mobile device by sending a text to an agent. Once a quote is received via text, the prospective customer is prompted to connect with the agent to discuss their insurance needs. Text to Quote is part of Plymouth Rock's focus on enabling agents to reach customers via their preferred mode of communication. The @Home suite of digital tools highlights the company's ongoing investment in technologies that improve the user experience for independent agents and their clients. A common theme among the tools is better customer service through the automation of routine tasks. As a result, agents can provide immediate quotes and are able to customize coverage options based on individual needs in a matter of minutes. "Our independent agent community and their customers have continued to find value from the user-friendly platform we've built to deliver a fast and easy homeowners insurance quoting and buying experience. @Home uses leading edge data and technology to do the legworkbehind the scenes, allowing agents to focus the conversation with customers on coverage," said Sarah Cook, Chief Marketing Officer, Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation. "Now, we're enhancing this experience to offer digital tools that match the way many people prefer to operate in their everyday lives- from anywhere through their mobile devices."



The @Home suite of tools gives agents the freedom to build relationships with their customers. In addition to Text to Quote, agents can leverage the following: API for @Home Quotes - The Automated Programming Interface (API) gives agents instant access to thousands of free Plymouth Rock quotes based on the criteria they select. Agents can then send these quotes to prospects, producer lists and agent partners such as mortgage brokers, real estate agents or business HR departments.

- The Automated Programming Interface (API) gives agents instant access to thousands of free Plymouth Rock quotes based on the criteria they select. Agents can then send these quotes to prospects, producer lists and agent partners such as mortgage brokers, real estate agents or business HR departments. @Home Browser Extension - Agents need an easy way to cross-sell home when they're talking to a customer about another topic. By clicking on the Plymouth Rock browser extension, the agent can instantly generate a quote and then email it to the customer.

- Agents need an easy way to cross-sell home when they're talking to a customer about another topic. By clicking on the Plymouth Rock browser extension, the agent can instantly generate a quote and then email it to the customer. @Home Instant Quote Banner - This tool places a Plymouth Rock quote banner right on an agent's website, allowing customers to get an immediate quote on their own. After choosing one of three base packages, customers are then directed to a selection of @Home's optional coverages. It's 24x7 quoting capability that's faster and easier than the large carriers. "We launched @Home in one state in 2017. The immediate quote and fast purchase revolutionized the traditional home insurance shopping and buying process," said Bill Martin, CEO and President, Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation. "Insurers too often use technology and data to help them increase profit margins rather than give customers more reasons to buy from them. Now, we're taking it a step further by offering tools to make the process even simpler, more efficient and even more data-driven. We're not going to stop now. We take pride in the long-standing industry knowledge and financial strength we offer agents and customers coupled with the nimble and innovative approach we take to ensure the best insurance experience."

Between 2016 and 2020, Plymouth Rock's home business has experienced tremendous growth, tripling its premium, and with a 7x increase in the number of home insurance policies sold, over 8x increase in number of agents and 10x increase in quotes. In addition, between 2019 and 2020, Plymouth Rock doubled its home policy sales due to the convenience and reliability of @Home. For more information, to obtain a quote or to find an agent, visit www.plymouthrock.com. About Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock was established to offer its customers a higher level of service and a more innovative set of products and features than they would expect from an insurance company. Plymouth Rock's innovative approach puts customers' convenience and satisfaction first, giving them the choice to do business the way they want - online, using a mobile device, by phone or with one of Plymouth Rock's agents. Plymouth Rock Assurance and Plymouth Rock are brand names and service marks used by separate underwriting, managed insurance, and management companies that offer property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Taken together, the companies write and manage more than $1.6 billion in auto and home insurance premiums across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Each underwriting and managed insurance company is a separate legal entity that is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. A complete list of all state-licensed insurance companies is available by clicking here: https://www.plymouthrock.com/utility/disclaimers. Actual coverage is subject to the language of the policies as issued by each separate company. Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, features and benefits are not available in all states and companies. You can learn more about us by visiting plymouthrock.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005782/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Panorays Named 2021 Winner of "Cutting Edge in Security Ratings"

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panorays, a rapidly growing provider of third-party security risk management, today announced it has been named the winner of the 2021 Cyber Defense Magazine InfoSec Awards in the category of Cutting Edge in Security Ratings.

The 9th Annual InfoSec Awards winners were announced during the virtual RSA Conference, and award winners were determined by a panel of leading independent information security experts. Last year, Panorays won an InfoSec Award for Most Innovative Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) solution. We are extremely proud and honored to be recognized as a winner in the Cutting Edge Security Ratings category, said Matan Or-El, CEO of Panorays. It is fitting that Panorays won an award for security ratings this year, and an award for third-party risk management last year, because our solution combines the best of both. Receiving this accolade shows we are on the right path to enabling organizations and vendors to quickly and securely do business together. It is a testament to all the hard work, determination and effort put in by everybody at Panorays to ensure that organizations are effectively assessing, managing and protecting against third-party security risk.  We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber crime. Panorays is absolutely worthy of this coveted award and consideration for deployment in your environment, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. Because of recent significant supply chain data breaches, organizations from every industry are realizing that comprehensive third-party security risk management is essential. Panorays innovative security ratings provide a level of accuracy that is unrivaled. Its uniqueness is driven from a combintion of automated, dynamic security questionnaires with external attack surface assessments and business context, which together provide a rapid, accurate view of supplier risk. Ratings can be viewed anytime, and companies receive real-time alerts when security changes occur at a supplier.







The award is another milestone for Panorays in 2021, as the company was recently named a Strong Performer in The Forrester New Wave: Cybersecurity Risk Ratings Platforms, Q1 2021 evaluation.



About Panorays

Panorays is a rapidly growing provider of third-party security risk management software, offered as a SaaS-based platform. The company serves enterprise and mid-market customers primarily in North America, the UK and the EU, and has been adopted by leading banking, insurance, financial services and healthcare organizations, among others. Headquartered in New York and Israel, with offices around the world, Panorays is funded by numerous international investors, including Aleph VC, Oak HC/FT, Imperva Co-Founder Amichai Shulman and former CEO of Palo Alto Networks Lane Bess. Visit us at www.panorays.com .

About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power. Media Contact:

Tila Pacheco

Eskenzi PR

panorays@eskenizpr.com



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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 09:58:45|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported four new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Tuesday.

The same day also saw 18 new imported cases on the mainland. Of them, six were reported in Shaanxi, four in Shanghai, two in Sichuan and one each in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hunan and Guangdong.

One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai. No new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Monday.

A total of 5,876 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Monday. Among them, 5,616 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 260 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 90,894 by Monday, including 295 patients still receiving treatment, two of whom were in severe condition.

A total of 85,963 patients had been discharged following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the virus.

There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland on Monday.

Twenty asymptomatic cases were newly reported, of which 18 arrived from outside the mainland and two were reported in Anhui. There were a total of 349 asymptomatic cases, of whom 332 were imported, under medical observation on Monday.

By the end of Monday, 11,825 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 210 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 50 cases had been reported in the Macao SAR, and 2,017 cases, including 12 deaths, had been reported in Taiwan.

A total of 11,531 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 49 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 1,123 had been discharged in Taiwan. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Luke Goss to Release First Complete Art Collection Minted as NFTs

The collection will be exhibited at Honeypot, 212 West 12th Street in Los Angeles, CA 90015 on May 21, 2021 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm PST.

LOS ANGELES, California, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BPN Capital Group is pleased to announce that Luke Goss, a musician, actor, and writer is unveiling his first collection of 18 pieces of original artwork, adding painting to his lengthy artistic resume. But that is not the only first that Goss's new collection will be making  it will also be the first collection to be released entirely backed by non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The collection, LOVE and FAITH marks a bold new direction for Goss. "Painting was a new frontier for me as an artist, and part of the fun was breaking new ground," Goss said. "When I first learned about NFTs and how they can establish a stronger connection between the art and the people who appreciate it, I knew that was another pioneering space I had to be involved with." The collection will be exhibited, personally lit, and arranged by the artist himself at Honeypot, 212 West 12th Street in Los Angeles, CA 90015 on May 21, 2021 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm PST. As a foundation in our society, never before has LOVE and FAITH been needed more. - Luke Goss Those who purchase NFTs associated with the collection will also receive a Museum Quality Serigraph hand signed and numbered by the artist. The NFT represents ownership of the Museum Quality Serigraph produced by the artist as a tangible representation of his work. Goss will also be personally composing and performing the background music for the NFT as well. Christes is currently consulting with BPN to auction Gosss collection.



There will be two additional events upcoming to celebrate Goss Collection. The First of the two events is called Art Appreciation where the top 100 bidders will be invited to personally spend time with the Artist and the Collection, and the second of the two events, is called Giving Thanks to which we will invite 100 randomly selected bidders. In both Events the bidders will have the opportunity to meet the artist in person. Luke Goss and BPN will also be present at both events and at the third Event, to present to the charities of their choice their thanks for the global contributions they have made and receive donations from both BPN and Luke Goss. The tokenization of Goss's collection, currently valued at $411 million, will be managed by BPN Capital Group. BPN Capital Group is managing the tokenization of other hard assets as well, including a $112.5 million emerald, a 1-billion-dollar piece of land in Manila Philippines, and a commercial rental property in the iconic SLS Lux Brickell building in Miami.

"Luke's collection is a prime example of the type of real-world assets that NFTs represent," said Ed Rodriguez, CEO of BPN Capital Group. "By tokenizing this collection, we can democratize ownership of these extremely valuable works of art. And pairing their stake with a serigraph of Luke's work makes blockchain and NFTS feel real and tangible. "We see this project as a way to bridge the art world and the blockchain space in a meaningful way that resonates with everyone  not just amongst the tech community or art elites," Rodriguez added. About Luke Goss Luke Goss began his artistic career as the drummer of 1980s UK-based band Bros. During their touring years, Bros became one of the most well-known bands in the UK, making them the youngest performers to headline and sellout Webley Stadium. Goss has written several books landing him on the London Times Bestsellers list, he is also an accomplished actor, producer, and director. He has appeared in stage musicals, including Grease, and major motion pictures, including Blade II and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. He received accolades for his work in the 2019 award winning documentary covering the reuniting of brothers performing for the first time in 25 years to a 2-night sold out success in Londons iconic O2 Arena. Bros remains a force in the music industry. About BPN Capital Group BPN Capital Group is a DeFi multi-service Firm powered by a network of professionals and Blockchain and NFT technology. The company is dedicated to developing real-world use cases for revolutionary Blockchain technology, including the tokenization of hard assets for improved lending and investing. Founded in May 2019, BPN Capital Group has held that Blockchain and NFT technology is highly beneficial but underutilized due to lack of accessibility and real-world use cases. It is BPN Capital Group's mission to solve that problem and help lay the groundwork for the mass adoption of Blockchain solutions in the business world. It does so through hard asset tokenization, commercial lending, and a referral agent membership program. Media Contact: Meredith Egeland Meredith@quantum-corp.com



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[May 18, 2021] SAS IoT analytics target cold chain logistics, flood prediction, energy forecasting and livestock wellness challenges

CARY, N.C., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VIRTUAL SAS GLOBAL FORUM 2021  Connected sensors can make a big difference in solving global challenges, helping safely deliver temperature-sensitive COVID vaccines, analyze crop data to deliver higher-quality food, improve energy forecasting to reduce utility bills, and protect people and property from dangerous flooding. SAS and its IoT ecosystem partners apply advanced IoT analytics so organizations can face these challenges with precision and confidence. Experts say the market need for analytics like these is strong and growing. According to a 2019 study by IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, failures in temperature-controlled logistics  like those required for storing and transporting the COVID vaccine  result in $35 billion in annual biopharma losses. IQVIA anticipates cold chain logistics will account for nearly a quarter of pharmaceutical companies' R&D budgets in 2021 and beyond. Analysts studying agriculture technology trends in an IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Agriculture 2021 Predictions1 report anticipate that by 2026, 75% of livestock farmers will use wearables to provide real-time information about animal health and activity levels. This will improve profits and operational efficiency. The experts also expect 35% of farmers will use drones to monitor and manage field crops and animals to reduce labor costs and manage more acreage. SAS AI and streaming analytics help society solve daunting challenges

Jason Mann, Vice President of IoT at SAS, said IoT analytics help companies harness the complex system of cold chain logistics for biologics  including high-value pharmaceuticals, vaccines and gene therapy products. It helps companies maximize efficiency, align demand, and minimize waste and fraud. "We work with key partners including Microsoft Azure and Stress Engineering to apply customizable SAS analytics to cold chain logistics integrity challenges. SAS uses data and analytics in the cloud to help protect the efficacy of temperature-sensitive medications while simultaneously addressing security and regulatory mandates. "And applying SAS to the complexities of precision agriculture helps field crop and livestock farming organizations enhance quality and maximize yield so the world's food supply is safe and abundant." Mann points to SAS' rich IoT partner ecosystem for bringing these solutions to the marketplace. "The involvement of partners like rnst & Young, Semtech (LoRa), DunavNET and a host of universities and colleges makes it all possible."



Monitoring agricultural health with computer vision

13. Jul - Plantaze is a Montenegrin company that owns Europe's largest single complex vineyard, covering 5,600 acres. The company produces more than 20 million kilograms of grapes and approximately 15 million bottles of wine annually. 13. Jul - Plantaze uses SAS analytics deployed by partners DunavNET and the University of Donja Gorica to monitor the presence of grape moths, which can cause significant problems. "The SAS analytics built into the DunavNET agroNET solution have helped us move our operation into the digital future," said Dr. Vesna Maras, Director of the Development Sector at Plantaze. "Monitoring plant health and pests is key, but so is modernizing our entire viticulture and winemaking process."

By using data streaming from sensors integrated with the LoRaWAN standard on livestock or smart drones surveying field crops, SAS analytics also help farmers protect crops, increase yields and meet customer demand. SAS IoT analytics address energy and utility, smart city challenges

In addition to cold chain integrity and precision agriculture applications, this portfolio of IoT analytics also addresses: Energy forecasting and building energy management. For energy companies, utilities and smart cities challenged with brownouts, blackouts and the integration of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar, SAS applies its analytics to smart grid data. This helps utilities make effective decisions at all levels with a broad range of automation, scalability, statistical sophistication and transparency. SAS also helps utilities communicate better with consumers about improving energy efficiency and reducing bills.

For energy companies, utilities and smart cities challenged with brownouts, blackouts and the integration of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar, SAS applies its analytics to smart grid data. This helps utilities make effective decisions at all levels with a broad range of automation, scalability, statistical sophistication and transparency. SAS also helps utilities communicate better with consumers about improving energy efficiency and reducing bills. Flood prediction and preparedness. For cities and municipalities like the Town of Cary (NC), working to better predict and alert citizens about dangerous flood waters, SAS helps by analyzing data streaming from connected sensors on creek banks, streets and bridges. Registrants for SAS Global Forum will have exclusive access to the SAS IoT Innovation Hub, where IoT experts will share industry, partner and technology demonstrations. Today's announcement is in conjunction with SAS Global Forum 2021, the world's premier AI and analytics conference. Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year's conference is once again virtual and free. About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries.  indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright  2021 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. 1 IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Agriculture 2021 Predictions, October 2020 - Doc # US45941620 - By: John Zhang, Research Analyst, Aly Pinder Program Director, Service Innovation & Connected Products, Samar El Sayed, Senior Research Analyst, Jason Bremner. Editorial Contact:

Laura Fleek Brumley

laura.brumley@sas.com

+1 214-803-6692

sas.com/news View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sas-iot-analytics-target-cold-chain-logistics-flood-prediction-energy-forecasting-and-livestock-wellness-challenges-301292965.html SOURCE SAS

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[May 18, 2021] 22nd Century VP of Regulatory Science to Present on Health Disparities Caused by Cigarette Addiction at FDLI Annual Conference

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII), a leading plant-based biotechnology company focused on tobacco harm reduction, reduced nicotine tobacco, and hemp/cannabis research, announced today that the Companys Vice President of Regulatory Science, John Pritchard, will present at the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) Annual Conference as part of the events session, Tobacco and Nicotine Use and Health Disparities: How to Address Equity Issues through FDA Actions, on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. ET. The session will focus on the health disparities caused by tobacco and nicotine products among different groups within society, including a review of the use of mentholated products and their disproportionately high impact on African Americans. Pritchard and the other invited panelists will also make recommendations on how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can accelerate and improve health outcomes through public education and regulation, such as a nicotine cap to make all cigarettes minimally or non-addictive.

We are proud to partner with leading organizations like FDLI and work together to get the important message out that the time is now for the FDA to act decisively to stop the negative health effects caused by nicotine and cigarette addiction, said James A. Mish, chief executive officer of 22nd Century Group. FDA action is long overdue. Four years have passed since the FDA issued its Comprehensive Plan for Tobacco and Nicotine Regulation, including the Agencys advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANRPM) to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes to minimally or non-addictive levels. While there have been some positive developments recently, including reports that the White House is considering taking action on nicotine in cigarettes, it is imperative that industry leaders continue to encourage the government to take the necessary and proportionate action through nicotine regulation in order to save the lives of millions of Americans and to help prevent younger generations from ever becoming addicted to igarettes.



Our Company has a solution, and we are prepared to move into action immediately. With our VLN King and VLN Menthol King reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes, 22nd Century provides the only combustible tobacco products able to meet the nicotine level in the FDAs proposed mandate. The FDA must move quickly to authorize 22nd Centurys MRTP (Modified Risk Tobacco Product) application for VLN so that while the Agency continues its work towards establishing a nicotine cap for all cigarettes, adult smokers can have the choice of a non-addictive cigarette and take action to improve their health.



Pritchard will present data on the disproportionate impact of cigarette addiction within society, as well as highlighting research on the potential role of a minimally or non-addictive nicotine product standard to help tackle the root causes of health disparities for various minority segments of the population, including African Americans, Hispanics, people with mental illness and those living with HIV, among others.

Joining Pritchard on the panel are public health experts, Aruni Bhatnagar, professor of medicine and distinguished university scholar with the University of Louisville; and Darlene Huang, legislative and policy counsel for The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The panel will be moderated by Jasjit S. Ahluwalia, Professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health; Professor of Medicine, Alpert School of Medicine; and Associate Director (Populations Sciences), Brown Cancer Center. Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock will provide the keynote address for the conference, which will also be attended by high-ranking public health and policy figures, including FDAs Center for Tobacco Products Director, Mitch Zeller, and Mark J. Raza, acting chief counsel for the FDA. Former FDA Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, is also scheduled to speak at the conference. The FDAs recently announced intention to remove menthol from cigarettes is a welcome step forward to addressing the health disparities caused by cigarette smoking  sadly, its far from enough. With around half a million Americans dying from cigarette addiction each, and every year, its time for the FDA to fully deploy the substantial authority that Congress provided the Agency in 2009. The feasibility of a low nicotine product standard is clear, the science is clear, and the benefits to our society are clear. Public health can and must be advanced and we must ensure that no one in our society is left behind, said John Pritchard. Speaking further on the menthol ban, he added, Independent clinical research shows that consumption of menthol reduced nicotine content cigarettes leads to reduced cigarette consumption, increased quit attempts, and would play an important role in the FDA comprehensive plan, by providing existing menthol smokers with a product to enable them to reduce their nicotine consumption compared to non-menthol conventional cigarettes that would remain on the market. Pritchard represents 22nd Century in the FDLI as a member of its Tobacco Nicotine Products Committee. The Committee brings together a diverse group of expert stakeholders, including public health researchers, leaders of non-governmental organizations, and members of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to discuss tobacco regulation and policy. Following his session at the FDLI Annual Conference, Pritchards presentation will be available on the Events section of 22nd Centurys website. About 22nd Century Group, Inc.

22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) is a leading plant biotechnology company focused on technologies that alter the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in hemp/cannabis plants through genetic engineering, gene-editing, and modern plant breeding. 22nd Centurys primary mission in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused by smoking through the Companys reduced nicotine content tobacco cigarettes  containing 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes. The Companys primary mission in hemp/cannabis is to develop and commercialize proprietary hemp/cannabis plants with valuable cannabinoid profiles and desirable agronomic traits. Learn more at xxiicentury.com, on Twitter @_xxiicentury, and on LinkedIn. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements typically contain terms such as anticipate, believe, consider, continue, could, estimate, expect, explore, foresee, goal, guidance, intend, likely, may, plan, potential, predict, preliminary, probable, project, promising, seek, should, will, would, and similar expressions. Actual results might differ materially from those explicit or implicit in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth in Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2021. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investor Relations & Media Contact:

Mei Kuo

Director, Communications & Investor Relations

22nd Century Group, Inc.

(716) 300-1221

mkuo@xxiicentury.com



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[May 18, 2021] Insurity Announces New Alliance with Infosys to Rapidly Implement Insurity Software at Major Property & Casualty Insurers

Insurity, a leading provider of cloud-based software for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs today announced an alliance with Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. This collaboration between two industry leaders will enable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurers to rapidly implement Insurity's end-to-end platform across policy, claims, and billing teams. Insurity's system integrator (SI) program is made up of organizations with deep domain experience. Insurity seeks out system integrators whose advanced deployment methodolog aligns closely with its own deployment approach. As a part of Insurity's expanding SI network, Infosys (News - Alert) has direct access to Insurity's product, development, and support leaders to ensure rapid and successful implementations.



Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, enabling their clients across 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation projects. In this new alliance with Insurity, Infosys brings deep domain expertise in implementing complex commercial insurance solutions, the resources to quickly scale, and an onshore-offshore hybrid delivery model that results in faster speed-to-market for P&C insurers. "We are excited and looking forward to building this relationship with Insurity," said Mohit Joshi, President, Infosys. "Our decades of experience in designing and implementing innovative software systems combined with Insurity's proven world-class software products will help P&C insurers quickly move to the latest technologies, rollout new insurance products, and realize the best combined ratios."

"We are thrilled to be working with Infosys. Its proven track record, worldwide scale, and unparalleled talent are a game-changer for rapidly deploying Insurity's best-in-class products," said Chris Lafond, Chief Executive Officer at Insurity. "Infosys' methodologies streamline implementations across multiple divisions, various geographies, different currencies, disparate languages, and complex regulations. We are committed to working closely with the Infosys team as they start implementing Insurity software at major P&C carriers." To learn more, please reach out to Laura Krause at Laura.Krause@Insurity.com. About Insurity Insurity is a leading provider of cloud-based software and analytics for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs. Insurity is trusted by 15 of the top 25 P&C Carriers in the US and has over 200 cloud-based deployments. Through its best-in-class digital platform and with unrivaled industry experience and thought leadership, Insurity is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional value, empowering customers to focus on their core businesses, optimize their operations, and provide superior policyholder experiences. Insurity is a portfolio company of GI Partners. For more information, visit www.insurity.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005824/en/

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[May 18, 2021] elev8 Advisors Group Continues Record Growth with 174% increase in Arizona based workers

MESA, Ariz., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to continue record growth, elev8 Advisors has announced they had increased staffing for its Mesa, Arizona based financial services and consulting organization by an astounding 174%. Consistent with Adam Spencer's (the Firm's Founder and Managing Partner) vision, elev8 has continued focusing its hiring of local talent in the East Valley. "Our mission is to provide our services to nation-wide as well as the globe. However, in our mind there is no better place to find the talent needed to accomplish our Mission other than starting right here in our great State of Arizona. With unemployment in the Phoenix metro area still the highest in the state and almost 11% higher than the national average, local unemployed workers need jobs." Spencer's firm, elev8 Advisors Group has built a local work from home presence in the East Valley by bringing on over 27 Arizona based new hires, and almost an additional 70 contractors over 13 other states in the last 90 days. Creating jobs isn't the only thing Spenceris focused on, it's what his new employees and contractors are doing; helping American small businesses understand and qualify for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program. The opportunity to not only help educate those small business owners who had been shut out or to this point had been unable to obtain funding to keep their businesses open are benefitting to elev8's extended ability to create more community outreach. "It starts, one local owner at a time when educating them as not only what is available to them, but to help understand the forgiveness requirements. We are driving financial literacy and education around the program to remove unnecessary stigma's of "loans" and to explain the advocacy out there today in helping out our fellow American businesses," says Spencer.





Since 2020, Spencer's firm, elev8 Advisors and its client; Blueacorn have helped American small business owners obtain over $6.5B in SBA funds to keep their business afloat. About elev8 Contact

Cody Bias

Cody@elev8withus.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elev8-advisors-group-continues-record-growth-with-174-increase-in-arizona-based-workers-301293904.html SOURCE elev8 Advisors Group

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[May 18, 2021] Five to Survive: 65% of Canadian Small Businesses Surveyed Give Themselves 5 Years or Less to Make It

Xero, the global small business platform, today released a new report called "The Tipping Point: Making the Jump to Self-Made". The result of a survey of 1,200 small business owners across Canada, the report looks at the driving forces and defining moments that prompted individuals to venture out on their own and start their own small businesses. Notable among the findings is that almost two-thirds (65%) of small business owners surveyed give themselves five years or less to make it or break it. This is much more pronounced with newer business owners that have operated for less than a year (75%). Only 29% of respondents placed no time limit on their success or failure. The pursuit of a dream According to the report, 41% of respondents say the defining moment in their decision to start a business occurred when they became overcome with a passion for entrepreneurship. Members of Generation Z are the most likely (at 53%) to cite this entrepreneurial zeal as their main motivator. Gen Z is also the most likely to cite passion/purpose in work (30%), financial reasons (18%), and creating a legacy (12%) as the strongest motivating factors. "We quit our nine to five jobs with the dream of creating a unique hospitality brand that delivers good vibes and high design for visitors. Years later, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, we decided to diversify our business and bring some of The June to people in their homes via an online shop," says April Brown, co-founder of The June Motel. Co-founder Sarah Sklash adds, "Pivoting into e-commerce wasn't easy but, by working with cloud-based systems that all integrate into Xero, we've been able to build up this new offering all while scaling our business and keeping tabs on our operations and performance." Having to deal with horrible bosses and leadership at previous jobs prompted 12% of respondents to take the reins of their own businesses. In fact, almost half (47%) cite the increased flexibility and control that comes with being one's own boss as their strongest motivation for starting a business. The reality check The dream is that becoming your own boss and assuming total control will result in reduced stress. The reality is a little different. According to the survey, 43% of small business owners call this the greatest misconception about starting a business. Owners of businesses that have been in operation for more than 20 years are more likely to cite the idea that you will have more control over your time (43%) as a misconception, compared to a third (33%) overall. The price tag (News - Alert) on success How do you measure success? For small business owners, profitability is one of the key indicators. According to the respondents, when small business owners first start out they define success as achieving profitability (45%), making more money than they were previously (35%), and achieving strategic growth and market-share goals (19%). Reaching the point were their business is breaking even may take some time, and newer entrepreneurs (30% vs. 19% overall) are more likely to see their first sale as the sign of success.



However, as they invest more time into running the business, factors such as legacy creation (26%) and strategic growth (27%) have become more important. Cautious optimism

Small business owners express increased confidence about the business outlook as we move towards the summer and beyond. While the report finds that small business owners are generally positive about the economic outlook as it relates to the health of their business, Gen Z respondents are much more optimistic than their Baby Boomer counterparts. Newer businesses are also feeling more optimistic, with 32% of those operating less than a year characterizing their outlook for summer 2021 as "much better" compared to 13% of those who have been operating for more than 20 years. For fall 2021, those numbers are 36% vs. 22%, and 44% vs. 26% in winter 2021-22. "When the pandemic hit, we had to re-evaluate our business and make some critical adjustments to the way we operated," said Chef Rosemary Woods, co-owner of F&B Hospitality Group. "We quickly realized technology and flexibility would be key to our ability to make it through the year. It's been a lot of work, but we're looking forward to what the future might hold for us and our new takeout-only pizza pop-up." When the going gets tough The long-term effects of COVID-19 are undeniable. A majority of survey respondents (74%) believe the pandemic will have a long-term economic impact. This view is strongest among Baby Boomers (81%) and lowest among Gen Z (54%). While many say the pandemic has made it difficult to launch new businesses (42%) and has dampened their overall outlook (64%) for new businesses, 33% report that the pandemic has actually increased their desire to keep running a business in the long term. Only 16% say it has decreased their interest. Decrease in desire is more prevalent among older business owners (19% Baby Boomers and 19% Gen X vs 8% Gen Z). Almost a third (31%) of survey respondents say that they have had a harder time obtaining financial backing in the current economic climate. Financial backing is harder for newer companies that have operated for less than a year (34%) to obtain compared to long running companies that have been operating for over 20 years (19%). Two-thirds (67%) agree that the pandemic has shown the value of remaining flexible and adaptable in business, while 73% stress the importance of mastering digital technology in these times. "The differences in outlook between newer and older businesses are striking. Some of that can be attributed to different generational perspectives, but a lot of it is simply down to preparedness," said Faye Pang, Canada Country Manager, Xero. "Most newer businesses have been set up on technology platforms and enabled through digital means since they started. Thanks to their knowledge of tech tools like ecommerce and cloud-based accounting software, they're ready for-and in many cases are expecting-disruption, so they are more prepared to pivot and are better future-proofed against financial instability." Additional findings from the report include: For businesses in operation for less than a year, 58% of owners give themselves two years or less to make it. For more established businesses-those that have been around for more than 20 years-that drops to 30%. Are entrepreneurs born or bred? There's no clear consensus among business owners, with a slight tilt toward the belief that entrepreneurs are bred at 56% overall. Just 17% of respondents report that COVID-19 has changed their view on this question, but members of Gen Z (30%) are more likely to have changed their view. Men are less likely (30% vs. 33% of women) to say risk was an obstacle to starting a business, and women (29% vs. 22% of men) are most likely to cite building self-belief and overcoming self-doubt as a challenge. Does the boss have more fun? Apparently not. One in five (19%) survey respondents say that the idea that it will be more fun than working for someone else is another popular misconception about starting a business. For more information, see here. Survey methodology The research was carried out via an online survey developed by Xero in conjunction with CoreData. The survey was sent out to 1,200 small business owners (0-99 employees) in Canada between March 23, 2021 and March 31, 2021. The survey has a margin of error of 2.8% for overall results at a 95% confidence level. About Xero Xero is a cloud-based accounting software platform for small businesses with over 2.7 million subscribers globally. Through Xero, small business owners and their advisors have access to real-time financial data any time, anywhere and on any device. Xero offers an ecosystem of over 1,000 third-party apps and 300 plus connections to banks and other financial partners. In 2020 and 2021, Xero was included in the Bloomberg (News - Alert) Gender-Equality Index and in 2020, Xero was recognised by IDC MarketScape as a leader in its worldwide SaaS (News - Alert) and cloud-enabled small business finance and accounting applications vendor assessment. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005847/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Cybernetic Technologies Ltd (HPIL), announces it has Signed a Letter of Intent to Acquire "CRANK VIRTUAL"

VANCOUVER, BC, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybernetic Technologies (the "Company") (OTC: HPIL) announces that it has entered in to a Letter of Intent to acquire 100% of Crank Virtual a division of Crank Media Inc. https://www.crankvirtual.ca. Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (The "Act"). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "pleased," "plan," "confident that," "believe," "expect," or "intend to," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Suh statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, general acceptance of the Company's products and technologies, competitive factors, the ability to successfully complete additional financings and other risks described in the Company's SEC reports and filing.



For more information:

Cybernetic Technologies Ltd

1720 650 West Georgia St

Vancouver, BC V6B 4N8

Contact: Stephen Brown, CEO

www.cybernetictech.ca

info@cybernetictech.ca

Ph: +1 (778) 819-1956 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cybernetic-technologies-ltd-hpil-announces-it-has-signed-a-letter-of-intent-to-acquire-crank-virtual-301293956.html

SOURCE Cybernetic Technologies

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[May 18, 2021] Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market to Reach $228.3 Billion by 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics". The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. FACTS AT A GLANCE

Edition: 18; Released: May 2021

Executive Engagements: 159495

Companies: 25183 Players covered include Accenture; AIBrain, Inc.; Amazon Web Services; Baidu, Inc.; BIGO Technology; ByteDance Ltd; Cisco Systems, Inc.; CloudMinds; Dell Technologies; eGain Corporation; Esri; Facebook, Inc.; General Electric Company; Google, Inc.; Habana Labs Ltd; Inspur; Intel Corporation; International Business Machines Corporation (IBM); IPsoft Inc; Micron Technology, Inc.; Microsoft Corporation; Mobileye, an Intel Company; NetEase Fuxi Lab; NetEase, Inc; Next IT Corporation; NICE inContact; Nuance Communications, Inc.; NVIDIA Corporation; Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies, Inc; Oracle Corporation; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Salesforce.com, inc.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; SAP SE; SAS Institute Inc.; Siemens AG; Smartron India Private Limited; The Hewlett-Packard Company; Trifo; Xilinx, Inc. and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Component (Services, Software, Hardware); Technology (Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Context Aware Computing, Natural Language Processing); End-Use (Advertising & Media, BFSI, Healthcare, Retail, Automotive & Transportation, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Other End-Uses)

Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market to Reach $228.3 Billion by 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as one of the promising technologies, against the backdrop of fast paced digitalization and rapidly evolving technology landscape. Growth in the market is driven by increasing adoption in an expanding range of applications in varied industries. With significant improvements being seen in data storage capacity, computing power and parallel processing capabilities, the adoption of AI technology in various end-use sectors is on the rise. The rising adoption of cloud-based services and applications, rapid growth of big data, and the increasing need for intelligent virtual assistants are also contributing to the rapid pace of growh. The advent of face, image, and voice recognition technologies further boosts growth opportunities. AI has emerged as a powerful tool in the war against COVID-19. The predictive technology is being exploited by governments and other stakeholders to determine the way the COVID-19 virus is spreading, identify vulnerable people and finding mutation patterns.



Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Artificial Intelligence (AI) estimated at US$43.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$228.3 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 32.7% over the analysis period. Services, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 32.4% CAGR and reach US$126.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Software segment is readjusted to a revised 30.3% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $21.9 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $40.4 Billion by 2026

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) market in the U.S. is estimated at US$21.9 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$40.4 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 39.1% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 27.3% and 28.9% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 31.1% CAGR. The dominant share of the US is mainly attributed to the widespread adoption of AI technology in several end-use industries including media, e-commerce and manufacturing. Increased funding for advancing AI technology and applications, increasing demand for intelligent virtual assistants, and a considerably higher level of awareness about AI are also favoring growth. AI-based solutions are being increasingly deployed for responding to the crisis, with use cases spanning facets like diagnostics, triage to COVID-19 patients, screening for infections and identification of people with heart problems. AI, especially machine learning, is being exploited for dealing with large data volumes such as medical images and treatment records. Growth in Asia-Pacific including China is propelled by the increasing adoption of natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning technologies in sectors such as marketing, finance, law, and agriculture.

Hardware Segment to Reach $56.4 Billion by 2026

In the hardware segment, CPUs and GPUs currently lead, due to their high computing abilities that are needed for AI frameworks. GPU, FPGA and DSP are utilized for implementation of deep learning algorithm. AI hardware continues to gain significant attention with several initiatives being undertaken in this space.

In the global Hardware segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 36.6% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$7.3 Billion in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$64.4 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$7.6 Billion by the year 2026. More MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.



Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS

Get Full Report Details

https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-artificial-intelligence-ai-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel

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Info411@strategyr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-artificial-intelligence-ai-market-to-reach-228-3-billion-by-2026--301293951.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

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Bank of America Increases US Minimum Hourly Wage to $25 by 2025

Today, Bank of America announced it will raise its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $25 by 2025. In March last year, the company raised its U.S. minimum wage to $20 per hour.

In addition, Bank of America announced that all its U.S. vendors are now required to pay their employees dedicated to the bank, at or above $15 per hour. Today, over 99% of the company's more than 2,000 U.S. vendor firms and 43,000 vendor employees are at or above the $15 per hour rate, as a result of the implementation of this policy.

"A core tenet of responsible growth is our commitment to being a great place to work which means investing in the people who serve our clients," said Sheri Bronstein, chief human resources officer at Bank of America. "That includes providing strong pay and competitive benefits to help them and their families, so that we continue to attract and retain the best talent."

Bank of America's increase to paying $25 per hour builds on the company's history of being an industry leader in establishing a minimum rate of pay for its U.S. hourly employees. Since 2010, the company's minimum hourly wage will have increased by more than 121% (an increase of nearly $14 per hour). In the last four years, Bank of America raised the minimum hourly wage to $15; in 2019 it rose to $17 and in 2020, to $20 - one year ahead of schedule.

Bank of America's pay-for-performance philosophy reinforces the company's core values and culture by inspiring employees to do great work, encouraging and retaining talent, and building trust within teams. Its efforts have been recognized by a number of external organizations including LinkedIn (News - Alert) and Fortune, as the only financial services company included in Fortune's "Best Big Companies to Work For" list for three consecutive years.

Other recent announcements include:







For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

www.bankofamerica.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005858/en/
[May 18, 2021] Feedvisor Announces Full-Funnel Advertising Optimization and Intelligence Platform for Amazon and E-Marketplaces

Feedvisor, the AI-driven optimization and intelligence platform for brands and retailers on Amazon, Walmart, and e-marketplaces, today announced the launch of its advanced Advertising Optimization and Intelligence platform. Powered by cutting-edge AI and sophisticated machine-learning technology, the innovative platform solidifies Feedvisor's full-funnel Amazon Advertising solution, enabling brands and retailers to make data-informed decisions across their entire advertising program. Purpose-built to drive sales and return on ad spend (RoAS), Feedvisor's Advertising Optimization and Intelligence platform improves rankings, conversions and full-funnel performance across all Amazon ad types, including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Video, Sponsored Display and Amazon DSP. Users are instantly equipped with market-leading tools to drive results, including autonomous dayparting and flexible aggressiveness, product and audience targeting, NLP-driven keyword harvsting and forecasting, and real-time KPIs for all campaigns in one dashboard to consistently monitor results.



While many solutions focus primarily on advertising campaign performance, Feedvisor's platform connects brands' and retailers' operational data with advertising data. This enables them to gain unique insights into the impact of mid- and bottom-funnel results of various advertising approaches, methods and strategies on the performance of the product catalog down to the ASIN level. Feedvisor's AI engine instantaneously analyzes the data and implements real-time, autonomous actions to optimize the business performance. "Amazon is an intricate, dynamic marketplace and a delicate partnership for many brands and retailers to navigate," said Dani Nadel, president and COO, Feedvisor. "Businesses require advanced technology and deep Amazon expertise, backed by data, to keep up with Amazon's complexity and pace in order to maximize their overall marketplace performance. Feedvisor's Advertising Optimization and Intelligence platform provides brands and retailers with the tools and actionable insights they need to take advantage of the increasingly competitive Amazon Advertising landscape."

Feedvisor's full-funnel solution empowers brands and retailers on Amazon to: Grow Revenue and Drive Results - On average, Feedvisor's Advertising Optimization and Intelligence clients see a 64% increase in revenues, 41% increase in profits and 51% improvement in sales rank. As well, customers experience a 65% improvement in RoAS and 40% increase in ad sales.

On average, Feedvisor's Advertising Optimization and Intelligence clients see a 64% increase in revenues, 41% increase in profits and 51% improvement in sales rank. As well, customers experience a 65% improvement in RoAS and 40% increase in ad sales. Automate and Optimize 24/7 - The platform's machine learning constantly monitors an ASIN's SearchGraph and ProductSphere to predict exact bidding, identify targets and optimize spend in the most impactful, cost-effective way.

- The platform's machine learning constantly monitors an ASIN's SearchGraph and ProductSphere to predict exact bidding, identify targets and optimize spend in the most impactful, cost-effective way. Extract Actionable Data - Holistic performance insights help brands and retailers understand the real impact of advertising on their operational performance, from the category, brand, campaign and ASIN levels. "Companies don't advertise just for the sake of advertising," said Victor Rosenman, founder and CEO, Feedvisor. "They do it to increase sales, grow margins and ensure revenue growth. As such, simply looking at one set of advertising data isn't enough because, when you only look at the granular level, you lose the big picture. With Feedvisor's Advertising Optimization and Intelligence platform, brands and retailers can utilize the holistic view of their catalog, including advertising metrics and sales, to ensure they're making the right decisions for their entire business." About Feedvisor Feedvisor is the "AI-first" optimization and intelligence platform for brands and large sellers on Amazon, Walmart, and e-marketplaces. Feedvisor's platform and team of experts offer best-in-class advertising campaign optimization, patented pricing technology, brand and content management, and data-backed intelligence to drive demand profit, and revenue growth. For more information about Feedvisor, visit feedvisor.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005864/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 12:07:42|Editor: huaxia

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GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Fighting between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip continued on Monday for the eighth day in a row as both sides kept trading artilleries and civilian casualties continued to grow.

Here is a timeline of the current spiraling conflict between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave:

May 17:

-- At least four Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured on Monday in a series of fresh intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Till Monday, 204 Palestinians, including 59 children and 35 women, have been killed and 1,305 others wounded in the ongoing fighting between Gaza and Israel.

-- Israel fired artillery into southern Lebanon on Monday night after six rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel but fell short within Lebanese territory.

-- Israel will temporarily reopen Gaza's main cargo crossing Kerem Shalom on Tuesday to allow the transfer of the humanitarian aid of gas, food and medicine to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

May 16:

-- The death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to nearly 200 and at least 1,225 others were injured, officials said.

-- Israel's military said on Sunday it bombed overnight the home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, as Hamas militants fired rocket barrages at Tel Aviv. It said in a statement that some 2,900 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory, of which about 450 failed launches fell in the Gaza Strip and 1,150 were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome Air Defense System.

-- Israeli strikes killed at least 42 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Sunday, the worst daily death toll yet in the almost week-long clashes, according to media reports.

May 15:

-- Violence between Hamas and Israel showed no signs of stopping, as homes and apartments in the Gaza Strip were bombed and destroyed on Saturday night after Israel slammed the region with airstrikes. Meanwhile, dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza towards central and southern Israel.

-- Israel deployed more tanks and ground forces on the borders with the Gaza Strip, after Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordered a redeployment of more reinforcements to the border areas.

-- Israeli war jets bombed and demolished Jala Tower, which housed offices of Al-Jazeera TV and Associated Press as well as residential apartments. Israeli military claimed that the building contained assets of Hamas intelligence agency.

May 14:

-- On Friday, Israel's main international airport is closed for landings amid rising tensions.

-- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to immediately cease the fighting in Gaza and Israel, said his spokesman.

-- Three rockets were fired from Syria toward northern Israel, and Israel bombarded a bank that belongs to Hamas in Gaza on Friday evening, the Israeli military and Hamas said.

May 13:

-- An 87-year-old Israeli woman died in a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, bringing to eight the death toll of Israelis killed in the conflict.

-- The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip climbed to 103, included 27 children and 11 women, said the Hamas-run health ministry.

-- Three rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Thursday night, the Israeli army said.

May 12:

-- Two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in two separate incidents in the West Bank, medics said.

-- A Hamas official said that Hamas' conditions for any ceasefire with Israel are that Israel "completely stops violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem."

May 11:

-- More than five people in central and southern Israel were killed in a Gaza rocket attack, and at least 24 people, including nine children, were killed in the Gaza Strip as Israel launched new airstrikes against the enclave, according to Israeli authorities and the Hamas-run health ministry.

-- Israeli military chief Aviv Kochavi decided to extend Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip "with no time limit" amid the tensions.

-- Barrages of rockets from Gaza hit Israel's Tel Aviv at night, Israeli security officials said.

-- Guterres voiced grave concern over the serious escalations in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, including the latest escalation in Gaza, which added to the heightened tensions and violence in occupied East Jerusalem, said his spokesman.

May 10:

-- Israeli tanks struck military posts of Hamas early morning in response to rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, and hundreds of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police in East Jerusalem, Palestinian sources and Israeli army said.

-- Israel said it has shut down the Erez Crossing, the only pedestrian passage between the Gaza Strip and Israel, after Gaza militants fired more rockets.

-- Israel carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 20 people. Rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave continued through the night.

May 9:

-- At least 10 Palestinians were injured in fresh clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound after the end of the morning prayer early Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

-- Militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at southern Israel at night, said Israeli military.

May 8:

-- Overnight on Saturday, at least 90 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli police near the Old City's Damascus Gate and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, both located in East Jerusalem, according to a Red Crescent statement.

May 7:

-- A total of 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli police officers were injured in clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound on Friday night, following a ruling that forced Palestinians to leave their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

-- Elsewhere in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and injured a third after the three opened fire on a military base in the West Bank.

-- The Israeli military boosted its forces in the West Bank with additional combat troops and added anti-rocket Iron Dome batteries in the area near Gaza. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Webscale Named 2021 SIIA CODiE Award Finalist for Best Security Solution

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Webscale , the Cloud Platform for Modern Commerce, today announced that Cloud Security Suite has been named a 2021 SIIA CODiE Award finalist for Best Security Solution, one of 43 business technology categories. Finalists in the CODiE awards represent the best products, technologies, and services in software, information and business technology.

Webscale Cloud Security Suite is a 360-degree security solution, designed around the needs of ecommerce, and the industrys first platform to offer comprehensive protection, for online storefronts, from attacks at the edge through web traffic; from potential malicious code inserted into the backend; and from browsers executing scripts stealing sensitive information. Acknowledged as the premier awards program for the software and information industries for over 35 years, the SIIA CODiE Awards are produced by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software, education, media and digital content industries. The SIIA CODiE Awards are the industry's only peer-recognized awards program. The 2021 CODiE Award finalists continued to innovate, pivot and grow to develop truly remarkable products throughout an historically challenging year. These finalists maintain the vital legacy of the CODiEs in spotlighting the best and most impactful apps, services and products serving the business tech market. Congratulations to this year's finalists on this well-deserved recognition, said Jeff Joseph, SIIA President. We are thrilled to make it to th final round of the SIIA-CODiE Awards 2021 for Webscales Cloud Security Suite, a solution developed to address the rapidly increasing threats facing businesses transacting online, especially following the tectonic shifts in the ecommerce industry over the last year, said Sonal Puri, CEO of Webscale. During the extended holiday shopping season in 2020, Webscale mitigated over 520 million threats protecting thousands of storefronts during their most lucrative quarter - a testament to the work of our product team who wholeheartedly deserve this recognition.



To learn more about Webscales security offerings, click here . About Webscale

Webscale is the worlds only cloud platform for the successful delivery of modern commerce applications. Offering enterprise-grade security, predictive scalability and blazing-fast performance, the Webscale SaaS platform leverages automation and DevOps protocols to simplify the deployment, management and maintenance of infrastructure. The platform supports omni channel use cases across a variety of ecommerce platforms and architectures, including headless, progressive web applications, self-hosted and fully hosted commerce clouds. Deployed in multi-cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure, Webscale powers Fortune 1000 brands including Dollar General, Watsco, Regal Cinemas and thousands of other B2C, B2B, and B2E ecommerce storefronts across 12 countries. Webscale has offices in Santa Clara, CA, Boulder, CO, San Antonio, TX, Bangalore, India and London, UK.

For more information, visit www.webscale.com . Follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook . Media Contact: Andrew Humber

Webscale

ah@webscale.com About the SIIA CODiE Awards The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technologys finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE. About Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) SIIA is the only professional organization connecting more than 700 data, financial information, education technology, specialized content and publishing, and health technology companies. Our diverse members manage the global financial markets, develop software that solves todays challenges through technology, provide critical information that helps inform global businesses large and small, and innovate for better health care and personal wellness outcomes.



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[May 18, 2021] Bugsnag Recognized as 2021 Bay Area Best Places to Work

Bugsnag, recently acquired by SmartBear, has been recognized as a winner of the 2021 Bay Area Best Places to Work, an awards program presented by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Out of the 450 companies that applied for these awards, only 125 were selected for this honor. Select employers from the Bay Area were named winners of the award on May 7th, 2021. These winning organizations are being honored for having created exceptional workplaces that their employees value highly. Award applicants were evaluated and ranked across five categories according to the number of Bay Area employees. The ranking found companies in the region whose employees rate them as the highest on such values as fun, collaborative culture, solid compensation and benefits offerings and other amenities as well as management practices. Bugsnag was ranked sixth out of 25 companies in the Small Biz (50-99 employees) category. "It's such an honor to be recognized as a great place to work and we are proud to have maintained our positive workplae culture throughout the challenges of the pandemic," said James Smith (News - Alert) , SVP of the Bugsnag Product Group at SmartBear. "We prioritize empathy first when it comes to our coworkers and communities. The Bugsnag leadership team also shows through action that family, health and mental well-being come first and are essential for a great working environment."



Bugsnag values every team member and goes out of its way to ensure employee satisfaction. Some current benefits include: Monthly Care Packages: To support the wellbeing of its staff members during the pandemic, Bugsnag ships snack boxes and organic fruit boxes to all employees on a monthly basis.

To support the wellbeing of its staff members during the pandemic, Bugsnag ships snack boxes and organic fruit boxes to all employees on a monthly basis. Food Stipend: Employees received a daily lunch allowance before the pandemic which was converted to a weekly allowance, including groceries, once the team transitioned to full remote work.

Employees received a daily lunch allowance before the pandemic which was converted to a weekly allowance, including groceries, once the team transitioned to full remote work. Regular Virtual Outings: Bugsnag hosts company-wide outings such as virtual shibori dyeing, escape rooms, and watercolor painting. There are also department-level virtual outings.

Bugsnag hosts company-wide outings such as virtual shibori dyeing, escape rooms, and watercolor painting. There are also department-level virtual outings. Donut Chats: To ensure connection during the pandemic, Bugsnag leadership and the rest of the company hold non-work-related Donuts (slack plugin for huddles) every few weeks in groups of three with employees they don't normally work with.

To ensure connection during the pandemic, Bugsnag leadership and the rest of the company hold non-work-related Donuts (slack plugin for huddles) every few weeks in groups of three with employees they don't normally work with. Alternative Communication Options to Avoid Burnout and Zoom Fatigue: To prevent Zoom fatigue, Bugsnag encourages employees to talk on the phone instead and recommends taking calls while walking outside to get fresh air. About Bugsnag

Bugsnag, a SmartBear company, is a pioneer in application stability management. We make error monitoring actionable and help enterprises and small businesses stabilize, prioritize and fix bugs. As a full-stack solution, we are recognized for our best-in-class support for mobile applications. Bugsnag empowers software development, client observability and release management teams to make data-driven decisions on when to build features versus fix bugs. Organizations experience significant ROI due to faster innovation led by developer efficiencies and improved customer experiences. We process over 1 billion crash reports every day from applications worldwide and more than 5,000 industry-leading brands including Airbnb, Slack, Pinterest, Lyft, Yelp and Pandora (News - Alert) use Bugsnag as their daily dashboard. Bugsnag was acquired by SmartBear (backed by Vista Equity and Francisco Partners) in May 2021 and was previously backed by GV ( Google (News - Alert) Ventures), Benchmark Capital and Matrix Partners. For more information, visit https://www.bugsnag.com/. About 2021 Bay Area Best Places to Work Best Places to Work is an innovative publication and awards program produced by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. The rankings were determined by surveys that went directly to employees who answered a series of questions. The survey was administered online by the employers and through a service provided by Quantum (News - Alert) Workplace, our research partner. The rankings are numeric based on Quantum's scoring process. By ranking companies and sharing best practices we facilitate idea sharing and help other companies learn from the best. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005188/en/

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[May 18, 2021] New Alexa Skill by Aloe Care Provides Another Path to Peace of Mind for Remote Caregivers

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aloe Care Health , the most advanced voice-activated medical alert and communication service for elder care, now includes an Alexa Skill to keep caregivers effortlessly apprised of older adults' well-being. Once enabled, the Skill allows Alexa to recite the status of indoor air quality and temperature, local weather, movement, check-ins, and Aloe Care system connectivity in elders' homes. Only people using the Aloe Care app and who are assigned to secure, designated care teams can enable and use the Alexa Skill. "The preferences and priorities of older adults and their care teams are foremost in the comprehensive Aloe Care service," said Ray Spoljaric, CEO and co-Founder of Aloe Care Health. "While elders benefit from the secure, private, invisible safety-net and voice-activated access to a professional emergency response team or famly, caregivers' needs are met too. Peace-of-mind arrives with at-a-glance status checks, and now, Alexa can share those same updates on command."



To enable the Aloe Care Health Alexa Skill, caregivers can search for "Aloe Care Health" in the Skills section of the Alexa app. "When caregivers are provided with easy-to-use, intuitive tools combined with the latest technology they will be able to best meet the needs of their loved ones, their families, and themselves," said Amie Clark, Co-Founder of TheSeniorList.com.

Aloe Care's advanced, award-winning solutions include an in-home Smart Hub for secure, two-way, hands-free voice communication, and additional Smart Sensors to detect falls, motion, air quality, and temperature. It's on-the-go solution, the Mobile Companion, features automatic fall detection and works nationwide on AT&T (4GLTE). Aloe Care is bolstered by 24/7/365 access to a professional emergency response team. Aloe Care also features a private, secure family app for real-time status-checks, voice calls directly into the Smart Hub, and care collaboration with family and professional caregivers. The company has received acclaim in PC Mag , the Senior List , Real Simple and many more. To learn more, visit aloecare.com. ABOUT ALOE CARE HEALTH : Aloe Care (www.aloecare.com) offers the world's most advanced voice-activated, in-home medical alert and communication system for older adults. Based in New York, Aloe Care was created by caregivers for caregivers.More than 70 percent of the team actively supports aging-in-place parents and grandparents. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-alexa-skill-by-aloe-care-provides-another-path-to-peace-of-mind-for-remote-caregivers-301294005.html SOURCE Aloe Care Health

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[May 18, 2021] VitalPass, the first blockchain-based system to track COVID-19 vaccination, launches in Colombia with plans to expand to several countries in Latin America

BOGOTA, Colombia, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the beginning of global vaccination efforts, many countries have identified the need to generate a digital passport that would facilitate and improve the transition to a post-pandemic world in an effective, safe and transparent way. In Colombia, this is now possible due to the partnership of the health sector, with Auna Ideas, and the financial sector, with Davivienda. Jointly, they have developed a tool capable of generating user-friendly, reliable, and simple experiences for patients. Users will go from having a paper certificate to a digital certificate, developed and backed by Koibanx and Algorand, that is easily verifiable and accessible, How does VitalPass work? When a person visits a participating location for vaccination, an email address will be used to assign a username. The vaccinator will complete a form with information about the person. The certificates will be issued at the healthcare location and registered on the Algorand blockchain through a user interface designed by Koibanx . This system provides the person with a passport-like document linked to a vaccine verification on the blockchain. The details are accessed through a simple QR code. Verification of the first dose will be shown in yellow on the certificate and the second dose will be shown in green. "Davilabs has become one of Auna Ideas' main partners. When developing projects, we always prioritize working with the best in each field. Davilabs' experience in blockchain motivated us to work again on this project in which innovations can come to save lives and be at the service of those who need it most," said Andres Vasquez, Director of Health Innovation, Auna Ideas. "Davivienda has trusted us again to develop a project on blockchain, and we chose Algorand to do it more efficiently. We hope this will help fight the health crisis in Colombia and show one of the many values this technology offers," said Edy Weber, CEO of Koibanx. "We are excited about the innovation coming out of Latin America, particularly when it comes to the ability to harness the power of efficient and advanced blockchain t quickly bring innovative solutions to life," said W. Sean Ford, COO of Algorand. "It is exciting to see the expansion of Algorand's ecosystem in South America and that several leading organizations were able to coalesce around an open and accessible infrastructure to deliver a mission-critical solution."



This is the second time Auna Ideas and Davivienda have worked together in the midst of the pandemic to develop initiatives that positively impact the community through innovation. They partnered previously in 2020 and developed "Doctora Julia," a technological solution that uses artificial intelligence. Doctor Julia enabled the diagnosis of more than 4,500 cases in just 5 minutes, all thanks to the proper classification of chest tomographic patterns associated with the COVID-19 with chest computed tomography images. It is hoped that this alliance will continue to reap triumphs and help boost various sectors of the country in its way to economic reactivation. Auna Ideas Foundation

Auna Ideas is an open platform for scientific research, innovation in Health-Tech, health training, and social development in our continent with the support of AUNA. Since 2008 Auna seeks to transform health care and wellness in Latin America. With a presence in Peru and Colombia with more than 7,500 collaborators, they offer comprehensive health care to members and patients at every moment of their lives. They have a network of clinics and wellness centers, transversal health services, insurance products; all of this, with the support of the most advanced medical and academic research and a first-class team.

Algorand

Algorand is building the technology to push the Future of Finance (FutureFi), with the convergence of traditional and decentralized models into a unified system that is inclusive, secure and frictionless. Founded by Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali, Algorand developed a Blockchain infrastructure that offers the interoperability and capacity to handle the volume of transactions needed for DeFi, financial institutions and governments to easily transition to FutureFi. Chosen by more than 500 global organizations, Algorand's technology enables the easy creation of next-generation financial products, protocols and value exchange. For more information, visit us at: www.algorand.com Davivienda

At Davivienda, we believe in a financial world that simplifies the lives of people, communities, businesses and cities. As a result, today we are a team of more than 17,200 people in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Miami, innovating, investing in knowledge, talent and technology, collaborating and seeking to implement best practices worldwide. We do all this to provide simple solutions and exclusive offers to more than 17.5 million customers, enabling greater financial inclusion and sustainable development. We are currently the second-largest bank by portfolio in Colombia, with a network of 675 branches and close to 2,710 ATMs in Colombia and our international subsidiaries. We are one of the companies belonging to the Bolivar Group. *Financial Superintendency of Colombia (figure as of December 2020). Koibanx

Since 2015 Koibanx has been helping banks and financial institutions integrate solutions to benefit from an agile and more cost-effective infrastructure built on Blockchain technology. Payments, factoring, loyalty, and asset tokenization can be made better and more securely on the Koibanx platform. They plan to connect and benefit all financial industry players in LATAM on the same infrastructure. Contact:

Algorand@dittopr.co View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vitalpass-the-first-blockchain-based-system-to-track-covid-19-vaccination-launches-in-colombia-with-plans-to-expand-to-several-countries-in-latin-america-301294000.html SOURCE Algorand

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[May 18, 2021] Clackamas Workforce Partnership Collaborated With Brand Strategy Company Proper to Launch a New Website for Their Organization

CLACKAMAS, Ore., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The prior year has been devastating to gains in employment, equity in the workplace and the prosperity of local businesses over the last 10 years. As the long road to recovery begins, the Clackamas community is fortunate to be home to the organization Clackamas Workforce Partnership. Clackamas Workforce Partnership's mission is to address critical workforce, educational and training challenges to develop a skilled workforce that meets the needs of businesses and strengthens the local economy of Clackamas County. With its previous website being 10 years old, the organization felt its brand, mission, services and resources were not being effectively presented any longer. As part of an intensive vetting process, Proper was selected as the vendor of choice to redevelop the organization's website, with the main objectives being: Modernize the design and how the organization is presented online.

Streamline the site organization and navigation structure to allow content to be more quickly accessible.

Create an easily manageable site with no programming knowledge required to make content updates.

Meet the needs of multiple audieces including the local workforce, city officials, collaborators and business managers.



Quality Jobs Initiative. Amanda Wall, Communications Coordinator for Clackamas Workforce Partnership, had the following to say about the project: "The redesign of www.clackamasworkforce.org allows job seekers, local employers, and partners to tap into our system of resources and information for workforce and training services available in Clackamas County. Cody from Proper led us through a seamless design and development process. We could not be happier with the results.

"We are particularly proud of the section on Quality Jobs in Clackamas County. CWP launched this new initiative to focus on advancing workforce equity, wage security, safe working conditions, stable work hours, and a benefits package to enable a more healthy, stable life." About Proper | Business + Brand Strategy

Proper is a full-service business and brand strategy company located in Portland, Oregon. We believe when local businesses and organizations succeed, our communities succeed. That belief drives everything we do on behalf of our clients. For more information, please visit https://properstgy.com. Contact:

Cody Galloway

Email: cody@properstgy.com

Phone: 503.449.4204 Related Files

CWP.png View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clackamas-workforce-partnership-collaborated-with-brand-strategy-company-proper-to-launch-a-new-website-for-their-organization-301293991.html SOURCE Proper | Business + Brand Strategy

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[May 18, 2021] Dialpad Partners With Intercom to Provide AI-Powered Calling to More Sales and Support Agents

Dialpad Inc., the industry leader in AI-powered communication and collaboration, today announced it has joined the Intercom App Partner Program to bring sales and support teams a seamless experience across voice and messaging. This new integration allows Intercom users to easily switch between Dialpad's AI-powered calling and Intercom's best-in-class business messenger during interactions with customers. Together with Intercom, Dialpad continues to help agents get the most out of every conversation and be productive from anywhere, on any device. The Dialpad and Intercom integration enables users to easily switch between messaging and voice by allowing agents to call customers from an Intercom chat, and log that interaction in both Intercom and Dialpad. The app uses Intercom's private chat log, visible only to Intercom users, to log Dialpad's proprietary Voice Intelligence (Vi) link and recording. With Dialpad's new app built for Intercom, support teams can reduce resolution times and increase customer satisfaction. By launching phone calls from Intercom's messenger, the integration also empowers sales teams to close high-intent deals faster. "This is a unique partnership. Dialpad and Intercom are not just technology partners, but also each others' customers. We know firsthand how powerful each platform is, making today's launch really exciting," said Brian Peterson, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dialpad. "Both Dialpad and Intercom are committed to empowering sales and support teams to be more productive. Through this partnership, Intercom users have direct, seamless access to Dialpad's powerful voice technology and reliable business phone services within Intercom's business messenger." Dialpad is a cloud communication platform that delivers high-quality calling, video and chat from a single application. Powerful Voice Intelligence (Vi) technology is embedded in every interaction, enabling business users to get more value from their calls and meetings. With live transcription, real-time recommendations and call sentiment, Vi turns any agent into a super agent. "This integration allows our live chat team to better solve problems right in the moment via channel switching in a single app. This will enhance our customer experience as well as cut down resolution time," said Victoria Deubler, Director of Customer Support, Inside Real Estate. "Now, both our phone and live chat teams can utilize this itegration to work out of Intercom directly instead of jumping back and forth between apps throughout the day which saves time and improves team efficiency."



Intercom is the Conversational Relationship Platform that helps businesses build better customer relationships. Intercom's Messenger enables personal, conversational experiences between businesses and customers, and its accompanying management tools and automation provide personalized customer interactions that are efficiently managed across channels. Intercom is powered by a connected customer data platform that seamlessly integrates with CRMs and many other tools, including Salesforce, Marketo (News - Alert) and Zendesk. "Dialpad is the newest brand to grow its business by integrating with Intercom and joining the Intercom App Partner Program," said Leandra Fishman, Chief Revenue Officer, Intercom. "Conversational, messenger-based experiences are becoming the dominant channel between businesses and customers and the Dialpad app will drive more personal, engaging and frictionless customer interactions."

The Intercom App Partner Program is designed for SaaS companies, startups and independent developers, who build valuable integrations for shared customers. The program unlocks revenue-driving sales and marketing opportunities for partners, while offering early access to APIs, roadmap previews and more. Partners also gain access to Intercom's 4 billion end-users across its more than 30,000 customers, including Amazon, Facebook, Lyft and Atlassian (News - Alert) , who installed apps from the Intercom App Store more than 100,000 times in 2019 alone. Visit the Intercom App Store to download the Dialpad app. Additional Resources Learn why Dialpad is a Major Player in the IDC (News - Alert) MarketScape: Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for SMB and Enterprise 2021 Vendor Assessments

Check out this round-up of Dialpad's highlights over the past year About Dialpad Dialpad is the leading cloud communications platform for AI-powered calling, conferencing and contact centers. Dialpad's proprietary, Artificial Intelligence engine, Voice Intelligence (Vi), helps businesses make smarter decisions by giving real-time insights on every call. Built on the Google Cloud Platform for unmatched security and reliability, Dialpad is easy to deploy, integrate and scale. Today, more than 70,000 of the world's most innovative businesses use Dialpad and its seamless integrations with Google Workspace, Hubspot, Microsoft (News - Alert) Office 365, Salesforce, Zendesk and others to allow every user to be more productive. Customers include T-Mobile, Twitter, WeWork, Uber, Stripe, Netflix, Motorola (News - Alert) Solutions, Splunk and Domo. Dialpad is backed by the world's leading investors including Amasia, Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis Ventures, GV, ICONIQ Capital, OMERS Growth Equity, Salesforce Ventures, Scale Ventures, Section 32, SoftBank Corp., T-Mobile Ventures and Work-Bench. Headquartered in the United States, Dialpad has offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK. Visit www.dialpad.com for more information and to request a demo. About Intercom Intercom is a Conversational Relationship Platform (CRP) that helps businesses build better customer relationships through personalized, messenger-based experiences. It's the only platform that delivers conversational experiences across the customer journey, with solutions for Conversational Marketing, Conversational Customer Engagement and Conversational Support. Intercom is bringing a messenger-first experience to all business-to-customer communication, powering 800 million conversations per month and connecting 4 billion unique end users worldwide across its more than 30,000 paying customers, including Facebook, Amazon and Lyft. The company was founded in 2011 in San Francisco by Eoghan McCabe, Des Traynor, Ciaran Lee and David Barrett, with the mission to make internet business personal. Intercom was valued at $1.275 billion in 2018 and has secured $241 million in funding from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer Venture Partners and Social Capital. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005097/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Faster Speeds Available: Xplornet providing access to 100/10 Mbps speeds to more than 11,000 homes and businesses in New Brunswick

Xplornet launches Xplore 100X10 UNLIMITED in 48 communities across rural New Brunswick WOODSTOCK, NB, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Xplornet Communications Inc., Canada's largest rural-focused broadband service provider, launched Xplore 100x10 UNLIMITED service today across 48 rural communities in New Brunswick, offering download speeds up to 100 Mbps and upload speeds up to 10 Mbps with full speed unlimited data to more than 11,000 homes and businesses. "Xplornet has been working hard upgrading our next-generation fixed wireless broadband network to bring faster speeds across rural New Brunswick," said Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet. "This is another exciting step in our commitment to invest and deliver improved high speed Internet to rural homes andbusinesses across Canada so that people can stay connected to family, friends and work, no matter where they choose to live."



This announcement is the result of Xplornet's ongoing private investment as well as Opportunity New Brunswick's $10 million contribution under Phase 1 of the Rural Broadband Upgrade Project to deploy state-of-the-art scalable hybrid fibre wireless technology in its facilities-based network in order to deliver fast, reliable and affordable broadband services to meet the needs of rural Canadians. "Ensuring New Brunswickers continue to benefit from the best available internet connections is a top priority for our government," said Arlene Dunn, minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick. "This kind of investment can not only have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of New Brunswick residents, it is also an important advancement in the province's long-term economic growth. Fast, reliable internet connectivity has become essential in order to deliver online education, access virtual health care, help businesses stay connected with customers, and to attract remote workers who are looking for more out of life."

The Xplore 100X10 UNLIMITED package is now available in the following communities: Baie Vert  Bedec  Bells Mills  Bloomfield  Cap-de-Saint-Louis  Carters Point  Central Norton  Chance Harbour  Clarks Corner  Coburg  Dawson Settlement  Dorchester Cap  Glenwood  Gooseberry Cove  Grande-Aldoue  Gray Mills  Hampton  Hillsborough  Hopewell Cape  Keswick  Keswick Ridge  Lepreau  Long Reach  Lower Kingsclear Mactaquac  Maquapit Lake  Memracook  Musquash  Norton  Passekeag  Piroque  Plaster Rock  Port Elgin  Rexton  Richibucto  Scotch Settlement  Sission Ridge  Sypher Cove  Taylor Village  The Cedars  Timber River  Upper Dorchester  Upper Greenwich Upper Rexton  Wapske  Waterborough  Weldon  Whites Cove About Xplornet Communications Inc.

Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. is one of Canada's leading broadband service providers. For over a decade, Xplornet has been providing innovative fixed and mobile broadband solutions to rural customers at work, home and play across Canada. Today, Xplornet offers voice and data communication services through its unique hybrid fibre wireless and satellite network that connects Canadians to what matters. SOURCE Xplornet Communications Inc.

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[May 18, 2021] QEI Partners with Odyssey Technical Solutions for Repair Services of Semiconductor Products

Odyssey Technical Solutions, world leader in RF, DC, and microwave repairs, is pleased to announce it has been selected as partners for repair services of all QEI semiconductor products. QEI is a leader in RF delivery systems located in Williamstown, New Jersey, that has made significant gains in the semiconductor market worldwide, after many successful years within the broadcast industry. With a history spanning twenty years and nearly 100,000 successful repairs, Odyssey was the clear choice for partnership with QEI. "To support our global systems installed base, we chose Odyssey to be our partners for repair in the US, Europe, and Asia. We, at QEI, believe this first-of-its-kind relationship was the right way to grow and support our critical customers and to meet their expectations. QEI could have chosen to set up service centers worldwide; but we preferred to work with a professional service organization like Odyssey, who could help us achieve an immediate quality repair loop worldwide," remarked QEI representative, Scott Ivins. Eric Nail, vice president of Odyssey added, "We are very pleased to align ourselves with QEI; as they gain design wins, we gain repair customers for the future. To establish a relationship between manufacturer and the repair process is smart business for a seamless customer experience. With our locations in Round Rock, Singapore, and our newest in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Odyssey is well positioned to provide QEI customers the higest quality repair service worldwide."



For more information about QEI, visit www.qei-rf.com. For more information about Odyssey Technical Solutions, call +1.512.989.7007, email sales@odysseyrf.com, or visit our website at www.odysseyrf.com.

Download photo and text at https://odyssey.repair/QEI-Partners. About Odyssey Technical Solutions Odyssey Technical Solutions' technology center is a state-of-the-art repair facility located in Round Rock, Texas. The engineering staff consists of highly skilled professionals working in a meticulously maintained facility, specializing in RF Generators, Automatch Networks, DC Power Supplies, and Microwave Generators / Power Supplies. Odyssey's reputation for quick turnaround times and customer satisfaction has provided it the opportunity to become involved with an array of different processes and equipment within the industry. The Odyssey team is engaged, motivated, customer focused, and current with the latest advancements in process and equipment engineering. Services include repair, refurbishment, core exchanges, process and equipment engineering, and equipment sales. Odyssey is an ISO 9001:2015 and ANSI/ESD S20.20 Certified company, and a US veteran-owned company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005936/en/

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[May 18, 2021] UM Named Campaign Global Media Agency of the Year

NEW YORK, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UM, the global media agency network of IPG Mediabrands, was named Global Media Agency of the Year in Campaign's 2020 Global Agency of the Year Awards, while UM APAC was awarded "Best of the Best: Media Network." Campaign is one of the leading providers of news and analysis serving marketing, advertising and media professionals around the world. UM was named Campaign's Global Media Agency of the Year, while UM APAC was awarded "Best of the Best: Media Network." "These tremendous wins are a direct result of the unwavering dedication and hard work of our people," said Eileen Kiernan, Global CEO, UM. "Despite all the challenges over the past year, our community continued to deliver outstanding work and partnership to our clients while supporting our communities, both in and outside of UM. We are grateul for the recognition from Campaign."



UM's future-facing, agile and data-driven approach, with diversity, equity and belonging at its core, helped solidify the agency's win. Unveiled in 2020, UM's unique Futureproof approach balances profit and purpose, connects with today's and tomorrow's audiences, and creates fully connected experiences that adapt at the speed of culture. The Campaign 2020 Global Agency of the Year Awards judges cited UM's body of work combining analytics, artificial intelligence and automation, strong business results, ethical and responsible approach to data, and retention of blue chip clients as key factors contributing to the win. UM APAC's "outstanding track record for new business" and "robust results" contributed to its "Best of the Best: Media Network" recognition. Despite the uncertainty brought on by the events of 2020, the region saw numerous successes including a client retention rate of almost 95% and new business wins from Foodpanda, Lazada, Telenor Group, Teway Food, Dr. Ci:Labo, Spotify, Nike, Intuit, Wipro Unza, Coway, and Puma AG.

These honors follow several recent notable recognitions for UM, including UM APAC winning Media Network of the Year at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year awards; UM China winning Media Agency of the Year at the Shanghai International Advertising Festival Awards; and UM US CEO Lynn Lewis being named Campaign Agency Head of the Year for two consecutive years. About UM

UM is a global media agency committed to Futureproofing our clients' businesses for the now and the next. We leverage the transformational power of rich business analytics and real-time intelligence to maximize growth and activate the full consumer journey across content and connections. Our consultative approach and agile model, rooted in diversity, equity and belonging, drive better business outcomes for brands. As the leading global media network in IPG Mediabrands, UM operates in over 100 countries, with more than 3,000 people innovating on a roster of global clients including Accenture, American Express, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Fitbit, GoPro, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co, Mattel, Sony and Spotify. For more information, please visit https://www.umww.com/. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/um-named-campaign-global-media-agency-of-the-year-301294058.html SOURCE UM

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[May 18, 2021] CACI International Inc to Participate in Jefferies Virtual IT Services Summit

CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI), a leading provider of expertise and technology to government enterprise and mission customers, will participate in Jefferies Virtual IT Services Summit. Tom Mutryn, CACI Chief Financial Officer, will participate in a question and answer "fireside chat" on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast of the event will be available on the CACI Investor Relations website at https://investor.caci.com/events/default.aspx. A replay of the webcast will be available following the presentation at the same link listed above for 30 days afterward. CACI's approximately 23,000 talented employees are vigilant in providing the unique expertise and distinctive technology that address our customers' greatest enterprise and mission challenges. Our culture of good character, innovation, and excellence drives our success and earns us recognition as a Fortune World's Most Admired Company. As a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies, the Russell 1000 Index, and the S&P MidCap 400 Index, we consistently deliver strong shareholder value. Visit us at www.caci.com.



Statements may be made at the conference that do not address historical facts and, therefore, could be interpreted to be forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risk factors that could cause actual results to be materially different from anticipated results. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, the following: our reliance on U.S. government contracts, which includes general risk around the government contract procurement process (such as bid protest, small business set asides, loss of work due to organizational conflicts of interest, etc.) and termination risks; significant delays or reductions in appropriations for our programs and broader changes in U.S. government funding and spending patterns; legislation that amends or changes discretionary spending levels or budget priorities, such as for homeland security or to address global pandemics like COVID-19; legal, regulatory, and political change from successive presidential administrations that could result in economic uncertainty; changes in U.S. federal agencies, current agreements with other nations, foreign events, or any other events which may affect the global economy, including the impact of global pandemics like COVID-19; the results of government audits and reviews conducted by the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the Defense Contract Management Agency, or other governmental entities with cognizant oversight; competitive factors such as pricing pressures and/or competition to hire and retain employees (particularly those with security clearances); failure to achieve contract awards in connection with re-competes for present business and/or competition for new business; regional and national economic conditions in the United States and globally, including but not limited to: terrorist activities or war, changes in interest rates, currency fluctuations, significant fluctuations in the equity markets, and market speculation regarding our continued independence; our ability to meet contractual performance obligations, including technologically complex obligations dependent on factors not wholly within our control; limited access to certain facilities required for us to perform our work, including during a global pandemic like COVID-19; changes in tax law, the interpretation of associated rules and regulations, or any other events impacting our effective tax rate; changes in technology; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of a proposed transaction and our ability to successfully integrate the operations of our recent and any future acquisitions; our ability to achieve the objectives of near term or long-term business plans; the effects of health epidemics, pandemics and similar outbreaks may have material adverse effects on our business, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows; and other risks described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005892/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 12:34:55|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China has embraced continuous socio-economic development, and the Chinese people have been increasingly confident and outgoing, said a Sri Lankan party leader.

"Each time I come (to China), there is some new development, there is something new going on," Mayantha Dissanayake, chairman of the Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya (STB), youth wing of Sri Lankan political alliance the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, told Xinhua in a recent video interview.

Dissanayake, who has been to China six times, said each time he visited Chinese cities or rural areas, he could see "a difference, economically, socially."

"I have seen infrastructure development happening. I have seen farming developed. There are many aspects of development that I have seen," he said, adding he was very surprised at China's poverty alleviation and "the confidence of the people."

The party leader said he has also seen cultural changes in major Chinese cities. "People are in a sense more outgoing."

China's new policy framework, well reflected in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, is "something revolutionary," because it is taking China from the old age to a modern developed China that can have global friends and partners, Dissanayake said.

He said Sri Lanka and China enjoy "a very close brotherly relationship."

Whatever some Western countries and media outlets may say or write to attack Sri Lanka-China cooperation, "I must go on record and say that China has always been there for Sri Lanka. And as Sri Lanka goes, we cherish the relationships that we have with China," he said.

"We are always grateful that China and the leadership of China have been there for Sri Lanka," he added.

Noting that the STB is a young party that is just one year old, Dissanayake said, "There are a lot of things we can learn from the Chinese experience, the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s experience."

"We have been looking forward to meeting with the youth leaders of the CPC, and establishing a strengthened and strong relationship with the CPC's youth wing as well," he said.

"In the post-COVID scenario, we can look at exchange programs ... and learn from each other's cultures," he added. Enditem
[May 18, 2021] Esports Media Inc Announces Historic Partnership With Razer

LAS VEGAS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Esports Media Inc, the multimedia company behind the world's premier esports content destination Esports.gg, announced today a brand new partnership with Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers. Esports.gg, announced today a brand new partnership with Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers. The partnership will see Razer position themselves at the center of a brand new esports media project and provide support to Esports.GG's extensive network of world-class broadcast talent, content creators and staff around the globe. "Razer has been one of my favoite brands in gaming throughout my life. It's an incredible opportunity to have their support at launch with our new media company," said Christian Bishop, Esports Media Inc's Founder. "There are a lot of great publications in esports working hard to build a sustainable business. This partnership will play a critical role in our ability to create new innovative content for our community."



Since launching in March 2021, Esports.GG's dynamic website content and social media reach has grown exponentially by offering exclusive analysis from industry experts, breaking news, guides and tournament overviews. The brand new partnership with Razer will see Esports.gg take the next step in its evolution; green lighting plans for extensive editorial features, player profiles and media content across over a dozen esports titles. "I had the pleasure of working for Razer when it launched its esports department over a decade ago and its influence in the space has only grown," said Lawrence Phillips, Esports.gg's Director of Content. "Razer's involvement in our media project will not only mean all our staff and creators will be supplied with award winning hardware, but will also enable us to scale up our content creation across the board. From mainstream esports titles to niche."

Esports.gg's mission to cater to all levels of the esports industry is shared by our new partner Razer, whose Invitational series has grown to become a global phenomenon that represents inclusivity in the esports community. "Esports is a part of Razer's DNA," says Khang Thai, Sr. Global Esports Lead at Razer. "I am excited to work with such a talented crew at Esports.gg because their team is filled with leaders in their respective areas, and reporting on the exciting things happening in esports through their lens is critical to continuing our leadership in the industry." View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/esports-media-inc-announces-historic-partnership-with-razer-301294113.html SOURCE Esports Media Inc

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[May 18, 2021] World Utilities Congress to Launch in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC ("TAQA"), one of the EMEA region's largest listed integrated utility companies, announced today that it will be the official host of the World Utilities Congress, a new global exhibition and conference addressing the future of low carbon power and water supplies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006019/en/ World Utilities Congress to launch in Abu Dhabi (Photo: AETOSWire) Organised by dmg events, the Congress will be an in-person event taking place in Abu Dhabi in May 2022. It will be supported by the UAE's Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE), Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC). The World Utilities Congress is an opportunity for the global power and water industry to converge and discuss trends and technologies impacting future power and water demand. The focus will be on the proactive measures for decarbonisation, curbing carbon emissions and attracting the long-term capital investment needed for a sustainable future. Utilities are already at the heart of deliverig global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, whilst keeping the world supplied with vital energy and water. The challenge to decarbonise is immense and requires sector leaders to share knowledge and most importantly - work together. Coming six months after COP26, the World Utilities Congress will provide a platform to help the industry reflect on the next phase.



In the UAE, the 'National Integrated Energy Model' was recently launched to support the UAE Energy Strategy to increase the contribution of clean energy into the country's total energy mix to 50 per cent by 2050. There is also a major shift underway towards energy efficient water production, by way of reverse osmosis desalination. Event host TAQA is at the centre of the UAE's efforts having recently announced its 2030 strategy for sustainable and profitable growth. The company is setting out to become a champion of low carbon power and water for Abu Dhabi and will leverage the UAE's strong global relationships to further the growth of its power and water portfolio at home and internationally.

Jasim Husain Thabet, Group CEO and MD of TAQA, commented: "We are excited to host the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi and hope it will enable us to meet with our peers from around the world to learn from each other and to work together for a sustainable future. Developing low carbon power and water is not just a matter of doing good, but it is also good business. As we at TAQA embark on our own journey, we value our partners and are proud to be part of a sector that is fundamental to delivering a better tomorrow. This new global conference and exhibition will provide a great opportunity for the sector to showcase ideas, solutions and best practice in front of an audience that matters." The World Utilities Congress will give power and water utility leaders an unrivalled opportunity to explore innovation and technological advances across the global industry, whilst addressing challenges of rapid urbanisation, decarbonisation, decentralised energy, customer empowerment, sector convergence and more. To be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) as both an exhibition and conference, the World Utilities Congress will grant the utilities industry direct access to growth opportunities in the UAE and wider MENA region, as well as with the fast-growing economies of Asia. Further information available at www.worldutilitiescongress.com * Source (News - Alert) : AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006019/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Klick Health Named a Best Workplace for Inclusion for Second Consecutive Year

In recognition of its continued commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) practices, Klick Health was today named one of the Best Workplaces for Inclusion by Great Place to Work Institute, the global workplace culture authority, for the second consecutive year. Klick was also recently named a Best Managed Company for the 13th consecutive year. "DE&I has always been an integral cornerstone of our culture, but last year we decided we needed to do more in this area to embody our people-first ethos even more fully," said Chief People Officer Glenn Zujew. "The recognition of this award, and the fact that it's based on Klicksters' direct feedback on how they're treated at work, regardless of how they identify, means the world to us." Over the last year, Klick has established a DE&I Council, elevated and expanded its Employee Resource Groups (Klicksters-of-Color, Women, Queer/LGBTQ+, Parents, and Mental Health), and made several other specific and measurable commitments. Call for Change: DE&I Impact Report Most notably in June 2020, Klick signed the advertising industry's Call for Change letter, pledging to take 12 actions to operationalize DE&I and do more to fight racism. In August 2020, it conducted its inaugural DE&I benchmarking survey and set goals to grow diversity. This data is available in Klick's 2021 DE&I Impact Report. Klick has also hosted exclusive anti-racism talks and book clubs for its team members to help provide a solid understanding of how race and racism operate in society and in the workplace. Keynote speakers have included New York Times bestselling authors, such as Ijeoma Oluo (SoYou Want to Talk about Race); Robin DiAngelo (White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism); and Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project.



Other virtual events have included: For Pride: a Jackbox Party Gaymes Night, LGBTQ2SIA+ Mental Health During the Coronavirus Crisis talk with Jake Mossop, and LIT Tavern at Home: Club Queerantine with DJ Craig Dominic; A Q&A with Andrew Gelwicks, author of The Queer Advantage: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity; A Soca dance class and Zoom-based party with DJ Shay to celebrate Caribana; A virtual Tamil Heritage Month cooking class; An education series during Black History Month, paying homage to Black contributors to the worlds of medicine and science; and For International Women's Day, Klick's annual Speed Mentoring event was adapted for Zoom. Earlier this year, Klick was also named a Great Place to Work, a Best Workplace for Women; and received a Fast Company World Changing Idea honorable mention for its unique Mobile Flu Shot Clinic.

The list of Best Workplaces for Inclusion was announced earlier today, and is based on direct feedback from employees of the organizations that were surveyed by Great Place to Work. To be eligible for this list, organizations must be Great Place to Work- Certified in the past year and at least 90 percent of employees must agree they are treated fairly, regardless of personal characteristics (such as gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation). About Great Place to Work: Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes the world's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at www.greatplacetowork.ca. About Klick Health Klick Health is the world's largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences. For over two decades, Klick has been laser-focused on developing, launching, and supporting life sciences brands to maximize their full market potential. Klick was named Large Agency of the Year for 2020 by Medical Marketing + Media (MM+M), marking its ninth Agency of the Year industry award in nine years. Follow Klick Health on Twitter (News - Alert) at @KlickHealth. For more information on joining Klick, go to careers.klick.com/. About Klick Group The Klick Group of companies - Klick Health (including Klick Katalyst), Klick Media Group, Klick Applied Sciences (including Klick Labs), Klick Consulting, Klick Ventures, and Sensei Labs - is an ecosystem of brilliant talent collectively working to maximize their people and clients' full potential. Established in 1997, Klick has teams in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and across North America. Klick has consistently been named a Best Managed Company and Great Place to Work. In 2020, the company was recognized with 14 Best Workplace awards, including Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces for Inclusion, Employee-Recommended Workplaces, Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and FORTUNE's Best Places to Work in New York. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006013/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Lumeon Recognized in Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2021

Lumeon, a care journey orchestration leader, today announced that it has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, a premier award program in one of the top U.S. healthcare news publications. "We're thrilled that our team has received this recognition," said Robbie Hughes (News - Alert) , Lumeon CEO. "A central part of our mission at Lumeon is helping healthcare providers deliver the right care for every patient, every time, ultimately restoring joy to overburdened care teams. Our dedicated employees are passionate about this mission and our core values, which shine through the work of the Lumeon team. We're proud to have that recognized." Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare program honors 150 U.S. healthcare companies and organizations throughout the industry that empower employees to provide patients and customers with the best possible care and services. The program draws upon feedback from extensive employee surveys to evaluate organizations across several criteria, such as culture, leadership, employee benefits, and overall employee satisfaction, as well as new riteria measuring how employees reported feeling supported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.



Hughes continued, "As a result of the pandemic, our health system customers were under immense pressure to transform nearly every aspect of their care delivery. This introduced new challenges to our team at Lumeon, who worked tirelessly to develop and launch new solutions with great success. This is only one example of how the team demonstrates our shared core values: to be innovative, creating new solutions that help our customers provide the best care; to collaborate and work openly and humbly as a team; to care passionately about what we do and who we do it for; and to remain determined, with a can-do attitude, despite challenges." The recognition of Lumeon's positive culture and workplace demonstrates the company's momentum and growing position within the healthcare industry. It marks the company's third industry recognition during 2021, having won silver for the "Best New Healthcare Technology Product" category in the American Business Awards for two solutions - its remote home monitoring solution and its virtual care solution for pre-surgical readiness.

"One year into the pandemic, we've seen the industry transform to meet the needs of its patients and employees," said Aurora Aguilar, Modern Healthcare's editor. "Time and time again, the most resilient and successful organizations show that empathy towards their staff, clear vision and compassion towards the patient buoys teams and sets them up for success. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for eliciting loyalty from their workforce and communities during harrowing times." For more information on Lumeon's career opportunities and values, visit here: https://www.lumeon.com/careers/ About Lumeon The leader in care journey orchestration, Lumeon delivers intelligent automation to transform how care is delivered - improving financial, clinical, and human outcomes for health organizations, their care teams, and their patients. Lumeon's award-winning technology platform proactively navigates patients along a personalized adaptive care plan, automating care processes, tasks, and adherence monitoring, providing actionable insights that augment care decisions, and coordinating care teams to ensure seamless and predictable care delivery across every care setting. Partnering with more than 70 innovative health organizations in the U.S. and Europe, Lumeon's solutions address the needs of hospitals, payers, ambulatory care, and population health, empowering care teams to operate at the top of their license, reducing costs for providers, and creating the coordinated and convenient digital experiences that patients and care teams deserve. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006067/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Nozomi Networks Takes Home Repeat Win at Coveted Global InfoSec Awards

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nozomi Networks Inc., the leader in OT and IoT security today announced that for a second consecutive year, the company won the 2021 Cyber Defense Magazines Global InfoSec Award for: Market Leader in Operational Technology (OT) & Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity With hundreds of customers around the world trusting Nozomi Networks to provide them with the visibility and security to protect their OT and IoT investments, winning the coveted award from Cyber Defense Magazine continues to validate our market leadership, said Nozomi Networks CMO John Vincenzo. In light of a recent series of high-profile cyber attacks, the spotlight is on our industry and being recognized as the industry leader for the second year in a row is certainly validation of the hard work and dedication of the Nozomi Networks team. We couldnt be more pleased. We look for cybersecurity innovators that continue to make a huge difference in helping turn the tide against the exponential growth in cybercrime, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. Nozomi Networks is absolutely worthy of this award. Join Nozomi Networks and other Global InfoSec Award winners virtually this week at RSA Conference 2021 (#RSAC), https://www.rsaconference.com/usa. About Nozomi Networks

Nozomi Networks accelerates digital transformation by protecting the worlds critical infrastructure, industrial and government organizations from cyber threats. Our solution delivers exceptional network and asset visibility, threat detection, and insights for OT and IoT environments. Customers rely on us to minimize risk and complexity while maximizing operational resilience. www.nozominetworks.com



About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power. Press Contacts:

Nozomi Networks

Jil Backstrom

jil.backstrom@nozominetworks.com - 303.913.1650

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Visit and follow the Nozomi Networks Corporate Page on LinkedIn

Cyber Defense Magazine

April Palanca, Director of Marketing

marketing@cyberdefensemagazine.com

Toll Free (USA): 1-833-844-9468

International:1-646-586-9545

Website: www.cyberdefensemagazine.com



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[May 18, 2021] vivo Launches Android 12 Beta for Developers to Accelerate User Experience Optimization

SHENZHEN, China, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ -- vivo today released Android 12 Beta, in line with the announcements made during the annual Google I/O 2021 event held on May 18, 2021. The iQOO 7 Legend performance flagship smartphone is among the first batch of devices that can install the Android 12 Beta. Developers can now take an early look at the next version of Android in order to test, develop and adapt their applications for vivo smartphone users before the upcoming software update. With Android 12, Google is striving to design a more intelligent, convenient and powerful operating system while ensuring the privacy and security of end users. New microphone and camera toggles have been added for users to turn off app access to the sensors for the entire system, along with a new emergency function that will trigger an emergency alarm after five consecutive presses of the power button. Home to a diverse array of powerful features, Android 12 is set for widespread popularization by users globally. vivo has participated in the research and development efforts of Android 12 Beta since the early stages to sooner provide developers with a stable testing platform. Through the newly announced Developer Preview Program, vivo is encouraging developers to get their apps ready and complete system testing ahead of the update to bring better user experiences to smartphone consumers around the world upon the launch. As part of the Android 12 Beta Progam, vivo has enhanced its system framework resource calling functionality. This quickens the overall development, adaptation and optimization of applications for vivo's smartphone operating system. Meanwhile, the vivo Computing Acceleration Platform (VCAP) is a digital acceleration solution targeting the underlying characteristics of terminal hardware, allowing developer algorithms to be deployed more efficiently. vivo will also provide excellent user experiences to end users through upgraded and customized features such as iManager and Multi-Turbo.



Starting today, developers can visit vivo's developer website at https://developer.vivo.com/ to download the Beta version of Android 12 for application testing and optimization on the iQOO 7 Legend. vivo hopes to work with developers to integrate the newest features onto vivo's smartphone operating system to culminate in a more secure, smooth and premium experience for smartphone users worldwide. About vivo

vivo is a leading, product-driven, global technology company, with its core business focusing on smart devices and intelligent services. vivo is committed to connecting users around the globe, through design of exciting and innovative smartphones and companion devices, as well as services which integrate technology and design thinking in unique and creative ways. Following the company core values, which include innovation, consumer orientation and benfen*, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy, with the vision of becoming a leading, long-lasting, world-class enterprise.

With headquarters in China, supported by a network of 9 R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and San Diego, vivo is focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, photography and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set-up five production hubs (including brand authorized manufacturing center), across China, South- and Southeast Asia, manufacturing over 200 million smartphones each year. As of 2019, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 40 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 400 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right  which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to build technology for good.

Please stay informed of vivo's news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vivo-launches-android-12-beta-for-developers-to-accelerate-user-experience-optimization-301293971.html SOURCE Vivo

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[May 18, 2021] INFICON Introduces SmartFDC Machine Learning Anomaly Detection System

INFICON, a leading provider of manufacturing software and hardware solutions for the semiconductor and related industries, is proud to announce the release of the SmartFDC Machine Learning Anomaly Detection System. SmartFDC uses Machine Learning (ML) to empower process and equipment engineers with easy-to-use tools to reduce product risk and rapidly resolve production issues while automatically providing Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) coverage. Engineers of all skill levels have access to the automated and easy to interpret ML analysis results that provides a reduction in the time to detect inline issues and diagnose excursions identified by the system. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006101/en/ INFICON SmartFDC Machine Learning Anomaly Detection System empowers process and equipment engineers with easy-to-use tools to reduce product risk and rapidly resolve productio issues while automatically providing Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) coverage. (Graphic: Business Wire)



SmartFDC reduces Fault Detection implementation time, maximizes detection capabilities, and provides powerful analytical tools to engineers of all skill levels. Its ML algorithm automatically learns the processes that run on the equipment with no additional setup or configuration, meaning that every tool and chamber is monitored from the moment the system is enabled. While the system fine tunes the learning, engineers are provided insight into the processes and equipment that enhance their ability to identify and troubleshoot issues.

INFICON's modular SmartFDC also augments traditional FDC systems by merging Machine Learning and engineering experience into a single intuitive platform. Its architecture enables factories to augment existing 3rd party FDC systems, including the INFICON FabGuard FDC System, with ML capabilities that can target specific process areas or broadly cover the entire facility. This enables factories to easily ramp implementation and add capabilities based upon specific needs without requiring significant changes to existing data collection or excursion detection infrastructure, thereby further simplifying the deployment. For more information or to request a demonstration, please see us at https://ims.inficon.com About INFICON INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 software solutions that enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes, and complete factories. These analysis, measurement and control products are also essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration, and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other users of vacuum-based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental monitoring. INFICON is headquartered in Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. INFICON registered shares (IFCN) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. For more information about INFICON and its products, please visit www.inficon.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006101/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Edgemont Partners Advises Mindful Health Solutions on Growth Investment from Norwest Venture Partners

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Edgemont Partners ("Edgemont"), a premier healthcare investment bank and a leading M&A and capital raising advisor exclusively serving healthcare companies, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Mindful Health Solutions ("MHS" or "the Company"), a leading provider of interventional psychiatry services, on its growth investment from Norwest Venture Partners ("Norwest"). Edgemont's deal team was led by Managing Director Jeff Swearingen and Vice President Brandon Breslow, with execution support from Associates Philip Litmanov and Rebecca Herz, and Analyst Zach Linder. Founded in 2007, Mindful Health Solutions provides in-network mental health services focused on improving clinical outcomes for patients with a wide range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, and memory disorders. MHS provides access to comprehensive mental health care, offering virtual and in-person Medication Management, talk therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Esketamine nasal spray, and other therapies via its extensive team of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Headquartered in San Francisco, MHS operates more than 15 clinics throughout California and offers secure, convenient telehealth appointments. MHS' newest clinics are located in Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Elk Grove, and Roseville. In partnership with Norwest, the Company plans to expand access to their services and establish a multi-region footprint. Norwest intends to leverage its deep healthcare services experience across specialties to bolster the platform and fuel growth. MHS CEO Brad Hummel noted, "Edgemont served as a valued advisor to MHS throughout the transaction process with Norwest, and the advice we receive led to a great outcome for MHS. Norwest's proven track record of building industry-leading healthcare services companies made them a clear choice as a partner for us."



Norwest's growth investment in MHS marks Edgemont's twenty-seventh physician services transaction. Other recent transactions include the recapitalization of Quigley Eye Specialists by New Harbor Capital, the sale of Arizona Dermatology to West Dermatology, and the sale of Spine Nevada to HopCo. Edgemont is the leading investment banking firm advising independent physician practices on strategic alternatives, including mergers, acquisitions, sales, and private equity recapitalizations. Edgemont's Clinician Services group serves practices across a broad range of office-based and hospital specialties, including outpatient mental health services, orthopedics / musculoskeletal care, cardiovascular care, dental, dermatology, ophthalmology, urology, urgent care, primary care, psychiatry, gastroenterology, rheumatology, pain management, women's health / OB-GYN, and fertility as well as emergency medicine, hospitalist medicine, anesthesiology, and radiology. About Mindful Health Solutions

At Mindful Health Solutions, skilled psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners work tirelessly to ensure that each patient is treated with respect and compassion. MHS providers understand the challenges of suffering from clinical depression and other psychiatric disorders. MHS' goal is to help patients manage these profound difficulties through its technology platform which offers both telemedicine and in-person visits. MHS provides therapy, medication, and the most advanced treatments available, including TMS and Esketamine, and accepts all major insurance. For more information, please visit mindfulhealthsolutions.com. About Norwest Venture Partners Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $9.5 billion in capital. Since its inception, Norwest has invested in more than 600 companies and partners with over 150 active companies currently in its venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early to late stage companies across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise, and healthcare. Norwest offers a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto (News - Alert) and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com. About Edgemont Partners Now in its 20th year, Edgemont ranks among the most active and best-performing independent healthcare M&A and financial advisors in the U.S. We focus solely on providing expert strategic advice and transaction execution to healthcare and life sciences companies, bringing a steadfast commitment to our clients, driven always to prioritize their best interests. Edgemont's principals have executed 170+ transactions with an aggregate value of $65 billion+. For more information on Edgemont and how we can best serve you, contact Ben Hughes at +1 (646) 632-3967, or visit our website at www.edgemont.com. Investment banking services are provided by Edgemont Capital Partners, LP, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006117/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Google Cloud Launches Vertex AI, Making Machine Learning More Accessible and Useful For Developers and Businesses

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Google I/O, Google Cloud announced the general availability of Vertex AI, a managed machine learning (ML) platform that allows companies to accelerate the deployment and maintenance of artificial intelligence (AI) models. Vertex AI requires nearly 80% fewer lines of code to train a model versus competitive platforms1, enabling data scientists and ML engineers across all levels of expertise the ability to implement Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) to efficiently build and manage ML projects throughout the entire development lifecycle. Today, data scientists grapple with the challenge of manually piecing together ML point solutions, creating a lag time in model development and experimentation, resulting in very few models making it into production. To tackle these challenges, Vertex AI brings together the Google Cloud services for building ML under one unified UI and API, to simplify the process of building, training, and deploying machine learning models at scale. In this single environment, customers can move models from experimentation to production faster, more efficiently discover patterns and anomalies, make better predictions and decisions, and generally be more agile in the face of shifting market dynamics. Through decades of innovation and strategic investment in AI at Google, the company has learned important lessons on how to build, deploy, and maintain ML models in production. Those insights and engineering have been baked into the foundation and design of Vertex AI, and will be continuously enriched by the new innovation coming out of Google Research. Now, for the first time, with Vertex AI, data science and ML engineering teams can: Access the AI toolkit used internally to power Google that includes computer vision, language, conversation and structured data, continuously enhanced by Google Research.

that includes computer vision, language, conversation and structured data, continuously enhanced by Google Research. Deploy more, useful AI applications, faster with new MLOps features like Vertex Vizier, which increases the rate of experimentation, the fully managed Vertex Feature Store to help practitioners serve, share, and reuse ML features, and Vertex Experiments to accelerate the deployment of models into production with faster model selection.

with new MLOps features like which increases the rate of experimentation, the fully managed to help practitioners serve, share, and reuse ML features, and to accelerate the deployment of models into production with faster model selection. Manage models with confidence by removing the complexity of self-service model maintenance and repeatability with MLOps tools like Vertex Continuous Monitoring and Vertex Pipelines to streamline the end-to-end ML workflow. "We had two guiding lights while building Vertex AI: get data scientists and engineers out of the orchestration weeds, and create a industry-wide shift that would make everyone get serious about moving AI out of pilot purgatory and into full-scale production," said Andrew Moore, vice president and general manager of Cloud AI and Industry Solutions at Google Cloud. "We are very proud of what we came up with in this platform, as it enables serious deployments for a new generation of AI that will empower data scientists and engineers to do fulfilling and creative work." "Data science practitioners hoping to put AI to work across the enterprise aren't looking to wrangle tooling. Rather, they want tooling that can tame the ML lifecycle. Unfortunately, that is no small order," said Bradley Shimmin, chief analyst for AI Platforms, Analtics and Data Management at Omdia. "It takes a supportive infrastructure capable of unifying the user experience, plying AI itself as a supportive guide, and putting data at the very heart of the process -- all while encouraging the flexible adoption of diverse technologies."



ModiFace uses Vertex AI to revolutionize the beauty industry ModiFace, a part of L'Oreal, is a global market leader in augmented reality and artificial intelligence for the beauty industry. ModiFace creates new services for consumers to try beauty products such as hair color, makeup and nail color, virtually in real-time. ModiFace is using Vertex AI platform to train its AI models for all of its new services. For example, ModiFace's skin diagnostic is trained on thousands of images from L'Oreal's Research & Innovation , the company's dedicated research arm. Bringing together L'Oreal's scientific research combined with ModiFace's AI algorithm, this service allows people to obtain a highly precise tailor-made skincare routine.

"We provide an immersive and personalized experience for people to purchase with confidence whether it's a virtual try-on at web check out, or helping to understand what brand product is right for each individual," said Jeff Houghton, chief operating officer at ModiFace, part of L'Oreal. "With more and more of our users looking for information at home, on their phone, or at any other touchpoint, Vertex AI allowed us to create technology that is incredibly close to actually trying the product in real life." Essence is built for the algorithmic age with help of Vertex AI Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency that is part of WPP, is extending the value of AI models made by its data scientists by integrating their workflows with developers using Vertex AI. Historically, AI models created by data scientists remain unchanged once created, but this way of operating has evolved with the digital world as human behaviors and channel content is constantly changing. With Vertex AI, developers and data analysts can update models regularly to meet these fast-changing business needs. "At Essence, we are measured by our ability to keep pace with our clients' rapidly evolving needs," said Mark Bulling, SVP, Product Innovation at Essence. "Vertex AI gives our data scientists the ability to quickly create new models based on the change in environment while also letting our developers and data analysts maintain models in order to scale and innovate. The MLOps capabilities in Vertex AI mean we can stay ahead of our clients' expectations." Availability

The Vertex AI platform is generally available today. For more information on how to deploy and specific technical information on how Vertex AI accelerates ML experimentation and deployment, please read this blog . Additional Resources Keep up with the latest Google Cloud news on our newsroom and blog .

and . Explore Vertex AI product information on the Vertex AI webpage .

. Learn more about applying machine learning techniques to projects at the Applied ML Summit on June 10, 2021 .

on . Gartner names Google a leader in 2021 Magic Quadrant for Cloud AI Developer Services report

Empowering teams to unlock the value of AI

Key requirements for an MLOps foundation About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently and adapt to changing needs, giving customers a foundation for the future. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems. 1 Google Cloud internal research, May, 2021 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-cloud-launches-vertex-ai-making-machine-learning-more-accessible-and-useful-for-developers-and-businesses-301294157.html SOURCE Google Cloud

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[May 18, 2021] OSF Digital Acquires Adept Group to Strengthen B2B Reach and Target B2C Commerce Brands in APAC

QUEBEC CITY, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OSF Digital , a leading provider of commerce solutions and digital transformation services to B2B and B2C companies worldwide, announces the acquisition of Adept Group . OSF is acquiring Adept as part of a global effort to expand its geographic reach. The terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

OSF Digital, a Salesforce Partner for over 10 years, is focused on becoming the go-to digital commerce transformation partner to brands globally. The firms deep industry expertise enables it to identify a clients unique requirements and launch innovative commerce solutions dedicated to specific markets and industry verticals. This expertise was useful in 2020 when OSF launched 20+ out-of-the-box industry-specific solutions and commerce accelerators to help brands around the world begin selling online fast and overcome pandemic-related challenges. OSF has over 1,000 employees and 40 offices worldwide. Its customers include some of the worlds biggest brands: L'Oreal USA, Burton, Ubisoft, Bouclair, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Geox, Kal Tire, Stonewall Kitchen, Lush Handmade Cosmetics, Domaine Chandon, Urban Barn and many more. The acquisition of Adept establishes OSF Digital as a tech-leading B2B partner in a fast-growing region while providing new opportunities for OSF to deliver its world-class B2C services. With offices in Auckland and Wellington, Adept is a recognized expert in B2B commerce whose customers include many of the areas top banking, retail, energy andFMCG companies. Adept also has strong expertise in Core Salesforce clouds including Sales, Service, Community and Marketing Cloud as well as being a regional leader in CPQ which complements its B2B Commerce services.



The relationship between OSF and Adept began in 2019, when Adept joined the OSF Global Partner Alliance. OSF leadership noticed the vision of the two companies was aligned on the goal of delivering both B2B and B2C commerce services. As part of the companys effort and mission to become the top global digital transformation partner to commerce brands worldwide, OSF began looking at New Zealand and Australia as logical opportunities for expansion. Adept was a terrific match based on the strength of its reputation, skill set and relationships with many of the leading brands in the region, said Gerard (Gerry) Szatvanyi, CEO of OSF Digital. This acquisition expands our presence in Australia, drawing on the coordination of our existing team in the Asia-Pacific region. The move also strengthens our position as a leading digital transformation partner to B2B and B2C brands that want to start or enhance their digital strategies locally and expand globally. There are few, if any, digital commerce services firms in the region with the skills or experience to help B2C companies develop and implement their digital strategies  and zero with the strength or capabilities that OSF has to offer, said Dominic Stow, CEO of Adept. By joining forces, we can continue meeting the needs of our core B2B customer base while creating an opportunity to engage a long list of B2C companies in the region that have been underserved from a digital commerce perspective. In addition, we will be able to expand our ability to deliver on our customers digital transformation objectives by combining Commerce solutions with Salesforce Core Cloud solutions  a very compelling proposition to be able to provide this full customer 360 to our clients.

About OSF Digital OSF Digital is a leading global commerce and digital transformation company, with expertise in enterprise connected commerce, order management solutions, storefront management services, commerce consulting, and cloud application development. With proficiency in B2C and B2B commerce and experience in helping businesses leverage commerce, marketing, sales, and service solutions, OSF seamlessly guides companies throughout their entire digital transformation journey. OSF Digital is a trusted Salesforce Consulting Partner since 2010, being awarded by Salesforce numerous times for advancing the commerce industry. As a global company with local presence in North America, Latin America, APAC, and EMEA, the company ensures efficient delivery in all time zones and markets. HSBC and BDC are OSF Digital's financial partners, and Delta-v Capital is an investor. For more information about OSF Digital, visit: osf.digital All trademarks and trade names mentioned herein are the properties of their respective holders and hereby acknowledged. Media contact:

Iulia Smeria pr@osf.digital 1-(888)-548-4344





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RTHK: Mexico apologises for 1911 massacre of Chinese

Mexicos president presented an apology Monday for a 1911 massacre in which over 300 Chinese people were slaughtered by revolutionary troops in the northern city of Torreon.

The apology is the latest in a series of ceremonies in which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sought to make amends for the mistreatment of Indigenous and minority people in Mexico in past centuries.

Lopez Obrador said the point of the apology was to ensure that this never, ever happens again, noting that during the period, Chinese were mutilated or hung from telegraph poles.

The discrimination was based on the most vile and offensive stereotypes, Lopez Obrador said, adding these stupid ideas were transferred to Mexico, where extermination was added to exclusion and mistreatment.

Many Chinese laborers had emigrated to Mexico in the 1800s, in some cases to work on the expansion of the nations rail network. But many set up businesses, farms and in Torreon, even a bank.

The 1911 killings of 303 Chinese men, women and children occurred during the chaotic period of the Mexican Revolution, when revolutionary troops overran Torreon, sealing the fate of long-time ruler Porfirio Diaz. The loss of the city led Diaz to resign and leave for exile.

Like most racial killings, it was fed by suspicion, hatred, fear, envy and lies. Torreon was a booming railway town, and control of it was key to rail lines north to the United States. Some Mexicans grumbled that Chinese were taking jobs or depressing wage rates; others were envious of the Chinese community's economic success.

Between May 13-15, 1911, the revolutionary troops took control of the city from Diaz's army and once inside the city, slaughtered many of it Chinese inhabitants, though some others hid or were saved by local residents.

The victorious revolutionary government of President Francisco I. Madero agreed to pay reparations for the massacre, but Madero himself was overthrown in 1913 and the payment was never made.

It is during the most convulsive moments of history when these (racist ideas) get twisted into genocidal killings," said Coahuila Gov. Miguel Angel Riquelme. Lopez Obrador, who usually lavishes praise on the 1910-1917 revolutionary movement noted that the movement also expressed anti-Chinese sentiments.

Historian Monica Cinco Basurto said the massacre was far from the only anti-Chinese act in Mexico. Looting of Chinese-owned businesses and the expulsion or forced departure of Chinese  often without recognizing their Mexican citizenship or that of their children or wives  extended throughout northern Mexico into the 1930s.

Lopez Obrador was accompanied during the apology ceremony by Chinese Ambassador Zhu Qingqiao.

Mexico has relied on Chinese brands for about 10.5 million of the 29.1 million coronavirus vaccine doses received so far, or about 36 percent of all shots. Zhu said the vaccines and medical equipment from China have left a strong imprint on the history of relations between our two countries.

Lopez Obrador said: we will never forget the brotherhood of the Chinese during the bitter and anguishing months of the pandemic. (AP)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 15:09:41|Editor: huaxia

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An Iron Dome anti-rocket system is seen during the "Juniper Cobra 18" military exercise at the Hatzor Air Force base in Israel, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Guo Yu)

Some Democrats raised concerns about the sales as the Israeli military continued its airstrikes in Gaza, causing civilian casualties.

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Biden administration greenlighted 735 million U.S. dollars sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel, U.S. media reported on Monday.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reported that Congress was officially notified of the proposed sale on May 5, nearly a week before the conflict escalated between the Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The proposed sale includes the joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) and GBU-39 small diameter bombs, according to the report.

The Hill noted in a piece that the window for Congress to block the sale is all but closed. "The notification earlier this month set off a 15-day clock for Congress to act. There are four days left in that window, and it takes 10 days once a resolution of disapproval has been introduced before someone can force a vote to bring it to the floor."

Palestinian children inspect the debris of houses destroyed during an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 16, 2021. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Some Democrats raised concerns about the sales as the Israeli military continued its airstrikes in Gaza, causing civilian casualties.

"While I have supported security assistance to Israel, including by funding the Iron Dome defense system, I have serious concerns about the timing of this weapons sale," House Democrat Joaquin Castro said in a statement.

"The message it will send to Israel and the world about the urgency of a ceasefire, and the open questions about the legality of Israel's military strikes that have killed civilians in Gaza," he added.

A man inspects a building hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israeli city of Ashdod, on May 17, 2021. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua)

U.S. President Joe Biden Monday voiced support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The call came as the Biden administration faced mounting pressure from a group of Democratic senators urging an immediate ceasefire to prevent loss of civilian life.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014, has killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier. 
[May 18, 2021] GetSwift to Host Business Update Conference Call on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

GetSwift Technologies Limited (NEO:GSW) ("GetSwift" or the "Company"), a leading provider of last mile SaaS (News - Alert) logistics technology, will hold a conference call on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time to review reported fiscal third quarter 2021 financial results and introduce new business initiatives. GetSwift Chief Executive Officer Bane Hunter, President and Co-Founder Joel MacDonald and Chief Operating Officer Rob Bardunias will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer session. Interested shareholders can submit their questions ahead of the call via email to GSW@mzgroup.us and management will answer them during the Q&A period. The conference call will be accompanied by a presentation, which can be viewed during the webcast or accessed via the investor relations section of the company's website here. To access the call, please use the following information:







Date: Friday, May 21, 2021 Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT, 9:00 a.m. PDT Toll Free dial-in number U.S. and Canada: 1-877-407-4018 Toll Free dial-in number Australia: 1 800 687 004 Toll/International dial-in number: 1-201-689-8471 Conference ID: 13720035

Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact MZ Group at +1 (949) 491-8235. The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay at http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=145055 and via the investor relations section of the company's website here. A replay of the call will be available for one month following the conference. Toll Free Replay Number: 1-844-512-2921 International Replay Number: 1-412-317-6671 Replay ID: 13720035 About GetSwift Technologies Limited Technology to Optimise Global Delivery Logistics GetSwift is a technology and services company that offers a suite of software products and services focused on business and logistics automation, data management and analysis, communications, information security, and infrastructure optimization and also includes ecommerce and marketplace ordering, workforce management, data analytics and augmentation, business intelligence, route optimization, cash management, task management shift management, asset tracking, real-time alerts, cloud communications, and communications infrastructure (collectively, the "GetSwift Offering"). The GetSwift Offering is used by public and private sector clients across industries and jurisdictions for their respective logistics, communications, information security, and infrastructure projects and operations. GSW is headquartered in New York and its common shares are listed for trading on the NEO Exchange under the symbol "GSW". The Corporation has filed and obtained a receipt for the Prospectus. A copy of the Prospectus can be obtained under GetSwift's corporate profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For further background, please visit www.getswift.co. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006149/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Algolia Collaborates with Firebase to Offer Database Search

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algolia , the leading provider of API Platforms for Dynamic Experiences, today announced it has partnered with Firebase to provide more than 3 million Firebase and Google developers access and seamless integration to Algolias search and discovery platform.

Backed by Google, Firebase helps developers build and operate Android, iOS, and web apps. We partnered with Algolia to offer a Firebase extension called Search with Algolia as a direct request from our developer community, noted Kara Yu, Product Manager at Firebase. The Firebase extension was built by Algolia and continued development and maintenance will be managed by Algolia. We are excited to help developers accelerate their app development through Firebase Extensions -- pre-packaged, open source bundles of code that automate common development tasks. This is one example where developers can save a lot of time bringing a critical feature into their app. Algolias API-first approach and API client for Firebase brings best-in-class search and discovery to a large, global network of Google and Firebase developers. No matter what kind of app youre developing, there is a good chance that you want to help users search and discover something, added Piyush Patel, Chief Strategic Business Development Officer at Algolia. Algolia enables developers to personalize and improve search performance, and we are excited to bring this functionality to Firebase developers. Firebase Extensions help developers increase prouctivity by letting them quickly add more functionality to their mobile and web apps  including translating text or exporting Cloud Firestore collections to BigQuery. Using Algolia, developers can enable full text search of their Cloud Firestore data.



The Search with Algolia extension indexes your Cloud Firestore data to Algolia and keeps it synced. This extension can be configured to work with your specific app by listening to changes on your specified Cloud Firestore collection. When a document is added, the extension indexes it as a record in Algolia. Anytime a document is updated, the extension propagates the update to the corresponding Algolia record. When a document is deleted, the extension removes the corresponding Algolia record.

Availability

The Firestore search with Algolia extension is available immediately and can be accessed here . Helpful Links Blog: https://blog.algolia.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/algolia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/algolia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/algolia/

Careers: https://www.algolia.com/careers

About Algolia

Algolia provides API platforms for dynamic experiences that enable organizations to predict intent and deliver results. Algolia achieves this with an API-first approach that allows developers and business teams to surface relevant content when wanted  satisfying the demand for instant gratification  and building and optimizing online experiences that enhance online engagement, increase conversion rates, and enrich lifetime value to generate profitable growth. More than 10,000 companies including Under Armour, Lacoste, Birchbox, Stripe, Slack, Medium, and Zendesk rely on Algolia to manage over 1.5 trillion search queries a year. Algolia is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, and Atlanta Media Contact

Shannon Campbell

Offleash for Algolia

algolia@offleashpr.com



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[May 18, 2021] Driven by Research

Tyler Szymkowski would check his smartphone traffic app every day during his engineering internship at Nissan back in 2018. When he saw a dark red line indicating the worst traffic gridlock, it was go-time. Szymkowski would race to the jam so he could do his job. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006164/en/ This intern sat in the worst U.S. traffic jams to enhance Nissan's ProPILOT Assist system. (Photo: Business Wire) "We would target rush-hour traffic," said Szymkowski, who is now a human factors and ergonomics engineer at Nissan Technical Center North America in Farmington Hills, Mich. "Each day, I would look to see if it was a 'good' traffic day and good for me meant bad traffic for most people." Szymkowski was on a team that was tasked with enhancing Nissan's ProPILOT Assist hands-on driver assist system, first introduced in the U.S. on the 2018 Nissan Rogue. This original system combines Nissan's Intelligent Cruise Control and Steering Assist technologies. In stop-and-go traffic, the system is capable of bringing the vehicle to a full stop, holding in place for three seconds and resuming forward movement when traffic starts moving again. If more than three seconds pass, the driver needs to tap the accelerator pedal to reengage the system. "Custmers were telling us that three seconds wasn't long enough," said Brittany Tessmer, a Nissan senior project engineer in advanced driver-assistance systems. "How long the system could sit and then reengage to make the experience more seamless was something we needed to pinpoint. If three seconds isn't long enough, then what is?"



Tessmer's team sent Szymkowski to the most congested cities in the country to collect data that ultimately supported a new hold time of 30 seconds. Over the course of his internship, Szymkowski sat in 64 standstill traffic jams in Los Angeles, Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Francisco. "I got a very realistic taste of what customers experience in major cities," said Szymkowski. "There were hundreds of additional hours spent basically waiting for a traffic jam. I will say that sitting in traffic is a lot more tolerable when you're intentionally getting something out of it. And it was really cool that Nissan was letting an intern have an impact on a new emerging technology."

Customer feedback drove three major improvements on the enhanced ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link system, which is now available on the all-new 2021 Nissan Rogue and all-new 2022 Pathfinder. The system now syncs with the car's navigation to better predict the freeway ahead. With this, one improvement is that the system can reduce the vehicle's speed for tight freeway curves and off-ramps allowing for a more intuitive and enjoyable drive. The connection to the vehicle's navigation also gives drivers the option to quickly adjust their speed to the posted speed limit based on traffic sign recognition technology. And thanks in part to Szymkowski's research, a third improvement is that on freeways, drivers now have up to 30 seconds before having to press the resume function button or tap the accelerator during standstill traffic. The months of traffic-sitting for research also fast-tracked Szymkowski's career. After graduating with an engineering degree from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and completing three intern rotations, he was hired as a full-time Nissan engineer. He now works on human machine interface (HMI) topics with a special focus on how the ProPILOT Assist system enhances the customer's connection with their vehicle. "That internship was absolutely critical because it gave me visibility and experience with ProPILOT Assist, which still helps me do my job today," Szymkowski said. "One of the most exciting things about my current role is that I still have an impact on how advanced technologies best benefit our customers." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006164/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Spirent Federal Systems Supports Department of Defense and Space Force National Security Mission

Today, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket launched SBIRS GEO Flight 5, the fifth flight of Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center mission will send new satellites to join the SBIRS constellation, which works as a missile detection and early warning system for the United States and allies. Spirent (News - Alert) Federal provides high dynamic positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) testing for the Atlas V rocket, enabling the generation of high-fidelity simulated trajectories. Through this work, Spirent Federal supports Department of Defense and Space Force missions to protect U.S. national security. "Spirent Federal is proud to do our part to support the Department of Defense and the Space Force by providing essential GPS test and simulation abilities for ULA's Atlas V rocket. Our equipment allows complex navigation test scenarios to be performed before launch," said Ellen Hall, President/CEO of Spirent Federal. This will be 144th mission for United Launch Alliance. It is the 87th Atlas V launch and the 8th in the 421 configuration. Atlas V successfully launched the first four SBIRS GEO satellites between 2011 and 2018. Atlas V delivers the ost sensitive and critical missions-including planetary exploration missions, classified defense systems and key commercial assets. ULA boasts more than 15 years of 100% mission success founded on a heritage of more than 600 Atlas program launches.



"The Atlas V has delivered sensitive and essential missions including classified defense systems, planetary exploration spacecraft and key commercial assets with precise orbital accuracy," said Tory Bruno, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance. About Spirent Federal Systems

Spirent Federal Systems was formed in July 2001 by Spirent Communications (News - Alert) as a wholly owned subsidiary and U.S. proxy company. Spirent Federal markets and sells Spirent Communications' products in North America. The company also provides value-added features and ongoing customer support. Spirent Federal Systems is headquartered in Pleasant Grove, UT, with support and sales offices throughout the US. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About United Launch Alliance ULA is the nation's most experienced and reliable launch service provider, with more than a century of combined heritage. ULA has successfully delivered more than 140 missions to orbit that aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, deliver cutting-edge commercial services and enable GPS navigation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006166/en/

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[May 18, 2021] The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) Launches Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Immunogenicity in Patients With Hematological Malignancies Who Have Received Cellular Therapy

The CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) announces the launch of a large observational study, done in collaboration with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) to understand the safety, efficacy, and durability of responses to COVID-19 vaccines in patients with hematological malignancies and non-malignant blood diseases who have received hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or cellular therapies. The study is supported by National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be The Match, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), and LabCorp. The study, which has started enrollment, will track 732 patients who have received hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in the last 12 months and receive a COVID-19 vaccination as part of their standard of care. HCT and CAR-T cell therapies are used primarily in patients with blood cancers and other life-threatening blood diseases. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has recommended that COVID-19 vaccination occur at least three months after cellular therapy but states that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in the setting of cancer care and a weakened immune system is unknown. However, the current data vacuum about COVID-19 vaccinations in this population results in uncertainty for patients, caregivers, and their medical teams. Findings from the study will provide physicians with evidence-based guidance and recommendations about COVID-19 vaccinations to their transplant patients. "It's critical that we understand the response to these vaccines for immunocompromised patients with serious hematological disorders receiving cellular therapies," says Jeffery J. Auletta, M.D., Senior Vice President, Patient Outcomes & Experience, NMDP and Chief Scientific Director, CIBMTR NMDP. "We also know standard vaccine responses after cellular therapies are diminished, these patients are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease and death, so gaining this knowledge is of great importance." "Given the absence of data about the immunogenicity of any COVID-19 vaccine and no information about the efficacy of mRNA vaccines among this population, it's imperative to quickly identify correlations of protective vaccine responses from the first wave of vaccinated patients. It's particularly important to understand the effect of timing of vaccination on immunogenicity because that data will inform future vaccination recommendations and identify patients who might be assessed for the need of revaccination over time. The infrastructure we develop in this process can be readily expanded to study additional SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as they become available," says Mary M. Horowitz, MD, MS, Scientific Director, CIBMTR and Principal Investigator of the BMT CTN Data and Coordinating Center. "The ability of the CIBMTR and the BMT CTN to leverage their multicenter research infrastructure to address this important question in a timely manner made us enthusiastic to partner with them," said Lee Greenberger, PhD, LLS Chief Scientific Officer. "This effort is an essential piece of LLS's work to assess the response of all blood cancer patients to COVID-19 vaccines as many patients are immune compromised due to their disease or treatment for their disease." "People who have received HCT and cellular therapies are eager to know if COVID-19 vaccines will work for them," said Dr. Joshua Hill, who helped develop the study protocol and is an Assistant Professor in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "Our study, which was recommended by the BMT CTN's State of the Science Committee on Infection and Immune Reconstitution, leverages CIBMTR's multicenter research network to answer this important question as quickly as possible and will provide clinicians with critical data to inform treatment plans and counsel patients on their immunity against COVID-19 after vaccination, as well as address the optimal timing of vaccination to maximize efficacy." "The MMRF is committed to answering myeloma patients' questions, and this effort will rapidly generate much needed data to provide them with answers about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations," said Daniel Auclair, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, the MMRF. "By also creating a rich and unique biospecimens resource for analysis, the community will gain a deeper understanding of the immunological consequences of COVID-19 vaccination among blood cancer patients at the B-cell level, and at the T-cell level, as an optimal immune response combines both." The study uses two existing Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocols managed by the CIBMTR-a research collaboration between NMDP/Be The Match and the Medical College of Wisconsin-for collection of observational data and research specimens. The study is being done in centers that participate in both the CIBMTR and the BMT CTN and makes use of some of BMT CTN's infrastructure for specimen and supplemental data collection. The 732 patients enrolled in the study will be in six cohorts defined by type of cellular therapy and timing of vaccination. The primary objective is to compare the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines, in patients starting their vaccination course less than six months after HCT/CAR-T versus those starting the vaccination course six to 12 months after HCT/CAR-T. Patients who meet the protocol's eligibility criteria and who consent to the collection of four blood samples will be enrolled. The study team estimates this observational study will be completed within a year after it commences. For information about the stdy, visit the study website here.



About the CIBMTR The CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) is a research collaboration between the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be The Match and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The CIBMTR collaborates with the global scientific community to advance hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy worldwide to increase survival and enrich quality of life for patients. The CIBMTR facilitates critical observational and interventional research through scientific and statistical expertise, a large network of transplant centers, and a unique and extensive clinical outcomes database. For more information on the CIBMTR, please visit www.cibmtr.org or follow the CIBMTR on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter (News - Alert) at @CIBMTR.

About the BMT CTN The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) conducts rigorous multi-institutional clinical trials of high scientific merit, focused on improving survival for patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation and/or receiving cellular therapies. The BMT CTN has completed accrual to 43 Phase II and III trials at more than 100 transplant centers and enrolled over 12,800 study participants. BMT CTN is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute, both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is a collaborative effort of 20 Core Transplant Centers/Consortia, the CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research), the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match and the Emmes Company, LLC, a clinical research organization. About National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be The Match is the leading global partner working to save lives through cellular therapy. With more than 30 years of experience managing the most diverse registry of potential unrelated blood stem cell donors and cord blood units in the world, NMDP/Be The Match is a proven partner in providing cures to patients with life-threatening blood and marrow cancers and diseases. Through their global network, they connect centers and patients to their best cell therapy option-from blood stem cell transplant to a next-generation therapy-and collaborate with cell and gene therapy companies to support therapy development and delivery through Be The Match BioTherapies. NMDP/Be The Match is a tireless advocate for the cell therapy community, working with hematologists/oncologists to remove barriers to consultation and treatment, and supporting patients through no-cost programs to eliminate non-medical obstacles to cell therapy. In addition, they are a global leader in research through the CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research)-a collaboration with Medical College of Wisconsin, investing in and managing research studies that improve patient outcomes and advance the future of care. About the Medical College of Wisconsin With a history dating back to 1893, The Medical College of Wisconsin is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in MCW's medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Central Wisconsin. MCW's School of Pharmacy opened in 2017. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In the last ten years, faculty received more than $1.5 billion in external support for research, teaching, training, and related purposes. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,100 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,600 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 2.8 million patients annually. About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against cancer. The LLS mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has regional offices throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the LLS Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., ET. For additional information visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) A pioneer in precision medicine, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) seeks to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of precision treatments for cancer. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF has created the business model around cancer-from data to analytics to the clinic. The MMRF identifies barriers and then finds the solutions to overcome them, bringing in the best partners and aligning incentives in the industry to drive better outcomes for patients. Since its inception, the organization has collected thousands of samples and tissues, opened nearly 100 trials, helped bring 15 FDA-approved therapies to market, and built CoMMpass, the single largest genomic dataset for any cancer. Today, the MMRF is building on its legacy in genomics and is expanding into immunotherapy, as the combination of these two fields will be critical to making precision medicine possible for all patients. The MMRF has raised nearly $500 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. To learn more, visit www.themmrf.org. About the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), with headquarters in Chicago, is a professional society of 2,600 healthcare professionals and scientists from more than 45 countries who are dedicated to improving the application and success of blood and marrow transplantation and related cellular therapies. ASTCT strives to be the leading organization promoting research, education and clinical practice to deliver the best, comprehensive patient care. About Emmes Founded in 1977, Emmes is a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization dedicated to excellence in supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation. The company's clients include numerous agencies and institutes of the U.S. federal government and a wide range of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies throughout the world. To learn more about how Emmes' research is making a positive impact on human health, visit the Emmes website at www.emmes.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006152/en/

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[May 18, 2021] FOX News Media Moves to Dismiss Dominion Lawsuit

FOX News Media today filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems, stating the complaint seeks to "stifle the media's free-speech right to inform the public." Jointly filing the motion to dismiss on behalf of FOX News Media, Jackson Walker Partner Chip Babcock and Lehotsky Keller Partner Scott Keller commented, "There are two sides to every story. The press must remain free to cover both sides, or there will be a free press no more. The freedoms of speech and press would be illusory if the prevailing party could obtain billions of dollars from the press because it provided a forum for the losing side." The motion characterizes Dominion's complaint as threatening "the deeply enshrined protections for the free press" and outlines two key reasons for dismissal. Chiefly, the filing states Dominion failed to identify "any actionable defamation" by FOX News Media, nor did it plead facts "allegingthat FOX published the challenged speech with actual malice." The First Amendment and New York law independently protect media reporting and commentary on newsworthy allegations, and allegations from the sitting President of the United States and his legal team are inherently newsworthy. Well-established doctrine protects the media's ability to report and comment specifically on government proceedings such as election recounts, official investigations, and civil litigation-all of which were pending during the election.



Moreover, "FOX hosts did not create allegations against Dominion." The motion to dismiss points out that Dominion faced lawsuits alleging election irregularities well before the November presidential election. Referencing 2019 legal claims that remain pending, Georgia voters argued that using Dominion's "unaccountable, unverifiable" system "will be a colossal train wreck for democracy" because it "produces unaccountable, inherently evidence-free election outcomes by its very design." Furthermore, the filing cites a PBS NewsHour report last October, well ahead of the November election, that featured a University of Michigan computer science professor who "worried" that Dominion's system "is the technical equivalent to the 737 MAX." The motion to dismiss concludes that Dominion failed to state a claim "under any applicable pleading standard" and further cites protections under New York's Anti-SLAPP statute as FOX News Media's coverage was "addressing statements regarding matters of public concern." Therefore, Dominion did not demonstrate a "substantial basis in law" for its claim, and "Dominion cannot recover 'under any reasonably conceivable set of circumstances.'"

FOX News Media operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer digital streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International and the upcoming AVOD platform FOX Weather. Currently the number one network in all of cable, FNC has also been the most watched television news channel for 19 consecutive years, while FBN currently ranks among the top business channels on cable. Owned by FOX Corporation, FOX News Media reaches 200 million people each month. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006192/en/

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[May 18, 2021] Lightyear Capital, Oak HC/FT and Greater Sum Ventures Close on Sale of Therapy Brands to KKR

Lightyear Capital LLC ("Lightyear"), Oak HC/FT and Greater Sum Ventures ("GSV") today announced that investment funds affiliated with Lightyear, Oak HC/FT and GSV have completed the sale of Therapy Brands to KKR. Financial terms were not disclosed. Funds affiliated with Lightyear and Oak HC/FT acquired a majority stake in Therapy Brands in July 2018. Therapy Brands provides practice management, integrated patient payments, revenue cycle management, patient engagement, tele-health and data management solutions for mental and behavioral health practices to support their clinical, administrative and billing needs. The Therapy Brands suite of software tools enables more than 28,000 practices in psychotherapy, applied behavioral analysis, substance use recovery and physical therapy to streamline their practices and focus on their patients. "We are delighted with the outcome of our investment in Therapy Brands," said Mark F. Vassallo, Managing Partner of Lightyear Capital. "Over the course of our investment, Therapy Brands tripled in size, completing nine strategic acquisitions, increasing its client base, growing revenue by cross-selling value-added solutions and doubling its payments penetration. Our experience with Therapy Brands further supports our pursuit of attractive investment opportunities in embedded payments models as we see tremendous demand across a number of fast-growing verticals. We wish Kimberly and the entire team at Therapy Brands great continued success." "Oak HC/FT's investment in Therapy Brands highlights our dual aim of backing tech-enabled companies that are increasing the quality and lowering the cost of healthcare," said Andrew Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT. "We are proud of all that Therapy Brands - led by a dedicated team - has accomplished and we're looking forward to seeing how the company continues to innovate at a time when mental and behavioral health care is more in demand and important than ever." "We are pleased with the success of our investment in Therapy Brands," said Ross Croley, CEO and Founder of GSV. "From the platform's inception, we've provided strategic guidance to the management team on acquisitions and operations, and it's exciting to see the execution and outcome of our thesis." "I want to thank the entire Therapy Brands team for their invaluable support and investment to drive client growth, adoption of our value-added solutions and expand our portfolio," said Kimberly O'Loughlin, CEO of Therapy Brands. "While we are excited about partnering with KKR on our next chapter of growth, we are grateful to Lightyear, Oak HC/FT and GSV for their supprt in enabling our success."



William Blair and TripleTree acted as financial advisors and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as legal advisor to Therapy Brands. About Therapy Brands

At a time when the topics of digital connectivity and access to care are at the forefront of the cultural conversation in the U.S., Therapy Brands is equipping practitioners with effective solutions to address the growing needs of mental and behavioral health, substance use recovery, applied behavior analysis and rehabilitation populations. Through purpose-built, fully integrated practice management and HER solutions provided by Therapy Brands, healthcare providers can improve patient quality of care and support better health outcomes for those they serve. Therapy Brands is headquartered in Birmingham, AL. For more information, please visit us at: https://www.therapybrands.com. About Lightyear Capital LLC Founded in 2000, Lightyear Capital is a financial services-focused private equity firm based in New York. Through its affiliated private equity funds, Lightyear makes primarily control investments in North America-based, middle-market companies across the financial services spectrum, including asset and wealth management, banking, brokerage, healthcare financial services, insurance, payments and processing, and specialty finance. The firm brings focus and discipline to its investment process, as well as operating, transaction and strategic management experience, along with significant contacts and resources beyond capital. For more information, please visit www.lycap.com. About Oak HC/FT Founded in 2014, Oak HC/FT is the premier venture growth-equity fund investing in Healthcare Information & Services ("HC") and Financial Services Technology ("FT"). With $3.3 billion in assets under management, we are focused on driving transformation in these industries by providing entrepreneurs and companies with strategic counsel, board-level participation, business plan execution and access to our extensive network of industry leaders. Oak HC/FT is headquartered in Greenwich, CT, with offices in Boston and San Francisco. Follow Oak HC/FT on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Medium. About Greater Sum Ventures Greater Sum Ventures (GSV) is an entrepreneurial family office that invests its own capital in middle market software and tech-enabled services companies. With entrepreneurial roots and proven operational and investing experience, GSV works with select independent co-investing partners to build platforms of technology companies that revolutionize the industries they serve. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, GSV provides access to capital and operational support to midmarket technology firms all over the world. To learn more, visit GreaterSumVentures.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518006199/en/

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Complaints from suburbanite Karens, families and minor league activists prove unsuccessful tonight.



Read more and remember there's only eight more days of school to go . . .

SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. - Unlike other school districts in the metro, the Shawnee Mission School District will continue to require students and staff members to wear masks in school until the end of the year. The subject prompted parents and community members to gather outside of the Shawnee Mission Center for Academic Achievement on Monday ahead of the district's board of education meeting.
Right now hottie Bella romping around for her paid fans inspires this quick peek at pop culture, community news and top headline.



Check-it . . .

Court Date Coming Soon

Kansas City, Missouri, Municipal Court resumes some in-person cases KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The days of virtual hearings are slowly coming to an end at Kansas City, Missouri's Municipal Court. The city announced Monday that starting June 1, the court will start a mix of virtual and in-person hearings after conducting most business virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Po-Po Pay Tribute To Pupper

Kansas City police K-9 dies at 9 years old KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Today, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department shared on social media that one of their K-9s died on May 14. The department said that K-9 Zina was 9 years old and was part of the interdiction unit.

Data Driven Crime Reporting

Jackson County among the first to receive new criminal justice data tool The Commons dashboard, a new criminal justice database tool, is coming to Jackson County. // Image courtesy of Commons Jackson County is among the first counties in the United States to receive a new tool that makes criminal justice data more accessible.

Fans Buy Bella Good Life

Bella Thorne Sizzles In A Pink Bikini With Over $100K In Diamond Watches In Flirty Miami Videos Bella Thorne , 23, added some serious bling to her bikini! The Shake It Up alum shared a series of selfie videos to her Instagram account on Wednesday, May 12 rocking a pink two piece.

Prez Biden Confronts Holy Land Hot Mess

Analysis: Biden faces Israeli-Palestinian fight he didn't expect, prepare for WASHINGTON - For President Joe Biden, the eruption of violence between Israel and the Palestinians is a crisis he not only did not expect, but was not prepared to confront.

Fight For Life Redux

How Trump and McConnell set the final pieces for the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade Conservatives have been waiting decades for this moment: a transformed Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an abortion case that directly challenges women's reproductive rights tracing to the 1973 Roe v. Wade milestone.

GOP Still Loves MAGA

Analysis: The latest sign of Donald Trump's hold on the GOP A vast majority of Republicans are still all in on former President Donald Trump -- and a new CBS/YouGov poll reveals just how deep the obsession within the party goes.

Congressional Waiting Game

How Joel Greenberg's Plea Deal Spells Trouble for Matt Gaetz As Rep. Matt Gaetz's one-time "wingman" Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal charges on Monday, a plane flew above the nearby federal courthouse in Orlando with this banner attached to the tail: "Tick Tock Matt Gaetz."

SPACE INVADERS?!?

'Sightings all over the world.' Another former federal official discusses UFOs, upcoming congressional report Another former federal official is acknowledging the possible existence of UFOs, just a couple of weeks before a government-sanctioned report on "unidentified aerial phenomena" is expected to be sent to Congress. Luis Elizondo, former director of the defense department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, told "60 Minutes" that there are some reported sightings that don't have explanations.

Royals Old School Breaks Down

Danny Duffy placed on the Injured List with a flexor strain The Royals announced today that pitcher Danny Duffy will be placed on the 10-day Injured List with a left forearm flexor strain. No corresponding move has yet been announced. Duffy last pitched on May 12 against the Tigers. He worked six innings, allowing four runs and throwing 100 pitches.

Building Back Local Biz

Reimagined Lightwell ready to take innovation hub mantle as KC's tech talent return to the office "Kansas City is a vibrant and growing tech scene of venture capital-backed startups growing across a variety of industries," developer Ian Ross said. "What the tech scene in Kansas City doesn't already have is a really modern, forward-thinking home and a landscape for [startups] to excel."

Stormy Weather Update

Scattered T-storms possible Tuesday afternoon, evening It will be mostly cloudy with light showers tonight and lows near 60. Tuesday will be mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-70s. Scattered thunderstorms will be possible during the afternoon into the evening. More rain showers are possible Wednesday morning and Thursday.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Complications confront the Kansas City school reopen . . . Here's the latest info . . .

District spokesperson Kelly Wachel confirmed that Trailwoods Elementary School returned to virtual learning, effective Tuesday, because of COVID-19.



Additionally, one classroom at Phillis Wheatley Elementary and two classrooms at John T. Hartman Elementary are also quarantining due to COVID-19.



Trailwoods and the Wheatley classroom will quarantine until June 1, a full two weeks, Wachel said. She could not immediately comment on the length of the Hartman classrooms quarantines.



Moreover, check this apropos warning from Dr. Rex . . .

KMBC: As some schools drop masks, KC health director warns of risks for unvaccinated kids

Read more . . .
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 16:46:19|Editor: huaxia

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YINCHUAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- For over 300 days a year, 65-year-old Ma Jun starts his day at a restaurant serving morning tea, a local tradition similar to Cantonese dim sum or Western brunch.

"I chat with friends and eat through the whole morning," said Ma Jun.

Morning tea is a ritual for many locals in Wuzhong, a city situated in the middle part of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Wuzhong had been a bustling trade city on the ancient Silk Road, with the majority of its population engaging in trade or related businesses. Today it is an important node city of the new Silk Road Economic Belt,

Ningxia people have their own way of drinking tea, a beverage favored in China since ancient times. Unlike most regions that brew tea leaves in a teapot, residents in Ningxia serve it in a covered tea bowl, something like a tureen. The tea is a mixture of eight ingredients and is called babao cha, or "eight treasures tea."

"Local ethnic minorities have been boiling tea leaves with red dates, wolfberries and dried fruit since the Tang Dynasty (618-907)," said Jing Hongjun, secretary-general of the Wuzhong restaurant association. "A gulp of babao tea was refreshing for merchants traveling on the Silk Road."

But the modern practice of morning tea in Wuzhong only emerged after hand-pulled noodles, a popular street food in Lanzhou, capital of the neighboring Gansu Province, conquered the hearts and stomachs of foodies in Ningxia in the 1980s.

Yang Defu was among the first to open a hand-pulled noodle restaurant in Wuzhong.

"The restaurant was just a stand in the beginning but it soon expanded into an eatery of 20 plus square meters. But still, it was flooded by customers every day," said Shan Xiaodong, Yang's son-in-law.

The noodle restaurants later began providing babao cha, side dishes and popular snacks such as potstickers and steamed stuffed buns for customers, facilitating the rise of Wuzhong's morning tea culture.

Now, as a way to kill time or as an easy-going approach to business meetings, babao cha, hand-pulled noodles, several kinds of pastries and a few side dishes have become the go-to choice and an integral part of daily life for many locals.

There are over 500 morning tea restaurants across Wuzhong, generating a combined annual revenue of 1 billion yuan (about 155.3 million U.S. dollars) last year and accounting for one-fifth of the total revenue in the catering sector, according to Ding Xuebao with the city's business and investment promotion bureau. The morning tea industry has also created over 10,000 jobs.

Ma Baojun, the owner of a time-honored morning tea brand, said that their main customers on weekdays are retired individuals and businesspeople, while on weekends, seats are usually unavailable without a reservation. "Morning tea is not only a part of catering culture, it has also become a popular social practice among the younger generations," said Ma Baojun.

Even tourists from thousands of miles away are drawn to Wuzhong for morning tea. Official data shows that over 500,000 customers sampled morning tea in Wuzhong during this year's five-day May Day holiday.

"The mutton, beef and noodles served during morning tea have significantly spurred the development of local agriculture and husbandry industries. And babao cha has also become a star product in Wuzhong," said Jing. "We're drafting morning tea criteria and training more practitioners to make it Wuzhong's signature product."

Earlier this year, Shan went to Guangdong to visit some dim sum restaurants. "We plan to infuse elements from other cuisines into the traditional morning tea to attract more young customers," he said. Enditem
Despite an old & busted unemployment system that didn't really work during the pandemic . . . The top GOP politico in Kansas is cracking down on the working-class in hopes of returning an advantage to low-wage-paying bosses.

"I just think we're paying people more to stay at home than to go back to work," Marshall said.

Meanwhile, paying people for doing nothing is pretty much how all elected officials hold on to their livelihood.

Read more . . .
Amid worsening rocket attacks in the Holy Land there's a war for the heart & soul of the Democratic Party and Prez Biden is losing.

Meanwhile, the discourse in the American Heartland is far easier to understand.

To wit . . .

A BOLD MISSOURI RESOLUTION STANDS UP FOR ISRAEL & DENOUNCES TERRORISM!!!



Penned by GOP STL MO Rep. Justin Hill, here's the money line and the right-wing premise that offers a scathing rebuke of the Palestinian side of the conflict . . .



Now therefore be it resolved that we, the members of the Missouri House of Representatives, On Hundred First General Assembly, First regular Session, hereby express vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel, and recognize tis right to act decisively in self-defense to protect its citizens and end aggressions by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations; reiterate that Hamas and Palestinians Islamic Jihad must end the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, and verifiably dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; express condolences to Israeli victims and their families and to innocent Palestinian-Arabs; and call on all other American states to condemn Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and recognize Israels right to act decisively in self-defense to protect its citizens; and



Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for members of the Missouri congressional delegation and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.



Dont get it twisted . . .

This resolution is NEVER gaining any traction and its probably too hot for even most Show-Me State Republicans. Still, it offers a glimpse at what hardcore GOP conservatives think of the situation . . . Which is important given that they hold the super majority.

Meanwhile . . .

KANSAS CITY PROGRESSIVES HAVE BEEN REMARKABLY SILENT ON THE TOPIC OF ROCKET ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL WHILST DEBATE THREATENS TO DESTROY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FROM WITHIN!!!



Mayor Q might be running for higher office and working his way to the nation's capital very soon and so he's smart enough to stay mum on the topic . . . Meanwhile, our chattering classes who love to address "injustice" throughout the MSM news cycle aren't saying much on this topic that has dominated global headlines and confounds so-called progressives who are strangely demanding a ceasefire/surrender from a U.S. ally and the only government that remotely resembles a Democracy in the Middle-East.

Accordingly, here a peek at a few worthwhile items for further reading, edification and insight . . .



Ceasefire Or Surrender?!?!

'I'm troubled by it': Dems trash Biden's handling of Israeli strikes in Gaza "I just think it's a no-brainer for the United States to be pushing for a ceasefire," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said. "If Israel doesn't believe a ceasefire is in their interest, that doesn't mean we have to accept that judgment. We have enormous persuasive power."

Progressives Fight For Power

Rift grows within Democratic Party over Israeli-Palestinian conflict as violence intensifies A number of congressional Democrats are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to more forcefully engage on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as violence in the region intensifies, revealing a delicate shift in the way Democrats have talked about Israel for decades and a small crack in the party on foreign policy.

Democratic Party For Palestine?!?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is exposing a rift among Democrats Over the past several years, the Democratic Party has moved further left on US policy toward Israel, showing a greater willingness to criticize Israel and speak up in defense of the rights of Palestinians. But President Joe Biden doesn't seem to have gotten the memo.

Death Toll Revealed

Gaza flare-up: 213 Gazans killed in fighting as rocket fire renews in Israel's south Biden tells Netanyahu he supports cease-fire  Israel kills 150 Hamas, Islamic Jihad commanders  At least 212 Gazans killed in Israeli strikes, as media tower downed  10 dead in Israel; 3,000 rockets fired at it since flare-up began

Iron Dome Attacked

Rockets from Gaza rain havoc on Israeli cities in latest war Sirens wailed just before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot began on Sunday evening, sending Chen Farag and her family once again running for cover as they have dozens of times over the past week since the latest war between Palestinian militants in Gaza and the Israeli military erupted.

Democratic Party Rallies For Ceasefire

28 Democratic senators call for "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza as Biden admin urges "calm" A majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus on Sunday called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a move that President Joe Biden's administration has not yet made. Earlier today, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged returning to "calm" and an end to the violence in Gaza.

HOLY LAND WAR THREATENS TO ESCALATE!!!

Six rockets fired from Lebanon, fall short of Israel border; IDF hits back Six rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel late Monday, but they apparently fell short of the border fence. The military said it responded with artillery fire. The rockets triggered warning sirens in some communities near the border. The army later ordered communities within four kilometers (2.5 miles) of the northern border to open bomb shelters.

Developing . . .
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 17:38:31|Editor: huaxia

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TAIPEI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan on Tuesday confirmed 245 new COVID-19 cases, of which 240 were classified as local infections, as well as two deaths, according to the local disease monitoring agency.

This is the fourth consecutive day that the island's daily local infections exceeded 100, the agency said, adding that 128 female and 112 male patients, aged below five to over 90, were among the newly reported local cases.

The two deaths include a woman in her 60s and a man in his 80s, both of whom tested positive for COVID-19 two days ago.

To stem the spread of the infection, all schools across Taiwan will remain closed from May 19 to 28.

The island on Tuesday also reported five new imported cases from Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines.

Taiwan is in the midst of its worst outbreak since the onset of the pandemic, with more than 1,000 local cases reported during the past week.

The total number of confirmed cases on the island has risen to 2,260, including 14 deaths, the agency said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 17:45:27|Editor: huaxia

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NANJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- When was the last time you visited a museum where almost every collection could be touched? In the ancient city of Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province, American lawyer Mitch Dudek built a private museum where visitors can have direct contact with all the exhibits on display.

"The museum is named Six Arts because it is about the six senses and stimulating all of your senses. You can touch things. You can smell things. It's different from other museums," said Dudek.

Founded in 2018, the four-story museum now houses more than 40,000 Chinese antiques dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), with another 60,000 items stored in warehouses. The antiques include wooden beds, folding screens, sedan chairs, washbasins and stone statues, among others.

"The collections not only help revisit old times but also render a sense of beauty," said Xu Yun, a visitor from Shanghai. "There is even a smell of herbs emanating from the medicine boxes here."

Xu said that most of the antiques were items of daily use in Chinese families before the 1990s, which have been overshadowed by new designs and styles.

Having never seen or used such items in his own country, Dudek is seized with a strong admiration of the delicate designs and complicated carvings of these old items.

"I think they are just beautiful, and I should collect them," said Dudek, adding that most items may get eclipsed once randomly packed in the warehouses or ramshackle residences, but they could shine again via meticulous renovation and waxing.

Born in the state of Ohio in the United States, Dudek came to China to study at Tsinghua University in the early 1980s. He moved to Shanghai in 1998 and later became a partner of law firm Morgan Lewis. He has been living in Shanghai since then.

Out of interest, Dudek started to collect Chinese antiques about 30 years ago. Back then, the poor transportation facilities and communication means prevented him from quickly tracing the items. The owners could only tell him how special and beautiful these items were via telephone.

In order to obtain more details about items he was interested in, Dudek would have to personally travel across the country by slow train, which could take him several days to reach the intended destination.

"But it gave me a good chance to practice my Chinese by talking with different passengers during the long journey," said Dudek.

He added that most of his museum collections are from the shabby houses and buildings being pulled down in remote rural areas. "Usually, their owners may discard the old items and buy modern furniture for their new houses."

Over the past decades, Dudek also witnessed the great transformation of China in different aspects.

"When I first came to China, I felt the country lagged far behind the United States, but now the gap between the two countries is narrowing," said Dudek.

As more and more Chinese learn about Dudek's interest in Chinese antiques, they offered him some of their old belongings.

"Collections in the museum have become more varied and abundant. Now I plan to invite scholars and craftsmen to discover more cultural and historical stories behind them," he said.

However, it is hard to run a private museum solely on the ticketing revenue.

"We have also opened a hotel and a restaurant which we hope will share the burden of the museum. And we will look for other ways that are culturally significant to help with our finances of the museum," said Dudek. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 19:16:51|Editor: huaxia

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Palestinians walk past closed shops during a general strike in the West Bank city of Nablus, May 18, 2021. A general strike is observed in the West Bank cities on Tuesday to protest against Israel's air strikes on the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

GAZA/RAMALLAH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A general strike took place in the West Bank on Tuesday in protest against Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have been going on for nine days, eyewitnesses said.

They said that the general strike included the closure of stores, markets, schools, universities, banks as well as the public and private sector, adding that transportation also stopped all over the West Bank.

On Monday, several Palestinian factions called for a general strike in the Palestinian territories and rallies in protest against the Israeli military offensive waged on the Gaza Strip.

Spokesman for the Palestinian government Ibrahim Milhem told reporters that all government ministries and establishments joined the general strike.

"The general strike is to express outrage for the aggression that Israel is waging against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and in East Jerusalem," he said, adding that "the health ministry was excluded from the general strike."

On Tuesday, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said that Israeli fighter jets carried out dozens of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting homes, apartments, roads, and agricultural fields.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that the fighter jets targeted a network of underground tunnels belong to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.

The statement said that 60 fighter jets participated in the aerial strikes, adding that around 100 missiles were fired on Hamas targets within 35 minutes early on Tuesday morning.

It also said that militant groups, led by Hamas, had fired 90 rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli towns and cities, adding that the Israeli army "Iron Dome" managed to intercept 70 of the fired rockets.

The health ministry in Gaza said that since the start of the tit-for-tat Israeli-Palestinian military confrontation, 212 Palestinians were killed, including 61 children, 36 women, and 16 elderly men, and 1,400 were injured.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that Gaza militants had fired 3,150 rockets at Israel since the beginning of the fighting nine days ago, adding that 10 Israelis were killed and around 300 were injured.

Raed Fatouh, an official in the Palestinian liaison with Israel, in charge of coordinating entrance of goods to Gaza, said that Erez crossing with Israel will reopen for the purpose of foreign officials' movements between Gaza and Israel.

He said in a press statement that the commercial crossing of the Kerem Shalom crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel will also be reopened for the purpose of transporting fuel and basic goods. Enditem
The Ministry of Health's attempt to better manage the volume of persons seeking vaccination by introducing an alphabetical system did not go over as expected... as hundreds of persons were still turned away on Thursday
Swiss artist Not Vital grew up in the Engadin Alpine region of southeast Switzerland in a Romansh speaking family. Vitals interest in art stems from his encounter with the art historian Max Huggler, who settled in the region. In addition to his print making and drawing, he is known for his witty sculptures. In 1974, Vital moved to New York, where he came into close contact with seminal artists such as Willem de Kooning, Julian Schnabel and Jean-Michel Basquiat. During this time his work was heavily influenced by the multicultural melting pot that characterises New York. While especially engaged with Abstract Expressionism, he still maintained elements from his home environment and local traditions. Beyond his creative accomplishments, Vital believes in artistic responsibility to society. He built clay buildings, including an elementary school in Niger, which can be understood as social sculpture. In 2003 he set up the Fundaziun Not Vital at castle Tarasp with the aim of both preserving the culture of the Engadin region and promoting cultural exchange.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Dmytro Razumkov has said that Ukraine, like Georgia, continues to pay a high price for its European and Euro-Atlantic choice.

According to Ukrinform, he said this at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia David Zalkaliani in Kyiv on Monday, May 17, the Ukrainian parliament's press service reported.

"Both we and you paid a high enough price for this choice. Part of our territories has been occupied. We have lost the most valuable thing - the life and health of citizens," Razumkov said.

Both parties discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine. In particular, Razumkov reminded Zalkaliani of the recent massing of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and stressed that the joint work and support of various countries, including Georgia, had helped resolve this issue.

"Ukraine greatly appreciates Georgia's support and position on our temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. A similar situation is close for your state, so we really appreciate this unwavering position," Razumkov said.

During their meeting, Razumkov and Zalkaliani also discussed inter-parliamentary cooperation. Razumkov said that the coronavirus pandemic had affected the whole world, but he expressed hope that cooperation between the parliaments of Ukraine and Georgia would be deepened.

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Estonia provides assistance for more than EUR 1.4 million to Ukraine annually, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said at a joint briefing with Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas.

"Ukraine not only appreciates the strong political support from Estonia, but also the practical assistance that has been disbursed for Ukraine annually in the amount of more than 1.4 million euros," the prime minister said, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He also thanked Estonia for its support for humanitarian projects in Ukraine for more than EUR 500 thousand. This assistance will be primarily directed to the most vulnerable categories of citizens - children and internally displaced persons in eastern Ukraine.

Shmyhal also assured that the interests of Ukraine and Estonia coincide in all basic topics and areas of cooperation and thanked the Estonian partners for their support for Ukraines territorial integrity and independence.

"We consider Estonia a reliable partner and a good friend, our interests coincide with all basic topics and areas of cooperation, it inspires and creates new opportunities for synergy between our countries," Shmyhal said.

Shmyhal added that he had discussed with his Estonian counterpart the issue of enhancing trade and economic cooperation, and noted great potential in this area.

In turn, Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas stressed that her country fully supports Ukraines territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration, calling for further reforms.

She said that since her last visit to Ukraine, there had been many changes for the better. Ukraine has managed to implement difficult reforms in the conditions of a real armed conflict, which is incited and committed by the Russian Federation.

She stressed that "Crimea is Ukraine" and Estonia, together with Ukrainian colleagues, will continue to work on the de-occupation of the peninsula.

As reported, Prime Minister of Estonia Kaya Kallas is on a three-day visit to Ukraine.

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Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva and Head of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Kyriacos Kouros discussed the situation regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, bilateral cooperation, and Cyprus' participation in the Crimean Platform summit.

This was discussed during a phone conversation between the two officials on May 17, Ukrinform reports with reference to the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Zhovkva thanked Cyprus for its unwavering policy of supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and solidarity with our country in the context of the recent escalation in eastern Ukraine.

Also, it was noted that so far the Russian Federation has withdrawn only a small part of its troops and hardware from Ukraines borders and from the temporarily occupied Crimea, so the further development of the situation needs close attention from Ukraine's international partners.

In the context of the exchange of views on the settlement of the Cyprus issue, Zhovkva reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to the UN Security Council resolutions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus and our country's support for the UN efforts to resolve the situation peacefully.

The interlocutors discussed further steps aimed to develop political dialogue, in particular at the highest level, as well as ways to intensify bilateral cooperation.

In addition, Ihor Zhovkva informed Kyriacos Kouros about the goals of the Ukrainian initiative to create the Crimean Platform and the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

He expressed hope that President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades will be able to visit Ukraine to participate in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform and events marking the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

Special attention was paid to topical issues of Ukraine's European integration.

The parties also exchanged views on the epidemic situation in Ukraine and Cyprus and the prospects for the resumption of tourist trips between the two countries.

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Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has called on the international community to recognize the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Stalins regime in 1944 as genocide.

The diplomat said this at an online briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Im calling on the international community to condemn this crime and recognize deportation as what it really was - the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people," Kuleba said.

He stressed that today Russia continues to suppress the Crimean Tatar people - suspends the Mejlis, ousts independent media from occupied Crimea, continues religious persecution, deprives Crimean Tatars of property and language rights, and fabricates criminal charges against them.

"But we will not give up and stop until these crimes are terminated, until Russia leaves Crimea, and all opportunities for free development and prosperity of the Crimean peninsula and the Crimean Tatar people are created there after the return of the Ukrainian government. In particular, the work of the Crimean platform will be devoted to this issue," the foreign minister stressed.

Today, on May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Moldovan counterpart Aureliu Ciocoi have agreed that Russia should not use the situation with former Ukrainian judge Mykola Chaus so as to quarrel the two countries.

Kuleba stated this at an online briefing on Tuesday, May 18, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Yesterday, my Moldovan counterpart and I were absolutely unanimous that the situation with judge Chaus should never be used by a third party, namely the Russian Federation, in order to quarrel Ukraine and Moldova and create tension in our relations," he said.

He noted that the recently published video with Chaus was a newly discovered circumstance that needs further analysis.

Kuleba said he was convinced that the video recording "changes the picture of what Moldovan and pro-Russian media outlets have been writing about in recent weeks, imposing a different picture of reality on public opinion."

He added that Ukraine and Moldova would focus on the positive dynamics of relations between the two countries and on countering Russia's hybrid attacks.

Chaus's lawyer, Yulian Balan, said on April 3 that a group of unidentified gunmen had abducted the ex-judge in central Chisinau. The city police confirmed the report.

On Monday, May 17, a video was published in which Chaus says that he is safe and sound. The Moldovan prosecutor's office is studying the video.

Ciocoi and Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani made a joint working visit to Ukraine on May 17 at Kuleba's invitation.

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The foreign ministers of the Lublin Triangle countries - Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland - believe that Russia's actions in Ukrainian Crimea are unacceptable in today's world and require an appropriate response from the international community.

This was said in a joint statement by the ministers dedicated to the 77th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea, Ukrinform reports.

"On this mournful day, on behalf of Ukraine, the Republic of Lithuania, and the Republic of Poland, we express our deepest condolences to the Crimean Tatar people. We share your pain and honor the memory of the innocent victims of the genocide committed in 1944," the statement reads.

Kyiv, Vilnius, and Warsaw will make every effort to disseminate historical facts and ensure their proper international assessment at the present stage.

Russia's temporary occupation of Crimea has led to new repressions against the Crimean Tatar people who once again face human rights violations, persecution for beliefs, religion and disagreement with the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea, ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and various forms of harassment and discrimination.

"These actions of Russia as an occupying power are unacceptable in todays world and require an adequate response from the international community. The most effective response will be the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula," the ministers stressed.

The governments of the three countries, together with their partners, will continue to work towards restoring respect for international law and Ukraine's sovereign control over Crimea.

"The summit of the international Crimea Platform, which shall take place in Kyiv on August 23, 2021, is called to play an important role in consolidating our efforts. We are looking forward to working out a clear plan of action of the world community to bring closer the de-occupation of Ukrainian Crimea and restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatars," the statement says.

The foreign ministers of the Lublin Triangle are convinced that their joint efforts and international solidarity will contribute to the liberation of Crimea from the Russian occupation, as well as to the restoration of rights and freedoms of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukrainian Crimea.

On May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People.

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The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has asked international organizations to provide assistance in the organized departure of Ukrainian citizens from the Gaza Strip, and the possibility of their repatriation through Egypt is currently being considered, the ministry's spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, has told Ukrinform.

He recalled that about 120 Ukrainians had expressed their desire to leave the Gaza Strip. He also added that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry was working out safe ways to repatriate Ukrainians.

"Due to the prolonged hostilities, the Ukrainian side turned to international organizations with the request to provide assistance in the organized departure of our citizens from the enclave. As in 2012 and 2014, when similar measures were taken, the possibility of repatriation through Egypt is being considered. Ukrainian diplomats cooperate with the Egyptian authorities to obtain the necessary permits," Nikolenko said.

According to him, it is critically important to ensure that a ceasefire is established in the conflict zone so as to conduct this humanitarian mission in the safest possible conditions.

Israeli security forces and Palestinians clashed on May 7 near the Temple Mount and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in eastern Israel. After the prayer on the Temple Mount, the worshippers started hurling stones at the police. The latter responded with rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.

Hamas militants, who control the Gaza Strip, fired rockets at Israel. The Israeli Air Force responded with air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 19:20:20|Editor: huaxia

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Palestinians inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, on May 18, 2021. The health ministry in Gaza said that since the start of the tit-for-tat Israeli-Palestinian military confrontation, 212 Palestinians were killed, including 61 children, 36 women, and 16 elderly men, and 1,400 were injured. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The main COVID-19 testing center in Gaza city was damaged due to intensive Israeli fighter jet strikes waged on the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian health official said Tuesday.

Yousef Abu al-Reesh, health ministry director-general in Gaza, told reporters that the COVID-19 testing center in the Remal neighborhood in western Gaza city has completely stopped operating due to the Israeli airstrikes on the area.

He added that a compound, which includes a laboratory, health ministry offices and an outpatient clinic, was badly damaged after several buildings surrounding the compound were completely destroyed by the airstrikes.

He also said that several doctors and health ministry staff were injured following the Israeli destruction of the buildings on Monday night.

The senior health official called on the international community, mainly the World Health Organization, to ensure full protection of the health ministry facilities in the Gaza Strip.

"The Gaza Strip needs the help of health and humanitarian organizations to ensure medical supplies needed for the protection of medical staff amid the spread of coronavirus in the world," he said.

On Tuesday, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said that Israeli fighter jets had carried out dozens of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting homes, apartments, roads and agricultural fields.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that the fighter jets targeted a network of underground tunnels which belong to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.

The statement said that 60 fighter jets had participated in the airstrikes, adding that around 100 missiles were fired on Hamas targets within 35 minutes early on Tuesday morning.

It also said that militant groups led by Hamas had fired 90 rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli towns and cities, adding that the Israeli army "Iron Dome" had managed to intercept 70 of the fired rockets.

The health ministry in Gaza said that since the start of the tit-for-tat Israeli-Palestinian military confrontation, 212 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children, while 1,400 others have been injured. Enditem
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has instructed Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova to address the White House regarding the provision of COVID-19 vaccines.

The minister said this at an online briefing on Tuesday, May 18, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In particular, Kuleba recalled the statement by U.S. President Joe Biden about his intention to provide other countries with 80 million doses of the vaccine by the end of June. He noted that Ukraine welcomes and supports American leadership in countering global challenges.

We have worked with the United States on the issue of obtaining more vaccines. Now the conversation is becoming more substantive, and yesterday I instructed our ambassador to Washington to address the White House, which coordinates the program of providing vaccines to other countries of the world, for a substantive discussion of our interaction on this track," the minister said.

He is sure that this will become another element of strengthening bilateral relations between Ukraine and the United States.

Kuleba also noted that on Monday active work was underway on issues related to our relations with the United States.

All issues that were discussed during the visit of the Secretary of State to Ukraine are moving forward, starting from support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and ending with U.S. support for reforms in Ukraine," he emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, Biden said on Monday that the United States was ready to provide other countries with a total of 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of June.

On May 6, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an official visit to Ukraine, during which he met with high-ranking officials and public figures.

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Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Helga Schmid will visit Ukraine next week.

She said this during the Berlin Security Conference on May 18, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Next week I will visit Ukraine, including for the purpose of negotiations with the political leadership in Kyiv, and will visit our mission there, including our observers in the east, the secretary general said.

Schmid also added that she plans to visit Russia "in the coming months."

She believes that the OSCE has made an important contribution to preventing further escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The diplomat recalled that the observers conduct "independent monitoring" around the clock and work in very difficult conditions, which were further complicated by COVID-19. Schmid complained about the restrictions on the free movement of the Mission across the territory, as well as the increased incidence of damage to the technical equipment of the Mission. But the SMMs work is absolutely crucial, she assured.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has welcomed the decision of the Latvian parliament to create a parliamentary group in support of the Crimean Platform.

He said this during a meeting with Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece, who is on an official visit to Ukraine, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Foreign Ministrys press service.

Kuleba and Murniece separately discussed preparations for the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform to be held in Kyiv on August 23.

"The foreign minister welcomed the decision of the Latvian parliament to create a parliamentary group to support the Crimean Platform. He called such a step a manifestation of true friendship between Latvia and Ukraine, expressing hope for the active participation of members of the Saeima in the work of the Crimean Platform," the report reads.

Kuleba thanked Murniece and members of the Saeima for their constant support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and solidarity with our state against the background of the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation. The minister also praised Murniece's intention to visit the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions on May 19 to learn about the consequences of Russian aggression and the steps Ukraine is taking to advance a political and diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict.

As Ukrinform reported, Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece is on an official visit to Ukraine on May 17-20, 2021.

The Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, step up international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the de-occupation of Crimea. Ukraine actively invites other states to join this international initiative.

The first Crimean Platform summit is scheduled for August 23, 2021.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

This was reported by the press service of the head of state.

"President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece, who is on an official visit to Ukraine. The head of state informed his interlocutor about the security situation in Donbas. During the meeting, special attention was paid to discussing the current situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea," the report reads.

The president recalled that the Saeima of Latvia in May 2019 was the first among foreign parliaments to recognize the deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet authorities in 1944 as genocide.

"I know that you have a very productive and eventful visit to Ukraine. I would like to thank you and your colleagues for visiting Donbas. I am grateful for your support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for the fact that you do not support the occupation of Crimea," he stressed.

The parties also discussed Ukraine's strategic goal to become a member of the European Union. Zelensky noted the importance of signing a joint Declaration of the Presidents of Ukraine and Latvia on Ukraine's European Prospect online this May.

Zelensky and Murniece agreed on the need to preserve the traditionally high dynamics of the Ukrainian-Latvian inter-parliamentary dialogue both in bilateral format and within international parliamentary assemblies.

As Ukrinform reported, Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece is on an official visit to Ukraine on May 17-20, 2021.

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Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal states that enough funds have been allocated from the state budget to provide Ukraine with a sufficient amount of coronavirus vaccines.

He said this at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

At the moment, according to the Ministry of Health, there are enough funds to provide and bring to Ukraine a sufficient amount of vaccines in accordance with the National Vaccination Plan approved by the government, Shmyhal said.

The PM noted that the authorities are in talks with leaders of countries where vaccines are produced and with chief executives of manufacturing companies.

As Ukrinform reported, on April 15, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated an additional UAH 6.5 billion for the purchase of vaccines against coronavirus.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Ukraine began on February 24, 2021. CoviShield vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, Sinovac Biotechs CoronaVac, Pfizer vaccine, SKBio vaccine created by Oxford University and AstraZeneca are registered and used in Ukraine.

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The international community is concerned by reports from human rights defenders about cases of intolerance, discrimination and attacks on LGBTQI activists in Ukraine and the lack of accountability for these crimes, according to a joint statement on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, published by the British Embassy in Kyiv on Facebook on May 17.

In particular, the international community emphasizes its commitment to the protection and safeguarding of equal rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Ukrainians, their friends, families, and all advocates for tolerance and equality in Ukraine.

"Ukraine has made notable progress in recognizing and protecting human rights, but this work remains unfinished. We are concerned by ongoing reports from human rights defenders about cases of intolerance, discrimination and attacks on LGBTIQ activists and the lack of accountability for these crimes," the statement reads.

It says the global COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in cases of intolerance and human rights violations, and LGBTIQ individuals are among the most vulnerable victims of discrimination and violence.

The reform of the National Police has shown positive tendencies in respecting human rights while protecting law and order in Ukraine; however, continued comprehensive reforms within the law-enforcement and judicial systems are necessary to provide everyone with a sense of safety, fairness and justice, the statement said.

"We urge the Ukrainian authorities to pursue the reforms and to provide equal rights and opportunities to all without discrimination. We welcome the recent approval of a new version of the National Human Rights Strategy; however, we continue to call on Ukraine to fully implement this Strategy and Action Plan, including by taking additional steps to provide comprehensive anti-discrimination measures for LGBTIQ persons," the statement reads.

Diplomats said they were following closely the progress of amendments to Ukraine's criminal code to expand the definition of hate crime to include crimes based on gender identity and sexual orientation. They also added that Ukraine can continue to count on the support of the international community in achieving these goals.

The statement has been sent on behalf of the Embassies of Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States, and of the Canadian Police Mission to Ukraine, the Delegation of the European Union and the European Union Advisory Mission.

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UNICEF has delivered to Ukraine a new batch of 122,850 doses of Comirnaty vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech against COVID-19 as part of the global COVAX Facility, UNICEF has said in a press release obtained by Ukrinform.

According to the report, by the end of the week, overall UNICEF will deliver 473,850 doses of the vaccine, as well as a diluent for injection.

"The arrival of another COVAX batch is another confirmation of the global adherence to equity and accessibility in vaccines sharing amidst pandemic. This collaboration format is critically important. The implementation of the international humanitarian initiatives to tackle COVID-19 reassures us in the capacity of the countries to unite in the face of global threats," Ukraine's Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said.

UNICEF said that the new batch of vaccines was expected to be used for the protection of education workers from COVID-19.

"The importance of education for the well-being of every child cannot be overstated. Safety for teachers is a key factor in ensuring the quality and continuity of learning," said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine.

UNICEF recalled that in total, by the end of 2021, Ukraine is to receive free vaccines for the vaccination of eight million people from COVID as part of the COVAX initiative.

Earlier, under COVAX, Ukraine received 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 367,200 doses of AstraZeneca-SKBio vaccines, manufactured by SK Bioscience, South Korea, as well as about 140,000 syringes for mixing up the vaccine with diluent and injections and over 1,300 safety boxes for their disposal, under COVAX.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines require special conditions for transportation and storage at temperatures ranging from -60 C to -80 C. In-country storage and logistics of this and the initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccines from COVAX, in accordance with the correct cold chain requirements, are provided by USAID.

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Ukraine expects the next batch of Pfizer coronavirus vaccines as part of the global COVAX Facility on June 7.

Deputy Health Minister, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said this at the All-Ukrainian Forum Ukraine 30. Digitalization on Tuesday, May 18, an Ukrinform correspondent reports

"We expect the next delivery of mRNA vaccines as part of the global facility on June 7," Liashko said.

He has reminded that almost 500,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines will arrive in Ukraine this week.

As reported, on Tuesday, UNICEF delivered to Ukraine a new batch of 122,850 doses of Comirnaty vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech against COVID-19 as part of the global COVAX Facility. By the end of the week, UNICEF will deliver 473,850 doses of the vaccine to Ukraine, as well a solution for injection.

Earlier, under the Global COVAX Facility, Ukraine received 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 367,200 doses of AstraZeneca-SKBio vaccines, manufactured by SK Bioscience, South Korea, as well as about 140,000 syringes for mixing up the vaccine with diluent and injections and over 1,300 safety boxes for their disposal.

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Displaced Mozambicans gather at Negomano Border point after being forcibly returned from Tanzania.  UNHCR/Eduardo Burmeister

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned by ongoing reports of people fleeing Mozambiques volatile Cabo Delgado province being forcibly returned after crossing into Tanzania.

UNHCR and partners have received worrying reports  including direct testimonies  that several thousand Mozambicans have been pushed back from Tanzania into northern Mozambique since last year. This includes reports of over 1,500 returned this month.

During an inter-agency mission in April 2021 to the Negomano border point in Mozambique, UNHCR and partners learned that most of the Mozambicans sheltering there had hoped to find refuge in Tanzania after fleeing deadly attacks by non-state armed groups in Palma in March. People told UNHCR they trekked for days to the Rovuma River, crossing it by boat to reach Tanzania, from where they were returned by the authorities. Many were women and young children.

UNHCR is alarmed at reports that Mozambicans have been refouled, forcibly returned, and prevented from seeking asylum. We call on all parties to allow free movement of civilians fleeing violence and conflict, in search of international protection, safety and assistance, including to respect and fully uphold the right to cross international borders to seek asylum.

In Negomano, people told UNHCR they had become separated from family members while fleeing from their villages in Mozambique, while some were separated upon arrival in Tanzania. Many reported being detained, transported to a local school, and interrogated by Tanzanian officials. Those unable to provide evidence of Tanzanian nationality were returned to Mozambique through a different border point from the one used to enter the country  including individuals or families of mixed nationalities.

The situation is particularly desperate for single mothers, now staying in Negomano without family support. The conditions at Negomano are dire and needs are acute for food, water and sanitation, and health services, but only limited humanitarian assistance is reaching the remote area.

UNHCR also appeals to both governments to respect the principle of family unity and to spare no efforts to ensure that separated family members are traced and reunited as soon as possible.

The northern Mozambique border area where those returned from Tanzania are currently sheltering is remote and extremely difficult to access.

While some people said they wanted to stay in Negomano or move further south to Montepuez or Pemba, as they are still afraid to return back to their communities at this stage, most of the people interviewed told us they wanted to go back to Tanzania for safety.

UNHCR and its partners have been providing protection and basic assistance to 50,000 people in northern Mozambique last year and plan to assist an additional 250,000 people by the end of this year. Some 724,000 people have been forcibly displaced since the conflict started in the Cabo Delgado province in October 2017.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
A recently arrived Venezuelan family at a UN shelter in Manaus, northern Brazil.  UNHCR/Felipe Irnaldo

Brasilia  A new study by the World Bank and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched today, highlights the challenges faced by Venezuelans forced to leave their country, as they attempt to build new lives in Brazil.

An estimated 260,000 Venezuelans are currently living in Brazil after fleeing the social, political and economic crisis in their country. Despite a favourable legal framework in Brazil, many of them face obstacles accessing social services, the formal labour market and the education system. These barriers relate to language, and difficulties validating education documents and verifying skills.

Although they have similar education levels, Venezuelans are 64 per cent less likely to be employed than their Brazilian hosts and their children are 53 per cent less likely to be in school.

Brazil provides welfare assistance to non-nationals regardless their legal status, including during the pandemic. The number of Venezuelans accessing financial aid through social programmes has increased threefold since the outbreak of COVID-19. Today, 18 per cent of Venezuelans in Brazil receive this support.

However, Venezuelans are 30 per cent less likely to be registered for such support than Brazilian nationals. Those who do receive financial aid have higher levels of education and professional qualifications than local recipients.

We analyzed administrative and census data from 2017 to 2020 to explore whether Venezuelan refugees and migrants face differential access to education, the formal labour market, and social protection programmes. We hope our recommendations can help Venezuelans find a home in Brazil, said Rovane Battaglin Schwengber, a Social Education Specialist at the World Bank.

According to the study, only 12 per cent of the working-age Venezuelan population in Brazil have jobs in the formal labour market. Venezuelans who are formally employed tend to be younger and are more likely to have completed high school. Nonetheless, they often work longer hours, receive lower wages and have less job security than nationals.

In the education sector, both primary school-aged Venezuelan children and adolescents are at a disadvantage compared to their Brazilian peers. According to a 2020 education census, just 37,700 (or 45 per cent) of Venezuelan children were enrolled in school  compared to more than 85 per cent of Brazilian children.

Even when they manage to enroll, Venezuelans often attend more overcrowded schools and are placed in lower grades. A shortage of Spanish-speaking teachers is another major obstacle to their success in the classroom.

Inclusion and integration in a foreign country is a long-term process that requires a truly holistic approach to be effective, as well as commitment and resources, said Nikolas Pirani, an Associate Economist at UNHCR who worked on the study.

UNHCR is encouraging the Government of Brazil to continue implementing policies to address the difficulties Venezuelans face, such as facilitating the process of skills verification, increasing language training for professionals and teachers, and increasing school capacity, especially in northern regions.

The agency is supporting these integration efforts by assisting with the validation of diplomas, through partnerships with the private sector, and programmes to employ refugee women, among others. It also supports the government-led relocation programme from the border state of Roraima to southern regions of Brazil, where there are better prospects for Venezuelans to achieve self-reliance.

Amongst Venezuelans in Brazil, nearly 47,000 have been recognized as refugees by the Brazilian government while more than 145,000 have received temporary residence visas. Another 96,000 are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed.

For more information, please contact:

In Brazil,

In Panama,

William Spindler, UNHCR [email protected] +507 6382 7815

+507 6382 7815 Olga Sarrado, UNHCR [email protected] +507 6640 0185

In Geneva,
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 19:33:46|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized on Monday the United State for selling advanced weapons to Israel amid the intense bombardment on the Gaza Strip.

Zarif, on his Twitter account, said the United States sold Israel "precision" missiles to "kill more children with more precision."

The foreign minister was referring to an earlier report by the Washington Post claiming the Biden administration greenlighted the sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel, worth 735 million U.S. dollars.

The newspaper said that the U.S. Congress was notified of the decision on May 5, around a week earlier before the confrontation between Israel and Gaza broke out.

Calling the United States the "enabler" of Israel, Zarif also accused the United States of blocking the UN Security Council to pass a statement on the conflicts.

The ongoing tension, the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014, has killed 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, and 10 Israelis. Enditem
Proposals by the UK to overhaul its asylum system risk breaching international legal commitments, undermining global refugee cooperation and triggering damaging effects on asylum-seekers who arrive irregularly.

UNHCR has published a legal opinion, drawn up after examining the governments New Plan for Immigration presented 24 March, and included in the May 11 Queens Speech.

Read: UNHCR Observations on the New Plan for Immigration policy statement of the Government of the United Kingdom

Recommendations

UNHCR recommends states have well designed, fair and fast claims procedures. UNHCR has made initial proposals to the UK to improve its system, drawing on best practice, including simplified processing. Greater investment upfront could address issues identified in the plan, for example around appeals and backlogs. Asylum applicants arriving irregularly without legitimate claims and no other legal residency options should be assisted to return home. Such returns are complex and require concerted international cooperation.

It is entirely possible for the UK to protect its borders, and security, while implementing fair, humane and efficient policies towards asylum-seekers in line with the 1951 Convention. These are not mutually exclusive.

Rossella Pagliuchi-Lor, UNHCR Representative in the UK
Positivity rate of half dozen of district shoot above 30 PC

Shimla, May 18 (UNI) Half dozen of 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh have reported a covid positivity rate of more than 30 percent over the past one week, according to state health officials.

For the week ending Monday, the state recorded nearly 29 thousand new covid cases with a positivity rate of 29 percent (percentage of confirmed cases among total number of people tested), a health official said.

This was much higher than the national positivity rate of 18 percent recorded in India during the week.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 19:37:16|Editor: huaxia

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"I've been very pleasantly surprised at the development each time I visited China, " said Mayantha Dissanayake, a youth political leader of Sri Lanka, adding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era leads China into a new era. #CPC100Years #GLOBALink

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 20:03:51|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Tuesday that the controversial comments of Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe about the Gulf states are only the personal opinion of Wehbe, and do not represent Lebanon's official position.

"President Aoun is always keen to reject any stances that may offend brotherly and friendly countries in general and Gulf countries in particular," Lebanon's Presidency said in a statement.

The statement comes following an interview of Wehbe on Al-Hurra TV channel blaming the Gulf for the rise of the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri criticized Wehbe's comments by saying that Arab support for Lebanon is vital. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 20:50:28|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the 26th National Congress of the Chinese Medical Association in Beijing, capital of China, May 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Tuesday called for efforts to implement the Healthy China initiative and further improve people's health.

Sun made the remarks while addressing the 26th National Congress of the Chinese Medical Association.

Efforts should be made to improve medical innovation, promote technology and cultivate talent, the vice premier said.

Acknowledging the association's contribution in containing the epidemic, Sun said that in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, its members have demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility and professionalism.

She called on the medical association as well as medical workers nationwide to put their efforts into advancing China's healthcare development, support reforms in the medical system and help strengthen epidemic control and emergency response. Enditem
Understanding Tax-Free Savings Accounts

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(Photo : https://taxpage.com/articles-and-tips/tax-free-savings-account-tfsa/)

While everyone understands the need to save for their golden years, the alarming truth is most people don't have enough money set aside for that period in their lives. Based on a survey conducted among working Canadians, the situation is dire.

The poll results show that 47% of respondents worry their retirement savings will not be sufficient to support them. 44% believe they'll still be employed full-time when they're 66.

The government recognized the problem earlier on, and in 2009, Finance Canada and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) implemented the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) to encourage Canadians to save more money.

As we'll only cover the TFSA in brief here, you should consult a professional for advice. Tax lawyers are excellent advisors as they're well-versed with the legal aspects, and you'll avoid unnecessary future issues with the CRA.

As Rotfleisch & Samulovitch say on their website, the program is a perfect opportunity for individuals to earn tax-free income. Still, you'll have to be careful not to incur TFSA penalties.

Types of Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs)

There are three types of Tax-Free Savings Accounts:

Deposit

Annuity Contract

Arrangement in Trust

Authorized issuers include banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and trust corporations.

Who's Eligible to Open a TFSA?

Any Canadian resident or non-resident who's 18 years old or older and has a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) can open a tax-free savings account.

However, as long as individuals fall into the latter category, they'll incur a 1% tax for every month their contribution remains in the account.

If you're in a province where the legal age to enter into contracts is 19, you'll have to wait until your 19th birthday comes around. The good news is that you can carry forward the TFSA room for the year you turned 18, so your maximum contribution when you're eligible is the total of both years.

How to Open a TFSA

To open a Tax-Free Savings Account, you must:

Contact an issuer such as a bank, insurance company, and credit union. Provide your SIN and date of birth for registration together with other supporting documents the issuer may require.

TFSA Contributions

You can contribute to a TFSA even if you don't have earned income. For instance, you can give your spouse money for them to place in their account. However, legally, this amount and any revenue it generates won't go back to you.

Restrictions

As the account holder, you're the only one who can manage your TFSA as follows:

make contributions

make withdrawals

determine the investment options

Although you can have more than one TFSA at any point in time, your total deposits can't exceed your contribution room for that year.

Tax Implications

Any income such as interest, dividends, or capital gains earned from your TFSA isn't taxable while held in the account or when you withdraw it.

However, there are circumstances under which you may be liable to pay taxes from your TFSA earnings. If there's no amount payable, you don't have to file a TFSA return. You'll only need to submit one when you owe tax.

Conclusion

This guide provides a basic understanding of TFSAs. You must consult your tax advisor before you take any action.

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 2017 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
How Much Snow Can Your Roof Withstand?

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(Photo : http://www.dominionroofing.com/markham/)

Nobody is used to the Canadian winters, not even Canadians themselves. Our winters are occasionally mild, but you can expect very cold weather most of the time. One day it's a mean blizzard, and the next day you can experience some rain or a heavy snowfall.



Toronto is experiencing some of the worst storms on record. Crazy weather gives homeowners sleepless nights as they lay in their rooms, praying their roof doesn't cave in.

Winter roof collapse is a genuine threat. A few years back, 44 roofs in Boston were severely damaged during a storm. That's a mere 500 miles away from Toronto, which is far too close for comfort.

So, if you're feeling a little nervous about the sky falling on your head, then read on to learn about our industry expert's tips for keeping your roof intact next winter.

Clear Excess Snow From Your Roof

As soon as conditions are favorable, head outside and do an inspection on the snow build-up. As a guide, excess snow can be classified as:

Four feet of freshly fallen snow

Two feet of compact snow

Four inches of ice

Another tip is to look out for deformed ceilings or windows, and doors that are suddenly difficult to open or close.

If the snow is in excess and begins to look like it can cause potential harm, then it's best you use a periscope roof-rake to remove the snow. Don't climb on top of your house, and use neither a shovel, nor pick-ax to do the job. Chances are you'll dig too deep and damage the shingles, nevermind the risk to your personal safety if you slip and fall.





Inspect For Ice Dams

Icicles are a telltale sign of ice dams on your roof and pose a serious threat. Ice dams form when a ridge of ice gathers at the edge of roofs, which prevents melting snow from draining. As a result, the water backs up, leaks through gaps in the roofing material and ultimately drips onto your ceiling. Plus, the extra weight of the ice could cause your roof to collapse.

This isn't to say you should be worried when you see ice dams as the ice does melt away on its own. However, check to see that the load isn't too heavy in order to avoid any lasting damage.

We don't advise tackling ice dams on your own - Click here now for professional roofing contractors that are guaranteed to get the job done.

Preventative Maintenance

I would say it's important to examine your roof before winter arrives. An older decaying roof is far more susceptible to a collapse, and it's best to have them assessed by a professional before the situation becomes dangerous.

But if you're either woken by a strange creaking noise in the middle of the night, or the bathroom door no longer closes, then best you act fast and vacate the premises before the sky comes down on your head.

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 2017 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Sri Lanka will receive 185,000 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia next week as the country looks to vaccinate its citizens against the coronavirus, a minister said on Tuesday

COLOMBO, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :-- Sri Lanka will receive 185,000 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia next week as the country looks to vaccinate its citizens against the coronavirus, a minister said on Tuesday.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation, Channa Jayasumana said Sri Lanka will receive the COVID-19 vaccine consignment by May 25, which will be administered to the public immediately.

Jayasumana said Sri Lanka received the first batch of Sputnik V vaccines containing 15,000 doses purchased from Russia on May 4, which have been administered to 14,699 people so far.

Sri Lanka started a mass vaccination drive on Jan. 29 and has to date vaccinated over 1.5 million citizens, according to official figures from the Health Ministry.

During the past week, Sri Lanka began administering the Sinopharm vaccine received from China in the areas worst hit by COVID-19 including the capital Colombo, while the government has said it aims to vaccinate at least 70 percent of its 21.4 million population by the end of this year.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Montreal, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :Coordination of Canada's coronavirus vaccination campaign is set to be taken over by another army general, the public health agency said Monday, after a probe into allegations of sexual misconduct sidelined her predecessor.

Brigadier General Krista Brodie, a logistic expert who served in the Balkans and Afghanistan, is to replace General Dany Fortin, who was dismissed due to a military investigation into what media reports said involved allegations of sexual misconduct dating back some 30 years, a charge which he has strongly denied.

Brodie had already been working on vaccine coordination within the team led by her predecessor, as part of a partnership between the army and public health authorities set up last November.

The appointment came three days after the announcement that Fortin was being sidelined from his post of coordinator "pending the results of a military investigation," according to the Ministry of Defense.

The departure of Fortin, a respected soldier who notably led the NATO mission in Iraq, is a further blow to the Canadian army, which has been shaken for months by a series of investigations into high-ranking officials suspected of sexual misconduct, including the former chief of the defense staff, retired General Jonathan Vance.

Vance retired earlier this year before the allegations were made public. His successor, Admiral Art McDonald, also left office a few weeks after his appointment after an investigation was opened into similar charges.

At the end of April, Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan instructed Louise Arbor, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, to conduct an independent investigation into the handling of cases of sexual harassment within the Canadian army.
Cairo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :Egypt is seeking to restore its regional clout by mediating between Israel and Hamas to douse the week-long massacres in Gaza that has claimed more than 200 lives of Palestinians.

In 2014, Egypt brokered a fragile ceasefire after a devastating weeks-long war between arch-foes Israel and Hamas, which rules the densely populated Palestinian enclave.

In the latest Israeli strikes, which entered its second week Monday have killed over 200 Palestinians and 10 people in Israel, officials on the two sides say. Hundreds more have been wounded.

The escalation has embarrassed Gulf states UAE and Bahrain which normalised diplomatic ties with Israel last year, putting Cairo in the diplomatic driving seat.

"In a region where normalising states are expanding their own relations with Israel, Egypt... has a vested interest utilising its geographic proximity to Gaza to leverage its diplomatic power," said Tareq Baconi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.

An Egyptian intelligence delegation reportedly on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian territories has boosted Cairo's hand as a peace-broker.

"The delegation is comprised of intelligence officials and has been there for several days to negotiate a ceasefire," Khaled Okasha, a member of Egypt's Supreme Council for Counter-Terrorism, told AFP.

Okasha, director of the state-affiliated Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies, said he was optimistic about a breakthrough.

"Egypt has to be involved. There's no way around it -- literally and physically," said Michael Hanna, a senior fellow at the New York-based Century Foundation.

Israel has enforced a land and sea blockade on Gaza since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the impoverished territory, home to about two million Palestinians.

Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is the enclave's only passage to the outside world not controlled by Israel.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi instructed authorities last week to open the crossing to allow wounded Gazans to be treated in Egyptian hospitals and to deliver aid.

"This is an opportunity to say not just to the US but to other regional parties that Egypt remains important, it's a necessary diplomatic player and that a ceasefire is going to go through Cairo," said Hanna.

He said popular support for the Palestinians on the streets of Cairo has emboldened Egypt's leadership to adopt a "harsher, more outspoken" line against Israel, despite their 1979 peace treaty.
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Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :The IMF said it had reached an agreement to move forward on the disbursement of $410 million to Kenya as part of an aid package approved in April.

The payment must first be approved by the board of Governors, which is set to meet in the coming weeks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a statement.

The IMF approved a $2.34 billion aid package for Kenya in April, to be disbursed over 38 months, under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility, the first review of which took place over the last several weeks.

About $307.5 million was immediately dispensed for budget support.

"Economic recovery is under way and the easing of the Covid-19 third wave in Kenya suggests activity should continue picking up, but the environment for policy making remains subject to uncertainty," the IMF's statement said.

The statement also hailed Kenyan authorities' efforts to increase transparency and fight corruption.
TAIPEI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :Taiwan on Tuesday confirmed 245 new COVID-19 cases, of which 240 were classified as local infections, as well as two deaths, according to the local disease monitoring agency.

This is the fourth consecutive day that the island's daily local infections exceeded 100, the agency said, adding that 128 female and 112 male patients, aged below five to over 90, were among the newly reported local cases.

The two deaths include a woman in her 60s and a man in his 80s, both of whom tested positive for COVID-19 two days ago.

To stem the spread of the infection, all schools across Taiwan will remain closed from May 19 to 28.

The island on Tuesday also reported five new imported cases from Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines.

Taiwan is in the midst of its worst outbreak since the onset of the pandemic, with more than 1,000 local cases reported during the past week.

The total number of confirmed cases on the island has risen to 2,260, including 14 deaths, the agency said.
President Dr Arif Alvi Tuesday called for promoting arts education to effectively project the soft image of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :President Dr Arif Alvi Tuesday called for promoting arts education to effectively project the soft image of Pakistan.

He said the government attached utmost significance to the education sector and was taking steps for the socio-economic progress of the country by focusing on human resource development.

He made these remarks at a briefing on National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. PNCA Principal Prof Dr Murtaza Jafri briefed the president about the role of college in promoting arts education in the country.

The president urged the NCA management to enhance outreach of the college by developing collaboration with international educational institutions of high repute.

He emphasized the need to improve online education facilities, which were cost-effective and provided easy access to students.

President Alvi also highlighted the importance of adopting new technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution enabling Pakistan to join the ranks of technologically-advanced countries.

He also stressed the need for implementation of disability quota and facilitation of persons with disability by providing them easy access to college premises.

The president appreciated the role of NCA in providing arts education and assured the principal of every possible support for success of the college.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 20:54:06|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government has decided to allow one flight each week to China and Qatar respectively at a time when international flights have been suspended till the end of this month in efforts to curb the raging coronavirus, government officials said Tuesday.

"There will be a regular commercial flight once a week to China and Qatar," Mani Thapa, minister for water supply and sanitation, told Xinhua Tuesday. "This is basically to ease the supply of medical goods and ease commuting of the stranded people if necessary."

The minister said a Nepali airline will operate the flights to China and Qatar, but he did not say when the flights will begin.

Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe, minister for land Management, cooperatives and poverty alleviation, said the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation will issue the permission for such flights. "The culture, tourism and civil aviation ministry has the authority to make the necessary arrangements for it," she told Xinhua.

Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali also confirmed the decision, saying "the cabinet decided to allow international flights between Kathmandu and Guangzhou (China) and Kathmandu and Qatar for the purpose of medical supplies and humanitarian tasks only."

In early May, the Nepali government imposed a ban on domestic and international flights till May 14 as the country had been gripped by a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak. The authorities then extended the ban till the end of May, with only two flights a week between Kathmandu and New Delhi of India allowed under an air bubble agreement.

Nepal is facing a short supply of medical oxygen and hospital beds as the raging coronavirus has been sickening more people and leaving more dead over the past weeks.

By Tuesday, the country has a total of 472,354 infections with 8,136 reported in the last 24 hours, while the total death toll stands at 5,411 with 196 logged on the day. Enditem
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) Angola registered Russian single-dose coronavirus vaccine Sputnik Light, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday.

"The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) announces the approval of the Russian single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine against coronavirus by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Angola," the fund said.

The Sputnik Light vaccine is the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine. The effectiveness of the single-component vaccine is 79.4 percent in the period after 28 days from inoculation.

The calculation of effectiveness was carried out on the basis of data from Russians who received only one injection as part of the civilian mass vaccination program and did not receive a second injection for any reason between December 5, 2020 and April 15, 2021. The efficacy of about 80 percent exceeds that of many two-shot vaccines.

In March, Angola registered Russian two-dose vaccine Sputnik V under an emergency use authorization (EUA). Sputnik V has been approved for use in 64 countries with a total population of over 3.2 billion.
PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th May, 2021) The National Library of the Czech Republic suffered a cyberattack on Tuesday and had to close its doors to visitors temporarily, library spokesperson Irena Manakova said.

"The National Library was the subject of a cyberattack on Tuesday. After we discovered it, all our computers were turned off. Specialists are working to restore the equipment.

The library has also reported the incident to the National Cyber and Information Security Agency [NUKIB]," Manakova told journalists.

Meanwhile, the cybersecurity agency's spokesperson, Jiri Taborsky, told reporters that his agency had received information about the incident and have started looking into the attack. The official refrained from sharing any more details.

In early March, hacking attempts were launched against the country's labor ministry and the Prague City Hall.
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DOHA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) Qatari Red Crescent Society (QRCS) Secretary-General Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi has called the attack on the organization's office in the Gaza Strip a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions.

"What the Qatari Red Crescent office in Gaza has suffered is a war crime and a flagrant violation of various charters, as well as the four Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, which were ratified by Israel in 1951," Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the Qatari Red Crescent said that an Israeli airstrike had targeted its office in the Gaza Strip, which led to the death of two Palestinians, injuring 10 others.

The organization called the bombing of their Gaza office "a clear violation of international law," demanding that Israel stop attacks on humanitarian workers.

The QRCS head said after the Monday attack that the organization was going to continue cooperating with the Palestinain Red Crescent, providing humanitarian support to all those affected by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip.

The current escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started earlier this month, when unrest began in East Jerusalem over an Israeli court's decision to evict several Palestinian families from the area. The situation on the border between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip has been deteriorating amid heavy rocket exchanges that have resulted in the death of over 200 Palestinians, including more than 60 children.

Israel has reported 10 people killed and 50 injured, while the Palestinian Red Crescent says that more than 1,300 Palestinians have been injured amid continuing rocket launches. More than 3,300 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip this month, while the Israeli army says it has launched hundreds of rockets at what it claims to be Hamas infrastructure and military targets.
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An analysis of adverse health effects in people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in India found that the number of blood clot cases was "minuscule", the health ministry said Monday

New Delhi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th May, 2021 ) :An analysis of adverse health effects in people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in India found that the number of blood clot cases was "minuscule", the health ministry said Monday.

Some countries have restricted or dropped AstraZeneca shots from national vaccine campaigns over very rare blood clots, though experts have said the benefits outweigh the risks.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca jab -- one of three shots granted emergency approval in India -- is the most widely used in the country and is manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine maker.

The nation of 1.3 billion people has administered nearly 183 million doses of all vaccines so far.

"AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunisation) data in India showed that there is a very miniscule but definitive risk of thromboembolic events," the health ministry said in a statement, citing a report by the National AEFI Committee.

The vaccine "continues to have a definite positive benefit risk profile with tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths due to Covid-19 across the world and in India", it added.

The committee looked at reports of health effects in jabs administered up to April 3, which included 68.6 million of the AstraZeneca shot and 6.7 million of Covaxin, which was developed by Indian firm Bharat Biotech.

In its review of 498 "serious and severe events", 26 cases were reported to be "potential thromboembolic" following the administration of the AstraZeneca shot.

The ministry stressed that the rate of such events were 0.61 per million doses and that it was "much lower" than those reported in the UK.

It did not provide further details about the nature of the adverse events.

No clotting cases were reported after the Covaxin jab, the ministry added.

India -- which has reported nearly 25 million coronavirus cases so far -- has been grappling with a huge new wave of infections that has overwhelmed the healthcare system and led to severe shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and critical medicines.

The country has halted exports of vaccines to meet local demand.
Russia and Sierra Leone have agreed to resume the work of the joint energy group as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, preferably this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday following a meeting with his counterpart from Sierra Leone, David Francis

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2021) Russia and Sierra Leone have agreed to resume the work of the joint energy group as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, preferably this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday following a meeting with his counterpart from Sierra Leone, David Francis.

The group was set up following the visit of President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio to the inaugural Russia-Africa summit held in the Russian city of Sochi in October 2019.

"We have agreed, as soon as the coronavirus situation allows, to resume the work of the energy group ... It has already had its first meeting. This year we hope to prepare a second meeting," Lavrov said at a joint press conference.

The two countries seek to bring their trade, economic, and investment cooperation up to the level of their political dialogue, the minister added. Within the context, they will continue discussions aimed at ensuring favorable conditions for the work of Russian businesses in the West African country.

Additionally, Moscow will continue to assist Sierra Leone in tackling humanitarian issues, including food supplies through the United Nations World Food Program, Lavrov said, adding that another ship of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will deliver a batch of food to the port of Freetown in the coming days.
Russia will continue to help Chad in training personnel, including those for the armed forces, President Vladimir Putin said during presentation of letter of credence ceremony on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) Russia will continue to help Chad in training personnel, including those for the armed forces, President Vladimir Putin said during presentation of letter of credence ceremony on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Putin received credentials from 23 newly appointed foreign ambassadors.

"The strengthening of Russia's political and economic ties with the Republic of Chad is in the interests of both countries. Russian companies are supplying machinery, equipment and other industrial products necessary for Chad's economic modernization. We will continue to provide assistance to your country within the framework of the UN World food Programme and train national personnel for you, including for your armed forces," Putin told the Chadian ambassador.

Moscow, he went on, is also ready to enhance friendly relations with Guinea-Bissau and contacts on trade, economy, investment as well as security and peace in Africa.

Speaking about the Netherlands, Putin welcomed Dutch entrepreneurs' desire to develop business relations with their Russian counterparts, mentioning that the country is one of Russia's largest trade and economic partners.

The president also touched upon bilateral relations with other countries, including Bolivia, Chile and South Africa.
Security agents in Belarus on Tuesday searched the offices of the ex-Soviet republic's main independent news site Tut.by and the homes of several of its journalists, the site's editor said

Minsk, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :Security agents in Belarus on Tuesday searched the offices of the ex-Soviet republic's main independent news site Tut.by and the homes of several of its journalists, the site's editor said.

Tut.

by's editor-in-chief Marina Zolotova told AFP that representatives of the state control committee's financial investigations department searched her home and the homes of several of her employees, also noting that "representatives of security agencies also came to the newsroom".
Singapore authorised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to teenagers aged 12 to 15, officials said on Tuesday, in a first for Asia

Singapore, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :Singapore authorised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to teenagers aged 12 to 15, officials said on Tuesday, in a first for Asia.

The city-state's Health Sciences Authority extended the use of the vaccine -- currently only approved for individuals aged 16 and above -- after reviewing clinical data submitted by the manufacturer.

Singaporean authorities "assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine demonstrated high safety and efficacy for this age group of 12 to 15 years old, which is consistent with what we have observed for the adult population," Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a press conference.

More details on plans to vaccinate those in this group will be provided soon, he added.

Earlier this month Canada became the first country to approve the vaccine for children aged 12 to 15, with the US following shortly after.

The city-state tightened restrictions in recent weeks after several new clusters were found, including one linked to a tuition centre.

Singapore announced Sunday it will close schools, warning that new coronavirus strains such as the one first detected in India were affecting more children.

In the latest round of restrictions, the city-state limited public gatherings to two and banned restaurant dine-ins.

About 1.4 million in the country of 5.7 million have received both vaccine doses, with efforts so far focusing on vulnerable groups, frontline workers, and those above 45.

Starting Wednesday, the time interval between doses will be extended from three to four weeks to six to eight weeks to allow more people to get their first jab, officials said.

Those aged between 40 to 44 will also be invited to get vaccinated.

Last year, the coronavirus surged through crowded dormitories housing low-paid foreign workers, infecting tens of thousands.

But by global standards, Singapore's overall outbreak has been mild -- officials have reported more than 61,600 cases so far and 31 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The US has announced nearly $155 million in assistance to support 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) The US has announced nearly $155 million in assistance to support 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

"The United States announced nearly $155 million in new assistance to sustain critical efforts to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and internally displaced Rohingya and other affected people in Burma.

Our assistance will help meet the immediate needs of the nearly 900,000 refugees in Bangladesh who fled from horrific violence in Burma's Rakhine State, including women and children," Blinken said in a statement.
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is between 13 percent and 20 percent complete, the Pentagon's Central Command said Tuesday, as it pushes to beat a September deadline for the pullout

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2021 ) :The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is between 13 percent and 20 percent complete, the Pentagon's Central Command said Tuesday, as it pushes to beat a September deadline for the pullout.

CentCom said that since President Joe Biden ordered the exit in April, it had removed the equivalent of 115 fully loaded C-17 cargo aircraft worth of material from the country, while consigning more than 5,000 pieces of equipment to a Pentagon agency for destruction.

CentCom has also turned over five facilities to the Afghan Defense Ministry, including Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, once the second largest military base in the country for US forces.

The US military is declining to be precise about the speed of the withdrawal and likely final date in order to "preserve operational security.

" The US Defense Department has to remove its last 2,500 service members and another 16,000 civilian contractors from the war zone by September 11, which will be the 20th anniversary of the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States that sparked the US-led invasion of the country.

The Pentagon has sent extra bombers and other assets to the region to ensure US and partner NATO forces remain safe during the withdrawal.

The pullout has not halted attacks by Taliban rebels against the Afghan government, its military and civilian targets.

But US officials say those attacks are not hindering the withdrawal.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:24:10|Editor: huaxia

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Wang Dongming, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, speaks at the first plenary meeting of the inspection teams on the enforcement of China's Enterprise Bankruptcy Law in Beijing, capital of China, May 18, 2021. Chen Zhu, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, also attended the meeting. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Tuesday launched an enforcement inspection of China's Enterprise Bankruptcy Law. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Tuesday launched an enforcement inspection of China's Enterprise Bankruptcy Law.

From late May to mid-June, inspection teams will be dispatched to several provinces, including Hebei, Shanxi, Zhejiang and Shandong, according to the first plenary meeting of the inspection teams held in Beijing.

The NPC Standing Committee will also entrust legislatures in several provincial-level regions with inspecting the enforcement of the law in their own regions.

During the inspection, the teams will check on the promotion of the law and its application in court, as well as the implementation of several mechanisms related to bankruptcy that are included in the law. The NPC Standing Committee will then revise the law according to the inspection results.

The inspection teams will discuss the law-enforcement inspection report in July and report to the NPC Standing Committee in late August. Enditem
The United States' military withdrawal from Afghanistan is up to 20 percent complete, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) The United States' military withdrawal from Afghanistan is up to 20 percent complete, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday.

"US Central Command estimates that we have completed between 13-20% of the entire retrograde process," the combatant command responsible for the middle East and parts of Central Asia said in a statement.

CENTCOM added that the military has removed the equivalent of 115 C-17 military transport planes of material out of the war-torn country and has designated over 5,000 pieces of equipment for demolition.

The US has also handed over control of five military facilities to Afghan counterparts, the statement said.

The United States invaded Afghanistan ostensibly to destroy the al Qaeda terror group (banned in Russia), which planned the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington from Afghan soil. But the effort morphed into an extended attempt to establish a democracy.

During the intervening years, the Taliban regrouped and gained control of large parts of the nation in what has become America's longest war.

US President Joe Biden announced the decision to end the Afghan campaign in April following an extensive policy review, which began upon assuming office earlier this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:33:11|Editor: huaxia

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Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on May 18, 2021. Since the beginning of Israel's military campaign against Hamas last Monday, at least 213 people in the besieged Palestinian enclave have been killed, including 61 children. Meanwhile, in Israel, 12 people were killed, including a five-year-old boy, a soldier, and three foreign nationals. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army fired shots on Tuesday at a patrol of the Lebanese army near the technical fence at Al-Manara Gate in southern Lebanon, the al-Manar local TV channel reported.

No casualties were reported so far.

The Lebanese Armed Forces have been working in close cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to monitor the Lebanon-Israel border and ensure stability in the area amid deadly escalation between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, al-Manar TV reported.

Since the beginning of Israel's military campaign against Hamas last Monday, at least 213 people in the besieged Palestinian enclave have been killed, including 61 children.

Meanwhile, in Israel, 12 people were killed, including a five-year-old boy, a soldier, and three foreign nationals. Enditem
A view of nickel ore stockpiles in Sta Cruz Zambales, in the Philippines

As the Church launches Laudato Si Week, a Bishop in the Philippines decries a government decision to lift a mining ban, saying poor communities will pay the price and see none of the gain.

By Devin Watkins

The Church-wide celebration of Laudato Si Week got underway on Sunday, with Pope Francis inviting everyone to take part in the care of our common home.

He said the initiative seeks to help people to listen better to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

Laudato Si Week, which runs from 16-25 May, is promoted by the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, and Caritas Internationalis.

It is the main event in the special Laudato Si Year, which marks 5 years since the publication of the Popes encyclical on the Care of our Common Home.

Mining in the Philippines

As the Week got started, Filipino Bishop Broderick Pabillo took the opportunity to speak out against a government decision to allow new mining deals.

The Bishop, who acts as the Apostolic Administrator of Manila Archdiocese, told the faithful in St. Joseph Parish on Sunday that it is the poor who will suffer as a result of the decision.

In our current situation, it will not benefit the country, but only just a few, said Bishop Pabillo.

Filling government coffers

President Rodrigo Duterte signed an Executive Order on 14 April, lifting a 9-year moratorium on new mining deals.

His spokesman said some US$4 billion-worth of capital investment deals are in the pipeline, which will generate around $800 million in local taxes.

Bishop Pabillo lamented the government allowing more environmental destruction in order to fill public coffers.

They really need the money for the elections [due for 9 May 2022], said the Bishop. And these big mining firms are the ones giving away money in exchange for getting permits, he alleged.

More human-rights violations

Bishop Pabillo also warned that more mining operations will lead to an uptick in human rights violations, especially against poorer and indigenous communities.

We will again see more human rights violations, red-tagging of indigenous people, farmers fishermen, and environmentalists that are against mining, he said.

No economic gain for the poor

The Church in the Philippines has already spoken out against the lifting of the mining ban.

When the decision was announced in mid-April, the Director of Caritas Philippines urged the government to reconsider.

We are in the countryside, and we are seeing no economic improvement in the lives of the people from mining, said Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo.

He said mining companies have only left behind a trail of ill-effects to the local ecosystems [which] still threaten communities who gained nothing from the operations.
The Jesuits in Zambia are involved in social apostolate and theological reflection for a better society.

The Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection encourages Zambian citizens to properly consider campaign promises from aspiring presidential candidates as the country prepares for its general elections. The Center notes that it is not enough for the aspiring candidates to end at promising paradise to the electorates" in the face of Zambia's huge public debt.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Electoral campaigns kicked off in Zambia last week in the run up to the nations general elections slated for 12 August. At least 19 candidates are pitched to run against incumbent President Edgar Lungu for the number one position.

As Zambians count down to the election date, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), in a statement on Monday, highlighted that the polls will be held against a backdrop of huge public debt, amounting to an estimated US $20.46 billion, as at December last year.

JCTR, therefore, urged the electorate not to be hoodwinked, but to analyze and interrogate the campaign messages to determine their practicability and viability as it is imperative that all candidates presenting themselves for election demonstrate how they are going to address this debt crisis to ensure improved social service provision throughout the country.

Candidates must provide a convincing road map

It is not enough for the aspiring candidates to end at promising paradise to the electorates, which as we know is impossible in the face of the huge debt Zambia has, JCTR said in the statement attributed to Fr. Alex Muyebe, SJ., the Centers Executive Director.

Instead, the candidates must provide a convincing road map on the way forward regarding the current debt and explain how they are going to manage future debt contractions in order to avoid another debt crisis in the future.

During this campaign, insisted JCTR, aspiring political leaders must articulate economic growth programs that respond to the needs of the poor and the vulnerable and how as leaders they are going to contribute to the common good and the preservation of human dignity of every Zambian.

Appeal to the media

As the elections approach, JCTR appealed to the media to be instrumental in informing and educating the public on key issues including the nations public debt, in order to enhance the electorates capacity to challenge aspiring presidential candidates to explain how they will manage the countrys debt crisis if elected, or if re-elected on 12th August.

The media is very critical in building the electorates capacity to cast their vote based on issues and from an informed perspective, the statement said, adding that it is key to allowing democracy in the country to come of age.
The Vatican Secretary of State expresses the concern of the Pope and the Holy See over the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.

By Vatican News staff writer

The Pope and the Holy See are "very concerned" about what is happening in the Holy Land where the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas is continuing.

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed his worries on Tuesday on the sidelines of an event to present a book dedicated to the former director of the Vaticans L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, Mario Agnes, at the Italian embassy to the Holy See in Rome.

Cardinal Parolin reiterated the urgency of a truce and expressed deep concern over the explosive situation, which, he said, continues "despite the efforts of the international community to bring about a ceasefire".

Ruin and death

"This conflict is bringing ruin as well as deaths," Cardinal Parolin lamented, recalling Pope Francis who during his Angelus on Sunday drew the attention of the world to children being killed in the conflict.

"Our concern is that of the Holy Father and the commitment to do everything possible to stop the conflict," said the Vatican Secretary of State.

The two-state solution

To journalists asking him whether the Holy See would act as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian question, the Vaticans top diplomat said, It seems to me that someone has said they dont want any interference. But certainly, we must take any action that can, first of all, help lead to a ceasefire, to put an end to this long-standing conflict, to reach a resolution according to the two-state solution".

Looking to the EU

Cardinal Parolin also said he is looking forward to the meeting on Saturday between Pope Francis and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, whom he will also meet.

He said it will be a new opportunity to discuss the crisis. Certainly, I will also talk with her about the Israeli-Palestinian question. We will have to join forces to try to stop this crisis, Cardinal Parolin added.
Vietnam is emerging as a popular destination for highly qualified foreign workers. Photo: Internet

According to a 2019 Navigos report on the expectations and challenges when working in Vietnam, the demand for non-national candidates will continue to increase by more than 20 per cent each year. It also emphasised that Vietnam would continue to be an ideal destination for many foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) because of its rapidly-growing economy and many approved free trade agreements.

Somewhat surprisingly, the pandemic which emerged after the report came out does not seem to have changed its overall predictions by a great amount. Success in disease control in Vietnam has not only opened the eyes of investors but also ensured it remains a fertile and attractive land for overseas workers.

Although the ratio has changed due to impacts from the pandemic, the demand for foreign workers in Vietnam will still be proportional to the growth of foreign direct investment (FDI), especially professions that need to use skilled labourers like technology, energy, and manufacturing that require high qualifications. While the number of Vietnamese workers who have been trained in these areas is just over 25 per cent, the rest are unskilled labourers working in simple processing and assembling stages.

In fact, during the pandemic, the number of foreign workers coming to Vietnam even increased, with more than 100,000 people as of April, higher than the number of more than 98,000 people last year. As foreign investment in Vietnam increases, FIEs tend to recruit and import more high-skilled overseas workers because most Vietnamese workers do not meet the requirements.

Welcoming major projects

According to statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), 101,550 skilled foreign workers from over 110 countries and territories globally are working in Vietnam, as of early April. They typically work as managers, accounting for 12 per cent of the total; managing directors (8 per cent); and experts (58 per cent), along with various other professions.

The majority work in major cities and localities with large projects owned by many foreign contractors, such as Ho Chi Minh City with over 27,000 workers, Long An with more than 5,600, Bac Giang at over 4,600, and Hanoi with more than 4,400, with most hailing from China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

These are also markets where many businesses come to Vietnam to explore, build factories, and develop production and business activities.

As much as $10.13 billion worth of FDI was injected into Vietnam in the first three months of the year to March 20, an on-year increase of 18.5 per cent, according to the General Statistics Office.

European investors have also shown interest in the Vietnamese business environment. When asked about the prospects of Vietnams business environment in the next quarter, 67 per cent predicted either excellent or good, an increase of 12 per cent compared to the previous quarter.

In addition, to consolidate the Vietnamese labour market the majority of foreign workers hold key positions in enterprises.

Former deputy director of the Department of Employment under MoLISA Le Quang Trung assessed, Foreign workers help us to overcome the shortages in human resources, especially in the new industries and jobs where Vietnamese workers have not yet met the requirements in terms of quantity and quality. They also contribute to training, raising awareness, working behaviour, and attitudes of Vietnamese workers.

Removing barriers

Despite being an attractive destination for non-Vietnamese workers, there are still policy barriers that make it difficult to recruit and sign working contracts with foreign employees.

The current Labour Code regulates that domestic enterprises, agencies, organisations, individuals, and contractors shall be entitled to employing foreign citizens only in the positions of managers, executive directors, experts, and technical workers, in which Vietnamese workers cannot meet the demands of production and trade.

Other forms of labour, if any, exist mainly in the form of signing labour contracts, internal transfer, secondment, or implementing economic and commercial contracts.

This limitation has created obstacles for groups of foreign workers who do not have the required qualifications, but possess highly-qualified experience nonetheless.

From February 15 this year, Decree No.152/2020/ND-CP amending the recruitment and management of foreign workers working in Vietnam also added provisions that make it difficult for businesses to apply for new work permits for foreign experts. Many businesses said that the requirements for the documents procedures are cumbersome and complicated.

A representative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam suggested the country should soon streamline the procedure and process of issuing a new work permit, especially in the case of granting documents to employees who had work permits issued under the old decree.

Recently, some localities have become attractive destinations for foreign investors and workers by implementing reforms in policies and procedures.

Vice Chairman of Long An People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut said that provincial leaders regularly hold dialogues with businesses, directly solving their problems and especially administrative procedures as quickly as possible in the online form.

Foreign investors and workers can also directly submit comments to the province through its portal. As a result, Long An has been highly appreciated for its administrative procedure reform and has attracted about $3.4 billion of FDI in the first quarter.

In addition, welfare, insurance, income tax policies, and even naturalisation policies need to be improved and modified to attract high-quality foreign workers to Vietnam.

Associate Professor Long Thanh Giang, director of the Institute of Public Policy and Management, said many countries have changed their immigration policies in recent years to attract foreign workers. For example, Japan enacted a new entry law in 2019 to ensure there is enough of a workforce in the face of an ageing population. Highly-skilled workers in industries where Japan is short of human resources can be able to extend visas indefinitely and bring their families and eventually apply for residency.

Even if the pandemic is prolonged, it will not change the diminishing number of working-age people in Japan and so the policy has remained unchanged thus far.

In the context that Vietnam is continuing to face another wave of disease outbreaks, the tightening of regulations on entry and quarantine as well as the reduction of commercial flights to welcome foreign experts to Vietnam to work will become extended barriers to receiving foreign workers.

However, these measures are considered necessary for Vietnam to quickly control the pandemic and create a safe working environment for foreign experts and investors after the pandemic slows across the world.

In addition to offering preferential policies to attract more external resources, Vu Minh Tien, head of the Institute for Workers and Trade Unions under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, recommended strengthening training and improving skills for domestic workers to actively respond to the increasing demand for local human resources of FIEs.
Aus4Innovation launched an innovation club to support horticulture in the north of Vietnam, creating a platform to bring together SMEs, researchers and others to address unprecedented challenges like climate change and COVID-19

This additional funding has increased the total investment in Aus4Innovation to AUD13.45 million ($10.4 million), helping the programme scale up successful activities, enabling initiatives to adapt the programme to the context of economic recovery from COVID-19 and positioning Aus4Innovation for the second phase that will extend the collaboration to 2025.

Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Vietnams Minister of Science and Technology, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie said: Four years since its establishment, Im delighted that the Innovation Partnership between Australia and Vietnam, through the Aus4Innovation Program, has delivered tangible, significant results that are having substantial positive impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people. Our collaborative achievements with the Ministry of Science of Technology and partners from both countries are being realised thanks to an embrace of emerging technology and scientific knowledge. Our decision to increase support for innovation by AUD3.5 million ($2.7 million) reaffirms Australias commitment to our strategic partnership with Vietnam, in which knowledge and innovation is one of the three priorities.

Aus4Innovation  which is delivered collaboratively by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and Australias national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)  is building partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese universities, research agencies, high-tech businesses, and policymakers to help strengthen Vietnams innovation ecosystem to deliver sustainable socio-economic development.

Over the first two and a half years, Aus4Innovation has explored emerging areas of technology and digital transformation, trialled new models for partnerships between public and private sector institutions, and strengthened Vietnamese capability in digital foresight, scenario planning, science commercialisation, and innovation policy.

It is very reassuring to know that in this critical time, facing the severe pandemic worldwide and pressure to accelerate digital transformation to meet the goals set by the government, we have a trusted partner like Australia. Our collaboration is based on strategic trust in the role of science, technology, and innovation to drive sustained socio-economic development; and in the mutual benefit that partnership brings to both countries. We highly appreciate the support of the Australian government through Aus4Innovation Program and are pleased to see what the programme has achieved and impacted Vietnams innovation ecosystem. We will continue to work closely for a successful transition period and look forward to more widespread impacts in Phase 2, Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Science and Technology added.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (HCMUT) adapted water monitoring technology from UTS to a uniquely Vietnamese version. Four monitoring stations were successfully built in Phu Yen province, providing real-time warnings on seawater quality thereby helping lobster farmers take prompt actions to protect their investment

Since the programmes formal commencement in 2018, impactful results have been delivered across all program activities. 130 organisations from both Australia and Vietnam have been brought together in 43 partnerships.

These organisations are government agencies, research institutes, universities, and businesses  all key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. Practical, innovative solutions delivering development impacts have been applied in different sectors of the economy  health, aquaculture, clean and safe water, smart urban infrastructure, and more.

Overall capacity in science commercialisation has been significantly enhanced through training for knowledge institutes and individual researchers, the opening of technology transfer offices across the country, and the piloting of science commercialisation models to find the most suitable model for Vietnam.

A remarkable result of this effort is the Commercialisation Plus  How to Guide, co-developed with Vietnamese partners to introduce a structured commercialisation process to Vietnamese research institutes. Reports and econometric models have been conducted to provide policymakers in Vietnam with technical support and introduce lessons learned from Australia.

Aus4Innovation primarily works in two sectors: future digital economy (including digital technology and AI) and resilient agriculture and food systems. In the transition period 2021-2022, new initiatives will be incorporated such as the Vietnam Innovation Marketplace portal to facilitate connections between industry and research organisations and the Australia-Vietnam Partnership on Marine Plastic to help the two countries address this common environmental challenge.
After only five months presence in Vietnam, last month Thai coffee chain Cafe Amazon announced its plan to open even more stores nationwide this year. A representative of the chain said that Vietnam is still a highlight for investment, even amid the global health crisis.

At present, Cafe Amazon has five outlets, two in Ho Chi Minh City and three inside stores of the Go! Supermarket chain in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, and Tra Vinh provinces. Xuan Nguyen, marketing officer at Cafe Amazon, said that his firm has plans to expand outlets across the country, with Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding cities and provinces as priority locations, but specific figures were not revealed.

Meanwhile, Starbucks is also promoting the opening of new stores in Vietnam after more than a year of delayed plans due to the pandemic. Since the beginning of 2020, Starbucks has just opened six new stores, bringing the total number of stores in Vietnam to 68.

Patricia Marques, general director of Starbucks Vietnam, said that the purchasing power of domestic consumers recovers quickly after each peak of the pandemic. Therefore, brands do not necessarily have to wait for foreign tourists and experts to return, but can attract new domestic visitors to compensate.

Starbucks Vietnam has chosen to open new stores in densely populated areas, instead of sticking to central business districts with expensive space rents, as a new business strategy this year, Marques said, adding that Starbucks will continue to increase its presence with new stores in Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, and three more in Nha Trang this year.

The expansion of foreign coffee chains with strengths in brands, capital, techniques, and professional management processes also stimulates the rise of domestic coffee brands. The race between domestic and international beverage brands is gradually becoming more interesting with the expansion in the market share for Vietnamese brands such as Ong Bau, Trung Nguyen, The Coffee House, Phuc Long, and others.

Three years are enough for domestic players to occupy the top position or accept to give up their position to foreign coffee chains, said Dinh Anh Huan, chairman of The Coffee House.

CBRE Vietnam statistics for Q4 of 2020 show that the number of coffee chains is still growing by more than 10 per cent and that this is the only segment in the food and beverage industry that has achieved positive growth during the pandemic thus far.

Domestic coffee shops accelerate

Despite restructuring its Board of Directors, The Coffee House also announced further expansion this year. By the end of Q1, the chain had more than 176 stores nationwide. Under its plan, it will open at least 50 new stores by the end of 2021 and an ambitious 1,000 stores by 2025.

Tea house Phuc Long also expressed its goal to increase coverage, confirming that it would open more stores nationwide, giving priority to the central areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, and Danang. The only criterion this brand set is that there are no Phuc Long stores opened within a 2km radius of each other.

Franchise systems such as Trung Nguyen E-Coffee and Ong Bau have even higher opening rates.

In addition to the parallel development of Trung Nguyen Legend stores operated by the group itself, 16 new Trung Nguyen E-Coffee stores have opened since the beginning of 2021. Through concession, Trung Nguyen has now nearly 1,000 stores in Vietnam and will continue to expand its presence in all localities until reaching more than 3,000 stores nationwide.

Meanwhile, Ong Baus coffee chain reached more than 100 locations nationwide as of October 2020. An Ong Bau representative said that the brand is working with partners with the goal of opening many more outlets into next year.

Although the race to expand stores is still fierce, coffee chains make small profit following aggressive expansion strategies.

According to the business data platform Statista, in 2019, Highlands Coffee recorded VND84 billion ($3.6 million) in earnings before tax while Starbucks earned VND52 billion ($2.26 million) before tax. Meanwhile, local chains recorded tens of billions of VND in earnings but still incurred losses. The Coffee House had a loss of VND81 billion ($3.52 million) in 2019 while Trung Nguyen lost VND50 billion ($2.17 million) in the same year. The COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly not helped matters in this regard.

Thus, it seems that not profit but expansion is the goal of both domestic and foreign coffee chains at the moment to capture market share before it reaches saturation, and also pave the way for different business directions, such as private brand export.

Strengthening local brands

According to Euromonitor International, the market for specialty coffee and tea shops in Vietnam is worth more than $1 billion. Popular chains like Highlands Coffee, Starbucks, The Coffee House, Phuc Long, and Trung Ngyen account for less than 20 per cent of the market.

While foreign brands dominate the high-end arena, domestic coffee chains are dominating the mid-range and low-price segments.

According to marketing and branding experts, domestic coffee businesses have the advantage in terms of brands and number of stores. Although it is not impossible that financially strong foreign enterprises will acquire domestic chains, Nguyen Dinh Tung, chairman and general director of Vina T&T Group, which owns The Bunny coffee chain, believes that competition will promote the markets development and consumers are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Even if foreign players buy all the famous Vietnamese coffee chains, they cannot dominate the market, as new chains are expected to open.

It is common among most local coffee brands like The Coffee House, Trung Nguyen, and Ong Bau to produce their own branded coffee products. While Trung Nguyen owns a large growing area in the Central Highlands Buon Ma Thuot with its ecosystem even including a coffee village, museum, and coffee shops, Ong Bau also has an 800-hectare coffee farm.

The Coffee House also owns Cau Dat farm, renowned for being on land best suited for growing Arabica coffee beans in Vietnam  which is also the homeland of the famous Dalat coffee line of the Starbucks brand.

Despite these advantages, annual coffee consumption must be large enough to sustain the chains operating costs. Therefore, these chains are continuously expanding and thus trying to increase the annual coffee consumption.

We want to export Vietnamese branded coffee. To do that, we must be strong and well-known in Vietnam, said Huan of The Coffee House.

Along with the retail business, many of the players in the coffee and beverages market have ambitions to become representatives for Vietnamese coffee.

Meanwhile, Trung Nguyen focuses on investing and expanding in international markets in more than 80 countries and territories, especially key markets such as China, the United States, South Korea, Russia, and Europe.

In the Asian market, Trung Nguyen Legend achieved a growth rate of nearly 200 per cent, covering supermarkets, trade centres, convenience store chains, e-commerce channels, and pharmacy systems.

In China, Trung Nguyen coffee products are being sold in nearly 30,000 supermarkets and convenience stores and are available on leading e-commerce sites such as Alibaba, Taobao, Tmall, and Yihaodian. In the US, Trung Nguyens G7 products were presented at the Costco retail supermarket chain in 2019 with nearly 800 sale locations.

However, the export path is not only meant for large coffee brands but also for the rookies who, although not yet capable enough to expand the number of stores, still want to position themselves in the market with quality and their stories behind the coffee.

Duy Ho, CEO of The Married Beans, said that in the 10 years since inception the company has welcomed many foreign delegations to visit and enjoy the typical Lac Duong Arabica coffee cups in Dalat.

However, his brand does not focus on expanding stores but on giving customers the best experience with its products and the process of making them.

Currently, 30 per cent of 150-tonnes coffee production produced by The Married Beans is supplied to coffee shop chains and large hotels in Vietnam, with the remainder exported to Europe, Japan, and other markets.

I dont have the pressure to compete with big coffee brands but just want to give customers a new experience of Vietnamese coffee with products that are increasingly perfect in terms of process and quality, said Duy.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:43:36|Editor: huaxia

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XI'AN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A new museum displaying two bronze chariots and horses opened in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Tuesday.

The two bronze chariots and horses have attracted global attention since they were unearthed in 1980 at the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang.

Multimedia technologies have been used to better present the chariots and horses system and etiquette culture during the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-206 B.C.).

More exhibits consist of photos of the excavation site at the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang, bronze relics related to chariots and horses, and those concerning the manufacturing technology at the time.

When the two bronze masterpieces were discovered, they were broken into more than 3,000 pieces due to the collapse of the upper soil, said Wu Yongqi, a researcher at Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum.

It took cultural relics experts eight years to restore the bronze chariots and horses and bring them to life, according to Wu.

The bronze chariots and horses are highly valuable in terms of history, technology and art, as they reflect the ancient metallurgical casting process, and provide detailed information about the shape and structure of wagons in the Qin Dynasty, Wu added. Enditem
Singapore has been the leading investor in Danang

Speaking at a recent webinar, leaders of Danang People's Committee stated that Singapore is one of Vietnam's most important investment and trading partners. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore remains the leading foreign investor in Vietnam by registering 248 projects worth $9 billion in the country last year.

As of March 15, Danang was home to 895 foreign-invested projects with the total capital of $3.86 trillion. Among them, there are 28 projects invested by Singapore worth $838.4 million. Singapore is currently the second-largest investor in 50 countries and territories investing in the central city, accounting for 22 per cent of the total registered capital.

The city has partnered with the joint venture between Sakae and Surbana Jurong to implement the general planning adjustment of Danang to 2030, with a vision until 2045. The project was approved by the prime minister on March 15, which is an important foundation for the city development in the future.

Singaporean investors and companies highly appreciate the potential and advantages of Danang. According to Holly Bostock, corporate affairs director at HEINEKEN Vietnam, Danang has developed complete infrastructure with land sites for investors. Its industrial zones and high-tech zones boast more convenient location than the neighbouring provinces. Moreover, the city has simple and transparent administrative procedures, creating favourable conditions for investors.

On the same note, Douglas Foo, president of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) cum chairman of Sakae Holdings, lauded the potential of investment climate in Danang as a member of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network.

"Danang needs to establish an information centre about the city at SMF's Vietnam Connection Center to connect Singaporean investors and Vietnamese partners. Singaporean investors want to invest in areas in line with the city's development orientation, ensuring the progress and quality of investment projects," he said.

Danang authorities said that they are proceeding with the establishment of the Danang Desk at the Vietnam Connection Center to promote Danang to more Singaporean businesses. With a view to becoming a smart city and startup hub, Danang is actively making changes and implementing innovative strategies. The city is committed to supporting Singaporean investors to do business locally.
The chart of steel material price during 2019-2021. Source: Vietnam Steel Association

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the iron and steel export value surpassed the $1 billion mark in the first four months of 2021. Exports of iron and steel soared by nearly 88 per cent to $2.7 billion and rose 47 per cent in volume to 3.8 million tonnes. The export of products made from steel also increased by 20.9 per cent to $1.2 billion.

The latest report by the General Department of Vietnam Customs highlighted that in the second half of April 2021, steel exports rose by $173 million, equivalent to 58.1 per cent compared to the first half of the month.

Thereby, manufacturing industrial products in the first four months of 2021 rose significantly on-year, while rolled steel products increased 61.8 per cent, and crude iron and steel rose 17.4 per cent.

The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) reported that steel production reached more than 10.4 million tonnes in the first four months, up 38.3 per cent on-year. Sales reached 9.4 million tonnes, up 40.3 per cent on-year, and exports were 2.1 million, a rise of 67.8 per cent on-year.

Over the past months, local steel prices have increased sharply by 40-45 per cent over the last quarter of 2020. The steel sector heated up due to the consecutive rises in input material prices, while Vietnam's steel production mainly depends on import materials like iron ore, scrap steel, graphite electrode. Delays in delivery and the interruption of global logistics have also contributed to the increase in steel prices.

Specifically, the VSA reported that the price of iron ore (Fe 62 per cent) on May 4, 2021 was at $189.4-189.9 per tonne, a $19 over early April, and increased to $210-212 per tonne on May 7, 2021.

Premium hard coking coal exported from Australian ports on May 4, 2021 was at $103.75 per tonne, down $5 over early April, while in China it rose high.

Heavy melting steel (HMS) I/II 80:20 imported through East Asian ports cost $466, a rise of $24 over early April. The price of HSM in the US has increased slightly, while in Europe and Southeast Asia it remained stable.

Hot-rolled coiled steel (HRC) on May 4 was at $925 per tonne at East Asian ports, up $130 over early April.

"Generally, the world market of HRC has been fluctuating, so the local market faces a lot of challenges because enterprises that produce flat steel (galvanised sheet, steel pipe) use HRC as manufacturing material," VSA reported.

In order to adjust the supply of steel and stabilise prices, reduce speculation and price pressure, in early February 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies submitted Document No.724/BCT-CN to the government.

The MoIT also asked the ministry's units to check and build some technical barriers and quality standards to improve competitive climate and ensure customers' rights, and apply some trade remedies for steel products in accordance with trade regulations and international laws.
Hai Duong targets putting lychee products on e-commerce sites

The event was organised aiming to accelerate connections between product suppliers and potential importers across the world. These include businesses from the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, and China, among others.

According to the organising board, boosting the sale of agricultural products is growing necessary as COVID-19 has hampered the export of agricultural articles. In addition, the efficiency of a string of free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam FTA, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the UK-Vietnam FTA (UKVFTA) are also presenting great opportunities through tax incentives for  suppliers to better approach global importers.

Thanh Ha district (Hai Duong province) is well-known for its lychee. In addition to the tax advantages, the FTAs also pose diverse challenges for local suppliers, especially with strict quality standards regarding packaging design and nutrient value.

As of 2021, the province had 9,186 hectares of plantation areas which have produced fruits reaching VietGAP quality standards. Of this, 1,000ha held VietGAP licences, including 50ha with GlobalGAP standards.

A string of events will be organised to promote the online sales of litchee products. Those include the kick-off ceremony introducing litchee and other Hai Duong agricultural products on e-commerce platforms, and the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement to promote Hai Duong agricultural products on the e-commerce platforms between the Vietnam Trade Promotion Department, Hai Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hai Duong, e-commerce operators like Lazada, Sendo, Voso (Viettel Post), Postmart (Vietnam Post), and Hai Duong lychee suppliers and local exporters.
Vice Chairman of Hanoi Peoples Committee Chu Xuan Dung at the meeting on measures to ease the risk of COVID-19 transmission in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang

Amid concerns over the outbreak in neighbouring provinces, deputy director of Hanoi Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh said that implementing documents 07 and 08 of the City People's Committee, Hanoi Industrial and Export Processing Zones Management Authority has been actively monitoring the number of Hanoi residents working at industrial zones in these provinces. Specifically, there are 151 experts and workers in Hanoi working in Bac Giang as well as 6,153 experts and employees in Bac Ninh.

Hanoi Department of Heath has urged district and communal authorities to ask the people to strictly monitor their health conditions and limit contact with others, while strictly abiding by the pandemic prevention regulations.

Hanoi Industrial and Export Processing Zones Management Authority said that it has assessed the risk of the pandemic spreading from the two neighbouring provinces. Accordingly, the potential of transmission from Bac Ninh is low because businesses with infections such as Canon and Samsung are well zoned and traced. Meanwhile, the risk of COVID-19 transmission from Bac Giang remains high.

To prevent this risk, following directions from Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, the management authority has built an online platform where businesses can declare and update the list of their employees and their specific information.

The authority has also asked businesses to develop scenarios for an internal outbreak of the pandemic, allowing them to fully comply with regulations on epidemic prevention and control, and has established nine teams to review, inspect, and evaluate their compliance with the regulations. If they are found in violation, they will have their operation stopped.

Hanoi has directed the need to prepare places for 30,000 mandatory quarantine cases. Vice Chairman of Hanoi Peoples Committee Chu Xuan Dung especially requested districts and towns to quickly make preparations to house 1,000 patients in mandatory isolation.

On the morning of May 18, Vietnam detected 19 new locally-transmitted infections, including 13 in Hanoi, three in Ha Nam, two in Dien Bien, and one in Son La, thus increasing the countrys total number of infections to 4,378.
Counterfeit and fake goods are a rising threat as e-commerce spending takes off

As COVID-19 has kept consumers around the world at home, mitigated travel and forced out social distancing measures, nearly everything from groceries to beauty care and technology supplies is now purchased online. Thu Lan, an office staff of a local conglomerate, still goes to work every day during the pandemic, however, she has given up habits like going shopping every evening, going to the supermarket every weekend, and going to cafes and restaurants. She now uses e-commerce platforms and delivery apps to order everything.

Instead of shopping, I order clothes, home appliances, and electronics for all my family on e-commerce platforms, as well as order all fresh food through the app or hotline of supermarkets and grocery stores, and receive food and coffee through delivery apps, she said, adding that she has not gone out much, except commuting between her home and work to avoid the pandemic. My purchase frequency on e-commerce platforms has increased 5-10-fold since the health crisis.

Thu Lan is one among millions of people in Vietnam and over the world who are adopting new habits due to the pandemic. According to Mastercards latest Recovery Insights report, this amounted to an additional $900 billion being spent on retail online around the world in 2020. Put another way: in 2020, e-commerce made up roughly $1 out of every $5 spent on retail, up from about $1 out of every $7 spent in 2019.

Even in times of worldwide shutdowns, globalisation has shown its resilience, fuelled by digitalisation and the power of global trade," says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. These trends have led to an ever-growing number of consumers shifting their shopping activities online. The pandemic has accelerated this development like never before, with a sharp rise in businesses selling their goods in the global marketplace. E-commerce and global logistics thus provided the key to unlock local shutdowns, keep economies running, and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 for many of our customers.

According to Mastercards latest Recovery Insights report, international e-commerce got a boost both in sales volume and the number of different countries where shoppers placed orders. With infinitely more choices at their fingertips, consumer spending on international e-commerce grew around 25-30 per cent on-year from March 2020 through February 2021. Consumers are increasing their e-commerce footprints, buying from up to 30 per cent more online retailers.

E-commerce is also predicted to see strong growth in the B2B (business to business) segment in the coming years. In the opinion of an expert from DHL Express, one of the leading global firms in the logistics industry, by 2025, 80 per cent of all B2B sales interactions between suppliers and professional buyers will take place in digital channels.

In 2019, before the pandemic, global sales on B2B e-commerce sites and marketplaces had already increased by 18.2 per cent to reach $12.2 trillion, outpacing the market size of the B2C sector. Through COVID-19 and the resulting acceleration of digitalisation, this global B2B e-commerce volume is estimated to reach $20.9 trillion by 2027.

In addition to the convenience it offers, e-commerce also carries risks for customers. Last week, Tuyet Mai, an accountant at BRG Retail ordered a lipstick from a world-famous brand for VND590,000 ($25.65) on Shopee. A few days later, she received the item, but it was not authentic. It looks rough, not shiny, and came without a full box, labels, or a barcode. For this price, I was expecting an authentic lipstick, said Mai.

In fact, fake goods have been a serious issue for e-commerce for a long time. In February, the 2020 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy report of the United States Trade Representative Office (USTR) highlighted that Shopee is "tolerating counterfeiting",with right holders reporting very high levels of counterfeits being sold on all of Shopees platforms.

Shopee reportedly has no procedures for vetting third-party sellers and preventing infringers from re-registering on the platforms, and sellers of counterfeit goods seem to have their accounts frozen only after multiple escalating actions.

The General Department of Market Surveillance (GDMS) predicts the annual growth rate of Vietnams e-commerce in 2015-2025 at 43 per cent. Particularly in 2020, the revenue of the e-commerce segment was estimated to surpass $13 billion with an escalating number of violations.

Last year, the department checked more than 5,000 cases, settled about 4,500 violations, distributing fines of VND30 billion ($1.3 million) in total. The value of counterfeit goods and goods without a certificate of origin, violating intellectual property rights discovered in the first seven months of 2020 by the GDMS was VND40 billion ($1.74 million).

Tran Huu Linh, director general of the GDMS confirmed that the authority has been building a legal framework to address these issues, proposing more adequate penalties to replace Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP on e-commerce.

The legal document will set up a new management method for e-commerce purchases. The growth of e-commerce is fast enough, especially during the pandemic, to receive the same treatment as traditional retail. The new decree will put e-commerce and traditional retail on the same footing, said Linh. Additionally, the responsibilities of e-commerce developers and businesses will also be tightened to mitigate issues as much as possible to ensure customers rights.
WASHINGTON DC  The Pasteur Institute in Cambodia said it is researching wildlife trade and consumption in the countrys north in order to better understand the health risk posed by pathogen transmission from wild animals to humans.

The research comes amid growing scientific attention for pathogens in wildlife species in Southeast Asia as the possible source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has caused a devastating global pandemic.

The Pasteur Institute told VOA Khmer that a team of scientists has been conducting an 18-month study since April 2020 on wildlife trade and consumption in Mondulkiri and Stung Treng provinces.

The main purpose of the research is to provide knowledge on the trade in and health of wildlife in order to identify possible pathogen transmission from animals to humans that can pose a threat to public health, the institute said.

SARS-CoV-2 first spread to humans on a large scale in eastern China in late 2019 and has since caused a COVID-19 pandemic that has killed about 3.38 million people worldwide.

While Cambodia was largely spared during the first year of the pandemic, it has experienced a rapidly worsening outbreak in recent months. Health authorities together with the Pasteur Institute have been battling the spread, which had infected 22,889 people and killed 156 by May 18.

Southeast Asian origins?

The precise origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how the deadly pathogen was transmitted from animal to human remain unknown. Virologists deem wild bats the main suspects, as they are known reservoirs for coronaviruses and could have passed on the SARS-CoV-2 to humans with traded wildlife as an intermediary.

Scientists have been on the hunt for species that could carry the SARS-CoV-2 and have focused on bats in China and, more recently, Southeast Asia. The closest match so far has been a virus found in bats in Chinas Yunnan Province last year that was about 96 percent similar genetically. Dozens of other corona-viruses were found in bats in China in the past.

In late January, researchers working with the Pasteur Institute announced that tests on decade-old, frozen samples of horseshoe bats from Stung Treng Province had found a coronavirus about 93 percent similar genetically to SARS-CoV-2.
The Palestinian Hamas movement threatened Tuesday to redouble its rocket assault on Tel Aviv as Israel maintained its pounding of Gaza with airstrikes, dashing the hopes of US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators to pull off a ceasefire to end a confrontation that has seen both warring sides cross lines observed in previous duels.

Unrelenting Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of Palestinians, including at least 60 children, in the Gaza Strip since May 10. Israeli casualties have been much smaller  ten people, including a six-year-old boy, have been killed in Israeli towns and cities by rockets launched from Gaza. Thats largely thanks to Israels sophisticated anti-missile defense system.

The rapid outbreak of violence, which has now entered its second week, took many seasoned observers by surprise, although others say there were clear discernible factors leading up to the clash and that a heated confrontation was all but inevitable.

Hostility between Israel and the Gaza-based Islamist Hamas movement erupted into war in 2009, 2012 and 2014. But this latest clash of arms and is seeing some notable differences from past confrontations, say diplomats and observers.

Israel-Hamas Fighting Has Deep Roots Latest clashes just the most recent episodes in a longtime conflict

First, Hamas has been ferociously attacking densely populated areas inside Israel, crossing a line by launching rockets on Jerusalem in addition to Tel Aviv and other major cities, according to Yossi Mekelberg, a research fellow at Britains Chatham House.

Hamas

Pushing the boundaries to target Jerusalem may be due to a shift in the balance of power within Hamas, suspect Western diplomats. They say there has been a widening split within the Hamas leadership between the movements political leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who favors pursuing diplomacy in a bid to secure a longer-term truce with Israel, and the military commander in Gaza Mohammed Deif. Along with Ismail Haniyeh, Hamass overall political leader based in Qatar, Deif has been an advocate of greater confrontation, diplomats say.

Likewise, Israels missile-barrage of the Gaza Strip has drawn widespread international condemnation for what some critics say has been a lack of restraint. Israeli forces have attacked 1,180 targets in the Gaza Strip, including on Saturday a tower block housing the offices of Al Jazeera and Associated Press as well as private apartments.

Britain has adopted a noticeably critical stance towards Israel. We are deeply concerned by U.N. reports that 23 schools and 500 homes, as well as medical facilities and media offices, have been destroyed or damaged, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman said. Israel must make every effort to avoid civilian casualties, he added.

A second departure from previous confrontations between Hamas and Israel has been the communal violence within the borders of Israel between the countrys Arab citizens, who joined in protests last week against Israel on a scale not seen since 1948, and Israels Jewish citizens, notably militant settlers and far-right and Jewish settler groups. That has been an alarming new dimension, adding to an atmosphere of chaos, according to Shalom Lipner, an analyst at the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, and a former adviser to seven consecutive Israeli prime ministers.

He says the communal clashes in mixed-population cities, including Lod, Jaffa and Acre, amount to unprecedented domestic unrest and risks testing Israels fragile brand of coexistence to its limits.

In a commentary for the Atlantic Council, he notes: This negative trend comes on the heels of what was perceived widely as greater integration of Israeli Arabs into civic life. Allowing Hamas to drive a wedge between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel would be a net loss to both groups, he adds.

The future

Others think the communal unrest in Israeli cities largely last week may have longer term repercussions for the future shape of the state of Israel. Aaron David Miller, an analyst with the Carnegie Institute for International Peace, a Washington-based public policy research organization, has described it as dismaying.

It went out of control of the Israeli government and that has to worry them, he said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the rocket fire in Israel, but local media reported that a house in the Jerusalem hills had been damaged, in the most serious outbreak of hostilities with Hamas in months

The last time there was an outbreak of serious unrest among Israels 1.9 million Arab citizens was in October 2000, when Ariel Sharon, the late prime minister and then an opposition leader, marched under armed guard in Jerusalem from the al-Aqsa mosque, revered by Muslims, to Temple Mount, the holiest site of Judaism, to assert Jewish claims. But the violence was limited to Jerusalem and didnt spread to other towns and cities, unlike this time.

Egypts diplomats who are trying to broker a ceasefire have told local media they believe they are close to persuading the warring sides to strike a truce, saying they hope to have struck a deal within two days. The chief of staff of Israels Defense Force, Aviv Kohavi, told local officials bordering the Gaza Strip that he suspects the fighting will continue for at least the next few days, but will continue as long as it must.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is not planning any immediate end to deadly airstrikes Sunday on Gaza, hours after his militarys jet fighters flattened three buildings and killed at least 42 people.

Since the fighting began Monday, more than 192 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 58 children and 22 women, according to Gazas Health Ministry. At least 10 Israelis have been killed in the rocket attacks, including a six-year-old.

In a televised address, Netanyahu told the Jewish state that the attacks were continuing at full force and will take time.

UN Chief Calls for Immediate Israeli-Palestinian Cease-fire UN Security Council meets as violence continues to escalate between Israel and Hamas

I hope it wont take long, Netanyahu told CBSs Face the Nation show in the United States. But he said the end of the attacks was not immediate despite international efforts to broker a case-fire in the week-long exchange of missile fire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

We were attacked by Hamas...unprovoked attacks on Jerusalem, the Israeli capital, Netanyahu said.

Well do whatever it takes to restore order and quiet, he said in the television interview. Were trying to degrade Hamass terrorist ability and to degrade their will to do this again.

Netanyahu spoke after the deadliest attacks since the devastating war in Gaza in 2014. The Israeli airstrikes targeted a major downtown street of residential buildings and store fronts over a five-minute period after midnight, flattening two adjacent buildings and another about 50 meters away.

Early Sunday, Israel bombed the house of Yehya Al-Sinwar, the top Hamas Leader in Gaza, on the seventh straight day of hostilities. It was not immediately clear if Sinwar was home. An Associated Press report said he was likely in hiding along with the rest of the groups upper echelon.

Netanyahu defended the destruction Saturday of a 12-story building in Gaza City where the Associated Press and Al-Jazeera news organizations were based, as well as apartments and other offices.

The buildings owner received a warning by telephone from the Israeli military an hour before the attack and AP staffers and other building occupants evacuated the building immediately. Netanyahu said no one was injured in the attack. Al-Jazeera continued to broadcast the airstrikes as the building collapsed.

The Israeli leader said the building, in addition to housing the media offices, was home to the intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organization.

It is a perfectly legitimate target, he contended.

AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement the news organization was shocked and horrified by Israels attack on the building, while noting it had received a warning from Israel.

The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today, Pruitt warned.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Pruitt and offered his unwavering support for independent journalists and media organizations around the world and noted the indispensability of their reporting in conflict zones, according to spokesman Ned Price. He expressed relief that the Associated Press team on the ground in Gaza remains safe.

Gaza Diary: Shouts, a Hurried Evacuation, and Then the Bombs Came AP journalist details the destruction of the building housing his offices

The Israeli military said, without evidence, that it destroyed the building because intelligence operatives within the Islamist militant group, Hamas, were using media offices as human shields.

APs bureau has been in this building for 15 years. We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building, the news organization responded. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.

Separately, hundreds of people took to the streets in Lebanon Sunday to protest the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Thousands Rally in N.America in Solidarity with Palestinians Gatherings took place in cities including New York, Boston, Washington, Montreal and Dearborn, Michigan

The U.N. Security Council met Sunday to try to figure out how to quell the violence and the United States dispatched a diplomat to the region to try to broker a cease-fire.

The latest outbreak of fighting began last Monday after conflicts in east Jerusalem last month. Palestinian clashes with police erupted in response to Israeli police tactics during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Jewish settlers threatening to evict dozens of Palestinian families. A focal point of the unrest was the Al-Aqsa Mosque, located on a hilltop compound that is revered by both Muslims and Jews.

On Saturday, Netanyahu said the air bombardment will continue as long as needed.

You cannot hide  not above ground, and not underground. Nobody is immune, he said, speaking to the leaders of Hamas in Gaza, and he thanked U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders for their support.

Biden called Netanyahu on Saturday and said he condemned the rocket attacks by Hamas and reaffirmed his support for Israels right to defend itself from Hamas and other terrorist groups. The U.S. leader also expressed concern for the safety of journalists and the need to ensure their protection, according to a White House readout of the call.

Biden also spoke by phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, their first conversation since Biden assumed the U.S. presidency in January.

He updated Abbas on U.S. diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict, stressing that Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel. Biden also underscored his commitment to a negotiated two-state solution as the best path to reach a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the White House said.

Hady Amr, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Israel and Palestinian affairs.

Hady Amr, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Israel and Palestinian affairs, was in Israel and set to meet with Israeli leaders Sunday, then with Palestinian officials in the West Bank to find a sustainable calm, the State Department said.

European Union foreign ministers will have a videoconference Tuesday about the escalating fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign policy chief, said on Twitter Sunday that the ministers will discuss how the EU can best contribute to end the current violence.
The United States is one of the only countries worldwide to allow fully vaccinated people to go without masks while the rate of COVID-19 infections remains relatively high.

Other countries with higher vaccination rates and lower infection rates still require masks indoors.

Guidance released last week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted restrictions for vaccinated people once two weeks had passed since their last shot.

"Anyone who has been fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities large or small without wearing a mask or physical distancing," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Thursday.

Masks are still required indoors in Israel, where more than 60% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose and infection rates per 100,000 people are in the single digits.

"While I can say (an end to the mandate on masks indoors) is on the way, I still cannot specify time frames," coronavirus czar Nachman Ash told Israeli news site ynetnews.com.

In Britain and Italy, lockdown restrictions are easing, but indoor mask requirements remain.

Australia and New Zealand do not have mask mandates. But they also have almost no COVID-19 cases.

Walensky said the CDC made the decision because U.S. cases had fallen by one-third in the past two weeks. She noted research showing that the vaccines are safe and effective at preventing infection and transmission of the virus. And the vaccines are widely available, including, as of last week, to adolescents 12 to 15 years old.

Less than half the population has received at least one shot, however, and new infections still average more than 30,000 per day.

The CDC's action drew mixed reactions from public health experts outside the United States.

"From a biologic standpoint, the move makes sense," said McMaster University infectious disease physician Zain Chagla. "We know that these vaccines significantly reduce the risk of death and disability from COVID-19 (and) reduce transmission."

However, he added, "there's no verification system." If unvaccinated people decide they do not want to wear masks, there is little that can be done to keep them out of public places.

That puts at risk those who are not fully vaccinated or eligible to be vaccinated yet, including children.

"The U.S. is really charting their own seas by focusing this on the individual rather than the population," Chagla added.

Other countries have focused more on metrics such as new cases, hospital capacity and vaccination rates to guide decisions on whether to loosen or tighten restrictions.

Walensky agreed that local leaders should look to those measures to make their decisions.

"There are some places that have more disease than others and less vaccination rates than others," she said on Fox News Sunday. Officials "should be looking within those communities before removing mask policies."

Not all states are following those recommendations. More than half have already lifted mask mandates, including some with high transmission rates.

Masks are still required on planes, trains and buses; in hospitals; and in states, cities and businesses that require them.

Critics have said this patchwork approach will make things harder for people in public-facing jobs.

"Workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local COVID safety measures. Are they now supposed to become the vaccination police?" said Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, a union representing supermarket, retail and other essential workers.

Many warned that the messaging is too complicated.

"The average person will not try to take stock of what the data means. They want a simple message," said Northumbria University infectious disease expert Sterghios Moschos. "The simple message here is that the virus is still circulating, so we need to do everything we can to suppress this circulation as much as possible."

That means keeping masks on.

Walensky said the CDC does not disagree.

"There's no need for everybody to start ripping off their masks," she said on NBC's Meet the Press.

"What we're saying is, now this is safe," she said. "Work at your own speed. Work with your own family and your own businesses to remove them when necessary."


Announcing that the United States is taking additional steps to help the world combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Joe Biden on Monday said the country will be sending 20 million more doses of its COVID-19 vaccines abroad by the end of June.

We need to help fight the disease around the world to keep us safe here at home and to do the right thing of helping other people, Biden said in remarks delivered from the White House East Room.

President Joe Biden speaks about distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, in the East Room of the White House, May 17, 2021, in Washington.

For the first time, U.S. shipments overseas will include shots authorized for domestic use as the supply at home begins to outstrip the demand.

The 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will be on top of 60 million AstraZeneca doses Biden already planned to send to other countries.

This means over the next six weeks, the United States of America will send 80 million doses overseas, the president said. That represents 13% of the vaccines produced by the United States by the end of June.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, during Mondays daily briefing where she previewed Bidens announcement, said: This is the most doses donated by any country in the world by five times.

Replying to a reporters question on which countries would be receiving the doses from the United States, Psaki said, I expect we'll have more in the coming days on what our criteria will be.

So far, the United States has shared only about 4.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with neighbors Canada and Mexico.

The sooner the U.S. and other wealthy countries develop a coordinated strategy for sharing vaccine doses with the worlds most vulnerable, the faster we will end the global pandemic for all, said Tom Hart, acting chief executive officer of The One Campaign, a global organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty and preventable diseases.

A similar reaction to Bidens announcement is being expressed by the chief health officer of Project HOPE, an international nongovernmental health organization.

Dr Tom Kenyon, director of the Center for Disease Control's Center for Global Health, listens to a question at a news conference in Monrovia, Liberia, Oct. 1, 2014.

"At the current rate, it is likely that only 10% of people in the majority of poor countries will be vaccinated in the next year, according to Dr. Tom Kenyon. Amidst vast supplies of COVID-19 vaccines held by wealthy nations, including the United States, it has become unethical to withhold vaccines any longer from high-risk groups, such as global health workers in marginalized communities and countries who put their lives on the line daily to care for the sick, and are themselves dying at alarming rates."

Kenyon, a former global health director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the United States is very short-sighted if we think that vaccinating only Americans is going to be sufficient. COVID-19 is a very dangerous disease spread through respiratory droplets and cannot be controlled locally if it remains unchecked globally.

Bidens announcement comes after the president was repeatedly pressed by some institutions in the United States, as well leaders of other countries, to bolster its effort to assist with a shortage of coronavirus vaccines abroad.

Biden also announced that the White House coronavirus coordinator, Jeff Zients, will lead the administrations effort to share vaccines globally. Zients is to work in coordination with the National Security Council and other agency partners, including Gayle Smith, who is coordinating global diplomatic outreach at the State Department.

We will not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries, Biden said on Monday. That remark is viewed as indirect criticism of vaccine diplomacy by China and Russia, which are accused of leveraging their supplies to improve relations and deepen influence with countries desperately seeking doses.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:48:59|Editor: huaxia

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-- Eight days have passed since clashes between Palestinians and Israelis ignited the region's most violent conflict in seven years, yet both sides showed no sign of a ceasefire.



-- The fighting could unleash uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and further foster extremism, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, calling for an immediate end to the cycle of bloodshed, terror and destruction.

-- Countries around the world pleaded for an immediate end to the hostilities, echoing the UN chief's remarks made at a UN Security Council open debate.

-- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has put forth a four-point proposal for putting an end to the conflict.

GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- As private cars and ambulances keep bringing in Palestinians critically wounded by Israeli airstrikes, hospitals in the Gaza Strip come to their rescue despite bombing perils, power outages and dwindling supplies.

Bulk of patients face "serious complications" due to shrapnel wounds, said Marwa Abu Saada, director surgeon at the Shifa Medical Complex, a major hospital in Gaza, as the conflict between Palestine and Israel is spiraling out of control.

Explosions are seen following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, May 18, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

"NO SAFE PLACE IN GAZA"

Eight days have passed since clashes between Palestinians and Israelis at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem over a court ruling of residential eviction ignited the region's most violent conflict in seven years, yet both Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza showed no sign of a ceasefire.

Till Monday, 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and at least 10 Israelis, have been killed and over 1,500 wounded in the conflict.

Over 3,200 rockets have been fired to Israel from the Gaza Strip, of which about 460 were misfired and fell in Gaza. Israel's military said its Iron Dome Air Defense System has intercepted 90 percent of the rockets.

Meanwhile, Israel has dispatched thousands of reservists, threatening to wage a ground operation against Gaza.

Main streets in northern and eastern Gaza are packed with Palestinians fleeing from Israel's airstrikes. Some have to trek long distance to take refuge, others risk COVID-19 infections in crowded bomb shelters.

"I am worried about my children and grandchildren. The Israelis are bombing heavily ... There is no safe place in Gaza," said Najah Abu Salem, a woman in her 60s, before squeezing into a car carrying her family away from home.

A burnt car is seen after a rocket from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on May 11, 2021. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Warning that the fighting could unleash uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for an immediate stop to the senseless cycle of bloodshed, terror and destruction.

"Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately. Rockets and mortars on one side and aerial and artillery bombardments on the other must stop. I appeal to all parties to heed this call," Guterres said.





OUTCRY AGAINST VIOLENCE

Countries around the world also pleaded for an immediate end to the hostilities, echoing the UN chief's remarks made in Sunday's UN Security Council open debate on the current situation.

The armed confrontation must end, said Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Vershinin, who condemned the use of force and violence against civilians in Israel and Palestine and the attempts to change the demographic character of East Jerusalem.

Escalating conflict could pose a serious threat to the "fragile security system" of the region, the Kremlin said Monday.

Palestinian people, who fled their homes due to Israeli air and artillery strikes, take refuge at a school in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 17, 2021. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

On Monday night, Israel fired artillery rounds into southern Lebanon, after six rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel but fell short within Lebanese territory. Three days earlier, three rockets were fired from Syria toward northern Israel.

Worrying about serious humanitarian consequences and imminent potentials of violence spilling into wider region, countries including Jordan, Egypt, France and China also urged a prompt end to the tension.

During the Sunday debate, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forth a four-point proposal: First, ceasefire and cessation of violence is the top priority; second, humanitarian assistance is an urgent need; third, international support is an obligation; fourth, a "two-state solution" is the fundamental way out.

An Israeli government spokesperson told Xinhua on Tuesday that it will reopen Gaza's main cargo crossing for hours to allow the transfer of the humanitarian aid of gas, food and medicine.

A Palestinian man inspects a damaged building after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, on May 17, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

CHINA PUSHES FOR PEACE TALKS

"China will continue to intensify efforts promote peace talks, and fulfil its duties as the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council," said Wang.

China reiterates its invitation to peacemakers from Palestine and Israel to hold dialogue in China, and welcomes negotiators from the two sides to hold direct talks in China, said Wang.

China's position on the conflict clearly indicates that the Asian country is a staunch supporter of friendship, justice and peace, according to Abbas Zaki, head of Palestinian Fatah party's commissioner-general of the Arab and Chinese Affairs.

"China is always committed to safeguarding the peace around the world," and plays a responsible role in solving hot-spot issues, Zaki told Xinhua, adding that the Palestinian leadership highly appreciates China for upholding justice.

Islam Ayadi, assistant professor of political science at the Arab American University in Palestine, said the role China playing in the region is crucial and strategic for the long term, a role that Arab countries hope could become greater. (Video reporters: Shang Hao, Lin En, Xie E, Shang Xuqian; Video editor: Hong Yan)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  The leaders of the Minnesota Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced a $52 billion deal for the state's next two-year budget on Monday, but lawmakers will have to finish the work next month and difficult negotiations still lie ahead on police accountability and other policy issues.

The agreement calls for a balanced two-year budget without raising taxes, while fully exempting from state taxes federal Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses and unemployment insurance benefits that were raised during the pandemic. It also includes extra money for summer school to help students catch up after a year of distance learning.

Minnesota did it again. We found commonality amongst ourselves, Walz said at a news conference called to announce the deal, which was reached at about 12:15 a.m.

Walz, Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman agreed it was impossible to nail down the language of all the major budget bills and get them passed before Monday night's constitutional deadline for the regular session to adjourn, so lawmakers will have to go into overtime.

But you have three people who basically respect each other and are able to work well together despite huge ideological rifts between them, said Hortman, of Brooklyn Park.

The task of resolving their differences was harder this year because lawmakers mostly met remotely due to the pandemic and had fewer chances for one-on-one deal-making. The $52 billion deal compares with the $48 billion budget that the Legislature approved in 2019 and $52.4 billion for Walz's original budget proposal.

Before adjourning, the House and Senate voted to liberalize the state's medical marijuana program, which is one of the country's most restrictive and expensive, by allowing smokable marijuana. Democratic House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, of Golden Valley, said costs to patients could fall to around one-third the cost of the oils and pills now available in Minnesota. The House passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana last week but the Senate refused to take it up.

The governor plans to call the special session for no later than June 14, but the work will begin earlier. Walz is required by law to reconvene lawmakers by that date as a condition for extending the broad emergency powers he has used to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Those powers, which the governor holds under the peacetime state of emergency he declared in March 2020, have been a major source of friction between the governor and Republicans. But Walz repealed his statewide mask mandate last week, and has lifted other restrictions in time for Memorial Day weekend. Walz said that leaves just managing the state's vaccination drive and qualifying for federal funds as the primary reasons to keep extending those powers.

Deciding how to spend $2.8 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money was one of the main complications in reaching a deal, the leaders said. The state didn't get federal guidance on how it can spend that money until last week. Walz will control $500 million of that sum, while the Legislature will get a say in how the rest is spent.

Hortman and Gazelka have left it up to the conference committee negotiating the public safety budget bill to find common ground and decide which Democratic police accountability proposals will make it into the final version.

Senate Republicans had resisted the policing package passed by the House, saying they wanted to focus on the budget and allow time to implement a policing bill that passed last summer following the death of George Floyd. The new package was spearheaded by the legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, which had hoped to build on the momentum of the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in Floyd's death.

Depending on who you're talking to, we're either way apart or close, said Gazelka, of East Gull Lake. Because there are some things that we think that we can do, but again, some people would want a lot more, some people want less.

Another unresolved policy dispute, which the leaders left up to a different conference committee, is the future of Walz's proposed Clean Car rules, which aim to accelerate the shift to electric cars. Republicans have threatened to block the entire natural resources budget bill in an effort to block the plan, raising the specter of a shutdown of state parks just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, of Crown, who was not included in the three-way negotiations, criticized the deal on Paycheck Protection Program loans and unemployment insurance. He said the failure to pass the exemption earlier means that roughly 250,000 laid-off workers and 200,000 businesses will have to pay those taxes by midnight Monday and wait for refunds. State officials haven't figured out yet whether those people and businesses will have to file amended returns or whether the state can process refunds on its own.

This was the least productive session in modern history, Daudt told reporters after adjournment.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Getty Images

Back in 2013, Sinead OConnor promised British music magazine Uncut that she had a very funny story about meeting Prince after she released a 1990 hit cover of Nothing Compares 2 U, a song he originally wrote for his band the Family. It got violent, too, which is why I cant go into it, she told the magazine, adding, Ill tell it when Im an old lady and I write my book. Now, OConnor is eight years older and has written that book, Rememberings, out on June 1. And as the New York Times reported in a new profile of the musician, shes telling that story  which also involves, uh, soup and a pillow fight. Just let the Times explain:

She writes that Prince summoned her to his macabre Hollywood mansion, chastised her for swearing in interviews, harangued his butler to serve her soup though she repeatedly refused it, and sweetly suggested a pillow fight, only to thump her with something hard hed slipped into his pillowcase. When she escaped on foot in the middle of the night, she writes, he stalked her with his car, leapt out and chased her around the highway.

Prince. Soup. Pillow fight. What more is there to know? Youve got to be crazy to be a musician, but theres a difference between being crazy and being a violent abuser of women, OConnor told the Times of their bizarre meeting. Of Nothing Compares 2 U, the musician added, As far as Im concerned, its my song. Okay then!

Elsewhere in the memoir, per the Times, OConnor denies an alleged relationship with the Red Hot Chili Peppers Anthony Kiedis but confirms one with Peter Gabriel. To discover the profane term she assigns to their affair, youll have to read it, the newspaper teases. OConnor began writing the memoir in 2015 and later finished it after a total breakdown, she reportedly writes, after getting a hysterectomy, which led her to seek out years of mental-health care. She said she has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder and calls the backlash to her infamous Saturday Night Live performance, during which she tore a photo of Pope John Paul II, traumatic. Now, along with the book, OConnor said she is also readying an album, No Veteran Dies Alone, for later in 2021. She recorded the album  her first in seven years  with Irish electronic producer David Holmes, known for scoring Killing Eve and multiple Steven Soderbergh films.
Sunday, one mother and daughter duo are on their way to being fully vaccinated, together.

This comes after the FDA approved the use of the Pfizer vaccination shot for kids ages 12 to 15.

Right now, you can go to Huntsville Hospital, CVS and Walgreens to schedule an appointment.

The mom and daughter we spoke with told us their decision to do this is solely on their own and wanting to be apart of history.

The 14-year-old has received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Sunday and she says she feels good knowing now she'll be protected from the virus.

"I'm just excited to go do stuff without all those restrictions and stuff," said Mila Shields.

Mila may only be 14-years-old but she's taking this pandemic seriously.

The Federal Drug Administration authorized the use of Pfizer for children between the ages of 12 and 15.

Mila's mom, Noelle Shields, says this is the beginning to a new life for them both.

"We feel like we're a lot safer and we're not going to inadvertently transmit to anyone else," she said.

Noelle has a compromised immune system but got vaccinated herself after speaking with her doctor.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is urging more people to get vaccinated...even kids.

That's because studies show kids can spread viruses easily to others and right now, data is showing kids may experience mild symptoms after the shot.

"I'm a little nervous about it because I'm already tired as it is and I don't want to make it worse. But I'm also really excited because I think I'm very lucky to be getting this," said Mila.

For the Shields, getting vaccinated means being reunited with Mila's grandmother and protecting others.

"I felt so much more confident. Even though I still wear my mask, but confident about not getting it from someone who doesn't care if I get it," said Noelle.

Shields told WAAY-31 as a mother. she will never tell you what you should do with your child...but to do the research on your own and speak with a doctor on what's best for you and your child.

She knows as a parent, they'll do whatever they feel is best and right for their child.
For years, the US government largely ignored reports of mysterious flying objects seen moving through restricted military airspace but it is now slowly beginning to acknowledge that UFOs, which the Pentagon refers to as unidentified aerial phenomena, are real.

While it is certainly premature to speculate as to whether these flying objects come from another world, the US military has recently confirmed the authenticity of several videos and images showing encounters with unidentified flying objects -- fueling questions about what the Pentagon knows about such incidents and others like them.

Next month, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other agencies are scheduled to deliver unclassified reports on UFOs to Congress.

The Department of Defense's watchdog is also set to examine how the Pentagon has handled reports of UFOs. A source with knowledge of the subject matter told CNN earlier this month that there will be more inquiries announced in the near future on how these encounters were handled in recent years.

Here's what to know about UFOs:

What is a UFO?

In short, a UFO is a flying object that looks or moves unlike any aircraft used by the US or any foreign country.

By their very nature, UFOs are shrouded in mystery and there are still a lot more questions than answers about these unexplained incidents.

There have been numerous UFO sightings in recent years but the military has only recently verified a handful of those reported encounters.

Last month, the Pentagon confirmed the authenticity of photos and video taken by Navy personnel in 2019 that appeared to show triangle-shaped objects blinking and moving through the clouds.

Another set of photos from Navy personnel showed three objects apparently flying in the sky, shaped like a sphere, an acorn and a metallic blimp.

In April 2020, the Pentagon released three short videos from infrared cameras that appeared to show flying objects moving quickly. Two of the videos contain service members reacting in awe at how quickly the objects are moving. One voice speculates that it could be a drone.

The Navy previously acknowledged the veracity of the videos in September of 2019 but officially released them months later, 'in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos,' Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough said at the time.

'After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems,' said Gough in a statement, 'and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena.'

In 2017, one of the pilots who saw one of the unidentified objects in 2004 told CNN that it moved in ways he couldn't explain.

'As I got close to it ... it rapidly accelerated to the south, and disappeared in less than two seconds,' said retired US Navy pilot David Fravor. 'This was extremely abrupt, like a ping-pong ball, bouncing off a wall. It would hit and go the other way.'

Are we talking about aliens?

The US government's acknowledgment that UFOs are real undoubtedly begs the question: Are we alone?

Luis Elizondo, the former head of a classified DoD program to research potential UFOs, told CNN in 2017 that he personally believes 'there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone.'

'These aircraft -- we'll call them aircraft -- are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign inventory that we are aware of,' Elizondo said of objects they researched. He says he resigned from the Defense Department in 2017 in protest over the secrecy surrounding the program and the internal opposition to funding it.

But in reality, interest in the Pentagon's handling of reported unidentified flying objects has more to do with ensuring any potential national security implications are being taken seriously -- whether they are of this world or not.

'It doesn't matter if it's weather balloons, little green men, or something else entirely  we can't ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily,' Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, told CNN in 2019 after senators received a classified briefing from Navy officials on unidentified aircraft.

What will upcoming UFO report say?

While subject matter experts have applauded recent moves by the US government to share more information about UFO encounters reported over the last several decades, many remain skeptical that the upcoming report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other agencies will provide a comprehensive look at the issue.

That's because the Pentagon has long resisted acknowledging that some of what has been observed is simply unexplainable despite compelling evidence that these objects displayed characteristics that are not normally associated with conventional aircraft, according to Elizondo.

'Best case scenario ... there's an interim report that will meet the intent of Congress with a promise to provide another report following this one,' Elizondo told reporters last month. 'Unfortunately there's a lot more we don't know than we do know. The good news is that we're finally taking it seriously.'

The Pentagon has previously studied recordings of aerial encounters with unknown objects as part of a since-shuttered classified program that was launched at the behest of former Democratic Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada.

The program was launched in 2007 and ended in 2012, according to the Pentagon, because the Defense Department assessed that there were higher priorities that needed funding.

Reid, Elizondo and others who have pushed for the government to release more information about UFOs say materials that have been released so far only scratch the surface of what is known.

Last year, the Pentagon created a task force to better understand 'the nature and origins of UAPs,' the Defense Department said in a statement.

'The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report. This includes examinations of incursions that are initially reported as UAP when the observer cannot immediately identify what he or she is observing,' the statement continued.

The task force has included the videos whose authenticity was confirmed last month.
Monday marked the second day of the trial over the sale of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Jackson County.

Nuclear Development LLC sued TVA claiming it broke the contract for selling the property. The organization says the sale did not go through because TVA did not do its part to close the deal.

Nuclear Development LLC bought the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant back in 2016 for $111 million during and auction. Nuclear Development LLC bought the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant back in 2016 for $111 million during and auction.

An attorney from Maryland was called as a witness. He explained that TVA did not provide a consent agreement to Nuclear Development LLC despite asking for the document for eight months.

The judge got to see emails between both organizations from March to October 2018 as evidence.

The second witness was the site manager at Bellefonte. He was also a member of TVA's transition team, which was created to help address all the necessary aspects before closing.

He says he was in constant contact with the Nuclear Development team. He adds that in the two years since the company won the auction in 2016, they never complained about a delay or deficient or incomplete documents from TVA.

Despite not having the agreement, Nuclear Development LLC submitted their application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to try and transfer the license of the Bellefonte Plant to Nuclear Development. However, it was not approved because of insufficient information.

TVA argued they weren't the only ones who didn't submit their documents at the time of the application. It also claims they did not break the contract because they could not close the deal since the commission did not approve the transfer of the license. By not getting that license, Nuclear Development defaulted on the requirements of their agreement.

"TVA takes its legal responsibility seriously and could not commit an illegal act through completion of the sale," TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler said.

It was mentioned in court that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission did accept all the documents just last September. However, the sale of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant was already canceled by default in 2018.

TVA says any actions after then would not change the contract's default.
The class of 2021 starts getting their diplomas with graduation ceremonies that look and feel more normal after a year of COVID-19.

Bob Jones High School had their graduation Monday and a majority of students and guests did not wear masks because they were optional.

Around 500 students graduated from Bob Jones High School Monday. Around 500 students graduated from Bob Jones High School Monday.

Students made it clear to faculty and staff that after this very difficult year they wanted to graduate together.

I think that having had this unusual year and then last spring you know many of our graduates last year didnt get that opportunity, but I think the kids just really felt this is our class and we want to go together' and we were just excited to be able to do that for them," said Dr. Ed Nichols, Madison City Schools Superintendent.

Dr. Ed Nichols said that the students chose to graduate together in person despite the Coronavirus pandemic.

Normally, Bob Jones High School has their graduation at the Von Braun Center, but limitations at the center due to COVID would have impacted students being able to do that.

When we started to set this up weeks ago the Von Braun was at 25% capacity and so that you know we couldnt get all the kids in there together and that was our main goal," said Dr. Nichols.

The students actually suggested the new venue, Alabama A&M University, because it allows for them to all graduate together and have eight guests.

I'm excited about it. Just get it out of the way and move on to college. The next big step in life," said Scott Reid, Bob Jones senior.

James Clements High School also graduated Monday at the Alabama A&M stadium.
WAAY 31 analyzed the city of Huntsville's policies and procedures regarding disciplinary hearings.

We learned that it will be up to the mayor and police chief to determine what kind of disciplinary actions Officer William Darby will face after his conviction in the murder of Jeffrey Parker while responding to a call.

However, people in the community have already voiced their lack of trust for them to hold Darby accountable.

"Accountability is non-negotiable," one woman said.

"Huntsville cannot trust its police department to police or to hold itself accountable," another man added.

People in the community are calling for accountability after Darby was placed on paid administrative leave following his murder conviction. The city says this is part of due process to which Darby and other city employees are entitled to, but people are still upset.

"Any other job Darby would be fired without pay, so why is the police different," one man said.

Darby will be on paid leave until after his disciplinary hearing. The hearing will be similar to a trial with opening statements, evidence and testimonies, a rebuttal and closing remarks by both the police chief and Officer Darby.

A local attorney with no personal or financial interest will serve as a hearing officer. They will be responsible for considering all the evidence and testimonies and create a finding of facts.

The mayor or police chief will then determine if those facts are cause for discipline, but both have already publicly voiced their support for Darby.

After Darby's conviction, they both released statements saying they believed Officer Darby followed the appropriate protocols and did what he was trained to do.

"Our city's leadership publicly condoned the murder of a suicidal man Jeffrey Parker. How can you ask us to trust you?" one woman said.

The city council is able to impose a greater or lesser degree of discipline on an employee if the majority of members agree. However, the city says the council will not be able to review the mayor or police chief's decision unless Officer Darby appeals the decision.

People in the community say they are paying close attention to what happens next.

"Your words and actions do have consequences. Y'all may have gotten away with abhorrent behavior in the past, but we are now watching," one woman warned.

Darby is facing suspension for more than 10 working days, demotion or dismissal according to city policies. At this time, it's still unclear when that disciplinary hearing will take place. We do know it will take place within the next month.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 22:05:06|Editor: huaxia

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HARBIN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A rare wild Siberian tiger was successfully released back into the wild in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, according to a Xinhua reporter at the scene.

The male tiger was captured in April after straying into a village, and following an evaluation that showed it had no diseases or abnormal behaviors, experts decided to return it to the wild as soon as possible.

This is the first time that China has rescued a wild Siberian tiger and released it into its natural habitat, said Liu Dan, a wildlife expert and chief engineer of the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center.

Experts decided to release the animal into the Changbai Mountain area, taking into considering the forest coverage, the distance from villages and the availability of prey.

The National Forestry and Grassland Administration has urged efforts to eliminate threats to wild tigers in the province, including conducting patrols and improving awareness among villagers.

Researchers will continue monitoring and studying the tiger's health status and genetic information, as well as its chances of surviving in the wild, the administration said.

The wild tiger strayed into a village in Heilongjiang on April 23, injuring a local resident. It was captured and transferred to the animal breeding center for assessment. It was found to be a male, two to three years old and weighing approximately 225 kg.

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur or Manchurian tigers, mainly inhabit eastern Russia, northeast China, and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The species are on the national first-class protection list in China. Enditem
Rome moves venue for World Press Photo show to Mattatoio.

The 2021 edition of the World Press Photo exhibition will be held at Rome's Mattatoio, the former slaughterhouse in the Testaccio district, from 28 May until 22 August.

This marks the first time that the Mattatoio venue welcomes the annual show whose previous editions were held at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni on the central Via Nazionale.

The 64th annual World Press Photo Contest drew entries from around the world: 4,315 photographers from 130 countries submitted more than 74,000 images.

Each year an independent jury at the World Press Photo Foundation in Amsterdam selects images for this prestigious recognition of international photojournalism, with winners chosen in eight categories including general news, sports, the environment and portraits.

The exhibition provides a fascinating and often hard-hitting chance to look back over the dramatic world events that took place over a most intense last year.

Mad Nissen's winner of the first prize of the World Press Photo 2021. Among the highlights to go on display at the Mattatoio, located near Testaccio Market , is Danish photographer

Taken last August in Sao Paulo, the image shows Rosa Luzia Lunardi, a resident of the Viva Bem nursing home, being embraced by the nurse Adriana Silva.

Due to Brazil's covid restrictions, it was the 85-year-old patient's first hug in five months, received courtesy of The Hug Tent, a clear plastic curtain whose yellow edges were folded to resemble a pair of butterfly wings.

Black Lives Matter movement to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Understandably the coronavirus pandemic features highly in the exhibition which documents other major issues over the last year, from themovement to the ongoing



For visiting details see the The show is promoted by Roma Capitale, conceived by the World Press Photo Foundation of Amsterdam and organised by the Azienda Speciale Palaexpo in collaboration with 10b Photography.For visiting details see the Mattatoio website

Cover photo: The First Embrace  Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken / Panos Pictures.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 00:47:38|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Buddhist Association of China Tuesday hosted a meeting to discuss cooperation among Buddhist communities in the Lancang-Mekong region in combating COVID-19 and promote their contributions to the public undertakings for people's livelihood.

The meeting was held in the run-up to mark the upcoming birth anniversary of the Buddha this year.

The event was attended by China's Buddhist masters and experts in-person and representatives of Buddhist communities from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia online.

Since ancient times, there has been a close relationship between Buddhism of all countries in the region, and China and Buddhist communities of other countries in the region have continued to write new chapters of friendship through exchanges and cooperation, said Master Yanjue, head of the Buddhist Association of China.

In particular, they have cared for and supported each other in their common fight against the pandemic, said Master Yanjue.

The Buddhist Association of China will make further efforts to enhance exchanges, communication, and cooperation with Buddhist communities in the region; expand international cooperation in fighting the pandemic; and make contributions to regional and world peace, and the global fight against the pandemic, he added.

Attendees stressed the significance of cooperation and called for solidarity and cooperation among all countries in fighting against the pandemic and striving for the common peace of humanity. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 00:54:42|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government on Tuesday confirmed the presence of four variants of COVID-19 in Nepal, including those which are more infectious and can spread among all age groups of people.

The presence of two variants, namely B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2, both first spotted in India, was established during the gene sequencing of 35 samples at India's CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), according to Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population.

The first variant was affirmed in a single sample while the second was found in 34 samples, the ministry said in a press statement.

"As Nepal has already reported the presence of both the original and one first spotted in the United Kingdom, total variants of coronavirus found in Nepal are four," Dr. Hemanta Chandra Ojha, chief of the Zoonotic and Other Communicable Disease Control Section at the Health Ministry, told Xinhua. "By leaving the original one, there is the presence of three new variants."

The Nepali ministry said the variants first spotted in India are more dangerous and infectious and can spread among all the age groups.

On May 10, the WHO classified the coronavirus variant first found in India as a "variant of global concern." According to the UN agency, preliminary studies show the B.1.617 mutation spreads more easily than other variants and requires further study, and it has already spread to more than 30 countries.

The total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nepal now stand at 472,354, with 5,411 deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 01:00:55|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday proposed several new approaches to financing Africa's COVID-19 recovery efforts saying the private sector should be supported to play a more central role.

Speaking during a virtual summit on the financing of African economies, Kenyatta also emphasized the need to upscale African countries' access to COVID-19 vaccines.

He said innovative financing solutions that crowd in the private sector would include the issuance of private sector-backed financial instruments such as green bonds, supporting the issuance of local currency instruments, structuring guarantees to lower financing costs, and developing and deepening public-private partnership opportunities.

"We need to move beyond traditional measures and implement truly transformational financing options that are commensurate with the enormity of the crisis," Kenyatta told the summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by several African leaders, according to a statement issued by Kenyatta's office after the event.

The Kenyan leader advocated for enhanced recovery packages from Africa's development partners, debt swaps and restructuring, and accelerated access to alternative sources of financing such as the Green Climate Fund.

He welcomed ongoing efforts by development partners to cushion the continent from adverse effects of COVID-19 saying Africa needs more resources to fight the pandemic, tackle debt vulnerabilities, and address poverty among other pressing needs.

The president said Kenya appreciates the extraordinary efforts from development partners to finance economic recovery and reduce debt vulnerability.

"Kenya welcomes commitments from bilateral and multilateral agencies to support emerging and low-income countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," the president said, adding that despite its devastation, COVID-19 presents an opportunity for African economies to bounce back stronger.

He said Kenya will continue opening up its vibrant economy for private sector participation saying the country had strengthened its public-private partnership regime to provide greater operational efficiency and reduce pressure on fiscal space.

Kenyatta said there can't be any economic recovery without access to vaccines and Africa is desperately lacking in vaccines. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 02:39:17|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- African countries on Tuesday renewed commitments to revitalizing the health of women, children and adolescents as part of COVID-19 recovery.

Speaking at a virtual forum, senior policymakers from Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Liberia and Kenya said maternal, infant and adolescent health remained a top national priority despite pandemic-related disruptions.

"Women, children, and adolescents have been significantly affected by COVID-19 that has devastated economies and affected social and community life," said Zweli Lawrence Mkhize, South African minister of health.

Mkhize said that South Africa will review national COVID-19 response strategies to ensure the country factors the reproductive health needs of women and youth including access to contraceptives and safe deliveries.

Senior African policymakers, campaigners, and researchers were among more than 1,000 delegates who participated in a two-day summit of Lives in the Balance: Equity in COVID-19 Response and Recovery that kicked off on Tuesday.

The summit was organized by global health lobbies including the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, CORE Group, Gavi, and the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents.

It stressed the need for targeted investments, policy reforms, political goodwill, and grassroots campaigns to raise the visibility of maternal and infant health agenda during the pandemic.

Osagie Ehanire, Nigerian minister for health, said that robust financing coupled with the harnessing of innovations is key to reviving maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services in Africa as the continent emerges from social and economic disruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ehanire said that Nigeria has prioritized funding of high-impact interventions like increased access to modern contraceptives to avert unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions among women and girls.

Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Malawian minister of health, said the southern African country has increased budgetary allocation towards women, children and youth-friendly health services. Enditem
Blue-chip stocks did the heavy lifting on Tuesday as the Australian sharemarket rose for a third straight session, clawing back more of last weeks inflation-fuelled losses.

A risk-on session for Asian markets pushed the ASX 200 up by as much as 0.9 per cent, before investors cooled their jets into the close.

The market finished 0.6 per cent higher at 7066 to register its strongest session in more than a week. The top end of the market was strong, narrow losses for Commonwealth Bank and Wesfarmers aside, as the big miners soared on improved iron ore and gold prices.

The Australian sharemarket added 0.6 per cent on Tuesday. Credit:Tamara Voninski

BHP climbed 1.9 per cent to $50.52, Rio Tinto finished 2.1 per cent higher at $128.71, and Fortescue Metals gained 2 per cent to $23.57 to lift the materials sector.

Newcrest jumped 1.1 per cent to $28.66 and Northern Star was 2.1 per cent higher at $11.45 as the precious metal climbed to near five-month highs of $US1870.

Burman chief investment officer Julia Lee said the outperformance by the markets top 20 companies, and an improving US futures trade, supported the theory that it was offshore buyers driving the ASX higher.

When I see the larger companies underperforming or outperforming like we are today, the first thing that comes to my mind is that it is overseas buying or selling, Ms Lee said.

Overseas buyers usually only deal in the top 20 companies, and a lot of our top ten companies are also traded offshore, through an American depository receipt or dual-listing.

This also corresponds with what the (US) futures are saying. If investors are trying to get ahead of that US session, theyll be doing it through markets around the region.

Asian markets defied a weak Wall Street lead to push higher on Tuesday, with snapping up stocks that had been bruised by inflation jitters last week.

Ms Lee said concerns over central bank intervention would continue to play a role in global markets over the coming weeks and months, but for now appeared to be quelled.

It does look like risk is back in the region, she said.

Commonwealth Bank touched a new record high of $98.84 before handing back its lead, finishing 3 cents below Mondays close at $97.76. Big Four rival ANZ added 1.4 per cent to $27.70, NAB was up 1.2 per cent to $26.37, and Westpac climbed 0.5 per cent to $25.46. Macquarie Group rose 2.4 per cent to $154.13.

Telstra and Aristocrat Leisure were also strong, as were energy stocks, which rose 1.6 per cent on improved oil prices.
EXTERMINATE ALL THE BRUTES 

Fox Showcase and On Demand

The four-part series Exterminate All the Brutes arrives on Foxtel with none of the fuss or fanfare normally associated with HBO shows. I suspect thats less to do with any failings this docudrama-essay-memoir might have than with the fact it will be such a challenge for, and to, many a viewer.

It is, essentially, a treatise on white supremacy, a subject that many in Australia (and elsewhere in the West) struggle to accept as valid. Part memoir, part history of cinema, part polemic, it draws heavily on the field of Whiteness Studies in asserting that (a) racism is largely (perhaps exclusively) a product of Eurocentrism; and (b) genocide was an instrumental element of European colonialism. Light entertainment it is not.

Raoul Pecks series uses archival material, memoir, recreations and alternative histories to examine the nexus between colonialism, racism and the present day. Credit:HBO/Foxtel

Haitian Raoul Peck, director of the excellent James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro and the dramatised biopic Lumumba, takes his title from a book of the same name by Swedish author Sven Lindqvist, one of three writers with whom he generously shares credit. Lindqvists title came from Joseph Conrads 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, the Ur-text on the ravages wrought by Europes colonial adventures in Africa.
Last month, Netflix officially launched its new Play Something feature, a program shuffle aimed at bypassing the indecisive endless scroll that plagues so many users who log on, spend hours searching for something to watch, and then log off without viewing a thing.

In an age of viewer fatigue and a debilitating abundance of choice, its a nifty idea. Press the Play Something button and the Netflix algorithm will instantly start a show it thinks youll enjoy based on your viewing history. But does it work?

Netflixs BBC cop show Line of Duty.

My experiment with the button promised an instant problem that may plague many users: up until recently I was (allegedly) sharing my password with my parents, which has done irrevocable damage to my algorithm. Netflix now thinks Im obsessed with Spanish-language telenovelas and shows about Argentinian BBQ, rather than my true passion: heartwarming sitcoms.

Similarly, my personal profile is shared with my partner, my kids, and the Victorian ghosts who live in the attic and come out when were asleep. My algorithm is severely tainted. Netflixs recommender faced an uphill battle to satisfy me.
Performing remotely from home has proved a bridge too far for Australias Eurovision hopeful Montaigne, who was dumped out of the song contest at Wednesdays first semi-final.

The singers premature exit ends a string of successful results for Australia in the competition, which had seen us qualify for five straight grand final appearances from five attempts.

Montaignes pre-recorded performance at Eurovision couldnt get Australia through to the grand final. Credit:AP

Ten semi-finalists qualified for Sundays grand final, with Australia falling to favourites Malta, Norway, Israel, Russia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Cyprus, Sweden, Belgium and Ukraine.

Logistical complications caused by the ongoing COVID pandemic meant Australias 2021 Eurovision entry had faced an uphill battle in the competition.
The university system in this country is dying. The government used the pandemic to destroy the places for critical conversations; and university management mostly rolled over. Mass redundancies, both voluntary and forced across the sector, have left big gaps in teaching staff. In some places that led to decisions to close down subjects, courses, departments. Right now, nearly every university is considering merging faculties.

It is hard to pin down exactly why this government decided to sacrifice public universities (all excluded from JobKeeper unlike private universities). I can only guess, it must be because the concept of critical thinking is anathema to the Coalition, which resents criticism of any kind. But it became clear in last Tuesdays budget that universities were not going to be saved, not by this government, not any time soon and maybe never.

Foreign students who graduate from Australian universities are unlikely to be replaced in the same numbers. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The National Tertiary Education Unions president Alison Barnes says funding for the sector in the budget was reduced by nearly 10 per cent; and of course that sugar hit of a billion dollars to save research, the pandemic panacea issued last year, will not be extended. No hope either of the return of international students. Borders still clamped shut. We wont let Indian students in and its unlikely Chinese students will be encouraged to return to disrespectful Australia.

Barnes says the sector is devastated. The Centre for Future Works Dan Nahum calculates 35,000 jobs lost in education to November 2020 and estimates most were in the tertiary sector. And ANUs professor in the practice of higher education policy Andrew Norton says the impacts of the lack of international students will only multiply: the ones who never came as well as the ones completing who will never be replaced.
Two police officers who escorted an accused man on a flight from London to Perth have avoided hotel quarantine, instead being put up in a private apartment to complete their two weeks isolation.

The men returned from the United Kingdom on Saturday, along with a 60-year-old man who was extradited to Australia on historical child sex offences.

The two WA Police officers escorting an accused man on a flight from London to Perth on Saturday. Credit:WA Police

The accused allegedly indecently assaulted three siblings aged 5, 9, and 10, in the mid 1980s. He will quarantine in custody, or if granted bail before his 14 day period is complete, in hotel quarantine.

However, instead of entering one of Perths seven designated quarantine hotels, the police officers who escorted the man were granted an exemption by WA Police to quarantine at Quest South Perth Foreshore apartments.
The president of Western Australias peak medical industry body has accused the government and Perth Childrens Hospital executive team of engaging in an arse-covering exercise in light of the findings of a heartbreaking report into the death of seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath.

Australian Medical Association of WA president Andrew Miller said powerful men in the health system were protecting each other while throwing young doctors and nurses under the bus.

Mark Olson (right) says Health Minister Roger Cook should sack the executive team at PCH.

Dr Miller said there was an evolving war between frontline staff, management, and government over who was responsible for the young girls death but the blame should ultimately be put on Health Minister Roger Cook.

Its disgraceful that the minister is blaming the culture in the department for whats happening here, he said. He is responsible for the culture he is creating within his department and the one carrying the can when a predictable tragedy like this happens.
Former Defence chief and governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove says war between the United States and China has long been a possibility but the prospect is more concerning now because of the power and potency of Beijings military.

But he said Australias hardened rhetoric towards China would not lead to a war although the deteriorating relationship could continue to create commercial and social difficulties.

Former governor-general Peter Cosgrove says war between China and the US has always been a possibility. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The comments come as Labors foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, is set to deliver a speech lashing Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his handling of the China relationship, saying his political opportunism on foreign policy is unprecedented in Australian history.

Sir Peter said China had changed over the past 20 years, modernising its defence force in a very powerful way.
Demography, its said, is destiny. Now that China has published its first national census in a decade, whats its destiny to be? Its a bit awkward, actually, for President Xi Jinpings vaunted China Dream. Because he has promised the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation when the official statistics show it is on the way to becoming one of the fastest ageing countries on earth.

We already knew that China was heading for a population collapse. Thats why Xi dumped the One Child Policy in 2015. The advent of the Two Child Policy did have the desired effect. The number of births surged. But only for one year.

Illustration: Dionne Gain Credit:SMH

The number of babies born in China then went into steep decline. Last year, there were only 12 million newborns. Thats the fewest recorded in any year since the shocking famine of the so-called Great Leap Forward of 1958-1962.

Its now down by 33 per cent compared with the number born in 2016. Abandoning the One Child Policy evidently was too little, too late. Too many people ran the popular saying in support of the governments One Child Policy. Remarkably, the country is now gripped by the opposite problem: Too few people. Time elapsed between the two  just 36 years.
A car in the street that witnesses said was hit by an airstrike was bent and torn, its roof ripped back and what was left of the drivers side door smeared with blood. A beachside cafe the car had just left was splintered and on fire. Rescue workers tried to put out the blaze with a small fire extinguisher. Gaza Citys mayor, Yahya Sarraj, said that the strikes had caused extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure. He said water supplies to hundreds of households in the city were disrupted. We are trying hard to provide water, but the situation remains difficult, he said. The UN has warned that the territorys sole power station is at risk of running out of fuel. Gaza already experiences daily power outages for between eight and 12 hours, and tap water is undrinkable. Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the territorys electricity distribution company, said it has fuel to supply Gaza with electricity for two or three days. Loading The war broke out on May 10, when Hamas fired long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the holy city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The protests were focused on the heavy-handed policing of a flashpoint sacred site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

More protests were expected across the region on Tuesday in response to a call by Palestinian citizens of Israel for a general strike. The protest has the support of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party. Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of air strikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3200 rockets into Israel. Israeli military officials said Hamas had stockpiled about 15,000 rockets before the war started. Rocket attacks continued on Monday, with one hitting a building in the city of Ashdod that caused injuries, the Israeli police said. US diplomat Hady Amr met with a delegation from the Palestinian Authority on Monday, a day after meeting senior Israeli leaders. But the Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticise Israels part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region. Speaking to reporters during a trip to Denmark, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would support any initiative to stop the fighting, but signalled the country did not intend to put pressure on the two sides to accept a cease-fire. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire, he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who spoke on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasised her countrys solidarity with Israel, condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza, and expressed hope for a swift end to the fighting, according to her office. Loading Hamas top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad, said the group has been contacted by the United Nations, Russia, Egypt and Qatar as part of cease-fire efforts but will not accept a solution that is not up to the sacrifices of the Palestinian people. In an interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, he blamed the war on Israels actions in Jerusalem and boasted that the rockets were paralysing the usurping entity (Israel).

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his government is working to urgently end the violence, in his first comments since the war broke out. Egypt, which borders Gaza and Israel, has played a central role in the cease-fires brokered after previous rounds of fighting. The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it struck 35 terror targets on Monday as well as the tunnels, which it says are part of an elaborate system it refers to as the Metro, used by fighters to take cover from air strikes. The tunnels extend for hundreds of kilometres, with some more than 20 metres deep, according to an Israeli Air Force official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations. The official said Israel was not trying to destroy all the tunnels, just choke points and major junctions. Loading The military also said it struck nine houses in different parts of northern Gaza that belonged to high-ranking commanders in Hamas. Islamic Jihad said a strike killed Hasam Abu Harbid, the militant groups commander for the northern Gaza Strip.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were eliminated. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, does not give a breakdown of how many of the casualties it reports were militants or civilians. Israels air strikes have levelled a number of Gaza Citys tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets. The Israeli military alerted staff and residents before the strike, and all were able to evacuate safely. Sally Buzbee, the APs executive editor, has called for an independent investigation into the airstrike. Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said on Sunday any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. Blinken said he hasnt yet seen any evidence supporting Israels claim.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 04:02:25|Editor: huaxia

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Protesters carry an injured man shot by Israeli soldiers during a protest against the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip at Huwwara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, on May 18, 2021. Four Palestinians were killed on Tuesday and 64 others injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, medical sources said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Four Palestinians were killed on Tuesday and 64 others injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, medical sources said.

The sources told Xinhua that many Palestinian protesters were injured by rubber bullets and tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers who tried to disperse the protesters in several West Bank cities and towns.

The protests were organized after a call for a general strike in the West Bank in protest against the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 213 Palestinians in the past nine days.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society accused in a press statement Israeli soldiers of opening fire at Palestinian ambulances, injuring one of its paramedics. Enditem
Washington: US President Joe Biden says he supports a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a major shift from his previous position that Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks coming from Gaza.

Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his views in a phone call on Tuesday (AEST).

At odds over ceasefire: Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit:AP

The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end, a White House summary of the leaders phone call said.

Biden also encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, according to the summary.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 04:17:40|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The international community must do "all it can" to de-escalate the violence in Gaza and Israel which has left hundreds dead and injured, said UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday.

The UN political affairs chief was addressing a meeting of the UN Forum on the Question of Palestine, and noted that the UN has been "actively involved" in mediation so far, and said the fighting involving extremist group Hamas and Israeli forces, which has claimed the lives of more than 200 civilians on both sides, including children, was a "tragic reminder" of the need to find a resolution to end conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, "once and for all."

DiCarlo called on all those involved in the fighting to allow for the "intensification of mediation efforts," which can also help stem a growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"In the absence of such a process, we are - regrettably - bound to witness more episodes of tensions and desperation. People on both sides deserve much more than that," she said.

DiCarlo noted that the scenes of communal violence inside Israel itself, were also "unprecedented," saying continued escalation there would have "devastating consequences" for all in the region.

If the nine days of spiraling violence so far continues, "humanitarian needs are bound to rise considerably, particularly in Gaza, where the situation was already desperate," she added.

More than 220 people have now died in Gaza and the West Bank since violence erupted last week with Israel, where the toll has risen to 10 dead, UN humanitarians said earlier on Tuesday, in a call for greater access to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and an end to hostilities.

Nearly 60,000 people have had to leave or flee their homes in Gaza, the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, with 47,000 now sheltering in UN Relief and Works Agency schools.

The World Food Programme warned on Tuesday that the crisis has pushed an estimated additional 160,000 people in Gaza into food insecurity.

Against this backdrop, OCHA welcomed the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza for essential humanitarian supplies nine days into the crisis.

The transit point in southern Gaza was closed eight days ago, along with the Erez crossing in the north of Gaza, OCHA said in a statement on Monday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 05:42:06|Editor: huaxia

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KHARTOUM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Higher Committee for Health Emergencies on Tuesday decided to suspend study at all universities and schools for one month to contain the spread of COVID-19.

"It has been decided to suspend study at all universities and schools for one month starting from the date of the decision," said the committee in a statement.

The committee also decided to prevent entry of all passengers arriving directly from India or via other countries, through all crossings, who were in India during the past 14 days, it added.

The committee further decided to reduce the number of workers at different institutions, and ban social gatherings or other public activities at halls and clubs, as well as whatever may increase the risk of the pandemic's spread, the statement said.

The committee warned of an expected fast spread of COVID-19, saying "the number of infected people may exceed 100,000 cases during the first and second week of June."

According to the Sudanese health ministry's statistics issued on Tuesday, Sudan has so far reported a total of 34,707 COVID-19 cases, including 1,116 deaths. Enditem
Company Voted the Best Medium-Sized Workplace in the State of Maryland

CallTrackingMetrics has been named to Inc. magazines annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2021. Hitting newsstands May 18 in the May/June 2021 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in person or remotely.

CallTrackingMetrics empowers businesses with innovative communication tools to unify their organizations and accelerate their growth. Founded in 2021 by husband and wife team Todd and Laure Fisher, CallTrackingMetrics now supports more than 100,000 users in over 90 countries.

Collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. singled out 429 honorees this year. Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, on topics including management effectiveness, perks and fostering employee growth. The organizations benefits were also audited to determine the companys overall score and ranking.

CallTrackingMetrics has seen incredible growth and development over the last few years in our company culture, and we are proud to be recognized as the best medium-sized workplace in our home state, said Shannon Duvall, Director of Human Resources of CallTrackingMetrics. Weve decided to focus on employee success as much as customer success. Our company culture and core values have become a clear business differentiator for us.

The definition of a positive workplace has changed drastically over the past year, says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. Stocked fridges and nap pods were no longer perks many companies could rely on once work went remote. So, this years list is even more important as it reveals organizations that continue to enrich the lives of its employees amid a pandemic.

This announcement comes off the heels of CallTrackingMetrics ranking No. 243 for Inc. Magazines List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the D.C. Metro Region and the expansion of their customer support team.

For more information about CallTrackingMetrics, please visit http://www.calltrackingmetrics.com.

CONTACT:

Alyssa Rinehart

BLASTmedia for CallTrackingMetrics

CallTrackingMetrics@blastmedia.com

317.806.1900

About CallTrackingMetrics

CallTrackingMetrics is the only digital platform that uses call tracking intelligence to inform contact center automation  resulting in a more personalized customer experience. Discover which marketing campaigns are generating leads and conversions, and use that data to automate call flows and power your contact center. More than 100,000 users around the globe trust CallTrackingMetrics to manage communications for their marketing, sales, and service teams.

About Inc. Media

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/calltrackingmetrics_ranks_among_highest_scoring_businesses_on_inc_magazines_annual_list_of_best_workplaces_for_2021/prweb17940465.htm
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 06:44:30|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Tuesday called for a humanitarian pause in the escalating violence in Israel and Gaza.

"I call on all parties to the hostilities to agree to a humanitarian pause to allow for emergency humanitarian relief distribution and for civilians to purchase food and water, seek medical care and attend to other emergency needs," the UN humanitarian chief said in a statement.

"The current escalation of hostilities has caused immense suffering. I abhor the violence that has killed and injured scores of children and other civilians and caused extensive damage to homes and vital infrastructure," he said.

"The hostilities must stop," said Lowcock. "I echo the secretary-general's calls for the parties to stop the aerial and artillery bombardments and the indiscriminate launching of rockets. These acts have brought nothing but death, destruction and widespread trauma throughout the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel."

He noted that the parties must respect international humanitarian law, including the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

"All parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects from harm," the UN humanitarian chief added.

Noting that "adequate funding" is needed to enable a speedy response and "access is paramount," Lowcock called on donors to accelerate their contributions to the oPt Humanitarian Fund, the emergency pooled fund for the occupied Palestinian territory, without delay.

"This is for immediate needs; the secretary-general and I will be launching a fuller appeal shortly," he added.

"The crossings with Gaza need to be opened and to remain as such for the entrance of essential and humanitarian supplies, including fuel for basic services and supplies to curb the spread of COVID-19. Opening the crossings will also ensure the exit of patients who need life-saving treatment and the entry of special surgical emergency teams to tend to the wounded," Lowcock stressed. Enditem
The Gunter Group was also recognized on Inc.s selective Best Workplaces Editors List which is defined as a showcase of companies that are not only the best workplace but are taking it a step further, pushing the boundaries and building a workplace of the future.

The Gunter Group has been named to Inc. magazines annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2021. Hitting newsstands May 18 in the May/June 2021 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in person or remotely.

Collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. singled out 429 honorees this year. Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace on topics including management effectiveness, perks, and fostering employee growth. The organizations benefits were also audited to determine the companys overall score and ranking.

In response to the award, Mike Gunter, founder of The Gunter Group stated, "This award means so much to us. Our goal has always been to create an environment where people would feel deeply engaged and thrive. Having our success recognized as a Best Workplace by Inc. magazine is quite an honor."

The definition of a positive workplace has changed drastically over the past year, said Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. Stocked fridges and nap pods were no longer perks many companies could rely on once work went remote. So, this years list is even more important as it reveals organizations that continue to enrich the lives of its employees amid a pandemic.

Founded in 2011, in Portland, OR, The Gunter Group features an experienced team of consultants serving clients across a variety of industries in the Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. The Gunter Group prides itself on providing consulting services to a broad range of organizations spanning Fortune 100 companies to locally-based businesses. The Inc. Magazine award is one of nine workplace awards The Gunter Group has received since its inception. The firm has been named one of the best companies to work for in Oregon by Oregon Business Magazine for seven consecutive years and named one of the best small firms to work for by Consulting Magazine two years in a row. The Gunter Group currently employs a team of 55 consultants with office hubs in Portland, OR and Reno, NV.

xxxxx

About Inc. Media

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/the_gunter_group_named_to_inc_magazine_s_best_workplaces_in_2021/prweb17940600.htm
While many people picked up new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, Carol Story used her downtime to pen a childrens book about nature conservation.

The Norwalk resident recently published Ellies Day at the Shore, which tells the story of a little girl who explores the seaside with her great aunt while learning about wildlife. Story said the book is based on her own interests in wildlife conservation and her great niece Ellie. She said she plans to donate proceeds from her book sales to organizations with conservation programs. When writing her book, Story worked with Westport illustrator Pippa J. Ellis.

Hearst Connecticut Media spoke with Story about her childrens book and her volunteer work with the Audubon Society.

Whats Ellies Day at the Shore about?

Very briefly, its about a young girl, Ellie, her great aunt Carol, and what happens when they head to the shore together one day. They discover and learn about some wonderful creatures - birds, turtles and horseshoe crabs - that live there.

What inspired you to write this book about your great niece?

In March of last year, my mom died at the age of 94. A short time later, we all went into COVID-19 quarantine, and I started checking in with friends. One of them, my friend Maryanne Brown, knew that I like to write rhymes, but also that I used to volunteer for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW); I would talk to her about what I saw while monitoring the beach. She suggested I write a childrens book about the creatures that are the hidden treasures there. I combined that idea with memories of my mom, then thought about going to the beach sometime with the most important child in my life - my great niece Ellie. This story is the result.

What is the goal of your book? What do you want people to take away from it?

My first goal is to entertain both children and parents who read the book, hopefully together. I also hope to inspire an early interest in conservation in the children who read it, or have it read to them.

Tell me about the rotten rhymes and your familys history with them.

My mother had a great talent for rhyming, and for many years wrote special birthday rhymes for everyone in the family. They were usually a series of four-line stanzas that were best appreciated when read aloud. She liked to call them Rotten Rhymes because sometimes she had to stretch for a rhyme, like using almost-rhymes, or mangling the syntax of a sentence to make the lines rhyme. Of course, that just made them more entertaining! (I have many almost-rhymes but tried not to mangle syntax in my story.)

How long have you been volunteering with the Audubon Society?

I volunteered with AAfCW for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 nesting seasons. During that time, I observed all of the creatures and behaviors that Ellie discovers in the book.

Why does conservation matter to you?

Thats a good question; conservation is a really big topic. Ive always loved animals and nature and being outside. At some point, I became aware that what we do as humans impacts other species, often in unintended yet harmful ways.

Heres a simple example, as Ellie discovers in the book. People love to visit the beach, but what many dont realize is that a lot of other creatures are trying to use it too. Many of them rely on it for hatching and raising their young, and we interfere with that, even though we dont mean to. For instance, we get too close, scaring away the adults, which leaves the nests and chicks exposed and vulnerable. But once were aware, its not hard to make minor changes to our own behavior to accommodate the beach inhabitants.

It seems to me that the Connecticut shoreline is a microcosm of whats happening in other places all over the world. Im hoping that Ellies Day at the Shore helps inspire in children an interest in conservation.

tinamarie.craven@hearstmediact.com
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  A woman who escaped from the Montana Womens Prison in Billings has been captured.

Members of a U.S. Marshals Service violent offender task force arrested Lisa Anne Nester, 50, after she was found near the Yellowstone County sheriff's office in Billings on Saturday. She was taken into custody without incident and had not been considered a threat to public safety, the Montana Department of Corrections said.
An appellate court on Tuesday sent a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Census Bureau's delay in releasing data used for redrawing congressional and legislative districts back to a trial court and ordered a judge to come up with a remedy between the statistical agency and the state of Ohio.

A week after hearing oral arguments, a panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati said Ohio had standing to sue the Census Bureau over its decision to delay the release of redistricting data from March 31 to mid-August. The lower court had previously ruled that Ohio lacked standing and had dismissed the case.
Jazz musician Mario Pavone was recalled Monday an essential part of the Litchfield Jazz Fest family and the accompanying jazz camp, and a friend who was terrific, very giving, encouraging, fun to be around.

Pavone, 80, died of cancer Saturday, May 15. For the last few years, he lived Madeira Beach, Florida, with his wife, Mary. A native of Waterbury, Pavone was a well-known and prolific bass player, recording artist and performer who traveled to share his style of jazz.

The jazz fesival is holding a free online concert of Pavones performances Friday, May 14. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ockyhTROb_M for information.

In one of Pavones final interviews last October at the jazz festival  held virtually because of the pandemic  WNPR interviewer John Dankosky said that over the last few months Pavone had worked to record and master his last two albums, telling him he wanted to get the music out. Downbeat magazine writer Kevin Whitehead called it a final artistic statement.

Litchfield Jazz Fest founder and Executive Director Vita Muir, a colleague and friend of Pavone, said he was a family member of Litchfield Performing Arts from the get-go.

I remember when we started the jazz camp, we had to plan the classes, where to put the kids, what rooms to use ... I discussed lineups with Mario, but I didnt know how to decide who went where.

I remember being on our hands and knees on the floor, using tiles to see how they would intersect to play together, she said. He was absolutely always there for me, always in my corner. And I was for him. He always tried to be helpful and we cherished what he did. He taught bass at the camp every single year.

She recalled a recent jazz camp year when Pavone was losing strength because of his illness, and his bass had to be carried up the stairs because he couldnt do it.

The young staff and the kids would help him, she said. Many people were shocked by that, because he didnt advertise that he was ill. He didnt want any bias  he also wanted to get hired, because he was still playing and recording. Because he appeared to be so strong when he was playing, only people who knew him really knew what was going on.

Muir organized an 80th birthday celebration for Pavone in 2020. I did it because I wanted to honor his 80th year, but I also knew that the music he was involved in was keeping him going for the last five years. Everything was about the music, she said. I wanted to make it a multi-pronged event, and I built in his interview with John Dankosky on WNPR, and Mario was just thrilled.

Musician Albert Rivera, part of the Litchfield Jazz Fest, remembered Pavone fondly.

As a musician who knew Mario for years, I had opportunities to perform with him and call him a friend, he said. He was such a unique musician. The concepts that were in his head, which were then translated to music, and the way he made and sustained the pulse when he played, was incredible.

He was a driving force by himself, but when paired up with incredible musicians as he did all of his career, made his music nothing short of incredible. He will be missed, Rivera said.

According to a story on npr.org, Pavone earned an engineering degree from UConn but decided on a career in jazz after hearing legendary saxophonist John Coltrane play at the Village Vanguard in 1961. Over the decades, the bassist, composer and educator was part of New York Citys so-called Loft era of jazz in the late 1960s, working closely with pianist Paul Bley and trumpeter Bill Dixon, the story notes. In the 1970s, Pavone was influenced by Chicago transplants Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton, joining their Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum in New Haven, the story also notes. By the mid-1980s, he was part of New Yorks Knitting Factory scene, working closely with the late saxophonist, Thomas Chapin, according to the NPR story.

Jazz trombonist Peter McEachern was a close friend to Pavone, and performed and recorded with him for many years. McEachern played on Pavones acclaimed Song for Septet as well as 5 CDs by Pavone including Vertical, Pavones 2017 release with Tony Malaby, Dave Ballou Oscar Noriega and Michael Sarin on Clean Feed Records, according to his bio on litchfieldjazzcamp.com. Both musicians were faculty members at the camp.

We started working together in 1978 or 1979, so at least 43 years ago, McEachern said. We made a couple of albums together, and played together, very regularly, at a club in Waterbury called The Hillside. We did a lot of clubs back then, and at the time, Hillside was the most regular venue. We also did concert-type venues, theaters and things like that.

They met through mutual friends, McEachern said.

I appreciated his approach, he said. I had been exploring avant garde jazz myself, and so when I met Mario, I immediately recognized a kindred spirit. Also, he was a little older and was a mentor in a lot of ways. We worked together and grew together, playing as musicians.

Working to the end, Muir said, Pavone was determined to record as much music as possible with his trio. He had done two albums, and he did another one in February 2020, she said. He laid the album down in three days in New York. Hes two or three weeks away from dying, and he insists hes going to mix it ... he went to the engineer in Tampa, Florida, and he had to walk up two flights of stairs with people helping him. And he sat through the whole session, mixing that album. He was interested in getting the Dialect Trio out there.

Muir noted that Pavone was not formally educated, and improvisation and collaboration was a big part of his work. The way he worked was completely collaborative, she said. He laid down the music, and the other musicians would score it. But it was like a map, and people he worked with would improvise around him. He created absolutely fabulous music.

Pavones style was not traditional jazz and in keeping with her mission for the festival, Muir always sought out up-and-coming or out of the box artists. Mario performed in our very first festival, and the second and third, she said. At the first one, people were expecting more in-the-pocket type of music. But by the time we got to the third year of the festival, he got a major standing ovation after his concert.

I got people to understand that there are all different kinds of jazz and that they should listen to it, Muir said. And they did, and they went crazy for it. Thats what it takes.

Muir described Pavones music as melodic, with a driving, pulsing force behind it.

That was the secret  for the listener to hear that vibe and never lose interest, she said. It evoked emotion. It was very experiential.

McEachern said Pavones music wasnt just avant garde. That description can sound sort of esoteric, he said. His music was very accessible to people. His soul came through it. It was just great music.

McEachern said, He was always thinking about music, and what was going on in the world. We always ahd interesting conversations. Ill miss him a lot.

For more about Mario Pavones work, visit www.mariopavone.com/artist.html
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Nebraska lawmakers rejected state-mandated coronavirus protections for meatpacking workers on Tuesday, with opponents arguing that slaughterhouses have already taken precautions and that the pandemic is nearly over.

Lawmakers voted, 25-18, to sideline the measure for the rest of the year, even though supporters said it was necessary to ensure that all plants are keeping their employees safe.

It's not whether or not a plant cares about their employees," said Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, who sponsored the bill. There is a need for consistency.

The bill faced an uphill battle because of opposition from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who said Monday that it wasn't needed. Lawmakers narrowly advanced the measure through an initial vote earlier this month, but supporters at the time fell three votes short of the 30 they would have needed to override a veto.

Nebraska's meatpacking companies complained that the bill imposes unrealistic mandates on the industry, including a requirement to maintain a 6-foot distance between employees in break and locker rooms.

It's just not workable, said Sen. Julie Slama, of Peru.

But Sen. Ray Aguilar, of Grand Island, said he's spoken with workers who are still fearful about working in plants and want protections in place for one more year, as the bill would have mandated.

Sen. Matt Hansen, of Lincoln, said it's too early to celebrate the end of the pandemic and assume that the workers will be safe.

The place we are at is tenuous, he said.

An estimated 7,382 Nebraska meatpacking workers have tested positive since the pandemic began, 256 have been hospitalized and 28 have died. Early in the pandemic, several Nebraska meatpacking towns were considered coronavirus hotspots. Ricketts and other governors said cases were spiking because workers lived together in close quarters.

Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, said meatpacking plants instituted pandemic safety protections voluntarily, including temperature checks, masks for employees and metal dividers between line workers.

We have missed the mark when we think government is the answer to everything, he said.

Lawmakers also gave initial approval to a bill that would allow immigrants who are legally authorized to work in the United States to collect pandemic unemployment benefits.

The measure's sponsor, Sen. Mike McDonnell, of Omaha, said Nebraska was the last state in the nation to adopt the policy. The bill advanced, 26-9, through the first of three required votes with no debate.

This is about fairness, McDonnell said.

___

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British vacationers have begun arriving in large numbers in southern Portugal for the first time in more than a year. The governments of the United Kingdom and Portugal eased their pandemic travel restrictions after a significant fall in new COVID-19 cases. More than 5,000 tourists were expected on 17 U.K. flights in Portugals southern Algarve region on Monday, the first day nonessential travel was allowed. The arrivals brightened the outlook for Portugals crucial tourism sector, especially the Algarve coast which relies heavily on the U.K. market. Arriving tourists need to show a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken within the previous 72 hours.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 01:28:19|Editor: huaxia

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BANJUL, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The Gambia, the self-styled "smiling coast of Africa," is waiting and hoping for the return to normal from COVID-19 as the tourism industry, one of the country's major gross domestic product contributor, has been devastated after more than one year of total halt.

The tourism sector, with more than 150,000 workers engaged, is the country's second-largest contributor of GDP after agriculture. When the coronavirus emerged in the country in March last year, the government was forced to shut down the industry and ordered people to stay at home to control the spread of the virus.

Tourism workers in the country have their earnings put on hold while others remain jobless due to the ravaging COVID-19. With most of the tourist workers serving as breadwinners in their households, their providing for food, health care, education and other necessities has been severely curtailed.

Although the government-imposed restrictions, such as the closure of the industry to enforce stay-at-home policy and no-flight landing, has since been waived, tourism workers continue to endure the awkward realities caused by the pandemic.

"I lost a lot last year, beyond imagination. I lost my job because I was ordered to stay at home by my boss, as a waiter at a restaurant around Senegambia. I am still sitting at home because I am asked to continue the wait," Musu Njie told Xinhua.

Musu is the eldest born in her family and she has been a key member who shoulders responsibility at home in terms of feeding and helping her younger siblings. But according to her, nothing has been working well.

"As a waitress in the tourism area, I was not just relying on my salary. So, even though it was not relatively the most lucrative salary at the end of the month, I still have take-home cash almost every day and this has been helping my family," she said.

When asked if she hoped that she would be recalled back to work soon, Musu was not confident in her answer. Her response was premised on the communication she had with her boss who explained that they are still trying to recover from the financial ruins the closure had on their business.

"I may be recalled soon, maybe later, and maybe not at all. Because who knows when this pandemic will go forever. Because it's still around, and nothing is still working well. I don't think we can overturn all the damages caused by the pandemic as far as I am concerned. And that means my family and I will continue to suffer."

Lamin Touray is a tourist taxi driver who used to ply only within the tourism development areas where he could attract tourist guests. With that, his earning sometimes could hit 3,000 Gambian Dalasis (about 60 U.S. dollars). But this has been severely cut as a result of lockdown last year.

"It was the best business for me. It was the best job for me because my earning was super good. Money was not my problem, and my family was enjoying it. But since the outbreak [of the pandemic], it all turned sour and messy. The saddest thing for me is it has taken too long than I expected it. I thought this pandemic would last shorter."

Touray told Xinhua he is still living with the impact of the pandemic because it's difficult to keep his household on regular feeding, schooling, and other household necessities.

"I pray that the coronavirus disappears now. I have since been driving within the communities as normal taxi operators and collect D40 per trip. I am not used to this because I consider it a waste of fuel. This is in no way closer to the business in the tourism area," he lamented.

As more jobs in the tourism industry remain at risk because the employment providers are struggling to revive themselves, some have called for the government's bailout.

"As an industry, we expected the government assistance in the form of subsidy to salvage the industry. We also expect the government to advise or intervene with the banks to put on hold all interests on loans taken by key players of the industry as well as for the government to support all stakeholders with soft loans as done in Senegal, Ghana, Cape Verde among other countries in the subregion," said Shiekh Tijan Nyang, the former director of Gambia Tourism Board.

Nyang, who is the principal of the Institute for Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG), said the pandemic has cost his school a heavy economic loss due to nonpayment of tuition fees by the students.

The Gambia has so far recorded 5,940 coronavirus cases since the confirmation of the first case in March 2020, with 5,674 recoveries and 175 deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 02:55:35|Editor: huaxia

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KHARTOUM, May 17 (Xinhua) -- As the Paris Conference for Supporting Sudan's Transitional Period started on Monday, Sudan hopes the conference in France would help settle their country's foreign debts and support its development projects.

With wide regional and international participation, the two-day conference in Paris are divided into three sessions that will focus on the developments in Sudan, particularly the economic reform measures and Sudan's huge potentials, resources and investment opportunities.

The conference is set to review projects to be presented by Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Jibril Ibrahim in four round-table meetings in presence of the ministers concerned.

Sudan is seeking exemption of its foreign debts exceeding 56 billion U.S. dollars largely owed to international financial institutions.

"The Paris conference constitutes the biggest economic gathering to support Sudan ... a chance to reflect the international willingness for supporting the democratic transformation in Sudan and improving the economic situation in the country," Abdalla Noureddine, a Sudanese economic analyst, told Xinhua.

Sudan is already qualified to benefit from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative launched in 2020, he said, describing Sudan's foreign debts as "the biggest barrier before its economic reform."

"The HIPC initiative sets conditions for the poor countries to have their debts relieved, including acceptance of the International Monetary Fund into their reform programs and paying part of their debts to international institutions," he noted.

With regard to its development, Sudan hopes the Paris conference would provide the necessary financing for it to implement an economic development project worth 15 billion dollars that covers vital domains such as energy, transport and infrastructures.

"Sudan has preceded the conference by passing important laws to attract international investors, namely the investment law and adopting the dual banking system and the partnership law between the public and private sectors," Abdul-Jalil Ibrahim, a Sudanese economic analyst, told Xinhua.

The Sudanese government team participating in the conference has prepared about 18 projects, including the national energy project with the aim to increase the electricity production by 1,000 megawatts at a total cost of about 1.1 billion dollars.

Other projects include the rehabilitation of the national airline Sudan Airways by purchasing a new fleet of planes and restoring the catering and ground services at a cost of 2 billion dollars, and rehabilitation of the national Sudan Shipping Line at a cost of 2 billion dollars and rehabilitation of the Sudanese railways at a cost of 2.6 billion dollars. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 10:19:38|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government on Monday announced the termination of the appointment of Moshe Itzhak Osdaicher as the country's honorary consul in Northern Israel.

The termination is with effect from February 2021, Spokesperson for Zimbabwe's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Constance Chemwayi said in a statement.

The ministry did not give reasons for the termination of the appointment.

"This means that Mr. Osdaicher does not hold any functions, privileges and immunities attached to this post as expressed in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 and he no longer represents the Government of Zimbabwe in any capacity," Chemwayi said.

Zimbabwe's foreign ministry thanked the Israeli national for his efforts during his tenure as honorary consul and expressed its desire to maintain and strengthen relations between Zimbabwe and Israel.

In August 2020, Osdaicher and Zimbabwe's Honorary Consul in Israel Ronny Levi Musan met Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, where they expressed commitment to help boost bilateral and economic ties between the two countries. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 16:33:50|Editor: huaxia

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People perform during an activity to celebrate the International Museum day in Kampala, Uganda, May 18, 2021. As the world commemorates the International Museum Day (IMD) on Tuesday, Uganda held activities like vintage drive shows, museum tours and music performances in the capital Kampala to raise public awareness on the importance of museums. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

KAMPALA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- As the world commemorates the International Museum Day (IMD) on Tuesday, Uganda held a vintage car drive in the capital Kampala to raise public awareness on the importance of museums.

Over 30 vehicles were driven on Monday for 45 km as one of the activities to commemorate the festival, Catherine Ajiambo, research officer at Uganda National Museum, told Xinhua.

The International Museum Day is celebrated on May 18 every year. The theme this year is "The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine."

Ajiambo said the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has partnered with other stakeholders to hold activities like vintage drive shows, museum tours and music performances, among others.

Doreen Katusiime, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the IMD commemorations are part of the government's efforts to promote heritage, adding that museums are vital for cultural exchange, cooperation and peace among people.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected museum operations, and therefore there is now need to be innovative and to provide a cultural experience to the society, she said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 18:31:35|Editor: huaxia

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Clare Mateke, the acting director of Livingstone Museum, poses for a photo at the entrance of the museum in Livingstone, southern Zambia, on May 14, 2021. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua)

LUSAKA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- It is an established fact that museums the world over have registered a sharp decline in incomes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because almost all museums rely on international visitors to survive.

While some museums have closed, others are still operating because they are employing innovative measures to reach visitors.

Livingstone Museum, which is located in Livingstone, a city in southern Zambia, is one of the heritage places that have continued to operate, thanks to its programs that target local people.

The museum has been conducting educational talks about its products and services in schools and other communities, efforts which have seen local people develop an interest in their culture and heritage.

"The response has been good, we now have more locals coming through to the museum," said Clare Mateke, the acting director of Livingstone Museum.

Mateke revealed that Livingstone Museum is currently working to have a mobile exhibitions program aimed at bringing its products and services closer to communities.

"We plan to have mobile exhibitions and move around communities with some exhibits as well as give talks about our products and services. This will also be an opportunity for us to learn from communities how best to deliver our programs," she said.

Mateke also revealed that the museum, has during this period used its social media platforms as well as website extensively to aggressively market its products and services.

She further mentioned that before the advent of the COVID-19, the museum used to have a minimum of about 50 international visitors every day. Today, it receives only about five international visitors per day.

"That is why we are encouraging local people to take an interest in their heritage and visit the museum," Mateke asserted.

According to a report by the International Council of Museums, the situation for museums and their professionals remains dire, with serious economic, social and psychological repercussions in the short and long term alike.

Despite this gloomy picture, the COVID-19 crisis, however, has served as a catalyst for innovations, some of which were already underway, notably an increased focus on digitization and the creation of new forms of cultural experience and dissemination.

In 2020, despite the limitations imposed by a digital-only format, #IMD2020 activities reached more than 83 million users on social media on May 18.

As the world commemorates International Museum Day this year under the theme "The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine," museums are being called upon to come up with new business models for cultural institutions and innovative solutions for the social, economic and environmental challenges of the present. Enditem
Automotive shops dont come with a view. They come with grease and rags and the rubbery smell of fresh tires. But a view? No.

Automotive shops dont come with a view. They come with grease and rags and the rubbery smell of fresh tires. But a view? No.

Then, theres the Auto Centre at the Bay.

From the upper deck of the parkade next to the once full, now empty and boarded-up store on Portage Avenue, owner Mike Timlick has an enviable view of Winnipegs downtown. Look right, and theres the Winnipeg Art Gallery and its new beacon, Qaumajuq. Look straight ahead, and Timlicks eyes meet the twinkling peepers on the Golden Boys face.

"In the summer, I come in every day, 6:45 a.m., and if its nice out I grab my coffee, sit by myself out there on a little rolling chair I bring out," says Timlick, 59, who bought the auto shop in 2012. "Suns rising, look out at the Legislative Building. Its beautiful. Its a nice little scene."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mike Timlick opens up one of the bay doors to reveal the view.

Its a changing scene. Perhaps more than any other neighbourhood in the city, the face of Winnipegs downtown has been changed by the novel coronavirus. However, the automotive shop, opened in 1964, has been witness to that change long before the pandemic began.

"The times keep on changing," Timlick said, paraphrasing Bob Dylan and Steve Miller.

On Oct. 29, 1954  the day the Bay Parkade opened  there was a massive celebration to mark the occasion. A crowd of nearly 200 onlookers assembled on Vaughan Street to watch a 1953 Buick Super convertible tear through a ribbon and become the first car to park in one of its 135 spots. The Royal Canadian Artillery Band performed in uniform to christen the structure, designed by Moody Moore Architects and built at a cost of roughly $8.3 million in todays dollars.

The Bay Parkade and auto centre HBC ARCHIVES

The Bay store manager and first customers drive through a ribbon on Oct. 19, 1954, the day the Bay Parkade opened.

HBC ARCHIVES

The parcel pickup station in the parkade (1954).

HBC ARCHIVES

The Auto Centre lit up just after the new year in 1965

HBC ARCHIVES

An entrance to the store from the second tier of the parkade.

HBC ARCHIVES

The RCHA performed at the opening of the parkade on Oct. 29, 1954.

HBC ARCHIVES

A view of the parkade when it was only the ground level and second tier (1954).

HBC ARCHIVES

An Auto Centre worker in 1964.

HBC ARCHIVES

A promotional photograph of an Auto Centre worker taken for the Bays corporate publications (1964).



It was the first parkade built by the Hudsons Bay Company to address the oncoming boom of the personal vehicle, the result of eight years of research by engineers and Bay executives, who spent weeks travelling in the United States and consulted Yale Universitys Urban Land Institute in their planning.

"The war years and the immediate post-war period made plain that downtown department stores in medium-sized cities would have to do something to provide off-street parking facilities and counteract growing competition of shopping centres in suburban areas," read an article in the Bay News, the companys in-house newspaper.

The parkade would be as vital in the stores success downtown as woolen blankets and parkas.

The purpose of the parkade was to enhance the shopping experience and the shoppers convenience, allowing customers to buy more product while also charging them a modest hourly rate. Soon, parkades were added to the Bays Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and Vancouver stores.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Timlick sometimes enjoys the view with his morning coffee in the summer.

With the first two tiers in Winnipeg consistently full, and automotive registration rising, the Bay added a third level in 1955. By 1964, there was a need for a fourth deck, expanding parking capacity to 849 vehicles. On the fourth deck, the company planned to add a tire, battery and auto accessories centre.

The automotive centre corresponded with the Bays desire to be a place where consumers could get everything they needed, whether a meal, a bottle of liquor, a cashed cheque, or even a tune-up.

It sold the tires and the batteries, and fixed them when they needed repairs: for workers downtown, that meant parking their vehicles and getting their oil changed while they toiled away at the office or at the nearby Law Courts. And as the parkade grew taller, the store expanded, repurposing storage space as merchandise areas while other stores opened across the city.

As arms of the Bays business model, the automotive centre and the parkade were successful: anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles came into the parkade on a daily basis throughout the 1960s, with signs directing them to the upper deck and to the Auto Centre, which was conveniently located next to a store entrance. There were also hundreds of employees who became repeat customers, including some who still go today.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Timlick bought the auto centre in 2012.

"Every car Ive had since 1977 has been looked after by the garage at the Bay," said Nora Loades, 91, who was the manager of furs and later the bridal department. "Theyve taken very good care of me."

Around the time Loades started at the Bay was when Timlick first saw the Auto Centre. He took power mechanics courses and got into the automotive business right out of school, and sold parts to the centres owners. He was a bit shocked to find that there was a garage atop the parkade, he remembers.

By 1986, the company sold off the Winnipeg parkade to Citipark, with others across Canada selling around the same time. The regional operations manager told the Free Press then that managing the facilities didnt fit with the Bays mainstream operation: theyd still benefit from the properties without having to staff them or maintain them.

"Were really not parkade operators," he said. The move also coincided with the Bay growing its footprint out of downtowns and into suburban areas and shopping malls.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Timlick (left), and mechanic Ted Paszko work on a car at the garage.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2010s, the Bay, though still an important building, underwent major changes as did the downtown, with customer foot traffic steadily decreasing and the stores displays shrinking year over year. The Auto Centre continued to do steady business.

Then in 2012, one thing led to another, and Timlick bought the shop, knowing it was a stable business with loyal customers dating back decades.

"I was almost 50," he said, recalling discussing the purchase with his wife and crunching the numbers. "How many opportunities like that do you get? If I make it work, great. If its a total failure, Ill survive. Theres always a risk."

Less than three years later, Timlick paid off his debt, with the inherited customer base sticking with him. The first few years were phenomenal, he said.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A sign points the way to the top level of the Auto Centre on top of The Bay parking garage.

Yet for however well business was going atop the parkade, the 650,000 square-foot building next door wasnt doing so hot. By 2019, as the coronavirus arrived, the iconic retail store had consolidated its stock to two of its six levels, and was sparsely visited, a shell of its former majestic self. A company-wide valuation of HBCs real estate holdings pegged the buildings value at $0.

On Nov. 30, the company officially closed the store, just shy of its 100th anniversary. Despite that, the Auto Centre at the Bay is nearing its 58th year of business.

Timlick says three lockdowns have done a number on his business, which relies on people coming downtown to work. "Our location has hurt us," he said. "But in saying that, its helped us, and our base customers have continued to support us."

He never expected his own business to outlive the Bay, but says he understands it: big, downtown department stores are struggling everywhere, especially right now, to remain in the black.

Admittedly, business is slower at the shop, too. "But as long as people are driving, we will be in business," Timlick said. "Its heartbreaking to see so many places struggling around here, but I think itll come back. I really do."

Not a bad outlook from a garage with a view.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 18:44:21|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, May 18 (Xinhua) --The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Monday that it has reached an agreement on the disbursement of 410 million U.S. dollar loan facility to Kenya as part of a financing package approved in April.

In a statement issued online, the IMF said Kenya will receive funds worth 285 million special drawing rights (SDR), equivalent to about 410 million U.S. dollars, once approved by the IMF Executive Board set to meet in the coming weeks.

In April, the IMF approved a financing program of SDR 1.655 billion, or about 2.34 billion U.S. dollars, for Kenya to be disbursed over a period of 38 months under the Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements, to support the country's economic recovery amid COVID-19 pandemic. About 307.5 million U.S. dollars were immediately released for budget support.

The first review of the 38-month aid package took place during virtual discussions from April 29 to May 14.

IMF said in the statement that economic recovery is under way in Kenya and the easing of the COVID-19 third wave in the country suggests activity should continue picking up.

The IMF, however, noted the pickup will be less strong than anticipated due to the pandemic and revised its forecast for Kenya's economic growth in 2021 downwards to 6.3 percent from an earlier projection of 7.6 percent.

The IMF said Kenya's growth prospects are strong and in the medium term growth is expected to settle at its potential of just above 6 percent.

The IMF lauded Kenya's policy actions to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, adding that the government's actions helped to cushion the blow to the economy and maintained the momentum necessary to advance economic reform agenda. Enditem
WASHINGTON - It may take three-quarters of Canadians getting vaccinated against COVID-19 before Canada and the United States can seriously consider reopening their shared border, Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

WASHINGTON - It may take three-quarters of Canadians getting vaccinated against COVID-19 before Canada and the United States can seriously consider reopening their shared border, Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

The prime minister acknowledged that preliminary talks  described as "officials-level" by those familiar with the discussions  are ongoing, but tamped down any expectations that cross-border travel restrictions could be lifted any time soon.

"We know that there are still real concerns around transmission of the virus, but we will continue to work with our partners and hopefully get to a better place when the time is appropriate," Trudeau told a news conference.

"We're all eager to get back to normal, but we know that before we get back to normal, cases need to be under control and over 75 per cent of people need to be vaccinated."

Discretionary travel between Canada and the United States has been prohibited since March 2020, when the severity of the coming COVID-19 crisis first made itself evident on North American soil.

That restriction, due to expire Friday, is all but certain to be extended by another 30 days before the end of the week.

Canada is still not out of the current third wave of COVID-19 and has much more work to do before it's safe for travel to resume, Trudeau said  a stark contrast to the brightening skies south of the border.

In the U.S., a blistering vaccination pace has prompted public health officials to lift face mask requirements for people who are fully vaccinated.

That has some U.S. lawmakers urging President Joe Biden to get serious about drafting a plan to allow travel to and from Canada to resume in time for the July 4 holiday.

New York Rep. Brian Higgins wrote to Biden last week urging him to "directly engage" with Trudeau on a plan to reopen the border, including a partial easing of the restrictions before the end of the month.

Others, including Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, have been making similar calls, echoing the concerns of businesses, property owners and border communities that depend on the ability to move easily between the two countries.

A consortium of Canadian business leaders wrote a similar letter Monday to Trudeau  a letter that happened to mention the same 75 per cent threshold the prime minister did.

"By midsummer, if not sooner, some three-quarters of Canadian adults will be at least partially vaccinated, and one in five will be fully vaccinated," by which point restrictions ought to be eased, reads the letter, signed by the presidents of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, among dozens of others.

"As the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter, Canadians will be looking to their leaders for transparency, guidance and a clear plan."

The White House, for its part, is constantly assessing the situation in other countries to ensure it has the right controls in place, press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

But as for whether the U.S. has a target date in mind for opening the border, Psaki was noncommittal.

"I don't have any update on the timeline," she said.

"We are certainly always assessing as it relates to travel borders  what we need to do and keep in place in order to keep the American people safe, especially during a global pandemic. But we are constantly evaluating."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

 With files from Jordan Press in Ottawa
WASHINGTON (AP)  In agreeing to hear a potentially groundbreaking abortion case, the Supreme Court has energized activists on both sides of the long-running debate who are now girding to make abortion access a major issue in next years midterm elections.

FILE - This May 17, 2019, file photo, shows an examination/procedure room at the Jackson Women's Health Organization in Jackson, Miss. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a potentially ground-breaking abortion case, and the news is energizing activists on both sides of the contentious issue. They're already girding to make abortion access a high-profile issue in next years midterm elections. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  In agreeing to hear a potentially groundbreaking abortion case, the Supreme Court has energized activists on both sides of the long-running debate who are now girding to make abortion access a major issue in next years midterm elections.

For many evangelicals, the case could serve as a validation of more than four decades of persistent work and a sometimes awkward relationship with former President Donald Trump, whose three Supreme Court appointments sealed a 6-3 conservative majority. If those justices unite to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, it would mark a first step toward the possible demise of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, roughly 24 weeks.

Abortion rights advocates, meanwhile, are urgently warning that the case is the biggest threat to decades of rulings that have consistently upheld, with some caveats, a woman's constitutional right to decide whether to end her pregnancy.

Since the Roe decision, abortion has become a defining theme in American politics, emerging as the sole issue that some voters use to assess which candidates they'll support. The Mississippi case could emerge as another turning point  with unpredictable results. Abortion opponents may become further emboldened if their long-desired goal moves closer to reality, while an unfavorable decision could spur supporters to intensify calls for dramatic changes to the judiciary.

For now, both sides say they are fully engaged.

"This is huge  it's saying that for the first time in a long time that we have a pro-life majority on the Supreme Court," said Katherine Beck Johnson, a lawyer with the conservative Family Research Council. "It will encourage the voting base to get out and vote Republican."

Jennifer Dalven, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project, said the high court's decision to hear the case was "really alarming."

"For more than 40 years the Supreme Court has said states cant ban abortion prior to viability," Dalven said. "There is simply no way for the court to rule for Mississippi without gutting Roe v. Wade."

The case probably will be argued in the fall, with a decision likely in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections. Many abortion-rights groups urged their supporters to start mobilizing now.

FILE - In this May 21, 2019, file photo, an abortion rights advocate holds signage at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., voicing her opposition to state legislatures passing abortion bans that prohibit most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a potentially ground-breaking abortion case, and the news is energizing activists on both sides of the contentious issue. They're already girding to make abortion access a high-profile issue in next years midterm elections. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

"Theres never been a more important time to elect Democratic pro-choice women to local and national office," said one of those groups, Emily's List. "If the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, well need all the help we can get."

Even if the court does not explicitly overrule Roe, a decision favorable to Mississippi could lay the groundwork for allowing more restrictions on abortion. Bills have been enacted in multiple Republican-governed states that would ban abortion as early as six weeks, and also in cases where a decision to abort was based solely on a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Nationwide polls have repeatedly shown that most Americans support the premise of Roe v. Wade. An April poll from the Pew Research Center found that 59% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while 39% think it should be illegal in most or all cases.

Some abortion opponents, noting those surveys, are skeptical that the Supreme Court would fully overturn Roe.

"The Supreme Court has never led public opinion but followed it when it comes to major issues like slavery, gay marriage and womens rights," said the Rev. Robert Jeffress, a Dallas megachurch pastor who has been a close ally of Trump.

"As long as 70% of the American people oppose the overturn of Roe, it will never happen," he said. "Realistically, conservatives can hope that the court uses the Mississippi case to chip away at unrestricted abortion in our country."

Charles Camosy, a professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, also acknowledged those poll findings. But he noted that the Gallup poll has repeatedly found that more than two-thirds of Americans say abortion should be illegal after the 12th week of pregnancy  a time frame that is in force in several European countries.

"I doubt the courts majority is willing to totally undo the legal right to abortion," he said. "More than likely is they will rule that a 15-week limitation does not pose an undue burden on a womans right to abortion."

White evangelicals, who remain among Trumps most loyal backers, had celebrated his overhaul of the federal courts and his reshaping of the Supreme Court as perhaps his greatest accomplishment. But there remains trepidation after the court surprised them by failing to rule their way in past cases.

"Trying to predict what the Supreme Court is going to do on a state statute on abortion regulation is like trying to predict the path of a hurricane, only more difficult, because there are a lot of things at play," said Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a longtime ally of Trump.

Reed acknowledged that abortion is only a top issue for a small minority of voters but argued that in many competitive congressional and gubernatorial elections, "it could theoretically be the difference."

"Its not necessarily the issue that ranks highest in terms of determining ones vote, but it still matters in terms of intensity and enthusiasm," he said.

Among 2022 U.S. Senate races where the issue could be a key factor are those in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

If the Mississippi ban is upheld, "pro-lifers would be energized," said Michael New, an abortion opponent who teaches social research at Catholic University of America.

"It would show that the strategy of supporting pro-life candidates for the presidency resulted in a Supreme Court that was sympathetic to legal protections to preborn children," he said. "Pro-life state legislators in other states would likely pass similar 15-week abortion bans, confident that these bans would also be upheld."

The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said he was optimistic the Mississippi ban would be upheld, giving abortion-rights groups a chance to mobilize their supporters with warnings of Roe's demise while infusing abortion opponents with a new sense of optimism.

"Pro-life voters are looking for progress," Mohler said. "What serves to deflate the vote of pro-life Americans is frustration at the impression of the lack of progress."

Mallory Quigley of the Susan B. Anthony List, which seeks to elect anti-abortion candidates, predicted the issue would be a "huge motivator on both sides" going into the midterms.

As far as Republicans, she said, "Its motivating to see how past electoral choices are impacting policy today and then moving forward, what more is to be done."

Abortion-rights supporter Kelly Baden of the State Innovation Exchange, a strategy center for state legislators who champion progressive values, said the wave of anti-abortion legislation in Republican-led states "shows how much weve already lost and how dire our circumstances already are."

"But we have the power to take it back," she said. "If and when the courts let us down, we can and must show up at the voting booth."

Crary reported from New York.

This story has been corrected to show Kelly Badens organization is State Innovation Exchange, not Strategic Initiatives and Services.
OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau says he first learned weeks ago that the general overseeing Canada's vaccination campaign was under investigation, which the prime minister described on Tuesday as "not an ideal situation."

OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau says he first learned weeks ago that the general overseeing Canada's vaccination campaign was under investigation, which the prime minister described on Tuesday as "not an ideal situation."

The comments during a regular COVID-19 update represented the first from Trudeau since the Department of National Defence announced late Friday that Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin was being replaced because of an unspecified military investigation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A source who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Canadian Press that the investigation relates to an allegation of sexual misconduct.

CTV News has reported that Fortin is being investigated for having allegedly exposed himself to a woman while he was an officer cadet at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Que., in 1989.

Fortin's military lawyer Cmdr. Mark Letourneau said his client only learned of the details of the allegation when reached by a reporter on Sunday, and that he categorically denies any wrongdoing.

Trudeau told reporters that he was not given the details of the allegation against Fortin as he was pressed on why the Liberal government did not replace the general immediately after it learned of the investigation.

The prime minister also deferred to military authorities when asked why more information about the nature of the investigation has not been publicly disclosed by the government or Department of National Defence.

Some experts as well as Conservative Leader Erin OToole have criticized the secrecy surrounding Fortins removal on Friday, which was announced in a terse three-line statement from the Defence Department.

"I understand all these questions, and they're very legitimate questions," Trudeau said.

"This is also not an ideal situation to be in, particularly in this moment of crisis, in this moment of importance, on the vaccine rollout. But it is really, really important that we have proper processes in place and that any concerns be followed up on."

The Liberal government and military have both been under fire over their handling of several other cases involving allegations of misconduct against senior officers, including former chief of the defence staff general Jonathan Vance.

The House of Commons defence committee has been specifically drilling into why the government didn't do more after then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne flagged an allegation involving Vance to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in March 2018.

The nature of the complaint reported by Walbourne has not been confirmed, but Global has reported that it involves a lewd email Vance allegedly sent to a service member he significantly outranked in 2012, before he became commander of Canadas military.

Vance, who stepped down as chief of the defence staff in January and retired from the military in April, has not responded to requests for comment from The Canadian Press, but Global has reported he denies any wrongdoing.

Conservative members on Tuesday tabled a motion proposing to summon Sajjan's former chief of staff, Zita Astravas, to explain how and why the allegation was handled and hold her in contempt if she refuses.

The Liberals have said they would not let ministerial staff members appear before the committee, after opposition parties used their superior numbers in the House of Commons last month to call for Astravas to testify. Sajjan appeared in her stead.

Liberal members dragged out debate on the motion, calling for an end to further hearings so the committee could start writing a final report even as opposition members argued Astravass testimony remains critical.

The Conservatives also wanted to have the committee to expand the scope of its study to include the governments handling of the allegation involving Fortin. But that proposal was defeated after the Bloc Quebecois and NDP sided with the Liberals.

"We've heard from witness after witness at this committee that  a lack of due process is part of the reason so many members, so many victims, so many members of the Armed Forces have lost confidence in the processes," Liberal MP Yvan Baker said.

For his part, Trudeau sought to reassure Canadians that the vaccination campaign, which is now being overseen by Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, will not be negatively affected by Fortin's departure.

The Public Health Agency of Canada announced late Monday that Brodie, a 30-year veteran of the military who was working with Fortin on the vaccination campaign, would be taking over.

"Brig.-Gen. Brodie had already played a key role in the vaccine rollout with the Public Health Agency," Trudeau said. "She, along with the team that's been there since day one, is ready and able to get millions of doses to Canadians in the coming weeks."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  A journalist in Bangladesh known for her strong reporting on official corruption was arrested on charges of violating a colonial-era official secrets act which carries a possible death penalty, authorities said Tuesday.

Bangladeshi journalist Rozina Islam, center, is escorted by police to a court in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Police in Bangladesh's capital have arrested the prominent journalist on charges of stealing and photographing sensitive state information. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  A journalist in Bangladesh known for her strong reporting on official corruption was arrested on charges of violating a colonial-era official secrets act which carries a possible death penalty, authorities said Tuesday.

Rozina Islam, a senior reporter for the leading Prothom Alo newspaper, allegedly used her cellphone without permission to photograph documents related to government negotiations to buy coronavirus vaccines while she waited in the room of an official involved in the process, according to case documents seen by The Associated Press.

Islam is known for reporting on corruption involving the Ministry of Health and others. Several of her recent stories have drawn attention to the millions of dollars spent procuring health equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Bangladeshi journalist Rozina Islam, center, is escorted by police to a court in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Police in Bangladesh's capital have arrested the prominent journalist on charges of stealing and photographing sensitive state information. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

She was held for more than five hours late Monday in the room of a personal assistant of the secretary of the Ministry of Health, said her sister, Sabina Parvin. Her family said she was physically and mentally harassed while being held.

Islam was then handed over to police and faces charges under the Penal Code and Official Secrets Act for alleged theft and photographing of sensitive state documents, said Harun-or-Rashid, an additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The charges carry a possible death penalty, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.

Maidul Islam Prodhan, a spokesman for the health ministry, said Islam took photos of important documents.

She was also taking away some documents. An additional secretary and a policeman challenged her at the time. Later, the policewomen were called in, he said.

On Tuesday, she appeared in court, where police sought to hold her for interrogation for five days and defense lawyers sought her release on bail. The magistrate rejected both appeals and sent her to jail until her next court appearance on Thursday, defense lawyer Ehsanul Haque Shomaji said.

Journalists groups in Bangladesh and the CPJ demanded her release.

We are deeply alarmed that Bangladesh officials detained a journalist and filed a complaint under a draconian colonial-era law that carries ridiculously harsh penalties, said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJs senior Asia researcher.

Bangladesh police and authorities should recognize that Rozina Islam is a journalist whose work is a public service and should immediately drop the case against her and allow her to go free.

Earlier this month, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch said Bangladeshi journalists are risking arbitrary arrest, torture and harassment under a widely used Digital Security Act.

It said at least 247 journalists were reportedly subjected to attacks, harassment and intimidation by state officials and others affiliated with the government in 2020. More than 900 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act, with nearly 1,000 people charged and 353 detained, many of them journalists, it said.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Authorities blocked a popular news site in Belarus that extensively covered months of protests against the country's authoritarian president, and they also raided the site's office and the homes of some of its journalists.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Authorities blocked a popular news site in Belarus that extensively covered months of protests against the country's authoritarian president, and they also raided the site's office and the homes of some of its journalists.

Belarusian authorities maintained that Tut.by violated media laws by publishing content on behalf of BYSOL, a foundation that helps victims of political repression. They said the foundation lacked proper state registration. Officials also accused Tut.by of tax evasion and launched a criminal probe of the site's top staff members, who could face charges that carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

The authorities raided Tut.bys offices in Minsk and other regions, and the homes of its journalists and employees on Tuesday, breaking the door leading to the apartment of Maryna Zolatava, the sites chief editor. At least six Tut.by employees  including Zolatava and Tut.by journalist Alena Talkachova, whose apartment was also searched  were taken in for questioning, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

According to Tut.by, at least 12 of the site's employees have been detained, and the whereabouts of several journalists from other media outlets who went to the news site's office in the morning to cover the raid remained unknown. Tut.by said in its account on the Telegram messaging app that law enforcement officers also visited Yuliya Charnyauskaya, widow of the sites founder, Yury Zisser, and she was hospitalized after suffering an episode of hypertension.

The U.S. Embassy in Minsk condemned the actions targeting the news site. These efforts to stamp out independent thinking reflect the worst inclinations of the last century, the embassy said in a statement.

Independent media in Belarus came under pressure in the wake of mass protests triggered by President Alexander Lukashenkos disputed reelection. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, won his sixth term in office in an August election. Opposition supporters and some poll workers said the election was riddled with fraud, and the opposition rejected the results.

Lukashenko also unleashed a harsh crackdown on the demonstrations, the largest of which drew up to 200,000 people. More than 34,000 people have been arrested since August, and thousands were brutally beaten.

The authorities have also targeted independent media outlets, detaining journalists covering the protests and leveling criminal charges against some of them. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, 16 reporters are currently behind bars awaiting trial or serving sentences.

The U.S. Embassy called Tuesdays raids the latest in a series of punitive actions directed against a media outlet whose primary crime appears to be its objective reporting on peaceful protests resulting from the fraudulent 2020 elections and the regimes violent and cruel actions in response.

Last year, the Belarusian government stripped Tut.by of its media credentials. It continued to operate regardless, but two of its journalists remain in prison. Katsiaryna Barysevich was sentenced to six months over her investigation into a protester's death, and Lyubov Kasperovich was sentenced to 15 days in jail Monday after covering a trial related to the protests.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists issued a statement Tuesday urging the Belarusian government to stop impeding the work of the media.

The actions against the biggest and the most popular news site of the country are part of a deliberate government policy to restrict uncensored information in the country, the statement said. After the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, dozens of socio-political and media sites were blocked in Belarus, and a number of print outlets were forced to stop publishing."

The European Union delegation to Belarus also condemned the crackdown on Tut.by in a Facebook statement.

Tut.by has been the flagship of Belarusian journalism for the past 20 years, read and appreciated by most internet users in the country and many beyond it, as well as by diplomats working with Belarus. Freedom of the media must be upheld, the statement said.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran against Lukashenko in the August presidential election, called the actions of authorities Tuesday a deliberate murder of the media and the independent site Tut.by."

The crowd of people who hold power in Belarus is a real occupation regime: They're killing the media, they're killing parties and communities, they're killing us  in the streets and in prisons," Tsikhanouskaya, who left Belarus under pressure from authorities and is currently in exile in Lithuania, said in a statement.

She added that she and her team were in touch with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, demanding an immediate reaction from the EU.
DETROIT (AP)  President Joe Biden took executive action Tuesday to ensure minorities, low-income Americans and others have better access to quality legal representation after services dwindled during the Trump administration.

President Joe Biden speaks about distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, in the East Room of the White House, Monday, May 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

DETROIT (AP)  President Joe Biden took executive action Tuesday to ensure minorities, low-income Americans and others have better access to quality legal representation after services dwindled during the Trump administration.

Biden signed a memorandum directing the Department of Justice to restore key functions of the shuttered Access to Justice Office and to reestablish the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable.

The plans were laid out in a presidential memo first shared with The Associated Press. The White House said Biden was directing the roundtable to examine the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on access to justice in both civil and criminal matters.

The pandemic has further exposed and exacerbated inequities in our justice system as legal services were curtailed, Biden wrote. He added that the problems "have touched the lives of many persons in this country, particularly low-income people and people of color.

President Joe Biden walks from the podium after speaking about distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, in the East Room of the White House, Monday, May 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Tuesdays memo is Bidens latest step to work toward reforming the criminal justice system and advancing racial equity. It comes almost a year after the death of George Floyd sparked global protests and demands for action to address structural racism.

It builds on an executive order Biden signed on his first day in office establishing an initiative to prioritize equity in government operations. His proposed budget seeks $1.5 billion to strengthen state and local criminal justice systems, including public defenders. White House officials said the latest step will build on those efforts.

Civil rights organizations and leaders have been pressing the Biden administration to reestablish the Access to Justice Office and its work. The memo doesnt explicitly reopen the office but requires Attorney General Merrick Garland to submit a plan within 120 days to expand work on access to justice.

The Access to Justice office was begun in 2010 by then-Attorney General Eric Holder and was formally established in 2016 under President Barack Obama. It worked on matters including criminal indigent defense, enforcement of fines, language barriers in the courts and civil legal aid.

The office was shut by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2018, with senior Justice Department officials saying its mission was similar to the role of public defenders. Even before the office was closed, its resources dwindled.

The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable was first formed in 2012 and was launched as a White House initiative in 2015 to find ways to improve access and help people representing themselves, among other things.

The announcement comes as the Biden Justice Department has been refocusing the agency around civil rights, prioritizing policing reform measures and combating racial discrimination.

In just the past few weeks, the department has opened investigations of police in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors have charged four former Minneapolis police officers with civil rights violations in Floyds death and accused three men of hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.

And many Trump-era policies have been reversed, including the Trump administrations so-called zero tolerance immigration policy and a memo that curtailed the use of sweeping investigations into police departments.



Stafford is a national investigative writer with The Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Kat__Stafford. Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report from Washington
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  President Joe Bidens efforts to spotlight his big infrastructure plans are suddenly being overshadowed by the escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians, the conflict sparking protests during his visit to a Ford electric vehicle center in Michigan on Tuesday as the White House faced growing pressure to intervene.

President Joe Biden waves as he walks towards Marine One on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  President Joe Bidens efforts to spotlight his big infrastructure plans are suddenly being overshadowed by the escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians, the conflict sparking protests during his visit to a Ford electric vehicle center in Michigan on Tuesday as the White House faced growing pressure to intervene.

Biden, who planned to use the two week-stretch before Memorial Day to build Republican support for his $2.3 trillion package, visited a Ford plant in Dearborn to make his case that his plans could help steer the country toward a bright electric-car future.

But any presidential script is subject to real-world rewrites, and Biden faces rising pressure to weigh in more forcefully to stop the Middle East violence  as, by a scheduling quirk, he visited a city that is almost half Arab American.

In a speech at the plant, Biden made only passing mention of the conflict, warmly addressing Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan as she sat in the audience, saying he would pray that her grandmother and other relatives were well in the West Bank.

I promise you Im going to do everything to see that they are, Biden said.

President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One on the Ellipse at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Biden also met Tlaib and fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell earlier at the Detroit airport, where all three huddled on the tarmac for several minutes in what appeared to be an animated conversation. Tlaib has publicly pressed Biden to get behind a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire  a measure that the U.S. has blocked from moving forward.

He was very compassionate  he listened, Dingell said of Biden. Hes deeply concerned.

The Biden administration has been conducting what it calls quiet diplomacy while declining to press for an immediate cease-fire by close ally Israel and Hamas. But privately, Biden administration officials have encouraged the Israelis to wind down their bombardment of Gaza.

Marine One with President Joe Biden aboard arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Biden is traveling to Michigan to visit a Ford plant. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Officials have been told by the Israelis that the operations could conclude in a matter of days.

The White House has made the calculation that the Israelis will not respond to international resolutions or public demands by the U.S. and that the greatest leverage is behind-the-scenes pressure, officials said. At the same time, the White House is mindful that the longer the conflict goes, the greater chance of a very-high-casualty event or other provocative action by either side that could make reaching a cease-fire more difficult.

All the while, Hamas rockets and Israeli airstrikes continued for a ninth day. At least 213 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel have died.

President Joe Biden speaks with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich, right, as he arrives at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

To this point in Biden's young term, foreign policy has taken a back seat. The president has stressed the need to first focus on domestic matters  taming the COVID-19 pandemic and reshaping the economy  to prove that democracies can still compete with global autocracies, namely China.

But the intractable conflict in Gaza has derailed that narrative.

Aboard Air Force One for the flight to Michigan, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was peppered with questions about the administration's response to the violence before she was asked about electric cars. She defended Biden's cautious approach to this point.

President Joe Biden speaks after a tour of the Ford Rouge EV Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Hes been doing this long enough to know that the best way to end an international conflict is typically not to debate it in public," she said.

During his tour of the Dearborn facilities, Biden kept the focus on jobs. The president, a car enthusiast, marveled at the new technology  he even took a truck for a quick test drive  while stressing the importance of his infrastructure plan.

The future of the auto industry is electric. Theres no turning back, Biden said. "The real question is whether well lead or well fall behind in the race to the future.

President Joe Biden stops to talk to the media as he drives a Ford F-150 Lightning truck at Ford Dearborn Development Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

There were protests outside in Dearborn, which is 47% Arab American, most of them Muslim, the highest percentage among cities in the U.S. Outside the local police department, about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from where Biden spoke, hundreds of people of Arab descent chanted, Free, Free Palestine! and waved Palestine flags. Amer Zahr, leader of a group called New Generation for Palestine, said Biden is not welcome in Dearborn today.

He is funding the murder of our families," Zahr said. "Its ethnic cleansing. Its that simple. This is not very complicated."

Biden wanted to orient his foreign policy around American workers, but the Israel conflict has underscored the challenges of combining his domestic and international agendas. The violence has not just been a disrupter of his messaging but also of his policy foundations.

President Joe Biden stops to talk to the media as he drives a Ford F-150 Lightning truck at Ford Dearborn Development Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Biden White House has prided itself on message control and carefully scripting its approach to legislation. The first two months of his term were focused on passing the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and dramatically increasing the nation's vaccination program.

The pivot was then to Biden's two-part infrastructure and family plan, which totals roughly $4 trillion. The president has set a soft deadline of Memorial Day to gauge whether there is Republican support. Not one GOP lawmaker backed the COVID-19 bill, though it had strong public support. There have been a few, if fleeting, signs of possible Republican support for the infrastructure plan.

Last week, a group of Republican senators met with Biden and were set to again sit down with White House officials and Cabinet members on Tuesday. There are some hopes for bipartisan agreement on hard infrastructure  like highways and broadband  before Democrats push forward their family plan on a party-line vote. At minimum, aides have said, they want to make a show of reaching across the aisle to reassure moderate Democrats leery of pushing through massive spending bills using a legislative strategy that bypasses Republicans entirely.

Protesters supporting Palestinians walk down Michigan Ave., as President Joe Biden visits a Ford electric vehicle center nearby, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. Bidens efforts to spotlight his big infrastructure plans are suddenly being overshadowed by the escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Biden's plan would help transform the automotive sector by making vehicles more mainstream that don't burn gasoline. He also sees a shift toward electric vehicles as a major part of his plan to fight climate change, and his visit came the day before Ford was expected to release details of an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup truck called the Lightning.

The president also has to overcome a major hurdle before his electric vehicle, zero emission future becomes reality: the lack of stations where people can plug in and juice up their engines. To that end, Biden has proposed $174 billion for electric vehicles. That money includes rebates and incentives for consumer purchases, along with money to build 500,000 charging stations by 2030.

The White House says the U.S. has just a fraction, about one-third, of the electric vehicle market share that China has, and far fewer public charging points  and needs to catch up before it can take the lead.

At Ford, its F-Series pickups  including heavy-duty versions  have been the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 39 straight years. Last year, the company sold more than 787,000 of the trucks, even though it had to close factories for eight weeks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The F-150 Lightning electric truck, due in showrooms in the middle of next year, will come at a time when few Americans have been willing to switch away from gasoline-powered vehicles. Through April of this year, automakers have sold only 107,624 fully electric vehicles in the U.S.

Lemire reported from New York; Boak reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Chicago, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Mike Householder in Dearborn, Mich., contributed to this report.
MONTREAL - Bombardier Inc. has concluded a $260-million private placement in a bid to resolve a complaint that it breached debt covenants by selling its railway and commercial aircraft businesses.

A Bombardier plant is seen in Montreal on Friday, June 5, 2020. Bombardier Inc. has concluded a $260-million private placement that may resolve a complaint that it breached debt covenants by selling its railway and commercial aircraft businesses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

MONTREAL - Bombardier Inc. has concluded a $260-million private placement in a bid to resolve a complaint that it breached debt covenants by selling its railway and commercial aircraft businesses.

The business jet maker says it issued 7.45 per cent senior notes to an accredited institutional investor at par that now represents 51 per cent of the outstanding 2034 notes.

The debt is the same series held by an investor who last month alleged Bombardier was breaching its covenants.

The Quebec aircraft manufacturer called the allegation "without merit" but decided to seek the consent of other holders of debt to clarify that the asset disposals are permitted.

It received consent from a majority of bond issues but hadn't secured majority support on the 2034 notes.

The unidentified investor has agreed to provide that consent for these notes, apparently settling the matter.

"If you can't beat them, dilute them," wrote Chris Murray of ATB Capital Markets.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BBD.B)
Canadian business leaders are calling on the federal government to lay out a clear and predictable plan for reopening the economy as the country's vaccination rollout gains speed.

People wait for a city bus in a neighbourhood that Ontario has designated a postal code hotspot during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Monday, May 3, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Canadian business leaders are calling on the federal government to lay out a clear and predictable plan for reopening the economy as the country's vaccination rollout gains speed.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the leaders of 61 industry groups say a roadmap for easing restrictions would instil public confidence in a safe and gradual return to a more normal life.

They urge Ottawa to work closely with the premiers to develop a consistent pan-Canadian approach to reopening communities, schools and businesses.

The letter points to the reopening plans of some jurisdictions, such as the U.K.'s four-stage roadmap out of lockdown or Saskatchewan's detailed three-step "reopening roadmap," as blueprints.

The industry leaders say in the letter that these reopening plans provide guidance and much-needed assurances to businesses and communities that there is a thoughtful plan for lifting lockdowns.

Business leaders have repeatedly expressed frustration with the lack of clear reopening plans in several provinces, saying the uncertainty erodes public confidence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
WASHINGTON - Canada needs to be a central player in American efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary Ng said Tuesday as North America's trade emissaries sat down to work out the fine points of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Minister of International Trade Mary Ng participates in a news conference on the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement in Ottawa, on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

WASHINGTON - Canada needs to be a central player in American efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary Ng said Tuesday as North America's trade emissaries sat down to work out the fine points of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Ng, Canada's international trade minister, virtually joined U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Mexican Economy Secretary Tatiana Clouthier for the first Free Trade Commission meeting of the USMCA era.

"It was incredible and historic to have three women representing North America's trade relationship for the first time," Ng told a news conference after the meeting.

The main goal was to codify the implementation and enforcement of the agreement's provisions on protecting workers and the environment, two of the biggest complaints about its NAFTA predecessor.

The three countries "held robust forward-looking discussions" on those provisions, the commission said in a joint statement.

"These commitments set the standard for future trade agreements and should serve as examples to advance workers' rights and the nexus between environmental issues and trade."

In her opening remarks to the commission, Ng emphasized the role Canada stands to play in the U.S. effort to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a nod to concerns north of the border that President Joe Biden's labour-friendly protectionist stance risks freezing out Canadian suppliers and contractors.

"Our trade relationship is built on long-established, deeply integrated supply chains  networks of workers and businesses that aren't just selling to each other, but innovating and building together," she said.

"Many of our traded goods cross our borders to become the final 'North American' products that we buy and sell from each other and around the world. That is why our trade relationship is so important."

Not surprisingly, officials from both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the table spoke in glowing terms about the spirit of co-operation and common cause at the meeting, largely gliding past the various irritants  some long-standing, others more modern.

Ng said she defended Canada's plan to impose a three per cent digital services tax on foreign streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, a measure the U.S. opposes around the world as an unfair penalty on American innovation.

"I shared with (Tai) our government's commitment to ensure that businesses in all sectors, including digital corporations, pay their fair share of taxes," Ng said.

Canada would prefer to be acting multilaterally alongside members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, where efforts are underway to establish mutual, international standards for digital taxation, she added, but will do what it must in the meantime.

"We certainly are committed to ensuring that everyone pays their fair share."

Ng pointedly refused to say whether Tai or other USTR officials threatened to impose tariffs or other trade penalties on Canada as a result, a threat it has levelled at other jurisdictions, including Austria, Italy, Spain and the U.K.

She also sidestepped questions about U.S. sabre-rattling on how Canada has been allocating its tariff-rate quotas  the quantities of certain dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt that can be imported at lower duty levels.

U.S. trade officials and dairy industry advocates say a large share of those quotas have been allocated to processors rather than producers, denying U.S. farmers access to the supply-managed Canadian market the USMCA is supposed to deliver.

Tai's USTR predecessor, Robert Lighthizer, initiated a complaint process late last year on the grounds that Canada was trying to game the system. Tai has not shown any sign she plans to ease up on the pressure.

"Canada takes our international obligations very seriously," Ng said. "In dairy, we believe that we are meeting our obligations ... to the dairy farmers and to our strong supply-managed sector."

Tai is under mounting pressure to lift U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood, a long-standing measure that reflects the American view that Canada's forestry producers are unfairly subsidized through federally set prices for Crown timber.

Former president Donald Trump's administration imposed a 20 per cent tariff on Canadian softwood in 2018, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but lowered it to nine per cent late last year after a decision by the World Trade Organization.

Lumber prices in the U.S. have tripled over the past year, thanks to pandemic-fuelled constraints on production and soaring demand for housing.

"Canada reiterated that a negotiated agreement is in the best interest of both countries," Ng said, striking a tone that suggests an opportunity for a deal is within reach.

"We have been clear that the duties imposed by the U.S. on softwood are both unwarranted and unfair, and they do hurt workers, both here in Canada as well as in the U.S. But we continue to (want) to work with the U.S. on this very important issue."

Tai opened the meeting by emphasizing the importance of making sure the USMCA benefits "everyday people" in all three countries, and not just those already wealthy enough to capitalize on it.

"For too long, the focus has been on 'global value chains' as a proxy for maximizing efficiency. That efficiency has proven to be detrimentally expensive," Tai said in her written remarks.

"Not only have we discovered the fragility of our supply chains, but we have just begun to appreciate the degree to which they run counter to our collective goals of ensuring that workers within North America, and outside it, are paid a fair wage, in a safe workplace."

Coincidentally, as Tuesday's meetings were taking place, Biden was singing the praises of his economic recovery strategy in Michigan, where he again insisted he would aggressively enforce efforts to make sure U.S. tax dollars benefit U.S. workers.

"I'm not (granting) a single contract to a single company that does not hire Americans, have all-American parts and has a supply chain that is an American product supply chain," Biden said.

"That's not violating any trade agreements. It's been the law since the 30s, but no one's had the courage or the nerve to insist on it being applied."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:19:07|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast during the past week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.

In the period of May 9-15, "1,074 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," the IOM said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that the Libyan Coast Guard had rescued nearly 350 illegal migrants off Libya's western coast on Monday.

According to the IOM, a total of 8,170 illegal migrants, including women and children, were rescued off the Libyan coast so far this year.

The IOM also revealed that so far in 2021, 168 illegal migrants had died and 389 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African nation a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards European shores.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem
CALGARY - Cenovus Energy Inc. is selling an Alberta production royalty interest to Topaz Energy Corp. for $102 million, the first step in a plan to sell non-core assets to retire debt in the wake of its takeover of Husky Energy Inc. early this year.

The Cenovus logo seen at the company's headquarters in Calgary, Alta., on November 15, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY - Cenovus Energy Inc. is selling an Alberta production royalty interest to Topaz Energy Corp. for $102 million, the first step in a plan to sell non-core assets to retire debt in the wake of its takeover of Husky Energy Inc. early this year.

Cenovus says it retained the royalty interest in its Marten Hills oil assets when it sold them to Headwater Exploration Inc. in December.

At the time, it said the assets which were producing about 2,800 barrels per day of medium gravity oil were being sold for $35 million in cash, 50 million shares of Headwater and 15 million Headwater purchase warrants exercisable at $2 per share with a three-year term.

Cenovus CEO Alex Pourbaix has said that sales of non-core assets would help the company reach its year-end 2021 goal to reduce net debt to less than $10 billion.

He has said the company is weighing assets for potential sale that could include Husky's Asia-Pacific offshore natural gas projects with Chinese partner CNOOC Ltd. in China and Indonesia, and Husky's chain of Canadian retail fuel stations.

Topaz is a company created by Tourmaline Oil Corp. to hold petroleum processing and handling assets. It was taken public in a $250-million initial public offering in October.

This is the first transaction of our broader initiative and we will continue to explore all options to create value for Cenovus shareholders and position our balance sheet for increasing shareholder returns, said Pourbaix in a news release on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CVE, TSX:TPZ, TSX:TOU)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The Columbus MLS team restored Crew to its name after fans objected to a rebranding that had dropped it.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The Columbus MLS team restored Crew to its name after fans objected to a rebranding that had dropped it.

The team announced the franchise would retain the name after meeting with angry team supporters.

Supporters took to social media to vehemently oppose dropping the name after the franchise announced plans last week to rebrand the club as Columbus SC.

The importance of keeping the Crew as the Clubs primary identifier was clear, said a statement from the ownership group, which includes Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam. The decision that came from the discussion was that Columbus Crew will remain the teams official name moving forward.

The rebranded crest also will be changed to include the Crew name.

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
TORONTO - Justice Minister David Lametti told the Commons heritage committee Tuesday said it's not his role to give a legal opinion on revisions to a bill that aims to regulate internet platforms.

Justice Minister David Lametti reviews his notes before attending a news conference in Ottawa, Friday May 7, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

TORONTO - Justice Minister David Lametti told the Commons heritage committee Tuesday said it's not his role to give a legal opinion on revisions to a bill that aims to regulate internet platforms.

Lametti said that, as a member of the Liberal cabinet, he supports Bill C-10 but as justice minister "I am not here to offer legal advice or opinions  That is something that I never do publicly."

But that didn't stop opposition MPs on the committee from grilling Lametti about the implications of removing a section of Bill C-10 last month during clause-by-clause analysis of the legislation.

Conservative MP Rachael Harder, who has insisted for weeks that the legislation was fundamentally changed by the removal of Section 4.1 from the original bill, was first to demand answers.

"Experts in the industry now say that the removal of Section 4.1 takes away the safeguards that were imperative to protect user-generated content. Do you agree with that?" Harder asked.

"I thank you for the question," Lametti replied. "As I said in my opening remarks, I'm not going to give legal advice.  I don't give legal advice to committees."

But Lametti said his department responded to the committee's concerns last week by providing a document that says the bill meets the requirements of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Lametti sent his deputy minister and other officials to face the all-party committee last Friday, but its members pushed for him to appear in person to answer questions about Bill C-10.

Although none of the opposition MPs on the committee seemed satisfied with what they got from Lametti on Tuesday, it appeared the Liberal MPs had enough support to set the debate aside.

The clause-by-clause analysis is set to resume Wednesday, a necessary step before the bill returns to the Commons for a vote, but the bill's passage isn't assured because the Liberal government needs opposition support in the minority Parliament.

If passed, the bill will mark the first major updates to the Broadcasting Act since social media platforms became a major source of individual and commercial communications.

Under amendments introduced recently amid the debate, Bill C-10 would give the regulator CRTC three new roles.

Those include collecting information about revenue generated by internet platforms in Canada, and determining how much should be used to fund original Canadian content in the same way the CRTC does with conventional broadcasters.

The third role, and one of key objections to Bill C-10, is to ensure Canadian content is easily discoverable or promoted on the platforms.

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, who appeared Tuesday with Lametti but was shut down by MPs who grilled him last week, says Bill C-10 will ensure platforms like YouTube are treated like broadcasters when they stream audio and video content as radio or TV broadcasters do, levelling the playing field.

But Guilbeault's handling of the file has been criticized  including by the committee  because it hasn't dealt with criticism that Bill C-10 will infringe on individual internet users.

The Liberals also must contend with some former members of the Canadian Radio-telecommunications Commission who have denounced the bill.

"I think it's a very bad idea. I think it's the equivalent of an enabling act for the control of communications," former CRTC member Timothy Denton said in an interview Tuesday.

Denton, a retired lawyer who was a member of the CRTC from 2009 through 2015 and currently chairs Internet Society Canada, said he doesn't think the legislation can be salvaged.

He was part of the CRTC when the appointed body decided not to regulate the internet because it wasn't necessary.

But Denton said he had another reason for saying the CRTC, which traces its history to the early days of radio, should keep its hands off the internet.

"I have always felt that the CRTC's claims to have jurisdiction over the internet is bad law, and would be found to be unconstitutional," Denton said.

With Bill C-10, the CRTC's mandate would be expanded to include some activities of internet platforms and Denton said that's the wrong approach to take.

"This is an enormous, enormous, enormous expansion of the CRTC's jurisdiction over communication. And there are many solid reasons to think broadcasting regulation should be restricted to broadcasters," Denton said.

Guilbeault has said Bill C-10's critics aim to delay the legislation long enough that it can't be passed before the next election.

He says speed is necessary to ensure that international internet giants are required to contribute funds that pay for professionally produced content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
LONDON (AP)  For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed this week.

A COVID-19 marshal on patrol in Bedford, England which has become one of the UK's worst hotspots for COVID-19 rates, which are being driven by a sharp rise in cases among younger age groups, Monday May 17, 2021. Bolton, Bedford and Blackburn with Darwen are currently recording the highest COVID-19 rates in the UK, with the spread of the Indian variant of coronavirus driving a steep increase in cases. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP)  For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed this week.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India.

Heres a look at what we know and dont know about the variant:

WHAT IS THIS VARIANT?

FILE - In this Thursday, April 29, 2021 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks with pupils after taking part in a science lesson, during a visit to King Solomon Academy in London. For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed across the country on Monday. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP, File)

The COVID-19 variant first identified in India has been classified as a variant of concern by Britain and the World Health Organization, meaning there is some evidence that it spreads more easily between people, causes more severe disease, or might be less responsive to treatments and vaccines.

The absolute numbers of cases (of the variant) in the U.K. remain quite small, but the growth rate is quite high, said Nick Loman, a professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham.

To date, there have been more than 2,300 cases identified in Britain. Figures released by Public Health England show cases of the variant first detected in India have tripled in the past week and experts say it's on track to become the most dominant COVID-19 variant in the country.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs COVID-19 technical lead, said more information was still needed about the variant's spread globally.

We need more sequencing, targeted sequencing to be done and to be shared in India and elsewhere so that we know how much of this virus is circulating, she said.

FILE - In this Monday, May 17, 2021 file photo, a barman draughts beer, at the Black Lion pub, in Hammersmith in London. For the first time in months, people across England are meeting indoors at pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and elsewhere as coronavirus rules were relaxed across the country on Monday. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons to be cautious and some of the scientists advising him say restrictions might need to be reimposed quickly because of a worrying variant first detected in India. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

HOW TRANSMISSIBLE IS THE VARIANT?

We dont entirely know. But according to the minutes of an expert group advising the government last week, scientists said it is a realistic possibility that (the variant first seen in India) is as much as 50% more transmissible than the variant first reported in Britain  whose explosive spread led to the countrys longest lockdown in January.

There are plausible biological reasons as to why some of the mutations present could make this variant more transmissible, they concluded. If the variant proves to be 40 to 50% more transmissible, the scientists predicted that would lead to a much larger peak of cases, hospitalizations and deaths than previous waves of coronavirus  particularly if the government continues with its existing plans to exit lockdown.

Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and one of the scientists advising the government, said it was entirely possible the COVID-19 restrictions relaxed on Monday might need to be reintroduced soon if the variants spread leads to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths.

A very careful lifting (of restrictions) is reasonable, but we may have to reverse that, Farrar warned. Experts think the next few weeks should provide more details about how quickly the variant identified in India is sickening people and whether that might overwhelm hospitals.

Johnson said any proof the variant identified in India is more dangerous could pose a serious disruption to the U.K. governments plans to lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions next month.

DO VACCINES WORK AGAINST THIS VARIANT?

Scientists think so but are still waiting for definitive answers.

At a press briefing last week, Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccines at the European Medicines Agency, said the data appeared rather reassuring that vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna would protect against the variant first seen in India.

He said the agency was still gathering more information on the effectiveness of the shots made by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson and was pretty confident those vaccines too would afford people enough protection from the variant.

Urgent experimental data is being generated (for this variant), said Sharon Peacock of the U.K. COVID-19 Genomics Consortium. She noted that vaccines appear to work against other variants to date but that it is important to determine if one dose is effective or if two are needed.

In the areas of the U.K. worst hit by the variant, Britains health secretary Matt Hancock said most people hospitalized had chosen not to have the jab.

On Monday, Johnson said people over 50 and those with underlying health conditions would have their wait for a second vaccine dose cut from 12 weeks to eight, over concerns about the variants rapid spread.

Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system was still struggling to restore its computers and treat patients on Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire IT system in response to a cyberattack.

LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system was still struggling to restore its computers and treat patients on Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire IT system in response to a cyberattack.

Thousands of diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment clinics and surgeries have been canceled or delayed since a ransomware attack on Friday. Authorities said hundreds of people have been deployed to tackle the attack, but it could be weeks before the health service can return to normal.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Tuesday that the attack was a heinous one that targeted patients and the Irish public. Health Service Executive chief clinical officer Colm Henry said the attack had had a profound impact on our ability to deliver care," and that the disruptions would undoubtedly mount in the coming days and weeks.

More than 2,000 patient-facing IT systems are affected, with around 80,000 devices linked to such systems throughout the health service, Henry told Irish broadcaster RTE. Authorities are prioritizing systems involving direct patient care diagnostics, such as radiology, radiotherapy and maternity and newborn services.

Thats what our experts are focusing on this week, with external help, to ensure those services are not reliant on manual exchange of information, he said.

Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it. Irish officials say a ransom has been demanded but they will not pay it.

Conti, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, was demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site viewed by The Associated Press. The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon if the money was not paid.

The government will not be paying any money, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told RTE. We will not be blackmailed.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine urged people not to turn up at hospitals' emergency departments unless they have a genuinely urgent need to do so. It said that electronic ordering of blood tests, X-rays and scans is not available, and clinicians have no access to previous X-rays or scan results. Many hospitals' telephone systems are also not functioning because they are carried on computer networks, it added.

Patients have described their frustration about the attack, describing it as another torment thrown into the already difficult struggle to face illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eimear Cregg, 38, a primary school teacher who is fighting breast cancer, had radiation therapy briefly postponed while doctors sought to restore her records so they could treat her properly.

This is a very cruel thing to do to vulnerable people, she told The Associated Press. Were fighting every day as it is and this was just another curve ball that wasnt needed.

The Health Service Executive said in a statement late Monday that there were serious concerns about the implications for patient care arising from the very limited access to diagnostics, lab services and historical patient records.

The attack has also shut down the system used to pay health care workers.

The health service said it was working methodically to assess and restore its computer systems.

Our priority is keeping our patients safe and maintaining essential care and support services, it said.

Ransomware attacks are an increasing problem for private companies and public bodies around the world.

T he Thai affiliate of Paris-based insurance company AXA and a public health provider in New Zealand were both dealing with ransomware attacks on Tuesday.

In the U.S., the nations largest fuel pipeline was hit with a ransomware attack earlier this month. The disruption of the Colonial Pipeline caused long lines at gas stations due to distribution problems and panic-buying, draining supplies at thousands of gas stations.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

People take pictures of a damaged synagogue after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel, Sunday, May 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

The demonstrations and ongoing violence came as moves toward a cease-fire appeared to be gaining more traction.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down its bombardment of Gaza. Egyptian negotiators also were working to halt the fighting, and while they have not made progress with Israel, they were optimistic international pressure would force it to the table, according to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing diplomatic efforts.

The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem's usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank.

Palestinian rescue workers carry the remains of a man found next to a beachside cafe after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state.

The strike was intended to protest the war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence.

A man inspects the rubble of destroyed commercial building and Gaza health care clinic following an Israeli airstrike on the upper floors of a commercial building near the Health Ministry in Gaza City, on Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike.

Strike organizer Muhammad Barakeh said Palestinians are standing against Israeli aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as brutal repression by police.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces. Scores have been injured, including a Jewish man who died Monday after being attacked last week by a group of Arabs in the central city of Lod.

Houthi supporters hold a large Palestinian flag during a protest against Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 217 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, including 63 children, with more than 1,500 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in rocket attacks.

CORRECTS BYLINE TO HATEM MOUSSA - An Israeli drone files over Gaza City on Monday, May 17, 2021. The Israeli military unleashed a wave of heavy airstrikes Monday on the Gaza Strip, saying it destroyed 15 kilometers (9 miles) of militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders as international diplomats worked to end the weeklong war that has killed hundreds of people. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Tuesday's rocket attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory, killing two Thai workers. Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded at Erez.

Israeli airstrikes into Gaza demolished a six-story building housing bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris. Israel warned its occupants beforehand, sending them fleeing before dawn. There were no reports of casualties.

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building which was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on what it said were militant targets in Gaza, leveling a six-story building in downtown Gaza City, and Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel early Tuesday, the latest in the fourth war between the two sides, now in its second week. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the military was focusing on destroying the tunnels where Hamas fighters hide, move between locations and resupply launchers with rockets to fire at Israel.

The tunnels run under civilian neighborhoods, and Israeli airstrikes have been trying to target roads above them to minimize damage to buildings, Conricus said. One weekend airstrike that Israel said targeted a tunnel caused several buildings to collapse and killed 42 people in the deadliest single attack of the conflict.

A Palestinian man looks at his damaged bedroom following early morning Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on what it said were militant targets in Gaza, leveling a six-story building in downtown Gaza City, and Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel early Tuesday, the latest in the fourth war between the two sides, now in its second week. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

The attacks on the tunnels continue, and the assessment is that that effort will be expanded to areas that we so far have not conducted this effort in, and that is to be expected over the coming days, he said.

Medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

A Palestinian man looks from a broken window at the remains of a six-story building destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on what it said were militant targets in Gaza, leveling a six-story building in downtown Gaza City, and Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel early Tuesday, the latest in the fourth war between the two sides, now in its second week. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

The WHO said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered ambulances and supply vehicles in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak.

Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing. Blinken declined to characterize the material, and Israel has not publicly provided evidence of its claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated calls for an independent investigation of the attack.

This story has been updated to correct that the toppled six-story building housed bookstores, not libraries, and educational centers used by the Islamic University, not belonging to it.

Nessman reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.
BERLIN (AP)  U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington is looking into the possibility of introducing a fee on imports from countries that don't tax heavy polluters, but he cautioned that such a move could carry risks downstream.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, right, and the US' Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, left, shake hands prior to a meeting at the Foreign Office in Berlin on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (Odd Andersen/Pool Photo via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington is looking into the possibility of introducing a fee on imports from countries that don't tax heavy polluters, but he cautioned that such a move could carry risks downstream.

Kerry said President Joe Biden had instructed U.S. officials to examine what are the consequences, how do you do the pricing, what is the impact.

But he wants to make sure weve thoroughly vetted it and thought about it as a matter of policy, particularly because our friends are doing so, Kerry said.

The European Union has indicated it will put forward plans next month for a carbon border adjustment mechanism aimed at pushing its trading partners into doing more to cut carbon emissions if they want to sell their goods in the world's largest single market.

Although still vague, the EU's proposal has drawn significant concern, particularly from major emerging economies such as China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin before talks with his EU counterpart, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, Kerry said Washington and Brussels had agreed to consult each other on the issue as they also push for greater international efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions before this year's U.N. climate summit in November.

We want to make sure that its not going to have a counter impact, a negative impact on this process, Kerry said.

Nobody wants their businesses disadvantaged" by introducing carbon taxes that businesses elsewhere don't pay, he said.

But we do have some concerns about what the downstream impact might be, and we want to understand that fully before jumping on this, Kerry added. Our preference would be that every country is joining in in a fair manner in its efforts to reduce emissions sufficiently, that were all paying the price of avoiding the consequences of the global climate crisis.

That includes obviously major emitting nations in the world. We all know who they are, he said.

As secretary of state during the second Obama administration, Kerry played a key role in negotiations between the U.S. and China, which is now the world's biggest polluter, that paved the way for the 2015 Paris climate accord. In his new post as Biden's climate envoy, Kerry, 77, is again engaged in a flurry of international diplomacy ahead of the U.N. talks set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland.

Several countries, including the United States, have pledged to make tougher cuts to their emissions. But experts say more needs to be done to achieve the Paris targets of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times.

Kerry said that on a recent visit to China he discussed the need for Beijing to address its domestic use of coal, its funding for coal-fired power plants abroad and the importance of beginning to reduce emissions from peak levels - as the U.S. did in 2005 and Europe did during the early 1990s.

(China) beginning to turn the curve downwards would be an important contribution, very important contribution, to the success of Glasgow, Kerry said.

He also backed calls for all major economies to contribute to a $100 billion annual climate fund that was promised to poor countries by 2020 but which remains short, in part due to former President Donald Trump withholding U.S. payments.

Our commitment was reneged on to put money into the 100 billion, for two years, Kerry said, going on to note that U.S. states, cities and businesses had continued to pursue the Paris goals even as the Trump administration opposed the accord.

Were not, I think, quite as culpable as some people think, he said.

Kerry held a flurry of meetings with German officials during his stop in Berlin, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the three leading contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in the countrys national election this September.

He declined to be drawn into giving an opinion on the possible consequences if Germany's environmentalist Greens party wins the election, but he praised the current government's newly raised climate targets as impressive.

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
CALGARY - The Kyrgyz Republic says it is taking control of the Kumtor gold mine for three months effective immediately in view of the "abdication of its fundamental duties of care" by Canadian owner and operator Centerra Gold Inc.

The corporate logo for Centerra Gold is shown in this handout image. The Kyrgyz Republic says it is taking control of the Kumtor gold mine for three months effective immediately in view of the "abdication of its fundamental duties of care" by Canadian owner and operator Centerra Gold Inc. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

CALGARY - The Kyrgyz Republic says it is taking control of the Kumtor gold mine for three months effective immediately in view of the "abdication of its fundamental duties of care" by Canadian owner and operator Centerra Gold Inc.

In a news release, the government says it sent a letter to Centerra on Sunday to request clarification of reports that it had suspended deliveries of materials needed to operate the mine and had disabled "critical sensors" used to monitor the stability of the mine and the movement of nearby glaciers.

It says there was no response to the letter and it then learned that Kumtor mine managers had left the country. It says Tengiz Bolturuk, an engineer and former mill foreman at Kumtor, has been appointed as general manager.

The release confirms a report by Centerra on Monday that the Kyrgyz Republic was moving to install external management after "effectively seizing control'" of the mining operation over the weekend.

In support, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau and Mary Ng, minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, issued a joint statement Monday indicating Canada is "very concerned'' about the situation.

On a conference call with analysts early Tuesday, Centerra CEO Scott Perry said Centerra is no longer in control of the gold mine and can no longer ensure the safety of the mine's employees or operations.

"Shortly before the government took control, all key safety, monitoring and operational systems at the mine were functioning properly. Centerra did not disable any such systems, and the mine was operating without incident," he said.

Akylbek Japarov, a member of the parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic and chairman of the state commission, was quoted in the government news release as being disappointed that Centerra had initiated binding arbitration to resolve disputes involving the mine, insisting the government had no choice but to take control.

"We were disappointed to learn of Centerra's abdication of its fundamental duties of care related to operation of Kumtor," he said.

"It was our hope that Centerra would continue to work with us to resolve the long-standing issues at Kumtor. When Centerra declined to respond to our request to return the mine to normal and safe operation, we were forced to take these steps in order to protect the workers and the continuity of Kumtor, which is of strategic importance to the Kyrgyz Republic."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Energy experts worked Tuesday to restore full operations at Polands biggest power plant after a network failure switched off 10 of the brown coal-fueled Belchatow plant's 11 units, a disruption felt across Europe's power network.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, plumes of smoke rise from Europe's largest lignite power plant in Belchatow, central Poland. Energy experts were working to restore full operations at Polands biggest power plant, the lignite-fueled Belchatow, after an energy network failure switched off 10 of the plants 11 units. Energy imports from Germany and Sweden were needed to fill in for the suddenly missing power. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Energy experts worked Tuesday to restore full operations at Polands biggest power plant after a network failure switched off 10 of the brown coal-fueled Belchatow plant's 11 units, a disruption felt across Europe's power network.

Poland needed emergency energy imports from Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to fill in for the suddenly missing power supply. It was a second major outage since 2015 at Belchatow, which provides up to 20% of the energy in Poland.

The outage at the lignite-fired station was felt across Europes continent-wide network of power grids. Operators recorded a sudden drop in mains frequency from the standard 50 Hz to about 49.85 Hz just after 14:30 GMT Monday. Other power supply companies had to scramble to compensate for what was a major deviation to prevent consumers from feeling the change.

Officials said the outage was the units' automatic reply to a failure at a nearby power switchboard where 10 of Belchatows units are connected. The 11th unit, the largest one, is connected to a different switchboard and was not affected.

Polands chief energy distributor, state mining and energy giant PGE, said Tuesday that eight of the units had been restored but that restarting them after a total cut was a big challenge.

PGE spokesperson Beata Jarosz-Dziekanowska said the nationwide energy system was working properly and no power shortages were expected.

FILE - In this Wednesday Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, clouds of smoke over Europe's largest lignite power plant in Betchatow, central Poland. Energy experts were working to restore full operations at Polands biggest power plant, the lignite-fueled Belchatow, after an energy network failure switched off 10 of the plants 11 units. Poland needed energy imports from Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to fill in for the suddenly missing power. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

As the systems operator, we have the required reserves, and we can always use imports, Jarosz-Dziekanowska said.

The outage underscored the need for a diversification of Polands energy sources. The country of some 38 million residents gets 65% of its power from black coal and lignite, mostly from its own deposits.

Environmental groups say Poland is Europes laggard in phasing out polluting fossil fuels and introducing clean energy.

The outage of such a big plant like Belchatow shows that coal is not a reliable source of energy, said Monika Sadkowska of the group WWF.

A government energy plan calls for completely eliminating coal from the country's energy mix no sooner than 2049, a date seen as a concession to Poland's 80,000 coal miners. However, mining has been lreduced since 1990, when Poland had some 400,000 miners.

Last week, a new lignite-powered unit opened in Turow, in southwestern Poland. Like the Belchatow plant, it belongs to PGE. Authorities say the state-of-the art station is vital for ensuring energy during the transition to cleaner sources and produces low CO2 emissions.

The government recently extended the operating license for the Turow lignite mine and power plant until 2044, drawing protests from neighboring Germany and Czech Republic.

Renewable energy currently accounts for some 18% of Poland's generated supply, chiefly solar and wind power. Recent legislation for off-shore wind power is expected to help Poland make progress toward the European Union's 2030 goal of having at least 32% clean energy in the mix.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced plans - but no dates - for developing hydrogen technologies as a step toward a climate-neutral economy.

Defenders of CO2-generating coal-fired power plants say they are still needed to maintain reliable energy supplies as demand rises. They claim that renewable power sources like wind and solar can't do that because they are too linked to changing weather conditions and are still underdeveloped in Poland.

According to energy expert Bartlomiej Sawicki, Poland could have problems with its power supplies after 2025, when some coal-powered units need to be closed due to their age.

Massive imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States, Qatar and other sources are to ensure energy stability during the transition period.

Belchatow, in central Poland, combines Europe's largest lignite mine and Poland's largest power plant. With total power of some 5.3 GW, it supplies energy to some 11.5 million households.

It was previously taken off the grid in 2015, when a massive heat wave and unprecedented demand for cooling power led to a failure of operations.

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.

To follow all AP stories linked to climate change go to https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:26:04|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi pledged on Tuesday 500 million U.S. dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip witnessing escalated tensions.

"Due to the latest developments in Gaza Strip, Egypt will allocate 500 million dollars for the reconstruction of the Palestinian coastal enclave," the Egyptian Presidency posted on its Facebook page.

Egyptian specialized companies will participate in the reconstruction work, it added.

The initiative was announced by Sisi in a meeting with the French and the Jordanian counterparts in Paris for finding a possible path to the discussions between Israel and the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Minister of Health Hala Zayed said Egypt has sent 65 tons of medicine and medical services to Palestine to support the wounded people in Gaza.

"Three hospitals have been prepared in North Sinai to receive the Palestinians wounded in the ongoing clashes, who arrive via Rafah border crossing," Zayed said.

Egyptian authorities on Sunday opened the Rafah border crossing, the only crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

Tensions started in Jerusalem last month and further escalated on May 10 when hundreds of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police in the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound.

The health authority in Gaza said that since the start of the military confrontation, 213 Palestinians have been killed, 61 of them children. Enditem
PARIS (AP)  Cybercriminals have hit four Asian subsidiaries of the Paris-based insurance company AXA with a ransomware attack, impacting operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the insurer said.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, file photo, people stand in front of the logo of AXA Group prior to the company's 2018 annual results presentation, in Paris. Cybercriminals have hit four Asian subsidiaries of the Paris-based insurance company AXA with a ransomware attack, impacting operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the insurer said. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

PARIS (AP)  Cybercriminals have hit four Asian subsidiaries of the Paris-based insurance company AXA with a ransomware attack, impacting operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the insurer said.

The criminals claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data including medical records and communications with doctors and hospitals.

In Ireland, meanwhile, the national healthcare system struggled to restore IT systems that were all but paralyzed in a cyberattack last week by a different Russian-speaking ransomware group. That group is demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site, which The Associated Press viewed.

The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon.

The Irish government's decision not to pay the criminals means hospitals won't have access to patient records  and must resort mostly to handwritten notes  until painstaking efforts are complete to restore thousands of computer servers from backups.

AXA Partners, the Paris insurer's international arm, offered few details of the Asia attacks. It said in a brief statement Sunday that their full impact was being investigated and that steps would be "taken to notify and support all corporate clients and individuals impacted. It said the attack was recent, but did not specify when exactly. It said data in Thailand was accessed and that regulators and business partners have been informed.

News of the Asia attack was first reported by the Financial Times. The attackers used a ransomware variant called Avaddon. In a post on their darknet leak site including some document samples, they claim to have stolen 3 terabytes of data including medical records, customer IDs and privileged communications with hospitals and doctors. Avaddon threatened to leak valuable company documents in 10 days if the company did not pay an unspecified ransom.

AXA, among Europes top five insurers, said this month that it will stop writing cyber-insurance policies in France that reimburse customers for extortion payments made to ransomware criminals.

The insurer said at the time that it was suspending the option in France only in response to growing concern that such reimbursements encourage cyber criminals to demand ransom from companies they prey on, crippling them with malware. Once victims of ransomware pay up, criminals provide software keys to decode the data. Last year, ransomware reached epidemic levels as criminals increasingly turned to double extortion, stealing sensitive data before activating the encryption software that paralyzes networks and threatening to dump it online if they don't get paid.

It appears that's exactly what happened to the AXA subsidiaries and Ireland's health care system. In the latter case, the criminals claim to have stolen more than 700 gigabytes of personal data on patients and employees  including home addresses and phone numbers  as well as customer databases, payroll and other financial information. The criminals claimed to have spent two weeks in the network before executing the ransomware.

The top victims of ransomware are in the United States, followed by France, experts say. The extent of damage, and payouts, in Asian countries was not immediately clear. Like most top ransomware purveyors, Avaddon's ransomware is programmed not to target computers with Russian-language keyboards and enjoys safe harbor in former Soviet states.

The group that attacked Ireland's Health Service Executive, Conti, similarly enjoys Kremlin tolerance and is among the most prolific such gangs, recently attacking such high-profile targets as the school system in Broward County, Florida, which serves Fort Lauderdale and is among the U.S.'s largest school districts.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has refused to pay ransom despite an attack announced Friday that caused the country of 5 million to shut down and rebuild its public health care system's IT network.

The system's chief operations officer, Anne O'Connor, told a local radio reporter on Sunday that many cancer treatment sessions, X-rays and other radiology appointments had been canceled, describing perhaps the worst impact to date on a healthcare system from ransomware.

Theres not much back up and running, yet, O'Connor said of the IT network, adding that data on thousands of servers would need to be rebuilt from backups. It's going to be a slow process.

All of our diagnostic capability in terms of radiology have gone, she said. "We have no capability now to look back at any previous tests, any previous scans. We cant order lab tests or radiology electronically.

She said hospitals had resorted to "handwritten notes. We have people in hospitals delivering pieces of paper around with lab results, et cetera."

Ransomware attacks returned to headlines this month after hackers struck the United States largest fuel pipeline, the Colonial Pipeline, and the company shut it down for days to contain the damage.

The ransomware syndicates that have had the biggest impact are so-called big-game hunters like Avaddon and Conti that identify and target lucrative victims. They lease their ransomware-as-a-service to affiliates they recruit who do most of the heavy-lifting  taking more risk and a higher share of the profits.

Bajak reported from Boston.
LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system struggled to restore computers and treat patients Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire information technology system in response to a ransomware attack.

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2019, file photo, people stand in front of the logo of AXA Group prior to the company's 2018 annual results presentation, in Paris. The Thai affiliate of Paris-based insurance company AXA said Tuesday, May 18, 2021 it is investigating a ransomware attack by Russian-speaking cybercriminals that has affected operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

LONDON (AP)  Irelands health system struggled to restore computers and treat patients Tuesday, four days after it shut down its entire information technology system in response to a ransomware attack.

Thousands of diagnostic appointments, cancer treatment clinics and surgeries have been canceled or delayed since Friday's cyberattack. Authorities said hundreds of people were assigned to get crippled systems back online, but it could be weeks before the public health service will return to normal.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the attack was a heinous one that targeted patients and the Irish public. The chief clinical officer of Ireland's Health Service Executive, Colm Henry, said the intrusion was having a profound impact on our ability to deliver care and that disruptions would undoubtedly mount in the coming days and weeks.

More than 2,000 patient-facing IT systems were affected, and around 80,000 devices were linked to such systems throughout the health service, Henry told Irish broadcaster RTE. Authorities are prioritizing the recovery of systems involved in patient diagnostics, such as radiology, radiotherapy and maternity and newborn services.

Thats what our experts are focusing on this week, with external help, to ensure those services are not reliant on manual exchange of information, he said.

Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt the information. Irish officials say a ransom was demanded but they will not pay it.

Conti, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, was demanding $20 million, according to the ransom negotiation page on its darknet site viewed by The Associated Press. The gang threatened Monday to start publishing and selling your private information very soon, if it did not receive the money.

A general view of the Naas General Hospital in County Kildare, Dublin, Saturday, May 15 2021. Irelands health system is struggling to restore computers and treat patients four days after it shut down its entire information technology system in response to a ransomware attack. Authorities said hundreds of people were assigned to respond to the attack but it could be weeks before the public health service will return to normal. The chief clinical officer of Irelands public health service said Tuesday, May 18 that the intrusion was having a profound impact on our ability to deliver care and that disruptions would undoubtedly mount in the coming days and weeks. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)

The government will not be paying any money, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told RTE. We will not be blackmailed.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine urged people not to turn up at hospital emergency rooms unless they had a genuinely urgent need. The association said electronic ordering of blood tests, X-rays and scans was unavailable and clinicians had no access to previous X-rays or scan results.

Many hospital telephone systems also were not working because they are carried on computer networks, it added. The attack has also shut down the system used to pay health care workers.

Patients have expressed frustration at the attack, describing it as another torment thrown into the already difficult struggle accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eimear Cregg, 38, a primary school teacher who is receiving treatment for breast cancer, had her radiation therapy briefly postponed while doctors sought to restore her records so they could treat her properly.

This is a very cruel thing to do to vulnerable people, Cregg told The Associated Press. Were fighting every day as it is, and this was just another curve ball that wasnt needed.

Ireland's publicly funded health care system, the Health Service Executive, said in a statement late Monday that there were serious concerns about the implications for patient care arising from the very limited access to diagnostics, lab services and historical patient records.

The health service said it was working methodically to assess and restore its computer systems.

The Ireland attack comes as ransomware gangs persist in identifying big game targets in search of lucrative payouts and data that can help them identify new victims - and even determine the amount of cyber-insurance coverage they carry.

Operations of four Asian affiliates of the Paris-based insurance company AXA were hit in recent days by by ransomware attacks: in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The attackers claimed to have stolen 3 terabytes of data, including medical records, customer IDs and privileged communications with hospitals and doctors.

The hackers threatened to leak documents within 10 days if AXA does not pay an unspecified ransom.

AXA said this month that it would stop writing cyber-insurance policies in France that reimburse customers for extortion payments made to ransomware criminals, saying the practice encourages more such attacks.

In a new case, ransomware took down IT systems across five hospitals south of Auckland, New Zealand, forcing staff to cancel some elective surgeries preventing doctors from accessing clinical records, authorities said.

Ransomware attacks have surged in the past year, though there may be a dip following the worst attack to date on U.S. critical infrastructure. A nearly week-long shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies the east coast with 45% of its petroleum products, led U.S. President Joe Biden to vow retaliation.

That prompted the moderator of one of the most popular darknet criminal forums, XSS, to disavow ransomware syndicates and to ban them from recruiting and conducting other business on the forum. But experts say its typical for criminals to lay low when law enforcement scrutiny gets acute.

Ransomware reached epidemic levels last year as the criminals, who enjoy safe harbor in former Soviet states, increasingly turned to double extortion, stealing sensitive data before activating the encryption software that paralyzes networks  and threatening to dump it online if they dont get paid.

Bajak reported from Boston. Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, Jill Lawless in London, Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok, and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
NAGURSKOYE, Russia (AP)  During the Cold War, Russia's Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

A soldier stands at a central atrium called the "Arctic Trefoil" on the Alexandra Land island near Nagurskoye, Russia, Monday, May 17, 2021. Once a desolate home mostly to polar bears, Russia's northernmost military outpost is bristling with missiles and radar and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, projecting Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

NAGURSKOYE, Russia (AP)  During the Cold War, Russia's Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

It was a remote and desolate home mostly for polar bears, where temperatures plunge in winter to minus-42 Celsius (43 degrees below zero Fahrenheit) and the snow only disappears from August to mid-September.

Now, Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with missiles and radar and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, projecting Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources.

The shamrock-shaped facility  three large pods extending from a central atrium  is called the Arctic Trefoil and is painted in the white-red-and-blue of the national flag, brightening the otherwise stark vantage point on the 5,600-kilometer (3,470-mile) Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic coast. Other buildings on the Island, which is called Alexandra Land, are used for radar and communications, a weather station, oil storage, hangars and construction facilities.

Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway as shrinking polar ice from the warming planet offers new opportunities for resources and shipping routes. China also has shown an increasing interest in the region, believed to hold up to one-fourth of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion.

Tensions between Russia and the West will likely loom large over Thursday's meeting of the Arctic nations foreign ministers in Reykjavik, Iceland, where Moscow is set to take a rotating chairmanship in the Arctic Council.

We have concerns about some of the recent military activities in the Arctic, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday after arriving in Iceland for talks with foreign ministers of the eight members of the Arctic Council. That increases the dangers of accidents and miscalculations and undermines the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region. So we have to be vigilant about that.

The Russian base, which sits about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of the geographic North Pole, was built using new construction technologies as part of Kremlin efforts to bolster the military amid spiraling tensions with the West following Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left gestures as he meets Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Blinken is touting the Biden administration's abrupt shift in its predecessor's climate policies as he visits Iceland for talks with senior officials from the world's Arctic nations. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)

The following year, Russia submitted a revised bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, claiming 1.2 million square kilometers (over 463,000 square miles) of Arctic sea shelf, extending more than 350 nautical miles (650 kilometers) from shore.

While the U.N. pondered that claim and those from other nations, Russia has said it sees the Northern Sea Route as its historically developed national transport corridor, requiring authorization from Moscow for foreign vessels to navigate along it. The U.S. has dismissed Russia's claims of jurisdiction on parts of the route as illegitimate.

Moscow has declared its intention to introduce procedures for foreign ships and assign Russian pilots for guidance along the route, which runs from Norway to Alaska.

As part of that effort, Russia has rebuilt and expanded facilities across the polar region, deploying surveillance and defensive assets. A base in the similar trefoil shape and patriotic colors to the one in Nagurskoye is on Kotelny Island, between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea on eastern end of the shipping route, also with missiles and radar.

Adm. Alexander Moiseyev, chief of Russia's Northern Fleet, said last week that Moscow has the right to set navigation rules along the shipping lane.

Practically the entire Northern Sea Route goes through Russias territorial waters or the countrys economic zone, Moiseyev told reporters aboard the Peter the Great missile cruiser. The complex ice conditions make it necessary to organize safe shipping, so Russia insists on a special regime of its use.

NATO is increasingly worried about the growing Russian military footprint in the Arctic, and Washington sent B-1 bombers to Norway this year.

Increased Russian presence, more Russian bases in the High North, has also triggered the need for more NATO presence, and we have increased our presence there with more naval capabilities, presence in the air, and not least, the importance of protecting transatlantic undersea cables transmitting a lot of data, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Moiseyev fretted about the U.S. military assets in Norway, saying it has led to an increase of the conflict potential in the Arctic.

The Russian Foreign Ministry last week fumed at a U.S. nuclear submarine calling at a Norwegian port, saying it reflected what it described as "Oslo's course for the militarization of the Arctic.

On the sidelines of this week's Arctic Council meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to hold talks with Blinken -- an encounter intended to lay the groundwork for Putin's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden planned for next month.

Blinken has pointed out that with the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the global average, Russia has moved to increase its presence in the region.

Russia is exploiting this change to try to exert control over new spaces, he said last month. It is modernizing its bases in the Arctic and building new ones.

Blinken has rejected Russian calls to resume a military component of the Arctic Council. He also took Lavrov to task for comments earlier this week in which the Russian diplomat dismissed such criticism because the Arctic is our territory, our land.

We have to proceed all of us, including Russia, based on the rules, based on norms, based on the commitments that weve each made and also avoid statements that undercut those, Blinken said.

Since Putin visited the Nagurskoye base in 2017, it has been strengthened and expanded. It now houses a dedicated tactical group that operates electronic surveillance, air defense assets and a battery of Bastion anti-ship missile systems.

A runway has been extended to accommodate all types of aircraft, including Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers, said Maj.-Gen. Igor Churkin, who oversees air force operations at the base.

The modernization of Arctic airfields significantly increases the potential of the Northern Fleets aviation to control the airspace in the area of the Northern Sea Route and allows to ensure its security, he said.

In March, the Russian military conducted drills at Nagurskoye with ground troops and a pair of MiG-31 fighters flying over the North Pole. The exercise also saw three nuclear submarines smash through the Arctic ice next to one another in a carefully planned show of force.

On Monday, Lavrov rebuffed Western criticism of Russias Arctic expansion and bristled at what he described as Norway's push for a stronger NATO presence there.

We hear whining about Russia expanding its military activities in the Arctic, Lavrov said. But everyone knows that its our territory, our land. We bear responsibility for the Arctic coast to be safe, and everything our country does there is fully legitimate.

-

Isachenkov reported from Moscow.
MILAN (AP)  Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwans Foxconn on Tuesday announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 file photo, CEO of PSA Groupe Carlos Tavares arrives for the presentation of the company's 2019 full year results in Rueil-Malmaison, west of Paris. Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwans Foxconn on Tuesday announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said that the services that will be developed through the tie-up will mark the next great evolution of our industry, alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

MILAN (AP)  Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwans Foxconn on Tuesday announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the services that will be developed through the tie-up will mark the next great evolution of our industry, alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains.

The deal brings together Stellantis, the worlds 4th-largest automaker formed this year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot, and Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones.

The companies said the venture would focus on such services as infotainment, the integration of telecommunications and computer systems, artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communications, e-commerce channels and smart cockpit integration.

The companies announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a 50-50 joint venture called Mobile Drive, which will be based in the Netherlands and function as an automotive supplier also to other carmakers.

The new venture will combine advanced consumer electronics, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) to create new services that will exceed customer expectations, the companies said in a release.

Customers today and, in the future, demand and expect ever-increasing software-driven and creative solutions to connect the drivers and passengers with the vehicle inside and out, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu.
LAS VEGAS  The Las Vegas Strip and surroundings will fully reopen to vaccinated diners, dancers, shoppers and club-goers beginning June 1.

People wait their turn for a shot of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine inside the Universidad Mayor de San Andres public university during vaccinations for people over age 50 in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

LAS VEGAS  The Las Vegas Strip and surroundings will fully reopen to vaccinated diners, dancers, shoppers and club-goers beginning June 1.

Clark County lawmakers on Tuesday followed CDC guidelines and dropped plans to tie business occupancy to coronavirus vaccination rates.

The unanimous vote came after public speakers expressed anger and frustration with pandemic restrictions  especially their effects on schoolchildren.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday aligned state requirements with CDC recommendations issued a day earlier. The CDC says fully vaccinated people can stop social distancing and mask-wearing outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

Eighth grader at Robinson Middle School, Jasic Helvey, 12, hears information about her COVID-19 vaccine Monday, May 17, 2021, at Topeka High School with by Shaunee Darrough, registered nurse with TrueCare Nursing, with her mom, Brandi Snyder, nearby. (Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

Most Las Vegas casinos have already returned to 100% occupancy and no social distancing under oversight of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 Biden coronavirus adviser says teen son has lingering COVID-19 symptoms, encourages young to get shots

 UAE to offer booster shot to recipients of China's Sinopharm vaccine

 Changed by pandemic, many US workers wont return to old jobs

A man prays in front of the burning funeral pyre of his relative, who died of COVID-19, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Amit Sharma)

 India reports record day of virus deaths as cases level off

 Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to dismiss the health minister who has faced criticism for the slow pace of the nations coronavirus vaccination effort.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal held Health Minister Maksym Stepanov responsible for the failure to quickly procure more vaccine. Shmyhal says the nation of 41 million people so far has received only 2.3 million doses, and only 948,3300 Ukrainians had received at least one shot as of Tuesday.

European Commissioner for An Economy that Works for People Valdis Dombrovskis addresses European lawmakers during a plenary debate on recovery and resilience at the European Parliament in Brussels, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

Stepanov argued in his defense that the ex-Soviet nation has faced tough competition as nations try to procure vaccines amid the pandemic. Supplies of the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine were suspended after infections in India surged.

Ukraine has registered more than 2.1 million infections and 48,469 deaths from COVID-19.

AUSTIN, Texas  Texas governor says public schools must end mask requirements starting in June and is ordering Texas cities and counties to drop nearly all face covering mandates by the end of the week.

Tuesdays announcement from Gov. Greg Abbott does not affect private businesses, which can still require customers or workers to wear masks. But the change is the biggest rollbacks of Texas pandemic safeguards since Abbott ended a statewide mask mandate in March.

Public hospitals, jails and state-supported living centers will still be allowed to require masks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, puts his face mask back on during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine an update from Federal officials on efforts to combat COVID-19, Tuesday, May 11, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP)

The move comes as Texas coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths continue to plunge and vaccines are being made available to children as young as 12.

Some Texas school have already ended mask mandates. The Texas State Teachers Association criticized Abbotts decision as premature.

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico is mounting a final push to get all of the countrys 3 million school teachers vaccinated so it can reopen schools, perhaps by the second half of June.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that getting kids back into classrooms is an urgent necessity, as much for their social development as anything else. He says: School is like a second home, and we need all students at all levels to return to in-person classes..

Officials estimate 2.1 million teachers at private and public schools have already been vaccinated, and hope to inject almost 520,000 this week and a similar number in the last week of May.

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 24, 2021 file photo, a nurse holds a vial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and provided through the global COVAX initiative, prior to vaccination in Machakos, Kenya. The Serum of Institute of India says it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the U.N. backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, in a move that will significantly set back global efforts to immunize people against COVID-19.(AP Photo/Brian Inganga, file)

Schools in four of Mexicos least-affected states have gone back to in-person classes, but on a very limited scale. The other 28 states have been giving online classes since early last year.

PORTLAND, Oregon -- Oregon health officials say businesses and churches can choose to no longer require masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated people, but those places must have individuals show proof of vaccination and review it.

Under new rules announced Tuesday, people will still be required to wear masks while on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities.

Oregonians have been required since last summer to wear masks inside public spaces such as grocery stores, shops, gyms and restaurants and outside in situations where people cannot remain six feet apart.

CONCORD, N.H.  New Hampshire will end its participation in all pandemic-related federal unemployment compensation programs June 19 but will offer signing stipends totaling $10 million to encourage people to find jobs.

President Joe Biden salutes from the stairs of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, May 18, 2021, on his departure and then on to Detroit to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The state was among the first to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits when the pandemic first struck. Between March and April 2020, its unemployment rate jumped from 2.7% to over 16%, but as of this month, was back down to 2.8%.

Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday that unemployed workers who find full-time jobs will get $1,000 bonuses after completing eight weeks of work and part-time workers will get $800 until the $10 million bonus fund is depleted.

Connecticut is offering a similar incentive, though it is maintaining the federal $300 supplemental payments for those who remain unemployed.

LOS ANGELES -- Five more California counties will move to less restrictive pandemic rules because of improving COVID-19 conditions.

The state Department of Public Health said Tuesday that Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Amador counties are moving from the orange, or moderate, tier to the yellow, or minimal, tier. Tehama County is improving from the red, substantial, tier to orange.

A volunteer with the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department waits to be let into the White Cliff building that houses the Ketchikan Gateway Borough offices in Ketchikan, Alaska, Thursday, May 13, 2021. Restaurants, bars and gyms in the Alaska port town of Ketchikan have been asked to close as officials attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 after the city's pandemic risk level was raised to its highest level. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

The moves will put 13 counties in yellow, 35 in orange and 10 in red. No counties are in the purple, or substantial, tier.

WASHINGTON  A top White House adviser for the coronavirus is encouraging young people to get vaccinated, sharing his sons struggles after acquiring the virus.

Andy Slavitt revealed during a White House briefing Tuesday that one of his sons was diagnosed with the virus late last year and still suffers from lingering side effects.

Hes appealing to younger Americans to roll up their sleeves, even if they feel theyre at less risk than older Americans for serious medical consequences.

Slavitt says his teenage son was young and fit and in the prime of his life. But six months later, he still suffers from tachycardia, shortness of breath, and ongoing and frequent flu-like symptoms. His hands are cold to the touch.

FILE - In this April 29, 2021, file photo, nurse Natasha Garcia administers a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Magaly Esparza in a mobile clinic set up in the parking lot of a shopping center in Orange, Calif. Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19's toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday, May 5. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Slavitt adds: Many young people are in this situation, and many, many have it worse. According to the CDC, more than 3 million kids under 17 have contracted COVID-19.

ATLANTA  A U.S. government report finds rural counties are behind urban counties in their coronavirus vaccination efforts, a gap that could slow the fight against the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that 39% of adults in rural counties had received at least one shot compared to 46% in urban counties as of April 10. The rural lag holds up in women, men and both younger and older adults.

Polling suggests rural Americans are more likely than others to say theyll avoid vaccination. The CDC report says rural Americans may have more trouble traveling to distant vaccination sites.

Early in the pandemic, the coronavirus hit large cities. By September, it spread throughout the country and case rates in rural areas eventually surpassed urban centers. Some research suggests rural Americans may be more vulnerable to serious infection and death from COVID-19.

FILE - In this April 29, 2021, file photo, nurse Natasha Garcia administers a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Magaly Esparza in a mobile clinic set up in the parking lot of a shopping center in Orange, Calif. Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19's toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday, May 5. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

The CDC says public health departments should work with doctors, pharmacies, faith groups and employers in rural areas to address the gap in coverage.

WASHINGTON  Federal health officials are releasing $3 billion to help states cope with rising substance abuse and mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The money approved by Congress in President Joe Bidens coronavirus relief bill will be equally divided between the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, roughly tripling the federal commitment to the programs, officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported 90,000 overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending last September, which represents 20,000 additional lives lost compared with the same period a year earlier.

Reported episodes of anxiety and depression were up sharply last year, and more people experienced suicidal thoughts. But there was a drop in the use of mental health and substance abuse treatment. Although people are using mental health services again, it hasnt returned to pre-pandemic levels.

A restaurant worker cleans the awning of a restaurant near Gare de Lyon Station, in Paris, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. The outdoor terraces of France's cafes and restaurants will be allowed to reopen on May 19 along with museums, cinemas, theaters and concert halls under certain conditions. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The money will be distributed through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The United Arab Emirates says it will offer booster shots six months after vaccination for those who received the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm shot.

The announcement Tuesday comes after some in the UAE received a third shot amid concerns of a low antibody response from the vaccine.

Last month, Chinas top disease control official, in a rare acknowledgement, said current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus.

China has distributed hundreds of millions of doses of domestically made vaccines abroad and is relying on them for its own mass immunization campaign. The state-owned company has not publicly published peer-reviewed data on the final stage clinical trial research and been criticized for a lack of transparency.

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, buskers dressed as showgirls walk into a casino along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas. Vaccinated diners, dancers, business owners and bodybuilders will be among those who can go maskless beginning June 1 in the Las Vegas area. County lawmakers on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, adopted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and dropped plans to tie business occupancy to COVID-19 vaccination rates. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

The UAE initially said the vaccine was 86% effective in the first public release of information on the shots efficacy. But in the time since, it has offered no study data to support its figures.

NEW DELHI  The Serum Institute of India says it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the U.N. backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, which will significantly set back global efforts to immunize people against COVID-19.

In March, Indias Serum Institute, the worlds biggest vaccine maker and the main supplier of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX, said it was postponing all exports of coronavirus vaccines to deal with the explosive surge of cases on the subcontinent. At the time, the World Health Organization and Gavi announced the delay would affect about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but they expected deliveries to resume by June.

SII has delivered more than 200 million doses, the company said in a statement posted to its Twitter account. It says in the past few days, theres been intense discussion on the decision of the Indian government and vaccine manufacturers about the possible export of vaccines.

We continue to scale up and prioritize India, the company says. We also hope to start delivering to COVAX and other countries by the end of the year.

GENEVA  More than 60 countries want the World Trade Organization member states to temporarily ease protections on the know-how behind vaccines, medicine and tests for the coronavirus.

They are appealing to approximately 140 other members to step forward as soon as possible to flesh out a text for the proposal. The 62 WTO member states -- mostly developing countries -- have rallied around a proposal first made by India and South Africa that garnered some support from the Biden administration when it comes to vaccines.

A joint statement from the countries says theyll soon present a revised proposal on the issue that aims to get coronavirus help to the neediest people -- whether in rich or poor countries.

The 62 states also pledged flexibility on the issue to ensure swift outcomes that would suit a majority of WTO member states. However, the WTO operates by consensus -- meaning any single country could block the proposal. Some have expressed strong opposition.

Wealthy countries with strong pharmaceutical industries say such a temporary intellectual property waiver could have a long-lasting impacting innovation and would take months to carry out -- rendering it ineffective against urgent supply shortages faced in many countries. They say a better solution would be immediate donations of vaccines from rich countries that have extra doses.

Proponents insist capacity to scale up production of vaccines exists, but the protections under WTO rules prevent it.

NICOSIA, Cyprus  Cyprus health minister says private doctors can administer the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19 to anyone over age 20 to expedite its vaccination program.

Constantinos Ioannou says the governments online vaccination appointment program will re-open for all ages so anyone who missed out the first time around can make the arrangement.

So far, 45.2% of its 875,000 population has received at least one shot and 15.5% have completed their vaccination. Ioannou says the governments target to vaccinate two-thirds of the population by the end of June remains on track.
BEIRUT  Scores of Palestinians and Lebanese protesting along the border with Israel threw rocks and climbed the cement wall snaking around the frontier, and drew tear gas from Israeli forces Tuesday.

Israeli Kassadra Bodari, left, and Lilian Feciouru take shelter in Ashdod, Israel during sirens warning of incoming rockets fired from Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Heidi Levine)

BEIRUT  Scores of Palestinians and Lebanese protesting along the border with Israel threw rocks and climbed the cement wall snaking around the frontier, and drew tear gas from Israeli forces Tuesday.

Lebanons National News Agency said five people were injured and others suffered from smoke inhalation. A number of protesters in the Lebanese border village of Adaisseh had climbed the wall to plant Lebanese flags and the yellow flags of the militant Hezbollah group.

It was the fifth straight day of protests along the border as support for the Palestinians swelled against an Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of protesters also marched in Lebanon's capital on Tuesday in support of Gaza, which has been under Israeli airstrikes since last week. The march went from Beirut's refugee camp of Mar Elias toward the city center.

On Monday, rockets fired from Lebanon fell inside Lebanese territory.

Last week, the Israeli army shot and killed one protester along the border. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah later identified the person killed as one of its fighters.

RAMALLAH, West Bank  The Palestinian Health Ministry says a Palestinian protester was killed and dozens more were wounded when gunshots rang out at a large demonstration in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military says protesters opened fire at troops at Tuesdays demonstration. It says two soldiers were shot in the leg and had to be hospitalized. Palestinian protesters often clash with Israeli troops in the West Bank but the demonstrators are rarely armed.

The Health Ministry identified the deceased as 25-year-old Muhammad Hamid. It says 46 others were wounded, including 16 with bullet wounds. It says four of them are in serious condition.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered on the outskirts of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered, to protest against Israels actions in Gaza and Jerusalem. They burned tires and hurled stones at the Israeli troops, who fired tear gas at them.

At one point, seven shots rang out, but it was unclear where they came from. Israeli soldiers on a hillside opposite the protest could be seen taking cover behind mounds of sandbags.

Tensions are soaring over the latest Gaza war, as well as recent clashes in Jerusalem and cities across Israel. A general strike on Tuesday was observed by Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories.

CAIRO  Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has announced the allocation of $500 million for reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.

El-Sissis office said in a Facebook post Tuesday that Egyptian firms would contribute in the re-building efforts.

Egypt, which is leading mediation efforts to reach a cease-fire, has sent some two dozen trucks carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Gaza through the Raffah crossing point.

It has also received wounded people from the latest round of violence to be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

People in Ashdod, Israel take shelter in the stairwell of their apartment building during a siren warning of rockets fired from Gaza to Israel on May 18, 2021.(AP Photo/Heidi Levine)

REYKJAVIK, Iceland  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has given the United States information about its bombing of a Gaza building housing The Associated Press and other media outlets.

Israel had claimed that Hamas had a military intelligence office in the Gaza building which it leveled in a weekend airstrike. But Israel has not publicly provided any evidence backing up that claim. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would share any evidence of Hamas presence in the targeted building through intelligence channels.

Blinken said from Iceland on Tuesday that we have received some further information through intelligence channels. He declined to characterize the material, saying "thats not something I can comment on.

Press freedom groups condemned the attack, which leveled the building and marked a new chapter in the already rocky relationship between the Israeli military and the international media.

AP President Gary Pruitt has called for an independent investigation into the attack.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israeli police say two Thai workers inside Israel have been killed in a strike launched from the Gaza Strip.

Another seven people were wounded in that attack Tuesday afternoon that hit a packaging plant in southern Israel, authorities said.

Militants from Gaza have launched thousands of rockets at civilian targets in Israel since last week. Israel has responded with airstrikes against what it says are militant targets in Gaza.

VIENNA  Austria has summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about comments in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Austrian officials decision to fly the Israeli flag over government buildings as a signal of solidarity.

The Israeli flag was raised over the chancellery and foreign ministry in Vienna on Friday amid rocket attacks by the Hamas militant group on Israel. In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Erdogan said: I curse the Austrian government which raised the Israeli flag over its (chancellery) building.

He added that flying the flag of a terrorist nation over such an official (building) is akin to living a life with terror. Presumably the Austrian government is trying to make Muslims pay the price of their own genocide against the Jews. The latter is a reference to the fact that, after its annexation in 1938, Austria was part of Nazi Germany.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Turkeys ambassador was summoned Tuesday over these absurd comments by President Erdogan.

Schallenberg added that it wont be possible to solve the Middle East conflict while foaming at the mouth. He said that instead of pouring oil on the fire, Turkey is urgently called on to contribute to de-escalation.

GENEVA The U.N. humanitarian agency is describing an increasingly dire situation inside the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and the territorys Hamas rulers rages with no end in sight.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes during more than a week of heavy Israeli airstrikes. Hamas and other militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israel.

Laerke says electricity across Gaza is only available for six to eight hours a day.

Citing Palestinian authorities, he said 132 buildings comprising 621 housing and commercial units have been destroyed in Gaza. He says another 316 housing units have been severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable.

Israel and Egypt have imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the closures are needed to keep the group from rearming, while rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment.

Laerke welcomed Israels decision to open Gazas main commercial crossing, allowing essential supplies to flow in for the first time since war broke out on May 10.

COGAT, the Israeli military body that coordinates civilian affairs in Gaza, said the crossing was closed after a mortar attack, several hours after it had been opened in order to allow medical equipment in.

ISLAMABAD  Pakistans foreign minister visited Turkey on Tuesday seeking to mobilize international pressure on Israel to halt attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The latest development comes a day after Pakistans lower house of parliament passed a unanimous resolution denouncing Israels attacks on Palestinian people.

Before leaving on his diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan stands firmly with the Palestinians.

Qureshi will also travel to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly later this week on the matter.

A day before, Pakistans opposition parties and the government issued a call for nationwide rallies on Friday to express solidarity with Palestinians.

Pakistan is among those countries that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

MOSCOW  Russian President Vladimir Putin says it is imperative to end the violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

Speaking at a ceremony with new foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin noted that the outburst of confrontation between the Palestinians and the Israelis has already led to a large number of casualties among civilian population, including children.

We consider it imperative to end violent actions on both sides and to actively seek a solution based on a relevant resolution of the United Nations Security Council and universally recognized principles of international law, Putin said.

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the American leader stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian.

Bidens carefully worded statement, in a White House readout Monday of his second known call to Netanyahu in three days as the attacks pounded on, came with the administration under pressure to respond more forcefully despite its determination to wrench the U.S. foreign policy focus away from Middle East conflicts.

Bidens comments on a cease-fire were open-ended and were similar to previous administration statements of support in principle for a cease-fire.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective action against Israels policies on Tuesday as Israeli strikes rained down on Gaza and militants fired dozens of rockets from the Hamas-ruled territory.

With the war in Gaza showing no sign of abating and truce efforts apparently stalled, the general strike and expected protests could again widen the conflict after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Tuesdays airstrikes toppled a six-story building that housed libraries and educational centers belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs. Desks, office chairs, books and computer wires could be seen in the debris. Residents sifted through the rubble, searching for their belongings.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday it will offer a third shot to recipients of the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine six months after their initial two-dose regimen. The move appears to make the UAE the first country worldwide to formally introduce the booster.

FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2021 file photo, a man receives his Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from a medical staffer at Guru Nanak Darbar temple in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates says it will offer booster shots to those who received the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm vaccine six months after vaccination. The announcement Tuesday, May 18, 2021, comes after some in the UAE received a third shot amid concerns of a low antibody response from the vaccine. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday it will offer a third shot to recipients of the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine six months after their initial two-dose regimen. The move appears to make the UAE the first country worldwide to formally introduce the booster.

The brief statement comes after some residents in the UAE reported receiving a third shot amid concerns about an insufficient antibody response. Chinas top disease control official acknowledged last month that the country's locally produced vaccines offer low protection against the virus, adding to growing questions over the shots efficacy.

The Sinopharm vaccine has become the linchpin of the UAE's vaccination campaign, among the fastest in the world per capita. The country, home to the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and glitzy city-state Dubai, has raced to widespread immunity in hopes of a swift economic reopening. Dubai draws heavily from the service-heavy tourism and aviation industries, which have been clobbered by the coronavirus.

Aside from efficacy numbers, the Chinese manufacturer has released very little public data about its Sinopharm vaccine, prompting criticism for its lack of transparency. Nonetheless, the shot is at the heart of China's own mass immunization campaign and its vast vaccine diplomacy efforts.

The World Health Organization granted the Sinopharm shot emergency approval earlier this month, potentially paving the way for millions of doses to reach needy countries through the U.N.-backed COVAX vaccine program. A range of governments, including in Hungary, Pakistan, Serbia and the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, already administer Sinopharm.

This spring, the UAE became the first in the world to manufacture its own local version of the Sinopharm vaccine. Widespread vaccination also plays a key role in preparing Dubai to host the long-awaited World Expo in October this year, expected to draw some 25 million visitors.

As part of the states proactive strategy to provide maximum protection for society, the door has been opened for the public to receive an additional supportive dose of the Sinopharm vaccine for people, said Dr. Farida al-Hosani, an Emirati health spokeswoman, in a statement broadcast on state television.

The government statement did not reveal any further information, saying only that all approved vaccines undergo strict safety tests. In the first public release of information on the shot's efficacy last year, the UAE said the vaccine was 86% effective against the virus based on its review of an interim analysis, without providing further details.

In March, an official from a state-linked Emirati company distributing Sinopharm set off a storm of confusion when he acknowledged on Dubai's state-owned radio that a very small number of residents had already received booster shots of Sinopharm. As vaccine recipients became worried about their antibody levels, authorities cautioned the public against mixing different coronavirus vaccines.

Last month, the head of international cooperation at China National Biotec Group, which is a subsidiary of Sinopharm, described the UAE's use of booster shots as not included in our clinical plan.

"The country made their own decision that they found for some immunocompromised part of the population or the elderly group, if they found they have low levels of antibodies then they may give a third dose, but it is not recommended in our formal schedule, Li Meng said.

Chinese officials made no immediate new comments on the UAE's decision to drastically expand its booster shoot program.

At first, Abu Dhabi exclusively used Sinopharm for its rollout, while the neighboring emirate of Dubai offered other options, including Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca. However, in recent weeks, Abu Dhabi has started to offer Pfizer as well. Across the country, the majority of low-paid workers from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East who power the UAE's economy received the Sinopharm vaccine.

Infections in the UAE have gradually declined from peaks reached in January as tourists fleeing lockdowns back home flooded the country's bars and beaches. But daily counts of new cases still hover over 1,000 a day, far above last year's levels, even as the country has administered 117 vaccine doses per 100 residents. Unlike other countries with rapid vaccination drives, like Israel and the United Kingdom, the UAE remained open for business after emerging from a strict lockdown a year ago.

Earlier this month, health authorities in Bahrain, another small Gulf Arab sheikhdom that has relied on Sinopharm for its speedy campaign, reported that a booster shot will soon be made available to individuals, with the aim of strengthening herd immunity.

After the Emirati announcement Tuesday, Bahrain said the third shot for its Sinopharm recipients would initially go to a prioritized group, including first responders, residents older than 50 and those with underlying health conditions.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
VANCOUVER - Woodside Petroleum Ltd. says it plans sell its 50 per cent stake in the proposed Kitimat LNG development in British Columbia.

An aerial view of the area along the Douglas Channel near Kitimat, B.C., is shown on January 10, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - Woodside Petroleum Ltd. says it plans sell its 50 per cent stake in the proposed Kitimat LNG development in British Columbia.

The Australian company says the plan includes the divestment or wind-up and restoration of assets, leases and agreements covering the 480-kilometre Pacific Trail Pipeline route and the site for the proposed LNG facility at Bish Cove.

Woodside will keep a position in the Liard Basin upstream gas resource.

Chevron Canada Ltd., the operator of the project, said earlier this year that it would stop funding further feasibility work on the project. The company put its interest up for sale in December 2019, but has failed to find a buyer.

Woodside acting-CEO Meg ONeill said following Chevron's decision in March to cease funding that Woodside undertook a comprehensive review of its options for the project.

"The Kitimat LNG proposal was designed to develop a new source of LNG to supply Asian markets in the latter part of this decade," ONeill said in a statement.

"However, we have decided to prioritize the allocation of capital to opportunities that will deliver nearer-term shareholder value."

ONeill said exiting the Kitimat project will allow the company to focus on higher value opportunities in Australia and Senegal.

At one-time, about 20 LNG terminals were proposed for the West Coast but the $40-billion LNG Canada project headed by Shell Canada is the only one to reach the construction stage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.
OTTAWA - Canada is calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stop the violence that has been escalating in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Canada is calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stop the violence that has been escalating in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

At a news conference in Ottawa, he said Canada will work with the international community to de-escalate the situation to avoid more loss of civilian life.

"Our hearts go out to Israelis and Palestinians for the violence that is surrounding them right now," Trudeau said.

"We've all seen the tragic images, families, innocent kids affected. It needs to stop."

Hundreds have died in recent days after Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza Strip launched rockets and Israel unleashed airstrikes.

Gaza's Health Ministry says the Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 213 Palestinians, including 61 children, and wounded about 1,500 Palestinians.

Israel says 12 people have died in rocket attacks, including two children, and at least 300 have been wounded.

The United States signalled it would not pressure the two sides for a ceasefire even as President Joe Biden said he supported one.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with his army's operations, saying in a televised interview Sunday the offensive on the Palestinians would "take time."

The United Nations General Assembly is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the situation.

Trudeau didn't answer a question on his government's position on an expected resolution in the UN calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau's office said Canada is appalled by the ongoing violence, rising tensions, and the devastating loss of life.

"The toll  particularly on civilians, including women and children  has already been too great," Global Affairs Canada said in a release.

"Canada continues to express grave concerns over the escalating violence in Israel, West Bank, and Gaza."

The escalation was triggered by days of clashes at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, which is built on a hilltop site sacred to Jews in the holy city.

That followed tensions fuelled by the planned eviction of dozens of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem where Israeli settlers have waged a lengthy legal battle to take over properties.

A Bloc Quebecois MP's motion to calling for a ceasefire didn't get unanimous consent in the House of Commons last week.

Stephane Bergeron's motion denounced the resurgence of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, reiterated support for two state solution, exhorted Israel to stop acquiring more of the Palestinian territory and called on Israelis and Palestinians to quickly return to the negotiation table to find a lasting peace.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

 with files from The Associated Press.

----

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
A private members resolution calling for the inclusion of an Indigenous land acknowledgement at the start of the daily proceedings at the Manitoba legislature did not go to a vote last week.

A private members resolution calling for the inclusion of an Indigenous land acknowledgement at the start of the daily proceedings at the Manitoba legislature did not go to a vote last week.

On Thursday, NDP MLA Ian Bushies resolution got "talked out"  with members speaking about the bill until the allotted time ran out.

"It was very strategic and methodical for the PC caucus to speak it out, and that is a very telling example of where they situate Indigenous people," NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine said Monday.

The PC caucus said "multiple" Tory MLAs spoke to the motion, including Metis members Alan Lagimodiere (Selkirk) and Bob Lagasse (Dawson Trail), "to share the provinces commitment to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples," spokesperson Delaney Hoeppner said in an email.

"As this is an important matter, other members may want the opportunity participate in the debate," Hoeppner said. "The Opposition is always free to allocate more time to continue debate on this resolution, should they wish to do so."

The NDP Opposition says it has been asking for an Indigenous land acknowledgement since 2017.

"Its 2021  you cant have the language of reconciliation and not do something that is so simple that everyone is doing," Fontaine said.

A land acknowledgement is recited before Winnipeg professional sporting events, conferences and city hall meetings. She said the Manitoba legislature, which sits on traditional Treaty 1 territory, could include the land acknowledgement without a formal vote, if house leaders agreed and asked the Speaker.

"If theres political will and agreement, we could have it start tomorrow," Fontaine said in a scrum Monday. She doesnt expect a land acknowledgement will be included in the proceedings before the house rises for the summer June 1, and it may not happen until the session resumes in October  or when the NDP next forms government, she said.

The adherents to Treaty 1, who are commemorating its 150th anniversary this year, want the Manitoba legislature to acknowledge the land it is on as part of the daily proceedings.

"We are pleased that MLA Bushie and the Manitoba NDP has reached out to the Treaty 1 Nation to begin consultation of this addition to daily proceedings, which we feel is one step towards reconciliation with a government that has largely ignored First Nations in Manitoba," spokesman Long Plain Chief Dennis Meeches said in an email.

"The timing of this resolution is also good as we head into the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 1 in August this year, and we look forward to discussions and more recognition of the First Peoples of what is now the province of Manitoba."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:49:09|Editor: huaxia

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DURBAN, South Africa, May 18 (Xinhua) -- South African coastal city Durban on Tuesday welcomed being nominated in the 28th annual World Travel Awards.

The city has received four direct nominations this year which include Africa's Leading Business Travel Destination 2021, Africa's Leading City Destination 2021, Africa's Leading Festival and Event Destination 2021 and Africa's Leading Meetings and Conferences Destination 2021.

Durban's King Shaka International Airport was nominated for Africa's Leading Airport and Port of Durban for Africa's Leading Cruise Port. The Southern Sun's Elangeni and Maharani Hotel Conference received a nomination for Africa's Leading Conference Hotel and Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Center was nominated for Africa's Leading Meetings and Conference Center 2021.

"This news could not have come at a better time as we navigate our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought about immense economic challenges for the tourism sector. These nominations are testament to the hard work that we have put in, to market the city to the rest of the world by highlighting the high standards that we, and our establishments, strive to achieve," said eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.

He believed that the nominations are a vote of confidence in the city's business travel and tourism industry offering.

"Receiving several nominations for such a prestigious awards ceremony is a total boost for the City. We call on all residents to rally behind the City by casting their vote in order to bring these awards home," he said.

Voting for the World Travel Awards will close on August 9. Enditem
Jasmine Normand spent half her life trying to break away from addiction, but her untimely death wasnt the result of a drug overdose.

Jasmine Normand spent half her life trying to break away from addiction, but her untimely death wasnt the result of a drug overdose.

The 27-year-old was slain in her Winnipeg apartment  and it was her mother who discovered the body.

Jasmine Normand was found dead on May 10, 2021. Her death has been ruled a homicide.

Brenda Normand said she and a co-worker went May 10 to check on her daughter at her basement apartment on Maryland Street.

"I hadn't heard from her for a couple of days," Brenda said. "We walked down the hallway and her door was open... We called: 'Jassy.' There was no answer, so I said, 'She's not here, let's just go.'

"But (the co-worker) said, 'Is that blood on the wall?' My eyes were still adjusting to the dark. Then she said, 'I want to look under that pillow.' It was the large kind that would be on a wicker chair. She moved it and she saw hair. We left right away and called an ambulance," Brenda said.

"God knows how long she would have been there if the pillow hadn't been moved."

City police later ruled Normand's death a homicide  Winnipeg's seventh of the year.

"God knows how long she would have been there if the pillow hadn't been moved."  Brenda Normand on discovering her daughter's body

Normand was eight days shy of her 28th birthday.

"We always said this wasn't going to end well," Brenda said during a recent interview with the Free Press, recalling the years of her daughter's repeated addiction and failed treatments.

SUPPLIED Undated photo of Jasmine Normand, left, and her mother, Brenda Normand.

"We knew it would be something. We just always assumed it would be a bit of fentanyl in her meth. This is shocking."

Brenda and her husband adopted Jasmine, known as Jassy, when the girl was three weeks old. Described as bright and energetic, she went to school in Stonewall in her early years. She loved dolls, riding her bike, a trampoline, and a sparkly chandelier over her bed.

But unbeknownst to Normand's parents, drugs began to take over her life.

"We had no idea what was going on," Brenda said. "She wasn't going to school. She would take off and not come home at night."

She started running away, with police having to find her. Many treatment programs followed. When Normand came home, Brenda would sleep with her purse in her bed.

SUPPLIED Undated photo of Jasmine Normand, who was slain in her Maryland Street apartment.

A few years ago, Brenda suggested Normand try connecting with her birth mother, hoping that might help. "I think she did, but it wasn't like how it happens on TV."

"We gave her unconditional help. We always told her no judgment. We said call any time."  Brenda Normand

Normand would get clean, but eventually she would spiral down again, her mother said.

"We gave her unconditional help," Brenda said. "We always told her no judgment. We said call any time.

"Very few people who know us knew of our struggles. Many are only finding out about it now."

Normand entered her last treatment centre late last year, getting out in early January.

SUPPLIED Jasmine Normand's mother, Brenda Normand, discovered her body on May 10.

Through the Living Recovery Foundation of Winnipeg, an organization that helps people with addiction, Normand found an apartment at 693 Maryland St.

"My husband and I went to see it first  we didn't want to get Jassy's hopes up," she said. "It was a basement apartment, furnishing provided, and was more acceptable than the last place  but the neighbourhood wasn't great."

Brenda said the last time they saw their daughter was May 5. She was high.

On May 9, Brenda learned a tenant in the building was concerned about Normand's well-being.

The next day, after picking up a submarine sandwich and pop for her daughter, Brenda and a co-worker went to the apartment. Emergency crews were called shortly after.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The apartment building at 693 Maryland.

In the apartment, Brenda found a copy of Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, by Nic Sheff, the author's account of his struggle with addiction.

In the days since her death, a young woman who knew Normand from school reached out to her parents: "I loved your daughter very much, she was such a sweet, caring and funny girl. She could always make me laugh when I was down... While we hadnt talked in recent years, I was saddened to hear of her sudden passing."

Winnipeg police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

Brenda, hearing the people behind the soon-to-open Bruce Oake Recovery Centre are already planning work towards opening a similar Winnipeg treatment facility for women, said she hopes they do.

As the family wrote it in Normand's obituary: "Addiction does not discriminate... Although she was taken by the hand of another, the addiction led to her fate."

"Jasmine's not the only one," the mother said. "There are many out there like Jasmine."

The family says she will be buried with her grandmother, who recently died, and who "never lost faith in Jassy and loved her unconditionally."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

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And Jets centre Mark Sheifele is eager to test his mettle against the Oilers' Connor McDavid, considered one of the best in the world, when the two teams face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a wildfire that broke out near Breezy Point over the weekend continues to burn .

Manitoba has become the COVID-19 hotspot in Canada, with the highest rate of infections per capita, surpassing Alberta, with 232 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days.
Some timber industry insiders in Canada are speculating about a possible end to the lumber war with the United States. With prices for timber quadrupling over the last year or so, along with rising demand for forestry products in the U.S. marketplace, there is hope that a bilateral deal on softwood lumber could be hammered out.

Opinion

Some timber industry insiders in Canada are speculating about a possible end to the lumber war with the United States. With prices for timber quadrupling over the last year or so, along with rising demand for forestry products in the U.S. marketplace, there is hope that a bilateral deal on softwood lumber could be hammered out.

It does appear that pressure is building south of the border to negotiate a multi-year lumber pact with Canada. The sharply rising cost of lumber has a great deal to do with that push (approximately US$1,600 per thousand board feet)  with prices for new homes increasing by US$30,000, by some accounts. As a result, the U.S. National Association of Home Builders has petitioned President Joe Biden to halt the duties and to cobble together a new timber accord with Canada.

It is worth recalling that the 2006 Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement, which was negotiated by Stephen Harper and George W. Bush, expired in late 2015. Ever since, the U.S. Department of Commerce has been harassing Canadas lumber sector with punishing countervailing and anti-dumping duties.

After a number of trade challenges (and victories) by Canada under the NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (WTO), those penalties have been readjusted over the years. Most of Canadas softwood lumber exports to the U.S. are now subject to a roughly nine per cent duty. But Quebec-based Resolute Forest Products Inc. faces a 20.25 per cent import levy on its forest products.

There may very well be some incentives, then, for Canada to return to the softwood lumber bargaining table with the U.S. One might even argue that Canadas negotiating position vis-a-vis the U.S. is stronger today than arguably at any time in the past.

Both sides, moreover, would obviously welcome a mutually beneficial timber agreement that would bring commercial peace and stability to the billion-dollar lumber sector. And with industry forces on both sides of the border apparently angling for a bilateral deal during buoyant times, the time to strike is now.

But there is a stronger case for why not much is going to happen on the timber front in the medium term. The reality is that the incentives to do precious little exceed the pressures on the two countries to conclude a timber pact.

For one thing, the political heat on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to frame up a bilateral settlement is just not there. Indeed, the high prices and soaring demand in the U.S. for Canadian lumber has not only bought Ottawa more time, it could also provide the Liberal government with potentially more electoral points in places such as Quebec and British Columbia  two critical provinces for the Liberals in the anticipated 2021 federal election  by leaving the timber dispute alone.

Additionally, Trudeau would be wise to spend whatever political capital he has in the bank in official Washington on securing an exemption from "Buy America" provisions or resolving the tricky Line 5 pipeline oil dispute with Michigan.

Part of the problem also stems from an uphill climb to get the Biden team onboard. The U.S. president has his hands full with a still-debilitating pandemic, a nascent economic recovery and an increasingly polarized America. The fact of the matter is that the Biden administration has too much on its plate right now to focus laser-like on a timber accord with Canada.

Furthermore, there are many in the U.S. Congress, to say nothing of those in the U.S. Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, who strongly believe that Canada unfairly subsidizes its softwood lumber exports. And they will never stop pointing to low stumpage fees at the provincial level and even cheap electricity for Canadian sawmills.

Equally important, there is the major brake on any bilateral negotiations coming from the industrys chief mouthpiece and defender  namely, the U.S. Lumber Coalition. Over the years, it has called for nothing less than a complete surrender by Canada on the timber file. "Reversing the course on enforcing U.S. trade levies against subsidized and unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports would be devastating to the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers who depend on the forest industry," it said recently.

While it may be tempting for the Trudeau Liberals and the lumber sector in Canada to secure a more predictable timber arrangement with the U.S., the timing right now is not propitious. Both Ottawa and Washington have much bigger bilateral fish to fry. Besides, the electoral costs of doing nothing are effectively nil for both parties  so just let the softwood lumber good times roll.

Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
Staff at the Maples Personal Care Home called the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service on Nov. 6 last year because they could not care for the large number of residents who had come down with COVID-19. The paramedics took some residents to hospitals and pitched in with emergency care for the others.

Staff at the Maples Personal Care Home called the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service on Nov. 6 last year because they could not care for the large number of residents who had come down with COVID-19. The paramedics took some residents to hospitals and pitched in with emergency care for the others.

At that point, it was already too late. The COVID-19 outbreak had been spreading through the facility since Oct. 20. By the time it was over, 54 residents had died of the viral infection. The province ordered an external review, which called for better plans and procedures. Relatives of some of the deceased residents are now suing the care home and the government.

By the time of the Maples care home outbreak, Winnipeg guitarist Ron Siwicki was already serving a prison sentence for criminal negligence causing death. His mother, for whom he was the sole caregiver, had died at their home in the Maples district on account of poor hygiene and bedsores after years of dementia and declining health.

Paramedics arrive at Maples Personal Care Home on Nov. 1. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The two cases show a mismatch in the consequences that are imposed for inadequate health care in this province. The son whose care for his mother was found to be inadequate was sentenced at trial to three months in prison, a term that was raised to two years by the Court of Appeal. The nearby personal-care home whose inadequate care under provincial government supervision led to deaths of 54 residents is required to rewrite its plans and its procedures.

Through much of the COVID-19 outbreak, a great many Maples care home employees booked off sick  apparently to the astonishment of the management. Untrained or partly trained new employees were hired to take the places of some absentees; even with these replacements, the number of people working in the facility often fell below 70 per cent of the usual staff complement.

Once a COVID-19 outbreak is detected in a personal-care home, the staff have obvious reasons to steer clear. If they catch the disease, they are likely to infect their families. Protection for staff health is rudimentary. Pay for health-care aides is low enough that many people would rather miss a weeks pay than expose themselves and their families to infection.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A vigil was held in November for the COVID victims who died at Maples Personal Care Home. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The government-ordered external review tactfully did not mention the obvious problems of low pay and poor personal protection that have driven staff away from many long-term care establishments in Canada since the pandemic took hold. But even when the procedures are revised and the plans are rewritten as the review proposed, care homes will run short of staff as long as the pay remains low and the danger of staff infection remains high.

Manitoba, like other Canadian provinces, cares for its frail elderly on the cheap. The cheapest care of all is that provided at home by family members. People in need of care are often reluctant to move into a personal-care home for fear of inadequate care. Reports of terrible conditions in some nursing homes during the pandemic have undoubtedly increased those fears.

For some, the alternative is to stay home and rely on the care of family members. The imprisonment of Mr. Siwicki, however, shows that route can also be dangerous for everyone involved. The government should improve pay and safety for personal-care home workers and, while its at it, it should also provide training and adequate support for family caregivers. Training them would be more constructive than throwing them in prison.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 22:24:31|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Charles Tembo, a 37-year-old resident of Lusaka, the Zambian capital, has come up with a way of turning used plastic products like bottles into a venture of making building blocks instead of using quarry.

Even though the dream of making money from his innovation is yet to become a reality, Tembo is not daunted and is determined that he contributes in a way to ensure a clean environment by collecting the used plastic bottles and glasses which he uses to make blocks for the construction industry.

His poor educational background has not stopped him from using his talent and he is determined to use it to change his life and contribute to the development of the nation, especially in ensuring that the country has a clean environment.

He had always dreamt of becoming an engineer and the huge uncollected bottles and glasses made him start thinking of how he can turn them into materials that can be used in block making.

"Looking at the situation in our country, Lusaka to be precise, there is indiscriminate disposal of bottles, glasses and other waste. I want Lusaka to be clean, to be free of bottles and glasses," he said in an interview.

He has since invented a simple machine which he is using to crush the bottles and glasses into smaller particles which are later mixed with cement and used in block making though he is currently doing it on a pilot basis due to challenges.

The current machine, which uses solar energy, is able to crush between one to two tons of bottles and glasses per day though it has a capacity to crush five tons per day if it is powered by electricity.

His goal is to make a machine that will be able to crush bottles and glasses at an industrial level as he plans to expand his idea to benefit all the parts of the country.

"I have a big picture of the machine. I already have the technical drawings of how I want the machine to be but all I need is capital. Everything is already in place and all I need is funding and documentation," he said.

According to him, he has a vision to contribute to job creation through his idea, adding that it is time people, especially young people, started complementing government efforts by coming up with innovative ideas.

His plans to venture into full-scale production have hit a snag as efforts to get permission from the local authority to collect discarded bottles and glasses at a dumping site owned by the local authority has not yet come to fruition.

He said he visited the local authority and briefed them about his idea. He was advised to secure his premises before they can allow him to be collecting the bottles and glasses from the dumpsite.

The country's environment agency has welcomed the initiative, saying any initiative aimed at preserving the environment needs to be supported.

Friday Phiri, acting Corporate Affairs Manager of the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), said an environmental assessment needs to be done to assess the impact of the project on the environment.

He said the environmental assessment will help the innovator to seek solutions to some of the challenges being faced. Enditem
The link between inequality and power

How power is distributed in SA and how those with power think about wealth and income.

In the second part of our New Frame, New Economy forum on inequality, Imraan Valodia advocates for understanding how power is distributed in South Africa and how those with power think about wealth and income.

Inequality in South Africa is about more than what people earn. It is about more, even, than the distribution of resources. Ultimately, inequality is about power.

My objective here, then, is to complement Murray Liebbrandts perceptive article by adding some points on measurement, and providing some caution about the limitations of focusing too much on data and ignoring the broader power issues.

As highlighted by Leibbrandt, South Africa has the worst inequality in the world. But there are a few issues worth clarifying about the measurement of inequality.

It should be made clear, for instance, that South Africas levels of inequality are the highest of all countries that have data on inequality. There are a number of countries that probably have higher levels of inequality  think Angola or the Democratic Republic of Congo  but whose inequality data do not exist, or are too poor to be considered reliable.

Wealth is the real home of inequality

A more pressing clarification relates to the relationship between what people earn and what they own. Much of South Africas reported data rely on income. But while income does give us a good understanding of inequality, there are at least two good reasons why it tells only a part of the story.

Income shows how peoples total wealth changes from one year to the next. What it doesnt show is a true picture of their stock of wealth. To better understand the extent of inequality, we should really be looking at how much wealth  total assets less their liabilities  individuals in our society own.

People with high levels of income use all sorts of ways to hide their income, and the wealthy seldom report the true extent of their income in surveys. It is a little more difficult, however, for the wealthy to hide large houses, expensive cars, investments and other forms of conspicuous consumption. Of course, revelations like the Panama Papers show that the wealthy are able to hide their wealth, too. But the point here is that it is more difficult to hide wealth than it is to hide income.

Understanding the distribution of wealth in South Africa would give us a more complete, accurate and nuanced understanding of inequality.

The Southern Centre for Inequality Studies has done excellent research that highlights South Africas wealth inequality. Some key findings are worth highlighting. The wealthiest 10% of the population owns 85% of all household wealth, for instance, while the wealthiest 0.1% own 25% of it. Even further up the scale, the wealthiest 3 500 people  0.01% of the adult population  own 15% of all household wealth in South Africa. And while the average net wealth of the top 1% is nearly R18 million, the liabilities of the bottom 50% exceed their assets. So, the most impoverished half of the population has a net worth of negative R16 000.

The denial of human possibilities

The pattern of wealth inequality in South Africa is more extreme than most other societies, and it has not changed since the countrys democratic transition. This is no basis for a sustainable society.

But the nature and effect of inequality goes much further than resource inequality.

Inequality is, in essence, a maldistribution of power. It is about the conditions in a society that allow one group  whether based on race, gender, economic resources, age or sexual preferences  to dominate over another. It is, to use the words of Swedish sociologist Goran Therborn, a violation of human dignity: it is a denial of the possibility for everyones capabilities to develop.

To deal with inequality, then, we must also look beyond the data and understand how power is distributed in our society. And we must interrogate the thinking promoted by those with power.

Globally, powerful interest groups in economics and other disciplines promote the idea that free markets, deregulation and the dominance of the private sector over the public sector are in the best interests of all. This thinking has shaped how our economies operate and who gets to benefit from economic activity. Together with technological changes that have concentrated economic power and benefitted individuals with high levels of skill, these ideas and processes have skewed the benefits of economic growth and generated higher and higher levels of income and wealth for those, with enormous power, at the top.

These global trends have had particularly pernicious effects in South Africa where, as Leibbrandt highlights, our history of dispossession and apartheid created an already highly unequal society.

Despite significant fiscal transfers and policies such as minimum wages aimed at increasing the income of those at the bottom end of the distribution, the countrys patterns of inequality have remained persistent. Even policies such as black economic empowerment have disproportionately benefitted a small elite.

Three reasons to defeat inequality...

Changing South Africas inequality is important for many reasons. But I want to highlight three.

First, as Leibbrandt shows, inequality begets inequality. The current patterns of inequality in South Africa are only further perpetuating inequality. As he shows, for all the talk of individual abilities, a child born to parents in one of South Africas most impoverished homes has a 95% chance of being similarly impoverished as an adult.

In other words, the current structure of inequality is being perpetuated across generations. The future of a South African child is almost entirely dependent, notwithstanding abilities, on whether he or she is born to rich or impoverished parents.

Second, inequality is a structural constraint to a better society for all. As Leibbrandt points out, it is a trap that is hampering us as a society.

And third, none of this constitutes the basis for a sustainable society. We might paper over the cracks for some years through fiscal transfers, as we have done until this point. But sooner or later, this level and pattern of inequality will mean that South Africa will fracture beyond remedy.

...and four ways it might be defeated

So, what needs to be done? Leibbrandt highlights the needs for better policy coordination across economic and social policy. I agree. But I would add the following.

First, in most other societies, education is a key driver of social mobility. Sadly, and despite the fact that South Africa spends a significant amount of its national resources on education, we achieve extremely poor outcomes. We simply have to improve the quality and efficacy of the education system.

Second, unemployment is a key driver of income inequality. Any future economic growth must generate more employment and better income for low-paid workers. And here the solutions have to be more global. Technological development can and should be harnessed to create employment and improve social services, rather than generate massive incomes for a select few at the expense of most of society.

Third, policy should not normally aim to improve the welfare of one group at the expense of another. However, unless we address the exceptionally high levels of income and wealth that are concentrated in a few hands, everyone, including the wealthy, stands to lose. South Africas already precarious tax system is more fragile than ever since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, we should be cautious about interfering with a tax system. But unless we want to consider ill-advised policies like legislating for maximum pay, the tax system should be used to disincentivise excessively high incomes among the highest earners. Higher levels of taxation and policies such as a wealth tax have to be seriously considered.

Fourth, policies that democratise investment decisions in companies and result in a more egalitarian distribution of the benefits of growth must be considered. In this regard, it is pleasing to see that policy makers are taking seriously policies such as employee share ownership and worker representation on company boards.

As I have already highlighted, inequality is, at its heart, an issue of power. Many in our society lack access to power. Without it, the resources needed for a good life remain out of reach. Others wield too much power. They use it to defend their privilege and reproduce inequality. There are a number of policy levers available to policy makers to address this. Competition policies to address the concentration of economic power, for example.

But in the end, South Africas struggle against inequality will depend on whether various interests in our society can cohere to address this maldistribution of power. To quote American economist Darrick Hamilton, dramatic inequality is at least as much a problem of politics as it is of economics. It is time to go beyond the false narrative that attributes inequality to individual deficits, while largely ignoring the advantages of wealth.

Professor Imraan Valodia is the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, and Head of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies. This article was first published in New Frame.
ROME, N.Y.  Experts at Assured Information Security in Rome say cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, making businesses more vulnerable, including national companies like Colonial Pipeline.

A cyberattack on the pipeline last week stopped production after ransomware was used on the computerized pipeline management system. The company paid a $5 million ransom to the hackers to restore service to much of the east coast.

Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure have grown significantly in the past years and the numbers are likely to continue to rise as more systems are automated and connected to networks, said Eric Thayer, principal engineer for systems analysis and exploitation at AIS. At AIS we regularly analyze the security of complex systems, such as those that may have been supporting the pipeline. We have a team that specializes in identifying weaknesses and hardening safety critical systems.

AIS encourages businesses to frequently assess their security systems to reduce the risk of getting hacked.

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and it is important for companies to understand the impact of vulnerabilities before they are discovered and to be prepared with plans in place to mitigate potential threats, said Thayer. End to end vulnerability assessments and secure product consulting are services we often encourage our customers to consider. These services help to proactively identify weaknesses before they are exploited and we can build systems securely from the ground up, minimizing potential threats.

AIS is located on Brooks Road in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A bill aiming to help our criminal justice system inspired by Tippecanoe County will become law Governor Eric Holcomb signed the High Tech Crime Unit Bill in April.

As we previously reported, people trained with the units take electronic devices and process them for evidence in a crime. There are currently only a few units that every prosecutor's office in the state relies on: Tippecanoe County, St. Joseph County and the Indiana State Police units.

This new law provides $3 million in state funding for 10 civilian-based HTCU's to be established across the state.

The bill passed with only one vote against it in both the house and senate. Prosecutor Patrick Harrington, who went to the statehouse to advocate for the bill to lawmakers, said the vote outcome shows its strength.

"This is not only a major piece of legislation to enhance the criminal justice system, but it also partners with education," he said.

The goal is to link these units with universities around the state so students get hands on, real world experience in processing evidence. Harrington said he's proud of the county's previous and continued contribution to High Tech Crime Units.

"Our supervisor Sean Leshney is one of the ones being tapped by the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, along with some others from St. Joseph County, to basically draft the models," he said.

There will be one unit per congressional district. The bill goes into effect on July 1st.
2021 grad headed for D.C. and an elite foreign policy fellowship

James C. Gaither Fellow: Caroline Duckworth '21, a double major in international relations and data science, will provide research support and data visualization, including GIS mapping, as a research assistant to Carnegies senior scholars. Her one-year appointment in D.C. will begin in August. Courtesy photo Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Mary senior Caroline Duckworth 21 is among a group of 12 students from across the country to be selected for a 2021-2022 fellowship with the James C. Gaither Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), a foreign policy think tank in Washington, D.C.

Duckworth is the second student in two years from William & Mary to be selected for the prestigious fellowship; Grace Kier 20 joined the program last year.

Duckworth, a double major in international relations and data science, will provide research support and data visualization, including GIS mapping, as a research assistant to Carnegies senior scholars. Her one-year appointment in D.C. will begin in August.

Growing up, Duckworth dreamed of being a veterinarian, but a capstone class in current events during her senior year in high school, followed by Introduction to International Politics in her freshman year at William & Mary, sparked a deep interest in global affairs. I didnt look back after that, she said.

She began honing her skills in research as an intern tracking unreported foreign aid from the Chinese government on the Transparent Development Footprints team at AidData, William & Marys research and innovation lab that seeks to make development finance more transparent and effective.

The following year, she was selected as a research intern for the Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS), an undergraduate think tank in which students craft novel policy solutions to emerging international security challenges. As an intern, she partnered with senior Lindsey Washington 19 to research Chinas efforts to corner the market on graphene, a flexible and lightweight but extremely strong wonder material that can be used in highly efficient batteries and super armor.

Lindsey was such a wonderful mentor in PIPS and continues to be a very influential person in my life, said Duckworth. Together, the white paper they produced highlighted the possible economic and military threat posed by Chinas near monopoly on the production of graphene.

When it came time to choose her own topic as a research fellow at PIPS, she looked for a way to weave together her many interests and experiences.

At PIPS, the fall semester is all about identifying your topic, she said. Its a really collaborative process in which you pitch bad idea after bad idea until you come up with something that the rest of the group finds interesting. Its an incredible environment of feeling both supported but also challenged.

Returning to her love of biology, paired with the research and subject matter expertise shed gained by studying China the previous year, she settled on researching how asymmetric ethics between China and the U.S. would allow China to outcompete us in biotechnology.

Our competitors, specifically China, have different ethical practices and attitudes related to biotechnology, for instance the use of stem cells, gene editing and human enhancement technologies, she said. In the U.S., many of these practices are highly controversial, and the legislative policies that govern them can shift quickly, while China is able to pursue a longer-term strategy due to a different government structure and perceptions on these issues.

The solution she proposed is one that focuses on international collaboration, with the U.S. formalizing its guiding principles for biotechnology and promoting these ideals through international institutions.

Duckworth presented her work at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Mad Scientist Initiative at Fort Eustis, as well as to the Joint-Forces Staff College.

Dennis Smith, co-director of PIPS, said in a nomination letter for the fellowship, Caroline is an outstanding researcher who has an aptitude for identifying emerging science and technology challenges in the national security space.

Amy Oakes, director of the International Relations program, added, Caroline is an incredibly creative thinkershe has a knack for unearthing important, but overlooked, issues in national security. She also has a prodigious work ethic, seeks out challenges, embraces constructive criticism, and is an extremely capable writer and researcher.

Successfully completing two majors, as well as a series of challenging internships brought its share of stress, but Duckworth says she has tried hard to maintain a sense of balance. Participating in the W&M club rowing team has played a huge role in that.

Rowing gave me a two-hour period almost every day when I didnt have to think about school, she said. It introduced me to some of my best friends and created this network of people that has been so supportive. Signing up for that club my freshman year was the best decision I could have made and really got me to where I am.

She also studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, taking a course in dance and even going cage-diving with great white sharks  both experiences that she says took her well outside her comfort zone.

Looking to the future, she hopes to continue contributing to the field of national security and pursue graduate study.

Ive gained so many skills in both data analysis and research through my experiences at William & Mary, she said. Both paths are really interesting to me and Im excited to see where they take me.
During a visit in March, Gov. Daniel J. McKee, left, tours the vaccination clinic at the Monsignor Gadoury School in Woonsocket with Fire Chief Paul Shatraw, center, and Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 00:10:34|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Lamu seaport built by a Chinese firm that is set to be launched on Thursday will pave way for seamless movement of goods in the greater Horn of Africa region, officials said Tuesday.

The first phase of the Lamu port project consisting of three berths, constructed by the China Communications Construction Company, is located in the coastal county of Lamu in northeast Kenya.

Rashid Salim, acting managing director of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), said the ultra-modern port that is part of Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor is ready for major shipping operations.

"The new port has a huge potential for business since it sits right in the middle of major shipping routes for global trade," Salim told Xinhua during a recent interview.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to receive the first large cargo ship to dock at the completed Lamu port's Berth One on Thursday amid a quest to elevate Kenya's status as a regional transport and logistics hub.

Salim said that operationalization of Lamu port, which is a Vision 2030 flagship project in the country, will transform regional economies through increased trade, integration and connectivity.

He said that Kenya's second commercial seaport will facilitate the transportation of bulk cargo to landlocked South Sudan and Ethiopia besides stimulating the growth of the local manufacturing sector.

KPA has already dispatched crucial equipment like cranes, tag boats, trailers, forklifts and rail chains to Lamu port to support cargo transfer from large vessels to trucks for transportation to the mainland, said Salim.

He clarified there will be no competition or duplication of roles between Lamu port and the country's Mombasa port since each will be serving a different trade route.

Salim said that Lamu port will have the capacity to handle large vessels from international shipping lines that ply the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea.

He said that state agencies were working on modalities of rolling out fiscal incentives to international shipping lines keen on utilizing the Lamu port.

Abdullahi Samatar, general manager of Lamu port, said it is expected to attract bulk cargo transport business from Ethiopia and South Sudan, generate new jobs, and spur the growth of local start-ups.

Samatar said the Lamu seaport can handle large vessels with a carrying capacity ranging from 12,000 to 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Samatar said the port will also open up the vast northern Kenyan region for investments in key sectors like livestock, tourism, and fisheries.

Omudho Awitta, board chairman of Kenya Railways Corporation, said that operationalization of Lamu port will be accompanied by the construction of an oil refinery, a modern railway line, and resort cities in northern Kenyan counties of Isiolo and Turkana. Enditem
Saxophonist Greg Abate has a No. 1 hit record on the JazzWeek chart with "Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron," his most recent release.
The State of Vermont is located in the northeastern New England region of the United States. The state covers an area of 24,923 km2 and is the sixth-smallest and the second-least populous state. The city of Montpelier serves as the capital of Vermont, while the city of Burlington is its largest and most populous city.

Map of Vermont.

Part of Vermonts western boundary with the State of New York is formed by Lake Champlain, which is the 13th largest lake in the United States and the largest lake in the New England region. The city of Burlington sits on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, approximately 72 km to the south of the US-Canada International Border.

With an area of only 40.13 km2, the city of Burlington is the least populated city in the United States to be recognized as the largest city in its home state. About 42,417 inhabitants reside in the city of Burlington. In 2015, it became the first city in the US to operate completely on renewable energy.

Map of Burlington and South Burlington, Vermont.

According to the Koppen climate classification, the city of Burlington experiences a humid continental climate with warm and wet summers and relatively cool winters. Due to the citys location near Lake Champlain, it often experiences sudden and heavy snowfall and extremely cold winter temperatures.

Vermonts biggest hospital, the University of Vermont Medical Center, is situated within the city. South Burlington is home to the famous Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream Factory where visitors can watch the whole process from above, and then move on to the Flavor Room for samples. The alternative band Phish also has its roots in Burlington.

Attractions

The city of Burlington is often considered a hip city, that fuses the cultures of Canada to the north and the city of Boston to the south. The downtown area is known for its artsy boutiques, trendy restaurants, eclectic shops, and quirky street performers. The popular ski resort towns of Stowe and Smugglers Notch are just a short drive to the east.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

The Magic Hat Brewing Company is situated in South Burlington, and one must surely visit this iconic American brewery full of tasty beer and crazy artifacts. One can also get free samples of a variety of Magic Hat beers on tap, as well as a free and informative guided tour. The brewery carries the mystique of blending alchemy with modern-day science to create the best-tasting beer on the planet. Keep your eyes open for some of the magical and slightly weird trademarks of the company while on tour.

Flynn Center For The Performing Arts

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington, Vermont.

This art-deco theater houses 1,453 seats and is home to over 100 world-class acts annually. Some of the famous shows include Broadway musicals, dramatic theater, dance productions, and family performances. In addition to hosting all of the big acts, the Flynn has a gallery with rotating exhibits featuring local Vermont artists.

Church Street Marketplace

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vermont.

The Church Street Marketplace serves as Burlingtons hub of shopping, dining, and other events. This outdoor mall is a cultural melting pot featuring over 86 different stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars currently controlled by the Church Street Marketplace Commission. Special events and festivals are held in the marketplace throughout the year, including South End Art Hop, sidewalk sales, holiday festivals, and farmers markets.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 00:55:24|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- An armed attack in Ethiopia's Southern regional state has left nine police officers dead, an Ethiopian official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to state media outlets, Dawit Timotiwos, Chief of Bench-Sheko zone peace and security department in Southern regional state, said an armed attack in Sheko locality of the zone has left nine police officers dead.

Timotiwos said three other police officers were injured in the attack.

The Security Chief of Bench-Sheko didn't disclose the possible identity of the attackers as well as the attackers' possible current whereabouts.

He also didn't disclose any possible motive for the deadly attack.

Ethnic violence between members of various ethnic groups in the Southern regional state in recent years has left hundreds dead and thousands of others displaced. The clashes are mainly over access to power and land resources. Enditem
As Canadas deadly third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, workplace outbreaks continue to mount across the country. From oil workers to meatpackers and logistics workers, working people and their loved ones are being needlessly put at risk because governments at all levels, acting on behalf of the ruling elite, insist that the economy remain open to generate corporate profits.

In the largest workplace outbreak yet recorded in Canada, a staggering 1,361 workers at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.s Horizon tar sands oil site near Fort McMurray, Alberta, have tested positive. Two workers have died. This is just the largest of dozens of outbreaks in the oil sector, which has become a hotbed for infections due to the hard-right United Conservative Party (UCP) governments determination to keep energy businesses operating at full tilt so that Big Oil can continue to rake in profits.

CNRL's Horizon oil tarsands facility. (Wikipedia)

Cases skyrocketed at the CNRL Horizon site throughout April as the company proceeded with maintenance work, despite warnings that the large number of transient workers travelling to the site would create perfect conditions for the virus to spread. I know I got it there, a 65-year-old contractor told Global News. I was scared, yeah the thing is dying alone, nobody there to say bye to or nothing like that. It was scary. I thought I was done.

In Quebec, workplace outbreaks peaked at 678 in late April and have since fallen back to a still high 561. Major economic sectors particularly affected include metal producers, lumber, clothing and textile products industries, slaughterhouses, grocery stores, and house construction. A massive outbreak is currently under way at the du Breton pork slaughterhouse in Riviere-du-Loup, where at least 104 out of the approximately 500-strong workforce have been infected.

In British Columbia, the major Site C dam construction project in the provinces north declared an outbreak at the end of April after 40 workers tested positive within two months. Nine businesses closed last week in the Lower Mainland due to workplace transmission, including eight in the Fraser Health region, and one in Vancouver Coastal Health. Since the beginning of April, over 100 businesses have temporarily closed in the Lower Mainland due to workplace outbreaks.

In Ottawa, local health authorities reported 16 active workplace outbreaks last week, including at construction sites, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and offices. In line with the conspiracy of silence enforced by the provincial Conservative government and local health authorities across Ontario, Ottawa Public Health has refused to identify any of the worksites or to provide information on how many infections were recorded at each location. Underscoring the utter indifference shown by big business towards the lives of working people, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches reported, Our team is now being inundated from workplaces where more than two people have tested positive. Were also seeing outbreaks in offices where people could have potentially worked from home.

In Toronto, where public outrage has forced local health authorities to begin naming workplaces with COVID-19 outbreaks, 18 new locations were added to their list when it was updated last Friday. These included a Serano bakery, a Sobeys grocery store, a Bombardier Aerospace facility, and the Roots Leather Factory.

A Cargill poultry plant in London, Ontario suspended production for 10 days in April after at least 118 workers became infected. The plant employs about 900 workers and processes 100,000 chickens a day for the fast-food titan McDonalds. The Middlesex-London Public Health Unit noted that one of the new, more contagious variants may have been driving the outbreak at the facility.

A spokesman for Cargill said that workers were paid for 36 hours while the plant was idled, in accordance with an agreement made with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 175. The typical workweek for a worker at Cargills London plant is more than 50 hours. This means most workers will have received little more than half of their regular pay for the week-and-a-half the plant was shuttered.

The mood at the plant is that management doesnt care about them. They let it go on for a while and in my opinion they only took steps when the worker discontent started to reach levels where it wasnt manageable for them anymore, a worker told the London Free Press on condition of anonymity.

If you could see the boning department, they are packed in like sardines. There is a plastic sheet separating everyone ... Everyone is wearing a blue surgical mask and a plastic face shield. However that doesnt seem to have helped much.

Cargill is the largest privately owned corporation in America. Employing over 155,000 workers across 70 countries, the corporation has been a mainstay in agricultural commodities for well over a century. Annual revenue for the corporation averages around $115 billion USD and profits $3 billion USD. Profits were up 17 percent year over year, according to a report published in July 2020 by BNN Bloomberg.

As profits soared during the pandemic, Cargill paid out massive dividends to the 125 family members who own the company. Dividend payouts rose 76 percent from the previous year, totaling $1.13 billion, from $643 million in 2019. Poultry products are a significant contributor to Cargills bottom line.

Cargills affirmation of its commitment to worker health and safety rings hollow after major outbreaks at Cargill meatpacking plants across North America. The Guelph Cargill facility, whose workforce is also represented by UFCW Local 175, reported 87 confirmed cases among its staff last December.

Until COVID-19 ravaged the workforce at CNRLs Horizon site, Canadas largest workplace outbreak since the pandemic began was at Cargills High River, Alberta meatpacking plant. Of the 2,000 workers employed at the Cargill plant, 935 tested positive for COVID-19 last spring and three workers died. Another 600 close contacts also were infected.

This overview of recent workplace outbreaks in Canada, which is by no means comprehensive, gives a sense of the tremendous human cost of the ruling elites homicidal back-to-work drive. This policy has been overseen by the federal minority Liberal government, which relies on the support of the social-democratic NDP for its majority in parliament. In its throne speech last September, the Trudeau Liberal government stipulated that any future COVID-19-related shutdowns should be short-term and local in nature.

Doug Fords Ontario Conservative government drafted a Fall Pandemic Preparedness Plan in this spirit. Expressing the prioritization of profits over lives even more nakedly, it declared, The return to an earlier stage of provincial reopening, or even regional approaches to tightening would be avoided in favour of organization-specific or localized change. In other words, non-essential workers must remain on the job in order to ensure the flow of profit to the capitalists.

This policy, and its corollarythe reopening of schools so parents could be forced back to work under unsafe conditions amid the pandemicfuelled Canadas second wave, which claimed over 10,000 lives last winter, and this springs ongoing third wave.

Even when Ford was grudgingly forced to impose province-wide lockdown measures in late December and again this April due to dramatic surges in COVID-19 cases, workplacesespecially manufacturing, resource industries and constructionwere almost entirely excluded from the restrictions. Underlining that the disregard for workers lives is common to all the establishment parties, BCs New Democrat Premier John Horgan has pursued a similar course and tried to blame young workers for the surge in COVID-19 cases, remarking in early April, Dont blow this for the rest of us.

The trade unions have played a pivotal role in implementing the ruling class back-to-work/back-to-school policy. Throughout the pandemic their focus has been on suppressing worker opposition to dangerous working conditions and further expanding their corporatist relationship with big business and government. This anti-worker policy is typified by the Canadian Labour Congress claim, announced in a banner atop its homepage, that In Canada, weve weathered the pandemic by sticking together and supporting each other.

At the Cargill plant in London, the UFCW did nothing to protect the workforce. Tim Deelstra, a spokesman for UFCW Local 175, remarked on the closure of the plant in mid-April, We support this decision by the company. In other words, the UFCW never even called for the plant to close, let alone organized worker job action to shut it down. It simply waited until the company determined that the situation was so bad, with so many workers unable or unwilling to report to work, that it had no other option.

A vast social chasm separates ordinary workers from the union bureaucrats and their six-figure salaries. UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema made $219,170 in 2019 when the average hourly wage for a butcher at Cargill with three years of experience was $20.10.

At CNRLs Horizon tar sands site in Alberta, the unions are playing a similar role. Alberta Federation of Labour Gill McGowan made a pathetic appeal to the hard-right United Conservative government of Jason Kenney to close down the CNRL site and others with major outbreaks. Workers and their leaders in their respective unions, said McGowan last week, have told me , yes, they want to workbut they want to work in conditions that are safe, and as it stands right now, conditions are not safe in most if not all oilsands-related construction projects.

The AFL presidents remarks unintentionally provide a damning indictment of his organizations policy. Even though over 1,300 workers have already been infected at the CNRL site and McGowan admits that conditions are not safe in most if not all oilsands-related construction projects, he has nothing to offer workers but a humble appeal to the very government that has insisted on keeping the energy sector open throughout the pandemic, dismissed the virus as a flu, and blamed the population for having North Americas highest per capita number of COVID-19 infections.

To defend their health and very lives, workers must build rank-and-file safety committees independent of and in opposition to the pro-capitalist trade unions. These committees must fight for the immediate closure of all nonessential production with full pay for all affected workers until the pandemic is brought under control. The fight for these urgently needed demands must include a frontal assault on the vast wealth piled up by the ruling elite during the pandemic, which should be expropriated to expand health services and meet other crying social needs. We urge all workers across Canada who recognize that the fight to end the pandemic is a political struggle and requires the independent intervention of the working class to contact the World Socialist Web Site and join the struggle to build rank-and-file committees.
Australias supreme court last week issued a brief unanimous ruling, written jointly by all seven judges, flatly dismissing the first legal challenge to reactionary foreign interference legislation introduced in 2018.

High Court of Australia (Source: Wikipedia)

The verdict, issued against a former Labor Party policy adviser, further demonstrates the anti-democratic character of the laws, which were imposed by the Liberal-National government with the Labor Partys wholesale backing.

Introduced under intense pressure from Washington to set a global lead for the adoption of such measures, the legislation potentially outlaws any opposition to the escalating US-led preparations for war against China.

As the WSWS has warned, the legislation also is a far-wider attack on free speech. Never before has it been a crime, punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, to work with an overseas group or individual to seek political change, whether on issues relating to war, the environment, refugees, social inequality or any other political questions.

Most immediately, the High Courts judgment clears the way for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to pursue a much-publicised investigation into John Zhang, a Chinese-born Australian citizen, who is accused of recklessly seeking to influence Australian politics on behalf of the Chinese government.

NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane's and John Zhang (Source: Facebook)

The verdict also sets a precedent for police raids and seizures against anyone linked to China or anti-war views.

Zhang had asked the court to quash three search warrants allowing the AFP to access his social media chats on phones and other devices that were seized by AFP and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officers during raids on his home and business last June. Zhang objected that the warrants were too broad and vague, and violated an implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

In rejecting his case, the court adopted a sweeping interpretation of the term covert in the legislation, which prohibits alleged covert or deceptive conduct seeking political influence.

The judges accepted the Morrison governments argument that a choice to communicate using an encrypted social media platform can answer the description of covert in some circumstances, even though the Attorney-General was disinclined to be definitive as to when those circumstances might exist.

This opens the way for prosecutions of people just because they communicate political views via encrypted phones or social media platforms, which are used by millions of people for privacy reasons.

The judges agreed with the government that the word covert is sufficiently generic to cover concealment of different things from different people through the adoption of different guises.

Having abruptly reached that sweeping conclusion, the court said it would dismiss Zhangs challenge without even considering his other main argument, that the legislation breaches the implied freedom of political communication.

This underscores the fact that the 1901 Australian Constitution contains no bill of rights, or any guarantee of free speech. Even the limited implied freedom has been further eroded by the ruling, on top of earlier High Court judgments endorsing the sacking of a federal public servant for criticisingeven anonymouslythe countrys brutal refugee detention regime, and permitting the banning of the distribution of leaflets in public places.

Last June, amid a blaze of prejudicial media headlines about Chinese agents being uncovered in Sydney, the AFP also raided the home and parliamentary office of New South Wales (NSW) state upper house Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane, for whom Zhang was working as a part-time staff member.

Then Attorney-General Christian Porter personally authorised the raids, exposing the involvement of Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government at the highest levels.

In line with the escalating demonisation of China, the Labor Party backed the operation, forcing Moselmane to stand aside from the party and parliament for months. He was only permitted to return after the AFP indicated that he was not the target of its investigation.

As yet, Zhang has not been charged with any offence. But the warrants alleged that he and undefined other people had acted on behalf of the Chinese state and party apparatus by providing support and encouragement to [Moselmane] for the advocacy of Chinese state interests.

The High Court gave equally short shrift to Zhangs other objection, that the warrants were unclear in identifying which foreign powers interests he had allegedly advanced. The judges dismissed that argument as untenable, declaring that each warrant identified the foreign principal as the Government of the PRC [Peoples Republic of China].

The precedent set by the ruling is all the more chilling because the warrants referred to Zhang being reckless as to whether his conduct would influence Labor policy positions and the views of voters on the Chinese government. That offence of reckless foreign interference, punishable by 15 years imprisonment, illustrates the far-reaching scope of the legislation.

The law defines reckless as simply being aware of a substantial risk that the influence would occur and knowing it was unjustifiable to take the risk. In other words, people can be convicted without even intending to influence a political outcome.

The warrants enabled the AFP and ASIO officers to seize material they believed was relevant to the reckless offence, and copy information from mobile phones and other electronic devices. They extracted data by using passcodes that Zhang was compelled to provide.

Neither Zhang nor Moselmane had been covert in making public statements regarding China. Moselmane, as deputy president of the NSW state parliament upper house, had praised Chinese President Xi Jinpings decisiveness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Moselmane later pointed out, similar opinions had been voiced by the World Health Organisation and initially by US President Donald Trump.

Moselmane, a Muslim MP who represents an area of Sydney with a large Chinese population, also made speeches, some in state parliament, calling into question Australias alignment behind the intensifying US confrontation with China, and opposing the foreign interference laws.

The allegedly covert communications consisted of a discussion group on WeChat, which reportedly mostly consisted of sharing articles, speeches, jokes and memes. People around the world use WeChat.

The continued pursuit of Zhang thus opens up to prosecution people who express anti-war views, oppose the foreign interference laws or criticise US and Australian government attempts to divert attention from their own catastrophic responses to the pandemic by falsely accusing China of letting the coronavirus loose on the world.

The Labor Party has been in the forefront of the anti-China offensive since 2010, when US protected sources in the partys leadership executed a backroom coup to install Julia Gillard as prime minister. She aligned the country completely behind the Obama administrations anti-China pivot to Asia.

That was one of many such US political interventions over decades, underscoring that the real source of foreign influence in Australia is US imperialism, which is now intent on preventing China from ever challenging its post-World War II global hegemony.

Increasingly, Australias people have been placed on the frontline of the conflict with Beijing. But concerns exist in Washington about popular anti-war sentiment, and the dependence of sections of Australias wealthy elite on iron ore, gas and other exports to China. Hence police operations are being used to send a threatening message not to deviate from the pro-US commitment.

The AFP-ASIO operation against Moselmane and Zhang itself served to escalate tensions between Australia and China. Federal agents, including the Australian Border Force, accessed the communications of Chinese diplomats, in violation of international law.

Three Chinese journalists who were allegedly part of a WeChat group with Zhang left Australia last June after being questioned by ASIO. The government also cancelled the visas of two Chinese scholars and exacerbated the resulting diplomatic crisis by evacuating two Australian journalists from China to avoid a Chinese police investigation.
For a long time now, hospital workers nationwide in Germany have been seething over intolerable conditions; expressed in the outbreak of numerous strikes and protests. The situation, which was already hardly bearable due to staff shortages, work pressure and poor pay, has been further aggravated by the pandemic that has now been going on for more than one year with no end in sight.

Last Wednesday, International Nurses Day, there were protests all over the country, where nurses, other hospital workers and those at care facilities gave vent to their justified anger. Our working conditions have become unbearable under coronavirus! declared one care worker at a rally in Hamburg, according to broadcaster NDR.

Protest by care workers in spring 2020. Some of their banners read: No profits from health, Together strengthen care, More of us is better for all, Better pay, Solidarity with all employees. (Twitter / Krankenhaus statt Fabrik, 24.04.21)

Due to the governments murderous profits before lives policy, which has already led to more than 85,000 deaths in Germany, hospital intensive care units have been at their limit for more than a year. The already overstretched staffing levels have been further strained by absences due to illness and dismissals during the last months.

In Munster, 1,000 people gathered to demand better conditions in nursing. Among other things, they demanded a 35-hour week at full pay, more security of duty rosters and a starting salary for nursing staff of 4,000 euros a month gross. In the capital, Berlin, several hundred workers from the state-owned Charite and Vivantes hospitals protested.

At Nuremberg hospital, non-medical and nursing staff went on strike for 24 hours last week. The strikers are demanding a significant wage increase. Years agoas in almost all hospitalsthe so-called service area was outsourced and transferred to a separate company to circumvent paying wages at the (higher) agreed public service rate. Currently, salaries are only just above the minimum wage of 11.15 euros an hour, which is barely enough to make ends meet. The employers current offer of twelve euros per hour was rightly perceived as a provocation by the 800 employees of the service company.

Hospital management immediately rejected the demand for higher wages citing industry-standard salaries. Nurembergs mayor Marcus Konig (Christian Social Union, CSU) and Harald Riedel (Social Democratic Party, SPD), responsible for finances, agreed and explained that the demand was not financially feasible.

In addition, there are protests being held against dismissals. At numerous locations, workers at Sana hospitals are protesting against the elimination of more than one thousand jobs at Germanys third-largest hospital group. Amid the third wave of the pandemic, the group wants to continue implementing its radical austerity measures while driving up profits for shareholders. Except for the cleaning sector, all business areas of the subsidiary DGS Pro-Service GmbH are to be closed. Those affected by the redundancies include ward assistants, the hospital collection and delivery services, porters and security workers. This is not only catastrophic for those being threatened with dismissal but for the remaining staff and the patients, it means increasing work pressure and poorer quality of care.

The importance of sufficient hospital staffing is made clear by a recent study from Australia published in the medical journal The Lancet. A minimum nurse-patient ratio can save lives and reduce costs, the authors explained. According to the study, strict minimum nursing levels reduce the number of deaths and readmissions. These findings are even more relevant in the context of COVID-19, which has pushed already overworked and burnt-out nurses in hospitals to the brink, said the studys lead author Matthew McHugh.

While workers are threatened with layoffs, poor wages and working conditions, the health companies are posting record profits. For the big hospital operators like Helios or Asklepios, 2020 was extremely profitable. The German Helios hospitals alone earned 600 million euros before taxes last year, the Spanish hospitals of the internationally operating group also made 400 million euros.

The parent company Fresenius even reported a total pre-tax profit of 4.6 billion euros for last year. CEO Stephan Sturm said that 2020 had been well managed. For the shareholders, the highest dividend ever paid by Fresenius was announced, at almost half a billion euros.

To increase this further, plans for more cuts are already in place. According to a report by Zeit Online, Sturm recently stated in regard to Helios that there would be a targeted reduction in physician capacities in order to secure our profitability. When asked, the group states that it had taken a close look at every department in every hospital, indicating that it is a matter of several hundred jobs in total. Sturm told banking analysts that it could even come to the sale of hospitals to further reduce costs.

As the Zeit Online article makes clear, state aid has provided a windfall for shareholders. Thanks to the system of flat-rate payments to hospitals for keeping a certain number of beds free for coronavirus cases, most of the clinics in the group were able to achieve more turnover than had been calculated before the pandemic. The hospital chain received more state aid740 million eurosthan any competitor.

To enforce the dismissals, low wages and poor working conditions, the corporations and governments work closely with the trade unions, whose representatives sit on supervisory boards and similar bodies, support the cuts and sometimes even actively implement them. At the same time, they try to divert any protests against these conditions into harmless channels. This can be seen very clearly in Berlin.

In recent months and years, there have been repeated strikes and protests by workers at the state-owned Charite and Vivantes hospitals. Last Wednesday, hundreds protested in front of the City Hall. The hospitals employ over 36,000 workers across Berlin.

The Verdi trade union is now demanding a relief collective agreement for employees in the nursing sector, which should provide for more staff on the wards. The management boards of Vivantes and Charite are supposed to sign an agreement on new staffing levels within 100 days, otherwise, Verdi will call a strike.

Since workers have been demanding more staff for years, it is not surprising that a petition was soon signed by almost 8,400 workers. The petition is to be handed over to Mayor Michael Muller (SPD). The demand for a relief collective agreement by Verdi is part of its well-known manoeuvres. In 2016, hospital workers were simply cheated with the historic collective agreement for more staff negotiated by Verdi. Even union representatives had to admit time and again that staffing targets were barely met.

By setting a 100-day deadline, Verdi wants to ensure calm in the hospitals and make sure no protests break out in the current tense situation, with enormous pent-up anger among workers. At the same time, the union is working behind the scenes with the SPD-Left Party-Green Party Senate (Berlin state executive) to prepare another sell-out. In this context, it is significant that the person responsible for the catastrophic situation at the hospitals, as well as for the unscrupulous coronavirus policies in the German capital that have cost thousands of lives, appeared at the Verdi rally, health senator (state minister) Dilek Kalayci (SPD).

At the Vivantes facilities, the union is also demanding the public service collective agreement (TVoD) be paid to those working for subsidiary companies. While nursing staff are paid according to TVoD, employees in the areas of cleaning, transport or catering, for example, receive significantly less. Here, too, there have been repeated strikes. Verdi, in close coordination with the SPD, the Greens and the Left PartyFinance Senator Matthias Kollatz (SPD) is head of the Vivantes supervisory boardwill do everything to suppress further protests and cement the miserable conditions.

This is exactly what Verdi has done at the Charite service company CFM (Charite-Facility-Management). After the workers there were outsourced 14 years ago and had to put up with low wages, there have been countless strikes and protests. Verdi sold all of them out without achieving any improvements for the workers. After protests grew at the Charite and elsewhere, Verdi and the Senate initiated the buyback of CFM in 2019 and concluded a collective agreement for CFM workers this year.

After a three-month arbitration process under former Brandenburg Minister-President Matthias Platzeck (SPD), a uniform collective agreement was adopted for the approximately 3,000 CFM employees, replacing several different regulations on working hours and wages. The result does not even begin to meet the workers demands. Even Verdi negotiator Marco Pavlik had to concede that the agreement was clearly far away from the level of TVoD.

In reality, the improvements for CFM workers are minimal, and for some groups the contract even increases their weekly working hours. It is therefore hardly surprising that both the management and the Senate were delighted with the deal. Berlins Mayor Muller explicitly praised the agreement as strengthening workplace co-determination, i.e., the corporatist role of the unions. Part of the agreement is a slush fund of 100,000 euros per year to further develop trade union work in the company, as Pavlik noted. This is to ensure that Verdi retains control despite the lack of support from the workers.

The essentially anti-working class role of the unions can be seen internationally. In the US state of Massachusetts, hundreds of nurses have been on strike for weeks. They face not only the ruthless management of Tenet Healthcare, which has threatened to fire strikers, but also the trade unions, which are isolating the strike, and the Democratic Party. In Connecticut last week, the Democrats, unions and management conspired to reach a rotten deal to prevent a strike by workers from 26 nursing facilities across the state, a deal that did not meet the workers legitimate demands.

Bitter experiences around the world show that doctors, nurses and other health care workers must organise independently of the unions in the fight against layoffs, cutbacks, poor wages and intolerable working conditions. They must join together in rank-and-file committees and network internationally. To this end, the International Committee of the Fourth International has called for the formation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) at its online rally this year on 1 May.
The WSWS is fighting to educate workers and build opposition to the reckless lifting of mask mandates and the full reopening of all workplaces and schools. Send us comments exposing conditions at your workplace and why you oppose the lifting of safety measures to educators@wsws.org and we will publish them on the WSWS. Circulate these articles widely on social media to break through the lies, propaganda and censorship!

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its health and safety guidelines to allow vaccinated individuals to stop wearing masks or practice social distancing indoors. On the same day, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten called for the full reopening of all US schools in the fall.

Sean Glass, a bartender at The Smiling Moose Bar/Restaurant, shows his COVID-19 protective covering he has at the ready Friday, May 14, 2021, in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

However, the pandemic is far from over and these moves are entirely premature. With only 37 percent of the US population vaccinated, the CDCs loosening of its mask guidelines will undoubtedly lead to unnecessary infections and deaths. Daily new cases in the US alone remain at over 30,000 infections, itself a gross underestimation.

Across the globe, more dangerous variants of the coronavirus are rapidly spreading in countries such as India and Brazil, affecting people of all age groups. Significantly, doctors treating patients in India and Singapore have noted that the new B.1.617 and B.1.617.2 variants have caused cases among children to be more frequent and more severe.

In the face of these alarming developments, the World Socialist Web Site continues to call for the immediate closure of all schools and nonessential workplaces and the continued use of masks outside peoples homes, while the population is safely vaccinated. It is imperative that the working class follow the latest scientific developments regarding the pandemic in order to combat the deadly pseudoscience that the ruling class is peddling to force open the economy.

The anti-scientific and politically motivated move by the CDC has received significant opposition from leading epidemiologists and within the working class. The WSWS spoke with educators and autoworkers on these developments and the role of the unions in pushing for a full reopening of schools and workplaces.

A supporter of the rank-and-file committee at the Faurecia Gladstone plant in Columbus, Indiana said, It is too soon to remove the mask requirement. If you go by the actual statistics, there are still too many people getting COVID-19. They have a lot of ads out that are giving kudos to people who are getting the shot, but overall they are misdirecting the public.

With the CDC lifting restrictions, thats giving people a false sense of security that the pandemic is under control when in reality its not. This is motivated by the capitalists. I am just so angry about it because none of them are putting their lives on the line every day the way we are. I saw the assistant plant manager today for the first time in a week. He was out for a couple of weeks with COVID-19, but he never told anybody.

They have been concealing infections from day one. They are still covering them up. And the union is in with them. We found out today that the South Plant in Columbus and the Fort Wayne plant were both getting hazard pay during the pandemic, but the Gladstone plant did not. You would have thought that the union would be right on top of that, but all they say when you ask them about it is well have to check into that. It's a cover-up.

The Faurecia worker concluded, Its not only a matter of the spread of the virus. We are fighting a murderous regime of working people to death.

Michael Hull, a former history teacher in Texas and founder of the Facebook group Teachers Against Dying, commented, The CDC admits they do not know how effective the vaccines are against new variants and even point to data that shows they may be less effective against certain [variants]. How well the vaccines protect people with weakened immune systems, including people who take immunosuppressive medications, is also largely unknown. These individuals will now be more likely to get exposed. Whats more, we dont even know how long these vaccines protect people!

I remember when CDC director Robert Redfield held up a face mask and said they may be more effective than a vaccine in preventing individual coronavirus infections! So, why not use them in tandem with the vaccine to depress community transmission and prevent mutations? The inconsistent and ever-changing guidance from the CDC indicates that we simply dont know enough about coronavirus or the vaccine to play so fast and loose.

Even though much of the population and most children remain unvaccinated, oligarchic union bosses like Randi Weingarten are more than willing to collude with corporatist Democrats to send millions of kids, teachers, and school staff into a deadly situation like the expendable peasants they see us as. If the illusion of normalcy returns, businesses and schools can crowd together again and profits can be maximized. The ruling class has no problem throwing caution to the wind. The working class needs to take notice of the betrayals of our union and political leadership and organize a strong opposition against them.

An autoworker from Fords Kansas City Assembly Plant denounced the CDCs lifting of its masking guidance. The plant has stopped production through the end of May due to the semiconductor chip shortage, but corporate management along with the United Auto Workers forced the nearly 10,000 workers in the plant to continue working in close contact during the pandemic, leading to a wave of infections and several deaths which the union and company have worked to conceal.

Here we are in a pandemic, and some people still dont believe it. This should be waking people up. The CDC acts like they want people to die. I heard the restaurants and casinos were packed around Kansas City after the CDC said vaccinated people dont need to wear masks. Now, you cant tell me that many people are actually vaccinated. But what that does is it exposes all the workers at the restaurants and casinos, who are poor, and they cant even get time off if they get sick. They just want people to spend money, spend money.

An auto parts worker from Indiana also raised skepticism about the CDCs announcement and urged other workers to continue to be cautious, while sympathizing with the impact on the most vulnerable workers. They echoed the Kansas City workers sentiments which are shared by millions of workers, saying, Its like the CDC wants people to die.

Stating emphatically, Im still wearing a mask, they added, People still get it if they have the vaccine or not. I dont know why they would do this. People are really exploited by the food service industry. They are getting some of the highest exposure to the virus, next to health care workers, and they dont have good insurance or paid time off. At those jobs, if you dont show up, you dont get paid.

Ric, a fifth grade teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District, said, The American Federation of Teachers fat cat union boss is a poster child for what teachers unions have become. Randi Weingarten spent a few years in the classroom back in the day of blackboards and chalk, and then decades in the unions. She banks $500,000 a year, is a millionaire, and is a member of the Democratic National Committee. Her primary job is shutting down even the thought of a strike for better conditions and to prevent teachers from uniting nationwide. Teachers are in sore need of new leadership.

Weingarten isnt a progressive and doesnt have any socialist leanings, and neither do any of the major teachers unions. They talk a good talk but predictably fall in line once the Democratic Party of Wall Street and War gives them their marching orders. In my experience with the teachers unions, I noticed that the more progressive a motion was the more likely it was to fail. For example, they all backed Hillary Clinton over the more progressive Bernie Sanders, who is still an imperialist in sheeps clothing. Clinton is also an advocate of the very charter schools the unions pretend to oppose.

He concluded, Now, the union bosses are insisting the schools must reopen and that it's safe to do so. Just today, we were told our 5th grade culmination ceremony was postponed due to COVID infections of students in surrounding schools. This exposes Weingartens lie that all schools must reopen because it's safe to do so.
A Space Force commander in charge of detecting ballistic missile launches has been relieved of his command after he appeared on a far-right podcast to promote his fascistic book while falsely claiming that Marxists had infiltrated the US military.

Military.com reported last week that Lt. Col Matthew Lohmeier appeared on the podcast Information Operation with L. Todd Wood to discuss his self-published book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxisms Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.

Lohmeier told the website that he had consulted with his base public affairs and legal counsel team before going forward with the book.

Members of the military stand guard outside Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in response to supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A description of the book on Amazon.com, where it is currently sold out, reads, Irresistible Revolution is a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces. The book is said to question if white supremacy or white nationalist are a problem within our armed forces?

The description of the book continues: After becoming aware of the Marxist conquest of American society, you will never again look at things in the same way. Mainstream media, social media, the public education system (including universities), as well as federal agencies have all become vessels of various schools of thought that are rooted in Marxist ideologyan ideology bent on the destruction of America's history, of Western tradition, specifically Judeo-Christian values, and of patriotism and conservatism.

While promoting his fascist screed on the podcast, Lohmeier claimed that since assuming command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, ten months ago he saw what I consider fundamentally incompatible and competing narratives of what America was, is and should be.

Lohmeier claimed that these narratives which included diversity and inclusion training in the military and postmodernist critical race theory were Marxist in nature and a warning sign. Reached by Military.com, Lohmeier claimed that he was not engaged in partisan politics, but that he wrote a book about a particular political ideology (Marxism) in the hope that our Defense Department might return to being politically non-partisan in the future as it has honorably done throughout history.

On Friday, May 14, Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, told Military.com that Lohmeier had been relieved from his command over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.

This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast, a Space Force spokesperson told Military.com in email. Lt. Gen Whiting has initiated a Command Directed Investigation on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity.

The removal of Lohmeier has prompted a wave of condemnation from Republican lawmakers, many of whom supported Trumps attempted coup on January 6, with nearly all voting to back his lying claims that the election was fraudulent and that President Joe Biden is illegitimate.

These include Stop the Steal organizer Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who claimed the military was being brainwashed with Marxist ideals, described Lohmeier as a hero on Twitter, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz, one of seven Republican senators to vote to overturn the election results after the siege of the Capitol, called the firing of Lohmeier troubling.

Florida Representative Byron Donalds, another pro-Trump Republican who voted to overturn the election, described Lohmeier as a hero on Twitter for defending the freedoms of the leftist mob attempting to cancel him. Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, another Republican who voted to overturn the election, said on Twitter that Lohmeier is a Patriot telling the truth about the attempted wokeification of our militaryand worse... I will be seeking action on this in the Armed Services Committee.

Lohmeier graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006 and spent 14 years in the Air Force as an instructor pilot for the T-38 Falcon. He also flew the F-15C Eagle. At Space Force, Lohmeier was put in charge of a space-based missile warning system, an extremely sensitive position that, given that it could trigger a nuclear response by the United States, has potentially apocalyptic implications for humanity.

Last November, then President Trump called him on Thanksgiving, earning praise from the officer on Twitter. Thank you to @ realDonaldTrump for spending some of his Thanksgiving with my 11th Space Warning Squadron Knights. We are grateful!

Lohmeier was the second fascistic military officer in the news last week, following the indictment Thursday of a Marine Corps officer in connection with the January 6 assault on the Capitol.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced charges against active-duty Marine Major Christopher Warnagiris. In a statement, the DoJ said Warnagiris violently entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the east Rotunda doors.

When a US Capitol Police officer tried to pull the doors shut, Warnagiris refused and continued pushing it open. Warnagiris can be seen pushing the officer in an effort to maintain his position in the open door in security camera footage and publicly available video footage, the DoJ said.

The Marine Corps has confirmed that Warnagiris joined the Corps in October 2002 and has deployed at least four times, including to Iraq and Afghanistan. Warnagiris is field artillery officer, currently assigned to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Staff Training Program, and he has multiple awards according to his service record.

According to the Washington Post, of the 411 suspects facing over 2,000 criminal charges filed in connection with the siege of the Capitol on January 6, at least 46, representing over 11 percent of the total arrests, have military backgrounds.

The participation of active and former military members in the siege prompted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to declare a stand-down by the entire military, beginning in February, to discuss the problem of extremism in the ranks.

The completion of this farcical pretense of self-criticism last month has not lessened the threat of a fascist coup within the United States, as demonstrated by the wide support Lohmeier has received from coup-plotting Republicans in the days following his removal.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-15 22:52:20|Editor: huaxia

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A truck carrying oxygen cylinders moves along a flooded road in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, May 15, 2021. At least four people had died and over 42,000 others had been affected by days of strong winds and heavy rains which lashed the country due to the formation of a super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said in its latest weather report Saturday. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- At least four people had died and over 42,000 others had been affected by days of strong winds and heavy rains which lashed the country due to the formation of a super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said in its latest weather report Saturday.

According to the DMC, the deaths had been a result of severe flooding.

Over 200 houses had been fully or partially damaged, while 175 people belonging to 42 affected families were housed in temporary shelters.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) also issued a landslide warning for several districts in the country including the capital Colombo and the south. The NBRO requested people living in high-risk areas to move to safer grounds.

The army has dispatched rescue teams in several districts affected by the floods and has rescued several people who were trapped by the rising water levels.

The Disaster Management Center officials were also deployed in the worst affected districts, setting up facilities to accommodate those displaced by the adverse weather conditions.

According to weather reports, the powerful cyclone that formed in the Bay of Bengal is now headed directly for the India-Bangladesh border, bringing with it the potential for major destruction and upheaval.

Sri Lanka's Meteorology Department, in its latest weather update, said that more rains were expected over the country in the coming days and urged everyone to be cautious. Enditem
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Catholic Charities is partnering with the USDA Summer Food Program once again this year.

Starting June 1, kids can go to the Ryves Youth Center in Terre Haute to have lunch and dinner.

Jennifer Buell is the Assistant Agency Director for Catholic Charities.

She said many kids in the community look forward to going to school to have a nutritious meal.

The Summer Food Program will help fill their bellies at no cost to families.

The program will end once the school starts back up again in August.
Scattered to patchy rain and some isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected for our area on our Thursday night and Friday. All of this is due to a lingering bit of low pressure in the area. Some of the rainfall could be heavy at times.

Radar Temperatures Severe Weather
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) - Aberdeen residents are remembering the life and service of police chief Henry Randle following his death on Sunday.

The 50-year-old had been battling cancer.

Longtime Aberdeen police chief Henry Randle died on May 16, 2021.

Black ribbons outside Aberdeen Police Department (left) and City Hall (right). Photo Date: May 17, 2021. Black ribbons outside Aberdeen Police Department (left) and City Hall (right). Photo Date: May 17, 2021. Longtime Aberdeen police chief Henry Randle died on May 16, 2021.

He was in his fourth term as Aberdeens police chief, beginning in 2008.

Previous Article - Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Randle died Sunday

Born in Aberdeen, Randle also served in the Mississippi Army National Guard and spent time overseas as recently as 2018.

Following his death at the hospital in Tupelo, law enforcement officers from multiple agencies escorted his body to a funeral home in Columbus. View below or select this link to watch.

All flags at government buildings in Aberdeen were lowered to half-staff, and black ribbons will adorn the police department and city hall.

"I did handle the 4-H program back when I first started, Randall Nevins said. And Henry Randle was one of the ones I called on because he was such a supporter of youth programs and things."

Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley recalled Randle's professionalism.

"I am always going to remember that big smile, Gurley said. He always had that smile on his face. He was always professional when I worked with him. I knew him a long time before he was police chief, and I've been a coroner for 25 and a half years."

Carter's Funeral Home in Columbus is handling funeral arrangements. Open this link to view arrangements and obituary.

As for the future of the police department, Mayor Charles Scott said the city will hold a special election to fill the role on a permanent basis.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama lawmakers on Monday concluded the 2021 legislative session. Here is a look at the key developments on the session's final day:

WHAT BECAME LAW

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation creating a medical marijuana program in Alabama. The new law would allow people with one of 16 qualifying medical conditions including cancer, a terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, panic disorder and chronic pain to purchase medical marijuana with the recommendation of a doctor. Sen. Tim Melson, the bill's sponsor, estimated it will be 15 months before medical marijuana is available in the state. The approval came eight years after a medical marijuana bill in 2013 won that years so-called Shroud Award for the deadest bill of the year in the House of Representatives.

WHAT PASSED

CURBSIDE VOTING BAN

Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill by Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy that would forbid election workers from setting up curbside areas for people to vote as well as forbid the setting up of voting machines outside a polling place. The bill now goes to Ivey. The legislation sparked partisan debate as Republicans argued curbside voting is not secure but Democrats argued the state should be expanding voting access instead of restricting it.

YOGA IN SCHOOLS

Alabama lawmakers approved legislation to lift the states decades-old ban on yoga in public schools. It now goes to Ivey. The Alabama Board of Education voted in 1993 to prohibit yoga, hypnosis and meditation in public school classrooms. The bill by Democratic Rep. Jeremy Gray would allow schools to offer yoga although all poses must have English names. Gray said he was unhappy with Senate-added language that requires parents to sign a permission slip and bans meditation, associated with or derived from mystical traditions of the East.

THIRD GRADE READING PROMOTION REQUIREMENT

After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, Alabama lawmakers voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to meet reading benchmarks before moving up to the fourth grade. The bill now goes to Ivey. Supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation from the 2021-2022 school year to the 2023-2024 school year.

GENERAL FUND

Lawmakers gave final approval for the general fund budget for next fiscal year. The $2.4 billion spending plan is up a modest 3.6% over this year. The budget includes a 2% pay raise for state employees. The spending plan now goes to the governor.

WHAT DIED

GAMBLING

Alabama lawmakers ended the 2021 legislative session without a House vote on a Senate-passed lottery and casino bill. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said House leaders chose not to bring the bill up for debate on the busy final legislative day after negotiations fell apart earlier this month. Ivey's office indicated she will only call a special session on the issue if lawmakers can reach an agreement.

TRANSGENDER TREATMENT

The session adjourned without a House vote on a controversial measure to outlaw the use of puberty-blockers or hormones to help transgender minors with their transition. The Alabama Senate approved the bill in March, but it did not get a vote in the House. Opponents, including parents and trans youth, say such measures interfere with medical decisions and target trans individuals for the sake of politics. Sponsors counter that they are trying to protect children from decisions that should wait until adulthood. Arkansas earlier this year became the first state to enact such a measure.

OPPOSING FEDERAL GUN LAWS

The session also closed without a House vote on legislation to make it a crime for local police officers to enforce any new federal gun restrictions. The bill is part of a wave of GOP nullification proposals to try to resist any new gun control measures. Senators voted 21-5 for the bill by Republican Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, but it did not get a vote in the House.
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday defended the decision to ease mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, stressing that increasing political pressure had nothing to do with the abrupt shift in guidelines.

Im delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals. And it evolved," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on FOX News Sunday. I deliver it as soon as I can when we have that information available.

Under the new guidelines released last week, fully vaccinated people  those who are two weeks past their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine  can quit wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings and give up social distancing.

However, partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people should continue wearing masks, the agency said. The guidance also still calls for masks in crowded indoor settings including buses, airplanes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.

The sudden change sparked praise from those eager to return to pre-pandemic life, particularly those who see the new guidelines as a way to reopen workplaces, schools and other venues that went dark during the pandemic.

Yet concerns have been raised from those who say there's no easy way for businesses and others to determine who is fully vaccinated and who is not. Instead, many will have to rely on an honor system as many states and communities have already been lifting mask mandates amid improving virus numbers and as more Americans have been shedding face coverings after getting shots.

I would imagine within a period of just a couple of weeks, youre going to start to see significant clarification of some of the actually understandable and reasonable questions that people are asking, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the U.S. governments pandemic response, said on Face the Nation.

The timing of the change has also faced questions. Just days earlier, Walensky had defended the agency's strict mask guidance in front of a Senate committee where some Republicans on the panel described the CDC's guidance as unworkable.

When pressed about the quick turnaround on the agency's stance on mask wearing, Walensky said the agency was not giving in to pressure but instead needed time to review evolving science.

I can tell you it certainly would have been easier if the science had evolved a week earlier and I didnt have to go to Congress making those statements. But Im delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals, she said.

To date more than 156 million Americans, or more than 47% of the population, have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 121 million are fully vaccinated.

Walensky cautioned that even with the new guidelines, it was still too early to declare victory, but added that she was cautiously optimistic" about the pandemic.

We have to remain humble. Weve had way too many curveballs in this pandemic come to us. But I am really cautiously optimistic that we are in a good place right now, that cases continue to come down, she said.

But, she added, even though the guidance has changed, theres no need for everybody to start ripping off their masks."

There is no mandate to take it off. What were saying is, now this is safe," she said. Work at your own speed, work with your own family and your own businesses to remove them when necessary."
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) - Funeral arrangements have been set for former Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Randle who died from cancer on Sunday.

Carters Funeral home in Columbus is overseeing arrangements.

According to the funeral homes website, visitation will take place on Friday from 2-6 p.m. at the South Matubba Street Church of Christ in Aberdeen.

The funeral service will be the following day at Aberdeen High School at 11 a.m.

Burial will be at the Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Aberdeen.

Open this link to view Randles obituary when it becomes available.

Randle, 50, was in his fourth term as police chief.

The Aberdeen native was also a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard.

Read More - Aberdeen and Monroe County mourning death of longtime police chief Henry Randle

Updated to show new locations for funeral service and burial.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - The U.S. Supreme Courts decision to hear a major Mississippi abortion case is now a big talking point for both state leaders and local residents.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case this morning, and it's already a hot topic across the state. People I spoke with in Lee County had mixed opinions about the Supreme Court taking the case.

Maronica Versie said she thinks lawmakers should keep the state abortion law the way it is.

Its their body and they're the one that has to go through those changes," said Versie.

A Tupelo resident who didn't want to be identified said he thinks state law should limit the accessibility of abortion.

Overall, I wouldnt feel okay with it being a form of contraceptive, and I feel like a lot of people use it as that," said the resident.

Only one of these opinions can be law.

This morning, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments to ultimately decide if women in Mississippi can have an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

District 2 State Representative Nick Bain voted in favor of House Bill 1510 that banned abortion after that time period. A judge struck down that bill in 2018, but it could become law if the U.S. Supreme Court votes in its favor in the fall.

I hope the supreme court does the right thing in making sure that the bill is law," said Bain.

President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights Nancy Northup wants a different outcome.

Alarm bells should be going off for the people in the United States who want to make sure that access to abortion remains safe and legal," said Northup.

Law Professor at the University of Mississippi, Christopher Green, said he doesn't expect a final ruling until June 2022.

Something this momentous would almost certainly- theyd wait until the end of June, get it as considered as they possibly can," said Green. "And maybe even ask for additional briefing, additional argument beyond that.

The Supreme court is expected to hear the arguments in October.
A prosecutor is warning prospective jurors that the trial of a Mexican national charged in the 2018 fatal stabbing of a University of Iowa student will include graphic evidence that will be emotionally difficult to see and hear
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 00:14:22|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan authorities on Monday announced that an islandwide travel restriction will be imposed at 11:00 p.m. local time on May 21 till 4:00 a.m. on May 25 in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19, General Shavendra Silva told Xinhua that once the islandwide travel restriction, which will be similar to a curfew, is lifted on the morning of May 25, it will be imposed once again at 11:00 p.m. on that day till 4:00 a.m. on May 28.

He said people will be given a few hours to go out on May 25 to stock up on essential items.

"We urge people to strictly follow this travel restriction in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. The coming three weeks are extremely crucial and hope to break the spread of the virus," Silva said.

Only essential services and employees from the apparel sector will be permitted to travel during the travel restriction, Silva said.

Sri Lanka has to date detected over 144,000 COVID-19 cases and over 900 deaths.

Health experts said a new variant of the COVID-19 was spreading across the country and has infected over 30,000 people since May.

Sri Lanka imposed a similar islandwide travel restriction from May 13 which was lifted in the early hours of Monday.

Health experts have warned that the new virus has become airborne and strict health guidelines should be followed. Enditem
Tom Sanzillo, director of financial analysis at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, is the author of several energy-related studies and has 30 years of experience in finance, including as first deputy comptroller for New York state.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 09:54:46|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Landing of the Chinese Mars rover is "an incredible achievement", said an Australian scientist in an interview with Xinhua.

The lander carrying China's first Mars rover touched down on the red planet early Saturday morning Beijing Time, marking the first time that China has landed a probe on a planet other than Earth.

"It's a really significant landing, because usually when you first go to another planet, you put down a static platform and just basically look around, taking photos," said Trevor Ireland, a professor in planetary science at the Australian National University.

"The Chinese space agency (China National Space Administration) has done the additional really difficult step of actually putting a rover on the surface of Mars," he said. "Landing a spacecraft on Mars which is on the other side of the solar system has to be autonomous. You can't control it. So everything has worked flawlessly and perfectly."

Ireland said he looked forward to the roving of the robot on the surface of Mars.

According to the scientist, they had analyzed Martian rocks through meteorites. "We're very interested to see how the surface of Mars actually corresponds to what we have on the meteorite collection."

He also hoped that in the future, samples could be taken back from the Mars, and he noted it would take some time.

Ireland said that Mars went dry some 3.5 billion years ago and water lines are seen on the surface of the planet.

"What were the ocean currents doing? Were there bacteria in those oceans? Was there an oxygen rich atmosphere at that time? All of these things are just conjecture...until we get the samples back," he said.

Ireland had collaboration with Chinese counterparts in various Chinese cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Qingdao, in terms of scientific output.

"I've really enjoyed being associated with China," he recalled. "It's a magnificent country and I've enjoyed every minute that I've spent there."

He was impressed by the technological development in China as well as the engineering aspects of it. "They're up with everybody else in terms of being able to put a spacecraft on the surface of other planets. I think that's an amazing achievement."

Ireland agreed that Mars exploration could be an area for more collaboration in the future.

"I think space has always been one of those areas where you've had to have collaborations," he said. "The scientists are few in number who specialize in these things that they definitely want to collaborate." Enditem
Abdallah Sheik, president of the American Muslim Political Action Committee, urged Joe Biden to demand a ceasefire in Israel. (AP)

President Joe Biden visited a Ford electric vehicle facility in Dearborn, Michigan following a week of protests in the city against US support for Israels military strikes in Jerusalem and Gaza.

Dearborn is 47 per cent Arab American with one of the largest Muslim populations in the US.

On Tuesday, as the president toured the facility to promote his infrastructure agenda, Arab American groups held three protests across the city to demonstrate against Israels actions in Gaza and the forced removal of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem.

The actions on Tuesday follow widespread protests across the US over the last week, including in Dearborn, calling on the US to pressure Israel to end its military strikes.

In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end, according to a White House description of the call.

It marked the first time that the White House had invoked mention of a ceasefire in its largely behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts, as Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 212 people in Gaza, including 61 children, with hundreds of others wounded over the last week. At least 20 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank.

Hamas has fired more than 3,300 rockets toward Israeli cities and towns, killing at least 10 people, according to the Israeli Air Force.

Protests have demanded the US end its support for Israels military and occupation and support for

Of the roughly 266,000 people living in Michigan with Middle Eastern backgrounds, 6,800 identity as Palestinian, according to the US Census Bureau.

A group of Arab American community organisers called on Mr Biden to intervene.

Abdallah Sheikh, president of the American and Muslim Political Action Committee, said that the president cares for justice as he pleaded for Mr Biden to demand a ceasefire.

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We are asking him to cease the fire, he said during a press conference in Dearborn on Tuesday. We are asking him to end the war in Palestine. We are asking him to help.

The American Humans Rights Council, American Muslims for Palestine, the American Center for Justice and the American-Muslim Leadership Council were also among the groups urging Mr Bidens support.

Michigan US Rep Rashida Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants with family in the West Bank, greeted Mr Biden upon his arrival in the state.

In remarks from the Ford facility, Mr Biden told her: I admire your intellect. I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people.

He added that he is praying for her family.

On Monday, she demanded the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to get out of the way of the United Nations Security Council for a ceasefire after the US blocked a statement calling for an end to the violence.

Apartheid-in-chief Netanyahu will not listen to anyone asking nicely. He commits war crimes and openly violates international law, she said on Twitter.

More follows...

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Israel, Gaza violence overshadows Biden's domestic plans

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Elizabeth City Councilman Gabriel Adkins leads demonstrators on a march through Andrew Brown Jr.s neighborhood on Thursday, April 29, 2021. (AP)

Elizabeth City council member Gabriel Adkins has said that police urinated on his property twice after he spoke out concerning the police killing of Black man Andrew Brown Jr.

Mr Brown, 42, was shot dead by police as they executed an arrest warrant on drug charges in the coastal North Carolina town on 21 April.

A district attorney in North Carolina said the shooting was justified. District Attorney Andrew Womble made the judgement on Tuesday after reviewing the results of a probe carried out by the states Bureau of Investigation.

Prosecutors said the shooting was justified because Mr Brown hit officers with his vehicle before he was shot. But Mr Browns family and legal team said a snippet of body camera footage depicted an execution.

An autopsy initiated by the family showed that Mr Brown was shot five times, once in the back of the head. Three officers have been suspended as an investigation is conducted.

Hours after the shooting, Mr Adkins said: As a Black man sitting here tonight, Im afraid. Im afraid that I may be the next one, you know.

After joining in with protests demanding that footage of the killing be released, Mr Adkins said security footage from a funeral home he owns shows an officer in uniform urinating on his property twice last week.

Im completely furious that any member of the sheriff department would think these acts are acceptable, Mr Adkins told The Washington Post. This is a funeral home. A place where we house familys loved ones. I have lost all trust and respect for our sheriff department.

News of the video was first reported by the Raleigh News & Observer.

Mr Adkins, a second-term councilman, owns a funeral home, a catering firm, and a business involved in tax and financial services.

He has both organized and attended protests demanding that all footage of the incident be released by the sheriffs office.

Mr Adkins now argues that his activism has led to reprisals from the police. According to The Post, an unreleased video from Friday shows an officer urinating on his funeral home property.

Story continues

The video Mr Adkins has publicised is from Saturday. It shows a police vehicle with blinking lights parking in front of a shed and a garage that Mr Adkins said he uses to house his hearses.

A man in a police uniform can be seen in the footage walking between the shed and garage, then appears to urinate with his back to the camera.

Since this case with Andrew Brown, Ive been out protesting, Mr Adkins told the News & Observer. I really feel like they are retaliating back against me. Maybe they didnt know I had surveillance, but its a funeral home.

He told the paper that the police department has previously contributed escorts to his funeral business, but now hasnt responded to two of his requests since the death of Mr Brown. He said he plans to take legal action.

Im just getting real worried I might be the next target, or theyre trying to set me up, Mr Adkins told the News & Observer. On top of it being a crime.

The Independent has reached out to the Pasquotank County Sheriffs Office for comment.

Read More

Body camera footage of Andrew Brown Jr shooting played at press conference

Police officers who shot Andrew Brown will keep their jobs, sheriff says

Anger as DA clears officers in Andrew Brown shooting and refuses to release full video: This is done
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 11:20:30|Editor: huaxia

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HANOI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Around 6,630 completely built-up (CBU) cars were imported by Vietnam from China in the first four months of this year, six times higher than the volume from the same period last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Industry insiders attributed the increasing popularity of cars imported from China to good designs and modern features, local media VnExpress reported Tuesday.

With the volume, China remained the third-largest CBU car supplier for Vietnam in the period behind Thailand and Indonesia.

The two Southeast Asian countries accounted for 79 percent of Vietnam's CBU imports over the four-month period.

Between January and April, Vietnam's total car imports marked a 56.5 percent year-on-year growth at nearly 50,200 vehicles, according to the customs department.

The country's automobile sales during the four months surged 58 percent year on year to 101,309 units, signaling a recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association. Enditem
Alex Wong/Getty Images

A protest outside of Jeff Bezos' home in New York will urge him to back a wealth tax.

The protests are happening on Tax Day and are run by a group called Patriotic Millionaires.

In addition to the protest, the group sponsored billboards in D.C. and New York urging tax reform.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

"As a millionaire, tax me more." That's the motto of members of the Patriotic Millionaires group, which is organizing protests and mobile billboards on Tax Day encouraging higher taxes for the rich.

The three mobile billboards, which feature videos of well-known billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, will drive through New York City and Washington, D.C. on Monday, Tax Day. In a press release, the group said that the aim of the events is " challenging the faces of wealth inequality in this country and calling for higher taxes on the rich."

The group is also organizing an in-person protest outside of Bezos' New York apartment complete with signs that say "Cut the bull----. Tax the rich" and other slogans encouraging higher taxes on millionaires and billionaires. CNBC first reported the initiative on Monday.

The billboards will also make stops in front of homes of lawmakers like Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, who recently said "the wealthy ought to pay a much fairer share" of taxes and that many large companies and wealthy individuals "don't pay any taxes at all."

The group accepts members with annual incomes over $1 million or assets valued at over $5 million, according to CNBC, and has over 15,000 followers on Twitter. Its website describes its focus as advocating for "a guaranteed living wage for all working citizens, and a fair tax system."

Millionaire members include Morris Pearl, who chairs the group and was a former executive at BlackRock, and documentarian Abigail Disney, according to the Tax the Rich website.

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Jeff Bezos, the wealthiest person in the world, and Amazon have often been a talking point in discussions critical of the country's tax code. Amazon itself paid no federal corporate income taxes for years because the value of its tax rebates exceeded the federal corporate income tax requirements, according to reporting from Insider.

In April of this year, Bezos said Amazon is in favor of a new corporate tax structure proposed as part of Joe Biden's infrastructure plan.

Patriotic Millionaires supports Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposal for a wealth tax, which Insider reported in April would have netted $114 billion from billionaires if it had gone into effect for the 2020 tax year.

After Joe Biden released the Made in America tax plan to increase the corporate tax rate, the chairman of Patriotic Millionaires said in a press release that "while there is still an urgent need to have wealth taxed the same as work on an individual level, the tax proposal introduced today sends a strong signal that the Administration recognizes that our current tax code is broken and riddled with loopholes."

And in April of this year, New York passed state legislation that included a wealth tax that taxes millionaires at higher rates than any other state. The tax hikes would go into effect for around 50,000 taxpayers in the state, according to the New York Times.

Amazon and the offices of Senator McConnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A thick column of smoke rises from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza city controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, on May 15, 2021 Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Hamas says it wasn't using a building housing prominent media outlets that Israel destroyed.

The building, which housed AP and Al Jazeera offices, was destroyed via a Saturday airstrike.

The recent fighting has killed at least 204 Palestinians and 10 Israelis.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Hamas on Monday rejected the Israeli government's assertion that the militant group was operating out of a Gaza building that housed prominent media outlets and was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike over the weekend.

"Hamas did not have any military or intelligence operations in Al-Jalaa Tower," Basem Naim, a Hamas official who is the head of the Council on International Relations in Gaza, told The Intercept. Naim's comments were the first official denial from Hamas to the international media regarding Israel's claims about the strike.

"We don't operate anything related to the military wing from civilian houses," Naim said.

The Associated Press and Al Jazeera, which had offices in the now-destroyed building, have called for an independent investigation into the strike.

The Jerusalem Post, citing anonymous Israeli officials, in a report over the weekend said the US had been provided with a "smoking gun" proving Hamas was using the building.

But Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said he'd not personally seen any evidence backing up Israel's claim that Hamas operated out of the building, and the White House has also not said whether it's been provided with intelligence to back up Israel's assertions.

"I'm not going to be in a position now or ever of committing or confirming who has or hasn't seen intelligence," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said to reporters on the matter during Monday's press briefing.

The Israeli government is facing growing criticism from human rights groups over airstrikes during the past week that have leveled several large buildings in Gaza.

Story continues

"There is a horrific pattern emerging of Israel launching air strikes in Gaza targeting residential buildings and family homes - in some cases entire families were buried beneath the rubble when the buildings they lived in collapsed," Saleh Higazi, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Monday. "Deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian property and infrastructure are war crimes, as are disproportionate attacks."

At least 204 Palestinians, including 58 children and 34 women, have been killed as the fighting has intensified since last Monday, according to Gaza's health ministry, per Reuters. At least 10 people in Israel, including two children and a soldier, have also been killed.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The house sparrow is a regular in towns and gardens

There are at least 50 billion individual wild birds in the world, according to a new estimate.

House sparrows alone make up about 1.6 billion of these.

And three other species - European starlings, barn swallows and ring-billed gulls - also have populations exceeding one billion birds.

However, most bird species are rare, with about one-in-ten species down to fewer than 5,000 individuals, say the authors.

This "snapshot" of the global bird population will help in conservation efforts to save birds from extinction, says a team at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Starling murmuration over Gretna Green

"We spend a lot of time and money counting our own species, but we really need to think about how we count the biodiversity that we share the planet with," study researcher Dr Corey Callaghan told BBC News.

Counting the number of birds in the world is a complex task, with no definitive answers.

Past rough estimates have come up with 200 to 400 billion individual birds drawn from 10,000 to 13,000 bird species.

The Australian researchers analysed 9,700 species of living birds (excluding all domestic birds) using data recorded by birdwatchers on the online database, ebird, over the past decade.

The barn swallow, like many insect-eating birds, is doing well

They refined the data using modelling and information from experts on the ground to come up with what they say is a more accurate estimate.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests most birds are found in the northern hemisphere: in Europe, northern Asia, northern Africa, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and North America.

In contrast, very few birds are found in Madagascar and the Antarctic.

"The citizen science data will play a fundamental role in the future in biodiversity monitoring," said Dr Callaghan.

Follow Helen on Twitter.
Election 2020 Arizona Audit (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

It seems at least one body of Republican lawmakers in Arizona has had enough of the ongoing Maricopa County vote audit demanded by state GOP politicians.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors  which is largely made up of Republicans  has denounced the audit of the 2020 election, calling it a "sham" and a "con.

The group called on the Republican-led state Senate to end the recount that has been vocally supported by both Donald Trump and QAnon supporters.

The board members held a public meeting and sent a letter to the state Senate President Karen Fann saying the audit was being handled poorly, that it was pushing lies, and that it had defamed public servants who oversaw the 2020 election.

Five members of the board  four of whom are Republicans  called the audit a "spectacle that is harming all of us" and asked for it to come to an end.

The audit, which is being undertaken by a private firm called Cyber Ninjas  a group that has no experience overseeing an election recount and whose CEO parroted Mr Trump's election fraud lies  has only counted about a quarter of the votes cast in Maricopa County despite the recount's stated deadline having passed days ago.

At its current rate, the recount will not be finished until the late summer.

The board called on the state Senate to defend the state's commitment to democracy.

It is time to make a choice to defend the Constitution and the Republic, they wrote. We stand united together to defend the Constitution and the Republic in our opposition to the Big Lie. We ask everyone to join us in standing for the truth.

Other elected officials joined in the board's objection to the recount, including the county sheriff and the county recorder, who is a Republican.

Our state has become a laughingstock, the officials wrote. Worse, this audit is encouraging our citizens to distrust elections, which weakens our democratic republic.

The officials said they would refuse to attend a meeting Ms Fann held on Tuesday to discuss "serious issues" with the vote that the Cyber Ninjas group claims it identified.

Story continues

I will not be responding to any more requests from this sham process. Finish your audit and be ready to defend what youre finding in a court of law, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers  a Republican  said at the public meeting.

Supervisor Bill Gates, also a Republican, said the board was not "going to be part of a political theater broadcast on live stream by OAN," referring to the pro-Trump, conservative television network that has been broadcasting constant coverage of the recount.

While the recount still remains popular with Mr Trump and his most loyal supporters, even longtime allies of the ex-president have distanced themselves from the undertaking.

Senator Lindsey Graham finally admitted, more than 170 days after the election, that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and said he was ready to move past the Big Lie.

I accept the results of the election. I dont know what the audit is all about in Arizona. I dont know the details. But I am ready to move on," he said on Monday. 2020 is over for me.

Read More

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Henry McCollum walks out of prison after being released from Central Prison in Raleigh on 3 September, 2014. (AP)

Two brothers who spent decades in prison after being wrongfully convicted in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl have been awarded $75 million (52 million) by a jury in a North Carolina federal civil rights case.

Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, who were teenagers when they were accused of the crime, spent nearly 31 years in jail before they were released in 2014 after DNA evidence implicated another man.

The jury last week decided that the intellectually disabled half brothers should each receive $31 million in compensatory damages  $1 million for every year they spent in prison after their wrongful conviction, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. The jury also awarded them $13 million in punitive damages.

The payout comes after the brothers pursued a civil case against law enforcement members, arguing that their civil rights were violated during the interrogations that led to their convictions.

The brothers attorneys have said that they were coerced into confessing. The jury on Friday determined that two former state investigators  Leroy Allen and Kenneth Snead  had violated Mr McCollums constitutional rights by coercing him into confessing, according to The New York Times.

I told the jury that it was up to them to decide how much the pain and suffering of being in hell for 31 years was worth, and asked Is $1 million a year enough to compensate for living in hell? Des Hogan, a lawyer assisting the brothers, told The Washington Post.

The Robeson County Sheriffs Office, which was one of the defendants, settled its part of the case for $9 million on Friday and the town of Red Springs settled in 2017 for $1 million, according to The Associated Press.

The brothers were sentenced to death in 1985 and Mr McCollum became North Carolinas longest-serving death row inmate. Mr Browns sentence was later changed to life in prison.

In 2014, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission said that DNA found on a cigarette butt, taken from the crime scene, matched another individual named Roscoe Artis DNA. Mr Artis was a convicted rapist and murderer who lived less than 100 yards from where the victim's body was found, a statement from the brothers attorneys said at the time.

Story continues

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A sign of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is pictured on January 10, 2017 at its headquarters in Cologny near Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

The World Economic Forum has called off its Singapore meeting, originally scheduled for this August.

The WEF said its next meeting will take place in the first half of 2022 instead.

The cancellation comes amid the proliferation of new COVID clusters and unlinked cases in Singapore.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The World Economic Forum is calling off its Singapore meeting in August due to COVID concerns.

Initially billed as "Singapore's Davos," the meeting was moved to Asia from the ski resort in the Swiss Alps where it has traditionally been held since its first edition in 1971. Thousands of world leaders and members of the global elite were set to fly into the Asian city-state from August 17 to 20 this year to discuss the world's challenges - but the meeting has now been canned entirely.

"Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout, and the uncertainty around new variants combine to make it impossible to realize a global meeting with business, government, and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned," said the organization in a statement released on Monday.

In the statement, the WEF added that its next meeting will take place in the first half of 2022, with the location and date of the event to be determined this summer.

"It was a difficult decision, particularly in view of the great interest of our partners to come together not just virtually but in person, and to contribute to a more resilient, more inclusive, and more sustainable world," said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF

"But ultimately the health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority," Schwab added.

CNBC reported in December last year that shifting the WEF meeting's locale to Singapore would allow for in-person gatherings, as the outbreak of the COVID pandemic in Europe made it difficult to organize the event safely. However, the meeting was re-scheduled once in February, when the meeting's dates were shifted from May to August 2021 due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

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The cancellation comes amid new reports of COVID clusters developing in Singapore - with a large, 78-case cluster emerging at its famed Changi Airport - and an increase in un-linked cases in the local community.

Initially touted as a COVID haven and one of the safest places to be during the pandemic, the country has moved back under strict COVID restrictions due to a sudden surge in unlinked community-transmitted cases carrying the deadly B1617 variant.

The country's Ministry of Health noted in a statement on Monday night that the overall number of cases in the community increased from 32 cases in the week before, to 149 cases in the last week alone, with 42 unlinked cases emerging in the last seven days.

According to a report by Channel News Asia, Singapore has seen over 20 community cases reported every day for the last five days. As of press time, Singapore recorded 61,613 confirmed COVID cases and 31 deaths.

In response to a request for comment from Insider, Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement that it "fully appreciates the challenges caused by the ongoing global pandemic, particularly for a large meeting with a broad span of international participants."

"We will continue to work actively with the World Economic Forum and other key international organizations to promote collaborations between stakeholders on issues of global concern," said the ministry.

Read the original article on Insider
The state of Oklahoma will pay people $1,200 to get off unemployment benefits and start working.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order creating the Return to Work Incentive, which incentivizes finding a job instead of continuing to claim unemployment benefits.

The first 20,000 people who qualify and apply for the program will receive $1,200 after completing six weeks of a new job.

'It's really frustrating': Worker shortages are putting more money in employees' pockets but could slow the economy

"Our challenge is not to get businesses back open; we've done that. It's been getting employees back to work," Stitt said Monday. "Without a doubt, one of the factors causing this has been the continued extension of extra federal benefits."

Gov. Kevin Stitt looks on as Employment Security Commission Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt speaks during a press conference to announce at $1200 return to work incentive for unemployed Oklahomans at Freymiller Trucking in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Monday, May 17, 2021.

Oklahoma also will shut down all extra federal benefits created last year when the pandemic triggered record levels of unemployment. That includes:

 The $300-per-week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) tacked onto other unemployment benefits.

 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which extends unemployment benefits beyond the traditional 26-week cutoff.

 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits to workers who don't otherwise qualify, like self-employed and gig workers.

 Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provided an additional $100 per week in benefits to individuals who received at least $5,000 of self-employment income in the most recent taxable year and were not receiving PUA benefits.

Some 90,000 people in the state are currently receiving FPUC, said Shelley Zumwalt, executive director of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. In all, she said 200,000 Oklahomans are eligible for work but don't have a job.

"I hear from employers every single day about their struggles to find staff for their businesses," said Zumwalt.

By announcing the end of pandemic-related benefits now, Oklahoma is giving people six weeks to find a job before they expire. The federal government told states to notify residents at least 30 days before ending those payouts. After June 27, the only state-run financial benefits available to out-of-work Oklahomans will be traditional unemployment payments that existed long before the pandemic began.

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The signup page for the Return to Work Incentive will go live June 28 at OESC's website.

More: At least 7 million Americans in line for unemployment tax refunds

The $1,200 incentive is available for claimants who received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation or traditional unemployment between May 2 and May 15. They must also complete six consecutive weeks of employment at 32 hours a week or more with the same employer.

Payments will begin dispersing the second week in July. The funds come from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan.

Democrats in the state Legislature criticized the decision to end federal unemployment benefits before they officially expire in September.

"The reality is that the pandemic is not yet over," said state Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City. "For Oklahomans to get back to work, they need the assurance employers will make accommodations to keep them safe at work, their children have safe and quality childcare and their families have accessible healthcare in the event they contract COVID-19."

To help connect employers with future employees, OESC is hosting two job fairs this week in Oklahoma City. On Wednesday, The Oklahoman is hosting its own job fair at the State Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That event features 45 companies from a diverse array of industries that are looking for workers.

Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks during a press conference to announce at $1200 return to work incentive for unemployed Oklahomans at Freymiller Trucking in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Monday, May 17, 2021.

Erica Hering, owner of Ralphs Packing in Perkins, has experienced the workforce shortage first hand. To run the 35,000-square-foot meat processing facility, she needs 45 employees.

"For the last three and a half months, I've been running it with 35 employees," she said. "I have an additional 12,000 square feet coming online in a month and a half; it's going to take eight more employees to run that part of the business."

Another business struggling to find employees is Acme Engineering and Manufacturing in Muskogee. Brian Lanham, executive vice president of manufacturing and operations, said he needs to hire 30 people.

More: Major business group calls for ending $300 federal bonus in unemployment checks, blaming it for weak April job gains

"We've been to job fairs. We hire staffing agencies. The real issue is just there's no candidates, and it's real. There's no candidates," Lanham said. "Thirty-five years I've been in the factory  never in my life have I seen it like this today."

The service industry is also facing its own challenge finding a workforce that's ready and able to earn a paycheck. An April U.S. Census survey reported more than a third of small businesses in hospitality and food services were struggling to fully staff up.

Staff writer Dale Denwalt covers technology, aerospace and Oklahoma business news for The Oklahoman. He can be reached at ddenwalt@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @denwalt.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Unemployed workers in Oklahoma who return to work eligible for $1,200
The Wonder Years reboot is almost here.

On Tuesday, ABC released a first-look trailer at the new take on the beloved coming-of-age comedy. This time around, the series will be centered on a Black family living in Alabama, starring Don Cheadle as the narrator for adult Dean Williams, Elisha Williams as the young Dean and Dule Hill as dad Bill Williams. Saycon Sengbloh will play Lillian, the family's mother, and Laura Kariuki is set to star as Kim, Dean's older sister.

"It's the little things that you remember all your life," Cheadle's character narrates at the start of the new trailer.

"Your first hit, your first kiss, the first time your dad lets you know that he sees you," he continues, before quipping: "Well, I still hadn't had the other two, but boy did that third one feel good."

Erika Doss/ABC

Erika Doss/ABC

Erika Doss/ABC

RELATED: Lee Daniels' The Wonder Years Reboot Gets Pilot Order at ABC Featuring Black Family

ABC has not yet announced the premiere date for the reboot, which "focuses on how a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, in the turbulent late '60s made sure it was 'the wonder years' for them, too," according to the show's description.

Lee Daniels is executive producing the series along with Saladin K. Patterson (The Big Bang Theory, Frasier), who will also pen the script. Original series co-creator Neal Marlens is attached as a consultant, while Fred Savage, who starred in the original series as Kevin Arnold, will also executive produce and direct the pilot.

Daniels, 61, confirmed the reboot news on Instagram in January, sharing a photo of The Hollywood Reporter's report at the time and writing, "This will be a GREAT reboot! Let's go ABC!"

Erika Doss/ABC

Erika Doss/ABC

Erika Doss/ABC

RELATED: The Wonder Years Cast: Where Are They Now?

The original series, which aired for a total of 115 episodes from 1988 to 1993, followed a white middle-class family in the 1960s. Savage and Josh Saviano starred as best friends Kevin Arnold and Paul Pfeiffer, respectively, and Danica McKellar played Kevin's love interest, Winnie Cooper.

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Savage, 44, broke out in Hollywood with his role in The Wonder Years. At only 13, he became the youngest actor nominated for a lead actor in a comedy series Emmy for his role in 1988.

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In 2015, the actor told PEOPLE there was "zero" chance of an official revival.

"The show was about a time in your life," he said at the time. "The show was about this finite moment in your life that has a beginning and an end, and I think that's what makes people long for that time in your life."

"You can't really go back to it," he added. "You can't all be 12 again, and that's why that time in our life is so special and why all the memories still stay with us and warm us and haunt us and all those things  because we can't go back to it."
Tim Rooke - Pool/Getty Images Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have touched down in Northern Ireland for a two-day tour.

The royal couple arrived in Belfast Tuesday for a series of engagements, in a trip celebrated by local officials.

"Delighted to welcome TRHs The Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall as they commence a two-day visit to Northern Ireland," the Northern Ireland Office tweeted. "They can be assured of a very warm welcome!"

RELATED: Why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles Planted a Tree Together at Windsor Castl

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The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall began at Belfast City Hall, meeting historians and staff to discuss the nation's upcoming centenary. Northern Ireland's first Parliament was officially opened at by Charles' great-grandfather King George V on June 22, 1921.

At city hall, Camilla, 73, learned about Belfast's aspirations of becoming a UNESCO City of Music and spoke with the women's steering group, with the Northern Ireland Office. During the stop, the royals met with young people who have been supported by youth services and spoke with a group at the Education Authority Headquarters.

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While at the headquarters, Charles paid tribute to youth workers in a speech that touched on their efforts to bring about reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

"I cannot tell you how really inspiring it has been to hear of the tireless work being carried out by youth workers on all sides of the community, and I just wanted to take this opportunity, if I may, to pay a special tribute to your dedication and commitment to the cause of peaceful co-existence," he said."

"Whenever I visit this part of the world, I never cease to be profoundly moved by the work that is being done to heal the pain of the past, to bring understanding and reconciliation in the present, and to build hope for the future," he continued. "All who love this very special part of the world can only wish you renewed strength of spirit and resolve as you take forward this work of such vital importance to these islands. So, thank you ladies and gentlemen for all you do."

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Clodagh Kilcoyne - Pool/Getty Images

Charles, 72, also ventured out for a visit to Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, commemorating the hub's 160th anniversary of commercial shipbuilding in the city. The prince was all smiles in a hard hat and neon safety vest as he chatted with workers there.

RELATED: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall's Son Says It 'Hasn't Been Decided' if She'll Be Called 'Queen'

Samir Hussein - Pool/WireImage

Prior to the trip, the royal couple most recently visited Northern Ireland in September 2020 for another series of engagements and paid special tribute to frontline workers amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

During a tour of the Ulster Museum in September, the future heir and his wife brushed with a different kind of royal life when they saw a special willow Iron Throne, created for a party to celebrate the premiere of the final season of Game of Thrones. Filming of the hit show, which concluded in May 2019, took place in several locations around Northern Ireland.

Charles looked amused as he stood in front of the structure, which was made by local Bob Johnson of Bob's Baskets.
Getty Tuncurry Beach in Forster, Australia

A surfer has died after he was attacked by a shark at a popular Australian beach, authorities said.

The fatal incident occurred on Tuesday at Tuncurry Beach in Forster, which is located off of Australia's eastern coast, according to a statement from the New South Wales Police Force.

Police said the man, who was believed to be in his 50s, was surfing in the water around 11 a.m. when he was attacked by the shark.

Approximately 20 minutes later, emergency services were called to the scene, where they found the man with "critical injuries to his upper right thigh after being attacked," according to police.

A spokesperson for New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance also confirmed in a tweet that their paramedics showed up to the beach to treat the victim.

After pulling the man from the water, police said officers from Manning Great Lakes Police District began performing CPR.

However, "despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene, the man could not be resuscitated," the NSW Ambulance explained in a tweet. The surfer died at the scene, police confirmed.

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RELATED: 15-Year-Old Surfer from Australia Dies After Shark Attack: 'Hope Heaven Is Good to You'

In the wake of the incident, police said Tuncurry Beach and Forster Main Beach were closed.

Officials were also working to piece together more information on the victim and his final moments before the attack, according to Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC).

Witnesses at the scene told the outlet that the man was on vacation at Tuncurry Beach and surfing with friends prior to the incident.

Superintendent Christopher Schilt also noted to ABC that the man reportedly spotted the shark before the attack and attempted to notify other surfers in the water.

"It's believed that when the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try and warn others and, very heroically, his friends were able to bring him back in to shore after he had been attacked," Schilt explained.

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Police are now working with the Department of Primary Industries to "identify the species responsible," according to their statement.

At this time, the department's scientists believe the bite may have been caused by a four-and-a-half meter (14.76-foot) white shark based on their analysis of photographs of the bite, ABC reported.

"There was some damage to the board," Schilt told the outlet. "The board will be getting forensically examined ... we've got scientists from the DPI who are working with our forensic police and they will use the damage from the board to assess what kind of shark it was."

RELATED VIDEO: 17-Year-Old Surfer Dies After Losing Leg in Shark Attack

Speaking to ABC, Brian Wilcox, of the local Surf Life Saving branch, said the attack was "unprecedented" but noted that the number of shark spottings has increased since the incident.

"I can't recall ever having a shark attack in this area," he explained to the outlet. "We've already had a drone up in the air to see if we could spot some sharks in the area. There were a couple of sharks spotted, whether they were the one or not, who knows."

A total of 18 unprovoked shark attacks happened in Australia in 2020, with eight of those occurring in New South Wales, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which track shark attacks worldwide.

Of those 18 unprovoked attacks, six of them were fatal, the outlet reported.

Surfers and beachgoers in NSW are now being advised to follow NSW's SharkSmart Twitter page or download their SharkSmart app for up-to-date information on shark sightings.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Cloudy. High 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 13:43:35|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 tally rose to 49,524 as 349 new cases were registered over the last 24 hours, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.

Seven more deaths and 877 more recoveries were reported, bringing the national counts to 233 and 42,721 respectively, the ministry said in a statement.

The Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to cover at least 60 percent of its 3.3-million population.

More than 1,792,600 Mongolians have so far received their first dose, and over 651,500 have got both jabs. Enditem
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PHOENIX (AP)  The top Republicans in Arizona's largest county gave an impassioned defense of their handling of the 2020 election Monday, calling on fellow members of the GOP and business leaders to speak out against an unprecedented partisan election audit.

The GOP-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors cast the audit as a sham that's spun out of the control of the state Senate leader who's ostensibly overseeing it. Board Chairman Jack Sellers said Senate President Karen Fann is making an attempt at legitimatizing a grift disguised as an audit.

After former President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that his loss was marred by fraud, Fann used the Senate's subpoena power to take possession of ballots and voting machines from Maricopa County, a longtime Republican stronghold that was won by Democrat Joe Biden last year. She turned all of it over to Cyber Ninjas, a small Florida-based cybersecurity firm owned by a Trump supporter who has promoted election conspiracies to conduct an audit.

Last week, Fann sent a letter to Sellers questioning records that document the chain of custody of the ballots and accusing county officials of deleting data. The county on Monday sent a 12-page response vehemently denying wrongdoing, explaining its processes and accusing Cyber Ninjas of incompetence.

They cant find the files because they dont know what they're doing," Sellers said during a public meeting held to refute Fann's allegations. We wouldn't be asked to do this on-the-job training if qualified auditors had been hired to do this work.

Fann did not immediately comment. She has defended the audit as an effort to address concerns raised by many Trump supporters who worry the election was not conducted fairly.

Fann's accusations touched a nerve with county officials, who have grown increasingly exasperated with the audit. On Monday, they implored elected officials who have doubts to stop keeping their criticisms to themselves.

Elected Republicans, I think, are afraid of the next election and they cant be, said Bill Gates, the vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Theyve got to stand for what is right. Otherwise, why did they run for office in the first place?

Later, he lamented silence from business leaders and urged them to contact those elected officials who they donate money to."

This is creating a black eye to Arizona and I would think that those business leaders would want this to stop, Gates said.

They also highlighted the backlash they've experienced for speaking out, including death threats and protests at their home.

Promoted heavily in right-wing media, the audit has become a cause celebre among some of Trumps most loyal fans, who believe it will uncover evidence of the former presidents claim that he was the rightful winner of the election.

Trump sent a statement saying, in part, that the entire Database of Maricopa County in Arizona has been DELETED! This is illegal and the Arizona State Senate, who is leading the Forensic Audit, is up in arms.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, one of the countys top election officials, on Saturday called the statement unhinged and called on other Republicans to stop the unfounded accusations.

Richer was elected in the same election many in his party are now questioning, defeating an incumbent Democrat. As recorder, he oversees the voter registration database and the mail voting operation, including signature verification, while the county board oversees the team charged with election-day operations and counting ballots.

On Monday, he said he hoped that he and other county officials were making it easier for others to speak out against the narrative of election fraud.

Were out here now. Weve moved, Richer said. I think youre going to see others joining. The waters warm. Come in.
MIAMI (AP)  Allies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, including his Cabinet chief, have been included in a list of senior officials in Central America deemed corrupt by the U.S. State Department, according to a copy of a report obtained by The Associated Press.

The emergence of the list of purportedly five corrupt officials is likely to heighten tensions with Bukele, who is facing intense pressure from the Biden administration over the removal of several Supreme Court justices and El Salvadors attorney general. The U.S. has made strengthening democracy one of the pillars of its policy toward Central America, saying that rampant corruption is one of the root causes of illegal immigration.

A copy of the report, which was sent Monday to members of the U.S. Congress, was provided to The Associated Press by a Democrat staffer on the condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

The list was originally included as a classified annex of a report sent to Congress in April in response to an appropriations request last year pushed by Rep. Norma Torres, a California Democrat who chairs the Central America caucus. That larger list contained the names of 12 Honduran and Guatemalan politicians accused of corruption or believed to have ties to drug trafficking organizations.

The list of five Salvadoran officials deemed to have engaged in significant acts of corruption during their terms in offices was declassified May 4, according to the new report. Unlike the bulk of Guatemalans and Hondurans on the list, none of the Salvadorans have been indicted or sanctioned in the U.S. and their inclusion on the list would appear to have no immediate legal consequences.

It nonetheless is likely to further strain relations between the Biden administration and Bukele, who has shown no willingness to back away from his consolidation of power that has drawn condemnation from senior U.S. officials and lawmakers of both parties.

Bukeles fledgling New Ideas party swept February legislative elections by a landslide, taking control of the unicameral congress and immediately voting this month to remove the corruption-fighting top prosecutor and several high court magistrates who had blocked the presidents agenda.

While Bukele remains wildly popular at home after decades of corrupt rule that followed the end of the countrys bloody civil war, his critics in the U.S. say that in concentrating power he is undermining already fragile institutions.

El Salvador is a sovereign country and President Bukele was democratically elected. He makes his own decisions, Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday in a lengthy statement. But the choices he and his allies in the Salvadoran Congress make, that are eviscerating El Salvadors democratic civilian institutions and empowering the armed forces, have consequences for U.S.Salvadoran relations.

The most prominent official on the list is Bukeles Cabinet chief, Carolina Recinos, who has worked alongside the president since his entry into politics as a small town mayor for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front created by leftist guerrillas following the end of the civil war. There were no details of Recinos alleged wrongdoing.

Also named is Rogelio Rivas, who last month was replaced as minister of security and justice. The State Department said Rivas allegedly awarded his own construction company several noncompetitive, unadvertised contracts to build police stations and other buildings that fell under his official capacity and then inflated the cost of materials.

Also included is lawmaker Guillermo Gallegos, a founder of the GANA party that broke with El Salvadors bipartisan system to support Bukeles presidential run in 2019.

Two former FMLN lawmakers  Sigfrido Reyes and Jose Luis Merino, the latter a former vice minister of foreign relations in the FMLN government that preceded Bukeles administration  are also included. Fourteen members of the U.S. Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, wrote letters to the State and Treasury departments in 2017 requesting that Merino be investigated and sanctioned for ties to regional criminal groups.

El Salvador's presidential office didnt respond to a request for comment from Bukele and said Recinos was not available. Rivas didnt respond to a request for comment and it was impossible to locate Merino.

Bukele, who has accused the U.S. of heavy handedness, used irony to dismiss the report, a copy of which circulated earlier Monday on social media. He said he was shocked that El Salvador's friends after checking their archives could not find a single instance of corruption inside the conservative ARENA party  a favorite target of his.

Maybe they think they are all saints, he wrote on Twitter. Thats why they insist we return them to power.

Reyes, an opponent of Bukele who has sought exile in Mexico after being criminally charged in El Salvador for corruption from his time in the legislature, called the accusations baseless and ridiculous.

The State Department frequently lies to the world to meet its objectives. 18 years ago they swore that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They are still searching for them! he said on Twitter.

A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the non-public report but said that fighting corruption is at the center of the Biden administrations approach to the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America since corruption inhibits democratic governances, undermines security and stifles economic growth.



Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman

-

Associated Press writer Marcos Aleman in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this report.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 15:04:07|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali Department of Tourism has alerted mountaineers trying to summit different Himalayan mountains in Nepal about the danger of potential massive snowfalls sparked by a strong TaukTae cyclonic storm, a department official said.

"We have told them to be alert about the potential danger and take precautionary measures," said Mira Acharya, director at the department that issued climbing permits for mountaineers.

Earlier, Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had suggested that mountaineering activities be halted over potential risks from the storm that originated from the east-central Arabian Sea.

The tourism department does not have exact data about how many climbers and their aides are currently on the Himalayan mountains inside Nepal. Acharya estimated that around 500 should be on different mountains currently.

Mountaineering expedition companies, however, said more people are on the mountains. "Around 400 climbers, Sherpa guides, and other aides representing my company are on Mt. Qomolangma alone," Mingma Sherpa, chairman of the Seven Summit Treks, told Xinhua.

The highest in the world at 8848.86 meters, Mt. Qomolangma straddles Nepal and China.

Nepal's Tourism Department has issued a total of 740 climbing permits for mountaineers attempting different peaks in Nepal, while Nepali Sherpa guides and other aides do not need such permits.

According to the expedition companies, snowfall has already started in the Himalayas delaying the climbing schedules. "The climbers and their aides representing my company have already descended to the base camp of Mt. Qomolangma as precautionary measures," Sherpa said.

Sherpa said his company does not have any plan to ask its clients to come back from the mountains immediately as many are waiting for the weather conditions to improve. "The expeditions may take place by the end of May. So we are waiting for the weather to improve," added Sherpa.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Nepal has already started to see the impact of the TaukTae cyclone starting Monday, as rainfall hit the country's western region while mild to medium-scale and massive snowfalls are expected in high-mountain areas by Thursday.

Archana Shrestha, deputy director-general at the department, told Xinhua that the agency had alerted the mountaineers about the danger as snowfalls are expected in the mountains. "Those who are in the high altitude areas of the mountains should stay in a safe place," she said. "We now know about the potential impact of the cyclone till Friday but we are still not sure about the impact thereafter." Enditem
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 16:43:42|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will receive 185,000 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia next week as the country looks to vaccinate its citizens against the coronavirus, a minister said on Tuesday.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation, Channa Jayasumana said Sri Lanka will receive the COVID-19 vaccine consignment by May 25, which will be administered to the public immediately.

Jayasumana said Sri Lanka received the first batch of Sputnik V vaccines containing 15,000 doses purchased from Russia on May 4, which have been administered to 14,699 people so far.

Sri Lanka started a mass vaccination drive on Jan. 29 and has to date vaccinated over 1.5 million citizens, according to official figures from the Health Ministry.

During the past week, Sri Lanka began administering the Sinopharm vaccine received from China in the areas worst hit by COVID-19 including the capital Colombo, while the government has said it aims to vaccinate at least 70 percent of its 21.4 million population by the end of this year. Enditem
If there were any persisting thoughts about the necessity of adapting to digital for business longevity, the COVID-19 pandemic has hushed them. Digital marketing expert Liridon Vrapca shares insights into how coronavirus is creating a shift in doing business from onsite to online. Lets delve.

Liridon starts by pointing to facts  before the onset of COVID-19, only twenty-nine percent of US employees functioned remotely. Whereas for the rest of the seventy-one percent, including around forty percent of the total onsite American workforce  the shift to remote working lifestyle full-time has been a shocker for the system  metaphorically speaking, yet in certain cases, quite literally as user demand surpassed digital bandwidth. But the silver lining, Liridon Vrapca explains, is that with such huge groups of businesses, entrepreneurs, and employees now going remote, digital collaboration is improving by a quantum leap. This has accelerated the migration of businesses online. They have no other option but to sophisticate their tools to facilitate this transition and bring their employees to a level of comfort with this migration.

On the other hand, entrepreneurs who had not only increased the pace of migrating their businesses online but also executed on their digital strategies prior to the pandemic are now in a position to leapfrog their less agile contenders. But this doesnt undermine the pandemic-led challenges they now face, regardless of their present level of digital prowess. Migrating business online on its own is not a cure-all to everything that ails the business community in the existing economic scenario. These digitally-led business do, however, have significantly more advanced tools handy to not only weather the storm, but to emerge stronger on the other side.

To sum it all, Liridon Vrapca shares that COVID-19 has mandated many businesses to organize investor meetings on platforms like Zoom, run marketing and advertising campaigns online, and embrace digital contactless mediums for payment.

(Disclaimer- This is a Brand desk content)
New Delhi: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Monday (May 17, 2021) held a meeting with School Education Secretaries of all states and UTs to discuss the various measures adopted for the management of the education system during COVID-19.

The issue of the CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2021 was also discussed, as per the PTI news agency.

In the video conferencing meeting, Pokhriyal also talked about the different strategies adopted for online and offline learning in schools so far and the way forward.

I met State Education Secretaries to review the #COVID situation, online education, and work around NEP. Education is the top priority and as instructed by the Government of India, a COVID action plan to ensure uninterrupted education is required. pic.twitter.com/O3tx9NWjwY  Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) May 17, 2021

According to the Ministry of Education, this was the biggest meeting held on School Education during the pandemic.

Key points from the meeting:

-- Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank discussed the issue of the pending class 12 board exams. He sought suggestions from states in this regard. Earlier on April 14, the Education Ministry had postponed the CBSE board exam of Class 12 due to the COVID-19 situation in the country. The exams were scheduled to begin from May 4. "To conduct the Board Exams for Class XII, the situation will be reviewed on June 1 by the Board," the Education Ministry said.

-- Pokhriyal said that the Government is committed to ensure the safety and academic welfare of students.

-- Pokhriyal in the meeting stated that despite the pandemic, the Centre and the states, as well as agencies like the National Testing Agency (NTA), have managed to deliver education online as well as conduct public exams such as JEE and NEET-UG.

-- The Education Minister said that their efforts and commitment ensured the continuance of education for 240 million students enrolled in their schools and colleges. "We have been successful in transforming our homes into classrooms in these unprecedented times. We have also set an example of ensuring that no student faced a year loss," he said.

-- Pokhriyal said that the second wave has forced the education institutions to remain close for a longer period. "While we have ensured that students are learning at home through various initiatives, we should focus on the needs of the aspirational districts where there is a digital gap so that we can empower the local bodies, NGOs and the parents and teachers," he added.

-- The Minister emphasized the need to continue the coherent efforts made by the states and UTs in 2020 and underscored the importance of reaching out to the most vulnerable and marginalized children in this pandemic period.

-- Pokhriyal stated that the Department has taken up several initiatives in 2020-21 for facilitating continuous learning during the pandemic. These include -- expansion of DIKSHA under PM eVIDYA; DTH TV channels under the bouquet of SWAYAM PRABHA TV channels; launch of online NISHTHA training for teachers at DIKSHA; Launch of Manodarpan to cater to the socio-emotional and psychological needs of the students, etc.

-- He informed that several other initiatives have also been taken to reach out to children without access to digital education.

-- Union Education Minister underlined the importance of involving various stakeholders for effective implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.

-- Pokhriyal noted all the problems and suggestions made by the States and them for their commendable work in the field of education. He assured them that the Ministry will extend its full support in this difficult time.

Following suggestions were emerged during the meeting:

-- 'Bharat net' to connect all the schools.

-- Provide digital devices to secondary school students.

-- To ensure the mental wellness of students and teachers, the 'Manodarpan' portal needs to be used effectively.

-- Grief session to be arranged at required places.

(With agency inputs)


Uri/North Kashmir: Sipping a cup of coffee at the Line of Control in Uri sector of North Kashmir would have sounded impossible till last year. But after the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in February 2021, the situation has improved a lot.

A coffee shop right at the last forward post of India Army, Kaman Aman Setu, has been established. This coffee shop will be hosting people from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also people from all across the country.

We have opened the coffee shop for everyone visiting the Kaman Post for motivational purposes for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. After taking a selfie at the bridge, people can come and have snacks and they can take home several souvenirs alongwith them. Also, the sixty feet national flag fluttering at the LoC is an attraction for tourists," said Vishal Dev, a Major in the Indian Army.

People living next to the LoC are relieved since the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. The ceasefire violations have completely stopped and people who had to run for shelter every time in the event of shelling  are finally living a normal life. They are thankful that both the countries have reached an agreement. They believe that this coffee shop could brideg the gap between the Army and locals.

"After the division of the two countries, people who were related and or friends became distant. When both the countries worked on improving the relations all the distance was reduced. A coffee shop has been opened and its to help boost the relationship between people and Army. The way Army has won hearts of people here is worth appreciating," said Qazi Ahmad, a local resident .

With peace finally returning to the bordering areas, people are expecting that the trade between the two countries would also resume and hope that poeple from both sides of the border can visit each other, soon.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be interacting with field officials from states and districts to know about their experience in handling the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday (May 18) at 11 am. A statement issued by the Prime Minister`s Office (PMO) said that officials from Karnataka, Bihar, Assam, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi will take part in the meeting.

According to the statement, "Through their interaction with the Prime Minister, the officials will share some best practices, in addition to suggestions and recommendations for continuing our ongoing battle against COVID-19, especially in semi-urban and rural areas." PMO statement said.

It further said, "A better appreciation of such initiatives will help towards developing an effective response plan, targeted strategy implementation and support necessary policy interventions."

Many effective measures have been taken - from ensuring that strict containment measures are undertaken to control the spread, to preparing the healthcare facilities for handling the raging second wave, to ensuring availability of healthcare workforce and a seamless supply chain for logistics, these districts in their relentless efforts to manage the situation also have success stories that could be replicated across the country, the statement added.

Earlier official sources said that in the meeting district magistrates from 46 districts across nine states will participate. The prime minister will have a similar meeting on May 20 in which top officials of 54 districts from 10 states are scheduled to attend, they told PTI.

The PMO statement said that the battle against COVID-19 across various districts and states is being led at the cutting edge by field-level officials.

Notably, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 18.44 crore with 14,79,592 doses given on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The ministry said 6,63,329 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Monday and cumulatively 59,32,704 people across 36 states and UTs since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive.

The 59,32,704 beneficiaries include 9,28,962 from Rajasthan; 8,22,516 from Bihar; 7,07,408 from Delhi; 6,55,673 from Maharashtra; 5,26,988 from Uttar Pradesh; 5,12,445 from Gujarat and 4,99,762 from Haryana. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 18,44,22,218 as per the 8 PM provisional report on May 17, the ministry said.

Among the people who were given 18,44,22,218 doses were 96,58,913 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 66,52,200 who have taken the second dose; 1,44,97,411 Frontline Workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 82,16,750 who have taken the second dose.

As many as 59,32,704 individuals in the 18-44 years age group have taken the first dose. Besides, 5,76,53,924 and 92,39,392 beneficiaries over 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose respectively, while 5,46,60,900 and 1,79,10,024 beneficiaries above 60 years have taken the first and second dose respectively.

The ministry added that vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.

(With Agency Inputs)

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Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday (May 18) extended the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID- 19 till May 30, an official release said.

The ongoing lockdown which began on May 12 was supposed to end by May 22, according to an earlier official communication.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to extend the lockdown in the State up to May 30. The CM spoke with the Ministers over the phone and elicited their opinion. After receiving the opinion of the Cabinet Ministers, the CM has decided to extend the lockdown till 30th May.

The CM instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to issue GO on the extension of the lockdown. And as the Ministers are busy monitoring the Corona curtailment measures and medical services at the field level, the CM has canceled the State Cabinet meeting, which is scheduled on May 20.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 17:03:08|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia on Tuesday kicked off a private COVID-19 vaccination program using Chinese vaccines with a mutual cooperation scheme locally known as "gotong royong" in 19 private manufacturing companies in West Java province.

President Joko Widodo said that through this scheme, companies or legal entities can pay for the COVID-19 vaccines for their employees to get injected for free to help achieve herd immunity.

"We hope herd immunity can be awakened soon, thus the spread of COVID-19 can be stopped in this country," said Widodo while observing the vaccination implementation in the Jababeka Industrial Estate in Cikarang area of West Java province.

The president also hoped that with the vaccination efforts, productivity in the industrial sector would recover soon and the country's economy would improve in the second quarter of this year.

The private inoculation scheme uses vaccines produced by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.

Widodo said he expected the vaccination to cover 70 million people by September this year, with a target of vaccinating 181.5 million people to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rosan Roeslani said 22,736 companies have registered more than 10 million of their employees in the "gotong royong" vaccination program.

"I see that more companies will register. Some have even stated that not only employees but also members of the community around their operations would be given (the vaccine) for free," said Roeslani. Enditem
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday (May 17, 2021) revised the clinical guidance for the management of adult COVID-19 patients and dropped the off-label use of convalescent plasma.

As per the previous advisory, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab (off-label) and Convalescent plasma (Off label) were used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, but now, only Remdesivir and Tocilizumab (off-label) can be used.

The decision has been likely taken as the use of convalescent plasma was not found beneficial in reducing the progression to severe disease or death.

This is to be noted that recently, a meeting of the ICMR-National Task Force for COVID-19 was held wherein all members were reportedly in favour of removing the use of convalescent plasma from the guidelines citing its ineffectiveness and inappropriate use in several cases.

Earlier, according to the ICMR advisory, the convalescent plasma (off-label) was considered only when the following criteria were met: Early moderate disease (preferably within 7 days of symptom onset, no use after 7 days) and availability of high titre donor plasma (Signal to cut-off ratio (S/O) >3.5 or equivalent depending on the test kit being used).

The decision has also come in the backdrop of some clinicians and scientists writing to Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan cautioning against the 'irrational and non-scientific' use of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in India.

The public health professionals claimed that the current guidelines on plasma therapy are not based on existing evidence and pointed out some very early evidence that indicates a possible association between the emergence of variants with lower susceptibility to neutralising antibodies in immunosuppressed people given plasma therapy.

"This raises the possibility of more virulent strains developing due to irrational use of plasma therapy which can fuel the pandemic," it said.

It added, "We are writing to you as concerned clinicians, public health professionals and scientists from India about the irrational and non-scientific use of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in the country."

The letter stated that the current research evidence unanimously indicates that there is no benefit offered by convalescent plasma for treatment of COVID-19. However, it continues to be prescribed rampantly in hospitals across India.

It was also sent to ICMR chief Balram Bhargava and AIIMS Delhi Director Randeep Guleria.

(With agency inputs)
Patna: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought a time-bound investigation into the alleged gang rape of a COVID-19 patient at a private hospital in Patna.

In a statement, the NCW said it is concerned about the crime against women taking place in hospitals during the pandemic.

"Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Chief Secretary, Bihar to look into the matter and to give appropriate directions to the District Police officials and the hospital, it said.

Sharma has also written to the Director General of Police of Bihar to immediately intervene in the matter and register an FIR against the accused.

"The Commission has sought a time-bound investigation and action taken has to be intimated to the Commission at the earliest," the NCW said.

According to media reports, the woman who was admitted at the private hospital in Patna was gang-raped.

The daughter of the woman did not elaborate on the matter before the media. She, however, demanded that her mother get proper treatment and be released from the hospital soon.

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New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday (May 18, 2021) morning said that the 'Cyclone Tauktae' is continuing to show a weakening trend after it wreck havoc in coastal states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The IMD informed that the very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae lay centered over Saurashtra at 4:30 AM on Tuesday, about 85 km north-north0east of Due and 20 km south of Amreli (Gujarat).

"The Cyclone continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening," the weather department stated.

THE VSCS TAUKTAE LAY CENTRED AT 0430 HRS IST OF 18TH MAY 2021 OVER SAURASHTRA, NEAR LAT. 21.40N AND LONG. 71.20E, ABOUT 85 KM NORTH-NORTHEAST OF DIU AND 20 KM SOUTH OF AMRELI. THE CYCLONE CONTINUES TO SHOW WEAKENING TREND. EYE IS DISORGANISING, WALL CLOUD IS WEAKENING. pic.twitter.com/GaT7a7xk5X  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2021

As per IMD at around 5:30 AM, Cyclone Tauktae moved north-northeast wards with a speed of 11 kmph in the past six hours.

THE VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM TAUKTAE MOVED NORTH-NORTHEAST WARDS WITH A SPEED OF 11 KMPH DURING PAST 06 HOURS.  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2021

At 2 AM, the IMD said that land interaction disorganized the eye and eyewall cloud structure.

Cyclone Tauktae left a trail of destruction and damaged structures, electricity lines, and uprooted trees as it moved over Maharashtra and Gujarat. It unleashed devastating winds that reached speeds up to 190 kilometres per hour as the storm made landfall in Gujarat on Monday night.



(Photo: ANI)

The road between Gujarat's Somnath district and the Union Territory of Diu (Daman & Diu) which was blocked due to fallen trees, has been cleared by the Army personnel for movement of vehicles.

The NDRF also came to rescue and cleared the road of fallen trees and branches in several districts.

The Indian Navy also rescued 132 people out of over 400 onboard two barges off the Mumbai coast in challenging sea conditions on Monday night. Two barges with 410 persons on board have gone adrift off the Mumbai coast as Tauktae had intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea.

In a tweet by the official spokesperson of the Indian Navy, it said, "60 persons rescued so far, including 18 by offshore support vessel Energy Star in extremely challenging sea conditions. Search and rescue operations will continue through the night."

#CycloneTauktae#Update

Search & Rescue Ops Barge P305 continued through the night by #INSKochi & #INSKolkata. Offshore Support Vessel Energy Star & Great Ship Ahalya have joined the effort.

132 personnel rescued so far in extremely challenging circumstances.@DefenceMinIndia https://t.co/9fbs7g8STl  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 18, 2021

(Photo: ANI)

In Gujarat, over 2 lakh people were evacuated from their homes and moved to safety in view of the most powerful cyclone in more than two decades.

The cyclone has also severely affected the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa and has so far reportedly killed at least 16 people.



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New Delhi: A Kenyan Passenger has been arrested at the IGI Airport, New Delhi by Customs officers.

The passenger had arrived at Terminal-3, IGI Airport, New Delhi by flight no. QR 578 on Monday (May 17). She was traveling from Nairobi to Delhi via Doha and was intercepted by the Customs officers of IGI Airport. She was arrested after she had crossed the green channel and was approaching the exit gate of the international arrival hall. A case of smuggling of off-white color powder/granules suspected to be heroin has been booked on 18.05.2021 against her.

On detailed personal and baggage search of the passenger, off-white color powder/granules suspected to be heroin weighing in total 3000 grams estimated to be valued at Rs. 21,00,00,000/- (Rs. Twenty-One Crore Only) was recovered from the pax, ingeniously concealed at the base of her black color trolley bag.

When the recovered substance was subjected to the drug detection kit, prima facie it appeared to contain heroin. The said recovered heroin has been seized under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985 and Customs Act, 1962 as this was found to be liable for confiscation under both the acts ibid. The said passenger has been placed under arrest in terms of Section 43(b) of NDPS Act, 1985, read with Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.

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New Delhi: Even as the country is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the dirty politics over the crisis continues. BJP today shared a toolkit with the public alleging that the Congress party used it to defame the government. However, Congress has termed this toolkit as fake and has demanded the Delhi Police Commissioner to register an FIR against BJP President JP Nadda and Sambit Patra.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Tuesday (May 18) explained the toolkit to defame PM Modi on world fora over the governments handling of the COVID pandemic.

Zee News does not confirm the veracity of this tool kit.

Just like the toolkit used during the Red Fort violence on January 26, a new toolkit has surfaced which aims to attack the government during the Corona crisis.

Key points mentioned in the toolkit:

1. It says that the Kumbh Mela held in Haridwar should be portrayed as a COVID Super Spreader. It also mentioned that the celebration of Eid should not be associated with the pandemic.

2. International media should be used against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

3. The COVID crisis should be used to tarnish the image of PM Modi.

4. The word Indian Strain should be used for the new strain of the coronavirus. This is to discredit India worldwide.

5. Using photographs of burning pyres of people who lost their lives so that a negative image of India can be created all over the world.

6. PM Cares Fund should be targeted with the help of certain intellectuals.

7. Central Vista Project should be described as the personal home of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confuse people so that they criticize him.

8. Targeting Gujarat - The tool kit aims to spread the misinformation that the PM is giving priority to his home state Gujarat during the pandemic over other states.

In this tool kit provided by the BJP, it is alleged that Congress has created a roadmap to create a false image of India and the Government of India and till now everything was happening on this basis.

Notably, these things mentioned in the tool kit have actually happened in the country.

As we said, we do not confirm these allegations made by BJP, but demand that these documents must be investigated.

If the allegations are true, it raises serious questions on the role of Congress at a time of national crisis.

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Allahabad/Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has said that the entire medical system in villages and small cities of Uttar Pradesh is at God's mercy ("Ram bharose"). The court made this observation on Monday while hearing a PIL over the surge in coronavirus cases and the condition of quarantine centres in the state.

A High Court Bench comprising Justices Siddharth Verma and Ajit Kumar made the observation while taking into account the death of Santosh Kumar (64), who was admitted to an isolation ward at a Meerut hospital.

Citing a probe report, the PIL said that the doctors there failed to identify him and disposed of the body as unidentified. Santosh had fainted at a hospital bathroom on April 22 and efforts were made to revive him but he died.

A PTI report said that the hospital staff failed to identify the dead and could not locate his file, therefore, it was taken as a case of an unidentified body. The probe report said that the body was packed in a bag and was disposed of.

If this is the state of affairs at a medical college in a city like Meerut, then the entire medical system of the state pertaining to smaller cities and villages can only be taken to be like a famous Hindi saying, ''Ram bharose", said the High Court on Monday, while observing COVID-19 situation.

"If doctors and paramedical staff adopt such casual approach and show carelessness in the performance of their duty, then it is a case of serious misconduct because it is something like playing with lives of innocent people. The state needs to take stern action against those responsible," the court was quoted as saying.

Upon perusal of the report submitted by district magistrates of five districts, the High Court said, "We have no hesitation in observing that health infrastructure is absolutely insufficient in city areas to meet the requirement of the city population and in the rural areas the community health centres are virtually lacking in respect of life-saving gadgets."

The state government was directed to provide sufficient health care infrastructure in compliance with its direction issued earlier. It also directed that every nursing home/ hospital, which has more than 20 beds, should have at least 40 per cent of their beds as intensive care units.

It further said that every nursing home and hospital, which has more than 30 beds, should compulsorily have an oxygen production plant.

The court fixed May 22 as the next date of hearing and suggested that every second and third-tier town of Uttar Pradesh should be provided with at least 20 ambulances and every village should be provided with at least two ambulances having intensive care unit facilities.

On the issue of coronavirus vaccination, the HC suggested that big business houses that take benefits under taxation laws by donating to various religious organisations may be asked to divert their funds for vaccines.

According to a government bulletin on Monday, Uttar Pradesh reported 285 coronavirus deaths as 9,391 fresh COVID-19 cases surfaced, taking the state's infection tally to 16,28,990. So far, 17,817 people have died from the infection in the state.

Of the fresh deaths, 22 were reported from Lucknow, followed by 21 in Kanpur. Eleven deaths each were reported from Ghaziabad and Saharanpur and nine each from Lakhimpur Kheri and Etawah, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the highest 542 infection cases surfaced in Gorakhpur, followed by 517 in Lucknow, 458 in Saharanpur, 457 in Gautam Buddh Nagar and 452 in Meerut. Till now, 14,62,141 people have recovered from the virus with 23,045 recoveries in the past 24 hours.

The bulletin said that the count of active cases in the state stands at 1,49,032.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi: India will take part in the Global Health Summit which is being co-hosted by Italy as the Chair of the G20 group and the European Commission this year.

India will be represented by its Sherpa for G20 Suresh Prabhu at the meet that will take place on Friday, 21st May.

The key outcome of the Global health meet will be the "Rome Declaration" which will focus on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year G20 grouping had announced a number of coordinated measures to deal with the pandemic, including the economic fallout.

Ahead of the summit, Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi said that the summit "will provide a timely opportunity to share the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will discuss how to improve health security, strengthen our health systems and enhance our ability to deal with future crises in a spirit of solidarity."

The summit will see the participation of all G20 member countries and 3 guest countries -Singapore, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Other than that, international and regional organizations such as the UN, WHO, IMF, OECD, AU, ASEAN, WTO, FAO, GAVI, Global Fund will be part of the summit.

Members from New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will also participate.
Kolkata: Two of the TMC leaders arrested in connection with the Narada case - MLA Madan Mitra and former minister Sovan Chatterjee  were hospitalised on Tuesday (May 18) after they complained of breathlessness.

They were admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital where they have been kept on oxygen support.

This comes a day after they were arrested by the CBI along with two state ministers - Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee.

Chatterjee and Mitra complained of breathlessness at around 3 am, following which they were brought to the hospital. Both have been kept on oxygen support at the Woodburn Ward of the SSKM Hospital. They are stable now, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.

All four leaders were taken to Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata late on Monday night.

Mukherjee, who fell sick in the correctional home, was also taken to the hospital for a check-up early on Tuesday.

He was taken back to jail after the check-up. The official said the minister did not want to get admitted to the hospital.

On Monday, a special CBI court granted bail to all four leaders, however, the bail was stayed by the Calcutta High Court after the CBI challenged the order.

A division bench said that they shall be treated to be in "judicial custody till further orders".

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, other TMC leaders and supporters had staged a protest at the CBI office in Kolkata following the arrest of the four.

TMC party supporters raised slogans against the BJP- led NDA government, and hurled stones and bricks at security personnel outside Nizam Palace, which houses the CBI office here, protesting the arrests.

The TMC has accused the BJP of witch-hunt saying that they are protecting their own party leaders allegedly involved in the case such as Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy.

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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 18) declined to direct an expeditious decision on the bail plea of businessman Navneet Kalra, arrested in connection with alleged black marketing of oxygen concentrators, saying "let the law take its own course".

Justice Subramonium Prasad also declined to interfere with the observations made by a session court while dismissing Kalra's anticipatory bail plea, saying the Supreme Court has already laid down the law with regard to observations made by courts and their reporting by media organizations.

The high court declined to grant the reliefs sought on behalf of Kalra, represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, saying that he had moved an anticipatory bail plea which has become infructuous due to his arrest, and therefore, nothing remains in the matter.

Pahwa had made two oral prayers, at the start of hearing on Tuesday, that directions be issued to the trial court concerned to decide his client's bail plea expeditiously and secondly, to expunge the observations made against Kalra by the sessions court as due to his arrest he can no longer challenge the order denying him anticipatory bail.

A Delhi court on Monday remanded Kalra to three days of police custody, saying his custodial interrogation is required in connection with alleged black marketing and hoarding of oxygen concentrators amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He was apprehended from Gurugram on Sunday night and was formally arrested on Monday. He was on the run for over a week since the seizure of 524 oxygen concentrators from Khan Chacha, Town Hall, and Nege & Ju restaurants owned by him.

He was apprehended two days after the high court on May 14 declined to grant him any interim protection from arrest while his plea for anticipatory bail was pending before it.

While the sessions court denied him anticipatory bail on May 13, a magisterial court on the same day granted bail to an arrested employee of upscale restaurant Town Hall, owned by Kalra, in connection with the case.

Four employees of Matrix Cellular company, including its CEO and vice president, who were also arrested in the case are also out on bail. Kalra had bought the concentrators from Matrix Cellular which had imported them.

On May 5, a case was registered against Kalra under Section 420 (cheating), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR also registered under the Essential Commodities Act and Epidemic Diseases Act, for black marketing of oxygen cylinders prescribes maximum punishment for seven years.



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New Delhi: As Cyclone Tauktae leaves behind a trail of destruction in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Gujarat and Diu on May 19 so to take stock of the situation there, sources told Zee News.

PM Modi will conduct an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad, and Mahuva and will also hold a review meeting in Ahmedabad later, news agency ANI confirmed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Diu tomorrow, to review the situation & damage due to #CycloneTauktae. He will conduct an aerial survey of areas such as Una, Diu, Jafarabad, and Mahuva. He will also hold a review meeting in Ahmedabad later. pic.twitter.com/sYH9MRIAk2  ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

Cyclone Tauktae  made landfall in Gujarat at around 8.30 pm on Monday and it is the biggest storm to hit Gujarat in decades with wind speed of 155-165 kilometres per hour, gusting to 190 km/hour.

"Cyclonic Storm Tauktae is over the Gujarat region. It is about 120 km south-southeast of Deesa, and 35 km west of Ahmedabad and 80 km east-northeast of Surendranagar. It is likely to weaken into a deep depression within three hours," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani claimed over 16,000 houses were damaged, and more than 40,000 trees and over 1,000 poles uprooted in the storm.

At least 13 people died due to accidents under the impact of the cyclone in Gujarat as the storm battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction in its wake uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 17:04:00|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Tuesday announced the Supreme Court's verdict on the Port City Economic Commission Bill to the Parliament.

According to the Supreme Court, the bill requires amendments to bring it further in line with the Sri Lankan constitution. The unamended version of the bill can be passed with a special majority, but with amendments to key clauses a simple majority would suffice, the verdict said.

The Port City Economic Commission Bill was tabled in the Parliament on April 8, after which 19 petitions were filed in the Supreme Court. Following the Supreme Court's verdict on these petitions, a parliament debate will be held on May 19 and 20, local media reported.

The Port City Colombo is a joint venture between Sri Lanka and China to develop a world-class city out of 269 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea and annexed to Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo. The bill seeks to establish a special commission that will govern the city as a services-oriented Special Economic Zone. Enditem
Dehradun: The portals of the Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand opened on Tuesday (May 18) at 4.15 am with a religious ceremony. Only a select few people attended the temple's opening ceremony in view of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reiterating public health as the state's priority, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat tweeted, "Safety of public health is our priority. I pray for the health of the people of Lord Badri Vishal."

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 'Char Dham Yatra' has been temporarily postponed. I request all of you to perform prayers at your homes, Uttarakhand CM added.

Earlier on Monday, the portals of Kedarnath opened after a six-month winter break with the first puja being held by priests on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to officials.

It is for the second consecutive year that COVID has cast a shadow on the pilgrimage to the temple, which has been kept out of bounds for pilgrims, in view of rising coronavirus cases.

A Chardham Devasthanam Board official told PTI said the first puja was held by priests on behalf of the prime minister as the gates of the famous Himalayan temple were opened at 5 am.

A limited number of temple priests, including Rawal Bhim Shankar Ling and Chief Priest Bagesh Ling, and officials of the administration and Devasthanam Board reportedly attended the ceremony.

Expressing happiness at the opening of the temple, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat prayed for the welfare and good health of the people. The yatra to the temple is temporarily suspended for the sake of people's safety, Rawat said, asking people to have virtual "darshan" of Baba Kedar and perform puja at home.

Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj stated that Chardham Yatra will be started soon after the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

Notably, Yamunotri and Gangotri temples were earlier opened on May 14 and May 15 respectively. No pilgrims will be allowed to visit any of these temples till further orders in view of the COVID surge.

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New Delhi: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is distraught at the Australian government's order to ban Sikhs' religious symbol 'kirpan' at government schools in the New South Wales region.

SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur termed the decision announced by Australia's Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell to ban wearing of 'kirpan' by Sikh children in schools as 'unfortunate and against religious freedom'.

The SGPC has urged the Indian government and the Indian Ambassador to Australia to take up the matter with Australian government and make efforts to revoke this decision. SGPC stated that will write letters to the governments of India and Australia in this regard, soon.

Kaur said, The government there should have taken proper advice from the representative bodies of the Sikh community before deciding to ban the 'kirpan'. It is one of the five kakaars (symbols of faith) of Sikhism. For an Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh, 'Kirpan' is an integral part of his body. It has been worn by Sikhs for over 300 years.

She said it is believed that the education minister had an online meeting with two members of the Sikh community wherein she informed them about the ban. However, no discussion had been held with the Sikh community before the decision was taken.

Kaur said, The kirpan is not a knife or a dagger but for the Sikhs it is a symbol of faith with deep meaning and purpose. And this decision of ban on kirpan has deeply hurt the minds of the Sikh community at home and abroad and is being widely opposed.

As per the information, the ban on 'kirpan' in public schools in New South Wales will come into effect from May 19, Wednesday. The ban was imposed following an incident at a Sydney school on May 6, 2021, when a 14-year-old Sikh student who had been bullied used his kirpan and ended up injured another student.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Medical and Health Department officials have been directed to set up 48 Oxygen generation plants in the government hospitals which will produce 324 Metric Tonnes of Oxygen required for the COVID-19 patients in the State and also to ensure that there would not be any shortage of the Oxygen in future.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao on Monday (May 17) at his camp office.

The CM also instructed the officials to set up an additional plant to produce 100 MT of the liquid Oxygen in Hyderabad.

It was also decided to set up 6 Units of 16 MT plants, 15 units of 8 MT plants, 27 units of 4 MT plants s in Hyderabad government area hospitals.

Accordingly, the oxygen producers were told to hand over 11 tankers with each having the capacity of 20 Tonnes within 10 days.

As on Monday, there are 6926 beds vacant in the government hospitals in Telangana. Of these, 2253 Oxygen beds, 533 ICU beds are 533 and 4140 general beds.

I urge the people to take advantage of treatment provided in the government hospitals where there is availability of supply of Oxygen, beds, medicines and other facilities for free instead of going to the private hospitals and spending huge amounts of money. Since the treatment is one and the same in private and government hospitals, people should prefer the government hospitals,'' the CM said.

The CM also instructed the officials to make arrangements for equipment and the required medicines in ENT Hospital in Koti, Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad, medical college hospitals in the districts to treat the Black Fungal disease that is spreading for the COVID-19 treated patients.

For this, the CM said, if need be, 25 Microdebrider machines, HD Endoscopic cameras be purchased immediately.

The officials informed that the state had received 57,30,220 doses of vaccine only. And as on date there is a stock of 1,86,780 doses of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines in the state. Of this 58230 are Covaxin and 1, 28, 550 are Covishield vaccines.

A decision to set up new medical colleges along with nursing colleges in Sangareddy, Jagtial, Kothagudem, Wanaparthy, Mancherial, and Mahabubabad has also been taken.

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Lucknow: The Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is all set to accelerate its vaccination drive with greater availability of Covid vaccines in the state soon. Health Department has halved the global tender earnest money deposit amount and also announced major relaxations in its terms and conditions in order to widen the scope of suppliers joining to increase the supply of vaccines in UP, which is already number one in the country in terms of vaccination doses to its citizen.

The decision has been taken to increase the pace of vaccination in UP. It will allow several global vaccine companies, including Pfizer and Moderna among others, to participate and provide vaccines for UP, increasing the availability of vaccines in the state.

The decision of the Yogi government will also give more options to the people to choose their preferred vaccine. It is worth mentioning here that the Yogi government issued a global tender to purchase Covid-19 vaccines on May 7 in order to enhance its availability in the state and carry out the vaccination drive on a war footing.

The state government had earlier fixed the Earnest money amount for the global tender at Rs 16 crore. Terms and conditions were also fixed regarding the temperature and storage of the vaccine in the tender.

A pre-bid meeting with representatives of the vaccine manufacturers to discuss the tender process was held on May 12. Representatives of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech attended the meeting.

After discussions with representatives of the companies, the government announced many relaxations in the terms and conditions of the global tender.

The government plans to involve more companies in the tender in order to increase the supply of vaccines in the state, speed up vaccination and provide more vaccine options to the people.

The government has reduced the tender amount of global tender from Rs 16 crore to Rs 8 crore. The condition of vaccine storage at 2 to 8 degree Celsius temperature has also been relaxed. Thus, manufacturers of vaccines that can be stored at temperatures ranging from -20 to -80 degrees Celsius will also be able to participate in the tender.

This has cleared the way for companies such as Pfizer and Moderna to join the tender. Companies will have to safely transport Covid-19 vaccines to the government warehouse. Companies will also have to make arrangements for the storage of vaccines at -20 to -80 degrees Celsius.

The Centres nod a must for companies from neighbouring countries including China. Companies from neighboring countries, including China, will have to get the approval of the Central government to join the global tender for the Covid-19 vaccine.

It is noteworthy that on July 23, 2020, the Ministry of Finance had made the rules for the supply of Covid vaccines from neighboring countries. Companies would be required to register with the prescribed authority of the Central government for vaccine supply.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (May 18, 2021) interacted with the district officials of several states and told them that they are like the field commanders in the fight against COVID-19.

During a virtual conference amid the second wave of coronavirus in India, the Prime Minister said, "You all are playing a very important role in the battle against Corona. In a way, you are the field commanders of this battle."

                      field commander : PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 18, 2021

PM Modi said that during the first wave, India didn't shut the farming sector and expressed that he was astonished to see how villagers were maintaining social distancing in the fields.

"Villages grasp the information and modify it according to their needs. This is the strength of villages," he noted.

Prime Minister Modi said that in the battle against this virus, India's weapons are local containment zone, aggressive testing and sending correct and complete information to the people.

Interacting with District Officials on the COVID-19 situation. https://t.co/Yy4w15sZYB  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 18, 2021

He also talked about the declining trend in COVID-19 cases in the past few days and said that everyone needs to be alert.

"I have been requesting in the meetings which were held in last one year that our fight is to save every single life," PM Modi said.

Officials from Karnataka, Bihar, Assam, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, MP, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi took part in the meeting.

Meanwhile, India saw a dip in COVID-19 cases, but the fatalities rose in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry's data showed on Tuesday morning. There were 2,63,533 new infections, alongside 4,329 coronavirus-related casualties, which notably is India's highest single-day rise in COVID-19 deaths.

The country's total caseload has now increased to 2,52,28,996, while the death toll has soared to 2,78,719.

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New Delhi: Cyclone Tauktae on Monday (May 17, 2021) left a trail of destruction and damaged several structures, electricity lines, and uprooted trees in Maharashtra as it moved over the coastal state.

The gusty winds had reached the speed of over 114 kmph and heavy showers lashed the state's capital Mumbai and its neighbouring areas as the 'very severe cyclonic storm' passed close to the coast while moving towards Gujarat.

As per the latest reports, at least two persons are feared drowned in the rough sea in two separate incidents in Mumbai.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated that during the day, 479 complaints of falling of trees and branches were received from across Mumbai. Of these, 245 complaints were received from Western suburbs, followed by 156 from the Island city and 78 from the Eastern suburbs.

The civic body also informed that its automatic weather stations recorded an average of 105.44 mm rainfall in the island city till 5 pm, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 61.13 mm and 114.78 mm rainfall, respectively.

The Mumbai Met department recorded 189 mm rainfall at Colaba observatory while rainfall of 194 mm was recorded at Santacruz till 5.30 pm.

What we're experiencing in Mumbai cannot be explained in words!!! #CycloneTauktae pic.twitter.com/XIjiBXIKYH  Priti Gandhi -   (@MrsGandhi) May 17, 2021

The civic H-East ward in the western suburbs received the highest 242 mm rainfall during the day. Chincholi area in Malad and K-East ward that includes Marol and Andheri East areas recorded 236 mm and 231 mm rainfall, respectively.

The Bandra-Worli sea link was also closed for traffic in view of the strong winds and people were asked to take alternate routes.

According to civic officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Navy were on alert as Cyclone Tauktae intensified to a very severe cyclonic storm and was passing close to Mumbai.

Six flood rescue teams of the Mumbai fire brigade were deployed at chowpatties and five temporary shelters each were kept ready in 24 civic wards of the city to shift citizens there if required.

The Indian Navy confirmed on Tuesday (May 18) morning that they have so far rescued 132 people on board a barge that went adrift in the Arabia Sea near Mumbai, hours before with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour made landfall on the Gujarat coast.

The Navy has deployed the P-8I long-range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft to join the search and rescue operations. Three frontline Navy warships (INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Talwar) were also deployed on Monday after receiving messages to rescue 410 people on board two barges off the Mumbai coast.

Meanwhile, videos and pictures of the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala and Karnataka are being shared on social media platforms.

My thoughts and prayers with the people of Kerala affected by the #CycloneTauktae . This is real climate emergency! Stay Strong! pic.twitter.com/0tSUsOxj8o  Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) May 15, 2021

This is Mahua,Gujarat right now Please pray for Gujarat #CycloneTauktae pic.twitter.com/kgCMaooROR  Sandip Gopani (@sandipGopani_) May 17, 2021

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday morning said that Cyclone Tauktae has weaken into a 'severe cyclonic storm'.

(With agency inputs)


New Delhi: Arjun Kapoor agrees that an actor's career in Bollywood is defined by hits and misses, as it helps in assessing the saleability of the star through the business of their films. However, he points out an actor alone is not the deciding factor for the highs and lows.

"When you are looking at the saleability of an actor you have to assess how the business of his/her film has done. At the same time, I feel if you are a good actor, you are more defined by the performance," Arjun told IANS.

He added: "Sometimes you can be a very good actor and have made wrong choices. You could be the correct actor that attracts people but they are disappointed by the work that you are doing at the moment because an actor alone is not deciding the hits and misses."

Arjun says there are various elements that may or may not work in an actor's favour.

"Actors are sometimes let down by their director, sometimes by the fact that the script eventually did not pan out the way it was imagined and an actor sometimes let a film down by not doing a good job with the material provided to them," he said.

"The definition of an actor for the outsider is of course hits and misses, but within the community I would say there are a lot of other circumstances that come forward," he said.

Arjun's next is "Sardar Ka Grandson", which is set to release on Netflix on May 18.

"Sardar Ka Grandson" is the story of Amreek played by Arjun, who wants to fulfil a wish of his grandmother, essayed by Neena Gupta.
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's name has now become synonymous with controversies -- all thanks to her social media posts. A few days back, the actress shared her thoughts on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. However, her posts hurt netizens and she was massively trolled. Now, she has hit back with yet another eyebrow-raising social media post.

Kangana Ranaut shut her haters with a series of new Instagram stories, defending her Israel-Palestine conflict post. She even wrote: "As you can see the video clearly shows how Israel was formed, no it is not an illegitimate nation they earned it back from the British and when they settled the land with UN interference 6 Muslim nations attacked them, since then with every attack on them they are seizing more and more land...because that's what happens when you win a war... All those crying here and telling me I know nothing.. beta I am the mother of all fathers..aukat mai reh kar baat karna aage se."

For the unversed, commenting on the ongoing Israel-Palestine crisis, the actress put up a few Insta stories, praising Israel's military attack on Gaza and this has hurt several internet users. After her posts went viral, Kangana Ranaut started trending on Twitter and netizens demanded her ban from Instagram.

The current eruption of violence began a month ago in Jerusalem, where the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers ignited protests and clashes with police. A focal point was the Al-Aqsa Mosque, built on a hilltop compound that is revered by Jews and Muslims, where police fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters who threw chairs and stones at them.

Hamas, claiming to be defending Jerusalem, launched a barrage of rockets at the city late Monday, setting off days of fighting, according to PTI.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
New Delhi: On Tuesday (May 18), renowned actress and controversial figure Kangana Ranaut announced that she has tested negative for COVID-19 after testing positive on May 8. She took to Instagram to share the health update with her fans and also wrote about how she is hesitant to share the techniques she used to beat the virus due to 'COVID fan clubs'.

Ranaut wrote that she was told to not offend these 'COVID fan clubs' and hence, refrained from sharing how she recovered from the virus.

The 'Queen' actress also thanked her fans for well wishes and love.

She wrote, "Hello everyone today I tested negative for covid, I want to say a lot about how I beat the virus but I am told not to offend covid fan clubs...Yes there are actually people out there who get offended if you show disrespect towards the virus..Anyway thanks for your wishes and love."

Have a look at her recent post:

The actress recently made headlines when she hit back at trolls with yet another eyebrow-raising social media post.

This was in response to the backlash on her comments on the ongoing Israel-Palestine crisis. A few days ago, she had put up a few Insta stories, praising Israel's military attack on Gaza. After her posts went viral, Kangana Ranaut had started trending on Twitter and netizens had demanded her ban from Instagram.

On the work front, Kangana Ranaut will be seen in Thalaivi - a biopic on the life of legendary actress turned politician J Jayalalithaa.
New Delhi: In the wake of the ongoing pandemic and the cyclone Tauktae, several celebrities took to social media to urge people to stay indoors with quirky posts on social media to create awareness as well as entertain the audience.

Maniesh Paul shared a funny before and after post asking everyone to stay at home. Sharing a picture of himself in a well-groomed fashion as when home and an unkept messy avatar post stepping out, Maniesh said, "Hahahahahahahaha Guys stay home....stay safe...Lets see what comments you have for my hair... #mp #fun #hair #fun #mess #blessed #life #themanieshpaulpodcast".

The multi-talented artist has been using his social media to entertain the netizens with informative posts creating awareness about the pandemic and urging everyone to follow safety protocols.

Maniesh Paul recently launched his podcast - 'The Maniesh Paul Podcast' engaging in a conversation with a renowned Covid doctor from Bombay Hospital clearing several basic concepts around the virus.

The actor also penned an emotional poem depicting the fears engulfing the nation with the rising cases of COVID-19.

Announcing the second episode to release soon, Maniesh Paul recently intrigued the audience to witness yet another conversation on his podcast.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 18:25:31|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka surpassed 145,000 on Tuesday after 2,433 more cases were confirmed in the previous day, official statistics from the Health Ministry showed.

According to the latest figures, the total number of COVID-19 patients reached 145,202 out of whom 119,629 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing down the active patient count to 25,573.

Meanwhile, 981 deaths have been reported from the virus, the Health Ministry said.

Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 with the rapid spread of a new variant of the virus which has infected over 30,000 people since May.

Health authorities have urged people to strictly follow all health guidelines as the new variant was now airborne.

Hospitals and Intensive Care Units are filled to the maximum with no beds available while the army said it will urgently put up additional temporary units to treat the incoming patients.

Sri Lankan authorities on Monday announced that an islandwide travel restriction would be imposed on Friday at 11:00 p.m. till May 25 at 4:00 a.m. local time, in order to prevent a further spread of COVID-19.

Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19, General Shavendra Silva told Xinhua that once the islandwide travel restriction, which will be similar to a curfew, is lifted on the morning of May 25, it will be imposed once again at 11:00 p.m. on that day till 4:00 a.m. on May 28. Enditem
New Delhi: Billionaire philanthropist couple Bill and Melinda Gates announced divorce on May 4 this year, sending shock waves across the globe. Ending their 27 years of marriage, the power couple in a joint statement posted on Twitter said: After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.

"We can grow together as a couple', but will continue to work together at their foundation that has an endowment of about USD 50 billion", they added. Ever since their separation, rumours of a troubled marriage and allegations claiming Bill Gates's 'affairs' at work have hit headlines. Also, another interesting angle related to the sexual offender and philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein's close connections with Gates has surfaced.

BILL GATES AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN CONNECTION:

Several international leading dailies such as The New York Times, Business Insider, The Guardian among others have been unravelling stories about Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates' marriage troubles. According to The Wall Street Journal report, Melinda wasn't really happy about Bill Gates's meetings with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The report states that Melinda didn't approve of Bill's dealings with Jeffrey according to the people and a former employee of their charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And her concerns about the relationship dated back to 2013, the former employee told The Wall Street Journal.

For the unversed, Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, was found dead in jail, while awaiting trial on federal charges related to sex trafficking.

The New York Times report further reveals that Melinda was meeting her lawyers in 2019 coincided exactly at the same time when Bill met Epstein, including an overnight stay at latter's New York mansion.

Melinda reportedly had warned Bill about his association with a sex offender. However, Bill's spokesperson in 2019 told the Wall Street Journal: I met him (Jeffrey Epstein). I didnt have any business relationship or friendship with him. I didnt go to New Mexico or Florida or Palm Beach or any of that. There were people around him who were saying, Hey, if you want to raise money for global health and get more philanthropy, he knows a lot of rich people'. Every meeting where I was with him were meetings with men. I was never at any parties or anything like that. He never donated any money to anything that I know about.

WHO IS JEFFREY EPSTEIN?

Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and socialite. However in 2005, charges of sexually exploiting a 14-year-old girl surfaced against him and later in 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted by a Florida state court of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He reportedly served 13 months in custody. He was found dead in his jail cell on August 10, 2019, under suspicious circumstances.

BILL GATES AND HIS AFFAIRS:

Microsoft conducted a probe into co-founder Bill Gates` involvement with an employee almost 20 years ago after it was told in 2019 that he had tried to start a romantic relationship with the person, the company said on Monday. According to Reuters, "a committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided extensive support to the employee who raised the concern," the statement said.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Microsoft`s board had decided that Gates` involvement with the female employee was inappropriate and he needed to step down in 2020, citing people familiar with the matter. The Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on whether the board had decided Gates should go.

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, a spokesman for Gates said his decision to leave the board of Microsoft had nothing to do with his involvement with an employee. "There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. Bill`s decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter," the statement said.

"In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier." A spokesman for the Gates Foundation told Reuters it stood by the statement to the paper.

The billionaire, who co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and served as its CEO until 2000, said in March 2020 that he was stepping down from the board to focus more on philanthropy.
New Delhi: There is nothing else that gives her more pleasure than work, says veteran actor Neena Gupta, who is growing strength to strength in her career spanning almost four decades.

In the last few years, Gupta has become one of the go-to senior performers when it comes to 'unique' characters in films like "Badhaai Ho!", as well as web series "Panchayat" and "Masaba Masaba".

Her latest release "Sardar Ka Grandson", in which she plays Sardar, the 90-year-old grumpy matriarch who wishes to see her home in Lahore one last time, is the latest addition to that list.

"When you are young, you get all sorts of roles. When I heard the story, I loved it. I was jumping. Sometimes when somebody is narrating, you start visualizing it. Also, you don't get a role like this, it is very rare that you get a role like this to play at my age," the National School of Drama graduate told PTI about "Sardar Ka Grandson", which released on Netflix Tuesday.

"I am hungry for good scripts and roles. After many days I got a good offer so I thought let's eat this one," she quipped.

Reflecting on her life and career, the 62-year-old actor said during her heyday she would work round-the-clock and chose to slow down to enjoy her marital life with Delhi-based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra, only to realise that she loves what she does.

"I worked so much in my life. I had a child to look after that I had no time for myself. So when I got married, I said okay, now I will not work and enjoy family life because I have never enjoyed (it). I was always working... There was no enjoyment," she said.

"But then I realised that my enjoyment is my work. There is nothing else that gives me pleasure than my work. I am a good housewife too, I can cook, can polish shoes, etc. But my work gives me more pleasure and that's why I will work," Gupta added.

The actor, who is currently in Mukteshwar, said she is looking forward to doing good work.

Next up for her is "Goodbye", also starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna, followed by the sophomore season of "Masaba Masaba" (Netflix) and "Panchayat" (Amazon Prime Video), and "Dial 100", a film alongside Manoj Bajpayee and Sakshi Tanwar.

Gupta said she has also finished writing her book.

Directed by debutante Kaashvie Nair, "Sardar Ka Grandson" also stars Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Soni Razdan, Kumud Mishra, Kanwaljit Singh, and Divya Seth.
Puducherry: Renowned Tamil writer, novelist, and recipient of Sahitya Akademi award K Rajanarayan, popularly known as Ki Ra died on Monday (May 17), family sources said.

He was 98 and is survived by two sons. Rajanarayanan was ailing from age-related health conditions for some time and breathed his last at the government quarters here Monday night. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday visited the writer's residence and paid her last respects to him.

Later, she told reporters that a representation was made by Tamil writers that the house where Ki Ra lived be converted into a memorial library.

"This request would be considered," she said.

Rajanarayanan served as Professor of Folklore Department at Pondicherry University in the 1980s. He was an eminent writer of short stories, novels, folklores, and essays.

He won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1991 for his novel 'Gopallapurathu Makkal'. He was known for the depiction of the people and culture of 'Karisal bhoomi'-- the hot and dry land of southern Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the veteran's death and said the final rites of Ki Ra, a native of the neighbouring state, will be held with state honours.

The DMK leader paid rich tributes to the writer and said his demise has put a "full stop to Karisal literature."

Ki Ra was born in Idaiseval village near Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district in 1923.

"We have lost the greatest storyteller of Tamil... His fame will live in our hearts till the time of this land and the Karisal literature," Stalin said in a statement in Chennai.

Rajanarayanan has not died but continues to live through his words, he said, and expressed his sympathies with the family of the author and others.

Stalin further said that the last rites of the writer will be held with state honours.

AIADMK joint coordinator K Palaniswami, PMK founder Ramadoss, and MDMK supremo and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko also condoled Rajanarayanan's death.
New Delhi: The official Twitter account of the Collector and District Magistrate of Ganjam, Odisha, on Monday responded to a tweet by actor Sonu Sood where he claims he has arranged for a bed at Ganjam City Hospital in Brahmapur for a patient.

"We don't received any communication from @SoodFoundation or @SonuSood. Requested patient is in Home isolation and stable. No bed issues @BrahmapurCorp is monitoring it. @CMO_Odisha," the official Twitter account of the Collector and District Magistrate of Ganjam, tweeted on Monday tagging the Twitter handle of the Office of the Chief Minister of Odisha.

We dont received any communication from @SoodFoundation or @SonuSood . Requested patient is in Home isolation and stable. No bed issues @BrahmapurCorp is monitoring it. @CMO_Odisha pic.twitter.com/oDeSrzpE3t  Collector & District Magistrate, Ganjam (@Ganjam_Admin) May 17, 2021

The tweet comes in response to Sonu Sood's tweet posted on May 15, which reads: "Not to worry. Bed has been arranged at Ganjam City Hospital, Berhampur (DCHC) @SoodFoundation."

The tweet in response to which Sonu wrote this, has been deleted.

However, reacting to the District Magistrate's tweet on Monday, Sonu shared screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation saying he has arranged for the bed because the patient' family approached him for help.

Sonu tweeted on Monday: "Sir, We never claimed that we approached you, it's the needy who approached us and we arranged the bed for him, attached are the chats for your reference. Ur office is doing a great job & u can double check that we had helped him too. Have DM you his contact details. Jai hind."
New Delhi: Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO) has hiked the death insurance benefits for employees deposit-linked insurance (EDLI) scheme beneficiaries, amidst the onslaught of the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The retirement fund body has hiked the minimum death insurance benefit to Rs 2.5 lakh while the maximum benefits have been raised to Rs 7 lakh from the previous limits of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 6 lakh respectively.

In a gazette notification, EPFO has said that the benefit payable under EDLI Scheme shall be extended to such beneficiaries where the deceased employee was a member of the Fund or a provident fund exempted under Section 17 of the EPF & MP Act aid was in employment for a continuous period of 12 months preceding the month in which he died, irrespective of change of establishment during the said period.

Under paragraph 28(4) of EDLI Scheme, the power to grant exemption to a Class of employees from the provisions of the scheme has been delegated to ACC (Zone), the EPFO notification further added.

The monetary fie payable under paragraph 29 of EDLI Scheme has been enhanced to Rs.25,000.

The provisions as mentioned above shall remain in force for a period of three years from their date of publication in the Official Gazette, EPFO said.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 14 released the eighth instalment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Friday via video-conferencing.

PM Modi released over Rs 20,000 crore to more than 9.5 crore farmer beneficiaries under PM-KISAN scheme.

However, there could be some farmers who have not got the beneficiary amount into their account.

You can now check your name via PM KISAN website and also using the mobile App. Meanwhile, for a better and hassle free access, government has issued a series of hotline numbers, using which you can lodge your grievances.

Lodge your grievances here if your name is missing

If you were the beneficiary of previous instalment of PM KISAN, but your name is missing this time, you can lodge your grievances on the helpline number 011-24300606.

Additionally, you can also lodge your grievances at the following numbers

PM KISAN Toll free number: 18001155266

PM KISAN Helpline number: 155261

PM KISAN landline numbers 01123381092, 23382401

Additional PM KISAN helpline number: 0120-6025109

PM KISAN email id: pmkisan-ict@gov.in

How to check your name via PM KISAN website

Log on to pmkisan.gov.in website

On the right hand side, you will see Farmers Corner

Click Farmers Corner

Now from the option, click Beneficiary Status

You will have to furnish a few details like your Aadhaar number, bank account and your mobile number to see your status

After you complete the above procedure, you will find your name if it is there in the list

How to check your name in PM KISAN via mobile App

To check your name via Mobile App, you will have to first download PM KISAN Mobile App. Once you have downloaded the App, you will have access to all the details.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions.

In a financial year, PM KISAN installment is credited thrice through --Period 1 from April-July; Period 2 from August to November; and Period 3 from December to March.

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Google is set to start its Google I/O event at 10.30 pm on May 18. It will happen virtually this year, thanks to the ruckus created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The technology giant is expected to make important announcements like Wear OS, Android 12, and more.

Heres how you watch the event live:

Google I/O 2021: When is the event going to happen?

The Google I/O event will start on May 18 and will end on May 20. The 3-day event has been scheduled for 10:30 pm India time.

Heres how to watch Google I/O 2021?

Users can live stream the Google event on Google itself and other social media channels of Google.

Developers will also be able to register the event to the Google I/O website and then they can watch live sessions as well as attend virtual workshops. This annual conference will have dedicated sessions on various topics ranging from Android and Google Play to ARCore and smart home.

Heres what to expect from Google I/O 2021?

Google has not officially revealed what it is going to launch at that event. It is expected to unveil Wear OS, Android 12 and Google Pixel A.

Besides that, a leak from Google had also revealed that true wireless headphones Pixel Buds A-Series are also in the works, and it is likely that the company would officially announce them at the Google I/O event.

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New York: A 193-member U.N. General Assembly vote on Tuesday (May 18) on a draft resolution calling "for an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions" to Myanmar has been postponed, diplomats said.

A spokesman for the U.N. General Assembly president said earlier on Monday (May 17) that the body was due to vote on Tuesday (May 18).

It was not immediately known when a vote would be rescheduled. Some diplomats said it had been delayed in a bid to win more support.

The draft resolution calls on the Myanmar military - which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup - to end a state of emergency, stop all violence against peaceful protesters and respect the will of the people as expressed in the results of a November election.

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but carry political weight. Unlike the 15-member Security Council, no country has veto power in the General Assembly.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the army ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi`s elected government and detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party. The U.N. draft text calls for their release.

The military, which has set up a ruling junta of generals, complained of fraud in the November election that returned Suu Kyi to power. The election commission said the vote was fair.

The draft General Assembly resolution "calls upon the Myanmar armed forces to immediately stop all violence against peaceful demonstrators, members of civil society, women, youth, as well as children and others."

At least 788 people have been killed by the junta`s security forces in crackdowns on protests against its rule, according to an advocacy group.

The military, which disputes that number, imposes tight restrictions on media, information and the internet. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers.

The U.N. text also urges the army to stop "attacks on, harassment of and restrictions on medical personnel, human rights defenders, labor union members, journalists and media workers ... and restrictions on the internet and social media".

If adopted, the draft resolution would urge the military to allow a visit by the U.N. special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, and implement a plan by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end the crisis.

The United States, Britain and Canada on Monday imposed new sanctions targeting Myanmar`s junta.

Only the U.N. Security Council can impose legally binding sanctions or an arms embargo, but diplomats say Russia and China could likely use their veto to prevent such action on Myanmar.



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New Delhi: United States President Joe Biden on Monday (May 17, 2021) spoke to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in two days and asked him to 'make every effort to ensure the protection of the innocents' civilians'.

On a day when the violence over the control of Jerusalem entered its second week, Biden reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.

The US President welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem, as per the official statement released by the White House.

"The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," the White House said.

The two leaders agreed that they and their teams would remain in close touch.

Biden had earlier spoken to Netanyahu on May 15 and condemned the indiscriminate attacks against towns and cities across Israel.

Today the President spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, reaffirmed his strong support for Israels right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, and condemned these indiscriminate attacks against Israel. pic.twitter.com/baHWh1b6Q2  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2021

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has said that Hamas and other Palestinian groups had fired about 3,350 rockets from Gaza - 200 of them on Monday alone - and that Israeli air and artillery strikes had killed at least 130 militants.

Hamas launched 200 rockets from #Gaza towards Israel today, a total of over 3100 rockets since last monday. One of the rockets hit a residential building in Ashdod, causing several injuries. This is what it looks like#IsraelUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/dE89CWPS5b  Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 17, 2021

The Gaza health officials put the Palestinian death toll at 212, including 61 children and 36 women. On the other hand, ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

This is pertinent to note that the conflict between Israel-Palestine escalated after Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem amid eviction protests, which left scores of Palestinians and police officers wounded.

(With agency inputs)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 18:46:36|Editor: huaxia

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KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police said on Tuesday that five suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf group have been killed following a special operation in the northern Borneo state of Sabah.

Sabah Police Commissioner Hazani Ghazali said in a statement that the operation against the terrorist group was carried out around Monday noon.

The raiding team knocked on the doors on the houses while identifying themselves as police. A suspect opened the door and began to fire. At the same time several other suspects armed with pistols and machetes emerged from all directions, he said.

The raiding team returned fire killing five suspects aged between 20 and 50, he added.

One of those killed is believed to be a man known as Mabar Binda, a sub-leader of the group who is also wanted by the Philippines government, the local Star newspaper reported.

The Abu Sayyaf group has conducted kidnappings, deadly bombings, ambushes of security personnel, and other criminal acts and operated in the tri-border area of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 21:28:10|Editor: huaxia

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with all of them imported from abroad, bringing the national tally to 235.

According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, one of the new cases is a 41-year-old man who arrived in the country from Pakistan via Kuala Lumpur. The other two cases were two men from Manila and neither of them has symptoms of infection.

Investigation and contact tracing have confirmed no close contacts for the three new cases, as they were quarantined upon arrival in the country.

The new cases are being treated and monitored at the National Isolation Center with the other seven active cases, who are all in a stable condition.

With the detection of these cases, a total of 94 imported cases have been confirmed since the last local infection case on May 6, 2020. Brunei has recorded 377 days without local COVID-19 infection cases.

There have been three deaths and 222 recovered patients from COVID-19 so far in Brunei. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 00:48:09|Editor: huaxia

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TASHKENT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has expressed its readiness to provide practical support for the implementation of the landmark Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project, Uzbek government said Tuesday.

The World Bank will also attract other international financial institutions to participate in the strategic project, Uzbek Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade said following the talks with the World Bank delegation headed by Anna Bjerde, the bank's vice president for Europe and Central Asia.

"Also, the World Bank will provide funding for field research and provide technical assistance for the development of design estimates," the ministry said.

Earlier this year, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a roadmap for the construction of a rail link following trilateral talks in Tashkent.

The 600-km railway will open Pakistani seaports to the Central Asian and Eurasian railway systems, significantly increasing cargo flows and reviving the region's historical role as a bridge linking Europe and Asia, according to Uzbek officials.

Observers said that a number of international financial institutions have also expressed interest in financing the project, including the European Investment Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the United States International Development Finance Corporation. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 06:24:38|Editor: huaxia

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LJUBLJANA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from Western Balkan countries gathered Monday at Brdo Castle near City Municipality of Kranj, northwest of Ljubljana, to attend the Brdo-Brijuni process summit.

The summit, hosted by Slovenian President Borut Pahor, was attended by leaders from Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Serbia's region of Kosovo and the presiding trio of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The leaders adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to EU enlargement, according to the Slovenian Press Agency STA.

Pahor said the summit was one of the hardest, but managed to reach a consensus.

"It's not an empty compromise. It sends out a powerful message," Pahor said at a press conference after the meeting.

The statement called on the EU to see the Western Balkan region as a whole rather than as individual countries negotiating with the European Commission, said Pahor.

The leaders emphasized that the bloc's enlargement to the whole Western Balkan region is in the EU's political, security and economic interests, as well as a geopolitical urgency and a key political condition for a stable, successful and sustainable European future, according to STA.

The leaders believed enlargement as a mutual process - on the one hand the EU must speed up the process while on the other Western Balkan countries must speed up reforms.

The summit had originally been planned for last year, but had been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 06:31:36|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Monday pledged to develop a sustainable blue economy in a bid to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

"We add the blue dimension to the European Green Deal," said European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, who is in charge of Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at the Commission. The Green Deal is the EU's lead program to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

By blue economy, the Commission refers to all sectors working with or in close proximity to seas and oceans, including fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, maritime transport, port activities and shipbuilding.

It provides employment to 4.5 million people in the EU, with a turnover of more than 650 billion euros (789.75 billion U.S. dollars).

"Pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, coupled with the effects of the climate crisis, all threaten the rich marine biodiversity that the blue economy depends on," said Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-president of the European Commission for the Green Deal.

The goals are to reach climate neutrality, to switch to a circular economy, to preserve biodiversity, to ensure sustainable food production and to improve the management of maritime space, according to a press release from the EU Commission.

The transition to sustainability for the blue economy will be funded by relevant EU funds and private capital will also be mobilized, according to Sinkevicius. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 07:27:33|Editor: huaxia

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FARO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Faro airport in the south of Portugal received more than 5,000 British passengers on Monday alone as the country eased travel restrictions and sanitary rules for tourists from the United Kingdom (UK).

At the airport, the Algarve Travel Agency (RTA) received the British tourists with a "welcome action," distributing a kit consisting of promotional material on the region's attractions and health protection items such as masks and alcohol gel.

The president of RTA, Joao Fernandes, who was personally in charge of the reception, said that the arrival of tourists will greatly ease the economic crisis the region is experiencing.

Late in the morning, a flight from Manchester landed at the Faro airport. A young couple of the flight told Xinhua that they decided to travel to the Algarve region, which is known for glorious sandy beaches, picturesque fishing towns and Mediterranean climate, after the UK government included Portugal among the countries with non-essential travel without requiring quarantine on return on May 7.

Another couple said that they usually came to Portugal every year in the winter, but this year they just waited for the lockdown rules to be eased to plan their holidays.

Adriana Martins, a Brazilian woman who lives in Portugal, got a job again at the airport "thanks to the return of travel and tourism." She used to work at the terminal but was dismissed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her husband Andre Martins, who was also an employee of an airport restaurant, lost his job due to restrictive measures. He welcomed the reactivation of tourism in the region, saying it will be "very important for the economy."

Maike Kalinke, who is in charge of several restaurants at the airport, said: "From now on it will be like this every day, with many tourists arriving, and the flow will remain strong in the coming weeks when there will also be a movement back. This should lead to the levels we had before the pandemic."

An Algarve hotel manager told Xinhua he celebrated the return of flights from the United Kingdom, saying that not only the region, but the whole of Portugal "essentially depends" on the tourism industry.

Luis Fernando, an owner of a restaurant at the airport, recalled that the situation has already improved a lot with the end of the lockdown in the country. But the arrival of tourists is a decisive factor to "recover more than a year of losses" because of the pandemic, he noted.

According to the Portuguese airline TAP, the volume of flights purchased from the United Kingdom rose 131 percent last week compared to the previous week.

The passenger transport company responded to the demand by more than doubling the number of weekly flights between Lisbon and Porto, the second largest city of Portugal, to London.

"More than 20 countries where TAP currently operates and whose passengers can now travel for leisure to Portugal," the airline said in a statement.

In addition to the flights, cruise ship arrivals at the port of Lisbon were reactivated on Monday, whose passengers only need to present a negative COVID-19 test to enter the city.

The naval passenger transport company Brittany Ferries is expected to inaugurate next week a new sea route between the city of Porto, in the north of Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 10:57:12|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Police patrols have been increased in areas of London with a large Jewish community following a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Britain following Israel's attacks in Gaza.

As four men continued to be questioned Monday by the Metropolitan Police after being arrested in the British capital on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences, police stepped up patrols in the St John's Wood and Golders Green areas of London.

The arrest came after reports of anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car covered with Palestinian flags passing down Finchley Road.

The Met said police in London received reports Sunday of people shouting anti-Semitic abuse from a car travelling within a convoy of vehicles through the St John's Wood area.

Meanwhile, local police also reported that a Jewish rabbi was taken to hospital at Chigwell in Essex after he was attacked outside his synagogue on Sunday.

Reports of other threatening verbal attacks on Jewish people have also been reported in other parts of Britain, with police in Greater Manchester also increasing patrols in the city's Jewish areas.

The reports came amid rising tension between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East, where Israel has conducted dozens of air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of people attended a protest on Saturday in London, calling on the British government to step in and "stop allowing Israel's brutal violence against and oppression of the Palestinian people to go unpunished."

In an emergency debate Monday in the House of Commons, British Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told lawmakers of a deeply disturbing upsurge in anti-Semitism.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the abuse as "shameful racism" that have no place in society.

"This behaviour was utterly shocking and will not be tolerated," said Superintendent Jo Edwards, who is in charge of the policing operation.

Conservative lawmaker Robert Halfon told the Commons that a community security trust had reported a record number of attacks on Jewish people since 2018, including 1,800 incidents in 2019.

He said Jewish schools, synagogues and Jewish community centers now had to have guards on duty.

Jenrick said the government has allocated 65 million pounds (about 92.05 million U.S. dollars) to keep these places safe. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 17:04:32|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Researchers have been able to describe in detail how the pulsations of the cerebral arteries maintaining the brain's cleaning system differ in Alzheimer's disease patients, according to a recent research report published on the scientific journal Brain.

Significant pulsation changes were found especially in the areas of the brain associated with memory functions, said the report.

"Both the propagation speed of the pulse waves and their direction differ in Alzheimer's patients in comparison to healthy controls. In certain parts of the brain, including the hippocampus and parietal lobes, the direction of propagation of pulse waves was reversed compared to healthy individuals. These parts of the brain play a major role in memory functions," said Zalan Rajna, the head researcher of the study from Oulu University, in a Monday news release.

A brain's cleaning system, the glymphatic system, activates during deep sleep. If disturbances occur in the system, waste material starts to accumulate in the brain, leading to premature brain degeneration. The driving force of the glymphatic system is created as a result of the heartbeat, respiratory movement, and pulsation of the blood vessels.

In Alzheimer's disease, two kinds of waste materials in particular are accumulated in the brain, beta-amyloids and tau proteins, and these cause the brain to deteriorate, weakening memory functions and data processing abilities. Research has shown that in Alzheimer's disease, harmful amyloid plaque is formed not only around the brain tissue but also around the cerebral arteries, stiffening them.

"We observed that upon arrival, the pulse propagation is abnormal in Alzheimer's patients: too fast in small vessels and too slow in large ones," Rajna said.

It remains uncertain whether the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain of an Alzheimer patient is caused by abnormal pulsation or whether the plaque accumulated around the arteries causes the abnormal pulsation.

The finding is crucial for understanding the dynamic brain mechanisms leading to Alzheimer's disease and, in the long term, for the prevention and treatment of the disease, said the university.

Although there is currently no treatment for Alzheimer's disease and its progress cannot be stopped, the disease can be prevented by maintaining good cardiovascular health and ensuring sufficient, high-quality sleep. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 20:23:40|Editor: huaxia

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NICOSIA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus will invest an estimated 4.4 billion euros (5.38 billion U.S. dollars), or close to 21 percent of its 2020 GDP, under its National Recovery and Resilience plan aimed at helping the economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Tuesday.

Petrides told CyBC state radio that 3 billion euros are expected to be drawn from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) and the Cohesion Funds, with 1.4 billion euros from private investment or private-public partnerships.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades announced that the eastern Mediterranean island's recovery plan was submitted to the European Commission (EC) on Monday.

EC, confirming that it has received the plan, said that it is structured around five policy areas: Public health and civil protection, economic resilience and competitiveness, the digital transition and the labor market, education and human capital.

EC also said that Cyprus has requested 1 billion euros in grants and 227 million euros in loans under the RRF.

Cyprus's recovery plan is part of the RRF which provides an investment of 750 billion euros to help the European economy recoup the losses caused by the pandemic and make it resilient to future upheavals.

Petrides said that the plan will lead to the creation of 11,000 new jobs, voicing expectations for the plan to be approved by EC.

"This plan is a good one and is aimed at rendering our economy resilient," he added.

EC said in its spring projections that the Cypriot economy is expected to expand by 3.1 percent in 2021, after a contraction of 5.1 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus lockdowns, and by 3.8 percent in 2022.

Petrides said that newer projections by his ministry put Cyprus' growth in 2021 at about 4.5 percent. (1 euro=1.22 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 22:54:54|Editor: huaxia

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BUDAPEST, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's first-quarter (Q1) GDP decreased by 2.3 percent year-on-year, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said Tuesday.

"The gross domestic product of Hungary went down by 2.3 percent according to raw data and by 1.8 percent according to seasonally and calendar adjusted and reconciled data in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year," KSH said.

"Compared to the previous quarter, the performance of the economy grew by 1.9 percent in the first quarter. The main drivers of the increase were industry, financial and insurance activities as well as information and communication," it added.

"According to GDP data of the first quarter, the Hungarian economy started the year well above expectations," said Minister of Finance Mihaly Varga.

He attributed the growth to "a successful vaccination program and an effective economic policy," noting that "Hungary has started to catch up, gaining a step-up advantage among the EU member states, and can expect a double-digit growth in the second quarter."

Varga also said that he expected the Hungarian economy to grow by 4.3 percent in 2021, after a recession of 5.1 percent in 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 01:20:08|Editor: huaxia

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PRAGUE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Czech President Milos Zeman on Tuesday apologized for his backing of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) bombings of Yugoslavia in 1999.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for myself for bombing the then Yugoslavia. And I would like to ask the Serbian nation" for forgiveness, Zeman said during a meeting with visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

At the time of the decision of bombing, the Czech Republic was in NATO for several weeks, said Zeman. As prime minister at the time, he approved Czech military action alongside NATO. Describing it as "a mistake," Zeman said it bothered him all the time.

The Serbian president thanked Zeman for his gesture, saying no one else had made a similar statement about the bombings.

During the meeting, Vucic was awarded the Czech Republic's highest state award, the Order of the White Lion, while Zeman likewise received the Order of the Republic of Serbia.

The two presidents also discussed bilateral ties, foreign relations, economic cooperation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Zeman praised Serbia's vaccination effort, which he said was helped by the fact that Serbia had authorized Russian and Chinese vaccines for use.

The NATO bombings of Yugoslavia started on March 24, 1999. During the 78-day military attack, 2,500 civilians were killed, and around 25,000 objects were damaged, including airports, hospitals, schools, cultural monuments and road infrastructure, according to the Serbian government. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-18 07:23:36|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday voiced support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," according to a White House readout of the phone conversation.

Biden "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," said the readout.

Meanwhile, Biden reiterated support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks. "The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier in the day held multiple phone conversations over the issue with his regional counterparts, including Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

The Monday call between Biden and Netanyahu was the third in less than a week as violence escalated between the Israeli security forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The call also came as the Biden administration faced mounting pressure from a group of Democratic senators urging an immediate ceasefire to prevent loss of civilian life.

The ongoing conflict, the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014, has killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 06:22:27|Editor: huaxia

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CHICAGO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Following the U.S. Midwest state of Illinois, Chicago, the third largest U.S. city, will no longer require fully vaccinated people to wear masks in most settings, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Under the update to the city's mask guidance, those who are two weeks after their final vaccination dose can take off the mask except when in hospitals, public transportation, jails and schools, Arwady said.

But businesses who cannot regulate who is vaccinated and who isn't will be strongly advised to keep mask requirements.

The City of Chicago announced Tuesday that Lollapalooza, an annual four-day music festival that was founded in 1991 in Chicago, and since expanded to other countries, will return this summer in full capacity, but a proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required to attend.

Meanwhile, Navy Pier, a sightseeing attraction in Chicago, on Tuesday announced plans for a full reopening this summer, with indoor spaces, retail stores and summer programs gradually joining the outdoor Pier, fireworks shows, businesses and rides that began reopening April 30, the Chicago Tribune reported on Tuesday.

Illinois health department reported 1,495 new COVID-19 cases and 21 deaths Tuesday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-19 06:35:59|Editor: huaxia

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- David Ryan, a retiree in Fairfax, U.S. state of Virginia, welcomed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s recent announcement that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks in most cases.

Ryan told Xinhua he has worn a mask over the past year in supermarkets and restaurants, when required to, but does not see the need to wear one outside, especially now that he's fully vaccinated.

During the pandemic, however, he was worried because members of his family had compromised immune systems, and he made sure to wear a mask when he was around other people.

The number of coronavirus cases are down in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic began, said President Joe Biden on Monday during remarks from the White House.

Biden said 60 percent of Americans have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

The United States has administered more than 274 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and distributed more than 344 million as of Monday morning, showed data from the CDC.

Some U.S. states including New York, Virginia and Maryland are lifting mask mandates, after a year of controversy over the practice. Other states may soon follow.

Retailers including Target, Starbucks and CVS Health are among a growing number of businesses easing mask requirements for customers who have been fully vaccinated, except in cases in which state or local laws require masks.

Walmart, Trader Joe's and Costco were three of the first retailers to drop mask requirements, although other household names are opting to continue mask requirements for customers and employees.

However, the CDC's new guidance has been controversial, as critics said it assumes people will be honest about their vaccination status, and some worry that those who have not yet received the vaccine would be put at risk.

National Nurses United (NNU) in a statement Saturday said it was concerned that it would put patients, front-line workers and nurses at risk amid a pandemic that is still present in the United States.

"We're not out of the woods in this yet," NNU President Jean Ross said when speaking on CNN's "New Day" on Monday.

Ross said the government created confusion by changing guidance on wearing masks several times.

California's public health officials said Monday the most populous state of the United States would not "implement the CDC guidelines that allow fully vaccinated people to go without a mask in most situations" before June 15.

Mask mandates have created controversy for the past year. While Americans are not required to wear masks outdoors - attempts to pass such rules resulted in strong push-back - most states and municipalities have had some sort of mask mandate for the past year.

While some studies show that mask wearing significantly reduces the spread of coronavirus, many Americans take issue with the way mask mandates work.

Isaak Johnson, who works in IT sector in Washington D.C. area, told Xinhua he does not wear a mask now that he's vaccinated, unless he is required to in a restaurant or supermarket.

Avionne Smith, an accountant in the D.C. area, told Xinhua that she wears a mask when required to or when she's in a crowded area.

Wearing a mask is not only a matter of public health during the pandemic. In cities around the D.C. area, many pedestrians can be seen wearing masks outdoors, even after the CDC's announcement.

The area is heavily Democratic, and the mask issue often sees a split between Democrats and Republicans. That's because Republicans tend to be more suspicious of government, while Democrats believe in the power of government to enact positive changes.

Florida state Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, earlier this month suspended some local COVID-19 emergency orders, including making it more difficult for local governments in the state to impose mask mandates. Conservatives and conservative media have applauded the move, while Democrats have voiced concern, arguing that the move came too soon. Enditem
Justin E. H. Smith in his Substack Newsletter:

Ethnoscience and Indigenous science, along with more fine-grained designations like ethnomathematics, ethnoastronomy, etc., are common terms used to describe both Indigenous systems of knowledge, as well as the scholarly study of these systems. These terms are contested among specialists, for reasons I will not address here. More recently they have also been swallowed up by the voracious beast that is our neverending culture war, and are now hotly contested by people who know nothing about them as well.

Thus in his New York Times column of May 13 entitled This Is How Wokeness Ends, David Brooks singles out ethnomathematics as one of the fringe absurdities produced by the new soft totalitarian ideology currently taking America by storm. Two days before that, Brian Leiter declared on his widely read philosophy blog that Indigenous science is bad science  this in response to another philosophy blog, Figs in Winter, that had recently deemed Indigenous science pseudoscience (Leiter thinks this latter category is unuseful, in view of the well-known demarcation problem in the philosophy of science). Now, Brooks has made a career out of modeling ignorance for intellectually soft and complacent Americans, while Leiter is a representative of an academic discipline that, at least in principle, encourages its members to pursue broad learning and to cultivate an interest in the world around them. So, though perhaps I should be inured to this sort of thing by now, I admit I found it astonishing to come across something so aggressively ignorant and incurious as his dismissal of Indigenous science.

More here.
The Federal Government and most state governments in Nigeria deserve a pat on the back for the able way they have steered the war against the coronavirus pandemic since the end of March 2020 when we embraced the first lock-downs to curb its spread.

Commendations also go to the health workforce who, despite personal risks and inadequate welfare packages, succeeded in keeping our COVID-19 pandemic profile among the lowest in the world. Through their efforts and the mercies of God, Nigeria successfully evaded the doomsday prediction that "corpses would be picked up from the streets".

We, once again, extend our heartfelt condolences to families which lost loved ones, some of whom were among the finest and best among us. It is on record that as at Sunday, May 16, 2021, Nigeria had 165,661 confirmed cases, 156,399 discharged patients, 7,196 active cases and 2,066 deaths. From over 1,000 daily new infections in January 2021 when we reeled from the second wave, Nigeria has consistently recorded less than 100 per day for over a month. The curve had flattened, but the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 are now talking about a "fourth wave" onset.

This should put everybody on the alert. The Federal Government has also proactively instituted measures to ensure that the deadly Indian strain of the virus, which is reported to have arrived in Nigeria, does not explode. If India with its far more advanced health system, could be rendered so prostrate, the new restrictions ordered by the PSC should elicit our total cooperation.

We must go back to full observance of the COVID-19 protocols of wearing face masks, frequently washing our hands with soap under running water, avoiding crowded places (especially indoor situations), using hand sanitisers and insisting on these protocols in public places, places of work and worship centres. Let us be reminded that the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had only recently celebrated success against COVID-19 before the current wave that has crippled his country.

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We, however, urge Nigerians to guard against evils that some unpatriotic elements used the lock-downs of last year to perpetrate against innocent Nigerian communities, especially in the South. While we stayed behind doors in compliance with government orders, these shadowy elements used that period to transport thousands of strange elements in food and cement trucks, most of whom marched into our forests as soon as they disembarked. This has spawned a security challenge that is threatening the entire nation.

While we reiterate our support for measures to contain COVID-19, we call on the various state governments and community vigilantes to rise and ensure that this does not happen again.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says 476 online publication sites have been created to peddle fake news to discredit and fight the Federal Government.

He said this in Abuja yesterday while receiving members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Mohammed said the owners of the sites were feeding on the gullibility of readers to make their fake news go viral.

"The latest which I found ridiculous is the one that said days ago that they had information that when President Muhammadu Buhari was in the United Kingdom the last time, he was advised to step down because he could not even recognize members of his immediate family"

The minister said fake news was threatening Nigeria's existence.

He said the NIPR had a critical role to play in the fight against fake news.

Earlier, Mukhtar Sirajo, National President and Chairman, Governing Council of NIPR said they were willing to work with the Federal Government to engender peace and unity.
Mr Osinbajo says he has no connection with a group mobilising support for him online ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The Office of the Vice President says permutations around the 2023 presidential race are a distraction as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has not declared interest to contest.

Laolu Akande, spokesperson to Mr Osinbajo, said in a statement on Monday in Abuja that the Office of the Vice President had no connection with an online attempt to rally support for him (Osinbajo).

"The attention of the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a website: supportosinbajo.ng that is calling on Nigerians to join a volunteer group mobilising support for Osinbajo ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

"Details of this website and the solicitation of the group are currently trending on WhatsApp with a suggestion that Osinbajo has "quietly" declared interest in the 2023 election.

"The Office of the Vice President is not in any way connected to this website or the group behind it and considers such an enterprise an unnecessary distraction.

"Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election; but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as vice president in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to the security challenges.

"Therefore, we ask that people desist from such unhelpful permutations while we all deal together with the challenges confronting us as Nigerians, and resolve them for the benefit of our people, peace, and prosperity in the land."

Mr Osinbajo was the running mate of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

He had served as attorney general and commissioner for justice in the administration of former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, who is reputed to be his political ally.

There are indications that Mr Tinubu is warming up to run for president in 2023, though he is yet to confirm it.
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Clara Mbalale still vividly remembers the day in 2019 she felt unwell while at school.

"I was in Mathematics class, then all of a sudden my body was very hot, I was sweating and I had a headache. I felt weak," says the 14-year-old. "I informed my teacher and he took me to a classroom to test me for malaria."

In the classroom, Mbalale was handed over to another teacher who tested her for malaria. When Mbalale's malaria test came back positive, she was given anti-malarial drugs and sent home to her parents who were told to follow the dosage prescribed by the teacher. Within three days, Mbalale was well and back to school.

Gologota Primary School in Makupete village is one of 58 public schools in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikowi in Zomba district, southern Malawi where primary school teachers have been trained to use malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDTs) to identify and treat school children for uncomplicated malaria infections through Learner Treatment Kits (LTK) Initiative. These kits contain rapid diagnostic tests for malaria, antimalarial medicines and other treatments for minor common health problems like headaches, eye infections, and minor wounds.

Save the Children Malawi together with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) of the Ministry of Health implemented the LTK initiative in 2013. It was noted by the implementers that malaria among primary school-age children was a big threat to the health and education of this age group. According to Severe Malaria Observatory, Malawi is among the top 20 countries with the highest malaria prevalence and mortality rates. A study done by the College of Medicine, University of Malawi with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, reports that transmission of malaria in Zomba district, is particularly intense, with 60% and 32% of primary school-aged children having malaria parasites and anemia, respectively during the peak malaria transmission season between November and April.

"There's a high burden of malaria in school going children and we discovered that a lot of pupils go to school while infected with malaria. So, we decided to train the teachers to be able to treat malaria in children right there at the school," says Gome Jenda, Senior Adviser on Health and Nutrition at Save the Children Malawi.

The 58 schools have a dedicated room where teachers known as LTK dispensers conduct the tests. The LTK is available every day during school hours but the tests are only carried out when the learners feel unwell. When a child tests positive for malaria, he or she is given paracetamol and lumefantrine-artemether commonly referred to as LA, which the children take for three days. LA is the first line of treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Malawi. For serious cases, caregivers of the learners are advised to take their children to local health facilities in the district.

According to Jenda, there is a direct link between the health centres and the schools. "The schools get the drugs and supplies from the health centres through the Ministry of Health. When the supplies run out, the LTK dispensers write a request for more supplies," he said.

But the LTK is not a programme that is being carried out in a vacuum just at schools. The initiative is working closely with the community through encouraging caregivers to be aware that the intervention is not a replacement for routine health facility-based care but an additional service that could be accessed during school hours. "We constantly tell parents and guardians to know that the school is not a treatment place, we tell them not to allow their child to go to school with a fever, rather take the child to the hospital. LTK is only there to help children when they begin to feel unwell while at school," Jenda said.

Since children are now able to receive treatment right at school, it means that they do not have to walk with their parents for long distances to go to the nearest clinic, a situation that is common in rural areas in Malawi.

One of the biggest challenges of the programme is adequate resources to test more children. "At the moment we are not operating to a level that we want because of project resources for instance we want train as many teachers as possible but at the moment we are not able to do that," Jenda said. Secondly, the programme is also facing a shortage of teachers in primary schools due to the nationwide teacher shortage. Malawi has one of the world's most dramatic teacher shortages, equivalent to 2% of the global teacher posts standing empty. For this reason, Jenda says they are struggling to roll out the programme in other areas in Zomba at the moment.

Ethe Nsanama teaches Agriculture and Social Studies at Gologota Primary School. She is an LTK dispenser who was trained by Save the Children and the Ministry of Health to test and treat children at the school. Nsanama reports that the programme is helping a lot of children at the school especially during the rainy season when malaria is rampant. "During the peak season of malaria, we can test about 20 children in a day", she said, adding, "Before the programme was introduced, children had to walk with their parents to a local government facility which is six kilometres from Makupete."

However, Nsanama says even though the school made a duty roster for teachers to carry out the tests, the number of teachers who test and treat the children is small. For instance, Gologota Primary School has 25 teachers in a student population of over 1,500 but only 4 teachers at the school were trained.

Another challenge according to Nsanama is the shortage of drugs that are usually supplied at the school "Since January, we have not been able to treat children because we are out of drugs, we are still waiting for the health centre to supply us," she said.

According to Save the Children, between March 2019 to February 2020, teachers in the programme have conducted 7,900 tests with 6,101 cases being positive.

Saidi Ndau, the Malaria Coordinator at the District Health Office in Zomba, says the intervention is contributing to the management of malaria cases in Malawi. "The provision of the treatment kit in schools means that we are minimising the work for health workers, this also means that we are minimising the long queues that are usually at the facilities," he said. To ensure that teachers do not go overboard by treating other serious diseases, Ndau says they are doing regular supervisions at the school.

Since the programme only covers Chikowi area in Zomba, plans are in the pipeline to scale up at the national level. "We want to expand the programme throughout the country because we have seen how imperative it has been. We have been able to pick up a lot of positive cases and we have been able to treat them," says Dr Michael Kayange, the Manager of National Malaria Control Programme in the Ministry of Health.

The intervention is particularly keen on decreasing the rate of absenteeism in schools. So far, the strategy is working. "A lot of schools have reported that a lot of children return to class immediately when they receive treatment," says Dr Kayange. As of 2020, the attendance rate was at 88%, he said.

Village Headman of Makupete, Henry Masambuka Makupete, says the village understands the significance of the programme. "A lot of parents and guardians are very appreciative of the LTK because children are now able to receive treatment quickly," he said. However, Makupete is of the view that the community still needs a well-equipped health facility nearby because the LTK is only available when school is open.

Margret Mwanga from Makupete village is a mother of six. Last year two of her children tested positive for malaria, received treatment and went back to class. "It is a great relief to us, instead of us parents taking the sick learner to the health facility for treatment, we are spared that task," she said.

In Munyapa, a village near Makupete, John Butao, a father of two, admits he was skeptical about the programme when it first started. "I was not comfortable with the idea of teachers treating children including my own," he says. But when Butao learned that the teachers were trained to diagnose and treat malaria in children, he began to look at the program in a different light. "I see the goodness of this programme, just last year my first-born son got sick while at school. He got tested and was found with malaria. He was treated at the school and he continued taking medication at home, and on the third day my boy was able to return to school," he said.

For Mbalale, the programme has had a surprising side effect on her ambitions. "Whenever I see many of my friends receiving help at the school clinic, I'm always motivated to become a doctor," she says with a smile on her face, adding, "I want to save lives."

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Can the LTK Initiative be adapted to support Nigeria's malaria elimination efforts?

Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria where it accounts for more cases and deaths than any other country in the world. According to the 2019 World Malaria Report, although the total number of malaria deaths in Nigeria reduced between 2010 and 2018, from almost 153 000 deaths in 2010 to about 95 000 deaths in 2018, Nigeria still had the highest number of global malaria cases (25 % of global malaria cases) in 2018 and accounted for the highest number of deaths (24 % of global malaria deaths).

According to the 2015 Malaria Indicator Survey, malaria prevalence among children under five years of age was 27 % in Nigeria; however, there are significant regional, rural-urban, and socioeconomic differences. School-aged children across the country miss school because they are sick with malaria.

The Federal Government of Nigeria initiated in 2016 the National Home Grown School Feeding & Health Programme (HGSFHP). The vision was to implement a sustainable school feeding programme that will establish a safety net for the poor and eradicate malnutrition in school age children, while stimulating the national agricultural economy. The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme aims to feed 5.5 million primary education students one meal a day for all public primary schools annually. The HGSFHP provides opportunities to assist vulnerable families feed their children while providing an incentive to send them to school.

Can an intervention such as the LTK Initiative be introduced alongside the school feeding programme to help reduce the number of children who miss school as a result of malaria? If teachers can be trained to test children when they fall sick at school with RDTs, treat those who test positive, and provide parents with directions for care, such a programme could complement the nutritional goals of the school feeding programme, keeping Nigerian children healthier overall. However, like the LKT Initiative, to ensure sustainability, stable funding sources would need to be ensured, as well as the required human resources in schools to ensure diagnosis and treatment of children who have malaria.
According to Sudanese PM Abdalla Hamdok, the East African country's total debts amount to some $60 billion. France is hosting a conference of several African leaders offering to assist Sudan's transitional government.

France offered crisis-stricken Sudan a bridging loan worth $1.5 billion (1.25 billion) on Monday to help pay its arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while Germany is also keen to participate in Sudan's debt relief.

The announcement was formally made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting a summit of several African leaders in Paris, seeking support for Sudan's fledgling transitional government.

"Despite the difficulties, considerable progress has been made since the fall of the old regime," Macron said in his opening address.

Hailing its transition as "an inspiration" and a "precedent," he said that the international community had a "collective responsibility" to help Sudan realize its goals.

Alongside Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said: "This contribution demonstrates the strength of our partnership and the trust we have in Sudan."

Sudan's recovery after al-Bashir rule

Le Maire said the summit was an opportunity to bring the East African country back into the fold after being largely isolated for over 30 years.

Sudan was ruled by former President Omar al-Bashir for three decades until he was overthrown after a popular uprising and military coup in 2019. The authoritarian leader was subsequently incarcerated, tried and convicted on multiple corruption charges.

Civilians and the military have since formed a transitional government that has been widely welcomed.

Debts amount to $60 billion

According to Hamdok, Sudan has outstanding debts of around $60 billion and its economic crisis has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year, Sudan settled its debts with the World Bank thanks to a bridging loan from the United States.

By clearing its debts with the World Bank and the IMF, Sudan is paving the way to receiving poverty-reduction grants, as well as a wider debt relief package from the global community.

President Macron has called for a "New Deal" for African countries and therefore initiated two summits.

Germany recognizes 'arduous' process, pledges support

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was also present in Paris for talks over Sudan debt relief, as it was confirmed Berlin pledged $110 million worth of Sudanese IMF liabilities. Germany is also offering 390 million euros worth of bilateral debt relief.

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Before departing for the French capital, Maas recalled the Berlin conference on Sudan last June, at which participants had pledged a total of $1.8 billion in aid.

"Great hopes rest on the success of the peaceful revolution in Sudan," Maas said in a statement. "The political and economic reform process that has begun is arduous, but it offers a historic opportunity for more peace, economic prospects and freedom for the people of Sudan. Germany has stood shoulder to shoulder from the very beginning."

Maas said Germany was prepared to "participate comprehensively" in the country's debt relief.

Last August, the government in Khartoum reached a peace agreement with rebel groups after a seventeen-year conflict.

According to UN figures, some 300,000 people had been killed in the conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur since 2003, and around 2.7 million forced from their homes.

(AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
ReconAfrica has said it struck a massive oil field in northern Namibia. But locals said they were not properly consulted about the drilling, and environmentalists fear an oil boom could threaten the Okavango Delta.

The rainy season transforms northeastern Namibia from brown and yellow bushland and trees into a green blanket. The D3425 road is an evasive track running along the ephemeral Omatako River. Deep, waterfilled mudholes make this road, which connects a series of small villages, nearly impassable in the wet months. But near the village of Ncushe, the road suddenly improves dramatically, accompanied by a low, mechanical hum. Not much further down the road, an exploratory drilling rig operated by Canadian company ReconAfrica rises above the trees.

'One of the biggest onshore finds in decades'

In January, ReconAfrica began exploratory drilling and has been bullish in its claims that the Kavango Basin could contain up to 31 billion barrels of crude oil. The Namibian government approved the drilling of three test wells. In April, the company announced it had found a "working petroleum system," a second test well has been drilled and seismic surveys will be conducted to evaluate the viability of potential oil production.

Northeastern Namibia is an underdeveloped region in terms of infrastructure, with mostly gravel roads or sand tracks linking villages. Despite the area's relative proximity to the perennial Okavango River, the area is susceptible to water shortages. ReconAfrica's literature says an oil boom would provide jobs and lift local people out of poverty.

Namibian Energy Minister Thomas Alweendo also hailed the company's announcement as a "great period for the people of Namibia." However, news of the oil discovery raised fears of the ecological effects drilling could have in the water-scarce region and for the over 200,000 people who live there.

"For Namibia, contamination of groundwater is a real risk, and it needs to be managed very well. We also need to be sure that whatever gets approved can physically be done onsite," Piet Smit from the Environment Assessment Professionals Association of Namibia explained in a video discussion on the oil drilling.

"My biggest concern is uncontrolled development," he said, explaining that infrastructure in the Kavango region, which has few sealed roads, large towns, or amenities, would battle to service a sudden influx of people.

"That onus rests really on the Namibian government, not the proponent [ReconAfrica]," he said.

Environmental and tourism hotspot

Cai Nebe/Deutsche Welle An entire road had to be resurfaced for ReconAfrica to transport the oil rig and equipment.

ReconAfrica has licensed drilling areas in northern Namibia and Botswana that cover over 35,000 square kilometers (13,513 square miles), an area larger than Belgium, and that overlap with the continent's largest multi-country conservation park, the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA), which includes land in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are also six locally managed wildlife reserves in the area, and the licensed area is close to the world-famous Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as Namibia's Khaudum National Park, which alone is home to thousands of elephants.

"Drilling will definitely disrupt biodiversity, although we know animals can be resilient," Smit said.

Local tourism operators like Jofie Lamprecht see the oil drilling as an intrusion and a threat to an important biodiversity hotspot that includes elephants, predators, and many unique floras.

"The First World is trying to make money out of the Third World, and I don't think the risk taken to find oil is sustainable or ecologically sound. These areas need to be left as they are and the wilderness there preserved because, in 15 or 20 years, we'll look back and say what have we done," he told DW.

ReconAfrica has repeatedly said it is following government-approved procedures, is not drilling in ecologically sensitive areas and has obtained all necessary permits for its work.

Confusion over fracking and 'unsatisfactory' public consultation

Initially, ReconAfrica raised eyebrows with its claim of a huge oil find in Namibia and announcing it was exploring the possibilities of conventional and "unconventional" means to extract the oil. Fracking, the unconventional method, is considered by many to be a dangerous and environmentally harmful practice as it can poison aquifers and is only to be used when access oil through conventional drilling is difficult.

"In their marketing, ReconAfrica announced to their people in North America that this exploration program was based fracking, and they presented data on the amount of oil and gas which would be recoverable through fracking," said Chris Brown of the Namibian Chamber for the Environment. "In Namibia, they've vehemently denied that fracking would take place."

"We're simply not sure about their intentions here," he added.

Though talk of fracking has since died down, and ReconAfrica has removed references to fracking from much of its literature on the Namibian oil find, the company has been accused of not properly conducting public consultations.

Brown described the public consultations as "very unsatisfactory."

Cai Nebe/Deutsche Welle A security guard (bottom left of image) waves cameras away from the drill site.

"The public wants to know what the bigger picture is, and what the implications are," he said."ReconAfrica has been very reticent to be open and honest about what the whole program entails and what it could look like in the end. The discussion has been deliberately divided into little slices so that the endpoint is not on the table for discussion."

Reports of bullying of community leaders who have spoken out against oil drilling have surfaced, as well as accusations that ReconAfrica started drilling before obtaining permission to drill on local land.

Namibian Minister for Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein, in responding to questionsposed by National Geographic, said ReconAfrica had not been granted permission to extract water nor to dispose of wastewater.

Anger at government

Local and international groups have criticized the drilling, both in principle and how the government has handled the discovery.

"Every day, all we hear is corruption, corruption, corruption. The pressure must come from outside," said Namibian environmental activist Ina Maria Shikongo from the Fridays for Future movement in Windhoek.

Frederico Links of the Windhoek-based Institute for Public Policy Research said trust between affected Namibians and the government has been affected.

"Questions have been asked if the environmental standards have been upheld, and how it was possible for ReconAfrica to get the permissions, and how that was allowed to happen," Links said.

The widespread local and international criticism of the oil exploration has left the government scrambling to stick to a narrative.

"This criticism is something the Namibian government didn't expect," he added. "Information hasn't been shared with local leaders, traditional authorities or the public."

'Resource curse' threat

Links said many Namibians are particularly scared of the "resource curse," especially when it comes to oil. Neighboring Angola remains a developing country despite significant oil wealth and the conflict in northern Mozambique is also tied in part to natural gas extraction.

"The discovery of oil has destabilized countries in our region and other parts of the continent," Links told DW.

He pointed out that if a viable oil field is discovered, resentment could grow in the highly impoverished, underdeveloped nature of regions like the Kavango.

"You have this immense wealth being pumped from under the ground amidst poverty and inequality," he said. "When people don't see themselves benefitting, you can see how the conditions exist that could become a security situation for Namibia if not managed properly."
The Federal government says over 70 per cent of corruption cases in the country are perpetrated by persons who use anonymous companies.

It however, disclosed that over $1 billion had so far been recovered by governments using beneficial ownership data.

The minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the media presentation of Nigeria's Road to Beneficial Ownership Transparency at the 2021 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Week, with the theme: 'Re-engineering Government, Institutions and Society for Transparency, Accountability and Inclusive Citizens Participation.

The Minister assured that when the register of companies was completed, it would help government in decision-making, especially around awards of contracts, permit and licences.

"It will help decision makers to quickly determine who benefits from the operations and profits of the company so as to avoid conflict of interest or manipulation," he added.

The Minister, who was represented by the permanent secretary, Dr Nasir Sani Gwarzo, m further disclosed that the journey to establish a public register of beneficial owners commenced in 2016 at the London Summit on Anti-Corruption where President Muhammadu Buhari joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

"At the time of this declaration in 2016, there was no legal framework to commence the implementation of the beneficial ownership disclosure in Nigeria. This necessitated the amendment of Companies and Allied Matters Act which the president signed in August 2020 paving way for the commencement of implementation of disclosure principles

"The Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 has provisions dealing with disclosure of persons with significant control (PSC) who have at least five per cent of voting equity holding or voting rights and who are ultimate beneficial owners of such registered entities to disclose such interest," he added.

In his own remarks, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, informed that the Global Support Unit of the Open Government Partnership through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund awarded a grant of $400,000 to Nigeria.

"This grant is managed by the World Bank and we are at the final stages of documentation for the release of this grant," Agba said.

The minister further noted that the OGP Multi-Donor Trust Fund Open Government Partnership with the support of development partners and working together with World Bank, established the OGP Multi-Donor Trust Fund (or the MDTF) to support "World Bank client countries and local entities that participate in OGP or intend to become eligible to participate in OGP."

"With the support of French Development Agency, the Government of Canada, and the United Kingdom' Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the MDTF provides awards on a competitive basis to national and local participants with a multi stakeholder forum and to partners who will support the learning and building of evidence of impact of OGP commitments," he stated.

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He explained that the theme of this year's Open Government week "focuses on how we renew or build again governments, institutions and societies that are transparent, accountable participatory and inclusive."

Presenting the keynote address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, noted that with Nigeria as a leader in the Open Government Partnership, "it is clear that the rest of the world is looking with keen interest at the process we employ in the development of this register and this presents us with the opportunity to share lessons from the process thus far with other countries."

The SGF however, said there was still enormous work to be done on this Road to Nigeria's Beneficial Ownership Transparency, adding that the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission "will provide further details about what has been done so far and what lies ahead."
"Nothing is going on as of today between Agbara and Oko-Afo, while the pace of work between Oko-Afo and Ibereko is so slow."

The deplorable state of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is a shame to the entire nation, Babatunde Adeyemi, Bishop, Diocese of Anglican Communion, Cathedral Church of St. Thomas, Badagry, Lagos, said on Monday.

Mr Adeyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry that the expressway had become a deathtrap to the people plying the road.

"When we saw the rehabilitation of the expressway between Igbo-Elerin junction and Agbara axis, we were happy thinking that the rehabilitation would get to Badagry.

"But we were wrong. The rehabilitation stopped at Agbara.

"Nothing is going on as of today between Agbara and Oko-Afo, while the pace of work between Oko-Afo and Ibereko is so slow. Only God knows when the work would be completed," he said.

The Bishop appealed to the Lagos State and Federal governments to help cover the potholes during the rainy season.

"This will allow the users enjoy a little respite," he said.

Mr Adeyemi said the residents of Badagry had suffered so much neglect from successive governments of Lagos State as if the town was not part of the state.

"The suffering of our people on Badagry Expressway is compounded by the number of checkpoints mounted by various security operatives which have become a lucrative source of pecuniary gains to officers.

"They target various bad portions of the road and where that is not done they put used tyres and block the good parts of the road.

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"One could count as many as 30 checkpoints between Ibiye and Seme, yet their presence did not stop smugglers and robbers from operating without hindrance.

"We appeal to the government at all levels to ameliorate our people's suffering by rehabilitating the expressway in good time.

"Badagry is a foremost gateway to Nigeria and the deplorable state of the expressway is a shame to the entire nation," he said.

NAN reports that on April 4, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, assured that the ongoing Lagos-Badagry Expressway rehabilitation/reconstruction project was not forgotten but on the 2021 Sukuk funding priority list.

Mr Fashola gave the assurance in Lagos during an inspection tour of road projects in the state.

He said major drainage works were ongoing and progressing to upgrade the highway from its old status to ensure durable construction, saying that funding challenges were being resolved.

"Lagos-Badagry Expressway is the real challenge. Again it is funding.

"We are owing the contractor. That is why I said if we can expand the Sukuk this year, we are going to look at a few more roads to add to it.

"If we succeed Lagos-Badagry Expressway is one of the top roads we are pencilling down for the Sukuk in 2021.

"If that happens, then the contractor will do his work but I think it is important to help us communicate to the people who use that axis that they are not forgotten.

"Work has started. There was a time when there was no contractor there, so, there is now a contractor," Mr Fashola said.

(NAN)
Nigeria's Ministry of Environment and experts have converged to fathom ways to restore mangroves in the Niger Delta region with emphasis on the Ogoniland.

At the meeting, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, in his opening remarks, said: "Today's meeting is a turning point for mangrove ecosystems in Ogoniland. Using the knowledge and experience of the experts assembled here today, together, we will be able to restore the mangroves and improve the lives of the Ogoni communities who are affected every day by the devastating pollution."

The director of press, Ministry of Environment, Saghir el-Mohammed, in a statement, said the meeting will lead to the creation of a strategy and conservation plan for the restoration of mangroves in the Ogoniland.

He said the conditions and methods for successful replantation and recovery of mangrove habitats were discussed during the meeting.

He said the meeting, which was attended by experts from more than 20 different institutions, was supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

"Mangroves are not just ecologically significant but are critical to the livelihood and food security of communities in Ogoniland.

"It is hoped that the meeting will bring new momentum to the restoration efforts for mangrove ecosystems in Ogoniland, paving the way for healthy ecosystems and successful environmental remediation of areas affected by the pollution," he said.

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He noted that UNEP had found extensive damage to mangroves in Ogoniland when undertaking its 2011 Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland.

"The report found that the impact of oil on mangrove vegetation in Ogoniland had been disastrous.

"Impacts of the pollution varied from extreme stress to total destruction. In the most impacted areas, only the roots of the mangroves remain, with no stems or leaves. In many of these areas, the roots were completely coated in oil, sometimes with a 1 cm or more thick layer of bituminous substance," he said.

el-Mohammed added that experts found that pollution has accumulated over a very long period.

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Rigorous, fast-paced coursework couldnt stop a handful of Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region students from finishing at the top of their respective programs.

Three students who earned the Deans Outstanding Student Award, which is bestowed upon one student in each program, were in the colleges ASAP program. In that program, students earn associates degrees, which traditionally take two years to complete, in 11 months.

This year three of our ASAP students have taken home the Outstanding Student Award, which is just so awesome for our program. What a way to show off their success and the success of the program, said Beth Chaney, director of ASAP.

Student Sydney Querry was one of those students. Querry graduated from Eastern High School in 2020, and after hearing about a friends success with the ASAP program, she decided to enroll last spring.

With plans to continue her education to earn a bachelors degree in secondary education, Querry pursued an associates degree in general students, a path that proved most beneficial to her as her coursework was tailored so that she would finish with the credits needed to continue at a four-year college.

In the fall, she will begin a year ahead of schedule  as a junior  at Indiana University Kokomo to earn a bachelors degree in secondary education. She hopes to teach sixth-grade language arts in the future.

Querry said she loved going through the ASAP program as it saved not only money but also time.

It definitely helped save money because thats my main goal. I want to get an education just like how everybody else is, but I want to save as much money as I can, she said. Im going to IUK in the fall, and this will help me by being a junior and being one grade ahead of everybody. I just felt like it was saving money and then saving my time as well.

Jada Row, who earned an associates degree in liberal arts, also received an Outstanding Student Award. Row, who graduated in 2019 after being homeschooled, had dreams to go to Indiana University Bloomington, but she said after talking to her parents and looking at her finances, it wasnt feasible.

So, she took a gap year and worked fulltime. In the fall of 2020, she enrolled in Ivy Techs ASAP program. Her older sister, Kennedy Row, had gone through it and enjoyed the accelerated pace.

Now, one year later, Row is graduating from the ASAP program with an associates degree in liberal arts. She also worked three jobs during the program  as a lifeguard for the Grant County YMCA, as a cashier at the Marion Meijer, and as a violin instructor  and now shes in a position to head to IU Bloomington in the fall where she will transfer in as junior majoring in international studies.

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Now shes back on track to graduate with her classmates.

Row said she was glad she chose the ASAP program not only to complete two years of college quicker but also because of the skills she learned during it. She said it helped her learn time management and personal responsibility.

She also was grateful to have been selected as a 2021 Outstanding Student.

I was surprised. Ive always been told that Im a hard worker, but I dont really feel like it. I just kind of do what needs to be done, so while I was working through those assignments it seems like such a long list. As youre doing it, its just like one thing at a time. You dont think to look ahead and look at the big picture, so when I received the award, I was just very surprised and excited, Row said.

The third ASAP student who received the award was Ashton Boring, a 2020 Kokomo High School graduate who earned an associates degree in science. She plans to transfer to Ball State University in the fall to pursue a bachelors degree in psychology with plans to become a child and family therapist.

Boring called the program rewarding and said it taught her invaluable skills.

"It was pretty stressful at times but also rewarding. I still haven't fully registered all that I have accomplished since everything is so fast-paced," she said.

Cody Mullins, an associate professor of English at Ivy Tech, had Boring and Row in class, and he said both students were deserving of the award, especially during such challenging times due to COVID-19 and a lot of virtual coursework.

Ashton and Jada both represent the spirit of the ASAP program  punctual, dedicated, conscientious, and helpful to others, and ultimately adaptable and flexible in the weirdest possible year. Its difficult to be memorable in this virtual environment, I think, where a lot of our personal interaction  between classes, during breaks, during office hours, etc.  is lost, and yet both of these remarkable young women are people Ill always remember, said Mullins.

Ivy Tech's assistant professor of education, Tara Kaser, had Querry in class and had high praise for her.

"Sydney always brings forth her best effort. She works hard, attends every class, participates meaningfully, and gets her work done early. This is so important because, as a teacher, Sydney isnt just going to expect hard work from her students; she is going to model it for them," said Kaser.

Ivy Tech Community College is enrolling for the next cohort for the ASAP program, which begins June 7. Coursework is spread over five eight-week terms with classes held from 9 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To be admitted, students must be younger than 22 years old, have a high school GPA of at least 2.5, and have a strong attendance record. To enroll, email bchaney1@ivytech.edu or text 574-835-5255.
"What is happening in Kaduna is not an industrial action but a campaign of social and economic sabotage"

A defiant Kaduna State government has said the five-day warning strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which began on Monday, will not distract it from its plan to 'rightsize' the civil service of the state.

The state government dismissed the strike and street protests as an attempt by labour union leaders to sabotage its policy but said the first day of the strike has not affected the operations of the government.

The state's Head of Service, Bara'atu Mohammed, said this to journalists in Kaduna during a brief state executive council meeting on Monday.

Mrs Mohammed said the state government will not rescind the decison to sack civil servants that are not needed in the state.

She said the NLC strike and protest were an attempt to sabotage the policy of the government, vowing ,however, that the government will not be distracted.

"What is happening in Kaduna is not an industrial action but a campaign of social and economic sabotage.

"Kaduna State government is functioning despite the illegal attempt to block our offices, hospitals and schools. The schools are opened, our offices are opened, the hospitals are opened.

"NLC are aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers."

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Mrs Mohammed also said she received the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in hear office Monday morning who told the government they will not be part of the NLC strike.

"The TUC met with us today and we had a fruitful discussion. It was a good discussion. They also promised us they will not be party to the NLC strike in the state.

NLC Strike

The five-day warning strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State kicked off Monday morning, with officials of the union picketing government ministries and parastatals and denying civil servants access to the state secretariat.

Civil servants, in their hundreds, stood at the gate of the state secretariat on the popular Independence Way on Monday morning after union officials picketed the facility.

The NLC had called on all unions to join the warning strike it called to force the state government to rescind its plan to sack many civil servants and "rightsize" the state's bureaucracy.

They marched from the state secretariat to the state House of Assembly complex before retiring at the Labour office in Kaduna.
Dar es Salaam  The Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court has acquitted Comedian Idris Sultani and Innocent Maiga after prosecution failed to present witnesses in court since February.

The accused have been acquitted under section 225 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA).

However, shortly after Idris and Maiga, were released by the Court, they were re-arrested by police officers at the Court's grounds and taken to Oysterbay Police Station.

The defendants face two charges, including failure to register a simcard that was owned by another person.

The decision to release them was handed down today, May 17, 2021 by Senior Resident Magistrate, Rashid Chaungu, when the case was called for a hearing on the prosecution's evidence.

Giving the verdict to dismiss the case, Judge Chaungu said the prosecution had no major grounds not to bring a witness, the case had been scheduled to be heard on May 14, 2021 which was a holiday.

Judge Chaungu said, on February 22, 2021, he gave a final adjournment to the case due to the prosecution not having a witness.

"Also, on April 29, 2021, I issued another adjournment after prosecution failed to bring the witness to the court, and today the prosecution has failed to bring the witness to court," said Chaungu.

He said in that context he had dropped the charges against the accused and acquitted them under section 225 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Earlier, before the case was dismissed, state attorney Sylvia Mitanto told the court that the case was called for prosecution, but they failed to find a witness yesterday as the case was scheduled to be heard on May 14 which was a holiday so he asked for another date.

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Judge Chaungu, after hearing the information, dismissed the application and acquitted the accused.

In the primary case, the accused, were facing criminal case number 78/2020.

Sultan and Maiga are accused of committing the offenses against the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

In the first indictment, against Sultan, it is alleged that between December 23, 2019 and May 19, 2020 in Mbezi Beach area, he failed to register a simcard that was owned by someone else, illegally.

It is alleged that Idris allegedly used a simcard owned by Innocent Maiga without reporting to the licensor, who is TCRA.

In the second indictment, against Maiga, it claims that the same day and place, Maiga being the rightful owner of the simcard, failed to report the change of telephone number as used by Idris Sultan, which is illegal.
One herder has been killed and another declared missing at Maiyanga Village in Kwal district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The State Chairman of Miyyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Malam Nura Abdullahi, said the deceased was on Thursday killed and dumped in a well around the area.

The Chairman narrated that "One Umar Muhammad Musa, aged 40, was intercepted and allegedly killed by some assailants while on his way to take food to his children that were rearing his cattle at a village around Kuru in Jos South LGA."

He said 52 cattle were rustled and later found dead in Maiyanga village of Bassa Local Government Area of the State, adding that the missing herder was the one rearing the cattle.

Our correspondent reports that the representative of the District Police Officer, Barkin Ladi, as well as Sector 6 commander of Operations Safe Haven, Col. AH Gwani, attended the funeral.

According to Abdullahi, Umar was killed last Thursday, but his corpse was discovered with the aide of the police and Operations Safe Havens.

"His body was found tied with stones, dumped inside a well, three machines were used to pumped out water before evacuating the body," he added.

Malam Nura said the 52 cows were first rustled on Sunday in Maiyanga village of Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area.

"Their bodies were found dead at a nearby bush," he said.

Local Chairman of MACBAN in Barkin Ladi, Alhaji Shuaibu Bayaro, appealed to the security agencies and Government to take necessary action, saying " I am urging our youths to be patience and not to take the law into their hands. We should allow security and Government to do their work, but we are at the same time demanding for justice."

When contacted, spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Ubah Gabriel, said he would investigate and revert to our correspondent but had not done so as of press time.
More than 24 hours after all the 33kv lines supplying electricity to Kaduna were knocked off, plunging the State into total darkness, electricity was restored around 10:30pm on Monday.

Fifteen minutes later, power outage occurred again, dashing the hopes of residents who had earlier screamed in excitement.

It is not certain why electricity was restored as the National Union of Electricity Employees had earlier expressed its readiness to join the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The strike commenced at midnight of Sunday.

However, a statement issued on Monday evening, the Head, Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, apologised to residents of Kaduna over power outage.

The statement read: "The management of Kaduna Electric again expresses its deepest regrets over the persisting power outage being experienced in Kaduna State. The management empathises with and apologise to individuals, families, groups and businesses who rely on its services daily and are currently facing inconvenience due to its withdrawal."

It expressed hope that the conflicting parties would resume discussions to allow normalcy return as soon as possible.
Residents of Kaduna State have taken to social media to lament the effect of the ongoing strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The train station at Rigasa, the airport, hospitals and countless filling stations shut down in compliance with labour's directive.

In a tweet, Daily Trust had asked Kaduna residents to describe how the strike affected their activities and many of them did not have pleasant stories to tell.

Here are some of their reactions:

Its hasn't been easy atall... . But as d saying goes, nothing good comes easy... .. I just hope at d end, the govt and NLC reach an agreeable terms for the benefits of the kaduna residents

-- Ibrahim Abdullahi (@Ibsongee75) May 17, 2021

No water, no light, no movement... Cell 101.

-- mac fele (@mac_fele) May 17, 2021

There's no facet of kaduna people's life that's not affected, No water , no light, no fuel to power the Gen for borehole owners , a 25 litre of water is 100 box , Elrufai that's unwilling to negotiate with bandits ,doesn't look like he will NLC

-- Danleety (@danleety) May 17, 2021

No Light in the entire ABU Zaria community and its environs. Banks are shut in Samaru and around Pz/Sabo region. Too bad.

-- The SHOFAR  (@princepeterameh) May 17, 2021

Some residents are however hopeful that the strike will yield fruitful results

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It's not easy but continue to support the ongoing strike 100%

-- farouk Bashir Suleiman (@faroukBashirSu1) May 17, 2021

it has... but we hope this yields positive result

-- sir_A.K (@sir_a_kay_) May 17, 2021

Other residents have chosen to side with the government and see the strike as unnecessary.

Sometimes a leader takes some hard decisions that are not popular but necessary if we can all see the big picture. It's better to engage and see what other ways to utilize the excess workforce than to put everybody in distress.

-- THIS STORM SHALL PASS (@Jabeemol) May 17, 2021

Negatively, however I Trust the Governor, what he has done is in the interest of Kaduna state. Time will tell

-- Sani (@Sani17644406) May 17, 2021

NLC declared strike after the government failed to reverse the mass sack of workers in the state.
The federal government has said it would soon conclude the building of beneficial ownership register, an initiative that will ensure public access to information about who really own companies in Nigeria.

The federal government which said it intends to end the criminal abuse of companies, said one of the effective ways to share and access high-quality information about who own and control the companies in Nigeria is to have a public register termed 'beneficial ownership'.

Secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha made the disclosure yesterday at the media presentation on Nigeria's road to beneficial ownership transparency in Abuja.

Mustapha said: "Our promise is to ensure commitment to implementing progressive ideas that will ensure sustainable transparency and national development. With the law backing us and our hands on the plough, we commit to finishing this register by the end of the year."

Head of governance at the British High Commission in Nigeria, Sam Waldock, agreed that secret ownership of companies can breed corruption.

"Company ownership can be like a spider's web enabling corrupt individuals to hide stolen public assets. That is why having open and accessible beneficial ownership is vital," he said.

Waldock noted that the United Kingdom had spent 50 million on building accountability in Nigeria in the last five years. He, therefore, urged the federal government to go beyond the national action plan and institutionalise open government partnership (OGP).

"The UK has provided over 50 million to support democratic accountability and open societies in Nigeria over the past five years.

"Nigeria should be extremely proud of publishing the first public beneficial ownership register. This is an excellent step. It sends a clear message that Nigeria is serious about tackling this issue," Waldock said.

LEADERSHIP reports that while company owners benefit from the successes of the organisations they own, they often evade detection when those same organisations they own are investigated for corruption or illicit dealings.

The government believes that implementing beneficial ownership transparency would give a comprehensive overview of the companies operating in the economy and who own them.

"It is the key piece of information in investigations that follow corrupt or criminal activities and illicit money," non-state actors OGP co-chair, Dr Tayo Aduloju, said.

According to Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) resource centre, Nigeria loses $15 billion to $18 billion to illicit financial flow annually, much of it through money laundering and abuse of businesses.

On its part, World Bank said, until recently, Nigeria had not displayed strong performance in Open Budget Index.

World Bank country director, Shubham Chaudhuri, said for Nigeria to succeed in its public transparency drive, it must be noted that greater public sector transparency and accountability contribute towards building trust among citizens, investors, creditors, and within the tiers of government.

Chaudhuri, who was represented by Bayo Awosemusi at the event, said the register will improve existing services, and provide open data to government agencies, partners, civil society, media, and the public. Every registered company will be able to file their returns online.

"This will greatly contribute to the transparency and efficiency of public procurement through the disclosure of beneficial ownership information. Implemented effectively, streamlined data and information will help government officials, entrepreneurs, civil society, academics, and law enforcement to more easily achieve their different goals," he stated.

Speaking at the event that was held to mark the beginning of the global Open Government Week, minister of state, budget and national planning, Clem Agba, said the event presented Nigeria with an opportunity to take stock of its progress, learn lessons, lay out the road ahead and re-commit itself to the work ahead.

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Agba said the event was part of government's efforts to keep all stakeholders abreast of the open register of beneficial owners of companies' process, ensure that their input is captured in a way that the register is developed to work for everyone.

ALSO READ: Reps Committee Vows To Recover Billions From FG's Privatized Companies

Minister of industry, trade and investment Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo said when the register is completed, it will help in government decision making, especially around awards of contract, permits and licences.

"It will help decision makers quickly determine who benefits from the operations and profits of the company so as to avoid conflict of interest or manipulation," he said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday made good its threat to shut down Kaduna State as it officially commenced a five-day warning strike with a mammoth crowd of peaceful protesters turning out in the streets of the state capital, Kaduna.

The NLC embarked on the industrial action to protest what it says are anti-labour practices by Kadun State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, including the mass sacking of workers and underpayment of salaries among other infractions.

All government offices were shut while businesses were also closed, causing untold hardship to the residents.

The striking workers, who turned out in their thousands chanting solidarity songs in a peaceful protest, commenced the possession from the Labour House (opposite National Ear Care Centre) and marched through Independence Way with a stopover at the State Secretariat where the national president of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, addressed the crowd at the gate before proceeding to the State Assembly.

Comrade Wabba led the procession alongside other labour leaders of affiliate unions such as Comrade Joe Ajearo of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade John Adaji of (National Union of Textiles, Garments, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) among several other labour leaders.

He gave a rundown of the sacked workers and other issues labour hold against Governor el-Rufai and said the workers' union want the sacked workers reinstated as well as the reversal school fees' increment.

"We took the action because Kaduna State Government's actions are causing untold hardship on those affected and their dependents," he said.

According to him, if nothing concrete happens at the end of the warning strike, a national strike would be embarked upon, adding that relevant bodies, including security agencies, had already been communicated to that effect.

He said: "In SUBEB 4,000 workers were sacked. We are also aware that 11,000 others have been penciled down for sack. He claimed he had not reverted to the old N18,000 minimum wage, but we are aware that out of the 31,000 workers in the state, he has not paid 20,000 of them April salary. In the local government area, those he paid few days ago, he paid N18,000. Those are the facts and the people affected are here to confirm that.

"Also, the students are here. He is throwing their parents out of job; he increased the school fees by 100 percent. I also have it on good authority that 70 percent of the students at the Kaduna State University are indigenes of Kaduna State; they are also children of workers, children of pensioners, children of petty traders, yet they are out of school because they cannot afford the school fees.

"What type of a system do we want to run? How can we not have insecurity? We have it on record that the 21,000 teachers sacked two years ago have not been paid. If he says he has paid them, tomorrow I will ask them to bring their letters.

The NLC president accused the governor of lying that he had sought to have a parley with the labour leaders, saying he (Ayuba) was only called for a meeting with the governor yesterday but that it was later called off.

"He also claimed that he invited NLC to a meeting and we declined. It is false; we were never invited. In fact, it was late last night someone called that he (el Rufai) wanted us to hold a meeting. It was later he called that the meeting will no longer hold. I recorded the conversation and I can play it for you."

Speaking further, he said he had also received calls from market traders whose stalls had been demolished and commercial tricycle and motorcycle riders complaining of exorbitant taxing from KASTLEA (Kaduna State revenue agency).

"How can a governor, who earned the trust of the people for election, be deceiving the people? Comrades, as I was on my way here I was shedding tears, I got a text message, and the person told me that this fight is not for only workers alone. He said, as a trader, his shop has been demolished; the shops have been taken over and given to capitalists.

"Yesterday okada (commercial motorcycle) riders and road transport workers met me and said KASTLEA are putting serious taxes on them and they are also feeling the pain. That is the real situation in the state and that is why the whole process is fully complied. Rail has been put on hold. Power has been stopped, Petroleum supply has been stopped, airport is not working, banks are closed, yet we have somebody that is a tyrant that would say he is fighting. Let me tell you that the situation in Kaduna cannot change except we are able to take our destiny into our own hands, and that is why we are here."

Wabba described as laughable the governor's claim that he had a six-year-old arrest warrant for the NLC leaders.

"Comrades, is it not even laughable that when el-Rufai discovered that we meant business and were ready to shut down Kaduna, he said he acquired a warrant of arrest six years ago, saying he wants to arrest us. Are we in banana republic? Over six years ago? I have come to Kaduna more than 20 times.

"Comrades, if the person saying it is a fool, the listeners cannot be fools. I read el-Rufai saying that NLC itself is not implementing minimum wage and, as such, we cannot ask for minimum wage; that is not true. I saw the publication and concluded that it was sponsored because there was no accredited source to that information. We cannot as Nigerians be deceived," he said.

The NLC boss said the labour movement needed to call the governor to order.

"So, we are here to tell him that there is labour law in Nigeria which says that before you declare redundancy, the labour union must be consulted. The laws says, 'labour shall be consulted'. This is a clear provision, but the governor claimed to have consulted labour; the labour leaders are here and they said it is a lie.

"They said the only consultation he tried to make with them is how to reduce minimum wage from N30,000 to N18,000. Even that, he should not think he is doing the workers a favour by paying minimum wage, because the National Minimum Wage is already a law and it has sanctions," Wabba said, adding that the workers' unions will not back down until the governor reverses the anti-labour policies.

"So, there is no retreat, no surrender. I want to thank our union leaders both in public and private sector, from NUEE to NUPENG, from bank union to railway union, aviation and others that are giving maximum support and maximum action deployed to the success of this action. If he (el-Rufai) is a reasonable person, he should know by now that this is beyond the issue of rhetoric; it is an issue that is affecting the lives of citizens.

"We are aware of COVID-19 and that is why we are respecting the protocols. But our right to protest as workers cannot be trampled upon, because they are rights that are enshrined in the African Union Charter and Section 40 of the Nigerian constitution. The law says we don't need any permission to gather in peaceful protest against any bad policy; it is a law that is sacrosanct."

Wabba challenged the Kaduna State governor to rather direct his power of intimidation to criminals that are terrorising the citizens.

"If they want to intimidate any group, let them go and intimidate the criminals that are kidnapping our people. They should go after the hoodlums that are today killing our people in the name of banditry.

"We are aware that Kaduna today is the epicentre of kidnapping in Nigeria; it is a very sorry situation that even five of our children, students of Greenfield University were killed, and he (the governor) has shown no remorse or taken action to address some of those issues effectively, but he is responding to workers that want to defend their fundamental human rights."

He insisted that minimum wage is already a law and the governor had no choice than to implement it.

"But the law says you can't sack even a single worker without consulting the labour union. The law says, 'you shall discuss with the union'. Even if the worker does not belong to the union, the law says 'discuss with his representative'. That is a law which is sacrosanct and that is why we are here to defend the law.

"Those he has sacked before have not been paid. He told them their benefits would be paid in due course. That is not acceptable because there is no commitment. As we speak, over 20,000 people have not been paid April salary, while those in the local government were paid only N18,000."

NLC said even after the five days' warning strike, if the government did not reverse the sacking of their workers, it will mobilise their members all over the country for a nationwide industrial action.

"This is an anti-worker policy and anti-people policy that we are here to engage. If at the end of the five days warning strike, there is no sign of response, we shall declare a five-day national strike and this decision has been communicated to all the relevant bodies, including the security agencies," he added.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government yesterday stuck to its guns, saying it will not reverse its decisions and accusing the labour unions of sabotage.

It said it had noted that the conditions that compelled its decision to right-size its work force have not been altered by NLC's "campaign of economic and social sabotage."

The government also reiterated its firm commitment to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the majority of its citizens.

A statement signed by special adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, pointed out that government's resolve "is only reinforced by the desperate actions undertaken by the NLC to unlawfully trespass on government facilities, and prevent officers from signing attendance registers. "

The statement added that "despite these actions, the state government has guaranteed access to the State Secretariat and other government offices."

According to Adekeye, the government intends to continue running its operations in service to the people, despite the futile efforts of the NLC to impede it.

"Accordingly, all officers from GL 14 upwards are expected at their duty posts as usual," he added.

The special adviser noted that NLC had also shut healthcare access for several citizens, in addition to shutting down electricity, including several hospitals and chased away the patients.

"General hospitals in Kawo, Tudun-Wada, Kafanchan, Giwa, Rigasa, Kakuri and Sabon Tasha were illegally locked. They also shut rural hospitals and primary health centres in Kwoi, Turunku and other locations across the state," he lamented.

"The government shares the pain of the people of Kaduna State amidst the avalanche of unlawful conduct by the NLC and appeals to all residents to remain peaceful and vigilant," Adekeye said.

The statement, however, warned that "government is documenting all these violations of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Trade Union Act."

The special adviser said that government welcomed the visit by the leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) who met with our Head of Service, Bariatu Y. Mohammed, yesterday morning.

"Hajiya Bariatu has reported on the constructive attitude of the TUC delegation led by Barrister Musa Lawal, its secretary-general," he said.

The statement added: "the TUC team included Comrade Isa Mohammed of PENGASSAN, Comrade Bulama Haruna, Comrade Ebere Okpara, Comrade Yunusa Zubairu, Comrade Aliyu Yunusa and members of the Kaduna State Executive of the TUC," he said.

Yesterday, the governor took to his social handles to condemn the NLC action, accusing the labour union of socio-economic sabotage. .

Governor el-Rufai in his official verified Twitter handle @govkaduna also accused the NLC of having no interest in public welfare, noting that the NLC went violent over the sack of teachers in 2017.

"KDSG affirms that the conditions that compel it to rightsize are not altered by the NLC's campaign of economic and social sabotage.

"The NLC showed in 2017 that it had no interest in public welfare, going violent over 21,780 failed teachers who KDSG replaced with 25,000," he stated.

Residents of Kafanchan, the headquarters of Jema'a local government, have appealed for an amicable resolution of the ongoing standoff.

LEADERSHIP's correspondent who went round the Kafanchan metropolis observed full compliance with the strike directive by schools, hospitals, filling stations and banks.

The wards are empty while relatives that have patients with complicated issues are stranded in the hospitals and complaining that their relatives are not being attended to.

A union member told LEADERSHIP at a hospital that the offices of medical doctors and nurses are under lock and key.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP at the General Hospital, Sabo Tasha, a relative of one of the patients who only identified herself as Anna, urged the government to meet the demand of NLC and re-recall the sacked workers.

"We need more workers in the hospitals. In all the days that we've been here, the hospital has shortage of staff. The government should please consider its earlier decision," she said.

A patient's relative, Jethro Hosea, said he was stranded at the hospital, and does not know where to take his sick uncle to.

"This is someone very sick. I can't carry him home in this condition," Hosea said.

At the General Hospital, Kafanchan, a patient, Lami Dauda, told LEADERSHIP she was turned back at the entrance after showing up for a doctor's appointment.

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Dauda said the strike, if not resolved, will bring untold hardship on the people who are already struggling to survive.

"As you can see, they are telling people to go back home. I was supposed to see a doctor today for a follow-up on my ailment.

People will suffer and may even lose their lives if something is not done to quickly resolve this problem," she said.

Even though there was vehicle movement in the state, the train and air services were shut.

LEADERSHIP gathered that hundreds of people that bought the train ticket for the Rigasa-Abuja trip were turned backi as a result of the strike.

The train ticket is non-refundable after a stipulated time of travel but sources at the station said they may reconsider their stand following the new development.

LEADERSHIP reports that fuel stations are not selling in Kaduna while the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC) had shut down all their transmission lines in the state.

Another resident, Ezekiel Sunday, noted that the disruption of critical services, such as water and electricity, has come at a heavy cost for his laundry business.

Sunday called on the NLC and the state government to try to find a common ground in order to resolve the dispute amicably.

On his part, Musa Saleh said having economic activities grounded for a week could spell doom for the state, hence the need for both parties 'to work out something now'.

IGP Deploys More Operatives, Assure Of Safety

The inspector-general of police, Ag. IGP Usman Baba has ordered the deployment of additional police operatives and crime prevention assets to ensure public safety and strengthen security along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

Force PRO, CP Frank Mba said the IGP gave the directive as a proactive measure to protect communities and travellers in anticipation of increased traffic on Kaduna-Abuja expressway following the disruption of other means of transportation by the industrial action in Kaduna State.

The IGP noted that the deployment was designed to enhance police visibility, prevent and neutralise possible criminal activities targeted at citizens plying the road.

Mba also said the IGP had directed the assistant inspectors-general of police (AIGs) and commissioners of police in Zonal and State commands with jurisdictions straddling Kaduna-Abuja highway and its environs to ensure no new threat to lives and property thrive within their Area of Responsibility (AoR) as a result of the industrial action.

Similarly, the AIG in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau had been directed to immediately deploy covert operatives from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) to prevent any untoward situation along the expressway.

While assuring citizens that the Force will continue to do all within its powers to promote public safety, the IGP called on citizens, particularly communities, transporters and commuters along Kaduna-Abuja expressway to cooperate with security operatives deployed to their areas.

Citizens are also enjoined to be vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements or criminal activities in their localities to the police.
Sudan will be one step closer to paying off its foreign debt on Monday, after French President Emmanuel Macron promised a loan of 1.2 billion euros. He praised the country as an "inspiration" in its transition after 30 years of authoritarian rule.

"For the first time in the entire region, it put an end to a regime using the weapon of political Islam to cover up its mistakes and to divide its people," said Macron, who hosted a special summit in Paris on Monday as a way to welcome Sudan back into the international system.

The money will help to pay off some of its foreign debt, as Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is tasked with paying off a whopping 49.4 billion-euro debt.

Macron hopes that the Sudanese example will show that countries can bounce back from dictatorship if they embrace democracy.

"Despite the difficulties, considerable progress has been made since the fall of the old regime," said Macron, referring to the iron-fisted rule of Omar al-Bashir before he was deposed in 2019.

Bringing Investment

Part of this summit is also to jump-start the economy by luring investors to come to Sudan, a large country with arable, unused land.

"We are going to the Paris conference to let foreign investors explore the opportunities for investing in Sudan," Hamdok told AFP newswire before the summit.

"We are not looking for grants or donations," he added.

And an announcement by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire before the summit included a 1.2 billion-euro bridge loan would clear Sudan's arrears to the IMF.

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International Monetary Fund Director Kristalina Georgieva, and top European Union diplomats including foreign policy chief Josep Borrell are also in Paris to discuss investment in the country.

Sudanese revolutionaries impatient for post-Bashir reforms

Sudan's children of the revolution: where are they now?

Akinwumi Adesina, head of the African Development Bank (ADB), was also on hand at the summit and says that the ADB cannot work on its own but works in tandem with the only financial bodies.

"The board of the ADB approved wiping out 355 million euros," Adesina told RFI on the sidelines of the summit.

"And today the African Development Bank is showing support for the commitments made today by President Emmanuel Macron and the Sudanese leaders by announcing additional funding," he added.

Breaking news: #France to provide 1.5 billion bridge loan to clear #Sudan's arrears to #IMF. Good move, right time. Now upon all of, Sudan, international community to show that the new Sudan is a business case - no longer a basket case. UN ready to support. - Volker Perthes (@volkerperthes) May 17, 2021

Sudan had been previously been closed off to investors because it was on the US blacklist for sponsors of state terrorism. It paid reparations to the US and was taken off the list in December.

On Tuesday, Macron is hosting another economic summit in Paris to focus on shortfalls in African economies due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The International Monetary Fund believes the funding gap for the African continent could be up to nearly 240 billion euros by 2023.
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For the second week in a row there has been a global decline in cases and deaths from COVID-19. There's a huge disconnect growing where in some countries with the highest vaccination rates, there are appears to be a mindset that the pandemic is over, while others are experiencing huge waves of infection. The pandemic is a long way from over.

WHO has been responding to the surge in cases in India and other hotspots. Demand is currently so high that WHO needs immediate funding in order to sustain its technical and operational support to all countries - especially the most affected - involved in the present wave.

I want to reiterate the statement that was released by Unicef overnight, which outlines the huge shortfall in vaccine supply to COVAX. The surge in cases has compromised global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.

This week marks UN Global Road Safety week and we are seeking to garner policy commitments at national and local levels to deliver 30 kilometer per hour speed limits in urban areas and generate local support for low-speed measures overall.

Over the weekend, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel could potentially "unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis." It is essential that the norms of international humanitarian law be fully respected.

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

For the second week in a row there has been a global decline in cases and deaths from COVID-19.

There is a huge disconnect growing, where in some countries with the highest vaccination rates, there appears to be a mindset that the pandemic is over, while others are experiencing huge waves of infection.

The situation in a number of countries continues to be very concerning. The pandemic is a long way from over, and it will not be over anywhere until it's over everywhere.

Even some places that have previously done very well at containing COVID-19 are seeing dramatic increases in cases, hospitalisations and deaths.

New variants of concern, fragile health systems, reduced implementation of public health measures and supply shortages of oxygen, dexamethasone and vaccines are all compounding the current situation.

But there are solutions to these problems.

Where cases are rising, now is the moment to ensure people are adhering to public health measures including physical distancing, the wearing of masks and preventing large gatherings.

Even where cases have dropped, genetic sequencing is critical so that variants can be tracked and measures are not eased prematurely.

WHO has been responding to the surge in cases in India and other hotspots.

However, demand is currently so high that WHO needs immediate funding in order to sustain its technical and operational support to all countries - especially the most affected - involved in the present wave.

In 2020, donors very generously contributed to the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.

However, in 2021, the current response plan is underfunded and the vast majority of that is ring fenced by donors for specific countries or activities.

This is constraining WHO's ability to provide an adaptable and scalable response in emerging hotspots.

WHO requires urgent funding to the current response plan, which would allow us to scale up support for countries and support the ACT Accelerator.

Flexibility of that finance is key, not just so that we can respond quickly to the emergency needs in several countries including Nepal, but that we can work to save lives and livelihoods wherever it is most needed in a rapidly evolving situation.

===

On vaccine supply, I want to reiterate the statement that was released by Unicef overnight, which outlines the huge shortfall in vaccine supply to COVAX.

The surge in cases has compromised global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.

COVAX works and has so far delivered 65 million doses to 124 countries and economies but it is dependent on countries and manufacturers honouring their commitments.

While we appreciate the work of AstraZeneca, which has been steadily increasing the speed and volume of its deliveries, we need other manufacturers to follow suit.

Pfizer has committed to providing 40 million doses of vaccines with COVAX this year, but the majority of these would be in the second half of 2021.

We need doses right now and I call on them to bring forward deliveries as soon as possible.

COVAX partners are in discussion with Johnson & Johnson to receive doses in the second half of 2021 but this has not been finalised and we do not know when they will arrive.

Moderna has signed a deal for 500 million doses with COVAX, but the majority has been promised only for 2022.

We need Moderna to bring hundreds of millions of these forward into 2021 due to the acute moment of this pandemic.

Once the devastating outbreak in India recedes, we also need the Serum Institute of India to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX.

Furthermore, we need high-income countries that have contracted much of the immediate global supply of vaccines to share them now.

I call on manufacturers to publicly commit to helping any country that wants to share their vaccines with COVAX to lift contractual barriers within days not months.

We also need manufacturers to give the right of first refusal to COVAX on any additional dose capacity.

And we need the large vaccine manufacturers to enter into deals with companies like Teva, Incepta, Biolyse and others who are willing to use their facilities to produce COVID-19 vaccines.

Only by working through COVAX can we quickly get vaccines to those health workers that have been on the frontlines of this pandemic for more than a year.

We need to collectively set ambitious goals to at least vaccinate the world's adult population as quickly as possible.

No one is safe until we're all safe.

===

Due to lockdowns and people working from home, mobility decreased in the pandemic.

This has led to fewer road crashes overall.

However, because people often drive at higher speeds when there is less traffic, the number of deaths did not decrease to the same degree.

When speeds are lowered, the risk of death and injury reduces exponentially.

This week marks UN Global Road Safety week and we are seeking to garner policy commitments at national and local levels to deliver 30 kilometer per hour speed limits in urban areas and generate local support for low-speed measures overall.

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Today, I am pleased to be joined by Zoleka Mandela who is the Global Ambassador for the Child Health Initiative to outline the effort to ensure every child has a healthy journey to school.

Zoleka the floor is yours.

[ZOLEKA MANDELA ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Zoleka, thank you for sharing your reflections on the need for action to reduce traffic speed and improve road safety.

Together we are building momentum towards the launch of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

We've made great progress but with your support and partners around the world we can do a lot more. Zoleka, thank you so much again.

===

Over the weekend, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel could potentially "unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis."

The health situation is also highly concerning and in the recent escalation of conflict, dozens of incidents involving health workers and health facilities have occured.

Furthermore, COVID-19 testing and vaccination has been severely impacted. This creates health risks for the world as a whole.

Protection of health workers and health facilities is an imperative in all circumstances.

It is essential that the norms of international humanitarian law be fully respected.

In particular, health workers and infrastructure should always be protected and I call for leaders on all sides to ensure respect for these vital humanitarian laws.
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Merci beaucoup, Pascal, and thank you for your leadership of the Paris Peace Forum. I'm delighted to be able to participate in this important discussion with you and my sister Dr Ngozi.

I think I would go one step further and say not just that the world is at risk of vaccine apartheid; the world is in vaccine apartheid.

As you know, high-income countries account for 15% of the world's population, but have 45% of the world's vaccines.

Low- and lower-middle countries account for almost half of the world's population, but have received just 17% of the world's vaccines. So the gap is really huge.

The most frustrating part is that this is not an unexpected situation. It happened before. We know from our experience with HIV and other diseases that without intervention, market forces exclude those with the least financial muscle.

That's why WHO co-founded the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which includes the COVAX facility, in an effort to achieve the most equitable access possible to tests, treatments and vaccines.

By the way, my sister Ngozi was chairing the ACT Accelerator principals group, and she's still a member of that, although after she became WTO DG she passed it over to the former Prime Minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt. I would like to use this opportunity to thank her for her leadership. So in both places, she helped with that and now helping from the other end.

The situation is certainly more equitable than it would have been otherwise; so far we have shipped more than 63 million doses of vaccine to 124 countries and economies.

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But that represents just 0.5% of the combined population of those countries and economies.

The problem is not getting vaccines out of COVAX; the problem is getting them in. So COVAX works; the problem is supply.

We all know the reasons: vaccine nationalism, vaccine diplomacy, and severe supply constraints.

Even now, some high-income countries are moving to vaccinate children and adolescents, while health workers, older people and other at-risk groups around the world remain unvaccinated.

The consequences are clear to see: Cases and deaths from COVID-19 globally remain at or near record highs, and new variants threaten to unravel the gains we have made.

The basic problem is a lack of sharing, so the solution is more sharing:

First, sharing financial resources to fully fund the ACT-Accelerator and within that the COVAX facility - not just for vaccines, but for tests and treatments as well.

Second, it's about sharing doses with COVAX, which is the fastest and most equitable way to distribute vaccines globally.

And third, is sharing technology, know-how and intellectual property to scale up manufacturing of vaccines.

Thank you, Pascal and back to you.
After months of back and forth between the public and members of the Kokomo Common Council, there is now a law restricting the usage of fireworks in the city.

Last week, the common council approved the passage of a law amending the citys noise ordinance to include fireworks, which limits the times and dates that fireworks can be used in Kokomo. The ordinance came after pro-ordinance citizens repeatedly asked the council to draft an ordinance and public spats between council members and individuals who opposed such an ordinance.

The fireworks ordinance passed on a 6-3 vote, with council members Kara Kitts-McKibben, Jason Acord, and Tony Stewart voting against. The ordinance will go into effect immediately.

Now fireworks only can be used on the following dates and times:

 New Years Eve, Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1

 Memorial Day from 5 p.m. to two hours after sunset

 The Fourth of July from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

 June 29 to July 9 from 5 p.m. to two hours after sunset

 Labor Day from 5 p.m. to two hours after sunset

 Veterans Day from 5 p.m. to two hours after sunset

This is a cutback from the Indiana law that allows fireworks to be used every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and later on certain holidays. Cities and counties are allowed to put stricter guidelines into place.

During the first reading of the ordinance, Councilman Lynn Rudolph requested that the ordinance be amended to include a requirement that if an individual makes a noise complaint to the Kokomo Police Department that they must provide their name and address to authorities and, should the complaint be disputed in court, be required to become a witness if necessary.

The ordinance was amended to reflect Rudolphs request, much to the chagrin of those in favor of the fireworks ordinance.

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That particular amendment is a poison pill for anybody who wants to see something decent happen when their peace has been stolen from their home, said Steve Long, a Kokomo citizen whos spoken before the council several times in favor of a fireworks ordinance. Its not right. It puts the burden on the person whose peace was taken from them. Theres a real big difference in a firecracker that can be heard down the block and a rocket that explodes and looks pretty but makes a huge sound that can be heard from a mile. And this, a block away from my home or a block away from your home, its just not a reasonable thing to ask. And if thats going to be in the ordinance, I would ask the council to vote it down and rethink it. Thats a really, really bad idea.

Howard County Councilman John Roberts, who perhaps has been the most vocal proponent for a fireworks ordinance, agreed with Longs sentiments, while still thanking the council for passing the ordinance.

Rudolph defended the amendment, saying it would ease the burden of overworked and understaffed KPD officers when dealing with a fireworks complaint.

Law enforcement only works in this community when the police and the people work together, Rudolph said.

A second amendment to the bill was added since the first reading, though that too was criticized.

The amendment added Veterans Day to the list of approved dates. The amendment to add Veterans Day was requested first by several veterans groups during the bills first reading, on the condition that Memorial Day was removed from the list.

Howard County Veterans Memorial Corp. President Jerry Paul derided the council for the decision to keep Memorial Day on the list. Paul said the holiday is a somber time for veterans and accused the council of ignoring veterans in the community.

Councilmen Matt Grecu and Ray Collins defended the inclusion of Memorial Day, pointing to the fact that many view Memorial Day weekend as a time of celebration.

Grecu also said that the ordinance was, in part, meant to improve the lives of veterans who may be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are affected by fireworks.

I guess, from my point of view, weve improved that situation (for veterans with PTSD) by over 350 days a year, Grecu said. We have not been insensitive to veterans.

Councilmen Acord and Tony Stewart, who both voted against, also derided the ordinance during the meeting.

Before calling for the vote, Stewart alleged that the council was manipulated into passing the ordinance.

This is what you get, Mr. President, when you let people manipulate us into doing a fireworks ordinance, Stewart said. Call for the vote. Call for the vote.
Continued international support for Sudan is critical as the country undergoes a historic political and economic transformation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a major investment conference in Paris on Monday.

"We have a responsibility to help Sudan consolidate its democratic transition. Rebuild its economy. And deliver sustainable peace and development for all its diverse society", he said in a video message.

The conference, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, aimed to encourage private investors to return to Sudan as it continues to emerge from three decades of isolation and rebuild its shattered economy.

Political transition and debt relief

Sudan's ongoing transition to democracy began following months of street protests that led to the April 2019 overthrow of former President, Omar Al-Bashir, who had ruled since seizing power in a military coup in 1989.

The country is also seeking support to clear its estimated $50 billion external debt, which includes some $5.6 billion owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

France announced on Monday that it will grant Sudan a $1.5 billion loan to pay off its arrears to the IMF, thus opening the door to wider relief under the Fund's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

The United Kingdom and the United States had earlier helped clear arrears with the other development banks.

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Welcome back, looking forward

The Secretary-General said the conference is part of the ongoing efforts to bring Sudan back into the international community.

He commended those countries which have assisted Sudan in clearing its arrears with the international financial institutions, adding that "generous donor support" will be needed for achieving debt relief under the HPIC scheme.

"Continued support from Sudan's friends and partners is critical", he said.

"If financial assistance and investments are not forthcoming, the continued dire economic situation could severely affect Sudan's transition, with negative consequences for peace and stability in the country, the region and beyond."

Mr. Guterres stressed that Sudan needs investment and a sustained commitment towards rebuilding, including from the private sector, while regaining eligibility for funding from international financial institutions is an important foundation for the country's economic revival.

"Sudan is undergoing a historic political and economic transformation", he said. "I call on donors and businesses to make a bold investment in Sudan's peaceful and sustainable future."
The African Union has hinted at sticking with former Ghanaian President John Mahama as special envoy to Somalia, even as a simmering diplomatic tiff between Mogadishu and Nairobi seems to stall his deployment.

These details emerged last week in frantic back channelling by the continental body when leaders gathered in Kampala to attend the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni's sixth term.

Officially, the African Union says it is consulting members to determine the next step, but the continental body has also expressed concerns about Somalia's decision to defy a 55-member body's decision to offer help, ironically, initially requested by Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

A spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, chairman of the African Union, told The EastAfrican that member states will decide how Mr Mahama can be involved. "On these issues, the AU presidency does not decide unilaterally. It consults the Commission and the AU Peace and Security Council," said Zenon Mukongo, who sits on President Tshisekedi's advisory Panel of Experts on African matters. "The president has postponed the meeting of the Council, which was to be held Wednesday. The AU position will be known after this meeting."

The EastAfrican understands that the continental body is backing Mr Mahama, as a change of position could imply Somalia's hand in who becomes mediator. In Kampala, President Farmaajo met with AUC Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the matter of the envoy and the country's security challenges came up.

The AU Peace and Security Council has already decided, "by general consensus," to extend the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia to December 2021, granting them full legal status to continue providing security in the wake of a fractured Somalia National Army. The final decision, however, rests with the UN Security Council, which also endorsed Mr Mahama as the appropriate mediator.

The genesis of the latest controversy is the diplomatic tiff between Kenya and Somalia, which has prevented the African Union from deploying the special envoy to Mogadishu, adding fuel to a potential crisis in the political negotiations. Mogadishu has accused Kenya of political interference even after announcing last week the resumption of ties after Qatar intervened. The two countries, however, maintained their respective restrictions, including a ban on miraa (khat) by Somalia and Kenya's suspension of flights between them, a week after the announcement. It was not also clear when the respective embassies would be reopened.

In Somalia, the opposition factions differed with the Federal Government over the deployment of Mr Mahama as AU envoy, after Mogadishu claimed he was a "friend of Kenya" and was likely to be biased. In letters to the African Union, Mogadishu first said his deployment was no longer necessary as Prime Minister Hussein Roble was already executing that role. Under the caucus of the National Salvation Forum, the opposition groups generally support the dialogue programme led by Prime Minister Roble, but argued the AU's involvement is crucial to provide observatory support.

"Farmaajo's rejection of the AU envoy is an indication of his intention to derail the May 20 summit of electoral discussions," argued Abdishakur Abdirahman, a member of the Forum and leader of opposition Wadajir Party. "Farmaajo has always been a spoiler and will remain one until the last day. It's a chance for PM Roble to show that he is free from Farmaajo's negative influence."

PM Roble is expected to gather stakeholders on May 20 to discuss an electoral calendar, which has been elusive for the past three months since the expiry of Farmaajo's term in February.

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The Forum told the AU that there had been no consultations on Somalia's rejection of Mr Mahama, whom they support, and argued that the Federal Government had made a unilateral decision. On May 8, Mr Mahamat, on instructions of the Peace and Security Council, named Mr Mahama as High Representative to help mediate a political deal in Somalia.

Mr Mahama was president of Ghana between 2012 and 2017. A statement from the African Union said he "will work with the Somali stakeholders to reach a mutually acceptable compromise towards an all-encompassing resolution for the holding of Somali elections in the shortest possible time."

But Somalia says Mahama's "extensive links" with the Kenyan leadership makes him unwelcome.

Kenyan officials said the AU appointed Mahama based on the continental body's own assessment of his qualities as a mediator.
opinion

The love-hate relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Judiciary continued with the High Court arguably going on with the "judicial impeachment" of the Head of State, with the judges reaffirming that Mr Kenyatta could indeed be sued for overstepping presidential authority.

In the judgment, like several others done before, the judges took a jibe at Mr Kenyatta and his Jubilee government, holding that the President or any other person holding that office is only protected from such actions (being sued) "in respect of anything done or not done in the exercise of their powers under this Constitution".

Following the ruling, lawyer Paul Mwangi, who represented some of the respondents in the case stated, "...The BBI judgment was not about protecting a Constitution. It was about destroying a country."

"Even the petitioners are shocked. The judges hijacked their case and used it to wage war on the President instead of dealing with the issues the petitioners raised," lawyer Mwangi tweeted.

The BBI ruling rekindles other past rulings and judgments which have brought friction between the two arms of government.

Early this month, the High Court overturned the nomination and appointment of lawyer Dorothy Jemator to the selection panel that is recruiting four commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Last month, the High Court declared the position of Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) illegal, with Judge Anthony Mrima further ruling that Cabinet Secretaries who were retained in 2017 from President Kenyatta's first term ought to have been vetted afresh or competitively recruited by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The Head of State announced the creation of the CAS position in every ministry on January 26, 2018, a position through which several of his political associates were awarded jobs in government.

In February, the High Court reversed Mr Kenyatta's decision to transfer the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) from the Ministry of Livestock to Defence, stating that the move violated Article 10 of the Constitution, due to lack of public participation.

Justice Anthony Mrima said the move violated Article 10 of the Constitution, but noted that the error can be rectified.

In December last year, the High Court ruled that the government should refund thousands of people forced into mandatory coronavirus quarantine centres because the move was illegal.

The mandatory quarantine centres were part of measures instituted by the Kenyatta administration to arrest the spread of the virus.

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Since September 2020, President Kenyatta has failed to act on a 10-page letter sent to him by former Chief Justice David Maraga advising him to dissolve Parliament for neglecting to pass laws on gender parity.

In June 2020, the High Court declared the Deed of Transfer of Functions executed between the National Government and Nairobi City County Government as vague and irregular. The judge later on reversed her orders on the creation of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

In January 2020, the Employment Court quashed the appointment of former Othaya MP Mary Wambui as the chairperson of the National Employment Authority, arguing that her appointment was irregular as she did not meet the qualifications of the office.

In February last year, the courts ordered the President to appoint 41 judges nominated to take up various positions in the Judiciary.

A bench of three High Court judges found that President Kenyatta's decision to stall the appointments was unconstitutional, and that he does not have the power to reject or review a list of nominees presented to him by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) --the judges' and magistrates' employer.

In November 2019, the courts quashed the nomination of former Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi and former Isiolo Woman Representative Tiyah Galgalo to the National Land Commission (NLC) holding that the selection panel for the nominees was improperly constituted.

In February 2018, the High Court declared Miguna Miguna's deportation order illegal and ordered the government to surrender his Kenyan passport.
Laikipia and Nyandarua county governments have decried the sub-division of land into small units in urban centres in the region.

For its part, the county government of Laikipia has directed all players and agencies in the land sector to strictly adhere to the set sub-division guidelines before embarking on any subdivision.

"As a county government, we are calling on all relevant land actors and players to comply with land subdivision guidelines as provided for by the Physical Planning Handbook 2007. In order to bring sanity to the situation, going forward we shall not be accepting land sub-divisions that do not have a clear infrastructure plan," said County Lands and Infrastructure Executive Joseph Shuel.

The Executive noted that unscrupulous investors have been buying pieces of land and sub-dividing them into smaller portions without provisions for public amenities and land for public use.

Mr Shuel said that this has been making it difficult for the county administration to provide infrastructural services such as water, sewerage services and roads.

Haphazard development

"These sub-divisions are causing haphazard development as well as creating huge environmental hazards besides causing reduction of agricultural production, diminishing tourism potential and earnings and creating urban sprawl among other negative impacts," he lamented.

In Nyandarua, the county administration has warned residents against buying pieces of lands that have no clear infrastructural plans.

"We are also warning residents against sub-dividing their land without following required infrastructure plans. We will be scrutinising land sub-divisions and only those following required plans will be approved," said Governor Francis Kimemia during the issuance of title deeds to residents of Rurii ward.
A group of Rastafarians has moved to court seeking to block the arrest and prosecution of its members over use of marijuana for religious purposes.

The group under the Ras Tafari Society of Kenya (RSK) wants the High Court to suspend sections 3 (1)(2)(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.

The Rastafarians argue the law enacted in 1994 is hostile and intolerant to persons professing the Rastafari faith, yet the Constitution is a progressive and accommodative document that protects marginalised groups, such as theirs.

"Members of RSK are forced to live in fear as a minority religious group in Kenya as the current legislative framework is inimical to their religious practices, as it fails to reasonably accommodate the Rastafari use of marijuana as a manifestation of their faith and for their connectedness with the almighty creator," their petition reads.

The group wants the court to issue orders stopping the arrest and prosecution of its members for growing cannabis sativa for spiritual use in their homes or designated places of worship such as Rasta tabernacles and mansions.

Through lawyer Shadrack Wambui, the society argues that the insensitivity and unconstitutionality of the law is demonstrated by intolerance to the use of bhang by persons professing the Rastafari faith.

It further says the petition raises substantial questions of law and that the matter should be referred to the Chief Justice for appointment of a bench of judges of an uneven number to hear the case.

The group also says its members require spiritual growth and use of marijuana, which they say is used as a sacrament and for connection of the Rasta and his creator.

"The use of cannabis, especially among members of RSK and any other person professing the Rastafari faith, is outlawed by dint of the said section, thus criminalising the rastas spiritual use of cannabis, yet the manifestation of their religion enjoys constitutional protection," the petition states.
More than 300 pastoralist women in Samburu have been trained on mechanised beadwork so they can make and sell their jewellery globally.

The women said they will benefit greatly from the income and will no longer have to sell to middlemen at throwaway prices.

Middlemen often sell their jewellery internationally at huge profits.

The women have been trained on how to use machines to string beads faster and more easily to meet international market standards.

Pastoralist women are traditionally denied their right to own property, so they have virtually no income.

The Ushanga Initiative seeks to strengthen business and production capacity for the Samburu women as well as improve their competitiveness of bead products in local, regional and international markets for sustainable livelihoods.

Samburu County Executive Member for Tourism, Trade and Cooperatives Peter Leshakwet said women have traditionally made beads for personal decoration but they are seeking to turn the venture into a lucrative business.

"It has been a traditional venture for a long time. We are seeking to help women harness their potential and turn the venture into a lucrative business," Leshakwet said, as he thanked the Ushanga Initiative Kenya for transforming the cultural activity into a business to help transform the lives of pastoralist women.

Will use machines

According to Mr Leshakwet, the training will help the women save time since they will use machines to make work easier.

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He said the Samburu government will work with the Ushanga Initiative Kenya to produce enough beadwork for both the domestic and international markets.

"The machines will help women improve on designs, increase efficiency and make different items that will be competitive in both local and international markets," he said.

Florence Lesooli, a bead crafter, expressed optimism that the move to train women will help boost the beadwork business in Samburu, which has been dealt a blow in the past year by the coronavirus pandemic.

Bead ornaments are popular souvenirs among tourists in Kenya and thus the devolved unit resolved to fully fund the Ushanga Initiative across the region before the outbreak of coronavirus disrupted normal operations.

In 2017, the government started the Ushanga initiative among Maa speaking communities to support women who have over the years displayed unique skills in beadwork.

The Ushanga initiative aims at creating jobs and transforming the living standards of the pastoralist women through the commercialisation of beadwork, but the coronavirus pandemic dealt the project a blow.

During the pre-pandemic period, the project offered a ray of hope to women from marginalised communities in West Pokot, Narok, Baringo, Samburu, Turkana, Marsabit and Kajiado counties.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has approved murder charges against the key suspect in the killing of Jennifer Wambua, who was the National Land Commission's deputy director.

Following the approval of charges, Machakos High Court judge David Kenei directed that the prime suspect, Peter Mwangi Njenga alias Ole Sankale, be brought before him on May 26 for plea-taking.

Earlier, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said forensic analysis placed Mr Njenga at the scene of the crime.

Detectives said the suspect, who is a convicted rapist and violent robber, was last seen with Wambua on March 12.

Njenga was arrested last month by homicide detectives at his house in Embulbul in Ngong, Kajiado County.

He allegedly trailed Wambua to Ngong Forest where she had gone to pray.
Fresh battle lines have been drawn between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto for the control of the vote-rich Mt Kenya region.

To manage his succession, President Kenyatta has attempted to lock his deputy out of the region.

Basking in the glory of the approval of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) by the two Houses of Parliament - Senate and National Assembly - President Kenyatta has drawn the battle lines with his allies coming out guns blazing, ready for the battle for the soul of Mt Kenya.

Buoyed by the High Court ruling that stopped the BBI process last week, Dr Ruto is also keen to continue his onslaught against the President in his backyard as he seeks to market himself as the Kenyan leader standing with the masses.

"... now let's focus on Covid vaccination, economic recovery, the Big Four (agenda) and stay united," the DP wrote just a day after the five-judge bench blocked the BBI.

But even as the President and Dr Ruto eye Mt Kenya votes, ODM leader Raila Odinga as well as One Kenya Alliance, that brings together party leaders Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Gideon Moi (Kanu), all who are allied to President Kenyatta, are also devising strategies for reaching out to the region ahead of 2022.

Initiation ceremony

On Saturday, Mr Mudavadi joined a host of top government officials and Mt Kenya leaders who attended an initiation ceremony for Kieni MP Kanini Kega's son at his rural home.

Even though Mr Kega told Nation the event was private, it had political connotations as majority of the speakers pledged their loyalty to the President.

Mr Mudavadi's presence was telling, being one of the front runners for president in the One Kenya Alliance.

Read: President Kenyatta's tough test in 2022 election plans

The fierce battle between the President's camp and Dr Ruto's for the soul of Mt Kenya, insiders say, is likely to escalate regardless of the final verdict on the BBI process.

Following the sailing of the BBI in Parliament, National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya told the DP that he was yet to see the fury of the voters in Mt Kenya region.

"Those who have been promised wheelbarrows in future must read the mood. The ground is solidly behind the President. We hope their leader has seen the light and will stop defying the President," Mr Kimunya said, insisting the President's numbers are intact both in Parliament and on the ground.

CoG in succession politics

Parliament On May 6 approved the BBI Bill, a joint project of President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga before the High Court blocked it a week later.

At least 235 MPs voted in support of the Bill, 83 opposed while two abstained, with the President's men promising the DP a battle royale in Mt Kenya region that they believe will now send the country's second in command into political oblivion by confining him to his Rift Valley backyard.

Strategists in President Kenyatta's camp believe Mt Kenya remains a key cog in his succession politics, hence the fresh plot to go full throttle and pull it from the DP's grip irrespective of how the BBI process goes.

Sources privy to the President's renewed charm offensive on the region said there are concerns that failure to whip the region solidly behind him would complicate his efforts to guide his succession and complicate chances of his heir apparent taking over.

President Kenyatta's men in the region now say they are awaiting the Court of Appeal's verdict on BBI to plan for the referendum vote if the appellate court sets the High Court ruling aside or just prepare for 2022 campaigns so that they can begin the process of the Mt Kenya takeover from the DP.

"The President just did two meetings in Mt Kenya and the notion on BBI changed, what if he goes to the field to ahead of the referendum, if all goes well, or the 2022 campaigns?" posed Kieini MP Kanini Kega, an ally of the president.

He went on: "Very soon, they will know we only have one leader in Mt Kenya, HE Uhuru Kenyatta. Where he will lead us, we shall go."

He said the President's camp will soon make a communication on their planned meetings with Mt Kenya voters to end the DP's "four-year support in the region.

Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda said President Kenyatta is not a lame duck Head of State and "will move across all the constituencies in Mt Kenya and rally it solidly behind him."

"Uhuru will be at the centre of his succession. The DP's meetings with some leaders from the Mt Kenya region are not about how to benefit central Kenya, they are merely based on how he plans to reward individual leaders with positions. They are battling to be his running mate and we are wondering where they will end," Mr Kamanda said.

Fight back

But as the President's men prepare to counter the DP's inroads in the region, Dr Ruto has planned to develop a framework of engagement aimed at empowering residents of the region if he is elected president in next year's General Election.

The DP was also on May 8 plotting a fight back to retain Mt Kenya region amid an onslaught by the President's men to recover lost ground.

On May 8, Dr Ruto met at least three representatives from the Mt Kenya as he planned on strategies to retain the region's support that is now threatened, following the BBI voting in Parliament where some of his allies approved the document.

"(I had) an engagement with three representatives from each of the 11 counties from Mt Kenya region as a follow-up to the Maasai Mara meeting," the DP tweeted soon after the meeting with the leaders.

Three weeks ago, he held a similar meeting at the Maasai Mara where he revealed his economic empowerment plans for the region.

The President's men have, however, termed the DP's plans for the region as hot air. They have challenged him to explain what he had done in the area in his capacity as the second in command.

Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe explained that Dr Ruto is part of the presidency and should not purport to have better future plans for the region.

"He is a Deputy President while some of his people have been in the budget committee for the last three years. Why didn't they implement those ideas they are promising to implement after 2022 when they had those positions?" posed Mr Murathe.

Dr Ruto's allies have, however, maintained that so far the DP has a head start in Mt Kenya, no amount of intimidation or blackmail will change his support in the region.

Voting pattern

They say despite the voting pattern by county assemblies and National Assembly on the BBI Bill, Mt Kenya residents have embraced the DP and will vote for him in 2022.

Dr Ruto allies feel that the country's second in command had edged out all other presidential candidates in the area and that President Kenyatta's attempt to change their mind to support a different candidate will not succeed.

Kandara DP Alice Wahome accused President Kenyatta of seeking new allies at the expense of Dr Ruto, thus endearing the DP to the locals in Mt Kenya.

"The President looked for other allies unacceptable to the region and used methods of exclusivity and old style of politics that did not make sense to the people who put him and Dr Ruto to power twice," Ms Wahome said.

She argues that President Kenyatta has openly "orchestrated war and abusive treatment of his deputy thus earning him sympathy "from our borders and diaspora."

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Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata say the manner in which President has treated his deputy in the last four years has catapulted the DP to fame in Mt Kenya.

"People became sympathetic when they saw Dr Ruto's ill treatment. Even if his government wanted to fight Dr Ruto, they should have used more wiser and strategic plans as opposed to use of force. Raw force only embeds sympathy," Mr Kang'ata said.

"Those tactics include discriminatory arrests of Ruto allies; removal of his allies from parliamentary committees as well as relegation of Dr Ruto from running of government," Mr Kang'ata told Nation.

On January 22, 2019, President Kenyatta, through Executive Order Number 1 of 2019, appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i chairperson of the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee, a position that technically locked out Dr Ruto from overseeing government's development projects.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said the DP stood with Mt Kenya region in 2013 and 2017 "and will be rewarded for his loyalty to the region."

"He stood with us when everyone else was against us in 2013 and 2017. He has stood with the Mt Kenya region by always visiting us when we need him. The residents have interacted with him and naturally liked him," Mr Nyoro said.

Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri wondered why the DP's lieutenants in the region were restless if he had its votes in his basket.

"They had already said they locked Mt Kenya. Wanting to lock it again means their work has collapsed. There is no way you can lock a region on promises but service delivery," Mr Ngunjiri noted.

He pointed out that the DP should use his position to empower the people of Mt Kenya instead of giving "empty promises."

Mr Kang'ata, however, insisted that the President was struggling to whip Mt Kenya back to his fold.
After more than 15 years of delays, the trial of former South African president Jacob Zuma on hundreds of counts of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering began on Monday in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, only to be immediately adjourned.

Consequent to an agreement by all parties, the case will resume on May 26 after Zuma's new legal team has had time to make a motion for the recusal of lead prosecutor Billy Downer, who the Zuma camp claims is biased against the ex-president. Exact details of why they want him out will be revealed next week when the trial resumes.

In the past, however, Zuma's defence team has been accused of using court applications to delay start of the graft trial.

Downer led the successful prosecution in the mid-2000s that saw Zuma's former 'financial advisor' Shabir Shaik found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Zuma's case has been pending following whistleblower revelations in South Africa's Parliament in the early 2000s by former Parliamentarian for the Pan Africanist Congress, Patricia de Lille, now a minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet.

The case was initially struck off the roll during Zuma's nine-year presidency but was reinstated after that decision was ruled as "irrational". Charged alongside Zuma is French arms dealer Thales Group.

The charges

The core allegation is that Zuma received, through Shaik, kickbacks related to a highly controversial late-1990s arms deal involving the multi-billion-dollar purchase of naval vessels and state-of-the-art military jets by South Africa. At the time, Zuma was state deputy president.

He is also facing 16 charges of fraud, money-laundering, corruption and racketeering and faces up to 15 years in jail on each of these major charges, with at least 783 counts involved.

As Zuma faced the judge after nearly an hour in chambers, in which the agreement to allow time for the defence motion against Downer was hammered out, several of his party loyalists - including suspended African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Ace Magashule - were present in court.

Also in court was the state's first and primary witness, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille, who said after the adjournment that she was "fine" with waiting another week to give her testimony, given that this case had been pending for nearly 20 years.

Outside the court, there was a much smaller crowd than usual. About 20 self-proclaimed ex-military veterans in combat fatigues, ostensibly present to 'defend' Zuma, were joined by some 50 others, mostly wearing ANC regalia in violation of the ruling party's orders.

An ever-defiant Zuma, whose middle name Gedleyihlekisa means 'he who laughs while crushing his enemies' in Zulu, managed a post-hearing address to supporters with the usual band of loyalists joining him on a make-shift stage outside the court house.

He was supported by militants and firebrand figures within the party, including fellow graft-accused Magashule, who also spoke in specific defiance of ANC's determination last week that he not speak on behalf of the party.

Magashule said he would never be expelled from the ANC, nor would he leave it, and called for a major turn-out of Zuma supporters when the case resumes next week.

Speaking in vernacular, Zuma hit out at those he said were after him and warned that if the laws were 'bent', he was willing to fight.

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But he seemed to be making something of a peace gesture toward the ANC leadership in asking his followers only to support him in his court case and not bring in "other matters", nor behave in ways that would make a spectacle of the ruling party.

Zuma's new lawyers said they were ready to finally deal with the long-standing charges against him, barring their issue with prosecutor Downer.

The state too said it was ready, with Judge Piet Koen indicating he wanted final pre-trial motions, along with Zuma's formal plea, entered at resumption of proceedings on Wednesday next week without any further delays.

The case is set down to run until June 20, with further time to be added as required, which is considered likely as that State has lined up 216 additional witnesses beyond the initial testimony to come from De Lille.
Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Muhamud has been removed from office after the Senate found him guilty of gross violation of the Constitution.

A total of 31 senators participated in the vote on Monday, with 25 of them voting in support of his removal, two opposing and four abstaining.

In a strange twist, Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni, who chaired the special committee that investigated the governor, abstained from the vote, marking the first time in history where a report was disowned by its author.

Others who abstained were senators Ochilo Ayacko, James Orengo and Mutula Kilonzo Jr, while Samson Cherargey and Kipchumba Murkomen voted to save the governor.

"The net effect of the vote is that Mr Muhamud has been impeached and ceases to hold office," Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka ruled after the vote.

MCAs' vote

The Special Committee of the Senate, which was formed to investigate charges levelled against Mr Abdi by members of the Wajir County Assembly, found him culpable of gross violation of the Constitution and recommended his removal from office for this reason.

In their motion, the MCAs levelled two charges against the governor, supported by a total of 17 allegations.

The first charge was gross violation of the Constitution and others laws, which was supported by 15 allegations, while the second charge was of abuse of office, which was supported by two allegations.

In its verdict, the committee absolved the governor of 15 allegations, most of which contained claims of egregious malfeasance ranging from procurement and financial improprieties.

The MCAs succeeded in substantiating two allegations, but one, according to the committee, did not achieve the threshold required to impeach the governor.

The committee found the governor failed to offer the people of his county the best healthcare and recommended that he be removed from office.

However, the recommendation had its contradictions. According to Mr Omogeni, no evidence was adduced by the MCAs to reinforce the charge and the committee "merely took the MCAs' word".

Patients' suffering

The allegations stated that a county employee died at the Wajir County Referral Hospital for lack of oxygen.

It was also said that the governor failed to fuel an ambulance, forcing the family of a patient to dip into its pockets to buy the commodity, besides buying tires for the vehicle.

"The MCAs had no particulars on this charge but the committee took the MCAs' word," Mr Omogeni said.

"The committee has considered the evidence submitted by parties and found the allegation on the violation of the rights of health of the people of Wajir County substantiated and that the violation meets the threshold of impeachment," he added.

The MCAs had also alleged in their motion that the county leadership caused the health sector of the county to run into disarray and end up in a deplorable state, hence compromising and undermining realisation of the right to the highest attainable health standards as enshrined in the Constitution.

Governor's defense

However, the governor, in a personal statement to the House, pleaded for mercy from the lawmakers, saying he had done a great deal to improve the state of healthcare in the county.

"Under my leadership, I have done more than enough in terms of healthcare despite the challenges we face because of the vastness of the county and the long distance from Nairobi," he said.

He told the lawmakers that he repaired all the ambulances that had broken down before he took over and that 16 of them were in operation as part of his efforts to offer the highest possible standards of healthcare.

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"The diagnostic survey by the national government showed that my county has an 89 per cent approval in disease diagnosis," he said, noting that another study placed his county at position 20 out of 47 on the availability of medical equipment.

The governor further argued that the problem was exacerbated by the fact that the county is not on the national grid and relies on diesel-powered generators to provide electricity, something he said was the cause of the unpredictable nature of power supply.

Governor Abdi said his government procured another generator with a bigger capacity which, if installed, will improve the supply of electricity in the county and its health facilities.

"I wish to plead with you to be sympathetic with me. You cannot remove me from office because of one allegation. I may have failed but it is not on the scale of gross violation of the Constitution," he said.

"Look carefully at the facts. Be humane. Give us a chance so that we can serve the people of Wajir," he added.
A bill aimed at assisting local government entities fight against cybersecurity threats is now a reality.

District 30 State Rep. Mike Karickhoff authored House Bill 1169, which was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb late last month. The bill provides resources for local government entities, ranging from whole cities to individual government departments, in the fight against cybercrimes, which officials say is becoming a more common problem.

According to Karickhoff, the bill was written after reports of cybercrimes hitting home in the Hoosier state began to become a somewhat regular occurrence.

Essentially, HB 1169 requires political subdivisions, such as municipalities like cities and townships, among others, to report when attempted and actual breaches occur through an appointed point of contact to the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT). The IOT then will provide a list of reputable vendors, depending on the severity and scope of the cyberattack, to the municipalities.

I think it's fair to say it's the first step in what will probably be multiple iterations of how we address cybersecurity, such as the recent attack on the (Colonial) Pipeline, Karickhoff said. It shows us how important it is to have good cybersecurity measures in place.

Cybersecurity threats hit home in Kokomo as recently as last year when the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library was hit by a bad actor, requiring library officials to report the situation to the FBI before retaining a consulting firm to handle negotiations between the KHCPL and the hacker(s).

The hack cost the KHCPL $4,848 and shut down operations for a few days in September.

The bill also allows for collaboration between the IOT and local governments, which will give the two a chance to share information as needed. That caveat is important, according to IOT Director of Communications and External Affairs Graig Lubsen, as cybersecurity threats often are pushed under the rug, so to speak.

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I'll say a lot of the genesis from our perspective at the Indiana Office of Technology is that we learned about cyberattacks only because they were in the media, Lubsen said. So having a grip on who is getting attacked and what is happening out there was important to us because we are sharing information with local governments, frequently sharing systems, and back and forth. And you're only as strong as your weakest link.

So if we get attacked and potentially have a breach, we could be affecting local government and vice versa. If they get breached, it could be getting into our systems and working its way around. And that's really why we wanted to get a real understanding of the problem and figure out, How we proceed from here. This is probably just step one in understanding cybersecurity problems. Those are certainly not going to be going away.

Deputy Director and Chief Federal and State Policy Officer Rhonda Cook, who was involved in drafting the bill along with Karickhoff, agreed, pointing to a number of news articles that showed local and state entities that were hit by cybersecurity breaches, such as one in LaPorte County.

That attack completely shut down the countys computer system, Cook said, and cost over $130,000.

Cybersecurity threats, Cook said, can have lasting ramifications for organizations outside of the digital realm as well, pointing to the attacks on the Madison County jail and Hancock Regional Hospital.

Over the course of the jail attack, law enforcement officials had to process inmates using a pad and paper.

The latter, though, fared better, Cook said, as the hospital had backup servers that could get everything up and running, though a threat to hospital patients in urgent need of medical care was still a very real possibility at the time.

Cook also said that the list of reputable vendors will be a boon for the local government. She said the list gives another resource for places like smaller towns, which may have a few members of a town council and a clerk-treasurer as the entirety of its political subdivision.

HB 1169 was written last summer in collaboration between the state, the IOT, Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, and the Association of Indiana Counties. The bill passed unanimously in both the House of Representatives and Indiana Senate.
After being convicted for the murder of her husband, former Icacirii Girls Secondary School Principal Jane Muthoni has a date with destiny on Tuesday when the court will decide on her punishment.

Ms Muthoni, who was found guilty of killing Mr Solomon Mwangi Mbuthi, the former principal of Kiru Boys High School, will be sentenced by Nakuru High Court Judge Joel Ngugi.

Justice Ngugi in his ruling delivered on April 22, found that Ms Muthoni had actually planned and executed the murder conspiracy that saw Mr Mbuthi end up dead at Karakuta Coffee plantation in Kiambu County on November 6, 2016.

She was convicted alongside her co-accused, Isaac Ng'ang'a alias Gikuyu.

21 prosecution witnesses testified that Ms Muthoni embarked on the mission to murder her husband after suspecting him of infidelity. The other woman, according to witnesses, was an M-Pesa lady who was the initial target of elimination before the plan was aborted for security reasons.

It emerged that Ms Muthoni had hired four hitmen for the job among them Mr Ng'ang'a, Joseph Kariuki Njuguna alias Karis who later turned State witness and Mr Nelson Njiru Magati.

The four men were paid at least 50,000 each as down payment for the job.

"The killing of Mr Mbuthi was principally instigated by Ms Muthoni who hired Mr Ng'ang'a to commit the homicide," ruled Justice Ngugi.

After the discovery of Mr Mbuthi's body, Ms Muthoni, Mr Ng'ang'a and Mr Kariuki were arrested in connection with his murder.

Mr Njiru, the chief executer of the murder plan, vanished into thin air and has never been found to date.

Mr Kariuki, who confessed to taking part in the murder, was sentenced to serve seven years in prison for the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Tuesday is the defining moment in the tough battle for the Bonchari parliamentary seat.

Voters go to the ballot to elect their next Member of Parliament in a high-stakes by-election that has intensified rivalries among key political players.

Candidates associated with President Kenyatta, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto will be eyeing victory after months of intense and chaotic campaigns.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared some 13 candidates to vie for the seat that fell vacant following Oroo Oyioka's death.

The constituency has 52, 624 voters. Mr Zebedeo Opore is flying the Jubilee Party flag, while Ms Teresa Bitutu, the former MP's widow, is the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) flagbearer.

Other candidates are Mr Pavel Oimeke (ODM), former Woman Rep Mary Sally Keraa (United Green Movement), Mr Jonah Onkendi Ondieki (The New Democrats), Charles Mogaka Ndege (Progressive Party of Kenya), David Ogega Oyugi (Kenya Social Congress) and Margaret Gesare Nyabuto (Maendeleo Chap Chap).

Others are Mr Kevin Mosomi (Party of Democracy Unity), Jeremiah Atancha (Agano Party), Victor Omanwa (Party of Economic Democracy), Nyakea Erick Oigo (National Reconstruction Alliance) and Paul Matagaro (Mwangaza Tu Party).

Voter turnout

Returning Officer Benson Ambuko, in a press briefing Monday, urged voters to come out in large numbers to vote for their preferred candidates.

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Thousands of Jubilee Party supporters rallied behind Mr Opore, traversing the constituency in a long motorcade in campaigns led by Ford Kenya Deputy Party Leader and Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka.

"Mr Opore served three terms as MP. People will vote for him because his work speaks for itself," Mr Onyonka said.

Mr Odinga's ODM tasked its National Treasurer, Mr Timothy Bosire, to coordinate the party's campaigns. Kisii Governor James Ongwae, Senator Sam Ongeri and Woman Rep Janet Ongera were also actively involved.

For the Ruto-linked UDA, Kandara MP Alice Wahome was in charge of campaigns.

"We're urging voters to choose Mama Teresa. Other regions have entrusted leadership to women, and we have not disappointed," Ms Wahome said.

Meanwhile, security agencies have been placed on high alert. Nyanza Regional Commissioner Magu Mutindika said intelligence reports indicated that armed goons had been hired to cause chaos during voting.

"Some of these goons are from outside the county. There are two vehicles loaded with machetes. We will deal with the situation firmly and decisively," Mr Mutindika said.
Students of Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College in Bungoma County went on a rampage Monday after the mutilated body of one of their own was found.

Martin Ambani, a third year student, was found dead next to a railway line at Miyanga area, about a kilometre away from the school. His body was mutilated and his phone was lying beside him.

On learning of his death, the irate students carried placards and twigs to demand justice for Mr Ambani.

The students, who decried growing insecurity in the area, walked from the institution to Kimaeti centre along the Eldoret-Malaba highway, paralysing business and transport services.

"We are not happy with the insecurity in this community after we found one of us brutally murdered on a railways line, something that has caused fear and panic among us," Eli Tindi, a student, said.

He called upon Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i and Bungoma County Commissioner Samuel Kimiti to move with speed and address insecurity in the area.

"We have had people from this community sneaking into this institution stealing items from students including clothes, phones and electronics," he claimed.

He added: "As students who are studying to be teachers in future, we need to have peace of mind."

Munyanya Austine, another student, said that the death is not the first to occur since two other learners recently died in unclear circumstances.

The school's headteacher, Saul Barasa, asked students to remain calm as police launch investigations into the matter.

"Yes, as a school we are aggrieved, but that does not mean we go outside the school causing mayhem and destroying people's property. That might cause more trouble," he told the students.

Bungoma County police commander, Dr Mutungi Musioka, said the police are investigating the student's death.

The body was taken to Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.
The leadership of Nakuru County Assembly has faulted the five-judge bench for declaring Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill illegal. Speaking at the assembly Monday, the ward reps said the verdict was contrary to the wishes of the residents.

"We want to express our dismay with the way the judges handled the BBI Bill case because all the constitutional procedures, including the public participation, were adhered to," said Speaker Joel Kairu.

The MCAs said that if the judges had any differences with the Executive, they should not have used it to settle their scores and punish the citizens.

"The citizens participated in the public meetings to support BBI as required by the law," added Speaker Kairu.

The MCAs said they were optimistic the appeal against the ruling, which declared the BBI process illegal, will be successful.

Gilgil MCA Jane Ngugi said women in Nakuru supported the BBI Bill.

Majority leader Moses Ndungu Kamau said it was ironic the court said the Independent electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC was not capable of handling polls yet it has conducted many by-elections.

However, Subukia MCA Peter Mbae criticised his colleagues for attacking the Judiciary.

"This is the same institution they are going back to seek their appeal. It is unwise, illogical, and unreasonable for elected leaders to criticise the rule of law," said Mr Mbae.
South Africa's failure to address domestic violence is a violation of women's rights, independent UN experts said in a report published on Monday, citing low levels of prosecution and conviction as factors.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) visited the country in September 2019 to conduct a confidential inquiry into allegations raised by civil society organizations.

Available evidence indicated that the scale of domestic violence, including femicide, is alarmingly high, members said.

Harmful practices, scant protection

Many women and girls in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, are victim of harmful practices such as child marriage, abduction for marriage ("ukuthwala"), and polygamy or polygamous unions that often give rise to domestic violence.

CEDAW found those who reported their abuser often did not get the protection they needed. Official figures show that out of nearly 144,000 requests for protection orders in 2018-2019, only around 22,200 were granted. In many cases, the protection order just called for the abuser to sleep in a different room, in the same house.

The experts highlighted the substantial suffering experienced by women and girls frequently exposed to domestic violence, including sexual violence, from a very young age.

Rape, battery and abuse

"Many victims described physical violence including rape, battery with objects, kicks and inflicted burns by their partners, who often abused alcohol or drugs, had low self-esteem or had sadistic tendencies", the Committee said.

"Some survivors used drugs to cope with the violence or had attempted to commit suicide. Even after leaving an abusive relationship, many continued to suffer from depression, trauma and anxiety."

The report also noted that in many cases, women had been killed by their partners.

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The Committee noted the absence of State-run shelters for women and their children, adding South Africa "cannot absolve itself from its obligation to ensure protection and assistance to victims of domestic violence by delegating the provision of such services to NGO-run shelters without adequately funding them."

The report includes 34 recommendations for action. They include effective law enforcement, policies ensuring adequate access to justice, protection and victim support services, and measures dismantling patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory stereotypes that legitimize domestic violence.

CEDAW explained

CEDAW monitors adherence to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Nearly 190 countries have ratified the treaty, which entered into force in 1981.

The 23 members, independent human rights experts who come from around the world, serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States party to the Convention.
Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, left, and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, right, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, brief UN Security Council members virtually on Sudan and South Sudan and the situation in Abyei (file image)

press release

Lifting the UN arms embargo on South Sudan could have dire consequences for human rights, Amnesty International warned today, ahead of a UN Security Council vote on 27 May to decide the future of the embargo.

The Security Council must ensure a range of human rights benchmarks are met before the embargo can be lifted. These include an end to crimes under international law, reform of the National Security Service (NSS), and the establishment of a Hybrid Court to ensure accountability.

"South Sudan's hard-won independence 10 years ago has sadly not resulted in respect for human rights. State security forces repress freedom of expression including media freedoms and both state security forces and armed groups continue to violate international humanitarian law, in some cases amounting to war crimes, with impunity," said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

"When the Security Council assesses keeping or lifting the arms embargo on South Sudan, it must, at a minimum, set the bar at halting these violations and ending impunity."

Volatile security situation

The Security Council vote comes as the South Sudanese government continues to fail to protect civilians from being killed, displaced, and raped by armed groups and militias. According to the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, the perpetrators are often supported by both government and opposition forces, including through the illicit provision of small arms and light weapons.

South Sudan's security situation remains volatile and implementation of the peace agreement has been delayed. Allowing more weapons into the mix by lifting the arms embargo would be a poor decision, especially knowing that the embargo was violated as recent as last year.

Amnesty International documented incidents of continued fighting between government troops, former opposition forces and a rebel group in the southern Equatoria region in 2020, which resulted in extrajudicial executions, torture and forcible displacement of civilians and destroyed civilian property.

Chilling government surveillance

A recent Amnesty International investigation revealed that the NSS conducts chilling surveillance without legal safeguards, in breach of the right to privacy. The NSS uses this information to arbitrarily arrest and illegally detain individuals and infringe on the rights to freedom of opinion, expression and assembly.

Reforming this agency to end these abusive practices is crucial. A minimum first step would be to amend the 2014 NSS Act and its 2019 Amendment Bill, to bring them in line with the country's constitution and international human rights standards. The Act currently gives the agency the ability to arrest and detain people, as well as sweeping, unchecked powers to conduct surveillance, breaching constitutional, regional and international guarantees to uphold the right to privacy.

The Security Council must also pressure the Government of South Sudan to stop allowing the NSS to operate outside its constitutional intelligence gathering mandate and with impunity, by holding suspects of human rights violations to account and by ensuring the NSS is included in a rigorous security sector reform process.

"Sudan's National Security Service grossly oversteps its mandate by intimidating, arbitrarily detaining and, in some cases, disappearing and killing government critics and opponents. The Security Council should not ease sanctions until key reforms are implemented," said Sarah Jackson.

An end to impunity

Impunity in South Sudan has created a culture where burning of entire villages, raping of young girls and boys, using forced starvation as a method of warfare, shooting civilians and other war crimes and crimes against humanity go unpunished.

To ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes will be brought to justice, the Security Council must include the establishment of an impartial, independent and effective Hybrid Court and other "transitional justice" mechanisms as an additional benchmark.

Senior government officials have not followed through on commitments in the revitalized peace agreement to establish transitional justice mechanisms, including the Hybrid Court, and the African Union is not moving forward with the urgency needed In April 2019, the Government of South Sudan was ready to pay millions of dollars to a US-based lobbying firm to "delay and ultimately block [the] establishment of the hybrid court".

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"If South Sudanese leaders are serious about an end to violations and sustained security, they must establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and the other transitional justice mechanisms that they agreed to in the 2015 and 2018 peace agreements."

Background

The UN arms embargo on South Sudan currently expires on 31 May 2021.

On 13 July 2018, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan's territory, legally obliging all UN member states to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms and related material - including ammunition, military vehicles and spare parts. The embargo also extends to technical support, training, financial or other assistance related to military activities.

In April 2020, following an investigation in South Sudan, Amnesty International revealed evidence of arms embargo violations, including newly imported small arms and ammunition, illicit concealment of weapons and diversion of armoured vehicles for unauthorized military purposes.
Geneva  The World Health Organization reports the COVID-19 pandemic has set back years of gains made in efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases, a diverse group of 20 illnesses that disproportionately affect impoverished communities in tropical areas.

Neglected tropical diseases affect 1.7 billion people globally. Forty percent are in Africa, a continent that encompasses most of the 10 high burden countries in the world.

Over the past decade, the World Health Organization reports great progress has been made in the treatment of many of these life-threatening and debilitating diseases. It notes 42 countries around the world have eliminated at least one disease.

However, Mwelecele Malecela, director of WHO's department of control of neglected tropical diseases says she fears a lot of this good work could be undone because of the negative impact of COVID-19.

She says the pandemic has caused disruptions and delays in NTD services. She says mass treatment campaigns, surveys of affected areas, and the transport and delivery of medicines have been interrupted.

"All the efforts that have been done to control neglected tropical diseases, to bring about elimination in most of the affected countries, will be reversed if the focus is not kept, a good focus on surveillance, a good focus on continued interventions in some of the countries which are nearing elimination," said Malecela.

WHO reports Guinea Worm disease is on the cusp of eradication, with only 27 human cases reported in six African countries last year. In 1986, about 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia.

WHO says Yaws, a chronic skin infection is a disease that can be eradicated in the Indian sub-continent. Malecela cites several other success stories.

"In terms of elimination of trachoma, we have Morocco, we have Ghana and more recently, we have Gambia," said Malecela. "We have the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Togo and in Malawi... In Yemen, which is outside Africa in the middle east, we have eliminated lymphatic filariasis under very difficult conditions. But they have managed to do it and that has been a very impressive feat."

At the end of January, WHO formally launched a new road map aimed at driving progress towards a world free of NTDs by 2030. Health officials consider the road map a key piece in ensuring countries build back better after COVID-19 by focusing on resilience and strengthening health systems.
Blantrye, Malawi  Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has warned Malawians against overpraising and overdepending on him, a tendency that he says can turn presidents into dictators.

Chakwera spoke Friday in Lilongwe during a commemoration of the country's first president, the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who many say was a dictator during the 31 years of his administration.

Chakwera, who became president after a rerun election last June, said it's sad that even during this democratic era, people want a president to respond to every little thing, while also praising the president as they would a god.

Without directly referring to Banda, Chakwera said dictators are made by people who always idolize their leaders.

"You want the president to respond to everything, including where to draw water, how to look after your children, your household, even what you want to wear," he said.

Banda, who led the Malawi Congress Party, or MCP, ruled Malawi from 1963 to 1994, when he lost the presidency to former President Bakili Muluzi of the current opposition United Democratic Front.

During Banda's one-party system of government, many people were forced to go into exile, while others were killed by state agents.

Chakwera, the current leader of the MCP, said his desire is to serve all Malawians.

"So long as I am president, and God gives me breath, the powers of this office will only be used to serve you, never to rule you. So help me God," he said.

He warned Malawians, however, that if they over depend on him, they should not blame him if he becomes a dictator.

During the ceremony, Chakwera praised Banda for the roads, hospitals and educational initiatives he established during his administration.

Some skepticism

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Political analysts are having a different reaction, though, to Chakwera's remarks.

Sheriff Kaisi, a political science lecturer at Blantyre International University, says he doesn't take Chakwera seriously because he said Chakwera does not walk his talk.

"Because what he promised has not materialized. He said, 'I am going to trim presidential powers,' and one of such presidential powers which Malawians cried for to be trimmed from the president's office is the appointment of anti-corruption director," Kaisi said. "Another issue, for example, is that he said as well not to be the chancellor of the University of Malawi, but he became one, so he said something and now he is doing something else."

Another analyst, Vincent Kondowe, said that after stepping into the political limelight in 2014, Chakwera should be given the benefit of doubt because he has scant political experience.

Kondowe said some presidents before him also voiced similar sentiments but later acted in a contrary manner.

"For me, I would like to believe that that was an innocent and very honest comment from him as head of state," he said. "However, I would like to exercise caution because we saw in 2002, 2003 when Muluzi all of a sudden changed [his] tune and wanted to extend his term of office from a maximum of two terms to an open-ended term. So, politicians, normally you can't trust them."

In his State of the Nation Address on Wednesday in Parliament, Chakwera announced that his administration has put measures in place to reduce presidential powers, as he promised during his campaign.
Yumbe, Northern Uganda  Uganda's refugee population has so far reported eight cases of COVID-19. In Bidibidi settlement, Yumbe district, the refugee leaders are working tirelessly to keep the numbers down.

In Bangatuti village, Bidibidi settlement, four refugee welfare council members meet to discuss their awareness message to the community.

When COVID-19 broke out in Uganda in March 2020, the Ugandan government quickly shut its door to new refugees, including those from South Sudan, to curb the spread of the disease caused by the coronavirus. According to the Johns Hopkins University, Uganda currently has more than 42,600 confirmed infections and 347 deaths.

Data Kenyi, a refugee welfare council member, says since then, the refugees have been closely monitored.

"We tell them, to observe the social distancing, hand washing. Let me say, just the SOPs [Standard operating procedures] put in place. There is no high rate infection in the settlement. Whoever came new, has to go for 14 days quarantine. From there, then they will join the community and be safe," said Kenyi.

In the Ugandan refugee settlements, the markets, schools and health centers that are in zones closer to the local community are open to both refugees and locals. This can be a catalyst for the spread of COVID-19 if the refugees are not checked.

Uganda has prioritized front-line health workers for the vaccine that is being administered around the country. At Abirimajio market, which is open to refugees, Neva Rukia says she has heard on radio about people getting vaccinated and is wondering when they will be considered.

She says, "They say that if you have not attained the age of 50, you won't get vaccinated." She also says, "I'm 32 years and they say I don't qualify for the vaccination. Am I not at risk of being infected?"

On Sunday, under a grass thatched mud and wattle church, more than 100 members of a Protestant church congregation sat attentively, listening to the priest. Many of them were women and children, some with masks and others without.

Esther Luma, the church lay reader, explains the challenges facing the community. The church leader is a refugee, and the congregation consists of all refugees.

"We don't have money for buying sanitizer and masks. Of course, the church has no budget. Even the facility for washing hands is also difficult for us to get," she said.

Uganda is home to 1.4 million refugees. U.N. partners such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees say they will continue to urge to Uganda to reopen its borders, but this may not happen until the east African country builds adequate capacity to test and quarantine new variants of the coronavirus.
"Lagos state PDP is bleeding and we believe you will lead us right and get us out of this bondage."

Some 'concerned' members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State on Monday met with a party leader, Olabode George, and pleaded with him to help save the party.

The party members included former aspirants and candidates to the Houses of Assembly and Representatives. The meeting held in Mr George's home in Ikoyi, Lagos.

"Lagos State PDP is bleeding and we believe you will lead us right and get us out of this bondage," Lucy Otu, from Ibeju-Lekki, said.

The members said they have approached Mr George ahead of the elections "because he has the capacity to save the party and Lagos state from the opposition party after 25 years of reign".

The PDP has not won the governorship seat in Lagos State since 1999. They have fared better in the parliamentary elections, winning several seats in both the state House of Assembly and the House of Representatives in 2015.

In the 2019 general election, however, they failed to win a single seat in the state assembly and won one in the House of Representatives.

Mr George, who was served as the party's deputy national chairman, south, is not known for winning his polling unit on election days.

"We are grateful that despite the intimidation, the deep pocket, the commitment of funding, the bastardisation of the treasury of the state, you are still consistent," Adamoh-Faniyan Gbenga, a party member from Lagos Island, said at Monday's meeting.

"We know that many that were with you from the beginning have left to the opposition party, but you remain consistent."

Response

Reacting to the concerns of the party members, Mr George said "he would double his support for them in the coming elections".

"Our representatives, I must thank you for your steadfastness, loyalty, and commitment to the party. The way the party was managed even during the primaries, despite all that, what you have done is part of your commitment.

"Some persons have jumped ship, but you were never afraid, you stood your ground and followed your conscience and for me, there is no other measure to be a proud member than what you people did.

"You were doing it because you believe that is the right thing to do and that is why PDP in the South-west today is getting back to normalcy. If not they would have sold the party," Mr George said.

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The party leader assured the members that there would be a change in the political affairs of Lagos State in the coming elections.

"When somebody said the party is bleeding, you are right. Where is the discipline?

"I have a promise for you, personally for me remember I supported you, now I will double the support. There will be competition, anybody who wants to come out and compete with you, let them come out," he said.

Corruption and insecurity

Mr George also spoke on the level of corruption in Lagos State and the insecurity ravaging different parts of the state.

Although Mr George did not mention any name, he said the treasury of Lagos is being looted by those in power.

"Is this what Nigerians voted for, for this hardship, no direction, and somebody senselessly and openly stealing from the treasury of our state.

"You went out supposedly campaigning for people to trust you, that you will manage the resources of the state for their benefit. Has he managed the resources for their benefits or for himself, his wife and his family? Is that what politics is all about?" he said.

PREMIUM TIMES recently reported how since last year, the chairmanship of the PDP in Lagos has been a subject of litigation between two claimants, Adegbola Dominic and Deji Doherty.

While Mr George, is behind Mr Dominic, the national leadership of the party recognises Mr Doherty.
RTHK: Cyclone batters Covid-stricken India's west coast

A monster cyclone was lashing India on Tuesday, with powerful winds and driving rain leaving at least 20 people dead, and interrupting the vaccine programme the country urgently needs to get its spiralling Covid-19 outbreak under control.

Cyclone Tauktae battered swathes of the vast nation, sending huge waves crashing onto its shores, turning streets into rivers and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

The colossal swirling system  the biggest to hit the region in decades  claimed lives in Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat as savage winds swept through flimsy homes and uprooted trees and electricity pylons.

Mumbai authorities closed the airport and urged people to stay indoors, shifting about 600 Covid-19 patients in field hospitals "to safer locations", while sea levels swelled as high as three metres near the seaside town of Diu.

Two navy ships were deployed to assist in search and rescue operations for a barge carrying 273 people adrift off Mumbai's coast, with 28 picked up so far, the defence ministry said late on Monday.

Tauktae made landfall in Gujarat on Monday as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm packing gusts of up to 185 kilometres per hour, the Indian Meteorological Department said. It had been downgraded to a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by Tuesday morning.

The deadly weather system has exacerbated India's embattled response to a coronavirus surge that is killing at least 4,000 people daily, and pushing the health system to breaking point.

Around 200,000 people were evacuated in Gujarat, where all Covid-19 patients in hospitals within five kilometres of the coast were also moved.

Authorities there scrambled to ensure there would be no power cuts in the nearly 400 designated Covid hospitals and 41 oxygen plants in the area.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani told reporters over 1,000 Covid hospitals in coastal towns have been provided with generators.

"Besides the daily requirement of 1,000 tonnes of oxygen in Gujarat per day, an additional stock of 1,700 tonnes has been secured and could be used in case of emergency," Rupani said.

Virus safety protocols such as wearing masks, social distancing and the use of sanitisers would be observed in the shelters for evacuees, officials added.

The state also suspended vaccinations for two days. Mumbai did the same for one day.

Thousands of disaster response personnel have been deployed to help with the fallout from Tauktae, while units from the coast guard, navy, army and air force have been placed on standby. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
About a month ago, Ryan Johnson was painting parking lots and sending over 100 emails to Division I colleges until he received, "One, 'Yes,'" from Illinois.
"What is happening in Kaduna is not an industrial action but a campaign of social and economic sabotage"

A defiant Kaduna State government has said the five-day warning strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which began on Monday, will not distract it from its plan to 'rightsize' the civil service of the state.

The state government dismissed the strike and street protests as an attempt by labour union leaders to sabotage its policy but said the first day of the strike has not affected the operations of the government.

The state's Head of Service, Bara'atu Mohammed, said this to journalists in Kaduna during a brief state executive council meeting on Monday.

Mrs Mohammed said the state government will not rescind the decison to sack civil servants that are not needed in the state.

She said the NLC strike and protest were an attempt to sabotage the policy of the government, vowing ,however, that the government will not be distracted.

"What is happening in Kaduna is not an industrial action but a campaign of social and economic sabotage.

"Kaduna State government is functioning despite the illegal attempt to block our offices, hospitals and schools. The schools are opened, our offices are opened, the hospitals are opened.

"NLC are aware that inflicting pains on citizens by locking hospitals and shutting down electricity will not change the decision of Kaduna State government to rightsize and will not change our intention to use the Trade Union Act which prohibits strike by extension service workers."

Mrs Mohammed also said she received the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in hear office Monday morning who told the government they will not be part of the NLC strike.

"The TUC met with us today and we had a fruitful discussion. It was a good discussion. They also promised us they will not be party to the NLC strike in the state.

NLC Strike

The five-day warning strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State kicked off Monday morning, with officials of the union picketing government ministries and parastatals and denying civil servants access to the state secretariat.

Civil servants, in their hundreds, stood at the gate of the state secretariat on the popular Independence Way on Monday morning after union officials picketed the facility.

The NLC had called on all unions to join the warning strike it called to force the state government to rescind its plan to sack many civil servants and "rightsize" the state's bureaucracy.

They marched from the state secretariat to the state House of Assembly complex before retiring at the Labour office in Kaduna.

However, the state government has described the action of the NLC as illegal and urged residents of the state to remain calm.

Muyiwa Adekeye, the spokesperson to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, said in a statement that "the conditions that compelled its decision to rightsize have not been altered by the NLC's campaign of economic and social sabotage.

"KDSG remains firmly committed to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the majority of its citizens, putting the many ahead of the few. The unlawful actions and reckless statements that define the NLC's assault on the rights of the people of Kaduna State, are a needless exercise in futility.

"Desperate actions undertaken by the NLC today include unlawful trespass on government facilities, and attempts to prevent officers from signing attendance registers.

"Despite these actions, the state government has guaranteed access to the State Secretariat and other government offices. KDSG intends to continue running its operations in the service to the people, despite the futile efforts of the NLC to impede it.

"The State Executive Council also held its regular weekly meeting to discuss policy matters germane to the progress of the state and the welfare of its people.

"In addition to shutting down electricity, the NLC has also shut healthcare access for several of our citizens. They have closed several hospitals and chased away the patients. General hospitals in Kawo, Tudun-Wada, Kafanchan, Giwa, Rigasa, Kakuri and Sabon Tasha were illegally locked.

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"They also shut rural hospitals and primary health centres in Kwoi, Turunku and other locations across the state. Preventing patients from receiving treatment in public health facilities certainly does not qualify as a pro-people action.

"The State Government is documenting all these violations of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Trade Union Act. The government shares the pain of the people of Kaduna State amidst the avalanche of unlawful conduct by the NLC and appeals to all residents to remain calm and vigilant. It should be obvious that the resort to coercion and imposition of restraints on the personal freedom and comfort of citizens confirm that this is a campaign of sabotage, not an industrial action.

"KDSG welcomes the visit by the leaders of the Trade Union Congress who met with our Head of Service, Bariatu Y. Mohammed, this morning. Hajiya Bariatu commended the constructive attitude of the TUC delegation led by Barrister Musa Lawal, its Secretary-General. The Head of Service also disclosed that all officers from GL 14 upwards are expected at their duty posts as usual."
President Paul Kagame has said that Rwanda and France are on the path to normalization of ties, following the series of events that has taken place towards that direction.

Kagame was speaking during a televised interview with French media outlets France 24 and RFI on the sidelines of twin summit meetings in Paris, on helping Sudan in its new dispensation and another on providing Africa with critical financing needed to minimize Covid-19 effects.

The President said that the publication of reports by two independent commissions on France's role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda was an important step towards establishment of warm ties.

French historian Vincent Duclert in April officially handed over a report commissioned in 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron to probe the then French government role in the 1994 Genocide in which over a million people were killed.

This report deduced that France bore a significant responsibility in the Genocide but fell short on exposing their complicity in the Genocide in which over a million people were killed.

In the same month, April 2021, The Muse Report was produced by a team of legal experts led by American jurist Robert F Muse from the Washington-based law firm Levy, Firestone Muse LLP.

The report showed that the French government was neither blind nor unconscious about the Genocide and provided unwavering support to the Genocidal government that was in power then.

On the basis of the insights, truth and clarity, Kagame said that there is an opportunity to create a good relationship between the two countries.

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"There is convergence on what happened... I think France and Rwanda have a chance and good basis on which to create a good relationship as it should have been, the rest we can leave behind us," he said.

On whether Rwanda would be seeking an apology from France, Kagame said that it was upon the European nation to decide what to do going forward noting that they will not be asked to apologize.

"That matter is upon France to decide what is best for them, the worst thing I can do is ask anybody to apologize, I leave it to them, that is when it comes out honestly, genuinely," he said.

As the two countries resume ties, the President said further cooperation can be made in the arrest and bring to justice Genocide suspects and fugitives who have been known to reside in France for years.

Welcoming the arrest of Felicien Kabuga, he said going forward the decision to bring them to justice lay with France, but added that Rwanda's wish is for justice to prevail.

Also on the margins of the meeting on Monday, Kagame met and held talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
T he government has planned to phase out the current national identity cards by 2024 and replace them with electronic ones.

The announcement was made during the handover of office to the new executive director of National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Ms Rosemary Kisembo, at its headquarters at Kololo, Kampala, on Friday.

Brig Stephen Kwiringira, the former acting NIRA executive director, said the team has already developed a concept note to phase out the current national identity cards, adding that the process of rolling out the new system has started.

"One of the tasks I am leaving for the new executive director will be to speed up the process and ensure that it comes to life," Brig Kwiringira, who now reverts to his substantive position of director in charge of registration and operations, said.

He said over the last 10 months, his team has reduced the turn-around time for registration and printing of the cards to three weeks, down from three months.

Brig Kwiringira also said most of the processes have been decentralised to the districts and divisions to speed up registration and issuance of the cards.

"Effective January, 32 offices were connected to the national centre at Kololo. We are currently training 11,762 registration officials to skill them in the use of the vital tools," he said.

While presiding over the handover, Gen Jeje Odongo, the Minister of Internal Affairs, urged the new leadership to speed up the processes.

"You are coming at a time when we have very many expectations like a new enhanced identity cards by 2024.

The journey has begun, and I would like you to hold the bull by the horns, and come 2024, we have new national identity cards with enhanced features. We want to have a card which will be used to transact business across the board," Gen Odongo said. He also tasked Ms Kisembo and her team to change the negative perception of the authority.

"You must have heard about many unsavoury comments about NIRA like negative public perception and many others. We are looking up to your stewardship to change things. Through this, we hope you will be able to reach out and expand your operations so that not all will come here at Kololo for registration," Gen Odongo said.

Ms Kisembo pledged to learn from colleagues and ensure that she improves the authority's image.

She promised a robust and secure registry and data.

"I propose that we fight harder and establish policies to enable us create a credible and secure register for this country. The current staffing levels cannot be able to create a credible register. We shall continue to create online platforms to receive applications so that we create more time to scrutinise the applications," Ms Kisembo said.

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She also said with the low staffing levels, it will take up to eight years for the authority to issue cards to all Ugandans who qualify but said that has to change.

New systems

NIRA is not the only agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs phasing out old identification cards. In 2018, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control started issuing out the new electronic passports, and set January as the date when the old passports would cease to work.

However, last year the government extended the deadline to April 2022. Since its set up in 2014, NIRA has registered 25 million Ugandans and has printed out 15 million cards and less than 10 million cards have been issued out to those registered. Out of the projected 1.3 million annual births, only159,031 were registered by the authority.

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By Rajab Mukombozi

By Felix Ainebyoona

The media fraternity in Uganda is mourning a budding television reporter who died on Monday, hours after giving birth.

Sheila Nakabuye, 32, was pronounced dead by doctors at Mbarara Regional Referral hospital at around 8am.

According to friends and family members, the NBS TV's south western Uganda bureau chief gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday through a C-section at Cedus Clinic in Rwebikoona Mbarara where she had been admitted.

However, she got seizures and went into a coma forcing her family members to transfer her to Mbarara regional referral hospital at around 11am on Sunday.

One of Nakabuye's co-worker, Mr Ambrose Muhumuza said after the operation at the clinic, Nakabuye on Sunday morning took some snacks and yogurt but later started vomiting before she went into coma and was transferred to the regional referral hospital.

At the referral hospital, Nakabuye was admitted in ICU.

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"Very unfortunate! The lady was operated on at Cedus clinic somewhere in Rwebikoona and the health workers realized that she was dying. She was rushed to referral almost dead. Died a few hours after arrival. Cause of death is brain aneurysm; swelling of brain vessels," said Dr Celestine Barigye, Mbarara regional referral hospital director.

Born in Butambala District, Nakabuye had a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass communication from Uganda Pentecostal University, Fort portal.

Nakabuye's experience with radio broadcast started in senior six vacation, when she worked hard to raise her university tuition.

Thereafter, she had a short stint in television reporting at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation in 2016 having worked as a news anchor and reporter at Crooze radio in Mbarara City. In the same year (2016), she joined NBS TV as she also anchored news at a local BFM radio station. However, she later returned to Mbarara to work as a full time reporter before she was appointed south western Uganda bureau chief for NBS TV.

By the time of her death, Nakabuye's close associates say she had transformed into a dependable, resilient, and passionate journalist, whose work and professionalism leaves a void in the entire western and south western Uganda region.

With interest in covering special interest groups, especially women and girls, Nakabuye always worked towards improving local communities.

During the recently concluded elections, the then expectant mother worked hard through dark nights in the hills of western and southwestern Uganda as she combed for stories for her employer.

Mr Apollo Lee Kakonge, the executive director, Western Ankole Civil Society described Nakabuye as instrumental in advancing issues of social justice.

"Sheila has been instrumental in the advancement of social justice and democratic values through her journalistic work. She will be missed by all of us," he said

The Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality MP, Mr Gordon Arinda eulogizing Nakabuye as a balanced reporter before adding that it was a sad day in Bushenyi following her death.

"This is an extremely sad day to the media fraternity and to all of us. Sheila fulfilled all the tenets of a journalist. She was objective and measured up to the task. With certainty, we will miss you, Sheila," he said.

The Mbarara Catholic Journalists Association chairperson, Mr Felix Ainebyoona says they lost a focused and intelligent journalist.

"Nakabuye is this person that always remained focused and wouldn't easily give in to any job-related threats during her time. It is unfortunate that we have lost a person of her character," Mr Ainebyoona eulogized

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One of NBS TV news anchors, Mr Samson Kasumba described Nakabuye as an amazing human being and passionate reporter.

"You loved your job and we often shared a light moment when you were live for your cross-overs. I hate that maternal mortality has claimed such a great talent. You have been let down by health care," he Mr Kasumba tweeted.

She has been praised by many for breaking boundaries and stereotypes to become a fearless journalist whose dreams carried her to places to make a contribution.

Nakabuye's twitter handle indicates that she last posted yesterday (May 16) at 10.36am reacting to an NBS story about an Israeli airstrike which destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of Al-Jazeera, Associated Press, and other offices and residential apartments.

"Killing with impunity shouldn't be allowed by the international community," she tweeted.
By Ronald Seebe

At least 10,000 residents of Bugiri District stand to be employed, both directly and indirectly by Bugiri

Sugar Factory within the first year of operation, authorities have revealed.

The construction of the factory comes after Bugiri District Local Government secured 60 acres of land in Bugubo Village, Kapyanga Sub-county.

Mr Yash Patel, the managing director, earlier said construction is expected to end in December, adding that

they would crush 3,500 tonnes of canes per day and produce 4,800 bags of sugar daily.

Mr Rogers Bagaga, the Kapyanga Subcounty vice chairperson, at the weekend said the factory has come with a number of benefits.

"The factory hasn't yet started crushing cane but a number of youth in Bugiri and immediate surroundingdistricts are already being employed. This is an initiative which is going to off er employment to our idle youth," he said.

Mr Anthony Nsenko, the Bugiri deputy Resident District Commissioner, said besides fishing and boda boda business, Bugiri has been lacking an industry to off er an alternative source of employment.

"...Out of 10 youth, only three are employed. I am happy that the number of youth who have been fl ocking to my office for jobs is going to be absorbed by the factory," Mr Nsenko said.

Mr Musa Mutamba, the district speaker, said 10,000 jobs can change the revenue base of the district.

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Mr Mutamba said the district has enough land to accommodate more industries, and urged government and private investors to make investments.

Conditions

Mr Patel said the registration of farmers is free-of-charge, but it will only be for those with more than 10 acres of land.

He added that permits will also only be issued to registered farmers, and they are looking forward to dealing directly with farmers.

Mr Baka Mugabi, the Bukooli North Member of Parliament-elect, said: "We don't want to hear anything to do with middlemen when it comes to getting permits; eliminate them and deal directly with farmers."

So far, about 1,000 farmers have been registered of the 4,000 that are needed to grow cane on 18,000 acres of land.

Mr Richard Owere, a farmer, said the number should be increased because there are many cane farmers in Bugiri and Namayingo districts. Farmers are also optimistic about the ready market.

"We have been taking our canes to Mayuge and Kakira for sale, during which truck drivers charge us exorbitantly for transport," Mr Owere said.

Ms Evelyn Anite, the State Minister for Finance, Investment and Privatisation, earlier said besides production of domestic sugar, industrial sugar used for making syrups for children, soda and spirits for medical use will be produced

at the factory.

Mr Morrison Rwakakamba, the incoming chairperson of Uganda Investment Authority, said the Authority is committed to quality production.
By Arney Tjaronda

BBA Student: Banking & Finance major at the University of Namibia.

Access to funding is what most entrepreneurs struggle with. I have seen that on first hand basis when my mother needed funding for her business to survive.

Funding not only helps entrepreneurs succeed in their endeavours but it also creates jobs in Namibia. It is rare for newly established entrepreneurial ventures to get listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange Market, thus making it difficult for them to get funding for their ventures. The gap created between not being listed and the need for funding is where private equity comes in.

Understanding Private Equity

As mentioned earlier, private equity closes that gap by providing funding to companies who are not listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange. To grasp a better understanding about private equity, we define it in the least confusing way. As defined by Investopedia, Private equity ("PE") is ownership interest or stake in an entity that is not publicly listed or traded.

They provide investment capital by purchasing stakes in private companies, which is often also associated with gaining ownership in them. The private equity industry compromises institutional investors such as pension funds like the GIPF and private equity firms funded by accredited investors like Eos Capital and IJG Namibia just to mention a few.

In a publication by Peter Johns (2018), he eluded that back in 2013 the Minister of Finance (at that time), issued regulations under the Pension Fund Act 24 of 1956. The regulations stipulate that pension funds and insurance companies must invest between 1.7% and 3.5% of the market value of their respective investments in unlisted investments in Namibia. This meant that entrepreneurs owning private companies received funding of some sort from the implementation of those regulations till to date.

How aware are you? Aware of the fact that GIPF is the largest pioneer in the private equity industry. The Government Institution Pension Fund (GIPF) does not deal directly with the funds, however since 2010 the GIPF committed over N$5 billion (US$ 340 million) to private equity funds managed by various fund managers. These fund managers are service providers that scout for private companies in Namibia they can invest in. The names of these funds will be disclosed soon, however let us draw out why private equity is beneficial to entrepreneurial ventures.

Benefits of Private Equity to entrepreneur's ventures in Namibia

Private equity groups have deep pockets which can be used to fuel growth. They provide the capital needed to help entrepreneurs to renovate facilities, buy new equipment or launch a marketing effort. They can help supply the talent your venture is lacking, thus helping to increase economies of scale. They provide connections through events they host, for example: the Eljota Investment Summit which is a good networking platform to meet potential business partners. Private equity firms are motivated to achieving positive return on investment (ROI).

Private Equity funds under GIPF for entrepreneurs

As mentioned earlier, the GIPF does not directly deal with funds so it allots the funds to private equity managers to help fund entrepreneurial ventures.

A few of these funds are (GIPF annual report, 2020):

NamPro I & II- This fund is engaged in providing short-term working capital facilities and medium-term asset backed financing to SMEs that are awarded tenders by government, large corporations and local authorities.

Kongalend- This fund provides renewable energy and credit financing for SMEs

Konigstein Capital Investment Property Fund (KCIPF)- Provides funding for property project development with the focus on housing and land servicing.

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Expanded Infrastructure Fund- this fund targets projects like toll roads, railways, telecommunications, bulk water supply, water and wastewater treatment, healthcare, etc.

Desert Stone Fund- it is mandated to invest in early-stage venture capital, development capital and buyout investments.

Those are the funds the GIPF allot funding for distribution to enterprises. For more information, it is advisable to review the GIPF Annual Report of 2020.

There are a lot of private equity funds in Namibia and most of them are determined to invest in companies for positive returns.

My opinion is that private equity funds are not given enough recognition yet they are the largest financiers of companies that are not listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange. Yet again, it is just one man's opinion.
The Gambia's Ministry of Health has denied any link to a seized refrigerated truck with suspected medical products by Senegalese Custom Border Officers at Kerr Ayub.

According to the country's health ministry, the truck was only transiting through The Gambia from the Southern Province of Cassamance.

Below we reproduce the full text of the press release issued by the ministry for the benefit of our readers and it reads:

The Ministry of Health and partners are following with keen interest, developments surrounding the reported seizure of suspected medicinal products by the Senegalese Custom Border Officers at Kerr Ayub of a Senegalese refrigerated truck with registration number TH 6650 D carrying a cargo of fish and what is believed to be an assortment of medicines. The medicinal products were transported from Southern Senegal (Cassamance) across The Gambia to Northern Senegal.

Contrary to the social media reports and press statements by some individuals, the refrigerated truck on which the said medical drugs were found was only transiting through The Gambia from the Southern Province of Cassamance.

Under the ECOWAS protocols, The Gambia is bound by the sub-regional treaty to enhance movement of transiting vehicles through its borders unhindered. It is therefore totally disingenuous to even remotely link The Gambia with the seizure of a Senegalese registered vehicle which loaded its goods from Southern Senegal.

The general public is hereby notified that the Ministry of Health has requested through the normal diplomatic channels, more information from the relevant Senegalese authorities on the seized medical drugs, their type and quantity.

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As part of its due diligence, the Medicines Control Agency under the Ministry of Health ensures that a detail record and inventory of medicinal products imported into the country are kept and maintained in a government database.

For avoidance of doubts, the Ministry of Health wishes to inform the general public that there are appropriate regulatory requirements in place for importation and distribution of medicinal products in The Gambia. These regulatory requirements are enforced and implemented by the Medicines Control Agency which is mandated to ensure compliance to the Law.

It is illegal and against the Medicines and Related Products Act 2014, for any unlicensed entity to be engaged in importing medicinal products either through overt and covert means. Any individual or entity found to be engaged in such activities will face the full force of the law.

Poland-Gambia economic forum to be held today

Tour operator upbeat of next winter tourism season
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A day forum will open a new chapter in collaboration between Poland and The Gambia today as the first ever-economic meeting organised officially by the Polish and Gambian high authorities will be held at Sunset Beach Hotel.

The forum is being organised by the Polish Embassy, the Honorary Consul of Poland in the Gambia and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), with the participation of the EU Delegation and Gambian high authorities.

Responding to growing interest among Polish and Gambian companies to further develop mutual cooperation, the Polish Embassy, the Honorary Consul of Poland in the Gambia and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency are organising the Poland-Gambia Economic Forum with the participation of the EU Delegation and Gambian high authorities.

The opening ceremony is expected to be presided over by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad Mamadou Tangara.

The Forum is a historic event as it is the first ever economic meeting organized officially by the Polish and Gambian high authorities.

The event will provide a platform for exchange between the Gambian representatives of business and industries and the Polish companies, hopefully resulting in the establishment of mutually beneficial economic partnership.

A dozen of Polish companies will make a virtual participation in the Forum presenting their offer for the Gambian market. Four thematic sessions are planned: food and agriculture, construction and finishing materials, medical sector and FinTech (financial technologies) sector.

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Poland has become one of the fastest-growing European Union economies and the fastest growing economy in Central Europe. Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland's GDP, measured in purchasing power parity, has increased by an average of 4% a year - one of the best performances in the EU. Now, the country has the potential to double its GDP by 2030.

Successful and responsible monetary policy, efficient supervision of financial markets and flexible exchange-rate regime positioned Poland as the 6th among EU economies. Years of investment in research and technology helped Polish companies become not only innovative but also competitive on the European market. In many industries Poland has become a world leader - poultry, fresh apples, construction technologies or car spare parts, to name just a few.

Gambia-Cuba: 42 years of solidarity and mutual cooperation

Gambia's health ministry denies link with seized suspected medical products
In his traditional Eid Address, President Adama has broken his silence on crime by declaring it regrettable and a threat to national security.

In what many would have expected to be stronger policy pronouncement on increasing crime in the country in recent times, Gambia's president did not disappoint with his usual soft stance that did not provide any optimism for the population of his government's resolve to bring an end to this worrying trend of criminal acts.

The Gambian leader, whose Wednesday evening address to the nation was somewhat overshadowed by confusion created by his office's two-day public holiday even before the country's Islamic Council announced the Eid, described as "disturbing" the reports of domestic violence and criminal acts of drug abuse, theft, destruction of property and other forms of crimes "in our communities."

Only a few hours earlier, his government had announced the pardoning of several prisoners, among them dozens of non-Gambians who were to be deported from what used to be most peaceful country in the sub region.

"These crimes pose a threat to peace and stability, and can hamper our development efforts," the president said in his national address.

"The incident reported in Sanyang is a case in point. It is alarming that Gambian youths can take the law into their own hands to the extent of destroying a police station, looting businesses and displacing law-abiding persons who had amicably integrated themselves into the Gambian community," he pointed out.

Impacts on the country

According to the President, the impact of the Sanyang incident affected the lives of a whole community: "It dislodged people who had investments in the country and were peacefully earning their livelihoods in the area."

In the said incident, Senegalese Fisher folks living in the coastal township were attacked by angry mob in retaliation for a death of a youth, allegedly caused by a Senegalese. The incident had other underlying issues of years of discontent and concern to the community members, so the mob targeted a fishmeal factory and set it ablaze, along with the police station there.

That aside, there was another incident which the President said he was aware of - cases of domestic violence, leading to the death of two young persons in one instance. He described these as crimes that "were unknown in the country, such as kidnapping and daylight robbery, are gradually becoming common news headlines."

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Would these have impacts on reparations and reconciliation efforts of the Barrow government through the establishment of a Truth Commission? Barrow is now wondering!

"Yet, the TRRC has been set up for reparation and reconciliation, as reflected in their 'never again' slogan," he said. What wasn't clear is whether the TRRC mandate was looking at institutional and official crimes of human rights violations and abuses or civilian crimes against each other.

"There are legal ways of expressing our views or taking action against any offence or perceived injustice, and they are meant to be followed," the president warned.

In the past four years, he said his government consistently promoted freedom and other democratic values that would bring back the people's smiles in a peaceful and stable environment, which earned the country the name "Smiling Coast of Africa".

"Unfortunately, some people are taking these values for granted, and are conducting themselves in ways that undermine our security. Disregard for the rule of law is disruptive. As a result, I ask all citizens and residents of the country to act responsibly in order to advance peace and development," he added.

Barrow pardons 57 prisoners

Mayoress Lowe clocks 3 years in office with massive accomplishment
MERRILLVILLE  Despite the loosening of COVID-19 activity guidelines and restrictions, Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Gary must still wear protective masks at Mass.

In a letter posted Friday to Catholics of the diocese, Bishop Robert J. McClory said that despite revised regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our priority is to help all people feel sale in returning to indoor worship.

The bishops letter continues: As a practical act of prudence and charity toward those who have concerns or have not been vaccinated, we will continue to use masks for the safety of all as we gather indoors. As we continue to assess and respond to changing circumstances, we hope indoor worship will no longer require the wearing of masks.

McClory added, Comprehensive revisions to our liturgical protocols are close to being finalized, but for now social distancing and mask protocols remain the same.

The bishops letter came one day after the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people can resume activity without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidelines."

McClorys letter notes that while the CDC believes it is safe for those fully vaccinated to attend a full-capacity indoor worship service without wearing a mask, for unvaccinated individuals, the CDC recommends wearing a mask and practicing social distancing when attending an indoor worship service.

In his daily Facebook message, the Rev. Michael Yadron, pastor at St. Thomas More in Munster, noted Saturday that a lot of people have not yet had the chance to be vaccinated. When you come to church, you must have a mask and you must have it on.

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Yadron had no answer as to how long the diocese will continue to require masks.

The diocese is still evaluating many things that will be coming up with changes in the liturgy, as society begins to open more and more, and more people are vaccinated, the Munster pastor said.

The Diocese of Gary has an estimated 168,500 Catholics among 66 parishes in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties.

Gallery: COVIE-19: Hoosiers We've Lost

COVID-19: Hoosiers We've Lost
A joint security team of Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) and the police on Friday failed to recover the body of the second victim of an alleged child sacrifice.

This was after the father failed to locate the burial site.

Although Musilumu Mbwire, the father and key suspect, had confessed to security that he had killed the two children and buried them secretly, he said he could not recall the exact location where he had buried the first victim, three-year-old Sahum Baizambona.

According to a statement Mbwire recorded with police, he sacrificed Baizambona in June last year and the elder brother, Latif Kamulasi, in April this year.

Kamulasi's decomposed body was exhumed last Tuesday after Mbwire led detectives to a shallow grave, where they had burnt charcoal months ago.

"I am sorry I can't recall the exact site where I buried him (Baizambona) because we did it at night and the area is now covered with thickets," Mbwire told detectives on Friday.

Confusion at crime scene

Security on Friday took back the two suspects, currently in police custody, to the crime scene in Jjiira Village, Bbaale Sub-county in Kayunga District to try and recover the body of Baizambona.

Mbwire told police detectives that he sacrificed his two children after his employer promised him Shs4m and a commercial building in Bbaale Trading Centre.

It is said Mbwire's master, who is also in police custody, wanted the children's blood for rituals.

Mbwire's employer aged 72, who has since denied any involvement in these heinous acts , owns a big herd of cattle, 221 acres of land in Jiira Village and two commercial buildings in Bbaale Trading Centre.

From 2pm to about 7.30 pm on Friday, security, which was being led by both suspects, combed the bushes to trace the burial site of the second victim.

This time, four locations Mbwire pointed out as burial spots turned out false leads, enraging the already charged crowd and detectives.

At all the four sites, security with the help of residents had to slash the thickets to be able to excavate the spots.

Mbwire, who was given a hoe to dig up the soil, after excavating about two feet down, declared that "this is not the place we buried him".

This threw the seemingly tired detectives into confusion as to how Mbwire could forget the exact location

A police source involved in the investigations but preferred not to be named told this reporter that Mbwire knows the exact burial site, but was simply trying to confuse them (detectives).

Unlike last week, when Mbwire looked composed during the search and exhumation exercise of his child, this time he wept as he led police to the forest.

"Take me back to the house where we killed the children from, maybe from there I can recall the direction we took when going to bury Baizambona," a sobbing Mbwire told detectives who accepted his request.

At his grass thatched house under heavy security, Mbwire wept and shouted: "My son Baizambona, help me to know where we buried you."

He again led the team to another site that also proved to be false. The suspects reportedly slit the children's throats and collected blood.

Last week's exhumation

Last week's search and exhumation of one of the victim's remains was headed by the CID spokesperson, Mr Charles Twine.

One of the residents in Jjiira told this reporter that the children's mother had separated with Mbwire and had with all her children, but during the Covid-19 lockdown, Mbwire went and brought them back.

Ms Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa regional police spokesperson, said they would work with the community in Jjiira to seek more information that could help them recover Baizambona's body.

"What we are sure of now is that the boy is missing and his father says they sacrificed him," Ms Butoto said.

Kayunga District Police Commander Scovia Birungi, who blamed the incident on ignorance and greed, adding that they would continue with investigations until they recover the juvenile's remains.

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Residents, especially women and some security personnel, yelled and wailed as police pathologists exhumed Kamulasi's decomposing body.

The retrieved body was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital for autopsy as scene-of-crime officers and other detectives continue to gather evidence.

In the incident, angry residents in Jjiira Village also attempted to lynch the suspects but security shielded them.

Background

Kayunga District is an epicentre for acts of human sacrifice, murder and exhumation of dead bodies, which acts are blamed on high incidence of witchcraft.

In the district, one can hardly pass 10 homes without finding a shrine.

According to the 2013 Child Sacrifice and Mutilations report, one child is sacrificed every week compared to the seven cases of child sacrifice reported to Uganda Police in 2011.

The report adds that people carry out human sacrifice seeking wealth and fortune, among others.
Tourism entrepreneurs and leaders have expressed concern over the declining number of local tourists who visit Mt Elgon and Karamoja Sub-region.

The entrepreneurs say although the regions are home to some of the best waterfalls, beautiful birds, animals, caves and other features, the number of local tourists is low compared to foreigners.

Among the waterfalls in different areas are Sipi falls, Bilitanyi gorges falls, Sisiyi falls, Chebonet falls, and Kagera falls.

Mr Saleh Namenya, the chief executive officer of Casa Uganda Safaris and lodges, said Mt Elgon and Karamoja receives about 100 local tourists every weekend, which according to him is very low .

"Domestic travel is the key driver for the industry but unfortunately the number is still low. We rely on foreigners," Mr Namenya said.

According to Mr Namenya, the local community travel only on weekends unlike the foreign tourists who travel every day. He said as a way of marketing domestic tourism, local tourists should be given discounted rates on most of the packages.

"Our tour operators have embarked on a robust marketing campaign through use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote local tourism," he said.

Ms Miriam Nadunga, a resident of Bufumbo Sub-county in Mbale City, said despite the fact that she stays five kilometres away from Wanale ridge, she has never visited the waterfalls.

"I always see international travellers going to the ridges but I have never been there," she said.

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Ms Juliet Nyakecho, a local tourist, said there is a need to inculcate the spirit of visiting tourism sites among children at an early stage.

Mr Masaba Christopher, the senior warden of Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve, said Ugandans need to be sensitised about the importance of the tourism industry .

"For example, in Pian Upe, local tourists pay Shs5,000 for a drive through the reserve, Shs50,000 for accommodation and about Shs10,000 for a meal. This rates are affordable," he said.

Mr Masika Joseph, a local guide at Wanale ridge, said: "Government and tour companies should work together to increase awareness about tourism products."

Mr Jimmy Kapchemweny, a tour guide at Sipi Falls, said Mt Elgon has numerous tourism products that have remained unexploited due to lack of infrastructure in the parks and poor road network.

"We have several prominent tourism products in Sebei-Sub region including hiking but they have not been harnessed to attract local tourists," he said.

For Mr Fredrick Kiiza, the Mt Elgon conservation area manager, although the numbers are still low, Ugandans have started visiting different sites.

"The number of local tourists is increasing every day, especially among the youth," he said, adding that in a month, more than 30 local tourists visit both Mt Elgon National Park and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.

Mr Kiiza, however, said there is a need for better tourism infrastructure. "We need better lodges and hotels in the parks," he said.
Santa Otyeka with her certificate of customary ownership, in Pader district, Uganda, on May 5, 2021 (file photo).

The government has reclaimed the Naguru-Nakawa land after 10 years.

The land had been given to Opec Prime Properties, an investor, to construct a satellite city.

Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the State minister for Housing and Urban Development, said the land has been earmarked for the construction of a specialised medical centre.

"The Naguru-Nakawa land was government land where they had constructed low cost houses in 1960s but we came up with an idea to develop modern housing units. However, Opec Prime Properties did not have the capacity. Government usually gives developers five years to execute projects but they failed," Mr Baryomunsi said on Friday while presenting the 2016-2021 National Resistance Movement party manifesto report on housing sector performance in Kampala.

The minister added that the land in question has since been repossessed by the Land Commission on behalf of government.

He said the medical hub will complement the Naguru-China Friendship Hospital, the Iran Hospital, and the Uganda Heart Institute, which has also been given 10 acres from the same land for purposes of constructing a new health facility, as well as a Kenyan medical company and another company from United States of America.

On October 15, 2007, Opec Prime Properties - Uganda Ltd entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the government to redevelop the estate. The agreement provided for the construction to start within four years from the date of sealing the contract.

The prioritisation of the displaced tenants as beneficiaries of the first housing units was provided for in a Memorandum of Understanding between the prospective investors, tenants' association and government.

On October 14, 2013, President Museveni laid the foundation stone for the construction of the estate.

The project dubbed: "New Kampala" was expected to see the 160-acre land, formerly home to the Naguru-Nakawa low-cost housing units, redeveloped to have 1,747 flats, bungalows, commercial buildings, a five-star hotel, a referral hospital, schools, houses of worship and recreational facilities.

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Achievements

The minister listed 25 achievements that his ministry has been able to score in line with the 2016-2021 NRM manifesto.

The establishment of 22 zonal offices, which have decongested the headquarters, increasing the land fund from Shs42b to Shs111.5b and enabling government to purchase 259.204 acres of land, were some of the achievements that Mr Baryomunsi listed.

Others were; the ministry drafting the 2020 Land Acquisition Bill to enable government implement infrastructure projects on time, establishment of guidelines to protect land occupants from land evictions, mapping out 35,800 customary land parcels and issuance of 29,969 certificates of customary ownership.
A new report by transitional justice groups- urges government to provide answers and accountability to the people who were affected by several armed conflicts in various parts of the country- if healing is to be realized.

The report dubbed "All We Need Are Answers: Prevailing Transitional Justice Issues and Actors in Uganda", mainly cites two conflicts of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony and the recent Kasese massacre that left at least 100 locals killed by government security forces.

"Stakeholders in both regions (Northern Uganda and Rwenzori) decried the lack of accountability for grave human rights violations against citizens and the high levels of impunity by perpetrators of violence/conflict," a report released at the weekend in Kampala, quotes one of the Kasese Massacre widows.

Adding:"In the Rwenzori region, victims highlighted what many commonly refer to as the 'Kasese massacre'- the 2016 intervention at the palace of the Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere and expressed concern that no one has been held accountable for the deaths that occurred at the palace. Many women were rendered widows with orphans. Who do we run to for accountability?"

In November 2016, a joint army and police operation, under the command of the current commander of the Land Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, raided Buhikira Royal Palace, arresting King Mumbere and close to 200 other people.

Justifying the raid, government explained that it was a response to militant attacks on police posts in the region two weeks earlier, allegedly perpetrated by the royal guards.

King Mumbere was charged before Jinja Magistrate's Court in December 2016 together with 201 others but five of them have so far died in prison.

Whereas the king, his former acting prime minister, Mr Johnson Thembo Kitumbire, and six juveniles are out on bail, a number of his co-accused and loyalists remain in jail.

Turning to the two-decade armed LRA conflict, the transitional justice activists say that despite the International Criminal Court's (ICC) recent conviction and sentencing of Dominic Ongwen to 25 years in jail for his role in committing atrocities in Northern Uganda, the war victims demand for more.

"There were so many parties involved in the LRA war, government inclusive. How do we ensure accountability for crimes committed by government soldiers?" The report further quotes one of the victims of the LRA armed rebellion conflict.

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Another LRA victim from Atiak, Amuru Distritc only identified as Irene says: "Without giving accountability of what exactly happened to the citizens of Uganda, there won't be fair justice... all we need is answers."

Selective pursuit for justice was another finding that the respondents highlighted in regard to demand for accountability in conflict areas.

The report extensively states that many stakeholders engaged during the meetings- felt that a number of perpetrators of grave human rights' violations have been left free partially because of their ties to the current National Resistance Movement (NRM) regime.

"Yes, we have seen some of the LRA commanders like Dominic Ongwen and Thomas Kwoyelo, ADF's Jamil Mukulu and the Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere paraded before courts of law, but how about the UPDF commanders who were known for committing certain atrocities and the information is known." the report states in part.

Mr Francis Opio, the Program Manager for Rwenzori Forum for Peace and Justice said findings of the report indicate that beyond formal prosecution-- as one of the forms of accountability-- victims decry the way nobody considers physical and mental damages inflicted on them at the time of conflicts
The plans for President Museveni to quit in 2006 had been infused as a campaign pledge in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto.

People familiar with the matter say it was as a result of pressure exerted by his former physician Dr Kizza Besigye who had broken ranks with the system earlier in 1999 after authoring a missive detailing how the President had betrayed the ideals that inspired the 1981-86 rebel war against the Milton Obote II government.

In 2001, barely after Mr Museveni faced his fiercest challenge to his presidency by Besigye who rode on the wave of Reform Agenda, the President invited his erstwhile ally Libya's president Muammar Gaddafi at his swearing-in ceremony at Kololo Independence Grounds.

Two major events have since taken place after this event. Ten years later, Gaddafi dejected and isolated, was hunted down by western powers and killed in the punishing desert of Sirte.

On May 12, and 20 years later, Mr Museveni, who had a notoriously-fickle alliance with the deceased Libyan leader, was being sworn in at the hallowed grounds of Kololo to commence another term that would bring him closer to Gaddafi's 42 years in power.

But 18 years ago, Mr Museveni seriously considered quitting as a president that he appointed his surrogates to travel to Tanzania and South Africa to study their succession models and use the playbook to ostensibly usher in the country's first peaceful handover of power.

Highly-placed sources reveal that in 2002, the President called a meeting in which he gave a team of trusted lieutenants this duty.

He indicated to them that time was running out and it was about time to commence building the blocks to ensure a smooth transition.

The task was to study how the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa and Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Tanzania executed orderly successions.

"It was exciting to hear this, so we immediately embarked on the assignment," the official speaking anonymously recounted.

CCM and ANC remain two dominant political parties to-date. The other is True Wing Party of Liberia. In Tanzania, President Julius Nyerere had in 1985 tapped his vice Ali Hassan Mwinyi as his successor who remained in the shadows as party chairperson during which course he privately crusaded for future presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete.

In South Africa, President Nelson Mandela ruled for one term and passed the mantle to Thabo Mbeki. Since then, power has remained in the hands of the ANC as Jacob Zuma passed the baton to Cyril Ramaphosa.

Likely successor

The team presented its report to the President in December 2002. During discussions with the President, some officials mulled the idea to fire then vice-president Specioza Wandira so that the position could be occupied by a likely successor.

The likely successor was then supposed to be apprenticed into statecraft and sold to foreign powers ahead of 2006. The team also studied the hybrid model next door in Kenya.

President Daniel arap Moi, who had taken over following Jomo Kenyatta's death in August 1978, had turned out a thorn in the flesh of Kenyans but was constitutionally negotiated out of power in 2002. Under the deal, he received immunity from prosecution while out of office.

The surprise came in March 2003. Movement MPs had convened for their annual ritual--gathering at the National leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi (NALI)--during which high on the agenda was the presentation of the report by the National Political Commissar, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, on whether the country should revert to a multiparty system of governance.

A day in politics is a lifetime

"It was there that I first saw his (Museveni's) true colours," the official recollected. On the last day of the retreat, the official further recounted that the President remarked: "What is this paper constraint in the Constitution that some cannot stand again?"

"The framers of the 1995 Constitution deliberately lodged two safety valves--term limits and age limit--to ensure that the country registers a peaceful transfer of power, and which many hoped to see in their lifetime," the official said.

The new Constitution was drawn and promulgated in September 1995 with specific Article 105 (2) setting two terms for the incoming president. A year later in 1996 President Museveni, subjected himself to the first democratically held election, since Uganda's independence, to test-drive the Constitution. He won the polls with 74 per cent.

"Now hearing the President call them paper constraints; my mind immediately drifted to what Besigye had warned the country about but we were blind to see," the official said.

Former presidential candidate, Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu, who joined the rebel war in 1981 and was a member of East African Legislative Assembly in 2004, recounted to this newspaper that what everyone did not know was that a small team had been sent out to the districts to popularise the idea (removing the term limits).

"We had not been alerted that we were going to discuss term limits--even us who were at the highest national council level. So on the last day of the meeting the issue was brought up, and group after group kept favouring it," Gen Muntu recounted.

"I think we had about 90 people speaking without a break and none of them ever told him (the president) not to remove the term limits. I remember putting up my hand and told him but sir you have only heard from one side, to which he asked; is there another view? Six of us put up our hands and defended that the Constitution should not be touched, but I suppose it was too late."

Mr Muntu added: "We implored him to look at South Africa or even Tanzania where liberation parties have remained strong, but at that moment he had backing of the larger group. I am sure today if you looked for all those who supported the removal of the term limits some might be regretting but does it matter now."

Among the group of six who were against the removal of term limits was the former Speaker of Parliament and National Political Commissar under the Movement system, James Wapakhabulo, who was among the framers of the new 1995 Constitution, and minister of Foreign Affairs at the time.

Wapa, as he was popularly known, was touted as a possible successor to Museveni as he won many admirers across the political aisle as Speaker of the Sixth Parliament. But as a way of clipping his wings, he was dropped as Speaker and handed 'a poisoned chalice' as National Political Commissar, an amorphous title that rendered him irrelevant.

The ex-official further indicated that the late Wapakhabulo--who died weeks later after the retreat--had even proposed a middle ground; some modifications to the removal of term limits. He argued that we cannot remove term limits and jump into multi-party politics at the same time as it was risky.

"I recall Wapakabulo arguing that we remove term limits for a limited time only for President Museveni to prepare a transition."

Gen Muntu said: "Mr Museveni did not want that idea; he did not want it to look like it was favouring him. He wants to maintain a facade that there is a democratic dispensation; that whatever is being done is a general rule. He always wants to make it seem like there is democracy."

Last week on Wednesday, President Museveni, who is 76 years, was sworn in for another five-year term in office.

During his speech, the President spoke at length about a host of subjects, including extolling his government's democratic credentials as "incomparable to many democratic structures in the world", and also chastised the West for meddling in African affairs.

The subject matter of a peaceful transfer of power is one he has avoided publicly for a very long time.

'Ugandans still want me'

In December 2014 while appearing on the radio talk show-Capital Gang, Mr Museveni relied on dexterity to argue that each time he seeks to go home, Ugandans keep voting him back thus denying him the opportunity to retire.

"You have heard them, singing tajakugenda tajakugenda (he won't go). So if Ugandans really were like Ssemujju [Nganda, Kyaddondo East MP who was on the show as well], I would be happy to retire because I am not lacking where to retire. I am a member of my party and I do what my party wants," he added.

While on a re-election campaign trail, the President told a January 9, 2016 press conference in Ntungamo District that he cannot leave power when all that he planted is starting to bear "fruits."

A few months earlier he had said he cannot hand over power to wolves [Opposition]--"people without vision" and further accused the Opposition of being after "my oil"--the current stock tank of 6.5 billion oil reserves in mid-western Uganda.

And with the recent signing off of the key agreements for commercialisation of the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline to take the oil to the international market, the earliest in 2025, a year after the 2026 General Election, one analyst speaking anonymously said "if that succeeds then he might not go."

"He is getting arrogant at the West--people he has kept on pleasing to stay in power for all this long--every other day. If he can do that without oil money how more intransigent will he get?"

The Former Inspector General of Government and Ruhama Member of Parliament, Mr Augustine Ruzindana, told Daily Monitor in an interview that the talk on the transition is now a tired subject and the country should now be discussing how to free itself from polarisation.

"In 1986 we were in transition for four years. Then we asked another four years to allow the Constitution making process; the Constitution was clear on the transition with those two clauses. We then went into official roles when we were young, now we are expired," Mr Ruzindana said.

He added: "What we should be asking is how we move forward in a way that maintains stability of the country: How do we move forward without doubling the frustration among certain levels of the population; the people in power need to reflect on this."

Like many other actors, Mr Ruzindana revealed he believed the 2001-2006 term would be President Museveni's last on the basis on the term limits, and further described the ongoing polarisation is mainly economic--with the high youth unemployment and related frustration--which is expressed politically.

"We need to find ways of bringing down the pressure that has been building over the years, and when you keep putting a lid here and there--the things we read in the press especially how security is reacting--you are not addressing the problem. We need a national consultative process on how to go forward," he added.

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Moving the country forward

Gen Muntu, however, argues that President Museveni is not interested in any form of genuine dialogue, after mastering "the art of deception and manipulation" and "succeeding at disempowering people and breaking their spirit to the point of selling their vote for just Shs1,000."

"And then you hear him talk about African strength," Gen Muntu said. "We have to keep on organising. Those who want change have to keep organising for it. I don't think the exit of Gen Museveni should be our headache anymore. At times people are bothered by the length of time, but his exit is inevitable. What should be our headache is the possibility that with his exit we remain intact."

When asked whether polls can deliver change, Gen Muntu who came in fourth position in the just-concluded elections said, "it is challenging but very possible."

"People lose hope easily, and then there are others who don't want to make sacrifice. And Gen Museveni is different from past leaders; he is crafty at manipulating, and knows when to use carrot and stick," he added.

In this sixth term, President Museveni campaigned on the slogan of securing the future of Ugandans.

As he embarks on his next term, Mr Museveni will need to navigate a number of sticky issues amongst which are accusations of gross human rights abuses largely targeting Bobi Wine's supporters, rising youth unemployment that has created a groundswell of resentment, institutionalised corruption and a bloated bureaucracy.

But he also appears determined to polish the image of government in the West, which has relied on him as its point man in the volatile Great Lakes region.

Government recently engaged a foreign lobby group--Mercury International UK Limited to improve its image on the international scene.

Retiring

Over the last 35 years in power, the President has pledged to retire. After his National Resistance Army toppled the Tito Okello junta in 1986, he promised to handover to a civilian government after four years--in 1989.

In May 2012 during an interview on NTV's flagship political talk show-On the Spot, he told the host, Patrick Kamara, that he would not support the lifting of the age limit provision in the Constitution because after 75 years, a leader has mellowed and cannot undertake vigorous tasks.
Africa's underinvested youth are in need of urgent attention and youth entrepreneurship investment banks must become the focus of global support, the African Development Bank head Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said Monday in a discussion on scaling up financing for the continent's youth.

Adesina was speaking at a virtual roundtable at which he presented a novel concept for youth entrepreneurship investment banks. The roundtable, organized by the African Development Bank, came a day ahead of the Summit on Financing African Economies convened by President Emmanuel Macron.

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya, Jean-Michel Severino, CEO of Investisseurs et Partenaires; Ashish J. Thakkar, CEO of Mara Phones; Yana Kakar Global Managing Partner Emeritus at Dalberg Advisors; Yvonne Otieno, CEO, Miyonga Fresh Greens, and other representatives of the private sector joined in the meeting.

Otieno urged the world to believe in the youth and to put their hands in their pockets. "Take a risk on us. You will never regret it," she said in a moving presentation in which she described her career trajectory which began in a bookshop, progressed through journalism, to starting her own business growing French beans on 1.5 acres of land.

"Failure is only a weakness if you don't learn from it," said Otieno.

With lack of access to finance a serious bottleneck, the proposed youth entrepreneurship investment banks would coordinate financial and non-financial actors and partners to more effectively support youth entrepreneurs.

"We must support the youth to go beyond looking for jobs. We must unleash the entrepreneurial drive and capacities of the youth to create jobs, Adesina said. "We must grow, finance and support large scale successes of youth -led businesses in Africa."

Speaking immediately after Dr. Adesina's opening remarks, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya expressed strong support for the initiative. "Spain welcomes the African Development Bank's youth entrepreneurship investment initiative, geared towards unlocking entrepreneurship and promoting the growth of businesses of the youth." she said.

Thakkar, chair of the African Development Bank's Presidential Youth Committee, advised that the youth investment banks would need to be scalable and self-sustaining. He said it was very important to create the right incentive structures for governments to encourage the private sector to play a key role.

Research suggests that Africa needs to create 18 to 30 million jobs annually through 2030, and Ladi Balogun, CEO of First City Monument Bank Group, reiterated the urgency of this challenge. He said time was of the essence in terms of mounting a response as well as accelerating decision-making processes for the extension of financing to entrepreneurs. He also advised working through local money managers to achieve scale.

"We have a ticking time bomb on our hands," Balogun said.

Participants also commended the African Development Bank for taking a lead role in the effort to support youth entrepreneurs, as well as calling on the Bank to play a number of roles.

Yana Kakar said the African Development Bank has an important knowledge transfer role to play. She added that the Bank has much to share about what is needed in tech-enabled segments versus what might be needed to enable entrepreneurs in more production-oriented segments.

The African Development Bank has demonstrated its strong commitment to the youth of Africa through its Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy to help create 25 million direct and indirect jobs, and empower 50 million youth by 2025. The institution has also set up a $40 million trust fund in partnership with several European countries to advance youth entrepreneurship and innovation.

Contact:

Olufemi Terry | Communication and External Relations Department | African Development Bank | email: o.terry@afdb.org
The Public Sector Systems Review taskforce led by Vice President Salous Chilima will on Friday present its report to President Lazarus Chakwera at Kamuzu palace.

On February 14, 2021, Chakwera tasked Chilima to form and lead a Taskforce that will recommend radical changes to the structure of the entire civil service, as well as the entire system of allowances, employment contracts, and procurement in the public sector.

Subsequently, Chilima instituted a 14 member taskforce on February 19, 2021 and the taskforce has been holding regular meetings since then.

"The taskforce completed its work and will on Friday May 21, 2021 present the recommendation report to His Excellency the President," reads a statement by Chilima's Press officer Pilirani Phiri.

'Overhauling'

In April this year, Chakwera announced that he was waiting for a comprehensive report and recommendations for Chilima following a task force that he instituted to overhaul the civil service in order to root out entrenched corruption in government.

"Those recommendations are due for submission to my office in the next four weeks, after which we will take next steps towards my goal of overhauling this broken and rotten system from top to bottom," said Chakwera during his National address.

The President said theft of public funds and corruption is deep-rooted in the civil service and that anyone who steals or wastes public funds should be seen as a traitor to the country.

"The sad reality though is that there are so many public servants who are so eager to get rich that they are willing to defraud their own country.

"The other sad reality is that there are so many private citizens who are so eager to access public services and government contracts that they are willing to corrupt public servants to defraud their own country," he said.

Chakwera vowed that his administration will pursue those stealing public money " until you are defeated, no matter how long it takes".

Chakwera ordered the taskforce to submit its report and recommendations within 90 days.
Resolution of existing trade barriers between Kenya and Tanzania may take longer than expected due to bureaucracy.

The directive by presidents Samia Hassan and Uhuru Kenyatta that government officials waive work permit fees and clear maize imports from Tanzania took effect almost immediately, but Kenyan small-scale traders say they waiting for a similar gesture from Tanzania.

Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya toured Namanga border post on May 7 and oversaw the release of trucks transporting maize.

Kenya had in March banned the importation of maize from Uganda and Tanzania over rising concerns about aflatoxin levels in the grains and imposed stringent measures to ensure compliance.

Mr Munya went to Namanga to effect the presidential orders as a sign of the warming relations between the two largest EAC economies.

"This is just one of the issues that we are dealing with very quickly," said Mr Munya. "But all the other issues that are making it difficult to trade with one another are going to be discussed in a bilateral meeting planned before the end of May."

One Stop Border Post

Mr Munya also ordered that Covid-19 test results be released within 12 hours to enable fast movement of trucks across the border. This was in response to President Samia, who during her state visit to Nairobi requested that Covid-19 testing be harmonised to facilitate faster movement of goods.

And last Monday, EAC Secretary General Dr Peter Mathuki toured the Namanga One Stop Border Post, accompanied by the High Commissioner of Tanzania Kenya, Dr John Simbachawene, to assess the flow of goods and services at the border.

"We want the trucks ferrying goods across the border to move with speed, as this will assist increase the EAC Intra-trade," said Dr Mathuki.

But John Keriah ole Mankina, an official of an association of small cross-border traders, raised concerns that Tanzania was still levying fees on Kenyan goods.

"If you cross over to Tanzania to buy goods, you are required to pay for a work permit at $200. Yet doing business does not require a work permit," Mr ole Mankina said.

He added that Kenyan truckers were being fined for allegedly exceeding axle-load standards in Tanzania. The EAC Vehicle Load Control Bill, 2012 compels truck drivers to observe an axle load limit of 56 tonnes and maximum seven axles for commercial trucks plying the regional road network.

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"It costs one Ksh10,000 to test for Covid-19 in Tanzania while it is free on the Kenyan side," Mr ole Mankina said.

"Road toll costs Ksh2,000 on the Kenyan side while it will cost you Ksh4,000 in Tanzania. We want Tanzania to lower levies imposed on small-scale Kenyan traders, as they are only seeking a livelihood."

The Customs goods scanning processes are not harmonised at the Namanga border. A spot check by The EastAfrican also revealed that truck drivers from Tanzania take three days waiting to be cleared. Tanzania Revenue Authority Namanga OSBP Manager Paul Kamkulu and his Kenyan counterpart Joseph Moywaywa promised to reduce the time to one day.

"Covid-19 test results will now be released within 12 hours," said Mr Moywaywa.

Johnson Weru, Kenya's Principal Secretary in the State Department for Trade and Enterprise Development told The EastAfrican that they had proposed a meeting before end of May, 2021.
Gaborone  The Ministry of Transport and Communications plans to adopt an ecosystem approach to facilitate ICT stakeholders to recover from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Minister Thulagano Segokgo.

Speaking during commemoration of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day in Gaborone yesterday, he said the approach was in recognition of the fact that the sector alone could not take Botswana far.

"We join hands with others from across the government private sector and each and every Motswana to play their active role in advocating for the effective use of ICTs in socio-economic activities," he said.

He explained that the approach provided role clarity and allowed every stakeholder to deliver their part of the national ICT vision.

"The approach calls for the pooling of resources and collaborative efforts to achieve the national policy targets we have set ourselves," Minister Segokgo said.

He also outlined Botswana's achievements towards positioning the country as a "globally competitive, knowledge and information society where lasting improvement in social, economic and cultural development is achieved through effective use of ICTs".

Among the achievements he mentioned the continuing extension of broadband connectivity to villages, provision of public services online and use of collaborative technologies citing the successful hosting of parliamentary proceedings online.

Mr Segokgo said the ICT sector had worked collectively to facilitate Batswana's transition to the new normal, responded well to the burgeoning demand for connectivity and provided all the technical tools needed to work, socialize and transact business remotely.

"We maintained a constant dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure our network infrastructures performed to an acceptable quality and availability standard," he said adding that reconstituted service packages and tariffs had been reviewed.

Minister Segokgo explained that while the COVID-19 pandemic had had disastrous consequences on people's lives, it had renewed Botswana's impetus to use digital technology for socio-economic activities.

The ministry was therefore more than ever committed to using ICTs effectively to drive people's social, economic, cultural, and political transformation.

He said this year theme, 'Accelerating Digital Transformation in challenging times,' resonated with government ambitions to move all public services online and automate public administration.

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"It requires us to urgently provide our people with affordable and user-friendly applications and systems that allow them to work, do business, govern each other, and socialize remotely," he said.

Government, he said would ensure that Botswana took its rightful place in the emerging global information society and flourished economically in the current era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) through developing ICTs policies and strategies that complemented and built upon Vision 2036.

Welcoming guests, the ministry's ICT policy director Mr Cecil Masiga said this year's theme was an universal call for all ICT stakeholders to fast track their digital transformation agenda.

The digital transformation envisioned by the International Telecommunication Union, Mr Masiga said, entailed integrating digital technology in all aspects of human life and changing ministry operations to deliver value to the people.

For digital transformation to bear fruit, all stakeholders required a new cultural and constantly challenging the status quo, experimenting and learning from mistakes in order to improve service delivery.

Also required was shifting from old operating models, becoming more agile in responding to changing customer expectations and competitiveness, Mr Masiga said..

Giving a vote of thanks, Business Botswana's ICT representative Mr Neo Nwako stressed the need for Batswana to look at its laws and policies to assess their competitiveness.

Source : BOPA
Orapa  Orapa Mine has been commended for its plans to shift to green technology.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Wildlife, Tourism, Natural Resources and Climate Change chairperson, Mr Polson Majaga described the move as impressive during a tour of the mine Saturday.

The most interesting part, he said, was the use of solar energy at the mine's administration office block.

Mr Majaga explained that the committee's interest was on sustainable exploitation of minerals and strategies put in place for 'greening' mine operations.

The aim of the visit was to establish challenges faced by the mine so as to come up with laws and policies that would facilitate profitability.

Commenting on the workforce, Mr Majaga expressed gratitude that the majority of mining and engineering management positions were held by locals.

Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines general manager, Mr Bakani Motlhabani said the intention was to gradually move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

He said the commitment was to become carbon neutral and to have undertaken several neutrality projects by 2030.

The mine, he said, aspired to be a global benchmark in the diamond business including operations, production and selling to the market.

Mr Motlhabani said the mine had adopted a "one dream one team" strategy with the aim of focusing on value chain creation.

The intension was to create value of at least P10 billion by 2024, improving efficiency and doing things differently, he said.

Mr Motlhabani pointed out that technology advancement had improved operational efficiency citing digitization of processes.

Adoption of new technology did not mean lay offs but devising of opportunities and careers for the future, he said.

Pointing out that environment, safety and governance matters were now top priority for businesses, Mr Motlhabani said the mine aimed to be a step ahead on the stated issues.

He said workplace controls were in place to meet social distancing requirements while the mine ensured that all employees had PPE.

COVID-19 testing was conducted regularly with more than 50 000 tests done since August 2020, he said explaining that 1 300 tested positive while seven succumbed.

He revealed that a campaign to test for underlying conditions had started because knowing one's status meant being able to control and manage risk.

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Different committee members commented and asked questions.

MP for Kgalagadi South Mr Sam Brooks wanted to know the relationship between Debswana and DeBeers as well as whether the latter dictated policies.

He also wanted to know whether in terms of social corporate responsibility, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines only concentrated in villages in its area of operation.

For his part, Maun West MP Mr Dumelang Saleshando expressed concern that there were no recognisable manufacturing companies in Letlhakane supplying the mine.

Local procurement, he said, amounted to less than one per cent.

Mr Saleshando also wanted to know if there were any plans to have a solar panel manufacturing plant in Boteti.

Mr Majaga called for the opening up of Orapa Mine.

Explaining the Debswana-DeBeers relationship, Mr Motlhabani said Debswana was owned by DeBeers and government 50-50.

He said even though it was a 50-50 partnership, in terms of revenue earnings, government through taxes and royalties, got up to 80 per cent.

Debswana's primary responsibility, he said, was to generate returns for its shareholders.

On corporate social responsibility, Mr Motlhabani said the company operated within its environs but also had projects further afield.

Source : BOPA
SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of the Navy awarded Consensus Networks a $1.5M contract for its blockchain enabled logistics tool, HealthNet. Medical Supply Chain breakdowns made headlines throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and Consensus Networks' technology is being advanced to ensure the Navy is utilizing the most current technology to manage their medical inventory at home and abroad.

The platform will be piloted in late 2021 with a focus on accurate demand forecasting and automated flow of supplies for true just-in time delivery of essential products such as blood and plasma.

HealthNet is designed for medical operators utilizing an integrated data environment and intuitive front-end capable of tracking medical supplies from manufacturer or supplier to patient, saving time and reducing waste.

Key features include:

Real-time inventory tracking

Expiration and consumable monitoring

Modular API integrations

Cold-chain/product quality verification

EHR/ERP Integration

Real-time demand prediction and supply planning

Cross-hospital load balancing of supplies

The platform is built using modern cloud native web architectures and is designed to seamlessly integrate along existing supply chain infrastructure to minimize disruptions in existing workflows.

Blockchain is used to secure aspects of the platform, including trusted IoT compute and immutable audit trails using IoTeX and Factom blockchains respectively. "We choose to build using public blockchain networks because of their existing and robust consensus mechanisms and network infrastructure." Says CEO Nate Miller.

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Essential networks, like healthcare, undergo cyber attacks everyday. Blockchain technology and distributed networks are capable of being resilient in the face of such attacks, ensuring vital processes and information flow is not disrupted.

"Accurate forecasting and delivery of medical supplies to our forces abroad is of the utmost importance." Says Miller, himself a former US Navy Officer. "Decentralized networks have the potential to be a powerful tool for information assurance and availability to distributed US Navy forces."

The contract runs into 2022 and is valued at over $1.5M. Consensus Networks is partnered with conceptu.al and Healthcare Forward for development support and clinical healthcare expertise.

Media contact: Nathan Miller, info@consensusnetworks.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-navy-awards-consensus-networks-1-5m-contract-for-blockchain-enabled-logistics-tool-healthnet-301293957.html

SOURCE Consensus Networks
Nata  The proposed national decentralisation policy is not about tribal territories but the empowerment of local government structures.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse during a consultative meeting with Nata/Gweta leadership recently.

He said contrary to misconceptions that had factored tribal territories into the idea of making the structures autonomous, the intention was to enable councils to carry out their daily business without any impediments.

Mr Autlwetse pointed out that many councils failed to create own income earning strategies due to reliance on the annual Revenue Support Grant from central government.

He said the dependence had also resulted in delivery failure.

Under the proposed policy, Mr Autlwetse said, the grant would be performance based.

Mr Autlwetse said sub district councils were meant to decongest district councils by making services easily accessible.

With villages experiencing population increase, he said the status quo could not remain.

Sub-districts needed to be equipped to enable them to make and run their own budgets instead of the current arrangement where they depended on the main district council.

The status quo had not served the public well and had resulted in complaints of development stagnation and inadequate service delivery, he said.

Making them autonomous, he said, would speed up processes and in turn benefit communities.

In addition, he said decentralisation would hasten implementation of the public private partnership model which had been rather slow.

Meanwhile, Nata/Gweta leadership welcomed the proposal as a step in the right direction.

Kgosi Oletsositse Mosweu of Dukwi said the proposed policy would save residents costs of having to travel to seek services elsewhere.

Source : BOPA
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks) in the Eastern Cape has pounced on four senior officials in the province's Education Department and a businessperson on fraud, corruption and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) charges.

The five - former chief education specialist Noxolo Valencia Gwarube (50), former education superintendent general Mthunywa Lawrence Ngonzo (58), education deputy director general Monwabisi Raymond Tywakadi (60), education deputy director in information technology (IT) Tyrone Graig Fourie (48) and Hermanus Bouwer Smith(47), director of Siegesmund Trust - were on Monday arrested by the Hawks' East London Serious Corruption Investigation.

"It is alleged that in 2014, 33 publishers were invited by the Learner Teacher Support Material unit (LTSM) of the Department of Education to showcase their products. It is said that the participants paid exhibition fee to the Border Christian Centre where the exhibition was going to be held," Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said in a statement.

She said it was further reported that the Department of Education had intentions of assisting schools by procuring Supplementary Resource Material (SRM) which included IT material like photo copiers and other technology material but not in that financial year.

"The LTSM unit under the control of the Accounting Officer had budgeted only for the procurement of text books. The LTSM unit never applied for virement of funds therefore their action was not known by Eastern Cape Department of Education and Provincial Treasury," said the Hawks.

The Hawks alleged that the former manager of the Eastern Cape Department of Education at the LTSM unit, Gwarube misrepresented facts to the department that only textbooks would be procured by submitting expenditure approval requests to the acting deputy director for Institutional Operations Management.

"It is further reported that a sum of more than R204 million was approved for the procurement of textbooks. The SRM in the application was misrepresented as textbooks.

"Gwarube is said to have submitted misleading documents to the Internal Control Unit and Supply Chain Management section that the textbooks were to be procured knowing well that she had included SRM to the value of more than R59 million thus reducing the money that was meant for textbooks," she said.

"It is further alleged that the exhibition fee paid by publishers to the Border Christian Centre was in excess with R120 468-00 and the Centre sought direction from the department as to what to do with the money and Gwarube instructed the Centre to deposit the money into her husband's account. The centre requested a letter from the department authorising the transaction. The former Superintendent General Ngozo wrote the letter whereas he was already on suspension at the time."

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It is alleged that Gwarube received gratification from Siegesmund Trust, in the form of two laptops and a cell phone to ensure that the R59 million for SRM was paid promptly into the business account of Smith.

During this orchestration by Gwarube, Tywakadi was the acting Superintendent General as Ngonzo was on suspension. Fourie as the IT Deputy Director was also in office.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education was defrauded cash to the value of R59 million.

All the five accused were on Monday released on R5000 bail each. The case is remanded for the 8 July 2021 for the handing over of copies of the dockets to the defence.

Provincial Hawks head, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, lauded the Serious Corruption Investigation team for a breakthrough in a case that appears to have disadvantaged children of the Eastern Cape, and denied them an opportunity to own a textbook "which is a gateway to a better future due to selfish greed".
press release

As of 1pm on 17 May 2021, the Western Cape has 3069 active Covid-19 infections, with a total of 290 177 people having been infected with Covid-19 to date and 275 461 recoveries. A total of 93 153 vaccines received to date as part of the Sisonke trial have been administered by 5pm on 16 May 2021. From tomorrow, we will begin reporting on totals from Phase 2 of the mass vaccination strategy.

Click here for statistics.

The Western Cape has recorded 16 additional deaths since our last daily update on Thursday, 13 May, bringing the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in the province to 11 711. We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time

Additional data is available on the Western Cape Covid-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages. To view the Dashboard, visit: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

Western Cape Government Launches Vaccine Rollout to over 60-year-olds with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah

Today, the Western Cape Government launched Phase 2 of its vaccine rollout programme, starting with a group of elderly at Brooklyn Chest Hospital in Milnerton - one of the designated provincial vaccination sites. The Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, being on record as a staunch supporter of vaccination, was part of the group of elderly citizens to receive his vaccination with Ms. Leah Tutu. He was hosted by the Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Alan Winde, the MEC for Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo and the Head of Health, Dr Keith Cloete.

The Premier of Western Cape, Alan Winde, said: "It was a great honour to join Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah, for their vaccines at Brooklyn Chest Hospital today, marking the start of Phase 2 of our mass vaccination programme. As we rollout Phase 2, I want to remind residents, who are eligible, to register for their vaccine. I also call on those who aren't yet eligible to play their part in assisting those who are, with registering. The time has come to fight back against COVID-19, so #LetsDoThis Western Cape."

When asked, the Arch remarked: "We at the Tutu Foundation would like to thank Premier Alan Winde of the Western Cape, and the Western Cape government, for their organisation of today's critical milestone in the healing of our country," says Piyushi Kotecha, CEO of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. We're relieved that the Arch and Mrs Tutu have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 and support the call for all eligible citizens over the age of 60 who have not yet signed up for the jab to do so urgently."

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"Vaccination is the only safe way for countries to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission that has ravaged families, societies and economies across the world. Without it, we cannot get back to normal life again. To achieve mass immunity, we need everyone to get vaccinated. If even one person is left out of access to vaccines, the whole world stays at risk," she warns.

"We repeat our call to all South Africans to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as vaccines are available to them. We also call on all our citizens to help one another negotiate the signing-up processes. Please share your access to data and your technological know-how with others in the spirit of ubuntu and service," Kotecha says.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu says, "All my life I have tried to do the right thing and, today, getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is definitely the right thing to do. That's why Leah and I took this step, to do our part to start the national healing process so we can end this pandemic. We have to do this together!"

"Believe me, when you get to our age, little needles worry you far less than bending over does."

"It was wonderful to get out of the house and meet these dedicated healthcare workers who gave us our vaccines. Leah and I signed up to be vaccinated a while ago, because we know this will help save our loved ones from worry and heartbreak, and ourselves from this terrible disease."

"To all of you on the frontlines who have been working to keep us safe for more than a year now, I salute you," he added. "God bless all of you for your selfless service to our citizens and our country."
On Tuesday, 30 March 2021, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia joined the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), parliament of the Republic of Namibia, Embassy of Finland and Think Namibia Aquaponics at the HSF Aquaponics Project and first pilot aquaponics system at Aris Primary School, which is located approximately 20 km from Windhoek, Khomas region.

The pilot project initiative was launched in Windhoek with funding from the embassy of Finland. The aquaponics project aims to support improving local knowledge, training skills and human capacity development in the field of climate-resilient aquaponics with the overall objective of promoting food security and creating new livelihood opportunities in Namibia's rural communities.

Speaking at the launch of the pilot project, Clemens von Doderer, the Hanns Seidel Foundation's resident representative, highlighted that the aquaponics project is aimed at contributing to food security in Namibia using aquaponics systems in a pilot approach project. "The aquaponics present a climate smart agriculture alternative practice that has the potential to enhance agricultural production, boost food security and improve living standards in rural Namibia", he noted.

Hannele Hupanen from the Finnish Embassy touched on the long history that the people of Finland have with conservation and forestry, hence finding alternative ways of agriculture that assists rural communities who grapple with high unemployment. In addition, she said the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 had imposed new hardships, and it's hoped that the inauguration of this aquaponics project will pave the way to achieving food self-sufficiency and economic sustainability of the people of Aris, and more specifically the Aris Primary School.

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Also speaking at the inauguration event was Aris Primary School principal Frank Williams, who shared that the school caters for 116 pupils, with 107 of those being in the hostel. Providing a decent meal for the latter on a daily basis was thus a challenge, and he hopes that the arrival of this aquaponics system will boost the food security of the school as well as expose the learners to practical skills from the theoretical skills gained in their science classes. He furthermore thanked all those who made this system possible.

Representing the Fund was the Head of Communications and Corporate Services, Lot Ndamanomhata, highlighting the mission of the EIF, which is to promote the sustainable economic development of Namibia through investments and the promotion of activities and projects that protect and maintain the natural and environmental resources of the country. With the recurring climate challenges facing Namibia, including more than seven years of devastating droughts, the Fund is still committed to supporting the government in addressing climate change issues by introducing and looking at long-term solutions, and this is one of many interventions, he added.

"We know that the school feeding programme is under dire stress, and initiatives of this kind meet government halfway. We congratulate the initiator of this, and urge custodians to ensure the sustainability of it in the long run", Ndamanomhata said.
Namibian sin taxes were increased earlier this year and resulted in an increased concern about greater public health interventions. In this regard, the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) has emphasised that it is not against alcohol trading but rather endeavours to promote public health.

SAAPA Namibia's Country Liaison Officer, Irene Kauzuu, has reiterated that the increase in beverages and tobacco taxes should be a good boost to the country's economy could contribute to poverty eradication efforts and is fundamentally a public health control and prevention strategy for alcohol harm's reduction as well as availability.

Kauzuu stated that alcohol intake has always been a public health issue in Namibia that has caused different harms such as crimes, gender-based violence, road traffic accidents, teenage pregnancies, homelessness, domestic and child neglect, abuse, disability incidents, and severity in HIV and Covid-19 transmission.

"The increased price tag on beverages and tobacco must push some individuals to quit alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse, reduction in binge drinking and rather divert money to savings, buying essential household commodities, prioritising paying household bills and could also drive some individuals to abstain from alcohol. Regarding private alcohol traders, illegal shebeen owners and traditional homebrewers possibly would be emboldened in diverting their commercial opportunities into selling other products, than availing alcohol and drugs to those already vulnerable," said Kauzuu.

She added that SAAPA wants to elucidate that its aim is not to shut down shebeens and alcohol outlets as this is a misconception. Kauzuu explained that mass employment is contained in beverages industries, bars, shebeens, clubs, and even so most livelihoods depend on private alcohol sales. However, alcohol is undoubtedly a massive contributing factor to community harm and crimes.

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Said Kauzuu: "SAAPA is a network that aims to promote the harmonisation and acceleration of evidence-based alcohol policy development and implementation in the country and the main mission is to work in collaboration with the government, to promote health, well-being, evidence-based policy regulation for all Namibians and promoting these alcohol policy changes as advocated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is fundamental towards shifting the binge drinking culture amongst drinkers and prevention of alcohol dependents, reduce the cost of alcohol-attributable harm to society and protecting the well-being of all citizens in Namibia."

She concluded that government needs a strong working relationship with SAAPA, local communities, stakeholders and civil society organisations to accelerate a strong support system to enforce a national alcohol policy that can reduce alcohol and substance, reduce the mushrooming of illegal shebeens, control binge drinking, reduce the density of alcohol outlets that appear to be associated with a greater rate of crimes, child abuse, GBV and disability incidents. This, she said, would significantly improve Namibia's public health.
Rundu  The home affairs ministry has introduced an SMS notification service for identity document (ID) application services in pursuit of improving service delivery to the public.

"This has been achieved through a smart partnership with Mobile Telecommunications Company - MTC," said the ministry's spokesperson, Margaret Kalo. ID applicants will henceforth receive an SMS on their mobile phones when their application for an ID has been approved and the card has been printed, as well as when their ID is ready for collection. Although statistics on a backlog were not revealed, the ministry is confident that the ID SMS initiative will save applicants time, and decongest their offices as applicants no longer need to go to the offices to enquire whether their IDs are ready or not.

"Additionally, especially during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will also help to reduce risks to exposure. The applicants will receive a push notification SMS from 10001 that will notify them," Kalo said last week. "Applicants who provide correct mobile numbers during the application stage are advised to refrain from enquiring in person, and to instead wait until they receive the notification.

The messages will be sent automatically without the applicants requesting for them. We are also pleased to announce that, in the near future, applicants will be able to enquire about their ID applications by sending a text message. This will cover other services of the ministry as well.

The ministry takes this opportunity to thank

MTC for making this service available to the Namibian nation at no charge. We look forward to reaching even more milestones together."
The European Union remains an important market for Namibian goods and the two entities continue to enjoy excellent relations in the areas of trade, investment, tourism and development cooperation, amongst others.

This is according to Penda Naanda, Executive Director in the international relations ministry who at the recent Europe Day celebrations noted, "The EU market remains an important market for Namibian exports. In 2019, Namibia exported goods valued at over N$19 billion. Export products ranged from agricultural products to fisheries as well as mining commodities."

Naanda added: "The Economic Partnership Agreement concluded between the EU and the SADC EPA States, of which Namibia is a member, allows for duty free, quota free market access from Namibia to the EU with the exception of arms and ammunition.

Similarly, in 2019, European exports to Namibia were valued at over N$7.2 billion, which speaks to the mutually beneficial outcome in trading relations between the EU and Namibia."

Speaking at the same occasion, Sinikka Antila, EU ambassador to Namibia said: "Namibia and the European Union are long-term partners, we believe in the rule-based world order and multilateral approach for resolving global challenges."

Hosted under the banner "Stronger Together", the event celebrated the strong relationship between Namibia and the EU, showcasing EU's involvement through various Namibian projects.

Ambassador Antila continued that the EU-Namibian relations continue to grow from strength to strength. "I can confirm that the

EU has been and will continue to

be one of Namibia's main development partners. In recent years, the cooperation has largely focused on education, agriculture and especially, livestock development as well as trade

support, climate change, biodiversity and conservation. We work with

the Namibian government but also with civil society and grassroots organisations. We coordinate closely and work together with EU member states and with the United Nations... .One example is the cooperation with Germany and the government of Namibia in the area of vocational training, which opens new opportunities for young Namibians seeking training, employment and a good income," she stated.

The annual Europe Day commemorates the Schuman Declaration of 09 May 1950, calling on EU nations of Europe to unify and make war in that continent impossible. It further calls for long-lasting peace, collaboration and collective efforts towards a better future. The vision of partnership has since been extended to other nations, such as Namibia, with the common goal of providing support and sharing best practises that is key for inclusive development and shared prosperity.

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Ambassador Antila concluded that the Covid-19 pandemic completely changed everyone's lives. "Covid-19 has changed the way we work, how we live our lives at home and how we interact with our close ones, with the colleagues and with those we do not know," she said. She added, "I commend the Namibian government for your quick and effective containment efforts for the pandemic. I am happy that the European Union could rapidly extend our helping hand with additional budget support and humanitarian aid.

We are stronger together! We can only overcome this pandemic by working closely together." Antila encouraged all Namibians to get their Covid-19 vaccine jabs, as she said, "I hope that many of you have gotten your first Covid-19 vaccines. Vaccines will make our lives easier and I am happy that the EU has, together with the UN, been spearheading the multilateral solution for vaccines, COVAX, and been its key supporter from the beginning."
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula has reiterated calls for Namibians to make themselves available and get vaccinated against Covid-19.

"At this pace, it will take us a long way to bring Covid-19 under control. I therefore urge everybody to get vaccinated in order for us to return back to normal life.

To be able to shake hands, to be able to hug one another, and to revive the economy," Shangula appealed last week at Katima Mulilo during the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Enkehaus Private Hospital. He added that his ministry will work hand-in-hand with the private hospital to promote

the health and wellbeing of residents.

"This new private hospital adds to the basket of available healthcare services in this region, and indeed in our country as a whole. Moreover, it will go a long way to serve travellers and locals alike.

"As a gateway to Namibia for the north-east, Katima Mulilo requires services such as those that the Enkehaus Private Hospital is offering," said Shangula. The private hospital has a capacity of 14 beds, and other services include a maternity suit, a theatre, an intensive care unit, diagnostic imaging facilities, a computer tomography scan, a sonar, a mammography unit and ambulance services, as well as a staff complement of 33.

"These services will contribute significantly to the package of health services available in this region. In this regard, cooperation between this hospital and the regional health authorities, including the Katima Mulilo state hospital, is critical," he said.

The hospital's director Dr Ernest Kombo stated that the opening of the hospital was a joyful occasion, and that they will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the Katima Mulilo state hospital to receive referrals in order to prevent patients from travelling long distances.

As part of its social responsibility, Kombo revealed that the state hospital will be allowed to book free selected services for a period of 30 days, which will include 10 CT scans per week.

"As we are waiting for the memorandum of understanding to be finalised and signed, we would like to offer free services to state patients," he said.
The leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani, has sent the party's condolences to the family of the late former Windhoek mayor Mathew Shikongo, who died last Thursday.

In a media statement released by party spokesperson Ina Hengari on Monday, Venaani said: "It is with great sadness that the leader of the official opposition in parliament, McHenry Venaani, and the PDM learned of the passing of former Windhoek mayor Mathew Shikongo.

"Mayor Shikongo was a long-serving mayor of Windhoek, who was indeed a humble servant.

"He was a determined and passionate advocate for Windhoek residents and served the capital city with love and pride."

Venaani said he remembers Shikongo as a true gentleman of Katutura and a businessman before independence.

As a councillor who was always ready to engage across political divides, Shikongo was always a responsible leader of friends and foes, Venaani said.

"The City of Windhoek and the Namibian nation as a whole has lost a dedicated public servant.

"As a councilman and mayor, Shikongo dedicated his life to his community and his service to this country will never be forgotten.

"The PDM's thoughts and prayers are with the Shikongo family during these difficult times," the statement read.
A Taraba-based socio-cultural group, Taraba Interest Group, TIG, has condemned the killing of no fewer than 30 natives in some communities in Bali Local Government Area of the state by suspected herdsmen, saying it would resist any attempt at making the state ungovernable.

The group in a statement by its spokesman, Yohana Silas, said the peacebuiling efforts and legacies of Governor Ishaku must not be scuttled by those described as enemies of the state.

More than 30 natives in Bornu Kurku, Utsua Daa, Baafada and Bali town were said to have been killed by suspected herders in Bali Local Government Area of the state.

Reacting to the incident, TIG, said the accommodating and peaceful nature of Tarabans should not be taken as weakness by killer herdsmen.

The statement reads:" We were saddaned to learn that agents of darkness masquerading as herdsmen, took attack some villages in pur dear stage, leaving in its trail, deaths and displacement of natives. This attack in the face of efforts by Governor Darius Ishaku and ensuring a peaceful Taraba, is despicable and an act of terror against the people of Taraba.

If we may ask, what were the offences of the victims of the attack? Who gave the attackers the right to take away the lives of other people? This incident, which doesn't exist in isolation, depicts the bigger picture of widespread killings across the country by suspected herders. Since the harbingers of death are relentless in their attacks on harmless and armless villagers, it's important they are reminded that they do not have the monopoly of violence.

At this point, Tarabans are left with no option but to defend themselves legitimately in the face of attacks by killer herdsmen. The achievements so far recorded in the state by the Ishaku administration need a violence-free atmosphere to blossom.

If farming communities are scared away from the farms by killer herdsmen, investments in agriculture will be fruitfuless.

Therefore, let this message serve as a warning to criminal herdsmen and their enablers that Tarabans will no longer tolerate their barbaric and satanic acts anymore. If you are in Taraba your options are clear: respect the laws of the lands and support the success of the Ishaku administration. "
Press Release

May 18, 2021 SPONSORSHIP SPEECH

On SBN 2208: Extending the Estate Tax Amnesty By Senator Pia S. Cayetano

Chairperson, Senate Committee on Ways and Means May 18, 2021 Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, today, I rise to sponsor and seek your support for Senate Bill No. 2208, under Committee Report No. 256, which amends Section 6 of Republic Act 11213 or the Tax Amnesty Act. Passed in 2019, Republic Act No. 11213, otherwise known as the Tax Amnesty Act, gave taxpayers a one-time opportunity to settle their tax obligations, including an Estate Tax Amnesty Program. The filing of estate tax amnesty returns became effective on June 15, 2019, which gives a reasonable tax relief to estates with outstanding tax liabilities. In particular, estates of decedents who died on or before December 31, 2017 and whose estate taxes have not been paid or have accrued as of December 31, 2017 are given the period of June 15, 2019 until June 14, 2021 to file their estate tax returns. This deadline is only a few weeks away. Unfortunately, just ten (10) months after the law was enacted - in March 2020 - a global pandemic hit us, disrupting our daily lives, sending us into lockdowns, and affecting our ways of doing business. Due to the strict travel restrictions and stalled economic activities in the time of COVID-19, many Filipinos have been unable to file their tax returns and settle their tax obligations. And the community quarantines imposed in different parts of the country prevented taxpayers from availing of the tax amnesty mandated by law. Allow me to share the data cited by the BIR during our committee hearing. According to the bureau, the collected revenue from the estate tax amnesty program is only around 2.5 billion pesos, which is below its expected estimated additional revenue of 6.28 billion pesos. Having said these, the Committee deems it appropriate that we extend the period of availment of the estate tax amnesty for another two years, in order to allow Filipinos who have not been able to affordably settle their outstanding tax liabilities during the period, to do so. At the same time, extending the program will also provide the government with additional revenues that will fund priority programs for the benefit of the people. The proposed measure is essentially identical to the transmitted House Bill No. 7068. In the interest of time due to our limited session days and the upcoming June 14, 2021 expiration of the Estate Tax Amnesty, we did not deviate from the House version. Thus, we extended the period to avail of the estate tax amnesty from June 15, 2021 until June 14, 2023. And, we introduced one new amendment, which is the removal of the requirement of the proof of settlement in order to avail of the estate tax amnesty. Allow me to explain, Mr. President. During the hearing, it was pointed out by various resource persons, that one main reason for non-availment of the estate tax amnesty is the fact that the heirs could not produce "proof of settlement," which is required in the Tax Amnesty Act. The Committee has decided, after hearing all the experts, to delete this requirement given that under the laws of succession, ownership is transmitted upon the death of the decedent, whether or not it has been supported by any judicial or extrajudicial form. This legislation will further help our economy recover as Estate Tax Amnesty will allow access to previously locked assets. According to the assessment of the National Tax Research Center (NTRC), "the grant of estate amnesty will unlock assets still registered under unsettled estates so that these may be used for commercial or economic activities that would create investment, jobs, and taxable transactions." Mr. President, there is no denying that the adverse effects of COVID-19 are very much evident in all aspects of our lives, not just in health. We have not only lost lives to this pandemic, we have also lost precious time. While we remain focused on protecting people's health and safety from the virus, we must also address the disruptions COVID-19 caused to other sectors, such as our economy. Our current condition necessitates and justifies the need to pass this measure at this appropriate time. Surely, its enactment can provide economic relief for many Filipinos during this time of global health and economic crisis. Thank you, Mr. President.
The group said it gathered its figures through newspaper reports and family sources.

At least 723 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria in April 2021, a report by a non-governmental organisation, Nigeria Mourns, has shown.

The report titled "Violent Incidents Report: April 2021' was published on Monday.

The figures, according to the group, were gathered through the use of newspaper reports and family sources.

Of the 723 people killed, 590 were civilians and 133, security personnel.

The report also showed that 407 people were abducted in the same month.

Perpetrators

The report stated that 425 people were killed by suspected bandits; 117 people killed by persons suspected to be members of Boko Haram or its breakaway faction, ISWAP; 22 killed in isolated attacks and 52 by cult clashes.

Also, it said six people died through extra-judicial killings, communal crises led to the death of 53 people, and 47 people were killed by herdsmen.

The organisation earlier reported that 1,603 people were killed between January and March 2021. Also 1,774 people were abducted within the period, it added.

This newspaper has on several occasions reported different attacks on different states with a spike in crime.

In the South-west, the government created a regional paramilitary outfit, Amotekun, last year.

The governors of the South-east states also resolved to maintain a similar outfit, Ebube Agu, in April.

Many governors have called on President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired General, to address the menace.

The governors under the banner of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently demanded devolution of powers to states, a move their party didn't take during its 16-year hold of power.

The governors, who met in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, also supported the ban on open grazing and the call for restructuring.
Nyeri  Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina called on an anti-graft probe on county officials on Monday while decrying a rising number of deaths triggered by an acute shortage of drugs in county-run hospitals.

Addressing a press conference in Nyeri, Senator Maina said the shortage of drugs in the facilities was as a result of misappropriation of funds by county officials.

"I call upon investigating authorities to conduct an audit on utilization of funds by the county government. The reason why they are no drugs in hospitals is due to fact that money meant for drugs has been diverted for other uses which is improper," the legislator lamented.

Senator Maina said that most of the funds meant to buy drugs had been siphoned by corrupt officials in Governor Mutahi Kahiga's administration hence the need for a probe to put those responsible behind bars.

"It's unfortunate that poor residents seeking medical services are suffering due to actions by heartless people who should be punished," he remarked.

The Senator called for the prioritization of healthcare saying infrastructure projects could be halted to free up more resources for health facilities.
The contest over the extension of Chief Justice Luke Malaba's service by another five years yesterday reached the Supreme Court with Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zayambi Ziyambi and Attorney General Advocate Prince Machaya separately filing their notices of appeal against an urgent High Court judgment made on Saturday.

Both Minister Ziyambi and the AG are challenging the High Court decision on Saturday to annul the extension of Justice Malaba's service beyond the age of 70 on the grounds that the recent Constitutional Amendment allowing judges, including the Chief Justice, the option of serving to 75 could not include sitting judges of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts but did include sitting judges of the High Court.

Justices Happias Zhou, Edith Mushore and Justice Jester Charewa on Saturday blocked the Government move to extend Justice Malaba's tenure by five years as allowed by Constitutional Amendment Act Number 2. In terms of that Act the retirement age for all judges is now 70 but every judge has the option to serve to the age of 75 so long as they are mentally and physically fit to do so and exercise that option before their 70th birthday.

This the Chief Justice did and with his medical certificate has his term extended.

The three High Court judges ruled that the Chief Justice ceased to be the Chief Justice upon reaching 70 years on Saturday and that the option of an extension of service did not apply to incumbent judges of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court.

However, Minister Ziyambi and Adv Machaya want the judgment of the High Court set aside.

Minister Ziyambi in his grounds of appeal explained the errors made by the High Court judges in their ruling, which prompted the appeal.

It is Minister Ziyambi's argument that the High Court erred in finding that the Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika had legal basis to obtain the relief that it granted him in the absence of evidence of the violation or potential violation of its members' right to equal protection and benefit of the law in terms of section 56 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

He also argues that the lower court erred in granting the application without having made a declaration that in fact the right of Kika in terms of section 56 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe had been violated.

Minister Ziyambi also attacked the lower court's reasoning when the constitutionality of Constitutional Amendment No. 2 not having been in question and the High Court having recognised it as a valid law, went on to make a wrong finding that section 186 (4) as amended could not derogate from the provisions of section 328 (7) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and, therefore, Justice Malaba had ceased to be the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe upon attaining the age of 70.

"The High Court further erred in finding that the 2nd Respondent (Chief Justice Malaba) attained the age of 70 at 00.00 hours on the 15th of May 2021 when by virtue of section 336 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe the 2nd Respondent (Chief Justice Malaba) attained the age of 70 at the end of day on the 15th of May 2021, that is at 00.00hours on the 16th of May 2021," argues the Minister.

"The High Court consequently erred in failing to find that the appointment of the 2nd Respondent as the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe to continue in office made by the President of Republic of Zimbabwe on 11 May 2021 was with legal effect from the 16th of May 2021."

It is also Minister Ziyambi's contention that the court erred in finding that the current Judges of the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court were not entitled to benefit from the new option while at the same time finding that the extension of tenure of judicial service was allowed for High Court Judges.

The High Court, the Minister also argues, erred in holding that section 186(4) of the Constitution could only apply in the future, and not to the current Judges of the Supreme and Constitutional Court when there was nothing in the constitution suspending the operation of section 186(4) of the Constitution.

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The lower court is also accused of erroneously holding that section 186 of the Constitution as amended increased a term limit provision, and was therefore subject to section 328(7) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

The Court ought to have found that section 186 did not extend any term limit for Chief Justice Malaba and the Judges of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts.

The AG also filed a similar notice of appeal as they are both seeking the same relief.

Chief Justice Malaba attained the age of 70 on Saturday but as the now amended section of the Constitution allows, he exercised his option before his birthday to continue until 75 and submitted the required medical certificate that he was in good mental and physical health.

The Judicial Service Commission has since announced that Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza is now the acting Chief Justice, pending the outcome of the appeal.
Seven persons were last Friday electrocuted and four injured during a rainstorm, at Amanfrom in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region.

The incident occurred when the rainstorm destroyed power lines and landed onto the roof of some buildings that were being occupied by the victims.

The deceased are Mrs Akosuah Kwarteng and Mrs Rebecca Kwarteng and their children, Christian Oduro, 19, Osei Kwadwo, 5 , Kwabena Emmanuel, 10, and Owura Kwaku , 7, and Mrs Yaa Bertha.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Paul Ankan, who confirmed the incident to the Ghanaian Times, said he received news at about 5:45 pm last Friday that a rainstorm had ripped off some houses at Amanfrom resulting in the electrocution of seven people.

"The police visited the scene and our investigations showed that Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) electrical cables had fallen on the roof of the houses during the rain thereby resulting in the incident", he said.

DSP Ankan said the charred bodies have been deposited at the St Elizabeth Hospital morgue at Hwediem for autopsy and the injured were responding to treatment at the same facility.

Mr Yaw Nicolas, an eyewitness, told the Ghanaian Times that Mr Adom Agyeman, a survivor, who was entering his room when the rain started stepped on a bar of metal gate and experienced electric shock.

He said, "People in the neighborhood heard a loud shout and as we rushed to the house, I saw Mr Agyeman on the floor and his wives and children who were all in their rooms came out to see what had happened."

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Mr Nicholas said, "In the process, the family of six was electrocuted in addition to Mrs Yaa Bertha, who came from the other house to see what had happened".

The Krontihene of Amanfrom, Nana Kwame Oppong, disclosed that some people were rendered homeless due to the rainstorm.

He appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to come to the aid of the displaced residents.

Nana Kwame Oppong also urged NEDCo to replace the faulty and worn-out cables, fuses, transformers among other equipment in the community in order to safeguard the safety of the people.

The Asutifi South District Director of NADMO, Mr Musah Issaka, who visited Amanfrom to ascertain the level of damage caused by the rainstorm, said the Ahafo Regional Directorate of NADMO would support affected households with relief items.
Jared Mageto seated (left), a teacher at Union Primary School in Eldoret town has his details taken by Irene Jebiwott, a registration assistant at the Teachers Service Commission during the launch of Biometric Enrolment and Validation of Teachers on May 17, 2021.

The days of 'ghost' teachers who reap where they never sowed could be numbered following the launch of a new biometric registration system that is intended to weed out rogue tutors.

The biometric database is also intended to help the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) address staff shortages as well as lock out those with questionable integrity from administering national exams.

The TSC yesterday launched the Biometric Enrolment and Validation of Teachers that will give a real-time data of all teachers employed by the commission.

The registration, which was launched at Nyeri High School, will capture details of all teachers in public primary and secondary schools, teacher training colleges, the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology in Africa and the Kenya Institute of Special Education.

Data on teachers in special programmes and curriculum support officers in all zones will be taken as well as teacher interns and those on contract.

"To effectively manage the growing teaching resource, we need to maintain an up-to-date data on all the teachers employed by the TSC and to achieve this, the commission has planned to conduct a biometric enrolment of all teachers," said Ibrahim Mumin, the TSC director of administration, when he delivered CEO Nancy Macharia's speech at the ceremony. He added that the system will improve service delivery within the commission.

Last duty stations

Teachers will be registered in their respective schools. Those who have been interdicted, suspended or are on leave will be expected to register at their last duty stations.

Mr Mumin said pre-loaded data from the TSC payroll system will be validated when the teachers provide physical documents. They will be required to provide a TSC certificate of registration, their national identity card, letter of first and last appointment together with their academic and professional certificates.

Teachers with disabilities will be required to provide a disability registration certificate, while those who have been released to other programmes like the teachers' unions will have to show their letters of release.

"The system will capture the data electronically using biometric kits where facial and finger prints will be collected," he said.

Ms Macharia, during release of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination results last week, said the biometric system will assist in curbing examination malpractices and getting the real culprits punished.

The biometric data captured will be used as forensic evidence for tracking teachers who tamper with examination materials, she said. It will also ensure more solid and accurate ways of seeing to it that innocent teachers are not punished.

Mr Mumin said the exercise will reveal teacher distribution based on subject combinations and unearth staffing gaps to inform training needs for affected subject areas. It will also be used to monitor daily attendance by teachers.

"We will forecast the growth in the years to come and advise the institutions that we work with to train more of what the shortages are than train in excess," he said.

Mr Isaac Kamau, the director of internal audit at the TSC, said the new system will digitise service delivery at the commission.

Large numbers

"We do not want to have teachers seeking services on paper. We want to get to a point where the teachers, in the comfort of their staff rooms or homes, are able to make an application for any services that they may require, and we can only achieve that if the data we have is accurate," he said.

In Uasin Gishu County, teachers turned out in large numbers at Union, Kiplombe and Eldoret Chebarus primary schools on the first day of the registration. Rift valley regional TSC director Adow Mohamed, who oversaw the exercise at Union Primary, said the exercise targets 16 learning centres and 218 teachers in the region in the pilot phase.

"We have had good turnout. This process will help in policy and decision-making and is not for any other purposes. It is a requirement to get up-to-date data of the teachers for planning," added Mr Adow.

The deputy director-in-charge of records management at the commission George Oketch assured teachers that the data collection and storage would be done in line with the Data Protection Act.

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"This system will help the commission to establish when there is overstaffing -- the teachers can then be transferred to other schools with shortages," said the official.

In Bungoma, the TSC biometric registration was conducted at Bungoma DEB Primary School in Kanduyi Constituency and was led by county TSC director Adan Ibrahim. Bungoma DEB is the third-most-populous school in the country and is one of the 18 sample schools that have been selected for the exercise.

Mr Adan said Bungoma was the only county in the former western region's counties that was sampled for the exercise.

"We hope that the exercise will move on smoothly without any hitches since the enumerators and everything else is set," he said.

This pilot registration took off in 143 schools in seven counties that included Uasin Gishu, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Nyeri, Kitui and Garissa. It will continue up to the end of the week.

Reporting by Reginah Kinogu, Stanley Kimuge and Brian Ojamaa
Nairobi  Kenya has called for an immediate ceasefire amid an escalating Israel-Palestine conflict which has left scores dead and thousands injured.

Kenya's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb Martin Kimani, made the appeal on Sunday during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

"Kenya calls for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of violence as the first step to a renewed push for peace. We strongly encourage the constructive steps by the respective national authorities to engage with the special coordinator and envoys of the Middle East," he said.

Amb Kimani called for the de-escalation of confrontations while warning against illegal settlements in occupied areas, a situation he noted could further escalate the conflict.

"In highly emotive situations such as the ongoing one, police and military authorities should embrace de-escalation, protect lives and avoid demolition of civilian infrastructure," he appealed.

"To give peace and dialogue a chance, Kenya is opposed to illegal settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It is important that the agreed status quo on Jerusalem be respected," he added.

Amb Kimani reiterated Kenya's support to Security Council's Resolution 2334 adopted on December 23, 2016, which called for the cessation of all settlement activities by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.

"There would be an end to this bout of violence hopefully sooner rather than later. When that moment comes, and dialogue and negotiations resume, we expect that they'd be guided by agreed international mechanisms including Security Council Resolution 2334."

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Kenya also urged the Security Council members to fast track the issuance of a "timely, clear and balanced statement" that will support peace mediation efforts.

Under Resolution 2334, which was adopted by 14 votes with the United States abstaining, UNSC demanded that Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."

The Council also resolved it would not accept any changes to boundary lines drawn on June 4, 1967, except those agreed to by both Israel and Palestine.

The Security Council held at the time that, "Israel's establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders."

The latest spate of violence involving Israel and Palestine was sparked by weeks of tension at Temple Mount - a revered site among Jews - where the Al Aqsa mosque considered the third holiest site in Islam is located.

The confrontation evolved into a full-scale war which saw Israel forces bomb civilian buildings it claimed we being used Palestine forces to fire rockets to Israel. On Saturday, Israel made good its threat to bomb a 13-storey building housing the Al Jazeera and Associated Press news networks.
The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has begun an exercise to address heavy traffic congestion from Buduburam to Akoti Junction, in the Central Region.

For the interim, the Authority will stop all commercial activities on the service lanes along the road from Budumburam to Akoti Junction, to create extra space for motorists.

The Central Regional Director of the GHA, Samuel Kwesi Akuaku, disclosed this to the Minister of Roads and Highway, Mr Akwasi Amoako-Atta, at Akoti Junction, on Wednesday while on a duty tour to identify causes of traffic congestion in parts of the Central Region.

The tour was to afford the minister and his entourage the opportunity to critically access the traffic congestion being experienced by motorists on the Accra-Abidjan corridor road so that measures could be taken to address the situation.

According to Mr Akuaku, it has become necessary to "clear every human activity, including commercial drivers and traders using portions of the road as trading centres and loading points."

He indicated that plans were far advanced for the dualisation of the 11-kilometre road from Kasoa to Akoti Junction.

Mr Akuaku said feasibility studies have been completed, and what was left to be done was the completion of design works after which the project will be tendered for work to begin.

He said after the creation of more access routes, security measures would be put in place to take care of the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

Mr Amoako-Atta urged the GHA to work expeditiously to address the problem of traffic congestion.

He said, "We cannot allow our people to continue going through these problems, it is unacceptable, it is our duty as government officials to think outside the box and help government provide the necessary comfort for the people".

Mr Amoako urged the GHA regional team to liaise with the head office in Accra to get a contractor with the right capacity and technical ability to execute the project.
The younger brother of late Nigerian President, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Abdulazeez Yar'Adua, has insisted that Nigerians must look beyond their differences and pursue unity in order to deal with the rising insecurity and other challenges currently affecting the country.

Yar'Adua also stated that elites and stakeholders across the country have a critical role to play in ensuring that the much-desired peaceful co-existence is attained.

He made the appeal in Enugu last weekend at the birthday celebration of the traditional ruler of Ibagwa Nike Kingdom, HRM Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu.

Yar'Adua, who is the Mutawallen Katsina, said: "We must concentrate on loving one another than fanning the embers of disunity, because mankind is one.

"I am from the North. But here I am today, being loved by people in the South. Other Nigerians must learn from this. We are the only ones who can solve our problems, because we have been brought together as a country by God for a purpose."

He noted that what is required to achieve the noble objective highlighted is the level of understanding among Nigerians regardless of their religious and socio-cultural differences.

"We must do away with everything that divides us as a country," Yar'Adua, who was bestowed with the traditional title of Akajiugo 1 of Ibagwa, said.

On his part, a renowned philanthropist, Arthur Eze, said the current security and socio-economic challenges facing the country are the creation of the political elites, who have failed to bury their ethnic and religious cleavages to work in harmony.

Eze, who donated N100 million for the socio-economic development of Ibagwa kingdom, called on Ndigbo to love their northern counterparts and work with them to achieve their desires in the country.

"Forget these politicians creating problems everywhere; the North made me what I am today... we (Igbo) must be with the North, without the North we won't have peace," he said.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday disclosed that the maritime security project would be launched in Lagos by President Muhammadu Buhari next month.

This is even as he explained that 75 percent of crimes in the sector come from the country's water, adding that if the country is able to eliminate it, then it would make a lot of progress.

The minister made this known when the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Bertrand, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Amaechi in a statement made available to journalists by the Ministry's Director of Press, Mr. Eric Ejiekwe, noted that the crisis in the maritime sector is more complex than the world knows, but the federal government has come up with a solution, and it is ready to take off.

According to him, "The Navy, Police, Army and State Security Service (SSS) are involved.

"If it is successful, in the near future, there will be an improvement in the maritime security, and other countries in the Gulf of Guinea can adopt it, because 75 percent or 65 percent of crimes come from our water, and if we are able to eliminate it, then we will make a lot of progress.

"If you are in the air, you see what is happening in the water, and when you are in the water, you will be able to respond. The helicopter has the capacity to drop in the naval men when they see anything suspicious."

Speaking further, Amaechi stated that he would be glad to partner and share information with anyone who wants information for the purpose of securing the Gulf of the Guinea.

Earlier, the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Bertrand, officially presented a letter to the minister requesting for the support of the Nigerian Government for his country's candidate for the position at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Bertrand also stated that they have observed with keen interest what is happening in the Gulf of Guinea, and would like to be of assistance as well as give support to the implementation of the maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said that the decision to ban open grazing was in the best interest of all Nigerians but would not be enough to tackle insecurity.

The forum called on the states and the federal governments to stop entry of cattle from the neighbouring countries, adding that large population of violent herders come from neighbouring countries.

In a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna, the Chairman of the Forum and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe said, "The ACF does not see any reason to object to a decision taken in the best interest of all."

He said the, "The fact of the matter is that the crisis emanates from the belief by most herdsmen that they are free to enter any farm, eat up the crops and rape or kill any one raising objections. Nobody or society can accept that."

According to him, the current high price of garri is one obvious reason of this behaviour.

"Few cassava farms can grow to maturity or be harvested by the farmers. So, food security is already being threatened", the statement said.

He said: "There is, however, the need to advise the governor's in all states not to think that merely banning open grazing will end the crisis.

"The bulk of the violent herders are the ones marching in from neighboring African countries in large numbers, thousands at a time and showing no regards to boundaries whether state or regional. They have to be stopped.

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"Therefore, the Ganduje formula must be adopted to stop the entry into Nigeria of cattle from West Africa", Ogbe said.

He said the solution is for Nigeria to seek an amendment to Article 3 of the ECOWAS Protocols, especially, as regards to free movement of cattle and other livestock without special permits.

Ogbe said, "If this is done, we have over 5 million hectatres of land in old grazing reserves left, enough to accommodate over 40 million cows if well grassed and watered."

He called on Northern governors to immediately look into this and see the viability, stressing that within those spaces, ranches can be developed for lease to Nigerian herders so as bring an end to the crisis.

"Thereafter any herders found roaming can be penalised. Our ECOWAS neighbours can find ways to deal with their own issues the way they deem fit.

"We can seek support from AfFB, the World Bank, EU or the Kuwait Fund or any source willing to support us in resolving this problem.

"Hurling abuses, trading suspicion and threatening warfare as is currently the trend will only produce grief and disaster", the statement said.
Press Release

May 18, 2021 'Walk the talk': Keep pork, rice prices affordable--Poe Sen. Grace Poe urged the government's economic team to "walk the talk" to ensure that prices of pork and rice are kept affordable for ordinary citizens after it recommended the tariff cuts that will also result in foregone revenues. "Our people expect the government's economic team to live up to their avowed tenet of fiscal responsibility by seeing to it that actual benefits trickle down to Filipino families and not just to importers," Poe said. "Will the tariff slash actually result in lower prices in public markets and groceries? Can the people actually feel it?" she added. Poe raised concern that the lost revenue could impact on next year's budget, which Congress will start deliberating soon. "NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) had said time and again that nothing is free from heaven and that government cannot just give subsidies because it will have to be taken from somewhere. With budget discussions starting soon, which services will government now have to scrimp on because of the foregone revenues on pork and rice?" Poe asked. EO 135 temporarily reduced the most favored nation tariff rates for rice to 35 percent, from 40 percent for in-quota imports and 50 percent for out-quota imports. EO 134 modified the tariff rates on imported pork products. The new tariffs on pork imports under the minimum access volume (MAV) would be 10 percent for the first three months, and 15 percent in the next nine months. The tariff for pork imports outside MAV would be reduced to 20 percent for the first three months and 25 percent in the succeeding months. At the hearings on rice tariffs that the Department of Finance said was meant to lower the cost of rice imported from India and Pakistan, the Tariff Commission had said that rice from the said countries were already cheaper than rice imported from the ASEAN. Hog raisers and farmers have announced a boycott of the Department of Agriculture's (DA) summit scheduled for this week after the DA repeatedly ignored their pleas not to lower tariffs as it would discourage local production and bring down government revenues. The economic team has been saying that the lowering of tariffs or the opening up of the market to imports will "lower prices" for consumers. "Our people need all the help they deserve. Hirap na hirap na sila sa gitna ng pandemya," Poe added. [FILIPINO VERSION] Panatilihing abot-kaya ang presyo ng baboy, bigas--Poe Hinimok ni Sen. Grace Poe ang economic team ng gobyerno na tiyaking mananatiling abot-kaya ang presyo ng karne ng baboy at bigas kasunod ng kanilang rekomendasyon na babaan ang taripa nito na magreresulta din sa pagkawala ng kita ng pamahalaan. "Our people expect the government's economic team to live up to their avowed tenet of fiscal responsibility by seeing to it that actual benefits trickle down to Filipino families and not just to importers," pahayag ni Poe. "Will the tariff slash actually result in lower prices in public markets and groceries? Can the people actually feel it?" dagdag ng senadora. Ayon kay Poe, ang mawawalang kita ay maaring makaapekto sa pondo sa susunod na taon na sisimulan nang talakayin ng Kongreso pagsapit ng Agosto. "NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) had said time and again that nothing is free from heaven and that government cannot just give subsidies because it will have to be taken from somewhere," sabi ni Poe. "With budget discussions starting soon, which services will government now have to scrimp on because of the foregone revenues on pork and rice?" tanong pa niya. Sa ilalim ng Executive Order (EO) 135, pansamatalang ibinaba ang taripa sa bigas sa 35 porsiyento mula sa kasalukuyang 40 porsiyento para sa in-quota import at 50 porsiyento naman sa out-quota import. Sa EO 134, binago din ang taripa sa imported pork product. Ang bagong taripa sa pork import sa ilalim ng minimum access volume (MAV) ay magiging 10 porsiyento para sa unang tatlong buwan at 15 porsiyento sa susunod na siyam na buwan. Ang taripa sa pork import sa labas ng MAV ay babawasan ng 20 porsiyento para sa unang tatlong buwan at 25 porsiyento naman sa susunod na mga buwan. Bagama't sinabi ng Department of Finance na ang naturang hakbang ay para mapababa ang presyo ng bigas na inangkat mula sa India at Pakistan, sinabi ng Tariff Commission na ang bigas sa naturang mga bansa ay talaga namang mura kumpara sa bigas na inangkat mula sa ASEAN. Nauna nang inihayag ng mga magbababoy at magsasaka na iboboykot nila ang Department of Agriculture summit na nakatakda ngayong linggong ito matapos balewalain ng ahensiya ang kanilang apela na huwag babaan ang taripa dahil makakasira ito sa lokal na produksiyon bukod sa mawawalan pa ng kita ang pamahalaan. Sinasabi ng economic team ng pamahalaan na ang pagpapababa ng taripa o ang pagbubukas sa pamilihan ng mga inangkat ay magbababa sa presyo ng mga bilihin. "Our people need all the help they deserve. Hirap na hirap na sila sa gitna ng pandemya," dagdag pa ni Poe.
All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it has no plans to release the timetable for congresses and convention this week.

The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, in a statement yesterday, said the committee was focused and delivering on its mandate to recover, rebuild and reposition the party.

He added that the committee is also focused on achieving peace-building, true reconciliation and to give a sense of belonging to every party member.

Akpanudoedehe said: "Our attention has been drawn to obviously coordinated and syndicated misinformation being circulated in some sections of the media on purported plans and timetable for congresses and the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

"This is the handiwork of political jobbers parading themselves as media sources. The media, party members and indeed the general public should be wary and completely disregard the misinformation, antics, and schemes of these fifth columnists."

Akpanudoedehe stated that the committee has never lied on party's activities and it has no reason to.

According to him, the consultative party leadership style instituted by Yobe State Governor, Mr. Mai Mala Buni, as chairman of the committee has institutionalised the APC as a party of processes and internal democracy.
Former Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) Secretary-General, Ackim Mhlanga has announced he has joined the ruling party - Zanu PF.

Mhlanga recently resigned from the MRP citing irreconcilable differences between him and the party's leadership.

In his resignation letter, Mhlanga said his calls for transparency and accountability in the party were being ignored by the party leadership leading to his frustration and dumping the opposition.

However, at the weekend Mhlanga chose to cross the floor and joined Zanu PF where he was welcomed by senior Zanu PF officials at a meeting held in the resort city of Victoria Falls.

"I joined Zanu PF on Saturday in Victoria Falls. After joining the ruling party, I felt good that at least I have found a political home to stay and work for my people," Mhlanga, who hails from Hwange, told NewZimbabwe.com Monday.

The former MRP Matabeleland North provincial secretary Nkosikhona Sibanda also dumped the secessionist party and has since joined the ruling party.

When reached by NewZimbabwe.com for comment, MRP president Mqondisi Moyo described Mhlanga and Sibanda's defections to Zanu PF as a non-event.

"I have no time discussing the so-called defections. As the MRP, we have enough cadres who can fight for our cause much better and vigorously than those individuals you have referred to. In fact, our party is growing much stronger every day," said Moyo.
Landless People's Movement leaders Bernadus Swartbooi and Henny Seibeb are challenging a High Court decision that dismissed a case in which they were suing the speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi for kicking them out of the chamber.

A fortnight ago, the Windhoek High Court dismissed, with cost, a case in which the two parliamentarians were challenging the decision by Katjavivi to kick them out of parliament.

Acting judge Kobus Miller ruled that the High Court would be overreaching in legislative matters if it grants the declaratory relief sought by the two MPs, which could competently be handled by the National Assembly's privileges committee.

The two were of the opinion that Katjavivi's action to suspend them indefinitely from attending parliament sessions, due to their involvement in an incident which took place last month during the State of the Nation address (SONA) by President Hage Geingob, was unprocedural.

In court documents filed by their lawyers Dr Weder, Kauta and Hoveka in the Supreme Court last Wednesday, the two MPs want the appeal to be upheld with costs and that the decision of the High Court be declared unlawful, null and void.

They are further asking the Supreme Court to interdict and restrain Katjavivi from pursuing his "unlawful decision", in any way or form, including through other person, interfering with their rights to attend sessions of the National Assembly or to make contributions during debates of the National Assembly, or to access the LPM office at the parliament precinct.

They further want Katjavivi to pay the costs of the Supreme Court application, including costs of one instructed and one instructing counsel.

According to the court documents, "Article 5 of the constitution protects fundamental rights and freedoms, by commanding the executive, legislative and judiciary to respect and uphold fundamental rights and freedom enshrined in Chapter 3 of the constitution."

The two MPs in the court document further argue that Article 17 of the constitution guarantees political activity and provide that all citizens shall have the right to participate in peaceful political activity intended to influence the composition and policies of government.
Kwekwe mayor, Angeline Kasipo, has dismissed as false growing reports the deadly Indian Covid-19 variant has hit the gold mining city.

Reports have been rife the city had hit the Indian coronavirus variant following the death of Kwekwe Residents' Association chairperson Robson Kadenhe due to Covid-19 complications last week.

Speculation is swirling the 76-year-old man might have contracted the deadly Indian variant after coming into contact with his granddaughter who recently returned to Zimbabwe after travelling from India.

However, the granddaughter has since tested Covid-19 antigen negative.

Addressing journalists Monday, Kasipo said, though Kadenhe succumbed to Covid-19 complications, it's untrue that he might have contracted the virus from his granddaughter.

She said there was also no evidence that Kwekwe had been hit by the Indian variant as the city is awaiting Covid-19 results after conducting tests that have since been sent to Harare.

"Mr. Kadenhe died from Covid-19 related illness. We have to be cognisant of the fact that the granddaughter who had travelled from India tested antigen-negative," she said.

"Therefore, we cannot speculate that she brought the virus. We must not speculate."

Kwekwe for the past two months has been recording zero Covid-19 cases. However, there are currently 10 active cases in the city.

Kasipo urged residents to continue following World Health Organisation (WHO) stipulations in combating Covid-19.

"We want people to be careful, we don't know if we have a third wave or the Indian variant or anything. We are awaiting the results that we sent to Harare. People must, therefore, not speculate.

"There is no need to panic, but we need to take full precautions. For the past two months, we have been recording zero cases. People must continue observing WHO guidelines. We are also encouraging people to get vaccinated," she said.

India's deadly Covid-19 second wave has devastated big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Pune. Hospitals and crematoriums have run out of space, and funerals are taking place in car parks.
Health is a critical sector of every society or economy. Ignore the health sector and the result would be feeble people who cannot effectively contribute to national development because they would not have the sound mind to solve societal problems.

Happily, health facilities, including clinics, polyclinics and hospitals, have come to take care of treatment of various conditions.

It should, however, be noted that hospitals handle cases that are complicated and even among the various hospitals, some handle more complicated cases, hence hospitals are classified in order, for example, to determine which case should be sent to a particular one.

Among other things, hospitals are classified by size, type of service rendered, by facilities and by length of stay.

The focus of the Ghanaian Times is on length of stay, which has to do with the time between when a patient is first admitted to hospital for care until he is either discharged or transferred to another hospital.

Here is usually the point where beds are needed. Modern hospitals, especially in developed jurisdictions, tend to rarely exceed 800 beds as such a facility is deemed the largest unit that could be governed satisfactorily from a single administrative unit while maintaining corporate unity.

However, in developing countries the bed-occupancy rate is often more than 100 per cent. That is to say that there are more patients in and others still seeking to be admitted to the hospitals than there are beds for them. This is the situation in Ghana today.

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, with 2,000 beds and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi with 1,000 beds, are the only hospitals in the country that meet and even exceed the 800-bed capacity criterion, yet referrals and visits that demand some length of stay have made nonsense of the number of these beds. Remember, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is currently the third largest hospital in Africa and the leading national referral centre.

There are just about 3,400 beds in seven public hospitals in Accra, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, serving the health needs of the over five million population, meaning all the other six share 1,400 out of which the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) boosts 420 beds and the Trust Hospital following it with 86 beds.

The cases of other regional or teaching hospitals, with the exception of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Ashanti Region), are appalling. For instance, Tamale Teaching Hospital (Northern Region) has 484, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (Central Region) 400 and Ho Teaching Hospital (Volta Region) 240.

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Other cases are worst. For instance, only a 284-bed facility would be constructed in the first phase of the construction of a 600-bed facility in Koforidua (Eastern Region).

Some patients are suffering avoidable deaths for lack of beds in Ghanaian hospitals, especially the teaching, regional and other referral hospitals.

There is the case of a 70-year-old man who reportedly died in his car at the LEKMA Hospital after the family had driven him to other major hospitals, including the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Police Hospital.

The Ghanaian Times believes in the expertise of the country's health professionals but can say that without the facilities like beds, they would look on while people's lives are wasted.

Therefore, the paper appeals to the powers that be to provide the needed beds to the hospital and save lives.
Abyei  Twelve people, allegedly policemen, were killed in an attack by militant Misseriya tribesmen on Dungoup village in Abyei, on Sunday. At least seven others were injured. Two days before, the same group killed two elderly Dinka in the area west of Abyei town.

Abyei Deputy Chief Administrator Kon Manyiet reported in a press statement yesterday that Dungoup village near Abyei town was attacked around 5:00 on Sunday, by a group of militant Misseriya tribesmen supported by Sudanese army troops based in Kec/Diffra, the northern part of the Abyei Administrative Area.

Twelve "innocent civilians" were killed and seven others were wounded.

Manyiet noted that the forces of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in the area arrived to the scene two hours after the attack, though they are well aware of the movements of the militant group.

He also said that the same group of Misseriya and army forces on Friday morning killed Manuon Akot (75) from Warrap in South Sudan and Wud Bol Malek from Abyei, in the area west of Abyei town.

"The Abyei Administration and the entire population of Abyei condemn in the strongest terms this brutal, barbaric, and cowardice attacks and the killing of people in the residential areas. Therefore, we urge UNISFA to seize all perpetrators," the statement reads. "We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of our fallen heroes for their sacrifices in protecting our land, and wish a quick recovery for our wounded heroes."

Policemen

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Doctor Ayom Korchick however, told Radio Dabanga on Sunday that "elements of the Ajira Misseriya and the so-called Oil Police based in Kec/Diffra attacked Dungoup village, 12 km north-east of Abyei town, today at 5 pm".

"Twelve Community Protection Policemen (CPC) were killed and seven were wounded. All the civilians in the village are safe. Our CPC and the UNISFA are now in full control of Dungoup and all the areas around it."

The medic later reported an eighth policeman injured.

Protection

Abyei, an area at the Sudan-South Sudan border, is the traditional homeland of the Ngok Dinka, who have with strong ties with the South Sudanese Dinka tribe. Herders of the Misseriya, a northern Arab tribe, traverse Abyei and other Sudan-South Sudan border areas with their cattle in search of water and pasture in the dry season and to trade goods. The region witnesses many cases of cattle rustling, hijacks, and other robberies.

Since the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011, both countries claim the oil-rich region of Abyei. In the same year, the UN Security Council decided on the establishment of UNISFA, to monitor and verify the redeployment of armed forces from Abyei.

UNISFA also has a mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, to protect the area from incursions by unauthorized elements, and ensure security.

On May 1, Radio Dabanga reported that the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations requested that the Security Council consider a six-month rollover of the UNISFA mandate, citing the volatile security situation.
Senior Court Reporter

A member of a syndicate that roams around the Registrar General's offices in Harare, fleecing desperate passport seekers of money, was yesterday jailed for 20 months by a Harare magistrate.

Nicholas Chogugudza was initially jailed for 30 months when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje charged with bribery.

However, Mr Mambanje set aside 10 months of the jail term for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within that period.

Chogugudza last week admitted to soliciting for bribes on behalf of the passport office's employees.

He was arrested along with an official from the passport offices, Prisca Moyo, who is yet to be prosecuted on the same allegations.

"I would want to tell the court the truth in front of everyone, including those who arrested me, that I committed the offence," he said.

Chogugudza hangs around Makombe Building as a link between the public and RG's employees facilitating the underhand dealings.

In sentencing Chogugudza, Mr Mambanje said there was need to cleanse the rot at Passport Offices, which he said had been going on for some time.

The court also said there was need to impose deterrence sentences to people like Chogugudza, who are fuelling corruption in the country.

"Courts should be seen helping in fighting corruption and they should make sure the war is won," said Mr Mambanje.

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He said fining and committing Chogugudza to perform unpaid as punishment would trivialise the offence he was facing.

The State will separately prosecute Moyo, who is in custody, on criminal abuse of office charges.

High Court judge justice Pisirayi Kwenda denied Moyo bail citing high risk of interference with witnesses, following a finding that police are facing challenges in their investigations at the passport office.

It was the court's view that no bail condition was likely to stop communication between Moyo and his workmates.

"Accordingly, the decision a quo, dismissing the appellant's bail application cannot be faulted because the risk of interference is high. The appeal be and is hereby dismissed."

According to the State, on March 25, Betty Choice Madekufamba, who had applied for a passport last year, went to Makombe Building for collection her document.

She was told she was not eligible to get one as she had no permit and was not employed outside the country and was also advised that the issuance of ordinary passports had been temporarily suspended by authorities.

It is alleged that after the information, she was approached by a man who solicited US$20 for the search and production of the passport.

Madekufamba reportedly approached the Registrar's office and a report was made and a trap was organised.

She was approached by Chogugudza who allegedly said he wanted US$20 for the passport to be retrieved and later approached Moyo who released the passport.

He took it to Madekufamba and was given the trap money leading to the duo's arrest.
The establishment of a Parliamentary Training Academy (PTA) is on top of the agenda for Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda following his re-appointment to the post for his second and last term last week.

The Academy would be responsible for capacity building for both Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to ensure the institution carries out its constitutional mandate effectively.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, commended the guidance and cordial working relations he has with Parliament's presiding officers, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda and Senate president, Cde Mable Chinomona.

Mr Chokuda said also he was pleased with the increased public participation in parliamentary activities.

"We need to strengthen the capacity of our MPs and staff and just last year the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders approved our concept note for the establishment of the PTA and that is going to be the anchor activity of this parliament in the next four or five years.

"The establishment of the PTA is going to allow us to have a focused training of MPs and we should be able to trek that we have done for the MPs and the benefits we are getting from it. We should be able to meet the requirements of our MPs and staff," Mr Chokuda said.

He said there was need for continuous training of MPs and staff to ensure they keep abreast with modern trends.

The Clerk of Parliament said the impending move to the new Parliament building was a welcome move as it was in line with the goal of having a vibrant, people driven legislature.

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"When we have a world class building we need to have a world class service to the people and that is what we are going to be focusing on to provide a world class service to the MPs and the people of Zimbabwe," he added.

Mr Chokuda said the highlights of his first term in office was the computerisation of most parliamentary activities that have enabled parliament conduct virtual sittings in the face of the Covid19 pandemic.

He added that parliament had seen an increase in its engagement with the public through a rise in petitions received by the institution from citizens while the Speaker of the National Assembly had carried out outreach meetings in all the country's 10 provinces.

He said the translation of the Constitution into all the 16 official languages was another testimony of another parliamentary led initiative achieved during his first term. Mr Chokuda was re-appointed to the post last week following recommendations by the CSRO.
Paris  France today pledged to provide a bridging loan of $1.5 billion to assist Sudan to clear its arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This was announced in Paris this morning, at the start of a conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, to support the democratic transformation in Sudan. The conference aims to provide financial relief for Sudan's $60 billion foreign debt.

News of the French loan has been welcomed. On social media, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) for Sudan, Volker Perthes, described it as a good move at the right time. Perthes said that Sudan needs to show the international community that "the new Sudan is a business case - no longer a basket case", and that the UN is ready to support the process.

The Sudanese delegation includes the heads of the Sovereignty Council and the Council of Ministers, as well as dozens of the executive body, businessmen, and activists. The conference will also be attended by Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi and Tunisian President Kais Saied.

Foreign Minister Maryam El Sadiq said in a press statement during the ministerial delegation's departure from Khartoum Airport yesterday that the visit will extend for three days. She explained that at the Paris conference, Sudan hopes to achieve economic and investment partnerships with countries of the world in various fields, in addition to exempting Sudan's debts and presenting the Sudanese revolution to the world with the voices of young men and women revolutionaries.

El Sadiq said she expected 70 per cent debt relief and that on Wednesday, the Franco-African Economic Summit will be held with the participation of a number of presidents, during which Prime Minister Hamdok will deliver a speech in this regard.

The Paris conference opened this morning. The first session is concerned with presenting the new Sudan through two axes: the opening, and a review of economic reforms in Sudan. According to the announced programme of the conference, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the French Finance Minister will address the session, along with officials from the International Monetary Fund, the Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission in Africa and the Sudanese Businessmen Union.

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As for the second session, it will deal with the modernization of banking services and the commitment and readiness of Sudanese banks. An American and French official will address them, along with the Governor of the Bank of Sudan and a representative of the African Export-Import Bank.

The third session will include round tables on investment opportunities available in four main sectors, namely infrastructure, agriculture, energy, mining, and information and communication technology, with the participation of foreign and Sudanese institutions, and a review of available opportunities. The French President will hold a joint press conference with Burhan and Hamdok this evening.
The Namibian authorities have confirmed it is investigating whether a Covid-19 variant originating from India is present in the country. Health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe announced the new developments yesterday.

"The ministry of health is also concerned about new variants which have initially been identified in India (B.1.617) and have been reported to be circulating in other parts of the world," he said in a statement. "Through genome sequencing, we are currently monitoring if these variants are present in Namibia." Countries such as neighbours South Africa and Botswana have recorded cases of the Indian variant, while confirmed cases have also been detected in Asia and some parts of Europe.

Two Covid-19 variants have already been confirmed in the country (Namibia). They are the (B.1.351) from South Africa and United Kingdom's (B.1.1.7). Nangombe further indicated the ministry was highly concerned about more severe Covid-19 cases reported in the country.

The high number of hospitalisations and deaths is also a cause of great concern to the ministry. "Increased hospitalisation has exerted pressure on the available capacity of intensive care treatment, both in public and private sectors.

The observed lax compliance with the Covid-19 public health regulations in all parts of the country is also a concern." The Ministry of Health and Social Services strongly cautions all members of the public to strictly comply with all Covid-19 public health regulations in order to supress and prevent the further spread of Covid-19, he said.

"Families and attendants are encouraged to fully comply with the standards operating procedures (SOP) on Covid-19 burials. All community, traditional and religious leaders as well as law enforcement agencies are called upon to support all efforts aimed at promoting compliance with the public health regulations." Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula yesterday also pleaded with Namibians to protect themselves and others against Covid-19 even after they have been vaccinated against the virus. Shangula also added the Indian variant was not yet detected in the country.

"However, all variants are bad news, including those already circulating in Namibia. We were prepared and managed well both the first and second waves. We will do the same with any potential future waves. We have currently enough vaccines in the country for our vaccination campaign. We expect another consignment in May this year," he said.
In what was, so far, the best baseball game of the week, the Jaguars pulled their 33rd win out of the fire and salvaged a gem of a start from their star pitcher.
analysis

In the wake of the release of an independent inquiry into media credibility and ethics earlier this year, the media fraternity at the weekend committed to coming up with an action plan to sustain credible public interest media.

This statement was issued by the South African National Editors' Forum at the weekend.

The South African National Editors' Forum should lobby for the establishment of a Media Sustainability Fund, an annual barometer of media ethics and ongoing mental health support for journalists.

These were among the top activities identified at a groundbreaking SANEF Media Ethics and Credibility Conference held on Saturday, 15 May 2021) which was attended by well over 100 media stakeholders. The conference will inform the strategic path for SANEF's five-year action plan.

The conference is the culmination of a journey that started in 2019 when the organisation commissioned an independent inquiry into media credibility and ethics with a panel led by retired Judge Kathy Satchwell and author and veteran journalist Rich Mkhondo and award-winning journalist Nikiwe Bikitsha as panel members.

Since the release of the inquiry report in January this year, SANEF has hosted a series of public webinars to discuss the panel's...
analysis

The court heard that the magistrate, AC Masala, was 'unwell' after being wounded in a shooting at a car wash in Mfuleni on Sunday.

The two men accused of murdering decorated Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, alleged underworld boss Nafiz Modack and debt collector Zane Kilian, will have to wait until next Monday to get a date for their bail hearing.

They appeared on Monday, 17 May, alongside co-accused Jacques Cronje and Ricardo Morgan in the Bellville Regional Court to determine a date for a bail hearing related to the 62 charges they face.

However, the court heard that the magistrate, AC Masala, was "unwell" after being wounded in a shooting at a car wash in Mfuleni on Sunday. A police officer, Koliswa Vani, who was at the car wash with her two children, was shot dead by a suspect who fled the scene in a white Toyota Avanza.

At this stage there is no indication that the shooting is connected to the matter before the court.

On Monday, Modack and Kilian's bail hearing was postponed to 24 May.

They face charges including the murder of Kinnear, a murder attempt on prominent lawyer William Booth in April 2020, conspiracy...
document

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Science and Technology, Mr Philly Mapulane, supported the adoption of the budget vote of the Department of Higher Education and Training in a plenary session of the National Assembly.

The Departments of Higher Education and Training, and Science and Technology appeared before the committee recently to present their annual performance plans and budgets for the 2021/22 financial year. After a constructive engagement on those plans and budgets, the committee adopted those plans and budgets.

In supporting the adoption of the budget debate vote in a NA's mini-plenary session recently, Mr Mapulane said notwithstanding the budget reductions, the committee is hoping that the South African economy will bounce back and return to its former glory of the late 1996 sustainable growth - and the financial position of the country improves.

He said: "We call on all who will be responsible for the implementation of this budget vote to do more with less and innovation is encouraged.

In recognising the continuing debates which are part of transformation of the university landscape, Mr Mapulane announced during the budget debate that the committee will be convening a Colloquium on Institutional Autonomy and Public Accountability on 28 May this year to further contribute towards the refinement of "ours and that of the sector's understanding and application of these concepts".

The department's budget allocation for the 2021/22 financial year amounts to R115.5 billion, including skills levies. The department's voted funds amount to R97.7 billion, shared amongst the six budget programmes. The bulk of the budget of the voted funds, which represent 86.06% is apportioned to Programme 3: University Education, subsidies to universities, and allocation to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to support access to education through student funding, as well infrastructure efficiency grants.

Delivering his Budget Vote, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, said his department will dedicate efforts in the 2021/22 financial year to address the issues of gender-based violence (GBV). He said there is allocation of R5 million within the department towards GBV. The department, through Programme 2: Planning, Policy and Strategy, will report on the implementation of the GBV Framework by the sector.

On financial support to students, Minister Nzimande said the NSFAS's approved budget for 2020/21 is R41.5 billion. He said this excludes the approved R6.4 billion additional budget.

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Following the shortfall experienced by NSFAS, Dr Nzimande said: "We reprioritised our departmental budget to ensure that all deserving and qualifying students are able to receive funding for the 2021 academic year from the NSFAS.

Irrespective of these challenges, he said NSFAS funding has increased more than five-fold just in six years, from R5.9 billion in 2014 to R34.7 billion in 2020. He said in the current financial year, NSFAS funding is expected to reach over R43 billion - a further increase of nearly R10 billion in just two years.

In support of the expansion of access to the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system, he said the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) will award bursaries to PhD students, and will pipeline postgraduate students.

He said the DSI will also be placing graduates and students in DSI-funded work preparation programmes in science, engineering, technology and innovation institutions in support of the initiatives towards ensuring the responsiveness of the PSET system.
Comedian Esther Kazungu is off the market after getting engaged to her longtime partner James Kibunja at a lovely surprise party over the weekend.

Kazungu famous for her online hilarious skits was tricked by her close friends into attending a birthday party of one of them at a secret location, which turned out to be her engagement party.

"Two of her close friends Naomi Mburu and Linette Muga collaborated with her boyfriend Kibunja. They fooled her into thinking she was going for a birthday party but turned out to be her engagement party. I don't have any photos yet of the engagement ring but I am confident when I tell you it was an engagement party," a source privy to the development told Nairobi News.

Kazungu and Kibunja, a renowned emcee, have been dating for some time even though they appear to be ready to invest to have their relationship private.

Even after the only invite engagement party, the couple hasn't yet shared much to suggest that are preparing for marriage.

From their weekend post and footage, one can only imagine the two had some great fun over the weekend.

Their close friends and other invited guests too were careful not to post any stories that would suggest that Kibunjah proposed.

Kazungu the first rising online comedian became famous when some of her skits specifically about the South African parliament dramas, which went viral.
Barely a year after he split with his Saumu Mbuvi, who is the daughter of former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, Lamu Senator Anwar Loitiptip's new bae Aeedah Bambi has publicly celebrated him on his birthday.

Via a social media post, Loitiptip's new catch penned a romantic message in which she celebrated him as her greatest critic and workout partner.

She also promised to throw a party for him.

"Happy birthday to my best friend, my greatest critic, my fiercest supporter, my accomplice, my workout partner, my love, my EVERYTHING! Hon. Senator 005. Sherehe ianze!!!

Senator Loitiptip in April announced he'd married to the socialite, two months after suffered a nasty split with with Mbuvi.

Nairobi News learnt that the Senator and socialite Aeedah Bambi got married just before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

This is the first time Aeedah has shared the picture of Loitiptip on her social media platforms.

Loitiptip on the other hand has not shared any picture of Aeedah on his social media platforms, in fact when he posted about his marriage to the socialite, he told one of his fans that he was avoiding to post their wedding pictures online to keep "haters" in the dark.

"Tembea Nyumbani Uone Bibi Harusi live live, Picha Mitandaoni Tunajua Mahatters Wanasubiri Waanze kudiss but Tuko Rada. (Come home and see the bride. We know haters are waiting for photos online, but we are alert)," said Loitiptip.

After breaking up with Saumu, a video of the senator smoking shisha with Aeedah at Yejoka restaurant in Parklands surfaced online.

In the same month, Aeedah, who shares a son with city businessman Steve Oduk, posted a photo of an engagement ring but did not mention her fiance.
Uganda has signed a Sh5 billion deal with a Chinese firm that will see its 260-kilometre century-old metre gauge railway line between Malaba and Kampala rehabilitated in under 12 months.

This comes after a meeting between Kenyan officials who accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta to Kampala to attend President Yoweri Museveni's inauguration for his sixth term last Wednesday.

The signing of the deal effectively ends Kampala's dream to have a standard gauge railway (SGR) from the Kenyan border to Kampala, and possibly to Rwanda, falling back on the old railway line as it seeks to have faster evacuation of cargo from Mombasa.

The Nation understands that Kenya helped close the deal on Wednesday, with officials from Kenya and Uganda transport ministries, Kenya Railways, Uganda Railways, and the Chinese embassy in attendance.

Kenya's Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia revealed that they were part of the concessions talks between China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) to have the Chinese firm rehabilitate the Malaba-Kampala railways line.

"We came here to assist them (Uganda) conclude this deal. It has been done. The idea is to make sure that we have a seamless operation of the metre gauge railway line from Naivasha all the way to Kampala," Mr Macharia told the Nation.

He added, "We had contracted CRBC to rehabilitate the Longonot to Malaba line and the progress is good so far. So we felt for it to make sense, Uganda had to also start doing the same for their line to make this project complete."

In January this year, Kenya began the Sh3.5 billion rehabilitation of the 460km Longonot to Malaba line, which it expects to be ready by the end of this year. Upon completion of repairs on the old line, it will then link to the SGR at Naivasha. This will enable seamless transport of cargo containers from Mombasa to Kisumu and Malaba border into Uganda.

Already, Kenya Railways is constructing a link line between the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and the Longonot railway station, to ensure this interchange is successfully executed. The 24.3-kilometre link will ensure cargo from SGR moves to old line at the interchange point, located at the ICD in Naivasha for onward movement to Kampala.

"The Ugandan agreement with the contactor is to have this done in the shortest time possible so as to ensure that we have the line working for businesspersons all the way to Kampala," said Mr Macharia.

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In May last year, President Museveni argued that increasingly, cargo should be shifted from road to railway transport, because of its low costs and the high maintenance costs the trucks were exacting on roads.

"As it is, the net tonne of goods from Mombasa to Kampala by road is $0.12 while by rail, it is half the cost. Therefore, in Uganda, we are going to repair the old railway line as we plan to build the new one," he said, adding that his country will be seeking to have new locomotives to help in this drive.

Already, the National Enterprise Corporation -- the commercial arm of the Ugandan military, has undertaken bush clearing, screening and maintenance of two sections of the Malaba-Kampala railway line totaling 100 km.

Uganda's decision to rehabilitate its dilapidated railway line comes after the fall-through of its final financing agreement for a standard gauge railway line. This came after Kenya opted to terminate its proposed Nairobi-Malaba SGR line at Naivasha.

In 2018, a Chinese delegation led by Wang Yang, China vice premier and China Exim Bank Chairperson Li Ruogo, the financiers of the railway project for both Kenya and Uganda, were in the region and met presidents Kenyatta and Museveni. The visit was said to be an 'update session' for the Chinese officials, with the progress of the SGR projects in Kenya, and also have discussions over Uganda's first phase of the project.

The final financial agreement between Uganda and the financier, China Exim Bank, on the Malaba-Kampala line which was to be signed when President Museveni attended the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was put on hold after Kenya failed to commit to a financing agreement for its Naivasha to Malaba line.
Buhigwe  Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) candidate in Muhambwe constituency, Dr Florence Samizi has been declared the winner in the by-elections held yesterday.

The election was held after former Muhambwe Member of Parliament (MP), Atashasta Nditiye died in February this year.

Announcing the results on Monday, May 17, 2021, the returning officer Diocles Rutema, said Dr Samizi had collected by 23,441 votes out of 34,656 valid votes.

"With the powers conferred upon me by section 81 (a) of the National Electoral Act chapter 443 I declare Dr Florence Samizi the Member of Parliament for Muhambwe," said Rutema.

She named other candidates as, Julius Masabo (ACT-Wazalendo) who got 10,847 votes and Philipo Fumbo of the Democratic Party (DP) 368 votes.

Speaking after she was declared winner, Dr Samizi promised to start implementing the promises she made during the campaign immediately after being sworn in.

DP's Fumbo asked Dr. Samizi to involve her competitors if she is to fulfill her responsibilities within Muhambwe.

"We are ready to cooperate with her even by advising her, it is not wrong to cooperate with your competitor," said Fumbo.

Fumbo said the results were announced as they had been reported at the polling stations.

Earlier yesterday, ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe wrote a congratulatory message on his Twitter handle to Dr Samizi on her victory.
Government's call for Namibians to get vaccinated against Covid-19 has largely fallen on deaf ears in rural Namibia as dead air engulfs the nation's airwaves.

(NBC) workers went on strike on 22 April for better pay and working conditions.

The absence of the NBC Oshiwambo radio service has hindered the Covid-19 vaccination dissemination campaign in the Oshana region, said Penda Kashihakumwa, who is spearheading the campaign there. He explained that the campaign got off to a relatively slow start as the meeting points were initially announced on NBC's Kati FM.

"The campaign is a bit slow because we were using NBC to announce our meeting points, but now that they are on strike, it is a bit challenging," said Kashihakumwa.

Lebbeus Musongo from the Kavango East and West regional health directorate, who is the focal person for educating the community through the NBC Radio Wato

in local languages under the Covid-19 sub-pillar of Risk Communications and Community Engagement,

also noted that his work has been made difficult by the ongoing strike.

"We cannot reach a wider audience with information about the pandemic as well as the vaccination, especially in the remote inland areas where there are no newspapers, no internet as well as cell phones to keep them informed. Radio had made it easier to get information to them," Musongo said.

"They depended on NBC Radio Wato. At the moment, we are not sure if our people in rural Kavango are aware of the vaccine, as well as where to get it. Yes, we do have health workers doing rounds here and there, but radio was effective as it reached a wider audience," he reiterated. The Kavango West's Ncuncuni constituency councillor Leopoldine Nseu said she got vaccinated on Friday, and health workers informed her about the low turnout, "which is alarming because Government wants to save lives through this vaccine programme. "Unfortunately, we are supposed to do more awareness on local radio to encourage our communities to get the shots, but we can't do that without our NBC Radio Wato."

Meanwhile, Kashihakumwa said they have changed the approach to hold information the session when the constituency councillors hold their public meetings to ensure that a vast number of people have access to information to enable them to make an informed decision on whether to get vaccinated or not.

In addition to not being able to announce the meeting points, Kashihakumwa said getting people to gather is also challenging as many are working in their crop fields.

"Our intention is to speak to as many people as possible, as long as we are within the stipulated Covid-19 regulations," he noted. Kashihakumwa added that many leaders and healthcare workers in the region have been vaccinated.

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To add insult to injury, the officials also have to deal with misinformation. The biggest challenge in carrying out the campaign at the moment is conflicting information from social media. Kashihakumwa said some of the information being shared on vaccinations has not been proven scientifically, and is working against making an informed decision on the vaccination.

However, the regional campaign is not forcing anyone into getting vaccinated, but it's there to create awareness for the public to choose whether to get vaccinated or not. He said it does not mean that once vaccinated, one will not contract Covid-19.

"What we are saying is that it will reduce your chance of contracting it, and it will also reduce your chance of being hospitalised or getting to the intensive care unit (ICU)," stressed Kashihakumwa.

The number of people vaccinated against Covid-19 in the region was not available at the time of going to print.
While Canadian miner ReconAfrica has moved to calm excitement around "potential billions of barrels of oil", the Southern Africa Anglican bishops called for an immediate halt to exploratory drilling by the company, and labelled it a sin. Responding to environmental concerns last week, ReconAfrica spokesperson Ndapewoshali Shapwanale claimed that exploration wells have no impact on the environment. She said all aquifers are protected, using multiple layers of casing and cement.

Although ReconAfrica has confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons in their first stratigraphic test well at Kawe in Kavango East, which provides over 200 metres of oil and natural gas indicators, the Canadian-registered miner explained that even with sufficient quantities discovered, it is still years away from commencing with commercial drilling operations.

ReconAfrica's data analysis from the first of three wells provides evidence of a working conventional petroleum system in the Kavango Basin. However, ReconAfrica's explanation does not sit well with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa's environmental network that protested the "imminent desecration" of the Kavango Basin in northern Namibia and Botswana, and called for an immediate halt to exploratory drilling by the Canadian miner. ReconAfrica has bought rights to drill for oil in more than 35 000 square kilometres of the Kavango Basin in Namibia.

In a petition signed by the Anglican bishop of Namibia, Luke Pato and over 30 archbishops, they state that this environmentally sensitive, protected area which supplies water to the Okavango Delta, is a world heritage and Ramsar wetland site. They argue it's also a key biodiversity area, and one of the seven natural wonders of Africa. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

"The region is home to the largest remaining population of African elephants, 400 species of birds, and is a sanctuary for many other animals. It is protected under the protocol of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission," Anglican Church of Southern Africa's environmental network coordinator Rachel Mash said. This exploration also violates the San-speaking people's rights under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people.

The exploration and extraction of oil and gas are expected to bring about roads, heavy trucks, ribbon development and pollution, and Mash said these activities will disrupt the culture and ancestral heritage and ecosystem-dependent subsistence livelihoods of the San people.

Equally, they say it will also negatively affect low-impact eco-tourism, which provides a sustainable income to guides, crafters and artists.

Grave concern about the potential damage that ReconAfrica's planned 'unconventional drilling' will do to groundwater has been expressed by specialists from the Geological Survey of Namibia and the general public.

According to the ReconAfrica website, "oil generated in the basin could be billions of barrels", and be the "biggest oil play of the decade.

Mash maintained that for Namibia, being a country most vulnerable to climate change, with almost unrivalled solar energy potential, extracting "billions of barrels of oil" makes no sense. She added that reducing carbon emissions is a global responsibility. The Anglican Church is of the opinion that there were also inadequate public participation processes in the Namibian context, claiming indications are that the deal between ReconAfrica and the Namibian government was concluded behind closed doors. Initial meetings were only held in northern Namibia.

Furthermore, they reasoned that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) submitted by ReconAfrica does not comply with strict Namibian government standards.

"ReconAfrica claims that drilling the Kavango basin is 'pretty much a no-brainer'. We call it a sin. To destroy life and God's creation is simply wicked. As faith leaders, we are called upon to speak up for those who have no voice, and defend the rights of the needy. Drilling in the Kavango Basin will fracture its geological structure and destroy the water system that supports this unique ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary," reads the petition addressed to the Namibian and Botswana governments. In so doing, the church said it will also disrupt the livelihoods of indigenous people.

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Moreover, it will bring vast wealth to a few, but in doing so will further impoverish the people of northern Namibia, exacerbating climate change, and destroying their traditional way of life. "ReconAfrica is putting the financial interests before life." Mash stressed the church believes in restorative social and environmental justice, and called upon the international community to support Namibia and Botswana to develop renewable energy systems and help safeguard the precious Kavango ecosystem.

In light of these facts, the faith leaders called on the two governments to halt drilling with immediate effect.
A civil rights group called Vigor Youth of Nigeria (VYN) has stated that Nigerian dream is workable, saying that the rescue mission to this effect should start now.

The organisation spoke during a conversation with journalists in Lagos ahead of their 2nd global summit tagged; "Democracy and You."

The two-day event billed to hold on webinar platform, starting from June 7 - 8, 2021, will feature selected resource persons from different background with participants across the globe, focusing on variety of perspectives that will engender effective democracy and the required change.

According to the National Coordinator, Prince Justice, he said that 'Vigor youths of Nigeria' is dedicated to promoting democratic values, citizen participation in democracy, and good governance.

"We aim to inculcate democratic values in the Nigerian citizenry, especially at the grassroots, through advocacy, education, training and capacity building on governance and democratic participation, with a focus on all inclusive, people driven democratic practice in Nigeria," Justice said.

He added, "We have identified a yearning among Nigerians for a democracy that works for us; that addresses our everyday concerns including security, education, healthcare, transportation and employment. We believe that our democracy should be able to address these concerns."

Meanwhile, Justice noted that sequel to their maiden edition of the summit held in February, 2021, with wide participation, the next summit will harp on the previous success to highlight innovative ways of enlightening and mobilising the masses for the cause of democracy.
analysis

In each of the stories told below, queer and trans persons have resisted oppression and responded to the pervasive homophobia and transphobia they experience. It is important to honour this history of queer struggle for justice, but while this history marks our progress, how much has really changed in 285 years?

Gabriel Hoosain Khan is the stream leader for inclusivity capacity building at the Office for Inclusivity and Change at the University of Cape Town.

On 3 May 2021, Phelokazi Mqathana (24) was stabbed to death in Khayelitsha for rebuffing the advances of a man. A queer womxn's life was cut short by a deeply heteronormative and patriarchal world. Since the start of 2021, seven other queer and trans persons have been murdered, a testament to the pervasive homophobic and transphobic violence present in South Africa.

It is in this painful context that an arc of queer resistance unfurls across the city, as long and smooth as the curved sand of Bloubergstrand. An arc linking Robben Island to Camps Bay and stretching from 285 years ago to today.

Remembering this arc of resistance in the week of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (Idahot, 16 May) can offer...
A former parliamentarian who was convicted of high treason and other charges, and is currently serving an 18-year prison term, lost his bid to be released on medical grounds after the High Court dismissed his application yesterday.

Judge Kobus Miller dismissed 65-year-old Geoffrey Mwilima's application, deemed the matter finalised and removed it from the roll, as there were no facts supporting the orders sought.

"The medical practitioners who at various stages diagnosed and prescribed treatment for his condition were not always in agreement, especially on the issue of whether or not the applicant is eligible to be released on parole due to his medical condition," said Miller.

The court further ruled that the correctional medical officer informed Mwilima, a former National Assembly member, that his condition did not meet the criteria for him to be released on parole on medical grounds.

Mwilima, who has been in jail for more than 21 years after his arrest in August 1999, dragged the commissioner general of the Namibian Correctional Service, the minister of safety and security, the medical officer of the Windhoek Correctional Facility and the officer-in-command

of the prison to court in an attempt to compel them to consider releasing him on grounds of ill-health.

In his affidavit, Mwilima informed the court that he is suffering from kidney failure, which necessitates dialysis treatment twice a week, diabetes and high blood pressure.

He was convicted and sentenced in December 2015 of high treason, nine counts of murder and 90 charges of attempted murder over his involvement in a separatist movement that aimed to secede the Zambezi region (then Caprivi) from Namibia. He started serving his 18-year prison term thereafter.

Mwilima was found to have been part of the armed secessionist organisation in the former Caprivi region which conspired to overthrow the Namibian government in that region between the period of September 1998 and December 2003.

The group were said to have imported into Namibia armaments comprising cannons, machine guns, magazines and other military weapons for their planned forceful succession of the Caprivi Strip at the time.

Profysen Muluti was representing Mwilima, with Alice Makemba representing the state.
On July 21, 2017, a truck driver Daniel Musya was on his way to deliver a 40-feet container at the Kenya Ports Authority when he was fired.

He had delivered the container at 4am but was caught up in a traffic snarl-up within the facility as he tried to leave.

He was then instructed by KPA's security personnel to exit the port through gate 18, as there was traffic jam at the other gates.

As Mr Musya was heading back to Dodwell and Company East Africa Ltd yard, he was stopped by the firm's security deputy manager, who wanted to know where he was coming from.

According to the company, the driver had intentionally diverted the tractor from the designed route to a different direction to siphon fuel.

He was then later on that day summoned and sacked.

In the dismissal letter, the company explained that it resolved to sack him for involving himself in gross misconduct.

KPA claimed that its staff intercepted Mr Musya on his way from the port.

According to the firm, Mr Musya siphoned fuel from his assigned tractor, which was an act of dishonesty and therefore it was recommended that his services be terminated.

"Mr Musya could not explain why he had diverted the tractor from the designated route. His response was also found to be unsatisfactory and he was therefore summarily dismissed, on account of gross misconduct," the firm's Deputy Manager, Lawrence Mwamtsi said.

Mr Musya then sued the company for unfair termination of his employment and asked for compensation.

He accused the company of failing to give him a valid reason for the termination as well as violation of due procedure.

He filed the case before Industrial Court in Mombasa.

The firm, however, told the court that Mr Musya's dismissal was substantively and procedurally fair as he was allowed to respond to the charge of siphoning fuel but his explanation was found to be unsatisfactory.

The company did not buy Mr Musya's explanation that he had gone off the normal route to deliver medicine to his mother.

He denied siphoning fuel and maintained that the jam caused him to change the route.

"In light of the foregoing and the evidence in our possession, it's clear that you have committed gross misconduct which warrants severe disciplinary action.

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Therefore, management is left with no option but to summarily dismiss you from employment," the firm said in a dismissal letter.

But Justice Linnet Ndolo, who handled the case, noted that there was no evidence that the specific charge, upon which Mr Musya was dismissed, was put to him at the shop floor for him to respond to.

The judge stated that for an employee to effectively respond to allegations made against them by the employer, they must be given explicit notice of the charges and allowed adequate time to prepare their defence.

But in this case, the complainant was sacked on the same day he was allegedly found siphoning fuel from the truck.

"This kind of guillotine procedure has no place in our employment law," said the judge.

In addition, the court noted a contradiction on the firm's side as to the mode of Musya's exit from employment.

On one hand, the firm produced a dismissal letter citing gross misconduct by the complainant, and at the same time, it filed a staff pension scheme withdrawal calculation sheet showing the reason for the exit as a voluntary resignation.

"This stark contradiction, which the firm did not bother to explain, but its line of defence into serious question and the court did not know what to believe. What is clear is that the firm so violated the procedural fairness edicts set out in the law, that no reason for dismissal was established," said the judge.

Mr Musya was been awarded a compensation of more than Sh350, 000 plus interest.
The United States said that it is committed to end what it said was a brutal conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, which has been ongoing for six months.

The US also said that it would work to secure a ceasefire between the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) and the Ethiopian army which is supported by Eritrean forces.

"The United States will work with our international allies and partners to secure a ceasefire, end this brutal conflict, provide the life-saving assistance that is so urgently needed, and hold those responsible for human rights abuses and violations accountable," the State department said in a statement.

It issued the statement after US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, completed his first visit to the region travelling to Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt between May 4 and13, 2021.

The US said it was in its interest to see a sovereign and united Ethiopia, but expressed concern over increasing political tension and ethnic polarisation throughout the country.

"The atrocities being perpetrated in Ethiopia's Tigray region and the scale of the humanitarian emergency are unacceptable," the statement added.

It said the crisis in Tigray is a sign of the challenges facing the country as a whole.

"The crisis in Tigray is also symptomatic of a broader set of national challenges that have imperilled meaningful reforms," the statement added.

In a statement, Mr Feltman said he had held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other officials, and that the country's problems could be resolved.

The statement said that the country can be built on a national consensus that respects the human and political rights of all Ethiopians, adding that the presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia is contrary to these goals.

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During a meeting with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Mr Feltman said Eritrean troops should immediately withdraw from Ethiopia.

The United States further pledged to work and support the resolution of regional crises, the establishment of a voice and accountability system, and the creation of a prosperous and stable Horn of Africa.

It also said that the United States would show solidarity with the transitional government in Sudan and work with international partners to ensure that the conflict on the Ethiopian-Sudanese border and the Renaissance Dam dispute do not jeopardise the post-revolutionary process.

It added that the political transition in Sudan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that can serve as an example for the region.

"We are also committed to working with international partners to facilitate resolution of regional flash points -- such as the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and conflict on Sudan's borders -- so they do not undermine the fragile progress made since the revolution," the statement said.

While calling for the immediate resumption of the suspended tripartite talks, it said the United States will provide political and technical support so that Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt can reach a final agreement over a controversial dam Ethiopia is building on River Nile.

The special envoy will return to the region soon, to continue an intensive diplomatic effort over the issues in the region.
Police in Nyandarua have denied wrongful arrests allegations by officials from the United Democratic Alliance ( UDA) as the by-election in Rurii ward kicked off.

On Tuesday morning, UDA party Director of Communications Wanjohi Githae had complained that chief agent Brian Mbugua and supervisor Daniel Githinji were arrested by police officers and taken to an unknown destination.

"The police blocked their vehicle, impounded the car, confiscated their mobile phones, and took them away. Their car is parked at Ol Kalou Police Station," Mr Wanjohi claimed.

Mr Wanjohi claimed that the two were ambushed at Rurii Polytechnic.

But security officers have denied the claims saying they are on the ground and no one has been arrested.

"I am on the ground and no one has been arrested. We are getting timely updates on what is happening, said Ol Kalou sub-county police Ccmmander Dahir Mohamed.

Sub-county deputy county commissioner Gideon Oyagi also denied the claims, saying security officers had no business arresting elections officials.

"They have their own reasons for making the false claims, anyone can visit the police station to ascertain the claims, we don't have any election official in our custody, people should not entertain propagandas," said Mr Oyagi.
Kenya has spent a mere 0.3 per cent on gender equality in the past three fiscal years.

This allocation could, however, rise should there be synergic efforts towards advocating for accountability from funders and receivers, including the national and county governments as well as women's rights organisations.

This came out during a recent virtual forum titled How transparent is gender equality funding in Kenya and where do we go from here? organised by Publish What You Fund, a global organisation that campaigns for aid transparency.

The organisation has tracked gender financing in Kenya for the three consecutive financial years since 2018/19 and while the total annual budget expands, gender equality allocation is static at 0.3 per cent.

For instance, in 2019/20 out of the $25 billion budget, the national government allocated only $72m, an increase by just a $1 million from the previous fiscal year. Kenya's 2018/19 total budget was similarly $25 billion.

While in 2020/21, it maintained the similar ceiling with an $81 million allocation out of an annual budget of $31 billion, equivalent to a sheer 0.3 per cent.

The 0.3 per cent is the total traceable gender equality funding for national ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that run gender equality programs namely National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), State Department for Gender, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and Ministry of Health, mainly reproductive and maternal healthcare.

"However, many MDAs do not signpost their budget allocations as GRB (Gender responsive budgeting), nor do they say how their funds support the National Policy on Gender and Development. As a result, it is difficult to paint a comprehensive picture of government funding that supports Kenya's gender equality commitments," states the Publish What You Fund 2021 report on Gender Financing in Kenya: Mapping funding to improve gender equality.

During the meeting, Publish What You Fund, Gender Project Management and Research Officer Ms Jamie Holton, said: "There is a lot of disaggregated information, which makes it difficult to say how the Kenyan government is funding its national gender policies."

She proposed that development partners support gender equality advocates in Kenya to push for a change in the gender financing system in the country.

Kenya Female Advisory Organisation (Kefeado), Executive Director Ms Easter Okech, raised concern that financing for gender equality work is thinning.

"The funding for women's rights work has been reducing for years, yet the amount of work is huge especially on issues such as sexual and reproductive health, women's participation in agriculture and women with disabilities," she said.

She, however, noted the importance of women's rights organisations proving the impact of their work. This she said could draw more investments into gender equality work.

NGEC Director of Programs and Research Mr Paul Kuria, said the data on the measly gender financing in Kenya is a wakeup call to stakeholders including citizens, MDAs and women's rights organisations to champion for reforms in the resource allocation.

"Gender financing infrastructure requires a total reform. We need more innovations... more transformations so that we move away from just providing resources without remaining accountable," he said.

US Agency for International Development (USAid) Gender and Inclusivity Specialist Ms Betty Mugo, said accountability is pivotal to guaranteeing investments in gender equality work

"Without data it is difficult to hold each other accountable. But holding each other accountable is an important part in how we prioritise gender equality work and investments," she said.

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Globally, underfunding or lack of funding for gender equality programs is a major problem that is even troubling the United Nations (UN).

During the annual UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October last year, UN Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres was emphatic on changing tact in supporting attainment of women and girls' rights.

For instance, he noted that a paltry 0.2 per cent of bilateral aid to fragile and conflict-affected countries goes to women's rights organisations, yet they support local women's peace initiatives.

UN Women is now pushing for adoption of gender bonds, which are issued by investors interested in advancing gender equality, and the proceeds are used to finance the respective work.

The challenge, however, is exciting investors with the gender bonds proposition to secure their financial investments.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta is among African heads of state invited for a conference hosted by the French government to discuss how to finance economies on the continent to recover from Covid-19 shocks.

A note shared by the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French President, said more than a dozen leaders from Africa have confirmed attending the Summit on Tuesday, either physically at the Grand Palais or virtually. Kenya is expected to attend virtually, the statement added.

Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia and South Africa have been among the vocal countries calling for a review of debt repayments or relief for poor countries.

The continent had named special envoys to mobilise funds against Covid-19 including Ivorian banker Tidjane Thiam, former AfDB head Donald Kaberuka, WTO boss Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

Kenya, for instance, is faced with more than Ksh3.8 trillion ($35.4 billion) of debt to foreign lenders, including China, IMF, World Bank, AfDB, Germany, Italy and France.

In January, Kenya was granted a repayment break by the Paris Club, worth Ksh32.9 billion ($306.8 million), to help ease the financial distress from Covid-19. That break ends in June. The Paris Club includes lenders such as France, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain and the US.

The Tuesday conference is President Macron's proposal to host creditors and debtors to discuss ways of providing funding to certain sectors of African economy.

One suggestion he has put forward is debt relief for both public and private entities hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chadian government, then under President Idriss Deby who died in April, proposed that private entities who had borrowed money before the pandemic should also be considered for forgiveness or rearranged repayments.

Ahead of the Summit, French government officials told the media that they hope the presence of lenders and African leaders will help provide an open solution on reducing the burden of loan repayments.

"This will be an opportunity for creditors to sit at the same table, which is unique because previously some countries (lenders) negotiated separately with their debtors. The G20 system now requires negotiations (for debt relief) to be based on the same method," an official from the Palace told journalists on Friday evening during a virtual press conference.

"We expect that this will provide some additional transparency about the nature of debt and also give us a clear picture of the debt at hand," he added in the briefing.

France has proposed that IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) be reallocated to Africa, to help the continent continue providing crucial services in the pandemic season. As foreign exchange instruments, the SDRs are kept by the IMF in special accounts and represent certain values allocated to each country and which can be exchanged to finance imports.

The IMF is scheduled to decide, next month, on whether to issue $650 billion, of which $24 billion will be allocated to Africa. French officials think the portion for Africa is insufficient and have asked that rights meant for richer countries be channelled to the African continent.

A tentative programme circulated to the media on Friday indicated that Presidents of Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa will participate virtually. Others from Angola, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia will attend the conference physically.

Other participants will include representatives from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union, UN, World Trade Organisation, Organisation of Economic Development, and officials from the Paris Club members.

In a briefing on Friday, French officials said the summit will focus on "private sector and incentivise countries" to recovery.

"We expect outcomes that will be based on country-by-country assistance. There will be a mechanism at the IMF and it will be up to the specific countries to make their individual requests," added the official from the Elysee Palace.

Of concern to African countries, however, is the nagging issue of vaccines and access. Mostly dependent on the Covax facility, most African countries including Kenya have had to make do with delays for the second dose. Nairobi says it could be delayed by at least 12 weeks.

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France says it supports waiver on intellectual property rights to enable African countries to manufacture the vaccines locally. But that will also depend on whether the rich countries can share technology and whether local firms can get enough funding to take on the task to produce millions of doses.

The continent has reported the fewest cases in the world, but experts have warned its weak health system makes it vulnerable to continual waves of the pandemic.

The organisers say the Summit will also specifically address the transition in Sudan "to provide an opportunity for Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to introduce his reforms to investors." Initially sanctioned by the US for sponsoring terrorism, Sudan was relieved in December after agreeing to compensate American victims of terrorism. It is now eligible to do business with the outside world, including borrowing and seeking debt relief.
The Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) secretariat says the governors will discuss the third wave of COVID-19 and Executive Order 10.

Governors of Nigeria's 36 states are to meet on May 19 to address matters including COVID-19 and the financial autonomy of state judiciaries and the legislatures.

Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have shut down courts across the country for seven weeks in an industrial action embarked upon on April 6 to press home their demand for the judiciary's financial autonomy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) led by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Monday that the governors would hold their 30th teleconference meeting to discuss "matters arising" by 2p.m. on May 19.

The statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the meeting would discuss issues such as ongoing conversation over the contentious Executive Order 10 and the third wave of COVID-19.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in May 2020 issued the Executive Order 10 for the enforcement of section 121(3) of the Constitution which places both state judiciaries and legislatures on first line charge.

Mr Bello-Barkindo stated that the NGF's Director-General, Asishana Okauru, would give feedback on the series of Executive Order 10 meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

This, according to him, is about the ongoing industrial action by JUSUN and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PSAN).

COVID-19, other matters

He further said a committee headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State would brief the forum on health matters arising from the coming of the third wave of COVID-19.

The Federal Government, through the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, recently re-introduced some measures to curb the spread of the virus amid reports of emergence of new strains in Nigeria and possible relapse to a third wave of the outbreak.

Mr Bello-Barkindo said the NGF's planned meeting would be the seventh this year and would also discuss "an update of the States, Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, (SFTAS) report", among other things.

"The meeting will cover lessons for states and actions for governors on sustainability as well as the adoption of SaaS E-procurement," he stated.

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The statement also read, "Furthermore, there will be a presentation from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono about the 2nd Phase of Farmers' Enumeration.

"There will also be another presentation by the Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mr Alexander Okoh on unlocking liquidity through sale/optimisation of state-owned redundant/sub-optimal assets."

Judiciary crisis

PREMIUM TIMES reported that JUSUN, whose members have been on strike for 43 days as of Tuesday, had rejected the 36 state governors' proposed template for the implementation of the judiciary's financial autonomy being demanded by the workers.

The governors, in the said proposal, seek the creation of a State Account Allocation Committee (SAAC) to oversee the distribution of funds to the three arms of government at the state level.

But in a communique issued after a May 8 meeting of JUSUN's National Working Committee (NWC), the union insisted on its demand that funds meant for the state judiciaries must be deducted directly from the federation account and paid to the heads of courts through the National Judicial Council (NJC).

It maintained that the provisions of the constitution "cannot be negotiated, doctored, manipulated and therefore must be obeyed".

As a condition to end its ongoing strike, the union insisted that all the state judiciaries' funds for October 2020 till May 2021 must be deducted directly from source, the federation account, and paid to the heads of courts through the NJC as prescribed by the constitution.
He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.

An aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State is currently enmeshed in over $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud in the United States.

Abidemi Rufai, who works as Senior Special Assistant to Mr Abiodun, was arrested last Friday, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding a flight to Amsterdam.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.

The money wired is said to be unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Wire fraud according to the United States Department of Justice is punishable by up to 30 years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statement

The Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a statement that his team "worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief since the first fraud reports to their office in April 2020'.

"This is the first, but will not be the last, significant arrest in our ongoing investigation of ESD fraud," Ms Gorman said.

Mr Rufai reportedly used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits, the statement added.

He is also accused of filing fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

"Rufai used variations of a single e-mail address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems," Ms Gorman continued.

"By using this practice, Rufai made it appear that each claim was connected with a different email account.

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"Rufai caused the fraud proceeds to be paid out to online payment accounts such as 'Green Dot' accounts, or wired to bank accounts controlled by 'money mules'.

"Some of the proceeds were then mailed to the Jamaica, New York address of Rufai's relative. Law enforcement determined more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020."

Also, the Special Agent in Charge FBI Seattle, Donald Voiret, said "the FBI and our partners will not stand idly by while individuals attempt to defraud programs meant to assist American workers and families suffering the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic."

PREMIUM TIMES understands the case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

"The fraud on ESD is being investigated cooperatively by the FBI, DOL-OIG, Social Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.

"The Washington Employment Security Department is cooperating in the investigation," the report on the United States Department of Justice website read.

"The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Benjamin Diggs of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Jane Lee of DOJ's Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)."

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Rufai's principal, Governor Abiodun, on the matter but his spokesperson, Kunle Somorin, asked our reporter to call him back.

Hours later, he is yet to respond to calls and text messages.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) top organ yesterday asked its party members interested in contesting in Parliament's Speaker and deputy Speaker race to express their interest in writing to the party's electoral commission.

Sources who attended the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting at State House Entebbe, but who requested for anonymity to speak freely, said they didn't want to limit any person with the party's interests but thinks has the potential to lead the 11th Parliament.

It's from those who will have submitted their interest by May 21 that CEC will sit again a day later to pick the best candidate for each of the positions to be presented before the caucus that plans to meet on May 23.

Parliament officially sits on Monday May 24 to elect a Speaker and the deputy.

According to the source, if a consensus is not reached on Saturday, they will be forced to subject the names to a vote. In the meantime, the guidelines for the elections are being finalised although they will not apply to local councils since their elections started yesterday.

"We have agreed we put guidelines in case we are to put elections for our people. We have said we will see how to manage local governments since they have been overtaken by events. Local governments looked for speakers yesterday and today. But for Speaker of Parliament, those who are interested, let them express interest and CEC will vet on May 22 with the view of harmonizing and fielding one speaker and one deputy speaker," the source, who attended the meeting, said.

NRM party chairman President Museveni chaired the meeting which, according to sources, was fully attended except for Crispus Kiyonga who missed with an apology. "But should there be challenges along the way, we can allow voting in the party to get a party candidate. But it's our strong conviction that we get consensus and field one person for each of the positions," another source added.

The meeting also agreed to extend by six more months- the term of the party structures from the grassroots to top management which was expected to expire on May 20. The source added that their members were discouraged from campaigning.
Saudi Arabia will very soon open its borders for foreign tourists as the kingdom sets conditions to enter the country.

The kingdom on Sunday indicated that non-citizens arriving from certain countries and who were fully vaccinated against or recently recovered from COVID-19 would no longer be required to quarantine in designated government hotels. Those new measures, however, only apply to residents, government and business travelers or those visiting friends and family but not foreign tourists, according to the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), Daily Sabah reports.

STA Chief Executive Fahd Hamidaddin told Reuters that foreign tourists visit to the Gulf country this year will start very soon.

The announcement comes after the interior ministrys decision to lift the suspension of citizens travel outside the Kingdom came into effect. The kingdom, according to Hamidaddin, was still targeting 100 million annual visits by 2030, up from about 40 million a year before the pandemic.

It was also still targeting tourism to account for 10% of GDP, up from 3%, by 2030, he said, the Turkish news outlet reports.
Up to 1,403 medical interns, who are working in 42 hospitals across the country, are on a sit-down strike over low pay and poor working conditions.

The interns, who claim they handle about 80 per cent of patients in the hospitals, are made up of doctors, graduate nurses, dental surgeons and pharmacists who hold provisional practising licences from their professional bodies.

Announcing the start of the strike yesterday, the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) said government should increase monthly remuneration from Shs750,000 to Shs3 million for doctors and pharmacists.

They also demand that the remuneration for graduate nurses should be increased from Shs750,000 to Shs2.2 million.

The FUMI said their demand is in line with the 2019 recommendation by the Parliament Health Committee, but that Finance ministry has been ignoring their demand even in the 2021/2022 financial year.

"We had hope that following Parliament's recommendations would be adhered to this financial year [2021/2022], to alleviate some of our welfare challenges," the statement reads in part.

It adds: "However, on May 8, 2021, we received information [from Parliament Health Committee] that the Shs35 billion money for remuneration of interns which Parliament recommended to be included in the National Budget was not included," the statement adds.

The interns said the government gave them Shs11.4 billion in the 2019/2020 financial year.

The interns said they don't "have lunch [at the workplace], [they are] frustrated, depressed and living in unsafe houses in slums."

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Budget not ready

But the Finance ministry spokesman, Mr Jim Mugunga, told Daily Monitor that it is too early to say money was not given to the interns because the budget has not yet been read.

"The ministry works with other sectors to allocate resources and it makes [its] projections basing on the resource envelope.

These projections are the proposals that are eventually submitted to the relevant committee [for scrutiny]. After which we go to the Parliament which makes the final appropriation and that process is not yet completed," Mr Muganga said.

He added: "Unless that appropriation by Parliament is completed, we can't tell what exactly has been given where."

The Health Ministry spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, asked the interns to be patient.

"We acknowledge the demand but the funds required to meet are not within our budget. We have already raised the issue to government structures and it is being discussed. We appeal to the medical interns to put patience first and understand that internship is part of their training requirements," he said.
Daniel Ndlara, a UK-based Zimbabwean film producer says he is raring to work with Zimbabwean talent in future productions.

Ndlara who is set to release his latest offing, 'It Takes Two' in a few months told NewZimbabwe.com he has already bought state-of-the-art equipment for the project.

"We are yet to finish the movie. We started shooting in Zimbabwe two years ago, but I now have a lot of equipment," he said.

"I now have the best gadgets that I intend to use in Zimbabwe when I eventually manage to come depending on when the Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted.

"Zimbabwe has a lot of untapped talent. It is so amazing and would love to work with anyone in Zimbabwe."

It Takes Two, which was filmed in Nigeria and London was shot according to Netflix standards, Ndlara added.

It will be premiered in both the UK and Nigeria and on NewZimbabwe.com's platforms simultaneously.

The film is about a rich businessman who manoeuvres his way around his wife's friend. The aim is for the businessman to see the downfall of his wife's friend.

Ndlara is the chief executive of Star Galaxy Media which produced the masterpiece whose trailer is already receiving rave reviews on online platforms.

Some of his past works include Broken Cross, Dangerous Zone, Lethal Beast, Betrayal and a new reality show The London Hustler.
analysis

This is the first in a series of articles on mental health. Here the writers explain why, in May 2021, South Africa faces a serious mental health policy crisis. The National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Action Plan (2013-2020) has lapsed; it requires an urgent update, specifically in light of Covid-19 and the growing mental health needs of the country.

Before Covid-19 came along and turned our lives upside down, mental health service delivery in low- and middle-income countries was already poor, with access to services hamstrung by stigma, inadequate infrastructure and poverty.

These shortfalls have become even more pronounced since Covid-19 hit, with health and social care systems ill-equipped to deal with the pandemic's sudden and severe demands. Covid-19 has led to further disruptions in mental health services, together with increases in human rights violations against mental health care users.

Apart from threatening our lives and livelihoods, Covid-19 has also highlighted inequalities and deficiencies, divisions in class and race, gaps between persons with disability and those who are able-bodied, and disparities in access to care and resource distribution.

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Covid-19 has affected mental health in wide-ranging ways, leaving no section of any society untouched....
Luanda  Cooperation between Angola and South Africa was under analysis Monday in Paris during a meeting between the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa.

The two heads of state are in the French capital to take part Tuesday in the Summit on the African Economy, an initiative of the French government, with the involvement of the African Union.

During their 35-minute meeting, the two leaders reviewed the political, peace and security situation in the Southern and Central African region.

Both countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and enjoy excellent cooperation relations in the political, diplomatic, economic and cultural fields.

In recent years, the two states have strengthened bilateral relations with the signing of several trade agreements, which include cooperation in the oil sector and the abolition of visas in ordinary passports.

Angola and South Africa are the largest economies and military powers in SADC, which means they are responsible for economic integration, preservation of peace, security and stability in the region.

The two heads of state are in the French capital to take part Tuesday in the Summit on the African Economy, an initiative of the French government, with the involvement of the African Union.

During their 35-minute meeting, the two leaders reviewed the political, peace and security situation in the Southern and Central African region.

Both countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and enjoy excellent cooperation relations in the political, diplomatic, economic and cultural fields.

In recent years, the two states have strengthened bilateral relations with the signing of several trade agreements, which include cooperation in the oil sector and the abolition of visas in ordinary passports.

Angola and South Africa are the largest economies and military powers in SADC, which means they are responsible for economic integration, preservation of peace, security and stability in the region.
Luanda  The Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, is participating Tuesday, along with several African counterparts, in the Summit on the African Economy, being held in the French capital, Paris.

The meeting, an initiative of the French government, brings together dozens of African leaders at the Grand Palais Ephemere-Champ de Mars to debate the re-launch of growth in the economies of African countries, based on the involvement of international partners and the creation of a massive support package.

At the launch of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron's African advisors said that the meeting would aim to deepen two lines of aid.

The first is the creation of a massive support package destined for the continent to overcome the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The second aims to lay the foundation for a new cycle of growth that will benefit the people of Africa, but which can also be an engine for the entire global economy.

The Summit agenda, to which ANGOP had access, indicates that the event will take place in two sessions, all in the afternoon. The first will be on "External financing and treatment of debts" and the second on "African private sector, reforms and infrastructures".

In the sessions, which will be interactive, participants will have the right to three minutes per speech.

The Summit closes with a press conference to be given by the French Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of the Acting President of the African Union, Felix Tshisekedi.

In addition to dozens of Presidents of African nations, the leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, the UN, the African Union and the European Union will attend the sessions.

The IMF estimates that African countries have financing needs equivalent to $450 billion by 2025, hence the idea of increasing emergency aid to Africa.

Meetings with Macron and Antonio Costa

On Tuesday morning, the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, will meet with the host, Emmanuel Macron, and the two are due to discuss issues linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as current African and world affairs.

At the beginning of the evening, after the summit, President Lourenco will meet the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, who has come to the French capital to take part in the summit on Africa's economy.

The meeting, an initiative of the French government, brings together dozens of African leaders at the Grand Palais Ephemere-Champ de Mars to debate the re-launch of growth in the economies of African countries, based on the involvement of international partners and the creation of a massive support package.

At the launch of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron's African advisors said that the meeting would aim to deepen two lines of aid.

The first is the creation of a massive support package destined for the continent to overcome the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The second aims to lay the foundation for a new cycle of growth that will benefit the people of Africa, but which can also be an engine for the entire global economy.

The Summit agenda, to which ANGOP had access, indicates that the event will take place in two sessions, all in the afternoon. The first will be on "External financing and treatment of debts" and the second on "African private sector, reforms and infrastructures".

In the sessions, which will be interactive, participants will have the right to three minutes per speech.

The Summit closes with a press conference to be given by the French Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of the Acting President of the African Union, Felix Tshisekedi.

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In addition to dozens of Presidents of African nations, the leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, the UN, the African Union and the European Union will attend the sessions.

The IMF estimates that African countries have financing needs equivalent to $450 billion by 2025, hence the idea of increasing emergency aid to Africa.

Meetings with Macron and Antonio Costa

On Tuesday morning, the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, will meet with the host, Emmanuel Macron, and the two are due to discuss issues linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as current African and world affairs.

At the beginning of the evening, after the summit, President Lourenco will meet the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, who has come to the French capital to take part in the summit on Africa's economy.
Luanda  Angola registered, for the first time, 18 deaths of Covid-19 since March 2020, the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda said on Monday.

According to the Government official, who was speaking at the usual session to update on the pandemic, the deaths, which involve 12 male and 6 female patients aged between 30 and 81 years, were registered in Luanda, with 11, in Huila, with 4 and 3 in Cabinda.

Among those recovered, he said, 253 reside in Luanda, 20 in Huila, 5 in Cabinda, 1 in Bie and 1 in Benguela.

The new cases, totalling 150, were diagnosed in Luanda, with 131, Huambo, with 14, Huila, with 4, Bie, with 3, Benguela with 1 and Zaire with 1.

Among the new cases, whose ages range from 8 months to 83 years, are 92 men and 63 women.

There are 284 patients in hospitalization centres, while 40 are in institutional quarantine centres and 1,500 contacts of positive cases are under follow-up by medical authorities.

The laboratories have processed 1,115 samples, with a daily positivity rate of 13.8 per cent.

The overall picture indicates the registration of 30,791 positive cases, with 677 deaths, 25,995 recovered and 4,119 active. Of the active ones, 23 are critical, 42 severe, 165 moderate, 54 mild and 3,835 asymptomatic.

According to the Government official, who was speaking at the usual session to update on the pandemic, the deaths, which involve 12 male and 6 female patients aged between 30 and 81 years, were registered in Luanda, with 11, in Huila, with 4 and 3 in Cabinda.

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Among those recovered, he said, 253 reside in Luanda, 20 in Huila, 5 in Cabinda, 1 in Bie and 1 in Benguela.

The new cases, totalling 150, were diagnosed in Luanda, with 131, Huambo, with 14, Huila, with 4, Bie, with 3, Benguela with 1 and Zaire with 1.

Among the new cases, whose ages range from 8 months to 83 years, are 92 men and 63 women.

There are 284 patients in hospitalization centres, while 40 are in institutional quarantine centres and 1,500 contacts of positive cases are under follow-up by medical authorities.

The laboratories have processed 1,115 samples, with a daily positivity rate of 13.8 per cent.

The overall picture indicates the registration of 30,791 positive cases, with 677 deaths, 25,995 recovered and 4,119 active. Of the active ones, 23 are critical, 42 severe, 165 moderate, 54 mild and 3,835 asymptomatic.
Landless People's Movement (LPM) parliamentarians Bernadus Swartbooi and Henny Seibeb have asked the Supreme Court to interdict and restrain National Assembly speaker Peter Katjavivi from further interfering with their rights to attend sessions of the National Assembly or to make contributions during debates.

They also want the Supreme Court to declare Katjavivi's decision to suspend them from attending National Assembly sessions unlawful and set it aside. The two filed an application in the Supreme Court to review the judgement by the High Court to dismiss the case in which they sued Katjavivi.

Swartbooi and Seibeb dragged Katjavivi to court last month for allegedly unprocedurally suspending them from attending National Assembly sessions for more than a day because of their alleged involvement in an incident that took place early last month during president Hage Geingob's state of the nation address.

Acting High Court judge Kobus Miller dismissed their case, arguing that it could be competently dealt with through parliamentary processes.

Miller made this judgement considering the ongoing internal processes that were instituted by the parliamentary privileges committee, which meets today to deal with the matter. Seibeb will appear before this committee today to give evidence and answer questions regarding the events that transpired on 15 April in the National Assembly chambers.

Despite this outstanding process, the LPM leaders approached the Supreme Court to review Miller's judgement and make further orders against Katjavivi.

In documents submitted to the Supreme Court last week, the two LPM leaders argued that Miller misdirected himself or made serious errors of law, especially when he limited himself to only two available remedies.

"The misdirection [arises] when he defines that he is not required to determine the consequences of the alleged acts of the applicants. Yet he finds it important that their alleged irrelevant conduct to the legality issue must first be investigated and finalised by parliament[ary] processes before the court determines the unlawfulness thereof," the two MPs said.

They also argued that the acting judge misdirected himself after granting a cost order against them.
A 62-YEAR-OLD man reportedly died the same day he received his first Covid-19 jab yesterday in Windhoek.

This was confirmed by health executive director Ben Nangombe in a statement on Tuesday morning.

Nangombe told The Namibian that the health officials followed all necessary protocols during the vaccination process where he was observed after his first dose was administered and no adverse side effects were observed.

"We are busy with the necessary investigations to determine the cause of death and whether he had Covid-19," he explained.

Nangombe did not specify which vaccine the man received.

He explained that the man was released, however, upon arriving at home, he did not feel well.

"He was transported to the hospital for medical attention. On clinical observation, his blood pressure elevated while his pulse and oxygen saturation dropped below normal," he said.

Nangombe said the man's condition at some point however deteriorated shortly after and was declared dead at 13h33.

The executive director continued to advocate for the vaccine, saying "the benefits of the vaccination far outweigh any potential risk".
Chinese businesswoman Stina Wu opened a case against one of her employees for allegedly stealing N$8 000 from her company.

Sandra Egumbo was employed as a stock controller by Wu's company Helmsman Group Holding from 22 February tand she was based at Oshakati's Ekuku location where Wu is building more than 200 houses.

Egumbo was arrested on the night of 10 May. She made her first appearance in Oshakati Magistrate's Court last week Friday. Her case was postponed to 16 July to allow her to apply for legal aid.

Egumbo told The Namibian her arrest was unfair as she lost N$1 500 and receipts for items she bought for N$2 700.

Egumbo said she was given N$5 400 by site manager Deng Xiaode on 4 May to buy fuel for a forklift and truck for N$1 206, electricity for N$100, and N$200 airtime for her and Xiaode.

She also allegedly paid for the WiFi and bought food and cosmetics for Xiaode and had N$1 500 was left.

"When I buy things, I post the receipts in the management WhatsApp group. That day I posted some and put others in an envelope because it was time to knock off. I also put the N$1 500 in the envelope and left it in the office," she said.

"The next day when I came to work, the envelope was gone. On 6 May Wu's personal assistant Lynette Majiedt asked for the receipts of all the things I had purchased," she said.

On 10 May, Wu came to the site and allegedly demanded the petty cash. "She said she was going to deduct N$2700 from my salary for three consecutive months, claiming I had lost N$8100," said Egumbo.

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"I refused the deduction but offered to pay back the money but she refused. She said she would open a case against me," she said.

Wu then reportedly called someone and asked for police officers to be dispatched to the site.

"After 17h00 I went home and at around 22h00, three police officers came to arrest me," Egumbo said, who has since been relieved of her duties at the company.

Wu and her managing partner Chris Shivolo confirmed yesterday that Egumbo had stolen company money.

"The woman stole money from the company; but it is not really about the money but the way she handled the situation and the example she was trying to set for other employees," Shivolo said in email.

Wu owns Oshakati's Etango Shopping Centre, Galaxy Mall at Rundu, Marigold Hotel in Windhoek. She was also allocated residential multiple plots to develop houses in both Rundu and Oshakati.
The desperation of those struggling to find jobs in Namibia was on full display at Walvis Bay yesterday, where more than 1 500 jobseekers applied for 11 general worker positions on a NamWater project.

There was no sign of social distancing amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as 50 names were drawn from a box to make the shortlist.

These applicants were then interviewed by a panel which would select the 11 successful recruits.

The panel's selection results were expected later yesterday.

Earlier in the day, men and women between the ages of 20 and 50 descended on the office of the Walvis Bay Rural constituency - both outside and inside the building's yard - where the recruitment process would take place.

The 11 successfull candidates will join seven other employees on the Rooikop water pipeline upgrade behind Dune 7.

According to NamWater's Petrus Cosmos, the company advertised the positions last Monday through the constituency councillor's office.

"These are entry-level jobs which require no experience, only someone who is physically fit and able to carry out the work," he said.

The project will last six months and is expected to commence on 1 June.

The Namibian learned that applicants yesterday arrived at the constituency councillor's office shortly after the Covid-19 curfew ended.

'TRANSPARENT PROCESS'

This was Efraim Kham's (45) seventh attempt at landing a job with NamWater.

"I have a family to feed and I need to keep my children in school. I will not give up. I was not lucky this time around and will go back to selling !naras until my luck for a job turns," he said yesterday.

Medusalem Shinene (28) has been at home for over three months since his last fish-offloading job at Tunacor.

Unemployed artisan Tobias Kamati and many others said they were satisfied with the selection process.

"This is the first time I saw a transparent selection process.

"I am hoping they would come back to those of us who did not get selected," Kamati said.

Ena Tjimbi (29) from Opuwo Rural constituency came to Walvis Bay six months ago, hoping to get a job.

He has been cleaning yards and washing windows since his arrival.

"Today I called my clients to tell them I cannot come in. I didn't give them a reason, and I was hoping to get someone to take up my job. But I can see Walvis Bay is just like Opuwo. There are no jobs, and I will just continue to hustle," he said.

The majority of Walvis Bay Rural constituency residents live in rented backyard shacks at Tutaleni and the Namport area.

Others used to live at the Twaloloka informal settlement.

Constituency councillor Florian Tegako yesterday said it is unfortunate that people have to risk their lives for survival.

"... many people are unemployed and suffering, which is why they came in large numbers. It's very unfortunate that during a time we are fighting a pandemic we have such a gathering," he said.

He said his office is always inundated with requests for food and sometimes money so that people can pay their municipal bills.

His hands are tied in terms of employment creation, as his constituency is within a local authority, he said.

"Outside the boundaries of the local authority, there is not much I can do. There are projects going on, and that is where the drought-relief food is going," he said.

THE NUMBERS

According to the Namibia Statistics Agency, the unemployment rate for Namibians between the ages of 15 and 34 increased from 43,4% in 2016 to 46,1% by the end of 2018.

In addition, the unemployment rate for those between 19 and 34 stood at 44% in 2018.

Out of the 854 567 young people under 34 in 2018, some 71,3% had only junior secondary and primary education, while 34,5% had no formal education.

The Namibian in January reported that more than 12 000 workers were retrenched in 2020.

Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, the executive director of labour, industrial relations and employment creation, said the 12 198 workers who lost their jobs in 2020 were employed across 896 companies.

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The Ministry of Health and Social Services last week expressed concern over the spike in the number of new Covid-19 infections in the country.

Ben Nangombe, the executive director of health, said the ministry is specifically concerned about large gatherings - especially where people do not wear masks or observe social distancing.

"The ministry of health has cautioned all members of the public to strictly comply with all public health regulations to suppress and prevent the further spread of Covid-19," he said.

Erongo community affairs police commander chief inspector Ileni Shapumba yesterday said adhering to regulations is everyone's responsibility, but event organisers must enforce them.

"One cannot blame the jobseekers entirely. Everyone wants a job, but they must observe health protocols. You don't need someone to remind you to do that, ... but organisers must think of measures that would prevent people from gathering in that way," he said.
Tunisian coast guards Monday arrested the main suspect of the Bardo Museum attack in capital Tunis in 2015 that claimed the lives of more than 20 people most of whom were foreign tourists.

Karim Belhouche, spokesman of the union of Tunisian coast guards in the city of Sousse, Webdo Tunis reports, told local Shems fm radio that the suspect who has not been named was nabbed during an illegal migration operation.

27 people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy were arrested in the early hours of Monday off the coasts of Sousse and Nabeul.

Investigation, Belhouche noted, led to the identification of the alleged terrorist.

In March 2015, he stormed the Bardo Museum near the Tunisian legislature and killed 23 people including 21 foreign tourists of several nationalities.

44 other people were also injured. Authorities have launched legal action against 25 people allegedly accomplices of the attack.

Dozens of other people have been charged in absentia.
Cabinet is expected to pronounce itself on the abolishment of the common law offences of sodomy and unnatural sexual offences after minister of justice Yvonne Dausab submits a report to it within two weeks.

This comes after the Law Reform and Development Commission submitted the 'Report on the abolishment of the common law offences of sodomy and unnatural sexual offences' to Dausab yesterday.

The commission says despite seldom enforcement; it violates the fundamental rights of the individuals who could be affected, as well as creating and enforcing a culture of homophobia and intolerance against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community.

"These attributes make the laws in question very likely unconstitutional," the commission expressed itself in the report.

According to statistics in the report, between 2003 and 2013 there were 115 sodomy cases reported to the police and 64 arrests.

Of the arrests, 59 perpetrators were adult men and four underage boys, while the gender of one is unknown.

Out of the 115 sodomy cases, 45 underage were boys and 65 adult men. The ages of the other five were not known.

"The police statistics demonstrate that despite its continued existence, the common law crime of sodomy is seldom enforced," the report reads.

Namibia Equal Rights Movement founder Omar van Reenen has welcomed the report, however, he regretted that it has taken the country 30 years during which the community has suffered.

"The government and state needs to acknowledge the promotion of the discrimination during the 30 years. They must now promote and protect the LGBTQ+ community and champion a Namibia equal rights bill," he stressed.

NO HOMOPHOBES HERE

Dausab denied the existence of state-sanctioned homophobia, saying such an allegation is serious.

During the handover yesterday morning, Dausab said neither the current president Hage Geingob nor any member of the executive has made homophobic remarks.

"I do not know of any Cabinet minister or head of state having stood up anywhere publicly and said anything homophobic about any member of the [LGBTQ+] community in the current administration that I am part of," she said.

Van Reenen has called this statement disingenuous, referencing cases against the state and former Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Frans Kapofi.

"I think it is disingenuous to not acknowledge that former president Sam Nujoma told police officers to arrest, deport and imprison the LGBTQ+ people. It is sad to not acknowledge that former justice minister Albert Kawana was the person responsible for not removing sexual orientation from the labour act," he argued.

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The report equally recognises that on many occasions Namibia, as the state, reported that it does not criminalise homosexual people.

"[However,] one cannot deny the stigmatisation that these laws create for homosexual men.

"In fact, these laws reduce them to criminals," the report reads.

SODOMY CONSEQUENCES

The implications of the sodomy law, the commission cites, not only stigmatise and discriminate against gay men but also have cross-cutting effects on their lives.

The consequences of sodomy are classified under serious offences such as treason, rape, murder, assault where a dangerous injury is inflicted, robbery, theft, fraud and forgery.

In these cases, a police officer or private citizen can arrest the person without a warrant and use deadly force against such a suspect in effecting an arrest.

These are prescribed in schedule one of the act.

The commission pointed out that these are "clearly" disproportionate to the crime and, therefore, almost certainly unconstitutional.
Former National Assembly member Geoffrey Mwilima's attempt to get a High Court order that would pave the way for his release from prison on medical grounds has failed.

Mwilima's application for the court to declare that the medical officer of Windhoek Correctional Facility has failed to consider and make a decision about a request from him to be recommended for release on medical grounds was dismissed in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.

Acting judge Kobus Miller dismissed the former parliamentarian's application at the end of a judgement in which he stated that the order Mwilima wanted the court to make was "entirely misplaced" and not supported by the facts in the matter before the court.

Miller also noted that it appeared from the facts in the case that the medical officer of Windhoek Correctional Facility advised Mwilima in a letter addressed to his lawyer that in his opinion, Mwilima's medical condition did not meet the prescribed criteria for him to be released on parole on medical grounds.

Mwilima is serving an effective prison term of 18 years, to which he was sentenced in December 2015, after he had been found guilty on counts of high treason, murder and attempted murder in connection with his involvement in a separatist movement that aimed to secede the Zambezi region from Namibia.

Arrested shortly after armed secessionists staged surprise attacks on government-linked targets at Katima Mulilo on 2 August 1999, Mwilima has now been in jail for nearly 22 years.

While in police custody at Katima Mulilo after his arrest, he was seriously assaulted by police officers in an incident which exposed widespread police brutality in the then Caprivi region during the security clampdown that followed on the separatist attacks.

In the case heard by Miller, Mwilima informed the court in an affidavit that he is suffering from kidney failure, which necessitates dialysis treatment twice a week, diabetes and also high blood pressure. He also stated that three doctors who have been treating him have recommended that he should be released on medical grounds so that he can receive better treatment outside prison.

The commissioner general of the Namibian Correctional Service, Raphael Hamunyela, said in an affidavit also filed at the court that in terms of the Correctional Service Act and regulations, the minister of safety and security can authorise the release of a prisoner on medical grounds only on a recommendation of the prison's medical officer, but such a recommendation has not been made.

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Mwilima asked the court to declare that the medical officer of Windhoek Correctional Facility has failed to consider a request from him to be recommended for release on medical grounds and has failed to make a decision about his request.

He also asked the court to declare that the medical officer's alleged failure to consider and decide his request was "a dereliction of duty and wilful disregard of the law".

In addition, Mwilima wanted the court to direct the medical officer to consider his request to be recommended for release due to his state of health and to make a decision on that, and in the alternative wanted the court to direct the minister of safety and security to authorise his release on medical grounds.

Miller indicated in his judgement that it may well be that Mwilima has other options which he could pursue to secure his release. "I express no view on that," he added.

During the hearing of the case in March, lawyer Sisa Namandje, who represented the prison authorities and minister of safety and security, argued that since the medical officer said he has made a decision that Mwilima did not qualify to be recommended for release on medical grounds, Mwilima should have asked the court to review that decision if he was not happy with it.

Mwilima's lawyer, Profysen Muluti, said yesterday he is studying Miller's judgement to decide the next course to follow.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday said based on appropriation records, about 91 percent of current funding to the Armed Forces goes to the recurrent overhead, salaries and welfare, leaving only 9 percent for capital purchases.

This is as he stated that the country is at war against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and all manner of insecurity, hence the need to uplift the resources available to the country's armed services to enable them to procure the best tools to win the war.

The Speaker also disclosed that the House would next week host a five-day special summit on national security, to take an all-nation and all-government approach by examining extensively non-military solutions to insecurity in Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila stated these when he delivered his keynote address in Abuja at a one-day public hearing on the Armed Forces Support Trust Fund Establishment Bill 2021.

Recall that the House had on February 27, 2020, moved to address the funding needs of the Armed Forces by passing for the second reading a bill to create a special support fund for the armed forces of the federation.

The Speaker, who was represented by the House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, said the realities prompted the lawmakers to seek a way of providing funds that will be focused on the capital needs and training of the Armed Forces.

The Speaker said Nigeria's expenditure on military hardware and training in the last five years hovered between a paltry nine to 11 percent of the total annual budgetary allocation to the Armed Forces.

This, he said, was grossly incapable of empowering the military to face the security challenges in the country especially the insurgency in the North-east region.

He stressed that if Nigeria must develop, then there's need to get the security estate right by ensuring that the military is adequately equipped and well-trained.

Gbajabiamila said the importance of the proposed legislation is evidenced by the dwindling resources available to the Armed Forces of Nigeria to prosecute the various security operations it is involved in, which requires innovative ideas to raise additional funds without placing any burden on Nigerians, in support of the Nigerian military.

According to him, "The solution to our security challenges requires asymmetric actions across many policy areas. To succeed in this fight, the Armed Forces of Nigeria requires more funding for modern weapons and required training. Spending on military hardware must definitely increase to support the zeal and commitment already being exhibited by our soldiers.

"The Armed Forces Support Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2021 is a time-limited endeavour to upgrade the equipment infrastructure of the Armed Forces in a deliberate manner that will better position them to be more effective in securing the country.

"The myriad of security challenges facing the country has continued to dwarf every developmental effort put in by the government. No nation develops in a state of insecurity as currently being witnessed in Nigeria. This bill has been crafted in a way that does not impose any direct additional burden on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but creatively make funds available through deductions from statutory receipts of the federal government as well as voluntary donations. I am happy to support this bill because it will help reposition our military capabilities in ways that can only strengthen our national security.

"I agree that the solutions to our insecurity as a country will not only be by military powers alone but also, by non-military engagement and development of our communities."

On his part, the sponsor of the bill and Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the need for additional sources of funding for the Armed Forces became more apparent considering the myriad of security challenges facing the country.

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He lamented that effort in the past by the Armed Forces to procure the needed military hardware and provide requisite training to meet the challenges currently being faced has hit the brick wall due to limited financial resources.

Benson said: "In 2020, while Nigeria spent only $2.6 billion on its military, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa expended $9.7 billion, $4.8 billion and $3.1 billion respectively, to fund and equip their militaries. Coping with the modern security challenges being faced in Nigeria today is, no doubt, an enormous task that requires contemporary, robust, well-trained, well-equipped and efficient Armed Forces. The revenue sources are mostly statutory deductions as well as voluntary donations."
Patients and relatives of patients of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, and stakeholders of the hospital community yesterday protested against what they termed as poor service delivery in the hospital.

The patients, relatives and staff, under the aegis of Advocates for Good Governance, who carried placards and blocked the gate of the hospital, alleged that a lot of avoidable deaths have happened in the hospital because of poor management.

In a letter titled: 'Abuse of Due Process, Racketeering, Extortion, Graft and Celebration of Corruption at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi', and signed by concerned advocates from the hospital community which was made available to THISDAY, the group faulted the management of the hospital in contract awards.

It said: "There is lack of drugs in the hospital, and most painfully is the absence of drugs in emergency wards and theatre, leading to patients being frequently asked to go outside the hospital to buy drugs.

"Surgical operations are being frequently postponed due to lack of materials in the theatre, and this frequently leads to patients' death in emergency situations, and wounds unattended to for many days due to lack of materials to dress them.

"As members of Advocates for Good Governance, and interested parties, we were quite concerned and alarmed to discover that jobs are racketeered and sold, and this has led to the recruitment of unqualified personnel.

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"We have decided to carry out a peaceful protest to sensitise the public on what is happening in NAUTH, the only federal medical institution in Anambra State, and demand the cancellation of the whole CMD selection process, and have a new one started."

The aggrieved group also called for the dissolution of the present hospital management board, saying they can never oversee a free, fair and transparent process, alleging that they are deeply rooted in corruption.

Reacting to the protest, the acting CMD, Ugbiaja, dismissed the protesters as faceless and paid miscreants, saying he was aware of the planning of the protest.

He said: "Those people cannot be taken seriously; they are miscreants who did not even know what they were gathered for. The hospital is a public place, the processes are open, and there are official channels to seek redress.

"It is sad that members of the hospital community could sponsor such propaganda. Whoever is not satisfied with anything should follow the right channel, which includes the hospital board and the ministry of health.

"The people behind it are not happy that they lost, even though they know nothing about hospital management."
The Kaduna State government has declared the national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, alongside other Labour leaders wanted.

The state government said they are being wanted for alleged economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure in the state.

LEADERSHIP reports that Wabba is in Kaduna leading NLC members on a protest since Monday against the anti-labour policies of Governor Nasir El-Rufai administration.

The governor, who took to his verified Tweeter handle on Tuesday, wrote: "KADUNA UPDATE: Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act.

"Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to@MOJKaduna KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!"
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to approve N2.3 trillion ($6.18bn) external borrowing for Nigeria.

President Buhari's letter seeking the Red Chamber's approval was read by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, during the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

Buhari said the loan was to finance the 2021 budget deficit of N5.6trillion.

He said the loan would enable the federal government to fund critical infrastructural projects in health, education and other sectors.

This is coming barely a month after the Senate approved the sum of $1.5bn and 995 million external borrowings for the federal government.

The loans were part of the $5.5 billion and 995 million external borrowings President Muhammadu Buhari had, in May 2020, asked the Red Chamber to approve to finance various priority projects of the federal government and to support the state governments facing fiscal challenges.
A group of 34 Tobias Hainyeko residents, who say they were arrested on 26 April for allegedly illegally occupying land at the Oshitenda One Nation informal settlement in Windhoek, says their appeals for a solution to their plight are falling on deaf ears.

Grace Martins (39), who is part of the group that includes children, says they were in custody for two days, during which time they received no food and had to sleep on a cold floor.

"The way the City Police arrested us on that day is not the way to treat people. They pointed a gun at us. We are human beings, not monkeys," she says.

The group appeared in the Katutura Magistrate's Court on 29 April and the case was postponed to 18 June.

Hilma Sheya (32), who was also arrested, says she cannot afford to pay her rent any more.

"It is not wrong to grab land, because it is our motherland, and we all deserve a portion of land. I slept in custody with my five-month-old baby on the first day, and without her on the second day, and now I can no longer breastfeed. The minors who were arrested missed their school examinations while in custody," she says.

Shakadya Fabianus (32) says the group held a peaceful demonstration on 13 April, and requested the police to accompany them to the mayor's office.

"We wanted a response regarding the land matter," he says.

He says the group also sent two letters to the mayor's office in early February, asking him to meet with them.

Fuly Daniel (25) says: "We are feeling bad, because no leader is coming to us or giving us a response. We have been accommodated at a hall at Oshitenda next to the coucillor of Tobias Hainyeko's office for the past two weeks," he says.

He says they have nowhere to turn to.

His landlord chased him away because he cannot afford to pay his rent, Daniel says.

"They are just looking at us like we do not matter. We really need assistance," he says.

'NOT THE RIGHT WAY'

Tobias Hainyeko constituency councillor Christopher Likuwa says he only learned of the group's arrest some time after the incident.

He, however, says the group told him they had nowhere to sleep.

"I told them to sleep in the hall next to my office after they were discharged," he says.

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He says they should not have showed up at his office and demanded land, because "it is not the right way to go about things".

He undertook to ask the chairperson of the regional council and mayor to respond to the matter.

National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed the incident, saying after the group's arrest, they were detained at the Wanaheda Police Station.

Five members of the group were released on bail, and the rest appeared in court the next day where they were released on a warning, she said.

City Police chief Abraham Kanime said on Monday that the group is misinforming the public and that they were not arrested for illegally occupying land.

"Those people blocked the City Police officers while holding pangas. The public should obey the law and go and address matters at the relevant authorities, instead of attacking law enforcement officers."They were warned and told to leave, but they did not want to, so they were charged accordingly," Kanime said.
Residents of Onakalunga, Epinga and surrounding villages in the Ohangwena region have welcomed news of a new gravel road.

Last week Friday saw the Roads Authority (RA) commissioning the commencement of the construction of a gravel road from Onakalunga to Epinga, which will be upgraded to gravel standards.

The district road 3650 is a stretch of 10 kilometres and will be constructed to the tune of N$36 million, which is co-financed by government and KFW development bank from Germany.

Officiating the ground breaking ceremony, deputy minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi noted that the road has been giving problems to villagers as it is sandy and has been causing damages to vehicles.

"Social development for this project area is marked by the progress made in the sectors of education and health. One of the biggest problems our people face is accessibility to schools during rainy seasons when water pans are flooded, learners are forced to make long detours and in some cases many are unable to attend schools until rains have subsided," Nekundi said.

Elias Ndinineni is a resident of Onakalunga and has been travelling along the same road for more than 40 years. "The condition of this road has been well known, it is a difficult road to use because of the deep soft sand along it and the thing is that it connects a lot of other villages and schools and clinics.

"We are glad that the government has heard our cries and decided that it is our turn to get a proper road," said Ndinineni.

Ohangwena governor Walde Ndevashiya of said that the region deserves special recommendation when it comes to budget allocation for roads and this specific road is a much welcomed development.
A Senior Special Assistant to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been arrested by the FBI over $350,000 employment fraud during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.

Abidemi Rufai is accused of filing 102 jobless claims in Washington which is part of the $646 million the state lost to unemployment fraud in 2020.

He was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding a flight to Amsterdam. Rufai was arrested on allegations of wire fraud.

"This is the first, but will not be the last, significant arrest in our ongoing investigation of Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) fraud," Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a statement.

Between March and October 2020, Rufai allegedly submitted dozens of unemployment claims using stolen identities, trying to get ESD to pay out more than $350,000 in benefits, according to court documents.

Rufai is just one of the people investigators believe filed fraudulent unemployment claims in Washington last year, leading ESD to lose $646 million. Of the misappropriated funds, Washington has reclaimed $369 million.

To access ESD's online portal and file claims, Rufai used a Gmail email address along with personal identifying information of Washington residents, such as names, birth dates and social security numbers.

To keep ESD from recognizing that multiple claims originated from the same email address, Rufai inserted a period in various locations of the email address, which ESD read as different accounts. However, Google disregards periods in email accounts, allowing all claims to funnel to the same Gmail account, according to court documents.

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Rufai used that single Gmail account to file 102 claims for ESD benefits, according to investigators. Rufai also used that account to file for benefits in 10 other states.

Between March 3 and Aug. 2, 2020, investigators say Rufai received $288,825 into a Citibank checking account - $236,701 of which was transferred out over the same time period. Funds were also paid out to online payment accounts or wired to bank accounts, which were then mailed to Rufai's brother's address.

Investigators tracked down Rufai through the phone number associated with the Gmail account, which was also listed on Rufai's 2019 visa application.

Rufai was in the U.S. from Feb. 19, 2020 to Aug. 9, 2020, according to documents. While Rufai was in the U.S. he told the federal government he was staying with his brother in Jamaica, New York.

Vanguard News Nigeria
The workers also rejected any stoppage of subvention to all educational institutions in Ekiti, as proposed.

The organised labour in Ekiti has rejected the withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment by the state government.

The organised labour, which comprises the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), met the governor, Kayode Fayemi in a closed-door meeting on the state of the economy.

In a statement signed by NLC Chairman, Kolapo Olatunde; TUC Chairman, Sola Adigun and JNC Chairman, Kayode Fatomiluyi, after the meeting, the unions condemned any attempt to further impoverish workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti.

"We met with the Governor Fayemi on Monday on the state of the economy and the position of the entire workforce was made known to him.

"The workers of Ekiti reject any withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment payment by the state which is a product of a process that has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

"In the same vein, the labour movement rejects any stoppage of subvention to all educational institutions in Ekiti, as proposed.

"We viewed any attempt under any guise to further impoverish the living standard of workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti State as inhuman and unacceptable.

"To this end, the state organised Labour further advocate the inclusion of GL 13- GL 17 in the implementation of the consequential adjustment payment among other arrears of workers welfare.

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The organised labour promised the workers that it would not comprise on their welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in January, the Ekiti government announced that it will implement the minimum wage and consequential adjustment for workers in the state's workforce.

The announcement followed a meeting the government had with the organised labour where it was agreed that the salaries of officers in the civil service be adjusted.

NAN reports that the government said the implementation of the consequential adjustment will commence immediately.

It said the salaries of workers in the state will be reviewed upward based on the recommendations of the economic review committee.

The government also agreed not to sack, victimise or intimidate any worker as a result of the implementation.

The organised labour gave Mr Fayemi until May 1 to pay all outstanding salaries of workers in the state.

(NAN)
An official said the "law should take its course."

The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has suspended his aide, Abidemi Rufai, who was arrested in the United States for an alleged $350,000 (about N140 million) COVID-19 unemployment fraud.

Kunle Somorin, Mr Abiodun's chief press secretary, confirmed the suspension to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

"Our position is that the law should take its course," Mr Somorin said in a Whatsapp interview.

"Meanwhile, the governor has ordered his immediate suspension from office to answer charges against him."

Sources within the government told PREMIUM TIMES that the governor took the action immediately he was briefed about Mr Rufai's arrest.

This newspaper earlier reported that Mr Rufai, Senior Special Assistant to Mr Abiodun, was arrested last Friday, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding a flight to Amsterdam.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.

The money wired is said to be unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

This newspaper understands that wire fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a statement that his team "worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief since the first fraud reports to their office in April 2020'.

Mr Rufai reportedly used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits, the statement added.

He is also accused of filing fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

"The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Benjamin Diggs of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Jane Lee of DOJ's Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)," Mr Gorman said in a statement on the United States Department of Justice website.
Mr Wabba has been leading the protest in Kaduna against the Kaduna State Government's plan to sack hundreds of its workers.

Amidst the ongoing protest by workers in Kaduna State, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has insisted that the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, is a fugitive. The governor also promised a 'handsome reward' for anyone that provides information on where Mr Wabba 'is hiding.'

"KADUNA UPDATE: Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna.

KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!," Mr El-Rufai wrote on Twitter.

Mr Wabba has been leading the protest in Kaduna against the Kaduna State Government's plan to sack hundreds of its workers.

The state government says it needs to 'rightsize' its workforce as civil servants alone gulp over 90 per cent of the federal allocations to the state.

Details later...
Small businesses owners urge the state government to end the strike as it is negatively impacting their businesses

Operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kaduna State have urged the state government to end the current industrial action by labour unions in the state as it is negatively impacting their businesses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna State chapter, on Monday, embarked on a five-day warning strike to press home demands over the sack of civil servants in the State.

A welder at Narayi, Ruphus Eke, lamented that his business had been grounded due to lack of electricity, explaining that using a power generating set was not an option for his kind of profession.

"Although, the strike is well-intended, the attendant consequences for some of us are unbearable.

"I am completely incapacitated without electricity, so I am at the mercy of the power company," he lamented.

Irene Musa, who operates a beauty salon along post office junction, Sabo told NAN that her profit would not add up, since she spent extra money on fuel to power her generator.

"I cannot afford to power the generator all day as such, some customers prefer where there is electricity.

"I want the government to come to an agreement with Labour so that our businesses can thrive."

Esther Jacob, who operates a business centre within the premises of Kaduna State University (KASU), said she did not open as the school has been closed.

"You can imagine what happens to some of us that depend on our small earnings to cater for personal and family needs.

"I plead with the parties involved to come to a compromise so that people can go about their normal businesses," she added.

(NAN)
opinion

Digital literacy has become a must-have towards the development of capacity for participation in the digital economy.

Stakeholders in the public and private sectors have to collaborate in order to help promote inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning for all, and ensure that everyone has relevant digital skills to gainfully participate in the digital economy.

The acquisition of digital literacy and skills is becoming a necessity. The exposure to digital literacy empowers more citizens to safely benefit from, participate in, and contribute to the rapidly evolving digital world. It is critical to personal and national development.

Digital literacy refers to those skills you need to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is predominantly through digital technologies and innovations. These are the internet platforms, social media, and mobile devices.

It covers a range of abilities to use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information. Through it people are able to find effective and creative self-fulfilment in life and work.

Essential components of digital skills are communicating, handling information and content, problem-solving, and staying safe and legal online. This enhances the knowledge of digital tools for content creation, critical thinking, and social engagement with others in cyberspace.

A few examples of basic digital literacy skills includes using your phone to check emails, creating an online profile on a social media platform, using an online search engine to find the answer to a question, and evaluating online resources for the verification of information.

These functional skills to make basic use of digital devices and online applications form a critical part of a new set of literacy skills in the digital era.

However, the major digital transformation catalysts such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, machine learning, big data analytics, and other emerging technologies are driving capacity building and skills development for the digital economy.

Nigeria, like many other developing nations, is beginning to come to terms with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For stakeholders in the country's digital technology sector, it is widely accepted that digital literacy has become a must-have towards the development of indigenous capacity for active participation in the digital economy.

Stakeholders have been harping on the importance of creating a digital literacy framework towards building a sustainable platform for competitive indigenous content to fill the skills gap in the ICT sector.

... the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the regulator of the IT sector, has been saddled with the responsibility of promoting and facilitating digital literacy and skills, as one of its core mandates.

They are, however, optimistic that a robust implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030) and other policy documents hold the key to growing Nigeria's digital technology ecosystem.

Several digital technology-focused non-governmental organisations are undertaking initiatives for expanding digital literacy and skills to the unserved and underserved communities and segments of the population.

Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev), a not-for-profit organisation, and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), are partnering to carry out basic digital literacy training for rural community clusters.

The High-tech Centre for Nigerian Women and Youths organised a national technology summit for the purpose of equipping more Nigerians with enduring digital technology skills to enable them to thrive in a new normal digital economy.

Other digital technology-focused NGOs have employed innovative use of digital technologies to create and expand about 20,000 small businesses, trained over a million youth and women and encouraged economic sustainability in various communities across the country.

They include the Youth for Technology Foundation, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Paradigm Initiative, among a few others.

To further boost digital literacy in Nigeria, the Africa Digital Economy Forum (ADEF) has declared its support for the forthcoming Nigeria Teen Cyber Festival (ngTeenCyberFest 2021) as a platform to develop the capacity of the youth for handling the responsibility of driving the continent's digital economic future.

ADEF maintains that "the capacity of Africa's young population to drive transition to the digital economy not in doubt. Africa's steady transition to technology-enabled economies is not in doubt. What must not also be in doubt is the capacity of its young population to drive and sustain this transition for the common good of everyone."

As such, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the regulator of the IT sector, has been saddled with the responsibility of promoting and facilitating digital literacy and skills, as one of its core mandates.

I am confident that stronger collaborative efforts between all government agencies and the industry stakeholders in building adequate digital capacity would transform Nigeria into a major exporter of skilled personnel in this regard in the nearest future.

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, NITDA has initiated interventions programmes to inspire the development of innovative solutions across all facet of national life as one of its strategic pillars.

In pursuit of this critical objective, NITDA recently commenced digital literacy and skills programmes for the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in fulfilment of the NDEPS for a Digital Nigeria, in line with the digital literacy pillar of NDEPS.

Designed as one of the implementation strategies of the NDEPS, the Digital States programme is targeted at training 20,000 youths in specific areas of digital literacy skills to facilitate Nigeria's transition to the digital economy.

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The first phase of the programme commenced in March with Gombe, Kano, Lagos and Rivers as beneficiary states. Schedule for the subsequent phases of the programme and the beneficiary states will be announced on a continuous basis.

To achieve digital literacy and skills, the pivotal role of government and state actors in setting up the fundamental principles for inclusive and equitable digital skills development cannot be over-emphasised.

Consistent, integrated, comprehensive and consistent responses from policymakers, regulators and other key actors should prioritise policy actions geared towards providing sustainable IT programmes and capacity development initiatives for disadvantaged groups, the re-skilling of adults, youths and children.

Stakeholders in the public and private sectors have to collaborate in order to help promote inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning for all, and ensure that everyone has relevant digital skills to gainfully participate in the digital economy.

I am confident that stronger collaborative efforts between all government agencies and the industry stakeholders in building adequate digital capacity would transform Nigeria into a major exporter of skilled personnel in this regard in the nearest future.

Inyene Ibanga writes from Wuye District, Abuja.
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli said Tuesday that his government pays big attention to improving the efficiency of Egypt's road network.

This would positively contribute to easing traffic between the different Egyptian cities and governorates, thus pushing forward development in the country, Madbouli said.

The premier was speaking as he inspected a number of road projects between the governorates of Qalyoubiya and Daqahliya.

The projects are being implemented by the Transport Ministry with the aim to ease traffic congestion.

Madbouli then started a tour, during which he got firsthand information about a number of development and service projects that are being implemented in the Delta cities of Daqahliya and Damietta.

He was accompanied by Minister of Housing Assem el Gazzar, Minister of Transport Kamel el Wazir, Governor of Qalyoubiya Abdel Hamid el Haggan and Governor of Daqahliya Ayman Mokhtar.
Farmers in the drought-prone Omaheke region are keeping their cards much closer to their chests, as they prepare for a possible hard dry season.

Many have chosen an apprehensive approach to their farming, and are not exactly confident that the good rainy season at the beginning of the year will carry them through. For them, its a wait-and-see game. The risk of spanning the cart before the horses is too enormous for them and they are taking no chances.

And they may be right; the lush green vegetation that covers a large part of this vast region has slowly started to wither, leaving behind pale looking shrubs with thorns sticking out.

In some places, the green grass has also turned to a stark yellow, announcing the onset of the dry winter months for the country.

Namibias dry season stretches from April to October, while the coldest months of the year - where drought usually creeps in - are between July and August. The early spring rains only fall late into September and sometimes delayed until December or at times, January the next year.

Farmers AgriToday spoke to said although the last rainy season was above normal and had brought a sigh of relief to many, its gains have slowly started becoming less visible.

Gustav Kambirongo, who farms in the Otjinene area, said he was worried that the drought experienced in previous years could return.

"We had a great rainy season, no doubt about that. But soon after that, winter started creeping in and the vegetation refused to grow further. There is still plenty of grass around, but when the dry period comes, livestock would gulp these up in a few weeks because yellow dry grass is not as nutritious as when it was in its original fresh green state," he said.

Another father, Peter Hoveka from Epukiro constituency, said the vegetation had just managed to restore itself but did not have enough time to grow further due to the imminent seasonal change.

"We rejoiced when it rained, but now it is understandable that any farmer would be concerned as we go into the dry season. For those with farms, it will probably be better because they would be able to cut up the grass on their farms and preserve it. We are communal farmers and dont have that luxury," he noted.

Drought spells have become a common feature in Namibia. In 2019, another drought hit Namibia and several resultant impacts made the news.

A combination of poor, sporadic rainfall and low soil moisture has led to very low agriculture production and an extreme shortage of water, affecting several communities across the country. As a result, at least one-third of the Namibian population was left without adequate food supplies and thousands of livestock perished due to drought.

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Omaheke farmers a few years ago had to watch their animals helplessly succumb to famine. News reports at the time estimated that the farmers lost about 300 livestock in the frequently drought-hit Aminuis constituency.

The deplorable situation had forced many farmers in the area to relocate their animals to other constituencies as well as to other regions, especially Otjozondjupa, for better grazing.

Aminuis constituency councillor Peter Kazongominja had at the time revealed that more than 17 000 livestock have been moved out of Aminuis to other areas in order for farmers to save them from the drought.

Muniazo Kotjipati, who had been farming in the Aminuis area for years, is one of those who left the constituency some five years ago as drought claimed up to two thirds of his kraal. For him, there is no return to Aminuis.

I am not going back. I have been doing well here in the Otjozondjupa region since getting here. Why would I return to certain death? Aminuis is hard on the farmer and I pray for my brothers and sisters there, but I will stay put here," he said.
University students who were awarded in the previous Capital Market University Challenge have managed to create jobs and continued to save through the capital market.

The annual competition aims at creating awareness among the youth about the capital market and instill in them the culture of saving and investment through the capital market at an early age.

Capital markets are venues where savings and investments are channeled between the suppliers who have capital and those who are in need of capital.

Redempta Sangiza is one of the students who took part in the Capital Market University Challenge while still at university in 2017 in University of Rwanda-Huye campus.

She said they registered as a group for the contest after reading an announcement calling for university students to participate in Capital Market Challenge.

"We registered. We were a group of six students that had formed a saving club at campus. We had formed this group as a way of paving the way for creating our own jobs after graduation.

When we heard about the contest, we realized it was an opportunity to boost our savings group. I was among the three students in the group who contested in the essay category and we emerged the first while three others participated in the quiz category and emerged the first," she said.

She said that the three students who contested in the essay category were awarded Rwf400,000 which they saved through buying stock shares in I&M Bank that is listed at the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE).

The other three students that competed in the quiz category were awarded Rwf700,000 which they also saved through acquisition of shares in Bank of Kigali listed on Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE).

Forming a business

After the six students received the awards in Capital Market University Challenge, the group that graduated in 2018, formed a company dubbed "Reliable Immense Company Ltd".

The company provides practical professional training on computer programmes and software for capacity building.

"We have really created jobs thanks to the Challenge. The company is growing and we have got new shareholders," she said.

She said that, in 2019, they sold their shares in Bank of Kigali so as to get capital to boost the company's operations.

"We remained with shares in I&M Bank and the shares are still in the bank expecting to get dividends. Capital market is one of the best sustainable channels of saving and investment that provides benefits in the long-term," she said.

She urged other students to form savings clubs and save through the capital market.

"This is important because by the time they graduate, they will have capital to create jobs. The initiative opens students' minds and thinking in entrepreneurship," she noted.

She said they want to raise more capital through the capital market to grow the company.

"The more the company grows, the more we join the capital market," she added.

Theogene Kubahoniyezu, who is part of the group and was among the three that contested in the quiz category, said that he also managed to start his own stationary company in Rusizi district apart from being a shareholder in "Reliable Immense Company Ltd.

"The Capital Market University Challenge has opened our mind. We work to boost Reliable Immense Company Ltd. I also managed to start my own stationary company worth over Rwf2 million thanks to dividends from capital market and that joint company," he said.

We get dividends from our shares on the capital market and buy shares again to accumulate our savings, he said.

He urged other youth to embrace saving culture and make use of Capital Market University Challenge and capital market in general.

"We were a saving club at university and Capital Market University Challenge boosted our club which later became a company after graduation," he said, adding that they are working to grow the company and also do consultancy in statistical research.

Magnifique Migisha, the Capital Market Authority's Public Relations Officer said that the Challenge is a way of promoting saving culture among the youth through the capital market.

"Young people should embrace the culture of saving and investment through the capital market because this prepares them as future investors and professionals of the capital market industry," he said.

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He encouraged students to invest collectively through saving clubs saying that CMA helps in building capacity among students to establish saving clubs, on how best to run their clubs.

"CMA educates the students on how to save and invest through the local capital market. Saving and investing through capital at such a young age helps young people to create their own jobs," he noted.

Students willing to contest, in 8th Edition, have to register through http://investor.cma.rw with a deadline set on May 21.

Awards will be available to the winners of both the quiz category and essay category in the form of securities of one of the domestic companies listed at the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE).

"Young people should save and invest through buying shares on the capital market. Such smart saving and investment will guarantee sustainability, which among other include exploring opportunities offered by the capital market products i.e. shares, bonds or any other product to be offered at the stock market," he added.
The UN's World Food Programme provided hundreds of meals to malnourished children and elderly people weakened by hunger in the commune of Sihanamaro, 30 km from Ambovombe, the capital of the Androy region in southern Madagascar.

A unique combination of factors including a historic drought, sandstorms caused by deforestation, and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged southern Madagascar into the region's worst nutrition crisis in decades. Some 74,000 children are acutely malnourished, according to figures released by Madagascar's nutrition surveillance system, United Nations agencies, and similar organizations.

"In almost thirty years of working in humanitarian aid, I have rarely witnessed such extreme hardship," said Jean Pletinck, a logistician who has worked with Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) for 28 years and is currently responding to the malnutrition crisis. "It's hard to find the words to describe what I have witnessed. Three consecutive years of drought in the deserts of southern Madagascar have pushed people, who mostly live on agriculture and livestock production, to the breaking point, and entire villages to the brink of death."

Here, people who came to an MSF mobile clinic in Ranobe commune, in Madagascar's Amboasary district, describe their experiences.

Maraignavy

Maraignavy, 37, and his five children walked for four hours to get to Ranobe from Ambohimaivo. They'll go back with bags full of Plumpy'Nut, a peanut-based therapeutic food distributed by MSF, because all the children are suffering from malnutrition.

"Five years ago, our zebus [cattle] were stolen. Ever since, all I have to feed my family is what I manage to cultivate. When we're able, we grow cassava, watermelons, and potatoes, but we can't now. We make do with tubers and share pili-pili [a local name for Plumpy'Nut]. Water is hard to find. We get it from the Mandrare [the river crossing the region], but depending on how much it rains, the riverbed shifts. When the water is at its lowest point, we have to dig, and hope for the best."

Sonambinina

Like most of the villagers who've come to the mobile clinic today, Sonambinina and her four children arrived on foot from Fenoarivo. After walking for around five hours, they reached Ranobe in the late morning.

"Three of my children are suffering from malnutrition, and they're now on MSF's nutrition program. We don't have livestock and nothing grows. All we eat is tubers. Going elsewhere would be pointless. I haven't got any money, and anyway, where would we go? And if I do leave, it won't be any different. The whole of the south is affected by the kere [Malagasy name for the chronic food insecurity in Southern Madagascar]."

Vasaotse

It took 51-year old Vasaotse two hours to get here with three-year-old Noriza from Ankamena, across the Mandrare river from Ranobe.

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"I have five children, and three are in MSF's nutrition program. There's no health center in Ankamena. We used to come here to Ranobe, but the doctor left two years ago because of the Dahalo [Malagasy term for cattle rustlers and thieves in the region]. Our only solution is to go to Ebelo, but medical care there has to be paid for. I've got no money, so we rely on traditional medicine.

After the Dahalo attacked Ankamena four years ago, I lost everything. They stole my zebus, and looted and torched my house. I've had to re-build it all from scratch."

Mize

"It takes us three hours to walk to Ranobe from Beraketa. It's a long way. I've brought my two sons, Christian and Christophe, because they're malnourished. Getting hold of food in Beraketa is so hard. All we eat are tubers we find in the forest, and my children eat cassava leaves. They fall sick a lot, because of what they eat and the poor quality water we get from the river. They suffer from diarrhea. The nearest health center is in Ebelo, but treatment isn't free and we can't afford the drugs or the medical examinations.

Vitasoa

Vitasoa, 42, has six children, all of whom are being treated in the nutrition program launched by MSF at the end of March in response to the food and nutrition crisis in southern Madagascar.

"We live in Fenoarivo, and it took us five hours to walk to Ranobe," she said. "During the rainy season, we live off cassava, mangoes, and edible leaves. But nothing's growing because there's been no rain. We make do with manioc tubers that we find in the forest, cactus fruit, and leaves. We have to dig in the sand for water, as there's also less surface water. Every day we pray for rain. We're staying positive, but we really hope it'll come soon."
African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), Journaliste en danger (JED)

This statement was originally published on africafex.org on 11 May 2021.

Journaliste en Danger (JED) is deeply shocked by the murder, on Sunday 9 May 2021 at around 11 p.m., of a journalist by two unidentified armed men in the locality of Kitshanga, Masisi territory, in the province of North Kivu (eastern DR Congo).

According to various testimonies collected by JED, Barthelemy Kubanabandu Changamuka, a journalist and host of a programme entitled "Food Security" broadcast on the Kitshanga Community Radio (CORAKI FM), was attacked in the compound of his home by two armed men in civilian clothes. The assailant shot him at point-blank range, eight times. After committing their crime, the assailants only took the journalist's mobile phone before fleeing.

Barthelemy Kubanabandu Changamuka, 23, had just presented his programme on food obesity at 7 p.m. As soon as he finished his programme, the journalist was accompanied home by one of his friends. Just as they were about to separate, two armed men appeared from the journalist's plot. His companion managed to run into the house, while Barthelemy Kubanabandu was curtailed. After being shot eight times, the journalist immediately succumbed to his injuries.

Contacted by JED, his companion and witness to the killing said: "I have the impression that Barthelemy Kubanabandu was being followed by these armed men. So, he was targeted. In the morning, he didn't want to go to his office. He was hesitating about going to present his programme. He went there anyway. He never told me that he was receiving threats or that he had a problem with people here in Kitshanga. We were surprised to see two armed men in his house in the darkness.

They didn't say anything when they arrived. And when I saw a gun, I ran into the house leaving my friend outside. After killing him with eight bullets in his legs, chest, hands and thighs, these gunmen did not say anything. They just took his mobile phone."

For JED, a serious investigation must be immediately launched to clarify the circumstances of this murder and to punish the perpetrators.

JED believes that this urgent investigation by the new political and security authorities of the province would be a strong signal in the fight against insecurity that prevails in this province where a state of siege has just been decreed by the President of the Republic in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, which have been plagued by unprecedented violence for several years due to the presence of multiple armed groups.

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Members of AFEX:

ADISI-Cameroon

Africa Freedom of Information Centre

Association for Media Development in South Sudan

Center for Media Studies and Peace Building

Collaboration on International ICT Policy in Eastern and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

Freedom of Expression Institute

Gambia Press Union (GPU)

Human Rights Network for Journalists - Uganda

Institute for Media and Society

International Press Centre

Journaliste en danger

Media Foundation for West Africa

Media Institute of Southern Africa

Media Rights Agenda

West African Journalists Association
PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday received the country's Covid-19 status report from a special committee of experts, placing more emphasis on 19 key recommendations including advising the government on steps towards approving voluntary vaccination and ruling out chances of lockdown.

The Chairman of the Committee, Prof Said Aboud handed over the report at the State House in Dar es Salaam, noting that previously, the country had been hit hard by two waves of Covid-19 pandemic, warning on the high possibility of a third wave.

Prof Aboud said efforts to contain the first wave had been intensive in comparison to the second one, calling upon the government to step up the fight against any possibility of the third upsurge.

"Government needs to proceed with the steps towards voluntary vaccination approval against Covid- 19 using vaccines listed by WHO in the protection of its citizens... based on the committee's analysis; such vaccines are effective and have scientifically been proved fit for humans.

"Likewise, special consideration of using the country's own context in the control of the disease should continue in deciding to either impose or not impose a lockdown, and by creatively coming up with models for economic growth and strengthening the sectors, which contribute to the economy," said Prof Aboud.

Among such recommendations issued by the experts suggested that the government speed up the process of reviving its contingency and response plans at all levels in dealing with outbreaks including Covid- 19.

The list also included the release of information on Covid-19 presence and taking concrete steps to strengthen interventions as wave. Equally, he noted that health professionals should fulfill their professional responsibilities, based on professionalism, norms and values in educating, preventing and treating Covid-19 patients in the country.

"For Tanzania to fully ratify different resolutions the country should participate effectively in decision-making and implementing regional and international resolutions adopted in the EAC, SADC, AU and WHO communities," he pointed out.

The Committee Chairman at the same time said the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group along with the TMDA should continue to be involved in sharing information, issuing pieces of advice and be on top of controlling such vaccines.

In this category, priority will be given to groups including healthcare providers and frontline workers in tourism, hotels, borders, religious leaders and pilgrims.

Others are the aged people, who have attained 50 years and above, adults with chronic ailments (diabetes, blood pressure, breathing complications, river problems among others). The rest are healthcare providers and frontline workers such as in tourism sites, hotels, borders, religious leaders and pilgrims; defence and security personnel and those travelling outside the country.

The government should mobilise and prepare for the reception, storage, transportation and mechanisms for delivery of vaccines, noting that the public should be free to be vaccinated or not. Elaborating, he said that the government should coordinate the accessibility of vaccines for all international agencies staff within the country, adding: "The government should enroll itself to the COVAX Facility by submitting document requesting for vaccines, using the opportunity provided by GAVI.

"The government should take advantage of the current situation to begin the process of setting up vaccine factories. "Other measures should include, strengthening internal diagnostic services by building the capacity of the National Public Health Laboratory and other laboratories in the country to expand the scope of Covid-19 testing. "Building internal capacity for the detection of various viruses, which cause Covid-19 and other infectious diseases in the country, as well as providing accurate data on the pandemic to the public and WHO for citizens to obtain accurate information from authorities, while adhering to the agreements and regulations the country has ratified."

The committee also recommended that the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children should finalise a new guideline for the treatment of the disease. The government should continue to ensure that the use of traditional and alternative medicine in the formal system of modern medicine consider and respect scientific principles.

To provide opportunities while enabling scientists to conduct research in accordance with the norms, values and procedures set to strengthen prevention, treatment, diagnosis of Covid- 19 and its effects on society in the country.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance and Economy should conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the Covid-19 catastrophe and put in place a comprehensive mid-term and long-term plan to boost the country's economy. The union governments have been encouraged to continue co-operating in responding against Covid-19 among other disasters taking into account the issuance of international documents such as Travel Advisory Note.

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The Disaster Management Department in the Office of the Prime Minister should continue to effectively fulfill the role of coordination and provision of relevant resources during national and international disasters such as Covid-19 while involving all sectors. The committee also called upon the government to clear all outstanding debt to service providers and staff who were at the forefront of tackling Covid- 19 to increase their morale and productivity of controlling the disease.

Collaboration between the government and other stakeholders such as religious leaders, Development Partners (DPs), private sector and media is among crucial aspects, which have been stressed by the committee in dealing with the pandemic.

The committee was formed to advise the government on the way forward regarding the management of the pandemic which first struck the country in March 2020.
South Africa: Tribute to former PSC chairperson

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has paid tribute to former Chairperson, Professor Stan Sangweni for serving the organisation and the country with distinction.

Professor Sangweni was appointed to the PSC in 1994 as a Commissioner. He was instrumental in the fundamental redefinition and restructuring of the traditional role of the PSC in 1996, the PSC said.

The commission has expressed sadness at the passing of Professor Sangweni, who died on Tuesday.

The birth of the new PSC in 1999 led to a new era in the public administration in South Africa. Professor Sangweni was appointed the inaugural chairperson of the new PSC in July 1999, a position he held until 30 June 2009, the PSC said.

The commission said he contributed immensely to the body of work that the PSC produced during that period. These include PSC flagship outputs such as the State of the Public Service Report, Evaluation of Heads of Departments, National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH) and Financial Disclosure Framework.

Professor Sangweni ensured that the PSCs work and influence extends outside the borders of South Africa. To this end, he was instrumental in the formation of the Association of African Public Service Commissions (AAPSComs) on 09 April 2008 in Kampala, Uganda and served as its inaugural President, the PSC said.

The purpose of the Association is to collaborate, share experiences and best practices among Public Services Commissions in order to promote good governance and improve service delivery in the public services of the continent.

It was under his leadership that the PSC provided technical assistance to the Southern Sudan Civil Service Commission (SSCSC) as the SSCSC strengthened its role in conducting oversight of the civil service in Southern Sudan.

He certainly earned respect amongst his peers both in the African continent and in South Africa. He has shaped the PSC into a knowledge based organization it is known for today.

Even after his retirement, Professor Sangweni continued to provide his wisdom to the PSC collective through his participation at the various Strategic Planning Sessions of the PSC, the commission said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday counselled new judges of the Court of Appeal and High Court to fight the temptation of soliciting bribes or risk being disqualified.

The Head of State told the newly sworn-in seven judges of the Court of Appeal and 21 others of the High Court that since their main task would be delivering justice; taking bribe would compromise their responsibility.

"My appeal to you is that you should go to work whilst adhering to humanity, faithfulness and with a kind heart," President Samia emphasized as she swore in the new judges at the State House in Dar es Salaam.

The president congratulated the new judges for their promotions, saying the process was long and difficult.

President Samia expressed the government's keenness to address case delays, especially in the Court of Appeal and the High Court by appointing more judges whenever resources are available.

With the newly sworn-in judges the number of judges of the Court of Appeal would now be 24 up from 17 and while the High Court judges have increased to 86 from the previous 71.

"With this increase it is expected that the speed in the hearing and conclusion of cases will increase, therefore authorities responsible for an investigation like the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the police should speed up investigation to enable smooth case proceedings in courts," she instructed.

On the part of the women-men ratio in the judiciary, Ms Samia noted that out of newly-sworn in seven judges of the Court of Appeal, three of them are women and 10 out of total 21 new judges of the High Court are women.

"This shows my real intention to increase the number of women in the decision making bodies such as the judiciary, but I appoint them on merits," she said. President Samia asked the female judges to go and prove their ability while at the courts by working hard and do a good job.

The newly sworn-in justices of Court of Appeal are Ms Patricia Fikirini, who was Judge in Charge of the High Court's Commercial Division and Mr Penterine Kente, who served as Judge in Charge of the High Court, Iringa Zone.

In the same boat are Dr Paul Faustine Kihwelo, who was Principal of the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) Lushoto in Tanga Region, Ms Lucia Gamuya Kairo, who before the appointment was Judge in Charge of the High Court, Bukoba Zone.

The rest are Ms Lilian Mashaka, who was Judge in Charge of the High Court's Corruption and Economic Crime Division in Dar es Salaam, Mr Issa Maige, who was the Judge in Charge of High Court's Land Division (Dar es Salaam) and Mr Abraham Mwampashia, who was Zanzibar High Court Judge. The judges of the High Court of Tanzania with their previous posts in the brackets are Ms Katarina Revocati (Njombe Regional Administrative Secretary) and Mr Biswalo Mganga (Director of Public Prosecutions). Others are Ms Zahra Maruma (Deputy Registrar of Court of Appeal also Head of Judiciary Delivery Unit (JDU) and Ms Devotha Kamuzora (Deputy Registrar of Tax Revenue Appeals Tribunal, Dar es Salaam).

The rest include Mr Chaba John (Deputy Registrar in Charge of High Court, Main Registry in Dar es Salaam), Ms Lilian Itemba (Senior State Attorney in the National Prosecutions Office) and Mr Awamu Mbagwa (Senior State Attorney from the same office in Dodoma).

Others are Mr Ayoub Mwenda (Deputy Director in the National Prosecutions Office), Ms Nyigulile Mwaseba (Deputy Registrar of High Court, Dar es Salaam) and Mr John Nkwabia (Deputy Registrar of the High Court at Arusha).

Ms Safina Simfukwe (Deputy Registrar of High Court's Land Division) and Mr David Nguyale (Deputy Registrar of Corruption and Economic Crime Division of the High Court), Mr Frank Mahimbali (Deputy Registrar in Charge of High Court at Mwanza), Mr James Commission is tasked with advising the president on the appointment of judges to the High Court. Prof Juma said that in order to get the judges of the High Court, in September 2021, the Commission instructed its chairman, who is also the Chief Justice, to ask various stakeholders in the legal sector to submit names of Tanzanians with constitutional qualifications for appointment as judges.

"Stakeholders submitted to the commission 232 names including 141 men and 91 women. There were 87 names from the Judiciary, 30 State Attorneys, 36 from Ministries and other public institutions, 22 from universities, 53 advocates from the Tanganyika Law Society and four from Land Tribunals," he said. According to him, another way used was to look into the judiciary's data and review the list of senior judicial officers.

He said that the subcommittee of the commission for persons thereafter, lined them up for interview after also probing and assessing their constitutional qualifications.

"The criteria used by the subcommittee to get the names are integrity, experience of legal work in the judiciary, and time remaining for retirement which is 60 years for a judge, the ability to express themselves verbally and in writing and understanding the activities of the judiciary," said the Chief Justice.

He said that after the analysis, the committee retained 84 names, of which seven were already Presidential nominees, so they did not need to be interviewed. Prof Juma pointed out that three people who were asked to be interviewed said they were not ready to work as judges, thus those who were called for the interview narrowed to 74.

He further said six were called for interview, but did not appear and that dropped the number to 68, who were interviewed based on the commission's instructions, including the committee subjecting them to written and spoken interviews.

The Chief Justice said that the process of face-to-face interviews in writing provided the Commission with an opportunity to get to know the nominees.

He said that the committee submitted a total of 46 names before the commission for discussion and recommendation to the President. "Therefore, none of you who have been sworn in today applied for this position, but you were nominated by legal entities.

So it is your turn now after being sworn to show your faith and display the trust you have to the President and the Judicial Service Commission," he told the new judges. Equally, the Chief Justice, thanked the President for the appointment, saying that before being sworn in, the Court of Appeal had 17 justices, but the number has now increased to 24, although it is only 23 who perform day to day duties of hearing appeals, as one has special assignment.

At the High Court level, he said, there were 70 judges as well as six others, including the Principal Judge, who had special assignment-a situation in which the court remained with only 64, who were performing daily judicial adjudication duties. Therefore, he said, the number has increased to 86 following the swearing of the new 21 judges.

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He also revealed that the appointment of the new justices of the Court of Appeal and judges of the High Court will bring a great impact on conduct of cases. Before the swearing of the new Justices, Prof Juma said that the Court of Appeal had five panels of three justices, where each panel was handling between 28 and 36 appeals per session. In a year, one panel, the Court of Appeal, conducts nine sessions.

Therefore, he said, the capacity of each panel to hear appeals in a year was between 252 and 324 cases, thus five panels could determine appeals ranging from 1260 to 1620 each year.

"Following the increase of the justices, the number of panels would increase from five to seven, which could determine appeals ranging from 1764 to 2268, a difference of 1260 to 1220 appeals and the workload will decrease from 959 to 685 appeals," Prof. Juma said.

Likewise, the Chief Justice explained that there would also be a positive impact on part of the High Court following the swearing in of the new judge. With the increase of 21 new judges, such a situation would help to determine more cases and reduce the piling up of cases and appeals and ultimately reduce the workload of each judge.

Before the swearing of the new judges, the workload at the Court of Appeal in 16 registries and four divisions was 21,861, of which each of 64 judges handling 342 cases. Therefore, the increase in the number of the judges would enable each judge to determine an average of 257 cases.
THE regional integration agenda received a major boost yesterday after the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat sealed a 152bn/- (53.8mn) deal with the Federal Republic of Germany.

The grant is set to further support the regional organisation in the areas of education, health and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Speaking here yesterday, Germany Ambassador to Tanzania, Regine Hess disclosed that a staggering 138bn /-(49mn) would go through a German state-owned investment and development bank (KfW), and will be injected into the six partner states to support their Immunization programme, through Gavi, a global vaccine alliance.

Part of the grant will also be channeled towards the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence (VIHSCM) in Rwanda and the Integrated Water Resource Management Programme at the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC).

"The grant will fund a number of activities including the completion of the building of the center of excellence headquarters, its equipment, operations, research and sustainability fund," she expounded.

The remaining 13.5bn/- (4.8mn) which is also part of the KfW grant, will be support the EAC-GIZ Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Economy(dSkills@EA), according to the Ms Hess. "Regional cooperation is in German blood.

We have been members of the European Union from the very beginning. Regional integration brings more economic and political power to nations," she added.

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In his rejoinder, EAC's Deputy Secretary General in charge Planning, Infrastructure, Finance and Administration, Engineer Steven Mlote assured the Germany's Ambassador that the Secretariat will optimally use the grant for the intended purposes.

On his part, EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki thanked the Federal Republic of Germany for the support, noting that it had come at an opportune time when the economic bloc was still reeling from the effects of Covid 19.

"We've had our fair share of challenges stemming from the Pandemic and I can assure you that we'll put the grant to good use," assured Dr Mathuki.

While taking the envoy through the EAC's strides, Dr Mathuki informed Ms Hess that the economic block stands to borrow a lot from the European Union Commission, particularly on how it established the Eurozone and its experience with the currency.

"We intend to benchmark with the best," he added.

The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania
As we move into the second quarter of 2021, there are some promising signs of relaunch of the U.S. and African economies and business. Successfully fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, fruitful dialogue between U.S. Secretary of State Blinken with several African leaders during his recent virtual visit to Africa, dialogue on the critical issue of climate change all speak positively to the future of the U.S.-Africa economic relationship.

On COVID, although a number of countries continue to grapple with record breaking outbreaks, most significantly in India, there are some encouraging signs that the efforts to vaccinate populations are beginning to bear fruit, both in terms of reducing hospitalizations and allowing for some economies to cautiously begin re-opening their economies. 1.1 billion people worldwide have now received vaccinations, and 47 of Africa's 55 countries have started their vaccination programs. Access to vaccines remains a problem, and at the recent WTO virtual conference on COVID-19 vaccine equity, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai noted that similar to what we've seen before with HIV/AIDS, "we are beset again by difficulty in production, supply, and equitable distribution" of the vaccines and therapies that can effectively overcome COVID-19. She also noted, though, that "extraordinary times require extraordinary leadership, communication, and creativity".

This is an encouraging message from the USG even as we take note of recent announcements that JNJ has been authorized to resume use of its vaccinations, which led South Africa to resume its trial of this critical vaccine at the end of April. The U.S. also announced that it will make 10 million Astra Zeneca doses available within weeks to COVAX, with another 50 million doses to follow as they are produced in coming months. Moderna has announced plans to increase production by an additional billion vaccines in 2022, while Novavax is reported to be close to authorization in the U.S. and other countries, which would add another highly effective vaccine to the world's arsenal. By end of April, Africa had only vaccinated 6 million of the 750 million people targeted by the end of 2022.

There are some encouraging signs, however, that increased global production will help accelerate national vaccination programs. African countries like Ghana, Angola and Rwanda are good examples of the creative ways countries are finding to surmount the planning and logistics challenges involved in targeting and vaccinating the most vulnerable in their populations. Based on this initial good news, UNECA and the World Bank are forecasting that Africa will grow 3.4% in 2022, and 3.6% in 2023.

In another encouraging sign, Rwanda  having worked innovatively to vaccinate workers in the tourism industry  will host the Commonwealth Summit in June, including the Commonwealth Business Forum, to which U.S. companies have been invited to participate. This will be one of the first major in-person conferences in Africa to take place since the start of the pandemic, and will pave the way for other African nations to reopen and to resume hosting conferences critical to U.S.-Africa business engagement.

On April 22nd, President Biden and the U.S. Administration hosted virtually a Climate Summit. The presidents of the DRC, Gabon, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria expressed their views and concerns about the need to combat climate change, and shared their priorities regarding the ambitious agenda for net-zero emissions and how that will impact Africa and the investments being made on the continent in its abundant energy resources.

President Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Chairman of the African Union noted that "existing financial mechanisms are not sufficient to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement,  and that "it is important that the Summit accelerates the mobilization of additional financial resources" and simplifies "the procedures for accessing climate financing for the least developed countries, the majority of which are in Africa."

It was encouraging that Secretary Kerry, the first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, noted in his remarks that "Creating a net zero economy and doing it as rapidly as possible is an enormous challenge" and "will require mobilizing finance at an absolutely unprecedented level and require the (U.S.) government to help facilitate the net zero transition around the world and to help especially the vulnerable countries that do not have the financing, the technology or ability to do this." At the Summit, the U.S. announced several new initiatives to mobilize more international investment, including USTDA's Smart Climate Infrastructure Initiative, new program targets to increase funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and EXIM, and new programs to support investments in adaptation and mitigation from the Development Finance Corporation.

A positive and constructive USG message to its African partners was also highlighted during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent virtual and first trip to Africa in his new role. During his meetings with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Secretary Blinken talked about building on the "very strong foundation in confronting common threats, including terrorism; but also seizing some of the opportunities that are out there, expanding trade and investment"

In promising news in a sector critical for Africa's economic recovery and development  i.e., ICT  there was the news that despite the challenging humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, the GOE is moving ahead with its ambitious plans to liberalize as well as privatize the telecom sector there. With a population of 110+ million, Ethiopia is considered one of the last frontiers of the untapped market for telecommunication and digital services in the world. The South African MTN group and the Vodafone global consortium [backed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)] have both submitted their bids on April 26th for the much-awaited two telecommunication licenses. The bidding result will soon be announced. It is an understatement to say that liberalizing any telecommunication market is a complex process. Nevertheless, while going through the crisis in the Tigray region, the Ethiopian Government has stayed on the path of opening its market to foreign investors, including those from the U.S. The Ethiopian ICT sector will provide significant market opportunities for American companies, and CCA remains committed to highlighting and facilitating those opportunities.

CCA looks forward to hosting its 13th U.S.-Africa Business Summit in late July to highlight how the new U.S. Biden-Harris Administration will work collaboratively with African governments as well as the U.S. and African private sectors to strengthen the U.S.-Africa economic partnership. Stay tuned for the "save the date" on the Summit to be issued shortly and, most important, stay encouraged by the positive signs in the United States and Africa and across many sectors of a relaunch and recovery of the U.S.-Africa trade, investment, and business partnership.

CCA looks forward to staying in touch with you virtually, but we truly await the day we can be together with you in person. Until then, stay healthy, stay well.
In 2004, the Western Cape government allocated R6.5 million to build RDP houses in Mpetha Square informal settlement.

58 houses were built but a dispute over beneficiary lists meant the houses were never occupied.

The houses were severly vandalised by 2012.

Residents say the incomplete houses have become criminal and drug dens.

In 2004, the Western Cape government allocated about R6.5 million to build RDP houses at Mpetha Square informal settlement, Nyanga. The Masiphathisane Housing Project was for 135 beneficiaries, of which 40 were backyarders. But a dispute over who should benefit meant the houses were never occupied.

Spokesperson for the provincial Department of Human Settlements Marcellino Martin said 58 houses were built.

Some sites are only at foundation level. The houses were badly vandalised by 2012.

"These houses have been like this for 10 years if not more," says Mpetha Square community leader Nosakhele Jolingwenya.

She said community leaders have received reports of people being raped in the unfinished houses. Some houses are marked with the names of known gangs, such as Vato and Italians. Resident say the houses are used as criminal and drug dens.

Jolingwenya said they have spent years negotiating with the department to fix the houses.

One of the houses is allocated to her. "Every day I pass it. Even when I'm standing next to my shack I can see it. And the sad part is to know what is happening inside it at night, but there's nothing I can do," she said. "If the department can add a roof I will move in immediately because I'm tired of living in this shack."

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She said the dispute about the beneficiary list was caused by a disagreement between the department, community leaders and disgruntled backyarders.

"When we were approved we were given house numbers and the planning is very clear on which house belongs to who. No one told us about the backyarders before until the houses were vandalised," she said.

Resident Lindeka Rangana was also allocated a house, but it is only at foundation level. "Now there's grass and sand. I don't even know which slab was it," she said.

She said in 2017 the department came back to repair houses but nothing much was done.

"Again last year there was a contractor to fix some of the houses but they did not finish ... When we contacted the department they told us that they can't send the contractor because of lockdown," she said.

Martin said the department has set aside an additional R2.473 million to fix the vandalised units. It has currently fixed 24, of which five units will be occupied by backyarders.

Martin said the department is in the process of verifying the last 12 beneficiaries on the list and then a contractor will recommence work.
The public has been invited to submit comments on the candidates who have applied to be considered for appointment as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) board members.

The Sub-Committee of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Select Committee on Health and Social Services have placed on the parliamentary website the Curricula Vitae (CVs) of candidates who have applied to be considered for appointment as NYDA board members.

The two committees decided to restart the process of appointment of the NYDA Board members, after considering advice and legal opinion from the Office of the Speaker, and the recommendation from the National Assembly Programme Committee (NAPC) in February.

In a statement on Tuesday, Co-Chairpersons of the committee Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba and Maurencia Gillion said that approximately 1 000 applications were received after an advert on newspapers inviting aspirant board members to submit the applications.

The application process closed on 9 April 2021.

"The sub-committee invites the public and civil society to make comments on the candidates CVs. The closing date for comments from members of the public and civil society is 5 June 2021," the co-chairpersons said.

The appointed Board Members will hold office for a period of three years.

The function of the Board is to manage the operational policy of the National Youth Development Agency, and to exercise control over its powers and execution of its function.

The CVs of the applicants can be accessed on the link https://tinyurl.com/pd5wzf25
analysis

This week the Economist reported that their modelling of known data on 121 variables suggests that Covid-19 has already claimed between seven and 12 million lives worldwide. Their tally of "excess deaths" is over three times the WHO's official count, now at 3.3 million. This finding makes global and co-ordinated responses to Covid-19, as opposed to ad-hoc and national, all the more vital. A new report released last week maps a way. But is anyone in power listening?

The last two weeks have seen two extremely important developments in global health. First on 5 May came the US government's announcement that it would support a TRIPS Waiver on intellectual property rights in relation to Covid-19 vaccines (read our Explainer here).

Then came the publication on May 12th of the report and recommendations of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (the report and all its background documents can be found here).

South Africa can be commended for playing a leading role in both. Together with India, we were the original sponsors of the TRIPS waiver proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Our former DG of Health, Precious Matsoso, is a member of the Panel.

The two breakthroughs are...
President Hage Geingob has lauded the "stellar" contribution made during the struggle for independence by Bishop Emeritus Hendrick Frederick, who passed away on Saturday.

Frederick, who was the third preses and the first bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), died in Keetmanshoop at the age 80.

In his message of condolences to the family yesterday, Geingob said the passing of Frederick is a painful loss to the country, Swapo and the ecumenical community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN).

He said the late Frederick will be remembered as a respected clergyman and freedom fighter who contributed immensely to the spiritual and social wellbeing of the Namibian people.

"By mobilising the Namibian people to oppose the colonial apartheid regime, he was one of the brave church leaders who unequivocally called for an end to apartheid injustice and human rights violations perpetrated by the colonial regime in our country," Geingob stated.

"On behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Namibia, I extend sincere condolences to the children and the entire bereaved family," Geingob added.

Frederick's theological formation started in the mid-1950s at the Karibib Paulinum Seminary as an evangelist, and in the early 1960s at Paulinum Otjimbingwe as pastor. He also attended the Umpumulo Theological Seminary in Natal, South Africa.

He was ordained in 1967 at Keetmanshoop together with late Dean August Matthys. He served on many ecumenical bodies such as the Lutheran World Federation, World Council of Churches (WCC), United Evangelical Mission (UEM) and Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA).
press release

South African Government strongly condemns Israel's unjust attacks on civilians in Palestine especially on the most vulnerable, children, women and the elderly

The South African Government strongly condemns the unjust attacks on civilians by Israel in Gaza and Jerusalem. The continued escalation of attacks by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza is totally unjust and shameful, particularly the targeting of the most vulnerable section of the Palestinian community, children, women and the elderly.

South Africa also urges Israel to stop all planned evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrar area.

Disturbing images of Israel's ongoing attacks on Palestinians which violates UN resolutions justifies an urgent call for the intervention of the international community and to have the Israeli Government's conduct investigated and referred to the ICC for crimes against humanity.

The Israeli attacks have so far claimed over 100 casualties which largely are Palestinian women and children.

The South African Government notes and welcomes that Hamas is open to international mediation to discuss ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation as well as to comprehensively address all the issues, causing tension.

Israeli officials have also been reported to have turned down the Egyptian and Qatari mediation offers to mediate a ceasefire with Hamas. The reason being that Israel feels the time is not right for a ceasefire as it wants to continue its unjust attacks on Palestinians.

South Africa calls on all countries in the Middle East to respond positively to the Arab League's foreign ministers plan to immediately convene an emergency meeting aimed at mediation. We also call on the UNSC and quartet to convene an urgent meeting between Israel and Palestine to discuss the peace process without any pre-conditions.

The South African Government remains unequivocally committed to and values efforts aimed at reviving a political process, leading to the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, existing side by side in peace with Israel within internationally recognised borders, based on those existing on 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in compliance with all relevant UN Resolutions, international law and internationally agreed on parameters.

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South Africa reiterates that any peace plan should not allow Palestinian statehood to devolve into an entity devoid of sovereignty, territorial contiguity and economic viability. In this regard, a solution must be premised on a just settlement with just laws that are rights-based and that facilitates equality and equity for all who have a right to live in the territories of Israel and Palestine. This includes sovereign equality between States.

South Africa therefore strongly condemns the unjust attacks by Israel on Palestinian civilians and calls on Israel to immediately stop all its hostilities and comply with international law.
press release

Speech to the National Assembly by Deputy Minister of Tourism Hon. Fish Mahlalela, MP at Parliament of the Republic Of South Africa, Cape Town, Tourism Budget Vote 38

Honourable House Chairperson

Minister of Tourism, Honourable Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Honourable Supra Mahumapelo

Chairperson of the Select Committee on Trade & Industry, Economic Development, Small

Business Development, Tourism and Employment & Labour

Members of Parliament

Board Members of South African Tourism

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

The media

The public connecting with us over our digital platforms

As we deliver this Budget Vote, we know the path that we have travelled to get here and are, confident and proud of our collective resilience and determined on our new path to recovery.

We, therefore, undertake to grow the tourism sector that will contribute towards creating more inclusive and transformed South Africa.

Our strategy for this year is anchored around commitments as espoused in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan as alluded to by the Minister.

One Plan - For Tourism Development at a Local Level

Honourable Members, we are proceeding with our efforts to strengthen the local government infrastructure and service to grow tourism and accelerate service delivery through the District Development Model.

Prioritised initiatives from our tourism spatial masterplans will be integrated into the One Plans for the districts of OR Tambo, eThekwini Metro, Pixley Ka Seme and Namakwa.

Towards a safe return to a flourishing tourism economy

Honourable members, collaboration and commitment are what is left for us.

The main objective of the recovery plan is to ultimately resume and catapult tourism operations to the pre-Covid-19 level, and in an inherently safe way.

As we rethink the grading regime for our products and services, we cannot take a break from assuring the quality of our current offering, particularly for new and emerging entrants.

To this end, South African Tourism is piloting a Basic Quality Verification Programme targeting homestays. This will not only ensure quality assured products for new entrants but also create job opportunities for quality assurers.

To inspire and rebuild traveller confidence and to enable safe travel and we will be training 225 SMMEs nationally, on norms and standards for safe tourism operations.

We will continue to enhance our visitor experience, while seeking to advance broader ownership and participation especially by historically disadvantaged communities.

We are re-setting the stage for events

Because of the mass gathering limitations and the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we have witnessed an increase in the hosting of virtual and hybrid conferences thereby impacting the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector - in simpler terms, less travel and lesser bookings.

Honourable members

Events stimulate the desirable use and human experiences that technology cannot recreate and will remain the winning chip for the recovery of domestic tourism.

Indeed, as we look into the near and long term for bidding and hosting major events, we will continue supporting small and medium size events to drive domestic tourism through meaningful partnerships.

Investing in our youth

2020 has been difficult for our young people who were looking forward to enrolling and participating in our various skills programmes.

Even though some programmes could be delivered online, we had to temporarily suspend training, and many employers could not take any placements in their establishments.

Oliver Reginald Tambo once said: "The children of any nation are its future. A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children does not deserve its future."

To this end, our youth programmes in Food Safety Quality Assurer, Chefs training, Wine Service Training Programme (Sommelier) and Hospitality will continue this year.

The benefits of these programmes remain economic relief through stipends; placement in tourism establishments for exposure and experience and accreditation ranging from NQF level 2 to NQF level 4

In addition to continuing with our Educators Development Programme, we are happy to announce that this year we will host a revitalised National Tourism Careers Expo, after cancelling it in 2020.

We will soon be calling for ideas from industry, the training sector and learners themselves on how best they can participate and partner with us in this event.

Responsible tourism remains critical

As we reopen our sector anew, we must do that in a responsible way, fully committed to the sustainability pillars of people, planet and prosperity.

By this we mean that our investments and the way we do business must be socially inclusive, the ecological footprint, minimum whilst the economic spinoffs are beneficial to communities and to the greater national good.

Our Green Tourism Incentive Programme remains our demonstration of our commitment to being a steward for the environment.

This year, as we continue to implement this programme, we will make it bigger and better.

Importantly, in this current era of Covid-19, responsible tourism means zealously implementing to the norms and standards for safe tourism operations.

A capable organisation

Honourable members, the things that we need to do can only be done if we have the right people in place.

It is indeed imperative that ours is an organisation of employees of only the highest dedication to the service of the people of South Africa.

We will implement initiatives to promote integrity and ethical conduct, and strengthen systems to detect, control and eliminate any opposite to these values.

The Public Service has the regulatory frameworks and the operational tools for financial disclosures, acceptance and disposals of gifts, management of financial interest, anticorruption and the Public Service Code of Conduct amongst others.

Ours will be to continue to implement them to the letter - today, the Minister and myself give you this assurance.

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In conclusion, we are confident of our future and proud of past

This year, and on this Africa Month as we celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Mme Charlotte Maxeke, the colossus of the African people, we call upon our musicians, our sculptors, poets and film makers and our brand ambassadors to immortalise her by sharing the powerful stories of our country- her country.

We challenge our chefs to make recipes and cookbooks in her honour, and winemakers to mix blends to leave an everlasting taste of her legacy. We look forward to supporting such initiatives, when you knock on our doors.

Honourable Members

The road to recovery will have to be transformative, because we can't solve problems the same way they were created.

We have to decisively change the face of our tourism industry and not simply return the tourism sector to where it was before the pandemic. This means, our task is not only to build back better, but also to build forward different.

Transformation is not only a fundamental obligation enshrined in our Constitution. It is also imperative if our tourism is to benefit the creativity, talent, energy and skills of all South Africans.

To bring about this change, we need a radical programme of action that is restorative, that builds and that is transformative.

Let me conclude by quoting an African proverb: "When a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it."

Let us all remain steadfast in our collective resolve to strive towards the recovery of the sector.

I thank you.
Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha has encouraged all eligible vaccine recipients to register for vaccines through the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS).

This as South Africa started the second phase of its vaccination rollout plan on Monday for the elderly.

"Vaccine recipients will be able to access the service at their nearest accredited vaccination centre with no payment," Mathabatha said.

The province has selected the following six sites as the main vaccination hubs for the Pfizer vaccination: Pietersburg Hospital; Mankweng Hospital; St Rita's Hospital; Donald Fraser Hospital; Dr CN Phatudi Hospital and Mokopane Hospital.

"The registration process will require all of us to work together to ensure the success of the COVID-19 vaccination. Only those who have registered will be vaccinated and to avoid overcrowding, long queues and risks of spreading COVID-19, we must wait to be invited by the department of health through SMS to go and receive our vaccine," Mathabatha said.

On Monday, the Premier launched the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination for citizens aged 60 years and above.

"To protect myself and others I choose to vaccinate. I will be coming back to get my second vaccine soon," said Job Ramashala, 69, who was amongst the senior citizens that were inoculated.

The Premier also received the Pfizer vaccine at Mokopane Hospital, Mogalakwena Local Municipality, Waterberg District.

"I feel happy for choosing to vaccinate and I will be completing the second vaccine on the 8 June 2021. I am also quite pleased that our people have heard us when we said they must register to get the vaccination," Mathabatha said after getting his jab.
The Rastafari community in Kenya has moved to court seeking to lift the law criminalising the use of marijuana.

In a petition filed at the Milimani Courts in Nairobi, the Rastafari Society of Kenya (RSK) argues the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory against persons professing the Rastafari faith.

The Rastafarians note that they use cannabis by either smoking, drinking, eating, bathing and/or burning incense for spiritual, medicinal, culinary, and ceremonial purposes as a sacrament to manifest their faith.

Through lawyers Shadrack Wambui and Alexander Mwendwa, the petitioners claim they use cannabis to connect with their maker, Jah.

Mwendwa Wambua, spokesman and prophet of the society says the Rastafari faith use cannabis Sativa colloquially known as bhang, marijuana, holy herb, kushungpeng, tire, ndom, vela, gode and kindukulu to meditate when in their private dwellings to connect with their God as evinced through holy verses and/or sacred texts in their Holy Bible  Holy Piby, Nebra Negas (Glory of Kings).

The marijuana is usually used in a pipe (or chalice) or burned as incense that accompanies Ises praises to Jah and a short prayer is always recited and/or Chanted before it is used or burned as incense with the citation of prayers, Wambua said.

Further, the Rastafari Society of Kenya claims Rastafarians are a marginalized group that is apolitical thus politically powerless, and often subjected to prejudice, intimidation, unwarranted searches of their persons and their homes, and prosecutions because of their spiritual use of cannabis in their private homes or designated places of worship yet the use of herb or cannabis is grounded in biblical redemption and deliverance.

They argue the impugned provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act make meaningless the Rastafari right to associate with others for spiritual purposes as guaranteed in the Constitution.

It is the Petitioners contention that the impugned section clearly show differential treatment on the basis of Religion and privacy perpetuates the culture, stigma and discrimination against the 1st petitioners followers through the continued use of archaic laws that violate the rights of the 1st petitioners members, reads the court documents.

The society, therefore, wants the court to quash section 3(2) (a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act.

The impugned law which was enacted in the year 1994 is hostile and intolerant to persons professing the Rastafari faith yet we are in a new constitutional framework following the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that is progressive and accommodative of diversity, they argue.

The Rastafari Society of Kenya (RSK) also want the court to suspend the arrest or prosecution of members who use cannabis for their spiritual and private growth.
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel says more than 230 000 employees currently hold shares in 50 companies.

Tabling the department's Budget Vote during a mini plenary of Parliament on Tuesday, Patel also said a Bill will be prepared within the next three months to set out the modalities for improved representation of worker interests in company decision-making and boards.

He said this as he outlined the department's vision for the time ahead, which is anchored on integration and forging an inclusive economy.

"What is new in this approach is that worker ownership arrangements should not be in the form of passive dividend-flow arrangements but be accompanied by mechanisms for the voice of labour to be heard in the top decision-making structures in the corporate sector.

"In this way, a greater democratization of the economy can be realised and the stakeholder model of company law introduced by the 2008 Companies Act can be extended by giving a real voice to workers.

"This is an important way in which we can create meaningful economic inclusion. This can be the new frontier of economic empowerment.

"It is not a pipe-dream. Our research has revealed the extent of worker ownership: more than 230 000 workers currently own shares in about 50 companies," he said.

Patel said for example, the ground-breaking decision by Coca-Cola to appoint two worker representatives - within the next four weeks - will mean there will be a ballot of the 8 000 workers to elect their representatives.

He said Pepsico expects to have a worker representative on its Board by September this year.

Patel said to advance this agenda further, the department's annual plan will cover the a few actions. This includes:

A Companies Amendment Bill being prepared within the next three months to set out the modalities for improved representation of worker interests in company decision-making and boards;

The outcome of the register of worker ownership in the SA economy being published on an annual basis and we will work with unions and corporates to improve the funding arrangements to ensure that this model provides for real ownership and a greater say in decision-making;

Working with tertiary educational institutions to assist in the further education of worker directors and potential directors; and

A Practice Note under the BB-BEE Act being gazetted today to provide guidance to regulators and clarity in the market on the treatment of broad-based empowerment vehicles, so that worker ownership schemes, community trusts and union investment vehicles are properly recognised for BEE-purposes.

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Patel also said promoting black industrialists and small businesses is critical.

"Though we have made progress with BB-BEE, it is clear that we need to bring greater rigour and credibility to BEE statistics and practices and ensure that claims made by firms in their BEE reports are verified.

"This may require adjustments to the reporting requirements. I will appoint an expert panel to review the current BEE Framework in order to address these legitimate public concerns."

New policy statement on localisation for jobs

Patel said, meanwhile, that to clarify government's overall approach to industrialisation, the department will today release a Policy Statement on Localisation for Jobs, addressing local product development, cracking down on illegal imports and under-invoicing, and implementing localisation modalities through the joint effort with the private sector.

"This will be complemented by integrated efforts with other Ministries to drive local vaccines development and use of local components in the national infrastructure plan.

"Tariff adjustments and rebates are an important policy instrument available to the state to lower or increase import duties, but in future will need to be accompanied more clearly by binding commitments by applicants to improve their competitiveness, create jobs and price restraint."
analysis

Kia SA makes a sterling debut in the heavily populated budget crossover segment with its recently launched Sonet.

It's hard to believe that back in 2012, the Kia Cerato - a family sedan - was South Korea's best-selling brand in South Africa. Back then, sedans were still selling like hotcakes in SA. In the last decade much has changed, with SUVs and crossovers all but obliterating the sedan market.

This global trend for bigger, more capable vehicles has seen SUV sales rocket from 35 million in 2010 to over 200 million a decade later. On the USA's top 40 bestseller list, SUV sales tripled between 2010 to 2019 and crossovers now make up more than 40% of the American market for new cars.

Back in 2012, Kia SA had limited offerings in the SUV/crossover range. You could either buy a Sportage or a Sorento, but nothing in the more affordable crossover and compact crossover range. The Kia Soul, considered to be an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), was also around but it never really sold in significant volumes.

Traditional SUVs are usually built on a pickup truck or bakkie platform - for example, the Toyota Fortuner uses the Hilux platform and the...
Tunis/Tunisia  President Kais Saied, on a visit to Paris to participate in the summit on the financing of African economies to be held on May 18, met on Monday with President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and of the African Union (AU), Felix Tshisekedi.

President Saied called for investing in the human and natural resources available to African countries, addressing the roots of crises on the continent and fighting terrorism to promote reconstruction and development.

He also expressed Tunisia's attachment to its African dimension and its willingness to develop cooperation relations between the two countries.

In this context, Mr. Said underlined the specificities of the investment climate in Tunisia, the incentive framework and the opportunities offered.

For his part, President Felix Tshisekedi expressed his country's willingness to benefit from the Tunisian experience in the fields of infrastructure, energy and agriculture, in addition to transport, higher education and health.

The two heads of state also agreed on the need to speed up the holding of bilateral meetings, particularly that of the joint commission.

During the meeting, Saied invited the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo to visit Tunisia.

President Kais Saied arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the summit on the financing of African economies to be held on May 18.
press release

President Akufo-Addo to grace opening of PAP Session

H E Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana will be the Guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremony of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). The ceremony is scheduled to take place on 24 May 2021 at the PAP precincts in Midrand, South Africa.

President AKUFO-ADDO will address African Parliamentarians as they gather to engage on the African Union (AU) theme for 2021: "Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want."

Hon. Chief Fortune CHARUMBIRA, Acting President of the PAP has described H E Akufo-Addo as a fervent Pan Africanist, whose presence at the upcoming ordinary session will reaffirm the strategic importance of the PAP and one of the essential pillars to achieve the objectives of the AU.

"President Akufo-Addo's initiative to reconnect African Americans to the continent was poignant and it is a continuation of Ghana's history of a Pan-African movement which is central to the progress of Africa and Black people in general. His presence at the next ordinary session, as we commemorate Africa's culture and heritage, is fitting. We look forward to his message on unity for the social, economic and political progress of the continent as well as the importance of the continent growing together, charting and redefining its own way," says Hon. Charumbira.

As a reminder, Ghana's Year of Return in 2019 marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans reached America. It was also the year Ghana's President, Nana Akufo-Addo, invited all people of African descent to return to the continent to rethink their identity and reclaim their roots.

H E Olusegun OBASANJO, former President of Federal Republic of Nigeria is also expected to deliver a message of solidarity during the Opening Ceremony. The opening event will further be addressed by H E Naledi PANDOR, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of the Republic of South Africa and host of the PAP.

The Fourth Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament will include elections for the Bureau that will take the baton from the Fifth Parliament on 31 May 2021. At least 100 new delegates from different countries will be sworn in as Members of the PAP following elections in a number of African States and rotation within delegations.
Kenitra  Following the high instructions of HM King Mohammed VI, a military airplane took off Monday night from the Air Base of the Royal Air Forces in Kenitra heading for Cairo to deliver emergency humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, has kindly given his High Instructions to send emergency humanitarian aid for the benefit of the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

This humanitarian aid, consisting of 40 tons, is made up of basic food products, emergency medicine and blankets.

The decision of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, is part of the Kingdom's continued support for the just Palestinian cause and its permanent solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people.
analysis

An estimated 18 million people in South Africa go to bed every night without having eaten a substantial meal. The plight of many like them worldwide will be highlighted on World Hunger Day on 28 May.

Farmworkers living in abject poverty in the Paarl region dread the day soup kitchens are no longer able to provide food -- they say they would face starvation.

This was the grim message that surfaced during interviews Maverick Citizen conducted with farmworkers in the Paarl area. Farms visited included Simonique and Flenterskloof.

Miena Jacobs from Flenterskloof farm in Simondium near Paarl in the Western Cape can't afford to buy cigarettes. She makes her own from newspapers. (Photo: Vincent Cruywagen)

Farmworkers emphasised that by coming forward and speaking out about their plight, they did not intend to criticise farmers, but were merely highlighting the extreme conditions under which they lived.

One of the people feeding impoverished farmworkers is Wendy Pekeur from Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Development, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the vulnerable, especially farmworkers. The organisation supports 11 soup kitchens as well as a creche in Klapmuts.

Information gathered from farmworkers indicated that many went...
analysis

State Capture Inquiry evidence leaders will submit that Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo took corrupt payments from tech giant EOH in reward for city tenders. Makhubo denies there was any link, but the money trail appears damning.

Tech giant EOH paid Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo's company Molelwane Consulting R570,000 on 30 May 2016, a significant boost to the company's R268 bank balance.

Makhubo, who was then serving as Joburg finance MMC, took R405,000 of the EOH payment for personal and family expenses. In its books, EOH said the R570,000 was for "ED for City of Joburg", or enterprise development.

Two days after EOH paid Makhubo's company, a City of Johannesburg evaluation adjudication committee awarded EOH a R404-million contract to install SAP software. That was just one of a number of questionable payments Makhubo received that appear linked to EOH.

"We will submit that these were ultimately corrupt payments," evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson SC put to the mayor at the State Capture Inquiry on Monday.

Makhubo maintained the R570,000 payment was legitimate and related to prior work the companies had done together. He claimed that the millions EOH contributed to the ANC's 2016 election campaign related to standard political fundraising and could...
press release

The dtic's Budget Vote Presentation and Post Budget Vote Media Briefing

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel, together with his Deputy Ministers, Ms Nomalungelo Gina and Mr Fikile Majola will host a virtual media briefing on the Department's priorities for the 2021 financial year.

The briefing will be preceded by the Department's Budget Vote presentation in Parliament.

The briefing is planned as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Time: 12:30

Link: https://gcis.zoom.us/j/94155128592?pwd=bFB0UkdzS0V0OHRxZzlzUUxqT1o3QT09

Passcode: 305586

Members of the media are requested to confirm their attendance with Phumzile Kotane at 0631143704 or PKotane@thedtic.gov.za

Budget Vote presentation will take place as follows:

Tuesday: 18 May 2021

Time: 10h00-12h00

Twitter: @ParliamentofRSA

Facebook: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

Youtube: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
analysis

The summit will deliberate on debt relief, IMF support to African countries and how to provide capital to the African private sector to support investments that would catalyse inclusive economic activity and create employment.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and several other African and world leaders will attend a high-level summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday to seek ways to inject billions more dollars into Africa's efforts to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic and revive its economies.

World leaders have all but agreed already on the issuing of $650-billion in International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) -- a kind of credit line -- which would directly pump $34-billion into African economies. But Macron will try to persuade his fellow developed world leaders at Tuesday's summit to reallocate a substantial part of their own SDRs to poorer countries, including those in Africa.

Other African presidents expected to attend in person or by video are those of Angola, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Tunisia. The heads of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the UN Economic Commission for...
press release

The Presidency has released its fourth progress report on implementation of the Presidential Employment Stimulus. This report shows that by the end of March 2021, a total of 532,180 people had directly benefited from the stimulus, including 422,786 jobs created or retained and 109,394 livelihoods supported. Livelihoods support includes, for example, production input vouchers for farmers, awards to the creative sector and income support for the Early Childhood Development sector. A further 161,972 opportunities are still being processed as part of Phase 1 of the stimulus, bringing the total number of opportunities supported to 694,152.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus was developed in response to the severe economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It aims to create new jobs, provide support for livelihoods and protect existing jobs in vulnerable sectors.

A further allocation of R11 billion has been made in the budget for 2021/2022 to extend the stimulus into a second phase. An intensive process is currently underway to allocate these funds to programmes that will have the greatest impact in creating jobs and supporting livelihoods, including through the continuation of several existing programmes.

An online dashboard has been developed to enable the public to access detailed information on the stimulus and to monitor its implementation. This dashboard is available at the following link: https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/employment-stimulus-dashboard.

The dashboard will be updated on a regular basis as data is received from implementing departments. The launch of this tool reflects government's commitment to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the stimulus, and to the use of technology to enhance its impact.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus has provided crucial support to South Africans in all provinces and across all age groups, creating work for the common good and enabling participants to earn an income while the labour market recovers.

Click the following link for the Presidential Employment Stimulus report:

https://bit.ly/3bADzx4
Former Machachari actress Clara Wamaitha, better known by her role as Cindy or Mama Stella, has received a shot in the arm in managing her skin condition.

This after Kenyas Vitiligo Ambassador Wangui Njee visited Ms Wamaitha and educated her about the condition and government programs that assist people with similar conditions.

I promised to visit Mama Stella from Machachari and encourage her as a person living with vitiligo and I fulfilled my promise. We met and talked, she is super amazing and funny, said Njee.

The vitiligo ambassador who is a former MCA also donated sun protection products to Mama Stella.

I distributed sunscreen and aftersun to her(Mama Stella). We get the sunscreen and after-sun free of charge from the government and they are available in all level five and four hospitals across the country, Njee added.

The vitiligo champion further urged filmmakers to cast the mother of two in the films and shows and help her earn a decent living.
Monrovia  The FrontPageAfrica (FPA) Newspaper claimed in a report on Sunday that Liberia is ranked the "5th Most Corrupt Country in Africa," a report that the government has strongly condemned while terming it as "misleading and factually incorrect."

The latest scrappy report by the FPA Newspaper comes amidst strides being made by the government of Liberia to combat the menace. The FPA has always been at the center of erroneous reportage against the government and its officials.

In November 2020, the FPA was again called-out for publishing a doctored Memo on the Liberia Revenue Authority.

The government said via a statement on Sunday in the paper's latest report the writer unprofessionally and maliciously and inaccurately scribbled together excerpts from previous Transparency International reports on corruption in a deliberate attempt to distort the facts.

The story, it said, claimed to be based on the "latest ranking of Liberia in the corruption index" (an apparent reference to the TI's Corruption Perception Index - CPI), citing that report - for 2020 - was actually published in January 2021. And nowhere in there was Liberia deemed 5th most corrupt country in Africa.

The government said the CPI actually gauges perceived level of public sector corruption based on the opinions of experts and business people. It ranks 180 countries from zero to 100 - with zero being highly corrupt and 100 very clean. In the 2020 report, more than two-thirds of countries fell below 50, indicating corruption remains a global challenge.

"Liberia, however, ranked 137 of 180 countries, and scored 28. These numbers are similar to neighboring Guinea's. While not desirable, they show the country fares better than many others on the continent, including Djibouti, Uganda Angola, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Mozambique, Cameroon, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Comoros, among others," noted the statement.

In further retort to the report, the government noted that for any writer or professional news organization to overlook these bold facts, and try to skew for other motives is just utterly callous and unethical, reminding the paper that Journalism is about truth telling. Checking one's facts is a fundamental precept of news gathering that all reporters ought to follow.

"It's sad that this ethical principle was ignored," laments the government.

Providing subsequent information, the release noted that TI has two main publications, the other being the Global Corruption Barometer, which surveys the experiences of thousands of everyday people confronting corruption around the world. The last GCB report referenced in the story was published in 2019; but even that doesn't name Liberia "5th most corrupt" on the continent. It actually showed the country fared better than previous years.

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"That a story from five months ago will be brought forward, with distorted facts, has left us wondering: What might be the motive?" stated the release.

In spite of systemic and historical constraints, it noted, the Weah administration has continued to make strides in strengthening the legal and administrative frameworks and activities in curbing waste and abuse of public resources.

In reference, the government named the latest Millennium Challenge Corporation corruption scorecard and other empirical data as testimonies to the government's effort in curbing waste and abuse of public resources.
World Bank Ethiopia confirms Ethiopia's economy experienced strong and broad-based growth averaging 9.4 percent during the years from 2010/11 to 2019/20. However, its real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth slowed down to 6.1perecnt in 2019/20 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (corona virus) pandemic. Industry, mainly construction, and services accounted for most of the growth. Agriculture was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its contribution to growth slightly improved in 2019/20 compared to the previous year. Private consumption and public investment explain demand-side growth, the latter assuming an increasingly important role.

The consistent higher economic growth brought with it positive trends in poverty reduction in both urban and rural areas. The share of the population living below the national poverty line decreased from 30 percent in 2011 to 24 percent in 2016. The government, recently, has launched a new 10-year perspective development plan which will run from 2020/21 to 2029/30. The plan aims to sustain the remarkable economic growth achieved under the Growth and Transformation Plans, while putting more emphasis on the private sector.

Global Coalition of Public Development Banks has emphasized the urgency of immediate resources for Africa's recovery post-COVID 19 last week. In line with this, they are committed to deepening cooperation to boost investment opportunities across the continent.

Participants in the meeting, hosted by the African Development Bank, brainstormed on joint actions that could help boost a strong and inclusive recovery in Africa. This would be recovery grounded in a dynamic private sector. The African Association of Development Finance Institutions co-organized the meeting in collaboration with the International Development Finance Club, which is hosted by the Agence Francaise de Developpement.

The meeting was held virtually and follows the first Finance in Common Summit held in November 2020. At that summit, public development banks committed to work together to support the transformation of the global economy and society towards sustainable and resilient development.

During the three principal sessions of the meeting, heads of public development banks and international partners focused on concrete proposals and innovative financial solutions to unlock the potential of African financial institutions to promote sustainable development investments in Africa.

In opening remarks, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, president of African Development Bank said: "The African Development Bank is strongly supportive of public development banks."

"As public development banks, we must deepen our ability to reach all parts of Africa. To ensure financial inclusion, especially for the unbanked, and expand access to finance, savings and insurance products and services, we need to work as one unified system. Public development banks must strengthen their capacity to deepen domestic capital markets and stock exchanges. This would hasten access to financing and unlock new opportunities," he added:

For his part, Remy Rioux, chairperson of the International Development Finance Club, said: "African challenges, more than anywhere else, require us all to go seek coordinated responses and actions; because in Africa, we need to leave no one behind. Let's Finance in Common and build now a common and positive story of innovation and investment in Africa, leveraging official development assistance (ODA) and mobilizing all willing stakeholders. The days of pure aid are over. Africa is ready for sustainable investment."

Public development banks have a key role to play in Africa. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, institutions like the African Development Bank have channeled resources to various sectors and clients, particularly underserved areas like health, social investments, housing, agriculture and climate.

The African Development Bank's 10 billion USD COVID-19 Response Facility fund has been instrumental in mitigating macroeconomic shocks for African countries. The Bank also announced a 3 billion USD social bond to support its COVID-19 funding efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, affecting African economies, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, most deeply. A historic recession of 2.1 percent, the largest contraction for the sub-Saharan region in more than half a century, is threatening gains made over the last decade and attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The pandemic has negatively impacted the debt situation for African countries. Without a resolution of Africa's 700 billion USD external debt, the continent's economic recovery will be delayed and financial market stability will be affected in the short and medium term.

"Think of the impact that this debt is having: in 2019, Africa paid 221 billion USD for debt service, which is 44 percent of the total government revenue of 501 billion USD in the same year," said Dr. Adesina.

Discussions covered measures that could be taken to strengthen the balance sheet of African public development banks and provide financing and additional tools to support the private sector in Africa. Participants also discussed challenges faced by African public development banks.

The African Development Bank president will convey the outcomes of the Spring Meeting to a May 18 Summit on Financing African Economies in Paris. That summit is being convened by French President Emmanuel Macron. It is expected that there will be further pledges and announcements of financial and technical assistance to support the commitments made by the African public development banks.

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African public development banks, in a joint declaration, called for the heads of states and international organizations to support their role in the African financial system and provide them with the necessary means and incentives: a clearer mandate for climate and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), additional capacity building, greater access to concessional resources as well as reinforcement of our capital bases, taking advantage of the expected Special drawing rights (SDRs) issuance by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The following public development banks and partners participated in the panel discussions: Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI), Association of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), African Development Bank, African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim bank), Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), European Commission (EC), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Investment Bank (EIB), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), International Development Finance Club (IDFC), KfW Development Bank, Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB), and West African Development Bank (BOAD).

BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
ADDIS ABABA - Preparation to plant 6 billion seedlings in Ethiopia and neighboring countries during the coming three months of the rainy season is underway, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Commission disclosed. Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Commission Director-General Abitew Shibabaw told ENA that seedlings are being prepared in more than 126,000 seedling nurseries using over 14,000 quintals of seeds in various parts of the country.

According to him, out of the six billion seedlings to be planted in the coming rainy season, 4 billion are meant to enhance forest coverage of the country while 2 billion are for integrated agricultural forest development and to beautify cities. Thus so far, more than 5.8 billion seedlings and 3 million hectares of land have been readied for this year's nationwide plantation campaign that would be carried out for the third time as part of the country's Green Legacy Initiative that aims at tackling environmental challenges by enhancing forestation, he added.

Speaking about seedlings to be planted in neighboring countries, he stated that 2 million seedlings have already been readied and efforts are being exerted to achieve the target of 1 billion.

The seedlings being prepared for the neighboring nations are based on the weather conditions and climate of the respective countries, it was learned. Ethiopia included neighboring countries in its Green Legacy Initiative as climate is borderless besides enhancing economic integration among the region, he underscored.

Ethiopian senior officials of the sector will hold discussions with their counter parts in neighboring countries on ways how the planting of the seedlings would be implemented.

It is to be recalled that last year Ethiopia planted more than 4.1 billion trees of the intended 5 billion attaining 83 percent the set target as part of its green legacy initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Through the Green Legacy Initiative, the country has a national grand plan to plant 20 billion trees until 2024.
Every community possesses distinctive social, cultural and traditional values. These values, sometimes, will have universal values and acceptance as their core ideas would have binding perceptual patterns and represent a large extent of groups; apart from their culture-specific values for that specific group.

The Sidama People New Year festival, which is celebrated among the people of Sidama is one among the others in this regard. The holiday aside from its cultural values, it serves as a means to propagate peace and love, integrity and solidarity as well as environmental preservation and development.

Recently, the, Sidama People New Year festival was organized here in Addis Ababa.

Speaking on the occasion Adanech Abeiebe, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa City Administration said that Ethiopia has numerous breathtaking historical, cultural and traditional values. These national cultural values should be preserved and used for the tourism sector to gain significant economic value from the sector. "Efforts will also be made to make Addis Ababa the cultural center of Ethiopia."

Fichee Chamballa though is Sidama's People New Year festival; it encompasses a number of principles, such as good governance, equality, togetherness, peace, love, solidarity, respect and other related assets, that are basic for human beings and nature.

Therefore, the culture should not be a holiday that would be celebrated only once as a festival, but it is also a valuable gift presented by the people of Sidama to the Ethiopian people and to global communities. So, it should be preserved well and pass to the next generation accordingly, she added.

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The City administration has prepared plot of land in Addis Ababa that will be used to construct Sidam Cultural center to make sure that the capital is the city of all Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples,

Dr. Hirut Kassaw, Minister of Culture and Tourism, in her message said that the Sidama Nation's New Year celebration should be passed on to the next generation in a way that preserves its cultural content and historical significance.

Sidama State Chief Desta Ledamo, on his part, thanked the Addis Ababa City Administration for supporting the Fiche-Chambelala Festival in the city.

The festival was celebrated with a theme 'Fiche-Chambelala is a symbol of peace, respect, love, solidarity, tolerance and reconciliation', and it was marked in the presence of high government officials, representatives from Sidama State and guests.

Sidama's New Year festival was inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.

BY STAFF REPORTER
No one wishes to be in a situation where things are not certain. Uncertainty is a circumstance in which there is doubt. Anything undesirable can happen out of nowhere creating obstacles or hindering to people to undertake their day-to-day work steadily and smoothly. Uncertainty has the power to cause unreliability and it is impossible to do anything thing in such circumstance confidently.

The term risk can be used to describe two separate and interrelated aspects of uncertainty - the threat it poses to individuals and groups, and the strategies used to manage these threats. The use of risk to describe the threat of undesirable outcomes is evident in the use of the term risk. People often use the terms 'risk' and 'worry' interchangeably. They incline to worry about threats to health, especially their own, threats to their family. Furthermore, uncertainty entails threats from broader circumstance, including crime, drug using, anti-social behavior and disrespect amongst youth. The interplay between risk anxieties, media narratives and sensibilities and reflexivity among individuals in their own experiences of risk becomes evident.

In contrast, individuals amidst uncertainty may be faced with unfamiliar, threatening situations: moments where the outcome is both important and uncertain. Such fateful moments involve crucial events and decisions that will shape a person's future life, when the he stands at the crossroads of his existence. Uncertainty in such situation becomes fair and square.

Unprecedented uncertainty may be experienced as threatening and psychologically shocking when there is no warning. The event is sudden and catastrophic. When the events involve a large number of people and are represented in and reproduced by the media, the shock may be felt nationally or even globally. Such events undermine the continuity of everyday life and puncture the protective cocoon that usually filters out possible dangers. Thus, it stages a challenge to the routines of daily activities or to more far-reaching ambitions. Uncertainty touches every sphere of life; for instance, individuals who experience serious and especially sudden illness such as a stroke undergo much disruption of their expectations and the associated negative outcomes. Most stroke survivors describe the onset of the stroke as sudden, unexpected and shocking. Threats to individuals and groups do not have to be immediate and experienced; they can be more distant and imagined. In times of uncertainty, the fear of a given risk travels in a manner which mimics viral transmission of disease. And analysis of individual responses to this fear again echoes fear of pollution and contamination amongst social groups.

Threats caused by uncertain situation focus on worry about diseases such as HIV/AIDS amongst some communities, where there is widespread reporting of 'dangerous' behaviors such as having multiple partners, concurrency, sexual mixing and not using condoms. In this situation, men often do not worry about which of their own sexual behaviors are potentially dangerous but women worry about the sexual behavior of their partners.

While some individuals may worry about sexually transmitted disease, still they have other concerns and these may be more important. In particular, they are concerned about maintaining 'romantic' relationships with their partners based on a trust and intimacy. But both reveal that the concepts of trust and techniques of harboring intimacy are used to manage and express fear. Concepts of sensing risk and attributing blame to 'others', and the behaviors of intimacy and trust are employed to demarcate the boundary between self, stranger and trusted intimate partner. Probably when uncertainty reigns, trust can be both a technique for managing risk, and a response to how others are perceived to manage risk on the individual's behalf. Trust in contrast is embedded in personal relations and communications. For instance, the public health workers advise that individuals should protect themselves against sexually transmitted disease. The protection is through 'safe sex', particularly through the use of condoms which is likely to have limited impact. Rather they seek an intimate and trusting relationship and not using protective devices. Individuals consider sex to be 'safe' when they trust their partner. Sex, for instance, in a loving relationship can be safe even if condoms are not used. It is safe so long as you trust your partner.

Worry, the result of uncertainty, can be managed in a very different way, through distrust and the use of space to avoid the distrusted. Those individuals, and the places where they might be encountered, were likely to be avoided. The three social distancing strategies are presumably avoidance, surveillance and fortification. This explains much of the harmful effect of the lack of confidence in what goes on around. Isolation in this case also represents a mechanism used by people to protect themselves from the dangers they believe to be lurking in their immediate physical and social environment. The distrust experienced by individuals living in a deprived locality is the most unbearable situation. In such strategy, individuals who live in the neighborhood worry about isolation and recognize the negative effects which it has on their mental health. Yet, the avoidance of dangerous individuals and places often acts to increase their own isolation. Uncertainty has its own negative effect on members of different age groups with different lifestyle. For instance young men on a deprived housing estate, identify a combination of trust and distrust. The young men feel safe with their own peers who share their lifestyle, for example use 'soft drugs' such as alcohol and cannabis but distrusted individuals and groups with different lifestyles and values; for example those who inject heroin, and policemen who come from outside their area.

On a different level, uncertainty is a key feature affecting the local investment climate. It is the issue Ethiopia is decidedly fighting to make a stop to it and assuring firms and entrepreneurs to consider and decide to start, expand, or contract their businesses for their benefit and the development of their country. Even though uncertainty is quite salient in cases in which firms and politicians are directly connected and political favors might be at play. Everything possible is being done to put the situation under control. This project should aims to disentangle the mechanisms of uncertainty and political connections in determining firms' dynamics and their strategic decisions during electoral period to save the country from economic collapse.

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Understanding the consequences that high uncertainty can have for local economies in developing countries is the key for policymakers, especially during elections. Likewise, understanding the role of political finance is now crucial as part of the democratization process.

While uncertainty may be ubiquitous and growing in contemporary society, it should not be seen as synonymous with risk.

Large bureaucratic organizations may seek to control uncertainty through measurement and calculation. However, in everyday life, individuals do not have the time, resources and the inclination to use such approaches. Indeed the use of explicit measures to protect oneself, as in safe sex, may create other threats, for example undermining an intimate romantic relationship. While uncertainty may be ubiquitous and growing in contemporary society, it should not be seen as synonymous with risk.

Then, what should be done about uncertainty? Evidently, life is filled with it and worries about the future. While many things remain outside your control, your mindset should be the key to coping with difficult circumstances and confidently facing the unknown. What might that be? I leave that to my audience.

BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
ADDIS ABABA (ENA)- China reiterated its support for the African Union (AU) led negotiations to resolve issues related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Deputy Head of Mission in China's Embassy to Ethiopia, Xie Tian, told ENA that the GERD issue is attracting the attention of the international community and was raised at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

He noted that China is aware of the importance of GERD to Ethiopia's development, and as a friend of Africa, his country always supported the AU led negotiations to solve African issues by Africans themselves. "China as a friend to African countries, we are friend to Ethiopia, and we are also friend to Egypt and Sudan. So, we think we are very cognizant with the importance of the dam and we have noted that the significance of this dam for the development of Ethiopia," Xie said.

Based on the clear reality, the Deputy Head of Mission, said China will always support the AU led negotiations to get lasting solution to the dispute on GERD. "We support the AU led process of negotiation of this dam... it is the right way to find the solution through negotiations... we also support the principle of African solution for African problems," he added.

It is to be recalled that China held a firm position at the UNSC arena supporting the AU led process to encourage Africans be able to resolve the issue of GERD."AU is a very good platform to handle the issue of GERD. So, we support this issue be handled by the African Union," he reaffirmed. China encourages Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to stay in the negotiation, handle the issue peacefully and reach an agreement acceptable by all parties, he emphasized.
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia's 6th round general elections would be a historic milestone as it is highly expected to address long -awaited citizens' quest for democracy , politicians so remarked. All Ethiopian Social Movement Member Abera Yemaneab told local media that he is so hopeful that the upcoming general elections would be credible and offer a glimmer of hope for Ethiopia's democracy Abera added that the elections would for sure bring about socio-political freedom and equality despite various shortcomings that could be corrected in due process.

He suggested that conducting the 6th general elections would have socio-political significance in the history of Ethiopia. "Ethiopia will withstand the external pressure so long as fellow citizens stand up in unison to overcome common challenges and conduct extensive dialogues and discussions on how to address internal conflicts , "Abera said.

The Ethiopian government and people should prioritize upholding sovereignty before all diplomatic negotiations, he stressed. For Labor Party Management Board Member Prof. Mohammed Hassen, the elections have the potential to establish a strong leadership which could build a politically stable Ethiopia solving the internal problems through inclusive dialogue.

He also noted that Ethiopians should settle the internal problems using local solutions and are expected to overcome external pressures by all means. Patriots Party Board Member Abebe Bogale for his part said that the 6th general elections would be the first election to establish a legitimate government through voter card. The Ethiopian government is claiming that Ethiopian election 2021 is a historic one which could untap Ethiopia's economic potential through inclusive economic policy.

BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
Tunis/Tunisia  The individual arrested Monday at dawn in Sousse during a failed attempt of irregular migration by the Sahel National Coast Guard units, is not wanted for a terrorism offence, said spokesman for the Judicial Counter terrorism Division Mohsen Daly.

The latter specified in a statement to TAP on Monday evening, that the alleged individual had been involved in the investigation of the 2015 Bardo Museum terrorist attack but had been acquitted.

He added that he had been placed in custody with other people arrested for attempting to illegally cross sea borders.
A resident of Otjimbingwe in the Erongo region pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, alternatively contravening the Combating of Immoral Practices Act, three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and three counts of assault by threat.

Jackson Katjombe (36) is accused of raping three sisters, one a disabled woman aged 29, and two girls aged 14 and eight, respectively, between January and September 2018 at a farm in the Otjimbingwe area.

It is further alleged that he physically assaulted his victims, and threatened to kill them should they report the alleged rapes to anyone.

The 29-year-old is disabled, and has the mental capacity of a six-year-old child. She cannot walk, and crawls around on the floor to get to anywhere, while she also cannot use her arms. She is totally dependent on her siblings for her care.

One of the sisters - not a victim - told the court that her mother and father went to the farm in 2011 after her father retired, and took the disabled girl with them. They, however, left the other two behind as the youngest was still a baby at that stage, and the 14-year-old was at school.

She testified that during 2013, the 14-year-old dropped out of school after she failed grade 7, and could not get placement at a school for slow learners. She thus went to the farm to stay with their parents. The younger one was at that stage already at the farm, the witness added. According to the woman, who may not be named to protect the identity of the alleged victims, her father returned to Windhoek during 2017 while her mother remained at the farm with the three girls. During 2018, she said, her mother became ill and had to be hospitalised in Windhoek, leaving the three girls on their own at the farm. When her mother realised that she would not recover from her illness, she instructed the witness to go and fetch the girls from the farm.

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At her house, she put the three girls in a shack in her backyard, the witness testified, adding that she could heard noises from the shack every night, and would find the girls crying and saying they are afraid. She said it got so bad that she had to move them into the main house.

The woman further testified that as the disabled one could not wash herself, that task normally fell onto her. So, the first time she bathed her sister, she realised that the girl was no longer a virgin. When she asked her about it, the victim replied that the accused forced himself upon her and "slept with her." She said her sister informed her that every time the accused came to their house, he would grab her arms, put his hand over her mouth and lift up her dress, pull down her underpants, and force himself onto her. "He is too strong for me, and I can't stop him," the woman said her sister told her.

After she reported all this to the Gender-Based Violence Unit, she decided to question all three girls as they stayed together at the farm.

When she asked the youngest one, she was told that the accused came to visit them, and "do it to them."

The case continues today with the witness still in the box.

Katjombe remains in custody, and is represented by Tjigairi Kaurivi.

The state is represented by Anita Meyer, with Windhoek High Court Judge Herman January presiding.
The Africa and Madagascar Robusta Coffee Agency (ACRAM) held its annual meetings and 9th General Assembly the last week of April in Lome, Togo, and virtually. It was an opportunity to rally strength and plan the way forward for African Robusta after a trying year.

The event was organized in partnership with the International Trade Centre's (ITC) Alliances for Action programme in the context of the European Union (EU) and Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) 'Business Friendly programme', which is being jointly implemented by ITC, the World Bank and UNIDO.

2020 was a difficult year for all because of COVID-19. For ACRAM, it had a particularly strong impact on the region's coffee exports - particularly from Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Cameroon.

Escipion OLIVIERA GOMEZ, Assistant Secretary General Structural Economic Transformation and Trade at the OACPS stressed the need for regional and sectoral alliances for them to recover and grow:

'The Covid-19 Pandemic has proven that global challenges cannot be addressed alone. New policies must address the challenges OACPS small firms and producers find themselves up against, targeting vulnerable groups especially. The ACRAM and ITC Robusta Coffee Conference has come at the right time to plan concrete action to address these challenges across the coffee value chain.'

To stay on course in its mission to promote the ACRAM region's Robusta coffee, the talks focused on the launch of a Coffee Academy in partnership with ITC and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the promotion of gender equity in the sector, capacity building on business development and finance tools, South-South trade opportunities and the overall strategy to relaunch and promote African Robusta coffee.

The event's proceedings emphasized the need to develop Robusta coffee cultivation and improve marketing and networking efforts in the goal of achieving a better positioning of African coffee on the international market and guarantee a better income for producers. Plans are also in the works to provide capacity building on coffee sensory analysis (cupping) and coffee quality evaluation, through the Coffee Academy.

ACRAM stakeholders are also keen to replicate CLAC-Fairtrade and ITC's Alliances for Action Golden Cup Competition, a contest that promotes high-quality Fairtrade coffees nationally and internationally. It encourages value addition and fair income distribution by producing and commercializing quality coffees from producers who guarantee sustainable production processes.

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Regional coffee sector players demonstrated commitment to lending support on planned interventions. 'The EU-OACPS Business Friendly program has strong strategic alignment to Ghana Government Policy to revive the coffee sector. The project's Alliances for Action sustainable agribusiness methodology enhances its potential impact. We are ready to play a leading role in helping it deliver.' (Madam Ivy Cynthia Osei-Sampah, Executive Secretary, Coffee Federation of Ghana.)

The involvement of women in the supply chain - currently low in the coffee sector - was another discussion priority. 'We would like women not only to find themselves in plantations but also at all levels of the value chain. Whether they are exporters, processors, researchers, or even cuppers" said Honorable Tomaino Ndam Njoya, Cameroon, Chair of the Gender Committee.

M. Kodjo ADEDZE, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Local Consumption in Togo recognised the challenges the African Robusta coffee sector is now up against and shared his optimism on tackling them through joint action and partnership, in particular with ITC's Alliances for Action and the firm support from the OACPS and the EU.

Enselme Gouthon, President of ACRAM, closed the event congratulating stakeholders on the results obtained during the week's exchanges and confident on next steps with such committed partnerships and clear strategies at play. This, he said, is a big step in the history of ACRAM and a solid indicator of the progress to come.
Jubilee Party secretary-general Raphael Tuju has organized a noble initiative in commemoration of his road accident in February of last year.

The Cabinet Secretary will embark on a Charity walk in June this year to raise funds for the Kijabe Hospital. Proceeds from the 50-kilometre walk will go toward purchasing medical equipment to help road accident victims get back on their feet.

Tuju was first rushed to Kijabe hospital after he was involved in an accident as he was travelling to Kabarak for the funeral of former President Daniel Arap Moi.

Tuju says he has been walking about 10-20 kilometres three times every week in preparation for the main event.

In a past interview, Tuju said his biggest fear following the accident was an inability to walk again.

My only worry was will I ever be able to walk again. The biggest celebration for me is that Im able to walk again, he said.

The prognosis after my accident was not good, there was just a 50 percent or less chance that I would be able to walk again because the damage was on the vertebrae.

The former Rarieda MP said the accident left him with 18 broken bones, a damaged lung, and internal bleeding.

I must say the seat belt saved my life, Tuju said.

Also Read  I Sustained More Injuries in Car Accident Than in Plane Crash, Tuju Speaks
Omuthiya  An unidentified man was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday at Oshaakondwa village of Oniipa in Oshikoto region, where he attempted to break into a house.

The 34-year-old suspect, Kristian Etuna allegedly heard strange noises around 04h00, and upon investigation there was a sound of a window breaking at the toilet section. Shortly after that, noises were heard at the main door, and that's when the suspect fired shots, resulting in two hitting the deceased in the stomach and chin.

"The attempted housebreaker died on the spot. The suspect was arrested but released after giving a full explanation of the events. The docket will be forwarded to the prosecutor general for a decision," said Oshikoto's crime investigation officer, Paulus Endjala.

The 9mm pistol used is licensed on the suspect's name.

"We are tracing the relatives of the deceased through his cellphone," he added.

Furthermore, Endjala reported that an armed robbery case was also registered last week when four unknown men walked into Tuna Auto Spares at Onethindi and pounced on the unsuspecting employee who was alone at the time and demanded money.

"Two were armed with pistols, one with a knife while another remained in the vehicle outside. They jumped over the counter, grabbed the victim and demanded money. They started to threaten the victim with a knife, and in the process slightly cut him on the neck before dragging him into the storeroom. They found and broke open a safe where they found N$11 263, and also took three cellphones," stated the detective.

The suspects fled in a white Toyota Vitz without number plates. No arrests have been made and police investigations continue.

The employee was identified as David Shilongo (25).
Teachers urged the government to recognise the impact and importance of Life Skills teachers when reporting abuse against children.

The teachers, who responded to an article published in New Era last week on violence against children, said there are no laws that are protecting them for exposing violence against children within their school community, hence they felt their lives are at stake.

"We need to do our best to always be there for our children, even those going through the most, to grow the children of this nation. As Life Skills teachers, we are not protected enough to report sensitive cases and to encourage the learners to report violence in their community. We are requesting our government to look into these with an open eye," one teacher said on condition of anonymity.

About 45% of men and 40% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence during childhood, gender equality minister Doreen Sioka said last week.

Some teachers, who refused to be named, say they are aware of the Whistleblower Protection Act 10 of 2017 that should provide for the investigation of disclosures of improper conduct, and the protection of whistle-blowers.

They are, however, saying that the act does not entirely protect them in the community, and should be expanded.

"It is extremely vital that we work as a collective in an environment that does not discriminate on people's status and positions in society, and does not discriminate against prominent officials or public figures to curb the increase of this evil disease," one teacher stressed.

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Norah Mamene, a Life Skills teacher at the Rocky Crest High School, attended the inter-ministerial dialogue to end violence against children in Namibia last Wednesday, and explained that Life Skills teachers have taken the role of parents at work and at home.

"The burden and strain placed on them is unimaginable. The daily living skills cover an extensive section of the Life Skills syllabus, which they have to merge with their skills. The topics those children are shy and embarrassed of are the topics a Life Skills teacher are forced to listen to," she explained.

Mamene said more needs to be done in terms of the law for the teachers to feel comfortable in dealing with sensitive matters.

"The recognition and funding for training programmes of Life Skills teachers in public and private schools is a topic much slept on and ignored, and should be tapped into to exploit the potential it bears," she added.
South African media personality, Bonang Matheba has taken legal action against YouTuber, Rea Gobane over allegations she introduced her former lover, popular rapper AKA to cocaine.

Gobane made the accusations on a podcast centering on AKA's late fiancee, Anele 'Nellie' Tembe on his YouTube channel, Everything SA Music.

Nellie fell to her death from the 10th floor of Cape Town, Pepperclub hotel over a month ago

At her funeral, her father Moses Tembe cautioned against drug abuse, leading to wide insinuations that Nellie used drugs.

"Scoop told us that AKA is on cocaine and Bonang is the one that got him into cocaine, we know that AKA is on to hard drugs," Gobane said referring to a conversation with actor, Siyabonga 'Scoop' Ngwekazi.

In a letter from her legal team, Thompson Wilks, Bonang demanded an apology, suing Gobane R500 000 to be paid within 10 days for the utterances he made against her.

"On Sunday 9 May 2021, you falsely and unlawfully accused Bonang Matheba in a widely published video clip of, inter alia, having introduced AKA (Kiernan Jarryd Forbes) to cocaine.

"In the context of what was being discussed in the video clip this defamatory allegation was exacerbated by the shocking insinuation that the death of AKA's girlfriend, Anele 'Nellie' Tembe, was due to AKA's alleged use of cocaine.

"The allegations were defamatory, hurtful, and were deliberately intended to humiliate my client and undermine her reputation. The allegations are also, to your knowledge false" read part of the letter.

The letter added that Gobane had been advised to retract and apologise which he agreed to, but reneged on the agreement.

Bonang and AKA dated for two years before splitting up in 2017.
The wind of change is blowing through the Coastal belt as female politicians roll up their sleeves to fight for gubernatorial positions in the 2022 General Election.

Should they maintain their ambitions all the way to the ballot, the region may have its first female governors since devolution started in 2013.

In four out of the six counties, women have come out strongly to challenge their male rivals in what is expected to be a thrilling political season.

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi), Kwale Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani, Likoni MP Mishi Mboko (Mombasa) and social justice expert Umra Omar (Lamu) are leading the charge with their sights set on executive mansions.

They are out to take the reins from governors Amason Kingi, Salim Mvurya, Hassan Joho and Fahim Twaha, respectively. The ground is still favourable for male politicians in Taita Taveta and Tana River.

At the weekend, Ms Jumwa raised the tempo at a funeral in Rabai when she stated her intentions to change the face of Kilifi in terms of development. The only obstacles she faces are court cases.

Former Jubilee nominated Senator Emma Mbura threw her weight behind Ms Jumwa, saying Kilifi was ripe for a woman at the top.

"Women understand challenges facing the society better, especially in education, health and water supply. It is women who spend a lot of time walking long distances in search of these essential services," she said.

She said male politicians in the county had formed a tendency of using divide-and-rule tactics against women.

Campaigning

"This time round, we will visit every corner to ensure a woman wins the governor's seat. We want to witness how the leadership of a woman can help our society," said Ms Mbura.

In Kwale, the stage is fertile for a woman as the governor has been campaigning for his deputy, saying Ms Achani is best placed to carry on with his development record.

"In leadership, you must prepare early for succession. The deputy governor is well prepared," Mr Mvurya said at a public event in April.

In an interview with the Nation yesterday, Ms Achani said she would maintain the development focused leadership championed by her boss.

"There's no other leader who can understand the challenges facing this county better than I do. That's why I believe that our development projects will go on without hurdles under my leadership. It's time to give a woman a chance to develop this county," she said.

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In Mombasa, Ms Mboko announced her ambitions early, but has been quiet over the last few months.

Her intentions to take over leadership of the port city had already attracted support from several women leaders, including the Embrace Movement that brings together ladies allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Brilliant women

In Lamu, Ms Omar said Kenya has many brilliant women with the ability to lead the country at various levels, but lacked support from the society.

The 2017 UN in Kenya Person of the Year challenged women to rise up to the occasion and go for high leadership positions.

"I am a Bajuni woman, but that won't deter me from pursuing what I feel is right. I believe a good leader must not be afraid of the obstacles before them. I therefore encourage fellow women here not to let male chauvinism weigh them down," Ms Omar told the Nation.

Raya Famau, an activist in Lamu, lauded Ms Omar's declaration to contest the gubernatorial seat.

"This is a positive move for women in Lamu, who have for years been stifled by culture and a chauvinistic society that generally prefers men over women in leadership," she said.

By Charles Lwanga, Maureen Ongala, Valentine Obara, Siago Cece and Kalume Kazungu
Tourism stakeholders at the Coast have condemned the plans by the government to privatise national reserves and game parks.

They argued that the parks and convention centres are national treasures that should only be managed by the government.

This is after Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala last week indicated that the Ministry was looking at a new model of doing business as a way of reviving the sector due to the effects of Covid-19.

The move could see game parks, convention centres like the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), Utalii College, and national parks managed by private agencies.

However, led by the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast Executive Dr. Sam Ikwaye, the stakeholders termed the move as a dicey one that will affect their management.

"The worst thing any well-meaning and independent country can do is to privatise its natural and cultural resources. The government should never cede management of natural resources to outsiders or private entities," charged Dr. Ikwaye.

He said that the government should learn from previous mistakes it has made and observe how privatisation has worked in other sectors of the economy.

He added that he fears that this will turn parks into cash cows for the private sector and a few individuals at the taxpayer's expense.

And according to Kenya Coast Tourist Association Chief Executive Julius Owino, many parastatals should instead be merged instead of privatising key treasures such as national parks.

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"For the parastatals, privatising them is not a good idea, but you can merge them so that they be managed under one umbrella," he said, adding that national parks are not income-generating organisations that need private agencies to generate more revenues.

He gave examples like the KICC, Kenya Tourism Board, and the National Convention Bureau, whose roles of marketing the country is almost similar hence the need to merge them.

"These are national treasures. If you privatise them, it means that the government will be showing its inability to manage them," he added

In his statement last week, Mr Balala said the need to change the business models was to steer economic recovery after the pandemic.

"Why does the government-run a convention bureau? Why can't we outsource and make it more efficient? Why does the government-run a national park? These are the things that need to be corrected," he said during the European Union Green Diplomacy Webinar last week.

Mr Ikwaye proposed that private agencies should be allowed to operate within the parks instead of ceding to them ownership of the government resources.

"What I would recommend is to allow leasing of facilities within the park for private enterprise or contract private management companies to reduce government inefficiencies," he stated.

The stakeholders cited the privatisation of national flag carrier, Kenya Airways saying that the airline has been facing numerous challenges, which only doubled after its privatisation.
Mr Ahmed Ali Muktar was on Tuesday sworn in as the third governor of Wajir County after the Senate gazetted the impeachment of former county boss Mohamed Abdi Mohamud.

The swearing in ceremony took place at the Wajir County headquarters.

In his first speech after taking oath of office, Mr Muktar said he will prioritise water, health and education sectors in his administration.

"My pledge of service is premised on objectivity and professionalism. I appeal for your support," he said.

The new governor also pledged to uphold the unity of Wajir people and help resolve the health crisis in the county. Healthcare workers have been on strike for the last one week.

"I will meet the health workers today with a view of addressing their issues. I will desist from nepotism and skewed allocation of resources which erodes people's confidence," he said.

On Monday, 25 senators voted for the governor's ouster after he was found guilty of gross violation of the Constitution.

Two opposed the motion and four abstained.

Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni, who chaired the special committee that investigated the governor, abstained from the vote.

Others who skipped the vote were senators Ochilo Ayacko, James Orengo and Mutula Kilonzo. Senators Samson Cherargey and Kipchumba Murkomen voted to save the governor.

"The net effect of the vote is that Mr Muhamud has been impeached and he ceases to hold office," Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka ruled after the vote.

A special committee of the Senate, which investigated charges levelled against the governor by members of the county assembly, had found him culpable and recommended his ouster for gross violation of the constitution.

The MCAs had levelled two charges against the governor supported by a total of 17 allegations.

The first charge was gross violation of the Constitution and others laws, which was supported by 15 allegations, while the other on abuse of office was backed by two allegations. In its verdict, the committee acquitted the governor on 15 allegations, most of which touched on procurement and financial impropriety.

The MCAs succeeded in substantiating two allegations, one of which, according to the committee, did not meet the legal threshold.

However, the committee found the governor to have failed to offer the people of his county the highest possible healthcare.

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According to the MCAs, despite allocating Sh2.4 billion to the department of medical services, public health and sanitation in the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years, health facilities were in a deplorable state.

The Senate was told a county employee had died at the Wajir County Referral Hospital for lack of oxygen and that a family of a patient had been forced to buy fuel and tyres for an ambulance.

However, the governor pleaded for mercy, saying he has done a great deal to improve the state of healthcare in the county.

He told the lawmakers that he had repaired all the ambulances that had broken down before he took over and that 16 ambulances are operational.

He argued that the problem has been exacerbated by the fact that the county is not on the national grid and relies on diesel powered generators to provide electricity.

He said his government has procured another generator with a bigger capacity
The World Health Organization (WHO) wants vaccine-producing countries to distribute Covid-19 jabs to poor nations within three months or else waive their intellectual property rights.

It also wants rich nations to guarantee access for 92 low and middle-income countries to at least one billion doses by September under the Covax Gavi Advance Market Commitment and agree to voluntary licensing and technology transfer.

It further recommends the establishment of a global pandemic kitty ready to disburse up to $100 billion on short notice on top of healthcare reforms to ensure timely response to future pandemics.

An independent panel co-chaired by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has indicted national and international systems for curtailing equitable vaccine distribution.

"Major vaccine-producing countries and manufacturers should convene, under the joint auspices of the WHO and the World Trade Organization (WTO), to agree to voluntary licensing and technology transfer. If actions on this don't occur within three months, a waiver of intellectual property rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights should come into force immediately," reads the report. It notes that national and global systems are not adequate to protect people from Covid-19.

Public health

"The time it took from the reporting of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin in mid-late December 2019 to a public health emergency of international concern being declared was too long.

"February 2020 was also a lost month when many more countries could have taken steps to contain the spread of Sars-Cov-2 and forestall the global health, social, and economic catastrophe that continues its grip," notes the report. The experts also want a new and transparent global surveillance system established.

The system should give WHO the authority to immediately publish information about outbreaks with pandemic potential without needing to seek approval, and to dispatch experts to investigate at the shortest possible notice. The panel recommends creation of a global facility to mobilise funding to tackle future pandemics.

"It would also be ready to disburse from $50 billion to $100 billion at short notice by front-loading future commitments in the event of a pandemic declaration. The Global Health Threats Council would allocate and monitor the funding to institutions which have the capacity to support the development of preparedness and response capacities," reads the report.

Ms Johnson-Sirleaf said: "The current system failed to protect us from the Covid-19 pandemic. And if we do not act to change it now, it will not protect us from the next pandemic threat, which could happen at any time."

The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response was appointed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in response to a resolution calling for an independent, impartial and comprehensive review of experiences gained and lessons learnt from the current pandemic.

The team was asked to provide recommendations to improve capacity for global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

After eight months of rigorously reviewing the evidence on how a disease outbreak became a pandemic, as well as global and national responses, the team has submitted the report titled "Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic".

The 13 panellists have a substantial mix of skills and expertise in infectious diseases, global and national health policy and financing, outbreaks and emergencies, economics, youth advocacy, and issues affecting women and girls.

They also share knowledge of international systems, including of WHO, and experience from similar international processes. The experts have called on the international community to implement bold recommendations to redistribute, fund, and increase manufacturing capacity for vaccines.

Pandemic

They noted that the system is unfit to prevent another pandemic. The report also recommends that every country should apply proven public health measures at the scale required to curb the pandemic.

"The world must also urgently prepare to prevent a future outbreak from becoming a pandemic. To this end, the panel calls for the engagement of heads of state and government to lead efforts to transform the existing system," it adds.

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The experts want a Global Health Threats Council established to maintain political commitment to pandemic preparedness and response and hold actors accountable, including through peer recognition and scrutiny. Countries should also adopt a pandemic framework convention within the next six months.

The experts have expressed concern that the burden of the current pandemic is being unevenly shared.

Covid-19 has had devastating social and financial consequences. Up to 125 million people are estimated to have been pushed into extreme poverty, while 72 million primary school children are now at risk of being unable to read or understand a simple text because of school closures.

Gender-based violence is at record levels, and child marriages have increased. In addition, the world lost US$7 trillion in GDP in 2020 - more than the 2019 GDP of the entire African continent (US$6.7 trillion).

llidigu@ke.nationmedia.com
President Kenyatta's succession game plan has been scrambled by the High Court judgment scuttling the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) proposed constitutional changes.

Creation of new executive positions is crucial to a power-sharing deal for an anticipated super alliance and the referendum campaigns equally offer a dress rehearsal ahead of the elections next year, political analysts and MPs the Nation interviewed yesterday said.

Rallied party leaders

Apart from forging a working relationship with opposition leader Raila Odinga following their 2018 truce, the President has also rallied party leaders Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress), Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Gideon Moi (Kanu) into the pro-BBI group that observers say was looking towards referendum campaigns as a springboard to presidential polls.

The BBI Bill proposes creation of the offices of Prime Minister and two deputies as well as Cabinet appointments for MPs -- positions that expand options in power sharing in addition to the presidential flagbearer and running mate slots. Others in the pro-BBI alliance are governors Charity Ngilu, Kivutha Kibwana, Alfred Mutua, Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya as well as former United Nations Conference on Trade and Development secretary-general Mukhisa Kituyi, who are all harbouring presidential ambitions.

Observers says the clause on the expanded executive is critical in accommodating all these bigwigs in an anticipated super alliance.

For Deputy President William Ruto, who has fallen out with his boss, his allies see the BBI campaign as designed to help cobble a coalition to block him from the presidency.

Hidden agenda

"It was perceived by many as being pushed down people's throats with a hidden agenda of torpedoing the DP's ambitions," claimed Murang'a Senator Irung'u Kangata, who was ousted as Senate Majority Whip, after addressing a letter critical of the BBI campaign to the President.

"This call for constitutional review is purely to prevent DP Ruto from becoming the President of this country," claimed Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei.

Prof Ken Oluoch, head of the Political Science Department at Moi University says the President took a risky gamble by starting to manage his succession through a constitutional change.

"Uhuru's succession plans are in [a] shambles. It would have been advisable for him, from the start, to serve his term and retire at the end. It's not easy to influence succession under the 2010 Constitution. Just see how his plans to amend it have ended in disarray," Prof Oluoch says.

Political cheque

Political analyst Javas Bigambo also argues that the President's 'Plan A' for his succession has been dealt a serious blow by the High Court decision.

"The President's influence has been greatly diminished and the open political cheque he had has been closed... The Uhuru succession is inevitable, only that occasioning structural changes in the Constitution would give him a swift opportunity to influence much of the succession game plan," Mr Bigambo argues.

Prof X. N. Iraki of the University of Nairobi argues that an end to the BBI process is likely to scuttle dreams of the political bigwigs.

"BBI referendum will be a dress rehearsal for 2022. Politicians would love it. It will help them refine their 2022 strategies. It's more than that. If BBI goes through, winning in 2022 will be easier, just distribute the top five national positions to the regions that matter. Not holding it will scuttle lots of political dreams. Remember BBI is a political investment, the investors are awaiting returns through 2022 polls," Prof Iraki explains.

Political analyst Dismas Mokua insists BBI proponents still have a chance of success in superior courts and proceed with the BBI.

"He can use the parliamentary initiative to secure legislation that does not require a referendum, use superior courts, abandon BBI and mobilise for 2022 as if he is a presidential candidate or create road blocks for his deputy who seems happy with the ruling," Mr Mokua suggests.

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After the ruling, divisions emerged in the pro-BBI team, with Prof Kibwana backing the court's decision and praising the DP for his position on the Bill.

The Bomas draft

Mr Mudavadi has suggested the shelving of the entire process in favour of a new one he says should adopt the 2002 to 2005 talks that birthed the Bomas draft.

Mr Musyoka also condemned the vilification of the High Court judges, but added that like in previous bids to amend the Constitution, Kenyans are not known to give up easily.

ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna is on record, saying, ODM is working on a post-BBI alliance.

"The post-BBI alliance ODM is working on will be fresh, strong, vibrant and packed with men and women who can stand on their own and give birth to a new nation," Mr Sifuna said.

Arguing that BBI was not a bad thing, after all, Turkana North MP Christopher Nakileau, an ally of Dr Ruto, says the Bill is also beneficial to the DP.
Attorney General Kihara Kariuki has lined up twin court applications intended to put the BBI train back on track pending appeal of last week's judgment that stopped the constitutional review plan.

The AG's office yesterday filed one application at the High Court seeking to suspend implementation of the Thursday judgment, while Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto was by the time of going to press preparing to lodge a second application at the Court of Appeal.

In the first application filed at the High Court, the government's chief legal adviser wants the court to stay execution of its own orders pending the filing, hearing and determination of the intended appeal.

The rules of the appellate court allow the High Court to suspend implementation of its own judgment to mitigate its effects so that a litigant can exercise his or her right of appeal. The stay is usually limited for the period that the litigant takes to file the appeal.

However, the stay order is not granted ex-parte and AG Kariuki is set to face opposition from the successful petitioners, who are eager to enjoy the outcome of the monumental judgment.

In the second application at the Court of Appeal, the Attorney-General wants to be granted stay orders pending the hearing and determination of the intended appeal.

For the court of appeal to grant stay, the applicant is usually expected to demonstrate that he has an arguable appeal and that he will suffer irreparable harm if the High Court judgment is executed.

The AG argues that should he be denied the stay order, the High Court judgment will be implemented, rendering the intended appeal nugatory and causing him and Kenyans at large irreparable harm.

Through Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, the AG says the eight petitioners will not suffer any prejudice in the event the court suspends implementation of the judgment.

Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Wafula Chebukati, said the polls agency will also file an appeal against the High Court judgment.

Mr Chebukati said the Commission has engaged its lawyers and the appeal will be filed "in the course of the week."

In its appeal, he said, the commission will be challenging a declaration that it has no quorum to conduct its business.

The High Court declared that since April 2018, when three IEBC commissioners - vice-chairperson Connie Nkatha Maina and commissioners Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat - resigned, the polls' agency has been conducting its business without the requisite quorum of five commissioners.

Vocal commissioner Roselyne Akombe had resigned earlier, in October 2017, days to the repeat presidential election, claiming the commission had become a competition of political interests.

The exit of the four left the chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, and two commissioners in office.

According to the five-judge bench, the Second Schedule of the IEBC Act provides that the quorum for the conduct of business at a meeting of the IEBC is at least five members. "In our view, the statute is clear: the IEBC requires five commissioners to conduct any business. The statute does not distinguish between 'policy' and other business," said the judges.

But Mr Chebukati said in 2019, the same court had found that the three members of the IEBC can conduct business other than making "policy decisions" when its membership is below the minimum five stipulated in paragraph 5 of the Second Schedule.

Read: Why BBI ruling is not William Ruto's last laugh

"Justice Wilfrida Okwany ruled that Article 250 of the Constitution applies to the commission. It states clearly that the quorum is a minimum of three commissioners, so IEBC has mandate up to now. The High Court has taken a different approach and we want the Court of Appeal to determine which judgment should suffice," said Mr Chebukati.

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Yesterday, lawyer Paul Mwangi gave a glimpse into their arguments to rescue the Building Bridges Initiative as he disclosed they will present over 10, 000 pages of documents to the Court of Appeal.

Mr Mwangi, who is filing the appeal for ODM leader Raila Odinga and the BBI national secretariat, said they will submit a letter by Mr Chebukati to all county assembly speakers to demonstrate President Uhuru Kenyatta was not the sponsor of the constitutional amendment Bill.

"This case had a lot of issues and some of them were glaring. For instance, the court kept insisting that the persons who were promoting the initiative were the president and the BBI taskforce. We have a letter here written by the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati to all county assembly speakers, showing that the promoters of the popular initiative were Dennis Waweru and Junet Mohammed," Mr Mwangi said, referring to the BBI secretariat co-chairs.

Additional reporting by Steve Otieno. jwangui@ke.nationmedia.com; soketch@ke.nationmedia.com
In the 10 years of its existence, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has been instrumental in the issuance of 58 Telecommunications Service Licenses, 14 Community Broadcasting Service Licences, 1 Signal Distributor and 20 Commercial Broadcasting Service Licences.

CRAN CEO, Emilia Nghikembua, said this in a statement celebrating 10 years of the Authority which first opened its doors on 18 May 2011.

In 2011, CRAN opened its doors with only 5 employees and now has a workforce of 63. Since inception, CRAN promoted 20 employees to various roles, employed 8 interns on a permanent basis and boasts a mere 2% staff turnover.

"CRAN established a firm regulatory framework for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) switch-over process and formulated a comprehensive DTT Frequency-Channeling Plan, which other SADC regulators used as a benchmark. And most recently, CRAN established the regulatory framework for Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) paving the way forward for radio broadcasting to embrace a digital world," said Nghikembua.

CRAN reached a milestone when it ensured that 120% mobile penetration rate in the country was reached. This was achieved because CRAN made sure to establish regulatory frameworks that created an environment that promotes fair competition as can be seen by the termination rates in Namibia that decreased from 1.06c to 0.10c for mobile and fixed operators alike between January 2009 and October 2016.

In accordance with the Communications Act (No. 8 of 2009), a streamlined-complaints handling system was also implemented to further ensure fair competition and consumer protection in the telecommunications sector.

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In addition, CRAN has developed an extensive database allowing it to collect data from all licensees through a live portal. This information was expanded to build a database for determining the access gap in Namibia by mapping all the information. In 2017 Namibia won the ITU award for improvement in data collection.

Furthermore, CRAN facilitated the extension and digitisation of ICT infrastructure, and the introduction of the 4th generation (LTE) mobile technology in the country. And with CRAN

finalising the regulatory framework on numbering plan and number portability for Namibia, once implemented, consumers will soon be able to move with their numbers from one network to another with ease.

"Thank you to everyone who has walked with us so far. We appreciate your support and will continue to work towards achieving our vision - access, quality, and affordability for all," added Nghikembua.
A group of Kenyans who are stranded in India after the Kenyan government suspended flights between the two countries says life has become unbearable.

One of the patients, Moses Muchemi, told the Nation that some 80 Kenyans have formed a WhatsApp group where they have been encouraging each other.

We are suffering. Maisha hapa imekuwa ngumu (life here is unbearable), he told the publication.

Some of us are on the verge of starvation having exhausted the money we hadwe had not anticipated the flight suspension and the ripple effect has been devastating, Muchemi continued.

Muchemi, who is stranded in Saket, Delhi, said he was forced to move out of the hospital where he had been admitted due to the hefty bills.

He said he moved into a cheap apartment which he is sharing with another friend.

It used to cost me Sh30,000 a day to stay in hospital. I had to move out and rent an apartment for which I am paying Sh3,000 a day.

That is the only way those affected can be able to survive. In fact, we are staying at the cheapest apartment available to save on costs, said Muchemi.

Worse still for Muchemi, prior to travelling to India, he had been told his treatment would cost around Sh400,000. This, however, doubled after undergoing surgery.

My parents have been forced to secure a loan to finance my treatment and stay in India. Friends have also been of great help, he said, noting that a lot of other Kenyans are facing a similar predicament.

Muchemi appealed to the government to facilitate their way back home.

We just want to go home. Life has become a big challenge.

Another option is to support our stay in India by offering stipends to the patients who are in misery, he said.
Local consulting engineers, Knight Piesold, recently celebrated their centenary, reflecting not only on their impressive accomplishments but remaining very optimistic about Namibia's future despite the slump in engineering contracts. The firm's flagship project, Neckartal Dam, was completed in 2020.

Director for the firm's Namibian operation, Cilliers Mostert, painted a realistic picture, saying "The recovery of the global economy, as well as the increase in demand for commodities will result in an increase in the price for most commodities. This bodes well for Namibia whose economy is very much linked to commodity prices due to is footprint in mining."

This sentiment is echoed by Country Manager Gunter Leicher, who added that there are significant opportunities which present itself across various sectors in both the private sector and the government.

"Apart from our mining expertise in geotechnical services, Namibia's focus on infrastructure development enables us to extend and expand our infrastructure expertise. This includes structural engineering; roads and railway engineering - in fact all infrastructure engineering within the bulk and municipal space, and [with] dam break analysis," Leicher said.

Mostert pointed out that the local mining sector holds great promise particularly as it remains one of the world's leading producers of uranium oxide.

"Further, it remains a leading producer of zinc with a positive outlook also noted for lithium and cobalt. This and several other factors underpin why Knight Piesold Africa remains optimistic about the value and expertise that we can bring to Namibia's growing mining sector. The proof lies in the fact that our service offering in mining has grown significantly beyond just tailing dams to providing all-round structural and infrastructure services," added Mostert.

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Pointing out the importance of local expertise, Leicher said "Knight Piesold has a strong value proposition to invest in the development and training of local talent and competent expertise in the countries in which it operates with the aim of enabling and contributing to direct and indirect socio-economic growth."

To this Mostert added "We are extremely proud to be part of an international group that has what it takes to last 100 years given that only about 0.5% of companies reach this milestone! We are looking forward to continue to grow into the next 100 years, not just internationally but in Namibia as well."

Knight Piesold was founded in South Africa in 1921. Today the firm operates in 15 countries with a staff complement of 850 people.

Knight Piesold Director, Cilliers Mostert (left) and Country Manager, Gunter Leicher.
The Namibia Diverse Women's Association (NDWA) commemorated International Day Against Bi-phobia, Homophobia, Inter-sexism and Trans-phobia (IDAOBIT) on 17 May with the theme,'together: resisting, supporting, healing'.

Through this the Association magnifies the importance of realising the existence, recognition experiences and realities faced by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender and inter-sex communities.

NDWA said the theme amplifies a lot for the Namibian LGBTI community who continue to face discrimination, injustices and inequalities within the midst of what the country and the world are facing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Association is aware the Homophobia, Bi-phobia, Trans-phobia and Inter-sexism continue to be in existence in Namibia, as it is experienced through human rights violations such as hate-speech, family dis-ownment, exclusion from affirming services, denial of human dignity, discrimination on the basis of their Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE), status as well as a lack of enabling legislative environments. "We continue to call up all LGBTI community members to remain together as a collective by being resilient through the struggles as we build support systems that would assist our processes of healing into realising equal recognition, protection and socio-economic development," they added.

NDWA further called upon the Namibian, civil society organisations, state institutions and the broader nation to resist affirming any form of Homophobia, Bi-phobia, Trans-phobia and Inter-sexism in the country as such phobia is irrational fears exerted onto members of the LGBTI community.

They also believe that the fundamental principals and values of the Namibian nation are to amplify the rights of all Namibians in unity and justice. "This day should be a reminder to us all not to degrade and dehumanise members of the Namibian society based on their sexual and diverse orientations," they emphasised.

NDWA and all their members of the LGBTI community remain committed to demystifying Homophobia, Bi-phobia, Trans-phobia and Inter-sexism and upholds the Namibian constitution including the current Covid-19 pandemic guidelines instituted.

"We look forward to a Namibia that Resists any form of Homophobia, Bi-phobia, Trans-phobia and Inter-sexism by embracing a nation of diversity through healing and support," they concluded.
column

It's been a weekend of great courtroom drama in Zimbabwe. Three High Court judges unanimously decided that the country's Chief Justice, Luke Malaba, was constitutionally barred from continuing in office beyond his 70th birthday on 15 May. In response to this decision, the country's Minister of Justice, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, issued a vitriolic statement that some lawyers claim amounts to contempt of court. And while the Minister wants to appeal the court decision, there might not be any judges qualified to hear the challenge.

The case, brought as an urgent matter by human rights lawyer Musa Kika against the Minister, Malaba and others, was argued for 11 hours on Friday, beginning at 2pm and running deep into the night. Kika wanted to test the announcement, made late last week, that Zimbabwe's CJ would not retire on turning 70 as required by the Constitution. Instead, in terms of a new constitutional amendment, President Emmerson Mnangagwa would allow him to stay on for a further five years.

All members of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court are similarly affected by the sections permitting an additional five-year term after they turn 70, so Kika cited them all in his application as well. He also cited those judges of the High Court who were acting in the Supreme Court on the basis that any of them 'may very well be a substantive judge of the Supreme Court' by the time his application was filed or decided. (The amendment does not apply to High Court judges and they are not given the choice whether to stay on beyond compulsory retirement at 70.)

Following a countrywide referendum, a new Constitution was adopted in 2013. Under that Constitution, judges of all the superior courts have to retire at 70. During December 2019, it became clear that the Cabinet had approved a constitutional amendment that would prolong the tenure of senior judges, a move 'stigmatised as a form of authoritarian consolidation'.

Kika's case was that the purpose of the amendment was to 'assail' judicial independence, and he added that it was a matter of regret that, as a result of the amendment, the impression could now be created that the judges concerned were 'being made to receive a favour, one which is fundamentally improper'.

The amendment was hurried through the national assembly and the senate, was given presidential assent on 7 May, and was now said to be in operation.

According to Kika, however, the Constitution required that such a change be the subject of a referendum  which had not taken place. Absent the proper formalities involved in changing the Constitution, the amendment could not lawfully extend the tenure of the senior judges. 'I must lament the fact that  this matter causes much embarrassment to me as a Zimbabwean, particularly when I have to sue the entire superior court structure.'

He said the matter was urgent because if Malaba were to continue in office beyond his constitutionally mandated retirement date 'all his actions would be void.'

It was a dispute whose resolution would determine whether there would be a constitutional crisis in Zimbabwe, he said.

The three judges who heard the case agreed it was urgent. They delivered their unanimous decision just hours after argument, holding that, despite the amendment, Malaba was constitutionally required to retire as CJ from 15 May.

Ziyambi responded with a 20-point statement claiming that the judiciary had been 'captured by foreign forces', that 'certain members of the opposition' were being paid a monthly allowance to cause 'turmoil' and 'for being arrested'. He said and an appeal would be brought.

But the question now arises as to who would hear such an appeal, since all the judges of the senior courts are implicated. Thanks to the contentious amendment, they too are directly affected by the 'favour' of being able to stay on for an additional five years, and they are cited by Kika for that very reason.

The only time a similar problem has arisen in the region seems to have been a case involving the Judge President of the Western Cape, SA, John Hlophe. In 2008, judges of the Constitutional Court complained that he had attempted to influence some of its members in relation to a case. Years later, after the judicial service commission decided that the complaint should not be pursued, two applicants challenged this decision in the High Court. The outcome in the two cases was taken to the Supreme Court of Appeal where, in 2012, Hlophe lost in both cases. He wanted to appeal, but the question was  to which court?

There had been some new appointees since the 2008 complaint. But when, in 2012, Hlophe wanted to appeal to the Constitutional Court, many of that court's judges were still those who had been party to the initial complaint against Hlophe or had become involved in the matter in other ways. This meant they could not sit in the court because of their 'perceived or actual interest in the outcome of the matter'. If, however, those members recused themselves, there would be no quorum to hear and decide the matter.

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In its judgment on the case, the Constitutional Court said that litigants did not have an 'automatic right of appeal' and that leave to appeal must only be granted if the court concluded that it was in the interests of justice to do so. This was a key concept and one that ultimately decided the matter.

There was a suggestion that acting judges should be appointed to hear the appeal. But the court found that the Constitution provided for the appointment of an acting judge of the Constitutional Court only where there was a 'vacancy' or if a judge was 'absent'. However, recusal did not cause a vacancy, said the court, nor were judges who had recused themselves, 'absent'.

The court was also not convinced by the argument that the parties had agreed to the 'conflicted judges' sitting in the case when they would normally have had to recuse themselves. So what was the answer? Clearly, the matter had to be finalised. But that did not mean the Constitutional Court had to agree to hear the appeal.

The court therefore unanimously concluded that, 'to preserve the fairness of its own processes', the court should refuse leave to appeal.

It's a judgment that should have considerable weight when it comes to deciding what to do next in Zimbabwe.

LINK: Minister's comments
Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in poaching cases with only two rhinos poached so far this year compared to 13 poaching cases recorded at the same period last year, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said this week.

According to Muyunda, the country's investment in fighting poaching has resulted in the drastic decline in cases.

"Namibia's continued anti-poaching efforts have led to this drastic drop in poaching cases. This is a very big achievement which has been made possible by the different collaborations we have with law enforcement agencies and members of the public who have assisted us with tip-offs that have led to many arrests," he said.

Muyunda said that this is an achievement that Namibians should be proud of, adding that the country needs to continue putting in more initiatives and strategies to get the number of poaching to zero.

Last year, the ministry said the country was in the process of establishing a special operations unit that will include the use of horses. (Xinhua).
Up to 75 per cent of specialists are lacking in hospitals, and some designated Covid-19 treatment centres do not have intensive care units (ICU), health experts have warned.

This comes at a time when the country is facing a second wave of the pandemic.

The country is losing between 37 per cent and 60 per cent of patients admitted in ICUs, study reports by Dr Arthur Kwizera and Dr Stephen Ttendo indicate.

According to a 2019 study by Dr Patience Atumanya from Makerere University College of Health Sciences, the country had only 55 functional beds in 12 ICUs amid a glaring shortage of specialists to run the units.

However, the rise in severe Covid-19 cases that needed ICU admission triggered the Health Ministry to establish more functional ICU beds.

Last year, the ministry promised to set up an ICU with at least 10 functional beds in every regional referral hospital.

Some facilities have got the beds while others are either waiting to receive the equipment or lack space to establish the unit, according to reports from the hospital directors.

But Dr Nodreen Ayupo, the spokesperson of Anaesthesiologists Association of Uganda (AAU), said installing the ICU equipment is far from addressing problems around critical care medicine in the country. Anaesthesiologists work in ICUs as critical care specialists.

"The challenge we face is lack of staff to run the ICUs. Government has made improvement in providing equipment for ICUs," Dr Ayupo said.

She said the country has only 68 anaesthesiologists and 70 per cent of them work in hospitals located in Kampala.

This leaves regional referral hospitals to survive on the 30 per cent (about 20) anaesthesiologists.

Dr Ayupo said 20 per cent of the 68 specialists are in Mbarara, 5 per cent in Mbale, 2.5 per cent in Gulu and Lira.

She said the AAU recommended to the Health ministry at least six anaesthesiologists per regional referral hospital.

"This will cover ICU, emergency department and operation theatres in each regional referral hospital. For the ICU, you should have at least one anaesthesiologist per shift which is 12 hours," Dr Ayupo said.

According to the Health ministry, the country has 14 regional referral hospitals.

With the recommended rate of at least six anaesthesiologists per hospital, 84 specialists are needed against 20 who are available.

The AAU blamed the shortage on low pay, limited opportunities for career progression and limited training capacity.

Dr Ayupo said some anaesthesiologists left the country for better opportunities.

"Those (anaesthesiologists) trained in Uganda are 85 but only 68 are practising in the country. Seventy per cent of the anaesthesiologists are working in Kampala," she said.

However, Dr Charles Olaro, the director of clinical services at the Health ministry, said they have addressed the gaps.

"Apart from providing critical care, we need them (anaesthesiologists) to functionalise all the health centres in the country," he said.

The director said they have introduced a four-year bachelor's degree programme at Butsitema University Faculty of Health Sciences to train specialists.

These graduates will be employed as anaesthetic officers, competent to provide other essential services, including critical care, pain management, resuscitation, and emergency medicine.

Dr Olaro said they are also training some health workers in the hospitals to be able to run the ICUs as the country waits for the specialists who will come out of the degree programme.

"Covid-19 has taught us that critical care is one of the areas that we should work on. A number of anaesthesiologists have been training on government scholarships each year and even last year, the government gave them more scholarships," Dr Olaro said.

The AAU confirmed that around 15 of the specialists have benefitted. Dr Olaro said the desire to become an anaesthesiologist has been low, but added that the trend is changing.

"Previously, not many people were willing to train even when we offered scholarships. We are also identifying a number of health programmes where one can get training while they are working such as fellowships," he said.

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ICU beds in hospitals

1.Entebbe Grade B Hospital - 10

2.Naguru hospital - 10

3.Mbale RRH - 10 (non-functional)

4.Hoima RRH -10

5. Fort Portal hospital- 10

6. Jinja RRH- 10

7. Soroti RRH- 5

8. Moroto RRH- 5

9. Lira RRH- 5

10. Lira Uni teaching hospital - 2

11. Gulu RRH - 5

12.Lacor hospital-5

13. Arua RRH- 5

14.Mbarara RRH-10

15.Kabaale RRH -10

16.Mulago- 27
SUB: Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna has likened the action of protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to bandits terrorising the state. Kaduna...

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna has likened the action of protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to bandits terrorising the state.

Kaduna is one of the states with a high level of banditry and kidnapping.

Reacting to the ongoing action of labour unions against what they described as his anti-people policies, the governor said while bandits use arms illegally, "the NLC's mob action is for similar ends: to hold hostage freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State".

He said his administration will not allow NLC make the state ungovernable.

"Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC's mob action is for similar ends: to hold hostage freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State," he tweeted via @GovKaduna.

"Efforts to dress up criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of lawbreaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services."

He said Kaduna cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private business whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.
Governor Dapo Abiodun has suspended Abidemi Rufai, his Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, who was arrested in the United States over his alleged involvement in $350,000 unemployment fraud.

The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Rufai at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York last week.

In a statement, Kunle Somorin, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said Abiodun would not condone any act of criminality.

"The Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has received the very disturbing news of the arrest of one of his political appointees, Mr Abidemi Rufai, in New York over alleged unemployment benefits fraud in the United States."

"In view of the gravity of these allegations, the Governor has ordered the immediate suspension of the accused appointee.

"The Governor wishes to restate his commitment to an open, transparent, accountable and morally upright Administration and will not condone any act bordering on criminality by anyone," the statement read.

Rufai, who was accused of using the alias Sandy Tang, is also suspected of defrauding unemployment programmes in the US cities of Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

According to FBI, investigators found a massive cache of tax returns and other personal data and evidence that Rufai was allegedly involved in numerous other fraud schemes.

Federal officials acknowledged that Rufai's presence in the United States probably was unusual in the unemployment fraud scheme as many of the fraudulent claims that hit the ESD were likely filed from outside the United States.

The federal complaint also offers a detailed explanation of how Rufai -- and presumably others -- allegedly bypassed security systems at ESD using a simple feature of Google's free Gmail service.

Federal investigators initially identified Rufai through a single Gmail account he used to file 102 claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits from ESD, as well as claims at programs in other states, according to the complaint.

He was subsequently charged with defrauding Washington State Employment Security Department of over $350,000.
The Chairman of National Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, has dared the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El'rufai, who declared him wanted for calling on strike in the state, to arrest him.

The NLC boss said, "let the governor come and arrest me" as he led the workers for a peaceful protest in the state capital.

Speaking in a short interview at NEPA roundabout while leading thousands of workers, Wabba said, "the strike was not about me."

"Let him come and arrest me. We are here and waiting for them," Wabba said.

Daily Trust observed during the protest that the striking workers blocked the main road in the town, forcing motorists to divert to other routes. They were displaying placards with different inscriptions.

The governor had earlier Tuesday declared Wabba and other labour leaders wanted for alleged economic sabotage, placing a bounty for anyone with information about their whereabouts.

Wabba, however, led the procession of striking workers to the government house, daring the governor to arrest them.

Banks, hospital, train station, airport have been shut down while the state is plunged into darkness as electricity workers also joined the mass action.

Wabba had emphasised that the organised labour would not back down until its demands are acceded to by the governor.

NLC and its affiliates embarked on a five-day warning strike in the state to compel the state government to reverse its decision over the sacking of over 7000 state civil servants.
SUB: Two soldiers have reportedly been killed by armed bandits who abducted a Chinese man in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State. The bandits...

Two soldiers have reportedly been killed by armed bandits who abducted a Chinese man in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State.

The bandits had attacked Libale community in Nasko, Magama LGA but security operatives on ground engaged them in a gun battle.

Daily Trust also learnt that the resistance led to an exchange of fire between the bandits and the military.

A security source, who spoke under anonymity, said two soldiers were killed in the attack while several others sustained injuries.

A resident said the bandits ran into "mountain Libale" which is a popular place in the community.

Security operatives are currently combing the mountains and the forest used as cover by the bandits.

The Chinese man is said to be one of the workers of the construction firm handling the road construction in the area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached for a comment of the incident, as calls and text messages placed to him were neither replied not answered.
In the past three months, Mr George Oduor, a rice farmer in Kisumu, has harvested about 360 bags of the produce from his eight-acre farm.

Despite the bumper harvest, Mr Oduor is stuck with his rice at the Ahero Irrigation Scheme stores.

He has no market for the rice. The only option would be to sell his produce to Ugandan traders at a throwaway price of Sh30 a kilo.

Mr Oduor is among hundreds of farmers in Ahero, Kisumu County, who are contemplating abandoning rice farming.

"We had a market through Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC). The deal was to buy the rice paddy at Sh45 per kilo, but they are no longer taking any rice from farmers," said Mr Oduor.

Rodents and pests

At the Ahero drying yard, more than 20,000 bags of rice are going to waste, with rodents and pests having a field day.

Some of the bags are torn, leaving the rice exposed to moisture. Already, some of the rice has started germinating.

Mr Oduor told the Nation that last year, he took a Sh160,000 loan from AFC Bank for rice production.

"We are worried. I might not plant this year. I have to make sure I sell off this produce before I can venture into production once more," he said.

Another farmer, Mr George Owuor, has about 160 bags wasting away at the Ahero stores. He is running out of patience for lack of a ready market for his rice.

"It is very sad that the government allocated Sh660 million in 2020 to buy local rice, but to date, we are yet to benefit from that funding," lamented Mr Owuor.

Sold to Uganda

He is now appealing to the government to intervene and get markets for their produce.

"It is very unfortunate that the locally grown rice meant to boost food security in Kisumu, finds its way to Uganda," said the farmer.

However, KNTC argues that the Covid-19 pandemic messed up the sale of the rice. With most of the learning institutions closed for the better part of 2020, the parastatal lacked a ready market to sell the milled rice.

KNTC Director Pamela Mutua said the institution was working on reducing the stock levels to create space for repeat purchase from rice farmers.

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Waiting for funds

She said the parastatal is working on processing the April and May orders for all regions when cash flow allows.

"We have to date procured rice from Nyanza to the tune of Sh186,899,864 -- an estimated 34,128 bags (50kgs). Specifically, to Ahero, we have disbursed a payment of Sh29,255,250 to date," said Ms Mutua.

She added, "We shall endeavour to ensure we take up what we can."

She noted that production in most areas has almost tripled.

Loans

Ahero scheme's irrigation officer Issack Munga noted that some of the farmers have defaulted in repaying their loans.

"Some of the farmers have failed to service their loans, not because they failed to produce, but due to the market issues. The interest for the loans is increasing with time," said Mr Munga.

The Ahero Irrigation Scheme management is now worried that marketing challenges will cause a spiral effect on the activities of the scheme.

"We started the planting season in May. We expect to cover 2,000 acres of land. But with the current marketing challenges, we have managed to get only 200 acres for the next planting season," said the irrigation officer.

eojina@ke.nationmedia.com
[May 18, 2021] Majesco Collaborates with Infosys to Accelerate Digital Experience for Insurers Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, and Majesco, a global leader of cloud insurance software solutions, for insurance business transformation, today jointly announced a strategic collaboration. Through this collaboration, Infosys (News - Alert) and Majesco will work together to help joint customers accelerate their digital transformation journey, enabling them to unlock new opportunities, address the demand for personalized customer experiences, operational effectiveness, and digital adoption across the insurance business value chain. Infosys' insurance domain and digital capabilities combined with Majesco's cloud-based next-generation suite of solutions including the Majesco L&A and Group Core Suite, Majesco P&C Core Suite, and Majesco Digital1st Insurance on Majesco CloudInsurer, will accelerate business growth and innovation for the insurance industry. The combined synergy will help Life & Annuity (L&A), Group, and Property & Casualty (P&C) customers transform their business and will benefit insurers in achieving agility and innovation at speed and scale. "In an increasingly changing insurance marketplace of new customer expectations, new risks, new competitors and new innovative products, insurers must make bold moves to transform their business and meet the needs of a new digital era of insurance," said Ed Ossie, Chief Operating Officer at Majesco. "Insurers must optimize today's business and create the future business to substantially increase their potential for success. Majesco's and Infosys' collaboration will help our joint customers accelerate their transformation and their path to the future of insurance." Mohit Joshi, President, Infosys, said, "We are excited to collaborate with Majesco to explore new opportunities and offer an enhanced digital experience to the insurance industry. In the new normal, insurers are exploring ways to offer hyper-personalized experiences and innovative coverage to acquire and retain customers. A few critical factors to realize these goals are faster time-to-market, flexible products with better configurability, integration with cloud hyperscalers and effective operations. Together, we will provide advanced insurance solutions to our customers and act as a catalyst in their transformation journey by delivering the next-generation digital insurance platform. Infosys and Majesco will bring more resiliency and customer-centricity to insurance carriers." About Majesco Majesco provides technology, expertise, and leadership that helps insurers modernize, innovate and connect to build the future of their business - and the fture of insurance - at speed and scale. Our platforms connect people and businesses to insurance in ways that are innovative, hyper-relevant, compelling, and personal. Over 190 insurance companies worldwide in P&C, L&A, and Group Benefits are transforming their businesses by modernizing, optimizing, or creating new business models with Majesco. Our market-leading solutions include CloudInsurer P&C Core Suite (Policy, Billing, Claims); CloudInsurer L&A and Group Core Suite (Policy, Billing, Claims); L&A Insurance Data & Analytics Platform, Digital1st Insurance with Digital1st Engagement, Digital1st EcoExchange, and Digital1st Platform - a cloud-native, microservices and open API platform; Distribution Management, P&C Insurance Data & Analytics Platform, including an Enterprise Data Warehouse. For more details on Majesco, please visit www.majesco.com. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With nearly four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. For more information contact PR_Global@Infosys.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005147/en/

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Two years after the mysterious disappearance of 63-year-old Belgian woman, Dysselleer Mireille Lesoipa, a new controversy has emerged over what should become of her Sh100 million estate.

The police are engaged in a court battle with Nakuru-based lawyer Harry Gakinya -- whom they have accused of killing Ms Lesoipa -- over the control of the property.

While the detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are keen on seeing the succession matter filed by Mr Gakinya terminated, the lawyer, who successfully filed for letters of administration, wants to have the grant confirmed by the court.

The detectives, led by Sgt Franklin Kiraithe and Oliver Nabonwe, filed successive affidavits in court seeking to have the matter terminated after they arrested and charged Mr Gakinya with the murder of Ms Lesoipa.

Fake documents

According to the affidavit filed on November 2, 2020 and later on March 26, 2021, Mr Kiraithe told the court that Mr Gakinya, the purported beneficiary of Ms Lesoipa's estate, used fake documents to petition for the grant of letters of administration and thus premised the succession matter on fraud.

He told the court that the police have since established that the Wills purportedly drawn by Ms Lessoipa on November 15, 2018 and the death certificate showing that the Belgian died on July 15 at MP Shah Hospital, were forgeries.

"From the investigations, it is explicit that the death certificate, the Will and the testament used in filing this succession case were obtained fraudulently, hence cannot be used in this matter. It is in the view of the above that we request this court to terminate this matter," stated Mr Kiraithe in the affidavit.

However, despite the police dismissing the travel documents and the death certificate as fake and charging Mr Gakinya with murder, they are yet to find the body of the woman or explain exactly how and where she was killed.

Mr Gakinya, who is charged alongside his cousin Lucy Waithera at the High Court in Kiambu, has on the other trashed the new move by the police, which he termed as uninformed.

His lawyer, Mr Karanja Mbugua, faulted the police for swearing an affidavit without first filing an application.

Ignore affidavit

Appearing virtually before Justice Teresia Matheka, Mr Mbugua urged the court to ignore the affidavit and proceed to confirm his client's grant for the administration of Ms Lessoipa's estate.

Mr Gakinya claims that nobody has come forth to challenge the succession matter and thus, he should be allowed to execute the Will.

He explained that the said beneficiaries of the estate are still waiting for their share as some were destitute families whom the Belgian wanted to assist.

In the said controversial documents, Mr Gakinya was named the executor of last Will that was written by Ms Lessoipa on November 15, 2018.

It named seven other individuals as beneficiaries to the estate, namely Ramato Tilia Lenkiok Education, Ntalie Lenolkiok, Elizabeth John Leramat Lebiite Education, her driver John Wanjohi, Daniel Moen and Lucy Waithera Njuguna who was also her hair stylist.

The said Will indicated that Ms Lesoipa owned properties including a house in Milimani Estate in Nakuru, a high end vehicle and cash in three accounts at KCB bank and another at Banque Internationale a Luxembourg (Suisse) in Belgium.

Seek legal advice

Justice Matheka advised the police to seek legal advice on how to proceed with their application before the case is mentioned on October 4, 2021.

The Belgian migrated to Kenyan in 1993 after marrying a Samburu dancer, Emmanuel Lesoipa, then 21, whom she had fallen in love with.

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Their marriage hit the rocks nine years later and was dissolved in 2003.

The couple, who stayed in Lonkoben village, owned property including parcels of land and commercial buildings across Samburu County as well as thousands of cattle.

Mr Lesoipa died in 2017 and Ms Lesoipa, who had no children, moved to Nakuru where she bought a house in Milimani in 2019.

Mr Gakinya filed the succession matter in 2019, claiming that the woman had succumbed to HIV/Aids at MP Shah Hospital

The police joined the case in 2020 seeking to stop it after a whistle blower reported the disappearance of the woman and the presence of a suspicious file in court.

Their investigations led to the arrest of Mr Gakinay and Ms Waithera, who were charged with her murder, charges which they have denied.

jopenda@ke.nationmedia.com
By Paul Adude

The outgoing Entebbe municipality mayor, Mr Vicent Kayanja DePaul has declined to handover his report to Mr Fabrice Rulinda who was on Tuesday sworn in as his successor.

Mr Kayanja did not only fail to hand over the report but also shunned Mr Rulinda's swearing in ceremony.

Entebbe town clerk, Mr Charles Magumba was seen conducting all the duties which would have ideally been done by Mr Kayanja during the handover ceremony.

It's alleged that Kayanja was forcefully ejected from office as he was still pursuing his court case challenging Mr Rulinda's victory.

When contacted, Kayanja said," There's no way I can hand over the report to a thief. My victory was robbed. I remained with the report because it is mine since I am the one who won [the election]. So the report has to be mine."

Mr Kayanja further told this reporter that he had already filed a case challenging Mr Rulinda's victory.

Related

"We are just waiting for the court to set a hearing date," he added when contacted on phone.

Meanwhile, Mr Rulinda was sworn in by Entebbe Grade one Magistrate Naomi Sikoyi as Kayanja's successor.

He was sworn in alongside Entebbe Municipal councilors.

"I am aware of the power available in collaboration, relying on the fact that no one human being knows it all. With the swearing in today, the dice has been cast. I'm open to work with everybody. My leadership is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. We start afresh. I don't care if you are Democratic Party (DP), National Resistance Movement (NRM), National Unity Platform (NUP) or Independent; as long as you are residents of Entebbe, you're my brother and my sister," Mr Rulinda said.

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Mr Rulinda pledged to transform Entebbe Municipality during his five-year term.

"I am under no illusion that I can do this alone. I am but one. We have seen the spirit of togetherness during the campaign and during the pandemic. We saved lives, we comforted others. We pulled through together. As such, I am reaching out to friends, and loved ones. I am reaching out to institutions, both local and international to join us in succeeding with our vision," he said.

Mr Rukinda, an Independent candidate, was declared winner of the January mayoral polls replacing Mr Kayanja (DP) who served two terms as mayor of the municipality.

"I intend to preside over an efficient service delivery system in the municipality. If some things can be digitized to speed up the process of serving our people, we must do it. If processes can be re-engineered to find efficiency and effectiveness in providing access to facilities to our people, we must do it. We must create an atmosphere where the people of Entebbe feel like they are being served not just because it is their right, but because they deserve it," he added.

While announcing results in January, EC officials said Mr Rulinda got 6,703 votes, followed by Micheal Mutebi Kabwama (NRM) with 6,342 votes against Mr Kayanja's 5,576 votes. Ms Olive Nassuna (NUP) bagged 2,499 votes while Mohammed Kawuma, the former MP for Entebbe municipality trailed with got 521 votes.
Tourism, the blue economy, and the fisheries sector are areas where the new ambassador-designate of Oman said his country hopes to develop with Seychelles, as he hinted at the potential of Oman Air flying to the island nation.

Ambassador Ali bin Abdullah bin Salirn Al Mahmqi spoke after presenting his credentials to President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House on Tuesday. Al Mahmqi told journalists that the possibility of Oman Air flying to the islands is also a point for discussion.

"We talked with the president, the opportunity between the Sultanate of Oman and Seychelles, mostly it's the blue economy how we can develop there and fisheries. The relation between Oman and Seychelles, how to develop it more," said Al Mahmqi.

After meeting with the president, the ambassador also paid a courtesy call to Vice President Ahmed Afif. On Monday Ambassador Al Mahmqi met with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde and other officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as tourism, the blue economy, fisheries and also spoke of the interest to increase connectivity between the two countries through their national airlines.

"We want to see Oman Air come here. In tourism, the Seychelles is very advanced in the tourism sector and we want to see how we can corporate in this sector," said the Ambassador.

According to Al Mahmqi there is also a possibility for sharing between the Tourism College of Oman and the Seychelles Tourism Academy.

In the coming days, the ambassador will have meetings with the Ministry of Fisheries and with the Seychelles Chamber for Commerce and Industries, as Oman also wants to invest in the islands.

"We also would like to invest and see what are the opportunities to invest in Seychelles," he said, adding that he will be also visiting the Indian Ocean Tuna canning factory.

The ambassador will be based in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania.

Seychelles - 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean -- and Oman - a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia and the oldest independent state in the Arab world - established bilateral relations in 1983.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaking during the United Nations Security Council debate on women and peace and security and sexual violence in conflict on April 14, 2021

Cape Town  The Biden administration's Cabinet-level official with most experience of Africa's challenges has signaled a clear break from President Donald Trump's approach to the continent.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, was briefing African media ahead of a UN Security Council debate on the root causes of conflict on the continent and its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Thomas-Greenfield said the administration is building and rebuilding relationships, and rebuilding relationships better after many of those relationships were neglected during the previous four years. The ambassador took office just under three months ago. Previously a career diplomat, many of her appointments were in Africa. And as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, she was the top U.S. diplomat concerned with Africa in the second Obama administration.

Answering questions from journalists, she emphasized the administration's commitment to working in partnerships with African governments, civil society groups and citizens in helping to build peace. She also stressed the importance both of the role of women and of democracy in ending conflict.

We're investing in women and girls because we know its an important investment in peace and security, she said. Women and children are extraordinarily impacted by conflict  they are victims of sexual violence and sex used as a weapon of war, and we absolutely have to... focus on women and girls and the role that women play in peace-keeping," she said.

And we're supporting democracy and democratic values, holding governments accountable and empowering people economically, educationally and politically. Because we know democracy is the most powerful way to prevent all forms of conflict.

She also highlighted climate change as a source of conflict and food insecurity, describing the administration's goals to combat climate change as aggressive.

It goes without saying that Africa is an important priority for the administration, she said. We're using our diplomatic muscle in places like Ethiopia, we have engaged with a number of African leaders and will continue to engage with African leaders to address broader issues related to peace-keeping and terrorism... but more importantly we're building partnerships.

Asked about conflict in Chad and the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique, she acknowledged the role played by lack of development and the marginalisation of remote communities.

When we look at root causes a lot [comes] down to being engaged with communities outside of the central government, making sure that the central government reaches those communities so that they don't feel isolated...

For our part, we want to work with governments to help them build capacity; to... address the development needs of their communities but also to deal with the security challenges that they face.

In Chad and Mozambique, she added, we're working with the government, but not just with the government  we're working with civil society organisations, we're working through the UN and through our own representation to try to bring some of that capacity directly to the people.

Thomas-Greenfield defended the U.S. against charges that it has failed to address adequately the war in the Tigray region.

We have raised our grave concerns over the reports of human rights violations, the abuses, the atrocities that have taken place in Tigray and condemn them in the strongest terms, she said. We've called on the Eritrean government to remove its its forces from Tigray... We have repeatedly engaged with the Ethiopian government at the highest levels.

Addressing conflict in Nigeria, including the Boko Haram insurgency and human rights violations by security forces, she said the U.S. has called out the government on violations.

But we also at the same time try to provide assistance with law enforcement and other professionals to address... shortcomings that they may have. We're looking at programs that focus on building capacity for the security services, that focus on providing support to the people.

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Beyond her comments on peace-building in Africa, Thomas-Greenfield criticised China's approach to Africa, and indicated that the United States would not limit its diplomatic engagement with African nations to African issues.

She characterised Africa's relationship with China as being one that sometimes rests on coerciveness, indebtedness and not in partnership... I want our message to be completely the opposite of that.

She added that African nations were among those she was interacting with on the conflict in Palestine and Israel. We believe that Africa has an important role to play globally and we intend to look for opportunities to enhance that, she said. I look forward to engaging with Africans across the board, not just on African issues [but] on issues elsewhere in the world.


New York  Thank you, Mr. President. And let me start by thanking Under-Secretary-General Lacroix, Brigadier* Namata, Ambassador Edrees, and Minister of State Daud for your briefing today

To start  like other Council members, we're alarmed by the rising violent extremism, terrorist attacks, and inter-communal violence across the Sahel. In addition, with climate change and food insecurity on the rise, civilians are increasingly vulnerable. As you heard, already in 2021, at least 300 civilians were killed in attacks, and nearly 2.2 million people were internally displaced in the Sahel. We mourn the deaths of those innocent people. These upsetting trends are why we must continue our serious, sustainable approach toward the region. The G5 Sahel  both the civilian component and the Joint Force  is a crucial part of that solution. Continued coordination between governments in the region is also critical. And we welcome the creation of the UN Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, which complements the ongoing efforts of the G5 Sahel, ECOWAS, UNOWAS, and other African institutions.

For our part, the United States is a dedicated partner in the region. To the G5 Sahel alone, we provide equipment, training, advisory support to fill critical capability gaps on a bilateral basis. Since 2017, the United States has committed more than $588 million in security assistance and other counter-violent extremism support to the G5 countries.

Given all these mechanisms in play, the existing G5 Sahel Trust Fund and bilateral support to the Joint Force are the right approach toward addressing the Sahel's security concerns. But to make that work, all partners must honor their pledges to the Joint Force and support the individual G5 militaries that supply troops to the Joint Force. We believe that UN-assessed peacekeeping funds are not a viable source of financing for the Joint Force. Chapter VII authorization for the Joint Force is neither appropriate nor ideal to help it accomplish its mission.

Beyond security response, we also need to address governance in the region. As Secretary Blinken said in his remarks to the G5 Sahel Summit in February, tactical counterterrorism work is essential  but, on its own, it's not sufficient. Instability and violence are also symptoms of a crisis of state legitimacy. Stability comes from providing economic opportunity, protecting the rule of law, and engaging communities in decisions that affect them. And to help with these concerns, the U.S. government has provided more than $2 billion in health and development, security, and humanitarian assistance to support the Sahel.

But stability requires more than that. It requires justice and accountability, especially for human rights violations and abuses committed by security and defense forces. And it requires addressing the needs of survivors of sexual- and gender-based violence. The G5 Joint Force has an obligation to fully implement its own Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Compliance Framework. It must visibly demonstrate its commitment to the protection of civilians in the region. To that end, we welcome the Government of Mauritania's recent step to complete two trials of alleged cases of abuse. We look forward to the timely and credible investigations, and resolution of all outstanding cases.

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In Chad, we strongly support the efforts of the African Union to engage with the transitional authorities toward a peaceful, timely, and civilian-led transition to a democratically elected government. And in Mali, we welcome the transitional government's plan to hold presidential and legislative elections in February of 2022. In Niger, we applaud the government's recent transition, and congratulate the president on his inauguration. We urge the Malian transitional government to ensure inclusive and transparent processes in preparing for and holding free and fair elections  including the full, effective, and meaningful participation of women and youth.

For Chad, Mali, and the rest of the region  representative, elected governments are the best path forward. Democracy leads to good governance. Good governance leads to stability. And stability will lead to peace and prosperity for all.

Thank you, Mr. President.

*Brigadier General
Nigerian Town in Darkness for Decades to Finally Have Electricity

Carved out of Ganye Local Government Area in 1996, Toungo is one of the 21 local governments in Adamawa State. It is, however, the only one in the state yet to be connected to the national grid. The town is home to over 500,000 people and has never had electricity, with residents either living in darkness or providing their own electricity using generators. Connecting places within Nigeria to the national grid is the federal government's responsibility. However, the government gave administrative approval to the Adamawa State Government to execute the project. This is despite the budgetary provision of almost a billion naira since 2015 for the electrification project. Some residents of Toungo have said that the absence of electricity in the town has discouraged investments there. Nigeria has been plagued by the poor supply of electricity for years and this has impacted negatively on the economy.
Namibia Oil Discovery Raises Questions and Fears for Environment

In January, Canadian company ReconAfrica began exploratory drilling and has been bullish in its claims that the Kavango Basin could contain up to 31 billion barrels of crude oil. The Namibian government approved the drilling of three test wells. In April, the company announced it had found a "working petroleum system," a second test well has been drilled and seismic surveys will be conducted to evaluate the viability of potential oil production. However, despite ReconAfrica saying it struck a massive oil field in northern Namibia, locals said they were not properly consulted about the drilling, and environmentalists fear an oil boom could threaten the Okavango Delta. Due to its unique climate, the Okavango Delta is home to some of the world's most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion. It is also home to huge populations of elephants and hippos.
A male surfer from Sydneys northern beaches has died after being bitten by a 4-metre shark on the NSW Mid North Coast.

NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to Tuncurry Beach near Forster about 11.15am.

Paramedics were unable to resuscitate the man. Nine News

Four ambulance crews treated the man, aged 59, who was bitten on his upper thigh while he was surfing.

The man, who was holidaying with friends, lost a significant amount of blood and went into cardiac arrest.

Its believed that when the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try and warn others, Superintendent Christopher Schilt told reporters on Tuesday.

And very heroically his friends were able to bring him back into shore after he had been attacked.

His friends dragged him out of the water and onto the beach where a retired paramedic performed CPR until further help arrived.

A specialist medical team flew up in a helicopter from Sydney, but by 12.40pm the man had died.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Joshua Smyth extended his sympathies to the mans family and said paramedics were faced with a confronting scene in difficult terrain.

Bystanders, including a retired paramedic, did a valiant job pulling the patient from the water and commencing CPR before paramedics arrived. These people should be commended for their brave actions, he said.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) extended its condolences to the mans family and said it had deployed drumlines and drones at the beach.

A man has been killed in a shark attack at Tuncurry Beach on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Any target sharks [including] white, tiger or bull sharks that are caught will be relocated about 1.5 kilometres offshore before being tagged and released, the department said.

NSW DPI shark scientists have analysed photographs of the bite and determined a white shark of approximately 4.5 metres in length is likely responsible for the bite.

Two other sharks were detected in the area in the hours before and after the attack.

On Monday night, a 2-metre great white shark was detected at Main Beach in Forster, about two kilometres south of Tuncurry Beach.

On Tuesday afternoon, a different white shark measuring between 2.5 and 2.8 metres in length was pinged by the same shark detector.

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Macquarie University behavioural ecologist Culum Brown said there was nothing unusual about three white sharks being detected in the same area in a short period of time because they are known to cover great distances.

These guys are cruising up and down the coast all the time, Professor Brown said.

Theres a lot of hysteria about the shark population getting out of control  theyre definitely not. White sharks are listed as vulnerable for a reason: their numbers are declining.

Taronga Conservation Society keeps a log of shark attacks in Australia each year.

According to its database, this attack marks the first fatality in Australia this year, although a Victorian man disappeared in South Australia in January and was suspected to have died from a shark attack when his damaged wetsuit and flippers were found nearby.

Eight people died from shark attacks in Australia last year, the deadliest since 1929.

There were no deaths nationally in 2019 and just one each in 2017 and 2018.

Forster resident Billy Fenton, who was walking along the Tuncurry breakwall 90 minutes before the attack, said sharks are always out there.

Its a tragedy because a fatality in the ocean is the last thing were thinking about, otherwise we wouldnt be out there, he said.

Following the attack, beaches between Blackhead Beach and Burgess Beach were closed for 24 hours.
?? Un nuevo lote de 395 460 dosis de vacunas contra la #COVID?19 llego para continuar con la estrategia de inmunizacion que se viene realizando en todo el territorio nacional. #PongoElHombro ????????



Mas informacion, aqui. ?? https://t.co/qNXiMkqg68
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India Inc's foreign investment rose over two-times to $2.51 billion in April: RBI

India Inc's foreign investment in the first month of this current fiscal jumped by more than two-times year-on-year to $2.51 billion, data from the Reserve Bank showed on Monday. Indian investors had committed $1.21 billion worth of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in April 2020.

NBFCs remain resilient; COVID impact to manifest over time: RBI

India's non-banking financial companies grew at a slower pace in second and third quarters of financial year 2020-21 on annual basis due to COVID-19-led disruptions and muted demand but continued to disburse credit. Wading through the thick of pandemic shows the resilience of the sector, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its monthly bulletin for May.

Plasma therapy dropped as treatment against COVID-19 after govt panel finds it 'ineffective'

After finding it non-beneficial in reducing the progression of severe Covid-19, the government revised the clinical guidance for COVID-19 treatment, dropping the off-label use of convalescent plasma on Monday. The decision was taken after a meeting of the ICMR-National Task Force for COVID-19 held last week. All members of the panel favoured the removal of convalescent plasma from the guidelines, citing its "ineffectiveness and inappropriate use" in many cases.



WHO-ILO study blames long working hours for heart diseases, stroke deaths

In a first global analysis of its kind, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have found a 29 per cent increase in deaths from stroke and heart diseases due to working long hours. The findings, relating loss of life and health to extended shifts are significant "as the pandemic has significantly changed the way many people work... often blurring the boundaries between home and work," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.



US to continue helping its 'important partner' India amid COVID-19 crisis

The United States will continue to provide a range of assistance to India, as its "important partner" continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said Monday. President Joe Biden, who has announced a $100 million worth of COVID-19 assistance to India, is deeply engaged with the assistance program, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters



Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway breaks up with 32-year long holding Wells Fargo

Berkshire Hathaway Inc has sold nearly all of its holdings in Wells Fargo & Co, as Warren Buffett abandoned a more than 31-year-old investment that had been among his most successful before the bank was felled by scandals for mistreating customers. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned just $26.4 million of shares in the fourth-largest U.S. bank as of March 31, down from around $32 billion in January 2018.
"The vaccination of 6064-year-old individuals will start on May 31. Everything is ready to include them in the "Pongo el Hombro" (I Lend a Shoulder) platform . It is just a matter of organization, so as to avoid crowds at vaccination centers because, unfortunately, many people skip the queue," Rosell pointed out.
The Russian side will raise the issue of Norways attempts to involve NATO in the Arctic region at the upcoming ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik.

We have questions for our neighbors, such as Norway which is trying hard to find reasons for NATOs movement to the Arctic. Of course, we will openly discuss this at the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted at a news conference on the upcoming event.

The minister spoke in favor of renewing the dialogue between chiefs of staff of the eight member countries of the Arctic Council.

If anyone wants more predictability as well as lower risks of a military plan, then I suggest going back to an old proposal of ours: to restore the mechanism of regular meetings between chiefs of staff of the Arctic Council member countries, the minister said.

According to Lavrov, this mechanism was operational, but about seven years ago Western colleagues decided to suspend it.

If you decided to suspend it, then do not complain that we have no dialogue. We did not stop the dialogue, Lavrov stressed.

Yes, we can see complaints that Russia is deploying military mechanisms in the Arctic. But it has long been well known that this is our territory, our land. We are responsible for making our Arctic coast safe, and everything Russia does there is completely legitimate, the Foreign Minister said.

Lavrov added that Russia had renewed its proposal to restore this mechanism. As a first stage, the Foreign Minister suggested holding a meeting between the eight Arctic Council member states military experts instead of chiefs of staff.
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenias caretaker minister of education, science, culture and sport Vahram Dumanyan has addressed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the International Museum Day, the ministry told Armenpress.

Dear Museums and the persons working in the field,

On May 18, 1977, the International Council of Museums has declared this day as the International Museum Day during its 11th grand conference. This year the slogan of the Day is The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine, which is more than relevant in our todays technology and digital world. Walking in accordance with the demands of the time, today museums are using numerous forms and ways of communication for presenting their collections to the public in new approaches and formats. The museums of Armenia and Artsakh are also part of this important process of responding to the latest constantly changing challenges, the Minister said, wishing productive work and new achievements to the persons working in the sector.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Former minister of transport and communication and the former mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan was arrested by police on May 17 at the Yerevan airport upon his arrival on board a plane from Moscow.

Beglaryan was on the wanted list on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power since March 2020.

He was transferred into custody of the national security service, police said.

Other details werent immediately available.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenian government officials held a meeting with representatives of the UN Armenia Office and the diplomatic corps to discuss the preparation and holding of the June 20 early election of parliament, the Prime Ministers Office said in a news release.

Prime Ministers Office Chief of Staff Arsen Torosyan said at the meeting that all available resources must be utilized to hold the election on the highest possible standards with the purpose of ensuring democracy, transparency and credibility. Torosyan stated that the government and the central electoral commission will jointly make all efforts to hold free, transparent and fair elections and constantly improve the electoral process. I am sure that through joint efforts we will be able to achieve this, Torosyan said.

Torosyan emphasized the importance of the work of observer missions in the process of organizing the elections. He also addressed the need for properly organizing the election in terms of the ongoing pandemic. The snap election contains an important challenge which we cant ignore, it is time. In order to hold high-quality, transparent, free and fair elections we must use the entire set of tools, but in a twice shorter period of time, Torosyan said.

Central Electoral Commission chairman Tigran Mukuchyan stressed the importance of having relevant technical equipment in district centers, as well as the need to organize training of specialists and employees. He also addressed the issue of raising awareness among the voters on the electoral code changes. Mukuchyan said guides and ads will be prepared. We are also planning to have separate bulletins so that voters get informed and be ready to the specificities of the new voting type. As you know these changes were adopted quite recently, the changes make the electoral process easier but it is highly important to inform the voters about this all in a short period of time, Mukuchyan said.

He added that the voter lists will be published, live transmission video cameras will be installed in polling stations for transparency, just like during the previous election.

The representatives of the international organizations and the foreign diplomats expressed readiness to support the process of holding free, fair and transparent elections.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Paul Gavan (Ireland, UEL) will visit Armenia on behalf of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 19 to 22 May 2021, to gather information for his report on "The humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan", the PACE said in a statement.

He will hold meetings with parliamentarians, including the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, and with representatives of different ministries dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. He will also have an opportunity to hear from displaced persons and the families of captives and the missing, and will meet with religious leaders, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, and civil society representatives.

The visit will also allow him to understand better the role and contribution of international organizations working on this issue in Armenia, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Mr Gavan plans to continue his work over the summer, visiting Azerbaijan to gather further information, and aims to complete his report in the autumn, the statement says.
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The ex-minister of transportation and communication Gagik Beglaryan has been released from the pre-trial detention on a 50,000,000 dram bail bond, the prosecutor generals office said.

According to prosecution spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan, Beglaryan has also returned the money which amounts to the damages inflicted to the state under the indictment.

The prosecution said that after arriving to Yerevan on board a Yerevan-Moscow flight, Beglaryan himself surrendered to authorities.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, 18 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 18 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.36 drams to 521.55 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.80 drams to 637.23 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 7.08 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 4.71 drams to 740.81 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 240.31 drams to 31083.25 drams. Silver price up by 6.06 drams to 462.97 drams. Platinum price up by 2.58 drams to 20574.61 drams.
STEPANAKERT, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. On May 18 President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan visited ministry of defense, where he held a consultation with the highest command staff of the defense army, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Issues on army building, the country's defense capacity, as well as the improvement of the social conditions of servicemen were discussed during the consultation.

The President expressed deep gratitude to the entire staff of the defense army for selflessly fulfilling its mission and defending the homeland from the aggression of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem doing their utmost.

We have a dignified and lasting peace agenda, but it also requires security guarantees. Therefore, the defense army exists, will remain and will become more combatative. As a result of the planned reforms, a professional army will be formed, where contract servicemen will play an important role", the head of state said, adding that they will spare no effort for the consistent and rapid improvement of Artsakh's security system.

Speaking about the improvement of the social and household conditions of the servicemen, President Harutyunyan emphasized that with the active support of the Government of the Republic of Armenia the problem of providing housing to the retired officers will be completely solved by 2023, as well as additional work will be done to provide social guarantees to servicemen, to improve the social condition of perished, deceased, disabled servicemen and their families.
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Russian foreign ministrys Information department has released a statement today over the recent developments on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenpress presents the statement:

We continue closely monitoring the situation related to the border incident between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian side supports Yerevan and Baku in reducing the tension within the frames of regular contacts at the highest and high levels. Operational communication is maintained over the military and border services of our countries.

We reaffirm the need for strict observance of the ceasefire regime, as well as the unconditional fulfillment of the other provisions of the 2020 November 9 and 2021 January 11 statements signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

We believe that such incidents need to be solved exclusively with peaceful, negotiated means. We see the launch of delimitation process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as a long-term solution, with its subsequent demarcation. The Russian Federation is ready to contribute in every possible way to the consistent settlement of the situation in the South Caucasus.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. One of the clergy of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been attacked by Jewish youth.

ARMENPRESS reports the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement over the incident, strongly condemning the attack on member of the St. Hakobyants Congregation Reverend Father Arbak Sarukhanyan by the Jewish youth.

Father Arbak received bodily injuries and was immediately hospitalized. After receiving necessary medical aid, he has been discharged.

''The Patriarchate submitted an official complaint to the Police, after which three of the attackers were arrested. We demand that the Police conduct a fair investigation and that the perpetrators be punished in accordance with the law in order to avoid a recurrence of such incidents in the future', said Father Koryun Baghdasaryan, Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Metropolitan Police sign (PA Archive)

Four men arrested after anti-Semitic abuse was allegedly heard being shouted from a car in north London have been released on bail.

Footage published on social media showed a convoy of cars covered with Palestinian flags passing down Finchley Road, with passengers reportedly being heard to use offensive language and issuing threats against Jews.

The Metropolitan Police said the incident took place in the St Johns Wood area of the city on May 16.

Officers traced the car to the A40 in Hillingdon and four men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences.

The Met said they were also arrested in connection with a similar incident that took place shortly after 1.30am on Sunday in the Broughton Park area of Salford Manchester.

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All four have been released on bail pending further inquiries, the Met said.

The incident received cross-party criticism, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemning the acts as shameful racism that have no place in society.

It took place after thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to the gates of the Israeli embassy, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes after a week of sustained conflict.

Since last Monday night, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, whose military responded by barraging the Gaza Strip with tank fire and air strikes.

In response to reports of anti-Semitic abuse, Mr Johnson said: There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society.

Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britains Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as utterly disgusting.

Anti-Semitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society, he said.

There must be consequences.

Read More

Four arrests following video of anti-Semitic abuse in north London
People work at shared workspaces at the WeWork, coworking and office space in the City of London. Photo: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Not everyone will be heading back to the office full-time after a year of working from home. While some people will continue to work remotely full-time, others will work under a hybrid model  working part-time in the office and the rest of the time elsewhere.

Almost two-thirds of employers have planned to introduce or expand a mixture of remote and on-site working, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). A survey of 2,000 employers found 63% intend to boost hybrid working to improve working lives post-pandemic.

Research suggests the majority of would-be office workers would prefer a mix of office-based and remote working post-pandemic. Of a poll of 1,000 workers by The Adecco Group UK and Ireland, 77% of UK employees said a hybrid model of working would be ideal, with 79% adding that more flexibility is important.

Read more: Lloyds to axe 20% of offices as it moves to 'flexible working'

However, it can be tricky to manage your schedule when youre working from two locations. So how can you make it work?

The main difficulties with managing a hybrid schedule is matching up your schedules with that of your colleagues, coworkers and employees, says Will Capper, found of the job search firm DirectlyApply.

It can be difficult to plan your timetable so that you are in the office at the same time as other employees and colleagues who you need to sit down with, face to face. Furthermore, if you manage staff, you also need to be on top of their schedule as to when they are going to be in the office.

If you are customer-facing or have client meetings, managing your schedule can be difficult when having to allow for cancellations or postponements of meetings beyond your control.

If you are only in the office for a couple of days a week, it might take another week or more before a meeting with a prospective or existing client can be rearranged, says Capper. This could lead to missed opportunities or allow a competitor to challenge and step in on your client relationship.

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How to make hybrid work for you

Firstly, its important that employers support their staff with learning and training on remote-friendly best practices.

It is not enough for employers to assume a transition to a hybrid schedule will work smoothly without any additional effort, explains Capper. For most organisations, it will be a huge cultural shift and therefore employees must press their employers to help establish best practices to manage this. This includes a company-wide policy on diary management as well as a rule on core hours for those days when employees are in the office.

It is also important for people working on a hybrid schedule to plan their days in the office much more rigidly than they would have done previously in a 100% office culture. You can't expect to catch up with people on an ad-hoc basis so this means you must think about the structure of your office-based days and ensure you set up meetings with co-workers and managers in advance. Tech can be really helpful when organising your schedule.

Using your company calendar is paramount, but you can also use other apps such as Woven, which as well as a calendar also includes an analytics tab, Capper says.

Read more: HSBC plans to slash office space post-COVID

When you are in the office, good communication with those working remotely is key. If youre in a meeting and some people are video-calling in, its important to make sure they can see and hear everyone physically present. Any extra comments that occur off the record need to be reported to those working from home, so they dont miss anything important.

Informal conversations that happen in the office that aren't then shared with remote colleagues can end up completely undermining team and even company-wide communications, says Capper.

Prior to the pandemic, many of us took working alongside others for granted. We worked with headphones on, chatted via Slack and communicated by email, not realising we would soon be missing our co-workers.

Making time to meet with co-workers, managers and employees is the most important consideration for your time when in the office, says Capper. There is no point in going to the office if you are going to shut yourself away from people. The more meetings and sit-downs you have in the office means the less time you have to spend on video calls when you are working remotely.

But being in the office shouldn't just be focused on working and formal meetings. Having social coffee or lunch with your co-workers is important.

When in the office, make a plan to grab a coffee or lunch with members of your team and try and plan wider social gatherings on a regular basis to allow everyone the opportunity to meet up in a more social setting, he says.

Watch: How to navigate a pay rise
Experts argue that helping poorer countries vaccinate will reduce the chance of more virulent variants appearing that could threaten progress toward immunity

G7 and EU nations can afford to donate more than 150 million vaccines to countries in need without compromising their own objectives, UNICEF said Monday.

The Group of Seven industrialised powers and the European Union could help close the world's vaccine gap by sharing just 20 percent of their June, July and August stocks with the Covax jab scheme for poorer nations, a study by British firm Airfinity showed.

"And they could do this while still fulfilling their vaccination commitments to their own populations," UNICEF director Henrietta Fore said.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, is flying Covax doses to poorer countries due to its expertise in vaccine logistics.

Britain is due to host its fellow G7 members Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States for a summit in June.

By that time, UNICEF said the Covax programme -- co-led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, along with the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations -- will find itself 190 million doses short of what it had planned to distribute.

- 'Share them now' -

The programme's aim of ensuring the vaccination of 20 percent of populations in all countries by the end of this year "is at risk", Bruce Aylward, the WHO lead on Covax, acknowledged Monday.

It was possible to make up for the delays if countries in a position to do so could donate doses, he told reporters.

"We determine our future right now," he added.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus agreed.

"We need high-income countries that have contracted much of the immediate global supply of vaccines to share them now," he told reporters.

He insisted that "Covax works", pointing out that the programme had delivered some 65 million doses to 124 countries so far.

"But it is dependent on countries and manufacturers honouring their commitments."

The current shortfall is in part due to a devastating flare-up of the virus in India. While the country had been due to manufacture and export the majority of Covax doses, it is now putting them to use at home instead.

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With additional shortages in supplies and funding, the UNICEF statement called for swift action until more sustainable production models were within reach.

"Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now," it read.

The United States has 60 million AstraZeneca doses it could share, while France has pledged 500,000 doses and Sweden one million, with Switzerland considering a similar donation.

- Yawning gap -

Some 43 percent of the 1.4 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far injected around the world have been administered in high-income countries accounting for 16 percent of the global population.

Just 0.3 percent have been administered in the 29 lowest-income countries, home to nine percent of the world's population.

That yawning gap spurred Tedros to ask vaccine-wealthy nations last Friday to refrain from giving jabs to children and adolescents and instead donate those doses to Covax.

The urgency stems from more than mere fairness: wherever the virus continues to circulate it could give rise to more contagious or more deadly variants that could threaten progress toward immunity.

"We are concerned that the deadly spike in India is a precursor to what will happen if those warnings remain unheeded," said UNICEF.

"Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling," it said, in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Argentina and Brazil.

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The World Economic Forum has cancelled its 2021 annual meeting scheduled for Singapore in three months' time, saying it is not possible to hold such a large global event due to the COVID-19 situation.

"Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination roll-out and the uncertainty around new variants combine to make it impossible to realise a global meeting with business, government and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned," it said in a statement.

WEF had already pushed back its special meeting in Singapore, initially scheduled for mid-May, following the announcement last year it was moving from its usual home in the Swiss alps due to the pandemic situation in Europe.

The city-state has in recent days imposed some of the tightest restrictions since it exited a lockdown last year to combat a spike in local COVID-19 infections.

Acknowledging WEF's decision to cancel the event, the Singapore trade ministry said on Monday that it "fully appreciates the challenges caused by the ongoing global pandemic, particularly for a large meeting with a broad span of international participants".

The WEF's next annual meeting will instead take place in the first half of 2022.

Its location and date will be determined based on an assessment of the situation later this summer, it added in a statement.
May 19, 1996

(No paper May 18, 1996)

AUBURN  While city and county officials wait for word on funding to build college student housing downtown, city residents are starting to make their feelings known.

Washington Street residents Shirley and Sam Italiano are dead set against it, and at a recent City Council meeting, they told city lawmakers so.

"We built senior citizen housing downtown," Shirley Italiano said. "Can anybody tell me what building student housing on Genesee Street is going to do for us?"

Sam Italiano, a retired Auburn police officer, said when the upper floors of downtown buildings were used for apartments police responded to several calls a night about tenants breaking into businesses. Students, he claims, will be just as bad.

"If you don't believe it, go ahead and build it and watch," he said. "Don't say I didn't tell you."

"That's going to be one hell of a mess," Shirley Italiano said. "They have no right on our Genesee Street. They have a lovely place there," she said, pointing to Sue and Dick Mahlstedt, owners of the Phoenix Building. "They are going to destroy it. There is not one handful of people in Auburn that needs that type of housing."
Throughout our history and even now in the face of a global pandemic, Red Cross volunteers continue to step up and adapt in the face of change. Having laid the groundwork for future generations  including Dr. Charles Drew, who pioneered the framework for the nations first blood program through the Red Cross  Clara Bartons legacy of delivering aid quickly and helping families has only become more resilient.

Today, the Red Cross supplies 40% of the nations blood for patients with life-threatening conditions. And in the wake of a global pandemic, our work has not stopped. Upon the emergence of COVID-19 last year, the Red Cross supported a new program to provide convalescent plasma to treat the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients, as well as programming to test for COVID-19 antibodies so blood donors could learn if they may have been exposed.

From sewing and distributing face masks for military and medical frontline workers, to supporting those in need during a billion-dollar disaster season across the country, our volunteers continue to step up. Day in and day out, they are meeting the demand for our services as more and more families deal with the impacts of storms, home fires and floods.
The multiple angles of the footage, projected onto a screen behind Womble, depicted a chaotic scene of about 44 seconds. After six deputies approach Brown's car with guns drawn, the video shows one of them putting his hand on the driver's side door, then yelling and recoiling as Brown backs up.

Seconds later, the same deputy appears to be in the path of the car as Brown moves forward, though it's not clear how fast the car is moving. The deputy appears to avoid a direct hit after pushing his hand onto the moving car's hood and quickly moving aside. Gunshots are then heard, and officers appear to continue firing as the car moves away from them.

The quality of the projected video, even replayed later on news websites that filmed it, made it hard for a viewer to glean the level of detail described by either the Brown family or prosecutor when they watched the footage in person. The family continued its calls Tuesday for direct release of the video, which would make longer and higher-quality versions public.
An appeal to citizens of New Yorks 54th Senatorial District:

We live in a diverse community with people of different races, religions and economic backgrounds. We have different interests and political views. But something we all have in common whether we are white, black or brown is the need for good local healthcare.

The growing costs of our current healthcare system have been escalating for many years. Just when we are facing the worst health crisis of a century, we find ourselves in an ineffective complex system that serves only a portion of our population. Today, most healthcare programs are tied to employment. When thousands lost their jobs this past year, the already weak system became even weaker. We can rightly blame greedy insurance and pharmaceutical companies that set ever rising costs, but we have to take some of the blame ourselves. We did not demand that our elected officials address this crisis. We failed to heed the warnings of healthcare experts who told us that a system that does not serve us all, fails us all.
In current times when medical infrastructure and facilities have become India's primary need, Maruti Suzuki has taken a big step in the battle against Covid-19 by partnering with Zydus Hospitals to officially start a multi-speciality hospital in Gujarat's Sitapur. The facility has been completely funded by Maruti Suzuki Foundation, a CSR initiative of Maruti Suzuki.

Expected to serve around 3.75 lakh people in Sitapur and adjoining villages, the 50-bed facility can be expanded to 100 beds, as per a press statement issued by Maruti Suzuki. The country's largest car maker adds that the hospital had been constructed in a land area which spans more than 7.5 acres and is the first in this area with super specialization services.

Maruti has a manufacturing facility in Gujarat and this Hansalpur plant has a a production capacity of 5 lakh units per annum. But the lack of a proper medical establishment in the area was a concern. "When our Gujarat car plant started, there was no major medical facility available in the region," says Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India. "We decided to build a good quality multispeciality hospital for the benefit of all residents of that area and partnered with one of the best names in healthcare  Zydus Hospitals."

The plans for the hospital were afoot even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit India but Ayukawa adds that this facility has now been converted into a Covid-care establishment in order to treat those infected.

A number of auto companies have come to the fore to assist - directly or indirectly - in the fight against the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in India. With medical infrastructure under unprecedented stress and most states enforcing restrictions and lockdown, the need to provide timely medical aid has become more crucial than ever before.
LOS ANGELESNutaku.net on Monday announced it is hosting a crossover event between the fan-favorite JRPG, Magicami, and the popular anime series Steins;Gate.

Running until May 31, the collaboration lets players take a deep-dive into the world of anime franchise within the Magicami universe.

A highlight of the rewards that players can expect on participating in the event includes:

A Kurisu Makise (Steins;Gate) dress for character Eliza (Magicami)

A new gacha that allows 10 free draws daily. Drawing a UR guarantees a Daru (Steins;Gate) dress for Marianne (Magicami)

A special jewel pack with extra bonus jewels, which can be used in gachas

A login bonus:

-1 day: 500 Jewels

-4 days: 1,000 Jewels

-7 days: 1,500 Jewels

Check out the Magicami x Steins;Gate crossover event here.
NEW YORKArcwave, maker of the Ion Pleasure Air Stroker, is seeking a brand marketing specialist through a search campaign using the hashtag "#HandsOnJob."

The job listing is currently available in Europe and North America. The brand marketing specialist for Arcwave will be responsible for managing the brands reputation, goals and values through specific and sophisticated marketing campaigns. The person Arcwave is seeking is open-minded, driven, sex-positive, hardworking, and doesnt mind talking about a stigmatized subject all day every day.

Headquartered in Berlin with four additional locations in Ottawa, New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai, the company sells pleasurable products in more than 60 countries. With the global #HandsOnJob campaign, Arcwave is advertising its job openings via large billboards and signage around Berlin and New York City in order to reach potential applicants in a humorous and memorable way. In addition to analog methods, Arcwave is pursuing digital placements in target media outlets, as well as on job portals and through partnerships with influencers, with an overall theme of embracing being part of the sex tech industry.

"We bring people one-of-a-kind pleasure and comfort with our products. How many brands can say that?" Arcwave Head of Sexual Empowerment Johanna Rief said. "Unfortunately, there are still certain misconceptions when people mention that they work in the sex tech industry. We want to take away the fear from potential applicants and show we are a professional company where fun is not neglected."

For more details regarding the Arcwave job listing, click here. The job is also listed on LinkedIn.

Arcwave is a companion brand to Womanizer and We-Vibe within the WOW Tech Group.
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FALA's Rotary Interact club helps women dealing with high cost of hygiene products

Rachel Gibbons, Arizona Daily Sun Jasmine Ackerman, president of Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy's Rotary Club, smiles in the spring sunlight Friday afternoon. Ackerman and the club have created a drive to provide donated menstruation products to Flagstaff's low-income and homeless populations.

School was out for the day and, frankly, Jasmine Ackerman didnt have much to do. Then, she remembered, one of her teachers at the Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy had mentioned a meeting for a new club on campus, something called Rotary Interact.

Curious, or maybe just bored, Ackerman decided to see what all this was about. This was in October of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, before in-person meetings became fraught with potential contagion. So Ackerman, then a sophomore, opened the classroom door and saw a startling sight.

No one was there.

Well, no students, anyway. The FALA advisor, Eric Walden, stood at the front of the room, flanked by the coordinator of Rotary Interact from Coconino Community College.

Can you say awkward?

I had no idea what it was, Ackerman, 16, recalled. I walked in and thought, oh, OK. They gave me some flyers and pamphlets on what Rotary was about and told me about some of the projects. I was just hooked from there.

Ackerman was on board as the member of the first chapter of Rotary Interact, the youth offshoot of the Rotary International service club. But, within an hour, she would be joined by the second member, Katherine Lemmer, also then a sophomore.

The meeting was going an hour before she stumbled in, Ackerman said of Lemmer. She was looking for tutoring and she found the wrong classroom. She was like, 'What is going on here?' Im like, 'Come here, you have to hear about this club.' She was hooked just like me."

From those humble beginnings, FALAs Rotary Interact club has grown to a hardy band of eight, and the club has embarked on ambitious service drives, everything from litter removal to eliciting donated crutches for people in Africa to its latest and most far-reaching initiative: a feminine hygiene drive, trying to combat the menstruation inequity not in the third world but right here in Flagstaff.

FALAs Rotary Interact raised more than $1,000 to provide free menstrual products for women who access services at local shelters and agencies. The students now are soliciting donations from local businesses, hoping to expand their supply of feminine hygiene resources.

It gives me hope and encouragement for the future of our country to see such young people actively and enthusiastically engaged in community service and helping others, said Walden, FALAs performing arts teacher as well as Rotary Interact advisor. The boys in our club were immediately enthusiastic about this project from the beginning, without hesitation.

Ackerman, the clubs president, has long supported feminist concerns, including womens health, and she said she proposed the project after reading about women not being able to afford menstruation products that, in some European countries, are free of charge.

This project has a major impact on the community in Flagstaff, Ackerman said. I kind of knew some people couldnt afford certain things, even in a relatively well-off place like Flagstaff, so it would make sense that some couldnt afford sanitary products. Diving into the community and seeing these shelters and the women there was really eye-opening. I did some research and read articles about this in other places and (determined) this is happening in Flagstaff as well.

The more Ackerman researched the inequity surrounding feminine hygiene products, the more fervent she became in wanting to raise money for and awareness about the issue.

Lately, activism has led to new legislation in many states that repeals the so-called tampon tax. Still, in 35 states, including Arizona, feminine hygiene products are subject to a sales tax as a luxury item, while advocates for menstrual equity are quick to point out that Viagra for men is not deemed a luxury, but essential.

Twice in the past three years, proposals to repeal the luxury tax on feminine hygiene products have stalled in the state Legislature.

Its unfair its taxed as a luxury good, Ackerman said. I would even go as far as to say its unfair that women would have to pay for it at all. In several European countries, some new bills have been passed. This is what actually sparked the project in the first place. Mr. Walden saw an article that a country in Europe just passed a bill making all feminine hygiene products free.

A recent study commissioned by advocacy groups Thinx & PERIOD found that nationally, among 13- to 19-year-olds, one in five struggled to afford menstrual products. And one in four teens said they had missed class because of lack on access, according to the report.

I do have a friend who used to go to FALA who would miss school because of that, because she didnt not have access, Ackerman said But I really didnt think of it much. I just thought, Oh, maybe shes uncomfortable. But not all sanitary products are created equal, too. Some are more uncomfortable, harder to handle, which is hard for anyone, especially a teenage girl who has to handle that at school, that fear of not having something and then being mocked by everyone. It affects your daily life.

Ackerman said her initiative, deemed by some as politically-charged, garnered nothing but support from Flagstaffs Rotary Club.

The women in the Flagstaff Rotary were every accepting and excited and proud of our club for doing something like this, she said. A majority of the men, when it was announced, were just like (giving a thumbs up), Yes, good job, and some head-nodding.

Ackerman and her growing membership in FALAs Rotary Interact are far from finished. Shell return as club president next year and has big plans.

We got such a wonderful response from the Flagstaff community, the FALA community and our club in general about this project, she said, that were bouncing around some ideas on feminist-related topics for next year.
Deputies arrested an Ash Fork man after a traffic stop led to the discovery of illicit drugs and a loaded firearm on Friday.

50-year-old Richard Roy Johnson Jr., suspected of selling and transporting the illicit drugs, also exhibited signs that he was under the influence while operating the vehicle, according to a Coconino County Sheriff's Office report on Monday.

After arresting Johnson Jr. for a warrant and driving on a suspended license, deputies were processing the vehicle for tow when multiple illicit drugs were discovered.

In all, authorities said sheriff's deputies located over 164 pills suspected to be blue M30 labeled fentanyl pills and approximately 0.9 ounces of methamphetamine.

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A loaded .22 caliber handgun was also found in the vehicle. Johnson Jr. is prohibited to possess firearms due to felony convictions in Yavapai County, authorities said.

Authorities spoke to the Arizona Daily Sun last year about blue M30 pills, which are said to mimic other opioids and have been found in northern Arizona. Individuals could potentially confuse the pill with legitimate oxycodone, when it actually contains fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.
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Toma led the charge on the income tax cuts, which eliminate the state's graduated income tax structure in favor of a one-level tax rate that's lower than the current bottom tier rate of 2.59%. The current maximum rate is 4.5%, which would reach 8% with the Proposition 208 surcharge.

Toma said the new maximum rate of 4.5% would not affect the new revenues created by the 3.5% Invest in Education initiative because the budget deal taps general fund revenue to make up the difference. Proposition 208 imposes a 3.5% tax surcharge on income above $250,000 for individuals or above $500,000 for couples. Supporters say it could raise about $940 million a year for schools, although the Legislatures budget analysts estimate it would bring in $827 million a year.

It changes where part of the money comes from, Toma said. It doesnt actually change the total money available to education.

The changes are possible because of a big increase in revenue from income and sales taxes, which occured in Arizona and other states despite fears the pandemic would hammer state revenues. The Legislature's budget analysts show revenue for the budget year that ends on June 30 is running nearly $700 million above projections and they estimate fiscal year 2022 revenues will be nearly $1 billion above forecasts, on top of a current budget surplus.
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

On Jan. 7, Facebook suspended President Donald Trump, striking a significant blow to his ability to communicate with the public. Banning him permanently from the platform would be a mistake.

An independent review board of activists, lawyers and journalists known as the Facebook Oversight Board has been considering the question of whether Trump's de facto ban was justified and whether he should be permanently excluded or allowed back on the platform. The oversight board has ruled that the original suspension was legitimate, but also that suspending him for an unspecified period is not.

This isn't a good outcome for free speech.

The remedy for bad speech is more speech, so the argument goes. And that adage holds true even when it's the president of the United States spouting falsehoods.

Facebook should post fact checks of Trump's content and remove posts that violate fair, clearly articulated standards. Banning Trump altogether goes too far. Trump, for better or worse, is a part of the debate. Because he says things that are false or controversial, it does not follow that his presence on this platform should be banned. This is a draconian reduction of free speech.
Until now. After months of scheduling and then rescheduling the discussion on whether to hear the state of Mississippi's appeal of the 5th Circuit's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the court finally decided to accept it. The court said it would consider only one of the three questions Mississippi broached, but it's enormously important: Does the Constitution bar all prohibitions on elective abortions prior to viability?

The case will probably be argued in the fall and decided some months later. In the meantime, Mississippi's abortion cutoff cannot be enforced.

There are basically two ways for the court to go: gut Roe v. Wade or reaffirm it. The Supreme Court should do the latter.

If the court lets states decide when a woman's rights take a back seat to those of her fetus, that will all but obliterate Roe v. Wade. In fact, states pass these laws to do just that. Legislators know the federal district and appellate courts will find the restrictions unconstitutional and not let them go into effect, but they hope that one day the Supreme Court will give abortion opponents another chance.
The Prime Minister has just given approval to the undertaking and permission to the Gilimex to start investing in the technical infrastructure project at Phu Bai Industrial Zone, stages 3 and 4. The project covers an area of 460 hectares and has a total investment of VND 2,600 billion. It opens a new window in promoting investment in infrastructure at industrial zones.



Enterprises in Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone invest in modern production lines

Increasing the occupancy rate

According to planning, there are six industrial zones, including Phu Bai, Phong Dien, Tu Ha, La Son, Phu Da and Quang Vinh. They cover an area of 2,393 hectares.

Thua Thien Hue Construction Joint Stock Company was licensed as an investor for the technical infrastructure during stages 1 and 2 in Phu Bai Industrial Zone, attracting 48 projects, reaching the occupancy rate of 98%.

The license for the technical infrastructure of the Block B and its annex within Phong Dien Industrial Zone was granted to Prime Thien Phuc Joint Stock Company. The license for 120-hectare industrial zone in La Son was given to Vitto Limited Liability Company, attracting three projects on the area of 27 hectares, in the industry of producing construction materials, and processing sand. This reached the occupancy rate of about 40%.

In addition, many technical infrastructure investors have been granted project licenses in industrial zones, but they have not started. These include the 85-hectare Phu Bai (stage 4) and the 284-hectare Phong Dien Annex, which were given to the Technical Infrastructure Joint Stock Company of the Viglacera Corporations, and Tu Ha Industrial Zone of 37.6 hectares given to Hello Vietnam Joint Stock Company.

According to the Deputy Head of the Management Board of the Provincial Economic-Industrial Zone, the objective towards 2025 is to call for investment and grant licenses for technical infrastructure projects in the industrial zones such as Phu Da, Quang Vinh, La Son and Block A of Phong Dien. The rate of industrial zones being invested in building intensive wastewater treatment plants reaches 100% and the average of occupancy rate in these zones is 50%.

It is expected that the sources for the development of the industrial and economic zones towards 2025 will be over VND 5,116 billion as part of the public investment capital in the period of 2021-2025. In this amount, the state budget is VND 2,718 billion, the provincial budget VND 257 billion, and the Government bonds or ODA, VND 2,140 billion.

For infrastructure completion and investment attraction, the Provincial People's Committee instructs the Provincial Economic and Industrial Management Board, sectors and localities to prepare the most favorable conditions and prepare infrastructure synchronously at the economic and industrial zones to welcome investors.

The appeal for investment in the industrial zones needs the considerations for the future environment. There will be no way for projects that use old technology, have high risk of pollution and show economic ineffectiveness, said Mr. Son.

Devotion to infrastructure

In early 2021, the Provincial Economic and Industrial Management Board granted the license to Gilimex to start the third and fourth stages of the technical infrastructure project in Phu Bai Industrial Zone on an area of 460 hectares, with the total investment of VND 2,600 billion. This is a breakthrough in the promotion and appeal for investment in 2021. It also sets the foundation for other large-scaled projects in industrial zones.

In order to speed up the project implementation, the Provincial Economic and Industrial Management Board has collaborated with the Peoples Committee of Huong Thuy District to start the statistics work and site clearance compensation. It is determined to be completed in 2021 to hand over the site to the investor, as directed by the Chairman of the Provincial Peoples Committee, Phan Ngoc Tho.

Phong Dien is another industrial zone that has been calling businesses for investment in mining and processing the quartz sand reserve of 3,800 hectares, and for investing in industrial production to support the textile industry. The Tu Ha Industrial Zone specializes in construction materials, medicines, healthcare equipment and fashion and garment. The La Son Industrial Zone focuses on wood chips and construction materials. Phu Da and Phu Bai 2 industrial zones are restricting the attraction of garment projects to reduce labor pressure for enterprises.

Investment appeal with caution

Mr. Nguyen Van Son said that the investment appeal has gained certain achievements with many projects being constructed and expanded after having licenses. The Management Board will consider the balance among industries and cut down textile and garment projects to reduce pressure on transport infrastructure and labor, at the same time calling for labor-saving industries with high technology and added values, as well as limiting projects that cause environmental pollution.

The corporations that have factories in Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Vinh Phuc are researching and surveying on constructing factories in these industrial zones. We are prioritizing in calling for hi-tech environment-friendly projects that increase the values of land use and effectively use workforce.

In particular, priority is given to projects investing in technical infrastructure of industrial zones, projects on the production of textile and garment supporting industries, electronic components, footwear and high-priced products to meet the demands of raw materials and accessories for enterprises and secure the local labor resources.

The objective for the next five years is to build green, clean and environment-friendly industrial zones with highly added values for the sake of the construction and development of Thua Thien Hue.

In the first quarter of 2021, the industrial zones have attracted three projects with the total registered capital of VND3,000 billion. This makes the number of projects reach 104 with the registered capital of more than VND24,000 billion and generates employment for 33,000 workers.

Story and photo: KHANH THU
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A surprise guest taught Beatrice kindergarten students an important message on Tuesday before their summer vacations start later this week.

Lincoln and Paddock Lane elementary kindergartners were told the story Josh the Otter," and how he needed to swim, or at least float on his back, before he could safely play in the water. Josh then came to visit, dance with and hug the students, and have them pledge to also be safe around water.

The book was written by Blake Collingsworth, whose son, Joshua, drowned in a backyard pool in 2008.

Sara Reyes, the development director at the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation, said the groups goal is to eventually have water safety as part of the health and fitness curriculum throughout Nebraska.

Right before school ends, everybody is anxious to get out, ready to get out, ready to be in the sun, in the water. Water is fun. Theres so much activity in and around the water. But its also very important to be safe, because the last thing we would ever want is for a child to drown, Reyes said.

Reyes said a mascot helps the children remember the lesson, and otters swim on their backs with buddies, two of the water safety tips given in the book.
A 39-year-old Grand Island man, Giannini Cervantes, was arrested after he allegedly poured alcohol on his wifes leg and set it on fire, stabbed her in the leg and punched her in the face, police said.

Theresa Cervantes told police that the domestic assault occurred about three weeks ago. The punch caused disfigurement of her nose and lip.

She was transported to a hospital, Grand Island Police Capt. Jim Duering said.

Even though the alleged domestic violence occurred three weeks ago, there were indications of a possible cracked rib, Duering said. She also had swelling to her right eye.

He said he couldnt verify the injuries to her leg because it was in a boot, apparently from a previous medical treatment.

Cervantes was arrested for first- and second-degree domestic assault, police said.

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Omaha police officers killed a man who had been firing a gun during a standoff, police said.

Information wasnt available Sunday night on whether the man had fired at officers.

Deputy Police Chief Ken Kanger said officers were called to the home near 41st Avenue and F Street about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The man was in his 30s. A handgun was found at the scene.

Arriving officers could hear gunfire in the house and were able to get a female out of the house, Kanger said.

A negotiator came to the scene and talked with the man for about 20 minutes. The man fired his gun during that time, Kanger said.

The man went to the front and back of the house multiple times and eventually came out the front door, he said.

When the man came outside, police gave him commands, Kanger said, and then gunfire began.

Multiple officers fired, he said.

Kanger said it would take time to know whether the man fired at officers.

Ballistics tests will be conducted, and the officers body and cruiser camera video will be analyzed.
This new public safety mill levy that the city would seek from voters this fall would add to the current budgets of Billings' police and fire departments and the municipal court.

Specifically, the mill levy would make possible for the city's various public safety services to adopt many of the recommendations lined out in the Center for Public Safety Management study conducted last year.

Council members spent the second half of the meeting discussing whether the new mill levy should seek more than the $6.4 million that staff is recommending. Mayor Bill Cole asked specifically about the feasibility of the city pursuing a hybrid approach to address the funding.

Last year, in addition to the "repeal and replace" mill levy approved by voters, the city increased the police department's budget by $1 million, money it pulled from the parks department budget. To fill the $1 million gap left behind in the parks' budget, the city increased the fees collected from residents in Park District 1 to make up the difference.
FARGO, N.D.  A man who killed himself inside a federal courthouse in North Dakota after he was convicted for brandishing a weapon at a minor faced a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum term of life, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Jurors had just departed the Fargo courtroom on Monday when Jeffrey Sahl Ferris, 55, of Belcourt, North Dakota, slashed his throat with what an FBI spokesman called "an easily concealable instrument" and died after U.S. marshals and other court personnel attempted life-saving measures. An autopsy was being conducted Tuesday.

FBI spokesman Kevin Smith said his agency will investigate whether any federal criminal laws were broken in the incident. The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for security of the courthouse.

"Officials there will review their security procedures to ensure the safety of the courthouse family and those visiting the facility," Smith said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Nick Chase of North Dakota declined to comment about any details of the incident other than to say there were five employees from his office in the courtroom at the time and "none of them were physically hurt."
Noem, in a document filed Sunday, opposed the tribe's request to join the lawsuit, arguing that the tribe doesn't have standing in what is a "state-federal dispute." Her lawyers argue that the fireworks display wouldn't hinder the tribe's religious or free speech rights.

When she filed the lawsuit, Noem included patriotic arguments on why the fireworks should be allowed and argued that the permit's denial was an "arbitrary and capricious" decision based on politics.

Chief Judge Roberto Lange of the federal district court of South Dakota hasn't ruled on whether the tribe can join the suit. He indicated that he'll decide by June 2 whether to issue a preliminary injunction to force the Park Service to allow the fireworks this summer. The governor's daughter, who worked as a federal liaison for her mother for last July's event, said in a court filing that the governor's office had invited tribal leaders to provide their perspective on it.

Noem wrote to President Joe Biden last month that the tribes were consulted before the event last year. But in a statement Tuesday, the tribe denied that was the case.

"The office of the Chairman has no record of any consultations with the State of South Dakota or the federal government regarding fireworks in the sacred Black Hills," the tribe said.
The Montana Board of Regents will consider whether to file a lawsuit Wednesday in response to a new law allowing firearms on public college campuses.

The board will meet Wednesday morning to decide whether to file suit against House Bill 102, which was signed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte in February.

The law allows Montanans to carry concealed firearms in most places in the state without a permit, including the Montana University System campuses. HB 102 removes the Board of Regents ability to enforce restrictions for guns carried on campuses.

Last week, the regents held a public meeting to consider a draft policy to implement the law and how the university system would allow guns on campuses. The majority of commenters encouraged the board to challenge the constitutionality of the law in court, citing a provision of the constitution vesting the board with control over the university system.
Montana added 148 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and four more residents have died due to the virus.

Confirmed active cases in the state were at 974, according to the latest update to the state virus mapping and tracking website. Data from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services showed the death toll in the state had reached 1,602 people.

Flathead County reported two deaths, and the virus has now killed a total of 95 of its residents. A resident of neighboring Teton County also died after testing positive for the virus. A person living in Rosebud County, where 50 people have died because of COVID-19, was also among the four deaths.

Health officers from Flathead and Rosebud counties were not immediately available to clarify whether the deaths tallied Tuesday were the result of data reconciliation between county death records and DPHHS. The Teton County Health Department confirmed via social media that its sixth death occurred Sunday.

The individual was a male in his 60s with underlying health conditions. He had previously been hospitalized in Great Falls, the department announced.
Uninsured cancer patients 60-64 face worse outcomes than Medicare beneficiaries aged 66-69

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center lung cancer researcher Gerard Silvestri, M.D., found that a lack of insurance leads to worse cancer survival than for those with Medicare, in a paper published in the May issue of Health Affairs. This work, a joint effort between Silvestri and researchers at the American Cancer Society, highlights the current dire barrier in medical care: Many people cannot take advantage of the newer potentially lifesaving treatments due to the high costs.

Silvestri said the research began last year, inspired by the hotly debated topic of expanding Medicare insurance coverage to those under 65. Using the National Cancer Database, which contained data collected between 2004 through 2016 from over 1.2 million cancer patients, Silvestri began investigating lung cancer outcomes based on insurance status and age.

The findings in lung cancer were so surprising that the American Cancer Society recommended looking at 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates across the 16 most common cancers, including lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer. Due to the large study population, comorbidities and other disease factors were able to be matched across these four groups: uninsured patients 60 to 64 years old, private insurance patients 60 to 64 years old, Medicare patients 66 to 69 years old and Medicare plus private insurance 66 to 69 years old.

Generally, when comparing cancer survival among patients with similar stages and types of cancer, younger patients have better outcomes than their older counterparts, Silvestri said. However, this study found that across all 16 cancer types those younger than Medicare age (60 to 64 years old) without health insurance had significantly worse survival than their older counterparts.

"Further, there was a dose response gradient across the different insurance groups. Uninsured younger patients had the lowest survival, followed by older Medicare patients without supplemental private insurance, then older Medicare patients with supplemental private insurance, with younger privately insured patients having the best survival. The survival difference was quite surprising," he said.

"Even in cancers with poor five-year survival amongst all insurance groups, the differences observed between uninsured individuals 60 to 64 years old versus individuals ages 66 to 69 years old could be seen at one and two years with Medicare patients having significantly better survival at those yearly landmarks compared to younger uninsured patients," explained Silvestri, an MUSC Health lung cancer pulmonologist at Hollings.

Silvestri said this research is important to him given his personal experiences. As one of seven children in his family, Silvestri vividly remembers his family dealing with his father's cancer as he battled through treatments for more than five years. After his father's death, the financial burden did not stop as his mother kept paying the medical bills monthly for many years thereafter, despite his family having medical insurance.

Unexpected medical expenses are one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy. Research published in a 2018 article in the American Journal of Public Health found that over 66% of personal bankruptcy is due to medical debt.

Due to the financial hurdle, uninsured patients often present with advanced, non-curable disease because they may delay medical care or be unable to afford screenings. Additionally, some cancer drugs cost tens of thousands of dollars annually, which may be more than double a household's annual income, he said.

"The results of this study lead me to ask this simple question: 'Is it OK for a patient to die from cancer simply because he or she does not have health insurance?' If the answer is 'no' to that question, then a true policy discussion needs to happen at a high level," Silvestri said.

As a pulmonologist, Silvestri is particularly interested in the insurance and survival disparities in lung cancer. Lung cancer is unique because it occurs primarily in smokers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 30% of uninsured adults smoke, and smoking is more prevalent among people with a low annual household income. Since many smokers fall into a segment of the population that lacks insurance, this can affect their ability to pursue care, as many uninsured individuals will not seek regular lung cancer screening, he said.

"Fortunately, the cancer center is really well-positioned to help smokers with programmatic support," said Silvestri. Hollings, which is the state's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, has a robust smoking cessation program, a lung cancer screening program, as well as rigorous disparities research, which has led to the implementation of novel programs across the state, he said.

While the current study focused on insurance disparities and survival outcomes in cancer, it is highly probable that these findings could be replicated in studies of other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Silvestri hopes this research will be a catalyst for conversations about the financial toxicity of cancer treatment, at the state and national level.

"Although I was initially surprised to see that lack of insurance was a greater predictor of worse outcomes in lung cancer than older age, I was even more shocked to see that this phenomenon was true across all major cancer types. People who want to change the paradigm need to make it personal and share the numerous stories of patients who, after they are told they have cancer and their world is turned upside down, are forced to ask, 'How am I going to afford this?' rather than 'What can we do to cure me?'" said Silvestri.

###

Funding: The American Cancer Society database is funded by the public.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South as well as the state's only integrated academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state's leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2019, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $284 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians' practice plan and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2020, for the sixth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3.2 billion. The more than 17,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 100 faculty cancer scientists and 20 academic departments. It has an annual research funding portfolio of more than $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit hollingscancercenter.musc.edu.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Navalnys appeal over 2020 hospitalization dismissed by military court

 RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov

13:51 18/05/2021

MOSCOW, April 18 (RAPSI)  The Second Western District Military Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by Alexey Navalny against investigators refusal to open a case over the bloggers hospitalization from a plane last summer, the courts spokesperson Irina Zhirnova told RAPSI.

In March, the 235th Garrison Military Court on Monday dismissed Navalnys appeal against the investigators actions as to the incident. A judge said that transport police had conducted check over Navalnys hospitalization and refused to open a criminal case over this fact.

In late August 2020, investigators of the Siberian Federal District transport police started a pre-investigation check over hospitalization of Navalny in Omsk on August 20. As part of the probe, the police searched a hotel room where Navalny stayed and examined objects and sites on his route. Over 100 items which may be evidence were seized; video records were analyzed. More than 20 criminal examinations are conducted including medical forensic, biological and physical and chemical evaluations. By today, no potent or narcotic substances were found, the police statement reads.

On August 20, 2020, a plane departed from Tomsk to Moscow with Navalny onboard urgently landed in Omsk after the blogger became heartily sick. He was taken to a hospital in coma. Later, he was transported to Berlin. Russian medics said no poison was found in the bloggers body.
The University of Montana no longer requires the use of masks or face coverings on campus, with the exception of Curry Health Center.

The announcement to university employees and students was prompted by the combination of the Montana University Systems recent decision to no longer require masks on its campuses, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions updated mask guidance for fully vaccinated people and Missoula City-County Public Healths move to recommending masks.

... Masks will no longer be required on the UM campus, with the exception of Curry Health Center, which will still require patients and staff to wear masks, the universitys COVID-19 response team wrote.

Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to continue wearing face coverings indoors and outdoors when in close contact from others, as recommended by the CDC. UM also recommends wearing masks after returning to campus from out-of-area travel or attending a large event. Individuals who feel more comfortable wearing a mask are welcome to continue doing so.
The case of a man who says he was wrongfully arrested when Casper police came to his work looking for another man may be heading to a jury, recent court filings suggest.

Kaleb Clark, a Black man, was inside The Gaslight Social after a shift as a bouncer there in the wee hours of July 7, 2018. He was wearing his work uniform and was sober, according to court documents.

Then, according to the complaint in the case, three Casper police officers came in looking for someone else  a Lucas Sanchez, who they were looking for on a warrant out of Johnson County.

When they allegedly accused Clark of being the one they were looking for, he told them he wasnt, Clark's lawsuit states. When he refused to show them his identification, they placed him under arrest.

Clark was charged with disturbing the peace for yelling and resisting after officers began putting him in handcuffs, court documents state.
Advocates for early learning programs are seeking a more than $80 million increase, while other organizations are pushing for more spending on literacy programs for young students. Meanwhile, the Edwards administration has a long list of requests for additional dollars for the corrections department, state museums, Louisiana Public Broadcasting and other agencies.

Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, offered other ideas he expected lawmakers to consider, such as boosting the planned payment to the state's bankrupt unemployment trust fund to get it on better financial footing. He also said lawmakers might want to use some of the money to put toward a more than $1 billion debt owed to the federal government for upgrades to the flood protection system in the New Orleans region.

The Senate could unveil its proposals for spending the additional money as early as Friday.

The four-member estimating conference includes Dardenne, Cortez, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and independent economist Stephen Barnes, who works at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Lawmakers can't spend more state general fund money than what is recognized by the conference.

The improved income forecasts come from better-than-expected corporate and sales tax collections, along with smaller increases tied to severance taxes and gambling revenue.
Holmberg, who has been in the Legislature since 1977, has previously said some interim committees "kind of are a dry hole." But overall, the interim period is productive, he said.

He pointed to such issues as the higher education budget and electronic land posting as recent legislation that met with little controversy in the 2021 Legislature "in part because of the interim work."

The panel also will discuss videoconferencing and whether lawmakers can beam in remotely or be required to attend in person in the interim. Legislative leaders last year ramped up videoconference and livestream technology amid the coronavirus pandemic with $2.64 million of federal CARES Act aid.

"The bell has been rung. How do you unring it when it comes to people virtually attending?" Holmberg said.

He and House Minority Leader Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, prefer in-person attendance. In-person meetings have more discussion and involvement, Holmberg said.

Boschee said that a hybrid option would be beneficial for lawmakers who must tend to professional or family commitments. He said he hopes lawmakers "get back to using the interim as a tool to be better prepared for the next session." In his view, some interim committee chairs were not as productive as they could have been.
If the so-called media disease Foxitis exists, it appears to be waning in Western New York but recent ratings make it appear there is a chance a second wave will come.

The term Foxitis was coined by attorney Joseph Hurley, who used it at a court hearing to defend an accused Capitol insurrectionist named Anthony Antonio.

Hurley told the court that his client believed what he was being told by Fox News.

In February, I noted that Western New Yorks unhealthy love affair with Fox News in the cable news wars appeared to be waning after the election of President Biden.

The question then was whether the local prime-time decline of FNC, which is widely viewed as having spread disinformation in support of former President Donald Trump via opinion hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, would continue as the Biden administration advanced its policy and Trumps impeachment trial in February was off in the distance.

The local ratings in February, March and April indicate Fox has recovered from January here but it is not as dominant in prime time as it was a year ago and is facing a tough challenge from the liberal channel MSNBC.
The original bill called for $100 billion in funding for a new technology directorate at the National Science Foundation, but the Commerce Committee trimmed the amount of money to about $25 billion.

That reduction came as the panel passed amendments sponsored by senators from states with Department of Energy laboratories, who were concerned that the huge increase in funding for the National Science Foundation could come at the expense of those labs.

Young, Schumer's Republican partner in sponsoring the legislation, objected to the changes.

"I will continue working with my colleagues to ensure the final product lives up to its billing  a bold investment in research, education, technology transfer and the core strengths of the U.S. innovation ecosystem," Young said. "The country that wins the race in key technologies will be the superpower of the future. We cannot afford to lose that race."

Schumer, speaking to colleagues Monday, stressed that the bill may change again on the Senate floor.

"There's no reason the Senate can't finish our work on this important legislation by the end of the month," he added.

Then the measure would go to the House, where Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, is pushing it.

"We have a real shot here to transform the American innovation economy," Khanna said on Twitter on Monday. "Our Endless Frontier Act is something we can all get behind."

The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
WASHINGTON  U.S. and Canadian officials plan to extend the shutdown of the land border between the two countries for another month to June 21, two sources with knowledge of the talks told The Buffalo News Tuesday.

But the new agreement could broaden the categories of people who are allowed to cross the border  and Canadian officials indicated that increasing vaccination rates offer hope of a broader reopening before long.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he expects at least 75% of Canadians to receive their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine before the border reopens. And Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, indicated the nation could cross that threshold soon.

"I think we are looking at that 50% mark (in vaccinations), and then it's eminently possible that in the next week, we're going to get to that 75%," with 20% of the Canadian population fully immunized, Tam said.

Amid the pandemic, the U.S.-Canadian border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 21, 2020. The two nations have extended that shutdown on a monthly basis ever since, and the latest extension is scheduled to expire on Friday.
Transparency on demolition of National Archives of India and Transfer of its holdings

May 17, 2021

We, the undersigned, call on the Government of India to provide clarity on the proposed demolition of part of the National Archives as part of the Central Vista Project.

On January 15, 2021 the Director of the Ahmedabad-based firm HCP who is the principal designer of the Central Vista project confirmed that while the original National Archives building would remain intact, the annexe portions would be removed. On February 10, 2021 the Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri, told the Rajya Sabha that the heritage building of the National Archives would be retained as part of the Central Vista project. More recent media reports in April 2021 note that the main National Archives building will be refurbished but at a later stage.

Given the lack of clarity within public discourse on this issue we would like to draw attention to the fact that the historical, archival materials of the National Archives are kept substantially in the annexe buildings - and these buildings are slated for demolition soon. This raises several questions that are of urgent concern to researchers in India and globally, as well as the general public.

Several centuries of Indias history lie in the documents that make up the National Archives of India. The archival records include 4.5 million files, 25,000 rare manuscripts, more than 100,000 maps, treaties, 280,000 premodern documents and several thousand private papers. These documents are naturally brittle and require delicate, expert handling. The loss or damage of a single object or archival record would be an irrevocable loss. These historical documents, maps and objects are not only central to the modern Indian nation but germane to broader academic research on the South Asian subcontinent and the reconstruction of global histories of migration, political, economic and cultural exchange. In arbitrarily deciding to demolish the buildings in which they are housed and which form the primary site for scholars to access these records, the Government of India is failing in its responsibility not only to its citizens but also to a universal, global heritage.

Specifically, the opaque manner in which the demolition of the National Archives property is being conducted is extremely concerning. A large-scale renovation of the national archive holding area for documents, reading rooms and facilities for research scholars was undertaken over several years and completed as recently as 2018. If indeed the removal of archival materials is unavoidable - which we disagree with - then certain procedures urgently need to be instituted to build public confidence.

For example, there have been no public consultations on how to manage this delicate process. Ideally, there should have been a National Commission on Public Records instituted that consisted of eminent scholars, archivists, preservationists, members of civil society, in addition to civil servants. This commission should have overseen the process and reported to a dedicated parliamentary committee and the media regularly.

Questions which require immediate answers include: Where will the temporary archive be housed? How can accredited scholars and the general public continue to access the records in the temporary holding? Will there be no access to these records until the records have been relocated to an unspecified future repository of the archival materials? Who is managing this process and who will be accountable for any loss of documents?

These are urgent questions that remain unanswered given the lack of any transparent communication regarding this shut down of research at Indias National Archives even as the demolition of the annexe buildings have been cleared. A scenario where the central archive of a democratic nation was moved in such uncertain terms and for such an uncertain duration during peacetime is unheard of.

May we remind the government that public historical records are the backbone of democratic nations. Preservation of historical records and public access to those records are fundamental duties of an elected government. The haphazard manner in which the National Archives, and other historical materials in the National Museum and IGNCA, are being treated puts our collective memory at grave risk.

Given that state capacity is stretched due to the ongoing pandemic, the best option would be to abandon the demolition of the National Archives at this stage. Should the government not be inclined to do so, then we urge for transparency in the process, and a clear, professional approach to ensure safety of materials and unhindered access to these invaluable records.

Update:

3136 people have signed this petition so far, including academics, journalists, researchers, archivists, visual artists, students, lawyers, bureaucrats, concerned citizens. Institutions from all corners of India, and the globe, are represented in the list. The full list of signatories will be made public in the next few days via media. The list-in making can be viewed at this link (copy and paste into your browser to see, the form is not allowing hyperlinks)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dEjMMQ6J6171V3XiRDNGNGEq02vHOFl0rRDswPxyiaA/edit?usp=sharing

It is too large to paste below, but here is a selection from some of the respondents.

Radhika Singha, Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Dr Meghna Chaudhuri, Boston College, USA

Aijaz Ahmad, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine

Arunabh Ghosh, Associate Professor, Harvard University

Bhavani Raman, Associate Professor of History, University of Toronto, Canada

Barbara D. Metcalf, Professor of History Emerita, University of California, Davis

Lakshmi Subramanian, Professor of History, BITS PIlani Goa

Priya Satia, Stanford University

Ravinder Kaur, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dilip M Menon, Professor, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Gyan Prakash, Dayton-Stockton Professor of History, Princeton University

Dipesh Chakrabarty, The University of Chicago

David Owen, Professor of Social and Political Philosophy, University of Southampton, UK.

Tanika Sarkar. Retired professor of modern history, Jawaharlal Nehru university

Andrew Sartori, Professor, New York University, USA

Herbert Braun, Professor of History, University of Virginia

Dr. Meena Bhargava, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi

Prof. G. Arunima, Director, Kerala Council for Historical Research, Trivandrum

Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam, Associate Professor, Carleton University, Canada

David Ludden, Professor of History, New York University

Dr Anita Rane-Kothare Head and Associate Professor, Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, St. Xaviers College Mumbai

Kim A. Wagner, Professor of Global and Imperial History, Queen Mary, University of London

Dr Shekhar Krishnan, Heritage Conservation Cell, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai

C. Rammanohar Reddy, Editor, The India Forum

Manu Bhagavan, Professor of History, Human Rights, and Public Policy, Hunter College and the Graduate Center-The City University of New York

Malavika Kasturi, Associate Professor of History, University of Toronto

Debjani Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor of History, Drexel University

Atreyi Dasgupta, Scientist, Baylor College of Medicine, USA

Chiki Sarkar, publisher, Juggernaut Books

Udita Bhargava, Independent Film Maker

Anna Bigelow, Associate Professor, Stanford University

Kajri Jain, Associate Professor of Art History/Visual Studies, University of Toronto

Samira Sheikh, Associate Professor of History, Vanderbilt University

Ramkrishna Chatterjee, The Asiatic Society, Kolkata

Will Glover, Associate Professor of History, University of Michigan

Manu V. Devadevan, Assistant Professor of History, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, India

Hannah Barker, Professor British History, University of Manchester

Govind Manoharan, Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Prachi Deshpande Associate Professor, CSSSC, India

Ria Dantewadia, Archivist, Delhi University, India

Parag Waknis, Associate Professor Economics, Ambedkar University Delhi, India

Saagar Tewari, Associate Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India

Prabhu Mohapatra, Professor Department of History University of Delhi

Professor Elleke Boehmer, World literature in English, University of Oxford, UK

Tassadaque Hussain, Deputy Director ( Retired), National Archives of India

Emma Teng, T.T. and Wei Fong Chao Professor of Asian Civilizations, MIT, Boston, USA

Jongmin Lee, Assistant Professor, University of Science and Technology, Korea

Dr Shruti Kapila, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge, UK

Sugavana Murugan. Editor, SASANAM, Krishnagiri District Historical Research Centre, Hosur,Tamilnadu

Leela Samson, Dancer, India

Bishnupriya Basak, Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Calcutta

Ms Saili K Palande Datar, Trustee, Samvidya Insititute of Cultural Studies, Pune

Chitta Panda, former Secretary & Curator, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, India

Mundoli Narayanan, Professor, University of Calicut, India

Abdiel Sanchez Revilla, Professor, Universidad Qutonoma de Queretaro, Mexico

Eugen Ciurtin, Research Professor, Institute for the History of Religions, Bucharest, Romania (EU)

Bhargavi Raju, Art Programme Coordinator, Bangalore International Airport Limited

Dr Satya Vrata Tripathi, Ex Curator, Security Officer, National Museum, India

Reiko Iida, Associate Professor, Kanazawa University, Japan

Maitreyee Deshpande, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, India

Srinivas Kodali, Free Software Movement of India

Devleena Ghosh, Professor, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

R. Saji Kumar, Archivist(Rtd), State Archives Kerala, India

Dr.Sanjiv Bodkhe, Associate Professor, Dept.of History, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India

Dr Gajanan Kortalwar, Gondwana University, Maharashtra, India

Pamela Price, Profess Emerita, Dept. of History, University of Oslo

Alemtemshi Jamir, Retired Chief Secretary, Nagaland

F.A. Qadri, Professor of History, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya

Nirupama Menon Rao, scholar, independent researcher, former diplomat.

Ashok Jain, owner of a private Museum at Kanpur aged 87.

Cyrus Guzder, Trustee, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai.

Dr. Ananya Vajpeyi, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi

Prof. Parul Chakrabarti, Sir J C Bose Trust, Kolkata

Will Sweetman, Professor, University of Otago, New Zealand

Dr Javeed Ul Aziz, Assistant Professor, Department of History , University of Kashmir

Evelynn M. Hammonds, Professor History of Science, Harvard University

Rama Melkote. Professor (retired) Osmania University Hyderabad

Amrita Gupta Singh, Co-founder and Executive Editor, Partition Studies Quarterly Journal

Atul Bhalekar, Director, Trirashmi Research Institute of Buddhism, Indic Languages & Scripts, Maharashtra

Dr Ramesh Chandra Kalita, Ex-president, North East India History Association, Shillong, Meghalaya

Indrani Chatterjee, THe University of Texas at Austin
"The inmates demanded the return of a microwave oven after the administrators removed the nonrequired appliance about a week and a half ago," said Howard's undersheriff, John W. Greenan, who was among the high-ranking officials who responded to the prison Monday night.

He acknowledged the microwave was removed because of its potential to provide materials for homemade weapons. Defending the decision to withhold the microwave, Greenan said the prison kitchen continued offering inmates three meals a day, and the vending machines also offered items that did not require heating.

Other sources within the county's Jail Management Division said they saw the powder keg taking shape. One, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly, said the prison meals lack quantity and quality, so inmates supplement their intake with vending machine foods. Many of those foods need a microwave, he said.

"We understood why they did it to begin with," the CSEA's Priore said of the administration's decision to remove the microwave. But the unit had been thoroughly searched, and every Delta Unit inmate was made to pay the price for the one who had made a shank, he said.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Multimillionaire Robert Durst lived a life of such privilege and ease that he didnt bother keeping track of the many lies he told over the years and it could be his downfall, a prosecutor said Tuesday during a new round of opening statements at his murder trial.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin wove a combination of Dursts statements  what he said were truth and lies  to outline evidence that will show the New York real estate heir killed his best friend and a neighbor to cover up the mystery of his wifes disappearance.

One of the hallmarks of Bob Durst is that despite all the lies he tells, he doesnt take or use the mental energy to even remember them because his life has been spent privileged in getting away with whatever he wants, Lewin said. The evidence is going to show thats going to be his undoing in a lot of ways in all three of these cases.

Durst, 78, is only charged with one count of murder  in the killing of his best friend, Susan Berman, in 2000 in her Los Angeles home.

Durst has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer said he doesnt know who killed Berman, who was his longtime confidante and once an unofficial spokeswoman when Kathie Durst vanished in New York in 1982.
Demings led a police force that has grappled with a long record of excessive-force allegations. She often faced calls for reforms and more transparency during her tenure, which ended in 2011.

From 2010 to 2014, the police department faced at least 47 lawsuits against its officers and paid out more than $3.3 million in damages, according to an investigation by local news station WFTV. And an Orlando Sentinel investigation covering the same period found that Orlando officers used force in 5.6% of arrests  more than twice the rate of some other police agencies  and used force disproportionately against Black suspects.

Demings defenders note she was credited with reducing violent crime in the city by 40% at the time of her retirement from the department.

Her move toward a Senate run could have implications for other Democrats in Florida. It may give Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is currently the only Democrat holding statewide office, the space to run in a primary with Crist for governor. She has spent months teasing the prospect and her most recent video suggested she would make an announcement June 1.

That underscores the fluidity of politics in Florida at the moment, particularly among Democrats who have struggled in recent elections to win high-profile races.
Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc. plans to build a $505 million, state-of-the-art cheese factory in Allegany County.

The project will double current employment at the companys outdated Cuba plant to 429, nearly double payroll to $21 million, double milk demand from the regions dairy farmers to four million pounds a day and add an estimated 600 agricultural jobs.

The factory will result in more than $1 billion in investment in Western New York over the next 20 years, and is the most significant and beneficial project in our area in decades. The proposed Amazon warehouse on Grand Island was a $350 million project.

The cheese plant will have its own, 50,000-square-foot water treatment plant and be built to the highest environmental standards. Construction will create 240 new skilled trades jobs, with a peak workforce of 480.

Were at the starting line and all thats needed is for Great Lakes Cheese to acquire 229 acres on a site the company determined was ideal after considering 80 other nearby sites. The company put a limit of 30 minutes commuting time from the current plant in Cuba to the new one because it is intent on retaining its workforce.
Heres another incentive for the vaccine resistant among us: The Erie County Fair is a go for August, but unless everyone attending can prove vaccination status, attendance will be limited.

It will be two years since the last fair, and it doesnt take much imagination to conjure up its sights, sounds and smells. It should provide incentive for some of the unvaccinated to do their part to help the region return to normal.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Monday that, like the state fair, the Erie County Fair will go on. Like many such gatherings, the fair was called off last year as the novel coronavirus threatened to turn them into deadly superspreader events. But, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state has cleared the way for county fairs to resume this year, with caveats.

Principally, that means attendance limits. Unless everyone entering shows proof of vaccination, then capacity needs to be restricted to allow for 6 feet of distance between people who are not members of the same party.
I taught American history in the public schools for 34 years. Each year I told my students that the one common factor that made our democratic system succeed was the willingness of the losing candidates to accept the verdict of the voters. This was the accepted norm for decades at all levels of government until Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Showing his obvious contempt for our constitution and the rule of law, Trump continues to spread lies regarding voter fraud. Despite losing the election by some nine million votes and having a final approval rating of about 40%, he claims the courts were wrong, the state tabulations were wrong, Vice President Mike Pence was wrong, and only his version of reality is correct. His ego prevents him from acknowledging the truth and accepting the results of a fair and secure election, as previous losers have done.

Desperate and with time running out, he attempted to provoke an insurrection against the very government he headed. He has not only poisoned our country and its democratic system with his lies, but also a once great political party. I have to laugh when I hear people say that Trump loves his country; he has proved over and over again that the only thing that Trump loves is himself. And the only people that he truly cares about are those willing to pledge 100% loyalty to him.
(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal are to face Hibernian in a preseason friendly this summer as part of a mini-tour of Scotland.

The Gunners had already confirmed a preseason game at Ibrox against Rangers on July 17, a match which will commemorate the newly-crowned Scottish champions 150th anniversary.

They will face Hibs four days earlier on July 13 at Easter Road as part of a week-long training camp, for which Mikel Artetas side will be based in Edinburgh.

The matches against Hibs and Rangers will be good tests for us and were looking forward to playing against two strong opponents, Arteta said.

Pre-season is an important time for the squad and were delighted to have this organised early so we can get the most out of the two matches and the training camp.

Coronavirus travel restrictions mean Premier League clubs are planning for a preseason without globe-trotting tours, with the Gunners having visited the US, Australia and Asia over the past decade.

It was revealed last week that talks are ongoing between Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham over a preseason charity tournament in London.

Read More

Arsenal, Chelsea FC and Tottenham in talks over preseason Battle of London tournament

Arsenal to play Rangers in pre-season friendly as Scottish champions mark 150th anniversary
At any given time, cruise ships can be found docked in various locations around the world; however, not all of these ships are in imminent danger of sinking. In many cases, these vessels were simply caught while posing a threat to themselves. And were thus prevented from sinking! Nonetheless, it's worth looking at the fifteen shipwrecks that have been captured on camera over time.

Sweepstakes, Ontario, Canada

tobermory boat under the water

More than 25 shipwrecks can be found in Tobermory, Ontario. Sweepstakes, a 119-foot schooner sunk in 1885 after colliding with a rock, is the most well-known. Sweepstakes stayed in the harbour for a few weeks before being towed in. The schooner was stripped of any usable rigging and machinery after being inspected and found to have suffered irreparable injury. Her hull, windlass, and a portion of the initial bow rail are all in good condition.

Kodiak Queen, British Virgin Islands

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The Kodiak Queen was one of the only ships to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the spring of 2017, the ship was purposefully sunk in the British Virgin Islands to act as a human-made scuba diving site. The now-submerged structure is not only an underwater reef and marine habitat, but its eye-catching artworks continue to lure deep-sea divers.

Bessie White, New York, USA

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The coal schooner Bessie White runs aground on Fire Island in the early twentieth century. Hurricane Sandy uncovered the hull of a Canadian ship after it hit the United States in 2012. The wreck can be visited by taking a ferry from Long Island, although visibility is seasonal.

Hilma Hooker, Bonaire, Caribbean

(GERMANY OUT) Scuba diver on the Hilma Hooker Ship Wreck, Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire, Caribbean Sea (Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

The Hilma Hooker was a 236-foot-long Dutch freighter that sank in 1975. What happened to the ship after it sank is the subject of many tales. It was charged with drug smuggling and found carrying a vast amount of pot through a fictitious bulkhead. The ship was finally abandoned without being manned. It was said to have been included in a drug distribution trial as evidence. In 1984, the ship was moved to a dive site and began to sink five days later. It is also part of the Bonaire National Marine Park, which attracts divers.

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Dimitrios, Peloponnese, Greece

GYTHIO, GREECE - AUGUST 12: View of The Dimitrios shipwreck on Valtaki beach on August 12, 2020 in Gythio, Greece. (Photo by Athanasios Gioumpasis/Getty Images)

On the Peloponnese's eastern shore, the Greek shipwreck Dimitrios can be found. How the ship got there is a bit of a mystery. According to some sources, it was used for tobacco smuggling and then burned to conceal the facts, whilst others say it was abandoned. Whatever the case might be, the Dimitrios has been lurking on these shores since 1981, slowly floating out to its present place. It's now a famous wreck for photographers due to its proximity to the ocean.

Corpach Wreck, Fort William, Scotland, UK

Corpach shipwreck at Loch Linnhe

The 1975-built MV Dayspring used to transport mackerel and herring to the Scottish Highlands' shores. It had been safely moored for over a decade before it ran aground on December 8, 2011, during a hurricane. The last time it was released was in the early 2000s. Photographers come from all around the world to capture the Corpach Wreck, which can be seen in the distance with Britain's tallest mountain, Ben Nevis.

Peter Iredale, Oregon, USA

The Shipwreck of Peter Iredale in Oregon located at Fort Stevens State Park

The Peter Iredale ran aground off the Oregon coast in 1906 due to strong winds. Through the sand, the rusted and barnacle-encrusted bow and masts can be seen. The ship is one of the Pacific Graveyard's most well-known shipwrecks. It's near the Columbia River's mouth in Fort Stevens State Park. When the tide is out, you may walk on up to the ship and examine it.

MV Captayannis, Helensburgh, Scotland, UK

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In 1974, the Greek sugar-carrying ship MV Captayannis sunk in the River Clyde. The vessel was compelled to roll onto her port side by the violent wind, and she remains that way decades later. The wreck has never been removed, and it is now a renowned tourism and diving destination.

Garar BA 64, Westfjords, Iceland

An old rusted steel shipwreck sits on an Icelandic beach.

The Garar BA 64 was launched in 1912, the same year that the Titanic sunk. The former whaling voyage, known as Globe IV, is more than a century old and rusting away in the breathtaking surroundings of Iceland's west coast. The ship has been aground in Skapadalur Valley since 1981 when it was taken out of operations.

SS Maheno, Queensland, Australia

Getty images

The SS Maheno, which was built in 1905, was one of the first turbine-powered steamers. She was converted to a hospital ship in Europe after World War I. She was on her way to a Japanese wrecking yard in 1935 when a cyclone hit her. On Queensland's Fraser Island, her hull is the most famous ruin. Due to the salty conditions on the island, the wreck is deteriorating rapidly, but the skeleton is still fascinating to see.

Eduard Bohlen, Namibia

The Eduard Bohlen wreck, a supply ship for the miners that ran aground in 1909 on the Skeleton Coast, Namibia. Its steel hull and the channel they dug to try and re-float it can still be seen.

The Skeleton Coast of Namibia is littered with thousands of shipwrecked vessels. The Eduard Bohlen is stranded in the middle of the desert, a quarter-mile from the coast. The boats, a former German freighter, ran aground while en route to Table Bay, most likely due to dense fog. When the desert encroached on the harbour, the ship was found in an unexpected position in the sand years later.

SS Francisco Morazan, Michigan, USA

1960 shipwreck in Lake Michigan, declared a total loss, owner never identified.

In the 1920s, the SS Francisco Morazan was designed for German owners. She was due to fly from Chicago to the Netherlands for the last time in November 1960. Powerful waves, fog, and heavy snow caused the ship to run around 300 feet off the southwest coast of South Manitou Island, Michigan. Shortly after, the crew disembarked, and the vessel has remained there ever since, attracting a wide range of bird species. You might take a stroll along the beach to get a better view of the boats or borrow a kayak to get a closer glimpse.

Zeila, Namibia

Abandoned and derelict old shipwreck Zeila at the Atlantic Coast near Swakopmund and Henties Bay, famous Skeleton Coast in Namibia, Africa. Group of cormorants birds perching on rusted ship.

In August 2008, the fishing trawler Zeila ran aground south of Hentiesbaai, Namibia. The vessel was sold as scrap metal to an Indian firm, but it became stranded when its towing line broke. Even if the sea is too rough to step foot on the sinking hull, the Zeila is now one of the most open wrecks along the Namibian coast.

Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England, UK

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND - JULY 19: Visitors view the hull of Henry VIII's warship, the Mary Rose after a 5.4m museum revamp on July 19, 2016 in Portsmouth, England. The ship, which was raised from the Solent in 1982, was launched in Portsmouth in 1511 and sank in 1545 at the Battle of the Solent, (Photo by Olivia Harris/Getty Images)

Henry VIII's favourite warship, the Mary Rose, sank in the Battle of the Solent in 1545. She served at sea for 34 years, seeing significant incidents such as sending troops to northern England for the Battle of Flodden and attacking the French fleet at Brest. In 1982, the Mary Rose was retrieved from the seabed and is now kept in Portsmouth's Mary Rose Museum. More than 19,000 items were recovered from the rubble, including human remains, clothes, and arms.

RMS Titanic, Canada

RMS Titanic passenger liner of the White Star Line. From The Story of 25 Eventful Years in Pictures, published 1935. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

The RMS Titanic sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people. The debris of the Titanic was only discovered in 1985 when it was found that the ship had fallen up! In August 2019, divers explored the ruin for the first time in 15 years and discovered it was rotting owing to bacteria and salt corrosion. The officer's quarters on the starboard side have disappeared, and the divers suspect the ship will soon be lost almost.
A mural now commemorates Job Maseko in his hometown of Springs

South African World War Two hero Job Maseko was denied the highest military award because he was black, campaigners believe, and his family have backed a push to get him the posthumous honour.

War hero Lance Corporal Job Maseko died a poor man in 1952.

Struck by a train in a tragic accident aged just 36 his exploits were in danger of being forgotten.

A decade earlier, while a prisoner of war, he used an improvised explosive to blow up a German freighter docked in Tobruk, Libya.

Once back in South Africa, his treatment, compared to white veterans, reflected the racist policies of the time - and there are some who believe this extended to how he was honoured for his act of bravery.

He was awarded the Military Medal "for meritorious and courageous action" but Bill Gillespie, who thinks he was blocked from receiving the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest honour, is campaigning to get it upgraded.

'Sorrow and pride'

Maseko's family support the move.

"I'm very proud of what he did but at the same time, there's sorrow. If he were a white soldier we believe he would've received the [higher] award," his niece Jennifer Nkosi Maaba tells the BBC while laying flowers at his grave.

Maseko's niece Jennifer Nkosi Maaba believes that racism played a role in her uncle not receiving the Victoria Cross

About 80,000 black South Africans served in the Native Military Corps (NMC). After the war, they were given bicycles and boots, and sometimes a suit, as a reward. White soldiers received housing and land.

The South African authorities were also reluctant to celebrate and highlight Maseko's action as it "represented the possibilities of empowerment offered by military service that the state wanted to curtail", according to historian Suryakanthie Chetty.

Members of the NMC were not issued firearms, but could carry traditional weapons, and served as non-combatants, working as labourers, guards or in a medical role.

Maseko, himself, was a stretcher bearer for the allied forces in North Africa, where he rescued wounded men often under heavy fire.

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Blowing up a ship

But he became a prisoner of war in June 1942 when his commander surrendered to the Germans in Tobruk. There he was put to work on the docks unloading supplies.

Using knowledge that he had picked up working in gold mines in South Africa, on 21 July Maseko filled a small tin with gunpowder and placed it near some petrol drums in the hold of a ship which sank after the explosion, according to the official citation that went with his Military Medal.

He "displayed ingenuity, determination and complete disregard of personal safety from punishment by the enemy or from the ensuing explosion which set the vessel alight".

"He deserves more than a pair of boots and a bicycle for his bravery He deserves the Victoria Cross because his courage put South Africa's military prowess on the map," Ms Nkosi Maaba says, reflecting on her uncle's actions of nearly 80 years ago.

Mr Gillespie, who is behind efforts to get a VC for Maseko, believes that the veteran's skin colour meant the highest possible award was blocked by South Africa.

"I'm absolutely certain of that the Military Medal was just a consolation prize," says the campaigner, whose father also fought for South Africa in World War Two.

Neville Lewis, South Africa's official war artist during the conflict, alleged that Maseko was "recommended for a Victoria Cross but being 'only an African' he had received the Military Medal instead", according to JS Mohlamme, writing in South Africa's Military History Journal.

Job Maseko was remembered in a memorial service a few months after his death

The curator of the National Museum of Military History, which prominently displays Maseko's portrait, agrees that he should have got a higher award.

"The sad reality is that black South Africans who volunteered to be part of the army just like their white counterparts were treated unfairly. Personally I think that Mr Maseko should've got the VC," Alan Sinclair tells the BBC.

But according to the head of the Victoria Cross Trust, which works to preserve the memories of those awarded the medal, there may have been other reasons for him not receiving the highest honour.

"There's no doubt that what Job did in terms of the sabotage of the ship was exceptionally dangerous and would've probably have led to his death had he been caught," Keith Lumley says.

"However at the moment it doesn't seem to quite hit the level of a VC because it wasn't witnessed. While there's no doubt that he did what he did but nobody actually saw him do it. I just get the sense from what I've read that his Military Medal was a reflection of his actions."

As for the UK's ministry of defence, it seems unlikely that it will at the moment upgrade the award.

While acknowledging the bravery of all African servicemen and women in World War Two, a spokesperson told the BBC in an email that "we cannot consider retrospective awards because we are unable to confirm the circumstances or compare the merits between cases that took place so many years ago".

'Statue for Job'

Mr Gillespie's efforts to get the ministry to change its mind hit a setback when a petition to try and raise the issue in the UK's parliament was rejected on a technicality. It was turned down as these types of petitions cannot call for someone to get an award.

But he believes more should be done to commemorate Maseko's gallantry.

"We're busy arguing about removing statues but how about we put one up for Job that way he'll always be remembered."

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And Mr Lumley offers some hope.

He points out that Teddy Sheean of the Australian Navy was awarded a VC in November last year following 50 years of lobbying by his family for an act that took place in 1942.

"So in Job's case I'm not saying he hasn't earned the VC but more work needs to be done to find those extra details that would cause the VC to be appropriate."

But in his home town, the Kwa-Thema township in Springs, Maseko's legacy lives on. A main road and a primary school have been named after him and a large mural with his portrait has also been painted.

At his graveside, his niece is obviously pleased about the renewed attention his story is getting.

Turning to the headstone Ms Nkosi Maaba proudly says: "Your memory lives on uncle, continue resting in peace."

Nomsa Maseko is a distant relative of Job but has not played any part in the campaign backed by his close family.
Philips Azurion PCI procedure

Philips Laser System

Philips OmniWire Pressure Guide Wire 3D view

May 18, 2021

Amsterdam, the Netherlands  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the European availability of new innovations in its unique portfolio of solutions that integrate imaging, devices, software, informatics and services at each point in a cardiac patients journey at EuroPCR 2021 (May 18-20). During the virtual event, Philips is showcasing its latest innovations in image-guided therapy that advance procedures including percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to treat the narrowing of coronary arteries.

At Philips we envision personalized, efficient and clinically-smart cardiac care that drives optimal outcomes throughout the patient journey, said Bert van Meurs, Chief Business Leader for Image Guided Therapy at Philips . At this years virtual EuroPCR were showcasing how we bring together devices, systems, software and services that improve cardiac care by strengthening clinical confidence, building efficiency throughout the care pathway and improving the experience for both patients and staff.

Philips Interventional Applications Platform  IntraSight Mobile

The new Philips Interventional Applications Platform  IntraSight Mobile  brings together imaging and physiology applications on a mobile system for coronary and peripheral artery disease therapy [1]. IntraSight Mobile builds on the success of IntraSight , integrating intravascular diagnostic applications into a smart, simple, and seamless workflow solution for interventional labs.

The IntraSight platform allows interventional cardiologists to perform intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging and physiologic measurements of fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instant wave-free ratio (iFR) to accurately identify the location of lesions causing ischemia. IntraSight Mobile is built on the same software as IntraSight and is compatible with Philips current and future portfolio of IVUS and physiology disposables. It includes a touchscreen panel PC and a ruggedized multi-modality touch screen module mounted on a modern and easy to maneuver cart. Its intuitive user interface and simplified workflow offer clinicians an outstanding user experience while also optimizing lab performance.

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European debut of Philips OmniWire Pressure Guide Wire

Philips OmniWire Pressure Guide Wire , the worlds first solid-core pressure wire for coronary artery interventions, has received CE marking and is now available in Europe [2]. With its breakthrough solid-core construction, physicians can more easily maneuver the wire in the patients circulatory system to measure blood pressure along the vessel and guide the delivery of catheters and stents. OmniWire supports iFR and FFR measurements, which can be co-registered onto angiograms to precisely identify the parts of a vessel that require treatment.

Introduction of Philips Laser System

The new Philips Laser System offers plug-and-play simplicity for coronary and peripheral atherectomy procedures. The catheters compatible with the Philips Laser System are indicated in more vessel types than any other atherectomy device, and it is the only laser atherectomy technology proven for in-stent restenosis (ISR) in both coronary and peripheral vasculature [3,4]. In addition, the system is also the only laser system available for lead extraction procedures (the removal of pacemaker or defibrillator leads around the heart). Smaller, lighter and more maneuverable, the system starts up within 30 seconds and has an intuitive touch-screen interface with guided workflow prompts that minimize the need for technician training.

Also being showcased at EuroPCR is the recently-introduced Philips Interventional Hemodynamic System with Patient Monitor IntelliVue X3 which provides advanced hemodynamic (blood flow) measurements at the tableside in the cath lab and continuous monitoring of key vital signs throughout the patient journey. In addition, Philips Cardiovascular Imaging and Information Manager  IntelliSpace Cardiovascular  supports informed decision-making by providing a comprehensive overview of the patients cardiovascular care continuum and helps save time and unnecessary work and significantly improves efficiency and workflow.

As demands on cardiology departments continue to increase, clinicians and administrators are balancing the delivery of high-quality care and optimal outcomes with pressure to increase efficiency and care for more patients. Definitive diagnostics, innovative procedures, and personalized patient management are essential to helping address these demands. Philips provides a unique portfolio of solutions centered on its next-generation Image Guided Therapy System  Azurion . Individually, the companys innovations help to solve some of cardiologys most significant daily challenges, and together they connect throughout the care pathway to create a powerful ecosystem that helps realize the vision of delivering better cardiac care with greater efficiency. For more information visit www.philips.com/cardiology .

[1] Philips Mobile Interventional Applications Platform  IntraSight Mobile  is CE marked for sale in Europe and has received FDA 510(k) clearance for sale in the U.S.

[2] Philips Pressure Guide Wire  OmniWire  is CE marked for sale in Europe and has received FDA 510(k) clearance for sale in the U.S.

[3] Philips Laser System is CE marked for sale in Europe. The system is not currently available for sale in the U.S.

[4] ISR indicated for ELCA (P002208) and the Turbo-Power (P015612)

For further information, please contact:

Mark Groves

Philips Global Press Office

Tel.: +31 631 639 916

E-mail: mark.groves@philips.com

Fabienne van der Feer

Philips Image Guided Therapy

Tel: + 31 622 698 001

E-mail : fabienne.van.der.feer@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum  from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter .

Attachments




Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on May 18, 2021

2021/05/18

CCTV: According to media reports, the US has recently announced that it supports waiving intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines and will gradually increase supply of vaccines overseas. There are also media reports that say the US has secured far more doses than its need but has not exported a single dose. What's China's view on this?

Zhao Lijian: To waive intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines is the appeal of the vast developing world. As long as an effort is conducive to developing countries' equitable access to vaccines, China will support it. As long as something will help the world especially developing countries to fight the virus, China will do it. Yesterday we have announced China's support for a waiver of intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines.

The core issue at present is how to ensure developing countries' timely and equitable access to vaccines. WHO has repeatedly urged some advanced nations to stop purchasing more than they need or restricting exports in order to deny the virus chances of further spread and mutations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized on several occasions some developed countries for pursuing "vaccine nationalism", hoarding vaccines or cutting deals in private with vaccine suppliers. He said the inequitable distribution is immoral and called for equitable distribution of vaccines globally.

But what we have seen is that Western developed countries, especially the US, have stockpiled far more doses than their need. Based on the statistics of some agencies and media, the high-income countries which account for 14% of the world's population now hold six times more vaccines than medium- and low-income countries which account for over 86% of the global population. The US has purchased about 2.6 billion doses, a quarter of the global total, far in excess of its need. Up to one hundred million doses are sitting in American warehouses gathering dust. Therefore the most pressing task at hand is for the developed countries which have bought far more doses than their actual need to immediately lift export restrictions and increase supply to make up for the shortfall in developing countries as soon as possible.

China has been taking concrete actions to honor its commitment of making vaccines a global public good. Despite its own huge population and limited supply, it has been making tangible contribution to vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. We have provided vaccine assistance to over 80 countries and 3 international organizations and vaccine exports to over 50 countries. We are also working with over 10 developing countries including Egypt and the UAE on technology transfer and joint production to quickly advance large-scale production of vaccines. Recently, the Sinopharm vaccine was listed for emergency use by the WHO and efforts are being made towards providing doses to COVAX. Also, China has announced that it will offer vaccines to UN peacekeeping missions and the International Olympic Committee, with positive progress being made on both fronts. Going forward, we will continue to contribute to the equitable access of vaccines in the developing world.

AFP: US President Joe Biden said yesterday that he plans to export five times more COVID-19 vaccines than any other country including Russia and China. And he said that ending the pandemic would require American leadership. What's your comment on his statements?

Zhao Lijian: Vaccines are important weapons in fighting the epidemic to save lives. We welcome actions by countries with the conditions and capabilities to offer vaccines to developing countries to promote the equitable distribution and application of vaccines across the world.

I just introduced China's efforts to improve vaccine availability and affordability in developing countries. We welcome efforts by the US to honor its commitment of offering vaccine assistance at an early date and provide tangible help to developing countries in their fight against the epidemic.

It is despicable that the US makes an issue out of China whenever the topic of vaccines is brought up. It sets people wondering about US true intention and motives. Vaccine is not about races or values. It is not a tool to create "vaccine divide" or seek political manipulation. Unlike the US, China will not use vaccines to influence or lead the world. Nor will China indulge in empty talks while not taking any concrete actions. China has only one goal: we want to do our best to help developing countries save more lives. By offering vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies to other countries, China is not trying to secure favors from others. Our assistance comes with no geopolitical agenda or political strings. We will do our utmost to let people breathe because every life matters, regardless of his or her nationality and race.

Reuters: The spokesperson of the Hong Kong SAR government said early today that Hong Kong had temporarily suspended operations at its representative office in the Taiwan region. Do you have any insight or comment on this?

Zhao Lijian: This is not a diplomatic question. I would like to refer you to competent authorities.

HRTN: Despite the ongoing escalation of the Palestine-Israel situation, the US obstructed the passing of a joint statement on ceasefire and cessation of violence and the protection of civilians at the Security Council for the third time on May 16. Separately, the US has approved the sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel worth $735 million, according to people familiar with the matter. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: At the Security Council open debate on Palestine-Israel conflict on May 16, the overwhelming majority of UNSC members called for an immediate ceasefire and preventing a full-blown crisis; required protecting civilians and avoiding more casualties; stick to political settlement and called on Palestine and Israel to resume peace talks on the basis of the "two-state solution"; and believed that the Security Council should speak with a unanimous voice, advance the peace talks process in a just manner and work for the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel. However, the US, rather than taking proactive measures to forestall Palestine-Israel conflict, stands ready to fuel the tension. The US has been isolated at the Security Council unprecedentedly and is standing on the opposite side of mankind's conscience and morality.

The international community is deeply upset by how the US has behaved in Palestine-Israel conflict. People can't help but ask, is this the diplomacy featuring so-called human rights and values the US claims to champion? Why has the US been so callous about the Palestinian people's human rights while it keeps talking about upholding Muslims' human rights? The US only cares about favoritism and interests, not the merit of the matter itself. Isn't it just using human rights as a pretext? The US opposition has held back the Security Council from taking actions on the Palestine-Israel conflicts, is this what the US calls rules-based international order?

As more and more innocent civilians have been killed in the conflict, the US should shoulder its due responsibility and take an unbiased position. It needs to work with the vast members of the international community and support the Security Council to play its due role in easing tensions, rebuilding trust and advancing political settlement.

RIA Novosti: China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that President Xi Jinping will join Russian President Vladimir Putin in witnessing the ground-breaking ceremony of the bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project on May 19. Can you tell us more details? What's China's expectation of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation? My second question is related to Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks in the phone conversation with National Security Advisor to Afghan President. He said that China stands ready to facilitate intra-Afghan negotiations, including creating necessary conditions for negotiations in China. Can you tell us more about it? Does the Afghan side agree with China's suggestions?

Zhao Lijian: On May 19, Chinese President Xi Jinping will join Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link in Beijing in witnessing the ground-breaking ceremony of the bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia. This will be the first bilateral exchange at the head-of-state level between the two sides since the beginning of this year, which is of important significance to guiding the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to maintain high-level development.

Nuclear energy cooperation is a traditional priority cooperation area for China and Russia. With rapid development in recent years, this area has drawn high attention from the heads of state of both countries. In June 2018, witnessed by President Xi Jinping and President Putin, the two sides signed a package cooperation deal and agreed to jointly build units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and units 3 and 4 of Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant. This has been the biggest China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation project to date and represents the highest level of practical cooperation between the two sides. The successful beginning of the construction of the four units demonstrates the major cooperation outcomes in high-end equipment manufacturing and science and technology innovation and will boost the upgrading of practical cooperation between the two countries.

Besides, since nuclear energy is clean and efficient, the four units, after completion, will effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This shows China's firm determination to peak its carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality as well as its commitment as a responsible major country.

On your second question, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about relevant issues with National Security Advisor to Afghan President Hamdullah Mohib and Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar on the phone yesterday. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang stressed that China endorses the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle and supports all parties in Afghanistan in finding a broad and inclusive political arrangement through peaceful means. The U.S. unilateral withdrawal of troops at a crucial stage of the Afghan domestic reconciliation process has brought uncertainty to the evolution of the situation in Afghanistan. However, peace is the trend of the times, which fully complies with the fundamental and long-term interests of the Afghan people and is also the shared aspiration of the international community. China stands ready to facilitate intra-Afghan negotiations, including creating necessary conditions for negotiations in China. China will continue to support all parties in Afghanistan to continue to push forward intra-Afghan negotiations and establish a broad and inclusive political framework for the future based on the principles of political settlement, putting peace first and progressing step by step. China supports the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country's peace and reconciliation process, and calls on all parties to support and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions to promote a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan and in particular avoid a resurgence of terrorist forces.

The Afghan side thanks China for its firm support for the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and applauds China's continuous positive role in supporting the process. Afghanistan looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in this regard, both within the bilateral framework and the framework of the UN Security Council, in a bid to safeguard peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

China will work with the international community and regional countries to continue to boost the peace talks in Afghanistan and help the country realize peace and stability at an early date.

Bloomberg: US President Biden now says he supports a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. What's the foreign ministry's response? Separately, China has offered to mediate in such a situation. Why would China make a good mediator?

Zhao Lijian: Saying that the US supports a ceasefire is not enough. The pressing task is to work with the majority members of the international community to support the Security Council in playing its due role in easing the situation, rebuilding trust and advancing political settlement.

China is paying much attention to and gravely concerned about the escalating conflicts that has caused heavy casualties. China strongly condemns violence against civilians. We once again urge the parties of the conflict, especially Israel, to immediately cease military actions and hostilities, resume political dialogue at an early date, and take actions that are conducive to reducing violence and achieving a soft-landing of the situation. Efforts should be made to protect the safety and rights of civilians, resume peace and stability on the ground as soon as possible and avoid severe humanitarian disaster. The international community, the Security Council in particular, should speak with a unanimous voice, reaffirm the firm support to the "two-state solution", advance peace talks in a just manner and play an active role in de-escalation and the political settlement to the Palestinian question.

As the president of the UNSC for May, China worked for two UNSC emergency consultations and drafted the press statement. On that basis, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the UN Security Council Open Debate on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question" on May 16 and put forward China's proposals on cooling down the situation. China will continue to push the Council to fulfill its duty, play its role and make due contributions to the settlement of the Palestinian question in a comprehensive, just and durable manner.

Reuters: China's export to North Korea in April is at the highest level since July 2020. Can you confirm if China has reopened its border with North Korea for trade and any other exchanges?

Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of the situation you mentioned. I would like to refer you to competent authorities.

AFP: The EU and the US met to discuss steel tariffs yesterday, and they said in a joint statement afterwards that they plan to hold China to account for supporting trade distorting policies in the steel market. What's your view on this?

Zhao Lijian: How the US develops its economic and trade relations with the EU is its own business. But it should not make an issue out of China or even attempt to form a clique against China. Such a twisted and narrow mentality doesn't befit a major country.

I want to ask some people, can they provide any evidence to support their groundless accusations against China? China doesn't wantonly resort to bullying and sanctions, impose "long-arm jurisdiction", or suppress foreign companies. China always firmly supports the multilateral trading system, develops international economic and trade cooperation in accordance with the principle of equality and mutual benefit. For the differences in international trade, we believe all should discard zero-sum mindset and nonconstructive practices including ganging up against others. Instead, all should, on the basis of mutual respect and following relevant WTO rules, seek proper settlement through equal-footed negotiations and make the pie of mutual benefit and win-win results bigger. The biggest inequity is to apply the mechanisms and rules of the multilateral trading system when they serve one's interests and abandon them when they do not.

Currently, certain countries wantonly took unilateral trade measures such as imposing tariffs and sanctions, and unilaterally obstructed the functioning of the WTO Appellate Body. This is the biggest distortion of normal international trade order. As for overcapacity of steel, people have clear answers to who is making substantive contributions to resolving this issue and who is causing an impact on the international market. We hope all sides can earnestly take effective measures to contribute to the orderly operation of the global market and sound and steady growth of international trade.

Bloomberg: I just want to double back a little bit on the earlier question, just want to make sure that you would like to offer some position on how China's approach to mediation on the Israel-Palestine conflict would be different from other countries including the US. Second question is with regard to a report from The New York Times that says that a data center in Guiyang will be used by Apple Inc. to store Chinese customers' personal data. The encryption key is available to Chinese government departments that ask for it. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: You may make a comparison between the roles that China and the US are playing regarding the current Palestine-Israel conflict. Without comparison, you may not be able to tell the difference. China upholds international fairness and justice, while the US cares about its own interests only. The US position is dictated by its closeness with relevant sides.

As for your second question, I am not aware of the situation. However, I'd like to briefly touch upon three points.

Firstly, all foreign enterprises in China should respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and abide by China's laws and regulations, which is the basic principle and requirement.

Secondly, China's laws clearly stipulate that data security, personal information and other legitimate rights and interests of all citizens and organizations should be protected. The Chinese Government strictly follows principles on the protection of data security, prohibits and cracks down on illegal activities in accordance with laws.

Thirdly, the US is a country notorious for hacking and espionage, and does not even pass up a chance to spy on its allies. It is not uncommon to see media reports on the US Government's arbitrary access to the personal information of its own people. It would be better for the US to stop its trick of a thief crying "stop the thief" to smear China.

Global Times: It is reported that Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox warned the nation was facing a long-feared "day of reckoning" between its security and economic relationships. He urged the government to calm tensions with China through "negotiation, common sense and diplomacy" and called for an end to inflammatory language. He believed that the industrial and business community should work to avoid an escalation of tensions. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I noted relevant reports. For quite some time, the Australian government has repeatedly made provocative and confrontational moves on such issues of China's core interests and major concerns as those related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan. This has severely undermined the political trust and cooperation foundation between the two sides.

We noticed that more and more visionary people in Australia expressed their concern over this, calling on the Australian government to reflect on its China policy and putting forward very valuable suggestions. We hope the Australian government will face squarely the crux of the setbacks of the bilateral relations, take China's concerns seriously and heed rational voices. Australia should set aside the cold war mentality and ideological bias, and do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation and are in line with the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

Shenzhen TV: According to a report by Kyodo News Agency on May 16, several old-fashioned storage tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are starting to leak nuclear contaminated water, which comes from the treated underground water retained in reactors units 5 and 6 which didn't experience core meltdowns. Cesium 137 and beta-ray doses have been detected in the water of these storage tanks. What's China's comment?

Zhao Lijian: I have noted the report, which reminds the world once again that the disposal of the nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident is a delicate matter that requires the greatest prudence and discretion. A month ago, despite doubts and opposition from home and abroad, Japan unilaterally decided to release the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea before exhausting all safe ways of disposal, without fully disclosing relevant information and without fully consulting with neighboring countries and the international community. This is extremely irresponsible.

This latest media report of water leak has once again exposed Japan's poor treatment of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power plant accident early on. The Tokyo Electric Power Company, which is in charge of handling the accident, has repeatedly tampered with data and covered up truth. With its poor record, a big question mark naturally comes to our mind once again as to whether Japan's decision to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the sea is a rational one based on science, and whether the data Japan uses to support its decision-making is reliable.

China once again strongly urges Japan to earnestly respond to the grave concerns of the international community, the neighboring countries and its own people, act with a high sense of responsibility towards international public interests, and prudently handle the issue in an open and transparent manner. It must not take the liberty of starting the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea before reaching consensus with stakeholders and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Beijing Daily: It is reported that citizens' groups in the ROK city of Busan have been holding protests, calling for the closure of the biochemical laboratory of the US military in the port of Busan and the removal of biochemical weapons from the ROK. Local media have repeatedly exposed the US military's shipment of biological warfare agents to the ROK, criticizing it for concealing the truth, and strongly questioning the safety of relevant activities. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: The international community, especially the public and media of the countries concerned, have repeatedly expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the US military's use of overseas laboratories to engage in bio-military activities. China has also repeatedly expressed its serious concerns. As early as last August, China urged the US to clarify its bio-military activities in the ROK. Last week, China reiterated that the US should take concrete steps to ensure that its labs and relevant activities are legal, transparent and safe, and again urged the US to stop being the only country obstructing the establishment of a Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) verification mechanism.

Regrettably, the US has turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the international community. Take Busan, where massive protests broke out again, for example. There are some questions awaiting answers from the US side:

-- What is the US military's real intention of shipping biological warfare agents to Busan? What research has been carried out since the shipment was brought in? How can it prove that relevant activities are in compliance with the BWC?

-- Why is it holding back the truth? In particular, why did it deny the construction of a military laboratory at Busan Port's Pier 8 at first until forced to admit it in 2016 when the related project was exposed by the media? Why did it claim in 2015 that it was the first time that biological warfare agents were sent to the ROK, but was later proved to have secretly sent them to the country as early as 2009?

-- Why has it neglected the health and safety of the local people? In particular, there are four residential communities and several schools within the 500-meter radius of Pier 8 of the Busan Port. What if an accident happens in such a densely populated area?

In short, legality, transparency and security are the common requirements of the international community for the US bio-military activities. We once again urge the US side to make a thorough clarification, take concrete and credible actions to fully fulfill its obligations under the BWC, and stop standing alone in blocking negotiations for a protocol that includes a verification mechanism to the BWC, so as to create conditions for addressing concerns and building mutual trust through verification.

Beijing Youth Daily: The MFA website released information on the visit to Xinjiang by envoys from Latin America and Caribbean countries in China. We noticed that the envoys lauded Xinjiang as a wonderful land. Can you give us more details about the visit?

Zhao Lijian: From May 13 to 17, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng accompanied Latin American and Caribbean diplomatic envoys on a visit to Xinjiang. The delegation visited Urumqi, Turpan and Hotan, and made field visits to learn Xinjiang's social, economic, cultural, ethnic and religious development and to embrace new opportunities brought by cooperation between Xinjiang and Latin America. A total of 23 ambassadors and other senior diplomats from 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries took part.

Chen Quanguo, Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee, met with the diplomatic delegation and briefed it on the unprecedented historic achievements Xinjiang has made in economic and social development, human rights and improvement of people's livelihood under the scientific guidance of the CPC's Xinjiang policy in the new era. He rebuked with specific cases and detailed data the blatant lies of "genocide", "forced labor" and "oppression of Muslims" concocted by the US and Western anti-China forces. He expressed firm opposition and strong condemnation to the moves of the US and Western countries who use the so-called human rights issues to severely interfere in China's internal affairs and hurt the feelings of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng attended the meeting, as well as the meeting themed "Xinjiang is a wonderful land". He also had an interview with Chinese and foreign media to debunk how anti-China forces painstakingly designed an "industrial chain" to fabricate lies and launch attacks in an attempt to disrupt Xinjiang, instigate religious and ethnic conflicts, undermine China's stability and contain China's development. He stressed that facts are not to be distorted and justice will eventually prevail. Lies and rumors cannot hold back the prosperity and progress of Xinjiang, and power politics and hegemony will not overshadow international fairness and justice. Xie encouraged the envoys to gain deep understanding of Xinjiang and actively explore resources and opportunities for cooperation, promote rich and diversified cultural and people-to-people exchanges to inject new impetus and vitality into the China-CELAC community with a shared future.

In Urumqi, the delegation visited the counter-terrorism and de-radicalization exhibition, the International Grand Bazaar, mosques, power transmission and transformation companies, the Agricultural Expo Park, the Xinjiang Islamic Institute and the Urumqi Economic and Technological Development Zone and attended a meeting themed "Xinjiang is a wonderful land". In Turpan, they visited e-commerce companies producing specialized agricultural products, mosques, local Nang (a Uyghur-style baked flatbread) cultural industrial park and Huoshan Chateau. In Hotan, they visited a mulberry-bark paper making street, a fruits and walnut trading market, Atlas silk company and the old town Tuancheng. They also joined ordinary Uyghur families for a chat over tea and tried local cuisine.

During the visit, the ambassadors and envoys happily took interviews with Chinese and overseas media outlets and talked about their experience and feelings during their visit in Xinjiang. They sincerely praised Xinjiang for its leapfrog economic growth, social harmony and stability, peace and unity among different ethnic groups, freedom of religious belief and vigorous cultural development. Noting that terrorism is a common challenge facing the whole world, they said they fully understand and support the efforts of the Chinese government in combating terrorism and de-radicalization in Xinjiang, and positively appraise the important role played by the vocational education and training centers. They said they stand ready to actively promote practical cooperation with Xinjiang in such areas as clean energy, power equipment, modern agriculture and featured tourism.
The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to the inspiring efforts of youth workers to bring about reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

In the second engagement of their visit, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met with a number of youth workers at the headquarters of the Education Authority in Belfast city centre.

Charles and Camilla heard reflections from young people living in deprived areas on how youth workers had impacted their lives.

In a speech, Charles hailed the tireless work being done to bring about reconciliation.

I cannot tell you how really inspiring it has been to hear of the tireless work being carried out by youth workers on all sides of the community, and I just wanted to take this opportunity, if I may, to pay special tribute to your dedication and commitment to the cause of peaceful co-existence, he said.

We must never underestimate the risk, and of course the cost, of holding to peaceful ways, and how much determination and courage is necessary.

All of you whom I have met here today and many more of your colleagues in your communities have shown those qualities in the most challenging circumstances.

We owe you a deep debt of gratitude and above all of admiration.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to the Education Authority Headquarters in Belfast (Clodagh Kilcoyne/PA)

Among the work discussed at the engagement were schemes to stop bonfire builders from engaging in anti-social behaviour.

He added: Whenever I visit I never cease to be profoundly moved by the work that is being done to heal the pain of the past, to bring understanding and reconciliation in the present and to build hope for the future.

All who love this very special part of the world can only wish you renewed strength of spirit and resolve as you take forward this work of such vital importance to these islands.

Charles went on to carry out a solo visit to the Harland and Wolff shipyard in the east of the city.

He commented on the height of the towering yellow cranes which dominate the city skyline as he met workers, many of whom represent the third or fourth generations of their family to work there.

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The royal visitor unveiled a plaque to mark the 160th anniversary of the company, which fell into administration in 2019 before being bought by Infrastrata.

The Prince of Wales during a visit to Harland & Wolff (Samir Hussein/PA)

He told the workers it had been a great pleasure to meet some of them and thanked them for their hard work.

Im so pleased to hear that there is all sorts of potential new activity here and new fabrication opportunities  and I hope you could encourage a lot more of the young to become apprentices and understand the importance of manufacturing, and to also understand how this country has led the way in so many of these areas, he said.

We owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude for your skills and ingenuity, which are so remarkable. Well done all of you and thank you for all the hard work you put in.

The prince was presented with a picture of his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, on a visit to the shipyard in 1977.

Earlier, in their first engagement of the day the royal couple were told about the rich and varied history of Belfast at the beginning of a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.

They visited Belfast City Hall on Tuesday where they were welcomed by Lord Mayor Frank McCoubrey.

Charles and Camilla sign the visitors book at Belfast City Hall (Tim Rooke/PA)

Upon arrival, the royal couple viewed a mural by Belfast artist John Like which was painted for the Festival of Britain in 1950 before viewing a copy of a John Conor painting which showed the State Opening of Stormont in 1921.

Charles then met and discussed the centenary of Northern Ireland with local historians.

The duchess, meanwhile, heard about Belfasts ambition to become a Unesco City of Music and was introduced to the womens steering group behind the bid.

Camilla, wearing an emerald green Rifles coat dress and matching face mask, designed by Fiona Claire, discussed issues around domestic violence with the women.

Before leaving, they met with council staff who had worked in the community in Northern Ireland throughout the pandemic.

The Duchess of Cornwall brought the Co Down village of Hillsborough to a standstill following a visit to an art studio.

The duchess tried her hand at the traditional craft of silversmithing during the visit to the workshop of Cara Murphy.

Mrs Murphy is a renowned silversmith who created the Grand National trophy.

One of her pieces of work is also in Downing Street.

The duchess viewed a demonstration before taking a hammer and trying the technique herself, causing Mrs Murphy to comment that it could be a new career.

Then Camilla viewed several pieces of art created by the Co Down artist before meeting her family.

On leaving the studio, a large crowd had gathered, causing police to temporarily close the road.

The Duchess took time to talk to some local schoolchildren before leaving.
Watch: Prince Harry faces backlash in the US after calling First Amendment 'bonkers'

Prince Harry is facing a growing backlash in the US over his comments that the First Amendment is "bonkers".

Commentators in the US have called Harry a "pain in the a**" and asked the UK to "take him back" after he made the remark about the amendment which protects freedom of speech.

In a podcast with Dax Shepard Harry, 36, said: "I've got so much I want to say about the First Amendment as I sort of understand it, but it is bonkers.

"I don't want to start going down the First Amendment route because that's a huge subject and one which I don't understand because I've only been here a short time.

"But, you can find a loophole in anything.

"You can capitalise or exploit what's not said rather than uphold what is said."

Read more: Piers Morgan brands Prince Harry whiny little brat

Sean Hannity (L) and Steven Olikara during the 2019 Politicon in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

The First Amendment, which opens the US's Bill of Rights, enshrines freedom of speech, religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.

Sean Hannity, who anchors the third biggest evening news show in the US, launched into a tirade at the end of his programme on Monday night after hearing Harry's comments, calling him a "right royal pain in the a**".

He said: "Harry, we really don't need you coming from England to give us lectures on the First Amendment.

"And if you can't understand the importance of free expression and the importance of constitutional principles that allow for a free exchange of ideas and opinions that make America the greatest country on Earth, then maybe it's time for you to move to a place more compatible with your restrictive ideas.

"This is what public figures in America go through."

He added: "Understand this is the same First Amendment that allowed you and your wife to trash your own family in the Oprah Winfrey interview. You and Meghan were allowed to accuse your family of racism.

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"We don't really need lectures about customs or sacred freedoms, and by the way you're free to go home, make amends at the Palace with the people that you and your wife hurt deeply."

Hannity is a conservative political commentator who was reportedly close to Donald Trump during his presidency, speaking to him on the phone several times a week.

Amber Athey, Washington editor of The Spectator US, told Good Morning Britain: "The UK is one of the top 10 exporters to the US  as an American, in the words of former president Donald Trump, you all are not sending your best.

"I would beg you, please take Prince Harry back."

Read more: 'He's treated me the way he was treated': Inside Prince Charles and Harry's very difficult relationship

Harry and Meghan during the Oprah Winfrey interview in March. Harry's podcast interview has now led to controversy. (CBS)

The View co-host Meghan McCain tweeted: "We fought a war in 1776 so we dont have to care what you say or think. That being said, you have chosen to seek refuge from your homeland here and thrive because all of what our country has to offer and one of the biggest things is the 1st amendment - show some utter respect."

Texan senator Ted Cruz tweeted: "Nice that he can say that."

Harry's comment in the podcast was released last week but was initially overshadowed by his remarks about breaking the "cycle of suffering" in his family as he raises his son Archie, and awaits the arrival of his daughter, due in summer.

He also described LA as a "feeding frenzy" of paparazzi when he and his wife Meghan arrived there in March 2020, but later said the couple felt freer now they are settled in Santa Barbara.

Watch: Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry new docuseries The Me You Can't See
(Getty Images)

Then-president Donald Trump sent a secret memo to the Pentagon after he lost the election pushing them to withdraw US troops stationed around the world, according to a new report.

One of Mr Trump's closest aides, John McEntee, handed a handwritten note to retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor on 9 November 2020, saying: This is what the president wants you to do.

The note said to get us out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. It instructed the Colonel to complete the withdrawal from Germany, and to get us out of Africa, according to new reporting by Axios.

Col Macgregor, who had just been offered the post of senior adviser to acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller, with only ten weeks left of Mr Trumps term in office, told Mr McEntee he didnt think such a drastic move would be possible before the presidents term was up.

Then do as much as you can, Mr McEntee said, according to Axios.

A short memo was delivered by a courier to the office of Mr Miller two days later with instructions from Mr Trump to withdraw all US forces from Somalia by 31 December 2020 and all troops from Afghanistan by 15 January 2021. It was Mr Millers third day as Defence secretary after the firing of Mark Esper.

The top military leaders were horrified by the orders, Axios reported. Neither White House counsel Pat Cipollone nor national security advisor Robert O'Brien appeared to know where the orders had come from.

The memo had Mr Trumps signature, but not even the staffers whose job it was to vet all the paper that got to the desk of the president knew where it had come from.

National security leaders came to understand that Mr Trump himself was trying to conduct military policy under the radar, according to Axios.

Mr Trumps previous attempts to put a stop to Americas endless wars were slow-walked by military leaders once he came into office. The generals around the president didnt see eye to eye with the presidents view of the world.

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Mr McEntee pushed harder to appoint people loyal to Mr Trumps agenda to top Pentagon positions once it became clear that Joe Bidens election victory would not be overturned.

The goal was to go against the advice of the generals and remove the US from its positions around the world in a way that couldnt easily be undone by the next administration.

Mr McEntee was discovered as the man behind the order at the White House but claimed he was simply doing what Col Macgregor had instructed him to do.

Mr Cipollone and Mr OBrien stopped the order, talking Mr Trump into waiting until they had had a meeting with national security officials.

In this meeting, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Mr Miller and Mr OBrien argued against the withdrawal from Afghanistan. They had previously used examples from Vietnam to discourage Mr Trump from rushing to leave.

Despite signing the order, Mr Trump told Axios he was concerned about leaving behind gear during a rushed exit. Referring to the Vietnam War, he said: You remember those scenes with the helicopters, right, with people grabbing onto the gear? You dont want that. And I wouldnt have that.

Mr Biden announced on 14 April that he would withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by 11 September.

Despite Mr Bidens long-held scepticism concerning remaining in Afghanistan, Mr Trump sought credit for his successors ability to take such action, telling Axios he built a train that couldnt be stopped.

Mr Trump said his phone conversation in March 2020 with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was the reason that no US troops in Afghanistan were killed in combat for more than a year.

He also claimed that he told Mr Baradar that the US would return if the Taliban tried to assert control, saying that they would be hit you harder than youve ever been hit before. The Taliban reject this version of events.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told Axios that Mr Trump did not exert pressure nor issue any threats and warnings, adding that the conversation was cordial and normal.

The spokesperson also said that the Taliban has not spoken to Mr Biden or Secretary of State Antony Blinken, instead communicating with US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

The situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous with dozens dying every week. A recent bomb attack targeted school girls in the capital of Kabul, killing at least 85 people.

Following the withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban could retake control and impose a totalitarian reign once again.

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On May 3, Van Orden met with a large group of La Crosse area parents at the home of former Holmen School Board candidate Jennifer Westlie, where she said 60-70 parents from Holmen, West Salem, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau and several more schools spanning as far as Cadot gathered to get his advice.

She said that parents from many different school districts were requesting Van Ordens help on how to overturn their mask mandates, and they decided to hold a joint meeting to expedite the process.

[Another parent] was very, very excited about how influential he was with another school district, school board, and she said, I really want you to come talk to ours, Westlie said.

It was pretty much a regurgitation of the things he had talked to with Elk Mound, Westlie said. Talking about our constitutional rights as it pertains to being forced to wear a mask.

Van Orden shared a photo of a group on his Twitter on May 3, saying, Wow! We had over 50 people on site and another 50+ for our Make Masks Optional meeting tonight.
A California startup developing electric vans and trucks is partnering with UW-Madison in hopes of making electric vehicles more available while reducing the use of limited natural resources.

The university announced Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canoo to create an electric propulsion research center on campus.

According to the announcement, the College of Engineering will lead the effort, which is also intended to create internships and other opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

Oliver Schmitz, associate dean for research at the College of Engineering, said the memorandum is a starting point for a discussion on what a research center might look like. He hopes to develop a plan over the next six months that will detail the level of support Canoo would provide in terms of funding or personnel.

In a statement, Canoo chairman and CEO Tony Aquila said university-based research would benefit the burgeoning EV industry and make U.S. manufacturers more competitive.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  GT Capital Holdings saw its earnings grow by 60% in the first quarter of the year "driven primarily" by higher incomes of its banking and automotive businesses.

In a disclosure published in the local bourse Tuesday, the Ty family-led company reported a consolidated net income of 4.1 billion for the period, up 60% from 2.5 billion in same quarter in 2020.

"The solid performance of Metrobank and the strong rebound in the auto business led to significant earnings growth for GT Capital in the first quarter," GT Capital president and director Carmelo Bautista said in the disclosure.

Metrobank, one of the biggest banks in the Philippines, saw earnings rise by 27% to 7.8 billion from January to March. The listed conglomerate noted this is mainly because of the 28% annual increase in non-interest income, which currently stands at 7.9 billion.

Toyota Motor Philippines also tallied a net income of 2 billion, a 39% jump from the 1.4 billion recorded in the same period in 2020. The company sold 33,095 retail vehicles during the quarter, up 29% year-on-year. Its automotive sales also expanded by 6% to 74,585 units.

"TMP has remained the country's number one automotive brand with a record 44.4% overall market share in the first quarter of 2021, continuing its strong leadership position in the market," said GT Capital.

However, infrastructure arm Metro Pacific Investments saw income plummet by 26% to 2.5 billion in the first three months of the year.

"Similar to previous quarters, mobility restrictions have resulted in reduced toll road traffic, light rail services, and commercial and industrial demand for water and power," noted GT Capital.

Property subsidiary Federal Land's earnings, meanwhile, fell to 327 million from the 375 million registered in 2020 because of "construction and sales activity restrictions during the quarantine period."

Insurance arm AXA Philippines' net income also decline to 324 million compared to 367 million in the first quarter of 2020.

"Notwithstanding the recent surge in Covid-19 cases and the reimposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in March, we remain optimistic for the rest of the year," Bautista said.

He added the group looks forward to ramped up vaccine deliveries in the second half of 2021, faster inoculation of the populace, and reopening of more economic sectors, as this will allow GT Capital "to build on its growth momentum from the first quarter."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  As mother nature cries for help, many of us still find initiating environmental-friendly actions challenging. But for Nestle Philippines, saving the environment is taken step by step as it made new commitments towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) not later than 2050, while halving GHG by 2030.

One of the countrys largest food and beverage companies made the declaration as the Kasambuhay for the Environment during its virtual 2021 Net Zero Fair on April 30. This event was attended by its employees and their families, as well as program and business partners.

Nestle Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki said the company, which is observing its 110th year, will reduce the use of virgin plastics by 1,100 metric tons this year versus its 2019 usage. By 2025, consumption should be down by 1/3, and GHG from local operations should be reduced by 30%, he said.

Aside from existing efforts to innovate and develop technology to make its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, Nestle Philippines Makati office and Luzon factories have also switched to 100% renewable electricity.

Moreover, Nestle Philippines is enabling Robusta coffee farmers in Mindanao to learn regenerative agriculture and sustainable coffee production through its NESCAFE Plan and the Common Code for the Coffee Community or 4C. In particular, the company is helping 1,500 smallholder farmers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Photo from Nestle

Marzouki also said that the firm will collect and divert an annual average of 26,000 metric tons of plastic waste away from landfills and oceans. This move is seen to further intensify the firms efforts to sustain plastic neutrality, its initiative to collect and co-process the equivalent amount of plastic it generates in its packaging.

In the last seven months, Nestle Philippines has collected 18,000 metric tons of plastic waste, making it the countrys first multinational fast-moving consumer goods company to attain plastic neutrality.

As the Kasambuhay for the Environment, we at Nestle Philippines will take a leading role in looking towards net zero emissions by integrating sustainable practices in our operations, he emphasized.

During the event, company employees and their families also pledged their active participation in creating a net-zero environment by making sustainable choices, properly managing solid waste, and planting trees.

The companys commitments support the Philippines Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement to reduce and avoid carbon emissions by 75% as of 2030.

Arlene Tan-Bantoto, SVP and head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of Nestle Philippines, noted the importance of partnerships with the public and private sectors to achieve these goals.

Photo from Nestle

We are addressing climate change through coordinated action, continuing innovation, and multi-sectoral engagement, with open accountability as we report our progress," Tan-Bantoto said.

"We are the Good Food, Good Life company," she added. "We want to leave the legacy of a cleaner, healthier, and more livable planet for the next 110 years.

In his message of support, Senator Win Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said these private sector efforts will boost goals to achieve carbon neutrality.

Specifically, on the program for coffee farmers, Gatchalian said this should be adopted by other members of the manufacturing sector as it will benefit nature and improve the income of farmers.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu lauded the strategy of Nestle Philippines to address its greenhouse gas emissions. The company is seen to help the country achieve the latters goals in building climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, he said.

Tackling climate change cannot wait, and neither can we," Marzouki said. "And so let us all move forward for the sake of our children and future generations, rising to the challenges that lie ahead, together and united."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Senators on Tuesday urged the administration to maintain other options in the South China Sea dispute in light of a former lawmaker's advice against relying on alliances and to just keep friendly ties with Beijing.

Senator Ping Lacson, chairman of the committee on defense, in a statement said while he agreed with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in continuing diplomatic talks with the East Asian giant, "neither should we disregard other options available, not only to finally resolve the West Philippine Sea issue but to provide the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region."

Lacson earlier said the Philippines should build stronger alliances with other militarily powerful and capable countries "[that] may be willing to help our cause.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the Philippines should work with the US and other countries in addressing the maritime row. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea and rejects the country's arbitral victory that invalidated its historic nine-dash line claim.

The fact is China has encroached on our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and has built military outposts. It plans to build more. It has destabilized the region and has taken away the livelihood of our fishermen and other natural resources available to Filipinos, Recto said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III said the government should look into the feasibility of jump-starting oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea to take advantage of the arbitration win in the absence of an enforcement mechanism.

Hindi naman tayo pwedeng pagbawalan ng China kung gusto nating i-explore ang natural and mineral resources sa ating EEZ dahil atin iyon, pagmamay-ari natin iyon. Kung interesado ang China, pwede naman silang maging joint partner natin pero 60-40 ang hatian dahil tayo ang may-ari nung area, Sotto said.

[Translation: China cannot prohibit us from exploring our natural and mineral resources in our EEZ because that is ours. If China is interested, they can be our joint partner under a 60-40 sharing agreement because we own the area.]

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier shelved differences, including invoking the arbitral ruling, to make way for the planned oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea. In October 2020, he lifted the moratorium on exploration in the area that allowed contractors to resume drilling activities.

CNN Philippines has requested comment from the Department of Energy on whether companies holding service contracts have resumed work in the area.

During the public address Monday night, Duterte and Enrile also scored the previous administration for losing Panatag (Scarborough) shoal to China and questioned Senator Antonio Trillanes' role in the backchannel talks. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had said China deceitfully breached the US-brokered agreement to withdraw vessels from the area to end the standoff.

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima called it a malevolent diversionary scheme of Duterte to pin the blame on former President Benigno Aquino III and his officials.

Senators are expected to tackle the proposed resolution condemning China's illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea after it was referred to the committee on rules on Monday.
On Sept. 9, 2018, astronomers spotted a flash from a galaxy 860 million light years away. The source was a supermassive black hole about 50 million times the mass of the sun.

Normally quiet, the gravitational giant suddenly awoke to devour a passing star in a rare instance known as a tidal disruption event. As the stellar debris fell toward the black hole, it released an enormous amount of energy in the form of light.

Researchers at MIT, the European Southern Observatory, and elsewhere used multiple telescopes to keep watch on the event, labeled AT2018fyk. To their surprise, they observed that as the supermassive black hole consumed the star, it exhibited properties that were similar to that of much smaller, stellar-mass black holes.

The results, published today in the Astrophysical Journal, suggest that accretion, or the way black holes evolve as they consume material, is independent of their size.

"We've demonstrated that, if you've seen one black hole, you've seen them all, in a sense," says study author Dheeraj "DJ" Pasham, a research scientist in MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. "When you throw a ball of gas at them, they all seem to do more or less the same thing. They're the same beast in terms of their accretion."

Pasham's co-authors include principal research scientist Ronald Remillard and former graduate student Anirudh Chiti at MIT, along with researchers at the European Southern Observatory, Cambridge University, Leiden University, New York University, the University of Maryland, Curtin University, the University of Amsterdam, and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

A stellar wake-up

When small stellar-mass black holes with a mass about 10 times our sun emit a burst of light, it's often in response to an influx of material from a companion star. This outburst of radiation sets off a specific evolution of the region around the black hole. From quiescence, a black hole transitions into a "soft" phase dominated by an accretion disk as stellar material is pulled into the black hole. As the amount of material influx drops, it transitions again to a "hard" phase where a white-hot corona takes over. The black hole eventually settles back into a steady quiescence, and this entire accretion cycle can last a few weeks to months.

Physicists have observed this characteristic accretion cycle in multiple stellar-mass black holes for several decades. But for supermassive black holes, it was thought that this process would take too long to capture entirely, as these goliaths are normally grazers, feeding slowly on gas in the central regions of a galaxy.

"This process normally happens on timescales of thousands of years in supermassive black holes," Pasham says. "Humans cannot wait that long to capture something like this."

But this entire process speeds up when a black hole experiences a sudden, huge influx of material, such as during a tidal disruption event, when a star comes close enough that a black hole can tidally rip it to shreds.

"In a tidal disruption event, everything is abrupt," Pasham says. "You have a sudden chunk of gas being thrown at you, and the black hole is suddenly woken up, and it's like, 'whoa, there's so much food -- let me just eat, eat, eat until it's gone.' So, it experiences everything in a short timespan. That allows us to probe all these different accretion stages that people have known in stellar-mass black holes."

A supermassive cycle

In September 2018, the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASASSN) picked up signals of a sudden flare. Scientists subsequently determined that the flare was the result of a tidal disruption event involving a supermassive black hole, which they labeled TDE AT2018fyk. Wevers, Pasham, and their colleagues jumped at the alert and were able to steer multiple telescopes, each trained to map different bands of the ultraviolet and X-ray spectrum, toward the system.

The team collected data over two years, using X-ray space telescopes XMM-Newton and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, as well as NICER, the X-ray-monitoring instrument aboard the International Space Station, and the Swift Observatory, along with radio telescopes in Australia.

"We caught the black hole in the soft state with an accretion disk forming, and most of the emission in ultraviolet, with very few in the X-ray," Pasham says. "Then the disk collapses, the corona gets stronger, and now it's very bright in X-rays. Eventually there's not much gas to feed on, and the overall luminosity drops and goes back to undetectable levels."

The researchers estimate that the black hole tidally disrupted a star about the size of our sun. In the process, it generated an enormous accretion disk, about 12 billion kilometers wide, and emitted gas that they estimated to be about 40,000 Kelvin, or more than 70,000 degrees Fahrenheit. As the disk became weaker and less bright, a corona of compact, high-energy X-rays took over as the dominant phase around the black hole before eventually fading away.

"People have known this cycle to happen in stellar-mass black holes, which are only about 10 solar masses. Now we are seeing this in something 5 million times bigger," Pasham says.

"The most exciting prospect for the future is that such tidal disruption events provide a window into the formation of complex structures very close to the supermassive black hole such as the accretion disk and the corona," says lead author Thomas Wevers, a fellow at the European Southern Observatory. "Studying how these structures form and interact in the extreme environment following the destruction of a star, we can hopefully start to better understand the fundamental physical laws that govern their existence."

In addition to showing that black holes experience accretion in the same way, regardless of their size, the results represent only the second time that scientists have captured the formation of a corona from beginning to end.

"A corona is a very mysterious entity, and in the case of supermassive black holes, people have studied established coronas but don't know when or how they formed," Pasham says. "We've demonstrated you can use tidal disruption events to capture corona formation. I'm excited about using these events in the future to figure out what exactly is the corona."

###

This research was partially supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council's Discovery Projects funding scheme.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
(CNN)  President Joe Biden expressed support for a ceasefire Monday as intensifying violence between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza entered a second week.

During a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden "expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," a White House description of the call read.

It was the third time Biden has spoken with Netanyahu in a six-day stretch. Notable shifts in the administration's language following each call have revealed heightened levels of concern over the growing conflict.

The White House said Monday that Biden reiterated Israel's right to defend itself but "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians."

They also "discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza."

The growing number of civilian deaths in the intensifying battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is causing worry inside the White House as officials work the phones with partners in the region.

Over the course of the week-long conflict, Biden had resisted calls from fellow Democrats and foreign allies to publicly increase pressure on Israel amid the worsening violence. Biden's hesitance to criticize Israel's actions and initial reluctance to support a ceasefire raised questions about his strategy in the Middle East among Democrats whose approach to the issue has shifted in recent years.

Speaking Monday, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it would not be "constructive" for the White House to reveal every aspect of Biden's conversations. Instead, she said the US was working through "quiet and intensive" diplomacy to bring the violence to an end.

"Our focus, our goal, every single action we take, every statement we make, is with the objective of reducing the violence and bring an end to the conflict on the ground," she said.

"There are times in diplomacy where we'll need to keep those conversations quieter, we won't read out every component of it," she went on. "But that is the objective, that is the prism through which every action and every comment is being made."

So far, Biden has remained adamant that Israel has a right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas. The last time he addressed the situation in public, Biden said he did not believe Israel was overreacting by pummeling Gaza with airstrikes.

Psaki would not say whether his assessment had changed since then.

Now, as Israel signals the violence will continue into a second week, Democrats in Washington are calling for Biden to say more. More than 25 Democratic senators, led by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, released a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Israel and the Palestinian territories to "prevent further loss of life and further escalation of violence."

The statement signaled the growing concern in Congress over the escalation of violence in the Middle East. Other Democrats have also called for more robust action by the administration to bring about a truce.

"I think the administration needs to push harder on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to stop the violence, bring about a ceasefire, end these hostilities, and get back to a process of trying to resolve this long-standing conflict," Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Biden has so far shown few signs he is bending to pressure from his party. A longtime supporter of Israel, his politics do not appear to be shifting even as progressives in his party are pushing for a stronger condemnation of Israel.

Asked what Biden's message is to fellow Democrats who have chastised him for not condemning Israeli actions, Psaki said that "sometimes you have to step back from politics for a moment."

"It's not easy to do," she said. "We recognize and agree that watching the lives lost of Palestinian children, of these families, the fear you see in the eyes of the Israeli people, it is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking."

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, is traveling on an unrelated trip in northern Europe. He said at a press conference in Copenhagen with his Danish counterpart that the US is working "intensely" behind the scenes to bring the violence in the Middle East to an end.

"We are ready to lend support if the parties seek a ceasefire. We'll continue to conduct intensive diplomacy to bring this current cycle of violence to an end," Blinken said. "Then we will immediately resume the work, the vital work, of making real the vision of Israel on Palestinian state, existing peacefully side by side with people from all communities able to live in dignity."

Neither Biden nor the White House has explicitly condemned the bombing of the high-rise in Gaza that housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Israel officials, including Netanyahu, defended the action on Sunday by claiming the building housed Hamas intelligence services.

Blinken said Monday the US had requested information about the bombing but that he had "not seen any information provided." Netanyahu said on CBS' "Face The Nation" that "we share with our American friends all that intelligence."

"I will leave it to others to characterize whether any information has been shared and our assessment of that information," he said.

American officials said the next 72 hours will prove critical in determining whether to apply more pressure to the parties to end the violence. The administration's envoy to the region, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr, described his mandate during a White House event marking the end of Ramadan on Sunday.

"Tonight, I'm in Jerusalem, having been asked by President Biden to embark on a determined effort to halt the current violence gripping the West Bank and Gaza and Israel and to achieve a sustainable calm," he said.

Amr arrived in Israel over the weekend and is expected to meet with senior Israel and Palestinian officials. The US does not engage directly with Hamas, which it considers a terror organization. Instead, American officials say they are hopeful countries that do have influence over Hamas will play a central role in brokering peace.

Biden has not yet appointed a special envoy or US ambassador to Israel, though an ambassador nominee is expected as soon as the next two weeks.

In his own remarks during the Sunday Eid event, Biden only made passing reference to the situation.

"We also believe Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security, and enjoy equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy," Biden said in pre-recorded remarks. "And my administration is going to continue to engage Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work towards sustained calm."

Protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza formed in cities across the United States on Sunday, including in the Detroit metropolitan area, home to the largest Arab American population in the United States. Demonstrations took place throughout the weekend, including on Sunday in Dearborn, where Biden is scheduled to visit a Ford plant to highlight the new F-150 electric vehicle on Tuesday.

Thousands of protestors turned out for the event, according to local media reports and across social media, where a direct warning was given to Biden.

"Tuesday he will be here," one leader of the demonstration said. "We have heard from him; he will hear from us."

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Biden 'expressed his support for a ceasefire' in call with Israeli Prime Minister, White House says'
(CNN)  People who live in rural areas have an increased risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, yet as of April, the vaccination rate in rural areas lagged behind cities -- and that could hinder the end of the pandemic, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Monday, about 60% of people 18 and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine in the US, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky -- a "landmark day," she said. But scientists estimate the country will need 70% and 85% of the US population to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity and rural America is lagging far behind.

Through April 10 of this year, vaccination coverage was nearly 39% in rural counties, compared to more than 46% in urban counties, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published Tuesday. That was true for counties across the country, and across all age groups, and among men and women. Yet, in September, the incidence of COVID-19 in rural counties surpassed those in urban counties.

Getting a vaccine to people in rural areas can be difficult. Nearly 80% of rural Americans live in areas that are designated as "medically underserved" by the US government. Easy access to a doctor for regular appointments is difficult in many parts of the country.

There's also the issue of hesitancy.

In April, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed persistent resistance to COVID-19 vaccination in rural America. Some 3 in 10 residents said they would "definitely not" get a COVID-19 vaccine or they would get one only if someone required they have it. That's a higher percentage than in urban or suburban areas.

People who live in these rural areas, however, are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19, in part, because of the lack of access to care and, because, in general, more people in these areas have underlying health conditions, and fewer people are insured.

The trend over the last century has been for people to move to big cities, yet about 60 million people live in rural counties -- a fifth of the US population. If this low vaccination rate continues, this could have a negative impact on the country's overall efforts to control COVID-19.

"Because residents of rural communities are at increased risk for severe COVID-19-associated illness and death, vaccination disparities between urban and rural areas might hinder efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 nationally," the report said. The CDC recommends that public health leaders collaborate with doctors and local influencers in rural areas to address hesitancy, to ensure equitable vaccine access, and to encourage more people to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

We remain committed to listening and to reaching out to communities in every corner of the United States and our work to narrow these differences and make sure that vaccine coverage is equitable regardless of whether you live in rural or urban areas," Walensky said.

Walensky said it will be important to "meet people where they are, wherever they are." One example she gave was the federal government's vaccination and testing effort in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama National Guard at Talladega Superspeedway.

Other efforts to meet people where they are with vaccines have seemed to make a difference, according to White House COVID-19 Response Team senior adviser Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.

Through the Biden administration's push to get more FEMA-run federal vaccination sites online, and get vaccines to the federal government's community health centers, more people of color have gotten access, and it has paid off.

In the past two weeks, 51% of those vaccinated in the US were people of color -- and that's above the 40% general population representation for these groups.

"We recognize ZIP code is a stronger predictor of health," Nunez-Smith said at the White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday. "We know we must push further, and to do so, we have to make sure we reach everyone in this phase."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Slow uptake of Covid-19 vaccine in rural areas could hinder the end of the pandemic, CDC says."
(CNN)  Bella Hadid made it clear this weekend where her support lies when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The supermodel shared photos and videos on her verified Instagram account of her at a pro-Palestinian protest in New York City.

The deadly conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been escalating for more than a week. Hadid's father, real estate magnet Mohamed Hadid, is of Palestinian descent.

"The way my heart feels.. To be around this many beautiful, smart, respectful, loving , kind and generous Palestinians all in one place... it feels whole ! We are a rare breed!!," the caption on Bella Hadid's Instagram post read. "It's free Palestine til Palestine is free!!!"

Protests were held around the world including in New York City, Los Angles, Washington, DC, and other parts of the US.

Hadid also shared a throwback photo of a protest in London from four years ago.

"I stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters, I will protect and support you as best as I can. I LOVE YOU," the caption read in part. "I feel for you. And I cry for you."

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Bella Hadid joined pro-Palestinian protests'
Editor's note: Alvin James Carino is a PR practitioner and all-around fashion gal.

A few days ago, Twitter announced that photo cropping on mobile is gone! I was so happy about this. Finally, pwede ko na i-maximize ang mga pag-aura ko as a six-footer na nagsusuot ng boots.

I have always loved fashion, and wearing beautiful clothes and posing for the camera is how I express myself as my alter persona, sexyhotJAMES. For the past year, Ive been dreaming of more opportunities to wear clothes, and of course, be with my friends again. Dahil wala pa yang pagkakataong yan, sinabi ko sa sarili ko na Im going to do something that will help me channel my creativity. What better time to do that than on my birthday, diba?

Noong 2020 kasi, my birthday happened on the exact day that the government announced the Enhanced Community Quarantine because of COVID. I remember on the night of my birthday, being out with my sister and my friend at a samgyupsal restaurant in Makati. Makikita mo talaga yung pag-transition ng masayang vibe ng Makati Avenue to a ghost town. Nagsasara na yung ibang establishments in preparation for the quarantine. Nakakatakot yung feeling. Sabi ko talaga na next year, babawi ako at dapat yung next celebration ko magiging masaya with friends. Sadly di pa rin nangyayari.

Thats why I decided that the next best thing to do is to do something thats purely for myself. Having a photoshoot was actually inspired by celebrities like Andrea Brilliantes and KZ Tandingan who would do birthday shoots for themselves. For the longest time, sobrang frustration ko yang mga photoshoot na yan, bilang lumaki tayo sa Americas Next Top Model. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, as a proud gay, why not me?

"Having a photoshoot was actually inspired by celebrities like Andrea Brilliantes and KZ Tandingan who would do birthday shoots for themselves," says Alvin. Photo by MIGGY BRONO/Courtesy of ALVIN JAMES CARINO

Once I decided on finally doing the shoot, I really took part in the entire process. For the pre-production, I sent the team my pegs  editorial shots from different celebrities na gusto ko. I sent photos of Jisoo and Lisa from Blackpink and yung shots ni Janine Tugonon, Miss Universe-Philippines 2012. For the first layout, we went for light and pastel colors. Very girly vibe. I wanted the opposite for the second layout: a dark, fierce, and edgy look na girl boss. As for the clothes I wore, I was so happy to finally wear the clothes that I got from an online shop. I was happy to buy from that shop because they actually have sizes for plus size people like me.

Im really lucky that I had a good team behind the shoot to help me. Theyre actually my friends who lovingly did this for free. I was so honored na si Kuya Mycke Arcano, a well-known celebrity hairstylist did my hair. He also invited me during his own 25th birthday shoot, and its nice that he got to be part of mine. Miggy Brono was the photographer, and Albrenn Malinao was the makeup artist for my shoot  two people that I also met for a Pride Month shoot back in 2019. I remember pa for that shoot, gusto nilang vibe was Patrick Starr with the pa-turban kasi ewan ko ba, sabi nila kamukha ko daw siya!

"Hindi ko ma-describe yung feeling when I hit the post button on Facebook. Basta sabi ko, its my birthday, and at the same time, I wanted to show the world  or the universe, rather  na I am unique and I am beautiful." Photo by MIGGY BRONO/Courtesy of ALVIN JAMES CARINO

When we finally did my shoot, we were really careful of course about the health and safety of the team. Everyone had masks on, and we were all tested before coming in. Sobrang ingat namin. I knew the risks that came with what we did, and Im so thankful that they helped me achieve this dream. It really meant a lot to me, because when I saw the photos, I actually cried.

I was with my friends at that time when I saw the photos. I swear, for a while nasabi ko sa sarili ko na ang ganda ko. Para akong cover girl sa isang high fashion magazine. To be honest, kinakabahan ako, baka sobrang trying hard ng shoot. But it actually went so well. Sobrang ganda ng output.

Hindi ko ma-describe yung feeling when I hit the post button on Facebook. Basta sabi ko, its my birthday, and at the same time, I wanted to show the world  or the universe, rather  na I am unique and I am beautiful. I wanted to tell everyone that no one should take that away from you. Parang coming out ko sa mga utaw* kahit na alam na nilang bakla ako.

I think a lot of effeminate queer people will agree na kami yung spectrum ng LGBT community na madalas disregarded by others. Oftentimes were deemed as too effem and masyadong malambot. O di kaya masyadong loud daw kami in the community. I remember there was one time that I tried a gay dating app, and lahat ng nakuha kong remarks ay Not interested, sorry, not into malambot, or discreet ka ba? Sobrang disappointing. Mayroon ding times na youll be discriminated against because of how you express yourself based on how you dress. Napaka-backwards pa talaga ng mga tao mag-isip, at nakakalungkot.

" I was so proud when my birthday shoot went viral on Facebook dahil para sa [akin], it means that there are people who do show support for us effeminate gays who just want to show the world who we really are." Photo by MIGGY BRONO/Courtesy of ALVIN JAMES CARINO

Alam kong hindi mababago yung mga ganyang behavior at pag-iisip overnight. Malayo pa talaga tayo sa pagiging progressive pagdating sa LGBT community dito sa Pilipinas. But I was so proud when my birthday shoot went viral on Facebook dahil para sa [akin], it means that there are people who do show support for us effeminate gays who just want to show the world who we really are.

Ang wildest dream ko ay someday magkaroon ng billboard sa may Guadalupe along EDSA  isang six-footer model na uma-aura in my boots. Who knows diba? Because of my birthday shoot, I am more confident now. And may igaganda pa pala ung mukha ko!

At dahil pangarap ko rin rumampa like our beautiful Miss Universe queens, I would just like to end this with my own beauty queen statement: In a society that tries to take away your power, this is how you take it back  by celebrating and embracing your individuality.

***

*another term for 'tao'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Four guests at a resort which was caught operating despite strict qurantine protocols tested positive for COVID-19, a Caloocan City official confirmed.

Caloocan City Administrator Engr. Oliver Hernandez said on Monday that 123 of the 287 guests of the Gubat sa Ciudad resort have already been contacted and verified.

Of the 123 guests, 43 underwent antigen tests, where four had positive results and one was found symptomatic. The remaining 80 people will be swabbed until Tuesday, he added.

Hernandez said one of the COVID-19 patients has already been transferred to a facility, while the transfer of the others is still being processed.

The names and addresses of the remaining 164 unverified persons who refused to answer our calls shall be endorsed to the Caloocan police. Contact tracers to conduct house visits and for ground contact tracing process, he noted.

On May 9, a throng of people was seen swimming in the resort, which became viral on social media. This was amid the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine in the area due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Since then, Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has ordered the closure of the resort, while its owners and a local official were slapped with charges.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 18)  While there is a marked decline in COVID-19 cases and health care utilization in Metro Manila and provinces in Luzon, the Department of Health said there is a need to closely monitor the Visayas and Mindanao due to an upward trend in infections.

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, medical specialist at the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, explained that COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan and Cavite continue to follow a downward trend and are even fewer compared to the beginning of the enhanced community quarantine imposed in March.

There is also a decline in the rest of Luzon but at a slower pace, De Guzman noted.

In Metro Manila, the average daily cases from May 11 to 17 is 1,417  a considerable drop after infections peaked at 5,325 from March 30 to April 5.

But its a different story in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Hindi siya napakabilis na pagtaas pero may pagtaas na tayong nakikita," De Guzman said.

[Translation: The increase is not that fast but we're already seeing an uptick.]

De Guzman said positive growth rate was seen in ten regions, mostly from the Visayas and Mindanao, with increasing average daily attack rate, or ADAR, defined as the number of infected people per 100,000 population.

These regions include the Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Bicol, Davao, Eastern Visayas, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Isa sa mahigpit nating binabantayan ngayon ay Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) kasi ang kanyang ADAR ay malapit na sa high-risk. 6.10 siya. Ang ating high risk ay pag lumampas ka ng 7," she said.

[Translation: One of the regions we're closely monitoring is Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) because the ADAR is near high-risk. It's already 6.10. It's considered high risk when it reaches above 7.]

De Guzman said they are monitoring the increases in highly urbanized or independent component cities.

Sa ngayon ang kadalasang naoobserbahan ng LGUs at regions ay yung kinakailangang paigtingin ang pag-adhere sa minimum public health standards," she said.

[Translation: The LGUs and regions observe there's a need to intensify compliance with minimum public health standards.]

The country is now averaging 5,886 cases per day, according to De Guzman, which is almost half the number when infections peaked at 10,406 from April 6 to 12.

Gusto natin maabot yung 2,000 cases per day. Bakit 2,000? Nakita natin noong January to February, were only averaging 1,700 cases," she added.

[Translation: We want to reach 2,000 cases per day. Why 2,000? Because back in January to February, we were only averaging 1,700 cases.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  President Rodrigo Duterte issued a stern reminder that no Filipino can be picky with the brand of COVID-19 vaccine they will receive, regardless of their social status.

During his taped speech aired on Tuesday, the President said he is aware that some are opting to wait for supplies of American-made vaccines.

He stressed, however, that there is no reason to be choosy since all the vaccines distributed in the country are all effective.

"Kung ano ang nasa harap niyo, 'yun na," he said. "Do not ask for a special kind. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, masangsang sa dila 'yan.

[Translation: Whatever brand is in front of you, that's it.]

"Ke milyonaryo ka o mahirap ka, kung ano ang nasa harap mo, 'yun na ang iyo, hindi ka mamili," he said.

[Translation: Whether you are a millionaire or poor, you will use whatever is in front of you. You cannot pick.]

Duterte instructed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to have a "blind eye" when it comes to distributing brands to local government units.

He said the distribution should be based on the area closest to where the vaccines are being stored.

The President also warned the official against allowing brand reservations for the rich.

"Don't allow reservations kasi that could be a discrimination, that is not good simply because that is a bad practice," he said.

The Palace reported that 30% of the population is still hesitant to get vaccinated.

Duterte said those who refuse to get inoculated should instead stay home to prevent catching the virus.In a Palace briefing, Galvez said vaccine hesitancy has been generally on the decline, but more convincing is needed especially among the lower classes.

"Nakikita po natin na very evident talaga 'yung Class D and E ang nakikita nating may hesitancy," he said. "Pero 'yung Class A, B and C, we saw na ang acceptance ay napakataas."

[Translation: We see that hesitancy is very evident among those in classes D and E. But for those in classes A, B, and C, we saw a very high acceptance.]

Galvez said national officials are working with local governments to help improve vaccine confidence.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  President Rodrigo Duterte said the government will stay alert and prepare for possible surges as more cases of new COVID-19 variants are detected in the country.

During his address to the nation that aired on Tuesday, he said the plans to build infrastructure facilities to improve COVID-19 response in the country should be pursued even as new cases are now on a downtrend.

"We continue to prepare and we calibrate our preparedness in accordance with each propagation," he said. "For as long as the COVID-19 is here and it will take a lot of time before it finally disappears, if at all, and with the advent of new variants, it is good to prepare for a more serious attack."

He cited the situation in Taiwan, which is hailed as one of the nations with the best COVID-19 response. He said all it took is one positive case and now the country is fighting its biggest outbreak.

The Philippines has a total of 1,109 cases of the South Africa variant, 967 of the United Kingdom variant, 12 cases of India variant, and two cases of the variant first detected in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque noted that the situation is improving in Metro Manila. But cases are on the rise in 10 regions in the Visayas and Mindanao.

He pointed out Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Bicol Region, Davao Region, Eastern Visayas, and BARMM.

"Kinakailangan ng mabilis na pagpapatupad ng localized lockdowns upang mabilis natin napupuksa ang pagkalat ng mga kaso sa mga barangay," he said.

[Translation: We need faster implementation of localized lockdowns so we can immediately stop the spread of cases in barangays.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  President Rodrigo Duterte should stay the course when it comes to his administration's policy on China and response to Beijing's illegal presence in Philippine waters, a veteran lawmaker said on Monday.

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile affirmed the government's diplomatic actions towards China, saying the Philippines should remain friendly and avoid offending the powerful country.

"Kaya dapat kailangan na friendly ang approach natin diyan, hindi hard, assertive and aggressive approach. Sapagkat kung hindi tayo magkakaunawaan sa Tsina ay madadamay ang interest ng ating mga kababayan, ang ating ekonomiya, pati na rin ang ating seguridad dito sa usapin na ito," he said when he appeared as a resource person during Duterte's address to the nation.

[Translation: That's why our approach should be friendly, not hard, assertive, or aggressive. If we have a misunderstanding with China, our countrymen, economy, and security will be affected.]

In April, Duterte asserted that the Philippines is avoiding "trouble" with China as the East Asian giant is a "good friend."

Enrile, who was a defense chief under the Marcos regime, told Duterte to ignore his critics regarding the territorial dispute in the contested waters.

"I think you will be able to handle it well in the manner you are doing it now because we'll lose more if we antagonize China. We have no choice except to negotiate with China," he added.

The country has lodged a number of diplomatic protests against China for the continuous presence of its vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Enrile: UN powerless to enforce arbitral award

Meanwhile, Enrile said the arbitral award which upheld the countrys claim in the West Philippine Sea is not meaningless," but the United Nations is not powerful enough to ensure it is followed.

Sa aking paningin, hindi naman nasasayang yung desisyon ng arbitration diyan sa bagay na yan. Palagay ko naka-rehistro yung desisyon na yun sa record ng UN, said the former Defense chief and senator during the Presidents weekly address.

[Translation: For me, the decision of the arbitration is not being wasted. I think that decision is already recorded in the United Nations.]

He added, "Ano pang kailangang resoluyon ng UN para malunasan yang sigalot na yan para sa atin? Palagay ko kahit may resolusyon ang UN, ay hindi naman maipapatupad ng UN yung resolusyon nila. Wala silang police force eh."

[Translation: What resolution does the UN need to resolve this issue for us? Even though there is a resolution, I think the UN cannot enforce that. They dont even have police force.]

Duterte previously said the countrys arbitral win led to nothing and likened it to a piece of paper that he can throw away in a trash bin.

The arbitral ruling constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea ruled in favor of the Philippines, affirming its sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone. The ruling also invalidated Chinas historic rights in the disputed waters. However, the latter refuses to recognize the said ruling.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law on Tuesday the bill granting DITO Telecommunity a fresh 25-year franchise.

Duterte approved Republic Act 11537 renewing the telecommunications service provider's franchise, which was originally set to expire on April 24, 2023.

The law shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Conditions

Under the Act, DITO shall submit an annual report to the Congress on or before April 30 of every year during the term of its franchise.

"The annual report shall include an update of its rollout, development, operation and/or expansion of business, audited financial statements, latest GIS (General Information Sheet) submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, if applicable, certification of the National Telecommunications Commission on the status of [DITO's] permits and operations, and an update on the dispersal of ownership if applicable," the law said.

If DITO fails to submit the annual report to Congress, it will be met with up to a P1 million fine per working day of noncompliance.

The company must also submit regular security audits of its network by various agencies including the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Security Council.

Aside from the annual report and security audits, DITO is also required to make a full report to the President and Congress when any data or information is disclosed to a foreign government, its instrumentalities, or agents. "Failure to make such disclosure shall be a ground for the revocation of the franchise," the law reads.

China state-owned China Telecom has a 40% stake in DITO, which has raised questions on data privacy and national security. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and DITO have allayed fears of security breaches and spying on Filipinos and the national government.

DITO reached half a million subscribers more than two months after it launched its mobile services, its chairman Dennis Uy said Monday.

RELATED: DITO Telecommunity boasts 500K subscribers after March launch
The seven-member Expedition 65 crew kicked off the workweek working on Japanese science gear, a U.S. immune system study, and spacewalk preparations.

Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Thomas Pesquet joined station Commander Akihiko Hoshide for science maintenance in the Kibo laboratory module on Monday morning. The trio teamed up and installed an experiment platform in Kibo's airlock, where it will soon be placed outside in the harsh environment of space.

Vande Hei then moved on and serviced donor cell samples for the Celestial Immunity study taking place inside the Kibo lab's Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG). The experiment looks at cells launched to space and compares them to cell samples harvested on Earth to document the differences in weightlessness. Results could impact the development of new vaccines and drugs to treat diseases on Earth and advance the commercialization of space.

Pesquet later took photographs of U.S. spacesuit gloves for inspection ahead of two spacewalks planned for June. During those spacewalks, new solar arrays will be installed on the station's Port 6 truss structure to augment the station's power system. The first two of six new solar arrays will be delivered on the next SpaceX cargo mission planned for launch on June 3 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Hoshide checked power cables on the Confocal Space Microscope that provides fluorescence imagery of biological samples. Then he took turns with NASA Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough, participating in a computerized cognitive assessment. Next, Kimbrough worked the rest of Monday in the Tranquility module's Water Processing Assembly to repair a possible leak.

NASA Flight Engineer Megan McArthur opened up BEAM, or the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, and organized cargo during the morning. She then powered down and stowed the LSG after Vande Hei concluded Monday's immunity research.

Cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov spent the morning organizing Russian spacewalk tools. Afterward, the duo spent the rest of the day working on communications gear and ventilation systems.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Antimicrobial Coatings (Boeing Environment Responding Antimicrobial Coatings): Per standard procedure, the crew touched both the coated and uncoated coupons for this long-term investigation. Boeing Environment Responding Antimicrobial Coatings tests is an antimicrobial coating on several different materials that represent high-touch surfaces. Some microbes change characteristics in microgravity, which could create new risks to crew health and spacecraft systems as well as creating the possibility of contaminating other planetary bodies. The samples remain in space for approximately six months and then return to Earth for analysis.

AstroPi: A crewmember recorded a short video showing Columbus and the student codes running on both AstroPi LED displays. Photos of astronaut together with both AstroPi units were taken. Two augmented Raspberry Pi computers (called AstroPis) flown to the International Space Station as part of British ESA Astronaut Tim Peake's mission are available for use during French ESA Astronaut Thomas Pesquet's Proxima mission. The computers are both equipped with the mighty Sense HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) that measures the environment inside the space station, detect how the station moves through space, and pick up the Earth's magnetic field. Each AstroPi is also equipped with different kinds of cameras: one has an infrared camera, and the other has a standard visible spectrum camera.

Celestial Immunity: The crew retrieved Vented Bags containing the 24-Well Plate from SABL-3 and collected the final samples and trashed the 24-Well Plate. Dissecting the Influence of Gravity on Human Immune Function in Adults and the Elderly (Celestial Immunity) builds on earlier studies to evaluate how gravity affects functional immune response, from innate mechanisms of defense to adaptive responses. It uses peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from both elderly and younger adult donors to facilitate the study of possible age-associated effects. The investigation could uncover novel immune pathways useful for the development of new vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat existing and emerging human diseases.

Dreams: A crewmember performed the headband setup in preparation for recording. The headband was then donned prior to sleep for the recording period. Sleep plays a major role in human health and well-being. Insufficient sleep, or sleep disorders can increase the risk of developing medical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, and can impair task performance. The Sleep Monitoring in Space with Dry-EEG Headband (Dreams) is a technology demonstration investigation that utilizes the Dry-EEG Headband: an effective, affordable, and comfortable solution to monitor astronaut sleep quality during long-duration spaceflight aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

MPEP (Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform): Crewmembers installed the Passive Capture Mechanism and MPEP to the JEM AL Slide Table. Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform provides the structural backbone for deployers when being transferred to the outside via the Kibo airlock and grasped by the JRMS robotic arm.

Systems:

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Ingress: Today, Crew ingressed into the BEAM module to retrieve the spare AAA Fan that is needed for this week's WPA Gas Separator R&R Series as well as other items including the WPA Water Delivery ORU, ducting for the BPA filter install, and the ION Exchange ORU.

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Node 3 Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Pump Package Assembly (PPA) Gas Trap Plug Removal: Today, Crew removed the gas trap plug as a preparation step for the WPA R&R and maintenance series that will take place throughout this week.

In-flight Maintenance (IFM) Treadmill 2 and Water Recovery System 1 Rack Prep: Today, Crew removed some T2 components allowing for access to rotate the WRS-1 Rack (NOD3D5). This will allow crew to install the ARIS Pivot Fittings to the WRS Rack.

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Urine Transfer System (UTS) Removal: Crew also removed and temporarily stowed the Urine Transfer System (UTS) on the NOD3D5 (WRS-1) Rack as a preparation step for maintenance operations occurring this week.

Hatch Seal Inspection: Today, Crew cleaned and inspected the USOS Hatch Seals, Hatch Plate Sealing Surfaces, and Crank Handle Mechanism for foreign object debris (FOD) or other damage.

Extravehicular Activity Battery Removal, Swap-out, and Autocycle: Crew removed the PGT Li-Ion (LPGT) Batteries and LREBA from the Battery Stowage Compartment. The Crew then installed new LPGT Batteries. Finally, Crew initiated a charge on Charger 1 and 2, Channel 3, for the new LREBAs and autocycled on Charger 1 and 2, Channel 4, for the original PGT Li-Ion (LPGT) Batteries using the EVA Battery Operations Terminal.

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Repress

Ground deactivation of T2 Rack and Disabling T2 Rack Smoke Detector

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer High Beta Power Operations and Commanding

Look Ahead Plan:

Tuesday, May 18 (GMT 138)

Payloads:

Vascular Aging Glucose setup and BioMonitor wearable setup (CSA)

DREAMS headband Doff and Charge and setup (ESA)

EPO AstroPi congratulations (ESA)

Phospho Aging Fecal ops (JAXA)

CIR IPSU replace (NASA)

Standard Measures Saliva and body collect, and Fecal collect (NASA)

Celestial Immune Sample retrieval (NASA)

Repository Urine collect (NASA)

NanoRacks BOLT locate (NASA)

Astrobee remote ops (NASA)

Systems:

In Flight Maintenance Water Processing Assembly (WPA) Recovery from Gas Separator Leakage

Crew Quarters Exhaust Airflow Sensor R&R (Xtp) - Deck Airflow Sensor Remove

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap

Wednesday, May 19 (GMT 139)

Payloads:

Vascular Aging Glucose readings and BioMonitor changeout (CSA)

DREAMS headband doff and stow and data xfer (ESA)

TIME Perception sessions (ESA)

Standard Measures saliva and Blood collect, and Fecal setup (NASA)

Repository Urine collect (NASA)

Celestial Immunity CELLS Thaw and treatment injection Sample E and F (NASA)

AC Touch (NASA)

MSL SCA Exchange B3#3 (NASA)

ISS HAM pass (NASA)

Systems:

In Flight Maintenance Water Processing Assembly (WPA) Recovery from Gas Separator Leakage

Joint Station LAN (JSL) 20 Port Switch Cable Modification Gather

Astrobee Stowage Clear

Thursday, May 20 (GMT 140)

Payloads:

Vascular Aging Blood Pressure 13hr Init BioMonitor stow (CSA)

Confocal microscope setup and checkout (JAXA)

COSMIC IPU connect (JAXA)

SABL 3 CO2 Control remove, SABL2 sample tray insert (NASA)

CGBA-4 activate (NASA)

Celestial Immunity Plate sample and Cell thaw (NASA)

Standard Measures Saliva and body collect, and Fecal collect (NASA)

ISS HAM pass (NASA)

MAND print removal, clean and stow (NASA)

Systems:

Siemens Switch-Deploy

WPA Repairs

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Termination

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) Oxygen Manual Valve Open

Antimicrobial Coatings Touch

Astrobee Docking Station Power Cycle

Astrobee Prep

Astrobee Stowage Clear

European AstroPi Challenge PR video and photos

BEAM Cleanup and Egress

BEAM Hardware Retrieve

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Ingress

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Node 3 Aft Stow

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Node 3 Aft Unstow

Bio-Monitor Application Configuration File Upload

Celestial Immunity MELFI Sample Insertion

Celestial Immunity Plate Third Sampling

Cloudnet Deploy Big Picture Words Review

ARED Platform Partial Fold

ARED Platform Unfold Back to Nominal Position

Confocal Space Microscopy Connector Check

Confocal Space Microscopy Cable Reconnect

Dreams Dry-EEG Headband charge

Dreams Dry-EEG Headband doffing after recording

Dreams Dry-EEG Headband Setup

Extravehicular Activity Battery Installation

EVA Battery Operations Terminal Charge and Autocycle Init

Extravehicular Activity Battery Removal

EVA Battery Operations Terminal Procedure Review

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test

HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Operations

HRF Generic Saliva Collection 10 Minutes

HRF Generic Urine Collection Setup

Hatch Seal Inspection

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Node 3 Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Pump Package Assembly (PPA) Gas Trap Plug Removal

In-flight Maintenance (IFM) Pivot Fitting Scavenge

In-flight Maintenance (IFM) Treadmill 2 and Water Recovery System 1 Rack Prep

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Urine Transfer System (UTS) Removal

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) WRS Hardware Gather

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) BPW Review

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side

MPEP and Passive Capture Mechanism Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table

MPEP Stowage Gather

LSG Primary Crew Restraint Fold and Unfold

LSG Work Volume Deploy and Stow

Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup

Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus

Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config Columbus Setup

Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) BIOS Setting

Standard Measures Cognition Testing

Standard Measures Fecal Collection Setup

Station Support Computer Network Attached Storage Vent Cleaning

T2 System Shutdown

XF305 Camcorder Setup



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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  There are very minimal incidents of wasted COVID-19 vaccines in the country, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Tuesday following reports of possible spoilage of hundreds of doses in Cotabato province.

In a Palace briefing, Galvez said local governments have monitoring measures in place to avoid this undesirable scenario.

Sinusunod po natin ang patakaran sa WHO (World Health Organization) na may vaccine safety officer na kada oras tinitignan yung status, na yung efficacy at saka yung cold chain system ay hindi nabi-break doon po sa storage.

[Translation: We are following the WHOs protocol that there should be a vaccine safety officer who will check the status of the vaccines every hour and ensure their efficacy, and the cold chain system is not broken during the storage.]

Over 300 Sinovac doses in Cotabato province are believed to have been spoiled after being left in an unplugged freezer earlier this week for more than two days. Galvez said authorities are currently investigating the incident, but added they are also evaluating if the vaccines can still be used.

Meanwhile, Galvez said he is confident the soon-to-expire 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX facility will be administered by mid-June amid fears they will go to waste due to the slow rollout.

Wag po kayong mag-alala dahil yung mga vaccine po na to ay talagang timed na (by) June 15 matatapos po namin [Dont worry, we have scheduled for all these vaccines to be used up by June 15], he said.

The target is achievable, Galvez added, as more inoculation sites are seen to open in the coming days.
(CNN)  Australians who waited months to escape India as coronavirus spread through the country say they lost a place on a repatriation flight provided by their government due to faulty COVID-19 testing.

CRL Diagnostics, which performed the tests for Australian airline Qantas, denied the results were inaccurate, but its managing director said the lab had carried out work while its Indian accreditation was suspended.

According to India's National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), the Delhi-based company's accreditation was suspended on April 6.

Ravi Tomar, managing director of CRL Diagnostics, said the company appealed the three-month suspension, and asked if "during this time should we continue testing or stop but we did not get a reply. So, we continued testing," he said.

In a statement to CNN, NABL chief executive officer N. Venkateswaran said CRL Diagnostics' accreditation was suspending for "non-compliance with accreditation norms." "NABL accreditation is voluntary, and we cannot instruct the lab not to do testing. The suspensions means that they cannot use the NABL symbol or claim accreditation status," Venkateswaran said.

As many as 10 passengers who were blocked from the repatriation flight have since tested negative for Covid-19, according to Sunny Joura, who was barred from the repatriation flight after testing positive. His elderly mother, Darshan, tested negative but could not board the flight as she was a close contact.

"I was extremely disappointed and shocked," Joura said. "My mother and I did not venture out of the house at all for 14 days prior to the pre-flight quarantine. We were double-masking all that time."

Joura took another test soon after with a different provider  it was also negative.

Yogesh Hasija, who is in Melbourne, tells a similar story about his wife Preeti Sabharwal, who was booked on the repatriation flight. She tested positive and was bumped from the flight, only to test negative days later.

CNN has seen copies of Joura and Sabharwal's negative test results. Both blamed CRL Diagnostics for their initial positive tests results, which they believe were inaccurate.

In a statement, Qantas said it had told its diagnostic agency that any laboratory used to evaluate tests must have "all the current and appropriate accreditations." Qantas didn't specify if CRL Diagnostics was its diagnostic agency. Tomar said it didn't have a direct link to Qantas, but was hired by another company to analyze the tests.

Qantas said in the statement that testing requirements were put in place in collaboration with Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to "minimize the risk of importing the virus and maximize the safety of everyone on board."

"The reason we went to India was to bring home as many Australians as possible," the Qantas statement said.

CNN reached out to the Australian government for comment.

Threats of fines and prison

Joura and his mother flew to India a year ago to care for his terminally ill father, but with the Covid-19 outbreak worsening there, they became desperate to return home to Australia. Joura's wife and children are in Melbourne -- he hasn't seen them since last May.

The mother and son are among nearly 9,000 Australians who got stranded in India by flight caps imposed by the Australian government to ease pressure on the country's hotel quarantine system.

In early May, as India's Covid cases surged, the Australia government threatened 5-year prison sentences for anyone who arrived from India.

That measure was walked back on Saturday, and the first Qantas flight sent to repatriate 80 Australians from India touched down hours later in Darwin.

Joura and his mother were among the 150 or so people who secured seats, and they quarantined in Delhi for 72 hours before taking a Covid-19 test. But when the flight eventually took off, it was half empty.

According to CNN affiliate Nine News, 72 Australians were barred from the flight at the last moment after 48 people tested positive for the virus. Another 24 people, close family members, were subsequently denied permission to fly out, over fears they could have been exposed.

Tomar, from CRL Diagnostics, said the lab checked the tests and had confirmed they were correct.

"I have shared all data with Qantas. We have repeated all the tests and they all came back positive," he said.

In a statement, Qantas confirmed all tests had been rerun under "medical supervision" with the same outcome. "This included some weak positives that may have been interpreted as negative results by other laboratories," the airline said.

Ian Hosegood, Qantas chief medical officer, said: "Weak positive results usually mean someone is either in the very early stages of Covid, or could reflect a prior infection they may not even know they had."

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said Monday the government considered the Qantas testing process to be "strong and rigorous."

He defended the testing regime, saying it had worked as intended. "We've identified a large number of positive cases before people were allowed to leave for Australia. That's precisely what we should be doing," Hunt said.

"Some of those will be at the other end of their journey, nearing the completion of their cases. And we're always reviewing the process."

Of the providers that carried out the testing, he said: "I understand those providers are well respected in India but I will let others look at that."

Half-empty flight

Australia's strict limits on inbound travel have been credited with sparing the country the worst of COVID-19. Case numbers are relatively low, and Australia has recorded fewer than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic.

Flight restrictions imposed last year remain in place, limiting the weekly number of people who can return to each city.

The government say the restrictions are designed to prevent the hotel quarantine system from being overwhelmed. All international arrivals to Australia are required to spent 14 days in a hotel, at their own expense.

Australians have reported being bumped from flights, as airlines free up seats for higher paying passengers.

Thousands of Australians in India struggled to even get a ticket, so when India's coronavirus case numbers grew and the government banned arrival from India, some said they felt abandoned by their country. Critics accused the government of racism.

Joura said he's in touch with most of people who tested positive before Saturday's flight. "All of them are very anxious and disappointed because of the current state of affairs," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his government's repatriation policies and testing regime, but said on Sunday he wanted to bring even more citizens home.

"This sort of testing is required from all places where people are coming from into Australia, whether it's the UK or elsewhere. And of course, it's important in India, and we've seen those high testing rates, and that's frankly why we took the action we did because the risk was very, very high," he said.

Joura questioned why the Australian government had placed all the passengers on the flight in the same hotel in New Delhi to isolate for 72 hours ahead of their flight, at a time when the city is still experiencing thousands of new Covid-19 cases every day.

"What was the reason for putting everyone in a hotbed like Delhi in a hotel, which is a public place?" he said.

Joura said he hadn't heard anything more about when he might be able to leave India and the uncertainty was causing him anguish.

"Not having any clarity around potential resolution to the error committed by the testing regime continues to cause mental agony," Joura said. "I hope that the Australian government will act expeditiously to end our misery."

CNN's Swati Gupta contributed to this article.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Australians stranded in India claim faulty Covid tests made them miss a repatriation flight"
(CNN)  The Serum Institute of India (SII) said it hopes to start delivering COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX and other nations only by the end of the year, and will continue to prioritize India, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The CEO of the Institute, Adar Poonawalla, said his company has never exported vaccines at the cost of the people of India and remain committed to do everything we can in the support of the vaccination drive in the country.

The Serum institute is the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer and has been under intense pressure to ramp up production of vaccines for India as the country suffers through a devastating wave of Covid-19.

The timeline on exporting vaccines to COVAX and individual countries is another blow for global vaccine distribution. The COVAX initiative aimed at distributing vaccines to poorer countries already faces significant shortfalls because of the crisis in India and rich countries buying up vaccine supply.

The SII is producing the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, also known as Covishield, and has pledged to manufacture and deliver 200 million doses for COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing initiative that supplies discounted or free doses to lower-income countries. However, the SII had to pause exports in March as India battled its second wave of the coronavirus infections.

The statement from the SII comes as Indias central government continues to face scrutiny for a shortage of vaccine supplies, with many state governments blaming it on the decision to export vaccines.

Acknowledging there has been intense discussion on the decision to export vaccines, Poonawalla said it was important that before we make conclusions, we consider a few important aspects of the events that have transpired.

In his statement, Poonawalla said that in January 2021, the company had a large stockpile of vaccine doses. Coupled with a successful launch of the vaccination drive and the number of daily cases at an all-time low, most people, including health experts believed that India was turning the tide on the pandemic.

The statement continued that it was during this time many other countries in the world were facing an acute crisis and were in desperate need of help. Our government extended support wherever possible during this period.

Some background: The Indian government has exported at least 66.3 million vaccines to date to countries across the globe, out of which 19.8 million doses were given to the COVAX alliance, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

India launched its vaccination drive on Jan. 16, first prioritizing heath care and frontline workers, followed by people above the age of 60 and those over 45 with existing health conditions.

On May 1, the drive was extended to include everyone above the age of 18. However, several states have faced challenges due a shortage of vaccine supplies.

Read more updates here.
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He also said the schools motto, Once a star, always a star," sums up the experience at CES.

Luebbe said this anniversary celebration was even more special after having to postpone the event. Originally, the plan was to have it in September but it was delayed due to COVID-19.

Weve been hoping to have it, he said.  Its been a fantastic opportunity for us. And its really a great way to celebrate the end of the year.

Luebbe, who is a Columbus native, said after spending a year as the assistant principal at Columbus Middle School, he applied for the principal position at Centennial. He said when he talked with his predecessor about the job, he was even more sure the school was the right place.

People were always proud of being a Centennial star, said Luebbe, who was also a principal in Elkhorn and Madison before moving back to Columbus.  (Former Centennial Principal Jackie) Herink talked very strongly about it. Its a strong family.

Edzards had the same feeling. She credited the students in why she keeps coming back to teach at Centennial.
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For this study, a quantitative throughput (QT) unit is mailed to each participant along with a power cord and Ethernet cable, according to the projects website. The QT unit would then be installed by the survey participant. Testing lasts about one week, and then the device would be returned to the individuals local public power utility  in this case, either Loup or Cornhusker.

Those who complete the survey and return the QT unit will be entered into a drawing to win a Traeger grill. Loup or Cornhusker customers interested in participating are asked to reach out to their utility provider.

NPPD, Loup, Cornhusker and the South Central Public Power District are all helping with the costs for the project, according to Webb.

When I say help fund, it's really just covering the UNK costs, Webb said. They've built them already. But you have to deploy them, you have to send them out in the mail, you have to get shipping back and those kinds of things. And that's not something that they have a budget to do.

Webb stressed that the websites participants visit will not be recorded or monitored.
The medical marijuana program was meant to be in effect sometime this year.

The state Supreme Court said Mississippi's ballot initiative process is unlawful because initiatives need signatures from five congressional districts to get on the ballot, but because of Mississippis stagnant population, the state has only four districts.

The initiative process was added to the Mississippi Constitution in the 1990s when the state had five congressional districts, but the language dealing with the initiative process was never updated. The state dropped to four districts after the 2000 census.

In his statement Monday, Gunn, a Republican, said he believes in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy. He did not mention medical marijuana.

If the Legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law," Gunn said.

Hosemann, also a Republican, said he is also a strong supporter of the initiative process. He said Tuesday that it's needed in Mississippi.
" " It's easy to change your Gmail password. MoMo Productions/Getty Images

Now, more than ever, password security should be at the top of your mind when considering online safety. Whether you're protecting vital information from malicious hackers or simply adding a layer of security between your online identity and the rest of the world, Google makes changing your Gmail password a safe and easy process. Here's how to do it.

Go to Google.com If you aren't already signed into your account, sign in now. Click the Account button. On the top-right corner of the screen, click the account button  that's the one with the account photo (or if no photo, it will have your first initial). Click Manage Your Google Account. Click "Security." On the left-hand side of the screen, click the Security tab. Choose "Password." In the middle of the screen, choose the Password option. Sign in. Google will ask you to re-sign in with your current password before you can change it. Pick your password. Now it's time to do the deed. Now it's time to do the deed. Longer passwords are typically more secure; Google recommends a minimum of 12 characters made up of a unique combination of letters, numbers and symbols.

When it comes to picking a password, don't use info someone could easily get from your social media pages, like your pet's name or your date of birth. And don't use obvious passwords like "123456" or "password" or "picture1." All three appeared in the top 5 of a list of most-common passwords.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a fatal accident this weekend in Washington County

According to patrol reports, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Troy L. Wilson, 49, of Steelville, was traveling northbound on Highway 185 south of Hackberry Road in a 2018 Nissan Versa when he failed to negotiate a right curve. Wilson's vehicle traveled off the left side of the road and struck a tree.

Wilson was transported by Washington County EMS to Missouri Baptist in Sullivan where he was later pronounced dead. The report states that he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

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In other crashes, earlier Saturday at 2:50 p.m., a 2020 Ford F150 driven by Allison S. Kmett, 37, Springfield, Illinois, was traveling northbound on North Main St. at East Walnut in Arcadia when MSHP reports say she struck a bicycle ridden by Richard L. Snider, 65, of Ironton.

Snider was transported by ambulance to Parkland Health Center and treated for moderate injuries.

On Sunday evening, one woman was seriously injured when she was traveling eastbound in the 11,000 block of Highway 8 in Washington County, MSHP reports state.
The funding is distributed to the twelve colleges based on head count and how much they receive from the state. MAC falls in the middle, according to Gilgour. They receive about $2,400 per student, whereas Ozarks Technical Community College is at the bottom with $1,600.

Obviously, $30 million would have brought more as spread out, he said. But we're still excited about that. We're happy about it and we've got great legislative support locally at MAC and really appreciate that.

In other business related to tech education, the board approved the recommendation of the naming rights committee for the new welding facility.

As part of the Community Development Block Grant, Gilgour said, MAC had to sell Neighborhood Assistance Program Credits to start the process for the facility.

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Those credits were pretty much sold and then COVID hit and we werent able to do that, he explained. "But we're fortunate to have a family step up  the Gibson family  and purchase those credit for us, which means we can start construction on that. And part of that process is they requested the naming rights to the building, which we're happy to oblige with.

Gilgour said they formed a committee that included a staff, board, foundation, and student representative.
The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
Evidence the court received in the previous hearings indicated that Brown and Lowe prominently represented the alter egos of DVCA, Judge Durrer said. The evidence is also undisputed that Brown and Lowe comingled personal funds with DVCA funds, including, without limitation, the payment of attorneys fees from Browns personal checking account. The commingling of funds buttresses the finding that the accounting records of DVCA were not properly maintained. Further, the commingling of corporate and personal funds is a factor to consider when assessing the piercing of the corporate veil.

The case has required multiple hearings in three different circuit courts since 2018including Greene, Madison and Culpeperstemming from a 2017 warrant in debt case against Samuel Miller, represented by Culpeper attorney Michael Sharman, for nonpayment of dues. Judge Durrer ruled against DVCA in 2019 for that case due to the fact that in 2004, a Supreme Court of Virginia ruling said DVCA was not a proper homeowners association and could not levy special assessments. It also ruled that DVCA did not have the authority to put liens on property. DVCA continued to collect regular assessments, which varied by lot and have included a 10% increase each year since 2006, according to meeting minutes found within older court cases. However, work on roads was sparse, if done at all, according to residents who testified in the most recent warrant in debt case in April 2019.
"This will allow the court to tell us whether the county can actually decline to enforce certain state laws, and it will tell us how to abide by the will of the voters to the extent that we can," said Sarah Hanson, who serves as counsel in the conservative-leaning county in deep-blue Oregon.

Supporters of the ordinance include the Oregon Firearms Federation, which said in a November statement that "extremists" and "big city radicals" were trying to curtail gun rights.

The group referenced Portland protests opposing police brutality that occasionally turned violent last summer and called the ordinance a "common sense" step that would "ensure your right and ability to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones."

The ordinance would ban the enforcement of laws like background check requirements and restrictions on carrying a gun, though it would have exceptions for others, including keeping firearms from convicted felons.

The Oregon Firearms Federation didn't respond to a request for comment on the court case.

Sheriff Brian Pixley has expressed support, saying in a March statement that one of his responsibilities is to uphold people's Second Amendment rights and that he's eager to "move forward with the will of the voters."
On Aug. 11, 2017, Groves was assaulted by right-wing protesters who came to town for the Unite the Right rally that was happening downtown the next day. The protesters, who marched across Grounds carrying torches and chanting anti-Semitic verse, had encircled students gathered on the Lawn at the statue of Thomas Jefferson.

[President] Sullivan called and said she heard from a student that they were coming in that night and I hopped in the car and drove in with my husband thinking that, if theyre there, I want to be there, Groves recalled.

There they were and so was Groves. He pushed through the marchers to get students out of harms way.

Not much time had passed before one of [the marchers] threw a torch, he recalled. I remember it coming at me and hitting me and the glass canister cutting my arm. Then they started spraying mace, and the whole thing unraveled pretty quickly.

Groves said the events of that weekend led students and the university to a better understanding of race and equity issues on Grounds, in the community and in the country.
No wonder Joe Biden picked former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as secretary of energy  theyre cut from the same green cloth.

Not only is Granholm a big fan of electric vehicles, she spearheaded passage of a renewable portfolio standard during her second term as governor. That standard required that 10% of the states energy come from renewable sources by 2015 and 25% by 2025.

But the Department of Energy is in charge of much more than touting wind turbines  and the consequences of its misplaced priorities hit home early this month.

In her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Bidens FY22 budget request for the agency, she noted the DOEs effort to own the global market for clean energy and sustainable technologies.

Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, pointed out that the budget overview lacked any mention of cybersecurity.

Cyber threats like these are persistent and increasing. As our world becomes more reliant on internet-connected capabilities and technologies, we know that the cybersecurity challenge in front of us will increase in scope, as Federal Computer Week reported.

Not a problem, replied Granholm.
The city council has a good plan. The narrower lanes will slow traffic.

Narrower vehicle lanes will make it too difficult for larger vehicles.

A separate pedestrian solution should be constructed away from any vehicular traffic.

Widening the sidewalk could work best if a barrier is put up between the sidewalk and vehicular traffic.

Vote

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Pakistan: With going big on trout farming, why sustainability should be the need of the hour for farmers practicing it

by Atika Rehman and PM Baigal

May 18,2021 | Source: First Post

Qasim Shah, a farmer in Pakistans northern mountain province of Gilgit-Baltistan, has no regrets about giving up crop farming. Trout farming is more lucrative than traditional crops. Crops and fruit have become too climate-sensitive and come with the risk of losing investment, said Shah, who is also the vice president of the Private Fish Farms Association in Ghizer district. Trout farms are cropping up in Gilgit-Baltistan, where rapidly warming glaciers form cold water reservoirs  a key breeding ground for trout. Nearly 200 fish farms have been set up across the province in less than 10 years, with new farms appearing every month. Fish farms are also burgeoning in the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the government hopes to create jobs. At each of these farms, up to 20,000 trout are bred to be sold as food. The department is targeting 500 farms in the next five years. As climate change threatens food security, traditional crop farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan are opting for trout, which they say is a more sustainable source of income. Across South Asia, farmers are adapting to dwindling outputs and uncertain incomes  with some, like Shah, looking beyond crop cultivation. I earned 500,000 Pakistani rupees [USD 3,285] in profit at the end of the last season despite the coronavirus pandemic.



This season, my target is much higher, he added. Shah started fish farming in 2018 with an investment of over Rs 1 million. He set up a small hotel near the farm to serve fried trout to tourists and locals. If the government provides transport and packaging facilities, he said, he expects to export the fish to China. My village land is highly fertile for crops and fruit but erratic rains and other climatic implications like frequent pest attacks have spoiled the produce over the years, said Shah. The government supports trout breeding and private fish farms. In April, the federal government earmarked Rs 112 million (USD 730,000) to promote fish farms in mountain provinces. The Ministry of National Food Security & Research said the aim was to develop shrimp and fish farms in Pakistan that will create jobs, enhance food insecurity and increase export earnings. The support includes training and awareness sessions on acquiring land for fish farming, facilitating farmers in getting bank loans for private hatcheries and providing fish feed.



Pollution fears and denial



Untreated effluent from some hatcheries drains directly into the Indus river and streams which are a source of fresh drinking water for communities. Ali Asghar, an officer in the provinces fisheries department, confirmed that water from some farms mostly drains to the rivers. If farmers are careless, it may pollute drinking water, Asghar said, though he was dismissive of high levels of pollution in the river. No study or environmental impact assessment has been conducted since fish farms began to increase in the province. In 2014, a study conducted on water sources by the provinces Environmental Protection Agency said only 22 percent comply with World Health Organisation standards. Another official said the department received complaints from areas where locals were directly using water from farms for drinking. Requesting anonymity, he said fresh water sources in this area are contaminated not only due to these farms, but from waste coming from hotels especially built near the farms. Karim Johar, a research officer in the fisheries department, said: Our focus is on creating awareness on how to breed trout and how to protect the environment. He told The Third Pole: We even shut a few farms  including a government hatchery  from where we received complaints of polluting water.



In the past year, the department registered 96 offences related to fish farms, and levied total fines of Rs 100,000 (USD 649). Johar said every districts fisheries department monitors activities and educates farmers about sustainable practices. The training includes guidance on farm management, structure of fish ponds, water concentration, feed provision, water and safety hygiene, and environmental sensitivity. Fish feed or waste from these farms is not significant enough to affect the environment at a large scale or dangerously contaminate the rivers, Johar said. He added: The waves and flow of these rivers is so powerful that it naturally filters any small level [of] contamination. But as fish farms grow in Pakistan, concerns about pollution and sustainable practices mount. Barkat Ali, who lives in Birgal village, Ghizer district, said waste from about 30 big and small fish farms established in one village drains waste directly into the Ghizer river  a tributary of the Indus. This drainage could contaminate drinking water if proper measures are not taken, he said. Farmer Qasim Shah, however, rebuffed such allegations. We are responsible and very sensitive to the environment. We take every measure to avoid pollution, he said. He said farmers do not use chemicals in fish feed and are very strict about littering.



Fish foods environmental impact



In recent years, large-scale fish farming has come under fire for threatening wild fish populations. Big commercial fish farms require tonnes of wild fish to be caught from the oceans and made into fish food. Farid Ahmad Jan, a fisheries and aquaculture specialist at Karakoram International University, told The Third Pole that at the moment farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan use discarded fish from wholesale markets. He said: It doesnt make financial sense to invest in catching live fish for fish feed as it will drive up the price of the trout.



Hazards and monitoring fish farms in Pakistan



According to a report by NGO the Global Aquaculture Alliance, common environmental concerns linked to fish farms include nutrient and effluent build-up and disease spreading to local fisheries. Nutrient build-up happens when there is a high density of fish in one area. Fish produce waste, and their waste has the potential to build up in the surrounding area. This can deplete the water of oxygen, creating algal blooms and dead zones, the report said. It highlighted the effects of antibiotic use on the ecosystem around enclosures, including on wild fish. It also raised concerns about the escape of non-native fish, which may compete with wild fish for food, potentially displacing native species. Jan said there is a dire need to educate private farm owners. He talked about a recent incident in Ghizer, where three tonnes of trout died at a private farm because the bottom of the enclosure was not cleaned properly. These farms are built very close together and all the water channels are connected. If a disease erupts in one, it quickly spreads to the nearby farms, said Jan. Right now, there is a major focus on promoting trout farms and farmers jump at the opportunity as it is a lucrative business. But they need to listen to experts if they want to farm trout sustainably. Jan also said that trout farms in Pakistan could help protect trout populations if local demand can be met by farmed rather than wild fish. Trout populations in the province will be wiped out in 10 years if something is not done to protect them now, he said. At the moment, the trout farms are catering to the elite as their catch is expensive. As a result, locals go directly to rivers and streams to catch trout and deplete the stock. Raza Haider, regional head for conservation at the WWF, said trout farm owners in Pakistan must keep in mind the environmental adversities in their activities. We need both a sound environment as well as nutrition, he said.

 2021. Firstpost
Myanmar: Scoular commissioning fishmeal plant

by Jane Byrne

May 18,2021 | Source: Feed Navigator

We expect to commission the facility in July 2021,? a spokesperson for the Omaha, Nebraska headquartered company told us. In terms of the capacity the new fishmeal facility will have when operational, the Scoular representative said the site will process 30,000 MT per year. It is purpose built for quality control and redistribution and will meet or exceed all international standards,? she added. The company has been selling to Asian food and feed customers for more than 25 years and is a leading supplier of soybeans to the region and fishmeal worldwide. In 2019, the company, which reports more than US$4.6bn in sales, hired former ADM executive, Adrian Gasparian, to lead its Asia expansion. It has been building a trade team in Singapore to support intra-Asia trading for Scoulars food and feed ingredients. Recent months also saw the US company launch a feedstuffs distribution business regionally in Indonesia and Myanmar to provide customers with just-in-time inventory and local delivery options. Most of the products that we sell will eventually be available through our distribution programs. We believe there is additional demand for reliable, quality controlled, local distribution that our customers can depend on without shipping and documentation delays."?



Data shows boost in global fishmeal output



Separately, the latest IFFO analysis shows a 30% improvement in the fishmeal and fish oil global output in March 2021 compared to the same month last year. The total cumulative productions of the countries considered in IFFOs market report through the first quarter 2021 were higher year on year: fishmeal was up by 60%, and fish oil saw a jump of 83%. Peru and Chile were the only areas where the March performance was superior to the average of the previous five-years for the same month. Yet, this was sufficient to produce an almost 30% improvement in the overall activities of March 2021 compared to March 2020, said the marine ingredients organization. Denmark showed a year-on-year increase in the supply of fish oil over this same period, according to the IFFO data. Chinas fishmeal production remained poor in April, found the analysis.

 William Reed Business Media Ltd 2021.
Deeply affected by the Black Lives Matter movement in his junior year, Kulkarni started his nonprofit to help minority students deal with stereotypes. He started with five people and a blog and it kept on expanding," he said. "We started having awareness conferences on Zoom.

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Only Being You soon had a presence in 60 countries on six continents, with more than 400 participants.

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When asked about hoped-for outcomes from the program, Kulkarni said:

Anything that helps even one person to have a space to be themselves and who they are  I think thats an accomplishment, he said.

Kulkarni is headed to UCLA in the fall. He has numerous relatives in Southern California and said he thinks it will be a good fit, although he said he will miss the size of Corvallis.

I really love Corvallis, he said. Its a nice town, very much a bubble that makes you feel at home. Im really grateful that I have lived in such a nurturing and caring environment. L.A. is such a big city.

Kulkarni has not decided on a course of study, although he is already thinking of possible careers in medicine, the law or business.
Stanton Public Policy Center Applauds the Supreme Court for Agreeing to Hear Mississippi Case Regarding a State Ban on Abortions After 15 Weeks

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Stanton Public Policy Center

May 17, 2021



WASHINGTON, May 17, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, is a challenge to a Mississippi law that prohibits nearly all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.



Stanton Public Policy Center believes this is the most critical abortion case since Roe v. Wade.



Stanton Public Policy Center is a women's advocacy and educational group that works on issues of human rights and justice which empower and inspire women. It is affiliated with Stanton Healthcare which has life-affirming women's health clinics in America and internationally.



Stanton Founder and CEO, Brandi Swindell, and Stanton's Chief Strategy Officer, Rev. Patrick Mahoney, will be holding a news conference on Tuesday, May 18, at 1:00 P.M.



The news conference will be on the public sidewalk in front of the United States Supreme Court.



Stanton Healthcare was instrumental in helping pass "heartbeat" legislation in Idaho just last month. See link below to news article:

https://www.lifenews.com/2021/04/27/idaho-gov-brad-little-signs-bill-banning-abortions-when-unborn-babys-heart-starts-beating/



Brandi Swindell, CEO and Founder of Stanton Healthcare, states:

"We applaud the United States Supreme Court for agreeing to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. It is our hope this will be a major step in dismantling Roe v. Wade and help bring an end to abortion violence in America.



"At Stanton, we acknowledge the fact that when an abortion happens, a beating heart is stopped and a life is forever ended. Abortion is not women's health care. Medical professionals take an oath to 'do no harm.' If ending the heartbeat of a tiny baby is not the epitome of 'harm,' then I don't know what is."

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Chief Strategy Officer for Stanton Public Policy Center, adds:

"Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is the most important abortion case since Roe v. Wade. One of the main reasons: it focuses on the humanity of the child and reminds all of us abortion is an act of violence against innocent children.



"Stanton Public Policy Center and Purple Sash Revolution will be giving a national call for all who embrace human rights and ending abortion violence to join us for a massive prayer vigil and rally in front of the Supreme Court on Sunday, October 3. This is the day before the new fall term of the court begins."

For more information or interviews call:

Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741



SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center



CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741


Let's not kid ourselves. Former  yes, former  President Donald Trump wants to run for president in 2024, and so he shall.

The story some Republicans like to tell themselves  that Trump will not run again for the White House because he knows he can't win and he's smart enough to see the glory in being a GOP kingmaker  is wishful thinking.

Trump is enjoying leaving his plans unclear so he can lure various GOP hopefuls to Mar-a-Lago to kiss his ring. Later, Trump can use their courtship against them.

He'll run because he only gets the ego-slathering adulation he craves at a campaign rally. If he dooms the GOP to failure and sows more discord among voters, he's OK with that.

He doesn't mind losing, because he can pretend he didn't lose, blame election fraud and let his base shred any elected Republican who dares call out the emperor's new clothes.

The base thinks that Trump's critics lack courage when it's really the likes of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy who folded to save his sorry skin.
The Lebanon Fire District responded to two structure fires simultaneously on Sunday afternoon, one of which was started by a resident using a weed burner to eliminate weeds, according to a news release from the agency.

The fires split LFDs resources and stretched the agency thin, according to a news release. Other mid-Willamette Valley agencies helped out at the scene and by taking further calls for service in the Lebanon area. Medical calls, including a cardiac arrest, kept coming in during the fire responses.

No one was hurt in the fires.

The first fire was reported at 1:54 p.m. on Sodaville Cutoff Road. Flames from a vegetation control fire started by a weed burner got out of control, climbed up the home and found a way into the substructure of the roof, working its way to the peak of the house.

Due to the construction and design of the house, there were multiple void spaces, making it difficult for firefighters to find the seat of the fire, the LFD news release stated.

The second fire, on Burdell Boulevard, came in at 2:10 p.m. That blaze was extinguished without incident. According to the news release, there is a large transient population in the area that has caused issues with that building and surrounding structures in the past.

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Voters intending to cast ballots in the special election must have their ballots in the hands of county elections officials by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Although Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, postmarks do not count. A ballot must be in the hands of the elections office by the time polls close to be counted.

Tuesdays ballot features Measure 2-130, a renewal of a public safety and health levy in Benton County, as well as a series of contested school board races in Greater Albany Public Schools and the Corvallis School District.

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Money measures also are on the ballot in the Lyons-Mehama Water District and the Mill City Rural Fire Protection District.

Also on the ballot in Benton County and Linn County are a wide variety of school and college boards, special districts and fire districts.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, 28.94% of ballots had been cast in Benton County (17,284 cast out of 59,728 eligible). Meanwhile, in Linn County, 15.39% of ballots have been turned in (14,835 cast out of 94,530 eligible).
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo disclosed Monday that he was paid a $3.1 million advance to write his COVID-19 leadership book last year and under his publishing contract will make another $2 million on the memoir over the next two years.

That total windfall of more than $5.1 million further inflamed critics who have said it was inappropriate for Cuomo to personally enrich himself with a self-congratulatory book, published just as the state was seeing a deadly resurgence in infections last October.

At least 52,987 people have died of COVID-19 in New York, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

Cuomo, a Democrat, had for months declined to say how much money he made from writing American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic," published by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House. The book largely recounts the governor's once-daily press conferences on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The disclosure of the big payday was made on the day Cuomo's mandatory financial disclosures were due to a state ethics agency. Cuomo also let reporters view a copy of his tax returns, which were also due Monday.
Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Sun and a few passing clouds. Hot. High 92F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Denton

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Not so fast, CDC: Denton City Hall to discuss mask rules for city properties

DRC Denton City Hall

After Denton staff members planned to remove the mask requirement at city facilities following the release of new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for vaccinated people, interim City Manager Sara Hensley stopped that directive at the urging of an elected official and is asking council members for direction.

That is according to an email exchange between Hensley and Denton City Council member Deb Armintor. But before that happened, Ryan Adams, the director of customer service and public relations, emailed all council members and staff officials late Friday afternoon.

Ryan Adams

The city has utilized the CDC as the source of guidance on COVID-19 precautions throughout the pandemic, Adams wrote. In light of this recent news, city employees and members of the public will not be required to wear a face covering upon entry to a city facility, though employees may continue to use them if they choose.

Denton City Council members gave the go-ahead on May 11 to use a hybrid approach for them to start meeting in person again following more than a year of conducting public meetings virtually. That means that staff officials and council members on June 1 will be allowed to continue participating in the meetings virtually if they are not comfortable resuming in-person meetings.

More than a year ago, council members started meeting virtually because of the pandemic. When they return to in-person meetings at Denton City Hall, theyll start work sessions in a small room before moving to the council chambers, which have theater seating, for their regular meetings.

Over the past several months, most council members have joined the council meetings from their homes on Zoom, while others have done so from City Hall. Many staff members  usually wearing masks because they share the work session room  have also participated in the meetings from City Hall.

People entering city properties have been required to wear face coverings. The same applies at City Hall.

Meanwhile, in an April 29 letter from Hensley to city employees, she said they are required to return to their offices at least twice a week beginning June 1. By September, they will be required to return to their offices full time.

I will take responsibility

Deb Armintor

In response to Adams email, Armintor emailed Hensley on Saturday to ask her to put the brakes on distributing a press release about not requiring face coverings at city facilities before council members have had a chance to talk about that issue. Armintor also asked that discussion be added as an emergency item to Tuesdays meeting agenda.

Council members should discuss the matter of how the new CDC advice might or might not affect the current requirement of masks of the public in city facilities, according to her email to Hensley. I maintain that it doesnt and shouldnt affect our current mask requirement, and I urge the agenda committee to add a deliberation of that proposed change to Tuesdays agenda as an emergency agenda item on the grounds that such a radical public health policy change for city facilities should not be implemented without council direction.

Hensley agreed.

I hear you, she wrote to Armintor. I will take responsibility for this one. The [city managers office] leadership met [Friday] morning and discussed the new CDC guidelines. As council has always followed the CDC guidelines all the way through this pandemic, I thought the consistency was the route to go. However, I do see the need and importance for a discussion.

Sara Hensley

Furthermore, Hensley wrote, she agreed not to distribute a press release.

We will put this on the agenda for council to weigh in, she said. I already have the mayor pro tem [Paul Meltzer] in agreement.

New guidelines

The CDC issued new guidelines last week for fully vaccinated people  those who have had both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, or a single shot of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine. According to the guidelines, fully vaccinated people do not have to wear masks indoors or outdoors in most situations and do not have to maintain social distancing, except in health care settings.

Denton does not have a face-mask requirement, instead following Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts executive orders, including his most recent in March that allowed Texas businesses to reopen at 100% capacity and lifted the statewide mask ordinance. The same order, though, left it up to businesses whether they continued to require customers to wear face coverings. And in Denton, where the City Council has required only that they maintain and post health and safety plans, many stores and restaurants continue to do that.

My support of a hybrid approach return to in-person meetings [on May 11] where staff, the public, and city officials could appear in person or participate remotely based on their individual preference was entirely conditional on masks still being required in city facilities, Armintor said in her email to Hensley. That entire discussion was based on the understanding that masks were still being required in city facilities. I also object to managements planned twice-weekly required in-person attendance for staff unless masks remain required of all members of the public with whom staff who work indoors come in contact.

Tuesdays work session is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Related
Funds advised by Gulf Capital and NBK Capital Partners, respectively, have announced a full and successful exit of their growth capital facility in Jordans Classic Fashion Apparel Industries (Classic Fashion).



The exit was financed with support from a leading global bank, which provided new facilities to the company for debt refinancing and further expansion.



At the time of the investment in April 2018, Gulf Capital and NBK Capital Partners partnered with Sanal Kumar, the founder of Classic Fashion, to provide the company capital for production expansion and to support a refinancing plan. During this period, the company grew its revenues from US$ 450 million in 2017 to more than $600 million in 2020.



Founded in 2003, Classic Fashion has achieved impressive growth and is now a recognised international industry player with longstanding relationships with global retail giants such as Walmart, Under Armour, Adidas, American Eagle, JC Penney, Hanes, and GAP. The company accounts for a 30% share of Jordans apparel exports, thus continuing to contribute significantly to the countrys economy. Classic Fashion today employs more than27,000 staff and is the largest private sector employer in Jordan.



Yaser Moustafa, Chief Executive Officer at NBK Capital Partners, said: Classic Fashion is one of our many success stories, in which we have supported a business with flexible capital to achieve its growth ambitions. In this investment, we saw the opportunity to partner with an exceptional management team in a fast-growing sector, and we are proud of the role NBK Capital Partners played in unlocking the exceptional growth that the company has since delivered.



Dr Karim El Solh, Chief Executive Officer at Gulf Capital, commented: Our investment in Classic Fashion demonstrates our ability to provide flexible growth capital to support the ambitious growth of market leaders across the Middle East. It was structured in a real win-win spirit, in that Classic accelerated its growth with our funding, while our investors realised a strong return and a quick distribution. This exit is Gulf Capitals third exit in 2021 and helps cement our track record of strong distributions to our growth capital investors.



Sanal Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Classic stated: Our partnership with Gulf Capital and NBK Capital Partners gave us access to growth capital at a critical juncture, which enabled us to grow our capacity, meet the demands of our international clients and increase our contribution to the Jordanian economy. We are thankful for the support of both Gulf Capital and NBK Capital Partners management teams along our journey of success.



This exit represents Gulf Capitals third realisation in 2021 and demonstrates the firms ability to provide flexible growth capital to support the ambitious growth of market leaders across the Middle East and Africa. Gulf Capital has a long and proven track record of investing in Growth Markets, having closed 36 investments since inception. The Firm currently manages over $2.5 billion in assets across seven funds and investment vehicles.



This exit represents the ninth successful realisation for private credit funds advised by NBK Capital Partners. Headquartered at Dubai International Financial Centre, NBK Capital Partners has advised on investments of more than $1.2 billion and has a track record of 18 profitable realizations from 36 investments, the highest number of profitable exits by an alternative investments firm in the region over the past decade.  TradeArabia News Service
Gov. Jared Polis wants to turn the former site of Colorados Japanese internment camp into a national park, preserving the area and its history for future generations.

Polis sent a letter to the National Park Service Tuesday, asking for its support in the inclusion of the Granada War Relocation Center, also known as Camp Amache, into the national park system.

Preserving and protecting the Amache site presents a valuable opportunity to better our country, our state, our history and most importantly our future in the spirit of justice, equity and inclusion, Polis said. It will allow us to interrogate our past and understand a more complete story of our nation.

Amache was one of 10 internment camps created in the U.S. during World War II because President Franklin Roosevelt feared Japanese Americans would sympathize with Japan's war efforts.

More than 120,000 Japanese people, most of whom were American citizens, were forcibly imprisoned in the internment camps, including over 7,000 at Amache from 1942 to 1945.

Amache was unique for having the most Japanese Americans volunteer to enlist in the military and because of Colorado Gov. Ralph L. Carrs public opposition to the mass incarceration at the time.

Amache, which is currently designated as a National Historic Landmark, would not be the first former Japanese internment camp to gain National Park designation, as Manzanar in California and Minidoka in Idaho have each received the status.

(National parks) ensure our national history and cultural experience are preserved, Polis said, even when we are called to face dark times in our nations past.

The National Park Service is currently evaluating the suitability of Amache as a national park through a Special Resource Study. The study began in late 2019 but has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study will provide recommendations on next steps, including on if the inclusion should be issued by an act of congress or by the president. If the study supports congressional action, Polis said he will work to support swift passage of designating legislation with the Colorado delegation.

Polis previously expressed support for designating Amache as a national park in February during the Mile High Japanese American Citizens Leagues remembrance day ceremony.

The National Park Service will be holding public comment sessions to gather community input on the proposal later this month. If approved, Amache would become Colorados 13th national park unit.
'The dictatorship turned every Cuban mother and father into a repressor at home' A group of young Cubans create an online forum to discuss the ideological censorship they have suffered, even outside Cuba.

Several young Cubans, living mainly in Spain and the U.S., have created an online discussion forum to talk about the price they have paid for exercising their right to free expression.

"The dictatorship made every mother and father a repressor at home; a repressor who loves you, but is a repressor you have to struggle against," said one of the more than 30 participants at a first meeting, with participants connecting from different parts of the world.

"The fact that our elders are afraid that something could happen to us for making our opinions public, demonstrates the lack of free expression that we Cubans suffer," said Rocio Rives, one of the organizers of the event and an Engineering student in Boston.

"Our elders must understand that, if they are free to say, 'Im a fidelista,' we can also say, 'Im against that ideology,'" she added.

"After the hunger strike by the San Isidro Movement in November 2020, and the November 27 protest in front of the Ministry of Culture, I began to torture myself psychologically because of my family's possible censorship of my comments on social media. After a lot of dialogue, I managed to get them to respect me. I didnt change their minds, but I was able to include freedom of expression in my family," said Rives.

Practically all the young people who participated in this meeting have had to block a family member or friend on social media, to keep them from worrying, or out of fear of criticism or repression of their relatives in Cuba.

"I'm afraid of being harassed, or people close to me being harassed, and them preventing me from speaking my mind. I'm afraid of losing friendships because they can't be around someone who speaks their mind, even if we agree on a lot, behind closed doors. Im afraid of the psychological damage that my relatives who care about me may suffer", says Claudio Gaitan, an organizer of the event from Barcelona.

"To just accept some of these fears would be to just accept terrorism; Im not willing to do that," Gaitan added.

Alicia Fernandez, an organizer in Madrid, shared that her mother was reproached by co-workers in Cuba because of her participation in demonstrations against the regime in Spain and her comments on social media. "The day I demonstrated for the first time I assumed the risk of something happening to me or my family," she said.

The group meets on the second Saturday of each month via Zoom, and held another meeting on May 8. It aims to serve as a support tool to help people overcome their fear of exercising their right to the freedom of expression. According to its promoters, it will welcome all Cubans who want a better future for Cuba, regardless of the country where they live and the ideology they espouse. "The important thing is to follow ideas, not people," said Erick Brito.

"It is important that our language not stem from hate. Many of us in Cuba have been part of the system in one way or another, whether as members of the CDR or the UJC. Don't fear us, this is not a purge, there is a place for all of us, our message must come from love, which is the opposite of the dictatorship, which lashes out against anyone who thinks differently," said one of the participants.
Moscow, ID (83843)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 44F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 44F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Chuck Winder had it right when he recently said the so-called Idaho Freedom Foundation, or IFF, was one of the biggest threats we have to our democracy in our state. Winder, a Republican and president pro tem of the Idaho Senate, had just witnessed the disruptive role played by the foundat
The Disabled American Veterans Wiregrass Chapter 99, located in New Brockton, will meet on Thursday May 27, at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the New Brockton Senior Center. Everyone is asked to bring a dish. For more information, call Charles Lobdell at 334-718-5707 or Mike Doran at 334-406-6700.

MAY 28

The Cultural Arts Center in Dothan will hold registration for its Summer Art Camps until May 28 at noon for June camps and June 25 at noon for July camps. To learn about camps offered and to register online, visit www.theculturalartscenter.org and click on Classes. Or, pick up a camp brochure and registration form at the arts center, located at 909 S. St. Andrews St. in Dothan. You can also email ann@theculturalartscenter.org to request a brochure and registration form to print out at home. The Cultural Arts Center is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 2-4 p.m. Payment will be done by credit or debit cards for online registrations, in person at the center or by check with mailed registration forms. Make checks payable to Cultural Arts Center and mail to 909 S. St. Andrews St., Dothan, AL 36301. Refunds will be done for camps that do not make. Camps will be held in the The Messy Space Art Studio located on the arts centers campus.

MAY 28-29
Bahrain has witnessed a solid growth in property transaction volumes for the first quarter which rose by 36 per cent to hit $600 million, compared to the last year's figures of $440 million, according to data released by Bahrains Survey and Land Registration Board.

These figures represent a boost of more than a third compared to the same period last year, when numbers were just over $440 million.

According to the report, just under 3,000 properties were sold across the kingdom during the first three months, up 51% over last year, which reached just under 2,000.

The Bahraini unit of UAE listings portal Propertyfinder also reported that the number of sale listings during Q1 had gone up almost 10% over the last quarter.

Much of this success can be attributed to strategic swift financial decisions taken by the government to support the economy, it added.

Ali Al Mudaifa, Executive Director, Investment Origination at the Bahrain Economic Development Board said: "The rise in real estate transactions indicates the growing demand for residential and retail properties in the kingdom which represents an opportunity for investors and developers who can benefit from Bahrains business-friendly regulations such as 100% foreign ownership."

"In addition to local demand, we witnessed a 21% surge in real estate transaction value from expat buyers including GCC nationals," noted Al Mudaifa.

According to him, Bahrains long-standing real estate sector is a popular destination for investments, offering a multi-dimensional marketplace that caters to the growing demand in the kingdom.

Residential properties present a unique opportunity as affordable housing schemes come into effect, with a demand request of 5,000 units per year and 40,000 units to be delivered next year by Ministry of Housing, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
THIRD GRADE READING PROMOTION REQUIREMENTAfter COVID-19 disrupted two school years, Alabama lawmakers voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to meet reading benchmarks before moving up to the fourth grade. The bill now goes to Ivey. Supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation from the 2021-2022 school year to the 2023-2024 school year.

GENERAL FUNDLawmakers gave final approval for the general fund budget for next fiscal year. The $2.4 billion spending plan is up a modest 3.6% over this year. The budget includes a 2% pay raise for state employees. The spending plan now goes to the governor.

WHAT DIEDGAMBLINGAlabama lawmakers ended the 2021 legislative session without a House vote on a Senate-passed lottery and casino bill. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said House leaders chose not to bring the bill up for debate on the busy final legislative day after negotiations fell apart earlier this month. Iveys office indicated she will only call a special session on the issue if lawmakers can reach an agreement.
SELMA  Police in Alabama have issued an arrest warrant for a man in connection with the bizarre theft of a Confederate monument that was taken from an Alabama cemetery and found in Louisiana.

Selma police charged Jason Warnick with theft in connection with the mysterious disappearance of the chair-shaped monument, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said Monday.

Warnick was already facing charges of possession of stolen property after police said the monument ended up in his New Orleans tattoo shop.

An attorney for Warnick said he denied being involved with the theft, which sparked national news stories before the monument was recovered.

This knowledge is very new, but we are in contact with the Selma Police Department and will be making plans over the next few days, attorney Michael Kennedy wrote in an email. That being said, Mr. Warnick categorically denies any involvement with the theft of this memorial art installation and intends to defend himself and his reputation vigorously.

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Warnick and two other people were previously charged with possession of the chair after it went missing.
A well-heeled candidate who may be edging closer to entering the Derby is Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman. He possesses the right and necessary ingredient for a successful recipe  money. He can bankroll the effort and also has proven fundraising skills. Some people might be skeptical that his 2020 loss in the second district congressional race might hurt his credibility. My guess is that it is irrelevant as to whether he won or lost, most people do not follow politics enough to recall the outcome. The amount of time and especially money spent by Coleman in that race has secured some name identification in the southern part of the state.

The big question is whether Shelbys former chief of staff and current president of the Business Council of Alabama, Katie Britt, enters the race. Her credibility and success lie totally on Shelbys commitment to her cause. It is no secret that Shelby wants Katie Boyd Britt to succeed him. He likes the fact that she is brilliant, capable, and young. She would also be an excellent campaigner. However, it will take a lot of money to make Katie a winner. She begins with no name identification.

Again, this will be an expensive and probably a vicious race. The gloves will come off and it will be tough brawl.

It will be interesting to watch. I will keep you posted.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Dwayne Ong was appointed senior advisor and president of DTS Education, with the goal of developing human resource training programs, digital transformation consulting and support.

DTS Alliance is a community that brings together reputable individuals and organizations operating in the fields of e-commerce, digital services, digital technology, ... with the mission to support digital transformation and increase competitiveness for enterprises.

To meet the demand for supporting and consulting suitable digital transformation solutions, DTS has established specialized digital transformation committees and focused on five main committees - e-commerce, agriculture, tourism, television and education & training.

To further strategic partnership agreement signed on January 29, DTS has appointed Dwayne Ong as Senior Advisor and President in the education sector.

Ong is founder and CEO of Casugol, an international certification provider based in Singapore that offers programs and courses in 38 countries, including Vietnam.

He is currently a member of the Industry Advisory Panel under Taylor's University, Malaysia and Digital Transformation advisor of REDTone International Bhd, Malaysia, associate professor at STMIK Bandung University, Indonesia.

"Investing in people, especially those that are currently working with you means helping them acquire the skills and knowledge required to succeed and stay competitive in the digital economy through continuous education. An inclusive leader would develop a business culture that encourages people to share, and innovate by providing them with the right tools, and resources, building a healthy pipeline to nurture new and young talents," Ong said.

Dwayne Ong, founder and CEO of Casugol, senior advisor and president of DTS in the education sector. Photo by DTS.

"Human resources have been identified as an important determinant of success in digital transformation. To ensure the sustainability of digital transformation, Vietnamese business needs a healthy future talent pool and a continuing training plan for current staff," he said.

Accordingly, Casugol and DTS will plan to deploy training programs to help digital transformation units acquire professional personnel and the necessary skills in this field.

Casugol offers professional certification programs and executive workshops on digital transformation and emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Big Data, Cyber Security, and 5G.

As of Jan. 31, more than 8,000 professionals around the world from government agencies, statutory boards, MNCs, SMEs and Education institutes have been certified and educated by Casugol.

In Vietnam, Casugol has certified and trained more than 798 participants from Intel Vietnam, Mobifone, the Ministry of Finance (Hanoi), Viettel, VICEM... with some participants attending public classes in Singapore.

An online training program organized by DTS Alliance. Photo by DTS.

To ensure the high quality of Casugols certification programs/executive workshops, all programs are required to be endorsed by the International Advisory Committee (IAC) with members made up of industry leaders, subject matter experts, and leading academia around the world prior to publication / offering.

Casugol has a network of partner companies and educational institutes that engage as digital transformation advisors or members of Industry Advisory Panel to contribute to policy and strategy planning. Through a strategic partnership with the DTS Alliance in Vietnam, Casugol is able to serve government agencies, corporations and the small and medium-sized enterprises in accessing knowledge and resources in the digital transformation field.
Imported cars at Hiep Phuoc Port, Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Vu Doan.

Vietnam imported 6,633 completely built-up (CBU) cars from China in the first four months, a 480 percent surge over the same period last year.

Industry insiders explain the increasing popularity of cars imported from China to good designs and modern features.

Despite the major increase, however, China remained the third largest CBU cars supplier for Vietnam in the first four months behind Thailand and Indonesia.

Thailand dominated auto imports with 25,732 vehicles, a 74 percent year-on-year increase, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. It was followed by Indonesia with 13,873 units, up 4.7 percent.

The two countries together accounted for 79 percent of April's CBU imports.

Thailand and Indonesia have led the list of Vietnam's car suppliers ever since the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) took effect in 2018, owing to the zero import tariffs.

Vietnam's total car imports in the first four months marked a 56.5 percent year-on-year growth at 50,161 vehicles.

The nations auto sales in the first four months surged 58 percent year-on-year to 101,309 units, signaling a recovery from last year's pandemic blows.
People are stranded in Da Nang after they were falsely promised employment in South Korea. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Long.

A total 165 people are now stranded in Da Nang after a scam employment offer in South Korea, municipal police said Monday.

The people, hailing from northern and north central Vietnamese localities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh, said they were offered to go to Da Nang and complete procedures to travel to South Korea for work, with salaries of at least VND50 million ($2,170) a month.

Tran Danh Cuong, 43, and Pham Doan Tuan, 39, were said to be the ones who offered them the deal. The two used Facebook to advertise their services, saying they could bring people to South Korea to work from Da Nang on ships, for a fee of $10,000 per person.

The victims have since handed VND5 million each to the duo for health check-ups and Covid-19 testing. On May 13, the duo told the 165 people to travel to Da Nang while recommending some hotels to stay at.

On May 15, the duo said each person would need to pay an additional $300 for "tickets to get on the ship," and that the vessel would depart at night. But Cuong and Tuan soon ran away, leaving the people behind.

An approximate VND1.8 billion ($78,250) was given to the duo, it was revealed.

Police investigation found the pictures used by Cuong and Tuan to be those of somebody else, indicating fraudulent conduct.

The 165 people in question so far have tested negative for Covid-19.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Da Nang has suspended multiple transportation services to curb the spread of the disease, which caused the stranding. The central Vietnam city has recorded 144 community cases in Vietnam's latest Covid-19 wave.
Medics take samples of workers at Quang Chau Industrial Park in Bac Giang Province for coronavirus tests, May 15, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Phong.

With workers accounting for 80 percent of all Covid-19 cases so far, Bac Giang Province near Hanoi has decided to shut down four industrial parks until further notice.

The parks, Van Trung, Quang Chau, Dinh Tram in Viet Yen District, and Song Khe  Noi Hoang in Yen Dung, with hundreds of companies and 136,000 workers have all recorded cases of infection.

Speaking at an online meeting with companies in the four parks on Monday night, the province's chairman, Le Anh Duong, said the Covid situation had never been so complicated.

Since the new wave of local transmissions began in the country three weeks ago, Bac Giang has registered 411 cases, including 326 in industrial parks.

It is currently quarantining more than 6,000 people for having been in direct contact with infected people and medically monitoring 30,000 others.

It is also speeding up mass testing of all workers at and people living around the four industrial parks.

"To put out the hotspot thoroughly, companies might have to stop operations for one to two weeks," Duong said, warning that otherwise the risk is serious.

Most companies said they do not want such a closure, saying it would cause them significant losses and their customers leave them. But some agreed, saying it is necessary to have a long-term view.

Among the affected companies are Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn which has production facilities at the three closed IPs in Viet Yen District.

The provincial authorities promised that once the outbreak is brought under control they would have clear plans to support businesses by preventing further infections and guaranteeing safety so that they could safely resume operations.

Bac Giang Province has six industrial parks with more than 240,000 workers, all situated near residential areas and national highways and thus posing a major threat of spreading infection.

By Tuesday morning Vietnam had recorded 1,340 cases of Covid in the new wave that began on April 27.

Of the infected people, 396 are workers in industrial zones in eight cities and provinces, according to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
In the wake of rising Covid-19 clusters in northern industrial zones, Ho Chi Minh City has conducted mass testing among workers and prepared for the worst-case scenario.

The Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority (HEPZA) along with the municipal health sector have deployed Covid-19 prevention measures among workers.

Hua Quoc Hung, head of the HEPZA management board, said stronger prevention protocols have been rolled out since late last year at industrial parks, recently heightened as Vietnam deals with a new wave of Covid-19 community transmissions.

He said ongoing clusters at various industrial parks in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh are a wake-up call for HCMC since many workers had traveled to different localities during the four-day Reunification Day and Labor Day holiday on April 30-May 3.

Since the holiday ended, 17,000 workers across the city have had their samples taken for coronavirus testing.

Last weekend, the city's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had collaborated with local authorities in Binh Tan District to test more than 200 workers at Taiwanese shoemaker Pouyuen Vietnam Co. Ltd., the city's biggest employer that uses more than 65,000 workers at the Tan Tao Industrial Park.

Workers chosen for the test are those that have visited Covid-hit areas in Vietnam or those bordering Cambodia and Laos, where Covid-19 community transmissions have been raging.

A week ago, Binh Tan had also sent medics over to test foreigners that had been brought into Vietnam recently to work for Pouyuen, as well as inspected their accommodation facilities to ensure they follow all protocols on self-quarantine.

Workers at Furukawa Automotive Parts Vietnam in Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone of HCMC's District 7 await their turn for new coronavirus testing in May, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/An Phuong.

Last week, HEPZA coordinated with health authorities in District 7 to run random tests among workers at Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone.

Hoang Xuan Thai, chairman of the worker union at Furukawa Automotive Parts Vietnam inside the zone, said the company has 7,000 workers, with 200 in various departments having been tested.

The city has 17 export processing zones, industrial parks and high-tech zones in which 1,500 companies are operating with 280,000 workers and 3,000 experts.

Aside from running tests, HEPZA has also sent delegations to inspect Covid-19 prevention measures at companies employing more than 500 workers.

Should Covid-19 be detected at an industrial zone, it has prepared plans on isolating and dealing with clusters to avoid cross infections as much as possible, it said.

Since the new wave of Covid-19 broke out in Vietnam on April 27, around 400 workers in industrial zones across eight cities and provinces have been infected, including 326 at four parks of northern Bac Giang Province, according to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, said last week "the most important places in Covid-19 prevention are hospitals and then factories and industrial zones.

"If infection clusters occur at industrial zones, they could disrupt production and supply chains, with the country's economy severely affected."

By gathering large numbers of workers in one place, factories and industrial parks face a high risk of becoming Covid hotspots, he said.

So far in this wave, HCMC has recorded just one Covid-19 patient on April 27 as a man in northern Ha Nam Province visiting the city.

However, on the morning of Tuesday, a local man living in Thu Duc City and working for an auditing company in District 3 contracted the virus, with the source of transmission unknown.
A task force sets up a barrier to isolate a block at Sunview Town condo project in Thu Duc, HCMC, May 18, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ha An.

A block of Sunview Town apartment building in Thu Duc City has been isolated after a man living there contracted the new coronavirus.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control said the man, 35, works for an auditing company on Pasteur Street, District 3.

He visited Vinmec Hospital on Monday for suffering symptoms including fever, coughing and sore throat.

His first test arrived as positive on Tuesday and the source of his transmission remains unknown for now.

He has not been recorded as Covid-19 patient, pending further test results from the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Healthcare workers have been sent over to Sunview Town to collect samples of local residents.

For the ongoing Covid-19 wave that broke out in Vietnam three weeks ago, HCMC has recorded just one case on April 29. The patient is a man from the northern province of Ha Nam who was visiting relatives in the city when he tested positive. He had come into contact with a Ha Nam man who had returned from Japan and was later found to be infected.

Until then the city had gone 75 days without local transmission.

Nationwide, 1,340 cases have been recorded in 28 cities and provinces so far in this wave.
Health workers in Bac Ninh's Tien Du District take a short nap after a white night, May 14 2021. Photo courtesy of Tien Du District Medical Center.

In Bac Ninh Province, a current pandemic hotspot, stress, exhaustion and sleep deprivation are the daily lot of its medical workers.

Many work continuously for more than 20 hours a day, collecting samples for Covid-19 testing and performing contact tracing.

It was past 1 a.m. last Friday as technician Nguyen Thi Thuy and more than a dozen colleagues took a nap after performing the second coronavirus tests for nearly 15,000 people in Mao Dien Commune, Thuan Thanh District, now a major novel coronavirus hotspot.

Thuy did not get much rest though. Minutes later, she got the message that the provincial Center for Diseases Control has detected six new positive cases. Thuy tied her hair up, called some colleagues to started the contact tracing process.

After the tracing was done, she set aside her phone and looked up the sky. The morning sun shone bright, momentarily hurting her eyes.

Friday was not an unusual night for Thuy and her colleagues since the outbreak hit the poor commune where locals live mainly on agriculture.

Mao Dien detected its first infection of the new outbreak on May 5 and the number has increased steadily since, prompting local authorities to impose lockdown.

All commune residents, about 15,000, have been tested for Covid-19, with the first test done on the night of May 7.

That evening, 100 medical staff from public and private hospitals in the province were mobilized to take samples of residents for mass testing.

"At that time, I was very worried about not completing the goal, not coordinating with other colleagues smoothly and I feared not being able to manage things stably because of the overcrowding," said Thuy, who has worked for 24 years in the commune.

But when everyone got to work, they quickly figured out how to "communicate" with each other through nametags on their shirts, with their eyes and nods.

It was past 4 a.m. the next day when Thuy's group completed their task. Along with other groups, 10,700 oropharyngeal samples were transported to the provincial CDC for testing.

Medical staff take samples of residents in Mao Dien Commune, Bac Ninh Province, on the night of May 7, 2021. Photo by Le Thi Nhung.

The exercise was not just tiring, but also frustrating when they were unable to "track down all those who'd come into close contact with confirmed patients or suspected cases." Their hands were sore, the feet tired and throats dry.

On the morning of May 14, her team discovered that a man had visited the Thuan Thanh District medical center, which was related to six positive cases, on May 6.

From morning to noon, four staff members of the team called this man to persuade him to go to a centralized quarantine facility to avoid spreading the virus among the community, but he refused to cooperate.

"He yelled at the medical staff instead," Thuy recalled.

"We were planning to take stronger measures, but early afternoon, he got into a bus and went to the isolation facility. While he showed up eventually, he deliberately made everything difficult, causing us a lot of stress."

As an employee of the Thuan Thanh Districts medical center, Dr Le Thi Nhung was dispatched to help tackle the outbreak in Mao Dien. She said she "had never experienced anything so stressful and exhausting in the past."

Nhung arrived in Mao Dien on May 7. By that night, she had completed collecting samples at this commune health center. At 2 a.m., she was asked to go to the next commune to quickly collect 24 samples from people who'd come into close contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Later, she continued taking samples from people who were still waiting in line at Mao Dien. It was 4:32 a.m. when she took a break.

"After taking a shower, it was 5 a.m. I fell asleep with my hair still wet," she said.

On May 9, Nhung was assigned to transport Covid-19 patients to isolation areas. Under the scorching heat of 36 degrees Celsius, the 43-year-old doctor collapsed suddenly after her sixth trip. Her colleagues quickly took her into a room and removed her protective clothing and mask. She vomited. After lying down for a while, she felt better and was given a glass of ionized alkaline water. Then she got back to work.

Nhung was not the only one who was so exhausted that she fainted that day. A nurse did the same; and the very next day, two other medical staff followed suit.

Dr Le Thi Nhung fainted after working long hours in Bac Ninh Province on May 9, 2021. Photo by Nguyen Huong.

Humor helps

In the rare moments that they are able to rest, the women resort to humor to help handle their back-breaking workload. No one dares to take off their mask and take pictures anymore, one quips, because everyone's face is itchy and full of pimples.

This is not an exaggeration, though. The husband of medical staff Nguyen Thi Huong, working in Mao Dien, couldn't hold back his tears as he said, "In the video call, my wife's face was pale and full of pimples.... Seeing her like that was heart-breaking."

Mao Dien Commune is just two kilometers from their house, but in the past 10 days, the distance has lengthened manifold, and the family does not know when they can reunite.

Health workers in many other Bac Ninh localities are also experiencing similar difficulties. On the evening of May 7, Nguyen Thi Luong, a doctor at the Tien Du District hospital, packed to leave on her mission. She was in tears.

Her bewildered four-year-old son asked: "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know when I'll be back with you," she responded.

When she arrived at the hospital, she and 20 colleagues got into an ambulance and went to Hien Van Commune to take samples for rapid testing from more than 5,000 people.

Covered in a protective suit, her body was soaked with sweat in less than an hour. After spending the whole morning asking for information and taking throat samples from hundreds of people, she was exhausted.

"From midnight to noon the next day, we are able to take off our protective clothing. At that time it feels like we've just climbed up from a swimming pool," said the 30-year-old physician.

"Almost everyone is red faced and red eyed. They are dehydrated and hungry. We have no rice yet to eat, we have boiled eggs to satisfy our hunger," she said. At 3:30 a.m. Luong and colleagues were able to take a short nap.

The Tien Du District Hospital has become a local field hospital in Bac Ninh. Luong and her colleagues were dispatched to all parts of the province to collect samples for testing. Her shift lasts more than 20 hours these days inclusive of short lunch and dinner breaks.

On the evening of May 14, she was transferred to the inner hospital, where she will directly treat 86 Covid patients.

"I just want us to be safe and for the new wave to pass quickly so that we can reunite with our children," she said. Luong's husband is also a doctor at Bac Ninh Lung Hospital who has been mobilized to support the Covid-19 fight.

With no indication as to when the new wave will end, medical staff like Thuy, Nhung and Luong are not going by clocks. Any minute they can rest, they lie on the ground, too tired to bother about its cleanliness.

Since the new wave broke out on April 27, Vietnam has reported 1,340 new Covid-19 cases in 28 cities and provinces. Of these, 290 are in Bac Ninh, home to foreign-invested firms and major industrial parks.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong, chairwoman of the Bac Ninh Young Doctors Association, said: "70 percent of the province's health workers are female and many of them have young children. Working so hard under such high pressure, it is not surprising that several have fainted out of exhaustion.
Dubai Scholars, a member of the British Schools of the Middle East, said work on its new school building is due for completion this August. The 34,000 sq ft addition will help boost the schools enrolment capacity by 400 students.

Delivering an enriched National Curriculum of England, Dubai Scholars is a school of just over 1,900 students from Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 13.

It is an Edexcel authorised school and participates in Model UN and the UN Girls Up programme. Graduates from Dubai Scholars have attended some of the most prestigious international universities such as Stanford University, London Imperial College, City College London, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

On the new addition, Principal Frank Scarcelli said: "The new building allows us to offer expanded initiatives that support Dubai Scholars ability to stay at the forefront of global education in developing future-ready children. We are excited about these developments and this new chapter in the DS story.

The work, to be completed by August this year, will be the largest new construction the school has undertaken since opening at its present location in 1994. The ground plus three building will include a number of science labs as well as the new Media Studies Lab, he stated.

The new building will not only provide much needed expanded capacity but also support the introduction of DSs new enrichment initiatives centered on next-generation skills development.

"These initiatives include the launch of Synthesis of Learning (SoL)  a new program based on a constructivist approach that allows for children to fully apply their learning to tangible and real-world concerns and a full revamp of the schools extra curricular activities to support a rich provision of non-academic activities for holistic development.-TradeArabia News Service
The government is collecting opinions on buying the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the producer has refused to negotiate on the price.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Monday that selected government members will have to contribute ideas on the deal to come up with a solution for Vietnam to acquire the vaccine developed by U.S.-based firm Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech Inc.

Aside from the Government Office, the Ministries of Health, Planning and Investment and Justice will give feedback on the matter.

But Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said Monday that: "Pfizer does not agree to negotiate on the price and other conditions of the contract, and Vietnam has to respond to Pfizer no later than Tuesday."

The price of the deal has not been disclosed by now.

PM Chinh said buying Covid-19 vaccine is essential and urgent and that the Health Ministry is in charge of choosing what kinds of vaccine Vietnam would buy.

"This is an emergency situation that should be dealt with immediately," said Chinh.

He assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to assess the method of acquiring the Pfizer vaccine as proposed by the Ministry of Health, as well as to come up with a draft solution on choosing a contractor for the deal in line with Vietnam's law and report to the PM.

The Health Ministry said last Friday that it has reached agreements to have 110 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine provided for Vietnam in 2021.

Of the sum, there will be 31 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, developed from the messenger RNA or mRNA, which contains the instructions for human cells to construct a harmless piece of the coronavirus called the spike protein, the ministry said without revealing further details on the contract.

For the remaining doses, 38.9 million of AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University, will be provided to Vietnam via the global vaccine access mechanism Covax, which is backed by the World Health Organization to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. Around 2.5 million doses under this program have arrived in Vietnam.

Aside from the vaccine provided by Covax, Vietnam had already secured a deal to have Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) buy 30 million doses from AstraZeneca. Of these, 117,600 doses have been delivered.

Besides, the ministry has also registered to buy about 10 million additional doses through Covax under the cost-sharing scheme to enjoy the lower prices.

Vietnam began its own Covid-19 inoculation program on March 8 after using the AstraZeneca vaccine that arrived either through contracts or Covax.

So far, over 977,032 people have been inoculated, mainly frontline workers of the Covid-19 fight and medics at local hospitals.
Vietnam's new Covid wave to last longer, spread further: health minister

A medic disinfects an area where people wait to have their samples taken for coronavirus tests in Hanoi, May 15, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

Vietnam's ongoing Covid-19 wave is expected to last longer than previous ones, leading to more infections, outbreaks and variant spread, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said Monday.

After nearly a month of the nation's fourth coronavirus wave, 1,340 community transmission cases have been recorded in 28 cities and provinces, the toughest Covid-19 wave Vietnam has ever had to face.

Long anticipated that the wave might "last longer, be on a larger scale with many outbreaks and more transmissible variants," adding that localities however should decide on appropriate social distancing measures to curb the disease, not applying them indiscriminately.

Among the new cases, 35 percent are workers in eight cities and provinces.

In the coming days, more coronavirus-positive cases should be expected as tests are being conducted at industrial areas with high risk of infection across the country, Long said.

Bac Giang Province, which borders Hanoi, has shut down four industrial parks, which host hundreds of companies and around 136,000 workers, to curb the spread of the disease.

Its neighbor Bac Ninh has said it would stop employing 30,000 workers from Bac Giang, saying the move was to "promptly detect and stop infections, while limiting the number of infected cases from entering the province's businesses."

So far, Bac Giang has recorded 411 local cases, making it the hardest hit locality in the ongoing Covid wave, with 80 percent of them being workers.

Authorities and medical workforce from other localities are also supporting Bac Giang with testing labs and medical workers to help with the province contact tracing and Covid-19 testing efforts.
In a recent visit to the United Kingdom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken heralded the enduring relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom:

I think our bilateral relationship is also vital to the world. The work that we do together advances progress on the most urgent global issues. . . including stopping COVID-19, addressing the threat of climate change, defending democratic values and open societies.

Looking forward, the United States and the United Kingdom share a commitment to ensuring that the world is better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to the next pandemic. We also have to lead a global economic recovery thats sustainable and that matches growth with equity so that the people hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID are helped, said Secretary Blinken.

The U.S. and the UK stand shoulder to shoulder on facing threats to the rules-based international order and to democratic values and human rights, said Secretary Blinken:

Together, our two countries recently took measures to prevent British and American businesses from inadvertently supporting forced labor in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China. Well continue our robust cooperation to address the atrocities in Xinjiang, a crackdown on pro-democracy activists and politicians in Hong Kong  which breaches Chinas international commitments  and the repression of media freedom across China and in other parts of the world.

The United Kingdom also joined the United States in holding Russia to account for its reckless and aggressive actions. Indeed, the UK announced the adoption of two global sanctions programs to counter corruption and support human rights. The first sanctions under their corruption program on April 26 targeted, among others, Russian individuals involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case, which revolved around a lawyer investigating corruption who died while in the custody of Russian authorities.

Both nations remain fully committed to NATO and to maintaining transatlantic unity in defense of common values and in response to direct threats.

The United States has no closer ally, no closer partner than the United Kingdom, said Secretary Blinken, and I am very glad for the chance to say that again.
In one of his first trips as U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken met in Kyiv with top officials of the Ukrainian government to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Ukraines independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. At a press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Secretary Blinken said, We are proud to stand by your side to secure a prosperous and democratic future for all the people of this country.

The early May visit followed in the wake of the largest build-up of Russian troops on the border between the two countries since Russia attempted to annex Crimea in 2014. Over the last seven years, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 13,000 Ukrainians, including in fighting between Russia-led troops and Ukrainian military forces in eastern Ukraine.

Although some Russian troops have recently been withdrawn from the border, heavy military equipment and a significant number of Russian forces remain in place. Were monitoring the situation very, very closely, Secretary Blinken said. He noted that he and President Zelenskiy discussed the support the United States has supplied and will continue to supply to strengthen Ukraines security and defenses. Secretary Blinken said the United States was actively looking at strengthening even further our security cooperation and security assistance to Ukraine.

Secretary Blinken made clear that in addition to the outside threat posed by Russia, Ukraine is also challenged by the internal threat of corruption. In a television interview, Secretary Blinken said corruption eats away at Ukraines democracy, and he condemned oligarchs who are advancing their own interests instead of the interests of the Ukrainian people. He praised Ukrainian officials for important legislative steps they have taken in enacting a reform agenda, but he noted that more progress must be made in the areas of corporate governance, judicial reform, and in ensuring a truly independent anticorruption board. These steps are vital, he said, to make sure that government is delivering for the people.

Secretary Blinken declared that the United States opposes corruption and Russias destabilizing actions towards Ukraine for the same reason: both seek to take away from the Ukrainian people what is rightfully theirs, their right to make their own decisionsto chart their countrys future.

Secretary Blinken emphasized that the United States deeply values its friendship and partnership with Ukraine in securing a democratic future for the Ukrainian people and looks forward to further invigorating that partnership in the years to come.
ELKO  The Adult Education Program congratulates Julio Eduardo Avila on passing his high school equivalency test.

Avila, 16, received his HiSet certificate in April, three months after starting the program.

The HiSet comprises a battery of five tests that covers math, reading, science, social studies, and a written essay.

Avila said the program allowed him to graduate ahead of his peers. I was kicked out of high school for multiple reasons. But, in an odd way, I am glad I got kicked out because I finished school early.

As he studied for his tests, his initial fears about his future melted away, recalling his doubts that his equivalency would prevent him from furthering his education.

I thought I wasnt going to be able to get a good job or go to college, but I later found out that with this degree, you can still do that.
On Monday the White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants to see a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. This is the first official mention of a ceasefire from the Biden administration.

An overview of the call has been made public by White House officials, who said that Biden expressed his support for a cease-fire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end.

Tensions were reignited in the contentious Gaza Strip little over a week ago with bombings between Israel and Hamas leaving countless civilians dead, although Palestine has borne the brunt of the conflict.

Pressure mounts on Biden to send a message

In recent days there have been growing calls for Biden to step in and involve the United States in the conflict by publically calling for an end to the violence. The President had been scheduled to talk with Netanyahu on Monday and a group of 28 Democratic senators signed a letter demanding Biden calls for a ceasefire.

The letter read: To prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, we urge an immediate ceasefire.

Before todays announcement, the Biden administration had stayed clear of the openly calling for the fighting to stop. On Saturday he said that the USs aim was to secure a negotiated two-state solution as the best path to reach a just and lasting resolution.

In a recent statement, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke of the need for a sustainable calm while others have demanded restraint.

Will Bidens call for a ceasefire change anything?

In response to the heightening violence in the region some have wished that Biden had been stronger in his condemnation of the attacks initially. However now that he has publically called for a ceasefire to be reached, what hope is there of a swift and peaceful resolution?

Speaking to reporters on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White Houses approach was to use quiet, intensive diplomacy, arguing that they feel they can be most effective without needing to wade into the conflict.

However as the bombings have continued it appears that the President has attempted to strike a stronger tone in his dealings with Netanyahu. As recently as Sunday the Israeli Prime Minister told CBSs Face the Nation that his government were intent on trying to degrade Hamass terrorist abilities and to degrade their will to do this again, warning that a resolution was not immediate.

It remains to be seen what effect Bidens remarks will have on the situation in Gaza but it is a notable change in the President's public comments on the issue and in his relationship with Israel.
The IRS has sent out the majority of $1,400 stimulus checks in the third round of Economic Impact Payments that were included in the American Rescue Plan. The remaining checks and plus-up payments will continue to go out as the tax agency processes 2020 tax returns. Yet there is a push for further direct payments to Americans while the pandemic lasts.

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee have sent the White House a letter urging the White House to include recurring stimulus payments in the American Families Plan according to reporting in Newsweek, the third such letter from Congress this year. This follows a meeting last week between White House Staff and the Economic Security Project about creating automatic stabilizers that would see direct payments automatically sent out when certain economic measures are triggered.

When could a fourth stimulus check be approved?

President Biden has presented the next two phases of his Build Back Better plan which would see an additional $4 trillion in spending on infrastructure and American families. Both pieces of legislation are expected to encounter headwinds from Republicans because of the sheer size of the plans.

The White House has been meeting with bipartisan groups of lawmakers to hammer out details of what he wants to see included in the American Jobs Plan, President Bidens infrastructure bill. So far, the counteroffers from GOP lawmakers have been much smaller than what the Biden administration is calling for but Republicans are upping the amount that they could envision spending.

However, GOP lawmakers want the legislation to focus on traditional infrastructure, negating any likelihood that a stimulus check or other form of direct payment could get into the bill if the White House wants Republicans to support a final legislative proposal. This has got to be the meat and potatoes of infrastructure: roads, bridges, and ports, and thats what were trying to push, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on Monday.

Lawmakers push for direct payments as part of American Families Plan

The focus for more social spending seems to be focused on the American Families Plan, the White Houses proposal for investing in the American family. President Biden unveiled his $1.8 trillion investment in education, child care and paid family leave in April. It isnt clear when Congress would take up the proposal as lawmakers are working through the details of the infrastructure bill. This proposal would encounter even stronger opposition from GOP lawmakers with the increased taxes on the wealthy that are included and the larger role the state would take in everyday life.

Democrats would most likely seek to pass the bill before the end of the year to include expanded tax provisions from the American Rescue Plan that only apply to the 2021 fiscal year. In order to get the bill through the evenly split Senate would require support from at least 10 Republicans unless Democrats use budget reconciliation as they did with the American Rescue Plan. The parliamentary process allowed Democrats to pass the legislation without the threat of the filibuster using a simple majority vote.

However, centrist Democrats, in particular Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have expressed reluctance to use that process and want the legislation to be bipartisan. Furthermore, using reconciliation would limit what could go into the bill as with the $15 per hour minimum wage hike that was removed from the American Rescue Plan after the Senate parliamentarian judged that it didnt meet the requirements to be included.

A lot will depend on how the economy recovers into the summer and fall and whether there will be the impetus for additional stimulus checks. Currently there is more focus on continuing the enhanced Child Tax Credit for 2021 that will begin sending households with children monthly direct payments starting in July. President Biden has proposed extending the expansion until 2025, while the congressional Democrats want to make it permanent.

As for a fourth stimulus check Yeva Nersisyan, Associate Professor of Economics at Franklin & Marshall College told CBS lets see if people still need more assistance. Lets see how the economys doing as things keep opening up and the vaccination rates go up and things go back to some sense of normal. And lets see where the unemployment numbers are. Are people still running behind on their rents and mortgages and so on? And based on that, lets decide whether we need to inject more spending into the economy. I would say wait and see right now.




Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (middle) at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

During a meeting in Hanoi on May 17 between permanent Government members and ministries and agencies, PM Chinh admitted that during this outbreak, new variants are spreading more quickly in cities and provinces, especially in industrial parks, putting pressure on the country ahead of the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and Peoples Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure.

He attributed that to limited management of immigrants, especially illegal entries, while several agencies and localities fail to stay vigilant and lack experience in coping with the disease.

However, he affirmed that authorities from the central to local levels have taken synchronous, drastic and timely actions to fight the pandemic. Commendation and disciplinary actions in the work were carried out promptly.

The pandemic is now under control nationwide without any new cluster with unclear origin, he said.

He highlighted the dual goal of promoting socio-economic development and effectively fighting the pandemic. As preparations for the upcoming elections are in the right place and on schedule, taking care of peoples health is a foremost task, he added.

To meet such target, he asked agencies and sectors to adapt with the new situation in the spirit of fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemy, learn from experience from the previous three outbreaks, and continue following the 5K message as recommended by the Health Ministry.

Ministries, agencies and localities were required to pool resources to step up COVID-19 testing, carry out vaccine strategy, use modern technology as instructed by the Ministry of Information and Communications to fight the pandemic, and prepare medical supplies and financial resources for the effort, contributing to protecting public health and national interests.

They were assigned to devise scenarios for any case, raise public awareness of the anti-pandemic work, and spread effective models in the regard.

The Government leader also directed agencies and localities to flexibly apply the State regulations considering their real situation, stay calm and not let guard down.

Participants at the event looked at mechanisms, policies and the efficiency of measures to fight the pandemic, reviewed the compliance with directions by the Secretariat, State President, Government, Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and the Health Ministry, as well as the involvement of ministries and agencies in the fight.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said as of 12pm on May 17, Vietnam recorded 4,242 infection cases, including 1,018 new ones from April 27, and 37 deaths./.
COVID-19 tests in Bac Giang province (Source: vietnamnet.vn)

According to VOV, The new patients tested positive after having close contact with COVID-19 patients, the MoH said in its noon bulletin update.

They were all detected at Quang Chau, Van Trung and Dinh Tram industrial parks in Bac Giang.

Bac Giang, a gateway to Hanoi capital, has recorded nearly 500 locally transmitted cases, mostly at industrial parks, since the virus recurred in Vietnam in late April.

The provincial administration on May 17 decided to temporarily suspend operations of Quang Chau, Van Trung, Dinh Tram, and Song Khe-Noi Hoang industrial parks. They also moved to impose social distancing on several localities in the province in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Elsewhere, six more cases were recorded in Hanoi, four in Dien Bien, three in Bac Ninh, three in Hai Duong, two in Da Nang, one each in Hai Phong, Hung Yen amd Quang Nam.

One more case was also reported at the K Cancer Hospital No2 in Hanoi.

The MoH also confirmed an imported case in its noon bulletin. The 67-year-old man of the Republic of Korea entered Vietnam on May 16 and tested positive on the following day.

Vietnam has so far recorded 4,464 COVID-19 cases, including 2,668 recoveries and 37 fatalities. Vietnam records 37th death linked to COVID-19.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested that relevant ministries move to find solutions to purchase the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech of the United States for emergency use in Vietnam. The PM made this request following the conclusion of a cabinet meeting on May 17, during which Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long stated that the US manufacturer has yet to accept negotiations regarding prices and conditions of a potential deal. Therefore, the Vietnamese side must reply to Pfizer/BioNTech by May 18 at the latest.

Vietnams northwestern localities step up cooperation with Chinas Yunnan province

The northwestern provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Dien Bien and Chinas Yunnan province have agreed to enhance cooperation in the time ahead with a view to building a borderline of peace, stability and friendship, reported VNA.

The four northwestern provinces of Vietnam and China's Yunnan province

agree to promote cooperation in the time ahead. (Photo: VNA)

The consensus was reached at an online conference between the Secretaries of the Party Committees of the four Vietnamese provinces and the Secretary of Yunnan Provincial Party Committee on May 18.

The event, the first of kind held between the provinces, aimed to evaluate cooperation among the localities in recent times, and discuss challenges that need to be addressed so as to develop the Vietnam  China comprehensive strategic collaboration partnership in a stable and sustainable fashion.

Attending the conference, head of the Commission for External Relations under the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Le Hoai Trung spoke highly of the sound cooperation between the two sides in the past time.

He expressed his hope that they will work together to capitalise on their strengths and potential, making contributions to the socio-economic development in each province, as well as the stability and prosperity of the two nations.

Meanwhile, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Song Tao commended the organisation of the conference, affirming his department stands ready to cooperate with the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations to bolster friendship exchange and collaboration between localities of both nations.

The Party chiefs of the five localities were unanimous to maintain regular meetings to promote mutual understanding, handle bottlenecks in cooperation in a timely manner, and build suitable coordination mechanisms.

They also gave their consent that it is necessary to implement three legal documents on Vietnam  China land border, and minutes of the meetings of the Vietnam  China Land Border Joint Committee.

Additionally, they agreed to ask competent authorities for approval to organise the second conference in the first quarter of 2022.

Alibaba and partners invest 400 million USD in Vietnams retail company

Masan Group Corporation and a consortium, including Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and Baring Private Equity Asia, on May 18 announced the signing of definitive agreements for the acquisition of a 5.5 percent stake in The CrownX for a cash consideration of 400 million USD, reported VNA.

Consumers buy pork at a Vinmart supermarket (Photo: VNA)

The CrownX, founded in 2020, is valued at 6.9 billion USD, equivalent to 93.50 USD a share. Parent company Masan will hold 80.2 percent of the retail unit.

The company is Masans integrated consumer retail arm that consolidates its interests in Masan Consumer Holdings (MCH) and VinCommerce (VCM).

Danny Le, Masan Group CEO, said: This strategic partnership will accelerate our ability to achieve our goal of transforming The CrownX into a one-stop shop to serve consumers everyday needs, whether offline or online.

Our immediate priority is to modernise Vietnams grocery market and develop an unparalleled consumer proposition from assortment to shopping experience, he added.

As a long-term investor in the country, we think Vietnam has a long runway for growth supported by strong macroeconomic tailwinds and attractive demographics, stated Janice Leow, managing director at BPEA.

As a part of the transaction, VCM will enter a strategic cooperation agreement with Lazada, Alibabas Southeast Asian e-commerce platform.

It will be the grocery retailer of choice on Lazada in Vietnam./
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Voting is officially over.

Polls closed at 8 p.m.

Check thetimes-tribune.com for complete election results as they come in.

______________________________________________________________________________________________-

Lynn Cawley Harding had the Scranton School Board in mind particularly while voting at Isaac Tripp Elementary School.

A teacher in the Scranton School District for 25 years, shes hoping for some change in the leadership, supporting a mix of incumbents and newcomers.

The current board is in the process of closing buildings, and I know they don't really want to, but they feel compelled to, she said around 6 p.m.. We're trying to get some alternative opinions about the recovery plan in the district that's causing those problems.

Primaries often dont get the turnout of general elections, and this primary seems to be following the trend.

By 5:30 p.m., turnout at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple's three polling places (Ward 7/District 1; Ward 16/District 1; and Ward 17/District 2) generally had been light throughout the day, said Judge of Elections Kevin Kays.

For a primary, its low, Kays said.

Its a stark contrast to the general election of November, which had the presidential race atop the ballot and a line of voters stretching along the sidewalk and around the block onto Vine Street, said poll watcher Alex Molfetas.

Shawn Zehel, judge of elections for the John Marshall and Tripp Park precincts in Scranton, said there's been a strong, steady turnout throughout the day. It started to pick up with people getting out of work, he added around 6 p.m.

"We've had a couple of slow periods throughout the day, but we always do," he said.

It's busier than the last primary since people have been getting vaccinated for COVID-19, he said.

"Now as more people have an opportunity to be vaccinated, that adds to their level of comfort coming out," he said.

Turnout seemed off pace at the polling place at the John G. Whittier Elementary School on Orchard Street in South Scranton.

Ward 19s District 1 and District 2 precincts were in the school gym. By 6:30 p.m., the polling site had 152 ballots cast, when that number usually would have been in the 300s, said Judge of Elections Bob Gattens.

Low turnout. Its been slow all day  trickles, Gattens said.

On election day in November, poll worker Roxanne Pauline estimated she and others at Neil Armstrong Elementary didn't have time for so much as a sip of water until 6 p.m.

As today's primary election wore on this morning, she had time for a cigarette.

"It's been steady but slow," she said.

Voter turnout in Lackawanna County appeared light so far, said Beth Hopkins, the county's elections director. She said she was aware of no major issues.

By about 12:30 p.m., officials at the county government center in the former Globe store finished opening the 11,000-plus mail-in and absentee ballots received so far and began scanning them in, Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers said.

By 5:10 p.m., the task was finished save for those recently deposited in a drop box, which will be done after the polls close at 8 p.m., Jeffers said. The tallies from those ballots will be uploaded at the same time as those received from election judges.

It's a far cry from the crush of mail-in and absentee ballots received during last year's primary and general elections, spurred on by the presidential race and COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the county, voters steadily trickled into polling places to make their selections in a number of local and state races. Many maintained the precautions adopted during the pandemic and kept their masks on while inside. Hopkins said she had not received any reports of people concerned about masking.

Sharon Sanko, judge of elections in Blakely's second ward, said 19 voters had cast their ballots at Blakely Hose Company No. 2 shortly before 8 a.m.

Theres usually a lot more, she said.

She believed lingering fears of COVID-19 may depress turnout during the day.

Maybe theyll just come out later, She said. You sometimes get that too.

As 8 a.m. approached, a slow trickle of voters turned up, including Jo Rusnak, 65.

Among the races on the ballot, she said the special election to select a new state senator in the 22nd District is of top importance. All registered Lackawanna County voters  no matter their party  can cast ballots in the race, as well as on four statewide referendum questions.

Four candidates are on the ballot to fill the seat left vacant by the March resignation of John Blake: Democrat Marty Flynn, the 113th District state representative; Republican Chris Chermak, a county commissioner; Green Party candidate Marlene Sebastianelli, a nursing home consultant and winery owner, and Libertarian Nathan Covington, a web designer.

Things need to change in Pennsylvania, she said.

Meanwhile, in Clarks Green, Chermak stopped by the borough's municipal building at about 9:30 a.m. to say hello to people outside while touring polling locations around the Abingtons. He hoped for steady turnout.

"The weather helps," he said.

Inside the borough building, Judge of Elections Denise Wylie said that 85 voters by then had cast their votes in person. About 103 of the 156 absentee ballots requested had been returned.

Polls close at 8 p.m.

Voters who requested mail-in ballots have until 8 p.m. to return their ballots, which can be placed in the drop box in the vestibule of the county government center, 123 Wyoming Ave. About 14,192 mail-in and absentee ballots were requested.

Voters who received a mail-in or absentee ballot but want to vote in person may do so by bringing the ballot and pre-addressed outer return envelope to their polling place today to be voided. After surrendering the ballot and envelope and signing an affidavit, they will be given a regular ballot.

Staff Writers Jim Lockwood and Brooke Williams contributed to this report.

Check back for updates. For election results after polls close, visit thetimes-tribune.com.
Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of Vietnams permanent mission to the UN, has called on parties involved in Libya to abide by the ceasefire agreement and resolve humanitarian issues in conformity with basic principles of international law.

Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of Vietnams permanent mission to the UN. (Photo: VNA)

He made the statement while attending an UN Security Council (UNSC) video teleconference (VTC) on Libya situation on May 17 which saw the presence of International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Anh highly valued important progresses seen in Libya since the beginning of this year, not only in achieving a ceasefire but also the formation of the Government of National Unity in the African country.

Other UNSC state members also welcomed recent positive developments in politics and security in Libya; and urged parties concerned to fully implement the ceasefire signed last October and prepare for an election slated for the end of this year.

Some countries voiced their support for Bensoudas activities under the UNSCs Resolution 1970 and called the interim government to cooperate with the ICC.

Permanent Representative of Libya to the UN, meanwhile, reiterated the Libyan Government of National Unitys commitments to facilitating the transition process and ensuring the delivery of justice; and to implementing in full all relevant UNSC resolutions, including Resolution 1970./. VNA
The Jerusalem Post reports that Yair, the son of PM Binyamin Netanyahu, has been tweeting calls for far right wingers to demonstrate outside the Israeli TV channel N12 against the medias anti-Zionist brainwashing. N12 now has to provide bodyguards for 4 of its correspondents
SCRANTON  A cyclist himself, Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell on Monday praised Scranton as a bike-friendly town with wonderful trails that run alongside the Lackawanna River.

But it can carry risks; three bicyclists in Lackawanna County were seriously injured in crashes last year, according to the most recent state Department of Transportation data, the highest in any one year since 2011.

And every time I get out on a bicycle, I appreciate that danger, Powell said.

Citing the need for safety, officials from Scranton, PennDOT and Lackawanna County met Monday on Courthouse Square to lay out what bicyclists and pedestrians can do to keep themselves safe.

One fatality on our roads is one too many, said Christina Sullivan, community traffic safety program coordinator with the Lackawanna County Highway Safety Program.

Many of the safety recommendations came down to the basics; officials urged pedestrians to cross the street at marked crosswalks and keep their focus on their surroundings rather than their cellphones. Drivers must pay attention to the road and to what the nearby signs say rather than their latest text message.

Also, use sidewalks, wear bright clothing, Powell said. If youre out at night, wear lights  they have all these wonderful lights you can wear now that you see many of our runners who run around Scranton use when they run in the evening. As a pedestrian, you should walk opposite of traffic if theres not a sidewalk. Thats what the law requires, but its for your own safety as well.

In April, PennDOT said traffic fatalities in 2020 ranked as the second lowest on record, with 1,129 killed on the states roads. However, that was a nearly 7% increase in deaths from the previous year, which had the

fewest fatalities on record at 1,059, even though overall traffic in Pennsylvania declined 20% in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Lackawanna County, there were 22 traffic fatalities in 2020, a spike from 10 recorded in 2019, according to the most recent PennDOT crash data. Of those, two were pedestrians, the records show.

However, the states data erroneously listed 2006 as the last year with bicyclist fatality. In 2016, Michael Harmer was struck and killed while riding a bicycle on South Main Avenue in Scranton.

Between 2016 and 2020, eight pedestrians have died in motor vehicle collisions in Scranton, Police Chief Leonard Namiotka said. He said police will step up enforcement in the coming weeks with a focus on pedestrian safety. He noted pedestrians have responsibilities when stepping onto the road and could be cited for breaking the rules.

Steve Pitoniak, Lackawanna County transportation planning manager, said officials plan to work to make the roads safer for those other than motorists and discussed aspects of a bicycle and pedestrian study completed in December that examined the central business districts of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

He said the study looked at implementing bicycle lanes and sharrows  lanes shared by motorists and bicyclists  on downtown streets that would allow access to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, as well updating crosswalks and pedestrian signals.

The street belongs to everybody, Pitoniak said. So its not just for trucks and cars. Its for bicycles, for pedestrians.
English French

Voltalia wins a new 100-megawatt solar project of new solar project in Albania

Voltalia (Euronext Paris, code ISIN: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, announces today that it has been awarded a new 100-megawatt solar project in Albania. This is the second project won by the company in the country in less than a year.

This 100-megawatt project, called Spitalla, was won after a tender launched by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy last November. Voltalia has been awarded a 30-year concession contract on a 121-hectare site in the region of Durres, on the Adriatic coast, some 30 kilometers from Tirana, capital of the country. The project will benefit from the regions very great potential of solar radiation.

Out of the 100 megawatts, 70% will be sold through a 15-year power sale contract with FTL, a state-owned operator. The remaining 30% will be sold through another long-term power sale contract negotiated with a private operator.

The Spitalla plant will be commissioned in 2023. Voltalia will be responsible for the development, construction and maintenance of the project.

This is the second photovoltaic tender launched by Albania in less than a year. Once again, Voltalia wins all the capacity involved in the tender. As a reminder, in May 2020, Voltalia had already announced that it had won a 30-year concession contract to develop, construct and operate Karavasta's 140-megawatt solar project. The two projects located a few tens of kilometers away from each other, with a coordinated implementation calendar, will benefit from significant synergies during construction as well as throughout the operating period.

Sebastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, concludes: "We are very pleased to have won this new project which perfectly illustrates the synergies generated by our integrated model. Already present in the country since 2018 through our activity of construction and maintenance of solar power plants for third-party customers, we have been able to develop an excellent knowledge of the country and its energy challenges. Albania benefits from an exceptional sunshine that allows for high yields of solar assets."

Next on the agenda: Q1 2021 revenue, on April 21, 2021

About Voltalia (www.voltalia.com) Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector. The Group produces and sells electricity generated from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage facilities that it owns and operates. Voltalia has generating capacity in operation and under construction of more than 1.4 GW and a portfolio of projects under development representing total capacity of 9.7 GW.



Voltalia is also a service provider and supports its investor clients in renewable energy projects during all phases, from design to operation and maintenance.



As a pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia provides a global offer to private companies, ranging from the supply of green electricity and energy efficiency services to the local production of their own electricity.



The Group has more than 1 130 employees and is present in 20 countries on 4 continents and is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients.



Voltalia is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, compartment B (FR0011995588  VLTSA) and is part of the Enternext Tech 40 and CAC Mid & Small indices. The Group is also included in the Gaia-Index, an index for socially responsible midcaps. Voltalia

Investor Relations: invest@voltalia.com

T. '33 (0)1 81 70 37 00 Active

Press Contact: Jennifer Jullia

jjullia@actifin.fr. T. '33 (0)1 56 88 11 11

Attachment
Luke Heggie: Lowbreed

Comedy Store, May 13



Luke Heggie is concerned that, as a society, weve given the talking stick to the stupid and havent got it back. Hes got such a long list of grievances he doesnt have time for fripperies like an introduction, segues, crowd work, act-outs or callbacks. Instead, his latest hour is another no-frills, relentless barrage of exquisitely honed anguish. Luke Heggie has an abiding love for distinctively Australian slang. Credit:Tom Wilkinson Theres barely a wasted word. The only break from his rat-a-tat rhythms is when the laughter is so loud it forces him to pause momentarily.

Nobody throws insults around with such wicked precision as Heggie. Whether its Namaste perverts, Filthy Bevans or Tiprats commuting between crime scenes, he describes the objects of his ire to vivid, hilarious effect. Loading Heggie probably hates poems, poets and anyone who reads poetry, but his ability to hit on the exact right adjective rivals the most skilled of bards. This facility, coupled with his love of distinctively Australian slang (cable ties are Jetstar handcuffs in Heggie land) and penchant for deliciously grim imagery, means hes an acerbic delight even when taking aim at familiar comedy festival targets like F45 gyms, yoga classes and earnest Instagram influencers. Hes often playing a character, one that says things like for all intensive purposes and quantity time and whose children go without at Christmas because hes broke after repeated fines for abusing police officers.
MONTREAL, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marianna Naturals Corp. is pleased to announce that it has been approved as a Best Buy Marketplace Seller as of May 17th, 2021. Contrary to everyones belief, Best Buy boasts various products other than electronics in their marketplace including skincare. With over 250 million annual visits and 2.3 million orders per year, the Best Buy platform is an excellent opportunity for driving revenue and increasing growth and awareness for the brand.



This is great news for the company considering the recent launch of their Divine Blue Light Protection Cream and Mist that helps fight the effects of HEV (High Energy Visible) rays that emit not only from the sun but from your smartphone, tablets, computer screens and other handheld devices. Blue Light is extremely harmful to the skin, causing it to age prematurely. Using products such as the companys new Blue Light Protection Cream will help to prevent it. Sticking with the theme of Where Skincare Meets Technology Marianna Naturals is delivering on its promise, to outshine its competitors with innovative technology and adaptable skincare products for consumers.

This is the 2nd major marketplace where the brands products are featured, previously announcing on December 11th, 2020 that they had been approved as a Walmart Marketplace Seller. Marianna Naturals has 45 different products currently listed in the Walmart Marketplace with the brand expecting to list the same products in the Best Buy Marketplace over the next couple of weeks. The Best Buy team and Marianna Naturals development team are in-the-midst of completing the onboarding process over the course of the next few days.

We are extremely pleased with the recent marketplace agreement with Best Buy. This partnership will certainly help drive the brands initiative as an innovative thinker and player in the skincare space said Joel DeBellefeuille, CEO & Co-founder of Marianna Naturals. Having been struck by the global pandemic the company had to really think outside of the box. They filled that void of the lack of in-person customer service and care by integrating their skin diagnostics tool into the backend of their e-commerce site, by providing customary product recommendations for consumers in real-time.

Marianna Naturals is now the #1 search result on Google in over 80 million results when searching for skin diagnostics surpassing industry titans such as Clinique and Decorte that have similar applications. This is a major milestone and a great achievement for the company in such a short amount of time.

Visit the Best Buy Marketplace today!

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/category/more-from-best-buy-marketplace/685136

About Marianna Naturals Corp.

'Marianna Naturals  was born from our belief that the world deserves 100% natural skin care and cosmetics without the use of chemical preservatives. A celebrity skin care and health & wellness brand producing products that are hand-made fresh at our facilities in the USA which are always Cruelty-Free, Paraben-Free, and Sulfate-Free.' Beauty Kitchens founder and CEO, Heather Marianna, skyrocketed in popularity with the launch of her Beauty Kitchen YouTube series in 2012 where she showcased simple, do-it-yourself beauty recipes made with common kitchen household ingredients. The series generated a powerful following of more than 4 million viewers. Heather Marianna has starred on Bravos luxury-travel series, Tour Group in 2015 and was featured on Oxygens My Super Shopping Addiction in addition to appearing on several episodes of MTVs Teen Mom OG. The DIY guru has also appeared on countless news segments across the country as a beauty expert, showcasing her own simple tricks and tips. She is the official beauty expert for KSNV-NBC 3 in Las Vegas and appears monthly to captivate viewers with new DIY tutorials. In 2020 she and fellow Co-founder Joel DeBellefeuille teamed up to launch Marianna Naturals a similar but unique brand focused on expanding across the US border into Canada.

Marianna Naturals products are sold in Faire.com a wholesale marketplace for retailers & brands; as well as Walmart.ca, Etsy.com, Boutsy.com, Tundra.com and Beautykitchenonline.com

For more information visit: www.mariannacorp.com

Shop: www.marianna.ca Skin Diagnostics Tool: www.marianna.ca/skin-diagnostics/

Connect with Marianna Naturals on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marianna-naturals-corp/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQCklGIewWaQd4wHXRAqCg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannanaturals

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mariannanatural

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannanaturals

Contacts:

For media inquiries: press@mariannacorp.com For investors: invest@mariannacorp.com

Joel DeBellefeuille, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer

E. joel@marianna.ca Tel. 514-434-2640

To learn more about our CEO visit: www.joeldebellefeuille.com

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as-a-result of new information, future events or otherwise. No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60823dac-89ab-4de8-9c28-953bd12343ce
Russell Street bomber Craig Minogue has been committed to stand trial on allegations he and another man raped two young women more than 30 years ago.

Minogue, who is serving a life sentence in prison for his role in the 1986 bombing, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges he raped the women, despite his lawyers arguing for the case against him to be permanently suspended.

The lawyers argued that police failed to discharge their public duties by not investigating the rape allegations then, which was an abuse of process and unfair on their client.

Prosecutors allege Minogue, Peter Komiazyk and Stan Taylor abducted the women, one in Chapel Street, South Yarra, on November 22, 1985, and the other in Ashwood Drive, Nunawading, on March 26, 1986. The second incident was the day before the bombing.
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Its been 84 years since the Hindenburg disaster took place in New Jersey.

The German passenger airship caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock at Naval Air Station Lakehurst on May 6, 1937. Thirty-seven people died in the accident.

A documentary by Nova called Hindenburg: The New Evidence will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, on New Mexico PBS Channel 5.1. It is available to stream on the PBS Video App.

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Gary Tarpinian is an executive producer on the project and says the new findings are extraordinary.

It also says to me, as a producer, dont let anyone tell you that theres nothing new to be learned, Tarpinian says. Were happy to be the ones that show the world something new on this tragic accident.

For over 80 years, the cause of the spark that brought down the Hindenburg has eluded experts.

Theories about the airships fire ranging from deliberate sabotage to a spark generated by the stormy conditions are known.

Despite two official investigations into the accident  one American and one German  what sparked the fire has largely remained a mystery.

But newly discovered amateur footage of the crash shows the airships final seconds from a fresh angle  allowing historians for the first time to see the airship from nose to tail just after the fire breaks out.

Helming the new investigation are Lt. Col. Jason O. Harris, an Air Force veteran and commercial airline pilot trained in accident investigation, and aviation historian Dan Grossman, a bestselling author and world-renowned authority on Hindenburg and the 1937 investigations.

Their inquiry leads them from the Lakehurst, New Jersey, airfield where the Hindenburg crashed to the Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen in Germany to a Caltech laboratory in Pasadena.

Thanks to this stunning new footage, we were able to revive a cold case investigation surrounding one of the most iconic disasters of the 20th century, Tarpinian says.

The original investigations into the Hindenburg crash concluded that the fire was a result of leaking hydrogen ignited by a spark, though the specific cause of the spark itself was never determined. Eyewitness accounts suggested that the fire started near the tail of the aircraft, but supporting evidence was hard to find. Theres no film capturing the moment of ignition  the press recordings of the disaster begin after the fire is well underway  and most physical evidence was destroyed immediately in the blaze. For over 80 years, the origin of the spark that doomed the Hindenburg has remained elusive  what exactly caused it, and where in the ship it occurred, both lost to history.

Tarpinian says film shot on an 8mm Kodak camera by an amateur cameraman named Harold Schenck was discovered recently.

Never seen by the original investigators, his footage shows the crash from a much wider angle, and crucially, captures Hindenburgs landing approach, including the release of the ships landing ropes, which hit the ground four minutes before the fire began.

Although the footage does not show what ignited the hydrogen  the spark that doomed the Hindenburg  it does offer key clues.

After verifying the footages authenticity with experts, the team then reached out to Konstantinos Giapis, professor of chemical engineering at Caltech, to conduct specially designed experiments addressing the origin of the spark and the ropes conductivity. The rigorous tests result in the most compelling theories to date about how, where, and why the spark occurred and why it just so happened to be at the one spot where hydrogen was leaking.

Our footage is the only known footage, and when you watch it, you see it crash, and its gone in 30 seconds, he says. One of the things that amazed me about this story is there were 97 people on board. This event was sort of the beginning of modern news.

Tarpinian says the team is excited to bring to light the new evidence.

The Hindenburg remains vivid in our collective memories all these years later because of the searing images and film of the explosion. Today, we are sadly accustomed to seeing catastrophic disasters unfold on screen, but for the public then, it was a completely novel experience, says Chris Schmidt, Nova co-executive producer. We feel honored to share this new footage with the world and to bring the Nova audience behind the scenes of this pivotal new investigation into the crash.
HOUSTON, May 17, 2021 --

Alfa Romeo to showcase the 2021 model-year Stelvio and Giulia, both featuring best-in-class performance and seductive Italian style now coupled with premium interior enhancements

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan offers unprecedented functionality and style for buyers

Dodge brand display showcases full lineup of muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance, including the Challenger, Charger and Durango

FIAT brand display features the fun-to-drive, small crossover 2021 Fiat 500X

Jeep brand showcases three new additions to its award-winning lineup, including the all-new 2021 Grand Cherokee L, Wrangler 4xe, Wrangler Rubicon 392 and Gladiator Texas Trail edition

Ram Truck display showcases the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, the apex predator of the truck world

Wagoneer returns as a premium extension of the Jeep brand while continuing its legacy as the original premium SUV

Stellantis rolls into the Houston Auto Show on May 19 with a variety of displays and interactive experiences, featuring Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge//SRT, FIAT, Jeep, Ram and Wagoneer brand vehicles.

Alfa Romeo Brand

The 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia midsize sedan and Stelvio SUV embody Alfa Romeo's "la meccanica delle emozioni" (the mechanics of emotion) spirit, delivering race-inspired performance with seductive Italian style, advanced technologies and available all-wheel-drive (AWD) systems. Both the Giulia and Stelvio set the benchmark for performance in their respective segments by providing an exhilarating driving experience. For 2021, both models include new standard equipment, such as dual-pane sunroof and navigation on Ti and Ti Sport trims, and a limited-slip differential and dark exhaust on Ti Sport.

Chrysler Brand

The reigning winner of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) "Family Car of Texas," the Chrysler Pacifica and the Pacifica Hybrid reinvent the minivan segment with an unprecedented level of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling. The Chrysler brand will showcase the Pacifica Hybrid, which is the segment's first and only plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, offering more than 80 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in electric-only mode, an electric range of more than 30 miles and a total range of more than 500 miles.

Dodge//SRT Brand

2021 marks the year that Dodge is distilled into a pure performance brand with the Challenger, Charger and Durango. The 2021 Dodge Durango is the Charger of the three-row SUV segment and raises the bar this year with updated exterior styling, a new interior with a Challenger-inspired cockpit and more performance than ever with six distinct models  SXT, GT, Citadel, R/T, SRT 392 and the new 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat  the most powerful SUV ever. The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is the reigning SUV of Texas, as well as Full-size SUV of Texas as awarded by TAWA, marking the sixth time the Durango has won the Full-size SUV category in the past eight years.

The 2021 Dodge Charger remains unrivaled when it comes to sheer power, with the new 797-horsepower SRT Hellcat Redeye, available all-weather capability on V-6 models, overall interior roominess, performance options and packages, and unique heritage design cues that Dodge//SRT customers count on in the world's only four-door muscle car. With the industry's most powerful and capable muscle car lineup, the 2021 Dodge Challenger is a true GT car, delivering nine distinct model options from the most powerful and fastest muscle car  the new 807-horsepower SRT Super Stock  to 303-horsepower, V-6 efficiency and class-exclusive AWD capability on SXT and GT models.

FIAT Brand

The Fiat display will include the 2021 Fiat 500X, which delivers the Italian design and engaging driving dynamics synonymous with the FIAT brand. The 500X offers an advanced AWD system standard and a full array of safety, comfort and convenience features. The fun-to-drive compact features a 1.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine for improved performance and fuel economy. A standard nine-speed automatic transmission and AWD system contribute to fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon (mpg) highway.

Jeep Brand

The Jeep brand returns to the show with several all-new and award-winning vehicles. The Grand Cherokee expands into three-row form for the first time as the Grand Cherokee L, breaking new ground in exceptional performance, comfort and functionality while continuing its legacy as the most awarded and celebrated SUV ever, with legendary 4x4 capability, improved on-road refinement, and premium styling and craftsmanship inside and out.

The iconic Jeep Wrangler, the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world, adds two dynamic models for 2021:

the 375-horsepower 4xe plug-in hybrid that offers 49 MPGe and 21 miles of all-electric range for daily commutes while providing nearly silent, zero-emission, open-air freedom without range anxiety

the 470-horsepower Rubicon 392 that runs 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and marks the return of a V-8 to Wrangler after nearly 40 years.

Bolstering the 2021 Jeep Gladiator lineup, the new Texas Trail model marks the first time Jeep is offering a truck that pays homage to Texas, the largest truck market in the country. The Gladiator Texas Trail features 17-inch Mid-Gloss Black aluminum wheels wrapped in 32-inch mud-terrain tires. The unique Texas Trail hood and tailgate decals include the year 1836 as a nod to the Texas Declaration of Independence. The Sport S-based Gladiator Texas Trail also includes standard side steps, Trailer Tow Group, black hardtop, black leather seats embossed with the Texas Trail graphic, Technology Group with 7-inch radio and Convenience Group.

Camp Jeep

The Jeep brand is returning to the show with Camp Jeep, a unique, interactive, off-road experience for consumers. The 25,000-square-foot exhibit will give auto show attendees a chance to experience the extreme off-road capabilities of Jeep vehicles without leaving the auto show. Camp Jeep will be making its ninth appearance at the Houston Auto Show. Since 2013, more than 89,000 Houston Auto Show attendees have experienced Camp Jeep.

Wagoneer

Wagoneer returns as a premium extension of the Jeep brand while continuing its legacy as the original premium SUV. Building on a rich heritage of premium American craftsmanship while offering a new level of comfort, legendary 4x4 capability and customer service, Wagoneer forges a new path  one that defines the new standard of sophistication, authenticity and modern mobility. Offering a unique and premium customer service experience, Wagoneer delivers warm, capable, innovative and authentic vehicles with premium design cues and technology to a new, distinctive and successful array of customers. Combining these attributes with strong SUV credentials, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer build on the original premium SUV by defining the next generation of an American icon.

Ram Truck Brand

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX takes center stage for the Ram Truck brand. Awarded the reigning Truck of Texas by TAWA, the TRX is the apex predator of the truck world, cementing Ram Truck as North America's off-road truck leader. Designed bolt by bolt to significantly outperform every other truck straight from the factory, the Ram 1500 TRX has been tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme durability. Class-leading, uncompromising performance in the harshest environments is achieved in part through the 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 engine. Stratospheric power delivers a new level of performance: 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 108 mph and a top speed of 118 mph. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has been rigorously tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme capability and durability on its way to being the quickest, fastest and most powerful mass-produced half-ton pickup truck in the world.

Ram Truck Territory

The Ram Truck Territory course returns to the Houston Auto Show. This 30,000-square-foot, unique, truck-focused, interactive ride experience provides an in-truck adventure that demonstrates the power and capabilities of the Ram Truck brand vehicle lineup. Professional drivers navigate attendees through the interactive course in 2021 Ram 1500 Rebel, Limited and Longhorn models. Ram Heavy Duty trucks will include the Ram Power Wagon and Ram 2500 and 3500 Limited models.

Houston Automobile Dealers Association

The Houston Auto Show is produced annually by the Houston Automobile Dealers Association (HADA). Comprised of approximately 185 franchised new car and truck dealers, HADA serves as the local backbone for Houston's automotive industry. The organization is committed to promoting and maintaining a competitive automotive industry in Houston and the communities its members serve by providing legislative representation, community service programs and events that are designed to assist franchised new car and truck dealers. This special edition of the Houston Summer Auto Show, at the NRG Center, is a uniquely curated selection of the latest vehicles from a variety of automotive manufactures. Guests to the event have the opportunity get behind the wheel and experience the newest vehicles, high demand RVs, and luxury boats all under one roof. Learn more at HoustonAutoShow.com.

Stellantis

Stellantis is one of the world's leading automakers and a mobility provider, guided by a clear vision to offer freedom of movement with distinctive, affordable and reliable mobility solutions. In addition to the Group's rich heritage and broad geographic presence, its greatest strengths lie in its sustainable performance, depth of experience and the wide-ranging talents of employees working around the globe. Stellantis will leverage its broad and iconic brand portfolio, which was founded by visionaries who infused the brands with passion and a competitive spirit that speaks to employees and customers alike. Stellantis aspires to become the greatest, not the biggest, while creating added value for all stakeholders, as well as the communities in which it operates.
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Website poltekkes-smg.ac.id uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 167160 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 255462 bytes (249.47 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-08-19, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Editor: Marty Flynn, the Democratic nominee for state Senate in the special election, either forgot or was unaware of how to enter a completely honest financial statement related to his candidacy.

Two car loans and rental income conveniently were forgotten items that were required to be disclosed. Flynn joins a list of other questionable figures in public life from this area, where such forgetfulness is traditional.

If Flynn is the best candidate the local Democratic leadership can come up with, then it will be more of the same in Harrisburg.

Flynn amended financial statements twice only after irregularities were uncovered. Yet Democrats support a guy who cannot even submit a valid financial statement for a public office he seeks.

All this being said, Republican candidate Chris Chermak still stands a reasonable chance of coming in second in the race. You gotta love local politics.

MICHAEL CARTON

CARBONDALE

Editor: Cathy Wechsler, a Democratic candidate for Scranton tax collector, has been endorsed by Progressive Women of NEPA (Progressive choices, May 14).

Just because she is well-known in the community and has a long history of service to various groups doesnt mean she is the best candidate for the job.

The best candidate, with 37 years of experience in the Scranton Single Tax Office, is John Opsasnick. When you vote, support the most qualified person, not the most popular one.

BOB BELARDI

SCRANTON

Editor: Scranton voters have an opportunity, at long last, to elect a mayor who is truly worthy and deserving of being reelected.

We have the opportunity to say thank you to Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and by our vote to endorse and to affirm the serious work that she has undertaken and accomplished since she took office in January 2020. It is undeniable that the trajectory of our city is positive and trending in the right direction. Our future feels bright and promising. The decisions Cognetti has made and her can-do spirit has been very important.

It is worth highlighting that she is the first mayor in the last 20 years who actually and actively has engaged with city council. Cognetti has been steadfast in her commitment to be involved with council, even when decisions have not gone her way. As a true leader she continues to work and engage with council. How refreshing.

Cognetti is also the first mayor actually committed to evaluating our outdated taxing structure. She has brought to life a tax policy working group to study this situation and to make concrete recommendations. I am confident that whatever changes are adopted will be specifically designed to reduce taxes on residents and to make the city more attractive for business.

I hope that everyone who cares about the future of our city will cast their votes for Cognetti. It is the most fundamental and most important way to communicate appreciation for her efforts and confidence in her continued leadership.

MARK T. SHERIDAN

SCRANTON

Editor: I have noticed over two decades and particularly in this primary that Pennsylvania has a judicial candidate voting problem.

We vote for judges without an easy and time-saving way for voters to evaluate them against each other. To get the information on judges you have to go online enter Pennsylvania judges in the primary (without quotes) and it displays municipal and appeals court references.

To illustrate the voting problem, for instance, click on Commonwealth Court. It displays the Democratic candidates and lengthy questionnaires that should help voters compare, except for candidate Amanda Green Hawkins, who did not fill it out. She just displayed her web page so it is difficult to compare her to the other three judicial candidates.

I did this for the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court and printed out all the information on candidates. This took me about three days. Is this what voters are expected to do?

As for the three judicial candidates in Lackawanna County, there was no questionnaire for candidates Nisha Arora, Mary Walsh Dempsey and Paul J. Ware. I had to Google each one individually and there was no questionnaire that they had to answer where you could compare one to the other.

So, if someone can do something about this problem I would really appreciate it. People cannot be expected to do what I did and it happens every time judges are on the ballot. It makes voting for judges a senseless exercise for these important positions.

JOHN P. WALSH II

SCOTT TWP.

Editor: Fighting our way through the COVID-19 pandemic has been a struggle for everyone. Pennsylvanians have endured the challenges with grit, determination and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing for their families and neighbors.

We have all learned a lot during this pandemic. Ive learned that the only thing tougher than running a business is making the choice to shut it down and we have all learned the categorical difference between choosing for ourselves what is right and having someone else make that choice for us.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided the right thing for our business was to focus on helping frontline workers get to their jobs at hospitals and other essential businesses.

Unfortunately, similar efforts by businesses and individuals have been hindered by Gov. Tom Wolfs inflexible and unilateral control over our state. He implemented shutdown order after shutdown order and continually extended emergency declarations for more than a year without input from the General Assembly, business community or municipalities. Cooperation at a time when it was most needed was all but halted.

His actions revealed a flaw in our states emergency powers law that must be remedied. Pennsylvanians have the opportunity to vote yes on two initiatives on the primary election ballot that will ensure future governors respect our constitutional rights and work with the General Assembly during emergencies.

These initiatives already have passed both houses of the General Assembly twice. The last step is for the voters to weigh in via two questions on todays ballot. If we vote yes on both, the governor will be required to seek the General Assemblys consent to extend any emergency declaration beyond 21 days and the General Assembly will have the authority to end an emergency declaration with a majority vote. This is critical.

SCOTT MARTZ HENRY

WILKES-BARRE
Indias countrywide vaccination drive for everyone above the age of 18 is currently underway even as the nation grapples with a disastrous second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the travel and hospitality industry, it is a challenging time yet again. The industry recently began its journey of recovery from the long bout of lockdowns and loss of business but has once again been forced to shut down. The only travel that the industry has been seeing for almost a month has been from digital nomads or those opting for long stays to escape their COVID-stricken cities. During this arduous time, Zostel, a community-led experience-driven ecosystem, has launched a #BuildtheBubble campaign to help people by offering safe & sanitized long-stay accommodation and quarantine options.



The 4-day-long campaign will announce the Zostel properties that have been converted into quarantine and isolation centers, a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for vaccinations, and guidelines to follow to curb the spread of the virus and stay safe. Zostel will also be hosting the Zostel Bubble/ZO Bubble/ The Zostel Air Bubble to ensure long-stay travelers and digital nomads are safe.



On Day 1, Zostel, in a bid to help the Governments of Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur tackle the surge in cases, will be turning its premises into quarantine centers with multiple facilities available for patients. Day 2 will be a PSA for vaccinations where Zostels in-house communication team will be putting up posters in at least 5 local languages reminding people to register on the Cowin website to get inoculated and donate plasma if eligible to do so. These will be open for usage for all via a common Google Drive link.



To reiterate that the fight against COVID is yet to be won, Day 3 of the campaign will be sharing posters containing guidelines to follow to help curb transmission of the virus. Available for everyone to download and put up in their homes, societies, and even public areas, the posters will also include important regulations to be followed within Zostels premises. Finally, the last leg of the campaign, Zostel will also be hosting the ZO Bubble/ Zostel Bubble, a long-stay program that ensures that digital nomads are safe. Zostel will be offering discounts to digital nomads and stranded travelers on long stays with meal plans included. There are many people, who want to escape from their covid stricken cities to safer environments, there are many travelers who are choosing to stay where they are and not return to their homes in the cities, to them, we are offering discounted rates on long stays with meal plans. Moreover, Zostel has also issued strict regulations that guests need to adhere to if they opt to stay in the Zostel Bubble amongst others.



All Zostel properties will be following a strict covid-19 safety protocol, featuring policies such as, Covid-19 negative RT-PCR report (no older than 72 hrs) mandatory for all travelers c regardless of the state guidelines. Tests will be mandatory at the hostel. Travelers making a reservation at this hostel for 7+ days will receive a special price for their booking. In order to avoid unnecessary contact with outsiders, the hostel will offer dedicated safe spaces that can be accessed by long-stay residents only. Well-equipped first-aid and Covid-19 observation kits are available at this hostel in case of a medical emergency.



Moreover, travelers and staff regularly undergo temperature checks to curtail any health lapses. In addition to this, the hostel follows a strict curfew from 9 PM to 6 AM. Travelers must stay in their respective rooms during curfew hours. In order to maintain a safety bubble for residents and staff, guests are mandated to restrict their movement to property premises only. Zostels in-house staff will take purchase requests for residents who need any essentials from the market. The hostel will provide hygienic home-cooked meals. For long-stay residents, a meal package is available at INR 350, covering three meals per day



Speaking on this, Mr. Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, CEO at Zostel, said, These are certainly challenging times and people need all the support and guidance they can get to weather this storm and emerge safely. Now it all boils down to lending each other a hand whenever we can. Zostels #BuildtheBubble campaign is being launched to do just that  helping people in times of need to make it easier for them to stay safe. We stand in solidarity with the country in this fight against the pandemic and hope it overcomes this dire situation soon.



To date, Zostel has resumed operations in 30+ properties and will be opening more in the coming days with strict implementation of necessary precautions in all its properties.
Barnsley had previously served as Toronto Film School's Executive Producer in Residence for the past four years, collaborating closely with faculty, students and alumni.

"I'm honoured to now lead Toronto Film School, mentor students, support a broad range of creative voices and shape curriculum alongside the school's world-class staff and faculty," said Barnsley. "I'm a big believer in post-secondary education, that cultural change begins in the classroom, and that meaningful and relevant instruction builds confidence in students to make their mark on the world."

One of Canada's most celebrated producers, Barnsley plans to elevate the school's purpose, helping students at Toronto Film School graduate with the knowledge, connections and resiliency to thrive in the Canadian film and television industry.

"Toronto Film School graduates will not only be 'set-ready,' but 'industry-ready,'" explained Barnsley. "Confident that they have mastered their craft and gained important insights into an industry that is fast-paced, exciting and demanding."

Barnsley will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Project 10 Productions, where he leads an award-winning team producing projects for Canadian networks and global streaming partners. He views the dual role as a benefit to both organizations, enabling him "to bring industry to the school and the school to industry."

"My dream is to see Toronto Film School students on the sets of every major production in Canada," Barnsley added. "It's not always an easy industry, so I want to foster purpose, resiliency and confidence in our students."

"For our faculty, students and community, this news signals an exciting transformation," said Dr. Rick Davey, the outgoing President of Yorkville University and Toronto Film School. "Andrew will strengthen important connections to industry, government and other educational institutions."

The Canadian film and television industry is a $9.3B economic contributor and directly supports 180,900 FTE jobs (2019). Beyond the production hubs of Toronto and Vancouver, the industry is expanding its reach and value to other Canadian markets such as Quebec, Alberta and Northern Ontario.

"As Schitt's Creek demonstrated with its unprecedented Emmy sweep earlier this year, there is no doubt that Canada's film and television production sector is among the world's best," stated Reynolds Mastin, President of the Canadian Media Producers Association. "As Andrew steps into this new role, he brings a clear vision of what it takes to succeed in today's globally competitive industry, which will be of tremendous value to the emerging production talent in this country."

About Toronto Film School

Toronto Film School offers a fast-paced, hands-on and highly collaborative learning environment designed to arm students with the theory and skills they need to pursue their passions in the creative industries. Ranked as a top film school by the QS World University Rankings, Toronto Film School's program offerings range from Acting and Writing for Film and Television to Film Production, Graphic Design and Video Game Design  all taught by instructors who are active in their respective industries.

In 2019, Toronto Film School opened its new 17,387 square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Toronto. The new showcase location creates an environment where students can congregate, collaborate and create in a practical setting that prepares graduates to contribute to the Canadian film and television industry.

SOURCE Toronto Film School

For further information: Erin Hatfield, Director of Communications, Toronto Film School & Yorkville University, 416-700-2569, [email protected]
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Charlotte, N.C.  (Wednesday, June 2, 2021)  Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Department's Major Crash Investigation Unit are no longer requesting the public's assistance in locating Aaron Hall Duncan, who is wanted for his involvement in this incident. Thank you all for your assistance.





On May 24, 2021, Duncan came to the Law Enforcement Center Headquarters and turned himself into police custody on warrants related to this incident. Duncan was then transported to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office, and charged with five counts of Prearranged Speeding Competition, Reckless Driving, and Speed Competition with Another Vehicle.

As more information about this case becomes available, it will be released by the CMPDs Public Affairs Office. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 911, immediately. The public can also leave information anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/ . For additional information about this case, please refer to the report: 20210516-0212-00.

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Charlotte, N.C.  (Tuesday, May 18, 2021)  Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Department's Major Crash Investigation Unit are requesting the public's assistance in locating Aaron Hall Duncan, DOB: 01/11/1992, who is wanted for his involvement in this incident.

Shortly before 2:15 a.m., on May 16, 2021, North Tryon Division Officers responded to the 6800 block of North Tryon Street in reference to a call for service regarding a single vehicle accident. Upon arrival, officers located a 2009 Dodge Challenger in the roadway with substantial damage. The driver of the Dodge Challenger, Maurice Xavier Kelly, DOB: 03/16/1997, was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries in another vehicle.

The CMPD's Major Crash Investigation Unit and Crime Scene Search responded to conduct the investigation and collect physical evidence. The initial investigation revealed that the Dodge Challenger was traveling northbound on N. Tryon street at a high rate of speed when Kelly lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle went off the road before striking a construction fence, three trees, and two metal light poles. As the vehicle struck those items, it rolled over and came to a rest back in the roadway.

As a part of the continued investigation, detectives obtained evidence that led them to believe that Kelly and two other vehicles were racing directly before this crash. Duncan was determined to be the driver of one of the other vehicles and warrants were issued for his arrest. Detectives are still working to determine the identity of the third driver and vehicle involved.

Prior to this incident, Duncan had an unserved warrant for Pre-arranged Street Racing stemming from CMPD's recent street racing operation. When officers attempted to arrest Duncan on May 6, 2021, they were unable to locate him. Since that time, Duncan has continued to drive aggressively and street race putting the public in potential danger. Additionally, Duncan was a recipient of a letter from Chief of Police Johnny Jennings detailing the charges he could face if he continues to engage in dangerous and reckless activities.

Duncan is known to operate a white Dodge Challenger with a Florida tag but has also been observed driving a silver Dodge Challenger, possibly with a paper tag. A picture of Aaron Hall Duncan and the vehicles he operates have been provided below. A photo of Maurice Kelly's vehicle following the accident has also been provided.

Detectives would ask that if anyone in the community has any information about Aaron Duncan's whereabouts to call 9-1-1 immediately. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/. For additional information about this case, please refer to the report: 20210516-0212-00.

WANTED



KELLY'S VEHICLE










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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people.

The demonstrations and ongoing violence came as moves toward a cease-fire appeared to be gaining more traction.

U.S. officials said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Israel to wind down its bombardment of Gaza. Egyptian negotiators also were working to halt the fighting, and while they have not made progress with Israel, they were optimistic international pressure would force it to the table, according to an Egyptian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing diplomatic efforts.

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The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week.

Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalems usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank.

Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population, and those in the territories Israel seized in 1967 that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state.

The strike was intended to protest the war and Israeli policies that many activists and some rights groups say constitute an overarching system of apartheid that denies Palestinians rights afforded to Jews. Israel rejects that characterization, saying its citizens have equal rights. It blames the war on Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, and accuses it of inciting violence.

Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel called the strike, which was embraced by the internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where ministries and schools were closed. Most businesses appeared to be observing the strike.

Strike organizer Muhammad Barakeh said Palestinians are standing against Israeli aggression in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as brutal repression by police.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings. In both Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli forces. Scores have been injured, including a Jewish man who died Monday after being attacked last week by a group of Arabs in the central city of Lod.

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israels heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 217 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, including 63 children, with more than 1,500 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in rocket attacks.

Tuesdays rocket attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory, killing two Thai workers. Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded at Erez.

Israeli airstrikes into Gaza demolished a six-story building housing bookstores and educational centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris. Israel warned its occupants beforehand, sending them fleeing before dawn. There were no reports of casualties.

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the military was focusing on destroying the tunnels where Hamas fighters hide, move between locations and resupply launchers with rockets to fire at Israel.

The tunnels run under civilian neighborhoods, and Israeli airstrikes have been trying to target roads above them to minimize damage to buildings, Conricus said. One weekend airstrike that Israel said targeted a tunnel caused several buildings to collapse and killed 42 people in the deadliest single attack of the conflict.

The attacks on the tunnels continue, and the assessment is that that effort will be expanded to areas that we so far have not conducted this effort in, and that is to be expected over the coming days, he said.

Medical supplies, fuel and water are running low in Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs in the territory have run out.

The WHO said the bombing of key roads, including those leading to the main Shifa Hospital, has hindered ambulances and supply vehicles in Gaza, which was already struggling to cope with a coronavirus outbreak.

Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing. Blinken declined to characterize the material, and Israel has not publicly provided evidence of its claim.

AP President Gary Pruitt reiterated calls for an independent investigation of the attack.

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This story has been updated to correct that the toppled six-story building housed bookstores, not libraries, and educational centers used by the Islamic University, not belonging to it.

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Nessman reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.
Louisiana lawmakers are going to have a whole lot more money to spend over the next 14 months  about $677 million more, the Revenue Estimating Conference decided Tuesday afternoon.

The state's economist said that's largely thanks to dramatic levels of federal support, which has helped to prop up businesses and unemployment benefits and has fueled a resurgence in consumer spending, with billions more on its way.

Much of that money has shown up in increased retail sales, particularly new cars.

The panel that determines how much the state can spend forecast that current trends indicate the state should collect about $357 million more to spend in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and another $320 million for Fiscal Year 2022, which begins July 1. Economists also gave some credit to higher corporate income tax collections and slightly more gambling revenues than were expected.

"I don't think there will be any shortage of suggestions for how to spend the money," said Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, who represents Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards on the REC.

Legislative leaders have said they want to use some of those new dollars to augment pay raises currently in the budget from $800 to $1000 for teachers and from $400 to $500 for cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other support staff.

The growth in the number of jobs have remained about the same for the past three months and Louisiana is shifting from an oil production state to an oilfield servicing state. And Louisianas economy is shifting from a dependence on drilling for oil to providing services to the oilfield.

Legislative economist Greg Albrecht noted that only 45% of the 284,000 workers who lost jobs during the pandemic have gone back to work.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Lafayette Republican Sen. Page Cortez, who as Senate president is one of the four REC panelists who decide how much is available, asked several times if enhanced federal benefits are making it harder for businesses to fill vacancies.

My question is that lack of movement due to the increase of unemployment benefits? Cortez said.

Additional unemployment benefits have become a cause celebre among Republicans with several of the partys governors in other states refusing the money on the belief that the enhanced benefits, alone, are responsible for the number of low-paying jobs going unfilled.

Economist Albrecht noted that the largest jump in the number of actual jobs during the COVID pandemic came last year when the federal government added $600 to the states benefit. The additional benefit has been $300 for months and will expire in September. The economic literature doesnt show that as a big reason, Albrecht replied.

+2 Louisiana school board sends new funding request with teacher raises of at least $800 Under pressure from the Legislature, the state's top school board Wednesday approved a revised funding request that includes $800 pay raises f

The Revenue Estimating Conference, made up of Cortez, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and economist Stephen Barnes, makes forecasts on how much tax and fee revenue Louisiana is expected to bring in.

The conference's estimates provide a starting point at the beginning of the legislative session for how much money lawmakers will have to dole out in the state's annual $30 billion-plus budget.

The revision Tuesday, which comes as the legislative session enters its final stretch, means lawmakers are suddenly awash with more cash to spend. The budget is awaiting action in the state Senate.
On May 14, 2021, at 11:05 p.m., Doris Catherine Conway passed away peacefully at the age of 99 at the North Port, Florida home of her daughter, Aleta Conway.

Born Nov. 10, 1921, in Scranton, Pa., she was the daughter of Luigi (Louie) Mandarino Vitall and Umbertina (Bertha) Gherardi Piat. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joseph T. Conway; her two sisters, Louise Azzato Compagna and Irene Weems; and a son, Joseph Wells Conway.

Doris attended the Audubon Elementary School (P.S. 42) and graduated from Scranton Central High School in 1939, where she was president of the OHH Sorority. Doris always stayed in touch with her friends in the class of CHS 39, serving on the Reunion Planning Committees every five years. From the age of nine to 18, she also formally studied ballet, for which she maintained a lifelong passion that she passed to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 1941 Doris, who especially cherished children, entered a pediatric nursing program at Albany Medical Center, a course of study she loved, but left to marry, on Feb. 3, 1942, Joseph T. Conway, who was leaving for the Pacific theatre with the U.S. Navy in WWII. Since married women were not allowed in nursing programs in those years, she never continued her training, but used the skills she acquired in nursing her own children.

Doris was employed at the Scranton Public Library from 1967 to 1984, first as a public service paraprofessional, and later as a cataloguer, taking courses in library science at Marywood College to enhance her skills. Doris loved her years at the SPL during which she easily mastered the computer as part of her job. Doris maintained her computer savvy into her late 90s, keeping in touch with family and friends via e-mail and social media.

In addition to her love of dance, Doris will be remembered for her love of fine art, great literature, music, dance and Broadway plays, her commitment to social justice, her love of animals, especially cats, and her warm hospitality, which included making homemade pasta dinners for family and friends. Always eager to learn something new, Doris took university courses well into her 80s including French at Marywood College, and a creative writing course with author Peter Gardner at the Long Ridge Writers Group of West Redding, Conn. Beginning in her mid-sixties, Doris also traveled widely throughout the United States visiting family, as well as several trips abroad, fulfilling her lifelong dream of seeing Paris, Chartres and Provence in France, and Rome, Florence, Assisi and Fabriano, in Italy, where she visited her Italian cousins.

Above all, however, Doris will be remembered as a woman with a loving and caring heart. There are people you meet once in a lifetime who have a lasting impact  not because they were famous or wealthy  but because they saw you and heard you and made you feel you mattered in a way no one else ever did. That was Doris Conway to a T  to everyone who knew her as a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a sister, a friend or even a stranger, were better for having known her. In this day of noise and self-promotion, Doris had a rare gift  she listened. Doris wanted to know everything about you and rarely shared anything about herself: not the fact that shed struggled and gone through trials of her own; not the fact that she almost single-handedly raised six children, imparting on them her wisdom and kindness and compassion for both the least and the great among us. Instead, she led by quiet example, and everyone whose life she touched felt fortunate to have known her.

Doris is survived by her children, Pamela Mayer (Larry), Virginia; Cassandra Devine, Clarks Green; Kevin (Lisa Connor), Pocono Manor, Pa.; Melissa (Tim Luther), Carlsbad, Calif.; and Aleta, North Port, Fla.; and daughter-in-law, Joanne Conway, Scranton. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Sean Devine, M.D. (Elizabeth), Scranton, Pa.; Jaclene Devine (Brad Smith), Clarks Summit, Pa.; Heather Mayer, Virginia; Kevin Wells Conway (Beverly), Clarks Summit, Pa.; Christopher Sunev Conway (Lucia Louise), Los Angeles, Calif.; Kira Coviello (Noah Sullum), Doylestown, Pa.; Marissa Conway Langan (Matthew), Scranton; and Connor Reyes, Pocono Manor, Pa.; 11 great-grandchildren and 27 nieces and nephews from the Conway and Weems families.

The funeral will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Church of St. Gregory, 330 N. Abington Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411, with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated by the Rev. Stephen A. Asomah, both in person and on Zoom. The family will receive relatives and friends from 9:30 to 10 a.m. at the church. Instead of flowers, please send donations in Doris memory to the Scranton Public Library, 500 Vine St., Scranton, PA, 18509; or the Humane Society of Lackawanna County, 967 Griffin Pond Road, South Abington Twp., PA 18411.

For the Zoom link, directions or to leave an online condolence, visit the funeral home website. Doriss care has been entrusted to Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services, Inc., 111 Colburn Ave., Clarks Summit, PA 18411.
English Swedish

Hassleholm, Sweden, May 18th, 2021

3 Months January 2021  March 2021

Net sales 241.5 (140.0) MSEK.

EBIT -29.4 (-122.2) MSEK. Profit before tax -21.1 (-81.4) MSEK. Net profit -16.8 (-63.8) MSEK.

Earnings per share, before and after dilution equals -0.67 (-2.56) SEK.

During the four months period 0 (0) wind turbines were taken into operations with a total installed capacity of 0 (0) MW.

During the four months period the equivalent of 0 (1) wind turbines with an installed capacity of 0 (0.8) MW was handed over to customers.

At the end of the period Eolus had 874 (687) MW under asset management.

In January 2021 Eolus signed individual PPA:s with a major global energy company for the three wind farms Boarp, Dallebo and Rosenskog totaling 68 MW. The agreements cover 100 % of the produced electricity volume in the wind farms which are sold to Commerz Real.

In March Eolus established operations in Poland, which is a fast growing market when it comes to renewable energy while also being one of the European countries most dependent on fossil-based electricity production. The entry to a new market is part of the strategy for growth determined by the company.

In March Eolus signed an agreement with a customer for the delivery of a turn-key wind power facility in Timmele in Ulricehamn municipality in Sweden. The facility will comprise two Enercon E-138 with a total installed capacity of 8.4 MW.

Eolus financial year has changed from September 1st  August 31st to January 1st  December 31st. During the financial year that ended December 31st 2020 the presented periods where based on a prolonged financial year starting September 1st 2019. During 2021 the comparative figures will be presented for quarters corresponding to the period in year 2020. It means that comparative periods during 2021 will correspond to interim periods that have not been presented before.

Dividend and Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday May 19, 2021. The Board of Directors proposes a dividend of SEK 2.00 (1.50) per share.

Financial summary Interim Interim Rolling 12 Full year Jan 2021 Jan 2020 Apr 2020 Sep 2019 -Mar 2021 -Mar 2020 -Mar 2021 -Dec 2020 Net sales, MSEK 241,5 140,0 2 104,3 2 468,6 EBIT, MSEK -29,4 -122,2 161,8 280,0 Profit before tax, MSEK -21,1 -81,4 61,9 182,6 Changes in market valuation of financial derivatives, MSEK -22,9 -1,6 14,9 69,6 Net profit, MSEK -16,8 -63,8 60,3 198,3 Earnings per share before and after dilution, SEK -0,67 -2,56 2,42 7,96 Equity per share, SEK 41,30 38,49 41,30 41,63 Cashflow from operating activities, MSEK -51,3 -316,1 11,9 -483,7 Total assets, MSEK 1 856,3 2 010,0 1 856,3 1 808,2 Net debt - /net cash +, MSEK 238,6 212,1 238,6 304,2 Signed customer contracts, MSEK 4 999,9 5 116,6 4 999,9 5 130,9 No of turbines taken into operation, amount 0,0 0,0 38,0 81,0 No of turbines handed over to customers, amount 0,0 1,0 39,0 83,0 Turbines taken into operation, MW 0,0 0,0 160,3 323,7 Turbines handed over to customers, MW 0,0 0,8 161,1 325,3 Managed turbines, MW 874 687 874 903 Equity/assets ratio, % 55,4 47,7 55,4 57,3 Return on equity after tax, % 6,1 23,9 6,1 20,6**

For further information contact:

Per Witalisson, CEO, +46 70-265 16 15

Catharina Persson, CFO, +46 70-932 97 77

Johan Hammarqvist, Head of Communications, +46 720 50 59 11

The information in this press release is disclosed pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was released for public disclosure through the agency of head of communication Johan Hammarqvist on May 18, 2021, at 8.30 AM CET.

About Eolus:

Eolus Vind AB is one of the leading wind power developers in the Nordics. Eolus is active in the whole value chain from development of green field projects to construction and operation of wind farms. Eolus offers attractive and competitive investments in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland as well as the United States to both local and international investors. Founded in 1990, Eolus has constructed 653 wind turbines with a capacity of nearly 1 370 MW. Eolus has signed contracts for about 1 400 MW of asset management services of which 874 MW are in operation and the rest under construction.



Eolus Vind AB has 41 000 shareholders. Eolus shares are listed at Nasdaq Stockholm.

For more information about Eolus, please visit www.eolusvind.com



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Most Scots Do Not Have Enough Information on Independence, Poll Suggests

Nearly six out of 10 Scots think they do not have enough information to make an informed choice on independence, a poll has suggested.

It comes as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the Scottish National Party to open the books and hold public hearings in Holyrood and Westminster on the effects of leaving the UK.

Overall, fewer than a third of poll respondents felt confident about knowing the effect of independence on issues including the English border, Scotlands security arrangements, tax, currency, and EU membership.

The survey was carried out on behalf of Our Scottish Future, a non-profit organisation set up by Brown in 2019 which says it stands for middle Scotlandin between hardline nationalism and muscular unionism.

Some 1,000 Scots were questioned by Stack Data Strategy between May 7 and 8, with responses weighted to census figures on age, gender, education level, and recorded vote in the Scottish Parliamentary elections, the group said.

Brown said in a statement: Middle Scotlands support for the SNP and for independence is conditionaland they are now asking the SNP for honesty, for openness, and for getting the facts on the table.

It is time for the SNP to open the books.

I believe that it is time for the SNP to agree to hold public hearings on what independence means for everything from the pound to the pension.

Respondents were asked, Do you believe that campaigners for independence have given enough information about what Scotland would be like if it became independent (e.g. on currency, taxation, legal rights, EU membership, the border) for you to make a fully informed choice at a future referendum?

A total of 58 percent said No, while 30 percent said Yes and the remaining 12 percent said dont know.

And among those who strongly favour independence, 66 percent said they had enough facts, but 24 percent said they did not.

Brown added, When even a quarter of committed independence supporters agree we dont know enough to make an informed choice on independence, surely the onus is on the SNP to come clean?

The poll also asked voters to set out their top three priorities.

Overall, NHS catch-up was the most popular, followed by reduce COVID/vaccines then protect and generate jobs.

Prepare for a second independence referendum was eighth on the list overall, fifth among SNP voters, and third among those who identify as nationalists, figures show.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has told Prime Minister Boris Johnson that a second vote on Scottish independence should be a matter of whennot if, while SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said earlier this week there is now a fresh democratic commitment to give the Scottish people the right to choose an independent future.

SNP MSP George Adam said: The SNP won last weeks election by a landslide and there is an unprecedented, 15-seat, cross-party, pro-indy majority at Holyrood.

The first minister was absolutely clear throughout the election campaign, as was the SNP manifesto, that her immediate focus was continuing to lead Scotland safely through the pandemic.

But once the COVID crisis has passed, people in Scotland have the right to choose our own future, and whether to equip our parliament with the powers it needs to drive Scotlands long-term recovery, not to leave our recovery in the hands of the austerity-driven Tories.

That means there will be a post-pandemic, independence referendum and, as the first minister has also repeated time and time again, it will be at that point the SNP bring forward a detailed and comprehensive prospectus for independenceas it did in 2014that addresses all those questions the people of Scotland will quite rightly want answered.

Meanwhile, the people of Scotland might also want to know why Gordon Brown continues to campaign to keep Scotland subjected to a disastrous hard-Brexit Tory Governmentwhich this country has emphatically rejectedand deny us the immense opportunities of having full powers to use our human and natural resources to build a better Scotland.
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ELIZABETH CITY, N.C.  A North Carolina prosecutor said Tuesday that sheriffs deputies were justified in fatally shooting Andrew Brown Jr. because the Black man struck a deputy with his car and nearly ran him over while ignoring commands to show his hands and get out of the vehicle.

District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference that Brown used his car as a deadly weapon, causing Pasquotank County deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force.

Womble, who acknowledged Brown wasnt armed with guns or other weapons, said the deputies will face no criminal charges after he reviewed a state investigation of the shooting, which sparked weeks of protests. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said in a video statement Tuesday afternoon that the deputies will keep their jobs but will be disciplined and retrained.

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Browns family released a statement calling Wombles decision both an insult and a slap in the face. Attorneys for the family who watched body camera footage have said repeatedly that he was trying to drive away from deputies serving drug-related warrants and posed no threat.

The prosecutor declined to directly release copies of bodycam video of the April 21 shooting, but he played portions of the video during the news conference that media outlets broadcast live.

The multiple angles of the footage, projected onto a screen behind Womble, depicted a chaotic scene of about 44 seconds. After six deputies approach Browns car with guns drawn, the video shows one of them putting his hand on the drivers side door, then yelling and recoiling as Brown backs up.

Seconds later, the same deputy appears to be in the path of the car as Brown moves forward, though its not clear how fast the car is moving. The deputy appears to avoid a direct hit after pushing his hand onto the moving cars hood and quickly moving aside. Gunshots are then heard, and officers appear to continue firing as the car moves away from them.

The quality of the projected video, even replayed later on news websites that filmed it, made it hard for a viewer to glean the level of detail described by either the Brown family or prosecutor when they watched the footage in person. The family continued its calls Tuesday for direct release of the video, which would make longer and higher-quality versions public.

During his news conference, Womble said the deputy who tried to open Browns car door was jerked over the hood when the car backed up, and the deputys body was struck by the vehicle. The deputy then had to push off the hood with his hand to avoid being run over when Brown drove forward, Womble said. He said that was when the first shot was fired by a fellow deputy.

I find that the facts of this case clearly illustrate the officers who used deadly force on Andrew Brown Jr. did so reasonably and only when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to put their lives in danger, Womble said, referring to Browns car. He added that Brown posed an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others.

Though Womble said at least two deputies were endangered by Browns driving, the sheriff has said his deputies werent injured.

Attorneys for Browns families decried Wombles conclusion.

To say this shooting was justified, despite the known facts, is both an insult and a slap in the face to Andrews family, the Elizabeth City community, and to rational people everywhere, it said. Not only was the car moving away from officers, but four of them did not fire their weapons  clearly they did not feel that their lives were endangered. And the bottom line is that Andrew was killed by a shot to the back of the head.

The FBI is pursuing a separate investigation. A spokeswoman declined to comment on its progress.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, urged federal officials to thoroughly investigate. In a statement Tuesday afternoon, he reiterated past comments that Womble should have stepped aside for an independent prosecutor to take over.

Public confidence would have been better served with a special prosecutor and by quickly making public the incident footage, Cooper said.

Womble, a Republican first appointed district attorney in 2013 before winning two elections, resisted calls for a special prosecutor. He has said he intends to run to be a superior court judge in 2022.

Some two dozen people gathered outside the municipal building where Womble spoke, and many expressed disappointment with his decision.

Andrew Brown Jr. is the victim, said Keith Rivers, president of Pasquotank Countys NAACP chapter. Its not a district attorneys job to defend sheriffs deputies. It is his job to get justice for the victim. It is the courts job to decide whether or not it was reasonable or unreasonable.

The State Bureau of Investigation, which conducted the state review, issued a statement Tuesday noting it investigates the facts but does not make any determinations as to whether criminal charges should be filed. It said its investigative report isnt a public record and wont be released.

The three deputies who fired shots  Investigator Daniel Meads, Deputy Robert Morgan and Cpl. Aaron Lewellyn  have been on leave since it happened. The sheriffs office said Morgan is Black, while Meads and Lewellyn are white. Womble said none have prior use-of-force complaints.

Four other deputies involved in serving the warrants were reinstated after the sheriff said it was clear they didnt fire shots.

A lawyer who represented some of the deputies in a prior court hearing didnt respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Womble said a medical examiner working for the state found that Brown died from multiple gunshot wounds after being hit in the back of the head and right shoulder. Womble said the medical examiner also described superficial abrasions to his arm, leg and back from bullet shrapnel. The states written autopsy hasnt been released yet.

Two deputies fired nine shots from Glock handguns and the third fired five rounds from an AR-15 rifle, according to Womble, based on spent shell casings.

An independent autopsy released by the family found Brown was hit by bullets five times, including once in the back of the head.

___

Drew reported from Durham, North Carolina.
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Channel 10 comedy series The Unicorn has been axed by U.S. parent company CBS after just two seasons.

The American sitcom is about a widowed father and devoted parent to two teenage daughters who returns to the dating scene.

The show, which airs on multichannel 10 Peach, premiered in November 2019.

Axed: Channel 10 comedy series The Unicorn has been axed by U.S. parent company CBS after just two seasons

It stars Walton Goggins, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Omar Miller, Maya Lynne Robinson, Ruby Jay, Makenzie Moss and Devin Bright.

Walton plays widower Wade who is trying to make the most of his life as a single dad.

He then becomes smitten with Shannon, played by Natalie Zea.

Storyline: The American sitcom is about a widowed father and devoted parent to two teenage daughters who returns to the dating scene

The announcement comes after a crushing financial blow to Channel 10's U.S. parent company cast a dark cloud over the Australian broadcaster's future.

ViacomCBS stock fell by a whopping 55 per cent in the space of a week in March, throwing the media conglomerate into turmoil.

And a beleaguered Channel 10 could pay a price for the losses, with 'devastating cuts' on the horizon, according to industry website TV Blackbox.

When the U.S. media giant's share price dipped in 2020, it was followed by a series of savage cuts to Channel 10 that claimed the scalps of beloved network stars Kerri-Anne Kennerley and weatherman Tim Bailey.

Troubled: The announcement comes after a financial blow to 10's U.S. parent company cast a dark cloud over the broadcaster's future. Pictured The Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg

ViacomCBS share prices went into freefall, plummeting from a record US$100.34 on March 22 to a price of US$44.60 on April 1.

The corporation had 'been beset by a confluence of factors that... crashed its stock price' reported Yahoo! Finance.

Those factors included a recent stock offering designed to help fund investment in streaming content that diluted the share price, and several analyst downgrades on the company.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

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Clear to partly cloudy. Low 44F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
In 2010 a Gates-funded NGO breached multiple ethical & legal guidelines in trialing a new vaccine on children without parental consent, and the Western media never covered it.

Young tribal girls were lied to, treated as human guinea pigs without parental consent by a Gates-backed NGO

Weve seen a lot of India in the news recently. A lot more than we usually do. Theres an apocalypse of sorts going on there, if the popular media is to be believed. But as is often the case, these reports are devoid of any context or perspective.

While the worlds media cant get enough of India today, in its rush to support a narrative of terror about Covid-19, twelve years ago when there was a real story going on there, the worlds media was nowhere to be seen.

SOME BACKGROUND

In 2009, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) funded NGO carried out unauthorised clinical trials of a vaccine on some of the poorest, most vulnerable children in the world. It did so without providing information about the risks involved, without the informed consent of the children or their parents and without even declaring that it was conducting a clinical trial.

After vaccination, many of the participating children became ill and seven of them died. Such were the findings of a parliamentary committee charged with investigating this wretched affair. The committee accused the NGO of child abuse and produced a raft of evidence to back up its claim. This entire incident barely registered on the radar of Western media.

PATH (formerly the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) is a Seattle based NGO, heavily funded by BMGF but which also receives significant grants from the US government. Between 1995 and the time of writing (May 2021), PATH had received more than $2.5bn from BMGF.

In 2009, PATH carried out a project to administer the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The projects aim was, in PATHs own words, to generate and disseminate evidence for informed public sector introduction of HPV vaccines. It was conducted in four countries: India, Uganda, Peru and Vietnam. Another Gates-funded organization, Gavi, had originally been considered to run the project, but responsibility was ultimately delegated to PATH. The project was directly funded by BMGF.

Significantly, each of the countries selected for the project had a different ethnic population and each had a state-funded national immunisation program. The use of different ethnic groups in the trial allowed for comparison of the effects of the vaccine across diverse population groups (ethnicity being a factor in the safety and efficacy of certain drugs).

The immunisation programs of the countries involved provided a potentially lucrative market for the companies whose drugs were to be studied: should the drugs prove successful and be included on these countries state-funded national immunisation schedules, this would represent an annual windfall of profits for the companies involved.

Two types of HPV vaccine were used in the trial: Gardasil by Merck and Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). In this article, we are going to examine PATHs trial of Gardasil in India.

Its worth noting here the relationship between BMGF and one of the companies whose drugs were being tested. In 2002, BMGF had, controversially, bought $205m worth of stocks in the pharmaceutical sector, a purchase which included shares in Merck & Co. The move had raised eyebrows because of the obvious conflict of interest between the foundations role as a medical charity and its role as an owner of businesses in the same sector.

The Wall Street Journal reported, in August 2009, that the foundation had sold its shares in Merck between 31st March and 30th June of that year, which would have been around the same time that the field trials of the HPV vaccine were starting in India. So for the entirety of this project (which was already in operation by October 2006), right up to its final field trials, BMGF had a dual role: as both a charity with a responsibility for care, and as a business owner with a responsibility for profit.

Such conflicts of interest have been a hallmark of BMGF since 2002. When Gates was making regular TV appearances last year to promote Covid-19 vaccination, giving especially ringing endorsements of the Pfizer-BioNTech effort, his objectivity was never brought into question. Yet his foundation is the part-owner of several vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer, BioNTech and CureVac.

HPV VACCINE

HPV vaccine aims to prevent cervical cancer. Gardasil had been launched successfully by Merck in the US in 2006, but its sales suffered after a series of articles in American medical journals had judged that its risks outweighed its benefits. Especially damaging was an analysis of reports made to the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) about adverse reactions to Gardasil.

This analysis was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on August 19th 2009. The 12,424 adverse reactions which had been reported included 772 which were considered serious, 32 of which were deaths. Other reported serious side effects included autoimmune disorders, venous thromboembolic events (blood clots) and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

In the same edition of JAMA, Dr. Charlotte Haug, then editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association, wrote,

Whether a risk is worth taking depends not only on the absolute risk, but on the relationship between the potential risk and the potential benefit. If the potential benefits are substantial, most individuals would be willing to accept the risks. But the net benefit of the HPV vaccine to a woman is uncertain. Even if persistently infected with HPV, a woman most likely will not develop cancer if she is regularly screened. So rationally she should be willing to accept only a small risk from the vaccine.

Dr. Haug also noted, When weighing evidence about risks and benefits, it is also appropriate to ask who takes the risk, and who gets the benefit, in a clear dig at Gardasil manufacturer Merck.

Mercks attempts to promote Gardasil had been controversial. Dr. Angela Raffle, one the UKs leading experts on cervical cancer screening, described Mercks marketing strategy as a battering ram at the Department of Health and carpet bombing on the peripheries.

Dr. Raffle was concerned that the push to mass vaccination would harm the successful screening programme which had operated in the UK since the 1960s.

My worry is that the commercially motivated rush to make us panic into introducing HPV vaccine quickly will put us back and worsen our cervical cancer control programme.

Professor Diane Harper, then of Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, had led 2 trials of the vaccine and was adamant that Gardasil could not protect against all strains of HPV.

When Merck launched a huge public relations campaign in 2007 to persuade European governments to use the product to vaccinate all the continents young girls against cervical cancer, she said:

Mass vaccination programmes (would be) a great big public health experiment.We dont know a lot of things. We dont know the vaccine will continue to be effective. To be honest, we dont have efficacy data in these young girls right now. Were vaccinating against a virus that attacks women throughout their whole life and continues to cause cancer. If we vaccinate girls at 10 or 11 we wont know for 20 to 25 years whether it is going to work or not. This is a big thing to take on.

So at the time that PATH was carrying out its trials in India, Uganda, Peru and Vietnam, Gardasil was a controversial vaccine: its safety, efficacy and Mercks attempts to promote it were being questioned, not by anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, but by the international medical establishment and the respected mainstream media.

THE GIRLS OF KHAMMAM

Khammam district, in 2009, was a part of the eastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (boundary changes made in 2014 mean that today Khammam district belongs to the state of Telangana). The region is predominantly rural and is considered to be one of the poorest and least developed parts of India.

Khammam is home to several ethnic tribal groups,with some estimates putting its tribal population at about 21.5% (approximately 600,000 people). As is common for indiginous people throughout the world, the tribal groups of Khammam suffer from a lack of access to education. Consequently, their level of literacy is of a standard considerably lower than that of the region as a whole.

Some 14,000 girls were injected with Gardasil in Khammam district during 2009. The girls recruited for PATHs project were between 10 and 14 years of age and all came from low-income, predominantly tribal backgrounds. Many of the girls did not reside with their families; instead they lived in ashram pathshalas (government-run hostels), which were situated close to the schools the children attended.

Professor Linsey McGoey, of the University of Essex, later stated she believed girls at ashram pathshalas had been targeted for the project as this was a way of:

side-stepping the need to seek parental consent for the shots.

Although we have seen a lot of India in the news recently, coverage of this country and its affairs is usually low-key. Despite being home to almost one fifth of the worlds population, reporting on India is sparse.

Few of us are aware, for example, of its abysmal history of health and safety or its long-standing tradition of corruption in government.

Such failings have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous profit-seekers for decades. Western media only reports on the consequences of these actions when their magnitude is too great to ignore.

We learned that up to 7,000 people were killed and more than half a million were injured after being exposed to deadly methyl isocyanate gas, following a gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal. But we learned nothing in the years leading up to it of the culture of poor standards and disregard for regulation which was ultimately responsible for the disaster.

So it was typical that PATHs project to administer and study the effects of the HPV vaccine went unheralded in the West. Typical, too, that the same was true in India itself: the Indian media is no more renowned for its reporting on tribal groups than the Western media is for its coverage of Indians. Despite concerns expressed about the project in October 2009 by Sama, a Delhi-based NGO that advocates for womens health, the matter remained absent from Indias news.

This project, then, couldnt have been more off-the-map had it taken place on the moon, and it remained so for several months until, early in 2010, stories began to filter out from Khammam that something had gone terribly wrong: many of the girls who had been involved in the trials had subsequently fallen ill and four of them had died.

In March 2010, members of Sama visited Khammam to find out more about the emerging stories. They were told that up to 120 girls had experienced adverse reactions, including epileptic seizures, severe stomach ache, headaches and mood swings. The Sama representatives remained in Khammam to investigate the situation further.

The involvement of Sama finally brought the matter to the attention of the Indian media and, amid a barrage of negative publicity, the Indian Council of Medical Research (IMCR) suspended the PATH project.

At this point the Indian Parliaments Standing Committee on Health began an investigation into the affair.

On May 17th, Sama produced a damning report highlighting, among other things: that the trials had been promoted as a government immunisation programme and not a research project, that the girls had not been made aware that they could choose not to participate in the trials, and that parental consent had neither been asked for nor given in many cases.

The report stated that:

Many of the vaccinated girls continue to suffer from stomach aches, headaches, giddiness and exhaustion. There have been reports of early onset of menstruation, heavy bleeding and severe menstrual cramps, extreme mood swings, irritability, and uneasiness following the vaccination. No systematic follow up or monitoring has been carried out by the vaccine providers.

Sama also disputed the Andhra Pradesh State Governments claim that the deaths of four of the girls who had participated in the trials had nothing to do with vaccination.

THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

The wheels of bureaucracy are slow to turn. It was more than three years later, on 30th August 2013, when the report of the Indian Parliaments Standing Committee on Health was finally published. Although many had expected the report to be a whitewash, it was anything but: it made for shocking reading.

The report excoriated both PATH and the IMCR, concluding that the safety and rights of children were highly compromised and violated. The committee found that PATH, despite operating in India since 1999, had no legal permission to do so. It noted that although the organisation had finally received a certificate from Indias Registrar of Companies in September 2009, this certificate itself was in breach of the law.

The report stated that:

PATHhas violated all laws and regulations laid down for clinical trials.its sole aim has been to promote the commercial interests of HPV vaccine manufacturers.This is a serious breach of trustas the project involved the life and safety of girl children and adolescents who were mostly unaware of the implications of vaccination. The violation is also a serious breach of medical ethics.This act of PATH is a clear cut violation of the human rights of these girl children and adolescents. It is also an established case of child abuse.

The committee charged that PATH had lied to it and had attempted to mislead it during the course of its investigation and recommended that the Indian Government report PATHs violations of human rights to the WHO, UNICEF and the US Government.

The report declared that PATHs whole scheme was a cynical attempt to ensure ongoing profits for Merck and GSK.

The choice of countries and population groups; the monopolistic nature, at that point of time, of the product being pushed; the unlimited market potential and opportunities in the universal immunisation programmes of the respective countries are all pointers to a well-planned scheme to commercially exploit a situation. Had PATH been successfulthis would have generated a windfall profit for the manufacturers by way of automatic sale, year after year, without any promotional or marketing expenses. It is well known that once introduced to the immunisation programme it becomes politically impossible to stop any vaccination.

It went on:

To achieve this end effortlessly, without going through the arduous and strictly regulated route of clinical trials, PATH resorted to an element of subterfuge by calling the clinical trials Observational Studies or a Demonstration Project and various such expressions. Thus the interest, safety and well being of subjects were completely jeopardized by PATH by using self-determined and self-servicing nomenclature which is not only highly deplorable but also a serious breach of the law of the land.

These charges were echoed by leading voices in Indias medical community. It is shocking to see how an American organization used surreptitious methods to establish itself in India, said Chandra M.Gulhati, editor of Indias influential Monthly Index of Medical Specialities, (this) was not philanthropy.

Samiran Nundy, editor emeritus of the National Medical Journal of India and a long-standing critic of corrupt practices in health, did not mince his words:

This is an obvious case where Indians were being used as guinea pigs.

The standing committees report was also highly critical of the relationship between PATH and members of several of Indias health agencies, highlighting multiple conflicts of interest.

On the issue of informed consent, the committee confirmed the allegations made by Sama to be true, finding that the majority of consent forms werent signed by either the children or their parents, that many consent forms were postdated or not dated at all, that multiple forms had been signed by the same people (often the caretakers of the hostels the girls lived in) and that many signatures didnt match the name on the form. It found that parents had not been given information on the necessity of vaccination, its pros and cons or its potential side effects.

No insurance was provided for any of the children in the event of injury and PATH did not provide for urgent expert medical attention in case of serious adverse events.

Further, PATH seriously contravened Indian health regulations by carrying out a clinical trial of a drug on children before first conducting a trial of the drug with adults as subjects.

Regarding the girls who had died, the committee criticized PATH, Indian medical authorities and the Andhra Pradesh State Government for summarily dismissing the link between their deaths and vaccination without conducting thorough investigations. By 2016, some 1,200 of the girls who had been subjects in the two HPV vaccine trials in India were reporting serious long-term side effects, more than 5% of the total cohort of 23,500. By then, the total number of deaths had risen to seven.

A DEATHLY SILENCE

This appalling breach of medical ethics and human rights went almost completely unmentioned outside India. The Indian Parliaments Standing Committee on Health had literally accused an American NGO of child abuse, providing extensive evidence to support their charge, yet practically no mention of this was to be found anywhere in the Western media.

Popular science publications Nature and Science each contained a brief article about the debacle, but neither goes into any detail about PATHs legal and ethical breaches. While the Science article is at least slightly critical, the Nature piece gives more space to a rebuttal of the charges by PATH director Vivien Tsu.

The way in which media around the world is funded by BMGF, and how this affects reporting about BMGF and the organisations it sponsors, deserves its own article. But its worth mentioning here that the BBC has received a total of $51.7m from BMGF, as of May 2021, and The Guardian has received $12.8m.

The Guardian, for all its claims to give a voice to the most vulnerable in the world, stayed curiously silent about the young girls of Khammam. That is, except for one article, published in October 2013, about six weeks after the release of the standing committees report.

The article was written not by one of the girls or one of their parents, not by one of the women from Sama who had advocated on the girls behalf, not even by one of the Indian parliamentarians who had been charged with investigating the affair.

No. It was written by an American man called Seth Berkely. Berkely is the CEO of Gavi, another BMGF funded health behemoth.

Berkely used his forum in The Guardian to claim that the girls who had died after being vaccinated in Khammam had committed suicide. Speaking about the 14,000 subjects involved in the trials, he said, it would have been unusual if none of them went on to kill themselves.

Compassion wasnt the only element missing from his article. Not once did Berkley address the multiple breaches of law and ethics which had occurred or the role of PATH and that of his employers, the Gates Foundation, in his dismissal of this iniquity.

The Guardian began receiving funding from BMGF in August 2010. Prior to that arrangement, in 2007, the newspaper had published two separate articles which were critical of the lobbying tactics used by Merck to promote Gardasil and which questioned the efficacy of its use in mass vaccination programs.

Subsequent to their arrangement with Gates, all coverage by the Guardian of this drug (and of HPV vaccination in general) has been positive.

The Indian government was reluctant to take any of the measures recommended by the committee. After all, there were huge amounts of money being made available to the state, institutions and individuals from organisations like PATH.

So no official reports of human rights violations were ever made by the Indian government to the WHO, to Unicef or to the American government, as had been recommended by the standing committee.

However, in 2017, it announced it would no longer accept grants from BMGF for its Immunisation Technical Support Unit, an organisation which provides vaccination strategy advice in relation to an estimated 27 million infants. Nevertheless, the Indian government continues to accept the foundations grants in other areas.

Merck, and their HPV vaccine Gardasil, have done very well since the dismal events recounted in this article. The Khammam scandal never really affected the company, due to a lack of awareness about it outside India. In 2018 alone, Gardasil sales amounted to more than $3bn, thanks to its inclusion on immunisation schedules around the world, and its launch that year in China.

PATH has never been better. Just like Merck, the lack of reporting about what happened in Khammam meant the organisation didnt suffer. Since 2010, it has continued to receive huge funding from BMGF and, to a lesser extent, the US Government. During this period, BMGF has provided PATH with more than $1.2bn in funding.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has continued expanding its web of influence. Describing the organisations practices around the time of the events outlined here, Jacob Levich said:

In essence, BMGF would buy up stockpiled drugs that had failed to create sufficient demand in the West, press them on the periphery at a discount, and lock in long-term purchase agreements with Third World governments.

The foundation has since moved on to even more lucrative pastures. The Covid-19 pandemic has really pushed BMGF to centre stage. Gates himself has seen his public profile and political influence grow to an extent that would have been unimaginable even in 2019.

Despite his lack of either scientific qualifications or an electoral mandate, he regularly presses the need for mass global vaccination with products made by the companies he owns, using platforms given to him by the media outlets he funds.

And the girls of Khammam?

Well, those poor children and their plight wasnt even widely known outside of India back in 2010. To say they had been forgotten would be to imply that anybody knew about them or cared about them in the first place.

Bernard Marx is the pseudonym used by a writer and teacher based in Ireland. Bernards areas of interest include history, politics and popular music. You can read more his work are Notes from the New Normal
The opening of borders must go hand in hand with a proper quarantine facility, and an exhaustive inoculation program, as by all indications, the COVID-19 virus will be around for years to come.

John Marks, Werribee Reopen within a vaccination framework

After a long and difficult lockdown Ireland is reopening. Much of the older population has been vaccinated, and vaccination continues for younger people. Despite COVID cases still being diagnosed, they are largely in the younger cohort, and the reasoning is that younger people do not in the main become as sick as older people. Older Irish people are actively seeking vaccination, mostly AstraZeneca, and a level of COVID in the community is being tolerated. To those Baby Boomers who are refusing the AstraZeneca vaccine and are waiting for Pfizer, please take whatever is offered. You will help the community and your families by doing so. Older people embracing vaccination would enable borders to be relatively safely opened. The Virgin CEOs call to reopen the borders is a serious proposition and needs to be considered within a vaccination framework.

Louise Kloot, Doncaster THE FORUM Tax on rentals

The article A new lease on life in inner city (The Sunday Age, 16/5) highlighting the fall in rentals since 2010 should be nailed to state Treasurer Tim Pallas office door. Mr Pallas fails to realise that land tax is effectively a tax on rental  he justifies a draconian increase in land tax on the basis of rising house prices but that is taxed by CGT if and when a property is sold. For those landowners seeking to never sell and live off rental income (and there are many), the egregious bracket creep in land tax rates over the last 13 years and now the proposed further increase, at a time of falling rents, effectively means they pay most of their rent income to the government.

It is nothing more than daylight robbery and Mr Pallas is the mastermind thief. Its also stupid policy because it will inevitably lead to fewer rental properties and rising rents again.

Paul Kertes, Park Orchards Climate of fear

Thirty-five thousand jobs lost in education  most of them in the tertiary sector (Cut to the core: Australian universities dying, The Age, 18/5). No JobKeeper to universities, defunding of liberal arts degrees. Billions to subsidise, and prop up, the fossil fuel industry making for a slower transition to clean energy. It is now clear why there is only muted criticism from many academic bodies on this threat to our children and grandchildrens survival. Nothing to see here, but a climate of fear.

Marianne Cannon, Brunswick Transition slips away

So now our conflicted government is willing to bend over backwards to help farmers fight climate change impacts on their farm operations and income (Green farms scheme to be world leader, The Age, 18/5) while at the same time bending over backwards to help the coal miners exacerbate the climate problem. The transition we need to have just keeps slipping through their fingers to the detriment of our economy and future generations.

Robert Brown, Camberwell Wheres the plan?

The appalling rate of vaccination in residential disability homes (An abject failure: Disability backlog under fire, The Age, 18/5) reflects badly on the federal government. It helps to explain why the government is behind in opinion polls while state governments have received an electoral bounce from their acknowledged strong handling of COVID-19. The Morrison government, by contrast, is seen as mishandling aged care facilities in 2020 and taking a ham-fisted approach with JobKeeper resulting in wealthy corporations on record profits pocketing millions. Now it is overseeing a vaccine rollout that lags behind the US and Europe, restricting returning Australians, and seemingly with no plan for restoring international contact.

Peter Allan, West Brunswick

Denial of human rights

I was most concerned to read Reg Murrays letter (17/5) about a new law quietly introduced to Parliament last week giving the government the right to detain refugees and others indefinitely. It is an indictment on both major parties that this was passed without any dissension. Apart from the appalling cruelty inherent in locking up people indefinitely, it is a denial of human rights, of all that we have worked for, fought for and died for since the renaissance. If we allow such laws to be passed without objection, we are abdicating what it is to be human.

Charlotte Brewer, Shepparton Big Build review

The government should be clearer on costs, benefits, scope and timelines for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), as pointed out by John Hearsch (Is super loop really a wise move?, The Age, 18/5) and in light of the Grattan Institutes report highlighting the difficulties with poorly scoped megaprojects. At the same time, lets not rush to hold rail projects to a standard of fiscal purity that we do not also demand of road projects  because the only winners from that are road lobbyists. SRL warrants comparison with the Outer Metropolitan/E6 Ring Road, the as yet uncosted 100km project in the governments forward plans that plugs into the top of the North East Link. The likely overall cost for these orbital roads in combination compares with the SRL. Are all these megaroads getting in the way of other road upgrades? Evidently not. Is SRL best viewed as a catch-up after 30 years of no rail investment at all before 2010? Perhaps. Do we need an independent, transparent evaluation of the entire Big Build portfolio? Absolutely.

Tony Morton, president, Public Transport Users Association Get on with it

Please, please Mr Morrison  stop dodging Commonwealth responsibilities regarding quarantine and the stalled national vaccination program. Just get these two things right! The budget failed to allocate monies to open up suitable quarantine centres despite the states making viable proposals. Start building these centres as quality quarantine facilities are key to our future survival. There is no end to this pandemic and there will be more in the future. Only with large-scale quarantine facilities in place and widespread vaccination, can we safely return stranded Aussies, welcome foreign students and open up travel to and from Australia. Get on with it PM.

Royce Bennett, Baxter Fulfil archive obligations

Katina Curtis and Shane Wrights article (Archive passes the hat in desperate bid to save Australias history, The Age, 16/5) is a sad indictment on how much value our federal government places on preserving our historical records.

According to the December 2018 amended Archives Act of 1983, the National Archives, has an obligation to encourage and foster the preservation of all other archival resources relating to Australia; and to promote, by providing advice and other assistance to Commonwealth institutions, the creation, keeping and management of current Commonwealth records in an efficient and economical manner and in a manner that will facilitate their use as part of the archival resources of the Commonwealth. As such, the federal government is obligated to provide adequate funding for this process. It would be nice to think that funds could be found to allow the National Archives to carry out its obligations. The federal government must provide funds immediately before it is too late.

Terry Ashton, Glen Waverley Stop the pretence

We should not be too harsh on the head of Virgin Australia for common sense comments on death. In 2018 in Australia there were 34 deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases and 3102 deaths from influenza and pneumonia. While these deaths are lamentable, as a country we were not panicking about them. Our politicians need to lead in plotting a path to the inevitable small death rate from COVID, not pretend that the answer is zero.

Dr Graham Mooree, Northcote Wirraway approach

The casual approach taken by the Coalition to the climate emergency, reflected by its bare consideration in the budget, might be described as Wirraway thinking. In the late 1930s when war loomed and rearmament became essential, the conservative Lyons government opted to build as our front-line fighter the Wirraway, an aircraft that was more than 160km/h slower than contemporary planes already flying such as the Spitfire and the dreaded Zero that would devastate allied air forces early in the Pacific war. Continuing this blinkered tradition, the latest Coalition budget has ignored the emergency of global warming, maintaining a gas will see us through, do-little approach. Climate physics is telling us that a catastrophe awaits that could make the COVID crisis and the China problem seem like teddy bear picnics. The Wirraway approach to climate has to end.

Peter McCarthy, Mentone

Action on climate

The Coalitions farm policy is about politics, not the science of climate change. Mr Littleprouds attempt to quell the culture wars of climate change in his party by proposing business and farmers trade carbon offsets (Coalition farm policy quietly grows climate plan alternative, The Age, 17/5) is untested for interest, unproven for impact, and yet another way of obfuscating real action on climate change in this country. Despite ambitious action from business, First Nations groups, young people and the international community, the government refuses to lead Australia forward on climate change. Instead, money is spent on a dying fossil fuel industry and efforts to reduce internal party friction. I would like to remind the federal government that there will be little business or agriculture on a dead planet. For this inaction, Ill be striking from school with other young people from across the country on Friday, asking our government to take action on climate seriously.

Sophie Chiew, Kew Be bold on leadership

Graeme Henchel (Letters, 18/5) rightly points to Anthony Albanese as a Labor leader representing decency, honesty and a genuine concern for the country. He also reminds us that being ruthless in opposition does not necessarily convert into effective leadership in office. That said, there is little point in an opposition leader possessing the qualities of sound leadership and concern for the national interest if the leader cannot win the confidence of the electorate. Labor enjoys an embarrassment of riches within its leadership ranks, and should be bold enough to make a change if its own polling reveals serious doubts about Albaneses chances of winning the next election. Options include Tony Burke, Kristina Keneally, Mark Butler or Penny Wong. Each would bring a degree of wisdom and wit to the leadership role, qualities missing in a frontbench thin on leadership qualities and burdened with questions around competence.

Paul Begley, Elwood

AND ANOTHER THING ... Credit: Borders

Scotty is suggesting vaccinated people should not be affected by future state border lockdowns. Is he developing a new app?

Sean Geary, Southbank Surely Australia can only open borders when the outside world is free from COVID-19?

Joe Wright, Greensborough Virgin CEO Jane Hrdlicka wanting the borders reopened even though some people may die continues the capitalist tradition of wealth over health, profit over people, greed over need.

Fabio Scalia, St Kilda

Sounds like Jane Hrdlicka is not only the chief executive officer of Virgin Australia but our new unqualified Chief Medical Officer.

Lorraine Ryan, Templestowe Morrison

Boris pleads with Scott about climate targets. The irresistible hirsute force meets the immovable wooden object. While the planet warms.

Greg Curtin, Blackburn South Scott Morrisons illusory rail station parking promises morphed into a train wreck  but never mind, votes won, job done, nothing to see here!

Peter Bennett, Clifton Hill Joel Feren writes a letter (17/5) in which the words Hamas and Israel can be swapped, providing a perfectly logical counter to his argument.

Russell Ogden, Inverloch Furthermore

An ABC TV program warned about coarse language so I was worried sick that the word breast might be mentioned.

Don Owen, Hawthorn
Paris: Air France-KLM flew a biofuel-powered Airbus A350 from Paris to Montreal, demonstrating the airlines readiness to adopt low-emissions fuel despite deep industry divisions over the pace of its adoption.

Air France flight 342 took off from Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) with a 16 per cent mix of sustainable aviation fuel in its fuel tanks, produced in France by Total from used cooking oil.

Air France-KLM preparing its first long-haul flight with sustainable aviation fuel. Credit:AP

The flight signalled a shared ambition to decarbonise air transportation and to develop a SAF supply chain in France, the companies said in a joint statement with airport operator ADP .

Jet fuel produced from biomass or synthetically from renewable power has the potential to slash carbon emissions, albeit at a heavy cost by comparison to the price of kerosene.
A dispatch from the Associated Press correspondent in the Old City of Jerusalem said King Abdullahs Desert Legion marched into the Old City on Tuesday afternoon and appeared to wrest Jerusalem from the Jews, whose strategic outlook seems hopeless.

First published in The Age on May 20, 1948

The correspondent reported that the Jewish grip on Jerusalem is being broken by the Transjordan Arab Legions guns.

Haganah positions in the Jewish quarter of the Old City and on the slopes of Montefiore have been under heavy, accurate howitzer fire.

A Trans-Jordan Defence Ministry communique stated that Arab Legion forces moved up to the norther side of Jerusalem and placed artillery in a dominating position.

Reuters correspondent says the Arab Legion advanced into the Old City because Arab irregulars there were running out of ammunition.

Earlier the correspondent said the nearest Arab Legion units to Jerusalem were last known to be at Kalandia airport, five miles north of the city.
As storms inundated Baton Rouge with nearly 14 inches of rain late Monday, first responders at Siegen Calais Apartments began rescuing families in boats as the complex took on more and more water.

Bobby Simmons, a 35-year-old tenant, said his second-story unit became an impromptu shelter for some of his first-floor neighbors.

When I saw them run upstairs, he said, that's when I knew it really serious.

Siegen Calais resident Victor Nuno, 26, didnt think the rain outside would be severe until he got a call from his brother  who lives on the other side of the complex  asking for help moving his wife's car, which was already flooded. The floodwater was about a foot high by the time he finished helping.

Nuno said he rushed to move his belongings to higher spots in his first-floor apartment, grabbed his clothes and went to his brothers second-floor apartment. By midnight, he said all the cars were flooded.

Within 10 minutes, it rose real quick, Nuno said. This time we had to actually see it to believe it.

By early morning Tuesday, the water hovered about waist-height, up to the bottom of the key box outside the main gate. By late morning, it dipped to about hip-level.

Five cars  two with their trunks popped open  remained stranded in the parking lot outside of just one apartment building. Clothes, furniture and other flotsam bobbed in the floodwater as rescuers continued evacuating people from their apartments.

+3 'The pattern of the rainfall was so different': Cleanup underway after storm floods homes Like bees leaving the hive, an army of teens and adults swarmed in and out of Amy Punkay's house and down her driveway in the Westminster neig

Tarnisha Brady, 38, the Siegen Calais property manager, said seeing the flooding late Monday felt like deja vu.

Its just tough, Brady said from outside the driveway the next day. We went through this in 16 and here we are again.

As of late morning Tuesday, Brady said, shed heard back from all but two residents.

Its just heartbreaking, man, Brady said. Were going to move forward and make sure everyone is taken care of and put back in their places.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Sixty-one-year-old Francisco Cerda said his wife noticed how quickly the rain was collecting and knew to leave quickly for their daughter's home. He said they didn't have time to collect any belongings, including his green card, which as of late Tuesday morning was still in his first-floor apartment.

We couldnt take anything, he said. We left medicine, paperwork, everything.

Cerda criticized the landlord for failing to notify residents about past flooding at the property and said he would rather find a new place to live after going through this.

Next time we rent another apartment, we have to ask if they have flooded one time  if they've flooded ever, he said.

Baker Middle School Principal Roy Walker, 47, said he rushed to the apartment complex early Tuesday when he heard that one of his school nurses, who lives on the first floor, needed rescuing.

I didnt hesitate, he said. She took care of my babies in school, so I had to take care of her.

Walker said he went on to help about a dozen others in the ensuing hours, evacuating them from the apartments and making back-and-forth trips to retrieve clothing and medicine. He said hes been telling flood victims that this is a double-edged sword, a blessing in disguise.

Because theyre still here, he said, and this materialistic stuff, theyll get that back.

By about noon Tuesday, the water had drained just enough to see a happy graduation yard sign in front of one apartment. And staring at that unit from outside the Siegen Calais gates, was a young man holding a cap and gown.

Here are videos of the rescue:
Market Forecast

Global AI in Drug Discovery Market is expected to hold a value of about USD 2,015.1 Million by 2025, and it is projected to register a CAGR of 40.8% from 2019 to 2025.

AI in Drug Discovery Trends and Opportunities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to provide productive avenues in the healthcare industry. The implementation of AI has helped with reducing the researches and development gap in the drug manufacturing process and also in the targeted manufacturing of the drugs. Owing to these aspects, biopharmaceutical industries are tending towards AI to enhance market share. This is an influential factor fueling the growth of the global AI for drug discovery market.

also read @ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/covid19-impact-on-artificial-intelligence-drug-discovery-market-latest-innovations-drivers-dynamics-and-strategic-analysis-challenges-2021-01-05

The escalating pressure on the drug manufacturer to reduce drug prices is yet another factor expected to boost the AI for drug discovery market. This is all due to Al reduced the failure rate of clinical trials, and eliminated research and development costs in drug discovery. Apart from this, there has been a regular increase in the number of patients suffering from chronic diseases globally, and pharmaceutical companies are investing high in the development of various drugs. Artificial Intelligence has been able to assist manufacturers by offering a solution to complex situations. In the current scenario, AI is providing many novel analytical approaches for the design and development of novel products, which is another reason behind the markets exponential growth.

More factors, such as the flourishing healthcare sector coupled with manufacturers approach towards lowering the manufacturing cost associated with drug development, have also recorded to be reasonable for the markets growth. Besides, escalating investment by significant players in biopharma companies and rising public and private partnerships for R&D activities are more critical factors expected to boost the growth of the target AI in Drug Discovery market in the future.

In the case of point, back in the year 2019, GlaxoSmithKline plc, a multinational pharmaceutical company, invested US$ 300 Mn in 23 and Me, a gene testing company. The deal, in the current time, is expected to facilitate the company to access the database related to DNA related to relations between genes and diseases. This factor will further help in the development of novel products as well as the AI drug discovery market.

On the contrary, the factor of the scarcity of skilled healthcare professionals has been considered as a hindering factor and anticipated to slow down the growth of the global AI for the drug discovery market in the future.

AI in Drug Discovery Market Segment Review

By the segment of product type, the market has included software and services

By the segment of molecule type, the market has included Large Molecule and Small Molecule.

By the segment of technology type, the market has included machine learning, deep learning, and others.

By the segment of indication type, the market has included Immuno-oncology, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Cardiovascular Diseases, Metabolic Diseases, and others.

By the segment of the application, the market has included target identification, candidate screening, drug optimization and repurposing, de novo drug designing, and preclinical testing.

By the segment of End-User, the market has included pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, research centers, and academic & government institutes.

AI in Drug Discovery Market Regional Landscape

Americas and its Countries such as the US and Canada have been at the vanguard of the healthcare industry over the years. The rising number of big AI platform developers in the region is one of the primary reasons for the express growth of the AI in the drug discovery market in the region. Some top AI platforms such as Google AI, Microsoft Azure, and TensorFlow have adopted the Big Pharma companies for utilization in the drug discovery procedure.

Europe is the second-largest market for AI in drug discovery after the Americas. Rising R&D activities in the pharmacy sector and high demand for AI solutions by Big Pharma companies are other factors expected to boost the augmentation of the regional market. Peak pharma companies have made partnerships with AI service providers to integrate AI technologies into the drug discovery process.

The growth of the Asia-Pacific AI In Drug Discovery Market is attributed to the escalating demand for effective drug discovery solutions. Many startups are working to integrate AI applications in drug discovery. Some of these startups are Adagene, Mozi, Accutar, Xbiome, Elucidata Corporation, Deep Intelligent Pharma, CaroCure, and Interprotein, among others. With the rapidly upward pharmaceutical market in the Asian region, probably, the approval of the AI technologies in the majority drug discovery protocols will take place in the forecast period.

Top Players

The top players are Microsoft Corporation, Google (A Subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.), IBM Corporation, Atomwise, Inc., Cloud Pharmaceuticals, Inc., BenevolentAI, Cyclica, Bioage, Envisagenics, Owkin, Inc., Verge Genomics, and Berg LLC.

Obtain Premium Research Report Details, Considering the impact of COVID-19 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ai-drug-discovery-market-9393

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Scranton City Council will return to City Hall for in-person meetings beginning next week  a week earlier than anticipated.

Councils May 25 caucus and meeting will be the first held in City Hall since March 2020. Occupancy will be limited to 50% to comply with state restrictions that will be lifted May 31, after which in-person council sessions wont be bound by occupancy limits. When not speaking at the podium, attendees will be required to wear masks until further notice, council President Bill Gaughan said.

Council will work with the Scranton Fire Department to determine what 50% of council chambers maximum occupancy is and announce that number prior to next weeks meeting, he said. The in-person meetings will be broadcast live on Electric City Television and ECTVs YouTube channel.

After Gaughan announced the planned return to chambers Monday, council introduced legislation amending its own rules to give the council president authority to implement temporary safety protocols in the event of public health or weather emergencies. Under councils amended rules, for example, the president would have the authority to conduct meetings remotely in compliance with the state Sunshine Act  as it has for more than a year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic or other health emergencies, the president could require that meeting attendees wear masks, social distance in council chambers and have their temperatures checked prior to entry. The president also could limit the number of attendees to ensure appropriate social distancing, per the proposed rule changes.

This is obviously a fluid situation and things do seem to be changing weekly or monthly, so we have to have the ability to put procedures in place to protect the public and the council, Gaughan said.

Also Monday, council voted 5-0 against legislation authorizing Scranton to become a member of the Pennsylvania Safety Alliance. The organization is a nonprofit promoting sensible, evidence-based firearm policies aimed at saving lives and preventing injury, according to its website.

Council members said they support gun safety, but expressed concerns with the legislation submitted by the mayors office and the alliance itself.

Reiterating concerns hes raised in recent weeks, Councilman Tom Schuster argued the regulation of firearms falls outside the scope of municipal government.

The alliance might be a Trojan horse for something else that might infringe on legal gun owners, Councilman Mark McAndrew contends.

Councilman Kyle Donahue said the organizations mission and priorities are vague.

While shes open to continuing the dialogue, Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild doesnt feel council was provided enough information on the specific legislation the alliance would be advocating for.

Among other arguments, Gaughan said council should not be a forum for making political statements.

I think its a slippery slope and I think were here to conduct the business of the city, not ... promote all these different causes, he said. Even if we agree with them or disagree with them, it just takes us down a road that I dont really think that we should be going down at this point.

The majority of the 10 public comments council received ahead of Mondays meeting were in opposition to Scranton becoming a member of the alliance.
Over the past weeks, Bitcoin purists have a lot of questions for Elon Musk. Truth be told, the fate of their favorite cryptocurrency might seem to lean on every word that the CEO speaks on Twitter.

Presently, Tesla is said to be worth over a billion-dollar bitcoin in February. During the same month, Musk said that he also accepts cryptocurrency as a mode of payment for electric vehicles.

While bitcoiners thought of the crypto's supremacy at the time, the idea of the bitcoin as a car payment seems to be short-lived. Recently, the philanthropist said that they will no longer accept it due to environmental issues.

Elon Musk's Trolling is a Public Betrayal for Bitcoin Worshippers

The continuous use of fossil fuels, which also involves Bitcoin mining, has caught the attention of Elon Musk. As such, Tesla will no longer depend on Bitcoin selling, but instead divert its use for its campaign on a sustainable source of energy, according to Bloomberg.

It is easier said than done: this has been the struggle for Bitcoin purists who have lived long enough to thrive by the words of their crypto lord. Some fans considered this as misunderstandings on Musk's part while others called it a "public betrayal."

A pinch of trolling is what wakes up Twitter people from their deep slumber especially when they start to see a Dogecoin tweet on their screens.

Before, Bitcoin miners identified Musk's posts as a colorful reminder that something good is happening on Bitcoin. Now, things have been much harder for purists, as they could not fully depend on Elon Musk for the rise-and-fall of the cryptocurrency.

The scene is utterly an exchange of words from both parties: Elon Musk's army and the purists. Some reports witnessed numerous attacks launched by the true-blue users to the CEO, but in return, some loyal Musk fans are there to defend the "Dogefather."

Read Also: Tesla Holdings: Elon Musk May Have Sold His Cryptocurrency Shares, Attacks Wrongdoings-Will Dogecoin Rise?

Bitcoin Purists Give Elon Musk a Dose of His Medicine

It's only a matter of reasoning whether Elon Musk really cared for his patronizers or not. Certainly, we could see that his power-grabbing scheme is self-serving, but for others who live through Bitcoin, the CEO's action is far more important than any individual.

updated it to better reflect the current situation pic.twitter.com/RL9dXqGwnT  Neeraj K. Agrawal (@NeerajKA) May 17, 2021

According to the Vice, a popular r/Bitcoin thread on Reddit has called Musk "no different" from Craig "Faketoshi" Wright which made him a barefaced sciolist.

Another post said that there is a particular reason why people should maintain their composure when hearing Musk's words.

"The cult of Elon has deluded themselves into believing their own bullshit that he's some sort of frickin' polymath," the post wrote.

In another subreddit which has currently over 3,000 points, a "Letter to Elon" has been addressed to the Tesla founder. The post stated that there will be no Bitcoins that will be sold by the Bitcoiners for the EVs. They also desire to use the cryptos for transport when Musk decides to stick to more contextualized data.

In a much harsher comment, another Redditor directly pointed his anger to Elon after saying "F**K Elon."

Additionally, the latest Reddit post talked about Musk being far from being Crypto God or Jesus. The content creator encouraged the people to stop talking about the CEO because Bitcoin has succeeded even without him before.

It is clear as daylight that Musk's statements have a huge bearing on the value of Bitcoin--in terms of its see-saw trend in the market. At this time despite several drops, the value of the crypto has been steady at $40,000.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Tesla Has Not Sold Any Cryptocurrency Holdings, Price of Coin Steadies-No SEC Investigation?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
One of Amazons most senior Australian executives has declared the tech behemoth will explore all options in the quest for original content as it looks to cement its status as a key player in the local streaming video market.

As reports circled in the US stating Amazon was in talks to acquire fabled Hollywood studio MGM for up to $12 billion, Amazon Prime Video Australia chief Hushidar Kharas said the tech company was determined to increase its output of original, exclusive content.

Amazon Prime Videos Tyler Bern and Hushidar Kharas are pushing the companys investment in local content to date as they spruik its upcoming shows. Credit:Amazon Prime Video

The Originals are super important to us, he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Creating original, exclusive content is our number one priority. How we get there, what route we take to get there - all options are on the table, anything is possible.

Mr Kharas and Amazons head of content for Prime Video Australia, Tyler Bern, announced the companys investment into local content since it launched in 2019 would this year hit $150 million due to a raft of new programs. They include a new drama by Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea called The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Deadloch, a new drama comedy by Get Krak!ns Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan. The company also announced the commentary team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics swimming trials.
Almost one-third of adult Australians say they are unlikely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in a new sign of concern over the nations troubled plan to shield most people from the coronavirus by the end of this year.

Doubts about vaccine side effects top the list of reasons for the alarming level of vaccine hesitancy, but a new survey also shows many people believe there is no rush to take a jab while the international borders are closed.

Close to a third of Australians surveyed are worried about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Credit:Bloomberg

In the middle of a heated debate about when to open Australias borders, 15 per cent of adults surveyed said they were not at all likely and 14 per cent not very likely to be vaccinated in the months ahead.

Only 14 per cent of total respondents said they were extremely likely and 8 per cent very likely to take the jabs, with another 13 per cent fairly likely to do so.
Birol said there was a misplaced view that 2050 was the deadline for all countries to reach net zero when advanced economies actually had to do it earlier so they can then help others in the final stretch. The US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, all of them ... given their current stage of development and their financial capabilities, I think it is only fair to say that ... advanced economies should reach their net zero targets five years earlier than other emerging countries, he said. In a warning for Australias export industry, the Paris-based agency forecasts global demand for coal will plunge by 90 per cent to make up just 1 per cent of total energy use in 2050. As of this year, no new oil, gas and coal investments are needed if we want to reach our targets, Birol said.

This includes new or expanded coal mines, as well as no new oil fields or gas extraction projects. Huge challenges and advantages Birol also said a surge in investment in renewable energy over the next 10 years would be crucial to the narrow pathway still available to keep temperature rises to 1.5 degrees and avoid the worst impacts of global warming. Australia has huge challenges but also advantages, he said. Today the share of solar in the total energy mix is 1 per cent. In 2050, under our pathway, it becomes 20 per cent and the single largest source of energy in the world.

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The level of solar uptake needed to meet the agencys plan is equivalent to installing the worlds largest solar park roughly every day for the next 10 years. While the reports focus on using technology to slash emissions squares with the Morrison governments approach, its call to speed up the shift adds extra pressure on Canberra over climate policy. The agency is also cool on the idea of expanding the gas industry, as Morrison has proposed. Morrison wants Australia to preferably achieve net zero emissions by 2050 but is yet to take any new policy to the fractious Coalition party room.

The carbon pricing question Birol said he hoped Australia would embrace a formal net zero by 2050 policy and thought that was the direction Morrison was heading as Glasgow approached. Its a decision of the government but my reading of the Prime Ministers comments [at a recent virtual summit held by US President Joe Biden] is that they are working to come up with such a plan. Credit:Matt Golding The Turkish-born economist and energy expert has previously said Australias energy debate was far too emotional, far too nervous and far too hot and called for calmer heads to prevail.

Asked whether technology alone could achieve net zero emissions in Australia and whether carbon pricing should be on the agenda, Birol said: Carbon pricing is definitely one of the important options to reduce fossil fuel use, in addition to energy efficiency measures and the incentives for new technology. Governments have two jobs: to make the most out of the clean energy options and to reduce the use of fossil fuels. So a carbon price is one of the options that the government may want to make use of. Jobs lost and gained Using analysis by the International Monetary Fund, the IEA report predicts 5 million jobs will be lost in the coal, oil and gas industry over the next decade.

However, the analysis finds the clean energy boom could create 14 million jobs while the push for more efficient appliances, electric vehicles and building projects could spark the need for a further 16 million workers. Loading But these opportunities are often in different locations, skill sets and sectors than the jobs that will be lost as fossil fuels decline, the report notes. Even where the number of direct energy jobs lost is small, the impact on the local economy may be significant. Total annual energy investment would surge to $US5 trillion a year by 2030, according to the reports predictions, which would put global GDP at 4 per cent higher in a decade than it would otherwise be.
Riverdale, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970. [Video] Camfil USA Air Filter Expert Discusses 2021 State of the Air Report, air filtration experts from Camfil discuss the findings of the 2021 State of the Air Report, which has been published each year since 2000 by the American Lung Association using data generated as a result of the Clean Air Act.

The American Lung Association has spent many years creating awareness for the importance of clean air and done significant research to quantify the impacts of dirty air, says Kevin Wood, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Camfil USA. Mr. Wood has been in the air filtration industry for over three decades.

What is the State of the Air Report?

The Clean Air Act required the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to set limits for six prominent outdoor air pollutants (particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, lead, and carbon monoxide).

The State of the Air Report, first published in 2000 by the American Lung Association, breaks down air quality data so anyone can see the quality of air in their community. Since then, air pollution monitoring equipment has been updated and installed across the United States. The most recent State of the Air Reports now focus on nationwide data on ozone and PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter), two of the most dangerous outdoor air pollutants.

(The full report can be accessed here.)

According to Mr. Wood, highlighting data on these two pollutants is particularly useful for three main reasons:

To outline the importance of both particle and gas phase air pollution. To provide context on new evidence which suggests the impact of pollution on human health, including areas such as child brain development, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Identify the geographical areas where people are at the most risk for health damage due to high exposure to air pollution. (2021s report indicates that 135 million Americans across 217counties live in areas where the air contains unhealthy levels of pollution for part or all of the year. This is over 40% of the population.)

What is PM2.5?

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. (For scale, a human hair has a diameter of approximately 100 microns.) These particles are inhalable, and can cause serious damage to lung tissue.

What Are the Effects of PM2.5?

A large body of scientific literature has linked particulate matter to the following health risks, according to the EPA:

premature death in people with heart or lung disease

nonfatal heart attacks

irregular heartbeat

aggravated asthma

decreased lung function

increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing

Particulate matter also has disastrous effects on the environment, including depleting soil nutrients, lowering the pH of natural water sources, damaging forests and crops, and affecting the diversity of ecosystems.

What is Ground-Level Ozone?

Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. Unlike the oxygen molecules we breathe, which are made up of two oxygen atoms, ozone is highly unstable and reactive. Naturally formed ozone is an essential component of the earths upper atmosphere, forming a miles-thick layer that protects terrestrial life from harmful ultraviolet light.

However, ground level ozone presents a major hazard to human health. Ground level ozone is formed by reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons (which are also referred to as VOCs, or volatile organic compounds). These reactions are facilitated by heat and sunlight.





What Are the Effects of Ground-Level Ozone?

Ozone is an unstable molecule, which means that it easily reacts with other molecules, including those in the human body.

According to the American Lung Association, the following groups are at higher risk of being harmed by ozone:

children and teenagers

adults over the age of 65

people with existing lung conditions, including asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

people who work and exercise outdoors

Long-term exposure to ozone has been linked to premature death and lower infant birth weight. Short-term exposure to ozone can cause:

shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing due to constriction of tracheal muscles

increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and pulmonary inflammation

asthma attacks

aggravation of chronic lung conditions

What Factors May Impact Air Quality In the Future?

According to Camfils air filtration experts, there are three prominent factors that may impact air quality in the future.



Climate change. Because heat and sunlight facilitate the chemical reactions that create ground-level ozone, increased temperatures and longer periods of sunlight are likely to lead to higher readings of ground-level ozone. Wildfires. The smoke from wildfires affects more than just the west coast where the fires predominantly take place. Wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles, shrouding towns and cities across the country with both large and very small particles. (Read more about the effects of wildfire smoke and how to protect yourself against them.) COVID-19 and future viruses. Respiratory droplets infected with COVID-19 virus particles are known to be 2.5 microns or smaller, and most disease exposure occurs via airborne routes. Traditional levels of air filtration in buildings and homes is not adequate to stop the circulation throughout a building if asymptomatic carriers occupy the space.

Overall, its important to remember that even in areas that arent exposed to dangerous levels of outdoor pollution, pollution is likely to rise in the future. (Indoor air is up to five times as polluted as outdoor air. Find out more here.)



How to Protect Yourself from Outdoor Air Pollution

Camfils air quality experts have provided the following suggestions:



Employers should make sure that their work environments have proper air handling units and appropriate filtration systems. Filters should maintain their rated efficiency the entire time in use. Where filtration efficiency may be limited by minimal space in an air handling unit, systems should be supplemented with in-room air purifiers, such as Camfils City M. If ozone is of particular concern in your area, additional filter stages in the air handling unit may be required to accommodate both molecular (or gas) filters and particulate filters. Due to the continuing risk of COVID-19, upgrading to MERV15 or higher filtration should be considered when planning improvements or upgrades to your buildings current ventilation system.

Due to varying needs, budgets, local regulations, and existing infrastructure, there is no one size fits all approach to upgrading your buildings air filtration system. Contact a Camfil representative for help determining the correct solution for you.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. We firmly believe that the best solutions for our customers are the best solutions for our planet, too. Thats why every step of the way  from design to delivery and across the product life cycle  we consider the impact of what we do on people and on the world around us. Through a fresh approach to problem-solving, innovative design, precise process control, and a strong customer focus we aim to conserve more, use less and find better ways  so we can all breathe easier.

The Camfil Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 33 manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 30 countries, and about 4,800 employees and growing. We proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and in communities across the world. To discover how Camfil USA can help you to protect people, processes and the environment, visit us at www.camfil.us/

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Min Byrne announces grants for 2021 Communicating Europe Initiative scheme

Press release

105,000 in grants awarded to community and voluntary organisations to help promote understanding of the EU and Irelands place in Europe

The Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, today congratulated 28 NGOs, local community groups, educational institutes and local media organisations who have been awarded funding under the Department of Foreign Affairs 2021 Communicating Europe Initiative scheme.

Projects funded this year include several local radio series on the EUs impact on Irish communities being produced by Dublin City FM, Radio Kerry and KCLR, an EU TV Junior Youtube channel for primary schools created by University College Cork, a research event on lessons from EU peacebuilding organised by the Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies, a Future of Europe podcast series hosted by The European Network, an interactive online EU Policy map produced by the DCU Brexit Institute, as well as a number of 2nd and 3rd level EU education and community projects in counties across the country.

Commenting on the initiative, Minister Byrne said As we engage with the Conference on the Future of Europe, Im very excited about the range of projects put forward this year under the Communicating Europe Initiative, including the impressive numbers of counties involved. Last year, the virtual nature of CEI projects allowed us to reach out to much greater numbers of Irish citizens from diverse backgrounds than in the past. I am confident this level of engagement will continue as we initiate our national discussions on the role of Europe in our lives, and our communities, in the years to come.

Minister of State Byrne also added As key beneficiaries of EU support, our communities and civil society groups, from the grassroots to the national level, are very well placed to communicate the significant impact that our EU membership has had in shaping our society. I am looking forward to meeting some of our CEI partners this year and getting involved with their exciting projects.

The Communicating Europe Initiative (CEI) was established in 1995 to raise awareness about the European Union and to improve the quality and accessibility of public information on European issues. The programme is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs. This year, funding of 105,000 has been provided for 28 Communicating Europe Initiative funded projects.

The full list of successful projects is as follows  Local community groups - Ballinderreen Community Centre (Galway), Inniscarra Twinning Association (Cork), IRD Duhallow (Cork) and Portlaoise Community & Family Resource Centre (Laois) and Twilight Community Group (Kilkenny). primary and 2nd level schools projects - European Youth Parliament Ireland (Regional Youth Debates), Gaelcholaiste na Mara (Wicklow), Ionad Naomh Fionnan (Donegal), Junior Achievement Ireland (Galway/Mayo), Our Ladys Secondary School (Monaghan), Corran College (Sligo) and Waterford SLi (European Unity: Lessons from Folklore creative workshops). 3rd Level projects/Education & training - Audrey Galvin/University of Limerick (Journalism course and competition for UL media students) and Cork Education and Training Board (Promoting the EUs impact on Education and Training). Local radio EU programmes - Dublin City FM and Radio Kerry are producing are series of programmes/podcasts on what has the EU done for their regions. Kilkenny/Carlow Local Radio will produce a radio series on the EU and the environment. Media projects - Aine Ryall/University College Cork (podcasts on EU Environment Policies), Design and Crafts Council Ireland (podcast series on the New European Bauhaus), The Mayo News (Mayo and the EU) and Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan/University College Cork (EU TV Junior  YouTube videos on EU for primary schools). Future of Europe/EU policies  Cork Chamber of Commerce (Corks Place in Europe  Youth survey and outreach event), DCU Brexit Institute (interactive map of the EU), The European Network (Future of Europe podcast series), Irish Council for Civil Liberties (Defending the Rule of Law: The role of the EU), Kids Own Publishing Partnership/Childrens Rights Alliance (Youth Responses to the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child). EU Peacebuilding and NI  International Association for Contemporary European Studies (Relationship on these Islands  EU Peacebuilding Experiences). Regional bodies  The Irish Regions European Office (Connecting the EU policies and funding with local communities  outreach events). Further information is available from www.dfa.ie

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There is a chance that we could see a UTI vaccine in the next coming years, according to a researcher from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The solution for this bacterial infection could now be in the tip of the needle in the future. This could also boost the prevention campaign especially for those who commonly acquire it without knowing.

Duke University Researcher Discovers The Potential of UTI Vaccine

According to the American Urological Society, despite the number of Urinary Tract Infection or UTI in the United States, it is only second next to strep throat, a condition caused by Streptococcus bacteria.

UTI, just like the common flu could hit anyone regardless of their age and gender. In the case of UTI, girls and women are reportedly more prone to the infection. At the moment, there is no known prevention for the UTI--or a vaccine that could prevent an individual from acquiring the virus in the urinary tract.

While we are pleased with the idea of having a UTI vaccine, there is a high chance that we could see it in the next few years, according to an expert from Duke University, Soman Abraham. He is the one who took charge of the research that involves the development of a vaccine for UTIs.

Read Also: Top 5 Ways To Prevent A Stress-Induced Urinary Tract Infection

In a report by ABC7 on Tuesday, May 18, Abraham stated that there is a serious problem that is present in a Urinary Tract infection. Although the repair of the bladder lining is a big help from the T cells when it comes to fighting an infection, the fact that they accumulate with the rest of the T cells could spell some effect. As a consequence, some of them just remain in their places. This is where a guaranteed scenario of reinfection could happen in an instant. Abraham added that more infections will likely appear after the other one.

"The bladder becomes more and more proficient at repair and less and less proficient at clearing the bacterial reservoirs hiding in the lining," Abraham said in a statement. Meanwhile, the bladder's capacity will yield an impending decrease in the cycle. This could be the underlying reason why you often go to the bathroom.

UTI Vaccine Shows Promising Effects in Mice

The study entitled "A highly polarized TH2 bladder response to infection promotes epithelial repair at the expense of preventing new infections" was published in Nature on Tuesday, May 18. Abraham, together with other nine co-authors stated that the UTI vaccine showed a potential effectivity when tested in mice. During the experiment, the vaccine is applied to the subject's bladder.

The researchers accomplished its aim to safeguard the rodent from the developing infection, and also to remove the bacteria that are living in the lining of the bladder. Although Abraham said that components of the UTI vaccine were already FDA-approved, they have yet to test it on humans for further evaluation.

The Duke University professor also expressed his positivity that the human trials will happen at the soonest possible time. He also sees that the vaccine will be distributed to the patients in the upcoming years.

Related Article: Urinary Tract Infections Can be Diagnosed Quickly With a Fidget Spinner-Inspired Device

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
TEL AVIV - One Palestinian protestor died Tuesday in hospital from injuries suffered in clashes with the Israeli army near al-Bireh, not far from the West Bank city of Ramallah.



Reports were from Palestinian media, which noted that at least 40 had been injured by projectiles.



The Israeli military spokesman said that Israeli soldiers and the commander of the Judea and Samaria Division had been shot at and that two soldiers' legs had been injured as a result.



Fatah and Hamas called for a 'Day of Rage' on Tuesday in the West Bank.


Gov. John Bel Edwards has issued a state of emergency due to flooding and tornado warnings in Southwest Louisiana  and he's urging residents throughout the state to be prepared, because rain is expected to continue falling over the next several days.

"Water rescues and other emergency actions have been necessary this afternoon as heavy rainfall fell across Southwest Louisiana," Edwards said in a statement. "We are only a few weeks away from the start of hurricane season, but this threat is the latest in a string of recent weather threats that remind us of the importance of preparedness and staying informed."

A state of emergency allows state resources to be used in storm response efforts.

Storm-weary Lake Charles hit by floods; mayor says hundreds of homes affected Heavy thunderstorms inundated streets, stranded residents and flooded hundreds of homes in Lake Charles and other parts of southwest Louisiana

The Lake Charles area, which is still recovering from a brutal hurricane season last year, saw streets inundated and homes and businesses swamped. In some places, 15 inches of rain has fallen there.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Other parts of the state, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans were put under flood watches, though the rain wasn't as severe as it was to the west.

More rain is expected to fall on Tuesday and possibly on Wednesday.
Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Spanish army deployed on Ceuta beach to stop migrants Units to curb pressure from Moroccan side of border

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, MAY 18 - Spanish army units on Tuesday deployed on the beaches of the Ceuta enclave in North Africa to stop the arrival in mass of migrants from Moroccan territory, as evinced from photos published by Spanish media.



"At the moment the entrance of migrants seems under control," Ceuta president Juan Jesus Vivas told Cadena Sul in an interview.



The photos and video appearing in the media showed dozens of people gathered on the Moroccan side of the border.



At least 6,000 people, an unprecedented number of people, managed to cross the border between Sunday and Monday.



Vivas said that the migrants crossed due to the "passiveness" of Moroccan authorities.



Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told public television RTVE that Spain and Morocco maintain ties of collaboration.



About 1,500 people have already been sent back, he added.



Recently, Spain welcomed for "humanitarian reasons" the leader of the Polisario Front Brahim Ghali - considered an "enemy" by Morocco -, who is now hospitalized in Logrono for his health conditions.



The Spanish government has officially ruled out any link between the migration situation in Ceuta and the welcoming of Ghali into its territory.



(ANSAmed).




DENVER, April 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Geek411 announces the release of the report "How to do a Free Background Check in PA."

Searching Pennsylvania criminal and arrest records might be necessary when someone in the state needs to scope out a new person in their life. One can never be too safe and background checks are a fantastic way to scan an individuals history.



The purpose of this report is to provide readers with all they need to know about the resources available to perform a background check in Pennsylvania.

Click Here to Perform a Nationwide Background Check Online

Why You Should Conduct a Background Check in Pennsylvania

Everyone had a moment or two in their lives when they were skeptical of someone new around. This could be a neighbor that just moved in, an in-law or even a possible love interest. It is never smart to trust someone right away and a quick background check can offer essential info that may uncover an individuals dark past.

It is not all doom and gloom, though. Other reasons to conduct a background check in Pennsylvania include finding long lost friends or performing a reverse phone lookup for that number that keeps calling day and night.

Background checks can provide peace of mind and clear away doubts as to if someone is a safe person or not. These services may also unearth basic contact infos for a person that the user is dying to reach.

Free Background Checks in Pennsylvania

Residents in Pennsylvania can also access a slew of state records for free or with a nominal processing fee. The state is responsible for the availability of the information on the sites and the records are updated frequently. However, do note that these state records are limited to people and activities within Pennsylvania.

These records do not act as an in-depth, comprehensive search tool like the companies listed above, but the state-specific systems can come in handy. Here is what a user can find:

Pennsylvania Court Records

Link to Court Records: http://www.pacourts.us/public-records/court-case-information

In Pennsylvania, the court system allows citizens to access court records at any time. The court records access is granted by Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System.

Provided court data is available free of charge, including details of every individual court case, plus the docket sheets.

Pennsylvania Public Records

Link to Public Records: http://www.pacourts.us/public-records

Pennsylvania provides citizens with statutory rights to access any public records, too. These include maps, photographs, films, recordings, documents, online software, and other materials.

Other information includes birth and death certificates, liens, bankruptcies, and school records.

Pennsylvania Criminal Records

Link to Criminal Records: http://www.psp.pa.gov/pages/request-a-criminal-history-record.aspx

To access an individuals criminal records in Pennsylvania, a request and applied processing fee are required by the state, but the process is simple.

Data includes information on felonies, misdemeanors and jail sentences served.

Pennsylvania Arrest Records

Link to Arrest Records: http://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas/docket-sheets

Pennsylvania arrest records are on offer from four of the states primary courts. Data includes the class of offense and arrest location for any given individual arrested at any time. This does not necessarily mean that any illegal wrongdoing occurred.

Pennsylvania Property Records

Link to Property Records: https://property.phila.gov/

Property records allow individuals in Pennsylvania to look at the history of a given property including the establishment and other details such as past and current ownership.

City and County-Specific Records in Pennsylvania

Beyond Pennsylvania state records, certain cities and counties have their own systems as well. They include:

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Allentown

Erie

Reading

Upper Darby

Scranton

Bethlehem

Lancaster

Harrisburg

The Bottom Line: Conducting a Background Check in Pennsylvania

To get the most comprehensive and thorough background check in Pennsylvania, it would be best to use Truthfinder. The website provides in-depth investigations for a monthly fee, similar to Intelius and Instant Checkmate, while the latter offers unlimited searches.

State databases are useful to some degree, but results are confined to within Pennsylvania state lines.
Today

Mostly clear and windy. Low 54F. W winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.

Tonight

Mostly clear and windy. Low 54F. W winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.

Tomorrow

Plentiful sunshine. Hot. High 93F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
HARTFORD  Two male victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting in the city Monday night, police said.

Officers responded to Sterling Street for a ShotSpotter gunfire activation around 8:30 p.m., Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.

While officers were en route to Sterling Street, an area hospital alerted police to two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Boisvert said both victims were listed in stable condition later Monday night.

Detectives are still trying to determine what led to the shooting, Boisvert said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call 860-722-TIPS.
6,000 migrants arrive in Spain's Ceuta, 1,000 minors At least 1,500 already deported, another 85 enter Melilla

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, MAY 18 - The number of migrants that managed Monday to cross the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta rose by the end of the day to at least 1,000 including about 1,000 minors.



The Spanish authorities reported the figure and said that it was a record for a single day.



Some 1,500 had already been deported back to Morocco by Tuesday.



Swimming or on foot, the number of migrants arriving from Morocco beaches a few kilometres south of Ceuta multiplied from the morning to the evening.



On Tuesday morning at least 85 migrants managed to enter the Spanish enclave Melilla on the North African coast from Morocco, the Melilla prefect's office said, noting that the migrants were of sub-Saharan origins. (ANSAmed).




The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Teen Mental Health During COVID-19

Disrupting school and interactions with peers, the pandemic has left teens with stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

Interview by Jackie Powder | MAY 17, 2021

For adolescents and teens, whose interactions with peers are so central to their lives and development, the pandemics shrinking of their world has been especially difficult.

At the Bloomberg School, researchers are learning from teens themselves how they have been weathering the pandemic, through a pilot and evaluation of the intervention program teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA). Supported by Lady Gagas Born this Way Foundation and introduced in Australia in 2015, tMHFA is a school-based training program to teach high school students how to identify and respond to signs of mental illness in their peers.

Holly Wilcox, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health, and Department colleagues associate scientist Elise Pas, PhD, MA, and assistant professor Sarah Murray, PhD 15, MSPH 11, helped to launch a pilot of tMHFA in spring 2019 in 100 schools across the U.S. Although the pandemic disrupted planned tMHFA research and expansion, Wilcoxs team included questions about its effects on teens mental health in a survey administered to 2,617 teens in grades 1012 who completed the tMHFA program.

In this Q&A, Wilcox talks about tMHFA findings, expansion of the program, and the missing safety net of school.

How has the pandemic impacted the role of the school as safety net?

In most schools there are adultseven if they dont have a mental health backgroundwho are very good at recognizing distress or recognizing an abrupt change in students, so if they see them come in looking disheveled, looking dirty, looking sad, they can intervene. That provides a safety net to recognize child abuse, mental health-related issues, homelessness, and other concerns. During the pandemic, we havent had that system in place.

Before and during the pandemic you have been studying teen mental health through the teen Mental Health First Aid program. What is its goal?

The main goal is to provide students with a skill set to be able to know what to do when they are confronted with mental health crises and how and when to involve a trusted adult. Its about teaching students how to make decisions under stressful circumstances as well as providing students with information about different mental health conditionssuicide, anxiety, and depressionand demystifying mental health services and treatment.

An important result from the Australian intervention was that students felt much more prepared to assist a suicidal peer. Similarly, our data in the U.S. showed that after tMHFA was delivered, three quarters of students reported that they would ask a peer directly if they were thinking about suicide (pre-tMHFA: 44%; post-tMHFA: 75%), and [were] much more likely to know they should involve an adult when a friend is suicidal rather than keeping it a secret (pre-tMHFA: 37%; post-tMHFA 71%).

Despite the pandemic, you were able to collect data from a six-month follow-up survey, completed by nearly 300 students. What were you looking for and what have you learned?

We asked if there had been any changes in their life due to the pandemic that created stress and problems for them and whether they relied on tMHFA skills to deal with those issues.

Well over 50% reported that the pandemic and response has created problems. A little more than 25% of students said they had experienced a great deal and 30% a moderate amount of changes, as well as stress and problems. A subset reported a great deal or moderate increase in depression [19% and 17%, respectively]. We saw very large numbers report having changes in sleep and eating patterns.

While out of school due to COVID-19, 70% of students said that they used tMHFA skills to deal with stress, and all said that the tMHFA skills they learned were helpful.

How has the pandemic impacted the U.S. rollout of the tMHFA pilot and the planned expansion?

We had over 100 schools that we were planning to work with, and fewer than half were able to implement the program before the school closures [in March 2020].

We were not able to implement tMHFA online because of safety concerns. With these types of programs, students can be triggered by the content. The instructors know what to do when they see this happen in a classroom setting, but online its more challenging, and the appropriate development of online content [by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing] took a lot longer than was feasible to implement last spring.

How are you and your colleagues involved in the program?

Initially, for the in-person version of tMHFA, we helped the National Council set up a platform for the collection of data and parental consent, but our role has been much more than that. We were involved in a process of cultural adaptation to make the program more representative of what American students face in different problem areas. It includes more on trauma and community-related violence. Some of the language had to be changed and the videos had to be reshot to represent more student diversity.

Ill start with the positive. Being able to get through the pandemic builds resilience and strength to navigate uncertain and stressful circumstances in the future. It is also clear that many young people have endured isolation, exposure to adversity, and traumatic events over the COVID-19 pandemic. School systems and other youth-serving sectors should be prepared to address these challenges.

Jackie Powder is an assistant editor in the Communication & Marketing Office at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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PEORIA, Ariz.  Peoria police say one of their officers fatally shot a suspect after he pulled out a handgun.

Authorities said the incident occurred Monday around 4:15 p.m. outside a Shell gas station at 91st and Northern avenues.

The officer noticed a license plate did not match a car. He approached the driver and the two got into a physical fight.

Investigators say thats when the suspect went for a gun. The officer opened fire, hitting the suspect in the torso.

Paramedics later pronounced the man dead.

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No one else was injured in the shooting. A handgun was recovered.

The suspect has since been identified as 32-year-old Garrett Sheppard of Phoenix.

Police say the officer involved had an active body camera.

The shooting remains under investigation.
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Health officials in Colorado have reported the number of infections from the COVID-19 variant from India nearly tripled in less than a week in Mesa County, the only county in the state with reported variant cases.

Mesa County Public Health Director Jeff Kuhr told county commissioners on Monday that the county, which includes Grand Junction, had six reported deaths since May 3, including two last weekend involving people who were not vaccinated, The Daily Sentinel reported Tuesday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the county has 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases of the variant, and only two of those people had received their first dose of vaccine. Last week, health officials reported seven cases of the variant.

For so many people to have been infected in Mesa County of the India variant, somebody would have had to bring it in, Kuhr said. They all popped up in a similar timeframe, so that just tells you that there was probably a common exposure. Its going to be much bigger. Well see more show up.

Officials say the county has also reported 55 cases of the variant from the U.K. and 46 cases of the variant from California. The COVID-19 strains have proven to be more contagious but it is unclear if symptoms are more serious, Kuhr said.

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Kuhr said its concerning that most of the cases caused by the variant from India are linked with schools and one workplace.

Mesa County has had about 300 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began, health officials said. In the past week, the county has reported about 200 new infections.

Kuhr said about 38% of residents living in the county are fully vaccinated, short of the statewide average of 41%. The percentage is based on county residents 16 and older.

More than 47,800 county residents have received their first vaccine dose, while some 47,130 are fully vaccinated, officials said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50% of the states population has received a first dose of vaccine, while more than 35% are fully vaccinated.
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The Journal recently requested an interview with New Mexico Secretary of Education Ryan Stewart about reopenings, districts and charters that are still doing hybrid and remote, etc. They are topics that have been under consideration by our school leaders and debated by the public for more than a year, so no questions about school reopenings should catch the education secretary off guard.

The Journal was denied the interview with Stewart. The PED communication team said Stewart declined because there wasnt new information. How is that possible? Some schools in the state are pausing in-person instruction because of COVID-19 cases, others are forging ahead on the path to normalcy and were all aware of daily news reports about vaccinations, commencement ceremonies, COVID-19 cases, new CDC mask guidelines, summer school programs, etc.

Stewart is supposed to be on top of all that as far as our public schools are concerned.

A few days earlier, the Journal was told to submit questions in advance of a potential interview with Stewart. When the Journal refused, our reporter was told Stewart wouldnt be sent to an interview he couldnt prepare for.

So who suffers? The public, thats who.

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Stewart and the PED need to be reminded about who pays their salaries, and to whom they are ultimately accountable. And if Stewart cant handle random questions from the media, he shouldnt be in charge of an agency that touches hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans lives.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque police will have a bigger budget, but potentially fewer responsibilities in fiscal year 2022.

City employees will get a 3% pay increase, while everybody in Albuquerque should be getting a free ride  on the city buses, that is.

The Albuquerque City Council on Monday passed a roughly $711 million operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

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Thats roughly 5.8% higher than current year general fund spending.

In a council meeting that spanned seven hours, the annual budget  which was the subject of three previous public hearings  sailed through with relative ease, passing unanimously after fewer than 20 minutes of discussion and amending.

That was pretty painless, council budget chairwoman Klarissa Pena said after the vote, thanking her colleagues.

As is usually the case, the biggest portion goes to the Albuquerque Police Department, which will see its general fund allocation rise to about $222 million, or roughly 4.5% higher than existing levels.

Thats enough money for 1,100 officers, or about 100 more than the city has today. It also includes funding for new positions, including 11 investigators to support internal affairs and the departments reform obligations, and two communications staffers.

Many members of the public who spoke during Mondays Zoom meeting and who had submitted written comments beforehand complained about the citys growing police budget, saying leaders needed instead to put more money in health, housing and social services.

Research clearly shows that more money towards police does not reduce crime, Albuquerque resident Serena Adlerstein wrote in public comments submitted before the meeting. Housing for the unsheltered community reduces crime. Access to food reduces crime. More well-paid mental health professionals reduces crime. Arts and recreation programs reduce crime.

At least one councilor, Diane Gibson, said she hoped to see APD funding eventually shrink as the city launches a new department  Albuquerque Community Safety  which is intended to use such trained professionals as social workers and counselors to answer certain 911 calls, such as those related to mental health, homelessness and public inebriation.

The council-approved budget contains $7.7 million for the new department, enough to pay for 61 full-time positions. Sarita Nair, the citys chief administrative officer, said some calls that would normally go to APD would be transferred to Community Safety by this summer or fall, but that Mayor Tim Kellers administration sees the need for investment in police, as well.

It is not an either-or proposition from our perspective, she told the council.

But Gibson countered that she sees a very (clear) removal of tasks and obligations from the police sphere, which should also result in the removal of some dollars.

We will, at least in theory  and hopefully very soon in practice  be able to lower the funding that is needed by the Albuquerque Police Department, she said.

Ultimately, however, the council maintained nearly all the APD funding Keller had included in the budget proposal he submitted in April.

Pena said the police are worthy of that level of support, though she acknowledged the departments challenges meeting the terms of its settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Theres a lot of good things happening in APD.  Obviously, we have a ways to go and everyone who has seen whats happened with the DOJ (understands) we still have a ways to go, she said. But I really think our law enforcement officers are really working hard to work with the community.

The 2022 budget also brings back pay increases for city employees who did not see an across-the-board bump this year. The spending plan approved by the council includes a 3% cost-of-living increase for the municipal government workforce, slightly up from the 2% Keller proposed.

The council also shifted money around in Kellers budget proposal to support free fares on city buses. Its an initiative the council had discussed even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but something Councilor Lan Sena said last week is even more important as the city emerges from the health crisis and related economic shutdown.

While the city currently offers free bus rides to certain passengers  including students under 25 and people over 60  Sena said the budget should provide enough money to expand it to everyone.

The councils budget  which now heads to Kellers desk  did not otherwise significantly adjust the mayors initial proposal.

It maintained the $4 million he proposed for programming at the citys planned Gateway Center homeless shelter and services hub inside the old Lovelace hospital, though the council approved Pat Davis amendment to add $100,000 in one-time money to develop a health center with a pharmacy on the premises.

The council on Monday also approved a $60 million spending plan for the federal COVID-19 stimulus money received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
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PHOENIX  Police are searching for a suspect in the murder of a Phoenix mother of three.

The woman was identified Tuesday as 30-year-old Shavone Robinson and police said its being investigated as a homicide case.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Ann Justus said officers were led Monday night to do a welfare check after two toddlers ages 2 and 3 were seen crying and alone on an apartment porch.

She said officers entered the apartment and found a woman with obvious signs of trauma.

They found a 4-week-old infant unharmed.

All three children were taken to a hospital where doctors determined they were in good condition. They were released but Justus did not say to whose custody.

Justus said investigators confirmed the dead woman was the childrens mother.

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Bottom line: As mainstream manufacturers continue to stuff an increasing number of camera lenses on the back of our phones, Sharp has gone a slightly different route by combining a single lens with an enormous 20MP, 1-inch sensor on its new Aquos R6. Usually found on point-and-shoot or compact digital cameras, such a setup is quite rare in the smartphone space. Sharp hasn't skimped on the rest of the hardware either, speccing the Aquos R6 with 2021 flagship silicon, memory, and display tech.

Known for its TVs and other consumer electronics, Japanese brand Sharp first raised eyebrows in the smartphone industry with the launch of the Aquos Crystal. It wasn't a mainstream success nor a particularly impressive phone overall, but it had a futuristic bezel-less display in 2014. A design trend that wouldn't set in until years later, where extremely high screen-to-body ratios are now commonplace.

Sharp's latest device, the Aquos R6, now looks to shake things up in the camera department. The phone's protruding camera bump doesn't house multiple lenses, rather a single Leica-branded unit with a massive 20MP, 1-inch sensor with an f/1.9 aperture. There's also a ToF sensor built-in with support for laser low-light autofocus, alongside an LED flash.

Sharp also touts a world-first 'Pro IGZO OLED' display technology for the 6.6-inch panel on the Aquos R6. A resolution of 2,730 x 1,260 pixels isn't the sharpest out there, but there's variable refresh rate support (1Hz - 240Hz) for a power-efficient, buttery smooth experience and an impressive 2,000 nits of peak brightness.

Powering this phone is Snapdragon's 888 SoC, combined with 12GB RAM and 128GB of microSD-expandable storage. Another sizeable piece of tech inside is Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Max fingerprint reader - the biggest sensor yet - and a 5,000 mAh battery. Other specs include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C connectivity, and IPX8 water resistance.

The Aquos R6 runs Android 11 out of the box and is expected to go on sale in Japan next month through carriers NTT Docomo and SoftBank. Sharp hasn't announced its price nor revealed plans for global availability.
In most places where The Carter Center works, community drug distributors, such as Stella Chibueze in southern Nigeria, now travel from house to house to provide treatments due to new COVID-19 procedures. In the past, gathering places such as schools and churches were often used as community distribution points.

The COVID-19 pandemics relentless spread across the world forced Carter Center health programs to make drastic changes. The World Health Organization recommended halting mass drug administration for all neglected tropical disease programs in April 2020, and The Carter Center complied.

Mass drug administration, in which entire communities receive drug treatment to halt disease transmission, was interrupted or delayed, but intense work went on behind the scenes to develop sets of COVID-safe procedures.

Programs aim to distribute more than 115 million treatments in 2021.

We worked harder in the past 12 months than I could have ever imagined, because we had to ensure we were not completely stopped by the pandemic, said Kelly Callahan, director of the Centers Trachoma Control Program.

Program staff developed new methods of delivering treatments, tailored to each location. They reviewed the new procedures with health ministries and other partners, procured equipment such as masks and face shields, planned complicated logistics, and devised ways to incorporate COVID-19 messaging and mitigation into their activities.

Costs for the various activities increased tremendously compared to previous years because of the elaborate precautions put in place to prevent COVID-19 transmission, said Dr. Emmanuel Emukah, director of Carter Center health programs in Nigerias Edo and Delta states.

With authority from the World Health Organization, drug distribution for river blindness in Uganda began again last August, among the first in the world. One by one, other programs assisted by The Carter Center followed suit.

Pre-pandemic, community drug distribution often would take place at a community location, such as a health clinic or school. Now, most distribution takes place house to house, outdoors, in a slower and more labor-intensive process.

Household members are first screened for COVID symptoms. In Nigeria, the height-measuring pole, which determines dosage, is leaned against a wall and measurements read from 6 feet away; in other places, a masked worker takes the measurement up close. Tablets are dispensed with a spoon that only one person ever touches, and recipients use their own water and cups when possible.

You take as many precautions as you can, but you still have to get close enough to give them the medicine, said Angelia Sanders, associate director of the Trachoma Control Program.

On top of observing the universal protocols such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distance, programs encountered novel challenges. For example, in Uganda, no more than three people could travel together in one vehicle, so the River Blindness Elimination Program had to hire additional vehicles and drivers.

Our frontline staff are just amazing, as are the volunteers, who gave extra time to do the work, said Lindsay Rakers, associate director of the Centers river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis programs.

Using the lessons learned from 2020, Carter Center-supported programs aim to distribute more than 115 million treatments in 2021.

Learn more about the Center's Health Programs 
Harness racing's fastest two-year-old of 2020, the filly Test Of Faith, made her first racetrack appearance of 2021 a very good one on Tuesday morning at Harrahs Philadelphia, coming from off the pace in :55.3 - :27.1 to win her qualifier in 1:55.1.

David Miller drove the potential star for trainer Brett Pelling and the ownership of Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Eddie Gran.

The Art Major filly paced in 1:48.4 at Lexington at two to lead everybody in her age group, including the males. She earned exactly $500,000 while recording eight wins and a second in nine starts, the lone defeat coming which she suffered an interference break. For having been away from the track since October 8, the day of her record mile, Test Of Faith showed herself rapidly getting ready for her upcoming Grand Circuit campaign.

Kimberly Deo, a daughter of Trixton whose freshman campaign was undistinguished, showed that she may turn her fortunes around at three by trotting wire-to-wire in 1:55.3, more than thirteen lengths to the good with a back half of :56. David Miller also drove this winner for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Deo Volente Farms LLC.

Fast winning miles were posted by veteran Kiwi pacers Tact Tate N (1:53.1) and Pat Stanley N (1:53.4). Second in the latter mile, beaten 1-1/2 lengths, was Captain Fancy, a Captaintreacherous sophomore colt out of world champion Fancy Filly, who earned six figures at two while posting four wins and four seconds in ten starts.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)
Overview

The Global Bonded Abrasives Market was valued at around USD 19.8 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of approximately 5.8% during the forecast period, 20192025.

Bonded abrasives are abrasives grains and fillers bonded together through bonding materials such as vitreous, resin, rubber, shellac, epoxy, magnesite, and others. Numerous improvements in tools and machinery processes have been made with the help of new abrasive grains and bond advancements to increase the performance of bonded abrasive products. The prime role is played by the bonding agent that holds the structural abrasives in a specific array giving uniqueness to every bonded adhesive. The bond offers high-strength and thermal-resistance for grinding and cutting, or it can be weak and thermal sensitive for polishing. Each product is made to serve a specific purpose, such as giving a precise finish, cutting, rough grinding, stock removal, and others.

Moreover, they have a significant demand in the different hand-held machines like angle grinders, vertical grinders, and petrol saws for cutting and grinding purposes. Additionally, the continuous advancement in technology and using machines in the industries over human labor has increased the demand for these machines in the industrial segment. Hence, propelling the growth of the global bonded abrasives market.

Key Players

Some of the prominent players in the global bonded abrasives market are Saint-Gobain (US), 3M (US), Buffalo Abrasives Inc (US), Abrasives Manhattan, SA (Spain), Marrose Abrasives (UK), Grinding Techniques (Pty) Ltd (South Africa), SAK Abrasives Limited (India), Sia Abrasives Industries AG (Switzerland), Flexovit (US), Carborundum Universal Limited (India), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), NIPPON RESIBON CORPORATION (Japan), DRONCO GmbH (Germany), KWH Mirka (Finland), and Fujimi Incorporated (Japan).

Segmentation

The global bonded adhesive market report has been bifurcated into type, application, end-use industry, and region.

Based on type, the global bonded adhesive market has been divided into depressed center wheels, cup-shaped wheels, recessed or relieved wheels, and tapered body wheel.

Based on application, the global bonded adhesive market has been classified as precision grinding, cutting, rough grinding, fabrication, polishing, and others.

By end-use industry, the global bonded adhesive market has been segregated into automotive, marine, aerospace, construction, general metalworking, and others.

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Regional Analysis

North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa are the region analyzed under the scope of the global bonded adhesive market.

Asia-Pacific holds the largest market share for bonded abrasives in 2018 and is expected to be the dominant region during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the rapid industrialization and booming automotive and construction industry there has been a massive demand of machinery for cutting, grinding, and polishing leading to high consumption of bonded adhesive in these industries. Hence, propelling the overall growth of bonded adhesive in the region.

Europe had the second-largest share in the global bonded adhesive market in 2018 and is expected to show positive growth during the forecast period. Europe has the largest automotive sector and needs machinery advancement for faster assembling of their products adding to the need of a significant quantity of bonded abrasives while manufacturing of their products, hence boosting the overall growth of the bonded adhesive in the regional market.

North America has a prominent market share in the global bonded adhesive market, driven by the automotive and aerospace segment. The applications of bonded abrasives in cutting, polishing, fabrication, and others it has a significant impact on the automotive and aerospace industry. According to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the aerospace market was estimated at USD 865 million in 2017, which is further expected to propel the growth of bonded abrasives market in the regional market.

The Middle East and Africa are expected to witness a composed growth in the bonded abrasives market which is accounted to the growing industrialization in the region leading to the high demand for bonded abrasives in the construction and general metalworking industry.

The Latin America region is expected to have a steady growth in the bonded abrasives market during the forecast period, owing to the strong growth in the automotive and marine industry.
Singapore shuts schools, Taiwan bars foreigners to battle outbreaks

Singapore will close schools from Wednesday as authorities warned new coronavirus strains such as the one first detected in India were affecting more children.









A healthcare frontline worker prepares people to get their rapid test following a surge of coronavirus disease infections in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday. (Reuters photo)



Taiwan also shut schools in the capital Taipei to control an outbreak, and the island banned all foreigners from entry or transit for a month unless they had a residency card.



Both governments have been tightening restrictions to fight a recent rise in cases, after remaining relatively unscathed during the pandemic compared with the rest of the world.



Authorities in Singapore said Sunday that primary and secondary schools as well as junior colleges would shift to full home-based learning from Wednesday until the end of the school term on May 28.



The announcement came after Singapore confirmed 38 locally transmitted coronavirus cases, the highest daily count in eight months. Some of the cases involved children linked to a cluster at a tuition centre.



An additional 21 local transmissions were reported Monday.



Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, citing a conversation he had with the ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak, said Sunday that the B.1.617 strain, first detected in India, "appears to affect children more".



"Some of these mutations are much more virulent and they seem to attack the younger children," Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said.



"This is an area of concern for all of us," he said, adding that none of the infected children was seriously ill.



The government is "working out the plans" to vaccinate students under the age of 16, Chan said in a Facebook post.



Taiwan's capital Taipei and adjacent New Taipei City announced Monday that schools would suspend classes from Tuesday until May 28.



The island emerged relatively unharmed by Covid-19 last year, but it announced a further 333 local cases Monday, bringing the total to just over 2,000.



Authorities on Monday also said all foreigners would be barred from entering or transiting Taiwan for the next month unless they had a residency card.



- Hong Kong travel bubble delayed -



In the latest round of restrictions, Singapore has limited public gatherings to two, banned restaurant dine-ins and closed gyms.



Last year, the coronavirus surged through crowded dormitories housing low-paid foreign workers, infecting tens of thousands.



But by global standards, Singapore's overall outbreak has been mild -- officials in the city of 5.7 million have reported more than 61,000 cases so far and 31 deaths since the start of the pandemic.



But the latest spike has hit a quarantine-free travel bubble with Hong Kong, which was due to begin May 26 after an earlier failed attempt.



A Hong Kong government spokesman said that "in view of the recent COVID-19 epidemic situation in Singapore", the two governments had decided to delay the bubble.
Pune, India, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global data visualization market size is projected to reach USD 19.20 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.2% in the forecast period. The rising adoption of visual information, analytics, scientific visualization, and other tools from business enterprises is expected to boost the demand for the product and people market growth shares Fortune Business Insights in its report titled "Data Visualization Market, 2020-2027."

Businessmen are investing heavily in the visualization of information and business statistics as they help to enhance analytics. For example, Salesforce.com undertook an acquisition of Tableau Software LLC in August 2019 to improve its analytical activities and offer insights to the consumers through artificial intelligence. Companies are utilizing visualization tools to analyze the company's sales performance and devise effective strategies to improve performance and make product launches. It provides the organization with real-time data by using a visual data detection system and gains insights from a huge clutter of data. It is used in several industries such as information technology, retail, e-commerce, and telecommunications. Hence, the technology adoption for mapping out data and providing an insightful analysis is expected to boost the demand for the product and fuel market growth.

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Impact of COVID-19

High Utilization of Visualized Data to Track Disease Spread will Bolster Market Growth

Several business enterprises are utilizing the software during the COVID-19 pandemic to track the spread of the infection and announce products accordingly to avoid loss. It helps the business organization to map out strategies and undertake measures to improve its positioning. The recent wave of lockdown in certain countries and the alarming spike in cases is expected to increase the sales of the visualization tools and positively affect the market growth.

Segments

By component, the market is segmented into software and services. As per the solution, it is bifurcated into standalone visualization software and embedded data visualization module. Based on enterprise size it is divided into small enterprises, medium enterprises, and large enterprises. On the basis of industry, it is classified into BFSI, construction and real estate, consumer goods, education, government, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, information technology, services and telecommunications, research, retail and e-commerce, transportation & logistics, and others. Regionally, it is grouped into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Highlights of the Report

This report analyzes the top segments and the recent trends. It comprehensively discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the market and the driving and restraining factors. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies implemented by the market's key players.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this Market.

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Drivers and Restraints

Acceptance of Visualization for Structured Data Will Enable Speedy Market Expansion

Over the past few years, the data collected from the internet was cluttered and unstructured, resulting in inconveniency for organizations to streamline data. To gain structured data analysis and insights on the market, business organizations are increasingly adopting the technology to plan their activities and estimate their upcoming product launch or strategy. The visualization technology incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to map out a detailed data-based report for the organizations. It provides personalization to the firms to understand statistics. For example, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd announced a public data visualization using advanced technologies such as AI, ML, and blockchain to provide informative data. Further, companies are acquiring other players to enhance their technology. For example, Alphabet Inc. announced that Google LLC had planned the acquisition of data analysis software Looker Data Sciences in June 2019 for approximately USD 2.60 billion for providing a platform that enables to connect, visualize, and collect statistics from several platforms. The rising adoption of the software by major companies because of the advanced technology is expected to drive the data visualization market for the forecast period.

However, higher cost for the adoption of visualization system is expected to hinder the market growth.

Regional Insights

Presence of Major Companies in North America to Bolster Market Growth

North America is projected to dominate the market share because of the presence of companies and the adoption of data analysis systems across several industries. Additionally, the rising investment of business enterprises in the visualization system is expected to positively impact the market.

The European region is expected to exhibit a substantial CAGR because of the strong demand for analytical tools in the e-commerce, transportation, and retail sectors.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow significantly because of the increasing demand for visualization software as it offers them a huge opportunity to improve their business operations.

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Competitive Landscape

Key Players to incorporate Partnership Strategies to Support Industry

Companies have incorporated partnership strategies for incorporating data analysis technologies and help offer their consumers precise data. For example, QlikTech International AB engaged in a partnership with DataRobot Inc. in February 2019 to fuse machine learning technology in the data analysis software to enable users to obtain precise predictive data to help them make effective decisions in business. Further, companies have expanded their relationship with other players to provide their consumers with flexible cloud services. For example, Tableau Software, LLC expanded their strategic cooperation with Amazon Web Services, Inc. by launching "Modern Cloud Analytics (MCA) that enables them to accurately measure analytics and obtain flexible cloud-based self-service analytics.

Industry Developments

April 2020: Tableau Software, LLCpartnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to launch a Response Rate Map that provides data transparency to Census and improves the consumer's experience.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Data Visualization Market Report

Adaptive Insights

Alteryx Inc.

ChartBlocks Ltd.

Cluvio GmbH

Domo, Inc.

Dundas Data Visualization, Inc.

Highsoft AS

IBM Corporation

Looker Data Sciences

Microsoft Corporation

QlikTech Corporation

SAP SE

Sisense, Inc.

Tableau Software, LLC

Visually, Inc.

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Table Of Content:

Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Approach Sources

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities Emerging Trends

Key Insights Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players COVID-19 Impact Analysis

Global Data Visualization Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Size and Forecast  By Component (Value) Software On Premise Cloud Services Consulting Services Support Services Market Size and Forecast  By Solution (Value) Standalone Visualization Software Embedded Data Visualization Module Market Size and Forecast  By Enterprise Size (Value) Small Enterprises Medium Enterprises Large Enterprises Market Size and Forecast  By Industry (Value) BFSI Construction and Real Estate Consumer Goods Education Government Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Information Technology, Services and Telecommunications Research Retail and E-commerce Transportation and Logistics Others (Veterinary, Environmental Services, Non-Profit Organization Management etc.) Data Visualization Market Size and Forecast  By Region (Value) North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America

North America Data Visualization Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Size and Forecast  By Component (Value) Software On Premise Cloud Services Consulting Services Support Services Market Size and Forecast  By Solution (Value) Standalone Visualization Software Embedded Data Visualization Module Market Size and Forecast  By Enterprise Size (Value) Small Enterprises Medium Enterprises Large Enterprises Data Visualization Market Size and Forecast  By Industry (Value) BFSI Construction and Real Estate Consumer Goods Education Government Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Information Technology, Services and Telecommunications Research Retail and E-commerce Transportation and Logistics Others (Veterinary, Environmental Services, Non-Profit Organization Management etc.) Market Size and Forecast  By Country (Value) United States Canada



TOC Continued!

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ISTANBUL - The second hearing of a large trial for involvement in 2014 protests related to attacks on the Syrian town of Kobane and incitement to violence at that time against 108 people including members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Party (HDP) began on Tuesday.



The trial is being held in the Sincan prison in Ankara and 28 of the defendants are currently in detention. Some risk life sentences on terrorism charges.



The protests had been held to support the Kurdish-majority town of Kobane, at that time under siege, in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).The protestors had wanted the border opened to enable help to be sent to Kurdish fighters against the jihadist group.



Clashes with the security forces led to at least 37 being killed, most of whom Kurdish demonstrators.



Many of those on trial are leaders of the HDP, including former co-chair Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, detained for the past four and a half years.



This latest hearing will be monitored by several civil society and NGO representatives, as well as representatives of the opposition and an EU diplomatic delegation.



In the purges following a failed coup in 2016 in Turkey, hundreds of members of the HDP were arrested and dozens of mayors and MPs were taken out of their positions.



The general prosecutor's office of the Ankara Supreme Court is preparing a file to ban the party.


An employee of a Jersey City doctor has pleaded guilty to accepting $219,000 in kickbacks and bribes in a multimillion-dollar prescription drug scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Yudelka Vicky Ayala, 42, of Jersey City, faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the charge of conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, authorities said. Ayala is scheduled to be sentenced of Sept. 20.

Ayala is the latest to be brought to justice in the fraudulent operation that was orchestrated by the owners of now-closed Prime Aid pharmacies, which had businesses in Union City and New York.

Samuel Sam Khaimov and Yana Shtindler, both of Glen Head, New York; and Ruben Sevumyants, of Marlboro, have been charged, while Ayalas other conspirators, Igor Fleyshmakher, of Holmdel, Alex Fleyshmakher, of Morganville, and Eduard Eddy Shtindler, of Paramus, have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Working at a doctors office in Jersey City, Ayala developed a long-standing and illegal kickback relationship with several individuals associated with Prime Aid pharmacies  specialty pharmacies that processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohns disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Khaimov was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Khaimovs wife, Yana Shtindler, was Prime Aid Union Citys administrator, and Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union Citys operations manager. Eddy Shtindler, Yana Shtindlers brother, was a Prime Aid Union City employee. Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an on-paper owner of Prime Aid Bronx. His father, Igor Fleyshmakher, was the other co-owner of Prime Aid Union City.

In order to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions from the doctors office where Ayala worked, Prime Aid paid Ayala kickbacks and bribes totaling $219,060 in the form of expensive meals, designer bags, and payments by cash, check, and wire transfers to induce her to steer prescriptions to Prime Aid Union City.

The payments were made between 2008 and 2017, and the prescriptions that were steered to Prime Aid Union City resulted in Medicare and Medicaid payments to the pharmacy of approximately $24.8 million.
Gov. John Bel Edwards warned Tuesday there's more rain on the way after an onslaught of thunderstorms that began Monday evening left south Louisiana soaked and resulted in hundreds of search and rescue missions.

One person died in a flooded vehicle in East Baton Rouge and another driver was killed after crashing into a canal in West Baton Rouge. Two other storm-related deaths are suspected from medical equipment failures following power outages, Edwards said.

Rain began picking up again Tuesday afternoon and is expected to continue into Wednesday morning, but Edwards said the forecasts from the National Weather Service remain "very imprecise." Another round of storms are expected Thursday.

"While we hope that the worst of this rainfall is behind us, we can't be sure of that," Edwards said.

The unexpected downpour Monday resulted in up to 15 inches of rain in some parts of Lake Charles, hammering southwest Louisiana less than a year after two catastrophic hurricanes left the region in ruins. The deluge flooded homes and roadways and left at least 200 in need of rescue, Edwards said.

"Our hearts are truly breaking," Edwards said. "I'm sorry that you are having to deal with this again."

Meanwhile, in areas stretching from Baton Rouge to Gonzales, up to 13 inches of rain fell. For many, the weather brought back memories of the catastrophic floods of 2016. Edwards said the periodic breaks in rain and lack of storms upstream means the water isn't backing up as far as it did then.

"However, if you're one of the people with water in your home, or water in your automobile, then that's of little consolation to you," Edwards said. "This is a very serious weather event and we are certainly aware of that."

In West Baton Rouge Parish, one person died, one person was injured and another remains missing after a vehicle crashed Monday night into canal.

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Another fatality was reported in Baton Rouge, where a man was found dead inside a flooded vehicle underneath a railroad overpass on Bluebonnet Boulevard near the Mall of Louisiana. Edwards urged the public to stay off the road when severe weather warnings are issued.

"The worst place you can be in a flash flood is in your vehicle on the street," Edwards noted. "It is very dangerous and you should certainly never drive through water if you're not 100% sure it's safe to do so."

There were two additional deaths in Baton Rouge that Edwards said may be connected to power outages. The fatalities are still under investigation, but Edwards said his understanding is that the individuals needed power to receive supplemental oxygen.

There were 10,000 power outages reported as of noon Tuesday, down from 25,000 at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Interstate 10 between Siegen Lane and Highland Road remained closed Tuesday afternoon, though Edwards said the state police are working to open up lanes to resume the flow of traffic. In the interim, cars are being diverted through Airline Highway.

Edwards on Monday issued a state of emergency and shut down state buildings Tuesday in Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Iberville parishes. More than 100 national guardsmen have been activated.

With hurricane season fast approaching, Edwards said this is a reminder to get prepared. He said the public's first priority should be getting the coronavirus vaccine so they can safely evacuate to congregate settings if necessary.

Edwards said the weather outlook remains "fluid" and urged south Louisiana to remain vigilant with the forthcoming storms.

"It isnt just Baton Rouge and Lake Charles. They got the worst of it last night. Any place in south Louisiana could get it again tonight and then through the rest of the week," Edwards said Tuesday.
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A U.S. Space Force officers self-published book positing that Marxist ideology and Critical Race Theory is being spread throughout the military reached the top of Amazons bestseller list on Sunday after it was learned that he was relieved of his command.

Irresistible Revolution: Marxisms Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military by Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, reached the top of the retail websites bestseller list on Sunday evening.

[ZH: how long before Bezos is told to ban it?]

It came after the Space Force confirmed that Lohmeier was relieved of his command due to a loss of trust.

This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast. Lt. Gen. Whiting has initiated a Command Directed Investigation on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity, according to the Space Forces statement, which was sent to a number of news outlets over the past weekend.

Lohmeier made the public comments during an interview on a podcast, Information Operation, where he promoted his book. He criticized the Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins agenda to promote the Marxist- and postmodernist-influenced Critical Race Theory within the military in recent months.

I dont demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to both him and every service member that if we pursue this agenda, it will divide us. It will not unify us, Lohmeier said, asserting that Austin is promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity, of which he and others have argued are rooted in Critical Race Theory, which is rooted in Marxism.

Critical Race Theory is an offshoot of the Marxist critical theory that spread throughout American universities in the latter half of the 20th century.

Critics have said that the ideology often focuses on structural racism or systemic racism, which typically labels white or European people as the oppressors and minorities as the oppressed, while redefining the history and culture of the United States. Typically white people are labeled as the oppressors and everyone else is labeled as the oppressed, similar to how Soviets and other communists boiled down society as an eternal struggle between the proletariat and bourgeoisie.

Some GOP-led states have introduced or passed bills to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory and the New York Times-backed 1619 Project, which draws heavily on the ideology, in schools.

What you see happening in the U.S. military at the moment is that if youre a conservative, then youre lumped into a group of people who are labeled extremists, if youre willing to voice your views. And if youre aligned with the left, then its OK to be an activist online because no ones gonna hold you accountable, Lohmeier also said, according to the Washington Examiner, which also reported on his book reaching No. 1 on Amazons bestseller list.

Meanwhile, Lohmeier told Military.com that he was not trying to partake in Republican-vs.-Democrat politics.

My intent never has been to engage in partisan politics. I have written a book about a particular political ideology (Marxism) in the hope that our Defense Department might return to being politically nonpartisan in the future as it has honorably done throughout history, he said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Something will be missing when the Minnesota Legislature reconvenes next month to finish its work on a new budget  the fence that has surrounded the Capitol since the unrest last summer following George Floyd's death.

But officials havent yet decided whether the Capitol will reopen to the public in time for the special session, which Gov. Tim Walz is expected to call for June 14 or sooner.

The fence will start coming down June 1, Curt Yoakum, assistant commissioner of the Department of Administration, which runs the Capitol complex, said Tuesday. The Capitol closed in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, but Walz has recently lifted virus restrictions, including the state's mask mandate.

I think all of us want to be as transparent as possible, Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan, who chairs a Capitol oversight board, told reporters Tuesday. The session feels different when theres people not inside the building. And so were in conversations right now with leadership about what is possible there to make sure that Minnesotans can feel seen and heard and valued and able to participate.

The Legislature adjourned its regular session Monday without completing its main task for the year crafting a balanced two-year budget. Leaders said they favor transparent negotiations over the unfinished work but acknowledged thornier disputes would be addressed in private.

Besides deciding how to spend $52 billion, lawmakers also need to determine if there's enough common ground between the House Democratic and Senate Republican majorities to pass police accountability legislation. Democrats want to build on the momentum following the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in Floyd's death.

The halls and hearing rooms of the Capitol complex are typically full of citizens and lobbyists making their voices heard, but the complex was largely empty this year as lawmakers met and voted remotely.

We will be happy to invite the public back into this building." Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, told reporters, noting the unusually high number of lawmakers and journalists present Monday. "To have members of the public here in this building, making lots of noise while were doing our work, is how it is supposed to be.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, of East Gull Lake, said he didn't oppose allowing spectators into the public galleries for the special session.

This is the peoples house, Gazelka told reporters.

The House included several policing measures in its public safety budget bill; the Senate never gave them a hearing. Gazelka acknowledged in his closing speech on the Senate floor that there were strong passions on both sides, but indicated that less controversial measures could make it into the final package.

We are not going to do anything that we perceive as anti-police, but we are going to look at things that are police accountability that would make sense," Gazelka said.

The chambers lead negotiator on the public safety budget, Republican Sen. Warren Limmer, of Maple Grove. told reporters he expects a lot of conversations with his House counterpart, Democratic Rep. Carlos Mariani, of St. Paul, but warned, there's going to be some items that we're not going to agree on.

Limmer said he would have a little trouble swallowing a Democratic proposal to remove the statute of limitations on civil liability for police officers. But he said there are quite a few House proposals he could accept if they can work out the details. He declined to say which ones, but said they fall into the good government category.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent, of Woodbury, urged other leaders to ensure a transparent run-up to the special session. Minnesotans and the media did not have sufficient access during the regular session, but it's important that everyone has confidence in the next budget, she said in a floor speech.

"We will do that better if we actually do that in front of the people of Minnesota, Kent said.
Scientists in the UK working as advisors for the government have expressed regret for using what they now admit to be unethical and totalitarian methods of instilling fear in the population in order to control behaviour during the pandemic, according to a report.

The London Telegraph reports the comments made by Members of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviour (SPI-B), a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) the governments chief scientific advisory group.

The report quotes a briefing from March 2020, as the first lockdown was decreed, that stated the government should drastically increase the perceived level of personal threat that the virus poses because a substantial number of people still do not feel sufficiently personally threatened.

One scientist with the SPI-B admits that In March [2020] the Government was very worried about compliance and they thought people wouldnt want to be locked down. There were discussions about fear being needed to encourage compliance, and decisions were made about how to ramp up the fear.

The unnamed scientist adds that The way we have used fear is dystopian.

The scientist further confessed that The use of fear has definitely been ethically questionable. Its been like a weird experiment. Ultimately, it backfired because people became too scared.

Another separate scientist on the subcommittee professed You could call psychology mind control. Thats what we do clearly we try and go about it in a positive way, but it has been used nefariously in the past.

Another scientist warned that We have to be very careful about the authoritarianism that is creeping in, adding people use the pandemic to grab power and drive through things that wouldnt happen otherwise.

According to the report, another researcher with the group acknowledged that Without a vaccine, psychology is your main weapon, adding that Psychology has had a really good epidemic, actually.

Yet another scientist on the subcommittee stated that they have been stunned by the weaponisation of behavioural psychology over the past year, and warned that psychologists didnt seem to notice when it stopped being altruistic and became manipulative.

They have too much power and it intoxicates them, the scientist further warned.

The comments were collected by author Laura Dodsworth, for her book A State of Fear, out today, that explores the governments actions during the pandemic.

Use of fear to control behaviour in Covid pandemic was totalitarian, admit scientists



From A State of Fear: how the UK government weaponised fear during the Covid-19 pandemic https://t.co/gD6HFUkQqW  Laura Dodsworth (@BareReality) May 14, 2021

When the Telegraph asked the subcommittee for comment on the findings, SPI-B psychologist Gavin Morgan replied Clearly, using fear as a means of control is not ethical. Using fear smacks of totalitarianism. Its not an ethical stance for any modern government.

Morgan added that By nature I am an optimistic person, but all this has given me a more pessimistic view of people.

Commenting on the revelations, Conservative Steve Baker, a member of a group of anti-lockdown MPs said If it is true that the state took the decision to terrify the public to get compliance with rules, that raises extremely serious questions about the type of society we want to become.

Do I fear that Government policy today is playing into the roots of totalitarianism? Yes, of course it is, Baker urged.

From the book by @BareReality:



"Clearly, using fear as a means of control is not ethical. Using fear smacks of totalitarianism. Its not an ethical stance for any modern government."  SPI-B member



Story via @Telegraph,https://t.co/43oMh99H7e https://t.co/NcbxY0Gt2p  Steve Baker MP FRSA (@SteveBakerHW) May 15, 2021

The government state of fear continues minute by minute as government ministers are now suggesting that so called freedom day in the UK (a situation where the government permits people to have basic rights is not freedom) on June 21st is under threat because a sizeable portion of the population is refusing to take the vaccine:

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MADRID - The number of migrants that managed Monday to cross the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta rose by the end of the day to at least 1,000 including about 1,000 minors.

The Spanish authorities reported the figure and said that it was a record for a single day.

Some 1,500 had already been deported back to Morocco by Tuesday.

Swimming or on foot, the number of migrants arriving from Morocco beaches a few kilometres south of Ceuta multiplied from the morning to the evening.

On Tuesday morning at least 85 migrants managed to enter the Spanish enclave Melilla on the North African coast from Morocco, the Melilla prefect's office said, noting that the migrants were of sub-Saharan origins.

Spain deports 2,700 of 6,000 migrants arriving in Ceuta

MADRID - Some 2,700 migrants have already been sent back to Moroccan territory from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after crossing the border illegally in recent hours. Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska made the announcement in a press conference. Previously, Malaska had said that since Sunday evening some 6,000 people had arrived in the Spanish enclave.

Recently, Spain welcomed for "humanitarian reasons" the leader of the Polisario Front Brahim Ghali - considered an "enemy" by Morocco -, who is now hospitalized in Logrono for his health conditions. The Spanish government has officially ruled out any link between the migration situation in Ceuta and the welcoming of Ghali into its territory.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court agreed Monday to a showdown over abortion in a case that could dramatically alter nearly 50 years of rulings on abortion rights.

With three justices appointed by President Donald Trump part of a 6-3 conservative majority, the court is taking on a case about whether states can ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb.

Mississippi, which is asking to be allowed to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is not asking the court to overrule the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision confirming a woman's right to an abortion, or a decision 19 years later that reaffirmed it.

But abortion rights supporters said the case is a clear threat to abortion rights. The court cannot uphold this law without overturning the principal protections of Roe v. Wade, Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a call with reporters.

Even if the court does not explicitly overrule earlier cases, a decision favorable to the state could lay the groundwork for allowing even more restrictions on abortion, including state bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks.

The case probably will be argued in the fall, with a decision likely in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections.

Mississippis ban had been blocked by lower courts as inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent that protects a womans right to obtain an abortion before the fetus can survive outside her womb.

States may regulate abortion procedures prior to viability so long as they do not impose an undue burden on the woman's right, but they may not ban abortions. The law at issue is a ban, Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in affirming a lower-court ruling that invalidated the law.

The Supreme Court had previously turned down state appeals over previability abortion bans.

More than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of a womans pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

John Bursch, vice president of the anti-abortion Alliance Defending Freedom, said the high court has repeatedly held that states can regulate abortions later in pregnancy.

Viability has never been a legitimate way to determine a developing infants dignity or to decide anybodys legal existence, Bursch said.

The justices had put off action on the case for several months. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an abortion rights proponent, died just before the courts new term began in October. Her replacement, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades.

Barrett is one of three Trump appointees on the Supreme Court. The other two, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, voted in dissent last year to allow Louisiana to enforce restrictions on doctors that could have closed two of the states three abortion clinics.

Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by Ginsburg and the other three liberal justices, said the restrictions were virtually identical to a Texas law the court struck down in 2016.

But that majority no longer exists, even if Roberts, hardly an abortion rights supporter in his more than 15 years on the court, sides with the more liberal justices.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration backs legislation that would write the Roe decision into federal law, regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case. The legislation would put an end to state efforts to ban abortion, Northup said.

The Mississippi law was enacted in 2018, but was blocked after a federal court challenge. The state's only abortion clinic remains open. About 10% of its abortions are done after the 15th week, said Shannon Brewer, the clinic director at Jackson Womens Health Organization.

The case is separate from a fight over laws enacted by Mississippi and other states that would ban most abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Mississippi also is among 11 states with a total abortion ban waiting to take effect if the Supreme Court overturns its Roe decision, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America.

A central question in the case is about viability  whether a fetus can survive on its own at 15 weeks. The clinic presented evidence that viability is impossible at 15 weeks, and the appeals court said that the state conceded that it had identified no medical evidence that a fetus would be viable at 15 weeks. Viability occurs roughly at 24 weeks, the point at which babies are more likely to survive.

But the state argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn't take sufficient account of the state's interest in regulating abortion.

The Mississippi law would allow exceptions to the 15-week ban in cases of medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality. Doctors found in violation of the ban would face mandatory suspension or revocation of their medical license.

Also on Monday the Supreme Court:

 Split 6-3 along conservative-liberal lines to rule that prisoners who were convicted by non-unanimous juries before the high court barred the practice a year ago dont need to be retried. The decision affects prisoners who were convicted in Louisiana and Oregon as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the few places that had allowed criminal convictions based on divided jury votes.

 Sided unanimously with a man who sued after police entered his home without a warrant and seized his guns. Police said that the man was potentially suicidal and that they were performing a community caretaking function. The justices said authorities cant use that justification to enter a home without a warrant.

 Ruled 7-1 that an appeals court should take another look at a lawsuit involving global warming that is in its early stages. Lawyers have been arguing over whether the case belongs in state or federal court.



Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Text of State of the County speech:

COVID 19 exacerbated the crisis of homelessness. While the privileged among us can reasonably look forward to a quick and robust recovery, those of us whove been pushed further back in line during this time look warily to a future of widening pay gaps, housing gaps, health gaps, and disparities of all types. We are determined in our COVID response not to accept those disparities, but to bring that same urgency and humanity to helping our unsheltered neighbors in off the streets. Out of crisis comes opportunity  the opportunity to advance our shared vision for King County.

Meeting this moment in the homelessness crisis starts here  in Seattles Uptown neighborhood -- where I am pleased to announce that King County is purchasing our first Health Through Housing hotel. We will have several more properties in several more cities to announce in the coming weeks, ultimately bringing safe, supportive housing to 1600 of our unhoused neighbors this year and next.

In this one action we will permanently house more than one third of todays chronically homeless residents. And following the County Councils vote and approval to use federal funds, we will bring at least 500 more people inside, 24 hours a day, with services, through the expansion of enhanced shelter and other emergency housing.

Lets look back at how we got here. When the pandemic struck, we had to act fast to save lives. We quickly moved people out of cramped shelters to prevent unchecked spread of the virus.

Congregate shelters, with mats close together on the floor, where you get sent back out onto the street first thing in the morning, are not ideal. They can fill a need on a short-term basis, especially in severe weather conditions, but they dont do much to get people moving forward in life. And, in this case, the close quarters provided the exact conditions for the virus to spread. More than a year later, it remains true that our highest rates of COVID illness among people experiencing homeless happened early on, in the densest congregate shelters.

So, we acted. With the pandemic having decimated travel and tourism, there was ample hotel space to lease, and we did, as quickly as we could. We worked with providers to act quickly, too - and got hundreds of people out of cramped shelters and into rooms of their own. It dramatically reduced the rate of COVID transmission. But it did a lot more than that. We found that when we gave people a home  a place of their own, with all the safety and peace of mind that comes with that  not only did they stay safe from the virus  they thrived. That rest, that ability to take a breath, collect your thoughts, get a good nights sleep, was transformative.

We dont often think of what makes a house a home. But for people who have to leave a shelter every morning, the simple idea that you could have your own place to come back to at night makes a huge difference in your wellbeing. Or having a bathroom of your own. Or instead of worrying about all your worldly possessions being stolen, you could have a door that locks. And instead of having to sleep with one eye open, you could finally just sleep.

Let me tell you about one resident. His names Bob. He was a long-term shelter client. With the stability of his simple hotel room, he was finally able to address chronic health issues in ways that were impossible before. He had pillows to elevate his feet at night to reduce swelling. Space, in his own bathroom, to keep any wounds clean and dry. Three healthy meals a day. And he was even able to start exercising again. As he regained his physical health, his mental health improved too. Today, Bob has moved to his own, permanent apartment - and hes healthy enough to schedule the surgery he has needed for years. He is reclaiming his life.

That kind of progress is remarkable. And it is possible for a lot of people. The University of Washington studied our success too. They found not only that the virus infections slowed when people had a place to call home, they found residents felt safer more stable. That overall physical and mental health improved with sleep, and showers, and a sense of security. And that it gave residents like Bob more time to focus on long term goals, like getting a job, finding a place of their own. The time and the space to reclaim control. To quote one of the studys authors, this effort is a total life-changer.

So out of the COVID crisis, we have a new path forward for bringing in the chronically homeless, a population thats disproportionately black, indigenous, and other people of color.

But we cant site, build, and stand up facilities fast enough for the impact we need to bring our neighbors in from the cold. We can provide housing or shelter to everyone at one encampment today, and then tomorrow we see that tents pop back up. Thats why it is time to work together to solve chronic homelessness.

Purchasing existing buildings means we can get housing ready that much quicker, setting up partnerships with our 39 cities in King County, and working with community-based organizations to make this effort successful. Let me take a moment to sincerely thank our homeless service providers and their frontline employees, particularly DESC, the Salvation Army and Catholic Community Services, who are operating this building in partnership with King County. They are our first partners who took this leap into hotels with us.

Collectively, these actions will be the largest  and most transformative  investments in addressing homelessness in the history of King County. This is my charge to King County employees, my hope for our entire County: do not let up as we put this pandemic behind us. Use this momentum. Stave off the onset of the next normal until it more closely resembles the world we want for everyone in King County.

As I mentioned, the chronically homeless population is disproportionately black, indigenous and other people of color. Our mark for success is bringing people inside, and we cant do that if there isnt a mutual trust  in the facilities themselves, and also on an individual level. The good news is that we have already been successful in building connection between individuals and communities that give them a sense of belonging. At Eagle Village, our housing partnership with the Chief Seattle Club for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, those personal and familial connections have helped almost 100 households come in from the cold and get back on their feet.

Our partnerships at Eagle Village have shown that when King County leads, hand in hand with our partners, we can achieve the goals our community has sent us to solve. Using trusted community members and organizations that partner with the people we serve, our Health Through Housing hotels will continue that success and make a dramatic reduction in the chronically homeless population.

Health through Housing is a big idea, built on individual partnerships and success stories. I am excited about bringing it forward across King County. What started as a crisis response to keep the virus out of cramped shelters, gives us the opportunity to address one of the biggest issues our region faces. We cant serve our community as an anti-racist government without addressing the disproportionality in chronic homelessness. We will only be a community where everyone can thrive when we get those who have been left behind off the street and into a home.

Throughout the pandemic, Metro has been there for our riders and weve watched our ridership dramatically change. Our residents who rely on an integral transit system arent the ones wearing suits and ties downtown. Theyre our neighbors we all rely on to keep our society functioning  the essential workers of all types in all corners of the county.

Thats why Im excited to carry forward that spirit as we break ground next week on Metros new RapidRide H line which will connect Burien, White Center, Delridge to downtown Seattle. And Metro continues to work to address the mobility needs of future growth in Renton, Kent and Auburn via future Rapid Ride lines opening in the years to come.

Im also excited to announce that next month Metro will re-launch Trailhead Direct, our innovative service that connects riders to some of the most popular recreation sites in our region, opening more and more access to the outdoors for everyone in King County.

Despite these steps forward, the pandemic put a unique strain on our transit system. The sudden drop in ridership meant a rapid decline in fare revenue. Prioritizing the safety of our operators and riders, Metro also needed to quickly implement a layered approach, guided by health experts. We required masksand even provide them through onboard mask dispensers. We reduced passenger limits and closed off seats for physical distancing. We upgraded our air filters fleet wide. And waived the fare for several months altogether.

Thinking back to a year ago, we all needed to rely on essential workers, and throughout the pandemic, those essential workers relied on Metro. And in part, Metro relied on our own essential workers to keep the system going. That led to innovations like automatic safety partitions for drivers, expanding Vanpool eligibility for essential workers, utilizing unused Metro Access vans to support food bank deliveries, and encouraging everyone to take transit to get their vaccine, and holding a vaccine clinic for operators, mechanics, and our other frontline employees.

We need mobility solutions not only for the health of our economy and our workers, but for the health of our climate. Last year we retired the last diesel bus in the fleet. Later this year Metro will take delivery of the first 40 battery electric articulated buses, getting us closer to zero emissions for our already green fleet. But our work on saving the planet from the climate crisis  cannot and will not  end there.

There is a solemn truth to our work guiding King County closer to our True North. If we dont solve the climate crisis, none of our work will matter. If we let our planet engulf in wildfires, or boil away salmon in our rivers, everything, all our work, will be for naught. I got into public life driven by the idea that we can do something today to pass along the planet better to those who come after us. From time immemorial to this moment, the health of our planet has been and must be our missions core.

Last week, the County Council unanimously approved our Strategic Climate Action Plan, a five-year roadmap to building a more resilient, more sustainable, more equitable King County. We will succeed the way we always do, by forging strong partnerships to achieve community-led solutions at a region-wide scale.

We will take bold actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions countywide in half by the end of this decade and demonstrate our commitment to racial justice while doing so. Frontline communities  those disproportionately impacted by climate change  have historically had the greatest burden of living near polluted areas and have had the least access to climate solutions, like energy-efficient homes. Typically, homes are either affordable or theyre green, but rarely both. By making ownership of green homes more equitable  and connecting those homes to transit powered by clean, renewable energy  we will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while helping vibrant communities stay connected.

We will increase urban tree canopy, protect forestland that is absorbing carbon today, and prepare our forests for climate impacts. We will build on the progress weve made with land conservation, protecting farmland to strengthen our local food economy and creating urban greenspaces so that more people and families can enjoy the proven health benefits of open space.

My commitment as County Executive is to produce better outcomes faster: for us, for salmon, for orca, for the entire ecosystem. We cannot forget the stings of climate change  its not some far-flung idea left to other generations. Its here. Its now. And its on all of us to address the climate crisis and do everything we can to pass our planet along to the generations beyond our own. The cost of inaction is clear: flooding, wildfires, extreme heat  and deepening the racial inequities that persist in the county named in honor of Dr. King.

May 25 will mark one year since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. And while we can commend the jury for holding his murderer accountable, true justice is still out of reach for far too many. The work to transform policing, transform the criminal legal system, and transform America is bigger than any one of us. But each of us has a role to play in that fundamental quest. King County will be a leader, taking the risks to create real, difficult change, and showing other governments how to grab hold of the thorny stalk of racism and pull it up by the roots, keeping equity and social justice at the core of our work.

Our collective task now is to address this foundational dilemma: no one in King County can thrive, until every black, brown, indigenous, until every person of color can thrive in King County.

Over the last few months, my office has been working with the Council on our $600 million proposed supplemental budget. These are the funds to keep people healthy and safe, and to get everyone vaccinated. It combines federal funds secured by President Biden and this new Congress, with state and local monies available for pandemic recovery. Weve included innovative anti-racist investments like grants to counter hate and bias, promoting digital equity, and rebuilding Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian owned businesses most impacted by the pandemic.

Throughout our work last year, we heard from an unprecedented number of community members and partners about ways to collaborate on and co-create investments that can further the truth that government should be breaking down racial barriers. Were putting $25 million behind that idea, and were focused on partnering with the community to learn where and how that money can go to do the most good.

These investments and partnerships are the next steps in our long-term work to upend centuries of economic inequality by engaging directly with and empowering communities most affected. And they arent new to King County. This is the approach weve prioritized since the first Affordable Care Act enrollment; since the first ORCA Lift low income transit fare enrollment. Even in the current COVID 19 vaccine campaign - it is direct action by - and for - the communities most affected.

This is also how were working to improve the safety and wellbeing of our county. Through increased prevention, diversion, and alternatives to adjudication, weve been able to drive down the number of youth criminal charges from a daily average of 90 when I first took office, to fewer than 15 during the first quarter of this year.

This kind of nation-leading success is only possible with the work of partners across the spectrum, from the authentic voices of those most disproportionately impacted by the system and trusted community organizations working with King County staff, to our Public Defenders and the Prosecuting Attorneys office. The only way to run the rest of the path to Zero Youth Detention, or to keep the adult jail population down to the current record lows and ultimately close the miserably antiquated downtown jail, is an all-community commitment to see it through, and to create a new paradigm for true community safety that reflects the collective will of the people of King County.

And in that spirit, last year, as part of the once per decade Charter Review, voters created a clear mandate for more professional, transparent, and accountable law enforcement, and for a Sheriffs Office free of political campaigning, and under civilian control. I want to share my appreciation for the leadership of the Councilmembers who prioritized the passage of these amendments.

And I am determined to work with the Council to unite our community on this path to safety and accountability, starting with the transition process to an appointed sheriff. We all want the same thing. We want to know that we are safe  that our children, our families are safe. And we know that the most important solutions will come from the people of King County, from our Sheriffs office employees, and from those most historically affected by violence. The priorities for the Sheriffs office will be established according to the needs of community, and I am looking forward to aligning all of the work of this government- from health, to human services, to law enforcement - with the expectations and needs of the people; to our mission of creating a thriving King County for everyone.

Fourteen months ago, you would have seen thousands of employees here at the Microsoft campus. But then, virtually overnight, these offices emptied  and they are just now beginning to come back to life.

In those early days of the novel coronavirus, after the first outbreak in the nation happened just down the road from here in Kirkland, we all struggled to try to understand how to protect ourselves, and one another. We knew so little about the virus, how it spread, how to fight it, but we knew we had to act.

In that first week after we announced the grim news of the outbreak, and the first confirmed death in the nation, I talked with Brad Smith. Brad is the President of Microsoft, and he was weighing a lot of the same concerns I was as the person responsible for the well-being of thousands of employees. He and I both concluded that, with so little real information, but so much at risk, the only responsible path was to send as many people as possible - home. Immediately. To move abruptly, and for the first time, to remote work as the default. I believe that the signal Microsoft and other leaders sent to the private employer community in that moment saved hundreds, perhaps even thousands of lives.

Even in the earliest days we knew that King County needed to adapt in many ways, and lead a coordinated response unlike anything this community had seen before. At my direction, this government stood up facilities across the county to help people quarantine and slow the spread. We moved people out of crowded shelters. Our Public Health teams mobilized an unprecedented public information campaign in dozens of languages to help everyone stay safe.

We worked to make sure every county employee who could work remotely had what they needed to keep serving the people. Despite international shortages and uncertainty, we bought masks and gloves, and, in partnership with community groups, faith-based organizations, grocery stores, cities, County Councilmember offices, and chambers of commerce across the county, Im pleased to report that King County distributed more than 20 million masks.

Those materials helped businesses stay open, helped families care for one another, and saved lives. Despite the fact that the pandemic landed here first. That we had no roadmap. That we had little help from the federal administration. Despite it all, the people of King County rose to the occasion. They listened to the experts, like Patty Hayes and Jeff Duchin. They tolerated inconveniences and even hardships to protect family, friends, and folks they didnt even know. And, because of it, King County has achieved the lowest rate of COVID infection and the lowest rate of death from COVID of any of the three dozen largest counties in the United States.

The COVID crisis also created an economic crisis. One year ago, we faced the largest jump in unemployment claims since World War 2 - orders of magnitude greater than the great recession. When the pandemic took away the chance to earn a paycheck and put a roof over your head, King County was ready to help. We all know its less expensive to keep someone in their home than to lift them out of homelessness  but its also the right thing to do.

So last fall we distributed the first round of rental assistance grants. We worked with landlords and tenants to forge agreements to pay back rent, and partnered with community groups to find applicants and manage the program. With an initial investment of $40 million, we were able to help keep more than 9,000 families in their homes, able to focus on getting back to work, without the strain and burden of becoming homeless.

Keeping 9,000 families off the streets or from living their cars is a tremendous achievement, and something we can all be proud of. But while were able to help more than 9,000 families  more than 25,000 said they were in need. There are thousands of our friends and neighbors still behind on rent, and thats why I am excited to announce the next phase of rental assistance in King County.

Starting next week, tenants can apply for our program, and this time we have more than $150 million in assistance ready to go. Thats more than 3x what we could invest last fall and could keep as many as 27,000 families stay in their homes. Its an unprecedented investment in the health of our community.

Also, later this year, voters will have their say in renewing Best Starts for Kids, our program to invest in King Countys greatest asset: our youth. After six years of serving more than 500,000 children, youth, young adults and families, voters will have the chance to renew that investment.

The proposal includes not just continuing our support for new parents and preventing homelessness, but this year creates new childcare access for 3,000 more children and families in our county. And paired with the federal child tax credits that will cut childhood poverty in half, this childcare investment will mean more women will be able to stay in the workforce and continue their careers as they build their families. This is the biggest return on an investment that we can make, and I thank the county council for sending this proposal for voter approval.

This community worked together and kept cases low, and now that collaboration and spirit is ending the pandemic, one shot at a time, at clinics all around the county.

Here in Redmond, our Public Health team worked with partners like Microsoft and Overlake and Evergreen hospitals, and embedded a framework of equity principles into the operation of this clinic. Along with Redmond, King County opened clinics in partnerships with the cities of Kent and Auburn, and Seattle stepped up with one of the largest mass vaccination clinics in the entire country. Federal Way, Shoreline, and Snoqualmie are also hosting partner clinics. Together, we worked to ensure the communities hit hardest by the virus could get vaccinated as soon as possible, preventing further harm. Were also hosting pop up sites with community groups to vaccinate communities who may be historically more hesitant to get their shot.

And now as we await the FDAs approval for vaccines for youth 12 to 15, and ultimately for every child, today Im announcing Ive directed Public Health to work with every school district in King County to hold popup vaccine clinics to ensure that every student has the chance to get their vaccine. Thats vaccinating every middle and high school student in our county before school starts this fall  in person.

In six months, weve gone from barely having any doses for health care workers, to now walk-up availability at this site and many more across King County. For anyone unable to get to a clinic, weve also dispatched mobile teams to individual homes to ensure every person in King County can get vaccinated. And right now, were on pace to reach 70% of our adult population fully vaccinated more than a month before the ambitious goals set by President Biden.

That progress cannot be understated  this is a remarkable achievement by not just the health professionals of King County, but the people who have stepped up to do their part. I am more confident than ever, that with a continued effort by everyone in our community, this pandemic will end. But there is not some button to press to end it. It will end one shot at a time, and it is on every one of us to get our vaccine as soon as we can.

Only then can we get back to the things that make life special. Our arts and culture. Our sports. Enjoying a meal together - indoors. And creating memories with friends and family. The vaccines will allow us to recover and reimagine the community we want. The community that can ensure everyone has the chance to thrive. But rebuilding that future for everyone, starts with ensuring the health of everyone  and not just from the pandemic. From addressing the public health crisis of racism, to the global climate crisis, to ending chronic homelessness, King County is not just leading the way: we are making transformational changes for our shared future.

And thats what I want to leave you with today. If theres anything weve learned in this year, its that we must act now. With urgency. The pandemic could not wait. And neither can any of the other epidemics we face  of racism, of carbon, of homelessness. We had to act, right then and there, to save lives from COVID 19. And we are acting, right here and now, to uproot systemic racism, upend our impacts on the planet, and welcome inside the thousands who have found themselves without a home.

This year, these crises, they have tested us all. We didnt choose the moment. But we, collectively, have shown that we are up to the test. That the people of King County have the skill, the will, and the sheer determination to do the most difficult things. To humanely solve chronic homelessness. To understand and upend systemic racism. To end the pandemic and create a healthier King County for everyone. To go to the mat to protect and restore this planet because if we do not  if we pass the buck, or settle for whats comfortable  we will have failed our children.

But we wont do that. The state of King County is strong, and healthy, and ready for a vigorous recovery. Lets mark this as the moment where we made a choice. Where we decided to do - not what was easy, or what seemed in the moment possible, but what was difficult and right. Where we set our course toward that true north - and united to make this a place where every person will truly thrive.
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The traditional owners of Juukan Gorge have marked the one-year anniversary of the destruction of their sacred site by declaring they are not going to let a similar event happen on their country ever again.

Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) director Burchell Hayes said the traditional owners were not opposed to mining but they wanted a more meaningful seat at the table with the companies that operated on their country.

PKKP director Burchell Hayes on country. May 2021.

This includes Rio Tinto, which blasted Juukan Gorge on 24 May 2020 as part of an expansion of its Brockman 4 iron ore mine. The blast was legally sanctioned but went against the wishes of the PKKP people and was widely condemned by investors and other international stakeholders.

Ahead of the one year anniversary of the event, Mr Burchell provided comments in a video interview recorded a short distance from the blast site.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  An Albuquerque medical cannabis patient has filed a lawsuit against top New Mexico officials targeting their stance on pot purchase and possession limits for medical cannabis patients once a law legalizing recreational marijuana takes effect in June.

The 55-page petition was filed in Santa Fe-based 1st Judicial District Court by the law firm of Jacob Candelaria, who is also a Democratic state senator from Albuquerque.

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It asks the judge assigned to the case to strike down a state-imposed purchase limit for medical cannabis patients and seeks the removal of a 1,750-plant limit for licensed cannabis producers that has been the subject of previous litigation.

In a recent letter, the heads of two state agencies  the Department of Health and the Regulation and Licensing Department  said any cannabis purchases by medical patients in excess of the current limit will be subject to taxation once recreational cannabis sales begin. The states gross receipts tax will not be levied on medical cannabis sales under the limit.

But Candelaria said that stance unlawfully discriminates against his client, Jason Barker of Albuquerque, and the nearly 116,000 others enrolled in the states medical cannabis program.

Regulators are simply trying to maximize state tax revenue and impose an illegal tax on medical cannabis patients, said Candelaria, who is also a medical cannabis card-holder.

Protections for medical marijuana patients played a role in the debate over the cannabis legalization bill that was approved during a two-day special session and subsequently signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The governor called the special session in March after a previous version of the bill stalled during the final hours of this years 60-day legislative session.

Although commercial sales are not required to begin until April 2022, adults ages 21 and older will be allowed to possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana, 800 milligrams of edible cannabis or 16 grams of extract once the new law takes effect in June. Those will also be the limits on how much a customer could buy at one time.

However, there will be no restriction on how much cannabis people could keep at home, as long as its out of public view.

In contrast, New Mexicos medical cannabis program has an effective purchase limit for patients of 230 grams  or about 8 ounces  every 90 days.

The lawsuit argues that pharmaceutical drugs and other types of prescription medication are exempt from taxation regardless of the quantity purchased.

By claiming that medical cannabis is only tax-exempt up to a certain volume, (the agencies) violate equal protection principles in another way  by unfairly discriminating between particular medical treatments with respect to taxation, the lawsuit says.

Meanwhile, the lawsuit is being supported by Ultra Health LLC, the states largest licensed medical cannabis producer, its CEO and President Duke Rodriguez said Tuesday.

He said he expects other producers will also offer backing in the case.

Both the Department of Health and the Regulation and Licensing Department declined to comment on the case, which is assigned to District Judge Maria Sanchez-Gagne.
WESTMINSTER, Colo., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GeneThera is pleased to announce that it has incorporated a subsidiary in the United Kingdom. GeneThera Robotics Ltd, a majority owned subsidiary based in England, will be responsible for UK and International Operations. Mrs. Alex Baglietto has been appointed as Managing Director of GeneThera Robotics Limited. GeneThera Robotics is the first step of a global network of laboratories which will create the infrastructure of the Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Alert Shield (ZIDAS). ZIDAS, a network built on Molecular Robotic and AI technology (MORAP), is based on the development of two laboratory settings. The first, a stationary robotic lab facility designed for ultra-high throughput assay, genomic DNA sequencing and viral molecular therapeutics. The second, a mobile lab unit platform, designed to test wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in communities worldwide.



Dr. Tony Milici, Chairman and CEO of GeneThera Inc., commented: We have decided to expand our operation to the UK because we see great opportunities both at the government and private sector level. The UK has been at forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. The B.1.1.7 SARS CoV-2 British variant has proven to be of particular importance with an estimated transmission rate between forty to eighty percent more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus. Cases of B.1.1.7 variant are most likely to be under reported, if reported at all, as common tests are not able to differentiate this variant from other SARS-CoV-2 variants. We believe that our technology platform can significantly help in the detection of this variant by testing wastewater samples. Additionally, the appointment of Mrs. Baglietto, will prove to be a tremendous asset, as she has experience in business and government relations, communications, and in assisting clients in scaling-up business operations, and increasing inward investments."

Mrs. Baglietto holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Cal State University at San Bernardino. She has worked both in the private and public sector and has experience dealing with government and business relations, clients, communications and investments. Mrs. Baglietto has worked with numerous private and public companies, most recently, assisting with assessing political risk, international trade investments and ministry of finance guarantees. Mrs. Baglietto stated, I am extremely excited to be a part of such a promising and potentially life-saving company. I am aware of the challenges ahead and will utilize my strengths to propel the company forward. I have no doubt that similarly to COVID-19, humanity will continue to see the rise of other infectious diseases; GeneThera will be at the forefront of new COVID variants and other diseases.



GeneThera has likewise entered into a partnership agreement with Cumming Corporation, a privately held international consulting firm. Cumming Corporation will provide consulting support related to the building of laboratory facilities in the UK, as a part of GeneTheras ZIDAS global network strategy.



About GeneThera, Inc.



GeneThera is a biotechnology company developing molecular robotic/AI diagnostics and therapeutics in an effort to control and eradicate zoonotic diseases. GeneThera developed molecular assays for BSE and Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP is an infectious organism causing Paratuberculosis in dairy cows that is also linked to Crohns Disease in humans. We utilize these technologies to minimize the spread of animal infectious organisms such as SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Management and prevention of zoonotic diseases is crucial to human and animal health on a global scale.



This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "intends," "believes," and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.



For further information, please contact:



Tony Milici MD, PhD

GeneThera, Inc.

(720) 587-5100
Toyoda Gosei Starts Operation of New Plant in Mexico

KIYOSU, Japan--Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) has established a new plant in Mexico, the TAPEX Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. (TAPEX) Monterrey Plant, and started its production of the bags that are a main component of automotive airbags in March 2021. This will help to meet the growing demand for airbags.

In Toyoda Goseis medium-term 2025 Business Plan, airbags and other safety system products are a key area that will drive future business growth, and the company is focusing effort on increasing sales to Japanese automakers and other customers. The bags are produced mainly in Mexico and Vietnam to raise cost competitiveness. With the operation of the new plant in Mexico, Toyoda Gosei will increase annual bag production capacity by about 8 million units.

The company plans to increase airbag production in the entire Toyoda Gosei Group by about 1.6-fold, to approximately 100 million units, over the five years from FY2018 to FY2023.
Joint action to increase the number of women on boards of Turkish firms

Inclusion of women on boards linked to stronger corporate governance

Successful, competitive companies pave the way for a resilient, inclusive economy

State institutions, development banks, business associations and professional womens networks in Turkey are taking action to increase the inclusion of women on the boards of local companies.

Under the leadership of EBRDs Legal Transition, the partners have developed a roadmap that sets out actions to promote greater representation of women in corporate decision-making. The document links presence of women on boards to stronger corporate governance, improved financial performance and better corporate environmental and social outcomes.

Turkeys listed companies are lagging their global peers, in terms of inclusion of women on boards, with almost 40 per cent of boards in 2019 consisting of men only.

Melsa Ararat, Professor of Corporate Governance at Sabanci University, who is coordinating the effort, said: The enthusiastic contribution of the participating institutions in developing the roadmap is reassuring for successful implementation. Each participant has their own perspective and justification for promoting a higher ratio of female directors on corporate boards and in leadership. Among these reasons are improving boards effectiveness by refreshing the entrenched boards and encouraging womens effective participation in the economy by including women in the upper echelons of business organisations. We envisage an entirely inclusive process and invite all interested parties to join the implementation efforts.

The roadmap was developed with EBRD funding and in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Capital Markets Board of Turkey, Borsa Istanbul and the International Finance Corporation (IFC); business associations TUSIAD, TOBB, the 30% Club, the United Nations Global Compact Turkey Network and the Corporate Governance Association of Turkey; and professional womens networks the Womens Entrepreneurs Association KAGIDER, Women Corporate Directors and Sabanci Universitys Independent Women Directors Platform.

The partnering institutions, which have joined forces as a steering group to implement the roadmap, have agreed to:

create awareness about the benefits of multifaceted boards

increase and make visible the pool of women candidates who are board ready through training, certification and board apprenticeship

make a director nomination toolkit available to companies to ensure that nomination processes take into account the skills and competency requirements that can be met by board-ready women

identify regulatory and legal tools to support and encourage better boards through the inclusion of talented and competent women on boards.

These actions aim to create an environment that is conducive to womens corporate leadership in Turkey. The implementation will ensure that boardrooms include professionals who offer a mix of skills, experience and backgrounds, building successful, competitive companies and, by extension, resilient, inclusive economies.

The roadmap also calls for greater transparency in reporting, proposing the creation of an investable index and a disclosure project to collect data on the inclusion of men and women on boards of both listed and privately held Turkish companies.

Arvid Tuerkner, EBRD Managing Director for Turkey, said: The EBRD promotes access to economic opportunities for all as a means to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth. As part of this, we believe that the enabling environment for womens participation in the economy at all levels including decision-making roles at board level should be enhanced. Beyond the obvious moral imperative, greater diversity among board directors was shown to improve decision-making and overall business performance. As a leading institutional investor in Turkey, we are committed to supporting gender diversity on boards at all times and especially as we are preparing for a more inclusive post-pandemic future.

Arnaud Dupoizat, the IFCs Country Manager for Turkey and Russia, added: We were extremely happy to join this important initiative with the EBRD and Sabanci University Corporate Governance Forum. The IFC is a strong advocate of gender balance on corporate boards. The presence of women on boards has long surpassed being a social imperative and has proven to be good for business, including evidence of a positive correlation in addressing climate change risks. We see representation of women on corporate boards as a key ingredient of the environmental, social and governance agenda in Turkey and encourage Turkish private-sector stakeholders to use this comprehensive roadmap to pave the way for increased female participation in the boardroom.

The roadmap was well received and supported by Turkeys business associations.

TOBB President Rifat Hisarcikloglu said: The only way for our country to take its place among the countries that achieve sustainable development is to increase the representation of women in all areas. At TOBB, we make great efforts to make women play a greater role in all areas of society. In 2007, we established the TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board to make women more active in business life. Today, as one of the largest networks of women entrepreneurs in the world, with more than 7,000 members, our board conducts activities to increase the number of female entrepreneurs in our country and to empower women in their business lives. In this sense, increasing the number of women working professionally and seeing more women represented in the managerial ranks are among our priorities. We are ready for all kinds of cooperation in implementing the roadmap to be prepared in cooperation with the public and private sectors.

TUSIAD President Simone Kaslowski added: TUSIAD believes that the equal participation of women and men in economic life, decision-making mechanisms, politics and society is a determining factor in a country's democracy and development level. We are implementing many projects for the private sector with the aim of empowering women in the economy and business life. Research reveals that companies that open up more space for women on boards and in senior management are more successful in creating high value-added, corporate performance and efficiency in decision-making processes. We believe that the cooperation of the public and private sectors, civil society and international investment institutions is very important to implementing holistic practices, with a roadmap for removing the barriers that prevent women from reaching high-level decision-making positions and ensuring gender equality in all areas of business life.

Capital Markets Board of Turkey Chairman Ali Fuat Taskesenlioglu commented: We value and support the efforts to include different opinions and experiences on boards of directors and especially to increase the representation of women within the framework of the contribution of capital markets to sustainable development. Providing equal opportunities to women to increase women's representation and participation in the business world is important in terms of productivity and long-term financial value.

Having set a target in its strategic plan for all company boards to have least one female director by 2022, the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services issued the following statement: As the Ministry, we attach great importance to increasing the representation of women on the boards of companies. As a matter of fact, we see that there is a clear direction on this issue in the 11th Development Plan. We also included concrete action on this issue in the Women's Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan that we have established institutionally. In the next period, as the Ministry, we will continue to support all kinds of activities that will enable women to take a higher place in management and decision-making mechanisms in the private sector.

Ece Boru, a Board Member, representing the Corporate Governance Association of Turkey, said: A board requires a diversity of skills and views and representation of women to make decisions that are truly effective, with a lasting impact. This cultural change will improve boards overall performance. Useful methods for creating a diverse board includes establishing networks and offering support to women in the corporate world. Targeted training, development programmes, apprenticeships and effective policy development are useful approaches to facilitating gender balance on boards. Models supporting gender equality at board level bring about high-performing and sustainable governance.

Ann Cairns, Global Chair of 30% Club, stated: I am delighted that the 30% Club Turkey Chapter has contributed to the development of the roadmap to promote the inclusion of women on corporate boards and business leadership in Turkey. Womens participation in business decision making is associated with better social and environmental corporate performance, higher and sustained participation of women in the work force and appreciation of the values equality and inclusion by the society through spill over effects.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
With a decision imminent about whether the Keystone Sanitary Landfill can continue hauling in waste for the next 40 years, one thing is certain: Its going to be appealed.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is still reviewing the Louis and Dominick DeNaples-owned landfills proposed Phase III expansion, and a decision is expected soon, DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said. The DEP began its review of the expansion in 2014 and moved into its stage of technical reviews last year. Initially, the DEP timeline projected a decision by April 30.

If approved, the expansion would allow the landfill in Dunmore and Throop to triple its volume of garbage over the course of the next four decades, totaling just over 94 million tons, or about 188 billion pounds, according to the landfills expansion plans. Currently, the landfill has a maximum capacity of 61.9 million cubic yards of trash, which translates to about 46 million tons. The Phase III expansion requests an additional 126.5 million cubic yards of space for garbage. One cubic yard of waste weighs just under three quarters of a ton, according to the landfill.

The expansion has received substantial opposition from both the public and elected officials from the local level to the federal level. Anyone can appeal a DEP action to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board, Connolly said.

If the DEP rejects it, the landfills remaining capacity will be exhausted on April 11, 2023, according to Keystones plans. The final closure normally takes about a year to get everything in place, although the landfill is more prepared than most, consultant Al Magnotta said. Keystone would then monitor the landfill for the next 30 years, reducing the landfills staff from about 160 to a skeleton crew of 10 to 15, he said.

Should the DEP approve the expansion, Friends of Lackawanna, an anti-landfill expansion grassroots group, will appeal, said core member Michele Dempsey.

Well never give up. We are here to stay, she said. Weve been here from the beginning. No matter what the outcome is, were going to keep going  were either going to celebrate or were going to keep moving and fighting to protect our community.

If the the expansion is rejected, the landfill will appeal, Magnotta said.

Were firmly in compliance with all the regulations and the laws that govern municipal solid waste, he said.

Magnotta said he is comfortable they have appropriately responded to the concerns of the public and the DEP.

We have a first-class team, he said. Our professionals and our operating staff are the best.

Regardless of outcome, the impending decision poses major implications for Dunmore and Throop.

When the landfill stops accepting waste, it will no longer pay millions in annual host fees to the boroughs. Throop receives $2.02 per ton of waste. Dunmore is receiving $1.53 per ton this year, with the total increasing by one penny per ton annually.

The DEP approved the landfills previous expansion on June 10, 1997. From 1998 through the first quarter of 2021, the landfill has brought in a total of about 32.6 million tons of garbage, 58% of which was from out of state, according to a DEP Bureau of Waste Management database.

Nearly 18.9 million tons came from seven states, with almost all of it originating in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The remaining 13.7 million tons came from Pennsylvania, spanning 34 of the states 67 counties. Lackawanna County generated the most at about 5.7 million, followed by Luzerne County at 4.2 million tons.

Dempsey believes they have done more than our fair share for society with the landfill in the middle of a residential community.

Its polluting our air; its polluting our water; its in an environmental justice area, she said. Theres still harms we dont even know that are cumulative, so were going to have enough trouble for the rest of time handling whats already there, and so theres no case to be made for making it worse and making all those harms exponentially worse.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Reuters

Israeli officials said on Tuesday that they will allow a far-right march through Jerusalem's Old City to go ahead, a day after scrapping the event over fears it would rekindle fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. Several right-wing Israeli groups had planned a flag-waving procession through the walled Old City's Damascus Gate and into its Muslim quarter this Thursday, drawing warnings from Gaza's rulers Hamas of renewed hostilities should it proceed. The original march on May 10 was re-routed at the last minute as tensions in Jerusalem led Hamas to fire rockets towards the holy city.
Teachers have been told not to call police, search students or take ceremonial daggers off Sikh children under a new, temporary ban on any kind of knife - including religious ones - being brought to a NSW public school from Wednesday.

Instead, students who violate the policy should wait in the schools front office until their parents arrive to take the knife away, principals were told. It is not illegal to have a knife at school for the preparation of food  or where possession is for genuine religious purposes, a safety alert from the NSW Department of Education said.

However, until the department can ensure itself [sic] that knives can be safely carried at school, they are banned from being brought to school  only call police if the student with the knife is threatening violence.

Baptised Sikhs are required to wear a ceremonial dagger, symbolising their duty to protect the innocent Credit:Skielor

Sikh organisations said they were shocked when the ban was announced without consultation or warning 10 days after a 14-year-old at Glenwood High used a Sikh ceremonial dagger, or kirpan, to injure another student.
Stone-throwing and tear gas on Ceuta border Stones from Moroccan side at Spanish border guards, who respond

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, MAY 18 - Tension was seen along the border Tuesday between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where thousands of migrants had arrived in the previous hours, according to Spanish media.



In the morning, some people threw stones from the border at the Spanish Civil Guard, who the new agency EFE reported shot in the air to dissuade any possible attempts to cross the border.



Local media also showed images of tear gas shot by Spanish national police towards the Moroccan side of the border. No injuries have been reported.



Many migrants spent the night on the streets of Ceuta, a city of about 85,000 inhabitants.



In the morning most of them remained in the streets, EFE reported.



Inhabitants of the enclave have shown concern over many of the migrants not wearing masks and are worried about repercussions on public health.



(ANSAmed).




Tunisia rescues over 100 migrants that left from Libya Asians and Africans, transferred to Zarzis port

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, MAY 18 - The Tunisian navy on Monday rescued over 100 migrants that had been seeking to get to Italy illegally from Libya onboard a boat experiencing difficulties at sea off the island of Djerba.



The news was given by the Tunisian defense ministry in a statement that noted that a naval unit had sighted a boat that was on the verge of sinking about 40 km off the coast of southern Tunisia.



The survivors - 46 Bangladeshi nationals, 29 Sudanese, 22 Eritreans, and 11 Egyptians, all between the ages of 15 and 38 - said that they had led from the Zwara port Sunday evening. They were transferred to the Zarzis port in southern Tunisia.



Tunisia regularly rescues migrants that depart from neighbouring Libya and that often suffer shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean, one of the deadliest migration routes in the world according to the United Nations.



Another boat that had also left from Zwara was intercepted Thursday by the Tunisian authorities, who rescued two Nigerian women. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the other 17 passengers onboard were missing and most likely drowned.



Illegal departures of Tunisians and people from sub-Saharan countries from the coast of Tunisia have risen to a level not seen since 2011, while the country is bogged down in political power struggles and economic difficulties aggravated by the pandemic.



On Tuesday in Lisbon, Tunisian government chief Hichem Mechichi reiterated to an EU conference on the issue of migration management that Tunisia is opposed to setting up reception centers in its territory for migrants that are trying to reach Europe and many other third countries.



On Thursday, Italian interior minister Luciana Lamorgese is expected to pay a visit to Tunia alongside European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson to discuss aid and repatriation.



(ANSA).




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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A Los Alamos man is under investigation for allegedly threatening his Los Alamos County coworkers with a pipe bomb and an AK-47 assault rifle.

Constantine Tzortzis, 34, has already been charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct in the case as the investigation into the other allegations continues. Tzortzis has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges in Los Alamos Municipal Court.

According to the Los Alamos County police report, Tzortzis is accused of having an angry outburst over a lost water hose at work on May 5 and throwing a mug at other county employees. During the outburst, Tzortzis reportedly said, I am going to come with my AK and shoot everyone up  I have pipe bombs and will use them. Ill throw them at people and the cops.

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Two county employees witnessed him making the statements, according to the report, and Tzortzis was placed on administrative leave by the county because of the incident.

Due to the statements he made about pipe bombs, federal officials and the New Mexico State Fire Marshals Office are now investigating the case.

Jimmy Vigil, Fire Marshal captain, said the case is ongoing. He said a search warrant was executed on Tzortzis property and photographs were taken.

In a recorded jail phone call, Tzortzis girlfriend told him she removed two .22 caliber guns and other stuff from his residence, according to the search warrant.

Vigil said people need to realize that they cant make threats about killing others without some type of law enforcement response.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and New Mexico State Police are assisting with the investigation.

Tzortzis is already facing aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy charges in another case from February 2020, according to online court records.

He is accused of battering a woman, with the deadly weapon identified in court documents as a steel-toed boot. Jury selection in that case is scheduled for August.
The big picture: Nvidia argues that its GeForce products are made for gamers. With cryptocurrency mining on the rise, the ongoing chip shortage and scalpers buying up inventory and reselling it for a premium, gamers have struggled to get their hands on new RTX 30 Series cards. Nvidia believes that by making its cards less desirable to mining enthusiasts, gamers will be able to more easily acquire them for a fair price.

Nvidia has officially reaffirmed its controversial stance against cryptomining  or at least, for those that elect to use RTX 30 Series for the task.

The GPU maker recently revealed that all newly manufactured GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards will ship with a reduced Ethereum hash rate in place. To help differentiate the new cards from existing models, GeForce partners will label them with a Lite Hash Rate or LHR identifier.

Notably, the reduced hash rate will only apply to newly manufactured cards with the identifier, and not cards that have already been purchased.

Nvidia earlier this year announced that its newly launched RTX 3060 would ship with an unhackable mining limiter that would reduce its effectiveness by roughly 50 percent. A few weeks after launch, however, Nvidia accidentally published a beta driver for the RTX 3060 that removed the limiter.

The company isnt totally dismissing the crypto community, however, as it recently introduced a dedicated GPU for miners. Nvidia CMP cards dont have display outputs and dont meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU, and thus, are designated as mining-only cards.

Nvidias continued pushback against cryptocurrency remains puzzling on multiple levels. The company didnt explicitly mention what is different about these new LHR cards versus their standard counterparts. Is there a hardware change that truly makes the anti-mining feature irreversible, or is this just round two of a driver implementation?

Furthermore, its puzzling from a pure numbers standpoint to see a company do anything that would discourage people from buying your product. At the end of the day, a sale is a sale.

Whats more, it seems as though Nvidias moves are going to make non-limited (original) cards more valuable due to their versatility to game and / or mine. Some people want to do both. CMP cards, meanwhile, are only good for mining so once the hash rate climbs past the point that makes them no longer efficient, theyre essentially useless.
DURHAM, N.C., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Governors University, an accredited online university, has announced that Ben Coulter, Ed.D., has been named State Director of WGU North Carolina, the universitys local affiliate, and Regional Director for the Southeast. Coulter has more than 27 years of experience in higher education and also served as an officer in the United States Army for 20 years.

In leading WGU North Carolina, Coulter succeeds former Chancellor Catherine Truitt (currently the State Superintendent of Public Instruction) and will oversee WGUs operations in the state, focusing on establishing and maintaining relationships with major partners in the corporate, economic development, and higher education sectors. He will also work to grow enrollment and advocate for policies that benefit WGU students, including underserved/underrepresented communities. Coulter resides in Western North Carolina but will be co-located in WGU North Carolinas Durham office and represent the university at events and activities statewide.

As Regional Director, Coulter will work in partnership with Kim Estep, Vice President, Southeast Region, to execute initiatives that optimize student success, increase alumni engagement, and develop and sustain partnerships that expand higher education access and affordability throughout the region, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Prior to joining WGU, Coulter served as Vice President, Global Initiatives for a U.K.-based higher education firm that provides professional development opportunities for postsecondary faculty and professional staff. His extensive education experience also includes serving as Senior Director, Higher Education for Watermark, an education software company focused on outcomes assessment, accreditation management, and continuous-improvement initiatives. Additionally, he served in various capacities at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, including Director of Instructional Technology, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Foundations.

Bens impressive credentials not only include academic experience but operational and technical expertise as well, said Estep. He will do a wonderful job expanding WGUs presence throughout the region and positioning our university as a flexible and affordable option for working adults who wish to further their education.

Originally from Idaho prior to embarking on his career in military intelligence, Coulter earned his Bachelor of Science degree in political science/international law from Idaho State University, a Master of Science degree in organizational leadership/development from Western Carolina University, and his Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration from North Carolina State University.

Designed for working adults, WGU offers an asynchronous, competency-based model that allows students to log in and access coursework at a time convenient for them, and to accelerate at their own pace. WGU offers more than 60 bachelors and masters degrees in business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Tuition is around $3,750 per six-month term for most undergraduate degree programs, and students can take as many courses as they and their assigned mentors are comfortable with during the term.

Established in 2017, WGU North Carolina has granted degrees to more than 5,000 North Carolinians and currently has about 3,900 active students enrolled in-state. For more information about WGU North Carolina, visit nc.wgu.edu.

About WGU North Carolina

WGU North Carolina is an online competency-based university established to expand access to higher education for North Carolina residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Driving innovation as the nations leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. WGU has been named one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at nc.wgu.edu.

Attachment
New York, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Smart Biosensors Market Research Report by Product Type, by Technology, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05911503/?utm_source=GNW



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. This helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available.



1. The Global Smart Biosensors Market is expected to grow from USD 10,161.49 Million in 2020 to USD 14,621.87 Million by the end of 2025.

2. The Global Smart Biosensors Market is expected to grow from EUR 8,909.79 Million in 2020 to EUR 12,820.73 Million by the end of 2025.

3. The Global Smart Biosensors Market is expected to grow from GBP 7,920.82 Million in 2020 to GBP 11,397.66 Million by the end of 2025.

4. The Global Smart Biosensors Market is expected to grow from JPY 1,084,488.86 Million in 2020 to JPY 1,560,524.60 Million by the end of 2025.

5. The Global Smart Biosensors Market is expected to grow from AUD 14,755.84 Million in 2020 to AUD 21,232.90 Million by the end of 2025.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Smart Biosensors to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Product Type, the Smart Biosensors Market studied across Non-wearable Biosensors and Wearable Biosensors.



Based on Technology, the Smart Biosensors Market studied across Electrochemical Biosensors, Nano Mechanical Biosensors, Optical Biosensors, Piezoelectric Biosensors, and Thermal Biosensors.



Based on Application, the Smart Biosensors Market studied across Blood Gas Analysis, Blood Glucose Testing, Cholesterol Testing, Drug Discovery, Infectious Disease Testing, and Pregnancy Testing.



Based on End User, the Smart Biosensors Market studied across Environmental Monitoring, Food and Beverage Industry, Home Diagnostics, Point-of-Care, Research Labs, and Security and Biodefense.



Based on Geography, the Smart Biosensors Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Smart Biosensors Market including Abbott Point of Care Inc., Acon Laboratories Inc., Biosensors International Group, Cardea Bio Inc, Conductive Technologies Inc, Cytiva, DexCom, Inc., EarlySense, Eastprint Incorporated, F. Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd., Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, LifeScan, Inc., LifeSensors Inc., LifeSignals Group Inc., Masimo, Medtronic PLC, NeuroSky, Inc, Nova Biomedical Corp., Pharmaco-Kinesis Corporation, Pinnacle Technology, SD Biosensor Inc., Siemens Healthcare AG, Universal Biosensors, VitalConnect, and Zimmer And Peacock Limited.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Smart Biosensors Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Smart Biosensors Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Smart Biosensors Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Smart Biosensors Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Smart Biosensors Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Smart Biosensors Market?

6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Smart Biosensors Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05911503/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines announcement that his state would use a lottery to persuade more people to get vaccinated breaks new ground in the struggle to reach the vaccine-hesitant. Starting May 26, five people will take home $1 million over five consecutive weeks; anyone with at least one shot will be eligible. Whats more, five vaccinated Ohioans under 18 will get a four-year college scholarship, doled out in a parallel drawing.

DeWine, a Republican, is eager to open his state and has settled on a psychologically interesting approach to get shots into arms, one that is likely to have more of an impact than programs that are offering free drinks to vaccinated residents, or West Virginias $100 gift cards or savings bonds for people 18 to 34.

Some of the attractions of lotteries are familiar but they also take advantage of human psychological quirks. Lotteries are popular because people tend to focus on the magnitude of the awards and overestimate the small probability that they will win  near zero, in some cases. Since about 5 million people have been vaccinated in Ohio at this point, the odds of winning already are quite small (roughly 1 in a million with the chances going down as more people get shots). Still, it is likely that nearly everyone in Ohio knows the size of the reward thats being handed out.

People dont balk at spending money with a minuscule chance to win large prizes, so it seems plausible that people on the fence about vaccines will be motivated by the new program to change their minds.

A concept called anticipated regret also plays a part. People who have failed to get vaccinated will feel a rueful twinge when they see the winners announced. Ohio is ramping up this effect by drawing their winners from the states voter registration database: Ideally, there would a drawing and people would be notified if they would have won had they been vaccinated, but had to be passed over.

The cost per new person vaccinated may turn out to be quite reasonable. Suppose 1 million more people out of Ohios total population of 11.6 million get shots: The cost per incremental new vaccinated person will have been roughly $5, much less than a $100 gift card. And with a lottery, as the number vaccinated goes up the cost per person goes down. This makes the cost structure significantly different from per-person payouts.

While financial incentives have been proved effective in increasing healthy behaviors ranging from smoking cessation to physical activity, it is difficult to estimate the effectiveness of a specific incentive amount or design  especially given that many Americans already have been vaccinated and the myriad political and social factors influencing vaccination decisions. A randomized survey of more than 14,000 unvaccinated people by the UCLA COVID-19 Health and Politics Project, for example, suggested that even small payments would make a difference: 34% of respondents said theyd be more likely to get vaccinated if they were paid $100; a similar proportion, 28%, said that theyd be more likely to do so for a mere $25. With the experience in the states experimenting with payments, well soon have a better sense of real-world effects.

There are a number of concerns. One is that financial incentives could engender expectations about receiving incentives in the future should booster shots be needed: Payments beget payments. A time-limited lottery, however, may engender fewer expectations than a one-for-one incentive for vaccination.

People who have been vaccinated could be upset that those who dragged their feet are being awarded; the Ohio program avoids that by making eligible all who have been vaccinated. Another concern is that offering an incentive could signal that the vaccination is unsafe; in other words, the government is paying you to compensate for a risk. But now that more than 100 million Americans voluntarily have been vaccinated, that is less likely to be a problem.

Ohio is undertaking a fascinating experiment. The concept of using lotteries with winnings of the magnitude being used here to motivate behavioral change in large populations is a genuinely fresh approach.

Some people find the idea of providing financial incentives for health behavior objectionable, on principle. But given the substantial public resistance to public and private vaccine mandates, as well as to vaccine passports and similar approaches that could be highly effective, a program of this kind could turn out to be a cost effective way to reduce future health and economic costs from COVID-19. Given the stakes, Ohios approach is well worth testing.
When most people think of pride events in Australia, their mind automatically turns to the spectacle of Mardi Gras. Its got the glam, glitter and pizzazz that people associate with the modern queer community. However, it somewhat misses the point of what a Pride March is supposed to be about. To me, the best pride event in Australia is Melbournes Midsumma Pride March, which is being held once again in St Kilda this Sunday.

Where Mardi Gras has become a corporate branding opportunity for vodka, airlines and the big banks, Pride March is a defiant display of the parts of the community that arent waxed buff dudes and perfectly quaffed drag queens. Its for small community organisations, groups lobbying for equality, and the parts of the community that arent easily packaged for television to stand up and say I exist, whether or not that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Pride March in Melbourne is a defiant display. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Pride is a protest.

People often tell me it must be a great time to be queer now that weve overcome homophobia as a society. While I think its wonderful that these (usually straight) people havent experienced homophobia, I do worry about their short memories, when its only been just over three years since the incredibly damaging marriage equality plebiscite, and much of the community is still dealing with the fallout from it.
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SANTA FE  The state Department of Health reported just 155 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, well below the states daily target of 210 cases or fewer.

The share of people 16 and older who are fully vaccinated climbed to just under 53%, pushing the state closer to its goal of 60%, the level that health officials say will trigger the lifting of capacity restrictions on businesses.

Also as part of its daily update, the state reported:

 Two more coronavirus-related fatalities Tuesday  women in their 40s, one from Bernalillo County and the other from Dona Ana County. The states official virus death toll now stands at 4,118.

 150 COVID-19 patients in state hospitals, an uptick over the last few days.

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Fisker Inc. Announces First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

LOS ANGELES- Fisker Inc. (Fisker) -- passionate creator of the worlds most sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions -- today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021.

Confidence in our business model grows by the day, stated Henrik Fisker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fisker. Our unique product development process continues to benefit us in several ways: 1) The Fisker Flexible Platform-Adaptive Design process begins with design and engineering working in harmony and allows for no wasted time; 2) We are able to source advanced technology later in the process for an ultra-modern product; and, 3) Active senior leadership involvement avoids bureaucratic delays and enhances speed-to-market.

The Fisker Ocean program remains on-track, and our growing, hand-selected team is incredibly excited to be moving to the next phase, with high visibility on a BOM and cost of manufacturing that supports great value for our customers, and benchmark profitability for our stakeholders.

The advantage of our partnerships with Magna and Foxconn is undervalued, Fisker continued. Our manufacturing partnership strategy began as a way to de-risk production cost, timing, and quality, enabling Fisker to focus efforts on customer-facing areas. The addition of a second platform and influential supplier has created a major supply-chain advantage as well. We are already seeing evidence of better access and pricing for high-value technology shared across programs (e.g., battery, high-performance chips, displays, etc.), and we are already benefiting from the influence of each partner to ensure supply of critical components such as chipsets and semiconductors.

First Quarter 2021 Business Highlights:

Moved into the Ocean execution phase, evidenced by ramp-up of spending across a variety of areas, including product engineering, vendor engineering and tooling, and capital expenditures.

Completed Ocean engineering milestone on time in March, enabling the start of long-lead production tooling, early prototype builds, and meaningful serial production supplier sourcing.

Continued to capitalize on opportunities to improve the product with next-generation technology in the areas of battery, drive-unit, ADAS, multi-domain controllers, edge computing, among others.

Completed a comprehensive test, validation, certification, and homologation plan, furthering confidence on start of production at Magna Steyr and deliveries to the US and Europe in Q4 2022.

Made significant progress on future portfolio expansion. Completed exterior design of the second FM29 architecture vehicle and added a second vehicle architecture in partnership with Foxconn for a sub-$30,000 vehicle (Project PEAR).

Delivered financial results in line with internal expectations and quarterly cadence provided on Q4 2020 earnings call.

Recent Updates:

Sourcing process accelerated ahead of plan. The significant majority of BOM by value is sourced, including battery cells contracted at benchmark prices from a global supplier.

The significant majority of Fisker Ocean costs are now based on hard vendor quotes and/or contracts, improving visibility on Ocean profitability across the entire price range, at targets previously communicated.

Signed binding agreement with Foxconn for co-investment into development and U.S. production launch of Project PEAR in Q4 2023. Program kicked off in February. Fisker completed exterior design and the companies together established a co-located program management team and nominated several key suppliers, including displays with Sharp announced today and chipsets / semiconductors, among others.

Unlocked meaningful sourcing synergies by leveraging shared key technology components across Ocean, the second FM29 vehicle, and the PEAR program.

Reservations total 16,000 as of today. The breadth of interest in Fisker Ocean continues to indicate a larger-than-expected addressable market. Current vehicles owned by reservation-holders are >70% internal-combustion, >50% non-premium brand, and >50% non-SUV / crossover.

Recruitment continues at an accelerated pace, with headcount rising to 203 full-time employees as of today, from 170 as of March 31, 2021, 101 as of December 31, 2020, and 81 as of October 30, 2020 (date of FSRs NYSE listing).

Added Mitch Zuklie to Board of Directors, CEO of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, one of the worlds largest law firms.

Redeemed all outstanding public warrants on a cashless basis. Cashless redemption of public and private warrants resulted in 3.6% dilution compared to 7.1% if done on a cash basis and demonstrated confidence in Fisker balance sheet and spending predictability.

Increased Government Affairs engagement with a call to the US government to implement 75 And More For 55 And Less, an EV purchase subsidy of $7,500 plus $10 per certified mile of range on any EV priced at $55,000 or less.

Fleet interest in Europe continues to grow, with two meaningful deals signed in Q2 to date.

First Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights:

Cash and cash equivalents of $985.4 million as of March 31, 2021 and zero debt.

Loss from operations totaled $33.1 million, including $0.8 million of stock-based compensation expense.

Net loss totaled $176.8 million and $0.63 loss per share. Excluding a $145.2 million non-cash, non-operational loss reflecting changes in fair value of convertible equity securities and embedded derivatives, net loss totaled $31.6 million and $0.11 loss per share.

Net cash used in operating activities totaled $28.8 million and Cash paid for capital expenditures totaled $65.7 million.

Weighted average shares outstanding totaled 279.8 million for the quarter, not including dilutive effects of outstanding warrants and options. As of March 31, 2021, total common shares outstanding totaled 293.6 million.

2021 Business Outlook

The following information reflects Fiskers expectations for key non-GAAP operating expenses and capital expenditures for the full-year 2021, and now includes estimated spending on the PEAR program, which was explicitly excluded from prior guidance. Management expects the balance of this years aggregate spending to be roughly steady across the remaining three quarters of 2021.

R&D is expected to be marginally higher in Q2 and Q3 than Q4 2021 due to timing of incremental supplier design / development and prototype builds. Management expects capital expenditures to be lumpy, with spending in Q2 somewhat lower than in Q1.

Current Prior Expense item USD, millions USD, millions Research & Development (Non-GAAP)1 210 - 230 185 - 205 Selling, General & Administrative (Non-GAAP)1 30 - 40 25 - 35 Total Operating Expenses (Non-GAAP)1 240 - 270 210 - 240 Capital Expenditures 210 - 240 210 - 240

1Excludes stock-based compensation expense. A reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP amount is not provided as the quantification of stock-based compensation excluded from the non-GAAP measure, which may be significant, cannot be reasonably calculated or predicted at this time without unreasonable efforts. The Non-GAAP adjustment for stock-based compensation expense requires additional inputs such as number of shares granted and market price that are not currently ascertainable.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)

This press release and the accompanying tables references certain non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP adjusted loss from operations, non-GAAP selling, general, and administrative expense, non-GAAP research and development expense and non-GAAP total operating expenses. These non-GAAP financial measures differ from their directly comparable GAAP financial measures due to adjustments made to exclude stock-based compensation expense. None of these non-GAAP financial measures is a substitute for or superior to measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and should not be considered as an alternative to any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP.

The Company believes that presenting these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplemental information to investors about the Company in understanding and evaluating its operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to key financial metrics used by its management in financial and operational-decision making. However, there are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP measures and their nearest GAAP equivalents. For example, other companies may calculate non-GAAP measures differently, or may use other measures to calculate their financial performance, and therefore any non-GAAP measures the Company uses may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Therefore, both GAAP financial measures of Fisker's financial performance and the respective non-GAAP measures should be considered together. Please see the reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure in the tables below.

About Fisker Inc.

California-based Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing the most emotionally desirable and eco-friendly electric vehicles on Earth. Passionately driven by a vision of a clean future for all, the company is on a mission to become the No. 1 e-mobility service provider with the worlds most sustainable vehicles. To learn more, visit www.Fiskerinc.com  and enjoy exclusive content across Fiskers social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Download the revolutionary new Fisker mobile app from the App Store or Google Play store.

First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Fisker Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations1 (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 December 31, 2020 March 31, 2020 Revenue $ 22 $ - $ - Costs of goods sold 17 - - Gross margin 5 - - Operating costs and expenses: General and administrative 5,832 14,216 432 Research and development 27,271 17,090 368 Total operating costs and expenses 33,103 31,306 800 Loss from operations (33,098 ) (31,306 ) (800 ) Other income (expense): Other income (expense) 1,504 196 29 Interest expense - (284 ) (248 ) Changes in fair value - embedded derivative (145,249 ) (55,276 ) (106 ) Total other income (expense) (143,745 ) (55,363 ) (325 ) Net loss $ (176,843 ) $ (86,669 ) $ (1,125 ) Basic and Diluted net loss per share $ (0.63 ) $ (0.39 ) $ (0.01 ) Basic and Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 279,837,563 223,116,142 105,409,457

1The unaudited amounts shown for the three months ended December 31, 2020 reflect adjustments to classify our public and private warrants as derivative liabilities instead of equity. Refer to our Form 8-K filed on May 7, 2021 for details.

Fisker Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets1 (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) As of: March 31, 2021 December 31, 2020 Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 985,422 $ 991,158 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,437 9,872 Total current assets 992,859 1,001,030 Non-current assets: Property and equipment, net 1,986 945 Right of use asset, net 2,396 2,548 Other non-current assets 1,329 1,329 Intangible asset 122,370 58,041 Total noncurrent assets 128,081 62,863 Total assets $ 1,120,940 $ 1,063,893 Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 3,892 $ 5,159 Accrued expenses 7,024 7,408 Lease liabilities (short term) 684 655 Founders demand note payable - - Total current liabilities 11,600 13,222 Non-current liabilities: Customer deposits 4,382 3,527 Bridge notes payable - - Warrants liability 30,876 138,102 Lease liabilities 1,764 1,912 Total non-current liabilities 37,022 143,541 Total liabilities 48,622 156,763 Temporary equity - - Stockholder's equity (deficit) 1,072,318 907,130 Total liabilities and equity $ 1,120,940 $ 1,063,893

1The unaudited amounts shown for the three months ended December 31, 2020 reflect adjustments to classify our public and private warrants as derivative liabilities instead of equity. Refer to our Form 8-K filed on May 7, 2021 for details.

Fisker Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended Mar. 31, 2021 2020 Cash flows from Operating Activities Net loss $ (176,843 ) $ (1,126 ) Stock-based comp 817 18 Depreciation and Amortization 93 6 Change in fair value of embedded derivative 145,249 106 Change in operating assets and liabilities 1,811 1,048 Other operating activities 63 208 Net cash used in operating activities (28,810 ) 260 Cash flows from Investing Activities Purchase of property and equipment (65,665 ) - Net cash used in investing activities (65,665 ) - Cash flows from Financing Activities Proceeds from issuance of bridge notes - 144 Proceeds from issuance of convertible security - - Proceeds from exercise of warrants / stock options 88,739 1 Proceeds from share issuance, net - - Net cash provided by financing activities 88,739 145 Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (5,736 ) 405 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 991,158 1,858 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 985,422 $ 2,263
OTTAWA, May 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy will host the inaugural Middle East Strategy Forum (MESF 2021) this Wednesday and Thursday (May 19-20th). This landmark event brings together over 45 speakers, including diplomats, policymakers, think-tankers, business leaders and journalists from 10 different countries to engage in live discussions about geopolitical issues in West Asia. Nearly 1000 participants are expected to attend the panel, including foreign policy professionals, researchers and diplomats.



Keynote speakers include Gen. David H. Petraeus, Retired US Army General and Former Director of the CIA; Lawrence Wilkerson, Retired United States Army Colonel and former Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell; the Honorable Chas W. Freeman Jr., and Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Canadian panelists include Hon. Sergio Marchi, Canadas Former Minister of International Trade; Ferry de Kerckhove, Canadas Former Ambassador to Egypt; Dennis Horak, Canadas Former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; Peggy Mason, Canadas former Ambassador to the UN for Disarmament; and Jon Allen, Canadas Former Ambassador to Israel.

Bijan Ahmadi, Executive Director, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy: As an institute dedicated to the cause of peace, our objective with this conference is to bring together experts from different backgrounds and with diverse views to discuss and debate complicated strategic challenges of our time. MESF 2021 is the first international conference in Canada that brings together top thinkers from around the world to discuss current and emerging issues in the Middle East with respect to foreign policy, defence, trade and humanitarianism.

The conference will be live-streamed on YouTube and Zoom: https://peacediplomacy.org/2021/05/16/mesf2021live/
English French

MONTREAL, May 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The MUHC Foundation is thrilled to announce that Dr. Julia Valdemarin Burnier, Junior Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Assistant Professor in the Departments of Oncology and Pathology at McGill Universitys Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, has received one of 15 inaugural Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) Emerging Scholar Awards. This award will provide research funding to Dr. Burnier over the next five years to support her research on how tumour cells shed DNA into bodily fluids like blood.



The funding from the CCS will undoubtedly impact the next phase of my research program, says Dr. Burnier. Not only will my project be realized, but the funding allows me to also focus on my career development and to become a better leader and mentor to the next generation of scientists.

After completing her PhD in cancer biology at McGill University, Dr. Burnier completed post-doctoral fellowships at both McGill and the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona. Her current focus is on the use of liquid biopsy to monitor disease. When cancer is present in the body, it sheds small pieces of its DNA into the blood stream. Liquid biopsy involves detecting this DNA, allowing physicians to monitor the progression and spread of cancer in each individual patient. This technology is an important step in the evolution of cancer treatment, and has the potential to help physicians detect cancer in the body even before a tumour has formed.

My lab looks closely at circulating tumour DNA as a biomarker of cancer using liquid biopsy, she explains. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying how cells secrete DNA into the bloodstream. The goal of this five-year project is to investigate the origins of circulating tumour DNA, so that we can better make sense of liquid biopsy data, which in turns translates to more personalized and less invasive cancer monitoring. This has great impact on the quality of life of patients living with cancer.

The CCS launched the Emerging Scholar Award program with the aim of establishing and advancing promising early career scientists and clinician-scientists from across Canada with a focus on cancer research.

Supporting promising young cancer researchers today is crucial to ensuring that we continue to drive progress against cancer tomorrow and in the decades to come, says Dr. Judy Bray, Vice-President, Research at CCS. Thats why, thanks to our supporters, we are investing in the next generation of researchers to accelerate change in preventing cancers and help people with and beyond cancer live longer, fuller lives.

I am absolutely delighted that Dr. Burnier received this award, says Julie Quenneville, President and CEO of the MUHC Foundation. Liquid biopsy is a powerful new tool for diagnosis and monitoring of cancer, and Dr. Burnier is one of Montreals foremost experts in this area. I look forward to seeing her career flourish in the years to come.

About the McGill University Health Centre Foundation:

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation raises funds to support excellence in patient care, research and teaching at the McGill University Health Centre, one of the top university hospitals in Canada. Our Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine is raising millions of dollars to solve humanitys deadliest puzzles: infectious diseases; end cancer as a life-threatening illness; fix broken hearts through innovative cardiac care; detect the silent killersovarian and endometrial cancersearly; create the best skilled health care teams in Canada; and much more. We are rallying our entire community to solve the worlds most complex health care challenges.

Media contacts:

Tarah Schwartz

Director, Communications & Marketing

McGill University Health Centre Foundation

tarah.schwartz@muhc.mcgill.ca

Kelly Albert

Communications Officer

McGill University Health Centre Foundation

kelly.albert@muhc.mcgill.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b550a17c-1915-40a6-abf8-a9c9e3a7737f
Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Metals and Mining in Saudi Arabia - Market Summary, Competitive Analysis and Forecast to 2024under Saudi Arabia Metals and Mining Market category. The Metals and Mining Market in Saudi Arabia is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports.

Summary

Metals & Mining in Saudi Arabia Industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market size (value 2015-19, and forecast to 2024). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.

Key Highlights

- The metals & mining industry consists of the aluminum, iron & steel, precious metals & minerals, coal and base metal markets.

- The Saudi Arabian metals & mining industry had total revenues of $9.5bn in 2019, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% between 2015 and 2019.

- Production volume increased with a CAGR of 4% between 2015 and 2019, to reach a total of 13.7 million metric tons in 2019.

- The value of the Saudi Arabian metals & mining industry grew by 19.7% in 2019.

Request a free sample copy of Saudi Arabia Metals and Mining Market Report @

http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2517525

Scope

- Save time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, major segments, and leading players in the metals & mining market in Saudi Arabia

- Use the Five Forces analysis to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the metals & mining market in Saudi Arabia

- Leading company profiles reveal details of key metals & mining market players global operations and financial performance

- Add weight to presentations and pitches by understanding the future growth prospects of the Saudi Arabia metals & mining market with five year forecasts

Reasons to Buy

- What was the size of the Saudi Arabia metals & mining market by value in 2019?

- What will be the size of the Saudi Arabia metals & mining market in 2024?

- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Saudi Arabia metals & mining market?

- How has the market performed over the last five years?

- What are the main segments that make up Saudi Arabia's metals & mining market?

Browse our full report with Table of Contents: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/metals-and-mining-in-saudi-arabia-market-summary-competitive-analysis-and-forecast-to-2024/2517525

About Us

Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries  ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 3000 up-to-date reports all researched, analysed and published by top-notch international research firms.

Contact us at:

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Hazleton, PA (18201)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Former Defence chief and governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove says war between the United States and China has long been a possibility but the prospect is more concerning now because of the power and potency of Beijings military.

But he said Australias hardened rhetoric towards China would not lead to a war although the deteriorating relationship could continue to create commercial and social difficulties.

Former governor-general Peter Cosgrove says war between China and the US has always been a possibility. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The comments come as Labors foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, is set to deliver a speech lashing Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his handling of the China relationship, saying his political opportunism on foreign policy is unprecedented in Australian history.

Sir Peter said China had changed over the past 20 years, modernising its defence force in a very powerful way.
New York, NY, May 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fast Fire Watch Co. is ready to quickly assist businesses all over the country that need to make security and fire safety their top priority as Covid restrictions ease and things begin to open up.

For property owners and businesses, looking to reopen after months of being shut down or having restricted operations, making sure their buildings fire alarms systems and or water-based fire protection systems are operating properly should be a top priority. If their systems are not functioning they are required by the NFPA, and local ordinance, to hire professional fire watch services, until their systems can be brought to code. If a business or property owner finds themselves in this scenario The Fast Fire Watch Company is ready to quickly assist 24/7.

The Fast Fire Watch Co. has quickly become the highest rated fire watch security guard service in the country. Run by retired fire service professionals, the company is uniquely qualified to understand all the compliance standards and provide businesses with top rated safety so they can open up without any issues or delays. They offer long-term and temporary on-site security guards for fire watch services, and their services are available immediately to help you reopen after covid restrictions are lifted.

The company has completed more than 10,000 watch patrols all over the country with professionalism and quality. They offer fire watch security officers for: commercial spaces, events, construction sites, dispensaries, and hot work. If a business is needing to open back up safely their fully licensed professionals are guaranteed to be NFPA and OSHA compliant, which puts clients minds at rest. Moreover, they are trained and knowledgeable to maintain proper safety logs and monitor the area according to local ordinances, making them fully Fire Marshall compliant. Their timely and professional measures have saved their clients from huge fines and delays in opening.

Property owners looking for Fire Watch Security Guards for their business premises or events for that matter dont have to look beyond the services offered by the company. They can reach out 24 x 7 and be assured of the best guidance from friendly dispatchers working with the company. They also get a free estimate for the specific services required, which maintains transparency and accountability from the onset.

The Fast Fire Watch Co. is known to offer the best solutions for construction sites, dispensaries, events, hot work, and more. Professionals working with the company are not only well trained but will arrive at the site fully equipped. Thats how they are able to handle the crucial responsibilities from the moment they set their foot on the site. It can minimize the impact of the existing problem to a large extent.

No problem is too small or too big for Fire Watch Security Guards working with the company. They can handle all issues and unexpected failures to fire alarm systems including alarms, sprinklers, and pumps with equal efficiency. Moreover, they are trained to handle any emergency situation calmly. They can go on about their jobs effectively and without causing any inconvenience to the function of the businesses.

The Fast Fire Watch Co. also offers its top-notch services at affordable rates. Thats the reason its become the go-to name for reliable fire watch services that are quick, affordable, and available all over the country.

About The Fast Fire Watch Co.

The company run by retired fire service professionals has gained its reputation for being a timely and effective service for establishments all over the US, at affordable rates.

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Media Contacts:

The Fast Fire Watch Co.

URL: https://fastfirewatchguards.com/

Email: admin@fastfirewatchguards.com

Phone: 1-800-899-7524









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This month, the president and owner of Oil Chem Inc. was sentenced to 12 months in prison for violating the Clean Water Act. Robert J. Massey, 70, of Brighton, Michigan, carried out illegal discharges of landfill leachate  totaling more than 47 million gallons  into the city of Flint sanitary sewer system over an eight and a half year period.

Massey pleaded guilty in January and received his sentence on Friday. According to the Department of Justice, the company held a Clean Water Act permit issued by the city of Flint, which allowed it to discharge certain industrial wastes within permit limitations. The citys sanitary sewers flow to its municipal wastewater treatment plant, where treatment takes place before the wastewater is discharged to the Flint River. The treatment plants discharge point for the treated wastewater was downstream of the location where drinking water was taken from the Flint River in 2014 to 2015.

From January 2007 through October 2015, Massey arranged for Oil Chem to receive 47,824,293 gallons of landfill leachate from eight different landfills located in Michigan. One of the landfills was found to have polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in its leachate. PCBs are known to be hazardous to human health and the environment.

This toxic waste was not accidentally leaked either. Massey had criminal intent when releasing mass pollution on the unwitting residents of Flint.

According to court documents, Massey signed and certified Oil Chems 2008 permit application and did not disclose that his company had been and planned to continue to receive landfill leachate, which it discharged to the sewers untreated. Nor did Massey disclose to the city when Oil Chem started to discharge this new waste stream, which the permit also required. Massey directed employees of Oil Chem to begin discharging the leachate at the close of business each day, which allowed the waste to flow from a storage tank to the sanitary sewer overnight.

Though the 70-year-old toxic waste tycoon was given a prison sentence for his crimes, it comes nowhere near a just sentence for the scope of his actions. The United States justice systems allows for rampant crimes which affect thousands of people to go largely unpunished, Like Masseys, while viciously prosecuting folks in the war on drugs.

Highlighting this disparity is the case of Allen Russell, a 38-year-old man from Mississippi, who is serving a life sentence for marijuana possession.

Russell was caught with a little over 1 ounce of marijuana in the state of Mississippi. And, despite the fact that the state just legalized medical marijuana in November, possession of between 30 and 250 grams is a felony punishable by a maximum of 3 years imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $3,000.

While three years for having a tiny bit of a plant is certainly excessive, what happened to Russell moves beyond excessive into the realm of cruel and unusual. In 2019, Russell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole because he had a little bit of a plant which happens to be available over the counter in a dozens states. His appeal was knocked down and his life sentence was just upheld earlier this month.

Because Russell had two prior run-ins with the law, once in 2004 and once in 2014, the marijuana conviction put him away for life.

Russells actions affected no one, harmed no one, and led to him spending the rest of his life in a cage while Masseys actions harmed countless individuals and he will get just a single year.

What this comparison proves is that in the ostensible land of the free, there are two sets of justice systems: one for all those within and connected to the system, and one for everyone else.
The report " Carotenoids Market by Type (Astaxanthin, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Canthaxanthin, and Zeaxanthin), Application (Feed, Food & Beverages, Dietary Supplements, Cosmetics, and Pharmaceuticals), Source, Formulation, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 ",The carotenoids market is projected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 2.0 billion by 2026, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth of the carotenoids market includes the growing use of carotenoids in preventive healthcare and as a food colorant in the feed industry.

By application, the feed segment is estimated to account for the largest market share in 2019 in the carotenoids market

Carotenoids are extensively used in animal nutrition products due to their coloring properties and are incorporated in feed to pigment the egg yolks, broiler skin, fishes, and crustaceans. These also help in increasing the immunity and improving the health of livestock by enhancing the quality of nutrition. The fertility of cattle, swine, and horses can be improved by feeding beta-carotene, whereas astaxanthin and canthaxanthin help in improving the growth of salmons and larval fishes.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=158421566

The beadlet segment in the carotenoids market is estimated to dominate the market in 2019

On the basis of formulation, the beadlet segment is estimated to dominate the carotenoids market in 2019. Carotenoid beadlets are free-flowing spherical particles developed from spray drying technology. They are usually packed in an aluminum foil bag and stored in a cool and dry place away from direct light, oxygen, and heat. Some of the other major benefits of using beadlet formulations include increased stability, cold water dispersion, and enhanced of shelf life.

The Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the carotenoids market during the forecast period. This is due to the growing application of carotenoids in the health supplements, as they are rich in protein, vitamin, iron, manganese, and antioxidants, which help in preventing cardiovascular diseases and maintaining weight. Asia Pacific offers profitable growth opportunities to manufacturers and suppliers of carotenoids as the processing of carotenoids is cheaper in this region and witnesses a high demand in this region.

The prominent vendors in the carotenoids market includes Koninklijke DSM (Netherlands), BASF (Germany), Chr. Hansen (Denmark), Kemin Industries (US), Lycored Limited (Israel), Cyanotech Corporation (US), Fuji Chemical Industry Co Ltd. (Japan), Novus International (US), DDW The Color House (US), Dohler Group (Germany), Allied Biotech Corporation (Taiwan), EID Parry (India), Farbest Brands (US), Excelvite Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), AlgaTechnologies Ltd. (Israel), Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd (China), Dynadis SARL (France), Deinove SAS (France), Vidya Europe SAS (France), and Divi's Laboratories (India).

Request for Customization:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=158421566

Recent Developments:
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration will begin paying hundreds of dollars per month to millions of U.S. families in July as it rolls out a refundable child tax credit that was created as part of the economic relief legislation that Congress passed in March.

Democrats view the tax credit as central to their efforts to reduce poverty and income inequality in the United States. The program is expected to provide additional funds to 39 million households and the Biden administration projects that it will lift 5 million children out of poverty this year.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden hailed the payments as a tax cut that would help the middle class.

This tax cut sends a clear and powerful message to American working families with children. Help is here, Biden said.

The Treasury Department said Monday that the temporary payments of up to $300 per month will begin July 15. Families with children younger than 6 can receive the full payments, while those with children 6 and older receive up to $250 per month.

The size of the payments will be reduced based on income levels.

The money is an advance on expanded refunds taxpayers are eligible to receive under the American Rescue Plan. Families are getting half of the money as monthly payments this year and will get the rest when they file their tax returns next year. The law increased the maximum size of the tax credit to $3,600 this year.President Joe Biden wants to extend the benefit as part of his recently proposed American Families Plan.

As with the economic stimulus payments, the child tax credit money will be distributed by the IRS through direct deposit, checks or debit cards.

We are getting you a tax cut this year, now, when you need it, Biden said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
(Photo : Pixabay/doosenwhacker) UK electric scooter

Electric scooter trials in London will start on June 7, the city's transport authority and local councils announced today, May 18.

Three scooter companies have been selected to offer rentals for up to 12 months as part of the pilot program: Tier, Lime, and Dott. Meanwhile, privately owned electric scooters will still be considered illegal to ride on streets.

Electric scooters in London

The selected companies will initially offer scooters to rent across six local authorities and boroughs in London; they are Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Chelsea and Kensington, Richmond upon Thames, the City of London, and Canary Warf.

While rentals will not be available in Tower Hamlets, Londoners will be able to ride their rented electric scooters through the borough.

Lambeth and Southwark boroughs are also seeking to be included in the trial, as per Tech Crunch.

Also Read: Electric Scooter Injuries Are Sending People To The ER

The list that was revealed is just a fraction of the 32 boroughs that make up the UK's capital. London's transport authority Transport for London, or TfL, said more areas are expected to join the trial as it progresses.

While rented electric scooters have become a common sight across a lot of cities around the world, this form of transportation is still not fully embraced in London. Until recently, electric scooters were completely illegal to ride in the UK. It was only in July 2020 that the law about it changed, with the government allowing trials of electric scooter rentals.

However, outside of the pilot programs, privately owned scooters are still deemed illegal to ride on public roads, according to My London.

Effects of the Pandemic

TfL's announcements cited the pandemic as the main reason for the importance of the new way of transport. Instead of having people flock to cars as a way of avoiding crowded buses and trains, authorities want electric scooters to offer riders an environmentally friendly and socially distanced way of traveling the city.

Each electric scooter rental company will have to comply with numerous safety requirements to qualify to offer rentals in the city.

The speeds will be capped at 12.5 miles per hour, and scooters will be required to have always-on front and rear lights.

Rental companies are also required to have audible warning systems that riders can operate without having to take their hands off of the handlebars.

The scooters will also be equipped with geofencing to make sure that they are correctly parked in designated locations, and operators will have to collect them if they are not.

Electric scooters can be ridden on roads and cycle paths but not on sidewalks. When the government announced the start of the trials in 2020, it said that riders would have to be over the age of 16 and need to have a provisional car, motorcycle, or moped license to be allowed to ride.

According to The Verge, riders will also need to take an e-learning safety course before hiring their first scooter in the capital.

London is not the first city in the UK to launch its electric scooter trials. Zag has compiled a list of more than 50 trials that have been launched across the country over the past year.

Related Article:New York Legalizes E-Bikes, E-Scooters Finally!

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Washington, D.C., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) cannot overrule Congress and ignore decisions of the courts of appeals, argues the New Civil Liberties Alliance in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. NCLA, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, seeks to obtain declaratory relief and to halt DOJs effort to disregard prior court decisions on prison alternatives for nonviolent and medically vulnerable people.

NCLA represents Dianthe Martinez-Brooks, a 52-year-old nonviolent first-time offender currently serving a federal prison term on home confinement. BOP released her from prison after determining that she posed no threat to the public but was at serious risk of severe illness or death should she contract Covid-19 in prisonin accordance with Attorney General William Barrs home confinement memorandum.

According to current statute, BOP must always evaluate use of home confinement as pre-release custody for those inmates in the last six months of their sentence. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) passed by Congress in March 2020 directed BOP to use home confinement for medically vulnerable people. Neither the relevant statute nor the CARES Acts applicable section deprives BOP of its discretion to make an initial placement outside of a prison setting. Likewise, neither the relevant statute nor the CARES Act requires BOP to revoke home confinement for medically vulnerable people after six months.

Nevertheless, in January, BOPs General Counsel directed the agency to order the return of more than 4,000 inmates once the declared Covid-19 emergency has ended, regardless of the nature of their offenses or their conduct while on home confinement. NCLA believes the agency has wrongly interpreted an obligation to release people to home confinement when they near the end of their sentences as a limit on how long anyone can be released to home confinement, no matter why they were released initially.

This interpretation contradicts several federal court decisions, including one from the Third Circuit, the pertinent jurisdiction in this case, which have held that this statute does not preclude having a defendant serve a much longer portion of her term on home confinement. To the contrary, the Third Circuit specifically stated that BOP is obligated to evaluate each individuals circumstances and make a determination as to where she should serve the entirety of her sentence.

NCLA argues that the current statute vests BOP with sufficient discretion to allow Ms. Martinez-Brooks to serve the remainder of her sentence on home confinement. Since her transfer, Ms. Martinez-Brooks has excelled at returning to the community. In addition to not being legally required, ordering her back to prison would be unnecessary and cruel. NCLA is asking the court to issue a declaratory judgment concluding that the CARES Act and current law allowalbeit do not requireBOP to keep Ms. Martinez-Brooks out of prison for the remainder of her sentence.

NCLA released the following statements:

Part of BOPs mission is to ensure that people who return home from prison reintegrate into their communities. But BOP is poised to force thousands of people who have proven that they are not a danger to the community back to prison, contrary to Congressional directives and binding decisions of the courts.

 Caleb Kruckenberg, NCLA Litigation Counsel

Ms. Martinez-Brooks was a model prisoner and her conduct for ten months, while on home confinement, has likewise been impeccable. Despite this, BOP wants to send her back to prison to finish her sentence. Although BOP claims that this is required by law, in actuality, the pertinent statutes and case law establish precisely the opposite: that Ms. Martinez-Brooks is entitled to an individualized assessment of her circumstances, with the possibility of serving the remainder of her sentence on home confinement.

 Jenin Younes, NCLA Litigation Counsel

For more information about this case visit here.

ABOUT NCLA

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights.

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LAS VEGAS, NV, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- ISW Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ISWH) (ISW Holdings or the Company), a global brand management holdings company with commercial operations in Telehealth and Cryptocurrency Mining, is pleased to announce the filing of the Companys financial performance data for the three months ended March 31, 2021.



Results this quarter reflect a deficit in payment collections in our Telehealth and Home Healthcare segment, which have fallen significantly behind schedule, commented Alonzo Pierce, President and Chairman of ISW Holdings. We have seen a net increase in total cases, but the bulk of those results will appear predominantly as accounts receivable. Q2 is on track for strong gains in both year-over-year and sequential terms. That said, our overriding focus now is on driving big results in our renewable energy cryptocurrency mining operations, which will show tangible results for the first time in our upcoming Q2 data.





Financial Highlights for Three Months Ended Mar 31, 2021

 Net Cash increased 2,679% on a sequential quarterly basis to $2,394,585

 Accounts Receivable increased 73% on a sequential quarterly basis to $67,420

 Total Current Assets increased 1,105% on a sequential quarterly basis to $2,564,247



Operational Highlights for Three Months Ended Mar 31, 2021

Signed comprehensive Hosting and Maintenance Agreement with Scrubgrass Generating Company, LLP and Bit5ive, LLC

Successfully tripled active cryptocurrency mining fleet with the addition of two (2) new POD5IVE datacenters

Paid off and cancelled major $363k convertible debt note

Beneficially restructured relationship Paradigm Home Health agreement terms, increasing revenue share from related operations by up to 40%

The first quarter of 2021 was a period of transition that paves the way for monetization of prior investments in both of the Companys major operating segments: Telehealth and Home Healthcare and Renewable Energy Cryptocurrency Mining.

In its Telehealth and Home Healthcare segment, while total net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2021, fell below levels recorded in prior periods, total operations expanded, pushing official recognition of sales from Q1 into the Q2 operating period, pending collection. In addition, the Company has seen growth in clientele so far in Q2.

The Companys Renewable Energy Cryptocurrency Mining segment should show its first tangible results in Q2 after significant investments over the past three quarters.

Pierce added, Our current focus is on implementation of a renewable energy sourcing plan that will get our mining operations closer to the 0% carbon emission standard. We support the current technology industry roadmap of implementing and sourcing only renewable energy resources, and we believe this will enhance our net profitability over the long term. This was always our end game, which should be clear given our initial mining launch at the Pennsylvania renewable energy mining project. We are committed to a brighter, healthier, and cleaner future.

About ISW Holdings

ISW Holdings, Inc. (ISWH), based in Nevada, is a diversified portfolio company comprised of essential business lines that serve consumer product demands. Our expertise lies in strategic brand development, early growth facilitation, as well as brand identity through our proprietary procurement process. Together, with our partners, we seek to provide a structure that meets large scalability demands, as well as anticipated marketplace needs. We are able to meet these needs through a variety of strategic innovative processes. ISWH is creating and managing brands across a spectrum of disruptive industries. It maneuvers its proprietary companies through critical stages of market development, which includes conceptualization, go-to-market strategies, engineering, product integration, and distribution efficiency. The company has also partnered with a well-known software development and consulting company, Bengala Technologies LLC, which is developing significant enhancements in the supply chain management space; and the partnership has a vitally needed patent now pending.

For more information, visit www.iswholdings.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "could", "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential" and the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested in this report. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements so as to conform these statements to actual results. Investors should refer to the risks disclosed in the Company's reports filed from time to time with OTC Markets ( www.otcmarkets.com ).

Company Contact:

info@ISWHoldings.com
The accrediting agency for medical education programs is examining allegations that the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education coerced its medical residents into billing for services not provided to some patients who received COVID-19 vaccines.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recently advised the Scranton-based program it also is examining claims that Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief medical officer for the Wright Center for Community Health, altered records to indicate he treated vaccine patients he did not see, and added diagnostic codes for medical conditions that were not addressed.

The allegations are detailed in an April 16 letter ACGME sent to the centers graduate education program, which provides medical residents to treat center patients under the guidance of an attending physician. The Times-Tribune received a copy of the letter. ACGME, a private, nonprofit organization that sets and monitors standards for medical education programs nationwide, accredits about 12,000 programs at 865 institutions.

When residents raised concerns about the practices with center officials, they were branded as terrorists who were unappreciative and lacked organizational pride, the letter says. The residents said they followed orders out of fear of retaliation. The ACGME letter does not say who filed the complaint.

Wright Center spokeswoman Wendy Wilson said program officials replied to the letter Monday. She refused to release their response, but said officials are confident their reply will provide clarity and confirm our commitment to maintaining exceptional and compliant physician training programs while upholding public trust.

The claims in the letter mirror allegations detailed in a March 24 Times-Tribune article that found the Wright Center for Community Health was improperly billing some patients for office visits when they only sought COVID-19 vaccinations.

The center, which has seven locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, defended its practices, but later acknowledged it wrongly billed for office visits under certain circumstances. It agreed to refund insurance companies and patients for any out-of-pocket expenses.

The centers policies led the Pennsylvania Department of State and at least two insurance carriers, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna, to launch investigations.

Susan White, an ACGME spokeswoman, said the organization does not discuss if a complaint was filed. ACGMEs website says a complaint undergoes a preliminary review and, if warranted, is assigned to a review committee for further investigation.

If a program is found to have violated standards, it will be issued citations. Egregious violations can result in a program being placed on probation or losing its accreditation.

The letter says the complaint accused the program of violating regulations that require medical institutions provide a professional environment that teaches residents about professional responsibilities and patient safety, be free of harassment, abuse or coercion, and provide an opportunity to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.

According to the letter, during the first week of the vaccine rollout, Sheth allegedly altered office visit notes to remove the signature of resident physicians who saw the patients and replaced them with his signature, indicating he provided treatment despite never laying eyes on the patient. He also added diagnostic codes for conditions that were not treated, the letter says.

The centers leadership also coerced residents into using a pre-filled progress note that included certain diagnosis codes, the letter says. The letter does not identify the codes, but sources previously told the newspaper residents were directed to indicate they provided counseling for worries patients expressed about the coronavirus pandemic, regardless if the patient expressed any concerns. The center did this to justify the medical necessity for the visit, which is required to bill insurance, the sources told the newspaper.

The ACGME letter affirms residents expressed concerns. Rather than address them, the Wright Centers CEO labeled those who spoke out as terrorists that spread the fear among us, the letter says. Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak is the centers CEO. The educational programs designated institutional official also lambasted residents, saying they were unappreciative and lacking organizational pride, the letter says. Dr. Jumee Barooahserves as the designated institutional official.

Residents also complained that they, like other patients, were charged for an office visit even though they only sought the vaccine and had no underlying medical complaint, the letter says.

ACGME officials will review the centers reply. If the matter is deemed serious it can schedule a site visit to further investigate the allegations. No site visit was scheduled for the Wright Center as of Monday, according to the ACGMEs website.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
Mountain View, California, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silicon Valley Community Foundation in collaboration with Castellano Family Foundation today announces the launch of the LatinXCEL Fund, a $10 million initiative created to support Latinx leaders and organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Through targeted investments, the fund will strengthen Silicon Valleys ecosystem of Latinx-led organizations, ensuring that they have the long-term resources they need to unleash the full potential of the communities they serve.

To advance equity in our region, we need to invest in organizations led by people of color who are building power and self-determination within their communities, said Nicole Taylor, president and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The LatinXCEL Fund will bolster the capacity of local Latinx-led organizations that are building pathways to ensure that all Latinx community members in Silicon Valley can thrive.



Latinx communities make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population and are the fastest growing demographic group in California, yet they experience widening disparities in income, education, health and housing compared to their white and Asian counterparts. In Silicon Valley, while many tech workers thrived during the pandemic, Latinx communities shouldered 56% of the states total COVID cases and 47% of the states total COVID deaths.

This equity gap is exacerbated by a dearth of philanthropic support for Latinx communities; only one percent of private foundation giving in the U.S. directly supports Latinx organizations, according to a report from Hispanics in Philanthropy. In 2020, the groundbreaking Blueprint for Change report released by the Castellano Family Foundation documented the experiences and perspectives of more than 65 local Latinx-led and Latinx-serving community-based organizations. The report ultimately called on Silicon Valley philanthropy to increase their investments in Latinx-serving organizations.

Silicon Valley is a region known for its great innovation, world-class technology and  as this past year has again reminded us  crushing disparities, said Carmela Castellano-Garcia, president of Castellano Family Foundation. The pandemic ravaged communities of color, especially Latinx communities, who faced unbeatable odds as essential workers, devastating losses as small businesses, and whose children were disproportionately impacted by the digital divide. Philanthropy has an opportunity to help correct systemic imbalances and get our communities on a better track.



To date, the LatinXCEL Fund has raised more than $1 million from local philanthropic institutions and individual donors, including Applied Materials Foundation, Castellano Family Foundation, Chavez Family Foundation, David & Lucile Packard Foundation and Sunlight Giving.

The fund will support organizations located in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties that are:

Led by Latinx individuals or their allies and whose overall leadership reflects the Latinx community they serve, or

Established community anchor organizations that have maintained a historical presence in Latinx communities, serving as trusted entities and playing major roles in advancing equity and social justice through community- and/or advocacy and movement-building, or

Emerging organizations rooted in the Latinx community with locally focused missions and/or racial equity agendas

The LatinXCEL Funds first grantmaking round will open in Summer 2021. To learn more, visit www.siliconvalleycf.org/latinxcel-fund

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About Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a regional catalyst, connector and collaborator. We bring the resources and skills of donors, business, government and community to solve some of our regions toughest challenges. We promote philanthropy in our region and support philanthropists to invest with impact. Through advocacy, research, policy and grantmaking, we seek systemic solutions to drive enduring community change. Learn more at siliconvalleycf.org.

About Castellano Family Foundation

Established in 2002 by Carmen and Alcario Castellano, the foundation has invested more than $7.5 million to support Latinx arts and culture, education, and leadership development programs in Silicon Valley. Their newfound wealth gave them a unique platform to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. On the 15th anniversary of the foundation, the Board embarked on a new strategic direction to leverage their family values and influence to bring about greater visibility and increased investments in Latinx leaders, organizations, and communities. Learn more at www.castellano-ff.org/blueprint

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Phones and plans to 30 shelters and transition houses across the region to help women and their children, including Indigenous women, escape violence and abuse



Rogers enabling safe, critical connectivity for women in crisis as shelters see a spike in frequency and severity of violence during the pandemic

MONCTON, New Brunswick, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications today announced it has expanded its phone and plan program to connect more Atlantic Canadian women and their children with digital lifelines and support to escape violence and abuse. Rogers has increased its support from last year, by donating phones and plans to 30 womens shelters and transition houses in Rogers wireless coverage areas in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador during this third wave of the pandemic. As the severity and frequency of domestic violence and demand for safe shelter space continues to rise following initial pandemic lockdowns a year ago, Rogers is expanding its efforts to drive awareness and safe connectivity to support the most vulnerable.

Last spring, at the start of the pandemic, Rogers launched a national program with Womens Shelters Canada to provide hundreds of phones and plans to more than one hundred shelters and transition houses, including those across Atlantic Canada, in addition to using the reach of its platforms and channels to help increase awareness of the domestic violence crisis. With growing waitlists for womens shelters and transition houses, frontline crisis workers say these devices will continue to save womens lives by keeping women safely connected to critical resources, particularly during lockdowns. The phone donation program is provided in collaboration with Motorola and LG.

Todays announcement includes support for womens shelters in Atlantic communities like Amherst, Antigonish, Bathurst, Bridgewater, Campbellton, Charlottetown, Colchester, Edmundston, Fredericton, Halifax, Kings, Hants West, Miramichi, Moncton, Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, Saint John, Shediac, St. Johns, St. Stephen, Sydney, Truro, Woodstock and Yarmouth.

As part of its efforts to ensure access to connectivity, Rogers also recently announced an expansion of its low-cost high-speed Internet program Connected for Success to hundreds of thousands of Canadians in its Internet coverage area in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Those receiving income or disability support, the maximum childcare benefit, residents of RGI housing or seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement are eligible for the program.

If you are a woman experiencing abuse, please visit sheltersafe.ca to connect with the nearest shelter or transition house that can offer safety, hope and support.

Quotes:

At Rogers, we are committed to helping the most vulnerable Atlantic Canadians stay connected to critical resources when they need it the most. The pandemic and lockdowns have led to many women in crisis being unable to safely call for emergency resources to help them escape from their abuser. By providing phones and plans, while helping amplify voices of those on the frontline of the domestic violence crisis, we are committed to helping those most in need.

Matt MacLellan, President of Atlantic Region, Rogers



To women leaving abusive relationships, these phones represent connection. A connection to family and friends they may have been cut off from, a chance to call a potential landlord, an opportunity to reconnect with the shelter they have left, a desperate call to the police, or a reconnection to their own goals and dreams. These connections are lost in a controlling and abusive relationship. If youve been controlled and likely not able to reach out for help and support, having a phone after you leave can represent growth towards the life you need to be healthy.

Debrah Westerburg, NB South Central Transition House and Second Stage Coalition



The member organizations of the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia are pleased to deliver Rogers phones to women who are vulnerable to violence. In an unsafe home, anything can be used as an instrument of control and abuse, and for women in this terrible situation, having their own phone is vital to be able to reach out for support safely. We appreciate this generous gesture for victims of abuse and the non-profit organizations who serve them, and trust it signals the start of a deeper sustained relationship with these organizations and the life-saving work they do.

Shiva Nourpanah, Transition House Association of Nova Scotia



These phones are very valuable for us. Most people are under the mistaken impression that everyone has a phone these days and the means to pay for a plan. These donations mean that we have the ability to equip a woman in crisis, who would otherwise live in isolation, with the means to reach out for emergency and support services when they need to.

Danya OMalley, PEI Family Violence Prevention Services



"These devices empower women to connect with safety and essential services that otherwise they may not have access to. A cell phone is a literal lifeline when used in a moment of crisis"

Dan Meades, Transition House Association of Newfoundland



"As we enter a third wave of the pandemic, many Indigenous women living in remote communities are facing increased challenges in escaping violence and abuse. Providing these women with a new phone when they arrive at our shelters will prove to be a valuable tool in keeping them safely connected to family and friends, as well as vital services. Rogers' expanded digital lifeline program and planned network expansion are sure to benefit many Indigenous women and children seeking refuge in our shelters."

Sheila Swasson, President, National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence



"In a largely rural province like New Brunswick, access to dependable and secure communication is vital for those who may need to leave a relationship or require access to a phone in an emergency situation, for work, school, health, or access to the justice system," said Tammy Scott-Wallace, minister responsible for Women's Equality for the Province of New Brunswick. "I applaud Rogers Communication for their investment in this worthwhile initiative."

The Honourable Tammy Scott-Wallace, Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture and responsible for Womens Equality, Government of New Brunswick



We know that women face systemic barriers to economic security and safety. COVID-19 has made these issues even more apparent. By standing together, all of us  government, community partners, and the private sector such as Rogers  can help provide supports for women and their families, and ensure the needs of those who are vulnerable are met.

The Honourable Kelly Regan, Nova Scotias Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women



For women and gender diverse individuals living with violence, access to a mobile phone can be essential to help address isolation and allow them to safely reach out for the supports and services they need. I commend Rogers Communications for their continued support of transition houses and the women they support.

The Honourable Pam Parsons, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador



"The traumatic impacts of family violence affects all of us. If we want to be effective in ending violence against women and children, we all need to play a role and do what we can. As Prince Edward Island's Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, I would like to commend Roger's Communications for their donation to women's shelters across the country and here at home in PEI."

The Honourable Natalie Jameson, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Government of Prince Edward Island



About Rogers

Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com.

For more information:

Rogers Communications, media@rci.rogers.com, 1-844-226-1338
(Global Times) Adrian Zenz, a so-called scholar who has been clamoring about his imaginary "repression" of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang, has remained silent on the bloody attack on Palestinian Muslims. After being asked to say something about it, he tweeted with a tone of whataboutism, saying, "I research western China's ethnic minorities."





In other words, Zenz was saying, Palestine was none of his business, but Xinjiang is. After all, he is paid by the anti-China far-right Washington-based organization, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

"Human rights" is nothing but a tool for Zenz, who fabricated "forced labor" and "demographic genocide" lies in Xinjiang. He never really cared about human rights. Zenz and his like hold the one and only standard on judging human rights issues - whether they can help them attack the Communist Party of China, and thus advance US interests. To achieve the goal, Zenz can do anything, including counterfeiting data, making up lies, and raising fraudulent claims.

A simple reality can cut through his arguments - Xinjiang is among the regions in China which has the fastest population growth and youngest demographic structure, according to reports and analysts based on the latest national population census. It is happening when Zenz keeps stressing "forced sterilization" and "genocide" is taking place in the region.

Zenz has acquired some fame lately, yet not because of his academic level, but because he has the cheek to put out guesses as wild as he can without any proof and propagandize them in a serious manner. This is why Zenz is becoming a "well-known" and representative figure, Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told Global Times on Monday.

The so-called human rights in his research are fake, which has been proven by his lies in the past, and once again mirrored by his current silence on the Palestinian issue.

Zenz's trick is an epitome of US tactics. The US claims itself the lighthouse of human rights. But after Israel bombed the building in the Gaza Strip on Saturday which housed several media outlets including Associated Press, the latter did not even dare condemn Israeli strikes while only expressing "shock and horror." The White House did not condemn the attack either, not to mention it articulated two days ago of the US' "support for Israel's right to defend itself."

Ever since human rights became a diplomatic tool of US foreign policy, it has never protected the genuine human rights of Americans or worldwide citizens, but has turned into merely a label. When Washington needs it to attack, various excuses can be choreographed under the name of human rights. But when a US ally violates human rights, Uncle Sam would only turn a blind eye to it, Shen said.

The US has no human rights at all. Evidence is abundant. Take a look at the number of COVID-19 deaths in the country, racism, or the issue of gun violence. But when the US needs the tool to serve its national interests, it can make up noble human rights excuses at once.

Chinese people are living an increasingly better life. China has discovered creative and efficient methods to fight coronavirus and terrorism. Yet that goes against US interests. In Washington's playbook, Beijing is a rival, even an enemy, so it must have human rights issues, regardless of the facts. But Israel is different - how could a US ally have human rights issue? That's why the US seems okay with Israel bombing the media building or hurting Palestinian civilians, according to Shen. US media outlets even tried to help explain how civilized this US ally was - personnel in the building were told an hour in advance to leave the building before it was bombarded.

This is how US human rights work.


Texas legislators have a long way to go and a short time to get there
Facebook is currently fighting against misinformation, especially against fake posts about the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, the social media giant decides to change users' profiles if they will violate its rules and regulations.

The tech giant company confirmed that it will do this even without the consent of its users. Facebook's latest move is a part of its efforts to prevent COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

Previously various sources confirmed that some people are creating their own profile frames that convey messages against COVID-19 vaccines. Some of these have the following messages:

"I TRUST MY IMMUNE SYSTEM! #NOTASHOT"

"I HAVE AN IMMUNE SYSTEM! #MedicalFreedom"

"My body My choice"

"Over the course of the pandemic, we have removed more than 16 million pieces of this content from our apps for breaking our rules on COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation," said the social media giant.

Why Facebook Wants to Change Violators' Profiles?

According to The Sun's latest report, the social media giant confirmed that it will remove all the posts with false information about COVID-19 vaccines. Aside from this, Facebook also said that it will also reduce any post that still discourages people from getting vaccinated.

Also Read: Facebook Announces it Will Pay $5 to Journalists to Join Latest Newsletter

The giant tech firm further explained that it is now reducing these posts' distribution on the giant social media platform. On the other hand, Facebook also confirms that it will remove false posts and discouraging content on Facebook and Instagram.

"In countries where vaccines are available to most of the population, like the US and the UK, we ramped up our efforts to show people when their friends and neighbors share their support for vaccines through profile frames and stickers" added the company.

Facebook's Other Plans

Aside from forcibly removing user profiles, Facebook also announced that it wants other companies to use its Oversight Board. Yahoo Finance reported that the social media giant created it to help solve its most difficult content moderation decisions.

On the other hand, Facebook's new Oversight Board is also expected to benefit some of its partner companies in the future. You can click this link to view more details.

For more news updates about Facebook and its upcoming innovations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Facebook Faces Trouble After Users Create Anti-Vaccine Profile Frames: How Serious Is This?

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
IDAHOT 2021

Statement

Brussels - May 17, 2021



26 Head of Diplomatic Missions in Brussels support the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia on May 17, and reaffirm their commitment to defend and advance the human rights of LGBTI+ persons around the world.

We, the undersigned Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Brussels, join once more to express our support for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOBIT).

The theme for IDAHOBIT 2021 is Together: Resisting, Supporting, Healing  particularly important as we respond to the global effects of COVID-19 which has exacerbated the challenges already faced by LGBTI+ persons worldwide. We have made some progress towards tackling these challenges, but more can be done. Education, training, awareness-raising and open dialogue are key tools to combating discrimination and prejudice. As we continue to work together to build back better, we are committed to strengthening these tools, alongside other national initiatives to promote, protect and progress the rights of all LGBTI+ persons; because inclusive and tolerant societies are more peaceful and prosperous.

The criminalisation of, and intolerance towards, LGBTI+ persons denies them their political and civil rights just as much as their economic, social and cultural rights. It weakens society by letting violence and bullying go unchecked, with severe consequences for the health, well-being and prosperity of victims and their families.

We reaffirm our opposition to all forms of discrimination, including on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or sex characteristics. We remain committed to improving institutional protection against discrimination; removing or amending discriminatory laws, policies and practices; fighting hate speech, violence and harassment based on discrimination; and increasing the participation of LGBTI+ persons in our societies.

Our collective vision is to create societies where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or sex characteristics, is able to live safe, happy and healthy lives. Where they can be themselves without fear of discrimination, bullying or harassment and with equal access to education, jobs and health systems.

Not being able to join the Brussels Pride Parade once again will not prevent us from continuing to advocate for the rights of LGBTI+ persons. We will be using our social networks and media platforms to stay connected, and demonstrate the unity and solidarity among the Brussels diplomatic community for the rights of LGBTI+ persons everywhere. We look forward to a time when we can once again proudly parade together under the Diplomats for Equality banner in future Brussels Pride Parades.

For more information, and to stay in touch, follow us on our social media accounts to check out the rainbow flags flying from our missions and much more!

Signatories:

Albania: H.E. Mrs. Suela JANINA (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg & EU)

Argentina: H.E Pablo GRINSPUN (Amb. to the EU); H.E. Jesica AMBROSINI (Charge d'affaires a.i. to Belgium & Luxembourg)

Austria: H.E Elisabeth KORNFEIND (Amb. to Belgium)

Canada: H.E.Ailish CAMPBELL (Amb. to the EU); H.E. Alain GENDRON (Amb. to Belgium)

Chile: H.E. Patricio TORRES ESPINOSA (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg & EU)

Costa Rica: H.E. Mr. Sergio Ivan ALFARO SALAS (Amb. to Belgium & EU)

Ecuador: H.E. Isabel ALBORNOZ (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg & EU)

Estonia: H.E.Toomas TIRS (Amb. to the EU)

Ireland: H.E. Helena NOLAN (Amb. to Belgium)

Malta: H.E. Ray AZZOPARDI (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg and NATO); H.E. Marlene BONNICI (Amb. to the EU)

Mexico: H.E Mauricio ESCANERO (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg & EU)

Netherlands: H.E.Robert DE GROOT (Amb. to EU); H.E. Pieter Jan KLEIWEG DE ZWAAN (Amb.to Belgium)

New Zealand: H.E.Carl REAICH (Amb.to EU and NATO); H.E.Diana REAICH (Amb.to Belgium)

Spain: H.E.Beatriz LARROTCHA PALMA (Amb. to Belgium)

Switzerland: H.E. Urs BUCHER (Amb. to the EU); H.E. Philippe BRANDT (Amb. to Belgium)

UK: H.E. Martin SHEARMAN (Amb. to Belgium); H.E. Sarah MACINTOSH (Amb. to NATO); Lindsay CROISDALE-APPLEBY (Head of UK Mission to the EU)

United States: H.E. Mark W. LIBBY (Charge daffaires to the EU)

Uruguay: Carlos PEREZ DEL CASTILLO (Amb. to Belgium, Luxembourg & EU)

 Previous Item | Next Item 
GAZA - In nine days of relentless Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip enclave, 212 people were killed, according to the Hamas-led health ministry.



Those killed include 61 children, 36 women and 16 elderly people. At least 1,400 have been injured.

Israeli army says 3,440 rockets shot from Gaza, 'killed over 150 Hamas and Islamic Jihad'

TEL AVIV - As of Monday evening, the Israeli military had killed "over 150 terrorist operatives" in attacks on the Gaza Strip, most of whom members of Hamas, spokesman Hidai Zilberman said Tuesday. He noted that "over 120 were from Hamas and over 25 from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad". He added that others may have been hit in the attacks over the night in Gaza.

Since the beginning of the hostilities the previous Monday, some 3,440 rockets have been shot from Gaza with 90% intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, the spokesman said. He added that about 500 of them fell inside the Gaza Strip. Last night 90 were shot.

In the same period, the Israeli Air Force destroyed another 15 kilometres of underground tunnels in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Some 65 targets were hit and there were more attacks on the Rimal neighbourhood in the Gaza Strip. The army claimed once again that Hamas "puts military objectives in densely inhabited civilian areas".
Ogilvy today announced that Liz Taylor has been named Global Chief Creative Officer. For over two decades, Liz has been recognized as one of the industrys most progressive creative leaders and was recently recognized as the top ranked woman on The Drums global ranking of the most-awarded Chief Creative Officers. She will be responsible for overseeing Ogilvys creative product across 132 offices in 83 countries and spanning its five business units: Advertising, PR, Experience, Health, and Growth & Innovation. This appointment comes as Piyush Pandey takes on a new role as Chairman of Global Creative at Ogilvy and continues to serve as Chairman of Ogilvy India. Joe Sciarrotta will partner with Liz in his role as Deputy Global CCO.

Andy Main, Global Chief Executive Officer, said: We could not be more thrilled to be welcoming Liz back home to Ogilvy. Liz is a modern creative leader who leads from the front and understands that magic happens when we create and innovate at the intersection of our world-class capabilities and talent. I know her experience creating big, multifaceted ideas will only further strengthen Ogilvys ability to drive world-changing, life-changing, business-changing impact for our clients.

Devika Bulchandani, Global Chairwoman of Advertising, said: There are always those people who you yearn to work with some dayand Liz is one of those people. She is creatively ambidextrous and a sharp problem solver who shares our ambition to make Ogilvy the most creative company in the world, but most importantly Liz embodies both the goodness and greatness of Ogilvy.

Liz Taylor said: There is something special about being able to come back to Ogilvy and join a team that is taking this iconic company into the future. Creativity has the power to change everything and Im looking forward to working with Ogilvys incredibly strong global network of creative talent to inspire people and brands to have an impact on the world.

Liz is returning to Ogilvy at a time where the company has won several new global accountsincluding Abolsut, Enterprise Holdings, Zippo, among othersand accolades for its creativity. Last month, the Clio Awards named Ogilvy its 2021 Agency Network of the Year and DAVID Miami was named Agency of the Year. Both Ogilvy and DAVID were also awarded these respective honors at the 2020 One Show and D&AD Awards.

Most recently, Liz served as Global Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett and Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Communications North America. There she was a founding Partner at Le Truc, a new business model threaded across the Publicis Groupe. She previously held several roles at Ogilvy including Global Executive Creative Director before departing in 2016 to become Chief Creative Officer at FCB Chicago. Shes been named an Ad Age Woman to Watch and a member of the Adweek Creative 100, her work has been featured in the Museum of Modern Art and multiple Super Bowls, seen across the pages of Harpers Bazaar, Fast Company and Rolling Stone, and even topped Billboard charts. Throughout her career Liz has driven transformative creative solutions and culture-shaping work for a range of clients that have included: Aldi, Bank of America, Boeing, Budweiser, Cadillac, Campbell's, Facebook, Gatorade, GE, Kellogg's, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald's, Morton Salt, Nintendo, P&G, Walmart, Wrigley, among many others. One of the most awarded creatives in the industry, she has numerous honors to her name, including Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD, ANDYs and Effies among others. An industry leader in addressing workplace inequality, Liz also served as an inaugural jury chair of the Athena Advertising Awards, held in conjunction with the 3% Movement.
As heavy rain fell across the Baton Rouge area on Monday, residents reported flood streets and closed roads.

Earlier rainfall in southwest Louisiana flooded homes and businesses, prompting law enforcement officials to rescue stranded residents.

St. George Fire Department officials reported that some people needed to be rescued from flooded vehicles.

Click here for the latest radar, forecast information.

Here's what local residents and officials reported around the Baton Rouge area on Monday night.

Can't see the module? Click here.
Google's Flutter, which is the system that created one in eight apps on Google Play Store, now received its new version, Flutter 2.2. The search engine giant confirmed that its updates will focus on monetization and cloud service integration.

Also Read: Google's Android 12 Update Could be Its Biggest Visual Change: Here are Its Possible Features

Right now, Flutter is a popular framework for cross-platform developers. These include SHEIN, Grab, ByteDance, and WeChat. Aside from them, there are also other giant enterprises that use this innovation from Google.

If you don't have any idea what Google Flutter is, it is an open-source UI software development kit that works across apps, which are specifically available on Google Fuchsia, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS with one codebase.

Google Flutter 2.2's Android Updates

According to ZDNet's latest report, the search engine giant launched its Flutter 2.2 version during Google I/O 2021. This new version will be very different from the previous Flutter 2.0, which focuses on connecting mobile apps to desktop, as well as web and embedded apps.

The new Flutter 2.2 will specifically target cloud service integration and monetization. Aside from this, it will also offer some updates to improve your Android app experience.

Flutter is being integrated into the developer stack with a new ads SDK and a payment plugin that enables payment for physical goods on both iOS and Android.

The new Flutter 2.2 used Dart 2.13 to expand support for native interoperability.

On the other hand, it also leads to added memory allocation tracking and third-party tool extensions for DevTools.

Flutter 2.2 also offers tooling to reduce first-run errors for iOS and performance improvements with background caching and deferred components for Android.

Other Innovations Released on Google I/O 2021

Aside from the new Flutter 2.2, Google also unveiled Android 12, Pixel Buds, and other innovations during the Google I/O 2021 event. CNET reported that Android 12 could be the tech giant company's biggest visual update right now.

On the other hand, the company could also reveal its most-awaited new WearOS, Pixel Watch, and Google Assistant's enhancements for smart home products.

You can click this link to see more details.

For more news updates about Google and its upcoming products and services, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google Photos App Improves Image Search With Additional Filters

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
English French

TORONTO, May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Environmental groups applaud Canada's decision today to list plastic manufactured items on Schedule 1 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and urge the federal government to move quickly to finalize a meaningful ban on non-essential single-use plastics by the end of 2021.



Todays action gives the federal government the authority to regulate plastic products to keep them out of incinerators, landfills and the environment, including a national ban on single-use plastic items, such as checkout bags, take-out containers, straws, stirrers, cutlery and six-pack rings. The listing is a critical step in Canadas plan to address the growing plastic pollution crisis, enabling regulations that would reduce unnecessary plastic use, and support a non-toxic, low-carbon circular economy.

Plastic pollution has been identified by the United Nations as the second most ominous threat to the global environment after climate change. Every year, more than three million tonnes of plastic waste is thrown away in Canada, with 91 per cent ending up in landfills, incinerators or directly in the natural environment.

Canada has an opportunity to join other global leaders in the fight to end the plastic disaster. Many countries around the world have already banned certain single-use plastic items and 170 countries have pledged to significantly reduce plastic use by 2030. The European Unions single-use plastic ban will be in force this summer.

QUOTES:

Ashley Wallis, Oceana Canada :

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinsons decision to add plastics to CEPAs Schedule 1 puts us one step closer to ending the fatal flow of plastic into our oceans. The federal government needs to use every tool in the toolbox to end the growing plastic disaster, including a strong ban on single-use plastic items. Ninety-five per cent of Canadians are concerned about the impact plastic pollution has on our oceans and 86 per cent support a ban on single-use plastics. The time to act is now.

Karen Wirsig, Environmental Defence :

Plastic pollution is a global crisis and its gotten worse during the pandemic, with a whopping 250 to 300 per cent increase in single-use plastics alone. The Canadian government must do its part and stand up to companies that profit from pumping plastics into our environment. Thats why we support the minister in standing firm on his intention to regulate plastics under CEPA. The clock is ticking. Weve got to act now.

Lisa Gue, David Suzuki Foundation:

Now that the government has confirmed the listing of plastic manufactured items under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, Canada can move forward with regulatory action to tackle plastic pollution. We were appalled to learn that dozens of industry interests attempted to block this first step, and were grateful that the environment minister is standing firm."

Dr. Elaine MacDonald, Ecojustice:

Plastic waste is entering the natural environment in huge volumes, and its the most widespread pollutant of our oceans, waterways and soil. There is mounting evidence of plastics contaminating our drinking water and food supply. We welcome the ministers move to list plastics on CEPAs Schedule 1 as an important first step in tackling this global problem.

Emily Alfred, Toronto Environmental Alliance:

Every community across Canada is facing the growing problem of plastic waste in our water, land and air. We can't recycle our way out of this, we need to prevent plastic waste and shift to a truly circular economy built on reusables. We're happy to see the federal government take this first key step towards banning unnecessary single-use plastics to address the plastics crisis.

For more information or to request an interview:

Tammy Thorne, Communications, Oceana Canada, tthorne@oceana.ca , 437.247.0954

Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca, 647.280.9521

Brendan Glauser, Communications, David Suzuki Foundation, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org, 604.356.8829

Sean OShea, Communications, Ecojustice, soshea@ecojustice.ca, 416.368.7533 ext. 523



SOURCE: OCEANA CANADA, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION, ECOJUSTICE, TORONTO ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2021



Strong revenue of $108.8 million, representing an increase of 7.6% year-over-year

Net loss was $0.2 million (non-GAAP adjusted net income of $6.0 million)

Adjusted EBITDA increased 12.4% to $16.7 million, achieving record adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.3%

Fully diluted loss per share was $0.01 (non-GAAP adjusted earnings per share $0.32)

Added 10 new logos, including marquee wins in key verticals



WASHINGTON, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IBEX Limited (ibex), a leading global provider of outsourced CX solutions, today announced financial results for three and nine months ended March 31, 2021.

I am pleased with our strong third quarter results, coming off an exceptional second quarter - delivering solid revenue of $108.8 million, strong cash flow, and record adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.3%, up 70 basis points from the prior year period, said Bob Dechant, Chief Executive Officer of ibex. These results reflect the value that our end-to-end customer engagement solutions bring to clients, as our BPO 2.0 solution and customer experience is a key competitive differentiator and driver of accelerating growth.

Dechant continued, Our business strategy and ability to be laser-focused on execution has allowed us to continue to win customers, evidenced by our signing of 10 new customers, most of which are marquee logos in the New Economy, digitally transforming Blue Chip and strategic verticals. Looking ahead, we have a strong pipeline of business that we believe will position us for a strong fiscal year 2022.



I would like to recognize our global base of talented employees who were able to adjust to ever-changing market conditions and thank them for their extraordinary level of professionalism and commitment to our business, concluded Dechant.

Financial Highlights:

Revenue

Revenue increased 7.6% to $108.8 million, compared to $101.1 million in the prior year quarter.



Net Income

Net loss was $0.2 million, compared to net income of $4.5 million in the prior year quarter.

Non-GAAP adjusted net income increased to $6.0 million, compared to $4.7 million in the prior year quarter (see Exhibit 1 for reconciliation).

Net margin was (0.2)%, compared to 4.4% in the prior year quarter.

On a Non-GAAP basis, adjusted net income margin increased to 5.5%, compared to 4.6% in the prior year quarter (see Exhibit 1 for reconciliation).

Adjusted EBITDA

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, increased to $16.7 million, compared to $14.8 million in the prior year quarter (see Exhibit 2 for reconciliation).

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margin increased to a record 15.3%, compared to 14.7% in the prior year quarter.

Earnings Per Share

IFRS basic and fully diluted loss per share was $0.01 compared to IFRS basic and fully diluted earnings per share of $0.00 in the prior year quarter.*

Non-GAAP pro forma fully diluted adjusted earnings per share increased to $0.32, compared to $0.25 in the prior year quarter (see Exhibit 1 for reconciliation).

* IFRS fully diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2020 does not reflect the recapitalization that occurred in connection with ibexs August 7, 2020 initial public offering.

Balance Sheet

Strong cash position of $62.6 million compared to $21.9 million at June 30, 2020.

Non-GAAP net debt decreased to $48.7 million, compared to $84.1 million as of June 30, 2020 (see Exhibit 4 below).

Business Highlights:

Won 10 new customer logos, primarily New Economy companies in the FinTech, healthcare and utilities verticals

Legacy top three client concentration decreased to 34.1% from 43.6% in the prior year quarter

Added 800 seats in Jamaica and 560 seats in the Philippines

New Economy revenue increased by 6.3% compared to the prior year quarter, and when adjusted for one client that was adversely impacted by the pandemic, New Economy revenue increased by 21.9% compared to the prior year quarter

Non-voice revenue increased by 10.2% compared to the prior year quarter, and when adjusted for one client that was adversely impacted by the pandemic, non-voice revenue increased by 31.8% compared to the prior year quarter



Fiscal Year 2021 Business Outlook

We are reaffirming our fiscal year 2021 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance provided last quarter. We expect revenue of between $445 million and $448 million and adjusted EBITDA of between $62.0 million and $63.5 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

IBEX Limited will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss its third quarter of fiscal year 2021 financial results at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today, May 18, 2021. To access the conference call, dial (833) 614-1408 for the U.S. or Canada, or for international callers (914) 987-7129 and provide conference ID 2595966. The webcast will be available live on the Investors section of ibex's website at: https://investors.ibex.co/.

An audio replay of the call will also be available to investors beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 18, 2021, until 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 25, 2021, by dialing (855) 859-2056 for the U.S. or Canada, or for international callers, (404) 537-3406 and entering passcode 2595966. In addition, an archived webcast will be available on the Investors section of ibex's website at: https://investors.ibex.co/.

Financial Information

While the financial information included in this press release has been determined in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) applicable to interim periods, this announcement does not contain sufficient information to constitute an interim financial report as defined in International Accounting Standards 34, Interim Financial Reporting. The financial information in this press release has not been audited.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We present non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that they and other similar measures are widely used by certain investors, securities analysts and other interested parties as supplemental measures of performance and liquidity. We also use these measures internally to establish forecasts, budgets and operational goals to manage and monitor our business, as well as evaluate our underlying historical performance, as we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures depict the true performance of the business by encompassing only relevant and controllable events, enabling us to evaluate and plan more effectively for the future. The non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies and have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results as reported under IFRS as issued by the IASB. Non-GAAP financial measures and ratios are not measurements of our performance, financial condition or liquidity under IFRS as issued by the IASB and should not be considered as alternatives to operating profit or net income / (loss) or as alternatives to cash flow from operating, investing or financing activities for the period, or any other performance measures, derived in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB or any other generally accepted accounting principles.

We have made adjustments to the definitions of certain non-GAAP measures in the third quarter of fiscal year 2021. The definitions of adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA have been modified to exclude the effect of the amortization of warrant asset, and gains / (losses) on disposal of fixed assets and lease terminations, and include other income, as applicable. The definition of free cash flow has been modified to exclude financed capital expenditures and right-of-use lease payments. We may modify these definitions in the future if new situations arise that the Company believes warrant modification. We believe these updated definitions better reflect the Companys operating metrics as well as industry standards.

ibex is not providing a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable IFRS measure because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of certain significant items without unreasonable effort. These items include, but are not limited to, non-recurring expenses, fair value adjustments, and share-based compensation expense. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on IFRS reported results for the guidance period.

About ibex

ibex helps the worlds preeminent brands more effectively engage their customers with services ranging from customer support, technical support, inbound/outbound sales, business intelligence and analytics, digital demand generation, and CX surveys and feedback analytics.

Forward Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as believe, may, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, should, plan, expect, predict, potential, or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future financial and operating performance, including our outlook and guidance, and our strategies, priorities and business plans. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could impact our actual results include: developments relating to COVID-19; our ability to attract new business and retain key clients; our ability to enter into multi-year contracts with our clients at appropriate rates; the potential for our clients or potential clients to consolidate; our clients deciding to enter into or further expand their insourcing activities; our ability to operate as an integrated company under the ibex brand; our ability to manage portions of our business that have long sales cycles and long implementation cycles that require significant resources and working capital; our ability to manage our international operations, particularly in Pakistan and the Philippines and increasingly in Jamaica and Nicaragua; our ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those regarding privacy, data protection and information security; our ability to manage the inelasticity of our labor costs relative to short-term movements in client demand; our ability to realize the anticipated strategic and financial benefits of our relationship with Amazon; our ability to recruit, engage, motivate, manage and retain our global workforce; our ability to anticipate, develop and implement information technology solutions that keep pace with evolving industry standards and changing client demands; our ability to maintain and enhance our reputation and brand; and other factors discussed under the heading Risk Factors in our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 23, 2020 and any other risk factors we include in subsequent reports on Form 6-K. Because of these uncertainties, you should not make any investment decisions based on our estimates and forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact: Brad Jones, Senior Director, PR & Communications, ibex, 720.643.8731, brad.jones@ibex.co

IR Contact: Brinlea Johnson, The Blueshirt Group, 415.269.2645, brinlea@blueshirtgroup.com

IBEX Limited Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Financial Position US$ in thousands March 31,

2021 June 30,

2020 Assets Non-current assets Goodwill $ 11,832 $ 11,832 Other intangible assets 3,323 2,781 Property and equipment 107,338 84,588 Investment in joint venture 357 331 Deferred tax asset 3,017 2,223 Warrant asset 1,932 2,611 Other assets 6,205 4,834 Total non-current assets $ 134,004 $ 109,200 Current assets Trade and other receivables 75,310 62,579 Due from related parties 1,794 1,587 Cash and cash equivalents 62,552 21,870 Total current assets $ 139,656 $ 86,036 Total assets $ 273,660 $ 195,236 Equity and liabilities Equity attributable to owners of the parent Share capital $ 2 $ 12 Additional paid-in capital 158,044 96,207 Other reserves 32,683 29,456 Accumulated deficit (114,707 ) (109,527 ) Total equity $ 76,022 $ 16,148 Non-current liabilities Deferred revenue $ 2,038 $ 434 Lease liabilities 73,030 62,044 Borrowings 3,745 3,782 Deferred tax liability 85 117 Other non-current liabilities 18,834 7,058 Total non-current liabilities $ 97,732 $ 73,435 Current liabilities Trade and other payables $ 51,649 $ 53,213 Income tax payables 4,210 3,087 Lease liabilities 11,386 12,668 Borrowings 23,059 27,476 Deferred revenue 5,334 3,470 Due to related parties 4,268 5,739 Total current liabilities $ 99,906 $ 105,653 Total liabilities $ 197,638 $ 179,088 Total equity and liabilities $ 273,660 $ 195,236





IBEX Limited Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income / (Loss) Three months ended March 31, Nine months ended March 31, US$ in thousands, except share and per share amounts 2021 2020 2021 2020 Revenue $ 108,832 $ 101,124 $ 334,784 $ 304,255 Payroll and related costs 72,386 68,006 223,610 207,246 Share-based payments 1,298 (212 ) 4,004 (119 ) Reseller commission and lead expenses 3,275 4,278 10,776 13,604 Depreciation and amortization 7,258 6,347 20,680 18,460 Fair value adjustment 4,433 (250 ) 10,178 632 Other operating costs 17,778 14,914 57,711 44,185 Income from operations $ 2,404 $ 8,041 $ 7,825 $ 20,247 Finance expenses $ (2,310 ) $ (2,376 ) (6,923 ) (7,190 ) Income before taxation $ 94 $ 5,665 $ 902 $ 13,057 Income tax expense $ (339 ) $ (1,183 ) (2,082 ) (1,482 ) Net (loss) / income $ (245 ) $ 4,482 $ (1,180 ) $ 11,575 Other comprehensive income / (loss) Items that will be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss Foreign currency translation adjustment $ 99 $ (5 ) $ (14 ) $ (37 ) Cash flow hedge - changes in fair value $ 73 $ - 158 - $ 172 $ (5 ) $ 144 $ (37 ) Total comprehensive (loss) / income $ (73 ) $ 4,477 $ (1,036 ) $ 11,538 Loss per share attributable to the ordinary equity holders of the parent Basic $ (0.01 ) $ - $ (0.07 ) $ - Diluted $ (0.01 ) $ - $ (0.07 ) $ - Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 18,083,182 1,138,140 17,475,469 1,138,140 Diluted 18,083,182 12,822,570 17,475,469 12,822,570





IBEX Limited Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Three months ended March 31, Nine months ended March 31, US$ in thousands 2021

2020

2021

2020

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Income before taxation $ 94 $ 5,665 $ 902 $ 13,057 Adjustments to reconcile income before taxation to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 7,258 6,347 20,680 18,460 Amortization of warrant asset 229 16 677 551 Gain on disposal of fixed assets - (89 ) - (73 ) Gain on lease terminations (852 ) - (1,044 ) - Foreign currency translation loss / (gain) 26 (110 ) 229 249 Fair value adjustment 4,433 (250 ) 10,178 632 Phantom expense 659 (224 ) 913 (196 ) Share-based payments 639 12 3,091 77 Provision for retirement benefit expense 50 - 194 134 Allowance of expected credit losses (116 ) 4 336 101 Share of profit from investment in joint venture (174 ) (75 ) (400 ) (414 ) Finance costs 2,310 2,376 6,923 7,190 Decrease / (increase) in trade and other receivables 626 4,957 (10,358 ) 8,154 Increase in prepayments and other assets (673 ) (864 ) (1,370 ) (1,400 ) Increase / (decrease) in trade and other payables and other liabilities 1,991 (1,103 ) 3,043 (4,921 ) Cash generated from operations 16,500 16,662 33,994 41,601 Interest paid (2,310 ) (2,376 ) (6,923 ) (7,190 ) Income taxes paid (297 ) 5 (2,952 ) (758 ) Net cash inflow from operating activities $ 13,893 $ 14,291 $ 24,119 $ 33,653 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchase of property and equipment $ (5,892 ) $ (1,780 ) $ (14,597 ) $ (4,019 ) Purchase of other intangible assets (407 ) (320 ) (1,274 ) (485 ) Capital repayment from joint venture 146 114 373 309 Net cash outflow from investing activities $ (6,153 ) $ (1,986 ) $ (15,498 ) $ (4,195 ) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from line of credit $ 24,684 $ 29,314 $ 91,259 $ 107,525 Repayments of line of credit (38,104 ) (36,467 ) (93,400 ) (117,485 ) Proceeds from borrowings - - 1,714 1,000 Repayment of borrowings (3,496 ) (1,417 ) (9,323 ) (4,806 ) Payment of related party loan - - (1,614 ) - Net proceeds from initial public offering - - 63,107 - Exercise of options 28 - 28 - Payment of listing related cost - - (1,052 ) - Principal payments on lease obligations (3,014 ) (2,790 ) (14,644 ) (8,935 ) Dividends paid - - (4,000 ) (121 ) Net cash (outflow) / inflow from financing activities $ (19,902 ) $ (11,360 ) $ 32,075 $ (22,822 ) Effects of exchange rate difference on cash and cash equivalents 99 (5 ) (14 ) (38 ) Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash equivalents $ (12,063 ) $ 940 $ 40,682 $ 6,598 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period $ 74,615 $ 14,531 $ 21,870 $ 8,873 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period $ 62,552 $ 15,471 $ 62,552 $ 15,471

IBEX Limited

Reconciliation of IFRS Financial Measures to Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EXHIBIT 1: Adjusted net income and pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted

We define Adjusted net income as net (loss) / income before the effect of the following items: non-recurring expenses (including litigation and settlement expenses, costs related to COVID-19, and expenses related to our initial public offering), amortization of warrant asset, gain or loss on disposal of fixed assets or lease terminations, fair value adjustment related to the Amazon warrant, share-based payments, foreign exchange gains or losses, and impairment losses, as applicable, net of the tax effect of such adjustments. The following table provides a reconciliation of Adjusted net income to our net (loss) / income for the periods presented:

Three months ended March 31, Nine months ended March 31, 2021

2020

2021

2020

US$ in thousands, except share and per share amounts, unaudited Amount Per Share Amount Per Share Amount Per Share Amount Per Share Net (loss) / income $ (245 ) $ (0.01 ) $ 4,482 $ 0.35 (d) $ (1,180 ) $ (0.07 ) $ 11,575 $ 0.90 (d) Non-recurring expenses 1,848 0.10 801 0.06 7,839 0.45 1,397 0.11 Amortization of warrant asset 229 0.01 16 0.00 677 0.04 551 0.04 Gain on disposal of fixed assets - - (89 ) (0.01 ) - - (73 ) (0.01 ) Gain on lease terminations (852 ) (0.05 ) - - (1,044 ) (0.06 ) - - Fair value adjustment 4,433 0.25 (250 ) (0.02 ) 10,178 0.58 632 0.05 Share-based payments 1,298 0.07 (212 ) (0.02 ) 4,004 0.23 (119 ) (0.01 ) Foreign exchange losses 44 0.00 164 0.01 247 0.01 523 0.04 Total adjustments $ 7,000 $ 0.39 $ 430 $ 0.03 $ 21,901 $ 1.25 $ 2,911 $ 0.23 Tax impact of adjustments(a) (722 ) (0.04 ) (243 ) (0.02 ) (2,901 ) (0.17 ) (289 ) (0.02 ) Adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share $ 6,033 $ 0.33 $ 4,669 $ 0.36 $ 17,820 $ 1.02 $ 14,197 $ 1.11 Adjusted net income margin 5.5 % 4.6 % 5.3 % 4.7 % Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 18,083,182 $ 0.33 12,822,570 $ 0.36 17,475,469 $ 1.02 12,822,570 $ 1.11 Dilutive impact of shares issued on August 7, 2020(b) - $ - 3,571,429 $ (0.07 ) - $ - 3,076,121 $ (0.19 ) Dilutive impact of preferred share conversion on August 7, 2020(b) - $ - 1,785,565 $ (0.03 ) - $ - 1,785,565 $ (0.11 ) Dilutive impact of share-based compensation and the Amazon warrant(b) 737,826 $ (0.01 ) 641,444 $ (0.01 ) 756,977 $ (0.04 ) 548,190 $ (0.03 ) Pro forma adjusted weighted average shares outstanding - diluted and pro forma adjusted earnings per share - diluted(c) 18,821,008 $ 0.32 18,821,008 $ 0.25 18,232,446 $ 0.98 18,232,446 $ 0.78

(a) The tax impact of each adjustment is calculated using the effective tax rate in the relevant jurisdiction.

(b) Represents the dilutive impact of (i) an incremental 3,571,429 and 3,076,121 weighted average shares outstanding for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2021, respectively, as a result of our initial public offering completed on August 7, 2020, (ii) an incremental 1,785,565 weighted average shares outstanding due to the conversion of preferred shares to common shares in connection with our initial public offering on August 7, 2020 and (iii) incremental weighted average shares outstanding resulting from vesting of awards under share-based compensation plans and vesting of the Amazon warrant, using the treasury stock method (as applicable) during the periods presented.

(c) We provide pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted to illustrate the impact on the calculation of adjusted earnings per share of taking into account the dilutive impact of the shares issued in our initial public offering on August 7, 2020, the dilutive impact of the preferred share conversion on August 7, 2020, and the dilutive impact related to vesting of awards under share-based compensation plans and the Amazon warrant on the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding  diluted, resulting in pro forma adjusted weighted average shares outstanding  diluted. We have used 18,821,008 and 18,232,446 shares, the pro forma adjusted weighted average shares outstanding  diluted for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2021, respectively, to calculate pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2020. We believe that pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted is useful information for investors because it enhances comparability between the current period and prior periods. This non-GAAP measure will be recalculated each reporting period based on the pro forma adjusted weighted average shares outstanding  diluted for the latest reporting periods. Therefore, pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted in future periods may differ from pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted presented in prior periods. Pro forma adjusted earnings per share  diluted may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies, has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results as reported under IFRS as issued by the IASB.

(d) See Note 20 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 23, 2020 for additional information regarding the calculation of basic and diluted earnings / (loss) per share attributable to equity holders of the parent and weighted average shares outstanding  basic and diluted. For the periods noted, the amount represents net income divided by the weighted average shares outstanding  diluted for the period presented.

EXHIBIT 2: EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net (loss) / income before the effect of the following items: finance expenses, income tax expense / (benefit), and depreciation and amortization, as applicable. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA before the effect of the following items: non-recurring expenses (including litigation and settlement expenses, costs related to COVID-19, and expenses related to our initial public offering), amortization of warrant asset, gain or loss on disposal of fixed assets or lease terminations, fair value adjustment related to the Amazon warrant, share-based payments, foreign exchange gains or losses, and impairment losses, as applicable.

Three months ended March 31,

Nine months ended March 31,

US$ in thousands 2021 2020 2021 2020 Net (loss) / income $ (245 ) $ 4,482 $ (1,180 ) $ 11,575 Finance expense 2,310 2,376 6,923 7,190 Income tax expense 339 1,183 2,082 1,482 Depreciation and amortization 7,258 6,347 20,680 18,460 EBITDA $ 9,662 $ 14,388 $ 28,505 $ 38,707 Non-recurring expenses 1,848 801 7,839 1,397 Amortization of warrant asset 229 16 677 551 Gain on disposal of fixed assets - (89 ) - (73 ) Gain on lease terminations (852 ) - (1,044 ) - Fair value adjustment 4,433 (250 ) 10,178 632 Share-based payments 1,298 (212 ) 4,004 (119 ) Foreign exchange losses 44 164 247 523 Adjusted EBITDA $ 16,662 $ 14,818 $ 50,406 $ 41,618 Adjusted EBITDA margin 15.3 % 14.7 % 15.1 % 13.7 %

EXHIBIT 3: Free cash flow

We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures  cash.

Three months ended March 31, Nine months ended March 31, US$ in thousands 2021 2020 2021 2020 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 13,893 $ 14,291 $ 24,119 $ 33,653 Less: Capital expenditures - cash 6,299 2,100 15,871 4,504 Free cash flow(1) $ 7,594 $ 12,191 $ 8,248 $ 29,149

(1) Excluded from free cash flow are the principal portion of right-of-use lease payments of $2,892 and $1,892 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $8,063 and $6,619 for the nine months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We believe it is useful to consider these payments when analyzing free cash flow as these amounts directly relate to revenue generating assets used in operations.



EXHIBIT 4: Net debt

We define net debt as total borrowings less cash and cash equivalents.

US$ in thousands March 31, 2021 June 30, 2020 Borrowings Non-current $ 3,745 $ 3,782 Current 23,059 27,476 $ 26,804 $ 31,258 Leases Non-current 73,030 62,044 Current 11,386 12,668 $ 84,416 $ 74,712 Total Debt $ 111,220 $ 105,970 Cash 62,552 21,870 Net debt $ 48,668 $ 84,100

An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee3a1593-660b-48f2-a678-740bcd210914




This Future Market Insights report examines the Global Automated CPR Devices market for the period 2014 - 2025. The primary objective of the report is to offer updates on the advancement of automated CPR devices, examining the marketing efforts and to provide the market opportunities in the global automated CPR Devices Market.

The installation rate of automated CPR devices in EMS and hospitals is now increasing at considerable pace in the developed economies across the globe. Moreover the increasing awareness about the clinical benefits of the devices amongst the populace of developing economies is also driving the demand for automated CPR devices in the concerned market.

The report also depicts the marketing strategies undertaken by the manufacturing companies which is significantly transforming the automated CPR devices market. This study analyses, estimates and forecasts the global automated CPR devices market from the supply perspective, in terms revenue (US$ Mn) during the forecast period 2015 to 2025. The report also highlights the impact of various drives and inhibitors in various regions along with their impact during the forecast period.

Request a Sample of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-720

CPR Devices are chest compression systems that provide high quality compression to chest of patients suffering from sudden cardiac arrest to provide a steady flow of oxygen and blood in the brain as well as heart. The CPR device finds application in EMS, hospitals, ambulances, coronary & intensive care units, cardiac catheterization labs, air medevac units, EMT rescue units, etc.

The devices does the Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) process mechanically. CPR is a compression technique used in various medical emergencies to maintain or initiate blood circulation in the heart and oxygen supply in the brain.

To understand and assess the opportunities in this market the report is categorically divided under various sections such as market analysis by regions (Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa); competitive landscape (inclusive of competition dashboard, market share analysis, CPR brand share analysis, and company profiles) The report analyses the global automated CPR devices market in terms of market value (US$ Mn).

The report starts with an overview of automated CPR devices market across the globe. In the other sections, FMI covers the key trends, drivers and inhibitors from supply and demand perspective. It also includes the market opportunities of automated CPR devices market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and inhibitors based on the weighted average model included in the report better equips and arms client with crystal clear decision making insights.

The next section of the report analyses the market based on end use and presents the forecast in terms of value for the next ten years.

Regions covered in the report include:

Europe

North America

APAC

Latin America

MEA

To calculate the market size, the report considers various aspects based on secondary research. Furthermore, data points such as regional split and market split by applications, end use and qualitative inputs from primary respondents have been incorporated to arrive at appropriate market estimates.

Get Full Report Buy Now @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/720

Some of the key inputs form primary respondents are as follows:

The United States market will be growing in the near future owing to huge investments by major players, country giving priority to purchasing medical products, established products such as AutoPulse from ZOLL Medical Corporation and new entrants such as Defibtech and CPR RsQ Assist Inc.

-Director of Strategic Sales

AutoPulse will be the fastest growing CPR device in United States.

-Director of Strategic Sales

The prices for automated CPR devices will dramatically come down and market would attain saturation after 2030 as which would further grow only with significant changes such as product differentiation and rise in overall demand for CPR products. The future of CPR or cardiological emergency medical products is the combination of AED and CPR and the commercialisation of the combined technology in the open market

-Vice President

To sustain in the highly consolidated CPR device market, smaller players would need to make huge investments in clinical research to prove clinical efficiency of their CPR devices

-Director of Strategic Sales

The forecast presented here assesses the total revenue of automated CPR devices market. When developing the forecast of the market, the starting point is sizing the current market, which forms the basis for the forecast of how the market is anticipated to take shape in the near future. Given the characteristics of market, we triangulated the data via different analysis based on supply side, demand side and dynamics of related markets. However, quantifying the market across above-mentioned segments and regions is more a matter of quantifying expectations and identifying opportunities rather than rationalizing them after the forecast has been completed.

In addition, it is imperative to note that in an ever-fluctuating global economy, we not only conduct forecasts in terms of CAGR, but also analyse on the basis of key parameters such as year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth to understand the predictability of the market and to identify the right opportunities across the automated CPR devices market.

Request for Report Ask A Question @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-720

Also, another key feature of this report is the analysis of automated CPR devices market by regions and its revenue forecast in terms of absolute dollar. This is traditionally overlooked while forecasting the market. However, absolute dollar opportunity is critical in assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify potential resources from a sales perspective in the global automated CPR devices market.

Furthermore, to understand key growth segments in terms of growth & performance of automated CPR devices market, Future Market Insights developed market attractiveness index. The resulting index should help providers identify real market opportunities.

Few of the market players featured in the section include
HOUSTON, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oil States International, Inc. (NYSE:OIS) announced today that its Board of Directors elected Denise Castillo-Rhodes as a member of its Board of Directors. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes has been appointed as a Class II Director with an initial term expiring in May 2024 and will serve on the Companys Audit Committee.



On behalf of our Board of Directors, Im very pleased to welcome Denise to Oil States. Denise brings extensive accounting, financial and executive leadership experience and skills to our Board and Audit Committee, which will provide us with meaningful benefits as we navigate the changing energy landscape and focus on our long-term growth and success," said Cindy B. Taylor, Oil States' President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Denise Castillo-Rhodes

Ms. Castillo-Rhodes is Chief Financial Officer of Texas Medical Center, where she oversees accounting, finance, risk management and tax compliance. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes also serves as secretary of the board and chair of the Audit & Finance committee for Thermal Energy Corporation and as a director for the TMC Library and Texas Medical Center Hospital Laundry Co-Op, all of which are member institutions of Texas Medical Center. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes has served Texas Medical Center in this capacity since 2004. Prior to becoming CFO, from 2002-2004, Ms. Castillo-Rhodes served as Vice-President and Controller for Texas Medical Center. Prior to joining Texas Medical Center Ms. Castillo-Rhodes served as Controller for Nabiscos Manufacturing Facility in Houston. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes also serves on the board of Allegiance Bancshares, Inc. and is a Trustee for the City of Houstons Municipal Employee Pension System. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. She is a certified public accountant and is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

About Oil States

Oil States International, Inc. is a global provider of manufactured products and services to customers in the energy, industrial and military sectors. The Company's manufactured products include highly engineered capital equipment and consumable products. Oil States is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with manufacturing and service facilities strategically located across the globe. Oil States is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "OIS".

Forward Looking Statements

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are those that do not state historical facts and are, therefore, inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements included herein are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the level of supply of and demand for oil and natural gas, fluctuations in the prices thereof, the cyclical nature of the oil and natural gas industry, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our Company and our customers, the other risks associated with the general nature of the energy service industry and other factors discussed in the "Business" and "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the subsequently filed Periodic Reports on Form 8-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update those statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of those statements to reflect future events or developments.

For more information on the Company, please visit Oil States Internationals website at www.oilstatesintl.com.

Company Contact:

Lloyd A. Hajdik

Oil States International, Inc.

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

713-652-0582

SOURCE: Oil States International, Inc.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Partly cloudy. Low near 80F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low near 80F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.


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New York City, NY, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via NGO Wire) India is facing an unprecedented public health crisis with the latest wave of COVID-19. The nonprofit Action Against Hunger is supporting COVID-19 prevention and treatment, while working to ensure this medical crisis doesnt become a hunger crisis by delivering relief resources worth $1.5 million in the coming months. This includes 30,000 PPE and N95 masks to medical and frontline workers, 30 ventilator units, 120 fetal monitors and BiPap machines, 3,500 medical devices that include oximeters and nebulizers, plus 200 tons of food, and emergency mental health and nutrition counseling.

With much of India now in lockdown and health services struggling to keep up, we fear that hunger and malnutrition will quickly follow COVID-19s latest wave in India, especially for vulnerable groups like young children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, said Snigdha Sahal, Action Against Hunger Indias Executive Director.

Prior to the pandemic, two-thirds of the countrys population lived in poverty and four out of ten children were chronically malnourished. Research shows the pandemic has had a devastating impact on incomes and worsened food security in India. Given the importance of nutrition in a childs first 1,000 days, a further deterioration in the food situation could pose a threat to an entire generation, says Sahal.

Photo: Sudharak Olwe for Action Against Hunger, India.

One of Action Against Hunger's Community Mobilizers distributing food baskets in Mumbai.



Since the beginning of the pandemic, Action Against Hungers 190 in-country staff have supported 41,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and treated 6,000 malnourished children. Its aid workers also have made more than 55,000 phone calls to equip people with reliable information on COVID-19 precautions and vaccines, and to address rising need for nutrition and hunger prevention and for stress management and mental health. The organization trains parents in how to detect their childrens nutrition status at home, reducing the need to visit health centers during lockdowns when the medical system is overwhelmed.



Working across urban and rural areas of four states  Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat  Action Against Hunger has collaborated with local authorities and partners to provide necessary equipment to government hospitals and frontline workers so they can continue to provide crucial healthcare services.

# # #



Action Against Hunger is the worlds hunger specialist and leader in a global movement that aims to end life-threatening hunger for good within our lifetimes. For more than 40 years, the humanitarian and development organization has been on the front lines, treating and preventing hunger across nearly 50 countries. Typically, it serves more than 17 million people each year and has been working in India for more than ten years.



Contact:

Shayna Samuels

718-541-4785

ssamuels@purposecollaborative.com

https://www.actionagainsthunger.org


















The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may start on weighing passengers, particularly the overweight and obese, on the gates of an airport, and decide whether they are eligible to get on a specific flight. Before this, bags for check-in and hand carries are the ones taken into consideration. However, the FAA is wary of "aircraft overload" that may endanger an entire flight.

It is not only the amount of cargo and the weight of all the bags brought by a passenger in a single flight that may be weighed as the FAA is now looking into taking into account the weight of the passengers themselves. While this may seem discriminatory for obese and overweight people trying to get into flights, it is necessary to avoid any problems later.

The FAA was initially known to regulate space and aircraft (including drones) in the country, but touch the "human side" of the airline industry in a rare instance, and would only intervene if there is a threat to security. However, that is not the case now, as the main concern of this new venture is for the safety and convenience of all the passengers in a said flight.

Read Also: FAA Wants to Track Your Drones, Effective 2023

FAA to Weigh Passengers and Decide to Keep Them Off a Flight

According to AirInsight Group's report, the FAA has released a new regulatory circular for the country's flight industry to take into consideration the "weight and balance" of an aircraft by calculating the total weight it has. This includes not only the cargo for check-in and hand carry but also the people going to board the aircraft.

While this is not yet the law, this regulation is directed to all airlines which are under the FAA's jurisdiction, which then has an average weight of 190 pounds in the summer and 195 for winter, accounting for additional clothing. This goes beyond the old FAA regulation of 170 and 175 pounds on average, respectively.

Underlying Overweight and Obesity Problem of the US

The CDC's obesity rates from 2017 to 2018 in the United States has a prevalence rate of 42.4 percent, which is almost half of the country's population and has been growing through the years. This was another factor that the FAA has brought up with their proposal of weighing each passenger to take into account aircraft balance and weight for safety.

This proposal of the FAA may be discriminatory for overweight and obese passengers, especially those who aim to board a flight that is near capacity. This may mean that they might be given a later schedule, to a flight that is hours away from departing, so that it could be managed to fit their body mass to take into account the safety of the entire flight.

Related Article: Google Wings Respond to FAA's Stricter Rules About Drones in the United States

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

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The renewable energy movement is now an established facet of the developed world, with expectations boosted by the transition in Washington DC to the Biden administration, which has already pledged its commitment to the sustainable energy cause to the tune of roughly twice the real-dollar investment that went into the space program in the 1960s.

Furthermore, the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) investment theme is thought to drive as much as $67 trillion in investment flows over the next decade, according to research from Morgan Stanley. This estimate is driven by what may be the most powerful long-term force driving finance over the next ten years: inheritance. Capital is to be passed from baby boomers to millennials, with an associated shift in sensibilities and thematic focus.

In other words, if theres a mission attached to the current presidential administration, its renewable energies. And, if theres an emphasis coming from the investors of tomorrow, its the same. This correlation will likely drive the most important moves to come.

That dream is showing signs of becoming reality at a rapidly accelerating pace. A good example is a drama around Californias gambit to become 50% renewable-powered over the next decade. PG&E committed to the goal of getting to 55% renewables by 2031. Now, top brass analysts think CA can get there by 2025 or earlier.

In other words, its happening, and its happening faster than we thought possible even just a few years ago.

With that in mind, lets take a look at some of the most interesting names in the renewable energies space, including Stem Inc (NYSE: STEM), NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE: NEE), ISW Holdings (OTC US: ISWH), and QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE: QS).

Stem Inc (NYSE: STEM) bills itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy storage services. The company provides solutions that address the challenges of todays dynamic energy market. By combining advanced energy storage solutions with Athena, a world-class AI-powered analytics platform, Stem enables customers and partners to optimize energy use by automatically switching between battery power, onsite generation, and grid power.

Stems solutions help enterprise customers benefit from a clean, adaptive energy infrastructure and achieve a wide variety of goals, including expense reduction, resilience, sustainability, environmental and corporate responsibility, and innovation. Stem also offers full support for solar partners interested in adding storage to standalone, community, or commercial solar projects  both behind and in front of the meter.

STEM most recently announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, including revenues of $15.4 million vs. $4.1 million in the same quarter last year, Gross Margin (GAAP) of (1)% vs. (34)% in the same quarter last year, and Non-GAAP Gross Margin of 19% vs. 1% in the same quarter last year.

John Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Stem, commented, We are excited to announce strong first-quarter results following the recent completion of our business combination with Star Peak. Revenue exceeded the high end of our guidance range, coupled with strong gross margin and Adjusted EBITDA performance. Our contracted backlog grew more than 20% sequentially, reflecting strong commercial momentum particularly in the Front of the Meter (FTM) segment and a quickly growing end market. Looking forward, our sales, product development and operations teams continue to drive toward achieving our 2021 guidance and building momentum into 2022 and beyond. As the first publicly traded pure-play smart storage company, our experience, industry-leading software, robust service offerings, and strong balance sheet will continue to differentiate Stem in this rapidly expanding market.

Even with that news, the action hasnt really heated up in the stock, with shares moving net sideways over the past week. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -20%.

NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE: NEE) trumpets itself as a company that, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America.

The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear, and fossil fuel, such as coal and natural gas facilities. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets with a focus on renewable generation facilities, natural gas pipelines, and battery storage projects; and owns, develops, constructs, manages, and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.

NEE most recently announced that it has entered into an amended agreement to upsize by $150 million its existing convertible equity portfolio financing with KKR (the Investor), through its core infrastructure strategy. NextEra Energy Partners originally entered into the 10-year convertible equity portfolio financing in November 2020.

The agreement announced today demonstrates the continued robust private infrastructure demand for the high-quality assets in NextEra Energy Partners portfolio and our strong continued relationship with KKR, which is providing us with an attractive low-cost source of capital, said Jim Robo, chairman, and chief executive officer. This is a terrific source of capital for NextEra Energy Partners and supports funding for the acquisition of the previously announced 400-megawatt portfolio of wind projects. In addition, the upsizing of what is the lowest-cost and longest-dated convertible equity portfolio financing in the partnerships history is expected to provide significant benefits for unitholders. We continue to believe that NextEra Energy Partners is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the disruptive factors reshaping the energy industry, meet its long-term growth objectives and deliver unitholder value going forward.

Even in light of this news, NEE hasnt really done much of anything over the past week, with shares logging no net movement over that period. Over the past month, shares of the stock have suffered from clear selling pressure, dropping by roughly -20%.

ISW Holdings (OTCMKTS: ISWH) is a diversified holdings company trading at much cheaper levels than other stocks listed here. But it has strong exposure to the renewables energy space by virtue of its cryptocurrency mining segment, which is founded on driving operations from renewable energies, passing the high bar recently highlighted by Teslas Elon Musk.

ISWH is a relative newcomer in the crypto space, getting things ramped up last year in May and June with its partnership with Bit5ive LLC, designing and assembling its Proceso POD5IVE mining pod, a fully self-contained high-PUE mining solution designed, assembled, and installed in partnership with Bit5ive at the Bit5ive 100 MW renewable energy cryptocurrency mining facility in Pennsylvania.

It has since tripled its fleet of mining pods. Each pod is powered by 280 mining rigs and is capable of driving roughly $2.9 million in annualized revenues (at current cryptocurrency price levels). ISW Holdings continues to build out its own mining capacity, with plans to bring multiple additional pods online this year. However, data from pod mining operations is also being collected for the purpose of marketing the POD5IVE datacenter to other businesses and individuals interested in a self-contained industry-leading cryptocurrency mining solution.

ISWH announced strong gains in cash, overall business growth, and total current assets this morning in its latest quarterly filing. The company also pointed to its likely ramp in progress in Q2 as it fires up its mining operations at the Pennsylvania renewable energy mining facility.

As Alonzo Pierce, President and Chairman of ISW Holdings, noted in the release, Our current focus is on implementation of a renewable energy sourcing plan that will get our mining operations closer to the 0% carbon emission standard. We support the current technology industry roadmap of implementing and sourcing only renewable energy resources, and we believe this will enhance our net profitability over the long term. This was always our end game, which should be clear given our initial mining launch at the Pennsylvania renewable energy mining project. We are committed to a brighter, healthier, and cleaner future.

ISWH shares have pulled back sharply over the past two months after the establishment of its strong upward trend, in place over the past 6 months.

QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE: QS) bills itself as a leader in developing next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries for use in electric vehicles.

The companys mission is to revolutionize energy storage to enable a sustainable future.

QS most recently announced that it has entered into an agreement with Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. to select the location of their joint-venture solid-state battery pilot-line facility by the end of 2021. The companies currently contemplate Salzgitter, Germany for the location. The pilot-line facility, QS-1, will initially be a 1-gigawatt hour (GWh) battery cell commercial production plant for electric vehicle batteries. QuantumScape and Volkswagen intend to expand production capacity by a further 20 GWh at the same location.

Our goal has been to bring our solid-state lithium-metal batteries to market as soon as possible, said Jagdeep Singh, CEO, and co-founder of QuantumScape. This joint venture brings together QuantumScapes core battery technology with Volkswagens deep understanding of high-volume, high-quality production, and maximizes our ability to bring this technology into industrial production.

While this is a clear factor, it has been incorporated into a trading tape characterized by a pretty dominant offer, which hasnt been the type of action QS shareholders really want to see. In total, over the past five days, shares of the stock have dropped by roughly -3% on above-average trading volume. All in all, not a particularly friendly tape, but one that may ultimately present some new opportunities.

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Something to look forward to: Since Microsoft released the first HoloLens 5 years ago, the devices have been primarily used by businesses and the military, but plans to bring it to the consumer market are still there. That's according to Microsoft's head of Mixed Reality Alex Kipman, who shared this new expanded roadmap during an interview.

During the interview, Kipman shared his vision of what AR/MR technologies will bring in the future. Besides talking about shared experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh, a mixed reality platform designed to be compatible with numerous virtual and augmented reality headsets, Kipman also said how important it is to bring the technology to the masses.

Microsoft is planning to lead the race of AR/MR technologies, but to do it, it needs to expand the target audience of its products by selling them to the masses. Microsoft is currently selling HoloLens headsets mostly to companies in different sectors and the US military.

It's worth noting that a consumer HoloLens headset probably won't come cheap, at least at launch. The HoloLens 2, which is available for purchase at Microsoft Store, is priced at $3,500.

As per Kipman statements, a consumer HoloLens headset will need to be smaller than the HoloLens 2, coming in as a pair of "socially acceptable glasses," and offer a level of immersion that goes beyond simple notifications.

Considering that HoloLens 2 weighs over 500g and consumes 8W of power, Kipman estimates that a viable pair of AR glasses would have to weigh about 90g and use only 2W. That looks like a laborious task given the amount of hardware Microsoft have to pack inside the device.

Kipman added that Microsoft is working with Epic and Niantic to create an open mixed reality platform without any application store taxes.

Microsoft's head of Mixed Reality didn't share a release timeline for the HoloLens consumer headset but ensured that it won't release this year.
SEATTLE, May 17, 2021 /CNW/ -- As part of Pride month, Nordstrom announced today it will be providing a grant to the Trans Lifeline x FOLX Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Care Fund, to support transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming individuals. For anyone struggling to access hormone care, this fund will underwrite their choice of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) care through FOLX, with 75% of funds reserved for Black and Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC)

Additionally, Trans Lifeline is the giveback partner for our BP. Be Proud brand with 10% of net sales being donated towards the peer support and crisis hotline, and microgrants providing financial resources directly to transgender people across the U.S. and Canada. Between these efforts, Nordstrom hopes to give $350,000 in support of the Transgender community.

"We've long believed that we're all made better by the diversity that exists both within our communities and our workforce. Our values are centered on the notion of creating a place where every customer and employee is welcome, respected, appreciated and able to be their authentic selves," said Farrell Redwine, senior vice president of human resources, Nordstrom, Inc. "This year, we are honored to partner with Trans Lifeline to extend those values and support the transgender community in accessing resources that make their lives easier."

"Trans Lifeline is thrilled to be partnering with Nordstrom to invest in the transformational power of peer support and redistribute resources to trans people," said Bri Barnett, director of advancement, Trans Lifeline. "This historic gift will be instrumental in helping us answer over 25,000 calls this year and it will also provide 100 people with a year of life saving medical care."

Nordstrom will also be highlighting brands founded or designed by the LGBTQ+ community. It is Nordstrom's priority to support the community year-round by offering a dynamic assortment of products and experiences, including:

The BP. Be Proud collection features a range of silhouettes for people of all gender expressions. The lead designer for this collection is queer and we engaged different members from the LGBTQ+ community to provide insight on what they see as missing from the current apparel landscape. Sizes range from XXS  4X and prices range from $25 - $59 .

collection features a range of silhouettes for people of all gender expressions. The lead designer for this collection is queer and we engaged different members from the LGBTQ+ community to provide insight on what they see as missing from the current apparel landscape. Sizes range from XXS  4X and prices range from - . MANTL , co-founded by Karamo Brown  the best-selling author, producer and Emmy-nominated host on Netflix's Emmy-winning series Queer Eye  will be available at Nordstrom. Karamo created the skincare line for both the face and scalp after going through his own balding journey, with the mission to empower the bald and balding to live their fullest lives comfortably and confidently.

, co-founded by  the best-selling author, producer and Emmy-nominated host on Netflix's Emmy-winning series  will be available at Nordstrom. Karamo created the skincare line for both the face and scalp after going through his own balding journey, with the mission to empower the bald and balding to live their fullest lives comfortably and confidently. Packaged in pink and conceived beyond the gender binary, Boy Smells makes loving your identity a daily ritual. Co-founders and real-life partners Matthew Herman and David Kien created Boy Smells as items they'd want to use on a daily basis and products that were fluid and essential.

makes loving your identity a daily ritual. Co-founders and real-life partners and created Boy Smells as items they'd want to use on a daily basis and products that were fluid and essential. Leeway Home launched in March 2021 and is launching on Nordstrom.com in May. Leeway Home celebrates everyone at every stage of life and offers products to fit them. Founded by partners Sam Dumas and Lyle Maltz , they've leaned into the way real people live and offer everything you need to set your table your way.

launched in and is launching on Nordstrom.com in May. Leeway Home celebrates everyone at every stage of life and offers products to fit them. Founded by partners and , they've leaned into the way real people live and offer everything you need to set your table your way. Nordstrom is kicking off an ongoing partnership with The Phluid Project with an exclusive Pride capsule featuring gender-free accessories including hats, bags and socks starting at $12 , launching at the end of May. The Phluid Project launched in March 2018 in NYC and online as a gender free fashion brand and is known for breaking the binary. The Phluid Project joined a movement of humans committed to challenging the ethos of traditions of the past that inhibit freedom and self-expression.

Additional details on these launches can be found on the Nordstrom Press Room.

Year-round, Nordstrom provides grants and funding to LGBTQIA+ organizations like the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Pride Foundation God's Love We Deliver, Human Rights Campaign and more.

Nordstrom's celebration of Pride Month and support of the LGBTQIA+ community are a part of the company's broader efforts and commitments to diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB). The company recently set goals to guide its DIB efforts and reports annually on its progress. To learn more about the company's DIB strategy, goals and programs visit Nordstrom.com.

ABOUT NORDSTROM

Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 357 stores in the U.S. and Canada, including 100 Nordstrom stores; 248 Nordstrom Rack stores; two clearances stores; and seven Nordstrom Local service hubs. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstrom.ca, NordstromRack.com and TrunkClub.com. Nordstrom, Inc.'s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

ABOUT TRANS LIFELINE

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community, resources, and support they need to survive and thrive--building a resilient trans community through trans-led direct services. Trans Lifeline's Hotline provides peer support and crisis support, and their Microgrants program provides low-barrier grants to trans people in need of legal name changes and updated IDs, HRT, and funds for incarcerated trans people.

ABOUT FOLX HEALTH

Launched in December 2020, FOLX Health is an LGBTQIA+ healthcare service provider built to serve the community's specific needs. The company delivers a new standard of healthcare that's built to serve LGBTQIA+ people, rather than treat them as problems to be solved. For more information, visit folxhealth.com

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Southern Lebanon now calm, says UN After night rocket launching at Israel

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 18 - The situation in southern Lebanon returned to normal on Tuesday after rockets were launched at Israel the previous day, according to the UN mission UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.



About a thousand Italian soldiers are part of the mission, which is deployed along the Blue Line of demarkation between Lebanon and Israel, where anti-Israeli Hezbollah fighters operate.



According to initial reports, UNIFIl said, the rockets were launched from the Rashaya al-Fuqar area in the eastern sector of the area under UN responsibility.



Local media say that none of the rockets reached Israeli territory. UNIFIL noted that the commander of the mission, Italian general Stefano Del Col, immediately got into contact with both the Lebanese army and its Israeli counterpart and urged them to avoid any sort of escalation. (ANSAmed).